Chapter 3: Where Am I?
AJ and her other friends galloped down the castle halls. They had bundles of camping supplies on their backs, and they bounced as they ran. However, Fluttershy didn't carry anything, she just followed behind, struggling to keep up.
"He Twi, which way to the Library?"Asked Rainbow, who had a sack of food dangling beneath her as she flew.
"Just down this hall." She answered, exhaustion evident on her face. "We're almost there."
Within moments the group came a stop at the large double doors of the library. They were huge, almost bigger than the throne room doors. Everyone looked up in awe, except Twilight, who had seen them often whenever she came. A purple aura began to envelope her horn, and soon after it covered the door handles. Nothing happened as she tugged at it though.
"What's wrong Twi?" asked AJ, and walked up beside the dumbfounded unicorn. She was looking at the door, wide-eyed.
"There's something keeping it closed, but it's some sort of magic." She was still staring at the door, almost as if she were trying to stare a hole through it.
"Is there any other way in?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"Nope." Twilight stated. "The only way in are these doors. There aren't even any windows." After that, everyone began staring at the doors. What was going on behind them? Who had barred their entrance?
"Can't ya try somethin' else?" Applejack said, switching her gaze between the doors and her. "Where's John? He might be able to get us in." She gulped. Not unless he was trapped in there.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"What happened?" John groaned. He was lying in down on something cold and hard. How did he get here? Why couldn't he see anything? He reached up and felt his face and gasped. Where was his mask? Why didn't he have his gear on? He began to panic, but soon realized that he could still breath just fine. His breaths slowed down, and he slowly got to his feet. After getting up he began to feel in his pockets for his flashlight, but couldn't find it anywhere.
"Fuck!" he cursed aloud. "Where the hell is mah stuff?" His voice echoed through the abyss of his inky black prison. Ah could use mah power. What! No! What am ah thinkin'. Ah promised her. Hell! A shiver swept though him. It was cold in here. He began rubbing his hands together without thinking about it. What was he suppose to do? Die in here? Wait. He could hear a conversation going on somewhere in the distance. But it was muffled and he couldn't quite make out the words. Who could be talking. Everyone was dead. Unless...
John started walking in the direction he thought the voices were coming from. The closer he got the more he could make out the word. They were feminine, talking about how to get in, and where was John. Where was John? They knew who he was. Immediately he walked right into a wooden wall. He held his nose with one hand and felt the object with the other. After a bit of searching he found that it wasn't a wall, but a door, a very large door. He tried pushing on it, but it wouldn't budge. However there was something strange about it. There seemed to be something surging through it, a magic of some-sort. But not Arak'Arahm's power. Did this mean there was something else out there, some other foe that had teamed up with his enemy? Or had he obtained a new power? Something to finish John off? If this was a barrier, there was no way to pass it without John using his power. With one final, hopeful push on the door, John sighed. It wasn't going to open until the magic was dispelled.
John place his palm on the door and willed his black magic into the door. Weaving in-between the spell, unlacing the magic in the barrier. He vaguely remembered doing something like this before. But not in the same way. But he never did anything like this in the wastes. If that was where he was at anymore. Pushing the feeling beside, he continued on tearing and untying the threads of magic. He was nearly halfway done when he was forced, flying through the air and into another object. What was that? John groaned and returned to his feet. That was it, he wasn't going to get anywhere if he couldn't see anything. John opened his left palm upward and channeled his power to create a small flame in the center. It lit up a small circle around him, and then he found out where he was. Looking behind him where he landed, was a crushed shelf with books scattered across the floor. He was in a library. He picked one of them up and turned it over in his hand. On the binding it read, "Pony Magic and It's Birthplace". Pony Magic? What kind of book is this? What kind of library is this? Tossing the book aside John walked back to the door and felt for the bindings again.
"Shit!" The bindings had mended themselves. If he were to try to un-weave them again, he would be blasted backwards again, which meant he'd have to exert a lot of magic at once and tear it clean open. But what about the people on the other side. What would happen to them. They had fallen silent, most likely from the booming of his blast. What if they weren't actual people? What if it was just a movie or a tape, playing itself, teasing him and making him think there were people still alive. He decided to just go with it, just in case there were actually people.
"Hey!" He shouted through the door. "You're goin' ta need ta back up away from the door alright." He waited for what seemed like an eternity. But eventually there was a reply back, which lifted his spirits.
