Chapter 3: Zebras
I realize now that I should have taken the crisis more seriously, but the odd incident with the spiral staircase just wasn’t enough to convince me that the Spiral was as dangerous as everypony feared. Two ponies had been gravely hurt but otherwise everything was okay and the Ruination spell seemed to work fine. The only motivation I really had was Princess Celestia’s letter and Applejack’s testament to the incident involving her sister-in-law. Even as we sat down and discussed the Spiral seriously with Snails, I had my doubts as to the responsible party really being blamed on an unexplained phenomenon. Being a pony of science, I knew there had to be a more logical reason. I did however take preventative measures seriously and knew the one power that could take on whatever was really behind the Spiral.
“You saw the Spiral?!” Luna bellowed in the royal Canterlot voice. Twilight brushed her hair back down before replying.
“I saw something at least. It seemed like it had to do with the Spiral. Ruination actually worked.”
“The counter spell?” Luna looked quite surprised. “Then it must have been the Spiral. Fiend! What was the foul thing doing?”
“Making ponies walk up stairs.” Twilight received more than one confused look from her small audience of Luna, Rarity, Applejack, and Snails. Pinkie had already gone home to wait for her daughter despite the fact that it was still a few hours before school let out. Twilight took a few minutes to relay what had happened at the unfinished hotel. When she finished, Luna had dropped the royal Canterlot voice.
“That is just… bizarre. Truly, it does not sound even half as dangerous as my sister warned. Could it really be so weak?”
“Maybe it’s just tired after what happened to Lemonade.” Applejack looked down trodden as she shook her head. “You’re lucky it wasn’t anything as bad as that, Twi. I still can’t get that off my mind.”
“I’m not really sure what to say to that. I suppose if it’s a phenomenon, it’s going to have its strong and weak points but I don’t think the Spiral is really so easily explained. There was something in those stairs and I think it was magic.”
“But can you really be certain of that?” Rarity questioned.
Twilight opened her mouth but closed it again, rethinking her answer. “I’m not. It’s only a hypothesis for now but I’m certain we’ll be able to explain it somehow. Snails, isn’t there anything more specific you can tell us about the Spiral? Anything at all would be helpful.”
“Uh…” Snails opened his book and skimmed through the pages. He looked somewhat panicked but eventually closed it. “I don’t know what else I can tell you really. I don’t- I mean I can’t find anything in the book that’s really so relevant.”
“A book that large has to have something useful in it. Just give it another look.”
Snails hugged the book closer. “I already told you what to look out for. Anything that has to do with Spirals, like those stairs or slinkies or something.”
“Slinkies,” Twilight stated flatly. “You think our doom is going to come from a child’s toy?”
“It could happen. Slinkies are spiral shaped. I don’t think you get just how much influence the Spiral has.”
“All the more reason to find the source then. I’m glad it was something small this time but I’m not going to wait for something like what happened to Lemonade to repeat itself. Speaking of which, why haven’t you started building already? You’re the one who said it’s more dangerous than I think.”
Snails’ eyes scanned from one side of the room to the next before he smiled sheepishly. “The machine is really complicated. I’m not even sure if I can build it.”
Twilight wanted to cry. The future of Equestria was doomed.
“Well, maybe you can’t, but I think I know somepony who can,” Applejack said with a smile.
“This is it. The answer to our problem is solved.” Applejack proudly raised her hoof to the sign above the door that simply read: Apple Bloom’s Workshop.
“Apple Bloom?” Snails asked. “Why is Apple Bloom the answer to our problem?”
“Don’t you get out at all? Apple Bloom is a whiz when it comes to fixin’ and buildin’ stuff. It’s her special talent. She’s been runnin’ this business for over a year now.”
“Really? I’ve never heard of it.”
Twilight gave Snails a reassuring smile. “Trust us Snails, Apple Bloom is a hard worker. I’m sure she can get the job done.”
“Let us hope so,” Luna said and opened the door. “Apple Bloom, your Princesses and country need you,” she said relatively loudly, though she restrained herself.
However, there was no answer. Looking around the room, the five ponies could see many machine parts in complete disarray. A few tools hung on the walls and a juice machine in several pieces sat on a wooden table. Underneath the table, a yellow earth pony with a red mane and bow in her hair lay on her back, spread-eagle, snoring away.
“A hard worker, huh?” Luna said disgustedly.
“I think I just figured out why she wanted to live away from us,” Applejack said, facehoofing. “Apple Bloom, wake up.” The younger mare didn’t stir.
“Awaken and seize the day!” Luna bellowed in the royal Canterlot voice.
Apple Bloom jumped and smacked her head on the table. “Wha-wha? Customers?” She scrambled out from underneath the table and was all smiles. “Welcome to Apple Bloom’s Workshop where our motto is, if you break it, we can fix it, and if you dream it, we can build it.”
