There I was, waking up on the floor of a room in Castle Oblivion. For a second, I thought that it was all a dream, maybe the result of a concussion from fighting. Looking to my left though, I could see Twilight Sparkle, sitting up on the floor next to me.
At least I don’t have to deal with Vexen, I thought to myself.
Getting up, I saw that this was the entrance to Castle Oblivion, the first room, on the first floor.
“Wow.” Twilight said, impressed by the room we were in. “Simple, but so elegant. I never thought you could visualize things so well Repliku.”
I wasn’t as impressed. “Photographic memory. This is the world I was born in. 13 floors, and 12 basements, all compacted into a castle filled with nothing but white rooms, like canvases waiting to be painted. This is Castle Oblivion.”
Twilight marveled at the room even more now. “13 floors and 12 basements!? This place is huge then. Bigger than Celestia’s castle in Canterlot!”
“It’s actually bigger on the inside. Not sure how it works, not even Organization 13 knows everything about this place. They just chose it as a second base for research on memory, and it’s ties to the human heart.”
“You still haven’t told me much about this Organization by the way.”
I shrugged. “Not really something I’m all that interested in. Besides, we can save that for when your friends get here. Speaking of which, can we get to finding Zexion before they get here?”
“Of course.” She responded. “Now where is he?”
“Probably behind that door.” I said, pointing to the door at the opposite end of the room.
We walked up to it. “Didn’t I say to imagine him in the same room as you?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah-” I responded. “But I honestly don’t know what to expect. I think it’s safer to be at least one room away. We may be in the confines of my mind, but you never know what danger awaits.” I grabbed one of the door handles. “Besides, bad memories of mine reside here.” I opened the door.
I expected either an enemy, an empty room, or just Zexion lying on the ground. Instead, I saw something much worse.
Zexion was unconscious, but his arms were bound, and those bindings were chained to the sealing. He was suspended above the ground, and below him was a dark vortex. This was a death trap waiting to be set off.
He started waking up. “Riku…”
“Zexion!” I shouted, running over to him.
“No! Riku stop!” He said, using his illusion magic to make a wall. “Don’t come any closer. You’ll upset her. And that isn’t a good idea.”
He put down his wall so I could see him. “Her? Who’s her?”
“Um… Riku…?” Twilight said, urging me to look back. The door was closed behind us, by a cloud of floating black smoke, with glowing green eyes. “Don’t be afraid…” It, or rather, she said to us.
I drew my sword, and got into my battle stance. “Who are you!?” I demanded. “What have you done to Zexion!?”
“Don’t be afraid.” Was it’s only response.
“Don’t bother” Zexion said. “I tried talking sense into it earlier, it can only say that one sentence. Whatever you do, don’t touch it.”
“Uh…” Twilight was almost afraid to ask. “What happens if we do touch it?”
“Think about it.” He started. “She put me to sleep, and I’m a consciousness. She’s a mind inhibiting magic, a spell designed to alter the minds of others. Wether it’s killing a subjects conscience so their morality changes, making them forget important facts, or just shutting down certain thinking abilities, she was designed to alter others. From an inside perspective though, she can make things disappear. So long as you’re in Riku’s mind, you could easily be erased, leaving you a husk in real life.”
“And why do you insist on calling it she?” I asked.
“As it was putting me to sleep, the spellcaster insisted on it. She spoke to me through the spell.” He lowered his voice slightly. “Riku, I need you to say that you trust me. Don’t ask.”
I wasn’t sure what he was planning, but I knew he was serious. “I trust you.” I said.
I heard a noise, and turned around to see the vortex below Zexion close. “Good, now say that you need me.”
The spell behind us started growling.
“Ugh, you can’t be serious.” I said, not wanting to say it.
“I’m your conscience, that means you decide wether I’m free to advise you or not. In other words, you decide wether I’m free from these binds. Now say that you need me.”
The spell was getting closer to them, moving towards Twilight. “I don’t want to vanish. So with all due respect, SAY IT!! SAY IT NOW!!”
“I need you Zexion!” I shouted, my words echoing on the walls.
The chains that bound him broke, and in a flash, he jumped in front of Twilight, and made his book grow to a much bigger size, using the cover to block the spell creature. “Don’t touch her!” He shouted.
The creature phased through his book, calling his bluff, and coming face to face with him. Literally. “Don’t be afraid.” She said.
“I’m not.” Zexion said, not even flinching.
“What are you doing!?” Twilight shouted, terrified of this creature. “That thing’s gonna kill you!!”
“Then why hasn’t it? Huh?” He said, facing this creature. “You can erase me from Riku’s mind, make him forget I was even here, and if you wanted a body to operate, just have Riku killed here and now. So why don’t you?”
He got even closer. “I think it’s because not only are you too weak to completely get rid of anything, but doing so would kill you. This isn’t just a spell, and I know because spells don’t have eyes. You’ve literally turned yourself into the spell you’re using. That’s how desperate you are. So how about this? Leave this place. Find some small corner of Riku’s mind to hide in, and hope that I don’t find you.”
There was a minute of silence. Me and Twilight just stood there, hoping that this wasn’t just some bluff. Any second now that thing could touch Zexion, and assuming he’s wrong, kill him.
Instead, it just backed away from him, and vanished.
…
I woke up in the Library. Good, I was alive. I looked next to me, and Twilight was also getting up. “You ok?” I asked.
She sighed in relief, glad to be physical again. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She got up to her hooves. “So, what do you think that was?”
“Dunno.” I said. “Zexion might though. Give me a second.” I sat up properly, and focussed on my illusion magic. I was a bit worried at first, then I saw his figure take shape. Same steel blue hair, same black coat- “Took you long enough.” and same voice… Now I see why I wasn’t so worried. “You could’ve come more quickly, you know?”
*grunt* “Shut up, damn it. You’re acting like Larxene right now.”
He chuckled. “Just making sure you trust that it’s me. Thanks for saving me by the way. And before you ask, I have no idea who that was, but I do have an idea as to how they got inside you. You see-”
Before he could finish however, he found himself being interrupted by the door opening, followed by a small colorful bomb rolling in, which exploded with confetti. A pink pony with a cotton candy mane jumped through the explosion, and glomped me.
“Welcome to Ponyville Mr. Weirdo Thingy Pants! My name’s Pinkie Pie, and when I heard you were welcomed to town without my patented Welcome Wagon, I was all like -*gasp* He’s missing out!!- so I decided to do the next best thing, and bring you my metaphorical welcome wagon. ThatistosaythatIwantedtowelcomeyoumyself,becausenothingbeatsapropperwelcomelikeawelcomefromafacetofaceinteractionyouknow?Itonlymakessenseformetocomehereandsayhibecauseyou’renew,andIlovenewthings,andIlovenewfriends,andIlovenewfoods,butthatdoesn’treallyhaveanythingtodowith-“
“PINKIE PIE!!!” A cyan pegasus shouted, shutting her up.
Good thing too, I honestly felt like stabbing her with my sword just then. I’m not prone to violence, but there’s only so much my perfect memory can take. My head felt like it was going to explode.
And yet… something told me I was going to like her.