The Element of Empathy

Eleanor's POV.
Another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sky was clear. The sun is glowing with a warm embrace. And it was time for Twilight, Spike and I to talk a walk around town.

"Wow, what a gorgeous day!" Twilight smiled, looking up at the sky.

"Rainbow Dash must have gotten up early for once and cleared all the clouds away." Spike spoke up with a smile on his own.

Twilight nodded, "I bet all of Ponyville is going to be out enjoying the sunshine."

However, when we reached the town square, we noticed something amiss. Nopony was outside.

"What? Where is everypony?" Twilight asked, looking around.

We looked around and were only able to catch ShoeShine, Berry Punch and Berry Pinch retreating to their homes and locking their doors shut. Other than that, the entire town was empty. I've never felt so much fear before, apart from during the Ursa Minor attack. But why is the town so afraid?

"Is it some sort of pony holiday?" Spike wondered, as we walked around town to see anyone else.

"Not that I know of." Twilight answered.

"Does my breath stink?" Spike asked. He let out a small fire breath and sniffed the smoke.

"Not more than usual." I joked.

"Is it... Zombies?!" Spike asked with a scared gasp.

"Uh... Not very likely." Twilight answered, uncertain.

"Not likely... But possible?" Spike asked, starting to get frightened.

Then we heard a familiar, "Psst!"

Twilight, Spike and I turned to SugarCube Corner. Pinkie Pie poked out of the doorway, "Twilight! Nellie! Spike!" She waved her hand, "Come here! Come! Here! Hurry! Before she gets you!"

Wasting no time, Twilight grabbed my hand and we entered the café. It was really dark inside. Pinkie flashed a flashlight in our eyes. Twilight and I recoiled from the brightness of the flashlight.

"Who?! The zombie pony?" Spike asked, hugging Twilight tightly.

"Z-Zombie pony?!" Pinkie stuttered in fear, putting the flashlight under her face.

"Spike! There are no zombie ponies." Twilight told Spike sternly, then looked at Pinkie, "Pinkie, what are you doing here alone in the dark?"

Pinkie shook her head, "I'm not alone in the dark."

Our eyes adjusted to the darkness and saw that all our friends were surrounding us. Fluttershy. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Applejack and even little Applebloom.

"Okay then, what are you all doing here in the dark?" Twilight corrected her question.

"We're hidin' from her!" Applejack answered, pointing out the window.

Twilight and I looked out the window. Outside, in the middle of the town square, was a lone Pony wearing a hooded cloak. We could tell it was female by her build. She was digging in the ground, as if she was looking for something. The Pony glanced toward us. The others, beside me and Twilight, gasped and hid in the shadows.

My eyes never left the Pony. It felt like she was looking dead in my eyes. A few seconds of staring and the Pony returned to her digging.

"Thank goodness your sense of style allows you to blend in the shadows, darling." Rarity sighed in relief, speaking to me.

"Did ya see her?" Apple Bloom asked, "Did ya see... Zecora?"

"Applebloom! Ah told ya never to say that name." Applejack scolded her little sister.

"Well, I saw her glance this way..." Twilight started.

"Glance evilly this way." Pinkie corrected.

"And then a bunch of you flip out for no good reason." Twilight finished with a raised brow.

"No good reason? Ya call protectin' yer kin no good reason?" Applejack exclaimed, putting her arm over Apple Bloom's shoulders, "Why, as soon as mah sister saw Zecora ridin' into town..." She started shaking her little sister, "She started shakin' in her lil' horseshoes."

"Did not!" Apple Bloom interjected, while getting shaken.

Then Applejack hugged her close, "So Ah swept her up and brought her here."

Apple Bloom tried to pry herself away from her sister, "Ah walked here mahself!"

"For safe keepin'." Applejack added.

"Applejack, Ah'm not a baby! Ah can take care of mahself!" Apple Bloom argued.

Applejack shook her head, "Not from that creepy Zecora."

I cleared my throat and asked, "Who exactly is Zecora to you guys?"

"She's mysterious." Fluttershy answered.

"Sinister." Rainbow Dash added.

"And spoooooky!" Pinkie Pie finished.

