“Ugh… hangovers suck. They really do.” Silverbolt groaned as she readjusted herself on the couch.
I think I’ll just relax here for a while… She glanced at the still-unpacked boxes. …Ugh, I’ll get those later. I can only put those off for so long.
“Well this is familiar.”
Silverbolt nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She snapped around in an instant, coming muzzle-to-snout with a… thing. An eldritch abomination of mismatched parts, the chimera lounging in the opposite chair flashed her a grin.
“It’s been a while, my dear!” Discord said. “Far too long for my tastes. How have you been?”
“Discord?!” she gasped, jumping up from her seat on the couch.
He chuckled as he threw his feet—er, paws and claws—up, resting them on thin air. “Glad to see you’re glad to see me! You’re just jumping with excitement.”
Silverbolt shook her head, trying to scoot as far back as she could. “Why are you here?! What does the chaos god want with me?”
“Ooh, seventy-four.”
“…What?”
“Oh, nothing,” he said. “I just keep track of all the times someone uses that line. It’s quite surprising how much people hate it when you barge into their homes on a whim.”
“…What?”
He shook his head, sending a hopeless stare her way. “Never mind that. Knowing you, it’ll just lead to twenty more questions, and I’m not in the mood to play. How have you been?”
Silverbolt gulped. Okay, she thought. I’ve heard about this guy. He just likes messing with people. I can handle this. Steeling her nerves with a deep breath, she responded. “I’ve been… fine. Now can I ask why you’re here? What do you want from me?”
The draconequus pushed his hands to his chest in mock-offense. “Why, I’m offended! Can’t I visit an old friend without being accused of manipulating you into doing my bidding? Sure, I have a bad habit of doing that, but I’ve changed! Honest!”
Old friend…? Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean old friend?” Instead of the sarcastic, unhelpful answer she’d been expecting, Silverbolt felt a sinking feeling as the chimeric beast shot back a conniving, cynical smile. She could’ve sworn the room temperature dropped by twenty degrees.
“Oh…” he said, abandoning the chair he reclined upon. As his face twisted into the definition of insanity, his entire form levitated into the air, steadily drawing closer to the mare. “Don’t you remember? We had such fun together.”
Silverbolt gulped, able to do nothing but let herself sink into the couch cushions at her back. “What… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Figures you wouldn’t. Old Celly just couldn’t let the past go, could she?”
Discord hovered only a leg’s length away, prompting Silverbolt to shudder. “Celly? Do you mean the princess?”
The grin on his lips slowly widened into a broad, toothy smile. “Of course!” he proclaimed. “I suppose you wouldn’t remember that she wiped your mind and made you think you’re this… Silverbolt.”
“Hey!” she retorted, causing Discord to raise an eyebrow. The anxiousness in her system got yanked aside and replace by a new fire—a burning passion for her royal majesty. “Don’t talk about Princess Celestia like that! She would never do that to anypony. And me being mind wiped? Really? I remember my life.”
To her surprise, Discord back away from her outburst, appearing thoughtful as his claw-hand stroked his goatee. “Interesting… Wait, I’ve got it!” he shouted with glee.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“You ask that a lot. Anyway…” He clapped his hands together. “I get it now. Celly did more than just strip you down to a blank slate. She programmed you. Programmed you to think a certain way, and that includes loving her!”
…The hell? What the hell?! Silverbolt stamped her hoof before jabbing it in Discord’s direction. A scowl taking her face, her voice dropped a note lower. “You know what? This is ridiculous. You barge into my new home—” She gestured around “—make absurd accusations, and then tell me I’ve been brainwashed by the princess. I’ll ask it again. You know what?”
“What?” he replied, sounding as bored as a rock farmer.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
“Mm… one hundred, seventy-two.”
“Get out of my house!”
“Don’t you see? Celly thinks I’m and idiot, therefore you think I’m an idiot! …Alright, alright!” he said, holding his hands out in front of him. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you! When all of this comes crashing down, I get to say ‘I told you so.’”
Silverbolt pointed to the door, still scowling. Her eyes flashed with a mix of irritation and tiredness. “Out. I have a big enough headache already, and I don’t need you making it worse. At least, not any more than you already have.”
