"Of course I'm not a pony, dipshit." I hummed as I opened the back entrance. It was a surprise, really, hearing myself speak. I didn't think I would be able to at first.
"How is this even possible??"
"Fuck, you tell me. I have zero clue." I stepped out into the cold parking lot that rested just behind the bakery. My hands automatically fished around for my keys as I made my way over to my perched vehicle.
"What is that thing..?"
I sat myself on it and readjusted my legs, "A motorcycle."
"What are you?"
"A human."
"What's a human?"
I playfully grinned, "WELL you see, that's a very interesting question~!"
"Eugh. Nevermind. With that tone I don't think I want to or even care to know."
"Rude." I chuckled as I took another sip of my fruity smoothie and started up the ignition.
"... it's loud."
"Well fuck! I'm sorry. What were you expecting? Perfect memories in a perfect world by a perfect person?"
"Yes. Except from a perfect pony in Equestria. Ponies are happy in Equestria. Ponies have perfect memories in Equestria... Why are you not happy?"
"Geez, that's a bit personal," I put my smoothie in my cupholder and place my helmet over my head, "God what are you? My new therapist?"
"Where is the pony?"
"Hm? Sorry I can't hear you!" I rev up my motorcycle and prepare to leave, "It's a bit uh, how'd you say it before? Oh yeah, it's a bit fucking loud!"
"Take me to the pony!"
"Get the hell out of head, jackass!" I drove off through the parking lot. In the memory, I was a mix of emotions. Still confused and conflicted in some areas, but feeling better after my shift finally ended. I had come to the decision then and there to ride out my last week.
Currently, however, I was just pissed off at this giant weasel thing.
"You are very rude." The creature grumbled.
"You. Are. Literally. Invading my head. Don't scold me for being rude."
"I thought this memory would be something more. You had a pleasant feeling, but all you did was drink a smoothie."
"Well yeah, it was a good fucking smoothie. Lay off."
"Wait..."
A silence trickled between us. We were like two entities in a simulation of my life. I could only watch as my past self sped down the streets and abided by the laws of the road. Mentally sighing I began to thinking of better, simpler times... but then, a noise. A ringing noise. A static-like noise. Something was coming, but that didn't make sense. This was my memory. I just drove home. It was business like usual. Nothing is supposed to happen next-
SCREEEEEEEEECH!
I could barely process what happened next. One minute I was gliding across the freeway, next I had witnessed two cars stumble and collide into one another. I let out a yell as the explosive sound of metal and the smell of burnt rubber hit my senses. I tilted my steer and attempted to brake but instead my wobbly vehicle went sliding along the pavement until I was sent flying into the air.
"NO!" The creature fearfully shrieked, "THESE ARE NOT THE MEMORIES I'M LOOKING FOR."
Everything froze. Time had been paused. I found myself hovering over the street with my colorful smoothie besides me just flying outward towards the ground. I was able to move, so I instinctively reached for my helmet. A tickling sensation raced up my wrist. I spotted some black blob speckled with tiny white dots just before I took off my only protection against the dangerous elements around me. For some reason, I paid everything no mind.
"I remember this," No I didn't, "I landed hard in the middle of the street and couldn't get up. I had hit my head, but I was wearing my helmet. Damn. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I didn't have my helmet." As I said this, the very object I praised began to dust away into specks of dark blue. I could only look down at my hands...
"Quiet!" The being snapped, "This one then. This one has to be a good one."
The dark void returned to consume everything in its path while the scene transformed. My body moved and I found myself no longer in the air but now sitting at a desk with one hand idly resting on my cheek. My eyes bored into my computer screen while the sound of muffled music blasted from outside my house. I looked out my window to spot a party. A get-together made by my family. The grill was cooking, the table was full of food, and the children were running around with water balloons. It was a hot summer evening, and I was spending it inside away from everyone else... I sighed and turned back to the screen.
I remember this, and it was in fact a good memory. At first, I felt like I was being completely forgotten. My room felt safe but even as I playfully smirked at the odd silver mirror nearby, I knew I wasn't happy alone. Luckily for me my family had realized that. So I watched and waited. Waited for them to throw a balloon at my window to catch my attention and call for me to join. Even despite my hesitance. I hated to give the creature pleasant memories like this one, but if I got to at least witness it again, then I guess it wasn't so bad-
BANG! CRASH!
I froze.
Shock shivered throughout my body as I sat there, wide-eyed. I couldn't believe what just happened. Not "back then" and not now. This isn't my memory. This couldn't be.
"Hey!" My uncle called from the shot window, "You want to join us?"
