Chapters From one to a million in a second
Author's Note
Just a warning, the title of this chapter is a heads-up as well... especially the end of this chapter.
From one to a million in a second
“Be careful what you wish for”
Morning came to Equestria, and everypony was ready for another great day.
Too bad Ponyville is notorious for its off days…
Twilight was snoring in her bed, she was dreaming of books and fun stuff with her friends.
As she snored an annoying brightness hit her face.
“Ngh… nooo,” Twilight put the pillow over her face to smother the waking world away.
As she continued to snore under her pillow she went back to dreaming about tomes, scrolls, rare books! She continued to dream about-
“TWILIGHT!” Spike opened the door loudly.
“AAAAHHH!” Twilight tumbled out of her bed in a flail of hooves and a blanket.
“Twilight? You okay?” Spike asked.
“Yeah… maybe knock a little quieter next time,” Twilight said untangling herself from the blanket.
“Sorry, but you told me to wake you for the-” Spike said but Twilight finished.
“Biggest study session, I know,” Twilight said as she trotted towards the door “I’d be happy if I got a few more hours of sleep, turn back time maybe?” Twilight said… before she suddenly tripped and landed on her bed.
Suddenly her eyes opened and she looked outside to see it was nighttime again, not to mention Spike had vanished.
“Spike? Where are you?” Twilight asked… was that all a dream? “Weird,” Twilight said before shrugging and going back to sleep.
As Twilight rested for another few hours she felt the sun on her face.
“Ugh… alright I’m u-” Twilight sat up… only for Spike to slam the door open, just as loud as before.
“TWILIGHT!” Spike opened the door loudly.
“AAAAHHH!” Twilight tumbled out of her bed in a flail of hooves and a blanket.
“Twilight? You okay?” Spike asked.
“Yeah… maybe… knock a little quieter next time?” Twilight said as she sat up and untangled herself from the blanket.
“Sorry, but you told me to wake you for-”
“Spike… didn’t we already do this?” Twilight asked confusedly.
“What do you mean?” Spike asked.
“I swear we already did this?” Twilight said.
“You're having Deja vu or something?” Spike asked.
“I think so…” Twilight said.
“Weird, well it’s time to wake up, I got breakfast set up,” Spike said before walking away.
“Ok, I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes,” Twilight said before getting up and getting her toiletries in order.
Using the bathroom, brushing her teeth, brushing her mane.
“Alright, now to-” Twilight suddenly vanished into thin air.
And reappeared downstairs.
“-Get moving before…. Huh?” Twilight looked around and saw she was downstairs “How did I-... did I accidentally teleport?” Twilight was confused.
“Alright, I better get moving before she… Twilight?” Spike said in surprise when he got midway down the stairs.
“Spike?” Twilight said.
“Were you so eager you teleported down here?” Spike asked as he got down from the stairs.
“I didn’t mean to teleport… this is strange,” Twilight said.
“Well, we need to get to work soon. Let’s eat. We still have lots of orange juice, right?” Spike asked.
“Yeah, I think so” Twilight guessed, following him into the kitchen.
Spike opened the fridge and suddenly a waterfall of orange juice flowed out of the fridge.
“Whoa!” Spike exclaimed as he saw the juice spill all over the floor.
“What the?!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Um… I was hoping for orange juice in a bottle… not filling the fridge,” Spike said looking at all the soaked food.
“Oh no, that hayburger I was saving is soaked now…” Twilight said in dismay.
“How did that even happen?” Spike asked getting the mop out of the closet.
“I have no idea, but I hope this can be cleaned up soon,” Twilight said… before noticing the floor wasn’t wet anymore “Wha?” Twilight said.
“What?” Spike asked before noticing the floor was clean “How- Did you just poof the orange juice away?” Spike asked.
“No, I don’t know how that happened,” Twilight said honestly.
“You have to have, how else did that happen?” Spike asked, putting the mop away.
“I… I don’t get it, how did that happen?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight, something is going on, are you feeling alright?” Spike asked.
“I’m not sure… let’s just get breakfast out,” Twilight said, before trotting out of the kitchen.
“Alright! Pancake time then!” Spike cheered as he followed Twilight out.
“Or a fruit bowl, you do need to eat healthier,” Twilight joked.
“Nah, eating healthy is for health nuts,” Spike chuckled.
As they made their way out of the castle and over to a small diner that served breakfast she saw Rarity already there.
“Oh! Rarity’s here!” Spike hurriedly swept back his spines.
“Spike,” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Hi Rarity!” Spike said shyly.
“Oh! Hello dears, what brings you here?” Rarity asked.
“I’ve been having the weirdest day,” Twilight said.
“Do tell,” Rarity said gesturing to the table across from her.
“Mine!” Spike sat in the seat next to her.
“Spike, chill out,” Twilight said sitting as well.
Not two seconds after Twilight said that a heap of snow fell on Spike.
“Ah! Cold!” Spike exclaimed.
“Spike!? Are you okay?” Twilight dug him out with Rarity’s help and Spike sat up.
“How did snow fall on me?! It’s spring!” Spike said in bewilderment.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said looking up and seeing no clouds above them.
“I can see what you mean by a weird day, piles of snow falling from the sky in spring? Unheard of,” Rarity said.
“C-can I have a hug? Very c-cold!” Spike shivered.
“Sure dear,” Rarity hugged Spike close and he sighed happily and he smiled like he was in heaven.
“Better?” Rarity asked.
“Ooh yeah,” Spike said happily. This made Twilight sigh, as he was letting his crush on Rarity make him act weird again, and so she muttered something to herself.
“I really wish he’d get over her…” Twilight muttered.
Suddenly Spike’s eyes widened and he coughed into his hand before getting back in his seat.
“Um, thanks,” Spike said casually.
“Huh?” Twilight said, looking surprised, he was no longer giving her googly eyes, he suddenly seemed disinterested…. What?
“So, do tell, what is happening today?” Rarity asked.
“Well… it’s complicated… if only you knew what’s been happening lately…” Twilight said.
Rarity suddenly shook her head and looked confused.
“Rarity? Are you okay?” Twilight asked.
“Yes… I… it’s odd, suddenly I know what you have been doing all day,” Rarity said.
“You do?” Twilight said.
“The orange juice-filled fridge, the extra hours of sleep, the juice cleaning itself up, how do I know this?” Rarity asked herself.
“....Okay, I need to know, what is happening?!” Twilight asked “All this random stuff? It’s you Discord, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.
"Nope, not to my knowledge," Discord said.
“AAAAH!” The three exclaimed in surprise as the lord of chaos floated there.
“Hmm? What's the surprised looks for?" Discord asked.
“I asked for you to show up, I didn’t think you actually would,” Twilight said.
“Are you messing with us?” Spike asked.
“What? No, I’ve been jamming on my xylophone all morning when I smelled something unusual in town... so I came here personally to see what is happening,” Discord said.
“Then how did everything that's happened today, happen?” Rarity asked.
“I don’t know,” Discord shrugged.
“Well, better Discord showed up, maybe he can help me get to the bottom of this, I need to know before something terrible happens in Ponyville, or likely something bad is going to happen in Ponyville, I need-” Twilight said… before rumbling occurred and they all stumbled out of their seats.
“Whoa! What the?!” Spike cried.
“What’s happening?!” Twilight exclaimed.
“There!” Rarity cried out and they looked where she was pointing and they saw what looked like a giant hydra tearing through town.
Ponies everywhere were panicking and fleeing as the hydra chased them.
“When did a hydra get here?!” Spike exclaimed.
“We gotta do something!” Twilight said before Discord stopped her.
“Evacuate! I have this,” Discord said before he flew out and grew to giant size to confront the hydra.
“You heard Discord! We have to get out of here!” Rarity said and Twilight nodded and they ran off.
As they ran for cover they saw Discord blasting the hydra with chaos magic.
“How did this happen!? Well at least it’s only one hydra, if there were more I’d-” Twilight said… before she was cut off as another hydra tore through a building and glowered down at them.
“Me and my big mouth!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Another!?” Rarity cried.
“We have to run!” Spike cried and they fled away from the hydra as it snapped at them.
“Twilight!” Pinkie cried and Twilight turned to see her galloping over to them.
“Pinkie! We need to evacuate! There’s hydra’s everywhere!” Spike cried.
“I know! It’s some kind of hydra invasion!” Pinkie cried.
“Hydra invasion? Pinkie, don’t be-” Suddenly it’s as though an earthquake was shaking the whole town and Twilight and the others turned to see at least fifteen other hydra’s charging into town.
“WHAT THE?!” Twilight cried.
“It is a hydra invasion!” Pinkie cried.
“We need to alert the guard!” Twilight cried as they fled back towards the castle.
A stallion tried to follow them to safety but a passing hydra gobbled him up and chased them.
Pinkie paused and loaded her party cannon before shooting the hydra, but it tanked it and swatted her aside.
“AAAH!” Pinkie cried as she flew through a window in a house.
“PINKIE!” Twilight cried.
“Twilight! We have to go!” Spike cried.
“B-but Pinkie!” Twilight said but the hydra nearly stepped on Twilight and she decided she had to run as the hydra chased her.
They fled inside the castle and barricaded the door rapidly.
“Twilight! W-what do we do?!” Spike cried.
“We need to alert the guard and Princesses! Spike take a message and send it!” Twilight cried.
“I’m on it!” Spike said and he ran off… only for the ceiling above him to crumble and fall on him.
“SPIKE NOOOO!” Twilight cried.
“Twilight! I need help!” Spike cried as he was buried up to his waist in rubble and a hydra poked its head in and went for him.
“NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Twilight shot it in the face with magic as Rarity ran over to help Spike.
The hydra roared and reached a hand through a window and grabbed Twilight before throwing her out of the castle.
“AAAH!” Twilight cried as she hit the ground, she looked up and saw hydra’s everywhere, ponies getting hurt, Discord was being overwhelmed by hydra’s, and she was helpless, she looked back at the castle and heard Rarity and Spike screaming from inside as the hydra attacked them.
“No…” Twilight fell down and sobbed, why did this happen?... what can she do.
“I want to wake up and this all be a horrible dream…. Please…. None of this happened!...” Twilight sobbed uncontrollably, she looked up to see the carnage…. And saw the headboard of her bed instead.
“....Huh?” Twilight said before looking around and seeing her room.
“What?... I-It was a dream?” Twilight asked taking a few panicked breaths and sitting up.
She looked around and realized… it was a dream…
“That was a dream after all… just a dream… whew!” Twilight fell on her back and sighed in relief “Thank goodness, I thought I-”
“TWILIGHT!” Spike opened the door loudly.
“AAAAHHH!” Twilight tumbled out of her bed in a flail of hooves and a blanket.
“Twilight? You okay?” Spike asked.
“Wh-wha? Wait, that happened in the dream too! What?....” Twilight looked shocked.
“What happened?” Spike asked.
“...Spike… I need to send a message,” Twilight said.
“No need,” Twilight turned and saw Discord floating there.
“D-Discord?!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Why are you here?” Spike asked entering.
“Yes… I suppose I should have seen this coming,” Discord said.
“Discord… something’s happening to-” Twilight’s mouth was held shut.
“It’s best you not talk, quiet your thoughts too, just to be safe,” Discord said.
“Mmmh! Mmmhhh!” Twilight tried to open her mouth.
“Listen! Don’t say anything! Got it?” Discord said.
“Mhmm…” Twilight said nervously and he let go of her mouth.
“Discord, what’s happening?” Spike asked.
“...Her power has awakened,” Discord said.
“Her power?” Spike wanted clarification.
“You don’t remember it because she made it all a dream, but it seems she does, since it was her dream,” Discord said.
“What do you mean?” Spike said.
“....Twilight… this is going to be hard to hear…. So… be ready…” Discord said.
“?” Twilight tilted her head.
Discord a deep breath and said it.
“I’m your real father..." Discord said.
….
…….
..…….
………..
“................WHAT?!” Twilight exclaimed.
Discord was checking his watch.
“Alright, you can continue,” Discord said, looking to Twilight, who seemed to be still processing what Discord had told her.
“...Discord, this-” Twilight began to say but Discord shushed her.
“Listen, don’t say anything, or it’ll happen, say this instead, ‘Spike knows what I’m about to say and will say it for me,’” Discord said.
“Why?” Twilight asked.
“Just do it!” Discord whispered harshly.
“Ok ok… ‘Spike knows what I’m about to say and will say it for me,’ ” Twilight repeated.
Suddenly Spike’s eyes widened and he looked at Twilight.
“Whoa… how… how did you do that?” Spike asked.
“What-”
“Do you mean? Is what you're about to say,” Spike said as if on impulse.
Twilight’s eyes widened.
“Discord… what is happening?” Spike asked for Twilight.
“I told you…” Discord said looking like he’d wished this could have happened later.
“You're not my dad. Stop messing around with us Discord!” Spike said, and Twilight glared at Discord.
“I’m not lying…” Discord said.
“I don’t believe you! I can’t believe you’d try to mess with me in a serious situation like this!” Twilight said through Spike.
“I’m not lying Twilight! I am your father, the Sparkle household is not your real family,” Discord said.
“LIAR! I KNOW MY HISTORY! Besides, you were imprisoned my whole life, care to explain that?” Twilight asked through Spike, expecting this to reveal the trick.
“Because I met your mother before my imprisonment!” Discord blurted out, before pausing, wondering if he should have said that.
“...I still don’t believe you, and if you aren’t going to be honest with me than I have to investigate on my own,” Twilight said through Spike and she stood up and began trotting away “Spike you don’t have to talk for me anymore,” Twilight said with her own mouth.
“Thanks,” Spike said as he followed her away.
“....” Discord sighed and teleported away and he reappeared right in front of the one he was looking to for advice.
“It’s me again… I told her, but the poor girl doesn’t believe me, what should I do?” Discord asked what was in front of him.
A statue of a regal mare.
“I have to find a way dear… you did what you had to in order to protect her, but now she doesn’t believe what’s in front of her eyes… what do I do Dawn Treader?...” Discord asked the statue forlornly.
Twilight trotted out of the castle with her head held low.
“Darn it Discord, joking at a time like this, like hay he’s my-” Twilight paused remembering that she currently has the power to warp space with her words and so she quieted..
“Yeah, although he did seem sincere,” Spike said.
Twilight just shook her head no at this and continued on.
