The Antithesis of Harmony

by Battery1320

5. Bridle Gossip - Part 1

5. Bridle Gossip - Part 1

"Gotcha!" Waddle Dee exclaimed with a downward thrust of his spear, standing just at the edge of a river. His spear breached the water in a clean strike with a surprisingly small splash, but it failed to satisfy him; he had missed another fish.

"Dedede is going to be furious if I don't bring him something..." Waddle Dee paused, waiting for another target. He sighed again, "Oh, who am I kidding? He's furious already." He gave the water another jab, missing yet again. King Dedede sent him out to search for food a couple of hours ago, and he spent the most recent thirty minutes trying to catch these frustrating fish. Skilled as he was with the spear, he had little experience with this trick. He drove his weapon into the water again, with more force than before. Suddenly, he felt a tug. Waddle Dee's eyes popped open and he tightened his grip on his spear. With one quick pull he pried the spear out of the water, feasting his eyes upon...! Nothing. Again. Struck the river floor apparently.

"A whole day of searching..." Waddle Dee muttered to himself, jamming his spear into the ground and resting on it, "I hope the King didn't go off on his own; he shouldn't have to do that. Actually, he shouldn't have to put up with any of this. Why didn't the Lor Starcutter take us back to Dreamland? Magolor said the ship had a mind of its own, so..." he trailed off, pausing for thought, "Did it get the coordinates wrong? Did it not know where Dreamland was? Or maybe–"

"It was thrown off course."

The voice was deep and powerful, a chilling sound that nearly froze Waddle Dee solid out of the thought of how disturbingly impossible it sounded. Nothing should have a voice that deep! But it was not necessarily the voice that frightened Waddle Dee – no, it was the voice's owner that frightened him. A quick turn around set Waddle Dee face to face with a dark blue, round figure, wrapped in a black cape and clad in matching black pads on his shoulders. The most striking feature – the feature that always unsettled Waddle Dee – was the large metal mask covering the majority of its spherical body. The yellow eyes behind the mask stared everything down, instilling a gut feeling of unforgettable unpleasantness to anyone, especially the now shaking Waddle Dee.

"Meta Knight." Waddle Dee could only mutter, his voice shaking just as much as his nerves.

"I ran into you much sooner than I anticipated." Said Meta Knight, "Where's Dedede?"

"He...He's..." Waddle Dee was so afraid that stammering would make his situation worse, but his urgency to spit out his answer led to him stuttering even more. Meta Knight didn't change his position or expression – there was no way to tell his expression – but Waddle Dee was becoming certain that he was frustrating the knight, "He's in our camp! Not t-t-t-too far from here. I... I was searching this forest for food."

"You and Dedede are lost?"

"It's a- it's a long story."

"Where's Kirby?"

Waddle Dee stepped back, "I don't know. With the ponies, I guess."

"Ponies. So he ran into them too."

"You've seen them?!"

Meta Knight's yellow eyes shifted to his left and Waddle Dee jumped and squealed – he didn't even notice it! Behind Meta Knight was some kind of pony, or maybe a different four legged creature, completely covered in a brown cloak. The only visible part of its body was a dark gray muzzle under its hood. Meta Knight always did leave Waddle Dee unsettled, but damn it all at least he knew Meta Knight! What was this thing?

The figure pulled its hood down, revealing its gray, rounded head. It was a pony! Or at least it looked a lot like one. Her head was taller than a pony's and her mane was nothing at all like one – it looked like a large disk or something – and her coat was striped with sharp gray, triangular shapes, darker than the rest of her coat. Dangling from her ears were a pair of golden earrings, and circling around her neck were several matching gold rings.

"A new acquaintance, to my delight." Said the smiling gray pony in some sort of rhythm, "Are you a friend of Meta Knight's?" Her voice was very deep, as far as a feminine voice went, and the rhythm she spoke in tandem with it... it was just weird!

