My Little Pony, Friendship is Out of This World

by Robobrony

Gossip Begets Fear

Gossip Begets Fear

It had been two days since the slumber party now and Starburst’s leg was all better. The two brothers were out and about to enjoy the beautiful day. Nova and Starburst were walking side by side as they made their way into town. “Wow, sure is a nice day, Rainbow Dash must have done this early.” Nova complimented.

“Yeah, but…..where is every pony?” Starburst pointed out.

Nova looked around as they walked and saw that no other pony was out. “That’s odd, I wonder why no pony is out today.”

They continued their walk and soon came upon Twilight with Spike riding on her back in front of Sugarcube corner. Nova greeted first. “Hey Twilight, good to see someone out and about.”

Twilight greeted back. “Good morning you two, any idea why no pony is out today?”

“I was hoping you’d know.”

“PSst, Twilight, Spike, Nova, Starburtst, over here.” A voice whispered out to them.

“Did you hear that?” Starburst asked.

They looked and saw Pinkie beckoning them. “Come here, hurry, before she gets you.”

The four didn’t waste time, they jumped in through the open top half of the door into the shop. Pinkie quickly closed the door behind them. Pinkie then turned on a flashlight and briefly blinded Nova and Twilight.

“Who, the zombie pony?” Spike asked in fear as he wrapped his arms around Twilight’s neck.

“Zombie pony?” Starburst asked in fear. Nova looked down at his brother, then narrowed his eyes at Spike for scaring Starburst.

Pinkie repeated. “Zoooombie pony?”

Twilight countered. “Spike, Starburst, there are no zombie ponies.”

Starburst wanted to make sure. “Really, promise?”

Twilight looked to Starburst to assure him. “I promise Starburst, Spike is just letting his imagination get the better of him.”

Nova further assured. “You see, nothing to be afraid of Starburst.” Starburst smiled up at Nova.

Twilight then wondered out loud. “Pinkie, what are you doing here alone in the dark?”

Pinkie answered. “I’m not alone in the dark.” The lights came up a little as Pinkie opened a curtain revealing the other girls in the room, along with a little filly.

Twilight tried again. “Ok then, what are you all doing here in the dark?”

Applejack answered. “We’re hidin from her.” Applejack pointed a hoof outside the window to a figure outside wearing a dark brown cloak with a few gold bracelets around one foreleg digging at the ground. The figure stopped digging and looked at them with yellow glowing eyes. The girls, except Twilight gasped.

Nova grew nervous at this. He wasn’t afraid of this figure, but of how the ponies were reacting to it.

The little filly got on Spike’s head to talk to Twilight. “Did you see her Twilight, did ya see…Zecora?”

“Applebloom, I told you never to say that name!” Applejack scolded.

“Nova look, is that Applejack’s little sister, the one you told me she said she had?” Starburst asked with a bit of excitement.

“I think so.” Nova said, he then came up to Applejack. “Applejack, is this the little sister you mentioned before?”

Applejack didn’t smile as she spoke. “Yep, this is my little sister Applebloom, Applebloom, this here is Nova and his little brother Starburst.”

Applebloom seemed to perk up. “Howdy, nice to meet ya.” She came up to Starburst. “Hey, you don’t have a cutie mark yet.”

Starburst was thrown off by that statement. “My what……OH right my cutie mark, no I’m still trying to earn it he he.” He remembered the symbols on every pony were called cutie marks instead of skill signs.

“We’ll maybe we can work together to find em.”

“Really, I would like that.”

Applebloom went back to Twilight. “So Twilight, did you see her?”

Twilight answered. “Well I saw here glance this way.”

Pinkie corrected. “You mean glance eeeevily this way.”

“And then a bunch of you flip out for no good reason.”

Applejack countered as she got Applebloom next to her. “No good reason? Ya call protectin yer kin no good reason? Why when Applebloom saw Zecora ridin into town, she started shakin in her little horseshoes.” Applejack proceeded to shake Applebloom.

“DIiIiD NoOoOt.” Applebloom countered as she was shaken by her sister.