“So, what now? Maybe just wish you didn’t have this power anymore?” Spike asked.
“Hmm, ok, I wish I didn’t have this power anymore,” Twilight said.
A few moments passed and they glanced around.
“Did it work? Try something,” Spike asked.
“Hmm…. there’s a bunny in front of me?” Twilight said as an example and a bunny appeared and ran off.
“Darn it! I said I don’t want these powers!” Twilight said “There’s two bunnies now,” Twilight said and two more rabbits manifested.
“Looks like that idea’s out,” Spike sighed.
“How… what is happening?!” Twilight said looking distressed.
“Easy now, one wrong word and we could end up in trouble,” Spike said.
“Ok ok,” Twilight shut her mouth and trotted on ‘There has to be a solution… maybe I should get the princesses here?’ Twilight thought… before suddenly Celestia and Luna fell onto her.
“AAAAH!” Twilight cried as she was buried under the two.
“What in the name of the sun?!” Celestia exclaimed at the change in environment.
“How… how did we-” Luna looked down and saw Twilight buried under them “Our apologies,” Luna said getting off of her.
“Seriously? Thoughts too?!” Twilight said as she was helped up.
“My dear student, what is the manner you summoned us? I sensed no magic,” Celestia asked sounding baffled.
“I… have a paper and pen…” Twilight said and suddenly two manifested in her hooves.
“Huh?!” Both the princesses exclaimed at the fact she summoned something without magic.
Twilight hurriedly scribbled something and hoped nothing would happen so she showed it to the two and they read it.
“I can’t speak, or something will happen!” The note said.
“...Explain,” Luna asked.
“...” Twilight raised a brow.
“Through paper, we meant,” Luna clarified.
Twilight wrote down “I’ve been having a weird day, I have been causing reality rewrites left and right and just with my words! Something has happened to me, and Discord was no help,” Twilight said through the note.
“This is troubling… so that dream was just another reality rewrite?...” Luna said outloud.
“Hm?” Twilight wanted clarification.
“You had a dream last night, it was about hydra’s right?” Luna asked.
“Mmhmm,” Twilight nodded.
“Then time is of the essence, we must get you where you cannot cause any harm accidentally,” Luna said.
“If we go back to Canterlot there will be even more ponies in danger,” Spike said.
“Then where?” Luna asked.
“Why not ask the one who knows what is happening?” Discord asked as he appeared.
“Discord?... You know what is happening?” Luna asked.
“I don’t just know, I am the reason,” Discord said.
“Then undo it,” Celestia said.
“I can’t,” Discord said.
“Why not?” Celestia said.
“Because this power is a natural extension of her being,” Discord said.
“What do you mean?” Spike asked.
“It would be easier if Twilight knew everything, Twilight, say ‘I know what is happening to me,” Discord said.
“Why?” Twilight said.
“Just do it… I didn’t want to use the absolute but I have no other way of convincing you you are my daughter,” Discord said.
“Daughter?!” Celestia and Luna exclaimed.
“Fine, if it’ll prove you wrong, ‘I know what is happening to me-’” Twilight said before she froze and her eyes widened and her eyes dilated.
“Twilight?” Celestia cautiously asked.
When her eyes undilated she stumbled back shaking her head.
“N-no… It… can’t be true!, Discord is my dad?!” Twilight exclaimed.
“What?!” Everypony else exclaimed.
“Yes,” Discord said.
“I-it’s a lie, I say it’s a lie!” Twilight said, but the alien memories remained.
“When it comes to altering things about me, it won’t work, you ensured that a long time ago,” Discord sighed.
“No…. I… I…” Twilight looked faint and then passed out.
“Twilight!” Spike exclaimed trying to shake her awake.
“The shock must have been too much for the poor girl,” Discord said.
“Discord… we need answers…” Celestia said.
“Very well, but let’s leave the public area first,” Discord said, picking Twilight up and walking away.
“Very well,” The princesses said following Discord.
Twilight woke up with a groan.
“Ugh… my head…” Twilight sat up and looked around but Discord magically sealed her mouth.
“Mmmh?!” Twilight grunted.
“I had to prevent you from affecting others at the moment, listen,” Discord said.
“....” Twilight looked up at him looking lost.
“I get that what you’ve heard is shocking but it’s true, I wouldn’t lie about it, I told Sunbutt and Moonbutt, and then sent them on their way, and now I’m telling you, so listen up,” Discord said.
“...” Twilight sat back as he began his tale.
“Looooooong ago, before Celestia and Luna were even on the throne, there was… a lovely pair of unusual… back then, there was much more stigma towards non-ponies. I was a dragon named Black Garnet… and my wife was a pony named Dawn Treader… neither of us shared the hostile sentiments our fellow dragons and ponies felt, we… loved eachother… we had conceived to show our kinds that coexistence was possible… but neither side was pleased to see what we had given birth to, in the end, a mob was sent to lynch Dawn Treader, and through allowing herself to be taken, she narrowly saved you,” Discord let a tear slip loose “I fled with you and cursed ponykind for taking her from me… so I tapped into a power that I should never have to get my revenge,” Discord said.
Twilight looked like she was still struggling to believe him, but she continued listening to him.
“I chose to unleash a powerful eldritch entity named Kath’ Eol…. I pleaded for power to avenge my wife, in exchange, I gave him thirty innocent ponies to sate his hunger…” Discord said looking ashamed.
Twilight looked horrified.
“Whatever you want to say to me, go ahead… it’s nothing compared to what I wish to say to myself…” Discord said “Afterwards he granted me the power of chaos… little did I know, he snuck an extra gift to you, the power of the absolute… essentially, anything you declare, happens, and when you said you wanted the ponies who lynched your mother dead, they all simultaneously suffered heart attacks, we both took advantage of this and began to terrorize the lands, but as you continued to use your power… it began to corrupt you, and one day you used it against me, when I tried to make you stop, and that’s how I became like this, and in the end you felt guilty and made it so i’d be immune to your power…. Then you saw how many ponies you hurt, and felt a moment of clarity, so you chose to state this…” Discord said before looking at Twilight “‘I will be reborn in a new age, without my memories, and when my dad sees me… he’ll know,’ then like that, you vanished… I know why you did it, but it still hurt to lose you… until now,” Discord said.
“....” Twilight could move her mouth again, but she was still in shock, he wasn’t lying… she could tell…
“....You can speak to check if what I said was a lie, but I think you know by now,” Discord said.
“...Why didn’t you-” Twilight began but Discord beat her to the punch to avoid any alterations.
“I didn’t tell you originally because you wouldn’t have believed me, and I was so roiled by sorrow and madness at the time… I stopped caring… but now that I’ve been made to reexperience the magic of harmony, I finally realized… I didn’t have to go at it alone… after that, it became a case of, do I tell her or don’t I?... Now that your powers have manifested, I supposed it was time I lay it all out,” Discord said.
“.....I have an idea…?” Twilight said and one manifested in her head “I can speak normally, without anything happening, as long as my right hoof is raised,” Twilight said.
“I suppose that’s in the realm of the absolute,” Discord said.
Twilight raised her hoof.
“I have a hat on,” Twilight said and no hat manifested “Ok, it worked, finally I can speak normally… now I can say this… ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Twilight shouted surprising Discord.
“What?” Discord asked.
“My whole life…. And that is my origin… a child granted power by an eldritch source that tormented Equestria? And you are my real father…. I… I need time,” Twilight said getting up and leaving.
“Twilight-” Discord said trying to stop her but she sped up.
“NO! Leave me alone!” Twilight said as she vanished around the corner.
“...That went better than I thought at least…” Discord sighed.
Twilight staggered around and she went up to another room full of couches in the castle.
She sat down and relaxed her hoof.
“How do I respond to all this… how?...” Twilight said looking at a picture of her and her family.
Only in her mind's eye, all of them are replaced by Discord.
“NO!” Twilight knocked the picture over with her hoof.
“....I… need to…” Twilight raised her hoof “Get my head on straight, even if what Discord said is true… it doesn’t mean I have to cater to it… I know who my family is!” Twilight said with determination before lying down and taking a rest.
Author's Note
Who's ready for problems to arise?
Twilight woke up hours later feeling refreshed, but still unsure given what she just heard from Discord.
Regardless she had a duty to figure this out.
And so she trotted downstairs and saw Spike in the library, sorting books.
“Where’s Discord?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know, he left looking sad, shouldn’t we think of telling the family… you know…” Spike gestured with his hand.
“No, they can’t know, what if they…” Twilight paused and then decided to raise her right hoof to prevent any events from happening “Freak out, or reject me? Or freak out and then reject me?! I can’t handle that,” Twilight said.
“Twilight, you know them, they won’t reject you because you're their real daughter… also why are you raising your hoof?” Spike asked.
“I made a condition that prevents me from warping reality if I raise my right hoof,” Twilight said.
“That’s good,” Spike said as Twilight set down her hoof so she could trot to a door.
“I wish I had an idea on how to help,” Spike said.
“Me too ,” Twilight blurted out without thinking and she paused and whirled to Spike whose eyes flashed for a second.
“Ah!” Twilight raised her hoof again.
“Hey… I just got a great idea!” Spike said.
“A… good one?” Twilight asked nervously.
“Why don’t you use your powers to help others, we could be the good samaritans of Equestria,” Spike said.
“...That is a good idea,” Twilight admitted. “But what if I mess up? What if I say something and destroy everything,” Twilight asked.
“What's the other solution? Tie your muzzle shut? Live as a hermit forever? Put yourself in a magic sleep forever?"
"I, I hadn't thought of that, what if my thoughts in my DREAMS effect things too?!"
"Twilight, calm down! You're not gonna make things better by freakin' out! Look, lots of ponies would think the powers you already had were freaky. Remember the Want-it-need-it spell?"
“Yeah?” Twilight nodded, admittedly ashamed of that memory.
"Well, you weren't tarred and feathered and thrown out of Ponyville that time. Or when your spell to try and make the Parasprites harmless only made them more hungry? Remember the jokes griffons and dragons make about ponies being super-duper forgiving."
“I guess… You make a good point, whether I want them or not, I have these powers, and I can use them for the greater good,” Twilight said, standing tall.
“Alright, now we’re talking, now step one, can you make me and Rarity a couple?” Spike asked.
Twilight looked at him flatly “Really?...” Twilight said.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding… mostly…” Spike said.
"Spike I'd rather not mess with anypony's free will." Twilight said.
“Well, glad I’m safe,” Spike chuckled.
“Speaking of which, I need somepony to be aware of what’s going on, Spike, You are aware of reality shifts ,” Twilight said.
“I’m okay with this,” Spike nodded.
“Now let’s get to work,” Twilight said.
“Alright, then what’s our first altruistic action?” Spike asked, and as if on queue, they heard thunder outside.
“Hmm… I may have an idea,” Twilight said before putting her hoof down and trotting outside.
Sunshower shouted to her fellow weather teammates, "Who was the idiot who said we should try to make up our storm quota by splurging it all at once?!"
“Calm down! We’re working on it!” Rainbow said as she tried to make the thundering clouds calm a little.
"Maybe if YOU weren't flying with Wonderbolts and doing 'Friendship Missions' when you're supposed to be our weather team captain!"
The clouds were getting out of control, and ponies seemed worried that the storm would wreck their crops.
As they were wondering if they should go inside until this multi-hour clean-up is done with, they suddenly heard a loud throat clear behind them.
“Huh?” The ponies turned around and saw Twilight standing before them, with Spike holding an umbrella to prevent himself from being rained on.
“Worry not, I have a solution,” Twilight said while raising her hoof.
“What do you have in mind Princess?” Mayor Mare asked as she approached.
“I have recently gained a power that can help with the problems you are having, watch,” Twilight said setting down her hoof and taking a deep breath before looking to the clouds. “There is no storm today, it’s perfect weather, ” Twilight said simply.
Almost immediately the clouds cleared away, much to the surprise of Rainbow and the other weather team members.
“Whoa…” Rainbow said, looking shocked.
“How… how did she do that?” Mayor Mare said in awe.
"Do you like it? " Twilight instinctively asked.
Instantly any doubts or worries in Mayor Mare's mind were annihilated.
Mayor Mare nodded enthusiastically. "I like it, I like it! And I thought non-pegasi using weather magic was a myth. You did a great service today Princess!"
"Thank you," Twilight said, letting the uncomfortable title 'Princess' slide, and instead enjoying the approval. She wondered how much she should reveal about her power, or let Mayor Mare's misconception stand. Revealing she was the reincarnation of Discord's daughter might be a bit much at the start. She needed to prove she was still on their side. But revealing the full scoop of how her power worked to everypony in earshot might be dangerous.
But Twilight heard the stampeding of approval of several other ponies who were delighted at their Princess' magic solving a problem rather than exasperating one.
"Hey, Twilight," Rainbow Dash zipped close to her friend. "You didn't just clear that storm in ten seconds flat, you cleared it in NO seconds flat. And your horn wasn't even glowing! What's the deal?"
Oh right. Twilight had forgotten how perceptive Rainbow Dash was when she was flying.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said, backing up a little nervous.
Any worry Rainbow Dash had over this oddity from her limited knowledge of the vanishing storm evaporated like it'd never been.
"Oh. I guess you have a point, you managed to fix things up that was gonna be a headache even for me to clean up. But this is some cool new super magic you've got there." Rainbow said excitedly.
“Um, yeah,” Twilight nervously laughed. ‘I could use a good distraction right now.’
Rarity’s scream came from Carousel Boutique.
Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight hurried to help their friend (most ponies in Ponyville had learned to ‘tune out’ when trouble started to keep themselves sane).
Rarity stormed out of her home/shop, stroke-level stress clear on her face.
“Parasprites! I don’t know how they got in, but they ate all the gems for my emergency custom rush job for Sapphire Shores!”
“But parasprites don’t… oh, right.” Twilight remembered she had never removed the spell that made the Parasprites that attacked Ponyville eat construction materials instead of regular food.
“I’d simply be remiss if I don’t get this problem resolved immediately, would you all be willing to aid me?” Rarity asked.
“Sure,” They all said… and Twilight raised her right hoof just in case.
“Any reason you’re raising your hoof?” Rainbow asked.
“Um… no, just um, stretching it out,” Twilight said sheepishly.
“Alrighty then, let’s move!” Spike said as they moved on to do their gem hunt.
As they got there Rarity laid out a list as long as an anaconda.
