Chapter 12: S1 e9 Bridle Gossip
[Library basement/lab]
{3rd pov}
*boom!*
Stardust: Ha ha! Finally! After weeks of research and fails, I finally got a usable potion!
Stardust has finally made a usable recovery potion that was briefly mentioned and brushed off in chapter 8, and now all Stardust needs to do, is make it better and stop if from exploding after every success. However before Stardust can get to testing the effects, someone comes and drags her out of the lab.
Stardust: What the! Spike! let me go.
Spike: Nope! You've been holed up in the lab for weeks. Even Twilight of all ponies is concerned.
Stardust: Nyoooooo! *grabs onto the door*
Spike: Stop. Resisting! How are you so strong?! Shouldn't you be super tired right now!?
Stardust: Wryyyyyy!
Spike: Twilight, don't just stand there! Help me! Star is acting weird again!
Twilight shoves some sleeping potion down Stardust's mouth, immediately Stardust stops struggling and falls fast asleep.
Twilight: There we go. *levitates Stardust* Now we can go on our walk.
---[Time skip]---
{MC pov}
I stirred awake feeling something tickling my nose. When my eyes cleared up I saw a blue flower, but my thought process was interuppted by a familiar voice.
Zecora: Beware! Beware, pony folk! For those leaves of blue are not a joke!
Ah crap baskets, I just touched a poison joke didn't I.
Applejack: Shoo! Go away, and keep that creepy mumbo jumbo to yourself!
Huh, why do I suddenly feel the need to take someone's mustache away? Anyway before Zecora can go far, I decided to at least say hello now that I'm awake.
Stardust: Have a nice day Zecora!
Zecora just gives me a nod before disappearing into the fog.
Twilight: Hey Stardust. Your finally awake.
Stardust: Yeah. What did I miss?
Twilight: Not much, went for a walk only to find the whole town was quiet, later finding out there's a zebra living in the Everfree Forest, who apparently "curses" ponies, and followed Applebloom here because she decided to follow Zecora.
Pinkie: You forgot the song!
Twilight: Oh, yes...Pinkie also made a song about Zecora.
Stardust: Let me guess, something about her being an evil enchantress and trying to gobble ponies up?
Pinkie: *gasps* How did you know?! Were you secretly awake when I sung that?
Stardust: No I can't be awake, not after Twilight drugged me with the sleeping potion I made for her. Honestly I'm suprised that I woke up in less then an hour.
Twilight: Were you not suppose to?
Stardust: Nope, the effects are suppose to make the consumer enter a state of deep sleep, and from how tired I was, I should've woke up around midnight and yet I'm up now. That being said, Zecora isn't evil nor is she some enchantress trying to eat ponies.
Applejack: And how do you know!?
Stardust: I'm friends with her.
Mane 6 + Applebloom: WHAT!
Stardust: Yeah I come into the Everfree Forest to train and/or test out new things, and along the way I met Zecora. We talked and became friends. I even supply her with herbs and such from time to time.
AJ: Then what about earlier?! Isn't she putting a curse on us!
Twilight: Ugh! This is ridiculous! You girls! There's no such thing as curses!
Stardust: Also she was trying to warn us about these blue flowers. They're called poison joke. The effects are not lethal in any way, it just does things that makes you look ridiculous, like it played a joke on you.
Twilight: What's that suppose to mean?
Stardust: You will understand once you see it. Speaking of which. *Teleports away*
Applejack: You'll see Twilight. You and Stardust are gonna learn that some pony tales really ARE true.
---[At the library]---
{3rd pov}
Stardust teleported back home and starts to prepare a herbal bath to prevent the poison joke's effects but. *ding*
----------
[Quest: What's the joke?]
Description: Wait to see what is the "joke"
Reward: 1000 SP, +3 to all stats
Penalty: None
----------
Stardust: *sighs* Welp not I got anything to loose. (flag)
Not questioning why the rewards are so high for a simple quest, she just accepts the quest, put the herbs into her inventory and just took a normal bath.
