Trading Pains

by DJSaltine


Sickness In Ponyville

“Ponyville’s a whole world away from the place I used to play,” said Zecora in her usual rhyme to Apple Bloom.
“So where DO you come from?” Apple Bloom questioned.
“Far away, not an easy walk. Let us continue, enough of this talk,” Zecora replied, picking up a vase filled with a bubbling, azure liquid with her mouth. She tipped it over just enough for a single droplet to fall into a giant black cauldron with a green soup filled halfway to the brim. As soon as the drop touched the stew, bubbles formed all across the surface, smoke rising up to the ceiling.
“Is it done?” asked Apple Bloom as she watched brew bubble away from a safe distance.
“All in good time, it’ll be done soon,” Zecora started walking to the entrance of her hut. “We must allow it to bubble ‘til noon.”
“Sure is odd how ponies have been getting sick all over Ponyville, isn’t it Zecora?”
“Odd indeed, young Apple Bloom, but this stew shall soon relieve the gloom.”
Apple Bloom smiled and followed Zecora outside to return home and announce the good news.

* * * * * * * *

Twilight was laying in her bed with a thermometer between her lips and an unkempt mane behind her head. She had all four hooves raised by several pillows above her head. Her face was green, a usual tone for when somepony felt like vomiting.
“Urgghh…” she moaned, not uncommon for when ponies were in pain. She was sick, but with what, even the doctors couldn’t explain. Her symptoms included nausea upon standing upright, swelling of her hooves when lower than her heart for over an hour, vomiting upon eating anything, sleepiness upon not eating, constant headaches, and a sore and swollen throat, meaning loss of voice. It was a tough time for the newly crowned princess.
She wasn’t the only pony to have this new affliction. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and AppleJack had all gotten it, leaving only Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy on this germ’s hit-list. Twilight didn’t do anything different than what she normally did, well, besides turning into an Alicorn, and didn’t hang out with Rarity, Rainbow, or AppleJack more than Pinkie or Fluttershy. Nothing really added up. Nothing made sense to this new sickness haunting Ponyville.
Spike walked in with a yellow hazmat suit on, appearing to be a dragon-like alien, and carried a tray of roses. Spike knew she couldn’t eat, lest she vomit again, but didn’t want her to wither away due to malnutrition. “Hey, Twilight,” he said quietly, not wanting to disrupt her too much. “I just heard that AppleBloom went to Zecora’s for the cure.” He smiled behind the green-tinted glass. “It won’t be long now until you feel as good as you did yesterday!” He set the tray on her nightstand and started to walk away. “Just try to get some sleep.”
Twilight smiled weakly as he closed the door ever so quietly behind him, and slowly nodded to sleep. Twilight hadn’t had her eyes closed for more than two minutes before Spike had reentered the room. “Twilight!” he yelled, quickly awaking her again, much to her dismay. “Twilight, there’s a pony here who says he can cure you!”
Twilight smiled, thinking ‘Ah, Zecora. You are one quick working ze… He?’ Her eyes were twisted in a confused state as she processed Spike’s words.
He opened the door to fully show a stallion, fur white with black stripes, wearing nothing but ivory tips on some of the front strands of hair in his long, black mane. His face was painted white under his eyes and down his cheek only on the right side, resembling his cheekbone. He had, what appeared to be, ceremonial red paint above his eyes, striking up four different lines extending to his mane where they appeared to end. On his back, a satchel clung tightly to him, holding strange shaped contents that bulged the thin cloth. His cutie mark was that of an herb that had been grounded down to a dust.
He stepped forward and took off his pack. Opening it carefully with his mouth, he revealed books, flowers, masks, you name it inside. Twilight’s eyes widened a bit at the interesting contents. He smirked and grabbed a strange, red leaf that twirled in a spiral from the bag. Placing the leaf carefully on the floor, it suddenly stuck up straight and began spinning. He quietly chanted as its spirals swirled downward endlessly in its hypnotic state, making Twilight lost in its form. Her eyes started to close, dazing off slowly until they fully shut.
The strange zebra smiled and removed an unmarked bottle from his bag with a green stew inside. The liquid appeared to be frozen in mid-bubble, many bubbles attempting to rise to the top and burst, before being stuck eternally where they were. As he walked near the sleeping princess, he couldn’t help but notice the little dragon himself was asleep on the floor, obviously due to watching the mesmerizing leaf. Smirking, he removed the cork, lifted the bottle above Twilight’s head, and poured, what could be considered three drops of the liquid, on her sleeping face. As the liquid fell, the bubbles stayed trapped in their confines, wishing to taste the sweet air around them.
Upon splashing on Twilight’s face, the bubbles released themselves bubbling a bit on her forehead before completely disappearing. The new zebra returned the bottle to his bag and began packing up.
Twilight’s eyes jolted open. She felt a little less nauseous, but overall, the same, except for a little cold spot on her forehead. Suddenly, her hooves lifted off the pillows against her commands and pushed her off the bed. Her eyes were terrified as she watched her body move on its own. She opened her mouth. “What’ happeni…” she stopped midsentence, surprised she could talk again. Smiling, she finally got her hooves back as she could walk around as she wished. “What’s your name?”
The strange zebra looked to her and stated in a gruff, but wise voice, “My name is Zeke, a name, nonetheless. It means nothing special; a name, as you can guess.” He talked similar to Zecora in rhyme, but not in the same way.
Twilight was a little confused, but interpreted it the right way. “Well, thank you Zeke. How can I repay you for your kindness?”
“No payment in necessary; no payment at all. If you get sick again; just give me a call.” He looked to the bag. “A funny potion this one is. It controls you for a while. Although it’s odd, I must say; the results make me smile.” He smirked afterwards before looking to Twilight again. “Your illness is gone, it’ll stay away. I know this to be true. The way this sickness can be avoided; is to always chew through and through.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You mean I got sick because I didn’t chew my food?”
“Correct, you are wise; Smarter than the rest. I shall leave now; I wish not to be a pest.” He smiled and placed the bag over his back before walking away.
“A pest?” Twilight asked, confused. “You are anything but a pest! You helped me get better from our sickness.” Although she was still talking, he was already gone. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off.
Twilight felt so good to be better! She looked to Spike; still sound asleep on the floor. She carefully lifted him and placed him in his bed. “You took such good care of me,” Twilight began, giving him a kiss on his cheek. She pulled up his blanket to his chin and started to walk away. “And that’s why you’re my #1 assistant.” She closed the door gently behind, never noticing the spinning leaf; still hypnotizing to all who view it.

