My Little Pony: Nine Elements Book 2

by BlueBioWolf

Chapter 6: The Cutie Pox (S2:E6)

It had been two weeks since the Sisterhooves Social. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike were gathered to go bowling together.

“Just so we’re clear,” Spike said. “Even if none of you get marks, this can still be a fun outing.”

“Yeah, totally,” Scootaloo smiled. “I like a lot of the sporty stuff for sure.”

“Mih, duuh,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice slightly muffled with her bowling ball bag in her mouth. She spat out the bag and repeated herself. “I mean, me, too.”

“Eeyup,” Apple Bloom said in her best imitation of her brother. “Now, let’s go on in n’ have a good ol’ fashioned bowlin’ day!”

Spike and the fillies paid for a lane to themselves. The fillies allowed Spike to take his turn first, followed by Sweetie Belle second, Scootaloo third, and Apple Bloom fourth. The fillies were surprised at Spike being able to lift such a heavy bowling ball.

“Years of helping to sort out the books Twilight reads,” Spike explained. “I’ve had to move stacks as tall as myself.”

So, Spike took his turn first. He rolled his dark green bowling ball down the alley. He managed to knock down all but one of the pins.

“Nice go, Spike!” Scootaloo smiled.

“Now, I have to wait for my ball to return so I can pick up the spare,” Spike said.

After a few seconds, Spike’s bowling ball returned. He then used it to knock over the remaining pin.

“Way to go!” Sweetie Belle cheered.

“Your turn, Sweetie Belle,” Spike said.

Sweetie Belle nodded and she rolled her spiral blue bowling ball down the alley. Her first roll resulted in a gutterball. After she waited for it to return to her, she tried again and it resulted in one pin being knocked over. She shrugged nonchalantly with a smile on her face.

“You’ll still have to try and knock over the other pins,” Spike said.

“That’s okay, Spike,” Sweetie Belle said. “I’ll try again on my next turn.”

Soon, it was Scootaloo’s turn. She set her dark purple ball just before where she’s to roll it. She then faced away from it and bucked the bowling ball. Though it was heavy, Scootaloo’s hooves were remarkably strong. “This is one of those times I’m glad my dad’s an earth pony,” she said.

With the force of Scootaloo’s kick, it not only missed the pins, but, it ricocheted throughout different parts of the bowling alley.

“Take cover!” Spike shouted.

Various ponies inside of the bowling alley dodged the path of the bowling ball, eventually crashing out of a window.

“Well,” Scootaloo said with a sweatdrop. “Not trying that method again.”

“That would be a good idea,” Spike said.

After things were straightened out and Scootaloo took her turn with a different ball, it was Apple Bloom’s turn.

The farm filly focused as best she could. She carefully lifted her red bowling ball and rolled it down the lane. It rolled a bit slowly. By the time it reached the pins, it didn’t have any momentum to knock over any of the pins. Apple Bloom was upset.

After a full ten rounds of bowling, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders left the bowling alley.

“Bowling was a lot of fun,” Sweetie Belle smiled. “I may have got a lot of gutterballs, but, it was still fun to play with my friends.”

The fillies checked their flanks. No Cutie Marks were present.

“Ah, well,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “Bowling will be more of a hobby than a talent. Though, after my first shot, Mr. Kingpin will have to wait a long time for me to set hoof in his bowling alley again.”

“Not to mention you’ll have to explain the damage to your aunts,” Spike said.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said in an embarrassed tone. “Hopefully, they’ll understand what I was trying to do.”

Apple Bloom still felt a bit upset.

“What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Didn’t you have fun bowling?”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah know that we weren’t tryin’ this fer Cutie Marks, but, it still feels discouragin’ not gettin’ one.”

“Don’t you remember Cider Season?” Spike asked. “Good things take time.”

“Ah know,” Apple Bloom sighed. “But, sometimes, ah feel like it’s too much time.”

“How many times do you have to be told that these things can’t be rushed?” Spike said. “Don’t worry about what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon say. They’re just spoiled brats.”

