Portentous - Lone Star's Chronicles

by Einzel

Chapter 6: With scents and sounds

Chapter 6: With scents and sounds

Ponyville Clinic. I had finally decided to pay a visit to a doctor after an entire month since I wasn’t getting any signs of recovery even though Princess Celestia and Twilight told me I’d remember everything with time.

I was getting impatient with my condition, although my amnesia wasn’t affecting how lived in Ponyville it was my life I had forgotten, I really wanted to know at least if I had any relatives or if was working on something worth remembering.

The waiting in the hospital was killing me, for some reason I felt extremely uncomfortable in that place, the smell was making me feel weird, the ambient was also making me remember of some novels where the main character loses her loved one, which definitely wasn’t helping. However my will to understand or at least get a hint of what was happening to my head was stronger and I managed to stay put until the doctor arrived.

“Lone Star,” the doctor called looking at his clipboard.

I went inside his room silently, the doctor introduced himself as Doctor Stable and told me to take a sit and tell me what was afflicting me. I told him all about my amnesia, the day I woke up memory-less in that hotel room and even about Twilight Sparkle’s theory on what could have caused or forced my amnesia.

“Your friend’s theory sounds very plausible in fact, Lone Star,” Doctor Stable said while taking notes.

“So I can’t do anything to help myself?” I asked a bit saddened.

“Well, let’s not jump into conclusions. I am going to need some exams to check your body, if you were victim of a mind erasing spell then we will know,” the doctor said with an uplifting smile.

And so I went through exams checking every last bit of my head. I remember that some of those machines gave me the creeps and the doctor would have to explain me twice, thrice and even have one of the nurses to use it so I would believe him that the machine wouldn’t suck my brains out, brainwash me or something.

After a long time waiting in the lobby Doctor Stable came bringing the results with his magic, but he was pretty serious. When a medic comes with a frown towards you can only brace yourself for the worst.

“I’m not sure if this will be good news for you, Lone Star, but your head seems to be perfectly normal with no signs of magical interference or anything,” Doctor Stable said giving me the results.

“How come?” I asked still not sure if relived or disappointed, “I didn’t suffer any traumas, and now you’re telling me it wasn’t a spell that did it?”

A mare, a nurse, approached and talked to me. “Just because the exams didn’t detect any vestige of magic it doesn’t mean there wasn’t any magic involved in your case, Lone Star, especially because you said you didn’t suffer any kind of trauma.”

I was confused. I just wish there could be something to be done, a spell to force my memories to come back.

“Heck and hay, if it’s so easy to erase memories, why is it so difficult to bring them back?” I asked upset.

The Doctor put a hoof on my shoulder and said, “I’m not an authority when it comes to in-depth spells and magic, but amnesia spells are relatively easy to create and use since they only need to do something simple: make you forget. On the other hoof creating a memory restoration spell is incredibly difficult, you’d need a meticulously crafted and analyzed spell for each pony since nopony’s mind is the same.”

“Compare to a puzzle, breaking it in pieces is very easy, but re-building takes time and you can’t do it the same way with other puzzles since the pieces would be different,” the nurse complemented the doctor’s explanation.

I nodded and tried to cope with my situation, staying angry over it wouldn’t help anything at all. In fact, grieving over something never did any good to anypony, anger clouds the mind and makes you only think on the problem instead of looking for a solution. Before going out I still had one last question regarding my amnesia, “Doctor, nurse, is there a possibility that this amnesia could be the reason that I don’t have my flank mark?”

“Flank mark?” the nurse asked confused.

“It’s another term for cutie mark,” I explained. Well, say whatever you want but it just felt weird for me to say something sappy like “cutie mark”.

The doctor hummed before answering. “I’m not quite sure, I’ve never heard of any case of somepony losing their cutie mark, but since your case is unique I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility.”

I paid what I had to, thanked them and left after looking at the results again. One thing I was certain after everything in there: I sure had never thought my head was shaped like that.

The chat with Doctor Stable and the nurse reminded of something I had read some time ago; that memories can be restored via outer stimulus like smells or sounds so I decided to go to a café first since it was one of the best-smelling places of Ponyville.

I wasn’t feeling like working that day and thankfully I had some extra bits so I decided to slack off for one day while trying to recover my memories somehow. I stopped at the café and looked at the results and all those negatives again, if anything I was more satisfied with the fact I could read everything without needing that grade school book than the results themselves.

I had ordered a bunch of hay fries since I was in the mood for anything but oat that day, the meal was served and the smell was deliciously not helpful in recovery. I ate everything lazily, savoring each bite as much as I could having my mind off the amnesia thing at least for that moment.

For once in a good while I trotted around Ponyville without any worries or anything else burdening my mind, I didn’t have anything else to do and wasn’t in the mood for reading or even sleeping, I just wanted to walk around appreciating the scenery.

Like such idea could ever last living in Ponyville.

