Applebloom was walking through the Everfree Forest to visit Zecora on a lovely day. The young filly didn’t remember the last time she visited her, she does remember the last time she got the Cutie Pox when she drank the potion that led to her consequence. It is a normal day, and nothing out of the ordinary happened so far. The sun’s rays shone on the dirt path, leaves from the trees swaying back and forth, and birds flying across the sky. A moment later of walking, she saw the hut in the trees and smiled as she approached the door to knock on it.
“Zecora…” Applebloom called, knocking on the door again. “Zecora, I’m here!”
A few seconds later, the zebra answered the door and was delighted to see her old friend. “Ah, Applebloom, my friend. Long time no see,” Zecora said, “Come in and have a chat with me.”
Applebloom entered the hut and could see Zecora was already brewing a couple of potions. “Sorry I’ve been away for a while, Zecora,” she apologized. “Granny’s been having us working on the farm since Applejack’s been working at the school.”
“There’s no need to apologize because what you did is wise. And school is essential to the young ones. Though the work on the farm also needs attending to, I’d say that you must have tons.”
“No kidding. I have no idea how AJ does it, especially how she handles creatures from the outside.” Zecora started making some tea as Applebloom made herself at home. “So, have you heard about what’s been going on recently?”
“I’ve heard the news of Griffonstone’s newly crowned queen. And that griffon who was punished for being mean.”
“Boy, that’s an understatement. I’m glad most creatures like that won’t have a place to stay. They never learn.”
“Many of them think they’re always on the top, it’s only a matter of time until they get their bubbles popped.” Zecora poured some tea for herself and Applebloom into two cups before bringing them over to her friend.
“Yeah. I think Spoiled Rich would be one of those parents. I’ve tried to spend time with Diamond Tiara since she’s fully reformed, but that ugly-face mare is always in the way. I think her dad is starting to put his hoof down with her.” Zecora could only nod in agreement. As she sipped her tea, something crossed Applebloom’s mind. “Zecora, can I ask you something?”
“It wouldn’t be a difficult task. Go ahead, what do you have to ask?”
“So, I remember when you started coming to Ponyville and everypony around was afraid of you, and my sis and her friends were starting to have a bond and became not frightened. But… There’s one thing I realized… there should be the reason why you came to Equestria in the first place… we haven’t asked you where you originally live and what your life back at home was.” That statement made Zecora do a spit take, surprising Applebloom. “…Zecora?”
The zebra felt embarrassed by her reaction and quickly started cleaning up her mess. “I’m very sorry about that,” the zebra apologized, “But… there’s a reason why I don’t talk about where I came from.”
Applebloom wasn’t sure what to say at this point. She just sat there in silence as Zecora cleaned up her spilled tea. It was starting to get awkward. Maybe it would be best to change the subject.
“Um, I was… thinking… maybe you could stop by the school again to help me with a chemistry lesson. I’ve been attempting to talk with this Kirin named Timber Sparks. She doesn’t seem to be talkative with me or anypony.”
“It sounds to me like she prefers to be alone.” Zecora turned away from her friend before muttering to herself. “That or she might have something bad happening back home.”
Suddenly, a glowing light appeared from behind Zecora. She turned around and could see a glow coming from Applebloom’s cutie mark. Zecora noticed there was still a glow from behind her. “Zecora, look! Your mark!” Applebloom cried.
They both looked at the zebra’s spiral mark, like Applebloom’s, it was glowing. “Well, what do you know…” Suddenly, images of their mark appeared in the air and flew out of the hut’s window.
“C’mon, Zecora! Let’s go!” Applebloom commanded. The two followed the marks outside, but the filly was confused why they were heading deeper into the forest. “That’s weird… I’ve only done this once with my friends before, but we should be heading to the castle.” Still confused, they carried on after their marks until they found themselves at a treehouse made of crystals. “Woah! Was this always here?”
“I remember once… or twice,” Zecora said. “Some students from the School of Friendship hang out here, and I say they’re admirable and nice.” They were about to walk inside until a mark containing three apples flew past them.