I stared down at the broken pane. A bullet had clearly smashed right through it. From what my "memory" could recall, it had gone whizzing by my face before slamming into the silver mirror besides my head. I couldn't speak or even react. I could only look at the damage it had caused.
The mirror, I noted, looked blurry compared to everything else. Like as if it was made of static. The thing was shattered, broken beyond repair. Did I even ever own one, before? I remember, very vividly, that I used to have a fear of mirrors.
I would never have kept one right next to my desk.
On another note, when did my uncle get a gun?
My memory stood and rushed out the room, but I didn't follow. My eyes didn't follow. I felt myself disassociating. I was still in the room. My body was gone.
I could only stare.
"Loud. LOUD! Terrifying! Next memory!" It insisted as it switched to another memory. A memory that the creature was sure was supposed to be a pleasant one.
I was sure too, until it wasn't. That's how many of my memories went. They were supposed to be happy. They were supposed to be good... but they were twisted and tainted. These weren't real. They were fabricated, and I knew that.
I joined my father's side at his deathbed, which didn't make sense. He was still alive last I remembered.
I saw myself drown in alcohol and ignore my mother's distressed calls and texts. I was never one to drink because of these very scenarios I would anxiously make up.
I found myself in a plane that crashed and burned. I never experienced an accident like that.
All of these memories were fake, which slowly left me more confused than traumatized. These weren't my memories. It was almost like watching a dream. A nightmare. Except I was growing less and less scared of them. I was just... surprised.
The creature however? The creature was scared.
"WHY? WHY WHY WHY? WHY IS YOUR LIFE LIKE THIS? WHERE ARE YOUR HAPPY MEMORIES?" It cried out in a panic.
I didn't respond.
"This one." It sighed in exhaustion, "This one has to be it..."
I looked up expecting another fake, another illusion... but it wasn't. I recognized this memory. This one. This one was real... and it was nowhere near positive, was it?
I was sitting in the corner of a bathroom with a journal in hand and a pencil hurriedly scribbling away at the pages of the book. I was younger, and so I stared down at myself.
This memory was not fake.
I found myself settling down besides the other as she tearfully scribbled away at her journal. I refused to glance over. I knew what was in it.
"I'm just..." The little girl began, "I'm a bad person... I'm a bad person..." She seemed to force herself to grin, "I know I am. I know I'm a bad person. I'm a bad person."
"You're not." I muttered to myself, "Please stop telling yourself that." It fell on deaf ears of course, because this was a memory.
"I am. I am..." She clutched her journal close to her and let out a weak sob.
Why was this considered a positive memory for me..?
"This one doesn't make ANY sense!" The creature growled, "You're clearly in distress!"
I reached over to pluck the book out of the child's arms. She didn't react. I gave her one tired sympathetic look and then forced the journal shut. The memory collapsed around me, back into an empty dark void.
White eyes pierced into mine, "Where is the pony?"
"'Scuse me?" I raised a brow as the journal disappeared.
"The pony whose body you stole. Where is she?"
"Honestly I don't think she has many great memories either, fucker. Why don't you just leave us alone?"
A grumble grew in its throat, "I will search for her... even if it means shredding your mind!" Then it lunged. I let out a shout and stumbled back through an open doorway.
The void gave away to colors and shapes. My body was moving and I was racing down a hallway. That hallway gradually transformed itself. More details began to form and before I knew it I was stumbling into the Friendship School once more, "Huh, what the fuck-?"
"It's you again..!" Cozy's voice hit my ears.
I looked over at her, "... Shit."
"What?"
"Don't ask questions just RUN!" I plucked her up as fast as possible. The next thing I knew, something started crashing into the corridors just behind me.
"Little pony little pony! Where are you??"
Cozy yelped in my arms as I raced into another hall, "What IS that thing??"
"I don't know! Apparently it EATS memories and it's trying to eat yours!" I gasped as I charged into a random room and stumbled into a familiar, colorful gymnasium. It was practically themed like the professor who ran this room, Rainbow Dash, with blue flooring, walls, and rainbow decal. There were flags with the school's crest and symbols matching Dash's rainbow lightning bolt cutiemark. Large openings were made in the roof of this gym to reveal the skies where white fluffy clouds could sneak in and curl around the ceiling. Despite the situation, it was pretty cute.
"What? Don't let it eat mine! Get rid of it!" I tossed Cozy into the air and slammed the doors shut behind us. She easily flew up besides my head.
I began grabbing Rainbow Dash's equipment around the area to barricade the door. Baskets full of Hoofballs, cloud-like matts, and even a whole shelf of dumbbells. Why does she have this?? I half expected them to be heavy especially but... I realized they weren't. In fact, I could easily drag them across the floor.
