//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Eclipse of an Eternity // by The Producer //------------------------------// Alright guys, as with the last story, the updates will range from weekly to day-to-day. I predict that my posting frequency will be around every other day. Also, if you want to say something to me and you forget to say it in one post, please edit that one post under edit. ================================================================================================= A figure stirred on a riverbank, groaning and twitching as it got up. It was a stallion. He wandered over to the riverside, gazing at his reflection. It was greeted by a burnt orange mane and eyes with a black coat. He huffed a few strands of his hair our of his face, and surveyed the area. There was a large tree across the road that winded behind him, so there was only one way to go: forward. But where was forward? The stallion looked into the waters again and looked at himself. His hoof went up to touch his face. "Who am I?" He couldn't remember anything about who he was, or what he was doing on the road. It wasn't until a probing hoof reached up to the top of his head, and bumped a sore spot. The stallion didn't flinch, but concluded that he probably had amnesia. He scanned the sky, and saw that it was the morning, the sun peeking out from the horizon. The stallion looked around, trying to discern where he was. He was greeted by rolling hills, and the fain smell of apples. Wait, apples? He swung his large muzzle around, trying to catch a whiff of the elusive smell. The small tidbits led the stallion's eyes to a farm in the countryside, the path he was standing on currently winding it's way in a rough direction towards it. Around the farm was a massive apple farm. Deciding that it would be best to meet somepony soon, the stallion set off down the dusty path. Considering that he didn't actually have a pack, or provisions, he guessed that he wasn't very far from his home. Hopefully, he was heading home. --- --- --- Twilight woke up, and decided to gather the six around to tell them about the news. A few hours after sunrise, everypony was gathered in the Library to see what Twilight was going to say. Twilight entered the sitting room with a giant grin on her face, making everyone at ease from any concerns they might of had. Twilight said, "Girls, we have something big on our hooves." --- --- --- The stallion reached a crossroads between going to the farm he saw before, and a town just down the way, so the stallion went into the town, more ponies means more chances at being recognized. As he walked by a sign that said 'Ponyville', The black stallion felt the eyes of the numerous mares that lined the street rake over his large body. More disturbingly, he saw some of the stallions check him out. And not to size him up for a fight. --- --- --- Applejack was the first one to talk after the news. "Welll, that's just fahn with me, sugarcube! Even if there is a low chance of it to actually work, ah think that it's good enough to just hope." Rarity nodded along with the farmpony. "You are quite right, darling. I think that even if we just got one day with him, we would all be just a bit happier." Pinkie Pie practically exploded with energy as she bounced around the library. "And if he does come-oh I hope he does- then I can throw a 'yay you saved everyone in equestria' party for him, and he would be happy, and we would be happy because he wasn't dead anymore, and he would be happy because he wouldn't be dead anymore-" Pinkie Pie stopped suddenly, and said, "There's a newpony in town. My pinkie sense hasn't lied to me yet!" She suddenly zipped away through the doorway and went into the town. As the door slammed shut behind her, Twilight shrugged her actions off as Pinkie Pie just being Pinkie Pie. Deciding that Pinkie's departure was a good time as any to disband the meeting. Twilight said, "Well, that's all I wanted to tell you. Thanks for coming by." --- --- --- The black coated stallion neared a fountain in the middle of the town, water merrily bubbling out of the faucets and falling in a main area. He looked into his reflection and looked at his straight, wild-worn hair. It didn't have any styling to it, it just limply hung to the side, like they wore them back in the primal age. Whipping the burnt orange strands that fell into his eyes, he saw in the reflection a shockingly Pink pony standing next to him, a giant smile stretching the features of her face. She drew in a mighty gasp of air, and shrieked before blasting off away from him. He cocked an eyebrow up and muttered under his breath, "Well, at least I like that reaction better..." She didn't take to time to ogle him before she zipped off to wherever she was going. Even if she was exceedingly creepy, the stallion was a bit more comfortable with her seemingly platonic actions. He huffed into his hair, and turned to try and talk to some of the ponies to see if he lived here, or, possibly, a place to sleep. --- --- --- Pinkie Pie exploded into Twilight's library, shooting out a stream of seemingly unending questions as she did, "Hey twilight, I just saw that new pony, it was a Stallion! He's really big and tall-I wonder if he's bigger than big-mac! Hey Twilight, you hear of a new pony coming to live here? Would you know where that certain pony would live, would ya? Would ya?" Twilight blinked once, letting her now-delayed hearing catch up from the verbal onslaught from the pink party pony. Once she got the full implications of what Pinkie said, she replied with, "Actually no, I don't remember hearing about any new ponies from either Mayor