Ch 1: A New Perspective on Things.
“Ah dear Apple Bloom our times together always seem to end so soon, but your presence here has warmed my heart better than anything in many a moon. Another visit is a must, and maybe you should bring one of those pies with their delectable crust.” Zecora said to the pony she regarded as her apprentice.
“Sure thing Miss. Zecora, hey uh... do ya think ah can borrow the potion book we were workin' from.”
“Why of course my aspiring protege, but be sure to bring it back tomorrow at noon okay?”
“Thank's Zecora!”
Apple Bloom proceeded to collect the book she had been using while helping Zecora brew potions. It always surprised Apple Bloom that she was the first pony to actually really give the zebra a chance, and now she was basically her apprentice. She hadn't earned her cutie-mark yet, but maybe that would change one day while brewing things with Zecora. Of course there was the problem of what her family might do if her cutie-mark wasn't related to the farm.
Apple Bloom didn't worry too much about the possibility of her family disowning her considering she'd met some Apple's in the music business. No it would be the disappointment that her family would show when she earned such a cutie-mark that she would rather avoid. She was sure if something like that happened though that she'd get over it eventually. The real thing Apple Bloom was worried about right now though was Sweetie Belle's idea to stop being looked at like a little filly.
Sweetie Belle had been rather adamant about this plan of hers and wouldn't stop talking about it until Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both agreed to it. As the date grew nearer Scootaloo began to get more into the idea as Sweetie Belle came up with more reasons why this whole thing was a good idea. Apple Bloom wasn't as easily convinced and she still had quite a bit of trepidation concerning the whole thing.
Apple Bloom let the natural greenery of the forest sooth her frazzled mind considering the walk back home was pleasant and the Everfree seemed to be peaceful for once. Apple Bloom took in a deep breath and felt that maybe if she breathed a little deeper she would have felt the ambient magics of the forest. Thankfully she only got a lungful of the crisp and refreshing air that saturated the forest that helped her ease her mind while she could.
When Apple Bloom got back home Applejack was busy bucking as many trees as she could and not paying any attention to anything else. Big Mac was busy doing most of the ground work like usual and was currently working on preparing some fields for some saplings. Thankfully Apple Bloom wasn't old enough to handle much of the harder stuff around the farm giving her time to play or do interesting things with Zecora.
Once inside the house Apple Bloom threw her bags into her room and dashed down the stairs with her book in tow. Before leaving the house Apple Bloom measured herself up against the door frame, and noted sadly that she hadn't even grown an inch. The young pony shrugged it off though and went out to the clubhouse where Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were likely already waiting for her.
The old building had fared well over the year that the crusaders had called it their base, minus an incident with a bee nest. The Clubhouse had to get refinished and even had a few boards replaced, but at least Applejack and Rainbow Dash admitted to being the ones that caused the mess. As Apple Bloom opened the door to the clubhouse Scootaloo practically bowled her over in excitement.
“Did ya get it!? Did ya get it!?”
“Calm down Scoots ah got it, and ta tell ya the truth ah still think this is a bad idea.”
“Aw come on! We can't just not do it! I mean Sweetie Belle is the one who thought of this, its gotta work out.”
“Right, at least all of our other plans just got us covered in tree sap. This could cause some serious problems, like never joining the Wonderbolts problems.”
“Why would I want to join those lamo's, sure Dash looks up to them and whatnot, but Dash is my hero not them.” Scootaloo said much to Apple Bloom's surprise.
“Well what about never scootin' again kinda problems.”
“I'll figure something out.”
“Right... now where's Sweetie Belle, she shoulda been here by now.”
“I'm here!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she entered the building completely drenched from head to hoof.
“Um... Why are you wet?” Scootaloo asked.
“I took a cold shower...” Sweetie Belle said in embarrassment.
“Okay... why? Aren't cold showers uncomfortable?”
“Yes. Now Apple Bloom do you have the book?”
“Yup, but ah'm still not sure about this whole thing.”
“Don't worry Apple Bloom, it should be harmless as long as you follow the instructions, now what do we need?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Uh, girls ah think ah'll have ta make a substitution here, this weird short lived ivy doesn't grow around here, but from what ah can tell from the reagents list a dragon's scale should make a good enough substitute... Ah wouldn't want ta try it though.”
“Got one! And don't worry I'm sure the scale won't cause any bad side effects.” Sweetie said as she pulled a purple scale out of her mane.
“Why do ya keep that there?”
