High above Ponyville, atop the roiling white storm clouds, bounces along a lonely, wearied human. The cold, wet air soaks his bare skin, leaving him shivering and miserable. At least he still feels pinpricks of pain from his exposed fingers and toes. But the threat of their numbness leaves him fretfully flexing them every time a bolt of lightning streaks among the clouds underneath. Far worse than working Winter Wrap Up, especially given his lack of gloves, or boots, or anything at all, really.
The turbulent air keeps rocking him back and forth, making it especially difficult to keep his legs pointing the correct direction. No wonder planes don’t want to fly anywhere close to these monstrosities, and he’s going nowhere near as fast as they do. Now, if his body starts icing over, that might be a whole ‘nother issue, but so far it just seems to be a dampness soaking into every crevice and flattening his hair against his head, running into his eyes whenever too much accumulates.
He needs to end this, before he drops from exhaustion. He wasn’t having an easy time turning at the start, and if anything it’s only gotten more difficult as his muscles tire. If he relaxes, his upper half tips over, leaving him pointed at the ground. But that’s going to happen sooner or later, and he hasn’t seen wing or feather of a pegasus since this fiasco started.
At least his cutie mark is satisfied, and Ponyville has gotten the storm it needed. Needed? Deserved. Now, he can finally rest. Next time he does this, he’s definitely dressing for the occasion. He doesn’t recall having difficulty wearing pants with the clouds spewing from behind (metaphorically, he hopes; he hasn’t quite had the nerve to check) but at the very least he can wear a jacket.
Doug groans as he tilts his body towards the one remaining recognizable landmark in Ponyville: Sweet Apple Acres. The rest of the town is completely covered in white, at least from above. He could also orient himself based on the Canterhorn, and Canterlot gleaming at the top, but it looks like the farm could use a little extra love.
He lets his body tilt down just slightly, enough to begin a shallow descent. He avoids the existing clouds whenever possible; not only because he has no instruments and thus absolutely no way of determining how fast he is descending through the opaque clouds, but also because it would be a far less comfortable ride, and getting disoriented and zooming straight into the ground would leave a bloody red mark on what is otherwise a clean flying record.
His abs and back protest as he swings a wide arc over the apple orchards, finally dipping low enough to get underneath the storm clouds. Rain blankets Ponyville, covering everything in a dark, dull haze. The streetlights are barely visible as he accelerates towards the Boutique, his mind running through just exactly how he’ll be able to stop himself in place. He’ll need to do a wide, looping arc that leaves him facing away from the Boutique, able to slow himself down and at the same time not climb into the solid clouds or dive into the ground. He starts his turn, and-
Wait, why are so many lights on in the library? A frown replaces his look of grim determination. Is Twilight okay? He could understand one light, if she was just having trouble sleeping with the storm, or wanted to do some late night studying with Owlowiscious. But that looks like she’s having a party, and why would Pinkie Pie be throwing a party?
He adjusts his course, as best he can, aiming himself towards the front door. Or one of the upper story windows. Well, vaguely towards the Golden Oaks Library. Sort of.
Inside the library, Twilight numbly stares at the swept-clean floor. Her eyes keep picking out the minute pieces of mud her Friends had tracked in, even though they had cleaned themselves off. Little pieces of gunk that cling to them, even now. Just like the fragments of her Friend’s personalities cling to the ponies they used to be a part of. Like a stain that refuses to wash out, no matter how many tears she cries.
It should have been obvious, right? Rarity was rarely inclined to get that dirty. Or that defensive about what she is doing. Sure; she, like the rest of her Friends, could be a little combative from time to time or if goaded. Especially when relating to her Boutique or clothing in general. At least they are all still with her. They haven’t abandoned her completely, and she won’t abandon them. Sitting in a rough circle, though Starlight is off on her own doodling or something.
She knows the Destiny of her Friends is intertwined. Especially with how Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom had served as the inspiration for when all of her Friends, including herself, got their cutie marks. But this spell that she cast, that turned her friends into twisted mockeries of themselves and each other? Especially Rarity and Rainbow Dash, but it’s true of all of them! Would they keep warping, ending up hideous amalgamations of each other like Discord is a horrific mashup of creatures?
“Hey, Twilight, don’t worry. We can still fix this, right?”
