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// Chapter 7 - What You Once Knew 
// Story: My Life, Recreated 
// by Ephraim Blue 
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Chapter 7 - What You Once Knew


Nothing is ever the same as you might remember it. We all love to see something new, and occasionally, something that we already know.

When you see something new, that is the first image you ever remember it as. Go back to it after a while, and you hardly recognize it!

Take My Little Pony for example. Four generations, right? Good, we're on the same page. If you ever watched them, try to remember the older versions. Now take a look at the current generation again. It's not the same as you remember it, is it?

Since I don't want you to answer, I'll answer for you. No, it isn't.

But there are things that never change. The flow of time, the color of the sky, and the number of stars in the sky. You can try to count that last one and try to prove me wrong, but most likely, they won't change.

Those things that never change, lets call them continuities, shall we? Well there are continuities and there are something else I'll call variables.

Now, don't stop reading this because I'm making this sound like a science classroom. These are just good examples.

Those variables can change. You might change the color of your hair, the mood of a room, and lots of other stuff. We can change that stuff, but it won't change everything.

Changing the color of your hair only makes your appearance different. Has that changed who you are on the inside? Not likely.

We can try and change how many stars there are in the sky. We can change as many variables as we want, but we cannot get rid of a true continuity.

Back to the original topic of 'what you once knew'. Things change over time, that is inevitable. If you went back to the place you were born twenty years since the last time you saw it, I can almost guarantee that you won't recognize any of it. What if you went back in time to before you recognized that place at all?

Probably not the same as you will come to know it.

You've tried to remember things the way they were, but it's not that easy, is it?

Ponyville February 21st ???

I should have eaten that oatmeal earlier. I was hungry beyond belief. Note to self: Don't go one full day without eating, and miss breakfast the next day. You will have severe hunger pains.

Okay, so a recap of my time in Equestria so far. Yesterday: Woke up in pony body. Found out I had pony body. Fainted. Woke up around noon. Went to castle. Met Celestia and Sunset Shimmer, who is apparently her student, not Twilight. Had translation spell cast on me, making me faint until night.

Today: Woke up really early. Decided to fix oatmeal. Found unicorn guard and made oatmeal with him. Gave Celestia and the guard the oatmeal when I didn't want to discuss my real name. Went back out to the Discord statue from the yesterday. Met Sunset Shimmer again. Told her made up name.

Found library filled with books unreadable to me. Found hidden room that only I could see. Found book written in clear English, describing the hard times of Clover the Clever. Left the room. Nearly got beat up by Celestia when saying her sister's name. Used magic three different times while running away from main scene. Earned four orange bubbles as my cutie mark. Hopped onto a train to Ponyville.

Present: Arrived in Ponyville, wishing I had eaten the oatmeal from this morning.

Yep. That sums up my day so far.

Can you top that?

Seeing the familiar sights of Ponyville was one thing, but I was all too hungry to care about it anymore. Food was now my top priority, not worrying about the royal guard or Celestia finding me.

But then I smelled something. I sniffed the air and tried to figure out what I smelled. I could smell a bit of cinnamon, as well as some kind of crust.

Pie. It was the sweet smell of pie that filled my nostrils. I tried to smell what kind of pie it was, but failed when the smell suddenly went away.

I groaned, and my stomach growled with me. I was still at the train station, but that smell of pie had convinced me to gather up all my energy and move to find real food. I took several steps forward, but stopped when I recognized something that freaked me out for a second.

Stairs.

If you ever tried going upstairs while crawling on all fours, it's pretty easy to do. Going downstairs however...

...Yeah, I think you know what kind of situation I was in.

There were only about three steps to the actual ground. Not much of a problem. Nope, not at all...

IF I HAD MY OLD LEGS!

Walking up and down steps is easy on two legs, don't get me wrong on that. It is even easier of you have longer legs, so that you can skip a couple of steps when moving on them.

But you have to remember, that I shrunk completely in size. My new legs were too short to skip any steps unharmed.