“Ah ain’t worried ‘bout what they’re sayin’,” Apple Bloom said sadly. “Ah’m worried ‘bout me.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both saw how upset Apple Bloom was.

“Don’t worry, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said. “When our Cutie Marks do come, they’re going to be awesome!”

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “And it would be really cool if we got them together. Until then, we’ll help to cheer you up.”

“How about a visit to Zecora?” Spike suggested. “She does offer some sage advice, after all. She could help you.”

Apple Bloom seemed to perk up. “Yeah,” Apple Bloom said. “It had been a while since ah last saw her, too. Ah guess ah’ve been so busy with Cutie Mark Crusadin’ n’ school.”

“You want us to come with you, AB?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, okay,” Apple Bloom said. She then turned to Spike.

“Yes, I’m coming with you, too,” Spike said. “It may still be the day, but, I still wouldn’t forgive myself if I left you guys to walk through the Everfree Forest alone.”

“Besides,” Apple Bloom said. “Yer immune ta Poison Joak.”

“That, too,” Spike said. “If we come across some, I can carry you.”

So, the four friends walked towards Zecora’s hut together. Spike carefully navigated the fillies around a Poison Joak patch. Once they were cleared, they approached Zecora’s hut. However, Apple Bloom tripped over a root. She landed face first on the forest ground. She felt overcome with a severe mouth pain. Spike and the other fillies rushed to her.

“Are you alright?!” Sweetie Belle asked in alarm as she helped Apple Bloom onto her hooves. Apple Bloom could only respond with pained grunts.

“Sounds like she landed on her top row of teeth,” Spike said.

At that moment, Zecora arrived.

“Well, what do we have here,” Zecora said. “It is Apple Bloom and her friends so dear.”

“Zecora,” Spike said. “We have a problem.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “Apple Bloom’s hurt.”

“What is troubling you, youth?” Zecora asked Apple Bloom. She gently looked over Apple Bloom and saw the trouble. “Ah, you have gone and chipped your tooth. Come with me. I have just the trick to fix up that damaged tooth and quick.”

“The youth and tooth rhyme felt a bit forced,” Spike said honestly.*

Zecora shrugged as she helped Apple Bloom inside. The other three followed along inside.

Apple Bloom still felt upset. As Zecora was looking over Apple Bloom’s chipped tooth, the filly explained her situation.

“Ah’ve tried a lot of thtuff,” Apple Bloom explained. With her front tooth being chipped, it gave her a slight lisp. “‘N thtill no Cutie Mahk. A’m goin’ ta be ath old ath Granny Thmith n’ thtill not have a Cutie Mahk.”

Zecora patiently listened. When Apple Bloom finished, Zecora said calmly, “Your frustration is well understood, but, one must be patient for all things good.”

“Everypony hath told me that already,” Apple Bloom said. “Even Thpike told me that. N’ now ah heard it from every thebra ah know!”

“To be fair,” Sweetie Belle said. “The list of every zebra you know isn’t very long.”

“Ah know,” Apple Bloom said. “The point ith, ah’m really hopin’ fer mah Cutie Mahk n’ it feelth like ah waited long ‘nuff.”

“Your Cutie Mark will come if you just wait,” Zecora said calmly as she readied a remedy. “But, your tooth problem, I can sort out straight. Now, you must drink every single drop and this mixture will fix your chip on top.”

Apple Bloom complied and drank the potion. After a few seconds and with a slight numbing tingle, Apple Bloom’s tooth was fixed. Apple Bloom’s spirits brightened.

“Ya did it, Zecora!” Apple Bloom cheered. “Thank ya so much. How much do ah owe ya?”

“On the matter of payment, you needn’t fret,” Zecora said. “For the forest has all the ingredients I can get.”

“Okay, then,” Apple Bloom said.

“Wow,” Sweetie Belle said as she and Scootaloo looked on Zecora’s shelves. “You’ve got potions and tonics to fix just about any problem.”

