Rainbow Dash was flying around when she noticed the odd little orange filly who kept calling her a sister had got herself off to the skate park, where Scootaloo was flipping around and well, scooting like she was really enjoying it. Dash probably shouldn’t fly down there and check on the filly since she wasn’t really her sister, but nopony else ever seemed to do it, and Scootaloo’s parents sure weren’t around, and one thing Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to do is leave somepony hanging like that. So once again she ended up suckered into being this kid’s role model and practically running her life.
She lazily drifted around in a circle watching the filly enjoy herself. Weren’t any other ponies at the skate park this time of day. Probably why Scoots picked that time to go there, less ponies to get in the way that way. Dash thought about just going down to say hi to Scootaloo, but darn that filly, she’d probably stop her routine just for the sake of getting a little passing approval.
Dash was almost glad when the filly’s hormonal urges made her chase after that well built pegasus colt and, gave Dash some slack. Almost. Can’t really be glad about fillies in estrus. Dash’s own burning need had been well and truly sated. Yesterday it was Star Hunter, a local pegasus for once, though he worked in Vanhoover. Taking time off for the Season this year, he’d been quite popular among the mares with his exotic coloring and good endurance, and general approachable demeanor. All Dash really cared about was somepony who knew how to do it mid-flight, but he did talk a lot about some interesting constellations. Apparantly Gemini was on the move now for some reason.
But Dash wasn’t a filly anymore. Fillies were young and uncertain and they didn’t have a lot of options, or freedom really. While Dash’s own loins purred at her pleasantly from this morning’s plowing, the average filly was going to be sitting on ice this time of year. They’re at that strange stage where they’re not ready for sex yet, but they still get the cramps and the weird urges. Dash didn’t really understand it but, and don’t let anyone know this but, she might not have been the brightest pegasus in the flock. Supposedly it helped motivate fillies to make better friendships that would last through adulthood, but it was definitely a pain in the baby maker.
Dash fluttered down at a distance, and stood on a nearby hill, just watching the filly for now. Scootaloo sure seemed to be in a good mood for being in estrus. Reminded Dash of the year before last, before the onset of puberty started to take its toll. Scootaloo was really small even for a pegasus, but she was still a long way from growing into her full height. Probably always be a bit of a runt compared to other ponies. Then again, Dash had been a late bloomer herself and‒ actually yeah, Rainbow Dash was a bit smaller than most other ponies. But that’s what made her the fastest! Couldn’t complain about that. She wondered how Scootaloo would make use of a smaller build. Dash couldn’t think of any advantage that didn’t involve flying, but even Dash would admit she sort of had flying on the brain. No bird brain jokes. She knew Scootaloo would figure it out, though.
Whether Scootaloo could figure out how to manage her estrus, well maybe Rainbow Dash could give her a little one on one coaching for that. Cook up some Moon Tea, have a real girl chat, be a shoulder for her for Scootaloo to take out her no doubt irritable and absolutely terrible mood.
Scootaloo saw her eventually, and sure enough she left her routine and came zooming up with an enthusiastic, “Hey Rainbow Dash! I mean, hey sis!”
”Hey kid,” Dash said, smiling down at her. “How’ve you been lately?”
”Great!” Scootaloo piped up, “I think my latest trick flip could make the junior Games. Got to get it so I can drift from that into the grind though, but it’s been going really well today. I might even get my cutie mark out of it!”
Rainbow Dash’s smile faltered a bit but she continued confidently saying “So uh, how has your estrus been treating you?”
”What, that old thing? pff” Scootaloo snorted derisively, “I don’t have any problem with that.”
Dash blinked, “Uhh, really?”
”Yeah I can totally handle it,” Scootaloo asserted, kicking the air with her hooves. “I won’t let it get me down! Just like you, Rainbow Dash!” Then she leaned forward and hugged Rainbow Dash tenderly around the chest saying, “You’re the best sister ever.” Then she trotted bouncily to her scooter, and buzzed off humming pleasantly to herself.
Dash touched her chest, then stared after Scootaloo for a second, before reacting with a quiet “Huh.”
