A Prank Gone Wrong, Bears, and Spoons.
A Prank Gone Wrong, Bears, and Spoons.
Rainbow Dash hadn't told anypony that she was going to Zecora's place. Not even Pinkie Pie, her partner in pranking. This latest idea of hers needed to go perfectly, so she couldn't risk the unpredictability of the pink party pony. She didn't mind going alone either, as the Everfree Forest had been pretty safe recently for some reason. As she flew closer to the hut the scent of herbs and other potion-making ingredients filled her nostrils. Landing softly in front of the hut, she knocked on the door, which opened a few seconds later.
"Why hello, Rainbow Dash, what brings you to me? Do you need some herbal tea?", the zebra asked as she greeted Rainbow into the hut.
"No thanks, I'm trying to find something."
"I have tonics and potions and brews galore, what is it you are searching for?"
"Uh, do you still have that weird potion that Twilight drank to see the past?"
Zecora's eyes narrowed slightly in thought, looking at Rainbow Dash. "Yes, I do. But what good would it be for you?"
Rainbow had anticipated some possible resistance, and came prepared. "Oh, I don't need it," she lied, "Twilight does."
The zebra looked at Rainbow again, "If she needs it, as you said, why did she not come instead?"
Another question she had thought of, everything was going fine so far. "She's really busy right now trying to find out more about that weird box from the Tree of Harmony. Thought that she might be able to drink some and learn more about the Tree itself. It is what showed it to her last time." Zecora walked towards a shelf in the back and grabbed the familiar glass bottle from the top shelf.
"Ah, yes, that I can see. She has always been quite the busy bee." She said, giving the potion to Rainbow, who put it in her saddle bag.
"Thanks, Zecora," the pegasus said, starting to turn towards the door. "I should really get this to Twilight, don't want to keep her waiting."
"I understand," Zecora replied with a light nod, following her to the door. "Tell Twilight that she can keep it, so she may drink some when it seems fit."
"Sweet, I'll let her know, see ya later!" Rainbow said as she lifted herself off the ground. Flapping her wings, she flew off into the distance towards Ponyville. On the way she stopped by her cloud home to get the last thing she needed. Going to the fridge she took out the empty glass of milk, and poured the white potion into it. Checking one last time that she had everything she needed, she left for Twilight's house.
A short time later she was outside of the Golden Oaks Library, home of Princess Twilight Sparkle. She knocked on the door, which was shortly opened by the Twilight herself. "Hey, Rainbow! Come on in!" Looking around as she stepped inside the library she noticed the absence of a certain baby dragon, and a large diagram of "the box" on the wall. Guess it hadn't been that much of a lie after all.
"Hey, Twilight. Where's Spike? Doesn't he normally open the door and stuff?"
"He's taking a bubble bath, again. So what's up?" She asked, turing to face her friend.
Step one "Nothing much," Rainbow said before taking a book out of her saddle bag. "But I realized I still had this copy of the third 'Daring Do' book."
Said book was enveloped in a magical aura almost immediately. "So that's where it's been! I've been trying to find this for months!"
Rainbow scratched the back of her head with a fore-hoof, "Yeeeah, sorry about that. Kinda forgot I had it."
"It's alright," Twilight said, inspecting the book from different angles. "At least it's still in good condition."
Time for step two. "Hey!" Rainbow Dash said, "I just back from Sugarcube Corner, want a cupcake?" Placing the book on the center table, Twilight gave a happy smile.
"Sure! I'd love one." Rainbow took a small cardboard box out of her bag and placed it on the table. Twilight opened the box with some magic to reveal a half-dozen cupcakes. Magically picking one up, she brought it too her mouth. "These look really good, thanks Rainbow."
"Don't mention it."
She took a bite.
Seconds later her violet eyes shot open as her face stared to turn bright red. "GAAAH!" She yelled as she jumped into the air, a small amount of fire bursting from her mouth.
Step three "Oh no!" Rainbow said in a panicked tone. "Those must have been the extra spicy ones!" She dug though her saddle bag and pulled out the milk jug. "Here! I just got some milk form the store! Drink this!" Twilight grabbed the bottle with two hooves in desperation. Without a second thought she started drinking the potion. But she didn't stop. She kept going, and going, and going. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing left. She drank the whole thing, all of it.
