//------------------------------//
// 17. Bridle Gossip - Part 2 
// Story: Blaze the Pony Tale 
// by Wolven5 
//------------------------------//

*SNORE!!!*

“AUGH! Yow!!”

Midnight jolted awake to a sound louder than thunder, falling out of bed. As he groaned and stood up, he started to notice something.
Wha… Why does everything in my room look bigger?

He looked to his bed and realized something was wrong. He was standing up, but his eyes just came up enough to peer over the top of the mattress. 

*SNORE!!!*

He yelped as he heard that sound again, so loud it was it made his bones rattle. 

“Whazzat?!” he asked, but gasped as he covered his mouth. “Hey, what’s wrong with my voice?!”

He sounded like he was ten years old again. He looked towards the mirror he had in his room and screamed.
“AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHH!!!”
*SNORE!!!*

“Midnight!”

The door burst open and in came Apple Bloom, yelling, “Wha’s wrong, are you-”

She gasped when her eyes fell upon Midnight.
“Yer- Yer a- Yer a colt!”

Midnight was indeed a colt, just Apple Bloom’s size. He was looking back n’ forth between his reflection and Apple Bloom, when that loud noise sounded again.
*SNORE!!!*

“What in dear Faust’s name is that?!” Midnight yelped.

“Ah dunno, but it sounds kinda familiar,” Apple Bloom suggested. Suddenly, a look of realization dawned upon her.
“Big Mac!”

Midnight followed her and they made their way to Mac’s door. Midnight concentrated to open it but his horn just made sparks.
“There’s something wrong with my magic!”

“Oh here!” Apple Bloom jumped on his back, Midnight yelping, as he wasn’’t quite as strong as he normally was (when he was a stallion), and struggled to stand as Apple Bloom turned the doorknob. They opened the door, only to be met with sunlight, and they gasped!

The wall opposite them, the wall enclosing Big Mac’s room from outside, was gone, and so was Big Mac. In fact, his bed was gone, part of the floor was gone. Midnight noticed it looked like the floor had collapsed under something heavy. 
*SNORE!!!*

Midnight and Apple Bloom looked at each other, and slowly walked towards the edge and peered over. What they saw blew their minds!
It was Big Mac, only much - Much! - bigger!

He was lying on the ground, apparently still asleep, explaining the loud noises to have been his snores. But now, he was hee-uge! Midnight estimated if Mac were standing, he’d at least stand taller than the house. His head was propped up against the house, which apparently had been damaged.
“Big Mac?!” Apple Bloom whimpered in shock.
“How did that happen without us noticing last night!?” Midnight wondered aloud. “At the very least, we should’ve heard when he outgrew his room!” 

*SNORE!!!*

They covered their ears to protect their beating eardrums, Midnight saying, “We gotta wake `im up somehow.”

“Help!”

“What was that?” Apple Bloom asked, looking back towards the hall. “It was all squeaky.”

“Somepony help me before Ah’m a varmint’s snack!”

“Applejack?!” Apple Bloom wondered and spun around towards the hall.

Unfortunately, her tail lashed out and whipped Midnight in the face, startling him, and he was unfortunately close to the edge.
“Whoa-wha- Apple Blooooooommm!”


The last thing Midnight saw was Big Mac’s mouth as it opened again to snore. The next thing he knew, he was somewhere hot, wet, and tight, like some kind of tube. He heard an alarmed bray, something moving the tube around, and a loud coughing.

*HACK-KOFF-HURK*

GULP! 


Mac panted, as he felt whatever fell into his throat go down the tube. He thumped his chest a little but soon realized something was wrong.
“Big Mac!”

He looked and gasped! There was his room, with a gaping hole revealing it to the outside, where he was, sitting on the ground, and his face looking down to his little sister, Apple Bloom. Only she was a lot more little.
“Wha-” He gaped at her, but realized what had happened. “Ah’m bigger?! How in th’ haystack-”

“Mac!” Apple Bloom shouted, and she waved him over. 

Big Mac carefully moved his face closer to her, and she looked nervous. 
“Now Mac, Ah don’ know how this happened, but there’s sumpin’ else you should know.”

“Whassat?” Big Mac asked.

“Well… Don’t panic or nothin’, but…” she looked nervously, and said, “You kinda… accidentally… just… swallowed Midnight!”

Macintosh recalled his rude awakening of something falling into his throat, momentarily choking him till he managed to get it down. His pupils dilated to pinpricks (or, from Apple Bloom’s perspective, to the size of saucer plates).