”Darn it Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom grumbled, scrubbing at a stubborn spot on the floor. She had a bucket of soapy water next to her and a scrub brush around her hoof. It didn’t quite fit from the last time she put it on, of course because colts are going to be bigger than fillies. Apple Bloom didn’t think she was changing any more, and she still thought of herself as a filly despite... resoundedly proving that wrong earlier, but you don’t magically grow a few inches bigger overnight and not have a few adjustments to make. She was just glad her bow was the only article of clothing she wore, nothing that could end up tight or constricting.
The yellow sort-of-filly was busy trying to clean up the mess they’d made all over the clubhouse floor. Though it still made her heart flutter at the thought of what activity produced these fluids, it sure wasn’t much fun to clean up. It was all protein based which means when it dried it got sticky, and nothing could get it up besides good old elbow grease. The boy stuff Apple Bloom had produced was even thicker than girl stuff and had less water content in it, so it was mostly her mess. She couldn’t berate Scootaloo too much for not staying around to clean up, but what Scoots didn’t have in quality she made up for in quantity. Good gravy, did she get it on the ceiling?
Apple Bloom got on a chair and swiped off the ceiling just in case, but it thankfully turned out the pegasus couldn’t squirt quite that far. Still once Bloom had got up there she thought she saw a stain below that she could see from the new angle. Climbing down and keeping an eye on it, she leaned closer, trying to see if it was just the color of the floor or if there was anything left to scrub out. As such was her position, facing away from the clubhouse door, the resulting barrage of questions went straight to directly addressing her butt.
”Apple Bloom!” Applejack’s voice announced. Apple Bloom froze. She hadn’t even heard her come up the ramp. Applejack was probably so mad she jumped up here all at once.
”Why weren’t you at school? Cheerilee said you were sick? Were you playin hookey? Why does it smell like a colt in here? You been seeing a colt? What’d he do to you? Where is he? I’ll what the buck is between your legs?!”
Apple Bloom didn’t really have words for this kind of situation.
As it turns out Applejack had more than enough words for the situation. At the sight of Apple Bloom’s gently dangling testicles Applejack had backed up so hurriedly that she went right back over the railing falling painfully to the ground with strong enough curses to kill a sailor on the spot.
”Horsenickety naggone no-good conflated asstrundling..” she stopped her quiet tirade and holding her pained head when Apple Bloom poked her head over the railing saying
”I’m sorry, sis!”
“Apple Bloom! What happened to you?!” Applejack called up to her from below.
“Ah can explain!”
“Drop down the ramp!”
“Can’t you just jump up again?”
“Can’t I‒ I ain’t climbing up there again! Drop down the ramp!”
Glumly, Apple Bloom rotated the crank letting the treehouse ramp come to the ground. She tried to go back inside but Applejack was just charging up that ramp. Apple Bloom ended up backed to the wall inside the clubhouse while Applejack faced her down looking, not angry? Nothing was on Applejack’s face but a mask of fear and confusion.
After a moment of stunned silence, Applejack broke the stare first, holding her hat and looking aside saying, “Are you gonna explain to me how in hobgoblin’s bunions you’re suddenly a boy?”
Apple Bloom took a deep breath then explained, “Diamond Tiara said I could get out of my estrus using my hoof but when I did it just got worse because she knew all along and I was taking a soak to cool off my nethers when Discord told me he could fix my problem but he wasn’t really tellin the truth though I thought he was because he was with Fluttershy and then he said he was going to get me a coltfriend but he said it in a weird way and ah didn’t notice and I fell for it then I woke up my estrus was gone and I didn’t notice until I got to school that Discord turned me into a boy!”
Applejack gave Apple Bloom a bewildered look and said, “You wanna try saying that in more than one sentence?”
“Discord turned me into a boy!” Apple Bloom repeated, “An it’s all his fault!”
“What??” Applejack exclaimed. “You mean Discord has been sneaking around behind our backs and attacking little fillies who can’t even fight back?”
“Well, not quite, it‒”
“He went and changed you into into this against your will! He’s a monster!”
“No he really‒”
“Who knows who he’ll strike next! Sweetie Belle? Archer? Pinchy? He might turn them into gryphons! Or, or pigs!”
“Ah don’t think that’s quite‒”
“Don’t you worry little sis,” Applejack said frantically tousling her hair like she hated. “We’ll get you back to the way you want to be. He won’t get away with this! We’re gonna turn him right back to stone for a thousand years!”
