Everfree Forest Notions about Potions (Ended)

[Lux]

As the sun dawned over the Everfree Forest, shining through the open spaces in the canopy and illuminating areas below, Zecora was already wide awake and examining a series of wooden shelves where she kept various contaoners and bottles filled with all manner of ingredients for making her potions. As she hummed a tune from her homeland of Unyasi while making sure everything was in her place, she reflected on her stay in the forest.

"An evil enchantress with their eyes they at first did see, but not I am accepted just like any other pony. Time does seem to fly, faster than the blink of an eye."

With a chuckle she walked to her door and opened it, welcoming in anypony that wished to pay her a visit. There were always those seeking her healing talents for every manner of maladies from the magical to the mundane. Of course there were always those inquiring minds seeking to learn more about the subtle art of potion making and those willing to just say hello. Zecora was always willing to share her talents, knowledge and opportunity of meeting new ponies.

"A welcome to you life-giving day! I wonder what ponies new and old might come my way?"

Welcome to Zecora's thread. Feel free to bring your pony to her for any cures, to learn about potion making or just to say hello. I hope to make this her main ongoing thread.

[Pretzelparty]

"This... might not've been my best idea...", thought the cream colored unicorn. "Maybe I should've asked Applejack ta lead me to 'er house."

As ill advised as it was, Presteza had decided to venture in to and try and locate Zecora's house on her own. She'd stuck to the path as she was advised to but she'd heard some of the creepier rumors about the forest and what it could be like after dark. She had to admit some of the tales she'd heard about this place were downright terrifying but there was somepony in this place that this brave (or foolish) pony had to meet.

Presteza had never met a zebra before. She'd read many times about them back at the manor but she'd read about them many times back her family's manor in Trottingham and they and their homeland of Unyasi sounded incredibly Fascinating! She was already planning a trip there later this month and she figured it might be nice to get to know a bit about the Zebra's culture and customs and whatnot from an actual zebra rather than the printed page. So far though it seemed she was actually a lot closer to the zebra she was seeking as soon she heard a rhyming voice.

"A welcome to you life-giving day! I wonder what ponies new and old might come my way?"

Galloping towards the source of the voice she soon reached what appeared to be a hollowed out tree that had been made into a house, the door was open and just the zebra she was looking for was standing in the doorway. Raising her hoof like and excited schoolfilly she waved to Zecora and spoke up,"Looks like this one is the first new one!"

[Lux]

She had barely greeted the day when she heard the galloping of hooves approaching. From the sound, it was most likely a younger pony. She liked meeting fillies and colts as they seemed to be full of energy and their curious minds always active. This was not to say ponies her age were different, but they were often already shaped to the world around them and difficult to change their ways.

She smiled as she saw a yellow unicorn approach, one who just entered into marehood, wasting no time meeting the zebra.

Hello there my dear pony. My name is Zecora, and what may your name be?"

[Pretzelparty]

Hello there my dear pony. My name is Zecora, and what may your name be?"

Now that was an interesting form of greeting! Pausing a moment to think she replied with an equally poetic statement,"It's a pleasure ta meet ya, Zecora Ma'am. I'm Presteza, a painter from Trottingham! I've come to your hut in the hope of learning more about a land, for a which a trip to I've been yearning." Approaching the zebra to introduce herself further she found herself staring for a moment at some of the jewelry zecora wore, it was a very intriguing look and style!

"Those accessories you wear on yer body... Might they be from the land of Unyasi?" she asked curiously before quickly adding an extra statement, only now her little tribute to Zecora's way of speaking could be misconstrued as condescending. "Um by the way, I don't mean ta be disrespectful at all with this. I just thought the way ya rhyme while speaking sounded fun."

[Lux]

"Well Presteza, it is nice to meet you. Trottingham is a place I have not yet been to. So you can see, that the same thing happens to me with places that I do not see, just like you not visiting Unyasi."

The mare then commented on the golden rings that were a trademark for the Zebra, several of which were around her one leg while others were around her neck. There were also the two hooped earrings that Zecora wore in her ears, matching the other golden jewelry.

"Well my dear pony, these golden rings you see are something very meaningful to me. Each one was given as a gift actually, one ring given from each of my friends and family. That way where ever I go or how I may be, I will remember them and my home in Unyasi. But judging by the look on your face, you seem to know a little about my home place. Have you learned much about my home, and is it a place that one day you wish to roam? Oh and you do not need to be rhyming out, as this isn't something to worry about. Still, if you wish to try it then I won't hold a grudge, then who am I to a pony's actions to judge?"

[Pretzelparty]

"Well Presteza, it is nice to meet you. Trottingham is a place I have not yet been to. So you can see, that the same thing happens to me with places that I do not see, just like you not visiting Unyasi. Well my dear pony, these golden rings you see are something very meaningful to me. Each one was given as a gift actually, one ring given from each of my friends and family. That way where ever I go or how I may be, I will remember them and my home in Unyasi. But judging by the look on your face, you seem to know a little about my home place. Have you learned much about my home, and is it a place that one day you wish to roam? Oh and you do not need to be rhyming out, as this isn't something to worry about. Still, if you wish to try it then I won't hold a grudge, then who am I to a pony's actions to judge?"

