Note: This story takes place after third season, came out before fourth.

Few weeks passed since Twilight became princess and returned from Canterlot. Celestia decided that it's time for Twilight to take some royal responsibilities. Therefore, she announced that this year Grand Galloping Gala would take place in Ponyville.
Needless to say that Twilight was freaked out.

"Ok Spike, did I forget anything? Did Pinkie finish setting up the decorations?"
"They've been ready since yesterday." said Spike
"What about food? Has someone taken care of meals for everypony?"
"Applejack said there's twice as much food as we need. Same from Cakes."
"What about the orchestra? They have all the members and instruments?"
"For a sixth time, yes." sighed Spike
"...what about decoration? Did Pinkie..."
"Twilight, calm down! " interrupted her Spike "We went through this list a thousand times. You thought about everything."
"You're right Spike, I should take it easy." Twilight sat to catch a breath, when someone knocked to door.
"I'll get it." Spike opened the doors and his eyes turned into hearts when he saw who had knocked "Oh, h-hi Rarity."
"Hello Spike. Is Twilight home?"
"Sure, come in." the young dragon opened the doors wider and bowed like a servant. Immediately he started thinking of ways to impress before he could do anything, Twilight walked into room ""Hi Rarity,
what brings you here?"
"Urgent matters darling. I know you're busy with preparations for The Galloping Gala and all, but I just realized that you still haven't come by the shop for a new dress."
"I already have dress for a party." Twilight pulled from her wardrobe her blue dress (as seen in the episode "Suited For Success".)
"That old rag?" said Rarity with dismay "Twilly, this was fashionable LAST season! No, I insist that you come to my workshop and for a new one!"
Twilight rolled her eyes, but she knew that there was no point in arguing with Rarity about fashion.
Meanwhile Spike came back holding so many books, that they covered his face.
"Hey Twilight, I brought those books that you wanted." said Spike, trying to not show how hard it is. "You said they were heavy, but I easily took them at..."
Spike never finished, because he slipped on one of the scrolls and ended up sprawled on the ground covered in books.
The girls stopped their talking "Are you okay Spike?"
"I'm fine."
"All right" they left the small dragon to clean up the mess he'd made.
"You're a princess now Twilight. You'll be the center of attention; all the celebrities, artist, handsome stallions..."
"Stallions?" Twilight said with a blush, and a small smile.
"Why yes, as I said, you're a princess now. Who knows, you may meet your prince at the Gala, some charming stallion, with long wavy mane and strong hooves..." Now it was Rarity's turn to blush and smile.
"Like Blueblood?" Twilight asked sarcastically.
Rarity grimaced at memory of the stallion that she'd had a crush on, until she found out that he was an egocentric jerk.
"Fine, looks aren't everything. But still, you need a new dress."
"All right, all right, you've convinced me." Twilight surrendered "Give me fifteen minutes and we'll meet at your place."
"Wonderful. See you later" Rarity called out as she left the building.

In the meantime Spike dug his way out of the books he'd been buried under. He wasn't very happy after what he'd heard.
"Ugh, why do I even try? Rarity could never fall in love with me. I'm not even a pony, my cold blood will never be as warm as hers. My shards will never be as beautiful as her mane. My claws will never be... as good as hooves... for some reason!"
Then an idea popped into his mind.
"Hey, Twilight! Do you have some time to spare?"
"I have an appointment with Rarity in fifteen minutes, so..."
"Great" interrupted Spike "time for some quick transformation training."
In a flash Spike dragged Twilight in the middle of the room.
"Ready?" Spike pulled staff to point her targets "That book into pillow."
Twilight pretty much involuntarily went with training.
"Orange into apple."
ZAP.
"Candle into bulb."
ZAP.
"Apple back to orange."
ZAP.
"Dragon into pony!"
"Wait, what?"
ZAP.
Twilight realized what Spike said a moment before firing and changed it's direction at the last blast hit a stool instead of Spike. The stool's legs changed into horse legs. The stool used them to escape through the window.
"Only legs?" worried Spike "I guess that's a start."
"Spike! What did I tell you about transforming living being? It's dangerous and difficult magic!"
"Yes, but now you're an alicorn..."
"It's still very complicated magic. And it can't be used for trivial reasons!" Twilight sighted heavily "It's about what Rarity said, isn't?"
"Yes..." He looked down at the floor ashamed.
"I'm really sorry Spike but I can't help you with that." Twilight looked on clock. "I should go now. You can take the rest of the day off. Try to relax and forget about it."
"Okay..." said Spike unconvinced.