“What?? But he just‒”
“I’m so sorry,” Applejack told her with the sincerest look into Apple Bloom’s eyes, “We never should have trusted him. To catch you by surprise like that, and take away your maidenhood without even asking. No no don’t try to defend him there’s no excuse for that kind of‒”
“I asked for it!!”
Applejack paused, and stuck a hoof in her ear to make sure it didn’t have a cork in it, then said, “Want to run that by me again?”
One slower explanation later Applejack was a lot calmer. A bit too calm in fact.
“Heh heh, last thing on your mind huh?”
“It ain’t funny, sis!”
Applejack crossed a hoof and said “Ah know but, you have to admit he’s right, right?”
Apple Bloom had to think about the answer to that one. Truth be told Apple Bloom had been thinking of just about nothing but estrus for the last half day. It just wasn’t her estrus she was thinking about. There was no way in Tartarus she was going to break her promise to Scootaloo, but Apple Bloom knew her big sister well. You don’t lie to Applejack without... consequences.
“...right?” Applejack prompted again.
“Oh, right right!” Apple Bloom answered, “He was totally right. My estrus ain’t botherin me at all. It was like a ...breath of fresh air this morning. It’s so much easier just to think even. But ah didn’t ever think he meant me.”
“Look Apple Bloom, this is a mighty... mighty weird fix you got yourself in, but I know one mare who can set it right.”
“Yeah, who?”
“You know my friend Twilight?”
“Um... the librarian?”
“She’s a lot more than a librarian she knows all sorts of crazy hocus pocus. And who’s to say there isn’t a solution in one of those fancy books of hers?”
“Applejack, remember the last time the librarian tried to help me?”
Sacre bleu! Plus de marques de cutie?! Qu'est-ce c'est?! Je parle français?!
My sister’s speakin’ in Fancy!
We gotta find somepony to mix up a cure, and fast!
Tut suite!
“As I recall that one was your fault after all.”
Apple Bloom dragged a hoof on the floor of the clubhouse admitting, “Yeah... but‒”
“No buts missy‒ I mean sonny‒ Ah mean”
“Ahm still a filly,” Apple Bloom insisted sullenly.
“We’re gonna get you to Twilight,” Applejack insisted, headbutting Apple Bloom out the door, “And she’s gonna know just what to do to fix this.”
“I have absolutely positively no idea how to fix this.”
“Twilight, please!”
They had got to the library without incident, and by incident Apple Bloom meant Diamond Tiara seeing her like this, and sure enough that purple librarian was all too happy to help, and just as useless as she was the last time. Or the time before that when her sister got all teenyified. Oh, where’s Zecora when you need her?
Applejack stood in the library’s central public area right by that horse head thing, looking up at Twilight who was halfway up the stairs in the middle of shelving some books that had been checked back in.
“I told you, Applejack,” Twilight said patiently. “Gender spells are high level magic. The only one I know of takes at least three unicorns at peak thaumatic output, and even if I could find two other unicorns on short notice who were just as practiced as myself, this is chaos magic we’re talking about! It interacts badly with other spellwork. She could end up with both genders, or no gender at all!”
“Ah’ll take that last one,” Apple Bloom grumbled quietly.
Applejack looked skeptically at Twilight’s wings. The library had expanded a lot recently and there were more books in those additions to the building than even the main library. “You sure there ain’t an answer in one of these new books of yours?”
Twilight fluttered down on her light fluttery hooves descending from above down the wooden staircase along the wall. Her alicorn was just a bit longer than that of other unicorns, both a sign that she didn’t have it filed on a regular basis and a subtle if cosmetic way to show her power levels.
“Books are not the answer to everything,” Twilight said grinding her teeth as if she had a very difficult time forming that sentence. “It’s just a matter of power and control. There’s only one way to safely undo Discord’s magic.”
“The Elements of Harmony!” Applejack exclaimed. “Of course!”
“Two ways,” Twilight facehooved. “There’s only two ways to safely undo Discord’s magic. But the elements are even less predictable than Discord himself! There is no way to predict what effect they might have. Believe it or not Applejack, Discord really has reformed. I won’t trust him any further than I can telekinese but if anything he’s gotten even more infuriating toeing the line of chaos and harmony like a madpony. Does Apple Bloom look chaotic to you?”
