The Curious Case of the Unicorn Twilight Sparkle

by The Rising Tide of Night

The Journal of Twilight Sparkle - 1st Week

May 12, 3 LR

It’s been another wonderful day. Spike made breakfast for me as usual, a lovely plate of grass pancakes topped with maple syrup. My morning was spent unpacking some of the library’s latest acquisitions and getting them ready for sorting. It took me a few hours to make sure that everything was sorted properly, since Spike kept insisting that The Complete Works of StarSwirl the Bearded, Volumes 1-35 went in the Ancient History section, when they clearly belong in Magical Marvels. Naturally, being the one in charge, I made sure they were organized properly.

After that, I had lunch with Pinkie Pie. It’s always difficult to pin her down for a proper lunch, but she was still grateful for my help with the incident with her duplicates (see entry for May 4th, 3 LR), so she made sure that she had the afternoon off from Sugarcube Corners so we could get together. We had a wonderful lunch over at the Watering Hole. I ordered the daisy and daffodil sandwich (my personal favorite) and Pinkie had the peony burger with hay fries. We had a great time talking together; she told me all about her last babysitting job for the Cakes, and I talked about some of my latest research (for full details, see Twilight Sparkle’s Research Notes, Volume LVI, Section 3). I’m not sure she understood a word of it, but she at least seemed interested. Maybe I can have her come by later this week and she can help me out.

You know, having lunch with her today really made me think about last week. She seemed a little down today. She hasn’t quite been her usual self since the Mirror Pool incident. I wonder if she feels like she let us down, or if she caused us too much trouble. Granted, those duplicates did manage to make a mess of things before I was able to send them back to the pool, but it wasn’t anything that we couldn’t recover from as a town, right? Or even as friends?

I’ll have to come up with something to help her remember that she is always the same Pinkie Pie, no matter what. Maybe my research will be just the thing to give her the boost she needs. If not, I can always see what my other friends think. We’ve gotten through things like this before.

May 13, 3 LR

Breakfast today was a simple affair. I decided to let Spike sleep in a little today, so I made myself a little oatmeal. The poor little guy has been working himself ragged lately, so I thought he had earned a little more rest. I’ve been a little demanding of him, to tell the truth, constantly sending him out on errands and tasks, in addition to all of his regular duties. Of course, I do have a certain obligation to keep him busy. He’s such a curious little dragon, who knows what kind of trouble he’d get into if he had a day off?

That was a joke, by the way. Sometimes it’s hard to translate sarcasm into writing.

It was nice to have the peace and quiet of the library to myself for the early morning, though. I was able to make a good amount of headway on my current research before taking a break. I think I’ll be able to have this report wrapped up by the end of the week and ready for the Princess by next Monday. If Pinkie Pie still wants to come by and see it, I’ll have to make sure I invite her before then. I’m not sure how much the underlying theories behind transfiguration spells will interest her, but she did enjoy seeing a frog crossed with an orange last week.

Scratch that. It might not be a good idea to bring that day up again so soon.

I had lunch with Applejack today. She very nicely invited me to come by the farm for some of their home-cooked apple treats. I always eat too much whenever I go over there, but it’s so hard to refuse a third helping of apple crisp. We had a nice chat during lunch. She told me how the harvest has been going (they’ve been working the south fields lately, with the early season apples). She’s also been wracking her brains to figure out a way to get rid of the fruit bats that have taken over their west fields. I did suggest talking with Fluttershy about them, but she was adamant that she would try a few things first before, and these are her words, “Imposing on our friend’s kindness.”

I had to laugh at that. Imposing on the kindness of the Element of Kindness.

I did bring the topic around to Pinkie Pie and her troubles. She did agree that she had noticed the same things that I had, and agreed that something should be done to help her out. Now we just need to figure out what to do about it. I think I’ll talk with the rest of the girls and see if they have any suggestions.

