Twilight ran through Ponyville, her mind focused on one thing: Getting to Zecora’s. She didn’t really notice that the world around her was a bit more bustling than the day before. There were ponies walking by, smiling and opening up their shops. Twilight ran past Carrot Top attending her little garden patch.
She rushed past Fluttershy’s Cabin, but got a little confused as she saw all of the animals that Fluttershy took care of standing around the door. They looked hungry, or unhappy, or something of the like. ‘Maybe she’s just making them a big breakfast and taking a while to do so…’ thought Twilight. ‘…Even though she always is on time to do so.’
Twilight brushed off anymore thoughts on the subject as she passed through the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Inside, a dark and haunting world opened before Twilight’s eyes. Although the beautiful morning sun was still rising and casting a warm, yellow light across the land, little to none of said light swooped down through the thick balcony of leaves above.
Twilight’s iris’ were slow to widen enough to get all visual splendors around in, but did help keep Twilight from galloping off the laid path. She took a turn away from the path, but she was 90% sure she knew the way to Zecora’s. She galloped past the Poison Joke flowers, careful not to get too close to their spores despite her hustle. Memories of how she and her five friends had trotted through them when chasing Zecora for the first time didn’t flood her head had she hurried through.
She hustled to the hut, carefully hopping over downed trees, evading hanging vines from above. The yellowed, misshapened tree stood just ahead, its windows watching her viciously as she neared. The door was open, letting a dull yellow light illuminate the dirt around the entrance. Twilight could see through her constantly bobbing eyes that somepony was in there. ‘Zecora, no doubt,’ thought Twilight, her facial features crossing a bit.
She jolted through the doorway. “ZECORA!”
An already startled Zecora jumped, turning around to the purple Alicorn. “Twilight, you surprised me so. My house…”
“Enough, Zecora,” snarled Twilight, her eyes glaring at the zebra, a restraining spell in mind, just waiting to be used. “Want to explain why Zeke says you plan to ruin Ponyville?”
“Twilight, you’re acting so mean, can’t you see my house has become quite the scene?” Zecora’s eyes weren’t bent in anger, but sadness. Her eyes were beginning to moisten as her face appeared sad, somewhat frightened upon closer glance. “I had just come back from a worrisome sight, ponies sleeping through morning and night.” Her eyes began to release the held tears, but only in a single, gentle stream. “Their friends were ill but the day before, so I come back and find the open door.”
Twilight looked around a bit, still keeping an eye on Zecora. The inside was a disaster. The hut was torn apart worse than the time Rainbow Dash crashed everywhere inside, destroying just about everything. It had her books’ pages strewn about, as if ripped out in anger or a fit of rage, masks split into splinters, shattered vases and glasses littered upon the ground, and the black caldron laying on its side, a green brew seeping into the tree’s floor. Even the bookshelf was viciously dismantled as if, again, whoever did it was in due to spite.
“Something came in against my will, and pushed my caldron over to spill.” Zecora felt the tears warm subtlety as she felt another stream flow from her eyes.
Twilight thought a second on what was shown before her. “Zecora… He… He.”
Zecora’s face softened, taking on the airs of a caring friend. With a shaky voice, she replied, “Who is this fellow of which you speak?” Zecora’s eyebrows raised in confusion. Although she still had tears welling in her eyes, it appeared they were stopping. “I know nopony named Zeke.”
Twilight took a step back. “I thought he was a childhood friend of yours.”
“I’ll admit, I’m still rather shook, but tell me Twilight, how did he look?”
“Well,” Twilight began, thinking back carefully to how the supposed childhood friend appeared. “He had a black, long mane with ivory tips on several of his front strands of hair, and…” Twilight paused, remembering the ruby colored lines, “… four, ceremonial, red lines on his cheeks. His cheeks were bony, but that might have been of age.”
“Familiar he sounds, but he died a while ago,” Zecora frowned in thought. “I was at his funeral also. Perhaps his individual talent might bring a spark. What was his cutie mark?” She looked to Twilight.
“W-well…” she began, her mind still trying to wrap around his appearance. “It… w-was… a… a… a… pile of dust… blue dust.”
