Retrograde amnesia is temporary or permanent loss of memory.
Anterograde amnesia is the temporary or permanent loss of the ability to form memories.
Twilight Sparkle now suffers from the latter of the two. Yet nevertheless, her saddlebag continues to increase in weight, filling up with scribbled-down postulations, warnings of the most unsavory kind, trinkets resplendent with lost meaning, and notes detailing a morning that she will never remember. Does she have the ability unveil the truth with evidence and a steel-trap mind in spite of a severe head injury?
If you wish to avoid spoilers and solve the mystery without the assistance of another, I would recommend you avoid the comments section. I would appreciate it if people left untagged spoilers out of the comment section, but since I know that I cannot enforce that, it's better to assume that every single comment is a spoiler.
So far this is pretty good!
Aw, but discussing spoilery things in the comments section is half the fun of these things! Are you okay with that sort of conversation if we put them in [spoiler] tags, like this example?
As to non-spoilery business: It's pretty much impossible to write an anterograde amnesia story without being compared to Memento. So it's pleasant to see you're not reusing its gimmick here. That does present a challenge: walking the fine line of the audience knowing more than your character does in a way that Twilight's in-the-moment reactions still feel natural. The central mystery (at least I assume that's the central mystery based on what we've seen so far — the trip to Canterlot. Or maybe it's building slowly to an even bigger one?) will be key to that.
I feel like, even four chapters in, I'm not sure there's enough yet to judge the overall story arc — which suggests (along with the teaser in your blog) that you're planning this out as a much longer piece. We'll see where it goes!
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You can discuss spoilery things with spoiler tags. However, once again, I cannot enforce spoiler tags or zero spoilers. Thus, those keen to not being spoiled should not grace the comments section.
I've never even heard of Memento. Damn, I thought nobody had done anterograde amnesia before. The whole reason this idea even existed was "Wow, retrograde amnesia is played as a plothook so often, I doubt that anybody will expect anterograde amnesia!" I'll check it out, though, just to make sure that I'm not wholesale copying anything without knowledge :\
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Memento is a film, directed by Christopher Nolan. I don't personally recall ever having read a fan fiction that dealt with Anterograde Amnesia. I look forward to hearing more!
Peace,
C
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Ah-hah! So I am original!
*does a dance of triumph*
4628679 TV Tropes brings up:
50 First Dates
ef - a tale of memories
One Week Friends
Finding Nemo
Rumbling Hearts
Fate/Stay Night
it's a pretty popular gimmick.
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Silence, puny mortal. If I hadn't heard of it used before, it has not yet been used, by the logical law of "Screw You, I Make The Rules."
I really enjoy your portrayal of Twilight. Her train of thought feels very much like what I would expect of her, and the slight exasperation in her notes to herself chiding her for procrastination were SO Twilight that I could see it happening in the show, though it would be a bit dark in this context.
Eagerly awaiting more!
Peace,
C
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Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad that at least someone is enjoying this trainwreck.
Yet not asking for Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy... limit to telegram length? I'd ask for them before Rarity. At least the latter has some medical experience, and at least the former is unlikely to freak out in a stressful situation. Dash can get there faster, but she was with Twilight when the incident happened so she might not even be reachable
or alive, plus she's kind of atotal douchebagflake.5173490
Yeah, but on the flipside of that, Fluttershy lives a significant distance from the train station nor will she consistently be in any individual location (she could be out in the Everfree), and Pinkie Pie isn't exactly the sort of pony who you want watching over an amnesiac. Her tendency to the sporadic is going to immensely repel Twilight in her current situation. Furthermore, Pinkie and Fluttershy have jobs that are non-flexible. If Fluttershy is out of town and an animal gets hurt or there's another problem with the wildlife, it has the potential to escalate. Pinkie works to some capacity in a bakery that's owned the parents of two twins—it could be a big setback for the Cakes if Pinkie had to leave on the spot.
On the other hand, Applejack has flexible hours (tasks at the farm can be put off, and if they can't, then her family can compensate), Rarity had planned to spend a good deal of the day with Twilight anyways, and there are dozens of weather ponies and Dash already does her job exceptionally and very quickly.
Twilight picked out the friends she wanted Bigs to look for primarily on their availability and importance to Ponyville, rather than by their competence.
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So, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy didn't conspire to murder Twilight Sparkle so they could be best pony again?
SCREAMS
THIS IS SO INTERESTING, I REALLY LIKE IT!
i'm getting that 'reading an awesome fanfic and then finding out its not finished but its SO GOOD' vibe.
I HOPE YOU CONTINUE THIS!
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I've been a bit busy as of late, and I've also been banging my head against another project, but I'm still planning on finishing Anterograde.
I'm super digging this story btw :)
Twilight, you're Twilight. If you were using a hoof to grab a quill it should have been a clue that maybe magic was off the table.
It was Rainbow Dash, in the library, with the candlestick.
Who died and made you the back alley janitor dude?
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/43/8a/ed438aca2ad8cc556757a8efc85b118f.jpg
Isn't there a hospital in ponyville?
After an explanation of the situation, the friend in question assured us that Twilight would not leave her sight, and magic would be strictly prohibited
Damnit friend!
motivateusnot.com/resize.php?name=LzM3OC9Zb3UtaGFkLW9uZS1qb2ItT2J2aW91c2x5LXlvdS1jb3VsZG4ndC1oYW5kbGUtaXQtNTM1MGM1ZjNhYWE4Yi5qcGc=&w=550&h=9999&extension=.jpg
so I stowed the br—
Twilight, Twilight, Twilight.
Also Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are apparently not Twilights friends lol.
while the latter is the pony who was nearest to the scene of the crime, as it were.
Remember Twilight, that was one of your friends.
It was Rainbow Dash, in the library, with the candlestick.
Just caught up! Now is waiting time, I suppose.
Very intriguing mystery. I really hope that you return to write it!
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They're in Canterlot.
And she still has to GET there.