//------------------------------//
// Resumé 
// Story: Commutation 
// by Toraka 
//------------------------------//

As with all things, time passed, faster for some than others. Twilight Sparkle returned to her home tree just on the break of night as she had always meant to do. The air was still warm and the insects were singing to any audience who happened to be around. At least almost all of them did. For some reason that'd continue to baffle entomologists around Equestria for years after, the dreaded Sugar Hunter colony remained silent on that one night. Although she was studied in many fields, including that one, Twilight could not care much for insects right now. She was too overwhelmed with relief as her hooves made contact with solid ground again, granting her tired wings the rest for which they'd been screaming. 

She trotted inside, finding everything as she'd left it except for one room. Over in the kitchen, Rainbow Dash was busy preparing two portions' worth of salad in a display of magic worthy of herself. A reasonable thought, considering it was her own magic after all. With a combination of hooftips and wings to minimise noise, she made her way towards her loved one.

For obvious reasons, few ponies knew, but Dash could be ignorant as a packed mule at times, and this was one such time if there'd ever been one. Thus, when Twilight leapt in for a surprise hug from behind, she managed to catch her entirely off guard. "I'm back, Dashie," she whispered in a tone sweet as poison before jumping back down.

"Took ya long enough. Should we reverse the spell now?" Rainbow didn't turn around, for good reason. As ignorant as she could be at certain times, she would always deny with equal passion that she'd been startled, even if her adorable squeaks spoke otherwise. Celebrating her success with herself, Twilight led the way back to the main room where the runes were still glimmering with energy. Once there, Rainbow didn't speak a word, instead lowering her head and flaring magic into the configuration.

To say the reversed spell's effects were disappointing would be an understatement to put Equestria's greatest politicians to shame. There were no tendrils of magic, no moving mysteries, only a plain flash of light. Once the blinding wore off, they found themselves restored to the way they'd been born. Releasing a small disappointed sigh, Twilight erased the runewriting spell. "I hope you had fun as a unicorn?"

"Sure." With discreet pushes thinly disguised as affection, Dash worked on directing her love back towards the kitchen.

"Didn't make trouble?" Twilight inquired while her body obeyed the silent commands.

"Ah, how would I. Still, I'm glad to be back as a pegasus, even though you did wear 'em out. Well, you've got a... healthy unicorn's body, I suppose." Dash literally dodged the topic, bending down and stretching her wings out again as if they hadn't been used in weeks.

"Yes, I think that's our respective best."

"I'm just glad you came back at last." Rainbow finished her brief exercise and came back onto head height. "'Cause now, Sparky, you gotta make dinner."





Everything had to find its end somewhere, as did this day. However, Twilight couldn't sleep, not just yet. She had a duty to fulfill, no matter how much her surroundings enticed her. The gentle glow of the moon illuminated the sleeping beauty who had drifted out with her head gently pressed against Twilight's shoulders. She couldn't resist stroking her wonderful mane every now and again while drafting the next letter she'd send.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, Rainbow Dash joined me in a novel experiment, granting her flight to me and my magic to her. It was a very valuable lesson to learn, and I am glad that she could see it with me.

We do not like our friends because of what they are or what they can do for us. If anything, what they are helps us comprehend who they are, and it is important to never forget that nopony is quite the same in any way. Only today, for one day, I was allowed to go into the sky, to see freedom beyond gravity, and it has taught me more than months of friendship study.

Ponies cannot be reduced to being objects with a single purpose. Although we will never be able to do so to a satisfying extent, it is important that we at least try to imagine the other's life, to understand what might drive them, what they could be struggling with. Be it Rainbow's endless freedom limited by where her wingless friends can reach, my balance of power and appliance, or the darkness of Midnight's past, every pony is a new utopia to discover, a new war to win.

And never should anypony have to be measured by standards which are not her own. As the Sun and every star in Your sister's night sky are alike in kind, so is their purpose and being as different as any two ponies, even siblings. In the same manner, she should never be judged without respect to what she is, but never solely by that either, for nature and life may give us unexpected changes which we must encounter in unity and never forget that beyond what we encounter in our physical forms, that never changes who we truly are.

Your faithful student,

Before Twilight could finish with her mental signature, she was overtaken by an attack of the wonderful foe of sleep. Princess Celestia could wait. All that mattered was that Twilight still had her dearest pegasus, no matter what they'd go through.