//------------------------------//
// Daughters from the Future 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 11: Parents' Day 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 5: Daughters from the Future


Sweet Apple Acres/St. Markus Church, Ponyville/London, Equestria/England, Gaia/Earth, Summer/Autumn, 996 C.E./1987 A.D.

The Doctor watched as the other half of the barn slowly began to fade away and was instantly replaced with half of the St. Markus Church. The barn/church stopped shaking and everypony and everyone fell silent. 
"Mom! Dad!" cried Applejack the younger as she ran over to her parents. Johnny and Emily hugged Applejack tightly. The people from the wedding were in shock from what they were seeing.
"More of them?!" Jackie asked.
"Apparently so," said the past, humanoid Doctor. The present, ponified Doctor approached his past self awkwardly.
"It's always strange when I meet myself," the Present Doctor stated. The Past Doctor stared at the Present Doctor.
"Wait...so...are you-"
"Yeah. I'm you...two regenerations later."
"I see. I'm going to become a horse."
The Past Doctor laughed gleefully as he turned to Rose.
"Hey, Rose!" he laughed. "I'm going to become a horse!"
"I figured that much out," Rose replied with a chuckle. Jackie walked over into the barn half and took baby Rose from older Rose's arms. 
"You're lucky my little Rose isn't hurt!" she snapped before walking back into the church half. Rose rolled her eyes and smiled. She would find out the truth soon enough. Applejack walked forward and looked at her younger self standing with her parents. She wanted them to know so badly. She wanted to tell them who she really was.
"So now what?" Rainbow Dash asked. The Reapers screamed from outside. 
"I'd say that we're in quite a pickle," Rarity replied.
"I'm not in the mood for pickles right now," Pinkie Pie added. 
"How is anypony supposed to respond to that?" Spike asked.
"I'm going to pick some very, VERY odd company in my future," said the Past Doctor.
"You'll get used to them...for the most part," said the Present Doctor as he stared at Pinkie Pie. Applejack and Rose caught each other's eyes.
"So you're Rose," she said.
"And I'm guessing that you're Applejack," said Rose.
"Guilty as charged."
"So you've created a paradox of your own?"
"Yeah."
Applejack looked over at her parents. Rose glanced back at Johnny and Emily before turning back to Applejack.
"I see," Rose continued. "Couldn't resist trying to change the future, huh?"
"Ah just couldn't stand there and watch my parents die," Applejack replied.
"I know how you feel. I felt the same way when I saw my dad about to get hit by that car."
Applejack turned back to look at Pete, who was standing with Jackie and looking at baby Rose.
"Does he...know who you are?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah...I told him," Rose replied. "My mum doesn't know yet. Do your parents know?"
"No. Neither of them do."
"All of time and space could be destroyed at any moment. I think it would be best for my mum to know who I am. Maybe your parents should know the secret too."
"Ah guess."
"Do you want them to know?"
Suddenly, the lights outside began to dim and the interior of the barn/church began to darken.
Applejack stared at Rose and said, "Yes. More than anything at the moment."
"Then go tell them," Rose said. Rose patted Applejack on the shoulder before walking over to speak with her mother. Applejack cleared her throat and began walking over to her parents. The Present Doctor watched quietly from a distance. 
Johnny and Emily were busy comforting the younger Applejack and Big Mac, who was holding the infant Apple Bloom.
"Are we...are we gonna die?" asked Applejack the younger. Johnny and Emily didn't know what was going to happen. Applejack the elder approached them. 
"It's you again," said Johnny with a small smile. "How are ya holding up?"
"Alright. All of time and space is about to get destroyed so I'm not feeling completely spectacular," replied Applejack. Johnny chuckled. 
"Is there something on your mind?" Emily asked. "You look like you want to say something."
Applejack heard a gasp and looked over her shoulder to see Jackie and Pete hugging the older Rose. She must have told her mother who she really was.
"Ah do have something to tell you," said Applejack as she turned around. She looked at a towel lying on a table nearby. It was the rag that Rainbow Dash had given her earlier. "Can you hand me that rag?"
"Sure."
Emily retrieved the rag and handed it to Applejack. Applejack sighed as she wiped the soot off her coat. She dusted off her mane and got as much of the grim off of her body as she could. By the end, she was still dirty but she was definitely identifiable. Applejack the younger's eyes widened. She looked back at her cutie mark and then looked at Applejack the elder's cutie mark.
"You...you have my cutie mark," she said.
"Ah do," said Applejack.
"You look so familiar," said Johnny.
"Take a close look. Who do you think ah am?"
Johnny and Emily looked closely at Applejack. A couple minutes of silence followed. Then, their eyes widened. They looked at their Applejack and then looked at the future Applejack.
"It...can't...be," Emily exclaimed.
"Impossible!" Johnny breathed.
