Big Macintosh surveyed the many apples trees that made up Sweet Apple Acres. It was nearly apple-buck season once again, and it looked as though they would be having a bumper harvest this year. He nodded, satisfied. His sister Applejack walked up beside him.
"Whoo, boy howdy! I sure am glad you ain't injured this time, Big Macintosh!" she said. "Why, there's even more apples on them trees than last year!"
"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh replied, in his characteristic manner. "Them's a lotta apples."
Applejack was silent for a moment, enjoying the feel of the slight breeze against her blonde mane. "Say, I don't suppose you've seen Apple Bloom anywhere, have ya? I been looking for her all day, and she ain't nowhere to be found."
Big Macintosh shook his head. "Sorry sis, can't say I have."
"Darn! That silly filly's probably gone off somewhere with her friends. I just hope she ain't getting herself into any mischief, or else there'll be hay to pay!"
"Don't you go worryin' yourself, Applejack," he replied, "I'm sure she's perfectly fine.
But anyway, I need to go back to the barn. I gotta go and press some apples for some of my home-brewed apple cider. I hoof-picked a few apples earlier specially, all nice and plump and ripe, and they ain't gonna press themselves."
Applejack laughed. "You sure do love your cider, don't ya! Just make sure Apple Bloom don't get her hooves on it again, we all know what happened last time!"
Big Macintosh chuckled along with his sister. "Eeyup!"
The large red pony trotted back to the barn, and gently closed the door. He opened a trap-door with his mouth and went down the steps into an old disused apple cellar. Usually it was just filled with junk; scrap metal, old worn out ploughs, old rope and various other bits and bobs that had outlived their usefulness. Big Macintosh often came down here when he wanted to get away from the world, to withdraw for a little
while for some peace and quiet.
Today was different, however. The old rope, at least, had found a new use, because in cellar space were Apple Bloom and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, bound and gagged, propped up against the wall. Three pairs of scared, round eyes looked up at Big Macintosh as he approached.
"Now then, ya three fillies," he said, as placid as ever. "Y'all need to learn a lesson. You need to learn not to mess around with Big Macintosh. All I want is some peace and quiet," he said, looking directly at Apple Bloom. The little red haired filly cowered under his gaze. "All I want is a quiet life, without all you Cutie Mark Crusaders runnin' round the place, making with the noise. When I'm finished with y'all, there gonna be no noise from you ever again."
As Big Macintosh approached, Scootaloo flapped her wings, struggling to get off the ground. Big Macintosh laughed, and grabbed one of her wings.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Big Macintosh snarled furiously at the interruption, he started foaming at the mouth. Then a tazer dart hit him in the side of the neck. He reared up and roared.
A pony with a very smart tie and shirt stepped confidently from the shadows. "If you were about to do something stupid and sadistic like damage her wings and then tell her they were useless. It should be pointed out that they were useless anyway, MORON!"
The stranger turned to Scootaloo "Uh no offense miss."
The cutie mark crusaders were too scared and shocked to be bothered about this.
Big Macintosh scraped at the ground sending up sparks and preparing to charge.
"Another round quickly!" yelled the stranger.
There was a cthuk noise and a buzzing as another tazer hit Big Mac in the chest. Cthuk, another in his front leg. He tried to move forward but succumbed to the fifty thousand volts zapping through him.
"Alright, get the inhibitor."
Apple Bloom finally became coherent enough to speak. "W-whats going on? This is Big Macintosh, my gentle brother. Its gotta be all some kind of cruel joke right?"
The Stranger stood near where the massive red pony was trembling on the ground. "Thats not Big Mac," he said gently.
"Huh?" all three cutie mark crusaders said at once.
"Ethereal attenuation disruptor please and we'll also need the vortex realignment system and the quantum tunneler?"
A blonde pegasus came into view, "Righto," she said chirpily.
"What do you mean it ain't Big Mac? Is it a changeling critter?"
"No," said the stranger. His voice was muffled because of some strange stick like device he was carrying in his mouth.
"Well what then?"
The two ponies didn't answer. For some reason the blonde pegasus was wearing what looked very similar to a wonderbolts uniform but it wasn't quite the real deal. Scootaloo and the other crusaders thought she looked familiar.
The two strangers were setting up weird contraptions around Big Mac, what looked like reflectors and flashlights being connected with thick black cable in a circle.
Once they were set up the blonde pegasus flicked a switch and visible electricity arced around the circle.
The stranger seemed to remember the cutie mark crusaders existed. "Changelings feed off the love and devotion off sentient beings. Does no good to strangle the hen that lays eggs as it were. What this little beastie was planning certainly wouldn't be inspiring any love."
He looked over to the blonde pegasus. "Phase two, begin the extraction."
The mare happily pulled a lever and pushed a large button on the contraption. There was a humming warbling noise. Bolts of yellow lightning struck Big Mac.
A thick black cloud poured out of his mouth and ears, it formed into a wraith like figure with paws and no face, just a gaping red maw. It swiped at the air viciously.
"He was possessed, thats why he was acting so out of character. Alright back to where you belong, one vortex realignment and portal opening coming up."
A swirling gateway opened up and the entity was dragged screeching with rage into it. The gateway closed up with a thunderclap.
"What was it exactly?" asked the mare.
"Extra dimensional entity that grows by engaging in pointless ultra-violence. Had absolutely no business being here."
They started to walk off.
"Hey, ponies tied up over here."
Looking slightly flustered, the stranger walked over and undid the CMCs bonds. A bright light had formed in one corner of the cellar.
The three fillies looked around and nervously made their way up stairs.
The light grew to blinding proportions, crackling shafts of reality ripped back and forth in the cellar.
"Will they be okay?" asked the blond mare.
"They'll forget everything... we've banished the entity. What was about to happen hasn't happened and will never happen. We've caused a reset of reality. Its something that shouldn't have been so the offshoot timeline will be completely destroyed, any and all parallel universes, temporal tracks and quantum pockets that contain a hint of the event will collapse and be destroyed."
He paused "In another place those three fillies will carry on as normal."
"Will ponies... you know?"
"No they can't, the thing didn't happen so theres nothing for them to remember to forget. Erased from the soul and mind it is now."
The mare grinned "All in a days work."
The Stallion adjusted his tie, the ghosts of what would not be started to be destroyed around them.
"We'd better get out of here."
The mare snuggled up to him "Where to next?"
"Lets find out."
Both of them walked into the shining white light. The blinding shining light that seemed to pull everything in as the consciousness is cleansed.
Then everything fades to black.
"But anyway, I need to go back to the barn. I gotta go and press some apples for some of my home-brewed apple cider. I hoof-picked a few apples earlier specially, all nice and plump and ripe, and they ain't gonna press themselves."
Applejack laughed. "You sure do love your cider, don't ya! Just make sure Apple Bloom don't get her hooves on it again, we all know what happened last time!"
Big Macintosh chuckled along with his sister. "Eeyup!"
The large red pony trotted back to the barn, and gently closed the door. He opened a trap-door with his mouth and went down the steps into an old disused apple cellar. Usually it was just filled with junk; scrap metal, old worn out ploughs, old rope and various other bits and bobs that had outlived their usefulness. Big Macintosh often came down here when he wanted to get away from the world, to withdraw for a little while for some peace and quiet.
He took out some very big red apples from a barrel and placed them in a wooden hoof operated apple pressing machine. He started to press the apples to make some cider which he would enjoy later in the evening.