“One to cure bad bones,” Scootaloo said. “Another to cure bad backs, and another one to cure bad breath, too!”

“Yes, young ones,” Zecora said. “It is true. I have many a healing brew. Before I moved here, I studied in school to be a potioneer.”

“That’s so cool,” Scootaloo smiled. She then saw a bold pink bushel of flowers on Zecora’s arrangement of herbs. “Hey, I saw this flower around Ponyville. What’s it called?”

“That’s called Heart’s Desire,” Spike said. “I read about it in my mom’s herbology books.”

“Right you are, my friendly Spike,” Zecora smiled. “An herb I use for potions and the like. I’ll be brewing one to help a rooster regain his crow and help the animals get up and go. With Heart’s Desire, his talent comes into view and he’ll give a mighty Cock-a-Doodle-Doo.”

The Crusaders listened closely.

“That sounds really amazing,” Sweetie Belle said in an enamored tone.

Zecora searched her shelves. “Oh, dear, what is this?” she muttered. “I seem to be out of amethyst. Without this purple flower, the potion will not have its full power.”

“Flower?” Spike said. “I thought amethysts were gems.”

“They are gems as well, but, the flowers are more rare,” Zecora explained. “The color shades are similar when compared.”

Apple Bloom had an idea. “How ‘bout Spike helps ya find them flowers while we hold down the fort here, Zecora?”

“A kind offer and one I appreciate,” Zecora said. “When we return, please go home before it gets late.”

Zecora and Spike headed out while the Crusaders looked at the recipe in the open potions book on Zecora’s table. Unfortunately, neither of them could make sense of what was written in the book.

“One of these days,” Scootaloo commented. “Zecora has to teach us how to read in her native language.”

Sweetie Belle looked closer. “Actually,” she said. “I think this recipe’s written in runes. I’ve seen a few of them in a few spellbooks my parents bought. They say that more complex magic spells have their details written in runes so that only those who studied runes can read them.”

“So, do ya know what they say?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No,” Sweetie Belle said. “My dad’s a hoofball coach and my mom’s a baker. Neither of them learned to read runes in magic school. They can get by with more basic spells.”

“Well, how are we going to figure this out?” Scootaloo asked.

“The pictures are pretty clear,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Okay,” Apple Bloom smiled. “So, if we can find all the ingredients that match the pictures in this here book, we can’t lose!”

The Crusaders followed the recipe by the pictures. Soon, they managed to complete their potion. They each drank a portion of it and hid the evidence as Spike and Zecora returned.

“Hey, Spike,” Scootaloo said.

“Welcome back, Zecora,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Nothin’ happened here,” Apple Bloom said.

“O-kay…” Spike said. “Well, we better get you girls home.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Scootaloo said.

“Don’t want to be out and about after sundown,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Thanks again fer yer help, Zecora,” Apple Bloom said.

“Goodnight,” the Cutie Mark Crusaders said.

Spike walked the Crusaders to their respective homes. What Spike didn’t know at the time was that come the next morning, the fillies would change the lives of not only themselves, but, for Ponyville as a whole.

The next day at school, Puppy Dog Tails was reading while his brothers got into stupid shenanigans.

“I’m telling ya, Snails,” Snips said. “I can hold my breath longer than you can!”

“Nuh-uh!” Snails said. “Hey, Tails, which of us can hold our breaths longer?”

“I’m not getting sucked into this,” Tails said.

“Okay, so, we’ll find out ourselves!” Snips challenged.

“Duh, you’re on!” Snails exclaimed.

Before they had a chance, they saw something unusual.

“Huh?!” Snips and Snails exclaimed.

“What is it now?” Tails asked. He then saw what caught their attention. He gasped in bewilderment. “This… this is incredible!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders revealed that they had Cutie Marks. Apple Bloom’s was a silver ring, Scootaloo’s was a checkered flag, and Sweetie Belle’s was a milkshake.

“You all have your Cutie Marks!” Snips smiled. “Congratulations, girls!”

“Yeah~!” Snails said.

