"When I said that I wanted to listen to you explain all of your current research, I thought that you realized that it was Opposite Day, Twi."

"Opposite Day?"

"Yeah, don't you know? It's a day where everything you say has the opposite meaning of what it normally does."

"And it's today?"

"Nope!"

"But...oh, I get it. So it's not Opposite Day today?"

"Now you're getting it."

"PInkie, did you know it's not Opposite Day today?"

"Did I miss a party? Do I have to organise a not-party for Opposite Day? How do you even have an 'opposite' party? gwarble ghuuuuu..."

"Umm."

"Hey, don't look at me, Twi. I didn't know she'd do that either."

The Prompt: Opposite Day
Alternate Prompt: Twilight Sparkle has finally done the impossible: A gender-swap spell.

This is a thirty minute writing prompt, meaning that you have thirty minutes to finish your story from the time that you start writing. You may take as much time as you like beforehand to think, plan, outline or sacrifice baked goods to the eldritch abomination that is Pinkie Pie, but once the first word is on the page, the timer begins. When you're done, post your story to this thread, and in the style of the TMP mods of yore, I will read and give it a comment when I can.

Usually, TMP prompts would have a six to eight hour window for submission, but for these Legacy Prompts, there is no submission deadline. Go ahead and post something a year from now if you want. Bear in mind, however, that chance of getting feedback drops off dramatically after about a week. Good luck!

This post has been determined by algorithm to contain too much sexy for not-mature group threads!

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4881878
Huh. Well, that's funny.

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Legacy Prompt 63: Inversary

“... and she said she’d start looking over her notes to see what she’d done wrong, but even if she finds it before then, she doesn’t expect to be able to recast or reverse the spell before tomorrow evening. Something about exhausted resonance?”
“Resonant exhaustion,” Lyra said, gazing into the miserable eyes of her current guest. “Basically, negative feedback. Whatever it was Twilight did, it did a number on her magic, and she needs to let it rest or she’ll physically hurt herself.” Lyra grimaced as she continued. “Ever see a unicorn with a cracked horn?”
Her guest winced at the image. “That would be decidedly not good. I just wish I wasn’t stuck this way; it’s embarrassing enough as it is, but it also means I can’t do what I’d planned for tonight, and given the date, that’s-”
The speaker held off as Lyra raised a hoof, turning toward the doorway. Half a second later, the sound of a key in the lock could be heard, followed by a new voice. “Lyra? Is everything all right? A couple of friends came to the shop and said I needed to head over here immediately. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Not me, Bonnie,” Lyra called back. “But there is a problem, and I think you do need to see this.”
Bon Bon stepped inside, around to view the living room, and froze. Her eyes scanned Lyra’s guest, taking in the details. Said guest was a mare, light blue of hide with a darker mane, golden eyes, a doubled eighth-note for a cutie mark, and an expression of acute embarrassment mixed with a bit of shame. Most of those details were familiar to Bon Bon, and Lyra watched as the changeling doe put them together. Finally, Bon Bon spoke, the words quivering and weak. “Noteworthy? Is that really you? What happened?”
Noteworthy looked up at the sound of his name, but then back down in shame. “I got creative, and it backfired on me,” he said in a light alto voice. “I just wanted tonight to be special.”
Bon Bon’s eyes crinkled as she frowned. “Tonight? What… oh. Oh!” She looked down again, awareness flooding her eyes. “Our anniversary,” she whispered. “I’d almost forgotten that was today.”
Noteworthy nodded, almost mournfully. “I went to see Miss Sparkle, and asked if she could turn me into a changeling for the night. I wanted to surprise you, Bonnie.”
“So what happened?” Bon Bon had stepped forward; she sank onto the couch beside Noteworthy as she asked her question, one foreleg wrapping around him for comfort.
Noteworthy shook his head. “There weren’t any changelings ready for an exchange, but Miss Sparkle said she’d been experimenting with the base spell she uses for that and thought she had a workaround. I was so eager to get prepped I just flat-out agreed to be her guinea pig. And it felt like it was working at first, but then there was a bright purple flash, followed by a yell and a cloud of smoke, and when I’d stopped coughing, well…” He waved a hoof along his now-shapely flanks. “I’m afraid tonight’s cancelled, Bonnie. Please forgive me.”
“No.” Noteworthy looked up in confusion as Bon Bon spoke. “Tonight isn’t cancelled, not if I have anything to say about it.” Bon Bon shook her head, then looked over at Lyra. “Dear heart, would you please take Noteworthy to the spa? I’m about to go call in a few favors, and probably promise a couple as well.” Without any further word, she stood up and headed outside.
Lyra, for her part, simply looked over to Noteworthy. “You know what Bonnie’s like when she gets in a stubborn mood,” she said. “Let’s go.”

