A new zebra enters Ponyville, saying to be a childhood friend of Zecora's, but how far apart have they drifted?
Nearly half of Ponyville is ill with a never-before-seen disease. A strange, new zebra helps them, but what does he know about Zecora? He claims she is about to do something rash to the citizens of the town. Zecora's past may catch up to her when a childhood friend plans to stop her evil scheme for taking over not only Ponyville, but Equestria all together.
“Ponyville’s a whole world away from the place I used to play,” said Zecora in her usual rhyme to Apple Bloom.
“So where DO you come from?” Apple Bloom questioned.
“Far away, not an easy walk. Let us continue, enough of this talk,” Zecora replied, picking up a vase filled with a bubbling, azure liquid with her mouth. She tipped it over just enough for a single droplet to fall into a giant black cauldron with a green soup filled halfway to the brim. As soon as the drop touched the stew, bubbles formed all across the surface, smoke rising up to the ceiling.
“Is it done?” asked Apple Bloom as she watched brew bubble away from a safe distance.
“All in good time, it’ll be done soon,” Zecora started walking to the entrance of her hut. “We must allow it to bubble ‘til noon.”
“Sure is odd how ponies have been getting sick all over Ponyville, isn’t it Zecora?”
“Odd indeed, young Apple Bloom, but this stew shall soon relieve the gloom.”
Apple Bloom smiled and followed Zecora outside to return home and announce the good news.
* * * * * * * *
Twilight was laying in her bed with a thermometer between her lips and an unkempt mane behind her head. She had all four hooves raised by several pillows above her head. Her face was green, a usual tone for when somepony felt like vomiting. “Urgghh…” she moaned, not uncommon for when ponies were in pain. She was sick, but with what, even the doctors couldn’t explain. Her symptoms included nausea upon standing upright, swelling of her hooves when lower than her heart for over an hour, vomiting upon eating anything, sleepiness upon not eating, constant headaches, and a sore and swollen throat, meaning loss of voice. It was a tough time for the newly crowned princess.
She wasn’t the only pony to have this new affliction. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and AppleJack had all gotten it, leaving only Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy on this germ’s hit-list. Twilight didn’t do anything different than what she normally did, well, besides turning into an Alicorn, and didn’t hang out with Rarity, Rainbow, or AppleJack more than Pinkie or Fluttershy. Nothing really added up. Nothing made sense to this new sickness haunting Ponyville.
Spike walked in with a yellow hazmat suit on, appearing to be a dragon-like alien, and carried a tray of roses. Spike knew she couldn’t eat, lest she vomit again, but didn’t want her to wither away due to malnutrition. “Hey, Twilight,” he said quietly, not wanting to disrupt her too much. “I just heard that AppleBloom went to Zecora’s for the cure.” He smiled behind the green-tinted glass. “It won’t be long now until you feel as good as you did yesterday!” He set the tray on her nightstand and started to walk away. “Just try to get some sleep.”
Twilight smiled weakly as he closed the door ever so quietly behind him, and slowly nodded to sleep. Twilight hadn’t had her eyes closed for more than two minutes before Spike had reentered the room. “Twilight!” he yelled, quickly awaking her again, much to her dismay. “Twilight, there’s a pony here who says he can cure you!”
Twilight smiled, thinking ‘Ah, Zecora. You are one quick working ze… He?’ Her eyes were twisted in a confused state as she processed Spike’s words.
He opened the door to fully show a stallion, fur white with black stripes, wearing nothing but ivory tips on some of the front strands of hair in his long, black mane. His face was painted white under his eyes and down his cheek only on the right side, resembling his cheekbone. He had, what appeared to be, ceremonial red paint above his eyes, striking up four different lines extending to his mane where they appeared to end. On his back, a satchel clung tightly to him, holding strange shaped contents that bulged the thin cloth. His cutie mark was that of an herb that had been grounded down to a dust.
He stepped forward and took off his pack. Opening it carefully with his mouth, he revealed books, flowers, masks, you name it inside. Twilight’s eyes widened a bit at the interesting contents. He smirked and grabbed a strange, red leaf that twirled in a spiral from the bag. Placing the leaf carefully on the floor, it suddenly stuck up straight and began spinning. He quietly chanted as its spirals swirled downward endlessly in its hypnotic state, making Twilight lost in its form. Her eyes started to close, dazing off slowly until they fully shut.
The strange zebra smiled and removed an unmarked bottle from his bag with a green stew inside. The liquid appeared to be frozen in mid-bubble, many bubbles attempting to rise to the top and burst, before being stuck eternally where they were. As he walked near the sleeping princess, he couldn’t help but notice the little dragon himself was asleep on the floor, obviously due to watching the mesmerizing leaf. Smirking, he removed the cork, lifted the bottle above Twilight’s head, and poured, what could be considered three drops of the liquid, on her sleeping face. As the liquid fell, the bubbles stayed trapped in their confines, wishing to taste the sweet air around them.
Upon splashing on Twilight’s face, the bubbles released themselves bubbling a bit on her forehead before completely disappearing. The new zebra returned the bottle to his bag and began packing up.
Twilight’s eyes jolted open. She felt a little less nauseous, but overall, the same, except for a little cold spot on her forehead. Suddenly, her hooves lifted off the pillows against her commands and pushed her off the bed. Her eyes were terrified as she watched her body move on its own. She opened her mouth. “What’ happeni…” she stopped midsentence, surprised she could talk again. Smiling, she finally got her hooves back as she could walk around as she wished. “What’s your name?”
The strange zebra looked to her and stated in a gruff, but wise voice, “My name is Zeke, a name, nonetheless. It means nothing special; a name, as you can guess.” He talked similar to Zecora in rhyme, but not in the same way.
Twilight was a little confused, but interpreted it the right way. “Well, thank you Zeke. How can I repay you for your kindness?”
“No payment in necessary; no payment at all. If you get sick again; just give me a call.” He looked to the bag. “A funny potion this one is. It controls you for a while. Although it’s odd, I must say; the results make me smile.” He smirked afterwards before looking to Twilight again. “Your illness is gone, it’ll stay away. I know this to be true. The way this sickness can be avoided; is to always chew through and through.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You mean I got sick because I didn’t chew my food?”
“Correct, you are wise; Smarter than the rest. I shall leave now; I wish not to be a pest.” He smiled and placed the bag over his back before walking away.
“A pest?” Twilight asked, confused. “You are anything but a pest! You helped me get better from our sickness.” Although she was still talking, he was already gone. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off.
Twilight felt so good to be better! She looked to Spike; still sound asleep on the floor. She carefully lifted him and placed him in his bed. “You took such good care of me,” Twilight began, giving him a kiss on his cheek. She pulled up his blanket to his chin and started to walk away. “And that’s why you’re my #1 assistant.” She closed the door gently behind, never noticing the spinning leaf; still hypnotizing to all who view it.
* * * * * * * *
The strange zebra named Zeke walked through Ponyville, hardly being noticed by passing ponies; namely because hardly any ponies were out. Most of which were sick with the same symptoms Twilight had, and the rest were helping to aid for their sickened friends.
Zeke passed the flower shop, seeing a tired mare watching counter, obviously attending a sick occupant in back. He kept walking. He would eventually get to helping her, but now, he some more important mares to help.
He stopped by Rarity’s boutique, knocking at the door and awaiting a response from within. The doorknob turned and finally was fully opened to reveal a very tired Sweetie Belle; basically asleep on her hooves.
“Zecora?” she yawned, her eyes half open. “No, you’re not Zecora.”
“The pony you’re attending, may I help make her well?” He walked nearer, just about through the entranceway. “I may not know magic, but I do have a spell.”
Sleepily, Sweetie Belle nodded her head in acceptance and walked in with him. Inside, Rarity was perched similar to Twilight, with pillows under her hooves, and had the same ill look. Her mane, at one time meaningfully styled, now was twisted and mangled.
Zeke walked in and, again, laid a spinning leaf on her floor, dropped the potion on Rarity’s head and packed up and began away. Again, he was thanked graciously, and, again, his patient placed their kind helper to bed, never noticing the leaf. He did the same for AppleJack, who was being watched over by Granny Smith while Big Mac was working and AppleBloom went to get Zecora, and Rainbow Dash, who was being watched by Fluttershy at her cabin. For anypony who was watching, they would’ve considered it odd that he’d go all the way out near the Everfree Forest before turning around and entering Ponyville again.
It didn’t matter. The only pony that was out was Twilight, looking more like royalty with her mane combed and well. She walked up to Zeke as he passed by, about to check up on another ill pony. “Hey, Zeke!” He turned around to see her trotting by. “I wanted to thank you for making me feel better.”