I rolled my eyes and looked out the window, to Zecora. The others crowded around me and looked out the window. Zecora stood up, revealing to be no taller than 5 foot 7 inches, and removed her hood. From the back of her head, we could see that her fur was a light grey with darker grey stripes. Her mane was styled in a mohawk and matched her fur scheme. Large earrings hung from her ears and matching golden rings around her neck.

I've met Zecora's people before. A long time ago. She saved my life.

A Zebran. What's a Zebran doing here in Ponyville?

The others gasped and hid in the shadows again.

"Will you cut that out?" Twilight asked in slight annoyance.

"Just look at those stripes!" Rarity noticed, "So garish!"

"She's Zebran." I spoke up.

Everyone looked at me in confusion, "A what!?"

"Zebran." I repeated, then looked at Rarity, "And her stripes aren't a fashion choice, Rarity. She was born with them."

Rarity gasped and fainted.

"Born where?" Applejack asked, "Ah've never seen a Pony like that in these parts, 'cept... her!"

"Well, for one, she's not a Pony." I explained, "Zebrans are native in a land across the seas. In between Saddle Arabia and Collambia. But, I've never seen her from here." Then I asked, "Where does she live?"

"That's just it." Applejack answered, "She lives in... the Everfree Forest!"

Suddenly, there was a loud, thunderous crash. It startled everyone and scared me to yelping and falling to the ground.

Twilight turned to the kitchen and shouted, "Spike!"

Spike was in the kitchen, with a cupcake and candy cane in his hands. He must have knocked over some pans by my mistake, "Uh, sorry."

"The Everfree Forest just ain't natural." Applejack explained, regaining her composure, "The plants grow..."

"Animals care for themselves..." Fluttershy added.

"And the clouds move..." Rainbow Dash included.

Then all three finished in unison, "All on their own!"

Rarity fainted again. Then Pinkie Pie spoke up, "And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil... Stuff! She's so evil I even wrote a song about her!"

"Here we go." Rainbow sighed, as Pinkie broke into song and dance.

'She's an evil enchantress,
She does evil dances,
And if you look deep in her eyes,
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,
Soooo... Watch out!'

Pinkie Pie finished standing on top of a table, with her arms in the air and catching her breath from the song.

"Wow. Catchy." Twilight spoke up.

Pinkie smiled, "It's a work in progress."

I shook my head, "This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors." Then asked everyone, "Now tell me; what exactly have you actually seen Zecora do?"

"Well..." Rainbow Dash started, "Once a month, she comes into Ponyville."

I nodded, "Okay. What else?"

"Then, she lurks by the stores." Rarity added.

I nodded again, "And?"

"And then, she digs at the ground." Fluttershy finished.

I sighed and shook my head, "Okay, I've heard enough. That's not what I see. Could it be possible that she's here to pay a visit?"

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, "Yeah! Maybe she's just tryin' to be neighborly."

Twilight nodded, "And maybe she's not lurking by the stores, maybe she's going to them, lurk free, to do some shopping?"

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement again, "Yeah! Everypony likes to shop. Ya know what Ah think?"

"Apple Bloom! Hush and let the big Ponies talk." Applejack told her little sister.

"Ah am a big Pony!" Apple Bloom muttered under her breath.

"W-what about digging at the ground?" Rainbow Dash pointed out, "You've got to admit that's weird."

"What if she's digging for innocent creatures?" Fluttershy asked with a sad look.

"I'm sure she's not doing that, Fluttershy." I assured, then added, "And I'm sure there is an explanation for everything Zecora does. You know what? I'm gonna go out there and talk to her."

I made my way to the exit of the café, but Applejack stopped me by grabbing my arm, "No way, SugarCube. What if she puts a curse on yah?"

Twilight nodded, "I'm sorry to say this, but Zecora does look a little odd."

"You've got to be kidding me." I pulled my arm out of Applejack's grip, "You Ponies are being ridiculous!"

"Well, I heard that Zecora eats ham." Pinkie Pie told me.

"Pinkie, I eat ham. You eat ham!" I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I heard it's the evil way she eats ham." Pinkie argued.

Then Applejack noticed something, "Hey! Where's Apple Bloom?"

We all turned and saw the back door. "The door's open." Fluttershy gasped.

"She went outside!" Rarity gasped.

"And Zecora's still out there." Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"That silly lil' filly!" Applejack shook her head, "Ah told her to stay put!"