“We have heard from Miss Bon Bon, yes. Her idea is… interesting, I will admit.” Aloe looked up at Noteworthy, staring straight into his eyes before she continued. “However, it will require a bit of, erm, ‘reconditioning’, shall we say? Just a touch!” she said, hooves raised before her. “Nothing dangerous, I promise!”
Noteworthy glanced over at Lyra, who nodded. “I’ve been through similar dozens of times,” she said. “Not all of them were pleasant, but then again not all of them were from friends. If you’re willing, I’m pretty sure you can trust Aloe.” She briefly shook her head like a dog, then grinned. “And I’ll keep watch to make sure of it. Fair enough?”
“I guess,” Noteworthy said uncertainly. “So what do I need to do first?”
“First?” Aloe grinned as she stood up to guide the pair. “First we soak you in the hot tub.”
Fifteen minutes later, a very much relaxed Noteworthy reluctantly emerged from the heated water, lethargically making his way to the reclining couch Aloe, now in her natural changeling form, pointed out to him. She stood by, waiting until he got on, then spread out a sheet over him. “I am about to begin,” she said, quietly. “Do you still want to do this?”
“I want the night to be good for Bonnie,” he replied. “If this helps, that’s all that’s important.”
“Very well. Let us begin.” Slowly, gently, Aloe began to press down on Noteworthy’s muscles, already trying to retense themselves after the hot soak. “I need for you to relax,” she said, just as gently. “I need you to relax, and rest. Just relax, and let my hooves and my voice guide you.”
“Relax,” Noteworthy said, the beginnings of a smile on his face. “Got it.”
“That’s right,” said Aloe. “Relax, and rest. Just relax, and rest, and listen to me.” For several minutes things went on this way, with Aloe projecting a sense of comfort and calm the entire time, and Noteworthy sinking more and more deeply under her control. Finally, she judged him to be ready, and motioned to Lyra. Lyra looked up, toward where Aloe was pointing, and levitated the bowl of facial mud over for Aloe to use, garnering a grin from Aloe before she turned back to her task. “Noteworthy, we are about to play a little game,” Aloe said. “Are you ready?”
“Ready,” he said, his voice thin and distant.
At the sound, Aloe nodded. “Good,” she said as she began to dip her hoof into the bowl. “Now, I am about to start putting a mask on you, Noteworthy. You know what a mask is for, right?”
“Hide face.”
“Sometimes,” Aloe said, her hoof beginning to daub the green mud onto Noteworthy’s forehead. “But sometimes, it is not. Think about a play, Noteworthy. Are the actors hiding their faces behind their masks? Or are they revealing a new face, one they do not normally show?” She gave him only a second to think before going on. “It is a new face, is it not?”
“Yes,” he said in that same distant monotone. “New.”
“That’s right,” Aloe whispered, her hoof now spreading the facial mud across Noteworthy’s cheeks. “And that is what you are going to be doing. Wearing a new mask, a new face, for Bon Bon.” Once more, Noteworthy’s face began to gently grin, and Aloe smiled to herself as she continued. “You will be playing a role, but you will also be writing the script, so you do not have to worry about getting anything wrong. All you have to do is play the role and enjoy it.”
“Enjoy… role…”
“That is right, Noteworthy. Enjoy it.” Aloe finished the last bit of the cheeks, starting in on the area around Noteworthy’s chin. “You will be in the role of a young mare, Noteworthy. You can feel it, can you not? The mare’s body seeming more and more natural, more and more right, as the mask goes on you?”
“I can…”
“Yes,” Aloe gently whispered, “you can. You are slipping into the role you want to play, becoming that young mare. What is her name?”

TIME LIMIT

A brief mutter came from Noteworthy’s lips, followed a second later by an audible response. “High Note. Her name is High Note.”
“Very good, Noteworthy.” Aloe looked up, to where Lyra still stood, her jaws now gaping open, and then back down. “I am going to help you get into character, Noteworthy. From now until I say otherwise, I am speaking to High Note. Do you understand this?”
“Yes.”
Aloe waited for several seconds, once more massaging Noteworthy’s muscles as she did so, before speaking again. “High Note? Can you hear me?”
“I can.”
There was something about the voice, some quality to it, that was different. Aloe slightly shook her head before she went on. “High Note, it feels like you are drifting on the sea, does it not?”
“Yeah, it does.”
Once more Aloe smiled, bowing her head towards Lyra as she did so. “I am about to clean your face off,” she said. “As I clean it, you will drift towards my voice.”
“...Mask?”
“Just mud.” Aloe ran a hoof along High Note’s face. “Your mask will still be there,” she said gently. “I will let you know when I take it off.” With those words, she began the cleaning process.