The mare smiled as she heard that Zecora's rings actually held an emotional significance as well as cultural. Undoing her scarf a bit she showed it to the zebra before her,"I can un'erstand that. This scarf o' mine is a gift from my big brother. 'e gave it ta me before 'e left me on my own ta start travelin'" She then wrapped her scarf around her neck once more and circled Zecora a few times, a bit unaware if she was making her new zebra friend uncomfortable as she admired her first time meeting another species, "By the way yer stripes look so cool!"

"Anyway, yea I've been studyin' all kindsa stuff since i was a filly until I left home ta practice my artwork and explore. I'm an artist, ya see?" she asked gesturing to the mark on her backside. upon the cream colored mare's flank was a paintbrush with a magical strand surrounding it.

[Lux]

Zecora nodded as the unicorn mentioned the scarf she wore having a familial tie just as her rings did.

"I can see why this scarf was chosen by your brother. It will firever remind you of keeping close to each other. It is just like what these rings remind me, or family and history."

The zebra noticed that the mare walked around her, looking her over like a statue in some museum. though it may have been a strange thing, Zecora didn't mind. After all there were few ponies who had a chance to visit Unyasi let alone see a zebra. As humble as she wanted to be Zecora was a walking source of wonder and even sometimes fear unfortunately.

"Yes, my stripes do look quite exotic don't they? But like you were born a unicorn, I was born this way. There are some that say that a zebra's stripes from one to another are similar you see, but actually they are as different as each zebra's personality."

Presteza then explained her interest in things and her talent, showing her cutie mark as proof. It was interesting for the Zebra seeing ponies often showing their mark as if to prove that their claims of their talent were genuine. She wondered how trusting ponies were to each other to have to prove something as important as one's life talent.

"I see your cutie mark speaks true, an artist is what you are and do. But here is another lesson about zebras for you, we have a cuite mark of sorts too."

With that the zebra turned, showing amidst the dull white and black stripes a black spiral surrounded by triangular points, appearing like a sun.

[StaticPinks]

"Now, now Fable, no need to panic, I'll find the edge of this place soon...hopefully. Ugh, what I would give to be Prof. Hoof Print right now..."

Fable Weaver muttered to himself as he tumbled his way through the Everfree Forest, unsure about anything right now. All he knew was that he stumbled upon someplace he probably shouldn't be right now, especially if it was a forest that he had no knowledge of whatsoever, and now he was wandering aimlessly to try to find some sort of exit. He had no idea that this place was considered dangerous to the many citizens of Ponyville, or that predators lurked behind every tree, as he was simply visiting the town for the week to enjoy the serenity of the area. During his time in the town, he went for a walk down near the local forest and was very curious for what might be waiting inside. As he was born in Manehatten, the only time he ever saw groups of trees together in a large area was in pictures or at one of the parks. He never imagined seeing a forest of this size. Fascination overcame him, and foolish reasoning led him to believe that he was perfectly safe and only wanted to explore for a few minutes before heading back. What he didn't count on though, was the fact that the saying "curiosity killed the cat" indeed was a valid metaphor.

Fable Weaver was now hopelessly lost in a maze of identical trees, who knows for how long, and smacking himself for his stupidity. I mean, it's a forest he knew NOTHING about! Who knows what could be here? He had read of dangerous creatures such as manticores or cockatrices living in places like this. Hopefully he was lucky not run into any of them.

What he was lucky to run into, however, was a clearing in the endless maze, an oasis in a desert. He fought through the last bit of foliage to come across his hope for survival, an actual building! Here, of all places! Fable took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. He then slapped himself a couple of times for extra measure before concluding that this was, in fact, a real building. And with a building, there has to be ponies inside that could help him!

Fable Weaver half ran, half sprinted, nearly laughing crazily in his luck along the way, to the door of the odd structure, momentarily taking note of the weird aesthetics, before pounding his hoof on the door like a madpony, forgetting all about who he was, his stoic, quiet nature and calm, logical take to problems in life were thrown out the metaphorical window.

"Please! Is anypony in there?! I've been out here for who knows how long, starving to death! I don't even know where I am and I... I-I think I'm going crazy... and I just want to go h-h-hoooome," Fable Weaver half yelled, half sobbed, before crumpling to the ground on his side and started whimpering and crying, losing the last of his composure and throwing his stallionhood out the same metaphorical window. What a baby.

[Lux]

As Zecora waited upon Presteza, the peace between the two ponies became jolted with the pounding at the door. Zecora knew that whoever was there, they sounded very urgent. Perhaps it was a pony who was sick or hurt, or perhaps they got lost. Whatever the reason, Zecora knew she had to help.

"Let me attend to whoever is at the door," Zecora said to the unicorn with a reassuring smile, "Then we will be able to speak some more."

