A Nice Night With a Zebra.
Deep in the Everfree Forest lay Zecora's hut. It was a nice little hut, it was a tree that's interior had been cleared out for living space. Inside the tree were lit candles, carved masks and lots of potions. All of the Mane Six except Pinkie Pie were gathered around a big cauldron in the center of the room. Twilight was staring down at the bubbling green substance in the cauldron, she had been often curious about how Zecora made her potions. Applejack was not so interested and was instead covering her nose and mouth with her two hooves to not breathe in the smell coming from the cauldron. Rainbow Dash looked down at the cauldron and then glanced over to Zecora who was looking for something on her shelf. Rainbow lifted her hoof and was about to dip it in the cauldron when Zecora spoke.
"Rainbow Dash, do not dare be so rash!" her voice boomed.
"Sorry." Rainbow said moving her hoof away from the cauldron.
"Do you need any help over there, Zecora?" Twilight asked.
Zecora shook her head, "No, I can handle this myself, keep an eye on your friend if you value her health."
Zecora spoke mostly in rhymes, the only time she had stopped rhyming was when she was sick.
"Should we be so close to the cauldron anyway?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"As long you don't touch what is inside, you will be protecting your hide." Zecora said.
"Is it supposed to smell like rotten eggs and apples?" Applejack asked still trying to avoid the stench.
Zecora giggled at Applejack's question and resumed her search.
"Ugh, here." Rarity said to Applejack holding out a white face mask, "I figured something here might smell dreadful to anypony."
Applejack put the mask on over her snout and began to relax, "Thanks."
"Ah, this is the ingredient I seek," Zecora said picking up a bottle off the shelf, "after this, the brew should not reek."
Zecora walked over to the cauldron and poured the substance into the cauldron. The brew began to hum and sparkle, then the color switched from green to a bright orange. The brew began to stir fast and formed a whirlpool in the cauldron, and then with a loud pop, six bright lights shot out of the cauldron. The lights hovered next to each pony and began to dim. After the lights faded, in their place hovered six little orange dragons.
"Whoah," Twilight exclaimed, "What are these?"
"These are Tangerines." Zecora said, "Back home, we used to summon these creatures and watch them roam."
"Aww, they look adorable." Fluttershy said.
Applejack took her mask off, "And they don't smell bad too."
"They do look marvelous." Rarity said.
"Pinkie Pie's missin' out." Rainbow Dash glancing at the door.
And right at that moment, Zecora's door swung open with Pinkie Pie standing outside with a big grin on her face.
"What am I missing? Is it something fun?" Pinkie Pie looked at The Tangerines and screamed with joy. "Oh my gosh, they are so cute!"
"Uhh Pinkie, what is that?" Applejack pointed to the bottle Pinkie Pie was holding.
"Oh, this is a potion I got somepony in Sugarcube Corner." Pinkie said.
Zecora frowned. "The only one who makes potions for everypony to see is me."
"Not anymore," Pinkie said, "here, I'll show you."
Pinkie Pie chugged the potion, ran over to Zecora and pressed her forehead against Zecora's.
Zecora looked around and realized she was now in Sugarcube Corner.
"What matter of sorcery have you casted upon me!" Zecora demanded.
"It's ok, it's only temporary." Pinkie said standing behind a counter.
The doors to Sugarcube Corner swung open as sparkling mist filled the entrance. Rainbow streams entered and bounced around the room as a figure appeared at the entrance. She was a white unicorn with blue eyes and a curly mane and tail of purple, pink, and blue. Zecora looked and saw her cutie mark was a pink bubbling potion in a beaker. When the room cleared of mist and rainbows she smiled happily and trotted inside.
"Who is this, who is the pony with the mists." Zecora asked Pinkie Pie.
"Shh, I got get into character." Pinkie Pie whispered.
"Hey there, you must be Pinkie Pie." the unicorn said.
"Yep, that's me." Pinkie said with a smile.
"A lot of ponies here seem to be big fans of you, I've heard so many things." the unicorn said.
"Yea, everypony loves me here" Pinkie said.
"Do you like potions?" the unicorn asked.
"I've never tried any." Pinkie Pie said.
"Well you're in luck." the unicorn's horn glowed and poofed up a big cart full of potions.
"Oh my gosh, who are you?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm Potion Nova." the unicorn said striking a pose, "I make the coolest and silliest potions for anybody to try out."
"I have a friend who makes potions too!" Pinkie Pie said with excitement but then frowned, "but we never get to drink any."
"Well you should tell your friend all about me, drink this and then get close to her." Potion Nova said holding out a bottle.
"Okie Dokie Loki" Pinkie Pie said taking the potion.
Potion Nova giggled, That's a funny catchphrase, I'm gonna start saying that."
The room began to darken as Zecora looked frantically around.
"Pinkie Pie, where are you?" Zecora asked before her vision went black.
Zecora found herself back in her hut. Pinkie Pie had backed away from her as she looked around to make sure she was back.
"What did you do to me, Pinkie?" Zecora demanded.
"It's a telepathy potion, you were inside my head." Pinkie Pie said.
"Whoah, so this pony actually offered you a potion to drink." Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yea, she was amazing." Pinkie Pie squeaked.
"Now this is a pony I would like to meet." Rarity said standing up.
"We should go see her." Twilight said as her friends all got up and went out the door.
Applejack was about to step outside when she turned to look at Zecora.
Zecora shook her head, "Go, go with your friends to see this new pony, she seems to make them happy."
"Alright, we'll hang out later, I promise." Applejack said before leaving Zecora alone in her hut.
Applejack walked into Sugarcube Corner to see her friends laughing with a white unicorn.
"Applejack, this is Potion Nova." Pinkie Pie said pointing to the white unicorn.
"Hey there." Potion Nova said with a wave.
