> Rearranged
>  by Touch the Sky
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> I Misplace My Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello. I am Twilight- Princess Twilight Sparkle. Ugh, I still haven't got used to that title yet.
So I'm now a powerful alicorn, a winged unicorn, and I rule as Princess of Magic beside my old mentor, Princess Celestia, and her sister Princess Luna.
But being royalty isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The day I earned my wings, I messed up my friends' destinies. They switched cutie marks, and me and my dragon assistant, Spike, had to go around teaching them who they really were, and with the help of the Elements of Harmony, I managed to fix things. I completed the unfinished spell which had caused those problems, and as a result became an alicorn. A princess.

But a few weeks later, I messed things up again. For whatever reason, the page the spell was written on was blanked out when I used the spell. But I wanted to know it, so I kept thinking about it, and finally, I remembered it.

Or at least, I thought I did. I tested it while sitting in bed one night, saying it out loud to see if it sounded right. What I didn't know was that my alicorn magic was working away as I said the words, and as I found in the morning, I had managed to cast the wrong, unfinished spell. But this time, it was much more powerful.

So here's the story.

***********************************************************

When I woke up, something immediately felt wrong. I opened my eyes, and found myself in Pinkie Pie's house. This threw me for a minute. How did I get all the way from Canterlot to Ponyville in my sleep? Suddenly I spotted something green on my stomach, and looked down at Gummy, Pinkie's pet alligator, who stared unblinkingly back.
I gently brushed Gummy off and stood up, but the ground seemed somewhat closer than normal. I stretched all of my muscles, expecting to feel my powerful wings unfolding.
Nothing.

I turned around to look at my back. To my horror, my wings were gone. I was a normal unicorn again.
But then I felt strangely empty, like something else was missing. I ran over to the mirror, and almost screamed at what I saw there.

I had no wings, and no horn, either. But on my flank were...
Three balloons?
This was getting very odd. I was suddenly an earth pony, and I had Pinkie Pie's cutie mark.

Then I remembered; I'm in Ponyville. All my friends are here. I'm sure they'll know what to do.

As I left Pinkie's house - a still unsolved mystery as to how I'd got there, I realised- something shot past me. I turned, expecting to see Rainbow Dash, but it was Applejack who stood there. I had just opened my mouth to speak when I saw that on Applejack's flank, Rainbow Dash's colourful lightning bolt cutie mark gleamed.

"Applejack... wha..." I stuttered.

"Howdy Twilight." greeted Applejack. "Everythin' okay?"

"I... uh?" I couldn't get the words out. Applejack frowned at me.

"Ya don't seem yer usual self, sugarcube. Ya want me to go find Pinkie? She'll cheer ya up."

I nodded dumbly. Applejack wheeled around in a fluid motion, spread her orange, feathered wings and launched herself into the air. As she flew away, leaving a yellow blur behind her, I gulped. Applejack had... wings?

I shook my head to clear it, then stood awkwardly in the street waiting for Applejack's return. In due course, I saw an orange and yellow blur zooming back over town and stepped aside so Applejack had space to land. Applejack skidded to a halt in mid-air, stopping to hover beside me for a few seconds before zooming off, returning with a fluffy cloud and sprawling out on it. I almost went to fetch my own, before remembering I had no wings. I stood miserably as Applejack pummelled the cloud into a comfortable shape.

I was thinking dreamily of the softness of clouds, when Applejack sighed theatrically and sped off, pushing her cloud, towards a pink speck on the skyline, which I had only just noticed. Applejack stopped next to the speck and seemed to converse with it, before the pink thing perched on the cloud and Applejack pushed it back towards me.

By now a thought had occurred to me. If that was Pinkie, how was she sitting on a cloud? Surely...
As the two grew nearer, my suspicions were confirmed. Pinkie-for it was she- had two pink feathered wings folded against her sides. Applejack stopped the cloud and Pinkie bounced off, drifting down on her feathered wings. I could clearly see Fluttershy's butterfly cutie mark emblazoned on her flank.

Pinkie and Applejack landed side by side in front of me. "Well, Twilight," said Applejack. "Ah gotta few stunts to practice, so ah'll see ya 'round." Applejack was gone in a flash of orange and yellow.

"What's up, Twilight?" chimed Pinkie. "Dashie said you were a bit off."
That threw me a bit. "Rainbow? But that was Applejack."
Pinkie looked at me sympathetically. "Oh dear, you really are acting a bit strange. Rainbow's at the boutique. I call Applejack  Appledash, you know, 'cos she's such a fast flier."

"Umm..." I didn't know what to say to that. Pinkie suddenly perked up.
"I know! I'll take you to Rainbow. She'll know what's wrong."
So I followed Pinkie through town. It soon occurred to me that we were heading towards Rarity's boutique, and wondered what awaited me there.

My question was answered as we opened the door to the boutique with an accompanying jingle and Rainbow came trotting towards us, saying, "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is- Oh, Pinkie, Twilight, it's you two." Rainbow sighed, looking relieved. "I still can't remember that phrase, and I wrote it. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

Looking at Rainbow, I could instantly see that she had no wings. She did, however, have a blue horn on her head. I groaned, spotting Rarity's gem cutie mark on her flank. Rainbow frowned at me, then turned her violet eyes on Pinkie, who had started talking.

"Well, Dashie came to find me because Twilight was acting a bit weird, and then when she did act weird I brought her to you, because I thought you might know what was wrong."
Rainbow walked over to me and scrutinized me in the way Rarity did when she was picturing a dress for me. "What exactly did she do which was weird?" she said.

"Well, when I said 'Dashie' she thought I meant you."
Rainbow frowned again. "Hmmm... she doesn't seem her normal happy self, either. I don't know. Rarity probably will, when she gets back, but-"
Suddenly a yellow earth pony with a pink mane and tail burst through the door. "Pinkie!" she shouted. "Your damn squirrels and rabbits are stripping our orchard!"

"Oh, no!" cried Pinkie. "I did tell Angel to stay away... but he's so fond of your apples, bless him...!"
"I don't care! You get him and all his pals out of my fields right now!" bellowed the earth pony. By now I had recognised Fluttershy, albeit with her volume turned up to max and minus her wings. Three red apples stood out on her yellow flank as she turned and stormed out of the door.

"I'm ever so sorry Fluttershy... I'll deal with it right away..." Pinkie turned to leave in Fluttershy's wake, glancing back at Rainbow and I and muttering, "I'll see you girls around." before running out of the door.

"So," I said, turning to Rainbow, "where's Rarity coming back from?" 
Rainbow looked at me. "Canterlot, of course. We haven't seen her for two weeks, not since-" 
Suddenly the sound of a bugle came from outside, and Rainbow dashed out of the door. "Here she is now!" 
I followed, nausea rising in my throat. Was it possible that Rarity was...?

I slipped out of the door and was immediately met by the sight of a white alicorn stepping carefully out of a royal carriage a few houses along. At first glance, I thought it was Celestia, and was confused, but then I saw the perfectly styled mane and tail and my own starry cutie mark on the newcomer's flank, and I gasped. 

Rarity... was a princess?


> Rainbow Tries Her Best To Strangle Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity trotted elegantly towards me. All around her, ponies gasped and gaped as the princess swished past them.
Gold shoes gleamed on each of Rarity's hooves, each with a single diamond encrusted in the shining metal. Around her neck hung a heart-shaped fire ruby which I quickly recognised as the one Spike had given her. But on her head, perfectly balanced behind her pricked white ears, lay my coronation crown, the symbol of Magic glittering in the centre of ornate golden swirls.

But even though I knew Rarity wasn't really a princess, it was supposed to be me, I found myself bowing to her as she came to a stop in front of me. 
In her usual, slightly upper-class tone, Rarity exclaimed, "Oh, Twilight, I've told you that really isn't necessary. You too, Rainbow- please, both of you, stand up!"

Rainbow stood up, tutting as she did, "Princess Rarity, you know I hate it when you wear those shoes. Diamonds really aren't in fashion nowadays, they're so last week."

Rarity smiled. "I suppose you're very frustrated having last week's fashion permanently emblazoned on your flank, then?"
"You said it." grumbled Rainbow. "Now, Applejack's cutie mark is the cutting edge. Sharp, jagged shapes like that lightning bolt are so in right now."

"Speaking of Applejack," said Rarity, "where is she? Pinkie flew past the chariot and notified me of the issue at Sweet Apple Acres, so I wasn't expecting her or Fluttershy to be here, but Applejack didn't even come for a fly-by."
"I don't know." said Rainbow. "She'll be here soon, 	I suppose."

Rarity turned to look at me. "You don't seem yourself, Twilight. I thought you'd have thrown a party now I'm back."
"Oh, I'm alright. I just didn't feel up to throwing a party today." I answered distractedly.

Before I knew what was going on, I'd been tackled to the ground by Rainbow, a flicker of her old speed and fighting spirit showing through. 
"Okay!" she snapped. "What have you done with Twilight!?" She narrowed her eyes and stared at me threateningly.
"I... what?....Rainbow..." I stuttered.
Rarity was looking alarmed. "Rainbow, what are you doing?"

"I'm interrogating this imposter to find out what she's done with the real Twilight!" growled Rainbow, still pinning me on the ground, her hooves crushing my lungs.
"Rainbow, I'm..." I choked, "the real Twilight!"
"Oh really?" snarled the cyan unicorn. "I don't believe it! The real Twilight would never say she wasn't in the mood for a party! Twilight's always in the mood for a party!" Rainbow dug her hooves into my stomach even harder.

"Rainbow, please, you're restricting her breathing!" cried Rarity in alarm, her white horn beginning to glow. When Rainbow didn't move, Rarity's pale blue aura surrounded Rainbow and pulled her off me. Coughing, I got shakily to my feet. Rainbow struggled in the grip of Rarity's magic, swiping at the air between us.

Ignoring Rainbow, I bowed my head and clutched at my throat for a few seconds, getting my breath back. When I lifted my head again, Rarity was standing imposingly over me, her great white wings spread wide and her blue eyes glittering menacingly at me.
"Rainbow's right. I just couldn't have her suffocating you before we could find out the location of the real Twilight Sparkle." she said coldly, gripping my tail in her magic to prevent me running away before carefully releasing Rainbow. 

When the blue mare instantly tried to throw herself at me, her horn glowing with violet magic, Rarity impatiently took hold of Rainbow's tail again. Now the three of us stood in a stand-off, Rarity standing impassively between us, her blue magical aura glowing on her horn and mine and Rainbow's tails. Rainbow and I glared at each other, the violet magic still glowing on Rainbow's blue horn. For safety's sake, Rarity formed a magical shield between us. 

I felt suddenly jealous of Rarity and her almost infinite magic; I even felt jealous of Rainbow- at least she had magic. I just had stamina as an advantage of my species, and Rarity also possessed that, as well as wings. I briefly wondered if Applejack or Pinkie had ever felt jealous of me, or Rainbow, when we were in our proper forms. 

My attention was diverted back to the present as Rarity began to speak to me. "Now, 'Twilight', tell me, in no uncertain terms, what you have done with the real Twilight Sparkle. It is my belief that you are a changeling trying to impersonate her. I must add that if that is the case, you are doing a very bad job of it."

"I am the real Twilight Sparkle." I said. "I am no changeling."
"Okay then!" came Rainbow's still angry tone from the opposite side of the shield. "If you really are Twilight, you'll be able to tell us how you got your cutie mark! You've told that story all over town- I'm sure everyone from here to Canterlot knows it by now!"

Needless to say, I mentally panicked. I racked my brains for the story of how Pinkie had got her cutie mark, I knew it was something about a rock farm... But who's to say that you got this cutie mark that way? my mind niggled. 

Shut up, brain.

I'm not entirely sure what happened next. I just know that I suddenly felt extremely happy, despite my current predicament, and began to jump rapidly on the spot, instinctively, as if my body knew exactly what it was doing. I felt sharp pain as my tail was pulled repeatedly, but still I kept bouncing.

There was a blur and suddenly I was outside Sugarcube Corner. Rarity's magic had lost its grip on my tail. As I stood blinking and trying to work out what was going on, I remembered Pinkie's uncanny ability to pop up anywhere and travel short distances at an impossible rate. She could pop up almost anywhere. I realised that this must be what I had just utilised.

In the distance, I saw a yellow streak zoom towards where the elaborate top of the boutique stood out a short distance away. After a moment, two shapes rose up into the air, the smaller one orange and the larger white. As I watched, the orange shape shot off to zigzag wildly over the rooftops, while the white one moved more slowly and strategically.

Realising that the two shapes were Rarity and Applejack, I took to my hooves and ran away.

Against all odds, I managed to slip out of town without my friends catching me. However, on the way to Sweet Apple Acres, I met the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But all was not well. Sweetie Belle was attempting to play peacemaker as Applebloom and Scootaloo argued heatedly.
As I walked by, I heard Scootaloo shout, "I don't need you guys! I'll find my cutie mark without the Crusaders!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I protested, stopping to look at the three fillies. "There's no need to split up because of some silly argument!"
Sweetie jumped on the back of my argument. "Yeah, girls, we can resolve this without splitting up the Crusaders!"

But Scootaloo and Applebloom continued to glower at each other, and despite the urgency for me to get away from town I had to sort things out.
"Okay. Sweetie Belle, what's going on?"
Before Rarity's sister could say anything, Scootaloo burst out, "She's being selfish!" A small orange hoof waved at Applebloom.
"Am not!" snapped the little yellow filly in response.

"Both of you be quiet. Sweetie Belle?" I asked.
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth. "It's about Applejack. She's Applebloom's sister, but Scootaloo has been saying that Applejack might be her sister instead."

"Well it makes sense!" interrupted Scootaloo. "She's a pegasus. So am I. She has an orange coat. So do I. She has an awesome cutie mark. So-"
"But ya don't have a cutie mark! Ya can't say yours is awesome if ya ain't got it yet!" shot back Applebloom.
"But when I get it, it will be awesome!" snapped Scootaloo. "Just like Applejack's. And if you would just share her, I might have already got my cutie mark!"

"It ain't a case o' sharing!" said Applebloom. "Me and Applejack're of the same blood. We're sisters."
"Then why's she a pegasus while you're an earth pony?"
"Ah told ya, it's a recessive gene! Ma great-grandpa was a pegasus!"
"Are you sure it's Applejack and not Fluttershy who's your sister? Aren't Apple family members supposed to have destinies defined by apples? Fluttershy's not family, but her destiny is apples, while Applejack barely has anything to do with the Acres."

I frowned. I had no idea how to resolve this problem. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a yellow streak approaching through the air at great speed. The Crusaders turned to look at it and I quickly dived behind a tree. Sweetie looked at me oddly, but then Applejack landed, skidding to a halt, and the white filly turned away.

Panting, Applejack was unprepared for the barrage of shouts which assaulted her ears. Even though only two fillies were shouting, I could make out only a few words here and there.
"Applejack-"
"-not fair-"
"-pegasus-"
"-orange-"
"-stupid-"
"-selfish-"
"-apples-"

"Whoa, whoa!" said Applejack, silencing them. "Whatever y'all are yelling about can wait. Have y'all noticed Twilight pass this way?"

I cringed as three small hooves pointed at my hiding place.









> Rarity Gets A Missile Launcher
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack marched over and dragged me from behind the tree by my tail. "Alright!" she snapped. "Ah'm taking ya over ta the farmhouse. Rarity wants ta talk to ya."
I sighed, glaring daggers at the Crusaders, who grinned in unison. I could almost see the golden halos glittering over their heads, but then two of them vanished as Applebloom and Scootaloo turned to glare at each other. Sweetie Belle sighed,  and as Applejack dragged me away towards the farm I heard the two fillies resume their argument. 
I heard small hooves, and saw Sweetie Belle running after us. "So Rarity's back?" she asked. 

Applejack grunted in confirmation.
"Yay!" chimed the white filly. "But... why are you dragging Twilight like that?"
"This ain't Twilight." replied Applejack, her voice muffled through my tail. I sighed. 

"What do you mean this isn't Twilight?" said Sweetie Belle. "Looks like her... sounds like her..."
"That's because I am Twilight!" I said crossly.
Applejack shook her head, striding onwards firmly, though her orange wings fluttered occasionally as if she wanted to be flying. "This here's a changeling, Sweetie Belle. Rainbow told me that this imposter said she wasn't in the mood fer a party. The real Twilight'd never say that."

"You're right..." Sweetie Belle muttered. "But still!" she chimed, "Rarity's back! My sister, the princess! She'll sort out this changeling!"
"That she will, Sweetie Belle." There was a pause. "So what were mah lil' sis an' Scootaloo arguin' about back there?"
Sweetie Belle was about to reply when I heard a grunt of effort from among the apple trees. Glancing over, I saw Fluttershy applebucking with uncharacteristic strength. There were no animals in sight, so I guessed that the animals had been shooed off by Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy dealt a hefty kick to a tree and all of the apples fell into the waiting baskets. Just as she turned towards another tree, Fluttershy spotted us walking by and came trotting over, stopping in surprise at seeing me being dragged along.

