The sun radiantly shone down, casting its warm and golden glow upon Ponyville, where tranquility and normalcy reigned supreme. Each pony went about their own activities, living in blissful harmony, but amidst the serene atmosphere, there was a group of friends who were experiencing an extraordinary and delightfully boisterous time.
"No, no, it was a turkey," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her exuberant gesture baffling Rarity. The Mane Six, united in their camaraderie, engaged in a series of enjoyable party games, unburdened by any recent difficulties. Starlight, off on a trip with Sunburst, wouldn't return for another week, leaving the friends to revel in each other's company.
"Thus far, we have partaken in charades, indulged in a thrilling match of 'Guess Who,' and challenged ourselves with various board games," Twilight announced, triumphantly crossing off each activity from her list. Fluttershy inquired about their next endeavor, to which Twilight pondered, "I'm not sure; we seem to have exhausted all the possibilities."
"Ugh," a voice resounded from the hallway, capturing their curiosity. Intrigued, the girls embarked on a quest to investigate the source of the commotion, which led them to a most unexpected sight. Opening the bathroom door, the friends discovered Spike, a familiar purple dragon, bent over, retching into the toilet. "Spike!" they all cried out in concern, their worry etched upon their faces.
With great effort, Spike managed to implore, "Please be quiet," before shutting his mouth and resuming his laborious task of expelling the contents of his stomach. Applejack, showing genuine care, asked, "You okay, sugarcube?" But Rainbow Dash skeptically remarked, "Does he look okay?"
"Please stop your bickering," Spike pleaded between bouts of sickness. Rarity, moved by compassion, stepped forward, intending to embrace him. Yet she hesitated, observing Spike's discomfort, and held herself back from initiating the physical affection. "I am so sorry," Spike managed to utter before continuing with his unrelenting upheaval.
Twilight inquired, concern evident in her voice, "When did this happen?" Spike replied, "After I had given all of you your snacks. I might requested a spell that could fix this." The group reconvened in the living room, surrounded by books that displayed knowledge of medicine and anatomy. Together, they delved into the vast collection, determined to find the elusive tome containing the remedy for Spike's distress.
Eureka! Pinkie Pie triumphantly declared, exclaiming, "I've found it, I've found it!" Her bright eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "It wasn't the book about making the perfect cake, but rather a book discussing the art of baking." Pinkie's enthusiasm, however, quickly dampened as she realized it wasn't the item she was searching for. "Wanna see a white-pinkie? That's not it!" she dejectedly muttered. Undeterred, the group pressed forward. Awaited the book-wielder, Applejack's perseverance paid off as she stumbled upon a spell that promised to cure stomach ailments.
Twilight, taking charge, read the incantation from the ancient tome, imbuing her words with a magical resonance that resonated within Spike's very being. The spell coursed through him, soothing his distressed stomach. In a single explosive moment, he expelled all the unpleasant fluids, yet amidst the goo, something caught Twilight's discerning eye. A piece of paper.
"I'm alright!" Spike proclaimed, his previous nausea and stomach pain lifted. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, their worries vanishing into thin air. Yet, as Twilight carefully examined the expelled matter, she discovered the presence of a folded note hidden within. Picking it up, she gingerly cleaned it off, eager to unveil its mysterious message.
"What does it say, Pinkie?" Applejack inquired, her curiosity piqued. "It was wrapped in paper, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash remarked, questioning Pinkie's suggestion. Twilight chimed in, "It appears to be an ancient Equestrian script, hearkening back to a bygone era when the princesses still roamed these lands."
So the princesses inadvertently dispatched a letter to Spike, erroneously addressed to Rarity. Although the handwriting does not match theirs, I can still interpret it as Twilight. Well, to interpret it, Rainbow Dash elucidated, as the others nodded in agreement.
Venture into a world unlike any other,
Seek out the hero and foster a bond between one another.
Fracture the sinister thief's nefarious scheme,
Preventing the awakening of the dark lord and his malicious regime.
Will you dare to embark upon this perilous quest?
