//------------------------------//
// A Stone By Any Other Name 
// Story: Part Dragon, Part Princess 
// by Ultimus Pendragon 
//------------------------------//

Spike was the first one out of the group assembled in the library to want so badly to throw Twilight out of the closest window. It wouldn't be crazy to do something like that, not with everything else that's happened recently. 

Wouldn't it?

''So, once we have all of the things that me. . .or future me gave us,'' Twilight rolled her eyes at the time-traveling antics of herself, and essentially any version of her that already have, or will have done this. ''We should be able to reverse this, and according to the notes, it seems that we have little time to do this before we lose this chance.''

Cadance half-listened, more preoccupied with the thought of Flurry Heart and Shining Armour to want to do anything to contribute to the conversation. It had been some time since the 'event' that took place back home, and Cadance would be lying to herself if she did not say that she still felt hesitance with every step she and Spike took in each other's bodies. 

It took all of her willpower to not want to cry.

''Can we be sure this time? You know-'' Spike started to bring light to the previous 'situation' with Twilight that was about as scary as Angel Bunny having a voice.

''-Yes, yes, I know, Spike. But this time there is a big difference in comparison to last time.'' Twilight said, hoping to deflect some of the anger from Spike to somewhere else.

''And what is that?''

Twilight simply smiled. ''It's not me actually causing the trouble this time directly.''

Spike's left eye ticked, the underlying vein nearly bursting from the amount of stress; ever since his mind got switched with Cadance's, the entire process made the idea of ever achieving some form of higher understanding of why this happened to seem almost impossible. ''Great; we're doomed.''

''. . .What if we have to keep this up longer?'' Cadance's thought came out of her mouth, though it was too late. ''We could be like this forever.''

Twilight chuckled a bit but reassured her sister that everything would be fine if nothing else got thrown in the works to make the situation the two were in worse than anypony could imagine. Though Cadance bought the schtick of Twilight for the moment, the quest, so to speak that she and Spike would need to embark on would be an entirely different beast to tackle. ''If what I said held any kind of weight-''

''-And it may not,'' Spike quipped back annoyed, the glint in Twilight's eyes giving him more than enough reason to be quiet for the moment after he spoke his piece. ''How sure are you about this?''

''Mmm. . .about 97%,'' Twilight mused, looking over the notes that were given to her by. . .well, herself. As soon as she came,  Twilight's other self left, only leaving a small list of things that would hopefully be the key to undoing the predicament. ''Luckily one of the items we already have, but the other two may prove to be the true test of whether or not the two of you will have to stay this way or not.''

Spike huffed, letting his body slowly drop to the floor as his feathers ruffled, a spark of magic half-igniting from his horn. The wood of the library floor was a bit comforting and mildly warm as opposed to standing. Small rhythmic thrums caused his head to faintly turn left and right. Thump. Thump. Thump.

''Spike?'' Twilight called, the word throwing him for more of a loop as he snorted, standing to hear a scraping of the floor come from Twilight's hoof in what looked to be almost hesitation. Each second dragged on longer than the next as Spike's mind began to wander. ''I'm. . .sorry.''

Sorry?

''. . .Sorry? That's what you have to say; Twilight? Sorry? 'Oh, pardon me, Spike and Cadence for doing one of the few things that could inconvenience anypony's life and so much more!' Where are my manners?'' Spike's haughty laugh was only outweighed by the grand sweep of a hoof in front of the fantasy section. ''And it's ironic if you think about it for a second; fantasy would be the wildest dream ever until it actually happens.''

''S-Spike,'' Twilight stammered, inching closer as Cadence still looked downtrodden at the prospect of the other Twilight's plan to fix this not going according to plan. No kisses from Flurry Heart, none from her Shining Whiny, no longer being an Alicorn, and worst of all. . .

Not being able to spread the love around Equestria.

The thought alone nearly made her want to faint the longer she thought about it if she already hadn't and chose not to pay the thought any mind at all. The crushing pressure, the bitter air that sapped her sense of reason by the second, and the wave of tears pulled from her face and onto the ground as Cadance wept silently while Spike gave more of his mind to Twilight as all other sound began to cancel out.




A sea of sounds came to Cadance before anything else. Had Spike or Twilight managed to do something again? A rumbling came, Cadance's mind began to swim with thoughts that none of them were good enough to give her any relief.

''Cadance? Are you awake?'' Spike's voice called out to her as Cadance rubbed her eyes with her claws, opening her eyes to gaze at herself looking rather drained of life, from the sunken eyes all the way to the dull tinge of pink that paraded her coat. She. . .rather, Spike looked to be at his wit's end. ''We have to go,'' Spike said, his voice sounding rather hoarse.

''Huh? Where to? D-Did something happen again?'' Cadance asked. And why did she feel so. . .strange?

Spike huffed, only being able to shake his head for the moment; unsure of what they would need to do next unless it would be the defining moment in making sure that the two of them could return to their normal lives. This shouldn't be happening to the two of them.

But fate had different plans for them.

''We're changing, and I think it's going to get worse.''