“Alright, I’ll need twelve of each gem on the list and twenty of the last few, let us move swiftly,” Rarity said.
“Ugh,” Rainbow sighed, not looking forward to it.
“Alright, let’s move,” Spike said as they made their way over to the areas with the most piles.
“Aaaalllright… not how I wanted to spend my day,” Rainbow griped.
“I know, I know, but Rarity needs our help, as friends we gotta do just that,” Twilight said while raising her hoof.
“I know,” Rainbow sighed as she began digging on a pile of dirt expecting to find something useful.
After an hour of gem hunting, Rainbow hadn’t made much ground.
“Ugh, this is boring,” Rainbow griped.
“Come now Rainbow Dash, once you get into it, you’ll have fun,” Rarity said.
“Well, i’m not,” Rainbow said.
Twilight tried to think of how she could help Rainbow out while holding up her right hoof, which was getting tiring… maybe she should make another adjustment.
Regardless, Rainbow needs to be more proactive here.
“You're doing decent, but those quartz crystals are too small,” Rarity pointed out.
“I’m not a gem expert,” Rainbow said.
Lightbulb… Twilight set her hoof down.
“Sure you are ,” Twilight said.
“....Yeah, I am,” Rainbow said, suddenly she remembered that she studied a lot of gemstones in her past, before she got into flying that is.
“Well? Are we going to pick up the pace?” Rarity asked while distractedly examining an opal stone.
“Yes, I just remembered how a red diamond and a ruby look similar, save for composition,” Rainbow said picking the two stones up and casting the unnecessary one aside.
With Rainbow’s newfound knowledge on stones, the time went much faster than before.
They were done before it was afternoon.
“Well! I’d say we have made quite the haul,” Rarity complimented on the many gems they have gathered. “But I can’t help but feel we’ve forgotten something.”
The ponies and dragon returned to find Rarity’s shop… being eaten by parasprites. “Oh right.”
“AAAH! My shop!” Rarity said, cursing herself for not remembering to chase out the pests.
“Crap! At this rate they’re gonna eat the whole Boutique!” Rainbow Dash said.
“...Gee, I wonder how Twilight can fix that?” Spike not so subtly hinted.
“Ah,” Twilight nodded and thought of how to phrase her command, then remembered her thought could trigger it too, so tried to just picture it in her head instead without words (easier said than done for a mare who’d lived and breathed books her entire life).
“The parasprites did not eat Rarity’s house!”
There was a flicker, and Rarity’s home was restored, or rather had never been damaged… instead the parasprites had been eating the houses and trees around it!
“Uh oh!” Spike exclaimed. “Gee, I wonder how Twilight can fix this.”
“Working on it!” Twilight muttered as she tried to come up with something else.
“The Parasprites are not eating the trees and houses! ” Twilight attempted.
Suddenly they weren’t eating the trees and houses, instead they’ve been eating literally anything else!
A pony jumped out of the way as the parasprites ate his food cart like a colorful tornado.
“Twilight!” Spike said.
“I’m trying!” Twilight said.
“The parasprite’s aren’t in Ponyville! ” Twilight attempted.
The parasprites disappeared.
“Whew…” Twilight sighed in relief… before she saw them flying back into town.
“I think you just put them outside of town!” Spike said.
“I don’t get it! What am I doing wrong?” Twilight said.
“Maybe you need to be more, I dunno, oomph?” Spike asked.
“How?” Twilight asked.
“I got an idea,” Spike whispered in her ear.
“Ok,” Twilight said, Twilight breathed in. “A tame Ursa Minor, will eat the parasprites as happens in nature, then peacefully leave Ponyville without damaging anything or anyone cared about by anyone anywhere, and go back to its mother, and stay in Everfree where they belong without disrupting the ecosystem or hurting anything or anyone that anyone cares about.”
Suddenly there was a rumbling and everypony saw a large Ursa Minor calmly walking through town.
“Double crap! First parasprites, then an Ursa!?” Rainbow said.
“Hold on!” Spike said “Watch!” Spike said and they saw the Ursa calmly walk up to the Parasprite swarm and inhaled, sucking them up into it’s jaws, chewing, swallowing, and calmly walking away.
“....What the hay?” Rainbow said.
“This was nothing short of random…” Rarity said.
“Yep,” Spike said.
“Alright, let’s head back inside before anything else happens,” Twilight said with a raised hoof.
“No arguments there,” Rainbow said before they went inside the Boutique.
“At last!” Rarity said with relief. “If I pull an all-nighter I should be able to get this dress done in time! Not lose my good faith with my biggest client. Not get blacklisted. Keep my profession and good name. Rainbow Dash, I’m going to need you to model.”
“Come again?”
“I don’t have time to iron out all the kinks myself. I need your help.” Rarity said.
“Why not Fluttershy?” Rainbow complained.
“You’re here, she isn’t. And you have more experience than Twilight and Spike, well, he doesn’t have the right body shape.” Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Ugh. This again? What do you think I am? Some froufrou lady like you?” Rainbow said.
“Well Rainbow darling, I think when you’ve put in the effort, you’re a magnificent refined lady, don’t you agree Twilight?” Rarity said.
Twilight, distracted from the repeat reverse disaster outside, and tired from raising her hoof all day said, “Huh, oh, right Rarity.” Twilight mumbled.
“Why thank you for saying so darling, it’s an honor to model one of your beautiful dresses again,” Rainbow Dash said with an Isle of Pony accent. Her mane now long and stylish, her wings feathers beautifully preened, and her coat graciously combed. Her cutie mark was now an arching rainbow between two clouds.
“And it’s a pleasure for me too dear,” Rarity nodded, the two prim and proper ladies quickly getting to work on Rarity’s dress.
“Uh… Twi?” Spike said.
“Huh?” Twilight looked on and saw the two doing the modeling and dress prep. “Oh… I did it again didn’t I?” Twilight sighed as she raised her hoof.
“I think so…” Spike said, finding Rainbow being a Rainbow Dash version of Rarity, perturbing.
“Should I fix this?” Twilight asked.
“Nah, let them finish here,” Spike said with a wave of the hand. “If it gives Rarity a helping hoof, then it’s not all bad.”
Twilight lowered her tired hoof. “Hmm, I guess you’re right.”
‘Spike’s right. Changing ponies if it helps isn’t all bad.’ Twilight thought, unknowingly affected by her own power. It wasn’t just her thought. Then again, she had been planning to FORCE Discord to change for the better if he hadn’t learned to behave. So why be worried about a little change if it helped here?
Still, Twilight should asked for a friend.
“Will you have time to help with your weather teamwork tomorrow if you help Rarity here Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked with a raised hoof.
Rainbow Dash laughed genially. “Oh don’t be silly Twilight darling, I gave my Weather Captaincy to Sunshower when I was accepted into the Wonderbolts, it would be unlady-like to run myself ragged trying to do two jobs at once, darling.”
‘Rainbow Dash was tiring herself out? Changing her really was for the better.’
Twilight remembered the argument Rainbow Dash and Sunshower had when the storm hit. “Oh, right, sorry.”
“Twilight, I am pressed for time, but when we’re able to speak more, I simply must know about this new magic of yours. Were you disguising your horn glow? I’ve heard of ponies who could do that before.” Rarity said.
“Oh, we can discuss it when you have time sure,” Twilight said with her hoof raised.
“Then I must ask that you two hurry on out, I need total concentration for this project,” Rarity polietly said.
“On it,” Spike said as they walked out of the Boutique.
A second later, Scootaloo on her scooter nearly ran over Spike. “Oh, sorry darlings,” Scootaloo bowed her head politely. Twilight noticed her mane was a little more styled than she remembered.
“Oh very polite of you Scootaloo,” Twilight said with her hoof raised.
“Thanks, if I’m gonna be a great flier like Rainbow Dash, I need to know how to act like a lady too. See ya, darlings!” Scootaloo said.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Spike said.
“Hm. More like totally expected. It seems if the changes can cause ripple effects. This calls for research.” Twilight said, trying to keep her tired limb raised.
“You may want to change it to something else, ponies are going to start wondering why you have your hoof raised all the time,” Spike said.
“I could just say I’m imitating Princess Luna’s ‘lecture pose’.” Twilight said.
“Alright,” Spike said as they went back to the castle to recover from this bizarre adventure they had.
“Look at this way Spike, we’ve gone the entire day and while I had some slip-ups, I was able to fix them, and even some of my mistakes were for the better.”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash was definitely changed for the better.”
“See? We don’t need Discord for this, whatever I was to him before, I know who my family is now, and it isn’t him. You were right Spike, I’ve always had to be careful with my powerful magic, and this is just a new magic for me to get used to. Thank you Spike.”
“Welcome Twilight.” Spike said.
“Good, let’s hurry back to the castle, we’ve got some more testing to do,” Twilight said as they went back to spend the rest of the day experimenting.
But what would happen tomorrow?...
Author's Note
Remember, if you have any zany requests, let me know.
The two made their way down into the basement of the castle as they conversed, as they walked Spike suddenly came up with an idea.
"Hey Twilight," Spike said, "If you can do 'anything' with this power, why not just say 'I know everything about my power and how it works?'”
"Spike!" Twilight said slightly scandalized, just remembering to raise her hoof. "Where's your sense of scientific discovery?"
"I think it got eaten by parasprites." Spike snarked. "You're the one who was worried you could blow up Equus if you talked in your sleep."
Twilight shuddered. "I hadn't even considered THAT one. Still... I guess you have a point. For the greater good. Ahem. I know everything about how my Absolute power works ."
Twilight shuddered, it was like the world was a 2-D image and there was a ripple. Twilight held her head with booth hooves.
"Twilight?! Are you okay?"
"... It... it didn't work? It's like my mind was rising up, that I'd almost grasped it... then I'd hit a stone ceiling." Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry Spike."
Spike shook his head."Should've known a power Discord said was given to you by a monster from beyond the beyond that eats ponies wouldn't want to play nice."
"Please don't say 'want' Spike, I don't want the idea in my head that this power could 'want' anything."
“Gotcha, so what’s our next move? How do we test this?” Spike asked.
“Well, first let's do a quick control test, Spike, you have blue scales and spines ."
And Spike's purple scales and green spines turned blue. "Wha, hey!"
"Heh. Sorry. First thing that came to mind." Twilight chuckled.
Spike paused when he saw his shiny blue scales and wondered outloud "Do you think Rarity might like me better with blue scales?" Spike said turning a looking at how his blue scales contrasted with his bluish spines.
"Spike, can you think of something else?" Twilight said.
"Hey I can't stay a baby dragon forever."
"Well, that was again just a control test. Now, ahem: The Sunset Shimmer I know has always had purple hair. "
Another visual ripple in the world, and another feeling of being hit in the head by a hammer for poor Twilight.
"Ouch!" Twilight cried. Twilight took out a photo of Sunset Shimmer (as a human being). She still had her red and yellow 'bacon hair' pattern. "Well, this is gonna be painful, but one data point doesn't prove anything, ahem, the horse statue in front of Canterlot High School I'm thinking of is now a humanoid horse. ” Ripple. Hammer to the head. "Ack!"
"Twilight! If this is hurting you it's not smart or safe!"
"That confirms it wasn't simply retroactive things in other universes even with an open portal I can't affect. But I still need more test data.. Human world Rainbow Dash is in this room." Ripple-headache. "It doesn't get better."
"Uh... how about something not related to magic?" Spike raised a claw carefully.
"... Good point... Ahem. Human world Granny Smith is young again. OUCH!"
Spike hated himself, but he knew this was what Twilight wanted. "Okay. Maybe something you're pretty sure doesn't exist in our world and isn't related to magic?"
"That's a big if... I only visited what, one high school and a couple houses? Or at least something we don't, don't know exists in our world. In the human world, Miss Cheerilee, or the human who was by that name, now does a dance. Ack! Nope. Still not getting better."
"Okay, before you give yourself brain damage, you should write off being able to affect things in other universes."
"I suppose that's logical. If this power is Absolute, and there are infinite universes with infinite Twilight Sparkles, their power can't be Absolute if I'm able to override it. Hmmm." Twilight put down her hoof. "I'm able to affect things in the human world. OUCH!"
"Twilight Sparkle realizes it's time to move on." Spike said sarcastically.
"Very funny." Twilight snapped at Spike, then giggled. "Nice joke Spike."
"Thanks."
"But seriously, I think there's more data points I need to test. Mirror World Queen Celestia has pink fur. Ouch! Confirmed. Not just Sunset's world."
"Can you PLEASE stop before you get woozy?"
"Not yet Spike." Twilight raised her hooves high. "Ooooh Pinkie Pie, oh Pinkie Pie, I think her Pinkie Sense is full of horse apples!"
A slight tremor, and the 'Mammoth Book of Spells Volume II' fell off a shelf right for Twilight's head. Pinkie Pie stepped in from nowhere and pushed Twilight out of the way.
"Oooh, that was a close one," Pinkie Pie chirped. "So that happens here too?" She said looking at Spike.
"Thanks Pinkie Pie," Twilight said. "So, hm, human world Pinkie Pie has blond hair ." A visible ripple again, but this time it washed around Pinkie PIe. Twilight bit her tongue to not cry out again.
"Oh no I don't, I mean she doesn't."
'Well, that confirms things not native to this universe are beyond the Absolute's power even when they're in this universe. Still. Is there a way around this?' Twilight thought as she was starting to look dizzy. 'Still, even if my old self made Discord immune to this power, I could still turn him into a statue with the Elements of Harmony. 'Hmm. A cage falls right above Pinkie Pie. '
A crystal cage popped into being and nearly fell onto Pinkie Pie who simply stepped aside without looking up. "Oh are we playing that game? Twilight back home, heh, we've done this before right?"
'A cage falls right above Pinkie Pie that she can't dodge. AGH! So I can't make an absolute statement for something that'll affect her directly. Still, the Elements of Harmony were able to affect Discord. The Elements of Harmony will appear on my desk and vanish back to the Tree of Harmony and no trouble will come of it.'
In the blink of an eye, the Elements of Harmony did indeed appear on Twilight's desk then vanished. 'So I can affect things that can affect something immune.'
“Wow, these powers are complex,” Spike admitted.
'Equus Pinkie Pie has a blonde mane. OUCH! So even things I could normally affect won't be affected beyond this universe. Hm.' Twilight thought with a raised hoof.
