Aspects of Herbs and Rhymes
From Human Geek to Zebra Alchemist
It was around evening time, as a young teenage girl entered her bedroom and closed the door with a small sigh. Her short, red-crusted, dark brunette hair casted bangs over her hazel, near green eyes, behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses and pale Caucasian skin.
Her name is Eleanor Carter. She currently lives in Alberta, Canada. In the basement of her parents' house. She just got back from a Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying campaign in the city's library.
Eleanor put her backpack on top of her bed and she collapsed beside it. Her mother called from upstairs, "Ellie! I left some chicken pot pie in the oven for you. Be sure you eat it before you go to bed!"
"Thanks, mum!" Ellie replied in a thankful tone.
She sat up and made her way to a computer desk and opened her black HP laptop. Ellie entered her password and the computer notified that she had a new email, that was sent an hour before the campaign.
Curious, Eleanor opened her email account and clicked on the email, 'I hope it's not spam, like last time!'
The email opened, it wasn't spam, but a letter with a link at the bottom.
It read;
Dearest Apple Snow,
We deeply appreciate the fantastic writing and voice work you have submitted. You have truly captured the characters personality, as well as the heart of a certain zebra, to make her more of a main character.
As a token of our appreciation, we present to you this video. We hope you enjoy it.
Yours truly,
The MLP Theory Analysts.
"MLP Theory Analysts?" Eleanor finished reading with a raised brow.
Everybody knows that MLP is the initials for 'My Little Pony'. An old cartoon show with a toy franchise, that has four generations to keep it up with modern-day views for children. A cartoon show about pastel-colored equines going on numerous adventures and learning the true meaning of friendship.
Eleanor has been a fan of this series since she was a very little girl. Whilst no one else seemed to understand the lessons behind the episodes, Ellie picked it up by the end of the episodes.
Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and an IQ of 125, Eleanor was able to understand the characters, as if they were created just for her. Which she knows they weren't.
Friendship is Magic is the fourth and most modern generation of the My Little Pony series and it's just finished its sixth season and four movies. The main character, Twilight Sparkle was once a young unicorn, then became an alicorn, earned the title of Princess of Friendship and has two students from her world and the world of humans under the same names.
Eleanor joined the Herd as a fanfic writer and a fan-dub voice actor on YouTube, under the name, Apple Snow.
Ellie cautiously moved the mouse over to the highlighted, blue link. She has heard from the news that high school students from Australia going missing and anthropomorphic equines were taking their places, claiming to be the said students. Ellie knew better: Something caused the student to change into these characters of MLP:FIM. But the question is what and why?
In order to find out, Ellie bravely clicked the link. A window opened and showed a music video clip of a zebra character, that was named Zecora. At the end of the video, the screen went light grey with dark grey stripes and a symbol of a tribal sun.
Eleanor stared at the screen, as the glow from the screen enveloped her. She quickly switched off the computer and shivered, unaware her eyes have changed from their normal hazel color to a strong cyan color. And a mark of the tribal sun has appeared on both of Ellie's hips.
With Asperger's Ellie is very sensitive, emotionally and physically. Enhanced hearing, smell, touch and taste. So she felt something pulling out of her pants.
Eleanor used her hands to covered her pants and ran upstairs to the main floor bathroom. She closed the door and locked it. She pulled her pants down to her knees and looked in the mirror. Her coccyx was growing out from under her underwear and fusing into a coccygeal vertebrae. Her neck grew in length as well. Eleanor leaned over the counter and gritted her sharpening teeth in pain.
Bones cracked, snapped and fused, as her neck grew over an inch longer. And a tail grew just past her knees. Ellie's ears moved up to the sides of her crown, morphing into pony ears. Ellie's throat tickled, as she coughed. With each cough, her voice deepened and her British accent changed to an African-esque accent.
Her hair morphed and changes into a mohawk. The red-crusted brown hair lost its color and was replaced by a stripped pattern of dark Persian bluish grey and light grey.
