The Incredible Shrinking Apple.
The next morning, I woke up, got undressed, made my bed, and went into the bathroom to relieve myself and comb my mane. By now I had accepted that it was foolish to expect today to be normal, even by my standards. So I wasn't too surprised when my ears picked up the sound of what sounded like a mouse screaming in a Southern accent.
GAH!
"That sounded like it came from Applejack's room." Peeking through the walls, I zeroed in on Applejack's bed where something was moving around inside her empty pajamas. I raced out of the bathroom to my sister's room.
"Applejack? Where are you?"
"Ah'm down here!" The tiny voice said. I looked down my eyes frozen in astonishment.
"Applejack?" Standing on the collar of her pajama top was my big sister, now no bigger than one of Apple Bloom's dolls. "What in Equestria or Kolton happened to you?"
"A'h don't know, A'h woke up and everything was bigger."
I gave her a quick examination with my X-ray vision. I wasn't a licensed doctor, but if any colt in Ponyville could figure out what was wrong, it would be me.
"I'm not seeing any change in the skeletal structure or any muscle deformity. Your heart rate is a little faster than normal but that's probably because you're just now realizing what's happened to you. Your stomach is the same apple graveyard it's always been. So it's not something you've eaten." I said with a chuckle.
"Har dee har har, so do you know what's wrong with me?"
"Of course that was easy," I told her. "All I had to do was examine your coat."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, you remember those blue flowers you and the others stepped in yesterday? The ones I tried to tell you about but you wouldn't let me?" Her pupils shrunk even smaller as I explained how the surface oil of those leaves had behind left a compound that had seeped into the pores of her skin." Her expression shifted from shock to horror and finally to regret."
"Apple Comet A-Ah'm so sorry," She wept. "A'h should've listened to you about those plants. Can you ever forgive me?"
I smiled warmly at her and said, "I already have."
"Hey Applejack," Apple Bloom said walking into the room, Granny says it's time for breakfast and..." She paused as she saw me standing next to Applejack's nightstand. "...Apple Comet what are you doing in Applejack's room?"
"Oh no." Applejack whispered unsure of how her 'little sister' would react to seeing her 'big sister' like this.
"Oh...uh, I was just straightening her bed for her is all." I picked up the covers and began straightening it out."
"Were you talking to someone, A'h could hear you talking about those blue flowers down the hall?"
"Um...oh you heard that? Well, sometimes I like to talk to myself when I'm working," Applejack facehoofed. She was probably thinking I was as terrible a liar as she was.
Her suspicion aroused Apple Bloom next asked: "What's that behind you?"
"The nightstand?" I answered.
"No no not that, the thing on the nightstand?"
"The lamp?"
"Ye'r hiding something ain'tcha?" Her eyelids narrowed.
"Why would I hide something from you?"
"Because that's what ye'r doing, now stand aside." She nudged me aside to find Applejack standing perfectly still. Even her eyes were motionless.
"Huh? When did Applejack get a doll of herself?" Apple Bloom asked. "And why were you trying to hide it?" I could only imagine what must have been going through Applejack's head, seeing her 'little sister' the size of the farmhouse looming over her. Apple Bloom reached down and picked her up by the barrel. Applejack began sweating like a cornered animal as Apple Bloom brought her up to her face. "
Hey, this doll's all furry and it smells like sweaty apples." She said smelling her sister's mane. "Oh well, A'h guess A'h can still play with it." Applejack let out a neigh of terror and began struggling against her sister's grip.
"Apple Bloom Y'all put me down this instant ya hear?"
"AH!" In her shock, Apple Bloom dropped Applejack sending her plummeting to the floor.
"AAAAHHH!"
In a split second, I rushed forward and caught her by the tail with my teeth.
"Gotcha." I set her gently down on the bedspread and let her catch her breath. Her breathing was rapid as she realized just how close she'd come to death.
"Apple...jack?" Apple Bloom loomed over, her red eyes filled with concern. "Is that really you?"
