> Twily's Back
>  by Rough_Draft
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Don't Try This At Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


One – Don’t Try This At Home


For just a brief second, the interior of the Ponyville Library was completely covered in a bright magenta light.  When the intense flare faded, several books had been knocked from their shelves and there was a smoking black star scorched into the floor.

Spike cautiously poked his helmeted head out from behind his pillow-and-book fort on the far side of the room.  “Twilight?  Did… did it work?”

“Aargh…”  The groan came from somewhere upstairs.  “Spike…?  Don’t ever let me try that spell again.  Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Do you Pinkie Promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”  He stuck his hand over his eye and watched a magenta bolt streak to the floor.  Twilight Sparkle reappeared over the scorch mark.  She ruffled her wings, tossing scorched feathers and black soot into the air.  When she folded her wings back in, she did so carefully.

“Ow, ow, ow… okay!”  The Princess of Ponyville summoned a roll of paper and a quill.  She scribbled down a few notes.  “That’s the sixth spell test this morning!  Now we’re onto age spells!”

Spike had been dreading this one.  He hesitantly took off his helmet and stepped out from the safety of his fort.  “Are you sure this is going to work?”

“I’ve been practicing with fruits and flowers,” Twilight insisted.  “Not to mention Fluttershy let me practice on a few squirrels.  They seem fine.”

“But what about that one that disappeared?”

The alicorn rolled her eyes.  “He didn’t age back into nothing, Spike.  He just ran away when I started the spell.”

Spike felt like running away himself.  He was glad to help out Twilight, but he had no interest in either being turned back into an egg or blown up into a giant, mindless rampaging dragon.

On the other hand, he thought with a happy sigh, if I could be just a few years older, just enough to catch Rarity’s attention…

That might be worth a few aches and pains.  At least they were practicing indoors, where nopony else could see them if something went wrong.  Well, more like when something went wrong.

“Now, hold still.”  Twilight quickly turned away to consult one of the magic scrolls that Princess Celestia had sent her after her coronation.  “This will only take a second…”

“Just don’t make it too strong,” Spike warned.  Then he closed his eyes and braced himself.

Twilight took a deep breath in, held it, and released it.  Spike allowed himself a quick peek right as her horn began to glow magenta.  Then it turned white-hot and unleashed a massive stream of energy right at him.

Searing white heat washed over him.  Spike felt himself being lifted off the ground.  His limbs were hurting, but not terribly.

When he looked down at himself, he grinned.  He’d gotten a few inches taller and had filled out nicely.  His joy only increased when he saw that he was eye-level with Twilight.

“Well, how do I look?” he asked.  Then he gasped at how deep his voice had gotten.

“Like a very princely dragon,” his sister replied.  She pointed him toward a mirror in the corner.  When he rushed over, Spike noted the slight addition of muscle in his arms.  His abs could have used a little more toning, but that was fine.  He flexed his muscles and bared his fangs.

“Hey there,” he said to his reflection.  “Come here often?”

“You should probably be careful,” Twilight warned with a laugh.  “I made it a low-power spell, so it might not last very long.  I doubt it’ll feel good when you revert back to your true form.”

“How long do I have?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe an hour, maybe a few seconds—”

“Right, see ya!”  Spike turned and dashed for the front door—only for a magenta-colored lasso to tighten around his ankles and yank him down.

“I know you want to impress Rarity, but let’s stay focused.”  Twilight dropped the magic binding him to the floor as she trotted over to her spellcraft notes.  “If there are side effects, we don’t want anypony else to get hurt.”

Spike sighed.  And right on cue, the age spell wore off.  His body shrank back to its original size, and when he sighed again, his voice had gone back to normal as well.

“Horse feathers,” he muttered.

Twilight turned away from her notes and books with a sly grin.  “Okay.  You should take cover.  It’s my turn now.”

“Is it safe to cast an age spell on yourself?”

“Why not?  Star-Swirl the Bearded did it a few times when he was just an old stallion.  I don’t see any reason it couldn’t work on me.”

Spike wanted to argue that Star-Swirl had lived for over a century as the most powerful unicorn in history, but he knew better.  Besides, he still felt fine after the age spell, so maybe Twilight really would be okay.

He raced back to his fort and pulled on his helmet.  Twilight moved back to the center of the room, going through the same breathing exercise as before.

The air around her head began to swirl and glow with a soft white light.  That light became a vortex, blue ringed with magenta, spreading out from the tip of her horn.  Her wings extended as she was slowly lifted off the floor, hanging in midair in the heart of her own tiny storm.

Spike ducked when the vortex collapsed, engulfing the entire library in a white flash of light.





As the light and noise faded, Spike hesitantly stuck his head out from the pillows.  He groaned and blinked his eyes.

He heard Twilight sniffling.  “Hey, are you okay?”

As he pulled himself free from his ruined shelter, Spike hobbled over to the pile of books that now lay on the library floor.  The spell had almost been as powerful as that last one.  On a hunch, Spike checked the ceiling to make sure Twilight wasn’t up there.

He began to pick through the books.  “Twilight?  Are you hurt?  Did it work on you?”  When she didn’t answer, his breath grew short as he frantically tossed the books over his shoulders.  “Come on, talk to me!  Where’d you go…?”

“I’m here, Spike,” a very small voice called out.  The dragon reached down and pulled a large encyclopedia away.  Then he almost dropped it on his foot in shock.

A lavender filly stuck her head out from the pile of books.  Her tiny wings fluttered as she tried to lift herself into the air—only to crash down onto the books.

“I think,” said Twilight, “we might have a problem.”
> What Are Friends For?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Two – What Are Friends For?


Five ponies came charging down the hospital corridor as the doctor emerged from the examination room.  The older pony took one look at the group and offered a hesitant smile.

“Thank you for coming,” he said.  “Let me say that Twilight is doing fine—”

“Fine?” Rarity exclaimed.  “She was turned into a filly!”

“Well then, as a filly, she’s fine.  She’ll have to go back to eating and sleeping like a foal, so we know how to handle that.”  The doctor shrugged apologetically.  “Unfortunately, there’s not much else we can do for her.  This is a magical condition and she’s royalty.  I’d recommend consulting Princess Celestia before you do anything else.”

Spike sighed.  “Well, guess I’d better start writing that letter.”

Applejack reached over and patted him on the shoulder.  “Now don’t go feelin’ down on yerself, Spike.  You should at least go in an’ see her before you do that.”

“That’s right,” said Fluttershy.  “Twilight needs our support now more than ever!”

Seeing their brave smiles warmed Spike’s heart.  He nodded and led them past the doctor into the examination room.

Twilight was sitting on the table, wearing a hospital gown designed for pegasi.  Her wings were tucked close against her body and her head was dropped between her front hooves.  She barely glanced up as her friends entered the room.

Spike coughed into his hand.  “Uh, hey, Twilight—”

“Hey, Twilight!” said Pinkie Pie.  She cartwheeled in between Applejack and Rarity.  “How’s it feel to be a filly all over again?”

Twilight’s glum expression never changed.  “I don’t wanna talk about it, Pinkie.”

“There, there,” said Fluttershy.  She flew over and stroked Twilight’s back with her hoof.  “I’m sure you’ll be back to normal soon.  We’ll write to Princess Celestia—”

“Please don’t!” Twilight squeaked.  Then, when she heard her own voice, she cupped her mouth with her hoof.  Tears formed in her eyes.

Applejack trotted closer.  “Now don’t you fret, Sugarcube.  Nopony knows magic better than the Princess.  An’ I’m sure she’d be mighty happy to help out her best student, too.”

“Yeah, like that time you caused a riot with your ‘Want It, Need It’ spell!” Rainbow Dash added.  When everypony turned to glare at her, she frowned.  “What?  Was that not helpful?”

“What she’s trying to say,” Rarity said, “is that you’ve nothing to worry about, darling.  With the Princess’s help, you’ll be back to normal in no time.  And in the meantime, we’re here to help you with whatever you need.”

Applejack looked around the room.  “Which begs the question.  Who’s gonna watch Twilight until all this here nonsense is over?”

Everypony awkwardly looked at each other.  Spike stepped closer to Twilight, putting a comforting claw on her tiny shoulder.

“I mean,” Applejack continued, “it’s almost winter.  I’ve gotta handle the farm.”

“And I’m pulling double-shifts on weather duty,” said Rainbow Dash.

“And I’ve got a whole list of orders for winter clothing to finish this week!” Rarity exclaimed, pressing a hoof to her forehead.

Pinkie Pie grinned as she looked at Fluttershy.  “Guess that means we’re in charge!”

Fluttershy rubbed her chin.  “I suppose it does.  All my animal friends are going into hibernation, so there’s not a lot else for me to do.”

“See, Twilight?”  Spike prodded the filly’s flank, right above her cutie mark.  “We’re not going through this alone.”

Twilight lifted her head, just enough to meet her friends’ expectant looks.  Slowly, she tried to conjure up a smile.  “I guess not.”

Fluttershy hovered over Twilight as she picked her up from the table and hugged her close.  Then Pinkie Pie grabbed them both in a bear hug that pulled Fluttershy back toward the floor.  Spike watched the scene with misty eyes, grateful for the handkerchief that Rarity discreetly pressed into his hand.





“It’s fine, Fluttershy,” Twilight insisted.  She kept blushing every time she heard herself speak.  Had her voice always been so high when she was little?  “I can walk on my own, really.”

Upon leaving the hospital, Fluttershy had found a foal carrier and immediately strapped Twilight into it.  Apparently, the age spell had affected her magic since she couldn’t pull herself free.  All she could do was hang in the carrier, pressed against Fluttershy’s chest as the pegasus flew back to the library.

“I know, but I worry about you,” said Fluttershy.  “I promised that nothing would happen to you while I’m around.”

“But I don’t need to be treated like a foal!” Twilight wailed in protest.  She kicked against the harness, regretting how small she was now.  It was like trying to wrestle a full-grown dragon.

“Well, how else were you going to get home?”

“I could walk out in the open like everypony else!”

“You mean, where everypony could see you?”

That stopped Twilight’s protests.  She realized that Fluttershy had a good point.  Even though she’d grown up in Canterlot, almost everypony in Ponyville knew what she looked like.  They’d be quick to take note of a filly roaming the streets who had the horn and wings of an alicorn princess.  There’d be questions and concerns and she’d never get a moment’s privacy.  Ponies would be having a field day with the news of her transformation.

Sometimes it was easy to forget just how smart Fluttershy could be.

“Okay,” said Twilight.  “I’ll be good.”

Great, she thought.  I’m already sounding like a foal.

“And here we are!” Fluttershy announced.  She flew them right through the open window of the library’s top floor, landing inside Twilight’s bedroom.  As she unstrapped the foal carrier, Twilight tumbled free and landed on her stomach.  She groaned, mostly in disbelief.

After all that progress in learning how to fly and cast royal-class spells, here she was, having to learn how to walk all over again.

“Pinkie Pie and Spike should be here any minute with some supplies,” said Fluttershy.  “In the meantime, how about I make you some lunch?”

It amazed Twilight how quickly her friend had adopted a more assertive tone as her foalsitter.  Then she marveled at how weird it was to think of Fluttershy as her foalsitter.  The last pony to foalsit Twilight had been Cadance, now living all the way in the Crystal Empire.

Gee, if only she could see me now…

“That would be nice,” Twilight answered slowly.  She got up from the floor and took a wobbly step forward.  Then she took another, willing herself to stay balanced on her own four hooves.

She could do this.  She was still a princess, no matter how young she’d accidentally become.

“You’re doing great!” Fluttershy.  She lifted a hoof in encouragement before flying downstairs to the kitchen.





By the time Twilight made it downstairs—after two failed attempts to fly down on a pair of underdeveloped wings—she found lunch had been served.  Fluttershy had cut up some carrots and celery, serving them with a tall glass of apple juice.

“Thanks for the meal,” Twilight said as she sat down at the kitchen table.  “I’m usually terrible at remembering to eat on study days.  Spike has to practically cram a sandwich down my throat.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy answered.  She took a bite from her carrot, smiling as she savored it.

As Twilight began to eat, she realized that she was starving.  Without bothering to chew, she began to wolf down her vegetables.

“Oh, dear.”  Fluttershy lifted a napkin.  “You have a little something on your—”

“On my what?”  Twilight paused to take a long gulp of juice.  Then she looked down at her plate.  In her hunger, she’d made quite a mess.  Bits of carrots and celery were strewn across her plate—and her face.  “Oh.  Sorry about that.  I guess I was just—”

The napkin being rubbed over her mouth cut off the rest of her sentence.  Twilight flinched away as Fluttershy gently cleaned her face.  She lifted a hoof to fend off her friend’s efforts, but to no avail.

“That’s better!” Fluttershy cheerfully exclaimed.  She took a sip from her own glass.  “Mmm.  This is lovely.  We should have lunch together more often.”

“I completely agree,” Twilight replied.  She frowned and added mentally, Just so long as you never try to clean my face like I’m some kind of…

The word foal was on the tip of her tongue, but Twilight refused to accept it.  She’d been turned back into a filly by a faulty age spell, nothing more.  All she could do now was get in touch with Princess Celestia and find a solution.

Twilight was still mulling over her situation when she tried to pick up her juice glass for another sip.  But for whatever reason, she was having trouble keeping her hooves on it.  She frowned and focused on getting a secure grip.

“Ergh… come on…”  Twilight slumped back in her seat as she let the glass drop back onto the table, awkwardly wobbling into place.  “I don’t get it.  I never had this kind of trouble when I was… when I was this age!”

Fluttershy offered a patient smile.  “Would you like help with that?”

Twilight blushed.  She had an idea of what her friend was suggesting, and she didn’t like it.  But when faced with the alternative of spilling her juice everywhere… “Yes, please.”

Fluttershy trotted over to Twilight’s side of the table and picked up the glass with one hoof.  With her other hoof, she pulled Twilight close and held the glass to her lips.  Twilight closed her eyes and took a cautious sip.

“Okay, I’m done,” she said quickly.  Being cradled in Fluttershy’s arm made her feel like she had a whole swarm of butterflies in her stomach.  Which seemed oddly appropriate when she considered that Fluttershy’s cutie mark was a trio of butterflies.

“Are you sure?”  Fluttershy swirled around the half-finished juice in its glass.

Twilight smacked her lips and took one more sip for good measure.  Then she nodded fervently.

Fluttershy set the glass aside and picked up her napkin again.  Twilight knew what she planning and decided not to make a fuss as Fluttershy gently wiped her lips with the napkin.  She supposed this was the sort of thing that was expected between really good friends.

We’re just friends, Twilight reminded herself desperately.  Despite how my body looks, we are practically the same age.

When she heard the front door open, her heart warmed a little.  With any luck, Spike had written and sent off a letter to the Princess and all would be well before the day was over.  Twilight squirmed out of Fluttershy’s grasp and trotted into the main room.

“Hey, Twily!” Pinkie Pie called out.  She bounced over to Twilight, carrying a pair of very loaded saddlebags on her back.  “Are you ready for a fun-filled afternoon with the best foalsitter in all of Equestria?”

Twilight’s ears flattened.  She glared at Spike as he entered the library.  “Did you tell her my nickname, Spike?”  Her wings fluttered, mirroring her agitation.  “The nickname that only Shining Armor and Cadance call me?”

Spike’s eyes dropped toward the floor.  “Uh… maybe?  Please don’t be mad?”

“And for your information, Pinkie,” Twilight added, “Cadance is the best foalsitter in all of Equestria.”  Her proud smile lasted for only a second, turning into a scowl.  “But I’m not a foal!”

“Aww, don’t worry, Twilight.”  Fluttershy was at her side in an instant, wrapping her up in a hug.  “You probably just need to get some rest.”  Her confident tone faltered when she added, “M-maybe you could go upstairs and take a nap?”

“Fluttershy, I’m not a foal!  I just look like one!  And eat like one!”  She slumped in defeat.  “And drink like one.  And have trouble walking like one…”

Pinkie Pie turned to Spike with a quizzical frown.  “But if she’s not a foal, then why’d the doctor say we had to bring all this?”

She opened up her saddlebags, letting the contents spill out onto the floor.  Inside were a pair of foal bottles, a coloring book, crayons, construction paper, several brightly colored toys, and a package of diapers.

Twilight stared at the pile.  Then, when she could no longer bear it, she started to cry.
> Back To Basics
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Three – Back To Basics


“Twilight?” Fluttershy crept toward the bundled-up shape on Twilight’s bed.  She concentrated on treading quietly, which was handy when dealing with upset animals—and upset ponies.  “Are you okay?”

“Leave me alone,” said the bundle on the bed.  “I don’t want to see anypony right now.”  Then, after a thoughtful pause, she added, “Except maybe Spike.”

Fluttershy decided to take a risk and fly over to her friend’s side.  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”

“No…”  The bundle shifted as Twilight poked her head out from under the covers.  She looked utterly miserable.  “I’m fine.  I said I was fine, didn’t I?  Why doesn’t anypony believe me when I say that?”