“Hang on, that looked like Applejack’s cutie mark.”
As if on cue, Applebloom’s older sister walked out from the forest. “I don’t get why I’m being called through the forest,” the farm pony said to herself. “If this is Discord’s…” Applejack paused when she saw Zecora and her sister. “Oh, hey Zecora. Didn’t expect you to be away from your hut. Are you looking for mushrooms or something?”
“Applebloom here says we’re getting a call that’s confusing,” Zecora explained. “It seems like the main calling spot might be moving.”
“Whatever the map will take us, that’s where we’re going. Let’s go.” Wondering what was going on, they walked towards the treehouse. Before opening the door, they can hear chattings.
“Okay, that’s obviously Applejack’s mark,” commented a raspy voice. “But who are the other two?”
“I know that this one’s Applebloom’s,” guessed a second smoother-sounding voice. “I’m not sure about that spiral though. I wonder who’s mark is this?” Applejack knocked on the door and waited a few seconds for it to be answered by Smolder.
“Oh, hey there, professor,” the dragoness said.
“Smolder, you know you only have to call me that on school grounds,” Applejack responded. “Can we please come in?” Smolder nodded and opened the door for the three. They could see Smolder and Ocellus were just setting up a tea party when the cutie marks started swirling around a new location on their map.
Applejack and Applebloom cannot believe their eyes on what they saw. This is something new for them. They normally go to Twilight’s castle when there’s a mission, but instead, it’s a crystal treehouse; and instead of the table, it is on the floor. “Since when did you have this?” Applebloom asked.
“It’s pretty new,” Ocellus replied. “We have expected to go to the castle at first, that’s when our floating silhouettes started flying through the Everfree Forest. We got confused until we realized that they flew into this place and notice the map here.”
“She’s right,” Smolder said. “Applejack, remember that time when you, together with the other students, were at Griffonstone having a relief program there?”
“Oh, right… That’s also when ‘the incident’ happened… until you arrived.”
“Yeah. We did tell you about this, and then you said: ‘Better if you let me see it for myself.’ So… here it is. Now you know.”
“Though… I’m confused about why you’re being called.”
Applebloom then takes a glance at the locations for a while. As she curiously touches one location with her hoof, which is the School of Friendship, a flash appears, and she jumps in fright. And the translucent holograms of the school’s building, buckball field, and the students pop up in seconds surrounding them, including Zecora. Her eldest sister, who was also stunned, saw the hologram of the life-sized school, and they even saw the students hanging out outside of the field.
“Applebloom,” Applejack said to her young sister, “What do you just do?”
“I don’t know, sis,” Applebloom replied. “All I did is placed my hoof on a location, and…” All of a sudden, a holographic ball came out of her chest. Her jaw dropped.
“What the…” Then the hologram of Gus came out from her body.
Zecora was amazed by it, and then the hologram of Strawberry Scoop came out of his body as well. “Bizzare…” she muttered.
They then see Gus and Strawberry Scoop both grabbed the ball and kept playing. Applejack thinks that they’re playing buckball. Applebloom turns to see a hologram of November Rain standing behind her, levitating the basket while focusing on the ball and the players.
“Well… if that surprises you,” Smolder declared. “These things you see happened in real-time.”
“You don’t say!” Applebloom exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Ocellus smiles. “It’s astonishing to have this, seeing what’s happening simultaneously.”
“Exactly,” the orange dragoness agrees. She then turns to one of the bench stadiums. “Look over there.”
They all turned to the direction where Smolder was facing, and they saw holographic figures of Gallus, Silverstream, Garry, and Geena sitting beside each other having a lovely chat; they even laugh and chuckle as they talk.
“I’d say… It’s a splendid sight to see those kids having their good delight,” Zecora chuckled.
“That’s what the School of Friendship is all about, Zecora,” Applejack said with a proud smile. “Glad I helped.”
In just a split second, it then turns back to normal, with the cutie marks of the three still spinning on a specific location.
