Spike... stared... Looking at his friends. They had all been shrunken down into children.
Gabby was only a teenager, but now she was a proper kitten chick. Standing no bigger then a foal, with barely working wings.
Thorax was now barely out of grub-hood, a little younger then Ocellus. Thankfully still looking like a reformed ling.
Big Mac was a gangly colt. While tall for his age, he was clearly no older then 10.
Then Shining Armor looked like a male version of Twilight... as a colt.
The only one who hadn't changed was Spike... who was already a child. At least Spike kept his wings. He just got those, after all.
Even Discord was tiny!!! His body was much shorter, looking much like a foal, but with mix-matched limbs and an oddly formed head.
"Discord," Mac glared at the Draconequus, well simultaneously staring at his own scrawny leg... although he was shocked when he realized he had wings, AND a horn!!!
"Yes, Princess?" Discord grinned and Big Mac gave a panicked look between his legs. Relieved to find the colt was still a colt.
Once satisfied, he returned to glaring.
Discord sighed, "Look I just figured I'd up the difficulty. In this form, my Cosmic Powers are much less Cosmic. I'm no better then a Unicorn with a cutie mark in magic."
"But why are WE foals!!!" Shining glared.
"You would let me suffer alone!" Discord gaped, in mock hurt.
"At least change my fur back!!!" Shining demanded.
"I can't, weren't you listening," Discord rolled his eyes.
As the children's own eyes widened in horror, Discord did something uncharacteristic. After all, he had been taking lessons from Fluttershy. He attempted to ease their worries, "Relax, we'll revert to our real selves the moment we return to our dimension."
The children stared. So Spike took it on himself to ask, "And, if you can't use your powers, how will you turn off this Illusion?"
Discord huffed, "Firstly, I'm not an idiot. This isn't my first game of 'dimension hopping'. We can just use the Mirror portal. I might be a child, but I still have vast Knowledge of Cosmic law. I KNOW how to recalibrate the mirror to return us home.
"And second, this isn't an illusion, I legitimately brought us to another dimension. Figured I'd do my monthly good deed, well we play heroes."
Thorax gulped, "D-Discord-" but before he could ask.
Discord explained, "This dimension doesn't have element bearers. This world's Twilight didn't study under Celestia. In fact, Celestia isn't even on the throne."
"Then WHO is!" Shining panicked. Thinking it must be one of the villains his sister stopped.
"What cool costumes!!!" A familiar voice spoke from behind them.
Turning around, the now children saw... a large Alicorn king. He had green fur, and dressed in gold jewelry. A crown on his head, with twin antlers. He had a long horn, beautiful wings, and a short flowing mane, made of pure orange energy.
"Hi King Thorax!!!" Discord greeted the pony. "Thanks! We worked all year on them!" he lied.
Thorax nodded, looking at Big Mac, "I particularly like your horn. Looks very realistic."
"T-thanks..."
Thorax's pony eyes then scanned the other children. "Let's see, we got a Draconequus, a royal guard (always love to see more of those), a Griffin chick, a dragon, and a... what are you dressed up as little guy?" Pony Thorax asked ling Thorax.
The ling gulped, "I'm a changeling sir."
The king blinked, "Oh?... aren't you a bit too... colorful for that? The old myths said they were black, with holes in their legs."
"I'm reformed," The grub informed... feeling rather put out that changelings apparently hadn't rejected Chrysalis yet.
"OH!!! A 'REFORMED' changeling!!!" The king smiled widely. "I could never compete with the imagination of a child." he shook his head in wonder. While speaking as if HE wasn't one of the 'reformed' changelings... or really even aware that they were anything but Legends.
Thorax pony continued to smile at them, "Are you entering the costume contest?"
Discord grinned, "Nah, we'd win, like, ALL the ribbons." Sounding strangely boyish. "It wouldn't be fair to the others. We just wanted to look cool. After all," he pranced eagerly. "This is the first Summer Solstice Ponyville's had in like a bazillion years!!!"
Thorax pony laughed, "I appreciate you going to all the effort for me. Take care little ones!" Before wandering off to talk with more of his subjects.
Once Thorax pony was gone, All the, current children, snapped their heads at Discord.
The Draconequus just smiled at them. "The sisters are even changeling queens, in this reality."
Thorax gaped, "The Princesses are EVIL in this place!!!" they were the kindest mares he knew!
"Changelings don't work the same way as in our universe," explained Discord. "They don't need to 'reform' as they are naturally born good. Only if they're starving will their bodies turn black, they lose their manes and tail hairs, and their legs start to decay. Which is why the only ones ponies know about, are monsters, desperate for food.
"Celestia and Luna take care of the Fae Beetles Lings, as their are thousands of different species here. But we don't have to worry about them. We won't be here long enough.
"The real tragedy is there isn't any ME in this universe!!!"
The foals rolled their eyes.
Discord huffed, "I meant that literally. Without me, the Elements of Harmony can't exist. The universe is all about a balance, after all. Unfortunately King 'Solaris Thorax' is getting up in years. Alicorns only live for a few thousand years, in this dimension, and he can't handle everything that's about to happen. So we need to bring him a weapon of great power, so That he can find champions for this world. That is this sessions mission."
Gabby smiled, "So you brought us here to go on a REAL adventure, and save their reality. Awwwwwww Discord!!! That's so kind!!!"
Discord huffed, "Don't act so surprised. I have my moments."
"What are we looking for?" Shining asked.
"This universe's Infinity gems, jewels that represent Cosmic Law. We got to bring them to Thorax pony, and stop Nightmare Pharynx from getting them."
Grub Thorax froze.
Discord smiled, "Extra points if we can save him, to."
Thorax gave a firm nod, determined to get into the game. Even if this reality's Pharynx wasn't really his brother, Thorax refused to let him suffer.
Discord smiled, "Well kids? Are we ready to play?"