---[Day time]---
Twilight wakes up from a terrible nights sleep. She goes to the dresser and sees the mess she calls her mane.
Twilight: *chuckles* Maybe Zecora cursed my hair.
Twilight fixes her mane, only to discover something wrong with her horn. It was floppy and covered in blue spots.
Twilight: AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
Spike: Twilight, it's still early why are you screaming?
Spike was abruptly woken up by Twilight's screaming.
Twilight: My horn! There is something wrong with my horn!
Spike: Why don't you go ask Stardust, maybe she knows something.
Twilight: You're right!
Twilight rushes to Stardust's room, while Spike falls back to sleep. When Twilight rushes into Stardust's room, she is in for a big or in this case a small suprise.
Twilight: Stardust! Wake up! Something is wrong with my horn!
Stardust:*groans* Mn~ it's still so early.
As the blanket fall, sitting up was a young filly. This filly was of course, Stardust Falls, she has been turned into a child. Twilight could only stare in shock as her only hope is now a filly.
Stardust: Hewwo I'm Stardust Falls, who are you? You look like my friend Twilight Sparkles.
Twilight: Spike! Get in here, quick!
Hearing the call, Spike could only groan as he gets up from bed and goes to Stardust's room.
Spike: I'm here, what do you... need? *shocked* Is that Stardust?
Twilight: Yes! She has been turned into a filly!
Stardust: Miss where am I?
Twilight: Stardust, it's me Twilight. Don't you remember me?
Stardust: Nuh-uh Twi is smaller than me. You look like her, but you are too tall.
In a moment of panic, Twilight rushed downstairs and frantically searched through the shelves in hopes of finding a cure.
Twilight: No no no no! None of the books have a cure! Ugh! There has to a real reason for this! An illness? An allergy?
Spike: Must be a curse! Otherwise there's no way Stardust would suddenly become a filly.
Twilight: I said a real reason. Besides, Stardust might've drank the wrong potion when she got home.
Being the helpful assistant he is, Spike held up a green book to Twilight.
Spike: How about this one?
Twilight: "Supernaturals"? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts, spirits, and zombies. A bunch of make believe, like curses. This book is a bunch of nonsense!
Spike: But what if your wrong, Twilight? What this really is a cur-
A familiar voice cuts Spike off midsentence, however something is wrong.
Pinkie: Ah pa pfurse.
The voice belongs to Pinkie Pie, but her tounge has swelled up so much, she can't even talk properly, and it is covered in blue polka dots as well.
Spike: A purse? How can it be a purse?
Twilight: Pinkie? What happend?
Pinkie: *incoherent gibberish trying to say they got cursed*
No matter how she tries, nothing that came out of Pinkie's mouth made sense. What's worse the swelled tounge causes her to spray her saliva everywhere, and unfortunately Spike is in front of her.
Spike: Hey! Say it, not Spray it!
Suddenly there was loud thud, coming from outside of the treehouse. They all look over to see Rainbow Dash, crashing into the walls as she tries to speak.
Rainbow: *thud* Ow! She's *thud* Oh! trying to say *thud* Ah! Zecora *thud* slapped us all with a-
Before the final word, Rainbow finally managed to get in the tree house but with messy resaults. Unable to control where she is going, Rainbow crashed into the shelves of the treehouse/library, causing the books to fall on top of her.
(a/n: ouch)
Rainbow: Curse!
Twilight and Spike's surprising morning isn't over, as another familiar voice sounded out in agreement with Rainbow Dash. It was Rarity, but something is also wrong with her. Her hair grew much longer than usual, so long, that it is touching the floor. She looks like a walking mop.
Rarity: I'm afraid I have to agree. *blow hair out of face*
Twilight and Spike: Ahhh!
Not even getting a moment to process what is going on, a high pitched voice sounded out.
Applejack: *high pitched* I hate to be the one to say it, but I told ya so!
Twilight and Spike: *Gasp!*
It was Applejack who spoke to them, but she has become very tiny. So tiny that she could probably use a coffee mug a bathtub. She even have to stand on Apple Bloom's back so everypony else can see her.
Stardust: Oooh tiny pony.
