//------------------------------//
// Chapter I - Once Lost, but now Found 
// Story: Book 1 - Prisoner and Savior 
// by Midnight_Lights 
//------------------------------//

A purple pony, along with all of the other creatures were quickly moved out of the room. They were heading down the hallway to the cafeteria to get breakfast, then to go to work. The pony didn't particularly enjoy the work, she knew that it wasn't what she had done all her life, but without any memory of before, there was nothing to miss. Luckily, there were always guards telling them what to do, it made it easier, as trying to think on her own was hard for the little pony.

Thinking, remembering, or trying to do anything was too hard. The pony and the other creatures would rather just obey. Well, like working, they didn't really like obeying, and would probably rather do something for themselves, but their minds were fuzzy, like waking up from a dream. Sometimes the pony tried to remember, but it just gave her a headache. Right now, for instance, she is studying the creatures around her as she moved through the brightly lit hallway.

Each day was the same, had it been days? She couldn't remember. The routine was simple; get up, eat, work in the mines, eat, then sleep. The pony thought of it as days, or day because there was probably a time before...this.

She moved into a line full of almost 100 other creatures, where she was going to get breakfast. No choice, of course, but the pony didn't mind, she didn't have the mental strength to make a decision. The guards would serve her like in a school lunchroom.  Noticing her memory of simple things, the pony concluded that she does remember some things.

It's just like having amnesia, she thought, I remember basic life things, but nothing specific.

As she moved her hooves to grab a tray, she took notice of what she was wearing. Or course, she might have already seen it, but she had no memories of doing so.

The pony was wearing a gray jumpsuit that covered most of her body, and she also had a metal collar around her neck that was emitting green light. All of the other creatures were wearing similar clothes, differing only to fit their body shape. She was the only one who walked on four feet, while all of the others were bipeds, although there were a few creatures that looked like a blob of slime. Other than the slime one, they looked similar to the creatures she met in Klugetown.

Klugetown? where do I know that from?  The pony's mind was too cloudy, and she lost her small train of thought.

She sat down in her usual spot with the group that she operated with inside the mines. Hmmm...I guess that I have some memory left... she thought.

A few minutes later, a ringing tone started, and the creatures moved from the cafeteria to the work fields. As she passed the entrance to the mine, the pony took notice of the two guards posted on either side of the 2-door doorway. These guards looked nothing like the ones from her home. Wait... what did the guards from home even look like? She tried to picture them but soon gave up, as it only gave her a headache.

Soon, they had all begun working. They would work with the groups that they sat with for breakfast, dinner, and slept with, so about 10 creatures per group. Their job was to break up some kind of rock. I bet Maud would know what we are doing.  The pony considered before her mind clouded up again, it was like breaking free from something, only to be dragged back into it. Once the rocks were broken up, the creatures would transport them to the other side of the mine. Occasionally, they would find a translucent mineral, which would be handed to whichever guard was overseeing them that day. Since the task was designed for those with hands, the pony was told to use her head to transport the rocks to the other side of the mine.

It makes me tired and often gives me a headache, but that's okay, they always tell me what to do. She thought.


. . .


At one point, the pony slammed into another rock front-first.

"Oof!" she said, with very little emotion in her voice. It wasn't anyone fault, as a miner had simply thrown one in her path, and with her slow reflexes, the pony kept walking straight into the rock.

As she went back to work, a guard came up to inspect her, perhaps to make sure she wasn't hurt. The pony was fine on the outside, but she had begun to feel an annoying prickling pain on her neck.


. . .


Something came over the speakers. It was in a language that the pony did not know, yet she seemed to have a vague idea of what it was saying. 

"All have food." it wasn't an exact translation, but close enough for her. She thought that it was like how Fluttershy understands animals, but this being on a more psychological level. Fluttershy? Who's she?

The pony couldn't finish her thought, because the guards had started to move them back to the cafeteria for dinner.


. . .


As she sat there eating her dinner, the prickling feeling that had started earlier began to annoy her even more. 

Ugh! If I could just make it stop!  She thought, as her mind became hazier.

Near the end of dinner, the pony could barely think at all, and in her delusional state, she accidentally broke something. Although she didn't know it at the time, the actions her horn performed without her knowing would save her life.

Ring! The sound started, indicating that it was time for them all to go back to their bunks. The pony followed the crowd, her mind still foggy, but the pain, for the most part, was gone. Although, as the pony climbed into her bed, she could feel something nagging at the edge of her mind. Not quite sure what it was, she tried to ignore it and get some sleep.

Of course, she just couldn't fall asleep until what was nagging at her stopped, so she remained wide-awake for a while.

 What is it?! She thought, and for once, it was rather easy to hold a though, despite the fuzziness of her mind.

Then, as she could no longer stay awake, the pony remembered.

Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ruler of Equestria.

What?!  The pony wasn't expecting to remember the name of some random ruler. Then she came to realize, this was not just any ruler, this was her! Twilight Sparkle is her name, she is an alicorn princess, and she rules Equestria...wherever that may be.

Satisfied with her discovery, Twilight allowed herself to fall asleep, maybe she could remember more tomorrow...