Mama Applejackby Ace Pony StoriesChaptersEverything’s different Everything’s normalRemembering new memoriesA day of relaxing, A night of painTemporarily, Permanent ChangesUnbelievable TruthRise and surprise (fixed)Everything’s different Everything’s normalAuthor's Note Help with editing by Viper Pit Sorry this chapter has been so stupid I just deleted all chapters but the first one and hopefully it will work can someone please tell me if there’s someone I can talk to about this? Everything’s different Everything’s normal “How- How could-“ Applejack stuttered as she stared at the photo on the wall. Out of all the ponies in the picture two of them stuck out to the mare, a yellow stallion with a red mane who was wearing the same hat she wore and a beige coated mare with an orange mane with a hair band coloured the same as her eyes. “Ma, Dad? How’re they in this-“ Applejack couldn’t finish her statement with everything that was going through her mind. This picture was just like the one they’d taken when Starlight, Discord, Trixie and Thorax received the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage but Starlight and Sunburst were absent and her parents were standing with her and her family. “Abbajack wats wwong?” Twilight asked. The tiny alicorn looked at the picture to see a stallion and mare standing with Applejack and her family. It didn’t take long for the foal to figure out it was Applejack’s parents, Bright Mac and Pear Butter or Buttercup as most in town called her. Twilight never met them, at least that she remembered but the foal version of herself in this universe definitely had. Applejack just stared at the picture as she noticed more pictures her parents were in after a few minutes she head Twilight’s calls, “Abbajack!” Applejack snapped out of her trance, “Ye-Yes Twi. What do you want? Is something wrong?” Twilight shook her head, “No you wewe jus staweing at da potos fow wike fwee minutes.” Applejack sighed, “Ah, know it’s just ah can’t believe mah parents are in this picture.” Twilight said, “I unewstand.” the foal turned to the pictures, “I gwuess the speww did mowe dan we fiwst tought.” Applejack nodded, “Ah wonder if anypony knows what’s goin’ on? The others are actin’ like nothin’s out of the ordinary.” “Applejack!” a mare’s voice exclaimed. “Ah!” Applejack gasped. An instinct somewhere in the back of her mind kicked in pulling Twilight closer to her as she turned around seeing a Pink earth pony mare behind them. It was Pinkie Pie, “Y-yes Pinkie somethin’ wrong?” “No, the girls are just wondering what’s taking so long.” Pinkie said, “Little Twily seems just fine now.” “Don’ caw me Twiwy!” Twilight said remembering how her now former brother called her that name. “Awww you’re so cute what do you think she said AJ?” Pinkie asked not understanding the foal. “Wh-why Do ya ask?” Applejack stuttered making sure to keep her promise to Twilight to not draw too much attention. “Oh, just cause I always wonder what babies are saying when they make those adorable little babbling noises.” the pink mare exclaimed. Applejack glanced to Twilight who’s look told her what the answer was, “Well, guess the only one who knows what she’s saying is her.” Pinkie tilted her head, “Are you sure cause you can always tell when she’s hungry when she wants her bottle, her favourite toys or just hugs. Well then again Mrs. Cake always knows when Pound and Pumpkin want something and Princess Cadance knows when Flurry Heart wants something. So is it just mom thing? the pink mare asked. Applejack wanted to speak up about the situation but remembered what Twilight had said, “Yeah ah guess it is.” “Ok, are you gonna come to throne room now?” Pinkie asked. Applejack turned to Twilight who nodded, “Sure.” The earth pony said. The orange mare picked the alicorn foal up. Placing her on her back and left the room and walked to the throne room after entering Rarity asked, “Is Twilight alright?” Applejack nodded, “Yeah, she just needed a little time.” Fluttershy smiled, “I thought that was all she needed.” “So whatcha doing today AJ,” Rainbow asked. “Ah, don’ know.” Applejack answered “Well, I’m sure you’ll find something. But before you do I think you have a little tummy to feed.” Fluttershy stated Applejack for a second didn’t know what the shy pegasus ment but immediately remembered the alicorn on her back. The earth pony then heard a small but noticeable growling noise. Twilight blushed. But when her stomach growled again but this time instead of blushing a part of her mind caused her to start crying. Applejack reached on to her back and held Twilight with a forehoof, “Ah guess yer hungry are ya.” The foal stopped crying after a few seconds of Applejack gently rocking her. The earth pony left to go to the kitchen to get some foal food with how everything was going there was bound to be some. After entering the kitchen Applejack found there was a high chair set up by the crystal table. The earth pony sat the foal in the high chair. Twilight grumbled something like, “dis iws humiwiating.” Rarity chuckled at the foal’s expression, “Well somepony’s a little grumpy.” “Oh! Just look at those chubby cheeks!” Fluttershy cooed. softly squishing the foal’s little face. Applejack came back over to the table carrying a small jar with a spoon and bottle on her back. The earth pony had to restrain a chuckle at her ‘daughter’s’ reaction to their friends babying her. “Ok Twilight time for breakfast!” Applejack opened the jar placing the bottle on the table. After using the spoon to take a little scoop of the mushy food from the jar she tried giving the food to Twilight. The alicorn turned away from it several times but after hearing her stomach growl again she reluctantly ate the food. Applejack took another scoop this time Twilight quickly ate it. After emptying the jar one spoonful at a time, Applejack gave Twilight the bottle. Twilight grabbed the bottle with her tiny hooves and started to drink. This was still humiliating but she was thirsty and didn’t care how it was fixed. Twilight finished the bottle of what was obviously breastmilk. The alicorn could tell because the drink tasted very different from formula. As she was thinking the foal felt an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. Applejack realizing what was happening picked up the foal put her head over her shoulder and started to pat Twilight’s back. After a good five or six pats, the alicorn let out a little burp. After Applejack had her own breakfast and her friends left to do what they planned, she and Twilight started talking, “So, what‘cha ya think we should do Twi?” “Can we check awound town I wan’ to see what ewse is diffewent befowe we do anyting ewse,” Twilight stated. Applejack questioned, “Why? Can’t ya jus’ undo the spell now?” “No, not onwy am I a foaw now so I wikewy don’ have much contwow of my magwic. But I couwdn’t do it by mysewf anyway I don’ have enough magwic. I need Starwwight and Sunbuwst to cast it again.” Twilight shook her head. Applejack nodded and returned to the room she woke up in remembering she saw a foal carrier by the crib. Applejack put on the foal carrier and tightened the strap around her waist and putting Twilight in it, “Ya ready.” Twilight nodded. After Applejack got to the front door of the castle and left the building to see a big surprise the castle wasn’t where the two remembered instead it was right by Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack with her mouth open from shook asked, “J-jus’ how much did that spell change Twi?” “I don’ know we aweady know it made you my mama, changed evewypony’s memowies except ours, bwought back your pawents and now the castle is on the opposite side of town.” Twilight glanced around the farm. As the earth pony walked down the steps and into the familiar orchard she looked around the orchard was the exact same as she remembered until she ran into an older mare. Her mother Buttercup or to go by her real name Pear Butter. “Applejack, good morning!” Pear Butter smiled before coming over to hug her daughter. “Ma.” Applejack returned the hug, “Yer alive!” the younger mare thought feeling tears welling up. After a minute Pear Butter realized how long her daughter kept the hug up holding on to her as if she was about to disappear, “Is something wrong AJ? Why are ya crying.” Applejack realized she was crying as her mother said, “No everything’s fine ah jus’ had somethin’ in mah eyes. Pear Butter took a moment noticing her daughter wasn’t telling the total truth but moved to see the little alicorn in the foal carrier “Good morning to you too Twilight!” the mare said tickling her granddaughter’s belly. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from giggling like a baby. Trying to grab the mare’s hoof. Pear Butter smiled at the foal’s laugh and chuckled a little herself, “What are ya doing today?” “Jus’ gonna take Twilight around town.” the younger earth pony replied. The older mare nodded, “Ok, why don’t ya take her to the farm first Ah’m sure she wants to see her family!” Applejack smiled, “Ok Ah-ah’ll do that!” “Good!” Pear Butter kissed the two younger ponies. After the mare kissed her Twilight instinctively put her tiny hooves out trying to grab the mare’s muzzle. Despite not knowing this mare she felt sad when the mare pulled away. “Oooh don’t be sad!” Pear Butter said nuzzling the little pony. Twilight giggled, “Gwanma!” she said grabbing the mare’s muzzle without fully realizing it or what she’d called the mare. Pear Butter smiled, “That’s better. ” After saying goodbye Applejack turned and started walking towards the farmhouse. Once her mother was a safe distance away and out of earshot, “What was that about?” “I don’ know she nuzzwed me an’ I wost contwow of mysewf!” Twilight explained embarrassed. “Well ya said to blend in and yer definitely doin’ that.” Applejack said. The foal grumbled at the mare’s statement. Soon enough the mare had reached the red barn she’d called home for her whole life. As she pulled the door open letting herself in, she heard the voice of a stallion, her father Bright Macintosh. “Mornin’ Applejack!” “M-Mornin’ Dad. How’re ya today? “ Applejack returned the greeting trying her best to not breakdown. Bright Mac smiled “Good how’re ya and Twilight doin’ today?” “A-Ah’m d-doin’ good and Twi’s-“ Applejack glanced back to her ‘daughter’, “-she’s good too.” Bright Mac noticed his daughter’s hesitation, “Applejack are ya ok?” “Y-yeah A-Ah’m ok.” Applejack responded. Bright Mac paused, “Ok if ya say so. Have ya had breakfast yet?” “Y-yeah Ah have.” Applejack answered, “Jus’ came by to see ya.” The stallion replied, “Thanks. Hey Apple Bloom and her friends are in the other room. She’d love to see her niece.” Twilight grumbled again now the filly she’d once taught was her aunt, “Now Iw’m jus’ a hewpwess foaw.” Applejack stepped into the living room seeing five little fillies specifically her little sister and her friends, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom turned to see her big sister with her niece in a foal carrier, “Applejack!” the filly ran over to the mare giving the other earth pony a quick hug before going over to her niece, “Hi Twilight!” she said standing on her hind legs and nuzzling the foal. Twilight just giggled grabbing the filly’s muzzle. “Can Ah hold her?” Apple Bloom smiled. Applejack paused for a moment she knew the alicorn wasn’t going to like this but like she said they had to blend in so the orange mare took the foal out of the carrier and gently handed her over to her young sister, “Be careful.” “Ah will.” Apple Bloom beamed she reached her hoof out keeping her niece’s head safely on her forehoof. Twilight grumbled at being held like an infant. Apple Bloom just smiled giving the baby filly a prolonged nuzzle, “Why ya so grumpy? Wake up on the wrong side of the crib? Aren’t ya happy to see me?” Applejack smirked at what her little sister had said. Twilight although still frustrated did giggle after her ‘aunt’ started ticking her and blowing into her stomach, “There’s a smile!” Apple Bloom brought the foal over to her friends, “Hey girls, Applejack brought Twilight.” The other fillies came over to the yellow earth pony as she sat up on the couch. “Ooooh, she’s so cute! Look her little hooves just so eeee!” Sweetie cooed squishing her own cheeks. “Hard to believe a foal was able to become an alicorn while still in diapers.” Diamond stated. “And saved Equestria!” Scootaloo smiled. Twilight pouted slightly, “Why did dis happen to me.” Her pouting only made the fillies give more comments about how cute she looked. “Oh! Ya forgot Appee here last night Ah’ll go get her.” The filly said, “Do ya wanna hold her Sweetie?” The unicorn chirped a bit loudly, “Yes!” Twilight slightly flinched at the sudden loud noise from the young unicorn. Covering her head felt like she would start crying. Sweetie covered her mouth as the foal started whimpering with small tears in her eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to scare her.” Apple Bloom pulled the foal up to her chest resting the foal’s head on her shoulder, “Don’t cry Twilight.” in a repeat of earlier like with Applejack, Apple Bloom’s voice had a certain comforting familiar feeling to it. Making some unintelligible babbling without noticing herself. The foal found herself cuddling into the yellow earth pony. Apple Bloom smiled pulling the foal away from her and softly letting Sweetie Belle hold the alicorn. “Hi.” Sweetie smiled at the foal. Twilight just glanced over to her ‘aunt’ as she disappeared up the stairs the foal turned her head back to the filly she was currently being held by, “Don’t worry your auntie will be back soon.” The white unicorn assured the foal. The other fillies all gathered around the foal with Sweetie starting to play Peak a boo with the others joining in a little. Twilight found herself smiling and giggling every time the fillies pulled their hooves away saying things like, “Boo, There she’s is and here I am or we are.” Apple Bloom came down the stairs holding a small red earth pony plush in her hoof. Turning to her sister the filly asked, “Did Twilight sleep well without Appee. Ya know how she gets without her.” Applejack paused before replying, “I-it did take a while fer her to get to sleep.” In truth, she didn’t remember yesterday of this weird reality. Apple Bloom smiled as she stepped back over to the couch. “Ah’m back.” Sweetie turned the foal to face her aunt still keeping a hold of her. “What’s that?” Diamond asked. “It’s Twilight favourite toy Appee.” Apple Bloom said. “She left her here yesterday an’ Ah found her this mornin’.” Twilight started reaching out with her hooves, “Abbee!” She cried wanting the doll. Applejack came over as soon as her sister gave the foal the red toy. “Everythin’ alright?” “Yeah.” Apple Bloom smiled. “Well, hate to break up yer fun but Twilight and Ah gotta go.” Applejack said stopping a stutter. “Awww!” Apple Bloom sighed. Applejack picked the foal up putting her in the foal carrier. With the fillies waving goodbye the mare made her way back out giving her father a quick hug before making her way into town. “Do ya think Starlight an’ Sunburst are in town?” Twilight keeping hold of her toy could only shake her head, “I don’ know anymowe. Just ask somepony if they know a pony named Stawwight Gwimmew ow Sunbuwst.” “Ok keep blending in right?” Applejack asked. The foal nodded. “It’s easy fer you only Ah can tell what yer saying. But Ah have to lie to everypony even mah family.” Applejack sighed, “An’ when we get out of this Ah’ll have to say goodbye to mah parents..... again.” the earth pony teared up. Twilight tried to reach over a wipe the tear but couldn’t reach. Applejack noticing did so herself. “Thanks, are ya gettin’ hungry it’s been a while fer a foal.” Twilight blushed nodding as her tiny stomach growled, “Ok.” Applejack walked over on to the grass and took out a bottle from her saddlebag and holding Twilight in a fore hoof started giving the milk. Twilight instinctively started suckling the teat of the bottle. As the foal drank Applejack looked around seeing foals playing mares and stallions talking. Soon a mare came up Applejack recognized her as Bon Bon, “Hey Applejack.” “Hi, Bon Bon whatcha need?” Applejack asked taking the now empty bottle out of Twilight’s mouth. “Just passing by.” Bon Bon responded, “See you later.” “Abbajack!” Twilight reminded the orange mare of the two unicorns they were looking for. “Wait jus’ a question.” Applejack spoke up. Bon Bon turned her head back to the other earth pony, “What is it?” “Have ya seen anypony called Starlight Glimmer or Sunburst?” Bon Bon paused, “No I’ve never heard of anypony with those names.” Applejack recoiled dropping the bottle. Twilight physically reacted to the mare’s statement Bon Bon definitely knew Starlight but she just said she didn’t. Bon Bon looked down to the foal who seemed distressed, “Poor thing something must have startled her.” “Uh. Y-yeah.” Applejack responded picking up the bottle brushing it off before placing back in her bag. “Ah’ll see ya around.” “Ok.” Bon Bon said. After placing Twilight back in the foal carrier started walking into town. Their hope of finding the unicorns flickering slightly. Remembering new memoriesApplejack walked into the relocated castle with a now sleeping Twilight in the foal carrier. She’d asked several ponies around town about a mare named Starlight Glimmer and a stallion called Sunburst but they’d all said the same thing, “Never met anypony with either of those names before.” Applejack lost in thought felt a slight tug. Turning towards the tug seeing Twilight had just turned over and pulled the carrier slightly, “Ah could use a rest too.” The earth pony walked down the hall and into the room she’d woken up in that morning. Before climbing into bed the earth pony placed Twilight back in the crib, then put the foal carrier and her bag beside her bed. The earth pony climbed into the bed covering herself in the blankets and closed her eyes ready for a quick nap. Soon the mare drifted to sleep. After she had fully drifted off she started to dream an unusual dream of a stallion she’d never met before or at least didn’t remember meeting. Applejack looked out across the orchard as the sun got lower in the sky, “It’s a beautiful sight to see ain’t it Moonstone?” “Yeah, it is.” Moonstone responded, “A beautiful orange reminds of somepony.” Applejack turned towards the unicorn who had a dark blue coat and a purple mane with a lighter purple stripe beside his horn. Seeing he was staring at her making her blushed. Moonstone placed a hoof under the earth pony’s chin with a smile and leaned forward. Applejack leaned towards the stallion and kissed him. “I love you.” Moonstone smiled Applejack opened her eyes and looked around the room. She was back in the room she fell asleep in, “Why did Ah have that dream? Moonstone?” Applejack glanced downwards. “But what happened Ah didn’t see him around town and nopony mentioned him.” Applejack to her surprise saw Twilight in front of her, “Whoa! Twi how’d ya get out?” “I fwew out,” Twilight said in a matter of fact way Applejack rolled her eyes, “Ok did ya have a nice nap?” picking the foal up and placing her beside her “Yes.” Twilight smiled, “but I had a wiwed dweam.” “A dream?” Twilight nodded and in her baby voice explained the dream that felt more like a memory. Twilight opened her eyes slowly, “Eh!” the foal sounded. “Hi, Twilight.” Apple Bloom smiled at her niece, “Am Ah holdn’ her alright?” “Yer doin’ great Apple Bloom.” Bright Mac, “just keep sportin’ her head.” Twilight started squirming in her aunt’s hooves, “Ah, Eh!” “Why’s she squirmin’ so much?” Apple Bloom asked Reaching over her youngest Pear Butter rubbed the foal soothingly said, “She’s probably just hungry.” Applejack came back in hearing her daughter’s distress, “Ah’m back.” The earth pony walked over to the couch her mother stepped up letting her daughter sit down. “Ok, Apple Bloom Applejack has to feed Twilight now.” Pear Butter told the filly. Apple Bloom tilted her head, “But Applejack doesn’t have a bottle. Doesn’t she need that for her milk?” The adults chuckled “What?” The filly asked confused, “Where will Applejack get Twi’s milk?” Bright Mac placed a hoof on his daughter’s head, “You’ll know when yer older let’s just leave them alone fer now.” The filly although still confused gave the unicorn foal over to her mother, “Ah’ll tell ya when to come back.” As the other ponies left the room Applejack held her daughter close, “Ok Twilight time fer yer milk.” As the mother brought the foal close to her breasts Twilight took the teat of one in her mouth and started suckling as the warm liquid squirted into her mouth. After two minutes Applejack lifted the foal up resting her head on her shoulder. Twilight cuddled into her mother as Applejack patted her back. “Den I woke up,” Twilight said blushing the last bit. Applejack also blushed explained of the dream she’d had, “It was wired Ah remember him and Ah being together but Ah never dated somepony like that in our old reality.” “Abbajack.... you don’ tink he was my...” Twilight started before trailing off. Applejack kept looking down, “He might... but even after ya nodded off nopony mentioned him.” The two started to think while Applejack had to change Twilight’s diaper again why had they had those dreams seemingly of memories from this reality and most of all just who was this Moonstone could he really have been Twilight’s father and was even still around. “Applejack?” Pear Butter called out. Applejack stepped out into the hall, “Ma?” Pear Butter waved, “Winona’s feeling much better.” Applejack paused in all the confusion of the day she hadn’t noticed Winona’s absence. The brown dog rushed over to her owner giving her a loving kiss. “Ok Winona down girl.” Applejack smiled. The ever loyal pet stopped and sat down beside Applejack particularly to the side where Twilight was most leaned towards. “What ya doin’ here is everything alright?” Applejack asked. Pear Butter smiled, “Ah’m fine. Ah, ran into your friend Fluttershy she was bringing Winona back. So Ah told her Ah was coming to see ya so Ah’d drop her off.” Applejack nodded. Pear Butter smiled, “Are ya getting hungry? It is lunch time.” “S-sure.” Applejack responded she only had a brief moment with her mother earlier buy now she was going to have to keep her composure for longer. Pear Butter again noticing her daughter’s uncertainty, “Applejack This isn’t like you! Yer usually honest with me about yer problems.” Applejack led the way to the kitchen sitting Twilight into the high chair with the alicorn still not liking it. Pear Butter smiled as she sat beside her granddaughter. Twilight trying to follow her own words of blending in as the foal she was started lightly pounding her hooves on the tray in front of her. Pear Butter giggled, “Applejack I think the little Princess is getting impatient.” Applejack turned over with bottle and jar of foal food noticed Twilight’s little act, “Ok, Ah’m comin’.” She came over giving Twilight a smile. Pear Butter stood up, “Ah’ll make our lunch while ya give Twilight hers.” Applejack nodded, “Ok!” The older mare stepped over to the counter and pulled something out of the cupboard. Applejack trying not to speak too loud said, “See yer blendin’ in. Must easy fer ya bein’ a foal.” “Onwy wif you jus’ tink about tawking,” Twilight mumbled before taking the spoonful the earth phase held out for her. Applejack just took another spoonful from the jar remembering all the comments Twilight had made about how humiliating being a foal was. Having to be fed mushy food, drink milk from a bottle or..her mother, wearing diapers while consciously being a full grown mare must be quite aggravating. Applejack after unfulfilling the jar gave Twilight the bottle she’d warmed up. The foal took the bottle herself and started drinking the dream’ still in her mind now the milk had a familiar taste only confirming what was obvious this was definitely Applejack’s milk. Pear Butter came back over just as her granddaughter had drank the last of her milk. The mare set two plates with simple sandwiches on them. “Thanks.” Applejack smiled glancing over to the older mare, “Y-ya didn’t have to do that.” Pear Butter smiled, “Ah know, but Ah wanted to.” Applejack smiled picking her sandwich up after taking a bite noticed Twilight’s slightly angry expression only her baby face made it look adorable. Pear Butter glancing saw her granddaughter’s face, “What’s wrong Twilight?” Applejack turning back to mother had to think up a reason, “Maybe she’s sour that her lunch stopped.” Pear Butter giggled, “Well nopony likes that.... Applejack?” Pear Butter’s tone suddenly changed, “Is something going on? Yer friends told me you were acting a little strange earlier and Twilight was very upset before breakfast. And I noticed when ya came over you cried after ya saw me and her Dad said ya acted strange around him as well. Applejack if something’s happened you can talk, to us please.” Applejack looked down shaking, “Blend in Applejack Blend in! But Ah want to tell somepony! But Ah need to make sure Ah don’t lose Twilight!” with feeling no other way out Applejack ran out of the kitchen clearly upset. “Applejack?!” Pear Butter stood up concerned. Applejack ran down the hall. Twilight’s expression fell she couldn’t help but feel responsible for Applejack’s state, “Maybe we could jus’ teww one pony.” Pear Butter turned around to see her granddaughter visibly upset, “Ooooh!” The mare exclaimed picking the foal up out of the chair cradling her. “You poor thing! It must be so confusing seeing your mama so upset. She’s the one who’s supposed to comfort you.” the mare sighed giving the alicorn a kiss on the forehead just below her horn, “If only ya could tell me what’s goin’ on. Applejack had run through the castle and all the way to the throne room, “Ah’m sorry Ma. Ah, can’t tell ya. Ya wouldn’t believe me!” The earth pony groaned, “Starlight, Sunburst where are ya?” The earth pony glanced back up. The map was still there like their old reality through memory Applejack glanced towards where Starlight’s village was, “Maybe they know where....... Huh?” where the small village was instead was an open filled between the mountains. Like nopony had ever been there, “B-but it was there!” Pear Butter came into the room with Twilight in her forehoof, “AJ. Please tell me did you... does this have anything to do with Moonstone?” Applejack paused that stallion again. But why would he be a reason to be upset about. “I remember just yesterday you and Rainbow Dash were called by that map to Fillydelhia his home town. You ran into him, didn’t you? He still tried to act like Twilight’s father after abandoning her and you.” Applejack and Twilight froze after hearing that, “H-he abandoned me?” The earth pony thought. Twilight could only think, “My father abandoned me and Applejack... he didn’t want me. my father didn’t want me?” Applejack could bearly hold back the truth her mind was screaming, to tell the truth. While also saying to blend in like nothing’s different, “A-Ah can’t tell ya.. not yet!” As Pear Butter was about to speak up but a soft sound got her attention. She looked down seeing Twilight with small tears running down her cheeks quietly sobbing. “Twilight?” Applejack walked over as her mother attempted to ease the foal’s sadness. Pear Butter started bouncing the foal softly, “Shhh it’s ok Twilight.” The mare looked up to her daughter before glancing back down, “Poor dear. Don’t worry yer Grandmare is here.” Applejack looked down at the alicorn realizing the foal was starting to calm. Twilight finding the mare’s warm voice so soothing cuddled into her chest. Pear Butter smiled, “There all better.” Applejack smiled. “AJ how about Ah take care of Twilight fer a few hours. Ya could use some time to think.” Pear Butter suggested, “Just please promise you’ll tell me what’s wrong soon.” Applejack tried to think but saw a quick glance from Twilight before she said, “Bwend in.” The younger earth pony nodded to her mother, “Ok Ah guess she’ll like some time with ya. Ah, promise Ah’ll tell ya sometime this week. Ah’m just not ready to say it.” Pear Butter smiled, “Thank you AJ. No matter what it is Ah’ll be here fer ya.” Twilight turned her head to look up at the beige earth pony who soon looked down at her giving a soft smile. “We’ll be goin’.” Pear Butter responded. “Ok.” Applejack nodded looking down at Twilight “Maybe try and see if ya can get something done at the Spa. Ya could use something relaxing.” Pear Butter suggested. Applejack nodded, “Maybe Ah do need somethin’.” the earth pony did feel a little stiffness in her back, “Guess the Applejack in this reality is so busy with Twilight she hasn’t really gotten much chance to relax and Ah bearly had that in our old reality.” Pear Butter smiled, “Good.” The older mare left the room leaving her daughter behind. Applejack looked over the large table looking to see what else was different, “Only Starlight’s Village is gone.” As the mare left the room and slowly walked down the hall to the front the memories of several ponies saying they never knew a pony named Starlight Glimmer and the village seemingly gone lead Applejack to only one possible answer. Author's Note Proofread by: Viper Pit A day of relaxing, A night of painTwilight sat in the foal carriage her ‘Grandmother’ had gotten after stopping at Sweet Apple Acres. The carriage gave her more room to move around but keeping her words to Applejack to blend in. So she mostly kept still giving an occasional curious glance like a foal would. Pear Butter giggled at the filly glancing around assuming she was curious of her surroundings, “Yer just like your mother when she was a baby. The only thing yer missin’ is her appetite.” Twilight just stared up, “When wiww wit end!” she mumbled Pear Butter only hearing a The soft incoherent mumble smiled, “Yer definitely gonna be a talker, are ya?” Twilight couldn’t help but smile as the earth pony gave her a quick rub causing her belly to jiggle slightly. “Pear Butter.” a familiar voice greeted. Pear Butter glanced towards the voice. While Twilight peaked out from the carriage slightly. The familiar face of her old friend Chiffon Swirl or as she was known as know Cup Cake or Mrs. Cake. “Howdy Chiffon it’s great seeing you.” Pear Butter smiled. Mrs. Cake walked up next to the other mare, “Taking your granddaughter out for today? Planning on spoiling her?” “Maybe a little, but isn’t that what Grandmares are supposed to do?” The mare smiled. “Well, Pumpkin and Pond’s sure do.” Mrs. Cake chuckled slightly, “What are you gonna spoil her with?” Pear Butter glanced towards her granddaughter, “Maybe a new toy or two.” “She does have her teeth now. Think her mother would mind her having her sweet tooth fed?” the blue earth pony offered. “Well I certainly don’t mind and I don’t think she’ll mind either.” Pear Butter placed a hoof on her granddaughter. “Don’t tell your mother.” Mrs. Cake winked at the foal. