♪♪
Thank you so much, Zecora!
I never would have found the crisscross moss without you!
Of course!
I know where it grows so it's not much to ask.
Though retrieving it has been a difficult task.
Oh, but the oxen visiting Sweetfeather Sanctuary
next week will surely appreciate it!
It really adds a shine to their coat.
There we go. Now, that wasn't so tough.
Fluttershy tell me, will this be enough?
Gee, I don't know, it's a pretty big pack,
so maybe enough to fill up this sack?
[giggle] Oh, my!
You're rubbing off on me, Zecora!
♪♪
[shouts]
[splash]
[scream]
Oh, no, oh no, oh no!
[gasp]
Zecora! Are you all right?
No need to fret, I only got wet...
At least now I can easily grab
all the crisscross moss there is to be had!
[poof]
[gasp] What's happening to you?
Honestly, it's hard to tell,
but suddenly I don't feel so well.
[horrified gasp]
♪ My little pony, my little pony ♪
♪ Aaaahhh ♪
♪ My little Pony ♪
♪ I used to wonder what friendship could be. ♪
♪ My Little Pony ♪
♪ Until you all shared its magic with me. ♪
♪ Big adventure! ♪ ♪ Tons of fun ♪
♪ A beautiful heart! ♪ ♪ Faithful and strong! ♪
♪ Sharing kindness ♪ ♪ it's an easy feat ♪
♪ And magic makes it all complete! ♪
♪ To have my little pony ♪
♪ Do you know you're all my very best friends? ♪
♪♪
All right, Zecora,
let's have a listen to the ol' ticker!
♪ [jazz drumming] ♪
Hmmm...
Hmmm.
Do you think it's serious, Doctor?
Well, that wasn't a good sign.
I can't believe a flower did this!
I take back thinking it was pretty!
[coughing]
We're looking for any color other than red.
Phew!
[huge gasp]
Oh! It's just as I thought.
I'm afraid you have a very rare disease called ...Swamp Fever.
[thunderclap]
Tell me, Doctor, what should I do?
I've never heard of Swamp Fever, mind you.
Unfortunately, very little is known about the disease,
except, of course, its symptoms:
change of coat, coughing bubbles,
shock sneezing, confusion and the last stage...
The afflicted turn into the very trees
that drop the disease- spreading flower.
Oh!
Is there anything that can be done?
For such a terrible conundrum?
A cure has yet to be discovered.
I'm sorry, Zecora.
Hmmm.
It's a lot to take in.
I'll leave you two to discuss.
[slam]
Zecora, this is all my fault!
If you hadn't been helping me get the crisscross moss,
you wouldn't have gotten Swamp Fever!
I'm so sorry.
Fluttershy, you are not to blame.
These things happen, all the same.
I refuse to accept that!
There has to be somepony who can help you.
Oh!
There's a healer of legend who never would fail.
But I only know her from ancient folk tales.
Mystical and masked, she came in the night
and cured everything from hoof cough to fur blight.
What became of the healer, nopony knows,
for she disappeared ages and ages ago.
The Mystical Mask, of course!
My parents would tell me about her whenever I was sick in bed.
There's so many accounts of her power to heal
She can't just be a legend. I think she's real.
If that's who we need to cure you, then I'm going to find her!
And I know just the pony who can help!
[panting]
Twilight!
Oh, I'm so sorry to bother--
are... are you cooking?
Yeah, Spike and I are having a cook-off.
My cauliflower bites blew her sweet potato muffins
out of the water!
I'm glad you're here, Fluttershy,
because we're going to need a second opinion about that.
[munching]
Um...they're both delicious. But ...
Zecora has Swamp Fever and there's no cure
and it's all my fault and the only pony
who can cure her is the Mystical Mask
and I need your help to find her!
So what'd she pick? The cauliflower bites, right?
♪♪
That's the last book on ancient ponies
and still no mention of the Mystical Mask.
Hmm, did we check the unabridged versions?
Yes. And the books on rare diseases,
the books on rare plants
and the entire section on bog habitation.
Well, we might have to look through every book
in the entire library, but I know we'll figure it out!
Oh!
♪♪
Oh, another dead end.
Have you found anything yet, Twilight?
[snoring] -Twilight?
Ah! [crash]
Goodness, are you OK?
[sigh] I'm fine.
Fluttershy, you know that I want to help Zecora.
But I think we'd be a lot better off if we got some sleep.
We've been at this for hours.
Oh, I'm so sorry!
I didn't realize how late it had gotten!
No problem.
I'll grab you a pillow and--
Oh, no no no, I meant you should sleep.
I can't rest until Zecora is healed!
I understand how you feel, but I still think we'd have more luck
if we tried again in the morning.