She opened the door, hearing the sobbing voice what sounded like a young stallion in distress. Opening the door, her hunch was confirmed seeing a brown Pegasus lying on the doorstep, crying uncontrollably!

"There is no need you to be sad young pony," she said calmly, "My home is a haven of great safety. Can you stand on your own, or do you have some injury like to a muscle or bone?"

[Pretzelparty]

"I can see why this scarf was chosen by your brother. It will forever remind you of keeping close to each other. It is just like what these rings remind me, or family and history."

"I see your cutie mark speaks true, an artist is what you are and do. But here is another lesson about zebras for you, we have a cutie mark of sorts too."

The freckled pony giggled warmly at Zecora's first statement, "'e didn't just chose it, he made it 'imself!" there was no shortness of pride in the mare's statement. If there was anything she had some the greatest of sentiment for it was the blue scarf around her neck. Her brother's work with sewing was top notch to even the least civilized of eyes, he was nowhere near as talented as a certain mare in Ponyville but it was sure was a lovely accessory.

When Zecora turned around the mare blinked and then went wide eyed, getting up close and looking at the mark at every angle she could. That design, it was so... exotic! So unique! Most importantly to the mare observing...

"That mark is SO COOL!" she said in elation as she continued to get a multitude of angles of the incredible design on the zebra's flank. If anypony else were here this would be a very awkward situation out of context. Speaking of the possibility of another pony popping by there was the sound of a desperate voice from the door that made the freckled unicorn jump in surprise due to being so enamored with her new friend's mark.

"Please! Is anypony in there?! I've been out here for who knows how long, starving to death! I don't even know where I am and I... I-I think I'm going crazy... and I just want to go h-h-hoooome,"

"Let me attend to whoever is at the door," Zecora said to the unicorn with a reassuring smile, "Then we will be able to speak some more."

"No problem! I'll come with ya, whoever that is sound pretty rattled." Once Zecora opened up the door she saw that the voice belonged to a pony who looked to be around her own age. Unlike Presteza however he'd been reduced to a whimpering, crying mess due to being lost in the forest and incredibly hungry. The mare sighed and walked up to the young stallion and gently patted his side so she could comfort him,"Like She said, Everythin's okay now, mate! Are ya hurt anywhere?"

[StaticPinks]

Fable Weaver continued to sob on the welcome mat in front of the strange house, composure still very much gone, until he heard the most beautiful sound he could possibly hear. The sound of a door opening in front of him and a voice resonating from the doorway of a house he had seriously thought was empty and abandoned.

"There is no need you to be sad young pony," "My home is a haven of great safety. Can you stand on your own, or do you have some injury like to a muscle or bone?"

Fable weakly got to his hooves with some effort, not registering the fact he had found solace in a place he thought was desolate. He looked up and saw a zebra at the door with a calm, almost motherly air about her and an orange coated unicorn following close behind. At least, that's what he thought he saw. Everything was kinda blurry to him for some reason. Fable rubbed his eyes and shook his head, only focused on getting help and maybe some food and not about what kind of trauma he might be under.

Fable then saw the orange shape in front move up to him and gave him a small pat before speaking.

"Like She said, Everythin's okay now, mate! Are ya hurt anywhere?"

"U-Uh, yeah I think I'm alright. A little bit scratched up and malnourished, but I'll live...T-thanks for opening, I thought this place was abandoned, but I had to try s-something."

Fable was starting to get his bearings straight and started think a little clearer now, angry at himself for ever acting the way he did. He felt the need to voice his apology for his outburst and manners. As he did, he still had the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something very important, but the hunger and his exhaustion were priority number one for him at the moment.

"Terribly sorry for my mood, but I was separated from the path and I don't know how long I spent trying to find the edge to this place...If I may, could I... come in and rest a bit? Or are you in the middle of something?"

[Lux]

Zecora smiled hearing that Pressy's brother made the scarf. The zebra knew how good it felt when ponies gave gifts, but when they were hoof made it added to the love that was put into such a gift. Before she could respond though the mare upon mentioning the unique mark that Zecora possessed moved in for a closer look. At first the zebra found it odd for a unicorn to be staring at her flank but she quickly realized that most ponies had marks that represented objects rather than symbolic designs.

"The mark is interesting for the eye to see, but its meaning is very important to me. While most say it is like a sun my mark they have seen it it actually a sigil that represents health and well-being. And this is a talent i hold true when I help make potions for ponies such as you."

Not forgetting the stallion as he reluctantly entered the hut, Zecora took a look at him. The pony appeared fine, not having any major injuries to speak of as he was able to stand and walk. There were a few scratches here and there, but this was to be expected in an untamed forest. The pony did look skinny like he didn't eat for a short period of time. Still why he was in the forest in the first place.