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, “I would like something sweet.” The two old friends chatted while walking towards the bakery Twilight kept thinking to herself, “Maybe I’ll find something if we can find the spell again.” “Wonder what she's thinking?” Mrs. Cake asked. Pear Butter shrugged. Meanwhile Applejack stepped into the quite building only hearing a few voices and soft music playing, “Hello Appleyack.” an accented voice greeted. The orange mare stepped towards the voice, “Howdy Aloe. Ah’m here for steam and massage.” Aloe nodded, “Of course. Right, this way.” Applejack followed the pink mare down the hallway, “Glad to see somethin’ hasn’t changed.” “You may want to know Rarity came in just before you,” Aloe explained. Applejack walked alongside the mare. As much as she enjoyed her spa days with her friend when she could make it. But it was going to be hard to keep her secret from her friend especially after keeping it from her mother throughout their lunch. As the door of the Steam Room opened Rarity took the cloth off her face to see her old friend enter. “Applejack!” the white unicorn exclaimed, “What brings you here?” “Ah just realized with takin’ care of Twi so much, Ah haven’t come here much.” Applejack said sitting down. Rarity sighed slightly, “You’ve barely been here since you were pregnant with her. Last time I had to drag you while you were explaining the proper temperature for Twilight’s bottle to Mrs. Cakes.” Applejack chuckled even though she didn’t remember the event. The earth pony just sat next to her friend as she and the unicorn spoke about other topics, Like old fillyhood stories which luckily for Applejack were almost exactly the same as she remembered. Twilight and Pear Butter At Ponyville’s local bakery Sugarcube Corner, Pear Butter spoke with her friend while keeping an eye on her granddaughter sitting on the floor. “Twilight isn’t as playful as she usually is.” Mrs. Cake glanced at the little alicorn. “Yer right. Applejack was actin’ strange too. When Ah saw her this mornin’ she got pretty emotional.” “Hmmm. Could she have run into Moonstone?” The blue mare asked. Pear Butter watched her granddaughter, “She may have. She was in Fillydelphia yesterday and he does live there.” “When will he stop intruding, he had his chance to Twilight’s father but after everything, he’s done he doesn’t even have the right to speak to her!” Mrs. Cake exclaimed with anger. Twilight looked down her mind racing with thoughts of who this ‘Moonstone’ was he’d left his girlfriend while she was pregnant and only came back when the child was crowned as a princess. He seemed selfish and no one seemed to have anything good to say about him. Pumpkin and Pound moved towards the alicorn, “Twiwight! Why won’t you pway with us?!” Pumpkin wined. Twilight’s shot up in shock. She could understand Pumpkin her voice was the same as her broken foal speech yet she could understand it. “I’m sowwy, Pumpkin... I don’t feew good.” “Why don’ you ask youw Mama fow hewp?” Pumpkin asked. Pound pushed a small toy piano over to the alicorn, “Hewe moosic wemembew!” Mrs. Cake glanced over to the three foals, “Oooooh. Look!” Pear Butter smiled, “They’re so cute! Trying to cheer Twilight up.” Twilight remembered her own words to Applejack and pushed the small key on the toy as it sounded an off-key music note. The alicorn found herself giggling pressing more keys. Soon enough she was playing every key on the instrument. The alicorn filly ran around the room with the other two foals. “Well, whatever they said to her definitely helped.” Pear Butter chuckled. “Now if only I knew why Applejack acting like she is.” Later that night Applejack and Twilight enjoyed their day and were able to learn facts of this reality they’d be popped into. But one fact scared them, no one had remembered Starlight or Sunburst. Twilight’s mind kept considering the worst the last time she heard them they were screaming then they just disappeared from the new reality the spell created. The two were in the room they woke up in the earth pony was holding a bottle in Twilight’s mouth. The alicorn slowly suckled on the tip of the bottle feeling the bottle slip away. Twilight gave a soft squeaky yawn. Applejack smiled, “Well guess yer ready fer some sleep now.” Twilight looked into the mare’s eyes, “Ok. But wet’s stawt eawy tomowow.” The earth pony patted the alicorn’s back until the foal let out a soft burp, “Well let’s make sure ya get enough sleep. Yer a foal now after all.” As her eyes fluttered the foal managed to say, “I know. You tink I don’.” Applejack walked over to the crib placing Twilight in covering her with the blanket inside. “Goodnight Twilight. Sweet dreams Sugarcube.” “Tanks Abbajack. Night.” Twilight closed her eyes her foal body unable to stay awake much longer. The earth pony lied down on the bed she’d begun her day in. But little did she know her dreams were going to be anything but sweet. She again had a returning memory from this reality. Applejack’s dream During a late summer day, Applejack walked up to a single tree. “Huh?” the mare felt a cramp in her stomach. “Why does that keep happenin’.” She wound up with to give the tree a good buck, but she was suddenly overcome with dizziness, “Ehh!” The mare heard a familiar voice greet her, “Applejack?” “H-hey Ma.” Applejack returned getting her balance back. “Are ya still gettin’ those spells?” Pear Butter asked. The younger earth pony nodded, “Yes. But it’s nothin’-“ “You’ve been havin’ them for about two weeks now. AJ, Ah think ya need to get it checked.” Applejack thought for a moment. Her mother wasn’t going to back down. “A-Ah guess it’s worth checking.” Pear Butter smiled as her middle child left for the hospital for a check-up. Applejack took a while to walk to the hospital. On her way, she ran into her boyfriend Moonstone. “AJ!” the unicorn stallion exclaimed. “Wh-Why are you out here. Thought you’d be up at the farm.” The mare sighed, “Ah’ve been havin’ some dizzy spells for two weeks now. So Ah’m goin’ to the hospital to see if anythin’s wrong.” Moonstone put a hoof around the mare, “Ok see you later.” the stallion leaned down slightly planting a soft kiss on the earth pony’s cheek. “I love you.” Applejack blushed, “Love ya too.” The couple went their separate ways for the day. Applejack sat in the waiting room her stomach still cramping a few times. “Ms. Applejack Apple?” A light brown stallion called. “That’s me.” Applejack stood up. While the mare sat in the office the stallion, Doctor Stable asked the mare, “So you’ve been experiencing dizziness and cramping daily for two weeks.” “Yeah.” Applejack nodded. To try and diagnose what her symptoms could mean the doctor asked, “Have you had any nausea or sickness at any point in the day?” Applejack paused, “Well not as often but sometimes, Ah do when Ah wake up.” “Well, there’s one thing this could mean. But I must ask you to take a small test. I’ll need a little blood sample.” The doctor continued. The mare looked confused so asked, “What’s this for?” The doctor placed a hoof on his desk, “Well your symptoms may be from pregnancy.” Applejack recoiled from shock slightly could she actually be pregnant. She did have an intimate relationship with Moonstone but did that lead to them conceiving a foal. She remembered his last visit about 5-6 weeks ago with what they’d done it was certainly a possibility. “Ok.” Applejack nodded. After having her blood drawn and a few other tests the earth pony waited for the doctor to return with her diagnosis. The earth pony stallion walked into the room with a smile, “I have good news. Congratulations I can confirm you’re 7 weeks pregnant.” Applejack looked down at her stomach. She was going to be a mother. she felt like, she could already see her and Moonstone raising their foal together. “I’m sure you’re excited to tell your family.” Doctor Stable smiled. Once she left Applejack made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres. On her way back the mare constantly played what she was going to say to her family. She also imagined what Moonstone’s reaction would be he’d be happy, hearing he was going to be a father. The earth pony soon saw the familiar sight of apple trees surrounded her while a large red barn appeared. After getting close she heard the familiar voices of her loved ones. The mare took a breath and entered. “Applejack!” Apple Bloom rushed up to her older sister. While the mare wrapped her hoof around the yellow filly she heard her mother ask, “So did you hear anything about why you’ve been feeling sick.” “Yeah, Ah did.” Applejack nodded, “And Ah have some great news.” The other adults in the room turned their heads. “What is it?” Pear Butter asked. “Ah’m pregnant. The Apple Family is gonna have a new member soon.” The mare smiled rubbing her stomach. Pear Butter began grew a large smile, “Y-you mean Ah’m gonna be a GRANDMARE!?” Applejack nodded. While Pear Butter embraces her middle child Bright Mac put a hoof over their youngest, “Isn’t that great Apple Bloom, Yer gonna be Aunt soon.” Apple Bloom chirped, “Ya mean it!” Moonstone just stayed in stunned silence. He couldn’t believe this had happened. He and Applejack had actually conceived a foal and she was so happy about it. Granny Smith jokingly poked her grandson and oldest grandchild, “Well Big Mac looks like Applejack is the first to give me a great grandfoal.” “N-no this couldn’t happen!” Moonstone thought to himself, “W-Wait maybe it isn’t mine.” The family soon noticed that Moonstone the father of the developing foal had kept completely silent. Applejack was the first to speak up, asking her lover, “Somethin’ wrong Moonstone.” “Y-yeah something’s wrong! H-how could you be pregnant!” Moonstone exclaimed. “Ah’m sure ya know how Sugarcube with what we’ve been doin’.” Applejack said keeping her word choice coy with Apple Bloom in the same room. Moonstone internally growled, “N-no there’s no way in TARTARUS it’s my foal. Y-you could have easily slept with some other stallion while I was away. That’s the truth isn’t it!” Applejack couldn’t even gasp from her shock. While she and her family stood speechless. Bright Mac turned to his son with a very serious expression and tone, “Big Mac take Apple Bloom outside, she shouldn’ hear any of this.” Big Mac nodded and took his youngest sister by the hoof and lead her outside hoping that she could stay as oblivious of the situation. While he left he shot Moonstone a dirty glare showing his anger towards him. After her siblings had left and were well out of earshot Applejack spoke up, “Moonstone... Ah-Ah can’t believe you’d say somethin’ like that.” Moonstone stomped his hoof, “Well if I’m the father I decide if it’s even born. We are stopping this stupid thing right now!” “Ah ain’t doin’ anythin’ like that.” Applejack stood up. Moonstone stepped forward, “No you ARE going to. I’m not having a foal!” Applejack replied, “But Ah want this foal. Ah know we're a bit young but-“ “I DON’T WANT IT!“ Moonstone angrily. “So then choose Applejack stop this foal before it’s born! Or I leave and you’ll have to raise an obnoxious, screaming creature all on your own.” Applejack looked down staying silent considering her options. The unicorn wasn’t exactly happy about that. “So! What’s your choice?” Moonstone asked. “Or are you admitting you were sleeping around and just want to have somepony to pin this on!” Applejack looked back up. He was still believing she’d do that to him. Her choice was obnoxious the best choice for both of them, “Maybe it’s best if we end this.” “Finally you see reason!” “No. Ah mean being together. Ya obviously don’ want a foal and don’ trust me anymore with all this talk about me cheatin’ on ya. Ah think we shouldn’t see each other anymore.” Moonstone’s jaw dropped. He thought he’d finally gotten through to her, “Rrrrrr! ARG! FINE YOU’VE MADE YOUR CHOICE! ENJOY BEING SINGLE AND HAVING TO LOOK AFTER A WASTE! Call me when you realize just how terrible your life will be. A dishevelled single mother on a filthy farm with her useless farming parents and so old she can’t move grandmother!” Applejack froze, her father barely stopping himself from charging right at the younger stallion, “G-get out!” “What!?” Moonstone asked, The orange mare rose her head and looked at the stallion she thought loved her in the eyes. She tried to resolve this peacefully and respectfully for both of them. But after insulting her family she’d had reached her breaking point. While barely holding back tears she said again, “GET OUT! YA AIN’T WELCOME HERE!” “You can’t-“ Bright Mac and Pear Butter got right between the two. While his wife comforted their middle child he told the stallion in an intimidating voice, “Ah suggest ya leave! If you come anywhere near mah daughter again you will regret it!” Moonstone glared before turning away shouting all the way, “ENJOY YOUR PATHETIC LIFE! I’LL NEVER COME BACK. TELL THE FOAL DADDY HATES IT.” saying his last statement in a very venomous tone. After he left Applejack felt her tears run down her cheeks. Moonstone was gone. The stallion she loved, the father to her foal. The earth pony already decided then that the foal would never be told what had happened between her and it’s father. ..... Applejack shot up in bed. Looking around she was in her new room in Twilight’s Castle, “I-It’s was just a dream. Calm down.” the earth pony touched her face realizing her damp fur. She was crying in her sleep. “B-but it felt so real. L-like that other dream.” The earth pony glanced towards the crib near her bed. In it, Twilight was sleeping peacefully in a way only a foal could. Lying back down the earth pony hoped her sleep would be just as peaceful. Author's Note Dialogue ideas for Applejack’s dream were suggested by: Viper Pit Temporarily, Permanent ChangesAfter the long night had passed Twilight woke in her crib. It was her second day in this new reality and she still wasn’t used to her new foal body, mostly her need of diapers. The alicorn looking through the wooden bars saw her new ‘mother’ still sleeping. The foal side of her mind trailed off towards the toys in her crib, especially towards her foal counterpart’s favourite Appee. Holding the red pony doll Twilight, despite not having any memory of it, felt a certain happiness while embracing it. Soon enough Applejack sat up in her bed and glanced towards the crib seeing her ‘daughter’ awake playing with the toys in her crib. Twilight’s foal side obviously having took over her adult consciousness, “Good Mornin’.” Applejack greeted. Twilight looked up at the orange earth pony looking down on her, smiling. The alicorn smiled back, “Mowning.” The earth pony picked the foal out of the crib. After giving Twilight a fresh, clean diaper, she sat on her bed again with Twilight in her hooves. “What should we be doin’ today Twi?” “We shouwd wook awound some mowe.” Twilight said, “We didn’t weawwy wook awound my castwe.” Applejack nodded, “Yeah, guess we did just go around town.” Later The two were able to find their way around the castle. It hadn’t changed much, other than foal toys and some of Applejack’s belongings scattered around some places. Then they reached the library. What they saw shocked them. The circle from the spell’s ritual was still on the floor as if nothing had changed, “It’s still here?!” Twilight flapped her wings getting out of the older pony’s grasp. Flying around she saw it was still fully intact. Looking at the bookshelves she did find some of her magic, history and other books but there were also a lot that weren’t there before. They were for young foals like she was now. Applejack began looking around the room herself and found a small stack of old parchment. She picked it up and called Twilight over, “Twilight what’s this?” The little alicorn turned around, she could tell what it was, “Da Speww!” “So, it’s still here?” Applejack questioned. Twilight flapped her wings flying over and sitting on the small table in the library, “Wet me see it.” The older pony set the papers in front of the foal. Twilight slid the pages across the table looking on the front and back of each page for any sign of a counter spell that she may have forgotten about but found nothing. All she found were just some lines on the back of the last page. “Anythin’?” Applejack pressed. Twilight shook her head expressing as much frustration as her face could which wasn’t much and just looked like a cute cranky foal, “No noting! Jus.... six wittle tiwcks on da back.” “Six?” The earth pony tilted her head picking the paper up. She saw the alicorn was correct. There were six small ticks on the paper, four with a fifth going through them and a sixth beside them. “It’s almost like somepony was countin’ somethin’.” Twilight closed her eyes, “Counting something? What could it be counting?” The two kept thinking when Twilights’s tiny stomach gave a low growl. The alicorn blushed looking up at the mare with a sheepish smile. The earth pony chuckled picking the little alicorn up into her hooves, “Let’s get ya some breakfast. Then get back to our little investigation.” Twilight sighed, “Ok.” As Applejack walked away she barely caught the sight of the foal gripping the papers in her magic obviously intending to keep the spell in her sight. The earth pony continued walking to the kitchen. “Abbajack?” The older pony looked down at the foal in her grip, “Yes?” “I’m wowwied about Stawwlight.” Twilight said, “It’s wike she disappeawed into tin air.” “Ah’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she has a different life now like us.” Applejack assured. Twilight perked back up, “M-maybe. But we might nevew find hew. Equestwia is huge. She could hav been bown in a diffewent town or maybe not in the countwy at aww, if-if-“ Applejack placed a hoof on the foal before Twilight could say what the earth pony knew she was going to say. “Calm down Sugarcube. Let’s not get too riled up. We can’t find her and Sunburst if we’re so negative.” Twilight took a quick breath, “Wight.” Upon reaching the kitchen Applejack placed Twilight in the high chair, again getting a slight grumble from the alicorn. “Nopony ewse is hewe. Can’ I jus’ sit nowmawy.” “Yer a bit to small fer that Sugarcube. It’s either in the high chair, in my hooves or on the table.” “I’w sit hewe.” Twilight said begrudgingly. The earth pony chuckled, “Well since that’s settled. Let’s get some food in ya.” While Applejack fed her the mushy food by the spoonful, Twilight glanced at the scroll, her mind racing as to where Starlight and Sunburst could be. Sunburst didn’t seem to be in the Crystal Empire and Starlight wasn’t in Ponyville. So where could either of them be? The little alicorn thought of every place that held meaning to the two ponies. She knew one last place that came to mind, Sire’s Hollow, their birth place. “I gow wit!” Twilight said forgetting she had food in her mouth which caused it to fly out and splatter on Applejack’s face. The foal awkwardly chuckled, “Sowwy.” After wiping the mush off, the older pony asked, “So what’s yer big revelation?” Twilight continued, “If Stawwight and Sunbuwst awen’ in Ponyviwwe or da Cwystaw Empiwe dey couwd be in Siwe’s Howwow!” “Sire’s Hollow? Well, it’s the only place we know where either of them could be. But remember how different our lives are. They could live on the other end of Equestria in this reality.” Applejack reminded the foal. Twilight nodded knowing full well that was true, but like Applejack said it’s the only place they knew the two could be. After eating, the pair soon left. Applejack made sure to bring to a bag with a few fresh diapers, foal powder and bottles for Twilight. Keeping the alicorn in a foal carrier on one side and the bag on the other, Applejack left the castle overlooking the vast orchard. “So ya ready for our little trip?” “Yeah hopefuwwy dis wiww get tings back to nowmaw.” Twilight replied. Later After getting on the train Applejack was almost immediately swarmed by ponies fawning over the little princess she was carrying. On the long ride foals just kept wanting to play with Twilight and their parents were talking with Applejack preventing the two from talking completely about what their plan would be when they reached their destination. After reaching the station the earth pony stepped on the platform near the small village. Walking over to the gate Applejack looked around, “Well doesn’t look like anything’s changed here.” “Doesn’ WOOK wike it.” Twilight emphasized, “But oder dan da castle Ponyviwwe didn’ change.” Applejack sighed, “Yeah, Yer right. Hopefully we can find Starlight or Sunburst.” “And dey wemembew us.” Twilight added. The earth pony began walking as Twilight looked around for any sign of her friend and former student. Applejack was more paying attention to where she was walking but still tried to look around for the either the mare or stallion. “Oh, welcome to Sire’s Hollow!” a voice greeted. Applejack turned to see a mare she met a few times, Sunburst’s mother Stellar Flare. “Oh you’re Ms. Applejack, mother of Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The older mare then noticed the little alicorn in a foal carrier, “And you brought the regale cutie herself. What brings you to our humble little town?” Applejack paused. The unicorn acted like it was the first time they’d met. “Oh. Ah. Ah just came cause a friend of mine lives here. Ah haven’t seen her for a while.” Stellar smiled, “Oh well that’s wonderful. I hope you two can catchup.” The earth pony nodded. Turning away she heard the mare sigh with a saddened tone. “Is somethin’ wrong?” Applejack asked the older mare. “Oh! No, it’s nothing.” The mare glanced at the foal who stared back at her. “I have somewhere to be.” Before the younger mare could even say a word the unicorn hurriedly left. Twilight saw her turn a corner losing sight of her as she disappeared behind the wall of a building. “Where’d she go, Twi?” Twilight shrugged not seeing where the mare had gone. “Well let’s see if we can find Starlight. With how she’s actin’ who knows where Sunburst is.” Applejack turned around, “Do ya remember where she lived?” Twilight paused a moment and pointed ahead. The earth pony resumed their trek to find their friend despite a few ponies who stopped them to see Twilight. The alicorn internally shouted, “I can’t take this much longer.”. Then one idea came to mind that she hadn’t thought of before, if they stayed in this reality longer than they hoped. “Please do NOT make me go through puberty AGAIN!” Applejack eventually got the ponies to leave and the two found Starlight’s old home. The earth pony knocked on the door She tried again after not getting a response. “I’ll be right there!” a male voice called. Twilight closed her eyes remembering the voice as Starlight’s father, “Please still be living here. Please still be living here.” Applejack completely unknowingly was thinking the same thing as the foal. The minute it took for the door to open felt more like an hour. The door opened as the ‘mother’ and ‘daughter’ held their breath. In a few seconds the opened door revealed a unicorn stallion, Starlight’s father Firelight. The stallion greeted, “Hello, I wasn’t expecting anyone to visit.” Firelight exclaimed, “Oh! Ms. Applejack and Princess Twilight.“ Applejack smiled, “Yeah, Does anypony else life here? Ah remember a friend of mine livin’ here.” The stallion shook his head, “No, nopony else lives here. I do know where everypony lives though. I could help you find your friend.” Applejack thought about what the stallion said before she headed Twilight try to get her attention. The alicorn pointed to her diaper. Taking her out of the foal carrier patting her diaper Applejack realized she needed a change, “Sure. Do ya know somewhere Ah can get this one into a new diaper.” “You can change her in here.” Firelight offered. “Um. Ok.” Applejack accepted The stallion slid back inside holding the door open for the younger pony. While she was carried through the halls Twilight looked around seeing multiple pictures of Starlight as a foal with her father. Twilight let out a sigh of relief knowing Starlight still existed in this reality, “We just need to find her. Maybe Firelight will know.