"Ok, were out of the way." A smile spread across his face. There were living, breathing people. Not just dust and ash in the wind. He backed up a few steps and channeled all his power into his hands. His hands began to tingle as the built up magic tried to get out. Eventually it succeeded, and it began forming a black fog coming from his palms and falling to the floor at his feet. It darkened again since his fire was put out, but even the black of his magic put off a little light. To balls of black and blue magic formed, one in each hand. He held them at shoulder level on both sides of him and closed his eyes. He may resent his power, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to use it. He opened his eyes and as quickly as he did so he slammed the two balls of magic together and created a ray of pure blue light. It impacted the door, but the barrier didn't break. He pushed more and more of his black magic into the ray until it became the size of a small car. The door began to glow red, until the door itself lit up part of the library. Whatever this power was, his magic wasn't enough to break it. But if he were to get out, he needed to break the barrier.
Such a use of pure magic, not in the form of a spell, but pure magic, could drain any wielder quickly. John could already feel his power fading away as he pushed on an on at the door. How wasn't his power enough? But suddenly there was a flow of something else inside of him. Something clean, light. It wasn't the blackness that haunted him but...purity. He felt warm inside. It was strange, he had never felt it before. The warmth flowed with his magic, down through his warms and into his hands. It started building up, and then...
The blackness turned into a pure white, it rang, increasing in pitch as it tore at the door and the barrier. It lit up the library, he could see clear to the ceiling and down the walls on either side of him. He watched the doors, surprised at the sudden burst of power. The red glow on the door turned into a holy white and it cracked where the beam impacted. And then...
BOOM!
The doors shot forward and crashed against the brick walls behind it, shattering it to splinters. They smoked a white mist as did the doorframe. John covered his eyes as dust fell from the high ceiling, blanketing him and the floor in ancient dust. After it cleared he walked out, he could still hear the fain echoes from the explosion and... He looked around, looking for the people who had talked to him. The air was still full of dust and smoke, so it was difficult to see anything.
"Hello?" he began. He could see outlines in the dust, but they didn't resemble a human, more like large dogs, or small horses. Something tugged at him in his mind, a faint memory. But he didn't remember seeing creatures like this. There was a purple aura at the base of one of the creatures heads, and right after was a swift wind that got rid of the dust. He just stood there and stared. Standing before him, just over half his height, were six ponies. All pastel colored. Two unicorns, two pegasi, and two normal ponies.
"Oh John!" Spoke the white with the purple mane. "What in Celestia's name happened?"
"Ya."The orange one. "And who locked ya in?" They all began to approached him, worry on their equine faces. What the hell were these things? And how did they know who he was?
John reached for his pistol instinctively, but didn't find. His next reaction was to grab his sword, which he didn't have either. Why would he go weaponless?
"Who the hell are ya?" John demanded. Anger and fear in his eyes. The unicorns could wield magic, which meant they either worked for Arak'Arahm, or they were someone else's pets. John began to glow with his new-found power. All the blackness flushed from his system from that blow. He felt warm, he felt...happy. He didn't want to let go of it. But it also felt as if it would swoop him away.
"What do mean by that?" asked the cyan pegasus, who was hovering above the rest of them. She had a tomb-boyish voice, and was giving him 'the eye'. "You know who we are?" John looked at them incredulously, unsure of what he was witnessing. Or experiencing. The purple one began to cock her head at him, they all were.
"John? What is that?" She pointed with a hoof at his arm, which was engulfed by the same white as the ray he shot at the doors. "And...how did you blast down those doors. That was a spell I've never seen before." She began to stare off into space.
"John? Are you ok?" it was the yellow pegasus. Again that tickling in the back of his mind returned. As if he'd seen her before. "John?" Everything began to spin and the voices of all the ponies swarmed him. "Oh my! John! We need to get him to the clinic! Quickly!" Everything began to fade away. The sights, the sounds, and his overwhelming power. Soon John was again, in a dark dead world.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Don't call me that." John demanded. "Mah name is John."
"Oh yes, that's right. You think you have a say in what you are. How pleasant." John eyes turned black. Sparks of lightning ran up and down the blade of his sword.
"Now it's time ah take you down." John stated as he rushed to him. In an instant he pulled out a potion from his thick blue cloak and threw it to the ground. With that a swirling portal grew out of the stone, sucking John in. "AHH WILL GET YOU YET ARAK'ARAHM!! JUST YOU WAIT!!"
