Enigma woke up with a start. She was... in her bed. She was herself?
She jumped off the bed. The sheets moved. It looked like she existed right now.
She remembered what happened before she woke up... a little bit. She had been watching Twilight perform experiments. What was she experimenting on? A piece of paper... that Enigma had given her. It was one of Enigma's puzzles. A puzzle that shouldn't have existed. Not in the real world, at least.
So, what was she to do during this dream day? Big Mac; that was her target. She decided to seek him out and find him as soon as she could. Ponyville wasn't a big town, and there were plenty of ponies who would be able to point her in the right direction. She ate a small amount of dried fruit that she'd brought with her from Canterlot, then set out to find her mystery stallion.
She approached Lyra, seeing as her house was kitty-cornered and a little down the street, and she recognized the pony leaving her house. Enigma dashed to Lyra, saying, “L--” and catching herself; this pony wouldn't know who she was. She had caught Lyra's attention, though, and quickly cleared her throat before saying, “Hello! I'm new in Ponyville and heard that there was a pony who could offer me a couple of bits for a job he has open just today. His name is Big Mac, but he never got the chance to tell me where he lived. Would you please help me out?” She gave her cheesiest smile, hoping that Lyra wouldn't notice her terrible poker face.
“Uh... yeah.” She pointed at what looked like a farm on the outskirts of town. “Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Ah, thank you! Have a nice day!” Enigma dashed off once again, following the most direct route she could find to Sweet Apple Acres. The streets of Ponyville weren't too confusing, and she found her way to the road leading up to the massive farm that contained row after row of apple tree, all of varying colors. Would Applejack be here, too?
She approached a very elderly green pony with nothing but gray hairs in her mane who appeared to be telling a story to a small yellow filly with a bright red mane and a bow of the same shade to complement it. As she came closer, she caught what the green pony was talking about, “...and we stayed up three whole days and three whole nights a-whoopin' and a-hollerin' and a-scarin' those timber wolves back to the Everfree Forest where they came from... but, uh, that doesn't have much to do with cider-making. Why do the Apples make it better than any other pony, ya say? Well, I'll tell ya...”
“Um, excuse me.” Enigma felt bad for interrupting, but this green pony seemed prepared to keep going and going until another pony stopped her.
The yellow filly immediately focused all of her attention on Enigma and began rapidly speaking. “Well, hey there! Welcome ta Sweet Apple Acres! Mah name's Apple Bloom, and ah live here. We got the best apples in Equestria in this here orchard, and we'd be happy ta have ya sample some! Where ya from?”
“Oh, um, Canterlot. And my name is Enigma. I was actually wondering if Big Mac was available to talk. He works here, right?”
Apple Bloom became confused at the mention of Big Mac's name. “Big Macintosh? He's got a mare comin' to see him?” The filly immediately brightened and smiled mischievously at her question, saying, “Ooooohhhh, I get it. He's just workin' in the west field with Applejack. We gotta harvest the red galas before they go outta season, but... ah think he can afford ta take a little break to speak with ya.” She then winked conspiratorially, as if she and Enigma were in on a big secret.
Apple Bloom dashed off to fetch Big Mac...intosh. So that was his whole name, not Big Mac. Granny Smith slowly rocked back and forth, and after a short silence, she said, “Y'know, I remember when I was your age, chasing after young stallions who wanted me to move away from my family. Just remember that family's more important'n some wet-behind-the-ears colt who thinks he can buy yer affections, all right?”
Enigma nodded uncertainly. What did Granny Smith get into her head about this? Enigma was nowhere in the realm of possibility of finding Big Macintosh... cute. He wasn't a Twilight Sparkle by any stretch of the imagination.
A few moments later, the big red pony rounded the corner. Enigma started, because he looked a lot like the Cottontooth Enigma remembered. The kind, understanding Cottontooth. The Cottontooth that no longer existed. “Big Macintosh! I have a very important question to ask you. Do you have a moment?”
“Yyyep.”
“All right... do you recognize me at all?”
“... Nnnope.”
“Not in the faintest? Not the slightest inkling of recognition? Not the tiniest iota of familiarity?”
“Nnnope.”
Damn. Of course he didn't recognize her. She'd been fooling herself from the start. She wanted a pony to remember her, this dream version of her, not the real version that only existed in Cottontooth's head. She was just fooling herself, though; nopony would remember her.
