Ever so gradually, the silence and the darkness faded, leaving a slight beeping sound and a red glare behind. After a few seconds, the mare managed to crack her eyes open, splitting the glare and allowing her to see, ever so vaguely, the sights around her.

The first thing she noticed was the green ceiling above her; the second, the white sheets holding her down; together with the beeping, the two spelled out ‘hospital’ to her loud and clear. Only after another minute or so did she register anything else. When she did, she blearily tried to reach her hoof around in front of her to rub at her eyes.

The motion might as well have been a signal - the two ponies standing in front of her stepped forward… well, ‘stepped’ might not be the right word. One of the two was a little filly, who practically leaped across the room. “Yer awake,” she said through streaming tears. “Ah thought you weren’t ever gonna wake up, sis!”

The mare smiled at the filly. “Hold on a minute, kiddo!” She then turned toward her other ‘guest’, nodding. “Princess.”

The purple alicorn standing before her frowned, and the mare wondered - had she done something wrong? Before she could ask, though, the princess nodded her head slightly. “Good to see you’ve got a hard head in more than one way, AJ. After that tree smashed into you, I wasn’t sure you’d ever wake up myself.”

AJ nodded back slightly. “If’n you say so. All I remember is tryin’ ta knock the thing away from a couple'a fillies… did I…?”

The purple princess nodded, deeply, as AJ trailed off. “They’re both fine. You managed to snap it in two around them; one of the parts kept going, though. That’s what hit you and put you in here.”

Before the princess could go any further, a nurse leaned around the doorway. “I’m sorry to interrupt you,” she said, “but visiting hours have been over for a while now, and the doctor wants to do some tests.”

“Aww,” the filly said, her tears starting up again, “but I just got ta-”

“It’ll be fine, Apple Bloom,” the princess said, sweeping the filly up under her wing. “We’ll come back tomorrow.” She turned to look at AJ as she left. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

AJ nodded, slowly. “If’n ya don’t mind answerin’ a question, yer highness, I’d appreciate it.”

The frown was back - well, a princess wouldn’t be used to hearing AJ’s rough-and-ready tones, after all. “AJ, you don’t…” Slowly, the purple princess shook her head. “What’s the question?”

AJ swallowed, took a breath, then swallowed again. “Tell me somethin’, if ya would…”

The prompt:
Who are you?
OR
Who am I?

This is a thirty minute writing prompt, meaning you have thirty minutes to finish your story from the time you start writing. You may take as much time as you wish to think, plan, or outline before you begin, but once the first word is on the page, the timer begins. When you are finished, post your story to this thread, and, in the tradition of the TMP mods of yore, I will read and give it a comment when I can.

Traditionally, TMP prompts would have a six to eight-hour window in which to submit, but for these legacy prompts, there will be no limit after the prompt is up. Go ahead and post something a year from now, if you like. Just bear in mind that I'm less likely to respond with feedback to anything submitted more than a week or so after the prompt. Good luck!

Ooooh, an interesting prompt. Consider me intrigued. I'll come back to this one.

4553268
This was a tricky prompt with which to do interesting things...

Legacy Prompt No.44, Totally Not Inspired By WW2 Aircraft And Written While Suffering A Head-Cold by KwirkyJ

"Hey, Zee. Packing?"

"Oh, heya, Spits."

"Yeah, I should probably be getting my gear together, too. Tomorrow's gonna come early, y'know?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I don't know about you, but this send-off has me so stoked. Wings Afire's gonna play, actual ice cream for the first time all week... Mmm, Thunderlane'll be at the snack bar, too..."

"Cool."

"I feel kinda silly. There you've got everything fitting into your two saddlebags, and I... well, I got a trunk."

"Mhm."

"Hey, Zee. You okay there?"

"Sure."

"Really."

"Really."

"Zee... We've bunked all week, something's up. You're sticking around for the ceremony, right?"

"I..."

"You're actually gonna fly off tonight? Zee, nopony's leaving camp tonight, not with the party they've lined up!"

"Guess I'm still the odd one out."

"Zee... Hey, Zero, is this still about the speed tests? I mean, I know your wingpower's kinda low --"

"It's half of yours, Spitfire, on a good day. Look, I'm not cut out to be a 'Bolt, okay? So just... have your party, and let me fly home."