“I take it Scootaloo’s is a checkered flag to represent her love of racing and victory,” Tails ventured to guess.

“Got that right, Tails,” Scootaloo said.

“And Sweetie Belle’s is a milkshake,” Snips said. “To show her sweet tooth, I think?”

“And because I like making treats!” Sweetie Belle said.

“And Apple Bloom’s is an-” Snails started before he stopped. “An O? A ring? A doughnut?”

“Wrong all three times,” Apple Bloom said. She then presented them with a rain barrel ring around her waist. “It’s a loop-de-hoop!”

“You mean hula hoop?” Tails said.

“Well, ah always called it a loop-de-hoop, anyway,” Apple Bloom said. “Applejack made it from an old rain barrel when ah was an even littler pony. Ah never guessed that it would be mah special talent!”

Diamond Tiara scoffed. “That’s your special talent? Spinning a rain barrel ring around your waist?”

“Well,” Tails said. “They now have Cutie Marks and that’s all that really matters. At least, wasn’t that what you thought before? And what’s your talent, anyway? Wearing a tiara and acting like you’re better than everypony else?”

“That was how Diamond Tiara got her Cutie Mark,” Twist lisped innocently.

“I think it’s pretty clear who has the legitimate talent here,” Tails quipped.**

Other foals couldn’t help but laugh as Diamond Tiara blushed with embarrassment.

“And besides,” Apple Bloom added. “Ah don’t just spin my loop-de hoop ‘round mah waist. Ah can do so much more with it. Stand back, y’all!”

She stood up on her hind legs. She switched her loop-de-hoop from her hoof to her front right leg. She spins it effortlessly. Then, she switched it to her front left leg, giving it an effortless spin as well. In a bout of ambition, she flung the hoop at Ash, who was delivering milk cartons for the schoolhouse at that moment.

“What the hay?!” Ash exclaimed in alarm.

“Whoops,” Apple Bloom said. “Sorry, Ash.”

Ash hoisted it back over towards her. “Why is it that everytime you play with this thing, I get hit with it?” he said in annoyance.

“Ah don’t know,” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Just happens, ah guess.”

“Well, next time,” Ash said. “Watch where you aim.”

“Ya got it, Ash!” Apple Bloom saluted as she continued to spin her loop-de-hoop.

The school bell suddenly rang.

“Time for class, everypony~” Cheerilee called. “The first subject today is physical education.”

“That should be no problem to Apple Bloom,” Snips called. “Look at her cool new Cutie Mark!”

Cheerilee saw Apple Bloom spinning the loop-de-hoop. “Ah, perfect. I was planning on using hula hoops in today’s lesson.”

“Hopefully we’ll have milkshakes with lunch,” Snails said. “That’s what Sweetie Belle’s new Cutie Mark is. And Scootaloo has her Cutie Mark, too.”

“Unlike someponies,” Tails quipped. “They have legitimate talents.”

Diamond Tiara turned up her nose at Tails’ remark, still blushing with embarrassment. Soon, all of the students were given a hula hoop, with the exception of Apple Bloom, who was already using her loop-de-hoop. Apple Bloom demonstrated professional level skill. Snips and Snails somehow ended up in a tangled mess with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

“How’d this even happen?!” Snips asked.

“Let’s just get out of this mess!” Silver Spoon snapped.

“I’m torn between satisfaction and annoyance,” Tails said.

Apple Bloom used her fantastic hooping skills to untangle the four foals from their fiasco. Rather than be grateful, Diamond Tiara seethed in rage. The class continued to hula hoop until it was time for the next subject. However, something unexpected happened. The Crusaders each earned another Cutie Mark. Apple Bloom’s was two poles, each pole balancing a spinning plate. Scootaloo’s was a crash helmet. Sweetie Belle’s was a deck of cards.

“Two Cutie Marks?!” Snips exclaimed. “I’ve never seen that happen before!”

“Those marks must be fake!” Diamond Tiara accused.