"Applejack?" she asked. Her voice was quieter now, but I could detect just a little of Applejack's accent in her soft tone. "Why'r you dragging Twilight like that?"
"Long story." grunted Applejack. "Will ya take 'er up ter the farmhouse fer me? Ah gotta go find Princess Rarity."
"Sure, but-"

"Here ya go." Applejack passed my tail over to a bemused Fluttershy and in a fluid motion sprung into the air and soared away in the direction of Ponyville. As soon as the orange pegasus was out of sight, Fluttershy spat out my tail and turned to me. 
"What in Equestria is going on?" she asked.

"Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow think I'm a changeling." I answered.
"Oh." Fluttershy took that information rather well. Then she asked, "Are you?"
"N-"
"Wait!" interrupted Sweetie Belle. "Applejack told me that Rainbow told her that Twilight said she wasn't in the mood for a party. Twilight wouldn't say that, ever."

I growled. That one sentence was coming back to haunt me over and over. Now was no exception, as Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and said in a colder tone, "No, she wouldn't. We'd better get her to the farmhouse."

A few minutes later, I was shut in Applebloom's bedroom at the farmhouse. As I gazed out of the window, I watched as a streak of yellow raced through the air towards us, highlighted against the setting sun. If I squinted, I could make out three shapes on the path to the farm; one white, one blue and one pink.  I slumped on the bed. This had been a long day.

What seemed like only seconds later, I was rudely awoken by being suddenly grabbed in magical aura. Rainbow glared at me as my friends filed in one by one. When they had encircled me, Rarity let me go.

"Now." Rarity said. "You might as well admit your guilt now, since we already know you aren't really Twilight Sparkle."
"But I am!" I protested.
"Rubbish." spat Rainbow; her eyes glared at me, almost insane with hatred. I could see she wanted nothing more than to spring at me. I remembered Rarity's unstable emotions and backed up a few steps, away from the blue unicorn.

Pinkie dipped her head anxiously. "Maybe she really is-"
Fluttershy nodded. "She does seem to be Twilight."
"But the changelin' queen had us thinkin' she was Princess Cadence at the royal wedding." Applejack reminded them.
I raised my head. "Who did Cadence marry?"

Rainbow growled. "Okay, this definitely isn't Twilight. Listen to her; she can't even remember her own brother's wedding."
"My brother? Shining Armour?" I asked. "How did he get to marry Cadence?"
"He's head of the Royal Guard." Applejack rolled her eyes. "You're right, Rainbow, this definitely ain't Twilight."
"Is he a unicorn?" I asked, unsure if he had been affected by my species change.

"'Course he is." answered Fluttershy. "You told us you were a real shock to your parents; first earth pony in the family since your great-great-great-great-great-great-"
"Anyway." interrupted Rarity. "If you won't reveal your true form, I shall simply have to cast my 'changeling reveal' spell. Girls, hold her still."

But I had no intention of having the spell cast on me. It was a particularly powerful one which, if cast on a normal pony, could have as yet undetermined side effects. So as the other four closed in, I leapt forwards towards Applejack. "Sorry." I muttered, before kicking her out of the way. My panic suddenly rose as I heard the familiar sound of magic beginning behind me. Rainbow raced towards me as I leaped for the window.

Time seemed to slow as the window grew closer. Behind me I heard Rarity's spell firing, and saw the flash of bright light as it whisked past me, dissipating against the window. The glass shattered, and suddenly my hooves were in open air. A shard of glass sliced my foreleg.

I tumbled on to the ground, and was winded, but then looked up to see Rarity aiming another spell. I pushed myself onto my hooves and jumped clear as Rarity's spell hit the ground where I had been standing a split second before. As I ran towards the cover of the trees, another, different spell grazed past my ear and hit the ground before me. I went sprawling, and when the dust cleared there was a sticky net lying on the grass. I got up, spitting out dirt, and cantered away as another spell just missed me.

Rarity was hovering overhead, firing spells at me every few seconds. She hadn't even broken a sweat, and again I felt envious of her almost limitless magic. I dodged spell after spell from the alicorn, but as I focused on Rarity, I totally forgot about Rainbow. I was about to dodge another net spell when I was immobilized by Rainbow's magic. Rarity's spell hit me full on, and I was trapped against the ground, struggling in the sticky web, as the alicorn landed and walked over, white wings folding neatly against her sides.

Rarity stopped in front of me, and my other friends, Applejack now sporting a rapidly darkening hoofprint on her side, surrounded me.
Rarity summoned the changeling-reveal spell and directed her white horn at me. I flinched as there was a pale blue flash- then everything went black.


> When Bunnies Attack...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I came to, I heard many concerned voices talking, but I could understand little of what they said. I blinked a few times until I could make out my surroundings. I saw several faces looking down at me, and heard more babbled speech, before I fell into unconsciousness again.

When I woke again, there was silence. I opened my eyes and yawned, feeling as if I had only been asleep. But instantly the faces appeared again, and I closed my eyes to banish the sudden flood of colours.

"This is bad!" I heard someone say.
What?
"I know. But the effects could have been much more serious." another voice murmured.
"I'm awfully sorry, darling. We were so certain..." came a third, regal tone.

I sat up and blinked at my five friends. My vision blurred, then focused. I saw the five of them, all looking concerned, staring back at me. They seemed much more friendly now.
Rarity stepped forwards. "Darling, I'm so sorry..."
"But ya know, it is pretty aweso-" began Applejack, interrupted by a punch from Rainbow, who smiled falsely at me when I turned to look at her.
"Yes, it is rather... quaint." The colourful unicorn said.

"Sorry, but... what exactly is quaint?" I said, thoroughly puzzled by now.
There was a sharp intake of breath. "Why- your coat, of course." 
I looked down at my hoof to see- the bedspread. 
"Ahhh!" I shrieked. There was a clean, round hole in my purple hoof. As I looked myself over, I could see several more, of varying size, but all circular. These were similar to the gaps in a changeling's body.
I glared at Rarity. "You have to fix this."

Rarity cringed, which looked so strange- a princess cringing?- and said apologetically, "I'm not sure I can, darling. I'm so terribly sorry."
I felt rage building inside. "But I tried to tell you! Tried to tell you I was the real Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic! But nooo..." I trailed off at the wide-eyed glances the others were giving each other. "What now?"

"Well... I'm the Element of Magic." said Rarity awkwardly. "No offense to you, darling, but you'd struggle to wield that Element... you know, without..." she jabbed an elegant, shoe-clad hoof at her horn.

I blinked for a second as the information sunk in, before whirling on Applejack. "What's your Element?"
Taken aback, the pegasus stepped back. "You're still actin' mighty strange, Twilight. Mah Element's Loyalty."
I spun to Pinkie. She squealed in a very Fluttershy-ish way. I jabbed my hoof impatiently at her.
"Kindness..." she squeaked. 
As I turned to Rainbow, she said, "Generosity. And Fluttershy's Honesty."
I thought, then groaned. "Then that means I'm..."
"Laughter." said Rarity. "Now, Twilight, why don't you tell us what's wrong? You seem to have forgotten a lot of things..."

I sighed. "Look, I'm just going to say it. I'm a princess... Princess Twilight Sparkle."
They all stared at me.
I pointed to Rarity's flank. "That's my cutie mark. I'm supposed to be an alicorn princess."
An awkward silence followed. Then Rainbow started to laugh.
"Oh, Twilight." she chuckled. This is more like the Twilight Sparkle we know. Such fun!"

"I'm not kidding, Rainbow Dash." I pointed to Applejack's lightning bolt. "That's your cutie mark, and you're supposed to be a pegasus."
Rainbow just laughed harder. I whirled on Applejack. "Applejack. You're supposed to be an earth pony with three apples for a cutie mark."
Turning to Fluttershy while jabbing a holed hoof at Pinkie's butterflies, I yelled, "That's your cutie mark. You're meant to be a pegasus who looks after your animals in a tree cottage away from town. And you, Pinkie, you're meant to be a party animal with three balloons for a cutie mark. And you are supposed to be an earth pony!"

Finally, I turned to a shocked-looking Rarity. "And you're the unicorn who runs the boutique, with three diamonds as a cutie mark." All of them were now staring in shocked fascination at me. "Your whole lives have been a lie!"

There was a moment of silence in which I sat breathing deeply, before Rarity stepped forwards. "I can see you've had a bad day, Twilight. Why don't you go back to sleep, and we'll see how you feel in the morning."
There was a volley of nodding and the mares filed out of the room, until only Rarity remained. Through the open door, I could hear Rainbow joking about being a pegasus. The other three laughed. It was clear none of them had taken me seriously. I was just a tired, forgetful pony who was suffering from shock after a damaging spell. 

Rarity pushed the door shut with her hoof. "Twilight."
"Are you going to tell me I'm talking horseapples?" I muttered bitterly.
"No."
"What?" I said, looking over at the princess. 
"I saw real conviction in your eyes. What you said was true, or at least you believe it was."

"So what is going to happen now?" I asked.
To my frustration, the white alicorn shrugged. "We'll try to fix things. But you should rest now. You must be tired."
With these words, Rarity swept out of the room, closing the door again behind her.

The next morning I woke and glanced at my hoof. The hole was gone. Excited, I sprung out of bed and over to the mirror. But it was only that one hole on my hoof which had vanished. The rest of the gaps still stayed stubbornly there, but it was good that they would seemingly fade over time.

I descended the stairs into a kitchen which fell silent as I entered. I felt four pairs of eyes burning into me as Rarity proclaimed, "I think I'll help Fluttershy with the applebucking today- fresh air will do me good after all that time stuck in Canterlot Castle. In fact, we should all help."

Rainbow opened her mouth to complain, probably about dirt, I thought dully, but Rarity glared at her and Rainbow snapped her mouth shut.
"Ah think that's a great idea." declared Applejack. Pinkie nodded. Rainbow sighed, swishing her mane, and followed the rest of us out of the door.

I found applebucking much easier as an earth pony than I ever had as a unicorn, and I took a guilty pleasure from watching Rainbow and the two pegasi struggling where Fluttershy and I so excelled. But Fluttershy was much more skilled than me, and when the rest of us were all tired out, even Rarity, she was still kicking away. We stopped for a breakfast of apples, sprawled in the shade beneath the trees.

None of my friends mentioned my outburst, but I could tell they were still thinking about it. Rainbow cast me an uncomfortable look out of the corner of her eye as she moaned about the dirt on her coat. Pinkie and Fluttershy kept glancing over at me with pity in their eyes, and Applejack looked away subtly when I met her gaze. Only Rarity was acting like nothing was wrong.

As we lay in the shade, crunching at sweet red apples, Rarity's ears flicked up and she frowned. "What is that odd sound?"
"Yeah." Fluttershy murmured. "I can hear it too."
The noise grew louder and soon we could all hear it. It sounded like drums, like marching, like...

"Rabbits." growled Fluttershy. 
Over in the next field, an army of rabbits of all shapes, sizes and colours marched purposefully towards us. As they drew nearer, I could make out a single white bunny, marching at the head of the group. 
"Angel?" squeaked Pinkie in surprise.

Applejack turned to Pinkie. "Darn it, Pinkie! We told ya so many times that that bunny was rotten t' the core, yet ya din't listen. Now look at 'im and tell me 'e ain't wicked."
Angel's legions kept approaching, and as they did they pounded the ground in perfect time so fiercely that the apples fell and were instantly devoured by the furry hordes. At their head marched Angel, impassive and frowning, his beady eyes fixed on us.

Angel lifted a tiny paw and the hordes immediately stopped, but every apple was gone from the trees in that field by now. For a few moments there was silence, and then Angel's snowy white paw fell. The bunnies raced past him, swarming over the hillside towards us in a rippling tide of grey, black, brown and white fur.









> ...Call 01257PinkiePie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before the pegasi could even get airborne, the tidal wave of bunnies crashed over us. Bunnies filled my world.
I heard Rainbow scream, a high-pitched girly sound I'd never expect to come from her, then I heard Fluttershy cursing loudly and profusely at Pinkie. Then the sea of rabbits closed over my head.

I kicked out, trying to push myself to the surface. It was as if I was swimming in water. I kept kicking, flailing all four hooves. The holes in my limbs made it harder, but eventually my head broke the surface. As it did, I felt the first set of small teeth nip my foreleg. Seconds later I was screaming as the bunnies nipped and scratched my whole body.

Trying to quell my panic, I looked around for any of my friends. There was a sudden yell as Applejack shot out of the flood, but the bunnies clinging to her wings pulled her back down and I lost sight of her. A violet magical burst and a flash of rainbow tail was all I saw of Rainbow before she too vanished once more.

I saw Rarity rise up out of the tide nearby, great white wings beating hard despite there being at least a dozen rabbits clinging on to each. She was tiring fast, and though she blasted several spells at the rabbits her wings couldn't take it. She fell back into the swarming bunnies.

Still kicking frantically as the rabbits nibbled at my legs, I searched for any glimpse of Fluttershy and Pinkie. But instead I saw Angel, skilfully 'surfing' over his followers on a bit of wood. He steered towards me and circled my head, grinning at me wickedly. Timing it just right, I spat in his face as he passed.

Angel's small face twisted into an angry frown. He wiped the saliva off with small paws, before smirking, reaching out and shoving my head under.

Immediately two rabbits latched on to my face. I let out a muffled scream, only to choke on a mouthful of fur. I struggled desperately as tiny, furry bodies squiggled around me, biting every patch of fur they could reach.
I wailed pitifully, but then I felt strong hooves beneath my forelegs and I was lifted up. With a rush, I was in the open air. I looked up, expecting to see Rarity, but it was Pinkie, an angry frown on her face. She carried me over to a tree and put me down in the branches before turning back to the tides. Fluttershy sat beside me, looking equally bemused.

Pinkie landed on a low branch and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Excuse me?"
The bunnies ignored her.
"Excuse me?" There was a warning in her tone this time. A few bunnies looked up, but then went back to what they were doing.
"Alright. Last. Chance." growled Pinkie.

Every single rabbit turned to look at her.
"Now I want you all to be good, civilised little rabbits and leave my friends alone."

As I watched, the rabbits moved away, revealing the crumpled forms of Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity. The three of them stood up, looking shocked and scared, their coats scribbled with scratches.
Pinkie didn't even look at them. "Good bunnies. Now, where are you, Angel?"
None of the rabbits moved.

"I know you're there, Angel." Pinkie said sternly. "Come out."
Again there was no movement. Pinkie glared at the rabbits until finally a small white paw shot up. Pinkie smiled slightly, but then the smile vanished as another white paw went up, then another, then another, until every single white rabbit had raised its paw.

Pinkie sighed and swooped over the army of rabbits, snatching up one of the white rabbits and carrying it back to the front of the group. She put it down and then sat down in front of it.
"So, Angel. Go on and tell us what that attack was all about." The rabbit opened his mouth,  but Pinkie said, "Don't even think about telling me you're not Angel. I knew where you were the whole time."

Angel's ears flopped down and he stared at the ground. Eventually he looked up into Pinkie's blue eyes and tapped his foot against the ground twice. Pinkie immediately nuzzled him. "Oh, Angel. You didn't have to invade the farm because of that!"

Fluttershy, deciding it was safe, jumped down from the tree. I followed suit, and walked over to Rainbow, who was looking faint at the state of her coat and mane. As I walked towards her, Rainbow put a hoof up to her head in a very Rarity-esque way and cried, "This is The. Worst. Possible. Thing!" and swooned, pulling a decorative couch all the way from town with her magic and collapsing on it. It made me laugh, despite myself.

Rarity and Applejack were examining their wings. I spotted a few rabbits with orange or white feathers in their claws, and could see a good few gaps in the pegasus's and the alicorn's wings. Applejack flapped her wings a few times and then looked distraught, before beating them harder. She lifted only a little off the ground; evidently she had lost too many feathers to fly safely and would be grounded until the feathers grew back.

Rarity's wings, having more feathers, were less badly affected. But flight was the last thing on the princess's mind; she trotted over to where Fluttershy was having a heated argument with Pinkie while Angel cowered behind Pinkie's wings.

Leaving Applejack to rage about her loss of flight and Rainbow to lounge tragically on her couch, I joined the conversation just as Fluttershy stamped her yellow hoof and shouted, "We should kill the little villain before he causes any more trouble! A strong stamp on his head'd do it. No more problem."

That made me shudder. The Fluttershy I knew would never have even considered killing an animal like that, especially not her own pet. But as Winona came racing over, hackles up and snarling at the cowering white rabbit, I remembered Angel wasn't Fluttershy's pet any more.

Pinkie wrapped her wings around the shaking rabbit and snarled, "We're not killing Angel! I told you, he had to lead his family here. They were hungry because the food at my home ran out and there was nowhere else they could go."
"Then why attack us?" snapped Fluttershy, still glowering at the rabbit.
"He didn't want to be interrupted like yesterday. His family were really hungry."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I still think that little wolf-in-bunny's-clothing would have slaughtered us all." 
Winona growled. As if the dog had given her the idea, Fluttershy added, "If I see him or any of his pals on my farm again, I'll set Winona on them, whether they're hungry or not."
Pinkie turned to Angel. "I hope you took all that on board, Angel. Now go and let your friends know about the new rules."
The snowy rabbit nodded, but didn't make any move to get off Pinkie's back. Winona was eyeing him with a threatening glare.

