From their hiding spot in the darkened bakery, Rainbow and Spike looked at the figure that Pinkie had called "The Everfree Witch." There was not much about her that they could make out. She looked to be the basic size and shape of a pony, but was dressed in a large brown cloak that hid any sort of specific details.
"Who's that?" Rainbow asked in a whisper.
"Her name's Zecora," Apple Bloom answered, "a--"
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack hissed out, slapping a wing over her little sister's mouth. "I told you not to say that name."
Apple Bloom's wings gave a flick against her sides as she rolled her eyes, but said nothing more.
Twilight Comet growled something out, shaking in place and struggling against her bindings.
Spike hopped off of Rainbow's back and ran across the room. Reaching up, he quickly untied the gag.
"Why are you tied up?" he asked.
"Because every pony in this town is CRAZY!" Twilight snapped, still squirming. "They all think that Zecora" -- the others winced at the sound of the name -- "is some sort of evil witch that will just as soon curse them as look at them, but none have even tried to talk to her." She turned to glare at Applejack. "I tried talking to her once, but Applejack caught me before I could, and has been doing this --" she squirmed against her ropes "-- ever since."
She turned to Spike.
"Could you please untie me?"
With a nod, Spike moved around behind her to undo the knots.
"It's for your own good," Applejack replied. "It's dangerous to go near her. Remember when Derpy flew past her that one time, and immediately crashed inta a wall?"
Untied, Twilight stood up and brushed herself off. She then turned her full attention to Applejack, glaring.
"Derpy has trauma induced strabismus," she pointed out. "Which has led her to having a variety of sight-related issues, including poor depth perception, and has caused her to have a tendency to crash on a semi-regular basis for one reason or another. It would be like claiming Big Mac met her once and didn't talk for days."
"Wait-wait-wait," Rainbow called out, holding up a hoof. "She can curse ponies?" She turned to look out the window again. "Think that she might teach me?"
"WHAT?!" the five other mares all cried out, eyes wide.
"You can't actually believe in that!" Twilight cried out.
"You can't actually be thinkin' of talkin' to her!" Applejack cried out at the same time.
The six mares went from talking to each other, to talking at each other, and ended up talking over each other. Everything they were saying was lost as all six tried to speak at the same time, none of them listening to what the others were saying.
While the mares were busy arguing, Spike noticed Apple Bloom sneaking into the kitchen. After glancing at Rainbow (who was currently being pinned by Applejack and Rarity), he followed after her. Maybe they could find some cookies or cupcakes to enjoy while waiting.
But that was not what Apple Bloom was up to. Instead of raiding the kitchen for snacks, she made her way to the back door, and gave it a small nudge before slipping out.
Spike took one more look at the quarreling mares, and chased after Apple Bloom. He quickly caught up with her, finding her at the corner of the building, peeking out around it.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
A gasp escaped Apple Bloom as her wings flared out at her side. One hind leg kicked, slamming right into Spike's stomach. The filly let out another gasp as she realized what she had done. She quickly turned around, running over to the crumpled heap of dragon.
"Sorry," she said, still in a whisper. "Sorry. I didn't mean to. You just kinda snuck up on me and it was kinda a reflex."
"That... that hurt..." Spike wheezed out, arms wrapped around his mid-section. "Glad you didn't aim lower."
"You gonna be okay?'
"Yeah." Spike slowly pushed himself up. "I'm pretty tough." He winced, rubbing at the horseshoe print on his green underside. "You pack a real wallop though."
"Yeah," Apple Bloom replied, shifting as she gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, again. Kinda part of farm livin'. What're you doin' out here, anyways?"
"That's what I was trying to ask you."
Turning back around, Apple Bloom peaked back around the corner again. Her ears and wings gave a flick.
"You saw what happened in there," she said, "and this happens every time she comes to town." She turned back to Spike, a determined look on her face. "I'm tired of it." She turned back to the corner. "So I'm gonna follow her and find out what's goin' on once and fer all."
Spike shifted, looking back toward the door.
"This seems like a bad idea."
"If you don't like it, you can just stay here."
"No way," Spike replied. "I'm not going to miss out on this." He then puffed out his chest. "Besides, you might need help if something happens."
"Great," Apple Bloom responded. "Now c'mon, she's movin'."
The two then took off, following after the cloaked figure.
While the pair darted through town, moving from hiding spot to hiding spot as they kept an eye on the mysterious Zecora, inside Sugarcube Corner, the conversation between the ponies had taken a different turn. At the moment, five pairs of eyes were on Pinkie Pie, who was on a table, standing on her knees, with her forelegs in the air above her, panting as she had just finished a musical number.
