The Misadventures of Ponified Friends
Chapter 12: Stripes Aren't Everything (Bridle Gossip)
(Silver's POV)
"Now, THIS is the kind of weather that I wanted a few days ago!" My yellow Pegasus friend exclaimed as he floated above me, observing the sight. "I mean, look, look! There's not a single cloud in the sky!"
I rolled my eyes as we continued to walk through town. "Yeah, yeah. You worked your butt off. I have to say that storm really left some good results. Have you seen the apple trees back on the farm? They're as healthy as ever."
"Yeah, man. We've just been there," Lem chuckled, lowering his altitude to meet me in the eye. "I bet everyone's having a good day under this sunshine! Kids playing, adult's chatting, some ponies singing randomly and uh- and uh-umm… huh?"
Speedy suddenly stopped fluttering as he landed with a confused face, making me halt as well.
Now that I noticed, the town was completely empty and awfully quiet… too quiet, actually. We looked around as a wind breezed in. There weren't any ponies in our sight.
"Okay… was not expecting this," Speedy said. "Could it be some sort of Pony holiday that we didn't know?"
"Not entirely sure."
We continued walking despite our suspicions. All that we could hear was the wind, which was pretty eerie, and I didn't like that. It made me pretty jumpy. We were further into town, and from there, we could see some Ponies now.
They were all shutting doors and closing their windows. Hell, we saw a kid coming out of her house, and her mum dragged her back inside. And a tumbleweed just rolled in front of us…
"Alright, something weird is going on, and I wanna know!" Speedy exclaimed.
I shushed him. "Don't shout! I'm wondering, too."
"It's literally all sunshine and rainbows out here, and these ponies wanna close themselves in? Is it Opposite Day or something?"
"There's no such thing as Opposite Day, Lem."
"There could be! We're in magical pony land! Or does my breath stink?" I sighed as he tested his guess. "Nah, smells like peppermint."
"Literally, everything you said is just cringe."
"Pssst~!"
"What?" I turned to Lem.
"That wasn't me, dude," he said.
"Hahaha, very funny. You think you can scare me?"
"I'm serious, that wasn't me!"
I looked around. "There's no else around but us."
"Pssst!" Oh my god, he was not kidding.
"Silver Spur! Speedy!"
I looked for the source amongst these buildings surrounding us. The voice kinda sounded like Pinkie Pie. Coincidentally, Sugarcube Corner was just in front of us, and it WAS Pinkie, and she was peeking and ducking in front of the store's door. She scared the crap outta me.
"Come over here!" she called as Lemuel and I exchanged looks. She gestured us to come towards her with a hoof. "Hurry! Before she gets you!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, who's she?" Speedy demanded.
"This better not be one of your pranks, Pinkie," I told her sternly.
"I'm not joking!" she responded. "Come inside quick! QUICK!"
Lemuel and I shrugged before we entered Sugarcube Corner to entertain the pink pony
Once we were inside, I saw nothing but darkness. I moved around a little bit until I bumped into someone.
"Sorry," I said in an instant.
"No harm done." Speedy said. "Pinkie Pie, why are you all alone in here?"
"I'm not alone," she said.
"Wait, come again?"
The blinds of the windows snapped open, illuminating the room. Once our eyes adjusted to the brightness, I was surprised that the gang was all here, even Applebloom. So that's why the two sisters hadn't come home earlier.
"Okay… Why are you all in the dark?" I questioned.
"That's what I asked them earlier, too," Twilight said.
"Because we're hidin' from her!" AJ pointed outside the window, and the others did too.
Might as well check what the fuss was all about.
I looked outside and saw some pony cloaked and hooded. I noticed that her forelegs' fur was striped black and white, her right front hoof ornamented with some gold, metal bracelets. For some reason, she was digging at the ground and nothing more. I gazed back at the girls, and they were all shivering in fright except for Twilight.
"So you're all scared of someone wearing a cloak and digs at the ground? You're kidding us, right?" Speedy commented, looking displeased.
I kept watching the shady looking pony's moves. She stopped for a moment and then glanced towards our direction. I swore her eyes were glowing, in a scary way. I kinda understood why they were all afraid.
"Woah, that was cool." Speedy chuckled.
"Did you two see her?" Applebloom asked. "Did you see Zecora?"
"Applebloom! I told ya never to say that name!" AJ scolded the young pony.
"Why? She just glanced this way, and that's it." Twilight demanded.
"Glanced EVILLY this way!" Pinkie intervened.
"Then a bunch of you flipped out for no good reason." Twilight continued
"No good reason? You can't be protecting your kin for no good reason?" AJ slung her right hoof over Applebloom protectively and pulled her closer. "Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town, she started shaking right in her horseshoes."
Speedy snorted. "Well, she wouldn't if you aren't shaking her."
AJ gasped. "I am not!"