Applejack continued. “So I swepte her up and brought her here.” She picked up Applebloom and placed her on her back.

“Applejack, I walked here myself.”

“For safety.”

“Applejack, I’m not a baby, I can take care of myself.” Applebloom said as she climbed down off her sister’s back.

“Not from that creepy Zecora.”

Fluttershy started. “She’s mysterious.”

Rainbow continued as she hovered overhead. “Sinister.”

Pinkie continued. “And Spooookie.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. Nova was starting to ger real nervous. If these ponies reacted to this Zecora like this, how would they react if they saw what he and Starburst really looked like or found out what they really were. “Hey girls, I don’t suppose you all might just be overreacting to this maybe a little. I mean, how bad can she be? Right?”

Twilight agreed. “Exactly.”

They all looked back out the window to look at Zecora. She removed the hood she was wearing to reveal a black and white striped mane, the ponies, except Twilight, Nova and Starburst gasped. Twilight found it annoying. “Will you cut that out!”

Rarity commented with a scowl. “Will you look at those stripes, how garish.”

“She’s a zebra.” Twilight informed.

“A WHAT?!” The girls all asked in unison.

“A zebra, and her stripes aren’t a fashion choice Rarity, they’re what she was born with.”

Rarity fainted at the fact.

“Born where, I never seen a pony like that round these parts, cept her.” Applejack said with a shiver.

Nova tried to talk some sense in them. “Look girls, don’t you think maybe you should get to know here first before you start jumping to conclusions?”

Applejack countered. “Don’t ya’ll know wehre she lives, she lives in….The Everfree forest!”

As soon as she said it, there was a loud clattering. “AAAHHH!” Starburst shrieked and clung to Nova’s leg, thinking it was lightning.

“SPIKE!” Twilight called out. Apperantly, Spike had snuck into the kitchen and knocked over a few pots and pans.

“Oops.” Was all he had to say for himself.

Nova comforted Starburst. “It’s ok Starburst, it was just Spike knocking over some things.”

Starburst released his grip on his brother.

Applejack continued. “The Everfree forest just aint natural, the plants grow…”

Fluttershy picked up from there. “The animals care for themselves……”

Rainbow then continued. “And the clouds move…”

Then all three of them spoke. “All on their own!”

Rarity fainted again.

Pinkie then picked up from there. “And that wicked enchantress lives there doing her evil….stuff. Oh, she’s so evil, I even wrote a song about her.”

Nova cocked an eyebrow. “A song?”

Rainbow commented. “Here we go.”

Pinkie started singing her song.

She’s an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances

And if you look deep in her eyes, she will put you in trances.

And what will she do, she’ll mix up an evil brew

Then she’ll gobble you up in a big tasty stew soooooo

WATCH OUT!

Pinkie finished her song standing on a table on her hind hooves with her forelegs raised up above her head panting heavily.

Nova commented. “You have GOT to be kidding me.”

Twilight then commented. “Wow, catchy.”

“It’s a work in progress.” Pinkie said as she climbed off the table.

Twilight started to lecture. “This is all a lot of gossip and rumors. Now tell me, what have you seen Zecora actually do?”

Rainbow answered. “Well, once a month , she comes into Ponyville.”

“Oooh.” Twilight mocked. Nova was feeling some relief that Twilight wasn’t about to judge based on rumors or anything unless you got to know a pony better.

Rarity continued. “Then, she lurks by the stores.”

Twilight mocked again. “Oh my.” Starburst giggled at her.

Fluttershy then came in. “Then, she digs at the ground.”

“Good gracious…..ok, I’m sorry, but how is any of this bad?” Applebloom came up next to Twilight. “Maybe she comes to town to visit.”

“Yeah, maybe she’s just tryin to be neighborly.” Applebloom agreed.

“Yeah, what she said.” Starburst said as well.

Twilight continued. “And maybe she’s not lurking by the stores, maybe she’s going to them…lurk free…to do some shopping.”

Applebloom agreed again. “Yeah, every pony likes to shop, you know what I think…”

Applejack interrupted her. “Applebloom, hush and let the big ponies talk.”