“ Firelight motioned his hoof towards a door, “You can use the bathroom.” “Ok thanks.” Applejack nodded. The earth pony entered softly placing Twilight on the fairly large counter. Twilight blushed, “I hate weawing a diapew. Sowwy you have to put up with dis.” Applejack smiled, “Don’t worry about it. Ah ain’t exactly thrilled about changin’ diapers after Apple Bloom was potty trained but Ah’m fine with it.” “We at weast know Stawwight was hewe once.” Twilight explained, “Maybe ask Fiwewight.” “But what would Ah even ask?” Applejack questioned. Twilight thought for a moment before answering, “Twy asking as anothew pawent?” “Another parent?” Twilight nodded, “Yea twy saying how you notwiced the pictuwes and wewe cuwious about dem.” Applejack nodded as she wrapped a fresh diaper around the alicorn foal. The earth pony carried the foal out of the bathroom meeting the stallion and together they sat down in what seemed to be a Living Room, “Thanks fer lettin’ me do that.” “No problem. Now who were you looking for?” Firelight asked. Applejack paused. She knew she had to blend in so she thought about how she would answer this question, “She’s a unicorn. Her name is Starlight.” “Starlight.” Firelight said distantly, “That’s a really nice name it’s actually my daughter’s name.” “You’re daughter?” Applejack feigned ignorance. The stallion nodded, “She was a very energetic filly. I don’t remember anypony else with the same first name as her ever living here.” Applejack paused, “Maybe Ah was mistaken. Ah could have sworn she lived here.” Firelight nodded, “Sorry I couldn’t help you much.” “It’s fine. Ah’m a little curious about yer daughter. Does she still live anywhere around here or has she moved outta town? Ah don’t see any pictures of her as a mare.” Applejack examined. Firelight seemed to choke slightly, “No. She doesn’t live here anymore.” Applejack nodded letting the stallion continue. Only to see a tear run down his cheek. “Why..... Starlight.” Firelight spoke without looking up almost like he was in thought. Applejack tried to speak up but saw the older pony levitate a plaque towards himself that was hanging in the wall. He seemed to stare at it, glancing between it and Twilight. “Is somethin’ wrong sir?” Applejack asked. “I’m sure as a mother, you know how important a foal is to their parent.” Applejack paused for just a moment before nodding in response. Firelight could barely even speak his next words, only turning the picture around. Applejack first saw the picture of a smiling filly that she recognized as Starlight but then she saw the text beneath the image. It caused her heart to drop. Starlight Glimmer, Age: 8 1085-1093. You will be forever missed. Twilight needed to read it over several times but could not let herself believe it. Firelight levitated the plaque back over to the wall. “It was years ago. She and her friend, a colt named Sunburst were at the old library. But something went wrong with an oil lamp and the building caught fire. They must have been so scared they could barely move..... somepony went in to rescue them but a shelf fell and trapped all three of them. The fire was eventually was put out but it was too late.“ the stallion finished breaking down completely. Applejack thought about what she could or should do next but then her thoughts were interrupted by Twilight screaming at the top of her lungs. The stallion quickly looked up upon hearing the loud wail. It was a foal’s cry louder than any he’d ever heard, “Wh-what’s wrong. She sounds so upset. How can a foal make such a loud sound?” “It’s just a thing alicorns can do. Ah think Ah’ll be leavin’ thanks again fer lettin’ me in and Ah’m sorry fer what happened.” “Thank you.” After leaving Applejack just took a seat next to the fountain rubbing Twilight’s back trying to calm her down. “Sh-Shh. I-it’s a-alright.” All her attempts were futile and she soon found herself tearing up. After nearly an hour Twilight’s tears had stopped but she still sobbed for a good few minutes. Many ponies had come by asking if something was seriously wrong. Applejack replied to everyone that everything was alright and that Twilight was just having a cranky day or that she had tripped and scrapped her knee or any other excuse for a foal to be crying. After Twilight had calmed down the earth pony just continued her journey to the train station. It wasn’t too long before the next train came. Once it got there the two remained completely silent the entire ride home, neither making a sound other than an occasional sniff or quiet sob from the alicorn. “How are we going to fix this now?” Twilight internally lamented, “Maybe we should try and look at the spell again.” Once the train arrived in Ponyville Applejack stepped out of the car, “So we’re just goin’ back to the castle?” Twilight nodded, “I wan’ to wook at daw speww again. We had to have missed someting.” [Later] Twilight sternly looked down at the parchment scanning for she could have missed, “Theres nothing! I don’t even know who created this so I can’t even look through their other spells for some pattern I don’t know about!“ “Anythin’?” Applejack asked simply. “No just those tiwcks.” Twilight replied, “Could it be the ink is worn out? No if it was why would the spell still be legible? Was it rewritten? Wait could be.....“ Applejack looked down trying to hide her growing smirk. It was still amusing to see a foal thinking so deeply. “Disappeawing wink?” Twilight questioned herself. The earth pony straightened up not fully understanding what the foal had said and taking a moment she realized the foal had said, ‘Disappeawing ink’ Twilight tried to light her horn. Magic fizzled from the foal’s head. The light flashed on and off as she attempted to cast a spell to reveal any message on the back of the parchment. Only she found herself unable to control her magic well enough sending a small blast by mistake. Applejack ducked, the blast slightly singeing her mane while barely missing her face. “What was that about?!” Applejack nearly screamed “I didn’ mean to! I was jus twying to uncovew the wink!” Twilight defended. “Well maybe don’t use magic while we’re here.” A Twilight confused replied, “But wif I stiww fixed Stawswiww’s speww, I had to have used magic to wwite it.” Applejack paused, “Maybe, but didn’t ya say levitation is really simple. Maybe ya can’t control yer magic enough fer anyin’ more advanced?” The alicorn slumped into her high chair. ”I can’t do anything anymore!” she thought, “Ok I guess youw wight. But how ewse can we uncovew the wink?” Applejack thought for a brief moment this wasn’t exactly that something she was knowledgeable about, “Well Ah don’t know anythin’ that would work.” Twilight tried to wrack her brain for any memory of a way to reveal the ink. Magic was frequently used to uncover secret messages but there were other ways to uncover invisible ink. “The only ting I can tink of is heat.” “Heat? How does that work?” Applejack questioned. Twilight tapped her hoof in thought, “It’s a wittwe compwicated but to put it simpwy the heat wiww tuwn da papew gowden bwown but where da wink is won’ be as affected. At weast it shouwd with how owd dis speww is. The wink could be too aged to do dat.” “Well, it’s worth a try.” Twilight looked down at the parchment. Her attempt to use magic to reveal the message failed before an effect was even visible. So that wasn’t a real option unless they waited a few years for her to be able her magic. The alicorn nodded acknowledging the earth pony’s statement. Applejack walked over to the stove turning an element on and waiting for the heat to build up. Twilight levitated the paper over the element, letting it warm up. The mare and foal watched as the paper seemed to distort, slowly revealing a faded message. The lines of the letters were slightly disconnected having worn away from age but it was still legible. After a few minutes the two read the message when enough was revealed. “My name is Orion Swirl. This is my spell. I created it hoping to make my land more even peaceful. I cast it with two others and suddenly woke up in a completely different house and that was the least of my changes. My family was changed, even order of events changed.” Twilight turned to Applejack as the two continued reading the old message. “I thought the change would be good. But I was heartbroken when I learned my old family had completely forgotten me. I found that only ponies closest to the spell as it was cast remembered the previous reality. I tried to get back to my original timeline but after six attempts none of the realities were close. I keep living different lives and have been placed in many different times in life in each reality. This will be my seventh attempt I can’t, I won’t stop until I can at least get my old family back. Once I do, I will destroy this spell immediately..” The ponies looked down at the barely visible last line, just repeating two words. “DON’T FORGET.” Twilight kept reading it over and over again in her head, “But if he found his family why would he not have destroyed this spell. Could he not find it?” Applejack paused before the painful truth of what happened to Starlight came to mind, “D-Do ya think he.....?” Twilight froze. The earth pony didn’t have to say another word she knew exactly what Applejack was implying, “Y-you tink he died?” Applejack could only shrug, “If he did it seven times, he definitely wanted his family back and definitely wanted to get rid of this thing. Ah can’t think of anythin’ else expect him bein’ erased from existence or somethin’. Is that even possible?” “I don’ know. So many tings awe diffewent fow us and so many tings couwd have changed dat it couwd have happened.” Twilight replied, “But wit how many ponies thewe have been in Equestwia’s wecowded histowy it wouwd be impossibwe to know. We’d need a wist of evewypony bwon in both weawities!” “Yeah, even then it’d be so much work. You’d have grown into a mare in this reality by the time we finished.” Applejack placed her hoof on the side of her head. Twilight nodded realizing how hard it was going to be to find their old reality with the only other two ponies who knew about it being gone. The pain of losing her family resurfaced. Looking up at the mare who was her new mother she asked, “How did you deaw wit it?” “Huh? What do ya mean deal with it? Ah’m just as confused as you with this.” Twilight shook her head before replying with a slight tremble in her voice, “H-how did you deaw wit w-wosing y-youw- y-youw-.” The alicorn choked unable to finish the question. It took Applejack a moment to realize what the alicorn foal was attempting to ask, “M-mah parents?” Twilight shakily nodded, “I-I know it’s diffewent d-den dem dying. Dey’re stiww awive but Dey definitewy don’ wemembew Dey had a daughtew. Shining doesn’ wemembew he had a wittwe sistew unwess somepony ewse was bown in my pwace.” “Is that even-“ Applejack started before realizing what she was about to say and the situation they were in. “Never mind it’s possible.” “So how did you?” Twilight pressed. Applejack sighed, “It took awhile even when you and Spike first came to Ponyville. Ah admit Ah was still healin’ from it. Ah was older than ya think, lookin’ into their room after wakin’ up every night, hopin’ they’d be back and everythin’ was jus’ a horrible nightmare.” The earth pony explained, “But what really made me move forward and get mahself past it was Apple Bloom. She was too young to understand why Ma and Dad weren’t around. Ah needed to be strong, not just fer me but even more for her.” Twilight sighed she didn’t have anyone else to be strong for she was alone in losing her family no one else had lost anyone, at least that remembered their old lives so she could only be strong for herself. “So what do we do now?” Applejack questioned, “Unless Somepony else was at yer castle that we’re not rememberin’ we can’t find Spike and Starlight and Sunburst are-.” The earth pony shook her head, “Ah can’t use magic like you so Ah can’t do anythin’.” Twilight shook her head and in a defeated tone responded, “Dere’s nopony ewse. We can’ ask anypony because dey’ll tink you’re cwazy!” “So what will we do. Wait years just to try and get our reality back? We could just end up with you as a foal all over again or worse.” Applejack added, “Doesn’t sound like a good plan but do we really have a choice.” Twilight looked down at the spell, “I was so excited to try a spell that could have been a great rediscovery. But if only I knew what would happen. I almost wish I was a normal foal only remembering basic voices and faces. Remembering everything I used to have and knowing it’s next to impossible to get it back. Who knows if the seven attempts this Orion Swirl made are the only times this spell has changed reality. There could have been countless others.” Applejack let the alicorn think for a few minutes before speaking up, “So what do you want to do?” Twilight kept looking down while responding, “I can’t cast dis speww by mysewf. But even when we can cast it we wouwd need two oder unicowns jus’ as powewfuw as Stawwight and Sunbuwst. But is dat wowth da wisk? We couwd jus’ end up back at square one. Who knows whewe we’d be. We could end up sepawated or wowse we couwd bot’ be-be-.” Applejack placed a hoof on the foal’s head attempting to calm her down. Twilight felt her eyes start to water, her foal mind not being able to handle the strong surge of emotions she was experiencing. Her adult consciousness trying to find some logic in the situation was the only thing holding her back from completely breaking down. “Just breathe in and out like-“ Applejack started, realizing she was just about to mention Cadance and knowing she it was far from ideal to bring her up at this moment, she changed the next part of her statement, “like you always do.” Twilight sniffled and a shiver showed just how much she was trying to hold back tears, “I-I’m not dat obwivious I-I know you wewe going to say wike Cadance towd me to.” “S-sorry Ah didn’t mean to rub salt in yer wounds.” “I-it’s fine Abbajack I’ww deaw wit’ it. Dere’s onwy one ting we can do.” Twilight replied, “No matter how painful it’s going to be.”, the alicorn thought before looking up a very noticeable pain in her eyes. “T-Twilight?” the orange mare asked with an equally strong concern “W-we need to pwevent anyting wowse fwom h-happening.” Twilight looked up at the mare, “S-so dere’s onwy one way to do dat.” “And that’s......?” [Later] Twilight stared into the fireplace, the wood stacked with the spell alongside to act as kindling. Applejack paused, “Are ya sure ya want to do this? Ya said there’s no turning back without the spell.” Twilight nervously nodded, “It’s going to be next to impossible to have even a close semblance of our old lives back and too it’s risky to try.” Applejack nodded in understanding before she lit a match and carefully threw it into the pile in the hearth, then carefully walking back to the foal, sitting a few feet from the slowly growing fire. Twilight watched as the spell darkened as the paper burned, up as the fire grew larger. Soon the parchment was completely black. It quickly disappeared into the blaze. That was that. The spell was destroyed no chance of being repaired and recast. “So that’s it then?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded keeping her eyes closed knowing full well what her decision really meant. Reality would be forever changed. She would always be Applejack’s daughter. She’d have to live her life as Twilight Sparkle Apple. Now the question was how should she feel about it? Could she really make the emotions of her foal mind her own? Could they be a real mother and daughter? Unbelievable TruthAfter their little fire, Twilight and Applejack grew tired; once Applejack extinguished what was left of the blaze, the pair prepared to pack it in for the night, their decision to incinerate the spell still weighing heavily on their minds. Twilight knew what destroying the spell would mean; without it, even if they found ponies with strong enough magic, they would need the physical spell to cast it. Their new reality was now permanent. Applejack covered the alicorn in a blanket, “So are ya sure that was a good idea?” Twilight sighed, “Dat stawwion dat cweated it twied at weast seven times and it wooks wike he paid a big pwice for it. So it’s too wisky to twy we couwd nevew get ouw owd wives back so this wiww be ouw new weality.” “So what are we’re goin’ to do now? We said we’d focus on finding a way back. But now that we can’t go back, what should we do?” Applejack questioned. Twilight sighed, fighting with her foal body, trying to fall asleep, “We can onwy do one ting. Wive our new wives. Twy and wive as-“ the alicorn tried but ended her statement prematurely, unable to stay awake. Applejack closed her eyes. She knew what Twilight was about to say, “Live as a family.” After walking over to her bed, the earth pony thought about everything that had happened since they had woken up in this reality. Hearing of Starlight and Sunburst’s fate, about Twilight’s ‘new’ father, and seeing her parents alive and well. It was all overwhelming to say the least. With that thought, Applejack remembered what she’d told her mother, that she would tell the truth about why she’d been acting so weirdly. This week, she had a few days to decide what to tell and how to say to it. With that idea plaguing her mind, the mare lay twisting and turning and somehow managed to fall asleep after about half an hour. Through the night, Applejack drifted into yet another dream or memory of this reality. This time, it was a slightly familiar memory, except for Twilight being a foal. The night Nightmare Moon was defeated. .......... Applejack and her friends ran up to the room after hearing the loud crash. The group heard Nightmare Moon cackle from within the massive hall. “So you thought you could use the Elements against me?” The five mares sped up after hearing the voice echo through the staircase. Applejack especially. After Nightmare Moon had kidnapped Twilight for an ‘Heir,’ she was dead set on rescuing her. “And I assume you also came for the foal?” Nightmare Moon mockingly questioned. After hearing that one question, Applejack immediately rushed up the stone stairs, outrunning her friends easily. The other mares attempted to catch up to their friend but found it hard, Rainbow Dash needed to take flight up the stairs to keep up with the orange mare. Beating the other four, Applejack stood in the doorway, finding two mares in the room. One was Nightmare Moon, and the mare they left to let her concentrate on ‘sparking’’ the Elements, Minuette. Nightmare Moon looked up, seeing the earth pony in the doorway, her face completely consumed with rage more than the alicorn had seen. With a glare that could make a dragon shiver, Applejack said, “Give me mah baby back, NOW!” Before the orange mare could so much as move a hoof a single inch, she found herself being held back by Rarity, “Don’t do anything rash, Darling.” Despite staying put, the earth pony, with the same fury, asked, “Where is she?” Nightmare Moon scoffed in response. Suddenly, with a flash, an old carrier appeared beside the Alicorn. Inside, on a rugged cushion, sat a confused and fearful foal. “I find it quite surprising a foal could have such powerful magic. Especially being the offspring of an earth pony.” Applejack could only growl her rage, bubbling more by the second. “A foal like her should be with a family who can bring that magic potential to its peak. With the Elements destroyed, you impudent foals can’t do anything. The night shall last for eternity!” The alicorn explained, opening her wings in a show of strength. Applejack growled while the others all held solemn faces of defeat. The room was left in complete silence. Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence, “The Elements weren’t destroyed.” Every eye in the room turned to the voice’s owner, Minuette. “Because the spirits of the Elements are right here!” Almost on cue, the shards of the sealed Elements began to glow as they surrounded Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. “Applejack, who assured me in a moment of doubt. Represents the Element of Honesty!” “Fluttershy, who tamed a manticore with care and companion, represents the Spirit of Kindness!” “Rarity for calming a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents Generosity!” “Pinkie Pie, by banishing fear with smiles and laughter, represents the Element of Laughter!” “and Rainbow Dash, who wouldn’t betray her friends for her own desires, represents the Spirit of Loyalty.” Seeing that the mare was correct that the elements weren’t destroyed, Nightmare Moon angrily replied, “This means nothing. You do not have the sixth Element. Your spark didn’t work!” Minuette shook her head, “It did work. But it wasn’t from magic. I felt it when I heard you coming and realized how happy I was to hear your voices. How much I cared for you. I felt something ignite in me, and then I realized that you all are my friends.” With that proclamation, a sixth stone appeared enveloped in bright light above the group, “You see Nightmare Moon when the five Elements are united with the spark that resides in all our hearts. It awakens the sixth Element. The element of... Magic!” The five previous Elements began forming into crystals attached to necklaces around the five mares necks. The last Element formed into a crown, but instead of going to Minuette, it swiftly moved away from the group. Nightmare Moon cackled, “Hah, The Element of Magic has rejected you. It has-“ interrupting her monologue, the alicorn found that the Element had appeared on the young unicorn foal’s head. “WHAT?!” .......... “Abbajack!” Applejack’s eyes shot open, interrupting her dream, when she heard Twilight calling for her. It took a few seconds for the mare to get her bearings after being woken up so suddenly. “Wh-what is it, Twi?” Twilight, leaning against the crib's bars, responded, pointing at the door. “I tink I heaw somepony in da castwe.” The orange earth pony kept quiet, listening closely to see if she could hear anything. After a few seconds, she heard the soft sound of hoofsteps down the hall. Taking her attention away from the door, Applejack looked out the window only to see it was still dark outside. “Who would even be here at this time?” Twilight turned to the earth pony. “I don’ know. Da onwy pony we know wouwd be Wuna.” To be safe, Applejack, quickly and quietly as possible, took Twilight out of the crib, knowing if the pony was a danger, she was the only one who could protect her. But it was more than just wanting to protect a friend; a feeling deep inside her told her she needed to protect Twilight at all costs. After the time they’d been here, Applejack realized just what that feeling was: a maternal instinct to protect her foal. Eventually, the hooves reached the room door, making Applejack instinctually tense up. Only to be loosened when the pony knocked on the door and spoke, “Apologies for the sudden, late intrusion, Applejack, but I have an urgent matter to discuss.” The two immediately recognized the voice of the mystery guest. It was Princess Luna. With her guard down, the farm pony opened the door, revealing the dark blue alicorn. “Oh! Wh-what is it exactly? Yer highness,” Applejack pressed, keeping up her ‘blend in’ act and legitimate curiosity about what would bring the Princess here so late. Luna cleared her throat, “These past few days, I’ve noticed an unusual change in both your and your daughter’s dreams.” Now a little nervous, the earth pony pressed further, “Really? What is it?” The dark blue mare continued explaining just what the change was, “Well, all of your dreams seem to be based on memories. Your daughter has also had the same unusual change, but they’ve become far more ‘nuanced’ than a foal would normally have. Every other foal her age has very simple dreams about their favourite toys, sugary sweets and loud sounds, but she’s been dreaming similarly to a school-age foal or adult.” Attempting to feign ignorance, Applejack responded, “Th-that is pretty strange. Ah knew Twilight was special, but that’s beyond what Ah’d ever imagined.” In a serious tone, Luna responded to the earth pony’s statement, “Applejack, I don’t believe you’re being completely honest with me. Which as the Element of Honesty, I find especially insulting.” Applejack froze. While many ponies had been skeptical of how she was acting, Luna was the first to come out and say it so bluntly. The orange mare, unsure of how to properly respond to the Princess’s last statement, only managed to stutter, “Wh-What?” “I’ve also noticed you’ve been waking up around the same time. Much more in the past few days alone than you have in the past months.” Luna elaborated further. As this was occuring, Twilight had been absorbing everything the two mares were saying and internally cursed that she could not say anything for or against Luna’s assertions. “There has to be something we can do.” After a few minutes that felt like hours, the only conclusion she could come to was inevitable. They had to tell their friends and family the truth eventually, and now they might have a chance to be able to share the secret with someone. Luna already believed something was amiss, not just with Applejack but with her. This chance may be the perfect opportunity. Feeling completely cornered, Applejack replied to the older mare’s probing, “Ah, don’t know how to explain it.” Twilight growled ever so slightly, realizing a slight flaw in her plan. That was the problem with the spell being destroyed. There was no evidence to show without the spell and there was her inability to communicate with anyone but Applejack. How could they explain it? Her mind thought as hard as it could, but after the adrenaline rush of not knowing who was in the castle wore off, she soon got tired, letting out a soft, squeaky yawn. “I need to stay awake to help Applejack somehow. If I fall asleep now then….wait asleep, maybe I could help that way.” “Perhaps you should put her back to sleep and then try to explain,” Luna suggested. “Let’s meet in the throne room so your daughter can rest undisturbed.” “O-ok.” Applejack nervously responded as the princess left the room, carefully walking over to the crib. As she sat the foal down, she anxiously whispered, “Wish me luck, Ah guess.” Twilight bumbled out as the earth pony set her down, “Wait. I hade a pwan.” Applejack, curious what the alicorn had thought out, pressed for information, “Ok, can Ah help somehow?” Twilight nodded. “One ting teww Pwincess Wuna to entew my dweams. If I can contwow my dweam wong enough, I couwd show hew my memowies of ouw owd weawity. If we can’t be suwe she’d bewieve us fwom tewwing hew it’s ouw bes’ option.” “That…….sounds like a good idea,” Applejack replied. “If it wowks.” The alicorn said, not too confidently. “Ah’m sure it will.” the orange mare assured. “Maybe thinkin’ about something we did in our old lives.” Twilight thought. “That could work. Just think about at least one memory. But which one would help our case the best…….Wait, I know!” Despite the alicorn not saying anything, Applejack knew from the face she made that she had an idea of what memory she would try to show in her dream. “Good luck Sugarcube.” The mare softly spoke, covering the foal as it had done earlier who quickly drifted off to sleep. Quietly leaving the room, she didn’t see Luna anywhere, immediately assuming the princess had already gone ahead to the throne room. While making her way to the room, her mind was plagued with thoughts of how she would convince Luna to enter Twilight’s dreams. But that wasn’t the only thing she couldn’t stop thinking about, there was also what Twilight said. Since they couldn’t go back to their old lives, the only thing they could do was ‘live as a family.’ Could they do that? She had felt new feelings towards Twilight, but were they completely from her ‘memories’ of the new reality? She loved Twilight as her friend, but was it growing? Was it becoming maternal? “Think about that later!” She lightly scolded herself, shaking her head. Looking up, she found the large door to the Throne Room. After taking a deep breath, Applejack entered, meeting the eyes of the Night Princess, “Sorry that took so long. Twilight was bein’ a little fussy.” Luna nodded. “Well, now that you’ve taken care of that we can continue. Now, try your best to explain what’s been happening with you and your daughter.” Applejack sighed, sitting down on her throne, “Like Ah said, it’s hard to explain. Ah’ve just heard her after she wakes up, try to calm her down and get her back into bed. Ah, don’t know how else to explain what’s happenin’.” “Are you sure?” Luna replied, her skepticism growing stronger with the word, easily seeing through Applejack’s lies. The earth pony glanced slightly away from the older mare. “OK. Ah-Ah’m not bein’ completely honest. But Ah’ll be honest right now if ya want an explanation, go into Twilight’s dream. She’s havin’ right now.” While still skeptical, Luna was curiously pressed, “How would her dream tell me anything?” “Just try, and ya might see,” Applejack exclaimed, making direct eye contact this time. The alicorn was suddenly taken back, and the younger mare’s hesitance was suddenly replaced with confidence in just that one statement. She debated whether or not entering the foal’s dream was necessary, but Applejack seemed incredibly insistent. After a few seconds of thought, she responded, “Very well. I’ll take your word that your daughter’s dream will provide an answer.” Applejack nodded. “Thank you,” she replied while internally sighing in relief that her part in Twilight’s plan was done; hopefully, she could do her half. Luna lit her horn while closing her eyes, preparing to enter the foal’s dream for this explanation. .......... After opening her eyes and arriving in the ‘Dream Realm,’ the alicorn quickly found the dream she was looking for. Like the other dreams the foal had recently, it seemed to be a memory of the past, one she recognized, her first Nightmare Night. One difference was immediately noticeable: the presence of a unicorn mare. She didn’t realize it at first, but only after a few seconds did the mare’s identity become undeniable: an adult-age Twilight Sparkle. As the dream played out, one thought occurred to her: a stunning absence of her sister’s student, Minuette. But the adult Twilight Sparkle seemed to take her place. “Princess Luna! Hi, my name is-“ “Star Swirl The Bearded. Commendable costume. Thou even got the bells right.” “Thank you! Finally! Somepony who gets my costume! Uh, I just came to welcome you to our celebration! My actual name is-“ “Twilight Sparkle. IT WAS THOU WHO UNLEASHED THE POWERS OF HARMONY UPON US AND TOOK AWAY OUR DARK POWERS!