//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: Talent 
// Story: Talent Trouble 
// by kyttypony 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Three: Talent


“What?” Celestia felt completely bewildered. “Why are you all so scared?”
Eve lifted a trembling hoof to point at Ben. “H-his talent…” she breathed.
Ben took a shaky breath. “Do you…do you know of a plant called talentweed?” he asked Celestia.
“No…we might have a different name for it, though. What does it look like?”
“It looks like…It’s a smallish plant, with big green leaves that look a bit like ivy. And it has bright orange flowers on the leaves.”
“On?”
“Yeah. Like...growing out of the middle,” he explained slowly.
Celestia frowned. “No, there’s no plant matching that description in Equestria. At least, none that I know of.”
Ben stared at Celestia. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?” he whispered in horror.
Celestia nodded, uncertain as to why it mattered so much. “What does this…talentweed do?”
“It makes you lose your talent for a day,” Maya answered, shuddering.
Celestia frowned. “Why would you want that to happen?”
Eve and Maya turned towards Ben.
“So…why does everyone seem to want Ben to have no talent? What is his talent, anyway? You didn’t tell me earlier…”
Eve gritted her teeth as she returned her gaze to Celestia. “We’ll have time for explaining later. In the morning, maybe. But this just can’t wait. Is there any place that you know of – any place at all – in which there are no sentient creatures or anything important that depends on magic for anything, and that is still able to be lived in? Predators or other things like that that need magic don’t count.”
“Well, there’s the Everfree Forest…Zecora lives there, but only in part of it. Her hut is on the outskirts…”
“Great. Can you describe a particular place in it for me?”
“I could just teleport you there myself, you know.”
“You can teleport?”
“Yes, I can. All alicorns, as well as more powerful unicorns, can, as well.”
Maya let out a shaky laugh. “I guess you’re not Magician-level here, then…”
Eve nodded. “Okay then. Can you bring the three of us there? Make sure it’s deep in the middle, and nowhere near that Zecora person. And I mean nowhere near her.”
“Person?”
“Pony. Whatever.”
“Actually, she’s a zebra.”
“A what?”
“A zebra is like an earth pony – your brother is an earth pony, by the way – except that all zebras are white with black stripes. Or black with white stripes – it can be seen either way.” Celestia closed her eyes, the three ponies clustering around her.
When she opened them, they were in an uninhabited part of the Everfree Forest. Ben trotted away from them, looking around. “Okay, so, ponies eat plants and stuff, right?”
“Yes,” Celestia confirmed. “We do. Among other things.”
Ben nodded. “Okay, so I’ve got food, then. Hopefully I’ll be able to avoid any monsters or anything like that until morning, and after that I should be fine.” He yawned. “Ooookay, I need to find a good, safe place to sleep. Can’t let something find me while I’m sleeping – what in Xanth is that?!” He coughed. “Err…what in Equestria, I guess?”
Celestia frowned. “That? That’s a sunflower.”
“What? That’s not a sunflower!” Eve argued.
“…Yes, it is.”
“How is that possibly a sunflower?”
“How is it not a sunflower?”
“Sunflowers are bright!”
“It is a bright yellow…”
“No, they’re bright bright! They make light! And they make heat, too!”
Celestia groaned, the realization hitting her. “Oh. SUNflower. I see. Of course a sunflower would be exactly like the sun. And let me guess – dandelions have claws?”
Eve shook her head. “No, but they do have manes. Although, there was that one dandelion I saw when we were near the pool…That one did have paws, where the leaves would be…But that’s not normal.”
Celestia facehoofed. “I hate puns…” she grumbled.
“What’s a pun?”
Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it.
Eve frowned. “Hey, where did Ben and Maya go?”
Ben walked out from between two trees, a large clump of grass in his mouth.
“What were you doing over there?” Eve asked.
He made a few muffled, unintelligible noises. Swallowing, he looked sheepishly at Eve and Celestia. “Sampling the local cuisine?”
Eve giggled. “You’re so silly.”
Ben stuck his tongue out. “I am no-”
He was cut off by Eve’s laughter. “Whaaat?”
“Your tongue!” she laughed.
“What about it?”
Celestia chuckled. “Apparently, grass doesn’t just stain clothing.”
Eve and Ben stared at Celestia. “Ponies wear clothing?” Eve asked disbelievingly.
“Yes, we do.”
“Then why are you naked? And why are we naked? And why didn’t you say something earlier?!”
Celestia sighed. “Clothing is optional. You don’t need to wear it all the time. Most ponies just wear it to special occasions.”
“…oookaaay…” Eve turned to Ben. “So, you think you’ll be fine here?”
“Yep!” Ben nodded.
Eve looked around. “Now where’s Maya?”
“I’m not sure…” Celestia frowned. “Why, exactly, is everyone so set on leaving Ben here? Do you even plan on coming back for him?”
Ben shrugged. “Maybe she went back to your room? Because, you know, she last copied Celestia, so she can teleport.”
Eve nodded. “Probably.”
She touched a hoof to Celestia’s leg and brought them both back to the princess’ room.
“You know, I could have brought you back myself,” Celestia commented.
Eve shrugged. “Yeah, I – well, I think I know where Maya went!”
She raised a hoof, pointing straight in front of her towards Celestia’s bed, which was currently being used by a certain bouncing unicorn. Seeing them, Maya froze, her momentum gradually bouncing to a halt as the grin was wiped off her face mid-laugh.
“This isn’t what it looks like!” she squeaked quickly, jumping off the bed.
“Sure it isn’t,” Celestia sighed. “And you got mud all over my blanket…”
She turned to Eve. “Eve, would you please tell me what Ben’s talent is? Every time I’ve asked, you haven’t answered.”
Eve nodded. “Ben’s talent is –”