//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Lights // Story: Duplicity // by Bullet25 //------------------------------// Dear Journal, I am writing in this journal, as I have nothing else to do. I don’t know what is going to happen, so I am writing my accounts of my time here. I’m also not sure if anyone, or I should say anypony, will be able to read this, since I'm writing in English… though that might not be such a bad thing. While it seems that both English and this “Equestrian” are spoken the same they aren’t written the same. My name is Lauren, I am from a planet called Earth, I seem to be in the body of a pony named Lyra, and I am currently locked in a holding cell inside Ponyville’s town hall. Some of the ponies here seem to think I’m something called a changeling. It’s funny how we have myths on Earth that seem to be real here, like unicorns and pegasi. I even found out that there are hydras and a cerberus. The three-headed dog from Greek mythology? The thing that guards the gates of the underworld? A real thing here apparently. So, about three days ago, I was in town alone. Bon Bon was still sleeping, and I figured that I’d go get some ingredients to make a nice breakfast. Well, I ran into some of Lyra’s friends, and of course, without Bon Bon there, I had no idea who these ponies were. I thought I avoided the situation, but I must have raised enough red flags for them to contact the authorities, because earlier today I was arrested by the sheriff for, and I quote, “The suspicion of being a disguised changeling or in league with them.” BULL. FUCKING. SHIT. Twilight has been talking to the sheriff and mayor all day, but they don't believe her that I'm not one of those changelings! She could have tried lying saying she, I don’t know, cast some spell that made me temporarily lose my memories or something. No. She goes and tells the truth, that I’m a being from another world in the body of Lyra… Yeah, because that doesn’t fit the description of a changeling. So, it looks like a have two options. One, figure out what Lyra did in the first place and reverse it, which I have had no luck with. Or two, be stuck in this holding cell until they do whatever it is they do to changelings, which does not sound like a pleasant option, since the changelings almost seem to be like terrorists here. I’m screwed. Well, I might as well start from the beginning. About ten days ago, my roommate, Bonnie, convinced me to see a psychologist. After seeing him, he suggested I see a hypnotist in town to try recovering repressed memories. ~~~ Ten days earlier ~~~ I knocked on the door to Teresa’s home. “Do you really believe in hypnosis?” Bonnie asked. “Ehh, sort of,” I replied. The door was opened by a kid who must have been no older than twelve. “Yeah?” The kid snapped. “Oh, is Teresa here? I was told to see her.” “Yeah, she’s downstairs waiting for you. Follow me.” We followed the kid into the house, which also served as the town’s library and Teresa’s office. The front of the house must have been the library, since there were nothing but books. Teresa was already waiting for us in her office. There were a couple of chairs and a couch. She was reading a book while sitting on the chair closest to the couch. “Sis, these two are here for you,” Sam said then went back upstairs, leaving us alone. “Oh hey, you’re lucky I had an opening on such short notice. Lauren, have a seat on the couch. Your friend can either have a seat, or if you wish, she can wait upstairs.” I sat on the couch and found that it was way too comfortable. “Nah, she’s staying here. She’s the one who wanted me to do all this, so she’s going to have to sit through it and see just how crazy I really am.” I waved my arms around in the air. “God I hate you,” Bonnie said while facepalming. “I don’t know why a psychologist would recommend you to a hypnotist anway. Hypnosis is so fake.” “Wow, I haven’t heard that a million times.” Teresa rolled her eyes. “Well, Lauren, why don’t you first tell me exactly what’s going on, Dr. Polmin mentioned something about repressed memories.” “He seems to think I am repressing some memories from a long time ago. Every so often, I get these visions of another world. It’s like our own, but the main difference is that there aren’t any humans, only horses,” I explained everything about the visions she wanted to know and also what had happened at the psychologist’s office. “Cool story,” she finally responded after just staring at me for a good minute. “Okay then, how about we get started? I think