The day started much like many for Sunset Shimmer after her return to Equestria, getting hay fries and an assortment of juices from throughout the city of Canterlot. Today however she decided that today she was finally going to take her place as Princess of Equestria. Sunset Shimmer thought to herself as she awoke “Who does she think she is becoming a princess before I do, I should have been the first one she is just a wannabe”. With that thought in her head she set off to the Canterlot Library in search of a solution to her vengeful thoughts, multiple days later after searching books from “Astounding Magical Innovations of the Great Wizard Starswirl the Bearded” to “The Zealous Captain Heartchord” she decided that she would need to find a better source of knowledge than the usual Canterlot library. That evening as the sun was setting she made a hasty trek to the upper library, containing stronger magic and scrolls. After evading the lower floor’s security of royal guard she made her way up to the seemingly unguarded door to the upper library entrance. CAK! CAK! CAK!CAK! the sound of a royal guard closing in on the entrance’s corridor. As the sounds got closer she had to think of a quick means of evasion as she though the guard’s footsteps got closer just as he turned the corner a quiet SCHIM! Is heard and he looks to a window as he whispers to himself
“must have been the breeze, could have sworn I heard something”. As Sunset Shimmer quietly trails the guard up until he rounds the next corner and is out of range she begins picking the lock with magic chic! clic! Chic! Clok! Sunset quietly says,
“Ahh still have it”. As she combs through the multiple scrolls and books she notices that there is one section that has little to no books in it titled “Enchanting Wonders and Magical Hex’s” within the section she pulls a book titled “Mystic Hex’s” on the book appears to be a small symbol a of a wing noticed to be a symbol for Pegasi themed book. She turns the first page and notices that all the spells involve ways of changing ones wings from large to small, from bat to regular, in a hushed angered tone “No! these won’t due, I need something… Stronger”. On the very edge of the shelf she notices a lone book entitled “Destiny’s Interchanged” she opens the book to the first page and searches through it from spells that reverse one’s destiny to ones that completely change their destiny completely. Around the middle of the book finds a potion recipe entitled “ Elixir of Destiny”, The description reads “Once brewed this potion can take the destiny of a pony and completely alter it by the choice of ingredient, to change one’s destiny to become a Unicorn you require multiple crystal berries mixed with Blue joke, for the result of a Pegasi transformation you require three feathers from the wings of a Pegasus mixed with cloud dew, and the last way to change one’s fate is to become an Earth Pony ‘Perfect she will never be a magician with no magic!’ to change one into an Earth pony you require Blue joke and grass seeds ”. With the enchantment book in tow she set out to the Everfree Forest.
* * *
As the day went idly by for Twilight Sparkle but, she noticed she didn’t see Sunset Shimmer anywhere around Canterlot but decided she must just be out traveling, but it still made her wonder where her former enemy had gone, she checked with Octavia at the Canterlot Symphony, she inquired
“ Have you seen Sunset today, just wondering where she could be I usually greet her every morning but it kind of bugged me today when I couldn’t complete my agenda of greeting the citizens of Canterlot today.
Octavia replied “I haven’t seen her anywhere near the symphony, maybe somepony else would know”. As she returned to her treebrary she look through the shelves for a possible novel to hold her attention since now was her scheduled reading time from four thirty five to eight o’clock at which promptly she would go to bed and dream until awaking at five thirty to begin her schedule again.
* * *
Sunset Shimmer while walking towards the Everfree Forest “odd I usually hear birds here?” CHCHCHAAAA! SSSCRATTTTSCRATT! As timber wolves surrounded Sunset Shimmer, “You think you can just ambush me, come at me” a wicked grin streaks across her face. As they circle her and move slowly closer toward the middle of the circle PZAAP! PZAAP! As she dispatched the pack of Timber wolves with two left in rubble on the ground, knowing they would soon reform she moved on. Later that day she reached the edge of the Everfree Forest near Ponyville, she decided to spend the night near the edge of the forest using a small tent and pillow. During the night she dreamed “Twilight waking up and realizing she had no magic when she tries opening the door and smacks her face on the door” Sunset Shimmer silently giggles to herself with menacing delight.
