//------------------------------// // Unchained Memories // Story: Macintosh of Arabia // by Crisis_Vyper //------------------------------// It seems that all possibilities of their past, present and future are all shown within the mirrors before them and it appears that for some reason with two of them in this trial together the possibilities have just gotten a little overwhelming. Overwhelming is an understatement, Vinyl said to herself. Not one to really think too much about anything, this particular situation is something that she is not comfortable with. She looked at the mirror closest to her and she could see the reflections of one of the events of her past. It is the event of her meeting Octavia for the first time, and she noticed that some of the mirrors are showing the same event. The one in the middle is showing the event as how she remembers it; an accident involving her accidentally tripping on a banana peel and falling into Octavia and her Cello in a disastrous manner. She is seeing the exact sequence of events that sparked their friendship, she noticed. Octavia is definitely angry with her, but then Vinyl started voicing out softly the exact exchange that made this event memorable as it plays on. "You! What the heck is with that you stupid pony?" Vinyl acted in an angry and prissy manner, and the actions of the Octavia within the mirror reflects that sentiment. "I don't know, you tell me and that banana peel.It just appeared out of nowhere." Vinyl said antagonistically, and both Vinyls shrugged. "Banana peel? Who the heck falls over a banana peel these days?!?" Vinyl said incredulously and pointing at the younger Vinyl within the mirror in exactly the same manner as the Octavia within the mirror. "Looks like it will be me, and I guess I am special that way. By the way, in case you wanted to know this special somepony, the name's Vinyl Scratch and I will be your cello's compensator. And you are?" Vinyl gives a cheeky smile in exactly the same manner as the younger Vinyl did in the mirror's reflection. "Are you serious? An introduction after you caused enough trouble. Well, I am Octavia if you must know and..." Just as Vinyl was about to finish the line, she noticed that the other similar reflections all have different reactions to the situation. Some are of the two ponies punching each other, while others looked too romantic for Vinyl to be comfortable with. It seems that each one of the reflections in the mirror showed what would have happened that day if she chose a different action. "Heya Fatie, so how do we know if we are 'pure of heart'? Did the legends said anything?" Vinyl asked the little filly in hopes of finding out a way to get out from this maddening labyrinth of mirrors. Somehow whatever that is showing around them are related to the truths that they need to seek. "I don't really know Vinny, this is actually my first time knowing them all, let alone experiencing them." Fatimah answered innocently. Great, Vinyl groaned, Just great. It seems that this will never end... It was then that she noticed something rather odd about the memories of how she first met Octavia. Each one of the mirrors then played their own different events and before long the mirrors started multiplying and spreading like a spider's web. Vinyl decided that perhaps she should go for it, and confirm her suspicions. "What's wrong Vinny?" "Well, I am going to try out something. Wish me luck." Vinyl walks up to the mirror that showed the original event of her friendship with Octavia and touches the mirror. Suddenly the mirror shatters, and before long the chain of possible futures started to crack and shatters away. It was then that her mind is flooded by the emotions of her own and also what appears to be Octavia's own memories of the situation. Vinyl finally understood why the event worked out the way it did; she had literally caught her best friend off-guard by being so audacious in her introduction that she could not have done anything else but to introduce herself. Vinyl smiled at herself, and am glad that things worked out the way it did. However those mirrors that are showing the events of the next stage of Vinyl's friendship with Octavia continued on playing with its alternate events. Vinyl looked on and finally understood the trial, and she looked at the filly and smiled at her. "What's going on Vinny? Why does it shatter that way?" Fatimah asked Vinyl, and wondering why she is smiling the way she did. "Fatie, it appears that we will have to part ways here. You need to find your memories in this sea of mirrors and deal with them. Touch them to acknowledge the memory. I will see you once we get through this." Before Fatimah could even stop the mare, she gallops away to the mirrors and the mare is swallowed up by countless mirrors. Vinyl is now walking around the maze of mirrors, each showing her a fragments of her past. However, the issue is less to do with the events as to the way in which the events flow. It was thanks to these mirrors that she found out that the visit to the farmer's market is due to her parents having decided that they will make their divorce as painless