• Published 27th Apr 2020
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Fuzzy Sparkle - Burgesse



Twilight’s surge of uncontrolled magic changed ponies into pot plants, hatched a petrified dragon egg and gave her Princess Platinum study plushie a makeover and an existential crisis.

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Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Velvet and Plush

Princess Cadance knew that the original grounds of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns could have odd effects on non-unicorns, ranging from sudden bouts of claustrophobia and loss of direction, to hearing and seeing mild hallucinations. More than one window had been broken by panicking ponies, and investigations over the years had ruled the effects to be the remains of the protective wards that had been placed on the foundations of the School when it was more a fortress to protect unicorns, before time and trust cemented the bonds between the tribes.

So as she gawked at a familiar looking pony lying on the floor of the atrium, a pony whom she had last seen sitting on a bench as a doll, Princess Cadance couldn't help but wonder if she might have been imagining things too. Stepping closer, the differences became more evident as did the sight of rhythmic movements.

‘Breathing? But, that’s not possible…

...it’s just a plushie...right?’

The dragon egg had apparently been plaster, but Twilight still hatched a dragon from it.

Princess Fuzzy had only ever been a plush doll, but Twilight had always treated it as a living creature, so maybe...

‘Is she...alive too?’

The pony’s twin-toned silver/steel mane caught her attention first, flowing in a far more natural way than before, the body’s chunky and doll-like proportions gone, replaced by the slender and elegant form of a young mare. Long legs were now capped by rigid hooves and the princess could see the play of muscle under platinum fur as the pony shifted.

Cadance’ eyes narrowed at the mare’s hindleg, not liking the unnatural angle it lay in.

“Fuzzy? Is...is that you?” Cadance knelt down beside the silently shaking mare, watching in wonder as a tear welled up over the glass eyes before trailing down stained cheeks to the floor, the center of each golden eye glowing with a soft light that seemed to shift and focus on her.

"Cadance? You came back..." The reply was soft and scared, with an odd accent, a lilt that was common to old equish. The way Twi had always projected it when she spoke for the plushie...but now, to hear it as clear and real as Cadance herself was...oddly reassuring.

Proof she hadn’t been imagining it after all was nice, but the life in those strange eyes was far above what she’d been prepared for. The joy, gratitude and hope that shone was almost as surprising to Cadance as the faint stirrings of emotion she could feel from the mare.

‘I suppose every foal has an invisible friend or favorite toy. Trust Twilight to bring hers to life.’

"Of course I did. You’re Twilight’s best friend; you’d be the first thing she asks about when she wakes up." Shuffling closer, Cadance leaned in, spotting tiny marks and scars along Fuzzy’s coat that resembled stitch work and mismatched threads, “This isn’t...what are you doing out here? What happened to you..?”

“I was watching Twilight, something-” Fuzzy sniffed and Cadance saw another tear well up over the glass eyes before trailing away. “Something went wrong a-and there was a flash and now- something is wrong.” She reached out to the alicorn, whimpering as her leg shifted painfully, and cried into Cadance’s shoulder, “I don’t understand! My leg- it’s not... it hurts!”

“Fuzzy! I’m here, it’ll be okay.” Cadance ran a hoof down the unicorn’s back as the crying dwindled to sniffles, trying not to think of the mess coating her front, or how impossible the thought sounded. “Let's get you to the medical wing and the doctor can take a look at you. Twily’ll be there and you can keep each other company while we work things out.”

“Twilight…” There was raw desperation in the word as with a weak nod of agreement, Cadence wrapped her magic gently around Fuzzy and lifted, noticing how light the exhausted pony felt, and how she just naturally cuddled up between Cadence's shoulder blades in the exact spot she had carried the doll. Whatever the creature was, it was far more than the simple plush toy of the past, but less than the young mare she now resembled.

In a calm tone that she’d used on Twilight before, Cadance called out, “You hold on, okay? I’m going to break a rule or three.”

Two forelegs wrapped around her neck. “I won’t tell Shiny.”

Closing her eyes to better focus on the blue magic building up at the tip of her horn, Cadance reached for her teleport spell’s destination. "I should find that weird but you know, this actually explains a lot.”

Princess Fuzzy smiled into Cadance’ mane as the emptiness inside faded for a moment. “Thank you.”

Cadance activated the spell a moment later, a thunderous pop echoing as the teleport spell sent the two ponies to the medical wing, leaving a shallow crater in the stone flooring.


Princess Celestia’s presence filled the room, pressing down on Twilight and keeping her gaze on the floor. Still, it was not as bad as Twilight first thought, because the Princess was warm, like friendly sunshine on the back of her neck, and even her voice was gentle and comforting. “Twilight Sparkle, you have a great gift, a potential for magic that I haven’t seen in a long time. Have you had problems focusing your magic?”

