Wrapping it up for the night, Twilight headed back to the crystal/tree/castle and quickly went to sleep on account of how late it had become. That night both Twilight and Owlowiscious had strange possible connected dreams. Both were in a seemingly infinite black void. The only other entity Owlowiscious could make out was a purple owl, while all Twilight could make out was a Griffin. Neither was sure of how much time had passed nor had they attempted to communicate before they were surprised by a sudden third entity in the void with them. A wall of green text appeared right before them, somehow not "mirrored" for either.
Loading TambelOS, please hold.
Disk located, please hold.
Running Start-Up procedure, please hold.
Hello, $USER. Welcome to the TambelOS Version 0.0.1 "Memory Crystal" Edition. This system is property of the Colorification Initiative. Copyright $DATE - $DATE
@AutoScript (command):>run curse
Activating protocol "Curse", please hold.
*NOTICE: This operation has been performed by the internal automatic scripting system and not an actual user on the network currently.
Welcome to Harmonic Curse. Establishing connection to Harmonic Crystals.
Complete: 6 elements online
Accessing internal anchor clock
Complete: Date correct
Initiating $UNTITLED "transfiguration" protocol
Complete: Discord possibly MIA
Estimated waking of related entities in:
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
And then right on time both owl and pony awoke. Or, perhaps former owl and pony. Twilight immediately recognized this as a transfiguration spell, and soon after realized it would be hard to undo without a horn. While they could be annoying transformations are nothing new to one of the greatest magic users in all of Equestria. Twilight, unsuprising, began to recall a book. "So, You've been transformed?" specifically. Magic Kindergarten stuff. Using the procedures from so long ago Twilight began to determine what the transformation entailed.
The key factors to figuring this out were:
Twilight looked down, seeing a bird-like body. It was in this act Twilight remembered that the castle is covered with reflective surfaces. The destruction of the library has it's upsides. Looking at one of these surfaces Twilight was in all honesty a little let-down and relieved that an owl stared back. After turning into a breezy, an alicorn, a filly version of yourself, Starlight's musicbox thing and many other odd things a purple owl isn't really that strange, if albeit a minor inconvenience.
Twilight correctly guessed that this form did not retain the ability to speak Ponish and it lacked a horn to cast a reversal spell and examine the actual spell that caused it. "Who" Twilight said somberly. But it did raise an interesting question: Who was behind this? Twilight has many enemies both politically and personally, at least one of which was no stranger to transfiguration and still roaming Everfree. Turning one into an owl is such a strange way of showing it though. Why would anybody want to do that? Perhaps an animal-rights group? Could Fluttershy be involved somehow?
If Fluttershy was involved it probably wasn't malicious or even rude. Does that mean it could have been an accident? Did the pony behind this even realize what it did? Generally spells of this nature you realize what they do before you cast them. Which means-
Twilight was interrupted by a loud creek that sounded like the bedroom door but louder. Twilight briefly glimpsed somebody through the doorway and realizing this is likely a home invasion promptly hid which was actually pretty easy now. Twilight for the first time in a while was legitimately scared. Somebody had broken into the castle and preformed a transfiguration spell. Not something to knock Twilight out, not something to turn invisible, not something rational. Leaving one explanation: This invader is not of a sound mind. The idea of an insane man breaking into the castle in the middle of the night is generally disturbing.
"Twilight?" He called out. Oh Celestia he knows my name.
"Twilight, Something weird happened. I'm a griffin now." He's not right upstairs. What does that even mean?
This was interrupted yet again by an even worse noise: Footsteps. Small footsteps that could only belong to a certain dragon. Said dragon screamed. This was followed by the unnamed griffin screaming, both of which screamed for longer than either would like to admit.
"Who are you?!" The understandably scared dragon shouted.
"Spike, Listen to me: I'm Owlowiscious." The griffin responded.
Both were simply silent for a shorter but still admittedly long period of time.
"Like, Twilight's bird?" Spike responded.
Twilight didn't hear anything but assumed there was a nod.
Again, Silence. That seems to be a pattern.
"Do you mind telling me how...this happened?" Spike asked, now more confused than scared.
"I was just wondering the same thing."
They both turned to Twilight's bedroom, which was still dark, and realized at the same moment that Twilight was not present.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that you don't know where Twilight is either." Spike said to the griffin, who nodded "yes".
Twilight, realizing that now was a good time to come out, flew to the bed, face failing to convey any emotion.
"Yeah of course." Spike sighed, a few moments before Owlowiscious fully understood the implications of what just happened.
"Is that...?" Owlowiscious asked, receiving a simple glance from Spike.
"Oh dear."
"Come on Twilight, let's see what spell went wrong." Spike said holding out his finger which Twilight promptly perched upon. Spike seeming bigger revived some unpleasant memories involving the "hat incident", which were quickly alleviated. Both progressed down into the "magic room" in more silence that Spike broke.
