//------------------------------// // Meeting Zecora // Story: The Day My Life Began // by Authora97 //------------------------------// Everyone was saying the same thing about this place. It’s evil. It’s cursed. It’s where that witch lives. I guess those guys just don't know what I do. The only thing that's in here that's really dangerous is Poison Joke. That stuff will mess you up, in a funny way. Right now, I was walking in to try and find the supposed Witch of the Everfree Forest. She wasn’t as bad as everypony was saying. Just misunderstood. Just like I was. It took me a little over an hour, and almost getting attacked by a cockatrice, to find the zebra’s hut. Yeah. Zecora was a zebra. I couldn't really say anything about how strange that was, I was a dark pink unicorn with a blue and silver mane with a tattoo of a book on my flanks. Also, my sister was a dark red pegasus with a near straight silver mane, purple eyes and a cutiemark of a bloody knife and my charge was a dragon. A black and white zebra was normal by comparison. I carefully trotted towards the hut. It was made from a tree, from the looks of it. Only two windows from what I could see, various colored jars hung from the branches of the tree, a red and green mask was placed above the door, another mask was placed on a root but had some brown added to it. The door was red with a yellow doorknob. I knocked. Twice. After a brief pause, I heard the sound of hoofsteps coming from inside the tree hut. The door was opened, slowly letting the zebra come in my sights. A tall zebra stood behind the door. From my memory, I remembered her coat was slightly gray with various dark grey stripes on her back, legs, muzzle and a strange circular sun on her flank. Her eyes were I think sea green, or at least a very blue shade of green. The tips of her hooves were all black. Her mane had been styled into a Mohawk, going above her head in an off white and near black. The black bits matched up with some black stripes on her head. Her jewelry stood out slightly. Four gold rings completely covered her neck, five bracelets covered her left front knee, Zecora had large golden hoop earrings. Most people where I’m from, they expected zebras to bare multiple stripes. Almost too many. Zecora didn’t really have much. She stared at me for a moment. Probably wondering what I was doing here. “Oh, but what is this I see. A pony, braving the Everfree to visit my tree.” The rhyming. That made the corner of my lips turn up into a smile. Zecora had a near deep voice, it was also kind of cheery. It was nice. “Yes. That much is true. I came here, looking for you.” I rhymed back. This made Zecora smile back. I guessed she wasn't expecting a pony to come to her home and rhyme. “Rhyming aside,” I began, “I came here because my friends are gonna do something incredibly stupid today. You heard of the new unicorn that came into town a few weeks back?” “The unicorn who took down Nightmare Moon, saving us from eternal doom.” Zecora said. “That’s the one.” I said. “When you head out into Ponyville today, she’ll bring her friends in here. This will lead them to a patch of Poison Joke.” Zecora backed up. “What would make those pony folk run right into the Poison Joke?” “A young filly named Apple Bloom. She follows you to prove she can be brave and that you’re nice. Her sister is Applejack, Twilight’s friend. What happens today is unavoidable, so I must ask that when I come back here tomorrow morning if it was at all possible I could help make the cure?” I asked. Zecora eyed me, wondering whether or not to listen to me. “Tell me this, and I will agree,” The zebra began, “How did you know to come to me?” “I’m really good at this sort of thing. Also, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Raspberry Stardust.” I gave her my pony name. The zebra smiled. “Zecora is the name of which I am known. Thank you, young Raspberry, for coming to my home.” I gave her a nod as she slowly walked out of her house. It took me a moment to notice the dark blown cloak covering her body. “It was no trouble Zecora. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Waving goodbye, I took a path taking me straight into town. Ponies called this place dangerous and mysterious. I called it The Everfree Forest: Forever Free of Rules. A forest just like the ones back home. Ponyville. A town filled with activity. Almost every Tuesday, like clock work, things went undeniably wrong. Whether it was a dragon taking a nap in the mountain tops or a great big thunder storm magically making Rarity and Applejack buddies, or maybe even a strange striped pony making an almost monthly trip into town to search for ponies to curse. That was today. Pretty cool huh? Lilac walked alongside me as the two of us trotted into the Market. It was a ghost town to say the least. The little dragon looked scared, but I thought I had a certain pep in my step. “Mommy…” She started. “Yeah-huh?” I said, looking around for the turn towards Sugarcube Corner. “Umm…where is everypony?” “Hiding.” I said after a brief pause. I had noticed Carrot Top running into a house and slamming the door. “From what?” Lilac asked. “Not what, who. I actually met the mare this morning, very nice zebra.” I said. Lilac was silent... and still. I turned back to see the dragonling trying to make sense of the situation. “A…zebra?” I nodded, wondering why Lilac looked so…excited? “A zebra’s in town?!” Lilac cheered. “Yeah…she lives in the Everfree Forest.” I told the purple dragon. “That’s really cool! I haven't seen a zebra since Great Grandpa Zanu and Great Grandma Medical Wing came to visit when I was a baby!” The dragon said. Wait… what? I suddenly remembered something I had seen some weeks ago. In one of the photos I had found. A dark brown pegasus stallion, with a matching brown and sterling silver mane stood around other ponies. Except… he had some black zebra stripes. Was I part zebra? Awesome! “Yeah. She’s a zebra. I met her earlier.” I said only to hear a dragoness’ squeal. “That’s so cool!” Lilac cheered. I rubbed my ear, making sure there wasn’t any blood. “Geez, Lilac, calm down. I need these ears. I only get the two!” I chuckled. Lilac did too, now starting to hop on my back. “So where is the zebra?” “Her name is Zecora. It would be more polite if you stopped calling her ‘the zebra’.” I instructed. The dragon only giggled. “Yes Mommy. Where is Zecora?” “Up ahead, near Sugarcube Corner.” While we trotted along, I noticed the topic of our conversation in the distance. She was wearing her cloak and was digging at the ground. She looked up, but away from us, in the direction of the bakery. I smiled, glad to have found her. Trotting up to her, I prepared to wave. “Hey! Miss Zecora! Hi!” Lilac shouted, pulling herself up so she rested on my head. The cloaked figure turned to us, the hood of her cloaking coming down. Her mohawked black and white mane was seen, along with her hoop earrings and teal eyes. I waved, trying to see past the bits of my mane that fell into my face. Zecora waved back. When I walked up to her, I shook the zebra’s hoof. “Hey Zecora. How’s your day been?” The shaman shook her head. “Not so good my dead friend, it seems the shops are closed again.” I looked around, noticed empty shops. Except for the window at Sugarcube Corner full of ponies. “Wow. How often does that happen to you?” I asked, more for Lilac than for me. “Every time I come, this town is unchanged. Most of them think myself strange.” Zecora answered. “How did you get your mane like that?” Lilac asked. “Cause I remember Great Grandpa had a funny mane that was falling apart but yours is all up.” The girl cheered, pushing my mane onto my face. “Lilac, I love you but could you get off my head? I need to see.” I told her gently. “Oops, sorry Mommy.” Lilac said before climbing off my back. I used a small spell to fix my mane back to the way it was earlier. Such a great spell to use on mornings. Zecora merrily laughed, her real eyes brightening. “My mane is this way because it’s the way I like, same for you and your spikes.” Lilac laughed. “That awesome! How do you do that rhyming thing? How come you wearing so much gold jewelry? Did you always have an earring? Is it weird living in the Everfree Forest-” “Lilac, remember what I told you about asking too many questions?” I gently chided, looking the dragon in the face. “If you ask too many questions, ponies won’t be able to answer them all.” “Sorry Ms. Zecora.” Lilac said, kicking the dirt a little. “I forgetted.” Zecora and I chuckled. She was precious. I looked back at Zecora. “So, Zecora, would it be too much trouble