“I-maybe? I can cast the spells from books but....” Twilight rubbed her hooves together, unpleasant feelings bubbling up as memories of her long night practicing with Fuzzy came to mind.

“I understand. You have raw power but what you need is time and focused attention so you may learn how to harness it. Which is why I would like to take you as my personal student.” Princess Celestia’s announcement was met with a cheer from the Sparkle family and a gasp of surprise from Twilight as a dream came true. “You certainly earned your place in the School, along with a certain something else.”

‘My cutie mark!’ Twilight stared down at her flank where the Princess was pointing. It was a vibrant mark of several stars that she had never seen before, and the sight brought a feeling of validation to warm her heart, along with another sensation that she lacked words to describe.


Twilight yawned and snuggled into her brother’s back. The bustle in the medical wing’s foyer passed by in a haze as the rush from discovering her cutie mark faded, leaving only the sapping exhaustion. Still, she was not permitted to rest long. A hoof nudged her barrel and she whined at the annoyance.

“Twilight, dear. Do you think you can stay awake long enough to say goodbye to the Princess?” Her mother’s voice dragged Twilight up from the fugue of slumber as Velvet ruffled her mane. “Tomorrow when you're not drooling on your brother, we’ll have to get you a new manecut.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t like the attention from her family, but considering the current audience...

“Mo~oom! Not in front of the Princess!” Twilight grumbled as her mother inspected her horn and burnt mane again, tutting to herself as Princess Celestia’s muffled chuckles echoed in her ears.

“I’m allowed to be worried, sweetie, even if Doctor Humbug says you just need bed rest. You gave all of us a scare and we’re supposed to worry about you.” Velvet continued brushing her daughter’s mane, the comb floating in her magic deftly arranging it as best she could over the burnt patches. “That's what family does. I already sent your father off to pick up some things for you.”

Family… Fuzzy…

Princess Celestia gently broke in. “We shall discuss Twilight’s education when she is feeling better. My aid shall be in contact with you-”

She turned sharply to the side as a blue bubble of magic sprang into existence with a soft hum that rose in pitch, until, with an oddly subdued ‘pop’, it burst to reveal a blinking alicorn with a limp figure on her back.

“See, Twilight? I told you she’d be back.” Shining smirked at Twilight as she poked him into motion. “She has Fuzzy too, see? You should trust me mor- ow! No biting!”

Twilight’s attention was fixed on the pony atop her foal sitter. ‘Something is off…’

Princess Cadance looked around at the infirmary with a wince as she rubbed her horn. “Oh- oh that was a mistake after all. Whew..looks like we made it just fine, though. See, Fuzzy? One medical wing, just as promised.”

The chair behind the younger alicorn tipped over, the front half having vanished with the bubble, and Princess Celestia raised a brow at her niece who had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed. “Dear Niece, while I’m sure Twilight appreciates having her doll returned, I am quite certain that…” Celestia trailed off as the doll moved.

“My passenger required express service.” Cadance muttered to the monarch’s curiosity. “Twilight’s light show had one more side effect we didn’t notice at first.” Her horn glowed, lifting said passenger from her back to drift slowly to the floor, legs hanging limp briefly before straightening for touchdown.

“You strained your own horn and violated a dozen rules to return her doll?” Celestia shook her head. “While the animation spell on it looks remarkable, I fail to see how this excuses you.”

“Twilight?” The pony looked around with effort before spotting the entranced filly.

With a wobble, the platinum unicorn seemed to find her balance in a way no true plushie could, drawing a gasp from the room as it looked up at Twilight. “I found you…”

“Look at her, Auntie. Pay attention to the details.” Cadance reached out and brushed the unsteady unicorn’s ear, which flicked and twitched erratically. “She’s more alive than any animation spell could ever hope to achieve.”

“Fuzzy?” Twilight stared at a face both familiar and not, watching the glowing lights in her friend’s golden eyes shift and move as she always imagined they had. Eyes that had watched over her for so long she barely remembered a time they hadn’t, to guard her from the monsters and terrors Twilight’s growing imagination had created.

The room faded from focus as the pair studied each other, the moment shattering as Fuzzy shuffled on her hooves then winced, hissing in pain.

‘She’s hurt!’

Fuzzy yelped as she tried to step forward, injured leg collapsing under her as her hoof slipped on smooth tiles. Twilight didn't hesitate and leapt down to catch her, missing a gasp from behind her, as wondrous purple eyes met bright gold. “Fuzzy!”

She looked the same but different in some small way. Sounded, even- she buried her nose into her friend and sniffed- even smelled the same as her favorite plushie. Twilight didn’t quite know what was happening but she knew without a shadow of doubt that the young mare in her hooves was her Princess Fuzzy.

