Twilight looked at the night sky as she fell. She held her breath and tightened her back in preparation for the impact. ‘Hard sand and a soft body, even if it is quick sand I’ll be lucky to not break a bone from this height.’ She thought to herself.
She impacted the sand with a loud grunt as she was enveloped by the grains. She felt her body wiggle freely in the sand as she fell before she lined her body vertically and began to swim to the surface breaking with a loud splash she opened her eyes and gasped fresh air. Her heart elated as she leaned her head back and swallowed hard.
“Grits. A lake of grits, what should I have expected? Chaos doesn’t have to make sense,” she said out loud as she rolled to her belly and began swimming through it. “Milk and sugar too, hmm,” she sighed while thinking out loud identifying the flavors.
“Cinnamon, apple, and a dash of rosemary? What an odd but delicious combination, I’ll have to tell Trixie about it.” Smiling as she reached what felt like a shore, she stood up tall and shook heavily trying to clear her body of the meal. “I can’t wait to show Trixie I have-” turning to look back she sighed and sagged slightly, “-wings. I guess they weren’t breakfast proof.”
With a dry laugh she leant down and took a large bite of grits from between her forelegs and began trotting ahead, no direction in particular in mind.
It’s been at least three hours, what the hay am I doing? I should have tried to get my bearings, ugh what am I saying? I don’t know what day it is now since the the moon and sun are juggling and even if I did get my bearings the stars are blanked out during the day and I can’t get any shadows under the canopy here.
She stopped and looked around the area she could see and groaned as the entire scene was similar in all directions, nothing but trees that looked dark and menacing with branches that hung low like claws of a giant beast that hungered for flesh.
They’re only trees, Twilight thought rolling her eyes and picking a direction to walk. “Oh my, those sure are pretty,” she said spotting a patch of flowers. A slight blush filled her cheeks as she approached. “Just like Trixie, small blue, and beautiful.”
Leaning down she took a bite of a colorful blue flower that was in a small patch with a hundred others like it. Spitting and coughing she stuck out her tongue and wiped it off with her forehooves. “Gross, tastes like Shining Armor made salsa.” Turning around she trotted several paces to a deeper pocket of grits and chewed loudly before swallowing a mouthful with a loud gulp.
“Ah, much better. Now thoo gloum thhp!”
Oh spell, what the hay? I can’t talk?! Calm down Twilight, it’s just a lisp. Easy to fix, just- Looking down her muzzle she shrieked and stumbled back falling into the softened forest floor with a splash, scrambling to touch her tongue to see if it was really hers. It’s huge, what am I gonna do? It’s the size of my rear leg and I can’t close my mouth. Oh Celestia what if I asphyxiate? Stay calm, don’t breathe too fast, don’t breathe too fast. “Dmothp blttp-”
She felt herself panicking and couldn’t stop as her head began to swim and she fell to her side huffing heavily through mucus caked nostrils, through her whimpers she heard the splash of an approaching quadruped from behind her. Trying to move the world went dark before she could see, what she hoped with her last thought, was a pony.
Waking up groggily Twilight opened her eyes and tried to lift her head but the weight was almost too much and only her neck lifted slightly off the ground before she began to breathe heavily again.
“Stay calm pony of such great color or you may injure yourself further,” a calm baritone female voice said as a hoof was placed on the crown of her head, “You fell prey to the flower of blue and fell to your side into the soup. I can again make you well however I would like to hear the story you have to tell.”
Twilight snorted and a light whinny left from the back of her throat as her vision focused to see a Zebra leaning into her view. With an odd sensation she felt her tongue being poked and prodded before the Zebra stepped back. A giggle and a flash of light shortly followed by a machine sound made Twilight kick her forelegs trying to get to her hooves instinctively.
A photo? Why’d she take a photo, is this one of those blackmail things? I’ll be in her debt for years or she’ll show the photo to the world and ruin my reputation?
Twilight stopped struggling when the Zebra placed a hoof on Twilights chest and spoke calmly. “Purple horse from lands unseen, this is a photo you see. I will show you what the joke has done and then you will understand how to look before you run.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and wished the Zebra would talk normally but laid still as the Zebra walked around her once and sighed. “My name is Zecora and from the sands of the desert I hail but to my people; this much cereal would be a holy grail. Food can be scarce and hard to find and you show up and bring me peace of mind. When you are well I want to hear the tale of how you got such food from here to there.”