if I went back to your hut? I think it would be cool of Lilac to see it. I have been thinking about showing her other cultures.” That wasn’t entirely a lie. The shaman nodded, lifting her hood back up. “Of course, Raspberry it would be my honor to show my home to your daughter.” For some reason, I blushed. Lilac is my daughter, yet I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t want to bring a little kid into my life. Darcy was an exception. She was blood, Lilac isn’t. Taking a glance back at the bakery, I saw Apple Bloom sneaking out. “Great! Let’s be on our way.” It was a ten minute walk back to Forest. Nothing had really happened except Lilac constantly digging her claws in my back in excitement. It wasn’t too hard to see Apple Bloom as she followed the three of us inside. Zecora and I were silent. Me because I hated small talk, and her because… I don’t know why. Maybe the same. Lilac was the only one making noise, and she just kept humming a song]. Don’t know how she knew it, but ah well. Once inside the forest, it took five minutes to reach a path of poison joke. Lilac was skipping ahead of us so she nearly jumped into them. “Watch out for the leaves of blue! There is no telling what they would do!” Zecora warned Lilac. The dragon stopped, taking some cautious steps around the blue flowers. I did too. “Apple Bloom!” A southern voice yelled. All of us turned, seeing six ponies walking into the patch of Poison Joke. “Yah get back here right now!” “Beware! Beware you pony folk!” Zecora called out. “Those leaves of blue are not a joke!” I added. Applejack glared, running up to Apple Bloom had placing the little filly onto her orange head. “Keep yer crazy mumba jumba to yerselves ya hear!” The others gave their agreements. “It’s not ‘crazy mumba jumba’! It’s a legitimate warning!” I yelled, noticing a fog starting to form. “Beware! Beware!” Zecora said before disappearing into the fog. “Yeah! Back at ya Zecora! You and your lame...curse are the ones who should beware!” “Zecora!” I called out. The zebra was lost in the fog and I couldn’t find her. I angrily turned back to the six mares. “Great! You scared her off!” Rainbow Dash glared. “Yeah, we did! You’re lucky we found you guys before she put some kind curse on you!” “Lucky?! Zecora was taking Lilac and me to her hut! Being neighborly! You know, a nice thing to do!” I gestured at Apple Bloom. “Be mad at her! She followed us in here, nearly running into the P-plant thing Zecora warned us of.” I corrected, remembering she hadn’t told us the name of the plant. “Stop sayin’ ‘er name!” Applejack yelled. “Why? Will she appear if I call her name three times? Zecora, Zecora, Zecora!” I taunted. I made a fake face of fear. “Oh! Wait! Am I cursed now? Oh no!” Lilac poked my shoulder. “Mommy, you’re not being very nice.” I gave her a surprised look, mostly that she was still standing next to me and not running off. Then I remembered she liked zebras. “Sorry.” “Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora coulda put on you, especially you Apple Bloom!” Applejack said. I gasped. “Hey! What about me and Lilac? Not to say she would’ve put a curse on us, but why don’t you care?” I asked Applejack. “Because Apple Bloom is mah little sister, and Ah’m her big sister. She shoulda stayed at Sugarcube Corner!” Rainbow flew up to me, her wings brushing against some flowers as she did. “And we saw you two talking to her!” I rolled my amber eyes. “Great. First you say digging at the ground is creeping, then coming into town, now talking to her like a civilized pony is bad?! When will it end!” “How did you know we said that!” Twilight shouted. I mentally slapped myself. Morgan you dumbass! “Uhh…Rule Four.” Twilight growled. “Mommy says that means she knows everything!” Lilac cheered. “She does?!” Pinkie gasped. “No! That’s not even possible. Nopony can know everything.” Twilight explained to the pink pony. “And yet, you all are saying curses are.” I told Twilight, giving Twilight a smug smirk. “Curses are not real either.” Twilight said, glaring at me with her deep purple eyes. Rainbow, who since rushing at me and decided to swim in the flowers, decided to add input. “Says Ms. Magic Pants herself.” That last bit came with a tap to the purple unicorn’s horn. Twilight held her head up high and began speaking