Everypony has a special connection with their friends, sometimes before they've even met. What most ponies fail to realize is that this connection will always be there, no matter what happens. Or fails to happen.
A speedster fails to break her barriers, and in so doing learns how to move them.
A timid animal lover, prevented from following the dreams she only just found, resolves to chase them anyway.Â
Two tearful foals meet, forming a partnership more enduring than any mountain.
A country mouse adapts to the city, and discovers how to bring two worlds together.
And a lonely filly fails her trials, only to pass the greatest test of all.
Though Rainbows may hide from the weather, Harmony knows not defeat.
For Magic may bind souls together, but Friendship makes it all complete.
Mm, nice start!
And so Rainbow forever after always dressed in style. I'm very excited about this premise and look forward to reading about the other ponies!
I thoroughly enjoyed that. More please.
Edit: I just realized that cutie mark is from G3 Rainbow dash.
This is looking good so far; you have me intrigued.
I don't usually read AUs, but this one caught my attention with the Butterfly Effect thing. Continue.
Oh god, rainbow dash is dressing in style.
The horror, THE HORROR!
You.. I...
Great story
I was surprised because I've just started work on a "what if the sonic rainboom hadn't given the mane 6 their cutie marks" story and I find your work.
Lucky for me you're going in a different direction than I'm planning, but I'll go back and make sure there's nothing even inadvertently similar.
This really looks like a great story.
...and congrats on getting it out there first
This sounds really cool. I am a little confuggled about the dive, tho. So... she just didnt succeed? Is that the jost of it?
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Rainbow got KO'd at this point, so she can't really say much about what happened. Fluttershy's standing right there, however; her perspective might help a bit.
1137991 Cool, thanx!
Cant wait for the next chapter, I think that this is a cool perspective, and I havent really seen anything like this before! I really like what you did there... The Butterfly effect... heh hah HEH HEH HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA.... 
Ok... It wasnt THAT funny...
But funny enough.
In b4 featured. Which this amazing story undoubtably will be.
Wow...
Coolio! I love the new perspecive and I think that you did a supercool job with this so far.
Also, THISISMYFIRST "FIRSTCOMMENT" EVER!!! I be
now... wait, more like 
yeah, not as crazy... 
An interesting take on the story. I'm curious to how these threads will come together.
I'm loving this story. I've always been a fan of a good 'what if' and yours is very well done.
I wrong get the roses. Awesome chapter though
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The main difference between roses and butterflies (for the purposes of this metaphor, anyway) is that roses stab you if you mess with them.
Also, Posey. Yes I know Posey had tulips just roll with it.
Wow, this pretty cool. A very facinating take on the whole no "Sonic Rainboom" scenario.
What makes it the most interesting is the fact that Rainbow Dash technically could still eventually do a "Sonic Rainboom", Fluttershy is still an immense animal lover, Pinkie is still a party pony (though a bit more controlled), and Rarity is still a fashionista but with less of a flashy style. I'm going to guess Applejack will learn to be more of buisness owner while Twilight has to deal with failure. But Twilight still is ultra-powerful at magic so that will show up eventually regardless of how it is triggered.
So what do their cutie marks mean?
1154291
This post used to answer your question, but it wasn't quite infuriatingly vague enough, so I deleted it.
I will say, however, that you should be able to figure out what their cutie marks mean based off their descriptions in-story.
I didn't describe Rainbow's mark a whole lot due to her being the cover image.
1154291
Rarity's is obviously the bonds of her and Pinkie's friendship (and jewels!) and Pinkie's must be something related to a similar concept.
1154352 maybe you are right, pinkie cutie mark seems to be like twilight, so maybe pinkie takes the role of twilight here?
Raritys Special talent has always been. Bringing out the beauty in things, not exactly fashion. Which is why she can find the jewels hidden in the earth. In this AU her cutie mark means that she helped pinkie bring it the beauty in the boulder. Pinkie's special talent is still making others smile but instead of full blown party's she celebrates in a more personal one on one way. Still a party, but more focused on the pony it's for than every pony there having fun.
Wow... Is it just me or does Pinkie's Cutie Mark remind you of somepony else's? You know... Mystical/cool object surrounded by 5 other smaller things... Or maybe I'm just paranoid...
i.imgur.com/tLAN5.gif
This was originally going to be more about Applejack learning more about how the Oranges live and some of the things they can do the Apples can't, but I couldn't think of a way for the Oranges to give Applejack an economics lecture without being boring, and then Louie just sort of popped into my head fully-formed and wouldn't leave.
German-esque griffon elders, new foods, and an Applejack with a slightly different cutie mark.
I'm glad you let Louie into your head. He is amazing.
Suddenly....grapefruit?
I really like where this is going!
This is great! I really think that this is creative and stuff... Awesome!!!!!!!!
I love it
I really like this. How one thing can change everything, and it's obvious since the Sonic Rainboom was the reason the girls got their Cutie Marks. And now they all have different ones, too, thus far. According to the picture for this, Rainbow's will be different, as well. Seeing her like that reminds me too much of Rainbow Dash in the older generations from when I was a kid. But I'll only start complaining should she starting using a fancy accent and saying "darling" all the time. XD I mean, if that DOES happen, well, I like Rainbow as she is, but I always hated the older generation her, even as a kid.
I can't help but be curious as to how Twilight is going to change with this. *gasps* If the Sonic Rainboom never occurred, then her magic didn't go nuts, and Celestia didn't recognize her, and--oh, snap, this is really crazy! I mean, yeah, everypony else's has changed quite a lot, but I feel like this one is most significant due to it being the difference between Celestia noticing her or not. So what will happen? Hah, you really got me wondering, my friend. I like how it's written and how even with their changes, the characterization is pretty spot-on. This project that involves everything changing in the beat of a heart is so far, a success. Keep it going!
Thank you! It's nice to see someone went the Koyashimaru path with Twilight's entrance exam!
Amazing. Please continue this. Also I would like permission to write in this AU.
1321434
I'll consider it. Definitely not happening before this story's complete, though.
Of course not. But there are just so many things to be done here it would be great to be able to write in it.
1321334 Yeah, the whole 'Why do they even have a dragon egg' thing has always bothered me,
considering how they later go out of their way to establish Ponies know squat about dragons.
Nice chapter.
Great chapter glad to see Spike will still be with Twilight. Was worried he wouldn't hatch from the egg at all.
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yeah it makes more sense it was test for failure situations. Where you aren't supposed to hatch the egg, it's meant to see how you'd react.
I really love this story. I've seen a few "what if the rainboom never happened" stories, but this one does an excellent job of crafting a believable alternate reality, as opposed to just reaching a similar fate by different means.
You, sir, are brilliant
Brilliantly written sir I look forward to more. A shame that your story doesn't have more likes and views...it certainly deserves themdl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Redheart_gasp.png . Of course I'm a bit biased cause I really love AU stories, anyway keep up the good work. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra_smile.png
Excellent.
Yes...
Excellent.
Like the story so far, but shouldn't the acronym be CSGU?
1341415
Le fix'd.
Tis an excellent story, sir or ma'dam. This ought to have gotten a feature. If I do say so myself.
hey nice fic. i know you must be buisy but i am eagerly awaiting a new chapter. Thank you for writing this.
Just checking in to let you know you're not forgotten
Why?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I'm sure you have your reasons.
but...
That's unfortunate.
Finally, one that doesn't get some kind of ridiculous unexplained Deus Ex Machina! I felt the feels.