“ While the dream continued, Luna pondered how and why this dream was so different despite seemingly being a memory. The events were completely different from her own recollection. This conversation was between her and her sister’s student. As the two conversing mares began to leave, Luna chose to intervene. Twilight stopped halfway up the bridge and turned around as the real Luna landed. “Twilight?” Luna pressed. The unicorn smiled, “I knew if I could control my dream long enough, I could show you.” she happily chirped, “At least I can talk normally in a dream.” “Show me what exactly?” Twilight sighed, “My different memories. Because there’s no way you’d believe what we’d have to say.” Luna tried to respond, but her mind couldn’t react correctly to the statement she had just been told. “I know this will be hard to believe. But we aren’t the Twilight and Applejack, you know. We’re from a different reality.” Twilight explained with the most serious tone and expression she could muster. Luna’s jaw dropped. The statement was ludicrous, but the look in the younger pony’s eyes told her the seriousness of her claim. “You’re serious?” “Yes. We’ve been keeping it a secret these past few days until we could find some way to get our old lives back. But unfortunately, we couldn’t; we checked the spell that caused the change, but only found a note left by its creator, and it only made going back more hopeless.” Twilight explained in a saddened tone. “So even knowing there was no way back without it, we destroyed the spell.” Pressing for information, the alicorn questioned, “How long ago was that?” Twilight admitted, “Just hours ago now. We chose to stay in this reality despite how painful it may be. Everything we lost would be lost forever.” Luna, somewhat convinced, nodded lightly, pressing further, “What things did you lose from your old lives?” “Things we earned. I still became an alicorn and a princess in this reality. But because I was made a foal again, I was never Princess Celestia’s student; we lost two friends who died young in this reality, and I lost my original family. Applejack, I don’t know if she’s lost anything personally.” Twilight explained, sounding somber at recalling the loss of her family. “I see.” Luna responded, perplexed, when the meaning of the unicorn’s words hit her, “Wait! You were once my sister’s student, and Applejack was not always your mother?” Twilight nodded, “Yes. Our lives were completely different. We- Ah!” The unicorn cringed. Luna, concerned, looked around, ripples filling the air around them, “The dream is ending?” Twilight, straining herself, replied, “I-I’m losing control of it.” “Try to regain it.” Twilight shook, trying to do so, “I-I can’t!” .......... Luna’s eyes shot open; she was still in the dream realm. Twilight’s dream had disappeared, and she’d woken up. Hopefully, she could get some answers from Applejack about whether what she just heard was true. After returning to the waking world, the dark blue alicorn found Applejack was absent from the throne room. There was only one room she could conceivably be in. Meanwhile Twilight whimpered, holding her head. Holding the foal, Applejack attempted to comfort her while asking, “Did it work?” “Fow a wittwe bit. I at weast towd hew sometings about ouw owd weawity.” Twilight explained her slight headache was subsiding. “She wiww pwobabwy ask you about it now.” “Yer right.” Unfortunately, she had no time to prepare to hear the alicorn’s voice greet her, “I assumed you would be here. I must say your….. daughter’s dream wasn’t what I expected.” “She told me everythin’ that happened in her dean. Ah, guess ya know we ain’t the two, ya know.” Luna nodded, “So what she said was true? You’re both from a different reality.” “Y-Yeah. What did she tell ya about it?” “A few things. She ascended to an alicorn in your old reality as well. But the differences are what shocked me. That she was my sister’s student and that she was not your daughter. Is that really true?” The older mare pressed. “Yeah, it is. Before, we were both adults around the same age and we were just friends.” Still shocked, Luna, placing a hoof on her temple, questioned, “How did this happen?” Applejack closed her eyes for a moment before going on to explain. How she and Twilight met that day, how the spell was performed and when they woke to find how their lives had changed and everything they’d learned up to that point. From the castle’s location change to her relationship with Moonstone and how their two friends had lost their lives in this reality. “And here we are.” The orange mare finished. Luna closed her eyes in thought. The only sound she made was a perplexed hum. The younger mare’s story was far-fetched, yet the dream Twilight had shown her was undeniable. Twilight whispered, “Do you tink she bewieves us?” “Ah, don’t know,” Applejack replied in the same hushed tone. “But Ah sure hope so.” Luna responded, “I believe you.” Twilight and Applejack gasped, “Wait, did you understand her?” The earth pony questioned. “No, but I overheard your response, so I figured that was what she asked you,” Luna replied, looking out the window. “Yet, I’m surprised beyond words that this situation is not just possible but has actually happened. though, my shock must be a pittance compared to yours. Your lives have been completely upended, and only you two remember it. Twilight lost her family, and you were thrust into the responsibility of being a mother.” Applejack looked down at the foal in her hooves, “Yeah, it was a strange feelin’ fer both of us. We always cared about each other, but it’s felt stronger ever since then. Ah’ve felt as protective of her as Ah was with Apple Bloom.” Twilight thought for a moment she’d also felt different about Applejack and the other Apple Family members, including Pear Butter, who she never met before the reality change. The tenor of Applejack’s voice seemed softer and more homey than before. A feeling she only felt with three ponies before her original family. Luna looked down at the foal cradled in the earth pony’s hooves. Lifting her head, the purple alicorn met the night princess’s eyes. “I realized you were in thought. I assume you as well bear the same conflicted emotions.” Twilight wordlessly nodded in response to the older alicorn’s assertion. “I just wish I could still talk to anypony else but Applejack or other foals if Pound and Pumpkin are anything to go by.” The alicorn, speaking to both of the younger ponies, asked, “Given those conflicted emotions. Do you believe the two of you will be able to live as a mother and daughter? I’d imagine viewing each other so differently would be difficult.” Twilight looked up at the earth pony, who looked down to meet her glance. Keeping eye contact for a few seconds before both avert their glances away from each other. Twilight just began staring out the window, allowing her thoughts to drift from one to another. Applejack’s gaze fell upon the collection of photos. Her eyes circled over the many different faces, the surreal feeling of remembering taking the pictures in her reality but not this one. The thought about how different the parties could have gone with the presence of her parents and the absence of Starlight and Sunburst “Can we really be a real family? A real mother and daughter?” Twilight pondered to herself continuing to look out the window before joining Applejack in running her eyes over the photos on the nightstand. Her eyes mainly focused on the pictures of her with the Apple Family. Pictures of her with Applejack, Pear Butter and Apple Bloom specifically caught her attention. She was smiling so brightly in each of them, typical for foals to do with ponies in their family or just ponies they knew well. Applejack spoke up after her long silence, turning to the older mare, “Yeah, it’s gonna be hard. But hey, we have a lifetime to try and see if we can now.” “I suppose so.” Luna simply replied with a nod, “I believe I should take my leave. I have to return to my duty of watching over the dream realm.” Twilight shot her gaze back towards Luna before she could leave, “Wait we hav’ somting ewse to ask!” Despite not understanding the foal’s statement, the nocturnal Princess returned her attention to the two younger ponies, “Was that babbling call for me?” Applejack paused briefly. What else could Luna do for them? “What else do we need Twi? Ya said it was our opportunity to tell somepony, and we told someone.” The foal nodded before explaining her reason for the interruption, “Weww, we’we goin’ to teww youw famiwy soown. So maybe hawving somepony wike Wuna with us couwd hewp dem bewieve us.” Applejack nodded before speaking up, “We…have something else to ask you.” “What do you need?” Luna asked, curious to the request. Applejack sighed slightly, “Well, Ah told my Ma that Ah’d tell her why Ah’ve been actin’ strange sometime this week. Ah have a few days to get what Ah want to say together. But Twilight suggested that you could help us explain.” Luna paused to mull over what the earth pony had suggested, asking, “You believe that if they hear my own experience in Twilight’s dream, they may believe that you’re indeed from a different reality.” Applejack nodded, followed by Twilight, who tried repositioning herself in Applejack’s hooves while she did. The older pony clarified, “It would be a big help. Can ya come back to Ponyville tomorrow or the day after?” Luna paused again to consider the younger mare’s request, unsure if she could convince the mare’s family. When she remembered who she was speaking with, “Yes, I should be able to make time to meet with you and whoever you wish to be present tomorrow around 2 PM or whenever you wish to have the conversation.” Applejack gave a slight sigh of relief, “Thank you. Ah’d prefer to have a day to think about what Ah’m gonna say to mah family about this.” “Very well. Although Applejack, given your reputation, I’m sure you will have a little issue getting your family to believe you. And perhaps Twilight could assist in the conversation as well.” The orange earth pony replied, “Ah, don’t know about that. Ah’ve been the only one who’s been able to understand her, everypony else only hears her like a regular foal.” Luna nodded in understanding. “Yes, I can certainly see the issue. However, while they might not be able to understand her, she has proven throughout our conversation she is fully capable of understanding our speech, so she could still prove that she’s not the same Twilight they remember by signifying that she’s able to understand them like any adult or foal fully.” Twilight pondered the older alicorn’s words, “Maybe Luna’s right, when we talk to Grandm…. I mean Pear Butter and the rest of Applejack’s family, and our friends.” After thinking for a moment, Twilight attempted to get Applejack’s attention, lightly tapping the mare’s chest. “Abbajack? I want twy tat at weast. It’s wowth a shot.” “Ah, guess yer right.” Applejack said with a sigh and a smile. Twilight smiled back before she let out a quiet yawn; before she could even say anything, Applejack mirrored her ‘daughter’s’ yawn. Luna chuckled slightly, covering her mouth with her forehoof as she did, “Well, I’ll take my leave and allow you two to rest for tomorrow. I must return to my duties as the Princess of the Night.” Applejack recovering from her yawn, feeling her eyes start to grow heavy again, “Yeah… we had a rough day, and we’re gonna be busy fer the next few days.” The dark blue alicorn nodded in understanding before she left to resume her nightly routine, observing the dream of ponies across Equestria. With their conversation with Luna over and done with Applejack, Twilight went back to sleep; luckily, they both had a restful rest of their night. That conversation gave them some comfort that they could be able to reveal their secret about reality changing. Author's Note Real sorry this story was dead for so long I didn’t mean for it to happen life got busy and I lost motivation to write for it for a long while. I thought I’d add a reason how Twilight would be at the defeat of Nightmare Moon. She’d be an actual foal no ‘adult in a foal body’ like she is in the current moment so with how responsible AJ is she definitely wouldn’t bring a foal much less her own to somewhere so dangerous and I didn’t want her to have just popped in as soon as the elements do appeared. Also I chose Minuette because Sunset, Trixie or Moondancer are more used as a stand in for Twilight being Celestia’s student and Starlight is obviously off the table. Editing by: The Fan Without a Face Rise and surprise (fixed)Author's Note New story feedback please! (I know it kind of ends abruptly) Edit: changed a bit of dialogue at the beginning to have it fit the story later on Edit 2: Made corrections through out the story. Thanks to Autumn Breeze for pointing out mistakes and other criticisms Rise and surprise (fixed) Twilight Sparkle walked through Ponyville waving to everypony she passed by on her way back to her castle. She, her former student Starlight Glimmer and her friend Sunburst were going to try a new spell that Starlight had found. It was a powerful one that would take at least four unicorns to cast but since she was an alicorn she and the two unicorns should be enough. “Howdy, Twi!” A pony called out. Twilight turned her head to see her friend Applejack, “Hey, Applejack!” “So where ya going?” the earth pony asked. “I’m going back to my castle to try out a spell Starlight found in the Canterlot library’s restricted section. Princess Celestia is letting us use it,” answered Twilight Applejack started walking with the alicorn, “So what’s the spell do?” Twilight shrugged, “Who knows.” The alicorn smiled, “It’s so exciting to have the chance to cast a spell that’s been lost and forgotten for hundreds of years!” she practically squealed. Applejack chuckled, “Must be.” “So what are you doing?” Twilight questioned. Applejack replied saying, “Nothing really just out for a walk.” Twilight turned her head slightly, “isn’t anypony selling Apples in the square?” “Granny and Big Mac are taking care of that t’day” Applejack replied. “Got it! So you wanna come along?” The orange pony shrugged, “Sure!” Twilight smiled and continued walking. After ten minutes or so, the mares saw a tall purple crystal building come into view. Once entering the castle, the pair made their way to the library. Upon entering the library, a unicorn stallion greeted, “Oh Princess Twilight you’re back.” He turned to see the other pony, “And Applejack?” “Yeah Twi and Ah ran into each other on her way back.” the earth pony stated. She took notice of a circle on the floor. She wasn’t exactly the savviest with magic so she didn’t question if it was necessary for the spell or not. Starlight responded by saying, “So did Twilight tell you about what we’re doing?” Twilight nodded, “Yep I did I told her everything.” The alicorn answered before asking, “So did you find anything else about the spell.” Starlight shook her head, “No we couldn’t find anything.” Sunburst confirmed what his friend said, “It may be even older than Equestria. But we don’t know for sure. Everything else, like it’s purpose and creator aren’t anywhere to be found.” Twilight closed her eyes, “Hmmm, I wish we knew more about it. We could be on the verge of rediscovering unknown magic.” Starlight gave a slight smirk, “Well we’re trying it out for a reason. We’ll never know what it does if we don’t.” Twilight nodded, “You’re right. now let’s get to it!” “Yeah let’s.” Starlight exclaimed. The two unicorns following the alicorn, lit their horns allowing their magic flow into the circle on the floor. The floor started to have a pastel orange-red glow to it as the colours of magic mixed together as it stretched across the floor. Applejack let out a soft but audible, “Wow!” in amazement. Twilight looked down at the expanding glow, her thoughts racing with all the different possibilities the spell could have, but still kept her concentration. Eventually, the light made it to the edge of the circle after which, the circle glowed white. Then it expanded even farther. Twilight asked, “How are you two doing over there.” “Alright. I think we’re getting close to-“ Starlight spoke before noticing the magic started to expand further. Then she felt a pressure change, enough to cause her head to jolt with an intense pain, “Urk, Aahhh!” “Starlight! Are you- ahhh!” Sunburst exclaimed, also getting a strong throb through his head. Twilight didn’t know what was going on, “Are you two alright?” Unlike the unicorns, the princess didn’t feel any pain. “L-let’s stop now!“ But they before they could stop, there was a sudden flash of light which blinded the ponies and the magic was released forcing Twilight back. “AHHHHH WHAT’S HAPPENING!” Starlight and Sunburst shrieked in pain and terror. Twilight was thrown off the ground and towards Applejack. The earth pony reacted, catching the alicorn. “Ooof!” she gasped softly. “Twilight are you ok!?” Applejack nearly shouted. Twilight in a daze from being blinded and thrown back spoke without thinking, “Mom?” Applejack was caught of guard at first but quickly shook it off, realizing her friend was in shock. “AHHHHH!” The earth pony shot up, hearing a mare and stallion scream. She was barely able to make out Starlight and Sunburst before the light completely consumed them making it impossible to see. Only seconds later, the light expanded so much that all Applejack and Twilight could see was bright orange before their sight went black. ??? Later Twilight felt her eyes twitch. The alicorn felt a soft surface against her back and a snug feeling around her flank. As she sat up lifting a hoof to her face and rubbing her eyes, she noticed it was a lot smaller than she remembered. In fact, it looked like the size of a foal’s. “Why-” she thought before speaking. “W-why is my hoof so smaww?” She covered her mouth realizing not only her broken speech, but her high pitched squeaky voice. She looked around becoming aware of her surroundings. She noticed wooden bars next to her, “A-am I in a cwib?” She glanced around seeing toys all around her. She was definitely in a crib. Her expression darkened realizing what the soft snug feeling surrounding her flank could be. With everything else she knew what it was without having to look but she had to. It was as she expected. She was wearing a diaper and it wasn’t dry. “Wh-what gowing on. Why am I a foaw? Where am I?” The now foal looked around recognizing the room. She was in her castle; the purple walls, crystalline ceiling and lines of crystal in the corners were a giveaway. She turned towards a sudden sound like a tired moan. “Where am ah?” It was Applejack. The earth pony looked around noticing she was in Twilight’s Castle. “Ah guess Twi put me in here after that spell went wrong.” The earth pony got out of the bed and walked over to the door. “Ah hope Starlight an’ Sunburst are ok.” “Abbajack?” a voice called. “Eh!?” Applejack looked around she could tell the voice was calling for her even with its broken speech. She turned around realizing there was a crib in the room, “Why’s that here?” The voice spoke again, “Abbajack ovew hewe!” Applejack quickly walked over to the crib. Upon reaching it she looked in and saw a purple alicorn foal that was a dead ringer for her friend Twilight. In fact, she looked exactly like her except for one small thing, “Tw-Twilight? Wh-why are ya a-“ Twilight jumped on the statement, “I don’ know!” The foal buried her face in her hooves. Applejack reached in picking the foal up cradling her in her forehooves. “So ya don’t know how this happened?” Twilight shook her head before putting a hoof under her chin and another on the forehoof. Applejack seeing a foal in such deep thought couldn’t help but chuckle, a very audible one at that. “Abbajack this iwsn’t funny!” Twilight glared but it only caused the earth pony to chuckle more. Twilight pouted which again only got a chuckle. After a few seconds, Applejack composed herself, “Ok Ah’m done.” Twilight gave a serious look which caused the earth pony to hold back another chuckle, “I tink dis is because of dat speww Stawwight, Sunbuwst an I cast.” “Do ya think it gave ya those freckles too?” Applejack asked. “Fweckwes wat fweckwes?” Twilight look up confused. Applejack picked the foal up. Looking around she noticed a changing table and more importantly right now a mirror. She walked over holding Twilight up to it. The small alicorn stared at her reflection noticing three small white dots positioned in a triangle shape next to her eye. Just like... Twilight turned to Applejack but before she could say anything a familiar voice said, “Hey Applejack?” Applejack and Twilight mentally sighed with relief. It was Fluttershy and the rest of their friends, “It sounded like you were talking to someone but there’s no one here but you.” Rarity said. “Except for wittle Twiwight,” Fluttershy exclaimed, picking up the foal Twilight grumbled at Fluttershy treating her like the baby she was, “Just cause I wook wike a foaw doesn’ mean you can tweat me wike one.” All the yellow pegasus could hear was an unintelligible foal babbling which made her hug the little pony. “Oh you’re just the cutest! What were you trying to say?” she cooed. She then realized the foal’s diaper felt and smelled full. “Oh!” she chuckled, “Were you trying to say you need a diaper change?” Twilight’s expression darkened realizing she hadn’t only peed herself but something much worse had happened. The most embarrassing thing that could happen had happened, “Come on!” Fluttershy held the foal out towards to the orange earth pony, “Here! It only makes sense for her mama to change her.” Applejack recoiled slightly though most of her shook was internal, “Mama? Ah, ain’t Twi’s Ma! Am Ah?” the earth thought remembering Twilight’s freckles that had appeared they were just like hers. Twilight was just as shocked as Applejack. While Fluttershy passed her to Applejack, the alicorn’s thoughts strayed from the fact she’d messed her diaper. Fluttershy just called Applejack her ‘Mama’. If that meant she was Applejack’s daughter, then that would explain the freckles that had suddenly appeared on her face and why she and Applejack woke up in a room with a crib where she was lying right now a on change table. It had all the essentials for changing a foal, with a bag of diapers below and one already set on the table with wipes and baby powder. It was because somehow she’d become Applejack’s foal. It seemed that if the spell was behind this, it had changed a lot more than she’d first thought. Applejack had just finished putting a fresh diaper on the foal’s bottom. Twilight felt a happy relief to be in a clean diaper but after that she started realizing what this situation meant, “Mommy, Daddy, Shiny, Fwuwy an Cadance dey‘we -“ tears started welling up in her little eyes as the painful truth fully struck like a lightning bolt, “Dey-dey’we not my famiwy!” Applejack, ready to speak up about her confusion opened her mouth and was about to speak when a loud wail echoed through the castle and cut her off. Applejack tightened her grip on Twilight making sure not to drop the foal after the sudden outburst. “What’s wrong?” Rarity asked with concern. “Why’d ya jus start cryin’ Sugarcube?” Applejack looked down at the foal. “Why did Twi just start crying,” Rainbow recovered from the sudden noise. Fluttershy turned to Applejack, “She’s probably just hungry. Foals do that when they are.” Rainbow pressing stated, “Yeah I know! But she’s never cried that loud for just being hungry.” “Then maybe she has a stomach ache.” Rarity stated, “Has she seemed sick lately?” Applejack turned her head away from the wailing foal, “Uhh well no. She’s been fine.” “Maybe she just wants alone time with her mama?” Fluttershy stated. The pegasus turned to the earth pony trying to comfort the distressed foal, “I’m so jealous I hope I’ll be a mother someday” “Ok!” Rarity nodded, “We’ll be in the throne room if you need us.” The others left the room. In her confusion and being distracted by the tiny pony, who was now burying her face in the earth pony’s orange fur, Applejack completely forgot to question what was happening. Applejack asked again, “Twilight, what’s wrong? Why’d ya just start cryin’?” Twilight sniffled, her words were garbled by her sobs, “I wost my famiwy!” “What’cha takin’ about ah’m sure they’re ok.” Applejack tried to reassure her. “No, I mean! Fwuddewshy call you my mama, so iwf you‘wre my mama then my pawents awen’t my pawents, so Shiny Awmow iw’nt my big bwoddew, Cadance iwn’t my sistew in waw and Flwuwy isn’t my niece!” Twilight buried herself in Applejack’s coat again, this time clutching the orange pony tightly. Applejack took a moment thinking of what the alicorn had said but before she did anything else she knew she had to calm down the foal first, “Shhhhh it’s ok Twilight don’ cry.” the earth pony murmured in the most soothing voice she could while rubbing the small pony’s back. Twilight’s cries slowly changed to hiccups which changed to sniffles, then simply by fast deep breaths. But before long the alicorn calmed down and took notice of how comforting and warm Applejack’s voice, embrace and even her scent was. After realizing it something in her mind told her, “Mama hugging me! Me safe.” Twilight internally gasped at what she just thought, “N-no this is Applejack not my mom.” Applejack brought the foal out in front of her still holding her, “Better?” Twilight nodded. Applejack smiled, “Good. So what should we do now?” Twilight sighed, “I kwow you don’ wike wying but we have to hewe.” Applejack’s eyes widened, “Twi we can’t ah’m sure if we just explain-“ Twilight interrupted, “Abbajack! Fwuddewshy call you my mama! Wainbow said ‘she’s nevew cwied wike tat fow just being hungwy’ wike I’ve been a foaw fow awhiwe and cwied in fwont of hew.” Applejack instead of continuing, remembered how their friends didn’t react to Twilight being foal, almost like she’d always been one, “Are ya sure there isn’t some other way?” “Abbajack I don’ want to etiew but we can’t take any wisks. What iwf you expwain an they tink you’we cwazy an I’m actuawy you’we daughtew an I’m taken fwom you! We wiww nevew get tings back to nowmaw. So pwease jus tiww we can figuwe out what’s going on.” Twilight explained. “Ok!” Applejack nodded. She didn’t like the idea but Twilight was right. For the moment now they needed to blend in while they figured out what was going on. Twilight looked up at her ‘mama’ saying “Wet’s go see ouw fwiends.” Applejack nodded. After picking the foal up, she noticed something she hadn’t really paid attention to before. The pictures on the dresser were mostly familiar sans Twilight being foal in them. But two things stuck out. There were no pictures of Starlight or Sunburst, even in pictures that the earth pony knew they had been in. But the second thing shocked her so much she nearly dropped Twilight. In some pictures there were two very familiar ponies, “Wh-what but Ah’m an adult in this picture. How could-.”