Waddle Dee prepared to speak, but stopped at a choke. Meta Knight was staring back at him! He came so close to saying "yes" out of reflex, but what was Meta Knight going to do if he did?! They weren't really friends, but he did help him and the King out when Magolor came to Dreamland, plus he has supported the King in the past. Does that make him count as a friend? If only he could tell what Meta Knight thought! If only there was a facial expression to hint to a yes or a—

"Not necessarily." Meta Knight answered, "He's a servant of someone I know."

Waddle Dee didn't actually do it, but in his mind he released one of the deepest, most relaxed sighs he's ever had. That was too close.

"Yeah, right." Waddle Dee agreed, taking Meta Knight's answer and running with it. He looked back up at the pony and introduced himself, then asking for her name.

"A fine greetings to you, Waddle Dee." Said the pony, "Zecora is the name that you may call me."

Waddle Dee nodded. If he had a visible mouth, he would have smiled, "Nice to meet you. I don't mean to be rude," he shook his head, "but you don't look much likeapony." He blurted out the last three words of that sentence, cringing in regret. That was so disrespectful! Why did he do that?!

"That's because she's not." Said Meta Knight. His voice didn't sound tense to anyone but Waddle Dee, who heard it as the frustrated tone a parent would use when their child was about to do something bad, "She's a zebra."

"A ze-what?"

"A zebra, Waddle Dee." Zecora started a rhyme, "Similar to, but not a pony." Well, at least she didn't sound offended at Waddle Dee's tongue slip.

"Ok, sorry." Waddle Dee nodded, "So, uh, Meta Knight, what are you doing out here?"

"Helping Zecora in her search." Meta Knight flatly said.

"Some ponies have, a major problem." Said Zecora, "I seek to make, a cure for them."

"And if you must know why," Meta Knight added, "Zecora was kind enough to offer me shelter yesterday. I'm returning the favor."

"Ooohh, ok." Waddle Dee cooed, "Well, would you please help me out? I'm having a hard time finding food for me and King Dedede in this forest."

Zecora leaned forward, smiling at the water, "It seems that fish, is what you wish..."

"You can't catch fish?" Meta Knight asked, dumbfounded. As incompetent as Waddle Dee may appear, even Meta Knight had to concede to the skill he displayed during their previous adventure. Slaying fish in Dreamland wasn't an issue, even dangerous ones, so what's making him have a hard time now?

"I don't know." Said Waddle Dee, prying his spear out of the ground, "I just can't do it." His speech slowed down; he really didn't want to ask this, "You... wouldn't mind lending me a hand, would–?"

"I was never trained to use a spear."

"Oh." Waddle Dee sighed, "Nevermind, then."

"Actually, I spotted a mass of apple trees the other day."

"Where?!"

Meta Knight pointed towards his right, "It's in the south-western end of the village. However, it appeared to be an orchard, so if there is an owner, ask him about the apples and do business from there. Don't steal."

"Yes sir!" Waddle Dee nodded.

"My warning applies to Dedede too. As you know, this is a different world and we cannot take risks angering the locals."

"Yeah...right..." Waddle Dee sadly agreed.

"Good luck to you and your king." Said Meta Knight, turning away. Waddle Dee silently nodded, but this silence didn't last long. Just as Meta Knight and Zecora began to walk away, Waddle Dee spoke up.

"Meta Knight!" He called. Meta Knight stopped, and although Zecora turned her head, he did not, "How do you think we'll get back to Dreamland?" Meta Knight didn't answer. He stood there in several seconds of silence, as though he hadn't heard a thing. Waddle Dee anticipated an answer, but then Meta Knight started to walk away, an action that stabbed Waddle Dee in the heart. He didn't notice Zecora giving him a sad look; Meta Knight's silence was all it took for him to realize it.

He has no idea...

---

It was one of those days where the sun beamed in all its glory down on the world, unhampered by the clouds. In fact, clouds where very few and far between in the sky – no chance for a drop of rain whatsoever. Kirby knew what this kind of weather recommended, and it was exactly what he was doing, going outside and having a blast! His blast, however, wasn't playing games with friends, unfortunately. No, instead it was chasing chickens around their coop, scaring the living daylights out of them and sending a certain soft-voiced pegasus into mild worry.