With an innocent shrug, he snapped his fingers, teleporting himself to the door. Suitcase in hand and a trilby on his antler, he said, “Since you clearly don’t want guests, however much they’re trying to help you, I’ll be taking my leave.” He giggled. “I’ll be watching…
“…Ryan.”
“Ry—agh!” She shrieked as a pain tore through her skull, rocketing out the other side. It slammed her to her knees as she clutched at her head, tears springing forward. “Ah! Owowow!”
Through her pain, Silverbolt heard the sound of laughter… dark, cynical laughter. “Don’t you remember, Ryan?” Discord said, flashing inches from her face with a snap of his hand. “We had so much fun together at Fluttershy’s after all!”
“Fl-flutter…?” Another wave of pain slammed her head. Silverbolt cried out in agony, shrieking as if a spike had jutted through her skull. “Oh God!” she gasped, “Oh God, oh God, oh God.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “I’d tell you to be more specific, but I’ve made that joke before. So tell me, Ryan, do you remember anything of our vacation to the Crystal Empire together? You, me, an earthquake, and a castle full of incompetent guards! Good times.”
Tears stung the mare’s eyes as each word out of the chaos god’s mouth swung at her, taking turns in beating her skull in. She couldn’t even form a word anymore; her mind screamed pain and pain alone, bursting from her body as wretched screeches.
“And the best part…” Discord whispered into her ear, “is that you’re hopelessly lost, and you don’t even realize it. I know I’d be asking what the hell is going on if I were you. Ryan Wolfe, you’re a long way from Raleigh.”
With a whimper, the mare known as Silverbolt slumped against the couch cushions, unconscious.
“Huh,” Discord said, taking a step back. “I may have gone a tad bit too far.” He shrugged. “Ah, well. She’s been prone to mental breakdowns anyway. Nighty-night, my dear Ryan! Don’t let the alicorns bite.”
With a snap of his claw, he vanished in a shower of gold and silver sparkles, but not before leaving behind a note in his place.
To Silverbolt… it said.
“Sil--!”
…Uh?
“W--k up! Sil---bolt!”
Huh? Someone’s…
“GET THE BUCK UP!”
Silverbolt’s eyes flew open as she sprang into action. Legs kicking her back and hooves scrambling for a hoofhold, she gasped as the scenery flooded into her consciousness. “Wha-what?”
“Silverbolt! What happened?”
As the fuzz in her eyes faded away, allowing her to focus, the mare glanced around the room. She nearly gasped at the unfamiliar room around her, only to realize it was just her new home. With her bearings intact, she shifted her gaze down to a little white unicorn sitting in front of her. “…Vinyl?” she said, voice a low mutter.
Then she noticed the arduous mix of relief and anger plastered on that little white unicorn’s face.
“What’s going?!” Vinyl demanded. “Why were you screaming?”
Silverbolt leaned back, brow furrowing at the words. “Screaming? I-I was screaming?”
“Uh, yeah,” she deadpanned. “We could hear you from next door.”
“We?” Vinyl stepped aside, pointing her hoof toward another pony behind her. Silverbolt recognized the mare in an instant. “Octavia? You’re here too?”
“Mmhm,” she responded. Walking around the coffee table to gold mare’s side, she said, “Dear, what happened? We heard you screaming, only to find you passed out by the time we got here.”
“Yeah, what happened?” her roommate added, impatience still riding high.
Silverbolt darted her eyes between the two mares for a few moments, thoughts racing behind a blank-faced mask. Okay, okay… what happened? she thought. I came home from their house, sat… here. Then… By chance, her eyes trailed away, settling on an out-of-place note on her table.
She gasped. “Discord.”
“Huh? What was that? I can’t hear you if you whisper.”
Silverbolt cocked her head, meeting Vinyl in a silent stare; neither spoke for a few seconds. “...I don’t know,” the earth pony lied. “I can’t remember.”
Vinyl recoiled back as if struck by the words. “You don’t…? No, no, no.” Shaking her head, she said, “You were wailing like a banshee. Something had to have happened.”
“Well…” She sighed. “Something did happen… recently. You see, I had a carriage accident in Canterlot. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ve been getting splitting headaches ever since. I think that’s it. I must’ve had the worst one yet.”
Her two neighbors shared a glance, skepticism flashing between them. “Are you… sure nothing else happened?” Octavia asked.
She only nodded in response.
