A Short Tale

Chapter 19: Judgement

From the previous night, he saw a nemesis prevalent within the room. He also some ponies walking down the stairs. He looked down to see a bunny in its place. He raised himself up. He decided to open up the conversation. "Hello, ponies. What are you all doing now?" The pink one responded with an overly energetic voice for this time of day.

"Well, since last night was so fun-" Travian didn't think the last part of it was that fun, "- I've decided that we all should get some cupcakes down at Sugarcube Corner!" He felt his doom approaching as he asked this question.

"...The heck's a cupcake?" Pinkie Pie was walking at the moment he asked that question. When he finished, she was like a statue, with her eyes wide open. She remained like that for several seconds. Travian poked Pinkie's mane, half to wake her up and the other half to know how it felt, and asked "Hey? You okay?" Pinkie then somehow grasped Travian's face with both hooves and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You don't know what a cupcake is?!"

"If I knew, would I ask?" The ice, while pretty and quite a refresher to the hot temperature, was very delicate and he believed he was walking upon it in quite a dangerous way. He was surprised when Pinkie let go and pointed to the door.

"We need to get you to Sugarcube Corner, stat!" She then started pulled Travian to the door. He couldn't even resist. He really wondered why cupcakes were so important. Were they love and were they life? Or are they the meaning to life? Were cupcakes all? He wasn't sure at this point.

And so he was dragged all the way to Ponyville halfway against his will. While it was fun getting to listen to the Pinkmeister for quite some time as she prattled on about the importance of the cupcake gods, he really wanted to know what a cupcake was in general. He had a feeling he wouldn't when the pinkling stopped abruptly as she looked through the abandoned streets. In the middle of it was a cloaked individual looking rather suspicious. "Well that's not suspicious or anything."

"Quick! Get inside!" The pink one was now pulling him completely against his will. He found himself shortly in a building.

"Wait." He took in the new environment. "Okay I'm ready. So who was that?"

"That was Zecora! She's super spooky, super creepy and super mysterious." Travian really didn't see why.

"She doesn't seem like it." She was pawing at the ground for some reason. "Maybe the mysterious part, but she doesn't fit the other bills to me." Then she lifted her head and then showed her head to Travian. He looked at her eyes which were surprisingly yellow. "Maybe the creepy part now, but not spooky." He covered the window after that. "But if we are apparently condemning her, that's fine." He took a seat in the building, prepared to wait the supposed 'siege' out. He was racking up a question, but then an Applejack and a small yellow pony without a mark on her rump appeared in the Sugarcube Corner.

"Is that Zecora?" The little yellow pony said that. Applejack got all defensive at this.

"Apple Bloom! I told ya not to say that name!" Now Travian had a chance to ask his question. He was laying back on a counter in the dark, so he had the surprise factor.

"So. What makes her so different compared to me?" All the ponies were surprised at how he changed his position and then just appeared like that. It was fun scaring them. The small yellow one was the most scared. He lifted himself up to full height and walked over to this 'Apple Bloom'. "Hello, little one." He dropped down on to a knee to try and stay equal with her. He flashed his teeth in a smile. A devious one, at that.

The yellow pony started backing away. "Applejack... What's that?!" Travian got up and turned to Applejack.

"Yeah, Applejack! What am I? And don't you lie to me this time! I expect the truth." It was now Applejack's turn to be puzzled at him.

"Um..." Travian turned to the littler yellow pony.

"Do you see what I have to deal with, here? I swear, this girl always lies to me." Establishing his friendly presence was rather easy, as the yellow one loosened on the whole 'there's an alien, let's fear it' idea.

"Well Ah have to deal with her every day because she's mah sister." Travian gaped his mouth.

"Wow. I am so sorry for you." He turned to Applejack and barked a command. "You better not lie to your little sister like you lie to me!" He looked off to the entrance of the shop to see Pinkie dragging Rarity in as well. "Oh hello. Lovely day, isn't it, madame?" Rarity obviously wasn't expecting him to be so polite.

"Well... I suppose it could be. Zecora's in town though, so it's not that lovely of a day." Travian went back to the back of the shop where he watched the ponies. He responded to Rarity before advancing in the other direction.

"A thousand pardons, then." He sat back and waited for the expected Twilight. Seriously, he started noticing this pattern where if all five other ponies are present, Twilight with a fifty fifty percent chance arrives with Spike. It was wierd. And as if on cue, Pinkie tried convincing her to come in.

"Quick! Come in, before she gets you!" That's all he heard. Twilight bounced in with Spike on her back.

