//------------------------------//
// Rainbow Gets So, So High 
// Story: Rearranged 
// by Touch the Sky 
//------------------------------//

The burst of magic ripped through everything. I tackled Pinkie to the ground as the explosive wave swept over our heads. When the wave was far enough away, I looked over and gasped in shock.
Rainbow's horn was shattered, a jagged colourless stump still attached to her skull, but the rest lay on the ground, a grey, powerless spiral of bone.
The burst of magic had been her magic being released all at once as its prison broke.

The kick had knocked Rainbow out cold, and she was mercifully unaware of the loss of her power. Fluttershy was hyperventilating, absolutely horrified by what had happened, as we all were. The grey rabbit hopped slowly out from behind Rainbow's limp form and as we watched, began to gently lick Rainbow's face and tap at her, trying to wake her up. Fluttershy made no move towards it, but something gleamed in the depths of her green eyes for a moment.

Finally, Rainbow stirred. She got shakily to her hooves and one hoof went to her head. "Ugh, what in Equestria just happened?"
We were all staring at her, so she narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?"
She looked down as the rabbit tugged at the fur on her leg. The bunny held out the broken grey horn to her, its ears flopped down miserably.

Rainbow looked at the grey object for a few seconds before she caught on. Panicked, she fumbled for where her horn should be- and found only a jagged stump. Her eyes widened, and then screwed up as she tried to use her magic. Nothing happened.
To say that Rainbow had a panic attack would be a gross understatement. She went INSANE.
"How will I make dresses without my magic? I'll have to shut down the boutique! I can't possibly become a royal designer now! This... it's a disaster... and it's all..." Rainbow turned to glare at Fluttershy, her violet eyes full of anger and tears. "Your. Fault."

Before Fluttershy could move, Rainbow was on her, tearing out tufts of yellow fur in her fury. But as I watched, Rainbow's eyes grew spaced out and she froze. Fluttershy quickly struggled free. Rainbow didn't react; instead she keeled over and lay, twitching slightly, in the grass, her eyes wide and glazed.

Even as we watched in chagrin, the mutilated stump of Rainbow's horn seemed to melt back into her skull, and bony protrusions began to push out of her back. A minute later, Rainbow was a pegasus, albeit still with Rarity's diamond cutie mark. I sighed with relief; she was back to normal. 

But when Rainbow's eyes grew focused again, she threw herself at Fluttershy. "You've lost... me... my... destiny!" she screeched.
"Uh... Rainbow?" I said.
"Not now, Twilight." snarled Rainbow. Since this fool has lost me my destiny, I ought to rearrange hers. I'll break one- no, both of her back legs. I'd like to see her buck apples then."
"Rainbow!" snapped Rarity. "What happened to you was a dreadful accident. Fluttershy didn't do it on purpose. Anyway, you should take a look on your back."

Rainbow looked disgruntled, but her curiosity got the better of her and she turned around to come face to face with her new- or old- wings.
Her reaction was priceless. 
"Woohoo!" she cried, bouncing up and down with an expression of rapture on her face. "I'm an alicorn, just like you, Rarity! This is fabulous!"
But Rainbow's victory dance was put to a stop as Rarity walked over and patted Rainbow gently. "Not quite, Rainbow. I'm afraid you have no horn to speak of, not even that stump. You're a pegasus."

Rainbow looked dejected for a moment, but then perked up again. "I might not have magic any more, but I can... I can..."
I smiled as a ghost of the Rainbow Dash I knew sparkled in the violet eyes of the new pegasus. Rainbow crouched, raised her wings, and shot into the air like a rocket. "I CAN FLY!" she shouted ecstatically. 

Rainbow went zipping and diving through the sky at great speed, her rainbow tail and mane leaving the faint colours of the spectrum in her wake.