Twilight turned to Spike, "Spike, you stay here in case Apple Bloom comes back."

Spike saluted, "Will do!"

With that, the girls and I chased Apple Bloom and Zecora into the Everfree Forest. We followed them into a large patch of blue plants. They looked very familiar.

Once close enough, Applejack shouted, "Apple Bloom?" Her voice caught Apple Bloom and Zecora's attention, "Ya get back here right now!"

"Beware! Beware, you pony folk!" Zecora told us, in a deep, African-esque voice, "Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

I raised a brow in confusion. Applejack quickly picked up her little sister and shouted at Zecora, "Y-yah keep yer creepy mumbo-jumbo to yerself, ya hear?"

Everyone started shouting insults at the Zebran. I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Oh brother."

"Beware! Beware!" Zecora shouted, as she disappeared into the mist.

"Yeah, back at ya, Zecora!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "You and your lame curse are the ones who better beware!"

Applejack turned to Apple Bloom, "And you! Why couldn't yah just listen to yer big sister?"

"Ah... Ah..." Apple Bloom tried to explain, but couldn't find the right words.

"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have just put on you?" Applejack scolded.

Realization hit me. I looked at the patch we were standing in and quickly jumped out. It might be a bit too late, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

"Just like in my song!" Pinkie Pie pointed out, then started dancing and singing her song again.

"There's no such thing as curses!" Twilight interjected, matter-of-fact.

"Well, that's interesting to hear coming from 'Miss Magic Pants' herself." Rainbow Dash pointed out, lightly tapping Twilight's horn.

"My magic, real magic, comes from within. It's a skill you're born with." Twilight explained with pride, "Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations; all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power, they're just an old pony tale."

But nopony was listening and making their way out of the forest.

"Just yah wait, Twilight. Yer gonna learn that some pony tales really are true." Applejack told Twilight.

*The Next Morning...*
Twilight Sparkle's POV.
"Ugh... what a dream... Curses, schmurses." I woke up with a groan, from my nightmare about what has transpired yesterday. I got out of bed and made my way to my bedroom mirror. My mane was in a bit of a mess, "Whoa! Maybe Zecora cursed my hair."

I chuckled, picked up my hairbrush and brushed my bangs neatly. Once they were nice and neat, I noticed in the mirror something was wrong. I looked at my forehead and gasped, "Or she cursed my horn!"

My horn had blue spots all over it and was limp over my forehead. That's not good!

Then I remembered something. Ellie was very close to Zecora before any of this happened! What if she got infected too?! Only one way to find out.

I dashed out of my bedroom and made my way to Ellie's room. She was still asleep. I quietly leaned and gently poked her shoulder, "Ellie?"

Ellie woke up with a sharp gasped and wide open eyes. Her bangs were hanging over her face, so I couldn't see her face. And her room was dark.

She calmed down and rubbed her eyes, "Twilight? What's wrong?

"Have you noticed anything off, lately?" I asked.

Ellie squinted her eyes at me, then she reached over for her glasses. She put her glasses over her eyes, blinked, then looked at me again.

She looked at my horn and looked like she was about to burst into laughter. But she took a breath and asked, "What happened to your horn?"

"I don't know. I think Zecora might have done something to it." I answered in a slight panic.

Ellie gave me a deadpan look, "Or it could've been something else."

I looked at her, "We better call everyone who was around Zecora, just in case."

Ellie smiled and nodded. She was about to get out of bed, until she lost her footing and fell on the floor.

"Ow..." She muttered in a deadpan tone, rubbing her head, then asked, "What was that all about?"

Ellie removed her blanket and lifted the bangs from her face. I switched on her bedroom light. To our surprise, her lower body was that of a pony. Her lower torso and legs were covered in a ravenette color with charcoal grey socks and underbelly. Full black cloven hooves. Her tail was dragon-like with obsidian scales and a pastel green tuff of fur on the end. The pastel green fur traveled up her spine, fading just to her mid-back.

"Holy Luna!" Ellie gasped.

"D-D-Don't worry, Ellie. We'll fix this." I assured, "I'll call everypony and see-"

Ellie cut me off with laughter. She wasn't in pain or anything. She was laughing in humor.

"This is hilarious! I'm a Satyr." She was able to speak between laughs.

"This isn't funny, Ellie! Focus!" I shouted, getting her out of her laughing fit.

