//------------------------------// // Bring in the wings // Story: Four Walls // by Pokey the Unicorn //------------------------------// I had another dream that I can't remember last night. The breakfast call wakes me up again; I think I'm settling into a routine here. I guess it makes me a little more comfortable, but seeing as I'll be getting out this time tomorrow there's not much point getting used to it. After breakfast I decide to lie on my bed and daydream. Am I angry with Twilight? Well... no. It's not her fault that she can't tell me my name, and it's not her fault that this happened to me. I mean, if she did cause this, and all the efforts to help are just to patch up her guilty conscience, then... I don't really want to think about that. The fact is that Twilight has been coming in every day and doing whatever she can to help me, and before she arrived I was hopeless. I look forward to seeing her now, I get anxious when she's late, and I kinda feel like I rely on her for guidance. Like she knows what to do. In hindsight, I can see where she was coming from when she lied to me. Once I realized that she knew what my name is I had totally thrown out the idea that I could remember it myself. She was giving me the chance to do so. She had lied to give me some independence. I'm not nervous about the two pegasi that are coming in to see me today, I'm excited. Pinkie Pie had completely blown my expectations out of the water, and I feel a little happier just thinking about her and her crazy antics. I'm confident that nothing bad will happen today. I know that there's no point guessing who the pegasi could be because I don't know anypony, but that doesn't quell my curiosity one bit. They're probably going to be some friends, but they could also be my parents. It'd be great to know that I have both a mother and father, and that they want to come in and see me. Twilight arrives on time today. I'm a little surprised when she skulks in apologetically, looking kinda downtrodden. "Hi. How did you sleep?" she asks, smiling tentatively. "Hey Twilight! Pretty good. You okay? You look kinda sad." She sighs, looking down at the floor before speaking. "I'm sorry. I feel just awful about lying to you yesterday. I was-" "Twilight." I cut her off, and she looks up at me. "I understand. I know why you had to do it, and I'm not mad. I should be thanking you! You've done so much for me, and I'm really grateful." "So... we're okay? "Yep." "Just like that?" I nod, and Twilight smiles. "So what did you do after I left yesterday?" She asks me. "Oh, I finished the new Daring Do you gave me. Can you believe that ending? Ar-hwit-zottle turns up outta nowhere to save Daring just so he can take back the Sapphire Stone!" Twilight chuckles a little. "It's pronounced Ahuitzotl." "Ahuitzotl?" "Ahuitzotl." She says, nodding. "Now, your visitors are going to be wondering what's taking so long. Are you ready?" She sounds nervous. More nervous than I am. The door swings open, and she raises a hoof, gesturing at it. "Say hello to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash!" A pegasus speeds into the room, tackling me so hard that I'm forced back onto my rump. "Is she okay? I hope she's okay! Does she remember anything yet??" "Oof... you must be Rainbow Dash" I say to her. She blinks at me a few times before replying. "Oh no, I'm Fluttershy." --Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can really fly!-- She points behind me. "That's Rainbow Dash." A second pegasus hovers into the room. She has her forelegs crossed, and frowns down at me. "This is where they're keeping you? This sucks! It's tiny!" She flies over and looks me up and down, then turns to Twilight. "She looks fine. Why can't she leave?" Rainbow Dash demands. "Doctor's orders, unfortunately." "Oh pfft! Who cares what the doctors think? They're probably worrying too much. I say we bust her outta here right now!" She shouts, stabbing the air with a hoof. "You do know she's getting out tomorrow, right?" Twilight asks. "Oh. Well that's cool I guess." Rainbow turns to me. "How much do you remember?" "Uh, not much." I reply. "Not even your name?" I shake my head. "This is dumb, I'm telling you. It-shmpph!" Rainbow Dash, no! I told you that we can't!" Twilight shouts. Rainbow keeps making noises through her magical gag, but I can't make out anything coherent. Twilight levitates the pegasus over to her and yells at her, clearly getting annoyed now. "Stop it!! We can't tell her, alright, so just stop!" She releases the gag. "GET OFFA ME!" Rainbow yells. She swings her hoof at Twilight suddenly, hitting her squarely in the horn. Twilight's head jerks sideways and her magic is interrupted, letting Rainbow Dash drop to the floor. Everypony freezes. Twilight looks shocked, I hear Fluttershy gasp, and before I know what I'm doing, I put myself between Twilight and her attacker. Who the hay is this pony?! "Leave her alone!" I yell, staring Rainbow Dash down. I expect her to keep going, but she looks shocked too. "I uh... sorry Twilight..." She offers. Twilight scowls. "That's enough! You! Out! Now!" She picks up Rainbow Dash, opens the door, and throws her out. I hear Rainbow "eep" as she flies through the doorway. Before the door can close, a grey pegasus with a blonde mane sticks her head in. "What is going on in here?? Why are you throwing Rainbow Dash out the door?" She looks around the room, then gives me a quick salute. "Just... wait outside please." Twilight asks her. Her voice is flat. I look over and she's sitting faced away from us, head hung low. "Uh, sure thing" The mare replies, shutting the door after herself. After a few seconds, Twilight speaks. "Do you remember anything?" "Me? No, nothing. Sorry." I