"Who, the zombie pony!?" Travian tensed up. Zombies were no laughing matter.

"Z-z-zombie pony?" Pinkie was also scared by the mention of zombies. Of course, Twilight, second place in the 'ruiner of all fun' awards, has to destroy the moment.

"Spike! There are no zombie ponies." Travian wasn't so sure. Zombie ponies actually sounded extremely likely. Maybe... Maybe Zecora was a necromancer! That was a stunning realization to Travian. He always wanted to meet a necromancer... Especially one who wasn't necessarily hostile. Zecora seemed like a good target for this wish. "Pinkie, what are you doing here all alone in the dark?" He could have made that a lot worse. He really had to try not to make it worse.

"What else would she do with me here?" Travian was not great at trying. It was not a good strong suit for him. The lights were dim when they came back on. All the ponies were looking directly at him. Then the little yellow one, Apple Bloom, said something with a confused expression.

"What do ya mean by that?" Applejack hushed her down, and the attention was off him. Twilight continued.

"First, ew. Second, what are you all doing here in the dark?"

"Condemning the seemingly innocent. You?" He received a smack to the head from his number one enemy. Apparently, she had full rights to beat him senseless now. Of course, normally when he gets hit across the head, it doesn't hurt that much. "Ow. What? It's the truth!" Twilight redirected her attention. "Racist ponies..." He crossed his arms and started pouting.

"Look Twi', we're hiding from her!" Applejack pointed out the window. They all crowded around the window for a short time. Then, all of them except for Twilight gasped and cowered away.

"See? Nothing wrong! Calling someone guilty of something they didn't even-" The rainbow one hits hard, apparently. "Ow! Will you quit that!"

"I dunno, will you quit being some sort of moron? Everyone knows Zecora is pure evil, and here you are saying she isn't!" Prejudice levels were high in the room, and were slightly suffocating Travian.

"Sorry for sayin' the truth..." He looked off to the side, the amount of blind fear causing him to become just the slightest bit queasy. Twilight was unconvinced.

"You know, the only thing I saw her do was glance this way."

Pinkie responded with, "Glance evilly this way." Twilight pushed her away with a hoof.

"And then a bunch of you just freak out for no good reason." Travian put forth his hands.

"Thank you! You are proving my-" He saw the cyan one at the ready to flip out and smack an innocent little Travian, "I'll just shut up now."

"No good reason? You call protectin' yer kin no good reason!?" Applejack had her leg over Apple Bloom. "Why, as soon as my sister ridin' into town, she started shaking in her little horseshoes!" Applejack was now shaking the little one.

"D-i-i-i-d n-o-o-o-t!"

"So Ah swept her up, and brought her here!" She picked Apple Bloom up and put her on her back.

"But I walked her myself!"

"For safe-keepin'!" A little overprotective over her sister, Travian thought.

Apple Bloom got off Applejack and turned her head to face her. "Applejack! I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself." Applejack got all up in her grill.

"Not from that creepy Zecora!" Travian face palmed.

"Oh here we go again..."

Fluttershy spoke up first. "She's mysterious..." Figures she wouldn't say something that mean about her. Still... His menace 'accidentally' smacked his head as she flew over to the group to add something.

"Sinister!" Pinkie Pie went up.

"And spooooky!" Twilight was not having any of it. She took a look outside, getting everyone else to crowd around her. Even Travian joined to see a smidgen of the action. The supposed necromancer lifted off her hood, revealing some sort of weird hairdo. Also, she looked quite a bit like a pony. She had stripes, though. Everyone but Twilight and Travian gasped.

"Will you cut that out?"

"I fail to see how this is scary." Rarity then commented about Zecora.

"Just look at those stripes! So garish!" Twilight turned to her.

"She's a zebra." The whole group responded in surprise.

"A what?!?"

"A zebra!" Travian had a question that interrupted Twilight.

"What exactly is a zebra, again? Sorry if I'm not well informed... But uh... It kinda looks like a pony but with stripes."

"She's born with those stripes, actually. They aren't a fashion choice." Rarity practically died.

"Born where? Ah never seen a pony like that in these parts... 'Cept her!" Applejack was really afraid of Zecora. Irrational fear of stripes, maybe? Twilight continued her little lecture.

"Well she's probably not from here. And she's not a pony. My books say zebras come from a far away land, but I've never seen her in Ponyville. Where does she live?" She's been here for a while... How come she never saw her? Books, maybe? She was a bit of a nerd, as he realized.

