Wow, what a gorgeous day!
Rainbow Dash must have gotten up early for once and cleared all the clouds away.
I bet all of Ponyville is gonna be out, enjoying the sunshine.
What? Where is everypony?
Is it some sort of pony holiday?
Not that I know of.
Does my breath stink?
Not more than usual.
Is it...
...zombies?!
Uh... not very likely.
Not likely but possible?
Psst!
Twilight!
Spike!
Come 'ere!
Come here!
Hurry!
Before she gets you!
Who?! The zombie pony?
Zzzombie pony?!
Spike, there are no zombie ponies.
Pinkie, what are you doing here alone in the dark?
I'm not alone in the dark.
Okay then, what are you all doing here in the dark?
We're h-hidin' from her!
Did you see her, Twilight?
Did you see Zecora?
Apple Bloom! I told you never to say that name.
Well, I saw here glance this way...
Glance eeevilly this way!
...and then a bunch of you flip out for no good reason.
No good reason?!
You call protectin' your kin no good reason?
Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town...
...she started shakin' in her lil' horse shoes.
Diiid nooot.
So I swept her up and brought her here.
I walked here myself!
For safekeepin'.
Applejack! I'm not a baby!
I can take care of myself.
Not from that creepy Zecora.
She's mysterious...
Sinister...
And spoooky!
Will you cut that out?
Just look at those stripes. So garish.
She's a zebra.
A WHAT?!
A zebra. And her stripes aren't a fashion choice, Rarity.
They're what she was born with.
Born where? I've never seen a pony like that in these parts.
'cept her.
Well, she's probably not from here.
And she's not a pony.
My books say that zebras come from a faraway land.
But I've never seen her in Ponyville.
Where does she live?
That's just it.
She lives in...
...the Everfree Forest!
Spike!
Uh... sorry.
The Everfree Forest just ain't natural.
The plants grow...
Animals care for themselves...
And the clouds move...
...ALL ON THEIR OWN!
And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there, doing her evil...
...stuff!
Oh, she's so evil I even wrote a song about her!
Here we go...
She's an evil enchantress! She does evil dances!
And if you look deep in her eyes She puts 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!
So... WATCH OUT!
Wow. Catchy.
It's a work in progress.
This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors.
Now tell me, what exactly have you actually seen Zecora do?
Well...
Once a month she comes into Ponyville...
Ooh!
Then she lurks by the stores...
Oh my!
And then she digs at the ground...
Good gracious!
Okay, I'm sorry.
But how is any of this bad?
Maybe she comes to town to visit?
Yeah! Maybe she's just tryin' to be neighborly?
And maybe she's not lurking by the stores, maybe she's going to them...
...lurk-free, to so some shopping.
Yeah! Everypony likes to shop.
You know what I think...?
Apple Bloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk!
I am a big pony!
W-what about digging at the ground?
You gotta admit that's weird.
What if she's digging for innocent creatures?
I am sure there's an explanation for everything Zecora does.
And if anypony here were actually brave enough to approach her...
...she would find out the truth.
Well, I'm brave enough. I'm gonna find out myself.
You ponies are being ridiculous!
Well, I heard that Zecora...
...EATS HAY!
Pinkie, I eat hay!
You eat hay!
Yeah, but I heard it's the eeevil way she eats hay.
Hey! Where's Apple Bloom?
The door's open!
She went outside!
And Zecora is still out there!
That silly lil' filly... I told her to stay put!
Spike, you stay here in case Apple Bloom comes back.
Will do!
Apple Bloom!
You get back here right now!
Beware! Beware, you ponyfolk!
Those leaves of blue are not a joke!
You... You keep your crazy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, ya hear?
Oh, brother.
Beware! Beware!
Yeah! Back at you, Zecora!
You and your lame curse are the ones who better beware.
And you.
Why couldn't you just listen to your big sister?
I... I...
Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have just put on you?
Just like in my song!
Evil enchantress! With the dances!
And the trances!
You guys, there's no such thing as curses!
Well, that's interesting to hear coming from from Miss Magic Pants herself.
My magic, real magic comes from within.
It's the skill you're born with.
Curses are artificial. Fake magic.
It's cantrip with potions and incantations.
All smoke and mirrors meant to scare.
But curses have no real power.
They're just an old pony tale.
Just you wait, Twilight.
You're gonna learn that some pony tales...
...really are true.
She's an evil enchantress! She does evil dances!
BEWAAARE! BEWAAARE!
If you look deep in her eyes She will put you in trances!
Yeah, was that supposed to scare us?!
-Wicked, wicked zebra! -A curse.
Then what will she do?
Just you wait, Twilight.
Some pony tales really are true.
Then she'll gobble you up In a big tasty stew!
Sooo... WATCH OUT!
Ugh... What a dream.
Curses-shmurses.
Whoa.
Maybe Zecora cursed my hair?
Or she cursed my horn!
No, no, no, no, no!
None of these books have a cure!
There has to be a real reason for this.
An illness? An allergy?
A curse!
I said a real reason.
Something that points to something real.
How about this one?
"Supernaturals"?
Spike, the word "supernatural" refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies.
Which are as make believe as curses.
This book is just a bunch of hooey.
But what if you're wrong, Twilight?
What if this really is a...
"A purse"? How could it be a purse?
Pinkie! What happened?
Hey! Say it, don't spray it, Pinkie.
She's... trying to say... ow...
...Zecora... ow...
...she zapped us all with a... ow!
...curse!
I'm afraid I have to agree.
I hate to say I told you so, Twilight...
...but I told you so!
It's a curse, I tells you!
But Fluttershy seems just fine.
Yes. There doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her.
Fluttershy? Are you okay?
Is there something wrong with you?
Would you care to tell us?
So... you're not gonna tell us.
