A Ponyville Switch-a-roo!

by WRLB

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Other, Romance, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Random, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe
Length: 17295

Fluttershy wakes up and finds that she is no longer the pony she once was. With the help of her friends they find out about a mysterious threat against Celestia. Will Fluttershy and her friends stop it in time?

Once, some time between Seasons 3 and 4, Fluttershy was having a peaceful and enjoyable day. But then one day, she woke up to discover that something about her had changed. Her friends soon discovered her transformation and tried to find out the cause of it. Eventually, the whole town of Ponyville experienced this change as well. All the while, an evil plan was taking effect, and it was up to the mane six to stop it! Will they succeed, or will the changes and confusion get the better of them? Read for yourself, in this epic story of adventure, comedy, romance, and of course, friendship!

Published 2014-08-22 23:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-04-17 01:00:12 UTC

Chapter 2: A Normal Day in Ponyville

Chapter 2
A Normal Day in Ponyville

The streets were hustling and bustling with movement. Carts rushed through the streets while the vendors were shouting about their various products.

“Hay-bales! Get your hay bales right here!” shouted a street vendor.

“We got books, all sorts of books!” hollered another.

Despite her daily trips to the market, Fluttershy was still intimidated by every single noise and sound. She tried her best to keep her composure by telling herself that she had done this a million times, and nothing disastrous had ever happened. She slowly inched her way to the produce section of the market.

“See?” she said to herself. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just get the oysters, pay the vendor and…”

“Well howdy there, Fluttershy!” somepony suddenly yelled. Fluttershy jumped in terror and gave out a faint “Eeek!"

Fluttershy looked around hastily, trying to find the pony who called her name. First she looked up, down, left, and right. Then she noticed that there was an apple stand right next to her, and the vendor was none other than her best friend Applejack!

Applejack was a member of the ever-growing Apple Family, a family of earth ponies that owned apple farms all across Equestria. Each part of the family had their own specific farm located somewhere in the vast kingdom.

Applejack’s family lived in Ponyville, and they ran a farm called Sweet Apple Acres. Every harvesting season, each family member would kick the base of every hardy apple tree to make the ripe apples fall into a bucket. They affectionately dubbed this process “apple-bucking”. Afterwards, the family would wash each apple and then decide whether they should be used for making apple pie, apple fritters, apple cake, apple sauce, apple juice, or just sold by themselves. Once all the preparations were done they would take it all and sell it at the market.

Fluttershy knew about Sweet Apple Acres ever since she first moved to Ponyville but she’d never really known what was behind it all until she met Applejack.

When Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon, Applejack joined Fluttershy and Twilight to stop the alicorn’s evil reign. During their quest, the sinister Nightmare Moon used her magic to cause a landslide, leaving Twilight dangling off a cliff. Applejack had rushed to the rescue and grabbed Twilight’s hoof. She had tried to pull Twilight out, but it proved to be no use. She’d then urged Twilight to let her second hoof go, but out of fear, Twilight had refused. In one daring last chance, Applejack promised Twilight that she would be alright.
Without any options left, Twilight began to let her second hoof off the mountain side, and Applejack pulled her out of danger. After her courageous act, Applejack was awarded with the Element of Honesty.

Ever since then, Fluttershy knew that Applejack was the one pony she could always rely on.

“Sorry! Didn’t meant to startle you there, Fluttershy,” Applejack apologized.

“Don’t worry,” Fluttershy replied shyly. “Sometimes I just startle myself, that’s all.”

“Well then, how’s your day been so far?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, you know, just like any other normal day,” Fluttershy replied modestly.

“Is there anything you need?” Applejack asked curiously.

“Well,” said Fluttershy recalling her list “I do need some-”

But before she could finish her statement, a little filly named Apple Bloom popped up from behind the stand. Apple Bloom was Applejack’s little sister, and she was considered the cutest and most responsible filly in Ponyville. She was also a founder of a club called “The Cutie Mark Crusaders”. The goal of this little gathering was to help young fillies discover their talents and earn their cutie marks.

A cutie mark was a small symbol that appeared on the pony’s posterior and symbolized the pony’s goal and/or passion in life. For example Applejack’s cutie mark was three apples symbolizing her passion for working on the farm. There were a number of different ways that a pony could find their cutie mark, whether it was on accident or on purpose. Fluttershy had gotten her triple-butterfly cutie mark when she’d fallen to Ponyville and started taking care of the animals that inhabited the town.

Wanting to be like her older sister and all the other grown up ponies, Apple Bloom joined two other fillies-Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo-and created The Cutie Mark Crusaders so that they could get their cutie marks.

“Do you need any apples?” Apple Bloom asked in excitedly.

“I’m sorry, but not today. Maybe next time I’ll get some apples,” said Fluttershy apologetically, trying to make sure she didn’t hurt the young filly’s feelings.

“Okay,” Apple Bloom said with a sigh.

“Don’t worry Apple Bloom,” said Applekack encouragingly “Not everypony’s gonna want to buy our apples, and that’s okay.”

“But how Am I supposed to get my Apple-Selling cutie mark now?” Apple Bloom bemoaned.

“Well, don’t worry sugar cube. Your cutie mark will come sooner than you think,” said Applejack encouragingly. “Fluttershy, what did you need again?”

“Oh, I need some oysters for my otters,” Fluttershy replied.

“Oh, okay,” said Apple Jack enthusiastically “If you ask me, you should steer clear from Outta Date; I hear her oysters went south real bad!”

“Where did you hear that?” asked Fluttershy, right as two Pegasi passed by carrying a stretcher with a grey Pegasus on it.

“I just wanted a muffin with oysters on it, honest!” the grey Pegasus cried in agony.

“Yep, looks like Outta Date’s oysters have gone stale…again!” said one of the Pegasi, carrying the stretcher.

“As I was saying,” Applejack continued, eyeing the Pegasi paramedics, “who you should really check out is Net Fish. I heard his oysters are sweet and crunchy, just how your otters love them.”

“Thank you Applejack,” said Fluttershy as she headed off to her next destination.

“No problem, sugar cube! Come back anytime!” yelled Applejack, waving a goodbye as Fluttershy left.

“No worries, I will,” promised Fluttershy, walking further and further away from Applejack’s stand.

Fluttershy walked past stand after stand until she finally came to one that read “Net Fish’s Ocean Produce.” She bought two oysters, put them in her saddle bag, and walked off to find the materials she needed to repair the pigs’ pen.

Since wood and home materials were being sold on the other side of town, Fluttershy had to pass through a quirky, but joyous place called “Sugar Cube Corner”.

Sugar Cube Corner was a sweets shop where everypony would hang out. They made milk shakes, root beer floats, ice cream and sundaes. The place was run and owned by a lovely couple known as Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who had two twin fillies named Pumpkin and Pound.

Just like all the other business owners in Ponyville, the Cakes had an apprentice, and she was the most energetic apprentice Ponyville had ever seen. The pony’s name was Pinkie Pie and she was quite a character. She was an expert in throwing parties, standup comedy, and being completely unexpected.

Flutershy and Pinkie Pie became best friends after their quest with Twilight Sparkle. When the group of ponies came upon a horrifying forest, they all refused to walk thought it; all except for Pinkie Pie. She showed Fluttershy and the rest of the crew that as long they stayed positive, they had nothing to fear. After showing such bravery and optimism in the face of danger, she was given the Element of Laughter.

Fluttershy was just thinking about her, when suddenly, the peppy pink pony jumped right out in front of her.

“ConGRAAAAAATUALATIONS, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie squealed with excitement. Fluttershy squirmed back; Pinkie Pie sometimes forgot that she dreaded surprises.

“You…are… the…drum roll please!” said Pinkie Pie before getting a drum out of nowhere. “THE 100th PONY TO PASS BY SUGAR CUBE CORNER TODAY!”

She was so excited that she threw the drum into the street and hugged Fluttershy with all her might.

“You’re prize is that you can get any candy you want for free!” she shouted after hugging Fluttershy to death.

“Why I’m honored,” Fluttershy said modestly. “But, I’ll have to refuse. I don’t have the need for candy right now.”

“Are you sure?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Fluttershy admitted “Unless you can make pig pen with candy.”

“That might work,” pondered Pinkie Pie, but she realized that the story teller would not allow it because it went against all logic despite this story being about Technicolor ponies that could talk and establish societies and cultures.

“Any whoove-sies,” said Pinkie Pie. “Nice meeting you Fluttershy! See ya later, alligator!”

She then hopped into a hay bale that was not-so-cleverly disguised as a mail box. Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Pinkie could be so random at times. As she left she heard Pinkie Pie scream “CoGRAAAATTTTULATIONS! You are the 101st pony to pass by SUGAR CUBE CORNER!”

It had been a long day for Fluttershy. She had finally gotten the supplies for the pig pen and was slowly heading back to her cottage in the woods. She could not wait to see if Discord had followed through on his chores, but then she realized that the cottage could be in total havoc as well. She tried not to think about it too much, though. Discord was her friend, and she knew that in order for her friendship to work, she had to trust that Discord would do what he said he would do.

She was trying to imagine all the hard work Discord would be doing when suddenly, she heard a scream of terror. Fluttershy raced to the sound; she could recognize that dramatic scream from a mile away. There was no doubt about it was from her best friend Rarity.

Rarity was a very prestigious unicorn, who not only loved fashion, but had made it her life’s work. She was obsessed with creating dresses, gowns, tuxes, costumes, and other elegant clothing. She never stepped down from an opportunity to display her work. Because of this, she did her best to look respectable to her clients and more often than not, she would go overboard. From getting a proper manicure, to making sure she didn’t get her tail dirty, she would always be fussing over the smallest of details.

Even though Rarity appeared to be vain and pompous, she was actually one of the nicest ponies you could meet. When she tagged along on Twilight’s quest, they came across a river that had an enormous sea serpent crying so violently that the river was unsafe to cross. Apparently, he was distraught over his mustache being shorter on one side than the other. Sympathizing with the creature, Rarity cut off her own tail and sewed it onto the shorter side of the monster’s mustache. Pleased with his new look, the sea serpent was grateful, and so he let the band of ponies pass. For her generous efforts, Rarity was awarded with the Element of Generosity.

Rarity and Fluttershy were best friends that helped each other whenever either one needed it. For example, Rarity would make sweaters for the animals and try to help Fluttershy’s confidence every now and again. In return, Fluttershy would be Rarity’s spa buddy, as well as an occasional model for Rarity’s revolutionary dresses. Mostly, though, Fluttershy just tried to be there for Rarity whenever she could.

Which bring us to this very moment, when Fluttershy was following Rarity’s cry for help. After a bit of running, Fluttershy finally saw what all the ruckus was about.

Rarity’s back was covered in mud, something she absolutely dreaded. There was also a pile of fabrics that were being suspended in the air right above her back via magic from her horn. Fluttershy also saw Rarity’s little sister, Sweetie Belle, standing next to her with a regretful look on her face.

Sweetie Belle was a little filly who really tried to help her big sister, but more often than not, it would lead to a disaster. Unlike her older sister, Sweetie Belle was not really interested in fashion, but she always told the truth and stood by what she thought was right.

“How could you Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said demanded sternly.

