//------------------------------//
// Chapter Seventeen 
// Story: Battle For Equestria 
// by Cutiemarkcrusader 
//------------------------------//


"What do you mean they're not clones?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

The ponies had met up with Zecora and Rarity only minutes ago and were now in the confines of Zecora's shack once more, sitting down all together at her table. Rarity stood to the side of the table with her eyes fixated on the map of Equestria laid out on the table's wooden surface.

"That's just what he said," Twilight shrugged defensively, "Zecora, do you know what he means?"

Everypony turned to stare at their zebra friend. She had been sitting at the head of the table, naturally of course. Zecora took a long sip of her herbal tea before looking back at them with a somber stare.

"I'm afraid that…I am not quite sure what these creatures are if they're not clones. But maybe they are some kind of…drone."

"Drone?" Fluttershy asked softly, barely audible over the distant noise of ponies celebrating, "You mean something that controls other ponies?"

"That is what appears to be," Zecora looked around the shocked faces that were sitting around her in a circle, "But I wouldn't believe all that you see."

Rainbow Dash felt her stomach churn. If those weren't clones…who had she and Hail Storm been hurting out there? She suddenly had the urge to vomit.

"I don't feel so good," she muttered in a hoarse whisper, already feeling a steady trickle of bile bubbling up in her throat.

Rarity let out a small pitying tsk, "Oh, Rainbow Dash…do you need some water or fresh air, darling? You look greener than an emerald jewel."

In reply, Rainbow Dash rushed over to what looked like a trash can and threw up. A few ponies such as Rarity and Pinkie groaned at the sudden, putrid smell. Zecora stood up from the table to lay a hoof on Rainbow Dash's back, stroking it like a loving mother would. After a second heave, Rainbow Dash came up, breathing heavily with tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I-I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said finally as she took a seat back at the table, her chest rising heavily.

Twilight turned back to everypony else at the table, "We need to find a way into Canterlot undetected. Rumors had it that that was where the pegasi, or the shadow-things, had taken all of their captives. Zecora is there some sort of spell or potion we could drink that may make us, I don't know, invisible?"

Zecora walked over to her cauldron, nervously, "There is one particular brew...but I am still waiting for it to change its hue."

"What does it do?" Rarity inquired from her spot next to Pinkie Pie.

Zecora was stirring the brew counterclockwise with a long, wooden paddle. She placed it back down gently as she answered, "It's a home made brew that can cause you to take the shape of the pony they'll least expect, or so I hope. If it turns bad, please don't mope. For, I've already made an antidote."

"What's the worst it can do?" Rainbow Dash asked only the slightest but skeptical.

"It may cause you to lose your sight for a day or two," Zecora shrugged, "But it depends on who I give it to."

"So, not all of us are getting it?" Fluttershy asked tentaviley, relaxation creeping into her tone of voice.

"You will, after I look over the pony who had it first to make sure that they don't become too sick. But I'm sure that the antidote will certainly do the trick."

Rainbow Dash did a facehoof as Twilight and the others fidgeted around slightly. Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, "Zecora, we don't have time to wait."

"The pegasi do," Zecora spat back at Dash, slightly surprised at the way she sounded, "And so will you."

Twilight raised a hoof slightly as if she were back in magic kindergarten again, "Zecora, why don't we wait in Manehatten. I'm sure that that's where the pegasi will make their next attack on. We can take the tunnel back there and then get the potions from you and then hitch on over to Canterlot. Us waiting in Manehatten would seem a bit...well, less unnerving if you will than waiting here."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zecora smirked, "That you are not comfortable doing it my way?"

Twilight found herself blushing heavily, "No, no, no, not at all. I'm just trying to say that…we'll feel more useful to be in Manehatten where the unicorns will need us. It's just Shining Armor there after all, so…"

"Have some patience, my dear Twilight. Making this brew will not take all night. It's just a twenty-minute wait. But alas, I can see why you're in a nervous state," Zecora poured a salt of some kind into the cauldron now, making it bubble and boil. Pinkie Pie watched in awe from behind.

Rarity stepped forward, "I could be the first test subject if you want, Zecora. I'm not af-afraid as long as there's an antidote."

Zecora laughed, "My, my, Rarity, you really are full of generosity and charm. And alas, this potion won't do very much harm."

"No, I'll do it," came the squeaky voice of somepony who had been eavesdropping from the closet.

"Apple Bloom?" Fluttershy gasped, "H-How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Apple Bloom charged for Zecora, coming to a skid right next to her cauldron, "But I'm serious. I want to do it."

Zecora glanced over everypony, "But my dear Apple Bloom, you are just a small filly. Please sit down and stop acting so silly."

"Silly? If you give that potion to Rainbow Dash and she really does go blind, And just for the hay of it, let's say that that antidote of yours doesn't work, how will she be able to fly or even go to Canterlot with the rest of the mane…uh four?"

Twilight shook her head, "Apple Bloom, we all appreciate your reliance, but Zecora's right, you're too young."