“…Alright then…”
Vinyl shook her head. “Come on, there had to be more to it than a headache. You sounded awful. I thought you were dying for Celestia’s sake.”
“And I’m sorry about that,” she replied. “But I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. I mean, look around. Everything’s fine including me.”
“…I guess,” the DJ said, not sounding too convinced. “You know, you should check into a hospital if it’s that bad.”
“I know, I know… In fact, I’ll do that now if you’d like. I feel inclined to agree with you.” Pushing herself onto all fours, she hopped to the floor, careful not to stumble under her tired limbs. Passing out would do that, she thought, none-too-pleased at the notion.
In return, Vinyl shot her an unamused look. “You know what? Okay, I can see that you’re alright. I’m still not sure what the hay happened to you, but as long as you have it under control… And you do have it under control, right?”
She blinked. “…Of course! Other than the occasional mind-breaking headache, I’m as chipper as a chipmunk.”
“…With a phrase like that, how can I say no?” Heaving a sigh, Vinyl turned away, gesturing for Octavia to follow. “Sorry if I acted brash, but I’ve had one too many scares as of late. You sure you’re alright?”
“Uh-huh.”
Nodding, she said, “Okay. If you need anything, you know where to find us. And please, don’t scare us or anypony like that again.” With a nod from Silverbolt, she headed out the door, magicking it open as she trudged past.
“Oh, and Silverbolt?” Octavia called, looking over her shoulder. “The same comes from me. I wish you well. I know your moving here has been rather… hectic the past two days.”
“I know, but it’s fine, really.” She said. Darning a sudden grin, the mare flashed confidence in her eyes. “What more could I ask for? A little excitement never hurt anyone, heh…” Silverbolt forced out a few chuckles to match the mask she wore. For a second, her eyes made a pass to the note on her table. “Say… Octavia? I’ve also been looking to meet a pony, and I was wondering if you knew where I could find her.”
“Oh? Who would that be?”
Somewhere between a smirk and a grimace, Silverbolt replied. “Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy?” she repeated, sounding surprised at the request. “Why are you looking for Fluttershy?”
She shrugged. “I’ve just… heard about her. Thought I’d meet her.”
Octavia raised an eyebrow didn’t question her antics. “Well, she is a national hero after all. She lives just outside the town, less than a mile from here. You only need to head down the road.”
“Sweet, thanks!”
“Anytime, dear.” With a last nod in her direction, Octavia trotted away, shutting the door behind her.
Silverbolt lasted all of three seconds before scrambling for her letter. “To Silverbolt,” she read aloud. Wasting not a second more, she bit down on the edge of the paper and tore it open. As she shook the letter out of its envelope, her mind raced on thoughts. What does he want? she wondered. What about all that crazy stuff he said? What about Princess Celestia? The mare could only hope the letter in her hooves held answers.
“Here goes…” she said, unfurling it as her eyes darted to the first words on the page.
You should get some ice cream for that headache. Keep in touch! Love, Discord.
“…Wha?” She set it down before promptly snatching it back up again, wild eyes scanning over it. Even the opposite side was void of anything. “That’s all it says!” she cried. “Seriously? Ugh.”
Shaking her head in annoyance, she crumpled the letter and tossed it away. “Well, what now? As strange as it is… I think something actually is going on.” Silverbolt’s eyes glanced left to right as if looking for an eavesdropper. Perhaps an unhelpful draconequus. “Something’s going on with my headaches, I can say that much. It’s almost as if… certain things set them off…”
Not that I’m going to think about them now, she thought, trying to repel memories of Discord’s words. A nagging ache nearly sprung up just at the action.
After taking a minute to reorganize herself, Silverbolt gave a stretch of her legs. She set off for the door saying, “Okay. Fluttershy. Mile down the road. Remember that.” Outside, the mare blinked her eyes for a few moments as her eyes adjusted the midday light. Then she set off down the road, one destination in mind.
Nothing, she thought. Nothing’s going to get in my way now.
“Oomph!” she gasped, snapping to attention as she bumped into something in her way. A pony! she realized as soon as her eyes registered the brown-coated form of a stallion. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention there.”
The stallion shook his head before looking down at her. “That’s alright. I should’ve been watching… Silverbolt?”