"Y-y-y-y-es, y-ou a-a-are!" Applebloom managed to say before she was put into a fireman's carry by her sister.
"So I swept her up and brought her here-"
"I walked here myself!" Applebloom countered.
"-for safekeeping!"
"Applejack, I'm not a baby." She hopped down her sister's back. "I can take care of myself!"
"Not from that creepy Zecora!"
"She's mysterious…" Fluttershy said.
"Sinister!" Rainbow Dash added.
"and spooOOOoky!" Gosh, darn it, Pinkie Pie.
I gave them a stare before I looked back out again, focusing on the hooded Zecora. I suddenly felt a lot of weight behind me, and when I looked back, almost everyone was pushing their way to observe through the window.
For a moment, this Zecora pony stopped digging and pulled back her hood, revealing a black and white Mohawk. The others gasped at the reveal, which I thought was pretty overdramatic.
"Will you guys cut that out?" Twilight told them.
"Just look at those stripes, so garish!" Rarity commented.
"It's because she's a Zebra, Rarity," I said.
"A WHAT?" I leaned back at the sudden loudness as they exclaimed.
I blinked. "You know, kinda look like ponies but striped with black and white?"
Twilight nodded. "Zebras are born with it, so it's not a fashion choice, Rarity."
The white pony then fainted melodramatically. You know what fashion does to her.
"You guys never saw a zebra before? Wow, and I thought I was clueless." Speedy laughed.
"I've never seen a pony like that in these parts, except her." AJ declared, still spooked.
"Well, it's obvious that she's not from here." Twilight said. "and she's not a pony. My books say that Zebras come from a faraway land."
"Silver should know. He lived there!" Speedy said.
I face hoofed at this loudmouth. Do they even know Africa?!
"Now that I noticed, you kind of have similarities with Zecora." Twilight wondered, making the other's gasp at my well being. What similarities? My colors are black AND Silver, not white. And my coat is gray!
I sighed. "I assure you all, I am NOT a zebra. And no, I am NOT enchanted."
"You're African, though."
"Lem, I'll buck you right in the face!"
"I wonder where she lives." Twilight continued.
"That's just it. She lives in… the Everfree Forest!" AJ announced as a sudden racket startled us.
"Speedy!"
"Sorry!" he shouted from the kitchen. "Anyone want cupcakes?"
"The Everfree Forest just ain't natural!" Applejack continued. "The plants grow…"
"Animals take care of themselves…" Fluttershy joined in.
"And clouds move…" Rainbow added.
"All on their OWN!" The trio of girls exclaimed in a symphony, and Rarity once again fainted.
"… and that's unnatural?" I couldn't help but wonder, and they all nodded vigorously.
"Plants growing? Animals in their natural habitat? And the weather works naturally? Sounds pretty much like our world!" Speedy said as he came back with a handful of food. I forgot that it was lunch.
"That's not all; because that's where that wicked enchantress Zecora does her evil- uh, STUFF!" Pinkie said, and I could tell that she wasn't even sure. "She's so evil, I even wrote a song about her!"
"Here we go…" Rainbow groaned, looking annoyed.
"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!
Then she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew
so watch out!"
Pinkie Pie remained in her pose for a while as we stared at her in silence. I felt like I became dumber listening to that… No offense.
"Well, that was certainly catchy." Way to break the silence, Speedy.
"It's a work in progress." Pinkie said, looking proud as hell.
"This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors. Now tell me, what have you actually seen Zecora do?" Twilight demanded.
"Well… once a month, she comes into Ponyville." Rainbow Dash replied, prompting Twilight to react sarcastically.
"Then, she lurks by the stores." Rarity said.
"Oh my!" Twilight sarcastically reacted again.
"And then, she digs at the ground…" Fluttershy finished.
We heard Speedy gasp in overreaction. "Zecora's evil because she's… SHOPPING?" He then pretended to be upset as he kept on shaking his head in anger. "Of all the evil things she had to do, why SHOPPING? Ponyville is doomed!" He then took a bite of a donut after his sarcastic remark.
"How is any of this bad? Maybe she just comes to town to visit and shop with any other pony, as Speedy Glee said." Twilight said in agreement, and for once, I did too as I nodded.
"Yeah! Maybe she's just trying to be neighborly! And everypony likes to shop!" At least Applebloom knew what was up, and she was a kid. "You know what I think-?"
"Applebloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk." Applejack interrupted her younger sister rather rudely.
"I am a big pony." I heard the younger filly mutter.
After being silent for a while, I decided to speak. "The only weird thing about her is the ground digging. I'm sure there's an explanation to it."
"What if she's digging for innocent creatures?" Fluttershy wondered, worry evident in her voice.
"There's an explanation for everything. Maybe if someone is brave enough to approach her, we will find out the truth!" Twilight suggested.