Experimentally, I nabbed one of the dumbbells and tossed it into the air. I watched as the usually heavy metal-like object casually floated up like a balloon.
"Right... This place is almost like a dream." I grunted before the dumbbell abruptly fell to the floor, causing a loud noise to echo throughout the school.
"I HEAR YOU!"
"Shit." Barricading wasn't going to work if everything we touched wasn't even real.
"Quick! Up this way!" Cozy Glow urged as she flew up towards the large openings above us.
"I can't fly!"
"You just said this place was like a DREAM, idiot!" Cozy hissed before trying to revert to a more cutesy persona, "I mean, my new friend!"
With a sigh I yelled back, "Shut up with that cute shit I'm coming!" With an tentative jump up into the air, I learned it was true. The moment I thought about it, I was soaring through the gymnasium and up to Cozy's side. We both instantly took off out one of the openings together while I heard a crash just below us. I saw a hint of the creature before we left the scene entirely.
"... You know if we can just fly on a whim," I began as I followed Cozy outside of the ginormous school, "Why don't we just teleport all over the place and avoid him that way?"
Cozy giggled, "Gee golly that's not a bad idea! We could run circles around that creep!"
She suddenly disappeared in a POP and I had to pause. I have... no idea where she went so I found myself lost in midair blinking at where she was a moment ago.
This actually gave me a chance to look around. I raised my gaze and scanned the very vibrant environment. Ponyville. I felt nostalgia hit me like a freight train full of bricks. It was definitely very different when it was not under attack by a Sombra phony. This was practically my childhood this place. The town looked quaint and small from this height above the school. Besides the marketable castle towering over the simple homes, this place seemed very... charming. I would definitely love to live in a town like this. I could even spot the Town Hall standing tall in the middle of it all, found SugarCube corner by it's cupcake-like shape, and even spotted not only Cheerilee's tiny school in the distance but also the barn of the Apple family.
I couldn't feel much from Cozy's memories, but I can just picture the warm breeze and the sun's warmth from above Twilight's school. I closed my eyes and breathed in nothing, but tried to imagine what I might be able to smell. Maybe the clear sky? Nature? Pinkie's cupcakes even from this distance?? I wish I was actually there, flying above it all...
The moment was ruined, however, by the large weasel clambering up onto the school's roof from the gym, "THERE YOU ARE! WHERE IS THE PONY?"
I startled just before a small pink figure appeared by my side and grabbed my shoulder with her little hooves. One moment I was face to face with the being, the next I was in some unknown dorm room.
"Geez, why didn't you teleport away? You were the one who suggested it!" Cozy huffed as she pulled away.
"I don't really know where to teleport to, actually." I chuckled sheepishly, "Why did you come back and save me?"
"Because you have good ideas! And you made me realize more about this place! It's like a dream, why didn't I ever realize that?? I'm supposed to be the smart one!" Cozy crossed her hooves, "Also I have SEVERAL questions. Who is that? What is that? And why are your memories trying to kill me??"
"I will answer all of them under one condition." I raised a finger at her, "Say fuck."
Cozy stopped and stared, "What? What does that even mean?"
"It's an insult, a bad word. Like 'FUCK YOU!' kind of fuck. Do it. Say fuck."
"WHY???"
"Because it would be funny!" I laughed.
A large claw suddenly crashed into the room, disintegrating the wall around it as a large maw growled in our direction, "Stop trying to run. I will always find you! Give me your memories little pony!" It reached towards Cozy.
"Uuuugh! Fuck you!" Cozy touched my arm and teleported us both away again.
We reappeared in the headmare's office and I couldn't stop myself from doubling over in laughter, "Holy shit you said it!!"
"Now answer my questions!" She demanded.
I listed them off on my fingers, "I don't know who that is, I know it's a creature trying to eat all our positive memories, and what do you mean by my memories trying to kill you?"
"I almost got shot earlier." She explained.
I chuckled despite her glare, "Oh that's funny. Hey you don't happen to have any positive memories on you, do you?"
Cozy looked confused and uncomfortable, "Ummmm..."
The creature's head abruptly crashed in through the floor between us, "I WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD TO GET MY CLAWS ON YOU!"
I kicked at his head and prepared to teleport myself away, since Cozy was on the other side of the room, when I felt something snag my leg that made me stumble face-first onto the floor. Luckily, I felt no pain here.
One of the creature's paws was on top of my ankle with its claws digging into my pants. I felt my body freeze and couldn't seem to move.