*A Few Minutes Later...*
Eleanor's POV.
With that, Twilight dashed into the library and started looking through her books, "No no no no no! None of these books have a cure!" She sighed and looked at her horn, "There has to be a real reason for this! An illness? An allergy?!"

"A joke?" I shrugged.

"A curse!" Spike spoke up, looking over a book.

"I said a real reason." Twilight told Spike, "Something that points to something real."

"How about this one?" He asked, showing her a dark green book with a plant symbol.

"'Supernaturals'." I read, then smiled, "That's not a bad idea, Spike."

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, "The word 'supernatural' refers to things like ghosts, and spirits, and zombies, which are as make-believe as curses." She pushed the book back, "This book is just a bunch of hooey!"

I gave the lavender Unicorn a deadpan look, "Twilight Bellatrix Sparkle, you're doing it again."

"Doing what again?" Twilight looked at me with a raised brow.

"Reading the cover and not reading the book." I answered, folding my arms.

"What if you're wrong, Twilight?" Spike spoke up, "What if this really is a-"

"Ah pfurse!" Pinkie shouted, as she arrived to the library.

Pinkie's tongue was very swollen to the point that it hung out of her mouth, and was covered in blue spots, like Twilight's horn. I covered my mouth to supress a laugh at the irony.

"A purse? How could it be a purse?" Spike asked in confusion.

"She said 'curse', Spike." I translated, regaining my composure.

Twilight turned to the forced mute, "Pinkie? What happened?"

"Pee pah Pthepopa!" Pinkie tried to answer, but ended up spitting all over Spike, "Pe put a curpe on pe!"

"Hey, say it, don't spray it, Pinkie!" Spike told her, wiping the spit from his arms and face.

Suddenly, we heard a loud thud from the window. We turned to see Rainbow Dash trying to enter the library, but seemed to have lost control of her flying.

"Ow!*THUD*Oh! She's*THUD*trying to say-ow!- Zecora*THUD*-oh!-" Rainbow Dash tried to explain, making her way to the door, "She slapped us all with a-"

She charged through the door and charged through the library, crashing into the bookshelf across from us, "Ow- A Curse!"

Once the dust cleared, we saw Rainbow's wings have been altered as well. Her wings were up-side down. No wonder her flying was all over the place.

"I'm afraid I have to agree." Rarity spoke up, as she entered the library.

Even she was infected. Her fur, mane and tail were overgrown, tangled and matted up. She looked like a shaggy dog in desperate need for a grooming. Twilight and Spike gasped, but I tried to keep my laughter under wraps.

"Ah hate to say 'Ah told ya so', Twilight, but Ah told ya so!" A tiny, but familiar voice shouted from the doorway.

We turned to see Apple Bloom enter the library. Sitting on her shoulder was Applejack. Applejack has shrunk to the size of your index finger.

"It's a curse, Ah tells ya!" Applejack shouted.

Then Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who arrived with Rarity, "But Fluttershy... Seems just fine!"

Rarity nodded, "Yes, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her." Then looked at me, "Or Ellie for that matter."

I folded my arms with a glare, "I'm wearing a dress for a reason, Rarity."

I lifted the skirt of the dress, Twilight gave me to hide my legs in, and showed Rarity what this 'curse' did to me. Rarity gasped and fainted from just a glance at my direction.

"Zecora's curse turned Ellie into a satyr." Twilight answered, earning another glare from me.

I turned to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy? Are you okay?"

Fluttershy looked away and refused to speak.

"Is there something wrong with you?" I asked.

Fluttershy nodded her head.

"Would you care to tell us?" Twilight asked. But Fluttershy shook her head, "So... you're not going to tell us?" Fluttershy nodded, "Yes you're not, or yes you will?"

Fluttershy shook her head again. Applejack's patience ran thin. She leaped off Apple Bloom's shoulder, ran across the centerpiece table and shouted at the shy Pegaus, "Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with ya?!"

Fluttershy shook her head with a sulk and finally spoke, "I don't want to talk about it."

The girls and I gasped. Fluttershy's voice has changed from a sweet, soft-spoken female to the deep male voice of a jazz singer. Oh boy...

Finally, Spike burst into laughter, "This is hilarious! Look at all of you!" Then he gestured to each of us, "We got: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, EleaSatyr, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and..." He turned to Twilight and drew a blank, "Uh... I got nothin'..." He looked at me, "Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that."

