Back To The Future IV: The Return of Discord

Chapters

Chapter 1: Statue No More
Chapter 2: OUTATIME
Chapter 3: Shattered Worlds
Chapter 4: Broken Pieces
Chapter 5: Doctor Flutter
Chapter 6: Between a Rock and a Donut Shop
Chapter 7: Home on the Range
Chapter 8: Rotten Apples

Chapter 1: Statue No More

The sharp crack of breaking stone echoed across the empty field. The fracture began to spiderweb its way up the side of the grotesque, toppled statue. The tail of a snake, the legs of a lizard and goat. Arms, stolen from a lion and an eagle. Mismatched wings to pair with the uneven horns. One long fang, protruding from a mouth opened in despair. Nopony knew where this oddity of art had come from, or who had decided to dump it in the grass outside Ponyville, like a discarded wrapper from one of the Cakes’ many delicious treats. Yes, this ridiculous statue had become nothing more than part of the landscape.

But, it was more than a statue. Few ponies were privy to the information that in fact, this jumbled creature was actually alive, not carved by some insane craftsman and left behind once he’d realized how horrid his creation was. This marble monster was much more than simple rock. He had been made in the fires of creation, belched out by the primordial ooze eons ago, and unleashed upon this world.

A cloud of dust began to form as increasingly larger chunks of stone crumbled away. The sharp, grating noise of marble being slowly dragged across marble pierced through the still, mid afternoon air. As if by some loophole in the laws of nature, the statue stood up, and promptly shattered into pieces with a resounding crunch!

As the particulate in the air settled, the former statue began to stretch his joints.

“Oy! I don’t care how long I’ve actually been stuck that way,” he exclaimed, “but it feels like I’ve had this crick in my neck for millennia!”

Various snaps and pops came from his snakelike body as the not-statue twisted himself into all kinds of crazy shapes and contortions. Suddenly, he stopped. Glancing down at his hands, realization dawned across the not-statue’s face. He was no longer imprisoned.

The two trees that were nearby suddenly rocketed up into the air, and exploded into a shower of sparks and confetti. The clouds turned pink, and chocolate milk began to rain upon the figure in the field as he cackled with glee. As a lemonade lightning bolt shot from the clouds with a loud zap, the former statue raised his hands into the air and shouted with joy.

“Discord’s BACK, BABY!”

Today was proceeding exactly as Twilight Sparkle had planned. But, then again, she did plan for everything. Her daily checklist had been completed, and she was on her way to the park for her weekly picnic with her friends. Somehow, she still found things to obsess about on the way there.

“What if our spot in the park is taken? What if they forgot? What if I’m late?!”

“Twilight, calm down,” said Spike, who was lazing on Twilight's back as she walked, “The picnic is always at the same time every week.”

“But what if they changed it and forgot to tell me?”

“Do you really think our friends would do something like that?”

“Well...no.”

“Exactly. Now stop worrying and enjoy this nice day!”

Twilight sighed. She knew Spike was right. There was no reason for her friends to change their usual plans. As they walked, she began to admire the sights of the small town she called home. Sugarcube Corner, the Cakes’ bakery, always had the smell of some fresh-made treat wafting out the open door. Rarity’s boutique, almost as extravagant as the designs the pony herself made. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the park where her friends were waiting. Suddenly, a multicolored flash of light shot past her, and the picnic basket she was carrying disappeared.

“It’s about time, slowpoke!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she flew in circles with the basket full of food, “I’m STARVING!”

The basket was abruptly stopped in midair by a flash of purple light, causing Rainbow Dash to stumble and crash into a nearby tree. Twilight laughed, brought the basket down with her magic, and Spike began setting up for their lunch in the park.

“Magic, that’s not fair!” said an indignant Rainbow Dash from her tree, as she picked leaves from her vibrantly colored mane. The other ponies began to chuckle, and soon everyone, even the perturbed pegasus, was rolling in the grass with uncontrollable laughter. A sharp crack of thunder snapped them out of their reverie.

“Ah thought the weather ponies said it’d be clear skies ta’day?” exclaimed Applejack. “Ah didn’t bring mah rain hat, neither!”

She searched the skies for the cloudy culprit, and gasped in fear when she saw the offending tuft. The others immediately turned to see what was the matter.

“Please, tell me ah’m not the only one seein’ a PINK CLOUD?” she asked, somewhat nervously.

“A PINK CLOUD?” gasped the others as they too saw the rosy-tinted cumulus as it floated lazily across the sky towards them. As they watched, another crack of thunder rang out, and a brown liquid began to pour from the pink cloud. This oddity of weather floated over them, and soon everything was drenched in the mysterious rain.

Pinkie Pie sat and watched as the others frantically packed up their lunch and hid under a tree, soaked in the peculiar precipitation. She opened her mouth, allowing a single drop of the undetermined liquid to land on her tongue.

“CHOCOLATE MILK!” she exclaimed with glee, producing a previously unseen umbrella. She placed it upside down on the grass and began to drink the accumulated chocolate through a straw, smiling contently.

However, just as suddenly as it had began, the chocolate rain stopped. The pink cloud vanished, and the sun shone upon them once again.

“Aw MAN,” sighed Pinkie, “I’m still thirsty!”

“Chocolate rain?” said Twilight. “That's not scientifically possible! At least, under normal circumstances.” She began to think, trying to remember if she'd ever read about such a phenomenon. A sudden memory flashed to the front of her mind, and her shocked expression conveyed her feelings to her friends.

"Don't you remember?" asked Twilight.

"Uh, remember what, exactly?" said Applejack

"What happened the LAST TIME there were pink clouds in the sky?" Twilight demanded.

Sudden realization dawned on all the other ponies. They looked fearfully at each other, none wanting to say what they were all thinking. Twilight stared back at her friends, lost in the memories of the last time such weather had occurred, and what had followed. Spike waved his hands in front of her face, and Twilight came back to reality.

“There's no time to be standing around! We need to get to Canterlot, NOW!” she yelled, startling the timid yellow pegasus, Fluttershy.

“C...C...Canterlot?” she stammered. “Wh..why do we need to go there?”

“We have to tell Celestia!” shouted Twilight. She grabbed Spike and took off at a full gallop. “To the train station! Quickly!”

Chapter 2: OUTATIME

Discord landed with a thud in the grass. He stood up and dusted himself off, before taking a look at his surroundings. He was still in Equestria, no doubt, but it was... different. Younger, somehow. Whitetail Wood was still a collection of mostly saplings. Ponyville was much smaller than he recalled. It was as if he had gone back, to an earlier Equestria. Funnily enough, that's exactly what he had done.

“Man,” he exclaimed, “time travel really takes a lot out of a guy, especially after having not moved for several months!”

He glanced up, and saw the rift in time and space that he had created to travel through. A literal tear in the fabric of reality. He snapped his fingers, and a comically oversized zipper appeared, closing the hole. With a small pop, it disappeared.

Discord pulled out a large, gilded pocketwatch the size of one of Granny Smith’s homemade pies. He pressed the button to open it, and a cuckoo clock shot out, displaying the date and time. He chuckled at his own joke and glanced at the clock.

“Excellent!” he said. “I’ve still got a few minutes to spare!”