Just promise me you'll take a break soon.
Mm-hmm.
[yawn]
Good night, Fluttershy.
9 by 13 inch pan...
Twilight!
Non-stick pans!
What's all the commotion in here, ladies?
Sorry! But I figured out who the Mystical Mask is.
[gasp] You did?
All I had to do was cross-reference
a book about masks with another book
on ancient Equestrian healers,
then use a third book to translate it all
from Old Ponish and there it was!
Zecora was right!
The Mystical Mask wasn't just a legend.
The Mystical Mask was MAGE MEADOWBROOK!
[gasp]
The ancient sorceress from Hayseed Swamp?
We studied her at Celestia's school.
Are you sure?
Absolutely!
Mage Meadowbrook wasn't just a sorceress,
she was also a healer and back then,
healers wore masks so they wouldn't get sick themselves!
Fluttershy, I am so incredibly proud of you
for using your research skills to figure this out!
But... Meadowbrook lived ages ago and...
Didn't she disappear?
Mm hm. But if we go to Hayseed Swamp,
maybe we can find something she left behind.
Something that could lead to a cure!
It seems like a long shot, but I guess it's possible.
We have to try! I've got our route all planned out
and on the way we can check up on Zecora--
Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're leaving now?
Of course!
Every second we spend waiting,
is a second Zecora is coughing bubbles!
But Fluttershy, you haven't slept.
And that's a long journey.
There's no use trying to talk me out of this, Twilight!
We've got no time to waste!
Can we at least grab some breakfast?
I packed cauliflower bites.
Aww. No sweet potato muffins?
I.. uh.. ate them all.
They were actually really good.
...and that's when I realized the Mystical Mask
was actually Mage Meadowbrook!
That's marvelous, Fluttershy!
I am quite impressed.
While you're gone on your journey
I'll try not to be ... worried.
[gasp] Oh, no! Zecora, you didn't rhyme!
You must be getting worse!
No, no, no! Not at all...
Something, something... ball?
Achoo!
That's it!
We have to go now!
Lead the way, Fluttershy!
[thud]
[groan]
♪♪
[frogs croaking]
So... where do you think Meadowbrook lived?
I'm not sure.
Maybe there's somepony we can ask.
I think we might be the only ponies here.
Wait. I recognize that tree!
♪♪
Yes, this has to be it!
It's just like the illustrations of her home!
Anypony who lives in a tree is OK by me.
[grunts]
Phew!
Well, if the doorway is sealed up,
we just have to dig our way in.
Back up, Twilight; I don't want you to get hurt!
[panting]
Or we could try the handle.
It really blends in with the bark.
Easy to miss.
Wow, it looks like this place has been abandoned for years.
Twilight! Look!
It's the same kind of lily pad that gave Zecora Swamp Fever!
I wonder if Meadowbrook was looking for a cure
for Swamp Fever too.
Do you think she found it?
I hope so. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
[high-pitched squeak]
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
You're making your excited squeaking noise.
Uh, I wasn't making my excited squeaking noise.
[creaking]
Ahhhhhhhhhh!!
Y'all can stop screaming now.
Didn't mean to scare ya.
I do that a lot.
Scare ponies?
Or rock creepily in the dark?
Well.. both, I s'pose.
Name's Cattail.
Pleased to meet ya!
Likewise, but um, may I ask,
why are you in Mage Meadowbrook's home?
Oh, I take care of the place.
I ain't much of a cleaner.
But from what I hear, my kin wasn't either,
so I doubt they'd mind a few cobwebs in our ancestral home.
You're related to Mage Meadowbrook?
Mm hm.
Oh, my goodness, Twilight, we did it!
Not only did we find Mage Meadowbrook's old house,
we actually found one of her descendants!
Honestly, I would not have guessed it.
So, you lookin' for some kind of cure, huh?
Well, now, I know Meadowbrook was known
to always be writing in her journals.
If she had the cure you want, I reckon that's where it'd be.
Come on! I'll show ya the library.
Library? Now we're talking!
Oh. Well, libraries come in all shapes and sizes.
This is good!
It'll take us less time to go through everything.
"Today my mom made me eat peas. Peas are yucky."
And... we can probably skip this one.
Unless she found a cure when she was a foal...
"I met a colt today.
He pulled my mane so I put a frog on his head."
Also not helpful.
But I do kind of want to see where it goes.
Wait, listen to this!
"Today, I tried again to brew an un-sniffle elixir...
" ... and I finally got it right!
Achoo!
[slurp]
[sigh]
Meadowbrook, I think it's time you had this.
My very own healer's mask!
You think I'm ready, Mother?
Mm hm.
[knocking at door]
What caused this?
Mother calls it "Swamp Fever".
