Hop, Snap, and a Fall
It had been days since they first heard what had happened.
They were already so proud of their daughter—she’d saved the land and the Princess from Nightmare Moon, returning the long lost Luna to Equestria. She was a brilliant, hardworking mare whom they loved and knew loved them back.
They found out about Discord’s defeat in the same way as everypony else—the evil magic ending and the world returning to normal. As the news came out, they waited with bated breath for news of their daughter. The Royal Guard announced she’d led the attack and weakened Discord enough for Celestia and the other Elements of Harmony to re-seal him. Her parents had rejoiced—their daughter had just gone from national hero to legend.
Then they found out she’d been grievously injured.
Nopony seemed to know how. Princess Celestia refused to speak of it and shut herself away in the castle with Twilight, keeping the other Elements of Harmony nearby. Twilight’s parents had rushed to the palace to find out what had happened, but had been turned away by the guard. They were told it was not safe—but how could that be? Discord had been defeated! Their daughter had done it! Surely they should be able to see her, to help her recover?
But the guards were resolute—even Twilight’s parents were not allowed to see her.
Hoping that their Princess’s wisdom had not failed and that their beloved daughter was safe, Twilight’s parents returned home. And they waited.
It was not uncommon for a unicorn foal to have their magic dampened after they first gained it—it was easier for the inexperienced to control a little magic than to have full reign of their powers. Usually it could be done by a parent or teacher—it only required a little magic and the cooperation of the target of the spell. Twilight, a incredibly powerful unicorn, had only required a few minutes’ focus by her parents before she’d gone to the School for Gifted Unicorns.
Now, Princess Celestia and twelve of Equestria’s strongest magicians were casting the spell on Twilight, and she could tell it was taxing them. Luna had not joined them, instead, she was guiding the sun so that Celestia could focus wholly on the spell.
Twilight wasn’t fighting back. Her magic simply wasn’t cooperating, continually trying to undermine their process and dispel their efforts. They were winning, but at great difficulty. From nearby, the Elements of Harmony watched in silence as the great feat of magic before them unfolded.
Even in her state, Twilight Sparkle was learning more of her new magics. She was only sensing her power and that of others, something so basic to a unicorn as breathing, but it stunned her. She was the equal of Princess Celestia in power, but with none of the order and unity that the alicorn possessed. Once Twilight had striven to keep her magic in as perfect order as the Princess’s, but now it was a tempest, stretching and gusting within her, almost begging for release. It was not conscious, it was not driven, it just was—a force outside of normal magic, as natural as a raging river or a storm in the sky above.
It felt just as dangerous and far more destructive.
“We are finished, Twilight,” said Celestia, the magical glow fading from the great hall and the light of the world seeming to grow. The unicorns collapsed, looking worn and exhausted, drops of magical residue raining about them as they relaxed their control. She could hear two of her old teachers panting and muttering about how they hated working with prodigies.
For the first time in an hour, Twilight dared to move.
She took several steps, shaking her stiff body. Her wings beat awkwardly, as she was unused to them. The lizard tail flicked strangely, nearly whipping her in the side, and as she shook her mane she cringed at the feeling of her hair hitting the two horns—she was used to a single horn in the middle and could feel her hair catching upon them. She fixed it quickly with a hoof and let out a sigh, her tongue scraping slightly against her new sharp teeth and eliciting a little shudder from her.
Spike was next to her in an instant.
“Twi, you okay?” he asked, looking worried and happy at the same time.
“I think so,” said Twilight, gingerly trying to avoid touching her fangs. She focused her mind for a moment. “I-It feels like my magic’s back down to where it normally is.”
“That is as much as I felt was safe,” said Celestia, standing tall—Twilight could sense the weariness that she repressed and somehow overcame. Alicorns had seemingly unlimited energy when their minds were ordered and focused, something she’d always been jealous of. “Even with your unusual power, you should be absolutely safe for everypony. As the spell fades, you will need to learn control your power.”