Mare, or from regular gossip. So, I can't say where he would be living. Sorry, Pinkie." Pinkie's smile went from face-shattering to muscle-straining as she said, "Then how could I figure out where he lives? Or what's his name?" Twilight didn't even think twice about Pinkie not thinking of the most obvious answer. "Well Pinkie, for a start, you could talk to him. It would be much easier to get those answers from the pony himself." Pinkie let out a long, drawn-out, "OOOOooooohhhhhh..." Before rocketing off out of the Library again. Twilight shook her head as she went back to cataloging the Library. --- --- --- The black stallion wandered down a random walkway. His ears perked up at the sound of many ponies walking around, the talk between a buyer and a seller, and the smell of freshly cooked food. His stomach growled explosively, letting the black stallion know about its displeasure of being left empty. He halfheartedly walked into the square where the market was situated. As he walked about the perimeter of it, he was whistled over by a kindly looking earth pony mare standing behind an apple stand. When he meekly walked up to the stand, the earth pony said, "Now, ah know ah see a new pony in town when I see one. Whut's yer name, partner?" The stallion cringed, he didn't even think about who he was, or what he had been doing before he had lost his memory. He said, "I actually don't know. Last thing I remember is seeing a tree fall onto me." The earth pony smiled, and walked around the stand, slapping him on the withers as she said, "Don' worry none, sugarcube. Ah think ah have somepony in mind who can help you with yer problem." The stallion cocked an eyebrow, and asked "And who would that be?" The farm pony said, "Ah'm surprised that you don't remember her name... Or maybe its cuz yew have amnesia." The mare smiled sheepishly up at the black draftpony. "Oh well, lets just get goin'." The stallion said, "Wait, what about your stand? I wouldn't want to make you lose any sales today." The farmpony brought her two front hooves up to her lips, and blew. After the sharp whistle, a large red draftpony arrived and sat behind the counter. The Farmpony teased him by saying, "Hey Big Mac! We've got a pony that might pass yew in the size department!" Big Mac swiveled his head and looked the black stallion up and down. All he said in reply was, "Eeeeyup." As they walked away in the same direction that he came in, the farm mare introduced herself, "Looks like ah fergot to introduce mahself. Mah name's Applejack." The stallion nodded, and said, "Nice to meet you, Applejack." The rest of the trip to the Library was spent in silence, the stallion not having the initiative to start a converstion and Applejack not thinking of anything to say to an amnesiac. When they arrived at the Library, Applejack walked through the door, and shouted, "Hey, Twilight! Ah need yew to come here fer a second!" There was a little yelp, and the thumping of something heavy followed by a door swinging open in the hallway above the stairs. Twilight said, "Applejack! Could you knock before coming in, please? You almost made me flatten Spike." Applejack looked genuinely sorry for what happened, but said, while motioning with her hoof towards the black draftpony standing next to her. "Hey Twi', here's the newpony in town. He says that he can't remember anythin', so could yew do some of yer fancy magic to see if he has amnesia?" Twilight took in the large, worried looking stallion standing before her, and said, "I don't think it would be problem, give me a moment." She looked him over once again, and she said, "Now, if you could just stay still for a second, that would help a lot." The stallion nodded, and stood stock-still as Twilight's horn lit up and his head got that same glow that the unicorn's horn had. After a few seconds of feeling lightheaded, the magic shut off, and Twilight's horn died down. She said, "Yeah, you definitely have amnesia. Seeing that you don't know where you came from, the only thing to do now is to just help you get a regular life going until your memories eventually come back. Right now, you need a name." Right then a Pink ball of energy blasted in through an open window. The large stallion's ears flicked over to the rapidly approaching mare, but was too late to get out of the way. Before he knew it, the stallion was on his back with a loud thud, and a babble of words in his ears. "Hey there Mr. Mystery Stallion! What's your name!? My name's Pinkie Pie! Where do you live? Do you like cupcakes? Where did you live before you came here? What's up with your cutie mark? How'd you get it?" The big black stallion blinked and just got out, "What." Before the pink pony on top of him was pulled off by Twilight. Getting up from the floor, Applejack explained everything to Pinkie. Pinkie's face went sad for a moment, and she said, "Oh no! I wouldn't ever want to forget all of my friends completely! I know so many, I would feel so alone!" Her face perked up as realization dawned on her face. "I know what we can do! We can throw you a party! We can have streamers and balloons and hats and cake! But... what would we call you?" The stallion stood with a sad expression when Pinkie asked the last question. Pinkie saw the expression, and walked over to him to hug him about the shoulders. She said, "Don't worry. We'll help you get your memory back. All we need to do is see what your good at, and then have you do it! Maybe that'll get you remembering who you are." Twilight walked over to the side of the big stallion, looking at his cutie mark with curiosity. She said, "If we can figure out just what you're good at."