“A commendable motto,” Luna said. “I shall have to remember that the next time the royal toaster breaks.”
“Ya’ll need me to fix a toaster?”
“No, we need you to build a machine that will allow us to break through the time space continuum and traverse to an interdimensional plain so that we can battle a phenomenon with no physical form,” Snails told her. The other ponies all stared at him. That’s what it was supposed to do?
“Say what now?” Apple Bloom scratched her head. “You want me to build what kinda doohickey?” Then she noticed her sister. “Applejack? Wait, what’s goin’ on?”
“The end of the world possibly, that’s what!” Luna bellowed angrily.
Apple Bloom blinked. “I’m still asleep and am just havin’ a nightmare… right?”
Luna’s horn lit up in magic and she shot a tiny bolt of electricity that singed Apple Bloom’s hoof. “I’m an expert on dreams. That is more than a pinch to prove that this is most certainly not one.”
“Gotcha,” Apple Bloom said quickly as she nursed her hoof. “So what was all that dementia time and space somethin’ or rather you were talkin’ about?”
“Whatever Snails just said, we need you to build us the machine he’s got on these here blueprints.” Applejack took the paper from Snails and handed it to Apple Bloom. “You think you can manage this thing AB?”
“Don’t you worry none Applejack, there ain’t no contraption too hard for me to build.” She opened the blueprint and looked at it. Her smile slowly faded. “Holy pony berries on a cracker, that is complicated.” She briefly looked up from the blueprints at her sister’s worried face. “But I can handle it. It’ll just take some time.”
“How much time?”
Apple Bloom looked at the schematic again and drooped. “Um… like maybe a few weeks. Probably longer.”
“What? We don’t have that long.”
“I can’t help it. Have you seen this thing?” She turned the paper around and shoved it in Applejack’s line of sight. “This ain’t no toaster, AJ. Just look at some of the parts I’m gonna need. You can’t buy somethin’ like that in a store. I’m gonna have to make some of these outta scrap metal or maybe even somethin’ stronger. Look at this right here. I don’t even know what a flux capacitor is. They invented parts for this thing that don’t even exist yet so far as I know.” Apple Bloom rolled up the paper and scratched her head. “And anyhow, did I hear you right earlier? You fixin’ on savin’ the world with this here machine? Was that it?”
“Something like that.” Twilight hesitated a moment but realized she had no choice but to involve yet another pony. She relayed everything relevant up to that point about the Spiral as Apple Bloom’s mouth opened wider and wider in astonishment.”
“And… and this is for real?” Apple Bloom said after Twilight finished. “Well why didn’t you say so sooner? What am I standin’ around for? I gotta get this thing workin’ before, before… well, the end of the world! When’s it goin’ to happen?”
“When?” Twilight looked at Snails for a moment but he shrugged. “Well, not for a while I guess. Celestia didn’t really say how long before she stopped it the first time.”
Apple Bloom stopped reaching for a hammer on the wall. “Wait, this happened before?”
“Yes, Celestia stopped it with a spell before. But Snails’ family thought it wouldn’t be the end of it so they’ve spent the last six hundred years designing that machine in the hopes of stopping the Spiral once and for all.”
Apple Bloom leaned on her worktable. “You shoulda told me that earlier too. Didn’t you see me panickin’ back there?”
“What’s not to panic about? I’ve already panicked five times,” Rarity said dramatically.
“This is for after you get rid of whatever the heck the Spiral is gonna do, right? I got six hundred years to build this thing, not that I think it’s gonna take that long.”
“Even so, I want this problem solved long before that,” Luna said sternly. “If we find the source then perhaps we find my sister and Mrs. Macintosh too.”
Applejack looked at Luna with surprise. “That’s right. I hadn’t thought a that. We gotta do this for Lemonade too, Apple Bloom. I won’t be able to live with myself if I find out the Spiral has… done somethin’ worse to her.”
Apple Bloom nodded and opened the blueprints again. “Okay. I get it. I’ll get it done as soon as I can, but like I said this gonna take some time. I can’t promise it’ll be done before next month, or even after for that matter.”
“As long as it’s finished that’s all that matters, thank you,” Twilight said, a slight hint of relief in her voice. “We’ll need time to prepare for then too.”
“What do you mean, Twi?” Applejack asked.
“If we’re going to find the source then we might find something to fight too. If we do, then I think we are going to need the Elements of Harmony.”
“The Elements? Are you sure?” Rarity asked.
“If the machine really does locate the source of the Spiral then we don’t have any guarantee that Ruination will work against that. The Elements of Harmony might be the solution to defeating it.”
“But for that we’ll need Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight nodded. “Which means the only question is how? Fluttershy has never told us exactly where she is. She and Rainbow Dash could be anywhere right now.”
Luna scratched her chin in thought. “And at the same time we’ll have to prepare for anything the Spiral can throw at us. I was thinking to assign guards to patrol every town in Equestria but I don’t know if I can really spread them so thin.”
