A Baby Zebra's Apple Turnover

by Foal Star

Prolouge: Zecora's little problem

It had been less than a day since Twilight and her friends had had their herbal bath to cure them from the poison joke. At Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom was doing her chores, tossing slop into the pig troughs, and as she placed her bucket down she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked across the apple orchard to the Everfree Forest and mumbled, “I wonder what Zecora’s doin’ right now? I hope she’s doin’ okay,”

She looked at the farm and her house, then back at the Everfree Forest as she turned to the pigs as she asked. “What do you think? should I go check on Zecora?”

One pig squealed as the farm filly sighed. “Yeah, I know, Applejack doesn't want me runnin’ off. But I’m tired of her treatin’ me like I’m a baby. I don’t need her, I can take care of myself.”

The pig squealed again, as Apple Bloom nodded, “Yeah, but what if Zecora is lonely? She’s livin’ in the Everfree Forest all by herself. Also my sister and her friends didn’t exactly make the best first impression. I should try to at least get to know her more.”

The pig nodded in approval, as Apple Bloom pondered then exclaimed, “Right, I better go see Zecora and make sure everythin’ is fine or if she needs help with somthin’! Heck I might even find my cutie mark!”

She then turned her head to the pig and added with a smile, “You know what, you’re really smart for a pig.”

The pig beamed with pride as Apple Bloom got up and ran towards the Everfree Forest.

---

As Apple Bloom raced across the Everfree Forest, taking care not to step in any poison joke, Zecora had just got back from the spa and was busy mopping up. Spilled potions and cracked bottles and vials lay spilled all over her hut and grumbled. “I know those girls six tried to save Apple Bloom I confess, but did they have to make such a mess?”

When the mop became soaked with liquid, she then took it and let the concoction of random potions drip into the bucket carefully as she whispered. “I better be very careful, this strange mixture could be dreadful.”

The enchantress turned, and was surprised to see Apple Bloom burst through her door shouting, “Zecora, do you need any help?!” and making the Zebra’s house shake! Zecora held down her bucket, making sure the contents didn’t slosh out and shouted. “Please be careful, Apple Bloom! Or you will cause our doom!”

Apple Bloom blushed and whispered, “Sorry, Zecora. I just came by to see if you needed help.”

Zecora responded with a smile. “You came through all that mist, just to assist?”

Apple Bloom nodded and chirped. “It's no problem I love to help ponies, or non ponies in this case. Especially because I'm tryin’ to find my cutie mark.”

The zebra smiled and gave a nod, “Thank you, Apple Bloom, for braving the wood. I would give something in return if I could.”

Apple Bloom just chirped, “It's quite alright. Like I said, I don’t mind helpin’ out. Do you have an extra mop?”

Zecora pointed to a small broom closet. “I have another mop, right in there. But please clean with care. These potions alone are helpful, but mixed together the results could be dreadful.”

Apple Bloom took out her mop, grunting at how heavy it was to her. “Good to know, clean slow.” She rhymed. “Maybe I’ll get my cutie mark cleaning up potions.” She thought and started helping Zecora mop up the rest of the mess.

Apple Bloom gulped as she mopped up the bubbling liquids, nervously whimpering. “Zecora, ya sure these potions won’t blow up?”

Zecora turned to the filly and explained, “Just be calm and wring it slow, that is if you don’t want them to blow.”

“Thanks for reassurin’ me.” Apple Bloom replied, then took her mop over to the bucket and started wringing it out slow, as Zecora watched and whispered, “Be careful with that mop! Don’t even spill a drop!”

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the first time I’ve mopped,” The filly responded, and wringed out her mop until the last drops had entered the bucket which now had a black, sludge like substance bubbling inside. She stood still for a few seconds to see if anything would happen, but nothing did. She sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from her brow, “Woah, that was close, I thought I was going to blow up your hut,” Then she shouted as she asked. “Did I get my cutie mark?!” She turned to her rump and grumbled at seeing her blank flank, “Darn.”

Zecora chuckled, “I was scared too, but I had faith in you.” She then led Apple Bloom deeper into the Everfree Forest. They soon approached an empty field, and the zebra slowly placed the bucket down as she looked around and commented, “Here we can dig a pit, and hope that this mix can fit.”

“Okay, I can dig really well! Just watch!” Apple Bloom proudly boasted. She went over to the grass and started digging, as Zecora watched. When the zebra felt that the filly had dug deep enough she shouted. “That’s good, come out so we can leave this wood!”

Apple Bloom popped out of the hole, squealing. “I bet I got my cutie mark!” She turned back to her blank flank and shouted. “Oh darn it all! I thought I would’ve gotten it for sure.”

Zecora laughed and commented, “Don’t worry about your mark, it will come one day in a spark.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Apple Bloom asked in confusion.

Zecora continued with a smile, “When the time comes at hand, I assure you you’ll understand. But for now, I must bury this potion deep, and make sure it cannot seep.”

Zecora turned to the bucket and was going to dump it, but Apple Bloom ran up shouting. “How about I do it?!” And before she realized it, she’d knocked over the bucket spraying the contents all over Zecora! Apple Bloom gasped in horror and whimpered “Zecora! I’m so sorry! Are ya hurt?!”