Applejack: *gasp* What in Celestia-! Is that little filly suppose to be Stardust!
All eyes goes towards filly Stardust, but all she did was wave at them.
Stardust: Hewwo, I'm Stardust.
Twilight: Oh that's adorable. But, Yes! I was hoping she could help me, as she is friends with Zecora, but look her now! She doesn't even remember the current me!
Being regressed to a filly again and this time without the mature mindset, naturally made Stardust curious of all the ponies in the room. Stardust asks Fluttershy for her name, but for some reason Fluttershy just stood silently, looking conflicted.
Twilight: Fluttershy? Is there something wrong with you?
Fluttershy: *nods*
Twilight: Would you care to tell us about it?
Fluttershy: *Shakes head*
Twilight: So... you're not going to tell us?
Fluttershy: *nods*
Twilight: Yes you're not, or yes you will?
Getting impatient, Littlejack shouts.
Applejack: Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!
In a very deep masculine voice, Fluttershy finally spoke.
Fluttershy: I don't want to talk about it.
This is the last straw. Spike couldn't hold it in any longer and bursts out laughing.
Spike: This is hilarious! Hahaha! Look at you! We got: Harity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, Stardust Foals, and...uh... I got nothin'... Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that.
Stardust: Twilight Flopple?
Spike: That's great!
Twilight: Oh haha. This is not the time for jokes Spike. GO look for more books so I can find a cure!
Spike could only groan and go to do as he was asked(ordered).
Rainbow: Ugh! I bet we can find a cure at Zecora's place!
Twilight: Not a curse!
Apple Teeny: I agree with Dash! We'll go to Zecora's and for her to remove this hex!
(A/n: until she goes back to normal, I will keep calling her Apple Teeny.)
Twilight: Not a hex either.
As the mane six argue, Apple Bloom on the otherhoof, looks down in guilt, blaming herself as the reason this all happened.
Apple Bloom: This is my fault. If I hadn't followed Zecora in the first place, none of this would've happened. I just gotta fix this.
With a newfound determination, Apple Bloom set out to find Zecora. However this was seen by Applejack- I mean Apple Teeny.
Apple Teeny: Where does she think she's goin' this time?
Being the overprotective and paranoid big sister, Apple Teeny follows Apple Bloom. However little did they know, Stardust is following them as well.
Rainbow: I don't care what you say, Twilight! It's time to pony up and confront Zecora. Come on, girls! Are you with me!?
Pinkie: Ah ah-ahem pft!
Rarity: And I as well.
Flutterguy: Uh... I don't know. Seems awfully dangerous.
Still finding it amusing, Spike chuckles at Fluttershy's deep voice.
Rainbow: How about you, Applejack? Applejack?
Everypony looks around and did not see a trace of the pony in question.
Pinkie: She ipth thong!
Raraity: *gasp* Or somepony stepped on her!
This set off a wave of panic as they look at their hoods to she if they stepped on Apple Teeny. As if the panic wasn't enough, Twilight gave another suggestion.
Twilight: ... What if somepony sat on her!
Rainbow: Check Rarity's hair!
Pinkie just went up close and personal, touch and dig around Rarity's hair to see if Applejack is there. Rarity, of course, does not appreciate the invasion of her personal space.
Rarity: Oh! OH! Pinkie, what are you doing? Ah, really. Aha! You ever heard of personal space?
Pinkie: Nopthe.
Pinkie is saying nope as in Applejack is not in Rarity's hair, but it is more hilarious to imagine her saying no to Rarity's question.
Twilight: Apple Bloom is gone too and Stardust as well!
Rainbow: I bet they went after Zecora!
Then the girls rushes out to find Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Stardust. While Spike stays behind saying that he is going to try and find a cure, but he is going to think of a few more names first.
---[Everfree forest]---
{3rd pov}
Apple Bloom is going through the forest trying to find Zecora, until she heard a familiar high pitch voice that brought her to an abrupt stop.
Apple Teeny: Stop right there!
Feeling something moving in her mane, Apple Bloom sees Apple Teeny crawl out of her mane.