“Wait, we can’t just have guards randomly patrolling around Ponyville or anywhere else for that matter. Ponies will get suspicious. We don’t want to start a panic.”
“Then what would you suggest, Twilight Sparkle? What other way can we watch over the citizens and search for the other bearers of the Elements?”
Twilight tried to think, but Luna had posed a real conundrum. The last thing they needed was a widespread terror, but they needed to detect the presence of the Spiral at the same time.
“There’s a pony for that,” Apple Bloom suddenly chimed in. The others looked at her in surprise and she smiled. “In fact there’s a legion of em.” Twilight’s blank stare was enough to make Apple Bloom giggle. “You need the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twi.”
“You still call yourselves that? Look, I know your friends have always been enthusiastic but I don’t see how…”
“You don’t get it Twilight. There ain’t just three or four of us anymore. We ain’t just some club neither. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are a whole social network these days.”
“A social network?”
“We got over forty members all across Equestria. At least sixteen or seventeen of em are all adults now too. If things are as bad as you say then we’re gonna need all the help we can get and I happen to know the two best mares to start the job.”
The sun was at a good angle. Still early. The weather was fair and the wind only two miles an hour towards the east. Not very many clouds but there were enough. Goggles would keep any dirt out of her eyes and maybe the occasional bug too. She flapped her wings a few times, warming them up. It was going to be a good ride.
“Here we go.” Scootaloo put one hoof on the ground and pushed off, flapping her wings at high speed. Her scooter responded as she wanted with a whiz. The orange pegasus was off, ready for her daily job. “Out of the way! Express mail coming through!”
Scootaloo jumped her scooter over Rose’s calla lily stand as Rose herself ducked for cover. After almost a full year of it, she had thought she would be used to it by now. Scootaloo continued on her way. The first package went to Block Buster. Boom! Right in the mailbox. Or at least it would have if Block Buster hadn’t been standing in front of it. No harm done though. He would wake up in five minutes or so. After almost a year of this, he should have been used to it too.
Package after package, letter after letter, Scootaloo delivered them all in record time. She had made a name for herself as the fastest pony on land. Nopony could match her skills or speed on a scooter. Only another pegasus could out speed her, and that was if they flew.
In just under thirty minutes, Scootaloo had covered all of Ponyville. She stopped and looked at her list. “Looks like these last few go out of town.” Reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled out a map and studied it for about fifteen seconds.
“According to the cloud map, I should just be able to make it. Now let’s see… that will do!” Scootaloo picked up even more speed and zoomed to a cart that was just about to be loaded with trash. “Coming through!” The pony who was picking up trash looked and jumped out of the way as Scootaloo bounced off the cart and onto the stone wall next to it. Without losing any speed, she whipped along the top of the wall until she reached a house with a slanted roof. Scootaloo smiled as she used the roof like a ramp and took to the air.
Scoot spread her wings and started to glide like a flying squirrel. She knew she could only go so far but her landing point was right there. She flapped her wings again to pick up speed and Scootaloo landed on the nearest cloud. Being a pegasus was the only reason it worked. Any other breed of pony would fall right through. Scootaloo smiled and screamed in celebration to the wind. If she hopped along the clouds, she would make it to the next town in no time.
Any other pony (barring a certain cyan colored one) might have lost their nerve at the mere thought of what Scootaloo was doing, but she had the utmost confidence in herself that she had the awesome skill to pull of such a dangerous feat. She leaped and jumped from cloud to cloud, sometimes only catching the slightest wisp of cloud with the edge of her scooter before propelling herself to the next jump. It was a perfect run. At least it almost certainly would have had it not been for an unexpected obstacle.
“Ahhhh!” Scootaloo put on the brakes when she noted something unusual. “Applejack?”
“Howdy, Scoot. How ya doin’?”
“Fine I guess. Um… how are you…?”
“Standin’ on this cloud?” Applejack stomped her hoof on the cloud a few times. “Magic. Twilight sent me up here to find you. Only problem is I’m not sure how to get down from here.”
Scootaloo smiled devilishly. “I can help with that in ten seconds flat.”
“You’re soundin’ a bit too much like Rainbow Daaaaaaaassssssshhhh!” Scootaloo grabbed Applejack as she zoomed past her. The earth pony had no choice but to hold on tightly as Scootaloo started skidding across clouds again.
“Wait, wait Scoot! You’re never gonna…! No, make a left! Left not right! There’s hardly any…! Ahhhhh!” Applejack covered her eyes as Scootaloo just caught a wisp of cloud and grinded across to another one five feet below. When Applejack dared to look, she noted what was in front of them.
“Ah, Scoot, I think were heading for-”
“I know. It’s the fastest way.” The scooter ascending speedily up a slanted cloud and slowed as it reached the peak. On the other side was what appeared to be some kind of slide that went almost straight down into open air.