The second idea, sound, came even without looking for it. I was passing around several houses when I could hear a beautiful song from somewhere and started to look frantically for it. It was the most soothing music I’ve ever heard.

I knew it was the most entrancing music I’ve ever heard, I just knew, it was just like part of my amnesia decided to vanish and let me remember of this at very least.

I kept searching in several places until I had finally found the source of that beautiful song in an alley from a pony, a unicorn, playing the lyre. She didn’t notice me, she was completely absorbed by her own music and I sat there watching her play such beautiful song until she finally finished, however she didn’t seem to be even mildly satisfied with her own performance and sighed upset. I didn’t feel that way, not even slightly, and applauded her which made her note me and smile a bit embarrassed.

“Thank you, thank you,” she said shyly.

“That was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard,” as I talked she frowned a little.

“Oh, that’s good... Yeah, good...” she said putting her lyre aside.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear somepony saying “good” twice I’m sure they are all but satisfied with whatever they just did.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked while she turned serious and a bit sad.

“No, thanks for appreciating my music. You’re like the first pony here that ever did it, must be out of pity,” she jumped off the barrel she was at and put her lyre in her saddlebag.

“Are you kidding me? That song was the most soothing and beautiful music I’ve ever heard!” I said enthusiastic, but that didn’t budge her frown.

The unicorn looked at me with expectant eyes. “You’re not a critic or a talent chaser, are you?” she asked then returning to pack her things.

I shook my head. “No, my name is Lone Star. I moved from Canterlot a while ago.”

“Oh, I know you!” she said looking at me surprised.

That caught me completely off guard, how did she know me, was she from my past, a relative, a friend? My heart raced and my mind was stroke by a mental storm. “You… You know me?”

“Yes, you’re that pony who destroyed an entire hay shipment about a month ago!”

I face hoofed myself so hard I think it left a mark on my forehead, am I never going to live that down? For Celestia’s sake it was just a hay shipment, not even big, that I had already paid, I didn’t hurt anypony and noppony was starving! At least she laughed from my reaction, it was better than her previous mood. “My name is Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings, nice to meet you, Lone Star.”

“Nice to meet you too. Anyway why are you playing in this alley? You should be playing at the square so everypony here could hear your music!” as I finished talking Lyra scowled again.

“Do you really think I am that good? You must be really easy to please,” Lyra said in a rude, mildly haughty tone.

“So, you’re just disregarding somepony’s honest opinion about your music?” I said upset on how she had replied.

“No. Sorry about that,” Lyra apologized looking aside flustered.

“Anyway. Were you only practicing or just tuning up before making a presentation?”

Lyra looked at me for a second or two and then let out a sarcastic snicker, she turned around to trash some papers and then talked without looking at me. “No, I was just practicing here. Nothing fancy at all.”

“I think there are better places to practice, like your home for example.”

Lyra sighed and shook her head. “My neighbors would complain about the noise and Mayor Mare already told me to stop causing quarrels because of that. This alley is probably the most calm place to practice, I’d go to the Everfree Forest, but then I think the ones living close to that place would start complaining too.”

“Is it because your neighbors complain about your practicing you think your music isn’t good enough to make a public presentation?”

After I said that Lyra looked at me and proudly declared, “Of course not! I’m not so insecure of my skills that random complaints would make me feel like that,” Lyra exclaimed almost overly confident.

“So, what gives? If you are so certain of your lyre skills you shouldn’t be here hiding yourself as if you wanted to keep your music secret to everypony,” I said trying to cheer her up.

Lyra wasn’t so understanding though, she stomped and glared at me visibly upset. “What’s your problem? Why do you even care? Listen, I’m glad you liked my song, but you weren’t even supposed to hear it! That was just a shabby work in progress and I was here because I wanted some privacy! Do you understand now or I have to draw you a picture?” she raised her voice for every small pause but she wasn’t finished with her rant, “I’m pretty sure you don’t even understand music, let alone appreciate a real talent, so why I really should consider your opinion?”

“Because I am being honest when I said I liked your song, isn’t that enough?” That’s what I wanted to say, but she left me speechless with those words.

Lyra left without saying anything else with a depressed look in her eyes. I noticed the papers she trashed and went to look on it, it was scrapped music sheets. I’m no music specialist but I could note several mistakes here and there and I started to understand why Lyra could be so angry.

When I let my mind rest I realized I had my first piece of memory back. Finally! It was small, maybe even vague but finally a start. I liked music, especially classic music like the one Lyra was playing. I didn’t like anything too fancy though and preferred solo concerts over orchestras. A start at long last.

I walked around Ponyville for some time humming, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Lyra, not because of her music or the way she had left, there was something about her that started to stir my mind as if I knew her before. The problem was that it didn’t make any sense, if I had known her then she certainly would have recognized me too. Maybe it was one of those cases when you confuse somepony with an acquaintance, in my case an acquaintance I still don’t remember.

