Aria's Story

by Ariathina

The Dream

CHAPTER 6: THE DREAM

Aria stood in an open field. Dark clouds rolled overhead. She looked for somewhere to seek shelter bu no matter how much she ran she didn't seem to move anywhere. Lighting cracked from the sky above. The field had caught fire. Aria began hearing screams of pain from the flames as if there were creatures trapped inside. Aria tried to fly to see if she could find anypony she could help. As she entered the air a bolt of lightning lashed out, striking her. The blast left her body numb and immobile. She fell out of the sky, no one to catch her, no way to keep from crashing into the ground below. She watched the ground come closer and closer in terror, her fate inevitable.

Just before she hit the ground, she woke up in a sweat, screaming. Rainbow Dash jumped out of bed and landed on the floor. Tank made a futile attempt to run to the other side of his cage.

“Wah.. wuzzah huh?! What's going on? What's wrong?” Rainbow said, disoriented.

Aria explained the dream to Rainbow in detail.

“Oh man, that's some heavy stuff. Do you think it has anything to do with your memory?” Rainbow asked.

“I'm not sure. It felt so familiar. I'm not even sure I want to find out if its from my past or not.” Aria wiped the sweat that dripped down her face.

“Hmm. Hang tight I think I have something that might help you sleep.” Rainbow flew over to a closet on the far wall. She emerged with something very expected.

“Here, I got this when I was just a filly at my first Wonderbolts Derby. It used to help me sleep back then. Just don't let anypony know about it alright?” Rainbow offered Aria a small plush that resembled Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts. She couldn't believe somepony like Rainbow Dash had something like this.

Rainbow flew back over to her bed and lied down. She was just about to fall back asleep.

“Rainbow?”

“Yea?”

“Thanks.”

The nightmares didn't come back that night.

The next morning the two went to see Twilight about the dream. After coming up with nothing, Twilight decided they should go see somepony with experience in this type of thing. The three departed for Canterlot, Twilight figured if anypony could help it would be Princess Luna.

They stood at the station waiting for the train.

“Are you sure about this Twi? What if she can't help?” Aria asked

“I'm sure she will be able to help. Luna has plenty of experience with nightmares and should be able to help shed some light on how to get your memories back. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!” Twilight said with her usual egghead I-figured-it-out voice.

The train's whistle blew in the distance.

“Cool! There's the train!” Rainbow shouted as she pointed off into the distance.

The train rolled up to the station. The conductor checked their tickets, showed them to their seats, and the train started off for Canterlot Station. The ride up the mountains to Canterlot was both smooth and scenic. You could see all of Ponyville and the entire Everfree Forest.

After around an hour the train came to a halt at Canterlot Station. Canterlot was much more ornate than Ponyville was. The houses stood taller. They were made of white marble. The castle stood beautifully on the back wall. The three ponies walked into the throne room. Princess Celestia sat in her throne talking to what appeared to be a minotaur. He wore armor that bore the Royal Crest and carried a large sword. He seemed to be the Princess' Personal Guard, separate from the Royal Canterlot Guard who kept watch over the Palace and the surrounding grounds.

“Hello Princess Celestia.” Twilight said as the three bowed in respect.

“Hello Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, but who's your new friend?”

“Oh, this is Aria. She's new here in Ponyville, but we actually came to see Princess Luna. Have you seen her?” Twilight responded.

“Yes, right up the stairs there on the left. She's in the Library.” Princess Celestia motioned to the staircase to the left.

The three ponies hurried up the stairs. Princess Celestia and Helvansing exchanged a worried look.

“She's lost her memory. She would have recognized me otherwise.” Helvansing explained.

“Are you certain that was her?” Celestia asked.

“Those eyes. I could see the ferocity of lightning in them. There is no mistaking it, that was her.” He responded assuredly.

“You're not going to go after her?” Celestia asked in confusion.

“No. I only needed to know she was alive for now. I fear she will not understand if I tell her about her past. She may not even take it well if she did believe it. If you had the memories she did prior to whatever caused her to lose them, you wouldn't want them back.” Helvansing retorted ominously.

“Why, what happened to her?” Celestia inquired.

“When she was but a child, she watched demons slaughter and burn her village. No one else but her survived. She lost her family, her friends, everything. My parents were tradesmen from Mulgore. They found her alone and hungry. They took her in and she became like a little sister to me. She vowed to bring justice for her friends and family that was lost. She always kept a cocksure attitude about her, but it was just a mask. Those memories of that night plagued her every moment of every day. She became the most powerful Demon Hunter in all of Azeroth, and hunted down and destroyed the demons responsible for her villages destruction, but even their retribution offered her troubled spirit no Harmony. I can't bring myself to tell her this, not when she seemed to finally have peace and happiness.” Helvansing explained, the entire time his eyes fixated on the staircase the three mares had ascended to the second floor on.