“My heart ain’t ready for this,” Applejack squeaked.
“Cowabunga!” Scootaloo shouted as the Scooter descended down at amazing speed. Applejack didn’t know which was louder, the sound of the wind or her own screaming.
The end of the slide curved sharply and the pair sailed across the sky in a slow descent that eventually led to a faster and faster free fall. Just as the ground was about to meet them, Scootaloo pulled a cord on her saddlebag and a parachute glider sprang out jettisoning them into a forward glide that landed them somewhat roughly on the ground where Scootaloo applied the breaks, skidding almost fifty feet before they came to a complete stop.
When the dust settled, Scootaloo was posed on her scooter with one hoof touching the ground. She raised her hooves to an imaginary crowd. “Ten seconds flat.”
“Didn’t feel like no ten seconds.” Applejack shivered. “What was the point of that? Couldn’t ya’ll have just picked me up and set me down gently?”
“I could have. But that wouldn’t have been as cool.”
“Or as dangerous.” Applejack let go of the orange pegasus and took a moment to take some deep breaths and wipe away the sweat that had formed on her face.
In a quick movement, Scootaloo hopped down, collapsed her scooter, and put it neatly in the case she always wore on her back. “So what’s up Applejack? Why is Twilight looking for me? Don’t tell me she needs a package delivered that badly.” Scootaloo raised her goggles and rested them on her forehead where she always kept them before pulling a cord that automatically reset the glider in her saddlebag.
“It’s somethin’ really important but… Scoot, why do you got to do something like ridin’ along the clouds? It’s reckless.”
“I do it all the time. No problem.”
“You could get hurt if anything goes wrong. You know you can’t fly.”
Scootaloo felt a stab in her chest. “I… I know. You don’t have to remind me.”
Applejack sighed. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelin’s, but it’s the gall darn truth. You gotta stop takin’ these stupid risks.”
“Even if somepony took away her wings, Rainbow Dash would take the risk if it meant flying in the air.”
“That’s cause she’s reckless. Anyway Scoot, there’s no time to debate this. All of Equestria’s in danger and we might need your help.”
“Huh?”
“Look, I’ll explain on the way, but right now we got to get to back to Ponyville, fast.”
“Fast you say?” Scootaloo grinned.
Applejack frowned. “Me and my big fat mouth,” she said as Scootaloo unfolded her Scooter.
Sweetie Belle yawned and rubbed her eyes. She leaned heavily on the counter and tried to focus. The fact that the day was dragging on with only a few customers didn’t make staying awake any easier. Honestly, she didn’t mind running her older sister’s boutique, but her schedule was already so full that it became little more than a drab activity at the beginning of each day. Fortunately, Rarity didn’t require her to keep the store open all day so Sweetie had time to spend on her other more preferred activities.
She spent at least four days a week singing to sick patients at Ponyville Hospital, three days volunteering at a fundraiser for underprivileged ponies in some country she couldn’t pronounce, and spent a vast majority of her evenings teaching young fillies and colts how to sing. She also spent very random amounts of time organizing the new Ponyville choir which most of her students were also apart of. All together, she spent between three and four hours a day sleeping. If only she didn’t have to run her sister’s dumb boutique.
Sweetie Belle startled awake when she heard the bell over the door ring and a pony walked in. “Welcome to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique where everything is unique… and maginfique.”
“Chic!” the unicorn in the doorway corrected her.
Sweetie Belle shot up. “Rarity?!”
“It’s, welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and maginfique. It’s not that difficult to remember.”
“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly. “Hey sis. I wasn’t expecting you to drop in today. What are you doing here?”
“Sweetie Belle, we have something urgent for you to do.”
“You’re kidding…” Sweetie Belle rested her chin on the counter. Just what she needed.
“Not at all. Your talents are needed.”
“Can it wait till Thursday? I’ll talk to you then.”
Rarity looked at her abashed. “What? Why do I have to wait?”
“My schedule’s booked. I think I can pencil you in sometime on Thursday a little after lunch.”
“Since when do I need to make an appointment to speak to my own sister?”
“Since your sister had to start making appointments to talk to you.” Rarity winced. Sweetie Belle suddenly seemed much larger.
“Have I really been that neglectful since I moved away?” Sweetie Belle crossed her hooves. “I see.” Rarity glanced at a mannequin that displayed one of the designs she had made little over a month before. Apparently, it hadn’t sold in Ponyville the way it had in Canterlot. “I’m sorry if I’ve been… busy lately.”
“The only reason you ever see me is because your busy checking up to make sure I’m not screwing up. I’m your sister. Do you really think I can’t handle anything? Whatever happened to visiting just because you missed me?” Then she lowered her voice. “Or because I miss you.”