Applebloom started walking away from the crowd. “I am a big pony.”

Starburst saw her walk away. Nova leaned down and spoke to him in a whisper. “Starburst, why don’t you go talk to her, get to know her…..just….be careful ok?”

Starburst smiled. “Ok.” He then went off to join Applebloom.

Nova tried to throw in his thought on the matter. “Don’t you all think your jumping to conclusions here, I mean, you don’t even know here, don’t you think you should at least get to know here before you start thinking the worst of her. For all you know, she could be one of the nicest ponies around.”

Pinkie disagreed. “Or she could be an evil enchantress, what about my song?”

“What about your song, just because you write a song about some pony being evil doesn’t make them evil.”

Rainbow then came in. “What about digging at the ground, you gotta admit, that’s weird.”

Fluttershy agreed. “What if she’s digging for innocent creatures?”

Twilight countered while Pinkie started her song again. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for everything Zecora does, and if anypony were actually brave enough to approach her, she would find out the truth.”

Applebloom looked to Starburst next to her. “Did ya hear that Starburst, I’m brave enough, what about you?”

Starburst was a little hesitant. “I don’t know Applebloom , maybe we should just stay here with the others.”

“Don’t be such a scaredy pony, come on, let’s go see what she’s like.” Applebloom grabbed Starburst by the hoof and dragged him out the door.

“Applebloom, wait.” Starburst tried to object, but it was too late, they were out the door.

The two hid behind a building and watched as Zecora dug at the ground. Starburst tried to talk to her in a whisper. “Applebloom, I don’t know about this, why don’t we go get Twilight…Or my brother, he could definitely….”

Applebloom shushed him. “Shhh…..get down.” Applebloom pushed Starburst back behind the building as Zecora kept walking. She peeked again and saw Zecora continuing to walk. “Come on Starburst, lets go.” She grabbed his hoof again and dragged him as they snuck around quietly to follow Zecora. They quietly followed her out of town.

Back at the bakery, the argument continued. “You ponies are being ridiculous!” Twilight said aloud.

“I have to agree with her, you’re all just listening to a bunch of rumors.” Nova said aloud.

Pinkie countered. “Well, I hear that Zecora eats hay.”

Twilight countered back. “Pinkie, I eat hay, you eat hay.”

“Yeah, but I hear it’s the evil way she eats hay.”

Applejack then cried out. “HEY, where’s applebloom.”

Nova then looked around in a panic. “Starburst? Where are you? Oh no, Starburst is gone too!”

Fluttershy pointed out. “The doors open.”

Rarity pointed out. “they went outside.”

Rainbow then spoke up. “And Zecora is still out there.”

Nova wasted no time, he took off out the door. Twilight called out to him. “Nova, wait up!” The girls all followed him out.

Nova was barreling through town in a panic. “STARBURST, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Applebloom and Starburst followed Zecora to the edge of a forest. Starburst was feeling nervous and scared. “Applebloom, I’m not so sure this is a good idea, maybe we should head back.”

“Don’t be such a scaredy pony, come on, we can show them grownups were big ponies like them.” Starburst just followed Applebloom into the forest, they followed Zecora as she walked past some blue flowers growing along the path.

“STARBURST, there you are!” Nova ran up to Starburst and scooped him up in a hug. “Starburst, what were you thinking, don’t you ever run off like that again, you scared me half to death.”

Applejack called out too. “Applebloom, you get back here right now!”

Nova placed Starburst on his back and rejoined the other mares with Applejack that were standing in the blue flowers. Zecora saw them and started speaking to them in rhyme. “Beware, beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke.”

Applejack lifted Applebloom with her head and set her on her back. “You keep yer creepy mumbo jumbo to yerself ya hear!”

The others, but Twilight sounded off as well. Nova didn’t like this, he looked at them with worry, he then turned his neck to face Starburst. “Starburst, I can’t believe you would wander off like that, what were you thinking?”

