Twilight's Transmutation

by Epicburst

Chapter 6

Twilight's Transmutation
Chapter 6
Warning: This chapter contains disembodiment, dismemberment, and blood

Applejack has been out all afternoon gathering up her friends. This took much longer then expected, to Applejack's annoyance, as she had to pry each of her friends from what they were doing. Rarity just came back from a spa treatment, so she didn't want to get anywhere near Sweet Apple Acres in the next twelve hours. Pinkie Pie was on a sugar rush, running around Equestria making deliveries for the Cakes. Twilight was having some type of nightmare, due to Princess Luna trying to teach her something or other. Lastly, Rainbow Dash was busy exercising with Gilda the Griffon. When Gilda came to Ponyville, Applejack didn't care. What she did care about, was the fact that Rainbow was 'too busy' to help a friend that was currently crying in her living room. Applejack explained the situation as patiently as she could, but the fact was that the longer this took, the harder it would be to console Fluttershy.

When Applejack explained the situation to Rainbow Dash, she could tell Rainbow felt bad about what happened, "Look Rainbow, I know you feel bad about all this, so why don't you come over and apologize?" Applejack was surprised when Gilda spoke up for her.

"Dash and I are busy, why don't you come back later. What happened at Dash's house wasn't an accident. She was being honest, something you know a lot about right?" It took all the patience she could muster to resist the temptation of bucking her in her face.

Applejack looked back, and it was just her luck to see no one other than Big Macintosh walking by. Applejack trotted over and whispered the situation in his ear, and got just the reaction she wanted. Big Macintosh always got mad when somepony wasn't treated with respect, and this was no exception either. His eyes went wide and his body flexed. There were only a few rare occasions where her brother got furious.

Big Macintosh trotted over to Rainbow Dash and Gilda trying to contain his temper. "Miss Dash, I hear that you made Miss Fluttershy cry yesterday." His glare bore strait through the both of them as they could only nod. "What I want you to do, is to go talk to her, right now!Big Macintosh stomped his hoof on the paved street, cracking a stone in two. Rainbow Dash and Gilda sped off along the trail leading back to Sweet Apple Acres without a second thought. Applejack smiled at her brother.

"Thanks Big Mac."

"Eeyup."

---

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda all walked in to the living room to see Fluttershy crying in her sleep. Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash, "Now I want to know what you said to Fluttershy to make her cry like that." she demanded.

Rainbow Dash looked pained. "I- I told her how I felt about her wanting me to stay. I told her that I couldn't do it again, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to learn, to make myself grow stronger." Applejack could tell she was being sincere with her answer. But, Rainbow took another shaky breath and released it slowly. "She also found out how I feel . . ." Dash's sentence disappeared into the air.

Rarity look concerned about her friend. Of course she knew that Fluttershy was in love with Rainbow Dash from the vary beginning, and then came the signs. Poor Fluttershy that she had fallen ill, and mistook the symptoms with some ancient terminal illness. "Rainbow, darling, do you like Fluttershy?" She was tired of beating around the bush with this.

Gilda sighed in frustration. "Okay look, Fluttershy came over to Dash's house yesterday and wanted her to pass up this awesome opportunity to travel with me through the Griffon Lands. She already got Dash to bail on me once, and she regretted it ever since." Rarity and Applejack nodded. "So, I decided that it was time to put Dash's feelings about her out in the open."

Applejack knew Gilda had something to do with this. She couldn't be trusted after the first time she came to Ponyville, and she didn't buy into her apology either. "What did you say to Fluttershy, Gilda."

Gilda shrugged, and began petting her tail. "I told her how Dash can't stand the fact that Fluttershy isn't using her gift of flight to it's true potential. How she was wasting her wings living on the ground, and how Dash preferred to be with somepony more her speed."

Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, that's not fair and you know it!" She took a step forward, and Rainbow stood her ground. "You can't judge someone by what they do with their own abilities! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Applejack's anger grew, Does she even care?

No one noticed how much tension was in the room, and no one noticed Fluttershy wake up. Her eyes wide with fear. She didn't like watching her two friends fight, so she climbed behind the couch and hid.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were nose to nose as the argument became even more heated. The door burst open and Twilight walked in quizzically. "Girls, what the hay is going on in here!" Twilight studied the scene quickly, and decided to pull Rainbow and Applejack apart. "What's wrong with you two?" Applejack huffed in Dash's direction and looked away. Dash looked down at her hooves.

"A-Applejack," Rainbow mumbled."I-I don't know what it is okay! I know that thinking this way is unfair, but that's just the way I feel." Rainbow turned towards Fluttershy and sighed as she eeped and hid behind the couch even further. "Look, 'Shy, I have to do this okay? It's the only way I can get better at what I love. I've been held back ever since we met, so having this opportunity to get passed that for a while is unbelievable. I have to do this. I will come back for you though. I promise." Rainbow and Gilda turned and walked out of the house, soon becoming two streaks in the sky.