Cozy appeared by my side and tossed something towards the creature. What is that? A thunder cloud? It flashed lightning bolts at the large bear-like weasel, but it didn't seem to react. In fact, the dark cloud easily dispersed into the thing's jaws as it clamped its teeth shut around it.
I cursed under my breath.
"You're coming with me little pony!" The thing hissed as it brought a claw down on Cozy Glow.
I saw nothing but black and blue in that moment. I reacted without thinking. I thought I was under the creature's influence but my body was moving in front of Cozy Glow and my hand was reaching for the creature's head. It staggered back, but I already felt my palm resting on the fur of his forehead.
I saw something dash up my arm as I stared at the white eyes of the beast. The most dangerous part of the creature to look at, but somehow the most vulnerable. It's weakness. I don't know how I knew this, and I'm not sure what happened next... but the world around us had disappeared entirely as Cozy Glow and I fell into an empty white void.
...
I stumbled onto green grass and heard the sounds of birds chirping nearby. Cozy let out a small groan and I looked over to spot the pink filly pulling herself out of flowered bushes. With a sigh of my own, I sat back and looked up at the swaying branches above us. They shaded us from sunlight, but I could still see sunlight trickling through the green leaves. This place was peaceful, calm. It was... nice.
"Where are we?" Cozy questioned as she walked up to my side.
"No idea." I chuckled, "Is this your memory? It's not mine."
She sat down and looked around the forest. It looked nothing like the Everfree, "No... I don't remember this place. At least not as clearly as this."
We both sat there in relative silence, though Cozy looked like she wanted to say a lot. I didn't. I wanted to sit there and just process everything that had happened, but I knew we had to talk.
"Cozy-" I began, only for a sharp cry to hit my ears.
We perked and turned our head towards the sound, "Erm, maybe some other time. Something is happening nearby." I went to stand and plucked up Cozy once more. She protested but I ignored her. It was like holding a cat in a way.
With a hush I made my way through the calm forest. Things didn't feel overgrown here. It was tended to and much more tame than the Everfree. I couldn't help but relax at the sight of the beautiful foliage. Cozy's crimson glare pierced into me before she turned her attention to an opening along the treeline.
We made our way into another clearing where we found the cries of a familiar creature.
There, sitting in front of us, was the large brown ferret. Except it was about the size of a horse, much smaller than it was previously. Still big of course but... younger?
The voice of an unknown mare hit our ears, "Hey, it's okay... It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. Aw, your poor eyes. What happened to them?"
I slowly circled the large creature to spot a familiar pony cautiously standing in front of him. The grey pegasus mare. The same one with the gentle smile and the simple glasses, except this time I saw her brilliant blue eyes. She raised her hoof and slowly approached them like as if they were just a scared animal, not a terrifying beast.
I looked over and noticed that the creature's eyes looked infected. They were forced shut and bulging with puss. I silently gagged, but continued to watch the interaction.
"Come on. I'll take you home. I know a friend who can help. She's really great with medicine!" The pegasus rested her hoof on the creature's cheek and carefully began to lead them away through the woods, "This way. You're alright... Do you have a name..?"
The creature gently huffed, "G... Glawackus."
"Oh! You talk! Well... It's nice to meet you, Glawackus!"
I stared at their retreating forms...
"A positive memory." I muttered.
"Huh?" Cozy looked up.
"This was a positive memory from this thing that's trying to eat ours. He's been searching for ours but somehow we found his instead."
"Almost like we turned his spell back around on him." Cozy hummed in thought, "Now how did you do that..? Do humans have memory magic?"
"What? No way. I don't think so, at least." I shook my head before the scene began to melt away around us, "There's something we're supposed to be looking for though."
"Like what?"
"A way out." I explained, "If this is like a dream... then we need to wake ourselves up from it, right? We don't need positive memories. We need ones that can scare him into waking up."
"Negative memories..." Cozy nodded before hopping out of my hands, "Alright! Let's find some negative memories then!"
"Isn't that a bit intrusive, though?" I muttered.
"So what? Didn't he try to search through ours?"
"Well he already searched through mine," I rubbed a hand over my arm.
"That jerk! Then let's go find his!"
I guess she had a point. We had to get out of here anyways, and somehow I felt the only way to was to cause a nightmare. A reaction that will surely wake Glawackus up which will wake us up. This had to be our best chance to escape.
I took a step forward right before the environment shifted around us. I swiftly grabbed Cozy before she went too far as we appeared within a home. A cozy little home with a fireplace, a gray-ish blue rug, and several hanging planters. The place was quaint, and it was obvious from the overwhelming amount of trees outside that it was secluded. A nice little cabin in the middle of nowhere.