"Um, Kirby? Please stop." Fluttershy begged. Kirby couldn't hear her; his loud giggling blended discordantly with the even louder sound of squawking chickens. The birds finally smartened up and spread out, dispersing in different directions and making Kirby's "game" more challenging. But challenge was fun, and the puffball didn't stop at their new strategy, if it could even be called one, and the "game" continued. "Kirby, please." Fluttershy begged again. She was beginning to step up her efforts, though slowly trotting in Kirby's general direction just wasn't going to catch him, "Kirby...!"

Kirby managed to snag the chicken he followed, holding the panicking bird high above his head. He brought the squawker to Fluttershy, as though it were a prize.

Fluttershy came very close to expressing her ever so mild frustration, but then Kirby started squeaking, "Here! Here!" and holding the chicken up to her, expecting her to take it. Fluttershy could only smile and take the animal, picking it up with her mouth and setting it down gently on the ground. The poor thing started running amok and Kirby started after it. Not again!

"Kirby!" Fluttershy called. Despite her whisper quiet command, Kirby stopped right there and faced her, his previous smile forming a confused O shape, "Please stop scaring the chickens." Fluttershy added, "I need to feed them." Kirby's smile returned as he gave his nod, following Fluttershy into her cottage.

The cottage itself looked more like a treehouse more than anything else. Although there wasn't a tree on or in it, the entire top half of the two floor house was covered in leaves, giving an illusion that there was a tree going through it. The mainly wooden interior had a balanced number and placement of matching green furniture and rugs. What always caught Kirby's attention were the animals, however. Several species of bird, many mice, and a bunny who Kirby unfortunately never got along with. Fluttershy flew up to the top shelves in what would serve as her kitchen, humming to herself. She thumbed through a row of different boxes of food for her animals, eventually pulling out the chicken feed.

"Actually, Kirby..." Fluttershy asked, landing near Kirby, who was perking up at her, "Would you like to feed the chickens? Since you seem to–" The pegasus was interrupted by the box being snatched right out of her hooves. Oh that eager Kirby.

"I do it!" Kirby chirped, holding the feed above his head much like he did with the chicken earlier.

Fluttershy's smile widened, "Just don't give them too much. I want that box to last another day or so." Kirby then nodded and took off, being out the door and gone before Fluttershy could thank him. She watched him from the window. He sure wanted to make it known he had their food; that puffball was walking out there as though he was about to do some kind of grand performance, what with those big steps and forced emphasis on the box in his hands. It all made Fluttershy chuckle. Oh, the fun a child can have.

Fluttershy made her way back to the cabinet and fetched another box, one apparently for mice. Holding the box, the pegasus frowned at its light weight and nigh empty feel. Almost out already? Couldn't be. Fluttershy peaked in its opening, just to see how much was in there. She at least still couldn't see the bottom of the box for at least an inch, so she still had plenty for today. But that's just for today. Fluttershy dumped the remaining mice feed near a hole on her wall, flat on the floor. The pile itself was almost as big as the hole, and before long a couple of mice emerged and began eating the feed, predictably.

Fluttershy knelt down to their level and said, "Be careful, don't eat too fast. And be sure to share; it's all I'll have for you until later. Ok?" Surprisingly, though unsurprising to Fluttershy, the mice perked up and nodded their heads, and Fluttershy nodded back and added, "Enjoy."

"Now, how is Kirby doing with those chickens?" Fluttershy spoke to herself after dropping the box in a nearby trash bin, "I sure hope he's not antagonizing them again; it's not good to run around just after eating." She opened the door, expecting a crowd of chickens around a pile of feed and Kirby to greet her, but what she saw was a scenario so ridiculous, so absurd, so outrageous, that the poor pegasus couldn't help but laugh her lungs out. Kirby was feeding the chickens all right! But his method...

