Irreversible

by Trick Question

A Potion or Two

Three knocks sounded, and Zecora opened the door to her hut.

"Zecora, you have to help me!" said Twilight Sparkle, bursting her way into the tiny house and grabbing the zebra by the shoulders. Twilight's friend stared her dead in the eye, and an invisible force that felt like magnetic repulsion pushed her hooves off. Twilight cleared her throat and nervously rubbed one foreleg with a hoof.

Zecora broke into a smile. "Although you forget pleasantries, your needs seem dire, so present these," she said, motioning Twilight to a stool. Behind her, the door appeared to close by itself.

"Right! I'm sorry, I..." her voice trailed off as she sat down and stared into space for a moment. Then Twilight looked back to her friend and asked, "Zecora, have you ever heard of a place called Quifons?"

"Ah, yes, that is the young ones' word! But truly, it is seldom heard, as children hide it as a sneeze. They say it when they shoot the breeze," said Zecora.

"So... It's some kind of code word foals use?" said Twilight, wearing a distinctly puzzled expression. "I'd never heard the word prior to yesterday. Maybe it's not my generation," said Twilight.

"Not to cause you consternation, but it's every generation," said Zecora.

Twilight's brow furrowed. "I don't think I understand, then. I'm looking for a place called Quifons."

Zecora shrugged. "Quifons a place? I do not know. No foal will say. No foal will show. Young zebra foals just sometimes say, 'quifons' to one another. They," said Zecora, taking a tiny pause for breath, "must have the word within their genes. Foals forget long before their teens."

Twilight paused a moment to digest the meaning. "Alright, let me pause you there. If I understand correctly, you're telling me that zebra foals sometimes make the sound 'quifons' to each other, when they converse?"

Zecora nodded.

"And it sounds like a sneeze, but it's a fake sneeze?"

Zecora nodded again.

Twilight Sparkle blinked a few times. "When zebra grow up, do they just decide to stop using the word because it's juvenile? Or are you saying that for some reason, they actually forget the word?" she asked.

"Zebra forget entirely. I can't recall, most certainly. Yet I've no doubt that it is true: I must have used that word once, too," said Zecora.

"They forget ever using the word at all? I'm... I'm stunned. That's so bizarre," said Twilight. "I heard about this yesterday from a gifted foal. He said he wasn't supposed to tell me what or where it was. The only reason he said anything about it was a prophecy he made about me ruining this Quifons thing, and he thought I might have known already because the Sisters apparently know what it is."

Zecora frowned and narrowed her eyes at Twilight Sparkle, but said nothing.

Twilight tried to ignore the look. "You know, this sounds a little like the Baybinski reflex. It's a hoof reflex that disappears after the first couple years of an equine's life, which I'm sure you already know. The difference here is that this thing sounds social. Reflexes aren't that stimulus selective, and sapient people don't even have fixed action patterns—we don't have 'instincts', I mean," said Twilight. "The only way this makes sense is if there's some unknown kind of magic involved in foal development. Pony society would have to have been blind to it for centuries, and that's hard to swallow given how heavily foal wellbeing has been researched. The most likely explanation is that—no offense, Zecora—you're actually wrong, and it is a sneeze. It's just more likely to happen when foals congregate. Oh, and the foal I mentioned is either insane, or messing with me, both of which seem plausible given my limited interactions with him. Are you certain it isn't a sneeze? How do you know?"

Zecora raised a brow, but nodded. "It is a fact that zebra kind host shamans, like me: those whose mind," she said, "is disciplined to notice when, what seems a reflex, hasn't been."

Twilight's eyes scanned the air in front of her like she was reading a book. "Do you have any idea whether or not it means anything?"

"Most utterances in the day, are between foals when they're at play. But beyond that? I cannot say."

"Have you tried asking them?" asked Twilight. "I mean, Zecora, this is really weird. If zebra know about this, I'd have to assume your people have investigated it further."

"They just say 'imagination'. It seems Quifons is no nation." Zecora paused for a moment, then added, "Zebra have always suspected magic quirks cause this direction. Our tries at investigation only bore equine frustration."

"That won't do. This is too important. I need to find out," said Twilight, unconsciously rocking in her stool. "Could you possibly take me back to my childhood? Like, with hypnosis or something? I'm sure I've never heard of Quifons before, but the evidence is starting to suggest that my certainty may be misplaced."

