Chapter 18 - Another Change

Chapter 18 - Another Change*Twilight’s P.O.V.*

Over the next few days of the week, the Princesses and I did everything we could to find a solution for Joshua’s problem.  We were making slow progress, but it wasn’t close enough for us to attempt.  Thankfully, I was able to keep up hiding Joshua’s horn with the invisibility spell each day before he went to school.  Joshua had been enjoying school, and he was doing exceptionally well, especially in math.  Saturday came around all too soon though.  It was early morning that Saturday, and Spike, Nyx, and Joshua were asleep.  I trotted down into the main room of the library and started looking through the magic book I had stopped in the middle of last night.  It was the last one that could’ve held possible answers, and if it didn’t we would have to wait for the Princesses’ possible solution.

A yawn from the staircase made me swivel my ears to the source, but I kept my eyes in the book.

“Good morning Mom,” Joshua said sleepily.

“Good morning Joshua,” I said to him.  I marked my place in the book and turned to look at him.  “How are you this...?”  I stopped suddenly and gave a sudden gasp.  Joshua was there standing on the bottom of the stairs all right.  He still had the horn on his head, but this time something else had been added, or changed in this case.  His ears had changed.  They were now shaped like pony ears.

“Mom?” Joshua asked apparently unaware of his new change, “What’s wrong?”

“You mean you didn’t notice?” I asked him.

“Notice what?” he asked back confused.  I sadly lit up my horn and produced a temporary mirror in front of him.  When he looked, he gasped too.

“What happened to my ears?!” he asked upset.

“It’s another sign of your pony transformation apparently,” I said looking at him sadly.  He had tears forming in his eyes again and ran over to me and hugged my left foreleg, sobbing softly.  I gave out a sigh, lifted him up underneath his arms, brought him in for a hug, and rubbed his back gently.

“Shhh,” I said trying to calm him down, “I know Joshua, I know.  I know how hard this must be for you, but we’re all trying our best to help you.”

“I know you are Mom,” Joshua said sobbing into my shoulder, “but I’m really scared.  How am I going to hide these ears?”

I began running my brain for a solution, and one quickly came to me.  “I’ve got an idea Joshua.  Hang on tight okay?”  Joshua nodded his head and held his arms around my neck, still crying.  I then lit up my horn and teleported us to the inside of the Carousel Boutique.

“Rarity!” I called out.

“Just one moment Twilight,” she called from upstairs, “I’ll be right down.”

I sat down where I was standing with Joshua still clinging to me and sobbing lightly.  I continued to do my best to comfort him.  Soon we heard Rarity’s hoofsteps from the stairs.  I looked up and saw her coming down.

“Hello Twilight,” she said, “Sorry I took so...long.”  She said that last word after spotting Joshua looking upset.  “What’s wrong with Joshua?”  I looked down at Joshua and he looked up at me.  I gave him a reassuring nod, and he turned to let Rarity look at him while I kept a forehoof on his shoulder.  When Rarity saw Joshua with his changed ears...

“Wah-ha-HAAA!!!” she screamed in alarm, “Oh my stars, Joshua darling, whatever happened to your ears?!”

“It’s another transformation effect,” I told her, “He went to sleep last night with normal ears, but woke up this morning with them.  We’re actually here because we need you to do something for us.”

“You want me to make him something to help hide his ears, yes?” she asked.

“Yes Rarity,” I said, “Can you do that?”

“Yes I will,” she replied.  She then looked down at Joshua with a sad smile.  “Joshua darling, can you come with me so I can measure your head for a jacket?”

“Okay,” Joshua said sniffling.  He walked over to Rarity and followed her to the area where three mirrors were lined up.

“Rarity, I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia about this.  Can you keep an eye on Joshua until I get back?” I asked her.  Rarity turned her head toward me and nodded.  I then teleported myself back to the main room of the library, took out a blank sheet of paper and a quill, and started writing.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Joshua has stepped further into becoming a pony.  This time, his ears have changed to that of us ponies.  At the moment, Rarity is currently making a jacket with a hood for him so he can hide his ears, but I fear others may start to get suspicious.