"No need for your to say you are sorry as it seemed you had a reason to worry. As for not knowing if a house was here, that is something I know all too well my dear. For ponies usually will not dare to even venture to my house here unless somepony takes them there. But yes I do think it is best if you do sit and have a rest. We were just getting to know each other, something you certainly will not be a bother. Zecora is my name but can I have yours if it is all the same?"

[Pretzelparty]

"U-Uh, yeah I think I'm alright. A little bit scratched up and malnourished, but I'll live...T-thanks for opening, I thought this place was abandoned, but I had to try s-something."

"Terribly sorry for my mood, but I was separated from the path and I don't know how long I spent trying to find the edge to this place...If I may, could I... come in and rest a bit? Or are you in the middle of something?"

The freckled painter smiled as she heard the strange stallion mention he needed some food, taking her hat from her head she hoofed the accessory to the weary looking stranger,"Here take a bite o' this, mate! Don' worry, it's edible and good fer ya!" The hat appeared to be made and smelled of straw it seemed.This was a helpful habit the young artist picked up when she was a filly studying with her art teacher, hats like this were perfect for emergencies due to how they were made. Straw was a source of food for ponies and having something that both protected you from the sun as well as provided a helpful snack for the future was only the best of both worlds in pressy's mind.

"No need for your to say you are sorry as it seemed you had a reason to worry. As for not knowing if a house was here, that is something I know all too well my dear. For ponies usually will not dare to even venture to my house here unless somepony takes them there. But yes I do think it is best if you do sit and have a rest. We were just getting to know each other, something you certainly will not be a bother. Zecora is my name but can I have yours if it is all the same?"

"Ya see, Zecora's a stand up mare! c'mon in ,mate!" ,she said in her usual perky tone as she gently nudged the stallion into Zecora's hut. This day was turning out to be truly exciting! Not only did Presteza get to meet a knowledgeable Zebra but somewhat eccentric(at least from the first impression) stallion. For now they needed to help out this poor guy!

[Zeig]

 

As soon as he got his hooves into Wicked, she was going to bucking bite.

 

The.

 

Dust.

 

Or anypony who happened to get in his way, really, Inkbrand wasn't feeling particularly picky at the moment.

 

What he was feeling, however, was bordering on panic, even if the somewhat rational side of his mind continued to probe him to calm down and relax. He knew the cause of this, he knew there was a fairly easy remedy, and he knew exactly who to talk to and (approximately) where she was located. It wasn't permanent, the rational side reasoned, it was a simple joke. Nothing to get wound up about. He just needed to find the zebra, kindly and politely request her aid, and then he would be well on his way.

 

Unfortunately, tuning into said rational side of his brain had never been one of Inkbrand's…strong points.

 

As it was, the grey Earth Pony was fairly pleased with his cool and collected self as he continued crashing through the underbrush, vaguely wondering if he should be making as much noise as he was in this dangerous forest. Oh, he should know its dangers - he'd traversed its depths once before, with a few other ponies, solely because of a dare one Nightmare Night. That night had quickly become one of the most horrifying nights of his life, but not because of the forest itself. Still, even with his short time in Ponyville, Inkbrand had heard just about every horror story there was to hear about the place, and really, even he wasn't stupid enough to go trotting through it for a nice afternoon stroll.

 

But, desperate times…

 

Maybe he should have stopped to see if anypony in the actual safety of Ponyville could have helped him - but honestly, after hearing that the zebra had apparently discovered, or pioneered, the remedy for this exact affliction, Inkbrand had made a beeline for the forest without slowing down, even for that smoking hot mare with her mane down up real sexy. He didn't even know how much the zebra charged and if he had that much on him, all he knew was that the zebra Zecora was rather mysterious and rather out there, and not somepony Inkbrand would have thought to chat up on a random day.

 

Buck, where had that stallion said to go? Just follow the path, right? Through the flowers, around the gnarled hedges, past a wonky looking tree that looked sort of like an alicorn screaming in terror - oh. There!

 

The hollow tree, decorated with a myriad of strange and downright creepy looking artifacts, stuck out like an apple on an orange tree - but the sight of the home looming through the foliage was just about the most beautiful sight Inkbrand had ever seen. The grey stallion ignored the stitch beginning to sting at his side, and ignored the sharp gasps of air that were beginning to break into his breathing pattern from the dead sprint he had started back in Ponyville. All he was focused on was that open door, and just inside -

 

Three ponies, one of them standing out like a sore thumb due to stripes and the fact that she wasn't actually a pony, drove any other thought away from Inkbrand's mind. He barely managed to blow past the other two and screech to a halt right in front of the zebra, gasping for breath, before he was finally able to string together a coherent sentence.

 

"You, zebra," he wheezed, gesturing wildly and unhelpfully between himself and the zebra with one hoof, "need, cure - gonna kill, Wicked." Inkbrand reared forward to place both hooves on the zebra's shoulders, a slightly wild look in his eyes. "You, it - FIX!"

