Fleeting Memories

by Kaidan

VI. Awareness

Everything was hazy and had a dreamlike quality. I went around my daily tasks on the farm, earning bits and then going to bed. This cycle seemed to keep repeating, and I may have gone mad if it were not for the voices. Every so often I could hear voices standing beside me, yet they were never there when I looked. The Apples barely talked to me and I began to feel like I was dead and in purgatory... but I had the voices, so I clung onto them.

"That's when he told me about a tomb in the mine, he started convulsing and then became as still as death."

I don't recall any mines on Sweet Apple Acres. I spent a day looking for them but any time I wandered too far from the farm I'd find myself back in the middle of the orchard.

"Have Nurse Redheart start an IV and hang some dextrose. We'll scan him later and see if there is any change."

Nurse... Redheart? Had I heard that somewhere before? I adjusted the yoke that was digging into my back as me and Big Mac plowed the soil so we could begin a new harvest.

"I hope he's alright, you go ahead and head back home Big Mac. I'd like to stay and play some music."

It didn't matter how many trees I bucked, there were always more. As soon as I looked away the apples had regrown. In the distance I could hear a melody, calling out to me. None of the Apple family played an instrument, I wandered aimlessly trying to find the source of the music. I could feel something, a memory? Was this all a dream?

"Eeyup, up 'n went north and took everypony with her. Sis said somethin' bout savin' Equestria again."

Equestria? Why would we need to save it, today was such a beautiful day. I was happy to have so many apples to buck, every day I had my routine and that's all I needed. I headed off to the south orchard and noticed the moon was up and it was full.

"...Can't keep him on IV fluids forever, if somepony doesn't have a better idea..."

I couldn't stop staring at the moon. It was so clear and vibrant, and everything else seemed so surreal. I sat down and continued to stare until the moon suddenly opened it's eyes.

"Awake my little pony, return to the tomb and destroy the remains. We shall handle the crystal heart."

Tomb? Remains? I started to run back towards the Apple house. I just wanted to buck apples... the ground fell away beneath me and suddenly I was falling again, crashing towards the ground below. I screamed but couldn't hear anything, below a building was getting closer. Time seemed to slow down, I flinched but passed right through the roof landing on a teal Pegasus.

~*~

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!" I screamed out loud. "haha! I'm Alive!" I bounced around on my bed, so excited to have a headache, so grateful to be alive.

That's when I noticed a rather startled looking mint green mare who looked like she had been sleeping in a chair. "ohmigosh! Lyra, are you ok?"

"Um... it's you we were worried about Comet. What happened?" Lyra asked.

By now the Doctor and Nurse had walked in so I began to explain. "Doctor, Nurse, I know what I have to do now. I have to warn Celestia, the Crystal Kingdom is back!"

"Oh dear..." Lyra had a pensive look on her face I hadn't seen before. "I was playing in the park when Twilight came to get Fluttershy, I overheard her say that the elements of harmony had been urgently summoned to Canterlot."

"So the Princess already knows? We have to destroy his remains or the best they can do is just banish him again!" I said with a hint of panic. "The princess spoke to me while I was dreaming, we have to destroy the tomb to end the King's reign once and for all."

"Well... I guess the Princess already knows but how will you... " Lyra trailed off, and I realized just how exhausted she must be.

"So Doctor, if I could get the discharge papers and some of that lovely jello Nurse, I'll get out of your mane. I'm going to head north and make sure Twilight and the others do more then just banish King Sombra this time!"

~*~

After slowing down to explain what had just happened i was discharged. Lyra and I headed to Sweet Apple Acres to find Big Mac with a renewed sense of purpose now that most of my memories were restored.

"Lyra, thanks for visiting me. It all felt so real, I was convinced that I had all I ever wanted in the dream. Hearing your music, it helped me start to realize that it was a dream." I grinned over at her.

"Oh your welcome, you were such a nice pony when you came to town, it's the least I can do to help you." Lyra said while glancing at me.

"So once we get Big Mac, we'll set off north to destroy King Sombra and save Equestria! Looks like we won't have to be a background pony this time." I smiled and guided her to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Comet! Ya'll are ok!" Big Mac ran over to greet us.

"I sure am, and I'm going to need your help or Applejack and the others might not succeed on their mission." I could see the worry in his eyes.

"My sis is in trouble?" Big mac asked.

"Yeah, I believe they were sent to the Crystal Empire to banish an ancient evil, only they don't know about his prison. It's a tomb in a mine I used to guard, he should have stayed sealed there forever. If we don't destroy his remains, he'll eventually escape again" I explained.

"I still don't understand, nopony has ever heard of the Crystal Empire. If what the Doctor said earlier was true then it's an ancient kingdom thousands of years old. How are you here now?" Lyra inquired.

"I don't know, but I was there the moment he was sealed in the tomb. Maybe I'm even from the Crystal Empire. All I know I'm connected somehow and I have to end what my squad started when we disturbed the tomb." I looked at Big Mac "So will you help us destroy it?"

Big Mac spat out the piece of straw he'd been chewing on and said "Eeyup. My sis is up there 'n I've got to help her out."

Comments

[thesnyphur]

It was sombra.

[Honeytiger]

Why does Honeytiger have the strange feeling that there are a buckload of background pony references in here?