“Okay, okay,” Fluttershy replied soothingly.  She stepped back toward the doorway and smiled.  “We’ll be downstairs if you need anything.  Anything at all.”  She gave Twilight a friendly wink and a nod before turning away.

Twilight sighed.  “Wait.  Don’t go.  I… I do need your help.”

As she threw the covers off herself, Fluttershy’s nose twitched unpleasantly.  She gasped when she saw the stain on the bed sheets.  Suddenly the air was filled with a fresh odor—a familiar smell after all those times spent housebreaking Ponyville’s pets.

“Oh, Twilight!”  Fluttershy immediately flew back and picked up the filly.  “I’m so sorry!”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry!” Twilight said, choking past fresh tears.  She buried her face into Fluttershy’s shoulder.  “I-I tried to keep my control, but I just can’t!  I’m really scared…”

“Shh, it’s okay.”  Fluttershy brushed away the tears from her friend’s cheeks with her hoof.  “I know this is going to be hard.  But I promise we’ll find the spell to fix this.”

Twilight sniffled as she looked up.  “…You promise?”

“I do.”

The filly nuzzled her back.  “Thanks.  I really needed to hear that.”

“Anytime, sweetie.”  Fluttershy was finding it hard not to think of Twilight as another sick filly.  But her instincts were getting the better of her.  She couldn’t help but care for somepony so small.

Not to mention, she thought with a smile, she’s the most adorable filly I’ve ever seen!

“You might not like this,” Fluttershy whispered, “but maybe we could avoid these accidents if we… took some precaution?”

“What do you mean?”

Fluttershy blushed.  “Well, Pinkie Pie did bring some diapers with her—”

Twilight’s whine interrupted her.  “Isn’t there another way?”

“I’m not sure.  Do you know any spells that might help?”

“It’s not the spells, it’s the talent.”  Twilight grimaced as her horn glowed magenta.  A tiny spark popped out, landing on the floor with a harmless sizzle.  “I’m back at the magic I was practicing before I got my cutie mark.”  She wriggled her flanks.  “And I’ve still got my cutie mark!”

Fluttershy waited for her to finish ranting.  Then Twilight looked up at her with a cautious frown.

“Look, if I agree to this,” she said quietly, “just promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“That you never—ever—let Pinkie Pie change me.”





Twilight allowed herself to be carried downstairs in Fluttershy’s arms.  She groaned when she saw the litter on the main floor of the library.

Building blocks, rubber balls, stuffed animals, pacifiers, bottles, and stacks of diapers—all tossed haphazardly onto the ground.  As Pinkie Pie entertained herself with some juggling, Spike ran around trying to organize everything into neat little piles.  Twilight had to give him credit for trying to make the most out of an awful situation.

She wished she could do the same, but couldn’t see how.

“Um, Pinkie Pie?”  Fluttershy landed on the floor and let Twilight sit down in front of her.  “Would you mind giving us a moment of privacy?”

“I could, but you know what’d be even better?”  With a dramatic flourish, Pinkie Pie dropped all three of the balls she’d been juggling and tossed some confetti into the air.  “A play date with our new filly friend!”

Since she was standing in front of Spike, Pinkie failed to notice him slap his hand against his face in frustration.  Twilight hid her smile behind her hoof.

“Well, you see…”  Fluttershy tiptoed over to Pinkie Pie and whispered into her ear.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened.  She looked at Twilight and gave an embarrassed grin.  “Okey-dokey… um, artichokey…”  Without warning, she grabbed Spike under his arms and did an impressive backflip out of the room.  “See you in a jiff!”

As Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other, they shared an embarrassed smile.  Then the pegasus reached into one of the piles and took out a gauzy yellow blanket.  She put Twilight on the blanket and waited for her to lie down.

Okay, Twilight reassured herself.  You can do this.  It’s just a diaper.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  Lots of foals wear them all the time… and so do very old ponies at the retirement home… and a few bedridden ponies at the hospital…

Twilight shut her eyes and shook her head to chase away such thoughts.  This spiraling despair wasn’t going to change anything.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy came forward with a diaper in one hoof and a bottle of powder in the other.  When Twilight glanced quizzically at the powder, the pegasus grinned sheepishly.  “It’s just to keep you clean.  For when you have to go again.”

That seemed reasonable.  As Fluttershy unfolded the diaper, Twilight watched how quickly and skillfully she worked.  She’d seen her work well with animals, but rarely with children.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” said Twilight, “where’d you learn to deal with foals so well?”

“Oh, I learned it back when I was just a filly myself,” Fluttershy answered as she lifted Twilight’s legs and slid the diaper under her bottom.  “Since I wasn’t that good at flying, I volunteered at nurseries and daycare centers, looking after foals when their parents were busy.”  A wistful smile came over her as she sprinkled some powder between Twilight’s legs.  “It was a pretty good experience and sure helped me when I got my cutie mark for taking care of animals.”

The thought of a young Fluttershy in a nursery full of happy, needy foals made Twilight smile.  It kept her perfectly still as Fluttershy finished taping the diaper into place.

“There you go,” the pegasus whispered.  “It’s not too tight, is it?”

Cautiously, Twilight got up and trotted around the blanket.  The diaper felt a little heavier than most of the dresses and costumes she’d worn to royal events and Canterlot galas, but it wasn’t that unpleasant.  And it was mercifully quiet, so she wouldn’t be rustling everywhere she went.

Hopefully, if luck was on her side, she wouldn’t have to go very far.

“It’s fine,” she told Fluttershy.  Then, just for fun, Twilight reached up and hugged her.  “Thanks a lot.”

A pair of yellow arms wrapped around Twilight. “You’re welcome!”

As tender as the moment was, it was soon rudely interrupted.  A deep-throated belch cut across the room, as the two ponies looked up at Spike.

To Twilight’s joy, a green fireball had escaped his mouth.  The fire and smoke vanished, leaving a pristine white scroll in its place.  Spike caught the scroll and anxiously opened it up.

“It’s from the Princess!” he announced.

“Woo hoo!” Pinkie Pie cheered, cartwheeling back into the library.  “This calls for a party!”

Twilight’s ears flattened.  “We can celebrate once I’m back to normal.  Let’s see that letter, Spike.”

The dragon handed it over.  Twilight automatically tried to use her magic to hold the scroll up, but her horn was still underdeveloped.  As a futile spark popped out, she gave up the effort and spread the parchment out on the floor.

“Dear Twilight,” she read out loud, “I am terribly sorry to hear about your condition.  While I would be happy to assist you, my sister Luna and I are currently entertaining a delegation of ambassadors from the Griffin Kingdom…”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Spike remarked sadly.

“Nevertheless,” Twilight continued, “I encourage you to come by train to Canterlot at once.  As Princess, you still have access to the Star-Swirl the Bearded Wing of the royal archives.  The scholars there will be able to assist you in a search for the solution.  Sincerely yours, Princess Celestia.”

She looked up from the scroll, groaning.  “I can’t believe it.  I have to go to Canterlot and face everypony looking like this?  Nopony’s going to take me seriously as a princess!”

“Aww, cheer up, Twily!” Pinkie Pie replied.  “I’m sure Celestia turned herself into all kinds of colors and sizes with her magic spells!”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

Spike leaned over her shoulder and pointed a claw at the scroll.  “I think there’s a postscript at the bottom.”

Twilight looked down and read, “P.S. Before you leave Ponyville, you should consult with your local timekeeper.  Ask him about designing a circadian hourglass and have him accompany you to Canterlot to make sure it’s working.  He should know what to do from there.”

“Local timekeeper?”  Spike’s eyes widened.  “Oh, this is gonna turn out great…”
> Time And Time Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Four – Time And Time Again


Right next to Ponyville’s town center was a humble blue house.  Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike came up to the front door; Spike was constantly checking the street just to be sure they weren’t being watched.

Twilight had been put back into the foal carrier, which Pinkie Pie now wore.  She was dizzy from all the bouncing that Pinkie did when she walked, but at least nopony could tell it was Twilight when she was in public.  Nopony in town would bat an eye at the sight of a cheerful pink pony escorting one or more fillies.

Fluttershy knocked on the door three times.  It immediately opened and a light voice called out, “Oh, hello!  Come on in!  Be with you in a second…!”  Something crashed in the background.  “Possibly longer than that!”

With a collective shrug, the ponies and Spike entered.

Being a timekeeper’s home, the halls and living room were filled with clocks.  Grandfather clocks, alarm clocks, pocket watches, hourglasses, sundials, and even a few magical clocks contained inside crystal balls.  But despite all the time-keeping devices taking up space on the walls, it wasn’t that noisy.  Instead of a loud cacophony of tick-tocks, there was just a hiss of sand pouring through an hourglass and a very quiet ticking that always in the background.

For some reason, Twilight always liked visiting Time Turner and got along well with him.  They shared a common love for organization and punctuality, even if Time Turner was a little odd about it.  Twilight put everything in order for the sake of her studies and helping her friends.  He seemed to love timekeeping for its own sake.

They had just arrived in the living room when Time Turner came in, holding a wrench in his mouth.  He spat it out onto a side table already littered with tools and smiled.

“Hello, everypony!”  His eyes narrowed when she noticed Twilight.  “And… Princess.  Oh, dear.  I don’t think I know one addresses a royal filly.”

“Age spell, long story.”  Twilight squirmed out of the foal carrier, almost dropping onto the floor if not for a last-minute catch by Fluttershy.  “We wrote to Princess Celestia.  We’re going to Canterlot tonight, but first we had to come here.”

Time Turner smiled and bowed his head.  “Ah!  Well, I’m flattered you wanted to visit, but I’m afraid magic isn’t my specialty.  I just keep the clocks in perfect time.”

“The Princess said you could help us,” Fluttershy insisted.  “She said you could build us something called a circadian—”

“A circadian hourglass?”  Time Turner’s smile disappeared in a flash.  He looked back over his shoulder, then turned to everypony.  “Well, well.  Not a moment to lose then.  Follow me.”





Next to Time Turner’s bedroom was a small locked room.  The timekeeper knelt down beside an innocuous umbrella stand and nudged a panel open at the base with his hoof.  He retrieved a skeleton key and held it in his mouth to open the door.

The room was a miniature library, full of books and scrolls.  In the center of the room, atop a small pillar, was a crystal orb filled with swirling violet light.  Twilight’s ears perked when she looked past the bookshelves and noticed a red banner hanging on the wall.  It was emblazoned with the royal crest and the picture of an hourglass below it.

Underneath the sigil were the words Protege Diem.  Old Equestrian for Protect The Day.

“Ooh, what’s all this?”  Pinkie Pie danced around the crystal orb, prodding it with her hoof.  “Is it part of some secret awesome tradition stretching back to the dawn of time?”

“No—well, not exactly.”  Time Turner quickly put himself between Pinkie Pie and the orb.  “You might not realize it, but all timekeepers in Equestria have another duty besides making sure all the clocks are wound and running.  We’re charged with protecting the flow of Time itself!”

Twilight stared at him, feeling skeptical.  “But isn’t that a job for the Princess?”

Time Turner smiled.  “Yes, but she’s busy, what with managing the Sun and running the whole country.  So that’s why she created the Royal Society of Chronometry.  I’m sure you know about the spells for time travel, Princess.  The ones that Star-Swirl the Bearded developed?”

“Don’t remind me.”  Twilight touched her cheek where she’d once had a scar.  “That was a miserable week.”

Pinkie Pie reached down and ruffled her mane.  “Well, I thought it was fun!”

“You think everything’s fun.”  Twilight looked back at Time Turner.  “So your Royal Society travels through time?”

“Well, actually, no.”  Time Turner pointed his hoof to the crystal orb.  “We make sure nopony tries to mess around with time.  Breaking the chain of cause-and-effect, that sort of thing.  If something were changed, the timekeepers would be the first to know about it.”

“But, last year, when I said I’d just met myself from the future—”

“Not very serious, I’m afraid.  You ended up becoming the cause for your own anxiety.”  He glanced at the swirling light inside the crystal and nodded.  “A bit of a paradox, but nothing the universe can’t handle.  If you’d tried to go back and do something worse like stop Discord from ever being born, that’d be serious meddling.”

Fluttershy lifted a hoof to her face.  “Why would anypony want to do that?”

“He was just using him as an example,” Spike said and patted her on the wing.

Twilight looked down at her small body and frowned.  “So, about this hourglass—”

“The circadian hourglass measures a pony’s biology,” Time Turner explained.  While he spoke, he began to rummage through a pile of scrolls in the back of the room.  “There’s a difference between the internal clock of a foal’s body and the body of a full-grown pony.”  He picked up Twilight and prodded her in the stomach, just above her diaper.  “For example, your need for food and sleep is much, much larger than you’re used to.”

Fluttershy smiled.  “See?  I told you a nap would be good for you.”

“So if the hourglass does its job,” Twilight asked, “we can tell if I’m getting better or…”  She swallowed nervously.  “Or regressing further?”

“That’s the idea.  Your timeline’s just out of sorts.  Your mind is still in the present, but your body is sliding back into fillyhood.  The hourglass will give us a way to check your progress while we look for a spell to fix it.”

Twilight smiled.  This was going better than expected, although she didn’t like the idea of being in a race against time.  She’d hate to think what might happen if they weren’t fast enough.

It’d worse than being sent back to magic kindergarten.  She’d lose her mind, too.  All her memories of Ponyville.  All her friends—!

“Twilight, you okay?”

Spike’s voice snapped her out of it.  “Right!  Canterlot!  Hourglass!  Let’s go!”

Time Turner blinked.  Then he smiled and said, “Of course, Princess.  It shouldn’t take me long.  I’ll see you at the station tonight.”  He pulled out a pocket watch from behind a stack of books and added, “Say, at a quarter to eight?  Just in time to board the last train to Canterlot.”

“That’ll do nicely.  Thank you, Time Turner.”

“Think nothing of it, Your Highness.”  He bowed.  “The Royal Society is here to serve.”
> Twily's Train Ride
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Five – Twily’s Train Ride


When Twilight opened her eyes, she felt warm all over.  Pleasantly warm, even.  She yawned and stretched her hooves and wings out.

It took a moment for everything to click into place.  Twilight sat up, only to be held back by the harness of Fluttershy’s foal carrier.  Gently she swayed against the pegasus, as the train chugged along into the night.  There was nopony else in the car except for the two of them.

“Oh, good!  You’re awake!” Fluttershy gently stroked Twilight’s mane.  “Feeling any better?”

“Mm, yes.”  Twilight looked down, realizing that she was wearing clothes.  A very small set of midnight blue pajamas, in fact.  “Uh, where did I get these?”

“Rarity made them!  I told her she didn’t have to bother, but she insisted on giving them to you before we left.  Isn’t that sweet?”

“Yeah.  Sweet…”  Twilight stretched her hoof down to her waist and poked at the diaper underneath her pajama bottoms.  “Oh, I think I’m wet—”

The door to the train car slid open as Pinkie Pie came bouncing in with a very large doughnut stuffed in her mouth.  Spike and Time Turner were right behind her, pushing a silvery cart full of food and drink down the aisle.

“Great,” Twilight said under her breath, “now I’m wet and hungry…”

“I’ll change you in a little while,” Fluttershy whispered.  “Time Turner wants to show you his new hourglass.”

“Oh, okay.”

Twilight waited as Fluttershy unbuckled the foal carrier and let her out.  She felt even more unsteady on her hooves now that the train was constantly rocking everything in the car.  But Twilight was a quick learner.  Once she gauged the momentum of the train, she adjusted her steps and moved with the train’s speed instead of against it.

“Good evening, Twilight Sparkle!”  Time Turner bowed his head.  “Sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.  Fluttershy said you brought the circadian hourglass?”

The timekeeper pony grinned.  “I certainly did.  Now, step right this way—and watch your step!  This ride can be a little bumpy.”

“I-I kn-know wh-what y-you m-mean!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing up and down with each syllable.

Meanwhile, Time Turner had brought out an hourglass from his saddlebag.  It was smaller than the official clocks that Twilight had seen him use at formal events in Ponyville, small enough to fit in his hoof.  On first glance, it looked like an ordinary hourglass, but when Twilight came up for a closer look, she saw that the sand was pouring through the glass at a snail’s pace.  Just a few grains at a very regular pace.

The rhythm of the falling sand was familiar.  If she closed her eyes and concentrated…

Just as she thought.  The sand was perfectly timed with her body.

“Just a few minutes ago, while you were asleep,” Time Turner explained, “the sand was pouring a lot faster.  Now that you’re awake, it’s slowed down a bit.”  He turned the hourglass over, and to Twilight’s amazement, the sand continued to flow in the same direction.  Against gravity’s pull.  “Sands of time are hard to find, you know.  Have to order it all the way from Saddle Arabia.”

“And this is normal for a foal’s body?” Twilight asked.

Time Turner nodded and held the hourglass closer to Fluttershy.  Suddenly the sand was moving even slower.  Still regular, but much more paced out than Twilight’s sand-flow had been.

“And it’s how much longer to Canterlot?”

