//------------------------------// // Chapter 112: Recognizing Repercussions // Story: A Journey Beyond Sanity // by Darkwing Dust //------------------------------// Nothing. In an act of frustration, I harmlessly slammed the book down onto the bed, next to a pile of other failures whcih did [BEEP]-all to help me understand the situation better. That was the fifth book about magical studies into the theoretical practices of teleportation beyond said teleporting spell. Not even Twilight helped, and she wasn't even here at the moment! No, my girlfriend had to excuse herself a little while ago to summon her friends for a matter she wanted to discuss with them over. Not that I had a problem with Twilight solving problems with her friends, I was already getting a migraine trying to sort my own mess out alone. Spike wouldn't be able to help in matters of magic and science. And the two ponies residing in my head wouldn't be any better than the baby dragon: One being a condescending pain and the other acting like a vague nuisance. I heard that. We heard that. Well good for you two! Huffing, my irritated eyes swept over the cover of the sixth book I picked up. 'Advanced Magic Practices Level III.' Well it's worth a shot. Hopefully this one will help more than what my own teacher refuses to tell. Starswirl was quick to defend himself, It's not a matter of reluctance, but of discovery. I told you, even I am oblivious to the main driving force behind these holes of imbalance we continuously encounter, summarizing the cause with theory alone. One being that you suggested it's my fault these wormholes appeared in the first place. That's not- Didn't you address the idea you were as responsible for them in turn, old one? Alright, both of you, keep quiet. I'm trying to find what we're looking for here. My eyes scanned through the pages carefully. Typically I was a fast reader, but for something this important, I shouldn't skim over in case I missed something. ...Nope... Nu-uh... Wait... Nope... ...No... ...And nothing. Great. Wonderful. Perfect. With a sigh of exasperated annoyance, I carefully tossed the book onto the soft mattress to join the others. No matter how careful I read each page and paragraph, in any relation to teleportation magic and the theories about transporting through space itself, the exact specifics we hunted for came up short. And I was beginning to grow sick of it. And whenever I got annoyed, someone was there to attempt to soothe me. Even if we never uncover the truth behind these wormholes - which I hope otherwise - we will stop them from harming the world and the innocent regardless. True... Now- Suddenly, my hoofs were gripping against the edge of the mattress, causing a small tear from my raw power into feathers within, the small vibration rocking the room, and by extension the castle, out of nowhere prompting the initial reaction. And just as it began, the tiny earthquake ceased, and nothing was broken, thank God. And now just what was-? Ugh...! My front gripping hoofs quickly released the bed and clutched my chest, where a sharp twang made itself known. I sensed it too... As did I. A sudden shift in balance just occurred. No kidding. My eyes winced. It felt like a 'crash' of something in the realm of balance itself; a sudden change of tides from the harmonic sea and releasing an after-effect. Something just happened, and I have the suspicion it was in relation to... The earthquake! Immediately, I closed my eyes, focusing on the six presences nearby. The Mane Six were in the room, as was Spike. But that relief of sensing they were unharmed quickly shifted upon the noticeable change in their light signatures. And I was already on the move. Luckily, my room was on the same floor as the council room, and not too far from it. Oh God, girls, where have you all done now...? Arriving there, I was already greeted by a gaping Spike by the doorway, cleraly having just entered the room right as the earthquake occurred. "She's... She's so... Perfect...!" I followed Spike's specific stunned gaze towards Rarity... And then everyone else. And everything halted for one, singular moment. Well now... This is... ...Complete and utter lunacy. Sombra sounded just as disbelieving as my thoughts, all three of us struggling to take in this scenario which most definitely never happened. You stole the words right out of my mouth, boy... "Well I'll be...!" "Is this what I think it is...?!" "Simply divine...!" "Woo-hoo! This is amazing!" "Um... Oh dear..." "No no no! This wasn't what the data said would happen!" "Rarity..." Spike was now drooling, followed by a brief shake on his shoulder from yours truly snapping him out of it. The young dragon shook his head wildly and gestured towards the awed/confused Mane Six, as flabbergasted as I was. "What happened in here?!" "Bloody good question!" I couldn't resist expressing my own shocked confoundment of the scenario before us, stepping forward while pointing out the obvious. "I don't ever recall Fluttershy suddenly becoming an Earth Pony... Not after season two." "Or Rarity getting those... Beautiful wings..." Or the farmer gaining a horn. "OR Pinkie now being a pegasus." "And Rarity with those gorgeous wings..." "Or Twilight becoming... Just a unicorn again!" "And Rarity getting those perfect, magnificent-" "Spike." "Oh. Right. Sorry." Yeah, I don't ever recall this happening in the midst of season five. I'd definitely remember if I could. Pinkie was flying around above, joyfully growing accustomed to her new wings. Rarity, meanwhile, was examining her new additions to her body with a graceful smile and awed curiosity. Applejack was growing annoyed every second with her new horn causing