“Spike sheds these things all the time and Rarity has me sweep them up. They make pretty cool hair clips don't you think?” The pony said showing off a few more of the scales.
“Right... Well let's get this over with.”
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“Good Morning Sis!” Apple Bloom yelled up to a groggy Applejack.
As the mare plodded down the stairs, her trusty stetson resting on her head where it belonged. The mare briefly thought about what breakfast was going to be and hopefully there was some coffee waiting for her. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night after dealing with a sickness Apple Bloom had last night, but it sounded like she was feeling perfectly fine now.
When Applejack got the bottom of the stairs and into the kitchen she witnessed a sight she had never seen before. The table was completely devoid of any food and sitting at the table was a completely stuffed Apple Bloom. Granny Smith was there waiting with a plate of food reserved for Applejack, and thankfully a full pot of coffee.
“So ya feelin' better Bloom?”
“Yep!”
“Ah'll say, that there youngun' ate nearly the whole breakfast ah had set out.”
“Apple Bloom are ya sure yer alright, even ah can't eat that much food in one sitting.”
“Ah'm fine Applejack, now ah'd better get ta school.” Apple Bloom said as she took off.
The filly took off with a speed and nervousness that made Applejack suspect something was going on, especially since Apple Bloom was never that excited to go to school. Her stomach had other ideas however, as it growled reminding the mare that she hadn't had anything to eat yet. The meal was hearty and full of everything that would make sure that Applejack would have enough energy throughout the day. After the mare drained her coffee and finished off her breakfast she headed out to work, briefly noticing that the marker for Apple Bloom's height was farther up now.
“Hm... Apple Bloom must have gotten to that age, ah'll have ta give her the talk later then.”
The rest of the day went by fairly normally considering that Applejack's usual line of work typically allowed her to go into autopilot. As her mind wandered the mare thought about many things that most ponies wouldn't associate her with, mainly the fancier lives of others. It was the main reason she left the farm in the first place, she had been enthralled in the ideas of the fancier folks and had wanted a life similar. Sure she had given it all up to come back home and loved the farm, but every now and then Applejack couldn't help but wonder what could have been.
As the day began to wind down Applejack picked up the last of what she had gathered and placed it in the dusty barn with the rest of the produce. Once the mare made it back into the house she was greeted to the sight of Granny Smith and Big Macintosh eating their dinner while Apple Bloom seemed content to cram as much of everything into her mouth as possible. It was a sight to behold as the filly seemingly consumed her whole body weight in food before finally being satisfied.
“Woah there Bloom, yer acting like a starved animal. Save some fer the rest o' us.” Applejack said in awe.
“Sorry sis, ah've just been hungrier than a timberwolf all day.”
“Right, well if yer finished go on up ta bed an' ah'll be with ya in a moment alright.”
“Okay.” Apple Bloom said as she practically waddled up the stairs.
“That girl's got a healthy appetite, it's good ta know somepony appreciates my work around here.”
“Granny we all appreciate yer work, but that appetite is somethin' else.”
“Ya think there might be somethin' goin' on with her?”
“Maybe, but ah can't be sure yet, she is around the age where little fillies start becoming mares... but ah don't ever remember eating that much at once.” Applejack said as she sat down and ate her dinner.
“Ah recon' Big Mac came close and as weren't exactly innocent either, sure ya never ate that much in one sittin' but ya would sure end up eatin' that much when everythin' was said an' done.”
“Ah gues yer right granny, she's grwoin' up an' ah guess ah'm just not ready fer it yet.”
“Ya'd make yer ma proud if she were here.”
“Ah know granny, but sometimes ah wish she were still here so ah didn't have ta grow up so fast...” Applejack said as the table went silent with a morose atmosphere..
After dinner Applejack cleaned the dishes and walked upstairs to Apple Bloom's room, the old house's stairs emitting a squeak every now and then in protest of being walked on once again. The door to Apple Bloom's room gave little resistance and like all of the doors in the house were typically well oiled. Apple Bloom was laying on her bed seemingly trying to find a comfortable position with her painfully full stomach.
“Hey Bloom.”
“Oh, hey Applejack, you wanted ta talk ta me.”
“Yup sit down Bloom it's time ah talked to ya about somethin'.”
“Is... is something wrong?” Apple Bloom said with a hint of panic in her voice.
“What, naw! Bloom yer getting' ta be a big pony and it's time ya know where baby ponies come from.”
“Uh... what?”
“Now in order for two ponies ta make a sweet baby pony ya have ta...”
