Twilight woke up a week after her coronation, her wings aching. As she laid in her bed back at the library, she reminded herself not to sleep on her back anymore. Rainbow dash had told her many times that it was possible if she got a cloud bed, but twilight refused to part with her old one. She wasn't one hundred percent sure why she didn't want to get rid of it-maybe it was the fact that, since she became a princess, everything was different. Even a little thing like the same bed made Twilight feel more connected to her old life as a simple unicorn.
She stroked her Starswirl the Bearded sheets and watched the thin streams of sunlight break through her curtains. With a sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that she still had a lot of work to do with the spells Celestia had sent home with her. She slipped out of bed, stretching her legs and wings, and plodded over to Spike's small bed. She watched him sleep peacefully, remembering the first day she saw him, when he was just newly hatched.
"Spike," she said gently, nudging him ever so slightly. "It's time to get up, we overslept already and we need to start on the spells."
"Mmm, five more minutes?" Spike murmured sleepily.
Twilight smiled at him, but wouldn't relent. "Come on, sleepyhead, we have to get started. These new spells aren't going to do themselves." Spike groaned and rolled over but knew if he stayed much longer, Twilight would wake him up again, but not as quite as gently as before. He rolled out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, following Twilight downstairs.
"What's for breakfast, Twilight?" Spike asked as he slowly made his way down the stairs.
"Nothing yet," she replied, waiting for him with a spell book open. "I've been looking at this one for days and I think I have it right. If it works, we can go out to eat; if it fails, then I guess we can go out to eat and I'll try again when we're done."
Spike listened to his stomach rumble. "Alright, but let's go as fast as we can, okay?"
Twilight chuckled as he joined her in the middle of the library floor. "Okay, Spike, I'll try."
"What spell are we trying out anyway?"
"It's a long transportation spell. Usually transportation spells are used to get out of the way quickly, like the kind matador ponies use, but long transportation spells can be used to transport more than one pony to somewhere far away. You and I will be going to Canterlot Castle, since we know it's safe and I can tell Princess Celestia about my success!"
Spike seemed uncomfortable. "But, Twilight, what if it doesn't work? What if we're transported somewhere dangerous? Or what if we go somewhere where we didn't mean to go, like Saddle Arabia?"
"I've thought about these outcomes quite a bit, and I think that if we get into a really sticky situation, I can use the spell again and hopefully we'll be transported somewhere safer. But really, Spike, would I ask you to conduct this spell with me if I thought that there would be serious danger?"
Spike considered this. "Well... I guess not. Okay, go ahead." Twilight's horn began to glow a bright fuchsia, but Spike interrupted before she could carry it out. "Wait!" He zoomed to a closet and grabbed a football helmet. "Ya know... Not that I don't trust you, but just in case..."
Twilight giggled. She sometimes she wondered how it would feel to be a big sibling, but she didn't need to ponder too hard, because Spike was just like a little brother to her, as well as an assistant, and almost like a son. "Do you need anything else?" She asked, partially teasing and partially serious.
Spike considered this and shook his helmeted head. "No, I'm good." He hopped on her back, hugging her neck closely, but not enough to choke her. "Fire away! I'm hungry."
Smiling, Twilight once again lit her horn, putting all her concentration into the spell. She envisioned the castle and concentrated, thinking of the room where the elements of harmony were once held, filled with stained glass windows depicting her and her friends, the princesses, and Discord.
Discord? Why are you thinking of Discord? When you first saw him all he did was mess with your friends...
She began to feel the magic wash over her and Spike. No! Not Discord! Not chaos! The Canterlot Castle! she thought in a frenzy. In a blast of dazzling light, she and Spike transported.
***
When the blast of light faded and their vision refocused, Twilight and Spike found themselves in the exact same position and the exact same place where they had been before.
"What? I thought I did everything right... We didn't even move!"
"Maybe it's a dud?" Suggested Spike, hopping off Twilight's back. "All I know is, I was promised breakfast!"
Twilight chuckled as she decided some time out of the library might focus her mind. "You're right, Spike. Let's see if they have any good breakfast pastries at Sugar Cube Corner."