her hat to fall off repeatedly. Fluttershy looked completely dejected with her lack of wings, reduced to a mere Earth Pony form. Twilight was hectically searching through a floating book, violet eyes scanning the pages at fast speed. The cause behind this? Anyone with half a brain cell could deduce this. But before I could walk over and demand an explanation for this ridiculous situation, a certain former pegasus was enjoying her newfound magic, each word said admist her teleportation around the room. "This! Is! Awesome!" And Rainbow Dash is now an alicorn... We're doomed. Pray for the apocalypse. Too late for that; it's already here. "How did this happen?" Once again, Spike asked the much-needed questions for the VERY-needed answers in my stead. Twilight, in response, spoke in a rushed tone as the pages flipped over too quickly for the eye to see. "I was testing out a spell, one that would make things fair for our friends." Fair? The alicorn - sorry, former alicorn - glanced around at the conditions of the others before resuming her gaze on the pages, not seeming all that affected by her own change. "But something's gone terribly wrong. And I made certain to take all precautions! Now, we've all switched our horns and wings with one another as opposed to what I intended for!" "Well, I'm not complaining!" Rainbow cried gleefully, teleporting whilst zooming through the air, almost hitting an enthusiastic Pinkie. Clearly the two were getting the hang of their bodies rather quickly. Too quickly. "You never said being an alicorn would be this amount of fun Twilight!" Violet eyes snapped to the blue mare in annoyance. "Using magic as a form of entertainment isn't the purpose behind its use-" A cry of ecstasy drew our attention to the grinning Rarity, who cared less for attempting flight than show off her new pure white wings, expanding them out fully. "Aren't they just the most extravagant things darlings?!" Followed by various elegant poses with said wings. "I'm with Rainbow Dash, Twilight, I fail to see a huge issue with these changes. I can simply get use to these new changes until the spell wears off, yes?" The purple ali- unicorn remained silent, and that, rightly so, unnerved me; for the possibility of there not being a remedy for this mishap prompted all our gazes the hesitant mare's way. "Err, there is a cure for this, right Twi?" Applejack voiced the question plaguing our minds, the cowboy hat now hanging off her new orange horn. Oh PLEASE say there's a cure for this! I don't wanna imagine the possible eternity of an alicorn Rainbow Dash. The book covered Twilight's worried features for a moment, before it floated back. "It says there is a reverse spell in case anything went wrong, but the spell in question is tricky to use. It might take some time." Snapping the book shut onto the floor, the unicorn shook her head, bowing in shame. "Ohhh! This wasn't suppose to happen!" The Princess of Friendship initiating a new problem. In other news, the sky is a rather bright blue today, is it not? Oh shush you. What puzzles me, while walking over to comfort the mare, is why this was happening in the first place. Placing a hoof to Twilight's side, I said reassuringly with a smile, despite being uncertain myself, "I'm sure you can fix this. We all do." Applejack and Fluttershy nodded in support. Spirits uplifted somewhat at the gesture, the unicorn straightened herself, magic picking up the book again to open the pages. "It'll take some time to get everything ready. In the meantime, we should probably-" "How much time?" Twilight glanced up at the rude interruption, frowning. "A few hours, at best." All the more reason for the Princess to proceed, Starswirl's voice popped up suddenly as Rainbow scoffed to Twilight's reply, the blue pega- alicorn saying there's plenty of time to have fun doing so. You've felt it, haven't you? These change of events was never meant to occur, and the abrupt switching of magical capabilities between the bearers of Harmony has inflicted a wound onto Balance itself. Princess Twilight must hurry. It was either the thought of Balance suffering for this or Starswirl's clearly concerned voice which incited me to state all business-like, "Take as much time as possible Twilight. Though I think even Balance has felt what happened here and is being affected by it." Rainbow snorted. "Balance-shalance! I'm gonna test this new magic of mine outside! Laters!" God dammit! The new blue alicorn departed swiftly out the doors before hearing Twilight and I protest heatedly. "Rainbow, wait-!" "Get back here you-!" ...Sometimes... That mare... I swear... Rarity's voice then popped up, "Well then, if this spell to rectify our switches will take some time, I see no reason not to take advantage of the time. If you must excuse me darlings, these latest additions you have given to me has inspired some marvelous design ideas!" The white pegasus exited the room next merrily, a flat-out drooling Spike watching her go. Applejack spoke next, "Then I better get back to Sweet Apple Acres. Unicorn or not, those apples ain't gonna fall off themselves... Much. Until later guys." Guess who was next to excuse herself? "Um... I gotta go and tend to my friends. Their bubble bath is a little overdue, and Angel must be feeling so hungry for his lunch." Twilight sighed as the yellow Earth Pony left, violet eyes glancing my way pleadingly. "While I work on performing the reverse spell, could you and Spike keep an eye on everypony else, just in case some side effects occur from this?" Spike answered back joyfully, "I'll look after Rarity and her amazing new wings! You can count on me!" Salt of the Earth, Spike. With shared fond rolled eyes, I nodded