“Discord’s power,” said Twilight, glancing down. “P-Princess … am I … have I turned into him?”
“If you had, you would not be standing on hooves,” said Celestia, tapping a foot against one of Twilight’s. “I think you are something between a pony and a draconequus, though I feel you are as mighty as he was.”
“… what happened to my magic?” she asked, looking at Celestia. The white alicorn’s eyes darkened slightly.
“I am not sure,” she said quietly. The magicians had left to rest, and Twilight’s friends had came over, standing a respectful distance away. “I can think of three possibilities—you could still possess it, but it is buried by Discord’s power; it may have vanished completely; or it could have been absorbed by Discord almost in trade.”
Twilight felt herself shudder.
“I-I hope he doesn’t have it,” said Twilight weakly. “I, um, it sounds stupid, but it wouldn’t feel right to me.”
“Makes sense to me,” said Pinkie Pie with a shrug. “It’s like if you’ve got this great dress you like to wear and you come home and your dad’s in it! You’d never be able to get that sight outta your mind, that’s for sure!”
Nopony could help themselves—they laughed. The comment had broken the mood completely.
“So, first order of business, planning how to change me back,” said Twilight. Spike’s face lit up as he appeared with a parchment and pen. “Spike, you’ll be taking notes.”
“Got it!” he said excitedly.
“So, Princess, any ideas?” asked Twilight, looking up at Celestia.
“Well …” said the Princess, focusing for a moment. “The simplest solution might be to use the Elements of Harmony on you, but I think you can see there could be a risk to that.”
“A thousand years on the moon or being turned to stone, perhaps?” said Rarity with a wry smile.
“I will spend several days focusing on the idea, trying to see if it would be safe,” said Celestia, giving Twilight a nod. “As I do so, I would encourage you to be careful in your efforts to transform yourself. You might damage your body in some way, and you must accept that you may be in this form for some time.”
“But you do think we can fix ’er, right?” asked Applejack.
“It would surprise me if we could not,” said Celestia with a smile. Twilight’s hearts fluttered with joy at the princess’s confidence, the feeling grossing her out a moment later. “While I have never seen such magic as this, stranger things have happened.”
“Like what?” asked Pinkie Pie, looking interested.
“Uh, I don’t think we have time to go over a thousand years of weird history, do we, Pinkie?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking bored at the prospect. “I mean, unless there was some other time somepony got turned into a monster—!”
She froze as she said it.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” said Twilight quickly, waving her friends off as Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash a glare. “It’s not like not saying it won’t make it true. I pretty much am a monster at the moment, but I don’t aim to stay this way.”
“SO … it’s okay if we say it?” said Rainbow Dash gingerly. “Because, uh, I also had something else to say which is kinda awkward.”
“… which is?”
“Well, uh, you are probably a shoo-in for this year’s Ponyville Nightmare Night Costume Contest,” said Rainbow with a wince. “And, um, first prize is a signed poster of the Wonderbolts flying formation with Princess Luna’s guards.”
“… yeah, you can have it if I win,” said Twilight, rolling her eyes.
“Yes! Free poster!” laughed Dash, flying into the air and doing a loop-de-loop. As Twilight’s pegasus wing itched, she suddenly got an idea.
“… you know … it’d probably be a lot easier for me to get around if I could fly …” she said, looking to her wings. She flexed them outwards experimentally. “And … well … I’ve always wanted to try …”
“And you should!” said Rarity before Dash had a chance to speak, grabbing Twilight and leading her towards the entrance to the grand hall. “Oh, you’ll love it! The freedom, the ease of movement—you’ve never experienced anything like it!”
“… uh, come on,” said Twilight, gesturing for them to follow. Rainbow Dash, with the greatest sulk she could master, joined them.
After taking down a chandelier and reducing a squad of Royal Guards to a rout merely by looking at them, they headed outside.
