Chapter 2
What to do? Oh, What to do?
“WAT?!” Sunset Shimmer cried, her eyes filling with tears.
This just wasn’t her day. First she gets thrown into some weird forest with blue plants and now she was turning into a baby?
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Twilight stared at the tiny foal at her hooves. What was Sunset Shimmer doing in Equestria? How as she even here? The portal wouldn’t open again for another fifteen moons.
When she saw the tears forming in Sunset Shimmer’s eyes, Twilight realized she had to do something.
Her horn glowed with her purple aura and she levitated Sunset into her forehooves.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, Sunset,” she cooed, trying to calm the tiny foal down. "It's okay."
Sunset sniffed a few times, then looked up at her. “How do you know my nawm?”
Twilight blinked. “You... don’t remember me?”
When the foal shook her head, Twilight felt very confused. How could Sunset Shimmer have forgotten her, of all ponies?
“We’ll go to Zecora’s house,” Twilight said, nodding, more to herself. “She might be able to fix this.”
“Zecorwa?” Sunset looked up at her in confusion. “What wouwd my ewemetawy scoow fwiend be dowing herw?”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to look confused. “Elementary school friend? You went to school with Zecora? How? She hasn’t been here for that long.”
The foal just looked up at her with more confusion. Twilight was about to respond, when she thought better of it. She could ask those kind of questions later.
“What did this to you?” she asked, looking around for what could have made Sunset’s age regress to that of a foal.
“Dose!” Sunset Shimmer pointed to a bunch of glowing blue berries lying next to a bush with even more of the same fruits. Twilight made to reach for them when Sunset Shimmer screamed, “NO!” Twilight glanced back down at the foal. “Down’t touch dem!”
Twilight nodded, levitating the closest bunch with her magic. “Let’s see if Zecora knows what these are.”
“Wait!” Sunset cried, reaching toward her saddle bags. They had the only things she had left from her home in them. “Mwy bawgs!”
The winged unicorn glanced at them and nodded, levitating them too.
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“Zecora!” Twilight shouted as she slammed Zecora’s front door open. “We’ve got a problem.”
The zebra grumbled a little, clearly having been about to turn in for the night.
“What is it that seems to have transpired, that has ensured tonight I will keep feeling so tired?” she asked, turning, only to have the foal Sunset Shimmer pushed right up to her face.
“Sunset Shimmer’s back and she’s turned into a foal!” Twilight cried, levitating the foal back to herself and lowering her onto her neck, which Sunset clutched, happy to be holding something sold again. “Can you tell us what this fruit is?” Twilight asked, levitating the glowing blue berries.
Zecora’s eyes widened. “Do you mean to tell me, that those berries were found, here, in the Everfree?”
“Wes!” Sunset nodded from Twilight’s back. “I awt dem, den I turwned intwo a baby!”
“Take me to these berries you found,” Zecora said firmly and Twilight led her out of the house and off towards where she’d found Sunset Shimmer without a second thought.
As they walked, Twilight wondered why Zecora had not finished her last sentence in rhyme. A few minutes later they were standing in front of the bush of glowing blue berries.
Zecora glared at the bush of berries “These berries must be burned to the ground,” shesaid, her voice grim.
So that’s why she didn’t finish earlier, Twilight thought to herself.
Zecora cleared her throat and Twilight realized she meant for her to burn the plant. Her horn glowed and the bush caught fire. Within minutes it was nothing but ashes.
"Um, Zecora?" Twilight asked, turning to the zebra. "Exactly why did I have to destroy that plant?"
Zecora turned to her. "For many moons the shaman of my tribe, many tales they did describe, of a berry plant that makes one young, but also the many disasters that they brung. for another disaster to not be employed, the berries, the entire bush, had to be destroyed."
Zecroa then motioned for Twilight to follow and she did, with the foal Sunset Shimmer still clinging to her neck.
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Sunset Shimmer listened as the two older mares talked.
She was surprised how much like her old school friend Zecora was. Her friend had been from Africa and, judging from the accent, so was this Zecora. Plus, she was a zebra. Zebras come from Africa.
Another thing she did, just like the Zecora she knew, this Zecora also always spoke in rhyme. She’d never asked her why and wasn’t sure she wanted to asked the zebra, in case it was prying.
The other pony was named Princess Twilight Sparkle and was something called an alicorn.
Sunset learned she was in a world called Equestria, in which there lived many talking ponies as well as other animals, though only those who were part equine, sheep or, surprisingly, Griffon, could talk.
There were four different types of ponies. Unicorns, like Sunset had become herself, pegasi and normal ponies who were referred to as earth ponies. The four race of ponies, obviously was alicorns, like the princess.
Sunset had explained to the two that she was not the Sunset Shimmer they thought she was, which shocked them, but then they both looked uneasy.
When she’d asked why, she learned that it had not been minutes since she’d woken up after she’d been thrown out of her own world and into Equestia. It had been four and half years and the portal only opened every three years.