to my special mare. "Sure thing. Although I'd like an explanation later as to what motivated you to do-" "I sensed a disturbance in magic. Don't tell me you guys are having fun without little ol' me, hmm?" This day was just full of interruptions! "Hi Discord!" Pinkie waved midair, now flying around upside-down. The creature of chaos waved back, before frowning once reality sunk in and hummed, leaning forward in interest at the new developments. "Why, Fluttershy! You look different... New look maybe? You know if you needed tips on mane styles, you could've just asked yours truly." Things are about to become more needlessly complicated, I feel. Funnily enough... I shared that sentiment. Over time in Equestria, there was a very important lesson to learn. That was to never say outloud, or mentally, 'What can go wrong?' And thank God I've yet to say that in either way. So far, nothing has gone too out of control yet. I can at least say that with a hundred percent certainty, when Twilight wasn't part of the equation, Applejack was the most controlled and composed of the mares. ...So why was I watching her work in evident dread? Balance magic at work. Must be. Indeed. The imbalance between the mares over the spell Princess Twilight conjured up can be sensed by anyone with an exponential sense of magic. And with your connection to Balance, you feel and shudder at the disharmony moreso than others. That explains why Discord showed up out of nowhere earlier... And the longer this imbalance stays, the more it grows. Though I hold pure faith in Princess Twilight's abilities, this must be resolved before the end of the day. Why, what happens then? Take a guess. The internal conversation was firmly halted by a huffing orange equine, green eyes glaring in my direction. "Can't exactly work with ya worryin' like that over there Star." "Sorry!" To be fair, Applejack wasn't doing too bad, frustration notwithstanding. So far, no magic has been used. The mare was more interested in her farm work than learning how to put that latest addition to her pony body to good use, apart from using it like a hat stand. No, instead of using magic, Applejack was using irritation. Because without that assistance of Earth Pony magic, kicking against the trees produced few falling apples that usual. It was quite humorous, really. Though taking notice of my smile, the orange unicorn snarked in my direction. "Quit yer smilin' there, this new horn ain't exactly as useful as Twilight and Rarity makes it out to be!" "That's 'cause you're not trying to actually use it!" Those emerald eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah?" "Well... Yeah?" Applejack shook her head, ripping the hat off her head to reveal the small orange horn. "Alrighty then, let's see if it's as fancy as they say it is." And eyes clenched shut, the mare took on a concentrated expression, and that dread hit me again at full force. "Um Applejack, just hold on a sec-!" BOOM! So... THAT happened. First time using magic resulted in all the apples and leaves falling off every tree in the vicinity and covering us in a sea of mother nature. Leaving a disgruntled Applejack and her family to deal with the mess, I checked up on the next mare at Sugarcube Corner, reminding myself this time to take notes, as Twilight requested with this quill and notepad. And currently, I wrote down my observations over the ecstatic Pinkie's flight around the bakery- SNAP. Whoops. And that was the only quill I had. Ah well, not as if my own notes were anything eye-witnessing. "Wheeeeeeeeee!" That on the other hand. "Careful not to bang your head Pinkie." "Wheeeeeeee!" "I said careful- Jesus Christ..." "Being a pegasus is fuuuuuuuun!" "Well I wouldn't know..." "Oh deary me..." Ah boy. My reluctant gaze switched to Mrs Cupcake and Mr Cake enetering from the kitchen, their two clapping foals sitting upon their backs as all four observed the enthusiastic pink mare with expressions of elation and concern. "She's not going to be stuck that way forever, is she?" "Twilight's working on the reverse spell," I was quick to reassure them, "She'll be back to her Earth Pony before the day is over with." They sighed in collective relief, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Pie reaching up in vain attempt to catch the flying Pinkie. "That's good to hear," The husband spoke with a light smile, looking back at the ecstatic pegasus. "I think a land enthusiastic Pinkie Pie is enough, don't you?" "Wooooo-hoo-hoo-hoooooo!" "...I concur, Carrot." And then the unthinkable, but should've been predictable, happened; as two certain foals were whisked off the backs of their parents and onto the back of the gleeful pink equine. Squeals from children and mare-child alike filled the room, and alarm bells rung in my mind. No doubt the same was said for the two worried parents. "Pinkie!" "Be careful with them dear!" "Don't reach that high to the ceiling!" Could things get any- Nope! Not jinxing it! Too late... Unfortunately Sombra was right, for the three ponies were spinning around the room at a high velocity wind was literally beginning to pick up inside the bakery. I winced at the gust blowing by my fur, even more anxiousness and worry filling up my breezed being at the small tornado forming into the room. Until the pegasus was careless enough to land into a sack of flour on top of a drawer. Covered in an avalanche of apples. Decorated in flour. All that pales to what dreadful anticipation I was feeling towards this pony I checked up on. The blue blue zoomed around her home and through the sea of clouds, having crafted her own obstacle course to test out her new temporary abilities. I hope to God they're temporary... Rainbow