Yes, you're not or yes, you will?
Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?
I don't wanna talk about it.
This is hilarious!
Look at all of you. We got...
Hairity...
Rainbow Crash...
Spitty Pie...
Appletini...
Flutterguy...
And...
I got nuthin'.
Twilight Sparkle. I mean, seriously, I can't even work with that.
This is no joke, Spike.
Now start looking for more books so I can find a cure.
I think we'll find a cure for this curse at Zecora's place.
It's not a curse!
I agree with Dash.
We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex.
It's not a hex either!
This is all my fault.
If I hadn't followed Zecora in the first place, none of this would have happened.
I just gotta fix this.
Now where does she think she's goin' this time?
I don't care what you say, Twilight.
It's time to pony up and confront Zecora.
Come on, girls! Are you with me?
And I as well.
Uh, I don't know. Seems awfully dangerous.
How about you, Applejack?
Applejack?
[She's gone!]
Has somepony stepped on her?!
Or sat on her?
Rarity's hair!
Oh! Oh! Pinkie, what are you doing?
Really... Ah! Ever heard of personal space?
[Nope!]
Apple Bloom is gone too!
I bet they went after Zecora.
Well, we better go find them.
Come on, girls. Let's go!
Ooh! Oh dear, ugh...
Oh, this is so unseemly...
Hey! A little help here?
Oopsie. Sorry.
Ow!
Uh... Spike?
Are you coming?
Nope!
Gotta stay here and look for the cure.
Twilight Flopple!
Stop it right there!
Turn around right now, missy!
No.
No?! You can't ignore direct order from your big sister!
Sorry, Applejack. But *I'm* the big sister now.
Apple Bloom! You come back here right this instant!
I'm gonna tell Big Macintosh on you!
Oh, pony feathers.
Come on, girls. We've got to get to Zecora's.
Hurry!
Easier said than done.
Heeey! Wait for me!
Rainbow! Thank Celestia.
There's no time to lose!
I need to get to Zecora's pronto.
Get it up, pony!
Excuse me!?
YEEHAW!
What the...
No, Rainbow Dash! Other way!
I look horrible!
[No. This looks horrible.]
Oh my. That place really does look horrible.
Nice decorations. If you like creepy!
"She stole your song?"
Oh, Pinkie. Doesn't sound anything like your song.
She's an evil enchantress And she does evil dances
And if you look deep in her eyes She will put you in trances
Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew
And she'll gobble you up In a big tasty stew
So... watch out.
You saw those terrible things.
Now you believe us, Twilight?
Scary looking masks, confusing incantations and a great, big, bubbling cauldron?
Oh. Everything is pointing to Zecora being...
...bad.
Or...
What if Zecora is just making soup?
The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume.
Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?
Or...
What if she's making Apple Bloom soup?
I'm coming for ya, Apple Bloom!
Ho there!
Heel, Rainbow Crash!
What have you done with Apple Bloom?!
No! No!
Ponies! What is this...
No! You know not what you do!
You've gone and spilled my precious brew.
We're on to you, Zecora.
I didn't wanna believe that you cursed us...
...but the evidence is overwhelming.
You made me look ridiculous!
You made me sound ridiculous!
You ruined my horn!
How dare you!?
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 uncurse us!
It is unwise to venture down this road.
Your actions will make my anger explode!
Where is Apple Bloom?!
Zecora! I think I found all the things you asked for.
What in Ponyville is going on here?
Apple Bloom! You're okay!
Why wouldn't I be?
Because Zecora is an evil enchantress, who cursed us and was gonna cook you up in a soup!
Oh, Twilight.
Did those silly fillies finally get in your head?
You know there's no such thing as a curse.
Apple Bloom, sweetie. You can't just stand there and tell me this isn't a curse.
This isn't a curse.
If you will remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact.
Beware. Beware, you ponyfolk.
Those leaves of blue are not a joke.
It was a warnin'. About that blue plant.
It's called poison joke.
That plant is much like poison oak.
But its results are like a joke.
What in the hay does that mean?
It means this plant does not breed wrath.
Instead this plant just wants a laugh.
Will somepony please talk normal?
I think what she's saying is that when we ran in to save Apple Bloom...
...we ran into the poison joke.
All our problems are just little jokes it played on us!
LITTLE JOKES?!
Very funny.
Okay, fine.
But... what about the cauldron?
And the chanting.
And a creepy decor.
Treasures of the native land where I am from.
This one speaks "hello" and this "welcome".
Not welcoming at all, if you ask me.
The words I chanted were from olden times.
Something you call a nursery rhyme.
But... the cauldron... the Apple Bloom soup...
Lookie here, Twilight. That pot o' water wasn't for me.
It was for all these herbal ingredients.
The cure for poison joke is a simple all-natural remedy.
You just gotta take a bubble bath.
But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything.
What book has this "natural remedy"?
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.
"Supernaturals: natural remedies and cure-alls that are simply... super."
I... I...
I'm so sorry, Zecora.
I had the answer the whole time if only I bothered to look inside.
Maybe next time you will take a second look.
And not judge the cover of the book.
Zecora, would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?
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.
Oh, well... I think we can help you with that.
Look, Rose! How awful!
The wicked enchantress has cursed them all!
The horror! The horror!
Daisy, we need to talk.
"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 the pony that count."
"And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever."
"Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
Miss Zecora, I would love to get the recipe for this bath.
It's simply luxurious.
Applejack! Hey, where is Applejack?!
I'm right here, lil' sis.
I ain't tiny no more.
Oh, I have never felt so lovely in all of my life!
Oh my gosh! I never realized how horrible is not to be able to talk!
I mean I love talking so much and I couldn't talk at all when my tongue was all EEEH!
It was the worst! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?
Yes.
Synced by Nathan2000 http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/User:Nathan2000