"Putting aside the fact you felt the need to write a musical number about her," Twilight said while rolling her eyes, "there is nothing to support the claim or indicate that she eats meat, much less ponies."
She then turned, pointing a wing at Rainbow Burst.
"And you," Twilight snapped. "You can't be seriously listening to all this. You've been trained by Princess Celestia, for Equestria's sake. You of all ponies should know there's no such things as curses."
Rainbow rolled her eyes and let out blast of airs from between her lips. She waved a hoof at the other mare.
"Princess Celestia would point out that the idea of curses have been around for a long time," Rainbow stated, "and that there are all sorts of magics we don't understand. So what is known as curses could simply be a type of magic most ponies have forgotten or never really practiced. Right, Spike?"
After a second of silence, Rainbow smile faltered a little.
"Spike?" Rainbow called out.
"Spike?" she called again, turning to look around.
"I think I saw him go into the kitchen," Flowershy offered, pointing a hoof in that direction.
"Oh, right," Rainbow replied. "He's probably looking for some cookies or something." She started walking toward the kitchen. "I better check on him. Make sure he doesn't eat himself sick."
Twilight watched her go, then took a deep breath. She turned to face Applejack, scowling.
"Now, as for you," she growled.
Applejack took a step back, eyes wide.
"It's bad enough you keep tying me up like one of your rodeo steers, but now you're getting Apple Bloom..."
She paused as she looked around, one hoof sticking out. Her purple eyes narrowed as she searched the room.
"Where is Apple Bloom?"
The other four remaining mares looked around the room.
"Perhaps she had to use the little filly's room," Rarity suggested.
"Or maybe went into the kitchen with Spike?" Flowershy suggested.
"No," Rainbow said as she came back in. "No Apple Bloom." Her ears pulled back as she looked into the kitchen again. "No Spike, either."
The room was silence as that information sank in.
"Oh, oh!" Pinkie cried out, back on all fours and bouncing up and down on the table. "Maybe they left and went to chase after... her!"
After another second of silence, the six mares all ran out of Sugarcube Corner, with Applejack in the lead and Rainbow Burst not far behind.
Even with their sneaking from hiding spot to hiding spot, the pair of stalkers had gotten quite a lead. They continued on, unaware that their disappearance had been noticed, sprinting from one place to another, and always trying to keep their quarry in sight. Either they were lucky enough to not be noticed, or said quarry did not care enough to acknowledge their following her.
It was not long until they found themselves standing on the edge of The Everfree Forest, watching as the cloaked Zecora walked along a path.
"For the record," Spike said as his green eyes stared at the forest, "I would like to remind you that I said this was a bad idea, and add that going in there makes it way, way worse."
"And I told you that ya didn't have to come," Apple Bloom repeated. "Now either c'mon, or wait here."
She then started for the forest.
Spike looked up at the sky, silently praying to whatever powers were listening to help keep them safe, or failing that, let their end be quick. Not getting any sort of response, he braced himself and followed.
There was a small path that entered the forest, if barely. It was more something of note simply because it was possible to walk through. Spots where the ground was bare, clear of underbrush, or simply had less grass than the rest. The two of them were able to move pretty easily most of the time. Although they had to be careful. Being in The Everfree Forest, neither really wanted to risk abandoning said trail if they have to hide.
They reached a point where the path twisted and curved around a large patch of blue flowers. The two had even seen the hood figure go around them, giving them a very wide berth. Neither knowing what it was, they did the same before continuing on.
"Spike!" a voice shouted.
"Apple Bloom!" called out another.
Apple Bloom, Spike, and Zecora all turned around to look at the source. Six mares came running straight for them, trampling anything in their way. Applejack reached them first, pushing past the two to place herself between the two youths and the cloaked figure. Her head lowered and ears pulled back as her wings flared out at her sides.
"You keep a way from'em!" she shouted. "Ya hear me?"
She was quickly joined by Rarity on her left and Pinkie Pie on her right, both taking up defensive positions.
"Are you okay?" Flowershy asked, running up to the pair and looking them over.
"We're fine," Apple Bloom answered, Spike nodded in agreement.
"For now," Rainbow grumbled, glaring at the dragon. The look on her face guaranteed that he was going to be in deep trouble.
"Beware, beware you pony folk," the cloaked mare called out, getting everyone's attention. "Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"
"What the hay's that supposed to mean?" Applejack yelled, wings spreading out fully.
Instead of answering, the cloaked mare stepped backwards. As she did, fog and shadows moved around her, slowly encompassing her form and making her vanish from sight.
With her gone, Applejack turned around to glare at her little sister.
"You!" she snapped. "Home! Now!"