 

 

[Lux]

As Zecora attended to the visibly shaken pony, her ears perked up hearing the sound of another pony approaching. She watched as an earth pony stallion came bounding straight towards the house. He was an odd looking pony clad in an array of brightly colored designs that ran down his legs and some interesting accessories that completed the look. Clearly this was a pony that she had not seen before as his appearance would have jogged some memory of hers. Then again he did look in a way familiar, but the zebra could not tell how. Before he could ask, the stallion literally got up close and personal with her and began spouting some broken urging to fix something.

"No need to be alarmed, whatever the sickness or the harm. I can help you it is true, but there is something you must first do. If you would please tell me your name and what you are feeling simple and plain."

[StaticPinks]

Fable was slowly starting to calm down, his beating heart and racing mind coming to a slow stop. His mind cleared a little as he focused on a white and black coloured pony, at least what Fable assumed, as his vision was still really off and assured himself that that was only a minor setback to nearly starving or tiring out in the maze of trees outside. She led him inside her house looking structure along with another pony with a funny accent and an orange-ish coat colour. On the invitation inside to building from the orange pony, Fable stumbled and felt around with his hooves to find the door again, mumbling something about "unattached eyeballs". After being led inside, his stomach and legs aching, he heard the monochrome pony speak in the most peculiar of ways.

"No need for your to say you are sorry as it seemed you had a reason to worry. As for not knowing if a house was here, that is something I know all too well my dear. For ponies usually will not dare to even venture to my house here unless somepony takes them there. But yes I do think it is best if you do sit and have a rest. We were just getting to know each other, something you certainly will not be a bother. Zecora is my name but can I have yours if it is all the same?"

She had a pretty interesting accent, along with a tendency to rhyme in every sentence she says. What kind of pony would normally do that, or choose that kind of lifestyle? Sure, Fable never liked to judge, at least not until recent times, but it sure was rare to...

Then it hit Fable like a giant swinging branch to the face. All the pieces fit together despite his temporary blindness, from the colouring to the speech conditions. This pony was a zebra, as crazy as it sounded to Fable at the time, courtesy of his impromptu trek in the woods. What a zebra was doing out here, Fable didn't have the slightest clue or care, only rest, food, and drifting thoughts were.

Fable was also relieved to find out he could stop by and rest, finding out the orange-ish blob of pony just got there earlier than Fable did. That was one priority down, now he just needed food and directions from the homeowner. Fable helped himself into the home with a nudge from the orange pony blob, and started feeling around for a comfortable spot. Fable grumbled to himself while doing this, when was his vision going to come back? He hoped after he settled down that he could see again. There was not much Fable could say about her abode, as it was all one mess of colour, and afraid he couldn't speak at all about it.

After giving up the search for anything resembling a chair or couch and plopping down in the middle of the floor, Fable spoke up to the striped blob.

"I thank you once again for your help, Miss Zecora, who knows where I would be if I hadn't stumbled upon your abode. My name is Fable Weaver, but you can just call me Fable if you wish. Pardon me if I may seem a bit out of it, the lack of sustenance and proper resting areas has somehow caused my eyes to be a little... abstract. I think they might have popped out of their sockets at some point, or something. Oh that wouldn't be good for my career... Could you please check my eyes to see if they're fine?

After speaking, the orange pony walked up to Fable once more and offered him what looked to be what she was wearing on her head moments ago. Fable was perplexed at this notion, what could he do with this?

"Here take a bite o' this, mate! Don' worry, it's edible and good fer ya!"

Fable couldn't help but chuckle at the mare's voice, sounding a lot like somepony he knew when he visited Appleoosa a few years back. She was nice-sounding though, bright and chipper, a friendly voice that could give a comfort in even the scariest places. Fable paused for a second, glancing up and down between the hat and the pony, deciding whether to trust her or not. He then snatched up the hat in his mouth, chewing it hungrily like it was his last meal. The thing was made of straw, and even though he didn't care much for it, he could have taken anything at that moment. Through mouthfuls of the hat, Fable thanked the mare.

"Oh my, I can't... thank you enough... orange blob pony with the... cute accent, I didn't know you wore hats made out of straw, but... I don't even know you at all! Oh Celestia, I'm soooo hungry...*gulp* *smack* *chew* Say, what is your name, straw pony blob?""

As Fable was chewing his straw while still a little out of it, another pony blob joined the party, this one of variation of colours ranging from blue to grey. He seemed to be in a rush to come here as well, maybe he got lost too and found this haven with Lady Luck looking down on him. Good for him, Fable thought. Good for him. He lazily watched as he bolted into the home and knocked himself through Fable and the straw hat pony to get to Zecora, screaming at her like Fable did not a few minutes ago. The action made Fable inhale the moderately sized piece of straw he was chewing, sending Fable into a choking fit! Fable bolted to his legs and started striking his chest with a hoof over and over, hoping the morsel of food would stop clogging with air tubes so he could breath properly again. It was just not Fable's day whatsoever, the poor guy!