"Hey, no hard feelings about the "Twilight's Assistant" thing, Right?"
"Hm?" Bucker thinks he's intellectual. Spike thought.
"You know, when Twilight first got you and we didn't really...mesh well." Spike clarified.
"Oh that. No we both know who the best assistant is anyway." Owlowiscious said with a wink that Spike didn't comment on.
Reaching the room containing Twilight's more recent tests, the bird flew over to the desk and began speaking in a complex string of "who"s with different inflections. Spike looked dumbfounded but Owlowiscious seemed to have some recognition.
"This one?" He said walking over the the same bookcase and taking out the pen, resulting in Twilight nodding.
"You still speak...that?" Spike asked.
"It's Owlish. And yes, I recall how to speak my own tongue." He responded.
"Can you talk to Twilight?"
Owlowiscious looked down at the bird, hard, before making noises similar to a very poor imitation of owl noises.
Spike was surprised but didn't show it.
Twilight, again, had said something inaudible to Owlowiscious.
"Twilight wants us to write a letter to Celestia." Owlowiscious translated. He then got to work writing while Twilight who'd at him with an occasional "yes" and "uh-huh".
Spike picked up the finished product and was greeted with a rather literal mess of chicken scratch.
"Maybe I should write the letter."
Dear Princess Celestia,
This morning I awoke to find both Twilight and our pet Owlowiscious transformed. Twilight is now an owl while Owlowiscious is a griffin. That's why Twilight can't write to you. Please respond ASAP.
~ Standing in for your most faithful student, Spike the Dragon
Spike sent the letter internally cringing at how much less poetic it was than the ones Twilight writes or helps him to write. He was glad Twilight didn't see it, knowing Twilight there's be a panic and something related to Celestia "banishing me to the ocean" or whatever.
At first, Spike was slightly worried that Celestia may be asleep but a look outside confirmed that the sun was indeed moving up. It was actually higher than he expected, in the middle of all this chaos he had started to lose track of time.
Wait.
Wait.
This should have been obvious.
Spike, facepalming and not the slightest bit amused, called out seemingly in the sky:
"Bat God of L'gy'hx, the Trickster of Enterprises, show yourself!" in a way that seemed to shake the very foundation of reality. Both Owlowiscious and Twilight stared at Spike, unnerved by the uncanny silence that followed. It was one of those moments that seemed to last far longer than it actually did. Except for Spike. He just seemed annoyed.
"YOU PUNY KNIGHTS DARE CALL MY NAME?" A voice boomed from every direction.
"Dude what did you do this time?" Spike asked gesturing to Twilight and Owlowiscious.
"Oh what ever do you mean?" Discord asked, popping out of the ink well in such a way that it seemed that he had always been there.
Spike just looked back, unamused. Twilight and Owlowiscious simply looked at Spike confused.
"It's his self-insert for when he's the GM." Spike clarified at the other two who didn't seem to understand but figured that was the point.
"Oooh, you mean the species swap thing? Scouts honor, I had nothing to do with this one." Discord replied with a string of visual gags that would be very cluttered to describe in this format.
Discord is many things, but not a liar. Actually he lies frequently. But it would probably be funnier to tell the truth this time, ergo he's not lying Spike reasoned. Spike swears sometimes jokes form in his head just when he's thinking about Discord. Discord is yet to claim to read his thoughts yet, however.
"Can you just change them back?" Spike asked, briefly questioning why they don't just use Discord to solve most problems, then remembering that would be to cruel for the villains.
Discord complied, or tried to comply, snapping with no clear results.
"Well?" Spike asked.
"Ok look, I'm just as confused as you are."
Spike just stared back somehow even more disappointed and unamused looking.
"If I was really going to get around fixing it do you think I would do it in such a boring way? Come on Spike, Give me a little credit."
Spike, knowing Discord and comedy tropes in general, believed him. Discord snapped a few more times and mumbled something about "Einstein being right."
"Do you at the very least know why it's not working?" Spike asked.
"It's not my fault this time, I swear! I can tell when it's my fault. But it's on their end this time. When I reach in to change them it's off." Discord said almost defensively. If Spike didn't know any better there seemed to be some regret in that line.
"What do you mean "off"?" Spike asked, more intrigued than anything at this point.
"Well it feels kinda like how things felt before...things. Actually, very much like this one thing I know. But that thing is dead." Discord said. He didn't mention that he superseded it, They met because of a mutual interests before Discord cut ties with it when it became apparent how little it actually cared about Chaos, instead being driven by revenge and it's rants about "other worlds". Discord didn't like thinking about that thing. Back then he was still evil but he wasn't that petty.