Silence...
That was the only word to describe the situation One was in.
No animals. No other Ponies. Just...
...silence.
It carried on for a long period of time before the Unicorn decided to open his eyes. He saw a color: tan. An ugly tan. It was the type of tan that would make you wish you knew an interior designer or at least had a painting cutie mark.
The stranger part was he recognized that tan. One had seen it before. It was the color the wall to his magic school when he was a colt. Deciding it was best to look around the stallion became slowly aware of his surroundings. First, he was sitting up which seemed odd for someone who just died. Shouldn't he be laying down...and in a coffin? These questions plagued his mind as he looked around. It most definitely was his old school.
Standing up he looked around at the green grass under hooves. He used to love playing in this area beside the school as a colt. Then feeling of complete and utter confusion erupted in his mind. He was short. Or at least shorter than he had been in years. One summoned a mirror spell to observe himself. What he saw shocked him. He wasn't a grown stallion. He was...
"...a colt?"
As he uttered the words he could hear youth in them. He was indeed a young colt. He looked the same as he had ever been. Another thing that took him completely by surprise was the mark on his rear. He had a cutie mark: a large, black number one.
"Did I cause a time spell or something?" He wondered, "No. That's not possible. An Alicorn would have trouble with that."
After what seemed like hours his attention was drawn towards something else. The object he had been leaning on when he first woke. Turning his head he saw before him a flagpole. It was a deep red pole that dug into the ground almost as if it had grown there. Averting his eyes upward towards the flag itself. It was white and bore the same number one on his flank.
Suddenly, memories rushed back to his mind. This area was not only the place he used to enjoy when he was young, it was the very same place he had succeeded casting a spell after his horn broke.
~~~~Flashback~~~~
"Again! Once more! Again! One more time! Try once again! Come on! Again!"
The shouts of his magic teacher rang in the back of his mind as One attempted over and over again to cast a small spell. All he had to do was move the rock. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as determination splattered itself all over his face. Tiny bits of magic would squeeze out of his horn creating minor sparks.
"Again!" His teacher yelled, "Are a stallion or a mouse!?"
"Neither!" He yelled in his mind. After failure upon failure he finally gave up, completely worn out.
"Hmmm..." His teacher muttered in disapproval loud enough to be heard, "I guess you weren't meant to be a Unicorn after all."
He didn't know why but that comment stung the white coated colt. It heard him badly. His slumped down on the grass in a mixture of sadness and anger. Eventually sadness won out and he began to weep bitterly. The words "...you weren't meant to be a Unicorn. rang through his head. If only he could start over. If only he could create a saving point. Without knowing his horn began to glow brightly. Before he could react the light went blinding bright and he had to close his eyes.
~~~~
That was when the flagpole appeared. No one really made it a big deal and One was somewhat happy about that. After wards he remembered that his magic had begun to come back. He no longer had to overwork himself to cast a simple spell.
"What did this spell do though?" He spoke out loud, mostly to himself. He raised his hoof to his chin in thought, "Wait a minute. Does this mean I really have gone back in time with an unknown spell?" He continued to wonder this until a pony walked by on the road. It was a slightly 'older' filly playing with her ball.
"Hey kid!" He gained her attention. She looked at him, slightly annoyed that this colt was calling her kid, "Do you know what the date is?" he asked.
"Well..." she began, "First of all I don't like you calling me kid, kid. Second it's the fifteenth of July. Why do you ask?"
Her question didn't register in his mind. Today was the fifteenth, the day he had to work late, the day he came home late...
...the day he came home to his dead wife.
His wish had come true. He had made a saving point. But it didn't change the world around him. Only himself. If this was theory was true, he would never die. Well...he would die but he would come back to life every time.
It was time to test his theory. One walked to the edge of a cliff. He'd traveled quite a ways and without any supplies but that was unneeded at this time. Looking over the edge he got ready. He jumped began to fall head first. He could see the ground coming closer and closer, faster and faster...
He lived.
He died.
He woke.