I explained to her my hypothesis of how the substance in the blue flowers was responsible for Applejack's condition. Immediately Apple Bloom reached over and pulled her older sister into a teary embrace.
"Applejack, Ah'm so sorry," She held her close to her chest as the tears flowed down her face. "A'h could've hurt you or done worse without realizing it was you." To Applejack it must've felt like being an Ursa Minor's teddy bear.
"A'h forgive ya," She gritted through her teeth. "Now can y'all gently put me down so A'h can breathe?" Apple Bloom sat down and gently placed Applejack at the edge of the bed. "That's better, now what are we going to do about this?"
Apple Bloom and I looked at each other. "Twilight!" We said at the same time. Then Apple Bloom's stomach let out a gurgle.
"Maybe we should have some breakfast first?" I suggested.
"Where's Applejack?" Granny Smith asked as we sat down at the breakfast table.
"Oh she's still up in her room," Apple Bloom said. "She's not feeling quite herself this morning."
"Oh dear, is she sick?"
"I guess you could say that," I answered.
"Well, A'h suppose A'h should take her up some breakfast then,"
"That's okay Granny, I can do that when I'm done."
"Why that's very sweet of you," Granny smiled. "Applejack sure is lucky to have a little brother who cares so much about her." I quietly snickered when she called me Applejack's 'little brother'.
True to my word, Apple Bloom and I brought up a plate of eggs sunny-side-up, haycon, and toast. Along with a glass of apple juice with a straw.
"Hey Applejack, we brought you something to eat." Apple Bloom said as I set the plate down on her nightstand.
"I know it must seem like a lot at your size, but try to eat as much as you can," I said expecting her to take a few mouse-sized nibbles before calling it quits.
"Don't mind if A'h do!" With those words, Applejack attacked the plate like a ravenous timberwolf, diving head-first into the yolk of one of the eggs. Like a prairie dog from its hole, she poked her head hat and all out the top and gobbled down a hooful of yolk.
"Om nom nom nom nom." I knew she had quite the appetite, but I didn't think even Applejack could finish what would've been a cartful of food to a normal-sized pony. But she just kept on eating. When the eggs were gone she jumped on top of a strip of haycon and began tearing into it. When she was finally finished there weren't even any crumbs left.
"BUURRRRRP! Well, excuse me!" Applejack lay on her back covered in egg yolk and toast crumbs. Her stomach was so full, her belly button had turned from an innie into an outie.
"A'h can't believe she ate the whole thing," Apple Bloom said in a shocked monotone voice.
"Well, that's one thing about her the flower didn't shrink," I noted.
"Alright now that's taken care of, let's go see Twilight." Applejack rolled over and stood up.
"Not just yet," I said. "First you need to wash up."
Applejack looked herself over and noticed for the first time that she was covered in her breakfast.
"Oh right, of course."
"How's she going to take a bath at that size?" Apple Bloom asked me.
The torrent of water stopped as I turned off the sink faucet. We'd filled the bathroom sink about up to the bottom of Applejack's barrel, and placed her favorite bottle of shampoo face down on the outside of the sink so she could stand under it. I checked the water one last time to make sure it was just right.
"Perfect, okay put her in." Applejack gently deposited Applejack in the sink and handed her a cotton swab to scrub herself.
"Thanks now can A'h have a little privacy?"
"Sorry Applejack," I said. "But you're too small for us to leave you alone in here." She scowled and looked up at the two of us.
"A'h ain't a baby, A'h can take care of myself."
Apple Bloom let out a chuckle. "Sorry Applejack, but we're the big siblings now, and that means you gotta do what we say."
"Within reasonable boundaries," I added placing my hoof in front of Apple Bloom. The last thing I needed today was my little sister going on a power trip. With a sigh, Applejack picked up the cotton swab and waded over to the shampoo bottle. She held it underneath as I gently pressed down on the handle sending a drop of shampoo the size of her head onto it. She took the cotton swab and began scrubbing it into her coat and mane. Then she rolled around in the water to rinse off.