The brown pony set down the hourglass and pulled out a pocket watch from his other saddlebag.  “Two hours, fifteen minutes, and… oh, let’s say twenty-eight seconds?”

“Woo hoo!” Pinkie Pie cheered.  She and Spike were munching on a foot-long sandwich from both ends, working their way into the middle.  “Plenty of time for a quick royal train party!”

“Just a minute!” Time Turner said with a severe frown.  He reached into his saddlebag and took out a bright red fez.  Once he’d placed it on his head, he grinned like an idiot and bounced over to Pinkie’s side.  “All right, now we can party!”





As he and Pinkie Pie fell to dancing about the train car, Fluttershy quietly picked up Twilight and carried her to the back of the car.  She lowered Twilight for just a moment and donned a pair of her own saddlebags.  From her spot on the floor, Twilight caught a quick whiff of baby powder and held the rustle of diapers inside the bags.

While she wasn’t enjoying her first wet diaper, Twilight did feel better about having somepony like Fluttershy to help her.  Even as they made their way out of the car and down the vestibule, she made a mental note to visit her friend’s cottage more often.  Nothing like a quiet evening with a gentle pony to take away all the stress of being a full-time Princess.

Fortunately, the vestibule was empty, allowing the two ponies to discreetly enter the nearest restroom.  It was just large enough to accommodate them and even featured a fold-out changing table on the wall.

Twilight’s wings fluttered weakly as Fluttershy carried her onto the table.  She wished she could just fly herself, but like her magic, flight was something else she going to have to relearn.

Please, she prayed fervently, I don’t wanna keep sliding backwards.  I wanna be big again!

Squeezing her eyes shut, Twilight knew she was in trouble.  That tone was far too childish.  Her mind was slowly starting to regress.  Maybe not as fast as her body, but it was happening all the same.

As Fluttershy removed her pajama bottoms and began to change her diaper, Twilight consoled herself as best she could.  Even if the worst did happen, she wasn’t alone.  She had Fluttershy and Spike, Pinkie Pie and Time Turner.

All she could do—all she could ever do—was trust her friends.

“You know,” Fluttershy was saying as she put a clean diaper on Twilight, “I think you should give Pinkie Pie a chance.  She really wants to play with you.”

Twilight’s ears dropped.  “I know she does.  I mean, it’s sweet… and a little weird.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad.  You like the parties and games she puts on, though.”

“Well, yeah…”

“She just wants you to be happy, Twilight.”  Then, blushing, she added, “We all do.”

Her words brought a warm glow to Twilight’s heart.  She nodded and pulled up her pajama bottoms.  At least she could do that much on her own.





By the time they reentered the train car, the party had quieted down.  Time Turner and Spike were leaning against each other on one of the benches, both covered with crumbs and half-asleep.

“Twilight, guess what?  Guess what?”  Pinkie Pie came bouncing into view from behind the dinner cart.  “While you were out, I wrote a song to cheer you up!”

Twilight almost rolled her eyes, but she felt Fluttershy’s hoof on her shoulder and thought better of it.  She supposed it couldn’t hurt to give her friend a chance.  What else was the Element of Laughter supposed to do if not entertain?

“Okay, Pinkie,” she squealed, “let’s hear it!”

The pink pony jumped up onto her hind legs and took in a deep breath:

Hey Twilight!  Now that you’re a filly,
Let’s take a chance and get a little silly!
Hey Twilight!  Now that you’re small,
Let’s play around with some blocks and dolls!

While she sang, a trio of red balls magically appeared in her hooves.  Pinkie juggled them while doing a happy little jig around Twilight and Fluttershy.

You only get to be young once—or twice!
Isn’t being a kid again so nice?
So play away the blues and give us all a smile,
’Cause you’re a filly again for just a short while!

And with a dramatic flourish, she tossed the balls into the air and landed on her knees.  One of the balls ended up bonking Time Turner right in the forehead.  The impact jerked him out of his nap and he looked around anxiously.

“Derpy Hooves, get your saddlebags!”  When he noticed the red ball sitting in his lap, the timekeeper laughed and rubbed his head.  “Seems like I’m always having a ball when Pinkie Pie’s around.”

Twilight found herself giggling, too.  “Thanks, Pinkie.  That means a lot.”

“You betcha, Twilight!”  Pinkie Pie bounced up and down anxiously.  “So you do wanna play now?  Huh?  Do ya?”

“But, Pinkie,” said Fluttershy, “she hasn’t even had dinner yet—”

“Then we’ll make dinner into a game!”  Reaching onto the cart, Pinkie Pie fished out a cucumber sandwich and a bag of pretzels.  While she balanced the sandwich on top of her head, she ripped open the bag and began to toss pretzels into the air.  “Better hurry before they’re gone!”

Twilight ran around with her mouth open, trying to catch and eat the pretzels before they landed.  It was hard to beat Pinkie Pie, who could move at a blinding speed—even faster than Rainbow Dash on her best day—but she gave it her all.  At least the running was building up her appetite.

“And… sandwich!”  Pinkie flipped through the air, sending the cucumber sandwich hurtling toward Twilight.  The filly backed up quickly, but the sandwich was flying too fast and bound to land on the floor behind her.

Fluttershy quickly grabbed Twilight from behind and held her up.  She smiled as she caught the sandwich in her hooves and munched on it.

“Mmm, good thinking, Pinkie,” she said with a full mouth.  “This was fun.”

“And that’s what being a foal is all about!” Pinkie Pie concluded.  She reached out and hugged Twilight, now halfway through her sandwich.  “So, what kind of fun, fun things are we gonna do in Canterlot?”

Thinking about the royal archives and the Princess’s scholars made Twilight grin.  “Only the best kind of fun a student of magic could have—research!”

Pinkie’s ears flopped dismally.  “That doesn’t sound fun.”

“Oh.”  Twilight looked over at Fluttershy, then back at Pinkie.  “Um… how about a research party?”

The pink pony instead cheered up.  “That’s the spirit!  Canterlot, here we come!”
> Back At Home With Mom And Dad
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Six – Back At Home With Mom And Dad


The cold breeze provided a clear night sky over Canterlot.  Every constellation was visible to the naked eye, surmounted only by the crescent moon in their midst.  As she descended from the parapets of the royal palace, Princess Luna allowed herself a tiny proud smile.  The weather ponies had a fine job of setting up for the longer nights.

Winter was coming.  And once it arrived, Celestia would have less time in the day to manage her Sun.  Luna would have her hooves full with watching over the Long Night, providing comfort to all the ponies gathered in their homes and all the animals in hibernation.

But not tonight.

Tonight, she had another duty.

As she landed outside a small brown house in the Canterlot suburbs, Luna composed herself.  Then she raised a hoof and knocked on the front door.

When it opened, a dark blue pony stuck his head out.  He gasped when he saw Luna and bowed.  “Y-Your Highness!”

“Good evening, Nightlight.”  Luna pressed her hoof to her heart.  “I trust you and your wife are well.”

When Nightlight lifted his head, he was still awestruck, but managed to find some courage in his voice.  “We’re fine, thank you.  Please, come in.  It’s late, but I’m sure Velvet can cook something for you—”

The Princess of the Night stopped him with a shake of her head.  “I’m afraid I must decline your offer.  I come with news about your daughter.”

“Twilight?”  Nightlight’s face turned pale.  “Oh, no.  What is it now?  Please tell me she’s all right!”

“She is… fine.”  This was the part of the conversation that Luna had been dreading.  “I can explain on our way to the palace.  If you and your wife have no objection?”

“Welcome, Your Highness,” said a delicate voice.  Luna and Nightlight turned around to see a gray mare with a faded violet-and-white mane come out from the kitchen.  She moved slowly, but there was a gentle confidence in her step.  So very much like Celestia.

“Dear,” said Nightlight, “something’s happened to Twilight.  We have to go to the palace!”

Twilight Velvet nodded and put a hoof on his shoulder.  Then she turned and smiled at Luna.  “Is she here?  In Canterlot?”

“Her train arrived just moments ago,” Luna replied.  She smiled back and stepped aside, just in time for her pegasi-drawn chariot to land on the front lawn.  “Will you come?”

The two ponies looked at each other, then back at the Princess.  A quiet confidence was written on their faces.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Twilight Velvet.





“Bouncy beds are the best!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.  She proved her point by jumping up and down on the massive four-poster bed in the middle of the apartment.  “You’re right, Twilight!  Research parties are fun!”

Twilight turned away from Spike, who was writing up her latest checklist.  “This isn’t research, this is gathering materials!  It’s a completely different step!”  She looked back at the dragon and nodded.  “Okay, that should do it for now.”

As he rolled up the parchment and tied it with a ribbon, Spike opened the apartment door.  He smiled at the white pegasus standing out in the porch, wearing a blue robe.  The scholar took the scroll in her mouth, nodded goodbye, and flew off into the night.

“With any luck,” Twilight was saying, “we should be ready to start early tomorrow…”  Her voice trailed off into a long yawn.  “Wow.  Guess that trip took a lot out of me.”

“We should all go to bed,” Fluttershy suggested.  “Little fillies need their rest—”  She squeaked when Twilight glared in her direction.  “A-and so do Princesses.”

Spike was more than ready to drop off into a beautiful slumber.  However, there was a quick knock at the door.  When he went to answer it, his jaw dropped.

“Uh oh,” he muttered.  Then he caught himself and added, “Um, welcome, Your Highness!”

Princess Luna stepped into the apartment, drawing everypony’s attention.  She waved her hoof when they began to prostrate themselves.

“Please, my friends, this is not an official visit.  I’m here as a favor to Princess Twilight.  I’ve brought somepony who might be able to help you with your situation.”

“Really?”  Twilight bounced up and down, almost as excitable as Pinkie Pie.  “Who is it?”

The Princess stepped aside.  Spike’s jaw dropped again as two very familiar ponies nervously entered the apartment.  He saw Twilight freeze in mid-jump, her eager smile turning into a horrified stare.

“Hello, dear,” said Twilight Velvet.  She was holding a handkerchief in one of her hooves.  “H-how are you feeling?”

“Mom?  Dad?”  Twilight suddenly sounded very small and lost.  Just like a filly, Spike thought uncomfortably.  “What are you doing here?”

Nightlight stepped forward and regarded his daughter with an anxious smile.  “Can’t we be concerned for our little filly’s well-being?  The Princess said giving you our support might be helpful.”

“Well, with an age spell, you just never know!” Time Turner exclaimed as he came in from the living room.  “Hello, everypony!  Your Highness, always a pleasure!”  When he saw Nightlight, his smile widened.  “Ah, just the pony I wanted to see!”

“Me?” said Nightlight.

Time Turner nodded and draped a hoof over his shoulder.  “Indeed.  You’re still Celestia’s official stargazer, aren’t you?  Good.  There’s a matter about the royal astrolabe that the chaps in the Royal Society wanted to clear up and I knew I could count on you for help.  Never mind about Miss Twilight.  She’s in the best of hooves…”

As he prattled on, the timekeeper led Nightlight into the living room.  Princess Luna offered an encouraging smile to Twilight Velvet and then proceeded to join them, leaving her alone with Twilight, Spike, and their friends.

“Um, if it’s alright with you,” Fluttershy said, “I was going to help Twilight get ready for bed.”  She reached down and patted Twilight’s head, much to the filly’s consternation.

Velvet smiled.  “Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to help.”

“Mom, I don’t think you have to—”

“Oh, by all means.”  Fluttershy looked down at Twilight, fixing her with a very powerful stare.  Spike nearly burst out laughing when he saw Twilight shiver and quickly nod in agreement.

He watched the two mares lead Twilight over to the other side of the room, where she’d be changed and dressed for bed just like a filly.  Spike felt bad for her, but he had to be strong for her, too.

He’d get started on that right away—just after he joined Pinkie Pie in jumping on the bed.
> Twilight's Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Seven – Twilight’s Family


Bubbles floated into the air as Twilight was gently dropped into her bath—by her mother, no less.  With Fluttershy standing right behind her with a towel in her hooves.  And both of them smiling.

Twilight groaned as Velvet began to scrub her from mane to tail with shampoo.  “It’s fine, Mom.  I can—”  She squealed when Velvet began to clean up and down between her legs.  “Look, I can still clean myself!”

“Don’t talk back, dear.”  As she spoke, Velvet poured a hoof-full of water over Twilight’s head, clearing away the suds.  “Besides, it’s not every day I get to do this for my sweet little filly!”

“I’m just little, not a filly!”

Fluttershy flew overhead to carry Twilight out of the bathtub.  “But you are sweet.”  She cut off Twilight’s further protests by wrapping her up in a towel and passing her back to her mother.

This was not the evening she’d been expecting.  She wanted to be at the royal archives, muzzle-deep in a stack of books.  Twilight would have rather joined her father and Time Turner in their discussion.  Anything to do with the royal astrolabe sounded fascinating.  Maybe when she was back to normal and back in Canterlot, she could find time to talk with Princess Luna about what it was like to be in charge of celestial mechanics every night.

Until then, she was just another foal in her mother’s hooves.

There was nopony in the bedroom when the three ponies came back, though Twilight could hear Pinkie Pie giggling and talking in the living room.  She squirmed as Velvet laid her down on the bed and opened up the towel.  A rush of cold air made Twilight curl up into a ball, but her mother insistently forced her legs apart.

Fluttershy reappeared with a diaper in her mouth and a set of clean pajamas in her hooves.  Velvet’s horn glowed blue as she unfolded the diaper and floated it directly under Twilight’s rear.  While this was happening, Twilight looked up at the ceiling and think up as many spell formulas as she could to distract herself.

“Such a good little foal,” Velvet cooed.  “Yes, you are!  My snuggly little foal!”

“Mom!”

“Sorry, dear, but I can’t resist.”  She offered Fluttershy a sly grin.  “With your brother taking care of things in the Crystal Empire, who knows when I’m going to get grandchildren?  I’ll take any baby time I can get.”

“Ugh!”  Twilight slumped against the bed as Velvet taped on her diaper.  She offered less resistance when Fluttershy helped put on her pajamas; it helped that her friend was smiling apologetically the whole time.

But being a foal meant having an earlier bedtime, and Twilight was feeling sleepier than usual.  Her eyelids were drifting shut, prompting another happy squeal from Velvet.

“Here, let me,” Fluttershy offered.  With a gentle touch, she proceeded to tuck Twilight into bed and fluff the pillows behind her head.  Twilight yawned and gave her friend a tired smile in return.

“That is precious!” Velvet exclaimed quietly.  She stamped her hooves in glee and leaned down to kiss her daughter on the forehead.  “Sweet dreams, Twily.”

“Mm, g’night, Mommy…”  Twilight’s eyes fluttered open when she heard herself.  “No, wait, I… I didn’t mean… didn’t mean…”

But it was too late.  Sleep overtook her like a soaring Wonderbolt.





Early the next morning, Fluttershy flew into Twilight’s room to see if she was up yet.  She was still munching on a biscuit from the complimentary breakfast cart when she noticed the filly still lying in bed.  She looked about the same as when she’d fallen asleep the night before, but with one key difference: the baby dragon cuddled up against her.

Twilight had spent most of the night hugging Spike in his sleep.  Fluttershy to quickly finish her biscuit to keep from giggling.  They really were adorable together.  It almost seemed a shame that Twilight wouldn’t be this little forever.

And probably for the best, Fluttershy thought sadly.  She didn’t want to imagine what would happen if Twilight was stuck forever with the mind and body of a foal.

Then she froze when somepony quickly trotted up behind her.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” said Nightlight.  His horn glowed violet as a camera floated up into the air beside him.  “I just need to do this before she wakes up.”

“Mm?”  Twilight stirred from under the covers and turned her head.  “Dad?  What are you—?”

“Smile!”

The camera bulb flashed, dazzling Twilight and waking up Spike with a surprised jolt.  The two glared at Nightlight as he sent the camera flying out of the room.

“Sorry, kiddo!” he laughed.  “But Shining Armor and Cadance heard about your accident.  They insisted I get them a photo before you were cured.”

“Celestia help me,” said Twilight as she ducked below the covers.  Spike gave her a sympathetic pat on the back.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy landed on the floor and trotted over to the bed.  While Nightlight fiddled with his camera, she helped Twilight out of bed and immediately checked her diaper with a prod of her hoof.  Twilight’s sigh was enough and the filly began to pull down her pajama bottoms and lie back.

After a quick diaper change, Fluttershy dressed Twilight again and carried her into the living room with Spike following closely.  Everypony was already gathered around the breakfast cart, eating pastries and drinking tea.  They looked up and smiled when they saw Twilight being carried into their midst.

“Morning, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said eagerly.  “Wanna pancake?  Ooh, how about I make you one of my super-duper extra awesome Pinkie Cakes?  They’re totally terrific!””

“Spike,” Twilight grumbled as Fluttershy put her down.  “Donut.  Now.  Please.”

The dragon reached into the cart and took out a pink-frosted donut with extra sprinkles.  He handed it to Twilight, who didn’t take the offered spot on the couch beside Fluttershy.  Instead, she plopped down on the floor and ate ravenously.