He looked to the east, where the floating pegasus city of Cloudsdale was idly drifting through the air. Next to it was his target, the young pegasi Flight Camp. He headed towards the camp but jerked to a sudden stop as he realized something.

“Oh! I almost forgot my disguise!” he said.

With a loud BANG and a flash of light, Discord transformed into a colt pegasus. The pegasus in question happened to be the schoolyard bully who Rainbow Dash was about to have an encounter with. Discord cackled at his own brilliance, and set his eyes on the Flight Camp.

“Poor Rainbow Dash...” he sniggered, “your time is almost up!”

The doors of Celestia’s throne room flew open with a mighty CRASH and a flash of purple magic, the impact sending one of the royal guards out the window. The Princess looked up to see her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, running full tilt across the room with her five friends in tow, and a green and purple dragon holding onto her mane for dear life.

“Twilight!” said the Princess, “What brings you here?”

Twilight skidded to a halt in front of Celestia, catapulting Spike off her back and causing Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie to run into her. The accidental collision tumbled the ponies into a heap on the floor. Fluttershy began to untangle them while Rainbow Dash did everything she could to contain her laughter. Twilight stood, short of breath, and began trying to explain the situation to the Princess.

“Picnic...thunder...cloud...chocolate...gone...remembered...” she gasped.

“Twilight, calm down!” said Celestia. “Take a second to catch your breath and then tell me what is going on!”

Twilight paused, breathing heavily. Celestia nodded slightly and a guard brought over a glass of water for the exhausted, purple pony on the floor. Downing it in one gulp, she turned to once again face the Princess.

“We were having our usual weekly picnic, when Applejack heard a crack of thunder in the distance-” she began.

“Darn right I did!” exclaimed Applejack. “I was a might confused as well, seein’ as how the weather ponies said ta’day was gonna be clear sk- oh. Sorry Twilight.”

“It’s okay, Applejack. Anyway, after the thunder we saw a bright pink cloud come floating over the hi-”

“It was such a weird thing to see, too!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “Now, I consider myself to be a pretty awesome weather pony, probably even the best, and I know for a fact that pink cl-” Rainbow Dash paused. “Sorry Twilight...” she said sheepishly.

“As I was saying,” said Twilight, “We saw a pink cloud come over the hill, and it began raining a strange brown liquid. It came closer to us, which is when we realized it was actually-”

“CHOCOLATE MILK!” shouted Pinkie Pie. She immediately put her hooves over her mouth and looked at Twilight, embarrassed.

“Yes, exactly. Chocolate milk. Now, I-”

Celestia put up her hoof to stop Twilight. She turned to the two pegasi guarding the door, one black and one grey.

“Nightwing, Thunderclap,” she said, “I want you to go to the field east of Ponyville and look for a statue on its side. Do this as fast as you can, and report back to me at once.”

The guards saluted, unfurled their wings, and rocketed out the open window. Celestia turned back to the ponies and motioned for Twilight to continue.

“I didn’t remember ever reading about weather such as this in any of my books,” she said, “so I racked my brains to figure out why it seemed so familiar. It all came back to me at once. Do you remember what happened the last time there was weather like this?”

Celestia nodded.

“I hope that my suspicions are not correct,” said the Princess, “but we will have to wait for the report from Nightwing and Thunderclap.”

As if on cue, as soon as Celestia spoke their names, the two guards came flying back into the hall at breakneck speed. They landed, and Nightwing approached Celestia and the ponies before saluting.

“Princess, we did several flybys of the field you specified. There was no statue to be found, only a pile of broken marble surrounded by what appeared to be chocolate milk.”

“Then it is as I feared,” said Celestia. “What you and your friends saw, Twilight, and what Nightwing has reported have confirmed my thoughts. Discord has returned.”

A collective gasp escaped the cluster of ponies, and Fluttershy hid her face in fear. Suddenly, the sound of slow clapping emanated from across the room. An all-too-familiar voice rang out.

“Oh bravo, Celestia. Did It really take you THAT long to figure it out?”

Chapter 3: Shattered Worlds

Twilight and her friends were stunned into silence as Discord entered the room. Not even Celestia spoke, she simply glared at him with a look that quite possibly could disintegrate a lesser being.

“Yes, it’s really me!” Discord exclaimed as he gleefully skipped about the room. “Your old buddy Discord! Oh, I’ve missed you all so much!” He began to shape shift into each of the ponies, mocking them in their own voices.

“Princess Snore-Lestia, the most boring ruler since the invention of the measuring tape!”

“Rainbow Crash! The so-called ‘Queen of the Skies.’ Hah! You couldn’t fly your way out of a paper bag!”

“Flutter-Cry, the timid! Oh no, I’m looking at you! You better hide behind somepony who’s actually USEFUL!”

“Air-ity, the most stuck-up pony this side of Manehattan!”

“Crapple-jack, the annoying country bumpkin!”

“Pinkie Pry, the nosy! You’d throw a party for a tree if you heard that it had grown an inch!”

“And last but not least, Twilight Sprinkle. The useless garnish on top of this ice-cream-sundae of FAILURE!”

Discord snapped back to his own body, and began rolling on the floor laughing, amused by his imitations. He cackled with delight at the sight of the saddened ponies, and could barely compose himself as Celestia confronted him. She motioned for Twilight and her friends to cover their ears. Then, taking a leaf from her sister’s book, Celestia's royal Canterlot voice boomed through the castle and echoed into the sky.

“HOW DID YOU GET FREE?” she demanded. “AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE YOU COME HERE? TO GET REVENGE WITH YOUR CHEAP PARLOR TRICKS AND MOCKERY OF MY SUBJECTS?!”

The ponies cowered in fear from Celestia’s anger, and her white-hot gaze stunned Discord into silence. It didn’t last long.

“Celestia, my dear! No need to ruffle your feathers!” he said, grinning. “I have no clue how I got free. One minute I’m being blasted into eternity by your little entourage, the next, I’m in a field somewhere.”

He paused, and glanced down at the ponies, who were still shaking from the intensity of Celestia’s fury. Fluttershy’s tail was poking out from under the rug, and her form beneath it still had her hooves covering her ears.

“And I didn’t come here for revenge, you silly filly! I came here to give you fair warning.”

“Fair warning of what?” asked Celestia, having reverted to her normal voice

“That my revenge has already been set in motion.” he said. Discord pulled out his golden pocketwatch, popping it open to show the cuckoo clock inside.

“In fact, if I timed this correctly, we should begin seeing the effects in 3...2...1...”

At that exact second, several things happened. First and foremost, the bird sprang out of Discord’s watch with a loud BONG, and shot back inside, the hilarity of which sent Discord into yet another laughing fit. As he did so, the entire castle shook with a mighty tremor, powerful enough to knock loose the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Twilight happened to notice, and cast a protective bubble around herself and Spike, not having enough time to extend it to her friends. Luckily, the chandelier missed them entirely, but fell to the floor with a mighty CRASH!

Celestia jabbed Discord in the chest with her horn, the anger visible in her intense stare.

“WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?” she demanded, each word punctuated with a thrust of her horn.

Discord smiled, and pointed his lion paw at the window.

“Why don’t you take a look?”

