After several weeks of recovery, I decided to look through the Canterlot Archives for a way home, though it took a few sleepless days for me to go through all of it.
“Sunny?” A worried voice asked.
“Yes, mom?”
“Maybe it’s time for you to take a break; you’ve been up for days!” she told me, “Get some rest.” As reluctant as I was to rest, the only thing keeping me up was the occasional cup of coffee.
“Maybe you’re right….” I started before exhaustion finally washed over me, causing me to collapse. Catching me in her magic, my foster mother lifted me over to my bed before I passed out. Maybe, just maybe, I could live here, even with everything I’ve been through.
I kept thinking about that day, the day I finally gave up on trying to find a way home, even if just to see my parents again.
”Sunny?”
‘Maybe it’s for th-’
“Sunny!” I finally heard a voice say. I took a look up to see a panicking Twilight, “Apple Bloom is gone!” That snapped me out of my thoughts.
“We need to find her, then,” I told my panicking friends, “Applejack, where do you think she… could’ve…. go-” I stuttered to a stop before my eyes grew wide. ‘Buck,’ I thought with realization, ‘She is going after Zecora.’ Taking a look at my friends, I cryptically asked, “What starts with ‘Z’ and rhymes with ‘lacora’?” In response, Applejack’s eyes widen.
“We Need to get her!” Applejack exclaimed before muttering, “That foalish pony…” After a quick gallop into the Everfree, we finally found Apple Bloom following Zecora. “Apple Bloom!” Applejack yelled, catching not only AppleBloom’s attention, but Zecora’s as well.
“Beware!” she warned, “Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!”
‘Leaves of blue? What leav- oh…’ I realized as I looked down, ‘Those flowers. Now, where did I see those flowers from?’ I turned back to my friends and found them already leaving. “Hay! Wait up!” I yelled after them.
As I woke up, I got out from under my covers like I usually do. Yawning, I took one step off my bed and immediately fell off, causing my brain to wake up fully.
‘Gah! What the buck?!’ I thought with shock as I took a look around the room. After a few minutes, I noticed that everything seemed to have gotten bigger overnight. ‘Wait,’ I thought, ‘They didn’t get larger, I got smaller!’ Immediately, I run over to the door, willing it to open with my magi- THWACK
‘Ouch…’ I groaned mentally as I fell on my rump, “Why didn’t the door....” I started before realizing that my voice was higher pitched than it usually was. This caused me to come to one conclusion, ‘I’m…. I’m a child again?’ I pondered. ‘Ok, let’s try this once more…’ Backing up while planting my hooves on the ground, I started to summon my magic, willing it to grasp the doorknob to open the door.
Nothing happens.
‘That’s great. I’m trapped in my own room with no way out, stripped of my magic, and stuck in the body of a foal,’ I thought bitterly, ‘I guess I have to call for help.’ I lifted a hoof to my neck only to realize that my necklace wasn’t there. ‘Buck….’
Meanwhile…
“Um, girls?” I asked, “Where’s Sunny? It’s not like her to just skip out on something, based on what you all told me about her.”
“Now that you mention it, she hasn’t missed out on something unless she tells us in advance,” Rarity commented.
"We should go find her, because if she is affected by the curse as well, she needs to be there with us to get cured.” I told them. After getting a nod from each of them, we went to her house first since that was the most likely place for her to be.
After a few futile minutes banging on the door, I came to the conclusion that nopony was coming, until I heard a voice.
"Sunny?" a voice that I recognized as Twilight called out.
"Twilight?" I called back, "Is that you?"
“Sunny! Where are you?" she asked.
"In my room, I'm trapped!"
"Hold on! We're coming!" I heard hoofsteps getting closer, when I thought they were about to past....
"I'm in this room!" I yelled, hoping to direct them to the correct room. After a few moments, I saw the doorknob rotate, followed by the door opening.
"Sunny...?" Twilight asked while looking around.
"Down here," I called out. Taking a look down, she gasped at what she saw.
"W- What happened...?" Twilight managed.
"I honestly don't know. Oh, and one more thing, don't, and I mean don't tell my mother, as she will probably use this to her advantage." I said. As Twilight left the room, I started to follow only to collapse from exhaustion. "W- why do I feel so weak all of a sudden...?" I managed, catching Twilight's attention. As I was struggling to get up, I felt a pair of hooves lift me up. Looking up, I saw Twilight putting me on her back.
"You can ride on my back until your strength returns, Sunny," Twilight told me, like I have any choice on the matter. As we were walking back to the rest of the girls, I kept thinking I forgot something. I realized what it was when I heard a faint knocking on the front door.
'Buck, my mother was coming over today,' I mentally face-hoofed, 'That's what I was forgetting.' Sighing, I said, "Come in." As the door opened, I sat on the sofa with dread, bracing for anything that could happen.
"Hello, Sunny..." she stuttered to a stop when she saw me.
As she walked forward in silence, I quickly said, "I swear, it's not what it looks like!"
"It doesn't look like what? My little filly," she asked jokingly, causing me to groan.
"Out of all the things you could've done, and you chose to tease me?!" I asked her, trying to keep my anger in check. ‘At least she didn’t use my current predicament to her advantage….’ I barely finished the thought when I was embraced by my mother.
After she finally released me, she turned to the other girls, just apparently just realizing that something was wrong with them, “If I may ask, what happened?”
Before somepony could speak, I cleared my throat, “I have an idea, and before you ask, it’s not a curse.” I said, causing the other girls to raise their eyebrows.
“Not a curse? Then what is it?” Twilight asked skeptically.
“Poison Joke, I- I remember reading about them. It’s a bright blue flower that puts the victim in the most embarrassing situation they could be in.” I explained, “In my case, it’s having to relive my foalhood.” ‘I really hope this isn’t permanent.’ I thought to myself.
“Well, how about you girls go and try and find a cure for this, while me and Sunny stay here,” the Princess said.
Uh oh, this can’t end well.