//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Silence 
// by Taranasauruso_o 
//------------------------------//

Rarity’s head pounded, senseless white noise resounding off the edges of her mind. Sunlight blurred her vision, its bright, burning rays imprinting on the back of her eyes. She groaned, rolling over in an attempt to escape the blinding light. When this proved unsuccessful, she groaned again, before rolling into a position were all of her hooves were pressed below her. With her eyes half closed, Rarity pushed upwards, straining on the little energy she had. After ten seconds of struggling, the white unicorn managed to pull herself to her hooves, and sighed with relief, before slowly opening her eyes.
 
A field of green met her gaze, its soft green grass glinting in the sun. Flowers of all shapes and colours speckled the green, flowing in and out with extravagant beauty. A soft breeze blew across Rarity’s face, rustling the grass and flowers. Rarity felt her mind losing itself in the serenity of the place, and attempted to snap herself back to reality. This place wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.
 
A shout caused Rarity to spin around, her ears and eyes scanning for the source of the cry. A large black forest towered before her, its black leaves tainted with a dark red liquid. Fire seemed to spurt from within the pitch-black depths between the trees, as if waiting for her to enter into her doom. Rarity’s eyes widened with realization, and she felt her heart pang with dread. She was here.
 
This wasn’t just any old forest, it was the Everfree, but not as it looked in the present moment. Instead, it looked like it had when Rarity’s mother had explained it to her, All those years ago. In an attempt to keep her from entering, Rarity’s mother had warned Rarity of the evil that lived in the place, but this had only made Rarity’s curiosity stronger.
 
After her mother had told of the forest, Rarity had set off in search of it, her heart filled with curiosity, and her eyes burning with adventure. This was what it had been like the first time she had seen it. Deep, dark and foreboding, everything her mother had described. But young Rarity was not to be deterred, and instead ventured forth into the reaches of the forest, in search of adventure. What she had found was nothing that she could have been prepared for.
 
‘Ah, so you do recognize it? Good, I was starting to worry.’ A voice spoke into Rarity’s ear.
 
Rarity took a step back in surprise, her eyes glancing around in fear. “W-who’s there?”
 
‘You do not remember me?’ The voice came again, echoing softly around in her head. ‘A shame.’
 
“W-what do you want?” Rarity asked the voice, her eyes still searching.
 
‘What do I want?’ The voice laughed, a deep throaty echo. ‘This is not about me, young mare, this is about you.’
 
“H-how do you know about this place?” Rarity gestured towards the forest with a hoof, her voice shaking as she spoke.
 
‘I know many things. This place is just another memory of yours. You have quite a few, you know? A lot of really good ones.’  The voice seemed to drop an octave, and, if it had a face, it would be smiling deviously at that moment. ‘And a lot of… interesting ones.’
 
Rarity blushed slightly, despite the situation. Her face instantly hardened, and the crimson drained from her cheeks. “And how, exactly, do you know of those.” She paused, searching her mind for the correct phrase. “Interesting… memories?”
 
‘Ah.’ The voice seemed to chuckle slightly, its breath coming short and ragged. ‘That, is for me to know. You need not worry yourself over it.’ Something in the voice seemed to grow louder, and a dark edge crept into its tone. ‘Yet.’
 
Rarity gulped, before glancing around again. “So, where exactly am I? I mean, I know where we are, but we can’t be here.” She looked up at the forest, here eyes wide. “This is, as you said, a memory. How can we be in a memory?”
 
‘Did I say memory? No, it’s more like a dream, part of your imagination, and yet, strangely real.’ Something flashed before Rarity, a dark shadow flickering in light of the sun that bounded around her. ‘And now for your next question, which I’m sure will be something along the lines of “Why am I here?” You have come here for a reason, as you probably have guessed. In order to leave this place, you must complete three tasks. But, make no more mistake, these will not be simple, or easy.’
 
‘Your first task awaits you in the forest.’
 
The soft humming in Rarity’s head faded, leaving her mind blank. “But wait!” she cried out, running forward on the grass. “I have so many questions!”
 
‘One final word of warning.’ The voice whispered from the distance. ‘This may be a dream, but you can still die here. And if you die, you die in the real world too.’
 
The voice left, leaving Rarity alone in her mind. She turned to face the darkness of the forest, scraping a hoof against the ground, glaring. The forest glared back, a loud screech startling the birds from the trees.
 
Slowly, Rarity stepped forward.
 
 

****


 

The Doctor pushed against the attic door again, his shoulder ramming into it.
 
“Must… be… stuck,” he heaved. He stepped back and tilted his screwdriver towards the door’s lock. “Maybth ath well tryth thith.”
 
Twilight watched from the back of the landing, smiling slightly. “Rarity always tells us that the attic door’s been locked for years, apparently she’s never actually been inside.”
 