“Okay, so, probably should have done this first,” said Rainbow Dash, having taken charge of the lessons. Rarity was in the hall, apologizing to the servants for the accident. The gardens were much wider and there was little to damage out here—bushes and flowers were cheaper and easier to repair than royal relics. She began to look up and down the paths, flying their length as if to measure them. Finally, she stopped at the end of one. “Okay, Twi, turn the cobblestones into pillows or something. This should make a good landing strip.”
“Uh, I’m not sure I should do that,” said Twilight cautiously, tapping one of the stones with a hoof.
“You’ve done this kind of thing before this, Twi.” said Rainbow Dash with a little huff. “It’s not like they’re going to be evil pillows or something! And trust me, you’ll want them.”
“O-Okay,” said Twilight, closing her eyes and focusing on her horn. She winced as she realized it wasn’t there. “Uh, right, lets see …”
She strained her face, trying to summon her magic. Nothing happened. She stuck her tongue out and strained again—still nothing, and this time she bit her tongue. Muttering under her breath, she began to grow frustrated.
“Uh, anytime, Twi,” said Rainbow Dash, fluttering into the air and pulling down a soft cloud for a seat.
“I’m trying!” said Twilight impatiently. “It’s not working! I can’t just stomp my hoof and make pillows appear!” For emphasis she stomped a hoof.
Pillows appeared in air, falling like the downiest rain ever. Her friends dodged the light hail, save for Pinkie, who made an effort to get hit by as many as possible.
“Oooooohhhkay, maybe I can,” said Twilight, looking around sheepishly.
“Twi, I know what happened!” said Applejack, looking proud of herself. “You know how your horn always glows when you do magic? Well, Discord didn’t do that—he did that little thing with his fingers that Spike does sometimes—”
“What, snapped them?” asked Spike, striking his fingers together to make a popping noise.
“Yeah, that—maybe his magic’s in his paws? And yours is in your hooves now?”
“That’s just silly!” protested Twilight. “There isn’t anything magical about hooves—”
“Apparently you and I don’t visit the same websites,” muttered Pinkie with a giggle and a blush.
“—and if that was the case, every time I took a step there would be something crazy, like balloon-flowers sprouting!”
“… then humor me, Twi, and take a few steps.”
With a huff, Twilight trotted down the path. To her chagrin, flowers burst from the lawn on either side, balloons bursting from their blossoms and flying to the air.
“Looks like y’all’s parents didn’t get what they paid for at that fancy magic school,” said Applejack with a laugh.
Twilight frowned, then smirked a little evilly. She stomped a hoof down, and suddenly a burst of water came from Applejack’s hat, pouring on her like a river. She sputtered as it stopped.
“… ten gallons, right?” said Applejack with a little smirk, looking to the puddle as Pinkie Pie roared with laughter.
“Ten gallons,” said Twilight with a smile. “You were right, though.” Twilight turned back to the path and stomped, focusing on the pillows. The scattered pillows took to the air, zooming to the path and lining it. “Okay, Rainbow, whats next?”
“Take off and and aim for the pillows when you fall,” said Dash, reclining.
“If I fall,” said Twilight, hunkering down and flapping her wings a few times.
“When,” said Dash again with a smirk.
Getting a rise from the challenge, Twilight took off at a gallop, launching herself into the air. She flapped her wings with all her might, feeling the air push around her. She began to lose balance, flailed, and lost all control.
“Told ya!” laughed Dash as Twilight hit the pile of pillows. “Good try, though. About four or five more tries and you might stay up.”
“… this is going to be a long afternoon,” said Twilight with a sigh, popping out of the pile and pulling a speared pillow from her horns.
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This is a fun concept! Although the description of Twilight's new look sounds pretty creepy
. Hopefully she can at the very least get rid of the tooth and the horns, she might look more normal then.
Looking forward to some chaos-magic shenanigans.
The vision of clapping hooves while flying, in order to do magic, is very cool. Keep up the good work.