“I was so w-worried, you were glowing and hurting and then all those ponies- the hall a-and my leg-hrk!” The mare was babbling, shivering as dampness trailing from her eyes, until small hooves gripped her in a tight hug that she slowly returned.

‘Safe…’

“I’m here, Fuzzy. It’s going to be okay..” Twilight snuggled into her friend, a feeling of warmth bubbling in her chest as her best friend nickered softly, though something was off…oh, yes. The leg! “Doctor? Doctor Humbug, could you please look at Fuzzy’s leg, please? It’s always bothered her, and never been quite straight.”

The doctor blinked. “Fuzzy?” He ever so slowly looked between Celestia and Fuzzy, then back to the Princess again, who sighed and gave a short nod. “Oh, yes. Fuzzy,” he said with mild bewilderment. “Why don’t you put your… ah… friend up here on the table and...I’ll see what I can do.”

“Do you suppose you might be able to fill the rest of us in on things?” Princess Celestia’s question broke the moment and the pair looked up at the curious ponies watching them. “Your grandmare, Evening Star, held quite the reputation but I have never seen one of her creations quite so lively and vocal.”

Twilight rubbed her cheek against Fuzzy’s warm fur as magic slowly lifted them from the floor and back to the private room she’d just left. “Princess Celestia! This is Princess Fuzzy. She’s very special. Grandma told me so.”


Princess Celestia eyed the day’s paperwork on her desk and huffed, pushing it aside to focus on the report she had been waiting for, the quiet of her office broken by the burbles and snores of the tiny dragon bundled up in her lap. The hungry whines from earlier had been silenced by the powdered emerald and oatmeal mash one of her School’s professors had delivered, along with the results of the inspection she had ordered.

“Your Highness, as you can see, we compared the dragon egg shell to the plaster mock-up we had in storage and there is no difference between them. We spoke to the pony who made them for our entrance exams and he informed us that both were made by him.” Cold Case, a blue unicorn and one of her best researchers, paused his report with an air of confusion. His deep voice hummed as he thought. “A transmutation effect should have worn off or be reversible, but nothing I or any of my colleagues did made a difference.”

“There is no difference aside from the fact that one is made of actual dragon egg. Complete with hoof made irregularities and paint strokes.” The monarch's horn glowed as she lifted a fragment of shell from the box on her desk. “See here, the paint is thin enough to see the white plaster, yet it is a dragon’s egg.”

It was slightly disturbing to see a hair from the paint brush fused to the end result.

“It’s also completely impossible, since no dragon egg would ever be this smooth. Natural ones have a rough, almost scaled texture to better grip stone.” It has been a long time since she’d been to the Dragonlands but she’d never forget the visit.

“So, how did it happen? How did she do it? I know that foal magic can give results we consider impossible but even factoring in a surge-”

“It was something more.” Celestia looked out her windows at the setting sun, consumed in her own thoughts. The gentle warmth of her oldest friend washing through her, memories drifting up.

‘What was impossible when Magic itself was willing to court you?

“Something more? Did someone sneak a real dragon egg in and paint it? How would they ever find one that matched our moulds so...Princess?” Somepony asked, beseeching her attention as the Sun reached for her, ready to rest for a time.

‘What limit did it put on potential? Did it even have one?’

“Princess Celestia?” The pony called again.

The Sun sank below the horizon, the heat of their bond fading as its darker partner rose slowly in its place. The connection between the Moon and Monarch was cold and distant by comparison.

‘Clumsy fumbling compared to Her finesse.’

“If we could work out how to replicate the feat, we could use it for a great many things. Why, getting feedback on spells would be so much better than mere observation, let alone the advantages in other fields. Oh, if I could get my hooves on the spell formula, discover how it works then-” The excited rambling ended when Cold Case actually paid attention to his Princess’ cool expression.

“No. I have my suspicions on the how but I do not want to see the Sparkle family harassed over this.” Her order was clear and the unicorn bowed deeply.

“Yes, your Highness! Of course. B-but the potential-” Daring to look up, Cold Case spoke rapidly. “The Doctor reported the doll has an active magical core- a faux body that mostly runs on magic! We could help a lot of ponies. Imagine, animated stone statues that can actually give a report to a guard pony or golems that can brave the dangers of the wild lands without needing months of rune crafting and maintenance!”

Princess Celestia looked down at the tiny dragon in her lap. “I have read Doctor Humbug’s report. It is more than a doll, as my niece made clear to me.”

“But less than a pony! It might have fur and horn, even magic of its own- another impossibility, I might add, but while it has a heartbeat there isn’t a heart in it. None of the bone structure is realistic. It’s like some foal’s idea of what a pony is.” Cold Case found himself puffing slightly, legs trembling as he remembered who he was speaking to.

