Memories
Memories… are like dreams. They don’t feel as if they actually occurred. We can’t remember what something tasted like or, what something smelled like. Sure we can remember whether we liked it or not. And memories, like dreams, help guide us. They show us what can result from making a certain mistake. They also show us what can come from doing the right things. But no matter how much we want to, we should never forget any of them. Even the worst.
The young Pegasus pony Rainbow Dash had just woken up from her sleep. She was rather excited as today was her twenty fifth birthday and her friend Pinkie Pie had decided to throw her the biggest party ever. She always enjoyed Pinkie Pie’s party and she knew that this would be no exception.
All morning long she could barely contain her excitement. She had gone up to her room to get something she needed before she could head out. She walked up the stairs and retrieved the item she was looking for. She was about to leave when a note on her desk caught her eye. It was the note her parent’s left her.
Rainbow Dash hadn’t really known her parents because they passed away when she was so young. She only had faint memories of her time with them and nothing more except the note. She walked over and picked up the note. The paper was old and the ink was faded. She read the note aloud to herself though she memorized the words completely.
“Dear Rainbow Dash,
We are sorry we couldn’t be there for you you’re entire life but we still had to leave you something. One day in your life you are going to have to make a very hard decision. You will know when the time comes but we don’t want you to rush with you decision. We want you to think carefully about it and have no regrets.
Love,
Your Mother and Father”
She placed the note back on the desk and went downstairs. It was almost time for her party so she left her house and began to go to Sugarcube Corners.
She had just gotten to Sugarcube Corners and knocked on the door. Before anypony could answer she heard a voice speak to her.
“It’s time,” the strange voice said.
“Time for what? Who is that? Who’s there?” she said as she looked around for somepony.
“Time to decide.”
Rainbow Dash woke up in a dimly lit cave with light entering from only a few points. She stood up and began to look for a way out. Instead she found a strange creature sitting on a stone chair. She could only make out little bits of it as it was shrouded in a black fog. It appeared to have a dog-like snout but she couldn’t really see anything else.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked the dark creature.
“Temper, temper my little pony. Don’t worry I will explain everything. But first an interesting fact. Did you know that you weren’t born with wings.”
This was so unbelievable to Rainbow Dash that she immediately took it as a lie.
“Yeah right,” she said sarcastically.
“You may think I’m lying but, that is one of the things I can’t do.”
“Then prove it.”
“Very well,” the creature said as it snapped its claws together.
The cave floor began to emit a dim light and Rainbow Dash looked down towards it. She could see two ponies carrying something and she could also see the same creature that was with her right now. She began to hear one of the ponies talk.
“We need your help,” the male pony said.
“What is it this time,” the black creature spoke in a bored tone.
“It’s our daughter… she…,” the female began to speak.
“So your daughter was born without wings but you both have a pure Pegasus pony ancestry,” the black creature said.
“Yes and we came to see if we could make a deal,” the male Pegasus said.
“But you have nothing I want. I could just give your daughter the wings you want for her but that would be charity. And if you want charity you came to the wrong place.”
“We know but…,” the female Pegasus began to speak again.
“On second thought,” the black creature began to speak again, “Your daughter would have a better life with wings. How about this, I loan your daughter her wings for…oh…let’s say twenty five years. Then when it’s time she can decide whether or not she wants to keep them.”
“Okay,” the male Pegasus said.
“Now unwrap her so I can give her the wings you so desperately want her to have.”
The unwrapped the little baby and there she was. A little pony no more than a few hours old. She had a rainbow colored mane and tail and a sky blue coat. Rainbow Dash recognized that pony as herself but without wings.
“It can’t be,” she said in disbelief.
“But it is,” the black creature responded, “That is you. Now, keep watching.”
Rainbow Dash looked back down at the ground to see the black creature snap his claws and suddenly wings appeared on her younger self. The images began to fade away and the cave was darker once again. This was so much to take in for Rainbow Dash and she could barley handle all of it. ‘My parents struck a deal with this creature…for me.’
“Now I’m sure you want to know what you have to give up if you want to keep your wings. Well it’s quite simple really. I just want some of your memories.”
“My…memories.”
“Yes you see for as long as I can remember I’ve been in this cave. I don’t really have any memories good or bad. Just once I’d like to experience the memories of happiness.”
“Which memories would you want?”
“Oh…let’s say…the memories of the time you spent with your friends.”
Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she had been told. She was asked to choose between her friends and her wings. She now knew that this was the decision her parents told her about in her note. She didn’t want to rush like her parents advised her to not do but, she did. She did rush with her decision. It was an obvious choice.
“I choose-,” she began but was cut off.
“I understand our decision,” the black creature said in a saddened tone, “You know what this means right. You’re giving up all of your dreams for the future.”
“I know…but…I’m not changing my mind.”
“Very well.”
The black creature snapped its claws together and just like that her wings were gone.
“If I were you I would have done the same. Do you want to know something Rainbow Dash?”
“Sure,” she didn’t care but she decided to listen anyways.
“Well every creature that has come here, no matter how desperate they were, wouldn’t give up any of their memories. I once even asked for bad memories just as a joke and they still refused. To this day I still don’t know why.”
“I do,” Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“Well please enlighten me.”
“It’s because…memories make us who we are, even the bad ones.”
“I suppose you’re right…goodbye Rainbow Dash.”
The black creature snapped its claws once again and she was gone.
Rainbow Dash found herself in front of the door of Sugarcube Corners. The door flew open and standing there was Pinkie Pie.
“Hi Rainbow Dash!” she said excitedly.
Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash’s side.
“Hey why don’t you have any wings?” her tone changing from excitement to sympathy.
Rainbow Dash looked past Pinkie Pie and saw the rest of her friends. She burst into tear and gave Pinkie Pie a hug. Her tears were of sadness and of joy. Sure her dreams were crushed but, she could get new dreams. She was fortunate to have met that black creature. It helped her see just how important her friends were. Maybe she could even get better dreams but, she knew she could never get better friends. She knew she could never have any memories more important.