//------------------------------// // Mindscapes // Story: Awakening // by punisher143 //------------------------------// “Rainbow Dash, wake up.” The pegasus stirred a little and waved a hoof. “Not now Twi, I’m sleeping,” Rainbow said and curled up into a tighter ball. “Rainbow seriously, you need to get up. We need to talk!” Twilight pushed both verbally and physically. “In the morning.” “Twilight, allow me,” a rougher voice said and a second later Rainbow got kicked in the gut followed by the voice yelling, “Get up you rotter!” “Argh, what the hay?!” “Cheshire, why did you do that, and what the hay is a rotter?” Twilight asked angrily. “There are far more important things to worry about Twilight. Once your friend is up get over here, we really need to talk.” Rainbow held her stomach and felt Twilight’s hoof lift her up. “Sorry about that Rainbow, she isn’t normally this impatient,” Twilight said. “Who isn’t norma- where in Equestria are we?” Rainbow asked looking around the black void she and Twilight found themselves in, “And who were you talking too?” “Both very good questions, and ones I hope we get answers to.” Twilight motioned her head to a lightly lit area silhouetting a pony and led Rainbow to it. The closer Rainbow got the clearer the other pony became, coat and mane colors becoming clearer until Rainbow saw she was standing next to two Twilights. The one sitting down looked at her and the other Twilight, bright orange eyes boring into her until she smiled a wide, psychotic smile. “Oh no.” “Indeed. Sorry about kicking you, but time is running short like a lot of things nowadays,” the smiling Twilight said and turned fully to the pair. The Twilight next to Rainbow cleared her throat to get both of their attention. “Rainbow, this is Cheshire. She lives here, wherever ‘here’ is,” Twilight explained. “Aw, and you had it right the first time you guessed.” “You’ve been here before?” Rainbow asked Twilight. “Well yes, but what do you mean guessed?” “You said it yourself: ‘please tell me my mind isn’t this chaotic.’ Both you and Rainbow Dash are sleeping in the real world, with this being just a… representation of your subconscious Twilight.” “Wait, we’re dreaming now?” Rainbow asked looking around uneasily. “For lack of a better term yes, but when you wake you’ll remember this fully. Now sit down if you’ll please, we have much to discuss.” Cheshire proceeded to grin widely until both Rainbow and Twilight sat down, both variably uncomfortable with Cheshire. Once they were more or less comfortable Cheshire spoke with, “Now then, why don’t you start with the most pressing question?” “What are you and how can we trust you?” Twilight said without pause, letting some small satisfaction slip through when Cheshire’s grin dropped slightly. Obviously she hadn’t been expecting that question, though she soon straightened her demeanor. “I’m hurt that you still don’t trust me fully Twilight, considering I’m you.” This time Twilight was surprised and looked into Cheshire’s orange eyes for a moment before turning to Rainbow Dash. “She’s you?” Rainbow asked and scratched her head, “what’s that supposed to mean?” “It’s exactly what it sounds like: I’m a part of Twilight, ever changing to fit with her equally changing mindset. A Shadow, if you will.” “Shadow? What the hay does that even mean?!” “Wait, there was something about that in that psychology book I read back in Manehattan,” Twilight said tapping her chin in thought, “a Shadow is either the subconscious mind of a pony, or specific parts of the subconscious mind. Are you saying that you’re all the aspects of my personality I’m ashamed of?” “I wouldn’t say ashamed, more like the ones you don’t show often. Extreme obsessive compulsion, intense anger, desires to be alone, things like that.” Cheshire grinned widely when Rainbow Dash rubbed her mane furiously before continuing with, “either way, you can trust me because I’m in as much danger as either of you. I’d benefit greatly from you surviving this ordeal.” “You’ve been a part of me for a long time right?” Twilight asked and waited for Cheshire to nod before continuing. “If that’s the case, why reveal yourself to us now if you’ve been quiet all this time?” “My main job is to make sure you stay mentally healthy, an admittedly simple task most of the time, but things do change. When Carver showed itself, I was more or less forced into a more active role. Fear is a mind killer after all.” “I’m so confused,” Rainbow commented. “Maybe I’ll explain in greater detail some other time, so let’s leave that issue on the wayside and move to the next one.” “Yes, let’s continue with Carver itself,” Twilight said, “what exactly is it.” Cheshire rubbed her mane a little before sighing. “I don’t know.” As Cheshire continued a panel floated next to her showing a picture of Carver, “this thing defies any kind of reasoning or logic. Everything we’ve encountered before- Nightmare Moon, Discord, Changelings, everything in the Everfree forest- hell even some of the unfathomable horrors in the oceans have some kind of reason to exist. They have a