//------------------------------// // ...Wanting to Remember // Story: Tenna // by Listener //------------------------------//          Tenna stirred, reaching her hooves up to her face to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Stretching slightly, she opened her eyes slowly, and was surprised to see not her bedroom at the farm, but something completely different. Sitting up, she looked around herself. There was a window right next to the bed, which she could see most of Ponyville. Looking down at herself, she also realized that if anyone looked in, they would see her as herself and quickly shut the blinds. “Oh, you’re awake! That’s good. Twilight was worried that you wouldn’t wake up for a day or two.” Tenna’s breath hitched, and she whirled around towards the entrance to the room only to see a slightly familiar purple baby dragon standing there. “Woah, sorry Tenna, I didn’t mean to scare you. Um... I’ll go grab Twilight.” Spike said, turning and leaving Tenna alone again. Twilight... Memories of the night before flitted through her mind, but she couldn’t piece any of it together... Tenna’s head hurt. The sound of hooves coming up the stairs caused Tenna to look back up to see Twilight entering the room, her hair messed up. She dove under the covers, trying to hide. “Tenna. I can still see you. I’m sorry about last night, but could we talk face to face.” “I-I don’t want to.” “Why not?” Tenna didn’t respond. “Tenna, if it’s about what you look like, you don’t have to hide it. I’ve already seen you this way, remember?” Twilight said, trying to reason with Tenna. The lump under the covers slowly emerged, until Tenna was looking at Twilight, who had moved up closer to the bed. The first thing Tenna saw was her mane, which was sticking up in random places. Tenna stifled a giggle, as it looked ridiculous. Twilight noticed. “Yeah. I ended up sleeping on the couch, so excuse my hair. I didn’t want to wake you up, and my hairbrush is up here.” She said, going over and levitating said brush out of an unpacked box. Quickly sorting her mane out, she smiled awkwardly up at Tenna. “So... Sorry about last night. I didn’t realize how...” She paused, trying to think of the right word. “straightforward I was being last night. Are you okay?” Tenna nodded, confused. “Wait... Wh-what happened?” “You don’t remember?” “N-No...” “I was asking you some questions when you blacked out.” Twilight explained, omitting what Tenna had said, and her conversation with Tech afterwards. “I-I what?” Twilight sat down next to Tenna, causing the bed to shake a little. “Tenna. I was wondering. Why don’t you want to be yourself around others?” Tenna looked at Twilight, her eyes displaying a sadness that words couldn’t express. “I’ve... I’ve been alone for a while. Every-Everytime I tried to be myself around them... I... I-” Tenna cut off, tears threatening to fall. Twilight scooted over, giving Tenna a hug suddenly. Sighing, she smiled softly. “I will be the first to admit the ponies aren’t as perfects as we like to think ourselves. While there are some ponies that are cruel, there are others that are accepting.” “I... I just can’t.” Tenna said, refusing to look Twilight in the eyes. Twilight let the hug drop, before getting back up off the bed and climbing down the stairs. “Well, I’m sure you’re hungry. Spike made breakfast downstairs, and I was wondering if you would answer some of my questions over food?” Twilight asked. “I promise that this time that I won’t push anything that you don’t want to answer.” Tenna nodded slowly, before getting out of bed and following Twilight down the stairs and into the kitchen. The entered the room as Spike was finishing setting up the table, with him setting down a bowl of oatmeal on the oak table. “Thanks Spike. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Twilight said, rubbing the baby dragons head lightly. “Aw, come on Twilight. You know that annoys me...” Spike said, escaping to the other side of the kitchen table. Giggling, Twilight nodded. “I know.” Spike stuck his tongue out at Twilight and sat down at the table, pulling the oatmeal over to him and sticking some in his bowl. Tenna giggled softly at the antics of the both the purple unicorn, and the purple baby dragon. “Take a seat Tenna. Do you like oatmeal?” Twilight asked, taking a seat of her own. Sitting down slowly, Tenna nodded. “I-I think so.” Twilight nodded, and put some in a bowl for Tenna. Tenna thanked Twilight and started to eat. “So, Tenna. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Tenna looked up, wary. “I won’t push this time. I promise.” Taking a deep breath, Tenna nodded. “Great! Now. Do you know what you are?” Tenna shook her head. “Do you know why you can change?” Tenna shook her head again. Twilight slowed down and paused for a bit. “Maybe I’m asking the wrong questions. Tenna, what do you remember?” Tenna looked down. “My-My name... And how to change...” “That’s it?” Tenna nodded. Twilight smiled a bit and reached over and patted Tenna’s hoof. “Tenna, it sounds like somebody has blocked your memories. It should be a rather simple process to unblock them.” Tenna looked at Twilight. “Yo-You can do that?” Twilight nodded and motioned down to her cutie mark. “The table is in the way at the moment, but my cutie mark shows that my special talent is magic itself.” Tenna looked at Twilight, hope in her eyes. “With your permission, maybe we could get you your memories back right now.” “Y-You don’t have to prepare?” “Nope. It’s a rather simple spell, actually. You see Tenna, it’s hard to force something that should be there to hide. All it needs is a slight energy boost to break free.” Twilight stood up, and walked around the table. “Would you like me to unblock them?” “Ye-Yes.” “Okay. I’m going to need you to stand and face me. This spell requires direct contact of my horn on your head.” Tenna stood up, and faced Twilight. “I’m going to start the spell. You can’t move, okay?” Tenna nodded. “Okay.” With a blink, Twilight’s horn started to glow, and she slowly placed her horn on Tenna’s forehead. Tenna blinked, and her eyes started to glow a ghostly green, as Twilight’s began to light up white. After a minute, Twilight broke contact, sitting down hard. Tenna stood there, searching her mind for any memories. There were none. “Twi-Twilight. I still can’t re-remember anything.” Twilight looked up, dreading the news that she was going to have to give Tenna. “Tenna... I don’t know how to tell you this, but your memories...” She paused, and took a deep breath. “Your memories. They aren’t just blocked. They’re missing. Gone.” “But... But...” “All I could sense was fragments, as if whoever wanted to erase them was distracted.” Tenna looked at Twilight. “Is there-is there anything you can do?” “I’m sorry Tenna, but all that’s left are pieces, scattered so much that I can’t piece them together.” “It’s... It’s as if there is nothing but dust and echoes.”