“I said I was sorry,” her little sister said sheepishly.

“What’s going on?” asked Fluttershy, announcing her presence. Both Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked at Fluttershy.

“I wanted to give a new blanket to Twilight because the one she has already is simply too tattered and torn for a princess of her stature,” Rarity began to explain in a huff. “So I decided to make her a new one, but then I got too caught in it all, I just had to make more! Then I realized that I didn’t know which one Twilight would want, so I decided to bring them all to her so she could decide which one she liked best.”

“And I wanted to tag along!” Sweetie Belle announced happily.

“Yes, quite,” Rarity said a tad annoyed. “Anyway, I was planning to show them to Twilight myself. But Sweetie Belle distracted me, and I didn’t know I was heading towards a mud pit, and so I fell down on my bottom, and here we are now. It was a good thing I saved the blankets, but now I’m all covered in dirt! I couldn’t possibly bring mud into Twilight’s library! What would that mean about our friendship?”

“I don’t think Twilight would mind much,” suggested Fluttershy.

“But I wouldn’t be at my best, and I want my best friend to know that they have the best!” Rarity explained frantically. “You wouldn’t mind taking the blankets, would you darling?”

“Well…” Fluttershy though for a moment before answering. “Sure, I’ll take them to Twilight for you.”

“Excellent darling, I knew I could count on you,” Rarity cheered while magically placing the blankets on Fluttershy’s back.

“No problem,” said Fluttershy with a smile; she was glad that she could help her best friend.

“Well, I’ll be off getting a makeover,” said Rarity. “Fresh mud is so hard to get out when it dries!”

With a final farewell, Fluttershy and Rarity left, with Fluttershy carrying the blankets while Rarity led her little sitter back home.

“It’s just a quick delivery,” said Fluttershy to herself. She was hoping that she wouldn’t be intruding on Twilight’s personal time once she got there.

Author's Note

Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 3: Struck by Magic

Chapter 3
Struck by Magic

“Hey Twilight! No, that won’t do,” said Fluttershy as she rehearsed her greeting. “’Sup Twi? No…that doesn't sound like me at all.”

Fluttershy then rested her head against the door in frustration.

“Come on Fluttershy,” she said to herself. “She’s your friend for crying out loud! True, she is an alicorn, and a princess, and Celestia’s apprentice…”

Fluttershy curled back in fright. Quite frequently, Fluttershy couldn't face the pressure of being friends with a princess who knew the supreme ruler of Equestria. She recalled the day she and Twilight first met.

It was a perfectly normal day in Ponyville. She was getting ready for The Summer Sun Celebration by rehearsing with her bird choir. During the festival, they would celebrate the end of spring and the beginning of summer, which was symbolized by the first sunrise on the first day of summer. She heard that the Princess’s apprentice would be visiting on this special day, and she wanted to impress that pony, whoever he or she was. She’d set up a little bird choir to sing a song for the event, and one of the blue jays kept singing off key. She was right in the middle of thoughtfully lecturing the blue jay when she heard somepony.
“Hello!”

Fluttershy jumped, frozen in shock, but still able to flap her wings. The pony was a unicorn, which Fluttershy had never seen before. Her mane was violet with a dash of purple and pink. Her skin and horn were bright violet, while her eyes were dark purple.

The pony apologized as Fluttershy cautiously floated down to the ground.

“I just came here to check on the music, and it sounds wonderful!” the pony exclaimed. An awkward silence followed with Fluttershy too timid to say anything to the stranger.

Finally it was broken when the pony said, “I’m Twilight Sparkle! And your name is?”

Too nervous for her own good, Fluttershy was unable to talk clearly. Twilight, unable to stand the uneasiness of the situation, decided to move on. But before she left, Fluttershy couldn't help but notice a small infant dragon following her. Losing control of herself, Fluttershy flew towards the dragon while unintentionally ramming head-on into Twilight.

The dragon had light violet scales all across his body, and green scales followed from the back of his head all the way to his tail. Fluttershy was amazed to discover that dragons had the ability to talk and began to ask it several questions.

The dragon’s name was Spike, and he was Twilight’s personal assistant. Twilight picked him up with her magic and placed him on her back. Fluttershy followed them into town while continuously asking questions.

Before she knew it, they were at the old library. Then it hit her; the Princess’s apprentice would be living at the library. It was then when she started to suspect that this pony in front of her was indeed the apprentice, but she was too distracted by the dragon to ponder on this thought for long.

Twilight turned around suddenly and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, but how did we get here so fast? This is where I’m staying while I’m here at Ponyville.”

Fluttershy eyes widened greatly. There was no doubt about it; the pony standing in front of her was indeed Celestia’s apprentice.

“And my poor baby dragon needs his beauty sleep,” she added quickly. As she said that, the dragon fell off of Twilight’s back.

“Awww, look at that,” Twilight cooed, “he’s so sweepy, he can’t keep his wittle bawance.”

Fluttershy gasped; if this pony was the Princess’s apprentice, then that meant her dragon must have the up most care. Fluttershy swooped down and scooped the dragon up into her hoofs. She tried to get Spike into bed, which was on the second story of the library, but Twilight prevented her from taking a step forward. Twilight then closed the door, bidding her goodnight.

Fluttershy waited, then calmly walked inside and started socializing with her best friend in the whole world: Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash was a bold, confident, and strong pegasus who wouldn't let anypony knock her down. She had light blue skin, and her mane and tail were covered in all the colors of the rainbow. She was well known for her stunts and daring nature.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had always been friends as far as they could remember. Fluttershy had admired Rainbow Dash for her bravery and confidence. She could never get over how the blue pegasus had always been able to save her from sticky situations, like bullies and her fear of heights.

Rainbow Dash loved being friends with Fluttershy mainly because she had no other friends of her own. Along with being brave and confident, Rainbow Dash was also a giant sluggard. She would always fall behind in the Cloudsdale Flying Academy for Beginners because she wouldn't do her homework. She was an excellent flyer, but she thought she was “too good” for homework.

“Rainbow Dash,” her coach use to scowled “How do expect to join the Wonderbolts if you just sleep in clouds all day?”

The Wonderbolts were the top flyers in Cloudsdale and were highly respected. Of course, Rainbow Dash just thought the Wonderbolts would see her awesome flying skills and be so amazed that they would just have to accept her. As a result of her pride and laziness, Rainbow Dash was held back…a lot. She soon discovered that she wasn't the only pony who was being held back, and, lo and behold, that pony was Fluttershy.

Apparently, Fluttershy would refuse to fly because she was terribly afraid of heights. Fluttershy admired Rainbow Dash for not being afraid, which was an ego-boost for Rainbow Dash because somepony was looking up to her. Usually, Rainbow Dash would take Fluttershy for granted, but one day, she saw two mean colts bullying Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash was heated up with rage. She would never let any pony treat her like that. So she swooped in and told the two colts to leave Fluttershy alone.

“Oooooh, what are you going to do Rainbow Crash?” they taunted.

There was no doubt about it; they weren’t going down without a fight, and that was just how Rainbow Dash liked it. She was ready to kick some flanks, and she knew just how to do it. She would challenge the two colts to a race. If she won, the bullies would have to apologize. If she lost, then they could make fun of her however long they wanted to. When the race began they flew with great speed, they accidentally pushed Fluttershy out of Cloudsdale.

All of the fillies and colts in Cloudsdale gathered around to see the race. Rainbow Dash, determined to win the race, flew with such swiftness that she broke through the sound barrier, and then what she did after that surprised even herself. With great strength and determination, she was able to reach the speed of light, causing an explosion of color called a Sonic Rainboom. As a result, she earned her cutie mark: a thundercloud shooting out a lightning bolt with the colors of the rainbow.

Little did she and the other fillies and colts of Cloudsdale know that Fluttershy was earning her cutie mark as well. When she fell in the outskirts of Ponyville, she was entranced by all of the little animals. She just had to care of them all! It was then that she earned her triple-butterfly cutie mark.

Fluttershy felt so much compassion for the animals that years later, she convinced her parents to buy her a cottage in the outskirts of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was devastated when she heard her best friend was moving away. Devastated, that is, until she saw a “help wanted” ad for a weather pegasus in Ponyville. Sure, it was an amateur’s job, but Rainbow Dash would do anything to reunite with her friend again.

So after years of friendship, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash found themselves at the party of the year. Soon, it was time to see the First Sunrise of the summer. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike, and all the other ponies left the library and entered City Hall to the see magnificent sight.

The sun was about to rise when something shocking happened. Purple smoke came out of nowhere, and there stood the horrifying Nightmare Moon! She announced that she had kidnapped Princess Celestia and that Equestria would be shrouded in darkness forever! As if on cue, the Summer Sun went back down, bringing the night to rule again.

The ponies were filled with shock and terror. Fluttershy was so sacred that she was desperately looking for Rainbow Dash for strength. She flew out of City Hall to see if she could find her. It took her a moment, but she finally saw Rainbow Dash following Twilight back to the library. While following Rainbow Dash, she noticed three other ponies bellow her. It seemed like they were following Celestia’s assistant as well.

After going inside the big library, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash acquainted themselves with the other three ponies: Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. They soon discovered that Twilight knew this would happen, and she was sent to foil Nightmare Moon’s plans. In order to defeat her, she needed to find the Elements of Harmony: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and a sixth element that was unknown to them at the time. According to her books, the elements were hidden in an ancient castle, which was in a dark and deteriorating place called the Everfree Forest.

The ponies gathered together and went into the forest in search of the abandoned kingdom. They faced many trials, a majority of which have been previously mentioned. When the ponies came upon a broken down bridge, Rainbow Dash apologized to bring it back up by pulling the rope on the chasm. When she was about to pull the rope, pegasi from the Wonderbolts appeared. They tempted Rainbow Dash to come and join them; little did she know that they were illusions set up by Nightmare Moon. Unfortunately for Nightmare Moon, Rainbow Dash did not give in and continued helping her new friends, thus proving her unwavering sense of loyalty.

Finally, when they arrived at the ancient castle, they quickly searched for the elements. They found five necklaces, allowing each pony, save for Twilight, to put one on. This was good, but they were missing the very last one. Nightmare Moon suddenly appeared from the shadows, intending to kill them all. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and the others used the power of the necklaces to protect Twilight. It was then that the sixth element showed itself in the form of a crown. They would later find that this sixth element was the Element of Magic! Twilight put the crown on, and with the magic of the crown, she was able to bring all the elements together and turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna.

After their triumph was over, the ponies couldn't help but noticed that each of elements resembled the shape and color of their cutie marks. When the Summer Sun rose, Princess Celestia came to congratulate them and to inform them that they were living testaments of the Elements of Harmony. Rainbow Dash’s element was Loyalty, while Twilight’s element was Magic.

From then on, they were known as the protectors of Equestria, the Mane Six, and the Ponies of Ponyville. Through many other events, Twilight discovered that she was destined to be a princess once she became an alicorn, just like Celstia and Luna. What an exciting life, Fluttershy would often think to herself.

It was then that Fluttershy realized that, through all the adventures, Twilight was still her friend, princess or not. So, with her new found confidence, she opened the door.

