//------------------------------//
// Another Night 
// Story: To Find a Past 
// by Surfusa 
//------------------------------//

The candle light flickered. It was the middle of night and I nodded at my name.

"Okay, Omega. It may not be your real name, but it'll have to do for now."

Nicole closed the book and lifted it to the counter top with her magic. Opening one of the cabinets, she placed it among a pile of books and notepads. With a blue aura surrounding the handle, the cabinet closed.

"Now you've had a somewhat long day, I recommend that you should get some rest."

I nodded and pushed myself out of the chair. Walking over to the cot, I heard one last line.

"It's going to be a big day tomorrow."

I turned my head to her. There was a big grin on her face, but it seemed more playful than menacing. 

"It'll be fun!"

A shiver ran down my spine; but rather than asking, I decided it would be best just to go to bed.

This time, I helped myself into the cot. The winter weather was still strong outside and the wind constantly pounded at the wall. The old door held against the wind; but through the cracks in the sill, the breeze oozed in and filled the home. Adjusting my body to lay on my side facing away from the wall, I pulled the blanket around me as the cold air filled the house. All I could do was relax my eyes as I watched my surroundings. Before they fell shut, I caught the glimpse of gray moving by the table.

Nicole folded the blood stained sheet at the foot of the table and floated it away into the sink. Then she lifted each picture into a bag and sealed it up. Slowly, she put away the rest of the items into the bag leaving only the rock out on the table. There was a long pause and, as if the weather was watching too, the room became silent. She turned to look at the sleeping orange pony and then to my cot. I wasn't sure if she noticed me watching, but she turned back to the rock and picked it up with her hooves. Immediately, a spark of green dust flew from the rock. As if not satisfied with the result, she began to shake it up and down. When there was no further response she threw it across the room. The rock collided with the door and landed on the ground with a load thud. Without making any movement, I turned my eyes to the rock which just sat there.

I wasn't sure if she was upset or angry, but I could tell she was some what irritated. Did my test at the rock mean something more than just the light show? I watched as Nicole lifted her left hoof to her head. Blocking her own face, the sound of a faint muffled cry reached my ears. Tears began to run down her hoof and fall onto the floor. I couldn't help but to feel awkward as the moment lasted a few minutes.  Finally, she shook her head and the sound stop. The last tear dropped followed by any thoughts about the stone. She recovered a calm relaxed stance and floated the rock from the other side of the room into the bag.

After packing away the items from the table, Nicole slowly prod the Light Master. Eventually she gave him a hard poke into the side of his stomach. He lifted his head up from the table and groaned.

"Five more minutes. Just five more..."

"Time to move. You know you should be sleeping in your bed down stairs rather than in this chair. Remember your back problems?"

Grumbling, the Light Master raised his head off the table and turn to Nicole. With one eye open, he mumbled something incomprehensible. It seemed Nicole couldn't hear him either and asked him to repeat himself.

"What did you say?"

There was a short pause as the wind howled.

"Doesn't matter... I'll go to bed. Will you keep an eye on the storm up here?"

"Yes, now go on. Besides, you'll want to be fully rested when you test Omega tomorrow."

She threw a gesture towards me in the cot. I quickly closed my eyes completely shut before one of them noticed I was still awake. 

"So that's what he'll be calling himself. Not a bad name, but it doesn't seem right."

"Well it's not like either you or him knew the real one, right?"

I heard a creak as what must have been his hooves touched the floor. The hoof steps slowly moved from the table to the what I believed to be the kitchen ladder.

"I'm off to sleep. Keep an eye on the weather. Knowing this place, I bet the weather will only get worse before it clears up."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Good night Nikki, make sure you're comfortable."

I heard the wooden trap door open and close as I guessed the Light Master left the room, leaving me and Nicole alone in the room. I peaked a look out of my eyelids to see the new scene. Nicole had taken the same chair the Light Master was sitting in and was now looking up at the skylight above. I would guess she was staring at the stars if I hadn't known there was only a blanket of snow above her. As I stared at her, I felt my eyes getting heavier until they couldn't hold their own weight. They closed, leaving the real world behind.



I opened my eyes to a familiar dream I had just the night before. I found myself on warm clouds with a bright night sky above me. Each white puff ball squished together to form a long narrow platform. I poked my head over the side to see an endless sea below.

It looked to be a long way down before I would hit the water, not something I would like to jump into any time soon. 

Turning my head back to the cloud path, I noticed a golden gate shimmering in the moonlight. At the entrance stood a pure white alicorn in front of a wooden podium. Her white tail waved left to right as if to beckon me closer. Suddenly, the cloud I was standing on began to rise at an incline and the path in front of me began to do the same. Before I could grab onto something, I found myself sliding down and towards the entrance.

I hit the podium head first causing my hind legs to lift up. The feeling of pain swept through my body as my back collided with the podium as well. 

"Whoops, I didn't mean to have you slide that fast."

The mare giggled.

"Well at least you made it in one piece."