Big Mac stared and asked, "Are...are you-"
"Me?" croaked Applejack the younger. Applejack could feel her eyes watering up. She couldn't speak. All she could do was give a simple nod. Emily walked forward and looked deep into Applejack's eyes.
"Your eyes. Those...those are my daughter's eyes! My Applejack's eyes! My Applejack's eyes!" Emily cried and she held Applejack tightly in her arms. Johnny walked forward and followed suit. Applejack let the tears fall from her eyes. Applejack the younger and Big Mac could only stand there in stunned silence. Apple Bloom snoozed comfortably in one of Big Mac's arms. Applejack wiped the tears from her eyes as she broke away from her parents' grasp.
"But how?!" asked Johnny.
"The Doctor's a time traveler. Ah recently hitched a ride," Applejack replied.
"Time travel. After all this, ah wouldn't doubt anything."
"This is all my fault!"
"What? How is this your fault?" Emily asked. Applejack looked at her younger self and Big Mac. She wanted to cry again.
"The Reapers came because of a paradox that ah caused."
"How did you cause it?"
Applejack couldn't say it. All she could do was stare sadly at her parents. Johnny and Emily looked and their daughter from the future and then looked at themselves. It didn't take them long to put everything together.
"We...weren't supposed to come out of that grain silo...were we?" Johnny asked. Applejack couldn't respond to that. She simply lowered her head. 
"What do you mean by that?" asked Applejack the younger. Applejack the elder felt a pat on her shoulder. She looked up to see that it was the Doctor, her Doctor. 
"We shouldn't be here. That's why this has happened," said Emily. The Doctor, like Applejack, turned to face Applejack the younger and Big Mac. 
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he said. "But...it's true."
Emily lowered her head and began to cry. Suddenly, she felt the air get warm around her. She looked up to see a towering inferno before her. She screamed and the inferno vanished.
"Emily?! What's wrong?!" Johnny asked.
"Did...did you see it?" she asked. Johnny looked and he too saw the inferno for a few seconds. It disappeared soon after he saw it. "What was that?!"
The Doctor and Applejack turned to each other. The Doctor could only sigh.
Rose walked back over to her Doctor.
"Had a good talk with your parents?" he asked.
"Yeah. It looks like we're stuck," she replied.
"I guess we are. It was a great ride: traveling with you, Rose Tyler."
"The feeling is mutual, Doctor."
"We shouldn't be giving up just yet!" exclaimed Derpy, who approached them. "You're the Doctor, right? The Doctor from the past?"
"I guess so," the Past Doctor replied.
"You can think of something to save us! I know you can!"
"What's your name?"
"Derpy. Derpy Hooves."
"Interesting name. Well, Derpy, I just don't know. We're really caught up the creek without a paddle."
"Well we have two paradoxes to deal with. Maybe we need the combined minds of two Doctors to get out of this mess!"
"Two Doctors working together? Sounds interesting," said Rose.
"It's happened before and it's led to quite the fireworks display," Twilight chuckled as she walked forward.
"Are you all talking about me with my past self and all behind my back, no less?" asked the Present Doctor as he approached them.
"Maybe," Derpy teased.
"You all seem chipper about this whole situation."
"Do you have any plans on how to defeat these paradoxes?" Rose asked.
"I have a plan but it's not going to have positive results for one human and two ponies here."
"So what's the plan?" Twilight asked.
"I can already guess what you're thinking of," said the Past Doctor.
"Yes...and do you like it?"
"No...but it's the only way."
"I feel the same way, friend."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Derpy.
"The way to defeat the paradoxes!" said the two Doctors together.
"This is starting to get too weird for me," said Rose.
The two Doctor stared at each other and nodded their heads as they simultaneously said, "Yeah."
"Will you two stop doing that?!" asked Twilight, Derpy, and Rose together.
"Only if you do," the Doctors replied. The three companions groaned. 
"I wonder what's outside," said the Present Doctor.
"The Reapers. What else would be out there?" Twilight asked.
"Our last chance at restoring our respective timelines!"
The Doctor rushed towards the barn door/church door. He opened them to find himself staring out into neither Sweet Apple Acres nor London but an endless, black void full of Reapers. Below the barn/church there burned a ball of fire the size of the Earth. A Reaper flew towards the door and the Doctor was quick to close it. 
"Great. There's nothing left except fire and darkness," the Doctor said. "That means we don't have much time left on our hands or our hooves!"
"I wish there were another way," said the Past Doctor.
"Me too, but there's no other way to fix this."
"So you've got a plan?" asked a familiar voice. The Doctors looked to see that Applejack, Johnny, Emily, and Pete were standing before them. 
"Yeah...but you're not going to like it," said the Past Doctor.
"Why not?" asked Emily. Pete sighed. The Doctors could tell that he knew what news was coming.
"I'm sorry, Pete. I'm sorry, Johnny and Emily Apple," said the Present Doctor. "I'm so, so sorry but...the three of you have to die."