Looking back, Starlight Glimmer could see that her whole day was peculiar.

First, she had been rudely awoken when a scroll materialized above her then fell on her snout. Having been woken up by the scroll Starlight read it with bleary eyes. What she read did not make sense. Rubbing her eyes dry on her bedsheet did not improve anything. Sunbursts letter, and she knew it was Sunbursts letter because of the sunburst sigil in the upper right corner, was complete gibberish. The text was nigh indecipherable, letters were different sizes and shapes, there were ink splotches everywhere and-

-Starlight looked down, the bottom left corner was soaked with ink, it was dripping onto her new down comforter. Starlight banished the letter to the floor with a hiss and tried using her magic to make the ink stains disappear. Leaky Quill’s Ink Stopper Spell didn’t work; Ink Splotch’s Ink Lifting Charm didn’t work; even Dirty Stains’ Instant Stain Removal Enchantment didn’t work. Starlight was left red faced and considerably worn down from her endeavours. Sighing, she looked down at her bed. Sleep it was.

Crashing down onto her mattress felt like falling into Celestia’s flank. Not that that event had ever happened. Nopony would acknowledge it. Not Nopony. Not no how. If the Princess said something didn’t happen it didn’t happen. Heh, a mare can dream can’t she?

Just as she was about to fall off the edge of consciousness and into sleepy oblivion another letter materialized above her head and fell. It’s descent was stopped by a vague cloud of turquoise magic. Grinning tiredly Starlight opened the letter and read it. What she read sent her bolting upright. It was a actual letter from Sunburst. And even better, it was legible.

‘Hey Starlight, I'm sorry about that last letter, I'm teaching Flurry Heart how to write and she took the initiative. Sorry. I know you were up here two months ago but if you have time could you possibly come up to the Empire for a week. There are some things I’d like to talk to you about.

‘Sunburst’

-P.S. Flurry Heart can’t wait to see you again.’

Upon reaching the end of the letter Starlight had an affectionate smile on her face.

“Well Sunburst, it looks like you're having fun.”

Setting Sunbursts’ letter down on her headboard Starlight levitated Flurry’s letter and set next to Sunbursts letter. With her mind abuzz Starlight knew she wouldn’t get back to sleep. Seeking to distract herself Starlight crumpled up an old piece of parchment, aimed, then tossed into the nearest trashcan. It was across the room but she made it despite the distance. She celebrated with a quick hoof pump and a cocky smile.

“Oh yeah! Still got it.”

The impromptu celebration was rudely interrupted by a roaring sound coming from her stomach. Rolling over, Starlight began the journey to the kitchen.

The kitchen. That was where the second disturbance of the day awaited Starlight Glimmer.

Trotting down the hallway Starlight felt an uneasy feeling crawl in her stomach. Then it hit her. Smoke! She smelled smoke. Following her nose she quickened her pace to a gallop and soon she arrived at the kitchens. Before bursting through the doors, Starlight drew a deep breath and lit her horn in preparation to cast a water spell. Dividing her attention for a second, Starlight opened the kitchen doors with her telekinesis then walked in. As soon as she opened the doors, smoke billowed out and into the hallway. Thinking quickly she cast a shield charm over the entrance trapping the smoke inside.

Stepping into the kitchen Starlight cast Air Bubbles’, Air Filtration Spell over head. Crouching low to the ground, Starlight looked for the source of the fire. She didn’t hear or see anything that looked like a fire. A quick flash of movement was caught in the corner of her left eye. Turning, Starlight saw two little green legs stumbling around. Starlight quickly made her way towards them and as she drew closer she easily recognized Spike and he was… blowing smoke out of his nose and mouth? Shaking her head in confusion Starlight copied her Air Filtration Spell and placed it around Spike’s head. He twirled around looking for the source of magic but was blinded by the light of Starlight’s horn as she started searching for and opening all the windows in the kitchen.

In a few minutes the air in the kitchen had cleared but as Starlight learned, the smell lingered and it would not go away. She used Smelly Ends’ Anti-Silent Butt Deadly enchantment and she even tried Shar’ Tings’ Spell for Sudden Smells. Nothing worked, again. She just had to maintain the air bubbles around her and Spike that was easy enough. But, like always, there was a problem. Spike couldn’t talk because he lost his voice from producing so much smoke so he resorted to writing in the black film that was left behind.

“Sorry about the mess Starlight. I was practicing a trick that Em- Dragon Lord Ember showed me.”

“Neat trick.” Starlight jabbed.

“I don't think it worked.”

“Yeah.”

The two compatriots sat in silence for a while, their thoughts running through their heads. Then seemingly at once, their stomachs rumbled. Turning towards Spike, Starlight asked,

“Hey Spike, do you want breakfast?”

Spike waved his left claw at her, motioning for her to wait.