“Well no, but‒”
“Unharmonious? Discordant? Anything the elements would even care about, like a threat to all of Equestria?”
“Ah get it Twilight,” Applejack said irritably. They both were pretty irritable for some reason. Apple Bloom was a little scared by their uncharacteristic reaction. Maybe they were Discorded? Maybe‒oh yeah, estrus.
The two mares fumed at each other as they faced off, one married to her work and the other simply too socially awkward to have any kind of reliable relationship. Both in a terrible mood.
“How about I make us some tea?!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, interrupting their little staring match. Causing both of them to look at her. Oops.
“What!” they shouted at her together, then stopped and looked at each other, and blushed.
“Ah, Ahm sorry Twilight. It’s the season you know.”
“Tea would be nice, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said raggedly, “I assume you know what kind. Spike!”
“I didn’t do it! I’m innocent!” drifted a voice from the second story. “Don’t come up, I’m armed!”
Twilight laughed nervously at the others and shrugged, “Typical colt,” she drawled. “You know how it is, uh, no offense Apple Bloom.”
“Just tell me where the tea is,” Apple Bloom said not really liking where this conversation was going.
One tea time later, and that actually took a long time because you don’t want to sip at hot Moon tea you had to cool it so you could slug it down without having to taste it. But one tea time later and Apple Bloom was once again getting Twilight’s attention. For what that’s worth.
“It’s fascinating really,” Twilight said the tape measure snapping up into its case as she noted down the measurements. “You not only have the anatomy of a colt but the build of one, well developed too.” She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Apple Bloom’s elbow and started squeezing it shut. “Normally you would have the same build and have to grow into your new gender the old fashioned way so to speak.”
“I dunno Twilight I‒ow!” Twilight took the blood sample to her machine and eyeballed critically at the rainbow emanating from the spectrometry. “Either Discord is more creative than I imagined or he may have had a source for your new physiology. Stand on this scale please.”
Apple Bloom stood on the scale saying, “You mean I have some other colt’s body?”
“Not at all!” Twilight corrected, making note of Apple Bloom’s weight and average density. “It’s just much simpler to alter someone’s form if an existing physiological template exists.”
“Physio-what?”
“Are there any colts in your class with your approximate height and nose bridge width?”
“Can we get back on topic here?” Applejack said. “Your calculatin measurements are going to have to wait for another time when it isn’t my sister and the varmint who did it isn’t getting off scot free.”
“But how are we gonna find Discord?” Apple Bloom protested, pulling off the giant helmet with all the flashing light bulbs on it. Twilight’s ears went flat as the encephalogram cut off but she didn’t push the issue.
“You’re right Applejack,” Twilight said, then to Apple Bloom, “Well, my recommendation would be asking Fluttershy. She is Discord’s closest friend for some reason and she usually has him on a pretty short leash.”
“I talked to her already,” Apple Bloom sighed, “She said he went off to Canterlot and wouldn’t be back for days.”
“Wait a minute, you talked to Fluttershy?” Applejack said raising an eyebrow, “I thought you ran straight to the clubhouse and hid out all day.”
“I kinda ran into her on the way there,” Apple Bloom clarified, “Her house is pretty close to the east orchard after all.”
“Why didn’t you stay with her and go to Twilight?” Applejack asked. “For that matter why didn’t Fluttershy come tell us right away?”
“I couldn’t stay with her because I‒” oh horse apples. Apple Bloom clammed up as fast as she could but it was too late.
“Because you what?” Applejack asked. The filly’s mind spun trying to find a way to frame this in a positive light. Nothing was coming up.
“B-b-because I, you know, it’s part of the whole bein a colt thing,” Apple Bloom confessed miserably. “I mean she’s real pretty f-for a mare and my thing was ah- I started gettin you know excited and”
“Moving on then!” Twilight declared loudly, as Applejack didn’t seem to be able to find words at the moment. “We have a problem, Discord is the problem. We have to find Discord to fix the problem. You might be asking how we will be finding this treacherous being?”
“How will you find this treacherous being?” Apple Bloom gasped as Twilight exposited proudly.