“And there’s more,” Apple Bloom went on. She turned so her side faced him. He noticed something on her back and had to squint to see it was, “AJ?!” 

“Hoo-whee, Mac, yer bigger than a wagonful a’ apples!”

“And yer as teeny as an apple blossom,” Mac retorted, “but we got bigger problems than mah size! Ah accidentally ate Midnight!”

“Would y’all take whatever yer blabbin’ about somewhere else, dagnabbit!” shrieked Granny Smith from her bedroom.
“Ah’m tryin’ t’ sleep!” 

The apple siblings all ‘shhh’d, and Mac put his nose out, Apple Bloom carefully stepping onto it, and Mac tiptoed towards the barn (which, to be honest, still sounded like the banging of a bass drum). He moved his nose towards they hayloft, and Apple Bloom carefully stepped onto it, Applejack still on her back, holding on by Apple Bloom’s mane.

Mac sat his rump down (which made a noticeable boom) and waited for Apple Bloom to come out of the barn, and when she did, she immediately said, “Lie down flat on yer back.”

Mac shrugged and did as she said. He felt her climb onto him, first by going up his foreleg, than chuckled a bit, feeling her walk across his chest to his belly, her little hooves a bit ticklish to him. Apple Bloom put her ear to her brother’s gargantuan stomach, and heard the gurgles inside. But then she heard a muffled voice.
“Where am I?! Can anypony here me?!”

Apple Bloom phewed in relief, and said, “Midnight’s okay, but Ah don’ think he even knows where he is!” 

“Well we gotta get him out somehow,” Applejack squeaked. 

“But we gotta let him know where he is,” Mac brought up. 

“Ah got it!” Apple Bloom beamed. “Wait right here!”

She slid down Mac’s belly, put Applejack onto a nearby barrel, and ran into the house. Not too long later, she came out, carrying a couple things. 
“These walkie-talkies oughta do th’ trick!”

“And how are those gonna help?” Big Mac asked. 

“Yer gonna swallow one, Midnight gets it, and we’ll be able t’ talk to each other with this one!” Apple Bloom offered.

“Ah dunno,” Mac was reluctant to swallow anything else. But suddenly, they all heard a growl worthy of a dragon, and Applejack couldn’t help but notice Mac’s belly quiver a little, and she realized what just happened. 

“Mac! Swallow the dang thing already!” Applejack snapped despite her puny size, “Yer stomach’s growlin’, which means yer hungry! And y’know what’s gonna happen to Midnight if we don’ get him outta ya soon!”

Mac sighed and moved his face to Apple Bloom, holding out his tongue. The filly placed it on the tip and said, “Gulp `er down!”





From where he was, Midnight was starting to figure out his current situation, and was starting to hyperventilate. He’d heard a booming voice from outside he recognized, and, considering the last thing he saw was Big Mac’s gaping mouth…
“I'M IN MACINOTSH'S STOMACH!” 

He was surrounded by pulsating walls of flesh, standing ankle deep in a slimy liquid, and he’d heard a loud growling just a moment ago. He’d tried to light up his horn but every time he had, his horn just fizzled with sparks, further confirming his magic had gone flooie. So he couldn’t use his magic, which meant he couldn’t just teleport out of Mac’s belly. He couldn’t help it right now, he couldn’t help but start crying like the little colt he’d been inexplicably reduced to, and sobbed.
“I don’t wanna be horse manure!!”

“Midnight!”

“Huh?!” He looked around, very certain he’d heard Apple Bloom’s voice. “Apple Bloom, are you here?!”

“Midnight, pick up, over!” The voice was followed by static. 

And Midnight noticed something flashing red. He made his way over to it and realized it was a walkie-talkie.
“Midnight, pick up, are ya there?”

“Yes, I’m here!” Midnight replied back, so happy to have contact with somepony. 

“Oh thank goodness,” Apple Bloom responded. “Midnight, in case ya ain’t aware, you should know-”

“Yes, I’m in Big Macintosh’s stomach, right?!” Midnight snapped.

“Eeyup,” boomed Mac’s voice around him. 

“Midnight, y’alright?” came a squeaky version of Applejack’s voice. 

“Yeah, but… what’s up with your voice, AJ?”

“No time t’ explain,” Apple Bloom responded. “We gotta get you outta Mac quick, before he starts digestin’ ya!”

