Zoe's staying over the weekend. She said she was trying to get better at magic, and asked if she could use Loki and me as guinea pigs to test it out.
Of course, I said YES!

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

"Hey, where's that Coral kid?" Zoe asks as we walk from my room to Loki's cell.

"It's a weekday," I shrug, "She's at school."

"Really?" She looks at me, somewhat shocked, "I didn't know she was old enough."

"She's just... physically stunted," I make the excuse, "But she's got a shit ton of energy. Kid wants to be just like me."

"Must have a sad life back home," Zoe says in pity. I elbow her, pulling a scrunchy face. "What? What'd I say?"

I roll my eyes and open the doors to Loki's room.

I jump into the air, flapping my wings and flying upside down towards his cell. "Heyooooo," I cheer, showing off my new trick.

"Hello," Loki chuckles, lifting his head up from his book. He's laying down with his legs tucked under himself, so he looks like a boat, "Haven't seen you two in a while."

"It was only a couple days, Loki," I try to reason, doing a backstroke in mid air, but it only makes me look worse. I fly into an upright position, clearing my throat, "Um, Zoe wants to try some magic testing on us."

"It's just a little spell," she nods, "Intended on changing our outfits."

"Hate to break it to you, Zoe, but," I press a few buttons on the control box, opening the glass doors, "We don't normally wear clothes."

"I was wondering when someone would say that," Loki comments, eyes fixed on me. Well, not my face. I don't even know where he's looking....wait... is he staring at my chest? Why would he be looking there?

"So," Zoe says, a smirk at the corners of her mouth, "Loki, ya game?"

"Absolutely not," he shakes his head, stretching his front legs out like a cat, "You don't want to tango with magic. Only use it when necessary."

"But this is necessary!" Zoe cries.

Loki stands up and lifts a brow, not amused. "Really? Taking away the mere effort of putting on one's outfit is completely necessary?"

"Uh, yeah!" She defends.

"Oh, for heaven's sake-"

"Why are you so wary about this, anyway?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Magic should be practiced in a safe, controlled area with inanimate, or, at least, willing subjects," Loki explains to me, "It should be done safely."

"You just wanna suck the joy of of everything," Zoe mumbles through her teeth, before pulling the biggest puppy dog face ever. She puts her hooves together in a prayerful beg, "Loki, pleeeeease? Please please, pleeeeeease?"

"No," he says blankly.

She rushes to his hooves, "Pretty please?"

"The physical appearance of the please does not change anything," he mutters, pushing her away lightly.

I step in front of Loki, my pupils huge, my bottom lip doing a slight quiver. "Pwease?" I squeak.

Loki bites his lip, unable to tear his gaze away from me. Finally, he sighs in defeat.

"Fine."

"Yay!" Zoe and me cheer together as if Celestia had just turned me into an alicorn princess or something.

"Okay," Zoe says in all seriousness, "How about... a dashing hat for the equally dashing gent," she points to Loki, "A beautiful Iron Mare costume for the flightless chicken-"

"Hey!" I shout.

"And a fabulous cardigan for yours truly," the purple unicorn ignores me, putting a hoof on her chest, "Okay. Stand back, everypony..."
Loki and me take a step back, before Zoe pauses. "Oh, wait, no, don't stand back, I need to perform this on you."

We both take a wary step forward.

Zoe's horn glows, the green aura surrounding all three of us. Slowly, we rise into the air as Zoe closes her eyes, concentrating.

My body shakes in fear as I feel my wings tingle. "Hold me," I squeak, grabbing Loki's arm and burying my head in his shoulder.
He looks around awkwardly.

Suddenly, with a loud *BOOM!* and three flashes of light, we all drop to the ground, unconscious for a second.

"Um... Rosie?" I hear Zoe's voice above me.

"Go away, I'm sleeping," I sigh sleepily, hugging something that feels suspiciously soft, like feathers.

"Uh, well, you really gotta wake up, now," Zoe protests warily. Why does it feel like there's a cool breeze above me?

"AAAAH!" Loki screams in shock, "MY WINGS!"

My eyes shoot open. I jump up, knocking heads with Zoe and tripping on something that pulls me back down to the ground, giving a sharp pain to in between my shoulders.

I groan, standing up slowly to rub my head. My hoof brushes past something hard in the middle of my forehead as my eyes focus on a blurry Zoe.

"Zoe?" I squint, "Are you... levitating?"
Her hooves don't look to be touching the ground, but that might just be my blurry vision.

"Sort of..." She replies warily, "Oh, and just so you know," she adds as my eyes pull into focus, "You're also kind of an alicorn right now."

"Wait, WHAT?!" I exclaim when I get a full, clear picture of Zoe and scream in horror, scrambling backwards. "Zoe!" I screech, "Zoe, you've got... gothhaaaaaa..."

