//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: My Little Amnesia // by donceluzza //------------------------------// ---------- I went down to the gardens to visit Fluttershy today, she’s become more of a recluse, hiding in the bushels and having the animals patrolling for her. Perhaps I can do something about this, then again it may be more interesting to simply allow her to continue, goodness knows how much data on her psychosis would come up if she were allowed to run wild! Report from the diary of Warden Twilight Sparkle ---------- I stared blankly at the yellow Pegasus, stepping back as she approached a knife wedged in her mouth. “COME HERE!” she screeched, lunging. I managed to sidestep her and without thinking chopped at her neck with my right forehoof. How did I know how to do that? I can’t remember taking any self-defense lessons but clearly I know what I’m doing to a certain degree. No time to think. Fluttershy lunged at me again, this time the knife connected with my flesh scratching at my back. I winced at the pain but to turn around and use my back hooves to knock her in the face. The knife flew from her mouth and landed in a bushel off to the right. A large black bruise appeared on her cheek blood and spittle dribbled from her mouth. She growled at me. Three small animals lurched out from the bushels to help their mistress. Taking my cue, I started to run in the opposite direction, wincing as low hanging branches scratched at my flank and my wound. I ran as far to the other side of the gardens as was possible, my breath coming out in heaves as I slumped to the ground, tired. I realized that I had run without paying too much attention to where I was heading, thus negating the usefulness of the map I had acquired. One step forward at a time, I guess. I walked further out, but tensed as soon as I saw the birds hovering in the skies above. Most likely they were looking for me on Fluttershy’s orders, and to find the one who had killed their friend. Come to think of it, I had basically forgotten that even happened. I killed a living creature, but the thought never really occurred until now. Well. I suppose running for my life from a crazy lunatic cannibal and her host of animal subordinates kind of trumps the experience of murdering a small woodland creature. I scooted off to the side so as to avoid any further contact with the birds and, Celestia willing, Fluttershy. As I kept moving forward I took the map from the saddlebag and tried to figure out where I was, and where the nearest exit would be located. I scanned the map occasionally looking up for any signs of local statues or hedges that she could use to pinpoint her position. I quickly realized there was really only one major landmark I could reliably pinpoint, the statues in the middle of the Garden, where Fluttershy had attacked me. I can’t believe how stupid I’m acting; I’m actually heading backwards towards the crazy cannibal lady. But it is the only way I’ll get a fix on where I really am, and the only way I can find an exit to this place. Hopefully the other areas of the asylum don’t contain nearly as many loons, or at least the loons are kept under better lock and key. I finally made my way back. I poke my head around a bushel to look into the plaza where the statues are. The small white bunny from before (Angel, was it?) is patrolling the area. Alright. I can probably take a tiny bunny in a fight. I look over the map and try and find my exit route. Northeast, west at next turn, north for two junctions, right, and then left and I should be at one of the exits. I go over the list of directions in my head repeatedly, memorizing the directional list so I know exactly how to get to this exit. Somehow I doubt that Fluttershy will let me take out my map so I can figure out which left I’m supposed to take. I breathe in and slowly exhale, I charge into the plaza. The bunny notices me almost immediately. It tries to squeal to friends, presumably hiding in the bushes as I jump him. I pound away at the creature my hooves lifting up and smashing down onto the bunny. After a few seconds I lift my bloodied hooves away the creature known as Angel lay there, smashed and battered. Her favorite pet smashed to pieces, I start running towards the pathway out, only to find a few logs blocking my path. Damn, if I had tried stealth I probably would have noticed that and could have gone for a different direction. I use my magic to lift the logs as best I can, the fact I haven’t been using my magic a lot hindering my progress slightly. “ANGEL!” A screech behind signals that Fluttershy has indeed arrived and my time is running shorter and shorter. “ANGELLLLL!” Another scream. I finish moving the logs and run as fast as hooves will allow. “YOOOOOU!” she screams, as she chases me down. I pull westerly and keep moving. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Being an idiot, I look back. Fluttershy looks even more bloodthirsty than before. She’s carrying the bloodied corpse of the rabbit on her back; its blood and brain matter staining her coat. Her eyes don’t blink, simply staring forward with a dangerous glint. She was going to kill me. She was going to enjoy every scream and every second of the kill. Another junction comes up but I stay north, several small creatures are now trailing behind her and some split off to the west and east directions, hoping to get ahead and slow me down no doubt. Another junction, stay north. Again I look back at my possible future assailant the bloodlust in her eyes continues to swell, her wings are locked upwards almost holding the corpse of her dead friend onto her back. At the next junction I book right, I slide a little quickly attempting to regain balance and move forward. Unfortunately Fluttershy also round the corner but much more gracefully, the body of Angel tumbles off of her back as she uses her wings to keep balance as she rounds the next corner. Damn, damn, damn. I almost forgot she could fly. The next and final junction is slowly approaching if I have to round that in my current condition she’ll probably catch up to me, I scan for anything I can use, two small rocks are lying on the ground near the junction, my horn lights up and flows with magic as I pick up the first of the two rocks, I turn and stop sliding to face Fluttershy as I launch the small rock towards her, she doesn’t react in time and the rock collides with face, her muzzle bends and begins to bleed heavily. “ARGH!” She screams in pain. My cue to bolt. I run through the corner and finally make it to the exit door; I push through the doors and look around. I see a small plank which I levitate using my magic and wedge between the two handles of the doors locking it in place as I slump down. “YOU BITCH!” I hear from behind the door. “I”LL KILL YOU!” She continues to scream, not that it matters much. I lay there, a collapsed heap near the door, barely moving, barely alive. My breathing is heavy. I try to use my magic to lift something nearby but to no avail. I’m too exhausted to use my magic. Well now, I really hope there isn’t someone crazy waiting for me in this place or I am screwed. I lift my head up to see where I am and it appears to just be a normal corridor I start walking forward having now at least caught my breath. I keep moving until I see a small TV on the wall and a button on the side. I push the button and the TV turns on revealing a familiar purple unicorn. “Hello, my friend” Twilight spoke through the TV. “The place you are in now is called Cloud Corridor, a favorite of my Pegasus inmates. Well. Most of them anyway.” I gritted my teeth. Yeah. Sure. Laugh up the people who have died at that crazed Pegasus’s hands. “Here we would keep the Pegasus’s wings locked through a small harness but if the orderlies were there they would be allowed a specific amount of flying time to simulate the outside world. However there is one that…” The TV turned off suddenly and the hallway went dark. I stepped back and used my magic to light the room. I saw a blue Pegasus staring back at me. I jumped back quietly, my breath caught in my throat as she just stared this way not saying anything. “Where are you?” the Pegasus asks. Can’t she see me? “WHERE ARE YOU?!”, she yells, moving forward. As she moves forward I can see that where her eyes should be are a burned husk. She doesn’t have any eyes; her wings are also locked in the harness that Twilight talked about. “Let me see you…” she whispered, “LET ME SEE YOU!” Out of the frying pan, and into another frying pan.