“That was an interesting trip we have…” Applebloom mumbled.
Applejack took a good look at where the marks were floating. This new map was strange and the locations were unfamiliar to her. “I don’t get why you have a bigger map than the one in the castle,” she admitted. “This one’s more… grand and fancy.”
She looked at the location that they would have to go to and couldn’t put her hoof on what it was. Zecora recognized the location. “I recognize that place.” Zecora declared.
“You do?”
“Yes. The place you see is known as Zebrat,” she explained. “And that is where my home at.”
“That’s your home?!” Applebloom said with a surprised look.
“It is. I have reasons why I don’t want to go. Perhaps, it’d be better if you leave as a duo?” She looked towards Applejack, hoping to be excused from this.
“Oh no, Zecora,” Applejack responded, “The map there calls you, and it needs you. You don’t just quit when it happens even with those excuses you made, it’s like a firefighter being asked to do 10 push-ups on the field, and instead, just not attending and being a sloth. So, Zecora, when the map calls you for a mission, you’ve gotta do it.” The zebra looked upset when she heard this as the farm pony turned to her sister. “Anyways, I’m going to Canterlot and tell Twilight about our mission. You go home first and start packing our stuff up. It’s going to be a prolonged trip.”
“Yes, sis!” Applebloom did as she was told and headed back home, thinking to stop by Zecora’s first to see if she could help pack some supplies at the hut. However, she noticed the zebra’s distraught about going home, whether she liked it or not. Applejack and Zecora also left the treehouse to do their thing as well to prepare, leaving Smolder and Ocellus alone.
“I’m curious about what life in Zebrat looked like,” Ocellus said.
“Me too,” Smolder added. “Maybe their culture is as unique as the Kirins. I mean, yeah, it’s called Zebrat, so they could have zebras living there.”
“Maybe. Unless there are other creatures species living there. We’ll wait until she comes back and has time for her to tell us about it.” Smolder nodded.
A couple of hours later, Applejack, Applebloom, and Zecora were in Canterlot, taking a couple of carts of supplies with them. They soon arrived at a dock where Princess Twilight and Spike were waiting for them. “Hello, Applejack,” the princess greeted. “Got everything you needed for the long trip?”
“Sure do,” Applejack confirmed. “Everything’s all handy.”
“Zebrat shouldn’t be as bad as a certain team,” Zecora informed. “It’s a nice place filled with plenty of tribes and communities. If we leave now, we should be there by tomorrow.”
“The crew is ready when you are. Good luck on your mission, you three.”
“Thanks, Twi,” Applejack replied. “We’ll let you know how it goes when we get back.” The ponies and zebra soon board the airship as the princess called out to them.
“Oh, and also… make sure to take notes on what the new land is like!” Applejack chuckled as she started remembering Twilight getting excited over learning about unfamiliar civilizations. After a few last checks, the airship took off towards Zebrat.
The trip was going to take a couple of hours, so they got comfy in the ship’s lounge. Knowing that the trip would take a while, Applebloom brought some board games to help pass the time. “Okay, so I’ve brought a couple of board games we can play,” the filly noted. “Zecora, what do you want to play?” She looked around the room only to see the zebra wasn’t there. “Where did she go?”
“I saw her board the ship with us,” Applejack noted. “Maybe she needs a bathroom break… Or maybe she needs some time alone.”
“Yeah, could be. She sounds kind of upset earlier and… did you notice she didn’t rhyme when she told Twilight about Zebrat?”
Applejack didn’t really take notice before, but thinking about it now, that was strange. “You’re right. I hardly ever hear her say anything without rhyme. I thought it was just something most zebras do. Everyone in Ponyville was so scared whenever she walked into town, I’d just roll with it like a pig on a muddy hill.”
Both sisters were confused and a little concerned.
“We should ask the crew if they’ve seen her,” Applebloom suggested.
“Will do.”
They asked a couple of the ship’s crew if they could look around for her and they said they would, given they confirmed that three pony passengers were boarding the ship. Applebloom and Applejack figured they mistaken Zecora for a pony since she was similar in shape to one. The two sisters just made themselves comfy inside their room and played some Battlecloud. They figured that Zecora wanted some time alone and left her to her privacy.