Zecora nodded. "I can make something that in truth, will cause you to regain your youth. For a few minutes, you will be your foal self... at least, mentally." She brewed a potion as Twilight patiently waited, steeped in furious but fruitless thoughts. It only took a few minutes for her friend to complete the task. To Twilight, it felt more like an hour.

"Don't think, just drink," said Zecora as she handed a large flagon of steaming, green brew to Twilight. It smelled faintly of cloves and metal. There was at least a third of a liter of the concoction. Twilight downed the entire thing in one long gulp, then belched and blushed.

"Eep! Excuse me," she said, with a sheepish smile. "Zecora, how long does it ta—whoa. Okay, this is pretty weird," said Twilight. "I'm starting to feel naive, so that's good. Wow, that was a hilar, a hilarsos, um... a real funny sentence," she said with a giggle. "I'm kind of disc, um, diskiebobble...? No, that word's also a little too big," she said. "Take notes if you can lady, I wanna remember stuff, okay?"

A strange joy and sense of mirth slowly filled Twilight's core. Being young again, even only in mind, was a remarkably pleasant experience, a feeling that Twilight had practically forgotten. Her adult worries and concerns melted away like hot butter, including her concerns about whatever this 'Quifons' thing was.

It was a short experience. Without warning, darkness enveloped Twilight's senses.

---

Twilight Sparkle awoke with a mild headache, staring up at the ceiling of Zecora's hut. Colorful, mildly creepy masks hung from above, like a disturbing infant crib mobile.

Fortunately, I'm not a kid anymore... well, not that I think, mused Twilight.

Twilight had lain down upon something soft, probably Zecora's bed. Her muscles ached as though she'd been applebucking the previous day.

"Ow. That's... ow," said Twilight.

Zecora loomed into view. "Please chew this root. Your pain will mute," she said.

Twilight didn't need to be told twice. The root was hoof-sized and the juices within it tasted like burned chalk, but she could feel it working almost immediately. Less than a minute later, her headache had faded to a dull ache that felt disconnected from the rest of her body. Her muscle soreness was slowly disappearing. In addition, a small amount of childlike euphoria had returned to her chest. It felt like a continual warm hug from a close friend. At this point, Twilight was fairly certain the plant had narcotic effects, but she kept sucking on it anyway.

Kneeling beside Twilight as the alicorn lifted herself up from the bed, Zecora rudely yanked the root from her mouth. "Don't chew too much, or you shall see this root's addictive property," she warned.

Twilight nodded with a glum expression. "Right, thank you. To be honest, the high isn't half as nice as it felt to be a child again," she said. "Oh, and unrelated, your bed is incredibly soft. I want one of these in my royal bedroom! Just, a lot larger." It appeared to be made from pegasus down and some kind of tree rubber, and Twilight mentally planned to get notes when she wasn't trying to 'not-destroy' what might be someplace she couldn't remember.

Zecora smiled. "It is for guests, as I have found I prefer sleeping on the ground."

"Wow. Well, give it a try sometime," said Twilight, with a chuckle. "So, the potion. Do you know what went wrong?"

The zebra raised a brow. "Nothing went wrong, my little horse. You can't recall, but then... of course. Nopony can remember well their youngest years, as time does tell." She hoofed Twilight sparkle a small piece of papyrus she'd been writing on. Twilight was impressed that Zecora knew how to write Ponish in such beautiful script. The letters were very clear, though a bit quirky like an unusual printing font.

I: "Twilight Sparkle, listen to me. I have a question which may be, rude to ask you but I must know: What is 'Quifons', from long ago?"

T: "Quifons? Um, I dunno?" (T sweating, nervous)

I: "Your adult self, she seeks dearly a question you should answer me. She thinks that Quifons is a place. Where and what is this secret space?"

T: "My adult self? Uh, that's impossible, weird zebra lady. It's not a place. I think you heard me sneeze maybe." (T constantly fidgeting, avoiding eye contact)

I: "Your secret would be safe with me. Just tell me, and I'll leave you be. I've heard foals uttering the word when playing games which seem absurd."

T: "Oh, that one! You mean the thing when we're playing. No, it's just an imagination thing, like 'Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.' It doesn't mean nothing. Er, mean anything." (T less nervous, more self-assured; also remarkably articulate, as expected)

I: "Nothing at all? This is a lie. Just tell me, and I'll say goodbye."

T: "I'm sorry lady. It really doesn't mean anything." (T appears sad, but anger clearly rising within her breast)

I: "What would you say to future you? What do you expect her to do? An older Twilight wants to know, but how can she when you dodge so?"

