//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Memory Lost and Found // by BoredAuthor817 //------------------------------// Sunset laid curled-up on her bed, her tummy giving her grief. She knew she should have eaten more than just a few bites of fruit. Maybe, even taken some of that oatmeal. She growled as her stomach grumbled. Looking at the clock, she saw that she still had a few hours before lunch. She groaned and turned onto her side. This place was the worst. This castle was the worst. The princess, her student, her assistant; they were all the worst! She bit back her tears with a deep-throated rumble. “What did I ever do to you for you to leave me here?” She grit her teeth with a hiss. “'Friendship Studies', my rump! Slave labor is more like it! Whoever heard of doing menial chores to learn magic? You used to send me across Equestria to fulfill mythical quests! I've been tried by the tests of the mystics! Hardened by the fires of—” Grrrooowwwl Sunset hugged her tummy again and groaned. The pain was maddening. A meager breakfast; barely a dinner the night before. She could have sworn she had eaten lunch the day before, but her stomach seemed to say otherwise. “Come on, Sunset,” she moaned, “You're better than this. Just go downstairs, and get some food." 'Won't be that easy.' she told herself, 'Princess Twilight doesn't seem the fool type. You can't just walk into the kitchen without her suspecting something.' Her stomach called again. 'Well, we can't have starving either.' Sunset paused for a moment, weighing her options. 'Well,' she smiled, 'the dishes still need to be done, and they're in the kitchen. Nothing says I can't eat while I work. In-taking energy at the same rate it is being expelled? A very efficient system, if I do say so myself.' She hopped off her bed and trotted downstairs to the castle kitchen. She swung open the door to the kitchen and was about to pass through the jamb when something pushed her back. She stumbled for a moment before shaking off the feeling. A second attempt and, again, she was sent back. “What the...?” She tested her hoof against the opening. There was definitely something. Taking a few steps back, she took a running start towards the door. This time, she bounced and went flying backwards, landing on her tail. “Fine,” she grunted, “you want to be that way?” She pawed the floor with her hoof and let out a snort. Summoning her magic, she blasted a beam towards the doorway. Much to her surprise, the beam came back at her, struck her squarely in the chest, and sent her tumbling further down the hall. She laid there for a moment, recovering from having the wind knocked out of her. Regaining herself, she jumped to her feet with a snarl. Her head lowered and ears folded back; her tail flicked in agitation. She set her eyes on the doorway and prepared another volley of magic to combat it. “I wouldn't do that” a voice came from behind her, “The field returns as much force as you exert upon it.” “Huh?” Sunset quickly uncharged her horn and turned to see Starlight Glimmer standing in the hallway. “How long have you been there?” she glowered. “Long enough to see that your next attack would get you seriously hurt.” “Well, thank-you” Sunset grumbled, “But I'm perfectly capable of defending myself against magic attacks, thank-you very much.” “Yes,” Starlight smirked, “you seemed to have done so well at avoiding that last one.” “I was caught off-guard!” “And, yet, that's when it counts the most.” “Whatever,” Sunset stood up straight and assumed a dominative stance. She flipped her mane, “I'm not here to study the fighting arts. I'm here to learn about Friendship, remember? Anyway, what kind of friendship castle denies its friends food?” “Hungry?” Starlight raised an eyebrow. “What? No!” She tried to suppress the sounds of her stomach. “Okay,” she admitted, “maybe just a little.” “Well, you're just gonna have to wait” said Starlight, simply, “No food for you 'till lunch. Princess Twilight's orders.” “What about my chores?” Sunset cried, hoping logic would win over the conversation. “How does the princess expect me to do my chores, if I can't get into the room to do them!” “Your chores are more than just washing the dishes. Besides, there's only the four of us. Not that many dishes. You can do them all tonight after dinner.” Sunset's stomach growled once again. “Starlight Glimmer, please!” she pleaded, “Just a little something to tide me over?” Starlight's ear turned with irritation. “Now, that wouldn't really teach you anything, would it?” “N-no...” “At last, we reach an understanding. There are still a little over three hours hours before lunch time. Why don't you go see to your other chores? They'll help take your mind off food. I'll call you for lunch.” She turned to return to her other duties. Sunset let out a sigh. “Okay...” Her ears perked back up. “Where's Princess Twilight, anyway?” “She and Spike went to Canterlot for the day” Starlight called back, “They'll be back in time for dinner.” “Great,” Sunset grumbled, “everyone gets to go to Canterlot except for me.” --- “I don't believe it!” Twilight cried, slamming shut another book, “This can't just be it!” Spike looked around at the other shelves in the Canterlot Library of Magic's restricted section. “Sorry, Twilight,” he said, “we've gone through everything.” “We couldn't have! This place is huge!” “It's not that big.” Princess Twilight let out a groan and banged her head on the table. It seemed to have worked last time, maybe it will again. She waited, listening for the sound of something falling, possibly breaking. Nothing. She released another groan. “Cheer up, Twilight,” Spike