“Well, I can’t teleport out, something’s wrong with my magic!” Midnight reported when an idea popped in his head.
“Get Twilight, she’ll know what to do!”

“Okay,” Apple Bloom responded. “Me and Applejack’ll go see `er. Don’ go anywhere!”

“Duh!” Midnight snapped into the walkie-talkie. “And hurry up, cuz I am not getting out of here through Mac’s tail-gate!”





Meanwhile, Twilight was going through book after book, saying, “No, no, no, no, no! None of these books have a cure!”

Twilight had woken up and saw her horn all floppy and polka-dotted blue. She groaned, saying, “There has to be an explanation for this! An illness, an allergy?!”

“A curse!”

She turned to see Spike looking into a big green book, the cover embossed with some kind of herb.

“I would prefer an explanation that doesn’t include nonsense,” she shot him down, “an explanation rational and logical.”

“Well maybe this’ll help,” Spike held the book out.

“‘Supernaturals’?” she read before getting stonefaced, “Spike, the word ‘supernatural’ refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies, which are as make-believe as curses. This book is just a bunch of hooey!”

“But what if you’re wrong, Twilight?” Spike said in a considerable tone. “What if this is-”

“Ah pfurse!”

They looked to see Pinkie Pie, whose tongue was sticking out, looking swollen and also covered with blue polka-dots. 

“A purse?” Spike echoed, scratching his head, “How could it be a purse?” 

“Pinkie! What happened?” Twilight asked in concern. 

“Pee pah Zthecora!” Pinkie sputtered, “Sthe put a cursthe on me!”

“Eyuch! Say it, don’t spray it!” Spike wiped off Pinkie’s saliva, when they heard a crash outside, followed by an ‘ow’.

They looked out the window and saw Rainbow Dash repeatedly crashing into it (thankfully, the glass was magically-reinforced an in no danger of breaking).
“She’s” – Thud! – ‘trying to say” – “Ow!” – “Zecora” – Thud! – “Ow!”

She finally got in, this time crashing through the door as she hollered, “Slapped us with a curse!”

They dodged as she zoomed overhead and crashed into one of the bookcases carved into the walls. They saw that Rainbow’s wings were now anatomically in the wrong place, facing backwards as they stuck out from the sides of Rainbow’s abdomen. 

“I’m afraid I have to agree.”

They looked and yelped at the hairy creature in front of them. It had purple and white hair, all bunched into dreadlock-like pieces, completely covering its face. But the color of the hair and the voice told them it was Rarity.

“Ah hate t’ say Ah told ya so, Twilight!”

They looked and gasped to see Apple Bloom standing in the doorway, and standing on her back was Applejack, no bigger than an apple.
“But Ah told ya so! It’s a curse, Ah tell ya!”

“Ow!”

They looked and saw Thunderlane had fell flat on his face as he walked in, but the reason that was so was his wings! They were long and dragging behind him. 

Twilight went over and helped him up asking, “Thundy, are you ok?”

Thunderlane rubbed his head and explained, “I woke up this morning and my wings were long and limp! I can’t even fold them up so I’ve been tripping over them all the way here!”

“But- Fluttershy seems just fine!” Twilight pointed out.

“Yes, there doesn’t seem to be a thing wrong with her,” Rarity complained, as Fluttershy looked self-conscious, standing next to her (where she suddenly came from nopony asked).

“Fluttershy?” Twilight addressed her, Fluttershy looking embarrassed. “Are you ok?”

“…”

“Is there something wrong with you?” 

Fluttershy just nodded her head.

“Would you care to tell us?” Twilight asked with a raised brow.

“There’s no time fer that!” Apple Bloom spoke up. “Twilight, Big Mac an’ Midnight need ya right now!”

“Whatever happened to them, I’m sure it can wait,” Twilight insisted.

"O-K, but Ah hope Midnight enjoyed his last day o’ life before he’s digested!” Applejack raised her brow. 

“Digested?!” everypony gasped.





Finally, they all made their way to Sweet Apple Acres and were blown-away by Big Macintosh’s growth-spurt. He was sitting by the barn, and even just sitting, he was its equal in height. He looked uncomfortable as everypony gaped up at him, some looking at his belly.

“So Big Macintosh accidentally swallowed Midnight?” Twilight worried.

“Here, we got Mac to swallow the other one,” Apple Bloom offered her the walkie-talkie.

Twilight looked at the device, and up to Mac, who looked ashamed, his ears drooping. 
“Midnight, are you there?”