T: "Well... then m-maybe she shouldn't know!" (T very angry, powers up horn, I ready <ILLEGIBLE>. She collapses suddenly on her own)

"Sweet Celestia. I don't remember any of that! Why would young me be so desperate to keep this 'Quifons' thing a secret?" Twilight narrowed her eyes and tried to remember as much as she possibly could from her ordeal. "The last thing I recall... oh. Oh! I knew what Quifons was, I'm sure of it! I just can't remember now. This is incredibly frustrating. Hay, Zecora, how did you write so quickly?"

Zecora held up a separate piece of papyrus which contained what looked like a shorter, messier set of notes. "The final draft, I took my time. For half an hour, you slept sublime."

"Half an hour? Horse apples—oh, er, sorry," said Twilight, blushing. Zecora chuckled and attended to a partly-completed potion as Twilight sat on the bed in thought.

Twilight Sparkle jumped up with a start. "Zecora, I have an idea," said Twilight. "Can you do the Answering Potion again? You know, the one we made together to beat the vines?" She walked over to the table and sat on a firm stool in order to feed a nervous leg-bouncing stereotypy.

"One step ahead of you I am. The potion needs but just one gram..." said Zecora, adding a pinch of a deep violet powder. The potion bubbled in the glass flask, turning a rich shade of purple Twilight had seen only once before.

"Excellent!" said Twilight, with a bright smile, leaning forward on the table. "Oh, thank you so much. I can always count on you, Zecora."

"You must forgive my joking gripes, but please, don't waste time counting stripes," said Zecora, with a wink. She set the potion on a small table as Twilight giggled.

"Okay. This part, I already know," said Twilight. She focused on the liquid in the flask, and began summoning the darker side of magic needed to unlock the potion's true potential. She grunted as dark magic bubbled through and overtook her aura. A black and violet ray shot out of her horn, its unlight punching straight through the glass without leaving a physical mark. The potion turned white in a flash, as though a rapid chemical reaction had just taken place.

Twilight chewed at her lip as she thumped her leg against the floor. "I also remember that the potion only allows me to see the past experiences of ponies I'm close friends with. But that shouldn't be a problem. I suspect, as before, that Princess Celestia's past may hold the answer," said Twilight.

Zecora briefly frowned again, closed her eyes, and sighed. Then she spoke, "Focus on your question true, and take a sip of magic brew." She poured a small amount of liquid into what appeared to be a shot glass. "Ingredients for it are rare. To measure's the best way to share."

Twilight Sparkle relaxed her movements, and took a deep breath.

What is Quifons?

Twilight tilted her head back, held the glass aloft, and downed the sip of viscous white liquid by sucking hard on the rim of the glass. Then she slammed it down on the table, rattling everything in the room.

She immediately grimaced, though not from the odd flavor. "Oh, I'm sorry Zecora! That's just how Applejack—"

The world around Twilight filled with painfully bright light, and then she was somewhen else.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

When Twilight Sparkle meets Eclipse, he warns her she is fated to "ruin" a magical and mysterious realm that Celestia and Luna have kept a closely guarded secret for centuries.

Before I read this, I have to ask, how does he know this?

[Trick Question]

8273322
That hasn't been fully revealed in the story by the end of the second chapter, so I can't answer it. You must let the story tell you, as it grows.

[Misty Spell]

The only reason he said anything about it was a prophecy he made about me ruining this Quifons thing

Maybe you should just do nothing then? You weren't ruining Quifons before. It's clearly a self fulfilling prophecy.

foal self... at least, mentally

So exactly as she is now, just anti social? K.

I'm kind of disc, um, diskiebobble...

So, more toddler than child then.

"Well... then m-maybe she shouldn't know!"

Zecora: "Well my dear, you've invoked my wrath. We shall take the truth potion path."

That would simplify things if she could do such a thing.

Ooooor that works too.

[toxbox]

You always come up with the best mysteries. I'm hooked. It sounds self-fulfilling, but we'll see.

[UniqueSKD]

Twilight and her friends attempt to unlock the secrets of a mysterious realm she is fated to ruin.

What, you mean Equestria Girls universe? That's alright - go on and burn that world to the ground, Twilight.

[Yami Vizzini]

Don’t tell me- this is some kind of Neverland and Twilight’s going to “ruin” it by trying to define it in concrete “adult” terms. Darn self-fulfilling prophecies.

And no doubt Twilight is nonetheless going to be considered “wrong” for it, even though this brat had no reason to tell her and kick it all off either (other than, again, self-fulfilling).