was too preoccupied pulling off heavy stunts to hear me or answer my questions, circling and whirling around innocent clouds, teleporting here and there. Why SHE of all mares swapped with Twilight's magic I'll never know; fate it seemed had a funny sense of humour. Well of course it did. It brought me here, didn't it? Calling me an act of destiny, Jack? Flattered? Depends on your perspective to the idea. Regardless, I am more focused right now on the increasing imbalance spreading across the town. Yeah, I felt it... Cackling through the air, and that wasn't Rainbow's gleeful laughter. A breeze prompted my shudder, recalling the same sensation whenever those wormholes appeared- Wait a minute... If those holes were summoned from wounds against Balance, then-! I fear so, yes. ...C'mon Twilight, please hurry. "Woooooow!" Oh no. My tiresome gaze turned behind me from the observation, greeted by the sight of a stunned trio of Crusaders. Most notably, Scootaloo looked the more impressed at her idol showing off, even pointing out in disbelieving awe. "Is... Is that Rainbow Dash... With a horn?!" "Heck yeah!" Oh how convenient. She couldn't hear me, but when her number one fan spoke, then Rainbow's hearing ramps back up to full. The blue alicorn descended between us whilst pulling off another stunt, grinning down at the three fillies with unrestrained smugness. "You can call me Rainbow Dash; Princess of Speed!" "More like Princess of Ego..." Stole the words right out of my muzzle. Feigning ignorance to the mutter, Rainbow hovered closer to the trio and leaned in, winking slyly. "Wanna see the sweet new tricks I can do?" The three instantly nodded. "Uh-huh!" Rainbow's grin widened at the simultaneous response, instantly pulling Scootaloo onto her back and sped off before I could object to that. My teeth immediately bared in worry and annoyance at Rainbow's typical lack for safety, herself and her number one fan crying out in joy and awe as they tested out her new magical capabilities, pushing and pulling blue glowing clouds, making them disappear and reappear to Rainbow's design. Basically, the mare was using her temporary magic as a form of entertainment. At this point, I would've trusted Pinkie more to become an alicorn than Rainbow- Oh, now it's raining. A wearisome sigh escaped my muzzle, while the two fillies between me cheered the two flying ponies above. The magic was causing a rainstorm around the area of Rainbow's house and those within the vicinity. Though I loved rain, I could only accept this as a bad omen- Oh [BEEP]! My two hoofs immediately pushed the two Crusaders back as the bolt of lightning struck. So after being struck by lightning which was responded by Rainbow with a meek "Whoopsie." I headed on over to the next mare. Hopefully one with less dangerous activities going on as soon as I entered the place. "Well darlings? What do you think?" ...So far so good. Spike was, meanwhile, drooling like a unrestrained schoolboy at the sight of his crush in a brand new bright blue dress with silver lining, also decorating her new white expanded wings. "Perfect Rarity!" The young dragon thumbed up after a gentle shove from yours truly, and Rarity smiled at the praise, examining her work thoughtfully. "Although I initially found it a little too stunning for my eyes, I might do something to balance out on the bright colours." The mare raised her head... Then recalled she no longer had a horn and pouted for a brief second. Rarity smiled promptly again and pulled back the curtain herself, revealing the line of hung dresses for us to behold. "In the meantime, I have all these new designs to work upon and perfect. These new wings have brought with them quite a brainstorm... Hmm..." Uh oh. Now she's frowning. "Clearly, though, I'm missing something. I don't know..." The white pegasus then turned to us, gesturing to her new additions. "They don't make me look... Well, 'enlarged,' do they?" Enlarged...? "'Enlarged?'" Spike vocally mirrored my question, expressing the same confused frown. Rarity scoffed, seemingly more to herself. "Oh of course not! I'm just being silly as all. After all, it's not as if others will judge me for simply having more body mass with these new wings... Silly me..." Then one uncertain glance at the mirror. "But... If they do... Oh deary me. I must find a solution!" And started ripping off the other dresses from their hung places. Okay... That was happening. Spike and I traded doubtful, concerned looks at Rarity's sudden behaviour. Was she implying others would call her 'fat' just because she had wings now...? After a few minutes of trying new clothing on and inspecting herself everytime, a sniffling Rarity gazed forlornly at her own reflection... And stammered in disbelief, "No... This cannot be...! I'm... I'm... Pluuuump! Ahhh!" ...Plump. While I gazed at Rarity's sobbing state in ridiculed disbelief, Spike immediately walked over to reassure his crush. "Aww cheer up Rarity! Those wings look great on you! Who cares it they make you look like you gained weight?" Christ! I inhaled a sharp breath, looking away at Spike's tactless attempt to comfort the mare, resulting in more vocal crying as Rarity sobbed atop her pile of dresses. "So you think so too! I hate these wings!" Followed by one look at the new additions, and more crying. "Waaaaaah!" ...Think it's time to depart. Two steps ahead of ya. Okay, Fluttershy's Cottage. This shouldn't be too messy than checking on everyone else, right? Well, add filthy animals and Discord into the mix. "Okay little ones. It's time for your long overdue bath." The woodland critters obviously weren't too keen on the condescension, glaring irritably towards the one pony