Sweet Apple Acres farm
Rainbow Dash kicked away the ruined remains of the mechanical wings ,spraying them with dust, “Awww man, they really are bust!”
“They are now anyway...” Applejack rolled her eyes, as she carefully levitated the ruined device away from everypony for safety.
Rarity continued to hover close to the ground, looking down at the other ponies, “This is certainly easier on my mane and hooves.” She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her wings catch a little draft of breeze flowing over and around her as she continued to flap slowly above the ground.
“What were you up to anyway, looks like somepony could have been hurt!” Applejack turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle.
“It’s not my fault... Rainbow Dash and Rarity insisted that I steer!” She protested looking as cute and as sad as possible.
“Now now sugar, I know it ain’t your fault but, and i’m looking at you here for this Rainbow, what was the idea! You couldn’t even try being an earth pony for the day?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head, “Nope! No way! It’s fly way or no way for me!”
Applejack frowned, “Well amma sorry for you sugarcube, being an earth pony ain’t so bad if yer willing to give it a try.”
Looking towards Applejack there was suddenly a deep empty hollow feeling inside Rainbow Dash, a feeling of sadness that just swept over her.
“... I didn’t think about it that way," She admitted looking to Applejack frowning a little, “I heard leapling day was coming and was so sure I was going to be a unicorn, I got Rarity there to make me some wings I could magically use.”
Applejack nodded placing a hoof on Rainbow Dash for reassurance.
“But ... when I woke up an Earth pony. Honestly Applejack; I thought about staying in bed all day long!” Rainbow Dash continued, “But ... I wasn’t going to let a lack of wings get the better of me, I might as well try and enjoy it right and i’d made all these preparations, I never really thought about being an Earth pony until now.”
Applejack smiled softly, patting Rainbow Dash softly on the muzzle, “Don’t that feel better now sugar?”
Rainbow Dash blinked, the deep empty feeling started to shrink being replaced by a fluffy soft warmth all over.
“That there you are feeling right now is how Earth ponies feel when two friends are getting along after a fight,” said Applejack but Rainbow Dash wasn’t paying attention as the soft warmth filled her completely.
Twilight’s Tree Library
Spike grumbled softly, he had finally managed to tidy up the last of the books; taking a step back to admire his masterwork, Twilght Sparkle’s tree library was at last for once; Clean.
“Maybe now I can get my feet up for a bit,” He said looking to Owlicious.
"Who?" The owl hooted softly preening his feathers.
Carefully, Spike walked up the stairs stretching a bit and scratching at his tummy scales; he arrived up in the bedroom plopping into his bed with a happy sigh.
“Ahhhhh Twilight should go off flying more often.” He muttered happily, he slid his arms behind his back relaxing finally glad to get off his feet.
As he lay there relaxing, he turned over onto his side his vision blinking; as he focused on a small white envelope.
He rolled over picking it up, there was no name on it which was very odd for pony mail, carefully he opened it.
“My most faithful student;” he read aloud, recognising the hoofwriting of princess Celestia right away.
“Uh oh, This is pretty bad,” Spike gulped reading on.
“I hope this Leapling day finds you well, as is traditional I take this day to go and live with one of my many subjects, experiencing what is one of the most nice relaxing happy days I can. This year I will be staying with the mail mare, Derpy Hooves and her daughter Dinky. Please do tell my dear sister as soon as possible, I was carried away and forgot to leave a note.”
Spike rubbed the back of his head and sighed, before pinning the note up in plain view, scuttling as fast as his small legs could carry him towards Derpy’s house.
Fluttershy’s tree house
Derpy beamed proudly starting to explain, “Well every so often all ponies switch around, this year Earth ponies become Unicorns, Unicorns become Pegasi and Pegasi become Earth ponies.” She nodded looking to Scootaloo and Fluttershy.
“But you are normally a Pegasus. Shouldn’t you be a Earth pony as well?” Scootaloo suddenly asked.
Derpy grinned, “I’m special!” she announced happily, “So when I realised it was leapling day I went outside and realised something was wrong, I shouldn’t have been a unicorn and Dinky. Well she is super extra special!”
“How exactly?” Scootaloo asked.
“Today she is a princess!” Derpy replied.
“O..oh my you shouldn’t have left her alone Derpy, with such powerful magic terrible things could happen.” Fluttershy said.
“I didn’t leave her alone silly!” Derpy responded, “Princess Celestia is looking after her.”
“Maybe we should go check up on her anyway?” Scootaloo suggested.
Fluttershy nodded, “I think that might be for the best.”
Canterlot castle
Twilight carefully opened the door peeking in, “Princess Celestia?”
No reply came from within, the room was dark and quiet as Twilight peered into the darkness beyond.
“Uh Pinkie... I don’t think she is in here...” Twilight said backing out of the room a little.
Pinkie pie peeked into the room, “Princess Celestia! Why aren’t you where the spell said you would be?”
Pinkie Pie focused again, the pink nimbus of light from her horn shooting into the library room.
“Follow it!” she cried, galloping forwards only for the light to point to a book on the shelf.
