A warm, gentle breeze of trickled my cheek, waking me up from my peaceful sleep. As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by surroundings I didn’t remember seeing; I was lying on a forest floor. Everywhere around me, tall birches and spruces rose from the ground. The undergrowth was lush, as well. From the temperature alone I knew that it was summer.
I rose up, and for a moment, felt so dizzy that I was about to keel over. Images of Ponyville flashed into my mind with no particular order, but when I shook my head, the feeling of dizziness went away. I sighed in relief, taking time to examine the surroundings. Why am I here? What is this place? What happened? I asked from myself, getting only empty echoes as answers. It looked like the forest resembled Whitetail Wood, but it was somehow off. But what did Whitetail Wood even look like? Not like this forest, that’s for sure.
With nothing else to do, I started to wander ahead aimlessly. Uneasiness clenched my chest; no birds were singing, nor did I see any animals around. It was almost like all fauna, save for myself, had mysteriously vanished. The sky’s still blue, the clouds are still moving, and it’s a warm summer day. Everything is alright. But everything wasn’t alright. As I stopped to catch my breath on the foot of the tallest spruce I’d seen this far, I realized something – I no longer knew who I was. Trying my best to disregard the pounding of my heart, I took a deep look at my purple hooves, and then touched my sides. Nothing. I moved my hoof to my head, feeling something pointy that tingled under my touch. Why did I not feel my horn before?
Gradually, some memories returned, and as my name, Twilight Sparkle, came to me, I sighed in relief. If nothing else made sense, at least I had something now. Now, with a name to focus on, I trod onwards, keeping a worried eye at my surroundings. If something was to jump out and ambush me, I’d be more than ready. But as I tried to feel my horn – tried to push my inner magical reserves through it to perform a simple light spell – nothing happened. Stopping again, I spent a few minutes banging my mind against the invisible wall that prevented magic from entering my horn, but that was for no avail. Defeated, I continued.
“Hello?” asked a timid voice from my right, making my heart jump. I instinctively turned to face the threat, lowering my head to use my horn against it. “Please don’t hurt me, Twilight!” called the voice. I realized it was scared, and raised my head. In front of me stood a green unicorn, her mane cyan with streaks of white. Her eyes were full of worry and surprise.
“How did you know my name?” I asked, staring sternly at the mare. Her legs were shaking a little, making me regret my hostile tone.
The mare frowned, stepping backwards to get some distance to me. “I… I’m sorry. I don’t know. But the moment I saw you, I recognized you were Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
“And you’re Lyra – Lyra Heartstrings.” My mouth fell agape as I comprehended what I’d just said. This mare was Lyra Heartstrings, somepony I knew but had no idea where from. I offered her a regretful smile. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I have no idea what this place is, or why I’m here. It’s almost like my mind was covered by a blanket of impenetrable mist.”
Lyra nodded. “We’re in the same boat then, Twilight. I’ve been wandering around for a while. It’d be wonderful to have company. Would you mind if I joined you?”
“No, of course not,” I answered with a much more relaxed voice, also happy to have somepony for company. “Shall we continue? I’ve been trying to hold a straight line, and I think it’s been working out for now.”
“Sure!”
We began walking, trusting my sense direction. I soon noticed that my chest felt much lighter when walking with Lyra – now I knew that there was somepony else here, too. We didn’t talk much, but I couldn’t help but smile each time I glanced at her. Why is she so familiar? And why do I feel so secure with her? I didn’t know the answers to either of my questions, but still felt happy.
After an hour or two – it was hard to tell the passage of time, as the level of the sun was the only way of measuring it – we arrived into a clearing ten yards wide. In the middle of it ran train tracks. The clearing seemed to continue in a line, turning so that I couldn’t see much further. I walked to the glistening tracks, seeing that they were in top condition... almost like someone had polished them only hours ago. Even the planks connecting the rails were well-waxed, almost shining.