"That's just it... She lives in the Everfree Forest!" Applejack was entirely terrified. Then something caught Travian completely off guard. Some sort of thunder came through the house, causing him to fall to the ground in surprise.

"What the f-" He landed on his head, cutting out his word. Twilight knew what was going on.

"Spike!" A voice came from the next room.

"Uh... Sorry..." Applejack continued her tirade.

"The Everfree Forest just ain't natural! The plants grow..." Travian grew a smile. Fluttershy continued for her.

"Animals care for themselves!" Travian was giggling openly. His nemesis went on.

"And the clouds move..." All three combined forces.

"All on their own!" Travian was now laughing up a storm. Rarity practically died again. Twilight was looking in disapproval. Travian's foe upon this world, however, couldn't let his happiness and joy in laughter continue! She swooped down, ready to attack.

"What's so funny? This is serious!" He wiped a tear of utter hilarity off of his face.

"What you just said was completely natural. That's what's so funny!" He shortly stopped laughing after that.

"The Everfree isn't natural at all."

"To magic wielders like you, I'd imagine so. But to me, that is completely normal. If anything, everything here isn't natural!" Applejack retorted.

"Well it just isn't right!" Pinkie jumped in.

"Yeah, and that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil... Stuff! She's so evil, I even wrote a song about her!" Travian groaned.

"Here we go." Travian and his cyan opponent said that at the same time.

"She's an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances!

If you look deep in her eyes, then she'll put you in trances!

Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew!

Then she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew, so watch out!" All over the song, she was bouncing all around. She eventually ended on a table, standing on her hind legs, breathing heavily.

"Wow. Catchy." Twilight commented.

"It's a work in progress." Pinkie said, but then Twilight walked past her.

"This is all just a bunch of gossip and rumors. Now tell me, what exactly have you seen Zecora do?" Travian's one immortal opposite had to come up with something quick.

"Well... Once a month, she comes into Ponyville!" Twilight almost responded, but Travian did instead.

"Kay. Next 'horribad' thing?" Rarity was up to the plate.

"She lurks by the stores!" Travian gasped.

"What dastardly fiend could ever do that!?" Fluttershy talked next.

"And then she digs at the ground..." Travian took all this information and convicted Zecora of instant villain status. She was obviously a threat to society.

"Well from all this info the prosecution was able to gather I hereby decree Zecora..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Not guilty! Court adjourned." They all stared at him. "Fine, I'll get back in my corner before the rainbow person beats me again." She almost did, but stopped when Travian started speaking way differently. "No, please maz'da! I di'nt mean tah do it! Dun take out my fhree good teef! Daze all I haff!" With his pleading done for the day, he sat in his corner. Twilight took over. Apple Bloom came to her side.

"Excuse me, but how is any of this bad? Maybe she comes to town to visit?"

"Yeah! Maybe she's just trying to be neighborly!"

"And maybe she's not lurking near the store. Maybe she's going to them, lurk-free," With Travian's money back, includes a free stalking,", just to do some shopping?"

"Yeah! Everypony likes to shop! You know what I think?" Applejack came to silence her sister.

"Apple Bloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk!" Apple Bloom looked defiant, but turned away.

"I am a big pony..." Travian lurked over to where Apple Bloom was located.

"So... Grown ups, telling you what to do." She looked surprised at how he seemingly got around so fast, but she nodded all the same. "Tell you what... Why don't you go meet this 'Zecora' fellow. I'm sure she's a nice enough lady. You have my full support." He waited for Apple Bloom to leave.

He listened to the ponies argue for several minutes before rushing over in the middle of the group. "Guys! I can't find Apple Bloom! Quick, we gotta find her. Maybe... Maybe Zecora has her!" His plan worked successfully. The ponies started freaking out, but got their stuff together and then promptly in gear. As they left, he saw where Spike was. It was inside the kitchen which he observed for some time. He was planning on going in there and raiding all the edible things. He entered that room. "Hello, little Spike. A mighty greetings to you." He looked around at the place. "What're you doing in here?"

"Um... Eating." He was intrigued now.

"Eating what?" Spike tried to look innocent, but came off as extremely guilty. "Does it involve these things called cupcakes? Cause I seriously want to try one." Signs of relief filled Spike.

"Then why didn't you say so, dude?" He got out some sort of... Weird thing. Travian wasn't sure on how to describe it. It was swirly and blue with specks of color on the first half of it, then the second half was yellowy and kind of resembled bread. He took it into his hands and examined it before eating it whole in one bite.

