Magic of Memory

by TangledHeart

Chapter Four

Later that afternoon, Twilight was going through some photo albums, trying in vain to find something that would click in her mind and help her be able to get back to her life. She grunted at each page filled with pictures of her from another time, another place, and -it seemed- a different reality than she knew and remembered. A knock at the door pulled Twilight from her thoughts. Sighing, she opened the door to admit Fluttershy.

"Hey! It's Fluttershy, right?" She asked.

"Right!" Fluttershy nodded with a smile.

"What brings you here?"

"I was just checking to see if you had gotten settled in, and if you maybe wanted to see some of the critters I take care of."

"I'm doing great," Twilight smiled. "And, I'm sort of in the middle of something, so, I don't know about the critters…" She sheepishly began to back away.

"Oh, but they'd be so excited to see you," Fluttershy urged. "And afterwards, we could have tea! Please, say you'll come?" She gave her cutest smile.

"Well…" Twilight ruefully looked back at the albums, still strewn about the floor. "Okay." She didn't want to disappoint Fluttershy.

"Great! Then, let's go!" Fluttershy led the way, Twilight closing the door behind her. She didn't notice Rarity and Pinkie Pie slipping in afterwards.

"Alright," Rarity said, turning the lights back on. "We have maybe an hour before Fluttershy and Twilight get back."

"No problem, when I have my party cannon!" Pinkie Pie rolled it in.

"Great," Rarity groaned, rolling her eyes. "But, for now, let's put up the decorations by hoof, at least until Fluttershy definitely has Twilight out of earshot."

"Okie dokie lokie!" They got to work. Not long after, Applejack and the Cakes came in with the food. Guests started trickling in, and everything was almost ready. Soon, they heard the hoof beats of Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Pinkie," Rarity hissed. "The lights! Everypony, hide!"

"But Rainbow Dash isn't here yet!" Pinkie objected.

"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity exclaimed, exasperated.

"Alright, alright!" Pinkie flipped the switch and hid underneath a table. Twilight opened the door and began to walk in.

"I still don't see why you brought all those birds with you," Twilight commented to Fluttershy, who was behind her. Said birds began to sing, and the lights came on, and everypony yelled, "Surprise!" In unison. Well, except for Pinkie, who was a little late.

Twilight gasped in delight. A surprise party, for her! The birds flew to a perch near the window, apparently providing the music.

"Just like at your first Summer Sun Celebration here!" Fluttershy explained.

"My what now?" Twilight asked, but was cut off by other ponies who tried to say hi.

As the party went on, Twilight grew uncomfortable. Sure, she had asked for the party, but... She hadn't realized how many ponies would be there, and how well they seemed to know her, but she didn't know them. They all mentioned things they had done together, how happy they were that she was alright. Maybe she wasn't as ready as she had thought she was… She was surrounded by ponies who loved her, but she barely recognized one face!

"I think I'm going to go upstairs for a bit," Twilight told her friends.

"Oh," Rarity exclaimed. "While you're up there, you can change into this,"She levitated a white outfit, bedazzled to the max. "It's just like the first ensemble you tried on at my boutique when we met!"

"What? Boutique?" Twilight began to back up. I thought I met everypony at the party, she thought.

"Careful, sugar cube!" Applejack called as Twilight was about to bump into the food table. "Don't want to get hot sauce on the cupcakes like last time." What? I don't remember doing that, Twilight thought.

"No, silly," Pinkie Pie interjected. "Twilight mixed up the hot sauce with the punch last time. I put it on the cupcakes."

"Oh yeah," Applejack laughed. "I forgot." You and me both, AJ. Twilight moaned inside.

"Go on, aren't you going to try on the outfit?" Rarity asked, holding it out. Twilight nervously took it.

"Ooo, have you had one of the cupcakes yet?" Pinkie asked. "They're your favorite!" I had never even had a cupcake until I came here, Twilight freaked. I don't even know my own favorite cupcake flavor! She galloped upstairs, still levitating the dress, and flew off the balcony. After she had gotten a good distance away, she landed and dropped the dress. The sight of the outfit she had apparently liked, and the memory of the cupcakes she couldn't remember the flavor of began to blur. A single tear went down her face.

"Twilight?" A voice said. Twilight looked up to see a blue pegasus mare.

"Rainbow Dash," She stood, quickly wiping her eyes and cheek. "Uh, hi."

"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked.

"It's… it's…" she couldn't bear to say everything.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the outfit. "I thought Rarity was going to give you an altered version of the dress you wore to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"The gala? I've never been. Or, have I?"

"Yeah, you have. All six of us went one year. Boy, was that a night." Rainbow laughed a bit.

"Oh." Twilight looked down again. Another wonderful memory I've lost…

"Hey," Rainbow Dash said, concerned. "What did I say?"

"Nothing," She kicked the ground. "It's just… all those ponies at the party… they all talked about things we've done together, what I mean to everyone, and… It touches me, it really does, but, I don't remember anything that they're talking about. I don't even remember my favorite cupcake flavor, or how I met you guys!"

"Hey," Rainbow put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It's okay. It's your first day back in the real world. Give it some time, and I'm sure you'll remember."

"I guess." She looked at Rainbow. She gasped at a flash of memory. Rainbow Dash… reaching out to her, terrified. What…? "Uh, Rainbow?"

"Yeah, Twilight?" She replied nervously.

"What do you know about my accident?"

"Uh… Listen," She flew up and hovered above Twilight. "I gotta go. You should get back to the party. Ponies might worry." She quickly flew away.

"Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight called, but she was long gone. What was that about? She wondered. She's not telling me something… but what? Deciding there was nothing she could find out about that at the moment, and to give the party another shot, Twilight put on the ensemble, and fought through the rest of the night.

Comments

[ShippingIsMagic]

Really like it, I put it between my favs, hope u continue.

[The Cynical Brony]

Err, Rainbow? You're acting a little suspicious.
What? I didn't cause your accident!
I didn't say you did...
...
Or that's how it would go if Twilight questioned her.

[Patata1312]

I love this story!!
Are you going to continue it?