//------------------------------// // A Trip Down Memory Lane // Story: The Ties that Bind // by the7Saviors //------------------------------// Empty, but not completely so. Just from a glance, Frigid Gale could tell the old stallion had packed up and left. There were still a few things here and there—things too heavy, too bothersome, or just not important enough to take. Aside from that however, the main room was mostly barren, bereft of any of the old knick-knacks Frigid Gale remembered seeing as a filly. This, at least, told Gale that he'd been in a hurry and most likely hadn't had the luxury of taking everything with him. So this is the dwelling of the old one, is it? How... quaint. "Yep, real cozy, ain't it?" Gale muttered absently as she scanned the room, "when Ancient Scroll built this place, he built it for comfort." Her eyes landed on the fireplace at the back of the room, now devoid of anything save for a pile of ashes on the hearth. She continued to stand there near the doorway, oddly transfixed by the sight. Nightmare called to her from within her mind, but Gale didn't hear her, suddenly lost in her own thoughts as she was. She ignored the alicorn's voice as her mind went back unbidden—so suddenly and completely lost in the past that she could practically see the small thestral sitting in front of that fireplace. She could smell the burning wood, hear the crackling fire, and feel the warmth that fire radiated. Nightmare's voice was so very far away, more a distant memory than the actual memory she was reliving at this very moment. "Welcome home, little filly..." Those words made Frigid Gale want to punch the stallion in his smiling muzzle, but she didn't. After all, it wasn't his fault, it was merely ignorance. He didn't know what had happened to the lost little filly, and if Frigid Gale had her way, he would never know. This wasn't her home. Her home was back in the forest, her home was where her family and the other thestrals were... her home was probably nothing but ashes now. She may have escaped, and her village may have been wiped out, but she refused to call anywhere else home, not while she had the memory of her real home. Things would never be the same, but at the very least she now had a roof over her head, food to eat, and a bed to sleep in. She also apparently had a warm fireplace to sit in front of, and she proceeded to do just that. It hadn't been terribly cold outside, but it had rained that afternoon, and the fireplace, which had already been lit, was just what she needed against her wet fur. "I get that you're happy to be someplace warm, little filly," came Ancient Scroll's voice from somewhere behind Frigid Gale, "but don't you think a nice hot shower might be a better idea? It'll warm you up just as well and give you a chance to get some of that grime off you." Frigid Gale ignored the stallion in favor of the fire in front of her. She sat there, fur dripping dirty, grimy water onto the wooden floor, and eyes fixated on the crackling flames. It wasn't long before she began to hear the screams and cries of her kin as that mare burned them to death. Her hard eyes turned somewhat glassy as images of burning cottages and huts flitted through her mind, though she held her grim frown. Rather than try to push the memories back, she let them wash over her in waves. She'd been through this song and dance before, and was long since used to it by now. She'd found it impossible to drown out the memories, so instead she let them fuel her hatred for the one responsible. It was far easier that way. Are you quite finished? Like a splash of ice cold water, Nightmare Moon's voice shocked Frigid Gale out of her sudden reminiscence. She blinked a few times and looked around to see she'd been standing in the same exact spot for who knows how long. Frigid Gale narrowed her eyes slightly. "Nightmare?" she asked slowly, once more scanning the room with wary eyes, "how long was I out?" Not too long. Maybe fifteen minutes or so. Gale grimaced at the somewhat flippant tone in Nightmare's voice, but more than that, she grimaced at just how much time she'd wasted getting caught up in old memories. It couldn't have been that long, could it? It certainly hadn't felt that long, and Frigid Gale found herself suddenly and oddly hesitant to continue forward lest something like that happen again. Getting lost in the past wasn't what she'd come here to do. She had something much more important to worry about, and it very much involved both the present, and the future. "Y'know what? Forget it," Frigid Gale sighed as she began slowly making her way around the main room, "let's just finish this so we can leave already. It's obvious Ancient Scroll packed up and moved on so that right there almost confirms my suspicions as it is." Circumstantial evidence