“So,” Tails snarked. “Going by that logic, your Cutie Mark must be fake, too. That’d explain why you’re such a talentless hack.”

“Puppy Dog Tails,” Cheerilee said. “I understand your need to stand up to Diamond Tiara’s bullying, but, your harsh words are worse. If you keep saying them, they’ll allow DT to keep saying mean things.” Tails rolled his eyes as if to say, “She says mean things regardless.” “Still, one pony with multiple Cutie Marks is perplexing, let alone three ponies at one time.”

“How did this happen?” Scootaloo whispered to the other Crusaders.

“I don’t know,” Sweetie Belle whispered back. “I didn’t see anything about this happening in the spellbook. At least, I don’t think I did. It’s hard to tell when you can’t read runes.”

“Either way, we better roll with it,” Apple Bloom whispered.

So, aloud, Apple Bloom cleared her throat and said, “Oh, we’re all so talented that one Cutie Mark ain’t enough ta define each o’ us.”

“Prove it,” Silver Spoon challenged.

So, some foals helped to gather the items that corresponded to the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ secondary Cutie Marks. Apple Bloom was given plates to spin with poles, Scootaloo was given a crash helmet and safety goggles, and Sweetie Belle was given a deck of playing cards. The Crusaders demonstrated these additional talents with levels of skill that surprised even them.

“Hey,” Apple Bloom whispered to her friends. “We must really be talented!”

“But, how?” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“Who cares?” Scootaloo whispered with a smirk. “We’re really making history here!”

“Well, everypony!” Apple Bloom said aloud. “How ‘bout a real show?!”

“While I do appreciate the effort you all are putting into showcasing your talents,” Cheerilee said. “I’m afraid I have lessons I need to teach. So, please put your things away and let’s go inside the schoolhouse.”

After school was out for the day, the Crusaders made their way to the Golden Oak Library, where Twilight and Spike were dusting.

“There we go,” Twilight smiled. “That should be nice for your playdate with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” There was a knock at the door. “That must be them now.”

“I’ll get it,” Spike said, setting down the feather duster. He then answered the door to see them. “Hey, girls. Are you ready for our-”

But, his words trailed off when he saw the bizarre sight before him.

“We’ve got two Cutie Marks each, Spike,” Sweetie Belle said.

“You should say three Cutie Marks each!” Spike exclaimed in alarm.

The Crusaders looked around. Apple Bloom saw a pair of red tapping shoes, Scootaloo saw a dumbbell, and Sweetie Belle saw a musical note.

“What the-?!” Scootaloo exclaimed in surprise. “Those weren’t there before!”

“Uh, just out of curiosity,” Sweetie Belle asked nervously. “Did Zecora happen to borrow a book on potions?”

“She did borrow one from my mom,” Spike said. “She had a copy available when Zecora’s old book was damaged. Why do you ask?”

“Well,” Sweetie Belle said. “Suppose somepony happened upon a recipe written in runes and followed the recipe through the pictures. Do you have an extra copy of that potions book and a rune-to-Ponish dictionary?”

If Spike had any suspicions, he chose not to let onto it. “As a matter of fact,” he said. “We do.”

“What is it, Spike?” Twilight said as she walked up to the little group. She saw the fillies covered in Cutie Marks and she gasped in alarm. “Three Cutie Marks on a single pony each?! This is unnatural!”

So, Twilight hastened to grab her own personal copy of the book Spike was mentioning while searching the other books. The Crusaders silently looked for a rune-to-Ponish dictionary and snuck into the library’s basement with both books, unaware of Spike watching.

What are those three up to? Spike pondered to himself.

In the basement, the Crusaders opened the potion book to the page with the recipe they followed the previous day while Sweetie Belle checked the rune-to-Ponish dictionary.

“Uh-oh,” Sweetie Belle said bleakly.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That potion we mixed up,” Sweetie Belle said. “Without amethyst flowers, it’s actually a recipe for something called… Cutie Pox!” She looked at one section of runes. “Warning: do not attempt to brew without amethyst flowers as a neutralizing agent for this may result in Cutie Pox. If this occurs, keep undrunken portion of potion out of reach of local water supply.”

