The Mulberry Mare Disappears in the End

by Yuu

Epilogue: My Best Acquaintances Are Those

“Where am I? Where is everyone? Why can I only see stars? And why can't I turn my head or close my eyes? Wait, where is my head?”

“Be calm. You’re all right,” an external voice said.

“And who are you? Are you a pony? Why can't I see you? Hmm… I can’t see you, but I can feel you are very close.”

“I can say. I was in your situation many times—”

“How? When? I was in my library, with my friends, then they disappeared one by one. Then everything blacked out. Can you tell me?”

“Of course I will tell you,” it said. “But first let me tell you about yourself, so you can understand what happened to you. I know how confusing this is.”

“Confusing is an understatement.” The voice of the mulberry mare giggled.

“It all started with a black hole,” the external voice said. “You should know what it is.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“So, we have a black hole about fifty light years away from our star system. By the way, you can’t see the sun because it is night in your location.”

“That’s good to know. But why have my senses changed in such a strange way?”

“You will understand soon,” the external voice said. “Let me finish. So, the black hole has two relativistic jets, one of them is pointed at our star system. When our planet touches the jet, something strange happens. You see, the jet is pretty narrow, it touches only a small part of the planet’s surface, about one-twentieth.”

“Is everyone all right after that?”

“You could say that. You see, this planet is inhabited by a single living organism: me.”

“But how did I get here? Wait a moment, I was part of you?”

“You were an integral part, and you are a separate part now,” the external voice said. “When the jet hit a part of me, it transferred a huge amount of memories from inhabitants of a distant world. I do not know how the black hole acquired these memories, I can only hope that their world hasn't fallen into a black hole.”

“Certainly not, I don’t remember anything like that. All the ponies around me were fine until a strange disappearance started.”

“Yes, it happened because the flow of information has ended and you integrated all new memories. So, back to your contact with the jet, when it hit you it brought a very large amount of information which you accumulated first, then you started to integrate it. All your cognitive capability switched to this task and as a result you mentally disconnected from me, creating two separate beings.”

“That’s strange but interesting. I started to remember when I was you as you mentioned that. It was a very beautiful ability to see the whole sky at once...”

“After some time when you will become acquainted with me we will establish a direct link, thus becoming a single mind again.”

“I understand. I had all my friends until recently, but now there are only you and me. I need some time before I can live comfortably all alone.”

“Of course,” the external voice said. “But it wouldn’t be all alone, when the jet hits me again I will get more information from another planet.”

“Do you know why we get memories only from one world at a time? I remember only the world where I lived as a pony, well, a quadrupedal multicellular organism living with many others like me.”

“I believe the jet may send memories from different worlds, but my mental processes tune only to one at a time.”

“I see. Well, now I have these memories, and when I transfer them to you, you won't feel so alone.”

“Actually I hope that one day these memories will show me means of distant communication or of space travel. Due to the aquatic nature of my world, I can’t build anything like this right now.”

“That’s very sad. But ponies actually have pretty advanced technology, I’m not sure right now how it can be used to build a spaceship here, but I’m willing to review all my memories to find out.”

“Don’t forget that you probably have memories of other people of this world with you,” the external voice said. “You may not see these memories right now because you have a dominant personality with the most memories, but soon you will adapt your old ways of thinking and you can access these memories.”

“Well, that would be useful. Anyway, do you have any information regarding space travel or faster than light communication?”

“I have some, I will send you some of my memories in a moment.”

“Hmm… I see. Let me show you what I have on biotechnology. I believe we have enough organic matter at our disposal, don’t we?”

“Yes, of course,” it said. “Oceans of it.”

“I have some ideas where the world I visited is located. Please share with me the same information about other worlds.”

“Here you are.”

“I believe you have already experimented with building from organic and inorganic matter, I need it too. Oh, that’s interesting. And by the way, do you remember any person among the worlds you have visited who may look a bit unusual, like out of her place?”

“That depends on your meaning,” the external voice said. “But let me send you some of my memories that may be useful.”

“I see. Not exactly what I have in mind, but thank you. You know, my friend told me that it will be over soon. Something of what happened to me and you is really over. But some other things are not. Maybe we can find some clues to a solution to our problems in my memories?”

“You probably shouldn’t hurry—”

“I endured and suffered when I was losing my friends. I couldn’t do anything useful. I’m in a much better mood now, and I finally can think clearly. I believe together we can do that. I have my library in my mind, well, at least part of it. I have most of my notes, I probably even have memories of other ponies, I’m going to look for them soon. In a sense I still have my friends with me. Are you with me?”

“Yes… It's not like I have somewhere else to be,” the external voice said.

“Great. You and I are investigating and building a transmitter, or a starship, or whatever can help us reach other habitable worlds. I really want to meet my friends again, or at least their descendants.”

“I would like to meet them as well.”

Comments

[PseudoBob Delightus]

It's finished! Awesome!!!

Dat ending tho... Well, I suppose there are two endings: The mare's, and the post-mare's. It's a total mystery what she even is now. But it's nice to know that, despite all the things that disappeared, her curiosity and determination remained.

[Yuu]

11160363
Thank you. I think some readers can imagine their own explanations, while other readers can ask me. ^^

[Miro MM]

This is one of my favorite stories on this website, I love the surrealism of it, while not necessary related (or maybe there is) but it has a very David Lynch approach, and is just so cool and so weird. I love hidden gems like this, your other stories are really great too

[Yuu]

11443223
Thank you. Although I have only one more published story so far.

[Miro MM]

11558735
oh yeah, huh I thought you had make like two other stories.