//------------------------------// // F̸̧͡҉͘ ̕҉́a̴̡͟҉ ̶̴͏̷̀ḿ͠ ̨҉̸͟͞i̷͢͟ ͟͟l̶̀ ̵̀̕͠i̴̧ ̕͏a̵̢̕͜͢ ͏̴̴҉ŗ̨̀͜ ̶̷̢̀͞ì̷͢͠ ̶̧́͢t̛͢ ͟͟͠y̵̢̢͟ ̴͜҉̷̵ // Story: Knock. Knock. // by Arreis Of Avalon //------------------------------// The instant I wake up, I feel at peace. I do not know why, but I am at rest now. I stand and begin to walk. The dark rooms have no need for light. I simply walk through the house, reviewing what I know. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am… forgetting something. Possibly a lot. I want to know what I forgot, but it scares me. I have been here so long - can I ever go back? And who will lead me there? The Mare? The God? Myself? Or some 4th party that I have yet to meet? I have so much fear in me. I do not wish to learn what might happen. I want… I want, perhaps, to stay. But I know I cannot. I will lose my mind in this place, if I haven’t already. I cross upstairs, seeing drawings on the wall. I glance outside and stop in awe. The Mare in the Moon watches me from above. Stars surround her moon. They look… dim. 5 in all - 6? 4? It’s hard to remember. But I know she watches me. “Someone is staring at me from outside, constantly. What do they want? What? Is there something wrong with me?” There’s a lot wrong with me. I’ve been trapped in a never ending, looping hell for years now. Or has it been days? Perhaps it’s only been an hour. A second. It is impossible to tell time now. How many dawns have I lived in this false house? My hooves creak against the wood, but my ears hear the sharp click of my hooves against crystal tile. I am in many places at once. I want to know how I got here. I need to remember so much, I realize. How did I think I was ready to leave yet? I pass through many rooms, pausing again at a window. I peek outside - I see the Mare again, but the stars are closer to her. I squint at the ground. I am so high up… But there, in the darkness, I see figures shifting. “I can see you! Who are you?!” There is no response, but the familiarity of those shadowy figures make me want to scream. I should know them. Who are they? I walk through the clean house more. Who was cleaning here? Another S name hangs on my tongue. I shake my head. I can’t quite remember. I just keep walking and searching. I find a clock and begin to wind it. I watch the time go by. I hear the clock chime. It is four o’clock. The door beside me opens into the forest. I glance outside hesitantly. This forest… It reminds me of… of home. Ponyville! I gasp, eyes wide. Ponyville is the town I saw in the distance! This is the Everfree Forest! Or, well, a facsimile of it. It is a memory, warped into a prison. But oh, it is familiar and it is good. I remember traveling through the forest many times, beyond the times I sought out Luna. I remember flowers. Animals. A friend - there were things in the forest besides monsters! Z… Zecora! That had been her name! And Applebloom, yes, a little filly named Applebloom had been there too! And… And… My mind runs blank. I know there was more, but I can not grasp it… No matter. No matter, it is still long until dawn! I have time now to explore, to learn, to… to remember. I need to learn what had happened to this forest. To… To my memories. I head out, once more, into the brink. I walk through the dead trees sadly. They are screaming, silently. Was this what my mind had done to this place? Had I done this with my insanity? No. No, this was my enslavers doing. The God. He had imprisoned me. Trapped me here. I clutch for his name, but cannot remember. No matter. Long until dawn, long until I leave. I can remember by then. I wander the forest, using Luna’s light to guide me. She guides me straight to the monsters. I gasp as I see one and shield my eyes. They are not good for my sanity. I know this! But I hear them whisper… SURPRISE! Or shout. But that voice…. I knew that voice. I peeked through my hooves. The pony with a box on their head. They aren’t moving at all, looking the opposite way. They look… peaceful. I drop my hooves. I… am not scared. It does not see me, but I see it. My sanity only drops if I touch them, I realize… Isn’t this exciting? Are you excited? ’Cause I’m excited, I’ve never been so excited!! I laugh to myself, giggling a tiny bit. How… well, exciting! But I glance at the sky and realize I have limited time. Any moment now, the God will come back. He cannot see me outside. He will get mad, go mad, make this infinitely harder. I must be back soon. I nod to the pony and pass her by. She giggles as I pass. I continue to walk. I suppose I am just trying to find my way home; the Mare is in the moon, not the woods. I pass another monster, the straitjacket. I hear her clearly. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like making new friends! Sweet Apple Acres? But that was in Ponyville! That meant… I knew these voices long before I heard them in dark hallways in the dark corners of my mind. Why, I'd say you're already part of the family! Had these words been said to me? Why are these words so familiar? Had I heard them in my home? Why was it only now that I could remember? I… I had so many questions. I keep walking. More will come with time, and hopefully with answers. I hear Owlicious - yes, that is his name - in the trees, guiding me towards my home. It is so terribly far… There is a shade in the mist. Oops! I guess I overdid it! Um, uh, how about this? The voice is so hazy, yet I can remember the words clear as day. A mare’s voice. What’d I say? Ten. Seconds. Flat. I’d never leave Ponyville hanging! The shade passes and I nod. I had heard these words in Ponyville! These were… ponies I knew. I know these creatures. Was this what Luna had been trying to show me? I had to remember them before I could go back? I look up. The stars grew closer to the moon, slowly, but surely. Were they brighter? Who could tell? Not I, clearly. I hear a voice in the darkness, a giggling one. Invisible mare. Just a moment, please! I’m ‘in the zone’, at it’were! I smile despite myself, still walking. How… content, I suddenly feel. We are going to be the best of friends, you and I! I don’t doubt that. I spy a mare, covered in leaves, ahead of me in the path. I stop and wave hesitantly. O-Oh, m-my name is… O-Oh… Either she had never said her name, or I still could not remember. Either way, I could finally see my house in the distance. Luna had no visions for me anymore; I had remembered myself. Now, I had to remember them. The monsters. I nod goodbye to Leaf Pony and continue towards my house. Poor thing, you simply must get into bed… As I enter my house, I find I can not agree more. I see the world fade around me, dreading the next dream. I sleep.