When she was done, Apple Bloom picked her up and I dried her with my heat vision.
"A-Are you sure that's safe?"
"Perfectly, I use it on myself after my baths," I explained.
"No wonder your towel never seems to get used."
Once Applejack was squeaky clean, the three of us headed off to the library.
"A'h still don't understand why we're hoofing it there?" Applejack sat atop Apple Bloom's bow, wearing her hat and carrying her lasso, both of which had inexplicably shrunk with her.
"Because Twilight would see the comet and become distracted from the matter at hoof," I said. "Besides I only need to speed-read through the medical and botany sections to find out what that plant is and then Twilight can prepare the cure.
"And if that doesn't work out, we always get you a job in the circus lassoing grasshoppers." Apple Bloom chuckled which earned her a thump on the head from Applejack. "Ow, A'h was just joking."
"Well quit joking and keep walking."
When we got to the library we were surprised to see all of Applejack's friends arriving. And that was just the start of it. The flowers had affected each of them differently. Pinkie Pie's tongue had swollen like a blimp and was also covered in blue spots. Rainbow Dash's wings were inverted causing her to repeatedly crash into things. Rarity's coat and mane had grown wild and unkempt leaving her looking like a giant hairball. And Fluttershy...seemed unaffected for some reason.
"Huh seems like you're not the only one who woke up feeling stranger this morning, " I said to Applejack. From inside I could see and hear what they were saying."
"A pfurse!" Pinkie spat.
"A purse?" Spike pondered. "How could it be a purse?"
"Pinkie? What happened?" Twilight asked her. Her horn had gone limp and was covered with the same blue spots as Pinkie's tongue.
"Pee pah Zthcora, sthe put a cursthe on me."
"Hey say it don' spray it," Spike said.
"Ow, Oh," Rainbow Dash suddenly came crashing through the front door. "She's trying, Ow, to say-ow Zecora, oh!" She tried to explain before she crashed into a bookshelf. "She slapped us with a-ow-curse."
"I'm afraid I have to concur," Rarity's voice said from the mound of hair covering her body. Spike and Twilight both yelled in surprise.
"Hey, Twilight is this a bad time to stop in?" I asked walking through the front door. "Applejack has a teensy little problem."
"Oh ha ha ha," Applejack rolled her eyes as she slid down Apple Bloom's mane. Everypony except Rarity gasped when they saw how small Applejack was.
"It's a curse, I tell ya!" Rainbow Dash declared.
"It's not a curse," I argued.
"Besides Fluttershy...seems just fine." Twilight pointed out. Everypony looked at the yellow pegasus.
"Yes, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her." Rarity agreed. Although how she could tell, I didn't know. Maybe the plants gave her x-ray vision to compensate for all that hair.
"Fluttershy? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. "Is there something wrong with you? Would you care to tell us?" The pink-haired pony shook her head no. "So you're not going to tell us?" Fluttershy nodded yes. "Yes you're not, or yes you will?"
"Good gravy girl! What's wrong with you?" Applejack demanded as she hopped down from Apple Bloom's back onto the table.
Fluttershy opened her lips and said: "I don't want to talk about it?" I was at a loss for words. Spike on the other hoof fell to the floor and began laughing his scales off.
"Ha ha ha ha, this is hilarious!" He declared. "Look at all of you! We got Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and...He paused at Twilight.
"Twilight Flopple?" I suggested. "Spike doubled over laughing once again while Twilight scowled at me.
"Don't encourage him," She hissed, then turned back to Spike. "And as for you, start looking for more books so I can find a cure."
"I might be able to help you with that," I said raising my hoof.
Twilight looked a little skeptical. "Really, how?"
"Well," I explained. "It just so happens that I happen to own a microscope and after 'ahem' examining my big sister under it, I discovered a surface oil residue on her coat similar to urushiol found in Toxicodendron diversilobum. But instead of breaking out in skin rashes as with Toxicodendron diversilobum, some unknown compound in the surface oil triggered the reactions in each of you."
