//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Remembrance {RE-EDITED} // Story: The Poisoned Barb // by ManlyDerp //------------------------------// After much internal debate, I’ve decided to split this discussion into two passages instead of simply one. I think I’ve covered The Stacked Multiverse theory in enough detail that you now have a good idea as to what it is that I am attempting to explain to you; that all fictional stories are non-fiction when you take the multiverse into consideration. I’ve explained it well enough, I feel, but I’ve overlooked a crucial step. The vital step to which no iteration of the scientific guessing game is complete without. I’ve neglected to provide the proof necessary to back up my claims. How I know that what I am writing about is, in fact, truth instead of fiction. I’ve claimed that I’ve been reincarnated, which I’ve attempted to prove through the sharing of my memories. I’ve claimed that I was once an adult, which I’ve attempted to prove through the demonstration of my mental capacity and my writing style. These have been my methods so far, but I’m afraid for you to believe my latest "tall-tale" we must now journey further into my past than what we’ve done prior. This might prove to be the hardest entry for me to produce. I’ve handled myself well so far in this journal, keeping my emotions mostly in check, but the fact remains that it has only been seven years since I last saw my beloved family. Seven long and painful years. The scars their absence have left in my heart might as well still be fresh for all the good the time has done for me. Not being able to see my son grow, or hold my new grandchild in my arms, still haunts me to this day, and simply imagining how my husband had to coup-, no. I won’t dwell on it any longer. Not because I have moved on, but because I fear that continuing to write about it will only succeed in turning me into a useless crying mess. The point I am trying to make is that this will not easy for me to write. This is not easy for me to relive. This is painful, this is borderline torture, but I will continue on regardless of my own personal feelings. As silly as it might seem to you, and as pointless as you might feel it is; I still truly wish to help another like me. I truly wish to give this second life of mine meaning, to give it purpose beyond simply being. Why I remember what I do, why I am cursed as such I may never know... But writing this journal, sharing my life, proving that I’m real, preparing others, and giving someone else hope; I feel that it will all be worth the pain. Worth all the heartache. Please accept my words as truth. Please don’t allow my tears to have been shed in vain... ... Now then, in a humorous juxtaposition, lets now talk about a more lighthearted subject; films. Films are a rather new entertainment medium to ponies at the time of this writing, having only just been introduced here in Equestria no more than fifteen years ago today. Many creative ponies have been fast at work in this time, stretching the newborn industry for all it’s worth; creating films that range from educational to slice-of-life pieces to even play adaptations. The sheer progress films have made in their short life, growing to the point where even small towns host at least one movie theater, is, simply put, amazing. It look Earth nearly twice as long to reach the same point. Yes, films exist on my home planet. They had existed there well before even I was born, in fact. The first time that is, obviously. Earth, as I’ve mentioned prior, either lacks a magical field or possesses one that is significantly weaker than the one encompassing Equus’ dimension. I wasn’t, and still am not a magically attuned individual, so I’m afraid I can’t give you a straight answer concerning this. I’m ever so sorry. Either way; because humanity lacked access to this field the entire race instead evolved towards favoring tools when it came to accomplishing difficult tasks. Thousands of years of evolution have made us humans quite well versed in the use and creation of tools, to the point where new inventions were still being regularly created. Maybe I’ll talk more about the subject of technology, and perhaps on human society in general, at a later date once this journal inevitably becomes a diary, but for now let us simply focus on films. The medium, or at least a spawn of it, will become quite relevant soon here, I assure you. Films on Earth began, humorously enough, much in the same way as to how they came to be here; through the use of horses. The art of capturing multiple still images to produce the illusion of movement was discovered in Equus during an intense competition between a group of Saddle Arabians. It was discovered on Earth during a similar competition between a group of horses, and it was discovered in much the same way; accidentally. Many pictures were taken at once to see who had beaten whom at what margin of a nose, the photographer was shocked to discover that the images appeared to be moving... and the rest is history. History I’m actually surprised that I even still remember after all these years. The minds a funny thing when you think abou- ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ “... Wait, wouldn’t that be ‘the souls a funny thing when you think about it’?” I ask myself in a hushed whisper, squinting at the page before me in the soft glow on my dragonfire lit candle. “I mean, mine’s not really the same mind anymore... even though I remember everything from the old mind… and even though I’m still as smart as an adult, despite my new mind still developing and… and...” I start to feel a pressure building up behind my eyeballs as a headache begins to form. “Bleh. Okay, fine. Forget it. Magic, I guess. Magic magic magic...” ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ The history of film isn’t the point of this entry, however, and its contribution to it is actually minimal in the grand scheme of things. My point in bringing it up is simply because, of all the spells and inventions that I've bared witness to on this planet, film is perhaps the closest thing Equus has ever come to the human invention known as television. Television, described in the simplest way possible, is a miniature film device, about the size of a large radio system, capable of receiving new films in the same manner as to how a radio receives news bulletins and the latest music. Yes, as impossible as it might seem, the film industry will eventually grow to the point where movies can be produced at such a dizzying rate... Once this happens your definition of "films" will need to be adjusted, however. Not all of them will be movie length or even rely on physical actors to play roles, after all. Those miniature animations currently being played at the start of films? With those little make-believe illustrations of talking beverages and candy rapidly being flipped in front of a camera, making them appear as though they are real? While time-consuming and unprofitable to produce at the moment, in the future there will come a time when they can be made cheaply. Once this happens they will find their way into televisions across Equestria and entertain many ponies, mostly children. These children will go o- I feel the need to now report that I, after having finished writing these last few pages, just giggled. I find humor in what I just did; spending a good chunk of my time explaining to you, dear reader, the evolution