As it happened, it was extremely sugary. In fact, Travian felt like he could jump up and down and all around. The whole world was so bright and colorful, he didn't even notice the pink rolling pin in the back! The cabinets were so nice to look at sometimes, but  most of the time the window was open. He looked around to see the ceiling turning bright colors. "What is this sorcery, and why does it feel so good! Ah ha ha ha ha!" He started running around like crazy. Sugar and him did not mix well. Too much sugar... It threatened his overall figure, not just his sanity.

Travian, however, didn't have time to think. He had to have some fun. He saw Spike and gave him a hug. "Thanks for the sweets and treats, baby! Woo hoo!" He had to get outside! He had to run around! He saw the window that was open most of the time and launched himself through it somehow. Was this how Pinkie got around? He didn't know nor care! What a beautiful day. The sky was a nice baby blue, and the clouds were all pink and fluffy. The glorious grass was green with wonder. He thought for a moment on where he would go when the sugar rush ended. To sleep, of course! But where did he sleep, he asked himself. 'Of course! Fluttershy's cottage!' He found a path in his mind and prepared to run. "For victory! Wheeeeeee-"

He ran past the corner of Sugarcube Corner. He finally got that name, now! His life was going absolutely perfectly. He swerved around on another corner. Was that the House Corner? He would have to do a house census eventually, but now was not the time! He had to escape to the cottage! There, he could bounce and jump and sing and sleep and be merry all at the same time. That would have been wonderful. He put his hand up and keep saying 'whee' as he ran.

He continued like that until he reached the cottage. Where would he be, though, to sleep? He didn't need the couch, right? He could just go hug that strangeling over there. Off he went on his epic quest that ended in approximately five short seconds. "Hello, my baby, hello, my honey, hello my ragtime gal!" Sanity was for the weak. He didn't need it at the moment.

"What are you-" He hushed her.

"Now is not the time to talk. Now... Is the time for action!" He launched a kiss her way, landing right on her cheek. "Adventure!"  He picked up the strangeling and put her on his back. The world was slowly turning yellow. His speed started slowing as he sped off towards his spot with a confused strangeling straddled onto his back. "Oh boy, did I ever tell you of the time I took sugar? Man, stuff was so cash, and so crazy! It's almost as if..." The yellow was covering his vision. "It's almost as if... It happened... Again..." The world stopped being yellow and started being pitch black as the world flooded with grassy green.

Travian woke up the next morning and rubbed his head. Something was hideously wrong with today. Maybe it had to do with him being completely mellowed out. He rubbed his eyes and looked around with his blurred vision. He was inside the cottage, probably on his designated couch. He rubbed his eyes yet again. He didn't know it was possible to achieve a sugar hangover, but somehow those 'cupcakes' did it. He would have to stockpile those things for certain occasions...

He looked around again, his vision mildly returning. He saw a Fluttershape enter the room. "Hello Fluttershape. How was your day? Oh, and please come a bit closer. I'm kind of out of it right now, and my sight isn't what it's meant to be." The Fluttershape went through a metamorphosis. The result was a Fluttershy. She wasn't talking. "Oh? You aren't moving your mouth. I'm sorry, but I don't speak silent. Either that, or I'm deaf." He smacked his head once to make sure, immediately regretting his decision. "Aw! Self damage! Why!"

Fluttershy held Travian for some reason, probably to make sure he didn't flip out. His head hurt like lightning to the heart. Thankfully, his senses were coming back. He could see enough and feel enough for him to notice the pony legs around him. "You can let go now. I'm fine." In reality, he wasn't. Then again, lying has kept him alive to this day. "So yeah. About your day?" Fluttershy looked away. "Aw, don't worry. I understand. You know, maybe the cyan one was right... Maybe you are ugly." That was enough. Fluttershy gasped rather strangely.

"Longshot!" She sounded like a deep voiced male. She realized her mistake and covered her mouth.

"Well that's sexy." He looked off into the distance somewhere. This mellow state was just as bad as his hyper state. He could have sworn he saw a change from yellow to pink in her cheeks, but maybe he was wrong. He really couldn't tell with that overly interesting wall over there. What was it like to be a wall? He thought about several things like that with overly huge interest.

As he was concentrating, he heard a voice interrupt his wall watching. "Um... Do you really think so?" He stared at the wall behind her. Such an interesting color...

"Well of course I do. You're sexy no matter what..." He looked over to Fluttershy, "Happens to ya." He looked to the ceiling, which was not actually a wall In fact, one could say it was a floor but above all. Now that was the real question... How divine and how high was the ceiling?