Hmm, come to think of it. "Has someone at least talked to Zecora?"
They all looked at one another, and they didn't mutter a single word.
I raised a brow. "No one? Not even once? Then why all the negative reactions? You're just judging her based on how she looks? That's ridiculous!"
"Well, I heard that Zecora eats HAY!"
"Pinkie Pie, YOU eat hay! Heck, even I eat hay! And our kind does not normally eat hay!"
"Yeah, but I heard it's the EVIL way she eats hay." Ugh. There was no point in arguing with this pink pony, was there?
"Hey, where's Applebloom?" Applejack interrupted as she looked all over the place.
"The door's open!" Fluttershy pointed.
"She went outside!" Rarity cried.
"And Zecora's still out there!" Don't add in the fear, Rainbow!
"That silly lil' filly! I told her to stay put!" Applejack began running out of the building in which everybody followed.
These kids around here seriously needed to learn not to stick their nose around serious business. I'd do whatever it takes to prevent another disaster like that time with the Ursa Minor and Snips and Snails.
"One of you needs to stay here in case Applebloom gets back." Twilight looked back at Speedy and me before she made a break for it.
I nodded, and I already decided. "Speedy, stay here and wait."
He did a double-take. "I'm sorry, me?"
"No time to argue! Just stay here and wait for us!" I yelled as I pushed the door open and rushed outside, ignoring my friend's cries of dispute.
It only took me a few seconds to catch up with the girls. We galloped our way and made a beeline straight to the path of that wretched forest. As we entered the outskirts of the Everfree, we made it just in time to see Applebloom tiptoeing behind the unaware Zebra surrounded by a bunch of blue flowers.
As the girls walked through the patches, for some odd reason, I stopped before I could step through it as well. Even from far ahead, I noticed earlier that Zecora avoided the flowers on purpose. I had no idea why.
"Applebloom!" AJ yelled. Applebloom gasped as she gazed back. "You get back here right now!"
"Beware, beware, you pony folk!" Zecora exclaimed in a warning tone, backing away into a fog. "Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"
"You keep your creepy mumbo jumbo to yerself, ya hear!" Applejack yelled back, picking Applebloom up as the others followed her lead. Only Twilight and I remained silent at their assault.
"Oh, brother."
"Beware! Beware!" Zecora said one last time before being engulfed in the thick mist.
"Back at ya, Zecora! You and your lame curses are the ones who better beware!" Rainbow persisted in fighting back. That was completely unnecessary.
"And you! Why couldn't you just listen to your big sister?" Applejack questioned, glaring at Applebloom.
"I…I…"
"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have put on you?"
"Hey, at least Zecora didn't even bother to lay a hand-I mean hoof on her." I stepped in.
"You can never tell! She could have cast it on her with those creepy chantin' mumbo jumbo of hers!"
"Just like in my song!" Pinkie said before singing a short version of it.
"You guys, there's no such thing as curses!" Twilight said.
"Well, that's interesting to hear coming from Miss Magic Pants herself who lives with three aliens," Rainbow responded, poking Twilight's horn.
She rolled her eyes. "My magic, REAL magic, comes from within. It is a skill you are born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations. It's all smoke and mirror that is meant to scare. It has no power, and it's just an old pony tale."
Okay, well, If I remember correctly, Night Mare Moon was considered an old pony tale as well, and we ended up fighting her. I'm in another world, in a pony body, surrounded by mythical creatures AND animated animals that talk. I'd wound up believing that anything is possible now.
Before I knew it, everyone was retreating back to town as I sidestepped to make way.
"Just you wait, Twilight. You're gonna learn that somepony tales really are true." Applejack warned eerily before walking away. Didn't we all learn that before? How quickly they forget.
Twilight sighed as she stood back and wondered as the others finally left the forest.
"Twilight. let's go home, too." I called her
She looked back and started to come over. "You're not going back to Sweet Apple Acres?"
"It was all just small-time errands, so I'm done for the day."
Twilight and I began heading home, but I couldn't help myself looking back at those highly suspect flowers.
Those leaves of blue are not a joke…
"Hey, Twilight?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you feel… different? Anything weird?"
She examined herself. "I don't feel different. Why do you ask?"
"Uh- nothing. It's… probably just me." I shook my head.
"So, the girls yelled at Zecora, and she just backed off?" Speedy asked. "No curses or magic lasers and stuff?"
"Yes, and NO, nothing like that happened. She didn't even answer back. I still don't understand why they're so angry and scared at her when they haven't even talked to her before, or she had done something wrong or evil ever." I stated, lying down in my bed. "She even gave us some weird warning."
"What did she say?"
"Beware, beware, you pony folk. Those leaves of blue are not a joke."
He chuckled. "What's with the rhyming?"
"Trust me. That's exactly how Zecora said it." I rolled my eyes at him. "Around that time, we were in an area full of blue flowers. I have a feeling that those were the leaves of blue she was talking about."