Twilight's mind raced as she tried to comprehend the situation. Rainbow wanted to take the opportunity to get stronger, but she couldn't do that because of Fluttershy. So is the problem is that Fluttershy is too weak of a flier to be with Dash? Twilight's mind began running calculations. If her calculations were correct, Twilight may be able to help Fluttershy with her wing problem. "Fluttershy! I think I may be able to help you with your problem!" Twilight cantered over to Fluttershy, who was climbing out from behind the couch."If you want to become a stronger flier, I think I have just the thing to help you!" Fluttershy's eyes widened with hope."Come over to the library in two hours. I should have everything ready by then." Twilight smiled. How could this possibly fail! Her alchemy was catalyzed by her magic, and was strong enough for the job. All it takes is a simple pony transmutation, and it give Fluttershy's wings new strength. But, first she has to get prepared.

---

Twilight burst through the front door of the library, and ran into the basement. She had to make room, lots of it in order to fit the array that she calculated. Once she cleared the entire floor of the basement, Twilight used her alchemy to etch the array in stone. Twilight let the energy flow through her hooves, she just told her mind what her goal was, and her body went to work. Before Twiight knew what she was doing, she completed the circle. It looked complex, quietly urging for its power to be used. Inscribed inside the circle were a series of six triangles, attached to the edges of a hexagon. Inside the hexagon, were six triangles with rounded bases, attached to the corners of the hexagon. In the center of the hexagon, lay another, this one having a star like figure inside a circle. Along the outside of the circle, were inscriptions, maybe part of an Ancient language. Twilight's mind clicked immediately as it recognized the array. "Catalyst, Glyph of Fire."

Fluttershy knocked on the door of the library. Could Twilight really help me fix this? Fluttershy was worried that Rainbow had given up on her at this point. The fact that Twilight could help her through this, was such a nice gift. She couldn't wait to surprise Rainbow when she got back from her trip. She would do her best to prove to Rainbow that she wasn't wasting her gift of flight. Of course, she didn't use it nearly to the extent that most Pegasi did, only to make some of her daily tasks easier, and for traversing obstacles.

Fluttershy smiled as she saw Spike at the door. "Hey Fluttershy! Twilight's in the basement." Spike closed the door behind her as she walked downstairs to the basement. Fluttershy gasped as she saw a huge circle with symbols in the middle of the basement.

"Hi Fluttershy! It took me a while, but I completed the array that should, in theory, help you fly better!" Fluttershy nodded nervously as she inched her way towards the circle. "I just need you to stand in the middle of the array and then we can get started." Fluttershy trembled as she dragged herself to the center of the circle. Twilight smiled as she clapped her hooves together, slammed them against the circle, and glowed her horn.

Twilight felt amazing. She could feel energy coursing through her and into her array. Her mind immediately translated the Ancient text and she began the chant.

"From the fires of the salamander life is begun.
The holy fire, it calls to create.
Reactions and matter born of his flame.
With his blood life walks the earth.
Ignite the glyph and release the power"

Twilight felt the circle activate and glow orange. She felt the energy from the transmutation circle serge through Fluttershy. Twilight's eyes glowed bright lavender as she began the transmutation. As Twilight worked, she felt these slight tugs in her energy. She maintained focus though, and continued transmuting her friend. As Twilight brought the circle's energy through Fluttershy, she noticed that it kept going off course. She groaned as she tried to regain control. W-what's happening? I'm getting some type of interference from Fluttershy! Twilight maintained focus, and she let her subconscious hunt for the answer to her problem. As she knew, mana flows through unicorns from the Astral plain. Unicorns then use their horns to gather, and amplify mana in order to perform magic. O-of course! Twilight mentally scolded herself for forgetting that Pegasi use mana as well. Pegasi use mana to help with flight, and cloud manipulation. She also scolded herself that everypony used mana regardless if they were Earth ponies, Pegasi, or Unicorns. Her cutie mark! Twilight was halfway through the transmutation when she lost control.

The energy she was guiding hit some type of flow. This flow stripped the energy from her grasp, and spread it through fluttershy's body. Twilight looked up to see that Fluttershy was screaming in pain. Her cutie mark and wings glowed and hissed. Twilight panicked and lost focus completely, leaving the transmutation circle to work on its own. From the center of the circle, an eye opened up and looked at Fluttershy. Twilight quickly got to her hooves as she noticed Fluttershy being pulled through a Gate of Truth. She blasted a beam of energy at the circle, trying to destroy it, but the Glyph of Fire was too strong for her magic, as her beam hit the circle, it bounced back with more force. Twilight's mind exploded in pain as she felt her own attack burning across the side of her body. In a panic,Twilight tried to levitate her friend out of the gate, Twilight's knees buckled, as her magic energy exploded in her mind like a sonic rainboom.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight, screaming in pain, as all the foreign mana was coursing through her body. Without a catalyst, like a horn, Fluttershy could only lay in agony, as the magical energy pounded through her being, hunting for an exit. "P-please Twilight!" Fluttershy begged in a clearly audible voice. "D-don't let it hurt me!" Fluttershy tried to wriggle and squirm, but to no avail. Twilight could only stare in horror as the tendrils gripped Fluttershy's legs, and one by one twisted and pulled them off. Fluttershy wailed in pain, the loudest she ever was before, writhing in seemingly endless agony. Seeing the vague shape of her lavender friend, she reached a hoof out trying to reach her, only for it to come into view as a bloody stub.