Apple Teeny: Turn around right now, missy!
Thinking for a few seconds, Apple Bloom then had a smirk on her face and replies.
Apple Bloom: No.
Apple Teeny: No?! You can't ignore a direct order from your big sister!
Apple Bloom just gets Apple Teeny off her head and strands Apple Teeny on a nearby branch. Then with a smug face and a chuckle, Apple Bloom seals her fate when Apple Teeny goes back to Applejack.
Apple Bloom: Sorry Applejack, but I'm the big sister now.
Then she just walks away, ignoring Applejack's threat of telling Big Macintosh.
Meanwhile somewhere else in the forest, a wild Stardust is on the loose, walking around with no concern. That is until a group of hungry timber wolves decides to show up, blocking the path ahead.
A normal filly would be terrified and very much likely in tears, but Stardust just giggles.
Stardust: Puppies!
Offended, the timber wolves pounces, promising to tear her apart. Little Stardust just uses her magic without thinking much. Before Stardust can do much, she sneezes and accidentally shoots a beam of death at the timber wolve
Despite being turned into a child physically and mentally, her magic power is not effected, but her control is. Unable to control the magic output the beam goes forth and incinerates the wolves and anything in behind them, leave a mile long smouldering trail.
Stardust: Aw man, puppies gone.
With that, Stardust continues on her walk as if nothing happened.
---[Outside Zecora's house]---
Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity who is covered with leaves and dirt, finally arrives at where Zecora lives.
Rarity: UuUgh, I look horrible!
Pinkie the lifts Rarity's mane allowing Rarity to see infront of her and at Zecora's house.
Pinkie: Thipth plathe looths horriple!
Rarity: Oh my, that place really does look horrible!
---[With Stardust]---
Stardust: Hm hm hm~🎶 Oh, hey! A flower! *picks it*
---[back with the girls]---
Peering through the window, they look inside Zecora's house.
Rarity: Nice decor. If you like creepy!
Not a second later, Zecora comes in with small jar in her mouth. Seeing Zecora, the girls duck down to prevent them from being seen. Blissfully unaware, Zecora pours the contents of the jar into a bubbling cauldron filled with ominous green liquid, she then starts to chant or sing in her native tounge.
Meanwhile outside, Pinkie is freaking out about how Zecora is like how Pinkie's song decribes Zecora, but due to the swollen tounge the girls misunderstood Pinkie.
Wanting Twilight and Rarity to understand her, Pinkie goes and gives Fluttershy the puppy eyes while clinging onto Fluttershy's forelegs.
Sighing in defeat and annoyance, Fluttershy sings Pinkie's song, while Pinkie herself does the dance.
---[With Stardust]---
Stardust: Oh, a pony!
Apple Bloom: Wha- huh? Stardust?!
Stardust: Hewwo!
---[Back with the girls]---
Rarity: You saw those terrible things. Now you believe us Twilight?
Twilight: Scay masks, confusing incantations, and a great big bubbling cauldron? *Sighs* everything is pointing to Zecora being bad... or she could be making soup!
What Zecora said next not only crushes Twilight's last chance at denial but also further the misunderstanding.
Zecora: Mm~ the perfect temperature for ponies I presume, now, where is that little Apple Bloom?
Twilight: *freaking out* Or what if she's making Apple Bloom soup!
The panic spreads causing them to scream. Then Apple Teeny and Rainbow Crash finally caught up and crashes through the door and proceeds to make a mess. Within the chaos the other four was able to calm themselves and goes in ready to attack.
Twilight: What have you done to Apple Bloom!
Zecora just continues to yell at Rainbow to stop in her native tounge. Apple Teeny takes this chance to lasso and tries to wrestle Zecora's left ear. Then what made the chaos stop is when Rainbow knocks over the cauldron.
Zecora: No! You know not what you do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!
Twilight: We're on to you Zecora! I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming!
Rarity: You made me look ridiculous!
Fluttershy: *with sas* You made me sound ridiculous.
Pinkie: *incoherent rambling*
Twilight: You ruined my horn!