The next few minutes were some of the strangest and most awkward series of explanations that Apple Bloom had ever experienced. It didn't help that Applejack pulled no punches, was rather explicit in her explanation of the whole process and how it worked, and even used a few scientific terms once thought above the farmer's comprehension. Then to sum everything up she tied the whole thing into a farming metaphor that made it so that Apple Bloom would never look at a tree the same way again.
“And that's how ponies are made.” Applejack said curtly.
“...” Apple Bloom didn't respond as her mind struggled to come to terms with the knowledge it had just acquired, and in this state of shock she just sat there and stared with mouth agape and eyes wide open.
“Don't worry Bloom yer goin' ta walk away from this and thank me some day. If it makes ya feel better yer takin' it better than ah did when ah was yer age.”
“...” Apple Bloom supposed she should have been happy, but her mind instantly sought the distraction it had been provided and began to come up with ways her sister had reacted to the same news.
“Well goodnight Bloom ah'll see ya tomorrow.” Applejack said as she walked over to the door and gently closed the door behind her.
After closing the door Applejack sighed and walked over to her room in order to go to bed. Apple Bloom was growing up too fast for Applejack, the orange mare became something of a foster mother for her younger sibling after the passing of their parents. The worst part was that Applejack knew that this day would come and she still didn't feel ready for it.
The next week went by fairly quickly and there was very little going on among her friends for once. Well except for a fiasco that left Rainbow Dash in tears over a medical condition that prevented her from applying to the Wonderbolts. It turned out that Rainbow Dash had been hiding the fact that she had an exceptionally rare genetic disorder that prevented her eyes from forming the cones necessary for seeing color. In essence the prismatic pegasus with a mane full of as many colors as the rainbow was completely colorblind, and Applejack found the universe's sense of irony to be quite unwanted.
How the pegasus was even able to pull off keeping the whole thing a secret when she can only see in black and white is a mystery to Applejack, and it explained why she never mentioned the color of anything. The real problem was that Rainbow Dash knew that with her eyesight she'd never get into the Wonderbolts and attempted to anyways, leading Applejack to believe that she thought they'd make an exception for her even though she has a condition that makes it unsafe for her to participate in the group. Rainbow Dash was now staying at Pinkies sulking and trying to feel better until she figures out what to do with herself. Pinkie being the mare she is decided that a relationship was the only thing big enough to replace the hole in Dash's heart and managed to hook her up with somepony. Whether or not it was working out was debatable, but the mare seemed to have perked up afterwords and might be trying to forge a new dream.
While thankful for the lax week outside of the incident with Rainbow Dash, Applejack couldn't help but feel that it was nothing more than the calm before the storm. Usually when things around Ponyville were quiet something dramatic usually happened soon after, like Discord getting out of his stone prison. The next day it seemed that the storm started as a light drizzle when she noticed that Apple Bloom was now the same height as herself, which wouldn't have been bad if she didn't look like a giant filly and if it had happened at a reasonable pace.
“Apple Bloom is there somethin' ya want ta tell me?” Applejack asked after making her sister sit down.
“What do ya mean?”
“What ah mean is that ya grew one foot taller in six days, and nopony grows that fast.” Applejack said with an accusing tone in her voice.
Apple Bloom started to squirm in her seat like a foal who was caught with their hoof in a cookie jar. It was only made slightly awkward considering Apple Bloom was the size of a full grown mare and could look her sister in the eye. Knowing it would be best to just come out with it Apple Bloom decided to spill the beans on Sweetie Belle's insane idea.
“I-it was Sweetie Belle's idea.”
“What exactly was Sweetie Belle's idea if ah might ask?” Applejack said in a tone that made Apple Bloom cower in fear.
“Well... she thought that working with Zecora that ah might find something ta get ponies ta stop thinkin' of us as little fillies.” Apple Bloom said wincing at the fact that she was now technically a big filly.
“An' this is what came of it?”
“Yes?”
“Ah'm goin' ta Zecora ta fix this, now what potion, or whatever ya call it, did ya use?”
“... My modified recipe is in my drawer where ah keep mah bows. Zecora should be able ta figure out what ah did...” Apple Bloom said with a sigh.
“Thanks fer helping me with this.”
“To tell ya the truth ah really didn't think this was a good idea, but Sweetie Belle was rather good at making it sound okay.”
“And ah thought Sweetie Belle starting puberty was the only thing ta be worried about. Next time ya have an idea run it by me first. Ah'm not goin' ta punish ya fer this yet considerin' we don't know how bad this 'll get.”