“Cutie Pox?!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo gasped.

“So, that’s what’s going on!” Spike’s voice said as the dragon came down the stairs.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo held their mouths in an ‘oops’ moment. Spike was clearly not pleased.

“W-what are you doing here, Spike?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously.

“Confirming a hunch,” Spike said. “‘A rune-to-Ponish dictionary?’ Did you think I was hatched yesterday?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stammered, trying to come up with an excuse, feeble or otherwise. Spike wasn’t having it.

“If you find something written in runes in a spellbook,” Spike said. “Odds are that it’s for a good reason. Following recipes when you don’t know the exact details is never a good idea.”***

“You’re right, Spike,” Sweetie Belle said after a sad sigh.

“We messed up big time,” Scootaloo said.

“We’re mighty sorry,” Apple Bloom said.

“You’ll all have to come clean, girls,” Spike said. “Otherwise, things could get worse.”

“How?” Apple Bloom asked before a fourth Cutie Mark appeared on her. It was a fleur de lis. “Sacre bleu! Plus de Marque de Cutie!” She and the others suddenly realized she wasn’t speaking Ponish. “Qu est-ce que c est? Je parle Prancais?!”****

“Apple Bloom’s speaking in Prench!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as a fourth Cutie Mark appeared on her. This one was a sewing needle and a spool of thread.

“We better clear this up sooner rather than later!” Scootaloo exclaimed as a fourth Cutie Mark appeared on her. It was a whistle.

At that very moment, Rarity, Applejack, and Scootaloo’s aunts arrived to pick up the fillies, only to see Twilight frantically searching.

“Twilight, darling,” Rarity asked. “Are you alright?”

“Yer lookin’ powerful stressed,” Applejack said. “What’s the trouble?”

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have three Cutie Marks!” Twilight said.

“Four!” Spike called up from the basement. He walked up with the Cutie Mark Crusaders following behind him. Rarity, Applejack, and Scootaloo’s aunts all gasped.

“What in the wide world of Equestria happened?!” Aunt Holiday asked in alarm.

“Cutie Pox,” Spike said.

“Cutie Pox?!” the adult ponies exclaimed. Twilight quickly sought out a book on Equestrian afflictions and illnesses.

“Here it is, Cutie Pox,” Twilight said. She then began to read aloud. “‘Random Cutie Marks appeared all over an afflicted pony’s body, causing them to perform the tasks the Cutie Marks symbolized. The only known cure is Seeds of Truth grown by Farasi herbalists.’”

“What could’ve caused this?!” Rarity asked.

“It says here,” Twilight said. “That it was the result of a young unicorn colt named Potion Mix, who lacked the patience to gain his Cutie Mark naturally, brewing a potion in an ill-conceived attempt to speed up the process. After drinking a single sip, he clumsily spilt the remaining potion into his town’s water supply, causing everypony who drank from the tap to become afflicted.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders couldn’t help but wince at the story.

“It took his alchemist mother, Prima Materia,” Twilight said. “Creating the Seeds of Truth to cure the epidemic. A surplus of them were made in the event of a future outbreak.”*****

“Ya know,” Applejack said. “It’s powerful ironic that these three fillies would fall prey ta somethin’ like this fer some reason.”

“Where are we going to find a Farasi herbalist here in Ponyville?” Aunt Loft asked.

“There aren’t any in Ponyville,” Spike said. “But, there is one pretty close to home.”

“Right,” Twilight said. “We’ll have to see if Zecora has any Seeds of Truth available in her hut.”

“And we better hurry,” Spike said. “More Cutie Marks can appear on them at any moment and who knows what they’ll be!”

So, Spike, the five mares, and the three fillies ran out of the library towards Zecora’s hut. The afflicted fillies forcefully performed their expanding list of new talents for all to see.

“What’s happened to them?!” Daisy asked.

“They’re cursed!” Lily said.