Twilight Velvet looked over and shared an embarrassed smile with Fluttershy.  Then the pegasus glanced to Time Turner, who had been consulting a scroll on the coffee table.  When he realized that everypony was watching him, he gave an awkward smile of his own.

“So, now that we’re all up and well-fed,” he said with the air of a professor, “I thought we might go straight to the royal archives.  Princess Twilight has already mailed the archivists a letter with her list of books to be consulted for a solution spell.”  When Time Turner glanced at Twilight’s parents, he gave them a serious frown.  “And ever since you arrived, my circadian hourglass has shown a slight change in Twilight’s regression.  I think you ought to accompany us for the time being.”

Nightlight and Twilight Velvet looked at each other, then back at Time Turner.  It wasn’t lost on Fluttershy that they seemed incredibly secure around each other.  But she remembered her own parents, so she guessed that was just a sign of their strong marriage.

“If it means getting our daughter back to her true self,” said Velvet, “then we’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Thanks, Mom,” said Twilight with her eyes squeezed shut.  Fluttershy gasped when she saw the filly attempt to use her weak magic sparks to knock another donut off the cart.  Pinkie Pie caught it before it could hit the ground, only to toss it up into the air again.  Twilight leapt and snagged it with her mouth, squealing with joy.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Nightlight declared sternly.  “That is not how we eat around guests!”

“M’sorry,” Twilight mumbled as she chewed.  She swallowed and added, “Really sorry, Dad.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Twilight!” Pinkie Pie chimed in.  “I’m sure we’ll get your little princess to be not so little anymore!  She’s in the best of hooves!”

Time Turner chuckled and rolled up his scroll.  “That’s the spirit… I think!  Anyway, best if we got going.  We’re going to need as much time at the archives as we can get.”
> Bibliophiles Wanted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Eight – Bibliophiles Wanted


Gray clouds parted, allowing the sun’s rays to light the chariot’s path as Twilight’s entourage rode up to the royal archives.  Weather pegasi ripped the clouds apart; their wings created a gentle slicing noise that Twilight found soothing.  At least, it was soothing ever since she’d become an alicorn.  Her wings twitched in memory of soaring through the air alongside Rainbow Dash—much better than being cradled by Fluttershy.

The two guards near the front door saluted as Twilight entered, with her friends and family close behind.  She may have been a filly in blue pajamas, but she was still going to walk on her own hooves and act like a true princess.  Luna and Celestia would vouch for her if anyone doubted.

When they reached the Star-Swirl the Bearded Wing, the air was thick with tension.  When she looked back, she saw everypony giving her confident smiles.  Everypony except for Pinkie Pie, who never stopped smiling and never stopped bouncing up and down in place.

“Your Highness!”  Twilight turned and bowed her head at the scholar in the cerulean robes.  She was an older green unicorn; her mane was completely white and she peered at her visitors through a pair of reading glasses.  “It is an honor to serve you.  I am Public Record, the chief archivist.”

“Good morning,” said Twilight.  “I trust you received my list of reading material?”

“Indeed, Princess.  I must say, I’ve rarely had a visitor who was so well-prepared!”

Twilight couldn’t resist a grin.  She felt like she was back at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, delivering another term paper on the properties of magic.

She was almost tempted—almost being the key word—to sneak into the School as a student and see if the coursework was any different.  But Twilight knew better than to try.  It wouldn’t do for a princess to cause so much trouble, and she had a far more important assignment at hand.

Meanwhile, Time Turner had pulled out his pocket watch and was showing it to Public Record.  The unicorn’s eyes sparkled when she saw it and eagerly shook hooves with Time Turner.  A question was on the tip of Twilight’s tongue when she saw this, but she guessed the meaning soon enough.

If Public Record was an authority on time and age spells, then she probably belonged to the Royal Society of Chronometry, too.

“Now then,” Time Turner declared, “let’s start with Star-Swirl’s journals and work our way from there.”

Twilight stamped her hooves in excitement.  After all this time, she was finally in the archives!  Doing actual research, too, instead of sneaking in like last time!





After a drawn-out yawn, Twilight trotted out from behind her pile of books.  “Guys…?”

Everypony was slumped over tables of books and scrolls.  The sun had almost set, bathing her parents in a quiet orange glow as they gazed out the window.  Behind them, Spike was snoring facedown in an open book on the floor.  Fluttershy was perched on a stool like one of her birds, taking a quick nap, while Time Turner continued to pour through a dusty old tome with unnatural speed.

Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen.

“Has anyone seen Pinkie Pie?”  Twilight rose on her hind legs and waved her hooves in the air.  “You guys… hello?”

No one stirred.

“Um, I’m wet and need to be changed.  A-and I’m hungry, too!”

Still no response.  Just the sound of Spike’s snoring and Time Turner flipping through pages.

Twilight sighed.  She didn’t want to have to do this, but as a filly, she had no choice.  With a deep breath, she leapt and let out a prolonged, “Waaah!”

Her parents were immediately at her side, consoling her with hugs and kisses.  Fluttershy jumped into the air and hovered anxiously over Twilight.  Spike sat up and looked around in confusion.  Time Turner didn’t even bother looking up from his book.

“Sorry, dear!” said Velvet.  “Are you all right?”

“Just fine, Mom.”  Twilight nuzzled her and Nightlight.  “I think we could all use a break.”

“Ha!  No need!”  Time Turner slammed his hoof onto the table and looked up with a delirious grin.  “I’ve found the Rite of Rapid Maturity!”

“Awesome!” Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly appearing from underneath Twilight.  She grabbed the filly and twirled her around.  “Now that the research party’s done, we can have an experiment party!”

Spike waddled across the tabletop and glanced down at Time Turner’s book.  “What does it say we have to do?”

The timekeeper cleared his throat and read out the passage in his best imitation of an Old Equestrian accent:

“Year by year goes day by day—
The foal’s path must never stray.
Celebrate each day as a year come and gone,
And the foal will be full-grown before long.”

Twilight waited for her father to use his magic to levitate her.  Once she was up in the air, she landed on the table next to Spike and looked down at the passage.  Below it was a diagram showing a filly turning into a pony over the course of several days.  In each instance, she was accompanied by smiling friends and a birthday cake.

“That’s gonna be a lot of birthdays,” Spike commented.

The table shook as Pinkie Pie landed in front of him.  She grabbed the dragon and shook him anxiously.  “Birthdays?  How many?  How many birthdays?  Tell me, tell me, tell me, please tell me!”

“If my calculations are correct,” Time Turner interrupted, “it’ll be fourteen birthdays altogether.”

Pinkie Pie went completely still and quiet.  Probably for the first time in her entire life, Twilight imagined.

When she smiled, everypony else found themselves smiling back against their will.

“Two!  Whole!  Weeks!” she exclaimed, dancing up and down on the table.  “This is the best news ever!”

“Miss, please be careful!”  Public Record raced toward her with pleading gray eyes.  “These books are so delicate!  They’re irreplaceable!”

“Okey-dokey!”  Pinkie Pie cartwheeled right off the table without disturbing a single page and continued her dance on the floor.

“Goodness, we haven’t celebrated your birthday in quite a while,” said Twilight Velvet.  When she looked at her daughter, she had to wipe a tear away with his hoof.  “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do than give you and your friends a really good party.”

Twilight smiled and hugged her mother.  “Thanks, Mom, but you don’t have to.  That’ll be Pinkie Pie’s job.  I wouldn’t want to take you away from your writing schedule.”

“That can always wait,” Nightlight interrupted, “when it’s our little filly’s birthday.”

“How wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed and picked up Twilight for a hug.  “We should go back home and start planning!”

Twilight squirmed in her friend’s grip.  “Well, first, I really need to get changed.  Then we can go home and get to work.”
> Happy Birthday, Twily
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nine – Happy Birthday, Twily


The snow was falling hard over Canterlot that evening, with icy winds frosting the windows of the royal apartments.  Spike stared out at the blizzard, glad he wasn’t out there right now.  Even his scales couldn’t protect him from that chill, and pity the tireless weather ponies in charge of bringing winter to the city.

He sighed and leaned his head against the pane.  “Stay safe, Rarity,” he murmured.  “Stay warm for me.”

“Oh, I shall, my Spikey-wikey!” Twilight called out in a poor imitation of Rarity’s posh accent.

The dragon spun around and glared at her, but she giggled and trotted over to his side on the couch.  “Sorry to tease you like that.  If it helps, I miss her, too.”  As she sat down, Twilight’s face became gloomy.  “I miss all our friends back in Ponyville.”

Spike put his arm around her.  “I guess it’s not so bad.  At least some of our friends are here.”

“And that’s the best birthday present I could ask for.”  Twilight tilted her head to the side and smiled.  “Well, maybe the next Daring Do book would be better.  Ooh, or the third-edition biography on Madame du Ponydour!  I already have nine out of the ten books for my collection!  I should really make a list—”

“Don’t.”  A claw-tap to the top of her head brought Twilight’s rambling.  “Just enjoy the party.”

“Did somepony say party?”  With a trumpet blare to announce her arrival, Pinkie Pie trotted into the living room with a three-layer birthday cake balanced on top of her head like a crown.

Fluttershy came in behind her with a flock of brightly-colored birds nesting in her mane.  With a content smile, the pegasus flew over the couch and lifted her hoof like a conductor.  “Ready?  A one and a two and a three!”

The birds began to sing a simple version of “Happy Birthday” to Twilight, fluttering their wings at the end of each verse.  When they finished, Pinkie Pie knelt down and offered the cake to Twilight and Spike.

The excited filly clapped her hooves and blew out the candles.  As she did, a faint pink cloud of dust rose up from the top of the cake.  Twilight inhaled the dust and sighed happily.

Spike jumped off the couch and took shelter behind Pinkie Pie.  “So, Twilight… is it working?”

“Well, these things take time, Spike,” Twilight explained.  “It’s not like I can just flick my tail and make it—aaah!”

With an audible crack, her legs began to stretch out by an inch or two.  Twilight’s eyes squeezed shut as her mane and tail grew, too.  Her body twisted up and down, scaring everypony else into drawing away from her.

When it stopped, she violently sneezed out a jet of pink dust and sat back on the couch.

“Woo-hoo!” cried Pinkie Pie.  “That was fun!  Do it again!”

“Gosh, Twilight, you really are a year older now.”  Fluttershy landed beside the filly as the birds flew out of her mane and up to the rafters.  “Does it hurt?”

“Mm, only a little.”  Twilight gasped and put her hooves to her mouth.  “My voice got deeper, too!”

“We should have more parties like this in Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie declared.  “Wouldn’t that be super-duper spectacular?”

Spike slapped his forehead.  “If we did that, wouldn’t we run out of kids because they’re all getting older?”

“But we’d have birthday cake every day, Spike!”  She grabbed him by the face and looked deep into his eyes, manically smiling the whole time.  “Cake.  Every.  Day.”

“That’d be amazing…” he whispered.  Now he couldn’t stop thinking about waking up to a gem-encrusted cake every morning.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Twilight warned.  She was huddled next to Fluttershy, who sheltered the filly with her wing.  “We need to plan tomorrow’s party.  I got my cutie mark when I was that age, and that was when Spike’s egg hatched, too.”

“Oh, yeah!”  Spike pumped his fists.  “And I know exactly what I want on my cake!”

“But you didn’t get a cake when you were hatched.”

“All the more reason I should get one now!”

The air grew colder as the front door was opened, then quickly shut.  In trotted Time Turner, followed closely by Twilight Velvet and Nightlight, all wearing scarves and bearing gifts.  When they saw Twilight on the couch, they stopped and smiled.

“Marvelous!” Time Turner exclaimed.  He tore open the box he’d been carrying and took out his circadian hourglass.  Then he dashed over to Twilight’s side and held the hourglass close to her head.

Spike squinted at the device.  He saw sand pouring through it, just a little slower than usual.  And if he looked hard enough, he thought he could see a faint pink glow in the sand, too.

“This confirms it,” said the timekeeper.  “Your body’s timeline is catching up with your real one.  That’s one birthday down and thirteen to go!”

Nightlight grinned as he nudged his present over to Twilight.  “Open it, honey.”

The filly jumped off the couch and stared at her gift.  Slowly, her horn turned magenta and the present slowly began to unwrap itself.  Everypony cheered her on as the ribbon and wrapping paper fell to the floor.

When the box was open, Twilight looked inside.  She gasped and pulled out a handmade doll.  It was light blue with a mane full of differently-colored yarn.  Spike could’ve sworn it looked an awful lot like Rainbow Dash without wings.

“Cadance wanted to thank you for the photo we sent,” said Velvet.  “So she made this for us and sent it over by the fastest pegasus in the Crystal Empire.  Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes!”  Twilight began to bounce around in a circle, lost in her joy.  “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

Pinkie Pie began to bounce in a circle around her, mimicking her happy expression.  Spike tried to watch, but was getting dizzy and turned to the delicious cake sitting on the coffee table.

He figured there’d be plenty more parties, so nopony would mind if he stuck out his claw and swiped a nice chunk of frosting for himself…
> Growing Pains
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ten – Growing Pains


Fluttershy smiled down at Twilight as the little filly—no, the growing filly—slept.  Just three birthdays in and already she was out of diapers.  Her friend was still small enough to fit in Rarity’s pajamas, which were excellent for staying warm during winter.

Spike was curled up next to Twilight on the bed, snoring loudly.  His tail flicked up and down.  Probably a sign that he was dreaming.  Fluttershy didn’t like to imagine what a dragon would dream about—she was scared by the thought of giant, fire-breathing dragons, sleeping or awake—but she guessed in Spike’s case it had to do with Rarity.

When she heard the bedroom door creak open, Fluttershy turned around and spotted Pinkie Pie creeping inside.  The pink pony was balancing a stack of party hats on one hoof and a birthday cake on the other.  She tossed back her head as she sang.

Happy, happy birthday
To you!  To you!
Happy, happy birthday
To you!  Yes, it’s true!

Little fillies jump and cheer
Because their birthday cake is here
So happy, happy birthday
To you!  To you!

With a groan, Twilight stirred and opened her eyes.  Fluttershy gasped when she saw how bloodshot they were.  “Oh, dear…”

“Mm, what?”  Twilight sat up and rubbed her face.  “What time is it?”

“Um…”  Fluttershy glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand.  “Eight-oh-six—”

“In the morning?”

“Y-yes?”

“No thanks,” Twilight grumbled and sank back into bed.  She reached out and pulled Spike close for a hug.  The dragon didn’t react except to wag his tail again.

“B-but…”  Pinkie Pie dropped onto her rear, somehow not dropping the cake and party hats as she did.  “But what foal doesn’t want to get up for a b-birthday party?”

“There, there,” said Fluttershy.  Sensing that her friend was about to burst into tears, she raced over to her side and patted her on the back.  “I’m sure she’ll love it once she’s ready to get up.  She’s still a growing pony.”

Pinkie Pie sighed and dropped face-first into the cake.  When she lifted her head, her muzzle was coated in chocolate frosting.  Fluttershy thought that might raise her spirits a little, but when her pink friend licked the frosting off with her tongue, there was no joy in it.





Hours later, Spike was gently nudging Twilight’s shoulder.  “Come on, Twilight.  Get up.  It’s almost brunch time.”

“Mm-mm,” the filly mumbled and pulled herself deeper under the covers.

Fluttershy anxiously flew around the bed, trying to decide what to do.  She knew how to rouse an animal out of hibernation, but had no experience with a growing filly.  She remembered what it was like at that age, always tired and growing… and the more she thought about those years, the more painful memories of school at Cloudsdale came back.  Fluttershy winced and shook those thoughts away.

Meanwhile, somepony knocked at the door.  When Pinkie Pie went to answer it, Time Turner came rushing in with his circadian hourglass, followed closely by Nightlight and Velvet.

“We’re making great progress, Twilight Sparkle!” the timekeeper pony announced.  “Why aren’t you up yet?”

“Oh, I remember this,” said Nightlight.  He shared a quiet smile with his wife.  “Guess she’s making up for all those late-night study sessions.”

“Don’t remind me,” Velvet replied with a chuckle.  “Remember when I found those anti-sleeping potions under her bed?”  She trotted over to the bed and smiled down at her daughter.  “Still my precious little pony…”

“So how do we get her up?” asked Spike.

“I’m surprised you haven’t thought of it already.”  Drawing a deep breath, Velvet leaned down and shouted into Twilight’s ear, “You’re going to be late for school!”

“Aaah!” Twilight Sparkle leapt out of bed and scrambled for purchase on empty air.  When she crashed onto the floor, she looked up at her parents with an embarrassed grin.  “Oh.  What a terrible dream…”

Pinkie Pie bounced over to her with a smaller cake—one she’d cobbled together from her previous confection.  “Awesome!  Blow out the candles, quick!”

All it took was a tired snort from Twilight to extinguish all ten candles.  Then she was covered in a radiant pink glow.  Her limbs stretched out another inch, her mane grew longer, and her wings were a bit stronger.  Fluttershy was terrified whenever she saw the transformation—terrified for her friend’s safety.  She wanted it to work, to see her friend and princess back to normal.