"Do they give you allergies or something?" He responded. "Did you touch one?"
"I didn't. When I saw Zecora avoiding it, I just had the feeling that I should too."
"What about the others?"
"Yeah, they did. Stepped all over it actually, but Twilight didn't feel anything out of the norm."
"If it didn't affect them, then stop worrying." Speedy yawned. "That zebra probably told you all that to make you scram and stop bothering her."
"I hope so," I said. "We should get some sleep."
"Nah, maybe I'll read a book first."
"YOU? Reading a book? Never thought I'd see the day." I said in bewilderment. "I only see you read books in lecture."
"What? Am I forbidden to digest knowledge on casual occasions?" he questioned. "Besides, it helps me get bored, so I could fall asleep fast."
"Two birds, one stone?"
"Two birds, one stone, baby!"
I sighed. "Yeah, well, good luck with that. I'm turning over now."
"Hey, did you know that romance novels have the most effect? It's funny because there was this one book about this mare that was just fooling around her lover's little di-"
"La la la la la! I don't want to hear your unnecessary info so go to sleep la la la la!"
"It's true!"
I woke up early to ready myself for another day's work.
Even if the sun was just starting to rise, a bunch of ponies were going on and about already. Cheerful and happy little ponies they were, and as if they had all recovered from the terror yesterday, that is Zecora the Zebra. The mood of the town came back to normal as the morning was finally here.
I arrived and entered the Sweet Apple Acres. Before I start the workload, I'd always make sure to come by the house first and greet every pony a good morning. Most of the time, I always end up having breakfast with the Apple family, anyway.
I made my way to the front door, and before I could knock, I heard a sudden high pitched scream on the second floor of the house.
"What the hell was that!?" I said to myself before entering the house. I made my way up the stairs and saw Big Mac and Applebloom outside their rooms. "What happened?"
"We just heard a weird scream out of nowhere," Applebloom responded while Big Mac just nodded his head. Both were clearly confused.
"I knew it! I knew it!" There was that weird voice again, and it was coming from Applejack's room.
I knocked on her door. "Applejack? You alright?"
"No, I ain't ALL RIGHT!" wait, that weird voice was Applejack?! "I can't reach the doorknob!"
"What do you mean you can't reach it?" I asked.
"Silver Spur, I'm smaller than a rodent over here!"
"You're WHAT?"
I finally opened the door, and I looked around. I scanned Applejack's room and saw no pony.
"Down here!"
I did, and I almost jumped back in shock. She could even be smaller than a mouse!
"See? I told ya that curses are real!"
Applebloom gasped. "Sis! Why are ya so small?"
"Don't mind me; I'm just fine and dandy." She and her little hooves marched towards the young one. "Are you okay? Zecora didn't do anything curse-y to you, did she?"
"I'm fine, Applejack," Applebloom responded. "How are we gonna turn you back to normal?"
"We need to go to Twilight!" She declared before she looked up at me. Oh my god, it's so weird. "Silver! Let's go to the library."
I nodded. I bowed down and let Applejack climb over my head. "You feel comfortable up there?"
"Comfy, now let's go!"
I felt someone grabbing my hoof before I could gallop.
"I'll come with ya!" said Applebloom. "Maybe there's something I could do-"
"No, Applebloom! Stay here and-!"
"Applejack, it's okay." I interrupted. I looked down at Applebloom. "You can come with us, kid, but promise not to leave out of our sight like before?"
The kid nodded vigorously. "I will."
"Okay, then let's move."
I ran back to the library with the utmost care so that Applejack wouldn't fall down, and I would realize it. When we arrived, everybody was already there and gathered into one crowd, and I could not believe my eyes.
Twilight's horn had blue dots, and it was grossly floppy, and Pinkie Pie's tongue was swelling and had blue dots as well. Rainbow Dash's wings were, jeez, I couldn't describe it properly. I guess her wings were placed upside down on her stomach, and she was crashing all over the place. That hairy, white heap of a mess over there must be Rarity. I bet that she must be freaking out mentally.
Fluttershy had no abnormalities, so that was a relief.
Nope. She definitely had one, I'm sure.
"See! I told ya, SO!" Applejack exclaimed from the top of my head. When Twilight faced us, she gasped, while Speedy over there was trying not to laugh.
"It's a curse! A curse I tells you!"
"But Speedy, Silver, and Fluttershy seem just fine!" Twilight said.
"Yes, it doesn't seem a thing wrong with them!" Rarity stated, blowing her ridiculously long and squiggly bangs when she spoke.
"Nothing weird happened to me."
"It's because you're already retarded." I quipped.
"Yeah, It's because I'm already- Oh, I see what you did there," Speedy smirked, and I just sighed and rolled my eyes.