"What is this about?" Applejack questioned. "It sounds rather unnerving," Fluttershy added meekly, while Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "Or cool and awesome!" Spike interjected, expressing hesitation about embarking on a quest after just recovering from a stomach ailment. "Oh, come on, Spike. Where is your sense of adventure?" Dash retorted. Twilight addressed the whole group, cautioning, "Rainbow Dash is correct in her reasoning, but we truly do not know the nature of this invitation. It could be a trap." Pinkie Pie interjected excitedly, "Or a plea for assistance. We are bound to make new friends on this adventure!"
Twilight's friends beseeched her to consider not ignoring a call for help. Even though she harbored reservations, stemming from past mishaps involving enchanted parchments, Twilight knew that it was no excuse to turn a blind eye. "Alright, let us proceed," Twilight conceded, just as the words on the page began to radiate a mystical emerald glow, accompanied by a hazy mist that enshrouded the group, Spike included.
"What in Equestria?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"This doesn't appear to be as delightful as I originally presumed," Rainbow Dash mused.
"Wait, it seems to be drawing me in as well," Spike voiced.
"I had planned on taking the day off," Rarity lamented.
"I had a feeling that this wouldn't end well," Applejack chimed in.
"Hold on, girls," Twilight implored.
"Why can't we ever encounter normal predicaments?" Fluttershy shivered, expressing her trepidation.
The haunting mist gradually enveloped the group, spinning and twirling, until...
BOOM!
A luminous whitish-green brilliance engulfed the entire room, though to unsuspecting onlookers below, it merely seemed like another whimsical escapade involving the princess and her friends. However, inside the crystallized parlor, there was no trace of anypony besides the enigmatic note, the true perpetrator of the unfolding enigma.
Twilight awakened in a bed, her mind shrouded in the haze of twilight. A sense of relief washed over her as she realized the previous events were merely a dream. However, as she surveyed her surroundings, she quickly discerned that she was not in her familiar quarters. The room she found herself in was unmistakably a dormitory, belonging to a prestigious boarding school. As she cast her gaze upon her own form, she was startled to discover that she had regained her human appearance. Yet, she was no longer the adolescent she once was; she now inhabited the body of a pre-teen.
Rising from the bed, Twilight approached the mirror with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. Her reflection confirmed the stark transformation, with only her lustrous hair remaining as a semblance of her former self. Her once-lavender skin had transformed into a rich, sun-bathed tone, evocative of long hours spent under its golden rays. Clad in a two-piece ensemble of resplendent purple pajamas, she stood contemplating this enigmatic metamorphosis.
The silence was broken by a voice emanating from a corner of the room. Twilight's eyes, now green orbs of intrigue and wonder, turned towards the source. There, before her, stood a diminutive figure - a small dog adorned with sleek black fur and captivating eyes of emerald hue. "Spike?" she whispered, her voice laced with both astonishment and uncertainty. "Twilight?" he responded in kind, his own eyes inspecting the transformed bodies before him. Perplexed by their shared fate, he posed an unspoken question.
"What has happen to us?" Spike inquired, searching for answers. After a moment of contemplation, Twilight's voice resounded with a newfound understanding. "It appears that during our transportation, our beings underwent a profound transfiguration," she explained. Piqued by curiosity, Spike further mused, his dissatisfaction palpable. "But why am I transform into a dog while you're an human?" he questioned, desiring a justification. Twilight, poised to offer an explanation, suddenly halted in her tracks, realization dawning upon her.
In a moment of epiphany, Twilight's thoughts trailed off as she questioned the undeniable truth: if she was now human...
She emerged from her chamber in search of their respective quarters. As the twilight enveloped her, Spike manifested beside her, but a strange scent caught his attention. "Wait, Twilight. I catch a whiff of something weird," he muttered, pointing towards a particular door. Twilight cautiously unlocked it, revealing a petite girl adorned with rosy tresses, attired in a pale yellow blouse and light blue shorts, exemplifying her Japanese heritage.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight questioned, her gaze fixated on the approaching girl and loyal dog companion. "Twilight!" Spike chimed in, as Fluttershy, albeit struggling, endeavored to traverse the room. "Allow me to assist, Twilight," she offered graciously, extending a supportive arm to help steady Fluttershy's stance. "Twilight, what has happen to us?" Fluttershy inquired, her steps growing steadier. "Fear not, I'll find a way out of this. But first, let get the others here," Twilight reassured her, guiding Fluttershy out of the room. Meanwhile, Spike, with his remarkable olfactory abilities, swiftly detected the scent of the others.