“Well I… being a top designer is… my schedule is just always…”
“Mom and dad have been asking about seeing you and I never know what to tell them.”
“Mother and father too?” Rarity rubbed her hoof. “I suppose I could try but you know how busy schedules can be.”
“I have a busy schedule. You know why?” Rarity blinked but didn’t answer. “Because my sister is the Element of Generosity. Or at least that’s what I thought. I’m doing community service and fundraisers and helping ponies all day long because I always thought it was so cool that you were the Element of Generosity. You know what else I’ve done? I’ve made time to go to Canterlot five times in the last three weeks and you know what happened?”
“I was too busy to see you.” Rarity felt very small as if she were the real little sister right then. “Sweetie Belle, I promise I’ll change my schedule around or something from here on out but right now we have more urgent matters on our hooves so close the store and come with me.”
The anger on Sweetie Belles’s face slowly changed to that of surprise. “Close the store? Um… seriously? You’re going to sacrifice business?”
“I told you this was important didn’t I? And as far as being a better sister goes can I start by asking you what it was you just said you do all day again? Perhaps with a little more detail this time?”
“Um… okay…”
Closing the store wasn’t a difficult matter but Rarity made it difficult by putting certain older garments away while sprucing up some of the newer ones before the pair left the building with the closed sign out front.
Sweetie Belle finished telling Rarity what she had been up too in the last few weeks and by the end of it she was surprised to see Rarity smile. “Apple Bloom’s right. You move around Ponyville so much that you can easily keep an eye on everything for us.”
“Everything?” Sweetie Belle slowed her walk. “What do you mean everything? Why do I need to do that?” She yawned and lowered her eyelids.
“This may come as a shock to you, Sweetie Belle, but I have a lot to tell you about spirals.”
“Uh huh,” Sweetie Belle closed her eyes. She knew she could depend on her sister’s blabbering. She shifted in and out of a light sleep as Rarity continued her story about whatever it was she was talking about.
Apple Bloom’s workshop had never been so busy. Not only were her two best friends in the world there but her sister Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, two royal princesses, and a unicorn with no past record of genius but apparently was one anyway. Though it was unfortunate that this wasn’t related to her small business, the gathering signified a greater concern that was amplified when Princess Twilight produced a soap box and stood on it.
“Okay everyone, is everypony in attendance?”
“We’re all here, Twilight,” Rarity announced.
“Yeah! What do you need us all to do?” Scootaloo asked, striking a pose.
Twilight smiled excitedly and opened her mouth to speak. Five seconds later, she lost her smile. “I have no idea.” The gathered ponies stared at her.
“What do you mean you have no idea?” Rarity demanded.
“I mean I have no idea. There are some things we need to do but I’m still not sure how to accomplish them.”
“I’m surprised, Twi. You of all ponies really don’t have a plan?” Applejack asked.
“I really need a checklist.” Twilight sighed and tried to assess the situation. “We’re already doing our only plan building that machine. Honestly, what else are we supposed to do to prepare for it?”
Sweetie Belle suddenly groaned. “I could have taken a nap.”
“Sweetie Belle, you need to take this seriously. What would you do if the Spiral suddenly attacked right now?” Rarity scolded her.
“I don’t even know what this Spiral thing is.”
Her sister scowled. “Weren’t you listening when I explained it to you?”
“I was half asleep. I heard you say spirals, panic, and something about the end of the world but otherwise I wasn’t listening to anything.”
“And the end of the world part didn’t clue you in?”
Sweetie Belle glared. “Rarity, with you, everything is the end of the world.”
Rarity’s scowl changed to a look of shock. “I really mean it this time. The Spiral is definitely the worst possible thing! I haven’t actually seen it yet, but I’m mostly positive that it is the worst possible thing.”
Sweetie Belle looked at her, unimpressed. Then she turned to Twilight. “And what’s your opinion?”
“If Celestia’s letter is true, then the Spiral is going to cause the extinction of Equestria.”
Sweetie’s eyes bugged out. “Are you kidding? Why didn’t you say so!?”
“I did,” Rarity grumbled.
“Well what are we standing around for? Give me something to do, Twilight. I’ll totally do my part to stop the Spiral.” Sweetie Belle paused when a silence fell over the room. “What exactly is it anyway?”
“I’m not sure I can give you a concrete answer, but all I can really tell you is to be on the lookout for anything that has to do with spirals. In fact, look for anything that seems at all suspicious.”
“That’s all? Just look for it?”
“That’s what I was sayin’ earlier,” Apple Bloom suddenly said as she sifted through a closet looking for some of her scattered tools. “Sweetie Belle, you do so much stuff around Ponyville that I’m sure you could tell if a signpost was out of place.”
“I guess, but how is that supposed to help?”
“It’s like Twilight just said, look for anything that don’t seem normal, especially if it’s got a spiral shape.”
“What’s supposed to happen if it does?” The incident in the Apple Family home was relayed yet again to a very horrified young unicorn.