[Lux]

Zecora smiled seeing that the once frightened pony now appeared calm enough to talk rationally. Still the zebra had to see how well he exactly was, through which she would do so by observation. She could do what she had done many times before by performing a thorough checkup with as much focus as a doctor would, but she resisted as the poor pony clearly went through much and met something frightening. First was getting him calmed down, then she could see what exactly was the matter.

"Well I'm happy to meet you Fable, please make yourself at home if you are able."

As the pony found a spot on the couch, Zecora took a glass and upon closing her eyes and waving her hoof over the opening it soon filled with water like an invisible tap had been opened. She then returned to his side in time to see Pressy offering her hat made of straw. It would have been an awkward thing seeing a pony eating another one's hat, but it was made of straw so this was acceptable.

"Thank you for you generous sacrifice. I hope your hat wasn't such a high price. While you are enjoying your meal there, I took the liberty to find some water."

Giving the water to him, Zecora was then asked a rather strange question about the colt's eyes. Even stranger was the fact that he addressed the unicorn as a blob, possibly what he saw instead of a pony. Zecora leaned in and looked at his eyes which were not out of his head like Fable thought but were puffy and bloodshot.

"Your eyes are red and puffy I see, like you ran into the branch of a tree. Or perhaps that the cause is something deep like you have been spending your days and nights without sleep. Tell me when was the last time you rested your head upon something soft like a bed?"

[Zeig]

 

What was she saying? It was like she was speaking another language!

 

Inkbrand was trying not to completely lose his rot as he wordlessly flailed his hooves at the zebra, who had since gone on to attend to the brown Pegasus he had nearly bowled over getting inside the creepy looking home. And creepy it was, now that Inkbrand slowed down just a hair to take a closer look. The strange looking masks and accessories decorating the place made him immediately think of horror stories of young ponies wandering into an abandoned hut and never coming back out. But the ponies he had briefly talked to before had deeply assured him that Zecora was anything but creepy, even if she did take some getting used to.

 

So all in all, it was a good thing Inkbrand was still out of his mind with anger and worry, not paying too much attention to anything other than getting himself cured. Even the spectacle of the cream colored unicorn offering her hat for the Pegasus to eat was enough to grab his attention as Inkbrand slowly made his way over to the couch next to the brown pony, plopping down with little ceremony.

 

"Poison Joke," the tattoo-clad stallion spat out as soon as there was a break in their conversation, forelegs crossed sourly over his chest. "Friend of mine thought it'd be hilarious to slip some under my sheets last night - nearly out the door before I noticed it." Inkbrand gestured towards his altered tattoos as if that would provide enough explanation - but all she needed to know was the cause of his ailment, right? And the cure for buck's sake. If he had trekked all the way out into the Everfree Forest for nothing but smokescreen and mirrors…

 

Somepony would pay. He didn't really care who, but somepony would.

 

With the initial panic starting to wear off, Inkbrand could pause and calm down a little, taking a few deep breaths. As bad as this way, at least he wasn't seeing strange visions and hallucinations like the brown Pegasus - Fable - apparently was. The grey stallion snorted a little, turning to flounce onto his back on the couch, effectively resting his head against one of Fable's legs and crossing his hind legs over one another on the seat. His forelegs were quick to follow, laying behind his head as he rested against Fable, glaring up towards the ceiling of the hut.

 

"If the cure is simple enough, I guess it's better than whatever this guy's got, huh doc?" Undoubtedly, Zecora was not the traditional sort of doctor, but it was clear that ponies came to her for physical aid. Maybe even mental aid. She certainly had something going on, outside of the pretty hot accent and exotic body.

 

[Lux]

Clearly this stallion was upset about something, flailing his hooves and staring at Zecora. The zebra could do many things but she was not a mind reader. On the outside the pony looked fine if not maybe a little strange looking. Still being a zebra in a town full of ponies could be seen as strange, so she wasn't one to judge. He appeared to walk fine, had not cuts or bruises, in general looked healthy. He was acting frantic about something which made the zebra see the need to delve further.

"Poison Joke," the tattoo-clad stallion spat out as soon as there was a break in their conversation, forelegs crossed sourly over his chest. "Friend of mine thought it'd be hilarious to slip some under my sheets last night - nearly out the door before I noticed it."

Zecora could only shake her head. This had to be the third... no more like fifth time the mare had to attend to a poison joke case to the point that the zebra now always kept a supply on hoof in her hut and even went as far as to carry a bottle or two with her while journeying through town. If only ponies stayed on the trail this issue would be resolved quicker. Maybe she needed to make a sign at the entrance to the Everfree Forest about the blue flowered plant or have a discussion about said flower in town with others. But what made Zecora especially upset was that somepony had the audacity to put these plants under where the hapless pony slept. If she found out who, this culprit would get an earful from her.

"It sounds like this one is not a good friend for you because if they were than this is something they would not do. But now that I know the problem true, then I can certainly help you."

With a short trot, Zecora reached a self all filled with various bottles containing various potions. rummaging through the shelves she found the area where there were now several bottles containing the same greenish liquid.