This entire attempt at existence was pathetic. Enigma didn't exist; she never existed. What was she trying to convince herself of? That she was simply nothing, other than Cottontooth's imagination? If he didn't want her to exist, why did she exist? Why could he touch her sometimes, and not other times? Was she just trying to rationalize her pointless reason for existing?
A parade of emotions danced across Enigma's face as these thoughts raced through her head. She went from devastated to depressed to angry to depressed again to a very cold, solemn expression. She knew what her purpose was. “Thank you for telling me this, sir. I'm sorry you can't recall who I am, but I think I understand why. Have a fine rest of your day.”
Several minutes later, Enigma galloped into Ponyville. She ran straight for the library, resolved to continue what she'd started. She wouldn't give up after one day of minimal results. This was Twilight Sparkle's entire future and happiness at stake, and it was not to be taken lightly. She knocked on the door, which was opened by a little Spike saying, “Oh... hello. Did you need something?”
“Yes, please. Is Twilight Sparkle in?”
“Um... yeah.” There was a pause as Spike unlatched the door. “She's just studying right now. Not too busy.” Raising his voice a notch, he called, “Twilight!”
Twilight poked her head out from her room. “Yes? Oh, we have company?”
“Yeah, she says she wants to talk to you.”
“Oh, I'll be right down!” And in about two blinks of an eye, Twilight appeared in the middle of the library floor in a brilliant flash. Enigma was shocked that this beautiful mare was always so talented in everything she did. It boggled the mind, sometimes. “Yes? Oh, are you new in town?”
Okay, so don't come on too strong. “Sort of. I'm pretty familiar with the area, and with the ponies who live here, but nopony knows me. What I'm trying to get at is... all right, yes, I'm new. My name is Enigma. You know the stallion who has been hanging around the past two days, Cottontooth?”
“Well... yes. How did you know that if you're new?”
“Because we used to be friends. He used to be a good pony, but now he's just rotten to the core, as you've seen. My suggestion is to just stay away from him. He's just a lot of trouble.”
Twilight nodded slowly, taking all of this new information in. “He seems pretty creepy, yes. He's really that bad?”
Enigma nodded sagely. “As bad as a good pony can turn. We got along great as foals, but he grew up bitter and rude. I guess some ponies just turn out that way, him included.”
Twilight nodded her head happily. “Spike! Will you check our schedule, please?”
Spike dove into the cabinet with the calendar in it, pulling out the calendar and saying, “The next couple days are booked!”
Twilight looked up into the air thoughtfully before saying, “How does a week from today sound?”
Enigma said, “Sure!”
“Um... aren't you going to ask what for?”
Enigma hesitated. It probably wasn't wise to let on that she knew it would be tea... though it wouldn't matter if these days kept going like this. Still, it was good to be honest with Twilight. “It's tea, isn't it?”
Twilight looked genuinely shocked. “How could you tell that was it?”
“Well, look at my cutie mark.” Enigma nodded toward her flank. “I'm good at guessing games.”
Her duty for the day done, Enigma trotted happily back outside--
And suddenly, she came to on the floor of Twilight's laboratory. How long had she been out for? A few hours? It couldn't be; it was dark in the lab, however. She managed to find the staircase and clambered up to the door, where she closed her eyes and passed through it. She had the presence of mind to remember that she didn't currently exist.
Coming into the main area of the library, she noticed it was early evening. Okay, a few hours. After the disorienting experience she had in the laboratory, she was glad to be somewhere that she could get fresh air... if she even breathed in the real world. However, even more prominent than the time of day and air quality was the sudden abundance of flowers decorating the library. Bouquets of every shape and size adorned several of the shelves; there were at least seven or eight large groupings of flowers, and 12 or 13 smaller ones. A knock at the door which was answered by Spike provided Twilight with another small bouquet to make another shelf pretty.
The most apparent thing Enigma noticed on Twilight's was the look of annoyance etched into her face. “I just thought he would send the one and leave me alone! Who in the hoof sends an entire garden's worth of flowers to just one pony who doesn't even own a garden?”
“Aw, c'mon, Twilight, it's not that bad! Look on the bright side—at least now you don't have to go anywhere to eat! We can have dinner right here! And maybe he does things differently, but I think he's one-of-a-kind. Just give him a chance?”