“So… just look for it? Are you sure we’re taking this seriously enough?” Sweetie Belle finally said when the tale was finished.
“All the more reason to keep your eyes peeled around Ponyville. Can I count on you to do that?” Twilight asked.
Sweetie Belle looked a little disappointed. “If that’s really what you need me to do. I guess if going about my everyday routine helps fight the Spiral in some way, then I can’t really complain.”
“That’s the spirit Sweetie Belle. I knew I could count on my little sister.” Rarity’s attempt at making up for the past year was a start and Sweetie Belle appreciated the effort even if her role in all this didn’t seem very big.
“And what about me, Twilight? What can I do to help?” Scootaloo suddenly asked. Her eyes sparkled and she looked beyond anxious.
“Well…” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought before coming up with what should have been the obvious answer. “If we’re going to defeat the Spiral once and for all then we might need something that Princess Celestia didn’t have at her disposal the last time. The Elements of Harmony. But to use those, we need to find Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy first. Without them here, the Elements are useless.”
Scootaloo’s eyes somehow lit up even more. “Then I have a really important job?”
“You’re one of the fastest ponies I know, Scootaloo, even though you can’t f…” Twilight trailed off when she saw Applejack shake her head and make a slashing motion across her neck. “I mean, since you don’t have to control the weather like other pegasi, you’re free to move around.” It wasn’t much of a save since plenty of pegasi had free time, but Scootaloo didn’t seem to notice. In fact, she looked psyched. “The only problem is we don’t have any particular place to start looking and sending you out randomly isn’t going to be very productive unless… I guess unless you had some kind of crazy dumb luck.”
“Oh, oh!” Pinkie Pie suddenly raised her hoof. “I know what you can do.”
“Do I really want to ask?”
Pinkie was all smiles. “There’s only one pony I can think of who has the right kind of dumb luck to find Dashie and Fluttershy in a snap.”
Scootaloo thought a moment and then paled. “Oh no… you don’t mean…?”
“Abso-rootin’-tootin’-lutely!” Pinkie replied. “You need Derpy Hooves.”
Scootaloo facehoofed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Derpy is a flying disaster. How can we possibly depend on her?”
“Trust me, she’s just what the doctor ordered, no pun intended.”
“Oh man… Twilight?”
Twilight didn’t look happy, but after thinking it over, she came to the same conclusion. “I was hoping to involve as few ponies as possible, but I think Pinkie might be right. If anypony can stumble across those two, it’s probably Derpy.”
Scootaloo groaned.
“Meanwhile, we need to tap into our social network to see if anything out of the ordinary is goin’ on anywhere else,” Apple Bloom said as she pulled five different sized screwdrivers out of a drawer. “But I don’t know how I’m supposed to write em’ all and work on this crazy contraption at the same time.”
“You said earlier that there were over forty of you or so, correct?” Rarity asked. “Since you need to stay busy with the machine, perhaps the rest of us can write those letters as long as we have no other task you want to assign.” She gestured to the two princesses. They both looked at each other and shrugged.
“That sounds fine though I wish there was something more productive I could do. I can’t just sit here and watch Apple Bloom build the machine either.”
“Nor can I,” Luna put in. “Perhaps I can use my power to enter dreams to see if anypony has been experiencing any strange activity.”
“That could work but that’s a lot of dreams to sift through.”
“I do it every night, though usually I use my power to target nightmares. I’m not sure how I might target something else.”
“You figure that out. As long as everypony else has a job to do, I have something else I want to check on,” Twilight said as she opened the door.
“What else could you possibly need your attention on at a time like this?” Rarity questioned.
“I’m the mayor of Ponyville and I have a responsibility to protect everypony.”
“Where are you going then?”
Twilight looked towards the nearby Everfree Forest. “To see if a certain zebra we know, knows anything about the Spiral.”
“But I thought we already found our expert?”
“I know I shouldn’t be choosy, but I just can’t put all my faith into him.” She pointed at Snails with her horn. He was quietly munching on an off-color petunia sandwich that had been lying on Apple Bloom’s table.
“I see,” Rarity replied quietly. “In that case, shall I go with you?”
“It would be nice to have some company.”
Everfree was still as dark and scary as it had always been. Twilight had found reason to venture into Everfree from time to time, but more often then not for friendly visits. Zecora’s knowledge of the world and even magic exceeded Twilight’s or at least it felt like it most of the time. The young princess could only hope that Zecora knew a thing or two about this ancient phenomenon that the so called expert perhaps didn’t.
As Twilight and Rarity passed through the woods, which was still surprisingly dark in places despite the time still being a little after noon, they took note of the odd trees and foliage that was found nowhere else in all of Equestria so far as anypony knew. Some of the trees appeared to have faces and some of the flowers looked as if they might snap at them if they came too close. Little in the forest seemed natural to their world except perhaps for the one addition that was entirely ponymade. A stream of fresh water that expanded from Ponyville to Zecora’s deeper in the woods.