Twilight let out a squee of excitement and clapped her forehooves together. "Whether it was because she thought I was on the trail of a cure, or just because she was excited to see me so interested in science, I don't know. Rainbow Dash, however, was not impressed.
"Okay, then smart guy," She said trying to pull her out from between the rungs of a ladder. "If you know so much...about this toxic dental...whatever, then how do we...aaaah!" With a pop, her head came loose sending her crashing into the wall behind her.
"Well I don't know the answer to that," I admitted. "However I might know someone who does."
Y'all better not be saying who A'h think ye'r saying." Apple Teeny squeaked.
"Okay, I won't," I told her. "Apple Bloom will."
"Zecora."
"When we followed her yesterday, I noticed she was taking extra care not to step in those blue flowers you all did."
"I Knthew it Zthecora Mussth have pursed those bfue fthlowers!" Pinkie exclaimed expectorating much to everyone's disgust.
"Eww!"
"Oh that's nasty." Fluttershy said.
"No she didn't put a curse on those flowers," I said. I was starting to lose my patience. "They were already like that. She even tried to warn you herself."
"Pah!" Rarity spat out another lock of her mane. "Come again, dear?"
"Beware beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke. That's what I remember her saying." Their jaws all dropped in awe.
"You can remember what she said yesterday word for word?" Twilight asked astonished.
"I happen to have a very sharp memory," I said. "My guess is if we all go to the Everfree Forest and find Zecora, I'm sure she'll know what kind of flowers they are."
"How do you know we can trust her?" Rainbow Dash asked accusingly.
"We can't," Twilight admitted reluctantly. "But if what Apple Comet is saying is true, then Zecora is our best bet for finding a cure."
"As much as A'h hate to admit it, A'h think you might be right. My brother is many things but unreliable ain't one of 'em."
"All in favor of Apple Comet's plan raise your hoof and say aye," Twilight said.
"Aye," Apple Bloom raised her hoof.
"Aye," Spike raised his claw.
"Aye," Applejack raised her hoof.
"Aye," Rarity's hoof emerged from her shaggy coat.
"Aye," Rainbow Dash raised hers off the floor.
""Aye," Fluttershy rolled her eyes and raised her hoof.
"Ey pfft," Pinkie Pie reluctantly raised her hoof.
"Then it is decided," Twilight declared. "We're going to see Zecora."
"Yes!" Apple Bloom pumped her hoof excitedly and grabbed me by the hoof. "Come on Apple Comet, let's go home and grab our saddlebags." She began pulling me toward the door when Twilight pointed out.
"You're staying here."
Apple Bloom stopped and turned around. "Wait? What?"
"You two are gonna stay here and help Spike look for any information about those plants," Twilight explained. "Between the three of you, it should all go a lot faster. Now if you have no further questions, we really should get going." She held her hoof next to the table for Applejack to climb onto and then four of them walked out the door. Rainbow Dash tried to fly out but ended up hitting her head on the doorframe. After the third try, she just walked out with the rest of them.
"Aw, ponyfeathers!" Apple Bloom said.
And so the search for a cure was on. Using my keen telescopic vision and eidetic memory I quickly searched through the library to find what I needed. "Hmm, Perplexing Pony Plagues, that seems like a good place to start," I said pulling it from the shelf. "Tome of Flora and Fauna, that definitely could be useful." So I added it to the list.
"Hey Apple Comet, what about this?" Apple Bloom reached down and picked up a book off the floor. Its cover was a vibrant green with a three-leafed plant on the front.
"Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super." Sure why not, I guess we're willing to try anything at this point."
In no time at all, we had compiled an impressive collection of books. And so we sat down at the table in the middle of the library. I opened up Perplexing Pony Plagues to the table of contents and began reading through it. Thanks to my x-ray vision, I was able to read through it twice as fast by reading through each right page and turning it to read the left.
