Part One:
Awakening
A wailing breeze...
A dark canopy overhead...
Something rustling off to the side...
Birds chirping sweet melodies...
What a lovely blue sky...
Is this a path...?
I can't feel my legs...
Wow, my face is warm...
Something tastes metaly...
Too much spinning, everything...
My, what a pretty purple unicorn...
Oh, a yellow pegasus...
They look scared...
I think I'll ask them after my nap....
Soooooo sleeeeepy....
When I awoke in surrounding darkness, I was sure I was blind. It took a second of blinking to realize that it was just dark. Very, very dark. There was a faint glimmer of light hanging in the air towards my right, probably a window. I tried to move but quickly discovered that was less than desirable with the hard pounding that set-up residence in my temple, making complex thought and understanding impossible. Simple thoughts. Simple. Okay. Four functional limbs? I kicked with my legs, sending a nice jolt through my brain, making me grimace. Check. Head still attached unfortunately. Tail? A light swish, moving my covering blanket slightly. Still there. So far, so good. I lifted my warm blanket just to double-check that everything was actually there. It took a second to remember I couldn't see anything.
Chalk it up to the migraine.
I rested back on the comfortable cot. The pillow beneath my head with fluffy and more than adequate for sleeping, but sleep refused to come to me. Perhaps it was the migraine, but something itched at my psyche that wouldn't let up. With loud protests from my pounding head to my unsteady hooves, I rolled out of the cot and landed hard on the wooden floor. The sudden contact sent a wave of pain throughout my body, somewhat akin to having a sledgehammer come down one every limb in succession. Despite the pain, I forced myself up and lumbered the short distance to the sliver of light that hung in the air. A soft cloth covered it, but remained there for no longer than a moment. The room was flooded with a gentle, pale moonlight.
The room I was in was not very large, perhaps ten square feet. It was populated with my cot, which rested against the far left wall; an entire wall of books sitting on built-in bookshelves; a desk, covered in papers and writing utensils, to my right against another wall, the mahogany door about two feet to the right of it. On the shadowed ceiling, I could barely make out a small orb used to hold an illumination spell for the room. It was for a brief moment that I regretted that I was an earth pony. It was a very spartan room, probably some kind of study or reading room.
The soft light eased the ache in my skull slightly, but it also revealed that I could only see through one eye. The other was covered in some white cloth. When I went to touch it, a jolt of pain shot through my body once again. Alright, that was a dumb idea. I was far more tender this time, feeling the bandage that wrapped over my right eye and around my head. There was a slight sticky dampness to it. Blood and sweat.
Hoofsteps sounded above me, carrying easily in the sparsely decorated room. I pricked up an ear to the noise, hearing quiet voices accompanying them. I couldn't make out any words, but the voices gave more than enough information. Three ponies. Mares, most likely. One carrying a light weight. Wait... A fourth voice. A young colt? That would explain the weight. There wasn't much time to ponder as the steps drew ever closer to the doorway to my room. I crouched low, priming my legs like springs ready to snap, aimed straight at the door. The first thing through would easily get toppled. Instinct took over in a split second when the voices hushed and a light magical aura opened the door.
I launched at the open portal, knocking one of the mares over and sending a purple and green bundle into the adjacent wall. There was an orange blur next to me that was quickly disposed of with a powerful buck to the jaw. The third mare, a light yellow pegasus, cowered before me, unintentionally blocking the stairwell to my freedom, as I whirled around to meet her. My instincts told me to pounce and destroy her but the whimpering held me back. Instead, I just hopped over her prone form and bounded up the stairs before me.
There wasn't much conscious thought at this point, everything running on gut reactions driving towards my freedom from whoever these ponies were. As I crested the stairs, another trio met me. All I saw were colors as I lashed out in blind fury at a cyan blur, connecting and sending it flying. Next, a purple and white form that quickly retreated as I threw a punch in its direction. A pink blob came last, next in line to be thrown aside. A sudden weight was added to my body, preventing any movement. One foreleg hung in the air uselessly, poised for action that would never come no matter how hard I pressed. The world slowly gathered focus as the pink blob resolved into yet another mare whose tears streamed freely down her face.
Then a cyan flash.
Then darkness.
Waking this time was far less pleasant: my migraine from before was now waging open warfare in my head and the bright light from the room I was now in gave it immeasurable strength. There was no cot or blanket this time. I was hog-tied on the cold, hard wood of the floor of a very large room. A quick, albeit hazy, scan of the room told me I was not alone. Six colorful shapes sat in a half circle in front of me, all quietly chatting about something or another. A dull drone in my head kept words from being made clear right away. I focused instead on freeing myself from my bonds, something that took all of one second to be found futile. With no energy to fight the tight ropes, there was no way I was going to escape.