I might have an idea of what I’m looking for. Before we start though, I do need to warn you, the memories are usually blocked for a reason, and sometimes, bringing them back can be troublesome. Are you okay with that?” “Yeah, I guess.” “Okay then, lie back, close your eyes, and listen to my voice.” “Fine, but this couch is extremely comfy, so I might fall asleep.” “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. Now, take a deep breath in, hold it, and exhale. Deep breath in. Hold it. Exhale.” This went on for ten minutes… I think I even heard Bonnie fall asleep. “Now, Lauren, I want you to think back to the earliest vision you can remember. Really try and remember everything that was going on. What you were doing, what time of day it is, where you were, everything. The sounds, smells, sights. Do you remember?” “Yes.” “Good, where are you?” “I’m in my house.” “How old are you?” “Four.” “What are you doing?” “I’m in the living room playing with a doll.” “Is anybody else around?” “Yeah, my mother. She's reading a magazine on the chair.” “Try and remember the vision now.” “I’m playing with my doll then all of a sudden I’m in another house. I’m confused. My mom isn’t there. My doll is replaced by a bunch of blocks—they have symbols on them I don’t recognize. I’m crying ‘Mommy?! Mommy?!’ There’s a voice from the other room that I don’t recognize. ‘Lyra, what’s wrong?’ A horse walks into  the room, but it’s not a normal horse. It’s smaller and has a horn on its head. It’s also a teal color. It scares me, and I scream. I opened my eyes again and my mother is holding me. ‘Shh, Shh, Lauren, it’s okay now. Shh, Shh.” “Okay, Lauren come back to my voice. If I heard you correctly, the horse in your vision spoke and called you Lyra? And was colored teal?” “It seems so.” “Lauren, I want you to relax and tell me about the first memory that comes to mind about the visions.” “Okay, I think I have one. I woke up, sweaty and panicking from another nightmare. I am seven now. I go into my parents room. ‘Mom! Mom! Mom! I just had another bad dream.’ I am tugging at her bedsheet. ‘Mom! Mom!’ My dad wakes up. ‘Lauren what is it?’ he asks me. ‘Dad I had a bad dream.’ He mumbles something under his breath, and I only catch the word “mother” and “tell me sooner.” I ask him what he said, but he doesn’t answer. ‘Come on, let’s get you back to bed.’ “He brings me back into my room and sings me a lullaby. Once he’s done, he kisses my forehead, and we say goodnight to each other. ‘Goodnight, Dad.’ He leaves and keeps my door cracked so the hallway light shines in a little. “My mother must have been in the hallway. ‘Why didn’t you tell me anything about this before?’ he asks. ‘I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t know what you would think,’ My mother responds. ‘You know I’d love you no matter what, but I could at least have been prepared for this crap.’ He sighs. ‘I’m sorry, I should have figured she’d be doing the same thing. I mean, it’s been thirty years, and I have only regained very limited contact. Hell, it took me twenty years just to get my abilities back,’ she says. “I get back out of bed, curious about what they are talking about. ‘What happens now?’ he asks. ‘I don’t know, I’m hoping it just stays at visi– Lauren, honey, what are you doing out of bed?’ she asks me. ‘I heard you talking about me. I wanted to know why,’ I say. ‘It’s nothing honey.’ She puts her hand on my head. I look up and see a faint teal glow coming from her hand. I’m confused. I don’t know why I’m in the hallway. ‘Now, go back to bed, sweetie,’ my mom says. I go back to bed and fall asleep.” “Lauren, what did she mean by thirty years to regain contact and twenty to get her abilities back? Also tell me why you suddenly forgot why you were in the hallway.” “I don’t know and I don’t know. I just forgot why I was there.” “Okay, Lauren, I want you to relax again and let any memories that involve your mother doing odd things come to the surface.” “Um, there was a time I thought I knocked a vase that my mother loved over, and somehow it didn’t break. There was another time whe–” “So yeah, I’d hate to break up this little session, but do either of you see the light forming above Lauren right now?” Bonnie sounded concerned. I opened my eyes to see a light hovering about three inches from my face. “Um, guys? What’s going on?” “I have no idea. This has never happened before.” Teresa finally stopped writing on her notepad and examined the light from a variety of angles. “Lauren, are you okay? What are you