An orange leather-bound book is the first thing to grace my sight as I open my eyes to my unlit room. Well, I think it's my room at least, it's got to be, right? I sit up and grab it, it seems familiar. I notice a bead of water on the front and wipe it away across the title. Though still dark, the black letters on the orange surface was contrast enough to make it out: Memento Mori.
"Strange." I whisper to myself and search for a light. The end table I had taken the book from has a plain lamp with a white shade over it. I press the button at its base and it illuminates the room. The room is plain and fails to steal my attention from the book.
A strap with a button at the end holds it shut. I pop it open with my light gray hoof and something clicks... it sounded familiar, had I been reading this before? I crack open the first page:
Dear reader,
Yesterday was my day, today is yours, tomorrow is hers.
Live today like your last, using what I have provided, but let not her suffer for your actions.
Forget about the past for I am gone, savor the present for it's all you have, think little of the future for it is not yours.
I give you this to read only when you're lost, I died many times so you may live free, waste little time here and enjoy your day.
Yet remember that as you rest you will die, and as your corpse awakes, she is born as you, and you will become me.
Surely this is one of the odder things one could read in the morning and I suppose I should stop, the book itself says only to read it when I'm lost... and I don't think the book itself losing me counts. I take a look about my room, the floor of wooden planks, the walls all white, two doors with brass handles, a window above the bed letting in the light of an early dawn.
I look back to the book and read on, I don't even recognize my room, if it is my room.
Hold close this tome for you will need it, do not discard it for so will she.
If you wake in a white room, you are home, if not, I'm sorry, and for her sake, make not the same mistake.
Good, I'm home, wait, did I write this? I look back over the text. I don't remember writing this. I flip to the next page.
I've enchanted this book so you may find its contents with ease, focus your mind and soul, and lay not a hoof on its binds.
I get out of bed and lay the book on the ground, I do what it says and focus, I want to know why I can't seem to remember... anything. A glow emits from my horn, I have a horn? How could I have forgotten that? The pages flip rapidly and suddenly settle on a page near the end.
A daily amnesia to which there is no cure, an affliction most peculiar.
Seek not its remedy, for no potion, magic, or surgeon holds the key.
Hold no worries, my death brought you life, your death will bring new life, and hers another.
No, I couldn't have written this, it's far too morbid. Somebody must have hit me in the head and this is all some sick joke... Then again, it could be real? I don't know. It seems too well written for me, maybe it's actually a well known book! I should ask somepony.
I grab the book in my mouth and gallop out my room into the hall and to the outdoors, the route was familiar, I navigated it instinctively, but I didn't recognize my house, in much the same way as my room the walls on the inside were all white, I could swear the color was different.
I take a look around, a few ponies walk the roads of... where is this? I drop the book and focus my mind.
Ponyville, a suburban town south of the capital, Canterlot, and bordered by the Everfree Forest. Major locations include: Well Read's Bookstore, Quills and Sofas-
The bookstore! Can't go wrong there. I could ask somepony directions but instead I focus on the book once more. The pages flip to a nicely drawn map. I'll have this figured out in no time!
- - -
"Welcome, can I help you find anything?" The enthusiastic shopkeeper calls out as I enter. The bookstore is lined with books as one would expect, they're neatly organized and the place is very clean, it seems to lack customers however.
I set the book on the counter next to the register, "Do you know anything about this book?" I push it closer to him.
He picks it up in his hooves and looks it over front and back, then flips it open. After flipping all the pages quickly, he quirks an eyebrow and looks at me, "There's nothing in it." He states flatly. Turning it to me, I can tell he's wrong, there's writing all over it.
"Uh, could you check again?" I ask with confusion in my tone.
"Don't waste my time." He sets the book on my end of the counter. "It's blank, there's nothing I can tell you."
"What about the title?" I bring my hoof over it to point.
"Are you..." He strains his brow in thought, "Look, go bother the librarian about it." He gives me a look, one that says "What a weirdo." Can he really not see the writing all over this thing? I take it back and head out.
- - -
Golden Oaks Library, quite easy to find, the building sticks out quite a lot, being a large tree with windows in it and a big red door on the front. Which I knock on, it's a library though, I guess I could walk in...
"Coming." A voice calls, the door opens after a moment, revealing a lavender alicorn. "Yes?" She asks, but her sight shoots to the book and a look of concern shows on her face. "How'd you get that? The last owner wouldn't part with it for the life of her."
In excitement I drop the book to speak, "So you know what it is? Who wrote it? Does it have anything to do with my amnesia?"
Twilight is taken aback by the outburst, "Uh, you, have amnesia too?" She asks, hesitant to hear the answer.
"Well, yeah."
Her eyes dart left to right along the ground, "Come in, I'll make you some tea."
- - -
Sitting at the center of the library I sip my tea, a quick easy solution, after such a hectic morning I should get right to... uh, what is it I like to do?
"The last owner of this book had amnesia, she didn't like it when I suggested that I keep it for further study. It's a notebook of hers, she lost her memory daily, I thought I might find some answers if I could keep it for just a day" She opens the book with her magic, then seems to cast another spell on it. "Nopony but her and those who know how to reveal the words could read it, I'm assuming you know the spell for that, right?"
"A spell? No, it was at my bedside, I read it when I woke up."
"Odd." Twilight flips through the pages, scanning them thoroughly. Then she stops, she seems stuck on a line, but sitting opposite from her I can't see what it is. "What's my name?" She asks.