* * *
That morning she awoke to see a bright light from the drawn tent curtain doors, after waking up and a light breakfast of oats and apples she set out to find what she came for the infamous Blue Joker, while going through the fields and swamps within the Everfree Forest she carefully avoided the Joke and would use her magic to pick up the multiple plants and stow them in her saddle bag. After collecting over thirty jokers she turned back and realized as she said, “I just noticed I’m in the Everfree, with no way back, well that’s JUST great!” After searching for an hour or two she started to find her way back following the shape of the trees she noticed they each had a slightly different bend to them, she checked her list for the other ingredients “well just some old grass seed, I can get that on the way back to Canterlot”. With a devious smirk she trotted her way back towards Canterlot.
As she returned to her chambers in Canterlot she plucked some grass from the ground and retrieved the seeds , “check” she said to herself with a slight giddy tone to her demeanor. She began to brew her devious concoction soon to be known as the “Elixir of Destiny” as Sunset Shimmer watched the fire brew the potion she began to think of a way to get her to drink it, after contemplating for hours she had come up with three ideas, “Go up to her and force her to drink it, too hard not very effective. Mix it in with her daily juice at Sugarcube Corner, not too hard but, to much risk of being caught. And the final and probably best of my ideas to put it in an apple tart and put it at her door, this I could do”. She started baking that day using some apples she had lying around and flour she had left over from previous attempts at baking. When she was done she looked at her work, “This tart may be better than Applejack’s tarts, I should have tried baking more often”. As she sprinkled the solution deliberately over her tart carefully making sure not to get any of the horrid elixir on herself as she handled the tart. With the swiftness of a mail mare she sped down the trails and paths to Ponyville. As she arrived she saw the familiar treebrary house of her “dear friend” Twilight Sparkle. She placed the tart down on her door step carefully wrapped and a note attached signed by “Applejack”. As she snuck away she looked back and saw Spike pick it up and take it inside to Twilight. Sunset Shimmer rubbed her hooves together in anticipation to a soon magic less Twilight.
* * *
“AAAAuuuuhhh” Good morning Spike Twilight exclaimed.
“Do I have to get up already Twi? Just five more minutes”.
“Spike, laziness doesn’t get you anywhere you can sleep after the morning chores are done”.
“Oh Twilight you got a delivery yesterday from Applejack” Spike said.
“And you wait till now to tell me?” Twilight responded.
“You were so busy, I didn’t want to bother you too much during reading time” said Spike.
“That’s fine, It tastes kind of off though still pretty good” Twilight said as she ate some of the tart.
“Ok time to start the chores Spike what’s number 1?"
“Organize our library” he responded.
* * *
Early the next morning Twilight awoke with a strange sensation of a tingling kind, she felt off but didn’t know why until, “SPIKE WHERE ARE MY WINGS AND HORN!”.
As Spike entered the room “TWILIGHT, what happened!?” Spike exclaimed as his eyes widened in amazement at the new Earth pony Twilight.
“THERE MUST BE A CAUSE FOR THIS!”
“Calm down Twilight, I'm sure we can find a book here” Spike assured her. As time went by they slowly moved down the line of books in alphabetical order, revealing no cure or information on the strange transformation.
“There must be a way to fix this, lets check the Canterlot Library there must be something there” as Twilight trotted over to the door and bumped her face on it ouch!
“Magic made this easier before” she exclaimed with a light sigh. As she scratched her chin with a hoof, she pondered ways to grip the knob. “uh, Unnnh, Unhh!”
"Twi I think I can help with that” Spike exclaimed with a small smile. Twilight trotted along the streets of Ponyville toward the train station with a slight haste in her step.