It hadn’t been there before, but over the years, Twilight had convinced Zecora to allow them to dig a path for running water to reach her hut. She had been quite obstinate about it at first, but eventually agreed, claiming that it couldn’t do any real harm to the forest. The idea of harming the forest almost sounded like a joke as it had always come across as a sinister sort of place, but for whatever reason, Zecora found it homey and Twilight had no argument against that.
As Zecora’s hut finally cam into view, Twilight looked around despite knowing that timber wolves avoided the path to Zecora’s for a reason that the zebra had never revealed. Whether it was through some ancient technique or simply her presence, little wildlife ever bothered her, not to mention few ponies despite the friendly terms that Ponyville had long established thanks to Twilight and her friends.
Rarity gulped. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just wait here. I still can’t get used to all those peculiar things she has in her hut.”
“And I thought we cleared all this up way back when.” Twilight rolled her eyes but decided to let Rarity have her way. Twilight knocked three times before entering. “Hello, Zecora? Are you home?”
In the middle of the hut the zebra turned around with a smile on her face. “Twilight Sparkle, it is you. I was just settling down to a very special brew.” She slowly began pouring a substance into the pot from a bottle.
Twilight sniffed the air. “It smells good.”
“If you will wait but a moment, I think you will find this stew to be an enjoyment.”
“It sounds wonderful but before that I came to ask you if you know anything about a phenomenon called the Spiral.”
Zecora dropped the bottle she was holding into her brew. Though it puffed in smoke, Zecora didn’t seem all that concerned that her brew was ruined. Instead, she turned her head slightly to look at Twilight from the corner of her eye. “It is important that you tell no lies. Have you seen this phenomenon with your own pony eyes?”
“Sort of. Applejack saw it. You know of it?”
Zecora nodded. “You must tell me what it is your friend has spied before any information I may provide.”
“It’s kind of hard to believe but Applejack saw Princess Celestia pulled into a spiraling hole that was… well, she said it was in another pony’s forehead. There was an incident in Ponyville involving a spiral staircase too, but that wasn’t really that bad.”
Zecora’s face was ashen, though somewhat calm. Ignoring her brew, which had started to boil over, the zebra retrieved a jar from a shelf on the wall. “Tell me, Twilight, what do you see? Does this plant have any significance to thee?”
Twilight examined the jar, but as far as she could tell, the plant inside was just a withered rose. “Does this have something to do with the Spiral?”
“This rose I found in town, forgotten as it was, it only turned brown. But roses I’ve seen here in Everfree, flourishing without a pony’s care you see.”
“That’s just the way this forest is. It has all kinds of unnatural things in it.”
Zecora replaced the jar on the shelf and kept her eyes away from Twilight. “What you call unnatural is the natural state. Nature has not always done as ponies dictate.”
“Zecora, I don’t understand what you’re getting at. I’m asking you about the Spiral, not plants.”
“And I’m telling you, Twilight, the Spiral’s true desire, a quest of it’s own that is quite dire. It is an avenger I say, one that intends to take back what ponies took away.
“What? What do you mean? What is the Spiral exactly?”
“The Spiral makes no distinction between innocence and guilt. It destroys all with the conviction that nature be rebuilt. It will not hear your pleas or cries and will not stop until every offender dies.”
Twilight felt her chest tighten. “Zecora, it can’t be as powerful as all that and we haven’t done anything wrong. There has to be some reasonable way-”
“The Spiral’s existence is no joke. Its presence is something ponies themselves evoked.” Zecora’s voice rose to such an angry pitch that Twilight found herself backing away. However, Zecora edged closer, forcing Twilight against the wall. The zebra’s voice lowered just a bit, but still came across as a warning when she continued her speech. “For centuries, caring for plants and animals has been the ponies’ way, but kind as it is, it is not their burden to defray. What you see in Everfree is what remains of the natural state. It is important that I set that record straight. Why do you think this forest has resisted you’re kind, to constantly fill you with fear and unsettled minds? Know this, Twilight Sparkle, the Spiral is the spirit of all natural things, and it resigns to correct the imbalance that ponies did bring. Do you truly think it is normal to control all aspects of your lives? That even weather, night and day should fall under your calculating eyes? Heed my words, for I can only speak true, when the Spiral comes, there is nothing you can do.”
Twilight swallowed under Zecora’s gaze. Not since the first time she had met her had the zebra seemed so menacing. Somehow, she found the courage to collect herself and look her in the eyes. “You’re wrong Zecora. Princess Celestia stopped the Spiral before and it will be stopped again. All we have to do is find it and banish it the same way we stopped Night Mare Moon and Discord.”