“Ummmm…Twilight?” she inquired bashfully.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her straight in the chest. She gave out a small screech in terror. Whatever had just hit her possessed the electrical energy of a lightning bolt. Her tail and mane stood on end. She shook with such vigor; her screech sounded more like the sound of a wild boar being slayed. With one last gasp, Fluttershy fainted.

***

When Fluttershy came to, she groaned softly. Her head was spinning, and her chest was aching. As she slowly opened her eyes, she was shocked with what she saw. There were computers everywhere making sharp, jarring beeping sounds.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh,” Twilight panicked at the sight of her bedridden friend.

“Twilight? What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked in a daze.

“Good, you’re conscious,” she said with a sigh of relief. “How do you feel? Fuzzy? Lightheaded? Tingly?”

“No I feel fine,” replied Fluttershy, despite that the statement was only half true. She did feel a bit drowsy, but she didn't want to make her friend feel any worse.

“Okay,” said Twilight. A buzzing sound became audible. Twilight rushed to the printer and took out the piece of parchment.

“Vital signs: normal. Blood pressure: normal. Brain activity: normal,” she recited as she read the piece of paper. “You sure you’re feeling fine, Fluttershy?”

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy reassured. As Twilight took off the helmet resting on Fluttershy’s head, she explained that she had been testing a new spell when Fluttershy had arrived. Apparently, the spell was to turn wood into metal, but since Fluttershy opened the door, the spell hit her instead of the door. Fluttershy blushed; she would usually knock on the door instead of barging in unannounced.

“I’m just glad you weren't turned into metal, or disintegrated like all the other stuff that I accidentally hit with my spells,” said Twilight with relief. “Come to think of it…Spike! Write this down! Mellawood Spell does not affect ponies!”

“Got it,” rang Spike’s voice from above.

“Anyway,” said Twilight curiously, “Is there something you need, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy began to tell Twilight about Rarity and how she’d assigned her to bring the homemade blankets to her so that she could choose which one she liked best.

“Spike, are there any blankets by the door?” Twilight asked.

“Let me check,” said Spike. A few seconds later Spike came back.

“No blankets, though there are some metal slabs,” he announced.

Twilight winced, knowing what the metal slabs had once been.

“Write this down,” Twilight instructed. “It appears that the Mellawood Spell may affect fabrics as well as wood. However, more tests need to be conducted in order to completely prove this hypothesis.”

“Got it!” affirmed Spike.

Twilight and Fluttershy walked up the stairs out of the lab and into the library.

“Could you, uh, let Rairty know that I’m deeply sorry for turning her blankets into stone?” asked Twilight nervously. “And tell her that, if she doesn't mind, could she send in new ones just like them?”

“Sure, it won’t be a problem,” said Fluttershy, slightly afraid of what Rarity’s reaction might be. Fluttershy knew that the possibilities could range from anger, sadness, or even just sympathy. Spike was just about to greet Fluttershy when the sound of the upstairs window opening was heard.

“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight!” cried a bold voice from upstairs; no doubt it was Rainbow Dash.

“What is it, Rainbow Dash?” asked Twilight looking up the stairs. “And what happened to using the door, like I've constantly reminded you?”

“Sorry,” said Rainbow Dash flying down the stairs, “I must have forgot. Anyway, that’s not important now. Oh hey, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy nodded her head in response.

“Anyway,” said Rainbow Dash, “you gotta come see this! It’s a new trick I just preformed that I don’t think any of the Wonderbolts have come up with yet! I call it the Front Tail Turn-Around! Come on, you guys just gotta come!”

“I can’t wait,” Fluttershy declared with glee; she was proud to see her friend so excited.

“Well, it sure sounds exciting,” chuckled Twilight, “but I have to continue practicing these spells.”

“Spells, shmells, they can wait can’t they?” reasoned Rainbow Dash.

“Well, if the fate of Equestria can wait, then sure,” quipped Twilight dryly.

“So you’re coming?” asked Rainbow Dash excitedly.

“The fate of Equestria is never going to stop,” said Twilight. “There will always be evil ponies and beings wanting to threaten this land, so until all threats are gone, then no.”

“Oh please,” said Rainbow Dash rolling her eyes. “Stop being a worry wart. You can take a break every once in a while.”

“No,” said Twilight, “I have to be ready so the evil won’t get the upper hand. Are you even listening?”

Twilight’s eye lids sunk as she saw Rainbow Dash watching a fly buzz across the room.

“What? Oh yeah, yeah,” Rainbow Dash reassured. “Uh, you’re still coming right?”

“Rainbow Dash,” huffed Twilight , “I said no, and no it is!”

“Alright, alright,” said Rainbow Dash, annoyed. “If you didn't want to go, you should’ve just said no in the first place. Come on, Fluttershy; I bet I can beat you to the hill top over there!”

With that, Rainbow Dash sped on by, forcing the books to come crashing down off their shelves and onto the floor. This left Twilight very annoyed. She didn't know what to think of Rainbow Dash. Sometimes, she was patient and understanding, while other times, she was impatient and impulsive.

“I’m sorry Twilight,” Fluttershy apologized profusely. “Do you need me to help?”

“No, you go on,” said Twilight, obviously irked. “I needed to get my spring cleaning done anyways.”

Fluttershy was going to remind Twilight that spring had ended two months ago, but realized that wouldn't be appropriate to say for this situation.

“Well, I’ll see you later, then,” said Fluttershy, leaving the library.

“Remember to go back and tell Rarity about the blankets!” Twilight reminded Fluttershy.

“Will do,” Fluttershy announced, already out the door.

As she flew past the library and to the hill where she was to meet with Rainbow Dash, she couldn't help but a feel a little fuzzy. Like something was moving up and down her legs and flank. She glanced back to see that nothing was on her and decided to dismiss the feeling as a prank her mind was pulling on her.

Chapter 4: A Simple Wish

Chapter 4: A Simple Wish

Chapter 4
A Simple Wish

Rainbow Dash sped through the clouds, she twisted her body around several times in mere seconds. She dove to the ground and flipped back upwards, heading towards the sky. In the distance, it looked like a giant blue bullet with a rainbow tail was going up and down. As a grand finale, Rainbow Dash penetrated the clouds above her and then landed roughly on the ground.

“Oh wow,” Fluttershy said with amazement. “That was spectacular!”

“I know right?” Rainbow Dash boasted with a smile. “I came up with idea when I saw Pinkie doing what she called ‘The Worm’, and I thought that it would be way cooler if it was done in the sky. I call it ‘The Front Tail Turn Around’!”

“Why not call it ‘The Sky Worm’ instead?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Well, I could call it that,” Rainbow Dash pondered, “but you gotta admit, ‘The Front Tail Turn Around’ is a cooler name.”

“I can vouch for that,” Fluttershy happily agreed. “How about we go to Sugar Cube Corner to celebrate?”

“I like that idea,” said Rainbow Dash, “I’ll race you! Winner gets to buy the looser ice cream!”

With that, Rainbow Dash took off. Fluttershy smiled; that was something she could race for. Rainbow Dash bolted, increasing in speed while Fluttershy peacefully flew at a constant rate. They eventually came to Sugar Cube Corner, where Rainbow Dash held the door so Fluttershy could walk in after her.

When Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash walked in, they found Pinkie Pie behind the counter, sulking. Without a word, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash knew something was wrong. Everypony knew that something serious was going on when Pinkie no longer felt like her cheerful self and when her hair went from big and fluffy like a cloud to long and sleek like a waterfall.

Fluttershy, being the sympathetic pony she was, spoke first.

“Is there anything wrong, Pinkie?” she asked tactfully. Pinkie gave a long sigh.

“Well, I had it all figured out,” said Pinkie in remorse. “I wanted to create a buzz, so I figured if I announced that the 100th pony to pass by here would get all the candy they wanted for free, ponies would come from miles to this place. Well, then no pony claimed their prize until the 104th pony passed by. I gave him all the candy he wanted, but it turned out he wanted all the candy in the entire store! So now, Sugar Cube corner is out of candy for the next four weeks, and it’s all my fault!”

Pinkie Pie’s face plumped on the counter.

“There, there,” Fluttershy comforted. “It could be worse.”

“But it is,” Pinkie Pie continued. “When the Cakes found out, they demoted me to counter filly. COUNTER FILLY! They said I should have let them know about my ideas before I go dashing through with them. I really thought they would be happy, but boy was I wrong.”
Fluttershy was stumped; her mind was desperately trying to find a way to help her friend in need. Rainbow Dash slowly walked up in front of Fluttershy and said:

“You know what would make us happy?”

“What?” Pinkie asked sniffing her tears back into her eyes.

“How about you get us all some ice cream,” Rainbow Dash said proudly. With that Pinkie Pie perked up, and her hair went back to its cloudlike shape.

“Alrighty! Two ice creams coming right up!” she cried with her spark of energy returning. Within a millisecond, Pinkie came back with two bowls of ice cream.

“Here ya go!” she said happily.

“Excuse me!” called out an old mayor from the far end of the counter, “Can I get some service here?”

“I’ll be right there,” Pinkie yelled before turning to her friends. “Once I get done getting this customer’s order, I’ll be right back. Feel free to sit anywhere you like, except with some random pony you don’t know, ‘cause that would be awkward, unless you guys like awkward, then it would be a-okay! Be back in a few!”

As Pinkie rushed to serve the elderly mayor, Rainbow Dash suggested that she and Fluttershy sit at the booth near the window. Fluttershy picked up her bowl with her hooves and followed Rainbow Dash to the booth. Rainbow Dash sat on one side while Fluttershy sat on the other.

While they were eating their freshly frozen desert, a group of stallions walked in. Fluttershy noticed that Rainbow Dash was looking at the group with deep concentration. She then gave a deep sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

“Nothing,” Rainbow Dash replied. “It’s just that, well, look at those stallions. I’ve noticed from above, that every evening they come here. Even when it’s raining, snowing, or just plain groggy, they always come here.”

The stallions were rambling amongst themselves; a few were laughing, and some were bro-hoofing one another.

“And they have fun. Loads of fun,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “When’s the last time we did that? Just hang out for the heck of it?”

“Umm…” Fluttershy said trying to remember.

“Exactly!” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “Rarity’s too busy making dresses, Twilight’s too busy with her studies, Applejack’s too busy with her chores, Pinkie’s too busy with her job… why is everypony so busy all of the sudden? Work, work, work!”

Fluttershy couldn't help but notice that Rainbow Dash didn't include her in her rant. Her eyes widened; was the reason Rainbow Dash didn't mention her was because she didn't want to hurt her feelings? Fluttershy started thinking about how much time she had spent with her animals. Then her conversation with Discord that morning echoed in her mind.

“You know me: the animals come first”

“And what about your friends?”

She started worrying that her need to help animals was actually an uncountable obsession that she had been taking too far. She listed the animals in her mind. She wondered whether or not she valued animals more than ponies.

“My animals are my friends too, just like you and the girls,”

She began to think that maybe she didn't mean that at all. She became terrified to know that all the time she spent with her animals was time she could have spent with Rainbow Dash. But the animals needed her as much as she needed them! Though Rainbow Dash needed her as well. Fluttershy couldn't stand the pressure of being split between two groups of friends. One part of her wanted to be with her animal friends; the other part wanted to be with her best friend.