We've been trying to find a cure, but it hasn't been easy.
[coughing]
[knock at door]
[coughing]
The fever's spread like wild fire.
[coughing and sneezing]
I fear if we don't find the cure soon,
everypony will be in grave danger...
[coughing]
With mother sick, I didn't think I'd ever find a cure,
but staring at those cursed flowers today.
I saw something...
♪♪
Flash Bees!
I realized the flower's poison didn't affect the Flash Bees
and if they were immune to Swamp Fever,
their honey could be the cure!
♪ [adventure theme] ♪
♪♪
[buzzing]
[snap]
[thud]
But they were so aggressive defending their hive,
I didn't know how I was going to get it!
Here goes nothin'!
Today I cured Mother and the rest of the bayou.
It was the greatest feeling I've ever experienced
and I promise to dedicate my life
to curing ponies all over Equestria.
And she did just that.
Right up till she disappeared without a trace.
So all we have to do is find those aggressive Flash Bees
and get them to give us their honey!
Of course, it doesn't say how she did that.
What? Is my mane messy?
I know I haven't slept in a while but...
Oh, no! I've caught Swamp Fever!
♪♪
Huh?
♪♪
Are you sure these are necessary?
What?
I said, are you sure these are necessary?
YES! I won't risk infecting you or Cattail.
What you can't risk is getting any sicker.
If you don't rest, your symptoms will only get worse.
[coughing]
You really should rest up before going up
against those Flash Bees.
They are nasty critters.
Um, you don't know this about me,
but I'm pretty good with animals.
And besides, Dogtail...
Cattail.
Um, Zecora is counting on me.
I have to help her just like Meadowbrook helped her mother
and all those bayou ponies long ago.
But Fluttershy, as much as Meadowbrook
took care of other ponies,
I'm sure she also took care of herself!
You're not going to change my mind, Twilight!
For being sick, she sure is strong.
Cattail: The Flash Bee hive is just up yonder.
Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?
No, it's too dangerous, Twilight.
Besides, I've already gotten one friend hurt.
I won't let it happen to another.
OK, Fluttershy. You can do this!
[coughing]
[panting]
♪ [adventure] ♪
♪♪
Mind over matter!
♪♪
[buzzing]
Hello, Flash Bees!
I was hoping I could get some of your honey.
Oh, I see.
You don't let others have any.
Well, I'm sorry, but I really need it.
[squeal]
I didn't want it to have to come to this
but I'll just have to use...
The Stare.
[scream]
[cough]
You really are aggressive.
[intense coughing]
Oh, dear.
What happened? Where am I?
I'm so glad you're OK!
You're still in Meadowbrook's tree.
You fainted but Twilight shot some magic up and caught ya.
It was crazy.
Goodness gracious!
[coughing]
Have you heard from Zecora?
Is she OK?
Uh...
We got word your zebra friend has started sprouting leaves.
She's already turning into a tree?
I thought we'd have more time.
Actually, you've been asleep for three days.
Three days?
Mm hm.
You were asleep so long, we were afraid you wouldn't be able
to move when you woke up,
but thankfully you just wore yourself down.
Oh, dear.
We have to get back to the hive.
I've wasted so much time.
Now hang on there, Fluttershy,
those Flash Bee critters are tricky.
Cattail's right.
I can't even use magic to calm them down.
We'll have to find another way to get the honey.
We've tried everything from disguises
to things I won't even speak of.
[shudder]
He's been through a lot these past three days.
Wait...
disguises...
[gasp] That's it!
I know how she did it!
I know how Meadowbrook got the honey!
This is how Meadowbrook got the honey from the Flash Bees.
She threw a mask at 'em?
I wouldn't recommend that.
No. The male bees aren't aggressive around the queen bee
and this mask has the same stripes that she does!
Fluttershy, that's brilliant!
Achoo!
Whoa!
There's no time to waste!
Hooves crossed!
Oh, golly, I can't watch!
[coughing]
Mind over matter!
♪♪
[buzzing]
[Fluttershy buzzes]
Twilight!
It's working!
I think she's cured now, Fluttershy.
Oh, I do feel fine, and this honey is divine .
Oh, you're rhyming again!
Welcome back, my friend!
Thank you Fluttershy, for all you endured.
If not for you, I would not be cured.
If it wasn't for me,
you wouldn't have been sick in the first place!
Regret is not what you should feel,
because on this journey, you've learned a great deal.
That's true.
I certainly learned that if you don't take care of yourself,
you won't be able to take care of anypony else.
In fact, if I had rested, like Twilight suggested all along,
maybe I would have thought to use Meadowbrook's mask sooner.
[coughing]
Please tell me you found the cure.
captions by sassonique Achoo!