There was one thought that came to me. I focused on remembering that feeling from earlier. The feeling of magic flowing through me and into my head. The same magic I felt when I teleported those two times.

But there was something different about this time. I could most certainly feel the magic flowing through my head and into what I had guessed was my horn, but I could not seem to get the same feeling from earlier.

I heard a slight shimmer above me. I tried to look up,  but I couldn't see what made that sound. I figured that it was the sound of my magic in my horn. I tried to focus that energy into teleporting, but that just wasn't possible for some reason.

I gave up and let the shimmering in my head fade. I stared between the top of the stairs and the ground that they lead to. I had to climb down them somehow, and I wasn't about to tumble down and make a fool of myself.

Another thought struck my head. An idea. A most brilliant idea.

I walked up to the edge of the steps. Instead of directly heading down them and tumbling, I turned to the left. Then, it took both of my right hooves and put them down on the lower step. I brought my two left hooves down after I was certain that I was okay on the step. I smiled when I went down the last two steps in the same manner.

I felt the dirt beneath my hooves as I took several steps around the surrounding area. I looked into the sky and saw several clouds being moved by pegasi around the town. That's right, I thought. Weather is controlled by the pegasi here.

My stomach growled again, despite my efforts to try and hold it back. I grumbled slightly and began my walk around the town.

But as I did walk around the familiar sights, I noticed that it was... different from what I remembered from the show. All the buildings were smaller than I thought, and there were a lot less than what I remembered.

What's going on? This is Ponyville, right?

I wandered over to a nearby newspaper stand I saw not to far away. Several of the newspapers were on display, and I got a pretty good look at them.

There were two things that I noticed when I looked at the paper on display. The first was the date. Now, I know that I saw the date before, but I also know that I didn't see a specific part of the date.

February 21st 985

985? 15 years before the start of Season 1 of the show...

That explained several things. The first was the fact that Sunset Shimmer was Princess Celestia's student, and not Twilight Sparkle. I was in a time before all that happened. The second thing it explained was the way that Ponyville looked. Since it was 15 years before what I knew it as, it looked different than what I knew it as.

There was still something else I noticed when I looked at the newspaper again. One very confusing detail.

Everything was readable to me.

I could see what the front page was about, and what each article read. What's going on? How can I read this?

Now that I thought about it, the board with all the train station's schedules was readable to me then too. But how? How was it all readable?

"What's a young colt like you doing around here?" I heard a voice ask. I turned in the direction of the voice, and saw somepony looking down at me. I didn't recognize them at all, but I could tell that they were a stallion by their voice, and that they were a unicorn by- well, the horn.

"I- I was trying to find out today's date," I said. Just then, my stomach growled again.

"Well, aren't we the hungry one today?" I nodded. "Would you like me to get you something to eat?"

I was hesitant. I wasn't supposed to talk to strangers unless I knew them first. Then we wouldn't be strangers to each other. But when my stomach growled again, I nodded.

"Stay there," he said. He then walked away down the street. He wasn't gone for even five minutes before returning with two apples in his magic grip.

"Here," he said, holding one of them out to me. I noticed his magical aura; a greenish color. Note that I got a better look at this stallion, his eyes were green as well. I figured that unicorn magic was the same color as a pony's eyes.

I thought about how to take the apple from his magical grasp. I could try and use my hooves, but I wouldn't have a good grip on it myself, and the apple would fall to the ground. I could just grab it with my mouth, but I would have a hard time eating the apple.

My thoughts turned to earlier, when I first used magic. I didn't want to remember it, but I couldn't help it. I thought about the magic flowing to my horn, and how I used it. When I first used it, it was levitation.

I squinted my eyes and tried to recreate the magical feeling from that memory. Not in the exact same way, of course. I felt the magic flowing into my horn, and the shimmering sound from earlier. In an instant, I could feel my mind holding onto the apple.

I opened my eyes to see my accomplishment. Sure enough, just like in my mind, I had the apple in my magical grasp, a dark blue color. I laughed slightly when I saw my success.