“This is… weird,” I said to Lyra, who had come next to me, and was looking at the tracks keenly, “but also a good thing. If we follow the tracks, we’ll surely end up somewhere. Something like this can’t have been built for nothing... nor would the tracks be kept in this condition if this place wasn’t important for some reason.”
“You’re right.” Something in Lyra’s voice seemed oddly warm and calming, but I couldn’t quite grasp what. As I kept my eyes on her, a scene from somewhere else flooded into my mind. For a second, I saw Lyra standing in front of a white building, grinning sheepishly and waving her hoof.
“Twilight?” The reality came back crashing, making me feel dizzy again. I stared straight into Lyra’s eyes – she was frowning. “Why are you staring at me?”
“I- uhm...” I couldn’t help but smile, shaking my head. “I just phased out, I guess. But Lyra – I’m sure I remember you, quite well, actually, from somewhere.”
Lyra looked puzzled, but didn’t say anything. After I’d collected my thoughts, we started walking along the tracks. When we crossed a bridge overlooking a small dale with a stream on the bottom, my stomach growled. Only now did I realize that I’d grown both thirsty and hungry, and touched Lyra with my hoof to stop her. But right as I raised my hoof to tap her oddly radiant coat, I felt a sudden urge to fiercely embrace her, and was again left helplessly standing as Lyra stopped and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you okay, Twilight? You look kind of dazed again.”’
“I guess I’m just hungry,” I noted casually. Right. Just hungry, in the middle of a forest you don’t remember ever walking into. Why aren’t you panicking right now?“We should really find something to eat.”
We descended into the dale, finding out that blueberries were growing everywhere around the stream, the water of which was so clear that it was like there was only a sheet of rippled glass over the rocky bottom. I drank greedily, then proceeded to eat the berries, a task that was surprisingly hard with my hooves. Magic would’ve made things easier, but as a fellow unicorn, Lyra seemed to have just the same problems.
Nevertheless, we eventually got our stomachs filled. The forest was already turning darker, so we decided to find shelter. It was obvious that the stone bridge would provide us cover from possible rain, and thus, we settled for it. There was no point in wandering further when we didn’t have any idea what we’d find.
“Twilight… I remember you,” said Lyra again, as we were sitting next to the stream in the shadow of the bridge. The air was turning chilly. “Like, I remember you very well. Everypony else in my memories is just a part of the backdrop. A part of the daily smudge, just as Canterlot and Ponyville... and even of those two places, I can only recall a few little details, like that Canterlot has a big palace. It’s really weird, you know… really weird that we’re here, in some kind of forest beyond even Princess Celestia’s reach, where we can’t use magic.”
Princess Celestia… her I could remember. A smile was plastered on my face as I recollected sitting on the balcony of the Canterlot Palace with her, talking about something. “Everything is weird, Lyra, but there are other matters to think about right now. At dawn, we should continue along the tracks. And when we finally reach someplace, perhaps we can get help, or at least remember something more... I hope.”
“I think we’ll remember. Eventually. Whatever this place is… I…” Lyra rubbed her forehead and cringed. “Nngh.” Lyra turned her eyes on me, as if she was measuring my height. “We were walking in the Everfree... a forest close to Ponyville.”
“We were?” The dark and dangerous forest, much different than this one, came to my mind. It was all just a haze, but in the dancing shadows, I could see Lyra’s face, twisted into a scared frown, as the image faded away. A shiver went down my spine. “Right… I guess we were.”
The dark veil of the night quickly fell upon the world, and I started to get drowsy. Lyra soon lay next to the rugged wall of the bridge, falling asleep right away. A warm feeling filled my chest as I saw her peaceful, sleeping form. She didn’t look like a mare who’d been thrust into a mysterious wilderness, her memories all but taken away. I walked to her, feeling a need to be close to somepony, and with slight hesitation, lay next to her, closing my eyes. It didn’t take long for the stream’s gurgle and Lyra’s warmth to lull me elsewhere – far away from this lonely forest.