Some time later, Lyra waited, somewhat impatiently, in the entrance chamber of the Spa. Bon Bon had returned with Rarity and several bundles of cloth, and the two had gone aside, Bon Bon one way and Rarity to the area where ‘High Note’ was being prepped for the evening. Finally, as the clock struck seven, one of the doors opened, and Lyra looked up in shock as the inhabitant stepped forward.
It had to be Bon Bon; there simply wasn’t another option. But the mare Lyra knew was gone. In her place was a well-figured stallion, cream of hide and with a solid blue mane, dressed in a rather snazzy sports jacket, the image of a small chocolate piece adorning his rear. He looked up, to where Lyra stood gaping, and smiled sheepishly. “Changeling, remember?” Even the voice, despite its low tenor, was still clearly Bon Bon’s voice.
Lyra finally found her voice. “Wow. You look good.”
“Don’t count on seeing it too often.” Bon Bon blushed, the red showing up quite well on her new form. “I’m doing this for Noteworthy, tonight only. Once he’s back to normal, ‘Cocoa Cream’ here retires permanently.”
“That will be a shame.” Both roommates jumped as Aloe stepped over and joined the conversation. “I know a few others who would appreciate the look.” She smiled, making the comment into a mild jest, then nodded. “Speaking of which, ‘Cocoa’, your date is ready.”
All heads turned toward the doorway, where Rarity was ushering the newly-garbed High Note out. The spa treatment had served her well, and between them, Aloe and Rarity had gotten just the right hint of makeup on her. That, plus the coffee-and-cream gown Rarity had put together for her, left the blue mare a dazzling burst of beauty, enough that Lyra realized she was feeling a bit jealous. She shook her head,laughing instead, as High Note daintily stepped up (that had to be Rarity’s touch) and took her place by ‘Cocoa Cream’s’ side.
Aloe stepped forward, tapping Bon Bon’s shoulder. “Remember to bring her back tomorrow,” she said, then nodded. “Now, enjoy your evening, you two.”
Lyra just grinned. “What she said.”
Bon Bon grinned back, then smiled down at High Note. “Shall we, my dear?” With those words, the two set out into the Ponyville night.

4883997 What better way to celebrate an anniversary with a messed-up spell from Twilight and some light brainwashing? Noteworthy's intentions were of the best sort, though. It's an interesting use of the prompt, too, that Noteworthy wanted to change himself into a changeling to do something special for Bon Bon on their anniversary, and ended up as a mare. I like it. Good work!

4881881 Huh. That's very interesting. If you still want to submit it, You could probably link to a google docs document or something.

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The ending isn't quite as punchy as I'd hoped, but I was already ages past time. I know it's a bit long and the time limit is pretty far back, but I wanted to post it anyway.

What's with the lessening participation in these prompts anyway? Most of them get one or two stories tops now.

Princess Twilight Sparkle's eyes opened, and then closed again with a wince. She still wasn't quite used to how bright mornings could be in her new castle. Still, the alicorn smiled, and rubbed her eyes with a hoof, before stretching all for legs out and rolling over in her bed.

"Waugh!" Twilight Sparkle jumped backward in shock and fell off of the side of her bed with a thump. A moment later, her head appeared over the side of the bed again, and she glared at the intruder. "Discord! What in Equestria are you doing in my bed?"

Discord stretched himself out on top of Twilight's covers, his serpentine body laying languid on the nice blankets. "Oh come now Twilight Sparkle. You MUST know what today is, or rather, what it isn't."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Twilight's indignation disappeared in the face of Discord's casual taunting. The tone in his voice rarely exactly lead to anything good.

"Why it's Opposite Day, of course! Everything you'd normally expect, like waking up alone, is exactly not what you're getting!" Discord rose up from the bed, floating in the air effortlessly. "It's just terribly, awfully boring not being able to spread chaos, Twilight Sparkle, and so I have decided to take a day off from maintaining order."

Twilight stamped a hoof on the floor, with her eyebrows furrowed. "Discord! You can't just take a day off from that! What... what would Fluttershy think?"

Discord's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh, let's go see, shall we? And by 'we', I do mean just me. Ta!"

In a blink, Discord was gone. Twilight stared blankly at the spot in her bed where he'd been laying, and then sighed and shook her head. It wasn't that she had any plans for today, exactly, but trying to find a way to combat Discord's craziness certainly wasn't something she wanted to do. "Spike! Spike, wake up, we've got to go!"