“Regardless. We could rip the doll away, steal away a filly’s prized possession- her creation, to experiment with and better the nation. But what cost would you have us pay? Would you have Us cull a dream?” A hoof traced along soft scales that wouldn’t harden for weeks. In time, she planned to return the hatchling to Twilight.

A mother, however unorthodox, shouldn’t be parted from her child, though perhaps siblings would be more accurate.

“You will limit your investigation to observation only. In time, that order may be amended, but you will ask both Twilight and Fuzzy for permission.” Her decision made, Princess Celestia pushed the box of egg shell fragments back to her researcher who bowed to the floor again before making his escape, the box floating after him in an azure aura.

Watching the unicorn leave, Celestia eyed the stacks of paperwork still demanding her attention and let out a deep sigh. Perhaps a break was in order. “Kibitz?”

A stout stallion with the beginnings of a moustache on his upper lip peered into the room and gave a short bow. “More tea and cakes, Highness?”

“I…No, just the tea.” The temptation was there but she had to be strong. “Though if I asked…?”

“The Cook has a new batch of Red Velvets, I believe. Princess Cadance claims they are quite good.” Her stomach chose that moment to rumble in agreement with the servant.

“Yes. Please.”

“At once, Highness.” The middle-aged servant moved back from view and Princess Celestia wondered if it was a learning experience or pettiness to have her niece suffer a crash course in managing a kingdom.


Twilight Velvet crept down the hall to her daughter’s room, nudging the door open to peer in and muffling her amusement with a hoof at the sight of her Twilight snoring softly against her bedmate while legions of smaller dolls and plushies stood guard. The soft light of the bedside lamp almost seemed to dance on their glass eyes, giving the illusion of movement as she crept in.

“Smart Cookie wasn’t fazed as the evil Witch prowled closer, for she was merely waiting for the time to strike.” Princess Fuzzy read, an ear flicking towards Velvet as she turned the page, horn glowing faintly before turning to meet Velvet’s gaze with her golden eyes glowing in the dark room.

"I imagine Twilight's enjoying the role reversal." Velvet found the comment slip out, her curiosity and amusement roused as she compared the new Fuzzy with the old of the morning.

“She was most insistent that it was my turn to read to her, yes.” Fuzzy pushed the book away and curled around Twilight, who snuggled deeper into the mare’s furry chest. “A task I find I’m enjoying. A great deal has changed. Finding the pleasant side of things is welcoming.”

“The doctors and researchers might have it just as bad.” Velvet pointed out quietly, “You just drove them to pull their manes out over a doll having magic. An inanimate object coming to life, living and breathing, is impossible according to every researcher or mage for the last thousand years.”

“I am still coming to terms with existing,” Fuzzy replied, staring down at her ward. “Everything is so new. I can smell things. Taste them." She shifted in bed, moving her cast to a more comfortable position. "The doctors and mages want to know where my tears come from, why I feel pain, if I feel cold or warm. They want to poke at my teeth with scary tools, test my horn, and ask all kinds of questions I can't answer, and every question reminds me of a simpler time when I lacked need for voice or motion.” She nuzzled the sleeping filly beside her.

“The doctor learned very fast, the researcher not so much.” A unicorn mage, Cold Case, had made the mistake of trying to shave away ‘samples’ while the doctor was tending to Princess Fuzzy’s broken leg, only to learn that Princess Fuzzy’s teeth were perfectly capable of leaving marks on his foreleg. Doctor Humbug pushed him aside to treat the grumpy mare like he would any other patient under his care after that and Velvet had been rather amused at the excessive bandaging and plaster the Doctor had used on what he’d called a ‘simple oblique fracture’.

Fuzzy didn’t see the humour but Shining Armor and Cadance had written ‘get well soon, and no more biting!’ messages on the cast to Twilight’s delight.

“Today, I felt the wind for the first time.” Fuzzy’s voice held a sense of wonder. “Existing is different in a way I can’t describe and my ears won’t stop twitching at every new sound.

“Twilight is special, not just for giving me the gift of telling her such. To me, she’s the most important pony ever.” Fuzzy’s horn glowed faintly and a blanket floated over to Velvet, who grabbed it in her own magic. “She is family. All of you are, and I shall protect you as befitting my title.” While the older mare tucked the blanket over them both, Fuzzy nuzzled the snoring filly and settled in beside her.

A moment passed as Velvet mulled things over before looking at Fuzzy with a smile, “Welcome to the family then, ‘Princess’ Fuzzy Sparkle.”

Author's Note:

Ahoy! Have at thee, vile Publish button!

So, turns out I needed an extra week for editing and revision.

Huge thanks to 'Georg' for taking the time to review and help edit this chapter.

I hope you all enjoy the story and please let me know if I've still managed to duff it up somewhere.