"Um... That's... Nice for you to say... Um..."

"Uh huh." This marvelous ceiling. What beauty could match it? None that he could see. Travian got a bright idea and smacked himself in the head again. The pain wasn't much. Instead, he was able to concentrate. He was looking at the ceiling. "Why am I looking at the ceiling?" He turned to look into Fluttershy's eyes. "I mean, I should be looking at you."

"Honestly, I don't know, I mean, you just sorta dozed off like some sort of zombie pony or something. I mean, no offense, of course." Her voice was incredibly masculine.

"Wow. You're voice is just sexy, isn't it?" He got a confused look.

"... You already said that." He did? "Are you... Are you into colts?" Fluttershy rectified her mistake. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong, I mean, I like colts and all, or whatever you call yourself, so I guess, I mean, um... I-" Travian hushed her as she became Pinkie.

"Calm down. I don't like males in that way." She visibly relaxed as she turned from 'heart attack' level of stress to a freezer in chill terms. "I just like some deep voices. They are nice to listen to every now and again." He moved his feet to the ground. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I was planning on visiting Twilight about... Well, this." It was understandable. He got up before he realized he's been going the last few days without his hood. He looked around the room before asking Fluttershy.

"Yo, Flutters, where's my hood?" She placed a hoof on her chin.

"Well... I'm not sure. I went looking for where it should have been, but I couldn't find it." So someone stole it. He had a feeling he knew who, as well... He waved it off.

"Ah well. Not important. Let's go see the witch doctor." She stared at him. "Twilight! That's what I meant to say." That would have to be a thing. He would have to refer to her as the witch doctor from now on. It fit her so perfectly! She was a witch, and used magic to heal some things. They together walked out of the cottage, with a bunny occupying Travian's lone shoulder.

While they were walking, Fluttershy had to check something. He looked over to Mayella. "Ey. Wassup?" She pointed at the sky. "Sorry I've not been taking you along for some rides I took... By the way, where did I fall unconscious? I distinctly remember falling over with you on me. Not sure what happened before, but eh. Probably not important, right?" Mayella looked away for a second, but then looked back at him. "... Something happened. I'm going to find out what. Don't you try to hide it or lie to me because I can see through a lie pretty clearly." That was not true, but she didn't have to know. Fluttershy said she was ready, making him look away from Mayella. He would have to remember that little moment.

They eventually arrived at Twilight's place. Travian opened the door for her and let her in like the true gentleman he wasn't. He made his little seat next to the wall, where he leaned against it. He made sure to appear devious, as that would be a good idea. He took a look at the wall to find that it was actually a book case. In fact... Twilight's place was a library. 'Didn't she mention that?' He saw many, many books. Unfortunately, he was not one for books. In fact, he sort of hated the infernal things. He always cut the pages unintentionally, making him a rather upset lizard person.

He kept leaning against it and observed the room. He found that the library was covered in books. He thought he was a little early to the library as it should have been cleaned. Plus, he sort of rushed Fluttershy over here. He saw Twilight walk down the stairs with Spike and she took one glance at him. She then looked to Fluttershy. "Um... What are you two doing here?" Travian saw that her horn was covered in blue spots and was like some sort of jello. It was kind of funny. He knew right then and there to make things as awkward as possible.

"Twilight, we are looking for some help... You see, Fluttershy and I... We were talking for a little while, and we came over for you to help us with a little something." Twilight's brain was processing what he just said. Fluttershy slowly looked over at him, with her mouth agape. Then Twilight got it.

"Wow. Okay, well... That is... I don't really think I can help with that, I'm kinda- Hey wait, didn't you like *the unlovable one*? What happened to that?" Travian face palmed.

"Look Twilight, it's called a joke. Really, all we need help with is the fact that Fluttermy has some sort of-" He was cut off by a Pinkie suddenly appearing. He swore he closed the door. 'How did she get in?'

"Puhrse!" Her tongue out, with blue spots covered all over it. Travian giggled at the display.

"A purse?" Spike asked, "How could it be a purse?" Twilight looked over to her in complete surprise.

"Pinkie! What happened?" Pinkie was spraying spit everywhere she talked.

"Hut wuhs Zuhhuruh! Suh puht uh puhrse uhn muh!" Spike was covered in spit.

"Hey!" He wiped a lot off. "Say it, don't spray it, Pinkie." A crashing sound was made somewhere in the library. Travian looked where the ponies were looking. He saw his number one nemesis of the world crashing into the window.

