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The train ride to Canterlot took much less time than it usually did. Now that the train pulling ponies were at least double their previous height, it wasn't too difficult to spot the reason why.
It was the day after Twilight had sent her letter to the Princess via Derpy Mail. She had received the Princess's reply the morning after, thanks to her inconvenient lack of baby dragon. The letter had stated that Canterlot was affected by the spell to, and possibly the whole world. The whole world! Twilight had a hard time wrapping her head around that. How could her spell have affected such a wide area?
The train slowed to a stop in Canterlot. The trains station here was much more lavish than the one in Ponyville, with tall columns stone arches. Fancily dressed Alicorns were going about their business, doing whatever it is Alicorns did all day.
The six mares and former baby dragon trotted out of the station. Alicorns stopped to stare at Twilight, as though the possibility of somepony being an Earth pony was completely foreign to them. It's only been one day..., Twilight thought.
The familiar architecture of Canterlot helped put Twilight at ease. She had grown up here, learned magic here. They passed by several familiar landmarks, each one making her feel slightly better.
The Princess's reply had said very little, containing only a few sentences. I will be busy attending to some business that may be even more important than this Alicorn business. Please meet my sister in the palace, she will help you.
The mares arrived at the castle. When they came here before, the twisting spires of the castle seemed to pierce the heavens, standing as an awe-inspiring symbol of the Princess's power. Now, the spires didn't seem so intimidating.
Two Alicorn guards were standing on either side of the castle gates. Usually, the guards would be stony faced and serious, but now they were visibly trying to hold back smiles. Twilight could tell they were happy being Alicorns. She started to wonder if it was really that big a problem.
As they walked through the castle courtyard, she immediately changed her mind as the assembled Alicorn nobles looked down at her. They were frowning, and obviously didn't approve of her hornless, wingless presence. Twilight blushed and trotted ahead, into one of the smaller, abandoned corridors.
Her friends caught up with her, apparently having noticed what had made Twilight run out. "It's only been one day!" she growled. "They should show me some respect! I'm the one who turned them into what they are!"
"Dear, don't you worry about what they think," comforted Rarity. "They always think they're better than everypony else. Remember the Gala?" Twilight nodded. The Gala was not something she was going to forget any time soon.
Rarity used her magic to remove a large-brimmed hat from her saddlebags. "Here you go, dear," she said, placing the hat on Twilight's head. "This will hide the fact that you don't have a horn." She pulled out a dark purple dress, decorated with a star pattern. "This will hide your lack of wings!"
Everypony stared at Rarity. "Um, Rarity, why are ya' carryin' a dress Twilight's size around in yer' bags?" Applejack asked. Rarity rolled her eyes.
"In case of a dress emergency!" she answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Applejack rolled her eyes as Twilight put on the dress.
"Thanks, Rarity." she said. "Are we all set? Let's go see the Princess!"
---
Luna nervously paced around the throne room, not sure how to handle the situation. Twilight and her friends were due any second. How should she greet them, formally or casually? They did save her from herself, not to mention helping her on Nightmare Night. She decided to be casual.
A closet had been placed beside the throne, sticking out like a sore hoof. The mares would probably question what it was doing there, but she hoped not. She really hadn't thought of a way to explain that.
Her sister was currently hiding in the closet, waiting to hear the meeting that was about to take place. She had insisted on being hidden, as she hadn't wanted anypony else to see her as she was.
But Luna was nervous for more reasons than just social anxiety. She honestly didn't know how to fix this. She'd never even heard of a spell to turn regular ponies into Alicorns! Celestia probably knew, but that was irrelevant now.
One of the guards flanking either side of the doors cleared his throat. "The Elements of Harmony are here, Princess." he stated, voice echoing and reverberating through the large room. She covered her ears and cringed.
No need to shout, she thought. "Let them in!" she said. Luna made a mental note to cast a sound muffling spell over the throne room next chance she got.
The large doors of the throne room swung open, allowing entrance to the Elements of Harmony. Luna looked curiously at Twilight. She was wearing a large brimmed hat and a beautiful purple dress. Was she supposed to have dressed up for this occasion? Had she already messed up? Luna calmed down upon noticing that the others weren't dressed up either.
But something looked wrong with Twilight. She wasn't as tall as the others. In her letter, she stated that she was unable to perform the spell to fix everything...
Oh.
---
The closet was dark and smelled like sweat. Celestia had salvaged it from the servant's quarters, and did not want to think about what went on in here to get it smelling that way. She shifted in the small, cramped space, trying to get a comfortable position. Strange. I wouldn't even have been able to fit in here yesterday, Celestia thought.
The princess of the sun heard the doors to the throne room open, and the sound of hooves striking the floor as her protegé and her friends trotted in.
After a moment, she could hear Luna speak up. "'Sup, Elements of Harmony! How art thou today?"
Celestia facehooved. Luna must have decided to go with the casual greeting. Her sister continued. "There has been a terrible accident! But, you knew that already, of course..." She blushed, her social anxiety getting the better of her. "But, um, I am not blaming you or anything... Um...
Celestia something shift underneath her. Uh oh, she thought. I probably should have emptied this out first...
"What's that closet doing there?" she heard Twilight ask. The items she was sitting on shifted again, threatening to fall over.
"Don't open it!" shouted Luna.
Very smooth, Luna.
Something underneath her moved again. She lost her balance, tumbling through the door and spilling out onto the floor.
Twilight jumped up in surprise. Her hat flew off her head with the sudden movement.
Celestia noticed her student's missing horn.
Twilight recognized the Earth pony in front of her as her princess.
Luna saw what was about to happen, and covered her ears with her hooves. She regretted not casting the sound muffling spell.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Somewhere far away, a pony with a window cutie mark opened a fortune cookie. You will come into a vast sum of money in your near future, it said.