Ponyville had fallen into disarray. Though the shaking had stopped at Canterlot Castle, it seemed that the world itself was vibrating. Before their eyes, the ponies watched as large pieces of the earth and sky began to disintegrate, leaving behind an inky black void. The sun and moon shot through the sky as time itself started to unwind. Celestia, unable to cope with the rapid increase and decrease of her power, collapsed to the floor.

“I’m still not going to tell you exactly what I did,” said Discord to Twilight, who stood, determined to face him, “but I will give you a lovely riddle to think about.” He hummed a slight tune, and turned to face the windows, reveling in the chaos he had caused.

“In order to find the change I made, think of the stories your friends have told.

Find the missing link, you see, the common thread they no longer hold.

If you succeed in this endeavor, the world must be put back on track.

But to do so, is no easy feat. To fix the future, you must go back.”

Discord flew across the room to Celestia’s throne, where he sat, admiring the mayhem he had caused. But before Twilight could confront him about the riddle, yet another disaster struck. Her friends began to disappear.

“What’s going on?!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. The color drained from her mane, and she began to become transparent. “What'd you do to me?!” she yelled, shooting across the room towards Discord. However, she passed right through him. “Oh...” she gasped, as she faded into nothing.

“RAINBOW DASH!” the others exclaimed as they started to fade as well. Twilight was paralyzed with shock as her friends slowly began to vanish, one by one. In what seemed like an instant, they were gone, lost to the fabric of the universe. Celestia managed to stand, and worked her way over to Twilight and Spike, who were still underneath Twilight’s protective spell.

“Princess! My friends! Theyre...” she sobbed “They’re gone!”

“I saw, Twilight. There is only one reason this for this occurrence.” whispered Celestia, as she too began to slowly fade. “Discord must have altered the past. You have to find out where! You must save Equestria. For me, and for your friends...” Celestia's voice petered out as she vanished.

The destruction of the world had finally caught up to the castle. Nothing but darkness was visible outside as Twilight lay on the ground, crying. Discord got up from the throne and looked down at Twilight. As the room itself began to disappear, he flew to her bubble and sat upon it.

“Well, I guess we’ve hung around here long enough!” he said, amused. “Time to go see our new home!” Discord snapped his fingers, and Twilight, Spike and himself vanished instantly. The final remnants of the castle were sucked away.

And then, there was nothing.

Chapter 4: Broken Pieces

Spike awoke with a terrible headache. His head was throbbing in pain, but he didn’t remember eating any ice cream the day before. He opened his eyes, expecting to see his own bedroom, and a certain purple unicorn scolding him for his over consumption of dairy. Instead, he saw a green sky, with a few pink clouds floating lazily. He jumped up, shook his head, and opened his eyes again. The previously established green sky and pink clouds were still there, and were now accompanied by blue, lumberjack plaid grass. A few trees dotted the horizon, with green trunks and brown leaves. As Spike stared, confused, one of the trees began to shake. In a blast of leaves and fire, the backwards foliage proceeded to rocket into the sky, before exploding into a shower of sparks and confetti. Spike was momentarily stunned by the arboreal projectile. A slight murmur to his left snapped him out of his trance. He spun in a circle and saw Twilight, asleep next to him.

“Twilight! Twilight wake up!” he yelled, jostling her shoulders until one drowsy eye opened.

“Whadya want, Shpiek?” she slurred, still half asleep.

“Just get up! You have to see this!”

“Fiiine.” She sighed as she stood up. Her jaw dropped, nearly striking the very grass she had just been laying on. “Wh...wh...what in th...the world?” she stammered, confused by the strange landscape.

“Please tell me you see this?” asked Spike, still fearing he was suffering a frozen treat induced nightmare. Twilight nodded, and glanced around at their mis-colored surroundings.

“This has to be Discord’s doing.” she said. “Come on, we need to get to Ponyville and find the others! I’m worried something terrible must have happened after they all disappeared like that.” She set off at gallop, but stopped just as suddenly when Spike gasped in fear.

“Twilight, look!” he exclaimed, “Your cutie mark!”

She looked back at her flank, where her signature starred cutie mark had always been. But, it was different. The five white stars that normally surrounded the large pink star were gone. And the large star itself appeared to be somewhat faded.

“That’s unusual,” she stated, “and most certainly can’t be a good sign. We have to hurry!”

Ponyville had changed, and certainly not for the better. As Twilight and Spike walked into town, several major differences immediately became apparent. Town hall was still in its usual place, but had been constructed out of what looked like a tugboat. The lamp posts had been replaced with bacon, and the sky had changed from green to a violent shade of orange.

“What do we do, Twilight?” asked Spike, as they walked. “This new Ponyville doesn’t make any sense.”

“I don’t know.” she said, and stopped walking as the words left her mouth. For the first time that she could remember, she hadn’t the slightest idea what to do. Never in all of her studies had she ever come across a book that had any mention of discolored skies, pink clouds, buildings replaced by boats, and light fixtures made of meat. Spike’s cry of terror snapped her back to reality, and she hurried to catch up with him.

“What is it, Spike? What happened?!”

Spike did not reply, but simply raised his claw and pointed at a small, plain, green house.

“What’s the big deal?” asked Twilight. “It’s just a house.”

“No.” he said. “It’s not ‘just a house.’ DON’T YOU REALIZE WHAT SHOULD BE THERE!?”

Twilight’s quizzical expression only served to confirm his fears. He turned back to the house.

“Sugarcube corner is gone.” he said. “It’s supposed to be where that house is.”

Twilight gasped, and recognition dawned across her face. She glanced at Spike, whose entire body began to vibrate with power. Green flames shot out of his snout, and in an instant, his body expanded to frightening proportions. He towered over all of Ponyville, and many a bystander began to panic at the sight of the enraged, massive lizard. Not caring about his sudden and rapid growth, or the terror he was causing, Spike began roaring at the sky.

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE TREES!” he bellowed. “I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE GRASS, OR THE CLOUDS, OR THE LAMPPOSTS!” He looked back at the house, and the rage burned in his eyes like the very spark of his magical fire breath. Spike stormed through Ponyville in the direction of Canterlot. His massive body sent ponies fleeing in terror, and his furious rampage destroyed several houses and multiple carts. He reached the end of town, and resumed his shouting, this time directed towards Canterlot, which was just a small spot in the distance.

“BUT NOPONY, AND I MEAN NOPONY, MESSES WITH MY DESSERTS!” he screamed. “DISCORD, THIS JUST GOT PERSONAL!” He paused, and Twilight capitalized on the opportunity.

“Spike!” she yelled. “Shouting about a house isn’t going to solve our problems! Besides, you’re scaring everypony!” Twilight jabbed him in the leg with her horn, and the monstrous dragon glanced at his friend. A look of calm appeared on his face, and he snapped back to his normal size, landing on the ground with a slight thud.

“I’m sorry, Twilight.” he said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to lose control like that.” He turned to the crowd of frightened ponies, who began to creep out from behind their various places of refuge. "Sorry, everypony. I just don't know what came over me."

"Don't worry," said a voice from the crowd. "This sort of thing happens all the time." The rest of the gathered ponies nodded their heads in agreement, and began cleaning up the mess that Spike had caused. He turned back to Twilight, who put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, I understand." she said. "But we need to start figuring out how to fix this, and acting like that certainly won’t help.”