“No problem, my dear; your health is a concern.” His face changed from smiling to a worried look in his eyes. “This town is in danger; there is something you must learn.”
“Danger?” Twilight asked, her attention grabbed. “What sort of danger?”
“Somebody you know; once called my friend. She has knowledge; and will fight me to the end.” Twilight’s face showed her confusion, her eyebrows lifted and eyes widened. Zeke looked to his path. “I’ve said too much, you mustn’t know. This world’s in danger; but I must go.” With that he walked away.
“Wait!” Twilight ran, but stopped herself, realizing the futility. She looked to the ground. “Danger? And who’s this somepony he called a friend?” She turned away and began to Rarity’s to see if she needed anything. Suddenly, she stopped. ‘Zecora?’ she thought, almost fearing the answer. “No. Zecora wouldn’t want to curse us… would she?” Twilight mumbled to herself as she walked to Rarity’s, certainly in for a surprise.
Twilight was happy to see Rarity open the door, instead of her helpful sister. “Rarity! It’s great to see you up and well.”
“Same to you, darling,” Rarity replied, swirling her hair behind her head. “It feels so great to be up and about again.” She stepped back, allowing Twilight to enter. “I can get back to my work.”
Twilight gave a glowing smile. “I won’t stay long; I just wanted to see how you were doing.” She walked in. “Where’s Sweetie Belle? She was taking care of you, wasn’t she?”
“Poor dear was sleeping when that one pony healed me,” Rarity replied as she went to her clothes. “I let her sleep in my bed.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “’One pony?’”
“You know,” Rarity looked up from her stitching, “that zebra. Zibby? Zek?.”
“Zeke?”
“Zeke, that’s it!” Rarity looked back to Twilight. “How did you know?”
“He helped me.” Twilight stared as Rarity went back to stitching. “I didn’t know he helped any other pony after.” She looked to the door, half-expecting a certain one of her other friends to come bouncing in. “You’re fine, right Rarity?”
Rarity stopped stitching and looked over to Twilight. “Of course, dear. I feel better than I have in a while.” She smiled reassuringly to Twilight.
“That’s good to hear, Rarity,” Twilight began, starting to back away and walk out of the door. “I’ll check up on the others. I’ll see you at Pinkie’s ‘Everyponies Up and Walking’ party, or whatever Pinkie will call it.”
Rarity giggled a bit. “Pinkie Pie being Pinkie.”
Twilight smiled as she closed the door behind her, facing the seemingly dead town that should wake up any time today.”
* * * * * * * *
Pinkie Pie had just finished her shift of attending to Mrs. Cake, letting Pinkie go outside and see her friends, and was hopping down the street as she usually did. The biggest difference was that her eyes were nearly shut and her hops were so much lower, hardly gaining any height to her jump. She looked like she was sleep-hopping to some ponies staring out their windows before turning around and seeing if their friends needed anything.
She stopped at Twilight’s house and prepared her hoof to knock. Unfortunately, her hoof stopped halfway as her head tilted back, eyes shut, a line of drool slid down her chin, and she snored loudly.
She stood there for several minutes before Twilight walked by. She looked at Pinkie and looked away before doing a double-take. “Pinkie?”
Almost instantly, Pinkie Pie’s drool snapped and her head jolted upright, eyes wide and at sudden alert. She turned left and right, looking for Twilight for whom the voice belonged to. After a few seconds, she found the body for the voice and bounced over to Twilight in the slow and less giddy hops. “Hiya Twilight, feeling better?” Pinkie said in a less-than-normal happy.
“I’m fine, but how are you,” Twilight began, her face screwed up in concern. “You don’t seem like you today.”
“I’m just a little tired,” Pinkie replied, her face still smiling. “It’s like the time I decided to stay up all night so I could make more cupcakes, but didn’t have enough ingredients, so I…” Pinkie rambled on.
“Pinkie,” Twilight began, hoping to stop Pinkie Pie’s train of thought and allow Twilight to talk.
“…went to the basement, but got locked downstairs and had to…”
“Pinkie,” Twilight started to lose patience.
“…dig my way out with spoons. It was fun, but very mess…”
“PINKIE!” she shouted, rumbling the ground beneath them.
“What is it, Twilight?” Pinkie stated as if nothing was different.
“I was going to ask you if the Cakes were okay.”
“Mrs. Cake is sick with the thing you got, but Mr. Cake is taking care of her right now.”
“Do you need me to help take care of her?” Twilight asked.
“If you want to,” Pinkie replied. “The more the merrier.” She bounced her head a bit.
“Well,” Twilight began. “Let’s go see what we can do.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie began hopping off, her eyes happy, but bounces lower again low to the ground. Twilight took note of this and followed the strange-acting Pinkie Pie.
* * * * * * * *
“Sis! Sis!” Apple Bloom yelled as she ran through the yard to get to her family’s farmhouse. “Yer never gonna believe this!” She crashed through the door. “Zecora made a…” She stopped when she realized that Applejack wasn’t there, but instead Granny Smith was sleeping in the chair. “Applejack?”
“Howdy, Apple Bloom,” Applejack stated from behind. “How was your trip to Zecora’s?”
“Applejack! Yer up!” Apple Bloom was in awe.
“Sure am. Some pony came in and helped cure me.”
“How?”
“He put a strange leaf on the ground and it made me fall asleep,” Applejack replied, rubbing the back of her head with her front, left hoof. “I don’t remember what happened afterwards, but I felt instantly better after.”
“Did ja drink anything?” Apple Bloom asked, knowing what Zecora said how her potion would work.
“I don’t think so…” Applejack responded, turning her head to the ground a bit. “I didn’t have any strange flavoring in my mouth.”
“Then you ain’t cured!” Apple Bloom accused, raising a hoof and pointing at Applejack.
“’Ain’t’ isn’t a word, Apple Bloom. ‘Aren’t’ is what you meant.” Applejack informed.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “You ‘aren’t’ cured.” She looked back to Applejack. “Zecora said you’d have to drink the potion to get better.” “It’s okay now, Apple Bloom. I’m not sick anymore.” Applejack looked out to the field. “Let’s go help yer brother.” She walked away.
Apple Bloom sighed and looked to where she came from. “Maybe Zecora had the wrong potion brewing.”
* * * * * * * *
Zeke was just finishing off taking care of Lyra as she was excitedly thanking him. He smiled fatherly and continued on. He saw Rarity’s boutique and slowly walked towards it. Inside, he could hear Rarity’s sewing machine buzzing. He knocked on the door and listened as the buzzing stopped. Patiently, he waited as she opened up.
“Hello?” Rarity welcomed before even realizing who it was standing outside. “Oh, Zeke, darling! Welcome!” She backed up and allowed him to enter. “Oh, I just want to show my appreciation for your service.” She ran into a closet and began looking through outfits.
“It is good to see you well, I assume the treatment worked, but I’ve come to ask a question that leaves me rather irked.”
Rarity came out of the closet holding a personally made colt’s suit with her magic. “Ever since you cured my illness, I went straight to work to make you a nice outfit.” She looked up at his satchel. Studying his body size, she looked over her outfit a bit closer. She realized it may be too small, so she brought it to her sewing press. “Now what was the question, dear?”
“I’m searching for a friend. She’s living somewhere near.” He looked to the suit she was fixing up. “She’s become something dangerous; something we must fear.”
Rarity stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “What do you mean?”
“Zecora’s her name, and she most definitely means trouble. While you sit home and relax, her evil potions bubble."
“Zecora?” Rarity cut off her magic, letting the suit fall limp on the table. “What’s this about her being trouble?”
“She’s wishing to do something rash. I need to know where she stays, if I don’t get to where she is, she’ll send a smoke of deathly haze.” His eyes were worried. "Only I can stop her from unleashing such a great power. Quick, I must know, she grows stronger by the hour!"
Looking back to the suit, Rarity thought for a while as she began to sew again. “She lives in the Everfree Forest.” She never took her eyes off the suit. “I never thought she’d be plotting against us.”
Zeke looked away, eyes closed and his face showing hurt. “I’m sorry for your pain, but only I can make her stop. Thank you for your help." He opened his eyes and, more to himself, continued, "now to drain away every drop.” He left quietly, his eyes down to the ground. He shut the door from behind.
Rarity looked up from her work. “There, all done!” She turned around and noticed he was gone. “Why, he left without his suit.”
Zeke looked depressed as he left Ponyville, but quickly changed his head to an upright position as he entered the Everfree Forest. “A nice pony, mane nicely groomed.” He looked back and glared evilly. “Our pain shall be lifted, and this town, doomed.”
Twilight got back to Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie Pie when they both viewed a miracle. Mrs. Cake was up and well, taking care of the two foals.
