Dawn Before Twilight

by Dawn Darkness

Chapter 18: Bridle Gossip, Pt. 4

(Twilight’s POV)

I was concerned. This was getting worrying.

“I don’t care what you say, Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash, trying to stay in one place. “It’s time to pony up and confront Zecora. Come on, girls. Are you with me?”

“Ah am—pft,” Pinkie nodded.

“And I as well,” Rarity added.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Fluttershy said in her deep, male voice. “Seems awfully dangerous.”

Spike was giggling at Fluttershy’s voice.

“How about you, Applejack?” asked Rainbow, but we soon noticed she was gone. “Applejack?”

“Pf—she’s gone—pft!” Pinkie spat saliva from her tongue.

“Aah! Or somepony stepped on her!” Rarity gasped.

“...Or sat on her?” I suggested.

“Rarity’s hair!” Rainbow realized.

As Pinkie reached into her hair, Rarity panicked. “Oh! OH! Pinkie, what are you doing? Ah, really. Aah! You ever heard of personal space?”

Pinkie soon shook her head. “Nopthe!”

“Apple Bloom and Dawn are gone, too!” I realized.

“I bet they went after Zecora,” Rainbow guessed, then she fell to the floor.

“Well, we better go find them,” I decided. “Come on, girls. Let’s go!”

I heard Rarity’s grunting. “Oh dear. This is so unseemly.” She was freed after Pinkie released one piece of her hair.

“Hey, a little help here?” Rainbow called out.

“Oopsie,” Fluttershy said in her male voice, helping Rainbow with Pinkie lift her up. “Sorry.”

And then Rainbow crashed into a wall. “Ow!”

“Uh, Spike?” I managed to hear Fluttershy ask my assistant. “Are you coming?”

“Nope! Uh…gotta stay here and look for a cure,” Spike then gasped, pointing at me, “Twilight Flopple!”

(Dawn’s POV)

I was out with Apple Bloom, finding some ingredients before I decided to head back to Zecora with some of the things I gathered in my hands. God, how I missed having hands and standing on two legs. I know I was born a pegasus, but this was another side of me while I was a human from Earth.

(Apple Bloom’s POV)

I was just about to turn around and run back to Zecora, before I heard a squeaky voice. “Stop right there!” I looked up to find my sister, Applejack, in my mane. “Turn around right now, missy!”

I smiled, then replied, “No.”

“No?!” she repeated. “You can’t ignore a direct order from your big sister!”

I immediately let her off my head, catching her in my mouth, then placed her on a branch. “Sorry, Applejack,” I laughed. “But I’m the big sister now.”

“Apple Bloom! You come back here right this instant!” Applejack yelled after me. “I’m gonna tell Big McIntosh on you!”

(Twilight’s POV)

We were running into the Everfree Forest and pressed on. “C’mon, girls. We’ve got to get to Zecora’s. Hurry!”

We heard Rarity crash onto the ground. “Easier said than done!” she complained.

(Applejack’s POV)

I heard somepony crash to the ground, groaning and owing, while I was in that somepony’s mouth. I got free, relieved to see… “Rainbow! Thank Celestia! There’s no time to lose! I need to get to Zecora’s pronto! Giddy-up pony!”

She was muffling, while I put on a harness made of leaves, a stick and some vines, and got up on her belly.

“Ex-CUSE-me?!” Rainbow asked.

“Yee-haw!” I called out, kicking Rainbow’s belly as she began to fly up with a “What the” from her. “No, Rainbow Dash! The other way!”

(Dawn’s POV)

I was finally done getting a few of the ingredients for Zecora while she quickly got into work on the cure. I assisted her by putting the ingredients into the cauldron while she was making it cook.

(Twilight’s POV)

“Oh, I look horrible,” Rarity complained while we waited a few yards away from Zecora’s house.

“Plis place plooks horrible!” Pinkie pointed out while spitting saliva.

“Oh my,” Rarity agreed. “That place really does look horrible. Nice decorations, if you like creepy!”

We gasped as we saw Zecora speaking in a native language…with Dawn inside her house! We noticed as we snuck closer to the window.

“What is he doing?!” Rarity continued. “Why is he in there?”

“I have no idea, Rarity,” I shook my head.

“Sthe sthole my sthong!” Pinkie realized upon hearing Zecora singing while she was waiting for…whatever it was she put in the pot. “Shthe shtole mm mm!”

“She stole your song?” Rarity asked.

“Oh Pinkie,” I sighed. “Doesn’t sound like your song.”

