The sun rose much slower than Twilight Sparkle remembered, but she knew why. It was the day before the Winter Moon Festival. She got out of bed slowly, but then jolted awake when she found that she wasn’t in the library. She was back in her old room in Canterlot. She looked around panickedly and tried to shake herself out of the dream, though it wasn’t a dream. “Spike! Spike!” she called out to the empty room. “Spike, where are you?” When there was no answer, she ran down the stairs and dashed towards the Canterlot library where she was sure Spike was. She passed by several stallions that she thought she recognized, but couldn't quite recognize for some reason.
Finally, she made it to the library where her familiar baby dragon assistant was on his way to get her, resulting in the two colliding and being thrown backwards. Twilight looked up to see herself in a mirror, only she wasn’t a “she” at all. Somehow, she had been turned into a stallion! That’s when she suddenly remembered the events of the past night.
Spike was taking yet another 7-hour bubble bath when Twilight heard a knock at the door. Derpy Hooves was at the door with a package for her from Princess Celestia. Twilight gave Derpy her muffin and shut the door. She walked inside, removing the letter attached. As she opened the package, she read the letter out loud. “Dear Twilight Sparkle. Contained in this book is Starswirl the Bearded’s ultimate secret spell dubbed simply ‘Spell 63.’ It’s said that it was because of this spell that he disappeared. Only recently have I discovered it, but I am unable to figure out how to cast it. I am giving you the task of casting the spell and reporting what it does as soon as you find out.” She examined the book for a moment. The cover was completely deep black. Not a single word or design broke the solid blackness. She opened the book, but many of the pages were completely blank. She continued to flip through the pages until she finally found a page with some text on it. She read the text aloud. “From colt to filly. Stallion to mare. An alternate being, personalities they share. But to bring them to life, a sacrifice you must give... You’re worst nightmare, you must relive.” Suddenly, her horn began glowing brightly and uncontrollably, she began floating into the air with strange entities of light floating all around her, encasing her body, similarly to what had happened when she was turned into an Alicorn. However, this was different. She felt like she was getting sucked through a tube to some unknown place. Next thing she knew, she had woken up back in Canterlot and she was not only a stallion, but no longer a princess. (Or would it be prince in this world?) She was just a regular unicorn, again!
“Dusk Shine,” the baby dragon said, getting up. “what’s the rush?”
Dusk Shine? Who was Dusk Shine? Suddenly, the confused stallion realized that he was Dusk Shine. Dusk Shine got up slowly, still hoping this was all still a nightmare, which he finally realized that it wasn't. “Spike,” Dusk Shine said, “what’s going on?”
“Dusk Shine, are you okay?” asked the baby dragon. Dusk Shine saw that Spike was extending his hand to help him up, but it wasn't Spike. It was some female baby dragon. “That hit you took yesterday must have messed up your memory. Did you forget that my name was Barbra?”
“Uh, yeah. That hit... really messed things up.” Dusk Shine accepted Barbra’s hand and got up off the ground, wondering what the dragon was talking about. “I think I’m okay now, though. Hey, can you help me find a book?”
“I guess,” Barbra replied. “What book were you looking for?”
“The reference guide to magical charms and amulets. Something that might have info on the Elements of Harmony in it.” As Dusk Shine was saying this, he frantically galloped around the library, trying to remember where the book he was looking for was.
“Is this it?” Barbra asked from atop a ladder, holding the very book Dusk Shine was looking for.
Right, Dusk Shine thought to himself. Spike found the book for me. “Yes, I think that’s it. Toss it down here.” Barbra did as she was told and threw the book down to Dusk Shine, who caught it with his magic. He then began flipping through the pages until he found the section he was looking for: The Legend of the Mare in the Moon. At least, he thought that’s what he had found. It was actually titled ‘The Stallion in the Sun.’ Dusk Shine figured that was going to be enough. The story was pretty much the same as the Mare in the Moon, only it involved two ponies named Lord Solaris and Prince Artemus and the alicorn of the sun, Lord Solaris, was the one who turned evil and was banished to the sun. “Barbra, write a letter to Prince Artemus.”
“Why?” Barbra asked.
“There’s no time for questions. Just get ready to write.” Barbra rolled her eyes a little, but took out a paper and quill, anyway. “Dear Prince Artemus, I request an audience with you, immediately. There is no time to explain why, but I fear the fate of our world as well as another is dependent on the information I’m hoping you will give me. Your faithful student, Dusk Shine.” Barbra then rolled up the letter, went to the window, and used the same magic fire Spike was able to use to send the letter to Prince Artemus.
“Dusk Shine, if you don’t mind me asking, what advice were you hoping fo- fo- BLARUGH!” (I don’t know, some noise like that) Before the baby dragon could finish her sentence, she belched up the letter that had Prince Artemus’s reply on it. Dusk Shine instantly took it and read it aloud. “‘My dearest Dusk Shine, I know what you are planning on talking to me about and will be expecting you shortly.’ He knows why I’m coming? Odd. Oh well.” Dusk Shine then began galloping towards the castle with Barbra running behind him. “Stay here, Barbra. I need to talk to Prince Artemus alone.”
“But what am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” Barbra called, even though Dusk Shine was already out the door.
“Clean the library!” Dusk Shine called back. Barbra just sighed and turned to the mess of the library.
Dusk Shine galloped at top speed into the castle where Prince Artemus, who looked a lot like Princess Luna, was waiting for the unicorn. “Prince Artemus,” Dusk Shine said, bowing and panting. “I have a story you are not going to believe.”
“I already believe your story,” Prince Artemus said. “There is no need to explain anything... Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
“What? How do you know everything? How do you know I’m a princess... How do you know that I’m not supposed to be a stallion?” Artemus raised his hoof to quiet Dusk Shine down.
“There is, indeed, much about being an Alicorn that you don’t know about. For instance, knowing what goes on in other worlds. Now, allow me to explain everything. First, in a way, you are supposed to be a stallion. The mind of Twilight Sparkle somehow entered the body of a pony named Dusk Shine. I’d really like to know what spell caused that.”
“It’s a spell that was simply called ‘Spell 63.’ It was created by a pony from my world named Starswirl the Bearded, even though he never got it to work. Well, not properly, at least.”
“Interesting. Now, on to what you are going to do over the next day. Walk with me.” Artemus then walked out of the room to Canterlot Tower, where the Elements of Harmony were once housed in Twilight’s world. However, when Dusk Shine looked at the windows along the hall, he noticed that none of the designs that existed in the other world were there. He quickly realized that he had fallen behind Artemus and galloped to catch up.
“What exactly do you mean, Prince Artemus?” Dusk Shine asked.
“The events of this world are slightly delayed in comparison to those of yours. For instance, you meeting your friends. That has not yet happened in this world. However, it will happen today. As will the release of the Stallion in the Sun, Solar Flare, the equivalent of your Nightmare Moon. As I’m sure you can assume, this is an evil version of my brother, Lord Solaris.”
“You mean I have to meet my friends and unite the Elements of Harmony to save Equestria... AGAIN?”
“I realize it is a tall and/or tedious order, but I’m sure that’s the only way you’ll be able to get back to your old body and your old world.” Artemus then walked over and nudged Dusk Shine a little. “And give the real Dusk Shine his own body back,” he added with a chuckle.
“Oh, I didn’t think about that. Now, where do I begin?”
“By getting Barbra and heading to Ponyville. I’ll handle transportation as Princess Celestia did for you.”
“Okay.”
“God speed, Dusk Shine. The winter solstice has little daylight, so you will be tied for time.”
“I will do my best, Prince Artemis.” Dusk Shine then turned around and galloped back to the library.