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow Dash perplexedly, “You've been starring at your ice cream for a long time. What’cha been thinkin’ about?”

“I…” Fluttershy hesitated; was it a good idea to tell Rainbow Dash what she felt? She had to say something!
“I got to go,” she said finally, trying desperately to hide her downhearted expression, “Thank you for the desert. I really enjoyed it. Same time tomorrow?”

“You sure you’re okay, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked, now a little worried.

“Yeah I’m fine… really.” Fluttershy quickly got out of booth and accidentally bumped into Pinkie Pie.

“Oppsy daisy,” Pinkie chuckled cheerfully. “Almost had a spill!”

“Bye, Rainbow Dash, bye Pinkie. See you guys tomorrow,” said Fluttershy as she walked out of the building.

“Was it something I said?” Pinkie Pie asked, a tad bit saddened by her friend’s leaving. Rainbow Dash was wondering the same thing.

Fluttershy flew as fast as her wings could carry her. All the way, she was blaming herself for not being there for her best friend. The sorrow was building up like a blocked drain until cracks caused by the pressure of remorse made it possible for water to leak through. And so, Fluttershy was left alone. She flew back to her cottage, leaving a trail of tears as she went.

Calming down slightly, she landed on the cottage door step, and gave a deep breath. She wouldn’t let Discord see her the way she was in fear of damping his spirits as well. She opened the door, only to be sucked by some unknown force.
Fluttershy couldn’t see a thing as she felt somepony picking her up and then placing her down. There was click, and then, a warm light shone on multiple steaming trays of food. The salad then got up and formed the body of Discord.

“Welcome home Fluttershy!” it said.

With a snap of its crunchy claws, the salad changed from a leafy replica of Discord to the mischievous draconequus himself.

“I made all your favorites!” he said with a chime in his voice, “Caesar salad, fried eggplant with a side of fresh carrots, chickpea cakes with mashed avocados, and, for desert, lemon cake with white icing!”

As Discord mentioned each dish, the tray with the respected dish would walk towards Fluttershy and then elegantly plopped down once it got to her plate. Fluttershy might have been naïve, but she wasn’t stupid; she knew Discord was hiding something.

“What did you do, Discord?” Fluttershy asked.

“Nothing,” said Discord said suspiciously.

“Really?” asked Fluttershy.

“Really! You can trust me, can’t you? My dear, sweet, gracious, wonderful, ever-benevolent Fluttershy,” Discord rambled uneasily, sweat forming on his brow. Fluttershy then gave him the stare, setting him straight instantly.

“Alright, alright, alright!” Discord admitted, defeated, “I turned all the animals into household appliances so I wouldn’t have to take care of them or the housework, but I turned them all back once I saw you flying this way! Honest!”

Fluttershy released Discord from her icy glare and then sighed a heavy sigh.

“I appreciate what you’ve been doing, I really do,” Fluttershy hesitantly. “But I don’t feel hungry tonight. I’m sorry.”

Discord snapped his fingers, and the room became bright again. Fluttershy pushed her chair backward and walked towards her living room, leaving Discord dejected.

“Please, Fluttershy,” begged Discord, kneeling before her in remorse. “I didn't mean it… well, no, I sort of did, but I didn't know it would hurt you so! I’m so very sorry!”

“It’s not that,” Fluttershy reassured. “It’s something else.”

Discord appeared, shrouded by a cloud of smoke, in front of Fluttershy and transformed into a small, fluffy pillow.

“Does somepony need to snuggle?” he asked comfortingly.

“Sorry, but not tonight,” said Fluttershy, purposefully avoiding the floating, talking pillow before her. She started walking up the stairs when Discord turned back into his normal shape.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Discord asked with genuine concern. “You can tell me. I’m your friend, remember?”

Upon hearing that, Fluttershy rushed into Discord, hugging him tightly. She began bawling heavily, making Discord’s fur wet.

“You were right,” she admitted, devastated. “I do spend too much time with my animals!”

“What?” Discord asked out of loop. “What brings this up?”

“Well,” Fluttershy said hesitantly, sniffling, “Rainbow Dash told me how she wished all her friends weren't so busy all the time.”

“So she’s responsible for this? Why that, no good, selfish, little, mare of a…” Discord growled furiously, but Fluttershy cut him off.

“Well, she didn’t say anything about me specifically,” Fluttershy reassured, “but I just know she wanted to. Plus, it’s all my fault; maybe I do have too many animals to take care of. Maybe life would be better if I just disappeared.”

She then flew to her room and closed the door. Discord followed suit.

“Now Fluttershy,” he said fearful, “you’re not running away are you?”

“I might,” Fluttershy replied faintly from her room, “Everypony knows that I’m too busy with my animals, and plus you could just turn them all into whatever you want so you can relax and nopony would be the wiser!”

“Fluttershy…” Discord began guiltily, but he couldn’t find anything else to say, so he backed away. Something told him that he was only making things worse.

Fluttershy laid face down on her bed, sobbing. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to run away, but at the same time, she felt it might be for the best if she just disappeared for a few days. Her mind went back to when Rainbow Dash noticed the stallions. She began to think that maybe if she was a stallion, she could spend more time with Rainbow Dash like she desperately wanted to. They could have more fun together, have more laughs together, have more time together. Fluttershy’s sobbing began to fade as she wondered if Twilight had a spell that could turn her into a stallion. Or better yet, perhaps Zecora, a zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest, could conjure up some remedy that could do the job.

She then gave a peaceful yawn. She came to the decision that she wouldn’t do a thing until she got some rest. With a brand new day ahead of her, and a body full of energy, she could think clearly about the next step. So, with her mind made up, Fluttershy tucked herself in and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Author's Note

Happy Hearts Warming Eve!

Chapter 5: The Search for Fluttershy

Chapter 5: The Search for Fluttershy

Chapter 5
The Search for Fluttershy

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were on their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. It had been three days since they’d heard from her, and they were overcome with worry. The first day, they reasoned that Fluttershy was spending a day with her animals, since some days she could spend up to 24 hours with them. The second day, they reasoned that she must have gone on a trip, and she’d forgotten to tell them. But in the middle of the night, Twilight woke up with a start and realized that it wasn't like Fluttershy to leave without telling anypony. So, on the morning of the 3rd day, Twilight got the whole gang together to check up on Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash was by far the most worried of them all, though she promised herself not to show it. Ever since she saw Fluttershy bolt out of Sugar Cube Corner three days ago, she could not help but come to the conclusion that it was somehow her fault. She’d originally figured that the next day, Fluttershy would've just told her what had been troubling her, but unfortunately, she never showed up. She waited when the next day came, but nopony had seen her. Ever since then, Rainbow Dash had been on pins and needles because she thought Fluttershy was mad at her, but she didn't know why. It wasn't like Fluttershy to hold grudges, it wasn't like Fluttershy to disappear without a trace, and it wasn't like Fluttershy to straight up leave Ponyville because she was mad. But still, the possibilities seemed frighteningly real to Rainbow Dash.

So for the entire morning, Rainbow Dash had her hoofs crossed that she and her friends would find Fluttershy live and well. When they finally arrived at the door step of Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight knocked on the door.

“Fluttershy!” she yelled. “Can you please come down? We haven’t seen you in a while, and we just want to make sure you’re alright.”

Unfortunately, however, Twilight was met with no reply. Not even the faint sound of a pony walking on the floor or going down the stairs could be heard.

Rainbow Dash flew upwards to Fluttershy’s bedroom window. Everything was neat and tidy inside, but Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

“Doesn’t look like she’s in her bedroom,” Rainbow Dash announced to the group.

“Maybe she’s out feeding the chickens,” suggested Applejack.

“But wouldn’t she have heard us and responded in some kind of way?” asked Spike.

“Well she might want to finish feeding the animals first,” offered Rarity.

“Okay,” said Twilight taking up the role of the group’s leader. “Here’s what we’ll do: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and I will search around outside, and Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike can search the inside. If any of us fisnd Fluttershy, we’ll let each other know by yelling ‘We've found her’. Got it?”

“WE’VE FOUND HER!” yelled Pinkie Pie as loud as she could, causing the nearby trees to rustle. “How was that?”

“Pitch perfect my darling, pitch perfect,” Rarity complimented.

“Alright ponies,” said Twilight, “spread out.”

And so they did; Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike walked inside the cottage, while Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack stayed outside and proceeded to look around. After a couple of minutes, Applejack made a shocking discovery.

“Twilight, you might wanna come see this!”

Twilight rushed over to Applejack, who was near chicken coop.

“Just take a look at this,” Applejack said pointing to the coop’s pen. Twilight didn't see anything strange; just a bunch of roosters and only one hen.

“So?” asked Twilight, wondering what the problem could be.

“Well it just ain’t practical to have a bunch of roosters together with only one hen," Applejack commented. “Granny always told me that it’s best to have more hens then roosters so that they won’t kill each other over the same hen.”

“Maybe Fluttershy is just a bad farmer?” Twilight proposed.

“She might not be a farmer,” replied Applejack, “but she’s definitely an expert on animals. At least enough to know that having more roosters than hens in your coop is just asking for trouble.”

“Huh,” Twilight said in response, shrugging. She and Applejack then quietly resumed their search for Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash flew right in between Applejack and Twilight, and darted towards the chicken coop. She remembered inviting the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” to Fluttershy’s cottage many times in the past to hang out and goof off. One of the games they would always play was hide-and-seek, and one of the best hiding spots would be the chicken coop. Chuckling to herself, Rainbow Dash lazily peeked into the big wooden box, expecting to find hay, wood, and a few eggs scattered about. Of course, that’s exactly what she saw, along with a big, strange lump near the far center of the coop.

Rainbow Dash couldn't make out its exact shape, but it looked like a silhouette of a pony cowering in fear.

“Hello?” Rainbow Dash whispered curiously. The silhouette looked up and turned its head towards her. It stared at her with its big sea blue eyes that eerily resembled those of her friend Fluttershy. The pony took a deep breath, and then took another. By the sound of the pony’s heavy breathing, Rainbow Dash was able to conclude that it was a stallion that she was looking at.

Suddenly, her mind sparked into action. A stallion in Fluttershy’s chicken coop could only mean that he knew about what happened to Fluttershy. Or worse, he could have been part of a plot to pony-nap her poor friend.

With a sudden jolt of adrenaline, Rainbow Dash bolted into the coop, grabbed the stallion by the neck, and slugged him outside. It all happened so fast that to Applejack and Twilight, who were firsthand witnesses of their friend’s bold action, it looked like Rainbow Dash had pulled out a spinning, screaming, yellow-and-pink ball out of the coop.

Still holding on to the stallion’s neck, Rainbow Dash pushed forward, and the stallion hit the back of a nearby tree. Rainbow Dash breathed in heavily, locking eyes with the trembling figure beneath her. A tear rolled down his face, but he didn’t make a sound.

“Who are you, and what have you done to Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

Applejack and Twilight rushed over to Rainbow Dash to see just what she had discovered.

“Rainbow Dash, please,” the stallion finally whimpered,” I… am…”

He then gave out a small mumble that none of the ponies could understand.

