//------------------------------// // Guidance // Story: My Little Caboose: Blue is Magic! // by DarkWing //------------------------------// Delta walked with Zecora, following the path out of her house. While there was the occasional dirt path, the majority of the paths looked nearly identical to what was not a path, there was just a few hoof prints to show you the way. After twenty minutes of walking, as well as several deviations on their path, Zecora stopped Delta and looked around. "What is it?" Delta asked, expecting danger. "Is there something following us?" "No, we have arrived at the location of the first of the plants." Zecora said, easing Delta's mind. "Are there any native predators in the area?" Delta inquired. "You have not promised me that there are no risks." "That is because that is a promise to you that I cannot grant." Zecora smiled softly. "I see." Delta said simply, looking around. "Which plant is it?" Zecora nodded towards another path, but this one led to a field of blue plants. "Oddly bright for this forest." Delta said, and as he took a step toward the plants he felt a strange sensation in his forehead. Before he could ask what it was, Zecora started towards them. Zecora kept her pace until she was three feet away from the plants, eyeing them cautiously. Delta walked up next to her and saw her looking over the field, checking for the best of the crop. Her gaze fell on one of the nearest plants. After she looked at it for a few seconds, she nodded to Delta, telling him to grab it with his magic. "What are the properties of this plant?" Delta asked, lowering his head to examine the one she had pointed out. "Do not touch that plant, Poison Joke, lest you wish to be afflicted." Zecora said, quickly pulling Delta back. "This plant does not cause harm, but practical jokes are what are inflicted." "Practical... jokes?" Delta asked, looking back to the crop of shimmering, blue plants. "How can flora cause practical jokes? That is highly unli-" The sound of a branch snapping came from the other side of the field, interrupting Delta. Zecora crouched down until her stomach was touching the ground, then nodded at Delta for him to do the same. Delta followed her lead, but continued looking for the source of the snapping. A small, baby bunny hopped into the clearing on the other side and sniffed the air curiously. The bunny jumped toward the Poison Joke and smelled the air around it. It closed it's eyes happily and rubbed it's belly, then sunk it's teeth into one of the leaves of the plant. For a few moments nothing happened, so Delta turned to Zecora to ask her if these were the plants she was thinking of. The bunny began making squeaking noises, and when Delta turned to look he no longer saw the cute, fluffy bunny. What he saw was a shaved bunny with tar and feathers over it's body, jumping around wildly. It then darted back into the darkness. Zecora snapped back to her feet and helped Delta do the same. "That was strange." Delta said as he stared at the plants. "Is that the only thing it does?" "That is most definitely not the strangest thing I have seen that plant do. I would recommend collecting with magic, unless you want the same to happen to you." "But where did it get the tar and feathers? How did it shave the bunny?" "Unicorns are not the only things that have access to magic." Zecora smiled at him. "We should collect the plants quickly, unless we want to see something tragic." "Very well." Delta nodded. Using his magic, he grabbed a jar out of his bag, undid the top, put a thin layer of dirt on the bottom and picked one of the plants to place in the jar. He raised the jar and began to examine the plant further. "It is a beautiful specimen, is it not?" Zecora asked, noticing how intrigued he was by it. "Certainly not something you find that can be bought." "The citizens of Ponyville or the surrounding area don't come in to collect the plants?" Delta asked, not daring to look away from the plant, expecting it to do something to him if he did. "I would have thought they would come in here to study the plant to learn how they use magic." "Magic is not something that can completely be explained." Zecora shrugged. "Most ponies find that from studying this plant, no knowledge can be gained." "Everything can be explained." Delta said firmly, before turning his attention back to the luminescent flower. "But what if the plant's genome changes? What if it no longer becomes just a practical joker? What if it evolves to hurt someone?" "While magic is natural in a sense, on it's own it cannot evolve. The only way to advance magic is for one to do it with great resolve." "But the plant itself. Surely it could evolve. Become larger, more durable. What if this becomes no longer a simple flower, but instead becomes a tree?" Delta asked, looking around the surrounding area. "What if the entire forest becomes Poison Joke trees as well as flowers?" "You really do think to much, my knowledgeable friend." Zecora chuckled happily as she began walking away from the plants. "Your mind is something I fear I will never comprehend." "My mind is quite easy to understand, it is the process in which it thinks that others seem to have trouble with." Delta sighed, placing the jar into his bag. "What else is needed?" "Only a few plants remain for today, the rest can be found on a later date." Zecora said, motioning her head for him to follow. "Understood." Delta nodded, and with one more studying glace of the field of azure, he set off after Zecora. "I mean no offense by the following question, but why did you help us?" "My tribe, as well as most of the other tribes, believe in the after life, as well as lost spirits." Zecora said pensively, trying to recall her childhood memories. "In my village there was a zebra names Yumba, and it was to the lost spirits that she commit." "Ah, a spirit guide." Delta nodded quickly. "Not only for spirits, but for other zebras too." Zecora said, looking at Delta without turning. "That is what I feel I am to you." "Intriguing." Delta said thoughtfully. "You are lost in this world, and I want to do what I can to help you find your place." Zecora said, and a branch snapping behind her made her top. She then resumed her path, but was now trotting at a reasonable speed. "We will continue this talk when we have the time, for now let's pick up the pace." "Very well." Delta said, knowing better than to argue. They trotted for five minutes nonstop, until Zecora nodded to a smaller, slimmer path. Delta turned and trotted down that path with her and they found themselves in a small clearing that had a ten feet long pond. The area surrounding the pond was thick with trees that had small, orange fruits on them, as well as long vines that curled up the tree. The only way in was through the path they had entered. Zecora smiled as she knelt by the pond and began drinking out of it. "Is it safe?" Delta asked curiously, stepping next to the pond to look at his reflection. "I would not be drinking out of it if it wasn't." Zecora smiled in response, taking a seat next to one of the trees. "I think we can take a break, that would be most pleasant." "Agreed." Delta said, examining his reflection once again, trying to look into himself. He took a few sips of the water, then shook his head. Not out of disgust, the water was pure, but because he was feeling things he was not used to. "Hunger. Thirst. Sleep. I never had to worry about that before." "You should not worry about that, it will take some getting used to." Zecora said, trying to make him not so worried. She heard his stomach growl, so she smiled and looked up at the bright orange fruits. "Speaking of hunger, can you use magic to grab some of those fruits?" "Thank you for reminding me." Delta said quietly, quickly pulling down half a dozen of the fruits to place them on the ground. Zecora grabbed one of them and rubbed it off on her neck, cleaning the fruit until it shined. She then took a bite out of it and closed her eyes, silently enjoying her snack. Delta watched her, then used his magic to clean one of the fruits on her neck. She stared at him, confused, but then saw that he was confused as well. Zecora smiled to herself, knowing he believed that is how it had to be done, then nodded at him. Delta flashed a quick and confused smile at her, then stared at the fruit. He then sighed and took a bite out of it, before being taken by surprise by the flavor. They continued their meal in silence until they were finished.