“Mrs. Cake? What’re you doing up?” Pinkie Pie began, everypony knowing that she would continue. “Are you feeling better like Twilight is, or maybe you just got up and didn’t know you were actually better, but really you need…”
“Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake began motherly. “I’m fine.”
Twilight smiled caringly. “Did a zebra come in and cure you?”
“Why, yes, dear.” Mrs. Cake smiled, burping Pound. “He had strange markings on his face.”
Pinkie was still talking, even though Mrs. Cake and Twilight were continuing their conversation. “… and she was sooooo scared. I never meant…” she rambled on.
“Sounds like Zeke,” Twilight continued. She smiled, watching as Mrs. Cake took Pound and placed him next to Pumpkin, as Mrs. Cake picked her up for burping. “Maybe I should check on the other ponies, just to see if any other of the sick ponies have been cured, that is, if you don’t need any help here?”
“Oh, don’t worry about me, dear,” Mrs. Cake replied, still burping the foal in her hooves. “I can take care of these two by myself.”
Twilight began walking towards the door. “If you’re sure…”
“It’s fine. They may be wild, they can be tamed,” she winked, slyly. She took her two foals to the back room, readying them for a nap.
Twilight smiled and she began to see the rest of Ponyville.
Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, was still talking. “… and she made a face like…” She blinked one eye and stuck her tongue, making a growling noise, “Grawww.” She relaxed her face muscles back to ease, only to start giggling. “I could never get that face out of my head!” She stopped and looked around for Twilight and Mrs. Cake. “Where is everypony?”
* * * * * * * *
Twilight met up with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, happy to see them just as well as her. Of course, her conversations were cut short due to the sun soon to set. When she got back to her home, it was just as dirty as it was when she left a few hours before. “Spike?” she called out, slowly walking inside.
The door to Twilight’s bed slowly creaked open, allowing a sliver of light to grow, engrossing the room in golden light from the lamps. Inside, Twilight could easily see Spike’s outline on her bed, still in the position she left him in.
“Wow…” Twilight whispered to herself, careful not to awaken the young dragon. “He must’ve been up all night last night.” She quietly closed the door, only having a thin sliver of light. “I hope it doesn’t affect his sleep cycle…” She yawned and laid on the guest bed, quick to doze off into dreamworld.
* * * * * * * *
Twilight was in complete darkness. She looked around, but couldn’t find anything. No ponies, no buildings, no grass, nothing. Just then, a slow piano riff played out, its haunting melody surrounding Twilight. She looked behind, hoping to see the pony playing. When she turned her head forward, she saw a cave. It looked like the cave that they went into to stop the sleeping dragon from leaving Ponyville in smoke a while ago.
She slowly approached the cave, the piano riff getting louder. Her left eyebrow rose in confusion, she entered the cave to see candles scattered about. Masks of ponies’ faces frozen in horror were hung on the walls of the cave, their shadows dancing as the flames crackled on the wick.
The cave’s mouth grew to a crescendo as it opened to reveal a large, circular hole, obviously the place where the dragon had once slept. Inside, tables cluttered full of many different animal skulls and candles, smaller than those closer to the mouth as the wax gathered below hauntingly surrounded an alter. The alter was covered in a golden cloth and had four candles set perfectly on top. Behind the alter, a golden statue of an eight-hooved pony held a thick tome with two of its hooves while the other six were resting at different angles. It stared maliciously with its eight eyes, two strings about an inch thick of a possible moustache hanging over its mouth, and a mane that stood up as if underwater. In its upper chest where the heart would be, appeared to be a wooden stake jutting out.
Twilight walked closer to the strange-looking book, noticing a tiled floor only around the alter. She felt her hooves clop on the more solid ground, the noise getting a bit louder from the soft puffs of dust to a solid clunk with each step. The music that played was getting louder, near crescendo, as her eyes looked over the book. Only one word was on the page that she knew how to pronounce. “Arachlath?”
The piano stopped. A hiss echoed from the statue, its nostrils producing a thick, white fog. The statue’s eyes, though distant, started to glow red. All the candles, excluding the alter’s candles extinguished, darkening all but Twilight, the alter, and the strange statue.
The two strings of the mustache starting twitching, first slowly, but then, extraordinarily violent. Twilight backed up a bit, her head being lowered in fear, never taking her eyes off of the statue.
A new hissing sound emanated from the golden statue. This one sounded like that of the hiss from before, but was an undeniable ‘Yessssss?’
Twilight backed up back on to the dirt ground. As all four hooves hit the dirt, she felt the ground just give out, and she fell through utter darkness. She screamed as she fell, the music picking up into a loud beat. Quickly thinking, she opened her wings and fluttered a bit in the air, her feet hanging lightly below her.
As she hovered, a pair of glowing eyes appeared from behind her. The music quieted down, letting the vocals take over. “What have we here, this strange new meat? A certain dish, a tasty treat. You’re flesh looks tender, it’ll cook so nice. I’ll serve you up with a side of rice. My lord is famished, so you should do.”
Twilight had enough of this. “Celestia will hear about this!”
“Who?” it responded. Although it had no mouth, Twilight could tell that whatever this was was smiling. “A princess is nice, nevertheless, but wars always leave a horrible mess. No, she won’t guess, she’ll never know; that her precious ponies will be beaten so low. We eventually shall strike, don’t get me wrong; she’s reigned over us for far too long. We must wait, we’ll attack from inside. She may run, but she’ll never hide!”
Twilight’s face scowled in uncontrollable rage; she didn’t want to hear Celestia being talked down to. “How dare you! You shall never beat Celestia! She’ll hear of this and when she does, she’ll stop you. You and… you and…”
“Me and who?” it laughed. “You’ve no idea against whom you fight. Similar to Nightmare Moon, we shall bring eternal night.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in fear. Quickly flying back up to the alter from which she had previously fallen, the eyes followed her, moving the same speed as Twilight. As she rose, she scowled and glared at the following eyes. “And like Nightmare Moon, we’ll defeat you!”
A bass guitar lick began playing. Twilight came closer to the platform from which she had been dropped from. Suddenly, while she was near the alter, she dropped. She flapped as hard as she could, but no matter how fast her wings moved, she still fell. She looked down, trying to understand why she was falling. Nothing was present that could explain her predicament. Even the eyes just stared down at her as she fell, staying at her maximum height in which she flew to.
“You will fail, you know it shall be!” the eyes sang again, watching her and laughing as she fell. “You’re our victim, your friends can’t flee.”
Twilight saw a bit of light below and pony overlooking a bubbling pot with a strange, green liquid boiling inside. The pony was cloaked with a brown robe, covering any form of identification. Twilight noticed that nothing else was down there besides the pony and its pot, a strange sight in all fashions. She also noticed something else a bit more horrifying: Her speed wasn’t decreasing during her frantic flapping, and the ground didn’t appear to be soft…
She lifted her hooves to her face, bracing for impact. Her eyes shut tight; she fell into blackness as stars swirled around under her eyelids. The music came to an abrupt stop, signaling the end of the song.
* * * * * * * *
Twilight groggily stood up, her head aching. She moaned in pain as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still behind the strange pony and its potion and could hear it talking to itself. “Lord Arachlath, hear this verse, protect my tribe and activate your curse. Subject one town to eternal sleep, so your protection we may keep.” It sounded like Zecora’s voice. “Stew’s bubbling, potions brew, we shall create pain anew.” Twilight’s eyes widened when hearing Zecora say this.
“Hatred lives, it closes my eyes; fires burn into the night skies. Hatred set, the fun’s begun; pain shall set under Celestia’s sun. Evil soul, let me loose, hang thine foes from set noose.” Twilight felt her legs tremble beneath her heavenly form. She saw Zecora lift her hoof and throw a pile of dust over the brew. The dust incinerated into colorful bursts of light.
“Awaken, dear Arachlath, awake. From your heart, I release the stake. Take our pains, infuse them with this town, and, with your power, take the sun-riser down.”
Twilight thought back to the floating eyes and to what they said. Could they have been Zecora’s?
“Have the sun set just once more.” Twilight lifted her royal hoof to place it on Zecora’s shoulder. “Only to rise…” She turned around, only revealing it truly was Zecora. Her eyes glowed an ominous yellow. “…nevermore.” Twilight blacked out, hearing Zecora’s words echo through her head.
* * * * * * * *
Twilight’s head jumped off of her pillow, sweat flying onto her blankets from her moist forehead. All around her, everything seemed the same as when she drifted off. Her library felt more alive now that morning was here and that her nightmare was over. She yawned, stretching her hooves and hopping out of bed, prepared to see Zecora today, wanting to confront her about the suspicions.
