Bridle Gossip

Bridle Gossip is the ninth episode of the first season and first aired on December 10th 2010

Writer: Amy Keating Rogers

Episode Summary
Twilight and Spike arrived in Ponyville one day to see the town completely deserted. While they wonder what w as going on, they were urged by Pinkie Pie to hurry to the snack shop before "she" gets them. Inside, they meet the other ponies, who are hiding from a strange hooded creature named Zecora. No one really knows what she was, until Twilight pointed out that she was a zebra. However, they knew she resided in the Everfree Forest, which its environment was almost alien to Ponyville (plants grow, animals care for themselves, and clouds move without the need for the ponies). Pinkie even came up with a song describing Zecora as an "evil enchantress".

While Twilight tried to rationalize her friends' suspicions, Applejack's little sister, Apple Bloom, decided to see Zecora herself near the forest. Before she had a chance to get near her, her sister and her friends stopped her while driving Zecora away. The zebra leaves, giving them a brief warning: "Beware, beware you ponyfolk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!". On their way back, they trotted across of small field of blue flowers.

The next day, Twilight is shocked to see her horn all soft and rubbery. Her friends were not so happy about their sudden problems either. Rarity's mane was all messy to the point that she can't see through, Rainbow Dash couldn't fly properly and constantly crashed, Pinkie Pie's tongue was swollen so that she couldn't speak without spitting, Applejack had shrunken in size, and Fluttershy had a deep male voice. While Spike laughed at the ponies' expense (giving them various nicknames), they try to find out how this all happen. Save for Twilight, everyone concluded that Zecora had cursed them and decided to confront her in the forest. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom, who was the only one not "cursed" and believing that she was to blame for this mess, went ahead to find the zebra.

When they finally reached Zecora's house, they see her mixing a strange concoction in her cauldron, similar to Pinkie's song. Twilight insisted that there was more to this occurrence, until she overheard the zebra mentioned Apple Bloom. Thinking that the zebra was preparing a soup to eat the younger pony with, Rainbow Dash and Applejack barged in while the other ponies followed suit in a rescue attempt. As it so happened however, Apple Bloom was actually assisting Zecora with gathering ingredients. Zecora revealed that the brew she was making was a remedy for the Poison Joke, a poison ivy-like plant that causes "laughable" results to anyone who touches it. They learned the they were never cursed, but were affected by the blue plants, and were too stubborn to heed Zecora's warning the previous day they faced her. After apologizing to the zebra for the terrible misunderstanding, they all returned to Ponyville to use the remedy (via bubble bath).

Twilight learned that there was more to a person than just their looks, and the rest realized that Zecora was not the scary character they had previously believed.

Quotes:

 * Twilight: (After hearing Pinkie Pie's song) Wow... catchy.
 * Pinkie: It's a Work In Progress...


 * Twilight: (responding to Fluttershy's nods/shakes) Fluttershy, are you okay? Is there something wrong with you? Would you care to tell us? So... you're not going to tell us? No you're not, or yes you will?
 * Applejack: Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!
 * Male-voiced Fluttershy: ...I don't wanna talk about it.


 * Spike: This is hilarious! Look at all of you. We got "Hairity", "Rainbow Crash", "Spittie Pie", "Appletini", "Flutterguy", and... (looks at Twilight) I got nothin'. "Twilight Sparkle"... I mean, seriously. I can't even work with that.


 * Rainbow Dash: It's time to 'pony up', and confront Zecora!


 * Applejack: Turn around right now, missy!
 * Apple Bloom: ...No.
 * Applejack: 'No'? You can't ignore a direct order from your big sister!
 * Apple Bloom: Sorry, Applejack, but I'm the "big sister" now...


 * Pinkie Pie: (referring to Zecora's chanting) She stole my song! She stole my song!!
 * Rarity: "She stole your song"?
 * Twilight: Pinkie, that doesn't sound anything like your song.


 * Twilight: Everything is pointing to Zecora being... bad. Or... what if Zecora's making soup.
 * Zecora: The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now where is that little Apple Bloom?
 * Twilight: Or... What if she's making "Apple Bloom Soup"?!


 * Rarity: You made me look ridiculous!
 * Male-voiced Fluttershy: You made me sound ridiculous!
 * Pinkie Pie: (Says something indistinctly)
 * Twilight: You ruined my horn!
 * Zecora: How dare you?! You destroyed my home, destroyed my work, then rudely accused me of being a jerk?!


 * Apple Bloom: Did those silly fillies get into your head? You know there's no such thing as a curse.
 * Twilight: Apple Bloom, sweetie. You can't just stand there and tell me that this isn't a curse.
 * Apple Bloom: This isn't a curse.


 * 'Twilight: (Reading Zecora's book)  "Supernaturals: 'Natural remedies and cure-alls that are simply... 'super"


 * Zecora: Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book.


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh my gosh! I never realized how horrible it is not to be able to talk! I love talking so much that I couldn't talk anymore and my tongue was all eeeehhh! It was the worst! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?
 * Fluttershy: ...yes.