Blue's Magic Potion

“He’s just so weird!”

“Did you hear where he came from? They’re saying he just walked out of the forest one day, like that's totally normal!”

“That’s not even the worst part! I heard he goes around collecting pieces of rope, and then he-”

“What are you girls talking about?” asked Twilight, startling the ring of friends huddled in a corner.

“Shh! Keep your voice down, Twi! He'll hear you!” whispered Pinkie, motioning her closer.

“Who might hear me?”

“That weird unicorn over there! He just showed up in town a few days ago from the Everfree Forest, and he’s been creeping around town ever since!” replied Rainbow Dash, pointing to the stallion in question. He seemed to be hanging around Sugar Cube Corner. Hanging around suspiciously, one might say.

“Really? Has he… done anything yet?” asked Twilight skeptically. This whole situation seemed a bit too familiar.

“Well, not yet,” said Applejack. “But I reckon that anything, or anypony, that comes outta the Everfree should be treated with a healthy dose of suspicion.”

“Really. And Zecora?”

“Well shoot, Zecora was a happy exception. You can’t be too careful when it comes to the Everfree.”

“Do you girls hear the way you’re talking about that poor stallion?” She pulled over a nearby soapbox and proudly stood atop it, puffing her chest out. “You shouldn’t judge ponies by their appearances, that’s just wrong! Where would we be if we’d treated Zecora like that, huh?”

“Well, technically we did treat Zecora the same way when we first saw her,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Hush Rainbow, I’m giving a friendship speech.” Twilight cleared her throat and continued. “We’d be down one friend, that’s where we’d be! And you know what they say. When you’re down a friend, you’re down, um… A friend for life!”

“I’m not sure that’s how it works, sugarcube.”

“My point is, what if he turns out to be really cool! Like, you know, he can help out the town and, you know. Stuff like that. You know, like Zecora?”

“Um, excuse me, but don’t we already have Zecora?” whispered Fluttershy. “I um, I don’t really want to have a new Zecora. I kind of like the one we already have.”

“He wouldn’t be exactly like Zecora! Look, my point is if somepony just went up and introduced themselves, they’d probably find he’s just your normal, average pony. So somepony go up and talk to him.”

The group stood silent for a minute. The distant sound of a cricket band performing their newest hit single, The Chirps, could be heard. It mostly just sounded like chirping.

“All right Pinkie, you’re up. Go talk to him.”

“What? Why me?”

“Well, you usually introduce ponies to the town, right? So go do, you know, your introduction.” She waved her hoof in the general direction of the strange pony.

“I dunno, I-”

“Good luck, Pinkie!” said Twilight, pushing her towards the strange pony. “Just remember, he’s a pony just like you!”

Pinkie gulped, then put on her best enthusiastic face. This wouldn’t be so bad, right? He was just a normal, not-weird pony from the Everfree Forest.

She walked up to him nervously. “Hiya! I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?”

“The name’s Blue,” said the odd stallion. His eyes darted to her flank before flicking back up to almost meet her eyes. “You know, there’s not many pretty mares like you where I’m from. You seem real pretty. I think you look very nice.”

“Um, thanks, I think?” She uncomfortably shuffled her hooves and glanced back to her friends. “So, Mr. Blue, what brings you to Ponyville? Any reason you were, you know, in the most dangerous place in Equestria?”

Blue cleared his throat.

“Ah, you see, I am somewhat of a connoisseur of rare potions. I like to mix and create my own new concoctions, and as such I tend to travel the world for ingredients that are, shall we say, a bit hard to come by. Perhaps you know me from my work in reverse engineering changeling goo?”

Pinkie’s face brightened a bit, and her mane regained some of its natural bounce.

“Nope! But I know who can help you! There’s a zebra named Zecora that lives in the middle of the Everfree that knows all about potions and brews. I’ll bet you could learn a whole lot by talking to her!”

“Ah, thank you. And where might I find this Zecora?”

“Well, just follow the path through the Everfree. You can’t miss it, since everything off the path is covered in big scary plants.”

“Ah, thank you. You’ve been most helpful, Ms. Pie. I believe I can find my way from here.”

“Yup yup! Always happy to help!”

The stallion wandered off toward the forest, and Pinkie returned to her circle of friends.

“Well, what was he like?” asked Twilight anxiously.

“Honestly, he seemed like a decent pony. Kinda weird, but a Zecora kind of weird, where it probably won’t be weird once we get to know him. Either way, I’m throwing him a party!”

“Well, I reckon the best we can do is give him a good old Ponyville welcome! Shucks, maybe he’ll even teach us a thing or two.”