"Wings?" She raises a brow at me.

Loki dashes up to her side, pupils shrunk. He jumps onto his hind legs, putting his front hooves under a wing. "What did you do?! You stole my wings, didn't you?!" He breathes angrily, pressing against her rib cage as she looks around, not sure what to do.
"GIVE THEM BACK!" He hoarsely growls.

"Loki!" I point in horror. His gaze snaps to me, his eyes widening even more, "Your back... it's bare!"

"Rose... you stole my wings!?" He gasps in shock.

"I guess you could say that I really cocked up on this one, guys," Zoe says, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah. You think?" Loki replies sarcastically. He turns to me, "Now, give my wings and horn back!"

"I didn't take them!" I yell in defence.

"Um, actually~," Zoe flies up to me, turning me around on the spot to see my reflection in the glass of Loki's cell.

I gasp. "I'M A PEGACORN?!"

"*cough cough*Alicorn*COUGH*," Zoe wheezes.

"Gazuntite," I mutter, before spreading out my magnificently large wings, "Woah!" I stare in awe, "Big wings! What I've always dreamed of!"

"Hey, be careful with those," Loki gives me a warning glare.

I smirk, before running my hoof up and down this horn on my forehead. It's exceptionally long. Then I look to Loki's horn, which is shorter now that he's not an alicorn anymore.

"Mine's bigger than yours," I giggle.

Loki rolls his eyes, then turns to Zoe, "Look, obviously we've been switched. Now I'm a unicorn-"

"I'm a pegasus," Zoe grins, still flapping up in the air.

"And I'm an ALICORN, BABY! OH, YEAH!" I do a pelvic thrust of success.

Loki sighs, "Yes, and we need to be changed back immediately."

"Why?" I ask, pouting.

"Do you really think anyone wouldn't notice that a horn has suddenly appeared on your forehead, Rose?" Loki asks with a 'bitch, please,' look, "And that yours, Zoe, has disappeared?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Zoe exclaims, parting her hair and trying to find her horn, which is gone. "Oh, no. This is really, really bad!"

"Psh," I wave a hoof nonchalantly, "It's not that bad, you guys."

"Says the alicorn," Zoe and Loki say in unison.

I shrug, before twitching my wings excitedly, "I wonder how fast these babies can fly."

I leap up into the air, but Loki grabs my tail in his teeth before I can take off. He spits it out once I land guiltily on the ground.

"Princess Celestia won't be too happy about all this," He says blankly.

I gasp. Oh, no! I hadn't thought about that.

She'll be so ticked at Zoe, she'll probably ban her from Equestria and forbid her from ever setting hoof in Canterlot! And she'll find out about Loki and ban me from ever setting hoof near him! And then she'll banish him back to Asgard and forbid him from ever setting foot near a pudding!

"Crap!" I facehoof, "Okay, Zoe. Turn us back."

"Um, slight complication there," Zoe gives me a weak smile, "No horn. Remember?"

"Well, um... Loki, you know how to do magic, right?" I ask in desperation.

He shakes his head, "Not unicorn magic. Only Asgardian magic, and you know why I can't unleash that."

I gulp.

Great, just great! The only two ponies in here with magical unicorn horns, can't do magic.

"Okay, um..." I say, worried, "Don't panic. Zoe, where did you find this spell?"

Zoe taps her chin. "Uh... Well, it was a place with scrolls..."

"Oh, come on!" I cry in disbelief, "That could be anywhere!"

"Actually," Zoe looks up, "I may have found it when I was snooping around in... Celestia's bedroom yesterday."

"CELESTIA'S BEDROOM?!" Loki and me shout in shock.

"Hehe... yeah?"

I groan loudly, pulling my bottom eyelids down in frustration, "Did you put it back?"

Zoe nods her head. "You never take things from strange ponies," she says, "I just tried to memorise it. But I think I got the changing outfits part wrong-"

"Yeah, you changed our species," I roll my eyes, "So how do we change back?"

"I think the only way would be for one of us," Loki touches the tip of my horn, "To learn how to use one of these."

"Then we'd learn the spell that could change us back!" I nod, "Loki, you're a genius."

He smirks, "Yes, I do get that often."

"But how are you going to learn?" Zoe asks, flapping down to the ground, "I was the only unicorn who knew how to use magic, and now I can't teach you."

"How did you learn?" I question, "Maybe you could tell us, and we could do what you did."

"Yes, I've always wondered how unicorn magic works in Equestria," Loki says thoughtfully, "Does one chant a poem inside their head? Or is it a physical strain?"

"Heheh," I giggle immaturely, "Physical strain."

Suddenly, Zoe's face scrunches up with nervousness. Beads of sweat drip down her face. "Well, um... I learned magic by, um..." Her eyes dart around frantically, before she cups a hoof to her ear, "Oh, is that my mother calling? Well, I'd better be going, bye!"