“Nah. I’m good. I stuffed myself. But I can cook for you if you want.”

By the time Spike had finished writing, Starlight was at the stove and levitating her ingredients towards herself. Spike walked over to her and rolled his eyes.

“Sheesh, you’re only here what, four months and you’re already replacing me?”

“You know it.” Starlight said in a smug tone seemingly having not seen what Spike wrote.

Shaking his head, Spike jokingly inscribed,

“Heh, yeah. Let me guess, you’re gonna take over Ponyville. By cooking.”

Starlight’s activities slowed to a halt and a sad sigh was wringed from her. Spike realized his mistake and wiped his previous text away then began a new one.

“Hey, I-I mean Pinkie and Applejack would probably give you a run for your money an-”

“-The eggs are burning. I’d better get back to my cooking.” Starlight yelped with the enthusiasm of a foal about to get a shot.

“Right, you get cooking. I’ll just be over here cleaning. Yeah cleaning.”

The atmosphere in the kitchen had become somber with Spikes last remark. The only change was the occasional clink or crack from Starlight’s cooking implements. Spike cleaned but he didn’t do a very good job of it. With the uncomfortable atmosphere around him he kept thinking back to what he wrote and how he should’ve handled it. Feeling guilt for the pain he cause his friend Spike stood up and made his way over to Starlight. Bending down he wrote out a short script on the ash coated floor then tugged on Starlights tail. Turning around Starlight saw what he wrote and a reluctant smile broke across her muzzle.

“I’m sorry.” She read. “Will you forgive me?”

Looking up, Starlight brushed a tear away from her right eye with one ash laden hoof. It left a wet black streak stretching over her cheek.

“Oh Spike.” She cried softly. “You didn’t need to. I already forgave you.”

Then they embraced. Fur tickled scale and a young dragon warmed the heart of an older mare. Pulling away, Spike put a wet rag to Starlights cheek and helped wash away the ash streak. Leaning down, Starlight gave Spike a peck on the forehead.

“Thank you Spike.”

“You’re welcome.”

Starlight didn’t hide her smile.

“You’re such a gentledrake.”

Spike blushed and motioned for Starlight to stop. She rolled her eyes and stood up levitating her breakfast to her left side.

“Now, Spike.” The young dragons ears perked up. “You said that Twilight and the Dragon Lord were in the throne room?”

Spike nodded and Starlight took a sip of her orange juice.

“Awesome. I think I’ll go pay them a visit.”

Turning the last corner to the Throne Room brought with it a surprise. Discord was listening at the door. Proceeding cautiously Starlight got close enough to see Discord rip his ear off the door with a pained expression. After waving it around for a while Discord ends up slapping it back onto his head, presumably where it belongs. Starlight, still very confused by Discords actions drew one conclusion. With the Dragon Lord and Twilight in the next room Discord was obviously planning a prank. She could let his prank happen… or she could do her duty as Twilight’s friend. She went with the second option. Just as Discord was going to burst through the throne room door Starlight cast a shield on it, momentarily stopping the Draconequus.

“Discord,” Starlight Glimmer sweetly asked. “What are you doing?”

The subject of Starlights attentions paused in his actions and turned towards the mare with a grin on his face.

“Oh Starlight Glimmer, there you are! I was hoping you could tell me where I could find other megalomaniacal ponies who want revenge on our dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. Seeing as you have experience with that sort of thing, I thought you could help me out. Whaddya say, hmmmm?”

Starlight stared at Discords smug mug and stammered,

“Ex-Excuse me!”

Discord rolled his eyes and placed his Smug Mug back on the floor then bent down to Starlights level. His goal: explain his request at a level Starlight could understand. So, understandably she tried to shy away from him as he scootched her to his side with his eagle talon.

“Now, we’ll have none of that.” Discord totted as he moved a very uncomfortable Starlight to look him in the eyes. “You were a megalomaniacal dictator, yes?”

Starlight recovered and gave Discord a withering glare as her temper rose.

“Yeah! I was a megalomaniacal dictator. Thanks for bringing it up! I’ve tried to be better but-” Discord snapped his talons and Starlight’s rant was silenced as a zipper zippered her mouth shut.

“Now, now Starlight Glimmer, there’s no need to be so...testy, it was only a question. Thanks for your-”

“-Hmmf!” Starlight grunted, interrupting Discord who raised an eyebrow in a show of confusion. Starlight lit her horn and the zipper unzipped itself then disappeared with a crack.

“Discord.” Starlight growled. The Draquencaus quirked his left eyebrow.

“How wonderful,” Discord taunted. “The little Unicorn knows how to do a little magic!”

Starlights face went beet red and a vein started throbbing in her temple.

“A ‘little magic’” Starlight spat out in anger. “I’ll show you a ‘little magic’”

Focusing, Starlight began to cast her spell. Even as two discolored layers of overglow and a beady dribble of pearlescent liquid formed on her horn Discord looked down on her. He was as he would put it, not impressed.