“I might have just the thing,” she said with a wry wink. “C’mon Applejack, let’s gather the rest of the girls!”
“So wait, you are usin the Elements of Harmony?”
Twilight just smiled cryptically saying, “When we do use them, you’ll probably get a good idea why we shouldn’t use them on you.”
Rainbow Dash was easy to spot, though harder to track down. Pinkie Pie was the first pony they picked up. She was easy to find locate and approach, and honestly kind of hard to get rid of.
“Ooh does this mean you get a new birthday party or maybe a new body party or I wonder if there’s a cutecinera for boys did you get your cutie mark no that would be silly what would a being a boy cutie mark even look like? Do you still like sweets? I bet you don’t like that mean old Moon tea but who does? or maybe it tastes really good to colts does it huh? Do you have the same favorite color do you still like apples, oh tell me you still like apples! once I was”
Apple Bloom wasn’t a particularly old filly, but she was old enough to know not to try to keep up with a conversation from Pinkie Pie. The pink pony didn’t seem to mind her conversation being one sided, but boy was she annoying to tune out. So with Pinkie Pie’s spooky intuition they managed to track down Rainbow Dash’s latest napping spot, and while Dash went to get Fluttershy the rest of them went to Carousel Boutique.
Pinkie’s incessant badgering was annoying to Apple Bloom, but it was downright infuriating to Twilight, who eventually just snapped and started yelling at her to shut up. Of course Pinkie took that as a challenge and started making up silly ways to respond to “Shut up!” Applejack finally just stuffed her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth and that ended that. But Twilight was still P.O.’d about it. Even if she didn’t admit it, now she was making venemous jabs at Pinkie Pie, generally implying things about her mother. Which was downright cold because everypony knew what happened to Pinkie Pie’s mother. Twilight did know that, right?
That led to Applejack laying into Twilight, and they were bickering at top volume when they walked up to the boutique. Enough so that Rarity shoved the door open looking rather dissheveled saying “Is there something I can help you with?” in a tone implying there was nothing she would help anyone with who walked into her shop with that attitude.
That stopped Applejack and Twilight long enough for Twilight to smile at Rarity and say, “I’m sorry to bother you, but we really need the Elements of Harmony. Discord is up to no good and we need to summon him right away.”
Rarity seemed hesitant at that, saying “As in, right away right away, or some time this afternoon right away?”
Twilight pointed at Apple Bloom who was trying to be invisible out there on the thankfully unbusy streets. “Apple Bloom has been transformed into a stallion by Discord and he’s nowhere to be found.”
Rarity stuck her head out the door taking an uncomfortably long look at Apple Bloom, before turning to Twilight and saying “Sorry, I’m rather busy with a client at the moment. Are you sure this can’t‒”
“Who’s at the door?” came a stallion’s voice from inside the boutique. Rarity’s face immediately turned beet red, an impressive feat for a pearl white unicorn, and she slammed the door in their faces, shouting through it “I’ll be out in a moment! Do not go anywhere!” Then she could be heard running into the back room saying intelligible words but in a very chastising sounding tone.
“Well that wasn’t very friendly,” Twilight grumbled.
“Oh like you’re one to talk,” Applejack shot at her. Shots fired, their argument resumed immediately.
Apple Bloom was trying to merge her bright red and yellow coat with the pink and lavender colors of Carousel Boutique’s walls when alas and alack, she was at last spotted by one of the fillies from school.
“Apple Bloom is that‒you?” came a familiar voice behind Apple Bloom. Bloom started and spun around goggle eyed. It was only Sweetie Belle though, not Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom relaxed with a sigh, “Oh, Sweetie Belle.” Then she realized it was Sweetie Belle and she started to get nervous again.
“Is it really true?” Sweetie said, peering fearfully at Apple Bloom, “You’re really a... a colt now?”
“Ahm a filly, and ah always will be,” Apple Bloom stated as if it were the show bible truth. “But uh... Discord kinda... yeah he made me a... a colt.”
“Oh...” Sweetie Belle said, trailing off into silence. Well, as silent as a bunch of arguing grownups off a ways could be. Couldn’t Pinkie Pie stop arguing at both sides already?
“So...” Apple Bloom prompted, kicking a hoof against the dirt. “What’s up?”