* * * * * * * *

The strange zebra named Zeke walked through Ponyville, hardly being noticed by passing ponies; namely because hardly any ponies were out. Most of which were sick with the same symptoms Twilight had, and the rest were helping to aid for their sickened friends.
Zeke passed the flower shop, seeing a tired mare watching counter, obviously attending a sick occupant in back. He kept walking. He would eventually get to helping her, but now, he some more important mares to help.
He stopped by Rarity’s boutique, knocking at the door and awaiting a response from within. The doorknob turned and finally was fully opened to reveal a very tired Sweetie Belle; basically asleep on her hooves.
“Zecora?” she yawned, her eyes half open. “No, you’re not Zecora.”
“The pony you’re attending, may I help make her well?” He walked nearer, just about through the entranceway. “I may not know magic, but I do have a spell.”
Sleepily, Sweetie Belle nodded her head in acceptance and walked in with him. Inside, Rarity was perched similar to Twilight, with pillows under her hooves, and had the same ill look. Her mane, at one time meaningfully styled, now was twisted and mangled.
Zeke walked in and, again, laid a spinning leaf on her floor, dropped the potion on Rarity’s head and packed up and began away. Again, he was thanked graciously, and, again, his patient placed their kind helper to bed, never noticing the leaf. He did the same for AppleJack, who was being watched over by Granny Smith while Big Mac was working and AppleBloom went to get Zecora, and Rainbow Dash, who was being watched by Fluttershy at her cabin. For anypony who was watching, they would’ve considered it odd that he’d go all the way out near the Everfree Forest before turning around and entering Ponyville again.
It didn’t matter. The only pony that was out was Twilight, looking more like royalty with her mane combed and well. She walked up to Zeke as he passed by, about to check up on another ill pony. “Hey, Zeke!” He turned around to see her trotting by. “I wanted to thank you for making me feel better.”
“No problem, my dear; your health is a concern.” His face changed from smiling to a worried look in his eyes. “This town is in danger; there is something you must learn.”
“Danger?” Twilight asked, her attention grabbed. “What sort of danger?”
“Somebody you know; once called my friend. She has knowledge; and will fight me to the end.”
Twilight’s face showed her confusion, her eyebrows lifted and eyes widened.
Zeke looked to his path. “I’ve said too much, you mustn’t know. This world’s in danger; but I must go.” With that he walked away.
“Wait!” Twilight ran, but stopped herself, realizing the futility. She looked to the ground. “Danger? And who’s this somepony he called a friend?” She turned away and began to Rarity’s to see if she needed anything. Suddenly, she stopped. ‘Zecora?’ she thought, almost fearing the answer. “No. Zecora wouldn’t want to curse us… would she?” Twilight mumbled to herself as she walked to Rarity’s, certainly in for a surprise.