A special request

by chaos2012

Chapter 3: Starting the journey (revised)

Applejack felt herself slowly coming to. Her head felt like it had been stuck in a vice it was so sore. Inside of her head, she envisioned the dream that she had during her sleep. Applejack chuckled to herself through her daze. "Huh, that was a freaky lil dream ah had." Eyes still closed, she raised a hoof to her dull head. "Ah done believe ah thought ah was a zebra."

SPLASH!

A sudden dump of water over her head shook Applejack out of her daze. "Ahh! What the..." She quickly got up from the ground, causing her hat to fall of her head. "What's the big-" She stopped as her eyes focused on where she was; she was not inside of her bedroom, or in her home for that matter. The hut that surrounded her was all too familiar.

"Well, you are finally awake. I was wondering how long you would take." a voice spoke from the side. "You've been asleep for the last hour. You had fallen to the ground like a wilted flower."

Applejack turned to see Zecora standing there with a recently emptied bucket set on the ground. Having no idea what was happening, AJ lifted her hoof to wipe the water off-

"Oh my gosh!" She screamed when she saw the black and white fur covering her foreleg. Glancing down, she saw the pattern continued up her whole body. Her heart began racing. "Ah... Ah wasn't dreamin’."

Zecora shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Come now, Applejack. We must get on with our trek."

The shocked zebra-pony sat there, trying to remember what had happened. She closed her eyes and thought to herself.'Alright, ah came here ‘cause Applebloom was sick. Then Zecora threw that freaky powder on mah body and-' she shot her eyes open, glaring at the zebra. "Zecora..."

Zecora sat there confused, seeing Applejack’s face changing suddenly. The anger in her eyes actually frightened her. "Uhhh."

"AH’M GONNA KILL YA!!!" Applejack then charged Zecora like a locomotive.

Zecora jumped back out of fright, but she didn't have enough time to get out of the way. Applejack crashed into her, slamming her into the side of the hut. Grunting from the impact, Zecora wrapped her hooves around her attackers head, pulling her close so Applejack couldn't get another hit. The two struggled for several moments before Applejack pulled backwards, causing both to fall to the floor.

Zecora crawled up; just fast enough to prepare for Applejack’s second rush. "Y'all turned me to a zebra and ya can’t change me back!" The former pony screamed in anger as she ran forward at her changer.

Zecora braced herself, dropping her head down as Applejack collided head on. Their hooves scraped on the ground as they pushed against each other. Coming up with a solution, Zecora dropped back, causing her opponent to stumble forward. As Applejack fell off-balance, Zecora maneuvered herself on top of her, pinning the farmers left foreleg behind her back.

"Ahh! Get off mah back, Zecora!" Applejack yelled out, cringing from the pain in her foreleg.

"Have you gone and went crazy!?Why is your vision now blinded and hazy?" Zecora grunted as she held her weight down on the leg.

Applejack felt another shot of pain as her leg bent up a little higher. "Ahh! Stop! Alright, ah’m done!" She immediately stopped struggling to keep Zecora from bending her leg anymore.

Seeing the former pony stop resisting, Zecora rolled off her, laying herself on the ground. Applejack didn't move; her leg and pride hurt from the zebra next to her. Both of them lay quiet for several minutes until Zecora broke the silence. "Tell me now, what was that? You attacked me like a wild cat."

Applejack rubbed her sore leg and glared at the zebra. "Ya know darn well why ah did! Ah am stuck as a zebra forever thanks to ya!"

Zecora eyes went wide at Applejack’s outburst, then suddenly closed as she face hooved herself. "Ugh, what is with you pony folk? Can't you ever take a joke?"

Applejack's face went blank. "Wait, what?"

"If you waited for me to finish my line, you would find out that you will be fine."

"Wait, ya... Ya can change this crazy magic back?"

Zecora grunted as she rolled herself up. "Of course I can change you back. You should try to find out before you attack." She gave a small wince of pain as she stood up, still glaring at AJ. "I thought it would be nice to have a laugh, but instead I felt your wrath."

Applejack's anger had completely vanished. She couldn't believe that Zecora had been able to fix her and was joking with her the whole time. She now felt bad for overreacting. She didn't just get mad at Zecora; she had physically attacked her.

Zecora turned her gaze back over to the bags she had by the door she had left there before Applejack attacked her. She grabbed the one she had just brought back and chucked it at the striped farmer on the ground.