"Mm-mm!" Cried Spike enthusiastically, licking his lips. "What are you waiting for? Lets go!"
As they trotted to Sugar Cube Corner, Twilight noticed everypony seemed kind of downtrodden and grumpy. Maybe Pinkie hasn't done her rounds yet today, reasoned Twilight as she opened the door and let the smell of early morning sweets fill her nose.
"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight called.
Pinkie Pie emerged from the back room with noticeably straight hair. "What do you want, Twilight?" She asked, settling on the other side of the counter.
Twilight was confused at Pinkie's noticeable lack of interest. "Umm... Can Spike and I get a couple of cinnamon buns, please?"
"HEY, WE NEED A COUPLE OF CINNAMON BUNS UP HERE," Pinkie cried suddenly, making Twilight and Spike flinch.
"We're makin'em, ya annoying mule! Don't get your tail in a bunch!" screeched a voice from the back.
"YA BETTER MAKE THEM QUICK, WOULDN'T WANNA LOSE BUSINESS AND BE A DEADBEAT FATHER TO THOSE LITTLE DEMONS YOU CALL CHILDREN," Pinkie screamed in reply. She turned to Twilight. "So anyways Twi, how's it working with our Great and Glorious Leader, huh?" She asked sarcastically.
Twilight shifted uncomfortably. What was wrong with Pinkie and the Cakes? "Um, it's okay, I guess..."
"Yeah, sure SOUNDS fun." Scoffed Pinkie Pie in reply. A bell ding-ed and Pinkie fetched the pastries. "Eat 'em while they're hot, so they don't get any shittier, and have a Celestia-ful day," she said, emphasizing the last part with faked enthusiasm.
"Okay then," said Twilight, paying for the desserts and accepting the cinnamon rolls. "You too, I guess..."
As they left the pastry shop, Spike asked, "What was that all about?"
"I don't know, Spike," Twilight said sadly, "but I really don't like the sound of it."
Twilight and Spike ate their pastries back at the treehouse. The cinnamon buns were no different from what they usually were-cinnamon and sugar baked into a delicious fluffy roll, with nothing but the best icing to top it. Needless to say, they were gone pretty quickly.
"Twilight, what do you think got into Pinkie and the Cakes?" Spike asked, licking the remains of his breakfast off of his claws.
"I don't know, Spike," Twilight answered, her brow wrinkled in concern. "That's what I was asking myself on the way here. And plus, everypony else seemed kind of grumpy as well... I just don't see what's wrong with everypony."
Spike shrugged. "Maybe you could ask somepony about it. Like maybe, I dunno, Rarity?"
Twilight almost laughed but knew Spike had a very serious crush on her, and besides, she wasn't really in a laughing mood. "Sounds good to me," she said, allowing him to hop on her back as they made the trek to the Carousel Boutique.
***
They walked in the door to Rarity's place and found that the dresses on display were oddly plain. "Rarity?" Called out Twilight anxiously.
Rarity trotted in with her usual "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique. How may I help you?" Upon seeing Twilight, she grinned. "Oh hello darling! Marvelous to see you. What brings you here today?"
Twilight sighed with relief that at least somepony was acting normal. "Rarity, we went to Sugar Cube Corner today and Pinkie and Mr. And Mrs. Cake seemed very... Out of sorts, I guess. Grumpy and mad."
Rarity giggled daintily. "Oh, you know Pinkie Pie! She is definitely a bit of an oddball."
"So you don't think there's anything wrong with Pinkie yelling more than usual?"
"Well, she has a bit of a loud personality, wouldn't you say?"
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess you're right. Just my imagination I guess. But, um, I did want to ask about one more thing, if that's all right."
"Of course, dear! Ask me anything."
"No offense or anything, but don't your dresses usually have a little bit more, uh, 'bling' on them?"
Rarity's eye twitched. "Bling? As in... Gems?"
"Well yes, I suppose that's what I was getting at."
"Why share such shining beauties with others when I can keep them all for myself?"