“Twilight! Thank Celestia!” came Midnight’s voice from the device. “Ya gotta get me out of here!”

“Well, can’t you just teleport out?”

“I tried, but my magic isn’t working!”

“Midnight, what’s wrong with your voice?” Twilight asked. “You sound like a colt.”

“Well, Twilight, I suppose that would have to do with how I woke up this morning in the body of a colt!” Midnight snapped so loudly, Twilight held the receiver away from her ear. 

“Maybe Mac could throw him up?” suggested a deep voice and everypony looked to Fluttershy, who suddenly covered her mouth.

“Ba-ha-ha-ha!” Spike couldn’t help it anymore. “This is hilarious, lookit all of you! We-we got… Hair-ity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty-Pie, Thunderlimp, Bigger Macintosh, Flutterguy, Midnight Snack, and…”

He looked at Twilight who returned his gaze with an indignant look, her eyes narrowed beneath her floppy horn.
“Uh… I got nothing. Twilight Sparkle, I mean seriously, I can’t even work with that.”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Twilight laughed sarcastically before getting serious, “This is no joke, Spike! Now head back to the library and look for more books so I can find a cure! We have to hurry before Midnight is digested!”

Spike huffed but left Rainbow Crash (struggling to keep balance from her awkward wings) said, “I think we’ll find a cure to this curse at Zecora’s place!”

“It’s not a curse!” Twilight snapped.

“Ah agree wit’ Dash,” squeaked Apple-Teeny. “We’ll go t’ Zecora’s an’ force her t’ remove this hex!”

“It’s not a hex either!” Twilight was beginning to feel like the only sane one left, and everypony started breaking out in argument.

Apple Bloom felt bad.
This is all mah fault, if Ah hadn’t followed Zecora in th’ first place none a’ this wouldn’t’a happened. I just gotta fix this.

And without anypony (except a a certain tiny one who leapt into her tail) Apple Bloom hurried off.

“I don’t care what you say, Twilight,” Rainbow Crash snapped. “I say we pony up and confront Zecora!”

“Fine! If only to put an end to this nonsense once and for all,” Twilight caved but not for the reasons they wanted.

“Uh…”

They looked up and Bigger Mac said, “Apple Bloom ain’t here.”

“Not again!” Twilight groaned, “Come on, everypony, I bet she went to see Zecora again.”

“Ergh!” Thunderlimp groaned as he tried to follow but he looked saw his problem. “Pinkie, quit standing on my wing!”

“Sthorry!” she sputtered, and Thunderlimp picked up his wings, draping them over his back, hopefully so as not to trip on them again.

“Hey!”

They looked and saw Rainbow Crash being propelled by her wings while upside-down.
“A little help here?”

Bigger Mac carefully reached down and took Rainbow Crash’s wings in his teeth and gently launched her up.
“Thanks!” – Crash! – “Ow!” 

Sighing, Mac simply followed, feeling a tussle in his belly and hoped Midnight was okay.





At that moment, Apple Bloom had just entered the Everfree Forest when she heard, “Stop right there!"

She skidded to a halt and felt something on her head.
“Turn around right now, missy!”

She smirked, realizing who her little stowaway was, and said, “No!”

“No?!” Apple-Teeny echoed. “Ya cain’t ignore a direct order from yer big sister!”

Apple Bloom went over to a branch hanging over a ridge and tilted her head, causing Apple-Teeny to slide down onto it.
“Sorry Applejack, but Ah’m the big sister now.”

“Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instant!” Apple-Teeny shouted after her. “Ah’m gonna tell Big Macintosh on you!”

She looked around and sulked at her situation.
“Pony-feathers…”





The others were just entering the Everfree Forest, Twilight saying, “Come on, everypony, we’ve got to make it to Zecora’s!”

Hair-ity tripped over her locks, getting them dirty and twiggy, “Easier said than done!”

“Eeyup!” Bigger Mac agreed as he pushed through the thick canopy.

“Hey!” Rainbow Crash yelled, trying her best to keep control of her flight, “Wait for me!”

However, she lost it and crashed through a bush and into a tree. Groaning, she suddenly felt something pop out of her mouth.
“Rainbow! Thank Celestia!”

Apple-Teeny had been on the branch of the tree Rainbow had crashed into (and miraculously avoided Midnight’s situation). She grabbed a twig and vine, hurrying over as she said, “Ther’e no time t’ lose!”