“Alright, and please get Zecora ta fix this fast, ah don't think ah'm done growing yet, and ah'm getting hungry again. That dragon scale in the recipe must have done somethin'.” Apple Bloom said with a hint of worry in her voice.
“Ah'll be back later today, and if yer appetite is anythin' ta go by it's how yer growin' so fast, so try ta limit yerself.”
“Got it.” Apple Bloom said morosely, hoping that nothing worse would happen.
Finding the recipe didn't take long for Applejack to find and once it was in her possession she made her way out the door and through the orchard at a feverish pace.If Apple Bloom's growth rate was anything like her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle then they needed to have this potion neutralized as soon as possible so they wouldn't end up taller than a tree.
The run through the Everfree left Applejack a panting mess once she got to the front door of the hut that Zecora called her home. The frantic mare hadn't wasted any time getting to the hut with what was likely at stake, and she wanted as little damage to come out of this whole thing as possible. Applejack started knocking frantically on the door and received a quick answer from the resident of the hut.
“Applejack what a surprise, but what is the source of your frantic cries?”
“Zecora, Apple Bloom and her friend have gone and done somethin' foolish. They used this recipe ta prove they weren't little fillies instead of talkin' ta somepony about it and it's causin' problems.”
“Oh dear. I'd better hurry I fear. The original recipe for this brew would only grant an inch or two, but this modified potion has set something far more powerful in motion. A dragon scale was used instead of timely ivy, so instead of a short growth we have something far more lively. Their growth won't stop until the potion is undone, but getting the ingredients for this won't be fun. This recipe can only be stopped by a special brew, but the ingredients for it are rare and few. One of them I still require, but a long journey to get it must transpire. A week's journey to and from is the fastest it will take, but that may be too long with what's at stake.”
“Well where do ya have ta go ta get this ingredient.”
“It only grows in my homeland far away, but that trip lasts many a day. My bags will have to be packed light and my journey will have to be made before tonight. Otherwise you sister Apple Bloom may lead a life filled with gloom.”
“Well if its that important ah'll go with ya.”
“That's very kind of you my friend, but you would not be able to see this dangerous journey to its end. A large barrier known as Helios gate will your travels negate. It is an ancient defense from times of great strife, but if you are not a zebra crossing it would be harder than bringing a rock to life. Not to mention there are many dangers that lie between this land and ours, I would never pit you against such powers. Even though your help would be a great boon in both company and time, I wouldn't want you to go and put your life on the line.”
“So yer saying only zebra's can go to yer homeland, but ah can't let ya go there alone with Apple Bloom in danger of becoming too big ta have a normal life. There's got ta be a way ta get me in there.”
“A potion I have will do the trick well, drink it and it will be as if you were born a zebra but it is not merely an illusion's shell. This potion will make you a zebra through and through, but once drunk becoming a pony again is not something that you can do. The flesh doesn't like change and will only accept it once in its life, so before you take the brew please take your time and think so you don't end up causing yourself undue strife.”
“So once ah'm a zebra that's it huh? No turnin' back, ah'd be a zebra forever.” Applejack said to herself as much as Zecora.
“That is the way it will be Applejack, once you're a zebra there will be no way back.”
The change would be something that Applejack thought she'd be able to live with, but zebra's were better at potion brewing and herbolgy than farm work, not to mention zebra's lacked the muscle structure and magic to properly buck trees. Then there was zebra magic itself, a strange power that flowed through the land in a very different way than an earthpony's, this would mean that Applejack wouldn't have the same talent anymore, sure the cutie-mark would look similar, but there was no doubt in her mind that its meaning would change. There was also the fact that she'd be a zebra and Applejack didn't want to add another physical change to a family member on top of what was already happening.
The problem with Apple Bloom was pretty bad though and she doubted her family would appreciate having their youngest member become a giant. Not to mention the amount of food Apple Bloom would consume on top of her sheer size. Of course Zecora could get the ingredient pretty quickly, but there was also the chance that Zecora might not return and Applejack didn't want to let her take that kind of risk on her own. Then there was the fact that Applejack felt like this was partially her fault for not warning Apple Bloom about running ideas by adults first.
Applejack weighted the risks in her mind deciding whether or not giving up her earth pony magic and abilities were worth the cost. In the end she reckoned that Apple Bloom's safety was more important than her own magic and ability to run the farm. Her family would just have to find a way to make up for her lack of magic and reduced muscle strength, which would likely be done with longer working hours or a few more helpers around the farm.