"Twilight." I answer in reflex, "Wait, did you tell me your name?" How did I know that?
"No, you've the same type of amnesia, this is..." The pages flip more rapidly than before. "Could I keep this?
I scrunch my lips as the word "No" comes to mind. "Sure." I say.
Hold close this tome for you will need it.
I flinch as the words attack my head.
Seek not its remedy, for no potion, magic, or surgeon holds the key.
I push my hooves into my head to try and drive back sharp pains that drill into my brain. "Ah!" I grunt in agony. "Nevermind, give it back!" It's the book, it's attacking me for trying to give it away!
"What's wrong? A migraine? Let me get you something!" She says through the ringing in my ears that nearly deafens me. In what seems like minutes and felt like an hour of searching for my book she returns with a cup of steaming green tea topped with an herb. "Drink this, it'll dull the pain."
I snatch the cup and down the drink, it burns my tongue and throat, Twilight had a raised hoof as if she were going to warn me. I breathe heavily, trying to get cold air in, "Cood I git shum ice." I say, trying to keep my tongue out. I wave my hoof at my mouth, but the pain of both my head and mouth dies and suddenly I'm left strangely tired.
"I'll be right back with some." Twilight smiles, and leaves the room, orange book in tow.
A book titled "Memento Mori." A phrase to remind one of death, my eyes close and I lay my head on the table.
Remember that as you rest you will die.
An orange leather-bound book is the first thing to grace my sight as I open my eyes to my low lit room. Well, I think it's mah room at least, it's gotta be, right? I sit up and grab it, it seems familiar. I notice a wet spot on the front and wipe it away across the title.
Memento Mori
I pop it open with my yellow hoof and something clicks... it sounded familiar, had I been reading this before? I crack open the first page.
"Oh, hello, did you need something?" That's Twilight... who's Twilight?
I look up at her, she seems perplexed and tired, she stands across a table from me in a library. "Oh, I uh..." I guess this isn't mah room, I really want this book, "Could I borrow this?"
"No, that actually belongs to somepony else, did you see her on your way in? She was sleeping where you're sitting." She looks around, and even heads to the door to check outside.
"Ah, well, could I read it here then?" I feel like I need ta, I dunno why though. I look back to it and read the first passage. "...Think little of the future for it is not yours, this sure is a strange book."
"Yes it... wait, you can read it?"
"I ain't illiterate, jeez." Why wouldn't I be able ta read it?
"Well, never mind, go ahead, it's a bit late though, don't stay up too long." She yawns and heads out of the room.
I guess it's my lucky day, I can't see why I want this book so bad though. I set it down to read, hoping for a fun story. Suddenly the pages flip on their own and before I can react it stops. I peer at the text:
I could warn you the dangers of wasting what little time you have, but you are my future, I want you to be happy.
If you'd like to read on, return to your room, you and her will be safe there.
I try to change the page, but it does so on its own, to a map of Ponyville, must be the town I'm in. The pages won't budge, I really want to read this! Maybe, I could go home. Twilight went to bed, I'll just have it back by mornin'!
- - -
Now that I think about it, why was I sleepin' there? Ain't doin' me no good thinkin' 'bout it, I'll just get right to readin'.
I enter my house, a very plain house with walls and furniture all white, I take a seat at my dining table and the book flips to another page:
You might wonder how I made this notebook, it's a tale of struggle.
The one before me found a simple way to convince me of our affliction.
I took action and bought an empty book, I wrote everything I could, I didn't want to die for nothing.
As I wrote, I thought of many things, I thought of you and her, I want so very badly that you live your short lives in happiness.
Then I thought, is it possible to achieve happiness in such a short time?
You've chosen to read this far, but for your sake, stop, in what time I had I could write nothing merry, cheerful, or even remotely happy.
Quite the book, I should look up the author.
I struggled for days to stay awake, alive. I wrote down every speck of information that could help you and her. I enchanted it with many spells so you couldn't lose it, since she will need it.
Undoubtedly there will be times you and her do not heed my words and I can only hope you stumble upon good things.
I flip through the pages, there's lots of information on ponies, places, items, they're all upbeat and point towards fun activities, all of which I can only do if I stop reading and get out there, I would too, but it's the middle o' the night.
I suppose I'll rest my eyes an' wait.
Remember that as you rest you will die.
Woah, what was that? The words hit me like a brick and give my head a good ache. Maybe I should return this book, lines like that will keep me awake.
Hold close this tome for you will need it.
Again my head pounds... I suppose I should listen... I'll return the book and stay with it!
- - -
Deciding on a scenic route, I come upon a store with its lights still on, referencing my map I see that it is in fact Carousel Boutique. I approach the window and spot an elegant looking pony inside, she's struggling to make some clothing it seems. The book I had opted to carry on my back flies open and hits the ground. I look back to it.
"Rarity." I read from the top of the page, it seems to have everything one could know about her: height, weight, hobbies, personality, likes, dislikes. One could, with enough skill, disguise themselves and act just like her with all this information. It even shows the long list of ponies that have a crush on her, one isn't even a pony but a baby dragon, Spike.
"I knew I'd like this book." A green haze goes over my eyes.
I flick the curl of my purple mane and make way to the library. "Quite the good read, but I should really return it." Intrigue strikes as I walk and I float the book in front of me to read about Spike. I tread the path instinctively, paying close attention to study all I could about him. Without realizing, I open up a red door and end up inside. I peer up from my book and spot the object of my studies, he's stunned with a tub of ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other.
"Oh, uh... hey, Rarity."