Drip.... drip..... drip....The soft patter of a faucet leaking sits in the back of my mind or is it actually there? "Am i dreaming?" I ask aloud unsure of my surroundings. I am in a shack I think, the place is run down and the door is halfway across the room. I look to my right and i see a huge gap in the wall of the house. "That must be were I came in" I thought aloud. I cautiously walk a step towards it to exit this eerie building. As I take the step I turn around without thinking and continue surveying the area. "Hmm there must be something I need to do here at least subconsciously I know that. I look to my left and I see that there is a single door half open. I look straight and there is the kitchen and behind me the exit where the door used to be. Uncertainty fills me up as I slowly walk towards the door the anticipation building with each step I take. The dripping of the faucet becomes intensely loud as if it were building with the tension in the room.Suddenly every move I make is so much more slower and I can feel my hoof move ever so slightly. Paranoia works its way into my body burying a seed of worry into my mind. Causing me to over think and over react over the slightest detail. I can sense a sudden change in the atmosphere and I stop moving hoping to avoid whatever this dreadful feeling is. A minute goes by and whatever is there is still watching me. I cant see it but I just now that its there looming over me. My eyes sweep across the room looking for this ominous presence that has gotten me so scared and riled up. Sadly I can't find it no matter how hard I peer around the shack.
Then in a picture fills my mind of an old mare sitting in a rocking chair, behind her is a barn and beside the barn an orchard of apples. I know this place and I have been here before and the old mare seems so familiar and her name is on the tip of my tongue. Then the orchard slowly fades away I start to panic and try to reach the old mare to warn her of the impending doom. As i run towards her she gets further and further away and soon she starts to fade away. Tears line my face and I don't know why, I don't even know this pony. Curiosity fills me as I return back to the shack. I'm standing in front of the door. " Yes i'm looking for something but what is it i'm looking for." I say to myself looking for something that stands out. I open the door and barge in to find a bed pointed my way broken in half and a dresser that looks brand new. I calmly walk to the bed and see the sheets torn to shreds then another image appears in my mind. This one is a little filly lying sick in the bed she has a fever and is burning up. The house is modest and doesn't have anything flashy really just plain and simple. I hear a pond very nearby. This place is somewhere very familiar I have been here many times. Then just like before the memory closes up on me and I am useless to do anything but watch in puzzlement as my memory is beginning to be ripped away from me. I close my eyes to hide the terrible sight form myself. I open them to find myself next to the dresser. A lone mirror sits atop the dresser it is cracked down the middle. I stare at myself confused. I have a black sleek body with blood red mane. I look away unconvinced of my own appearance. "Who am I?" Things are fading away fast. I open the dresser to find a journal lying there. Then another image appears in my mind. It is me sitting at a restaurant with the book in hand. I see a sign nearby that says " Welcome to Ponyville". No i shake my head. "What is this place??What is this supposed to mean to me?" The memory fades away and I can't see anything around me.
Darkness swarms around me blinding my vision so that I see nothing else. Then it turns inwards on me and i feel myself loosing grip of something precious that cannot be replaced. Choking down on tears im torn away from the light and the darkness invades my whole being. This feeling isn't natural and I no longer care where I am I just want this to stop. Its a dream I convince myself all a dream it cant be real. I rock myself back and forth in the feedle position trying to regain my sanity as its stripped from me. I can feel the darkness hitting me like a whip lashing back and forth holding no mercy. I scream outwards for help for comfort solace a savior anything that can wake me from my dream. Hope is futile for me as the pain continues wave after wave of unbearable torture i finally close my eyes through the pain and sleep.
My eyes open slowly unsure of everything around me. I try to grasp my surrounding but I dont remember where I am. I sit up with a frown looking around the cavern. I slowly look around me for something familiar anything at all. All I see is darkness and a small dim of light at the edge of the cave signaling the open world. It gives me some reassurance that not all is lost and that I still have a chance of escape in case im in danger. Then out of the corner of my eye I see the darkness shifting and turning. I turn quickly to see the shadows dancing about the cavern wall with anticipation almost. Thats impossible though shadows dont express emotions are feelings I must not be fully awake I tell myself. As I pull the blankets over me I close my eyes firmly shut to blink away my fear that my subconscious insists is real. I feel the blankets being torn from my grasp and I look up to see the shadows looking down at me with a playful grin. Wait!!! I swear its grinning at me but that just isnt possible..I stumble backwards away from whatever it was that was hiding in the shadows. My teeth chattered and my legs wouldnt support me it felt like my hooves would fall of at any minute. "wha- wha- you- you- you just cant...but its so...what is going on with me first the dream now you...please spare me I didn't do anything " I stammered nervously onwards when it suddenly hit me I didn't even know my name.
A look of utter disappointment and loss crossed my face as i thought about my predicament. How could i not know my name??
