Can you avoid getting impregslaved?

You're about to tell her about your curse, but you have to pause when she tells you that. "Wait, so you don't have any friends to come see you or anything?"

The zebra giggles into her hand. "Oh, I have many friends, all of whom I hold dear. And yet in many ponies, I still inspire fear." She turns to give you a knowing smile. "And yet, it seems, you are not afraid, child. You seem rather at home in the wild. You, and your friend, with the royal-blue mane, I have seen you visit here time and again."

"Whoa, really?" Now this is a surprise! "We were always so alert for creatures, I'm amazed we didn't spot you."

She giggles again. "Eyes and ears may get you so much, but to know the forest, you must be more in touch." To demonstrate, she closes her eyes, and begins tapping her hoof against the floor, sniffing the air every once in a while as well. "Cockatrice, half a mile to the east. If close enough to see, then quite a dangerous beast."

"Wow!" That's pretty much all you can say. You're speechless. You're certainly glad you didn't write her off as just another crazy hobo. Princess Twilight clearly knew what she was doing, sending you to her.

She opens her eyes once more. "So child, I thank you, for your prior concern. But now tell me, what did you come to learn?"

"Oh, right!" After that display, you'd almost forgotten the reason you came here in the first place. "Princess Twilight sent me, she said you'd be able to help me with a curse I have, uh..." You quickly glance back at the note Twilight gave you. "Zecora?"

"Zecora is indeed my name, and I can soothe many a curse, hex or pain. For a friend of Twilight's, my best I shall do, so please tell me what is ailing you."

You pull your collar away again, and stretch your neck towards her. "Well, it's this-"

"Kuabudu jua kubwa!" Zecora cuts you off, staggering a few steps away from you, her eyes wide with... fear? "To think I would witness such a curse... your luck must be the very worst!"

Well, that's rather disconcerting. "So, the curse is real then? 'Cos so far, all it's done is to give me this tattoo."

Zecora takes a deep breath, composing herself. "You are fortunate then, to have avoided its spell. For once you fall to it, you're on a trip straight to hell." She paces across the room, lifting a book from her shelf and quickly flicking through it. You see the title is written in some unintelligible script, but underneath it is a translation, which reads 'Forbidden fruits: Plants and potions outlawed within the Zebra lands'

Finally stopping on a certain page, her eyes scan back and forth rapidly. "Mancipium fertilis is the plant from which this curse has grown, although it's nickname, womb-binder, is how it's much better known. A dangerous flower, outlawed in my land, and its effects form good reason for why it is banned." She turns the book towards you. You can't read the writing, but the diagram definitely matches the flower you saw back then, so you nod.

"Of its effects which are known," she continues, "here listed are four. Since testing was banned, though, there could maybe be more. Firstly, your womb is now hungry for seed, it will reject all birth control in its effort to breed. Second, your neck acts as branding when taken, one look and your ownership cannot be mistaken. Thirdly, when screws enter your mark's holes to fill, you'll slowly find yourself losing your will. And lastly, beware, if you take a female mate. You may well subject them to a similar fate."

You nod along with each point, kinda getting the gist of each one. When she's done, you ask the question that's burning most on your mind. "So, is there a cure?"

Her expression becomes more concerned as she flips the page and reads further. "Both a yes and a no, seems the answer at hand. The ingredients are known, but finding them is a quest rather grand."

You gulp. "How grand are we talking?"

"Well firstly," she sighs, "we need a womb-binder of our own. Unfortunately, in an area, only one can be grown. Once it has died, it takes very much time, to rise up once more into its prime."

"Oh," you perk up. "Like, would five years be enough? I can probably remember where it was, maybe it's grown back by now?"

Her eyebrows raise in surprise. "You lived all this time as that curse's host? Well, in that case, perhaps not all hope is lost..." She marches over to a hook, where a brown cloak is hanging, and drapes it around her shoulders, before walking back and extending her hand to you. You take it, standing up.

"Show me this place, and if you are right, then we shall yet be able to put up a fight!" she assures you, her confident smile having returned.

Lead her back to the hidden copse

Forget your way and get you both lost

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