"Ha! Drink it in, girl. That's how failure tastes!" Rainbow 'Crash' stuck her tongue out at him. "Jeez, she enjoys the taste of failure. What a weirdo." She smacked into the window again.

"Excuse-" She disappeared. She then reappeared at the entrance of the library. "- me?" She smacking into the wall like the clumsy pegasus she was. "I'm not a-" She slammed through the door, sending her to the back of the library. She hit a ladder and got herself stuck in it. "- weirdo!" She said that while stuck in a ladder with her wings... Upside down. Something was wrong there.

"You're one to talk, Ms. Rainbow Mane slash Stuck in a Ladder With Upside Down Wings." If she couldn't get to him, she obviously couldn't hurt him! It was a win win for all of Travian. Ms. Stuck tried to get to him, but she didn't succeed.

"Well you don't have a curse! No wonder you think I'm the weird one." She took a look at Twilight. "She also has a curse, so your argument doesn't work." It was 'your argument is invalid' but whatever. Same thing, basically. Travian saw a Rarity enter the establishment... Well actually, it was more of a Hairity. Travian came out laughing at her appearance.

"I'm afraid I also have a curse, it appears." Spike was shocked at her appearance, and hugged Twilight's leg. Apple Bloom appeared with a miniature Applejack upon her back.

Applejack spoke out with a very high pitched voice. "Ah hate to say I told you so, Twilight, but Ah told ya so!" Twilight gasped. "It's a curse, I tells ya!" Twilight looked for options to say it wasn't a curse of some kind.

"But..." She looked in Fluttershy's direction. "Fluttershy seems just fine!" Travian sighed.

"Yes, let's just ignore me as well..." He whispered to himself.

"Yes! There doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her." Hairity then said. Travian spoke for her.

"She does have a 'curse', but she probably doesn't wanna talk about it that much." Twilight looked to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy? Is this true?" She nodded. "Can you give us an indication as to what's wrong?" She shook her head.

"Good gravy, girl!" A roaming Applejack came up to Fluttershy on a table. "What's wrong with ya?" Fluttershy looked off to the side.

"I don't wanna talk about it..." The whole gang was surprised. So much so that his nemesis fell out of the air due to a ladder being stuck around her. Then Spike bursted out laughing, just as Travian was doing at this point. He walked over to Spike, and crouched next to him.

"Look at all these ponies, and their silly problems!"

"It's hilarious! We've got here..." He pointed to Rarity. Travian responded for him.

"Hairity." He pointed at his nemesis.

"Rainbow Crash." Spike pointed at Pinkie.

"Spitty Pie!" Travian pointed at the tiny Applejack.

"Appletiny." Spike then pointed at Fluttershy.

"Flutterguy!" He pointed at Twilight.

"And... Uh... I got nothing." Nor did Travian. He faced Travian. "Twilight Sparkle. I mean, seriously. I can't even work with that." He held out a fist for Spike to bump.

"I know right?" Spike returned the fist bump and he arose. He then walked over to his corner. Twilight was not pleased, though.

"Ha ha ha, look guys, this is no joke! Now Spike, go search more books so I can find a cure." His enemy was now attempting to get out of the ladder.

When she finally popped her head out of it, and no he didn't know how that worked, she got into the air awkwardly. "I bet we'll find the cure to the curse at Zecora's place!" Twilight rushed over to her.

"It's not a curse!" Travian detected some sort of argument about to sprout. He quickly moved to Apple Bloom in hopes that he could leave the premises.

"Hey, Apple Bloom. Tell me, do you wanna go see Zecora while these ponies argue and bicker?" She looked down for a moment.

"This is all my fault..." Travian stopped her right then and there with a hand to the head.

"No it ain't, kid. We all make mistakes, but we are never at fault. Well, at least according to humans, anyways. Now come on. We gotta right the wrongs. To Zecora's!" Apple Bloom seemed to like his reassurance. He wasn't the best at reassuring but he could do it sufficiently. When he looked for her, he saw that Mayella had actually fallen asleep on an empty book shelf. He decided to leave her and went for the door.

Apple Bloom and Travian both walked out of Twilight's abode and into the outside world. Apple Bloom started following the road that led outside of town. Zecora's home was probably somewhere at the end. Apple Bloom seemed to know where she was going, so Travian followed her without question. That was until she hit the Everfree Forest. "'Ey Apple Bloom, why are we going into this place?" He didn't feel safe without a weapon.