Everything’s different Everything’s normalAuthor's Note Help with editing by Viper Pit Sorry this chapter has been so stupid I just deleted all chapters but the first one and hopefully it will work can someone please tell me if there’s someone I can talk to about this? Everything’s different Everything’s normal “How- How could-“ Applejack stuttered as she stared at the photo on the wall. Out of all the ponies in the picture two of them stuck out to the mare, a yellow stallion with a red mane who was wearing the same hat she wore and a beige coated mare with an orange mane with a hair band coloured the same as her eyes. “Ma, Dad? How’re they in this-“ Applejack couldn’t finish her statement with everything that was going through her mind. This picture was just like the one they’d taken when Starlight, Discord, Trixie and Thorax received the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage but Starlight and Sunburst were absent and her parents were standing with her and her family. “Abbajack wats wwong?” Twilight asked. The tiny alicorn looked at the picture to see a stallion and mare standing with Applejack and her family. It didn’t take long for the foal to figure out it was Applejack’s parents, Bright Mac and Pear Butter or Buttercup as most in town called her. Twilight never met them, at least that she remembered but the foal version of herself in this universe definitely had. Applejack just stared at the picture as she noticed more pictures her parents were in after a few minutes she head Twilight’s calls, “Abbajack!” Applejack snapped out of her trance, “Ye-Yes Twi. What do you want? Is something wrong?” Twilight shook her head, “No you wewe jus staweing at da potos fow wike fwee minutes.” Applejack sighed, “Ah, know it’s just ah can’t believe mah parents are in this picture.” Twilight said, “I unewstand.” the foal turned to the pictures, “I gwuess the speww did mowe dan we fiwst tought.” Applejack nodded, “Ah wonder if anypony knows what’s goin’ on? The others are actin’ like nothin’s out of the ordinary.” “Applejack!” a mare’s voice exclaimed. “Ah!” Applejack gasped. An instinct somewhere in the back of her mind kicked in pulling Twilight closer to her as she turned around seeing a Pink earth pony mare behind them. It was Pinkie Pie, “Y-yes Pinkie somethin’ wrong?” “No, the girls are just wondering what’s taking so long.” Pinkie said, “Little Twily seems just fine now.” “Don’ caw me Twiwy!” Twilight said remembering how her now former brother called her that name. “Awww you’re so cute what do you think she said AJ?” Pinkie asked not understanding the foal. “Wh-why Do ya ask?” Applejack stuttered making sure to keep her promise to Twilight to not draw too much attention. “Oh, just cause I always wonder what babies are saying when they make those adorable little babbling noises.” the pink mare exclaimed. Applejack glanced to Twilight who’s look told her what the answer was, “Well, guess the only one who knows what she’s saying is her.” Pinkie tilted her head, “Are you sure cause you can always tell when she’s hungry when she wants her bottle, her favourite toys or just hugs. Well then again Mrs. Cake always knows when Pound and Pumpkin want something and Princess Cadance knows when Flurry Heart wants something. So is it just mom thing? the pink mare asked. Applejack wanted to speak up about the situation but remembered what Twilight had said, “Yeah ah guess it is.” “Ok, are you gonna come to throne room now?” Pinkie asked. Applejack turned to Twilight who nodded, “Sure.” The earth pony said. The orange mare picked the alicorn foal up. Placing her on her back and left the room and walked to the throne room after entering Rarity asked, “Is Twilight alright?” Applejack nodded, “Yeah, she just needed a little time.” Fluttershy smiled, “I thought that was all she needed.” “So whatcha doing today AJ,” Rainbow asked. “Ah, don’ know.” Applejack answered “Well, I’m sure you’ll find something. But before you do I think you have a little tummy to feed.” Fluttershy stated Applejack for a second didn’t know what the shy pegasus ment but immediately remembered the alicorn on her back. The earth pony then heard a small but noticeable growling noise. Twilight blushed. But when her stomach growled again but this time instead of blushing a part of her mind caused her to start crying. Applejack reached on to her back and held Twilight with a forehoof, “Ah guess yer hungry are ya.” The foal stopped crying after a few seconds of Applejack gently rocking her. The earth pony left to go to the kitchen to get some foal food with how everything was going there was bound to be some. After entering the kitchen Applejack found there was a high chair set up by the crystal table. The earth pony sat the foal in the high chair. Twilight grumbled something like, “dis iws humiwiating.” Rarity chuckled at the foal’s expression, “Well somepony’s a little grumpy.” “Oh! Just look at those chubby cheeks!” Fluttershy cooed. softly squishing the foal’s little face. Applejack came back over to the table carrying a small jar with a spoon and bottle on her back. The earth pony had to restrain a chuckle at her ‘daughter’s’ reaction to their friends babying her. “Ok Twilight time for breakfast!” Applejack opened the jar placing the bottle on the table. After using the spoon to take a little scoop of the mushy food from the jar she tried giving the food to Twilight. The alicorn turned away from it several times but after hearing her stomach growl again she reluctantly ate the food. Applejack took another scoop this time Twilight quickly ate it. After emptying the jar one spoonful at a time, Applejack gave Twilight the bottle. Twilight grabbed the bottle with her tiny hooves and started to drink. This was still humiliating but she was thirsty and didn’t care how it was fixed. Twilight finished the bottle of what was obviously breastmilk. The alicorn could tell because the drink tasted very different from formula. As she was thinking the foal felt an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. Applejack realizing what was happening picked up the foal put her head over her shoulder and started to pat Twilight’s back. After a good five or six pats, the alicorn let out a little burp. After Applejack had her own breakfast and her friends left to do what they planned, she and Twilight started talking, “So, what‘cha ya think we should do Twi?” “Can we check awound town I wan’ to see what ewse is diffewent befowe we do anyting ewse,” Twilight stated. Applejack questioned, “Why? Can’t ya jus’ undo the spell now?” “No, not onwy am I a foaw now so I wikewy don’ have much contwow of my magwic. But I couwdn’t do it by mysewf anyway I don’ have enough magwic. I need Starwwight and Sunbuwst to cast it again.” Twilight shook her head. Applejack nodded and returned to the room she woke up in remembering she saw a foal carrier by the crib. Applejack put on the foal carrier and tightened the strap around her waist and putting Twilight in it, “Ya ready.” Twilight nodded. After Applejack got to the front door of the castle and left the building to see a big surprise the castle wasn’t where the two remembered instead it was right by Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack with her mouth open from shook asked, “J-jus’ how much did that spell change Twi?” “I don’ know we aweady know it made you my mama, changed evewypony’s memowies except ours, bwought back your pawents and now the castle is on the opposite side of town.” Twilight glanced around the farm. As the earth pony walked down the steps and into the familiar orchard she looked around the orchard was the exact same as she remembered until she ran into an older mare. Her mother Buttercup or to go by her real name Pear Butter. “Applejack, good morning!” Pear Butter smiled before coming over to hug her daughter. “Ma.” Applejack returned the hug, “Yer alive!” the younger mare thought feeling tears welling up. After a minute Pear Butter realized how long her daughter kept the hug up holding on to her as if she was about to disappear, “Is something wrong AJ? Why are ya crying.” Applejack realized she was crying as her mother said, “No everything’s fine ah jus’ had somethin’ in mah eyes. Pear Butter took a moment noticing her daughter wasn’t telling the total truth but moved to see the little alicorn in the foal carrier “Good morning to you too Twilight!” the mare said tickling her granddaughter’s belly. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from giggling like a baby. Trying to grab the mare’s hoof. Pear Butter smiled at the foal’s laugh and chuckled a little herself, “What are ya doing today?” “Jus’ gonna take Twilight around town.” the younger earth pony replied. The older mare nodded, “Ok, why don’t ya take her to the farm first Ah’m sure she wants to see her family!” Applejack smiled, “Ok Ah-ah’ll do that!” “Good!” Pear Butter kissed the two younger ponies. After the mare kissed her Twilight instinctively put her tiny hooves out trying to grab the mare’s muzzle. Despite not knowing this mare she felt sad when the mare pulled away. “Oooh don’t be sad!” Pear Butter said nuzzling the little pony. Twilight giggled, “Gwanma!” she said grabbing the mare’s muzzle without fully realizing it or what she’d called the mare. Pear Butter smiled, “That’s better. ” After saying goodbye Applejack turned and started walking towards the farmhouse. Once her mother was a safe distance away and out of earshot, “What was that about?” “I don’ know she nuzzwed me an’ I wost contwow of mysewf!” Twilight explained embarrassed. “Well ya said to blend in and yer definitely doin’ that.” Applejack said. The foal grumbled at the mare’s statement. Soon enough the mare had reached the red barn she’d called home for her whole life. As she pulled the door open letting herself in, she heard the voice of a stallion, her father Bright Macintosh. “Mornin’ Applejack!” “M-Mornin’ Dad. How’re ya today? “ Applejack returned the greeting trying her best to not breakdown. Bright Mac smiled “Good how’re ya and Twilight doin’ today?” “A-Ah’m d-doin’ good and Twi’s-“ Applejack glanced back to her ‘daughter’, “-she’s good too.” Bright Mac noticed his daughter’s hesitation, “Applejack are ya ok?” “Y-yeah A-Ah’m ok.” Applejack responded. Bright Mac paused, “Ok if ya say so. Have ya had breakfast yet?” “Y-yeah Ah have.” Applejack answered, “Jus’ came by to see ya.” The stallion replied, “Thanks. Hey Apple Bloom and her friends are in the other room. She’d love to see her niece.” Twilight grumbled again now the filly she’d once taught was her aunt, “Now Iw’m jus’ a hewpwess foaw.” Applejack stepped into the living room seeing five little fillies specifically her little sister and her friends, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom turned to see her big sister with her niece in a foal carrier, “Applejack!” the filly ran over to the mare giving the other earth pony a quick hug before going over to her niece, “Hi Twilight!” she said standing on her hind legs and nuzzling the foal. Twilight just giggled grabbing the filly’s muzzle. “Can Ah hold her?” Apple Bloom smiled. Applejack paused for a moment she knew the alicorn wasn’t going to like this but like she said they had to blend in so the orange mare took the foal out of the carrier and gently handed her over to her young sister, “Be careful.” “Ah will.” Apple Bloom beamed she reached her hoof out keeping her niece’s head safely on her forehoof. Twilight grumbled at being held like an infant. Apple Bloom just smiled giving the baby filly a prolonged nuzzle, “Why ya so grumpy? Wake up on the wrong side of the crib? Aren’t ya happy to see me?” Applejack smirked at what her little sister had said. Twilight although still frustrated did giggle after her ‘aunt’ started ticking her and blowing into her stomach, “There’s a smile!” Apple Bloom brought the foal over to her friends, “Hey girls, Applejack brought Twilight.” The other fillies came over to the yellow earth pony as she sat up on the couch. “Ooooh, she’s so cute! Look her little hooves just so eeee!” Sweetie cooed squishing her own cheeks. “Hard to believe a foal was able to become an alicorn while still in diapers.” Diamond stated. “And saved Equestria!” Scootaloo smiled. Twilight pouted slightly, “Why did dis happen to me.” Her pouting only made the fillies give more comments about how cute she looked. “Oh! Ya forgot Appee here last night Ah’ll go get her.” The filly said, “Do ya wanna hold her Sweetie?” The unicorn chirped a bit loudly, “Yes!” Twilight slightly flinched at the sudden loud noise from the young unicorn. Covering her head felt like she would start crying. Sweetie covered her mouth as the foal started whimpering with small tears in her eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to scare her.” Apple Bloom pulled the foal up to her chest resting the foal’s head on her shoulder, “Don’t cry Twilight.” in a repeat of earlier like with Applejack, Apple Bloom’s voice had a certain comforting familiar feeling to it. Making some unintelligible babbling without noticing herself. The foal found herself cuddling into the yellow earth pony. Apple Bloom smiled pulling the foal away from her and softly letting Sweetie Belle hold the alicorn. “Hi.” Sweetie smiled at the foal. Twilight just glanced over to her ‘aunt’ as she disappeared up the stairs the foal turned her head back to the filly she was currently being held by, “Don’t worry your auntie will be back soon.” The white unicorn assured the foal. The other fillies all gathered around the foal with Sweetie starting to play Peak a boo with the others joining in a little. Twilight found herself smiling and giggling every time the fillies pulled their hooves away saying things like, “Boo, There she’s is and here I am or we are.” Apple Bloom came down the stairs holding a small red earth pony plush in her hoof. Turning to her sister the filly asked, “Did Twilight sleep well without Appee. Ya know how she gets without her.” Applejack paused before replying, “I-it did take a while fer her to get to sleep.” In truth, she didn’t remember yesterday of this weird reality. Apple Bloom smiled as she stepped back over to the couch. “Ah’m back.” Sweetie turned the foal to face her aunt still keeping a hold of her. “What’s that?” Diamond asked. “It’s Twilight favourite toy Appee.” Apple Bloom said. “She left her here yesterday an’ Ah found her this mornin’.” Twilight started reaching out with her hooves, “Abbee!” She cried wanting the doll. Applejack came over as soon as her sister gave the foal the red toy. “Everythin’ alright?” “Yeah.” Apple Bloom smiled. “Well, hate to break up yer fun but Twilight and Ah gotta go.” Applejack said stopping a stutter. “Awww!” Apple Bloom sighed. Applejack picked the foal up putting her in the foal carrier. With the fillies waving goodbye the mare made her way back out giving her father a quick hug before making her way into town. “Do ya think Starlight an’ Sunburst are in town?” Twilight keeping hold of her toy could only shake her head, “I don’ know anymowe. Just ask somepony if they know a pony named Stawwight Gwimmew ow Sunbuwst.” “Ok keep blending in right?” Applejack asked. The foal nodded. “It’s easy fer you only Ah can tell what yer saying. But Ah have to lie to everypony even mah family.” Applejack sighed, “An’ when we get out of this Ah’ll have to say goodbye to mah parents..... again.” the earth pony teared up. Twilight tried to reach over a wipe the tear but couldn’t reach. Applejack noticing did so herself. “Thanks, are ya gettin’ hungry it’s been a while fer a foal.” Twilight blushed nodding as her tiny stomach growled, “Ok.” Applejack walked over on to the grass and took out a bottle from her saddlebag and holding Twilight in a fore hoof started giving the milk. Twilight instinctively started suckling the teat of the bottle. As the foal drank Applejack looked around seeing foals playing mares and stallions talking. Soon a mare came up Applejack recognized her as Bon Bon, “Hey Applejack.” “Hi, Bon Bon whatcha need?” Applejack asked taking the now empty bottle out of Twilight’s mouth. “Just passing by.” Bon Bon responded, “See you later.” “Abbajack!” Twilight reminded the orange mare of the two unicorns they were looking for. “Wait jus’ a question.” Applejack spoke up. Bon Bon turned her head back to the other earth pony, “What is it?” “Have ya seen anypony called Starlight Glimmer or Sunburst?” Bon Bon paused, “No I’ve never heard of anypony with those names.” Applejack recoiled dropping the bottle. Twilight physically reacted to the mare’s statement Bon Bon definitely knew Starlight but she just said she didn’t. Bon Bon looked down to the foal who seemed distressed, “Poor thing something must have startled her.” “Uh. Y-yeah.” Applejack responded picking up the bottle brushing it off before placing back in her bag. “Ah’ll see ya around.” “Ok.” Bon Bon said. After placing Twilight back in the foal carrier started walking into town. Their hope of finding the unicorns flickering slightly.
Remembering new memoriesApplejack walked into the relocated castle with a now sleeping Twilight in the foal carrier. She’d asked several ponies around town about a mare named Starlight Glimmer and a stallion called Sunburst but they’d all said the same thing, “Never met anypony with either of those names before.” Applejack lost in thought felt a slight tug. Turning towards the tug seeing Twilight had just turned over and pulled the carrier slightly, “Ah could use a rest too.” The earth pony walked down the hall and into the room she’d woken up in that morning. Before climbing into bed the earth pony placed Twilight back in the crib, then put the foal carrier and her bag beside her bed. The earth pony climbed into the bed covering herself in the blankets and closed her eyes ready for a quick nap. Soon the mare drifted to sleep. After she had fully drifted off she started to dream an unusual dream of a stallion she’d never met before or at least didn’t remember meeting. Applejack looked out across the orchard as the sun got lower in the sky, “It’s a beautiful sight to see ain’t it Moonstone?” “Yeah, it is.” Moonstone responded, “A beautiful orange reminds of somepony.” Applejack turned towards the unicorn who had a dark blue coat and a purple mane with a lighter purple stripe beside his horn. Seeing he was staring at her making her blushed. Moonstone placed a hoof under the earth pony’s chin with a smile and leaned forward. Applejack leaned towards the stallion and kissed him. “I love you.” Moonstone smiled Applejack opened her eyes and looked around the room. She was back in the room she fell asleep in, “Why did Ah have that dream? Moonstone?” Applejack glanced downwards. “But what happened Ah didn’t see him around town and nopony mentioned him.” Applejack to her surprise saw Twilight in front of her, “Whoa! Twi how’d ya get out?” “I fwew out,” Twilight said in a matter of fact way Applejack rolled her eyes, “Ok did ya have a nice nap?” picking the foal up and placing her beside her “Yes.” Twilight smiled, “but I had a wiwed dweam.” “A dream?” Twilight nodded and in her baby voice explained the dream that felt more like a memory. Twilight opened her eyes slowly, “Eh!” the foal sounded. “Hi, Twilight.” Apple Bloom smiled at her niece, “Am Ah holdn’ her alright?” “Yer doin’ great Apple Bloom.” Bright Mac, “just keep sportin’ her head.” Twilight started squirming in her aunt’s hooves, “Ah, Eh!” “Why’s she squirmin’ so much?” Apple Bloom asked Reaching over her youngest Pear Butter rubbed the foal soothingly said, “She’s probably just hungry.” Applejack came back in hearing her daughter’s distress, “Ah’m back.” The earth pony walked over to the couch her mother stepped up letting her daughter sit down. “Ok, Apple Bloom Applejack has to feed Twilight now.” Pear Butter told the filly. Apple Bloom tilted her head, “But Applejack doesn’t have a bottle. Doesn’t she need that for her milk?” The adults chuckled “What?” The filly asked confused, “Where will Applejack get Twi’s milk?” Bright Mac placed a hoof on his daughter’s head, “You’ll know when yer older let’s just leave them alone fer now.” The filly although still confused gave the unicorn foal over to her mother, “Ah’ll tell ya when to come back.” As the other ponies left the room Applejack held her daughter close, “Ok Twilight time fer yer milk.” As the mother brought the foal close to her breasts Twilight took the teat of one in her mouth and started suckling as the warm liquid squirted into her mouth. After two minutes Applejack lifted the foal up resting her head on her shoulder. Twilight cuddled into her mother as Applejack patted her back. “Den I woke up,” Twilight said blushing the last bit. Applejack also blushed explained of the dream she’d had, “It was wired Ah remember him and Ah being together but Ah never dated somepony like that in our old reality.” “Abbajack.... you don’ tink he was my...” Twilight started before trailing off. Applejack kept looking down, “He might... but even after ya nodded off nopony mentioned him.” The two started to think while Applejack had to change Twilight’s diaper again why had they had those dreams seemingly of memories from this reality and most of all just who was this Moonstone could he really have been Twilight’s father and was even still around. “Applejack?” Pear Butter called out. Applejack stepped out into the hall, “Ma?” Pear Butter waved, “Winona’s feeling much better.” Applejack paused in all the confusion of the day she hadn’t noticed Winona’s absence. The brown dog rushed over to her owner giving her a loving kiss. “Ok Winona down girl.” Applejack smiled. The ever loyal pet stopped and sat down beside Applejack particularly to the side where Twilight was most leaned towards. “What ya doin’ here is everything alright?” Applejack asked. Pear Butter smiled, “Ah’m fine. Ah, ran into your friend Fluttershy she was bringing Winona back. So Ah told her Ah was coming to see ya so Ah’d drop her off.” Applejack nodded. Pear Butter smiled, “Are ya getting hungry? It is lunch time.” “S-sure.” Applejack responded she only had a brief moment with her mother earlier buy now she was going to have to keep her composure for longer. Pear Butter again noticing her daughter’s uncertainty, “Applejack This isn’t like you! Yer usually honest with me about yer problems.” Applejack led the way to the kitchen sitting Twilight into the high chair with the alicorn still not liking it. Pear Butter smiled as she sat beside her granddaughter. Twilight trying to follow her own words of blending in as the foal she was started lightly pounding her hooves on the tray in front of her. Pear Butter giggled, “Applejack I think the little Princess is getting impatient.” Applejack turned over with bottle and jar of foal food noticed Twilight’s little act, “Ok, Ah’m comin’.” She came over giving Twilight a smile. Pear Butter stood up, “Ah’ll make our lunch while ya give Twilight hers.” Applejack nodded, “Ok!” The older mare stepped over to the counter and pulled something out of the cupboard. Applejack trying not to speak too loud said, “See yer blendin’ in. Must easy fer ya bein’ a foal.” “Onwy wif you jus’ tink about tawking,” Twilight mumbled before taking the spoonful the earth phase held out for her. Applejack just took another spoonful from the jar remembering all the comments Twilight had made about how humiliating being a foal was. Having to be fed mushy food, drink milk from a bottle or..her mother, wearing diapers while consciously being a full grown mare must be quite aggravating. Applejack after unfulfilling the jar gave Twilight the bottle she’d warmed up. The foal took the bottle herself and started drinking the dream’ still in her mind now the milk had a familiar taste only confirming what was obvious this was definitely Applejack’s milk. Pear Butter came back over just as her granddaughter had drank the last of her milk. The mare set two plates with simple sandwiches on them. “Thanks.” Applejack smiled glancing over to the older mare, “Y-ya didn’t have to do that.” Pear Butter smiled, “Ah know, but Ah wanted to.” Applejack smiled picking her sandwich up after taking a bite noticed Twilight’s slightly angry expression only her baby face made it look adorable. Pear Butter glancing saw her granddaughter’s face, “What’s wrong Twilight?” Applejack turning back to mother had to think up a reason, “Maybe she’s sour that her lunch stopped.” Pear Butter giggled, “Well nopony likes that.... Applejack?” Pear Butter’s tone suddenly changed, “Is something going on? Yer friends told me you were acting a little strange earlier and Twilight was very upset before breakfast. And I noticed when ya came over you cried after ya saw me and her Dad said ya acted strange around him as well. Applejack if something’s happened you can talk, to us please.” Applejack looked down shaking, “Blend in Applejack Blend in! But Ah want to tell somepony! But Ah need to make sure Ah don’t lose Twilight!” with feeling no other way out Applejack ran out of the kitchen clearly upset. “Applejack?!” Pear Butter stood up concerned. Applejack ran down the hall. Twilight’s expression fell she couldn’t help but feel responsible for Applejack’s state, “Maybe we could jus’ teww one pony.” Pear Butter turned around to see her granddaughter visibly upset, “Ooooh!” The mare exclaimed picking the foal up out of the chair cradling her. “You poor thing! It must be so confusing seeing your mama so upset. She’s the one who’s supposed to comfort you.” the mare sighed giving the alicorn a kiss on the forehead just below her horn, “If only ya could tell me what’s goin’ on. Applejack had run through the castle and all the way to the throne room, “Ah’m sorry Ma. Ah, can’t tell ya. Ya wouldn’t believe me!” The earth pony groaned, “Starlight, Sunburst where are ya?” The earth pony glanced back up. The map was still there like their old reality through memory Applejack glanced towards where Starlight’s village was, “Maybe they know where....... Huh?” where the small village was instead was an open filled between the mountains. Like nopony had ever been there, “B-but it was there!” Pear Butter came into the room with Twilight in her forehoof, “AJ. Please tell me did you... does this have anything to do with Moonstone?” Applejack paused that stallion again. But why would he be a reason to be upset about. “I remember just yesterday you and Rainbow Dash were called by that map to Fillydelhia his home town. You ran into him, didn’t you? He still tried to act like Twilight’s father after abandoning her and you.” Applejack and Twilight froze after hearing that, “H-he abandoned me?” The earth pony thought. Twilight could only think, “My father abandoned me and Applejack... he didn’t want me. my father didn’t want me?” Applejack could bearly hold back the truth her mind was screaming, to tell the truth. While also saying to blend in like nothing’s different, “A-Ah can’t tell ya.. not yet!” As Pear Butter was about to speak up but a soft sound got her attention. She looked down seeing Twilight with small tears running down her cheeks quietly sobbing. “Twilight?” Applejack walked over as her mother attempted to ease the foal’s sadness. Pear Butter started bouncing the foal softly, “Shhh it’s ok Twilight.” The mare looked up to her daughter before glancing back down, “Poor dear. Don’t worry yer Grandmare is here.” Applejack looked down at the alicorn realizing the foal was starting to calm. Twilight finding the mare’s warm voice so soothing cuddled into her chest. Pear Butter smiled, “There all better.” Applejack smiled. “AJ how about Ah take care of Twilight fer a few hours. Ya could use some time to think.” Pear Butter suggested, “Just please promise you’ll tell me what’s wrong soon.” Applejack tried to think but saw a quick glance from Twilight before she said, “Bwend in.” The younger earth pony nodded to her mother, “Ok Ah guess she’ll like some time with ya. Ah, promise Ah’ll tell ya sometime this week. Ah’m just not ready to say it.” Pear Butter smiled, “Thank you AJ. No matter what it is Ah’ll be here fer ya.” Twilight turned her head to look up at the beige earth pony who soon looked down at her giving a soft smile. “We’ll be goin’.” Pear Butter responded. “Ok.” Applejack nodded looking down at Twilight “Maybe try and see if ya can get something done at the Spa. Ya could use something relaxing.” Pear Butter suggested. Applejack nodded, “Maybe Ah do need somethin’.” the earth pony did feel a little stiffness in her back, “Guess the Applejack in this reality is so busy with Twilight she hasn’t really gotten much chance to relax and Ah bearly had that in our old reality.” Pear Butter smiled, “Good.” The older mare left the room leaving her daughter behind. Applejack looked over the large table looking to see what else was different, “Only Starlight’s Village is gone.” As the mare left the room and slowly walked down the hall to the front the memories of several ponies saying they never knew a pony named Starlight Glimmer and the village seemingly gone lead Applejack to only one possible answer. Author's Note Proofread by: Viper Pit
