The Forgotten: Reflections

by Jatheus

Chapter I

Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria…

The mare gazed by moonlight into the smooth surface of the unmoving pool that lay before her. Only the faintest hint of ripples disturbed the otherwise glassy surface. No doubt some gust of breeze or insect, perhaps even fish beneath had caused the flutter. Yet the mare didn’t have the presence of mind to be aware of any of these things.

She stared blankly, taking in her reflection. Blue eyes stared back at her from the face, a pony’s face. Gray fur made up her coat, and atop her head was a long and flowing, though somewhat unkempt mane of peach or salmon.

Though, she was uncertain as to the meaning of what she saw. Even for how long she had sat growing colder in the chilled air, she had no idea. There was only the moment and a feeling, an unpleasant sensation like a passing sorrow that was fading from her mind.

Looking up from the waters, she saw more of the wooded area that surrounded her, bathed in the same silvery light from above. It was filled with trees that anypony would consider unique. They bore long thin tendrils, much like a weeping willow. Leaves hung lazily down the length of the tendrils and luminesced golden.

A flapping tickled the mare’s ears, and she turned to her left to discover four sets of glowing leaves that had abandoned their tree and were flitting about on their own. She didn’t have the presence of mind to comprehend that in actuality they were not leaves at all; they were butterflies.

A smile contorted her face at the jovial way they danced through the air. The mare stood, more out of instinct than intent, and began to follow them.

Through a lush forested area, the mare pursued the butterflies in the night. They were rather mesmerizing to behold. As they walked, the forest changed. It was as if a fog had covered everything, obscuring all for a moment. Dawn broke the horizon and illuminated this new place as the haze cleared. The trees seemed shorter, and much larger and ornate. There were others beings there as well, moving about on legs as she was.

She didn’t recognize any of them, and they went in and out of the large straw covered trees. They somewhat reminded her of the face that she’d seen in the pond, though they were all different shapes and colors. Some of them looked at her and smiled. Most simply passed by, ignoring the mare entirely.

The butterflies entered one of the large square trees through a rectangular opening. The mare followed them inside. It was a quiet place, and yet, it seemed like it should be familiar. The mare looked around at the various ornaments and decorations. The shape of the interior was inorganic with many flat surfaces and corners.

One thing that did catch her attention was an image, smaller than the reflection in the pond, bound with a similar glassy surface and bordered by a shiny cold material. There were two smiling faces. One looked like the same face she’d seen in the pond, but she didn’t recognize the other.

Almost escaping her attention, the butterflies took flight again and made for the door. The mare followed. Her little companions stopped, flying in place in a pattern where they circled each other for a few moments, and then they continued on again.

The mare followed the butterflies until there was nopony around. They found themselves in another haze before another forest, somewhat more like the one where the pond had been. The odd group continued deep into the wooded area. The chilly air bit at the pony’s nose and ears.

A light grumble worked its way through the mare’s stomach just as they came to something curious. Much like the strange square trees they’d found before, there was another one there in front of them. Thin wisps of smoke curled up from the chimney, disappearing into the sky.

A gust of cold wind tickled the tree tops, making them sway above. Needles and leaves dropped, a harbinger of the coming change. The mare began shivering, an unpleasant sensation she could not remember experiencing before.

Still in pursuit of the butterflies, she would have continued deeper into the woods but for a sound that caught her ears. She turned to face the cottage as the door creaked open, seemingly of its own accord.

The butterflies stopped, flitting about in place as the mare gazed at the darkness of the nearby doorway. She stood starting at it just as her teeth began chattering all on their own. From within the darkness of the structure, an old and seasoned stallion’s voice called out.

“Come in out of that cold!”

Having no memories to draw on, the mare also had no fear. She was interested to see where the strange noises had originated, and she walked forward into the little house without so much as the slightest hesitation. She had only curiosity, and the butterflies, which followed her inside.

It took her eyes moments to adjust as the door creaked shut. It was much warmer inside, thanks to a warm flickering glow nearby. What she saw next was an old unicorn. His mane had gone gray from age, and patches of white were throughout his dark coat. The unmistakable scent of decay was in the house. The old stallion moved away, sitting in a chair by the fire.

"You can get warm too if you like," he invited cordially, his green eyes had a kindness to them.

She, however, was content to simply look around for a moment, taking in whatever fell within her sight. An old wooden table and two chairs were near a small window. One of the chairs had a layer of dust coating it. There was also a bed in the corner and a very small kitchen near the hearth. The ancient unicorn regarded her silently while she devoured the layout of his small cabin.

"You're not from around here, are you, young one?" He wore a tired smile now. Tilting his head to one side, he asked, "How is it that you have acquired your butterflies?"

The mare didn't speak, for she still did not know how. She simply smiled at him as a child might. She was happy to have stopped shivering. The unicorn looked at the glowing butterflies again, sniffed the air and nodded slowly.

"I see there is magic at work here. Well, there isn't a thing I can do about that. However, if you're willing to stay and keep an old stallion company this winter, I might be able to offer you something of which I possess a great deal."

She gazed back at him with pure innocence.

"Knowledge," he said with a grin that revealed several missing teeth.

The butterflies fluttered across the room, landing near the old stallion. The mare followed and sat down on the floor, her attention suddenly gained by the heat emanating from the flickering oranges and reds in the stone hearth nearby. It was rather captivating to watch.

“Since you don’t speak, I expect you won’t know your name either,” the old one continued. “I’ll have to think of one for you.”

Just as the mare was about to see if she could hold the flickering, the butterflies took flight again, swiftly coming straight at her face. She backed away, gaining a much safer distance from the fire.

“They seem to care about you… how curious…”

The mare sat down again, the butterflies this time landing on top of her head. The old unicorn grinned once more.

“I suppose it would be no harm in naming you for the kin of your little friends there, especially as your cutie mark looks just like them. I expect that is a result of the magic that drained your memories and not a coincidence. Back where I was a colt, we had the most beautiful type that shared the golden color, though, they were not magical.” He took a breath, “You shall be known as Mestra Amymone.”

The mare looked up to the speaking stallion, not understanding any of his words but finding his voice comforting.

Comments

[porcelainpony]

I love this! This is exactly what I've been wanting to read!!

[Jatheus]

9068150
Thank you so much for saying so!

[Selene Bright]

Cool introduction bro.

I have to say you're really good at describing little details.

[Jatheus]

11473575
Thank you so much! This series holds a special place for me. While the concept was given to me by someone else, I created everything else around it, Equestria notwithstanding.

I hope you enjoy.