does not a case make, Frigid Gale. If we're going to find the old stallion, we need more to go off of, like maybe some sort of clue as to where he was actually headed, even if it isn't his final destination. "I know," Frigid Gale grumbled as she hobbled about the room searching every remaining nook and cranny, "what I'm looking for is anything that might give me a clue as to whether anyone else was here or not. It might've been a long time since I've been here, but aside from being a lot emptier than it was before, nothing much has changed, so anything like that should be easy to spot." Nightmare responded with nothing more than a noncommittal hum and fell silent as Frigid Gale searched. The still weakened thestral gave up the search a half hour or so later, convinced there was nothing left in the main room that would give her what she needed. She had also checked the kitchen and bathroom, but those had been even more barren than the main room. With an annoyed grunt at having wasted her time, she began making her way towards the bedroom. You know, this 'Ancient Scroll' strikes me as a clever stallion. If he suspected somepony were after him, I'd think he'd cover his tracks rather thoroughly, wouldn't you? You are the one who lived with him after all. "Shut it, Nightmare," Frigid Gale replied tiredly as she pushed the already slightly ajar bedroom door open further, "yeah, the old bastard was clever, but he was also absent-minded sometimes," she stumbled slightly into the room and shook her head before frowning, "Moon above, I am so sick of this! I swear, when I get my hooves on that... that..." She stopped as her eyes fell on the large bed at the far end of the room. There had actually been quite a bit left behind in the bedroom, but Frigid Gale didn't have the chance to comment or investigate, focused as she was on that single bed... ...and the small sobbing thestral filly curled up into a tight ball atop it. Frigid Gale? Frigid Gale are you... It was too late. Gale's body stiffened and her jaw tightened as she continued to stare. Nighmare Moon's voice was further and further drowned out by the hiccups and sniffles of the filly crying into the soft blanket on the bed. I thought I was over this already! Frigid Gale could only count her blessings that Ancient Scroll wasn't here to see her like this. The stallion had left—held up in Faranda Way for the last two days by some snooty Canterlotian noble who had insisted on the cartographer being his personal mapmaker for a trip he'd planned on taking out of the country. Work had dried up, and Ancient Scroll had been low on bits that month. The noble had offered to pay a hefty sum for his services, so in the end, the old stallion agreed to do the work. This would've been fine, except the snob wanted to make sure Ancient Scroll did the job properly, so he put him up in a temporary place in town. Ancient Scroll had offered to take Frigid Gale, but she outright refused, so the stallion had taken up his supplies and resources and went on his way. Now Frigid Gale found herself alone. While that normally wasn't a problem, tonight she'd had another one of those nightmares—the one where she didn't get away. It had happened before, but for whatever reason this nightmare had played out in stunning clarity. The poor filly had woken up shocked, horrified and alone. She'd woken up screaming for her father, only to find no one there. The room was silent, the cottage was silent, her world was silent. The tears had come suddenly and unexpectedly, and try as she might, she couldn't hold them back, much to her own frustration. It wasn't as though she hadn't dealt with these problems before. It wasn't even like she'd been alone in these circumstances before, so why start with the hysterics now? It made her feel sick, it made her feel helpless, and most importantly, it made her feel weak. More than anything else, Frigid Gale did not want to be weak. It was the entire reason why she had asked Ancient Scroll to teach her magic. It was something he was reluctant to do... at least, until he saw what she'd already been capable of. It wasn't fair. All that study and practice, all the late hours, mental strain, and grim determination, only to break down because of some stupid nightmare she'd had several times before. It was mortifying and she hated herself for it. So caught up in her own sorrow and self-disgust was the filly, that she didn't even notice as Ancient Scroll quietly entered the room. The steady clop of hooves on hardwood flooring never reached her distracted ears, and it wasn't until she felt the bed give slightly that she looked up. There was Ancient Scroll, sitting beside her and giving her that warm, understanding, pitying smile she'd come to hate. For a moment he didn't say a word, and the two merely stared at