"Well! A young colt like you can use magic! Don't see that every day!"

I just smiled back at him. "You don't know the half of it," I said. I brought the apple closer to my mouth and took a bite.

It wasn't all that special to me to eat an apple, because I usually eat them all the time. But you go an entire day without eating and tell me how you feel.

That's how I felt... I think... It depends on how you feel...

Back to the story, okay?

I'd never thought that eating could make someone feel so good about themselves. Well, that's a lie. I have felt good about myself while eating.

I took another bite of the apple. It was kinda strange. I was holding the apple with my mind, not what I used to using. Holding something is one thing, but holding it in a way you weren't used to is just strange.

"So, do ya like the apple?" the stallion asked me. I nodded. "The name's Trenderhoof, by the way."

Trenderhoof? I thought. Why does that name sound familiar? "Blue," I said to him. "My name's Blue."

"That's an odd name for a pony."

I chuckled. "You wouldn't be the first one who's said that to me."

We didn't talk to each other much. In fact, once he had finished his apple, he got up. "Well, it was nice meeting you Blue," he said.

"You're leaving?" I asked. "Where?"

"Oh, I have to get back to Canterlot soon. My wife's been waiting for me to return for some time now. This will also be the first time I will have seen my son in several months!"

"Son?"

"Oh yes. Named him after me, 'cause he looks. a lot like me! Well, maybe I'll se ya around one day kid!"

"Bye!" I saw him walk away. But it was that name that bothered me. Why had it sounded familiar?

My eyes widened when I remembered. That name was the same name of the pony Rarity had a crush on in the episode: Simple Ways.

I got up to go talk to him again, but thought against it. What would I say? 'I'm from another world, know the future of your world, and know your son?' That would be ridiculous.

I finished up my apple that he got more me. I carried the core with me until I could throw it away. After not finding one for about five minutes, I asked one of the locals where I could throw it away. They told me the location of the nearest trash can. I thanked them for their trouble, and threw the apple core away.

Now that that was done, what was there to do next? I was a stranger in a town 15 years before I ever knew it, and there was nothing for me to do.

Several thoughts of what I could do popped into my head. The first was trying to find the library that Twilight stays at while she was in Ponyville.

I shook my head. There might not even be a library until some time in the future.

The second thought was waiting for the guard to show up and take me back to Canterlot. That could take hours, and I wasn't one to wait that long for something.

I remembered something then. Something from the show. I debated whether I should or shouldn't do it. I knew I could, but it was dangerous. I tried to think of anything else, but nothing came to mind. I slowly started walking again.

Edge of Ponyville February 21st 985

Here I was. It took nearly half an hour, but I finally found it.

The entrance to The Everfree Forest.

I looked into the dark forest. If I had ever decided to go into there, ponies would call me crazy. All the stories about the animals living alone, whether not being controlled by anypony, the wired plants...

That's what it was to all the others. To me?

Just like home.

I looked behind me. All ponies that could see me were to busy working, or heading someplace in a hurry.

I turned back forward. The forest was dark and scary, but so is your imagination in a dark basement.

I took a step forward, and then another. Pretty soon, I was regularly walking into the forest.

I think five minutes had passed. I looked behind me again, to see no trace of Ponyville over the dark branches of the forest.

I heard something growling to my right. I turned in the direction, but couldn't see two feet into the forest. I could see the path, for there was a break in the trees and light was coming in. But inside the forest was a dense as an iron pole.

I shook the thought of the growl off and continued walking on the path. Not another minute passed before I heard something again. I ignored it this time and continued walking ahead.

I came across a clearing after some time. Not a big clearing, but the clearing was fairly large enough for a small group of ponies to take a small break if they were treading in the forest.

I wasn't all that tired, having done nothing but walking. My hooves hurt, but I had dealt with a lot worse in recent times. I continued my little walk through the forest.

Probably five minutes passed when the next interesting thing happened. A low branch had caught my back left hoof by surprise. I squinted on the scratching pain that it gave me.