“Well, we should probably start looking for the others.” said Spike. “But where do we start? I doubt it will be easy to do in such a backwards universe.”

Twilight began to think. Who should they look for? And where should they look? She thought about each of her friends in turn, and a certain yellow pegasus stood out.

“No matter what universe we’re in,” she said to Spike, “Fluttershy will always be Fluttershy!” She set off at a gallop towards the outskirts of town. Spike grabbed hold of her tail, and pulled himself up onto her back. He placed a cowboy hat on his head.

“HIGH HO TWILIGHT!” he cheered. “AWAYYYY!”

Twilight glared at him, and he grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry...” he mumbled as he removed the hat.

Chapter 5: Doctor Flutter

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” asked Spike. “I don’t remember seeing nearly as many ‘KEEP OUT’ signs the last time we went to Fluttershy’s house...” It was true. Every tree that lined the path had several angry messages nailed to it. At least every 10 feet or so there would be another sign in the ground, usually stating “TURN BACK” or “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE.” The path itself was overgrown in places, and Twilight had to use her magic more than once to clear the low-hanging branches that occasionally blocked the way.

“Trust me, Spike.” said Twilight. “I’ve been to Fluttershy’s house more than a few times. I think I know how to get there.” As they walked, Twilight noticed a distinct absence of noise. The woods near Fluttershy’s house were usually full of chattering animals, who knew to stay near the loving pegasus in case they became injured. Today, the silence was only broken by the sound of Twilight's hooves trotting along. The woods began to clear, and the path ahead started to twist back and forth up the side of a hill.

“See? I told you I would find it...” Twilight’s voice trailed to silence as Fluttershy’s home came into view. Her usual quaint cottage was remarkably different than usual. There were no birdhouses and nests perched in the grassy roof, and not a single window on the entire structure was open. A large smokestack protruded out of the left side, belching various different hazy colors at random intervals. All the windows were a slate grey with large metal bars implanted vertically to block entry, as well as having shutters that were locked from the inside. The front door had been replaced with a massive metal gateway, and a small intercom was mounted to its right. Twilight and Spike approached the steel aperture cautiously.

“Are you sure we’re at the right house?” asked Spike, as his eyes traveled up the height of the metal door. Twilight nodded.

“This has to be Fluttershy’s house. Who else would live out here in the woods?” Twilight reached forward and pressed the large red button on the intercom. It buzzed sharply, and a few seconds later, a sharp crackle of static came out of the speaker, followed by a familiar voice.

“Yes? Who is it? What do you want?” asked the voice through the intercom.

“Uhm, Fluttershy?” stammered Twilight, “It’s me, Twilight.”

“Fluttershy...” said the voice. “Nopony has called me that in years...”

“Well, that is your name.” said Spike. “We’re here to see you.”

“Very well, I’ll be right up.”

The static resumed from the speaker, before stopping completely. Silence rang out for several seconds, until Twilight heard movement from behind the door. It sounded like somepony pushing a large box around, followed by a crash and some muttering. Finally, several loud clicks and twangs came from the door itself, which then began to slowly move sideways. A yellow hoof popped out of the opening, and beckoned Twilight and Spike inside. The door slid back behind them, and closed with a loud bang.

“Fluttershy!” exclaimed Twilight. “It is you! But...what are you wearing?”

Fluttershy stood before Twilight and Spike, looking somewhat different than her usual, peaceful appearance. She wore a white lab coat that trailed all the way past her flank, and a pair of tinted goggles were secured to her forehead. Her usually flowing pink mane was frizzy and unkempt, and there were dark circles under her eyes, denoting an apparent lack of sleep. Fluttershy smiled.

“Judging by your surprise,” she said, “I find it safe to assume you have seen me before?” Her voice had changed as well. She spoke at a normal volume, instead of the timid whisper Spike and Twilight were accustomed to.

“Well, yeah!” said Spike. “You’re one of our best friends! At least...you were.”

“What happened to you, Fluttershy? Where are the animals? Where’s Angel?”

Fluttershy sighed, annoyed. “Please.” she said. “Call me Doctor Flutter. Or just Doc for short. I haven’t been called Fluttershy in a long time.”

She turned away from them, and for the first time, Twilight looked around at the room they were in. If the outside of the house had been strange, it was nothing compared to the inside. Piles of boxes and books were scattered all around the room. It was completely devoid of furniture, save for a small end-table that was sideways on the floor, apparently having been knocked over recently. The only light was from a single, bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. A pathway had been made through the clutter to another metal door on the far side of the room.

“Now,” Doctor Flutter said. “Your sudden appearance here has confirmed my suspicions. If you will please follow me, I will be happy to answer your questions. But first, what are your names?”

“I’m Spike...” said Spike, “and this is Twilight.”

Doctor Flutter nodded as she walked across the room to the other metal door. She pressed the button to the left of it, and the door slid open to reveal a large freight elevator. Doctor Flutter walked inside, and motioned for Twilight and Spike to follow. Once inside, Twilight was about to begin questioning Doctor Flutter again, when the elevator dropped like a rock. She and Spike screamed, while Doctor Flutter glanced at her watch. The elevator stopped just as suddenly as it had started, and Doctor Flutter made a small hmph of displeasure.

“I need to recalibrate this thing.” she said. “It was 0.0371 seconds slower than last time.”

The elevator doors opened, and Twilight’s jaw dropped. They were staring at a cavernous space, at least 10 times the size of the room upstairs. The walls were covered in circuitry, metal panels, and flashing lights. Massive pipes and wires snaked across the ceiling, twisting in and out of each other like jungle vines. Opposite the elevator was a massive computer, whose databanks climbed up the walls and through the floor. A monitor, easily four times bigger than Twilight, was mounted to the wall, and an oversized control panel with an array of buttons sat beneath it.

“Welcome,” said Doctor Flutter, “To my laboratory!”

Twilight and Spike followed the Doctor towards the computer, past a multitude of ongoing experiments. Glass beakers of every shape and size rested on the various counters, strange liquids bubbling inside of them. What appeared to be a shrink ray was gradually diminishing the size of various bowling balls, until they resembled little more than marbles. A mannequin with a strange necklace was rapidly changing its appearance, shifting between several different pony disguises.

“Computer!” said Doctor Flutter, “Initiate Simulation A17-DX3”

“Initiating Simulation”

She turned back to Twilight and Spike. “While that warms up, I’d be happy to answer your questions.”

“Well, first of all,” said Twilight, “Why exactly are you a scientist?”

“Ah, starting with the big one, I see.” said Doctor Flutter

“Spike, write this down.” said Twilight. Spike produced a quill and scroll.

“It all started when I was still at Flight Camp. I was an extremely shy filly, and I didn’t have any friends. The bullies liked to pick on me the most, since they knew I would never retaliate. One day, when they were doing their usual routine of scaring me, another filly told them to stop. I never caught her name, but she had a blue coat and the strangest mane. Anyway, she challenged them to a race. The next day, I was holding the checkered flag to begin the race. When I waved it down, the ponies shot by me at such speed that I fell off my cloud and plummeted towards the ground. Luckily, I landed in a nearby tree. I vowed to never return to Flight Camp, and I’ve been here ever since. I decided that I would pursue a career in science, but it was to no avail.” she turned to the side, exposing her flank, which was bare. “I never got my cutie mark, and I’ve been trying to find out why ever since.”

