Prologue:
My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm the Princess of Friendship. I am a Unicorn who lives in Ponyville, Equestria. I was raised in Canterlot as an Upper-class citizen. Though, for this, more details will come as needed.
You see, for the past few months or so, I've been scared of the future. What I saw shouldn't have been seen by anypony. A Cutiemark is a biological sign, triggered by both science and magic as well as circumstance. Due to this, both magic and science could change aspects of your cutiemark. One pony found out how to do this. Her name? Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight Glimmer had found the ability to utterly remove a Cutiemark, and it's magic. At the time, we had no idea what this meant. But through experience, we found that it did the following: 1, Inhibit what ever the Cutiemark said was your ability. 2, Reduce your personality to a lesser form of your true self. 3, though I'm not all sure how this happens, it seems to reduce your physical ability, including flight, magic and general ability such as movement and thinking.
Ever since that day, I've been researching and experimenting on a minor scale to see if I can find a cure; Find an antidote to this spell's effects. Anything from genetically modifying Poison Joke to old legends created long before Celestia was born. One of them, created in 286BC, was said to have a plant that could cure any ailment... It was just a (Now extinct) Adamanti Lily. The closest to a healing property it had was the fact that it was high in fiber and could clean out your body of some minor bacterial infections.
In the expanded Royal Canterlot Library, I found an ancient spell written by Starswirl the Bearded. He deemed both impossible and stupid. But I, will perfect this spell just like I did the Magical Mystery Cure. This spell combined both his research on Time and on Cutiemarks. The time aspect was that it could, in theory reverse any effects by rewinding the clock but keep the memories- as if you only changed the aliment's time-line.
That day, I gathered my friends together. We all were in the Hall of Harmony, a place in my castle where the Cutie Map resides. This is the place where many great things happened... if only this was one of those times...
My five closest friends were with me in that room. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Though we have only been together for a little over a year, it feels like we've been together forever. In fact, I barely remember my life before them. Fluttershy was the closest to me, while I remember Rainbow Dash being the farthest away from me at the time. We all agreed in that room that we would take down Starlight Glimmer through any legal means.
I was in the middle of casting the spell... but then... it began to backfire. The sheer power I put into it couldn't simply leave peacefully, no. Energy can't just disappear, it has to go somewhere. I had two options at the time. 1: Release all of the energy, killing all of my friends and all of Ponyville, leaving a large crater... or... 2: Go through with what ever happens. Since I like my friends, and I like being alive, I went with option 2.
Since I Knew that I haven't used this much power since the Magical Mystery Cure: a Spell that was used to bring your destiny straight to you at the cost of drastically changing everyone else's... Only one phrase came to mind.
“Please forgive me...”
Chapter 1: Applejack
Ah don't know what happened... but ah know somthin's not right. Mah name's Applejack, I'm a pony who's job it is to work hard and provide Apple foodstuffs to the pony-nation. Just before ah got up, ah was with Twilight and the others, we were trying to protect ourselves from an evil Witch named Starlight Glimmer. She was truly evil, takin' away pony freedom's that the good princesses give us.
Now, about my situation... I'm back to my self as a little filly, I'm cute as a button. Ah don't even have me cutiemark. Hmm... Maybe that has somthin' to do with that fancy unicorn magic Twilight was usin'... Cutiemark protection... I don't have my- Oh! That spell must have malfunctioned like a chipped shovel in hard soil. Well, that's fine, I'm back home in Sweet Apple Acres anyways, ah should be fine. Maybe I'll go downstairs and give my family some of my new time as a filly, Apple Bloom'll be excited to have someone her age in the family, even if just for a bit.
Ah head downstairs and see... Oh sweet Celestia... Big Mac ain't so big no more, He's Little Mac, he's a foal as well. Just the sweet little colt I remember, the one who took care of me those cold winter nights, the one who taught me how to work on the farm after dad left. Dad... If Big Mac is small... Maybe they'll be around too. Ah look around the house to find no pony but Not-so Big Macintosh, Granny Smith and Winona as a little Pup.