in her teacher voice. “My magic, real magic, comes from within. It’s a skill you’re born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It’s conjured with potions and incantations. All smoke and mirrors meant to scare. They’re all just a ponytale.” By the time she finished all her friends were walking off. “Just ya wait Twilight, yer gonna learn that some ponytales really are true.” Applejack said as she walked off. Twilight was standing there confused, even as Lilac and I walked around her to get back out of the Forest. By the time I got up the next morning, I felt great. I had told Killjoy about my discovery about our heritage, and she laughed. Then, she asked when we were going home. I told her that we wouldn’t be going anywhere until I learned a pain remover spell. She told me to move my ass and find the spell or she would cut it off. Darcy needed something dead by her hooves. It would be me if I didn’t find it by the end of tonight. Once the death threat was given, Darcy asked where the poison joke was. She had a great idea for a prank. So, I got up off my bed to get myself ready. A few self help spells later, packing up my saddlebag with things I might need (jars, pens, camera, and notebook) and I was out the door. It took me ten minutes to get to the library. I knew that soon the other five would come and ten the library would be empty, also that I told Zecora I was gonna help make the cure. Curse me and my need to do good! The library appeared to be open, the sign said open, and lights were on so I went in. It was a public library. I stepped in, and was pleased with what I saw inside. Twilight was running from shelf to shelf, pulling books of by hoof and searching they them quickly. Since the Summer Sun Celebration, Twilight organized the library in her own way. By type, author and the Dewey system. It took me a minute to find Supernaturals, making sure to avoid the books Twilight was throwing about. “Ah, there it is.” I said, pulling out the green book with my magic. Taking my pen and notebook out I started searching for the cure for Poison Joke. “Huh, that seems easy enough.” “Who’s there?!” Twilight yelled. “Just a ghost, carry on Twi.” I said absently mindedly, looking thru the green book for more things. They had a section for seaponies in here! “Oh good. I thought that- wait WHAT!?” The librarian ran over to where I was and glared. I smiled and waved as innocently as I could. Noticing her horn, I suppressed the urge to take a picture. “What are you doing here?” Twilight growled. “Research. Are you trying to hinder my studies, Sparkle of Twilight?” I laughed, using my now favorite nickname for Twilight. The student raised a brow. “What? I am doing research!” Lifting my notebook, I practically shoved it in the unicorn’s purple face. “Just finished half of it. Now I just need to find a spell for something completely non sequitur to this half of the research or my roommate will apply physical harm to my body.” Hopping up, I went over to the medical book section. “As you were.” I reminded Twilight. “Didn’t you notice my horn?!” Twilight shouted. “Yep.” I commented. The mare looked confused. “Don’t you think it’s… strange?” “Nah. I’ve seen weirder.” I heard the sounds of her horn moving about. It was funny, but I suppressed a laugh. “Weirder than this?” “Ever see a giant flying pepper shaker wielding a toilet plunger and a whisk, a single light up eye stalk, and a weird pink mass inside it, all with the urge to ‘Exterminate!’ every living thing?” I asked. A beat. “No.” Twilight said, sounding unsure. “Good.” Skipping away, I looked for the medical book I would need. I began searching through all the books I saw on medical spells. One had to have a spell that would help. That’s all I needed, just one of those Annie’s the tic. No. That’s not it. Any stitch quette. No, that’s worse. Anesthetic! That’s the one! Wow, I’m a special kind of stupid. Spells on hair re-growth. No. Spells on x-rays. No. Heart rate checker. Blood pressure. Respiratory systems. Tic removal. Disease checks. CPR spells. Wow. None on anesthetics yet. Wait… surgery related spells. This has to be it! Head trauma…hoof trauma…yes…yes there it- *BANG* *CRASH* “Gah!” I screamed at the sudden crash to the wall near the entrance to the library. Another crash let Rainbow Dash