“You don’t remember anything? Not even your name?” Redheart asked.
“N-no, wait. Something’s coming to me. Brightness, something about a bright light.” the amnesiac mare in bed replied.
It was only mere hours ago that she’d unexpectedly collapsed in Ponyville Square. That purple mare helped her out, making sure that the medics made it and that she was fine during her sleep. She’d blacked out before most of what she knew occurred so it was all learned second hoof. Something was strangely familiar about that mare, like a missing or forgotten connection. Her body had finally regained the nutrients that it so desperately needed and mysteriously had lost. She probed deeply into the depths of her mind, trying to break the barrier of emptiness, and only one thing made it through. The beginning of how she lost her memories, but it was nothing more than very blurry still images.
“A bright light... Perhaps Radiance is a good substitute name? It sounds bright and vibrant. At least something to call you by until you remember the real thing.”
“Y-yeah, that sounds nice. I like the name Radiance.”
Radiance smiled gleefully, happy that she had something, anything to remember. Something to fill the void of emptiness within her own mind. She didn’t even know what she looked like at first. After regaining some strength she was finally able to freshen up and take a step back. Her mane was slightly curly, a mix of blacks and dark grays rather than just a solid black. It was like the color had been sucked out of her body, leaving nothing but grey tones. Though her eyes were still a cold sapphire blue in contrast to the rest of herself. They looked glassy like she wasn’t entirely there.
She was assigned to the mental recovery ward to help with any other possible issues that could arise. At least all her motor functions were working, a kind of muscle memory. But something about the mare from before, Twilight Sparkle, or so she was told, felt oh so familiar. Perhaps she should give her a visit to thank Twilight for what she’d done little though it was.
Finally reaching home, Twilight settled down for a short rest. It was an exhausting day with the previous occurring events. After a test run in the TARDIS that seemed to have gone awry, and the mare collapsing in the street, it all was nothing compared to what she’d faced. But a lingering evil from beyond space and time, that scared her. She saw something out there, in that black inky void. The TARDIS didn’t just change course, it ran away from it. This was something far more dangerous than she’d expected. If the Doctor was in there, if anypony was in there, they were in a whirlwind of trouble.
She deserved the rest, especially after that. Unfortunately, her peace was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. Upon opening it, Radiance stood shyly on the doorstep. Radiance brushed her slightly curly mane aside and looked up at her.
“You don’t mind if I come in, do you?” Radiance asked sheepishly.
“No, no, not at all. Can I get you anything?”
Twilight stepped aside to allow her into the living room. Both of them sat down into the simple upholstery, getting comfortable. There was a short moment of silence before Radiance spoke up, a bit of nervousness in her voice.
“I couldn’t ask anything more of you. I already owe you so much. Even though it wasn’t really much. I don’t exactly know anypony else.”
The room fell silent for a few moments, an awkward tension beginning to linger in the air. It was clear that Radiance didn’t know what to say and lacked most of the confidence needed for her to speak. Twilight didn’t know where she’d come from or where she planned on going, but she was still concerned about her wellbeing. Radiance seemed so lost, uncertain, and frightened. Before it could get any worse Twilight cleared her throat.
“So, anything I can help you with?”
“Oh, yeah! I need to look at some books or records or something to help jog my memory. You know, I kinda have amnesia.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
Radiance paused again, her mind feeling a bit foggy once more. She desperately needed something, to get away from something evil. She didn’t feel safe just yet as everything was still in the dark. Twilight got up and out of her seat and gestured for her to follow.
“It’s not your fault. Well, since I don’t have much to go on, maybe we can start with local history. The library’s just this way.”
The vast crystal corridors glimmered spectacularly, refracting even the smallest hint of light. The library was no different; silver-lined shelves with oak wood backings spanning the whole room. It had to be at least three hundred feet long underground, enough to fit in a hoofball field or two. Both Twilight and Radiance began to skim the shelves in search of the correct tome or scroll. They were mostly just trying to find a good starting point like where she might’ve lived or any record of who she’d been, but then something caught Radiance’s eye.
In the corner of a lounge area on a small coffee table sat a short yet thick book. Artificial leather and bound with black lace, it lay. The words 900 Year Diary stitched in gold silk on the cover. She began to hear whispers, echoes of the authentic voices caused by a distant memory. She was linked to this book somehow. Not all of her memories were within it, but she had a connection with the author at least. The leather-bound tome called out to her, cracking a small barrier within her mind. One step after another, she came closer and closer to the book. The voices became louder and louder by the second. Certain parts of the boundary were fragmenting, chunks falling away like a melting iceberg.
She desperately needed something to connect her to her past, but she was scared of this thing. Yet it was only a simple book, it could never hurt her. It was the contents that scared her. It felt like she was moving in slow motion, each step getting heavier and heavier. The whispers of old memories grew louder and louder the closer she got. Then, she touched it.