The computer beeped loudly, indicating that the simulation had loaded. “Aha!” said Doctor Flutter. “This should help to clear things up.” She pressed one of the myriad of buttons, and began to educate Twilight and Spike.

“I have spent many years trying to explain my lack of cutie mark.” she said. “After thousands of meticulous observations and calculations, I finally had a breakthrough. I came to the conclusion that this universe should not exist. Why else would I have devoted all of my time and energy into something that would not get me a cutie mark? Because, it’s not meant to exist in this universe, and as such, neither is this universe itself. Your sudden appearance only further proved my theory. Nopony has called me Fluttershy since I was a filly, and I have never told anypony my real name.” The simulation ended, and Fluttershy turned back to Twilight and Spike.

“Exactly!” exclaimed Twilight. “We’re from the correct universe, and we were brought here by Discord after he changed something in our universe!”

The Doctor nodded. “I assumed so. From the books that I have read about Equestria’s history, I concluded that Discord was inevitably going to return. These books also foretold of six friends who would stop him, and restore order to time and space.”

“That’s us!” said Twilight. She reached into her bag and pulled out a photo of herself and her friends. Never in her whole life did she imagine such a simple picture would be so important. “Do you recognise anypony in this picture?” she asked.

Doctor Flutter studied the picture, then nodded. “Of course. That’s Rarity.”

“You know Rarity!” exclaimed Twilight.

“Of course I do. She brings me my supply of Joe-nuts every first Tuesday of the month.”

Twilight was puzzled. “What in the name of Celestia is a Joe-nut?”

“Oh, right.” said Doctor Flutter. “I forgot you’re not from this universe. Why don’t you go ask Rarity? Her shop is pretty easy to find.”

“Doctor Flutter,” said Twilight, “I’m not going to be able to fix this alone. Can you help us?”

“Certainly!” she replied. “In fact, I might have something that will be useful to you.”

As Doctor Flutter rummaged through piles of papers and scientific instruments, Spike noticed something odd. “Twilight!” he said. “Your cutie mark!”

Twilight glanced back at her mark. One of the five white stars that adorned her flank had returned, and some of the color was restored to the larger star. She smiled. “Well, we have to be doing something right!”

“AHA! Found it!” exclaimed the Doctor. She turned back to them, not noticing the slide rule that had become tangled in her mane. She handed Twilight a simple-looking pendant.

“This,” she said, “is my patented ‘Doctor Flutter’s Disguise-o-Matic.’ All you have to do is put it on, and it will transform your outward appearance into somepony who doesn’t actually exist. This one is programmed with a unicorn named Sally Scoop.”

Twilight put the necklace on, and with a flash of light, transformed. Spike held up a mirror. Twilight’s purple coat had been changed to a sky blue, and her mane was now white with streaks of purple. Her starry cutie mark had been replaced by a notepad.

“She’s a traveling newspaper reporter.” said Doctor Flutter. “Perfect for getting near to the other ponies you need to find.” Twilight smiled.

“Can we regroup here?” she asked. “You certainly have enough space for everyone to meet up.”

Doctor Flutter nodded, then turned to her computer.

“Computer! Print out document 319-B!”

A whirr of processors came from the depths of its electronics, and moments later a paper shot out of a slot in the control panel. Doctor Flutter handed it to Twilight.

“This is the code to open the door. The keypad is behind the intercom.”

Twilight took the paper, placed it in her bag, and turned back to the Doctor.

“I’ll have Spike send you a notice when somepony is on their way.” she said.

“Sounds good, Twilight.” said Doctor Flutter. “You should probably get going...”

Twilight and Spike turned and ran across the lab to the elevator. As the doors closed, Doctor Flutter sighed and turned back to her computer.

“Time is most certainly not on their side...”

Chapter 6: Between a Rock and a Donut Shop

Spike and Twilight wandered back into Ponyville, both extremely confused as to their next step. Twilight’s disguise pendant was active, and she walked amongst the crowds as Sally Scoop.

“I still have no clue what a ‘Joe-nut’ is supposed to be,” she said to Spike. “And I don’t know where to look. It’s not like we’re going to find a sign advertising it.”

Spike stopped walking and grabbed Twilight’s tail, causing her to turn and look at him.

“Uh, Twilight...” he said, “Do you mean a sign like that?”

He pointed down the street towards a brightly lit store. It was square, with several large windows across two sides, and a door situated at the corner between the two. Above the door rested a neon sign that read “Dunkin Joe-nuts.” To the left of the building was a metal pole with a rotating, diamond-shaped sign on top. As it spun, the two sides of the sign alternated between “Eat at Joe’s” and “Hot & Fresh Joe-Nuts.” A small apartment had been constructed on the roof of the shop.

“Yes, Spike. Exactly like that.”

They ran across the town square towards the store. As they got close, a pony walked out of the door, followed by the welcoming smell of fresh baked treats. A bell above the door jingled as Spike and Twilight entered. The interior of the shop was dominated by a large counter against one wall, behind which racks of donuts rested, waiting to be purchased. Multiple tables were arranged throughout the space, and a door to the left of the counter was labeled “Private.” Several ponies were seated, enjoying the tasty treats. Behind the counter, a familiar yellow stallion was placing fresh confections on the various shelves. He turned to face Twilight and Spike.

“Welcome to Dunkin Joe-Nuts,” said Mr. Cake, “What can I get for you?”

Twilight and Spike gasped simultaneously at the sight of their baker friend. Twilight forgot that she was trying to keep a low profile as they ran to the counter.

“Mr. Cake?!” she exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”

“And what happened to Sugarcube Corner?!” demanded Spike.

Mr. Cake sighed. “How do you know about that?” he said. “I’ve never seen you before.”

Twilight remembered her disguise, and stammered out an excuse.

“I...um...I’ve been to Ponville before, but the last time I was in town you were at Sugarcube Corner.” Twilight looked around the shop. “What happened?”

“Well,” began Mr. Cake, “We used to have our own bakery, as you remember. But, when this store showed up here in Ponyville, we fell on hard times. They could produce more food cheaper and faster than us. Eventually, we went out of business, and had to sell the store. It was demolished, and our house is all we have left. Rarity was nice enough to give us a job here to pay our bills.” He smiled slightly.

“Rarity gave you a job?” asked Twilight. “Can we talk to her?”

“Sure thing.” said Mr. Cake. He leaned through the door behind the counter. “Miss Rarity! There’s somepony here to see you!” A slight crash rang out, followed by a muffled “I’ll be right out!”

Spike gasped as Rarity came out to meet them. Her highly maintained mane was unkempt and speckled with sprinkles. Her coat, usually so pristine and white, was messy, and clumped in places with various colors of icing, and her flank was devoid of any mark.

“Well hello there, dearie!” she said. “It’s nice to meet you...er...”

“Sally,” said Twilight. “Sally Scoop. And this is my associate, Spike.”

“Sally and Spike!” declared Rarity. “Well, I’m Rarity, and this is my donut shop.”

“I’m a traveling reporter,” said Twilight, “and I’m doing a story on the ponies of Ponyville. Is there somewhere we can chat for a little while?”