About an hour later of playing the board game, Applejack took out her sister’s last cloud, much to the filly’s disappointment. “Best five out of seven?” Applebloom asked.
“Okay, five to zero it is,” Applejack chuckled. They were about to reset the game when they heard the door open. They saw Zecora walk in with one of the crew ponies.
“We found her in the kitchen, madam” the stallion crewmate explained. “She asked to borrow one of the pots and was trying to make potions.”
“Your chef said yes,” Zecora reminded. “She didn’t mind me, and I caused no stress.”
“Good luck explaining that to the rest of the crew. Stay out of the kitchen until we get to your destination.” The stallion left the three passengers to their room and walked back to his duties.
“Why were you trying to make a potion?” Applebloom asked.
“It’s something that helps me soothe my mind during moments like… being hundreds of miles above the ground.”
“You’re not a fan of flying, are you?” Applejack asked.
Zecora nodded. “Not to mention the fact I don’t want to go home is another reason why I don’t want to be on this ship.”
“It’s too late to turn back now. The map ain’t giving you a choice. I had that same feeling when Rarity and I were called to Manehattan at the same time as the Sisterhooves Social.”
“But I was happy I got to spend time with Big Mac,” Applebloom admitted, “But boy… that was a weird moment I have.”
Zecora didn’t say anything to this and just simply walked over to one of the beds to help herself to a book. The two sisters were a little concerned about how their friend was acting but decided to be quiet and give her some privacy.
The next day, the three passengers were having their breakfast. Zecora hadn’t said much since last night and still looked upset about heading to her homeland. Despite wanting to know why Applejack and Applebloom kept quiet as they could tell she wasn’t in the mood to talk.
After she ate her breakfast, Applebloom walked out onto the deck to see how close they were to their destination. So far, she could only see the ocean. She could see a pegasus looking through a telescope before coming down onto the deck. “Good morning, sir,” Applebloom greeted. “How close are we to Zebrat?” Applebloom asked.
“Let’s just say… only a couple more miles,” the pegasus reported. He held up his telescope to her and tried to show her what he had seen. In the distance, the ocean came to a beach that would lead to several miles of a sandy desert.
“Alright! We’re almost there!” she exclaimed. “Thanks a lot, sir.”
“Anytime, little fella,” the pegasus smiled. Happy to see they were almost there, Applebloom went to find Zecora and Applejack to inform them. Not even an hour had passed, and everyone on the ship was starting to feel the heat of the desert.
Eventually, they could see they were coming down for a landing. Looking over the deck, they could also see plenty of zebras and camels walking around doing their daily business. A couple of them looked to be a little down, some of them even looked to be dehydrated. Aplebloom was happy to finally be at their destination, but she was a little concerned about the villagers’ conditions. She went to go tell Applejack and Zecora.
It didn’t take long for the ship to land. Upon dropping anchor at the dock, everyone could start feeling the desert heat. “Woo! The weather’s scorching hot!” Applejack said to herself using her hat as a fan. Applejack and Applebloom started disembarking as Zecora took a look at her old stomping grounds.
“Zecora! Are you coming?” Applejack called. Zecora jumped when she heard her call for her. She slowly stepped off of the deck as another zebra wearing a white veil approached the visitors. The zebra had a black and white mane like Zecora, but it was curlier and had pink dye in it to go with her eyeshadow. Also, she has a mark on her flank with pink and green marking to show some sort of X.
“Greeting! Welcome to Zebrat,” she called while taking off her veil. “I see that you’re travelers from a different land, and I’m grateful to have someone who’s adventurous. Anyways, my name is Chief Marini, but you can call me ‘Chief’, and may I ask where you came from?”
“Howdy ma’am,” Applejack said, taking her hat off to show the gesture of respect. “I’m Applejack, and we came all the way from Equestria. This here is my little sister Applebloom, and our friend right there is…”
“Zecora!?” Marini walked past them as she was shocked to see her standing.