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

Twilight gave us a sarcastic laugh, then glared at us, "This is no joke, you two." Then told us, "Now start looking for more books so I can find a cure!"

Spike try hard not to laugh at Twilight's horn, as it flapped around her forehead.

"Come on, Twilight. What if this is a joke?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"You're not helping, Eleanor." Twilight glared at me.

Spike sighed and returned to looking though the books.

Rainbow Dash got herself free from the ladder she was tangled in and spoke up, "I think we'll find a cure to this curse at Zecora's place!"

"This isn't a curse!" I shouted at Dash, as she flew into another bookshelf.

Applejack nodded in agreement, "I agree with Dash! We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex!

I shook my head and shouted, "This isn't a hex either!"

Then the girls started arguing amongst each other, completely ignoring me. I growled in frustration, kicked a book across the room and leaned against a bookshelf.

Then I heard Apple Bloom mutter to herself with a sulk, "This is all mah fault. If Ah hadn't followed Zecora in the first place, none of this woulda happened." Then she started marching to the door, "Ah just gotta fix this."

I stood up and followed after the young filly, "I'll come with you, you'll need my help."

Apple Bloom looked at me, then smiled and took hold of my hand. We quietly exit the library and made our way into the Everfree Forest, to find Zecora. Walking with hooves wasn't easy. Luckily Apple Bloom was helping me out.

We reached into the entrance of the forest, until we heard a familiar voice shout, "Stop right there!"

"Applejack?" I recognised.

In a second, Applejack popped out of Apple Bloom's mane, just from the bow, and shouted, "Turn around right now, missy!"

Apple Bloom smirked and answered, "No."

"No?!" Applejack repeated, then shouted her sister, "Ya can't ignore a direct order from yer big sister!"

Apple Bloom flipped Applejack out of her mane and caught her before she hit the ground.

She put her sister on a branch above a bush of thorns and giggled, "Hehehe. Sorry Applejack, but Ah'm the big sister now."

"Sometimes, you guys really have to listen." I told Applejack, gently poking her nose.

With that, Apple Bloom and continued into the forest.

Applejack shouted after us, "Apple Bloom, ya come back here right this instant! AH'M GONNA TELL BIG MACINTOSH ON YA!"

Given time, Apple Bloom and I made it to Zecora's hut. Zecora's home was a hollowed out tree, like the Golden Oak Library and was decorated like the home of a herbalist from a foreign land.

We walked to the door. Apple Bloom was hesitant to knock, so I knocked instead. The door opened to reveal Zecora on the other side. Without her cloak, Zecora was a beautiful Zebran. She wore a skin-tight, light brown tank-top that reveals her midriff, with golden hemming in a pattern resembling a low neckline and around the edges. Matching shorts under a darker brown, short, sarong-like cloth fastened with a golden ring with the end of the cloth hanging to her front.

"Hello, Zecora. My name is Eleanor, and this is my friend, Apple Bloom. May we come in?" I greeted with a kind smile.

Zecora smiled at me and stepped aside, "Please, by all means." Apple Bloom and I entered the hut. Zecora closed the door and asked, "For a filly and human who I hardly see, why have you come to visit me?"

Apple Bloom tilted her head in slight confusion, so I decided to answer, "You see, Zecora. We believe you might be able to help us." I lifted my dress to my knees, to show her what has happened, "You warned my friends and I about the blue plant we were standing on, but the effects happened over night."

Zecora gave me a small laugh, "So my understanding is not to invoke, you remember the effects of the Poison Joke."

"Poison Joke?" Apple Bloom repeated in confusion.

Zecora nodded, "Very much like poison oak, but the results are like a joke."

"That's why I'm a Satyr, and Applejack is tiny." I simplified.

Apple Bloom nodded in understanding and asked, "So, do yah think yah can help us?"

Zecora nodded in agreement, "Help you I surely will, however I am missing some herbs from Ponyville."

"What for?" Apple Bloom asked.

Zecora grabbed a familiar green book and showed it to us, "This book holds the cure for the joke, all you need is nice soak."

"A herbal bath." I simplified, Zecora nodding in agreement.

Apple Bloom smiled, "Oh, Ah can get the flowers ya need. Just write me a list and Ah'll get them."