"On your way, Winona." said Fluttershy impassively. Winona gave Angel a last growl and loped away through the trees.
Angel cautiously bounded from behind Pinkie's wings and scurried over to his army. After a bit of paw waving and stamping, the rabbits began to race away towards Fluttershy's home.

Rarity finally spoke. "I think we should all go home and tend our wounds, then meet up tomorrow."
"Yeah!" I found myself bouncing enthusiastically suddenly, a stupid grin plastered on my face. "Today was super fun! You know, except for the being attacked by an army of bunnies part, but the rest was awesome!"
The other three stared at me. "I think," said Rarity finally, "that we've got our good old Twilight back."

All the way back to Ponyville with Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack, I was bouncing. I even found the words of a silly ditty forming on my lips, and as soon as I'd sung it it left my head for good. I got back to Sugarcube Corner and waved my friends off, before turning around. Immediately my eyes stretched to ridiculous proportions at the sight of all the sugary treats. I sneaked towards a large cake, muttering, "Just a few crumbs..."
Next thing I knew, I was licking the plate clean. I followed the cake with a dozen cupcakes, an entire trifle and a whole jar of candy canes. Yet I still found myself edging towards a tray of eclairs which lay on the side.

Luckily, Mrs Cake walked in right then, her two foals slung over her back, both snoring quietly. "Oh, Twilight, you're here." she said, obviously relieved. "Could you make another cake to replace the one you just ate? Oh, and then a new trifle and another batch of cupcakes."
My tongue slowly stretched out and swept all the eclairs off the tray into my mouth. Mrs Cake smiled ruefully. "Oh, and another two dozen eclairs."

I nodded, licking cream off my muzzle as I trotted into the kitchen. I stopped in the middle of the room and suddenly remembered- I've no idea how to make cakes...
> I Learn How To Fail At Baking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After I had washed my hooves and face and plastered up my bigger cuts and scratches, I scanned the kitchen for the recipe books. Eventually I spotted them, on a high shelf, and instinctively tried to use my magic to bring them over to me. Since I had no magic, it didn't work.

I sighed, walking over to the books, rearing up on my hind legs and stretching my front hoof towards them. Though I could reach them, my hoof just scuffed uselessly over the spines.

I was about to give up and ask one of the Cakes to get the book for me when I remembered how Pinkie could somehow grip spoons and whisks with her hooves. I was determined to get hold of the book, whatever it took.

I reached for the book again and tried to prise it off the shelf. It tilted forwards a bit, but then the back corner of the book hit the shelf and it refused to move any further. When I let go of the book it fell back into its original position.

Frowning, I prised it out again before clamping both of my hooves around the book and pulling. My hooves slipped off it and it fell back again. I frowned again. 

About ten minutes later, I finally got the book out and using my hooves, flipped to the page on a vanilla Victoria Sponge, which I somehow knew was what I had eaten. I scrolled through the ingredients and trotted over to the fridge, returning with a block of butter and a box of eggs in my mouth. After I had collected flour, sugar, milk and vanilla, I got out a mixing bowl and spoon. I set the oven to the temperature the book stated.

My eyes fell on the first line of the instructions. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
Cream them?
Maybe that means add cream to them, I thought. But there's no cream in the ingredients. But then, who am I to argue with a book? 
I went to the fridge and found single, double and whipped cream. Unsure, I decided to use them all.

I put the butter and weighed-out sugar in the bowl and then poured some single cream on them. Then a splash of double cream, and after a bit of struggling with the aerosol, a spray of whipped cream.

The next line read Add the eggs and whisk until light and fluffy.
I frowned. I'd never tasted eggshell in one of Pinkie's cakes, but I decided to follow the instructions exactly and gently put three eggs in the bowl. Then I searched for an electric whisk. I found it, gripped it between my hooves, and switched it to full power.

Only a few seconds later I was standing, speechless, covered from head to hoof in egg and cream. The whisk was still smoking, a large block of butter jamming the whisks. 
I quickly cleared up and started again, though I couldn't get the butter out of the whisk. This time I didn't add cream, instead I just mixed the butter and sugar, and broke the eggs first. Soon I had a smooth-looking mix. I returned to the book.
Add a few drops of vanilla and pour in the milk. Beat well with a wooden spoon.

That was easy. Or so I thought.
I struggled with the tiny bottle of vanilla extract, trying to add just a few drops. But my concentration slipped for a second and I poured the whole bottle into the bowl.
There was nothing I could do, and I couldn't start again since I had no vanilla left. So I added the milk, staying entirely focused this time.

Only when I finally pushed the cake mix into the oven in two tins did I take a breather. I had eventually managed to stir the mix, holding the spoon with my hooves (don't ask, even I don't know how I did it). Now, my mane white with flour and the remains of my failed first attempt still splattered over me, I turned to the book again to get started on the cupcakes.

I was still juggling with the cupcakes when the oven timer beeped. I pulled out my cakes proudly; a bit lopsided, but pretty good for my first try. I put the two separate cakes out to cool; I'd sandwich them later. Now I pushed a tray of cupcakes into the oven and with trepidation began to work on the eclairs.

The choux pastry recipe was ridiculously complicated; I was kneading my very sticky dough when the cupcake timer beeped. I turned to the oven, but my dough stuck to my hooves. I shook my hooves, trying to get the dough to fall off them, but it didn't work. I shook my hooves harder, tried to pull it off, stretched it, and finally the dough flew off my hooves to stick fast to the ceiling. But I had no time to worry about that; my cupcakes were burning.

I pulled the tray from the oven in a hurry. The cupcakes were dark brown, with a little bit of black creeping in. I put them on the side, then hurried to sandwich my cake.

I spread jam on one cake and plenty of buttercream on the other and carefully put them together before sprinkling the top with icing sugar. I felt very proud, and was carrying my cake out to the front when the eclair dough fell from the ceiling to land on my head. I cursed and, very slowly, reached up to pull it off, my finished cake balanced precariously on my back. The dough was stuck firmly. I frowned, then jumped a foot in the air as there was a small explosion behind me. I had forgotten to turn off the electric whisk, and it had been smoking away until it finally overheated and exploded. 

When I jumped, my cake went flying, to land with cartoon perfection directly on Mr Cake's head as he entered the kitchen.

After he'd cleaned the cake off his face and taken a quick look at his messy kitchen, Mr Cake gently suggested that I take a few days off until I was thinking straight again. 
As I left, I couldn't resist a quick bite of my cake, which was lying on the side in a bit of a state. I almost spat it out; the taste of vanilla was overpowering, and I was sure I'd be able to taste it for several days.

It was then I realised that neither Mr or Mrs Cake had looked at me strangely. Looking down, I saw that my changeling-like coat was back to its normal solid state. I smiled, starting to bounce as I headed for the library.



> Applejack Vaporizes Her Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several days after the rabbit attack, Applejack was flying again. Rarity wasn't needed back in Canterlot for a month or so, and was staying in the library, where I learned she had lived all along. She had been Celestia's personal protege, like I had, and then the Elements had turned her into an alicorn after she wrote her own spell- the same one I had cast to cause this whole dilemma. I was told I had had Fluttershy's cutie mark, and had been doing a rather bad job of looking after the Acres.

I was happy a lot of the time,and sometimes when I was excessively so my mane poofed. My friends seemed happy to have the 'old Twilight' back, and filled me in on my 'life' - they seemed to accept that I had suffered amnesia. But though I was happy with my new lifestyle, I still felt an emptiness within at my lack of magic.

But try as I might, I simply couldn't understand how I was to teach my friends who they were supposed to be, as I had the first time. How could I reunite Fluttershy with her animals when she couldn't understand them any more, or teach Rainbow to be a weather pony without her wings? Applejack didn't have the strength to buck apple trees, and Pinkie was too shy to perform in public. Rarity had no clue about fashion.

As I skipped through town, smiling at everyone, I saw Applejack, airborne, spiralling upwards into the sky. She kept going, higher and higher, until she was just a speck against the endless blue of the sky.

I found my other four friends in a field, gazing up at Applejack. As I arrived, Applejack began to plummet, wings only just open and close to her sides, hooves stretched out before her. Soon a cone of force was visible around her hooves, slowly narrowing until there was an almighty boom and a ring of rainbow colours spread across the sky. A thick rainbow trail arced across the sky in Applejack's wake, and I smiled. A Sonic Rainboom! 

Applejack came to land in our field, grinning from ear to ear. She looked over at the other two winged members of the group. "Beat that, if y'all can." she said. 
Pinkie looked scared, but Rarity gave a determined smirk and launched herself into the air. The princess looped across the sky, reaching considerable speeds. Even Applejack was impressed; in fact she flew up to join Rarity, dragging a reluctant, protesting Pinkie Pie with her. The three winged mares hovered in deep conversation. Applejack appeared to have an idea, and suggested it. Pinkie shook her head emphatically, but Rarity looked excited. The alicorn and orange pegasus then shouted Pinkie down until the pink pegasus nodded her head doubtfully. Applejack zoomed over to us.

"We're gunna try fer a triple rainboom!" she declared. Fluttershy and Rainbow gasped, but I frowned. 
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Pinkie almost certainly won't make it, Rarity's new to flying, and you only just did a Rainboom. One of you could get hurt!"
Applejack shrugged me off, saying, "We'll be able to handle it. We're essentially falling, not flying, so we'll all get the speed. Ya just have to hold firm through the velocity."

The orange pegasus rejoined the other two, and together they began to spiral up, up, up, until I could no longer see them. Rarity filled me in on what had gone on at the high altitudes later as we sat in the hospital waiting room.
Applejack showed the other two how to position their hooves and wings for the dive, warning them to pull up if they didn't think they would make it, etc.
Applejack went first, zooming towards the ground, followed by Rarity. Finally, Pinkie folded her wings and took their lead.

Applejack and Rarity zoomed side by side towards the ground, still tiny specks, the cones just beginning to form around their outstretched hooves. Pinkie wasn't yet visible.
Scootaloo tore into the field, shortly followed by Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo looked cross. "Did I miss a Sonic Rainboom?"

I nodded. "But Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie are trying to pull off a triple one. Look, there's Rarity and Applejack."
The two were still going, their cones of force now clear and beginning to narrow. Pinkie was now visible, quite a distance above them, but locked in her dive. I could see she was struggling, and as I watched her wings flared open and she slowed down, beginning to glide back towards the ground.
I cringed as the cones grew thin, and then, to my intense amazement, two Rainbooms rippled across the sky. But something was wrong. Rarity was pulling up,an ecstatic grin on her face, wheeling off and spreading her rainbow trail across the sky, while Applejack was still in her dive, showing no signs of stopping.

"What's she doing?" yelped Applebloom, as another cone of force began to build around Applejack's hooves. Scootaloo was bouncing excitedly, but as Applejack's second rainboom cone narrowed, she stopped and looked terrified. Surely Applejack wasn't trying to do another Rainboom in the same dive? 

She was, and she did. As she reached the speed needed for a Rainboom, Applejack realised she was too close to the ground, but it was too late to pull up. The colours of the spectrum covered the sky for the fourth time, but the boom that made was nothing to the awful boom as Applejack hit the ground at what was almost certainly terminal velocity.

Blinded by panic, I ran towards the crater, and jumped down into it to see Applejack's body, broken in a dozen places. Rarity came to land beside me, grief and horror on her face. Without a word, Rarity gently picked up Applejack's body and slung it over her shoulder, before teleporting away.

Several faces were staring down into the crater at me. I climbed out, and immediately was assaulted by questions.
Scootaloo looked terrified. "Will Applejack be okay?"
I looked the orange filly straight in the eyes. "I don't think so, Scootaloo. She's hurt, bad. She might never fly again."
Scootaloo started wailing. Applebloom started crying too, and the two fillies hugged, their enmity forgotten in this time of worry.

Sweetie Belle glanced past me into the crater. "Where is she?"
"Rarity took her to the hospital." I trotted towards town, and the others followed me.

In the hospital waiting room sat Rarity, her eyes downcast. She looked up as we piled in.
"So?" asked Rainbow tentatively. "How is she?"
Rarity looked up at her. "The doctors said she's got a few broken bones, but her wings are busted beyond repair. They're talking of doing an emergency optera-ectomy."

I gasped.
"A what?" asked Fluttershy. 
"Her wings... they're going to cut her wings off." I cried.

"They can't do that! How can she be a Wonderbolt with no wings?" said Rainbow.
"How can she be a Wonderbolt with busted-up wings?" snapped Rarity. "If only I'd been closer, I could have stopped her."
"When are they doing the surgery?" I asked, panicked.
Rarity shrugged. "They said 'emergency.' It would be fair to assume they've already started."

I charged out of the waiting room towards Applejack's ward, followed by several of the others. I burst in to see Applejack, already wingless, lying on a bed.
I crouched beside her and lamented the loss of her wings until a doctor came in. I stood and jabbed him in the chest. "How could you cut off her wings without even giving them chance to recover?"

The doctor looked surprised. "I came in here to anesthetize her for the surgery. We haven't even carried it out yet." 
I stared at him. "Then where have her wings gone?"
The doctor looked over at the bed. "Great Scott." He rolled Applejack over; the flesh on her back was unmarked. It was as if she'd never had wings.

His face pale, the doctor backed out of the room.
Applejack stirred, and immediately we all surrounded her. "Applejack!" sobbed Scootaloo. "You've got no wings!"
I glared at the orange filly. I'd have broken the news to Applejack more slowly, but it was too late now. 
But Applejack was looking confused. "Wings? I ain't never had wings." Her green eyes fell on me. "Twilight? Where's yer horn, and yer wings? Why've ya got Pinkie's cutie mark?"

"Long story." I said, hugging Applejack. "Something has happened. Rainbow is a unicorn, Pinkie's a pegasus, and..."
At that moment Rarity walked in, followed by Fluttershy. Applejack's eyes widened. "Rarity? How come ya're an ally-corn now?"
Rarity frowned. "Applejack, I've been an alicorn for a month or so now."
"But-" Applejack caught sight of my cutie mark on Rarity's flank. "Oh."

Fluttershy came over. "I'm so sorry about your wings, Applejack."
"I've told y'all I never had wings!" shouted Applejack. "Where'r your wings, Fluttershy? And what the HAY is going on!"
Applejack's hoof shot out to point at Fluttershy's apple cutie mark. "That's mah cutie mark!"

Rainbow walked in, shaking her head. Applejack's eyes roved over her bare back and horn, before taking in the diamonds on her flank. "Darling, you're in shock. You've lost your wings, I'm very sorry about that, but it was rather foolish to attempt two Rainbooms in one dive."

Applejack leapt out of the bed, showing no sign of any broken bones now. "Why does ev'rypony keep saying about mah wings? I ain't never had no wings!"
Just then Pinkie walked in, sporting wings and Fluttershy's cutie mark. Applejack screamed in confusion.
"Uh, Applejack?" I said uneasily. "I promise I'll explain everything later, but for now, just look at your flank."

Applejack blinked at me, then she looked down. She blinked a few times at Rainbow's lightning bolt cutie mark, bright against her orange flank, and then crumpled in a dead faint.





> Fluttershy Blows Up Everything
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Applejack fainted, the nurses shooed us all out, even Rarity, so that they could revive her.
Scootaloo, inconsolable, ran away in tears as soon as we left the hospital. The other two CMC members followed her.
I trotted back to the library after the others, deep in thought. Applejack had seemed to be back to her usual self, and this encouraged me into thinking that the others could be brought around too. But it had taken the hazardous and mysterious disappearance of her wings to snap Applejack's mind back to normal. I couldn't just snap off Rainbow's horn to get her back to normal, and nor could I cut off Pinkie's wings.

This matter needed a lot of thought. And anyway, it wasn't like Rainbow had miraculously sprouted Applejack's wings- she was still a unicorn. If things went like they did with Applejack, surely we'd all just end up as earth ponies. And I was pretty sure Rainbow couldn't follow her destiny with no wings, just as Rarity and I couldn't follow our own destinies with no magic. It was a dilemma.

We arrived at the library and Rarity immediately started blaming herself for Applejack's accident.
"If I'd stayed with her... if I'd been paying attention..." she cried. I heard only snatches of the conversation as I drifted in and out of concentrated thought. But though I left no stone in my large mind unturned, I found no solution to my dilemma. It was very frustrating.

Before I knew it, we were walking back out of the library, heading through Ponyville. As we marched on, Rarity spread her huge wings, followed by Pinkie, who went soaring right next to her. Pinkie's face showed no fear this time; she followed Rarity up to great altitude before spiralling down with the white alicorn, plaiting their pink and purple trails together. Both had their wings folded tight, hooves stretched out, and Pinkie's face was filled with determination.

Neither of them faltered for a second, and for the second time that day, two simultaneous Sonic Rainbooms painted the sky with all the colours in the spectrum. As two rainbows soared upwards to draw a huge lightning bolt and cloud in the sky, I knew that this was the last time either Pinkie or Rarity would perform a Sonic Rainboom. This was a tribute to the greatest flier Equestria had ever seen, or would ever see.

