As the group headed back towards the castle, talking excitedly amongst themselves, Twilight, falling in step with Celestia, whispered to her,
“Don't worry, Princess. We'll figure out what that spell means.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” said Celestia, “and I have a feeling we’re going to need the help of your friends.”
She glanced over at the six newcomers as she said this.
“All of them.”
Twilight nodded, seeming to comprehend what her former mentor meant.
“You know you were great!" Rainbow Dash told Gem, eagerly, causing the latter to blush.
"Thanks,” she said, modestly. “I couldn't have done it without you, Rainbow Dash.”
“Huh?” said Rainbow, puzzled. “But I didn't do anything.”
“Of course you did,” said Gem. “You believed in me when I didn't. And besides,” she added, “I had to save them from Gregory's singing!”
“Hey!” Gregory chimed in, though it was clear he was only pretending to sound offended.
The three of them laughed, earning them strange looks from the rest of their confused companions, who didn’t know what they were so amused about.
Once the gang where within the safety of the castle, Celestia handed Twilight a scroll.
“All right, everypony, let's have a look at this.”
Everypony gathered around to listen. Just at that moment, however, there was a knock on the door. Without looking up from the scroll, Twilight called out,
“Spike, can you get that?”
Obediently, Spike left, returning a few seconds later to report,
“There are three ponies here asking to see Princess Celestia.”
Celestia looked up,
“I’ll see what they want,” she said, following Spike out.
Blaze, who was standing closest to Twilight, leaned over to get a better look at the scroll, so close that they were shoulder-to-shoulder. Twilight must’ve known he didn’t mean any harm by it, so she didn’t protest.
“Wow, I’ve never seen writing like that before,” Blaze said, adjusting his glasses. “What does it mean?”
“I have no idea,” said Twilight. “I don't recognize the language.”
“I'm sure you'll figure it, out, darling,” said Rarity, before turning her attention to Storm. “Oh, my! Your mane is all tangled! Let me help you with that, dear.”
“Thanks.”
While waiting for Twilight to crack the code, the others found ways to keep themselves occupied. Applejack and Chocolate Gem hoof-wrestled, Pinkie and Gregory practiced a new (very complicated) hoof shake, Rainbow and Mint bumped hooves a few times out of boredom, and Firebrand and Fluttershy sat back-to-back cleaning the instruments.
At last, however, Twilight's eyes widened, and she let out a gasp that made Blaze jump.
“I think I've figured it out!" she said, excitedly.
Careful not to light her horn, she started to read out loud, the others listening intently.
νου στο μυαλό
Líf til lífsins
convertit en una
Vous osez toucher
At the conclusion of this, a white light flashed through the room, so intensely bright that it enveloped everypony inside.
Meanwhile, at the front door, Celestia was met with three strange young ponies, ponies she had never seen before. It was Spark, Inferno, and Kindle.
“Hello,” said Spark, in her politest tones, “My name is, uh..”
She cast about for a name, then settled on,
“Bird Flora, and these are my brothers, Sun House and Grass Quill. We lost an old scroll that was passed down in our family, and we were wondering if, perhaps, you had it."
“And if you could read it out loud if you did!" interrupted Inferno.
“We, uh, can't read," Spark quickly said, glaring at her brother.
“Oh, well, I'd be happy to help you,” said Celestia, kindly, “but Princess Twilight has the scroll right now.”
The threesome’s eyes widened in shock.
“You don't' have the scroll?” asked Kindle, uneasily.
“Oh no,” Spark muttered.
“ARGH!!”
Celestia, Spike, and the three dragon-ponies jumped at the sound.
“Twilight!” Celestia and Spike both cried, a note of panic in their voices.
The five of them rushed into the room to find the ponies and griffon in a panic. Starlight had joined them, frantically trying to figure out what was going on, but she could hardly make herself heard above the tumult.
“All right, everypony, calm down!” called Twilight.
There was one slight problem with this. While it certainly was Twilight’s voice, it wasn’t coming out of her mouth. Instead, the mouth that moved to speak what Twilight had just said...was Blazewing’s!
Spike looked at Blaze, then Twilight, then back to Blaze in utter confusion.
“Twilight, what happened to you?!” he cried.
“I have no idea! I just read the spell that was on the scroll, then there was a flash, and suddenly, I'm in Blaze's body! I mean, I didn't even light my horn or anything!”
“This can’t be happening!” moaned Blaze. “This has got to be a dream or something!”
“Well, if it is, yer not the only one havin’ it,” said Applejack, only her voice was now coming out of Chocolate Gem's mouth.
Starlight took a survey of the group of friends. She seemed to be putting two and two together based on who was with who. At last, she said.
“So let me see if I’ve got this right: Twilight switched with Blaze, Applejack with Chocolate Gem, Pinkie Pie with Gregory, Rarity with Storm Cloud, Rainbow Dash with Mint Leaf, and Fluttershy with Firebrand?”
“Pretty much,” said Mint.
“But why is this happening?!” asked Firebrand, frantically.
All of the ponies started to work themselves into another frenzy, the most common exclamations being about their familiar body parts and appendages now being gone or different. Gregory in particular was in hysterics over losing his talons (i)and(/i) his wings.
“Everypony calm down!” yelled Applejack, reducing them all to silence. “Now, Ah’m sure there’s an explanation for all this and a way to fix it.”
Everypony looked expectantly, beseechingly towards Princess Celestia, who had remained silently stunned at the scene before her, but now sighed deeply.
“I do recognize this magic,” she said, solemnly. “It is an ancient spell from long ago, although I thought, or rather hoped, it had been long lost.”
“Wait a sec,” Spike cut in. “Has anypony seen the three pegasi who were just here?”
The three ‘pegasi’ were indeed absent. Everypony rushed out into the entrance hall, only to see Spark, Kindle, and Inferno, now reverted back into dragons, flying off into the night.
“Hey! They’re not ponies at all!" yelled Rainbow Dash.
“But who are they?” asked Storm.
“Spike do you recognize them?"” asked Twilight.
The little dragon just shook his head. Celestia frowned.
“This confirms my suspicions,” she said. “I know who’s behind this. Everypony, come with me. It is time I tell all of you something I did long ago, something that I regret ever so much…”