"Let's see, Hooferia, Pony Pox, the Reins," They all bore similarities to their afflictions, but none of them correlated with exposure to the blue flower.
"Wow, you're really into this aren't you?" Spike said. "You're breezing through that book."
"Yeah well, what can I say, I'm a fast reader," I said turning the page.
"You know you remind me a lot of Twilight." He laughed. "Once she's set on finding something, she won't let anything stand in her way."
I smiled at him, "I'll be sure to take that as a compliment.
Our reading session continued for several more minutes with none of us having any luck. Then suddenly Apple Bloom said: "Hey A'h think A'h found it!" I stood up and walked over to see what she had found.
"Poison Joke, native to the Everfree Forest, known to play practical jokes on those who come in contact with it." She could hardly contain her excitement.
"Known afflictions include but are not limited to, droopy horns, excessive fur growth, and coarseness, inverted wings, swelling of the lips and tongue, excessive salivation, unnatural changes in size, changes in vocal pitch and tone, and uncontrollable diarrhea. Looks like Applejack's friends kind of lucked out after all." And when we turned the page it seemed so had we.
"Look, there's a remedy to cure it." Apple Bloom said. "We just need to get Applejack and the others to take an herbal bath." There were even illustrations of each ingredient and the step-by-step process of how to prepare the remedy. I quickly memorized all of it.
"Spike, wait for us outside the Everfree Forest," I instructed him. "Apple Bloom and I are gonna go home and get our saddlebags. We'll meet you there." I turned to Apple Bloom and said: "Come on sis, let's hoof it double time." Apple Bloom smiled and nodded her head. As soon as we were away from the library, we ran till we reached the road that led up the hill to home.
"Alright, the road looks clear," I whispered. Apple Bloom climbed onto my back and wrapped her forelegs around my neck. "You ready?"
She wrapped her hind legs around my barrel and whispered: "Giddy up."
SHOOM!
Like an arrow from a bow, I took off running at speeds that would put an Equestria Games sprinter to shame. Of course, I wasn't going my fastest, I did have a passenger after all. But we reached the orchard in under nineteen seconds. As soon as we arrived we went up to our rooms and grabbed our saddlebags and one other thing.
The door swung open as Apple Bloom walked into my room. "Okay Ah'm ready if...you are." She was surprised to see me in my Koltonian suit. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Just writing a letter," I said opening my bedroom window. It won't take long."
"What am A'h gonna tell Spike?"
"I'll be back before you get there," I assured her.
WHOOSH!
Third Pony POV
"Well, this is the place," Spike said standing outside the entrance to the Everfree Forest. "So where are those two?"
Whoosh!
Suddenly the Red Comet of Ponyville flew overhead streaking toward the forest.
"Whoa!"
"C'mon girls we have to get to Zecora's" Twilight called back.
"Ooh...ahaha!" Rarity screamed as she tripped over her coat and tumbled into the mud...
"Hey wait for me..." Rainbow called out before crashing head-first into a tree. "Ow,"
"A'h am so glad A'h chose not to ride with her," Applejack said from Twilight's back as she watched Rainbow pick herself up off the ground.
"Look, upfft in the ssky!" Pinkie Pie spat and pointed up.
"It's the Comet!" Twilight gasped.
"I'm on it!" Rainbow Dash said as she took off after it.
"CRASH!"
Only to crash head-first into Fluttershy.
""Ouch."
Comet's POV.
Good, everypony was exactly where they needed to be...except for one. My eyes penetrated the forest canopy searching for a certain zebra. She had to be close, I was coming up on the field of poison joke. Then my nose picked up a scent I'd never smelled in the forest before. It was a very pungent fragrance but not overwhelming, mixed with the faint traces of smoke from scented candles from about fifteen hours ago. I looked down and saw somepony or some zebra had hollowed out a house out of an old tree. Its branches were covered by ceramic bottles hung from ropes and a strange red mask hung above the entrance.
