Friendship is Shining: Bridle Rumors

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Hut Hunt

The five of them reached a wide, twisted tree that had been built into a hut. Large wooden masks carved and painted to look scary was set up over the door and near the sides. Zecora was at the door, pushing it open as she stepped inside.

"There she is," Shining Armor said, and started heading for the door. Before he could more than three steps, his friends grabbed him and pulled him back.

"What the hay?" he cried out, turning to look at them.

"You can't just walk up to her," Rainbow Dash said.

"We should probably check and see what she is doing," Rarity suggested.

"So..." Shining lifted an eyebrow. "Now you want to spy on her?"

"Look at those masks," Applejack squeaked from Rainbow's back. "Ya can't tell me there ain't somethin' creepy 'bout them!"

Shining looked at the masks a moment. He gave a shake of his head and sighed.

"Fine," he admitted. "Yes, the masks look kind of scary."

Applejack puffed out her chest and stood as if she were four inches tall.

"But it doesn't mean she's evil." He moved so he was eye to eye with the miniature pony. "Maybe it's supposed to ward off evil. Or maybe..." he stopped and rubbed his chin, then stopped. It felt weird to have it be narrower and rounder, which was made weirder by the fact it was something he never thought he would notice.

"Okay," he continued, "I can't think of another reason off the top of my head, but my point still remains."

Pinkie Pie let out a gasp. The pink pony had been at the window and was now back with the other. She kept trying to say something, but the stuck out tongue and spitting made it difficult to tell. After three or four attempts, Shining was finally able to figure it out.

"She took your song?"

Pinkie Pie gave a nod and stood up. She then stopped and looked at her mouth. As much as she wanted to sing it, her current condition would nearly make it impossible. But there was somepony who could still sing it well. Pinkie Pie ran over to Fluttershy and grabbed the yellow pegasus hooves. The pink pony looked up at her friend with her big blue eyes. Nopony, not even Fluttershy, could resist the look of pitiful Pinkie. Fluttershy sighed and began to sing in her deep, masculine voice.

She's an evil enchantress,
who does evil dances,
and if you look in her eyes,
she'll put you in trances.
Then what'll she do?
She'll whip up a brew,
and gobble you up
in a thick tasty stew.
So...
*sigh*
watch out...

Shining Armor groaned and dropped his head into his hooves, the long feminine mane falling to cover his face.

"Look, let's just ask about an antidote, find Twilight and Apple Bloom, and go home." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his flank. "I just want to back to bed and forget this day."

Especially the fact that I was just thinking about how nice my own flank felt just now, he thought. But that was not something he was going to admit aloud to anypony. EVER!

"Shining Armor's right," Applejack said. "Let's go in there and force her to tell us what she did with Apple Bloom and Twilight!"

"That's not what I said," Shining Armor replied, but it did no good.

Soon as she finished talking, Applejack jumped onto Rainbow Dash's head and grabbed her ears. With a cry of "yah," the miniature pony pushed on one of the ears. As soon as that happened, Rainbow Dash took off. The pegasus flew backwards before looping around and crashing butt-first into the door of Zecora's hut. The other ponies chased after the pair.

"Woah!" Applejack shouted. "Woah there, Rainbow Crash!"

It did no good. Rainbow Dash continued to fly around, crashing into things and making a mess. Zecora stood there, eyes wide at the sight and shouting something in another language at the pair.

"Stop you two!" Zecora finally shouted understandably. "You know not what you might do."

Shining Armor shifted and tried to catch the two of them with his magic. It was difficult to concentrate though. Something about the power felt... different. Jaw clenching, he pushed through, getting his horn to glow. Before he could cast a shield bubble around Rainbow Dash and the teeny Applejack riding her, the two slammed into the pot, spilling the contents.

"NO!" Zecora shouted before letting out a snort and glaring out the pair. "The foolish ponies you, for you have ruined the brew."

"Now you look here," Applejack shouted, pointing a hoof at the zebra. "I want you to break this curse and give me back my sister this instant or I-"

"Applejack?"

Applejack froze a moment, eyes going wide. She turned her head, seeing Apple Bloom and Twilight Sparkle at the door.

"Shiny?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Shining said, pointing a hoof at the filly. "Running out into The Everfree like this!"

Twilight shrank down and grinned, her ears pinning back against her head. Shining Armor looked at her and sighed.

"We'll discuss this later." He turned to Zecora. "Sorry about Rainbow Dash and Applejack messing up your hut, but we were hoping you would help us with a cure. Please?"

Zecora looked at them with her brow furrowed, her gaze traced from one of the ponies to the other. Looking at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, she gave a gentle smile and shook her head.

"Seeing ponies suffer is not something I wish to see," she said. "Making your cure, I did already agree. Your little sisters were giving me aid in working on the potion that was getting made. Although this antidote you would not need, if my warning of the poison joke, you all did heed."

"Poison Joke?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "When you came to get me, you ran through a bunch of flowers called Poison Joke."

"It turns out its a plant that likes to mess with any creature that comes in contact with it," Twilight added. "Can do all sorts of weird things." She looked at the six mares. "Such as what it did to each of you."

"A warning I did give yesterday of the plant which was in your way," Zecora stated.

"Oh," Shining Armor said. "So it was a plant in The Everfree Forest that did this. And not a curse." He turned to look back at the others. None of them looked him in the eye. "Well we appreciate the help."

"Unfortunately it will take time for the request to be fulfilled," Zecora said, "as the part of the potion I started has been spilled."

"Oh," Rainbow Dash shifted, blushing. "Heh. Sorry?"

"Another batch, I will start." The zebra looked at the group. "However, to finish, I will need aid on your part."

"Just tell us what you need."

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I like how Shining Armor didn't jump to conclusons like Twilight did.

[Alticron]

Nice chapter, but there is something you may want to edit.

"When you came to get me, you ran threw a bunch of flowers called Poison Joke."

That should be "through".

[SageBrony07]

Good job with this chapter. I hope that the final chapter turns out alright. Best of luck.

[CrowMagnon]

So, thanks to "Gleaming Shield's" level head, they've corrected the misunderstanding with relatively little fuss...

Don't say it!

What could go wrong now?

[MeadowRosePony]

Shining Amare? maybe?

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

She's and evil enchantress, who does evil dances, and if you look in her eyes, she'll put you in trances. Then what'll she do? She'll whip up a brew, and gobble you up in a thick tasty stew. So... *sigh* watch out...

an

"Seeing ponies suffer is not something I wish to see," she said. "Making your cure, I did already agree. Your little sisters were giving me aid in working on the potion that was getting made. Although this antidote you would not need, if my warning of the poison joke, you all had heed."

IMO you had paid heed is better