smiled, placing a gentle claw on Twilight's shoulder, “at least we organized the place. Everything neatly arranged by subject, era, auth—” “It's no use, Spike” Twilight said, sadly, “Nothing in this library is of any use if I can't use it to help give Sunset Shimmer her memories back.” She rested her head on the stack of books before her. “It's hopeless.” “Hey!” the little drake cried, “Nothing is hopeless. You've proven that time and time again!” “Spike, I'm dealing with something far beyond my knowledge!” He gave a shrug. “Never stopped you before.” Twilight let out a sigh. “Look,” Spike's shoulders fell, “if it were reversed. If you were the one who lost your memories, do you think Sunset would have given up on you?” Twilight gave her assistant and half-glance. Spike read the silent speech and continued “Of course not! She's already done it for six friends—maybe more, we're not sure quite how many Wallflower affected—what's to stop her from doing it for the one?” “Your number one assistant has a point.” Twilight's ears perked as Princess Celestia entered the small library. She raised her head to see her mentor and her sister by her side. “Sunset Shimmer risked everything to see that what was stolen was restored. Even, sacrificing her own memories to keep the damage from spreading further. We owe it to her now to help her regain what she has lost.” Twilight's ears flopped. She turned back to her books, suddenly feeling her yoke triple in weight. She felt somepony move behind her, but she couldn't fine the strength to move. “I know it's hard,” she felt a gentle nuzzle, “but I have faith in you.” Twilight craned her head slightly to see Celestia smiling down at her. That look, alone, gave her the new courage and strength she needed. She took in a deep breath and moved to face the Night Princess. “Did you gather anything from her dreams?” Princess Luna shook her head. “Nothing discernible. I'm afraid her subconscious is a jumbled mess.” “Hmm...” Twilight rubbed her chin, “She did mention something this morning about having weird dreams.” “Indeed. I believe it's her mind adjusting to the sudden lack of memories.” “I'm sure it's having a heck of a time making sense of all this.” “Have you gotten anything more from the paper that was buried with the stone?” Celestia asked. Twilight pulled out the ancient scroll. “Not much. I've translated it. They're just basic instructions. Point, take memory, repeat.” “You believe there is a hidden message to the scroll?” asked Luna. “There certainly is something. What, I can't tell. One thing for sure: this pony did not know how to spell.” She turned to her mentor, “I'd like to bring Sunburst and Moondancer in on this, if you'll let me. Both of them are fluent in Old Ponish and enjoy a good puzzle.” “Three heads are better than just one” Celestia nodded, “But, be sure to tell them that this is a most secret project. The Memory Stone has been buried away from the Equestrian conscious for over a thousand years. I would prefer to keep it that way.” The younger sister nodded in agreement. “Some things like that are better left forgotten.” --- Starlight released an exasperated sigh. “Sunset!” she called out. “Yeah?” a voice came from down the hall. Starlight turned to view the younger unicorn. “What is this?” She pointed into an open room. “Uhm...” Sunset pretended to think, “A clean bathroom?” Though, it was quickly evident that that was the wrong answer. “You call this clean?” “Cleaner?” “Sunset,” Starlight buffed the underside of the sink with a rag, “there is still soap film everywhere! Did you even wipe anything down?” “Look!” Sunset snapped, “It's not my fault a cleaning spell won't work on this place! I had to go in, and scrub everything by hoof!” Starlight fought the instinct to match her voice to Sunset's. “That's the whole point.” “Are you kidding me?” Sunset yelled, “What's the point of me being here to learn about magic, if I can't use magic?” “Your chores are not about the use of magic, or spells. They're meant to build character. To occupy your body while your mind is free to think and contemplate.” “Yeah,” Sunset grumbled beneath her breath, “to think and contemplate about how much this sucks.” Starlight's ear made an irritated turn. “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.” “Well, you should!” Sunset retorted, “Because this blows to high Tartarus!” “That's enough!” Starlight's voice was low and even, but still exerted force. It startled Sunset. Starlight made a quick count to ten, and let out a slow breath. “Now,” she said, in a softer tone, “I'll get you more cleaning supplies, and you'll get this bathroom cleaned right.” “No spells?” Starlight shook her head. “No spells. Not quite how things are done around here.” “Well,” Sunset sneered, “I'm sorry we all can't lower ourselves to your level. Must be hard, being under the roof with two more powerful beings. Even the baby dragon seems to have more prowess than you.” Starlight fought to maintain her composure as she materialized the cleaning supplies. “Just clean the bathroom.” Sunset let out a low growl as Starlight walked off. “Whatever, peon. I'll show you how a true student of a princess does magic. A cleaning spell may not work on the room, but, an animate spell will work on these brushes.” She let out a slight chuckle in her own brilliance. “Once I assign them a task, I can sit back and let them do all the dirty work. Ah, this is nothing compared to crickets.” She took a moment to focus. Channeling a portion of one's own magic into inanimate objects was not only a bit tricky, but could also prove a bit taxing on the user. Sunset readied herself