This was bad enough, however, she did not like what the mares were talking about in regards to the berries she’d eaten. Apparently, they were called Baby Berries. A rare and forbidden plant, thought to have died out in a time before something called Nightmare Moon.
If the juice of the berries came into contact with you, your age would regress. How young you became depended on how much juice you made contact with.
Luckily, the effects were only temporary, wearing off in a matter of days, two weeks at the most. However, that was if you only touched the juice.
Zecora also explained that the reason she'd had Twilight destroy the bushes was because being able to gain eternal youth through such an easy means as eating those berries for as long as you wanted to live was against nature,and, being a shaman, she could not allow such a plant to continue existing, for it had caused many wars between the three tribes that was ended when Celestia and Luna took to the thrones and forbid the berries, ordering their destruction throughout the land.
“The effects, I fear, will not be so mild, for this dear and lost little child,” Zecroa said, before explaining that, because Sunset had ingested the berries, they were now inside of her and the only way to become older again was that she would have to grow up normally.
At this, Sunset Shimmer had started crying. She didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t stop herself. She wailed like... well, like a baby, tears streaming down her face, forming small puddles next to her rear hooves.
She felt someone pick her up and opened her eyes slightly to see it was Princess Twilight. She was holding her in her forehooves, smiling warmly down at her.
“Don’t worry,” she cooed, her smile reminding Sunset of her mother. “Until we can fix this, I’ll look after you.”
“Weally?” Sunset asked, then winced at her speech, which only made Twilight giggle.
There was a cough and they looked at Zecora.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Zecora called. “before you go, I must talk to you for a minute alone, for there is something you must know,” the Zebra replied.
“Um... okay,’ Twilight said, then glanced down at the foal in her forehooves. “ But, what about Sunset Shimmer?” she asked, not wanting to leave a small pony who’d been a human up until today unattended, especially since she was now a foal.
“Come with me, I only have some to ask, you see?” Zecora nodded towards the door to a smaller room of her hut and Twilight followed her, leaving Sunset Shimmer alone.
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“So, what’s up, Zecora?” Twilight asked as they stood in a small room Zecora must use for making very special types of potions. She wondered why Zecora couldn’t have said whatever she needed to say in front of Sunset Shimmer.
Zecora turned to her with a worried expression. “Twilight Sparkle, what i ask now isn't something we can simply dismiss. Just how old do you think Sunset Shimmer is?”
Twilight thought about it for a moment (plus, having to decipher the rhyme in her head) before answering. “I’d say... maybe one year old?”
Zecora shook her head and said, “No, my princess. I can tell that is sadly not the age she has yet met. She isn’t even one yet.”
“Then... how old is she?” Twilight asked, curious as to what Sunset’s age was.
“If my guess is true and right she will be three months old by tomorrow night.” Zecora replied.
This shocked the alicorn so much her mouth hung open in a great big O. Three months? She knew Sunset Shimmer was small, but, yikes! “So, what's the big deal?” she asked, not getting what the Zebra was implying.
“Twilight Sparkle, I know this may sound rather a little bit ilk, but what do foals drink until they are old enough to drink whole milk?” Zecora asked. She watched the mare think of the answer. Twilight’s eyes grew wide as saucepans.
“B-b-breast milk,” she said, her whole face turning a red that would make Big Macintosh jealous. “But would she even—?”
Zecora interrupted by holding up a hoof. “You may not have to do, but if she can not keep down formula, you may well have to,” she said.
“But..” Twilight protested, her face, somehow getting even redder, “I'm not lactat— My body isn't producing milk.”
“I can take care of that, my friend,” Zecora smiled. “I'll do what I can to help this situation amend.” She went over to a shelf and pulled down a bottle of greenish-blue liquid. “Just take this, and then you'll nurse the same as a mother cow,” she said, hoofing it to Twilight, who caught it with her magic, then put it in Sunset’s saddle bag, which she was wearing, since its owner was too small to carry it anymore. “Well, I think it is time for you two to go now,” Zecora said.
Twilight went back into the other room and Twilight levitated Sunset onto her back, who started holding onto her neck. “Well, we'll be going now. See you later Zecora and thank you for your help. Say goodbye, Sunset.”
“G’bye!” Sunset chirped, waving to Zecroa as they walked back through the front door and it closed behind them.
I'm going to bet that Twilight's going to have to breastfeed Sunset Shimmer.
3934256
Why not an Eucledia? It would be an interesting turn.
the only thing that bothered me is the fact that you spelled Zecora's name like "Zecroa" too many times, besides that this is a very interesting story
You kept misspelling Zecora as Zecroa
Nice story so far
Environmentalist Zecora: Rare and endangered plant found in the Everfree. "I'll have it burnt down."
3934536 Because said plant can turn you into a baby if you so much as touch it.
I like it.