The action was so moving that I felt tears come to my eyes. Rainbow was bawling, regardless of how uncouth it was to wail like a foal in public, while Fluttershy sniffled softly. The two winged mares came back down and landed, their eyes glistening with tears as behind them the colourful shape of Applejack's cutie mark began to fade from the darkening sky.

We kept walking in silence until we arrived outside Sugarcube Corner. Finally we met each other's gaze and I spoke.

"Applejack will be okay. She's tougher than any other pony I know, and I know she'll get through this."
Pinkie sniffled. "I'd give up my wings in a heartbeat if she could have hers back."
"As would I." said Rarity. "But Twilight's right. Applejack will get through this,especially if we help her. We should return all the loyalty she's given us over the years to her."

We nodded, and then we dispersed to our homes for a night of sleep.
But I couldn't sleep, and after two hours of tossing and turning I decided I needed to read something to take my mind off the day's events. But though I searched my- or formerly Pinkie's- home for any piece of literature, I found none. So even though it was dark outside, I headed for the library.

When I entered, quietly, the lower floor was dark, but candlelight illuminated the stairs to Rarity's chamber. I cautiously climbed the stairs and pushed open the door gently.

Rarity was standing by the window, smiling out at a purple and green dragon who hovered outside. As I watched, Rarity kissed the dragon on the cheek and closed the window. She turned, saw me, and turned rigid.
"Twilight?" she asked. "What are you doing here?" She said it nonchalantly, but I could see the worry in her eyes.
"Was that Spike?" I asked. The dragon had matched him in colour, but that dragon's stature had been larger, like when Spike had gone on his rampage as he matured, though thankfully not anywhere as large as when he'd smashed up the town. And Spike hadn't had wings either. This dragon was like a teenaged version of Spike.

Rarity blushed pink. "Yes, it was."
I smiled. "Are you two seeing each other?" I asked, amusement in my tone.
"No- I mean yes... but no... not like that..." blustered Rarity, turning even more red. It was ever so strange seeing a princess blush.
"So how did he finally get to you?" I teased.
Rarity went beet red. "Well... he was my assistant, you know, I hatched him from an egg when I got my cutie mark, but then one day he just presented me with some flowers and told me he thought I was beautiful... even more than Rainbow... I was flattered, but unsure. But then he gave me a beautiful fire ruby for my birthday, and I fell for him."

I smiled. "He still had a crush on you when you were the unicorn running the boutique. He'll always be there for you, much more than Blueblood was or ever could be."
Rarity looked confused. "But it was Rainbow who had the trouble with Blueblood at the Gala."
I shook my head ruefully. I had momentarily forgotten that Rarity knew nothing of when she had courted that uppity, selfish prince.

"Anyway, I just came to get something to read. Can you recommend anything?" I asked.
Rarity, whose blush was now fading, led the way downstairs to run a perusing hoof over the books. She plucked one from the shelf. "I think you'd enjoy this one."
I scanned the cover and nodded; it looked interesting enough. "Okay, Rarity. Thank you, and I'm sorry for disturbing you so late at night."
"It's no problem, darling. Just get some sleep; if you're going to help Fluttershy at the Acres tomorrow you'll need your strength."
I left the room as Rarity turned back to the window, her eyes starry and a loving sigh on her lips. I heard the beating of leathery wings as Spike returned.

I trotted back to my home, and climbed back into bed, giggling at the memory of Rarity's bright red face. After an hour or so of reading, I put the book down and blew out my bedside candle. I was asleep almost instantly.

The next day, we tried to visit Applejack, but the nurses told us they were performing tests on her to identify how she'd healed so fast and why her wings had vanished. So we headed for the Acres for a day of applebucking.

It was here that another disaster befell one of my friends.
Rarity, Pinkie and I took a break after a couple of hours of hard work, relaxing beneath a tree while crunching some of the fruits of our labours, as Rainbow and Fluttershy continued harvesting. 

There was a rustle at the foot of a nearby tree, and a small grey rabbit hopped into view. 
Fluttershy growled and raced towards it, ignoring Pinkie's pleas of "Fluttershy! Please don't! I'm sure he wasn't doing any harm..."
But Fluttershy reached the rabbit and turned around, preparing to deal the rabbit a crippling kick with her powerful back legs.
Everything suddenly slowed down. Pinkie jumped to her feet, crying out to Fluttershy to stop, while Rainbow slowly walked over  to see what was going on from where she stood beside the next tree.

Rainbow jumped forwards to block Fluttershy's kick. I suddenly saw the danger, and yelled for Rainbow to get out of the way, but Fluttershy's powerful yellow haunches were already in motion and as Pinkie and I screamed the yellow hooves smashed into Rainbow's head at the base of her horn. There was an awful, splintering crack...
And an enormous, destructive burst of magic exploded from where the yellow and blue mares stood.



> Rainbow Gets So, So High
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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...



> Rarity Breaks It Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, it was Pinkie's birthday, and I found myself rigged into excitedly (and secretly) decorating her home for the occasion. Every animal and Pinkie had been cleared out to, with Fluttershy's reluctant consent, Sweet Apple Acres. Neither I nor Applejack, who had been dismissed from hospital with inconclusive results for her tests the day before, had said a word to Rainbow or any of the others, but Rarity still cast us glances laden with suspicion at regular intervals.

Though Rarity's mental state worried me, I had much greater concerns. I could see that to get our original species back, we had to break the thing which wasn't a usual part of our anatomies. But for Fluttershy and I, I had little clue how we might get our wings and my horn back. And Rarity wasn't even flying these days, I suspected out of fear for her wings and status.

And getting species back wasn't a guarantee of getting our memories back either. Applejack was back to her normal state of mind (though her cutie mark was still that lightning bolt) but Rainbow, despite being a pegasus again, was still working the boutique. But Rainbow loved flying, and I was hoping I could encourage her into performing a Sonic Rainboom and have her regain her cutie mark.

I finished hanging the streamers and looked over the room with satisfaction. It looked good, but the eccentric pony inside me told me it was missing something. I reached behind my back and literally produced Pinkie's party cannon from nowhere. I stared at it for several minutes before shrugging and slamming the button. Confetti and streamers flew everywhere. I nodded appreciatively.

Soon the other girls and the taller Spike arrived and we waited for Pinkie to come in.
Eventually Pinkie pushed the door open, just as I hit the cannon button again and we all shouted, "SURPRISE!"
Pinkie squealed and ran upstairs; Applejack had to go up and pull the pink pegasus from under her bed. After that the party swung into action, and it was great fun.

We played several party games, which were filled with much hilarity after my new twist on 'pin the tail on the pony- 'pin the wings on the pegasus' turned into everypony chasing Applejack trying to pin the wings on her. After that, Rarity magicked up a pinata for each of us, which looked like ourselves. Applejack kicked the hay out of Rainbow's, and Spike laughed so hard he incinerated the remaining pinatas and their contents, except for his, which was full of gems which both he and Rainbow hurried to gather up.

Then I put on some music and we impulsively started dancing. Rainbow fell over a few times, unbalanced by her wings, and more laughter ensued. I felt happy as the laughter reached my ears, almost ecstatic, and grew more hyperactive as the celebrations continued.

But as I danced, I noticed Rarity and Spike sneaking outside. Curiosity got the better of me and I followed them a few minutes later.

I caught up to them on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. I huddled behind a bush and angled my ears towards the conversation. Instead, I heard Rarity sobbing.
"Rarity, it's okay." came Spike's gruff tones. "You don't have to do this."

"But I...I...I do!" wailed Rarity, and I heard the rustle of wings as she folded them around her. "I can't be in love! I'm immortal, and I'll outlive you. I couldn't bear living without you... so this is it. I'm sorry."
I realised what I was witnessing and began to creep away, when I heard Spike mutter, "Rarity, please don't do this. I'm nothing without you... I'm just a monster."

"Please, Spike. It's unbecoming for a princess to love a dragon- please understand."
There was a pause. Then Spike hissed bitterly, "Is that really why you're doing this? Because it's unbecoming for us to be together?"
Rarity cried, "No, Spike! I just... don't make this any harder than it already is."
But Spike evidently wasn't listening. "So you were lying, then, when you told me I was everything? All this time, you've been lying?"

"Maybe I have!" yelled Rarity, her desperation turning to anger.
"So this is the end." spat Spike. "All that I see in you, all we've been through. This is the end."
"Yes, it is!" shouted Rarity. I heard leathery wings start to beat, and then Spike rose into the air. Rarity, still out of my sight, screamed after him, "It's disgusting how I used to love you! I never want to see you again, you monster!"

Spike kept flying over the Everfree, and he never looked back. As soon as he was out of sight, I risked a glance at Rarity. She was sitting staring down at the ground. Only just loud enough for me to hear, she murmured, "I'll not forget you, Spikey Wikey." She traced something on the ground with her hoof, then wiped away a residual tear before trotting back towards the house. When she rounded the corner, I sneaked over to where she had been sitting. A heart was carved in the dust, with the writing 
'R + S 4 EVER' 
written in it. A teardrop splatter slightly blurred the letter 'S'.  As I stood there, a breeze swept by and obliterated the heart and its contents, but the teardrop lay there still before soaking into the ground. I shook my head sadly and headed back to the party.

Rarity explained Spike's disappearance away with a vague lie, and then the party resumed. But as I looked over at the white alicorn, I saw untold misery and pain glistening in her eyes.

In the nights that followed, I'd walk past the library to see Rarity sitting on her balcony, staring out towards the Everfree forest, her eyes glittering with starlight and tears.






> Pinkie Puts It Back Together Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Spike didn't reappear after three days, the rest of my friends knew something was up. But when they asked Rarity where he was, she'd say something about Spike being away on 'official business' before changing the subject. This fended them off for a little while, but soon they started asking when he'd be back. I felt sorry for Rarity as she was clearly fighting to hold in her emotions every time the dragon's name came up in conversation. Rarity had become more friendly to Applejack and I, however, no longer glaring suspiciously at us, and for that I was grateful.

Rainbow was still trying to work in the boutique; learning to sew and cut with her hooves was difficult, but with a few lessons from yours truly she began to improve at her work. She was now calling herself 'Rainbow Dash' after Pinkie had transferred the nickname of 'Dashie' over to the cyan pegasus.
Applejack was now working at the farm; although she hadn't yet regained her cutie mark she was applebucking away at a rate Fluttershy could only just match.

But aside from this, business continued as per usual. Scootaloo and Applebloom had made up after their argument; Scootaloo now chased Rainbow Dash around in awe, while Applebloom had Applejack to herself once more. Sweetie Belle was very relieved, and the three fillies once more threw themselves into discovering their cutie marks and special talents.

The other princesses had been notified by Rarity of the strange species change of two of us, and Celestia had immediately put her best researchers up to the task of seeking a cause. But so far, nothing had been uncovered, and I had a feeling nothing would be anytime soon.

For a few days, life passed without incident. I hated to admit it to myself, but my pangs for my lost magic were fading and I was enjoying being an earth pony. If it hadn't been for Applejack, I might have let go of my old self and embraced the new me wholeheartedly.

But then something shattered our peace. The six of us were summoned to Canterlot, and when we arrived the princess told us that a lone purple dragon was ravaging the city of Baltimare, and she wanted us to use the Elements to defeat it. We all nodded and charged out of the throne room to prepare, but I saw that Rarity's face was, if possible, even whiter than usual and her ears were flicking in agitation. I wondered what could possibly be ailing her.

We swept past Ponyville to collect the Elements, and then two royal chariots bore us to Baltimare. We arrived to widespread destruction, enormous claw prints everywhere, deep furrows carved in the ground, and several buildings damaged or crushed. As soon as we disembarked the chariots, the pegasi guards turned tail and soared away, leaving us in the all-too-quiet remains of the city.

"So where's this dragon?" asked Rainbow. Rarity said nothing, just swapping her royal tiara for the Element of Magic and levitating the other Elements out to us. Applejack reached for the apple-shaped pendant, but it floated past her to attach to Fluttershy's neck, while the lightning-bolt Element of Loyalty locked around Applejack's throat. The balloon- shaped Element of Laughter clicked into place over my own neck, but I cast a few longing looks at the Element of Magic, rested so neatly over Rarity's curled forelock.

Rainbow, sporting the diamond- shaped Element of Generosity, took flight to scour the rubble for the dragon. The rest of us followed on hoof. Rarity's ears were still twitching anxiously, though her eyes were narrowed with determination.
Every so often, I would hear a scuffling sound, or the tap of hooves, but never saw anything more than the odd flash of colour. I was glad that at least some ponies had survived.

Suddenly Rainbow called, "I think I see it!" and vanished in a burst of spectrum colours. As we continued trotting through the quiet streets, we soon heard a rumbling sound, growing louder as we grew closer to the city centre. 

When we got there, we saw Rainbow circling over a huge, snoring dragon. Its huge purple bulk rose and fell as it snored, and puffs of black smoke issued from its nostrils with each rumble.
Green spines ran all the way down its back until they reached the long purple tail tip, which was shaped like an arrowhead. Purple scales covered its body, and dangerous claws glittered on its forelegs.

We all looked to Rarity for orders, but she just blanched even paler and shivered. I wondered what in Equestria was bothering her, but then it hit me. Spike. This dragon was very much like Spike, could even be Spike. 
Fluttershy got tired of waiting, and cautiously walked over to the monstrous snout of the dragon. Then, without hesitation, she turned her back on it and delivered a hard kick to the tip of its nose.

There was an awful growl, and then a snarl, and the dragon lifted its head to scrutinize her, before turning its gaze on the rest of us. Eyes as green and bright as emeralds, with slitted pupils, stared unblinkingly at us. 
Suddenly, Rarity barked, "Get into formation!" I galloped over to where Pinkie would usually stand, and Rarity began to power up her Element. All six of us rose into the air, our bodies glowing as the Elements around our necks began to shine. 

But all of a sudden, Applejack and I's Elements dimmed, followed by everypony else's. We fell with a simultaneous thud to the ground. The dragon blinked at us dumbly. Then it roared, and we scattered as a huge claw slammed down where we had just been lying.

We dodged the blows of the dragon's forelegs easily, but then the much more agile tail entered the fray and things got much harder. The three winged members of the group took flight, and Fluttershy, Applejack and I were left to dodge the foreclaws while the tail struck at Rarity, Rainbow and Pinkie as they worried the dragon's snout.

But then the dragon opened its huge jaws to send a wall of flames at its airborne attackers. The alicorn and two pegasi disappeared behind the flickering flames, and all three of us on the ground screamed. 

Suddenly, as we stared in horror at the wall of fire, something scaly wrapped around us and we were left struggling in the coils of the dragon's tail.
The flames died, but there was no sign of our friends. I felt despair; could they have been completely incinerated? But now the dragons' huge green eye was glaring at us, and I shrunk back instinctively from its gaze.

The black pupil fixed on Fluttershy, recognising her as the one who had kicked it, and the dragon plucked her free of its tail and held between two claws in front of its snout. Applejack and I were lowered to the ground, but still wrapped in the dragon's tail.

Fluttershy blinked back at the dragon. Then, spontaneously, the dragon rested Fluttershy on its thumb and casually flicked her away.
Fluttershy went soaring through the air, and suddenly something else seemed to override the fear in her eyes. But she soon began to fall, and the fear returned as she plummeted towards the ground. I saw a streak of rainbow zooming towards her, but there was little chance of Rainbow catching Fluttershy now.

Fluttershy vanished behind a row of trees over a nearby hill, and the rainbow followed. 
By now, Pinkie was standing on the dragon's snout, transfixing it with 'The Stare'. 
"Now let my friends go." I heard her say sternly, "And you'd better hope poor Fluttershy is okay, or you'll pay."

The dragon cowered, and crouched down, unravelling its tail from around us. Then, leaving Pinkie to glare threateningly at the cowed dragon, Applejack and I went cantering off towards the hill where Fluttershy had fallen, with Rarity zooming along over our heads. I didn't find out until much later that Rarity had activated a fire-proof shield spell at the last moment, protecting them all from the flames. They had ducked out of sight so that the dragon didn't blast the damaged shield again.

We arrived at the hillside to find Rainbow standing over Fluttershy's crumpled form. But rather than grief, her face showed surprise.

"Is she okay?" asked Applejack. Rainbow nodded, but still said nothing.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Rainbow pointed with a cyan hoof to something I hadn't previously noticed; a splayed yellow wing. Fluttershy's wing. Her wings were unfolded as if gliding, as delicate as they had always been.
Great, I thought. Everypony gets wings except me.

"I couldn't catch her." said Rainbow. "I tried so hard, but she was out of reach. But then, a few hundred yards up, she just grew wings, and started gliding as if it was the most natural thing in the world."
"So why is she unconscious?" asked Applejack.
"Well, she started gliding, but she didn't lose her velocity." explained Rainbow. "She was still at high speed when she hit the ground."

Rarity spoke. "This is awfully strange." But she looked at me with suspicion again, and I frowned as she turned away again. 
Rarity carried Fluttershy back to where Pinkie was still intimidating the dragon. Rarity gently set Fluttershy down, and then trotted over to the dragon.