“That doesn’t look like Princess Celestia....” Pinkie Pie complained.
Twilight approached the book, peering at the title, “Well … it is in a way Pinkie.”
Pinkie Pie levitated the book towards her, reading the title aloud, “Princess Celestia.”
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!” She cried, the book dropping the the ground, “Who calls a book just Princess Celestia!”
Princess Luna coughed and blushed, “It’s by me, I wanted my sister to have something nice, to show her how much she means to me.”
“Oh....” Pinkie Pie looked around, concentrating as a beam of pink light suddenly bent around her pointing directly at Princess Luna, “You should get a book about you as well...”
Princess Luna glanced down at where the pink light hit her, “Try Princess Luna, the book it might be closer.”
Pinkie wiggled her nose, the pink light shot off deep into the library, “Aha!!”
Twilight Sparkle sighed, “This isn’t really helping us!”
Princess Luna nodded in agreement, “Almost half the day is gone already, we must find my sister soon.”
“But where can we look for her I mean she could be anywhere in...“Twilight suddenly gulped, belching loudly as a plume of sparkles and flame ushered from her, a scroll fell to the ground just in front of her.
“That has never happened before;” She blushed, looking to the scroll, picking it up in her wing carefully struggling to open it.
"I got it!" Pinkie pie said happily, pink light surrounding the letter as it rolled open.
“Dear Twilight,” Pinkie started reading aloud, “It is Spike here; I hope this works, I have never tried sending mail via pony before. I am here with Princess Celestia and she thinks it should work. I am doing fine and have finished tidying the tree library. Waiting for you at Derpy’s house and I saved some cake for you. Spike.”
Twilight Sparkle smiled thankfully, “Well let’s get to Derpy’s place! Pinkie if you would do the honours?”
“Oki Doki Loki!” Pinkie said, happily shuffling closer to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle, a bubble of pink light surrounded them all before they blinked out of existence; leaving only a scroll on the floor where they left.
Derpy’s house
The air rippled with energy, a pink glow formed and into existence popped Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna and a rather exhausted looking Pinkie Pie.
“Oooof... You guys; both together, are magically heavy!” She complained staggering, looking to the rather ramshackle house belonging to Derpy.
It, despite looking quite a mess, was a rather large and elegant, if somewhat confusing house, there were more windows then there should be, doors that appeared to just open on the second floor, and several chimney pots more then was really needed.
“Good evening Miss Sparkle, Miss Pie, Miss your majesty Princess Luna!” The happy voice of Derpy said; not from the house but from behind them, Derpy arriving back at her house followed by Fluttershy and Scootaloo.
“Derpy!” Twilight exclaimed happily, “Have you seen Princess Celestia?”
Derpy nodded, “She’s inside I think, I just got home!”
Twilight nodded and sprinted to the door, her wings arching out and back; as she approached the door swung open.
Spike stood there smiling happily, running out to give Twilight a hug, “Twilight! You got my note! I was worried it wouldn’t work.”
“I was worried as well,” The regal voice of Princess Celestia said as she stepped out of the house, her elegant royal horn and large feathery wings missing her coat was dark and she looked more like Princess Luna normally did, only her cutie mark remained unchanged.
“Oh Princess,” Twilight bowed, as Princess Luna stepped forward nuzzling against her sister.
“I apologise for causing a panic with everypony,” Princess Celestia said, “I wanted to find somewhere to stay for Leapling day and with no magic or wings I had no way to send a message.”
“It is I who are sorry sister,” Princess Luna said, “I am so unused to the day, I just wanted to be with you to share it.”
Princess Celestia nodded and smiled, “I understand sister, now there’s somepony very special we all have to meet.”
Princess Celestia stood aside, as she bowed to the door; Dinky Hooves trotted out, a small stubby horn and little tiny wings sprouting on her back.
“Leapling day Princess Dinky!” Celestia announced, to the confused small group who found themselves bowing anyway.
“Hiiii Dinky!” Derpy Hooves said, happily trotting across to her daughter, “Did you have a good Dinky Derp day?”
Dinky nodded, smiling lovingly up towards her mother, “Yes mom, Princess Celestia was preparing me to lower the sun!”
“Well I guess it is time, I liked being a unicorn but I think i’d have rather been an Earth pony.” Derpy said.
“It is rather amazing, feeling the connection that you have to everypony.” Scootaloo admitted stepping forward, “I know I will miss it but I will be glad to have my wings back too.”
Pinkie Pie panted, “And being magical is really exhausting!”
Twilight Sparkle looked to Princess Luna and then to Dinky, “Uh .. Princess Dinky, Do you think you could give us just five minutes, I’d very much like to try flying properly; I've been so busy I never got the chance.”
Dinky looked up to Princess Celestia, as Celestia nodded, “I don’t think anypony will notice ten more minutes of leapling day then normal.”
Twilight jumped up and down excitedly, “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” She exclaimed, bumping softly against Princess Luna and giggling, “Tag!” She said spreading her wings, swooping up into the sky rapidly.