I suggest we start heading further into our investigation if we are to return Joshua back to normal as fast as possible.

Your faithful student and fellow princess,

Twilight Sparkle

As soon as I finished, I heard a yawn from the stairs.  I looked up and saw Spike who looked like he had just woken up.

“Perfect timing Spike,” I said levitating the scroll over to him.  “Send this off to the Princess please.”  Spike blew on the letter and it went off to the princess.

“Where’s Joshua?” Spike asked rubbing his eye, “I didn’t see him in bed or in the bathroom.”

“He’s with Rarity at the moment Spike,” I explained, “This morning when Joshua woke up, we noticed a new part of his transformation, his ears changed into pony ears.”

When Spike heard this, he seemed to wake up completely.  “Oh no,” he said, “Will he be alright?”

“I hope so,” I told him, “Rarity is making him something to help hide his ears.”

“Hide whose ears?” said Nyx’s voice.  I turned and saw her standing on the top of the stairs.

“Joshua went through another transformation,” I explained to her, “His ears changed into pony ears.”

Nyx’s face dropped at hearing this.  “He’s at Rarity’s?”

I nodded my head to her.  “I was about to head back there to see if she was done with making him something to help hide his ears.  You two can come with me if you want.”  The two of them looked at each other, nodded to each other, and walked up to either side of me.  I then lit up my horn and the three of us teleported back to the Boutique.  Inside, Rarity wasn’t in the main room.

“Rarity, I’m back,” I called to her.

“Joshua and I are in the kitchen,” she called back.  The three of us went in and we saw Rarity comforting Joshua.  He was wearing a new red jacket with a hood over his head, which hid his ears perfectly.

“Good morning Nyx.  Hello Spikey-Wikey,” she said.

“Hey Rarity,” Spike replied.  His usual behavior near Rarity wasn’t displaying at the moment.  His attention was toward Joshua.  “Is he alright?” he asked.

“He’s still a little shaken up, but he’s calmed down a lot,” Rarity replied rubbing Joshua’s back.  Nyx trotted up to Joshua and placed one of her forehooves on his back.

“Joshua?” she said.  Joshua turned his head to face Nyx.  “Is it okay if I look?”  Joshua nodded and pulled the hood off of his head showing his changed ears.  “Wow,” Nyx said sadly, “Does it hurt at all?”

“No,” Joshua said putting his head back on, “It just feels weird.”  He then let out a long sigh.  Just then Spike belched, producing a letter from the Princess.  I caught it in my magic, unrolled it and read it out loud.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I’m sorry to hear about Joshua’s ears changing, and I send him my deepest condolences.  As for the lead we have in changing him back to normal, from what we have researched so far, the spell will require the Elements of Harmony, because it requires an immense amount of magic to work.

We will continue looking deeper into it until we are ready for certain, which should hopefully be in a few days or a week at the latest.

Yours truly,

Princess Celestia

“Well, there’s some good news,” I said, “It seems like they’re getting closer to being ready.”  Joshua put on a small smile, but it changed into a sad frown as he looked down.

“Mom?” he said, “Is it okay if I take a walk by myself?”

“Are you sure?” I asked him.  He nodded without a second thought.  “Okay, I understand, you need some time to yourself.”  I then placed a hoof on his shoulder and he looked up at me.  “Just try not to think about it too much, okay?”  He nodded again.  Then something seemed to hit his mind, then he pointed at his horn.  I understood what he meant and cast the invisibility spell on him again.  “Just be careful okay?”  He nodded again and left the boutique.

“One more thing Joshua,” I said.  He turned and looked at me, “If you see any of my other friends, tell them about the spell and how the Elements are needed okay?”

“Okay Mom,” he said.  He then walked out by himself into Ponyville.

“I really hope the spell works,” Nyx said sadly.

“Me too,” Spike added.