“Blue dust? I recall that genus of flower.” Zecora looked to her books, or, at least, her pile of shredded papers. “It symbolizes a dark, yet great power. There’s only one zebra with that kind of mark.” She looked deep into Twilight’s eyes. “He was kind, but foolish as a lark.”
“Foolish?”
“Enough talk, we must move, if you’d please.” Zecora picked up a vase, broken at the top, but still able to collect, and bent over the fallen pot. She held it on the ground next to the opening with her hooves. “We must fully cure Ponyville of the disease.” She nodded to Twilight.
Twilight used her magic to carefully lift the bulky caldron and pour the precious green mixture inside the vase. “But we all feel fine.”
“This I may have to inspect,” she thought to herself. “But I’m sure my hunch is correct.”
“Hunch?” Twilight let the caldron roll on its side a bit as she released her magic. There was hardly anything inside, maybe enough for half a mouthful. “What hunch?”
Zecora did not respond. Instead, she lifted the vase and began running back to Ponyville, careful not to let what little was left of the potion drop.
Twilight sighed, closing the door behind her as she chased after the hurried zebra.
* * * * * * * *
Apple Bloom was helping Applejack in Ponyville sell apples again. Although she knew she wouldn’t get her cutie mark by doing so, she wanted to help her family… and to watch Applejack so she didn’t have any issues, still being sick and all.
“It sure is nice of ya helpin’ me, Apple Bloom,” Applejack stated, receiving a pile of bits for a bag of apples. “But, as ah’ve said before, ah’m fine.”
Apple Bloom felt a slight blush develop on her cheeks, realizing she’d been discovered. “Wha… what’d ya mean, Applejack.” Apple Bloom’s eyes darted quickly about in worry. “A-Ah’m just doin’ somethin’ to help my big sis.”
Applejack smiled a motherly smile. “Apple Bloom, ah’ve known ya long enough to know ye’re just worried ah might still be sick. Ah’m fine, so why don’t ya go help Big Mac in the orchard?” Applejack responded, tossing an apple into the air as a brown-furred unicorn colt ran by, quickly dropping a floating bit on the stand and snatching the apple as it landed in his jaws.
“…” Apple Bloom stood silently, looking at the ground. “Ye’re right, sis. It’s just that Zecora…”
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack sighed. “We’ve had this discussion before. Now go on an’ help yer brother.” She still smiled kindly, beyond her mild frustration.
Her ears drooped and eyes stayed down on the ground she walked back to the farm, looking back only once at the apple stand and her blissfully unaware sister. ‘Maybe ignorance IS bliss…’
* * * * * * * *
“ZECORA, SLOW DOWN!” Twilight shouted to the zebra. Zecora was well ahead of the winged Twilight. Twilight was light-footed, but still couldn’t catch up to Zecora due to the head start. “You don’t want to drop it, do you?”
Zecora didn’t respond verbally. Instead, she rolled her eyes annoyed with Twilight’s constant whimpering from behind. She was careful, as she knew more of the importance of the concoction in her mouth than Twilight, so why would she be so willing to annoy her.
Zecora saw the exit of the Everfree forest just ahead. She had to squint her eyes as they needed to adjust to the incoming sunlight flooding over her hurried form. She had to slow to a stop upon view of the state of the quietest pony’s house.
Fluttershy’s cabin had the many critters she cared for crying outside, waiting for food. The door was bombarded with pecks from birds with their beaks, paddled by the flat tails of beavers, and clawed by tiny nails of squirrels, while other animals stood back and awaited entrance. A towering bear was sobbing with several squirrels and birds comforting him. A hive of bees generously flew a comb of their honey over to soothe the starving beast. He thankfully accepted and began sucking on it like a binky for an infant.
Zecora carefully set the potion down before speaking to the almost present Twilight. “How horrible to see such sadness. The problem… I can only guess.” She turned back to look at the exhausted princess stop next to her, Twilight’s breathing coming out in labored gasps. Zecora bent over and picked up the vase again as she began running to the cottage.
Twilight sighed as she began running again after the strange zebra. Her legs ached from the run to confront Zecora and now burned from the run to Fluttershy’s.