The puffball was chasing the birds again, with one arm reaching for a chicken and the other with a handful of feed. It would take only a short time of running before he managed to nab the chicken and pour the feed into its beak. Then he would go back to the box of feed and rinse and repeat with another chicken. What was he thinking?! Fluttershy tried her best to call Kirby's name and make him stop, but her sides were about to burst from laughter. It wasn't the method, or the hindsight, but the shear fact that he honestly believed that this was the way to do it! Fluttershy's lungs finally loosened up and she was able to breath again, now watching Kirby's absurd strategy with only occasional chuckles. She shook her head; it was time for this to stop. Fluttershy flew over into Kirby's way, coming in between him and his target. He gave her one heck of a wide smile and pointed to the collective crowd of chickens

"See? I feed they!" Said Kirby in powerful spunk and confidence.

Fluttershy shook her head again, "That's," she giggled, "that's not how you feed animals, Kirby." She continued giggling, but Kirby didn't get it. He tilted his head, losing his smile, "Here, I'll show you." As they approached the box, Fluttershy still had a hard time holding herself together. She instructed Kirby with the exact steps, and he followed them exactly: pick up the box, pour the feed until the pile is big enough, stop, let the chickens eat the food themselves. They stood back from the newly made pile and watched the chickens swarm it. Kirby smiled at Fluttershy, who in turn smiled back. It warmed her heart to have the privilege of playing a part in helping him adjust to Equestria, but what really tugged her heartstrings was how content he was. He may have been homesick a couple of days ago, but if he still was, he wasn't showing it. Just his eagerness to interact with her animals, even if it was a tad rowdy, at least was enough to convince her that her efforts were working.

"Hey, um, Kirby." Said Fluttershy, "I need to go to the market and pick up some food for my mice. Do you want to come? I'm sure my friends would like to see you." Kirby didn't even nod; he just climbed onto Fluttershy's back and that was the end of it.

---

Fluttershy's cottage was a decent distance away. Not at all inconvenient, but not at all short, taking at least fifteen minutes just to reach the first houses at Fluttershy's pace. There was still time left in the day; however, Fluttershy was gaining a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had to have been in the heart of Ponyville by this point, but her equine brethren were very few and far between. Where were they?

"Where everyone?" Kirby asked, leaning to Fluttershy's ear.

"I don't know..." Fluttershy whispered, her large green eyes scanning the houses, "The last time this happened—" Her words were ended by her own choking. A shadow was coming, right around the corner! Fluttershy ducked down flat on the ground with a sharp squeal, trying to camouflage Kirby in her mane. The hoofsteps! Please turn around!

"Fluttershy!" A familiar voice called. Fluttershy and Kirby's heads shot up to see the source; it was Pinkie Pie! "Oh thank goodness I found you!" The pink mare continued approaching them, "Follow me, she's coming!"

Fluttershy jumped right up and followed Pinkie, the two of them galloping at top speed. They approached a large two story building, which looked more like a giant candy house more than anything. The building's back door slammed open and the ponies leaped inside, slamming the door behind them.

Pinkie took a relieved sigh, "Thanks Dashie." Fluttershy had to turn back to the door; she didn't even notice that it was Rainbow Dash operating it. It wasn't just Rainbow Dash in the room either, Rarity and Applejack were with her, as well as a small foal who bore a strikingly similar appearance to Applejack, just with a yellow coat and red hair.

"No prob." Rainbow Dash answered off-hand, focusing on scouting from the windows.

"Are you ok Fluttershy? And you Kirby?" Rarity asked worriedly, "You didn't run into her did you?"

"No, we didn't." Said Fluttershy, shaking her head. Kirby dropped down from Fluttershy's back, scanning the familiar surroundings. Wasn't this the building his party was held in?

"Now we just gotta find Twilight." Said Applejack, moving to a window.

"I actually hope she doesn't leave her home." Said Rarity, "She would be much safer."

"I'll check the front door!" Said Pinkie, heading off to that very area.

"But what's going on? Why is everypony hiding?" Fluttershy asked.

