After 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