She looked to the bed where Spike was still asleep in. “Alright, sleepy head, time to start the day!” She walked up him and nudged at his side. He hardly stirred. A little annoyed, Twilight lifted him up with her magic, taking him straight out of bed and standing him upright on the floor. His eyes opened partially. “Spike?”
“Hmmpft?” he moaned, sounding like he had been up all night and had just got a few seconds of rest.
“Time to wake up.” Twilight released her magic, hoping he’d take to standing tall, but instead, as soon as the glow disappeared from his sides, he slumped to the ground. More annoyed, she again lifted him up with her magic and set him downstairs. “It’s a new day.”
He didn’t move too much, just a little twitching of his arms as he tried to do something, it appeared. Quietly, he mumbled something.
Twilight was now fully annoyed. In her anger, she grabbed an alarm clock with her magic and placed it by the couch. Setting Spike on the couch, she tilted the clock to five minutes. She started walking away. “Only five more minutes Spike, then get back to work.” She opened the door with her magic. “I’ve got some errands to run.” She took off to the Everfree Forest, preparing to face Zecora.
Twilight ran through Ponyville, her mind focused on one thing: Getting to Zecora’s. She didn’t really notice that the world around her was a bit more bustling than the day before. There were ponies walking by, smiling and opening up their shops. Twilight ran past Carrot Top attending her little garden patch.
She rushed past Fluttershy’s Cabin, but got a little confused as she saw all of the animals that Fluttershy took care of standing around the door. They looked hungry, or unhappy, or something of the like. ‘Maybe she’s just making them a big breakfast and taking a while to do so…’ thought Twilight. ‘…Even though she always is on time to do so.’
Twilight brushed off anymore thoughts on the subject as she passed through the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Inside, a dark and haunting world opened before Twilight’s eyes. Although the beautiful morning sun was still rising and casting a warm, yellow light across the land, little to none of said light swooped down through the thick balcony of leaves above.
Twilight’s iris’ were slow to widen enough to get all visual splendors around in, but did help keep Twilight from galloping off the laid path. She took a turn away from the path, but she was 90% sure she knew the way to Zecora’s. She galloped past the Poison Joke flowers, careful not to get too close to their spores despite her hustle. Memories of how she and her five friends had trotted through them when chasing Zecora for the first time didn’t flood her head had she hurried through.
She hustled to the hut, carefully hopping over downed trees, evading hanging vines from above. The yellowed, misshapened tree stood just ahead, its windows watching her viciously as she neared. The door was open, letting a dull yellow light illuminate the dirt around the entrance. Twilight could see through her constantly bobbing eyes that somepony was in there. ‘Zecora, no doubt,’ thought Twilight, her facial features crossing a bit.
She jolted through the doorway. “ZECORA!”
An already startled Zecora jumped, turning around to the purple Alicorn. “Twilight, you surprised me so. My house…”
“Enough, Zecora,” snarled Twilight, her eyes glaring at the zebra, a restraining spell in mind, just waiting to be used. “Want to explain why Zeke says you plan to ruin Ponyville?”
“Twilight, you’re acting so mean, can’t you see my house has become quite the scene?” Zecora’s eyes weren’t bent in anger, but sadness. Her eyes were beginning to moisten as her face appeared sad, somewhat frightened upon closer glance. “I had just come back from a worrisome sight, ponies sleeping through morning and night.” Her eyes began to release the held tears, but only in a single, gentle stream. “Their friends were ill but the day before, so I come back and find the open door.”
Twilight looked around a bit, still keeping an eye on Zecora. The inside was a disaster. The hut was torn apart worse than the time Rainbow Dash crashed everywhere inside, destroying just about everything. It had her books’ pages strewn about, as if ripped out in anger or a fit of rage, masks split into splinters, shattered vases and glasses littered upon the ground, and the black caldron laying on its side, a green brew seeping into the tree’s floor. Even the bookshelf was viciously dismantled as if, again, whoever did it was in due to spite.
“Something came in against my will, and pushed my caldron over to spill.” Zecora felt the tears warm subtlety as she felt another stream flow from her eyes.
Twilight thought a second on what was shown before her. “Zecora… He… He.”
Zecora’s face softened, taking on the airs of a caring friend. With a shaky voice, she replied, “Who is this fellow of which you speak?” Zecora’s eyebrows raised in confusion. Although she still had tears welling in her eyes, it appeared they were stopping. “I know nopony named Zeke.”
Twilight took a step back. “I thought he was a childhood friend of yours.”
“I’ll admit, I’m still rather shook, but tell me Twilight, how did he look?”
“Well,” Twilight began, thinking back carefully to how the supposed childhood friend appeared. “He had a black, long mane with ivory tips on several of his front strands of hair, and…” Twilight paused, remembering the ruby colored lines, “… four, ceremonial, red lines on his cheeks. His cheeks were bony, but that might have been of age.”
“Familiar he sounds, but he died a while ago,” Zecora frowned in thought. “I was at his funeral also. Perhaps his individual talent might bring a spark. What was his cutie mark?” She looked to Twilight.
“W-well…” she began, her mind still trying to wrap around his appearance. “It… w-was… a… a… a… pile of dust… blue dust.”
“Blue dust? I recall that genus of flower.” Zecora looked to her books, or, at least, her pile of shredded papers. “It symbolizes a dark, yet great power. There’s only one zebra with that kind of mark.” She looked deep into Twilight’s eyes. “He was kind, but foolish as a lark.”
“Foolish?”
“Enough talk, we must move, if you’d please.” Zecora picked up a vase, broken at the top, but still able to collect, and bent over the fallen pot. She held it on the ground next to the opening with her hooves. “We must fully cure Ponyville of the disease.” She nodded to Twilight.
Twilight used her magic to carefully lift the bulky caldron and pour the precious green mixture inside the vase. “But we all feel fine.”
“This I may have to inspect,” she thought to herself. “But I’m sure my hunch is correct.”
“Hunch?” Twilight let the caldron roll on its side a bit as she released her magic. There was hardly anything inside, maybe enough for half a mouthful. “What hunch?”
Zecora did not respond. Instead, she lifted the vase and began running back to Ponyville, careful not to let what little was left of the potion drop.
Twilight sighed, closing the door behind her as she chased after the hurried zebra.
* * * * * * * *
Apple Bloom was helping Applejack in Ponyville sell apples again. Although she knew she wouldn’t get her cutie mark by doing so, she wanted to help her family… and to watch Applejack so she didn’t have any issues, still being sick and all.
“It sure is nice of ya helpin’ me, Apple Bloom,” Applejack stated, receiving a pile of bits for a bag of apples. “But, as ah’ve said before, ah’m fine.”
Apple Bloom felt a slight blush develop on her cheeks, realizing she’d been discovered. “Wha… what’d ya mean, Applejack.” Apple Bloom’s eyes darted quickly about in worry. “A-Ah’m just doin’ somethin’ to help my big sis.”
Applejack smiled a motherly smile. “Apple Bloom, ah’ve known ya long enough to know ye’re just worried ah might still be sick. Ah’m fine, so why don’t ya go help Big Mac in the orchard?” Applejack responded, tossing an apple into the air as a brown-furred unicorn colt ran by, quickly dropping a floating bit on the stand and snatching the apple as it landed in his jaws.
“…” Apple Bloom stood silently, looking at the ground. “Ye’re right, sis. It’s just that Zecora…”
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack sighed. “We’ve had this discussion before. Now go on an’ help yer brother.” She still smiled kindly, beyond her mild frustration.
Her ears drooped and eyes stayed down on the ground she walked back to the farm, looking back only once at the apple stand and her blissfully unaware sister. ‘Maybe ignorance IS bliss…’
* * * * * * * *
“ZECORA, SLOW DOWN!” Twilight shouted to the zebra. Zecora was well ahead of the winged Twilight. Twilight was light-footed, but still couldn’t catch up to Zecora due to the head start. “You don’t want to drop it, do you?”
Zecora didn’t respond verbally. Instead, she rolled her eyes annoyed with Twilight’s constant whimpering from behind. She was careful, as she knew more of the importance of the concoction in her mouth than Twilight, so why would she be so willing to annoy her.
Zecora saw the exit of the Everfree forest just ahead. She had to squint her eyes as they needed to adjust to the incoming sunlight flooding over her hurried form. She had to slow to a stop upon view of the state of the quietest pony’s house.
Fluttershy’s cabin had the many critters she cared for crying outside, waiting for food. The door was bombarded with pecks from birds with their beaks, paddled by the flat tails of beavers, and clawed by tiny nails of squirrels, while other animals stood back and awaited entrance. A towering bear was sobbing with several squirrels and birds comforting him. A hive of bees generously flew a comb of their honey over to soothe the starving beast. He thankfully accepted and began sucking on it like a binky for an infant.