Zecora walked away from Twilight and there was a slight clattering sound as Twilights vision cleared up fully. Looking around from her perspective she could see she was on a table near the center of the room, a circular room that looked like a hollowed tree, similar to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s only darker and with the feel of alchemy all around her. Bottles on strings hung suspended in the air from the ceiling, with all the bottles clustered in one area.
Shelves holding various gourds and bottles with marks and letters denoting their use were inlaid in a wall and a door could barely been seen from the top of her vision. Resigning herself to trust the Zebra she relaxed and then whined as long as she could to get Zecora’s attention.
“Silly pony of fun color, why do you call me over?”
Twilight shut her eyes tightly and squeaked before waving her tail and raising her hips twice. Embarrassment flushed her body as Zecora’s eyes communicated her understanding. Without a word she walked to Twilight’s belly and placed her muzzle at the seam where Twilight met the board's holding her.
“Up,” Zecora said. Turning her rear she got to her hooves, head planted to the table as Zecora slid her neck under Twilight and with a firm strike to the purple mares side making her fall unsteadily onto Zecora’s back. Without a word Zecora turned and cantered slowly out of the hut with Twilight trying to stay steady without falling off.
A short walk later and there was a small clearing with a tree stump surrounded by bushes that Zecora trotted around once to show Twilight where she needed to go. “Pony, this is your first test; this is the area where we rest.”
Twilight used all her energy to shake her head in protest. I am not using a nature toilet with a Zebra under me, Night and Trixie would never let me live this down.
Zecora turned her neck slowly so she could look Twilight in the eyes. “I cannot place you on the ground or your tongue will find the taste most unsound. Not from me, do not fret. However other animals make this land quite wet.”
Twilight shivered and felt queasy as Zecora turned and leaned Twilight onto the stump with care. The scent of urine was faint but present and at that moment Twilight felt more helpless than she had since she was a foal.
“Be not worried purple pony, what happens here will stay with you and me. Many creatures I have help and in common always one thing; they must feel humility’s harsh sting.”
Twilight shuddered and let nature take it’s course as Zecora hummed lightly an unknown tune until Twilight was done then knelt down slightly more so she could slide onto her back safely again.
“You have done well and worry not, this will be between us and that infernal pot.”
Twilight chuckled slightly at Zecora’s humorous rhymes. “A laugh, now that is great to hear, one more step until you’re completely clear.”
The path Zecora took was dark and full of roots that had broken ground, branches from larger trees were gracefully stepped over and ducked under with a fluidity that made Twilight, for a brief moment, feel like a child in her mother’s grasp being rocked to sleep. Twilight felt the urge to yawn but grunted as she inhaled deeply through her nose. A small twitching fit stopped Zecora who looked back to see a large beetle had landed on Twilights muzzle between her eyes and was perched in a way that almost seemed to taunt the incapacitated mare.
With a swish of her tail Zecora startled the small bug away and resumed her fluidic motions through the underbrush leading back to the clearing that announced a lived in home. The dirt was lightly tilled by hoof and a small garden of herbs of unknown origin grew around the door while mushrooms took hold of the earth at the base of the tree Zecora called home.
A small patch of grass was visible in the freshly turned soil, a patch of natural grass that would grow in any town in central Equestria was here in the middle of the Everfree forest in front of an alchemist's home. Twilight saw all this in passing but stiffened her rear legs when she noticed a large green mask over the doorway that allowed access to the tree home.
I really want to ask her what these mean. Stupid magic blue flower. Twilight chuckled as Zecora laid her back onto the table. It is like Trixie, always playing a joke on a pony.
Zecora turned and began rifling through a book, pages turning in quick succession she hummed an agreeable tone before the sound of wood clattering out of sight was heard. Twilight let her mind race as she tried to imagine what was happening. Zecora began to sing a song in her native language as she knelt out of the sight line of Twilight.