The worried voice of her Best Assistant Ever breaks Twilight from her despondency. She barely lifts her frazzled head to look at him, her eyes resting more on his feet than his face.
“You’ll just cast the counter-spell to turn them back, right?”
She hates herself for crushing the hopeful tone in Spike’s voice. “There is no counter-spell.”
“Oh.” Spike considers for another few seconds, yet he remains surprisingly optimistic. “Why don’t you just remind them of who they are, like when Discord attacked a few days ago?”
“Because who they are has changed, Spike. Their true selves have been altered!” Twilight looks at her flank. The six stars continue shining brightly, almost mockingly so.
“Letter to the Princesses?”
Twilight shakes her head. “Maybe if I’m well and truly stuck. But until then?”
“Seven hour bubble bath?” Spike offers hopefully.
“I don’t think a cure for poison joke is called for,” Twilight says, agonizing.
“It wasn’t for them,” Spike dryly says, rolling his eyes.
“I’ve got it!” Starlight exclaims loudly, pulling away from her parchment as everypony flinches. She turns to Twilight. “I’ve been watching the swap, and I think I’ve come up with a way to swap a pony’s cutie mark with another!”
“Really?” Twilight shouts excitedly. She grabs at the parchment, Starlight’s feeble grasp unable to keep it from her. As she reads it through, her face falls. “But, this is only temporary. It’ll last for-”
Twilight’s eyes go wide as Starlight’s horn lights. “No!”
A turquoise beam blasts both Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Everypony watches, mouths agape, as Rainbow Dash’s three teal diamonds peel off her flank, waft through the air like a stray piece of paper, and land on Rarity’s flank, adhering like they belong there.
“Now, Ah saw that, and that ain’t natural.” Applejack shakes her head. “Darling, please tell me you don’t plan on doing that again.”
“Maybe it’ll work out,” Twilight says, glaring at Starlight though she can’t help but nod grudgingly. “After all, Rarity wouldn’t have been able to swap with Doug when he returns. Hopefully, Rainbow will be able to.”
“Hah!” Starlight says, sticking her tongue out at Twilight. “Maybe sometimes a quick magical solution is the best!”
Twilight ignores her, dropping down to study the spell. “This is fascinating… and, if I’m not mistaken, scalable. But the power requirement is incredible! Exponential, for every additional pony! I don’t know if I could even cast it! Maybe Celestia could, but…” Twilight trails off, deep in thought. She finally sighs. “But it’s temporary. I’d have to recast it on them… every day?”
Spike says a little louder, “Maybe it won’t be so bad! You know, they’ll learn to live with the changes?”
Twilight sighs, dejected. “Maybe. But, they aren’t who they are meant to be anymore. Their Destinies have been altered, and there’s no telling what will happen if I don’t put this back the way it should be! It’s all my fault!” She buries her head in her hooves, sobbing.
“Well, if’n there ain’t anything left, Ah got a whole heap o’ apples Ah need to dress up.” Applejack shakes her head, then enunciates her words far clearer than normal, limply shaking a hoof. “I can’t believe I’ve been selling plain old apples this whole time. I could have been doing so much more with them!”
“And Ah think there are a whole bunch of frowns Ah need to go turn upside down back at the cottage.” Fluttershy grins at her Friends. “Y’all need anything before Ah go?”
“It’ll be okay, darling,” Rainbow Dash says reassuringly, a hoof coming up to stroke Twilight’s back. “We just have to think this through. What can we use besides what we have here?”
Twilight glumly shakes her head, her outlook bleak, yet there is a glimmer of hope. “I have to find a way, to make this all okay.” She looks around to each of her Friends, meeting their steady gaze.
“Maybe we just need to go back to the beginning,” suggests Rarity, clumsily sitting down next to Twilight and leaning on her for support. She yawns. “That always helps me when I’m struggling with a problem.”
Twilight focuses, and moments later Star Swirl’s spell book levitates from her room. She reads aloud, though her horn remains unlit. “A mark of one’s destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled.” She grumbles, shaking her head. “But, these marks aren’t alone. They aren’t singled out. They're intermingling!” She grits her teeth, hooves pulling at her mane.
Applejack and Fluttershy, though they originally started to get up to leave, settle back down. Applejack says, “That don’t make a lick of sense. You sure that’s how it’s supposed to go?”