“Ah've thought it over Zecora, and ah don't feel right lettin' ya take that journey alone. Ah may never be an earth pony again but it's a small price ta pay ta make sure mah family's alright an' that a friend o' mine is safe.”
“If that is your choice then I won't stop you, now please stand over there while I prepare the required brew.” Zecora said as she grabbed herbs from around the hut and placed them into her boiling cauldron before taking a ladle and pouring some of the liquid into a cup.
“Take a sip and you will change, but you will fall asleep and when you wake up you'll feel quite strange. While you slumber I'll notify your family and get our supplies, I'm sure they'll take the news as quite a surprise.”
“Yer tellin' me... well bottoms up.” Applejack said as she downed the liquid.
The room began to become blurry as Applejack's mind became fuzzy and disoriented as the potion started to take effect. She could feel things shifting around inside her body slightly and muscles starting to change. The start of the rest of the changes she would undergo went unnoticed as the drowsiness that Zecora talked about finally kicked in and Applejack dozed off.
When Applejack woke up she was light headed and there was a stiffness that ran throughout her entire body. Above the mare was the unfamiliar ceiling of Zecora's hut and looking down at her hoof she was startled to see that her coat had become an off-white gray with a series of black stripes covering her body. It was an alien sensation to wake up looking different and her mind was still too groggy to process anything other than alarm.
Applejack began to panic a bit at the strangeness of what she was seeing and the fact that she couldn't feel her connection to earth pony magic anymore. The alien sensation of zebra magic coursing through her body made her look around in a blind panic as she felt pulls to the many things around her that had went unnoticed before. She ended up backpedaling into a wall before she remembered why she was in Zecora's hut, and it took a minute for her mind to catch up with what had fully transpired and once it did she calmed down considerably.
Applejack took notice that Zecora hadn't returned yet and started to wander aimlessly through the hut looking for something to do and tried to see if the pulls her magic had on things did much. The little bit of experimentation she did yielded very little in the way of results as it seemed that the magic was far harder to control than she thought. In the end Applejack gave up until she could get some explanations into how her magic worked and decided that looking for a mirror to take in her new look was more productive than what had been going on earlier.
As Applejack looked around she noticed that the zebra that lived there didn't really own any mirrors, unfortunate considering Applejack wanted a good look at what had happened to her. Thankfully in the back of the hut was a still pond with clear enough waters to get a good reflection. The pond, while clear, gave Applejack a sense of being rather poisonous with the fact that no life seemed to be in or close to the pond in question.
The mare that looked back at Applejack in the water's reflection was completely foreign to her. The mare was now a good four inches taller and her striped coat wasn't the last of the changes either. Her mane, once a long golden set of locks tied in a ponytail, was now a short Mohawk that was completely black and could be hidden by her hat if she were currently wearing it. Her tail had also become quite a bit shorter and sported the same color as her mane and looked similar to Zecora's in style leaving a portion of her dock exposed without any of the fancy ornaments that Zecora wore.
Applejack's cutie-mark had changed as well, instead of an image of three red apples the trio of fruit had taken on an appearance similar to Zecora's cutie-mark, being a tribal outline that swirled into each apple's center. Even Applejack's proportions were different, being less muscular and a bit rounder than before, the only thing that didn't change were her eyes and Applejack was thankful for that. While Applejack was checking out her rounder curves Zecora came back and watched as the apple farmer nodded in approval at what the image showed her.
“Ah you have awoken I see, do you like the image displayed before thee?”
“I-it's different, can't say ah didn't know what ah was getting' inta though.” Applejack said as she grabbed her stetson and placed it back on her head.
“A sudden change can be quite hard to grasp at first, but if you are having trouble coping please emote to me so you don't burst. Now your grandmother was kind enough to pack both of us supplies, and hearing that you were a zebra... well you should have seen the look in her eyes.”
“Just wait till she sees me, she won't even recognize me!”
“Yes you are quite different that is true, but remember dear Applejack on the inside it is still you. Beware that a young zebra doesn't take a fancy to you, among zebras your beauty is a prize given to very few. Now our journey must begin post haste, with Apple Bloom growing so fast there is no time to waste.”
“Ya mean we're headin' out right now? Ah'm all fer helpin' mah sis, but ah don't think headin' out into the Everfree at night is a good idea.”
“A healthy fear of the forest has saved many a pony and left them with nothing more than a fright, but if we leave now we will be out of the Everfree before the night.”