Behind the bark, I could see Zecora stirring a large black cauldron with a wooden spoon. The inside of her house looked like something out of one of Daring Do's adventures. Creepy masks and bottles hung from the walls and ceiling. Zecora stopped stirring and took a sip of whatever she was brewing. Satisfied, she took a bowl and filled it up. Guess that was her breakfast.
Unfortunately for her, my problem couldn't wait till after she was done. She sat down at a small table next to the window, now was my chance.
Third Pony POV.
Zecora set her bowl down on the table and sat down. She inhaled the aroma of herbs and spices coming from her morning stew. It was a simple dish, but then she was a simple zebra. She dipped her spoon and brought it to her lips when suddenly...
WHOOSH!
...something streaked past her window. Zecora let out a high-pitched bark, spilling her soup on her lap, then ran outside to see what it was. Whatever it was had left behind a dusty red trail. She looked up and saw written across the sky in fiery red letters...
HELP ZECORA! POISON JOKE!
"What is this I see, This comet has left a message for me?" The message jogged her memories of what happened yesterday. She rushed back inside to grab her things and then headed for the meadow where she knew the flowers grew.
"It looks like it's writing something," Twilight said observing the Comet's movements.
"What does it say?" Rarity asked, unable to see past her mane.
"Help Zecora, Poison Joke! It's sending her a message about us."
Applejack's tiny face lit up as Twilight read her brother's message. "Whoo doggy, don't that beat all!"
And just outside the forest, Spike saw the message as well.
"Help Zecora, Poison Joke." Spike read the message out loud. "How does it know what happened to Twilight and the others?"
Comet's POV
With the message sent, all that was left to do was catch up to Apple Bloom and meet Spike. I took the usual path around the outskirts of the forest and landed in a ditch behind the fence. I took off my costume, threw the matrix in my saddlebag, and ran back home to find Apple Bloom waiting for me outside.
"Showoff," She said unimpressed.
"Hey, what can I say, I have good penmanship." I chuckled.
"Whatever," She shrugged. "Let's just get going,"
When we arrived in town, we were surprised to see an angry mob of townsponies carrying torches and pitchforks gathered. outside the entrance to the Everfree Forest.
"What's going on here?" Apple Bloom wondered.
Using my x-ray vision, I quickly singled out Spike amongst the throng. The young dragon was doing his best to try to calm everypony down. "Okay, everypony just settle down, there's no cause for alarm."
"How can you say that when it's literally written in the sky!" Daisy asked him. "The message couldn't be clearer, somepony's been poisoned and clearly that zebra is responsible."
"I knew she was trouble the minute I saw her!" Lily Valley added.
"How long are we supposed to sit back and let things like this happen?" Roseluck demanded.
The mob erupted in a chorus of agreement.
Apple Bloom glared at me. "Good penmanship huh?" She said.
"Okay, obviously my message was misconstrued, but I can fix this I swear it!"
"Well, you better hurry before this gets any worse."
"Um...well...I..." I began racking my brain trying to figure out a way to disperse the mob without anypony getting hurt. At that moment my eyes fell upon the costume shop and I hatched an idea. "Come with me, this way!"
The bell rang as we entered the store, but the mob outside paid us no mind. The racks and displays were mostly covered by adult costumes. Nightmare Night was still a few months away.
"What now?" Apple Bloom asked me. My eyes fell upon a brown cloak similar to what Zecora had worn. Unfortunately like almost everything else, it was adult-sized.
"Get on my shoulders," I said.
I walked out of the store with Apple Bloom standing on top of me. My strength and X-ray vision made me a natural choice for the bottom half. The mob was still outside the forest. But from the look and sound of things, they weren't going to stay for long.
"I'm not going to ask you again!" Daisy warned Spike. "Stand aside and let us through!" The young dragon nervously stood his ground.
"I-I-I've already told you, I can't let you through no matter what!"