The Doctor stopped the lights show that emitted from his screwdriver and turned to face Twilight. “What?” he asked. “Who has a room in their house that they’ve never been in?”
 
Twilight shrugged in response, and the Doctor let out an exasperated sigh. “Do you want me to go ask Rarity if she has a key?” Twilight asked, turning towards the stairs. The Doctor waved a hoof in her direction and mumbled something incoherently, his mind occupied with the door.
 
Twilight rolled her eyes, before starting down the stairs. Rarity’s room was on the second floor, as well as the bathroom and Sweetie Belle’s room. A strange metallic sound came from upstairs, and Twilight stopped, glancing back upwards. A faint blue glow could be seen reflecting off the wall, and Twilight shook her head, continuing downwards.
 
As she reached the second floor landing she felt a chill run up her spine. The house seemed eerily silent, which was odd, since Rarity’s place was rarely quiet.
 
“Rarity?” She called out, poking her head around the corner and into the second floor hall. “Are you down there?” Her voice echoed slightly, but no reply came back. “Rarity?” Twilight stepped out into the awaiting darkness, her tone rising with each passing second. She neared the bathroom door, her hooves shaking as she reached for the handle. She called out one last time, before touching her hoof to the cold metal.
 
She swung outwards, and stifled a gasp at what was inside.
 

****


 

Rarity’s confidence began to recede as she protruded deeper and deeper into the forest, it’s dark, trees whispering to her, as if they had some great secret. She shivered involuntarily as she passed through a particularly low set of branches, a cold chill running down her spine.
 
She stopped a moment, taking time to compose herself. “Now Rarity, you may be a lady, but that does not mean you are weak or pitiful. You will get through this.” She smiled to herself a little, and the surrounding shadows seemed to grow less dark.
 
She began again, still not knowing her destination, but walking all the same. The forest ahead seemed to glow faintly orange, as if it was burning with an invisible fire. As she pressed on the shadows disappeared until they were almost non-existent, replaced instead by an unearthly glow that seemed to seep from the trees themselves. Rarity shuddered again, her breath coming in short, sharp intakes.
 
The forest up ahead split open, revealing a large, open field, laden with crops. Rarity’s eyes widened with recognition. And just like that, the wheels in her mind began to turn. She had been here, this was hers. Her memory, one that she had suppressed long ago. But why?
 
A small, almost transparent foal ran past her, it’s ember mane flowing in the wind as it galloped. A small, yet high laughter chimed in, like the ringing of bells. Rarity stepped back as another semi-transparent foal ran in front of her. She gasped with recognition as she stared at the foals white coat and lush, purple mane.
 
The younger Rarity chased after the mysteriously familiar foal, the pair laughing and panting as they ran. Rarity watched on in awe, her face struck with dumb shock. The wind suddenly picked up, blowing Rarity’s mane up in front of her face. The foals seemed to fade out with the wind, as if being carried away by the soft breeze.
 
Rarity almost called out, as if she wanted them back so she could rewatch the memory of happier times. But she knew she couldn’t, and it would be foolish for her to try. Yet still, she longed, and she hoped.
 
And then, something wet hit her face.
 

****


 

Rarity shot upwards, spluttering. Her mane was drenched, water dripping all around her as she sat on the floor, her hind legs curled up behind her. She shot a glance upwards at the offender, her eyes sending daggers from below her wet fringe.
 
But all of this was dropped as soon as said offender threw her arms around Rarity in a tight embrace. “Oh Rarity, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight said, speaking into Rarity’s mangled mane. “I was so worried!”
 
Slowly Rarity reached out a hoof and rubbed her friend’s shoulder, her other hoof slowly untangling the unicorn from her. Twilight stepped back, smiling sheepishly at the sudden display of affection.
 
“Sorry about the water,” She began, glancing down at her feet. “It’s just – you wouldn’t wake up! I tried a bunch of things in an attempt to wake you, but you wouldn’t respond!” Twilight’s voice began to rise as she retold her story. “But then I remembered something that I read in a book, and I thought this was the best option.” She glanced back up at Rarity, her sheepish grin still plastered across her face.
 
Rarity rolled her eyes, pulling herself to her hooves as she did so. “I’m just glad to be all right Twilight,” she explained, turning towards the mirror. She gasped, before instantly lighting up her horn in an attempt to fix her mangled mane. “Oh no! My hair! My beautiful hair!” she moaned, a brush streaking through it at insane speeds. Twilight rolled her eyes, turning to leave the room.
 
“Wait,” Twilight said, turning back to Rarity. “Do you have a key to the top room of the Boutique?”
 
“What, you mean the attic?” Rarity asked, turning away from the mirror momentarily. “Well… no, no I don’t think I do.” She shrugged, turning back to the mirror.
 
