Waking Up Different

Twilight's POV

Twilight Sparkle woke up in Canterlot Castle, Celestia's sun shining in from a window. Her wings rustled uncomfortably, and Twilight folded them neatly on her back, resolving to ask Rainbow Dash for some flying lessons later. After all, that's what friends are for, giving help when it's needed - and she should know, she was the Princess of Friendship… or something like that.

She trotted onto the balcony, and watched the sunrise. However, something pink barreled onto her balcony, and she jumped back in surprise.

It was Pinkie Pie, but the last time she checked, she was pretty sure Pinkie Pie didn't have wings and a horn.

Twilight shook it off. "Pinkie Pie, why do you have wings and a horn?"

Pinkie giggled. "Oh, I don't know. I woke up this way! And flying's so much fun!" Her horn glowed bright blue, and she teleported onto the roof. "Ooh, and this is fun too!"

I have a really bad feeling about this... Twilight smiled nervously. "Let's… go and see Princess Celestia and ask why you're an Alicorn, okay?"

"Okey dokey lokie!" Pinkie Pie teleported back to her previous spot and gave a wide smile.

"Whoa, don't leave without me!" Rainbow Dash landed on the balcony as well, grinning.

Twilight glanced back towards her chromatic friend - to find a horn on her forehead. Ohh boy. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie as Alicorns? We may as well say goodbye to Equestria as we know it.

Not bothering to address them, too weirded out by the fact that two of her friends were now Alicorns, Twilight turned around and began a hasty trot back inside. Behind her, she heard one pair of wings flapping and Pinkie Pie's trademark bouncing. Princess Celestia's got the answer... I'm sure of it!

Rarity's POV

Rarity awoke in the castle. My, what a night! After Twilight's coronation, Pinkie had thrown a hastily-thrown-together-but-still-fun Hooray-You're-An-Alicorn-Princess party. There were even fake horns and wings that could be strapped onto one's forehead and back, respectively.

Something rustled uncomfortably underneath her, and she grumbled, "I must've left the fake wings on." She got out of bed to take the wings off, and took a moment to marvel at how clean and shiny the floors were. Twilight's soo lucky - she's an Alicorn princess now, she gets to wear beautiful - no, Rarity, you mustn't think that way, be happy for her!

But as she reached back with her magic to take off the wings, they simply wouldn't come off. So she trotted into the bathroom with her makeup bags and her toiletries and took a good look in the mirror, to assess just how stuck they really were, and yes, Rarity admitted to herself, so she could get ready for the day.

But to her surprise… they were real.

Rarity screamed, her magic failing her in the shock. The bags clattered as they fell to the ground, no longer suspended by her magic, but her scream drowned out the clatter.

Only three thoughts remained in her head. The first, Why the buck do I have wings? The second, Does this mean I'm a Princess now, with immortality and everything? The third, I hope my mane goes all flowy and beautiful like Princess Luna's and Princess Celestia's!

Oh, where was her fainting couch when she needed it?

Applejack's POV

Applejack bolted awake at the sound of a scream. "Huh?" Something rustled on her back, and there was a strange weight on her forehead that certainly hadn't been there the night before.

She stood up, trotting into the bathroom that she shared with Rarity - their rooms were connected by that bathroom, for some unexplained reason - to see just what was on her forehead, and to see if Rarity was alright. "Rares, are you alright?" she called.

Rarity's scream lingered uneasily in the air, but both of said fashionista's hooves were pressed over her mouth. Her silly bags of makeup and such that Applejack personally thought weren't needed - since when did a mare need more cosmet- make- things - buck the proper term, whatever it was - to look beautiful than could be carried by hooves? What nature gave a mare should be all a mare needs! - were scattered all around her on the ground, completely forgotten; Rarity must've dropped them. Applejack looked in the mirror - and Rarity had a pair of wings that looked nothing like the fake, lavender wings Pinkie Pie'd had at last night's party.

Speaking of horns and wings… Applejack couldn't help but glance at herself in the mirror to find a horn and wings that were exactly the shade of her own orange fur. What the buck?

Her jaw dropped. Rarity glanced over, and, with a tiny smirk, pushed it back up with one hoof.

Applejack aimed a glare at Rarity. "Ah can move mah own limbs, Ah'll have ya know."

The smirk remained. "Good, because I think Princess Celestia has the answers to why we're now Alicorns." Rarity rescued her bags from the floor, and began putting on some makeup and fixing her mane and tail.

Applejack rolled her eyes, fished out some red ponytail bands, tied her mane and tail, and trotted out.

Fluttershy's POV

Fluttershy stretched as she woke up, her wings extending widely, enjoying their freedom. Last night's party was really wild... and startling... Hmm, I wonder where Discord is, I bet he'd like it if I said good morning.

But that would be later. For now, she had some business to take care of. Teal magic threw back the blankets, and she yelped. Whose magic was that? Oh, is someone in here with me? Oh no... oh no oh no...

"Is... is somepony there?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Oh, hello my dear Fluttershy." Discord hung upside down from the ceiling. "And I must say, your new horn looks very nice."

"What? My horn? I don't understand..." Fluttershy gave him a confused look.

"Let me help you." He dropped from the ceiling, and called into existence a rather gaudy hoof-mirror, adorned with pink butterflies that somewhat resembled her cutie mark, and held it up for her. She gasped.

"You seem to be an Alicorn, my dear!" Discord grinned. "Oh, hooray!"

"I... I don't understand." Fluttershy whispered. "How?"

Discord called into existence another item - a red baseball cap with holes for his horns. There were two large words emblazoned in white on it - Thinking Cap. He put it on, and summoned an identical cap - except this one only had one hole for Fluttershy's horn, instead of two - up for Fluttershy. "Let's put our Thinking Caps on."

Fluttershy smiled at her friend's usual randomness. "Maybe Princess Celestia would know?"

"Splendid idea." The Thinking Caps vanished. "Let's go and see her, shall we?" He graciously offered her his paw, and after a moment, she took it. They set off for the throne room, and Fluttershy was glad she had a friend like him.

Twilight's POV

Twilight Sparkle trotted uneasily through the castle. Pinkie Pie bounced along, her wings out and in full display for all to see. Rainbow Dash flew along overhead lazily.

"We've got to go and see Princess Celestia. I've got no idea how you got your wings and horns, but I'm sure she's got a reasonable explanation for this." Twilight's face was the very epitome of worry.

"Well, if we're Alicorns now, obviously we're the Princesses of something!" Rainbow commented.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "What if… we're meant to be the Princesses of Harmony, and Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are also Alicorns, and Princess Celestia made us into Alicorns because Equestria would be left defenseless without its Elements of Harmony and now I'm the Princess of Laughter, Rainbow's the Princess of Loyalty, Fluttershy's the Princess of Kindness, Applejack's the Princess of Honesty, and Rarity's the Princess of Generosity?"

Rainbow and Twilight stopped.

"Pinkie, that is so random!" Rainbow chuckled. "They have to let me become a Wonderbolt now! I mean, I'm an Alicorn!"

We all know how Pinkie Pie is random, but what if she's right? What if we're now the Princesses of Harmony? Twilight smiled, but it was rather forced. And if Pinkie's now an Alicorn… she's probably gonna give Discord a run for his money with all the pranks and parties, and that wouldn't be good. We have to get to Princess Celestia as soon as possible, find out what it all means!