"Nothing's wrong with me, either." I then turned to Fluttershy. "What about you? Are you okay?"
She stayed silent, and she turned her head away, sulking.
"Fluttershy? Is there something wrong with you?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy glanced back and hesitantly nodded.
"Would you care to tell us?"
Fluttershy refused by looking away from the annoyed Twilight.
"So… you're not gonna tell us?"
The timid Pegasus nodded.
"Yes, you're not, or yes, you will?"
As Fluttershy shook her head, I felt Applejack's hooves impatiently tapping on my scalp. It felt like I was repeatedly getting hit by pebbles.
"Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you!?" AJ demanded.
Fluttershy stared at Applejack in surprise before looking away from everypony once again. She held her head down, and then she spoke.
"I don't wanna talk about it…"
… Umm, he spoke?
And just like that, Speedy was having another one of his laughing fits.
"Oh my god! I can't even- WoohooHOO!" He rolled around the floor like the idiot that he is. "I'm so sorry, guys, but I can't help but find this all funny! Ahahahaha! Look at yourselves! Ladies and gentlemen, we have Harity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Tiny, Flutterguy , and…" he bit his lip to suppress his laughter. "Twilight Flopple! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
I faced hoofed.
"Speedy, this is no laughing matter!" Twilight scolded him.
"It's no use, Twilight. He's not gonna stop just from that." I sighed. "Speedy, come here, and I'll end it for you."
He sniffed. "Okay… hehehe… It's funny, right? Twilight Flopp-"
I immediately swung my right hoof and hit him in the face… as he fell flat on the floor very hard. I winced. Was my slap that strong?
Oh right, I have hooves now. I just hoped he didn't suffer brain damage.
I noticed that everyone was exchanging looks at me then at Speedy's unconscious body.
I shrugged. "What? We always do that back at home. In fact, he insists on it."
"Really? Violence stops him from laughing?" Twilight said.
"If it works, it works."
Twilight recovered by going back to the convo seriously. "All right, everyone, we've got to find more books so I can find a cure."
"I think we'll find a cure for this curse…" Rainbow Dash said, and she somehow broke a ladder, and now she was stuck on it before popping out of it. "at Zecora's place!"
"It's not a curse!" Twilight disagreed as Rainbow Dash crashed into the bookshelves.
"I agree with Dash! Silver, put me down on the table!" Applejack ordered, which I obeyed diligently. "We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex!"
"It's not a hex, either!"
The girls then started to argue with each other, and then they were in a zone, almost impossible to break up. I tried to intervene, but they were unstoppable.
I've got to try one more time, and loudly I thought to myself.
So I took a deep breath, and I was about to shout, GUYS! When a realization hit me.
Where the hell was Applebloom?!
I looked around, and it was hopeless. That kid made a promise! Oh shit, Applejack is going to kill me! Quick, think, think, think!
Damn it! I couldn't think of anything!
The girls were still fighting with each other, and Speedy was still knocked out. I took advantage of the situation and ran out of the library in haste.
My legs were taking me in the direction of the Everfree Forest. This place was a real trouble and kid magnet! The run was long, but it didn't tire me out.
I immediately called for Applebloom once I entered the forest.
"Applebloom! Where are you?" I called, turning in every direction as I ran. "Applebloom! Once I find you, we are both so dead to AJ and Big Mac!"
With my head turning and glancing around, I was so lost and unaware that I tripped into a boulder that made me roll and smash into a bush. I was dizzy, and my body was hurt slightly. I thought there was even soil and dirt in my mouth.
My eyes grew wide when something inside my mouth moved. It popped out in between my lips.
"Silver?"
I spat her out. "Applejack?! What are you doing here in the Everfree Forest?" I'd like to avoid the fact that she was inside my mouth.
Man, that sounded weird.
"Going after Applebloom!" she shouted. "That young filly dropped me off in this piece of lumber and skedaddled off without me!"
"Which way did she go?"
She nodded her head, pointing north. "Through there, now time's a-wastin'!"
"Right!"
I bowed my head, and she jumped and settled on top. I felt her grab two of my braids and whipped it up like horse reins.
"Yee-haw! Giddy up, pony!"
"Ow, ow! My hair!"
We followed a trail that Applejack and I discovered, and it led us to an odd-looking hut.
Much like the library, it was hollowed out so that the inside was livable. Strange ornaments hung out from the tree branches, gigantic masks, and bottles with unknown, colorful liquids.
"This is Zecora's place? What a peculiar home she has…" I said.
"And It's got 'Enchantress' written all over it." Applejack whispered. "Let's sneak up and peek in her window!"
"Isn't that kind of violating her privacy?"
"We have no time to lose, Silver! Applebloom might be in there!"
"Okay! Okay."
I tried to be as quiet as I could to walk towards a window. Carefully, I lifted my head up and looked inside the hut. The décor was the same as the outside, but twice the amount, and there was a cauldron in the middle where something was coming to a boil.
