//------------------------------// // 62. The Cutie-Pox - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// It took some doing, Midnight’s telekinetic hold of the ceaselessly tap-dancing Apple Bloom was shaky not because she couldn’t stop moving, but he felt some kind of distortion in his hold on her. But finally, they made it to the library and presented her to Twilight, where the librarian-magician was blown away. “Three cutie-marks, three talents! I’ve never seen anything like it!” “Well there has to be something in this library that can shed some light on this matter,” Midnight hoped. “Well, I was just reading about unusual equine illnesses,” Twilight brought up as she browsed a nearby shelf, looking at a couple books. “What was it?” “‘Perplexing Pony Plagues’, perhaps?” They all looked to Spike, standing at the top of a ladder, holding a heavy book. He hopped down onto Midnight’s back, as the blue unicorn said, “Thanks, Spike! You’re a life-saver!” “Well, I might not be a pony but I do have some talents,” Spike said not-at-all humbly, as he let Midnight take the book and he levitated it onto a podium for Twilight. Twilight turned a few pages, skimming through some common ailments. “Hay Fever, Feather Flu, the Trots…” – She gasped, apparently having found what she was looking for – “Cutie Pox!” “Cutie Pox?!” everypony echoed in confusion while Twilight read, “‘Cutie Pox, this puzzling pony plague afflicted a population of ponies back in the paleopony period’!” “Heh, say that ten times fast!” cracked Spike, earning him a buck off Midnight’s back as he gave the dragon a narrowed-eye look before gesturing to Twilight to continue. “‘Random cutie-marks appeared all over the ponies’ bodies, causing them to perform all the talents that came with them’!” “Jus’ like me!” Apple Bloom concurred, still loop-de-hooping, plate-spinning, and tap-dancing. “Yes, but - Th’ cure, wha’s the cure?!” pressured Applejack. Twilight looked and felt her heart sink, “It says here there’s no known cure!” “No known cure?!” echoed everypony, Midnight taking the book, saying, “Lemme see that thing…‘The cause of the outbreak was never discovered, and the cutie pox disappeared as mysteriously as they arrived’?! A lotta help this book isn’t!” “Oh no…!” Apple Bloom whined when a flash on her flank revealed a fleur-de-liss. “Sacrebleu! Plus de marques de cutie!” She gasped at her own words, “Qu'est-ce c'est?! Je parle français?!” “Mah sister’s speakin’ in fancy!” Applejack exclaimed. "Actually, I believe that's Prench," Midnight corrected. "Never mind what's she's speaking!" Twilight exasperated. “She needs help!” “Well, obviously! We can’t just wait for this to go away,” Midnight retorted. “We gotta find somepony who can mix up a cure!” stated Applejack, Apple Bloom adding, “Tout de suite!” “Not some pony…” Twilight proposed, “Some zebra!” “Zecora!” Midnight and Applejack realized in agreement. Soon they were all galloping towards the edge of town, to where they’d enter the Everfree Forest. But Apple Bloom continued to uncontrollably tap-dance while trying in vain to keep up, the others slowing and looking to her as Applejack called, “Hurry, hurry!” “Dépêchez-vous!” But alas, a cutie-mark of a hammer and chisel appeared on Apple Bloom’s leg, forcing her to sculpt a fabulous piece of art in the form of The Birth of Venus. Another cutie-mark made her start chimney-sweeping, another forced her to play the accordion, another lion-taming (where she got the lions was anypony’s guess), another helped her beat an older pony in chess, then she started fencing, all to the bewilderment and suspense of the ponies taking it all in (except for Spike as the limey lizard enjoyed the show with some popcorn). “She’s cursed!” feared Lily Valley as she watched Apple Bloom tightrope walk. “Hexed!” disagreed Roseluck as Apple Bloom hoof-glided. “Enchanted!” whimpered Daisy. “No she’s not,” Spike assured them, much to their sighs of relief, until Spike blurted out, “She just has some weird mysterious disease, with no known cure, called Cutie Pox.” “CUTIE POX?!” screamed everypony in the vicinity, and immediately they made tracks out of there. Ponies dove indoors, locked their doors and windows, or just hightailed it out of there. In seconds flat, the neighborhood was like a ghost town, a tumbleweed bouncing past Twilight, Applejack, and Midnight (although why a tumbleweed was there to begin with Midnight couldn’t guess). “I thought I had removed their fear when last I visited here.” They all gaped and saw it was Zecora, baskets hanging on each side of her barrel. “But doors are barred, shutters shut, guess I should’ve stayed inside my hut.” “Zecora!” Midnight yelled as he pointed out Apple Bloom doing mathematical equations well beyond her educational level. “Apple Bloom has cutie pox!” “We were just on our way to see if you had a cure,” Twilight added. “But magically yer here! Was yer zebra sense a’tinglin’?” asked Applejack. “My ‘zebra sense’ did not bring me `round, it was a special flower that I needed found. I thought I picked enough to fix all the potions I had to mix. But after my visit from Apple Bloom, some had mysteriously left my room.” “You don’t say…” Midnight said with a tone as he gave Apple Bloom the stink-eye while she was forced to do