“Who are you!?” Rainbow Dash demanded a second time. With a deep breath, the stallion finally said, with words that rang through each of the pony’s ears:

“I am Fluttershy!”

Chapter 6: A Discovery

Chapter 6: A Discovery

Chapter 6

A Discovery

The three mares stood in disbelief. They looked at the stallion, baffled. It was all they could do. He didn’t look anything like Fluttershy. He was tall, and he had a short mane, a short tail, and a square chin. The stallion looked up at each of them, hoping that they would believe him.
Rainbow Dash was pondering the stallion’s words carefully. Suddenly, she was overcome with a sudden sensation. Breaking the tension, Rainbow Dash rolled on the ground and started laughing. Twilight and Applejack were utterly confused, while the stallion’s eyes were full of fear and worry.

“Help!” Rainbow Dash shrieked in merriment, “I can’t breathe… it hurts… my stomach!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said in disapprovingly.

“Come on Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said after getting over her fit of laughter, “Even an egghead would know that the real Fluttershy is a mare!”

“But I am Fluttershy,” said the stallion shyly. Rainbow Dash walked towards the pony and looked him straight in the eye.

“Prove it!” Rainbow Dash demanded. The stallion put his head down, utterly terrified.

“This is my home, and I take care of the animals,” he said, hoping the ponies would believe him.

“Big whoop!” said Rainbow Dash, “Everypony knows this is Fluttershy’s house!”

The stallion gave out more facts that sounded like things the real Fluttershy would know, but Rainbow Dash was still not convinced.

Minutes passed until the stallion gave out a sorrowful sigh.

“It’s hopeless,” the stallion announced, close to tears.

“Then why are you trying to convince us that you’re somepony you’re not?” Rainbow Dash growled bitterly.

“Because I am Fluttershy,” the stallion pleaded in a quiet scream.

“Alright, alright!” Applejack interjected, “Break it up you two.”

She then glanced at Twilight.

“Twilight, do you know what we should do?” she asked.

“Well…” Twilight said, thinking it over before looking at the stallion again, “Tell me about something that only the real Fluttershy and I would know.”

“Ummmm…” said the stallion hesitantly before having a sudden, startling realization, “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I meant to tell Rarity about the blankets, but I just forgot, I’m so sorry!”

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked observing the stallion ever so closely.

“That’s what I've been trying to tell you guys this whole time,” said the stallion with a sigh.

“But, if this is the real you, then how did you become like this?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know,” said the stallion desperately.” I just woke up like this.”

“Why did you hide from us?” Twilight asked, intrigued and a little hurt.

“Well…” the stallion began when Pinkie’s voice boomed through the cottage.

“GUYS!” she yelled urgently. “We haven’t found Fluttershy, but you might want to check this out!”

“We better go see what it is,” suggested Apple Jack.

“Alright Pinkie, we’ll be right there,” Twilight yelled in reply. She then turned back to Fluttershy and said, “You can answer my question on the way. Come on, let’s go.”

As they walked to the cottage, Fluttershy explained to them why she had been hiding. Since the change had been so sudden, she was afraid of what might happen next. That, and she was afraid of how they would react. So in fear, she hid in the most seclusive spot she could think of: the chicken coop. While she was talking, Rainbow Dash was examining her from head to tail. One part of her kept telling her that this was really Fluttershy, but another part refused to believe such a notion.

The part telling her it was Fluttershy was listing all the fun they could have together. They could race all around Ponyville, and Fluttershy would be one of the first stallions that wouldn’t mind if she did something “un-marely”. The other part, however, listed all the dangers that the mysterious stallion could bring. He could be a changeling or somepony else who wanted to ruin the good name of the Mane Six.

Both Applejack and Twilight kept this danger in mind as well. If it turned out that this stallion was just using them, it was still in their best interest to act like they believed him, at least for the time being. This was changeling Applejack, who had begun figuring out ways to explain herself if Fluttershy asked whether she trusted her or not. As Pinkie held the door open for them, they walked inside cautiously.

“Who’s this handsome stallion?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly after noticing Fluttershy.

“Believe it or not, that’s Fluttershy,” Twilight answered for Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie eyed the stallion very closely and said, “Yep that explains it,” before closing the door.

“What did ya’ll find?” Applejack inquired.

“Come up here and see,” yelled Rarity from the upper level of the cottage.

“You won’t believe it!” added Spike. Twilight rolled her eyes; Fluttershy’s transformation into a stallion was unbelievable by itself. What more could there be?

The five ponies walked up the stairs and stopped next to Rarity and Spike, who were standing next to Fluttershy’s bathroom door.

“Who’s this oddly charming fellow?” asked Rarity staring at Fluttershy.

“It’s Fluttershy,” Twilight answered again.

“Fluttershy?” Spike asked in curiosity, “No way!”

“Well that would explain it,” Rarity said, mirroring Pinkie’s reply.

“That’s exactly what…” but before Twilight could finish her sentence, a loud, pleasured moan came from the door.

“Oh look at you,” said the voice, “So smooth…mmhhhhhhhh…ahhhhh-and….ooooooo… elegant. My, my, my, I can definitely work with this…”

The voice sounded dry and raspy, but at the same time, it was skin-prickling smooth that it could give anypony the chills. With Fluttershy’s permission, Twilight slowly opened the door. The ponies peeked in and went pale with shock. The whole room was covered in white goop, like someone had taken a giant fire extinguisher and sprayed it all across the room until there was nothing left uncovered.

Off to the side, there were two legs that, oddly enough, reminded the ponies of Discord. Suddenly, a head popped out of the white slush. It was like Discord’s, except it was rounder and smaller than Discord’s, and it also had eyelashes and a gray mane. Its body was skinnier and had more curves than Discord’s as well.

The towering creature gave out a long, contented sigh and said, “I love being a female!”

Twilight’s mind sparked, it all made sense now.

“Discord!” Twilight yelled with anger.

“The one and only,” he said jubilantly. “Though I’m thinking of changing my name, how does Mistress Discana sound to you?”

“What the hay is all of this stuff?” asked Apple Jack.

“Why, it’s ice-cream! A girl can never have enough,” Discord answered in his new monotone, feminine voice.

“ICECREAM!” Pinkie Pie yelled before diving in.

Out of the pile of the frozen treat came a tiny little rabbit.

“Angel Bu-” Fluttershy was about to say before realizing that the rabbit looked nothing like Angel Bunny. Its tail was too puffy, and its cheeks were rosier than Angel’s. She deduced that it was a female rabbit, and Fluttershy knew that Angel Bunny was a male. But any doubt that it was, in fact, Angel was shattered when his signature expression of sheer disapproval formed on the rabbit’s shapely face.

“Is that really you?” Fluttershy asked. The rabbit shook its head in approval.

“Discord! Turn everything back to normal, NOW!” demanded Twilight.

Discord gave a sneaky smile.

“You don’t think I’ve already tried?” Discord asked, amused, “Besides, why would I? I’m having too much fun…horsing…around.”

His grin grew ten times wider, showing off the glint in his sharp teeth.

“Discord!” Twilight growled.

“Fine,” he said crossing in his arms. With a huff he snapped his fingers, and to the ponies’ surprise, nothing happened.

Twilight was still not convinced, and Discord knew this. With a snap, extra hands covered his entire body and snapped together in unison, but still nothing happened except that all the extra hands disappeared.

“See,” Discord said,” I told you so.”

“This doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight confessed in defeat. She had no idea how to explain or fix any of this, a situation which she despised.

“Twilight?” Apple Jack cautiously, “Remember when Trixie came to town and you made it look like we swapped genders? Is there an actual spell for something like that?”

Twilight remembered clearly all the times Trixie had visited Ponyville. The first time the unicorn came to town, she would show off her magic just for show, making Twilight a little bit jealous. But, when an Ursa Major threatened the town, Trixie was too scared to use any of her magic. Luckily, Twilight was able to the Ursa Major back where it came from. Ever since then, Trixie had an ever-growing grudge against Twilight.

That grudge grew so large, in fact, that during one of her later visits, Trixie had stolen a special magical amulet, and used it to banish Twilight and rule over Ponyville with an iron hoof. Luckily, Twilight was able to get back into Ponyville and deceive Trixie into trading her amulet for a fake one.

One of the tricks was “transforming” Applejack into a stallion. However, it wasn’t actually Applejack, but her big brother, Big Macintosh, disguised as her. The charade worked, and Trixie traded the magic amulet for the fake one. Her excitement was short lived, however, when she discovered that the new amulet wouldn’t work. Twilight revealed it to Trixie that it was an all an act to get the amulet back, and she was shocked and dismayed. She apologized to Twilight, her friends, and all of Ponyville for her behavior, and she promised not to harm them again. And that was the last time any of the ponies had ever seen Trixie.

“Yeah, I remember that,” Twilight said with a sigh. “But those weren’t even spells; those were, just little illusions that I’d thought up on the spot.”

“Does that mean I’ll never change back to normal?” Fluttershy asked, worried.

“Why?” Discord asked resting his palms on Fluttershy’s back, “I think you’re deliciously stunning just the way you are.”

Fluttershy’s back shivered, which was odd. She never felt this way to Discord before. What was going on?

“Plus,” Discord pondered thoughtfully, “I haven’t seen you for three days! Back from your little trip?”

“Trip?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh yes,” Discord said, nodding his head and removing his dainty little hands from Fluttershy’s back, “She came back one day, reduced to nothing but tears, and said that maybe life would be better for her friends if she’d just disappeared! Well, I thought she actually did disappear, and that was when I noticed this…luscious…and…”

“Ahem,” Twilight interrupted, “Your point?”

“Oh,” Discord said, snapping from his self-hypnosis. “Well, I thought she actually did disappear, and now she’s back.”

“What was troubling you?” asked Rarity.

“Nothing really,” said Fluttershy, not really wanting to tell the long story. Plus, she didn’t want to make Rainbow Dash feel guilty for what she’d said three days ago.

“Where did you run off to?” Applejack asked with concern.

“Nowhere, really,” Fluttershy said nervously.

“Ah, ha! I got it!” Twilight said with start, “Maybe there is a gender-swapping spell; it’s just that I’ve never come across it in my studies.”

“I know what that means,” Spike said chipping in, “To the library!”

“To the library,” Twilight confirmed. Without a moments delay, Twilight went out of the bathroom and was followed by her friends outside of the cottage. It was going to be a long day for Twilight and the crew. But researching and finding new spells was what Twilight loved best.

Chapter 7: Unknown Magic

Chapter 7

Unknown Magic

Twilight opened the door with her magic horn and led all of her fellow friends inside. She was determined to find out what had happened to Fluttershy and see what she could do to turn her friend back to normal. Once she saw that all of her friends were in the center of the room, she cleared her throat and said:

“Spike and Rainbow Dash, go to the magic section and bring every book about spells, incantations, and remedies to me.”

“I’m on it,” Rainbow Dash said as she placed Spike on her back.

Twilight was about to say fly slowly, but she had learned over the years that Rainbow Dash was anything but slow. She then looked at Discord and gave a small growl.

“Discord, I want you to teleport all of my lab equipment from the basement to here,” she ordered.