Zecora carefully set the potion down before speaking to the almost present Twilight. “How horrible to see such sadness. The problem… I can only guess.” She turned back to look at the exhausted princess stop next to her, Twilight’s breathing coming out in labored gasps. Zecora bent over and picked up the vase again as she began running to the cottage.
Twilight sighed as she began running again after the strange zebra. Her legs ached from the run to confront Zecora and now burned from the run to Fluttershy’s.
Of course, more pain was being shed at the present; the many animals felt hunger pangs like never before. Never did their feeder forget to give them at least a bowl of food. Their bellies were always stuffed. She made sure of it. Yet today, she didn't open up the wooden barricade. She refused to move. Was it something they did?
Then, Zecora galloped into the scene. With something in her mouth. Something edible. Something to remove their hunger.
The creatures came crashing towards her, their eyes hungry and ready to attack. Zecora stopped in her tracks, her pupils widening in sudden fear. She closed her eyes and turned away, bracing for impact.
Twilight jumped in between the cowering zebra and the attacking mob. She quickly cast a spell to create an invisible barrier. Each critter flattened its face, only to fall down and make way for the next one. Twilight didn’t like that she was so cruel to the animals, they were only hungry after all, but she couldn’t risk a single drop of the potion.
More and more came, only creating a pile underneath them. The creatures weren’t stupid; they were just driven by hunger. Twilight knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the barrier forever, thinking quickly, she casted a spell over them, encasing them inside. She panted a bit, drops of sweat slowly rolling down her cheek. She walked up to the circle of clawing, biting, and whimpering animals, a pang of guilt building up inside.
“Don’t worry,” Twilight stated, Zecora getting up from behind her. “We just need to help Fluttershy and then she could feed you.”
“Come along Twilight, there is much to be complete. We have a shy, young friend to meet,” Zecora replied just before picking up the broken vase and trotting towards the cottage.
Twilight hurried ahead, worried for Fluttershy’s safety. She quickly opened the battered door with her magic and hurried in. Inside, birds were fluttering back and forth from Flutterhsy’s room, some carrying buckets and other carrying sponges.
Twilight felt her little twinge of worry welling up into full-fledged fear. She hurried into the room, hopping over the rushing Angel at her hooves. Inside, Fluttershy slept soundly as birds flew over her, carefully placing moistened towels on her forehead, as if trying to cure her of an illness.
Twilight trotted to the bed and looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s face was calm as if in a good dream, although her face scrunched up a bit when the birds placed newer towels down. Releasing a sigh of relief, Twilight raised a hoof and shook up Fluttershy gently. “Fluttershy. Fluttershy.” Twilight could see her face screw up and eyes start to twitch as if they were to open. Twilight waited patiently for the sleeping mare to arise, but she never moved more than a few lazy shuffling movements.
“Fluttershy, wake up,” Twilight said, louder this time, her fears starting to rise.
In a lazy attempt to silence the mare awaking her, Fluttershy started mumbling sleepily. “A minute please, mommy.”
“Mommy?” Twilight began, her face screwing up before she realized Fluttershy was basically still asleep. Her face sweetened again and brought her face in closer. “Fluttershy,” she said louder.
“Let me see this sleeping mare, so I may know what to do for care,” Zecora entered, the vase set on the floor near the open door. She neared the dozing Fluttershy and began feeling her pulse, checking her forehead, and other doctor-like attempts at figuring out what was wrong with her patient. Zecora stopped after she checked Fluttershy’s tongue. “Asleep this one’s been, for a while now, but now to awake her… how?”
Zecora tilted her head around, noticing the spinning ruby red flower in a corner of the room. She trotted closer, her left eyebrow rising in confusion. She watched the flora spin like a record, never-ending. “This isn’t possible! It cannot be,” Zecora began, her snout about touching the flower. “An old friend… is it he?” Grasping the flower in her mouth, she finally stopped the spinning flora.
Behind, Fluttershy’s eyes’ jolted open and her head shot off the bed quickly. “Oh my,” she raised a hoof to her head. “How long was I asleep?”
Twilight sheepishly smiled. “Well…” she began, looking towards the door, the animals again pounding the wood to submission. “Long enough…”
“Oh my…” Fluttershy ran to get the food in the storage, not even noticing Zecora studying Fluttershy’s sudden awakening.
“She should be fine, dear Twilight…” Zecora looked to her potion sitting anxiously in the broken vase. “Now to find which pony she watched that night.”
Just as Zecora had finished her speech, a certain pegasus resting comfortably in a cloud over Ponyville began to feel a bit sickish.
A pink party-mare hopped enthusiastically through Ponyville, greeting ponies happily as she went to visit one of her closest of friends. Pinkie Pie took notice of the beautiful sky, cleared by said friend earlier that morning, the blue dome and golden sun hovering above her world seeming to smile down on her.
“I hope Dashie wants to come over today!” Pinkie smiled to herself, her hops a bit higher than before. “She said she’d bake cupcakes with me!”
The optimistic pony bounced underneath a cloud floating lazily above the ground. On top of this listless cloud lay a snoozing pegasus soaking in the gorgeous rays. The mare’s rainbow colored-tail hung over the edge slightly, giving Pinkie Pie the indication of Rainbow Dash’s whereabouts. Pinkie’s smile penetrated through the creamy cloud and at her peaceful friend.
Before she could yell out her friend’s name, her colorful tail swished around and disappeared behind the cloud. “I know you’re there, Rainbow,” Pinkie giggled. “You don’t need to play Hide-and-Seek!”
“Ugghh…” A noise from above echoed into Pinkie’s ears, sending a worrisome shock running down her spine. The groan wasn’t a content or awakening type groan, it was one of pain and anguish.
“Dashie?” Pinkie asked, her face showing her fears. “Dashie?”
No response came from behind the cloud.
“If this is a prank, it’s NOT funny!” Pinkie stomped a hoof, emphasizing her point.
“P…Pink…ie?” Rainbow’s voice called down. “Urrgggh!” She rolled around, holding her aching midsection. Pinkie could see the rainbow mare sliding to the edge of the soft cloud, her face green and eyes dreary and distant.
“Are you okay, Dash?” Pinkie asked, her head tilted. “You look like Mrs. Cake did when she was sick!”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “I think I’m sick again…”
“I can see that!” Pinkie replied. She looked up to her green friend and stated bluntly, “Let’s get you home.”
Pinkie could see Rainbow Dash rolling around a little on top the cloud, but she never expected Rainbow to fall off. Luckily for Rainbow, Pinkie caught her on her back.
“It’s okay Dashie, we’ll have you feeling dandy in no time!” Pinkie cheerfully responded, her face calmingly happy.
‘We’ll make cupcakes when you feel better,’ thought Pinkie.
* * * * * * * *
“C’mon, Zecora, where are we going?” Twilight complained, running after the striped zebra.
Zecora’s face showed annoyance, as she ran away into Ponyville, her mouth gripping the vase tightly. Although she ran berserk-like, she knew where she was headed. As long a certain pony didn’t annoy her too much.
“Zecora! Would you stop ignoring me and ta…” Twilight’s pupils shrank, her run slowing down. “Oh…” She looked down, smiling with a deep blush crimsoning her face. “Oops… Sorry.” Twilight picked up her pace.
Zecora lowered her eyebrows smugly. Just ahead, the hospital awaited.
Zecora stopped on the automatic door spring, allowing the glass doors to slowly open. Inside, several nurses ran by to an emergency room. Only a single receptionist waited behind the counter. Zecora walked briskly up to said counter and waited for the nurse to look up from her list of admitted patients. “Hello? Feeling ill?”
Zecora placed the shattered vase down. “Good gracious, no, I’m fine, but I do need to take some of your time. Have you a patient whose face is green, mane unkempt and the sickest you’ve seen?”
The nurse sighed and looked to her notes, her face showing either depression from her line of work, or lack of sleep. “Says here the last one got out yesterday,” she looked up to Zecora’s eyes. “Nothing here about any new cases.”
“I see,” Zecora looked to the chairs nearest the entrance. “If you don’t mind, we’ll wait here until our pony we find.”
“Suit yourselves,” the nurse shrugged. “We’ve got a busy staff today, so watch out for the doctor; he’ll run into you if you aren’t careful.”
Zecora smiled and bowed gratefully before picking up her vase and sitting in the corner. Twilight, on the other hoof, gasped for air as she too entered the cool building. She looked to Zecora meditating calmly. “You brought us here for what, exactly?”