3934657
I understand the purpose story-wise, but imagine if we burnt down every plant that was "bad" for us. I could think of maybe ten off the back of my head that would be extinct as a result. I just found the solution to be somewhat silly, like a bad knee-jerk. Again, I understand the implications of it for story purposes, but it really doesn't seem like a practical reaction to me. Well let's not worry about it as I'm not here to argue over plants.
Inspired is a such strong word for this chapter. It feels almost word for word.
Your welcome.
Your welcome.
Your welcome.
... aaaand I'm out.
3935197
I believe there was one point where the Equestria Girls Pinkie said she knew of a Twilight Sparkle in the next town over.
3936685 yes, but there was never a mention of Sunset Shimmer's human self. we only learned of the one from equestria who went to the human world. that was my point.
3936898
I agree that that's something never explored that should have been. I was just answering a raised point.
3934506 i will try to fix that problem with her name
3934536 she did that because the plant was too dangerous. as a shaman, she could not let it remain in a place so close to Ponyville where it could endanger other ponies.
think of what would happen if Pinkie found them and bake them into pies or cakes that she shared with the whole town. Can you say Disaster worse than Discord?
3935004 i will admit i had to do something similar. I'm shit when thinking of rhyming sentences for Zecora to say.
3936938 So is Super-Stallion. When editing Her Little Rainbow I had to make Zecora rhyme.
Not bad so far you have my attention.
3935647 three times.... Really super really?? Omfg....
3936945 Eeyup...... Firebird is the best at zecora rhymes...... You have no clue how bad super is.... I had to write my chapter part with zecora... And firebird had to edit that a bit.... Tehehehe. Super get back to work!!
So the berries make you younger based on the amount of juice you ingest? Umm, alchemical ingredient for a potion version of the youth spell anyone? Should have at least fed a few to Granny Smith and the other old ponies in Ponyville.
You may want to add some horrible side effect, possibly something Sunset is immune to, in order to keep this from seeming like one of those stories where longevity is reviled. Just my two cents.
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6153751552/hC85366D2/
Also, before I abscond, you need someone to look over this for grammar and spelling.
Awww, poor Sunset. I hope Twilight's friends warm up to this nicer Sunset Shimmer.
Funny you should mention Super stallion....
I think I did some Zecora rhymes for him... maybe... I don't know... don't quote me...
So, the disaster that she's alluding to is not having your body and mind slowly, painfully, and inevitably decay, ending in death? I don't think that's what "disaster" means. An example of a disaster would be destroying the only cure for such a fate.
I can't help but notice that she didn't tell Twilight what they were until after they were destroyed. Did she suspect that Twilight wouldn't agree that nature is worth dying for?
If she cares so much about what's natural, why does she live in a house?
You wrote that the portal opens "every 3 years", but the movie specifically states "30 moons".
If you assume "moon" means "month", then it's 2 years and 6 months between openings.
Or if you take it literally, considering that the moon cycle is 27.321582 days long, the wait between each time the portal opens is actually about 2 years, 2 months, and 26 days.... (Yeah, I got bored+curious once and decided to do the math. )
Sunset won't need breast milk. Formula will do just fine
Well, remember Twilight, this is the Human!Sunset from when Pony!Sunset first crossed over... two and a half years before you crossed over... a year ago. So she is already magically-for-no-apparent-reason three in a half years into the future!
Nope, no no no no.
Pffft. "Against nature". Nature made 'em. I think nature has a better idea of whats what than any zebra, pony or Alicorn. Good job destroying a medical miracle that, properly studied and developed, probably could've revolutionized medicine in Equestria.
And Pony Shimmer seems to have completely destroyed Human Shimmer's life. Even if she'd missed the Baby Berries, going back would require some major explaining of how she's managed to be younger than she should be due to the time slip.. which would likely end in a trip to the asylum.
With the Baby Berries? Going back now would leave her an infant. Hello CPS and foster homes! And if she waits to grow up? Her friends and family will have had 20 years with Shimmer(if Pony Shimmer stays) or to have concluded that Shimmer is dead. Additionally, after that period of growing up, Shimmer will have ties in Equestria meaning she has to choose between sets of friends and loved ones: One set ponies who know she's alive, one set human who will freak out when she 'comes back from the dead' much younger than she should be.
Of course, since there seems to be a temporal distortion effect, for all I know Human Shimmer could come back before she was born. Or, if she was lucky, the 60s. Summer of Love, baby!
Maybe a little short but if it is going to be a longer story i like it the way it is.
Oh dear this is going to be a real doozy...
1 am Must...................stay......................up
Eh, finals aren't that important. Now, I must read!
Anyone else trying to figure out if this is funny or disturbing cuz I for one find a little bit of both. sweet Celestia this is suck for you Twilight
I've watched the first 3 short episodes of equiseta girls, then I watched rainbow rocks, but not the other movies of the series eheh