Starburst defended himself. “It’s not my fault, Applebloom dragged me along with her, I tried to talk her into going back but she wouldn’t listen.”

“Well…..all right then, just try not to let that happen again ok?”

“I’m sorry Nova, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“As long as your safe, that’s all that matters.”

Zecora’s voice rang out again. “Beware, beware!”

Rainbow Dash tried to counter. “Yeah, back at ya Zecora, you and your lame curses better beware!”

Applejack then started scolding Applebloom. “And you, why couldn’t you listen to yer big sister.”

“I…I….”

“Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora coulda put on you and Starburst.”

Pinkie started. “Just like in my song.” She started a revised version of it.

Twilight then started. “You guys, there’s no such thing as curses!”

Rainbow flew through the flowers up to Twilight. “Well that’s interesting to hear coming from miss magic pants herself.” She pointed at Twilight’s horn.

“My magic, real magic comes from within, it’s a skill your born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic, all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. They’re just an old pony tale.”

Nova agreed. “Twilight is right, Curses aren’t real, your all just being ridiculous. What proof do you have that they are real?”

Applejack disagreed. “Just you wait you two, you’ll soon learn that some pony tales….really are true.”

Nova kept his worried look as Applejack walked off. “Twilight, you’re not one to judge some pony on appearances are you?”

Twilight looked at Nova. “Of course not, come on, let’s head back into town.” Nova followed Twilight out through the flowers and out of the forest, from there, Nova and Starburst headed on home.

That night:

“Starburst, where are you!?” Nova galloped through town looking for Starburst. “Starburst, answer me!”
He came to the center of town and found his little brother in a horrible state, he was out of his disguise and in a cage surrounded by other ponies yelling at him and throwing trash at him. Starburst was crying and sniffling.

“Get the alien!”

“BOO, get that freak out of here!”

Nova called out. “STARBURST!”

The crowd of ponies turned to Nova. “There’s the other one, get him!” One pony called out.

Nova looked over himself and saw he was out of disguise. “What, NO, I’m not….I mean…Please!” The crowd closed in on Nova. He ran off away from the crowd. “Starburst, I swear I’ll come back for you!”

Nova ran and ran, he managed to find Sugarcube Corner, he knocked on the door. “Pinkie, please I need your help!”

The door opened and Pinkie stepped out. “AAHHH, ALIEN!” She shrieked.

“Pinkie It’s me, Nova, please I need your help.”

“Get away from me you thing!” she then slammed the door on him.

“Pinkie, please…”

The crowd that was chasing him was getting closer, Nova ran off in another direction.

He came upon Rarity’s shop. “Rarity, open up, it’s me Nova. Please, I need your help!”

The door opened and Rarity stepped out. “Can I….GAAAAAHHHH! What are you?!”

“Rarity, please, I need your help, Starburst is……”

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!” Rarity shrieked.

Nova had to run again. “This can’t be happening!” He made his way back to the center of town just in time to see the ponies carrying Starburst’s cage away.

“NOVA, HELP ME!”

Nova held out a hoof toward him. “STARBURST!”

“GET HIM!” Nova was soon swarmed by ponies and grabbed him as his brother was dragged away.

“STARBURST!”

“NOVA! HELP!”

“STARBURST!” Nova sat up in his bed panting heavily.

“uhhh, Nova, what’s wrong?” Starburst asked tiredly from his bed.

Nova looked over at Starburst. “Starburst.” He quickly got out of bed and hugged his little brother. “Thank the stars you’re ok.”

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I just had a horrible nightmare that we had been found out and they were taking you way from me.”

“Nova, what are those blue spots on you?”

Nova pulled away from his brother and looked himself over. His whole body was covered in blue spots. “What the cosmos, what is this?”

“Are you feeling ok Nova?”

“I don’t feel any different, I’d better get the scanner.” Nova made his way out of the room and into their living room. He went to the same wall that was now next to an entrance to a kitchen. The wall opened up and revealed the shelves. Nova retrieved the scanner with his magic. Starburst had followed Nova out.

Nova turned the scanner part and used it on himself. He rotated it back around to look at the screen. “Unkown biological contaminant detected?”

