Friendship is Equal to or Greater than Magic

by Fanon Canon

Dumb It Down

Rarity was in a particular hungry mood as she trotted back through the streets of Ponyville towards the Carousel Boutique. And for some odd reason she could not identify what she was in the mood for, all she had to go on was an immense craving for something meaty, something full of lots of other little things inside that would prove satisfying.

What could have prompted such a reaction in the unicorn, it certainly couldn't have been the spell, despite how it suddenly seemed to have a presence in everything going on today. But she could consider herself exempt to it's effects, whether that would turn into a good thing she was unsure of. Maybe she would have preferred to be utterly receptive to it's effects, or maybe she already was under it, but the effects had yet to manifest themselves.

Thinking such thoughts was enough to make the unicorn quite dizzy in the head at all the possibilities. And thoughts like that only served to increase the oddity of a hunger she now felt biting at her from the pits of her stomach. So the unicorn made the conscious decision to stop thinking and pick up the pace in her trot. Arriving at her shop, a sense of gratitude and comfort for what lay behind the front door was all about Rarity.

Getting in quick and closing the door behind her, one sharp irritant voice made her suddenly think longingly of being anywhere but here right now.

"Well you took your dumb time, didn't you." Rarity briefly reflected painfully on the amount of times today she had heard one of those particular words, before turning around to find herself face to face with Sweetie Belle.

"Nice to see you too, sis." She did her beat to respond in an upbeat tone, but could sense that her younger sister was going to have none of it.

"Nice to see you too, she dumb says." The little unicorn filly began predictably. "You dumb know how dumb hard I'm trying right dumb now to remain dumb calm."

If this was Sweetie Belle restraining from anger, then Rarity shuddered to herself at the thought of how her little sister would be like in proper rage.

"Sweetie Belle." She countered suddenly in an upbeat tone. "Why are you acting like this?" She wasn't too sure about the motivations behind this approach. Maybe through this she could reason with her sister and get through to the spell that held sway over her.

"Why do you dumb think?" Her sister mocked her unconvinced by her polite query. "Something's dumb happened and I dumb know it has something to dumb do with you and your dumb friends!"

"Very good." Rarity commented, still in her attempt at civilised conversation.

"Very good!" Sweetie Belle parroted back. "Is this some dumb kind of dumb joke to you, you think I dumb like talking like this!"

"No you're right, I'm sorry." Rarity apologised. "But as you're big dumb sister, I am only looking out for your wellbeing."

"Well thank you dumb self kindly." The little filly replied. Despite all her efforts, Rarity didn't feel like she was talking to her sister, but rather some irritated manifestation of the spell that was holding the real Sweetie Belle hostage.

"Why don't I explain everything then?" Rarity suggested.

"Why dumb don't you?" Her sister retorted.

And so Rarity did. She explained everything she could, but was sorely limited by the range of her knowledge. For once, as she told her little sister everything she knew, Sweetie Belle sat and listened intently, underneath all that impatience, she could sense some longing curiosity that demanded an answer to her affliction.

"So there's no dumb cure then?" The young filly remarked once her sister had finished, the snappiness in her voice present again.

"It's not really a matter of curing per say." Rarity did her best to explain. "And the effects appear to be unique to each pony."

"Well ain't that dumb and dandy." Sweetie Belle remarked. "

Hey I want to help you." Rarity explained. "Know of anything personal that might help us out here, maybe your singing talents?"

"Oh don't you dumb talk to me about dumb singing." Sweetie Belle said, temper increasing. "Do I dumb look like I could dumb sing right dumb now?"

"Okay bad move." Rarity exclaimed. "How about those friends of yours, y'know Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?"

"Well that sounds like a dumb good idea." Sweetie Belle started. "If I could find their dumb selves."

"Well it's a start." Rarity noted with a measure of optimism.

"Well it's a..." Sweetie Belle began to mock her again, but suddenly found herself yawning an immense yawn.

"Well I think that about does it for today." Rarity remarked, and Sweetie Belle couldn't help but agree.

So the two sisters bid each other good night before taking to bed. As Rarity did her best to ease herself to sleep, she couldn't help but think of what lay ahead. Not just for herself and her sister, but for her friends, and for Ponyville, heck maybe even for the whole of Equestria. There was a great many ponies and other creatures, and this spell showed no signs of relenting. And Twilight was in favour of letting it run amok. Well, Rarity wasn't really sure what to think of that. Maybe her friend had good intentions at heart, and maybe every pony would come out of this with a brand new outlook on life, having learnt a great many things regarding friendship and magic.

Maybe... *Sniff*...Maybe.