Zecora smiled at Apple Bloom and wrote a list of the herbs she needs. Apple Bloom marched out of the hut and made her way safely to Ponyville. At the meantime, Zecora and I got started on making the herbal brew in a cauldron large enough for a Pony to sit in.

I stayed in the hut, keeping an eye and stirring the brew, while Zecora got the herbs from the forest, and put them into the pot.

Once the last herb was introduced into the brew, Zecora started chanting in her native tongue. It sounded like a nursery rhyme.

"I think the brew is almost ready, Zecora." I informed the Zebran.

Zecora looked over the brew of boiling green water. She grabbed a spoonful and tasted it. She smiled in delight, "The perfect temperature for Ponies, I presume." Then wondered, "Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?"

"I'm pretty sure she's on her way back." I assured.

Then I heard a familiar voice gasp in horror, "Or... What if she's put Ellie in one of her trances and making Apple Bloom soup?!"

Then there was screaming, then a familiar tiny voice shouted, "I'm comin' for ya, Apple Bloom!"

The door flew open to reveal Applejack riding Rainbow Dash, flying up-side down, into the hut.

"What the-?!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Zecora exclaimed in her native tongue, as Rainbow Dash flew all over the place.

"Whoa there. Easy, Rainbow Crash." Applejack shouted, as Rainbow Dash crashed everywhere, trashing Zecora's hut.

"Rainbow Dash, stop flying around!" I shouted, as Zecora exclaimed in her native tongue again.

Rainbow Dash didn't hear me and continued to fly around.

"Malaleh!!! Malaleh!!/Rainbow Dash! Stop!!" Zecora and I shouted at Rainbow Dash.

Then Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity charged in.

"What have you done with Apple Bloom?" Twilight asked in a demanding tone.

"No! No! Malaleh!" Zecora shouted, her attention on Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

Applejack used her lasso to leap over to Zecora's head and started wrestling with her ear. Rainbow Dash continued to fly out of control.

Then she saw the other four, "Ponies! What is this you..."

Then Rainbow made the biggest mistake. She flew across the cauldron of brew and knocked it over, spilling the brew over the floor.

"No!" Zecora exclaimed in dismay, "You know not what you do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!"

"We're onto you Zecora." Twilight told the Zebran, "I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming!"

"You made me look ridiculous." Rarity pointed out.

"You made me sound ridiculous!" Fluttershy added.

Pinkie tried to speak, but it came out as spits. Luckily I was able to understand. She said, "You made me speak ridiculous!"

Then Twilight finished, "You ruined my horn!"

"How dare you!" Zecora frowned, "You destroy my home, destroy my work. Then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?"

"You put this curse on us, now you're gonna un-curse us." Rainbow Dash shouted, as she landed and joined her friends.

I stepped in between Zecora and Twilight, facing Twilight, "This isn't wise, Twilight Sparkle. You, of all Ponies, should know not accuse until questioned." I balled my hands into fists, "When will you learn to take my word on faith?"

"My fight isn't with you, Ellie." Twilight told me, "My fight is with the one who has you under her spell."

"Will you just listen to me, for once in your life!!" I shouted.

Then Apple Bloom arrived, "Zecora! Ah think Ah found all the things ya asked for." She entered the doorway and saw the mess, "What in Ponyville is goin' on here?"

Applejack saw Apple Bloom and gasped in relief, "Apple Bloom! You're okay!"

"Why wouldn't Ah be?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Because Zecora is an evil enchantress, who cursed us, and was gonna cook you up into soup!" Twilight explained, standing in front of the young filly in a protective manner.

Zecora and Apple Bloom started laughing at Twilight's accusation.

"Oh Twilight. Did those silly fillies finally get in yer head?" Apple Bloom asked, "You know there's no such thing as a curse."

"Apple Bloom, sweetie." Twilight smiled sweetly at the filly, "You can't just stand there and tell me this isn't a curse."

Apple Bloom smiled and walked over to me and Zecora, "This isn't a curse."

"If you will remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact." Zecora explained.

"Beware, beware you pony folk. Those leaves of blue are not a joke." I repeated, then explained, "Zecora was warning us. About the blue plant we were standing in. It's called Poison Joke."

"That plant is much like poison oak. But its results are like a joke." Zecora finished explaining.