"...Where is home?"

"Hoofington."

"Yeesh, that's a haul. You're honestly gonna get there by sundown?"

"Sure."

"Well, Celestia knows you're a featherweight, and with those wings of yours... Y'know, Zee, I'm not even surprised."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Hey, lighten up, 'kay?"

"Yeah, sure. Sorry. How's this?"

"Is that a smile or constipation?"

"Shut up."

"Heh, that's better. And there it goes again. Hey, Zee, look at me. You've stuck with it all week. Nopony, and I mean nopony could match your for turns or endurance -- y'know, I'm suddenly not at all surprised you'd try flying to Hoofinton in one go... So what if you didn't stand out for wingpower or speed!"

"Or strength. Or pretty much everything else the 'Bolts want in a cadet."

"Zee --"

"Just stop, Spits. I know what you're trying to do."

"What, help my friend feel better?"

"...Yeah. That."

"And? Is it working?"

"What do you think?"

"No, what matters is what you think."

"I think I'm not a guardsmare, can't carry for the postal service, not fast or strong enough for a 'Bolt..."

"So that's what this is about? Your job?"

"Look at my mark!"

"Okay, I'm looking. Y'know, I don't go for mares, but as far as flanks go --"

"Is everything sex with you?"

"You should meet this Kicker mare I know. And it's a beautiful mark, by the way."

"It's not a weather mark. Can't shape clouds for anything, can't push wind... What kind of pegasus am I, who can't even make a cumulus?"

"Zee... Look, I know you feel down. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but I know running away isn't the answer. C'mere. There, better?"

"You're very warm."

"I'll take that as a compliment. But stay, won't you? All the flight will be here tonight, and I know you'll be missed if you go. One night, with music and ice cream and dancing and maybe a few obstacle courses. I know you love to fly, Zee. So fly with us, 'kay?"

Author's Note
Lying title is lying.

4553268

First off, nice prompt flavor text, I like it.

Anyway, here's this. Didn't go quite as I expected, but it came out alright. Minor spoilers if you haven't seen season five yet, also mentions a location/pony from the Princess Celestia chapter book, but nothing that spoils anything for that.

Princess Twilight:

I need to see you and your friends in Canterlot immediately. Do not delay.

-Princess Celestia

Twilight Sparkle found herself suddenly being forced to think about how quickly a day could turn from completely normal into a harrowing strangeness.

The morning had come and gone quite easily, an early sunrise brightening everypony's spirits, with a pleasant breakfast with Spike in their admittedly oddly decorated castle kitchen, and then a quiet, invigorating walk through one of Ponyville's parks. She had spent the rest of the morning preparing for lunch with her friends, just a nice, calm picnic to celebrate the sunny weather. After the picnic was over and everypony was relaxing in the sunshine, Spike had delivered the strangely terse letter from the Princess.

It was never a good thing to get a letter like that.

So inside of two hours, Twilight and her friends were in Canterlot, and after a strangely serious checking over by castle security, they were allowed into one of the secure meeting areas in the Castle.

There, they had found Princess Celestia, and the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle.

So yes, Princess Twilight found herself going back over the events of the day in her mind, to remind herself of normality.

Princess Celestia gestured to the purple unicorn by her side, speaking in calm, level tones as she finished her explanation. "So you can understand why I would be concerned. This Twilight had decided to extend her stay in Morocolt some years ago, and has been studying there for the past while. Her letter to me about leaving my school was lost in the mail, it seems, and now we have two Twilight Sparkles."

"No we do not!" Princess Twilight stamped a hoof on the stone flooring of the room, and then folded her ears back in embarrassment at her outburst. "Sorry! But Princess Celestia, how could you believe this pony over the rest of us? I've been your student since I was a filly! You've been watching over me for most of my life, I became an alicorn through my studies and my friendship with these ponies!"

Her friends stood resolutely with her, nodding their agreement in varying levels of stalwart determination. The other Twilight looked unimpressed. "Listen, whoever you are, I know who I am. I'm the real Twilight Sparkle, I spent years studying under Celestia, and then under the Duchess Diamond Waves in Morocolt, only to find that somepony has been pretending to be me, all this time!"