Rainbow spiralled up into the sky, higher and higher. Pinkie was looking surprised, as I supposed she should, since in her world Rainbow had never flown before, except for when she had, presumably, sprouted butterfly wings for the Young Flier's Competition. I chuckled at the thought of Rainbow with butterfly wings. Of course, Rainbow obviously hadn't recovered her memory as she had not reacted at all surprised at Rarity being an alicorn, so I could only hope that this skill in flight was a sign that Rainbow's memory would seep back slowly.

I looked over at Rarity absently, to see her staring straight at me. Her eyes were narrowed, not with suspicion but with concern. Of course, I realised, since my rant was being proved true, she was fearing for her position as a princess.

Before I could say anything, Rainbow soared overhead, veering to turn her flight vertically skyward. She kept going higher and higher, and for a moment I thought she was about to perform a Sonic Rainboom. But when she began to slow down and her climb peaked, I realised that she was testing just how high she could go.

But something was clearly wrong. Rainbow's head was swaying and a moment later her wings snapped shut against her sides. She began to fall like a stone, her rainbow mane and tail sweeping the sky behind her. 
Rarity's gaze broke from me and she flew up to meet the falling pegasus, catching her between her white wings and gliding gently to earth. Rainbow jumped off Rarity's back, her eyes rolling a bit. She coughed, then smiled. 
"Sorry. Guess I'm not ready for such high altitudes yet."

Rarity nodded curtly and turned away; an unidentifiable emotion flickered deep in her eyes as she glanced at me. 
Suddenly I heard high pitched squeaks from behind me. The grey rabbit rushed over and hugged Rainbow's cyan leg, nuzzling its face in her blue fur. Fluttershy watched the rabbit and just for a second I saw my Fluttershy in her eyes as they softened and she smiled. But a moment later she hardened her features again.

Pinkie escorted the rabbit back off the Acres as the rest of us headed for town, Rainbow still flying overhead and attracting many stares of confusion and wonder from below.
Rarity suggested we go to Sugarcube Corner, and the others heartily agreed. But I desperately wanted to talk to Applejack, so I made my excuses and trotted away to the hospital.

Applejack was sitting up in bed, still wingless. Her green eyes fixed piercingly on me as I came in.
I sat down next to the bed and Applejack said sharply, "Talk."

I explained everything, from the accidental spellcasting to Rainbow's new wings. Applejack sat there, ears twitching occasionally, but silent throughout the whole thing.

"So you're telling me." said the orange mare when I finished, "that ah was a pegasus, Rainbow was a unicorn and Rarity's an alicorn princess?"
"And Pinkie's a pegasus and Fluttershy's an earth pony." I supplied.

"And that this is caused by the same spell ya messed up our cutie marks with, but it's stronger because ya were a princess?"
I nodded.
"Good gravy, girl, what's wrong with you?" snapped Applejack. "What the hay did ya recast that spell for?"
"I- It's a long story, Applejack." I said.

"But now what're we gonna do? We've gotta get them all back to normal, but we ain't gonna just chop off Pinkie and Rarity's wings-"
"I should hope not." came a regal tone. Rarity walked in and closed the door. Her ears flicked agitatedly. "Applejack, I don't know how Twilight got you into her crazy scheme, but-"

"Wait. Crazy scheme?" I said indignantly. "This is about who we're meant to be, Rarity-"
"Or so you think." Rarity said. "I don't know how you two managed to get rid of Applejack's wings, but-"
"I didn't!" I shouted crossly. "I had nothing to do with Applejack's wings disappearing. Besides, you saw what happened to Rainbow- her horn disappeared and her wings grew back!"

"Clever trickery." hissed Rarity. "You've got some secret unicorn accomplice somewhere who's doing this-"
"Now Rarity, that's totally impossible and you know it. Even you can't change a pony's species."
Rarity stamped a shoe-clad hoof. "I don't care how you're doing this, but it stops, now. If I get a single whisper of your crackpot story ever again I'll have the two of you locked up, Elements or no Elements!"

Rarity stormed out of the ward, leaving Applejack and I to stare worriedly at each other. Rarity was really headed off the deep end...