“Sure thing, dearie!” Rarity pointed at the “Private” door. “My apartment’s right up thataway! Carrot, dear, can you and the Missus hold down the fort for a little while?” Mr. Cake nodded. “Okie dokie then! Right this way!”

Rarity’s apartment was small and grey. A spindly table with a single chair stood in one corner, silhouetted by the light entering the dirty window, near a small refrigerator and sink. A creaky old bed sat to the left of the table, and a tiny nightstand with a single candle was on the right of the bed. The rest of the room was dominated by old flour crates full of rocks. Several empty crates were stacked in the corner, and a few of the stones had been placed on a shelf next to the other window.

“I apologise for the lack of furniture,” said Rarity, “but I don’t often have visitors.” She pulled the lone chair over to the bed, and brought an empty crate next to it. Rarity sat on the bed, which squeaked loudly in protest. “Now, what can I do for ya?”

Twilight removed the necklace, disengaging her disguise and showing Rarity her true self. Rarity jumped backwards in shock.

“Rarity,” said Twilight, “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I know that you don’t recognise me, but that’s because I’m from a different universe. You’re one of my best friends, and I need your help to put things right.” Rarity was silent, but she slowly looked around her apartment and back to Twilight. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Spike shot across the room to comfort her.

“I hate my life!” said Rarity. “Its never had any meaning, and I knew all along that this was not right! Ever since that stupid day with the rock I’ve never known what to do.”

“The rock?” asked Twilight. “What do you mean by that?” She turned to Spike, who had an arm around his beloved Rarity. “Write this down.”

“Well, it happened back when I was still a filly.” Rarity said, still somewhat upset. “I was in charge of making the costumes for the school play. I felt they needed something to make them stand out, but I didn’t know what. My horn lit up and began to pull me away. I allowed it to guide me, wondering where I was going to end up. It stopped at a large rock at the flats to the west of town. I stood by that rock for hours, wondering what it meant. I finally assumed that I was supposed to gather them, which I did. I’ve been collecting rocks as a hobby since then, but it’s never amounted to anything.” She sighed as she looked at the crates in her apartment.

“What about this shop? How did you get here?” asked Twilight.

“I originally had a clothing store here.” said Rarity. “But it never had much business and I barely made enough bits to scrape by. When I heard that Donut Joe was looking to open a franchise in Ponyville, I jumped at the opportunity. We remodeled my store into this bakery, and Joe let me live here above it and run the store. Unfortunately, we ended up running the Cakes out of business, so I hired them.”

“Judging by your unhappiness,” said Twilight, “I would assume that you would much rather be doing something else.” Rarity nodded.

“Well, in the correct timeline, you are Ponyville’s top fashion designer. You even made the dresses at the Royal Wedding!” Rarity’s eyes opened wide, and she began to smile.

“But, to get time back to where it needs to be, I’m going to need help.” She extended her hoof to Rarity. “Can I count on you, friend?” Rarity nodded, and placed her hoof on Twilight’s. As she did so, the second white star appeared on Twilight’s flank.

Spike yawned, and his stomach growled in response. “Okay, great.” he said. “Now, can we please get some food? I’m starving, Twilight!”

Twilight and Rarity laughed. “Sure thing, dearie!” said Rarity. “I’ve got a few dragon specials you might enjoy.” She started to head towards the door, but Twilight stopped her.

“One more question, Rarity.” Twilight pulled out the picture for the second time. “Do you know any pony in this picture?”

Rarity glanced at the photo. She looked back at Twilight. “Well, I do know somepony who resembles the pink pony, but her hair is much different.” Twilight looked at Rarity, confused. “Her name is Pinkamena Diane. She runs the rock farm to the west of town. It’s where I get some of my best stones!”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she nodded in recognition. However, Spike had a complaint. “Twiiiilighhht!” he whined, “I don’t wanna go find Pinkie until I’ve had something to eat.” Twilight sighed. He was right. The last time they had eaten was breakfast, and who knows if that even existed anymore with the way time had been shifted. She nodded, and Spike bounded down the stairs, followed by the two ponies.

Spike munched happily on his gem-encrusted danish as he and Twilight sat in the bakery. Twilight’s disguise was back on, and she had barely touched her strawberry pastry, her mind still worrying about the problems at hand. Rarity had agreed to meet them back at Doctor Flutter’s lab, but that still left three of her friends unaccounted for. She was snapped from her thoughts as the door swung open, hitting the wall with a bang. Three adolescent dragons, each one easily three times Spike’s size, marched into the store. The trio of dragons wore dark metallic armor, the chest-plates emblazoned with a large D entwined with the likeness of Discord. The tallest dragon's armor was detailed with intricate gold accents, indicating a position of superiority.

"These must be some of Discord's guards!" whispered Twilight to Spike. "This is worse than I thought! If Discord has guards, then he must've captured Canterlot!"

The head dragon banged his claw on the counter, startling Twilight and cutting her frightened whispering short.

“Hey! Cake-for-brains! Where’s your boss?” The other two dragons chuckled, and Mr. Cake shot into the back of the store. Rarity came out.

“Hello boys!” she said, the fear audible in her voice. “What can I do for ya?”

“You know why we’re here.” replied the red dragon. “Get the icing out of your ears and give us our protection money.”

“Yeah!” said the dragon on the left, “and make it snappy, Donut Head!”

Rarity whimpered, and went to the register. Spike stood, visibly upset, and walked over to the three dragons. The rest of the ponies in the store cowered in fear as Spike stormed across the room. He tapped the leader on the shoulder.

“Um, excuse me,” began Spike, “but that Pony is my friend and I would appreciate it if you would not be mean to h-” Spike stopped in mid sentence as the three dragons laughed.

“Get lost, runt.” said the leader as he turned back to the counter.

Spike’s eyes flashed with green fire. Twilight noticed, and put her face in her hooves. Whatever was about to happen, It was not going to be good. Spike’s size tripled instantly, and he tapped the leader on the shoulder again.

“I thought I told you to ge-” the dragon began, but his sentence was cut short. Spike’s claw connected with his face in a mean right hook, knocking one of the red dragon’s fangs out and sending him backwards over the countertop.

“I don’t care if she didn’t remember me,” said Spike, “but NOPONY insults my friends.” He snapped back to his normal size, and the whole shop sat in stunned silence. The dragon stood up behind the counter, a donut ringing one of his horns and icing covering his face.

“GET HIM!” he bellowed. Spike froze in fear.

“Spike!” yelled Twilight, “RUN!”

Spike shot out of the store, and glanced desperately around for a solution. He saw a familiar orange pegasus on a scooter.

“Scootaloo!” he yelled as he ran, “Stop!”

He ran up to Scootaloo, who did not recognise him as Twilight’s friend. She shrank back in fear from the tiny dragon.

“I need your scooter. It’s an emergency!”

She nodded. Spike pulled the handlebars off the scooter and handed them to her. He jumped onto the remaining board with wheels, and pushed off. The three dragons burst out of the donut shop, and the leader saw Spike rolling away. They began to chase him.

Spike saw the enraged dragons barreling across the square, and looked around for a means of escape. A passing stagecoach caught his eye, and he spun around completely to grab the rear bumper. Spike waved at the dragons as he shot by them, the ponies pulling the stagecoach having been spooked into running. The lead dragon jumped into a nearby cart, and his two henchmen began to push it from behind, gaining on Spike.