notice that Twilight is shaking. "That didn't go like I thought it would at all!" Twilight's voice takes on a manic edge. She teleports suddenly, reappearing right in front of me. "You should have remembered something! Why can't you remember something?! You were supposed to remember something!!" Stopping to take a deep breath, she continues. "That was Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all of Equestria! Surely you remember something about her!" Teleporting again, she reappears by Fluttershy, grabbing the poor girl and shaking her at me. "Or Fluttershy! Look at Fluttershy! Do you remember anything about her?! Anything??" "Umm..." I suppose I could say it. It might be something important. "Fluttershy can really fly." Twilight's eyes widen, and Fluttershy's mouth curves into a huge smile. "Oh, you remember that!" The pegasus exclaims. "How much do you remember?" Twilight asks, her voice brimming with hope. "Think back to that day. You were there, try to remember what happened!" "Every pegasus in Ponyville was there Twilight." Fluttershy points out. I think about that day. Fluttershy being carried, the cheering... a dark area, pegasi flying everywhere... a lake below us! With a big machine! "That was tornado day!" I yell triumphantly. Twilight practically bounds through the roof, then teleports over to me. "You remember it?! Tell us tell us!" "Well, there was a lake, lots of pegasi, and a tornado. Uh... I think we were trying to stop it? That's all I remember." Upon hearing this the hope in Twilight's eyes disappears. Her entire body seems to slump, overcome with disappointment. She teleports back, leaning against a wall. "... oh." "Aw it's okay Twilight." I reassure her. "No! It's not okay! ... I've ruined everything. I thought... I thought I could help you, but I can't..." "But you are helping me! Why don't you just move on to the next step in the plan?" I suggest. Twilight teleports over to me again. "Plan? There is no plan! I've been making this up as I go along!! I don't know what I'm doing at all!" She yells, stamping her hooves frantically. "Twilight..." Fluttershy says. "No! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of keeping you in the dark. I'm sick of lying, and I'm sick of ruining everything for you! You were having such a good time at the party yesterday. You looked so happy, and then I had to ruin it. We walked out on you when you were feeling sad." Twilight looks up at me with misty eyes. "I hate this. I hate that you're stuck in here, I hate that I can't do anything." Walking over to nuzzle me tentatively, she continues, mumbling into my neck. "I want you back. We all want you back, and it's up to me to do it, and I'm failing. The princess tasked me with this personally, she's requested daily reports, I..." Twilight doesn't have a plan. I really don't know what to think. ... No, this isn't right. Twilight knows what to do. She always has a plan, always knows what's going on. ... Right? I'm worried about Twilight. It doesn't seem like her to freak out like this at all. I figure that something must be wrong, and I want to comfort her somehow but I'm not sure what to do. Fortunately, Fluttershy steps in. She pulls the unicorn into a hug, holding her tightly. I can hear her whisper comforting words into Twilight's ear while rubbing her back gently. It takes a minute for her to calm down. Instead of looking at me or saying something, Twilight sits there and looks at the floor, tracing little circles with her hoof. It's Fluttershy who speaks. "You don't need to worry." She reassures, looking at both of us. "I've spoken to the girls, and we all understand. This is going to take as long as it needs to, and nopony is going to get angry for any reason, okay?" We both look up at her and nod. Fluttershy smiles. "Now, if it's okay with you Twilight, I have a few things I'd like to try with uh... Two-four-nine?" Twilight sighs and waves a hoof. "Of course Fluttershy, go ahead." "Thank you. I suppose we can... Oh! Oh I nearly forgot!" She cries, reaching into her saddlebags. She noses around for something, and pulls out a letter. Stretching a wing forward, she places the letter on it. "Here. I asked to have your mail sent to my house while you're in here. I thought that it'd pile up, but there's just this one letter." "Wait, a letter?" Twilight asks. "Does it have her name on it?" "Oh my, you're right!" Fluttershy gasps, looking at me sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of that." "I'd really like to see it." I say. "Could you please read it and see if it's okay?" Twilight seems surprised at this. "Read your letter? Are you sure?" I nod, and she levitates it over to herself, examining the envelope. With one deft rip, the letter is freed and unfolded. Twilight takes one look at it and gasps, covering her mouth with a hoof. She shows it to Fluttershy next. The pegasus skims over the words and blushes, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh my..." "Fluttershy, what do you think?" Twilight asks. "Um, it's nice..." She murmurs. "Not that! I mean should we show her?" "Right. I think so, yes." She affirms, nodding at Twilight. "Are you sure? I don't know if we should..." "It's okay, just let her see it." Fluttershy tells her. The lavender mare glances at me hesitantly before levitating the letter over for me to read. -------------------------------- Dear Sexywings I was thinking about you, so I thought I'd write a love letter. You'll probably laugh, but I don't care! Last night was amazing. I was so nervous when I told you how I felt, and you don't know how happy I was when you kissed me back. I was a little surprised when you suggested that we move in together the next day. I'm really happy, you already know