Bridle Gossip

Bridle Gossip is the ninth episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, season one. In this episode, Twilight Sparkle and her friends encounter a mysterious zebra, named Zecora, outside of Ponyville who is rumored to be a witch.

Episode summary
Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrive in Ponyville to find the town completely deserted. While they wonder about the reason, they are beckoned by Pinkie Pie to hurry into the Sugarcube Corner 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 is after seeing her remove her hood, or why she passes by once a month, digging at the ground and lurking around the stores. However, they do know she resides in The Everfree Forest, the self-preserving environment of which is almost alien to Ponyville, and perhaps all of Equestria. Pinkie Pie even shares with the othera a song profiling Zecora as an "Evil Enchantress". She describes the song as "a work in progress."

"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."

- Twilight Sparkle



While Twilight Sparkle tries to rationalize her friends' wacky suspicions, her reasoning convinces Applejack's little sister, Apple Bloom, to see Zecora for herself near the forest. Before she has a chance to get near her, her sister and her friends stop her while driving Zecora away. The zebra retreats to the forest, giving them a brief warning: "Beware, beware you ponyfolk! Those 'leaves of blue' are not a joke!". On their way back, Twilight Sparkle tries to differentiate her magic with the so-called "curses" that they think the zebra is using. She believes that these are just an old pony's tale. Applejack only warns her that some pony tales are true.

Before they leave the forest, they unintentionally trot across a small field of blue flowers.

During the night, Twilight dreams about Zecora and her friends saying how evil she is.

The next day, Twilight wakes up, after recalling everything her friends were talking about the strange zebra. As she brushes her hair, she is shocked to see her horn all speckled, soft, and rubbery. She frantically searches for a book, any book, to find a way to fix this, or at least know why it happened, but could not find any useful information. Spike shows her a book called "Supernaturals" that she may have overlooked, but she says that there's no need to even open it because it involves superstitious or non-realistic tidbits; overall useless. Her friends also sport sudden ailments, revealed as they meet once more. Pinkie Pie's now blue-spotted tongue is so swollen to the point of hanging out of her mouth, and she can't speak without spitting. Rainbow Dash's wings are inverted, preventing her from flying properly, causing her to crash into things constantly. Rarity's mane and tail are messy and her hair so long to the point that she can't even see or walk properly. Applejack had shrunken in size. Fluttershy has a deep male voice. Spike laughs himself silly at the ponies; this prompts him to make fun of them by their names, which are:


 * "Hairity" (Rarity)
 * "Rainbow Crash" (Rainbow Dash)
 * "Spittie Pie" (Pinkie Pie)
 * "Appleteeny" (Applejack)
 * "Flutterguy" (Fluttershy)

As for Twilight Sparkle, he can't immediately think of a proper name for her rubbery horn, while they try to find out how this all happened. Save for Twilight Sparkle, everyone concludes that Zecora had "cursed" them and so they decide to confront her in the forest in hopes of finding a cure. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom, the only one not "cursed" and believing that she herself was to blame for this mess, ventures ahead to find the zebra herself. As Apple Bloom is leaving, Applejack wonders where she is going and jumps into her tail. When the others don't see AJ, they first worriedly check to see if they've stepped or sat on her. Upon realizing that both she and Apple Bloom are gone, the ponies set out in search of her. (At this point Spike finally manages to think up a joke-like nickname for Twilight Sparkle: Twilight Flopple.)

On her way through the Everfree Forest, Apple Bloom is surprised when Applejack reveals herself in her mane and orders her to turn around. Realizing that her tiny big sister can't stop her, Apple Bloom places her on a branch she can't get down from and continues on her way. As the others enter the forest later, Rainbow crashes into the tree AJ was left in, finding her in her mouth. AJ pulls herself out and quickly fashions a bit and reins from leaves, a stick and some vine. She throws it on Rainbow Dash and, climbing on her chest, helps to steer her in the right direction.

When the others finally reach Zecora's hut, they witness her mixing a strange concoction in her cauldron, chanting something somewhat similar to Pinkie's song. Twilight Sparkle insists that there is more to this occurrence, until she overhears the zebra mentioning Apple Bloom. They conclude that Zecora is preparing a soup to eat the younger pony and scream in horror. Rainbow Dash and Applejack barge in and the other ponies follow suit in a rescue attempt. Ironically, Apple Bloom arrives from behind them with packed saddle bags and says that she's assisting Zecora with gathering ingredients. They both reveal that the brew Zecora had been making is a remedy for poison joke, a poison ivy-like plant that causes "laughable" results to anyone who touches it. They had never been cursed, but had been affected by the blue plants, and were too stubborn to heed Zecora's warning the previous day they faced her. The cure is from one of Zecora's books, a copy of what Spike found in the library, but Twilight admits she didn't bother looking past its weird title. It turns out that the "Supernaturals" in the book's title meant, after opening it, natural cures that were simply... "super". After apologizing to the zebra for the terrible misunderstanding on behalf of everyone, Twilight Sparkle asks if she could make another batch. Zecora is happy to, but she doesn't have a herb needed from Ponyville, since the shops are always mysteriously closed. The ponies escort Zecora back to town to the herb shop, then to what looks to be a large bath in a day spa to use the remedy (an herbal bubble bath), explaining to the other ponies about Zecora in the process. With the bath feeling so wonderful, one of the owners asks Zecora for the recipe.

