Old Wounds

by Sylpheed Dashstep

Act I; Scene V: A Short Lived Reunion

Alex and Anna sat there, staring at each other, neither quite believing what they were seeing untill Alex opened his mouth and asked, "Anna," in a slightly dreamy voice.

Her mouth opened a little and wavered before she finally broke down and began crying as she said, "I've finally found you, after five years chasing you. I was there at every concert, every town, every time I was there. But I could never get you...One time you were so close, if you had just leaned a few hooves back I would have wrapped my hooves around your neck." By this time tears were streaming down her muzzle but she didn't care. She had found her best friend.
Alex smiled and picked himself off the ground while saying, "Well, I'm here now Anna, and I'm not going anywhere, I can guarantee it."

She ran over to him and collapsed in his arms, burying her face in his chest as she cried her eyes out, both from relief that she had found him, and terror of what would happen next. They sure as hell weren't just going to be left alone by that shadow. Alex smiled at her untill a rustling eminated from the trees. Anna looked at the source of it and didn't see anything but shadows. Because that's what it is, her mind concluded. It's a shadow. It's everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Alex's mind was racing at the same time as hers, trying to find a way out of this, maybe they could run, get out of the forest and just stay in the light for the rest of their lives. The thing could have them when they died, but no sooner.
Alex leaned down and wispered into Annas ear, "When I say run, you get out and run, got it?"

Anna nodded and opened her mouth to protest before she was cut off by the voice of the invisible being in the shadows, "Well now Alex, that won't do you much good boy. You know betted that anypony that running will do you no good. So why don't you just do us all a favor and listen to me."

Anna was about to listen to the beast untill Alex whispered, "Run," into her ear.

She took off, running the fastest she ever had, branches and apples hitting her face and sides, but she ignored it, if she could make it out, that might mean another day to see Alex. She stopped suddenly. He wasn't following her. He stayed behind with that thing.

---

Alex was staring at the beast, "You caused this," he said to it, trying to get an emotion from it. Trying to get something, anything from it, but it sat there. As calm as ever.

"And," it questioned, "what are you going to do, you know that there's nothing you can do. You kill me, you have no way to change it, you run, you loose your chance to change things." A rustling eminated from the bushes and Alex turned to see the last pony he wanted to see there. "Anna," he asked, "why are you here still, I told you to run!"
"Alex," the shadow in front of him said, "I think Anna knows why she came back, don't you dear?"
She stepped through the rest of the underbrush and said, "First of all, don't call me dear, and second, yes I do. I've realized why you're after us. Me mostly. But one question, why Alex? You've had him in this mess all the way from the start, so why him?"

"Wait a minute, could somepony explain what is going on here first," Alex yelled.

The shadow gave a laugh and said, "Oh, such determination coming from such a broken, twisted, ruined, desolate, empty shell of a pony. But I have to say, I'm sorry for you. So I'll catch you up. As you know, Anna has been able to see since she was born. So therefore she saw me when she was born." Alex gave it a quizzical look and it sighed, "I'm the Angel of Life and Death as you ponies would label me. Now, as I was saying. She saw me and she looked into my eyes. She saw my world, the place I live and all of it's desolate and dreary features. I can't just let her walk away. And now I come to Anna's question. You wish to know why him, why just him. Well, I'll tell you why dear. Because he's holding onto you, and unknown to both of you, that is what's preventing me from taking you away."

It concluded this with a snarl and Anna stepped towards it...moving slowly like she was in a minefield.

"Don't even offer to come," the beast said, "I can't take you until Alex lets you go. And I highly doubt that's going to happen."

Night had fallen on the three figures by now and Alex's face was barely visible in the gloom, but Anna could see his face twist into a small smile.

"You would be right then," Alex said to the beast. The ground cracked underneath his feet, but he didn't notice as he carried on, "You're completely right, I know I just met her again after five years, but I'm not letting her go."
The ground under his feet split open, spilling pristine white light onto the world, leaving the shadow stammering a little as he began to talk, "Listen, Alex, I just want to help. Let me take Anna out of the timeline. I promise you, you won't remember a thing about her. You'll have your old life back. You could have your old life back. You could live a happy life. Just let me take her."