doing?” “Me? I’m not doing anything. Jesus Christ that’s getting bright.” I slowly moved my head to the right to get from under the light and it followed me. “Well, it’s tracking me. Great.” I moved very fast to the left, falling off the couch and jumping up off the floor. The light zipped right above my head. “This is the last time I listen to one of your ideas, Bonnie. I could be home right now, practicing my guitar for the gig Friday, but no, I just have to go get my head examined. Well wonderful, now I have a floating, alien light above my head. You happy now?” “You didn’t have to listen to me! I was just worried about you! It’s not good to just space out in the middle of the day.” “Yeah, that’s why you made the appointment with Dr. Plomin behind my back, isn’t it?” “Okay, so mayb–” “Hey, I’d hate to break up the little catfight here, but it’s getting brighter and bigger. Lauren, is it hurting you at all?” Teresa asked, cutting off Bonnie. “No, it’s not even hot.” I looked up. Wrong move. “Note to self: don’t look into a light three inches from your face. Anybody have any ideas?” “I could try hitting it?” Teresa held up a book. “Fine, just don’t hit me.” Teresa threw the book… and missed from a foot away. “I can see you were on the softball team in high school.” “Shutup.” She picked up another book and tried swatting it like a fly. There was a thump the light moved about half an inch and went back to being over my head. “Let me try. I actually was on the softball team in high school,” Bonnie said, picking up the biggest book she could find. “Lauren, sit down. I want a better angle on it.” “Okay.” I sat down and Bonnie got into a batting stance–she swung, and there was a loud crack as the object embedded itself into the opposite wall. Though it wasn’t emitting light anymore, it looked intact. The book on the other hand had been broke  in half. “Does anybody have an explanation for the alien light ball?” “Should we call someone?” Bonnie asked. “Who? The police? ‘911. What’s your emergency?’ ‘Um yeah, this alien ball light thing just appeared over my head, and now it’s lodged in the wall.’ ‘Ma’am please don’t prank call 911’ click. Yeah, great idea.” “Guys…” “Well, I’m just trying to figure something out.” “Guys…” “Well, it’s not helping.” “Guys…” “Well, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas.” “Guys!” “What?”Bonnie and I yelled. “It’s–it’s glowing again.” I looked at the object and found it was indeed glowing again. It was already brighter than when it had been hovering above my head. “So, I’m going to get out of here before something bad happens. I don’t know about you two, but I don’t want to be here when this thing explodes.” As I started to turn around, the object zipped back above my head. “Okay great, if anybody needs me I’ll be outside, acting as the newest street lamp on the block.” “Lauren, would you quit being such a bit–” Bonnie’s sentence was cut short when the object suddenly flashed and I was knocked out. I could guess what she had been going to say, though. ~~~~~~ When I awoke, my head felt like it was on fire. I opened my eyes and couldn’t see anything. “Jesus christ, I’m blind! Guys? Hello? What happened?” “Lyra, calm down. The blindness is temporary. And stop yelling–you’re blind, not deaf.” That voice sounded like Teresa’s, but why would she call me Lyra. “Did you just call me Lyra? Really? After everything with that damn light and your stupid hypnosis, you’re going to call me something from a confusing repressed memory?” “Lyra, what are you talking about? We didn’t do anything with hypnosis. You and Bon Bon came to me to check som–” “Stop. Just Stop. What is going on? Lyra? Bon Bon? Oh my god, my head feels like it’s on fire.” I lifted my hand to my head, but when it made contact it didn’t feel quite right. “Holy shit, I don’t have fingers anymore!! Oh god, the ball exploded, didn’t it? Oh god! Oh god!” I would have kept going if it weren’t for a smack to the face. “Now, calm down. Lyra, I don’t know what happened, but it will be okay. You are safe in my house. Let me see if I can fix that blindness any faster.” I felt a tingle in my eyes and slowly started to see again. “Now, is that better?” I opened my eyes again. The first thing I saw was a smiling purple unicorn. I screamed. I looked down and saw not arms, legs, or skin but fur and hooves! I continued to scream. To my right, a small purple-and-green reptile was looking at me. “Twilight, is she going to be okay?” he asked. I kept screaming until I passed out for the second time that day.