But Zecora was just stunned. She looked at the black splotches on her fur and sighed in relief as she giggled nervously, “I believe that that the potion mix was as harmful as a flower, I better just go and take a shower.”

Apple Bloom nodded nervously. “Yeah, sorry about that Zec…” But her sentence trailed off.

Zecora eyed Apple Bloom, who was gaping at her wide eyed and asked, “Why are you giving me that stare? Is there something in my hair?” Zecora then felt her entire body start to shrink as she looked up, seeing how things seemed to be growing as she shrieked, “Is my body shrinking, or am I just sinking?!”

Then she felt her body grow smaller and pudgier, when it had stopped she was whimpering as she babbled, “Abbwe Bwoom, what habbwened to me?”

Apple Bloom came over to Zecora, who was now a tiny toddler zebra, with pudgy legs and a large chubby belly, who looked up at Apple Bloom with large blue puppy dog eyes. The now older filly came up to the young zebra whispering, “I'm so sorry Zecora, I...I think you were regressed into a foal. And it looks like ya stopped rhyming too.”

Zecora whimpered and babbled, “A foaw? Why di I tuwn to a foaw?” Tears started to form in Apple Bloom’s eyes in response to the question, and the little Zebra thought. “Oh Apple Bloom, I'm not mad. It was an accident, there’s no reason to feel sad.” She then crawled over to the crying filly and nuzzled her, cooing. “Is otay, Abbwe Bwoom. Ya didn mean to tuwn me into a foaw.”

Apple Bloom, realizing Zecora had a point, reluctantly wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged Zecora close as she whispered, “I...I’m goin’ to take you to Twilight. She’s super smart, I bet she’ll know what to do.”

Zecora nodded, “Otay, I wemeba hew. Wet’s go ta her fasta, ta sooner I get back to nowmaw ta betta.” Apple Bloom nodded, picked up Zecora, and placed the little foal on her back, rushing down the road towards the Golden Oak Library.

---

Twilight was drowsily looking through her books, as she was grumbling to herself. “I can't believe that book about the supernatural had the cure to poison joke.”

Spike came up with a pile of books and placed them next to her as he smirked, “You still going on about that?”

Twilight shouted in response. “Yes, Spike! I should know all the books in my library!”

Spike blinked and replied. “Um, Twilight. I know you might of not known about that particular book, but that doesn't mea-”

But Twilight interrupted. “What does it mean, Spike?! How am I supposed to run a library if I don't even know all the books that are in my library?”

Spike gulped as he replied. “Uh, yeah. I guess that doesn't make much sense.”

Twilight then went back to looking over her books, as Spike went back to taking them out. Then they heard a loud knock and Spike went over and opened the door to see a panicking Apple Bloom shouting, “Spike, I need to see Twilight, right now!”

Spike blinked and asked. “Why? Has something attacked Ponyville?!”

“It's worse than that! It's a magical emergency!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“What kind of emergency?!” Twilight asked, rushing over!

Apple Bloom turned to her side, revealing a baby zebra sucking on her hooves, drool pouring all over Apple Bloom’s back. When the zebra looked up at Twilight, she took her hooves out of her mouth and blushed as she babbled. “Hi Twiwight, I Zecowa.”

Twilight gasped, “Zecora?! But, why are you a foal?!”

Apple Bloom turned to face Twilight and whimpered. “It's my fault. I spilled a bucket full of random potions mixed together on her and she regressed. Can you help her?”

Twilight gulped. This was something she’d never dealt with before. But she still replied. “Well .. I can try. Bring her inside.” She led the two inside, books messily scattered all over the place.

Zecora looked down and started giggling. “Wook at aw ta books!”

Twilight giggled. “Thank you, Zecora. I do have a large collection. After realizing that I didn’t even know that I had that supernatural book, I decided to go through every book I own here and catalog them to make sure I'm ready for anything,” She then looked over the zebra turned foal, before she looked at Apple Bloom and asked, “So, Apple Bloom, you said you spilled a bucket of random potions on her?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, it was an accident. After umm, you and your friends wrecked Zecora’s hut, she was busy cleanin’ and I thought I could help. We mopped up the spilt potions and wrung the mixture into a bucket. Then we took it outside and dug a hole where we were goin’ to pour the mess inside,” The little filly took a breath before continuing and confessed, “But I got over excited and knocked the bucket and its contents onto her!”

The filly then looked down in shame as Spike held her close. “Hey, it's okay,” He reassured her. “It was just an accident. You know how many times I’ve set things on fire with my fire breath, without meaning to? Quite a lot.”

Twilight sighed, she’d dealt with those experiences first hoof (though thankfully Spike had yet to burn up anything that couldn’t be saved or replaced). “Yeah, but getting back to Zecora, that is quite a problem if it's a mix of a bunch of potions that caused this. I don't think a spell would do anything to help.”

Both Zecora and Apple Bloom shouted in shock, “What!?”

Apple Bloom stammered, “But...but, you're super smart! There has to be somethin’ you can do!”