Clacking and grunting sounds emanated from Zecora for a moment before the scent of burning wood wafted from out of her sight. She’s making a fire? I know Zebras don’t eat meat so what’s she up to? Maybe she’s going to mix a potion and make me grow into a giant so my tongue will fit.
She laughed at the thought as Zecora rolled a large cauldron into view and onto the fire.
Quickly and expertly grabbing bottles she began pouring a concoction into the cauldron and stirred the brew. “Silly pony you did not know the flower you ate was the poison joke, to spread its poison all it needs is a poke. The pollen does not a thing but inside the petals there is a sting. If flesh it shall touch then something wrong is a must.”
More rhymes. I heard from Shining they rhymed but I didn’t know it was this bad.
As the brew mixed and thickened into a green watery substance
With a ladle full of the brew Zecora, withholding a snicker, poured it across the large darkened tongue and then lifted Twilights head, turning it so she could pour some in her mouth. The flavor was almost sweet as it passed her tongue but then bitter bit her in the back of her throat like a snake and she tried to resist coughing or inhaling the mix.
“Normally a long bath should be had, but I will pour it over you enough to make you glad. A bath you will still have to take to get rid of the jokes poison with a shake.”
A moment later she felt her tongue tingle and a gasp of air flew down her windpipe filling her respiratory system fully in one motion. She sat up as her tongue slowly withered almost back to its normal size and into her mouth. “Work your jaw slow or you will be in more pain than you know,” Zecora said with a smile patting Twilight on the shoulder.
Sitting up onto her flank and leaning on her foreleg Twilight took her lower jaw in her hand and moved it slowly closed. The stinging sensation was painful but she was glad Zecora had suggested taking it slow. “Zthekowah?”
“Ah the pony speaks and at the same time it’s mouth leaks,” Zecora said with a chuckle passing Twilight a towel quickly. The towel struck Twilight in the muzzle and Zecora rushed over to pick it up off the floor. Twilight tried to excuse herself but Zecora was apologizing before Twilight could make a sound.
“Tiny pony I am at fault, I was unaware magic was not in your care. In all my years I have seen few who use magic as little with a horn as you do.” Zecora sank her eyes to the floor and carefully placed the towel on the table beneath Twilights head and backed away.
“Icthshnl… Bluck!” Twilight bucked the empty space behind her and sat up in frustration as she took the towel to her mouth and wiped it as clean as she could before focusing her magic. Her horn lit and she moved it side to side slowly as Zecora watched cautiously. A slight spash sound came from behind the Zebra making her jump to the side with a speed and efficiency of a soldier as the ladle shakily left the pot and hovered a hoof space above the surface of the green liquid before falling back in with a light splash.
“Pthee, Ach xhan ooth maddic,” Twilight said with some awkward pride.
“Yes, magic you can use. Practice is a must unless you muse?”
Twilight rolled her eyes again. I can’t even argue. Where’s this bath? Twilight pantomimed taking a bath as Zecora watched with amusement. With a gesture of her head Zecora encouraged Twilight to follow her into a side room.
“This is the room I use to be clean, the forest can be a nasty thing. I will bring the potion here fast and you can get that bath.” With a nod she left the room and Twilight alone in the small alcove. Not more than twice her height and a little more than that wide a small wooden tub sat. Just deep enough to cover her to her flanks sitting up or less than half her body if she could lay down all the way.
This is a bath? More like a personal hoof soak. What the hay am I doing? I drank some and got better, what’s the worst that could happen if I drank some more? Oh well, she’s helped me this far, I guess I’ll just bathe in her bitter green slime and get on my way.
Zecora returned with a small bucket of the potion, handle in her teeth, and poured it into the tub looking expectantly happy as Twilight stepped in and sat down. A few seconds later another bucket was deposited over the head of the purple mare, her attitude becoming slightly grouchy.
The third bucked came in and was poured over Twilight. “Look Thecorah, I apprethiate… My voith and tungng, oo can undra thant me betow?”
Zecora shifted on her hooves slightly before turning to get another bucket. I can’t believe that it’s working so fast, I’ll be hunting my element in no time at this rate. Twilight looked to the wall and imagined a window was there with Trixie looking in at her waving. I’ll be home before you know it.