//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Are You Ready? 
// by Dirty Bit 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 11


Beware the Shadowcolt


In the Everfree Forest, Applebloom and her friends were walking on a straight trail that lead to the same hut Dr. Facilier found in his travels. When she came to the doorstep and knocked, the same zebra mare answered, looking down and smiling at the group of children.

"So nice to see you fillies at my door.
For what reason did you come here for?"

Applebloom smiled back at the zebra "Howdy, Zecora! Me an' mah friends jus' wanted to visit ya while our sisters were away in Canterlot. Can we watch ya brew some more potions an' stuff? Maybe we could try our hoof at getting a potion cutie mark again!" Zecora took a step back and winced at the memory of the small group's first attempt at making potions, remembering the large mess that she had to clean up that day, and could only decline to their request to help her in her work.

"I'm afraid I cannot oblige your actions,
But I do not mind you watching me make potions."

This caused the group of fillies to let out a synchronized 'Awwwww~' in disappointment, but came in anyway, happy to know they could at least observe Zecora's methods and take some mental notes so they would not screw up again. She led them to wooden stools as she went around her hut, collecting several ingredients for her current brew: A better version of the cure for Cutie Pox. When she took a flask in her mouth, she began pouring liquid, hearing the fillies talk. Applebloom turned to her friends "Ah wonder what the princess thinks of that stallion that was with Fluttershy...He seems like a nice person! What do you think, Scootaloo?" The orange filly named Scootaloo responded with a thought of her own "Maybe she likes his cool hat! I wish I had one like that. Hey, Sweetie Belle! Do you think your sister could make a hat like that zebracorn that visited Ponyville?" This caused Zecora to silently gasp with widened eyes as she stopped pouring the liquid, focusing her attention to the conversation as the filly named Sweetie Belle thought about what her friends said "I think she could do that. I heard she made a nice suit for him, too! But why would you want a hat like that? Don't you think it seems a bit scary almost with that skull on it?" Scootaloo scoffed at the response "It's SUPPOSED to look scary! That's what makes it cool! And Rainbow Dash likes that hat, too, so that's another good reason why I should get a hat like that!" Sweetie Belle smiled as she spoke her mind "I just wanna dance like him! He has such nice dancing moves when he was at the party. Or maybe I should learn his magic!" This caused Zecora to join the conversation with an expression that gave off stern warning.

"The zebracorn you saw is no saint.
For your own safety, you must show restraint."

Applebloom turned to Zecora "Huh? Why do ya say that, Zecora? He's a zebra like you, right? The stallion's already friends with mine and Sweetie Belle's sisters, and even Rainbow Dash likes him! Is he really that bad of a pony?" Scootaloo added "If that isn't enough, the guy's already got Fluttershy at his side like they're coltfriend and marefriend, and Fluttershy's the kindest pony we all know! He really hasn't done anything wrong since he came into Ponyville." Zecora shook her head at the three, and tried warning them again.

"Heed my warning, all of you,
To think kind of that stallion isn't what you should do.
His soul reeks of hidden evil...
He should not even be inside Ponyville!"

Sweetie Belle tilted her head at Zecora's warning "Are you sure about what your saying, Zecora? Have you even met him before? He really isn't all that bad when he was at Pinkie Pie's welcome party! Well...except for that one part of the night..." she looked down in thought, with Scootaloo raising an eyebrow at the memory "Yeah, that part was crazy. Pinkie pulls out this ONE song none of us even know, and then the guy just screams as if he saw an Ursa Minor, and ran out of Sugarcube corner. That's probably the only thing I DON'T like about him..." Zecora rubbed her chin at the thought, curious to exactly what song they were referring to, but was interrupted as Applebloom focused her attention to her "Zecora, weren't you the same pony that said that you shouldn't judge anypony else by appearance? Ah'm pretty sure Dr. Fa-cee-lee-ae ain't all that bad..." Zecora sighed, impressed with her small group of friends poking a small hole in her logic. But she spoke the truth about Dr. Facilier, and wants her friends to be out of harm's way, moreso the Shadowcolt's way. She looked down at her friends with a concerned expression, her eyes asking for understanding.