Silverbolt blinked, having leaned away in surprise. “Oh, uh, have we met before?” Giving him a once-over, she saw he had a simple dark mane in addition to his coat, complemented by an ice cream cone mark on his flank. Fittingly, the icy dessert had the same color scheme.
“Don’t you remember?” he said, a hint of disappointment creeping into his voice.
Silverbolt cringed at the phrase. She’d had enough remembering as of late.
“Well, we did only meet for a few minutes, I guess.” With a shrug, he added, “I’m Rocky Road. I showed you to the ‘castle-tower-thing’ in the Crystal Empire.”
And…. there it is, the mare thought, biting her lip as her head fired up once again. She breathed a sigh of relief that the pain didn’t hold a candle to what she felt earlier, so she let it pass. Thinking for a moment, Silverbolt realized that Rocky here was living proof of what Discord claimed… in some regard. Despite her recent amnesia, she actually did visit the Crystal Empire for some reason if some random stallion recognized her. Maybe I should see if he knows something… she thought. But I’d prefer it in a way that doesn’t cause me to pass out. With a breath, she made her choice.
“Right, I totally remember you know. In fact, I remember you so well that we should never mention our past experiences together again, okay?”
“Um… sure?”
“Great!” she cheered. “So what brings you to Ponyville?”
“Well…” he nodded toward the hitched to him. “I’m expanding the business so to speak. I’ve left my Crystal Empire store in the hooves of the managers to travel a bit. Rocky Road’s Ice Cream will be known throughout Equestria! …Heh, hopefully.”
Silverbolt flashed him a modest smile. “That’s nice. With a little luck… Wait. Did you say ice cream?”
“You bet!” he said, gesturing to the brand name on his cart. “Why? Interested in some?”
You should get some ice cream for that headache… she thought. Her eyes turned back to Rocky, a new apprehension hidden behind them. “…Maybe another time.”
“Aw, okay. So what brings you to Ponyville? Last I heard, you were visiting the Empire from—”
“Hey, hey, hey! No talking about the past, remember?”
He raised an eyebrow. “…Right.”
“Thanks,” she said, not caring how weird she sounded. She needed answers, and she wouldn’t let a bit of awkwardness drag her down. “Why am I in Ponyville? Funny enough, I just moved here.”
“Oh, wow, really? Other than being accident prone, I hear this is a nice place to live. Good choice… Well…” He glanced around the street, watching the ponies go by for a moment. “I hate having to cut us off, but I need to get back on the Road… which is kinda funny since I’m named Rocky Road… heh.” Try as he might, he couldn’t hide the cringe at his own words.
Silverbolt smirked at his antics. “Adorable. In any case, that’s fine. I was heading out anyway.”
“Okay then. I guess I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Silverbolt!” Flashing a smile, he readjusted his harness, ready to get back to his path.
“See you... Wait, hold on.”
“Huh?”
I can’t just let him leave. He might know something. “Are you going to be in Ponyville for long? Wanna hang out sometime?”
“Oh! Uh…” He glanced away in thought for a moment. “Sure, I have some time. You can probably find me in the market square during the day.”
She nodded. “Cool. See you around?”
“Yeah. See you.”
With a warm smile, she bid him farewell before setting off on her own path, a swirl of emotions swishing through her brain.
“There’s something weird about Silverbolt…”
Octavia glanced up from her book, raising an eyebrow as she watched her roommate’s pacing. “I thought we already agreed upon that.”
“Yeah, but…” Vinyl heaved an annoyed sigh. “There’s more to it than that. I thought it was weird that she said Ryan’s music sounded familiar, but now? Who screams like that over a headache, passes out, then just brushes it off?”
“You never know. Some ponies are simply strange.”
Vinyl didn’t respond, content to stop and think. “…Not to mention how much she reminds of Ryan…”
“Hmm… Maybe she’s Ryan’s long lost sister, separated at birth.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Oh, haha. Next you’ll be saying they’re actually—”
Her ears perked up at the sound of a knock at the door.
“Oh?” Octavia said, pushing herself up from her seat. “Who could that be?”
Gesturing for her friend to sit back down, Vinyl trotted to the door. “I’ll see.” She threw it open, revealing one lavender alicorn behind. “Twilight?!”
“Twilight?” Octavia repeated. “As in Princess Twilight?”
The alicorn didn’t waste a moment. “Hello, Vinyl. It’s been a while...
“We need to talk.”