--
“Rise up, sunshine, for today’s a wonderful day,” chirped a familiar voice. I opened my eyes, and saw Lyra sitting in front of me. Her mane was a mess, making my giggle like filly. “My mane can’t be that bad!” protested Lyra, pointing at me. “Your’s is worse!”
It took a while for my silly giggling to stop. “I’m sorry, Lyra… I just couldn’t restrain myself. But it’ll surely be a wonderful day with you around,” I blurted out. Lyra curiously looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I opened my mouth again to say something, but the words just didn’t come, and I was left lying dumbfounded on the ground.
“Alrighty then,” Lyra said, shrugging. She waited for me to get up before plucking her head into another bush of blueberries. Relieved that she hadn’t taken offense, I rose up and did the same, picking the berries with my mouth instead of my hooves. Our breakfast was simple, but tasted delicious and was probably more nutrient than my usual bowl of porridge in my treehome. Wait, I live in a tree?
After satisfying our hunger, we climbed back onto the tracks and began walking. The weather was fine, with the occasional cloud sailing in the sky. There would be no heavy downpour this day, nor would the sun torment us with burning heat. Still, the lack of any noises from the nature, besides of leaves rustling in the light wind, unnerved me to no extent. Only Lyra’s presence kept me from hiding my head in my hooves, like a foal trying to flee some great evil in a nightmare.
“I just wish I had my lyre…” grumbled Lyra as we walked next to the rails. “I remember how I used to play it. Even my cutie mark is a lyre. In my mind, I’m searching for a tune – for notes that would describe our situation perfectly. And Twilight – I remember playing the lyre to you, and only you, some evening not that long ago.”
“Oh.” I was surprised by Lyra’s reveal, but it made sense considering my own memories. We’d almost certainly been together when we’d been whisked to this place. “What…. what kind of song were you playing?”
Lyra took her time to ponder my question. “It’s almost like I remember – like I should remember – but just can’t. Imagine waking up after a pleasant dream. No matter how much you try, you can only recall some details, while the others remain hidden.”
“I know that feeling.”
The sun had already risen to its apex in the sky as we reached the edge of the forest. We stood still where the trees ended – only a flat plane of grass, stretching into infinity, until fading into blue, was there. The tracks continued forward in a straight line, until eventually vanishing from sight with the ground. So surreal was the scene that I could but shake my head. There would be no escape from this forest. None.
“What are we going to do now?” asked Lyra, her voice anxious. She turned her head to face me, looking straight into my eyes. For reasons that I couldn’t comprehend, I took a step towards her and smiled.
I watched the tall trees of the Everfree sway around, hearing the echoes of a roar. Rain blasted my face, but I knew I’d have to do this. No, that we’d have to do this. “I’ve seen an Ursa Minor. An Ursa Major would destroy the town in the blink of an eye,” I told Lyra, who was standing next to me. She looked determined. I couldn’t help but notice how gracefully her mane flailed around in the wind, almost like she’d been born to adventure.
“I know, Twi. I know. I’d trust my life in your hooves.” The look on Lyra’s face turned from fearless to that of a scared, lost mare who was afraid of her only companion losing her mind. “Twilight?”
I frowned, shaking my head furiously. “I’m sorry again, Lyra. But honestly, I have no clue what we should do. The logical answer would be to wait for a train, but this place is so surreal, that I doubt one will come anytime soon.”
Lyra nodded. “We should make a camp here, close to the edge. It should be easy enough for us to hear if one passes by. After all, it’s somewhere close. We’d hear it approaching.”
“You’re right,” I answered. We had been ill-prepared for such a sudden mission, but I had read many books about survival in the wilderness. I walked into the thicket, examining the trees there. After finding one that would be suited for the job, I unrooted it with my magic, levitating it against a rock. Then, I did the same to a couple of other birches, putting them against the rock so that we’d have a shelter for the night. It was no hotel room, but would do the job just fine.