"She's here, Fluttershy!" Applejack answered with a spooked tone over her voice.

Fluttershy pulled her head down squeamishly, "Who...?"

"Zecora!" The little filly squeaked.

"Apple Bloom, don't ever say that name." Applejack snapped at her.

Fluttershy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped, "Zecora?!"

"Yes, her."

"Twilight! Spike! Come here!" Pinkie's voice called from the other room.

"Oh, thank Celestia!" Exclaimed Rarity in a heavy sigh of relief. The six of them left their posts and joined Pinkie, to greet Twilight and her little dragon.

"Who?!" Spike's voice panicked from the non-lit room, "The zombie-pony?!"

Pinkie's voice came in a shaky gasp, "Zombie-pony?!"

"Spike, there are no zombie ponies." Said Twilight Sparkle's voice, "Pinkie, what are you doing here alone in the dark?"

"I'm not alone in the dark." Said Pinkie as she turned on a lamp, lighting up the room and revealing the rest of the group to them. Applejack made her way straight to the window and looked outside, shuddering at what she was witnessing.

"...Ok, what are you all doing here in the dark?" Twilight asked.

Applejack turned to Twilight, pointing her hoof at the distance, "We're hidin' from her!" Right as she pointed "her" out, the entire ensemble crowded the window to get a look.

Off in the distance, in a section less populated with buildings, was a cloaked figure. It was very difficult to make out what it was, given the distance and the dark colored cover it had on, but it was definitely some kind of four-legged creature. They could just barely see it moving one foot into the ground repeatedly, as if it were digging. Beside "her" was another figure, round in appearance and also dark in color. They couldn't make out any features aside from its round shape, but if it was with "her" than it definitely couldn't be good! Suddenly, the larger figure turned it's head towards the ponies – it was looking right at them!

Everyone at the window dropped down from outside eyesight, with the exception of Twilight and Kirby, the latter still looking outside and the former scowling at her friends' retreat.

"Did you see her, Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked, coming up to the purple mare's side, "Did you see..." she glanced outside, "Zecora?"

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack yelled, stomping a hoof on the floor, "I told ya never to say that name!

"Well, I saw her glance this way..." Said Twilight.

"Glance, evilly this way!" Pinkie "corrected".

"...and then the bunch of you started flipping out for no good reason."

"No good reason?!" Applejack repeated, sounding horribly offended. She pulled Apple Bloom to her side, "Ya call pertectin' your kin no good reason?! Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town, she started shaking in her little horseshoes!"

"Did not!" Apple Bloom tried to deny.

"So I swept her up and brought her here."

"I walked here myself."

"Fer safe keeping."

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom whined, "I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself!"

Applejack leaned down and stared her sister in the face, cementing her authority, "Not from that creepy Zecora."

Fluttershy shuddered, "She's mysterious..."

"Sinister..." Rainbow Dash added.

"And spooky!" Pinkie finished, trying to make the word "spooky" sound, well, spooky. Twilight rolled her eyes and looked back outside, only to get crowded by her friends doing just the same.

The figure reached up to its head and pulled a hood down, revealing a gray, pony-like head covered in darker gray stripes, as well as a similarly colored mane that was in the shape of a disk of some sorts. The smaller figure didn't move.

Rarity scoffed, "Just look at those stripes, so garish."

Twilight glanced to the other unicorn, "She's a zebra."

"A WHAT?!" Everyone else blurted out, aside from Kirby.

"And the stripes aren't a fashion choice Rarity; they're what she was born with."

Rarity covered her mouth with her hoof, almost gagging at the thought of permanently having such jarring stripes in her mane.

"Born where?" Asked Applejack, "I've never seen a pony like that in these parts..." she began shivering, "'cept... her!"

"Well, she's not from around here," said Twilight as Spike walked into the kitchen, taking Kirby with him, "and she's not a pony. My books say zebras come from a far away land, but," she paused and looked back at Zecora, "I've never seen any in Ponyville. I wonder where she lives."