Roseluck sighed and said in a low menacing whisper: "Then you leave us no choice,"
"Everypony walk around him!" Lily barked. The mob split into two halves which walked around Spike into the forest
"Okay Apple Bloom, showtime."
"Ahem, Beware, beware Ponies of Ponyville, for A'h am Zecora!" Even though she sounded nothing like her, it was enough to get the mob's attention.
"AIIIIEEEE!" Bulk Biceps screamed and fainted.
"It's her!" Daisy cried out.
"Huh, I somewhat remember her being taller," Roseluck said.
"So what do we do now?" Lily asked.
"I would recommend you start running for your lives!" Apple Bloom said with a wave of her hoof in a spooky voice.
"She does have a good argument," One stallion pointed out. A glare from Daisy shut him up.
"What are you a stallion or a mouse?" She asked him.
"Uh...a mouse?" He answered nervously backing away.
"Well, I'm through running and hiding." Daisy said, "I say we get her!"
"Yeah!" The mob roared in agreement.
"Uh...I say we let her go?" Spike raised one claw nervously.
"NO!" shouted the rest of the crowd and they began to close in.
"Um Apple Comet," Apple Bloom whispered nervously. "You wouldn't happen to have a backup plan for your backup plan would ya?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," I said. "Hold on tight." As soon as her hooves were wrapped around me, I turned and ran down the nearest alleyway.
"After her!" Lily shouted as the mob followed after us. When they got there, however, all they would find was her cloak and hood lying on the ground.
"She's...gone?" Roseluck gasped.
"That was too close," Apple Bloom said as we soared above the rooftops.
"Admittedly that could've gone better," I said in agreement. "But hopefully they should be distracted searching Ponyville, long enough for us to get to Zecora's place."
We ducked behind the candles on top of Sugarcube Corner and waited for the mob to disperse. When the coast was clear, I flew us down behind the store and we ran to catch up with Spike.
"There you are. Nice trick with the disguise back there." He greeted us.
"How did you know it was us?" Apple Bloom asked him.
"How could I not?" Spike answered. "You were clearly standing on your brother's shoulders. Plus you sounded nothing like her."
"Whatever the point is we bought ourselves some time," I said. "Now let's not waste anymore," With that, I led them back to into the Everfree Forest. It wasn't long before we came across the girls out in the forest gathering ingredients with Zecora.
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom called.
"Twilight!" Spike shouted. The purple unicorn looked up from her search.
"Spike, what are you doing here? Wait don't tell me, you found the cure in that book Supernaturals didn't you?"
"How did you know?" He asked her. Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Never mind, just help me look for ingredients will you?"
Spike smiled a toothy grin and saluted her. "Sure, no problem."
"So Applejack, I said turning my attention to my 'big sister standing on Twilight's head. "How was Zecora's place?"
"Well as much as A'h hate to say it, You two were right and A'h was wrong." She admitted.
"YES YES YES!" Apple Bloom cheered pumping her forelegs into the air. "Go, Bloom, Go Comet, Go Bloom, Go Comet, You were right, Applejack was wrong, She admits it!"
Applejack rolled her eyes as Apple Bloom began doing spontaneous cartwheels around the forest.
"So you're Zecora huh?" I asked walking up to the Zebra. "You don't look so scary up close."
"What a very considerate thing to say, how are you this fine day?" She smiled and said to me.
"Fine, my name's Apple Comet and that's my sister Apple Bloom. You've already met our 'big sister' Applejack." Zecora let out a laugh.
"So very nice to meet you two," She said simply. "But one thing I must ask you." She pointed to my cutie mark. "Your cutie mark, what was it for? I can't help but think I've seen it before."
Uh oh, that wasn't good. I needed to deflect her suspicion fast, or else my secret might be revealed at last. Great now she had me doing it.
"I got it from my love of astronomy," I said.
"Then perhaps you can explain why a shooting star might write in the sky." This zebra could give Shadow Spade a run for his money. I was just barely maintaining my outside composure. On the inside, I was sweating like I ran ten laps around the world.