When the light faded, Twilight unsteadily got up onto her hooves.  Her legs were wobbly and long; when she took a step forward, she nearly crashed into her mother, saved only by the unicorn’s magic.

“Ugh, I forgot how bad my teens were,” said Twilight.  She smiled when her mother and father nuzzled her, only to stop when she noticed the state of her pajamas.  “Hey, Fluttershy?  Don’t tell Rarity, but I think I might have ruined her clothes…”

One second later, the shirt on her back split wide open, as did her pants from the tail down.  Twilight blushed and tried to cover herself up with her hooves and her wings.

“I’m sure we can leave that out in our letter home,” Fluttershy said quickly.  She anxiously looked at Time Turner.  “What does the hourglass say now?”

Time Turner frowned at his device, then gave the other ponies a quick smile.  “Not to worry!  Our dear princess is doing just fine.  She’ll just need to relearn flying and a few social graces and she’ll be right in no time!”

“Social graces?” asked Nightlight.

“Well… you know!”  Time Turner looked around the room nervously.  “All these messy things that teenagers go through.  Romance, peer pressure, figuring out their path in life.  That sort of thing!”

“I had all that figured out at age eleven,” Twilight said with a deadpan expression.  “Learn magic, become a scholar, serve the Princess.”

“And… make friends?” Fluttershy offered.

When Twilight looked at her, the pegasus shrank back under her mane for shelter.  But the teenage pony smiled and patted her shoulder.  “I guess I put that off, but you’re right.  That’s just as important as my studies.”

Her smile made Fluttershy’s heart glow.  She nuzzled her friend back as Time Turner and Pinkie Pie led everypony into the living room for another day of cake and presents.
> The Hummingbird Method
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Eleven – The Hummingbird Method


“Oh, dear.  I-I don’t think I can do this.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy replied.  “You’ll be fine.”

“But it’s so high!”  Twilight’s legs shivered as she stared down at the streets of Canterlot.

“Don’t think of it like that.  Think of it like…”  Fluttershy frowned.  “Um, like… like a magic spell!  You’re learning a spell called Flight!”

Twilight Sparkle glanced back at her wings.  Her feathers were ruffling in the strong breeze.  At this altitude, she knew she’d be safe.  There were plenty of clouds to break her fall and she could always trust on Fluttershy with her life.

But that was all in her mind.  Her body and her heart were telling her that this was incredibly dangerous and she was going to fall no matter what.

“Just remember the Hummingbird Method,” said Fluttershy.  She flapped her wings and hovered off the edge of the roof, just out of Twilight’s reach.  As she spoke, her wings beat at a soft but rapid pace.  The pegasus drifted back and forth along a gentle air current, smiling contently.

“H-Hummingbird Method, right.”  Twilight swallowed and stretched out her wings.  “It’s nothing, Twilight.  Just a little flying.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.  Without giving herself another chance to think it over, she took a running leap from the edge of the roof and let her wings do the rest.

“Twilight, not so hard!”

When she opened her eyes, Twilight gasped.  Her wings were flapping sporadically, turning what was supposed to be a graceful flight path into a sudden nosedive.  She put her hooves out and trying to pull up, but her momentum was too strong.

“Shoot, shoot, shoot!”  Twilight kept her wings out and tried to catch an air current to glide on, but gravity was working against her.  “Fluttershy, help—!”

Her cry was cut short as she landed chest-first on a thick white cloud.  Woozily, Twilight turned her head to the left and saw Fluttershy pushing the cloud with her hooves.

“Goodness, that was close!” the pegasus exclaimed.  “Did you hurt anything?”

“Uh, no.  No, I’m fine.”  Twilight panted and rolled onto her side, tucking her wings in as she did.  “I don’t know what went wrong.  I didn’t have this much trouble when you and Rainbow Dash taught me the first time.”

Fluttershy let go of the cloud and settled on top next to Twilight.  “You’re probably just nervous.  I’d be scared, too, if I had to learn how to fly all over again.”

“But you’re great at flying, Fluttershy.”

Her friend blushed.  “You really think so?”

“You’re easily one of the best fliers in Equestria, even if you don’t always show it.”

“Oh, I’m nothing special—”

“Yes, you are.”  Twilight frowned as her wings began to beat softly.  Just like a hummingbird.  “Is that supposed to happen by itself?”

Carefully, Twilight got onto her hooves and took another deep breath.  She let her wings carry her just off the surface of the cloud.

Fluttershy watched her with a proud smile.  “See?  I knew you could do it!”

It was all a matter of confidence, Twilight guessed.  The moment she expressed her confidence in Fluttershy as a flier and flight instructor, she forgot all her fears and followed the day’s lesson.  And that went a long way to explaining Rainbow Dash.  For a pony with so much ego, she had to be good enough to match her words to her actions, or nopony would ever take her seriously.

Time to experiment.  While staying in top of Fluttershy’s “safety cloud,” Twilight pulled her hind legs in and performed a quick aerial somersault.  Then she tried a backflip, though she almost missed and crashed muzzle-first into the cloud.  Fluttershy giggled and went into her own quiet maneuvers.

But at least nothing hurt.  No more tension, no more fear.  Just the joy of flying on a bright winter morning.





After another hour in the air, Twilight and Fluttershy landed on the balcony of their apartment.  Heading inside, they heard hushed voices and silverware being moved.

“Here she comes!” a low male voice whispered.  Almost sounded like Spike.

Twilight paused when she reached the doorway to the living room.  She turned to Fluttershy and waved her in with her hoof.  “After you.”

“But it’s your party, Twilight.  You should go first.”

“I insist.”

“Oh…”  Fluttershy shrank back into her mane.  “But I don’t like being the center of attention.”

“It’s okay.  I’ll be right behind you.”

“Well, okay…”

When Fluttershy trotted inside, Twilight giggled when she heard everypony cheer, “Happy birthday, Twi—!”  Their voices dropped awkwardly when they saw who it was, though she heard Pinkie Pie call out, “Surprise!”

“Pinkie,” said Time Turner, “we’re supposed to be surprising Twilight.”

“I know, but instead we got surprised by Fluttershy!”  She blew a party horn and added, “So it’s still a surprise!”

“How’s this for a surprise?” Twilight called out.  She began to flap her wings softly like a hummingbird and flew into the room, savoring the shocked expression on her parents’ faces.

Spike pumped his fists.  “That’s so cool, Twilight!”

“Well, Princess, your progress is coming along nicely,” said Time Turner.  Sitting beside him was the circadian hourglass; the white sands within were pouring just a little faster than the day before.  “By my count, you’re more than halfway done to being back to normal.”

“We’re so proud of you,” said Velvet.  “Seems like only yesterday you were still learning how to levitate Spike.”

Twilight blushed.  “Mom, I’m not a foal anymore.  You don’t need to bring up that now.”

Nightlight laughed and accepted the slice of cake that Pinkie Pie was serving him.  “Oh, really?  Or what about the day you had your entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s school?”

“That wasn’t my fault—”

“I was a cactus, Twily.”  The unicorn frowned severely.  “You don’t forget the day your daughter turns you into a potted cactus with raw magic.”

“But everything turned out okay!”

“And now I can’t stop shaking whenever I see a cactus.”

“Ooh, ooh!  Did you at least have pretty flowers?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing up and down.

Nightlight stared at her.  “No.  No, I did not.”

“Aww, too bad!”

Clearing his throat, Time Turner stood up and walked over to the birthday cake on the table.  “Now then, Twilight.  There’s just one more thing we have to do to make you end up as a full princess and an adult pony.”

“What’s that?”

He grinned.  “Set up your first date, of course.  And then your coronation.”

“What?”  Twilight backed up, almost knocking over Spike and Fluttershy.  “What?!”

“Well, first dates are an important occasion in a young pony’s life cycle, and as Princess, your coronation should fix your timeline altogether—”

She stopped him by planting her hoof into his mouth.  Then she turned and raced out of the room, her tail and her wings twitching terribly.

And to think, she’d been having such a lovely day.
> Canterlot Courtship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Twelve – Canterlot Courtship


Fluttershy knocked anxiously on the bedroom door.  “Twilight?  Are you all right?  C-can I come in?”

She couldn’t hear anything through the door.  No sobbing, no shouts—just an eerie silence.

“Yeah, we probably shouldn’t have brought up dating,” said Spike.  He rubbed the back of his head nervously.  “See, the thing about Twilight is—”

“Don’t tell me.”  Time Turner rolled his eyes.  “She’s never actually been on a date before.”

“She never had friends before she came to Ponyville.  What do you think?”

Time Turner ran a hoof through his mane.  “This isn’t good.  I was going over the final stages for the Rapid Maturity spell last night.  We’re on the right track so far.  She’s mostly developed physically.  All she needs is to release her adolescent hormones with a simple date and then get her coronation.  Instant Princess, nothing to it!”

“I’m sure she’d feel better if we could talk about it,” Fluttershy suggested.  “I know I would.”

A bright pink blur raced across the room and slammed against the door.  “Nope!  What she needs is a pre-date party to cheer her up!”

Spike glared.  “That’s your answer to everything!”

“Well, you lot can sort it out yourselves,” said Time Turner.  When he caught Spike’s eye, he grinned and nudged him with his elbow.  “I made plans for dinner with a lovely royal archivist.”

“I thought you were doing research while you were gone.”

His grin widened.  “Well, I was!  Just… not entirely on age spells, if you know what I mean.”

The dragon shook his head.  “Whatever.  Have a good time.”

“Always do, Sir Spike!  Au revoir, everypony!  Best of luck to you!”  With a swish of his tail, Time Turner trotted out the front door.

Pinkie Pie sat down at the door, staring at it like an eager puppy.  Then she shrugged and trotted over to Spike.  “Well, I’m out of ideas.  Wanna go play in the snow?”

“I think I’ll stay here.”  Spike glanced anxiously at Fluttershy.  “Just in case she needs anything.”

She smiled.  “That’s sweet of you, Spike.”

“Come on, come on!”  Pinkie Pie threw a scarf around Fluttershy’s neck, then donned one herself.  “Those candy canes aren’t going to eat themselves, you know!”

“I thought we were playing in the snow—”

“That’s just the first half-hour!  Now let’s go!”

“Well, okay—eep!”  Fluttershy was yanked off her hooves as Pinkie Pie dragged her by the tail toward the front door.

Now that he was alone, Spike had some time to think.  He didn’t know what else he could do except sit and wait for Twilight to come out.  But what could he say to comfort her?  His only romance had been with Rarity, and they’d never gone on a date.

But if we did… And then all Spike could think about was Rarity’s silken mane in the moonlight as she trotted alongside him through White Tail Woods, whispering words of love as they shared a bottle of punch, pledging themselves to one another as a fair pony and her dragon knight—

“Snap out of it!” Spike said and slapped himself across the face.  “You gotta help Twilight first.  Somehow…”

But he didn’t feel up to the task.  In fact, he felt queasy.  A familiar rumbling from deep in his stomach, surging up to the back of his throat—

With a violent jolt, Spike belched out a ball of green fire.  The flames disappeared, leaving behind a pristine white scroll.

“Thank you, Princess!” Spike unfurled the scroll and read the contents of the letter.  Then he reread it, not quite believing it.

He knew Celestia had a very playful sense of humor, but this was pushing it.





Twilight frowned as she read the scroll Princess Celestia had sent.  “You weren’t kidding.  This is her way of… helping?”

“I know, right?”  Spike sat beside on the bed, holding a box of tissues for her sake.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, the letter read, While I have made progress with the dignitaries from the Griffin Kingdom, I do wish to offer my assistance with your problem.  Time Turner and Public Record have informed me of your need to go on a date—your first one ever, if memory serves.  As it so happens, the griffin’s chief has a son, Prince Gregory, who might be an excellent match for you.  And of course, it would go a long way to improving relations between ponies and griffins…

“Celestia wants me to date a griffin?”  Twilight paced around the bed.  “How…?  Why…?  What could she possibly… aargh!  I can’t even think straight!”

Spike held up the box of tissues.  “Need this?”

“I’m not sad, I’m just confused!”  Twilight stamped in protest.  “How would this date make the griffins like us more?”

“Well, you are a Princess…”

“And since when does Celestia play matchmaker?  She’s never taken this kind of an interest in my love life before.”

“Maybe it won’t be that bad?”  When Twilight stopped and fixed him with a glare, Spike held up the tissues as a shield.  “J-just hear me out.  What if all you do is go on a date with this Prince Whatshisface and you never have to see him ever again?  It’d be a show of goodwill, that’s all.”

Twilight looked away.  She couldn’t believe she was considering this. Spike had a point and she was desperate to do anything to get back to normal.  Go back to diapers and bottles as a foal?  Fine.  Play games with Pinkie Pie and celebrate ten birthdays in a row?  Not a problem.  Go on one measly date with a mysterious griffin prince?  She guessed she might as well.

But that wasn’t the only thing bothering her.

“Call it something else, though,” she told Spike.  “Call it a state dinner or a diplomatic event.  Just don’t call it a date.”

“What’s wrong with calling it a date—?”

“Nothing at all,” Twilight said quickly.  “Just don’t call it that, okay?”

“Got it.  Not a date.”  Spike rubbed the scales on the side of his head as he mulled it over.  “It’s a… a royal dinner!  Ooh, or how about a feast?”

“Fine.  It’s a royal feast.”

“Awesome!  I can’t wait!”

“You’re not invited!”

“That’s mean!  Organizing a royal feast and not inviting your number one assistant…”

Twilight smacked her face with her hoof and groaned.  She was glad she never had to deal with any of this the last time she’d been a teenager.





Local ponies stared in awe as Pinkie Pie rolled herself through the snow down the street, slowly rolling herself up into a giant snowball.  It was gaining size and speed as she rolled, until nothing but her head was sticking out the front.  And through the commotion and the onlookers’ concern, Pinkie Pie laughed like a maniac.

“What’s the matter?” she asked passerby.  “Never seen a pony-sized snowball before?”

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was flying overhead, trying to keep up with her.  A trio of robins were flying alongside the pegasus, chatting with her in happy little tweets.

“Oh, I know,” said Fluttershy.  “She gets anxious, but she’s so brave that it doesn’t matter.”

One of the birds chirped a question.

“Goodness, no!  I could never do that!   She’s my friend and I wouldn’t think of her that way.”  Fluttershy fell silent, but in her mind, she added, Besides, I’ve no right to ask that of a princess.

The birds in Canterlot were a lot friendlier ever since Fluttershy had come to visit, always talking about famous ponies they’d seen and their home in the royal gardens.  And they were so polite, ready to listen to her questions and concerns.  At the moment, they were very supportive of Fluttershy’s attempts to confess her true feelings for a certain pony—

Boom.  Snow erupted into the air as Pinkie Pie’s snowball slammed into a cul-de-sac at the end of the street.  The pink pony lay slumped against the wall of a well-to-do pony’s townhouse, dizzy and laughing.

“That was so cool!”  Pinkie Pie jumped onto her hooves, only to wobble around and fall back down.  “I’m gonna do it again and again!”

Fluttershy landed beside her, huffing softly.  “Gosh, Pinkie.  I don’t think the other ponies would like that very much.”

“Really?  Did a little bird tell you that?”

“Um, yes.”  She glanced up at the robins   “Several, actually.”

“Oh.”  Pinkie Pie grinned and dashed past her.  “Okey-dokey-lokey!  I’m gonna find something else to do!”

With a tired squeak, Fluttershy resigned herself to following her friend.  At least she was outside.  It gave her a chance to think things over.

Like how to tell Twilight that she wanted to be her first date.
> A Royal Match
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thirteen – A Royal Match


“I have to say, Princess, that this is one of the smallest functions we’ve had to organize in quite a while.”  The caterer pony grinned as she glanced around the ballroom—and at the lone table set up in the middle, with two placemats and two chairs set out.

“I’m sure it’ll be lovely,” said Twilight.  She shifted from one hoof to the other, trying to get used to all her regalia.  Being at a royal event, it was essential for her to wear her tiara, white gown, and golden slippers.  She’d been informed that Prince Gregory would wear his own native dress.  This was as much about politics as it was about being social.

Frankly, Twilight preferred it would be nothing more than a onetime political event.  She wasn’t looking forward to socializing with him.

“So tell me, Silver Platter.  What is our friend the griffin prince really like?”

Silver Platter blushed.  “Oh, well, he’s certainly handsome.  A-and quite brave, I’m told.  The finest griffin of his generation!”

“And does he… like ponies?”

“Oh, well…”  The caterer fiddled with the royal crest on her badge.  “You know, I actually have never heard one way or the other.”  She rebounded with a confident grin.  “But I’m sure he’s going to love you, Your Highness!”

That’s what I’m afraid of, Twilight thought.