Twilight nods, then shakes her head. “It’s the spell I cast, so it did something. But it’s definitely not how it’s supposed to go.”
“Well, Twilight,” Fluttershy says quietly, “we’ll be here to help you in any way we can. Because that’s what Friends do!” She glances back towards her cottage, muttering to herself, “Even if those friends have other things they need to be doing.”
Twilight smiles softly. “Thank you, all. You are all certainly true friends.” Her eye twitches, frowning as her brow furrows. “True friends…”
Twilight stares up to the ceiling. “We need to get Doug, and his cutie mark, back here.” She turns to Rainbow Dash. “How does the best flier in Equestria feel about going out there and getting him?”
“I’m flattered you think that,” Rainbow Dash says modestly, “but I’m just a small town seamstress and dressmaker.” Rainbow Dash chances a glance out the window. “With your brains, and my whining, and Pinkie Pie’s crazy ability to do anything? Impossible. I mean, if we only had a hot air balloon, that would be something!”
Twilight groans to herself. Obviously, Starlight’s spell did not completely change her Friend’s personalities. Merely their cutie marks.
“Where does Cherry Berry put that hot air balloon of hers?” Rarity demands from Spike.
“Over at Cherry Berry’s, I think,” Spike replies.
“Then why didn’t you list that among our assets in the first place,” Rainbow Dash growls out. She raps a hoof against her head a few times. “If only we had a-”
The front door blasts open, Doug howling as he tumbles through the room. A white cloud billows out from behind him, rapidly obscuring everything in a thick white fog. A second crash echoes through the room as Doug hits the far wall, his moans competing with the hysterical shouts of everypony.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yells above the din, “Go to Doug! Now!!”
She feels her herdmate leave her side. Twilight’s horn glows, trying to sweep away the wet, thick clouds that continuously pour into the room, flooding her sight with diffused light.
After a few frantic seconds a loud *thud* comes from one corner of the room, the sound of a human falling to the ground and groaning. A maelstrom of light blue radiates through the room, every window slamming open. A strong wind blows through the library, ripping books from the shelves. The thick clouds quickly disperse, leaving Rarity, white cloud and teal lightning bolt on her flank, standing next to Rainbow Dash, who has three diamonds colored red, blue, and yellow.
“Huh,” Rarity and Rainbow Dash say in unison, looking at each other’s cutie mark. “Is that supposed to happen?”
“Starlight!” Twilight bellows, turning on the unrepentant unicorn. “Your spell messed up!”
Starlight rolls her eyes. “No, I think your spell had a poor interaction with mine.”
Twilight growls low, eye squinting as her mind flips through all the things she wants to do to the recalcitrant mare. Only for Rarity and Rainbow Dash to both bolt outside; she quickly follows.
Rarity’s horn flares, a wide beam directed upwards. She grins, happily nodding at the result, one hoof sweeping up as if to display the night sky to her herdmate. “There, Twilight! Isn’t that wonderful? A true testament to my talent? An awesome arrangement of my abilities?”
“Please,” Rainbow says with a roll of her eyes. “That’s hardly what I would call tasteful.”
Twilight gapes as she gazes at the checkered black and white storm clouds. That had taken a truly terrifying amount of thaums to transform. She can’t help herself. “Black and white? It doesn’t seem like your normal… tableau.”
“Hmm, I suppose you are right,” admits Rarity as she gathers a bit more power into her horn. She zaps the sky again. “There!”
Twilight thought her gape couldn’t get any larger, but it could. Intermixed among the black and white boxes are horizontal and vertical lines of gray. “You’ve gone to plaid?”
Rarity smirks. “That isn’t too ludicrous for you, is it?”
“No,” Twilight says reluctantly, gulping as she looks inside at Applejack. The only pony she knows to wear plaid. A design that has all different colors woven together, almost as if their destinies are intertwined. Perhaps…
Twilight dives back inside the library, quill in aura as she pulls Star Swirl’s spell book to herself. She scribbles a few lines, grinning madly. “YES!!” she shouts, horn aglow, charging the most powerful spell she has ever cast.
“From all of us together, together we’re Friends. With the marks of our Destinies made one, there is magic without end!!”
Twilight Sparkle disappears with a shower of white, yellow, orange, red, blue, and purple sparks, leaving no trace of the lavender unicorn.