//------------------------------//
// FoME's Hex a Hedron (Estee's "Nightmare fuel, for the Nightmare Bus, to drive off Nightmare Cliff, into Nightmare Canyon.") 
// Story: Never the Final Word (Vol. 2) 
// by FanOfMostEverything 
//------------------------------//

"Now understand, Twilight," said Rarity, smiling as though she hadn't helped corner the mare in her own library-tree, "we aren't mad at you."

Applejack snorted. "I'm plenty mad."

"Very well, I'm not mad at you, and Applejack won't kick a friend when she's so clearly sorry, will she?"

"Wasn't ever gonna, but Twi ain't the only one who has experience lecturin'. And this is right up there with what Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have gotten into."

Twilight, ears flattened so much they actually hurt, bit her lip. "Would it help if I pointed out that it was completely harmless?"

The matching glares her friends—please still be her friends—gave her was answer enough. "Darling," Rarity said, managing to turn the term of endearment into some combination of condescension and condemnation, "you are clearly working with a... unique definition of 'harm.'"

Applejack took a deep breath. "Look, Twi, just change 'em back an' we can forget about this for a while. Shoot, someday we'll probably look back on this an' laugh. But right now, it ain't funny."

Twilight swallowed. "Uh, about that..."

Rarity took what few inches she had on the other unicorn and loomed over her. "Twiliiiight."

For a brief moment, Twilight forgot just whose little sister she was. The words came tumbling out in a panic. "You have to admit, it is interesting. I mean, it's almost nothing compared to Discord's warping or even the plant-animal hybrids I accidentally produced just before the Mirror Pool incident, which is a whole other kettle of kelp, really. Still, if I could accomplish cross-kingdom transmutations by accident, I figured I could achieve something relatively simpler intentionally." Twilight started feeling light-headed. She sped up to counteract her hyperventilation. "But Owloysius flew off when I explained the idea and I needed a test subject or two and I couldn't find Spike and I don't know reptile biology well enough and Angel had bears on retainer and mmf mrff mm— Mm?"

Applejack gave her a sympathetic look to go with the hoof shoved against her mouth. "Easy there, Twi. Like I said, just change 'em back and we're square."

"Even if that's rather the problem now," Rarity said, winking to take the sting out of it.

Twilight took a step back and performed her breathing exercise a few times. "Okay. I'm okay."

"And Opalescence and Winona?" Rarity tilted her head towards the currently cubic pets, who were sleeping next to each other.

"It should be temporary. If they're still Braytonic solids by tomorrow, I should have a counterspell ready by then."

"Should?" Applejack's eyebrow briefly brought rising guillotine blades to Twilight's mind.

She shook the image out of her head. "Will. But... can we maybe not make this a letter to the Princess?"

Both nodded. "As long as you learn from it, Twilight." Rarity held her in a gentle embrace for a moment.

The moment ended when Applejack cleared her throat. "One o' you wanna help me over here?" She held up a leash in her mouth, one connected to a collar designed for a neck that wasn't currently there. "This is lookin' a mite tricky."