"Spike. You've hurt Fluttershy. I hope you're proud of yourself, you stupid scaly idiot."
We all gasped. Rarity ignored us.
"I knew you'd pull something like this. But really, smashing up an entire city isn't going to encourage me to get back together with you."
The dragon blinked. Then it growled, "It was worth a try."

All at once, the dragon's huge frame shrunk down to the Spike I recognised from when he and Rarity had split up. "I didn't know what else to do."
Rarity was about to give a scathing retort when Pinkie inched forward and shoved the alicorn gently. Rarity bumped into Spike with a squeak of indignation. She made to pull away, but Spike had grabbed her. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing, his claws around her middle, and gazed into her eyes.

Rarity struggled, trying not to look at him, but eventually their eyes met. Rarity slowly stopped trying to kick him, and for an awkward moment they stared into each other's eyes. They made as if to kiss, but then Rarity's head snapped over to us and she raised her eyebrows.

Applejack tactfully turned away, as did Pinkie. Rainbow covered her eyes with her hooves, but peeked a couple of times, while I just turned my attention to Fluttershy.
As I watched, the yellow pegasus stirred, and her green eyes flickered open to fix on Rarity and Spike. Her eyes widened, and then she squeaked, "Oh dear." and covered her eyes. I supposed it was rather shocking to wake up and see an alicorn and a dragon kissing.

Then it occurred to me how quietly Fluttershy had spoken, and grew excited. Could Fluttershy be back to normal?
Spike and Rarity broke apart, and then walked over to us, Rarity straightening the Element of Magic which had been sitting lopsidedly above her ears. Rarity collected the rest of the Elements from us, looking carefully at Laughter and Loyalty as she replaced them in their holding chest. Finally, she replaced the Element of Magic with her tiara and closed the chest.

Fluttershy got to her hooves, her eyes wide as she stared from Rarity to me to Rainbow. Her eyes took note of each cutie mark, her face blanching a little as she passed over Pinkie's, and then her eyes strayed to her own flank. She looked at the three red apples emblazoned there, and whispered quietly, "Oh, my." before dropping like a stone.
> I Set Myself On Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I walked along the road to Sweet Apple Acres the day after, Applejack at my side, and we watched our four friends flying above us. But Fluttershy was apparently trying to avoid Rarity and Pinkie, though she was quite happy to fly with Rainbow Dash. A couple of minutes later, she came gliding down to walk beside us.
"So... um... how is Rarity an alicorn now?" she muttered.

"Twilight here cast that spell again, ya know the one which changed our cutie marks? Only because she was an alicorn, the spell was much more powerful and it changed our species too." replied Applejack.
Fluttershy nodded. "So... I was an earth pony working at Sweet Apple Acres... and you were..."
"A pegasus speedster like Rainbow." said Applejack, flicking her tail at the lightning bolt on her flank.#

"Oh...and Rainbow was..."
"A unicorn working at the boutique." I supplied. "Rarity is, obviously, an alicorn princess who's lived out my life, while I'm apparently just as eccentric as Pinkie. And Pinkie, well, she's a pegasus, and she's looking after your animals."

Fluttershy stopped dead. "Oh, my poor animals! They must be so confused..."
Applejack and I shot each other awkward looks. "Well, they don't remember you ever looking after them, Fluttershy. As far as they're concerned, Pinkie's looked after them for all the time you did."
Fluttershy looked sad. "So what do we do now?"

"We wait for Rarity and Pinkie to lose their wings, and then for me to regain my magic. Then we can get our cutie marks back, and life continues how it used to."
Fluttershy looked reasonably satisfied, but Applejack growled. "Ah cain't stand to have this gaudy lightning bolt on my flank a day longer! I want my lovely rosy apples back on my flank, and I want 'em now!"

Applejack sprung forward, and I grabbed her tail. But then a voice rang out from behind us.
"Gaudy? Oh, no no no no no! That lightning bolt is the height of fashion. If I could have another cutie mark, I'd have that one."
It was Rainbow, perched on the fence behind us. Applejack grinned slyly at me, and said to Rainbow, "I bet you could have this cutie mark if ya wanted. I got it by doing my first Sonic Rainboom. Maybe you could-"

Rainbow interrupted. "Oh, Applejack, don't be silly. A pony can only have one cutie mark; after all, it's a mark of one's destiny. And I'd never dream of even trying a Sonic Rainboom after what happened to you."

Rainbow flew upwards to rejoin Pinkie and Rarity, and Applejack turned to me. "Remind me again what happened to me?"
"You crashed into the ground at high speed after trying to perform two Rainbooms in one dive." I said.
"Oh yeah..." Applejack frowned. "Kinda irresponsible of me..."
"Wait. Where's Fluttershy?" I asked. The yellow pegasus was nowhere in sight.

"Dunno. She'll turn up." Applejack said offhandedly. 
We rounded a corner and found Fluttershy talking to a group of squirrels who, apparently, had previously been eating the apples. But now they were all staring at Fluttershy, and as she murmured to them, Fluttershy's body began to glow with pale pink light.
"No!" I cried, shattering the spell; the squirrels bolted and Fluttershy turned to frown at me; the glow was gone.

"I told you, we can't get our cutie marks back until the others' species are back to normal." I snapped.
Fluttershy nodded sadly. "Sorry, Twilight. I just wanted to see if I could talk to them, and I just got carried away..."
"Hold on." I held up a hoof to silence her. I could hear talking and the thuds of hooves on tree trunks a short distance away. Trotting towards the sound, I found Applejack bucking apple trees, whilst in deep conversation with her brother, Big Macintosh. She was enveloped in a bright orange glow, and as I watched the lightning bolt on her flank began to glitter.

"Applejack!" I shouted crossly. "Stop!"
Applejack paused, and her glow began to fade. Her cutie mark stopped glittering. "What, Twilight?"
"I told you; no cutie marks until the others are back to normal!" I snapped.
Big Mac backed slowly away into the orchard, his wide eyes flicking between us. I ignored him. "You can't do this! It would just confuse the others even more."

"Oh, alright, Twilight." said Applejack sullenly. We rejoined the others, and then spent a whole day working the farm. Applejack kept away from the trees, reluctantly, and settled for dragging cart-fulls of apples to and from the barn.
It was here that Rarity declared, sadly, that she was due back in Canterlot in a week's time. Pinkie and Rainbow looked sad, but my mind was racing. I needed to get everypony back to normal before next week; this put an urgent edge on everything.

I desperately needed my magic back. But I had no idea how to trigger my magic to return. Instinct had done it for Fluttershy; maybe if I put myself in a situation where I'd usually use magic...

So I walked back home in the evening and sat in my room, brooding in the candlelight over what I could possibly do to regain my powers. But I could think of nothing I could do which wouldn't put my life in danger. So I went upstairs to bed.

I later realised I had forgotten to blow out the candle downstairs. But, figuring it would just burn out, I simply turned over and went back to sleep.

I woke up a couple of hours later, sweating. I looked out of the window. Stars still twinkled above, but there was an orange glow coming from somewhere nearby. I trotted over to the door and was about to push it open, but when my hoof made contact with the door it felt warm. I was puzzled, but then gasped. Surely the house couldn't be on fire? I remembered the candle and clapped a hoof to my mouth.

Just then, I heard something scratching at the door. I opened it on impulse, and two things happened.
A small, toothless alligator shot through the door, black with ash.
Orange and yellow flames licked over my fur.
> Ponyville Goes For A Swim (While We Go For A Picnic)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I scrambled backwards in a panic, but the fur on my forelegs was smouldering, and the flames were now licking across the ceiling. Gummy had scuttled under my bed. I racked my brains for a way to get out of the house, but the flames were quickly approaching the window, and there was no question of getting out via the door. 
Or was there?

I'd been waiting for a chance to regain my magic; maybe this is it. Maybe instinct will trigger my magic to return, like instinct triggered Fluttershy's wings to grow back. As I thought through this, the curtains burst into flames. Now I really was trapped.
So I took a chance, and galloped for the door, leaping through a gap in the flames. As soon as I was through, a wall of heat hit me and I began to choke as black smoke filled my nose and mouth. 

Seconds later, I felt the fire. It licked over my legs and the fur was singed clean off, leaving the heat to fry my skin. Within two seconds, my forelegs had blistered. I tried to delve into my instinct to pull back my magic and save me; but all I felt was pain and panic. The smoke clouded my senses as well as my vision, and for a few moments I stood motionless, unsure of myself. Then my survival instincts kicked in and I jumped back towards the bedroom door, for I knew there was less fire in there.

But as I jumped, the door frame creaked and then collapsed, barring my way back into the room. Frantic, I turned to run down the stairs, only for them to collapse, too. As I gazed down at the carnage which had been my home, the small platform on which I stood gave a terrible lurch before it too collapsed as the flames destroyed its supports, plunging me into the fire, which reared up greedily to swallow me.

I was utterly consumed with pain, and I writhed in the fire, uncaring, unknowing. But then I raised my head and let out an awful scream- and felt power surge through me to manifest in my forehead. I slipped into darkness with the flames jumping around me.

I was rudely awoken, not fifteen seconds later, as I plunged into icy-cold water. I struggled against the flow, but the flood rose higher until it spilt out of my house and into the street, bearing me with it. I saw that the upper floor of my home still burned, and felt an awful pang for Gummy as the roof began to cave in. But then the flood dragged me away along the street, and I was borne helplessly along on the tide.

As I was swept past the boutique, Rainbow, with a hissing Opalescence clinging to her face and the cat's long, swishing white tail covering the pegasus's eyes, trotted out into the street, trying to shove the cat off. She moved the fluffy tail off her eyes and screeched in horror at the water heading her way; she shot back inside, Opal still fastened tightly onto her head, and slammed the door in the hope of protecting her precious works.

"Twilight!" somepony called out. I looked around, but saw nothing. "Over here!" I snapped my head around to look behind me, but there was nopony there. "No, up here, darling!" I looked up to see Rarity and Fluttershy hovering overhead, and then Rarity swept down to scoop me up, lifting me over to one of the nearby buildings to sit me on the roof. I swept my soaked mane out of my face and the others gasped.

"What?" I said crossly. They both pointed with their forehooves at my forehead. I glanced up and saw a very welcome sight- my spiralled purple horn was back where it belonged. "Yes, yes, yes!" I shouted exuberantly. "Finally!"
Pinkie came flying over, a small, shaken and rather sooty alligator lying on her back. "Here's Gummy!" she exclaimed, then spotted my horn and stared.

I took Gummy and gently brushed the soot off him. Then I looked down to see that the water was still rising. "Where is all that water coming from?"
"I've no idea." said Rarity thoughtfully. "I'll go and investigate." She unfolded her large wings and flew off over town.
A few minutes later she returned. "I found a magical teleportation portal in your house, Twilight. It seems you created it in a panic. The other end was at the bottom of Ponyville Reservoir. I closed the portal, but the whole town is flooded, and I think the reservoir will be quite depleted."

"Can't you just make all the water in town go back to the reservoir?" asked Fluttershy.
Rarity looked troubled. "I don't know of any spells which can do that. The teleportation portal was quite advanced magic, I'll give you credit for that, Twilight, and it's taken quite a bit of my magic to close it up again. I'm afraid we may have to clean up town the old way- bailing the water back to the reservoir. We'd best round up Applejack, and Rainbow, if she'll come out of the boutique, and get started."

"WAIT!" shouted Pinkie. "We can't do that- it's the 'pet picnic' today! Angel's been looking forward to it all month!"
"We'll have to reschedule. This is too important, and plus, the picnic ground is a foot underwater," said Rarity.
"Yes, and I can't imagine Opal or Rainbow will be too happy about that." I added.
"That's okay, we'll go over there." Pinkie gestured with her hoof towards a hill just outside town
"Pinkie, we can't just disappear in a crisis! We're the Elements of Harmony!"

"But Angel has been so excited, and remember what happened last time he got upset..." reminded Pinkie.
"Oh, brilliant. So as well as this flood we'll have a flood of rabbits, too?" groaned Rarity. "Fine... I'll go and get Owlowiscious..."
Rarity flew away, and so did Pinkie. Fluttershy stayed nearby. "So I've got to go and get Winona, right?"
"Yes, and tell Applejack she needs to bring Tank." I said tiredly, as Gummy gummed my wrists.

"Oh, and well done on getting your magic back." said Fluttershy before she flew away.
By noon, five of us were sitting on the hill outside Ponyville with our pets playing around us. Tank and Owlowiscious were playing an airborne game of tag above our heads, and we constantly had to duck as the hovering tortoise swooped around. Angel sat next to Gummy in silence, occasionally reaching out a paw to prod Gummy's snout. Winona was chasing butterflies a short distance away.

"Where is Rainbow?" frowned Applejack. "It's not like she can't fly over the water..."
Rarity had notified the Ponyville mayor of the threat from the rabbits, and the mayor had accepted it (though what self-respecting citizen would argue with a princess?) and now we were waiting for Rainbow.
Eventually, the latter came into view, flying slowly towards us. As she grew nearer we saw that Opal was clinging to her back, eyes wide and claws digging into Rainbow's cyan fur.

Rainbow touched down and tried to coax Opal off her back, but Opal wasn't having any of it. Rainbow eventually looked pleadingly over at Pinkie, who came over and muttered to the frightened cat. Opal leaped gently off Rainbow's back, rubbing against Pinkie's leg before padding away to sit by Angel and Gummy.
For a while, we sat peacefully, chatting and watching our pets frolic. Angel went to join Winona, their enmity forgotten, leaving Opal to prod Gummy's snout alone. Gummy had sat there quite placidly for an hour or so, being prodded, but had taken it all, just staring ahead with his glassy eyes. But suddenly, he opened his jaws and latched his toothless mouth onto Opal's face.

Opal gave a strangled hiss and ran up a tree, Gummy still clinging gormlessly onto her face. We giggled, and then Pinkie flew up to separate them. Gummy was plopped down in front of me, as unmoving as ever, while Opal just glared at him from where she sat near Rainbow, eating a piece of salmon.

Finally,  an hour or so later, we broke it up, heading back to town. We dropped off our pets and then went to assist with the bailing duties. As it was, several pegasi had created a small tornado, reminiscent of the one the old Rainbow Dash had had them make for Cloudsdale, and this had cleared quite a bit of the water, leaving the earth ponies and unicorns to dry up the dregs. 
It took a few hours, but we eventually finished the task. We retired to Sugarcube Corner, where the others had me practise my magic. I found it was actually quite weak, more like the old Rarity's limited magic than my own. But after two hours of levitating things and short distance teleportation, I was ready to hit the hay. I accompanied Applejack and Fluttershy to the Acres, since my own home was burned to a crisp. 
I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
> A Few Misadventures with Sparkle Sense
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning when I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the curtains. Groaning, I went to get up and close them, but then remembered, I've got magic now. I pulled them shut with my magic and went back to sleep.]
An hour or so later, somepony tapped on the door. I got up and spent some moments trying to pull open the door with my magic; eventually it was surrounded by magical aura and swung open. I whooped at my success, only for Rarity to walk in, her horn glowing with magic. 

"Hello, Twilight." she said evenly. "Congratulations on gaining magical powers." Her eyes showed reluctance and a bit of pain, but just then, my tail began to flail and twitch around. "Hmmm... twitcha twitcha twitchy twitch." I murmured, then jumped up. "My tail is twitching! MY TAIL IS TWITCHING!" I wasn't even sure why I was yelling, but the effect on Rarity was instant. She crouched down and used her wings to cover her head, shuffling around to look at me. At the same time, my ears began flopping, and Rarity's eyes flicked from them to my tail.

I blinked in surprise at her, before I remembered 'Pinkie Sense' and that a twitching tail meant 'beware of falling objects'. Seconds later, there was a loud crash from outside the window. Rarity and I rushed to the window, Rarity still shielding herself with her wings. Just for safety, I seized a nearby book and held it over my head. Outside, I saw a pony-shaped pile of mud and Rainbow engaged in a shouting match, a large roll of pink fabric lying muddied in the dirt between them.

I clattered down the stairs, followed by Rarity. My tail was still, no longer twitching, so I judged it safe to go outside. By now, Rainbow was trying desperately to scrub the dirt off the fabric, while Applejack, covered head to toe in mud, stood by, rolling her eyes as Rainbow lamented the ruined fabric. 
"What's going on?" I asked, over Rainbow's whines. Applejack turned to me. 
"Rainbow was heftin' this here giant heap o' cloth-"

"I was transporting this expensive roll of velvet to the boutique," interrupted Rainbow, "when quite by accident, it slipped out of my hooves-"
"Almost crushin' me," finished Applejack with a snort of derision.
I was about to reply, when my tail began to twitch again. Rainbow and Rarity immediately bolted for cover, while Applejack stared after them in bemusement, until her eyes fell on my jerking tail and her mind made the connection. But by then, it was too late.

A newt came plummeting down, landing neatly on Applejack's head. It was soon followed by several others, which landed on me too. 
"No, Neville, I told you not to jump out!" scolded a voice from above, and Pinkie glided down, a small cart full of water and pondweed hitched over her back. A few newts peeked over the edge, and Pinkie warned them with a glare before collecting up their fellows, apologising profusely throughout. She plucked the first newt from Applejack's mane, glaring with raised eyebrows at it. The newt blinked at her.