who always looked out for their best interests. The yellow Earth Pony refused to give up, however, trying again with a patient smile. "After that, I'll make you all your favourite lunches. Would you like that?" This yellow Earth Pony, meanwhile, was glaring disapprovingly at a chuckling Discord, merrily sipping his tea while watching the spectacle. "Oh my my. Looks as though Twilight's little spell has twisted things more than simply changing body parts." He's right, Starswirl affirmed gravely, The consequences are beginning to affect your friend's natures as well as their magic. If this continues... I think you are aware of how critical this is getting, and must be resolved soon. Yep... The incarnation of Chaos itself began downright guffawing as a squirrel spat a nut into Fluttershy's pleading face. "How quaint!" "You could help you know." Discord waved off my annoyed tone. "And have less entertainment by not watching Fluttershy's poor attempts? Give me more credit friend." The yellow mare was unrelenting, meanwhile, and began closing her eyes, and Discord realized the upcoming display. "Oh this should be good..." Sipping his tea once more. True enough, the Stare revealed itself, and Fluttershy's voice raised in soft commanding. "You are all going to have a bath whether you want to or not." On cue, the animals shuddered at the look, obediently nodded and fleeing upstairs. "Now!" The rest of the reluctant woodland critters hastily followed, and Fluttershy closed her eyes after the last animal left, sighing deeply before turning to me in clear sadness. "It's getting harder to communicate with my friends. Please tell me Twilight's almost finished practicing the remedy spell." Hell if I knew. But seeing that desperate look, I sighed. "Not sure Fluttershy. But have faith, Twilight hasn't let us down yet." In the meantime, Discord clapped loudly. "Oh yes, because Twilight always gets things done without the aid of her precious friends." My eyes narrowed over to him, at the sarcasm and his insinuation. But the thing was... I couldn't disagree. At least, not entirely. I just noticed. Hm? The mares have presumably switched their own body parts around, correct? Your point? So why do three of them have horns when only two originally did? Why is only one of my friends still an Earth Pony as opposed to two? I... That is a rather interesting inquiry. Old one? I have do have a theory, but nothing of real substance, for now. Right, well, I'll ask more about this hypothesis of yours after dealing with a certain mare, as soon as I entered the library to greet my marefriend. "The changes are beginning to become somewhat of a nuisance to their own natural talents, though Rainbow and Pinkie seem to be having no issues with their transferred abilities." That's putting it mildly. "How are things going here?" The display before me was the only answer needed. Scrolls scattered everywhere. An open book resting on a stand. Violet eyes scanning frantically through that and hovered papers around the determined unicorn. Speaking of which, mind you, it is rather jarring to see her that way again. I've grown far too accustomed to Twilight having wings that seeing my girlfriend in her previous form was disjointing. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, I wouldn't care if she was an Earth Pony; the appearance matters less. She'll always look like a Goddess to me. How absurdly sappy of you. It's what I do. Setting the open scrolls down, Twilight closed her eyes tightly, horn lit up in concentration. I kept a good distance, not wanting to disrupt the mare. And yet, the only unfortunate result from her focus was the horn suddenly flickering off like a drained light bulb, violet eyes opening and muzzle sighing in frustrated disappointment. "It's no use," She confessed without looking at me, glaring at the open book in worry. "My magic isn't as strong as it was before. The transfer must've also affected my own magic." I nodded, approaching her solemnly. "I noticed when I checked on our friends. Applejack isn't as strong as she previously was, Fluttershy's having a hard time with her animals, and Rarity's lack of magic is having a negative impact to her creativity." My eyes glanced over to the pages once near. "Still can't use the spell?" Evidently. Wasn't asking you. "The previous spell worked earlier because of my alicorn magic, which gives a boost to my own magic to considerable degree." Twilight sighed yet again, staring at the book somberly. "But without it, I'm honestly not sure if I can perform the reverse spell, not without that boost. Meaning, if that's the case, our friends could be stuck like this... Forever!" Oh God, alicorn Rainbow Dash for the rest of eternity. The possibilities prompted my small shudder. Regardless, I laid a hoof to Twilight's pony shoulder, attempting to pull her out of this downcast mood. "You haven't let us down yet, and you certainly won't begin now." A doubtful gaze turned to me, and I nodded determinedly. "They all have faith in you, Twilight, and so do I, probably more than them." At the light tease following that last statement, a small smile rose on her beautiful muzzle. And then, something else occurred to me, something I wanted to address the moment this mess started. "Honestly, Twilight, no offense, but what possessed you to do this in the first place?" I couldn't resist inquiring. I really wanna know what Twilight was thinking performing this spell. "I know for a fact this never happened in the show, or it would've been mentioned if not as an episode. What were you trying to do, exactly? And why wasn't I informed earlier?" A light blush of pink appeared on her cheeks, the mare looking adorably