The subsequent room unveiled a girl of Latinx descent, garbed in a bewitching black sports bra and matching undergarments. However, her most arresting feature was her vibrant, rainbow-hued locks. "Celestia be praised! You have arrived here as well," exclaimed Rainbow Dash, struggling with her own locomotion.
In the adjacent room, a girl adorned with blonde tresses donning a striped pajama set encountered a slight mishap. "Ah!" Applejack yelped, succumbing to a stumble.
The subsequent room played host to Rarity, her lustrous violet mane cascading around her as she lounged in an exquisite nightgown. "Darlings, what could have detained all of you for such an unjust length of time?" lamented Rarity, while the girls rolled their eyes, and Spike regarded her with a wagging tail.
Finally, the enigmatic Pinkie Pie remained to be located. "Spike, can you lend your scent to find her?" Applejack implored, her concern for her cousin palpable. "Indeed, she is right... HERE!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with infectious delight, causing everyone to startle and inadvertently scrutinize her appearance. Her cocoa-hued complexion juxtaposed strikingly against her vibrant pink Afro, while her attire comprised a whimsical pink shirt adorned with a teddy bear motif and matching shorts. "So, what seems to be the matter?" Pinkie Pie nonchalantly voiced, as if oblivious to the prior commotion. "Never mind; we must focus on our mission," Twilight interjected, truncating Rarity's further inquiries.
As the girls pondered their next course of action, a man confined to a wheelchair interjected, startling them. Possessing a dusky complexion and thinning, silver hair, he donned a tweed jacket, accompanied by a white shirt and vibrant red tie. "Pray tell, what brings you all here?" he inquired curiously, as Twilight perceptively released Spike to avoid any potential quandaries. "Well, sir, we are..." Rainbow Dash attempted to conjure a plausible excuse. "Running late for class, that's what you are. I suggest you hasten, as some of the teachers are far from forgiving," the man interjected, graciously offering guidance. "Thank you, Mr..." Applejack hesitantly trailed off, her recollection of the teacher's name escaping her. "Brunner," the gentleman supplied, unveiling his identity.
"What shall we do now?" Rarity questioned, her voice threaded with uncertainty. "Until we have more knowledge, we blend in," Twilight proposed sagely. In accordance with her suggestion, the six friends retreated to their respective abodes to retrieve their uniforms. Yet, upon procuring the garments, they were confounded by the complexities of their schedules, rendering the directions unreadable.
"How can we go anywhere if we cannot read the directions?" pondered Fluttershy pensively.
Before anyone could discover a solution, the group beheld a young boy strolling towards them, characterized by his cascading tresses of dirty blond curls, captivating azure eyes, and a slightly towering stature.
"Excusez-moi, jeune homme," Rarity called out, allure dripping from her velvet voice. The boy glanced over to apprehend their approach, briefly pivoted away, and then pressed onward. "Hey! We're new to this school and desperately require help in finding our class," Pinkie Pie exclaimed. " Oh! And what next you’ll lead me to janitor closet and lock me there for 2 whole periods again,not buying that trick again!" the boy swiftly retorted, his tone embodying indignation.
"No, we simply require directions to our next class," Twilight said.
The boy's attention was consequently captured by Twilight, who firmly extended the schedule towards him. This encounter prompted him to momentarily squint while examining the paper. "Ah, I see your first period is science class, Mr. Old is the teacher," the boy announced with a sagacious air. Expressing her gratitude, Twilight imparted, "Much obliged, sugarcube Applejack." The boy gazed quizzically at her, his countenance suggesting that she had spoken an unfamiliar tongue. "Not to worry, that my first class of the day as well. Follow me," he cordially responded.
Placing their trust in this enigmatic institution, they trailed behind their newfound guide. Curiosity getting the best of Fluttershy, she inquired, "So, what might your name be?". Eventually, he halted, extending his hand in welcome. "I am Percy. Percy Jackson," he revealed, his voice carrying a hint of mystery and untold adventures.