“The pony we seek will be here soon, even though she rested well under Luna’s moon.”
“So what was with the rush?”
“If we didn’t run all the way to Ponyville, we would have to visit her ill.” Zecora looked to the shattered glass and the carefully contained mix inside. “It’s more relaxing to wait.” She looked to Twilight’s eyes, her own serious and less-than friendly. “Besides, you never want to cheat fate.”
Sighing in both defeat and exhaustion, she slumped next to Zecora as they awaited whichever pony decided to show up.
* * * * * * * *
Pinkie Pie, still holding Rainbow Dash on her back, made quick progression to get to the hospital. As Pinkie trotted, she thought about Rainbow’s plight. ‘Maybe somepony knew why Rainbow was sick again. Maybe she didn’t get enough of the medicine. Maybe she came into contact with another pony who was still sick. Maybe sh…’ Pinkie was cut off by the fact that she had walked up to the hospital and bumped into the sliding doors.
Shaking her head, Pinkie smiled as they opened before her. “Opsie Daisy!”
“Pinkie?” Twilight called from inside. “What happened to Rainbow?”
Pinkie Pie looked back at the exhausted Rainbow Dash. “Oh, Dashie is feeling sick.”
Zecora stood up and walked to Pinkie. “She was the one who cared for your friend. Come, let’s make her suffering end.” Zecora walked up to Twilight’s ill friend. “Relax, drink this cure. Afterwards, you’ll be fine for sure.” Nodding her head, Zecora motioned for Twilight to use her magic.
Awkwardly, Twilight quickly picked up the bottle and rested it against Rainbow Dash’s lips. Twilight gently raised the vase a bit to allow the liquid to slip into Dash’s mouth. Lazily, Rainbow Dash swallowed a bit.
“Drink it all, you need its contents. When well, we shall retrieve Zeke’s sense.”
Rainbow Dash was slow to drink the green soup, but did eventually allow it to fall down her esophagus. She lengthened the entire swallowing time up to over a minute.
Finally, the last of the serum dripped into Rainbow’s mouth. Twilight levitated the vase away from Rainbow and placed it in a trash can near the receptionist’s desk right before the doctor rushed by, his face panicked and his covered in a thin layer of blood. Nopony noticed him, as they were more interested with Rainbow’s recovery.
“Urg!” Rainbow stuck out her tongue, a layer of the green gloop still clung to it. “Never make me drink something so bad again!” She gagged again, forcing Pinkie to hold her balance on her four hooves.
“Hmhmhm,” Zecora chuckled, her face emanating a shine of friendliness.
“Enough chat, everypony,” Twilight interrupted. “We’ve got to find Zeke and stop his plans!”
“Ooooh! I never heard of that pony!” Pinkie Pie hopped up and down, Rainbow’s head bobbing violently into Pinkie’s side.
“P-p-p-in-ink-k-kie-ie P-p-ie-e-e-e-e,” Rainbow Dash stuttered, her vocal chords being annoyed with her constant movement.
“Hm?” Pinkie looked behind her. “Oh, hehe, sorry Dashie!” She stopped her hopping.
“I don’t think you saw him, Pinkie,” Twilight tilted her head in thought. “He only came to see Mrs. Cake and you were out.”
“Well, I’d better start getting ready for a PARTAH!” Pinkie screamed, Rainbow Dash falling off her back.
“Whoa!” Rainbow hit her head to the floor hard. “OW!”
“Sorry, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“No, Pinkie, we need to find him so we can stop him from causing any harm to anypony!” Twilight interrupted her friends’ spat. She looked them both down, their faces frowning. Looking out to the beautiful day outside, she stated, “Besides, I think I know where he might be!” With a determined smile and her stamina back, she darted to collect the elements and pick up Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Their battle was just starting.
* * * * * * * *
“No pony knows the hardships we’ve faced; the cries of my tribe haunt my sleep. Though, now, once we’re done here, all the glories of Equestria will be ours to keep!” stated a hauntingly cloaked figure walking up a mountainside, his cape fluttering majestically in the wind. He looked up to a cave high above him.
“Once they arrive, their end will begin.” He hopped over a small crack on the ground, its elevation devastating for someponies. “My family will heal, lacerations disappeared;” He noticed a young bird hopping playfully at the edge of falling, its wings too small to allow it to fly. “This town will sleep and never rise.” Walking up to it, he lowered his face and inspected closer to the odd avian. He smiled gently. “Celestia will face a god worse than any she’s ever feared!”
He picked up the baby bird and brought it nearer to the mountain. He glanced back to Ponyville and up to his path before looking down to the grateful beast. He patted its head gently, he walked on. He heard a mother's caw, searching for its offspring. His eyes darted back to the bird, filled with fear and regret.
Twilight had finally got everypony ready to climb the mountain. Each element attached to the correct pony, the crew hurried to run up the mountainside. Although, everypony was nervous, nopony wanted to let the others know; it wasn’t relevant. The end of the nightmare was nearing. The only thing nopony had ever thought, was that it might just be beginning.
* * * * * * * *
‘Zeke’ looked down from a high cliff overlooking all of Ponyville and a deep portion of the Everfree Forest in which nopony had ever ventured to. The sun’s harsh glare forced his eyes to squint in both anger and annoyance. Although the beauty was far surpassing any he’d ever seen, he wasn’t able to take it in as a gorgeous sight, but a haunting reminder that ‘they’ were still out there.
A cold breeze whistled from within the cavern behind him. Amidst the eerie screech of the gust, he heard a dark voice say, “Allure…”
He closed his eyes and had a faint smirk appear over his lips. “Yes, Arachlath, the plan is prepared. You haven’t a need for fear.” ‘Allure’ looked down at the base, hardly able to view the seven ponies advancing his position. “The bait has been taken and the prey shall soon be here!”
The wind picked up, its haunting whistle sounding more like deep laughter. ‘Allure’ began to laugh just as hard, his head thrown back in maniacal hilarity. He turned to the cave, his powdered cutie mark visible to the rest of Equestria, his face beaming in an evil glare.
* * * * * * * *
Fluttershy was still mortified at the same heights and jumps she cowered before previously when preparing to confront the dragon, but she stayed the course, hiding her fears as best as she could.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, looking back to the farthest pony.
“Of c…course, Tw…Twilight,” Fluttershy responded, her eyes switching from the cliff’s edge and quickly being forced back to the trail. She smiled sheepishly, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.
Twilight was about to reply, but Rainbow Dash’s voice echoing down from ahead interrupted. “Twi, you gotta see this!”
“How horrible,” Rarity’s voice also called back. “Is this the monster we have to face?”
“I reckon we may need to use the elements as soon as we get there,” Applejack spoke to herself out loud. “Ah don’t wanna see any pony that would do such a thing to such a helpless being.”
Strangely, Pinkie Pie didn’t make a sound. She didn’t speak.
Twilight looked back to Fluttershy. “We should continue.” Fluttershy could only nod before she took to a run.
Up ahead, everypony was standing around in a circle near the side of the mountain. “What’s going on, girls?” Twilight asked, her running slowing to a trot.
Rainbow Dash, now hovering in the air, looked back and scratched the back of her rainbow-colored mane with a hoof. “Fluttershy…” she looked over the edge of the cliff. “I don’t think you wanna see this…”
Twilight hurried over and scooted in-between Rarity and Applejack. Lying in the dirt path was a baby bird, its blue feathers shredded out viciously, its feet appeared to have been bitten off, chewed up, and spat out on the dismembered body. Although it was dead, the eyes screamed.
Twilight felt haunted that such an act on such a helpless being was enacted by their foe, but she was more worried about Fluttershy’s reaction.
Fluttershy shoved Rarity and Twilight aside, contradicting her usual shy being. She saw the baby and its abused remains. A tear began to slip down her cheek. Rarity lifted her hoof and placed Fluttershy under it, pressing her near Rarity’s chest. Sobs from Fluttershy could be heard echoing from under Rarity’s hoof.
Zecora closed her eyes and began walking up the cliff. “A vicious one we’ve yet to meet.” She looked back to the stunned ponies, a smirk twisted on her lips. “His sadisticness will lead to his defeat!”
Each pony present, aside from Flutterhsy, put on a face of determination. Nodding to one another, they all ran up to Zecora’s position. Fluttershy looked at the avian and scraped mound of dirt over the bird as a grave.
She looked to the ground, a few more tears leaving her eyes and slipping down to the dirt. “Anypony who would do such a thing to such a helpless plant should be banished.” Looking up, the tears had reddened her eyes, giving her a malicious look. “He shall get the worst punishment possible!” With an intense look in her vicious eyes, she ran faster than she ever had in her life after the rest.