“Wow!” shouted Lyra from behind me, snapping me back to reality. I was standing in front of a large rock with a few trees neatly leaning on it, forming what looked like a working shelter. “I didn’t think we’d be able to use our magic at all in here.”
“Oh.” I pinched my eyes closed, and then opened them again. The shelter was still there. “I must be dreaming… or I was dreaming a few moments ago. I’ve had flashbacks.”
Lyra gave me an empty look. “So have I. The Everfree Forest. We could be still there, don’t you think? We just have to find some way out, Twilight.”
“No, no. I’ve been in the Everfree many times. I remember reading exploration logs, but nowhere in the Everfree is it anything like here. The trees are all different, and there are neither endless fields nor train tracks there. No, we’re in someplace else.”
“I’ll trust you with this,” stated Lyra, nodding. “I have a feeling that you’re a pony to be trusted. Hey, I’d trust my life in your hooves… though I don’t know why. But I would.”
I was a little weirded out by Lyra, but the way I’d acted before, I wasn’t one to complain. It was still midday, so we decided to search for food and drink. Of course, we could’ve just returned to where we’d come from, but the journey there and back would’ve taken the rest of the day. The weather was still fine, and thus, we had no problem finding more blueberries in the lush forest. Everything smelled strangely fresh – almost like there’d been rain only hours ago, but Lyra and I had experienced none.
Eventually, the sun settled under the horizon, and we were left in the dark. Neither of us knew how to light a fire without magic, but luckily, the night was quite warm. The wind had died down some time ago, leaving nature in a state of almost otherworldly suspense. So tranquil and silent was the night that the sounds of Lyra’s and my breathing were the only ones to be heard.
--
This time, I was the first the wake up. The light of the morning sun painted the forest with orange and red hues, creating an alien view, not that the forest wasn’t quite off in itself. I trod to the edge, only about a hundred feet away. The sight of the sun rising above the completely flat horizon stunned me from astonishment, but also caused doubts to creep into my mind. What the hay is this place? Why are we here? Why?
“Good morning, Twi,” said a soft voice from my side. Lyra had walked there, her eyes focused on the magnificent view in front of us. I couldn’t turn my eyes off her. The bright, horizontal light cast shadows on her coat, making the shape of her body entirely visible. I took in the sight – the natural curves, the beautiful color of her coat, how well it matched that of her mane – and felt my heart racing.
“You’re…” I started, but put a hoof on my mouth. What is wrong with you?
Lyra turned towards me, cocking her head. “I’m what, Twilight?”
“BeautifuI.” I felt my cheeks flare up. My mind was, once again, filled by mist that prevented me from thinking clearly. Lyra’s mouth fell open, but she quickly shut it, staring straight into my eyes. I was instantly lost in hers, their colors almost like that of the sun.
“Why, thank you,” said Lyra timidly, blushing just like I had. She let out a short, nervous laughter. “I have to return the compliment.”
“You know, Lyra, this is getting really weird. Are we falling in love? I know these signs. But this doesn’t make any sense. Nothing seems to make any sense in here. The birds don’t sing. The trees smell fresh, but it hasn’t rained since we arrived. The tracks look brand new, but there’s nopony around to look after them. And now, we’re falling in love?” Suddenly, I felt like the entire world collapsed on me, bringing me down to my knees. What if this is a plan of Discord’s? Or a punishment by Celestia? And why can I remember what Discord is like, but not how he was defeated? “And now, Lyra, I’m scared like a foal. Why?”
Lyra kept her eyes on mine. She put a hoof on my shoulder, and before I could react, pulled me into a deep embrace. “You don’t have to be afraid, Twi,” mumbled Lyra into my ear. “I don’t know any more than you do, but what I do know, is that we’re not here by accident. It just can’t be. Nothing makes sense, but right now, I just want to be here. With you.”