Ellie was in too much pain to notice the other changes to her body. She grew an inch taller and slender in size. Her B-cup breasts remained the same. The bottom half of her face stretched forward, forming into a strong muzzle.
Light heliotrope-ish grey fur grew a thick coat around Ellie's new body, with dark bluish grey stripes. Strong, thick hair in the same color as Ellie's new mohawk, grew on the tip of Ellie's tail and reached to her ankles.
Her finger and toe nails hardened and turned indigo-ish black. Her feet grew and her toes fused and the nails grew until they were hooves. Ellie's molars flattened and her canines and premolars sharpened to look somewhat like fangs.
The changes complete, Ellie sighed and caught her breath to calm down. She opened her eyes and looked at the mirror. Her glasses didn't fit her face anymore, but she could see that she was transformed into an anthropomorphic zebra. More specifically, Zecora. The zebra character from Friendship is Magic. Her favorite character.
"Excuse me for my language subject, but this is just fucking perfect!!" Eleanor shouted in anger and frustration. As well in rhyme with her new voice.
She's transformed into Zecora, just by watching a video! She never expected this.
Realization hit her. She put her hand over her throat and she spoke again, "What is this at time? I am now speaking in rhyme?"
She hit her head with both fists and closed her eyes tight, "Please I want to scream, this has to be a dream!"
Eleanor repeated this mantra in her head four times, until a yawn caught her. Her eyes struggled to stay tight. Ellie took a step back, but not used to walking unguligrade, her left hoof slipped and she fell to the ground. Hitting her head against the door of the tumble dryer, Ellie blacked out.
Whooops...
Aspects of Herbs and Rhymes
Eleanor/Zecora's POV.
I could finally feel my muscles as I started to open my eyes. Everything was badly blurry, so I grabbed my glasses, and put them over my eyes. The bridge of my glasses didn't fit over my nose anymore. Did they shrink or something?
*Ugh* My head... What hit me?
I rubbed my head and sat up to find myself in a familiar lavender and cream room, full of plushes and dvds.
My younger sister's room. How did I get here?
I rubbed my throbbing head in pain, "What hit me?"
I gasped. My voice! It was deep with an African-esque accent. I leaned over and looked my legs. My clothes still fit, but my feet were hooves and covered in light grey fur and dark bluish grey stripes. I felt something move underneath me. I sat up and a zebra tail moved away from my butt. I grabbed and felt the muscles and bones inside it. It was my tail.
"This is who I woke up to be?" I asked, looking at my hands, Then shouted in frustration, "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Oh good, you're awake." A familiar voice spoke from the other side of the room.
I looked at see it was a short and stout teenage girl, with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes of an ocean after a storm. Peachy skin, compared to my own former pale skin.
Samantha. My younger sister.
She glared at me, "Since you're awake, you can tell me who you are and what have you done with my sister, Ellie."
My eyes widen, "Can you not see with your own eye? Ellie is the person as I." I silently growled. That made no sense!
"That made no sense." Sam told me, then walked closer to me, "I'm not gonna ask you again. Where is Ellie?"
"I am Ellie!" I told her, "I can prove it's me."
"Go ahead." She told me with a sharp glare.
"Your original name was meant to be Samantha Ellis Carter." I explained, "Your favorite color is blue. You have an e-vape in the bottom draw of your bedside drawer and..." I whispered this in her ear, "You have a crush of Discord."
Sammy looked at me with wide eyes. Only I could know this stuff. I introduced Sam to My Little Pony during Season 3's Keep Calm and Flutter On. Sam fell in love with the character and asked me who he was.
What surprised me was that I wasn't speaking in rhyme. And my voice was back to its normal medium, smooth-but-raspy tone.
"Ellie?" Sam gasped, "But, how did this happen to you? What happened to you? Are you hurt?" She asked.