"I'm not too young," Apple Bloom pulled away from Twilight, who had been tugging her back by the foreleg, "All of ya'll have something to lose if you take even one sip of that there potion. What will I lose? Nothing, that's what. So what, I can't see for a few days, big whoop. If any of ya'll do it, we're all doomed, cause who knows when the pegasi will come back."

Rainbow Dash bowed her head silently, "She's right you know. But why don't we get somepony else. Somepony who's older, you know?"

"And who's gonna agree to take a potion that'll probably make them lose their vision? The answer to that is no pony, that's who. I'm the only pony you've got. Or would you rather have me go get Granny Smith to take the potion instead?"

The room fell silent at this suggestion. They all knew for a fact that Granny Smith wouldn't hesitate to take the potion instead of them and it would be the last thing they wanted if anything went wrong.

Rainbow Dash looked at Apple Bloom with a mixture of sorrow, regret, and admiration, "Apple Bloom, you don't have to do this. One of us can-

"Rainbow Dash, we both know what needs to happen and when. If you want to put an end to this war, give me the potion."

Zecora let out a mighty sigh, "The potion is done as soon as it turns gold like the sun."

"What color is at right now," Twilight asked, "It can't have been twenty minutes already."

"It is an orange color right now," Zecora nodded over to her fresh brew, "As for Apple Bloom...her drinking this potion, I just cannot allow."

It went back and forth like this for quite some time with Apple Bloom arguing with the others. Rainbow Dash repeatedly tried to carry her out of the shack, but Apple Bloom would kick her in the snout, causing Dash to drop her. After the third time she was dropped, Twilight exclaimed rather loudly, "ENOUGH!"

Everyone stopped debating and looked at her. Twilight was looking at the brew still bubbling in the cauldron now.

"I'll drink it. As long as it's not Apple Bloom. It's already golden and we don't have that much time, okay?"

"But Twilight, you're the strongest out of all of us," Fluttershy murmured from her place under the table (she had gotten too overwhelmed by all of the chaotic arguing and hid there until now).

"Then that means It'll have a less chance of having an effect on me," Twilight tried to sound as confident as Rainbow Dash, but it came off as a tight-lipped grimace.

Zecora already had a cup ready for Twilight and was handing it over to her, "Don't worry too much Twilight. I'm positive that you won't lose your sight."

Twilight scanned the insides of the cup wearily. It was more of an orange-hazel color in this light. Twilight cast a glance at everypony. Rainbow Dash had Apple Bloom in a headlock and was staring at the cup rather than at Twilgiht herself. Rarity had her hooves over her eyes along with Fluttershy. And Pinkie Pie- wait, where was Pinkie?

"Has anypony seen Pinkie Pie?" Twilight looked behind her shoulder, sloshing a few drops of the potion onto Zecora's rug where it fizzled slightly.

"I'm in here!" came the high-pitched voice of Pinkie from inside the closet.

"What are you ever doing in there?" Rarity took a hoof off of her eye.

The door to the closet opened widely and Pinkie Pie stepped out carrying what looked to be a pile of silver and leather, "Uh, we're still going to Canterlot, yeah? Well, I'm getting us armor so we don't have to end the trip because some bandits shot an arrow through our leg."

"Bandits?" Fluttershy whimpered ever so softly under her breath with her hooves still over both of her eyes.

"Yep. Tons of em'," Pinkie deposited the leather and silver onto the table in front of them, "I met one or two of them back at the forest when I was kicked out of Manehatten. They tied me up to a tree and were about to light me on fire when I was able to convince them that I was a gypsy by telling them a really, really long story. They must have been impressed by my gypsy powers because they untied me and threw me back onto the road, which must have been hard because they had their hooves on their ears…hm...Hey, you guys want to help out with the armor? I could use your fashion skills, Rarity? Huh?"

"Pinkie!" Twilight called aloud with the cup of potion tilted over by her mouth, "We're kind of in the middle of things here."

"Ohhhh," Pinkie mimicked zipping her lips shut and throwing away the key before going back to her work.

"Thank you," Twilight gulped, wishing that Pinkie would start talking again so she wouldn't have to go through with this.

Everypony watched in horror and excitement as Twilight gulped down the golden brew with her eyes shut tight. The potion tasted of really sour grapes to Twilight, but she continued to drink every last drop. Once she was done she hiccupped slightly, giving a small giggle. She felt light-headed for a second and then incredibly fuzzy. The room began to spin a bit but then steadily went back to normal.

"What's wrong? Am I okay?" Twilight asked in a slurred voice.

But everypony was staring with their mouths hanging down on the ground. For some reason this only made Twilight furious. What happened to her? They weren't even telling her like normal ponies would do. They were taking many steps back, including Pinkie Pie, who had dropped a leather belt without even noticing it.

"Hey, you guys aren't being very ni-

Twilight yelped as she felt a pulsing heat spread throughout her body like a ticking clock. It stung and hurt at the same time. She could feel herself being lifted off of the ground almost by magic. Her legs and head were stretching and contorting in very awkward positions. Everypony was screaming in terror, ducking for cover underneath the table, except for Zecora. It felt as though a million needles had pierced Twilight all at once. And then Twilight exploded.