"That's just it." Applejack slowly managed to say, "She lives in the... the Everfree Forest."

Right as Applejack finished that statement, a loud, thunderous noise sounded, causing all but Twilight to jump and cower from the window. Twilight, however, knew what that sound was – Spike being a klutz in the kitchen.

"Spike!" Twilight called, receiving an apologetic response from the dragon.

"And the Everfree Forest just ain't natural." Applejack added, "The plants grow on their own."

"Animals care for themselves." Fluttershy added.

"And the clouds move all on their own!" Rainbow Dash added, sounding more distressed than Applejack or Fluttershy.

"And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil, uh, stuff!" Said Pinkie with slightly irritating speed, "Why she's so evil, I even wrote a song about her!"

"Here we go." Rainbow Dash muttered, already expressing her annoyance. Pinkie Pie took a big breath, annnnnnnnd....

"She's an evil enchantress and she does evil dances, and when you look deep in her eyes she will put you in trances! And what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew, and she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew! Sooooooo, watch out!" Pinkie held a menacing pose for that last line, breathing heavily from the abuse in her breath.

"Wow." Twilight flatly said, unsure of what to think of this... not so perfect performance, "Catchy."

"It's a work in progress." Said Pinkie proudly, dropping the pose. At that very moment, soft patting noises came from the kitchen. It was Kirby, clapping his stumpy hands together, "Aww, thanks Kirby."

"Really though, these are all just a bunch of gossip and rumors." Said Twilight, pacing around in the room, "Now, what exactly have any of you seen Zecora do?"

"Well..." Said Rainbow Dash, probably a little sooner than she was ready, "Once a month, she comes into Ponyville."

"Ooooh!" Twilight snarked.

"Then, she lurks by the stores." Said Rarity, prompting yet another snarky remark from Twilight.

"And then, she digs at the ground." Said Fluttershy, mimicking Zecora's movement.

"Good gracious!" Twilight cried in a false and sarcastic sense of terror, "I'm sorry, but how is any of that bad? Maybe she comes to town to visit?"

"Yeah, maybe she's trying to be neighborly?" Apple Bloom added, taking Twilight's side.

"And maybe she's not lurking by the stores, maybe she's going to them, lurk free! You know, to do some shopping?"

"Yeah, everypony likes to shop! You know what I think–?" Apple Bloom tried, being interrupted by her sister.

"Apple Bloom, hush and let the big ponies talk." Was Applejack's method of stopping her. Apple Bloom pouted and walked away, muttering something under her breath.

"Well, what about digging at the ground?" Asked Rainbow Dash, "You gotta admit, that's weird!"

Fluttershy turned to her winged friend with a hurt look on her face, "What if... what if she's digging for innocent creatures?"

"I'm sure there's a perfect explanation for everything Zecora does," Twilight snapped, "and if anypony were actually brave enough to approach her, she'd find out the truth!"

"Yeah, and get cursed while she's at it!" Said Rainbow Dash.

"And gobbled up in a big tasty stew!" Pinkie added to Rainbow Dash's defense.

Twilight groaned, "You ponies are being ridiculous!"

"Well, I heard Zecora eats hay!" Pinkie retorted. Twilight's head recoiled back from the shock of how stupid that sentence was.

"Pinkie, I eat hay! You eat hay!"

"Yeah, but I heard it's the evil way she eats hay!"

"Hey!" Applejack nearly jumped in distress, "Where's Apple Bloom?!"

Fluttershy gasped, "The door's open!"

"She went outside!" Rarity cried.

"Zecora's still out there!" Rainbow Dash cried with her.

Applejack took off outside, "That silly little filly, I told her to stay put!" The rest of the ponies began following suit, racing outside on the hopes of finding Apple Bloom.

Twilight stopped at the door, "Spike! You and Kirby stay here in case Apple Bloom comes back!"

"Will do!" Spike called.

Running at her absolute fastest, Applejack couldn't keep herself from muttering, praying actually, for the safety of her little sister, "Please don't get taken by Zecora, please don't get taken by Zecora, please don't get taken by Zecora..."