There was no way anypony could understand.  Twilight didn’t hate the idea of romance.  She knew all about love and the magic it possessed.  She’d grown up watching Cadance perform love spells and had read several epic romances involving Equestrian knights and ladies.  But when it came to her own feelings…

Nothing.  She’d never really looked at any other pony and felt the kind of love she’d heard about from others.  In fact, she envied everypony else.  They just ‘fell’ in love and that was that.  All Twilight could do was make charts and graphs about other ponies’ lives.  She could write up as many hypotheses as she wanted, but nothing seemed to explain why love just never happened for her.

And hadn’t the other ponies at school just loved to tease her about that?  Twilight Sparkle, the filly that nopony would ever ask out on a date.  Twilight the Egghead.  Twilight the Bookworm.  Twilight the Wallflower.

But now Twilight had friends.  Now she was a Princess.  Her life had gone in an unexpected direction, so perhaps love wasn’t something she’d never experience for herself.

Maybe she just hadn’t met the right pony—or griffin, for that matter.

“Ooh, Your Highness!”  Silver Platter turned and bowed as the ballroom doors opened.  “Here he comes!”

Twilight Sparkle turned and bowed as a trio of griffins approached.  All three of them wore bright red sashes, but it was the one in the middle who caught her eye.  Taller than the others, with a narrow beak and gleaming talons.  A golden circlet rested on top of his head.  When he looked over at Twilight, his eyes scrutinized her from mane to hoof.

She expected he might smile.  But his cold frown never shifted.

“Your Highness,” said one of the smaller griffins in a lilting voice.  “May I present His Royal Highness, Prince Gregory the Magnificent, First of His Name, Shield of Leonidas and Pride of the Majestic—”

“Geoffrey, please,” Gregory interrupted, shooting his retainer an irritated glare.  “You’ll ruin Her Highness’s appetite with your stuffing.”

The lesser griffin paused.  Then he backed away and nervously added, “As it please Your Grace.”

When the prince looked up at Twilight, he nodded.  “Princess Sparkle, I am Gregory son of Gareth, at your service.  I trust your friend the pegasus is feeling all right?”

“My friend…?”  Twilight looked over her shoulder at Silver Platter, who was a unicorn.

“Yes, your friend.  A small yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail, and a very nervous disposition.  No doubt your friend because of how she laid out your royal garments, which you hardly ever wear.”

“How could you possibly know all that?”

Gregory pointed a talon at the hem of her gown.  “I can see that the hem and shoulders of your dress are too stiff.  That suggests you’ve barely tried it on before today.  And since a princess is never expected to lay out her own clothes, that suggests you got somepony else to do it.  Possibly a maid, but it’s well known you only have a dragon for an assistant, and a male one at that.  So, more likely, it’s one of your five close friends.  In this case, the yellow pegasus.”

Twilight blinked.  “And just how did you know it was Fluttershy?”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Gregory glanced anxiously at his entourage.  “I was under the impression Celestia’s students were the brightest ponies in all of Equestria.”

“Uh…”  She felt embarrassed at being so slow, especially before foreign royalty.  This was worse than magic kindergarten.  “Perhaps you might humor me, Your Grace.  As if I were your own student.”

“As you wish, my lady.”  The griffin sat back on his haunches and examined her dress again.  “There is a faint layer of yellow down on the hem of your dress, coming off the wing of either a bird or a pegasus.  Most likely a pegasus because of the pink mane hairs mixed with the feathers.  Now, the shedding of so much feathers and hair is strong enough to suggest either a very sick pony or a very nervous one.  And since it wouldn’t do to get too close to anypony with an illness—especially on the eve of an important royal dinner…”  Gregory smiled and leaned in. “That leaves room for only a very anxious pegasus.”

Which was Fluttershy in a nutshell, Twilight had to admit.  “Your deductions are impressive, Your Grace.”

The griffin blinked.  “You think so?”

“Well, yes!”

“Well, my father most certainly doesn’t.”  The prince waved a dismissive talon.  “But enough about him.  We came for dinner and a chance to join our countries in…”  He paused, almost spitting out the word with distaste.  “Friendship.”

Then he offered Twilight his elbow.  “Shall we begin?”

She grinned and took it.  Listening to him talk was making her as giddy as a filly on the first day of school.

She wondered if she could pick his brain about griffin history and lore over dinner…





“Fluttershy?”  Spike walked through the apartment, scanning every nook and cranny.  “Hello?  Where’d you go?”

He was getting worried.  It was late and Fluttershy was nowhere to be found.  She’d come back from the tailors with Twilight’s dress and tiara, but nopony had seen her since.  He guessed a pony as quiet as Fluttershy could easily hide if she wanted to.

But that begged the question: what was she hiding from?

In the bedroom, he found Pinkie Pie sprawled on the floor, playing with Twilight’s blue doll.  “Hey, Pinkie, have you seen Fluttershy?”

“Nope!”  She bounced the doll up and down on one hoof.  “But if you gave me enough time and some yarn, I bet I could make you a new Fluttershy lickety-split!”

“It’d be just as quiet, that’s for sure.”  Spike glanced over his shoulder.  “I’m worried about her.  I think we should go and see if she’s okay.”

Meanwhile, the front door opened as Time Turner came prancing in.  The left sleeve of his brown coat was hanging off his shoulder and his mane was askew, but his face was covered in kisses.  When he saw Spike and Pinkie Pie, he stopped and laughed.

“Ah, brilliant!  Just the dragon and pony I wanted to see!”  Time Turner laid down on the floor opposite Pinkie Pie.  “So, as you might have gathered, I had a wonderful date with Miss Public Record.  I won’t spoil all the details, but I will say that the cherry pie at Château du Cheval is amazing and so are the royal archivist’s stories.”

Spike examined his torn sleeve.  “And how did that happen?”

“Ha ha, yes!  Well, it all started with a wheelbarrow and a very clumsy mail-pony—”

“Never mind.  Have you seen Fluttershy anywhere?”

Time Turner shrugged.  “Can’t say I have.  Then again, she’s a shy little thing.  I imagine she’ll turn up soon enough.”

“I guess I’m just worried.”

“I see.”  He leaned over to Spike.  “Did she seem upset to you?”

“Not really.  Just really nervous.”

“I know, right?”  Pinkie Pie danced her doll around.  “If she’d just stop and play with a doll or eat a dozen cupcakes, she’d be right as rain!  Oooh, or right as chocolate rain!”

“Chocolate…”  Spike looked up.  His eyes went as wide as dinner plates.  “Oh, no!”

“What’s wrong?” asked Time Turner.

“The cake!  The party!”  The dragon slapped his forehead.  “Aargh!  We were so busy setting up for Twilight’s date that we forgot to set up her next birthday party!”

Pinkie Pie didn’t say a word.  Instead, she gave an overdramatic gasp and raced straight for the kitchen.  Spike heard pots and pans crashing as the pink pony did everything she could to make up for lost time.

“Thank heavens you remembered, Spike.”  Time Turner got up and headed for the living room.  “I’ll go over the final arrangements for the maturity spell.  Get a message to Twilight, quickly!”





Fluttershy shuddered when the bell on the flower shop’s door jingled.  But thankfully the shop was empty except for a graying mare behind the counter.

“Welcome, my dear!”  The shop owner put a modest hoof to her chest.  “I’m Madame Flora.  How can I help you this evening?”

“W-well, you see…”  Fluttershy tried to focus on something besides her shivering legs.  “I-I wanted to buy a b-bouquet…”  She swallowed and forced herself to say, “A bouquet of roses for my friend, please!”

“Oh, how lovely!” Flora turned to the display case on her right.  “The last roses of the season are over here.  Unfortunately, since it’s winter, they might not be in the best condition, but they’re reasonably priced.”

Fluttershy noticed a little browning on the roses’ petals, but otherwise they looked just fine.  She smiled.  Only a humble pony could give a humble gift.

“And, if it’s not too much trouble, could I maybe add a card to the bouquet?”

Flora smiled and grabbed a pen in between her teeth.  “Certainly, dear.  What shall I put down?”

Swallowing again, Fluttershy had to take a moment to collect her thoughts.  So many things she wanted to say.  So many ways to screw this up.

But she had to try.  She’d never forgive herself if she didn’t try.

“Okay, here goes…”  She took a deep breath and let everything out.

“To my dearest Twilight Sparkle, I promise to wait until you’re better.  I promise to never leave your side.  I promise to bring you pleasant weather.  I promise I won’t run and hide.  Faithfully yours… Fluttershy.”

When she stopped, Fluttershy looked up at Madame Flora, expecting a look of surprise or horror.  But the florist continued to write down everything on the card.  She slid it into the top of the bouquet and presented the roses to her customer with a kind smile.

“Will there be anything else, my dear?”

“If you, um… that is, would it be possible…?”

“Yes?”

The pegasus flinched.  “If you wouldn’t tell anypony about this—”

“Oh, my dear, don’t worry your pretty little head.”  Flora winked.  “I’ve had so many high-class ponies buy flowers and write far more embarrassing cards for their special somepony.  We would never be indiscreet with our customers’ affairs.  It’d be terrible for business.”

Fluttershy let out her breath and smiled.  “Oh, thank you, Madame!  Thank you so much!”  She reached for the coin purse.  “Um, how much do I owe you?”

“For friends and lovers of royalty?”  Flora gave a wicked smile.  “We happen to have a discount.  Three bits, please.”

After paying, Fluttershy clutched the roses in her hooves and flew out of the shop.  She didn’t bother with keeping to the main road and took her own secret path back to the apartment.

With any luck, Twilight’s date would be over soon.  Then Fluttershy would have the best birthday gift of all for her.
> The Griffin's Gambit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Fourteen – The Griffin’s Gambit


The candles on the table were burning low when Twilight and Gregory finished dinner, both red-faced and panting.  It seemed as though their passions just couldn’t be contained any longer…

“As entitled as you are to your opinion,” Gregory was saying, “it’s simply ludicrous!  Griffin sages have produced ample evidence that solar and lunar cycles in Chimaera have nothing to do with alicorns.”

Twilight slammed her hooves onto the table and leaned forward.  “Sages or not, they’ve clearly never met a genuine Princess of Equestria.  Our magic is tied to the earth.  Without out, everything falls apart, just like in the Everfree Forest!”

“Superstitious nonsense,” the prince replied with a snort.  “Try watching a sunrise from our kingdom if you’re inclined.”

“Grrr!”  Twilight fell back into her chair and sighed.  Then, after a few calming breaths, she allowed herself a tired smile.  “If you don’t mind me asking, where’d you get so good at debating?”

For the first time, Gregory blushed.  “I’d rather not say.”

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers.”

The prince brushed at his coat with one of his talons.  “Nothing to fear.  If it’s any consolation, you’re one of the first ponies I’ve met who’s shown any real intelligence.  Except for your Princess Celestia, naturally.”

Thinking about her mentor suddenly made Twilight feel uneasy.  As stimulating as Gregory was at debate and intellectual discussions, he wasn’t much of a romantic and highly dismissive of most ponies.  Which begged the question: what was Celestia thinking pairing him with Twilight on a diplomatic dinner?

Perhaps this was nothing more than an elaborate test.  Although Twilight’s element was magic, life in Ponyville had taught her the value and power of friendship.  Maybe all Gregory and the other griffins needed was to meet a pony brave enough to open relations between their races—

“Wait!” somepony shrieked.  The ballroom doors crashed open as something small and pink raced through the air and landed on top of the small dining table.  Plates and silverware went flying; Twilight and Gregory ducked to avoid being splattered.

A furiously panting Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs, staring wild-eyed at Twilight.  She offered her a very large cupcake with a single birthday candle on it.

“You… need…” the pink pony gasped, “to  make… a wish…!”

Twilight stared at her.  Then she smacked her hoof against her forehead.  “I can’t believe I forgot!  Pinkie Pie, remind me to thank you later!”  Then she leaned in and blew out the candle.

For a long moment, nopony said a word.  All eyes were fixed on Twilight.

Then the spasms began.





Spike raced into the ballroom.  “Come on, this way!”

Close behind him were Time Turner and Fluttershy; the latter was holding a bouquet of roses and flying at the same pace as Time Turner was galloping.  But all three of them came to a halt when they saw Twilight on the floor, writhing in pain.

“Oh, no!” cried Fluttershy.  The roses fell from her hooves, and before Spike could tell her to wait, she flew past him to Twilight’s side.

“Just a minute, just a minute!”  Time Turner reached into his saddlebag and grabbed his hourglass with his teeth.  “Ermf!”

The griffin standing by the table eyed the ponies suspiciously.  “What is going on here?”

“A thousand pardons, Your Grace,” Silver Platter answered.  She shot Spike an anxious glance.  “The, uh, Princess is… that is, to say…”

Spike decided he had to step up.  Braving the proud and shocked expressions of the griffins, he walked over to the prince with his head held high.  The fact that Gregory was more than twice his size didn’t destroy his resolve.

“She’s fatigued, Your Grace.”  Spike looked over to make sure Fluttershy and Time Turner were blocking the griffins’ view of Twilight.  “The pressure of setting up for this event… it was just too much for her.”

Gregory stared pensively, his tail swishing silently behind him.  “I see.  Very well.”  He turned and waved at his two attendants.  “Give the Princess my regards.  I will call on her when she’s better—”

“Um, excuse me?”  Fluttershy hesitantly stepped toward the prince.  Her expression suggested she was afraid of being hit.  “I-if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind waiting?  I-I’m sure Twilight will feel better in just a moment—”

“Aha!” Gregory’s eyes brightened.  “You must be the nervous pegasus!”

Fluttershy cringed.  “What?”

“That explains it.  The canary yellow feathers, the pink mane, the anxious concern for Her Royal Highness…”  Gregory almost smiled.  “And to think, I almost mistook you for a maidservant.”

Spike saw something pass over Fluttershy’s face as soon as she heard maidservant.  He immediately ran and took cover behind Silver Platter.

“Maidservant?” Fluttershy whispered angrily.  She stamped her hooves.  “I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I am Twilight’s friend!”  Her wings twitched.  “In fact, I-I’m more than her friend!  I… I…” 

Her eyes squeezed shut.  “I love her!”

The ballroom went completely silent.  Everypony stared in shock at the pegasus.

Then Pinkie Pie blew her party horn.  “I knew it!  Happy birthday, Twilight!”

“You love her?” Gregory stared at Fluttershy, thoroughly puzzled.  “I see…”

Spike slapped his head.  “Oh, great.  The griffin king is not going to be happy about this.”

Hearing the click-clack of talons beside him, Spike turned and looked up into Gregory’s stoic face.  Then, surprisingly, the prince shook claws with Spike.

“I can’t begin to thank you enough to bringing her here,” he said with a quiet smile.  “Now I know that I can face my father with the truth.”

“The truth?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”  Gregory sat down, waiting for his attendants to do the same.  “My father, Gareth Basileus, is not an enlightened griffin.  He still thinks ponies are just delicate creatures who’ve never fought a war or struggled for anything.  I’ve argued with him, but for the longest time, I was afraid he was right.”

He turned and smiled at Twilight, now fully grown and struggling to get back onto her hooves.  “But tonight, I’ve met a brilliant young princess who challenged every single one of my father’s arguments.  And I’ve met a timid pegasus who found the courage to speak truth to a foreign dignitary and confess her love publicly.”  He gave Fluttershy a respectful nod.  “If your ponies are truly that brave, then I’m sure our two races will get along just fine.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight called out.  She was awkwardly trying to walk forward, though she kept bumping into Pinkie Pie and her crown was askew.  “So you really do think that Princess Celestia raises the sun?”

Gregory laughed.  “Well, of course.  You’d have to be an idiot not to see the proof of that.”

“But, Your Grace,” one of the griffins said in hushed tones, “your royal father—”

“Happens to be an idiot, my love for him notwithstanding.”

“He will hear about this!”

Gregory turned on his servant with a grim stare.  “I’m counting on it, Thane Geoffrey.  Now run along and inform my father that I wish to speak with him in private.”

The griffin ducked his head and started to back away.  “Yes, Your Grace.”

When Gregory turned back to Twilight, his expression was less severe.  “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is the nature of your condition?”

“It was an age spell gone wrong.”  Twilight winced as she slowly spread her wings out, then tucked them back in.  “Long story, don’t ask.”

The prince smiled.  “Fascinating.  Well, I must be going.”  He bowed deeply, not just to Twilight, but to Spike and every other pony in the room.  “Thank you for giving us such an enjoyable dinner.  Good night.”

As he and the remaining griffin took their leave, Spike felt something nudge him in the side.  He saw Time Turner lean in and whisper, “Two bits says Celestia was counting on this exact thing happening tonight.”

“No deal.”  Spike patted his stomach, already anticipating one of the Princess’s letters.  “I know that’s what she wanted.”
> Family Matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Fifteen – Family Matters


When the royal chariot pulled up outside her childhood home the next morning, Twilight didn’t wait for it to stop.  She jumped and glided to a swift landing right at the front door.

There wasn’t time to knock.  Even as Twilight raised her hoof, the door swung open and Nightlight pulled her into a hug.

“There’s my girl!” Her father pulled back and regarded Twilight with a delirious grin.  “You’ve really grown up, Twily.  I’m so proud.”