that, but I'm a little scared too. I don't want to take things too quickly. I love that we're spending so much time together though! Maybe we should go shopping for a new bed! ... Of course, if we have a big bed, that means we can do naughty stuff whenever we want... Bring this letter when you come over tonight. It's an all-access pass. And I mean all-access. It'll let you see and do anything. Don't be late. Your Secret Admirer -------------------------------- By the time I finish the letter I'm blushing so hard that I feel dizzy. I look over at Twilight and Fluttershy. They're both looking at the floor. "Are... are you sure this is for me??" Twilight looks up at me, shifting her hooves uncomfortably. "Yes, I'm positive." I'm not sure what I was expecting the letter to be, but I never would have guessed this. I have a coltfriend? Or maybe a marefriend? Do I swing that way? I'd never considered any of this stuff. I've been so focused on everything else that it never crossed my mind. Whoever it is, they seem pretty wild. I'm a little surprised that I'd suggest moving in together on the second day. It must be somepony I'm really close to. Somepony I trust. Although, living together doesn't sound too bad. I wouldn't be alone that way. There's a knock on the door suddenly, and I groan at it. I've lost track of the time. Visiting hours are over already?? The door swings open, and the same grey and blonde mare sticks her head in. "Hey, I'm not sure what I'm waiting for, but I'd like to say hi before I leave." I don't wait for Twilight to say anything. Walking over to the door, I offer the mare a hoofpump. She grins at me. "Hi... what was your name?" I ask her. "Cloud Kicker. How's the therapy going? Do you remember anything important yet?" I sigh. "No, not yet. Hopefully I will soon though." "Ah well. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow! Bye guys." Cloud Kicker waves to Twilight and Fluttershy, then leaves. Twilight clears her throat. "You can keep the letter if you want. Fluttershy? Do you want to take over from here?" Twilight offers. She still sounds a little sad. "Thank you Twilight. Could we sit down please? I'd like to tell you about Ponyville." Fluttershy sits down, and Twilight sits opposite her. "About Ponyville?! Hay yeah!" I exclaim. I'd love to hear about Ponyville! Twilight catches my attention though. She looks really sad—no, crushed. Utterly defeated, and I've got no idea why. I can tell that she's under a lot of pressure, but she's taken this really badly for some reason. I walk over and sit next to her. Catching her attention with a nuzzle, I smile at her, trying to be supportive. She smiles back wistfully, then drops her gaze again as Fluttershy starts speaking. Oh Twilight... We both sit and listen quietly as Fluttershy takes us on a journey through Ponyville. She tells us about her cottage, where she lives with all of her animals, including Angel Bunny. She takes care of sick and injured animals too, giving them a place to stay while she nurses them back to health. She tell us about the Everfree Forest beyond, then Sweet Apple Acres, where our friend Applejack lives and works with her family. The town square, the library where Twilight lives, Carousel Boutique, Rarity's home and self-owned business. She tells us about Rainbow Dash, Captain of the weather team, who lives in a beautiful cloud home decorated with rainbow waterfalls. Cloud Kicker, she explains, is a friend and work colleague; one of her weather lieutenants. Ponyville also has a fresh food market, where ponies such as Carrot Top, Crafty Crate, and Applejack sell their wares. It sounds like a wonderful place. Fluttershy describes everything in so much detail. The colors, the life, the ponies of every shape and size. I get to see it all tomorrow! Hay, I live there! I can't wait. I have so many questions to ask the pegasus, but the guard knocks on the door. We have to wrap up in five minutes. "Thanks for telling me about Ponyville Fluttershy. I can hardly wait to see it!" I exclaim, beaming at her. "Oh, it really is a wonderful place." She pulls me into a hug. "I think I'll give you two some time alone. See you tomorrow!" "Bye Fluttershy!" I wave as she walks out. Twilight stands up, making an effort to avoid my gaze. "Twilight, I'm not blaming you for anything. I'll get my memory back eventually, so stop worrying, okay?" Twilight smiles at this. "You're right. Everything will work out eventually. We're friends, and friends always stand by each other ... right?" Her ears droop as she looks at me uncertainly. "Right." I hug her, rubbing her back gently just like Fluttershy did. "I'll be back tomorrow morning to check you out, okay?" "You bet. I'll see you then!" Twilight walks out, then freezes and spins around. "Oh! I forgot all about this!" The next Daring Do book flies out of her saddlebags, dropping onto my bed. I grin at her. "See? You're doing a good job!" I exclaim. To my surprise, she chuckles. "See you tomorrow!" The door closes, and my last night in here begins. -------------------------------- The day has finally arrived. I'm getting out this morning, and I'm expecting Twilight any moment now ... I'm nervous though. I've built a little comfort zone for myself in here, and I feel oddly apprehensive about leaving it. There's a big world on the other side of that door. Anything could happen. Punctual as always, Twilight arrives. "Good morning." She says, smiling at me. "Are you ready?" "Yes ... I'm nervous though." I admit. "There's nothing to worry about." She says, horn aglow. All of my stuff flies into the box in the corner, all ready to go. The door swings open. "Let's go." Okay, this is it. I think to myself. I take a deep breath, and walk out the door.