Zecora nodded with tears welling up in her eyes. “Yeah, ya gots to hewp me! I dun want to be a foaw foweva.”

Twilight looked down at the crying foal. “I promise I won't give up,” She reassured Zecora. She pondered for a second, tapping a hoof to her chin. Then she exclaimed, “We may be able to change her back if we knew of the exact formula of the potions, and create an antidote that counter it. If there’s any remnants of that mixture still stuck on her, I could collect a sample and study it!”

Apple Bloom squealed in delight. “That sounds like a great idea, Twilight!”

Zecora nodded. “Yeah, tat sownds wike somthin I wowd do,” Twilight then carefully took some of the black sludge still stuck to Zecora's fur with her magic, and placed the sample in a test tube. Then they all heard an audible hiss and looked down to see Zecora had leaked urine all over! Zecora gasped, stepping back as it leaked onto the library. “I...I...didn mean to, Twiwight! I’m sowie!”

Twilight had to take a few seconds to calm down. “She’s just a foal, she can’t control herself. Guess I should be grateful she didn’t do the other thing.” She realized, and sighed, “Well, in the meantime, I think Zecora is going to need foal supplies. And somepony to watch her.”

Spike nodded, grabbing the baby zebra who was now sniffling. He stammered, “Um.. yeah, but who’s that going to be? I don’t think anypony we know has had recent experience caring for foals. Not even Rarity or Fluttershy.”

Apple Bloom blushed, raised a hoof, and offered. “Zecora can live with me if she wants. It's my fault that she’s a foal after all, I should watch her until she’s an adult again.”

Zecora beamed at Apple Bloom, babbling excitedly, “Yeah, I wana wive with Abbwe Bwoom!”

Twilight turned to Apple Bloom and nodded in agreement, Sweet Apple Acres seemed like a safe enough place for Zecora to stay without being in danger or attracting unwanted attention. “Okay, Apple Bloom. But make sure to tell your family about it first,” She instructed. “Now, I'm going to go work on figuring out what this sample is. Spike, go help Apple Bloom get foal supplies for Zecora.”

Spike grunted, “Okay, but shouldn’t I clean up Zecora’s mess first?” He asked, as he placed Zecora onto Apple Bloom’s back.

Twilight looked at the urine puddle and reluctantly replied, “I'll clean it up. Just get Zecora some diapers before she has another accident.”

Apple Bloom giggled as Zecora pouted, placing her hooves over her chubby belly. “Nah uh, dun wan diapees.” She protested, sounding extremely childish.

Twilight gave the little zebra a motherly smile and cooed. “Oh, don't get all fussy, Zecora. They’re for your protection.”

Apple Bloom stifled her giggles with her hooves before she replied, “Yeah. And don't worry, Zecora. We won't make fun of you or anythin’.”

Zecora turned her head, still pouting. “I know what they say is true but it's still so embarrassing too.”

Spike just sighed, “Alright, let's get this over with.”

Apple Bloom skipped along, shouting. “I wonder if I'll get my cutie mark in foal sittin’?! Or maybe in changin’ diapers?! Or maybe just buyin’ foal supplies?! Spike, what do you think?”

Spike shrugged. “I have no clue, but anything diaper related would be an embarrassing cutie mark if you ask me.”

Twilight just waited until the door was closed, before bursting into laughter. “Oh, baby Zecora is adorable! I hope Spike picks out some cute diapers for her.” Then she trotted off to get a mop and clean up Zecora’s accident.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I think this story should be tagged AU as well, since most likely Zecora will be regressed for some time and that means she won't be a fully grown adult in "Swarm of the Century" when Twilight goes to her for advice. Still, this is a cute start. The only other padded Zecora I've read hasn't updated in years.

[CyberDragon89ponies]

looks like another master piece by foal star I'm looking forward for more and you know when your done I'd love to see a story based of that image of Zecora and pinkie pie getting regressed to foals by a spilled over caldron (sorry couldn't find image) it maybe a little soon after another story about Zecora getting regressed but I think it has lots of potential

[CyberDragon89ponies]

8292771
theirs another padded Zecora story? mined telling me

[SuperPinkBrony12]

8293218 Enchanted Baby Zebra by Autumn Breeze, I believe.

[BubblePuff]

Too bad the Cake twins haven't been born yet. One can only imagine the trouble those three would cause

[Yosh-E-O]

<LoL!> I really love how excited Apple Bloom is over getting her Cutie mark in this story post Bridle gossip. She no doubt has been harassed by Diamond Tiara for quite some time now and definitely wants to no longer be a 'Blank Flank'.

I'd certainly say you captured a younger Apple Bloom very well. Very easy to visualize her, her thoughts, her actions, and that delightful scene with the pig where she made up her mind on what to do. That was just like the opening to an episode!

It's fun looking all the way back to Season 1 and realizing just how much has changed. Apple Bloom has yet to befriend Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. She may know of them but has yet to become friends as "Call of the Cutie" has yet to occur.

Nice rhyming with Zecora, too. I like how she still can do it, to a degree, even as a foal. Great job!

[mylittleponyfan12345]

omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh This story is hilarious and adorable! Loved how she became a foal by Apple bloom accidentally Spilling a potion