"This IS where Zecora's place is, right?" She had a point. Again, he followed her. The forest was slightly getting to him after a few minutes of being in it. The magic was infesting his mind. The trees looked like they had faces and teeth sometimes. Of course, Apple Bloom was unaffected. Soon enough, she actually stopped and looked at him. "Why're you breathin' so quickly?"

Travian was hyperventilating because of the magic. "I get nervous around... Forests." An utter lie. He lived many years of his life in a forest! Of course, that one wasn't magical. Apple Bloom turned around and continued. Then the strangest thing happened.

"Apple Bloom! You turn 'round right this instant!" Travian saw an Appletiny within Apple Bloom's mane. "You listen to your big sis-" Travian picked her up with two fingers. He then examined her to make sure it wasn't the magic. "Let go! Longshot, Ah swear, if you don't put me down, Ah'll-" He took her to a branch that was over a little drop. He then put her on there.

"No. I came this far, and I shall not be stopped." Travian turned his back to her, and he found Apple Bloom staring at him strangely. "What? Let's go. The main threat is eliminated." Apple Bloom turned around and continued going along the road. Eventually it ended, and where it ended was some sort of tree house. Literally a house made out of a tree. There were masks all over it.

"There it is!" She wanted to step forward, but hesitated. "K-kinda creepy." Travian kept walking forward.

"Oh stop being a baby, will you? It's just a few masks." That got Apple Bloom to move forward as well. She ran a little to catch up with Travian. "Now, ladies first." He opened the door, not wanting to go in for fear of discovering something he didn't want to. If Apple Bloom didn't scream after a few moments, he would probably wait outside. He took a seat, preparing to wait just a short while.

After a short while, Apple Bloom walked back out. "How'd it go?" Apple Bloom jumped before she saw him.

"It went good, I guess. I mean, it turns out she isn't bad and just needs a few ingredients for her brew." That was interesting.

"Alrighty. I'll trust you to the ingredients. I'm gonna go meet her myself." Apple Bloom went away, and when she was out of sight, he opened the door. On the inside was a cauldron, Zecora with no cloak included, and several 'voodoo' stuff. He never really got into voodoo or its magic, but he knew of its style. He walked in, having to duck quite a bit to get in. He brought himself before the supposed necromancer. He crouched down to look her eye to eye.

"I do not know what you may be, but I can assume you are a little friendly. A reptile you appear, but why are you here?" Travian had hoped for this day. He finally had a rhyming partner. She spoke with another strange accent that, if he were not careful, would find attractive.

"Friendly I am, as you guessed so. Why am I here? I truly don't know." Zecora was shocked at his ability to rhyme. He always made little rhymes in his head while he couldn't speak properly. They were fun, and they were creative. "There is a thing that is said from my head. It is that you are a master of the undead. Is it correct, or will my disappointment be erect?" Now Zecora was shocked at his accusation.

"You have me entirely wrong. I have not walked into that song!" So there were necromancers on the planet. It was kind of a given, what with the extensive magic.

"A humble apology from my brain. I guess it is not the most sane..." He looked to the side. Then he looked back. "But enough of that doom! What have you asked of Apple Bloom?" He already knew, but it was fun to say.

"A few ingredients is all I need, for in this cauldron is my next feed." She started mixing. "What you were, you never told me. Or even how you know that pony." Indeed, he did not. He would have to get on that, in rhyme form!

"A man of the marsh. It is why I can be harsh. A deceptive reptile with such a magnificent guile. Now the pony... Well that I thought you could see. I live near her home, so not protecting her to here would tarnish my historical tome." A tome that was growing quite old and rugged.

"So you protect the little filly? Won't other ponies think that as silly?" What could she mean by- Oh. Those ponies would think he was some sort of child molester. That is entirely wrong, and he would never do that.

"Maybe, but their opinions towards me matter not. My goal would be to reverse it and turn them on the spot. I've tried it, and it was quite fun. But my time here has already begun." He felt some sort of presence at the window. He refused to turn around, but he could sense something watching him. "I fear we are being watched. But if we look behind us, we might as well be botched."

Zecora was confused.. "But I thought we were here, with none to see? Could your statement really be?" Travian had to admit she was good. Almost too good.

"Indeed, little one." He heard some yells from outside. "Well, now would be a good time for me to run!" He tried to jog for the door, but felt himself got blasted back as an upside down cyan nightmare destroyed the door. "Ah! Not good! If I continue, this will end in a thud!" Why Travian continued rhyming, he didn't know. It was as though real sentences were just a simple no. It did end in a thud, one that hurt at that.