If she allowed me to simply walk over, I wouldn't be in great pain in the first place. I flipped my self over and got up on my hooves. The pain of standing was minor compared to the ordeal I just went through, but it was still agonizing pain.

"Ah, you're the pony from last night. The no name..."

I shook my head.

"Well I'm sorry, but if you don't have a name..."

I raised a right hoof to stop her. Although I wouldn't be able to tell her with my voice, I could write my name for her. Using the raised hoof, I began to write in the clouds my new name. As my hoof passed through the cloud, a trail of empty space followed.

"Omega."

The word sounded to have new meaning coming from her mouth.

"Omega.."

Yes, that's my name.

"Omega..."

It didn't make much sense for her to repeat the name over and over. I decided to reach out and shake a hoof in front of her, but before I could she had opened her book and began dragging her hoof down the page. She began muttering under her breath.

"I've never met a pony named Omega... It has to be somewhere... Uhhh..."

She turned back to me.

"I can't seem to see the name. Are you sure you have the right name?"

I paused before answering. Yes my name was Omega, but has it always been? I couldn't be sure.

I shook my head no.

"Well then, I need your real name. Can't get in pretending to be someone else now."

Her smile turned into a frown.

"Unless you don't know your name still."

I frowned now. I didn't know where I was or what was on the other side of the gate, but I wanted to know.

"I'm sorry."

Without warning, the cloud began to rise with the exception of the spot I was in.

"We just can't let you in."

Her podium and head began to disappear as all I could see was the bottom of her cloud. Eventually I lost sight as all I could see above me was the color white. Again, I failed to get past the gates of my dream. It was as if it was never meant to be.

I sat on that cloud for hours, stuck thinking what was the point of the dream. It was if I was a nobody stuck on the outside, doomed to never get inside. I may as well as just be a drop in the ocean.

As the thought popped into my head, the cloud began to evaporate from the edges. As I lost the ground beneath my hooves, I felt the cloud hold me from my belly. Even then, the cloud continued to shrink smaller and smaller until I slip and caught it at the edge of my hoof. 

I didn't literally want to be a drop in the ocean, it was just an expression. 

As the my hoof held on to the last few moments of existence of the cloud, I thought to myself. It's just a dream. I focused all my effort into my brainpower and though of the cloud staying the same size. As I did, the cloud stopped shrinking. 

Finally, something positive in this dream.

I imagined the cloud growing bigger and bigger. Instead, the cloud popped out of existence and I found myself falling into the ocean below.

Shit.

As I zoomed past the cloud layer, I collected my thoughts. I would wake up when I collided with the water or I would soon fin myself needing to hold my breath. Either way, belly first would probably be an unwise thing to do. I angled myself so my hind hooves would connect with the water first as the ocean quickly approached. Just before I hit the ground, I grabbed a breath of fresh air. Closing my eyes, I hoped for the best. 

Three... Two... One...

Nothing

No splash, no painful leg ache, nothing. I should have hit the water by now, but instead I felt still as if I was floating.

I opened my eyes to the ocean's horizon and  found myself floating about a foot away from the water. My body turned around and I found myself facing Princess Luna. The princess's body sparkled to the water dropping off her body. It was if she had rose from the water like a seductive water nymph.

"Hello again Omega."

I shook my head in disbelief. Princess Luba was here again, just in time to save me?

"Well to be honest, I was just watching your dream."

Wait, did she just...

"Well yes and no, I didn't read your mind, but your face tells it all."

Oh good, so she didn't know what I said about her.

"Well I do take it as a complement when you make googly eyes eyes at me."

Although I doubt it was noticeable, I could feel my cheeks blushing.

"I'm kidding, though you don't hide your feelings well."

I smiled, she was a kind and funny person for a princess. She waved her hoof and a bench made of a cloud appeared. I felt the magic let go of me as I fell onto the bench.

"So there's some good and bad news. The good news is that the amnesia is only temporary and can even be cured!"

The big smile disappeared and a more serious expression took its place.

"The bad news is that without a cure, it could take years. Even with the cure, there's no guarantee that it'll work let alone that you will gain all your memories."

With that, her serious expression faded away and returned to a smile.

"However, if you make your way to Canterlot, I would be willing to assist you in any way possible. As your new princess, it is my duty to make sure all my subjects are taken care of, no matter the problem!"

As she ended, the sun began to rise behind her. She turned her head and sighed. As if she was trying to ignore someone, she turned back to me.

"I would come to you, but there are matters keeping me at Canterlot. Sadly, being a princess is not an easy job."

The sun began coming closer and closer until it seemed only a hundred feet away. Princess Luna turned her head once more, this time nodding to the sun. She looked back to me.

"I'm sorry, it would seem my sister needs me now. Remember, come to Canterlot. I would like to meet you face to face rather than these... Nightmares."

She cringed at the word and shuddered.

"Until next time."

Turning her whole body around this time, she began to flap her wings and fly towards the sun. Eventually, all I could make out was a small blue dot against a yellow sun and then the two disappeared. I found myself stuck on a bench watching the moon set against the cloudy sky and then darkness.