'Spike now has hypnotic powers that will vanish after their next use, and Spike will do the next thing I tell him. '
Suddenly Spike’s eyes gained a light blue glow to them “Huh?” Spike said.
“Spike, hypnotize Pinkie into doing…. the waltz, then have her walk through the portal upstairs and dance in front of her friends,” Twilight chose a random dance.
“Sure!” Spike said without question and he turned to Pinkie and used his power on her.
“Pinkie, you heard Twilight, do exactly that,” Spike said as he used his glowing eyes on Pinkie and her eyes became colorful swirls and she proceeded to do the waltz (looking rather silly by herself) and she danced all the way upstairs and out of sight.
'Alright, so it can give powers to others and make them use it, good to know,' Twilight thought. "Spike, you have the power to affect things in the human world even when you're here , OUCH! Okay, that loophole won't work."
"Hey Twilight, I know I said before you should just think of this like you have your other magics... but given all the way this can go wrong, maybe since you can't turn them off, you can 'block them' from everything until you want them?"
"Good point Spike. Everything in the universe is immune to the Absolute until I say otherwise, OUCH!” That one felt like a bigger hammer to the head. Twilight stumbled a bit. "Okay... All my friends are immune to the Absolute unless I say so, OUCH!" At that point, Twilight fell over dizzy from the head trauma.
"Twilight! Just stop already!" Spike said hurrying over to Twilight's side, helping her up.
"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie Pie came bouncing down the stairs. "Did you finally come out of the closet about having a mind-control obsession? Dashie and me kinda have a bet going. And so Rarity and Applejack. And Lyra and Bon-Bon. And-"
"Pinkie Pie's mane is sparkly. " Twilight said.
Suddenly Pinkie’s mane gained bright sparkles and her eyes twinkled as she looked at them.
"Oooh, this is cool," Pinkie Pie said pulling at her mane to observe the sparkles.
"Pinkie Pie is oblivious to the change. "
"Okay, sure, I will be," Pinkie Pie said, tossing her mane aside.
"Huh? Pinkie Pie, is there anything different about your mane?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know silly, because you said I don't." Pinkie giggled.
"Wait... are you aware there's something different about your mane or not?" Twilight asked confusedly, holding her hoof up to avoid any accidental changes.
"I have no clue if there's anything different about my mane. You just said so."
"... But... you know me saying that, so that changed something?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie Pie tilted her head. "Well... it's kinda like when somepony says 'red light' 'green light', it's the rules you have to stop or go, but you still hear 'red light' 'green light.' "
Spike said, "Careful Twilight, remember 'it's just Pinkie Pie.' " Spike warned.
"Oh it's actually 'just Pinkie Pie who was goddess of chaos for a little while,'" Pinkie said.
"When did THAT happen?" Twilight's eyes widened.
"Well, it hasn't happened yet, and it might not happen given we're not following the script anymore. But it's one of those things that exists across fate I think.
“I don’t think even the absolute can figure Pinkie Pie out…” Spike sighed.
"Pinkie Pie, don't discuss this power of mine with anyone until I want to explain it to the others."
"Well, if that's what you say, that's what has to happen Twilight," Pinkie Pie nodded before hopping away, her mane still sparkly.
“So, what should we do now, preferably something that won’t give you a concussion?” Spike asked.
“Well, maybe we can use our new knowledge on the absolute to help more ponies, maybe I should fix you up,” Twilight said.
But Spike held up his hand “Actually, can I stay blue? I wanna see what Rarity say’s about it,” Spike said “Honestly the blue scales feel... kinda, right?"
“If you say so,” Twilight shrugged. "But first we could really use a willing test subject with my power."
There was a knock at the castle door. Upon going up to the door and opening it, there was Lyra Heartstrings, grinning ear to ear. "Hey Twilight! I mean Princess! Rumors going around that you got some new crazy magic that can do anything! And! I! I kinda wanna know if you needed somepony to try it out on!"
"How... how did you know?" Twilight asked.
Lyra tilted her head a bit. "Well, there was the typical rumor mill from the flower trio, but also Bon Bon was whispering to herself when she thought I wasn't listening, saying 'need to report to Princess Celestia,' 'what do you mean she already knows?' Stuff like that."
Twilight and Spike looked at each other, and after the incident with Pinkie Pie and the headache, decided not to dig deeper.
"Well Lyra, if you really sincerely want to, I really could use somepony, but it might be dangerous." Twilight said as Lyra followed her back into the castle.
"Hey Twilight, you were the top of our class, if there's anypony I trust with big name magic, it's you." Lyra nodded.
"All right. First, you promise not to go talking about the experiments here? "
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! Ow!" Lyra accidentally poked her own eye on the last words.
"Good enough," Twilight said with her hoof briefly raised, she trotted forward. "This is good, you're an average unicorn so-"
"Hey! School of Gifted Unicorns is not average!" Lyra said indignantly.
"Oh! I'm... I forgot. I'm sorry." Twilight apologized.
"It's alright Twilight, we all knew you got your head stuck in books. We were all just happy you finally pulled your head out, but even we didn't expect you to save the world... lots of times." Lyra said.
"Neither was I. Now just stand there in the middle of the room while I test out my new magic Lyra. If you feel anything strange or discomforting, I promise to stop immediately. Though you might not be able to respond with some, I promise to keep your safety in mind." Twilight said keeping her hoof raised until she finished saying that.
“Gotcha Twilight, hit me!” Lyra said.
"Good." Twilight tried to think of something she hadn't seen yet, but she was comforted by how so far there was nothing about her power she couldn't just reverse (besides making Discord immune to the Absolute, which she assumed since otherwise her old self would have just sent it away when he tried to tell her she'd gone too far.)
“Alright, first, let’s do something you want, is there something-” Twilight said before Lyra spoke.
"Makemeahuman!" Lyra said in one breath.
"... How do you even know what those are?" Twilight asked.
Lyra pulled a book from the shelf, (one Twilight hadn't gotten around to reading) showing indeed a blond human fighting Tirek on the back of General Firefly. "I found thi in the old, old, OLD library, I don't think I was supposed to be in there, so I couldn't put the book back so I snuck it into your book pile, but it did have a story of 'Megan Williams, the human girl who helped save Ponyland from Tirek!'” Lyra excitedly said.
"Sounds like a fairytale."
"But you were surprised I knew what humans are, not that I thought they were real," Lyra grinned.
Twilight sweated. "Alright. Fine. You are a human ,” Twilight said.
Immediately a light engulfed Lyra and when it was over she was a human woman with green skin and hair like Lyra's mane in front of her... strangely she had a tattoo of Lyra's cutie mark over her heart. Twilight also realized she wasn't wearing clothes. Twilight by force of habit looked away.
"WOW! This is so cool! So this' what fingers are like! No wonder Minotaurs are always bragging about them!"
“Uhm, yeah! You were wearing clothes when you changed ,” Twilight said, covering Spike’s eyes with her hoof. Unlike ponies, humans didn't have fur to protect their modesty.
Immediately she gained a green and white striped shirt and jeans and white shoes.
Lyra naturally didn't notice what had always been, and bent backwards, and twisted her arms and legs, looking surprisingly at home in her new form. "Hah! Bon Bon said I was nuts! But I knew wearing that outfit that fell out of the strange portal was gonna pay off today!" Lyra looked at the ancient storybook, and just stared. "Huh?"
Twilight put it together at once and raised her hoof as she spoke. "Humans don't naturally have their magic awakened. They require an outside source to enable it."
"Well... the fingers are still cool, and you're so TINY down there Twilight, you're so adorable!"
"So you have no problem using this form?"
"Oh no problem at all! But that might be because I've practiced going on two rear hooves a lot. Great-Grandma Bright-Eyes said she came from a community that tried to emulate 'the heroine from another world', but nobody ever believed her."
Twilight decided this would be worth investigating at another time, but it was best to focus on the matter at hoof, er, hand.
“Alright, next up, I will test this next idea out, might be risky. But," Twilight put her hoof down. "I will restore you Lyra afterwards, I promise. "
Lyra gave a thumbs up. "Okay, go for it!"
"Lyra, you are a table. " Lyra stared ahead at nothing, her eyes glazed over and she bent downwards on her hands and knees. Her back straightened out to be perfectly flush. Her body stiffened, her clothes, and furniture didn't wear clothes after all, but anything naughty smoothed out like a doll. Her body hardened and took on a wooden sheen.
"Whoa!" Spike said, giving Lyra a knock, confirming a wooden sound. "But no offense Twilight, you're one of the few unicorns, erm, Alicorns I know who could turn a dictionary into a nest of live chicks. Why this?"
"Mostly for a spell I know I could cast. Interestingly the change wasn't instantaneous, I wonder if that was due to the nature of the change, or just because of my unconscious desire to study it. This is stage one, but first." She put her hoof down. "I can telepathically communicate with Lyra no matter what form she's in. "
'Lyra, can you hear me?'
'Yes... I can Twilight,' Lyra said, her voice serene and calm.
'How do you feeling?'
'Honestly, not much of anything, but not in a bad way. I feel at peace. Like I don't have anything to worry about. I know I can do what I'm made to do, and that's good enough. Could you please put the story book on me? I don't feel right not supporting anything.'
“Sure,” Twilight floated the book over to her and put it on her back.
'Thank you, that's so much better. Fulfilling my purpose. Even if I know it wasn't a second ago. I know it is now. Like it just is.'
'Want me to turn you back?'
'Honestly? If you want to. That works out. If you don't... I know I should be scared and freaked out by that thought... but I just don't feel it. And I'm fine not being scared at the idea. After all, fulfill my purpose makes me feel whole.'
'Well, I know changing ponies isn't all bad. So that makes sense.'
Twilight repeated everything she and Lyra said so Spike could take notes.
"Alright. I wanted to make sure you weren't uncomfortable before I moved onto stage two. This part is gonna get weird. But I promised to restore you after, and that is therefore exactly what I'll do, so don't worry." Twilight said.
'I'm not worrying either way Twilight, but thanks for caring about me. It's good to know I'm valued and useful to you.' Lyra said.
"Interesting, ponies in Neighpon theorize that even mundane objects can have their own spirits, I wonder if this relates to that." Twilight took a photo out of herself and her classmates at Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns, including Lyra.
"Okay. Lyra, you have always been a table. " Twilight said.
And in an instant, Lyra Heartstrings the unicorn was gone from the photo, but instead of vanishing completely like Twilight assumed, instead, Bon Bon was using the green odd shaped table to study a book on dangerous magical beasts.
'Lyra, can you still hear me?' Twilight telepathically communicated with Lyra again.
'Yes Twilight, I can.'
"Were you ever a pony?"
'Of course not, I've been a table since a couple in Canterlot built me, and donated me to Celestia's school. Bon Bon liked using me so much that Celestia gave her to me. It was nice of her to loan me to you for your experiments.'
"Interesting, it seems the changes to reality try their hardest to ensure your spatial location and my own circumstances remain unchanged."
“So, does Lyra think she’s always been a table?” Spike asked, not having telepathy like Twilight does.
Twilight held her hoof up. "She doesn't THINK she has Spike, she HAS always been as far as reality is concerned. You and I effectively remember a state of reality that no longer exists. If we chose to leave Lyra like this, which I won't, I promised, it would be like Lyra the unicorn never existed. It's incredible!" Twilight said enjoying her discoveries.
"Well, if Lyra sounds happy like this, then it's not all bad," Spike nodded.
"Yes, it's not all bad. But I did promise. But still. This adjustment to reality requires a bit more experimentation.” Twilight said, coming up with an idea. "Lyra, you are a statue of your human self, and always have been."
The wooden Lyra stood up, a base engraved with her name grew up from her feet. Lyra put a hand on her hip, holding the story book under one stone arm, and spread out her fingers in a 'wave' gesture. Her wooden frame turned to a uniform jade. The statue had a playful smile on her face.
"Interesting, I didn't specify 'jade' I thought she'd become a stone or wooden statue. Maybe because it aligns with her colors or magic?"
Twilight looked at the photo again, the jade statue was in the background behind the unicorns, again near Bon Bon.
'Hello Lyra, can you tell me the story of how you got here to my basement?"
'Sure! I was stationed at Canterlot, but you requested a statue of a human to aid in your studies, and since I was the only one around you chose me, so it took some hard work, but you got me here,' Lyra's mind said.
'And you were sculpted by two ponies who donated you to Celestia's school?'
'Yep. They were so proud of how I turned out, they said I was like a daughter to them.'
'Would you like to be flesh and blood, as in alive for real?'
'I'm already alive. I carry the imagination, inspiration, and vision of my artists. I'll ensure it lasts for eternity. Or at least a few million years,’ Lyra said.
'And what do you think of Bon Bon?'
'Oh she's great! I loved when she'd study in my shade. Hey, do you think you could turn HER into a human statue and fuse her base with mine? I think we'd be perfect together!'
‘I’ll… think on it,’ Twilight said not wanting to upset her with a no. Luckily she hadn't told Lyra about what having her hoof raised meant.
'Okay, thanks! That's all I can ask.'
'So, are you happy as a statue? Just being ignored, just being an object to be looked at?'
'Why wouldn't I be? It lets me see you flesh and blood creatures as you go about your lives... being an outside observer gives me a unique point of view I think.'
'So you'd say you feel zen, at peace, fulfilling your purpose?'
'Yeah, pretty much. Would be better if I was in a public place, but when there's at least one creature who sees me from time to time, then I'm doing what I was sculpted from jade to do.'
Two data points were good, but a third might be better. Furniture. Art. What next? Why of course. That would be interesting.
“Lyra, you are a book." Twilight said
The base of the statue turned square, gaining thin edges as the insides became paper, the outside became green tinted leather (sold posthumously by cow families and worth a pretty bit). The statue slipped into the cover.
Twilight picked up the volume in her magic. On the cover was an engraved golden decoration of the statue.
"Spike, this confirms it. Unless I cancel out the previous change myself, instead of using pony Lyra as a base, it'll use the state the object or person is already in as the base!"
"And you couldn't have tested that on a normal object instead of a pony?"
"That couldn't give a conversation, well, they could, but possibly giving self awareness to an object just for my experiment is a bit much. And changing ponies isn't all bad." Twilight said.
"Right, it's not all bad." Spike said “But should we turn her back into a human now?” Spike asked.
"Not yet! I wanna read this first!" Twilight said.
"What about Lyra?" Spike asked.