“I don’t know…” Discord said rolling his eyes to one side.

“Discord!” Twilight said, agitated.

“Alright I’ll do it,” he said, “but you’ll have to pay a price.”

“Discord, we have no time to fool around!” Twilight pleaded.

“Guess your lab will have to stay in the basement then,” he said crossing his arms. Twilight gave out a huge groan.

“Fine, what do you want?” she asked impatiently.

“Say, ‘Discord is the most stunning creature I have ever seen’ in the sweetest voice possible,” he said proudly. Twilight was boiling inside. She had no time for his juvenile charades, but if it meant turning Fluttershy back to normal, she would have to grit her teeth and go along with it.

So, swallowing her pride, she said in the sweetest way she could, “Oh my, Discord is truly the most stunning creature I have ever seen!”

Discord gave a soft giggle.

“Oh, Twilight,” he said pretending to blush, “I had no idea you had such feelings for me.”

“Ditto,” she said under her breath, “now teleport my lab up here!”

“Right-ey oh!” he said, but right before he snapped his fingers, he asked:

“Just to clarify, do you want the entire basement to appear here, or do you just want the lab to appear here? Or do you want this room and the basement to switch places?”

“I just want my lab to appear here,” she snarled. She didn’t flatter Discord’s ego and bite her lip for nothing. With a snap of his fingers, all of her lab equipment appeared, seemingly unharmed. After Twilight checked each object to make sure Discord didn’t leave any surprises, she took some of the electrical equipment and plugged them into the nearest outlet.
While she was doing so, Rainbow Dash flew back holding a ton of books in her arms while Spike, still on her back, was carrying as many as his tiny hands could muster.

“Here ya go,” she said before dropping them on the floor. The sight of the books hitting the hard wooden floor made Twilight jump in fear. She quickly used her magic to safely place the books in a neat, organized, group on one of the lab tables.

“Next time, please be careful,” Twilight said despite knowing that Rainbow Dash would just forget the next time. After Rainbow Dash landed safely on the ground, Spike gave Twilight his books so she could organize them into the group.

“Now we can get started,” Twilight said.

“How long will this take?” asked Applejack, “’cause I’m promised Granny that I would be cooking lunch this afternoon.”

“I’m afraid I will have to go as well,” said Rarity. “I have an appointment with the mayor in the afternoon.”

“An appointment with the mayor?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. She wants to come to my shop so she can approve my designs for this year’s Ponyville Ball,” replied Rarity.

“Ugggg!,” Twilight said slamming her head on the lab desk. She just remembered that she’d agreed to be in charge of the firework show at the ball, “How could I’ve forgotten? It’s next month, right?”

"This weak, actually,” Spike corrected.

“Ummmm…,” said Fluttershy hesitantly cutting in, “I don’t mean to interrupt your conversation, but can we get started soon?”

“Yes,” said Twilight thinking that the Ponyville Ball would just have to wait. “First, I’m going to test your physical health by checking your vital signs. Will one of you kindly sit down in this chair?”

The chair was made out of wooden boards that were connected by wraps of iron. On top of the chair was the metal helmet Fluttershy recognized from the last time it was on her head. On each arm set there were metal cuffs, each one able to slide easily and lock in place. One look at those metal cuffs made Fluttershy’s face to turn pale.

“Why can’t we just use the helmet?” Fluttershy gulped.

“Well, I need a more thorough examination this time,” Twilight answered.

“Discord can go first,” Fluttershy said fearfully.

“Why, thank you, dear. How gentle-coltly of you!” said Discord. He slithered into the chair, and Twilight began to clip the iron wraps onto Discord’s claw and paw. When Twilight snapped each one in place, Discord gave a gasp of shock that melted into pure ecstasy.

“I think I can get use to this,” he said giving a slick smile.

Twilight turned on the computer, and Discord started squirming and giving out loud moans. But he didn’t seem to be in any pain; in fact he was enjoying the experience moment by moment.

“Could you please calm down,” Twilight growled, “you’re messing the process up!”

“My apologies,” said Discord while smiling in pleasure, “I’ll try to control myself. The keyword being try.”

After what seemed like hours, Discord finally calmed down, and Twilight was content. Two minutes later, Twilight, turned the machine off, ripped a long piece of paper with a squiggly line graph out of the machine, and opened the iron wraps.

“To think, I was just enjoying myself,” Discord grumbled under his breath.

“Alright Fluttershy, you’re next,” Twilight announced.

Fluttershy looked around the room to see if her friends were ready to force her to sit in that death trap of a chair.

“Don’t worry Flutters,” Discord said, brushing his claw against her back. Fluttershy felt her spine begin to tingle. Why was she feeling this way?

“Well…” she said hesitantly, “Alright.”

She fearfully walked to the chair and cautiously sat down. Twilight snapped the two iron bars over her hooves, making Fluttershy gasp in fear. When Twilight turned the machine on, Fluttershy started squirming in sheer terror, unlike her draconequus friend.

“Calm down Fluttershy,” Twilight said patiently. “It’s alright. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Fluttershy took deep breaths and tried to calm down as best as she could. Once the process had finished for the second time, Twilight collected the second graph and let Fluttershy go.

“See! I told you there wasn’t anything to be afraid of,” Discord cried jubilantly.

“Now what?” asked Applejack.

“Now I compare these readings with recorded readings from the average Pegasus,” said Twilight, letting some of her scholastic pride show through.

“But what about Discord?” asked Spike. “You don’t have any books about him.”

Discord snapped his feminine fingers, and a big book appeared.

“Here you go! Vital Readings for a Normal Draconequus,” he recited proudly.

Twilight used her magic to take the book from Discord and went to find her book about normal vital readings of a Pegasus. After comparing the results with the data, Twilight announced her conclusion.

“Well, Discord’s and Fluttershy’s vital readings are normal,” she proclaimed, “that covers the physical aspect of things.”

“What’s next?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.

“Now for the magic test,” Twilight replied. Her horn lit up, and her magic surrounded Discord, making him shiver in delight

“Oooooh,” he said, “I feel…”

And then, suddenly…zap! Streams of white and black lights flashed, and Twilight found herself flying not forwards, but backwards. Seconds sped by when suddenly, Twilight hit her flank on a piece of wood and landed on a hard surface.

Her vision went foggy for a little while, but she was soon able to hear the groans of all her friends throughout the room. Once her vision became clear, she asked, “Is everypony okay?”

“What the hay was that?” screamed Applejack, who had her legs firmly planted in a shrubbery pot lying on the floor.

Pinkie Pie popped her head out of a book shelf.

“It was like some sort black and white explosion!” she screamed. “It was like….booommmm! And then it was like…kazapppp!”

“We know, Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash, flying back into the room with a branch in her mane, “we all saw it.”

“MY MANE!” Rarity shrieked from Twilight’s bedroom.

Discord snapped back into existence. Twilight was somewhat disappointed to see that Discord had not changed back. She’d really hoped that that blast of magic would have helped.

“Jeeze Twilight,” Discord said, pretending to be appalled, “you’ve certainly let this place go.”

“Discord,” Fluttershy scolded in her stern-but-soft masculine voice as she came from the kitchen entrance. Discord mumbled to himself as he shrunk down to half his original size. Twilight started taking roll to see if everypony was still there.

“Where’s Spike?” she asked after noticing his absence. Suddenly Spike’s scream could be heard outside of the library.

“AHHHHHH NOT THE BEES!” he screamed. “ANYTHING BUT THE BEES!”

The front door was pushed open. Spike sped into the room and quickly slammed the door in front of an angry mob of honey bees.

“What happened?” Spike asked, frantically catching his breath. “First I’m standing here, then suddenly, I’m lying next to a broken beehive!”

“You poor thing,” said Fluttershy said with concern, which made Discord grumble some more.

“Awwww, why do dragons have all the fun?” Pinkie asked, feeling disappointed.

“I don’t know Spike,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve never experienced this type of magic before.”

“You mean we’ll be like this forever?” asked Fluttershy.

“Only until I can figure out what type of magic was used on the both of you.” Twilight said regretfully.

“Which will take how long?” asked Applejack curiously.

“Unknown magic can be a dangerous and sensitive thing,” Twilight replied gravely. “I’ll have to do some more tests and research to figure out how it works. Fluttershy, did the hens turn into roosters before or after you hid in the chicken coop?”

“Ummmmm…” Fluttershy pondered hesitantly. “I’m sorry, I really wasn’t paying attention.”

“Great,” Twilight said with a groan. “Until I know what we’re dealing with, you two will stay here.”

“What?” Fluttershy and Discord asked in unison.

“Who will take care of my animals?” asked Fluttershy.

“Who will wreak havoc while I waste away in this…” said Discord before getting a glare from Fluttershy to shut up.

“I’ll take care of the animals,” Applejack nobly volunteered.

“And I’ll wreak the havoc!” Pinkie Pie said smiling gleefully.

Rarity walked out of Twilight’s bedroom completely unaware of what was going on.

“Sorry it took so long,” Rarity apologized, “but I had an emergency to deal with. By the way Twilight, I haven’t seen my blankets anywhere in your room. Is there something you need to tell me?”

Twilight was about to tell her when there was a knock at the door.

“Princess Twilight!” a deep voice said, “The Mayor of Ponyville would like to see you.”

Twilight sighed.

“Alright,” she called back. “Fluttershy, make sure Discord stays here. I mean it! I want you to make sure that his butt doesn’t leave this place.”

“Got it,” said Fluttershy semi-confidently.

“I’ll see you ponies later,” Twilight said as she opened the door and was greeted by the mayor’s top security stallions, all of them ready to escort her to city hall.

The mayor’s security guards opened the door to City Hall. Twilight followed a buff security guard named Brunch Taste to the mayor’s office. As they walked onwards, Twilight was reminded how the place looked like it was once a theater, with one or two balconies popping out of one wall and another group of balconies on the other.

Twilight and Brunch walked through the curtains and were greeted by a door with a glass window on it. On the window were words that read “Mayor of Ponyvile: Mayor Mare”

The stallion opened the door and motioned for Twilight to walk inside.

Mare’s office was everything Twilight expected to see in a politician’s office. A large book shelf resting next to the left side of the wall, a grandfather clock ticking the corner, a potted plant in the other corner, a picture of Mayor Mare hanging on top of it, and a wide desk filled with papers and pens in the center. In the picture, there was a pony with a curly gray mane and tail, blue eyes, a white collar with a dark green ascot sticking out, and paper thin glasses with a yellow rim.

Twilight carefully looked at the desk, only to see that there wasn’t anypony sitting there. Before she could ask questions, Brunch slammed and locked the door. A couple of seconds later Twilight heard a deep voice.

“Twilight,” it said, “don’t be afraid. What you’ll see may shock you.”

Then a head popped out behind the desk. The head was like Mare’s, except it was narrower, and the mane and tail were shorter. Based on observation, Twilight knew exactly who she was looking at.

“Mayor Mare?” Twilight asked, frightened.

“It’s me,” she said sorrowfully. “I don’t know how it happened, but I just woke up like this.”

“Oh no,” Twilight replied.

“Oh no, is right,” Mare said sulking her head, “but I know you can help.”