A bit later Spike was sauntering through the forest.
"Stupid transformation spells, what's the point of them if even alicorn can't use them?" Spike crossed a bridge "Who can be better with transformations than alicorns?"
Then Spike heard someone humming. He looked around, but no one was there. After a second it got to him that this humming was coming from underwater. Dragon looked down and to his surprise he saw a familiar face.
"Discord?"
Yes, Discord himself was walking on the bottom of the river.
"Spike?" Draconequus looked up. "What are you doing underwater?"
"I'm not underwater, you are."
"Right, I forgot." Discord jumped upwards, making an underwater splash with air-drops. "Long time no see dragon boy. How's Twilight and other girls?"
Spike hesitated. Not long ago Discord had become a force for good, but Spike still felt a bit uncomfortable with the crazyreality shifter around. Then again, it could be an answer to his problems.
"They're fine. Say, what are you doing in Ponyville?"
"Oh you know how it is. Celestia wants me to help ponies, learn how to be good and send her letters about friendship and such. I heard The Grand Galloping Gala is coming so I thought I'd check if I could lend a hand."
That was exactly what Spike wanted to hear.
"I could use your help. You can transform living beings, right?"
"Best there is. What kind of creature do you want to be? Cockatrice?
Griffin? Minotaur? Draconequus?" with each proposition Discord changed
into the mentioned creature (last one being himself).
"A pony" Spike said with a smile.
"A pony? Like Twilight and others?"
"Exactly" Spike answered.
Discord made cranky face.
"I swear, I'll never understand you people. What's fun in having hoofs?"
Discord started flying around Spike.
"So let me get this straight. You want to be less, shardy" Discord snapped his fingers and suddenly Spike was in bunny costume.
"Yes." said Spike taking it off
"Less fire-breathing?" Discord pulled Spike tail, which caused him to fire a small flame, which turned into Discord.
"Yes!"
"Even less... gems-eating?" Discord pulled from his back bowl filled with diamonds.
Spike start drooling, but he quickly snap out of it.
"Y-yes."
"Your choice." Discord started eating them. "Wait, what am I doing?"
He snapped his fingers and gems burst into flames.
"Much better." ex-villain continued his meal
"Discord..."
"Don't worry boy, we're under water."
"So will you help me or not?"
"I'm not sure. Celestia told me to stop messing with laws of physics. Then again, I am supposed to help my friends." Discord snapped his fingers, making the bowl disappear "Ok, let's do it."
Discord teleported few feet away from Spike. Young dragon notice that he has a bullseye on him.
"Now don't move. Deliberate transformation from one species to another is much harder than making random mutation."
Discord moved his hands like he was using invisible bow. A small shaft of energy showed up where the arrow should be. Spike gulped but didn't moved.
And then he was blinded by a flash of light.

Spike slowly opened his eyes.
"What the..." Spike looked at his hands "I got hooves! It worked!"
Then he paused, surprised by sound of his voice. He expected it to be different, but not so... high. Something was not right.
Spike slowly moved to river and looked in his reflection.
Thick wavy mane. Slim attractive face. Long fluttering eyelashes!
Spike screamed with his new girly voice.
"Ugh, a 'thank you' would be enough." Discord covered his ears.
"Thank you? You turned me into a mare!"
"Well duh! When I hear 'pony', I think a mare. Put that word in Google, do you see any males?"
"But...Why... Just change me back!"
"I'm afraid it's impossible, right now at least." A blackboard appeared behind Discord, taking some chalk from it he started making complicated notations. "As I said it's very difficult magic. Your body cannot take more changes in that short amount of time. Not the mention that I'm totally drained."
Discord finish his writing with tic-tac-toe.
"So you're stuck like that for more less...twelve hours."
"Twelve hours? What do I do till then?"
"Don't know. But look for a bright sides: you got those hooves that you wanted so much. (Seriously, I don't get it)" said Discord who settled in for a nap on the river and floated away leaving poor Spike to his problems.

At first Spike decided to wait it out in forest. Unfortunately, it was rather boring, plus he (or rather she) was getting hungry.
After long hesitation (and learning how to walk with four legs) Spike decided to go back to her relief no one seemed to recognize her. Spike used one of windows as a mirror to give herself a second look.
The new form kept his color scheme: purple body and green hair. Apparently the spell added a few years, since Spike looked same age as Twilight and others. She even had a cutie mark: a green flame, her last souvenir of being a dragon. Looking in the mirror, Spike thought that she looked... attractive.
"Snap out of it Spike. First of all, you like Rarity. Second of all, it's you!"
Then Spike noticed one more person in reflection: it was Twilight.
"Oh no, I can't let her see me like this." Spike thought.
She started to run, almost bumping into Fluttershy. Quickly she ran down the next alley, but there was Applejack with her lasso trying to capture a running stool. Spike changed direction only to almost run into Fluttershy again, who was fortunately busy trying to keep Angel under control. Spike managed to slip past her unnoticed, all while constantly trying to find empty alley. Pinkie Pie jumping around. Rainbow Dash showing off to Scootaloo. Pinkie eating a cake. Pinkie one more time.
Spike was so busy looking around, that she didn't notice that she was getting closer to flying cloud of shopping bags, until it was too late. Sudden collision finally forced her to stop.
"I''m so sorry, I wasn't looking. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I do hope that.. " Rarity emerged from a pile of bags. She was about to finish the sentence, when she got a good look at Spike.
"Oh my goodness!"

TO BE CONTINUED