"No," Alex whispered, his words causing the ground to split open wider and rumble.

---

Meanwhile in Ponyville

A rumble came from nowhere, throwing Diamond Tiara as well as a few other ponies onto the ground. A stallion was there to help her up though and she began off to her house only to see it blocked off by a fallen building. She sighed and turned to see the same stallion who had caught her standing there and he offered her a place to stay for the night.

---

"No," Alex whispered again as the crack grew wider and the ground rumbled. The light from the hole seemed to lift him up a few feet and he was hovering off the ground.

A hoof landed on his leg and he looked to see Anna there, saying, "Alex, you have to let me go. Just do it."

"Anna," he said, "I can't do that." A tear fell down his cheek, hitting the soft earth of the orchard and splitting the ground open all the way, covering everything in white light as he closed his eyes.
The light faded and Alex opened his eyes to find himself in a...nothing. There was absolutely nothing. No light, no dark. Nothing solid, and nothing...just nothing.

The shadow appeared, except this time he had a form. He was a unicorn with a dark charcoal mane and grey fur with no cutie mark. His eyes though. His eyes were just black pits holding nothing, until Alex saw what Anna had seen. A land ravaged by disease and unfortune. Colored only by the shadows and the blood spilt by its inhabitants. A beast walking on two legs appeared in his vision and Alex felt afraid for the first time in a while.

The beast had appendages at the end of it's hooves and it seemed to be wearing an armor of some sorts. There was something else though. It stood on two legs, as though gravity had no effect on it. and suddenly it was gone. The shadows and the red flashing lights.
"Wh-where are we," Alex asked in a shaky voice.
"We, are in the Medium, heading back to the beginning of this time session," the stallion said, his voice staying the same as it had when he was a beast.
"What do you mean by that," Alex asked, his curiosity growing as his fear was dulled.
The stallion laughed and said, "Well, since you're going to loose your memory, I might as well tell you. You are trapped in a time loop, destined to relive the last five years of your life until one variable is removed. Anna. And until you choose to let go, you can't continue onwards."
"So, I'm stuck," Alex said sadly.
"Yes, you are," the stallion said. He suddenly froze up and said, "It is time for you to go, but before you do, maybe I can change something. Alex, my name is Garanth. Maybe this will change something for you. And Alex, I'm sorry for all of this."

---

Alex had been at his mix board all night, working on his next song him and DJ Pon-3 were going to perform at the little stadium at the edge of town. The beat was turning out better than both of them had thought it would until something hit him in the back of his head, slamming him facedown onto the board as one of the volume knobs slammed into his right eye, sending a jolt of pain to his brain. But he wasn't focused on that. He was focused on his mother getting torn to shreds right before his eye. He passed out as her screams became gurgled cries and awoke in the hospital the next day.
There was a newspaper and he picked it up, seeing a title that made his blood run cold.
"Woman Viciously Attacked And Killed."
Alex made plans then and there to run. He didn't know where, but he was going to run.

---

Nothing is ever completely forgotten. It's always there in the back of your mind, just waiting for you to remember. Or waiting for something to spark up a memory. Bringing back all of your memories of the object or person, or people you left behind or forgot. All you need is a little push. An object is all it takes, and, sometimes, just a name is needed.

Author's Note:

So here ends the adventure of Alex, at least for now. Don't fret though, this doesn't end the journey, not by far. I still have a few more journeys to tell. There's the story of how Celestia came to power. There's the story of how King Sombra fell, the story of how Luna became Nightmare Moon, as well as how one Changeling became the queen of all Changelings, and how one little stallion became the holder of chaos.
Stay along for the ride, you'll enjoy it. I can promise that.
~Sylpheed Dashstep
p.s. That job for an editor is still open if anyone wants it.