The Unexpected Alliance

"Alright, looks like the only one we're waiting for now is Rarity," Twilight said as Trixie and AJ made their way towards the group.

"She's probably getting a hooficure or something," Rainbow joked as she let out a light chuckle.

"I'll have you know that I was having an important chat with a client thank you very much," Rarity explained as she halted behind Rainbow.

"Sure you were, who was it then?" Rainbow asked with an unconvinced tone in her voice.

"Oh nopony big, just the one and only Vinyl Scratch," Rarity said with a smile.

"Wait a minute, do y'all mean ta say that DJ-PON3 was at yer shop?" AJ asked with a slight hint of excitement.

"I didn't think you would be a fan AJ, and yes, she asked if I would be able to create her a outfit that would make her shades stand out more,"

"Ah may be a country mare but that don't mean ah don't like the music of today, ah love Vinyls work!" AJ exclaimed happily.

Trixie interrupted with a small cough as she got the other ponies attention, "Trixie is glad that you're all having fun, but we must hurry, we have yet to even collect supplies and Trixie would like to finish this sooner rather than later" She explained with a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

The other mares nodded as Twilight pulled up a small scroll, "I have prepared a list of items that should be essential for this journey," She said in a serious tone as she turned towards the group in front of her, "Fluttershy, I want you to gather up some food and water to take with us in case of an emergency!" Fluttershy nodded as she flew off, "Rarity, You need to get us a first aid kit in case anypony gets hurt!" Rarity nodded before trotting off, "Pinkie, I want you to get us a flashlight or a lantern of some sort!"

"Okie dokey loki!" Pinkie exclaimed before hopping off.

Twilight turned to Rainbow, "I want you to get us a compass, we never know when we could get lost and need directions!" Rainbow nodded before speeding off, "Applejack, I need you to get us some matches, never know if we will need to make a fire to stay warm!" AJ nodded as she galloped back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Finally she turned to Trixie, "You and I are going to go find a map," She said with a satisfied grin.

"Wow, Trixie must say Sparkle, you truly know what you're doing with all of this," She said with a slight smirk, "I suppose Celestia was correct in sending Trixie to you".

Twilight smiled as she began to trot towards the Everfree Forest with Trixie following behind her. The two of them stopped in front of the forest and looked into the dark shadows.

"Why are we going in there?" Trixie asked with a gulp as she thought back to the day she was found in that same forest by Luna.

"I know someone who lives in a hut not too far inside, her name is Zecora and if anypony has a map of Equestria on them it would most likely be her," Twilight responded as she slowly made her way into the dark shadows.

Trixie gulped as she followed behind her. The two of them made their way through the forest slowly. After a while the two of them found themselves standing in front of an oddly shaped tree decorated with even odder decorations. Twilight made her way to the door with Trixie following behind her. Twilight knocked on the door and the two waited until they heard a voice coming from the other side.

"Come on in gentle pony that knocked, for the door in front of you is currently unlocked".

Twilight pushed the door open slowly as her and Trixie wandered into the hut. Trixie looked at the walls as she noticed the even weirder decorations on the inside of the hut. There were strange looking masks and potions hanging off the walls and ceiling. A figure approached them in a dark cloak and pulled down their hood. The Mysterious figure was not what Trixie expected, then again, Trixie didn't know what to expect from somepony living in a place full of danger. The figure who was previously called Zecora wasn't a pony at all, she was a zebra. The zebra had the average look of any ordinary zebra with her coat being covered in black and white stripes.

"It is good to see you Twilight, but why are you here this night?" Zecora asked as she once again spoke in rhyme.

"It's nice to see you too Zecora and we were wondering, would you happen to have a map of Equestria that we could borrow by any chance?" Twilight asked with a smile.

Zecora turned to Trixie ignoring Twilight's question for the time being, " Who might you be mare of blue? I don't believe I have ever met you," Zecora asked.

"I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, but my friends just call me Trixie," She replied with a smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, now then, what was it I could do for you two?" She asked as she turned back to Twilight, realizing she had forgotten to answer her question.

"We were wondering if you had a map of Equestria," Twilight reminded her with another smile.

"Oh but of course I do, allow me to go grab it for you," Zecora said before trotting towards the back of her hut. She returned a few moments later with a map, "It turns out I had a spare, so you can keep it, I really don't care".

Twilight and Trixie smiled before making their way out of the hut and back towards Ponyville. After a few minutes of trotting they heard a small snap of a branch nearby. The two of them turned around to see a manticore staring at them with his sharp teeth showing in a menacing grin. The two of them stood there shocked as the manticore made it's way towards the two stunned mares. The manticore was inches away as he hunched back about to leap at the two.

"Don't just stand there, Run!" The two of them snapped out of it as they galloped away from the manticore leaving the mysterious figure that called to them alone with it.

Trixie turned to Twilight as soon as they got to the entrance, "Are you alright Sparkle?" Twilight just nodded as she looked back towards the forest. After a couple of minutes Applejack came rushing out of the forest, a satisfied grin on her face.

"Howdy you two, y'all alright?" She asked. The two mares just nodded to her. "Hey now, don't ya think ah deserve a little thanks, ah just saved yer plots from that there manticore," She said as the grin returned to her face.

Trixie was the first to speak, "Thank you Applejack, that was very brave of you," She smiled lightly.

Twilight nodded before speaking up, "Mind if I ask why you're here though?" She asked. "Not that I'm upset about it of course." She let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, well that there is simple, ah was on mah way ta Zecora's ta see if she had any extra boxes of matches, ah managed ta get some, but the more the merrier," She began to explain, "On the way there ah saw y'all just standing there askin' ta be dinner fer the manticore, and y'all would have been if ah hadn't stepped up and done somethin' ta stop it," She said with a proud grin etched on her face.

"Trixie is glad that you arrived when you did," Trixie said with a light chuckle before turning to Twilight. "We best be returning to the others" Twilight and AJ both nodded as the three of them made their way back into Ponyville.