"A little sore, but I'm alright." I answered, my voice returning to Zecora's tone, "For it all happened last night." I explained, "I was in my room, with little detail, I went to my computer to check my email. From a group, a letter I received, if that's very hard to believe. A YouTube link I clicked upon, I watch the clip without a yawn."
"The changes began without my aware, until the tail I beware." I wagged my tail for emphasis, "The pain surged and everything was a blur, the ears. The muzzle. The hooves. The fur." I rubbed my throbbing head, "I stepped back, not knowing how to tread, then I slipped and hit my head."
Sam giggled, "Serves you right for not looking where you're going."
I glared, "You try walking with hooves, and see if your mobility improves!"
My sister cleared her throat, "Well, with all joking aside..." Then asked, "How are going to explain this to Mum and Steve?"
I looked my dark bluish grey hands. My ears drooped. Sam had a point. How am I going to explain this to my mother and step-father? How will they take it? Will they be able to understand this is me until I can fix this? Will Mum be able to tell it's still me under all this fur?
My hands balled into fists of frustration, "I... I don't know, Sam."
Sam gave me an uneasy smile. I raised at brow. She doesn't do that unless she knows something I don't.
Realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. My ears perked up and my eyes widen in shock, "They know, don't they?"
Sam nodded, "Steve found you laying in the bathroom, near the tumble dryer. We thought you were in bed, so Steve put you in my room." She explained, "Mum told me to keep an eye on you, if you tried anything weird."
I face-palmed and shook my head with a smile. Leave it to our parents to think things through.
"Right now, Mum is eating breakfast and Steve's gone to work." Sam finished, then suggested, "Maybe we can explain this to Mum first, then Steve?"
I thought for a second. Mum is smart and has a good head on her shoulders. If she can believe that her eldest daughter has turned into an anthropomorphic zebra, but is still her on the inside, then I have nothing to worry about.
I looked at my sister and nodded.
Sam smiled and took hold of my hand. She helped me to my hooves. I struggled to keep my balance, but regained my composure within five seconds. I took a few unsteady steps, until I got the hang of walking on hooves. It was similar to walking on my toes, when I was younger.
"Whoa." Sam smiled.
"This isn't as easy as it looks." I answered, "I should've tried reading that furry book."
It's not like it sounds. It's a drawing guide on anthropomorphic animals, or furries. I bought the book for inspiration for my stories, but the cover was always enough.
My legs gave in and I was about to fall, but Sam was able to catch me and put my arm over her shoulder. We exit the bedroom and walked down the stairs. In the living room, Mum was eating cereal, watching one of her favorite wrestling events.
"Hey, Mum. Guess who's up and walking." Sam spoke up.
Mum turned to us. Her hair was a silvery-blonde, her eyes like Sam's, but more sapphire. Her skin was light peach. You can say Sam inherited more from our mother than I have. She wore a white t-shirt under a light red blouse and black pants. Formal, but casual.
She sat up from the grey sofa and walked up to me. I was taller than her, sadly. Mum stood at 5 foot 4 inches. Sam stood 5 foot 1 inch. Steve stands 6 foot 3. And I used to stand at 5 foot 8. Now, I stand at 5 foot 10. It's embarrassing being the tallest girl in the family. Why didn't I become a giraffe?
Mum looked at me, "Since you're awake, you can start answering some questions." Then she started asking, "Who are you? What are you? How did you get into our house? Are you a criminal? What have you done with Ellie?"
Her questions aimed up to the last one. I rubbed my temple, as my head still throbbed from last night.
Sam decided to answer, "Mum, this is Ellie." Then explained, "She became like this last night, after watching a video clip on the web."
"It was sent to me." I answered.
Mum looked at Sam then looked back at me. I sighed and whispered something into her ear that only I knew. Thank goodness I wasn't talking in rhyme, otherwise this wouldn't make any sense.
Mum's eyes widened at she threw her arms around me. Hesitantly, I hugged her back. I may not be a fan of being touched, but she's my mother. I have to make a few exceptions!