as possible to their little filly. The story of her father having to go to the South Pole for an extended period of research and leaving her mother and herself in Ponyville is a big lie, and she always wondered why her father did not manage to make it back to Ponyville for her mother's funeral. Even though she still speaks to her father and have good relations with him, but the fact of the matter is that somehow the lie that was concocted by her parents was never revealed to her. Even though she was lied to, but it is because of the lie that she did not hate both her parents at all. If she was informed of this matter early on, she would be quite a different pony today. As she sees the events in the mirror, she proceed to touch those events in the past that holds the truth and it shatters away to give way to other mirrors that slowly edges on to the present. As the chain of memories rushes forward, she can only move forward and break through it without hesitation. This is the way it should be, and as it edges towards the present, she will have to consider what will be the best way to go about the situation as if her suspicions are right, there will be a scene where things will not be as clear cut as her pass, and that is when she knows that she will be at a crossroads that will affect the future. She soon come face to face with an event that caused her no certain amount of alarm. It was the decision that caused her to be in this mess in the first place; the decision to make the trip to obtain the crystal for her musical instrument. It was then that she started to falter a little, for she knew that she could have chosen an easier option and instead go for a simple energy crystal. She looked upon the storm of possibilities from that simple choice, and seeing all the reflections she could see that there were many more simpler and calmer choices and also more painful and potentially lethal choices. She saw all the options, and one of the reflections actually touched her in a way she never know it could. She wanted to touch the other mirror with the most peaceful option and her hooves slowly hover to the mirror where she could see herself finding a nice stallion that she could settle down with due to her choosing to choose a crystal at the local music store. She had always wanted to be loved, and be taken care of like any other mare. As she edges closer and closer towards the mirror, a voice suddenly came into her mind and stopping her in her tracks. Yo, you dumb broad! That a whole pile of manure right there! The voice within Vinyl said. Vinyl recognizes it as her conscience, and it is quite rare for her to hear her conscience, as usually she is a mare of near unbridled id. Da buck?!? Why are you popping up now, Conscience?, Vinyl asked her conscience. It was then that somehow, if her conscience can materialize into a physical form, Vinyl could feel a shock as if she was slapped by her conscience. You better don't forget about all the other pals that are here with you, and you better not forget about the promise you made with Mom... You dare to do this, and I will do that again till you know what you're doing! You need to make to right choice, even if it is painful and something you do not want to face..., Conscience Vinyl said to Vinyl, sternly. Vinyl realized that despite the rare appearance of her conscience, but whenever it did, it always made sense of everything around her. The conscience is also right, that she got her friends that is now relying on her to do the right thing and she want to bring them all back home to Ponyville in one piece. No way is she taking the easy way out, she thought. She takes a deep breath and sigh, and she turns to the mirror reflection of her deciding that going to Saddle Arabia to get the best crystal and make the best rave concert. She closes her eyes, and lifting both of her forelegs up, she pushes into the mirror hard enough for it to break and shatter into countless pieces along with the possibilities that could have been. It was then that she heard the sound of hooves clopping each other. "So it appears that you know what transpire within this realm, Vinyl Scratch?" Vinyl turned around to see the bat-winged stallion floating around, using a file to file down his hooves. She did not stop, but instead turned around and went on walking without a care. "Ah, so the ass is back. Though you would be gone for good." Vinyl said venomously, not giving the guardian his due respects. Anput shrugs before floating down and lands on his hooves. As he walked beside the mare, he proceed to speak to her nonchalantly. "I can't be gone for good, for I am everywhere and nowhere at once. But just to let you know, I am only gone for a while to give your other friends a little challenge." Anput's words finally caught the attention of the mare, and she is now giving the stallion her undivided attention. "What do you mean by that?" Vinyl asked. The mare is definitely uneasy about the way in which the guardian phrases the sentence, and she worried that the worst had happened to Big Macintosh, Redheart and Amanar. ********************** It just means that they