"She's right here," Twilight said.
"I meant you speaking with her," Spike clarified.
"Oh right! Heh, silly me. Ahem." 'Hello Lyra, can you tell me how you got to my library and where you came from?"
'Hello Twilight, I told you, I'm a jade statue, but being a book is a new experience. I feel... a bit trapped... like... no one's ever read me... my story hasn't been told... when I was my normal self, ponies could just look at me, and I'd know I'd done my job. But now, I know I contain a whole world of imagination, but it needs somepony to read it to bring it to life.' Lyra said sadly.
"Oooh, you poor book," Twilight said sympathetically,. "But let's fix that. Lyra, you've always been a book, I've read you several times. "
There was no visible change... except the photo changed to Bon Bon and Twilight sharing the green book as the statue vanished. But also a picture of Bon Bon and Twilight appeared on Twilight's desk, "BFFs" scribbled at the bottom.
And Twilight... actually felt the memories of reading Lyra coming into her mind. The serene story of a jade statue placed in a school of magic unicorns, observing their lives and adventures, giving hints the read had to piece together along with Lyra of what happened outside the courtyard. Many of the students became aliens who'd come back to the statue and chat with her, as she was as unchanging and eternal as them. Except for one candy cutie mark pony 'Sweetie Drops', who wished with all her heart to join the jade statue, and in a miracle, become an off white marble statue, the two now in a pose embracing. The statues were discovered eons later by an orange Alicorn princess, the statues inspiring her to rediscover the world mirror, and getting help from the human world and goddess Sunset Shimmer to help rebuild Pony civilization.
"Whoa." Twilight said in awe of Lyra’s story.
"Quite a read?" Spike asked.
"A real page-turner." Twilight said.
'Why thank you Princess, I always aim to serve,' Lyra thought back. 'Your other books get jealous sometimes.'
'... Other books, jealous?' Twilight said.
'Well, I am your favorite, along with Bon Bon's.’ Lyra said. 'You said you needed me for a magic experiment, and she was happy to loan it out to her best friend and Element of Harmony.'
'Wait, WHAT?!'
'What's wrong?'
"Can you just remind me what Element Bon Bon is? I've hit my head a few times today." Not a total lie.
"Wha-?" Spike said surprised too.
'And, how did we become friends?'
'Me of course! You really did hit your head. You two both loved my story and read it together. You said she was your first real friend outside your family.'
Twilight finally noticed the photo. "Oh."
'And what about Rarity?'
'The owner of the clothing store that Spike forgot all about his crush on Moondancer and fell heads over heels for? She read me once: she liked the romantic subplot between me, well, my main character, and Sweetie Drops.'
Well, at least Rarity seems to still be doing well. Twilight looked at the photo of her and Bon Bon, and magically held it up. Seeing herself smiling with Bon Bon, the two of them with a hoof on each other's shoulders.
This made Twilight think about how much everything has shifted due to these tests, with her hoof up of course, and she thought about how much more reality will veer off-course, she decided to ask Spike’s opinion, since he’s the only one who isn’t affected by this.
"Looks like I and Bon Bon become best friends due to both loving Lyra's story... she became Generosity instead of Rarity."
"Oh no, does that mean-"
"You're still pinning for Rarity..." Twilight said flatly.
"Oh, that's good news."
Twilight shook her head. "I think... I think that's enough experimentation down this line. Ahem. Lyra, you are a flesh and blood unicorn pony and always have been."
Unlike the other transformations, this one happened in the typical flash from those sorts of spell, and Lyra was, well, she'd been 'herself' the whole time, but now the unicorn self Twilight remembered. She was still wearing her clothes from her human transformation, oh right, those had been a separate change in reality. The photo of Bon Bon and Twilight vanished.
Lyra looked herself over. "Ahhh. It's over already. Being human rocked. Think you could've kept me that way?"
"Sorry Lyra, the changes to you weren't half bad, but I did promise to restore you." Twilight said.
"Allright, I understand, keeping your promises is important, I imagine for a princess more than others." Lyra said “Have anything else you wanna do, or should we close off here?” Lyra asked.
“I’d say we’re done for now,” Twilight said.
"Already? We just did one change." Lyra said with a raised brow. "Oh wait, you did turn me into a table... sorry, that one slipped my mind for a tick." Lyra said.
"So how do you feel about being a table now that you're you again?" Twilight asked nodding to Spike to take notes.
Lyra shrugged. "That's the thing? I was still 'me' when I was a table. I was just, well, 'table Lyra', if that makes sense. And, well, I didn't feel like being table Lyra was wrong, and I still don't. It wasn't half bad. Just like being pony Lyra is any 'better'. But being human Lyra was definitely a cool new ride! Think you can do that again?"
"I'll think about it.” Twilight said as she held up a hoof. "And Lyra, can you please tell Bon Bon that it's great that you have a best friend like her?"
"I tell her that every day if I can, but I’ll mention that you thought of her. If you need a Guinea pig for your new magic at all, please don't hesitate to ask me. You turning me into stuff wasn't half bad." Lyra said with a smile as she trotted away.
"So I'm guessing you planned to keep going past three or four changes huh?" Spike asked.
"I did... But while the changes we made to Rainbow Dash were definitely for the better, it was a bit distracting to learn the friends I could've made are so easily changeable."
"I wouldn't call changing all reality easy." Spike said.
Twilight blinked. "Oh my! I totally forgot! I should have called Bon Bon and asked her if she was the one who saw the Sonic Rainboom that day instead of Rarity! If Bon Bon became an Element instead, would that mean she was retroactively chosen by fate instead? Oh, I missed it!"
"And you're back to normal. You could simply change Lyra again you know. Sounds like she'd be on board."
"Yes I could, and it would be interesting to see if the same Absolute statement would have the same results. But I need time to process this." Twilight said floating over her notebook and began wondering what to put on it.
"Well, it was definitely a way to spend an afternoon, but I'm hungry, and we skipped eating because of all this." Spike said with a tummy growl.
Twilight grinned. "No we didn't."
And instantly both retroactively had full bellies from breakfast and lunch.
"Dangit! I have food in my tummy I don't remember eating! What a gyp." Spike said with chagrin.
“Not to worry Spike, we can get dinner later,” Twilight said as they both went upstairs.
"Think we can have won a free dinner at a fancy restaurant?" Spike asked.
"Spike!" Twilight sighed loudly.
"You're the one wanting to try out this power for all it's worth." Spike said.
“I don’t want to abuse this power,” Twilight said remembering how Discord told her she began to get corrupted by her power when he was her past self.
“Alright, then I guess we’re paying out of pocket, but since we’re full now, let’s go take a walk,” Spike offered.
“Sounds nice, it’s a lovely day outside, ” Twilight said.
The two made their way outside and stretched out.
“Ahh, sunlight on my blue scales feels nice,” Spike said.
Twilight noticed that ponies were definitely looking at Spike, oh right, she hadn't made his blue scales retroactive.
“Nothing unusual here, ” Twilight said and suddenly ponies resumed their work, not seeing anything off about Spike.
“Good save,” Spike said.
“Yeah, anyways, where did you want to go?” Twilight asked.
“The comic book store sounds fun,” Spike said.
“I guess if you want to,” Twilight said as they moved down the pathways towards the comic book store.
“Hey, maybe use you power to-” Spike said but Twilight gave him a flat look.
"I am not turning them into those expensive Enchanted Comics from Canterlot." Twilight said.
"Come on, we had fun that time, I mean sure, we were all surprised, but it turned out good in the end." Spike said. "And if it's in another world, you don't have to worry about your power going weird." Spike said with a sly look on his face.
"Nice try Spike. I admit they'd be interesting to study. But I'd rather we deal with one type of powerful magic at a time."
“Alright alright,” Spike said as they made it to the comic book store and Spike quickly entered.
As they perused the aisles for any sign of a new issue, Twilight heard an exclamation.
"Hey! They have those new dragon centric comics that Mina's store sold in Fillydelphia." Spike said and Twilight turned to see the issues of the dragon superhero Flashfire.
“Ah, that series you like besides Power Ponies?” Twilight pointed out.
"Mina introduced me to it." Spike said.
"You know there's nothing wrong with liking another dragon." Twilight teased.
"We're FRIENDS Twilight." Spike said sternly.
“I know. But I'm saying, remember how you used to have a crush on Moon Dancer before you fell for Rarity? That she never noticed by the way."
"Oh, I'd completely forgotten about that." Spike said.
"Exactly. Your first crush, or even second, isn't automatically going to be the girl for you."
"Is that what you tell yourself about human Flash Sentry?" Spike snarked.
Twilight responded without thinking. "He leaps through the portal this moment and tells me he wants to move to Equestria once he graduates college! Oy!" Twilight grunted in pain.
Spike giggled as she just tricked herself.
Twilight huffed. "Alright. Fine. I still like him. I admit it."
“Alright, then I still like Rarity,” Spike said.
“Alright, then I guess,” Twilight said.
Twilight hated to admit that the revelation that Discord and his lover was proof that dragons and ponies were indeed compatible. Twilight carefully raised her hoof. 'Am I being no different from those who hurt Discord's family? No. Don't be stupid. They were monsters. I'm just trying to protect Spike from heartbreak down the line.' Twilight wondered as she watched Spike continuing to examine the comics.
"Hey, wanna see this new Power Ponies' issue? Masked Matterhorn gains the cosmic powers of Captain Equus, and has to struggle to avoid accidentally blowing up Equestria while stopping the typical villains her team normally does," said the earth pony behind the counter, showing off the comic.
“Hay yeah!” Spike said as he ran over to examine it.
“Odd, sounds alot like my situation,” Twilight said.
"No different from how the Power Ponies acted like more vain and arrogant versions of you guys for Crazy Pencil's run on the comic,” Spike said.
"I swear, if it turns out Discord had been writing that comic this whole time-"
"Do you think Discord could ever write a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and ending?" Spike said.
"... Good point. So how does it end?" Twilight asked.
"... To be continued," Spike said as he purchased the comic and they walked away.
"Of course," Twilight rolled her eyes as they walked outside.
As they made their way home they noticed the Boutique and Twlight remembered they had switched Rainbow to a more Rarity-like form, maybe they should see how their doing?
“Hey Spike, want to pay Rarity and Rainbow a quick visit?” Twilight said.
“You had me at Rarity,” Spike said before they moved on towards the Boutique.
What new adventures will they go through this time?
Author's Note
Sorry for the wait, what do you think?
As they knocked on the door a couple times they heard noises inside and then somepony approached the door and opened it.
“Hellooo! It is good to see you both again, I was actually hoping to have an outside opinion on my dress, so you came at an ideal time,” Rarity said before beckoning them in.
As they went in they saw a stunning sight.
Rainbow was wearing a truly flashy and beautiful dress, and the way she was strutting about in it, she seemed in her element.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were also in the background with stars in their eyes, being Rarity and Rainbow's personal go-getters and keeping Opal out of the way so the cat didn't ruin something on a whim.
"Hello darlings, thank you again for the help with those ghastly parasprites this morning and getting the gems darling Rarity needed for the dress. You know how much this means to her." Rainbow said, still with her Isle of Pony accent.
Twilight said just remembering to raise her hoof. "You won't be flying around with the Wonderbolts in that, right?" Twilight asked.
"Of course not darling. A lady dresses property for the occasion. And I make a Wonderbolt flight suit look as good as anything, darling!" Rainbow shared a chuckle with Scootaloo.
Seeing Rainbow Dash so lovely and bright, Twilight definitely knew her changes to Rainbow Dash had been for the better.
But it made her think, would the same be for Rarity if she had the original Rainbow’s brashness?
“Oh indeed, you make any dress look good Rainbow,” Scootaloo said.
“And with you as my model, I can look forward to any event,” Rarity said and Twilight came to a decision and decided to test her theory.
“Rarity, you will act like Rainbow used to, ” Twilight said, wanting to see for herself if this works, and changing ponies isn’t half bad, after all.
There was a flicker, and... Twilight was surprised to see the store was much the same. She saw some skirted sportswear, but the pretty princess dresses were still on display.
"Comin' through!" Rarity said, zipping past. She was wearing a set of pink roller skates. Her mane was shorter, and now had a streak of yellow and blue dye in it. The way she zipped about the store and her supplies reminded Twilight of a ballerina. She twirled from one work-station to the next. Her cutie mark was now a single star-shaped diamond with a purple 'shooting star' 'wooshing.'
“What have you done to Rarity?” Spike whispered harshly.
“Just a test,” Twilight said.
"Between you and me, Rarity always reminds me of a younger me," Rainbow Dash whispered with a chuckle.
'Oh... I said 'how Rainbow Dash used to act', in the context of this reality, that would mean how THIS Rainbow Dash used to act,' Twilight thought. She felt a bit ashamed, forgetting to remember all her variables was something she'd overcome in magical first grade.
"Like, hi Spikey, good to see you," Rarity gave Spike a quick peck on the muzzle as she skated by.
Spike jumped as Rarity’s kiss left him stunned, does she like him when she’s like this?
"This dress is gonna be like the most glamorous thing Sapphires Shores has ever worn... even if I'm gonna be sleepin' all day tomorrow." Rarity chuckled as she did a midair spin.
"If it looks good on me darling it'll look exquisite on her," agreed Rainbow Dash.
Twilight noticed Sweetie Belle, while still otherwise the perfect little lady, was now wearing green skates of her own.
“Yeah! Show that dress,” Sweetie chuckled along with Scootaloo.
“Twilight, I’m uncomfortable with Rarity being like this,” Spike said.
“I know, just a little longer, I need to see if this works out,” Twilight said. "Give it a chance. "
"You're right, if Rainbow Dash's change was definitely for the better, maybe this Rarity is more open about her feelings towards me," Spike said.
“Alright! Now to set up the ponyquins,” Rarity said.
In spite of Rarity's more radical attitude, it was still like watching a dance as she worked. The mannequin moving like back up dancers to her whims. And Spike as usual was entranced by her grace, even if it now had more of a tubular edge.
"I guess Rarity is still herself?” Spike said.
Twilight raised her hoof. “I guess so, now we observe how they interact, Rarity and Rainbow have something to discuss, ” Twilight said setting her hoof down.
“By the way, Rarity darling, I was hoping you had a moment to spare,” Rainbow asked.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” Rarity said skating up to her.
“I was hoping we could discuss more modeling gigs darling, I personally like the idea of Manehatten, a bustling city that is a good place to get ones start,” Rainbow said.