“That's such a heart-breaking story. To care so much for someone who can't even remember you. You truly are as noble as you appeared to be when you first arrived, to give up your own desire for the sake of another is not something most would be able to do easily.” Celestia placed a hoof on Helvansing's shoulder.

“We must all make sacrifices in life, Princess.” Helvansing said solemnly.

Twilight, Rainbow, and Aria entered the Library. Princess Luna sat at the table reading a book on recent history.

“Hello Luna!” Twilight called out.

“Oh. Hello Ms. Spa... Twilight. We... I was just reading up on recent history and practicing speech without the use of the Royal Canterlot Voice.” Luna replied.

“Sounds like you have been making progress.” Twilight congratulated, “but we were hoping you could help our friend Aria. She lost her memory and we think her dreams may be able to help her get it back.”

“Hmm, step forward.” Luna placed her horn on Aria's head. It began to glow. Tears came to Luna's eyes. “Oh my, the pain locked away deep within you is so great for somepony so young. You have witnessed things that even my Night Guard would quiver in fear of. I cannot bear to bring all these terrible memories to light. I'm sorry. The most my power could offer is relieve you of this burden.” Luna explained sorrowfully.

“That bad huh?” Aria looked at Luna in disappointment.

“Trust us, thou woulds't regret for the rest of thine life ifts thou kept these nightmares.” Luna couldn't help using the old speech in her disarray.

Aria looked back at Rainbow and Twilight. She thought of her other new friends back in Ponyville: Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and all the other ponies of Ponyville. Even though she had been a complete stranger just two weeks ago, they had all helped her settle in and helped her so much.

Aria looked back at Luna, “Erase the memories.”

“Are you sure?!” Twilight said, astonished by Aria's decision.

“But you'll never know about where you are from then!” Rainbow cried out in worry.

“No. I know where I am from. I'm from Ponyville. Its where all my friends live. If those memories are that bad then I choose to forget. I have new friends and I can have new memories too. There was something I read in Twilight's Library the first night I spent there.

“Friendship is the most powerful magic,

It's power can stretch across the whole universe,

A pony could have friends wait for them anywhere,

They just haven't met them yet,

And even if their travels take them far apart,

They will always meet again one day.” Aria said with vigor.

“Very well.” Luna's horn began to glow. A bright flash went off.

“Did it work?” Rainbow asked.

Aria felt like a weight had been lifted off her back. Warmth filled her entire body. “So this is what true happiness feels like?” she thought to herself.

“Yes. I think it worked.” Aria said softly. She hugged Luna, “Thank you.”

“Just one thing... Aria. On your travels with Twilight and Rainbow could you tell me about them in letters? I believe it could help me learn more about how the citizens of Equestria have changed since I left so long ago.” Luna inquired.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” The four spun around to see Celestia and her personal guard walking into the Library.

“Alright then! I'll keep track of anything interesting I learn about and tell you all about it. It's the least I could do for all your help!” Aria said with a smile.

The three mares departed the castle and returned to Ponyville.

“So what will you do now Mr. Vansing?” Celestia asked her Personal Guard.

“Keep the promises I made. I vowed I would protect you and you subjects in exchange for your help. From here I will be able to keep that same promise I made to her all those years ago. I swore the Blood Oath of the Tauren the day she entered my family. It is a heavily respected custom that the oldest male become the protector of his siblings. I must follow it in respect of my ancestors and of my honor.” Helvansing replied.

Aria and Rainbow said goodbye to Twilight and went to return to Rainbow's house. What they found surprised them.

“I don't remember having TWO houses!” Rainbow said. The two flew over to investigate. There was a note on the door.

“For such a good show you two put on the other day. It's modest but somepony lost a bet and owed me a favor. Keep up the good work kids, you two are gonna go far! - Spitfire.”

Rainbow and Aria looked in awe. It was modest, only three rooms, but to be given a house just like that? They couldn't believe it! Aria said goodbye to Rainbow as it was getting late and they were both tired. Aria went inside to check out her new home.

The inside was fully furnished: Everything seemed to be formed from the clouds themselves, but tempered into more solid forms and then enchanted. Electricity seemed to flow through the clouds themselves, the dormant lighting being redirected by conduits so it could be used as an initiate power source from the home. It looked to be a rather intricate wiring system. Countless Wonderbolts posters decorated the walls. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and entered her new bedroom. The bed had purple sheets and bedspread. It bore Aria's cutie mark on the top blanket. She unfurled the covers and noticed something very surprising. A small plush Spitfire. Aria knew exactly who really wrote that letter and made this house after she saw this.

Luna stood on the balcony of her quarters in Canterlot. Her horn aglow as she rose the moon into the night sky. She looked down at Ponyville and smiled, “Sleep well young hero. May strife never plague you again.”

Comments

[Chihotaru]

I can't believe it's already over! Good story, but a little rushed.