are now in a little bit of a situation, my dear... The fog-like mischievous voice devoid of any compassion caught the attention of Big Macintosh, Amanar and Redheart, especially when it is answering Redheart's questions. It seems that is around every since Redheart was muttering about the odd description of the third trial and also Vinyl's and Fatimah's situation. "You have a really bad habit of reading minds don't you?" Redheart asked the voice, her own voice matches her annoyed sentiment. People always said that about me, can't say I blame them..., The voice of Anput answered nonchalantly. "So, what'cha doing here, now that your body is out there, your voice is with us, and Celestia knows where your mind is?" Big Macintosh is visibly annoyed by this last of the guardians. Among all of them, Anput is less of a wise sage and more of a jerk than the other two. Whoever that said that he is wise must be poking at his smart-ass attitude. Well red stallion, you may think of me as whatever you want. But I am here to inform you that after these three trials, you will still need to provide proof to get into the inner sanctum. The ponies and the camel caught the word 'proof' from the disembodied voice, and immediately Big Macintosh is not liking this one bit. The voice chuckled, and continued on explaining itself. Without the Three Regalia of Asar, you will not be able to get what you seek. Well, it seems so far that your marefriend is in possession of one of the three regalia. I made it that whoever that needed to get the regalia would need to earn it, and so far that is what your friend and the heir is doing. Horakhty on the other hands...I do not know how he deems or passes the regalia to those he deems worthy though I am not even sure if it has been lost through the ages... Big Macintosh looked at the mare and the camel, and realized that they do not have any idea about the regalia as well. Their situation is now a little messier than before, and he wondered what the regalia are. He can see that Redheart and Amanar are now frantically searching for the clues for the regalia within the walls of the palace. Big Macintosh's inability to read Saddle Arabian serves to heighten the guilt within him, but at the same time this also allows him the time to think about the clues that the voice said to them. Big Macintosh is able to reason that three of the clues can be retrieved from the trials. This is because Redheart had received the first relic from Djehuty, while Anput had given the clue that the third trial will provide them with the other. the problem now is that neither Amanar or himself had gotten anything resembling a relic from the first trial. This only deepens the situation, and Big Macintosh could only wonder what on earth it could be. It also appears that the voice knows of their situation and started to chuckle at the situation. "Got it! The three relics are the The Star Jewel of Valor, the Moon Scepter of Benevolence, and the Sky Mirror of Wisdom!" Redheart shouted, and surprising everyone including Anput. Big Macintosh immediately rushed to the mare's side and saw several pictograms of the regalia. Despite its simplified picture, one of the items looked like the rod baton that Redheart now possess. The other two items however are a little less obvious. The first of the item appears to be an orb with a swirly Saddle Arabian wording in the center, while the second appears to look like a dinner plate. For reasons unknown, the orb's particular shape reminded him of something, or to be exact someone. It was then that Big Macintosh realized an unchained memories leading from this point to something from the not so distant past. "When the time comes, I want you to unseal this orb. All you need is to just tap the Mark of the Steward on the orb!'" Big Macintosh exclaimed and it was then his mind sparked and he reaches into his robes and immediately pulled out the jet black orb. Everyone else looked at the pony with incredulous surprise. "Big Mac, is that....Is that what I think it is?" Redheart asked the pony. Amanar took the black orb from the hooves of the red stallion and compared it to the pictogram before them. The Janissary used his elbow to clean the orb and soon enough Amanar could see what looked like a very faint inscription that matches the orb. "It is orb. But how?" Amanar is also perplexed by this turn of events. "So this is what you are talkin' 'bout that night..." Big Macintosh muttered under his breath, realizing that Sheikh Abu Hamza knew of this eventuality. The unchained memories of Abu Hamza flows into the minds of Big Macintosh of every interaction between him and the Sheikh. He wondered what else did the Sheikh planned for, it was then that he noticed that the voice of the third guardian is no longer mocking them, and the silence is a big relief to the red stallion. He can feel that the guardian's attempt to led them astray had not worked and instead backfired. Though it is not in his proper manners to do the next action, but given the situation Granny Smith would forgive him. "Well... how'd you like 'em apples?" Big Macintosh said with a smirk to Anput.