Of course, more pain was being shed at the present; the many animals felt hunger pangs like never before. Never did their feeder forget to give them at least a bowl of food. Their bellies were always stuffed. She made sure of it. Yet today, she didn't open up the wooden barricade. She refused to move. Was it something they did?
Then, Zecora galloped into the scene. With something in her mouth. Something edible. Something to remove their hunger.
The creatures came crashing towards her, their eyes hungry and ready to attack. Zecora stopped in her tracks, her pupils widening in sudden fear. She closed her eyes and turned away, bracing for impact.
Twilight jumped in between the cowering zebra and the attacking mob. She quickly cast a spell to create an invisible barrier. Each critter flattened its face, only to fall down and make way for the next one. Twilight didn’t like that she was so cruel to the animals, they were only hungry after all, but she couldn’t risk a single drop of the potion.
More and more came, only creating a pile underneath them. The creatures weren’t stupid; they were just driven by hunger. Twilight knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the barrier forever, thinking quickly, she casted a spell over them, encasing them inside. She panted a bit, drops of sweat slowly rolling down her cheek. She walked up to the circle of clawing, biting, and whimpering animals, a pang of guilt building up inside.
“Don’t worry,” Twilight stated, Zecora getting up from behind her. “We just need to help Fluttershy and then she could feed you.”
“Come along Twilight, there is much to be complete. We have a shy, young friend to meet,” Zecora replied just before picking up the broken vase and trotting towards the cottage.
Twilight hurried ahead, worried for Fluttershy’s safety. She quickly opened the battered door with her magic and hurried in. Inside, birds were fluttering back and forth from Flutterhsy’s room, some carrying buckets and other carrying sponges.
Twilight felt her little twinge of worry welling up into full-fledged fear. She hurried into the room, hopping over the rushing Angel at her hooves. Inside, Fluttershy slept soundly as birds flew over her, carefully placing moistened towels on her forehead, as if trying to cure her of an illness.
Twilight trotted to the bed and looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s face was calm as if in a good dream, although her face scrunched up a bit when the birds placed newer towels down. Releasing a sigh of relief, Twilight raised a hoof and shook up Fluttershy gently. “Fluttershy. Fluttershy.” Twilight could see her face screw up and eyes start to twitch as if they were to open. Twilight waited patiently for the sleeping mare to arise, but she never moved more than a few lazy shuffling movements.
“Fluttershy, wake up,” Twilight said, louder this time, her fears starting to rise.
In a lazy attempt to silence the mare awaking her, Fluttershy started mumbling sleepily. “A minute please, mommy.”
“Mommy?” Twilight began, her face screwing up before she realized Fluttershy was basically still asleep. Her face sweetened again and brought her face in closer. “Fluttershy,” she said louder.
“Let me see this sleeping mare, so I may know what to do for care,” Zecora entered, the vase set on the floor near the open door. She neared the dozing Fluttershy and began feeling her pulse, checking her forehead, and other doctor-like attempts at figuring out what was wrong with her patient. Zecora stopped after she checked Fluttershy’s tongue. “Asleep this one’s been, for a while now, but now to awake her… how?”
Zecora tilted her head around, noticing the spinning ruby red flower in a corner of the room. She trotted closer, her left eyebrow rising in confusion. She watched the flora spin like a record, never-ending. “This isn’t possible! It cannot be,” Zecora began, her snout about touching the flower. “An old friend… is it he?” Grasping the flower in her mouth, she finally stopped the spinning flora.
Behind, Fluttershy’s eyes’ jolted open and her head shot off the bed quickly. “Oh my,” she raised a hoof to her head. “How long was I asleep?”
Twilight sheepishly smiled. “Well…” she began, looking towards the door, the animals again pounding the wood to submission. “Long enough…”
“Oh my…” Fluttershy ran to get the food in the storage, not even noticing Zecora studying Fluttershy’s sudden awakening.
“She should be fine, dear Twilight…” Zecora looked to her potion sitting anxiously in the broken vase. “Now to find which pony she watched that night.”
Just as Zecora had finished her speech, a certain pegasus resting comfortably in a cloud over Ponyville began to feel a bit sickish.