"This is the potion that soon will cure of your poison joke ill. If you add this potion to a bath, tit will work on your behalf. Then the plant's effects will go away and will have a normal day. You can either take a bath here, or you can take this potion home if you prefer."

[StaticPinks]

Fable was having a pretty hard time with his day so far, some of it sorted out through the mysterious zebra known as Zecora from the Everfree Forest. He was glad to have been given a temporary shelter and some food, but his eyesight was getting worse every second, his whereabouts were currently unknown and he didn't know his way back to Ponyville, and he might have some PTSD or mental degradation from the hours he spent wandering the enchanted forest. He was also quite parched as well, his yelling and screaming doing horrors on his throat.

Thankfully, the zebra had walked up to the traumatized pegasus and offered what looked like some sort of liquid to Fable. He really didn't know, or even cared at that point. He was thirsty, and his mind wasn't in the right state at the moment.

"Thank you, kind, fuzzy blob pony, I was rather parched, but I thank you wholeheartedly!"

Taking the offered bowl with a hoof, he tipped the bowl over his waiting mouth, eagerly awaiting a refreshing beverage to moisten up his dry, spent throat and... splashed the contents on his exposed snout. Fable jerked up violently and hacked at the sudden feeling of water spilling into his nostrils and all over the zebra's humble abode. Fable Weaver started to shake his head of water, and attempted to snort out any water trapped in his nose holes. This went on for a few moments before Fable calmed down and smiled sheepishly at the grey blob in front of his blurry vision.

"...I'll clean that up post-haste, fair homeowner, terribly sorry for the mess."

Zecora then walked over to Fable to address his concern about his vision. She peered into his eyes, noting what they looked like to her. Fable hoped nothing terrible happened to his wondrous eyeballs. He needed those in order to write his novels, something he cherished immensely! Who knows what he would have to do if they were damaged, or cracked open like a pair of eggs.

"Your eyes are red and puffy I see, like you ran into the branch of a tree. Or perhaps that the cause is something deep like you have been spending your days and nights without sleep. Tell me when was the last time you rested your head upon something soft like a bed?"

Fable let out a silent sigh of relief, glad his eyes were still intact. Although, he put on a look of concentration as he tried to recall hitting his head on anything or how long he could have been wandering the Everfree. He went through any possibility as to why his eyes might be puffy and his vision blurry. 'Nonono, I don't recall hitting a branch,' Fable thought, tapping his hoof on his chin. 'I'm quite sure I havn't been outside for days, I remember coming out here in the morning, and by what I can tell, it's still quite light outside...then why is my eyesight so...'

It hit Fable Weaver like a swinging tree branch to the face. His irises contracted in his eyes and a feeling of both realization and dread overcame him. Very slowly, he brought a hoof up to the space between his eyes and prodded it lightly.

Nothing but fur and skin, to his absolute horror.

Jumping up out of his seat on the couch, completely ignoring the stallion who decided to use his legs as a headrest, and bolted for the door outside of the hut. He bumped his head a few times trying to find the darn thing, and fumbled for the doorknob before dashing outside the area. He patted the ground out side frantically, sweeping his arms around in the dirt to see if he could hit the thing he was searching for. A few seconds later, he galloped back into the hut and repeated the same process of sweeping the ground, knocking over a few chairs and things. When all seemed lost, he simply hung his head and walked back to the striped pony blob, nearly in tears.

"...M-my glasses... I seem to have lost my g-glasses... t-that is why I can't see you properly..."

[Lux]

Zecora waited as the colt thought about his predicament, watching as he fumbled the bowl of water and mistaken ponies for blobs of colors. The zebra was no eye doctor, her potions used mainly for any eye irritations that others may have. Beyond that though Zecora could only guess. But then came an answer that was as clear as the muzzle in front of the zebra's face.

"...M-my glasses... I seem to have lost my g-glasses... t-that is why I can't see you properly..."

"Ah so you need glasses to see," the mare replied as she chuckled, "I should have thought about that first how foolish of me. Well to find your glasses we must delve into the past. When do you remember having your glasses last?"

[Zeig]

 

Inkbrand barely had time to attempt to translate what the Zebra was saying before his face was introduced to the floorboard. "Mmph muumgh mrph?" he asked a particularly dark wooden plank, before picking himself up off the floor and casting his gaze around blearily.

 

The pony that had so rudely stopped acting as a head rest had, instead, turned into a raving mad pony intent on digging up the ground outside of Zecora's home. He didn't stop there thought, causing Inkbrand to hastily skirt back against the wall as the pony came ricocheting back inside, chairs flipping over and tables bumping to the side as he frantically searched the home. The entirely spectacle was enough to make Inkbrand momentarily forget about his own dilemma - until his hoof curled around the bottle Zecora had dropped in front of him.