A day of relaxing, A night of painTwilight sat in the foal carriage her ‘Grandmother’ had gotten after stopping at Sweet Apple Acres. The carriage gave her more room to move around but keeping her words to Applejack to blend in. So she mostly kept still giving an occasional curious glance like a foal would. Pear Butter giggled at the filly glancing around assuming she was curious of her surroundings, “Yer just like your mother when she was a baby. The only thing yer missin’ is her appetite.” Twilight just stared up, “When wiww wit end!” she mumbled Pear Butter only hearing a The soft incoherent mumble smiled, “Yer definitely gonna be a talker, are ya?” Twilight couldn’t help but smile as the earth pony gave her a quick rub causing her belly to jiggle slightly. “Pear Butter.” a familiar voice greeted. Pear Butter glanced towards the voice. While Twilight peaked out from the carriage slightly. The familiar face of her old friend Chiffon Swirl or as she was known as know Cup Cake or Mrs. Cake. “Howdy Chiffon it’s great seeing you.” Pear Butter smiled. Mrs. Cake walked up next to the other mare, “Taking your granddaughter out for today? Planning on spoiling her?” “Maybe a little, but isn’t that what Grandmares are supposed to do?” The mare smiled. “Well, Pumpkin and Pond’s sure do.” Mrs. Cake chuckled slightly, “What are you gonna spoil her with?” Pear Butter glanced towards her granddaughter, “Maybe a new toy or two.” “She does have her teeth now. Think her mother would mind her having her sweet tooth fed?” the blue earth pony offered. “Well I certainly don’t mind and I don’t think she’ll mind either.” Pear Butter placed a hoof on her granddaughter. “Don’t tell your mother.” Mrs. Cake winked at the foal. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, “I would like something sweet.” The two old friends chatted while walking towards the bakery Twilight kept thinking to herself, “Maybe I’ll find something if we can find the spell again.” “Wonder what she's thinking?” Mrs. Cake asked. Pear Butter shrugged. Meanwhile Applejack stepped into the quite building only hearing a few voices and soft music playing, “Hello Appleyack.” an accented voice greeted. The orange mare stepped towards the voice, “Howdy Aloe. Ah’m here for steam and massage.” Aloe nodded, “Of course. Right, this way.” Applejack followed the pink mare down the hallway, “Glad to see somethin’ hasn’t changed.” “You may want to know Rarity came in just before you,” Aloe explained. Applejack walked alongside the mare. As much as she enjoyed her spa days with her friend when she could make it. But it was going to be hard to keep her secret from her friend especially after keeping it from her mother throughout their lunch. As the door of the Steam Room opened Rarity took the cloth off her face to see her old friend enter. “Applejack!” the white unicorn exclaimed, “What brings you here?” “Ah just realized with takin’ care of Twi so much, Ah haven’t come here much.” Applejack said sitting down. Rarity sighed slightly, “You’ve barely been here since you were pregnant with her. Last time I had to drag you while you were explaining the proper temperature for Twilight’s bottle to Mrs. Cakes.” Applejack chuckled even though she didn’t remember the event. The earth pony just sat next to her friend as she and the unicorn spoke about other topics, Like old fillyhood stories which luckily for Applejack were almost exactly the same as she remembered. Twilight and Pear Butter At Ponyville’s local bakery Sugarcube Corner, Pear Butter spoke with her friend while keeping an eye on her granddaughter sitting on the floor. “Twilight isn’t as playful as she usually is.” Mrs. Cake glanced at the little alicorn. “Yer right. Applejack was actin’ strange too. When Ah saw her this mornin’ she got pretty emotional.” “Hmmm. Could she have run into Moonstone?” The blue mare asked. Pear Butter watched her granddaughter, “She may have. She was in Fillydelphia yesterday and he does live there.” “When will he stop intruding, he had his chance to Twilight’s father but after everything, he’s done he doesn’t even have the right to speak to her!” Mrs. Cake exclaimed with anger. Twilight looked down her mind racing with thoughts of who this ‘Moonstone’ was he’d left his girlfriend while she was pregnant and only came back when the child was crowned as a princess. He seemed selfish and no one seemed to have anything good to say about him. Pumpkin and Pound moved towards the alicorn, “Twiwight! Why won’t you pway with us?!” Pumpkin wined. Twilight’s shot up in shock. She could understand Pumpkin her voice was the same as her broken foal speech yet she could understand it. “I’m sowwy, Pumpkin... I don’t feew good.” “Why don’ you ask youw Mama fow hewp?” Pumpkin asked. Pound pushed a small toy piano over to the alicorn, “Hewe moosic wemembew!” Mrs. Cake glanced over to the three foals, “Oooooh. Look!” Pear Butter smiled, “They’re so cute! Trying to cheer Twilight up.” Twilight remembered her own words to Applejack and pushed the small key on the toy as it sounded an off-key music note. The alicorn found herself giggling pressing more keys. Soon enough she was playing every key on the instrument. The alicorn filly ran around the room with the other two foals. “Well, whatever they said to her definitely helped.” Pear Butter chuckled. “Now if only I knew why Applejack acting like she is.” Later that night Applejack and Twilight enjoyed their day and were able to learn facts of this reality they’d be popped into. But one fact scared them, no one had remembered Starlight or Sunburst. Twilight’s mind kept considering the worst the last time she heard them they were screaming then they just disappeared from the new reality the spell created. The two were in the room they woke up in the earth pony was holding a bottle in Twilight’s mouth. The alicorn slowly suckled on the tip of the bottle feeling the bottle slip away. Twilight gave a soft squeaky yawn. Applejack smiled, “Well guess yer ready fer some sleep now.” Twilight looked into the mare’s eyes, “Ok. But wet’s stawt eawy tomowow.” The earth pony patted the alicorn’s back until the foal let out a soft burp, “Well let’s make sure ya get enough sleep. Yer a foal now after all.” As her eyes fluttered the foal managed to say, “I know. You tink I don’.” Applejack walked over to the crib placing Twilight in covering her with the blanket inside. “Goodnight Twilight. Sweet dreams Sugarcube.” “Tanks Abbajack. Night.” Twilight closed her eyes her foal body unable to stay awake much longer. The earth pony lied down on the bed she’d begun her day in. But little did she know her dreams were going to be anything but sweet. She again had a returning memory from this reality. Applejack’s dream During a late summer day, Applejack walked up to a single tree. “Huh?” the mare felt a cramp in her stomach. “Why does that keep happenin’.” She wound up with to give the tree a good buck, but she was suddenly overcome with dizziness, “Ehh!” The mare heard a familiar voice greet her, “Applejack?” “H-hey Ma.” Applejack returned getting her balance back. “Are ya still gettin’ those spells?” Pear Butter asked. The younger earth pony nodded, “Yes. But it’s nothin’-“ “You’ve been havin’ them for about two weeks now. AJ, Ah think ya need to get it checked.” Applejack thought for a moment. Her mother wasn’t going to back down. “A-Ah guess it’s worth checking.” Pear Butter smiled as her middle child left for the hospital for a check-up. Applejack took a while to walk to the hospital. On her way, she ran into her boyfriend Moonstone. “AJ!” the unicorn stallion exclaimed. “Wh-Why are you out here. Thought you’d be up at the farm.” The mare sighed, “Ah’ve been havin’ some dizzy spells for two weeks now. So Ah’m goin’ to the hospital to see if anythin’s wrong.” Moonstone put a hoof around the mare, “Ok see you later.” the stallion leaned down slightly planting a soft kiss on the earth pony’s cheek. “I love you.” Applejack blushed, “Love ya too.” The couple went their separate ways for the day. Applejack sat in the waiting room her stomach still cramping a few times. “Ms. Applejack Apple?” A light brown stallion called. “That’s me.” Applejack stood up. While the mare sat in the office the stallion, Doctor Stable asked the mare, “So you’ve been experiencing dizziness and cramping daily for two weeks.” “Yeah.” Applejack nodded. To try and diagnose what her symptoms could mean the doctor asked, “Have you had any nausea or sickness at any point in the day?” Applejack paused, “Well not as often but sometimes, Ah do when Ah wake up.” “Well, there’s one thing this could mean. But I must ask you to take a small test. I’ll need a little blood sample.” The doctor continued. The mare looked confused so asked, “What’s this for?” The doctor placed a hoof on his desk, “Well your symptoms may be from pregnancy.” Applejack recoiled from shock slightly could she actually be pregnant. She did have an intimate relationship with Moonstone but did that lead to them conceiving a foal. She remembered his last visit about 5-6 weeks ago with what they’d done it was certainly a possibility. “Ok.” Applejack nodded. After having her blood drawn and a few other tests the earth pony waited for the doctor to return with her diagnosis. The earth pony stallion walked into the room with a smile, “I have good news. Congratulations I can confirm you’re 7 weeks pregnant.” Applejack looked down at her stomach. She was going to be a mother. she felt like, she could already see her and Moonstone raising their foal together. “I’m sure you’re excited to tell your family.” Doctor Stable smiled. Once she left Applejack made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres. On her way back the mare constantly played what she was going to say to her family. She also imagined what Moonstone’s reaction would be he’d be happy, hearing he was going to be a father. The earth pony soon saw the familiar sight of apple trees surrounded her while a large red barn appeared. After getting close she heard the familiar voices of her loved ones. The mare took a breath and entered. “Applejack!” Apple Bloom rushed up to her older sister. While the mare wrapped her hoof around the yellow filly she heard her mother ask, “So did you hear anything about why you’ve been feeling sick.” “Yeah, Ah did.” Applejack nodded, “And Ah have some great news.” The other adults in the room turned their heads. “What is it?” Pear Butter asked. “Ah’m pregnant. The Apple Family is gonna have a new member soon.” The mare smiled rubbing her stomach. Pear Butter began grew a large smile, “Y-you mean Ah’m gonna be a GRANDMARE!?” Applejack nodded. While Pear Butter embraces her middle child Bright Mac put a hoof over their youngest, “Isn’t that great Apple Bloom, Yer gonna be Aunt soon.” Apple Bloom chirped, “Ya mean it!” Moonstone just stayed in stunned silence. He couldn’t believe this had happened. He and Applejack had actually conceived a foal and she was so happy about it. Granny Smith jokingly poked her grandson and oldest grandchild, “Well Big Mac looks like Applejack is the first to give me a great grandfoal.” “N-no this couldn’t happen!” Moonstone thought to himself, “W-Wait maybe it isn’t mine.” The family soon noticed that Moonstone the father of the developing foal had kept completely silent. Applejack was the first to speak up, asking her lover, “Somethin’ wrong Moonstone.” “Y-yeah something’s wrong! H-how could you be pregnant!” Moonstone exclaimed. “Ah’m sure ya know how Sugarcube with what we’ve been doin’.” Applejack said keeping her word choice coy with Apple Bloom in the same room. Moonstone internally growled, “N-no there’s no way in TARTARUS it’s my foal. Y-you could have easily slept with some other stallion while I was away. That’s the truth isn’t it!” Applejack couldn’t even gasp from her shock. While she and her family stood speechless. Bright Mac turned to his son with a very serious expression and tone, “Big Mac take Apple Bloom outside, she shouldn’ hear any of this.” Big Mac nodded and took his youngest sister by the hoof and lead her outside hoping that she could stay as oblivious of the situation. While he left he shot Moonstone a dirty glare showing his anger towards him. After her siblings had left and were well out of earshot Applejack spoke up, “Moonstone... Ah-Ah can’t believe you’d say somethin’ like that.” Moonstone stomped his hoof, “Well if I’m the father I decide if it’s even born. We are stopping this stupid thing right now!” “Ah ain’t doin’ anythin’ like that.” Applejack stood up. Moonstone stepped forward, “No you ARE going to. I’m not having a foal!” Applejack replied, “But Ah want this foal. Ah know we're a bit young but-“ “I DON’T WANT IT!“ Moonstone angrily. “So then choose Applejack stop this foal before it’s born! Or I leave and you’ll have to raise an obnoxious, screaming creature all on your own.” Applejack looked down staying silent considering her options. The unicorn wasn’t exactly happy about that. “So! What’s your choice?” Moonstone asked. “Or are you admitting you were sleeping around and just want to have somepony to pin this on!” Applejack looked back up. He was still believing she’d do that to him. Her choice was obnoxious the best choice for both of them, “Maybe it’s best if we end this.” “Finally you see reason!” “No. Ah mean being together. Ya obviously don’ want a foal and don’ trust me anymore with all this talk about me cheatin’ on ya. Ah think we shouldn’t see each other anymore.” Moonstone’s jaw dropped. He thought he’d finally gotten through to her, “Rrrrrr! ARG! FINE YOU’VE MADE YOUR CHOICE! ENJOY BEING SINGLE AND HAVING TO LOOK AFTER A WASTE! Call me when you realize just how terrible your life will be. A dishevelled single mother on a filthy farm with her useless farming parents and so old she can’t move grandmother!” Applejack froze, her father barely stopping himself from charging right at the younger stallion, “G-get out!” “What!?” Moonstone asked, The orange mare rose her head and looked at the stallion she thought loved her in the eyes. She tried to resolve this peacefully and respectfully for both of them. But after insulting her family she’d had reached her breaking point. While barely holding back tears she said again, “GET OUT! YA AIN’T WELCOME HERE!” “You can’t-“ Bright Mac and Pear Butter got right between the two. While his wife comforted their middle child he told the stallion in an intimidating voice, “Ah suggest ya leave! If you come anywhere near mah daughter again you will regret it!” Moonstone glared before turning away shouting all the way, “ENJOY YOUR PATHETIC LIFE! I’LL NEVER COME BACK. TELL THE FOAL DADDY HATES IT.” saying his last statement in a very venomous tone. After he left Applejack felt her tears run down her cheeks. Moonstone was gone. The stallion she loved, the father to her foal. The earth pony already decided then that the foal would never be told what had happened between her and it’s father. ..... Applejack shot up in bed. Looking around she was in her new room in Twilight’s Castle, “I-It’s was just a dream. Calm down.” the earth pony touched her face realizing her damp fur. She was crying in her sleep. “B-but it felt so real. L-like that other dream.” The earth pony glanced towards the crib near her bed. In it, Twilight was sleeping peacefully in a way only a foal could. Lying back down the earth pony hoped her sleep would be just as peaceful. Author's Note Dialogue ideas for Applejack’s dream were suggested by: Viper Pit
Temporarily, Permanent ChangesAfter the long night had passed Twilight woke in her crib. It was her second day in this new reality and she still wasn’t used to her new foal body, mostly her need of diapers. The alicorn looking through the wooden bars saw her new ‘mother’ still sleeping. The foal side of her mind trailed off towards the toys in her crib, especially towards her foal counterpart’s favourite Appee. Holding the red pony doll Twilight, despite not having any memory of it, felt a certain happiness while embracing it. Soon enough Applejack sat up in her bed and glanced towards the crib seeing her ‘daughter’ awake playing with the toys in her crib. Twilight’s foal side obviously having took over her adult consciousness, “Good Mornin’.” Applejack greeted. Twilight looked up at the orange earth pony looking down on her, smiling. The alicorn smiled back, “Mowning.” The earth pony picked the foal out of the crib. After giving Twilight a fresh, clean diaper, she sat on her bed again with Twilight in her hooves. “What should we be doin’ today Twi?” “We shouwd wook awound some mowe.” Twilight said, “We didn’t weawwy wook awound my castwe.” Applejack nodded, “Yeah, guess we did just go around town.” Later The two were able to find their way around the castle. It hadn’t changed much, other than foal toys and some of Applejack’s belongings scattered around some places. Then they reached the library. What they saw shocked them. The circle from the spell’s ritual was still on the floor as if nothing had changed, “It’s still here?!” Twilight flapped her wings getting out of the older pony’s grasp. Flying around she saw it was still fully intact. Looking at the bookshelves she did find some of her magic, history and other books but there were also a lot that weren’t there before. They were for young foals like she was now. Applejack began looking around the room herself and found a small stack of old parchment. She picked it up and called Twilight over, “Twilight what’s this?” The little alicorn turned around, she could tell what it was, “Da Speww!” “So, it’s still here?” Applejack questioned. Twilight flapped her wings flying over and sitting on the small table in the library, “Wet me see it.” The older pony set the papers in front of the foal. Twilight slid the pages across the table looking on the front and back of each page for any sign of a counter spell that she may have forgotten about but found nothing. All she found were just some lines on the back of the last page. “Anythin’?” Applejack pressed. Twilight shook her head expressing as much frustration as her face could which wasn’t much and just looked like a cute cranky foal, “No noting! Jus.... six wittle tiwcks on da back.” “Six?” The earth pony tilted her head picking the paper up. She saw the alicorn was correct. There were six small ticks on the paper, four with a fifth going through them and a sixth beside them. “It’s almost like somepony was countin’ somethin’.” Twilight closed her eyes, “Counting something? What could it be counting?” The two kept thinking when Twilights’s tiny stomach gave a low growl. The alicorn blushed looking up at the mare with a sheepish smile. The earth pony chuckled picking the little alicorn up into her hooves, “Let’s get ya some breakfast. Then get back to our little investigation.” Twilight sighed, “Ok.” As Applejack walked away she barely caught the sight of the foal gripping the papers in her magic obviously intending to keep the spell in her sight. The earth pony continued walking to the kitchen. “Abbajack?” The older pony looked down at the foal in her grip, “Yes?” “I’m wowwied about Stawwlight.” Twilight said, “It’s wike she disappeawed into tin air.” “Ah’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she has a different life now like us.” Applejack assured. Twilight perked back up, “M-maybe. But we might nevew find hew. Equestwia is huge. She could hav been bown in a diffewent town or maybe not in the countwy at aww, if-if-“ Applejack placed a hoof on the foal before Twilight could say what the earth pony knew she was going to say. “Calm down Sugarcube. Let’s not get too riled up. We can’t find her and Sunburst if we’re so negative.” Twilight took a quick breath, “Wight.” Upon reaching the kitchen Applejack placed Twilight in the high chair, again getting a slight grumble from the alicorn. “Nopony ewse is hewe. Can’ I jus’ sit nowmawy.” “Yer a bit to small fer that Sugarcube. It’s either in the high chair, in my hooves or on the table.” “I’w sit hewe.” Twilight said begrudgingly. The earth pony chuckled, “Well since that’s settled. Let’s get some food in ya.” While Applejack fed her the mushy food by the spoonful, Twilight glanced at the scroll, her mind racing as to where Starlight and Sunburst could be. Sunburst didn’t seem to be in the Crystal Empire and Starlight wasn’t in Ponyville. So where could either of them be? The little alicorn thought of every place that held meaning to the two ponies. She knew one last place that came to mind, Sire’s Hollow, their birth place. “I gow wit!” Twilight said forgetting she had food in her mouth which caused it to fly out and splatter on Applejack’s face. The foal awkwardly chuckled, “Sowwy.” After wiping the mush off, the older pony asked, “So what’s yer big revelation?” Twilight continued, “If Stawwight and Sunbuwst awen’ in Ponyviwwe or da Cwystaw Empiwe dey couwd be in Siwe’s Howwow!” “Sire’s Hollow? Well, it’s the only place we know where either of them could be. But remember how different our lives are. They could live on the other end of Equestria in this reality.” Applejack reminded the foal. Twilight nodded knowing full well that was true, but like Applejack said it’s the only place they knew the two could be. After eating, the pair soon left. Applejack made sure to bring to a bag with a few fresh diapers, foal powder and bottles for Twilight. Keeping the alicorn in a foal carrier on one side and the bag on the other, Applejack left the castle overlooking the vast orchard. “So ya ready for our little trip?” “Yeah hopefuwwy dis wiww get tings back to nowmaw.” Twilight replied. Later After getting on the train Applejack was almost immediately swarmed by ponies fawning over the little princess she was carrying. On the long ride foals just kept wanting to play with Twilight and their parents were talking with Applejack preventing the two from talking completely about what their plan would be when they reached their destination. After reaching the station the earth pony stepped on the platform near the small village. Walking over to the gate Applejack looked around, “Well doesn’t look like anything’s changed here.” “Doesn’ WOOK wike it.” Twilight emphasized, “But oder dan da castle Ponyviwwe didn’ change.” Applejack sighed, “Yeah, Yer right. Hopefully we can find Starlight or Sunburst.” “And dey wemembew us.” Twilight added. The earth pony began walking as Twilight looked around for any sign of her friend and former student. Applejack was more paying attention to where she was walking but still tried to look around for the either the mare or stallion. “Oh, welcome to Sire’s Hollow!” a voice greeted. Applejack turned to see a mare she met a few times, Sunburst’s mother Stellar Flare. “Oh you’re Ms. Applejack, mother of Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The older mare then noticed the little alicorn in a foal carrier, “And you brought the regale cutie herself. What brings you to our humble little town?” Applejack paused. The unicorn acted like it was the first time they’d met. “Oh. Ah. Ah just came cause a friend of mine lives here. Ah haven’t seen her for a while.” Stellar smiled, “Oh well that’s wonderful. I hope you two can catchup.” The earth pony nodded. Turning away she heard the mare sigh with a saddened tone. “Is somethin’ wrong?” Applejack asked the older mare. “Oh! No, it’s nothing.” The mare glanced at the foal who stared back at her. “I have somewhere to be.” Before the younger mare could even say a word the unicorn hurriedly left. Twilight saw her turn a corner losing sight of her as she disappeared behind the wall of a building. “Where’d she go, Twi?” Twilight shrugged not seeing where the mare had gone. “Well let’s see if we can find Starlight. With how she’s actin’ who knows where Sunburst is.” Applejack turned around, “Do ya remember where she lived?” Twilight paused a moment and pointed ahead. The earth pony resumed their trek to find their friend despite a few ponies who stopped them to see Twilight. The alicorn internally shouted, “I can’t take this much longer.”. Then one idea came to mind that she hadn’t thought of before, if they stayed in this reality longer than they hoped. “Please do NOT make me go through puberty AGAIN!” Applejack eventually got the ponies to leave and the two found Starlight’s old home. The earth pony knocked on the door She tried again after not getting a response. “I’ll be right there!” a male voice called. Twilight closed her eyes remembering the voice as Starlight’s father, “Please still be living here. Please still be living here.” Applejack completely unknowingly was thinking the same thing as the foal. The minute it took for the door to open felt more like an hour. The door opened as the ‘mother’ and ‘daughter’ held their breath. In a few seconds the opened door revealed a unicorn stallion, Starlight’s father Firelight. The stallion greeted, “Hello, I wasn’t expecting anyone to visit.” Firelight exclaimed, “Oh! Ms. Applejack and Princess Twilight.“ Applejack smiled, “Yeah, Does anypony else life here? Ah remember a friend of mine livin’ here.” The stallion shook his head, “No, nopony else lives here. I do know where everypony lives though. I could help you find your friend.” Applejack thought about what the stallion said before she headed Twilight try to get her attention. The alicorn pointed to her diaper. Taking her out of the foal carrier patting her diaper Applejack realized she needed a change, “Sure. Do ya know somewhere Ah can get this one into a new diaper.” “You can change her in here.” Firelight offered. “Um. Ok.” Applejack accepted The stallion slid back inside holding the door open for the younger pony. While she was carried through the halls Twilight looked around seeing multiple pictures of Starlight as a foal with her father. Twilight let out a sigh of relief knowing Starlight still existed in this reality, “We just need to find her. Maybe Firelight will know.