Fluttershy's mind went numb as the whole world went white. She came to in a seemingly endless white room. W-where am I? Fluttershy immediately looked down to her body to see that she was in one piece. I-I have to get out of here! Fluttershy turned, about to take off sprinting, when she saw a gate towering over her. She turned and fled back in the other direction when she saw a white bunny a few feet in front over her. "Angel!" Fluttershy began to gallop towards Angel when she felt tendrils encase her body. "P-please save me Angel!" She was than dragged through the gate.

Fluttershy floated in darkness. She began wondering if this what it was like to be dead, until she saw a light. Fluttershy stared in awe as all of her memories literally flashed before her eyes. Pictures scrolled by right in front of her. Then new pictures came, ones she didn't recognize. She closed her eyes as pain enveloped her mind. She looked up as she saw a white creature, a bunny, wave at her. She wanted to pursue, but before she could, her legs turned to dust.

---

Rarity yawned. What time was it? Rarity looked out the window to see the moon was up. Did I loose track of time again?Rarity was currently working on her latest rush order for Photo Finish. She was currently working on the jeweled neck line as she was interrupted by Sweetie Belle's door opening. "Rarity, are you still awake?" Rarity sighed as she heard Sweetie Belle's voice echo through the halls. Please Luna, don't let her come in here! Rarity pleaded with the Princess. She was so close to being finished! She had to make twenty hoof-stitched saphire dresses for Photo's party by tomorrow! Sweetie Belle's head poked out from the hallway as she slowly walked in to Rarity's room. "Um . . .Rarity?" Sweetie Belle yawned."I-um . . . I know that you're busy . . . s-so I was just wondering something." Rarity patiently waited for her to stop beating around the bush, enjoying the peace and quite, and wanting to get back to it. "I-if . . .you know, had a bit more to do than you can handle, well . . .I-um . . ." Sweetie Belle's hoof was nudging the edge of her rug.

"Fine," Rarity groaned, knowing that any job that she gave her younger sister that involved doing something upstairs, would force her to remake her entire order. "Could you . . .um . . ." Something easy, something that a little filly like her should be able to do with no fires at all. "Could you turn the sign in the front from 'Open' to 'Closed' for me please?" Rarity turned to see Sweetie Belle's face light up, and she quickly turned and ran down the stairs.

Finally, some piece and quiet. Rarity began humming 'The Art of the Dress' as she worked. Enjoying the silence, she decided to go to her bed and take a little nap. As her mind slowed, and she began to dream, Rarity was launched out of her reverie. What was that? Rarity got out of bed and trotted to the hallway. "Sweetie, are you okay down there?" Rarity cocked her head as she waited for a response. Her heart jumped out of her chest, as she heard an ear piercing howl in response. "Sweetie Bell! Sweetie Bell, darling, answer me!" Rarity shot down the stairs and towards the front door of her shop, to see none other then Sweetie Belle sweeping up broken porcalain.

Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity, eyes brimming with tears. "I-I'm sorry Rarity!" Sweetie Belle began to sob quietly. "I-it was an accident! I-I was bring you some tea because you looked so tired, and then I was startled by a loud noise and my magic slipped . . ." Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity with big pleading eyes, waiting for her punishment.

If that scream wasn't Sweetie's then who was it? Rarity looked down at her sister. "It's alright darling, go up to bed, I'm going out for a moment, good night!" Rarity ran out the door before she could hear a response. Where did that terrible noise come from? Rarity trotted groggily through Ponyville, sharing concerned looks from others passing by. Rarity's thought's were shattered as she herd another scream coming from Twilight's library. Twilight! Rarity ran through town speeding towards the library. Along the way Applejack and Rainbow Dash joined up with her.

Dash looked down at the others. "What the hay is going on out here? Can't anypony see that I was asleep!" Applejack sighed and kept running towards the library. As they approached, Applejack gasped as she saw an orange glow through the glass, followed by another blood curdling scream. Turning nimbly on her forehooves, Applejack gave the door a hard buck.

Following the night shattering screams, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash crashed into the basement. The trio's eyes widened as they saw the horrifying scene in front of them. The first thing they noticed was the blood, it coated the floor in every direction. Twilight was whimpering at the far side of the room, she had a huge burn mark across the side of her body, and her horn had a crack through it, sizzling. Rainbow's eyes turned towards the epicenter of the destruction, and noticed Fluttershy, blood pouring out of her, screaming, and writhing wildly, in a desperate attempt to pick herself up.

Author's Note:

Special thanks to starshine_dash for the advice, and for making this chapter 20% cooler!

Comments

[StarTheWolf]

this is one of the best stories ive read so far! congrats! and noooo fluttershy!!!

[eeveeextreme]

I thought the rebound affects the caster (Twilight) dragging them to the portal, while the failed alchemy would mutate the material being manipulated