//------------------------------// // Painful memories // Story: Fullmetal Pony // by clearshot01 //------------------------------// I finally convinced Pinkie to go home to Sugarcube Corner and to pretend that she'd been there all day (She only agreed once I made it sound like a game, she was more than happy to after that) while Spike and I brought Christian to the library. When we got there, I heard Twilight talking to Applejack. “Are you sure that's a good idea AJ?” “Why ah'm more than sure Twilight. I'm absolutely positive. They should earn their keep after all, and this place is too small for you to have any more guests”. They stopped talking when I came in the door with the semi-conscious Christian. “Well, this is the second time I've jumped out a window in front of Princess Celestia. At least this time, I wasn't too teriffied to actually say something to her”. They both looked at me with mixed reactions. Finally, Twilight asked “What exactly did you say Stephen? I hope you didn't insult her....." The look in her eyes was enough to convince me that if she thought I had insulted her, even indirectly, I was a dead man. “Basically, I said sorry ma'am, but I had things to do, and that's when I jumped out the window”. She seemed to accept my explanation, although she looked like she was about to blow a gasket. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Twilight went to see who was there and I caught the words “Princess Celestia” before I headed for the window with Christian, only to find they had suddenly locked. I turned around to see her staring at me with a look of amusement on her face. And then she spoke. “So, I take it you're the two newcomers who've been causing trouble for everypony at the hospital. And may I ask why you're staying at my faithful student's home?”. Suddenly, I got a really bad headache, and I started seeing...memories. But I wasn't the only one seeing them, judging by the looks on everypony's faces. It was as if the memories were a movie and I was the projector. Pretty short film, it just showed me and Christian getting knocked out, then me waking up in the hospital, and then it was over. My headache immediately disappeared after that. And then I fell asleep... I woke up to hear Twilight talking with Princess Celestia. Applejack had gone home, and Christian was still asleep. “Hmm, I see, and you say he is from another reality?” “Yes, and we're trying to figure out how he could've gotten here And I'm also the one who made him that metal arm he uses”. I walked in at that moment and they both turned to look at me for a second, and then Princess Celestia continued. “I see, well, don't worry, I hereby pardon your new friends of any and all misdimeanours they may have comitted since their arrival. However, I want you and your friends to keep a close eye on them my faithful student, just to make sure they stay out of trouble”. I was about to say something, but Twilight gave me a look, and I smartly kept my mouth shut, although I still had a question to ask the princess. I decided to go outside and wait until she had finished speaking. I brought my sword, feeling that if it appeared when I arrived, then I should learn how to use it. The only problem... How in the name of Celestia and Luna am I gonna use it? Am I gonna hold it in my mouth? Or what? I then remembered what Twilight had said to me when she taught me how to levitate my breakfast. Ok, all I need to do is adapt that so that I levitate the blade instead. Simple. I focused as hard as I could, imagining the blade sliding out of its sheath and floating in front of me. I felt as well as saw my horn glow and then my blade was in front of me. “Quite impressive, I must say, young Stephen”. I turned to see none other than Celestia herself looking at me in a way that suggested that she was impressed. I immediately lost my focus and dropped the blade. “Uh, thank you ma'am. Although I think I still need to work on my concentration. After all, if I can get distracted enough to drop it after recieving a compliment, no doubt I'll drop it in a fight, and that's where I really need to keep my focus”. She laughed and for a second, I saw something weird. I could've sworn that I saw my mom standing where Celestia was. But then the illusion ended, and my mom disappeared. Celestia looked at me with a puzzled expression. “What's wrong? You looked lost for a second”. “I'm sorry, I-I have to go”. And I ran, ran before the painful memories could surface. I ran and didn't stop until I was just too tired to run anymore. And then I began to weep, remembering the most painful days of mine and my sister's lives. The deaths of our parents. I wept until there were no more tears. Afterwards, I just lay down and slept.