We embraced each other for a while before breaking up. A smile was plastered on Lyra’s face, but her eyes were full of worry. Thoughts went in and out of my brain, without forming any kind of logical string. I was still in the same fog when we made our way back to the shelter. Only as Lyra released her tail from around mine – they’d been tangled together ever since we’d talked on the field – did I return to my senses. My stomach churned as I tried to comprehend what we’d just said and done.
“Whatever happens, you can count on me,” said Lyra, breathing out mist in the cold weather. A red scarf was wrapped around her neck. We were standing in a large clearing which was surrounded by the tall, dark trees of the Everfree. “I know this will be dangerous. But it’s not like we’ll be banished to another dimension, or anything…”
“Don’t talk like that, Lyra! You’ll curse us before you know it.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be the skeptical science-pony?” teased Lyra, leaning towards me, until she was only inches away.
“I’m the Element of Magic, for Celestia’s sake!” Lyra fell on her rump, smirking. “We’re in a forest full of cockatrices and dragons. And-“ A roar echoed again, this time much closer to us. “And… we’re hunting a gigantic bear made out of stardust and dreams,” I continued with a hushed voice.
“Stardust and dreams… just like you,” said Lyra with a sweet, almost hypnotic voice. Her eyes were again locked at mine. “Twilight, even your cutie mark has stars. Being with you is like living a happy dream that never ends.”
I blinked. Lyra fluttered her eyes, and blushed again. “I don’t know what went into me, Twi, but this is getting really weird.”
“Yeah. We should probably go to sleep.” The sky was already turning dark, and we were standing next to our shelter. Wait, what?
“But… I swear it was dawn only minutes ago!” Lyra sounded tense, and started wildly glancing around. “It can’t be! We were at the field, and then… then…” Lyra frowned, and her voice started to tremble. “I don’t know. We were elsewhere.”
I raised my head, and saw stars painting the black canvas of the night. The moon wasn’t there, but despite that, and the sudden change of the time of day, I felt oddly relaxed. “We were elsewhere. But now we’re here, and might as well sleep. I’m dead tired, Lyra. Even though the stars are beautiful, I don’t feel like staying up to watch them all night.”
Lyra sighed, finally taking her eyes off of me. “You’re right, Twi. We should sleep. That might clear our thoughts up a bit.”
Without further talk, we walked beneath the felled trees and lay down. Thoughts and images swam around in my head, most not connecting to each other at all. Ponyville… my other friends… Spike… none of it made much sense, and soon, the stream of random memories lulled me into sleep.
--
Lyra and I were sitting in the back of a strangely bluish cave, huddled close together. I could hear the fast beat of Lyra’s heart. “It’s close, but we still have hope,” I said, barely managing to hold my voice together. But as soon as I had finished, an incredibly loud roar echoed from the cave’s walls.
Lyra kept her eyes closed, tightly wrapping her hooves around me. “It’s over.”
“This… this can’t be happening,” I muttered, returning Lyra’s embrace. We were on the endless field, close to the forest’s edge.
Lyra opened her eyes, staring straight at me. She stood up in the blink of an eye, and lunged at me, knocking me over. “We still have time, Twi,” said Lyra with a shaky voice. I noticed tears rolling down her cheeks, but even then, she was smiling. Lyra was lying on top of me – our hearts were beating in sync, almost like we were one pony. Her body was incredibly warm – no, hot. Lyra’s minty breath blew my mane back.
“But all my friends will –“
Lyra shook her head, smiling. Her eyes, however, betrayed how afraid she was. “I know, I know, right? Bon Bon’s going to miss me, sure. So will Midnight Blossom. But they aren’t here right now. You are, Twi.”
“Lyra… Why did it have to happen this way? We have been friends for so long, but-“ Lyra put a hoof on my mouth.