Excellent
54355 Thanks. Gonna do a picture of it soonish.
54367 Yeah, prolly shoulda, but the fourth wall is a great excuse for not doing so. May go back and change it.
So is Twilight the size of Discord or the size of a regular pony? And will Discord ever come back?
REALLY REALLY LIKE by the way.
Sooo AWEsome :D
54367
See, there are these giant spiders that live just inside the Everfree Forest, okay? And for some reason, they love to make these crazy structures with their spider-silk; in a few places, it's woven so thick it's almost solid, and the strands connect with the trees and each other to form a vast number of nooks and crannies. There's a thrill of danger that comes from trespassing in the Forest, but the silk is dense enough that a pony can hide in it and be safe from any actual peril, plus it's a place that's private and secluded; all of these factors combine to make these 'web sites' the perfect place for teenage couples to visit when they want to make out.
54548 No. But i've found myself completely unable to write sexy scenes, so I don't even try.
PotatoJoe
I was wondering is Discord going to be a character in the story or will his appearance mark the end of the story?
Is this a Disqord fic? because I just have to think of Q when I think of magic via snapping fingers.
54555
Those are usually the best scenes though it doesn't need to be sexy if you can make it extremely awkward you can usually create great comedic value
I read a few thing and watched a few things were it gets so awkward I am unable to keep going because of the sheer embarrassment. However when I look back those are the moments I can remember as the funniest.
54852
Ofc, but not many ponies into whole different-body-parts-sharp-fangs-evil-red-eye-and-two-horns thing.
55072 “ Apparently you and I don’t visit the same websites.” muttered Potato Joe with a giggle and a blush.
Just had a thought about making Twilight appear normal. A trickster like Discord could obviously appear as any kind of creature or thing he liked. (As evidenced by his stain-glass-window dance routines) For storytelling though, that is just too easy a solution.
Likely she can be made to appear normal, with the sole exception of the eyes. Eyes are traditionally unaffected by shape-changing or illusion magic I notice. I suspect mirrors will still reveal the 'real' appearance that is being hidden. This provides lots of opportunities for failure on the disguise check.
55617 AAAWWW HELL NAW! See, I was going to do the mirror and eye thing once she started using Discords shapeshifting powers! Dangit, why did you have to guess?
.....still using them, thou. Thanks for reading!
Just tell me you weren't going to have her able to infect brain-washed minions with Chaos too after accidental bites!
We enjoy this.
OK, Dirty Pinkie is officially even funnier and more awesome than the common Fourth-Wall Breaking Pinkie
55825 Holy balls, it's the Kaiser. How's that big unsinkable ship of yours doing?
55902 And yet, they are so close together you can switch between with ease.
Technicly one of her 'horns' is an antler, not a horn.
or a storm in the sky above.
-I was going to say something about storms being pretty predictable in Equestria, but the events of "Look before you sleep" prove that they are still dangerous.
had only required few minutes focus by her parents before she’d gone to the School for Gifted Unicorns.
-Wouldn't that have been the WORST time to seal her? Or are you saying they sealed her years before that, and unsealed her shortly before they went for the test? Or are you saying the Rainboom broke the seal?
Princess Celestia and twelve of Equestria’s strongest magicians were casting the spell on Twilight and she could tell it was taxing them.
-Luna couldn't stay up past sunrise long enough to help out?
“ That is a much as I felt was safe.”
-"as much as"... also you seem to have a space after most of your opening parentheses. This isn't the first work I have seen such a typographical phenomenon in. Perhaps it is how they do things in some country other than the US? Perhaps it is the result of copy-paste from a certain text-editor/word processing program?
“ A thousand years on the moon or being turned to stone, perhaps?” said Rarity with a wry smile.
-So the EoH are a force of Law, not just of Good? Doesn't seem to add up with Pinkie Pie being one of the bearers. Then again, I guess a taint on the "feel" of the power, that has little to no implications for its actual use (or maybe it DOES have implications?) might confuse the elements enough...