"I plan on it Soulslayer." He chuckled menacingly as the portal closed and John was once again sucked into a black oblivion.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ahhh!" John screamed. He hopped to his feet, his clothes were still on and he was covered in sweat. He raked his hands through his hair, pushing it back into place. He looked around, desperate for his weapons. Anything to give him comfort. But then he realized he wasn't where he should have been. He was in some sort of chamber. He squatted down, keeping low in case anything came in through the door or the balcony window. He began recalling event before he passed out. What had caused him to do that. And what question remained. Who were those ponies and how did they know him?
There were voices behind the door, as well as the flickering of a fire. They were talking about him. And they seemed worried. Why would they be worried for him? Except he only remembered seeing six ponies. But he could hear a seventh voice.
"Now tell me exactly what happened." Asked a soothing, wise voice.
"Well, first off, John had told us to gather supplies for a trip and as much knowledge on the Changelings as possible. When we arrived at the library the doors were barred shut with a magical barrier. I couldn't open it. A short while later John shouts from inside telling us to get back. And after that there was this white light and he was out. The barrier broken and all. But he didn't remember who we were. He was almost frightened of us." He recognized the voice. It was the purple unicorn.
"Ya. And that look in his eyes." It was the orange one talking now. She had the same accent as him. "It was the same look ah saw when we were memory walkin' with him. Just before the battle with Arak'Arahm."
What battle? What was she talking about? His head began to hurt again. He could feel a heart beat in his forehead. All this sounded so familiar. Yet it never happened. What were these ponies talking about? The soothing voice began to speak again.
"Well, I can't exactly say how it happened. But I'd say he's suffering from amnesia."
"Amnesia!" the other six shouted in unison.
"But he's suppose to go save Luna and kick some Changeling butt." Shouted the blue pegasus.
"And he's our friend." It was the yellow pegasus.
"Ya ya. He's our friend too."
That was it. They seemed nice enough, giving him a bed and such. But he needed answers. And he needed them now. He crept over to the door and stood behind it. Taking a deep breath he pulled it open and was covered in the warm glow of the firelight. No one noticed he was there. The door was oiled recently and everyone was facing the fire. He looked over clear to the left, and lying down a bunch of pillows was the new voice he had heard. She was at least twice the size of the other ponies. Very nearly the size of a normal horse. But she was unique. She had both a horn and wings. Suddenly a word popped in his head. 'Alicorn'. He just stood there as they continued on with their conversation.
"What are we gonna do if we can't get Luna back? And how are we gonna get John's memory back?" Spoke the orange one again. Though she couldn't see him, but he could see her eyes. And there was a strange look in them. One he had seen a long time ago. If he did...lose his memory...and they were supposedly his friends. What relationship did he have with her.
"John. Your awake." It was the alicorn who spoke. He quickly snapped his head to face her. Her eyes bore into him. Studying him.Then he noticed that the rest of them were also staring at them. Almost –cautious-like. As if he were unstable. He narrowed his gaze and eyed every one of them, causing them to gulp and shy away from his stare. If they were friends, they sure didn't act like it.
"Ya.Now...if ya don't mind. Ah'd like a few questions answered." He folded his arms and turned his attention back to the alicorn.
"Hey!" shouted the purple one. "That's no way to talk to the princess." John just gave her a blank stare, almost making her regret her choice of words. Well, I guess he did have that effect on things. Scaring them so. Ever since that night, nothing wanted anything to do with him. Unless Arak'Arahm gave specific orders to. But even then the monsters were unsure.
"Now what would you like answered?" The alicorn asked.
"First ah want ta know yer names."
"I'm Celestia. This is my student Twilight Sparkle." Every name sent a twitch through John's mind. These names were familiar. But he'd never heard them before! Maybe he did have amnesia. Why can't I remember?!"Is there anything else you'd like to know?"
"How ah got here?"
"You got here through a portal three months ago." Twilight answered. "Arak'Arahm sent you hear and we found you."
"So Arak'Arahm is the reason ah'm here." John was deep in thought. "Ah need ta get back. Or else ah might lose him forever."