“Alright, ah guess a small trip through the forest aint goin' ta be that bad. Ah've been here in the middle o' the night one time and that was one time too many.”
“That's quite alright, the forest does get rather unpleasant at night. However my dear Applejack the lands we will cross will put up an even greater fight, compared to them the dangers of Everfree is nothing more than a a bought of fright.” Zecora said, not noticing the altered mare visibly gulp from nervousness.
“Well we better get started then, knowin' granny she packed all the essentials and a few things extra fer emergencies.”
“Yes she was quite thorough in packing what was required, and I'm quite thankful she's still lively even though she's retired. Before we go there are a few medicines that I will need to pack, but don't worry it'll only take a minute to get back on track.” Zecora said as she quickly grabbed a few containers and stowed them away.
Once Zecora finished packing the bottles that she needed she put on a white cloak and put on her stuffed saddlebags while tossing another cloak at a confused Applejack.
“Um, not that ah'm complaining or anything, but why do ah need this?”
“Where we are going the sun shines bright in the sky, without a cloak to block the sun you would surely fry.”
“Oh, well thanks Zecora! Now we better get movin' we've wasted enough time as it is.” Applejack said as an image of Apple Bloom standing taller than their house flashed through her mind.
The two zebras set off into the forest both showing a look of determination as they made as much headway through the forest as possible. It was surprising how much tamer the forest seemed when you were traveling with somepony who knew the layout of the place. It still didn't stop them from taking a quick detour around a poison joke patch or briefly slowing down in order to keep from waking up something. As the sun started to dip below the horizon the forest started to come alive with activity and plants started to bloom that Applejack would have never noticed before.
Up ahead the entrance to the forest could be clearly seen and Applejack was more than happy to exit the forest and get closer to the zebra homelands. As pretty as the forest could be the dark atmosphere of the place was draining on the farmer and she couldn't help but quicken her pace at the prospect of clearing the tree line. However, \she was stopped from moving forward when Zecora threw her staff in front of the mare.
“What's the matter Zecora?”
“Hush young one, too much noise and we'll go through something that will definitely not be fun. That plant up ahead has made this forest its bed. One wrong move near its bed of loam, and we'd be happy if we were allowed to go home.”
The plant in question was easily overlooked in it's current location and was hard to make out among the neighboring vegetation. This also made the plant's boundaries hard to identify and Applejack stepped on one of the plants exposed roots alerting the beast that its next meal had arrived. The plant reacted immediately by wrapping vines hanging in the nearby trees around the two zebras that had gotten too close to it and started drawing them closer to its center.
As the two struggling mares attempted to escape the plants grasp as it only coiled its vines around them tighter. The plants central bud unfolded revealing a large chamber filled with a foul smelling fluid that reaked of death. As Applejack struggled the more she found that it was becoming harder for her to breath as she looked over to Zecora she hoped that the wise shaman would have an answer to their problem.
Zecora in the meantime had gone completely limp and was the closest to the plants gaping orifice. The lack of movement on Zecora's part paid off as the plant let go of the mare, tricked into thinking it had grabbed some loose timber or some other plant in it's attempt to grab the meal that had wandered near it. In a bout of quick thinking the zebra shaman grabbed a potion at her side and chucked it into the plant causing a violent reaction to occur with the digestive acids.
Applejack was certain she was going to die at that moment as her hoof was almost touching the plant's digestive fluids when Zecora was released. A potion soared into the plant's maw causing the liquid to roil and bubble in a reaction that started to emit large plumes of smoke. The plant didn't like this and let go of Applejack and started to whip it's vines around in a futile attempt to save itself from what was happening to it. Before Applejack could figure out what was going on the plant's central chamber burst spilling the liquid on it's roots, dissolving the knotted mess and causing the plant to fall over with a wet plop as the rest of it started to steam and smoke.
The plant just lay there a vine occasionally twitching, if the thing wasn't dead it knew it would be, and had given up on trying anything else. Applejack just looked at the twitching mass and let out a sigh of relief at how close she had been to dying, but she felt oddly sad for the plant. It had been minding it's own business and she had helped slaughter it with no intention of gaining anything from it. Sure it had attacked her, but it was her fault that happened and not the plants.
Applejack shook her head trying to think on something else that would take her mind off of the smoking pile of vegetation lying before her. Normally this wouldn't have bothered the mare as what had happened had to be done, but she just couldn't block out that niggling feeling of guilt. It was possibly a zebra thing that was causing her to feel so guilty, when Twilight had lectured them on zebra culture she had found out that any time a zebra had to kill something they would usually talk to it and explain why they had killed it. It was a silly thing to Applejack at the time, but maybe talking o the thing would ease her mind a bit.