"Good boy. Now, don't do it again." said Pinkie promptly, gently placing 'Neville' back in the cart. She apologised to us again, and then flew away.
I looked apprehensively at my tail, but it was motionless once more. I sighed with relief as Rarity and Rainbow picked their way back to us, eyes glancing up at the sky cautiously every few seconds.
Applejack looked at me, then looked down, muttered, "I'm going for a bath," to nopony in particular and trotted away to the farmhouse.

Rainbow looked after the muddy earth pony, then up at the sun, and gasped. "I need to get back to the boutique! I have a very important order to fill!" Scooping up the velvet as if it weighed nothing, but cringing slightly at the mud it left on her cyan fur, Rainbow took off at incredible speed towards Ponyville. As she did, my ears flopped again, then my knees twitched, before my eyes fluttered. A combo!

I somehow knew that it meant 'a beautiful rainbow' but though I looked all over the sky, I couldn't see any sign of the colours of the spectrum... except Rainbow's mane and tail. She was moving incredibly fast, and even from this far away I could see a cone of force forming before her. Soon she vanished from my sight, though seconds later, there was a boom, a familiar disc of rainbow colours, and then a brilliant rainbow arced skyward. Rarity and I looked at each other, and simultaneously, we teleported back to Ponyville.

Rainbow was looping around, losing speed gradually, over the town square where an admiring crowd had gathered, Scootaloo at their head. Rainbow's entire body glowed scarlet red, and her cutie mark, though still Rarity's diamonds, was glittering brightly. The fabric lay a short distance away, forgotten in Rainbow's euphoric victory flight. Hurriedly, I teleported to the library and snatched up the Elements; I desperately wanted the old Rainbow back.

Rarity watched as I levitated the orange lightning-bolt Element of Loyalty up to Rainbow, quickly locking it onto the cyan pegasus's throat. Rainbow froze, and the orange gem on the Element shone. Rainbow's eyes widened, and as her memories rushed back the lightning-bolt shaped jewel changed colour from orange to red.

Rainbow drifted to the ground and crumpled, but as she pulled herself back onto her hooves I saw that the colourful lightning bolt was back where it belonged on Rainbow's flank. Rarity gasped, but I was focused on Rainbow. The pegasus stood up, blinked at Rarity in her alicorn finery, and her eyes filled with confusion.

"Rarity?" she asked incredulously, and something snapped deep in Rarity's eyes. "Why are you an alicorn, and Twilight's just a unicorn? What's going on?" 
"Rainbow!" I exclaimed, about to plunge into an explanation, when suddenly my whole body began to shake. It continued, on and off, for several seconds. "Whoa," I said. "A doozy!"

Rarity stepped forwards. "Well, here's your doozy: I believe you, Twilight. About the destiny thing, I mean. All of it, and I'm so sorry for threatening you and Applejack like that."

I smiled happily, but then my body shuddered again. I gasped. "That wasn't the doozy!"
"I... what?" said Rarity.
"Your acceptance- it wasn't the doozy."
Rarity looked scandalized. "Then what is?"

"Hey!" Pinkie cried from above. "What happened to Dashie's cutie mark? Why has she got Applejack's cutie mark?" The pink pegasus floated down and Rainbow's eyes bugged out of her skull in shock.
Pinkie looked over at me, then to Rarity, who beckoned Rainbow over. And Rarity explained everything, with some input from me, to both of them. Rainbow was nodding, but Pinkie's blue eyes grew harder and harder with every word. When Rarity finished, she leapt to her hooves. 

"Well, I'm not having any of it!" she shot. "I don't want to be an earth pony, throwing parties every day! I like my wings and my animals, thank you very much, and none of you will take them away from me!" She grew more and more worked up, scuffing the ground with her hooves in her anxiety and anger. "I won't stay here if you're going to take my wings away! Goodbye!" 
Her mane and tail had deflated over the course of her rage, and they hung limply as she pounced upwards into the air and tore off towards her home at a speed only Rainbow could equal. 

Rainbow was about to follow Pinkie, but Rarity dissuaded her with a look. My body had stopped shuddering, and I knew what the doozy was- Pinkie's rage. But I had an awful feeling that Pinkie was slipping out of reach, and soon she'd be gone forever. And with only three days until Rarity had to return to Canterlot, it was imperative that we pulled her back- and quickly.


> Cut-and-Paste Ponies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The very moment a sparkling-clean Applejack saw that Rainbow had her cutie mark back, she was back out getting muddy in the orchard before I could say a word. She worked up the orange glow again in no time flat, and I clasped the pink apple-shaped Element of Honesty around her neck. Within a couple of seconds, three red apples sparkled on her flank, and the apple-shaped gem was orange once more.

We returned to the library after that, and Applejack and Rainbow watched- or rather Applejack watched; Rainbow's nose was firmly embedded in the latest issue of Daring Do- as Rarity coached me on using my magic. It was a very slow process, and it would be a while until I could get my own cutie mark back.

Fluttershy had come to join us during this time, and after she and Applejack chuckled drily about their matching cutie marks, she begged to be allowed to go back to her animals. So we walked across to her/Pinkie's house, but when we got there, all the animals were gone. Pinkie had apparently cleared out every last critter.

"Oh no!" squeaked Fluttershy, after we explained the reason. "Those poor animals- having to move so quickly, especially when they have little ones..."
"But if they have little ones, surely they can't have gone far." Rarity pointed out.  Rainbow nodded. 
"I'll catch her!" the cyan pegasus proclaimed, preparing to zoom away in aimless pursuit.
Rarity shook her head. "No, Rainbow. She's so unpredictable right now that you'd be putting yourself at possible risk. We'll find her together."

Rainbow argued so fiercely, though, that at last Rarity relented and gave permission for Rainbow to fly up very high to see if she could spot the pink pegasus. Rainbow zoomed upwards, higher and higher, and spun around, scanning the horizon. After a minute or so, she tilted into a vertical nosedive. I saw her hooves reach out in front of her, saw the cone of force, and yelled,
"Rainbow, NO!" in unison with the other three. But Rainbow either didn't hear or ignored us,  and a Sonic Rainboom swept across the sky. Rainbow landed with a self-satisfied smirk on her face, but we all charged at her and quickly wiped the grin from her features.

"Rainbow, why did you do that?" I snapped. 
"Yeah, do ya realise what ya've just done?" said Applejack crossly.
Rainbow looked at the four of us. "What are you talking about? It was a bit of fun, that's all."
"A bit of fun which just showed Pinkie exactly where we are." growled Rarity darkly.
Rainbow's face sunk into horror as she realised the truth in Rarity's words. "Oh, sweet Celestia... I'm so sorry, guys!"

I turned away, sighing. "It's too late now. I suppose Fluttershy will just have to wait for her cutie mark a little longer."
"Not necessarily." said Applejack, waving a hoof to where Fluttershy stood gazing up at a little bird, a wren, perched in a tree above her head; Pinkie had apparently missed this one.
Fluttershy engaged in quiet conversation with the bird, who twittered back at her. Slowly, Fluttershy began to glow with pale pink light. I carefully levitated the blue butterfly-shaped Element of Kindness out of the chest, but as I did a pink blur swept from the sky to seize it. I cried out to Rainbow as Pinkie soared away with the Element clutched in her hooves.

Rainbow gave chase, but as she flew, a group of flying squirrels- as in, squirrels with wings- converged on her, chittering and squeaking, as we on the ground were trampled by a group of bunnies with ridiculously long legs. By the time Rainbow had fought free of the squirrels, Pinkie was gone. I picked myself off the ground, staring after the long-legged rabbits as they stampeded away into the forest. I growled.
"Discord."

"Well at least we know where the animals went." Rainbow muttered, gliding slightly shakily back to the ground, her cyan fur scribbled with scratches. Above us, the flying squirrels hovered in a cloud, their beady eyes on us in case we tried to move.
Rarity huffed, sweeping her rather flattened curls back into place. "Discord! I'd forgotten about him. He must have decided to come and visit Pinkie, and he's always willing to help her. She's his 'special friend.'

"Right on, my dear Rarity!" came a voice from a nearby tree; the grinning face of the mischievous draconequus plastered on every leaf.There was a snap of claws and Discord stood before us in all his chaotic glory, taller now because he was standing on Fluttershy's back.
"Discord!" snapped Fluttershy. "This isn't nice! Stop it, right now!"
But Discord just yawned, and stepped down from her back. He stretched out one of her wings with his lion paw and examined it. Fluttershy snapped her wing closed. "Discord!"

Discord ignored her, strolling over to Rainbow and pulling out one of her cyan wings for inspection. Rainbow snarled at him, preparing to leap up and apply a large amount of pressure, via her hoof, to his face, but the draconequus sensed the danger and in a flash, reappeared, balanced delicately on tiptoe, on Rarity's horn. Rarity glared up at him as he pirouetted around on the tip of her white horn. Then Discord turned his attention to me.

He prodded my horn experimentally. I sent a wave of electrical magic sweeping through his body, and he yowled crossly. All of a sudden, my horn was gone, and he waved it at me cheerfully before causing it to vanish. I almost flew at him, but Rainbow and Applejack got there first. Discord zapped out of the way before grabbing Rainbow's wings and removing them smoothly from her back. There was no blood; Rainbow was just an earth pony, with no sign her wings had ever been there.

Rainbow screeched in fury and tried to snatch the wings back, but Discord was gone again. He stood in a tree, and with a snap of his fingers the wings turned orange. He then swept down and seamlessly fixed them to Applejack's back. He produced my purple horn from nowhere, recoloured it cyan and stuck it onto Rainbow's forehead.

I watched, aghast; he was undoing all of the last few weeks' events. But Rainbow's lightning bolt and Applejack's apples stayed in place, and they continued to shout angrily at the draconequus, Applejack rising unsteadily into the air on her new wings while Rainbow screwed up her eyes in an attempt to use her magic; nothing happened.She had no idea how to use magic, and judging by the way Applejack hit her wing on a tree branch and fell down seconds later, Applejack had no idea how to use her wings.

By now Discord was switching manes and tails, too, and even Fluttershy was yelling at him. I found myself with a spiky rainbow-coloured tail, while my own indigo and purple tail was visible across the clearing; Applejack was wearing it. But when we were all muddled up, Discord bored of this game and, flying over to Applejack, began to peel Applejack's cutie mark off her flank as if it was a sticker.

But then Discord stopped as Pinkie landed in a tree beside him. The Element of Kindness was clasped around her neck, but something had changed deep inside her blue eyes- there was something dark, even malevolent, about her gaze. As I watched, thick shadowy smoke began to wreath around her. All of us fell silent and watched with anxious trepidation.

Pinkie's mouth opened, and the smoke poured in. Then Pinkie spoke in many voices at once.
"We are Pinkamena Diane Pie."





> The Elements of Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even Discord looked slightly alarmed at Pinkie's words, but before any of us could say anything Pinkie continued.
"We are the dark forces that stalk the night. Princess Luna escaped us, but now we shall have a new host; the alicorn of magic, Princess Rarity, and the Elements of Chaos! You will all forget your 'virtues' of honesty, generosity, loyalty and laughter. Discord, capture our new hosts. "

"Whoa there, nelly." interjected Applejack. You think it's goin' to be just as simple as that? What've y'all done with the real Pinkie?"
Pinkie laughed. "Oh, she's sealed away where none of you can reach her."
"Oh yeah? And where would that be?" demanded Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie just tapped a pink hoof to her head. It was only later that I would understand this gesture.
"What in tarnation is that supposed to mean?" snapped Applejack crossly. Pinkie sighed.
"Discord, I thought I told you to capture them."

Discord looked rather unhappy, but obeyed, flashing over to Applejack's side. He placed a clawed finger on her forehead, and her green eyes swirled into spirals of green and purple. Her whole body turned grey, as if all the colour had been sucked out of it.
"Welcome, not-so-loyal Applejack, Element of Unfaithfulness." said Pinkie smoothly. Rainbow snarled and threw herself at Pinkie, but Applejack swooped in to block her path, her eyes cold and harsh. Applejack pinned Rainbow down and Discord touched a finger to the blue unicorn's forehead. Rainbow's spectrum of colours drained away to be replaced by several hues of grey. 
"The once generous Rainbow Dash, Element of Selfishness." chortled Pinkie drily. 

I felt utterly helpless without my magic. Fluttershy was cowering now. Rarity stood stoically, glaring at this possessed form of Pinkie, but doing nothing. I thought I detected fear in her stance.
Discord zapped over to Fluttershy and picked her up with his paw, while Applejack and Rainbow headed straight for me. Discord pressed his claw onto Fluttershy's forehead and the grey tide swept over her too. Discord set her down as Pinkie intoned, " Greetings, dishonest Fluttershy, Element of Deceit." Applejack and Rainbow jumped me as I was distracted and pinned me down.

I struggled, but Applejack and Rainbow were too strong for me to break free. Discord padded towards me, but Pinkie snapped, "Wait." Discord halted instantly. Pinkie trotted over to me, and I stared up into her cold blue eyes. There was no emotion, no sign of the Pinkie Pie I knew and loved-but then, just for a fraction of a second, her eyes filled with fear and misery. The message in that look was obvious; Help me. But then evil and darkness flooded her eyes once more and I was staring back into blue pools of hatred.

"Twilight Sparkle..." My name dripped from that poisoned tongue and the words were so imbued with malice that I flinched away. And then Pinkie started to laugh. It was not her usual gleeful laughter; this was a twisted, malicious cackle.
"I just want to let you know, Twilight, that if I didn't need you for the Elements to work, I'd kill you right now. But since you're necessary for my takeover of this poxy world... Discord."

The draconequus sauntered over with a false air of indifference. I felt his claw touch my head and instantly a cold feeling swept through my body and my vision blurred. With the coldness came a certain numbness, and I felt I could not, would not, didn't want to smile, let alone laugh, ever again. When my vision cleared, Applejack and Rainbow let me up, and I looked down to see grey hooves, and the forelock of a dark grey stripy mane was hanging over my eye. I heard Pinkie say something about the Element of Gloom.

And then it happened. I felt a greater consciousness forcing itself into my mind, shoving me aside. I blinked, and then found myself severed from my body. I was still seeing through my eyes, hearing through my ears, but I was no longer controlling my actions or feeling. 
I- or rather my body-  turned to face Rarity, and together the five of us who were supposedly possessed encircled the white alicorn. For a few moments I wondered why Pinkie was still pink when we were all colourless, but this thought was dispelled from my mind as Pinkie spoke.
"Submit, Princess Rarity, and join us in our conquest of Equestria.
"Yes! Give yourself up! There is no escape from the Elements of Chaos!" chimed Rainbow, with the same multi-voice of Pinkie but with a little of her own dialect thrown in.

Rarity had been looking down at her hooves, but now she raised her head. Her sapphire eyes were glittering with tears, but she said determinedly, "You're wrong. You're not the Elements of Chaos- you could never be, not without Magic!"
Rarity rose into the air on her large white wings, and began to fire spells at us. My body dipped and dodged, while Pinkie yelled at us to fight back. Discord had made himself scarce when the first spell was fired.

Applejack and Rainbow began to oppose Rarity; Applejack landed several flying punches on Rarity's wings, while Rainbow began to return fire with her own magic, their previous ineptitude at flying and magic, respectively, was now nonexistent. Fluttershy and I could do little but dodge Rarity's spells, while Pinkie just screeched orders from a tree, her wings folded tight; she showed no signs of joining the battle.

At last, Rarity fell beneath this onslaught, her great white wings folding with exhaustion and she dropped to the ground. The spell she had been charging fizzled and died on her ornate spiralled horn. My heart broke to see the beautiful alicorn lying broken in the dirt, but Pinkie hardly even looked at the defeated princess.

"Discord!" she shouted. The draconequus appeared instantly beside her. 
"You yelled, Pinkie?" he inquired.
"Convert her." said Pinkie impassively.
Discord walked slowly over to Rarity. She raised her head to look at him, then turned away pointedly. Discord gently turned her head around with his golden lion paw and Pinkie watched, a wicked grin on her face. 
"You're right, Rarity. We weren't the Elements of Chaos, but it isn't Magic we needed. It was... Sorcery."

Rarity said nothing, just closed her eyes in dignified defeat. Discord pressed his claw to her head and her lovely curled mane faded to grey. Her sapphire eyes shot open. In the back of my mind, I sobbed brokenly as the fire of determination was snuffed out in the depths of her glittering eyes, to be replaced by an icy darkness as harsh and bitter as the frozen wastelands.




> Breaking Out Of Evil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"At last." grinned Pinkie. "The Elements of Harmony are no more, and we shall have our revenge. Let us see how Celestia stands against the might that is the Dark Princess, Rarity, and the Elements of Chaos!"
Pinkie opened her mouth and the black smoke swirled out, spiralling over to Rarity and disappearing into her mouth. Pinkie's body faded to grey.
As one, we turned towards Ponyville. Applejack and Pinkie flew overhead as Rarity led us back to Ponyville.

I never looked back. I had not the body or control to do so. But if I had, I would have seen a very worried-looking Discord snap his claws and vanish in a flash of light.