“Totally,” Rarity said.
"I'm sure I can convince Spitfire darling to have a Wonderbolts show in Manehatten, a lady must keep loyalties after all," Rainbow said.
“I like it! We should send a message like ASAP,” Rarity said.
As the two chuckled over their conversation, Twilight took notes, making sure to mark down swapped behaviors and how they seem to create a near-perfect swap, save for interests and virtues.
"You sure like modeling don't you," Spike remarked to the 'New' Rainbow Dash (irony).
"Of course darling, Rainbow Dash always dresses in style!" Rainbow did a twirl that Scootaloo mimicked perfectly. "It's why I've always admired the Wonderbolts, combining power and beauty."
“Alright, time for some more testing,” Twilight muttered “Rainbow and Rarity have a new conversation topic… about food, ” Twilight said, wondering if their palette has changed.
“On another topic, what is your favorite type of lunch item, perhaps we can fetch some while we’re out and about?” Rainbow asked.
“Hayburgers and fries all the way,” Rarity chuckled.
“I do fancy myself a connoisseur of sweeter items, not sweet enough that it will ruin my figure though,” Rainbow chuckled with her.
“As for drinks, I wouldn’t mind a hard cider,” Rarity said.
“Always the one to get the alcohol, aren’t you?” Rainbow said “If alcohol is the topic, I wouldn’t mind a cabernet red,” Rainbow said.
“Fancy drink, I like it,” Rarity said and Spike grew thoughtful, if he can learn some things about the new Rarity, maybe they have a chance?
"Twilight, would you care for some?" Rainbow asked, offering Twilight some alcohol that she fetched from a cabinet.
"Hey, what about us?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"You two and Spike are a little young for it," Rarity said.
“Aww…” The two fillies and Spike said.
"Last time I got drunk, I turned my teacher into a spoon," Twilight blushed.
"Darling, there is a middle ground between absence and temperance," Rainbow said.
“I suppose,” Twilight said before taking a glass and letting Rainbow pour it for her.
As Twilight took a drink Spike seemed a little envious that he has to sit out on the adult activities again.
"I feel ya," Scootaloo said, surprising Spike putting a hoof on his shoulder.
"Trust me darling, when you get to be my age, you'll lament you didn't spend more time enjoying fillyhood," Rainbow remarked.
“Eh, I’d actually prefer to be older,” Spike said. “It would make so many things easier,” Spike said looking at Rarity when she wasn’t noticing.
"Hey Twilight-"
"Spike, I'm not-"
"Hear me out. You got one 'data point' on how bonds can change from, what's that word Doctor Whooves uses, oh yeah, 'ripple effect' of changing forms. Why not two? If I'm wrong, then I'm not asking you to make Rarity love me. And if it doesn't work out, then you can just undo it."
"What are ya guys talkin' about?" The flightless pegasus asked.
Spike and Twilight remembered there weren't any changes to make them inaudible! Maybe that was something else Twilight should add.
"Just a private little wish fulfillment mixed with the way things are," Spike said, refilling Twilight's glass.
"Well, you know what mine would be," Scootaloo said, fluttering her wings.
Twilight added that to her list of things to do, taking another sip.
'It's obvious what Spike is asking for. But he's not wrong. The age difference also wouldn't be as big between dragons. Would Rarity even still be in Ponyville? Too many unanswered questions. Maybe it's better to do it as an experiment now than by accident later.'
“Alright alright, but this will be a controlled experiment,” Twilight conceded and thought about how she should word it. After thinking about it for a few seconds Twilight ushered Spike over to her and out of sight of the others and then spoke.
"Rarity has always been a dragon, she is civilized, she will not go on a greed-growth rampage, ” Twilight said to start.
One glow behind her later and when Twilight looked she saw Rarity had turned into a tweenage dragoness, a little smaller than the tweenage dragons Spike had met before, but still a bit taller than him, Twilight wondered if this was the size Mina was.
Her scales were pure white, while her underbelly and crest were the color her mane had never been. Her eyes were as blue as ever. And there was her pair of leathery wings neatly folded on her back, kept out of the way as she work.
She was still wearing her roller skates (sized to fit her), and her scales had a blue and yellow streak painted down one side of her back crest.
There were as many high shelves as before, and the scaling of the place hadn't changed, Twilight guessed that Rarity being able to fly and having claws made up for not having telekinesis. The number of gems in the place if anything had increased... did dragons have a natural way to scent out gems that Spike had only been using unconsciously?
Glancing behind Rarity Twilight saw Sweetie Belle was still a unicorn filly. That was odd. Shouldn't it have affected Rarity's entire bloodline? Sweetie still wore the roller stakes, but she also had scars along her knees. Twilight noticed they were similar to the ones young pegasi had from 'learning falls' as pegasi called for learning fliers.
Twilight looked to Spike and saw the young dragon's eyes sparkling as he saw the pretty tweenage dragoness, Twilight Looked back at Rarity to see if she was doing anything at the moment.
Raising her hoof Twilight turned to tell Spike to go on over but she saw he was already walking over to her.
Deciding to let him have this Twilight stood back and let Spike try to woo Rarity.
"Rarity and the others will drop details that help me get a bigger picture," she whispered. Twilight could have just asked to have the bigger picture, but she wasn't about to give up all her joy of discovery.
“H-hi Rarity,” Spike nervously asked her.
"Whose Rarity? The name's Gleam, remember Spiky-Wikey?" The dragoness rubbed Spike on the head.
Twilight was shocked, she didn't give a name change.
“U-uh yeah, that's what I meant, say do you want to… hang out together?” Spike asked.
"No need to be so formal Spikey, we do that all the time, remember the gem hunt this morning?"
"Oh-oh! I meant, hang out, together-together."
Gleam stared for a moment, then laughed. "Ask me again when your wings grow in Spikey! You've only got, what, three or four years before they come in?"
“Wha?” Spike sputtered a little
“You're a tad young, is all I'm saying,” Gleam said. "I went through a lot to convince mom and dad that growing wings meant I was a dragoness who could take care of herself. It's Dragon Law."
"But this isn't the Dragon Lands darling," Rainbow said.
"Yes, but like, I'm still a dragon, I totally love my family, but I don't wanna lose sight of that. And it's how I got all those Canterlot nobles to take me seriously."
Twilight mentally noted that Rarity might be adopted, like Spike was.
"If I grew wings, does that mean I'd be an adult?" Sweetie asked.
"Sis', if you became an Alicorn, you'd still be a filly, it's different between dragons and ponies," Gleam said kneeling down.
“…One sec,” Spike walked back over to Twilight “um… Twilight… would you be willing-” Spike attempted.
"No."
"Come on! For science-"
"I'm not accidentally making myself thirty years older, or changing my hatching you, because you can't be patient."
"You don't need to change when you hatched me, just have my wings grow in so I'm an adult as far as other dragons are concerned."
“What if that affects your growth patterns? It could harm you,” Twilight said but Spike stayed vigilant.
“Maybe I grew quickly, maybe your magic helped me along, you just need to say that it doesn't make me grow super old fast.” Spike pleaded.
“Spike-” Twilight tried to make him understand, but Scootaloo approached.
"If you could magically make Spike's wings grow in, could you do the same for me?" Scootaloo asked, reminding them again they were not inaudible.
Twilight whispered under her breath. "Scootaloo's wings will grow to their proper size and grow along with her natural growth from then on tomorrow morning while she sleeps, not causing her any discomfort. She will not hurt herself nor anyone else directly or indirectly trying them out."
It only now occurred to Twilight that this and the Usa Minor suggested Twilight's Absolute could affect fate itself. One more thing to be cautious of. But...
"There will be no unintended consequences for using the Absolute ever, OW! Worth a shot."
Spike, seeing Twilight help Scootaloo, was emboldened that she could be convinced to make him older.
“So Scootaloo gets her wish?” Spike said.
"I'm healing a disability." Twilight clarified.
Spike thought hard how to convince her… then an idea came to mind.
“What if your magic when you hatched me already made me older? I mean you turned me into a giant, you basically created baby chicks that hatched, maybe this is the solution to solving this,” Spike said.
Twilight wanted to growl in frustration but she could see he wasn't going to drop this, she thought about how many ways this could go wrong, but if he was really determined, could she afford to risk messing with time itself? No, just have him be an early bloomer?
“Alright, fine… but this better not go wrong,” Twilight said before preparing for the worst.
“My magic that I used to hatch Spike sped up his growth and made him an early bloomer, he is physically the same age as Gleam. ”
Spike fell to his knees as soon Twilight finished speaking. His body was covered in red spots and he began glowing a little. In a flash of light, Spike was on the couch, with Gleam at his side.
“Huh?” Twilight noted Spike’s relocation, he also seemed different, taller.
"It's okay Spikey, it's almost over," Gleam said, holding Spike's claw with both of hers.
"Wha-what-is-" Spike asked dizzily.
"You're almost there Spike. Just a bit more. Those Rocs didn't eat me when I grew my wings, and they didn't eat you. I don't care if I keel over from needing to do triple time to make Sapphire's dress, I'm here for you, just hold on, this next part is gonna be totally weird."
Gleam calmly watched as Spike's whole body... turned to stone.
Twilight was paralyzed with shock, was this NORMAL for how dragons' wings grew in? Had she done something wrong?
"Spike?! You-" Twilight said, beginning to panic, thinking she did this to Spike.
"It's totally kosher Twiley, like this, is the big event, mom and dad couldn't stop freakin' out when this happened. I totally thought I was DYING or somethin', being nearly eaten by giant birds didn't help," Gleam said calmly.
Cracks formed all along Spike, the stone shell fell away, and a pair of wings sprouted from Spike's back, the spots gone.
"Uuugh," Spike rolled out of Gleam's chaise lounge and into her waiting arms.
"Like, TOTALLY welcome to the flight club Spikey," Gleam said and kissed him on the muzzle.
He was the same age as Gleam now, physically, seeing as he's an early bloomer, really sprouted like a weed, in a good way.
"Hey, it's the prince who's supposed to kiss the princess," Sweetie Belle said jokingly.
"I don't think the prince minds," Gleam said admiring Spike's wings on his taller stronger frame.
Spike looked down at himself then his new wings and smiled before turning to Gleam with a smile.
“So… wanna hang out together-together now?” Spike asked smoothly.
“I've been waiting for this chance, yes,” Gleam said “thank goodness you are such a fast grower, otherwise this wouldn't have been able to happen,” Gleam said before the two got up and hugged.
Twilight honestly had to smile, Spike was finally fulfilled with Rarity-er Gleam. And she hadn't once ordered Rarity to be in love with Spike. Maybe there are such things as necessary adjustments to reality. 'Changing ponies isn't half bad, seems changing dragons isn't half bad either. ' Yes, changing dragon too wasn't half-bad.
"Hope Ponyville can handle two tweenage dragons," Scootaloo said.
"Scootaloo, a lady doesn't give such remarks in present company," Rainbow said firmly.
"Yes, Rainbow," Scootaloo nodded loyally.
"So Spikey, when are you movin' out of Twilight's pad? You're an adult by Dragon Law." Gleam said.
Spike's eyes widened. "Eh, well, I'm still Twilight's number one assistant."
"Well, I like can't judge some dragon for living and working at the same place. Just don't go shouting it to the Equestrian Revenue Service, you should be able to get several years out of still being listed as Twilight's dependant."
Spike's eyes really widened.
"Gleam!" Rainbow stomped her hoof.
"What? I'm just giving a close friend some generous tax advice."
"Rarity- I mean Gleam."
"Yer like the second today to call me that."
"Just a in-joke between me and Spike, sorry." Yes... calling Gleam 'Rarity' had been just a joke, nothing more. The Element of Generosity even in the old reality as a unicorn had had a dragon name. "Can you tell me how your parents found you? Nothing odd about me asking. "
"Well, mom and dad said since you only live once, they decided to take a day of those Los Pegasus honeymoon and go spelunking. They found my egg among a gaggle of magical jewels and took me home... though they thought I was just a pretty rock until I hatched eleven months later."
There was no way in this or any other timeline that Gleam would admit that she'd first thought Sweetie Belle was born because her parents wanted a real daughter. Until she saved Sweetie from unicorn early bloomer bullies and Gleam realized Sweetie Belle was her most precious treasure.
'Eleven months, so again reality adjusted to keep Gleam in this particular spot in time and space. Will this trend continue? Two data points from Lyra and Gleam is a shallow pool. But...'
"Gleam, you nor nopony else find my questions on the following topic odd. Gleam, how do you know anything about Dragon Law? The books in Golden Oaks library came up with nothing about dragons period."
"Fizzle told me lots during the Dragon Migration," Gleam said instantly, nopony blinking at the question.
"Who?"
"My brother by blood, or he claimed to be, and I still use the term lightly." Gleam reared back with disgust. "I met him during the Dragon Migration. He like, introduced me to Garble's little flight, and I was so excited to be accepted by them I didn't immediately see how they were bullying poor Spikey. He claimed someone or something had kidnapped eggs from the community dragon clutch a generation back, and that we could totally been family. By the time Spikey totally earned their respect, we were both kickin' it. Then Garble told us to smash phoenix eggs, instead of like say, eat'em, and I told Fizzle I totally knew who my family was."
Twilight mentally noted this down, and saw Spike was happier now… should she leave him like this? Maybe she could let him have this.
As Twilight thought about what she should do next Spike suddenly burped a letter.
“Huh?” Spike said holding the note, it was bizarrely colored, meaning it wasn’t from the princesses, it was addressed to Twilight.
“Hey Twilight, I think this is for you,” Spike said.
“Alright,” Twilight floated the envelope over to her and read it.
'Hello dear Twilight,
I know you aren't happy with me, well, more than usual, given our revelations of your spiritual lineage... but can you please visit me in Chaosville tomorrow at your earliest convenience? I feel recent events require chit-chat between all powerful ones.'
“I somehow get the feeling what he wants,” Twilight sighed with her hoof raised and she floated the message into her pack (only to have it explode into toy googly-eyes to the sound of popcorn) and turned to Spike and Gleam and saw the two kissing.
“They move quickly,” Twilight said. Rainbow covered Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's eyes.
Once they were done they turned to Twilight.
“Hey Twilight, me and Gleam are going to spend the evening on a date. That okay?” Spike asked.