"Hehe." It was Applejack who spoke next. "John. You killed Arak'Arahm 'bout a week after ya got here. He's dead. We all saw it." John stood there and gawked at her, mouth agape. He had killed that murderer and didn't even remember it. That's what pissed him off the most. He had been waiting for the moment to kill that bastard for years and... well he did... but he didn't remember! "John? Are ya alright?" John's attention was snapped back to her, and he slowly nodded, not bothering to close his mouth.
"Ok, ok." John breathed. "At least he's dead right? Even if ah don't remember a god damned thing he's still dead." John leaned against the wall for support, but as he did so Applejack jumped up to brace him, and led him over to her pillow. There must have been something between us if she's given up her seat fer me. Damn it what have I missed?"Last thing ah suppose. Can't really think of anythin' else but... How the hell did ah blow down that door. Ah mean... there was no way that was mah magic. First ah'm feeling corruption and hate, disease if anythin' and then, somethin' else." His eyes widened as he tried to recall the sensation. "It felt like life. Pure life, almost felt... divine in a way. If ya believe in all that god and goddess shit ah suppose." He spaced off and began rambling. "Ah can still feel a hint of the death, but ah can't access it. Almost like it's a far off memory. But now..." He reached a hand forward and summoned a ball of pure white light. I glowed intensely, causing all the ponies to have to shield their eyes. "... all ah have is this. Ah mean it's a nice change and all, but it's still strange how it happened now of all times." Everyone looked at each other, then back at John, though it was Celestia who spoke.
"That magic you have. Is actually our world's most powerful magic. During your battle with Arak'Arahm, you absorbed incredible power from six of Equestria's oldest relics in history. I don't even know how or who forged them. But somehow they linked with you, and now you have the ability to command them." Celestia closed her eyes and collected her thoughts. "I don't know how you can. It's suppose to take six ponies to wield them. Each one representing the Elements." She began pointing at the ponies as she listed them off. "Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, and Magic. These ponies you see before you were the previous wielders." She looked at him again with that studying eye. What is she thinkin'?
“Ok.” John said slowly. He looked at each of the ponies, and they looked back at him with sorrowful eyes. “So…” he chuckled “so ah know all ya’ll? And we were all friends? Wow.” He almost fell backwards but quickly caught himself. Applejack was sitting next to him, and offered a hoof to help him. He took it up kindly. “Then, what’s happened recently?” He swept his gaze over them again, but his sights landed on Celestia. Her head was down and she was almost to the point of crying.
“Celestia? What happened?” He picked himself up and walked over to her to sit down. He may not remember what they went through together, but for some reason he felt sorry for her, almost as if he already knew what had happened. He rested his hand on her main then wrapped his arms around her neck and brought her into a hug. This time however, tears did form and began streaming down her face and dripped onto his pants.
“The Changelings took Luna.” Twilight began. Her head was cast down in grief. “She’s Princess Celestia’s sister, and also the princess of the night.”
“So, who are these Changelings?” John asked, now stroking Celestia’s mane.
“Here Before you lost your memory you told me to gather as much information as possible on them.” She eyed her friends and continued. “Changelings are a type of shape shifters. We actually had a brief encounter with them not too long before you arrived. During my brother’s wedding we had word of some suspicious activity going on outside of the castle. My brother put up a force-field to keep Canterlot safe. But unfortunately the leader of the Changelings kidnapped my brother’s fiancé and changed into her.” She repositioned herself on her pillow. “You see, Changelings take the form of some ponies loved one, and feed off that love. However, long story short, my brother and his fiancé’s love was so strong that it got rid of every Changeling that had gotten inside.”
“So, really they could be anyone in the Castle?” John asked.
“Yes they could.”
John looked down at Celestia, who had regained some of her regality and was now sitting up, still leaning on John however.
"Do ya have a way to find out who a Changeling or not?" John said, eyeing each of the ponies just in case. "Don't need ta be trustin' anyone we don't need ta." This caused everyone to look around wearily. Were they all really ponies, or could one of them be a Changeling?
"It doesn't say anything in the book, but maybe you could use the Elements to see if any of us are one." Twilight suggested. "I mean, you're the only one who can use them for your own use. The bearers of the Element could only use them once on a powerful enemy, and not for their own purposes. But you, you can do whatever you want with them. If we were stuck in that room and all we had were the Elements to get us out, the Elements wouldn't have done anything to help us."