* * *
Sunset awoke the next morning with a slight withheld smile as she imagined the magic and wingless Twilight fumbling around, crying on her inability to cast or create any new magic ever again. “I wonder how Celestia’s “Best Student” is doing this amazing day” she exclaimed concealing a villainous snicker. Just then on the side of the window’s field of view Sunset noticed a morning train entering the train station at Canterlot with a familiar foe onboard.“Twilight Sparkle!” she exclaimed in a hushed shout from the edge of her window, with a hasty speed she swiftly galloped to a nearer building and lurked around the nearest corner to the station.
“So Twilight what section do you think this book will be in?” Spike asked as they walked toward the Canterlot library.
“I don’t know, probably somewhere near the enchantments I would guess?” She responded with a moment of thought. As they walked up to the doors of the Canterlot Library the Royal Guards had a look of astonishment on their faces when she said,
“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and I needed to check for a book in the upper levels of the library”.
The guards stood in awe for a few moments and responded with, “You where an Alicorn a few days ago, WHAT HAPPENED?” their jaws gapping open exposed another challenge to Twilight.
“I don’t think that this’ll be as easy as we thought” Spike murmured out load. Glancing at her cutie mark the guards were assured that this in fact was Princess Twilight Sparkle, they proceeded to unlock the upper level library but noticed a small chip in the lock as if it had hit the floor and been scratched.
“Thank you” she replied as she went in and checked the library’s Enchanting section.
* * *
Sunset Shimmer admired the useless hunting Twilight was doing as she laughed to herself, “AH Ah Ha, that “Princess” got what was coming to her” with an evil smile Sunset Shimmer trotted towards her house opposite the library.
Twilight slowly began to notice and piece together the clues at this moment.
“Hey Spike”
“Yeah Twilight” fumbling with a heavy copy of “Hexes filled with Vexes”.
“I think there’s a connection between these stops we’ve made”
“How So Twilight?” He responded.
“Well, not to accuse her exactly but we haven’t seen Sunset Shimmer the last few days, a mysterious treat from Applejack made nothing like hers, and finally a lock that looks scratched recently”.
“Awww, come on Twilight, you reformed Sunset Shimmer before she came back to Equestria” Spike said.
“I’m fairly certain though Spike, I’m going to report it to Princess Celestia just in case” She replied.
A mysterious feeling of a presence appears to fill the room.
“Aaaah, Twilight Sparkle! I expected you here as soon as you walked off the train” As a flash of cyan magic filled the room Sunset Shimmer appeared in front of the Surprised Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Sunset Shimmer walks right up to Twilight as she says, “So how you like your new body” her face flashes a confident smirk of accomplishment as she levitates drops a light stack of books on top of Twilight.
“Sunset Shimmer! I thought we were friends!”
“Don’t be so naïve Twilight I’ve been plotting this for months now, and I won’t let you spoil it!” with that Sunset Shimmer zapped Twilight with her cyan magic and Twilight suddenly fell over with a rock hard Thud!
“That should do nicely” Sunset exclaimed as she flashed out of the room.
“Nooooo! Twilight” Spike sobbed as he hugged the statue of his friend Twilight. A voice seemingly from nowhere replies,
”Don’t worry Spike her magic isn’t strong enough to freeze me for long, I’ll thaw by morning”. Spike with a sigh of relief curls up next to the statue form of Twilight and begins to dream.
“AAhhhhh” Spike yawns as the sun peeks over the hills outside the library. Twilight has already gotten up and started to vigorously write down multiple theories and possible ways to fix her predicament.
“Twilight! Your fine” he exclaims with a warm smile.
Twilight shoots him a quick warm smile, “Let’s get this done, we haven’t got time to loose”. “Since Sunset is the obvious perpetrator of this hex, it would go to reason that she has the book in her house"
"so lets go get it?” Spike assumed with a small smile, “yes” Twilight reassured him. Sneakily the pair wondered into the street in front of Sunset Shimmer’s house and thought of possible ways to get the book.
“we could just walk in the door?”
“No” Twilight replied
“its probably locked”.
Spike then suggests, “we could climb it and go in through the chimney?”
“Perfect” she exclaimed in a slightly overjoyed squee.
“Just for an experiment” poke, the front door slides slowly inward. Twilights jaw opened and she shoved her hoof into it and closed it.