While strolling around Ponyville I passed by the public mural I usually go when looking for a job and saw an announcement about Canterlot’s Royal Orchestra coming to Ponyville for a single presentation with the nobility alongside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna coming to watch. I felt that Lyra’s distress could have something to do with this. Whatever, I had nothing to do with it and Lyra made it loud and clear as her song.

After more aimless strolling I was feeling hungry again. I walked until I was at Sugarcube Corner, after a set of hay fries I was ready for something sweet. As soon as I stepped inside a known face greeted me in all her pinky cheerfulness and glee.

“Hi, Lone-less! Whaddya doing here?” she was taking care of the counter today.

“Just passing by. Oh, I’m hungry too.” I answered while window shopping.

“If you need something really good I can suggest these cupcakes!” Pinkie shoved a plate of cupcakes close to my face. “I’ve baked them myself!” she finished saying with her typical grin.

Regardless of how much grateful I was for Pinkie to have introduced me to the population of Ponyville and helped me improve my status in town by a large margin I didn’t think it was safe for me to eat those cupcakes, Pinkie was nice and everything, but she really didn’t look like the kind of pony that can cook.

“Er, I think... I think I’ll have a small cake. Yeah, I’m feeling like eating cake now!” I tried to make an excuse to get away from those cupcakes.

Pinkie backed the plate to the counter. “Aww, but I’ve just made them, they are fresh and ready to be eaten.”

There she was making those puppy eyes again, it was always like that when she wanted me to buy something. I’m a sucker for this kind of thing and I’m pretty sure she had noted by now. “Alright, I’ll have two of them,” I said pointing to the ones I’d take and placing the bits on the counter.

“You’ll love them!” Pinkie said putting the cupcakes on the counter so I could eat them.

I stared for a couple of seconds at those cupcakes. I was hesitant, I didn’t know what to expect from the food made by such random mind and I really wasn’t all that curious to discover. After taking a deep breath I ate the first one as Pinkie looked at me expectant.

I can’t say it was the most striking experience of my life, but I surely was surprised as heck when the flavor filled my mouth and nearly clouded my mind. It was delicious. That cupcake had such soft texture and its flavor so perfectly balanced and distributed it was impressive. It was even better than the ones Mr. and Mrs. cake used to sell in the bakery.

“Did you really make these cupcakes?” I asked still surprised.

“Yep! I usually make them here every day!” Pinkie answered cheerfully.

“This is even better than the ones I usually buy here—wait a moment—are you saying YOU bake the cupcakes?”

“Well, duh!” she said rolling her eyes.

Surprise, surprise. I used to buy cupcakes every now and then at Sugarcube Corner but could never expect that Pinkie was the one who made them, it was just hard to believe somepony like her could be so good at this.

“These ones are even better than the ones I’m used to buy here, what did you do?” I asked while eating a third cupcake.

“Uh-uhn, not telling, chef’s secret!” she said shaking her hooves.

“Could you tell me at least if it’s new recipe?”

“Yes, I’m trying new ones since the same cupcakes gets bo-o-oring fast!” Pinkie said while she watched me eat the cupcakes, she was satisfied seeing me eating them.

I couldn’t help but feel that I was being her guinea pig at that moment. Well, whatever those cupcakes were really good and worth every bit. I thanked Pinkie for the cupcakes (even though I paid for them) and left the bakery. I was satisfied for the time being and strolled around Ponyville once again in hope to find something to help with my memory again.

The rest of the day was pretty much the same, it was a pretty weird day to be honest, I passed the rest of the afternoon strolling aimlessly around Ponyville while keeping an eye for anything that made me thoughtful.

How was I supposed to remember anything from my past? I wonder what I did for a living, if there was anypony I knew looking for me or something, I couldn’t help but worry especially about my family (if I had one).

I just went back to my cottage after the lazy day and planned to go straight to my bedroom sleep. But something was different in my house, somepony visited my cottage while I was away. I knew somepony had been here because of the smell, it was a strange fragrance that was by the dining room, something too refined even for the finest perfume of the finest perfumist of Ponyville, if only I had a way to get that fragrance and get to somepony analyze...

Oh, wait, I had. I “held” that scent with a strange fabric I bought indenting to use as curtain, but it didn’t quite work since the strong smell of the plants outside my bedroom kept me awake for the first two days I used it. Anyway I waved the fabric around the dining room for a while, put it inside a bag and then inside my saddlebag to make sure it wouldn’t lose the scent.

I would go ask what kind of perfume this was and if somepony around wore it. I had locked my house before going out today and whoever broke inside must have done it with magic since the door lock seemed to be intact.

If he or she thinks that somepony amnesiac means “stupid” I’m sure as heck will prove how wrong this pony is.

What a way to end to a lazy day. At least nothing got robbed (as if there was anything to steal here anyway).

Author's Note:

I apologize in advance for any English mistakes here, please take in consideration that English is not my first language.

I try my best reviewing the text on Word and searching synonyms while on the internet but one thing or another ought to sound strange or out of place.

Thanks in advance for everyone who took their time to read this fanfic.