“It doesn’t matter. Twilight… I love you.” With that, Lyra took her hoof away and leaned forward. I didn’t have time to think as she fiercely planted her lips on mine. After a second of hesitation, I kissed her back, wrapping my hooves around her. Behind Lyra’s mane I could see the starry sky that could in no way compare with the beauty of the mare on top of me.
I finally broke the kiss, trembling from Lyra’s sudden confession. “But all of this is happening so fast! Please, let me think about this!”
“We don’t have time to think about anything!” An almost deafening roar accompanied Lyra, making me pull her even closer. “Twi, we might die. We probably will. There are only a few moments left.”
“But… but…” I continued, locking up as Lyra pushed her hoof onto my marehood. The sudden, rough touch down there made me shiver and push her back. “What… what are you doing?”
Once again, Lyra looked straight into my eyes. Then, she rose up, hastily retreating her hoof. Even in the dim light of the stars I could see that she was shaking. “I don’t know. I don’t know! I’m so sorry, Twilight!” I lay down helplessly as Lyra ran back into the forest. My heart was racing, and my breath was short.
I took a moment to calm myself down before following in her hoofsteps. I didn’t even try to rationalize what had just happened, but a pain in my chest told me that I wanted to be with Lyra. Of course I’d forgive her; there wasn’t even a question of that. A strong urge pushed me into a straight gallop – I needed to catch her, no matter what. Branches scratched my flanks, but I put the pain aside. There were more important things to care about right now.
At the edge of the clearing where our shelter stood, I slowed down. I heard sobbing from somewhere to my left, and continued with a slow step, not wanting to scare Lyra away. She wasn’t far; I noticed her sitting next to a tall oak, head buried in her hooves. Carefully, trying my best to calm down my conflicting thoughts of the situation’s weirdness and my need to be close to Lyra, I approached her.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, sitting down in front of Lyra. She raised her head, avoiding my gaze. “Everything’s so weird right now. Honestly, Lyra, it’s alright.”
“It’s not alright, Twi. I’m dirty.” Lyra shook her head. “I’m a filt –“ before she could finish the sentence, I hugged her tightly.
“You’re not filthy, Lyra. I love you.” I caressed Lyra’s mane gently, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. “Let’s have this one night just for the two of us. May the world wither away and die, if it so wishes. It doesn’t matter.”
“I… I…”
I silenced Lyra with a peck on her lips. There was no need for words as I embraced her, burying my head in her mane. I inhaled the intoxicating, rosy smell of Lyra and cuddled her stomach. She leaned her head on mine, and I could feel her heartbeat.
“Twilight –“
“Lyra.” I smiled, lost somewhere in Lyra’s beautiful teal eyes. Behind them, I saw surprise and nervousness, but also happiness. “You needn’t be nervous. Let’s just… be here.” Lyra nodded silently, and I felt her muscles relax.
Resting my head on Lyra’s chest, I gently caressed her. The warmth of her body and the softness of her coat felt comforting – secure. No matter what had happened – whether we were elsewhere, outside the reaches of Equestria – we’d be together. Lyra and I snuggled together, making ourselves more comfortable on the mattress of grass.
Soon, I started to lose myself for the night. My head was empty of thought, save for the feeling of security and love. As time passed, my body became numb, and the only thing I could hear was Lyra’s heartbeat, now much slower than before. With a smile still plastered on my face, I fell asleep.
--
A loud whistle came from somewhere close by, and I found myself standing next to the tracks with no memory of getting there. Lyra was standing a few feet away, and smirked as I turned my head to watch her. “The train’s coming, Twi.”
“I can hear that.”
“But where will it take us? Something must have happened in the Everfree. Are we dead, or just in another dimension?”
I walked next to Lyra, and once again, planted my mouth against hers, pushing my tongue inside her mouth. Lyra blushed intensely, but didn’t resist, eventually fighting back with her own tongue. After some time, I broke the kiss, grinning sheepishly. “I have no idea. But like I said – does it really matter?”