“Ah, hmm…pbth!” Pinkie looked at Fluttershy with pleading eyes.

Fluttershy sighed deeply as she sang:

She's an evil enchantress

And she does evil dances

And if you look deep in her eyes

She will put you in trances

Then what would she do?

She'll mix up an evil brew

Then she'll gobble you up

In a big tasty stew

Soooo... Watch out.

“You saw those terrible things,” Rarity told me, “Now do you believe us, Twilight?”

“Scary looking masks, confusing incantations,” I hummed, “and a great big bubbling cauldron?” I sighed as I looked at the decorations. “Everything is pointing to Zecora being…bad. Or…what if Zecora is just making soup?”

“Mmm,” Zecora spoke from inside while Dawn smiled. “The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?”

I realized something. “Or…what if she’s making Apple Bloom soup?!”

(Dawn’s POV)

I was smiling. It was a good thing Zecora was here to help us in making this cure. Currently all we need is Apple Bloom to return with the final ingredients…

Suddenly, mares screaming and barging in the house caused me to gasp in surprise, and then Rainbow came crashing into the house, causing a ruckus. I winced, as did Zecora.

“Oh!” Zecora gasped, speaking in her native language.

I looked around, focusing on Rainbow with Applejack on her…belly? Was she stabilizing her or something?

Rainbow screamed, while Twilight demanded us, “What have you two done with Apple Bloom?!”

I grit my teeth…

“No! No!” Zecora gasped while the tiny Applejack jumped onto her back with a rope.

I closed my hands into fists…

“Ponies! What is this you…” Zecora started.

Suddenly, Rainbow hit the cauldron with her uncontrollably flying.

“No! You know not what you have do!” Zecora said. “You’ve gone and spilled my precious brew!”

“We’re onto you, Zecora,” Twilight said. “I didn’t want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming!”

“You made me look ridiculous!” Rarity spoke.

“You made me sound ridiculous!” Fluttershy added.

Incoherent, Pinkie spat, “You made me speak ridiculous!”

“You ruined my horn!” Twilight finished.

“How dare you!” Zecora said angrily. “You destroy my home, you destroy my work, then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?!”

I was giving a low growl…

“You put this curse on us, now you’re gonna uncurse us,” Rainbow spoke with venom in her voice.

“It is unwise to venture down this road,” Zecora said. “Your actions will make my anger explode…”

“ENOUGH!” I roared suddenly, startling them all.

“Dawn…”

I pointed at Twilight, who tried to speak. “Don’t say another word! Zecora was only helping us with a cure to our problems!”

“Wha—” Applejack started.

“Don’t!” I growled angrily. “Say! A! Word! Let me finish!” I looked at Zecora, “I’m sorry for the troubles they’ve caused you ever since you entered town the other day. As for you girls,” I continued, glaring at them, “all you have been doing was accusing my FRIEND as being evil, when ALL she was trying to do was looking to make friends with ponykind. How can you six be so rude and unacceptable for someone like that?! And I thought that humans were this bad when acknowledging others.”

“But…what about Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked. “You two were trying to cook her, didn’t you?!”

“No!” I shouted, but calmed down. “We weren’t trying ANYTHING like that. We were only trying to make a brew for the CURE to the poison joke!”

“Zecora, Dawn! I found all the things ya asked for,” came the voice of the filly. “What in Ponyville is goin’ on here?”

I sighed, looking at the filly, who was by the doorway. “Take a guess, Apple Bloom.”

She tilted her head, but saw some items destroyed around the house. She widened her eyes. “You don’t mean, Dawn…”

“Yup,” I nodded, pointing at the girls. “They came in here and destroyed most of our work for the cure.”

“Apple Bloom! You’re okay!” Applejack’s relieved voice sounded.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked.

“Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us and was gonna cook you into soup!” Twilight stated.

Zecora, Apple Bloom and I looked at each other, then we laughed.

Author's Note:

I am finishing the current scene in this part in the epilogue to the episode. We're soon at the midpoint of this season (4 chapters left 'til Episode 13), then I'll take a small break from the story to work on a side project (don't worry, I won't put this on hiatus again. I swore that I will finish this, no matter what)

Comments

[Phetiamwantip]

So far so good on this new chapter, I like it! Cant wait for the epilogue. Also, Dawn Darkness my birthday is on Saturday April 8. Don't forget to pop in to say happy birthday to me.

[Dawn Darkness]

11547745
Or I could just say it now...

Happy (very) early birthday!

Just in case I forget.

[Phetiamwantip]

11547747
That was very nice of you. And thanks.