"Applebloom ain't here! Where the hay could she be?" Applejack wondered in worry.
"Zecora's not around, either," I observed.
We began to hear voices heading towards our direction. It wasn't Applebloom's, and definitely not Zecora's.
"Oh, I look horrible!"
"Bis pleys plooks horribul!"
"Oh dear, this place DOES look horrible!"
"Rarity and Pinkie Pie?" I stated. The remaining members soon followed.
"Silver Spur! Applejack!" Twilight said. "Why didn't you say anything when you left?"
"I'm sorry. We are kind of looking for Applebloom right now." I told her. "Why are you all here?"
"We all thought that you were after Zecora, so we decided to look for you." Rarity said, blowing the hair out of her vision as the others nodded. I just noticed that Rainbow Dash and Speedy weren't in the scene.
"Thank you all for the concern, but Zecora's not he-" I suddenly heard the door open up from the inside, and the Zebra walked in unannounced. "Oh, shoot!" I exclaimed as I suddenly ducked down.
"Hey! Be careful!" Applejack yelled at me after she dropped down on my head.
"I'm sorry!" I whispered. I motioned the others to crouch down and shush. "Zecora's here!"
I rose up and peeked back again inside the hut.
"Nice decorations, if you like creepy." Rarity commented quietly.
Zecora grabbed a jar from a shelf and poured the contents into the cauldron. She began chanting in a different language. It sounded like… Swahili? Damn, I don't know how to speak Swahili.
"Shte shtole my sthong!" Pinkie announced, enraged. "Shte Shtole bluh blubluh!" Sheesh, say it but don't spray it.
"She stole your song?" Rarity clarified.
"Pinkie, that doesn't sound anything like your song." Twilight responded.
Pinkie tried to say something, and then she slid to Fluttershy and begged for something. Pinkie gave her those puppy eyes, and Fluttershy sighed in defeat before singing in her really deep voice.
"She's an evil enchantress
And she does evil dances,
And if you look into her eyes
She will put you in trances.
Then what would she do?
She'll mix up an evil brew,
Then she'll gobble you up
in a big tasty stew.
So… watch out."
Those two probably didn't know how silly they looked.
"YOU saw those terrible things. Now do you believe us, Twilight?" Rarity asked the purple Unicorn.
Twilight looked back inside. "Scary looking masks, confusing incantations, and a great, big, bubbling cauldron… Everything IS pointing to Zecora being bad."
"Or what if she's just making soup? Everyone loves soup!" I considered, but they all just stared at me in disapproval.
We all turned back on the window to see Zecora taking a lick at the weird, green liquid boiling in the cauldron. Never saw anyone taste-testing a food that's boiling. And green.
Zecora hummed in delight. "The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now, where is that little Applebloom?"
… Did she just say what I think she just said?
"Or… What if Zecora loves Applebloom soup?!" I exclaimed.
Then the girls began screaming with me. Oh man, was Zecora holding Applebloom hostage inside?!
Something crashed into Zecora's hut when we whipped our heads back to the window. Zecora became alarmed as she watched Rainbow Dash cause havoc inside, destroying the bottles and jars and even those huge, scary masks.
Everything was so fast that I couldn't even think!
I felt Applejack knock on my head and pulling my braids up. "Don't just stand there!" she pointed to Twilight and the others beginning to barge inside. "Come on, Silver!"
"Please don't pull my hair!"
Once I joined the group we barged in, Twilight questioned Zecora immediately. "What have you done with Applebloom?"
However, Zecora was still busy with Rainbow Dash as she continued to shout in Swahili. It was fairly obvious that she was telling Rainbow to stop.
I saw a tiny lasso waving on top of me, and Applejack suddenly threw it at the Zebra's ear, and she swung. Throwing herself on the target, she began wrestling Zecora's ear, but she could only look at her in confusion.
"Ponies!" she began. "What is this-?"
Rainbow Dash continued to fly around until she had hit and knocked the cauldron down as she screamed. Zecora looked at the spilling brew with wide eyes.
"No! You know not what you've do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!" she said, kneeling over the spilled cauldron.
"We're onto you, Zecora. I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming." Twilight told her.
"You made me look ridiculous!" Rarity said.
"You made me SOUND ridiculous," Fluttershy added.
"Pptthu ade mu pluh plehplepulousss!" Uh, Pinkie probably said that she made her speech incoherent.
"You ruined my horn!" Twilight gestured at her sloppy and dotty horn.
"How dare you! You destroy my home, destroy my work, and you accuse ME of being a JERK?" Zecora spoke angrily.
"You put this curse on us, and now you're gonna UNcurse us!" Rainbow proclaimed.