Rarity didn't look up from her sewing when the bell above her door chimed. "Just a moment!"

A few seconds more, and the stitching was in a place she could leave it for the moment. "Now, welcome to Carousel Boutique, what may I-- oh, hello Twilight, hello Spike. What brings you two to Carousel Boutique?"

Twilight spoke breathlessly after having galloped the entire distance to hear nearest friend. "Rarity? Is everything okay?!"

Rarity blinked at the condition of her friend, and then smiled disarmingly. "Why of course I am, Twilight. Whatever has you so upset?"

"Discord said--" Twilight paused, took a deep breath, and then let it out, before continuing in a more normal tone of voice. "... Well, he said that today was Opposite Day. I thought he might have done... something, here."

Rarity glanced at Spike, who was still riding on Twilight's back, but the dragon only shrugged. She smiled to Twilight. "I haven't seen Discord today at all, Darling. Maybe you should stay and have some tea? I know that always helps calm me during a difficul-"

"I don't have time for tea today, Rarity, sorry! I've really got to find out what he changed!" Twilight was already out the door as she finished her sentence, leaving a confused and somewhat annoyed Rarity in her wake.

"Opposite Day?! And nopony told me?!" Pinkie Pie theatrically gasped in shock, and staggered backwards on her hind legs as though struck.

Twilight gave the pink pony a flat look, such displays having become old hat some time ago. "Pinkie, I don't think opposite day is an actual day that you can miss."

Pinkie landed on all four hooves again, staying that way for nearly a quarter of a second before dashing off behind the counter and rifling through her bin of 'special' ingredients. "But that means that you DO think it's an actual day, because today is Opposite Day!" She paused, holding up a bag full of small green seeds. "Peas in cupcakes? Oh! Or should I not make cupcakes at all? That would be SUPER opposite!"

Twilight Sparkle sighed and shook her head. She glanced around the interior of Sugarcube Corner, but everything seemed to be more or less in place. Twilight ducked a flying box of rice as Pinkie continued digging through her ingredients. Things in Sugarcube Corner were quickly getting less 'in place' than they were before she came in, but it didn't seem to be any fault of Discord's. "Okay, well... looks like everything is okay here! Thanks, Pinkie!"

Twilight bolted out of the shop before anything got crazier.

(time limit)

"Uh, Twilight, seriously? Opposite Day?" Rainbow Dash paused, flying a few feet over Twilight with a cider mug hooked in her pastern.

Applejack chuckled, leaning against the barrel, with a mug hooked against her own hoof. "Sounds like you've been hangin' around with Pinkie too much."

Twilight glanced at the cider barrel, her mouth was feeling awfully dry after walking all the way out to Sweet Apple Acres. She quickly shook her head to clear the idea out, and smiled to her friends. "Well, when it's Discord, I can't very well just ignore it. There's no telling what he's up to!"

"It sort of looks like he's not up to anything, Twilight." Rainbow took a long pull at her mug, and then clapped it down loudly on top of the barrel, empty. "Ha! You'll never drink more than me, AJ!"

Applejack sipped at her own mug. "It ain't about drinkin' a lot, it's about enjoyin' it."

Twilight sighed and turned around to leave them to it.

"So, um... after Sweet Apple Acres, you came here." Fluttershy sat comfortably in her favorite chair, while Discord lounged all over the nearby couch. Fluttershy sipped calmly at her tea.

Twilight looked down into her own cup of tea, and then glanced at Discord, but decided that Fluttershy wouldn't likely let him do anything too strange to the tea right here in her own cottage. Twilight took a sip, and then smiled at the flavor (and the much-needed drink.) "Yes. Discord said he'd be coming here, so I thought... well, that he might be here."

"And I am! How wonderful for you, Princess. I'm just where you thought I'd be." Discord drank his cup, and set the tea back down unconstrained, where it sloshed out all over the table. "It sounds like Opposite Day was an absolutely brilliant success!"

"But nothing even changed!" Twilight stamped a hoof in frustration, and then set her magically-held tea down. "There's nothing opposite about it!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she suddenly giggled. Twilight looked at her, and then to Discord. Discord just smiled at Fluttershy, with an almost proud bearing.

Twilight sighed. "Fluttershy, what are you laughing about?"

"Um, I'm sorry, it might not be funny to you, but um... everything today was the opposite of what you expected. Don't you see? Um.. it was an opposite Opposite Day."

Discord burst into laughter, reaching his lion paw around Fluttershy to hug her close. Twilight's eyes narrowed, as she went over the words.

Not for the first time, she considered whether the Tree of Harmony could go without the Elements for just a few more minutes.