As my body continued walking, I was quite content to sit and watch. I was feeling a horrible, depressing gloom which pulled down on my senses and thoughts. Even as we entered Ponyville, I was totally ignorant of the familiar town. 
The mayor walked over to Rarity and said something- I had little clue what, since I simply wasn't listening- but Rarity just laughed coldly and shoved the mayor aside sharply with one shoed hoof. Disinterestedly, I noted that the shoes Rarity was wearing were now a black, tarnished metal, as was her fire-ruby necklace. The gem itself was pale blue.

The mayor looked affronted and confused, glaring after us, but I didn't care; she was a foolish mare anyway. We kept walking until we were in the centre of town, and then Rarity stopped abruptly. A dragon was scrutinising her; I realised it was Spike. He came over.
"Hey, Rarity, girls. What's up? Why are you so... grey?"
Rarity totally ignored him- or I thought she did. The dark forces in her mind suddenly seemed to decide he was a threat, and Rarity wordlessly blasted him with a spell. Spike flew backwards and slammed into a wall, sinking unconscious to the ground

The crowd of ponies who had been watching us in curiosity scattered, screaming. Rarity turned to us with an awful grin and said viciously, "Get them."
Applejack launched herself upwards instantly, following a crowd of fleeing pegasi at high speed. She tore through them like a tornado, and through the haze of my gloom I heard the snaps as several wings broke and their owners plummeted to earth.
But that was all I saw, as my body lurched away in pursuit of three young fillies who I suddenly realised were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The awful realisation that my body wanted to hurt the sweet little fillies, maybe even kill them, hit me hard and I snapped back to my senses. I fought, fought the gloom, fought for control, but I was shoved back down effortlessly, my screams smothered by the darkness. I screamed silently as my body pounced for the flagging Crusader, Sweetie Belle. I struck forcefully out at the darkness in a last-ditch attempt to get it out of my head, and for a fleeting second I regained control. My leap fell short and I staggered, allowing Sweetie to pull away, before the darkness ripped control back from me and began to pursue the white unicorn filly again.

But now the haze of gloom had almost fully lifted, and I wrestled ferociously for control even as the darkness attempted to push me back down. But all of a sudden, I saw Fluttershy shoot past me and knock Sweetie's legs from beneath her; Applebloom and Scootaloo heard Sweetie's cry and skidded to a halt, beginning to run towards their fallen friend, but they were too far away, too slow to save Sweetie now. Even as I struggled desperately against the shadows in my head Fluttershy reared up over Sweetie, preparing to plunge her hooves down on the filly's small form.

Scootaloo, Applebloom and I screamed in unison; but as Fluttershy's hooves arced down there was a flash; when it faded there was a high-pitched squeak as Fluttershy's hooves pounded down on... a rubber chicken.
Fluttershy stared around in confusion, but then spotted the other two fillies and ran at them. Even as she turned her back to kick them, there was another flash and her back hooves sunk into a pair giant marshmallows.

Fluttershy looked totally baffled, pulling her hooves free of the soft, sticky pink and white sweets, but then Discord appeared, the three fillies floating like balloons above his head. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked just as confused as Fluttershy, but Scootaloo was looking overjoyed, buzzing her little wings, apparently under the impression that she was flying.

Fluttershy stared at Discord in angry disbelief, but before she could speak a regal tone sounded from behind us. Applejack looked down from where she was still breaking wings, Rainbow and Rarity's spells fizzed out of life, and Pinkie glanced around from where she was threatening some grounded pegasi with a plank of wood.

"Stop this at once." came the voice; and there in the centre of town stood Celestia, Luna at her side. Discord flashed over to join them, the Cutie Mark Crusaders still bobbing over his head. Luna stepped forward, looking beseechingly at Rarity.
"Rarity, I know you're still in there, and the rest of you too. I'm telling you, whatever you're feeling right now, I'm begging you, fight it. Drive this darkness out of your heads right now."

Rarity and the rest of the Elements of Chaos stared at her for a full minute. Then Rarity started to laugh; all of them did. Except me.
"Oh Luna, you haven't changed a bit. You were so foolish to give up the power we gave you. But you missed your chance. We have Rarity now, and the Elements." Then, speaking up, Rarity cried, "Hear me,all of ponykind: the era of Harmony is done. The reign of Celestia is ended. We shall be your new rulers. With the Elements of Chaos at our disposal, none can stand against us. Such foolish illusions as friendship and love will cease to be. Only fear and misery shall remain." Then, Pinkie added menacingly, 
"Doesn't that sound fun?"

There was silence. Then Celestia said sternly, "Rarity, this is not you. Fight it. You too, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Twilight. You can beat this."
Rarity scoffed. "How many times do we need to tell you, you old has-been? Rarity and the Elements are lost to you. Even now, the ponies you have come to know sink deeper and deeper out of your reach. Soon we shall absorb their pitiful souls and take hold of these bodies permanently." But even as she said this, Rarity glanced at me; the shadow knew I was not beaten. I had stopped fighting to listen, but as I felt the gloom begin to settle on me again I once more began to rage against the sea of darkness as it threatened to pull me under.

Again I regained control, this time for a few more seconds. Quickly I blurted, "It's me! I'm still fight-" before I was shoved aside again. 
But now Luna turned to me. "Yes, Twilight." she urged. Keep fighting. Drive out the darkness. Do not let it consume you."
I took heart and kept fighting. The darkness fought with a new desperation against me, but I burst free again and cried, "I'm still fighting! Rarity, you have to-" before I was swallowed up yet again.
Luna continued my cry. "Fight it, Rarity! Fight the darkness!" Soon it became a chant, with all of the ponies creeping out of hiding places to pound their hooves and chant, "Fight it, Rarity! Fight the darkness!" over and over. I surfaced for ten seconds or so, and took up the chant with them.

Rarity's eyes flicked around at all of them, her head turning abruptly to face each new voice, her dark grey curls bouncing with each movement. Applejack and Rainbow were looking confused now. I hoped it was because the strong ponies imprisoned inside their head were fighting for freedom. But Pinkie and Fluttershy's eyes stayed cold and stony, their eyes like chips of flint. Pinkie, having been held by the shadow longest, would be weakest, while Fluttershy wasn't really a good fighter; she was good at intimidating other beings, but not so much use in hoof-to-hoof battle.

Rainbow broke free first, only for a second, and she only had time to gloat, "Aw, yeah! I'm-" before she was forced back down. Moments later, Applejack got free, shouted, "Horseapples to dark-" and then vanished once more. The chant intensified, giving me new heart to fight, and after several more escapes, each longer than the last, I finally forced the darkness out of my head. I broke out and, with a hiss, a puff of black smoky cloud hissed out of my mouth and zoomed over into Rarity's. I looked down at my hooves to see purple colour creeping back up them, and smiled.

Luna galloped over gleefully and nuzzled me in congratulations, and then, with a mutual look of determination, we turned back to the other Elements.

Luna and I shouted the chant to the sky- "Fight it, Rarity! Fight the darkness!" and marched around the Elements, encouraging them to fight. By now, Fluttershy was beginning to look edgy, and I guessed that the real Fluttershy must have attacked the darkness. Now only Pinkie and Rarity stood impassively. I wondered why they didn't move to stop us, but they seemed zoned out, and I wasn't going to protest that they weren't attacking us.

Rainbow and Applejack continued to surface regularly, and soon they were nearing the point where I had got totally free. Fluttershy eventually broke out for a few seconds, and only made frightened whimpering sounds before she was dragged back down.

But still, Rarity and Pinkie were impassive. Even after Rainbow and Applejack got rid of their darkness, and the smoky shadow had gone back to Rarity, the alicorn and pegasus stayed motionless, eyes fixed straight ahead, twisted sneers on their faces.
Eventually, an hour after the princesses had arrived, Fluttershy threw off the encroaching darkness and regained her colours. The chant died away into silence, and the four of us- Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy and I- stood watching Rarity and Pinkie for any movement of emotion. But there was nothing.

Applejack waved an orange hoof in front of Rarity's nose. There was no reaction. Applejack turned away. "Huh. So what'll we do now?"
Discord, who had been snoozing on a cotton-candy cloud, zapped awake. "Oh, Applejack, let me fix that." He lifted her wings away and took Rainbow's horn. He duplicated the wings before colouring one pair cyan and the other yellow. He turned the horn purple and affixed each body part on to the correct pony. Rainbow immediately took her wings for a test flight.
While she was zooming around above us, I looked quizzically at Discord and asked how he knew what we were really supposed to be.

Discord rolled his eyes-literally, removing them from their sockets and rolling them along the ground- and then said, "I'm the lord of Chaos, Twilight.  If I didn't know when things had been mixed up, I would be awful at my job."
Before I could reply, Applejack gave a cry. I turned around to see that both Rarity and Pinkie had unfrozen.

Rarity looked over at me and the others. "Oh, so you four got free."
"Yes." I said fiercely. "So you don't have the Elements any more. And soon, Pinkie and Rarity will get free too, and then we'll have defeated you again."

Rarity and Pinkie both started to laugh. ""Oh, foolish ponies. You won't get Rarity or Pinkie back now. At soon as you got free, Twilight, we began to absorb the souls of the two least resisting Elements. That absorption is now complete; and your friends are lost forever." Rarity- if you could call her that- spread her wings. "We have full control of these bodies now, and with the princess of Sorcery at our disposal, we have no need for the Elements of Chaos. Now, Equestria shall fall into our control, and you, Twilight Sparkle, shall be the first to be sacrificed to aid our reign."
> It Ends Here (Option 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood totally still. My mind struggled to comprehend the words the creature which had once been Rarity had spoken. I stared dazedly at the white lips which had spoken the words, those lips which had once belonged to Rarity. The spirit of the beautiful unicorn... it couldn't be gone, just like that. Why hadn't Rarity fought? She was never one to give in so easily...
And Pinkie, still laughing at me with those out-of-place wings and butterflies on her flank. She'd given in too? My own starry cutie mark was still emblazoned over Rarity's flank; I cast a quick glance at the balloons which adorned my own flank and had a sudden urge to tear them off.

Rarity's cold blue gaze met mine, challenging my defeated spirit to flame again. But I backed down. What else could I do? She was an all-powerful alicorn endowed with dark powers; I was a mere unicorn. The Elements would not work with only four bearers. I dropped my gaze to the dusty ground beneath my hooves.
Rarity saw me give in, and gave a delighted crow of triumph; but Rainbow, Applejack and Fluttershy immediately sped to my side. Rainbow growled deep in her throat, her cyan wings poised for flight; Applejack crouched, ready to pounce forward on her strong farm-pony legs; and Fluttershy narrowed her green eyes in a parody of 'The Stare'.

I looked up at them, and my gaze slowly swept over each of them. Rainbow Dash, so unerringly loyal; Applejack, always bold and true; and Fluttershy, willing to face her own fears to defend her friends. I looked at them, and knew that I just couldn't let them be hurt because of something which was all my fault anyway. So without any hint of what I was about to do, I threw myself forward into a charge at Rarity. 

Time seemed to slow down. I heard Rainbow cry out in alarm, heard Applejack yell my name; but all I knew was the steady pounding of my hooves on the earth and the twisted sneer on Rarity's face. In a fluid motion, I bunched my muscles and sprung. I heard Rainbow's wings in motion behind me, and the clamour of running hooves, but still I was fixated by Rarity's ice blue gaze. As my hooves were about to smash into her head, Rarity's horn darkened once more, and then everything went black. 

I woke, lying on a dry, dusty surface. I pulled myself upright, and glanced around me. A few feet away, Rarity stood, her back to me. There was nopony else in sight; just a grey, rocky landscape stretching out as far as the eye could see. I looked up; the stars glittered, but there was something else; a huge, faintly glowing green and blue orb, with patterns of white swirling over its surface. My mouth felt dry; it was- well, nopony had ever bothered to name our planet, since as far as we knew it was the only planet there was. But anyway, it was our planet. Which meant I must be..."

"Beautiful, is it not?" came the snide remark from behind me. When I turned around, Rarity had moved closer. "I had many years to look upon the planet in my thousand years of exile, Twilight Sparkle." Rarity's eyes glittered with untold memories; ones she had never experienced. I had to remind myself, though it was painful, that Rarity was gone.

"Now, I am giving you the chance to experience it as I did. For the rest of your measly existence, you will remain here, on the moon. Maybe, in centuries yet to come, I will return and find your dusty bones. Farewell, Twilight Sparkle. I doubt I'll be seeing you later." With a last hateful glance, Rarity vanished.

I sat for hours, just staring at the planet. Far below, beneath the ever- shifting clouds, my friends were suffering, perhaps even dying, while I sat up here. But I could find no way to get back to them; my teleportation spell wouldn't get me anywhere near that far.
So eventually, I got up and began to walk. I walked for undeterminable hours, but the landscape stayed the same. Grey, dusty hills; I looked back and saw my hoofprints stretching out into the distance. I kept walking.

But then, an indistinguishable amount of time later, I found more hoofprints. And they weren't mine. There were two sets of tracks, side by side; and I knew I'd have noticed if I had walked alongside my own tracks. As well as that, I'd been walking in the same direction the whole time, and these tracks cut across my path almost perpendicularly. So I followed the tracks.

I had no idea if I was following two ponies or one bizarre eight-legged pony monster, but by then I didn't care; I just wanted company. Hunger and thirst were starting to nag at me; I knew I wouldn't last long without nourishment. Maybe, just maybe, the thing I was following had food. Otherwise, how else could it be here?

After a considerable amount of time- it could have been a week, it could have been just an hour- I caught a glimpse of something pink disappearing over the next hill. Despite the hunger gnawing at my belly and the thirst rasping in my throat, I began to gallop towards it.

I hurtled over the top of the hill- and tripped. I fell head over tail, rolling down the other side of the hill. I heard an indignant cry as I barrelled into somepony, then somepony else cried, "Whee! This is fun!"
At the foot of the hill, we slowed to a stop and fell apart. I stood up, feeling rather dizzy, and spat out some grey moondust.
Then I heard a very familiar scream of horror, and then another familiar voice chirping, "That was so much fun! Let's go again!"

It couldn't be, my mind told me. You're just imagining it's them, because you really want it to be them... But I looked up, and to my delight my mind was wrong. 
Rarity, a unicorn again, was looking rather faint; her mane, coat and tail had become matted with grey dust, but beneath the dust her mane was definitely purple. Pinkie, also with grey dust all over her, was bouncing up and down; the dust fell off in clumps, revealing pink fur.

I cried in pure delight, and hugged them both. Pinkie eagerly joined in with the hug, but Rarity struggled free, and looked at me critically before recognition sparkled in her eyes and she echoed my cry of glee and hugged me.
Even as I looked at them both, however, I knew something was wrong. It too a few moments for me to identify it; neither of them had cutie marks. Pinkie looked put out upon spying her own balloon cutie mark on my flank, but Rarity didn't seem at all perturbed.

I said, "But you two...I thought you were gone. The darkness told me you were..."
Rarity shook her head, and as she did her mane sprung back into its perfect purple curls. I was so taken aback by that that I almost didn't hear what she said next.
"You should never believe a villain, Twilight. You can't expect evil to be honest; after all, that's an Element of Harmony. You can't be a villain while employing a virtue of your enemies. We were forced out of our bodies, and suddenly we were here."

"But why didn't you fight?" I cried. "The others all did- even Fluttershy fought her way out."
Rarity sighed. "I was so unsure, Twilight... I hadn't realised who I was really supposed to be when the darkness took me. The others, they all know... of course I tried, but my heart wasn't in it. Of course, it is now. I want to get back to my boutique, my sister, Spikey-Wikey. But we've walked for hours, and there doesn't seem to be a way out of this predicament."

I had to smile at the reference to Spike; maybe there was hope for him after all. But then something else occurred to me. "But Pinkie, you were so nasty... you wanted to keep your wings so much- how are you back to normal now?"
Pinkie looked miserable. "The first thing I remember is feeling really happy... I think I was dancing and entertaining a load of animals... but then..." Pinkie's hair deflated and her eyes grew sad. "This darkness, this awful sadness, forced my way into my head. After that, I couldn't do anything... I remember flying in, snatching the butterfly Element... and then saying lots of nasty things... and doing lots of nasty things. I hurt ponies. Bad." Pinkie breathed in shakily. "Then I was being forced down, and it all went dark- then suddenly, I was here."

"That's rather like what happened to me." concurred Rarity. "But now, we really need to consider how we are to get back and help our friends. I daresay that wicked thing is still gallivanting about in my body," -she shuddered- "and causing our friends a lot of grief and pain. We have to help them."
I nodded. "But I really don't know how we'll ever get back; it's too far to teleport."
"Pinkie?" asked Rarity. "Fancy trying a bit of that fourth-wall-breaking thing you do?"

"Sorry." Pinkie said downheartedly. "It just doesn't work... I suppose it's because I don't... have... my cutie mark..." Pinkie's gaze swivelled over to me.
"Oh, no." I said. "There's no way I can break the fourth wall. I'd probably break all the walls and bring the weight of the universe down on our heads."
Pinkie shook her head at me. "Oh, no, Twilight. It doesn't work like that. The breaking of a wall depends on your passing through a synthetic time warp using the super-bimflimanatrix drive of a beebleflux-capacitating zossifier, which creates a sub-paradoxial, dimensionalistic alternicon-shift, which opens up a hyper-googliphonic portal into a sub-omnivating ultra-zinticular bio-nanzonoflanamarzipan."