“...” said Sweetie Belle eloquently. She wasn’t doing as convincing a beet impression as Rarity, but it wasn’t far off.
“Aw come on Sweetie Belle, relax!” Apple Bloom said, nudging her shoulder. Sweetie just squeaked and jumped away a little. Apple Bloom backed up worriedly saying “Y-you’re actin like I’m some sort of stranger!”
“But you’re a...” Sweetie Belle said, unable to finish her sentence.
“Ahm still me,” Apple Bloom insisted. She was pretty darn sure of it too. Heck Apple Bloom felt more like herself than she had since this stupid estrus thing had started. Sweetie didn’t seem convinced though.
“You mean we’re still...friends?” the little unicorn offered hopefully.
“Sweetie, we’ll always be friends,” Apple Bloom said to her in a level tone, “We made a pact!” She noticing how much lower that tone was with her voice sort of more like a colt’s now. “Is it mah voice? I can’t help it it’s just part of the deal.”
“Well...” Sweetie looked Apple Bloom up and down askance, “O.K...” she said at last.
Apple Bloom stood there looking at Sweetie, not knowing what to say. The exhuberant friend of hers was acting veritably fluttershish. But really, what was Sweetie afraid of? It wasn’t like Apple Bloom could do anything... bad to her. Though she could do something very good to Sweetie Belle, but Sweetie Belle wouldn’t know that.
“So you really really do have a p... a thing?” Sweetie Belle said suddenly. “A... a boy thing?”
“It’s called a penis, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said grumpily, and she kind of had to admit it now that she said that, “And... y-yeah yeah I got a boy thing. Three boy things really.”
“Boys have three peni‒!” Sweetie’s voice died in a shocked squeak. Apple Bloom laughed and shook her head, “No I mean the dangly things that boys have. There’s the penis and then there’s two balls in a kind of sack that sorta hang there.” She started to drool at the thought of the good long look she got at Rumble’s three things. Even Featherweights were kind of... well... nah, still creepy.
Sweetie Belle was blushing again and all quiet like and stuff. “C’mon Sweetie, I was just jokin with you,” Apple Bloom pleaded, to no response. “I was talking about when ah saw Rumble’s junk... when I was still a... before all this happened.”
“So, you’re still Apple Bloom just,” Sweetie paused, struggling with her wording, “Just with boy parts.”
“That’s right,” Apple Bloom said, nuzzling her shoulder again. Sweetie didn’t cringe away this time, thank Celestia. Apple Bloom wouldn’t know what to do if her friend just turned cold on her overnight.
“Apple Bloom,” Sweetie said a little more loudly, a curious intensity burning in her eyes, “I really really really”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity shouted galloping up to them. “What are you doing?!”
“We’re... talking?” said Apple Bloom.
“Enough from you,” Rarity huffed at Apple Bloom, then grabbed Sweetie by the ear with her magic. “Come along Sweetie Belle, we need to get you somewhere with less trouble,” emphasis on that last word.
“Ow, hey, Rarity!” Sweetie protested, digging her hooves in.
“Rarity, Apple Bloom, come on,” Twilight said approaching them, “Rainbow Dash wants to meet us on the south green to perform the summoning.”
“What are they‒?” Sweetie asked looking at Apple Bloom confusedly.
“Discord did this, and he’s gonna undid this too,” Apple Bloom answered matter-of-factly. “I’ll be a filly again before you can shake your tail.”
“Do you have to?” Sweetie whined.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity shouted again before Apple Bloom could process what she just said. This time Rarity managed to lift the young unicorn in the air entirely, leaving Sweetie to swing her hooves helplessly. “That is exactly what is going to happen,” Rarity said, “And you’re going to your room!”
“What?!” Sweetie protested, swinging helplessly, “But I want to go with Ap‒ I want to go with you!”
“No arguing, sister,” Rarity sniffed, “This is for your own good. You may play with Apple Bloom all you like once she is a filly again. You know the rules. Colts are strictly off limits!”
“Rarity, no!” Sweetie protested, her horn sparking green as she fought with her sister’s magic.
“Twilight,” Rarity snapped, “A little help here?”
Sweetie had a full out tantrum when she saw Twilight’s magic wrap around her. Twilight smiled apologetically, but said “Rarity’s right. You should stay inside until we get this cleared up.”