sheepish all of a sudden, mumbling under her breath, "You probably would've tried to stop me had I told you beforehand..." That, my dear, depends on what precisely you were trying to accomplish. Inhaling deeply, the next following came out in an incoherent mess; "Iwastryingtoturnourfriendsintoalicorns!" ...What? "Repeat that love, but slower." At the clear hesitation on her features, I added reassuringly, "I promise I won't get annoyed... Or laugh." At that, Twilight stated what was said as previous, looking away as she did so, "I learnt about a spell that can transform one into alicorn state like me." What now? A gesture to the open book before us. "I acquired this ancient book of spells from the Castle of the Two Sisters; it had the spell's instructions capable of ascending anyone, be they unicorn, pegasi or Earth Pony, to their unlocked potential. Although, as you've clearly seen, there were considerably side effects." "...Huh." Was all I had to say then, trying hard to wrap my head around these actions of her. Twilight tried to turn the others into alicorns... That was just... Huh. Sombra, meanwhile, sounded more annoyed than I did befuddled. No wonder the state of Balance is being affected by her meddlesome affairs. An attempt to increase one's power this way with five insignificant ponies. For once, Jack, you are not to blame for defying the laws of magic itself. "But... Why do that?" Twilight sighed for the third time, inhaling again before explaining her actions, walking away briefly. "I was thinking back to an earlier conversation we had, a while back." Violet eyes looked upwards at the gargantuan shelves of used books. It's Twilight, I'd be surprised if a single book escaped her hunger for knowledge. "About how... Unfair it was to our friends for not becoming alicorns themselves, or receiving a similar reward for everything they've done for us, for themselves and all of Equestria." She turned back to me, regret present in her eyes and expression. "And, you were right, it isn't fair for them to be left out and for me to take most of the glory. So I sought to rectify that, and, with their consent, performed the spell." The saddened gaze turned to the ground between us. "And now, the Balance of magic itself is being affected; a negative impact because of my mistakes." "Twilight..." Was all I could say at first regarding that little speech, immediately walking over to comfort the mare, despising seeing her in that state. Clearly, we all knew who really was at fault here. "It was noble of you to try this for our friends, really. But it's MY fault that this all started; I expressed my bitterness about the others getting nothing in return for their efforts." And I stand corrected. You ARE to blame for this. Thanks pal. "Don't start blaming yourself for other's actions again Jack." Twilight shook her head, adamant stare meeting my own. "I was the one who took the initiative; choosing to take action to make things equally fair for my friends. And it's up to me to fix this mistake... Although how exactly I intend to do that, I'm short on ideas right now. My newfound limited magic certainly doesn't help matters..." I smiled a little at the annoyed mutter, the following words an attempt of reassurance. "Regardless, you won't be alone. We're here to help however possible." Though it were just me and Twilight in the room at the moment, but the meaning was well clear. Twilight expressed soft gratitude- Ow! What the...?! Twilight took notice of my sharp wince and sudden grip to my pained head, frowning in immediate concern. "Jack, what's wrong?" And suddenly, we were no longer the sole occupants. "How adorable! Though I'd hate to interrupt this loving moment between a Princess and a grumpy homo-sapient." Discord decided to appear right between us, smiling down with ill-repressed humour. "We have a teensy problem on our hands." Before a flash followed after that maniacal grin of his. And we found ourselves in the middle of Ponyville central, large sounds of wing and ponies screaming wild everywhere. The sudden sensation of a surge of imbalance quickly made sense. Lightning bolts scorched the ground around us, equines running wildly around in fear, attempting to retreat to their homes. The wind blew harshly against our fur and my cape, quickly gripping onto my fedora threatening to fall off, and everything just felt completely and utterly wrong. Discord, who had summoned an upside-down umbrella, called out while peering upwards, "Woo-e! We got ourselves a fine storm tonight, chiefs!" We followed the motion, glancing above will ill-rising dread at the magnificent storm upon us, threatening to consume the entire town. And it was spreading fast. The middle of the grey-dark clouds of lightning and wind motivated with a giant vortex hole, ready to consume all who near it. And as if on cue, another, more terrified scream drew our attention and prompted us into action. Twilight wasted no time in using her magic, however limited, to halt the innocent bystander suddenly being pulled upwards towards the vortex, and I immediately sprung forward and leaped, grabbing the light red stallion suspended in midair and landed him safely, the grateful pony quickly retreating to his home. But that was the least of our concerns, as even more horrified and pleading screams made me look, aghast at all the random equines being pulled all over the two in ascension, the storm hungrily prepared to take them within. Glaring, I wasn't going to allow that to happen, thrusting my two front limbs upwards to gather my power- Before another bolt of lightning struck the ground beside me, breaking me out of concentration. But thankfully, rescue was already on the