in. Her wings going on nonstop. I saw Pinkie Pie with her tongue swollen and polka dotted like Twilight’s horn. “Good golly. Rainbow! What’re you doing!” I shouted. Once I got real into my reading, it was lethal to stop me. Not for me, for you. Rainbow Dash groaned and wheezed, trying to get out of the ladder she had wedged herself in. “You! You and Zecora put a curse on me!” “I’m afraid I have to agree.” A new voice said. Looking back, I held back the urge to laugh. Rarity, with her everything fit in dreadlocks. A very un-ladylike sound came from Rarity shortly after. “Ah hate ta say Ah told ya so, Twilight, but Ah told ya so!” A very, very, very, very small Applejack said atop a regular sized Apple Bloom. *click* “What was that?” Spike asked. “Nothing,” I lied, placing my camera back into my saddlebag. “It’s a curse Ah tells ya!” Applejack yelled... I think. Twilight and Spike both looked scared/terrified/confused. Twilight took a look at Fluttershy. “But Fluttershy seems just fine!” Twilight pointed out. “Yes. There doesn’t seem to be a thing wrong with her.” Rarity added. “Fluttershy, are you okay?” Twilight asked in a kind caring tone. The pegasus looked away. “Is there something wrong with you?” The pegasus nodded. “Would you care to tell us?” The kind voice vanished. “So you’re not gonna tell us?” Fluttershy nodded. “Did something happen to your voice?” I interjected. The caretaker looked surprised, but nodded. “Oh. Okay.” “Dagnabbit girl! Just tell us what's wrong with ya!” Applejack yelled. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” Fluttershy said. “Woah.” Twilight said. “AJ, I had just asked her about her voice!” I scolded the little pony. “Bwahahaha!” Spike laughed. “This is hilarious! Look at all of you! We got, Harity, Rainbow Crash, Spittie Pie, Appleteenie, Flutterguy and… uh…I got nothing. Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously. I can’t even work with that.” Spike shrugged. Twilight mock laughed. “This is no joke Spike.” The floppy unicorn said. “I think it’s all one big joke. Just with only me and Spike laughing. And the rest of Ponyville when they see this.” I commented. Rarity glared at me. “What about you? Why aren’t you like this?” “Because unlike someponies here I don’t ignore advice. No matter the pony’s race, color or age. Again, unlike someponies here.” I said with a glare, looking back at my medical book to see the anesthetic spell. “See! Ugh. Raspberry admitted Zecora did it!” Rainbow Dash yelled, slowly getting out from the ladder. I groaned. “I did not! You just twisted my words to fit your own theory, an incorrect one I add. Word to the wise, Rainbow, start twisting theories to suit facts instead of twisting facts to suit theories.” Rainbow raised a brow, her pink eyes filled with confusion. “Why are you talking like an egghead?” “Reading a medical book. Smartness is filling my brain.” “Does it have a cure for…this?” Twilight asked. “Nope. But Supernaturals might.” I said, motioning towards the green book. Taking another glance at the medical book, I wrote down the anesthetic spell and placed the book back. “Whelp, I’m done with research. Have a good joke filled day!” Walking towards the door, I saw Rainbow try to get in my way. “Hold up! Woah! You need to tell us what you and wish Zecora did to us!” *crash* *pop* I teleported out of the library, not wanting Rainbow Dash to crash into me. Operation Cure is a go. Okay. The ingredient listing is such. Hooffules of baking soda, water, aloe, lemon juice, lavender and some acorns. Sounds easy enough. Trotting towards Zecora’s hut, I picked up fallen acorns in case they were the kind I needed. Soon enough, her hut came into view again. *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* The door was soon opened, revealing an unclothed Zecora. “Oh, Raspberry. I take it I should expect more company?” I nodded. “I found some acorns, just in case they were the kind needed. Is this good?” I showed the zebra my saddlebag and the collected acorns. “Yes, they will do just fine. Come in, we have not much time.” Zecora said, letting me into the hut just as a little yellow filly ran up to us. Apple Bloom stared at us in confusion and bits of fear. She was standing there with a shocked expression in her face. “Well, come on! It’s not like we’re gonna