“I hate you! I hate‒” was the last thing Apple Bloom heard before the door closed on them and Sweetie’s protests drifted further inside. She wanted to... she wanted to run after Sweetie Belle, and stop them from hurting her, whatever they were doing. Putting her on timeout like a baby. But she was kinda actin like a baby. Why was Sweetie so upset though? She just threw a fit the moment she got pulled away from Apple Bloom. Sure her sister’s being all snooty, but that never made Sweetie Belle flip her lid before, not even that one time when things got real bad.
That was one reason Apple Bloom didn’t run after Sweetie Belle, because she’d never seen her that angry before. It came right out of the blue. All blushing and quiet, then just... losing it. And... that scared her.
Apple Bloom couldn’t wait to get back to estrus if this is what Discord’s magic did to her friends.
Soon they were all on the southern green, and after passing out the element talismans Twilight joined them in a circle, her regalia firmly upon her head. Apple Bloom watched open mouthed as a brilliant light began to shine from each talisman, and the six began to rise up into the air, pegasus unicorn and earth pony alike. The power in the air was so strong you could taste it. The ground was rumbling and a brilliant rainbow was lazily traveling from talisman to talisman, connecting each in a irregular hoop. Then it was all released in a torrentuous crash, a tornado of rainbow light that spun faster than the eye could see. Within it was manifesting...
...
A bathtub?
The light died as the six returned to earth, leaving Apple Bloom full of a bubbly pleasant electric feeling, like she could take on the world. But uh... what was up with the bathtub?
“Twilight,” Applejack said in a warning tone.
“That’s just his bathtub!” Rainbow Dash declared. “Wasn’t your spell supposed to summon Discord?”
“Rainbow has a point, darling,” Rarity observed.
“Um, he was in his bathtub last time,” Fluttershy mentioned, but nopony noticed.
Twilight walked up to the bathtub, then squinted at it. Then she walked around the bathtub and squinted at it again.
“I don’t know how he did it,” she hissed disgustedly, “But he managed to shift the summoning from himself to his bathtub.”
“So you mean,” Applejack piped up, “All that power and all we can do now is summon...”
“...his bathtub, yes,” Twilight said. That was Pinkie’s cue to fall over laughing.
“Pinkie...” Twilight said testily, giving the tub a vicious kick. Instead of putting a hole in it though, it appeared to be made out of solid rubber, not ceramic. Pinkie didn’t even slightly stop laughing.
“Pinkie!” she snapped a little louder, and it was clear that Pinkie was trying to stop, but all she could gasp out was,
“Can’t... bathtub... summon...” in between belly laughs and snorts.
When Pinkie had calmed down enough to stop laughing, Twilight added in a rather disgruntled tone, “You know for the element of Laughter you sure aren’t making anypony laugh.”
“You’re right Twilight,” Pinkie said sidling up to her slyly, “I’m not making anypony laugh... yet.”
Then she collapsed laughing again.
“Pinkie being Pinkie,” Rainbow admonished, pointing at Twilight before she could retort.
“It’s all in the set-up!” Pinkie screamed in between laughs.
Twilight rolled her eyes in acquiescence and sighed, “Well this was one collosal waste of time.”
“Is there any other way you could summon him?” Apple Bloom pleaded. “I can’t go to school like this I just can’t!”
“We’ll work something out, Apple Bloom,” her sister said reassuringly. Applejack seemed just extra trustworthy right about now, and Apple Bloom just knew she could trust her with anything and smiled at the reassuring calm that swept over her.
“Thanks, sis.”
“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy piped up quietly.
“Yes Fluttershy, what is it?” Twilight asked her pleasantly. “Any ideas?”
“Discord said um, that he was going to Canterlot, on an important mission for the princesses.”
A tick, and then Twilight announced, “A letter! That’s brilliant!”
“Oh um, thank you” Fluttershy said, drowned out by Twilight announcing,
“I’ll just send a letter to the princesses. If he’s not with them then they’ll know where he is for sure.”
Twilight called out loudly, “Spike, take a letter!”
Then she looked around and blushed, laughing nervously, “Eh heh heh, he must still be holed up in the library.” She looked down in shame and admitted, “I may have been a little testy when I woke up this morning.”