The Starmaker


Chapter 10- Outside Zecora's Hut


Meanwhile…while Applejack, Fluttershy, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were in Ponyville…


Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Gogo Gadget trekked through the Everfree Forest.

"It's a shame we couldn't stop by my boutique, Gogo," Rarity sighed. "If anything, we could have replaced your ratty old saddlebags."

"Sorry Rarity," Twilight giggled, "but makeovers are not high on our list of priorities right now."

"I like my saddlebags," Gogo said quietly.

"What do you keep in there, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"My tools."

"Oooh!" said Pinkie. "What kind of tools?"

"Whatever kind the situation calls for."

"Show us!" the party pony cried.

Gogo sighed, horn glowing as she prepared to comply, not wanting a repeat of what happened in the catacombs. Her saddlebags on each side opened, and a metal rod emerged from each one. Fan-like blades folded out from the top of the rods, and began to spin, lifting Gogo into the air.

"Wow!" the ponies said in unison.

"You can fly!" Pinkie bounced up and down.

"Pssh, big deal," Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively, but underneath, she was impressed.

Gogo landed, the propellers retracting into her saddlebags. Spike ran up to the grey unicorn.

"That was pretty nifty there, Gogo! Got any other fancy gizmos?"

"Several," Gogo stated. "But we really should focus on finding this Zecora pony for now."

"Almost there!" Pinkie said in a sing-song tone. "And Zecora's a zebra, not a pony!"

"Hmm, I've never met a zebra before," Gogo considered.

"Well," said Twilight, "you're about to.'

Twilight was right, Zecora's hut was in sight. Zecora must have seen them approaching through the window, for she came out the door and waited to greet them.

"Greetings, good ponies!" she called out. "What brings you into the forest, so dark and lonely?"

"Awww," Pinkie cooed, "Are you lonely, Zecora?"

Zecora laughed as the others groaned. "Offers of friendships I do not decline, but thank you my pony friend, I am fine."

Twilight sighed. "Zecora, we're really here because we need to know if you've made any headway on that book I gave you."

Zecora nodded. "Yes, I studied that book well. Come with me, there is much to tell."

The ponies started to follow Zecora, until Pinkie looked back and shouted, "Hey!"

Rainbow Dash groaned. "What is it now, Pinkie?"

"Applejack and Fluttershy are back! And they brought friends!"

Everybody swung around to see that Pinkie was correct, Applejack and Fluttershy were indeed coming their way, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and several other ponies in tow, such as Lyra, Bonbon, Cheerilee, the Cakes, and a hoof full of foals.

"Boy, am I ever glad to see y'all!" Applejack exclaimed. "We got ponies hear that need help, some of 'em got burns. I'd have Fluttershy check 'em, but…" She turned to the yellow Pegasus, who was curled up on the ground, sniffling, "…she's lost a lot herself."

Zecora pointed a hoof at some foliage. "Over there, check those ferns. They should be good for soothing burns."

"While you guys do that, Zecora and I will discuss the book," Twilight stated, and then went into the hut with the zebra.

"What happened back there? In Ponyville?" Rainbow asked Applejack as they tore off ferns for the injured ponies.

"It was Abysma." Applejack grimaced, giving her fern to Lyra. "She's taken over Ponyville just like she did Canterlot."

"We're the only ones that got out," Lyra added, using her fern to tend to Bonbon, who had a slight burn on her flank.

"So you actually saw this horrible Abysma pony?" Rarity asked.

Applejack shook her head. "Never really did see her myself."

"I did," said Cheerilee, tending to the injuries of her students with the help of the Crusaders. "And she isn't a pony. In fact, I've never seen anything thing like her. Looking at her was like…it was like…"

"Looking into the face of evil," Mr. Cake finished for her.

"So what's wrong with Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Abysma burnt down her home, with us in it. We barely escaped." Applejack explained. "We're not sure if all the animals made it…"

"Oh my," Pinkie gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth as her eyes teared up.

"OW!" one of the foals cried. "Watch it, you hick!" Not surprisingly, it was Diamond Tiara, the most stuck-up little filly in all of Ponyville, who was getting the fern treatment from Applebloom.

"Well, if you would just stop movin'! Or I could make ya do it yourself!"

A few feet away, Diamond Tiara's only friend Silver Spoon sat sniffling. Setting aside their differences, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were comforting her.

"There, there," said Sweetie Belle, rubbing her back with a hoof.

"It's okay," said Scootaloo.

"It's not okay!" Silver Spoon sobbed. "That witch has my parents! I…I want my mommy!" She broke down crying.

"Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby, Spoon. You're embarrassing me."

Applebloom stopped applying the fern oil. "How could you say that? She's your friend and she needs comfort! And besides, what about your parents?"

Diamond Tiara huffed. "My parents are away on business in Canterlot."

A worried look washed over the Crusaders' faces. It was Scootaloo that spoke up.

"Um, Tiara? Abysma has control of Canterlot too. She's hypnotized everyone there."

Diamond Tiara's eyes widened, then she shook her head furiously. "No! That's not right! It can't be true!"

"It's true," Sweetie Belle said sadly. "We just came from there."

"Oh no…" Tears started to form in the spoiled pony's eyes. She threw herself at Silver Spoon, wrapping her forelegs around her. "Hold me!"

To everyone's surprise, Silver Spoon angrily pushed Diamond Tiara away. "Hold yourself." After she left behind a shocked Diamond Tiara, she stopped in front of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Thanks for, you know, being there. And sticking up for me, even after all the stuff I've done…"

She trotted off, leaving the awestruck Crusaders.

Their burns and wounds tended to, everypony waited outside Zecora's hut as Twilight and the zebra went over the book. Eventually, Twilight and Zecora stepped out.

"Thank you so much for all your help, Zecora." Twilight said as the zebra nodded and smiled. Twilight then turned to address the crowd. "Okay, listen up everypony! Zecora has agreed to take you refugees from Ponyville to a special hiding place deeper into the forest where you should be safe from Abysma and the ponies under her control. Meanwhile, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Gogo…we have work to do."