The Princess and the Filly
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes. I really need to do better about not falling asleep in class. she thought. Then her eyes opened as wide as saucers. This wasn't the Ponyville schoolhouse! She stepped out of her desk, which was much fancier and more cluttered than usual, over to an ornate mirror that hung on the wall of the room she was in. She still had the same white coat, the same green eyes, and the same pink and lavender mane that floated as if in a breeze. Wait, floated!?! she thought. Last I looked, my mane didn't float like... like Princess Celestia's! Then, she caught sight of it. A shimmer of gold sat behind her white horn. The princess's golden crown! What was it doing on her head? Sweetie Belle quickly looked around. What was she doing in Celestia's office? And why did she look like a princess?
Celestia raised her head up off her desk. Paperwork was boring, everypony agreed, but nobody with a job as important as hers should ever fall asleep on it.
"Celestia, we're waiting," she heard a voice say. It had a tone that Celestia hadn't heard directed at her for more than a thousand years. This pony was reprimanding her! Celestia looked up at the pony who said that. A magenta earth pony stood over her with a stern look on her face. "Celestia, did you even hear what I said?" the mare asked.
"Um, no," Celestia replied in a voice much quieter than usual. A pink earth pony wearing a shiny tiara waved her hoof in the air.
"I know the answer, Miss Cherilee. Equestria's government is ruled by Princess Luna and Princess Sweetie Belle." Princess Sweetie Belle!? Celestia thought. Who is this imposter?! And why am I just a schoolfilly?!
Sweetie Belle sat back down at the desk and looked through the papers, trying to make sense of things. She saw piles upon piles of official looking documents. Finally, she found a letter addressed to Princess Sweetie Belle, the Royal Castle, Canterlot. I don't understand she thought. Why is my name here? Could it be that I'm the princess?
Celestia walked out of the schoolhouse when the fillies and colts were released to recess. She had made up her mind what she was going to do. According to the calendar in the classroom, it was April 14. Luna was scheduled to be in Cloudsdale to see the Grand Wonderbolts Derby. She'd just fly there so her sister could help her with this problem. Celestia climbed onto a picnic table and took a leap off the edge. She unfolded her pure white wings and prepared to soar off to Cloudsdale. That isn't quite what happened. Instead, she discovered that her wings weren't there, and she plummeted nose first into a mud puddle.
Sweetie Belle heard a knock at the door of the office. "Come in," she said. A fussy looking old unicorn entered. He had a large mustache, and his cutie mark was a pocket watch.
"Princess," he said, "you are scheduled to meet Princess Mi Amore Cadenza at the train station in twenty minutes."
"Yes, of course," Sweetie Belle replied, and followed him out of the castle.
"Celestia, are you okay?" Celestia looked up to see a yellow earth pony and an orange pegasus standing over her, both with concerned looks on their faces.
"What were you tryin' to do, fly?" the yellow one asked.
"Yes," Celestia replied, climbing out of the mud puddle.
"What were you thinking, you need wings to fly," the yellow pony continued. Celestia noticed that the pegasus hadn't spoken up. Flying must be a touchy subject for her, she thought.
"But I'm supposed to be able to fly!" Celestia countered. Wow, I'm really starting to act like a filly, she thought. Unable to stop herself, Celestia said, "I'm the princess of Equestria. Of course I should be able to fly! My cutie Mark will prove it!" She wiped some of the mud off her flank to reveal only a blank white flank.
"Uh, Celestia," said the yellow pony, " did ya hit yer head funny when you fell of the table?"
"Yeah," spoke up the orange pony, "me, you, and Apple Bloom founded the Cutie Mark Crusaders so we could help each other find our talents. None of us have our cutie marks yet."
Sweetie Belle stood on the platform as the Crystal Empire train roared into the station. Two royal guards stepped out.
"Her Highness, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!" one announced. A pink alicorn with a purple, pink, and yellow mane exited the train.
"Aunt Sweetie Belle!" she exclaimed, and rushed over to the princess. Sweetie Belle awkwardly embraced the smaller princess.
"It's good to see you too," she said.
Celestia walked home with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whose group she was apparently a part of. Together, they walked past Carousel Boutique. Suddenly, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom stopped. They looked at Celestia, waiting for her to do something.
"Well," said Scootaloo, "aren't you going inside?"
"Oh, of course!" Celestia said. "I had forgotten that I'm staying here." Then she trotted to the door and went inside the fashion boutique.