Rage and determination began to fill my body. I looked up at the trees in the way of the stars and the moon and decided to get a better look of the sky. As I climbed up the tree I concentrated hard on the task. The tree was dead and more likely to snap, however the tree was surprisingly strong. I reached the top and was met with beautiful stars that adorned the night. It was a sight to behold I withheld my breath in awe of the beauty of it all. The moon was full tonight and gave off a shine that seemed to fill me with joy and hope.
" Chronic what is responsible for creating such a beautiful night?"
"Hmm, ohh that would be Luna, I believe. Yes she and her sister Celestia are tasked with raising the sun and the moon. They are sister's or so I have heard. They are the monarch's in charge of Equestria."
"Equestria?? Where is that?"
" That's right no memories. Umm well Equestria is the continent we are on now so we are in Equestria which is their kingdom. A bit unfair if you ask me, Two monarchs ruling over a civilized race it's like they uncivilized people seeking someone to take away all their problems so they don't have to deal with them. They look to Celestia as if she were some God or something. If only they knew how wrong they were."
"What do you mean? She isn't God or whatever you called her? It would make sense, I mean it must be pretty taxing raising the sun everyday." Chronic just snorted with disgust.
" No she is far from that, the only god would be... Excuse it is not my place to say. My belief's should not be pushed onto you."
"Meaning you know but you can't say hmm?" With a nod of his head it confirmed my suspicions that he knew a lot but could tell me very little. " When shall I find the answers I seek?" I said more to myself than to anyone. Than a realization struck me. "Chronic what happened to your lisp?"
"As you get stronger so do we. The lisp is gone due to your rising strength."
"We haven't done that much though, so how can we be getting stronger?"
"Your subconscious is starting to remember little facts that you once knew like for instance how did you know the moon was the moon when you had never seen it before?"
"I guess, I just knew." Satisfied with my answer Chronic slicked back into the shadows. I looked back towards the sky and the moon and became engulfed with the scenario. Then I felt my body sinking into the tree and thought nothing of it and closed my eyes. When I opened them I found myself standing in a vast space of darkness.I looked behind and saw a strange thing standing on two legs. He sort of resembled Chronic in a weird way. I looked to him confused" Where am I?" I asked more than lost.
"Who are you?" It asked hopeful for an answer. It didn't seem to have a mouth but it's eyes were unnerving seeing how that was the only thing on it's face. It wore strange clothes that made it look even scarier. I suddenly realized it asked me a question.
" I-I don't know. Don't you?" I was doubtful of asking but i needed answer,
"Nope, pretty sure I'm dead and that this is the first time meeting you, ever."
"You, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be guarding the tome?" Chronic appeared out of nowhere and sort of startled me. I hoped that it hadn't noticed. Clearly Chronic did by the side glance he gave me.
" The Darkness! Our Creator it cannot be you?" The what now? He couldn't possibly be talking about me.
"Chronic, what the hell is he talking about?"
"Urr, well you see, this is quite awkward myself to not be able to answer you. I can only confirm that what he says about you is true. I cannot tell you anything, he on the other hand can."
"Sir, whatever you are tell me who I am." I would finally have answers. I didn't know whether to jump for joy or go and hug it so i remained still.
" This is no joke? Forgive me, of course it isn't I am just a little amazed to see you again. You have taken on a different form since last we met. It has been eons since our last meeting. I am one of the four Guardians that are given the task to protect the tome and its locations whereabouts. You gave me and my family this responsibility."
"The Garden is safe correct?" Chronic budged in insistent on an answer.
"Well no it isn't a unicorn found his way there and escaped back to his homeland where I followed to which he turned me mortal and then I was assaulted by an army of tree wolves of some sort."
"Ahh you must mean the timber wolves. I see and you have died hmm? That won't do."
" I still have questions for him Chronic. Tell me what is your name guardian?"
"I have no name only a title that me and my family share. We are called the Faceless Ones."
"I see, you also called me The Darkness, is that my name?"
"No, it is a title like mine. However in the tome it may be written in there of your name. I am unsure of where you might find the way into the Garden unfortunately. I am sorry I couldn't be of more assistance."
"No you have been of plenty of help already. I only wish to reward you for your help. Chronic is there something we can do for him?"
"Of course he is under your direct power should you will it I can give him back his life and something more maybe? An enchanted sword would not be unreasonable."
" Well then don't keep him waiting. He has a mission to accomplish let us not keep him any longer." As soon as I said that a dark glow took him away from where he stood. "This is very good I now know that I am the Darkness. Did i make many other things as wee?"
"You created the world we live in. Equestira would be nothing were it nut for you." A sense of pride welled up in my chest as I realized that everything living owed its breath to me.
"So I am like God?"
"No you are the Darkness, the creator of worlds and much more. You are stronger than just a God."