bite! That’s my sister’s thing.” I joked. Apple Bloom, still unsure, slowly began trotting over. “Ah, so this is the brave filly. Tell me, where is your family?” Zecora asked, leaning down towards the earth pony. Apple Bloom gulped. “A-Ah wanna show mah sister Ah can handle mahself.” “We’re not saying you can’t.” I said, levitating the acorns from my saddlebags to give to Zecora. The shaman placed them into her cauldron and began adding the liquids to it. “But last I saw your sister she was three inches tall.” Apple Bloom rubbed her yellow hoof on her foreleg. “Ah left her on a branch.” “It took a lot of guts to do that. Pfft, if my little sister did that to me. I think I might’ve punched her.” Apple Bloom gasped. Not a good thing to say in front of a little kid. I did my best to correct the situation. “What I have with my sister is very…” Don’t say physical. Darcy will laugh at you. “…violent. What you have with Applejack is way better.” Apple Bloom still looked unnerved. Zecora spoke, stopping the awkward silence. “Little filly, I need you to get something for me. It is off in the Everfree.” The redhead nodded. “Go and find the plant known as aloe. It should cure your sister and her friends in one go.” “One go of what?” Apple Bloom asked. “The cure is mostly a bubble bath mixed with certain herbs. The problem with the others is the blue plant the practically played in yesterday. It’s called Poison Joke.” “It is like the dreaded Poison Oak, but it’s effects are like a joke!” Zecora added. I nodded. “All we need is to get the ingredients and we’re good to go.” Apple Bloom nodded. “Uhh…what’s ‘aloe’?” “Think wheat, but a green stalk and an orange top. Got it?” Bloom nodded slowly as the image came to her. “Okay. Be back in twenty minutes, I think that’s how long it will take for the others to notice you two are gone.” The farmer filly nodded. She ran out of the hut and into the woods. Turning back to Zecora, I felt a strange feeling in my chest. It was kinda familiar. Where had I felt it before? When I tried focusing, I kept thinking about Darcy. Especially when I first met her. “Alright,” I said, putting the feeling aside, “let’s get started.” Zecora and I were putting finishing touches on the cure. It needed to be heated, can’t have a cold cure after all. The shaman had stepped out a moment ago to get some berries that would help. I was tending to the cauldron. It was bright green, thick and bubbling. Steam was building up from the top as I checked the recipe in Supernaturals to see when it would be safe to use. My new friend walked in, a jar in her muzzle. She poured it’s contents into the cauldron. Zecora started speaking in some strange language. I think it was a pony form Swahili or maybe Afrikaans. Zebricaans? “Is it ready Zecora?” I told Zecora. The black and white mare nodded. Zecora sniffed it. “Mmm, the perfect temperature for ponies, I presume.” “Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?” I asked, making Zecora chuckled as I completed her rhyme/stole her line. After a moment, the two of is heard screaming outside. Another moment and the door was slammed open by an upside down Rainbow Dash being bridled by a tiny Applejack. Zecora started speaking in some strange language, I couldn’t tell which of the two it was so I went for my best bet. “Wat de fok is jy meisies doen?!” I shouted in Afrikaans. The two kept on crashing about, smashing bottles and various other things. “Jy is te bemors die plek! Stop're gaan breek nie! Applejack, Rainbow Dash! Staan stil!” Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity came in next. “What have you done with Apple Bloom?” Twilight questioned. “No! No!” Zecora shouted. “Twilight, kan jy daardie twee stop! Self hulle gaan seerkry!” I yelled. I’m glad I learned this language. It was fun to shout. Wish I had better circumstances to try it out. Applejack lossed Zecora’s ear and gripped onto it, attacking it like it was a timberwolf. Rainbow Dash was left free. “Ponies, what is this you-” Zecora asked as Rainbow crashed into the cauldron and poured it’s contents out onto Zecora clean floor. “Die genesing!” I cried out. “No! No! You know not what you do!” Zecora told them. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to make that?!” I scolded the six crazed ponies. “We’re onto you two. I didn’t want to believe you two cursed us, but-” “ Jy gemaal idiote net asblik Zecora se hut! Al hierdie, omdat jy dink dat ons jou vervloek! Ek het gedink jy was slimmer as wat Twilight! Dit is net plain skande. Kyk na hierdie fokken gemors!” I shouted, still in Afrikaans. The six of them stared at me, trying to figure out what I just said. “Huh?” I groaned. “This is by far the stupidest thing I have seen any of you do!” Twilight pointed an accusing hoof at Zecora. “The evidence is overwhelming of you two doing this!” “What? Name one thing!” “Her home, that strange language you both were speaking, that Apple Bloom soup-” Twilight started. “APPLE BLOOM SOUP?!?” I screamed. “I get the house, it is kinda creepy. No offense. I get the language, but… eating other ponies?! Really!? Applejack is still wrestling Zecora’s ear for Celestia’s sakes!” The mares were starting to look a little afraid as I ranted. I took a calming breath so I didn’t get violent. “Zecora, Raspberry, Ah think Ah found all the stuff ya asked fer.” Apple Bloom said as she walked in. “What in Ponyville is goin’ on here?” She asked, her voice pitching. My rant was forgotten, the joy of seeing an alive Apple Bloom was at the forefront of everypony’s minds. “Apple Bloom!” Applejack called out from Zecora’s ear. “Yer okay!” “Why wouldn’t Ah be?” The filly asked innocently. Twilight went over to the filly, making a protective stance. “Cause Zecora is an evil enchantress and Raspberry is her hench pony-” “I. Am. Not. A. Hench. Pony.” I growled. “-cursed us and was gonna turn you into soup!” Twilight yelled, ignoring me. Apple Bloom laughed. I did too, if only to calm myself down and not kill anyone. That was Killjoy’s thing. “Oh Twilight! Did those thingys finally get inside yer head? There’s no such thing as a curse.” Apple Bloom said. “A curse implies the use of dark magic, such as necromancy or mind-control, as well as the use of living blood and one’s on heart.” I said. I stopped Twilight before she could speak again. “What’s happening to you can be explain by simple means. A curse is not one of them.” “If you remember back those words I spoke were quite exact.” Zecora said as Apple Bloom walked towards us, past the line of crazy ponies. “It was a warnin’.” Apple Bloom explained. “About that blue plant. It’s called Poison Joke.” “That plant is much like poison oak, but it’s results are like a joke!” Zecora added. “What in the hay does that mean?” Applejack asked. “It means that when you all decided to play in the flowers, instead of listen to some darn good advice, the plant decided to play pranks on you. Rainbow, it messed with your wings. Rarity, it messed with your hair. Fluttershy, it messed with you voice. Pinkie, your tongue. Twilight, your magic. And Applejack, it made you the little sister.” I explained. “Okay…” Rainbow said. “But what about the cauldron?” “And the chanting?” “And the creepy decór.” “Creepy destroyed decór.” I added. “Treasures of the native land where I am from. This one speaks ‘hello’ and this ‘welcome’.” Zecora explained. “Not welcome at all, if you ask me.” Rarity commented. “You just helped trash her house. You don’t get an opinion.” I told her. “The words I chanted were from Olden times. Something you call a ‘nursery rhyme’.” Zecora explained. “The cauldron wasn’t Apple Bloom soup. It was the cure for Poison Joke. A simple herbal bubble bath.” I lifted up Zecora’s copy of Supernaturals and pushed it in Twilight Sparkle. “This book look familiar Sparkle of Twilight?” Twilight read the cover, slowly. “Here is the book you see, such a shame you don’t have it in the library.” I said, lowering it and angrily looking at Twilight. “Or do you? But refused to read it because of it’s strange title.” Twilight nodded, looking over at Zecora. “I-I’m so sorry Zecora. I had the answer all this time.” The zebra nodded. “Maybe next time you will take a second look and not judge the cover of a book.” Apple Bloom giggled, I smirked and sighed. “But wait, Raspberry, what was that language you were speaking?” Twilight asked. I opened my mouth to speak. “Zebrakaans, a language from where I onced hail. It seems Raspberry Stardust has roots there as well.” I nodded. “My grandpa, Zanu, was a zebra. Spoke it all the time in his visits with Grandma Medical Wing.” I laughed. “Especially