"It is unwise to venture down this road, and your actions will make my anger explode!" Zecora roared
"Where is Applebloom?" Twilight demanded, advancing forward before she locked heads with the Zebra.
I tried to step in before things had gone out of hand, "Girls! Can we sort this without being antagonistic to one another?"
"Zecora! I've found the things you asked for!" A voice exclaimed.
"Her house looks weird. Add that to the reasons to think she's evil." Another voice said.
It was Applebloom, and Speedy, somehow awake, was with her. They walked in and noticed the hubbub.
"What in Ponyville is goin' on here?"
"Applebloom! You're okay!"
The young pony smiled at her sister. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us and was gonna cook you up into soup!" said Twilight, jumping in front of Applebloom in a defensive stance.
Right then and there, Zecora and Applebloom began to laugh together.
"Looks like this whole ordeal finally got in your head," Speedy told the purple Unicorn. "There are no such things as curses. I don't know how the others convinced you. Oh, I'm okay, by the way, although I keep hearing a constant noise inside my head, so I'm not going to sleep tonight. "
"Speedy, you just can't stand there and tell us this isn't a curse," Twilight replied.
"Oh, sweetie, it is NOT." Speedy turned to me. "Yo, dude! Remember what you told me last night? Turns out you were right!"
I began remembering the things I've said. "The blue flowers? They really caused the weird abnormalities?"
He nodded. "That's right. Well, at least that's what Applebloom told me earlier."
"I'll be damned."
"Blue flowers? Are you trying to tell us that these blue flowers changed us into this?" Twilight demanded, portraying their oddities.
"It's true! Zecora isn't the cause of your problems. As a matter of fact, she was trying to help you." Applebloom told the girls.
"They are right," Zecora responded. "If you remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact."
"Beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke…" I murmured. "So, it WAS a warning!" I said to Zecora.
"It is a warning, I did not bluff. Even if you ponies were a little… rough."
I winced. We totally misjudged her right now.
"About that blue plant you stepped on, it's called a Poison Joke," Applebloom said.
"That plant is much like Poison Oak, but it's results are like a joke," Zecora added.
Now THAT was pretty self-explanatory.
"What in the hay does that mean?" Applejack asked from atop Zecora's head.
"It means that THIS plant does not breed wrath. Instead, this plant just wants a laugh."
"Will somepony please talk normal?"
"I think what she's saying is when we ran in to save Applebloom, we ran into the Poison Joke. All our problems are just little jokes played on us!" Twilight explained.
I didn't think those were little , though.
"Little jokes? Very funny…" Applejack repeated in offence.
"And you knew that right from the start?" Twilight questioned me. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? And why aren't you affected by the Poison Joke?"
"I uh… My instincts told me not to step on it?"
Twilight sighed in frustration, and I really felt terrible right now.
"Okay fine, but what about the cauldron?" Rainbow Dash began.
"The chanting?" Fluttershy added.
"And the creepy décor?" questioned Rarity.
"Treasures of the native land, where I am from," Zecora answered, looking over to a couple of masks. "This one speaks hello, and this one welcome."
"Doesn't look quite welcoming at all, if you ask me." Rarity told her.
"The words I chanted were from olden times, something you might call a nursery rhyme." Zecora continued
"But the cauldron? The Applebloom Soup?" Twilight demanded.
"Applebloom Soup? Girl, you lost it!" Speedy then laughed at her.
"Oh, what do YOU know? You just got here!" Twilight yelled.
"True, but I know things that YOU don't so, HAH-BURN!"
"Is he always this annoying?" Twilight asked.
I sighed as I looked at Speedy. "Well, he always makes that face when he knows something that we don't. You'll get used to it."
"Lookie here, Twilight," Applebloom called. "That pot of water wasn't for me; it was for all these herbal ingredients."
She pointed to Speedy, who was holding a bag full of herbs.
"The cure for Poison Joke is a simple, old natural remedy. You just gotta take a bubble bath!"
Twilight walked over to an open book. "But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything. What book has this natural remedy?"
Zecora followed, closing the book and allowed us to look at the cover. "Here is the book, you see? Sad that you lack it in your library."
"…Actually, I DO have this book. But I didn't look inside because the title was so… weird."
Zecora opened the book once again, turning to a page that was related to our dilemma. "Supernaturals: Natural remedies and cure-alls that is simply super."
Twilight looked down, ashamed. "I…I'm so sorry, Zecora. I had the answer the whole time if only I bothered to look inside…"
"I bet you wish you did," Speedy said, which made me walk over to him and punch him in the shoulder. "Ow! What?!"
"Not. Helping." I hissed. "Twilight, please don't feel bad about this. All of us." I took one moment to face Zecora and apologize. "We're very sorry, Zecora. For all the trouble we've caused."
Zecora chuckled. "Your apology, I am willing to accept, if you promise that you will not pose a threat."