“Nova, what does that mean?”

“It means something that shouldn’t be in me is in me, whatever it is, it must be why I’m covered in these spots…..uh oh.”

“What?”

“What if it’s contagious, I hugged you…Starburst, come here and hold still.” Starburst did as he was told. Nova scanned his little brother. Nova looked at the screen. “Good, nothing detected, your fine Starburst. So whatever this is isn’t contagious.”

“Maybe Twilight will know what’s wrong?”

“Good thinking Starburst, let’s get our disguises up and go see her, maybe she can shed some light on this.”

Nova focused his magic on his disguise spell, but nothing happened. “What the galaxies?” He tried again harder and grunted. “Grrr, come on, come on.”

Starburst looked at Nova with worry. “Nova, what’s wrong?”

Nova stopped as fear became evident. “I…..I can’t disguise myself, my spell won’t work…..it must be whatever caused these blue spots on me…………….I can’t disguise myself.”

“Nova?”

“No no no no NO NO! This can’t be happening, why is this happening, I can’t disguise myself!”

“Nova, what are we gonna do?”

“I….I don’t know.”

“Maybe I could go to Twilight and ask her for help for you.”

“Starburst, if you do that, she’ll have to see me, if she sees me she’ll expose us, we’ll have to leave, we can’t risk exposure! It took us years to find a planet that could support life, who knows how long it would take for us to find another! We were lucky to come across this one Starburst, we can’t let them know what we are, if we do, who knows what they’ll want to do to us, we’d have to leave!”

“well then….what are we going to do?”

“I….I don’t know……maybe…..maybe I can find a cure. I just have to look it up on the ships computer for known diseases.” Nova went over to the table that was next to the wall with the medical stuff where the scanner was. Nova tapped a button on the bottom of the table, a thin flat section of the table flipped up and revealed a screen and buttons. Nova started working on it, he typed in symptoms and waited for any result. “Come on, come on…..no results found! BLACK HOLES THIS HAS TO BE A JOKE!”

“Nova, maybe we could…”

Nova interrupted Starburst. “There has to be a cure here somewhere, there has to be.” He wasn’t about to give up on it.

Starburst got an idea. “Maybe Twilight can help, we just have to tell her what’s wrong.”

“I already told you Starburst, we can’t risk exposure. I’ll just have to find a cure myself.” Nova went back to the screen and became completely oblivious to the world around him.

Starburst remembered how Twilight was when the others were acting towards Zecora, he figured Twilight wouldn’t care what they looked like. Starburst resolved to speak to Twilight. He dawned his pony disguise and headed out without Nova’s knowledge. “Sorry big brother, but I have to do something.”

Starburst approached Twilight’s house and saw Twilight trotting out from a distance, followed by the others, except for Applejack. He ran up to catch up with them. “Twilight!”

Twilight turned to see Starburst approaching. “Starburst, what are you doing here?”

“Twilight I need your help Nova’s…….what’s with your horn?” Starburst noticed Twilight’s horn was covered in the same blue spots as Nova was and looking all floppy. “And what’s with every pony else?” He also noticed Pinkie’s tongue was bigger and had blue spots on it, Rainbow’s wings were lower on her body and upside down, Rarity’s hair was tangled and matted, and……Fluttershy seemed just fine.

Rarity answered. “Zecora cursed us.”

“Not to mention Applebloom went after Zecora.” Rainbow informed as she tried to keep her balance.

“It’s not a curse!” Twilight yelled. “Look Starburst, you better come with us, I don’t think Nova wants you to be alone. Speaking of, is HE ok, what happened to him? He doesn’t have anything wrong with him does he?”

“Well actually….” Starburst tried to say but Rainbow cut him off.

“Come on girls let’s go!” Rainbow then zipped off in a zig zag pattern unable to fly straight.

“Sorry Starburst, you can tell me later, come on, just stick close to me ok?” Starburst didn’t have much of a choice now, he would have to go with them and wait for his chance to ask Twilight for help.

Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight made their way through the forest with Starburst sticking close to Twilight. They soon reached their destination. Zecora’s hut, it looked like a hollowed out tree like Twilight’s but a bit more natural and had masks and gourds hanging around it.

Rarity started to complain. “Uhh, I look horrible.”

“Thths plthse looks hrrible.” Pinkie said through her large tongue as she lifted some of Rarity’s mane out of her eyes so she could see the hut.

“Oh my, this place really does look horrible.”

The girls and Starburst creeped up to the hut and looked in through a window. “Nice decorations, if you like creepy.” Rarity commented as she looked at more masks hanging on the walls inside.

They saw Zecora walk in carrying a jar in her mouth, she poured its contents into a bubbling cauldron and started speaking in a strange language.

Pinkie jumped back and tried to speak. “Sh stle m sng, sh stls m sng!”

Rarity translated. “She stole your song?”

Twilight disagreed. “Oh Pinkie, it doesn’t sound anything like your song.”

Pinkie was about to try and sing her song, but realized she wouldn’t be able to. She then slid to Fluttershy and looked up at her pleadingly.

Fluttershy knew what Pinkie wanted and gave a sigh. She started singing, and to Starburst’s surprise, Fluttershy’s voice was deep instead of meek and gentle like it was before.

She’s an evil enchantress and she does evil dances,

And if you look deep in her eyes, she will put you in trances,

And what will she do, she’ll mix up an evil brew,

Then she’ll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew

Soooooooo watch out.

Starburst did his best not to laugh at Fluttershy but his face betrayed him, he was smiling so big at her.

“Now do you believe us Twilight?” Rarity asked.

Starburst looked at her worriedly. “Twilight, you can’t, remember, you said curses aren’t real.”

Twilight listed off the stuff she had seen. “Scary masks, confusing incantatons, and a great big bubbling cauldron, ho, everything is pointing to Zecora being an evil enchantress.”

That was it, Starburst’s last hope of getting his big brother help was starting to fade. “No….Twilight, you can’t believe it, you just can’t.”

Twilight looked at him worriedly. “I’m sorry Starburst, but it all points to that.”

“No….No you can’t….I…..Nova is….NO!” Starburst ran off with tears in his eyes.

He heard Twilight call after him. “Starburst, wait, come back!”

He didn’t turn around, he just ran as fast as he could back home, crying all the way.

He finally came to the ship and ran in. “Nova, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Nova looked from the screen to his brother. “Starburst, what is it?”

Starburst ran up and wrapped his legs around Nova. “You were right, I tried to get Twilight to help, but she started believing what the others said about zecora, if she believes all that stuff, then she may act the same way you think the others will too, I’m so sorry.”

Nova picked up Starburst in a hug. “Starburst, it’ll be ok, I just have to find a cure for this is all.”

“But what if you can’t, what if we have to leave?”

Nova looked Starburst in the eyes. “Starburst, I will not rest until I find a way to cure myself, I promise, I will find a cure.”

Nova wiped away Starbursts tears. “Ok Nova, I know you can do it.” Starburst didn’t really believe it, he just said that so Nova wouldn’t worry about him.

The next day:

Starburst woke up the next morning and looked to his brother’s bed. Nova wasn’t in it. Starburst grew curious about this and went into the living room. He found his big brother asleep at the computer with his head on the key board. On the screen ‘no cure found’ was flasing. “Nova, I wish there was something I could do.” Starburst decided to head out on his own for once and see if he could think of something, he didn’t want to leave his brother, but Nova needed rest. So Starburst put up his disguise and headed out into town.

Starburst walked around on his own for a while and noticed something, he saw Pinkie happily skipping along, but her tongue wasn’t sticking out anymore. “Pinkie?” Starburst asked quietly to himself. “But….how is she back to normal?”