After a while ah see a Calender... That can't be... This is exactly 3 days before ah got my cutiemark, the day before ah left to Manehatten to try the city life with Auntie Orange. Alright Applejack, you've handled the God of Chaos, the Demonic Ruler of a Lost Kingdom, and a Chimera from the Everfree Forest, you aren't brainless, think. Ya may not be as smart as Twi or Rarity, but you do this, think through everything that happened.
Right... So, ah have no cutiemark, everypony seems about 8 years younger and the calender says it's just before my Cutiemark... Well then... ah think ah can figure it's just before that date, so ah I must have gone back in my timeline. Hopefully ah won't meet my past self and cause a pair of boxes... No, that ain't right... a Para-box? Para-dox? A Paradox? Yep, that's good. Well, if this is all true, I'll be going to Manehatten tomorrow. Maybe this time I'll be a bit nicer, try to get them to like me this time.
Ah then find a sleeping baby Applebloom. She's adorable. But ah better not wake her. I then walk into Big Mac, he has an eyebrow raised... oh no.
“What are you doing?” He tells me with his relatively deep voice considering his age right now.
“Uhhh... “ He looks at me with a face I know as “Tell me the truth”
“Well... ya see... ya wouldn't undastand it, I barely do, and I'm older then ya. Err... Ah mean...” I start to panic after I say that
“Older then me? I think you forget who my little sister is” He says with a slight grin.
“Well.. you see... Ah am from the future. Ah don't get it either, but hear me out, Big Mac, Please.” Ah ask my brother for this ridiculous request. Ah think through my thoughts and piece together what to say.
“Well... ya see, in four days ah get my cutiemark. Ah get it from back home from Manehatten when I find that I'm not cut out for the big city. Ah then, in eight or so years meet up with a couple other ponies, one of them lives in Ponyville now, so she could confirm me story. Her name is Rarity. I may not know her in this timeline, but ah sure know her from my own.” Ah say my story... It's unbelievable as ever.
“Applejack... you have way too much time on your hooves, if your making those kinda stories up, maybe ya should be a writer on the side. Ya writing needs work anyways, might as well have some fun doing it.” He didn't believe a word I just said... Then I'll just have to make him believe, I'll go find Rarity then.
“If you won't believe me, then I'll go find Rarity and she'll back me up.” I say, confidently...
“Oh yeah? Have fun in the rain. Or did you miss that on your search around the place? Anyways, the real reason I came looking for you, I'm helping Granny Smith with cooking dinner, mind setting up the table?” Big Mac said, I haven't heard that line in ages, not since Apple Bloom turned six. It brought back some old memories back.
Ah went and set up the table as I was asked, not talking, just takin' in my situation. Ah start thinking about all of this, ah create a short term plan. First, I have ta see Rarity as soon as possible. Second, ah have to go see Auntie Orange in Manehatten, see Dash's Rainboom and come home ta get my cutiemark. Though, for now I wouldn't mind just bein' with my family.
The rain stopped a bit after ah ate with me family. Over dinner, we talked about me going to Manehatten tomarrow. Big Mac also brought up my 'story' as if it were a simple fictional book. It took a lot for me ta not just buck him right in the face. He doesn't know what has happened. How could he? Well after dinner Ah said good night to everypony, went up stairs to sleep right away. ah set my alarm clock to 6:00PM. Ah plan on doing my packing extra early, then go see Rarity at 9:00, she said she woke around that time when she was young.
After ah woke up, ah packed a small bag, a hair brush, toothbrush, a picture of mom, dad, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Applebloom an' myself. This picture felt like an anchor between my time and now. I had this exact picture on my bedside table when ah was an adult. After ah packed up, ah went downstairs to have some breakfast. Nopony was up yet, so I cooked some blueberry pancakes for everypony. Ah sat at the table with three pancakes on a plate, I covered it with syrup. Ah ate my pancakes and then scribbled a note saying
“I went out, I'll be back before noon.