A hush took over the room in what I could only assume was the colorful shapes realizing I was awake. A small purple blob morphed its way over to me from beside a larger white blob, taking up most of what little vision I had. My eye finally started focusing on the his purple scales and bright reptilian eyes. Well he's not happy.
"Hey." My voice came out as a raspy whisper. Hardly good but better than nothing at all.
The purple lizard furrowed his brow so deep, crops could easily be planted in the crevice. He didn't say a word though, just a nasty look and a 'hmph' before walking to the side of what focused into a purple unicorn who looked quite familiar.
"So you can talk." The white unicorn on my right spat, enough venom lacing her words to kill half a million in one shot. I didn't respond, instead looking over with my one good eye as an answer.
"Who are you?" Asked a curiously timid voice. It was almost impossible to identify the speaker until I saw the wary looking yellow pegasus sitting between the unicorns. "Um, if you don't mind telling us, I mean." She amended, shrinking down a bit under my gaze.
Wait, there are only five ponies here. Orange, blue, purple, yellow, and white. "Where's the pink one?" I ask, trying to put more power into my sandpapery voice with no success. It still came out grating as ever.
"First, yer gonna tell us who ya are." The orange earth pony glared from under her wide Stetson. If anypony posed a threat to me here, it was this one. She looked like she could take out a barn.
"I'm..." I started to answer, but nothing came to mind. I was completely blank. There was no memory of my name! "... I don't know." I finished, letting my surprise slip. It was far more disturbing hearing it than simply thinking it. I didn't remember my name!
The orange pony looked at me for a moment as if trying to glean the truth before giving a slow nod. Her glare softened, but it didn't let up. This was going to take awhile.
"Where are you from?" the purple unicorn asked, her voice far more gentle than the orange and white pony's.
"I don't remember." I searched for something, anything to no avail. The earliest memory I could recall was waking up in the cot. I really wanted to get back there now. At the very least, I wasn't tied up in the cot. And that pillow was so fluffy.
"What about family, huh?" The cyan pegasus ventured harshly. "Remember them?" Her voice carried a healthy amount of spite, about as healthy as the bruise developing on her eye. She leaned into the earth pony's ear and whispered something her companion nodded to, neither of them taking an eye off me. Lovely.
"No, I don't." My throat was starting to hurt even with such little speech. It felt like I was gargling a dagger.
"Well, do you remember-"
"I have no memories before waking up in the cot." I cut the pegasus off quickly. The questions were tedious and not helping my headache at all. I got a huff out of her before she crossed her forelegs and decided the ceiling was far more interesting than anything I had to say. Great, four alienated, two to go.
They kept silent, occasionally opening their mouths to speak before closing them again.
Yep, a very long while indeed.
What sounded like an explosion went off behind me, re-surging my still powerful migraine and sending a whole new assault of pain over me. I closed my eyes as the pain waxed and waned, vowing to whatever gods there were that I would sacrifice anything to be freed of this. They had very different ideas. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with a poofy-haired, impossibly-grinning, pink pony.
Oh no.
The pink pony took a too-deep breath. "Ohmygosh, I'm so glad you're finally awake I was starting to get worried when you passed out after Twilight found you in the forest all bleeding and stuff but then you woke up last night but then went all crazy and grr and rampage-y until Dashie knocked you out again then Applejack tied you up but you were out cold and I had to get to sleep after all the excitement, I mean you were scary, but now you're awake and alive and talking so I get to make a new friend right?"
It was with what must have been a look a pure astonishment that I regarded the motor-mouthed pony judging by the giggles I heard from around me. Not a single breath or pause at all. The whole tirade was in a single sentence! I had forgotten my migraine that worked so hard to cause me misery. I had forgotten about the ropes that bound me like a fresh kill. "Um, I guess."
The bright pony lit up even more, her smile growing so big I though it would meet at the back of her head and tear her face in two. "That's fantabulous! We need to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party! With cake and streamers and candy!" Her eyes glossed over a bit and gained that far away look of daydreaming. It only lasted a brief moment, but it was more than enough for me to judge that this pony was, in fact, completely insane. "What's your name?" She asked, regaining some semblance of normalcy.
"I, uh, don't know." I answered tentatively, whatever reaction being most likely more obnoxious than the first.
The pony gasped, bringing her hooves over her muzzle in the most dramatic acting of surprise in all of history. I desperately wanted to escape as fast and as far away as possible. "You don't know your name! That's so sad! You have to have a name! Oh, what about Blackmane of the Grey Coat?"
I had no words. At first I was too shocked to speak. She ran through her words as if the mere speaking of them would cause each one to attack and defeat her, but then I realized that such a dramatic pony could come up with something better than the color of my coat and mane for a name. Hopefully.
"That sounds like a wizard name! Are you a wizard?" Her eyes were alight with fervor and joy.
I take back all my hope. I want my cot.