Twilight blushed, but it only got worse when her mother stepped into view.  Velvet lifted a hoof to her mouth.  Tears sparkled in the corner of her eyes as she looked her daughter up and down.  Then she squealed and rushed to embrace Twilight.

“Gah!” Twilight forgot how strong her mother could be and squirmed in her iron grip.  “Love… you, too… Mom…”

Velvet kissed her daughter on the forehead and sighed.  “Oh, my little princess.  And here I was hoping that you might stay a filly for just a little longer.”

“We all have to grow up, Mom.  Twice, in my case.”

“I know, dear.”  Velvet turned and shared a devious smile with Nightlight.  “I guess I’ll just have to wait until you get a little older… so that I can be a grandmother!”

Twilight groaned and walked past her into the living room.  “Do I have to?”

“I guess I can make do with waiting on Shining Armor and Cadance.  But the more, the merrier!”

Nightlight entered the living room with his horn glowing and a scroll floating by his shoulder.  “Speaking of which, I just got a letter from them.  They’ll be arriving later tonight from the Crystal Empire.”

Twilight gasped.  “They will?”

“By seven o’clock at the latest—”  Nightlight stopped when Twilight took the letter from him and read it voraciously on the middle of the carpet.  She looked up at her parents with a giant grin.

“That’s the best news I’ve had all week!” said Twilight.

But when her wings fluttered in excitement, the movement gave Twilight pause.  Her thoughts suddenly turned to a certain pegasus back at the royal apartments.

Somepony who needed her attention more than her parents did.





Spike came out wearing an apron as he offered Fluttershy a fresh cup of tea.  “Here, this’ll make you feel better.”

“Oh, it smells lovely.”  Fluttershy took a sip of the brew and smiled.  “What is it?”

The dragon smiled proudly.  “Sapphire tea!  Made from real sapphires!”

“Bleah!”  Fluttershy gagged and blushed simultaneously.  Then she tried for an embarrassed smile when she saw Spike’s disappointment.  “Um, it’s an… interesting blend.”

Spike shrugged and took a sip from his own teacup.  “Whatever.  It’s an acquired taste.”

“Well, of course it is!”  Pinkie Pie danced into the den, balancing two small cakes on her front hooves.  “You acquire taste with your tongue!  Like this!”  She demonstrated by taking a sharp bite out of each cake, then sat down at the table.  “Mmm, frosting!”

As heartwarming as her display was, nothing seemed to shake Fluttershy out of her sad mood.  Spike had tried everything from juggling tricks to picking flowers, but nothing seemed to help.  She’d been like this ever since the near-fiasco with Prince Gregory on the previous night.  Hardly ate, hardly spoke, and slept in late.  She was clearly depressed about what had happened.

“So, I know you don’t want to talk about it,” Spike said hesitantly, “but maybe we should… talk about it.”  He coughed into his fist and added, “About the royal feast.  That we crashed.  Where you told everypony that you were in love.”  He coughed again.  “With Twilight…”

Fluttershy closed her eyes.  “I-I’m sorry, Spike.  I know it all turned out all right, but this wasn’t what I’d planned.  I-I was going to tell Twilight in private.  I was going to wait for her and—”

“Um, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but when it comes to Twilight, you might be waiting a long time.”  Spike tapped the side of his head.  “She’s book-smart, not street-smart like me.”

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, had completely finished one cake and was halfway through the other.  She glanced up with a beard made of frosting hanging from her bottom lip.  “Mm, I know what… I would do?”  After pausing to swallow, she added, “I’d bake her a promise cake!  Then you can serve Twilight the cake at a promise party and she’ll have to say yes!”

“I don’t think you can solve every problem with cake, Pinkie Pie.”

As he spoke, Pinkie Pie’s mane went flat and long.  She whirled on him with a furious glare and hissed, “You take that back.  Right now.”

“Uh, I take it back, I take it back!”  Spike raised his hands defensively.  “Y-you can solve everything with cake.  Everything!”

“You’re darn right!”  Suddenly her mane was bright and bubbly again, and she smiled as though nothing had happened.  “I think I’m gonna go and make Twilight a Happy-Cured-From-Age-Spell cake!  Ooh, or maybe even a pudding!”  The pink pony chomped down on the last of the cake and bounced back into the kitchen.

Again, Fluttershy sighed and dropped her head onto the table.  “I don’t know what to do, Spike.  I do love her, but I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid that she’ll… that she’ll…”

When the pegasus looked up at him, her bottom lip was quivering.  “That she’ll say no and then won’t be friends with me anymore.”

“She’d never stop being your friend.”  Spike patted her shoulder, feeling like her little brother just like he felt around Twilight during her own anxious moments.  “Even you guys weren’t keepers of the Elements of Harmony, she’d always see you as family.  I know I do.”

“Really?”

“You bet!”  Spike glanced over his shoulder—afraid that Pinkie Pie would ambush them with a song and dance routine—and quickly hugged Fluttershy.

She giggled and returned the hug.  “Thanks, Spike.  You’re the best dragon in the whole world.”

“And don’t you forget it.”
> Heart To Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sixteen – Heart To Heart


“They’re here, they’re here!” Twilight exclaimed, jumping up and down.  She didn’t care that she was making a spectacle of herself on the train platform.  Nor did she care if she was on edge because of the last of the teenage hormones racing through her body.

As the train finally pulled to a halt, Twilight landed on all fours in between her parents and waited.

The passenger car doors slid open and out stepped Cadance and Shining Armor in full regalia.  Cadance took one look at Twilight and grinned.  She dashed ahead of her husband as Twilight met her halfway.  And so began their dance.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!  Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

“I can’t believe you’re all right!” said Cadance as she swept Twilight into her forelegs.  “Your dad’s picture seemed too good to be true!”

Twilight’s ears dropped.  “Oh.  You got the photo already?”

Her sister-in-law smirked.  “I have it framed and sitting on the royal nightstand.”  She squeezed Twilight’s blushing cheeks and laughed.  “Now I’ll never forget that adorable little filly I used to play with!”

At that moment, Twilight wished that Time Turner might show up and make one of his eccentric speeches to distract everypony.  But since he was nowhere to be seen, she sighed and looked over at Shining Armor, who was hugging their parents.

“Twily!” Shining Armor trotted over and ruffled her mane.  “How’s my little sis doing?  Guess you’re not that little anymore, huh?”

“No, I’m not.”  Twilight pointed a hoof at his face.  “But you have to promise me you’ll never let me try an age spell anytime soon!”

“Deal!”  Her brother laughed and side-hugged her as they followed Cadance and her parents away from the train platform.  “I hear your second coronation’s gonna be a big hit.”

“Princess Celestia says it won’t be a huge affair like last time.  A few words with a smaller audience and a short parade through Canterlot.”  Twilight blushed when she remembered Celestia’s letter.  Apparently the Princess thought that having a four-princess parade would be more expected in Canterlot, and take less of the spotlight off Twilight and her recent troubles.  Not to mention that there had never been a procession of all four princesses in the city before.

After pausing to scratch her mane, Twilight looked up at her brother with a grimace.  “Hey, B.B.B.F.F., I’ve got to ask you something personal.”

“Sure thing, Twily.  What’s up?”

“It might be the teenage hormones talking,” Twilight began, “but I’ve got my eye on a certain pony.  I mean, I know she likes me, but I don’t know what to say to her and how to go about this.  I thought maybe you might, since, you know… you and Cadance…?”

Shining Armor laughed.  “Since me and Cadance what, Twily?”

“Ugh.  Don’t make me say it.”

“Okay, I won’t.”  He slowly trotted alongside her, keeping out of earshot from the rest of their family.  “Well, Cadance and I always had a thing for each other, but it wasn’t until after I got into the royal guard that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.  When I proposed, I said I wanted her to be my family and not just my friend.”  As he spoke, Twilight noticed a dreamy look in his eyes.  His whole face had softened.  “That’s what did it for her.  She’s always wanted a family ever since she was little.  You heard about how Celestia adopted her?”

Twilight nodded.  Then she smiled.  “And you told her she’d be getting me for a sister-in-law?”

“You got it.”

“Hmm.”  Twilight continued to trot along in silence.  This question of romance was quite tricky.  More so than any math problem she’d ever encountered.  Compared to this, vector calculus was a piece of cake.

Thinking about cake, she remembered that Fluttershy was still at the apartment with Pinkie Pie and Spike.  She wondered if she should send a message that she’d be coming home late or if she should cancel her dinner plans with her family instead.

“So,” Shining Armor said slyly, “just who is the lucky pony on your mind?”

“Um, well…”  Twilight ducked her head.  “It’s, um… Fluttershy…”

“Sorry?”  He looked like on the verge of bursting out into laughter.  “Didn’t catch that.”

“Aargh.”  Twilight lifted her head and looked him in the eye.  “It’s Fluttershy.  There.  Are you happy now?”

“Huh, Fluttershy.”  Shining Armor chuckled and shook his head.  “You know, I was almost sure you were going to say it was Rainbow Dash.”

“What in Equestria made you think that?”

“Well, you’re both fliers.  You both like to read—”

“She only reads Daring Do novels,” Twilight snapped.  “And besides, shared interests do not equal romance.  I mean, what did you and Cadance have in common before you got married?”

“Honestly?”  Her brother smiled fondly at her.  “Just you, sis.”

It seemed Twilight couldn’t stop blushing now that he and Cadance were in town.  She got back at him with a sharp tail-flick to his rear, but Shining Armor just laughed again.

“You want my advice?” he added.  “Just be yourself, Twily.  You’re a very loyal pony and hard not to love.  I’m sure you’ll both be happy together.”

Twilight turned and stared out at the moonlight streets of Canterlot.  “I hope you’re right, bro.”





After a quick but sincere apology to her family, Twilight found herself flying back to the royal apartments.  She landed on the main balcony and pushed the front door open, tensing up as she did.  Almost two whole weeks of birthday parties had prepared her to be greeted with a mouthful of cake and a hoof-full of presents every evening.

But to her relief, there was no party awaiting her.  Instead, Time Turner was sitting on the couch next to Public Record.  They sat on the couch together, giggling and reading a shared copy of some ancient manuscript.

Twilight blushed and started to back out of the room.  “Oh!  Excuse me!”

“Yes, welcome back, Your Highness!”  Time Turner suddenly looked anxious and adjusted his bow tie.  “Ah.”  He frowned and readjusted his bow tie.  “I… I believe that your friends are playing a board game in the other room.”  He shared an embarrassed smile with the royal archivist sitting on his left.  “I’m sure they’d be delighted to have you join…”

His point was obvious, though Twilight found herself enjoying the rare occasion of catching him off-guard.  “Yes, I’m sure the two of you will want to be alone.”  She waved at them on her way into the next room.  “Bye!”

Sure enough, Spike and Pinkie Pie were sitting at the kitchen table with a board game.  Castles and Conquests, by the looks of it.  Spike was rolling a pair of dice in his palm and dropped them onto the table with a triumphant roar.

“Yes!” he shouted.  “Eighteen!  The sphinx takes damage!”

“Ooh, ooh!”  Pinkie Pie scribbled something down on her character sheet.  “My bard casts a happy song spell on him!”

“Why?”

“So he’ll feel better and want to join our party!”

“Pinkie, it’s not…”  Spike rubbed his palm down his face.  “It’s not that kind of party.  We’re trying to knock him out or scare him off.”

“Aww!  Why would we want to scare away our new best buddy?”  Pinkie Pie grabbed the tiny figurine of the sphinx from the board and cuddled it against her cheek.  “He’s such a cutie-kitty-birdy-wirdy!”

Spike sighed and slumped back into his chair.  When he saw Twilight, he grinned.  “Hey, you’re back.  How’s Cadance and Shining Armor?”

“Good.  They’re both… good.”  Twilight didn’t know what else to say.  She was disappointed that a shy yellow pegasus wasn’t with them.  “Hey, is Fluttershy around?  I need to talk to her.”

“Oh, she’s in the bedroom,” Pinkie Pie replied.  She began to rearrange the pieces on the board.  “She said she wanted to be alone.  I asked if she was taking a nap and she said that’s right!”

Spike leaned over and whispered, “Between you and me, she’s not sleeping.  She’s just sad.”

Twilight’s ears flopped.  “That bad, huh?  Let me see if I can help her.”

“Be my guest.”  When he turned back to the game, Spike’s tail thumped angrily against his chair. “Pinkie, no!  The griffin cleric hasn’t leveled up yet!  You can’t face him off against the sphinx!”

“But he can cast a spell that’ll make our team do this awesome dance!”  Pinkie Pie started to dance a little jig on the kitchen floor as she spoke.  “And then the sphinx will totally wanna party with us!”

“It’s not that kind of—!”  Spike palmed himself in the face again.  “Oh, what’s the use…?”





When she pushed the bedroom door open, Twilight poked her head in.  “Fluttershy?  Are you all right?”

“I-I’m fine,” the pegasus replied from under a pile of blankets.  Her voice was choked and small, almost like she’d been crying.  “Really.  I’m… I’m fine…”

“You don’t sound fine to me.”  Twilight crept forward, sweeping the door closed with her tail.

She was halfway to the bed when she stepped on large and soft on the floor.  Looking down, Twilight saw the blue doll with the rainbow mane that she’d gotten as a birthday present.  It was amazing how much it looked like Rainbow Dash, even in the dim lighting.

Picking it up with her teeth, Twilight flew the rest of the way to the bed and landed beside the bundle where Fluttershy was hiding.  She gently set the doll down on the bed and waited.

At first, there was no response.  But then Fluttershy stuck her head out and grabbed the doll with her hoof.  The way she clutched it to her chest made Twilight think of so many school nights as a filly, when she’d been teased by the other ponies for being a know-it-all.  And once her brother was asleep, the only friend she had was a stuffed pal named Smarty Pants.

Dolls were great that way.   They never judged you.  They were there to be held, whether you were happy or sad.  Twilight wished she could cuddle with Smarty Pants now, even though she’d made her peace with Big Macintosh keeping her.

Still, that gave her an idea.

Twilight stayed completely still at first.  Then she put her hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder and snuggled close to her.  The pegasus didn’t resist the embrace.  If anything, she seemed to feel better.  At least she’d stopped shivering under the blankets.

“I wanted to thank you for last night,” Twilight said slowly, trying desperately not to startle her.  One wrong word and she might scar Fluttershy for life.  “I know it was hard to stand up to the prince like that, but you were very brave.”

“I’m not brave,” Fluttershy whimpered.

Twilight rolled her eyes.  “Yes, you are!  You are, without a doubt, one of the bravest ponies I know!  I’ve seen you face down a dragon, a manticore, a cockatrice, an army of changelings, and the entire population of Canterlot at the Hearth’s Warming Eve play!”  Grabbing the blanket with her teeth, Twilight pulled it off Fluttershy’s head and looked her in the eye.  “You’re brave and kind, Fluttershy.  It’s a wonderful quality for a pony and I… I…”

She swallowed and tried to remember that she was brave, too.  “And I love you for it.”

Fluttershy looked up at her in awe.  “You mean it, Twilight?”

“I do.”

“Oh, my.”  Fluttershy sat up, letting the blankets fall away.  She still held onto the Rainbow Dash doll.  “Oh, my.  I-I don’t know what to say!”

“You don’t have to say anything.”  Twilight was surprised at how comfortable she felt when her friend was like this.  It was so easy to be brave when Fluttershy was scared.  Something about her made Twilight want to protect her.  To reassure her.  To bring out that brave little pegasus inside and help her through whatever problems she was facing—

And that was when she knew.

She knew it was real.

“But, Twilight,” Fluttershy protested, “what if it doesn’t work out?  What if we can’t be together because you’re a princess and I’m just a mere pegasus and you’re too busy and important for—”

Twilight stopped her with a kiss to the forehead.  Fluttershy went quiet as her cheeks turned red.

“Princess or not, I’ll always have time for my friends,” she reassured her.  “And if this is serious, I’ll always have time for you, Fluttershy.”  She kissed her on the cheek, just below her ear.  “Always.”

Fluttershy didn’t say a word.  She squealed and hugged Twilight with all her might.  They fell back onto the bed as the Rainbow Dash doll bounced out of her grip and back onto the floor.

We’ll get it later, Twilight decided.  For now, she’s got me…
> Friends Forever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Seventeen – Friends Forever


Spike raced to the door when he heard the rapid-fire knocking.  When he pulled it open, he fell back at the sight of so many ponies crowding through the doorway.

“Weren’t expecting us, huh?” said Rainbow Dash.  She jumped ahead of the others, her scarf trailing behind her like a superhero’s cape.  “So where’s the Filly Princess at?”

“Mind your tongue, missy!”  Applejack trotted in with concern written all over her face.  “I hear she’s back to normal and no mistake.  Thank goodness fer that alicorn magic.”

Spike waved them in, pausing when he took notice of Rarity.  She seemed even more beautiful against the backdrop of snow-covered Canterlot.  Her mane had been styled into a fine coiffure of violet with blue highlights.  She’d further adorned herself with a simple yet stylish red jacket and beret, accented with an emerald scarf of the finest silk…

“Why, Spike, whatever’s the matter?”  Rarity tapped his chin with her hoof.  “You look as if you’re starving!  Hasn’t Twilight been feeding you?”