Spike and I had a nice quiet dinner, just the two of us, like most nights. He had been a little miffed that I had let him sleep in this morning, but I could see the gratitude underneath the complaining. It’s one of those things that sister/mother figures can do. He seemed a little surprised that Pinkie Pie was feeling down, but I don’t think he’s had much time to spend with her lately. Or anyone else, for that matter. Maybe my number one assistant does deserve a day off.

May 14, 3 LR

Back to the routine today. Spike and I were up at dawn, sharing breakfast before I got started on my research once more and he started his daily chores. I tried to be considerate of him and not be too demanding, but I think I overdid it again. It’s not my fault that these theories need a lot of books, scrolls, and ink. Besides, I just might be on the verge of a breakthrough in transfiguration! If my calculations are correct, it just might be possible to enchant a drink with a precast spell, causing the pony drinking it to turn into something else!

It would be a temporary effect, of course. Transfiguration takes a lot of energy to begin with, and the larger the target, the more energy needed. The problem would be getting somepony willing to be a test subject. I wonder if perhaps Pinkie Pie wouldn’t be interested. It might be just the thing to get her out of the dumps. I wouldn’t turn her into an orange or anything like that (I should probably leave out any mention of oranges). It would have to be a minor change to start.

I wonder if the type of water would make a difference. Perhaps if I were to try using some plain well water, then try it with some water with inherent magical properties, like the water from the Mirror Pool -

Scratch that. I should probably avoid that water, especially if Pinkie Pie is helping me. I’m trying to make her happy, not upset her any more. But still, if I could study the effects of that water just a little…

Maybe later, after the whole mess has had enough time to be nothing but a distant memory.

On a side note, I really need to make sure that I have a lunch date scheduled for every day of the week. I completely forgot to eat today, and it wasn’t until Spike grumbled loud enough about being hungry that I realized we had missed lunch. You’d think I’d have learned this by now. I felt bad for the little guy, so I ran over to Sugarcube Corners to get him a sapphire cupcake for dessert while he made dinner. The Cakes were more than happy to throw a batch together for him, and with Pinkie’s help I was in and out in less than half an hour.

It also gave me some time to ask Pinkie if she would help me with my experiments. She seemed really interested, so I asked her to come by Friday afternoon and we could begin testing the transfiguration drinks. She also promised me that she would come up with a really cool name for them by then. This could be a lot more fun than I had originally anticipated. I’ll have to come up with some good ideas for things to change in to.

Also, Spike really enjoyed the cupcakes, so a good time was had by all.

May 15, 3 LR

It’s always hard to sleep when research is progressing nicely. I was up before dawn again, but I didn’t let Spike sleep in too much today. They may say it’s good to let sleeping dogs lie, but letting sleeping dragons lie can be bad, especially if said dragon wants to get his chores done early.

I spent the whole morning double and triple-checking my work from yesterday, making certain that what I was about to attempt would be possible. After all, it wouldn’t do to get Pinkie Pie’s hopes up before dashing them. I think the library was knee-deep in paper and books before I felt satisfied enough to attempt a practice run.

Of course, the biggest thing was to figure out what to start with. It had to be something simple, so I had enough energy to try again quickly, and so that if the change didn’t fade for a while, I would be comfortable being seen outside of the library. After some deliberation (and some insistent input from Spike) I decided to change my mane to look like Rarity’s. I would be without my familiar stripes, but maybe the curls would be nice for a little while.

Spike grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen, and I cast the spell, making sure to firmly fix in my mind every detail I could recall of Rarity’s mane. It wasn’t too hard (Spike had been wearing his favorite Rarity shirt since I settled on what the change would be) and it didn’t even take that long. The water flashed a deep violet before turning back to clear.

Note to self: label the bottles after casting the spell. They all seemed to turn back to clear after a flash of color.

Satisfied that everything had been done according to plan, I picked up the bottle and took a drink. I could feel the magic running through me, a little tickling as the spell took hold. There was what I can only describe as a twist in my scalp, and I suddenly saw my mane change shape and color as it grew down my side, forming Rarity’s familiar curls.