"No, wait." She put a hoof to her mouth in (possibly) deep thought. As if this was an extremely difficult question that required a large amount of brain power. I took the chance to scoot and see what the other ponies behind her were doing during these shenanigans that were taking place. Each one was attempting and failing to hide their snickering. I couldn't tell if they were laughing at the pink pony's antics or my suffering; however, the question was answered rather deftly when the cyan pegasus saw me watching her and completely lost it.
No, I want to die right now. Just get it over with.
"I got it!" The pink one snapped out of her thought and pulled me from my own as well with the forcefulness of her voice. "How about 'Sword'?" She added a form of jazz hooves that was not even remotely passable as relevant then pointed at my flank, giving it a gentle prod.
I craned my neck around to see what she was talking about. Emblazoned on my flank, was a silver sword crossing a bronze shield. Whatever it meant, I had not a single clue, but as a name it would suit as well as any. "It will do." I replied, trying to keep my rough voice as even as possible in hopes it wouldn't encourage any more odd behavior.
"Great! I'll get everything ready! Don't you worry, grey pony!" Without another word or sound, the pink one was gone as quickly as she had come, leaving me bewildered and the other six either laughing outright or barely containing their mirth. I had no idea how to even begin after that. Though my binds were beginning to chafe and cut into the skin beneath my dirty coat, so the next subject came readily to mind.
"Can somepony please untie me?"
If I hadn't known any better, I would have assumed cutting me loose to be the most arduous task based on the hesitation the mares had over it. Luckily, my bandages needed to be changed and my head wound needed a thorough cleaning, a task greatly eased with my cooperation and freedom of movement. It took but a moment, once freed, to get up and stretch my sore limbs, something my migraine retaliated harshly for. They did make me promise to behave before I was led away by the yellow pegasus they called Fluttershy. I, of course, refrained from informing the girls how inane is was to add conditions after their side of the bargain was completed. Not like I had anywhere to go.
In a small bathroom mirror, I was shown the severity of my wound: while the eye itself was fine, the area around my right eye was badly bruised and a deep cut bisected it, a cut that would definitely leave a scar. There was another bruise and a shallow gash on the back of my skull, explaining the memory loss. Other than the head injuries, I was perfectly healthy it seemed. A few minor scrapes here and there but nothing that could seriously hinder me. Nothing I could even feel. Fluttershy was a wonderful medic as well, being extra careful so as not to aggravate my wounds. Conversation was nonexistent with her being so focused on gentility and perhaps still scared even. There was a glimmer of something in her eyes that seemed distant. Either way, I'd take a good doctor over a vocal one any day. Once the bandages were changed and injuries freshly cleansed, again removing sight from one eye, I was escorted back downstairs to join the group of ponies and lizard.
"So ya really have no idea who ya are?" The orange pony promptly asked. This time, her voice was far less aggressive though still carried a hint of skepticism lacing her words. She sounded more curious.
"None." My own voice was still raspy but had improved, becoming more like a quiet frog than scraping sandpaper. I remained near the stairs, a good two or three feet distant from the group. Getting too close might erode what little trust we had managed to accrue, and I didn't remember the rope very fondly.
The purple unicorn's horn started to glow, igniting my adrenaline and priming my body for attack. It was difficult to control my automatic responses. From a chest that had gone unnoticed in a corner, a set of rigid clothing and a weapon floated over to me, landing in a heap at my hooves. "These are what you had on you when I found you wandering in the forest. Do they help?" She asked, almost sounding worried.
I looked over the pile. The weapon looked familiar. My sword! I drew it out of the scabbard, clutching it tightly in my jaws and swooned over the silver sheen of the blade. The fine edge was still as sharp as ever. On the flat, a word was engraved into the metal. A word I knew too well. "Skyrend." I whispered, smiling like a foal.
"Oh my, what's that mean?" Fluttershy took a cautious step forward toward the unsheathed blade, maintaining a safe distance.
"Skyrend. It's the name of the sword." I answered reverently. A feeling like being reunited with an old friend washed over me as I ran a hoof down the metal. I felt the power of the weapon. The strength in every inch. This was my sword. My ever-present companion. Without even realizing it, I had missed having it hang by my side.
"You can read ancient Equestrian?" The purple unicorn asked, coming beside me and looking down at the weapon with an expression of worry and distaste. She gave it a tentative tap with her hoof, sending glints of reflected light this way and that. "Do you remember anything else?"
"No, I... Maybe." I shifted my sword over to rest in the crook of my foreleg against my shoulder. With my other foreleg, I reached out to the pile of stiff clothing my dearest friend had been delivered with. I recognized the material: leather. This was my leather armor. I shifted through it, looking for anything else. A bone medallion. A few stones fell out of one bracer. A sigil that had been stitched into the armor hung a little loose. Then a memory, like a piercing arrow, vividly came alive in my mind. A memory that explained so much. "I'm a soldier."