He kept walking and saw Fluttershy Rainbow and Rairty sitting with each other at a table enjoying drinks, they looked normal too, he could hear Fluttershy talking and she sounded normal as well. “What the cosmos is going on?” Starburst started to think, how did they get cured of what they had, how was he supposed to find out? He couldn’t go to one of them or they might ask about Nova or want to see him. Starburst wracked his little brain as hard as he could to think of some way to find out what happened. Then it hit him. Applebloom was the only other pony to think how Twilight was, it was a long shot, but it may be his last hope. “I have to get to Applebloom.” Starburst made a mad dash for Sweet Apple Acres.

He arrived at the front door of Applebloom’s home, he knocked on the door and waited. Applejack answered the door. “Well howdy Starburst, what brings you around these parts, does Nova know you’re out on your own?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, he knows, I was just wondering if Applebloom could come out and play for a bit.”

Applejack gave a smile. “Well sure thing, just a sec and I’ll go get her.” Applejack then went inside.

Applebloom soon came out and greeted him. “Hey there Starburst, glad you could come over, so whatcha want to do?”

Starburst looked nervous. “Applebloom, I kind of need to ask you something in private, is there somewhere we can be alone?”

Applebloom raised an eyebrow at him. “I guess, we can go in the barn, but what’s this about?”

“Please Applebloom, I’ll explain when we’re alone.”

“Well, all right, follow me.” Applebloom led Starburst to the barn. They walked inside and Starburst looked around to make sure no pony was around to hear them. “So what’s all this about Starburst?”

“Well, you see…..it’s my brother, he’s sick.”

“Sick, really, is he gonna be ok?”

“I…..I don’t know, he has those same blue spots on him that Twilight and Pinkie had on them, but their all over his body.”

“Is that all, well shoot, that came from those blue flowers they got into in the forest.”

“Really, so then how did the others get cured?”

“Zecora made the cure.”

“Really, so what is it, you gotta tell me.”

“Well I don’t remember, we can go ask my sister fer it.”

“NO!” Starburst practically shouted. “I mean, they can’t know about it.”

Applebloom raised an eyebrow at him. “Why not, what’s wrong with him?”

“I…..I can’t say.” Starburst looked away from Applebloom.

“Why not?”

Starburst still wasn’t sure if he could tell Applebloom about him and his brother being aliens. “Please Applebloom, I just need to know what the cure is.”

“Well like I said, ya have ta talk ta my sister or the others that got sick with it.”

“But I can’t, don’t you understand!”

“What in tarnation is goin on in here?” Applejack asked from the barn door.

“Applejack.” Applebloom called.

Starburst looked at her with fear. “Starburst, what is goin on, I just happen ta walk by and herd ya say somethin bout how ya need a cure fer somthin, but can’t say why or what fer. What’s goin on?”

Applebloom answered. “It’s his brother Applejack, Nova was affected by the poison joke like you and the others were.”

“Well if that’s all, why can’t ya say so?”

Starburst was afraid of this. “I….Applejack, just please tell me what the cure is.”

Applejack eyed Starburst. “Just what is wrong with Nova anyway, why doesn’t he come ask fer it himself?”

“He can’t, please Applejack, just tell me what it is so I can take it to him.” Starburst asked pleadingly.

“Well why not? Ever since you two showed up, you been actin all squrly and havin all this talk about stars and cosmos and galaxies, just what are you two hidin anyway?” Applejack narrowed her eyes at the little colt.

Starburst was sweating in fear now. He started backing up from Applejack. Applebloom just watched in worry. “Please Applejack, we’re not hiding anything, please just tell me what I need to make my brother better.”

“Starburst, I don’t like others keepin secrets from me, what are ya’ll hidin?”

Starburst’s eyes darted around. “Applejack, don’t ya think yer bein hard on him, just tell him what he wants ta know.” Applebloom tried to defend Starburst.

“Not until he answers my questions.”

Starburst finally cracked. “WE’RE ALIENS ALL RIGHT!” He dropped to his haunches and started to cry. “We…..we’re aliens, me and my brother.”

Applejack recoiled a little. “What…aliens, what are ya’ll talkin about?”

Starburst looked up at Applejack sadly, he then closed his eyes and dropped his disguise before them. Their eyes went wide at what they saw. “Well I’ll be.” Was all Applejack could say.