“Ahha!” Princess Luna stretched her wings out, taking off after Twilight, starting to give chase at high speed in the air.
Fluttershy looked up to the two darting ponies in the air, her eyes welling up with tears of joy at how free they were, how much fun they were having.
Promising herself that as soon as she had her wings back, she would try experience the same.
“So Princess Celestia!” Pinkie Pie paced around the regal pony, glaring at her, examining her, “How come Derpy isn’t a Earth pony and Dinky is a princess; and you are an Earth pony, and Princess Luna is a pegasus? Huh?!” She asked as Princess Celestia simply smiled.
“I’m sorry my little pony, I don’t have the answers for you, Leapling Day is from the dark times, before Luna and myself ruled Equestria; when we found that so many of our subjects not only enjoyed a chance to experience life as another type of pony, something not even Luna and myself together would be able to perform, at least on not such a grand scale; We simply never worked on getting rid of it.”
“Soooo.... Why isn’t Derpy a earth pony?!” Pinkie Pie demanded.
“Oh well, of course we still need somepony to lower the sun, end Leapling day so we can all wake up normally tomorrow, the night before a Leapling day, I cast a spell to find somepony pure of heart and strong of will. This time it found Dinky and to ensure she stays safe, Derpy becomes a unicorn, it’s that simple.” Celestia explained rather unconvincingly.
"You mean you don't know either?" Pinkie Pie asked looking to Celestia.
"No, All I can think is they both must be very special." Princess Celestia mused.
Pinkie Pie beamed with excitement, “Righty oh, i’ll keep that in mind, or write it down somewhere for next time.”
Princess Celestia laughed happily nodding, “Very well my little pony, you can be archivist of Leapling Day from now on.”
“Thanks Princess, I’ll be right on it!” Pinkie Pie quickly levitated a bit of paper and a quill, starting to write many long notes at an amazing pace.
“Princess Celestia,” Dinky Hooves quietly stepped up to the princess, raising her small horn, “I think it’s time now I can just feel that now is right.”
“Okay my little pony, now; just nice deep breaths. You can do this,” Princess Celestia placed her hoof beside Dinky smiling as Derpy nuzzled at her daughter softly, “I believe in you sweetie.”
Dinky smiled happily, “Love you momma.” She stepped forward, lowering her horn, slowly pointing it directly towards the sun, focusing all her energy, as it started to set in the sky.
Sweet Apple Acres farm
Rainbow Dash picked herself up off the ground outside the barn, dusting hay off from herself as she saw the sun starting to redden on the horizon.
“Oh hey!” She ran towards the main house, stopping at the back door, “Sunset’s coming everypony!”
Applebloom trotted around Rainbow Dash frowning a bit, “I like being a unicorn Rainbow Dash. Not all the time but for a day for sure it’s been pretty fun, you didn’t enjoy being an earth pony at all?”
Rainbow Dash sighed, “It wasn’t allllllll bad I guess.” She felt a little twitch, she looked to the sun starting to sink below the horizon now, the last rays of light starting to fade.
“I can feel it!” She proclaimed happily jumping up into the air, she hung there hovering her wings erupting outwards in a spray of feathers.
“Awww... “ Applebloom shook her head as the small horn on her head shrunk away the last spark of magical energy fading away.
“I’m BACK!” Rainbow Dash soared up into a semi-circle, before touching down on the ground again folding her wings back, allowing them to snap forwards with a crack of air, “I missed you guys...”
Applebloom rolled her eyes, trotting with Rainbow Dash into Sweet Apple Acres kitchen, where a lavish meal had been prepared.
“Happy Leapling night everypony!” Applejack said looking at the extensive meal her and Big Macintosh had prepared.
“Happy Leapling night indeed!” Rainbow Dash cried happily, her wings fluttering by her side.
Derpy’s house
Princess Celestia’s elegant wings swept outwards, she soared up into the sky helping her sister levitate Twilight Sparkle down to the ground with magical energy.
“Thank you Princess, Princess;” She bowed to them both as she finally reached the ground.
“You were obviously enjoying yourself, it just felt wrong to interrupt you,” Princess Celestia said.
“Thank you. I … can’t remember when i’ve last felt so free,” Twilight replied.
“Felt so free!” Pinkie Pie struggled to write down with her hoof what Twilight had said, “There! Record of Leapling day complete!”
Princess Celestia nodded and smiled, “Thank you Pinkie Pie. I will make sure it's added to the royal records."
“No problems your maj! I’m looking forward to doing it next leapling day!” Pinkie Pie said.
“I promise next time sister, I’ll leave a better note,” Princess Celestia turned to Princess Luna apologising.
“I understand, perhaps next time it will be I that vanishes to be with the people.” Princess Luna mused.
“Come on everypony,” Derpy said trotting back to her house, “I have muffins for Leapling night feast!”
“Ooooh muffins!” Pinkie Pie bounced excitedly scooping Dinky Hooves up onto her back.
In the excitement, nobody notice Dinky Hooves still had small wings on her back.
The end