When Zecora wasn't looking Applejack took the time to kneel next to the lifeless corpse of the plant and feeling the faint tug her magic had on it she started to whisper to it. It wasn't much of a conversation really, all she did was explain that they had been defending themselves and that it was an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Applejack felt silly for talking to the thing but was relieved when the feeling of guilt went away and an odd sense of the plant's forgiveness took its place.
If this was only the first obstacle that they would face then what was the rest of their adventure going to look like. If Applejack wasn't careful she felt like she would be the one to get them both killed, especially since she had been the one to wake up the plant.
“Woo! Ya sure saved mah hide back there Zecora, ah don't know what ah would have done without ya.”
“It was nothing Applejack, it doesn't take much to give a plant a good whack. Don't look so glum, many more experienced zebra's have made the same mistake you have done.”
“Thanks Zecora, but ah can't help but feel like ah'm getting in over mah head, ah'm in a different body an' ah'm in the middle of an adventure that's more dangerous than ah'm used ta.”
“Applejack you may currently be blue, but know that there are ponies counting on you. It is not my place to decide what you do, but you are the toughest pony I know through and through. With your friends at your side you've faced many ancient evils and took it in stride.”
“Yer right, ah couldn't rightly call mahself an Apple if ah just up and quit before ah even get started. If ah've faced down Discord and Nightmare Moon ah can't start knocking mah knees when an overgrown plant shows up. Let's go, we've wasted enough time in this stupid forest and have a lot of walking ahead of us.”
“Of course my friend, but if your transformation is bothering you please don't wait to tell me in the end.”
“Mah transformation ain't botherin' me, ah chose this fer mahself why would ah have a problem wit' it? It jus' takes some getting' used to is all.” Applejack said as she walked out of the forest.
“A change like that is no easy thing to take, even when it was your choice to make. There will always be some mental strain, some take it easier and others act like they were hit with a train.”
“Ah think ah can see that, so where are we setting up camp?”
“A few feat up ahead would be a good spot to make our bed.”
“Hey, if we're goin' to yer homeland should ah practice mah rhyming?”
“Hardly my dear friend, rhyming is a thing only shaman do in the end. Your accent makes you who you are, my kind respect that more than a warrior's scar.”
“Ah've got a lot ta learn about yer culture don't ah?” Applejack said as she prepared her sleeping bag.
“That much is true, but only if staying more than a week is something you wish to do.”
“With what's goin' on right now that's not happenin'.”
Nothing else was said between the two as they both went to sleep after having been on their hooves all day they did not want to add lack of sleep to the days trials. Applejack's dreams were strange and involved earthy colors that made her feel oddly calm and peaceful as her mind and body relaxed. As the dream came to an end Applejack could just barely make out a voice that spoke in a language the zebra didn't understand, but somehow she knew it was giving her words of encouragement as the last remnants of sleep faded away.
When she woke up Applejack felt better than she did the previous day and Zecora was already up and looking in the distance. As Applejack packed up her bedroll she couldn't help but wonder what the voice she had heard was, it was possible that it was Zecora but she didn't want to burden the zebra by making her think that she didn't appreciate the soothing words.
“Hey there Zecora, ready ta head out?” Applejack said as she made sure that everything was packed up.
“Of course my speedy friend, but I'm sure you can wait till breakfast's end.” Zecora said after pointing at a small meal that had been prepared earlier.
“Right, sorry Zecora guess ah got so distracted ah fergot ta eat somethin'. Can't rightly go out there on an empty stomach.” Applejack said as she sat down and proceeded to eat.
Once Applejack finished and gathered her stuff together the two set out on the grassy plains that were in front of them. The trip while long was utterly tame and Applejack found herself looking at the swaying stalks of grass as they walked towards the distant horizon. As she looked around she thought that she could vaguely here the voice from her dream, but it was too faint to make out what it could be saying.
As the day progressed it got warmer and warmer until Applejack was visibly sweating from the heat. The landscape was gradually becoming more arid as time progressed and the cloak that Applejack had been avoiding was quickly donned to block out the sun's rays. The fabric was surprisingly airy and allowed heat to pass easily out of it while keeping the sun off of the mare. While it wasn't perfect it was better than before and she was glad she had it.