The front of the cart bumped into the back of the stagecoach, nearly crushing Spike. He swung out to the right, and hit an uneven stone, launching him into the air. Spike flew across the square, and ended up crashing face-first into the mayor.

“Sorry, sorry!” he said. The three dragons rounded the corner and Spike jumped back onto his board. “No time to talk! Gotta go!”

Spike came around the corner just ahead of the three dragons. He spun around and put his claws on the front of the cart, and the leader began to swipe at him. An evil grin appeared on the dragon’s face, and he turned back to his henchmen.

“Hurry it up, you two! We’re gonna ram him!”

Spike whirled around to see a large wagon full of rotten apples directly ahead of himself and the cart. A crazy idea sprang into his head, and he put it into action. The dragons watched in confusion as Spike jumped up onto the cart. He leapt over the leader and the two henchman, just in time to land back on the board as it came out from underneath the cart. He stopped, and turned to admire his handiwork.

The three dragons bellowed with fear, and the two henchmen began to desperately turn the cart. They weren’t fast enough, and the cart slammed sideways into the apple wagon, covering the three in rancid fruit. A crowd of ponies gathered around Spike, cheering as he handed the board back to Scootaloo. Twilight jabbed him in the side with her hoof.

“Nice job, show off.” she said, smirking. “But we really need to get going.”

Spike nodded, and jumped onto Twilight’s back. She set off at a gallop to the west, towards the rock farm.

Chapter 7: Home on the Range

Small clouds of dust billowed up around Twilight’s hooves as she walked down the dusty road. Twilight began to worry as the particulate clouded around her disguise necklace, for fear it would damage the intricate electronics. She used her magic to put a small protection spell around the false gem, and kept walking. Spike slept on her back, tired from his earlier antics in Ponyville. Thankfully, they had managed to get out of town before the three dragons regained consciousness.

Twilight came to a fork in the road. A post had been planted in the ground, the painted words upon it faded from years in the sunlight. One sign pointed left, towards the Everfree forest, still dark and foreboding even during midday. The other pointed right, down another dusty road. In the distance, Twilight could see what appeared to be a barn. She set off towards the structure.

If Sweet Apple Acres could be considered the embodiment of happiness, this place was its exact opposite. A large, flat expanse of dry earth dominated the area. Rocks were scattered about, piled into stacks or left alone in the sun. A small farmhouse and barn were the only buildings, sun-bleached to a dull white. No trees existed on this parched ground, and Celestia’s golden orb beat down mercilessly on Twilight and Spike. A small sign had been stuck into the ground at the end of the path.

“Rocky Ford Fields,” read Twilight.

She looked up at the barren land, and was surprised to see a flash of pink exiting the barn. Twilight moved closer, and gasped as she saw what had become of the party pony. Her frightened wheeze awoke Spike with a start. He looked around, and laid his eyes on their friend with the same shock.

Pinkie was startlingly different. Her usually frizzy mane and tail lay flat, drooped to her right side. Even her pink color had been dulled, tarnished with the grey dust of a lifetime working with stones, and her flank was bare. Her bright blue eyes had lost their spark, and glanced listlessly at Twilight and Spike. No smile crossed her face as she trotted over to her friends, minus the trademark spring in her step.

“Can I help y’all?” she asked. Pinkie’s voice matched her outward appearance, monotone and devoid of fun. Shockingly, she had developed a slight accent similar to a certain apple farmer. Twilight stood silent for several seconds before answering.

“P...P...Pinkie Pie?” stammered Twilight, unable to comprehend the drastic changes the alternate universe had inflicted upon her friend.

“Pinkie Pie?” she responded, “That’s a new one. Most’a the time ponies just call me ‘Hey, You!’ or ‘Hey, Crazy Rock Mare!’” Pinkie sighed, and her eyes looked past Twilight as she cast her gaze around the rock farm. She looked back at Twilight.

“My name, if y’all’d care ta know it, is Pinkamena Diane Pie. I prefer ta be called Diane.”

“Nice to meet you...Diane,” said Twilight, still somewhat shaken. “I’m Sally Scoop and this is my associate, Spike. We’re doing a story on local businesses, and I was told to come here.”

Diane laughed bitterly. “Who’n their right mind sent you ta me? I’m the most borin’ pony in Equestria!” Twilight remained silent. Diane pushed one of the rocks into a larger pile with her hoof. She sighed again.

“Well, It looks like y’all’re determined ta get this interview.” She pointed her hoof at the farmhouse. “We oughta go inside, get out ah this heat.”

The inside of the house matched its barren exterior. A simple kitchen with a rickety table and four chairs stood to the left of the doorway. On the right, a small sitting room with a fireplace and a single armchair. A staircase was directly ahead, presumably leading to bedrooms on the second floor. Diane walked into the kitchen, followed by Twilight and Spike

“I’m afraid I can’t offer y’all more than water,” she said, “But workin’ a rock farm aint exactly the cash cow y’all might expect.”

Twilight sat at the shabby table with Spike as Diane filled three glasses from the sink. She put them on the table and sat across from Twilight.

“Now then, how about this here interview?” she said.

“Diane,” Twilight said, “I need to tell you something. My name isn’t Sally Scoop.”

“Well of course it aint! Soon as ya said it I knew somethin’ was up. My tail never lies!”

Twilight paused momentarily, startled by the existence of Diane’s Pinkie Sense.

“Your tail?” she asked, quizzically.

“Yes my tail!” replied Diane grumpily. “It gets twitchy when somepony aint tellin me the truth. Now, what’s your real name, and why’d ya come to my farm?”

Twilight’s horn glowed as she levitated the necklace onto the table. Diane didn’t move an inch, but her eyes flashed with curiosity as Twilight reverted back to her normal self.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’ve come here from a different universe to set time back on its correct path. I’m here at your farm because you are one of my five best friends. I need your help to fix this world, and correct the flow of time.”

Diane sat still for several seconds. Her brow furrowed in thought as she considered everything Twilight had said. She slowly nodded.

“I might jus’ be a simple farm pony,” she said, “but I know the truth when I hear it. I always figured there was a better life fer me.”

“Diane, how did you end up here on the rock farm?” asked Twilight.

Diane sighed, and looked past Twilight to a picture hanging on the kitchen wall. An elder burnt orange stallion with a grey mane, and his wife, pale grey with grey-blue hair, stood with their three fillies. One grey with a dark grey mane, one purple with a light grey mane, and one light pink with a bright pink mane. The three fillies all shared the same straight mane-cut as Diane, and nopony in the picture was smiling. She turned back to Twilight.

“I ended up here ‘cause I was born here. I’ve worked this here rock farm since I was a filly, along with my family. As we grew older, my sisters found their special talents, neither ah which were related to rocks. They left as soon as they could, and not long after that my ma passed away. My pa lived fer a few more years, but he was never the same after she was gone. He moved on t’be with her a couple’a years ago, and it’s jus’ been me here ever since.”

Diane stopped, and Twilight saw her holding back tears. Twilight jumped up and ran around the table, grabbing her friend in a hug.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that, Diane” said Twilight. “But if you’ll help me, we can fix the world so that it never actually happens.”

