//------------------------------// // Prologue - Something's Coming... // Story: Memories Forgotten // by Ephraim Blue //------------------------------// Memories Forgotten By: Ephraim Blue Prologue - Something's Coming... ??? It's behind me, I can tell. I don't need to look back to know that it's there. It's been following me ever since I found out about it. I need to get away. I need to find a way to defeat it. Actually, I found out how to do that, but I cannot do it. But I know who can. I need to find her. She is Equestria's only hope. This is all my fault. All of it. If I have to take the blame for all of this, I will. This evil that's following me; it's my fault that it's free. Mine, and mine alone. I don't know this evil, but I know it's purpose. I learned that the hard way. This evil, it seeks out those who know about it. It will not rest until those who know about it are nothing but a blank slate. And that's why I have to run; because it is ultimately after me. It's getting stronger, that's for certain. It gets stronger by turning ponies into nothing. They are no longer who they seem to be after it gets them. They lose themselves, it seems to be. They become a part of the evil, and they do it's bidding. I shouldn't have done this. I regret every decision I've made up to this point. Leaving my comforting home of Ponyville for adventure, finding it, and releasing this evil. I'm probably not remembered at all back in Ponyville. After all, who would remember a stallion like me? I've been gone for about two years now, so it would be highly unlikely that any of them remember me. And now, our only hope resides in that small town. That's why I'm going back today. I should be there by the time the sun rises tomorrow, if not sooner. I know that she can help us all. Even if I haven't been heard from in two years, she certainly has. Everywhere I went, there was some kind of news about her. Two years ago, she inspired me to go and do something with my life. She taught me- no. She taught us not to sit around and hope that some of the royal guard will take care if it. This is all my fault. My fault that the rest of them fell to the evil. I never adventured alone, that was a fact before all of this happened. We were a crew of five that went on adventures together. The first one of us was Angel Wings; a pegasus mare with a long mane that curled at the tip with a matching tail. Her coat was an orange and her mane and tail were red. She was the one who got us all together and wanted us to go adventuring with her. She was always finding some way to get something more out of her life. After that night two years ago, she got us all together. Then there was Pitch Black; a blue pegasus stallion with a black and white mane and tail that split at the end. He was my best friend for the longest time. When Angel Wings got us together, he was at first against the idea of us leaving the comfort of his home just to experience some adventuring. But after some time, he eventually gave in and came with us all. The third member was my older sister, Clouded Hooves. Her mane an tail were a black color, and her coat was a bright white. She got her name for having her coat around her hooves a slight shade of gray mixed in. She and I were both earth ponies that had peaceful and quiet lives before this happened. The fourth was a unicorn stallion by the name of Dust Storm. He had a green coat and an orange mane. He was good at creating some wind currents that blew some clouds and dust around him. He had sometimes worked with the pegasi in Ponyville whenever they needed some help with moving the clouds around. But after a pegasus by the name of Rainbow Dash moved into Ponyville, they no longer needed his help. That's when he decided to join our group in case we needed his help. Then there was me. My name is Swift Hoof. My coat green, and my mane and tail were a dark shade of blue. I joined because my sister and friend did, and I didn't want to leave then to an adventure while I stayed back in Ponyville. We all traveled by hoof from town to town, occasionally grabbing new supplies, and always finding something new to explore. We always got some news about something happening in Ponyville. If it weren't for that news, I wouldn't be heading back. Anyway, we found this temple one day. We all went in, but eventually became separated. I may not know what the others went through, but I know what happened with me. I found a book full of ancient text. All of it was translated on another page that someone wrote down. The page was covered in big, red letters that read: DO NOT READ! Of course, being the adventurer I was, I didn't pay attention to them. I learned about the evil that slept whilst none knew about it. That's what caused it to awake. I moved away from the book, laughing a bit at the 'fantasy' I thought it was. Not long passed before I heard something following me. I turned around and saw a shadowy version of myself following me. I freaked out when it showed no sign of slowing. I ran down the hallway, hoping to get away. It continued to follow me as I ran through the temple. I eventually found my friends and told them about what I read and that it was chasing me. That was my biggest mistake, but I didn't realize it then. They laughed until they saw it for themselves. I backed away while they tried to face off the shadow version of me. Nothing worked on it; magic, flying, nothing. As soon as something made contact, it was absorbed. Nothing worked on it. And then the screaming came from the monster. As it did, a black fluid flowed from the floor around it and engulfed my friends. All flying did in the confined corridors was slow it down. The fluid flowed across the walls and dripped from the ceiling onto Angel Wings and Pitch Black. Once they were engulfed in the fluid, they changed. They didn't seem to care about anything anymore. Instead, they trudged forward like the creature, emotionless. I fled from them too, trying to get away from it all. I fled from town to town, trying to get them off my trail. But no matter where I went, they followed and did the same to all the townsfolk there. They all became emotionless and began to chase me as well. Ponyville is my last hope now. I've tired myself out all over the west side of Equestria, and I can't run for too much longer. She has to be able to help, or all of Equestria is doomed. Maybe I should have given in long ago. If I'm the only one who knows about it now, then it should stop after I give in to it. No! No, I can't. I can't take that chance. Besides, half of Equestria is under its influence. If what the book said was true, then the only way to defeat it is to- *SMACK*