“I think I can,” Twilight responded, “because two of my friends are going through the exact same thing. I just have to do some more tests and…”

“But how am I supposed to attend to the Ponyville Ball looking like this?” Mare asked desperately. “They’ll think I sent a stand in, and you know what they’ll think next? Everypony will think that I don’t care about their local events! Can you imagine how that will look when I run for reelection? That’s why I need your help now, Twilight.”

“Sure,” said Twilight realizing she would have to work double time not only find a quick cure, but also to work on the magical fireworks.

“Ummmm… the Ponyville Ball is this week, right?” Twilight asked.

“Why, it’s only two days from now,” Mare replied.

Suddenly, Twilight’s confidence completely shattered. Two days? Two days? Only two days? Why didn’t she listen to Spike? Why did she have to be so involved in her studies? Why did she have to be so absent minded?

“Are you alright princess?” the mayor asked with concern.

“No, no, no,” said Twilight about to break, “Ummmmmm…I’m alright. Don’t worry, I’ll have your cure in no time.”

“Thank you Twilight. You’re such a good princess,” the mayor said honorably. “I’ll be sure to repay you once this is over.”

“Sure, when this is over,” Twilight said feeling the pressure of the mayor’s words sink into her frazzled mind. “Well, I’ll be going now. Don’t want to waste anytime…”

“Heaven knows we don’t want that,” said the mayor in agreement. She then pushed a button, and Brunch unlocked and opened the door for Twilight.

Two days?! Ha! I can do this! Twilight thought to herself, despite knowing that deep down, that she couldn’t.

Chapter 9: The "Great and Powerful"

Chapter 9

The "Great and Powerful"

Twilight was running through Ponyville, trying to get to the market. She just came back from reading her spells and incantation books. She wanted to see if combining spells could change her two friends and the mayor back. Spike rested on her back, holding a list of items.

Her mind was so busy on trying to find a cure and figuring out the firework situation that she didn’t see the stallion right in front of her. With a big “thwwummmp,” she hit the stallion head on. The stallion, Twilight, and Spike fell on the ground with a loud thud.

After a few seconds the stallion yelled at the top of his lungs, “Why excuse me! Who do you think you…”

He paused. Twilight looked up. The stallion was looking at her in awe. He was a unicorn with light blue skin, silver colored wavy hair, purple eyes, and was wearing a bright violet cape with stars and crescent moons that was held together by a pink emerald.

“Princess Twilight!” he said, amazed, and lowering his voice, “I am so sorry, I should have watched where I was trotting. Here, let me help you up.”

“No, no,” Twilight said getting up without the stallion’s help, “I was lost in thought; I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I insist,” the stallion replied, “please accept my apology.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do.”

“Alright, I accept your apology.”

Spike stood up and looked at the stallion with an odd expression.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the stallion apologized, “In the hustle and bustle I forgot to introduce myself.”

With that, the stallion cleared his throat and said in a dramatic voice, “I am the great and powerful Trixter! A professional in awe-inspiring magic, traveler of lands near and far, and the most dashing stallion in Equestria!”

“If you say so,” Twilight replied.

“I don’t say so,” Trixter corrected, “I know so. In fact, my magic has dazzled Princess Celestia herself! I’ve been as far as Yakyakistan! Not to mention, I have beautiful mares in every town, city, and village!”

“That’s nice…” Twilight said, uncomfortably, but the stallion wouldn’t let her finish.

“But oh, Princess Twilight,” he replied, “there is no signal mare who compares to you.”

“I’m flattered,” Twilight said, trying to leave.

“In fact,” he continued, “Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“Ummm…” Twilight ponder. No stallion had ever asked to have dinner with her before. But then she realized, how could she go on a date with some random stallion she never knew?

“What’s it to you, bub?” Spike asked defensively.

“I was asking the princess,” Trixter clarified, “not her dragon.”

“Well…” Twilight replied, “I appreciate the offer, but I’m really busy. Maybe next time. Now if you don’t mind, I really need to get going.”

“But,” Trixter said confused, “any other mare would swoon if I asked to have dinner with them!”

“In case you haven’t notice,” Spike said, sitting on Twilight’s back, “Twilight is no ordinary mare.”

Defeated, Trixter stood and watched as Twilight and her assistant walked off in the distance.

“Stupid mare!” Trixter exclaimed under his breath, then his facial expression twisted to the left.

“Trixter…” he said in a hoarse whisper, “I thought you said you were ‘great’ and ‘powerful!”

“I am!” he assured himself, twisting his face back to where it originally was. “I am great and powerful…I am Trixter! The one and only!”

“And yet…the princess trots away from you. Why is that?”

“She’s just stubborn!”

“For your sake, I hope you’re right!”

“I just need a new plan. A new angle. There must be some way I can get to her.”

“Hi!” said Pinkie Pie appearing out of nowhere. The stallion screamed and jumped back.

“Who, what?” he exclaimed.

“My names Pinkie Pie,” she announced, “what’s yours?”

“Trixter,” he replied, still bewildered.

“Do you talk to yourself a lot?” Pinkie Pie asked nonchalantly.

“Sometimes,” he replied, still confused.

“I do, too!” she exclaimed before saying in a dark voice, “No, we don’t!”

Then, awkward silence followed. Pinkie was smiling and staring at Trixter, who was starting to feel a little squeamish by the pony’s presence.

“How much of that conversation did you hear?” he asked curiously.

“Well…” Pinkie Pie said, “First you said ‘Stupid mare!’ then you said ‘Trixter…I thought you said you were great and powerful!’ then you said ‘I am, I’ am the great and powerful…I am Trixter! The only one!’ then you said…”

“I get it,” Trixter said not wanting to hear her talk anymore, “So what do you want?”

“I want to help you get to know Twilight better!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “She always wants to get know other ponies and make new friends!”

“Oh, really?” Trixter smiled. “Please tell me more.”

Listening to Pinkie Pie babble about Twilight’s history was a small price to pay for the big payoff he had in store.

Author's Note

Edited by ParodyAndDarkfall

Chapter 1: Fluttershy's Cottage

Chapter 1
Fluttershy's Cottage

The moon sank slowly into the distance, while the sun began to rise like it did since it was made. Rays of light shone down upon the little cottage just outside of Ponyville, home to Princess Twilight Sparkle. The cottage yard, surrounded by bird houses of all shapes and sizes, looked like it was being eaten by the landscape. In the backyard, there was a chicken coop, an apiary, several dog houses, and a pig pen. Within the chicken coop, the head rooster woke up like it usually did and walked out of its little nest to perform his daily morning ritual. It gave out a loud cockle–doodle-doo, and that was just enough to startle the mistress of the cottage, Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was a quiet pony, who mostly kept to herself. When she would try to speak her mind-a very rare occasion indeed-she would be stuck trying to find the right words to ensure that no pony would be offended.

Another, more obvious quality of Fluttershy’s was that she had a fondness for all creatures. Her passion for these creatures gave her great joy because it allowed her to share her love and be loved at the same time. But of course, she was also considerate for other ponies too; always helping them in any way she could, as well as just being an all-around, kind-hearted pony.

Once, she traveled with her best friend, Twilight Sparkle (a unicorn who, at the time, had just moved to Ponyville) on a quest to rid Equestria from the wrath of an evil princess named Nightmare Moon. While on the journey, they were threatened by a menacing creature with the body and head of a lion, teeth like a shark’s, and wings like a bat. This terrifying beast was known as a manticore.

Before slaying the beast, Fluttershy, being observant as she always was, noticed a big thorn in the monster’s paw. She gently pulled it out, and the beast became as tame as a kitten. Once the sinister Nightmare Moon was destroyed, Fluttershy received the magical element of kindness for bravely helping the innocent manticore.

Fluttershy’s life was never the same after that; she went on missions for Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria. She faced off against dragons, shape shifters, and dangerous foes who wanted to see nothing more than Celestia’s downfall. After countless quest, her friend Twilight eventually grew wings and became a well-known princess. It was a very exciting life for our dear Fluttershy, but if you asked her yourself, she would tell you that she prefers a simple, quiet life over one of thrills and adventure.

When the rooster crowed, Fluttershy told herself that it would be today’s only excitement. She stretched her hoof up and got out of her nice, comfortable bed, hoping to spend a peaceful day with her friends and animals. After making her bed, she walked down the stairs to get a bag of chicken feed for her chickens.

She picked it and suddenly a creature appeared with a faint poof! The creature stood about five feet tall, with the face of a goat, an antler of a dear, body of a snake, the paw of a lion, the talon of a hawk, the leg of a lizard, the leg of a hawk, and a mighty dragon’s tail. This mishmash of an obscenity went by the name of Discord.

Discord’s history is convoluted at best and unknown at worst. He just showed up out of nowhere one day and attacked Equestria. What made Discord different from any other threat, however, was that he could literally bend space in time with simply the flick of his wrist. He strived to make everypony’s life a living nightmare, making houses float and rendering the laws of gravity completely useless. Things got so chaotic that Princess Celestia, alongside her sister, Princess Luna (who would later become Nightmare Moon), turned the foul beast into a statue. However, it wasn't long until Discord broke free from his stone prison and resumed his reign of tyranny and chaos over Equestria. He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for the help of a very special somepony named Fluttershy.

Through her compassion and kindness, she was able to befriend the beast, making him promise to only use his powers for good and not for his own enjoyment. Ever since then, Discord lived for Fluttershy’s friendship and, for the most part, he had kept true to his word. He still got a kick out of causing some chaos now and then, but with one stare from Fluttershy the joke was all over.

Discord gave out a loud yawn and said “Good morning, Fluttershy.”

“Why, good morning to you too, Discord,” said Fluttershy in a relaxed tone. Just then, Discord’s stomach morphed into a mouth with sharp teeth. It gave out a loud ROAR just before morphing back into its original shape.

“Sorry about that,” Discord apologized. “I am COMPLETELY famished! Why, I’m starving to death!” He then proceeded to fall down to the ground and explode into a pile of bones.

“Not now,” informed Fluttershy. “First I have to feed the chickens, then the pigs, then the otters, then the…”

“But what about me?” exclaimed Discord’s skull, his jaw flapping up and down.

“If you’re that hungry, why don’t you just feed yourself?” asked Fluttershy. At this, Discord transformed back into his original form and groaned.

“Because that would make sense!” he replied, exasperated.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes; he used this excuse all the time.

“Well don’t worry,” she said very calmly. “Once I feed the animals, I’ll make us both some breakfast.”

“Well, all right,” said Discord sluggishly. “Today I would like my usual; a two slices of french toast, with strawberries on the side.”

“What happened to the ten layered waffle sponge with cantaloupe on the side?” asked Fluttershy, amused.

“Just trying to be unpredictable, that’s all,” he shrugged. “See you in a bit, my busy bee!”

With a twitch of his fingers, Discord disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Fluttershy would never get over Discord’s spontaneous personality. Shaking her head, she picked up the feed, placed it on her back, and headed for the door.

Right when she about to open the door, she heard a small thumping sound. She turned her head to see a little white rabbit with crossed hands and a face of pure impatience. This little white fuzz ball was Fluttershy’s pet, Angel Bunny. His name was rather deceiving, though, as he could be anything but angelic at times.