---

Apple Bloom knelt down beside a bush, poking her head out from the side. She just saw Zecora and the other figure enter the mouth of the forest – the Everfree Forest. Not much longer now. She leaped from the bush and softly walked down the path, but once she walked passed the first tree she had to stop. She looked at her surroundings, the tall, twisted trees, the lack of light further down the path. She knew of the dangers of the Everfree Forest, all fillies were told freaky tales either from their teachers or their parents. Even her big sister, Applejack, was scared of the Forest. But she was also scared of Zecora, and Zecora couldn't be a bad person. Applejack's fears were nothing but bad hunches. Apple Bloom straightened her stance, making herself seem prouder and braver. She wasn't scared of Zecora, nor was she scared of this forest! The mysteries around Zecora, she's going to find them out herself!

She continued following the zebra and her partner deeper into the Everfree Forest, dodging strange blue flowers on the way. They had to be getting close to Zecora's home now, wherever it may be. Just a little bit longer and she'll be able to tell her sister just how much of a scaredy-cat she's been!

"Apple Bloom!" a voice called. That was Applejack's voice! Already?! Apple Bloom snapped around, facing her sister and her sisters friends on the other side of the patch of flowers.

"You get back here this instant!" Applejack yelled, stomping her hoof. Apple Bloom didn't comply. She turned back to Zecora, a few questions on her mind, but then she saw an image that nearly made her jump out of her coat. Her lungs had nearly burst from her heavy, frightened gasp. She saw the other figure's face, its cold metal face. Glaring right at her, right into her heart, were its glowing yellow eyes. Enraged, evil eyes! The figure didn't move. It just stood there, freezing her in frightened apprehension and fearful anticipation.

"Beware, beware you pony-folk!" Zecora called, talking in a rhyme, "Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

Apple Bloom felt something come up from under her, but she was too stricken with fear to squeal at Applejack scooping her up with her head, resting her on her back.

"You keep your crazy mumbo-jumbo to yerself, ya hear?!" Applejack yelled, trying to sound intimidating behind her own healthy does of shaky fear.

"Yeah! Was that supposed to scare us?! Rainbow Dash yelled with higher confidence.

Zecora began stepping back, as well as her partner, repeating herself to the ponies as they disappeared in the trees, "Beware! Beware!"

"Yeah! Right back at you Zecora!" Rainbow Dash yelled back, "You and your lame cohort are the ones who better beware!"

"And you," Applejack glared at Apple Bloom, "why couldn't you listen to yer big sister?"

Apple Bloom found it hard to conjure words to apologize with. She just kept staring at the distance, expecting that... thing... to jump out at her.

"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora coulda just put on you?"

"Just like in my song!" Pinkie pointed out, "Evil enchantress! With the dances! And the trances!"

Twilight groaned and shook her head, "You guys, there's no such thing as curses!"

"Pffff, that's interesting to hear," Rainbow Dash snarked, "coming from Miss Magicpants herself."

"My magic, real magic, comes from within," Twilight retorted; "it's a skill you're born with. Curses are artificial; fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations, all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. Curses have no real power, they're just an old pony-tale."

Applejack stepped over to her bookworm friend, staring her sharply in the eyes, "Just you wait Twilight. Yer gonna learn that some pony-tales really are true."

---

The kitchen was in an utter disaster, a messy catastrophe to say the least. Dining and cooking utensils scattered around, remains of devoured delights, and two extreme omnivores at the center of it all. Well, at least one was in the center.

Kirby was utilizing the suction power in his mouth to clean the floor of the uneaten food, food that was either sprayed around during the making or dropped during the eating. There was hardly any space on the tile floor that wasn't blemished, at least until Kirby got to it.

Spike on the other hand was hardly able to help. He was lying against a cabinet, lightly moaning out of pain and clutching his bloated, aching belly. Between he and the puffball, he indubitably had the shorter endurance of the two, and he had been regretting his eagerness to dig into Kirby's creations. It wasn't that it was bad, it's just that it was too good, and now the poor dragon sat painfully on what felt like the verge of exploding.