I don’t think I can ever properly describe the feeling of a successful experiment. It’s like I’m walking on clouds while dancing with the pony of my dreams while eating a delicious cake while sitting with Princess Celestia…

Well, let’s just say that it feels really good.

I couldn’t help but admire myself in the mirror after the change was successful. Maybe I should think about getting my mane curled one of these days. Even though I knew it wasn’t my mane, it still looked really nice.

Remembering yesterday’s lesson about food, I decided I would pop out and see if I could meet Rarity herself for lunch while I sent Spike out on an errand. It would be interesting to see what she thought of my new manestyle. I did get some odd looks as I walked over to the boutique, along with a few double-takes. I had to chuckle at those.

It was nice to get outside once more and see my friends. I’ve been cooped up in the library for the last two days pretty much straight. That sort of thing never used to bother me, but it’s interesting how somepony can change once they get a taste of real friendship. The day was beautiful once again, just a handful of wispy clouds in the sky. I caught a glimpse of one low-hanging pile of clouds just on the edge of town. I was pretty sure that was Rainbow Dash taking her usual pre-lunch nap, gearing up for her post-lunch nap. I was tempted to surprise her as well, but decided against it. Maybe next time.

When I got to Carousel Boutique, I noticed Rarity was outside in the yard, talking with Fluttershy, who was holding Opal in a little basket. I guess it was Opal’s day at the groomer’s, since she looked even less happy than usual with her current situation. I greeted them as nonchalantly as I could, but I couldn’t help smiling at their astonished faces. Fluttershy just stared, but Rarity nearly went into full on panic before I could reassure her that I was not, in fact, copying her style, but it was a temporary magic spell, and that I was there to invite her to lunch.

It took a little convincing, but I managed to get both her and Fluttershy to have lunch with me. Luckily, Opal had been on her way back from the groomer’s, so Rarity was able to let her cat back into the boutique before the three of us left for lunch. I ended up telling them all about my research and this morning’s experiment, as well as explaining what I thought my experiments would do for Pinkie Pie’s mood. They both agreed that it would be a nice boost for her to get to do something fun. Fluttershy also suggested that we could throw Pinkie Pie a party in order to cheer her up.

It makes perfect sense, actually. A party would be exactly what she would do for any one of us if we were feeling down. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before! We just have to make sure it’s not a surprise party. We want to make her feel better, not bring out a recurrence of what happened when we tried that surprise party for her birthday. Both Rarity and Fluttershy said they’ll help out, and we can even hold it this weekend! I’ll have to get the others in on it as well. I’m sure Applejack and Rainbow Dash would be more than happy to participate.

We had just left the restaurant when I felt another twist in my scalp, and both Rarity and Fluttershy nudged me, gesturing towards my mane. I caught a glimpse of it in the window of the restaurant, and was a little disappointed (but not surprised) to see that my mane was back to my normal style and colors. I didn’t expect it to last too long (in fact, I’d designed it not to) but at the same time…

Ah, well. Maybe at my next spa visit, I’ll see if they can curl my mane for me.

May 16, 3 LR

Wow, it’s been a difficult day.

I’ve spent almost the whole day working through my research plans (see Twilight Sparkle’s Research Notes, Volume LVI, Section 3 for further details), and much of the evening planning for Pinkie Pie’s party. Spike was kind enough to get the additional research materials I’d asked him for yesterday. I felt bad sending him out there by himself, and offered to get somepony to go with him, but he reassured me that he could handle himself for the short time he would be out.

Besides, if Pinkie Pie could handle a trip by herself, I’m sure Spike could manage without too much trouble.

Speaking of, I don’t think we give Pinkie enough credit. Party planning is difficult. There’s coordinating the decorations, the food, the games, the guests, and everything in between. Add in planning for everything that could possibly go wrong during the party itself and it gets to be a big mess. At least it’s an organized mess right now. I even have a flowchart.

Maybe I can get her to lend me her party cannon for a little while Saturday afternoon. That would take care of half of the setup.