Applejack let go of Zecora's ear and asked, "What in the hay does that mean?"

"It means this plant does not breed wrath. Instead this plant just wants a laugh." Zecora answered.

Applejack raised a brow, then asked, "Will somepony please talk normal?"

"Zecora means that when we ran into the Poison Joke, the pollen attached onto us and turned what we most took pride in into a little prank." I translated, glancing at Twilight, "These aren't curses. Just jokes."

"LITTLE JOKES?!" Applejack exclaimed, then muttered, "Very funny."

"But, last time I checked, you have no pride, Ellie." Twilight pointed out, "Why did it turn you into a Satyr?"

I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, "Your guess is as good as mine, Twi."

"Ok, fine." Rainbow nodded, then asked, "But what about the cauldron?"

"And the chanting?" Fluttershy added.

"And the creepy decor?" Rarity included.

"Treasures of the native land where I am from." Zecora explained, gesturing to her fallen masks, "This one speaks 'hello', and this 'welcome'."

"Not welcoming at all, if you ask me." Rarity noted.

"The words I chanted were from olden times. Something you call a nursery rhyme." Zecora explained about her chanting.

"The language she was chanting is Zulu." I explained, "A foreign language in my world, but the native tongue to Zebrans."

"But the cauldron... The Apple Bloom soup?" Twilight asked.

"Lookie here Twilight. That pot of water wasn't for me, it was for all these herbal ingredients." Apple Bloom explained, pointing to the Supernaturals book, "The cure for Poison Joke is a simple old-natural remedy. Ya just gotta take a bubble bath!"

Twilight looked over the book, "But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything. What book has this natural remedy?"

Zecora closed the book to reveal the cover, "Here is the book you see. Sad that you lack it in your library."

"Actually, I do have this book, but I didn't look inside because the title was so... Weird." Twilight explained, sheepishly. Then she read the title, "'Supernaturals: Natural remedies and cure-alls that are simply super'."

I folded my arms and smiled at the bookworm, "I told you, you were doing it again, Twilight."

Twilight gave Zecora an apologetic sulk, "I...I... I'm so sorry Zecora. I had the answer the whole time, if only I had bothered to look inside."

Zecora chuckled with a warm smile, "Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book."

Apple Bloom and I chuckled at the irony.

"Zecora? Would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?" Twilight politely asked Zecora.

Zecora nodded, "Mix it up I certainly will. Yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville."

"But whenever Zecora comes to town, all the shops are mysteriously closed." Apple Bloom explained.

Twilight lightly smiled, "Oh, well... I think we can help you with that."

*A Little Later, In Ponyville...*
With Zecora and Apple Bloom, the girls and I made it to Ponyville. As expected, upon sight of us and Zecora, the Ponies of Ponyville ran into their houses and locked the doors tight.

Twilight walked over to the flower shop and knocked on the door, "Daisy, we need to talk."

*Later, In the Day Spa...*
Twilight Sparkle's POV.

'Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your 'cover' is; It's the 'contents' of a Pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.'

My friends and I were quickly cured from the Poison joke, thanks to the herbal bath that Zecora brewed up. Thanks to a small explanation, the Ponies of Ponyville were able to accept Zecora as a friend and a member of their community, instead of shunning her like the enchantress they thought she was.

"Miss Zecora." Lotus Blossom spoke to Zecora in a strong accent, "I would love to get the recipe for this bath. It's simply luxurious!"

Zecora was about to speak, but Apple Bloom noticed something, "Applejack! Hey, where's Applejack?!"

The girls and I gasped in panic and started looking in the tub, until a familiar voice shouted from underneath us, "Ah'm right here, little sis."

The girls and I looked and saw Applejack, back in her original size, sitting in a small bucket of water, "Ah ain't tiny no more!"

Everyone sighed in relief and relaxed. Rarity smiled, "I have never felt so lovely in all my life!"

Then Pinkie Pie rose from the water and gasped, "Oh my gosh! I never realized how horrible it is not to be able to talk. I mean I love talking so much and when I couldn't talk 'cause my tongue was all 'ehhhh'. It was the worst!" Then she turned to Fluttershy, "Don't you agree, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded, "Yes." Even her voice was back to normal.

My friends and I shared a laugh. It's good to see things back to normal.