Kirby stopped his cleaning, noticing Spike's dilemma, "Yu rinne?"

"Huh?" Spike's head perked up, "I'll be fine. Owwww." He burped loudly, shooting a burst of green flame from his mouth that fortunately didn't catch anything, but this spiked his pain and he almost started crying.

Kirby frowned, "I sorry."

"Aaaohhh, it's ok; it was my dumb mistake." Spike groaned, "But I just couldn't help it. But how can you still be hungry? You ate way more than I did even before I got this... ooohhh, tummy ache."

Kirby shrugged. He wish he had an answer. Suddenly, the front door opened and Spike's name was called, then another voice called Spike and Kirby's name. Kirby left the kitchen and, much to his joy, ran into Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

"Heya Kirby!" Pinkie chirped, "Where's Spike?"

"Oh, Spike, what did you do?" Twilight asked as she entered the kitchen, sounding as though she was a mother and her child did something wrong.

"Overdid it... that's what I did." Spike answered, trying to lighten up his situation.

Twilight looked over the mess, "Is this all you two did while we were gone? Pig out?"

Spike used Twilight's legs as support as he stood up, "I wasn't planning on it, but then Kirby started making food and...aaoohh, I couldn't stop."

"Kirby can bake?!" Pinkie squealed. She ran right into the puffball's face, "Kirby, could you please stay with me for the day?! I have so many tricks and delights that I want to show you and I wanna see how good you are!"

"But Pinkie, Kirby lives–" Twilight tried to say.

"Oh, there's no reason he can't stay with you, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, or Rarity." Fluttershy reassured, smiling, "If any of you wanted to have him over, you could have asked me."

Pinkie gasped, "SO THAT'S A "YES"?!"

"If, if he wants." Said Fluttershy.

Pinkie's smile, inches away from Kirby's face, nearly jumped right off of her own face. Kirby smiled and nodded, but he didn't even get to finish nodding before Pinkie leaped in the air and started rambling.

"AWESOME! This is going to be so fun! We're going to bake cupcakes and cakes and pound cakes and funnel cakes and muffins and cookies, and it's going to be awesome and delicious!" She made a chaotic turn to Twilight and Fluttershy, "And we'll share it with you guys and Rarity and Rainbow and Applejack!" She gasped, "We could have a picnic with the sweets! And–!" Twilight ran up and stuffed her hoof into Pinkie's mouth, silencing her.

"Ok, Pinkie, we get it, you two are going to bake delicious treats." Said Twilight, releasing Pinkie.

"Uhh, Pinkie? I don't think that's a great idea." Spike warned, barely managing to climb onto Twilight, who briefly winced at Spike's extra weight, "I mean, look what happened to me. Kirby makes his food irresistible."

"And that's why we'll share!" Pinkie chirped, immune to the warning.

"Well, whatever you two end up making, I'm sure it'll be delicious." Said Twilight, heading for the door with Fluttershy, "Have fun you two." Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Kirby said their goodbyes to each other as Twilight and Fluttershy left, just barely late enough to hear Pinkie ask Kirby what he wanted to make next.

Comments

[IncredibleMeh]

Why isn't this more popular? Seriosly, this story deserves more attention.

[KaijinZero]

oh dear god, pinkie and kirby baking.

nothing will get shared.

[Emperor of Jurai]

And let it be known that the end of Equestria began this day.......the day when.......-dramatic pause for effect-.....Pinkie and Kirby baked together!...........-sighs- We need a better way to tell the future generation how everything came to and horrible but oh so tasty end..."

This is pretty good to be honest.......I don't know WHY this isn't more popular at all it got good spacing. Spelling is pretty good, and no rushing around really as it built a bit like how the MLP:FiM episodes are like......some connect and have things to do with one another.......others don't at times.

[Ethanland]

Funny, I saw the episode this was based off today.