I heard a noise and turned to spot Glawacakus lounging on a makeshift nest of blankets, cushions, and even towels. He comfortably buried his head in some pillows before perking up at the sound of hoofsteps.
"I got your favorite!" The gray pegasus giggled, "A slice of my famous peanutbutter and banana pie!"
She came in with a tray of food on her back and carefully set it down besides the giant weasel.
"Thank you my friend.." He chuckled with closed eyes as he blindly reached over for it.
The mare tilted her head, "You know you could probably open your eyes now, right? They look a lot better now!"
"But I'm awfully hungry. I shouldn't risk it." He grumbled as he took a small bite out of the pie he was given.
The mare looked confused, "But you've been eating pretty well?"
"It's a different kind of hunger, my friend."
"Well, if you say so." The mare sighed and settled down besides him while her sapphire eyes rested on the fireplace nearby.
A silence trickled between them. I decided to settle Cozy down on the rocking chair nearby while I just sat on the floor criss-crossed.
"This is a negative memory..?" Cozy asked, "It seems pretty pleasant to me."
"Maybe it's just pleasant right now?" I suggested, "Maybe it gets worst."
And soon, it would. Especially when I heard Glawackus speak, "My friend, I thank you for tending to me and feeding me. But I'm still starving."
She looked over at him, "Did the fish not fill you up either? Do you need a different type of meat?"
"No. No it's not meat." He sighed, "I'm sorry, but I need to hunt." He placed his half-eaten pie down and stood.
"Hunt?" The mare stood as well, "What are you hunting?"
"Stay. Here." Glawackus demanded as he slowly made his way towards the door, "I don't want you to get hurt if things go wrong, okay? You and your friend... The town would not like that you both helped me.
You'll stay here, won't you..?"
The scene shifted and changed. Their bodies began to blur and the house melted away into a more forested area.
"... I promise." The mare swore just before they both disappeared entirely.
...
Cozy and I found ourselves at a forest trail besides each other. The shout of a stallion instantly caught our attention.
"Wait! Please, I have a family!" The pony begged.
"Silence!" Glawackus hungrily spat as it pinned the pony under it's claws, "And look into my eyes..."
"GLAWACKUS STOP!"
The creature looked up in alarm and their eyes met. White to blue. The mare who cared for him, who took care of him. She looked scared at first. The shine in her eyes began to dull and her breath would quicken with fear. Soon, that fear would melt away. She let out a small sigh and smiled at him with closing eyes... then collapsed.
Glawackus blinked and reeled his head back in surprise. The stallion under him managed to escape and went racing away towards town to get help. The long creature could only stare at the grey pony on the ground.
It's been months since he last had a proper meal. In his starvation, he was not thinking straight. He saw her memories, but didn't even properly look at them. He just consumed. Consumed everything he came across.
"My... friend?" He carefully stalked his way over to her, "Friend? Friend???"
He got to her. She was still breathing. Still smiling. Still.
Still. Still. Still.
"FRIEND??"
My eyes snapped open and the creature was suddenly above me, bigger and older. I was back in Cozy's small pink body. We were in the same spot we were before, in the endless ocean-like void, except this time the creature was stumbling back and clutching its head. His white eyes were brimming with tears.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Glawackus painfully whimpered.
I hurriedly stood and backed away. Where was the way out?
"YOU!" The creature glared at me while I swiftly avoided my gaze, "You're a demon! Don't think I didn't feel that dark magic coursing through you while in our memories! What did you do to me?? What did you DO?"
BAM! The brilliant blue of the void suddenly flickered into more dull and grey colors. We both froze. BAM! BAM! BAM! Each loud thud would temporarily strip away the mirage of the endless ocean before we finally heard the final blow.
SMASH!
Everything went crumbling down. The brilliant void disappeared entirely to reveal an average cavern with glowing magenta-colored amber and crystals scattered about. That same resin-like substance appeared to be what the lost ponies were currently contained in. Still looked horrifying. There was some glass-like barrier tinted with purple and blue that would cover each exit or opening, but one of larger ones was just broken through. At that smashed entrance there was a frustrated red centaur with a giant three-headed dog just behind him.
"What-" Glawackus began, "How?? You-"
"Hello again Glawackus," Tirek interrupted while cracking his knuckles, "Cerberus and I have a few words with you."
I scrambled back behind the grey pegasus who was completely covered in amber and hid behind her. I stared out at the scene before me and couldn't help feel excited but concerned.
On one hand, Tirek and Cerberus were fighting for me! Cool! On another... I couldn't get Glawackus' memories out of my head. I couldn't help but feel worried for him.
I have to stop this.