She made a makeshift set of reins and forced them on Rainbow, “Ah need t’ get t’ Zecora’s pronto! Giddyup, pony!”

“Ex-CUSE me?!” Rainbow snapped, only to feel a jerk as Apple-Teeny 'Yee-haw”d and they rose up, shakily flying to catch up with the others





They had come upon what appeared to be a hut built into a tree, similar to Twilight’s library. There were some tribal masks set outside and some gourds or containers hung from the branches. 
“Ugh, I look horrible!” Hair-ity complained.
“Plis place plooks horrible,” Spitty-Pie commented while raising Hair-ity’s bangs out of her face.
“Oh my, it does! Nice decorations, if you like creepy!” Hair-ity agreed.

They all tip-toed (or in Mac’s case thumped) over and peered through the window (Mac with one big green eye). Inside were more masks, more containers, candles, and a door opened to reveal who could only be Zecora!

They gasped and shied from the window.

Zecora was a zebra mare with black and white stripes, a little gray in there, a mohawk-like mane somewhat similar to Thunder’s, and she wore golden jewelry in the form of bangles, necklaces, hoop earrings, and she actually had what looked like a cutie-mark in a tribal-like sun. She poured a container of purple berries into a bubbling cauldron in the center of the room and appeared to be softly chanting in a foreign language.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel like something ominous was going on.

“She shtole my shtong!” Spitty sputtered in an accusing tone. 

“Huh?!” everypony asked her.

“She shtole my shtong!” Spitty repeated.

“Pinkie, we can’t understand a word ya say,” Thunderlimp deadpanned.

Spitty looked to Flutterguy with puppy-dog eyes begging. Flutterguy sighed and started singing.
She’s an evil enchantress-

“If anypony sings that stupid song,” shouted a muffled voice and they looked to Bigger Mac as he gazed down at his belly, his brow raised.
“I will personally apple-buck them clear across Equestria… from in here!”

Flutterguy shrugged apologetically at Spitty and she pouted, silently swearing to prank Midnight good. 

“Well you can see she’s not normal!” Hair-ity brought up, “Now do you believe us Twilight?”
“Seriously, what more proof do you need?!” Rainbow Crash demanded.

Twilight had to consider the facts: Scary-looking masks, foreign incantations, a great big bubbling cauldron.
She sighed and admitted, “All this does point to Zecora being… bad!”

“Are you kidding me?!” 

She looked at the walkie-talkie and realized it was Midnight. 
“Now you’re giving in to nonsense?!”

“Well, what else could it be, Midnight?” Twilight responded. “And if we don’t hurry, you’re gonna get digested!”

“I can’t believe you’re actually giving into all these silly fillies, Twilight.”

Eveypony looked and saw, “Spike! What’re you doing here?”

“Never mind,” Spike approached them all, holding a book. “But we are gonna go in there-”

“Ah-hem!”

Spike gazed up at Bigger Mac and amended, “Well, most of us are gonna go in there, and ask her if she knows what’s going on with you all. Midnight’s right, Zecora’s just different!”

Twilight looked ashamed, realizing, He’s right,  Midnight’s right! How could I possibly allow superstition to cloud my judgment?

“You’re right, Spike, come on,” she invited.

Spike started following her to the door but noticed the others weren’t following.
“Well?”

The mares sighed and Thunderlimp smiled understandingly.

They knocked on the door and Zecora answered.
“Well, greetings to you, but you look so gloom. Are you the friends of Apple Bloom?”

“That’s us!” Spike spoke up before Apple-Teeny or Rainbow Crash could get confrontational. 

“For herbs, I sent her to find,” Zecora gestured them in, “for the remedy right here, so you mind.”

“Remedy?!” everypony echoed in confusion.

“It sure is!”

They looked to the door and saw…
“Apple Bloom!”

The filly came in, carrying a basket of herbs.
“Is this all ya needed, Zecora?”

“This right here and that too,” Zecora looked at the find, “all will complete this curing brew!” 

“So, you know what happened to us?” Twilight asked.

“Remember what I said to you, yesterday those leaves of blue?” Zecora inquired, everypony nodding. 

“It was them blue flowers that did it,” Apple Bloom added, “they’re called Poison Joke!”

“Hey! I think I came across that in this book,” Spike flipped through the pages and went “Ah-ha!”

He pointed to an illustration and Zecora nodded.
“Much alike to Poison Oak, but instead of a rash, they inflict a joke.” 