On the plus side, I was able to catch Rainbow Dash in between her morning and afternoon naps. I swear, if that girl wasn’t as efficient as she is, the weather team would have fired her a long time ago for sleeping all of the time. At least she seemed excited about the party, and even offered to talk to Applejack for me. I told her I was planning for this Saturday, since I knew that we would all have some free time that evening. Good thing she said she’d help with hanging Rarity’s decorations. That should cut my party preparation time by at least a half an hour. If I can get Applejack to help with the food and the location, that will cut it by even another hour!

At least I’m ready for when Pinkie Pie comes by tomorrow

Ugh, slight change of plans. Applejack just stopped by. She said that while she’d be happy to handle the food and drinks, we can’t hold the party at the barn. Something about the CMC building a float for the Summer Harvest Parade in the barn, and she doesn’t want to make them move it yet. I guess we’ll just hold it here in the library. It just means that I need to revise the decorations (again…).

She did promise something special in return, though. Said it should make the party that much more fun. Well, whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it.

May 17, 3 LR

Well, today’s the big day. I’ve been spending the morning getting everything ready for when Pinkie Pie comes over to help me out. I’ve got so many bottles of water downstairs it looks like I’m prepared for a drought. Right now, I’m planning on starting with some small transformations, just some minor changes to her coat and mane, and moving up to larger ones. Everything should be temporary, and should only last a few minutes at most. I think I’ve figured out how to set the length of the spell effect based on how much effort I put into casting it.

At least I remembered to label the bottles after casting the spell. Wouldn’t want to get them mixed up now. I also made sure to keep my special research materials back in the refrigerator. That would be a bad idea to mix up as well.

Pinkie Pie’s here. Will write more later.

---

Wow, it’s amazing how late it’s gotten. It must be past midnight by now.

The experiments were a huge success! Every transformation performed just as I had expected, and lasted roughly as long as I had hoped (see Twilight Sparkle’s Research Notes, Volume LVI, Sections 3-4 for exact details). Pinkie had a blast as well, which really made me happy. She really enjoyed it when I changed her mane to look like Rainbow Dash’s, but with Rarity’s curls.

The coup de grace was when she drank a potion that changed her form to look like Cranky. I have to say, it was quite the sight to see Cranky bounding around the room with Pinkie’s energy and enthusiasm. That change only lasted for a minute, given that it’s much harder to make such a great change last, whereas changing somepony’s mane is simple enough that I could make it last much longer.

I’m not sure about the name she came up for them, though. ‘Trans Drinks’ just doesn’t sound quite right.

The only thing that I didn’t expect to find was that after casting the spell on the water, the spell will fade after a certain amount of time. The length of time seems to match the complexity of the spell; meaning that the more complex, the shorter the time. It seems like one of the inherent properties of water is a grounding force when it comes to added magic. This will warrant further study.

Probably the best part of tonight was telling her about the party we had planned for her tomorrow. The way her eyes lit up when I told her it was a ‘Celebrating Pinkie Pie’s friendship party’ almost made me worried I would be blinded from sheer enthusiasm. She almost tried to take over the party planning, but I managed to make her understand that we were doing this for her, and all she had to do was show up and enjoy herself. I nearly choked to death from the hug she gave me after that.

I can’t wait until tomorrow. It’s going to be so much fun!

May 18, 3 LR

It’s party time! This is just a quick note to make sure I get in an entry for today since I don’t think I’ll be able to get one in tonight at all. I hate it when I end up skipping days in my journal. It just looks… wrong.

I’ve been busy all morning, getting the decorations up and everything ready for the party. Rainbow Dash got here a little bit ago as promised to help me get things hung. She’s doing that even as I write this, and rather efficiently, I must say. That girl doesn’t waste a wingbeat.

Applejack stopped by early this morning before getting to her chores at the farm to drop off her surprise - a few cases of their special hard cider. She wanted to make sure that I got it stored away before Rainbow Dash showed up. Dash is great, but she’s a little obsessed with cider. Didn’t want to have it all gone before the party even started.

Looks like Rarity just arrived, which means I should get to playing the hostess. The others should be getting here soon. Here’s to a great night!