Rarity looked at me as if I'd be able to translate; my jaw just dropped. "Yeah, I'm not trying that."
"Awww, but it's so easy!" protested Pinkie, but before she could say anything else there was a flash and Rainbow Dash appeared beside us.

"You guys! There isn't much time! Come on, we're going back!" Rainbow stretched her hooves out to us imploringly. We didn't move.
"Uh, Rainbow, would you care to tell us how we're going to get back?"
"Duh, I'll fly back." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Now come on!"
"Rainbow, there's no way you can fly through space."

"Okay, fine, I'll explain it to you." Rainbow sat down with a huff. "Luna and Celestia put a talent-enhancing spell on me so I can fly faster and further. Then when Nightmare-Pinkie and Rarity were distracted, Luna teleported me here. She said all three of you would be here. Now let's go!"

"But we can't breathe in space. And the pressure will just crush us." I argued.
"Celestia said you'd say that, and she told me to tell you to use a spell."
"Um..." I struggled to remember the spell. "Okay, got it. I hope this works, Rainbow..."
"It will. Now grab on, and hold tight!" 

Somehow we all survived the flight which followed. My shield spell kept up all the way back home, though it flickered a little as we broke through the atmosphere. As we broke through the atmosphere, a Rainboom promptly exploded behind us. Yes, we we travelling that fast. Rainbow hadn't even broken a sweat. We kept shooting down, a thick, glittering rainbow following us along. I realised how much it must show up against the sky, and cried out to Rainbow. Rainbow just gritted her teeth and growled, "I can't help it!" 

Rarity was screaming in terror, her long purple mane flowing out behind us, while Pinkie's hooves reached up into the sky as we plunged towards the ground. But then, I looked down and saw rainbow colours were flowing over Rainbow's body, just about to close over her nose. I screamed too, as with a deafening boom two Rainbooms rippled across the sky. A double Rainboom! Such a thing had never even been spoken of, not even by Rainbow, but the ground was rushing up to meet us at infernal speed. I felt Rainbow start to pull up, but surely we were just about to crash; I screamed in harmony with Rarity as the treetops brushed past us-

But then we were soaring skyward again. Pinkie was still gleefully giggling with the exhilaration of it all, while Rarity had her eyes tight shut. 
We soared towards Ponyville, slowing all the time, until Rainbow landed softly on the edge of the Everfree- and then promptly collapsed with exhaustion. I patted her head and then looked towards Ponyville.
Rainbow pulled herself up, swaying slightly. "I can nap later. We've got to save Equestria!"

We trotted back into town to delighted cries from all sides. Ponies were chained or caged everywhere; up on the steps of Town Hall, Applejack and Fluttershy cheered. But Nightmare Rarity came stalking over to meet us, and they all fell silent.
"Hello, Twilight Sparkle," sneered N. Rarity; her eyes, though, betrayed her alarm. "Come crawling back then?"
I looked defiantly up into the ice blue eyes. "Oh, were you not expecting me?" Well, when the dust clears-"

"Yoink!" Pinkie had skipped over to her nightmare counterpart and snatched the Element of Kindness from her, dancing away as Nightmare Pinkie swiped at her.
"Pinkie, you ruined my entrance line!" I complained; but Pinkie was bounding over to a tethered Fluttershy; she took the Element of Honesty from the yellow pegasus and gave it to Applejack, who handed Pinkie the Element of Loyalty in return. Fluttershy fitted Kindness around her neck, and Applejack did the same with Honesty. Carefully, Pinkie eased the Element of Generosity off Rainbow's neck and swapped in Loyalty; Rainbow grinned.

By now I had worked out what was going on. As Pinkie clipped the Element of Generosity around the real Rarity's neck, I pulled off the Element of Laughter and and handed it to Pinkie, who clasped it on around her own neck.
Nightmare Rarity had realised what was happening too, though, and she threw back her head and laughed, the Element of Magic glittering on her head. "And what are you going to do, my little ponies? You still need this, and I'm certainly not going to give it up-"

Pinkie jumped up and swiped the crown off the alicorn's head. Nightmare Rarity cried out in a wail of anger and fear as Pinkie set the tiara on my  head.
Applejack strained against her chain; eventually, it snapped. Applejack broke Fluttershy's chain and the two of them fell into position around me. Rarity, Rainbow and PInkie were already in line.

"No." said Nightmare Rarity, as we began to rise into the air. "No. Not again."
We rose higher, and I closed my eyes. I felt the powers of Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty flow into me, and then I added my own power; Magic. Feeling the power build to maximum, I opened my eyes- and two ribbons of colour helixed up above us; one red, orange and yellow, the other green, blue and purple. Then the ribbons collided into a full rainbow and zoomed down towards Nightmare Rarity.

"NOOOO!" the wicked alicorn screeched; but the rainbow was swirling around her now; she reared up and vanished from sight. Slowly we floated down to the ground, and the rainbow ceased to flow. It died away to reveal... Nightmare Rarity, blinking in confusion. Then she laughed.
"Hahaha! It didn't work! And now, my victory is assured!"
"Don't think so!" chirped Pinkie. She was standing in front of her counterpart, and with a cheery wave at us, she stepped inside Nightmare Pinkie, literally stepping forwards and disappearing into her counterpart's body.

Nightmare Pinkie's pupils contracted into tiny points and she glazed over. Just minutes later,as we all stared in consternation, a spiral of black smoke hissed from her mouth and Nightmare Rarity took it in without a thought. Pink colour rippled over Pinkie's body until she was coloured as her normal self; though she still had wings and a butterfly cutie mark. She waved at us. "Hi, girls!"

We just stared at her. Nightmare Rarity snapped us back to reality. "Ha! I didn't need her anyway! Not when I have this lovely alicorn body." 
"Actually, darling, I don't think you'll have that body much longer." This was  Rarity, stepping forwards determinedly. Nightmare Rarity sneered. 
"Oh, hello, Rarity. I've been waiting to meet you, and ask who put all those infernal thoughts about fashion in your head."

Rarity stopped. "I beg your pardon, dear?"
"Well, when I flicked through your thoughts, it was all about dresses, and hats, and trends. Such prissy things as fashion; who cares for them? So I decided to ask who put them-"
Rarity's hoof struck her counterpart's face with a echoing crack. Nightmare Rarity stepped back, spitting out a tooth.
Rarity, looking at the pearly white object on the ground, seemed to realise that she'd just knocked out one of her own teeth and swayed. But then she looked up at the alicorn, fury in her eyes.

"It. Is. ON." she snarled, and threw herself at the alicorn. But instead of another blow- which was what the alicorn was expecting- Rarity just vanished inside her counterpart's body like Pinkie had.
The fight for supremacy within the alicorn's head was over remarkably quickly. Though we couldn't see it, I could picture a furious Rarity beating the stuffing out of the darkness. For a moment, the darkness screamed, "NOOO-" before it was cut off.  a thick cloud of smoke swirled out of Rarity's mouth, but before it could fly away, Luna, who had been watching quietly, leaped forwards and trapped it in a huge jam jar. I sniggered at the ease of the capture.

Rarity's mane and tail turned purple once more, and she looked up. "That's what you get for insulting fashion."

Over the next week, everything was put right. We all re-earned our cutie marks.. but yet, something was still wrong. Rarity was still an alicorn, though she now had her diamond cutie mark once more, and I was still a unicorn. Rainbow had helpfully offered to throw me off a cliff to see if my wings grew back, and Discord had tried transplanting Rarity's wings onto me, but for some reason he couldn't remove them.

Celestia and Luna applied their brains to the problem, and then they summoned us to Canterlot, telling us they had a solution.
We walked into the throne room, and Celestia waffled on about research into the problem. Then we were led into another room, where Luna solemnly told us what was going on.

"We are dying, 'Tia and I. We live for many millennia, but we are not immortal. Now our time is coming to an end. And so, we have decided that we must find heirs. That is why we crowned Twilight. But becoming an alicorn cannot be reversed without the use of a very destructive spell," -with these words, Luna fixed me with a stern glare,and I blushed. "So there is no sensible, non-dangerous way to reverse Rarity's condition. Therefore, after careful consideration, we have decided to crown all six of you princesses." 

All six of our mouths fell open in shock.
"'Tia and I will perform the spell upon you one by one. Then we shall announce our retirement and hand Equestria over to your rule."
"But... what about Cadence?" I asked.
"She will continue to rule over the Crystal Empire."

"And who's going to raise the sun and moon?" asked Rarity.
"Twilight will take over the sun. Rarity will take the moon. It isn't to exclude the rest of you; it's simply because they are the most experienced with magic. Now, come this way, and we shall transform you."

I went first. I grimaced as large purple wings pushed out of my back and my legs grew longer; but when it was over I felt powerful and strong, and happy that now my friends would join me in my new position as princess.
I stood in the throne room with Rarity, waiting for our friends to appear. Rainbow, now sporting a long cyan horn and looking taler, was giggling ecstatically at her new, more powerful wings. She prodded at her horn, and wondered aloud whether it would cause drag as she flew.

Applejack was next to appear, wincing. After all, she had had to grow wings and a horn, so she was likely more pained than us. But she trotted over to Rainbow, who was beating her new wings and nodding approvingly at their power. Applejack began to replicate Rainbow's wing movements with some awkwardness.
"No, Applejack, you put the force in the downstroke..." corrected Rainbow. Applejack's wings swung down hard, lifting her a foot up and smacking Rainbow in the face at the same time; Rarity hid her grin behind an elegant hoof, and I did my best to copy the smooth action without success.

Pinkie came bounding out, looking none the worse for the ordeal of becoming an alicorn. Her large pink wings fluttered as she jumped, and I was alarmed to see sparks of sea-blue magic sparkling out of the end of her long pink horn. Rarity got there first, tackling the deliriously happy Pinkie to the ground before she could cause any damage.
Fluttershy crept out last, looking rather scared of her new horn and larger wings. She stood next to me, her ear flicking nervously, as Celestia and Luna entered the room.

A few hours later, Rarity was shoving a protesting Rainbow into a coronation dress and tiara. The rest of us looked on, using our large wings to hide our huge grins. An ornate silver tiara glittered on each of our heads. Each tiara was adorned with the same symbol as those on the Element of Harmony each pony possessed. Finished with Rainbow, Rarity straightened her own tiara and ran a critical eye over each of us. After some minor adjustments, we took our cue and stepped forwards together onto the royal balcony, and the sun glanced off our crowns as our subjects stamped their hooves and cried out in appreciation.

It was an event I'd look back on for many centuries after. As I stood with my six friends on a high cliff, the six of us who were alicorns smiled in unison before Rainbow threw herself off the edge, followed by the rest of us. We spiralled upwards together, and simultaneously tipped into a vertical dive. Spike stood below, watching us.
Just as they had all those years ago, multiple Rainbooms blazed across the sky. The six princesses of Equestria, and Elements of Harmony, had many centuries to live yet, and life had never been brighter for us.

THE END

> It Ends Here (Option 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I could even react, Rarity's horn flashed with black power and with a series of clangs and crashes, every pony present was imprisoned in cages. Even Discord was trapped; yawning, he snapped his claws and teleported out of the cage, but then instantly reappeared back inside his prison. He tried again and again; but each time was met with the same result. Unwilling to give up, he tried many things, even attempting to chainsaw through the bars, but nothing worked.

I stood in my own cage quietly, trying to come to terms with what 'Rarity' had told me. I couldn't believe my two friends were simply gone, lost just like that; Luna, after all, had been freed after 1000 years of the darkness. Rarity might not be as strong as the princess of the night, but she certainly came close.

Rainbow, Applejack and several other ponies were putting their brawn into busting out, but it was all useless; these were magical cages and could not be escaped by any physical or magical means.
The princesses were standing calmly, eyes closed, deep in thought (though it must be difficult to concentrate with Discord attempting to blow up his cage with manifested TNT).

Rarity walked over to me, smiling, and my cage vanished. Rarity grabbed me with her magic, shackled me, and then threw the end of my chain at Pinkie.
"Time for your sacrifice, little pony." sneered Rarity. Pinkie said nothing, just clipped my chain onto her leg and half dragged, half led me away.
She pulled me into town hall and slammed the door, pulling the bolts across.

I cowered in a corner, but then Pinkie turned to face me with a huge friendly grin on her face. I wondered fleetingly whether this was some kind of sick deception, meant to make me think Pinkie was back, but then Pinkie yelled, "Surprise!" and produced her party cannon from nowhere. Somehow, this was Pinkie.

"Were you surprised? Huh? Were you?" Pinkie was jumping up and down now, her mane fluffed out in her excitement. But... she was still grey. 
"Pinkie... I thought the darkness possessed you... and you were absorbed by it..."
"Oh, uh..." Pinkie's face fell. "I just ruined it, didn't I guys?

There were a series of loud, exasperated groans from outside, the bolts slid open and Rarity walked in, her mane still grey and colourless. "Pinkie, I can't believe I did all this; acted so evil, turned my mane this ghastly colour, just for you to ruin the whole thing right when it was going to get fun."

"Ruin... what?" I was totally bemused.
"Oh, darling." said Rarity, shaking her head; grey dust sprinkled out, and patches of purple appeared. "We really had you going there, didn't we? Discord, I think you'd better sort us out..."
Discord swapped Rarity and I's horns, transferred over the alicorn wings, and then took a few inches off Rarity's height and gave them to me. Rarity levitated the tiara of Magic over to me.

"Okay. Somepony, please, tell me what theHAY is going on!" I yelled forcefully.
"Just go out there, darling." Rarity nudged me out of the door onto the podium outside town hall. All of the ponies, including the princesses, yelled, "FOOLED YOU!"

"You mean..." I was beginning to grasp what was going on. Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow came over to stand with Rarity, Pinkie and I and they nuzzled me jokingly.
I turned on them. "You mean... this was all a PRANK!?!"
"Pretty much." said Rainbow.

"You see, darling, the princesses let us know that you'd been talking to yourself and worrying a lot about your responsibilities, so we decided to lighten you up with a good prank... we originally planned just to swap species, but then our cutie marks suddenly changed too, the night before you got back..."
"That was my fault." I said embarrassedly, but Applejack interrupted.
"Discord was all too happy to help us, and he swapped our species jus' over a week ago, to give us all a chance to learn to use wings, and magic and all."

"And... Spike?"
"Age spell." said Celestia offhandedly. 
"You were in on this?" I said incredulously. "Luna, you too?"
The princesses giggled. "It is many centuries since we have pulled off a prank this big, Twilight Sparkle. It was a lot of fun."
I was still disbelieving. "But, the magical blast when Rainbow lost her horn... and the Rainbooms..."

"Magical illusions. Quite advanced ones, but not impossible." said Luna
"All the broken bones..."
"Sound effects and false limbs."
"The 'darkness'- the way I had to fight my way out..."
"Also illusions and magic. Discord helped." said Fluttershy proudly. The draconequus looked sheepish.

"The army of rabbits?"
"Um... well, that wasn't planned..." admitted Fluttershy.
"Spike smashing up Baltimare."
"Ummm... yeah, that actually happened. But it doesn't matter, they all knew it was going to happen. We evacuated them and everything of value first. And Celestia's been helping with rebuilding since then." said Rainbow.
"Fluttershy knocking you out?"
"Also unplanned." said Rainbow, shooting Fluttershy an I'll get you later look.

"Ok." I breathed deeply. "I understand you thought I was really worried and wrapped up in my new responsibilities. But why in the wide, wide world of Equestria did you think putting me in a huge, stressing, albeit faked, situation would help?
"Oh! I know!!" cried Pinkie. "Wait... no I don't... I don't know why we ever thought this was a good idea."

"Admit it though, that was the best prank ever, right?" said Rainbow, nudging me.
"Um... yeah... if it wasn't really dangerous and embarrassing! I can't believe I didn't realise what was happening!" I cried.
Rarity smiled at me. "Oh, well, you know now. But it was really fun watching you react to everything we put you through..."

"Yeah, and I got to kiss Rarity!" chimed Spike, staggering over, sporting a livid purple bruise on his head. Rarity looked at him and raised her eyebrows. Spike just grinned, just happy that he could look her in the eyes properly.
"That reminds me." Celestia zapped Spike with a spell and he shrunk back down to normal size.
"Awww..." he grumbled.

I chuckled at the look on his face, then turned to the crowd of ponies looking up at me. "So you were all in on this?"
"YEAH!" they yelled.
Despite myself, I started to laugh.

It was an event I'd look back on for many centuries after. A few days after the prank was revealed, I stood with my six friends on a high cliff. The three of us who had wings smiled in unison before Rainbow threw herself off the edge, followed by Fluttershy and I. We spiralled upwards together, and simultaneously tipped into a vertical dive. Spike, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie stood below, watching us.
Just as they had all those years ago, multiple Rainbooms blazed across the sky. But this time, they were real.

THE END