heavy-weight lifting. “Is there something you wanna tell us, young filly?” “Or did these flowers just leave willy-nilly?” Zecora added with the same tone, Apple Bloom breaking out in a sweat, and it wasn’t from the heavy-lifting. But then a sponge cutie-mark forced Apple Bloom to start scrubbing windows, the ponies inside stepping back while putting on hazmat masks. “A cutie pox cure I have, forsooth,” Zecora brought up as she took some seeds from her basket with her tail. “For healing power is in the Seeds of Truth.” “Well then give `em to her, quick!” pressured Applejack. “These seeds must be planted in the ground,” Zecora explained, “with the truth they’ll grow and the cure is found.” “Come again?” Applejack asked. “I think she means that in order for the cure to take effect,” Midnight surmised, “somepony has to tell the truth for the seeds to grow. A very certain somepony…” Apple Bloom felt her heart pump as Midnight and Zecora both gave her the stink-eye, but Applejack took matters into her own hooves, “Then let’s get to it!” She took the seeds from Zecora and promptly buried them in the soil. “Now somepony TELL THE TRUTH!” Nothing happened, Apple Bloom continued to dance until a tornado cutie-mark took her for a spin, Applejack looking around, pleading, “Somepony! ANYPONY!” But the onlookers all hid in fear until they heard somepony say, “Yesterday I told Mrs. Cake that I ate two corn cakes but I ate three!” They looked to Pinkie Pie, then the mound where the seeds were but nothing happened. “Okay, six! I ate six corn cakes!” Pinkie admitted nervously. Still nothing. Pinkie started bawling, “Make it stop, make it sto-ha-hop!” “Oh for GODDESS' SAKE APPLE BLOOM!” Midnight screamed at her as she continued to spin uncontrollably. “Tell the truth before you pass out of exhaustion!” “Alright, ALRIGHT ALREADY! AH ADMIT IT!” Apple Bloom screamed, “Ah didn’t earn mah cutie-mark, THEY'RE ALL FAKE!” She finally stopped spinning but then resumed tap-dancing, and Zecora, Midnight, Twilight, and Applejack noticed the mound shake a bite. “Ah figured th’ Heart’s Desire flower would help me get what Ah wanted,” Apple Bloom went on, knowing it wouldn’t stop till she came completely clean, as ponies started stepping out to hear the story. “So when Zecora left her hut, Ah mixed up a special potion an’ put th’ rest a’ th’ Heart’s Desire innit!” With the truth at last made known, the seeds sprouted and grew into a dazzling flower, much to the awe of everypony! And then the moment passed, as Apple Bloom scarfed the whole thing down in one gulp, making her sigh as she at last stopped dancing and sank to her belly. In no time at all, the Cutie Pox disappeared, taking away all the fake cutie-marks freeing Apple Bloom of their influence. “Apple Bloom!” They all looked to see the rest of the Crusaders, along with the colts run over, Scootaloo asking, “Are you okay?” “Ah’m great, and Ah’ve never been happier t’ be a blank flank,” Apple Bloom assured them in relief. “But Ah’m awful sorry Ah lied, `specially t’ y’all. Ah was so desperate fer mah cutie-mark Ah guess Ah got carried away. An’ Ah’m really sorry Ah snuck them flowers from you, Zecora. Ah wouldn’t blame ya if ya never wanted me t’ come by again.” “Now Apple Bloom, do not be silly,” Zecora scoffed, lifting her face to look at the zebra mare. “You are always welcome, my little filly.” “And while you caused some trouble and lied,” Midnight spoke up, “I think we can all agree that what you have endured has been lesson enough. We’re all just glad you’re okay.” “For with each mistake you learn something new,” Zecora agreed, “growing up into a better you.” They then gasped because they’d been looking at Apple Bloom but when they turned to Zecora she was gone! “Apple Bloom, would you mind writing to Princess Celestia,” Twilight suggested, “telling her what you learned?” “Ah’d be happy to, Twilight! Spike?” Spike zipped up, quill and scroll in hand, “Ready!” “Dear Princess Celestia, Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself and others. And that's something every heart desires.” With that lesson written down, Spike scorched it, sending it on its way. “Ah’m real proud a’ ya, sis,” Applejack complimented her, “seems like ya finally learned th’ importance o’ patience.” “Yep, all good things come to those who wait,” Apple Bloom agreed, much to the pride of the ponies around her. But then the fillies looked at each other, Apple Bloom declaring, “Welp, Ah’ve waited long enough.” Twilight, Applejack, and Midnight gaped at her in disbelief, the fillies running past them, the boys following, as Scootaloo said, “Actually that was way too long!” “HUH?!” Midnight gaped at them. “Hey girls, howsabout we join you this time!” Twinken suggested. “Yeah, wit’ more ponies we’re sure t’ find our cutie-marks quicker!” agreed Apple Bloom “Hey AB, that potion you mixed up,” Scootaloo brought up, “was that really your first time?” “Sounds like you might have a talent in potion making!” Button Mash suggested excitably. Watching the kids take off, Applejack chuckled while Twilight shook her head, saying, “Kids…” “Hope ours don’t turn out such trouble-makers,” Midnight muttered. “What was that?” Twilight asked. “Nothing!” Midnight replied quickly, having almost slipped a very narrow edge.