I stopped walking and sat down to get a better look at the cut it must have given me. Sure enough, there was a small amount of blood streaking from my leg.

I brought up my front hoof and licked it... Worst mistake so far. My hoof was filthy from the dirt on the ground, and I had gotten some of it in my mouth. I ignored the distaste and rubbed the hoof I licked overtop of the small cut.

Soon enough, the blood started coming out slower. It had stained some of the fur on my coat, but I could live with that. I was about to get up when I noticed something else on my back left leg.

Not to far from the cut I had just received, there was a slightly bare spot, running up and down my leg. I got a closer look at it.

I recognized it. I recognized what it was.

It was a scar. A two-inch scar running along my back left leg. There was a reason I recognized it.

About two... maybe three years ago, I was on a big scouting trip with the others in my scout troop. It was a week long trip, that kept me away from home until Saturday.

It was probably day four of the trip. We were at our campsite, nearly getting ready to move to our next meeting. Some of the other members of my troop had made me angry, and I wasn't talking to anyone at the time.

There was one member who got annoyed by the fact that I was ignoring him. I was reaching for something from my pack in my tent (which, by the way, was lifted off the ground by some kind of bricks and was on these planks of wood) when he came up from behind me and pulled me back.

When he pulled me back, the front of my left leg scraped across the wood and left a two-inch gash on my leg. It was treated for and bandaged, but it left a scar on my leg. It never faded away, and always left a reminder on me.

I was surprised to see that it was on my leg. I mean, my entire body changed not two days ago. Shouldn't it have changed with me, and probably wouldn't be here?

Who knows?

I got up off the ground and continued down the dark and scary forest. Well, not all that dark and scary actually. The ponies around here sure do know how to make something sound scary, but isn't in comparison.

I soon came across a river.  Remembered this river as well. It was the river that the sea serpent was raging around in when he lost half his mustache.

Seeing as the river was pretty calm at this time, I decided to try and cross it.

Note to self #2. Don't go into outdoor water when it is still winter. The water will be FREEZING!

As soon as I took that first step in the water, I found out how cold it was. I brought my hoof out immediately and stepped back where the water couldn't get to me.

Great. Now how am I going to get to the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters?

I heard something coincidently fall to my left. I turned and saw a tree branched out, spanning the entire river's length. I just shrugged and walked over to the fallen tree.

It took a good five minutes of balance (or something along the lines) but I finally made it completely across.

I walked back over to where I would have crossed on the water, and found the path leading back into the forest. I followed it and eventually found myself to the rickety bridge where Rainbow Dash proved her loyalty to her friends.

But unlike in the show, it was completely set up. Not hanging over the cliff where only a pegasus pony could retrieve it. Sure, it was rotting away for the whole world to see, but nothing much different from that.

I cautiously walked over to the bridge. It wobbled from left to right, even to the slightest wind. I now stood on the edge of the bridge, looking at how it wobbled.

I inhaled, looked up at the sky above me, and took a step onto the bridge.

I was thankful that the first one didn't break... Or the second... Or the- oh, you get the point.

The bride wobbled a lot while I crossed it. It wasn't until I felt the feeling of NOT-wood beneath my hooves that I did look down again.

I looked back at the bridge that I crossed. "Ha." I laughed at it. I laughed at the fact that I hate crossed a bridge that would have lead me to my death if I had fallen, or it had broken.

I walked over to the massive castle doors. They were open, thankfully. I stepped into the gigantic open hall of the castle. The first thing I saw in there shocked me.

You know how in the beginning of the entire show- or more like part two of the first episode, where Twilight and her friends found the elements on the big pedestal thing in the center of the main hall?

The pedestal was there, but the elements were not.

"What?" I asked myself. "Where are the elements?"

The elements may have been made of stone in the beginning of the series, and I might be overlooking those stones, but I DO remember the stones being on the pedestal, and believe me, they weren't there.

"Is something wrong?" I heard a voice ask.

I froze at the sudden appearance of a voice. I slowly turned behind me and saw Princess Celestia standing in the doorway.