way, as a blue blur followed by teleportation was taking the frightful flying ponies away from the gaping opening of the storm. Rainbow was clearly making use of her newfound abilities for a good cause, at last! But... She couldn't have been responsible for the storm when she summoned that rain and lightning earlier, right? It wasn't her own doing, My teacher reassured me somewhat, Not intentionally. The imbalance has been growing in size since the incantation went wrong. This is why I expressed urgency for the Princess to complete the spell. And if that doesn't work, the entire town will be consumed. But can't I-? This is a matter of correctly the flow of Balance without your intervention, Jack. This time, the crisis must be resolved, regrettably, by the perpetrator. Twilight... Starswirl sounded solemn as I hurried back to join the purple mare, who she and Discord were being joined by the others. Good intentions are often a guide to ill results. The Princess must correct these mistakes, or all is lost. "Can't you do something?" Twilight cried in annoyance to a cheerfully hovering Discord. The incarnation of Chaos sipped his tea... Though the tea itself was pouring out the cup into the air. He shrugged at Twilight's indignation, smirking patronizingly. "What would be the point? This is all because you performed that dangerous spell on your friends. The ramifications are spreading to an unrelenting amount! Imbalance, threatening to cover all of Equestria! I would only delay the storm. Only one pony could potentially stop this mess... The one who conjured the spell to begin with." "He's right." Though I hated to admit it, the smug [BEEP]tard had a point. All eyes turned to me in worry, myself staring straight at the purple unicorn. "I can't stop this storm, and it won't stop until the changes are fixed." Twilight hesitated, glaring at the ground in clear reluctance. "I tried! I can't... My magic isn't strong enough to pull off the spell!" The others regarded Twilight in shock and concern, not a trace of judgement on their faces. Walking forward, I quickly embraced the mare to comfort her, and Twilight eagerly accepted the hug, guilt written all over her face. I wish I could help, but I couldn't use magic the way she could, and Rarity no longer has a horn herself. So how can Twilight perform the counter spell...? Maybe she won't need to... What...? As if by some unseen force, Sombra's words made me gaze to one particular blue alicorn... Oh. OH! Oh that's brilliant! Sombra you're the best! The others blinked at my sudden noise of realized excitement, and I found myself grinning like the Cheshire Cat, pulling back from a confounded Twilight. "Maybe you can't do it, Twilight, but one of us here is still an alicorn, isn't she...?" The unicorn frowned, then glanced over to a surprised Rainbow. Violet eyes widened in epiphany, and I took a few steps back, smiling in confidence, regardless of the sensation of imbalance wanting to make me sick. "Though you may be a unicorn again, do you know what you still are, Twilight? A leader, first and foremost. The mare with the plan. And we're always here, ready and willing to save the day with you." The rest nodded in smugness and pride, and I said in light playfulness, "So, lead us Princess." Twilight only stared at the ground for a few moments, eyes closed and face expressionless. But we all knew what was gonna happen. To confirm that, the Princess of Friendship opened those purple sparkling orbs, staring upwards in firm resolve, the storm whipping against her mane and tail, but she remained undeterred. With that expression, the display made her look completely bad[BEEP]. "Rainbow, stay here and be ready to perform the counter spell." The blue alicorn snapped to attention, nodding. "Fluttershy, Rarity, help escort everyone back to their homes." The yellow Earth Pony and white pegasus obediently sped off. "Discord, see if you can close the gape above long enough for the spell to be used." The creature snapped his fingers, and I assumed that did the trick, cause nothing felt different than before. "Applejack, Jack, help get anypony who's being pulled by the storm down. Use your magic and Jack's strength to get them on ground level." "But how-?" A lasso was presented right before the blinking farmer. "Oh." Meanwhile, I was staring at Twilight with unrestrained admiration and adoration. I love it when she's all commando... It's kinda hot. Don't ruin it boy... What I'm just saying-! A tug prompted me to follow after the resolved orange unicorn, immediately setting to work. It wasn't hard, finding citizens being pulled slowly upwards. But with Applejack's new magic, using it to her advantage, a lasso was flung effortlessly above, grabbing the legs and tails of terrified ponies repeatedly, pulling them downwards onto the ground by yours truly. The cycle continued as much as possible, and I was using whatever strength Balance itself would grant me under these circumstances. I had no desire to tire out so quickly, not with many lives at stake. Though the storm remained present over Ponyville, I wasn't as worried anymore, not when Twilight's own resolve inspired my own. And the same can be said for the others. Applejack's expression matched the purple equine's as she used the lasso through magic. Rarity and Fluttershy wore equal if not softer looks while they ran by, helping escort citizens to safety and pulling anyone back on the ground before they were started floating to the darkened sky. Though I wasn't the one solving the issue this time, I was completely fine with it. Though still, I remain guilty over Twilight and the rest fixing a mistake of my own instigation, regardless what my stubborn