As the day started to draw to a close Applejack started to hum to herself in the rhythm that the voice seemed to follow. Zecora's ears perked up as she heard the tune and a look of befuddlement made it's way onto the shaman's face. For Applejack it was surprising to see the zebra with that expression considering the mare seemed to know quite a bit about everything. It was rare for her to see Zecora genuinely confused about anything before.
“Somethin' on yer mind Zecora?”
“In a way yes, how you know that song is confusing I must confess. I never thought that in a blue moon, a pony would hum a Zebrican tune.”
“A what now?”
“It is a song all zebra priestess' sing, but only allowed for the ones who have been taken under the high priestess' wing. How you know such a sacred song troubles the mind, please keep the tune in your head if you don't want to be treated unkind.”
“Sure thing Zecora.” Applejack said, now just as confused as her partner.
The two went to bed that night at the edge of the plain and didn't talk to each other much. The two went to sleep shortly after that with Applejack hearing the mysterious voice sing a lullaby like song in tune with the swaying reeds. If this was what being a zebra was like Applejack was certain she'd get over the minor inconvenience not having her earth pony magic presented.
Sometime during the night Zecora woke up and just looked up at the stars, thinking to herself about what lay ahead of them. Her apprentice Apple Bloom was in danger of never living a normal life again and it was partially her fault for not stressing the danger of potion making nearly enough. Applejack was a different case and Zecora knew her friend would have questions and even though she knew the answers she didn't feel like it was her place to mention them yet as she herself was still uncertain.
As the night slowly passed the wind passing over the reeds caused the tall grass to wave like an ocean. Thankfully Zecora was awake at that hour as she spotted a group of ponies approaching them in the distance that didn't look friendly. In a bout of panic Zecora started to rouse Applejack from her slumber and started packing up what she could.
“Ugh, what time is it? Hey what's goin' on Zecroa?”
“Quickly pack your things and don't make peep, trouble is approaching so there's no more time to sleep.”
“Trouble? Well It's good to know one of you fine ladies recognizes me.” A voice called out through the darkness.
“Zecora who the hay is this guy?” Applejack said groggily as she got u p onto her four hooves.
“Weren't you listening to your friend there, I'm Trouble, Danger D. Trouble, but you can call me DDT.”
“Yer mama name ya that or did ya embarrass yerself in front of the judge.”
“Funny, well I'll have ya know that a lot of ponies are rather fond of my name. Now you mares aren't exactly in the position ta talk so ah suggest ya listen very carefully.”
“What are ya getting at?”
“Nothing really, yer just a couple of the prettiest zebras I've ever seen, just so happens there are quite a few ponies who would pay quite a few bits fer you. Plenty of nobles around here lookin' fer some pretty and exotic mares such as yourself ta keep around as staff fer whatever purposes they deem fit.”
“Ya'll think we're going ta let ya make us somepony's slave!?”
“Hm... not just somepony, yer accent makes ya a rarity and your figure is one of the finest I've seen. I've got a few noble's up near the Empire who would kill ta get their hooves on you.”
“Celestia and Cadence will find me and take your hide ta jail where it belongs.”
“Ya'd be surprised what those ponies are inta, an' princess Cadence is just like her father, King Sombra, well except for the whole being pure evil thing.”
“Ya'll expect me ta believe that garbage, Cadence is a mortal she couldn't have been Sombra's kid, an' even if she were the two didn't even recognize each other.”
“Ya think the empire was the first thing ta pop out of tha pocket dimension, or that Cadence was even tellin' ya the truth.”
“You and yer conspiracy theories are a waste of breath, ah'm leavin' an' don't think ya can stop me.”
“Oh ah won't be stopping ya, but my dogs and griffon buddies will be.” Danger said as the rest of his party revealed themselves.
“Oh ponyfeathers.”
Author's Note
Well this chapter is finally finished, it took me longer than I wanted and it took me a while to get started back up after getting to the part after the transformation.
I might go back and look over the parts after the transformation and reword them again.
The way this started felt way to similar to the story I was using for inspiration, please forgive me for that its hard to get Applejack out to the zebra lands without some form of motivation. The slavers will be the last thing that mirrors my inspiration, I didn't want to include them, but the walk to the zebra lands is rather boring otherwise and I want this story to be longer than five chapters.
This story might be split into three arcs.
I imagine DDT speaking with a bit of an Australian accent.
As always I enjoy any feedback you can give me and I enjoy reading your comments. Feel free to tell me how I did and discuss anything about this story you want to.