“Good morning. Angel Bunny!” greeted Fluttershy.

Despite her warm greeting, the rabbit was still not amused. Aware of his attitude, she said in a peaceful tone, “You must be hungry too, right?”

The rabbit nodded its head and rubbed its belly, which gave an expected growl.

“Well, you’re going to have to wait,” said Fluttershy. “First, I have to feed the chickens, then the pigs, then the cows, and then…”

Angel Bunny fell face first into the floor, groaning.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to you soon enough,” Fluttershy reassured.

She went outside and called out each chicken by its name. One by one, they came out of their spacious chicken coop, which Fluttershy herself had made. Once all of the chickens poured out from the chicken coop, Fluttershy lined them up and poured a reasonable amount of chicken feed in front of each hen, chick, and eventually, the head rooster.

“Eat up now,” Fluttershy cooed. “We need to get those bones and muscles big and strong!”
When each chicken finished their morsels of breakfast, they went about their normal routine. The chicks would wander off in several directions, and the mother hens would be in quick pursuit. Meanwhile, the rooster strutted about, proclaiming his authority by flirting with all the hens in the group.

Next, Fluttershy went back into her cottage to grab the food for the pigs. Unlike most pig owners, Fluttershy believed that pigs deserved better than garbage and slop mushed together. So each day, she would cook a fine meal for the pigs, and then she would use the garbage as compost for the garden.

Unlike all the other animals living with Fluttershy, though, the pigs couldn’t care less about what they were given to eat. As long as their stomachs were full, they were happy.

After she gracefully and carefully placed the pigs’ dinner into the feeding troth, Fluttershy went to feed the cows. Experience had taught her that cows prefer everything to be even, fair, and balanced, so every day she would make sure they were all given an equal amount of hay.

Once Fluttershy finished feeding all of the farm animals, she started taking care of all the other mammals who took sanctuary in her cottage. From the aardvark to the wolverine, she fed them all.

Then, she started feeding all the rest of the birds, from the abert’s towhee to the zone-tailed hawk. To Fluttershy, feeding the birds was the easiest part because all she had to do was to put a large amount of bird seed on the ground, and the birds were content.

After feeding her feathered friends, Fluttershy went back into her cottage and started working on making breakfast for herself and Discord. While Fluttershy diligently cooked the French toast, Discord appeared in a puff of smoke right next to the dinner table.

“Well, it’s about time!” Discord said in a huff. “I haven’t had anything since midnight!”

“Sorry about that,” Fluttershy replied. “You know me: the animals come first.”

“And what about your friends?” Discord asked cocking an eyebrow.

“My animals are my friends too, just like you and the girls,” Fluttershy remarked. “Furthermore, I think if you were my friend, you would have helped me feed the animals.”

“Well… I…” Discord said in a stutter. “I had more important things to do.”

“Like what?” asked Fluttershy grinning.

Oh you know, thinking… and plotting… and… stuff,” Discord explained.

“Right, sure,” Fluttershy replied patronizingly.

Once the four slices of toast were done, Fluttershy picked up the pan with her mouth and dropped two pieces of toast onto two plates she had placed on the table beforehand. One plate was for her, and the other was for Discord. Then, she elegantly placed the two plates on her back and walked to the dinner table. Discord was waiting with agitation, due to his supposed hunger. When she got to the table, she leaned to the left and the plates slid from her back onto the table.

Discord’s eyes beamed with joy, and he happily gobbled down the two pieces of sugary bread. Meanwhile, Fluttershy got her fork and knife and politely enjoyed each piece.

Halfway through the meal, Fluttershy cleared her voice and announced “I’ll be going to the PonyVile market to buy some more clams for the otters. I also need to get supplies for the pig pen. While I’m gone I want you to take care of things.”

Discord jaw fell off his face and onto the ground. After scooping it back up, he asked in a stutter “M-M-M-ME?”

“Yes, you,” said Fluttershy matter-of-factly. “I haven’t seen you do anything ever since last Tuesday!”

“I was…plotting and thinking…,” he claimed, trying to be convincing. “You don’t expect the Master of Chaos to work all day, do you?”

Fluttershy had no choice now; it was time to use her secret weapon, her legendary ice cold stare. It was known throughout all of Ponyville that just one angry stare from Fluttershy could make any evil villain repent for their sins and beg for mercy. Fluttershy’s stare pierced Discord’s heart, and his face drooped down.

"Fine.” he replied quietly, admitting defeat. “I’ll take care of the animals while you’re away.”

Fluttershy blinked and smiled victoriously upon realizing that her notorious stare had won yet again.

“Then it’s settled,” she declared. “I’m off to Ponyville! Here’s the list. Please make sure everything is done by the time I get back.”

Fluttershy handed Discord the list, and with one glance his eyes jumped out of their sockets.

“It’s not that bad,” Fluttershy said reassuringly.

Discord stretched his arm downwards, picked up his two eyeballs, and placed them back into his face, sighing heavily.

“Fine,” he said in a huff. “I’ll make sure to follow everything to the letter.”

“Good,” said Fluttershy proudly. “Then I’m off!”

When Fluttershy closed the door to the cottage, she gave a sigh of relief. Normally, she would have caved into Discord’s rebellion, but fortunately, her past experiences had taught her well.
She walked over the small bridge, admiring the calmness of the small moat, the songs the birds were singing, and how the bright sun shined on the trees and grass. It wouldn’t be long until she passed through the peaceful and quiet sanctuary of her home into the robust streets of Ponyville.

Author's Note

I want to thank my friend and editor Emily Ayers. :)

Chapter 8: Chores at the Cottage

Chapter 8: Chores at the Cottage

Chapter 8

Chores at the Cottage

Applejack had just finished lunch with her family. She told them about everything that happened that day. Her little sister thought it was quite odd, her big brother, Big Mac, stood in silence as he usually did, while her grandmother, Granny Smith, babbled on about how this never happened before. Applejack and her family could only hope that Twilight could find a breakthrough.

“Well, I better get going to Fluttershy’s cottage,” said Applejack after she excused herself from the table.

“Can me and my friends go with you, big sis?” Apple Bloom asked excitedly. “we could see if we can get cutie marks in animal care.”

“I don’t see why not,” Applejack replied, it just warmed her heart to see her little sister helping out. "if it’s okay with you, Granny.”

“Don’t you worry now about us,” she replied with a spark, “me and your big brother can hold the fort here while you two are gone.”

“Thanks, Granny!” Applebloom said, giving her grandmother a hug.

Applejack and her little sister agreed that they would meet at Fluttershy’s cottage in twenty minutes. Apple Bloom rushed towards Rarity’s house and told Sweetie Belle about the plan. With an “Okay” from Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom went on the search for Scootaloo.

Since Scootaloo never stayed in the same spot for very long, the two fillies would have to search all over Ponyville to find her. Sometimes Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle would call her out using her nickname “Chicken.”

Luckily, however, there was no need to resort to that. They found her at Twilight’s place staring into the window.

“Hey Scootaloo,” said Applebloom, “What cha lookin at?”

“I’m watching Rainbow Dash talking to a stallion,” Scootaloo replied.

Scootaloo adored Rainbow Dash; in fact, she was the president of her fan club. It was her can-do attitude and her coaching that caught Scootaloo’s adoration.

pplebloom and Sweetie Belle trotted and looked into the window.

“Oh that must be Fluttershy,” Applebloom replied.

“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo questioned.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear?” Applebloom asked.

“Fluttershy has been turned into a stallion!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“How did that happen?” Scootaloo asked skeptically, “You guys aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”

Before Applebloom and Sweetie Belle replied, Rainbow Dash bolted out of the tree. They all watched as Rainbow Dash flew in the distance. With that Scootaloo took off, trying to catch up with her hero.

“Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed, “Wait up!”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other before following Scootaloo’s hoof steps.

Scootaloo followed Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy’s cottage, where Applejack was already taking care of the animals in her absence. The front door was wide open. Rainbow Dash floated to the ground and rested her hoofs firmly on the ground. Before she could say a word or trot inside the cottage for that matter; she was interrupted by Scootaloo’s cries.

“Rainbow Dash…is…true…about…Flutter…shy?” Scootaloo panted.

“Whoa, there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “Take a breath and say that again.”

After taking a deep breath Scootaloo asked, “Is it true that Fluttershy has been turned into a stallion?”

“It’s true,” Rainbow Dash confirmed.

“Told ya so,” Applebloom yelled out in the distance.

“How?” Scootaloo asked impatiently.

“We haven’t quite figure that out yet,” Rainbow Dash explained, “Twilight won’t let her leave the library, so that’s why me and Applejack are helping out taking care of her animals.”

“Can I help out?” Scootaloo asked.

“That’s what we were going to ask,” Sweetie Belle said beside her friend.

“But you took off before we could explain,” Applebloom replied.

“Girls, girls,” Applejack said from the back of the cottage. “All of ya’ll can help out.”

The three fillies cheered in merriment. Rainbow Dash trotted into the cottage, and saw that Applejack was overburden with different sacks of animal food.

"You got the list?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Got cha covered!” Applejack replied, taking out a slip of paper out of her hat.

“What can we do, sis?” Applebloom asked eagerly. Before she could reply, Rainbow Dash snatched the list out of her hoofs.

“You girls can... brush the grizzly bear’s teeth,” Rainbow Dash said looking at the list.

“What?” Applejack exclaimed in disapproval.

“Don’t worry, he’s a pussy cat,” Rainbow Dash said, trying to assure her friend.

“I thought you said he was a grizzly bear,” Sweetie Belle cleverly remarked.

“I meant he wouldn’t harm a fly,” Rainbow Dash said to Applejack, who was unconvinced. “Listen AJ, you know that all of her animals are pretty tame, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Applejack sighed, realizing that she did have a point.

“Well…do you girls want to brush the teeth of a grizzly bear?” Applejack asked the fillies.

“It sounds exciting!” Scootaloo exclaimed, “I’ll do it!”

“Me too!” Applebloom shouted.

“Me three!” Sweetie Belle cried out.

“Well, have at it then,” Applejack said in a sigh, “But be careful, ya here?”

However, the three fillies didn’t here Applejack’s warning as they took off cheering. Applejack went back to the animal food that she had organized and picked up bucket of slop for the pigs. Rainbow Dash picked up a bag of chicken feed for the roosters and the hen.

“So…” Rainbow Dash said while following Applejack outside, “...say Applejack I have a question.”

“Go ahead and ask it,” Applejack replied.

“What do you and Big Mac do for fun?” she asked.

“Well…” Applejack said with a start; she was never asked a question like that before. “…we enjoy pitching in with the farm work, bucking apples together, helping each other out, celebrating at special events together, having fun in special activities together, and that’s pretty much it. Why?”

"Well it’s just that…” Rainbow Dash started to explain, “I always had these ideas of what would I do if I had a stallion as a friend. Like having a race, seeing who could make it rain the heaviest, or seeing who could slurp down their milkshake the fastest. But I wasn’t expecting that stallion to be Fluttershy. I don’t know if she’ll kindly reject my ideas for fun, or what.”

Author's Note

Chapter edited by ParodyAndDarkfall