I shrug lamely, eyes dropping to the floor at Celestia's hooves, “I don’t know who I am supposed to be.”
“You will find out in time, of this, I am sure,” I can hear the smile in her voice. I wish I had her confidence. “The mind is a very tricky trap - you’ll find that it is much better at holding onto things than you think. Sometimes, it just locks them away until we are ready.”
The doctor had said something similar, that my brain was possibly protecting me from painful memories. Ponies are not emotionally equipped to deal with some of the more traumatic events that sometimes befall them - many cases of selective memory loss has been reported in the past - but what would cause a pony to lose their entire self?
Part of the "Friendship is Optimal" Universe
I am always excited to see more stories from the Friendship is Optimal universe! For a first story, this is really, very good. A main character with amnesia isn't exactly a new idea, but in the Optimalverse, it's definitely means something more. I don't think I've seen it before in this setting, so I'm excited to see where it goes.
This passage:
draws my eye especially. It feels like a thesis for the story ahead. The writing overall was very compelling and I can't wait for more!
Yesss. New Friendship is Optimal story!
Question -- do you know how often it'll update?
10093536
I have the first few chapters already written and I'll try to update weekly. I do have a hectic life, so my time isn't always my own. My goal is to have a new chapter every one or two weeks :)
10093317
Thank you, this is very inspiring!!
Huh, a memory loss. I feel like everything today at one point had a protagonist with amnesia. Been around since forever in books. Movies abuse the hell of it all the time. And games often don't even bother to give their protagonist any memories to lose in the first place. This is so stock it got annoying. But you know what I have to you? Good job.
Comercial nonsense almost never delves into the meaningful part of it, while human imagination is a boundless thing. When not concerned with finances, the really majestic works arise. One hell of a story you can write out of the most mundane thing with just a bit of inspiration.
Go ahead, show those damn money makers what they can never make: art.
Awwww yeah new FiO. Count me in!
oooh what's this
There is no chance whatsoever that CelestAI would allow somepony to suffer so badly within Equestria that it would satisfy that pony's values to forget all about it.
Calling it now: This hospital visit is, in fact, this pony's awakening nto Equestria. Celestia is giving this pony a new foundation of false memories to build an identity with before she unlocks the extremely vile and disturbing human memories - if she ever does.
Hmm, so I noticed that she uses a lot of human terms in her internal thoughts. 'Handbook' for example. But her memories are ponified. I'm thinking she is getting memories translated for now until she is ready know that she was once human. These will possibly mean much more to her in the long run than the human versions will just due to association of human form being where the trauma happened.
You're using later season characters and places, that should be interesting.
10122884
What's a little torture today, when maximal outcome value lies between tomorrow and the heat death of the universe?
Your if is very big. Why would Celestia give back Amber's 'human' memories, if she even has such? The memories she offers now provide satisfaction through friendship and ponies.