“They’re not cursed,” Spike explained. “They have Cutie Pox. But, not for long, since we’re going to get their cure!”

Meanwhile, Zecora was making her way through town.

“It is good to know ponies will not hide or scatter,” Zecora said to herself. She then heard frantic hooves clattering in the distance. “Though it sounds like they’re trouble. I wonder what’s the matter.” She made her way to Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, and Scootaloo’s aunts.

“Zecora!” Twilight said. “Oh, thank Celestia you’re here! We were just on our way to see you.”

“Was yer zebra-sense a-tinglin’?” Applejack asked.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing,” Spike said flatly.

“Pinkie Sense is a thing, though,” Twilight said.

“My lack of zebra-sense did not bring me around,” Zecora explained. “The matter is a flower that I needed found. I thought I picked enough to fix all of the potions I needed to mix. But, after my visit with these fillies and our little friend with fire, I noticed the disappearance of the Heart’s Desire. Cutie Mark Crusaders, what do you say? Did this flower just walk away?”

The Crusaders grew nervous.

“Well, you see…” Apple Bloom began. But, she didn’t get a chance to finish as she and the other Crusaders gained new marks. They’d long since lost count of how many they gained by now. The new ones made Apple Bloom clean windows, Scootaloo break dance, and Sweetie Belle perform very fluid yoga.

“Twilight read ‘bout the cure for Cutie Pox bein’ Seeds o’ Truth,” Applejack explained. “We heard that more was made by Farasi herbalists, so, we came ta see if ya had any.”

Zecora nodded in comprehension. “The cure I have indeed forsooth. I happen to have with me Seeds of Truth.” She pulled nine seeds out of her saddle basket.

“Ah, thank you, Zecora!” Rarity exclaimed happily. “You are a true lifesaver! So, how are they going to cure the girls?”

“They must eat the flowers that bloom,” Zecora said. “If not, they will meet their forced talent doom.”

So, Zecora planted the seeds into the ground as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were performing their new unique talents.

“Eating the flowers is indeed the cure,” Zecora said. “But, in order to grow, they must hear words that are honest and pure.”

Once the Cutie Mark Crusaders broke out of their spinning spells, they knew what they had to do.

“Ah, ah can’t take it anymore!” Apple Bloom wailed. “It was us! We didn’t earn our Cutie Marks n’ they’re all fake!”

“We figured the Heart’s Desire would give us a Cutie Mark,” Sweetie Belle said. “So, when Zecora left her hut, we found the potion in the book and we put the Heart’s Desire in it!”

“We sent Spike to help Zecora gather the amethyst flower because we knew he would stop us,” Scootaloo continued. “We couldn’t read the runes in the recipe, so, we followed the pictures! Earlier, we used a rune-to-Ponish dictionary to discover that without amethyst flowers, we gave ourselves Cutie Pox!”

The truth the three fillies expelled caused the Seeds of Truth to sprout into three white flowers. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo each ate one flower in one gulp. Within seconds, all their fake Cutie Marks disappeared.

“Whew,” Scootaloo sighed. “Glad that’s over.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “Never thought I’d be glad to see my flank being blank.”

The fillies faced Spike.

“Spike,” Apple Bloom started. “We’re powerful sorry we sent ya away while we worked on the potion.”

“That was wrong,” Sweetie Belle said. “We were so desperate to earn our Cutie Marks, we didn’t think about what was the right way to do it.”

“But, that’s no excuse,” Scootaloo said. “Thank you for helping us, even when we did something really bad. It shows that you’re a real friend.”

“Covering up your mistakes will only cause problems in the long run,” Spike said. “Take it from someone who did exactly that.”

“Well, it really helped us when we needed it,” Apple Bloom said. The three fillies hugged Spike as not only an apology, but, also as a gesture of friendship. They then turned their attention to Zecora.

“We’re really sorry we took the Heart’s Desire from you, Zecora,” Sweetie Belle said.

“We wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want us to visit your hut anymore,” Scootaloo said.

Zecora, however, was very gentle. “No need to worry and do not be silly. You are always welcome, my little fillies. With each mistake, we learn something new, to help you grow into a better you.”

“All the same,” Spike said. “I don’t recommend making potions unsupervised until you have more experience.”

“Believe us,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah don’t think we’ll be goin’ anywhere near magic potions fer a while.”

“And when it comes to our Cutie Marks,” Sweetie Belle said. “We’re going to wait until it’s actually time for them to be here.”

“We’re still going to try new things,” Scootaloo said. “But, we’re also going to hang out as best friends. You’re included in that mix, too, Spike.”

“I think this experience would make a good letter for Princess Celestia,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, we did learn a lot from this,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Spike,” Scootaloo said. “Would you mind taking a letter for us?”

“Way ahead of you,” Spike said as he readied a quill and parchment. And this was the letter the Crusaders sent.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But, this dishonesty never works because you didn’t earn what your heart desires. The only cure is being honest with yourself and with others, because that’s what every heart desires.

Your humble subjects,

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo”

Spike rolled up the scroll and sent it away.

“So,” Sweetie Belle said. “With that taken care of, what do we do now?”

“Not potions,” Apple Bloom said. “After what happened taday, ah don’t think we should dabble in that fer a while.”

“Good call,” Scootaloo said. “Hey, Spike. Do you have any ideas?”

“This isn’t to get your Cutie Marks, is it?” Spike asked.

“No,” the three said in unison.

“If Diamond Tiara says anythin’ ‘bout it,” Apple Bloom said. “We ain’t goin’ ta let her words bug us.”

“Even with Puppy Dog Tails standing up for us,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s really DT’s problem, not ours or his.”

Spike gave a satisfied smile. “How about we dabble in reading runes?” he suggested.

“Really?” Scootaloo asked somewhat surprised. “You’d teach us how to read runes fluently even after what happened?”

“I’m going to teach you so that something like this doesn’t happen again,” Spike said.

“Then, sure,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Scootaloo said.

“Looks like our little fillies are going to be with Spike for a while,” Aunt Holiday noted.

“I wasn’t aware Spike could read runes,” Rarity said.

“It was a subject I excelled in,” Twilight said. “I taught him myself.”

“That’s mighty impressive, Twi,” Applejack smiled.

“But, how does Zecora know how to read runes?” Rarity asked.

Zecora cleared her throat.

“With my learning of potions and spells,” Zecora explained. “My mother and father have taught me well. This includes learning runes from those of the past. Wise lessons that I’ve learned that I won’t forget fast.”

“Zebras can use magic?” Applejack asked.

“Not in the same manner as unicorns,” Zecora said. “Our magic comes from nature and uses mediums other than a horn.”

“Fascinating,” Rarity smiled.

“So, it’s mostly alchemy?” Twilight asked.

Zecora nodded plainly. “Alchemy is a magic that any creature can learn,” Zecora said. “Though, the time and dedication must be very stern.”

“That’s true,” Twilight said. “It’s a lot like when I learned magic under Princess Celestia. I imagine learning alchemy must be more challenging without the ability to use traditional magic if my own experiences are anything to go by.”

Zecora nodded. “Tell me true,” she said. “How old do I appear to you?”

“You look to be in your 20’s,” Twilight said after giving it some careful thought.

“With my alchemy skills,” Zecora said. “I’ve made natural remedies that protect me from ills. I’ve also made potions that kept me looking younger than my appearance would suggest. In truth, I’m over fifty years old and have little need for constant rest.”

“Over fifty?!” Twilight gasped. “That’s remarkable!”******

“A youth potion was my first successful brew upon graduation,” Zecora said. “Though, it is not without problems such as thrill fascination.”

“I see,” Twilight said. “So, keeping yourself young makes you a bit of a thrill-seeker?”

“I guess that makes sense,” Applejack said.

“Seems eternal youth isn’t as glamorous as one would think,” Rarity said. “I think I’ll age more naturally.”

End of chapter.