and slowly began the transfer. Soon, the cleaning brushes and rags went from laying upon the floor to standing on end at full attention. “Well,” Sunset smirked, “that's a promising start. Now, to give orders.” She reached deeper into her mana reserves, summoning it to the surface. A fire burned in her chest, and a smile crossed her lips. She loved this part. She felt the heat flow through her whole body. She breathed deeply. This is what it felt like to be alive! “NOW LISTEN, YOU TOILERS OF GRIME!” her voice boomed, “HEED MY VOICE: GO, AND DO MY BIDDING!” The ritual complete, Sunset released the items from her magical grasp and stumbled back slightly. The use of such magic had exhausted her slightly, but she'd experienced much worse. Yet, her sense of accomplishment was soon dashed as she heard the sound of wood clacking on the polished floor. She looked over to see the brushes and rags lying in a heap. With a frown, she went into investigate. Kneeling down, she poked and prodded the pile with her hoof. “W-what the?” A small cloud of magic smoke suddenly appeared and, from it, dropped a scroll. Angered and intrigued, Sunset took the paper in her magic and opened it. Inside, was a single line: That's not going to work either. A roar reverberated through the castle. “OH, COME-ON!” --- Sunset grumbled as she walked away from the bathroom. Two hours she spent on it. It had better be clean. Starlight peered in and gave the room a thorough inspection. “Very good” she smiled approvingly, “Now just four more to go.” Sunset muttered something under her breath. “Oh, come now,” the other tried to lighten the mood, “It wasn't that bad, was it?” “Yes.” “Look, why don't you take a break. Lunch is set up in the kitchen. You'll feel better once you get some food in you.” “I hope it's not your cooking.” Starlight let out an exhausted sigh as she watched Sunset go downstairs. “This is going to be a long day.” --- Thankfully, for both parties involved, the afternoon progressed faster than the morning. Sunset had resigned herself to her chores--if for only it meant something for her to do and maximized her opportunities to antagonize Starlight. Just when Starlight felt she was in the verge of destruction, the kinds not seen since the time she bottled up her emotions, a sound came that was music to her ears. “Starlight! Sunset! We're home!” Twilight's voice echoed throughout the castle halls. “Not a moment too soon” smiled Spike, taking a whiff of the aroma coming from the kitchen. “Dinner's almost ready!” “Well, at least someone likes my cooking” Starlight's ears flicked. “Oh, please,” Sunset glared “He's a dragon! His kind eats freaking rocks! You could cook it till it's a fossil and he would still eat it.” “Not true” Spike retorted. “Anyway,” Starlight continued, “dinner will be ready in half an hour and somepony” she turned to Sunset, “still has some chores to do.” Sunset rolled her eyes with a huff and set back to lugging a large garbage bag to the back of the castle for the garbagepony. “So,” Twilight smiled hesitantly, “how did it go?” “Remind me never to have foals.” “That bad?” “Let's just say, she needs work. Honestly, though? This whole situation is just plain weird. Why don't we just tell Sunset the truth?" Twilight sighed. "Believe me, Starlight, I'd love to. But, Princess Celestia--" "What about Princess Celestia?" Starlight suppressed a shout, "This is our friend we're talking about!" "This is not Sunset Shimmer!" Both Starlight and Spike were taken aback. Starlight's eyes narrowed. "You can't honestly believe that!" Twilight's ears dropped. "I don't know. All I do know is Sunset is not the Sunset we know. And, right now, Celestia is the only pony who knows Sunset best. Until I have reason to do so otherwise, I will trust her judgement in this matter." She let out a sigh. "And, I hope, you can do the same." Spike crossed his arms in silent protest while Starlight released a growl. "Alright, I'll do it. But, I won't like it." She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself. "So, you two come up with anything?” Twilight shook her head. “We've searched the whole library. What Sunset and I found the other day appears to be it.” “There were some other references to the Memory Stone is other legends,” offered Spike, “But, they were mainly folklore.” Starlight sounded hopeful. “Folklore can hold some truth” “Yeah,” Twilight's gaze fell, “but they all eventually tied back to the same story of Clover the Clever.” “So, we're back to square one...?” “Not exactly. We still have the paper that was buried with the stone. Princess Celestia has agreed to let me pull in some help to find the hidden message.” “That sounds great!” smiled Starlight. “I'm glad you agree.” She levitated a scroll to her student. “I was hoping you could deliver this. It's a copy of the Memory Stone Scroll.” “Okay” Starlight raised an eyebrow, taking the scroll in her magic, “Who do you want me to give it to?” “Sunburst.” Starlight stopped. “What?” “You two are planning on getting together the day after tomorrow, are you not?” “We were planning. I told him I had to cancel because of an emergency.” “Well, that's even better!” the princess beamed, “See if you can reschedule because of an emergency for tomorrow.” Starlight blinked. “Are... are you sure?” “After today,” Twilight smiled, fixing an out-of-place lock of Starlight's mane, “you look like you could use a break. Go, have some fun. I'll take care of Sunset.” “You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.” “I've dealt with Sunset Shimmer, bully of Canterlot High.” Twilight shivered, remembering those three, long days, “I have some idea.”