“Ohh, that makes sense. It would explain how Dess was able to pick up on the spell.”
“I’m really sorry, princess.” Saccharine hung her head.
“I can’t say it was an honest mistake, but everyone makes bad choices. DESS!”
The draconequus-pony flew over, mockingly ducking into a bow.
“Sorry, didn’t know you were right there.”
“Sure. Just don’t treat me like Spike.”
Twilight grunted annoyedly and looked back at Frost and Saccharine. “So all we need to figure out is who exactly the spell effected, and how we can stop it.”
“I believe it was…” Saccharine gulped worridly- “Aria Blaze.”
Twilight was taken aback- “THE SIREN?”
Saccharine nodded and Dess whipped out a book which she’d been keeping nowhere in particular. “The spell seems to change the fate of the pony- or, I guess, creature, in the caster’s mind at time of casting.”
Frost blinked slowly. “Huh?”
“It means your friend here must have been thinking about Aria for some odd reason. Why were you thinking about her, by the way?”
“Well… It’s kind of a long story, but-”
“We have almost a week.” Dess yawned. “And I want to know.”
“-Aria Blaze is my mother. She raised me in Sire’s Hollow, but abused me mentally and physically after I lost her siren jewel. So I ran away. I haven’t seen her in six or seven years. I don’t even know where she is.”
Twilight draped her wing around the now-tearing-up unicorn. “Well, if it helps, we know the spell effected the human world, so she must be there.”
Dess looked again at the book. “Luckily, it seems the spell is very easily reversed. All we need to do is find the one who’s fate is changed, and make them sympathize with the caster.”
“I guess I’d better prepare the spell to re-open the portal, then.” Twilight sighed.
Dess followed- “I’ll help.”
~~
Frost and Saccharine sat silently watching the two fly panickedly around the portal, poking the various buttons and turning tens of knobs: I haven’t used this thing in ten years!
“So…” Frost broke the awkward silence. “I’m really sorry about this. I treated you terribly.”
“Really?” Saccharine dwelled on this- could she tell her that she knew about Brown Betty’s terrible treatment?
“To be honest, my mother is awful, too. I mean, she never punched me, or messed me up inside-”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Okay. What I’m trying to say is… could we start over?”