* * * * * * * *
The cave came into view, its hollow opening beckoning for the seven to enter. A dark shadow loomed over the threshold; light was only able to make it three inches in.
Twilight walked ahead, looking back to her friends. “Okay, everypony, get ready for whatever is inside.” She started pacing back and forth, similar to that of a military general. “Hold tight to your elements, girls,” Twilight turned to face the cave, “because we’re going in!”
Everypony present nodded and, with a determined scowl on their faces. In a seemingly-timed walk, they entered into a thick blanket of darkness. Zecora stayed back, praying for their safety.
Twilight saw the vision from her dream come true, her movements matching that made in her mind. Slowly walking in, each ponys’ eyes darted cautiously throughout the blank room not seeing anything but the dark ahead and the others at their sides.
Suddenly, candles lit up all around them, lining the entire area with an eerie glow that only fed the girls’ fears. Although the candles didn’t stand on tables and there were no books, Twilight was positive that the lights were aligned in the same spots as they were in the dream. The fact that the dream was so similar could only mean the future could be just as bad. Her worries began to rise a sickening fear as the figure of the strange pony was visible ahead, holding the strange tome with his two hooves.
Twilight raised a hoof, signaling for the following ponies to stop. “This doesn’t seem right…”
“Well, duh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “We’re in this cave about to fight some weird pony we don’t even know about!”
“Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack stated. “We’re all tense.” She looked forward to her leader. “Besides, Twi is doing her best.”
“You’re right, flying daredevil, you know not who you wish to defeat,” a voice echoed from behind. A shadowy outline of a pony wearing a cloak stood at their only means of escape. At his hooves was Zecora, tied up in vines but moving. “Come, great Arachlath, let us burn them in the great Pit of Heat.”
“Zeke!” Twilight yelled, her face wrinkled into a scowl. “You’re not harming anypony anymore!” She looked to her friends and prepared to capture him into a stone prison. The elements began to glow and release the white glow that ensured the spell’s start.
From below, a root lifted up and gripped Twilight’s hooves raising her in the air, halting the spell and causing the spell to wear away. Simultaneously, the other ponies were tied up similarly, each one struggling against their constraints.
Twilight tried to cast a teleportation spell, but for some very strange reason, she couldn’t cast a single spell. She struggled and wriggled helplessly, but to no avail.
“Allure, what will you do? What would your father say, seeing you?” Zecora exclaimed from the dirt.
“The fool is dead, no big surprise.” Allure brought his head closer to Zecora’s face, glaring her down. “He deserved it, considering all his lies!”
Twilight noticed their fight. “Zecora, DO you know him?”
“I knew him once, he was my friend,” Zecora looked to Twilight before glaring back at Allure. “I can see that that is the end.”
“Don’t be that way, my friend Zecora, we’ve always been together,” Allure smiled smugly. “We’re still similar today, now, more than ever.”
“We are not similar, not at all! I should have left you at the waterfall!”
Allure’s face softened and turned to one of concern. He took a step back and looked away. “It would have been better if you did, perhaps; that I won’t ignore.” Allure’s eyes darted to the seven figures standing inside the cave. “I never thought about that until now… Maybe that I should say ‘thank you’ for…”
A deep, raspy voice from behind Twilight echoed about the cave. “Raise your eyes, Allure. The past is behind.” As soon as everypony heard this, they all immediately began moving. “Don’t try. You’ll need the energy.” Although everypony was fighting the branches, they all were turned around and faced the being who stated that comment. Nopony was there, only the statue.
Then, it did something very odd: It moved its lips. “At least, WE’LL need it.” Its eight eyes closed in a horrendous howl of laughter. After a minute of its gruesome taunting, it opened its eyes and stared past everypony. “Come, Allure. Your time has come. Bring them to the pit.”
His face less pained, Allure grabbed the ropes that held Zecora with his jaw and pulled her deeper into the cave.
“Enough of this, change your fate! Remember, it’s not too late!” Zecora thrashed about, straining her restraints.
Allure ignored and continued to heave Zecora towards the other ponies tied up. Suddenly, the roots that held Twilight and the others came higher from the ground. Twilight could only gawk in horror as the roots lengthened until a wooden head of a pony encased in roots emerged from the dirt. Its face represented that of a mare around Twilight’s age, but the roots and wood made it hard to tell. The biggest difference, beside the wood, was that her mouth looked more like a short, red vine stuck to where her lips should be.
Twilight was speechless on what she was seeing. Luckily, an echoing voice let everypony know what the newcomer was. “Une. My dear. Bring them forward.”
‘Une’ dipped her head down low enough to tap her chin back to the dirt before allowing the rest of her to emerge. Her body, although pony-shaped, had roots like a wire outline and vines holding them together like twine. Her tail was simply vines held at an angle similar to that of the popular pony fashion, sharp thorns jutting at few intervals.
Twilight’s world grew bumpy as Une took an uneasy step forward. She put her right front ‘hoof’ forward and awkwardly began a moving cycle.
The golden god began to move from his solid state and started to walk on its four back hooves, the front four holding the book. He trotted near Twilight and looked into her fearful eyes. “Une here is a being of old. Her species died out centuries before a single pony came to the scene.” Strangely, his voice wasn’t as deep and cruel as before, but more of a father’s tone.
Twilight tilted her shoulders in a struggle. “If her race died out, then how come she’s here?”
“Her being has been reanimated by my powers. They were a race that was truly one with nature. Her only purpose is to do exactly as I say.” With a sadistic smile, he added rather cruelly, “the rest burned beautifully.” He looked forward, the smile beaming bright.
Twilight followed his gaze and began kicking in resistance when she saw what lay ahead. A deep hole with a bright red glow emanating from below stood before her, its contents of flames began flickering shadows across the rock edges. The chasm was well over thirty feet across and a near perfect circle. Although the fall to the fire below could’ve killed anypony, the intense heat would end up being more of overkill.
Twilight’s pupils shrunk as realization sunk in. If they don’t do something, they may never be heard by anypony ever again.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the statue stated happily looking down to the pit. “They feed off of the oxygen in anything they burn. Kind of like us. Living on the ruin of other beings.” He looked to Une. She stared back as if in a trance.
“What are you going to do?” Twilight stated, her face showing anger but her shaky voice indicated her uncertainty. She began to twitch as several waves of fear passed over her.
The statue cackled. His eyes showed madness, their dark pupils sparkling at the crackling fire below. “You are merely one of my sacrifices.” He looked to her six friends. Rainbow Dash was struggling to get her entangled wings released from the root. Applejack tried to loosen her restraints by bucking her shoulders back and forth. Rarity resisted the constraints, but was cautious not to muss up her hair anymore. Fluttershy fought the roots rather softly; still in her gentle nature. Pinkie Pie jittered uncontrollably as if in a state of extreme happiness, making it difficult to tell if she was actually trying to escape or just copying her friends’ movements. Zecora wasn’t struggling anymore. She looked like she had just given up. “But, not to fear. You are not to be the only ones.”
Twilight’s ears twitched. She wasn’t watching the giant hole of flames below, but the mad-colt raving before her.
“Remember the ponies of your town. This shall be the last you’ll see of them.” Arachlath stepped back a bit. “Allure, begin the chanting, so that I may be released from this prison.” The statue turned to Allure.
Allure bowed, his hood falling over his head, and looked beyond the fire. Quietly, he mumbled an incantation, dusting several herbs downward in a gentle shower. Against the glow underneath, the powder shined a golden mist, daintily falling lower. His mumbling rose to normal speaking before entering a crescendo as he yelled out “Enter me, Arachlath, let us become one. Leave the current host behind and eternally set the sun.”
An odd blaze emanated his statue form, alighting it into a smoldering pile of smoking ash. From the ashes, a disturbance in the smoke pushed the smoke around it, showing its form. It appeared to be a small circular being crawling out, its six legs flailing about before standing atop the mound. It could’ve been a spider, but the number of legs was wrong and it didn’t have any eyes. The small being then pounced off into Allure’s direction, disappearing out of the smoke.
Allure tumbled back three steps, moaning in agony. He held his hooves to his face and screamed in intense pain as a second face appeared to split off beside his own, separating excruciatingly slow. The second face came off paler, almost ghost-like, falling behind his head. As soon as his second face was completely split off, a full form of the strange, pale spirit stood behind him. Allure stood half-awake, swaying gently.
Suddenly, the being from behind Allure’s head lifted and glared an evil smile. It then mutated itself, bones snapping and popping as the thing’s chest grew upward, four new limbs cracked out. The form began to shape into that of the statue of Arachlath.