Diane looked at Twilight and nodded, then hugged her friend back. As she did so, the third white star appeared on Twilight’s flank. Twilight smiled, and Diane sat back in her chair.

“Thanks.” she said. “I needed that.”

Twilight’s horn glowed as she opened her saddlebag and levitated out the photograph. She placed it in front of Diane.

“Do you know anypony in this picture?” asked Twilight. “Besides Rarity, that is.”

Diane studied the photo and the same look of concentration once again crossed her face.

“Well, I don’t know any of ‘em face to face, but I have seen pictures of the orange one before. What was her name...Applesnack? Grapplejack?”

“Applejack!” exclaimed Twilight

“Yeah! That’s it!” said Diane. “I’ve seen pictures of her when I go ta borrow farm equipment from the Apple family.”

“I guess we know our next stop!” said Twilight cheerily.

Spike explained the plan to meet up at Doctor Flutter’s lab to Diane, and after sending off another scroll to the Doctor, he jumped onto Twilight’s back.

“Hurry Twilight! We’ve got some Apples to pick!” he said happily.

Diane watched from the door of her house as Twilight and Spike headed across the farm to the road. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she smiled for the first time in her life. With a loud BOING her hair suddenly frizzed out in all directions. She jumped slightly at the sudden change.

“Great.” she said. “Where did I put that comb...”

Chapter 8: Rotten Apples

Twilight and Spike headed down the familiar path to Sweet Apple Acres. They passed rows and rows of apple trees, and the familiar scent of fresh cider entered their noses. Twilight stopped.

“Cider?” she said. “But it’s nowhere near cider season!”

“Who cares? It smells delicious!” said Spike.

They continued walking along the dusty road, and began to climb the hill that overlooked the farm. As they crested the hill, Twilight and Spike’s jaws dropped. They stood agape, staring at what used to be Sweet Apple Acres.

A massive factory had been built in the center of the orchards. The large, grey, boxy building towered over the surrounding area and dominated the horizon. Several large chimneys belched out clouds of black smoke, which loomed over the trees like a massive thunderstorm. A small house was squeezed up next to the factory, tinted grey by the soot from the smokestacks. Over the gate hung a bright neon sign. Twilight and Spike approached the gate, and upon reading the sign they gasped simultaneously.

“Flim...Flam...Farms?!” stammered Twilight.

She and Spike walked through the gate, and followed the paved pathway towards the factory. On closer inspection, the facility seemed a bit less imposing. Apple shapes were pressed into the grey brick sides, and the doors had the silhouettes of two ponies engraved in the glass, one of whom had a mustache.

A small sob made Twilight and Spike turn to the right. Sitting on the front steps of the small house was Big Macintosh, crying. They ran over to the large red stallion. His mane was flecked with soot, and instead of his yoke he wore a black bow tie.

“Big Mac!” exclaimed Twilight. “What’s wrong?! Where’s the farm?!”

Macintosh sniffled, and stopped crying. He looked up at Twilight in her Sally Scoop disguise. He tried to speak, but only began crying again.

“It’s okay Mac,” came a small voice from inside the house, “It’s fer the best.”

Applebloom trotted out of the open door, and put her hoof on her brother’s shoulder. Her red bow had been replaced with a jet black variant, and her eyes were heavy with sadness. She looked up at Twilight and Spike.

“Ah heard ya askin’ about the farm.” said Applebloom. “Y’all are new in town, arnt’cha?”

“Not exactly, we’ve been here before. Last time I visited there was a farm here...”

Big Mac stopped crying again, and turned to Twilight.

“We lost the farm almost a year ago.” he said. “Flim and Flam showed up at the beginnin’ of cider season with their fancy machine, and tried to bargain with us. We refused, and they started sellin’ their own cider. They ran us out of business, and we had to sell them the farm just to keep the house. They built this here factory, and gave me a job so we could stay here.”

Big Mac’s lip quivered, and he took a deep breath before continuing.

“After we lost the farm, Granny was never the same. Of course, she’d always been somewhat sad after Applejack left. But losing her family’s land put her over the edge. She stopped helpin’ out around the house, and eventually got real sick. We didn’t have enough money to get a proper doctor and...and...an”

Big Mac began to cry again. Applebloom sat next to him.

“She passed away ‘bout ah week ago.” said Applebloom, listlessly. “Today was her funeral, so ah didn’t go tah school an Big Mac had the day off.”

Tears welled up in Twilight’s eyes as Applebloom finished the story. She fought the urge to cry.

“Where’s Applejack?” asked Twilight. “Big Mac said she left...”

“I’m here.” said a voice from inside the house.

Applejack walked out onto the porch with her family. Her mane and tail were styled into curls, and her hat was nowhere to be seen, along with her cutie mark. She wore a small, black rose in her mane. Her voice was devoid of its usual twang.

Twilight used her horn to toss the necklace into the dust. The Apples gasped as she changed forms, and she shot up the stairs to give Applejack a hug. Applebloom stared shockingly at Twilight, but said nothing.

“What happened to you?!” said Twilight

“I’d like to ask you the same question.” responded Applejack.

“Well...this is going to sound crazy.” said Twilight. “But I’m from a different universe. A different timeline, actually, where none of this ever happens. You are one of my best friends. I’ve come to this universe because Discord changed the past, and I need your help to fix it.”

Applejack stared at Twilight with a look of disbelief.

“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” she said. “You expect me to believe that? How do I know you’re not some mental defective who escaped from the loony bin?”

“Because,” replied Twilight. “You know it’s true. Whatever you’ve been doing with your life, you know is not right. Also, how else would I have this picture?”

She levitated the photograph of herself and her friends in front of Applejack. Slowly, the disbelief turned to acceptance.

“You’re right. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right.” replied Applejack.

“Now, Big Mac said you had left. Where did you go?” asked Twilight.

“I went to Manehattan.” she replied. “I left home back when I was a filly to go live in the big city. My Aunt and Uncle Orange raised me, and I’ve been living with them my whole life. I came back to Ponyville after getting a letter from Macintosh saying that Granny Smith had passed on.”

“Well,” said Twilight, “If we’re going to fix this then you’ll have to stay here in Ponyville a bit longer. Will you help me, friend?”

Applejack smiled, and the fourth star appeared on Twilight’s flank.

“Now, I already showed you the photo. Do you recognise anypony in it?”

Applebloom couldn’t restrain herself anymore.

“MISS SPARKLE!” she blurted, “HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT MY SISTER?!”

“Miss...Sparkle?” asked Twilight, turning to the excited filly.

“Yeah! You’re my teacher!” exclaimed Applebloom. “At least, ah think you are...you did say y’all are from another universe though...”

“T...T...TEACHER!?” yelled Twilight. “I’M A TEACHER?!”

Spike, who had been busy explaining the plan to Applejack, turned back to Twilight.

“Well,” he said “I guess it’s a good thing we stopped for apples!”

Spike laughed, and was suddenly enveloped in a purple aura. Twilight’s horn glowed as she dropped the dragon on her back.

“We need to get to the schoolhouse, NOW!” she exclaimed.

“Why?!” laughed Spike, “Do you have papers to grade!?”

Twilight shot him a dirty look as she set off towards town. Spike was nearly in tears from laughter.

“Better hurry!” he said, chuckling, “We wouldn’t want to be tardy!”