Every. Single. Drop.
Panting heavily, her faced started to return to its normal color. Rainbow just stood there, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. "Uh, oh. This is bad."
Looking up at her friend, Twilight said in an exasperated voice, "What?" Reaching into her bag, Rainbow pulled out a familiar looking, empty glass bottle.
"Uhhh, Twi, that wasn't milk. It was…uhhh, it was Zecora's Alicorn potion."
"WHAT?!"
It was the only thing she could say before the potion kicked in. She stood there, wings stretched out into the air, her eyes wide, glowing with a magic white light.
Twilight felt the familiar but still strange sensation of her mind traveling to places unknown. She shook her head as she came too, ridding her eyes of the powerful magic. She was outside looking at the night sky on a balcony of the Royal Sister's old castle, and she wasn't alone. Celestia and Luna were there as well, kind of. They were both on their backs looking up at the stars, numerous large, unlabeled, and empty glasses next to them.
"OK, now put that one oveeeer…there!" Celestia said to Luna in an oddly slurred manner, pointing at the sky. Luna stuck her tongue out a bit in concentration, casting a spell of some sort.
"What the…" Twilight said aloud as she looked at where Celestia was pointing. Just as she did, a star moved two inches to the left. "GAHH! Why are the stars moving? Princess?"
"Noooooo, the, the other one, silly." Her mentor said, swaying a little at she forcibly pointed to the exact same spot.
"Which one?" Luna asked in a similarly slurred manner.
"Thaaat ooone!" Celestia insisted in a high pitched squeak like a filly, stabbing at the air with her hoof. Luna once again concentrated, and another star moved slightly to the left. "More to the left!" It moved again. "Too much, too much! More to the right! OK now up a little. No the other up."
Finally deciding that the star was indeed in the proper place in the sky, Celestia drank a clear liquid from a glass Twilight hadn't noticed before. "Yeaaaaaaah," the Princess said with an oddly wide, satisfactory grin and a chuckle. "It's a bear."
Looking up at the sky, Twilight realized what had just happened; she had made the Big Dipper.
"That looks nothing like a bear, Tia. It looks *hic* like a spoon."
"Shhhhhuut up, it's a bear."
"My night, my stars. It's a spoon."
"Whatever," She said as she took another drink of the strange liquid. "What's his face sure was nice to let us try this new beverage he created."
"Agreed!" Luna exclaimed as she attempted to get on her hooves at the speed of slow, "To…whatever his name was! For gifting us with this splendid, satisfying drink with it's strangely strong side-effects!" Luna exclaimed as she downed what was left of one of the large glasses.
"Luna everypony, Princess of the Night and Alliteration."
"Oh shut up. And it still looks like a spoon," The Almighty Alicorn of Alliteration said as she cast aside the annoyingly empty bottle and acquired another.
"Lu… don't you think you've had enough?" Celestia asked with some concern. "You did just mention the strange side-effects."
"Oh dear sister, don't be silly!" She replied as she removed her muzzle from the bottle. "I am the Princess of the Night!" She declared, swaying and starting to lean to the left. "And the night…is young! And I am… its …guardian!" Celestia simply watched as her sister's speech slowed as she fought the loosing battle of trying to stay upright. "And if the night needs protecting, I shall be there! I shall be there to… to… oh dear."
Then she passed out.
After determining that her sister was still alive with a few pokes on the muzzle, the Solar Princess took the bottle from her snoring sister. "Pfff," she grunted, "Guardian of the Night my Cutie Mark. And it's a bear." Chugging the rest of the bottle, she too started to sway as she felt the drink's effect, and passed out.
Twilight just stood there, confused, mouth open and eyes wide. "Wha? But, what, why? Why did I need to see this?" She asked the intangible effect of a magic potion. "How does this help me open the Chest from the Tree of Harmony? How does this relate to anything? I don't-" Her eyes went white with power, and she left the Sleeping Sisters and their field of empty bottles as her mind moved onward though the great unknown.
Author's Note
Started this a long time ago, was gonna be one longer story, but decided to split it up. I know the Box has been opened now, but I don't care I'm writing this anyway.
Thanks for giving this a read, and as always feel free to comment and tell me what you think!