The form behind Allure laughed, but Allure didn’t move. “You see before you the perfect symbiotic relationship! As I live through his body, I grant him with my limitless powers!” The shadow form moved closer to Allure’s unmoving body. “He’ll, in turn, live forever and manipulate objects at his own will. I shall rule this kingdom!”
Suddenly, Allure’s body started to twitch and spastically fell to the floor, his body twitching as if in a seizure. Arachlath just smiled. “Such beings cannot handle such power.” He looked to Allure’s body. “So sad…”
Zecora looked at the shuddering body of her childhood friend. Memories flooded back. Both of them playing together by a waterfall. Watching the surreal sunrise. The world was so simple back then. They were friends. They cared for each other.
As Zecora watched him twitch, she saw him as a colt. Her mind returned her to their fillyhood. They were both by the edge of the torrential waters flowing over the falls, Zecora stood over him, her face frightened and worried. Both of them were soaking wet, but Zecora was gasping for air while Allure, however, wasn’t able to get any.
The younger Zecora jumped on top of his upper chest and began pressing rapidly. After ten presses, she put her ear to his muzzle, listening for any form of breath. Quickly, she began pressing again on his chest. After three thrusts, Allure coughed up a mouthful of salty water. He looked up at Zecora and smiled bravely. Zecora breathed a huge sigh of relief and fell to the ground next to Allure, completely exhausted.
The vision faded to her current predicament, lying next to the body of her fillyhood friend. Allure’s body seemed to slowly regain control as he attempted to stand up. His shaky movements didn’t make too much progress, as he failed to completely stand up. After three attempts, he successfully stood on all four hooves, even if the stance was wobbly and uncoordinated, and looked to the seven, his eyes distant and dreary. He appeared as if he had been become a zombie.
Arachlath’s form looked down to the finally standing zebra. “Rise and shine. The awakening for the rest of your existence.” He looked down to Allure’s form. “Stand tall, lower being. My powers are working their magic!” A deep rumble echoed somewhere inside Arachlath’s throat. He began to roll his eyes into the back of his head and open his mouth as if to yawn. Suddenly, a white substance spewed from his mouth and shot to the entrance of the cavern, its form sticking to the roof and running down to the dirt below. It formed itself to a spider web-like design that encased them inside, completely blocking the exit. “Merely a safety net, if you will,” Arachlath stated in a smug tone.
Rainbow Dash smirked. “Is that all you can do?”
Arachlath didn’t appear affected by the words, in fact, he appeared to have requested them. “My powers are limitless now that I have this form,” he stated, closing his eight eyes in pride. “It doesn’t matter what you do, I will forever rule from now on.” He glared at Rainbow Dash, and, in a manner similar to that of magic, created a knife from thin air.
Everyponies eyes were glued to the object, worried on its eventual placing. Arachlath slid the blade near Dash’s chin towards her throat, close enough to give her fur a bristle, but not cut the flesh. He then moved the knife next to his form and let it levitate by his face. He stuck out his tongue and slid the blade underneath in a smooth cutting motion. No blood nor indication of puncture was present, however as he held the knife by his head. He looked down to Allure’s staggering form.
“How do you feel, Allure?” Arachlath asked, almost taunting. “The power too much?” He stepped closer to the sickened zebra, his front right hoof resting on Allure’s head. In an instant, he slit the dagger into Allure’s chest, puncturing the heart. Allure’s eyes widened, not in fear, but more so in surprise. Blood spewed out, but still Allure stood. The knife left his body, covered in the sticky blood, and levitated back to Arachlath’s head.
“ALLURE!” Zecora exclaimed, fear shining in her eyes. “How dare you harm somepony so pure!”
“Funny, little mind you got there,” the beast said, turning to face only Zecora. “First. you reject him. Then, you hate him. Now, you care for him? What a message.” Arachlath laughed. “He has not been harmed.”
“What do you mean, he’s not harmed?” Twilight yelled, her face showing fright and anger. “You just stabbed him!”
Arachlath didn’t say a thing. He just smiled, stabbed the knife into the ground between Allure and Zecora, and looked to the zebra he floated above. Allure still didn’t move, but, with widened eyes and a stuttering voice, he said, “What is pain? It’s just a feeling. Pain comes and goes. But love comes all so revealing.” He still stood, unable to move. “My body feels no feelings. It doesn’t register pain. For what would a god such as myself possibly have to gain?” He closed his eyes and stared to the fiery pit beside him. “Burn it all away. Let their bodies go. Go ahead Une. Get on with the show.”
Obediently, Une stepped forward and extended her vines to allow every pony to dangle above the spewing lava below. She smiled as she turned her head to her masters.
“Now then,” stated Arachlath in a business-type manner, “let us commence this ceremony.”
Zecora looked to her six friends and their fate. “Allure, stop! It’s not too late! You must rid yourself of this horrid state!”
Allure’s head turned to Zecora. “Say what you will, my friend, the fires of betrayal burned me so. Now it’s time for the new king, and those who oppose, to fall below.”
“Our village will thrive, just you wait! Stop this now, it’s not too late.”
Arachlath also turned his head. “I am one with him, now. No matter what you say, you can’t get to him!”
“We are together, there’s no going away. We cannot be separated. They’ll all fall at my say.” Allure looked into Zecora’s eyes, her iris gleaming in the light. Beads of sweat and streams of tears flowed from her face. Allure thought to the time they went for a run by the river, the cool breeze blew through their manes and excited them all the more. They felt free from all rules and became one with the spirits of the wind. Then, with a misplaced hole, Allure slipped into the river and was quickly heading for the falls. He bashed his head onto a rock and blacked out. When he came to, he spat up water and saw Zecora’s relieved grin looking down on him. They both lay there, watching the sun set slowly in the distance. Allure promised himself that he’d save her too one day. He just never got the chance.
Until now.
“Une, I command you to…” Arachlath started before noticing something wrong. He was moving. Not his floating form, that is, but Allure was walking to the pit.
Noticing the advancement, Zecora quickly flopped over to the knife and began to cut through the ropes.
“What are you doing?” Arachlath questioned, his face showing slight fear.
“I wish to get a better look, my lord and god above me. I want to watch them writhe in pain down below in the fiery sea.” Allure stood at the precipice of the pit, several pebbles falling into the lava. He looked down to the six ponies’ demises.
Zecora finished snapping through the ropes and stood up.
“Right, now then…” Arachlath began, his smugness returning. “Une dro…”
Before he could finish, Allure stood up on his hind hooves and tilted to the flames. Zecora rushed to catch him before he fell. She grabbed his hoof as he dangled towards the flames. “You fool! What do you want to do? Suicide doesn’t suite you!”
Arachlath was already howling in pain, his form pulsating and starting to blacken. Une simply stood in place, a worried look replacing her smile, however. Yet, despite her creator’s torment, she stood there, dumbfounded.
Allure looked up at Zecora. “You saved me, now I’ll save you. This is how it should be. A life for a life. Besides, Arachlath’s forever in me.”
“You can’t give up! We’ll find a way! You can still live another day!”
“If I would, I might; the probability is low. Let my hoof go now, we must fall below.”
Zecora’s face was streaming tears.
“Just don’t forget me, Zecora, I’ll never forget you. My closest colthood friend, and savior, too.” With that, he pulled his hoof away and plummeted down, both Allure and Arachlath’s forms becoming encased in fire as they neared the lava below.
Rainbow Dash quickly struggled the vines loose and tackled the plant-pony away from the pit, sending her friends flying in the same direction. Everypony stood on solid dirt as a magnificent light glowed from the lava below. Howls from Arachlath echoed throughout the cave until they slowly died away.
Zecora stepped away from the chasm and returned to the others.
Rainbow Dash held Une between her hooves and glared at the being, its face showing confusion and pain. Just then, Une smiled and slowly disintegrated into ash. A wind picked up and whistled the ashes through the cave, a voice echoing ‘thank you.’
Twilight ran to Zecora. “Are you hurt, Zecora?”
“I’m not sure if any of us will ever be alright, my dear friend, Twilight,” Zecora stated in a depressed tone. She looked to Twilight’s eyes. “We may live another day,” Zecora gave a brave smile. “That, perhaps, makes us ‘okay.’”
Everypony helped each other move towards the mouth of the cave, the beautiful sun glowing down to their bodies. Twilight looked down to Ponyville. “As soon as we get more of the antidote, we can cure everypony.”
Zecora said nothing, her eyes almost dreamy, but definitely distant.
“Don’t worry, Zecora, we won!” Rainbow Dash stated proudly, her wings flapping rather loudly as she hovered over the other six.
“In a way, Allure has also won…” Zecora said, staring off into the sunset mysteriously. Everypony present looked to her in confusion. “He gave use new pain under Celestia’s sun.”