"You saw a shooting star write something?" I asked pretending to sound surprised. "I've never heard of one doing that before. What did it say?"
"Help Zecora, Poison Joke!" Twilight answered for her. "It was how she knew where to find us. That Comet whoever or whatever it is has been watching us since it first appeared at the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Quite a mystery I must say," Zecora concurred. "But one perhaps for another day. We have all but one of the ingredients filled. But we still need one from Ponyville."
"But the whole town has formed an angry mob, and they're out there looking for Zecora," Spike warned them.
"What!" Twilight shrieked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "When did this happen?"
"Not long after the Comet appeared," Spike told them.
"Oh no, they must've misconstrued its message to Zecora. We have to set this right, let's go!"
"Right behind ya!" Rainbow Dash said. BAM! Before crashing into a tree, again. "Ow,"
"I'll get her," Fluttershy said as she flew over to help Rainbow Dash.
Our arrival in town wasn't exactly met with fanfare. Ponies took one at us and immediately went into hysterics.
"Look Rose, how awful." Daisy cried.
"The wicked enchantress has cursed them all."
"The horror! The horror!" Lily Valley screamed as her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
"Run Ponies Run!" The two of them split off and ran for their houses shutting the doors behind them.
"Well at least they aren't carrying torches and pitchforks," I said to Apple Bloom.
Twilight walked up to Daisy's door and knocked. The Pink Earth Mare hesitantly opened the door.
"Daisy, we need to talk."
So, in the end, Zecora was able to whip up a batch of the cure for Applejack and her friends. She went back to being our big sister and everypony in town learned a valuable lesson. Never judge a book by its cover or else like a good book, you might miss a good friendship. It was a lesson that gave me pause for thought.
This whole ordeal had taught ponies tended to fear what they didn't understand. They took one look at Zecora's stripes, her jewelry, her mane, her tail and I guess her cutie mark. I still didn't know if Zebra's got those. Anyway, they looked at those things about her and immediately decided they didn't like her without even getting to know her.
Even Applejack my own sister and the Element of Honesty had fallen prey to preconceived notions. The same mare who was a part of the family that took me in and treated me as kin even when they knew I wasn't kin or even the same species.
I knew it wasn't because my cover looked similar to theirs. They'd read the pages written in the dead language of my birth world. And though it was illegible to them, they had still found a place on their shelf with the rest of the family, even at the expense of one of their own.
And then along comes Zecora, a different species but still a native to this world, and everypony just loses their mind. It just doesn't make any logical sense. Ponies will take in an extraterrestrial just because it looks like them on the outside. But they'll shun a native of their planet because she looks a little different. It makes me wonder how Ma and Pa would've reacted if I was a slimy one-eyed green tentacle monster.
Oh well, at least Pinkie Pie isn't singing or spitting that evil enchantress song anymore.
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REALLY good job on this latest chapter. Love the work that went into the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future chapter set-up.
I especially loved how Comet tried (failed, but tried) to help AJ hide her "Poison Joke" effect from Apple Bloom, as well as how Comet tried to help find a cure AND explain things concerning Zecora.
Ah, "Swarm of the Century". You know, that episode would have worked MUCH better as a Whole Episode Flashback explaining how Pinkie knew about the Parasprites. But I digress.
Yeah, I'm very certainly going to be looking forward to more of this.
I hope Rainbow Dash can get this rivalry under control soon as it she is setting herself up for a major fall.
It's great to see Apple Comet being a part of the world, he is not taking over, but he still has an effect. I can't wait to see what happens next! :D
9892937
Probably not. More likely it's going to be the Flim-Flam Brothers (especially since one of them could be the mad scientist version and the other could be the businessman version).
If anything, that bully is more likely to grow up to become Metallo. And even THAT is a long shot.
When are you going to update?
9922737
I'm working on the latest chapter right now, It should be a day or two more if things go well.