girlfriend says to the contrary. You are both hopelessly stubborn. Why else do you suit each other so well? I'll take that as a compliment. That's your choice. So it is- A sudden flash of light encompassed the orange unicorn... Revealing then an orange Earth Pony, after pulling another hapless pony down from the looming vortex. The spell worked... That was it. Glancing over to Fluttershy and Rarity confirmed these suspicions; the yellow pegasus cheerfully flying around again, and white unicorn gleefully examining her returned horn. Trust Twilight to get work done as swiftly as possible. Now Jack. Right! It only took one mental grip between the edges of the storm, and single clap for the sky to be coated in blue and white once again. A party lasted all over Ponyville the rest of the day, any grievances towards Twilight vanquished by the joys of celebration. These ponies were always too forgiving anyway, which was fine in this case; I wouldn't tolerate any poor fool daring to yell at Twilight. I mean, that's my job! Most of the credit, really, goes also to Rainbow. The blue mare, in her temporary alicorn form, pulled off the spell after some minor difficulty, but pulled through at the end by encouragement from Twilight and, shockingly, goading from Discord. The pegasus was all too eager to spread the tale of how she performed the spell in the Princess's stead, and used it with little to no effort, as she put it. Well, we humoured her. Now, taking a break from the town-wide celebrations ourselves, I opted to help Twilight clean up the library after her frantic searches and attempts earlier. Though the mare could simply clear everything up with a small effort of her own magic, I had the suspicion she was letting me help simply so we could spend more time together. Hey, works for me! You'll never hear me complain about quality time with the pony of my dreams. "I probably should've told you of my intentions this morning to begin with." In the midst of the clean up, Twilight spoke up conversationally from the other side of the large round room, "Persuading me to stop before it started probably would've been the best cause." "...Probably," I responded in equal humour, rolling up a scroll delicately. "Then again, I don't dictate your life." "No, but you happily enjoy scolding others for making mistakes and refusing to heed your wise words." "Too true." Shared chuckles echoed across the library, a moment of simply enjoying another's company after a rather hectic day. Twilight's sigh was heard all the way here then. "I was so confident I could get it right." "I would've been too." Was my attempt to reassure the mare it was an earnest mistake on her part. "I still don't understand what went wrong. I looked through every detail thoroughly, made certain of all precautions, and even recited the incantation right! ...So what possibly happened to have made us switch wings and horns like that?" Discord? Chaos? The world having a sense of humour? ...Starswirl. ... No answer. Thought so. What Twilight said next incited me to pause from rolling up another parchment. "What I said before, about making things fair for our friends... That wasn't the only reason I used the spell." My gaze turned to Twilight curiously. I'm listening. The mare caught a glance of my expectant expression, setting everything down herself for a moment, taking a big sigh before steeling herself, admitting the full truth. "I... Also wanted to be prepared. For everyone too." Prepared? "...Prepared for what?" Violet eyes met my cyan stare. "For what's to come." I frowned, confused for a brief moment. Twilight clicked her tongue impatiently. "You said so yourself there were many more threats to come. I just thought, by making my friends alicorns, it would help them be ready for anything we face in the future, as we know we will. Though you're here to help, with the knowledge you have and share, that's appreciated and reassuring enough, but... Some additional help wouldn't be too much to ask for, right?" ...Oh Twilight... I smiled, both exasperation and humour, realizing the full truth now. Another typical response from Twilight; dreading something bad will happen, so acts upon it in an often well-meaning, but irrational manner. In this case, it was completely understandable. But still, rather amusing, and also cost the entire town and all of Ponyville. But I won't judge her for wanting to help everyone. "Regardless of what we face, what obstacles come before us, whatever hardships try to do us harm or grief." As I said, every word was one physical step closer to the uni- alicorn. "We have the one ultimate advantage: each other. You, me, Spike, our friends. Everyone else. We'll always support and back each other despite the threat in question, just like today. In this world, Twilight, the heroes always win." Myself notwithstanding. I was then a close proximity to the smiling mare, clasping a gently hoof under her muzzle fondly with my own charmed smile. "And the magic of friendship always triumphs." Twilight nodded positively, beaming lightly at the faith in her, in our friends. "I know. As long as we have each other, nothing can undermine us." "That's the spirit!" We exchanged amused yet blissful grins. "And besides, you have one particular ace in the hole, as you yourself have pointed out." A raised playful brow. "Which is?" I winked humouredly. "Yours truly." Twilight raised a hoof, giggling behind it beautifully. "Then at least we have one other advantage there." Yep... Maybe one day, the rest will finally become alicorns themselves, as was deserving of them. Also, Starswirl never told me what exactly his theory earlier about three of the mares having horns was... Ah well.