As Twilight turned to leave again, a loud band sound could be heard from upstairs, followed by a triumphant “aha!”
 
“What’s he done this time?” asked Rarity, placing down the now thoroughly used brush.
 
“Not sure,” Twilight replied, glancing upwards.
 
“Should we go see?”
 
The pair looked each other in the eyes. “Yeah.”
 

****


 

“Oho! Thought you could beat the good ol’ Doctor hey? Well I bet you didn’t think I’d have this? Did you?!” The Doctor brought down the hammer again, his mouth clenched around the handle. The hammer struck the door, sending out a loud, hollow thud. 
 
“What in Equestria are you doing to my door?” Rarity demanded, stepping off the stairs and onto the landing.
 
The Doctor stopped the hammer’s decent mid-swing, his eyes swivelling towards her. “Uh,” he managed.
 
Rarity huffed, her horn lighting up. She strode forward, her magical grasp grabbing the hammer from between the Doctor’s clenched teeth.
 
“Give me that,” she scolded, the hammer dragging the Doctor towards her. Rarity sighed, before lifting the hammer upwards, the strained Doctor with it. He clenched on for dear life, but he could feel his grip weakening. Slowly he fell downwards, crashing onto the hard wood floor.
 
“Thank you.” Rarity put the hammer down on the side table, before turning back to face the Doctor. “Listen Doctor, I need to tell you about what I just-“
 
“Never mind that Rarity, we need to open this door.” The Doctor said, pulling himself up off the floor.
 
“But-“
 
“Really, we do. This thing’s off the scale, meaning that it’s either alien in origin, or the lock is made of wood. I’m going to put my money on the latter, but I’m pretty sure that if one alien has landed here, then more probably have too.” The Doctor smiled at Rarity as stared, open mouthed, towards the door. His smile froze and slowly he turned to face his fate.
 
Slowly, Rarity keeled over backwards.
 

****


 

“What is it? I can’t see anything.” The Doctor was still examining the door, a large pair of glasses covering the bridge of his nose. Twilight stood behind him, leaning over an unconscious and very wet Rarity.
 
“I don’t understand,” she began, looking down at her soaked friend in dismay. “Why didn’t the water work this time?”
 
The Doctor, satisfied that there was nothing wrong with the door, turned back to face the pair, his glasses now gone. “Don’t know.”
 
Twilight rolled her eyes. “You know, for all your infinite wisdom and foreknowledge, there seems to be an awful lot you don’t know.”
 
“Well, some things I do know, but can’t tell, because that would be cheating, and I am not a cheater.” The Doctor walks forward, leaning his head over Rarity’s. He opened each of her eyes individually, shining his screwdriver over each one. “She’s been sent into a hypnotic sleep, nothing’s going to wake her short of a complete memory alteration.”
 
“And?” Twilight asked.
 
“And what?”
 
“What can we do about it?” She stamped a hoof impatiently.
 
“Well, I could always try frying her brain, that generally works.” Another stamp. “Okay, well I can tell that most of you Equestrian’s don’t have a sense of humour. Look, I can help her, but I’m going to need a way in, something that she’s had for a long time, and something that she holds dear.”
 
Twilight raised a hoof to her chin, thinking. “Her brooch!” she shouted after a few moments of thought. She reached out with her magic and pulled it from her friend’s hair, smiling as she did so.
 
“Perfect,” The Doctor said, grinning at Twilight again. “And now, for the entrance.”
 
“Wait, how, exactly, do you plan on getting inside there?” Twilight asked, tapping her friend’s skull with a hoof.
 
“Well, the same way I always do, a head butt.”
 
“That’s probably not the best idea.”
 
“Oh? Why ever not?”
 
Twilight smirked, pointing to Rarity. “You really think she’s going to enjoy waking up to a large bruise on her head? I don’t.”
 
“Well, I don’t think she’d like waking up to the alternative any much more, but at least it’s not painful.” The Doctor shrugged, before bringing his head closer to Rarity’s. Twilight leaned forward, eager to see how this strange pony’s magic would work.
 
The Doctor closed his eyes, his lips pursed, and brought his head down. Twilight realised what was about to happen, and blush slightly, averting her gaze.
 
Slowly, the Doctor kissed Rarity.
 

****


 

A/N: And there we have it, another instalment. Sorry about it being so short, but this was really just my remedy to a bad mood. My next story to be updated will be Dropping the Bass, my Trixie x Vinyl Shipfic. If you haven’t read it, go ahead and do so, it means a lot to me.
 
Anyway, I’ve been playing a bunch of video games, doing tests and going on holidays, so my writing time has been cut short slightly. However, I do hope to continue to hone my skills, and someday be as good as some of the other writers out there.
 
Cya!
 
-Taranasaurus