Twilight backed away a bit, nervous. "What do you mean, Rarity?"
"I mean no one must lay a hoof upon my beauties! You're trying to take them, aren't you?! That's why you came! Well I shan't allow it!" She exclaimed as she ran upstairs. "Momma will protect you, my beauties!"
"Twilight... I'm scared..." Spike stated tremblingly. "Nopony is acting right."
"You seem to be right, Spike. Let's talk to the other elements and see what's going on."
"So... Who should we visit first?"
Twilight pondered this. "Rainbow Dash. If everypony is acting as weird as this, at least she'll have the least amount of relatives or animals attack or anything."
Twilight took to the sky in search of Rainbow Dash and found her napping on a cloud. Pulling over another cloud for her to stand on, she confronted the prismatic pegasus. "Dash, what's going on?" She asked.
Rainbow cracked open an eye and glanced at Twilight. "Well apparently I'm being woken up from my nap. What do you need, Twi? I'm kind of tired. I mean I'll help you if you need it, but I really need to rest up for the academy." She seemed less confident than usual.
"Will you please tell me what's going on? Pinkie Pie is being a grump, and when I asked Rarity about it, she started being all possessive and stuff."
Dashie yawned, standing up and stretching. "Sounds about right to me."
Twilight's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "What?! What do you mean 'sounds right'?!"
Rainbow Dash gave her a funny look. "Are you okay there Twi? Do you have amnesia or something? Pinkie is always grumpy and Rarity is always greedy. That's just their elements, the Elements of Disharmony." As Twilight and Spike's jaws dropped open, Dash rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised. Anyways, speaking of elements, I gotta go. It's almost time for training, and I'm not gonna lie, I would rather do that than stay here and talk. Gotta go!" With that, she flew off.
Tears formed in Twilight's eyes and she felt as though her knees would buckle. "Oh, Spike, first the cutie mark thing and now this? What have I done? Maybe I'm just not fit to be a princess..."
Spike shook his head to clear the shock. "Don't talk like that, Twilight! You solved the cutie mark problem pretty easily, so this one should be a cakewalk for you!"
Twilight wiped her eyes. "Well... Maybe. But last time it was just the elements, but remember how the cakes treated Pinkie? What if it's the whole town?"
Spike looked down to see they had floated over the schoolhouse. "Well, how about we go and check it out?" Suggested Spike, motioning down towards the foals who were having recess.
Twilight sighed and began her decent towards the bright red building. Landing gently, she headed towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Hello, girls, I-" she began, stopping mid sentence out of shock.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had their cutie marks-and not only that, they were teasing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon... Who didn't have their cutie marks!
When they saw her approach, they immediately stopped and let the two previously pompous fillies flee. "Hey Twilight, why are you here?" Asked Scootaloo, more out of curiosity than animosity.
"I just, uh... I was, um, going to talk to your teacher. That's all. Carry on with your... Activities."
She found Cheerilee grading papers, joyously scribbling "F"'s on most of them. "Cheerilee?" Twilight asked cautiously.
"Why hello, Twilight. Why are you here?" Cheerilee asked relatively pleasantly, not taking her eyes off the papers. Suddenly, the color drained from her face. "Did the princess send you? I've been filling my quota, I swear-"
Twilight cut her off. "No, I came here myself. "I was just wondering... Well, um... Maybe you could give me a refresher course on history?"
Cheerilee smiled. "Sure, anything for the new princess! Before the reign of our fair leaders, Princesses Celestia and Luna, a dragonequus named Discord ruled over the land. The Princesses staged a coup, using the elements of disharmony to encase him in stone. Ever since then, they have ruled over us fairly. Anypony who goes against their law or insults their principles is up for the utmost punishment. And can you believe some ponies are Discordist? A few pleaded with the princesses to let him free and for him to be used for their will. Well, after slaughtering them, they pondered it decided it would actually be a splendid idea, so they let him out and forced him to do their bidding. I think that's pretty much until recently. You should probably remember the rest, unless you would like me to tell you more?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, I've heard more than enough, thank you."