“Wha’ in th’ hay does that mean?” squeaked Apple-Teeny.

“It means that instead of contracting a rash, like you would from poison oak,” Spike said as he looked in the book, “Poison Joke will induce a silly effect upon the pony that comes in contact with it!”

“That’s right!” Twilight remembered, “When we ran in to save Apple Bloom and Twinken, we ran through the Poison Joke. All our problems are just little jokes it played on us?”

“A joke?!”

They looked outside and again Bigger Mac pointed at his belly.
“You call this a joke?!”

“How absurd,” Zecora commented, “this giant pony speaks without a word!”

“Oh no, Zecora,” Apple Bloom said, “Big Macintosh accidentally swallowed one o’ our friends, and Midnight’s trapped in his belly!”

Again, Mac looked guilty. 

“He could teleport out if he could use his magic,” Twilight added.

“I see now but not to worry,” Zecora pushed the cauldron out of her hut . “With this cure, we’ll get him out in a hurry.”

“But what about the cauldron?!” Crash demanded.
“And the chanting,” Thunderlimp added.
“And the creepy décor,” Hair-ity snipped. 

“Treasures of the land where I am from,” Zecora explained, pointing out a couple masks, “this one speaks ‘hello’ and the other ‘welcome’. The words I chanted were from olden times, something you’d call a nursery rhyme.”

“And the pot’s fer all these herbal ingredients,” Apple Bloom pointed out the ones she’d collected.
“Th’ cure fer Poison Joke is a nat’ral remedy. Ya just gotta take a bubble bath in it.”

“But for your friend trapped inside your brother,” Zecora poked Bigger Mac’s belly, “the cure must be applied some way other.” 

“I have an idea,” Midnight called through the walkie-talkie.

“What is it, Midnight?” asked Twilight.

“Have Mac drink the cure and I’ll be washed up in it,” Midnight explained, “and once the stuff does it’s work, my magic will be able to teleport me out!”

“That’s brilliant!” Twilight agreed, “But one thing bothers me, I looked through every book I had for a cure. What book has this natural remedy?”

“Ah-hem!”

Twilight looked to Spike and showed her the book.
“It’s this one, Twilight! ‘Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are simply Super’. If you hadn’t dismissed it, we could’ve found the cure for ourselves!”

Twilight felt horrible and turned to the zebra.
“I- I’m so sorry, Zecora. I had the answer the whole time, if only I had bothered to look inside.”

Zecora just laughed, showing no harm done, while everypony else looked ashamed for their actions and words about Zecora who simply said, “Maybe next time you will take a closer look and not judge the cover of the book. Now Macintosh, for Midnight within, you must take this remedy and drink it all in.”

Bigger Mac sighed and bent down, taking the cauldron in his huge hooves, not liking the way it bubbled.
“Drink up, it looks worse than it tastes, but hurry now for Midnight's sakes.”



Midnight was tapping his hooves inside Mac’s stomach when he heard a loud GULP!

He immediately ran to the opening above and closed his eyes as he felt a warm bitter-tasting liquid wash over him, and he felt a pleasant tingling that gave way to a strange sensation that felt like his muscles stretching in a way that felt good.



Outside, Zecora was getting started on whipping up more of the cure when they all heard a FLASH!

They looked and saw Midnight, shaking himself dry and a stallion again.
“Midnight!” they shouted but Bigger Mac got to him first, wrapping the blue unicorn in a lung-collapsing hug.

“Ah’m so sorry, haystack!” he hollered, “Ah’m just glad yer okay!” 

“Th-thanks, Mac!” Midnight choked, “But can you let go?! I- I can’t… breathe!”

Mac forgot he was still big and chuckled sheepishly as he put Midnight down. For the first time, Midnight was seeing how ridiculous everypony looked and couldn’t help laughing.
“Well, I hope you all learned something today!”

“Yes, Midnight, we did,” Twilight said with a good-natured groan. “You were right and we were wrong…”

“Pardon me? Could you say that again?” Midnight made a show of holding his hoof to his ear. 

“GET OVER IT!” Crash shouted at him, and he started rubbing his ear to get rid of the ringing.





Before long, every pony was cured, even Mac was back to his normal definition of big. Everypony crowded around Zecora thanking her.
“To see you normal is thanks enough, now would you kindly help pick up my stuff?”

Everypony helped out in cleaning Zecora’s home while Twilight took the time to write another letter. 


Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; it's the "contents" of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle