//------------------------------// // Ch 5: First Meeting // Story: My little Dragon Ball: FuyuMori // by Tundricwolf //------------------------------// “Applebloom!” Called out the farm mare. As Applebloom turned around she could see Applejack and the other charging towards her. Once the six mare and baby dragon got to Applebloom, they all saw Arctic and all came to a halt. The seven of them all just stared at Arctic before eventually turning their attention to the giant mare next to him. They all were in awe and terrified. To not only be in the presence of the “Evil Enchantress” Zecora, but to be next to a tall bipedal creature they’ve never seen before, and a behemoth of a mare? They were all petrified. “A..a..Applebloom, get away from them!” Applejack stuttered out. “But Applejack, they..” Applebloom started before being cut off. “Get away from mah little sister, yah hear!?” Snarled Applejack as she shakily took a step forward in an attempt to intimidate the four. “Yeah, stay away from her and our home you freaks!” Shouted Rainbow dash. Despite being scared, she gained some courage to speak up. “And don’t you dare come back!” Blurted out Rarity, who was trying to act brave, but was shaking as violently as Fluttershy. Zecora seeing not only her, but her friends as well step forward into the blue plants before them, she decided to speak out. “Beware! Beware, you pony folk! For those leaves of blue are not a joke!” Zecora bellowed. The loud intenseness of her voice made the six back off out of fear. Satisfied seeing them back away, Zecora began trotting back into the Everfree, followed shortly by Tree Hugger and Glacious. Arctic stayed behind for a few seconds before following after them. Twilight, ever the perceptive mare she is, saw for only a second before he left, the look of sadness on his face. Applebloom, who had also noticed the sad look on Arctic’s face, remembered how genuinely friendly he had acted towards her and the motherly concern coming from his adopted mothers voice when she spoke to her. She had begun to grow upset at her big sister and her friends. “Applejack, what the hay!?” Applebloom shouted. “Hush now Applebloom. Her safe now.” Applejack said. “Ah’m pretty sure I was already safe to begin with.” Applebloom retorted. “Around those four? Nonsense. Who knows what they’d have done to you had we not showed up.” Applejack said. “Quite right.” Said Rarity. “Had we not shown up when we did, they could’ve seriously hurt you, Darling.” Rarity said. Then Rainbow jumped in. “They just better be glad I didn’t start fighting with them. I’d have kicked their flanks before they even knew what happened.” “Are you sure? You seemed pretty scared Dashie.” Pinkie said as she gave a small chuckle. Rainbow blushed slightly and stumbled over her words as she tried to defend herself. “Applejack, ah’m serious. They seem real nice. And what yah all said to them, really seemed to hurt their feelings.” Applebloom said, wanting to defend the four. “Fer all we know, that could’ve been some kind ah trick. Tryin’ rah make us feel bad fer them so we drop our guard and they can attack us someday.” Applejack said. “Yah don’t know that. Ah’m pretty sure it isn’t an act, and what y’all said really hurt them. Y’all gotta go apologize to them!” Applebloom shouted. Applejack’s face contorted into one of shock at that suggestion. Then her face quickly morphed into one of anger. “We ain’t apologizin’ to any of them! Now hush up and let’s go home!” Applejack said sternly, her voice at a near shout. Applebloom hearing this grew even more angry and she stomped a hoof as she stared at Applejack. “Applejack!” Applebloom yelled. Applejack gritted her teeth and finally her anger got the better of her and she glared at Applebloom with a burning rage. “Enough Applebloom! Drop it and let’s all go home!” Applejack finally shouted. Applebloom recoiled. She and Applejack had gotten into arguments a few times, but never once had Applejack actually shouted at her like this. Applebloom began to tear up slightly before she quickly ran off back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applebloom was a mass of emotions. She was saddened yet angry with Applejack as well as he friends. To hear what they all said to the four who seemed so friendly and concerned about her, deeply upset her. She wanted to see them, to make things up to them. She wanted to show them that she liked and trusted them. Applebloom, right there and then, decided to go seem them early tomorrow morning. The six mares stood there. Applejack breathed heavily as she stared ahead watching her little sister run back towards the farm. Rarity, Rainbow, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Spike were all taken aback. They had never seen Applejack that mad nor heard her yell like that before. Rainbow drifted toward Applejack. “Dang AJ. I’ve never seen you like that before” Rainbow said. “That was quite scary to see.” Said Fluttershy as she shuddered in fright. “Ah’m sorry, it’s just, she don’t know what she’s talkin’ about. Thinking those four are good? And then there’s that tall fella. What even was that thing?” Applejack said. “It looked like some kinda monkey.” Fluttershy said. “A monkey?” Asked Applejack. “Yeah. He had a monkey like tail. His large fangs even looked monkey like. He probably eats meat.” The other mare shuddered at that. To hear a creature like that probably eats meat got them to feel even more scared. Applejack grew even more concerned. “Now Ah’ll definitely have to keep Applebloom away from that them. They made do something to mah little sister and feed her to that thing.” Applejack said. “Applejack, maybe Applebloom was right and they are nice ponies.” Twilight said softly. “Twi, don’t tell me yah thinkin’ they are good ponies.” Applejack said. “Look, just, maybe we should all try to keep an open mind. Maybe Zecora and those others aren’t bad at all.” Twilight said as she started making her way back to the library, Spike riding on top of her back. Applejack just sighed. She couldn’t believe that they were good. That Zecora was an oddity. Nopony knew what she ever does in the forest. And now seeing Zecora’s underling alongside two others? That really had her on edge. And then there was that creature she had never seen before. Applejack did see it had rather large fangs when she saw it talking to Applebloom. Hear it may eat meat had her really on edge. If it did eat meat, then where does it get it. Did it eat ponies? She shuddered at the thought. She wasn’t the only one. The others were also a bit afraid. Perhaps afraid that that creature and the others would come to attack them all someday. Pinkie, she wasn’t necessarily scared. She was thinking about what Twilight and especially Applebloom said. What if those four were just good ponies and they all were running and hiding from them purely because they knew absolutely nothing about any of them. Pinkie’s mane deflated slightly. How could she just shun others and even make up a song and dance about Zecora when she didn’t even know anything about Zecora. Everything Pinkie heard about Zecora and her “underling” were all speculations. None of it could be true. Pinkie left for Sugarcube Corner with a lot on her mind. ==========**********========== As the group went back into the Everfree Forest, Arctic began to speak up. “Miss Zecora, what were those blue plants you were warning those ponies about.” “Poison Joke my young Arctic. It’s a plant found all over Equestria in certain areas. It isn’t dangerous by any means, but it’s effects are that an ironic effect will happen to whom ever makes contact with it.” Zecora said. “My child, we have seen those plants before remember?” Glacious asked. Arctic cocked his head but began to think back. He remembered back when he was much younger. He and his mother had been roaming some ice covered land when they discovered a large cave entrance. Inside the cave was dozens of icicles that all shined like precious gem stones. There was even a large lake sitting within it. Thought, one thing stood out. The blue plants that sprouted up from all around the cave. It all looked very beautiful. Arctic did remember his mother warning him not to touch the plants, though he didn’t know why. Figuring his mother knew best, he obeyed and never went near them. He had intended to ask about them, though he never acted on it. “Oh right. I do remember them. Back in that cave we went into.” Arctic said with a slight smile. He soon made plans to return to that cave. “While I did warn them,” Zecora started,”I do get the feeling we’ll be seeing those mares again by morning.” “How come?” Asked Arctic. “Those mares possibly made contact with the Poison Joke. We’ll have to wait and see once tomorrow comes.” Tree Hugger replied. “Well, hopefully, they didn’t. But those mares seem to be rather hot headed.” Glacious said. “Though something greatly surprised me.” “And what was that Miss Glacious.” Zecora asked as she looked up to the giant mare. “That small filly who spoke to us.” Glacious replied “That was rather surprising.” Zecora said with a small chuckle. She hadn’t expected to be approached by anypony, let alone a small filly. It in fact kinda warmed her heart a bit. It seemed to her Arctic’s hopes that something could change for them was beginning to bare fruit. All because of the one small brave filly who came up and talked to them. “It amazes me that a small filly seems to be much braver than her elders. She even seemed to be growing used to us quite quickly.” Arctic said with a smile on his face. “Perhaps we can meet that little filly again someday.” Glacious smiled as she watched her son’s eyes sparkle. She had seen him hope for things to get better for themselves. That he could be accepted. She still has yet to tell him that many of the ponies fear her far more than him. She’s still unaware as to why ponies fear her so much. She does vaguely remember hearing something about the Moon, but that was pretty much all she got. She doesn’t know what she has to do with the Moon and why it’s making ponies so afraid to be around her. As they all made it back to Zecora’s home, they all relaxed and chatted among themselves. They all told stories of their travels and hopes for the future. After that, they had all eaten dinner and soon fell asleep. As night came and went, the Sun peaking over the horizon washing away the night, the four were awoken by a small knock. “What on Equus is that?” Said a sleepy Tree Hugger. “Sounds like the door.” Arctic groggily said as he tried to drift back to sleep. “I’ll get it.” Zecora said as she got up and trudged over to the door. Rubbing at her eyes, Zecora let out a yawn before opening the door. “Who is.. oh, it’s you, young filly.” Zecora said in surprise. Hearing this, the others slowly looked over toward the front door. It was the small filly from yesterday that they had met while on their way into the Everfree. “What bring you here, young filly.” Zecora asked. “Please, ah need yer help.” Applebloom said as she looked to Zecora with pleading eyes. The four looked at Applebloom in a bit of surprise, but they all nodded indicating that they’ll help. Seeing this, Applebloom could only smile and give a small sigh of relief knowing that they were going to help her.