Zecora shook her head. “The Spiral is no monster, creature, or physical being. It is a phenomenon or even just a presence that you will be seeing. The Spiral is everywhere, my dear friend. Simply look around and you will see it bringing us all closer to our end.”
“There won’t be an end!” Twilight shouted back and tried to regain her confidence. “We’ve been through so much over the years. We’ve stopped countless things that threatened Equestria and this is no different. The Spiral was stopped once before and we will stop it again.”
“Fight if you must, but your quest is futile. The Spiral will win, of that I have no scruple.”
“So you’re giving up, just like that? You’re not even going to try?”
“Twilight, do you know anything about where I am from?”
Twilight waited for Zecora to finish her rhyme, but surprisingly, she didn’t. Instead, the Zebra waited for her answer. Twilight had read about the country that zebras came from, but nothing particularly significant came to mind. Finally, she shook her head.
“This forest is very much like my homeland, a natural state untouched by mortal plans. It was not always that way. In days long ago, we were much like ponies are today. But in those times, the Spiral came, and many, many lives it did claim. For the few survivors that remained, a terrible lesson had been ingrained. From that point on, we let nature be, to do as it would, just like all times, you see. I do not know how ponies delayed their date, but if the Spiral has returned, then your time has come and you must resign to this fate.”
“Zecora…”
“The stories of the Spiral have been passed down since ancient times. I cannot help you, even with my silly rhymes.”
Twilight realized that Snails may have inadvertently mentioned the plight of the zebras already. He had said that another spiral incident had occurred somewhere far away at around the same time.
“I’m sorry if this evokes some kind of bad memories for you but surely something from back then could be seen in a more positive light. Maybe a clue or hint that the Spiral isn’t as all powerful as you think?”
“Do you see this cutie mark of mine? Its spiral shape is no flaw in design. All zebras live with some form of a spiral mark, as a reminder from the Spiral of those days, so dark.”
Twilight had no words. Zecora seemed finished with hers. She had proof, actual living proof that the Spiral had struck her people once before. From generations of stories, they lived in fear of the so-called avenger that was plaguing Equestria at that very moment.
“Go.”
“Huh? Zecora?”
“Please go now, my little pony friend. I must contemplate and prepare for the end.”
“But…”
Zecora turned away. “I’m sorry but I have told you all I can. The Spiral will not be stopped by any pony plan.”
Twilight wanted to argue, but decided against it. The conviction in Zecora’s eyes was answer enough. She lowered her head and turned to the door.
“If we do find a way, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know. You know I won’t give up even at the end.”
Zecora smiled briefly and nodded. She finally returned to her spoiled brew as Twilight quietly left.
Rarity smiled and swatted at a swarm of gnats that had apparently decided to bother her while she waited. “Finally. I was just thinking of going inside-” Twilight barely looked at her and kept walking. Rarity watched her for a moment before she started to follow. “Twilight, what happened? What did she say? Does she know anything about the Spiral?”
“No,” Twilight replied softly. “She doesn’t know anything. She thinks the Spiral can’t be stopped but she’s wrong. Princess Celestia did it once. There’s no reason it can’t be done again.”
Rarity didn’t say anything at first. Twilight didn’t mind if she was quiet for at least a little while to give her time to think. Zecora had to be wrong. She wasn’t wrong about much but there were times when it happened. She had thought the parasprites were unstoppable, but Pinkie had proven her wrong back then. The Spiral may have been powerful but it wouldn’t win. It couldn’t win. Twilight wouldn’t let it.
Twilight sighed. The stream seemed unusually dark all of a sudden. Perhaps she had spent more time in the forest than she thought. It was almost sundown.
“Twilight, do you see that?” Rarity suddenly asked, pointing.
“See what?”
“I don’t think I’m imagining things, but do you see that in the water? Do you see all the little whirlpools?”
Twilight lowered her head and focused on the surface of the stream. She couldn’t say how Rarity had even noticed it, but every now and then, a slight hint of several tiny whirlpools broke the surface of the running water.
“Do you think it has something to do with the Spiral?” Rarity said and cringed.
“In the forest? Why would the Spiral do anything…?” Everfree Forest was what remained of the natural state or so Zecora had claimed. If that were true, then would the Spiral have a presence there? Could it even originate from there? Or was it something more?
The Spiral is everywhere, my dear friend. Simply look around and you will see it bringing us all closer to our end. Twilight was looking around, and she was surprised at what she could see that had some form of spiral. Blades of tall grass swirled into the distinct spiral design. Mushrooms growing on the side of the path had the design on their tops. There were even leaves that blew past them in a sudden spiral pattern.
“This doesn’t mean anything. We’re just being paranoid,” Twilight said, ignoring a spiraling vine hanging from a tree. “If there is even the smallest chance, we’re going to stop this ridiculous Spiral. Zecora may have given up, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Come on Rarity, let’s go back and see if there is anything we can help Apple Bloom with.”