“I’m not impressed.”

Starlight released her spell with a grunt. The personal affects of her casting vanished as her spell took hold of Discord. Looking up smugly at Discord she pointedly said,

“How’s that for a ‘little magic’, ‘Lord’ of Chaos.” Then she promptly fell, gasping onto her left side.

Discord, suspended as he was in Starlights spell could only look on her performance in dismay. Whatever that little Unicorn had done rendered his body immobile. Even as Discord tried to escape Starlights spell he could feel its effects take hold. He felt his body morph and change into something vaguely familiar and wholly unwelcome. As the spell’s light increased, Discord shut his eyes, covering them with a furry leg.

The only indication Discord had that the spell wore off was a short drop and a sudden stop. Albeit the drop was only two feet and the stop was considerably more comfortable than was expected seeing as he landed on a conveniently placed pony. Both parties produced equally hilarious noises. While falling, Discord let out a shrill shriek reminiscent of a falling bomb and when he stopped the sound that was made was that of a sadly deflating balloon. The same could not be said for Starlight as the only sound she made was what one would usually expect to be produced upon having a Draconequus turned pony land on her side.

Lounging on Starlights struggling body like one would on a fine couch Discord flicked his ears back and forth trying to get used to being a pony. While he would never say it outloud he was impressed by Starlights magical ability, the only other Unicorn that came close to matching her raw power had been one of Celestia’s failed students, Sunburst Spackle…No. Sunset Glimmer...maybe, but they all sounded the same. Speaking of Glimmer. Discord was abruptly thrown away from Starlight Glimmer as she scrambled to her feet in an adrenaline filled rush. Looking around she spotted Discord’s body at the base of the throne room doors. Stalking towards him she grunted,

“Ha! How’s it feel D-”

With a triumphant cry of, “Sunset Shimmer!” Discord lept up and landed on his hind hooves, teetered forwards for a second then windmilled his front hooves in an effort to stay upright. It didn’t work. He fell backwards, propelled by his flailing forelimbs only to be caught in Starlights telekinetic field. Discord let out an irritated sigh.

“Oh right. Normal ponies don’t stand on their hindlegs.”

Starlight gently lowered Discord down to the floor where he twisted, turned, and fought to get onto his hooves. He only succeeded after a bit of help from Starlight.

After she helped him up, Starlight stood back as Discord examined his new body. Knobbly gray legs led up to a dappled grey and brown coat. The pattern remained the same all the way to his face where a striking pair of red pupils roamed over his body. Just over the silence Starlight could barely hear muttering coming from the ponified Lord of Chaos.

“Terrible. Absolutely terrible. What pony in their right mind would not make me an Alicorn? Of all the things…”

Shaking her head in confusion, Starlight drew Discords heated gaze upon herself. The she heard a sound that should never come from a pony’s mouth.

“You,” Discord hissed. “you did this to me.”

Starlight backed away from Discords steady advance. Smelling her fear, Discord clucked his tongue and kept walking forwards.

“You… You did this to me! You made me into a pony!”

Starlight grimly nodded.

“I look horrible. I look like some adolescent pony’s OC! My colors don’t match... and my eyes! I look horrible as a pony.” Squinting at Starlight, a light shone in Discords red eyes. “But you, you look so nice. You have a matching coat, mane and tail! You would make such a great looking pony…” Discord stopped talking for a second as if waiting for something then confusedly continued, “pie.”

…

‘SPLAT!’

Discord stopped his monologue and advance as Starlight was replaced with a pie. With a grin stretching itself over his muzzle Discord sidled up to the pie and licked some of the filling off the side.

“Mmh. Blueberry pie is delicious if I do say so myself, right Starlight?”

He received no response. He patted his hoof on the pie tin.

“It’s okay Starry. I know you must be having a… berry good time in there.”

The pie jiggled. Discord withdrew his hoof and clicked his tongue three times. Nurse Redheart appeared in front of him and a doctors uniform draped itself over him.

“Well Starlight, I’m only trying to nurse you back to health.”

Nurse Redheart glared at him.

“That was bad. And you should feel bad.”

The pie rumbled and Nurse Redheart disappeared with a ‘pop’ leaving a strawberry lollipop in her place. As Discord reverently lifted up the lollipop, Nurse Redhearts’ voice echoed down the hallway making the pie convulse.

“Paging Doctor Discord to the PI-ER. Doctor Discord to the-”

The pie exploded and goupy blueberry filling, crusty crust, and some tinny tin tin coated the hallway leaving an enraged Starlight Glimmer at the epicenter. Leaping out of the ruptured innards of the poor blueberry pie with a manic grin on her face Starlight descended upon Discord’s frozen goup covered form with a chilling scream,

“Why so blue!”