“Huh?”  The dragon shook his head, freeing himself from his reverie.  He then realized, much to his embarrassment, that his tongue had been hanging out his mouth.  “Oh.  Oh, gosh, I’m sorry.  I-I don’t know what came over me…”

Rarity smiled and rubbed his cheek.  “It must have been the sight of my ensemble.  I had it made in a exact shade of ruby!  My hungwy widdle Spikey-wikey!”

Sighing, Spike let himself be pestered as he waited for the three new arrivals to settle in.  Pinkie Pie soon came tumbling out with a trio of pies, though Applejack was quick to point out that somepony had taken a bite out of each one already.

“Well, of course!” Pinkie Pie answered cheerfully.  “After I took a bite out of the first one, I didn’t want the other two to feel left out!”

Rainbow Dash warily eyed the pie in front of her.  “I think I’ll wait until lunchtime.”

“Shucks, I ain’t waitin’!”  Applejack dove right into the pie, eating with gusto.  “Mmph!  These apples are nice an’ fresh, too!”

Rarity gasped.  “Really, such manners!  We should at least wait until Twilight and Fluttershy get back from…”  She turned to Spike with a questioning look.  “From wherever they’ve gone.”

“Oh, they’re in the next room.  They needed some time alone.  To talk, I guess.”

But even as he said it, Spike’s cheeks were burning.  He knew exactly what was going on.  It was obvious to anypony with ears and a brain what those two were getting up to in the other room.  Far too many squeals and giggling for just “talking.”

“Knowing Twilight, she could talk Fluttershy to death,” Rainbow Dash quipped.  She hopped off the couch and trotted to the bedroom door.  “I’ll just peek in and see for myself.”

“Oh, do give them some privacy!” Rarity insisted.  “Poor Twilight must be exhausted from her royal duties.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth for a retort, but a sudden pair of high-pitched giggles from inside the bedroom cut her off.  Everypony—including Spike—turned and stared at the door.

“Okay, that does it.”  The blue pegasus reared up and kicked the door open.

“Ahh, close the door!” Twilight cried out.  Spike joined the others in a mad rush to get a glimpse.

The bedroom lights were on a low setting, casting the whole bed in soft shadows.  Twilight was sitting upright under the covers, her wings spread out defensively and a hoof covering her face.  Fluttershy was curled up against her, shuddering under the unexpected scrutiny of her friends.

Spike crept forward, wringing his hands.  “Um, sorry to interrupt, but… look who’s here!”

Twilight’s face had turned a powerful shade of crimson when she looked up at her shocked friends.  Although Pinkie Pie was the first to speak the tension, oddly enough.

“What?!”  She stamped her hooves on the floor in protest.  “You guys had a slumber party and you didn’t invite me?!”

Rarity cleared her throat.  “Darling, I don’t know what to say.  Are you and Fluttershy… that is, have you, er….?”

Twilight looked down at her bedfellow and sighed.  “Yes, Rarity.  For your information, we are, in fact, an item.”

For a long moment, nopony said a word.  Spike looked back and forth between the two groups.  The two ponies in the bed were holding onto each other anxiously, while the rest of the gang from Ponyville were shuffling their hooves and twitching their tails.  It seemed as though the spacious bedroom had become a lot smaller and oppressive.

“Heh!”  Applejack pushed her hat back and smiled.  “Well, I’ll be darned.  An’ here I thought you two weren’t the kind fer romance!”

“A-are you mad at us?” Fluttershy asked, still huddling against Twilight for security.

Rainbow Dash laughed.  “Mad?  I’m just glad you of all ponies actually found someone, Fluttershy!”  She winked at Twilight.  “And one heck of a catch, too!”

“Cut it out!” Twilight replied.  With a telekinetic blast, she sent a pillow flying at Rainbow Dash’s head.

Rarity’s horn glowed as she removed the beret from her head and pressed it against her chest.  “Personally, darlings, I could never judge anypony for how they live their lives—provided they have some sense of style!”  Her face suddenly lit up.  “Oh, my!  Just think!  Your colors go perfectly together!  You’ll easily be the most gorgeous couple at the Grand Galloping Gala…!”

As everypony began to chatter away with the same words of encouragement and conviction, Spike decided to step out.  He snuck out of the bedroom without being noticed, grateful for some time to himself.

Somewhere in the kitchen, there was a gem-encrusted cake with his name on it…





An hour later, Rainbow Dash hovered in the middle of the living room with her forelegs crossed.  “So, do you get it now, Pinkie?”

“I think so!”  Pinkie Pie gave another goofy grin, but quickly glared and pointed her hoof at Twilight and Fluttershy.  “But if you guys are gonna have a slumber party without me, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Right.  Slumber party…”  Twilight was fighting the urge to tell her that she and Fluttershy weren’t doing much sleeping.  The thought made her giggle like a school-age filly.

She was grateful to be done with this age spell business.  Well, almost done, anyway.  There was still that whole coronation…

“Twilight?”  Fluttershy nudged her gently.  “What’s wrong?”

“I was just thinking.  I don’t know if I wanna do another big coronation tomorrow.”  Twilight looked around the room at her friends, taking a little time to focus on each familiar face.  “I mean, I felt like I haven’t done much as a princess before.  I’d rather do something else.  Something big.”

“Like what?” asked Rarity.  Her eyes lit up.  “Like a royal ball?  Ooh, please say it’s a ball!”

“No, not like that.”  Twilight sighed and put her face in her hooves.  “Ugh, this is hard to explain!  Right now, all I’ve got is a title, a crown, and a library in Ponyville.  And it’s all great, but I’d like to do more.  I want to give Ponyville something new.  Something wonderful.”

Applejack smiled.  “I hear ya, sugar cube.  I feel the same every time I gotta organize another Apple family reunion.”

“Well, since you’re becoming an awesome flier,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, “how about you sponsor the construction of an aerial racetrack?”  She flashed a grin at everypony in the room.  “Sounds awesome, am I right?”

Rarity tossed her mane and scoffed.  “Hardly!  Why waste all that on a racetrack?  Ponyville deserves better!  Like an art gallery!”

“Nah, racetrack!”

“Art gallery!”

“Or a full stadium, Twilight!”

“No, an authentic pâtisserie!”

“Enough!”  Twilight hung her head, wracking her brain for solutions.  Nothing seemed to come.  All she could think about was how she was just a librarian pretending to be a princess.  An alicorn who got herself into trouble with age spells and screwed up important dinners with griffin royalty.

She turned to Fluttershy.  “What do you think?”

“I’m sorry.  I wish I could be more helpful.”  Fluttershy leaned against her, quelling some of the butterflies in Twilight’s stomach.  “But I’ll support you in whatever you decide!”

“Thanks.”  Twilight smiled and pulled her close.  “I know I can always rely on you—”

She froze.  In her mind’s eye, she saw herself looking out at Ponyville’s changing skyline.  With Fluttershy faithfully by her side, and all the ponies in town looking up in awe at the sight of something big and new.  Twilight put herself in the middle of that vision, trying to see what it was they were seeing.

What no princess had ever done before.

“I’ve got it!” Twilight exclaimed.  A huge smile spread across her face as she leapt to her hooves and turned to the kitchen.  “Spike, come quick!  I need you to take a letter!”

“M’here!” the dragon called out.  He came running out, still chewing on a mouthful of gem cake.  When he noticed everypony staring, he stopped and swallowed.  “Right.  A letter to the Princess?”

Twilight grinned.  “Yes.  I want to tell her that I’d like to suggest an alternative to my coronation.”

“But Twilight!” Rarity gasped.  “What about the age spell?  Don’t you have to go through the event to make sure you’re fully healed?”

“The coronation’s just a formality.  What matters is my development into marehood.”  Twilight shared a warm smile with Fluttershy.  “And I’ve got a feeling I know just how to get there.”
> Support Your Local Alicorn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Eighteen – Support Your Local Alicorn


“Okay,” Spike said.  He held the scroll up to his mouth and looked around the room.  “I’m gonna send it now.”

They were all gathered in the living room: Twilight, Spike, and their five closest friends.  Time Turner stood at the periphery, fiddling with his circadian hourglass.  He looked over at Spike and nodded.

The dragon took a deep breath and exhaled a long spout of green fire.  The letter in his hand dissolved into a cascade of sparks.

Everypony held their breath as they looked at Twilight.

She gave them all a smile.  “It’ll work, guys.  Trust me.”

Time Turner bent low as he examined his hourglass.  “Hmm.  No reaction yet.”

“I guess the Princess is just busy,” Applejack suggested and shrugged.  “Don’t mean it won’t work, though.”

Rainbow Dash stamped her hooves impatiently.  “I can’t stand this!  Twilight, do you have a Daring Do novel handy?  I gotta do something besides wait!”

Twilight smirked.  “You’re gonna read a whole book while we wait?”

“I’ve already read all of them!  I’ll speed-read this one!  Five minutes flat!”

Before she could respond, Spike felt a rumble in his stomach.  A green fireball worked its way out of his throat and a new scroll appeared in the air.

Pinkie Pie bounced around him anxiously.  “C’mon!  What’s it say?  What’s it say?”

Spike unrolled the letter and held it over to Twilight.  She grabbed it in her hooves and read.

The room was silent except for a soft hiss in the background.

That was the sound of the sand flow changing inside the circadian hourglass, returning to its normal speed.





Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I am pleased with your decision to sponsor a public works project in Ponyville.  As Princess, it shows that you are ready to be responsible for your fellow citizens and consider their interests.

While a free-range zoo is not unheard of in Equestria, there has never been a combination zoo-and-library before.  I look forward to seeing how you and Fluttershy will bring this project forward, and I am pleased that you wish to enlist the help of our new griffin friends in its construction.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

P.S.  I hope that you have fully recovered from your age spell and that you’ll consult with me first before attempting one again.





“Really, Twilight?”  Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs.  “Does Ponyville need another library?”

“It’s more than just a library.”  Twilight looked around at her friends.  “I got to thinking about our weekly Pony Pet Playdates.  We all have a cuddly friend we like to spend time with and I wanted to share that love with all of Ponyville.  And imagine if we could get exotic animals to show up at the zoo!  Then we could lend a book about them to anypony who wanted one!”

“Er, it sounds… lovely!” Rarity answered.  She glanced nervously at Applejack, then muttered, “Though somepony would have preferred a school for modeling…”

“You do realize,” Applejack commented, “that a whole bunch of griffins in town means we both get a lotta new customers?”

Rarity’s jaw dropped.  “I… oh, my.  Oh, Twilight, this is the best idea you’ve ever had!”

Twilight clapped her hooves together with glee.  “I knew you guys would like it.  Especially you, Flutter—”  She paused and looked around.  “Fluttershy?  Where’d you go—?”

She was suddenly tackled from the side as Fluttershy swooped down and threw her forelegs around Twilight.  They executed an awkward barrel roll and landed hard on the couch.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy cheered.  “This is going to be wonderful!”

“Hnngh, you’re…”  Twilight gasped for air in her friend’s grip.  “You’re welcome, dear…!”

The joy in the room died when somepony knocked hard on the front door.  Spike went out to answer it, leaving the others in the room to shuffle around and exchanged worried looks.

When Spike came back in, three griffins were following him.  The first Twilight recognized as Prince Gregory, still wearing his royal attire.  Behind him was his old retainer Geoffrey.  The last to enter was a fairly large griffin, the biggest Twilight had ever seen.  He seemed as tall as Princess Celestia and broad-chested like a stallion.  But instead of fine clothing, this griffin wore a dark gray breastplate and a red-plumed helm.

“Your Highness,” Geoffrey announced in a low, subservient tone, “m-may I present His Royal Highness Prince Gregory a-and His Majesty King Gareth Basileus of Chimaera.”

Twilight quickly waved at her friends to line up behind her.  Then she led them in a courtly bow.  “Your Graces, we’re honored by your visit—”

“Egads, look at them!”  Gareth bellowed.  He leaned onto his son’s shoulder.  “They’re like walking pieces of candy!  Hard to believe Celestia came outta their stock!”

“Father, please.”  Gregory turned and smiled at Twilight.  “Forgive me, Princess.  We’ve just been informed about the new arrangements between your people and mine.  The Ponyville Menagerie is quite a remarkable concept.”  He demurely tapped his breast with a talon.  “I’d be happy to donate a griffin-born beehive once it’s finished.”

Twilight grinned.  “That would be wonderful, Your Grace.”

“‘That would be wonderful!’” Gareth replied mockingly.  “What do you ponies know about hard work, eh?  What do you know about labor?  About sacrifice?”  He jabbed a talon at his breastplate.  “I’ve led my people through more winters than all the books in your library!  I’d never let any proud griffin soil himself with the likes of you soft-hearts!”

“Excuse me, Your Worshipfulness!”  Before Twilight could stop her, Rainbow Dash had flown up into the griffin king’s face.  “We’re a lot tougher than we look!  How many dragons and changelings have you faced lately?”

Gareth stared at her.  Then he laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders.  “Now that’s the spirit!  I like this one just fine!”

Rainbow Dash looked back at her friends, pleading with her eyes.  “Okay…”

“Your Grace,” said Twilight, “we are just as strong as the griffins, I assure you.  By getting ponies and griffins to build this menagerie together, we’ll strengthen the ties between our countries for the better.”

When Gareth didn’t answer, Gregory puffed out his chest.  “Father, need I remind you that these ponies you see here are the same heroes who vanquished Discord and Queen Chrysalis?  Their valor is accounted for, and so is the strength of their fellow ponies.”

“Hah!  There’s not a pony alive that can match the speed and strength of a true griffin!”

Gregory smiled.  “Prove it, then.  Put griffins side-by-side with ponies.  If they’re as weak as you say, then surely all of Ponyville will bow down in awe of our clan’s might.”

“Are you doubting your own flock, my boy?”

“Only its resolve.  What’s one summer building a menagerie compared to the entire nation of Equestria paying homage to our race?”  Gregory spread his wings and reared up.  “For Chimaera!”

“For Chimaera!” Gareth echoed, mirroring the gesture.  He smiled.  “Aye, that’ll do it.  But don’t go thinking your fancy words will get you out of every stitch of trouble.”

“I’m sure they won’t, Father.”  Gregory cocked his head and covertly winked at Twilight.

Gareth looked Twilight over with a critical eye.  Then he reached up and removed his helm.  “And I suppose you’ll need us to do all the heavy lifting, Your Highness?”

Twilight decided to take a cue from Gregory.  She looked over at her hoof with a bored expression.  “Well, only if your griffins are up for the job of flying with pegasi…”

“That they will!” Gareth declared and held out his claw.  Twilight shook it and smiled back.

This was going to be an interesting summer.





Six Months Later

“Fillies and colts, I declare the Ponyville Menagerie open!”

Ponies stamped their hooves and griffins screeched as the ribbon over the entrance was cut.  Twilight quickly flew to the side as the crowd surged forward.

It really was quite a sight.  Beneath the dome was an elaborate network of pastures, artificial ponds, and towering trees.  Birds and bees, bears and manticores, sea serpents and hippos—all living together under the same roof.  And courtesy of Twilight’s library, there were pamphlets and books arranged on shelves outside each collection, all cross-indexed according to genus and phylum.

Twilight flew around the menagerie on her own, savoring everything.  She felt very proud whenever she saw a young filly pick up a pamphlet and start reading.

A whisper of flapping wings caught her attention.  Twilight looked up and smiled when she saw Fluttershy approaching with a hoof-full of acorns.

“Almost all the animals are fed,” the pegasus announced.  “I just have to give the squirrels their lunch.”  She gave a tiny squeal of delight.  “Oh, I can’t believe this is finally happening!  It’s like a dream come true, Twilight!”

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without you.”  Twilight looked out at the excited ponies and griffins below.  “And I don’t suppose it would have ever happened if I hadn’t tried an age spell on myself.  But I remembered what I liked as a filly and that’s really why I wanted to build this place as Princess.”  She put her hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder.  “For ponies like me and you.”

Fluttershy nodded.  “Well, I should go.”

“Wait.  Will you come over to the library for dinner tonight?”

“Are you sure?”  Fluttershy looked around, terrified of who might be watching.  “I-I thought you’d be busy.”

“I’ve been busy for six months straight.”  Twilight leaned into her and sighed.  “Now I just want one night with my special somepony.”

Fluttershy blushed.  “I’ll be there.”

Twilight gave her a quick peck on the cheek.  “See you then.”

As her beloved flew off, Twilight soared down toward the giraffe exhibit, where a pair of the creatures were munching on leaves.  She landed beside a group of wide-eyed fillies, who looked up at her in awe.

“Hi, guys!  Did you know that giraffes can grow up to twenty feet tall?”  Twilight waved her hoof at the majestic creatures.  “I remember when I was your age when I first learned about them.  Although it seems like only a few weeks that I was your age, but that’s a story for another time…”