when the stove wasn’t working or his stubbed his hoof.” How did I know that? Stupid phantom memories. “Sorry about what I said earlier mares. I just… had to kings grow up with ponies hating my dad (he got Grandpa’s stripes) and my family because of how we looked. Hope you can forgive me.” They all nodded. “Zecora, Raspberry, would you be kind enough to whip up another batch of bubble bath?” Twilight asked, her horn making noises as it wobbled atop her head. “Fix it up, we certainly will.” “Yet we are missing an herb from Ponyville.” I finished. “But whenever Zecora comes to town all the shops are mysteriously closed.” Apple Bloom added. “Oh, well. I think we can help you with that.” Twilight smirked. One hour later, the cure was made and we asked Aloe and Lotus to let us use the spa bath. The girls were all bathing and slowly we noticed the strange things about them were going away. I took another picture, one of all of them laughing with Applejack and her crushed cup. It was good. Placing the camera away, I began walking away. “Hey.” I turned back and saw everypony looking at me. Rainbow Dash smirked, using her wings. “Where are you going?” “Uh…home?” I said. “No, yer not.” Applejack said, hopping out of the cup and towards me. “Okay. I give. Where am I going?” I asked. Rarity smiled at me. “Over here, darling.” “Why?” I asked. Pinkie hopped out. “Because you helped make the cure! Even though we were being so mean about it. And to your grandma Wanu!” “Grandpa.” I corrected. “Grandpa Zanu.” Pinkie kept on smiling. “And… umm… if it’s not too much trouble… you could tell us…about your family...if it’s not too much trouble.” Fluttershy asked. They…actually wanted to talk to me about my family? Not how rude I was to them? Or other stuff? “Actually, I have one thing I want to talk about.” I said. “What is it?” Twilight asked. “Applejack,” I said, turning to the orange earth pony. “During Applebuck season, what happened to you near the end?” Applejack’s leaf green eyes gazed at me in confusion. “Uh…Ah was buckin’ trees when a pony came up ‘n asked me somethin’.” “What did she ask?” “‘Does this rag smell like chloroform?’” Applejack answered. “What did she look like?” “A dark red pegasus with a straight silver mane. Why?” Applejack asked. I pointed at Twilight and laughed. “See! I told you I didn’t drug Applejack!” She laughed, same for Zecora. The others slowly joined in. The day was nearly done. I was walking home when I ran I to Killjoy and Lilac. “Now, where are you sending those?” Killjoy asked. “To Ms. Rainbow Dash’s house.” Lilac answered. “Good, now get to it!” “Hey. Are you using Lilac as a fax machine…again?” I asked, getting a good look at what was going on. Lilac was holding a burlap sack while Killjoy just gave me an innocent look. “No.” “Liar.” Lilac laughed. “Oh. I found the spell you wanted.” I told Killjoy, whose face lightened up. “So...” “Yes. That means you can go on that trip.” I told the pegasus, who instantly hugged Lilac in excitement. Happily, the sack opened into my twin sister. “Gah!” “Bwahahaha!” Lilac and I laughed. “Shut up you jerks!” Killjoy said, brushing off the blue plants. Zecora looked around the crushed remains of her hut. She would need to sweep those up and then buy more bottles. It was going to be an interesting trip. The zebra walked into her bedroom, the only room unaffected by today’s events. Slowly, she search the room for a photograph she had brought with her from her homeland. Lifting it up, Zecora smiled at the memories it brought back. It was of a male zebra and brown female pegasus. The pegasus had a cutiemark of a stethoscope, her eyes were the same brown as her coat and her mane was the same brown with dark green stripes. The zebra had ocean blue eyes, black and white stripes, a symbol for healing on his rump, and his striped mane was cut very short but otherwise looked like a mohawk. The pegasus held something in her hooves. It was a small bundle, wrapped in blue. It was a foal with the same fur as the mare, part of his small mane was brown but it had silver stripes. His body was adorned in various black zebra stripes. His closed eyes would reveal deep forest green. Zecora smiled. “So, Uncle Zanu, even after all this time you find ways to surprise. I should have known she was yours by that look in her eyes.”