-Applejack”
Ah wonder what they'll think when they see ah cooked some pancakes, something ah didn't know how to make for another year or two. Ah go outside and then start walking all the way to Rarity's old home, her parent's house. ah walk through Ponyville, seeing many familiar faces from nearly a decade ago. Finally, ah get to Rarity's home, she'll remember everything. I knock on the front door.
In less then a minute Rarity herself opens the door.
“Hello? Who is th-” Rarity says until she noticed me. She then grabs me with her magic and drags me inside.
“Ohh, Applejack, I was going to go out looking for you. But you came for me. So, do you remember anything, darling?” Asks my old friend. She remembers everything just like ah thought she would.
“Yeah, I remember what happened, any idea how ta fix this?” Ah question Rarity, hoping she knows.
“No... not quite. But I do think that if we were to find Twilight she would be able to find a reversal like she usually does.” Rarity tells me.
“Have you pieced together the fact that we're back in time?” Rarity asks me... Oh no... She has her “Investigator Glance” ah need to get away quickly
“Uh... yeah, Ah did... Oh, but look at the time, it's 10:00 ... Ah err... ah gotta go now, Ah should be back in a couple days, ah gotta go get my Cutiemark back.
Ah soon walk back home. When there, ah say hello to everpony, get my bag and start walking to the train station. ah give the pony my ticket and get on the train. When ah get on the train, ah get to a seat and sit down. Ah fall sleep for my 5 hour train ride.
Ah was woken up by the speaker, ah was in Manehatten. So ah got up, and walked off the train. It was startin' ta get dark out, ah hurried too Auntie Orange's building. Ah crossed two roads usin' what ah learned from Rarity the other day, when we went ta help Coco Pommel. I got in ta the building and found Auntie Orange's door, I knocked: No answer. I pressed the door buzzer and was greeted by me Aunt.
“Oh, how great it is to meet ya again, Applejack, it's been ages, I remember when your Mum told me about you a- Oh? What's that look for?” My aunt wonders, she then thinks for a second.
“Ohh... I'm so sorry, Applejack, I'm so very sorry, I forgot my sister... Anyways, please, come in, we'd love to have you.” She continues, I remember from my last time that she laughed at my accent. So ah'll will try to speak as fancy as possible.
“Oh, thank you Auntie.” ah say with a slight bow of my head.
“Oh, I expected a more... thick accent.” She tells me, I smile, knowing that I won.
“Well, your room is upstairs, 3rd door on your left.” She continues Ah won't have to deal with them for very long. Just one day, and'll go home to get my Cutiemark.
“Thank you, Auntie.” ah say politely as ah walk off to the room. Upstairs, around the corner, and in the door.
Ah put down my bag, and sit on the bed. Ah look out the window... ah then look at a clock and see that in 1 hour, 27 minutes I'll see Dash's first Rainboom. Why do I know the time? Because she's told me so many times.
-1H 25m Until Rainboom-
Ah sit waiting, thinking about how my family must be doing
-1H 15m Until Rainboom-
As ah think about how my friends must be doing, How they must be with how everthing is goin'
-1H Until Rainboom-
Ah think about how my life has been up to this point, all my success, my failure, my good times, my bad. I could have lived a better life, maybe a restart could be good after all.
-32m Until Rainboom-
Auntie Orange tells me that she has some food from the party ah could eat, ah told her I'd be there is a half hour. What ah didn't say was that ah was waitin' for my cue to go back to Ponyville.
-14m Until Rainboom-
Ah just sat down, waiting at this point. Ah wasn't tired, Wasn't hungry, just waitin'.
-5m Until Rainboom-
Ah looked out the window... but then ah heard a loud boom, and a large rainbow circle to the west, Cloudsdale. It was early. This was when Ah would have been givin the drive to go back home and give up on Manehatten Life... But ya know what? Maybe I'll come back a bit sooner, maybe next year sometime?
-Tomorrow-
Ah got all of my things again and said my good byes and left, saying that Manehatten life just isn't for me after all. I go home to see my family. And then...
I got my Cutiemark Back, ah just know everypony else got theirs too. What could possibly have gone wrong?