The impostor Twilight Sparkle calmed herself as Celestia lay a hoof on her withers, blushing deeply and quieting immediately, with a familiar hero worship in her eyes that made Princess Twilight frown. Princess Celestia continued. "Twilight, please. Both of you, I understand this is confusing. I'm not sure what to make of it myself."

Princess Twilight pressed a hoof to her chest, took a deep breath, and then let out her breath as she moved her hoof forward. As always, it helped calm her nerves just a bit. "Okay, 'Twilight', this should be pretty easy to fix. What was the day that you got your cutie mark?"

"The twelfth of Hay, ten years ago. What was the first test you got a perfect mark on at Princess Celestia's school?"

"'The Basics of Unicorn Magic and Spellcasting', in Miss Sunny Days' class. Which book did I, I mean, you, and Shining Armor memorize together as foals?"

"The Monster-pedia! Which first edition book did Moon Dancer give you- I mean, give us, on our birthday?"

Princess Twilight hesitated a moment, looking a bit confused. "... The Principles of Magic. I had forgotten all about that until recently, though. How did you-- Ugh! Nevermind, I know how to fix this!"

Everypony had spent the last while looking back and forth between the two purple ponies as they quizzed one another on their lives, but now all eyes were on Princess Twilight as her horn glowed with magic. Nopony but Celestia could recognize the spell being cast, but it looked awfully complex. Still, Princess Twilight was practiced enough in magic that she could speak while she cast. "This will reveal any changeling that might be in here, PRETENDING to be somepony they aren't."

The other Twilight only raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Princess Twilight's horn flashed, and everypony shielded their eyes. When they could see again, the unicorn Twilight was still standing next to Princess Celestia, and everypony was staring open-mouthed at Princess Twilight. She looked around at her friends and mentor, and then down at her black, carapaced hooves. Her eyes widened, and she flexed a muscle she didn't know she had, turning herself back to the familiar purple fur almost on instinct. "I.. what? But... I..."

In a flash, two of the stallion guards waiting by the door were beside Princess Celestia, though she stopped them with a motion of her hoof. At the same time, Rainbow Dash leaped up and planted herself between Celestia and Princess Twilight, wings flared. "Hey! I don't know who THAT is, but if she's been in Morocolt all this time, then THIS Twilight is our friend! I don't know what's going on, but nopony is touching her until we figure it out!"

Princess Twilight knew she'd have to thank Rainbow for her defense later, but right now her head was spinning and she wasn't sure that she was who she thought she was anyway. All she could think about was how normally this day had started, and how now it seemed very possible that nothing would ever be normal again.

4558702
The idea is an interesting one, almost a reflection of what the CMC are going through - someone who's already received his or her cutie mark, and still has no clue what it means for them. As a concept, it plays very nicely with the idea of 'who am I'?, including an implied answer - as far as Spitfire is concerned, whatever else she may be, Zero is one of them.

Pure dialogue is good for helping to carry the mood. However, it does lead to a problem with the story, perhaps caused by my ignorance. I'll admit to not having seen every episode, and I don't read the comics... I have no clue who Zero is, which means that without at least some descriptive markers, I can't really picture the scene properly. Spitfire I know, and can imagine the setting, but having one of the participants functionally being a hole in space for me tends to draw me out of the story.

4563035
Both prompts at once - impressive. Interesting to see what happens as the plot threads its way into tying Princess Twilight into knots. (Or would that be Princess Twiling?) Is purple feathers who she thought she was? On the one level, no - however, as Rainbow pointed out, on at least one level, yes. After all, Morocolt Sparkle isn't the one who stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, etc.

Bonus points for having Twiling be the one to give herself away, completely without realizing what she'd done until it was over. And final, perhaps irrelevant thoughts...
How's Shining Armor going to react to the news about his Best Mare?

4563767
I am curious, what aspects of 'not knowing exactly who Zero is' detracts from the story in your mind? Is it because you don't have a pre-existing model for her behaviour, a mental image, or a voice for her? Why doesn't her open-ended nature work for you?