Radiance immediately found herself somewhere different, as someone else entirely. This was a distant world that she’d once forgotten. It was a different time and a different place from where she once stood in the library. This is what was behind the barrier, the light creeping through the cracks in the wall.
Ashes rained from the sky as children and adults alike cried out in fear. Terror was foreseen to come, and it was here. An era and a world were ending, and everything she thought she once knew was falling to dust at her very hooves. Radiance shed tears for those that had lost their fight, the will to fight, and fell into the pit of depravity. The whole of existence was screaming out to her right before her very eyes. The sky was like a glitched graphic where the nebula above fragmented in unnatural ways. The sky was falling before her and those that resided within it begging for help.
The scene rapidly shifted, almost making her dizzy. The walls were made of some chrome-like material mixed in with a more ancient decor. An outpost is hidden somewhere amongst the rubble where no one could find them. She’d been selected to do an unethical experiment that could become a weapon to save the universe once and for all.
“Please, we need your help. These experiments need to be carried out, and it’s for the safety of our race and countless others.” a new voice begged.
As the current war went forward and the casualties grew the members of this society were growing desperate. The experiments were to determine if a living entity could hold an aural connection to the Web of Time, maybe even controlling it enough to change the outcome or prevent everything in the first place. Using temporal mechanics in such a way was both risky and dangerous. It could kill her or erase her from history entirely. The organization was getting their hands dirty to find a way to make everything stop even for a second. A big bang, a noise so powerful that it made everyone on the galactic battlefield just stop, only to look in their direction.
The Radiance of the past thought things over, comparing what she had done along with the possibilities that she might discover if she didn’t take this route. Backed into a corner, she didn’t like her options, but this was for the best, right? Her life for billions upon trillions of other species.
“Alright... I’ll do it.”
Radiance was confused as this voice was her own. A memory, this was a memory. Something about that book must have triggered it, a relation to him. Everything blurred out as the scene changed. A silver and stark white room filled with controls. She was scared, attached by cables and wires to something.
“If my calculations are correct, you’ll be able to link your consciousness with the vortex. Everything is burning, and you can stop it with the bat of an eye!”
The fear enveloped her, transforming into electricity. The memory, everything was blurred around the edges. Her screams and nothing but light, a bright white light. It seemed to last for an eternity. The pain was nullified before everything was replaced with a black void. The void nearly consumed her, starting to control her like a puppet.
She could see them, the box spiraling around throughout the universe. He was there when it happened, his back turned on her while she screamed in pain. This was all his fault. She saw Twilight staring back at her through the TARDIS’s doors, stranded within a cold and icy plain. She had to get him at any cost. Get back an old friend, or an old enemy? That was the largest question on her mind.
“Radiance!”
Twilight shook her awake as hard as she could. Radiance gasped, awaking in a cold sweat. Her mind nearly rejected what she had seen. So much darkness, so much fear instilled into others. She was shaking, scared of what she’d seen.
“What happened, are you alright? Well of course you’re not alright after what happened! You screamed a-and..”
Twilight began to trail off at a loss for words.
Everyone toned out for a minute, Radiance looking down at her hooves the memories that the book had given her still fresh within her mind. So many questions and too few answers. She looked back up, seeing Twilight panicking knocking her out of her daze.
“I-it’s alright. I should be okay eventually. T-that book, what is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, just something I’m holding for a friend.”
“I-it made me remember. They hurt me badly, pain was soaring through my body. Then the bright light consumed me, it burned me.”
Radiance began to cry, almost feeling the pain from her mind once again. She had to take deep breaths just to keep herself from falling unconscious again.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. If you need to stay in one of the guest rooms for a while then that’s okay. Just let it all out.”
Radiance wailed out her sorrows while receiving a pat on the back. Twilight didn’t know exactly what was going on, but she’d be there for the mysterious mare with no known past. She’d be there for Radiance and the Doctor.
“Everything’s gonna be alright.”
“You sure she’s gonna be okay?” asked Spike.
Twilight looked up from where the book laid, concerned about what had just happened with Radiance. It caused her to go into shock and reveal something that she’d forgotten.
“Hopefully so, but I’m not entirely sure. She touched the diary and remembered something. She may have had an experience so traumatic that her mind finally snapped. What happened worries me.”
Twilight began to pace in circles, wondering what to do. This was way beyond her expertise. Either return her to the medics or Zecora if Radiance has experienced something extraordinary. Typically she only went to Zecora for the cases professionals couldn’t handle. But if she was involved with the Doctor, there was no knowing what could happen.
It was better to go to bed and think about it in the morning with a clear head. The sun was setting and the sky was turning into an array of purples and oranges. She closed the curtains and went into her room, nearly restless at how much more she had to handle.