I pretty much am a monster at the moment,
-Which is saying something in a world where baby dragons are a mere oddity (see: Fluttershy's initial reaction), griffons not even that as far as we know, and nobody thinks twice about talking to a river serpent.
said Rainbow with a wince. “ And, um, first prize is a signed poster of the Wonderbolts flying formation with Princess Luna’s guards.”
-The poster is a nice idea, and you are characterizing the "jerk with a heart of gold" pretty well.
“ Oh, you’ll love it! The freedom, the ease of movement - you’ve never experienced anything like it!”
-Took me a second to realize why it would be RARITY extolling the virtues of flight... it also occurs to me that this might convince Twilight that she doesn't want the transformation COMPLETELY undone. Celestia may even be playing her chessmaster games by giving her a few days to consider the benefits of keeping one or more aspects of her new form/more rather than less of her new magic.
Rainbow Dash, with the greatest sulk she could master, joined them.
-Why would she be sulking?
After taking down a chandelier and reducing a squad of Royal Guards to a rout merely by looking to them,
-You need to clarify what happened to the chandelier I think. Did a fleeing pegasus guard knock into it? Is Discord's magic inside her causing weird stuff to happen? Did she try her first flight in a ballroom, and learn that it wasn't actually an appropriate environment?
“ Okay, so, probably should have done this first.”
-Ok, more room to maneuver, but ALSO more people could see her.
bushed and flowers were cheaper and easier to repair than royal relics.
-"bushes"
“ You did that kind of this before this, Twi.”
-"You did that kind of thing before this, Twi."
“ Apparently you and I don’t visit the same websites.” muttered Pinkie with a giggle and a blush.
-Ick?
“ ....ten gallons, right?” said Applejack with a little smirk, looking to the puddle as Pinkie Pie roared with laughter.
-Genius.
The pillows scattered about took to the air, zooming to the path and lining it. “
-Apparently Dash trusts her yaw control more than he does her pitch control?
*wild applause*
Well written and FUNNY!
And I appreciate how you handle Pinkie Pie.
“… uh, come on,” said Twilight, gesturing for them to follow. Rainbow Dash, with the greatest sulk she could master, joined them.
I think you meant 'with the greatest sulk she could muster'
Just something I spotted, liking the story so far!
Nothing to add to this chapter beyond 10 gallon hats and fourth wall breaking Pervie Pie.
54541
This is win.
-Delta-
Pinkie: obviously, we don't visit the same websites.
First i was like
Then i was like
Ahhahahahaha! When I first saw the cover art it got me interested... I'm glad I decided to take a look at this.
On to the next chapter!
Ten gallons. No more, no less.
I tell you I will tell it right
Is of my bestest friend Twilight
And just how I've been...
...Naughty~
Also, I see Twilight starting to enjoy her newfound abilities. Foreshadow for her abusing them
>Twilight’s friends had came over
You should say "Twilight's friends had come over" or Twilight's friends came over"
>Uh, right, lets see
"lets" should be "let's"
>Uh, anytime, Twi
"anytime" should be "any time"
>Rainbow, whats next?
"whats" should be "what's"
2669151>>860657 agreed
55083 HA!
55643 To late, but I kinda suspected it so no harm done
Then, three seconds later,
Well, that holiday was started because of just that event, Rainbow Dash! Remember Nightmare Moon?!
Rarity...stop. You're embarrassing yourself. You don't know what you're talking about, you're a unicorn. Not a pegasus. Unicorns can't fly. Pegasi can.
6676579 She is refering to the time where she had her magnificent butterfly wings.
You know, the same day those burst into ashes and she actually fell to her almost death.
I would have tought she might have retained a fear of heights from that experience.
Too much information, Pinkie
Ooof course she did.
And then half of Equestria died.
...what? Infinity Gauntlet came out like 20 years before this fic, that's an entirely applicable reference!
Same
How does Rarity know what it's like to fly?
11125768
The Young Fliers Competition?