"Well ah guess ah can try. But ah'm not sure how ta use this power, so it may not work." John first started with Rarity, who was sitting on the opposite side Celestia was on. He placed his hand on her forehead, her soft mane brushed up against his skin and gave him goose bumps. Well ah can rule out hallucinations. John sent his new power toward his arm, he didn't know what form the power was suppose to be in or even if it could. The power reached his fingertips and everyone could see the glow they produced. Slowly it traveled into Rarity's head and down through her whole body. She shuddered at the feeling and sighed as it left her.
"Ah don't know if ah did the right thing, but I know she's a pony." John looked a Twilight. "However ah don't even know what a Changeling is suppose look like." He looked at the others. "Well, whose next?"
"Ooh, ooh, ooh. Pick me pick me!" shouted Pinkie Pie who was already bouncing up and down, shaking her hoof in the air as if to answer a question. John rose his brow and using a hand gesture, told her to come to him.
As John checked each of the ponies, he could feel a sort of connection with them. He felt as if a different part of him connected with each of them. As well, each time he'd get a fuzzy feeling in him. He felt warm, safe, and welcomed. Especially with Applejack, who stared into his eyes during the whole process. He'd have to know what they had together before.
"Alright. Ah suppose that 'bout finishes it." He stood up. "Yer all ponies. But we're gonna have ta do this periodically, just in case there's a switch in the future." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well," Celestia sniffed. "I need to get going. There's a whole line of ponies waiting for me." She gave him a hopeful look, then exited through the doors behind her. Leaving the rest of them in awkward silence. John looked around, taking in the room, which he had failed to do earlier because of the ponies. It was fairly large, larger than the room he slept in. A round bed sat against the far wall, opposite of the fire. Bookshelves and pictures dotted the walls and an oak table sat next to the fire. Atop it sat ink wells, parchment and quills. He swept his gaze across the room once more, but came to a stop on Applejack. She was staring at him, but didn't seem to notice he was looking at her. Probably lost in thought. Should I say something to her?
"What's wrong John?" asked Fluttershy, who came and fluttered beside him. She sat down on the pillow and looked into his eyes. What! Do ah have some sort of relationship with all of them!? "You seem kind of worried...but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Her voice became small and she shied away from him, trying to hide behind her pink locks. He had a sudden urge to hug her and comfort her, but he had done that enough all ready. Plus it didn't seem right to, but it also did. Ah'm gonna go fucking crazy, that's what's gonna happen.
"No. Just kinda crazy that's all." He spoke softly, his deep voice sending chills down Fluttershy's spine. However, he didn't notice that Applejack had tuned in on their conversation. "Everything is wrong. Ah don't think ah'll handle it. Not rememberin'." Fluttershy looked at him, and snuggled up against him, and John wrapped his arm around her. He looked at Applejack, whose eyes narrowed and cheeks were red.
"Ah'm gonna go hit the hay gals." AJ spoke, and stomped out the doors , leaving everyone staring after her. Then they all looked at John and Fluttershy, but gave Fluttershy a disappointed look. So there is somethin' between us.
"Ah'm gonna go to. Ah need a breath of fresh air anyhow." John stood up, and walked out the door, but paused when he turned the corner.
"Fluttershy, you know how much Applejack likes John." Rarity said. "Just because he doesn't remember doesn't' mean you can take advantage like that."
"I know I know." Fluttershy squeaked. "It's just...oh never mind."
"No, what is that you were going to tell us." Rainbow demanded. "C'mon, spit it out."
"I...I...." There was a long pause. "I like John too. It's just, he's so nice and kind. It kind of hard not to. And it's not only me. I think Princess Luna likes him too."
"And how would you know this?" Twilight accused.
"Well, a few weeks ago, at night of course, Luna came to my cabin. She wanted to discuss what kind of species of animals were alive. You know, since she's been gone so long. Anyways, John popped into the conversation. I was the first to bring it up, and when I did."
"Go on." Rarity said. "Tell us more." She sounded eager to hear the rest.
"She got this sort of...dreamy look in her eyes every time I mentioned his name. And she'd smile too." Fluttershy hesitated. "And she asked me if anypony was...close to John."
Everyone gasped. But John had heard enough. He didn't really wanted to hear that. It was just a necessity to find out what was going on. But this he didn't expect. The Princess of the night, was in love with him, Fluttershy was too. But everyone expected he to be with AJ. John pounded his fist against the wall in frustration. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't he remember? He looked around to make sure no one heard. And made his way to the gardens. Maybe he could he some piece of mind.