"Oww!" AJ shouted when the bag connected to the side of her head. She glared up to Zecora. "What was that for?"

"This is your bag for the long trip. You should thank your granny for making it all in a tight fit."

Applejack didn't know what that meant until she opened the bag; the contents were so tightly packed together that it was hard to move anything inside. What she could make out was multiple small blankets, some food, and water containers. "Wait, ya went to mah house and talked to Granny Smith?"

"Do not worry, I did not tell them what happened to you. I simply told them we would be back in a week or two."

Applejack looked back down to the ground. "Thank ya, Zecora."

"You should be grateful, you crazy one. If this favor was for you, I would certainly be done." Zecora glared at AJ as she reattached her cloak and grabbed her bag. "You are lucky I am not leaving you in the gloom. I am doing this journey for young Applebloom."

Applejack frowned, but knew she could have just said “no” to helping anymore. And to be honest, she wouldn't blame her. She was lucky that Zecora truly did care for Applebloom. Getting up from the ground, she walked over to her hat and slipped it on top of her head, which surprisingly fit perfect over the mohawk she sported. She then grabbed the small bag and slipped it over her back.

Zecora opened the door to the hut and walked out. Once outside, she looked back to Applejack with a stern stare. "Now that our problem is now behind, let us go and look for what we must find."

Applejack complied as she came through the door seconds later. She tried to keep her eyes from making contact with Zecora as she passed by her. The tension between them could easily be felt despite the silence they had at the moment. After Zecora locked the door, she turned and began to walk down the path through the forest, the path going away from Ponyville.

Applejack felt a little unsure about going on the journey now; the only time she had left her home without friends or family was going to other family or Canterlot. She was going to an area where ponies never go. Yet, despite her fears, she knew she had to go. She would make sure she made it to their goal so she could save Applebloom.

Through the dark trees, the two zebras walked onto their destination.

Comments

[Violet Runner]

Once again you don't disapoint. Saying this is awesome be my point.

[Avenging-Hobbits]

And now some music to probobly set the mood for the coming adventure

[swiftstriker21]

[chaos2012]

1367275 I appreciate you take the time, to write out a clever rhyme

1367339 Awesome choice of music i must say.

1367408 it seems you really do like this story. I thank you for that and hope i dont disapoint in the future

[EchotheWolf]

Well, I kind of knew that Zecora was joking all along
There wasn't a slight chance that I would be wrong.

At this chapter which I am now gazing,
I declare that it, and you, are amazing.

[Listener]

Great update, this is getting better and better all the time!
I'm just impressed at how well you pull off Zecora. Heaven knows how hard it is to make up all those rhymes.
(i swear i didn't mean to rhyme there!)
1374747

This is getting a little old,
But this jokes is worth it's what in gold.

But while we're rhyming here and there,
I'll just say that Apple Jack is sometimes a crazy mare.

[chaos2012]

1375936 trust me, if I knew it was this hard to rhyme, I wouldve done a different story , yet it is working so I shall continue. Also, I'll be doing a crossover fic pretty soon. I hope you all will enjoy it. It's unique to the site so far

[EchotheWolf]

Ahhh Us FimFiction.net users are just one, big, mismatched, dysfunctional family.

[Elusive Phoenix]

ERROR OVERLOAD.

YOU need a pre-reader dear sir! (and I would gladly take the position if it is not filled!)

[Dash The Stampede]

Making rhymes is not a game, now let me put your words to shame
A poetic life is simply grand, weaving words with thine own hands
Emotions flow within each phrase, feelings leaving you in a daze
A zebra shaman shall venture forth, east, west, south, and north.
With Applejack now zebra-fied, trotting safely by her side
Each path brings uncertainty, Will Applebloom ever be set free?
Answers do not come easily, you must delve for them, you see
Only if AJ does stay true, will Ponyville see the return of two.
Honesty stands tall and proud, seen above thr faceless crowd
For though she blends in perfectly, through the disguise, others might see
She'll need to show skills she commands, to complete the task as it stands.
So pardon the slight reverie, for a poet i'll always be
Every rhyme needs a creative grace, for emotions one cannot replace
So now I say my parting phrase, before we go our separate ways,
I have enjoyed this skillful write, and so i bid you all good night!

[chaos2012]

2104748 bravo sir, bravo

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