“B-but who will help me remember what happens when I use…” Twilight glanced around before whispering “My powers,” Twilight asked.
“Can’t you just make somepony else remember changes?” Spike asked.
“Yes… but who?” Twilight asked.
“How about Fluttershy? I get the feeling she's gonna be involved in this sooner or later,” Spike said.
Twilight sighed, if she’d known Spike was going to use her powers to set him and Gleam up, she’d have prepared better.
“Alright, have fun I guess, but no funny business later ,” Twilight said to prevent any inappropriate action between them.
Spike’s rolled his eyes and nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow,” Spike said.
"If mom doesn't petrify you for not waiting till marriage, I will." Twilight threatened.
“Like, no need for dramatics, now come on Spikey, I know this awesome volcano we can take a dip in,” Gleam said, leading him away.
“Coming dear!” Spike said happily as he followed her.
“Well dear, shall we braid each other’s manes?” Scootaloo asked Sweetie.
“Ready and willing!” Sweetie giggled and the two ran off.
"As lovely and wonderful as is this darling... she still has Sapphire's dress to do! That girl! She still acts like a teenager!" Rainbow exasperated.
"Technically she is one," Twilight said.
"I know darling but, ugh, I'm happy for this, but I'm going to have to pick up her slack! Sorry darling, but it's Rainbow Dash to the rescue!" And Rainbow hurried to the dress table, using her wings as make-shift hands to try and finish the finer details of the commission from Rarity's biggest client.
“And then there was me,” Twilight sighed before trotting away.
Twilight made her way to Fluttershy’s cottage.
She looked to see Fluttershy was thankfully not super busy with her animals, she was simply spreading fish food in the river next to her house.
“Alright, let’s try not to accidentally do anything to Fluttershy,” Twilight said as she approached Fluttershy said and coughed into her hoof to get her attention.
“Hmm? Oh! Hello Twilight, what can I do for you,” Fluttershy asked.
“Hi, Spike and Gleam are on a date and I need help for something, are you available?” Twilight asked.
“They're dating?!"
"Spike's wings grew in."
"Oh my, so that's what those rocs were about, is he okay?"
"Trust me, he's more than fine."
"Well, I'd be happy to help but I still have a lot of animals to feed, but I can later, if that is alright?” Fluttershy said.
Twilight knew what to do here.
“Their already all fed ,” Twilight said and suddenly every animal that was waiting nearby for their food suddenly dispersed as they were no longer hungry.
“Oh… Odd, I don’t remember feeding them, but I suppose I did,” Fluttershy said confusedly. “So what did you need help with?” Fluttershy asked.
“....How to explain what I need help with…” Twilight said, realizing she’ll have to give some answers. "I recently awakened a new magic, anything I say or think can become reality."
"So like Discord's chaos magic?" Fluttershy said helpfully not nearly in awe as Twilight would think.
"Something like that... I was having Spike take notes for me for learning exactly how it all worked, but some of its rules seem a bit unruly."
"Does sound a lot like when I asked Discord to explain his magic once..." Fluttershy got a distant look in her eyes. "The sky is black. Matter and energy are but a song."
“Regardless, he ran off to hang out with Gleam, so now I need a new helper,” Twilight said.
“I can do the best I can,” Fluttershy assured.
“Alright, first I have to make you immune to not noticing anything, you are immune to-” Twilight began but Fluttershy cut in.
"But I noticed... I noticed just now. That was your new magic right?" Fluttershy said.
"It was... but some of the changes can be... retroactive like they've always been," Twilight explained.
"Oh! Has Pinkie Pie always been an Earth pony? Did Rainbow used to be a unicorn?" Fluttershy asked concernedly.
"Why would you ask that ?" Twilight asked.
"I'm not sure... but it felt right?" Fluttershy said.
“Hmm, are you already immune?” Twilight asked with her hoof up.
“I don't think so! I mean, I've spent a lot of time with Discord, so I'm used to lots of things he says I can now glance at without driving me insane like most ponies, but I don't remember him ever putting an enchantment on me to have me notice strange magic... or I don't think he did. He wouldn't have done that without permission, would he?" Fluttershy asked her eyes darted about.
"I'm sure you're the one pony he would ask permission for first." Twilight said, deep in thought.
“...I may need to talk to him later? By the way, why do you keep raising your hoof?" Fluttershy asked out of the blue.
"Oh, I said that my magic won't trigger if I have my hoof raised, so far it's worked," Twilight explained.
"Why not ask just say 'My new magic will only happen when I want it to happen?" Fluttershy asked with a raised brow.
Twilight wanted to bang her head against a fence post. "My new magic will only happen when I want it to happen. OW!" Twilight cried as that one felt like a real blow.
"Oh Twilight you okay?" Fluttershy said worriedly.
"That's another thing, when I try to alter things in other worlds like Sunset's or from other worlds-" Twilight explained.
"Human Pinkie Pie visited again?" Fluttershy said.
"-Yes. I feel like my power, and me, are hitting a brick wall. It happened again when I tried to give you all immunity to my new magic to be done with it, like Discord claims he has."
"Why would Discord be immune to your new magic?"
"You said yourself, these magics appear similar," Twilight didn't exactly lie.
“How did you gain this power anyways?” Fluttershy asked.
“That… is a long story, to keep it short, I was given a power called absolute by some eldritch entity…. And apparently I’m Discord’s daughter, that’s the long and short of it,” Twilight admitted.
“Oh… that’s, surprising,” Fluttershy said again with that distant look in her eyes.
“It is, but I’ve chosen to stick to my pony family, I feel sorry for Discord, but I can’t just change my family on a whim,” Twilight said.
“I need to process this, how can I help?” Fluttershy asked, sounding like humans Twilight had seen when their eyes were glued to their phones.
“I was hoping since you seem to already be able to see past reality alterations, if you’d help me keep them under control, inform me of what i’m doing wrong, or keep me from accidentally blowing up the planet,” Twilight said, imagining the horrible scene, thankfully with her hoof raised.
“I’ll do my best,” Fluttershy said, sounding almost like a rehearsed line.
“Ok, I need to test some more things out, now that Spike isn’t in the picture, I need you to help, I was thinking we could pay a visit to Discord, as he sent me a note asking just that, and we can find a way to work through our current situation with a little damage as possible, he knows about the Absolute more than me,” Twilight said.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight like the princess was acting in a play.
“And we can in turn, maybe learn, some way somehow, to get rid of this power, and hopefully, return to the state of normalcy,” Twilight said looking glad about the fact they had a possible chance of undoing this.
"... You being a unicorn was 'normal'. Me speaking to strangers in a whisper was 'normal' before you came to Ponyville,” Fluttershy said.
“Huh?” Twilight said, noticing Fluttershy’s change in demeanor.
"Do you really want to lose their power Twilight?" Fluttershy asked trotting closer keeping her eyes on Twilight. "Would you want Discord to lose his power for good?"
“Um… Fluttershy, you're acting weird,” Twilight said looking a little uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I really am, but I thought if you got this power, you'd have a great idea of helping ponies with it, pegasi were talking at the market how you just spoke a storm away and everypony loved it," Fluttershy spoke with eerie calm.
“W-well, yes, but this power is dangerous, one wrong word without my hoof raised, and boom, there goes Ponyville, it’s better I return to being a normal alicorn,” Twilight said.
"I understand," Fluttershy said looking at the sky she often dared not brave. "Wanting things to just go back to normal. You, me, Gleam, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Angel. It's all so calm. No matter how many times things go wrong for us, it always come back around to us being okay."
“Are you okay Fluttershy?” Twilight asked looking a little concerned.
"I'm... a little scared, Twilight. They say change is always scary, but those words don't sound as nice when it happens to you. But there some things you can't stop, even if you see them coming from a hundred wing-lengths off."
“Fluttershy… You're worrying me, are you ok ?” Twilight asked firmly.
"You just asked that, Twilight." Fluttershy hugged Twilight with her wings. "I want you to know, whatever happens, no matter how much things change, this me, is still your friend, and I don't regret meeting you. There are lots of times I wanted to go back and hide under my bed. When it was safer, simpler to just retreat back to my cottage, surrounded by my animals, with wants and needs I could understand, who'd love me just for a full belly and a wing on their shoulder. Please say you'll remember that, always, please SAY say it, with your power: No matter who I become, you remember we're friends,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight shivered a little and nodded “O-of course we’re friends, always, why would I doubt that?” Twilight asked with her hoof raised.
Fluttersy gently pushed it down. "Please say, 'I'll always remember Fluttershy Breeze, this Fluttershy speaking to me right now, is my friend, no matter who she is.' "
“F-Fluttershy I… alright, I guess I need to remember my friends… if it’ll make you happy, 'I'll always remember Fluttershy Breeze, this Fluttershy speaking to me right now, is my friend, no matter who she is .'” Twilight said honestly a little scared.
Fluttershy wiped a tear away with her wing. "Thanks Twilight, change is scary, but can always be wonderful, too bad you can't be sure which until it's over. I can be brave thanks to you all."
"You're brave because of yourself Fluttershy, we helped you find that courage," Twilight said.
Fluttershy breathed in deep, stretching out her wings, and let it out slowly. She smiled at Twilight. "So Twilight, didn't you say you were going to make me immune to your magic?"
Twilight said, disoriented, "I tried that before, all I got was a headache, best I got was Spike's memories not being updated with the new reality."
"Maybe you didn't word it right? If you made Discord immune to your magic, then there has to be a way. You can make me immune to your magic like Discord."
“I-I guess,” Twilight noted that her demeanor changed again “I’ll try it,” Twilight said before pondering how she’d put it, she then made a reality alteration that she hoped would work.
“Fluttershy is immune to my powers like -” Twilight began.
"-Exactly like-" Whispered Fluttershy's voice in Twilight's ear in spite of Fluttershy being right in front of her.
“...Exactly like Discord, ” Twilight said.
A shockwave rippled out from Fluttershy. She floated off the ground, blips of magic swirling around her. Fluttershy accepted it with serenity.
The magic covered Fluttershy's body completely, encapsulating her like a cocoon. It reminded Twilight how her friends had described her own ascension as an Alicorn went.
Every animal in or around the cottage looked in Fluttershy's direction, transfixed. Angel himself limped towards Fluttershy, not looking around, his cute little face painted in awe.
the sphere of magic grew bigger, and bigger, Twilight tilting her head up. In an instant the magic collapsed in on itself, like a supernova (or a black hole). The mass of magic stretched out into a serpentine-like shape but still with an equine head. A giant dove wing and a butterfly wing grew from the back. On one leg was the webbed foot of a goose, the other a kangaroo. The end of the puffed out into a skunk's tail. The tiny horn of a doe grew on one side, and a moth's feeler on the other. On arm was the claw of a kitty cat, the other was a rabbit's paw.
“Wh-what the?” Twilight said backing up.
"Looks like she was right," the draconequus in front of Twilight said. The draconequus leaned down, floating on air looking in Twilight's eyes.
“F-Fluttershy? What have I done to you?” Twilight asked looking shocked.
"Fluttershy? I remember being Fluttershy," the draconequus grabbed her own head and shook it, marbles were heard rolling around inside. "Yahtzee!" Some tiny Fluttershy voices cheered.
"Of course you can still call me Fluttershy! I also can go by the name Gaia if you want, or Fluttershy Gaia, or Gaia Breeze, or-" She blinked a couple more times focusing on Twilight. "So that's what souls look like. The ghost stories had it all wrong."
“What? Fluttershy you're not making any sense, why do you look like…. Discord?” Twilight demanded.
"What fun is there in making sense ?" She cackled. Then inched a bit closer to Twilight. "That was my first time! Did I do it right?"
“Did what right?” Twilight said backing up a little.
Fluttershy sighed and took a remote and hit 'playback' the world reversing a few seconds.
"What fun is there in making sense ?" She cackled. "So, was that? Sinister? Mischievous? Impish? I'm not sure what to go for."
“Fluttershy, stop beating around the bush! What is going on?” Twilight said looking a little panicked.
Fluttershy was wearing red glasses, a purple cap and blue scarf with dots. "Like, really? You said to make me immune to your magic 'just like Discord', just like you were, supposed to, " she shivered. "Causality loops suck, but we can't argue with the results right? Oh wait, that's like what we're doing."
“I need to fix this, you're not acting right,” Twilight said.
The costume gone, she shrank to a smaller size. "Oh, sorry. But you know I'm still you're friend right?"
"Of course you're my friend Fluttershy, nothing can never-ever change that," Twilight said.
Fluttershy nodded. "Oh that's a relief." She looked around. "Everything is so... static... so this is what Discord constantly feels like." Fluttershy snapped her fingers, turning the flowers in her garden each a different set of polka dot colors (and one colored in squares).
Angel raised on his tip toes, waving his arms.
"No Angel I'm not making you a giant rabbit so you can trample over ponies again," Fluttershy said firmly. "I have something else for you later. But fun can wait, poor Twilight needs help."
Seats, a table, and utterly normal tea (Twilight's favorite) popped into existence and they both sat down. Twilight cautiously took the tea to calm down. "F-Fluttershy, please, can you explain?"
"I supposed there's no point in hiding now. Ahem. But first-" She snapped her fingers, a time portal opened that she leapt through closing, another opened instantly that she leapt back out of. "That's taken care of, that's a load off my mind." She reached into her head and pulled out a huge pony statue with the word 'Worries' engraved on it and neatly placed it in the garden.
“Huh? What was that?” Twilight asked.
"That was me, whispering to you 'exactly like' in your ear. Sorry. I'm still just pony enough to know that hurts your feelings."
“But… why? Why go to these length? Why are you using powers like Discord to do all this?” Twilight demanded.
"Because it already happened. Because it's the way it happened. I got a visit from mine and Discord's filly, she won't be born, or conceived, for a long long time, and she told me I could choose to try and lock myself in my cabin, or move to some other country, or something to stop from becoming a draconequus like Discord, and prevent her from ever being born, or manipulate you into using the power you gained from Kath' Eol when you were Discord's daughter, and become a new draconequus."
“You got a visit… from yours and Discords daughter ?!” Twilight looked shocked.
"... I guess I'm also now your past-future step-mother... mommy's sorry?" Fluttershy said sheepishly, naturally poofing a sheep. "Seriously Twilight, I asked you to make me immune to your power like I knew Discord was... except you never told me that Discord was immune to the Absolute. I was waiting for you to call me out on it."