And then she stands there, pointing her forehead upwards.

An awkward silence hovers in the air.

Loki looks at me, confused. I shrug. "Uh, Zoe? You can't teleport. No horn," I tell her like she doesn't comprehend.

"Oh," Zoe squees, relaxing a bit, "Yeah, right." She pulls a nervous toothy smile, "Let's just say that if I told you, I'dhavetokillyou. ANYWAY, most unicorns learn magic by reading books and stuff," she changes the subject rapidly, "Maybe we could find a counter spell in the library?"

"Yes, of course!" Loki says triumphantly, before slumping, "Wait... no, we can't."

"Why not?" I tilt my head to the side.

"Someone might see us," Loki explains, "Word might get around. We can't risk that."

"Then we'll need to find some other library around here," Zoe says in thought, "Somewhere not many ponies go."

"I have one place in mind," I say quietly, "I'm not entirely sure where it is, but I know it holds ancient spells and stuff."

"Really? Where?" Zoe asks in anticipation.

"The Canterlot Archives," I answer, almost whispering. I guess I was somewhat hoping they wouldn't hear me as I spoke, "I... I don't really wanna go back because of, um... bad memories."

"Bad memories?" Loki says as he furrows his brow.

"Who cares?" Zoe interrupts, flapping her wings, "Let's go there right now! We need to find that counter spell!"

"Hold on!" I fly up next to her, grabbing her blue tail before she can dash off, "Let's go to my room, first."

"Why?"

"Well, we need something to try and cover up this," I gesture to my wings, then to Zoe's invisible horn.

"Ah," she nods, "Right."

~

"Okay, it's around here somewhere," I mutter under my dark and mysterious cloak. This is probably one of the first times I've stepped outside in a few days, "It's in the... Starswirl The Bearded wing."

Zoe wears a baggy red wooden sweater to cover her wings, and a similar reggae beanie on her head. "Is that it?" She points to a tall, white building with two guards standing outside.

"I think so," I reply warily, "There's another way to get in through the castle, but you have to go past Celestia's Throne room, first."

"Clever," Loki says through his very large, very fake, stick on moustache. He insisted he wear it to disguise his face, just in case anyone could possibly recognise him.

That and a monocle, but that was my input.
It just looked so cute!

We head towards the entrance, but the two guards at the doors cross their spears over them, blocking our path. "Who goes there?" A gruff voice from one of them demands.

"Um..." I think quickly, before putting on a nasally voice with a lisp, "We're huge Starswirl the Bearded fans and we'd like to take a look around."
I bow my head slightly so the hood of the dark cloak won't fall back and reveal my horn.

One guard gives me a look. "By who's permission?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Princess Twilight," I answer.

"Name?" He continues.

"Uh..." I glance up for a second, "Nahttan Alacarn."

"And you two?"

"Flitless," Zoe says quickly, "Flitless Narwings."

"Tom," Loki states.

"Don't recognise you," the guard shakes his head slightly, "Go away."

"Rude," Zoe- I mean Flitless- mutters, lowering her head.

"Wait, no! You have to let us in there," I cry, stepping forward.

"Look, you weird kids better get outta our sights before we call for backup," the other guard growls, "So you've got exactly ten seconds to change our minds."

I pause for a moment. I glance back at Zoe, then Loki, with a mischievous grin on my face. They look back and nod, knowing what to do next.

We turn back to the guards, and, at the same time, push our bottom lips out, quivering. Our pupils dilate into huge, sad, wet eyes. I even manage to make a sad puppy dog whimper.

"Pwease?" I squeak helplessly.

The guards can't resist. One bites his lip, even. "Awwww!" They coo together.

"Alright, you can go in," the bossier one mutters in defeat, unlocking the barred door. He swings it open, "But only for a few minutes. And just this one time!"

"Heheh," I smile in satisfaction as they close the door behind us, before galloping through the shelves of ancient scrolls and books. The smell is so... papery.

"Now, let's get to finding that spell," Loki says, a hint of determination in his voice.

"Spell?" A gravelly, yet smooth voice says from nowhere. Our eyes dart around the room in surprise. "Somepony wants a spell?"

"Who's there!?" Loki demands.

"Why, is that any way to treat an old friend?" The voice smirks.

"Why is that voice somewhat familiar?" I ask myself.

"Well, it should sound familiar," the voice goes on, a scroll by Loki's foot rolling away and unfurling itself vertically, "I do bring up some memorable discord."

"DISCORD!" Zoe exclaims as the scroll grows larger and morphs into the draconeques himself.

"Oh, don't act so shocked," he waves a paw sassily, "I've been sneaking around this place for ages. All for a bit of fun, really."