“Ah hah ha” she laughed awkwardly at the moment.
“I should have considered her forgetting to lock it” she laughed and stepped inside.
“Now where could it be?” Twilight murmured as she sifted through books awkwardly with her hooves.
“Uhh Twilight”
“Yes Spike?”.
“I think I found it” Spike said sifting through a pile of firewood. Twilights mouth was opened in surprise at the burnt pages of the enchanting book as a tear welled to her eye and fell to the ground. As she collected her thoughts over her new situation she frowned and drooped over
“Lets go home Spike” she said in a defeated voice. Spike then replies with immense vigor and warm heartedness
“Twilight you never gave up like this before, don’t start now!”. He started to shove Twilight towards the door and managed to get her to walk slowly down the road.
“Hey Twi”
“What Spike” she responded with a monotone sadness.
“Remember how the Elements of Harmony, triggered you getting you wings?”,
“yes” she sighed at the thought of her wings.
“How about we try that again?” He replied with a look of victory in his eyes and a smile spread across his face. Twilight lightened up a little
“That could work!” she exited herself slightly with the thought
“Then I could get back to using magic to hold things instead of having my hooves full and needing to move something else!” with that joy in her eyes she galloped to the train station, purchased a ticket and got into the nearest car.
* * *
As she arrives at the treebrary she notices, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbowdash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie waiting for he.
“How did you know I was coming here right then?” Twilight said as she cocked her head to the side.
Applejack replied, “well Spike informed us of you situation right after you were frozen in stone, he sent us each a scroll” she smiled and continued, “We’re ready Twilight tell us when to activate the Elements of Harmony” as she smiled and opened the case containing the Elements of Harmony.
“Ok lets give it a go” Twilight said anxiously awaiting a circle of light. As she donned her tiara containing the Element of Magic she realized , “I can’t start the spell without my magic…” Suddenly the area filled with light as the other five elements lit up and blasted forth five beams of energy surrounding Twilight. “Aiiiiiihhh” Twilight yelled as she was consumed in the ball of light. As the light faded and Twilight emerged they saw what they had done. Twilight did indeed have part of her old life back but no completely for she had grown back her wings but, to no avail her horn was still gone. “Well at least I have part of my body back” her awkwardly saddening smile reflected to the five other awkward smiles around her.
“Twilight – SPARKLE!” An ominous voice came from an unknown location as cyan magic filled the area and Sunset Shimmer appeared, “I’m surprised you could figure this much out, but you can’t be Celestia’s protégé without magic, that means I win!” Sunset Shimmer smiled deviously as Twilight began to frown with annoyance.
“I may not be able to perform magic anymore but, I still have more skill than you ever will!” She responded.
Sunset Shimmer then showered Twilight Sparkle in a cyan colored dust and as she was coated she began to feel dizzy. “Sun-s-e-t Shimmmmmmmeeerrrr” Twilight said as she drifted to sleep.
When she awoke Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be found but, Twilight then realized she was surrounded by her friends all happy to see her awake,
“Twi” Applejack broke the silence.
“yeah?” Twilight responded.
“I’ve got a surprise for you”
“what is it?” Twilight responded.
“It’s a potion Zecora made, she said it would reverse what Sunset had done to you” Applejack smiled and handed the blue colored potion over to Twilight.
“Really, what is it made from?” Twilight said with intrigue.
“Zecora said some rhyming phrases and I can’t remember, something to do with Blue Joker I think”,
“Worth a shot” as Twilight downed a fourth, then the whole potion. A sudden wave of nausea hit Twilight and she awoke a few moments later to find her wings and horn back to regular.
“Now we need to track down Sunset Shimmer” Twilight announced.
Applejack patted Twilight on her shoulder and said “maybe tomorrow, you’ve done enough for today” as they both walked through the treebrary’s door and sat Twilight near her favorite books.
“Take a rest we can find her later, it’s just good to have you back Twilight” Applejack assured.
As Twilight began writing her ending letter on friendship “Dear Princess Celestia…”.