each other—the teary, ice blue eyes of a predator staring into the concerned and caring jade green eyes of a worried parent, then... "Didn't mean to take so long coming back, little filly," Ancient Scroll said quietly, his smile turning apologetic, "but I'm here now, and if there's something you need to get off your chest, I'm all ears." The filly stared at him for a moment longer, trying to muster up any anger at being talked down to like she was some kind of needy foal who missed their father and mother. The problem was that that's exactly what she was, and she hated herself and the stallion all the more for it. Much like the tears, the crushing hug she nearly tackled the stallion into came suddenly and unexpectedly. Perhaps there's more to Ancient Scroll's title of 'old stallion' than I realized, hm? Once more, Nightmare's voice shocked Frigid Gale out of her reverie, and she frowned, deeply disconcerted by the way her mind wandered. It was beginning to feel like she was exploring a haunted house... and that she herself was the ghost haunting these rooms. She suppressed a shiver and took another look around, mentally trying to get back on track. It was only a few seconds later that she registered what Nightmare had actually said. "Wait, you saw that?" Frigid Gale asked, somewhat indignant, then groaned another second later, 'of course you did. Look, just forget it, alright? I was still vulnerable back then and..." she sighed and shook her head, "never mind." Aside from an amused chuckle, Nightmare made no more comments. She let Frigid Gale search the room in relative silence, something the troubled thestral did with a bit more haste than before. Unfortunately, for as much that was left here as there was, the only thing remotely odd that Frigid Gale found were old bits of cut up or ripped up newspaper shoved in the back of the nearly empty closet. It proved nothing, so she ignored it, growled in frustration, and moved on to the last room in the cottage she had yet to search. It was with a surprising amount of reluctance that she stood before the door to Ancient Scroll's study. Something wasn't right. "Hey, Nightmare," Frigid Gale began, staring at the door in front of her, "how long was I standing there in the bedroom?" I'd say it was at least half an hour or so, forty-five minutes at the most. If you're asking what I think you're going to ask, the answer is yes, there is definitely some kind of magic at play here. "And you couldn't have prevent me from being affected by whatever it is?" I wasn't sure what it was. I've been trying to pinpoint the origin of the spell, but the only thing I've been able to determine is that it's some kind of delayed Mind Magic based spell at work. It was most likely triggered when you entered the cottage." "In other words, another bucking trap meant to waste my time," Frigid Gale growled, "can you do anything about it?" "I... may be able to with a bit more time, though it would be difficult. "How so?" From what little I've gathered, the stallion seems to have enchanted certain objects so that when looked at, it triggers a trap. When activated, the trap triggers a response in the brain that stimulates the victim's memories, as well as messes with their perception of time. Nightmare Moon laughed an odd, delighted laugh. And I thought the barrier was a remarkable bit of spellcrafting! This is far beyond what I would've expected from any unicorn of this age! It makes one wonder if this stallion is Starswirl himself reborn into the modern era... or a possible descendant, perhaps? "Focus!" Frigid Gale seethed, "if you can do something about this, then do it! We've wasted far too much time here, and frankly, I'm sick and tired of this place. I just want to get in, find something worth the trouble I've had to endure, and get out." Ah, 'tis such a shame that you cannot use magesight. That would've made this far easier, but I suppose it cannot be helped. "Very well then, I will try to protect your mind as best I can, though I still have not gleaned all there is to know about this spell just yet, so be warned, there may be some... leakage. Frigid Gale furrowed her brow at that last part, but pressed on nonetheless. She tried the handle, finding it unlocked to her surprise, and turned it before pushing the door open. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the old desk that had been the centerpiece of the study ever since she was a filly. She didn't have a chance to do anything more than gasp as that same little filly she'd once been stood rigid before the desk, facing the stallion sitting on the other side. Even standing from where she was, Frigid Gale could tell that the filly was furious, and Ancient Scroll in response, only looked at her with pity and helplessness in his eyes. Frigid Gale knew this memory well. She'd played it out countless times in her mind after she'd left, and a sudden thrill of some unnamed fear caused her heart to leap into her throat. She knew it was coming, and she found herself dreading what would happen next. She didn't want to see this. As her mind began to drift away however, something stopped it. It felt as if her consciousness had hit a brick wall and went no further. Confused, it took Frigid Gale a moment to realize what happened. It seemed Nightmare had pulled through and stopped the memory from overwhelming her. Unfortunately, she hadn't been completely successful in her endeavor. Frigid Gale could still see the memory, though as if through some sort of haze in her mind. The words spoken—the angry accusations, the condescension, the heartfelt pleas for acknowledgement, the gentle but empty platitudes, and everything else in between—they had all been muted. She may not have been able to hear what was said thanks in part to Nightmare Moon, but it hadn't been enough to completely stop the images, and hazy as they were, Frigid Gale could still make out the almost ethereal looking form of Ancient Scroll rising up from his chair in alarm. She could see herself, from her own younger point of view, turning away and storming out of the room for the last time. She even had to watch as she galloped back into the bedroom, never once looking back as she practically tore open the bedroom door and slammed it shut before throwing herself onto the bed and crying her eyes out. Then it was over. Frigid Gale slumped to the ground, shivering with emotions she had long since thought she'd buried away. She tried to pull herself together, but her weakened state made it somewhat difficult and it took her far longer than she would've liked. You're crying. At Nightmare's casual observation, Frigid Gale lifted a hoof to her face and found that she had indeed started crying at some point. She stared straight ahead for a moment before gritting her teeth and shakily rising to her hooves. "W-What was that?" she croaked, swallowing a few times to wet her dry throat, "t-that was even worse than the last two times! Way worse! I thought you said you were going to help me block the memory out!" I did the best I could in my position, Frigid Gale. Unfortunately, suppressing the alteration of your perception of time took up most of my attention, so a lot more of the memory slipped through. Barely a few minutes have passed by the way. You're welcome. Frigid Gale was far too distracted trying to reign in her raw emotions to be properly angry at the dark alicorn within her mind. Rather than dwell on it, Frigid Gale forced herself to focus on the task at hoof. She raised her head and looked around, only to find the entire room completely and utterly devoid of anything save for empty bookshelves, a large green banner, and a desk cleared of everything atop it. Surprisingly, this had by far been the emptiest room in the house aside from the kitchen and bathroom. Frigid Gale flicked an ear as she swept her disbelieving gaze around the study. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, making her way closer to the desk with aching slowness, "there has to be something here. Anything." I fear all of this may have been for naught, Frigid Gale. We've found nothing that would help us in our quest so far, and I doubt the stallion left anything of note in his desk. Frigid Gale continued to ignore Nightmare as she trotted around to the back of the desk and began pulling the drawers open one by one. It was exactly as Nightmare had said, each and every desk drawer was completely emptied of their contents. Her mood rapidly darkening, Frigid Gale moved away from the desk and turned to scan the room one last time. An incredible urge to freeze the entire cottage solid and shatter it like glass came over her. She would've done just that had it not been for the dangerously low amount of mana in her body at the moment. Instead, she settled for falling to her haunches, raising her head to the ceiling, and letting out a wordless scream. With that scream, she vented her frustration at this pointless venture, her anger with Ancient Scroll and his tricks, and the built up emotion from reliving her own past. This went on for a good few minutes before she stopped, chest heaving and breaths coming in deep pants. She took another minute to collect herself and stood back up, smoothing out her mane and letting out one last deep, calming breath. She looked around the room with a dark expression before wordlessly turning and unsteadily making her way to the door and out of the study. Nightmare Moon said nothing, as there were no more words that needed to be said. They had wasted their time, and with that in mind, Frigid Gale left the cottage feeling weak, bitter, angry, and defeated.