“Marini!?” Zecora was as shocked as her.
“Zecora!” Without hesitation, Marini gave her a tight hug. Applebloom and Applejack were as shocked as them that Zecora knows this zebra.
“Marini. It’s been… quite a while,” Zecora admitted. “And I’m glad to see you’ve still got a smile.”
The chief let go of her old friend and spoke up. “Oh, I’ve got a good reason to, my friend. I thought we’d never see you again. The others have missed you a lot!”
“Ah, our old friends. Do you think there’ll be any bridges I need to mend?”
“I’m sure they’ll all forgive you. Come, I’ll show you where they are.” Marini pranced back to the village with Zecora and the apple sisters following her.
“So, was that one of your old friends?” Applebloom asked.
“Yes, but I’m detecting some stress,” Zecora admitted. She looked at Marini’s face, while it did show a joy to see her friend again, though she looked a little worried.
The visitors were taken into town, where a couple of zebras and camels looked towards them. They didn’t get that many ponies in their home, though Applejack could deal without it. “Could you tell the villagers to stop staring?” the farm pony requested, getting a little annoyed. “It’s getting annoying.”
“I’m sorry,” Marini apologized. “We’re in the middle of a drought and… I’m guessing they think you’re the ones who’ll help fix that.”
“Huh… That’d explain why the map called us here.”
“So, why us and Zecora?” Applebloom asked. “Wouldn’t it make sense if a pegasus was sent to help with the weather?”
“They have more control over the weather than us, but they need clouds to do that.” Applejack looked up in the clear sky, trying to block the light of the sun with her hat. “That sky’s clearer than a pig tray after feeding time.”
“That’s the problem,” Marini sighed. She brought the group to a stop as she pointed to a field of dry crops, desperate for water. “I’ve been rationing out water for essential needs. We’ve used up the last of it our crops just last week. Now we need to use the bare minimum of our reserves to satisfy our thirst.”
“How much water do you have left?”
“If everyone in the village drinks the bare minimum needed, it’ll be 3 days. We need a solution.”
Applebloom looked up to Zecora. “Are there any kind of potions that can affect the weather?” the filly asked.
The zebra pondered for a little bit before responding. “I have read about those potions before,” she admitted, “Though because of the forest, I’ve always made them indoors.”
“Well, these zebras need help.”
“Don’t forget camels,” Marini said. “Speaking of which…” She pointed over to a group of two zebras and two camels. Zecora recognized them. “Now, Applejack, Applebloom, I’d like to introduce you to my friends: the zebras Medley Brook and Crystal; and the camels Dust Devil and Catus Rose.”
The two sisters looked at the four creatures. Like Zecora and Marini, they had some marks on their flanks, similar to the ponies’ cutie marks. Some of them like Dust Devil have some tattoos on parts like their chests. Medley Brook and Crystal looked to have some water-themed tattoos around their hooves.
The creatures were interested in meeting the visitors from Ponyville, but who really caught their eye was, “Zecora!” they cheered. The group quickly swarmed around the said zebra, who wasn’t quite ready to meet them again.
“Where have you been?”
“It’s been so long.”
“Like my new look?”
“How about a game like good old times?”
Zecora was fairly overwhelmed until Applejack stepped in. “Okay, settle down, y’all” she called. “Give her some space to think.” The old friends all stepped back making Zecora feel more comfortable. “Now, I know you’re happy to see your friend again, but I think we need to focus on the bigger fish. We have three days to figure out a solution for your drought.”
Marini stepped in front of the group to speak up. “As much as I want to know more about Zecora since she left,’ the chief spoke, “But that orange pony with a hat here is right. We desperately need a solution for our water shortage fast. It should be alright since Zecora and her new friends have been sent to help save us.”
The group cheered as they were looking forward to having a proper drink in the future. Zecora was still looking to be upset over… something. It was starting to bother Applebloom. She wanted to know what was bothering her friend, but asking her wasn’t going to work.