of film and the workings of television. This is humorous, you see, because this would have been the proper thing to do if I was planning on having another to read this journal of mine in the near future... Since this is not my goal, however, this means I have just wasted your time. More likely than not this journal will only fall into the hands or hooves of another when they storm my dragon keep, five hundred years from now, and find only the corpse of an elder dragon. It is safe to assume that, by then, Equus’ technology will have advanced far enough to include wonders unseen on even Earth’s surface. The only thing I’ve accomplished with my ramblings is further credit my otherworldly knowledge and successfully avoided talking about my family. Maybe this is fin- I can explain witho- I don’t want t- Please allow m No more. I will be strong for their sake, and my own. My daughter, when she was a seven-year-old child herself, used to watch one of these "films" off of the television. She used to love watching it; she used to love the toys, she used to love the characters, she used to love the stories... She used to love watching it with her mommy most of all. This "film", what humans call a cartoon, was titled My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic. You might have a few questions now. First of all, yes. As the name suggests, the cartoon was about ponies; the same kinds of ponies that exist here in Equus, in fact. No, I’m not speaking about the kinds of ponies that exist on Earth; the characters illustrated in that show were clearly Equus equestrians. The cartoon even took place in the, in their own words, magical land of Equestria. Yes, our Equestria. It was our Equestria to a tee; equally ruled over by god-like beings capable of moving celestial objects and whose population primarily consisted of ponies of the three tribes. It was even accurate down to the askewed gender scale, favoring one over the other. Humans know about this our world. They’ve known about it for well over twenty years. More importantly, I knew about this world long before I was even born here. This is because I watched the show alongside my daughter and thus unintentionally became prepared for this new life of mine. The show was a slice-of-life-style series in which the characters lived out their lives in Equestria, learning new lessons every episode. From these lessons the target audience, children, learned the lessons as well. Despite it being aimed at children though the show was written in such a way as to be entertaining to adults as well. I think there were more adult watchers than children at one poin- This wasn’t my reason for watching it though, as cute and fun as I remember certain episodes to be. No, I watched it because, although my little Ashley loved the show, she was scared of the villain introduced in the first episode. Nightmare Moon was her name; a black alicorn mare with a frightening laugh who frightened my daughter in her first appearance. Although I assured her time and time again that it was make-believe, and even though the mare was turned back into a good pony by the end of the two-parter, my little Ash wouldn’t listen. She fell in love with the six main ponies introduced in the introduction episodes and wanted to watch more of them, but the threat of Nightmare Moon’s return kept her up at night. Literally. Thus it was up to me, super mommy, to protect her from the big bad boogiemare. Nightterror Nebula invokes a similar reaction in the hearts of Equestrian foals. This is not coincidental, for they are one and the same. “From Dashing to Daring,” is what I wrote last entry, to give an example as to how the multiverse functions and how it relates to us. Keep this in mind now as I move on to tell you the obvious; reality is large. Inconceivably large. Out of all the worlds I could have been reborn into the fact that it was one I vaguely recognized is astounding, borderline suspicious. It’s not quite the same as the one shown on television, however; that much is certain. To believe that it’d be the same world as the one commonly portrayed is nothing more than wishful thinking, I’ve learned. Even if I were to have been reborn as the Barbara that exists within the show, that Equestria would cease being the one seen from Earth; my mere existence guarantees this fact. Nightterror Nebula would still return, so too would the spirit of disharmony many months later. Changelings would still ruin a royal wedding, and the Crystal Empire would still be rediscovered. These events would still all occur, but it would not be through the eyes of the same dragoness. It would not be through a dragoness’ eyes at all, in fact, but instead a drake’s. Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Spike; Nightterror Nebula, Prince Solaris, Dusk Shine, Barbara. These ponies, and one dragon, are all the same, yet they are also people who have never met. Creatures who unknowingly see each other every day within the reflection of a mirror, but remain strangers. My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic, is a show about mares. Mares who are stallions here. This is how I know that what I know about the multiverse is true. My proof in all this? That which can guarantee to you that my words are true? Simple; request an audience with Prince Solaris. Present to him this book. Point out the date written on the cover, and then read this entry aloud to him. He will know that what I have written thus far is true, I know he will. Although the passage that proves this may be hidden from your eyes it will not be from his. If for one reason or the other it does not, as unlikely as such a thing is to me, then this next line will cast all doubt aside for him. Dusk was not your first in this generation. I’m sorry that you will have to rely on an outside source to believe my words fully and truly, but I’m afraid it is the only way. If you do not need this guarantee, having grown to trust me, take heart in knowing that I am grateful. From here- I feel that I have lingered on this subject for far too long. These next few entries, unless another topic ends up catching my fancy, shall return to being a narrative of my early life; to prepare you for the hardships you might find yourself enduring after death. The point of these past two entries was to simply arm a fellow reincarnee with the knowledge that the world they now inhabit exists as fiction in another realm. Maybe even their own, if they are lucky. I didn’t know this truth originally, having been blind to it when in retrospect it was obvious. I was surrounded by ponies. I was in a land of magic and wonder. I was a small purple lizard, yet the realization that I was in Equestria didn’t occur to me until I learned how to pronounce it in Equestrian. It was then that everything clicked, and it was then that I performed my first facepalm as a dragon. Knowing where you are and what is to come, retroactive precognition, is, next to your own soul, the most valuable thing you have left to your name. So then, that having been said; read. Read everything good, bad, and perhaps horrid as well. If reincarnation is what you fear, immerse yourself in story after story. Old, new, paperback, hardcover, pop-up, film, theater, radio play, foal's scribble, even coloring book. Arm yourself with knowledge, regardless of the source. As cliché as it might sound, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. You might end up living there someday.