I tense up. Could that also mean that he saw my... changeling form?

"Do you often engage in activities such as stalking commoners in libraries?" Loki sasses back.

"Zip it, Tom," Discord puts a chicken claw over Loki's lip.

He slaps it away, "Don't touch Wendy."

"I'm sorry, who?" Discord chuckles.

"My pride and joy," Loki growls, stepping back and stroking his fake moustache. "Touch her and you die."

"Ooh," Discord mocks, letting his wrists go limp.

"What do you want?" I growl in warning.
The creature snakes over to me, pulling away my robe of darkness, revealing my wings and horn. "Hey!"

"My, my, miss Rose," he smirks, "You've made some upgrades."

"Don't call me Rose," I say through grit teeth.

"Yet," Discord continues, "They still haven't made me an alicorn princess."

"I know how you feel," Zoe mumbles, looking down.

"Zoe!" I scold.

"What?" She shrugs.

I shake my head, "Forget it, guys. We've gotta find that spell."

"Spell?" Discord repeats, angling a floppy donkey ear at me, "What do you need a spell for?"

"None of your business," I spit, trotting over to a pile of scrolls and unravelling the first one.

Zoe flicks her mane and heads to the nearest shelf with Loki, grabbing an old book in her teeth. She opens it, flipping through the pages with her hooves.

Discord squints at her. "Wouldn't using your magic be easier?" He slinks up to her and pokes her forehead, "Or is there a problem there?"

Zoe mutters unspeakable words under her breath, backing away to look for more spells.

"Leave us be," Loki orders.

"Hmmm," Discord turns to him and strokes his beard, studying him, "Wasn't there something on your back the last time I saw you?"

"N-no," Loki pulls a scrunchy face.

"Ugh," I groan, rolling my scroll away carelessly, "What do you want, Discord?"

"I want to help you," he replies, booping my nose.

"To do what?" Loki questions suspiciously.

"Well, clearly you three are in quite the predicament," Discord puts his lion paw on his 'hip', "I would only be doing what a good friend would do."

I raise an eyebrow, "What it's in it for you?"

"Mm... take it as a favour," he smirks.

And with that, the clicks his chicken's paw and disappears, but not before a bright flash of light. The three of us are abruptly lifted into the air, with a big ka-BOOM!

I feel my whole body tingling, feeling myself descend back to the ground.

My eyes flutter open. I realise I'm still standing on my hooves, which is good, I guess.

I glance around to see Loki laying on the ground with his back turned to me. He groans, rubbing his head, slowly standing up. Suddenly, he flaps open two very large, grassy green wings.

"It worked, Loki, it worked!" I cry in success, buzzing my little wings happily, levitating slightly.
He turns around, grabbing one of his wings and doing a sigh of relief. I smile and jump on him, giving a hug from behind.

"Eheh," he chuckles.

Is he... blushing?

"Yes!" We hear Zoe shriek. Our eyes avert to her from across the room. She flops off her red beanie to reveal her purple horn, "I'm normal again!"

"Well, normal for Zoe at least," I joke, flying off Loki and into the air.

"Rest in peace, Wendy," Loki says sorrowfully to his fake moustache, which fell off in all the commotion and flew off into the archives forever.

"I'm so glad I got my magic back," Zoe cheers, charging up her horn, "Let's teleport back to Rosie's room to celebrate!"

Loki runs to her, licking his hoof and placing it on her horn, burning the magic out. "Let's not," he says warily.

"Yeah, I think it'd be safer if we walked back," I nod, "Well, you two can walk. But I can fly!"

"Ha-ha," Zoe fakes a laugh, "Shut up, Rosie."

We start to walk back to Loki's cell in silence, our hoof steps echoing through the hallways. Zoe leads the way while I lag behind with Loki.

He looks at me, concerned, "What is the matter?"

"Huh?" I look back.

"Come on," he lightly presses, "I know that face."

"What face? There's no face. This is my face," I lift my chin up, closing my eyes.

"You know I know you more than that, Rose," Loki says, "Come, now. What's wrong?"

"Well, it's just that..." I glance away, "Discord wouldn't just poof us back no strings attached, would he?"

"Yes, you are right," Loki nods, "Let's just be thankful he didn't do more."

"Still," I mutter, "I just can't shake the feeling that this isn't the last we've seen of Discord."

"I think you're right, darling," he replies, staring after Zoe, "I think you're right."

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Hey there, people reading!

Ok so if you didn't already know, I set up a LAI Roleplay book. Y'know, if you want to check it out, go ahead.

Soooo anyways, what do you think?

Oh, btw I changed my profile pic supporting marriage equality.
Thinking of changing it back next week. Should I? Or should I change it to something different?

Vote.

Comment.

Stay happy.

~ Amazing_Burrito_Mare