Sweetie Belle and Cadence followed the unicorn back to the castle. He lead them to a comfortable looking room, with a roaring fireplace and cozy couches. Sweetie Belle figured that this was where the princess entertained guests, so she sat down on one of the couches, and gestured for Cadence to sit down also.
"So, how have things been in the Crystal Empire?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Oh, fine," Cadence replied. "A bit boring, though, if you asked me." Sweetie Belle laughed. "So, how have things been for you?" Cadence asked.
"Fine," Sweetie Belle lied. "I've been doing all sorts of things, rather unentertaining, but I suppose it's necessary to do those things to keep everything running smoothly." Sweetie Belle just hoped she could last the evening without giving everything away.
Celestia pushed the door open to Carousel Boutique. Inside was a white unicorn who Celestia recognized as the Element of Generosity.
"Hi Rarity," she said.
"Oh, Celestia! I am glad you're home," Rarity greeted her. She was working on a new dress. "Celestia, could you please go upstairs and grab my fabric pens?" Celestia trotted to the stairs. At least she didn't have to spend the night talking to Rarity. It had been more than 1,000 years since Celestia had been a filly herself, and she had quite forgotten how to act like one!
The next day, Sweetie Belle had a daunting task to perform: raising the sun. She walked out onto an east-facing balcony and looked at the horizon. This can't be too hard, Sweetie Belle thought. She used her magic to feel for the giant glowing orb. Then, she wrapped her magic around it and pulled it upwards. Slowly, the sun's rays crept out from behind the distant hills and into the dawn sky, turning it to shades of pink and orange. Satisfied that the sun was on its path, Sweetie Belle went back inside to find some breakfast.
Celestia saw the sun's rays creep through her bedroom window. She jumped out of bed and ran to Rarity's room.
"Can I go to the library?" Celestia asked the unicorn who was apparently her big sister.
"Fine," Rarity mumbled, still half asleep.
"Okay bye!" Celestia said and sped of towards the Postville library. When she go there, Twilight Sparkle was already awake, reading. It was funny for Celestia to see her star student from a filly's point of view.
"Hello?" Celestia said.
"Oh, hi Celestia," Twilight said. "Is there anything I can help you with?" Celestia decided to explain everything to her.
"Well, I'm your mentor Princess Celestia, but for some reason I'm a filly right now and someone named Sweetie Belle is the princess and I need your help to fix everything," she said to Twilight.
The lavender unicorn burst out laughing. "That's one of the silliest things I've ever heard!" She giggled. I think I'll write to the princess about this."
Dear Princess Sweetie Belle,
Today a little filly named Celestia came to me telling that she was the real princess and that you were the imposter! It was so funny that I just had to write to you about it.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Sweetie Belle was eating a breakfast of pancakes when she received Twilight's letter. She read the letter and decided to go to Ponyville. Maybe Twilight could help her go back to being a Cutie Mark Crusader. Sweetie Belle walked to the castle's entrance and jumped into the air. She flapped her white wings and rose higher. Surprisingly, flying was rather easy, despite the fact that she'd never flown before. Sweetie Belle flew off to the little town at the base of Canterlot's mountain.
Celestia saw a white alicorn soaring into Ponyville. She got Twilight and ran outside. When the alicorn touched down, Celestia rushed over to her. Sweetie Belle landed and walked over to Twilight and Celestia.
"Twilight, do you know a spell to switch us back to who we're supposed to be?" Sweetie Belle pleaded.
"Wait," said Twilight, "you mean that Celestia was telling the truth?"
"Yes," Sweetie Belle said. Twilight teleported a book to them.
"Well," she said,"I think I might. I need you to both provide some magical power." Sweetie Belle's horn glowed green, and Celestia's glowed golden. Twilight lit her horn and enveloped both of the other ponies in her magenta magic. Then, she pushed more power through her horn. There was a bright flash. Where a tall, regal alicorn had stood now stood a small unicorn filly. Likewise, Celestia had returned to her usual royal form.
"It worked!" Sweetie Belle said bouncing around.
"Thank you, Twilight," Celestia said. "But I have one question. Why did everypony think I was Rarity's little sister?"
Twilight explained, "I think you were not only switched in roles, but also in other ponies' minds."
"Thank you thank you thank you Twilight!" Sweetie Belle interrupted.
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes. She found herself in her desk in the Ponyville schoolhouse. Then, she remembered what happened.
"Psst!" she heard Scoolaloo say. She pointed to the little unicorn's flank. On it was a rather familiar looking sun cutie mark.