Applebloom was speechless.

Starburst just looked at them with sad eyes as he cried. “*Sniff* we just wanted a home, that’s all, we just want a place to call home, please don’t’ chase us away, *sniff* please.”

Applejack’s eyes softened. “I….well I….that is….golly, you’re a real alien?”

Starburst just nodded sadly. “I….I just wanted…..to help my brother……please….we just want a home….we….we…” He couldn’t finish as he just cried more.

The sight of this broke Applejack’s heart. She came up to Starburst and spoke as nicely as she could as she hugged him. “Awe, there there now sugar cube, I’m sorry fer pressin ya so hard, we aint gonna chase ya away, I was just wonderin why ya’ll have been actin all funny.”

Starburst looked up at Applejack. “*sniff* re-really…..so….so you’re not gonna chase us away?”

Applejack gave a sweet smile to Starburst. “I promise we aint gonna chase ya away, now I’ll admit ya’ll do look a might strange, but we aint gonna do nothin ta ya just cause yer different. Why would you think that?”

“Well *sniff* after how me and Nova saw you all act about Zecora, we thought if you knew what we really were, then you wouldn’t want us around anymore.”

Applejack blushed. “Oh, yeah, that. Well, we all learned a lesson about that, about how to not judge some pony based on appearances. So you don’t have ta worry about it.”

“Applejack, we can’t take any chances, this has to stay a secret, you can’t tell any pony about us, Nova can’t know I told you or I’d get in trouble. Please Applejack, Promise you won’t tell, please.”

“*sigh* All right, I promise, but I don’t like keeping secrets from my friends, ya’ll are gonna have ta tell them someday. Ya can’t keep hidin like this forever.”

Starburst smiled at Applejack. "Thanks Applejack, but I don’t know how to convince Nova to tell the others, he strongly believes that if we’re found out, we’d have to leave here and find a new planet to live on.”

“What happened ta yer old one anyway? Why did ya’ll need ta find a new planet to live on?”

“Nova won’t tell me what happened , at least not yet. I was too young at the time when we left it so I don’t know.”

Applebloom finally spoke up. “I can’t believe yer an alien, this is so cool!” She cheered. “What planet are ya from how far away is it, do ya’ll get cutie marks like we do, howdy a get here, what’s yer ship like…”

“APPLEBLOOM!” Applejack cried to stop her. “That’s enough now. Since you herd all this, you have ta promise not ta tell any pony either.”

“But Applejack….” Applejack gave her a stern look. “Um, I mean, ok, I promise not to tell a soul about Nova and Starburst bein aliens.”

Starburst smiled at Applebloom. “Thanks Applebloom.” She just smiled back.

Applejack started. “Now ya’ll best get yer disguise back up, and I’ll help ya get the cure fer yer brother.”

“Thanks Applejack….just curious, but what happened to you when you were affected by the flowers?”

“I shrank.”

“you shrank?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Applejack deadpanned. “What about yer brother, what’s goin on with him that caused all this?”

“The poison joke gave him blue spots all over his body and affected his ability to disguise himself, that’s why I came over here and tried to ask Applebloom for the cure.”

“Well come then, lets’ go get it fer him.” Starburst put his disguise back up and happily followed Applejack and Applebloom out to get the cure for Nova.

Author's Note:

...........Please leave comments!

Comments

[jackal454]

Comments? What are those?

[ALICORN838]

Love the story.

[Orion Pax]

1.) Nova was the only (because Twilight caved in) logical mind, though his fear of blown cover was justified.

2.) It's almost as if AJ likes bullying Starburst, doesn't she know some individuals like their privacy?

Beyond that, I'm glad AJ and AB are keeping the secret to themselves, hope Nova sees that AJ'd right.

[fre3000]

3701355
Comments exist! They steal your socks! But only the left ones, what's up with that?

[Shadow fire]

6353531 they also seem to steal your right glove... very strange

[Gerbold]

Really like the story so far :D
Can't wait to read when he fianlly meets tha Princesses (Why is there no Luna Emojy )