He observed the chaos occurring. Zecora was shouting at his menace, Travian was on the ground, and a few ponies were appearing in the door way. "What have you done with Apple Bloom?" Twilight questioned. Travian looked up at the ceiling because of the pain. He could only hear distinct voices as he closed his eyes in the bit of pain he had.

"Ponies! What is this you do-" He heard a pot being knocked over by the public enemy number one, interrupting Zecora. "No! You know not of what you do." Travian picked up for her.

"Dagnabbit, rainbow hair! You've gone and spilled her precious brew!"

Twilight, knowing no guilt whatsoever, was not having it. "We're on to you, Zecora. I didn't want to believe that you cursed us but the evidence is overwhelming."

Rarity spoke next. "You made me look ridiculous!"

"You made me sound ridiculous," said a voice that could only be Fluttershy's.

"Yuh muhd muh spuhk ruhduhcuhluhs!" Spitty Pie spat out.

"You ruined my horn! And you knocked Longshot out!" said a rather irate purple unicorn. Zecora was pissed.

"How dare you! You destroy my home, destroy my work, then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?" Those ponies will need to be stuck in a freezer for those heavy burns to have any chance of healing.

The public menace spoke out. "You put this curse on us! Now you're gonna uncurse us!" Is uncurse even a real word? A hoof was set down.

"It is unwise to venture down this road. Your actions will make my anger explode!"

Nobody expected the Twilight Inquisition. "Where is Apple Bloom?!" Then another voice entered the room.

"Zecora! I think I found all the things you asked for." It was Apple Bloom's. "What in Ponyville is going on here?" This wasn't in Ponyville, so nothing in Ponyville was technically going on here.

A concerned little sister spoke out. "Apple Bloom! You're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight, being the bone head she was, butted in.

"Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us and she was gonna cook you up into soup!" Travian groaned out, his pain going down steadily.

"I thought you were all herbivores!" Then Zecora and Apple Bloom started laughing.

"Oh Twilight, did those silly fillies get into your head? You know there's no such thing as a curse!" Travian knew that was some serious amount of lies and deceit, but they didn't need to know that...

"Apple Bloom, sweetie, you can't just stand there and tell me this isn't a curse?" Then Apple Bloom, being the utter pimp she was, probably was the one who started walking.

"It isn't a curse." These ponies just can't win, can they?

"If you remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact." Zecora was too good, so Travian took a little nap in the dirt. When he awoke, he opened his eyes and looked around.

"-whenever Zecora comes to town, all the shops are mysteriously closed." Apple Bloom was pointing at Twilight.

"Oh. Well... I think we can help you with that." They started getting ready to walk out, and Zecora got her cloak. He was just waking up, so he couldn't think properly. The magic in the forest did not help. Zecora was just exiting the door when he got up.

"Wait, wait! I do not wish to be late!" He couldn't end this rhyming challenge so soon. To do so would be the opposite of a boon. So they went back to the land of Ponyville. Unfortunately, the denizens were not as civil.

They fled the streets, shouting terror and making noise. Clearly, Zecora and Travian frightened all the little girls and boys. The ponies started heading towards a spa place, which Travian just could not face. He fled away, and retreated to Twilight's place. He needed to have that little rabbit to embrace. He opened the door, and he let his thoughts soar. His thoughts keep rhyming with quite excellent timing.

With those thoughts out of the way, he approached Mayella who was in a fortress of books. "Had a little fun while I was gone, huh?" She got out of the little fortress and transformed into a strangeling.

"Since you left me, I had to replace you with something else that was equally as fun."

"Did it work?" He really hoped it did.

"Not really, no." What dreadful news.

"Well I won't accept any stars that can't have fun! Guess it's gonna be a pretty dark night sky then..." Mayella's brain had to process that little compliment for a few seconds before it registered. "So, I wanna ask you something." He sat next to Mayella on some books. She presented her pretty eyes to him. "What happened while I was on that sugar rush?" Cupcakes were a horrible drug, as he had discovered.

"Um... You, uh... You ran a lot, kind of like you had no idea where anything was. Then you came up to me and... And you put me on your back and carried me off. You then fell over, like you were knocked out or something." He shrugged.

"Seems legitimate." He lifted himself up and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go off to Fluttershy's place for a nap. Also: I avoided a beating from the cyan one because of a ladder. I am officially a ladder fan now." He continued on past the door. It would be a short walk as he was properly satisfied with everything that happened. Racism and prejudice were dealt with and he figured out what he wanted to know. All in all it was a grand day.