“A chance at what? He's practically already forced me into this.” Twilight was still annoyed, but her expression had softened. “I mean, he seems really nice and all, but he's just not the kind of stallion I thought I might end up with someday. What's the point in dating a stallion you don't want to be with?”
Spike looked appalled at what Twilight had just told him. “Why wouldn't you want to be with him? He's great! He's caring, and makes sure you get everything you want, and... um...”
Enigma had had enough of this. It was time for her to make her move. She closed her eyes and walked through the door.
Just on the other side was another mare bringing flowers from the flower shop. She knocked on the door, Spike gracefully accepted more flowers, and the door was closed, the mare heading back for the next bouquet. Enigma followed her back to the flower shop, where she was almost certain Cottontooth was staging all of this.
This probably wouldn't even work. It was crazy, and stupid, and probably pointless. However, there was nothing else Enigma could do to alter this reality. It was her only shot.
Cottontooth was in the flower shop, placing another order for the mare that had just arrived after delivering the last bouquet. The mare busily took another little bouquet of flowers and made off to deliver them to Twilight's house once again. Enigma waited a few moments, and a stallion made it back and was once again dispatched. Then, a third pony, a mare. She left immediately with another bouquet, as well. The next pony was the mare who was here originally. So, three ponies all running bouquets of flowers to Twilight Sparkle. This was early in the day, as well. Could Cottontooth afford all these bouquets?
None of it mattered. He'd pointedly ignored Enigma since she walked in, and it was time for her to try to change things up. She walked directly in front of Cottontooth, looked deeply into his eyes, and said, “If you want me to stop harassing you, you'll talk to me. In private.”
Cottontooth waited a few moments, sending out another order with the mare before excusing himself to the restroom. He went into a secluded area and said, “All right, Enigma, what do you want?”
She hoped her poker face would hold. “Cottontooth... I'm sorry for how I've been acting towards you lately. I just saw Twilight getting all of your attention and I became... jealous. I don't like you showing your attention to any other mare. I want you to be with me, not her. It's all I've wanted since I can remember.”
Cottontooth's face was unreadable. He seemed to be considering something. After several long moments, he finally said, “I'm not going to stop pursuing Twilight Sparkle, you know. Whatever you are trying to offer, it won't matter. She is something tangible, something that actually exists, that I can touch and feel and know is there. I can't push you away, though. You've never let me in the past. Do what you feel is necessary, Enigma. I won't stop you.”
That was a cruel joke. He knew she couldn't interact with the world around her. Still, there was something she had on him, and those were her dream days, when she could interact with ponies. Now was the time to play her ace in the hole. “Did you know that I live in the dreams of ponies?”
“No. What do you mean by that?”
“Whenever you're asleep, I go through the entire day before that and see everything that goes on, but I can do things and you don't exist. Ponies remember what happens today, though, and they don't remember what happens when I'm around.”
“Uh-huh.” Cottontooth seemed nonplussed. “And how can you prove this? Will you tell me what happens in the future?”
Not so much of an ace. She cursed herself for thinking she had the upper hoof. “I can't. It's a different reality. Different things happen.”
Cottontooth rolled his eyes. “I find that hard to believe. I like that you're trying to validate your existence, but there's no possible way. If you existed... you're the perfect pony. But you don't, and Twilight Sparkle is as close to you as I'll ever get. I won't push you away, though. There's no point.”
She hurt inside, but she smiled and thanked Cottontooth for being so understanding. This stallion needed to be toppled from his throne. Even if it took Enigma sacrificing all of her happiness, Cottontooth couldn't have Twilight Sparkle. She tried to hug him and passed through him, giggling. Cottontooth seemed a lot more serious about it, stating it as his reason for being so hesitant about all this. Enigma simply told him not to worry, that they would find a way to be together.
She followed him around like a lost puppy the rest of the day. She was trying her best not to just scream profanities and buck him, and remember how important it was that Twilight Sparkle not end up with him. This was the last important thing for her to do.
That still said nothing for her sanity, though. The only friend she would ever be able to make was a rude stallion that was convinced she didn't exist. She could feel these horrible days slowly tearing away her reality, brick by brick. How long could she go on like this?
Nopony, not even Enigma, knew the answer to this riddle.
If I could, I would make a proper splash art for this story. Alas, I have not the skills, and thus, not the tools. Twilight looking at the moon is mysterious enough.
--Scootareader