“T-that is true,” Twilight said, realizing that she got so wrapped up in recent events she forgot to ask that “How much do you know?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy shrugged. "Everything you know I think. I was also waiting for you to ask why I was acting like I was listening to things I already knew."
“S-so what are you going to do now that your like this? How will you wield the element of kindness?” Twilight asked.
"I... I honestly hadn't thought about that. Sorry." Fluttershy lowered her head blushing. "But as to what I'm going to do now. There are a couple of things I need to take care of." She snapped her fingers, a visible ripple came from and went across the land. "I just changed all my pictures and paperwork to reflect the new me. And next-" She clapped. Instantly there were a dozen duplicates of herself standing around her. "-Alright girls, you know what to do."
The other Fluttershys all nodded going "Hm-Mm!" and teleport away.
"Uh, and where did all of them go?" Twilight asked sure she wouldn't like the answer.
"I might have sent them all across Equestria, starting with my parents, my brother, and our friends first, and hypnotize them to accept me being a Draconequus as no more weird than Discord being one, and then going down the list every pony who had ever met me, then to ponies who have read about me or seen me." Fluttershy said not looking Twilight in the eye.
“.....WHAT?” Twilight looked shocked “Your brainwashing our friends and other ponies?” Twilight said.
"And Diamond Dogs, dragons, minotaurs, changelings-"
"Not the point!" Twilight slammed her hoof down.
Fluttershy whimpered. "I know you don't want ponies to panic about your power... and if they knew you could create gods of mortals with a few words... They'd panic, or they'd mob you demanding their turn, or turn you to stone to prevent you from overpopulating the world with ponies as powerful as Celestia. I avoided Spike because I wanted you to make the decision if you want him to know you turned one of your friends into a Draconequus."
"You mean one of my friends tricked me into turning her into one." Twilight said sounding a little bitter.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I really am, that part of me is still pony at least. I knew I'd tricked you, even if I hadn't done it yet. You know stopping casualty loops is impossible, but I know that's not an excuse." Fluttershy gestured all around. "But all of this? It feels frozen, like everypony else is just an actor going through the motions, they can't see the rails they're on."
"You're talking like you've been one for a few days instead of a few minutes."
"I needed to do some soul searching after I whispered in your ear. I visited the moon, the sun, Neighpon, Our Town, that pet store in Cloudsdale I always loved as a filly. ... I... I forgive Discord for turning me into Fluttercruel... I was horrible, and I wouldn't want to act that way or anyone else ever again. But I understand a bit on why he did. Besides making us unable to use the Elements to stop him."
"He could have made you an outgoing social butterfly if he had a need to upend things." Twilight countered.
"I never said he wasn't an awful person then. What do you want from me Twilight? I promised I'd help you to test out your powers and I will. Test it."
"Test what?"
"Test to see if you can turn me back into a pony," she shuttered. "I'm not looking forward to it. But I know it would make you happy."
"FLUTTERSHY IS A PONY! OW!" Twilight shouted desperately but the pain hit her hard, however Fluttershy snapped her fingers and the headache was gone.
"Again."
"Fluttershy changes into a pony. Ow!"
Snap. "Again."
"There is a 'turn draconequus into ponies orb on the table and it blasts Fluttershy! Agh!' Twilight gains another headache.
Snap. "Again."
"Angel has the power to change the species of others and he changes Fluttershy into a pony. Ow!” Twilight cried out.
Snap. "Again."
" GAIA becomes a mortal pony. Ouch!..." That one wasn't as bad, or she was getting used to it. "I didn't have headaches trying to use this on Discord or trying to remove my own power."
"I'm pretty sure because you've gotten numb to those. I think you tried to get rid of the Absolute every time. Or give it to somepony in a coma and send them into another universe."
“I can’t believe it… I can’t undo it…” Twilight said, knowing the reason why as well.
"You never answered my question Twilight, do you want Spike to just accept me being a draconequus is normal? Changing dragons isn't half bad after all. Or would you rather he knows just how powerful you can make somepony?"
“Spike wouldn't exploit my powers like that,” Twilight denied.
"Not yet," Fluttershy whispered. But bringing up 'power corrupts' when she was now almost all-powerful herself was a self-destructive argument. "So what were all the things you wanted me to help you with testing your powers on again?"
Twilight just looked at her.
"Fine," Fluttershy snapped her claws, appearing as a yellow pegasus. "Is this better?"
"Fluttershy! You're back! Wait, you can do that?"
"Shape shifting isn't as special as changelings like to think, Twilight, you could look like a normal unicorn any time you want."
"Wha... what did you say?! All those nights I tried finding new sleeping positions, all those times adjusting to having two new limbs... I could have just 'tucked them away' any time I wanted?! Why didn't Celestia, Cadence, or Luna say anything?!" Twilight demanded.
"... I'm guessing they thought you knew. Or they want to think of yourself exclusively as an Alicorn and the sisters want you to take their places."
"Don't be silly, Celestia and Luna are not plotting to saddle me with ruling all of Equestria. And even if they were, I'm sure they'd give me say, a century or two to learn the ropes to make the transfer of power more seamless so my inexperience doesn't lead to the collapse of Pony civilization." Twilight said, briefly forgetting she was using the Absolute.
Far far away, a certain evil Alicorn felt a chill go up her spine.
Fluttershy nodded with a chuckle.
“Sounds about right,” Fluttershy said knowingly “So, about those tests?” Fluttershy asked.
“Right… well I need to know the full extent of my powers, but whenever I try to discover them, the headaches return, how would you suggest we move past that roadblock?” Twilight said, feeling confused.
"Twilight, I feel like you're asking how to learn to fly without crashing," goddess of chaos or not Fluttershy shuddered at the painful memories. "And you should be asking Discord-" Fluttershy reasoned.
"NO!" Twilight said loudly.
"-alright then."
“There has to be a way to see the limits without damaging anything,” Twilight raised her hoof and thought out several scenarios, and their backlash, especially if she were to forget things because she willed it.
“I look at it like this,” Fluttershy made a chalkboard appear with a dozen chalk drawings. “If you can’t figure the limits of the power out, perhaps try harmless things, like, turn the sky pink, or create something huge, but harmless, or simply will that you would know that using the Absolute to its fullest would have disastrous effects, surely that is in the realm of the Absolute’s power,” Fluttershy said.
“That’s… a good point,” Twilight said with chagrin, deciding to use the Absolute in a broad but harmless way, she decided on Fluttershy’s first offer.
“The sky is now pink, and nopony but me and Fluttershy notices ,” Twilight said.
Immediately the ground shook and Twilight looked around before noticing the sky changing from blue to a Pinkie style pink, it was bizarre but at the same time somewhat pretty.
Spike and Gleam relaxed in a lava pit.
“Aaahh, this is nice,” Spike said.
Gleam nodded “Best lava pit in my opinion,” Gleam said.
“I agree-” Spike paused when the ground shook and he looked up and saw the sky was now pink.
“...Weird…” Spike said.
“What?” Gleam asked.
“Was the sky always pink?” Spike asked.
“Yeah, you been living under a rock?” Gleam chuckled.
“Um… no, focus on the date Spike,” Spike leaned back in the lava pool and returned focus to Gleam.
“Whoa,” Twilight said.
“Theory proven,” Fluttershy said, changing it back with a snap of the fingers.
“...There’s a muffin the size of a castle floating over our heads ,” Twilight tried.
Suddenly a gigantic blueberry muffin manifested and floated over their heads.
Derpy noticed this from the other side of Ponyville and smiled.
“My birthday wish finally came true!” Derpy said happily and she flew towards the muffin.
“Never mind, it’s a cupcake, ” Twilight said and it turned into a giant chocolate cupcake.
There was a faint cry of a disappointed blond pegasus in Ponyville as they continued.
“I imagine Pinkie will be happy at least,” Fluttershy chuckled.
Twilight raised her hoof “This still doesn’t tell me the limits, can I alter things on a more cosmic scale or am I limited to just this planet?...” Twilight looked around before saying.
“I have a hi-tech telescope,” Twilight said looking to her right and spotting the high tech telescope, she trotted over to it and peering into it.
She saw Jupiter in the distance with it.
“Jupiter is blue, ” Twilight said.
Suddenly Jupiter turned a light shade of blue.
“No way… Now it’s multi-colored,” Twilight said to see what would happen, and sure enough, it turned into a vibrant multi color like Rainbow’s mane.
“I can’t believe it.” Twilight said, backing off. “I can even affect other planets."
“Then I think you have your answer, you can do basically anything, with your mere words no less, nothing in this dimension is beyond you,” Fluttershy said “I think we can be glad it was you who obtained this power instead of somepony bad… like Sombra for instance,” Fluttershy said, shivering at the harrowing thought.
There was an unspoken agreement among the mane six and Spike: "Sombra was dead", and according to official records this was true. Radiant Hope and Sombra were granted by Celestia the peace of living out their days in seclusion, away from those who'd seek revenge or to exploit their power. The thing that Discord had created from a broken piece of Sombra's horn was the official 'third' death of Sombra.
"It... wouldn't be so bad," Twilight said. "I mean! Yes! It would be awful! But it wouldn't be too much of a problem now. I could just say 'Sombra is a good pony and always has been.' And that would be that."
"But wouldn't that completely rewrite the history of the Crystal Empire?" Fluttershy asked.
"... Well yes, I could just say 'Sombra has a change of heart and becomes good, and everypony accepts it.' Changing ponies isn't half after all." Twilight said before shaking her head “We’re getting off-track though, I need to know one more thing, can I affect history itself… what is something completely harmless I can do…. Oh! I got it!” Twilight used her normal magic to summon a book on Starswirl the Bearded.
“Something harmless is mane color! Let’s try it,” Twilight said.
“Just be careful,” Fluttershy said while sitting on an upsidown chair.
“Starswirl the Bearded had… a green mane,” Twilight said before wincing. “OW!"
"It... it felt like... when I was trying to affect things in the human world." Twilight's eyes widened.
"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"Fluttershy! I want a picture of your great-great-great grandmother!" Twilight requested.
Fluttershy snapped her feathers like they were fingers, and a painting of a pegasus who had died of old age before Granny Smith was born appeared. Her mane was pink.
"Okay, let's try this, what was her name?” Twilight requested.
“Golden Song,” Fluttershy said.
“The deceased mare Golden Song had a purple mane, much like mine, ” Twilight said. "OW!... That time felt different... like I was hitting some different kind of barrier... "
“So I suppose the dead are off limits as well,” Fluttershy said.
"Maybe... maybe not... Fluttershy... your bloodline has had purple manes since before Equestria's founding…. AAGH!” Twilight gripped her head in pain, that didn’t work, then what about this?
"Your entire bloodline since the founding of Equestria is alive, OW!" Twilight had this odd vision of being struck like an unruly student by a giant Princess Luna, like the Luna she knew was just a speck of the whole. She blinked and the vision was gone just as fast.
"I must not be thinking of this right... " Twilight said.
"Or maybe you just can't affect the past?" Fluttershy reasoned.
"I meant the distant past. I made Gleam be born as a dragon. That Spike was hatched with blue scales and spines." Twilight said.
"Really? Hm. I guess normal is what you know." Fluttershy shrugged.
"The point is... I'm wondering if there's some line of logic I'm thinking... Ah. I wonder. I'm trying to change something that no longer exists. Obviously your ancestor made has become part of the soil-" Twilight said before Fluttershy cut her off.
"Pegasi actually have our departed turned into-" Fluttershy said.
"I don't need to know! The point is, I'm clearly able to change the past. But I'm not approaching it the right way."
"Maybe it's a good thing you can't change the past, it could alter things beyond repair-" Fluttershy tried to reason with Twilight but she ignored her.
"Okay, let's try this. Fluttershy, the traits you inherited from your bloodline as a pegasus, regarding your mane color, have always been purple since before Equestria's founding. " Twilight said with assurance this would work.
Fluttershy blinked... and her mane stayed pink but Golden Song's mane turned purple.
"Oh right... I am an idiot. I made you immune to my power like Discord, it wouldn't affect you either way." Twilight wanted to bang her head against the table.
“Mhm, I do hope this answered your remaining questions Twilight, and perhaps you should look forward to your meeting with Discord,” Fluttershy said.
“....I’ll consider it,” Twilight said “But yes, I have all my questions answered,” Twilight said before trotting away.
“Shall I come?” Fluttershy asked floating besides Twilight.
“If you want, I need somepony’s help with things while Spike is fooling around,” Twilight said.
“I think they’ll make a great couple,” Fluttershy chuckled.
“Let’s hope they wait till marriage at least,” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Alright, I don’t have anything to do right now,” Fluttershy said ignoring Angel hopping after her demanding attention. Twilight turned around, and Fluttershy glanced at Angel. Fluttershy morphed into her true form and snapped her claws, freezing time except for her and Angel.
"Yes, I know, you're right, I did promise. And if I'm to become a goddess of chaos, you should be at my side, Angel. Is that you want?"
Angel nodded furiously.
Fluttershy cracked her knuckles. "Alright Angel dear, you asked for it."
Fluttershy took out a pressure cooker and plopped it on top of Angel.
"Mix your essence with chaos magic, upgrade you to full sapient, no longer bound by nature's cycle like animals instinctively are... and become mine my Angel." There was a puff of steam, and Fluttershy pulled back the pressure cooker.
The creature had shiny white skin like Angel’s fur, or maybe it was just very glossy fur. Its eyes were black with white slits. Little bat wings fluttered behind its back that it looked at in surprise. It stood on its two legs, but hunched over. Its hands and feet were a set of three claws (and a thumb for the hands) that were the same color and texture as the rest of him. His mouth was jagged like his fangs and jaw were one and the same. A pair of little ears like a goat's, and slit nostrils like a skull. A lizardy pointed tail swept behind him. And of course were the tiny swept back horns.
"You make a wonderful imp Angel," Fluttershy said approvingly, knowing most of Ponyville would consider it not really that big a change. The imp, Angel, bowed to its goddess. Fluttershy snapped her fingers and time resumed for the rest of the world.
Fluttershy morphed back into a pegasus and fluttered next to Twilight. "Ready when you are!"
Twilight nodded and trotted on to Ponyville, the new imp quietly waving them off.
Author's Note
Does anyone else have an idea you want me to implement? I'm still taking requests.
Either way, things are changing left and right, will everything be okay with Twilight?