“ Firelight motioned his hoof towards a door, “You can use the bathroom.” “Ok thanks.” Applejack nodded. The earth pony entered softly placing Twilight on the fairly large counter. Twilight blushed, “I hate weawing a diapew. Sowwy you have to put up with dis.” Applejack smiled, “Don’t worry about it. Ah ain’t exactly thrilled about changin’ diapers after Apple Bloom was potty trained but Ah’m fine with it.” “We at weast know Stawwight was hewe once.” Twilight explained, “Maybe ask Fiwewight.” “But what would Ah even ask?” Applejack questioned. Twilight thought for a moment before answering, “Twy asking as anothew pawent?” “Another parent?” Twilight nodded, “Yea twy saying how you notwiced the pictuwes and wewe cuwious about dem.” Applejack nodded as she wrapped a fresh diaper around the alicorn foal. The earth pony carried the foal out of the bathroom meeting the stallion and together they sat down in what seemed to be a Living Room, “Thanks fer lettin’ me do that.” “No problem. Now who were you looking for?” Firelight asked. Applejack paused. She knew she had to blend in so she thought about how she would answer this question, “She’s a unicorn. Her name is Starlight.” “Starlight.” Firelight said distantly, “That’s a really nice name it’s actually my daughter’s name.” “You’re daughter?” Applejack feigned ignorance. The stallion nodded, “She was a very energetic filly. I don’t remember anypony else with the same first name as her ever living here.” Applejack paused, “Maybe Ah was mistaken. Ah could have sworn she lived here.” Firelight nodded, “Sorry I couldn’t help you much.” “It’s fine. Ah’m a little curious about yer daughter. Does she still live anywhere around here or has she moved outta town? Ah don’t see any pictures of her as a mare.” Applejack examined. Firelight seemed to choke slightly, “No. She doesn’t live here anymore.” Applejack nodded letting the stallion continue. Only to see a tear run down his cheek. “Why..... Starlight.” Firelight spoke without looking up almost like he was in thought. Applejack tried to speak up but saw the older pony levitate a plaque towards himself that was hanging in the wall. He seemed to stare at it, glancing between it and Twilight. “Is somethin’ wrong sir?” Applejack asked. “I’m sure as a mother, you know how important a foal is to their parent.” Applejack paused for just a moment before nodding in response. Firelight could barely even speak his next words, only turning the picture around. Applejack first saw the picture of a smiling filly that she recognized as Starlight but then she saw the text beneath the image. It caused her heart to drop. Starlight Glimmer, Age: 8 1085-1093. You will be forever missed. Twilight needed to read it over several times but could not let herself believe it. Firelight levitated the plaque back over to the wall. “It was years ago. She and her friend, a colt named Sunburst were at the old library. But something went wrong with an oil lamp and the building caught fire. They must have been so scared they could barely move..... somepony went in to rescue them but a shelf fell and trapped all three of them. The fire was eventually was put out but it was too late.“ the stallion finished breaking down completely. Applejack thought about what she could or should do next but then her thoughts were interrupted by Twilight screaming at the top of her lungs. The stallion quickly looked up upon hearing the loud wail. It was a foal’s cry louder than any he’d ever heard, “Wh-what’s wrong. She sounds so upset. How can a foal make such a loud sound?” “It’s just a thing alicorns can do. Ah think Ah’ll be leavin’ thanks again fer lettin’ me in and Ah’m sorry fer what happened.” “Thank you.” After leaving Applejack just took a seat next to the fountain rubbing Twilight’s back trying to calm her down. “Sh-Shh. I-it’s a-alright.” All her attempts were futile and she soon found herself tearing up. After nearly an hour Twilight’s tears had stopped but she still sobbed for a good few minutes. Many ponies had come by asking if something was seriously wrong. Applejack replied to everyone that everything was alright and that Twilight was just having a cranky day or that she had tripped and scrapped her knee or any other excuse for a foal to be crying. After Twilight had calmed down the earth pony just continued her journey to the train station. It wasn’t too long before the next train came. Once it got there the two remained completely silent the entire ride home, neither making a sound other than an occasional sniff or quiet sob from the alicorn. “How are we going to fix this now?” Twilight internally lamented, “Maybe we should try and look at the spell again.” Once the train arrived in Ponyville Applejack stepped out of the car, “So we’re just goin’ back to the castle?” Twilight nodded, “I wan’ to wook at daw speww again. We had to have missed someting.” [Later] Twilight sternly looked down at the parchment scanning for she could have missed, “Theres nothing! I don’t even know who created this so I can’t even look through their other spells for some pattern I don’t know about!“ “Anythin’?” Applejack asked simply. “No just those tiwcks.” Twilight replied, “Could it be the ink is worn out? No if it was why would the spell still be legible? Was it rewritten? Wait could be.....“ Applejack looked down trying to hide her growing smirk. It was still amusing to see a foal thinking so deeply. “Disappeawing wink?” Twilight questioned herself. The earth pony straightened up not fully understanding what the foal had said and taking a moment she realized the foal had said, ‘Disappeawing ink’ Twilight tried to light her horn. Magic fizzled from the foal’s head. The light flashed on and off as she attempted to cast a spell to reveal any message on the back of the parchment. Only she found herself unable to control her magic well enough sending a small blast by mistake. Applejack ducked, the blast slightly singeing her mane while barely missing her face. “What was that about?!” Applejack nearly screamed “I didn’ mean to! I was jus twying to uncovew the wink!” Twilight defended. “Well maybe don’t use magic while we’re here.” A Twilight confused replied, “But wif I stiww fixed Stawswiww’s speww, I had to have used magic to wwite it.” Applejack paused, “Maybe, but didn’t ya say levitation is really simple. Maybe ya can’t control yer magic enough fer anyin’ more advanced?” The alicorn slumped into her high chair. ”I can’t do anything anymore!” she thought, “Ok I guess youw wight. But how ewse can we uncovew the wink?” Applejack thought for a brief moment this wasn’t exactly that something she was knowledgeable about, “Well Ah don’t know anythin’ that would work.” Twilight tried to wrack her brain for any memory of a way to reveal the ink. Magic was frequently used to uncover secret messages but there were other ways to uncover invisible ink. “The only ting I can tink of is heat.” “Heat? How does that work?” Applejack questioned. Twilight tapped her hoof in thought, “It’s a wittwe compwicated but to put it simpwy the heat wiww tuwn da papew gowden bwown but where da wink is won’ be as affected. At weast it shouwd with how owd dis speww is. The wink could be too aged to do dat.” “Well, it’s worth a try.” Twilight looked down at the parchment. Her attempt to use magic to reveal the message failed before an effect was even visible. So that wasn’t a real option unless they waited a few years for her to be able her magic. The alicorn nodded acknowledging the earth pony’s statement. Applejack walked over to the stove turning an element on and waiting for the heat to build up. Twilight levitated the paper over the element, letting it warm up. The mare and foal watched as the paper seemed to distort, slowly revealing a faded message. The lines of the letters were slightly disconnected having worn away from age but it was still legible. After a few minutes the two read the message when enough was revealed. “My name is Orion Swirl. This is my spell. I created it hoping to make my land more even peaceful. I cast it with two others and suddenly woke up in a completely different house and that was the least of my changes. My family was changed, even order of events changed.” Twilight turned to Applejack as the two continued reading the old message. “I thought the change would be good. But I was heartbroken when I learned my old family had completely forgotten me. I found that only ponies closest to the spell as it was cast remembered the previous reality. I tried to get back to my original timeline but after six attempts none of the realities were close. I keep living different lives and have been placed in many different times in life in each reality. This will be my seventh attempt I can’t, I won’t stop until I can at least get my old family back. Once I do, I will destroy this spell immediately..” The ponies looked down at the barely visible last line, just repeating two words. “DON’T FORGET.” Twilight kept reading it over and over again in her head, “But if he found his family why would he not have destroyed this spell. Could he not find it?” Applejack paused before the painful truth of what happened to Starlight came to mind, “D-Do ya think he.....?” Twilight froze. The earth pony didn’t have to say another word she knew exactly what Applejack was implying, “Y-you tink he died?” Applejack could only shrug, “If he did it seven times, he definitely wanted his family back and definitely wanted to get rid of this thing. Ah can’t think of anythin’ else expect him bein’ erased from existence or somethin’. Is that even possible?” “I don’ know. So many tings awe diffewent fow us and so many tings couwd have changed dat it couwd have happened.” Twilight replied, “But wit how many ponies thewe have been in Equestwia’s wecowded histowy it wouwd be impossibwe to know. We’d need a wist of evewypony bwon in both weawities!” “Yeah, even then it’d be so much work. You’d have grown into a mare in this reality by the time we finished.” Applejack placed her hoof on the side of her head. Twilight nodded realizing how hard it was going to be to find their old reality with the only other two ponies who knew about it being gone. The pain of losing her family resurfaced. Looking up at the mare who was her new mother she asked, “How did you deaw wit it?” “Huh? What do ya mean deal with it? Ah’m just as confused as you with this.” Twilight shook her head before replying with a slight tremble in her voice, “H-how did you deaw wit w-wosing y-youw- y-youw-.” The alicorn choked unable to finish the question. It took Applejack a moment to realize what the alicorn foal was attempting to ask, “M-mah parents?” Twilight shakily nodded, “I-I know it’s diffewent d-den dem dying. Dey’re stiww awive but Dey definitewy don’ wemembew Dey had a daughtew. Shining doesn’ wemembew he had a wittwe sistew unwess somepony ewse was bown in my pwace.” “Is that even-“ Applejack started before realizing what she was about to say and the situation they were in. “Never mind it’s possible.” “So how did you?” Twilight pressed. Applejack sighed, “It took awhile even when you and Spike first came to Ponyville. Ah admit Ah was still healin’ from it. Ah was older than ya think, lookin’ into their room after wakin’ up every night, hopin’ they’d be back and everythin’ was jus’ a horrible nightmare.” The earth pony explained, “But what really made me move forward and get mahself past it was Apple Bloom. She was too young to understand why Ma and Dad weren’t around. Ah needed to be strong, not just fer me but even more for her.” Twilight sighed she didn’t have anyone else to be strong for she was alone in losing her family no one else had lost anyone, at least that remembered their old lives so she could only be strong for herself. “So what do we do now?” Applejack questioned, “Unless Somepony else was at yer castle that we’re not rememberin’ we can’t find Spike and Starlight and Sunburst are-.” The earth pony shook her head, “Ah can’t use magic like you so Ah can’t do anythin’.” Twilight shook her head and in a defeated tone responded, “Dere’s nopony ewse. We can’ ask anypony because dey’ll tink you’re cwazy!” “So what will we do. Wait years just to try and get our reality back? We could just end up with you as a foal all over again or worse.” Applejack added, “Doesn’t sound like a good plan but do we really have a choice.” Twilight looked down at the spell, “I was so excited to try a spell that could have been a great rediscovery. But if only I knew what would happen. I almost wish I was a normal foal only remembering basic voices and faces. Remembering everything I used to have and knowing it’s next to impossible to get it back. Who knows if the seven attempts this Orion Swirl made are the only times this spell has changed reality. There could have been countless others.” Applejack let the alicorn think for a few minutes before speaking up, “So what do you want to do?” Twilight kept looking down while responding, “I can’t cast dis speww by mysewf. But even when we can cast it we wouwd need two oder unicowns jus’ as powewfuw as Stawwight and Sunbuwst. But is dat wowth da wisk? We couwd jus’ end up back at square one. Who knows whewe we’d be. We could end up sepawated or wowse we couwd bot’ be-be-.” Applejack placed a hoof on the foal’s head attempting to calm her down. Twilight felt her eyes start to water, her foal mind not being able to handle the strong surge of emotions she was experiencing. Her adult consciousness trying to find some logic in the situation was the only thing holding her back from completely breaking down. “Just breathe in and out like-“ Applejack started, realizing she was just about to mention Cadance and knowing she it was far from ideal to bring her up at this moment, she changed the next part of her statement, “like you always do.” Twilight sniffled and a shiver showed just how much she was trying to hold back tears, “I-I’m not dat obwivious I-I know you wewe going to say wike Cadance towd me to.” “S-sorry Ah didn’t mean to rub salt in yer wounds.” “I-it’s fine Abbajack I’ww deaw wit’ it. Dere’s onwy one ting we can do.” Twilight replied, “No matter how painful it’s going to be.”, the alicorn thought before looking up a very noticeable pain in her eyes. “T-Twilight?” the orange mare asked with an equally strong concern “W-we need to pwevent anyting wowse fwom h-happening.” Twilight looked up at the mare, “S-so dere’s onwy one way to do dat.” “And that’s......?” [Later] Twilight stared into the fireplace, the wood stacked with the spell alongside to act as kindling. Applejack paused, “Are ya sure ya want to do this? Ya said there’s no turning back without the spell.” Twilight nervously nodded, “It’s going to be next to impossible to have even a close semblance of our old lives back and too it’s risky to try.” Applejack nodded in understanding before she lit a match and carefully threw it into the pile in the hearth, then carefully walking back to the foal, sitting a few feet from the slowly growing fire. Twilight watched as the spell darkened as the paper burned, up as the fire grew larger. Soon the parchment was completely black. It quickly disappeared into the blaze. That was that. The spell was destroyed no chance of being repaired and recast. “So that’s it then?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded keeping her eyes closed knowing full well what her decision really meant. Reality would be forever changed. She would always be Applejack’s daughter. She’d have to live her life as Twilight Sparkle Apple. Now the question was how should she feel about it? Could she really make the emotions of her foal mind her own? Could they be a real mother and daughter?
Unbelievable TruthAfter their little fire, Twilight and Applejack grew tired; once Applejack extinguished what was left of the blaze, the pair prepared to pack it in for the night, their decision to incinerate the spell still weighing heavily on their minds. Twilight knew what destroying the spell would mean; without it, even if they found ponies with strong enough magic, they would need the physical spell to cast it. Their new reality was now permanent. Applejack covered the alicorn in a blanket, “So are ya sure that was a good idea?” Twilight sighed, “Dat stawwion dat cweated it twied at weast seven times and it wooks wike he paid a big pwice for it. So it’s too wisky to twy we couwd nevew get ouw owd wives back so this wiww be ouw new weality.” “So what are we’re goin’ to do now? We said we’d focus on finding a way back. But now that we can’t go back, what should we do?” Applejack questioned. Twilight sighed, fighting with her foal body, trying to fall asleep, “We can onwy do one ting. Wive our new wives. Twy and wive as-“ the alicorn tried but ended her statement prematurely, unable to stay awake. Applejack closed her eyes. She knew what Twilight was about to say, “Live as a family.” After walking over to her bed, the earth pony thought about everything that had happened since they had woken up in this reality. Hearing of Starlight and Sunburst’s fate, about Twilight’s ‘new’ father, and seeing her parents alive and well. It was all overwhelming to say the least. With that thought, Applejack remembered what she’d told her mother, that she would tell the truth about why she’d been acting so weirdly. This week, she had a few days to decide what to tell and how to say to it. With that idea plaguing her mind, the mare lay twisting and turning and somehow managed to fall asleep after about half an hour. Through the night, Applejack drifted into yet another dream or memory of this reality. This time, it was a slightly familiar memory, except for Twilight being a foal. The night Nightmare Moon was defeated. .......... Applejack and her friends ran up to the room after hearing the loud crash. The group heard Nightmare Moon cackle from within the massive hall. “So you thought you could use the Elements against me?” The five mares sped up after hearing the voice echo through the staircase. Applejack especially. After Nightmare Moon had kidnapped Twilight for an ‘Heir,’ she was dead set on rescuing her. “And I assume you also came for the foal?” Nightmare Moon mockingly questioned. After hearing that one question, Applejack immediately rushed up the stone stairs, outrunning her friends easily. The other mares attempted to catch up to their friend but found it hard, Rainbow Dash needed to take flight up the stairs to keep up with the orange mare. Beating the other four, Applejack stood in the doorway, finding two mares in the room. One was Nightmare Moon, and the mare they left to let her concentrate on ‘sparking’’ the Elements, Minuette. Nightmare Moon looked up, seeing the earth pony in the doorway, her face completely consumed with rage more than the alicorn had seen. With a glare that could make a dragon shiver, Applejack said, “Give me mah baby back, NOW!” Before the orange mare could so much as move a hoof a single inch, she found herself being held back by Rarity, “Don’t do anything rash, Darling.” Despite staying put, the earth pony, with the same fury, asked, “Where is she?” Nightmare Moon scoffed in response. Suddenly, with a flash, an old carrier appeared beside the Alicorn. Inside, on a rugged cushion, sat a confused and fearful foal. “I find it quite surprising a foal could have such powerful magic. Especially being the offspring of an earth pony.” Applejack could only growl her rage, bubbling more by the second. “A foal like her should be with a family who can bring that magic potential to its peak. With the Elements destroyed, you impudent foals can’t do anything. The night shall last for eternity!” The alicorn explained, opening her wings in a show of strength. Applejack growled while the others all held solemn faces of defeat. The room was left in complete silence. Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence, “The Elements weren’t destroyed.” Every eye in the room turned to the voice’s owner, Minuette. “Because the spirits of the Elements are right here!” Almost on cue, the shards of the sealed Elements began to glow as they surrounded Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack. “Applejack, who assured me in a moment of doubt. Represents the Element of Honesty!” “Fluttershy, who tamed a manticore with care and companion, represents the Spirit of Kindness!” “Rarity for calming a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents Generosity!” “Pinkie Pie, by banishing fear with smiles and laughter, represents the Element of Laughter!” “and Rainbow Dash, who wouldn’t betray her friends for her own desires, represents the Spirit of Loyalty.” Seeing that the mare was correct that the elements weren’t destroyed, Nightmare Moon angrily replied, “This means nothing. You do not have the sixth Element. Your spark didn’t work!” Minuette shook her head, “It did work. But it wasn’t from magic. I felt it when I heard you coming and realized how happy I was to hear your voices. How much I cared for you. I felt something ignite in me, and then I realized that you all are my friends.” With that proclamation, a sixth stone appeared enveloped in bright light above the group, “You see Nightmare Moon when the five Elements are united with the spark that resides in all our hearts. It awakens the sixth Element. The element of... Magic!” The five previous Elements began forming into crystals attached to necklaces around the five mares necks. The last Element formed into a crown, but instead of going to Minuette, it swiftly moved away from the group. Nightmare Moon cackled, “Hah, The Element of Magic has rejected you. It has-“ interrupting her monologue, the alicorn found that the Element had appeared on the young unicorn foal’s head. “WHAT?!” .......... “Abbajack!” Applejack’s eyes shot open, interrupting her dream, when she heard Twilight calling for her. It took a few seconds for the mare to get her bearings after being woken up so suddenly. “Wh-what is it, Twi?” Twilight, leaning against the crib's bars, responded, pointing at the door. “I tink I heaw somepony in da castwe.” The orange earth pony kept quiet, listening closely to see if she could hear anything. After a few seconds, she heard the soft sound of hoofsteps down the hall. Taking her attention away from the door, Applejack looked out the window only to see it was still dark outside. “Who would even be here at this time?” Twilight turned to the earth pony. “I don’ know. Da onwy pony we know wouwd be Wuna.” To be safe, Applejack, quickly and quietly as possible, took Twilight out of the crib, knowing if the pony was a danger, she was the only one who could protect her. But it was more than just wanting to protect a friend; a feeling deep inside her told her she needed to protect Twilight at all costs. After the time they’d been here, Applejack realized just what that feeling was: a maternal instinct to protect her foal. Eventually, the hooves reached the room door, making Applejack instinctually tense up. Only to be loosened when the pony knocked on the door and spoke, “Apologies for the sudden, late intrusion, Applejack, but I have an urgent matter to discuss.” The two immediately recognized the voice of the mystery guest. It was Princess Luna. With her guard down, the farm pony opened the door, revealing the dark blue alicorn. “Oh! Wh-what is it exactly? Yer highness,” Applejack pressed, keeping up her ‘blend in’ act and legitimate curiosity about what would bring the Princess here so late. Luna cleared her throat, “These past few days, I’ve noticed an unusual change in both your and your daughter’s dreams.” Now a little nervous, the earth pony pressed further, “Really? What is it?” The dark blue mare continued explaining just what the change was, “Well, all of your dreams seem to be based on memories. Your daughter has also had the same unusual change, but they’ve become far more ‘nuanced’ than a foal would normally have. Every other foal her age has very simple dreams about their favourite toys, sugary sweets and loud sounds, but she’s been dreaming similarly to a school-age foal or adult.” Attempting to feign ignorance, Applejack responded, “Th-that is pretty strange. Ah knew Twilight was special, but that’s beyond what Ah’d ever imagined.” In a serious tone, Luna responded to the earth pony’s statement, “Applejack, I don’t believe you’re being completely honest with me. Which as the Element of Honesty, I find especially insulting.” Applejack froze. While many ponies had been skeptical of how she was acting, Luna was the first to come out and say it so bluntly. The orange mare, unsure of how to properly respond to the Princess’s last statement, only managed to stutter, “Wh-What?” “I’ve also noticed you’ve been waking up around the same time. Much more in the past few days alone than you have in the past months.” Luna elaborated further. As this was occuring, Twilight had been absorbing everything the two mares were saying and internally cursed that she could not say anything for or against Luna’s assertions. “There has to be something we can do.” After a few minutes that felt like hours, the only conclusion she could come to was inevitable. They had to tell their friends and family the truth eventually, and now they might have a chance to be able to share the secret with someone. Luna already believed something was amiss, not just with Applejack but with her. This chance may be the perfect opportunity. Feeling completely cornered, Applejack replied to the older mare’s probing, “Ah, don’t know how to explain it.” Twilight growled ever so slightly, realizing a slight flaw in her plan. That was the problem with the spell being destroyed. There was no evidence to show without the spell and there was her inability to communicate with anyone but Applejack. How could they explain it? Her mind thought as hard as it could, but after the adrenaline rush of not knowing who was in the castle wore off, she soon got tired, letting out a soft, squeaky yawn. “I need to stay awake to help Applejack somehow. If I fall asleep now then….wait asleep, maybe I could help that way.” “Perhaps you should put her back to sleep and then try to explain,” Luna suggested. “Let’s meet in the throne room so your daughter can rest undisturbed.” “O-ok.” Applejack nervously responded as the princess left the room, carefully walking over to the crib. As she sat the foal down, she anxiously whispered, “Wish me luck, Ah guess.” Twilight bumbled out as the earth pony set her down, “Wait. I hade a pwan.” Applejack, curious what the alicorn had thought out, pressed for information, “Ok, can Ah help somehow?” Twilight nodded. “One ting teww Pwincess Wuna to entew my dweams. If I can contwow my dweam wong enough, I couwd show hew my memowies of ouw owd weawity. If we can’t be suwe she’d bewieve us fwom tewwing hew it’s ouw bes’ option.” “That…….sounds like a good idea,” Applejack replied. “If it wowks.” The alicorn said, not too confidently. “Ah’m sure it will.” the orange mare assured. “Maybe thinkin’ about something we did in our old lives.” Twilight thought. “That could work. Just think about at least one memory. But which one would help our case the best…….Wait, I know!” Despite the alicorn not saying anything, Applejack knew from the face she made that she had an idea of what memory she would try to show in her dream. “Good luck Sugarcube.” The mare softly spoke, covering the foal as it had done earlier who quickly drifted off to sleep. Quietly leaving the room, she didn’t see Luna anywhere, immediately assuming the princess had already gone ahead to the throne room. While making her way to the room, her mind was plagued with thoughts of how she would convince Luna to enter Twilight’s dreams. But that wasn’t the only thing she couldn’t stop thinking about, there was also what Twilight said. Since they couldn’t go back to their old lives, the only thing they could do was ‘live as a family.’ Could they do that? She had felt new feelings towards Twilight, but were they completely from her ‘memories’ of the new reality? She loved Twilight as her friend, but was it growing? Was it becoming maternal? “Think about that later!” She lightly scolded herself, shaking her head. Looking up, she found the large door to the Throne Room. After taking a deep breath, Applejack entered, meeting the eyes of the Night Princess, “Sorry that took so long. Twilight was bein’ a little fussy.” Luna nodded. “Well, now that you’ve taken care of that we can continue. Now, try your best to explain what’s been happening with you and your daughter.” Applejack sighed, sitting down on her throne, “Like Ah said, it’s hard to explain. Ah’ve just heard her after she wakes up, try to calm her down and get her back into bed. Ah, don’t know how else to explain what’s happenin’.” “Are you sure?” Luna replied, her skepticism growing stronger with the word, easily seeing through Applejack’s lies. The earth pony glanced slightly away from the older mare. “OK. Ah-Ah’m not bein’ completely honest. But Ah’ll be honest right now if ya want an explanation, go into Twilight’s dream. She’s havin’ right now.” While still skeptical, Luna was curiously pressed, “How would her dream tell me anything?” “Just try, and ya might see,” Applejack exclaimed, making direct eye contact this time. The alicorn was suddenly taken back, and the younger mare’s hesitance was suddenly replaced with confidence in just that one statement. She debated whether or not entering the foal’s dream was necessary, but Applejack seemed incredibly insistent. After a few seconds of thought, she responded, “Very well. I’ll take your word that your daughter’s dream will provide an answer.” Applejack nodded. “Thank you,” she replied while internally sighing in relief that her part in Twilight’s plan was done; hopefully, she could do her half. Luna lit her horn while closing her eyes, preparing to enter the foal’s dream for this explanation. .......... After opening her eyes and arriving in the ‘Dream Realm,’ the alicorn quickly found the dream she was looking for. Like the other dreams the foal had recently, it seemed to be a memory of the past, one she recognized, her first Nightmare Night. One difference was immediately noticeable: the presence of a unicorn mare. She didn’t realize it at first, but only after a few seconds did the mare’s identity become undeniable: an adult-age Twilight Sparkle. As the dream played out, one thought occurred to her: a stunning absence of her sister’s student, Minuette. But the adult Twilight Sparkle seemed to take her place. “Princess Luna! Hi, my name is-“ “Star Swirl The Bearded. Commendable costume. Thou even got the bells right.” “Thank you! Finally! Somepony who gets my costume! Uh, I just came to welcome you to our celebration! My actual name is-“ “Twilight Sparkle. IT WAS THOU WHO UNLEASHED THE POWERS OF HARMONY UPON US AND TOOK AWAY OUR DARK POWERS!