Zecora: *rightfully angry* How dare you! You destroy my home, destroy my work, then rudely accuse me of being a jerk!
Rainbow: You put this curse on us! Now you're gonna uncurse us!
Zecora: It is unwise to venture down this road, your actions will make my anger explode!
Twilight: Where. Is. Apple Bloom!
Thankfully the mentioned pony arrives before the situation could get any worse, and behind her is little Stardust.
Apple Bloom: Zekora. I think I found all the things ya asked for... What in Ponyville is going on here?
Stardust: Zebra!
Apple Teeny who is still wrestling Zecora's ear exclaimed in relief.
Apple Teeny: Apple Bloom! You're okay!
Apple Bloom: Why wouldn't I be?
Twilight: Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us, and was gonna cook you up into soup!
Finally understanding the situation, Zecora and Apple Bloom laughs.
Stardust: Twilight pony, silly! *happy child noises*
Apple Bloom: Oh Twilight, did those silly feelings finally get in your head? You know there's no such thing as a curse.
(A/n: Mature Stardust and anyone older than a hundred would disagree.)
Twilight: Apple Bloom, sweetie, you can't just stand there and tell me this isn't a curse? *Points at her freinds*
Apple Bloom: This isn't a curse. *approaches Zecora*
Zecora: If you remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact.
---[first flash back in a while.]---
Past Zecora: Beware! Beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke.
---[End flash back]---
Apple Bloom: It was a warnin', about that blue plant. It's called poison joke. I even vaguely remember Stardust talking about it.
Zecora: That plant is much like poison oak, but it's results are like a joke.
Apple Teeny: What in the hay does that mean?
Zecora: It means this plant does not breathe wrath, instead it just wants a laugh.
Apple Teeny: Will some pony please talk normal?
Twilight: I think what she is saying is, when we ran into save Apple Bloom, we ran into the poison joke. All our problems are just little jokes that played on us. Just like what Stardust said!
Apple Teeny: Little jokes?! Very funny.
Stardust: Heh heh.
Rainbow: Okay fine! But what about the couldron?
Fluttersh: And the chanting?
Rarity: And the creepy decor?
Responding to Rarity first.
Zecora: Treasures of the native land where I am from. This one speaks, "Hello" and this, "Welcome". *pointing at two masks beside her*
Rarity: Not welcoming at all if you ask me.
Zecora: The words I chanted were from olden times, something you call a nursery rhyme.
Twilight: But... the cauldron? The Apple Bloom soup?
Apple Bloom: Looky here Twilight, that pot of water wasn't for me. It was for all these herbal ingredients. The cure for poison joke is a simple all natural remedy, you just gotta take a bubble bath.
Twilight: But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything. What books has this natural remedy?
Zecora closes the book and shows Twilight the very same book she overlooked.
Zecora: Here is the book. Sad that you lack it in you library.
Twilight: Actually I do have it, but I didn't look inside because the title was so... weird.
Zecora opens the book to let Twilight have a read. After understanding what have she done, Twilight apologies with heavy guilt in her heart. Zecora being the patient and nice zebra she is, forgives the mane 6 for the trouble and gave them a lesson.
Zecora: Then next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book.
Twilight: Zecora, would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?
Stardust: Weeee bubble bath!
All: Huh?!
Somehow by muscle memory or magic of her cutie mark, personally by the bs of plot. Stardust was able to make another batch of the remedy.
Zecora: *Chuckles* It seems I do not need to. Little Stardust has remade the brew.
After solving their problem, the mane 6 then help clears he misunderstanding that ponyville has of Zecora. But with this, a new or rather old problem resurfaced, Pinkie can talk normal.
Pinkie: Hey! What's that suppose to mean!
Uuuuuh, would look at the time. It's time for the end of the chapter!
Pinkie: Come back here! Don't you dare to change the subject on me mister!
---[End]---
A/n: Finally done with another chapter. I'm so sorry for anyone who still reads this that this took so long. My mood was in a weird place and it is really hard to write when new ideas irrelevant to this fic just pops into your head.