Explanation by way of opining spoilered...
My reason for writing dialogue-only is two-fold: first, it allows me, in some instances, to condense a story into the time limit... I'm not the fastest when writing prose, and sometimes I need every little bit; second, it is an exercise for me to push the boundaries of utilizing subtext -- something at which I nearly excel (so perhaps should be working on other things instead, mm?), and is at times a pleasure to write.
As for the characters, I hoped to imply that this takes place before the first season, suggesting that they are both cadets at the Wonderbolts Academy (or similar). With that in mind, the choice of canonical characters is in some ways coincidental. Spitfire's characterization is perhaps a bit more laid-back and playful than we see in the show, thus stretching her character as it is. Zero is, I am fairly certain in this instance, an OC I came up with for the prompt... as the lying title denies, it was written with with the protagonists being avatars for the eponymous WW2 warplanes. A quick look at the Zero-sen fighter Wikipedia page will suggest much of the core of this character's woe, particularly drawn from late in the Pacific theatre: comparatively weak, lack of adaptability by design and from unskilled pilots, and so on. I decided that a supportive role of Spitfire here would be a bit more appropriate for ponies, as opposed to the historically antagonistic relationship.
One could argue that the lack of definition given to Zero leaves her more accessible -- her mannerisms here are archetypal of someone who is shutting down. Theoretically anyone could step into her shoes... horseshoes? While not the only option, I thought was not necessarily a failing of this scene, hence my enquiring as to your thoughts, above.

4564163
Largely, no mental image, I think. When I read, there's a small part of my mind that's trying to play out the scene like it's on stage. If I can't visualize the actors, as it were, I have trouble keeping focus. You did manage to give Zero a voice; even if I can't 'hear' the timbre of it, I can 'hear' the tone, which implies a few things for me. It also covers the 'pre-existing behavior' issue, partially - I don't know that for her, but I also don't know that for any OC*, and tone is a good way of setting the stage for that.

If I somehow gave you the idea that the all-dialogue was a failing, I apologize; that was not my intent.

*I simply wasn't sure if Zero was an OC, or a character I'd never run across. That one I chalk up to my own lack.

4553268
Here's mine.

The Lost Pony

It was a very bright and early sunny day in Ponyville, the birds were just chirping along in their merry tiny little songs, and everything was perfectly just fine.
Well, almost everything.
On the farm of Sweet Apple Acres Applejack was still very busy and hard at work bucking some apples. It was almost a very rhythmic thing and almost nothing happened to disrupt it. But then something did happen of course.
A pony came crashing down through the sky and suddenly landed right between Applejack and one of her very powerful horse kicks.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she said immediately helping the stallion up, “I didn’t know that you were going to be crashing down through the sky and all.”
“Uh that’s okay Applejack,” he said, “I didn’t plan to crash today anyways.”
“Say, I’ve never seen you around these parts before, what’s your name exactly?”
He looked at her very confused by the question.
“Wait, are you asking me what my name is?”
“Yes, I just did.”
He continued to look at her.
“Well I don’t know, I mean I can remember math and writing and reading, and basic school stuff and things like that, but my name just isn’t there anymore.”
Applejack was very worried right now and displayed it on her face with her expressions perfectly conveying her emotions and feelings, but she still tried to reassure the strange new mysterious stallion that was here instead.
“Well don’t you worry about it, I’m sure with just a tiny little bit amount of some small rest that it’ll come back to you eventually,” she said trying to put on her very best fake smile and hoping that he wouldn’t notice the barrels of sweat on her face. “Well alright then, fine, if you say so, thanks Miss Applejack.”
And with that said he tried to stand up, but suddenly collapsed.
“Mama, I swear that I didn’t eat the apple pie, I swear it,”
Applejack looked around nervously and then saw her brother nearby and whistled for him to come over. “This here stallion has a mighty fine bruise to his head, we should probably take him on over to a hospital.”
“Yup,” he said as Applejack lifted the Pegasus unto Big Mac’s back, “Can you take him on over while I finish up bucking the apples?”
“Yup,” he said slowly trotting away into the distance out of sight.
“Thanks, Big Mac!!! I owe you one!!!”
“Yup!!!” he shouted back very loudly.
And with that said Applejack slowly went back to work, except this time she would always make sure to look up at the sky sometimes every once in a long while just to make sure that there weren’t going to be any more unexpected things including ponies that were going to coming falling out of the sky.

(Note: This is part of this collection: Thirty Minute Prompts)