 

"A - a bath, seriously?" the tattoo-clad stallion spoke up, never minding his butting into an apparently distressed stallion lamenting the loss of his glasses. Buck glasses - ink man, ink! "All I've got to do is take a bath with this stuff?" Ominous. What if the Zebra had grabbed the wrong potion, and given him one that would paint his entire coat pink? Or worse still - completely erase all his tattoos! Inkbrand glared at the Zebra as if she might suddenly confess to tricking him with an incorrect vial, before letting out a gusty sigh, head dropping back to stare morosely up at the ceiling.

 

"Alright, I'll - yeah, I'll take a bath here, thanks." That way, he could throttle the Zebra if her supposed cure turned out to be nothing but a hoax. Inkbrand edged his way around the heartbroken stallion and zebra as he cast his gaze around the home, wondering exactly where he was actually suppose to be taking this bath. "So…got a tub out back, or?…"

 

[Lux]

There were times when Zecora saw reluctance when it came to a pony visiting her for the first time. This was especially true when the Zebra would offer a potion or a salve or any other remedy to help an ailing pony. True there was always the risk of side effects, but wasn't the same case for a unicorn using her magic or a Pegasus with his flying or an earth pony with the affinity for growing and creating things?

"There is no joking to what I say. Taking a bath with that potion is the only way. Now if you wish to bathe in your house for extra privacy then this is something I can understand greatly."

The stallion did relented, albeit still reluctant at using a potion.

"The bath is in that room over here," Zecora said pointing to a niche in the wall covered by a cloth for privacy, "and you will be in privacy with nothing to fear."

[Zeig]

 

Seriously, the rhyming thing. Did she enchant herself to speak like that, or was it all natural?…

Still, Zecora seemed highly confident in her potion and ability to remove bucking Poison Joke-spawned tattoos from his flank, and ponies in Ponyville raved about her tonics and mixtures on a near constant basis. Surely she wouldn't have achieved her fame if she regularly gave out bogus potions, right? Inkbrand dubiously eyed the vial once more, before dropping it again, staring into the direction the zebra pointed out.

"Oh yeah?" the grey stallion said, clutching the potion to himself as he trot forward, "don't mind if I do, Doc!" The said, Inkbrand ducked under the cloth in question, not at all reluctant to take a bath with strangers milling about in the other room. Far better than walking back through Ponyville with his coat still looking like…this.

The sight of a modest looking bath slowed down Inkbrand's gears a bit, enough to where he began humming languidly under his breath as he set about filling the tub. "You're my girl, all mine, all mi-eee-ie-ee-ine," the tattoo clad stallion sung idly under his breath as he uncorked the bottle, hesitating just a moment before upending it all in one go into the water. It immediately turned rather pale pink in color, causing a grimace to spread across Inkbrand's muzzle, before he took the plunge - quite literally, splashing some water over the edge of the bathtub. Underwater, the grey stallion watched his limbs intently, bubbles of frustration leaving his mouth as the tattoos stayed exactly the way they were, before the burn in his eyes forced him to breach.

"Son of a biscuit, it doesn't - oh," the grey Earth Pony amended mid-howl, gazing in some astonishment at his right foreleg, which he'd been waving through the air - and more importantly, was now sporting the ink design it was suppose to be bucking sporting. "Buck yes!" Inkbrand cheered wildly, immediately hopping out of the tub to inspect himself in the mirror. A passing glance was given to his sodden mane and tail as his eyes feasted on the beautiful designs reflected at him from the mirror, tribal blacks and blues streaking wildly and fiercely across his coat.

"Bucking hot as," Inkbrand murmured, inspecting himself appreciatively for a few more moments, before he excitedly ducked under the cloth again - and seeing Zecora standing much as he'd left her, nearly bowled her in half with the force of the hug he wrapped the zebra up in. "Buck me, it worked!" he crowed, squeezing Zecora for all he was worth, before dropping a loud and messy kiss onto her cheek. He almost felt the urge to spin her around in circles, but Inkbrand resisted, dropping the zebra back down to return to inspecting his tats. "What do I owe you, huh?" he questioned, though he kept his gaze centered around his back legs, eyeing every splatter of ink as if it might disappear in the next instant.

Or worse still - suddenly turn pink.
 

 

 

 

[Lux]

Zecora smiled as the stallion reluctantly took the cure for Poison Joke and ducked behind the curtain.

"Such a strange stallion indeed," Zecora whispered as she heard the water filling the tub, "Still I'm glad to have what he did need."

The zebra stiffed a laugh as she heard the singing and talking about his appearance. Still she was happy that he had been restored to his normal self, but nothing could prepare her for what happened next! Like a rocket the stallion blasted out from the bathroom and before she could react the zebra was wrapped in a tight hug.

"Happy you are cured I can see," she squeaked out but before completing the rhyme the soaking wet stallion gave her a kiss! Her eyes went wide as her grey muzzle turned a crimson shade of blush.

"D... did you just... kiss me?" she replied as she was carefully set back down, struggling to stand from the wild display of gratitude.

"Oh... the charge, don't worry it's free. Knowing you are fine is what matters to me. But is this what you do to share with mares your bliss, by offering them a hug and a kiss?"