"My little friends, you must hear my plee.
Do this simple task for me...
Just stay out of that stallion's way,
So you will not hear what he has to say.
He'll use his words like Rainbow uses her wings,
Filling your heads with awful things..."

She hoped that her warning could go through to the three little fillies, but only made Scootaloo beam at the comparison involving Rainbow "So he's like Rainbow Dash with his words? I gotta go find him now! C'mon you guys!" She hopped from her stool and galloped out of Zecora's hut, Sweetie Belle following suit "Scootaloo! Wait for me!" There was only Applebloom and Zecora in the hut now, the little filly looking up at Zecora with one last question "Zecora...Are ya completely sure about that zebracorn? Y'all are the wisest friend Ah've met, and Ah don't wanna doubt ya, but I jus' don't see any evil in Dr. Fa-cee-lee-ae's face...except fer his hat, but Ah'll bet he made it himself." Zecora smiled at Applebloom, happy to know that she would be willing to heed her warning and decided to give her some parting words, knowing she was wanting to leave with her friends.

"I will not stop you if you think otherwise,
But I ask you to not see with just your eyes...
Go now, with your friends, so you can have fun and play.
Thank you for stopping by today."

Applebloom looked down at the floor, pondering Zecora's first statement hard, then looked up at Zecora with a determined face and nodded "Y'all can count on me, Zecora! Ah'll learn not to see with jus' mah eyes!" Scootaloo could be heard outside of the hut "C'mon, Applebloom! We gotta go find that doctor guy!" Applebloom turned to the door, then turned to Zecora and gave her a small goodbye hug and then raced outside with her friends. When she heard the three fillies leave, Zecora could only sigh in worry as she went back to brewing her antidote, but counted herself lucky knowing that at least Applebloom listened to her words.

When they reached Ponyville, the three fillies were wondering on how they should approach Dr. Facilier when he came back with the others. Applebloom was the only silent one, looking down with a serious expression as she was lost in thought. Meanwhile, Scootaloo could only grin about wanting to talk to the Shadowcolt, and wondered if he would help her get Rainbow Dash to hang out with her more. Sweetie Belle wondered if he would read her and her friends' futures that involved their cutie marks, turning to see if Applebloom had the same thought, only to see her look as if she were grounded by Applejack. Sweetie Belle, concerned by this sight, decided to give Applebloom a nudge to snap her out of her thought "Applebloom, you don't actually think what Zecora's saying is true, are you? I'm pretty sure she's got the wrong idea about the doctor." Applebloom turned to Sweetie Belle, answering her question with another question "But doncha think he appeared too nice when we first met him?" She rubbed her chin "She said that he had a way with words...Maybe he's tryin' to appear nice while actin' all evil on the inside..." Scootaloo looked behind at Applebloom "You think too much, Applebloom! Maybe if we talk to him more, he might just be a different guy!" Sweetie Belle nodded "Yeah, and besides, shouldn't we be crusading right now?" Applebloom perked up at Sweetie Belle's thought, remembering her true objective.

What the three fillies had in common was that each of their flanks did not have cutie marks, and it gave them a lot of trouble from others in their school, but when they became friends, they started a group that they dubbed the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders', following whatever plan they have in mind to find what they're good at in life. Sadly, every effort so far has been for naught, but they still persist with their spirit. Applebloom smiled after hearing Sweetie Belle "Maybe yer right, Sweetie Belle! I can think about it later. Besides, Ah heard that Davenport's havin' trouble at his shop again. Maybe we can help him!" The three fillies as they all shouted in unison:

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER QUILL RETRIEVERS! YAY~!"

They breezed over to Davenport's shop and went on another misadventure. Applebloom's mind was still nagging at the thought about Dr. Facilier, but even she knew it had to wait if an opportunity for finding a cutie mark was presented in front of her.


 End of Chapter 11