They learn that there is more to a person than just their appearance, and that Zecora is not the scary character they had previously believed.

Quotes
(Twilight and Spike discuss the behavior of the hiding villagers)

Spike: Is it some sort of pony holiday?

Twilight Sparkle: Not that I know of.

Spike: Does my breath stink? (breathes fire and tests his breath)

Twilight Sparkle: No more than usual.

Spike: Is it... ZOMBIES?!

Twilight Sparkle: Uh, not very likely.

Spike: (nervous) Not likely... but possible?

Applejack: The Everfree Forest just ain't natural. The plants grow...

Fluttershy: Animals care for themselves...

Rainbow Dash: And the clouds move...

Applejack/Fluttershy/Rainbow Dash: All on their own!

Rarity: Ohhh!

Pinkie Pie: And that wicked Enchantress, Zecora, lives there doing her evil... stuff! She's so evil, I even wrote a song about her!

Rainbow Dash: Here we go...

Twilight Sparkle: Wow... catchy.

Pinkie Pie: It's a work in progress.

Twilight Sparkle: Now tell me, what exactly have you actually seen Zecora do?

Rainbow Dash: Well... Once a month... she comes into Ponyville.

Twilight Sparkle : Ooooh...

Rarity: Then... she lurks by the stores...

Twilight Sparkle : Oh my!

Fluttershy: And then... she digs at the ground.

Twilight Sparkle : Good gracious! OK, I'm sorry, but how is any of this bad?

Apple Bloom: You know what I think?

Applejack: Apple Bloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk.

Apple Bloom: I am a big pony...

Pinkie Pie: Well, I think Zecora eats... hay.

Twilight Sparkle: Pinkie! I eat hay! You eat hay!

Pinkie Pie: Yeah... But I heard it's like the evil way she eats hay...

Twilight Sparkle : Maybe Zecora cursed my hair... Or she cursed my horn!

Spike: What if you're wrong, Twilight? What if this really is--?

Pinkie Pie: [muffled] A CURSE!

Spike: A purse? How could it be a purse?

Twilight Sparkle: Fluttershy, are you okay? Is there something wrong with you? Would you care to tell us? So... you're not going to tell us? Yes you're not, or yes you will?

Applejack: Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!

Fluttershy : ...I don't want to talk about it.

Spike: This is hilarious! Look at all of you. We got "Hair"-ity, Rainbow "Crash", "Spittie" Pie, Apple-"teeny", "Flutterguy", and... I got nothin'. "Twilight Sparkle"... I mean, seriously. I can't even work with that.

Twilight Sparkle: This is no joke Spike!

Rainbow Dash: I'll bet we'll find a cure to this curse at Zecora's place.

Twilight Sparkle: It's not a curse!

Applejack: I agree with Dash. We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex.

Twilight Sparkle: It's not a hex, either!!

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

Rarity: Oh! OH! Pinkie, what are you doing? Ah, really. Aah! You ever hear of personal space?

Pinkie Pie: Nopth.

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: She stole my song! She stole my song!!

Rarity: She stole your song?

Twilight Sparkle: Pinkie, that doesn't sound anything like your song.

Twilight Sparkle: Scary-looking masks, confusing incantations, and a great big bubbling cauldron? Everything is pointing to Zecora being... bad. Or... what if Zecora's just making soup.

Zecora: The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?

Twilight Sparkle: 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 : You made me speak ridiculous!

Twilight Sparkle: 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 Sparkle: 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 Sparkle: [reading aloud] "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 AAAAAAA! It was the worst! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?

Fluttershy : ...yes.

Gallery



 * Bridle Gossip image gallery

Trivia

 * The title is a pun on "idle gossip" as well as a reference to a "gossip's bridle" or scold's bridle", a medieval punishment and mild torture device, used on women who were nagging excessively or were otherwise verbally abusive or unpleasant.
 * Fluttershy's deep male voice is provided by actor Blu Mankuma.
 * The line, "The horror, the horror..." from the 1979 war movie Apocalypse Now is heard once again. The original use of this line was in the book Heart of Darkness, and described the way European men treated African men and women during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
 * The ailment Rarity is affected by makes her closely resemble a Komondor or a Puli, two Hungarian breeds of dog with matted locks of fur.
 * Spike calls Rainbow Dash "Rainbow Crash" on account of her clumsiness, several episodes before it was used as an insult to her in flight school.
 * Spike also calls Applejack "Appletini" which is a type of cocktail.
 * During the final scene, when the ponies panic again in the spa believing they lost a formerly tiny Applejack, a distinctive, familiar gasp sound could be heard among the panic cries. The same gasp sound was initially used by Pinkie Pie in Friendship is Magic, part 1, as a reaction to hers meeting Twilight Sparkle the first time. The same gasp sound was used again later in A Bird in the Hoof.
 * Twilight Sparkle uses her horn's magic to brush her hair, though for the rest of the episode and right after she brushes her hair, her horn is useless.