"We promise. Right, guys?" I said. Streams of agreeing and apologetic words came out of each pony.
"Now all of you have learned to take a second look, and not to judge the cover of a book." Zecora told all of us.
Easier said than done if this was the real world.
"Zecora, would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of your herbal bath?" Twilight asked kindly.
"Mix it up, I certainly will," Zecora answered. "Yet, I am missing an herb from Ponyville.
"But whenever Zecora comes to town, all the shops are mysteriously closed," said Applebloom.
"And I still wonder why," Speedy said sarcastically.
"Oh, well… I think we can help you with that." Twilight said reassuringly.
We all led Zecora back to the center of the town. Soon enough, the ponies began panicking again when they saw the returning Zebra. I doubt that she was the only reason they were afraid.
"Look, Rose, how awful!"
"The wicked enchantress has cursed them all!"
"The horror, the horror!"
The three ponies took off, screaming their lungs out as they entered their flower shops.
"Seriously, even if a cute bee landed on their flowers they would still freak out," Speedy commented. "And I mean it literally."
Regardless though, Twilight advanced to the flower shop and knocked until someone opened the door slightly.
"Daisy, we need to talk."
I stayed outside the room where the bathtub was placed in this spa or salon, or… I don't know, they're all the same to me. The smell inside was unbearable, with all that flowery fragrance and fresh, minty, fruity tangency. I don't like this, okay? Add that to my enhanced senses as a horse.
The girls started to enjoy the bath after Zecora made the finishing touches on the tub with the ponies who ran the place and Applebloom. I heard splashes, some small ones and a big one, courtesy of either Pinkie or Rainbow. They laughed in excitement and joy, having fun together in that bath.
"Zecora, I would like to get your recipe for this bath. It is simply luxurious!" A pony told her in an accent I am not familiar.
I didn't hear Zecora's response when Applebloom shouted inside. "Applejack! Where's Applejack?!"
The girls began panicking, and I took a peek. I sighed in relief when I saw Applejack sitting on a small wooden bowl.
"I'm right here, lil' sis. I ain't tiny no more!" she said.
"Oh, I have never felt so lovely in all my life!" Rarity exclaimed in bliss. Did it really felt good? I see no difference in swimming in a pool.
"Oh my gosh! I just realized how HORRIBLE it is not being able to talk! I mean I love talking so much and when I couldn't talk, and my tongue was all eeehhhh!" aaaand Pinkie's back. "It was the WORST! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?"
"… Yes." Thank goodness she's back. The dude's voice was creepy!
Everyone inside laughed at the response while I just made a low chuckle, and I shook my head in amusement.
"This is the best bath I've had in a while!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Shoot, I never had a bath like this in ages." Applejack followed.
"Come on up here and join us, Silver," Twilight called. "You and Speedy have got to try this."
"Oh, don't mind me," I said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm not- I don't really do all this stuff. Speedy might, though he's in the sauna right now, so-"
"Oh, pish posh! Everyone deserves relaxation and letting loose after all that has happened today," said Rarity.
"And don't feel awkward just because you're the only male here. We're all friends!" Easy for you to say, Twilight.
Ugh, and she just had to bring that up. I'd never been surrounded by girls all alone in a really long time (The last time was a family reunion when I was a kid). Of course, I'd feel embarrassed, and they aren't just girls. Girls who were probably around my age AND female ponies. My teenage hormones, combined with my animal instincts, could mess me up! Bestiality is wrong, bestiality is wrong!
Shoving some unavoidable and nasty thoughts aside, I heard the girls cheering me up to join them. I breathed deeply, "Oh, alright."
Hesitantly, I walked towards the tub and examined the water as the girls moved to the side. It SO reeked of girly smell. I dipped a hoof carefully as I descended down the bathtub until my body was submerged and only my head was visible.
It felt awkward that they were watching me, expecting a reaction.
Hmm… It feels weird. A good weird, I guess? It's as if those herbs mixed with the warm water were soothing my muscles that were aching. The tension or stress on my left shoulder was slowly dissolving. I thought my skin was getting detoxified.
And before I knew it, I let out a sigh of pleasure as I sunk down the tub. I never felt so healthy!
I heard the girls giggling as I closed my eyes, indulging this newfound stress reliever.
"How are you feeling, Silver Spur? Delightfully indulgent, is it not?" Rarity asked.
"Just like heaven…" I responded, causing them to giggle some more.
I'll be damned, I could get used to this.
Author's note!
*Climbs out of a mountain full of dishes, pans, and garbage bags*
Oh my god! Finally, an update to this story! Sorry that it took a while. Again. For like what, the infinite time? If that's even possible. I'd like to blame procrastination, which is also causing my Writer's block. And Netflix.
Excuse, excuse, excuse, right? Get used to it, lol
As always, you know the drill!
Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! – Super Bright Brat
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY OCs!