“ While the dream continued, Luna pondered how and why this dream was so different despite seemingly being a memory. The events were completely different from her own recollection. This conversation was between her and her sister’s student. As the two conversing mares began to leave, Luna chose to intervene. Twilight stopped halfway up the bridge and turned around as the real Luna landed. “Twilight?” Luna pressed. The unicorn smiled, “I knew if I could control my dream long enough, I could show you.” she happily chirped, “At least I can talk normally in a dream.” “Show me what exactly?” Twilight sighed, “My different memories. Because there’s no way you’d believe what we’d have to say.” Luna tried to respond, but her mind couldn’t react correctly to the statement she had just been told. “I know this will be hard to believe. But we aren’t the Twilight and Applejack, you know. We’re from a different reality.” Twilight explained with the most serious tone and expression she could muster. Luna’s jaw dropped. The statement was ludicrous, but the look in the younger pony’s eyes told her the seriousness of her claim. “You’re serious?” “Yes. We’ve been keeping it a secret these past few days until we could find some way to get our old lives back. But unfortunately, we couldn’t; we checked the spell that caused the change, but only found a note left by its creator, and it only made going back more hopeless.” Twilight explained in a saddened tone. “So even knowing there was no way back without it, we destroyed the spell.” Pressing for information, the alicorn questioned, “How long ago was that?” Twilight admitted, “Just hours ago now. We chose to stay in this reality despite how painful it may be. Everything we lost would be lost forever.” Luna, somewhat convinced, nodded lightly, pressing further, “What things did you lose from your old lives?” “Things we earned. I still became an alicorn and a princess in this reality. But because I was made a foal again, I was never Princess Celestia’s student; we lost two friends who died young in this reality, and I lost my original family. Applejack, I don’t know if she’s lost anything personally.” Twilight explained, sounding somber at recalling the loss of her family. “I see.” Luna responded, perplexed, when the meaning of the unicorn’s words hit her, “Wait! You were once my sister’s student, and Applejack was not always your mother?” Twilight nodded, “Yes. Our lives were completely different. We- Ah!” The unicorn cringed. Luna, concerned, looked around, ripples filling the air around them, “The dream is ending?” Twilight, straining herself, replied, “I-I’m losing control of it.” “Try to regain it.” Twilight shook, trying to do so, “I-I can’t!” .......... Luna’s eyes shot open; she was still in the dream realm. Twilight’s dream had disappeared, and she’d woken up. Hopefully, she could get some answers from Applejack about whether what she just heard was true. After returning to the waking world, the dark blue alicorn found Applejack was absent from the throne room. There was only one room she could conceivably be in. Meanwhile Twilight whimpered, holding her head. Holding the foal, Applejack attempted to comfort her while asking, “Did it work?” “Fow a wittwe bit. I at weast towd hew sometings about ouw owd weawity.” Twilight explained her slight headache was subsiding. “She wiww pwobabwy ask you about it now.” “Yer right.” Unfortunately, she had no time to prepare to hear the alicorn’s voice greet her, “I assumed you would be here. I must say your….. daughter’s dream wasn’t what I expected.” “She told me everythin’ that happened in her dean. Ah, guess ya know we ain’t the two, ya know.” Luna nodded, “So what she said was true? You’re both from a different reality.” “Y-Yeah. What did she tell ya about it?” “A few things. She ascended to an alicorn in your old reality as well. But the differences are what shocked me. That she was my sister’s student and that she was not your daughter. Is that really true?” The older mare pressed. “Yeah, it is. Before, we were both adults around the same age and we were just friends.” Still shocked, Luna, placing a hoof on her temple, questioned, “How did this happen?” Applejack closed her eyes for a moment before going on to explain. How she and Twilight met that day, how the spell was performed and when they woke to find how their lives had changed and everything they’d learned up to that point. From the castle’s location change to her relationship with Moonstone and how their two friends had lost their lives in this reality. “And here we are.” The orange mare finished. Luna closed her eyes in thought. The only sound she made was a perplexed hum. The younger mare’s story was far-fetched, yet the dream Twilight had shown her was undeniable. Twilight whispered, “Do you tink she bewieves us?” “Ah, don’t know,” Applejack replied in the same hushed tone. “But Ah sure hope so.” Luna responded, “I believe you.” Twilight and Applejack gasped, “Wait, did you understand her?” The earth pony questioned. “No, but I overheard your response, so I figured that was what she asked you,” Luna replied, looking out the window. “Yet, I’m surprised beyond words that this situation is not just possible but has actually happened. though, my shock must be a pittance compared to yours. Your lives have been completely upended, and only you two remember it. Twilight lost her family, and you were thrust into the responsibility of being a mother.” Applejack looked down at the foal in her hooves, “Yeah, it was a strange feelin’ fer both of us. We always cared about each other, but it’s felt stronger ever since then. Ah’ve felt as protective of her as Ah was with Apple Bloom.” Twilight thought for a moment she’d also felt different about Applejack and the other Apple Family members, including Pear Butter, who she never met before the reality change. The tenor of Applejack’s voice seemed softer and more homey than before. A feeling she only felt with three ponies before her original family. Luna looked down at the foal cradled in the earth pony’s hooves. Lifting her head, the purple alicorn met the night princess’s eyes. “I realized you were in thought. I assume you as well bear the same conflicted emotions.” Twilight wordlessly nodded in response to the older alicorn’s assertion. “I just wish I could still talk to anypony else but Applejack or other foals if Pound and Pumpkin are anything to go by.” The alicorn, speaking to both of the younger ponies, asked, “Given those conflicted emotions. Do you believe the two of you will be able to live as a mother and daughter? I’d imagine viewing each other so differently would be difficult.” Twilight looked up at the earth pony, who looked down to meet her glance. Keeping eye contact for a few seconds before both avert their glances away from each other. Twilight just began staring out the window, allowing her thoughts to drift from one to another. Applejack’s gaze fell upon the collection of photos. Her eyes circled over the many different faces, the surreal feeling of remembering taking the pictures in her reality but not this one. The thought about how different the parties could have gone with the presence of her parents and the absence of Starlight and Sunburst “Can we really be a real family? A real mother and daughter?” Twilight pondered to herself continuing to look out the window before joining Applejack in running her eyes over the photos on the nightstand. Her eyes mainly focused on the pictures of her with the Apple Family. Pictures of her with Applejack, Pear Butter and Apple Bloom specifically caught her attention. She was smiling so brightly in each of them, typical for foals to do with ponies in their family or just ponies they knew well. Applejack spoke up after her long silence, turning to the older mare, “Yeah, it’s gonna be hard. But hey, we have a lifetime to try and see if we can now.” “I suppose so.” Luna simply replied with a nod, “I believe I should take my leave. I have to return to my duty of watching over the dream realm.” Twilight shot her gaze back towards Luna before she could leave, “Wait we hav’ somting ewse to ask!” Despite not understanding the foal’s statement, the nocturnal Princess returned her attention to the two younger ponies, “Was that babbling call for me?” Applejack paused briefly. What else could Luna do for them? “What else do we need Twi? Ya said it was our opportunity to tell somepony, and we told someone.” The foal nodded before explaining her reason for the interruption, “Weww, we’we goin’ to teww youw famiwy soown. So maybe hawving somepony wike Wuna with us couwd hewp dem bewieve us.” Applejack nodded before speaking up, “We…have something else to ask you.” “What do you need?” Luna asked, curious to the request. Applejack sighed slightly, “Well, Ah told my Ma that Ah’d tell her why Ah’ve been actin’ strange sometime this week. Ah have a few days to get what Ah want to say together. But Twilight suggested that you could help us explain.” Luna paused to mull over what the earth pony had suggested, asking, “You believe that if they hear my own experience in Twilight’s dream, they may believe that you’re indeed from a different reality.” Applejack nodded, followed by Twilight, who tried repositioning herself in Applejack’s hooves while she did. The older pony clarified, “It would be a big help. Can ya come back to Ponyville tomorrow or the day after?” Luna paused again to consider the younger mare’s request, unsure if she could convince the mare’s family. When she remembered who she was speaking with, “Yes, I should be able to make time to meet with you and whoever you wish to be present tomorrow around 2 PM or whenever you wish to have the conversation.” Applejack gave a slight sigh of relief, “Thank you. Ah’d prefer to have a day to think about what Ah’m gonna say to mah family about this.” “Very well. Although Applejack, given your reputation, I’m sure you will have a little issue getting your family to believe you. And perhaps Twilight could assist in the conversation as well.” The orange earth pony replied, “Ah, don’t know about that. Ah’ve been the only one who’s been able to understand her, everypony else only hears her like a regular foal.” Luna nodded in understanding. “Yes, I can certainly see the issue. However, while they might not be able to understand her, she has proven throughout our conversation she is fully capable of understanding our speech, so she could still prove that she’s not the same Twilight they remember by signifying that she’s able to understand them like any adult or foal fully.” Twilight pondered the older alicorn’s words, “Maybe Luna’s right, when we talk to Grandm…. I mean Pear Butter and the rest of Applejack’s family, and our friends.” After thinking for a moment, Twilight attempted to get Applejack’s attention, lightly tapping the mare’s chest. “Abbajack? I want twy tat at weast. It’s wowth a shot.” “Ah, guess yer right.” Applejack said with a sigh and a smile. Twilight smiled back before she let out a quiet yawn; before she could even say anything, Applejack mirrored her ‘daughter’s’ yawn. Luna chuckled slightly, covering her mouth with her forehoof as she did, “Well, I’ll take my leave and allow you two to rest for tomorrow. I must return to my duties as the Princess of the Night.” Applejack recovering from her yawn, feeling her eyes start to grow heavy again, “Yeah… we had a rough day, and we’re gonna be busy fer the next few days.” The dark blue alicorn nodded in understanding before she left to resume her nightly routine, observing the dream of ponies across Equestria. With their conversation with Luna over and done with Applejack, Twilight went back to sleep; luckily, they both had a restful rest of their night. That conversation gave them some comfort that they could be able to reveal their secret about reality changing. Author's Note Real sorry this story was dead for so long I didn’t mean for it to happen life got busy and I lost motivation to write for it for a long while. I thought I’d add a reason how Twilight would be at the defeat of Nightmare Moon. She’d be an actual foal no ‘adult in a foal body’ like she is in the current moment so with how responsible AJ is she definitely wouldn’t bring a foal much less her own to somewhere so dangerous and I didn’t want her to have just popped in as soon as the elements do appeared. Also I chose Minuette because Sunset, Trixie or Moondancer are more used as a stand in for Twilight being Celestia’s student and Starlight is obviously off the table. Editing by: The Fan Without a Face
Rise and surprise (fixed)Author's Note New story feedback please! (I know it kind of ends abruptly) Edit: changed a bit of dialogue at the beginning to have it fit the story later on Edit 2: Made corrections through out the story. Thanks to Autumn Breeze for pointing out mistakes and other criticisms Rise and surprise (fixed) Twilight Sparkle walked through Ponyville waving to everypony she passed by on her way back to her castle. She, her former student Starlight Glimmer and her friend Sunburst were going to try a new spell that Starlight had found. It was a powerful one that would take at least four unicorns to cast but since she was an alicorn she and the two unicorns should be enough. “Howdy, Twi!” A pony called out. Twilight turned her head to see her friend Applejack, “Hey, Applejack!” “So where ya going?” the earth pony asked. “I’m going back to my castle to try out a spell Starlight found in the Canterlot library’s restricted section. Princess Celestia is letting us use it,” answered Twilight Applejack started walking with the alicorn, “So what’s the spell do?” Twilight shrugged, “Who knows.” The alicorn smiled, “It’s so exciting to have the chance to cast a spell that’s been lost and forgotten for hundreds of years!” she practically squealed. Applejack chuckled, “Must be.” “So what are you doing?” Twilight questioned. Applejack replied saying, “Nothing really just out for a walk.” Twilight turned her head slightly, “isn’t anypony selling Apples in the square?” “Granny and Big Mac are taking care of that t’day” Applejack replied. “Got it! So you wanna come along?” The orange pony shrugged, “Sure!” Twilight smiled and continued walking. After ten minutes or so, the mares saw a tall purple crystal building come into view. Once entering the castle, the pair made their way to the library. Upon entering the library, a unicorn stallion greeted, “Oh Princess Twilight you’re back.” He turned to see the other pony, “And Applejack?” “Yeah Twi and Ah ran into each other on her way back.” the earth pony stated. She took notice of a circle on the floor. She wasn’t exactly the savviest with magic so she didn’t question if it was necessary for the spell or not. Starlight responded by saying, “So did Twilight tell you about what we’re doing?” Twilight nodded, “Yep I did I told her everything.” The alicorn answered before asking, “So did you find anything else about the spell.” Starlight shook her head, “No we couldn’t find anything.” Sunburst confirmed what his friend said, “It may be even older than Equestria. But we don’t know for sure. Everything else, like it’s purpose and creator aren’t anywhere to be found.” Twilight closed her eyes, “Hmmm, I wish we knew more about it. We could be on the verge of rediscovering unknown magic.” Starlight gave a slight smirk, “Well we’re trying it out for a reason. We’ll never know what it does if we don’t.” Twilight nodded, “You’re right. now let’s get to it!” “Yeah let’s.” Starlight exclaimed. The two unicorns following the alicorn, lit their horns allowing their magic flow into the circle on the floor. The floor started to have a pastel orange-red glow to it as the colours of magic mixed together as it stretched across the floor. Applejack let out a soft but audible, “Wow!” in amazement. Twilight looked down at the expanding glow, her thoughts racing with all the different possibilities the spell could have, but still kept her concentration. Eventually, the light made it to the edge of the circle after which, the circle glowed white. Then it expanded even farther. Twilight asked, “How are you two doing over there.” “Alright. I think we’re getting close to-“ Starlight spoke before noticing the magic started to expand further. Then she felt a pressure change, enough to cause her head to jolt with an intense pain, “Urk, Aahhh!” “Starlight! Are you- ahhh!” Sunburst exclaimed, also getting a strong throb through his head. Twilight didn’t know what was going on, “Are you two alright?” Unlike the unicorns, the princess didn’t feel any pain. “L-let’s stop now!“ But they before they could stop, there was a sudden flash of light which blinded the ponies and the magic was released forcing Twilight back. “AHHHHH WHAT’S HAPPENING!” Starlight and Sunburst shrieked in pain and terror. Twilight was thrown off the ground and towards Applejack. The earth pony reacted, catching the alicorn. “Ooof!” she gasped softly. “Twilight are you ok!?” Applejack nearly shouted. Twilight in a daze from being blinded and thrown back spoke without thinking, “Mom?” Applejack was caught of guard at first but quickly shook it off, realizing her friend was in shock. “AHHHHH!” The earth pony shot up, hearing a mare and stallion scream. She was barely able to make out Starlight and Sunburst before the light completely consumed them making it impossible to see. Only seconds later, the light expanded so much that all Applejack and Twilight could see was bright orange before their sight went black. ??? Later Twilight felt her eyes twitch. The alicorn felt a soft surface against her back and a snug feeling around her flank. As she sat up lifting a hoof to her face and rubbing her eyes, she noticed it was a lot smaller than she remembered. In fact, it looked like the size of a foal’s. “Why-” she thought before speaking. “W-why is my hoof so smaww?” She covered her mouth realizing not only her broken speech, but her high pitched squeaky voice. She looked around becoming aware of her surroundings. She noticed wooden bars next to her, “A-am I in a cwib?” She glanced around seeing toys all around her. She was definitely in a crib. Her expression darkened realizing what the soft snug feeling surrounding her flank could be. With everything else she knew what it was without having to look but she had to. It was as she expected. She was wearing a diaper and it wasn’t dry. “Wh-what gowing on. Why am I a foaw? Where am I?” The now foal looked around recognizing the room. She was in her castle; the purple walls, crystalline ceiling and lines of crystal in the corners were a giveaway. She turned towards a sudden sound like a tired moan. “Where am ah?” It was Applejack. The earth pony looked around noticing she was in Twilight’s Castle. “Ah guess Twi put me in here after that spell went wrong.” The earth pony got out of the bed and walked over to the door. “Ah hope Starlight an’ Sunburst are ok.” “Abbajack?” a voice called. “Eh!?” Applejack looked around she could tell the voice was calling for her even with its broken speech. She turned around realizing there was a crib in the room, “Why’s that here?” The voice spoke again, “Abbajack ovew hewe!” Applejack quickly walked over to the crib. Upon reaching it she looked in and saw a purple alicorn foal that was a dead ringer for her friend Twilight. In fact, she looked exactly like her except for one small thing, “Tw-Twilight? Wh-why are ya a-“ Twilight jumped on the statement, “I don’ know!” The foal buried her face in her hooves. Applejack reached in picking the foal up cradling her in her forehooves. “So ya don’t know how this happened?” Twilight shook her head before putting a hoof under her chin and another on the forehoof. Applejack seeing a foal in such deep thought couldn’t help but chuckle, a very audible one at that. “Abbajack this iwsn’t funny!” Twilight glared but it only caused the earth pony to chuckle more. Twilight pouted which again only got a chuckle. After a few seconds, Applejack composed herself, “Ok Ah’m done.” Twilight gave a serious look which caused the earth pony to hold back another chuckle, “I tink dis is because of dat speww Stawwight, Sunbuwst an I cast.” “Do ya think it gave ya those freckles too?” Applejack asked. “Fweckwes wat fweckwes?” Twilight look up confused. Applejack picked the foal up. Looking around she noticed a changing table and more importantly right now a mirror. She walked over holding Twilight up to it. The small alicorn stared at her reflection noticing three small white dots positioned in a triangle shape next to her eye. Just like... Twilight turned to Applejack but before she could say anything a familiar voice said, “Hey Applejack?” Applejack and Twilight mentally sighed with relief. It was Fluttershy and the rest of their friends, “It sounded like you were talking to someone but there’s no one here but you.” Rarity said. “Except for wittle Twiwight,” Fluttershy exclaimed, picking up the foal Twilight grumbled at Fluttershy treating her like the baby she was, “Just cause I wook wike a foaw doesn’ mean you can tweat me wike one.” All the yellow pegasus could hear was an unintelligible foal babbling which made her hug the little pony. “Oh you’re just the cutest! What were you trying to say?” she cooed. She then realized the foal’s diaper felt and smelled full. “Oh!” she chuckled, “Were you trying to say you need a diaper change?” Twilight’s expression darkened realizing she hadn’t only peed herself but something much worse had happened. The most embarrassing thing that could happen had happened, “Come on!” Fluttershy held the foal out towards to the orange earth pony, “Here! It only makes sense for her mama to change her.” Applejack recoiled slightly though most of her shook was internal, “Mama? Ah, ain’t Twi’s Ma! Am Ah?” the earth thought remembering Twilight’s freckles that had appeared they were just like hers. Twilight was just as shocked as Applejack. While Fluttershy passed her to Applejack, the alicorn’s thoughts strayed from the fact she’d messed her diaper. Fluttershy just called Applejack her ‘Mama’. If that meant she was Applejack’s daughter, then that would explain the freckles that had suddenly appeared on her face and why she and Applejack woke up in a room with a crib where she was lying right now a on change table. It had all the essentials for changing a foal, with a bag of diapers below and one already set on the table with wipes and baby powder. It was because somehow she’d become Applejack’s foal. It seemed that if the spell was behind this, it had changed a lot more than she’d first thought. Applejack had just finished putting a fresh diaper on the foal’s bottom. Twilight felt a happy relief to be in a clean diaper but after that she started realizing what this situation meant, “Mommy, Daddy, Shiny, Fwuwy an Cadance dey‘we -“ tears started welling up in her little eyes as the painful truth fully struck like a lightning bolt, “Dey-dey’we not my famiwy!” Applejack, ready to speak up about her confusion opened her mouth and was about to speak when a loud wail echoed through the castle and cut her off. Applejack tightened her grip on Twilight making sure not to drop the foal after the sudden outburst. “What’s wrong?” Rarity asked with concern. “Why’d ya jus start cryin’ Sugarcube?” Applejack looked down at the foal. “Why did Twi just start crying,” Rainbow recovered from the sudden noise. Fluttershy turned to Applejack, “She’s probably just hungry. Foals do that when they are.” Rainbow pressing stated, “Yeah I know! But she’s never cried that loud for just being hungry.” “Then maybe she has a stomach ache.” Rarity stated, “Has she seemed sick lately?” Applejack turned her head away from the wailing foal, “Uhh well no. She’s been fine.” “Maybe she just wants alone time with her mama?” Fluttershy stated. The pegasus turned to the earth pony trying to comfort the distressed foal, “I’m so jealous I hope I’ll be a mother someday” “Ok!” Rarity nodded, “We’ll be in the throne room if you need us.” The others left the room. In her confusion and being distracted by the tiny pony, who was now burying her face in the earth pony’s orange fur, Applejack completely forgot to question what was happening. Applejack asked again, “Twilight, what’s wrong? Why’d ya just start cryin’?” Twilight sniffled, her words were garbled by her sobs, “I wost my famiwy!” “What’cha takin’ about ah’m sure they’re ok.” Applejack tried to reassure her. “No, I mean! Fwuddewshy call you my mama, so iwf you‘wre my mama then my pawents awen’t my pawents, so Shiny Awmow iw’nt my big bwoddew, Cadance iwn’t my sistew in waw and Flwuwy isn’t my niece!” Twilight buried herself in Applejack’s coat again, this time clutching the orange pony tightly. Applejack took a moment thinking of what the alicorn had said but before she did anything else she knew she had to calm down the foal first, “Shhhhh it’s ok Twilight don’ cry.” the earth pony murmured in the most soothing voice she could while rubbing the small pony’s back. Twilight’s cries slowly changed to hiccups which changed to sniffles, then simply by fast deep breaths. But before long the alicorn calmed down and took notice of how comforting and warm Applejack’s voice, embrace and even her scent was. After realizing it something in her mind told her, “Mama hugging me! Me safe.” Twilight internally gasped at what she just thought, “N-no this is Applejack not my mom.” Applejack brought the foal out in front of her still holding her, “Better?” Twilight nodded. Applejack smiled, “Good. So what should we do now?” Twilight sighed, “I kwow you don’ wike wying but we have to hewe.” Applejack’s eyes widened, “Twi we can’t ah’m sure if we just explain-“ Twilight interrupted, “Abbajack! Fwuddewshy call you my mama! Wainbow said ‘she’s nevew cwied wike tat fow just being hungwy’ wike I’ve been a foaw fow awhiwe and cwied in fwont of hew.” Applejack instead of continuing, remembered how their friends didn’t react to Twilight being foal, almost like she’d always been one, “Are ya sure there isn’t some other way?” “Abbajack I don’ want to etiew but we can’t take any wisks. What iwf you expwain an they tink you’we cwazy an I’m actuawy you’we daughtew an I’m taken fwom you! We wiww nevew get tings back to nowmaw. So pwease jus tiww we can figuwe out what’s going on.” Twilight explained. “Ok!” Applejack nodded. She didn’t like the idea but Twilight was right. For the moment now they needed to blend in while they figured out what was going on. Twilight looked up at her ‘mama’ saying “Wet’s go see ouw fwiends.” Applejack nodded. After picking the foal up, she noticed something she hadn’t really paid attention to before. The pictures on the dresser were mostly familiar sans Twilight being foal in them. But two things stuck out. There were no pictures of Starlight or Sunburst, even in pictures that the earth pony knew they had been in. But the second thing shocked her so much she nearly dropped Twilight. In some pictures there were two very familiar ponies, “Wh-what but Ah’m an adult in this picture. How could-.”