Applejack sighed and gave a warm smile before approaching her friends.
"Howdy there, you new in town?" she asked.
"Yea, well, actually I'm from Canterlot, I just needed another place to stay because my last home got destroyed." Potion Nova said.
"Destroyed? How did that happen?" Twilight asked.
"Let's just say Poison Joke and water from the Mirror Pool of Everfree Forest do not mix very well." Potion Nova said nervously.
"We were just with our friend, Zecora, she makes potions too." Applejack said.
"I heard, she sounds like a lot of fun." Potion Nova said whipping out a bottle, "Potion?"
"No thanks." Applejack said sitting down at a table.
"Umm, I think I'll try one." Fluttershy said nervously.
"Ok, here ya go." Potion Nova said handing Fluttershy the bottle.
Fluttershy took a tiny sip from the bottle and suddenly her neck began to stretch all the way to the ceiling.
"Oh my goodness! I want back down!" Fluttershy panicked.
"It's ok, it only lasts a minute." Potion Nova reassured.
"This is the kind of thing Zecora is always warning us about, these potions can do real freaky stuff." Applejack said.
"It's ok Applejack," Twilight said, "Potion Nova knows what she's doing."
"Since when are you not concerned for everypony's safety?" Applejack asked surprisingly.
"I think since I took that-what was it called Nova?" Twilight asked.
"Chill Potion." replied Potion Nova.
"Well that's fine, you all can be weird, drinking potions, I'm gonna be with Zecora." Applejack said getting up to leave.
As Applejack headed for the door, she turned back to look at her friends who were chugging potions. Rarity drank a potion that made her made her shiny like the ponies in The Crystal Empire. Applejack shook her head and left.
Zecora was sitting on her bed reading a book. She read books mostly on remedies and diseases, but this time she was reading a storybook about a princess falling for a lion like creature. She then looked at the door and wondered if anypony was going to come by.
Zecora then heard a knocking at the door. She got up from her bed and trotted to the door, when she opened it she saw Applejack standing outside her door. Zecora gave her a warm smile.
"Applejack, such a pleasure, I trust you have enough leisure to spend time here?" Zecora asked.
"Yea, can I come in?" Zecora nodded to Applejack and she entered the hut.
"I am surprised you wanted to spend time with me, this Potion Nova seems to have made you all happy." Zecora said.
"Just because some new pony makes a bunch of freaky potions doesn't mean I don't wanna spend less time with one of my friends." Applejack said.
"I would be fine if you did spend time with Potion Nova, oh, could you please remove that pot from the fire, it's giving off an aroma." Zecora said.
"Sure thing." Applejack walked over to the fire and lifted the pot and rested it on the table.
"So, what would like to do?" Zecora asked.
"I dunno," Applejack said, "We could talk, or read, or I could help you with any brew you plan on makin' " Applejack said.
"Talk I would most prefer, much better than a nasty brew you could stir." Zecora said.
"Alright then." Applejack said sitting down.
Zecora and Applejack talked for hours, they also did mix a brew together and read some books. Applejack taught her how she made pancakes and Zecora taught her how to make tasty Gumbo. The pair was now drawing pictures of trees.
"And she told me the best bedtime stories," Applejack said, "Ma was always great at telling a great story."
"Where I am from, the stories we tell are mostly about a figure casting a spell." Zecora said.
"Do you ever go back there?" Applejack asked.
Zecora shook her head, "Not as much as I used to, the tales I would tell them would be all of your adventures that would ensue."
Zecora then leaned closely and whispered, "I'll let you in on a little secret, I don't always rhyme."
Applejack's eyes widened, "Really?" Zecora nodded.
"It was just tradition where I am from to rhyme almost always." Zecora explained, "I suppose I didn't drop it hardly when I first arrived here."
"I know one mare that had trouble dropping tradition." Applejack said remembering Princess Luna speaking differently.
"It is getting late, Twilight and the rest of your friends should be going to their homes to rest." Zecora said looking out her window.
Suddenly the door swung open, Twilight and the rest of her friends walked into Zecora's hut.
"Good evening everypony." Zecora greeted the ponies.
"Good evening, Zecora." Twilight said with a nod.
"I thought Y'all were spending time with Potion Nova." Applejack said.
"We were, until Pinkie Pie got sucked into a potion bottle." Rainbow Dash said.
"Scuse me?" Applejack asked puzzled.
"Apparently Potion Nova has a potion bottle that actually contains a giant world full of potions."
"Some big potion bottles, and itty bitty ones too." Pinkie Pie said.
"It was a little scary, good thing you weren't there Applejack." Fluttershy said.
"Be glad you all are safe, many potions will leave you in a state of chafe." Zecora said.
"Yea, we may have been a little obsessed with trying out different potions." Rainbow Dash said.
"We're really sorry we ditched you, Zecora." Twilight said.
"I do not mind, Applejack and I were having a nice talk inside." Zecora said.
"Yea, I didn't wanna get mixed up in all that freaky potion stuff." Applejack said.
"I would actually like to meet Potion Nova someday, perhaps I could learn her way." Zecora said.
"You could always find her in Canterlot, she finally got her home fixed." Twilight said.
Suddenly the group of ponies and Zecora heard a loud bang from outside and then half of a house poofed around the door to Zecora's hut. The door to house opened and there stood Potion Nova with an awkward look on her face.
"I may have wrecked my house again." Potion Nova said.
"Alright, that was actually quite amusing." Zecora said.
"Hey, you didn't rhyme." Twilight said.
"We have much to talk about Twilight Sparkle." Zecora said.
As they all began to talk Potion Nova trotted out of her house and sat with the group. They would talk until the the sun had risen and all of them would be too tired to go home and decided to sleep in Zecora's hut for most of the morning.