purpose of some kind, and yet this seems to exist only to instill fear in its targets.” “Horrors in the oceans?” Rainbow Dash managed to ask. “Yes, we know more about space than we do about the oceans. Remember the seapony?” Cheshire waved the panel away and looked at the pair, “but back on topic, how do we stop it?” “Isn’t that your job?” “It’s all of our jobs Rainbow,” Twilight said, “but what we need right now is a clue of some kind. Everything starts somewhere, even Carver.” “There’s also one more thing,” Cheshire said standing up and pacing a little, “It’s shown several times that it likes to taunt us with how easy it could be to get us. This is as much a mental battle as a physical one you two; fear is a mind killer after all… to wrangle the words of a certain somepony.” “What are you saying, that we shouldn’t be afraid of this thing?” Rainbow asked. “I’m saying don’t let fear overcome your reason. When you’re blind with panic and fear, you can’t make rational decisions which could prove to be deadly.” Cheshire glanced at the panels momentarily and sighed, “It would seem as though our time is up. I would advise continuing with your course of action for now. Try and find something to expose even the tiniest sliver of Carver’s true nature and we may just come out of this alive. ‘Till we meet again.” Neither Twilight nor Rainbow had a chance to say anything before they found themselves ‘falling’ through the darkness until they landed with a start on the cloud they had fell asleep on the previous night. They laid there for half a minute before Rainbow broke the silence. “Did that really happen?” “Yes,” Twilight answered. “…I do not like that other you very much.” “Neither do I.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash were on the road again, but unfortunately it was one of those incredibly uncomfortable walks where neither of them wanted to talk to each other. Rainbow Dash soon broke the silence. “So, uh…” “I don’t want to talk about it right now Rainbow,” Twilight said with a sigh, “I’m so sick of all this happening, with the horrible creatures and alternate personalities. Promise me you won’t introduce me to any of yours in the future, please Rainbow.” “Well, if I ever get incredibly stressed out to the point that I try to hypnotize a whole town with a doll and develop a split personality, you’ll be the first one to know,” Rainbow replied with a smile. “I thought we were past that Rainbow.” “I’ll be past it when it stops being funny.” Twilight licked her lips in thought before smiling at Rainbow. “I thought your little freak out during the Best Young Fliers competition was pretty funny in hindsight.” “…I don’t like this conversation anymore.” “Oh don’t be a poor sport Rainbow, we need some laughs after everything that’s happened.” “I was really freaking out at the time Twilight. Sure we can consider them small potatoes now, but it was rough at the time.” Twilight didn’t answer for a while and when Rainbow turned to look she saw Twilight’s eyes were ever so slightly watery. “I wish we could go back to those days, where all we had to worry about on daily basis was Pinkie’s next party and learning a friendship lesson at some point,” Twilight said as some tears slipped by, “Then that stupid magic wave happened and everything just fell apart.” “Hey hey, don’t say things like that. It’s not all that bad,” Rainbow said and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “How?” The million bit question. Rainbow didn’t answer immediately as she thought it over before silently admitting, yes it was pretty bad. “Well,” Rainbow started, “we’re still alive right now, and I’m sure the others are rooting for us even if they don’t know the exact reasons.” Rainbow then flew in front of Twilight and said, “And you got me, and I’ll stay with you for as long as this takes.” “But how long will it take?” Twilight asked and sat down on the side of the road. Rainbow landed next to Twilight and, after a minute of letting Twilight cry her frustrations a little, carefully placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You want a hug?” Twilight nodded after a second and moved to hug her pegasus friend. The two held the gesture for a good few minutes with Rainbow stroking Twilight’s back. “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, I just…” “Needed to vent right? If what that other you said is true, then it’s probably really important to do that now.” “I guess. Thanks Rainbow Da-“ Twilight was interrupted by her stomach growling loudly. She quickly pulled away and rubbed her leg with an embarrassed laugh. “I guess it’s time for lunch huh?” Rainbow was about to answer when her own stomach growled. “Yeah, I guess it is. When was the last time we ate?” “Two days ago I guess,” Twilight answered as slipped her saddlebags off her back and started to search through them. “We’re going to have to stock up again soon, but until we have plenty of alfalfa.” “Guess we’ll have to worry about money soon too,” Rainbow commented and set her own bags on the ground. “Want some peanut butter?” “I’d like that, thank you.”