Sciamachy

I sat on the floor of the library, contemplating what I had just been told. I'm... crazy? Sure, it made some amount of sense, but it was still hard to take in. I'm... crazy. Huh.

"Dark Time? You okay?" Applejack asked worriedly. I looked up at her and winced as my jaw flared with pain.

"No, I can't honestly say that I am okay. For one thing, my jaw hurts like crazy, as does my back where I slammed into the bookshelf, and to top it all off, I'm insane. Although, I think the first ones are bothering me more." Both Applejack and Twilight looked surprised at this, and I shrugged. "Hey, when you have two voices blabbing away in your head all the time, you begin to suspect you might be a little on the loony side." I felt totally calm as I said this, all earlier qualms forgotten.

"Huh. Most ponies deny that they're crazy, especially if they are." Twilight said skeptically, and I shrugged. A thought struck me then.

"Hey, am I gonna get sent to a mental institution? Do I get one of those nice, white padded cells? Those always looked really comfortable to... me." Something about what I had just said had seriously thrown the two mares off. What had it been? The fact that I wanted a white padded cell, maybe? Or something else?

"Um... what's a mental institution?" Twilight asked. Oh. Oh crap. Well, if there was any doubt before, it was pretty much a certainty now that I was crazy.

"N-never mind." I stammered. "So, Applejack, what was it you wanted from Twilight before you caught us in that awkward position?" I blushed lightly as I spoke, but managed to keep my voice level. Twilight, however, took on nearly the exact color of a beet and her eyes disappeared behind her mane. How did..?

"Huh? Oh, right! Twilight, Rarity wanted to take us all to Manehattan for the weekend. 'A little vacation', she called it. I don't really see what would be relaxin' about the big city, but ah thought we might have fun, anyways. You up?"

"Oh, Applejack, that does sound fun! When would we be leaving?"

"She said sometime tomorrow mornin', ah think."

"That should be just fine, since Pinkie's party is tonight." I groaned inwardly. I had nearly forgotten about the hyperactive pink mare's plans for me. I wish that I hadn't been reminded. "Speaking of which," Twilight continued, "We should probably get over there, it's about to start." I sighed as I picked myself up. This could be fun, but after seeing Pinkie Pie, I felt that it would likely just be exhausting.

"Hey, where're you going?" Applejack called as I walked out the door.

"To the party, which I'm apparently one of the guests of honor for."

"What?!" Applejack sounded heavily concerned, and I turned around to face her, wondering why. She gazed at Twilight in concern, and Twilight appeared to be thinking hard.

"Should we really let him go?" Applejack asked, and I suddenly realized what was happening. I was crazy, maybe it would be best to keep me to myself. Twilight thought hard before apparently coming to a decision.

"He hasn't shown signs of being dangerous yet, and even if he did, he's just one earth pony." Applejack glowered at her. "Er, no offense." Applejack appeared satisfied. "I just think that any one of us could take him down if something went wrong, so we might as well let him go. After all, we let Pinkie wander around, don't we?" Both mares chuckled and I just rolled my eyes and continued walking. Thanks for consulting me, girls. Thanks a ton.

*     *     *

The party thrown for me and Clementine was, to my surprise, fun. There were games and snacks and what I thought was a piñata, although I didn't get a very good look before it was beaten to death by the unmistakable Cutie Mark Crusaders. After devouring the candy left on the floor, the trio seemed to notice me and ran up to chat.

"Dark Time! Glad you came. So, did Twilight help ya get yer memories back? Do ya have your Cutie Mark now?"

I shook my head sadly and Apple Bloom visibly stiffened. I decided to clarify. "No, Apple Bloom, Twilight couldn't help me get my memories back. All she managed to find out is that I'm..." I stopped, thinking it inadvisable to disclose this information to three fillies in the middle of a party for me. "And I still don't have my Cutie Mark." I realized, suddenly, that I still had no idea what that was. In all the excitement, my question had been forgotten. "By the way, what is a Cutie Mark?"

"Huh? You still don't know? It's a mark you get on your flank when you discover your special talent. Like Twilight's good at magic, so she has a purple star! None of us three has it yet, that's why we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sweetie Belle explained and I nodded. But, something struck me as odd about that statement.

"Wait, your flank? I thought Scootaloo screamed when she saw my hip?"

"Hip? No, that's your flank, silly!" Scootaloo said, seeming a little flustered that I had brought up her overreaction.

Suddenly both halves of my mind (Not Mr. Crazy and Mr. Hero, Mr. Pony and Mr. Not-a-Pony) got into a heated argument over pony anatomy, and I stopped caring. Apparently what I formerly thought was a hip was now a flank. Go figure. I realized, then, that I apparently had five segments to my insanity. There was Mr. Crazy, Mr. Hero, Mr. Pony, Mr. Not-a-Pony, and the one I walked around as, whoever that was. Upon a careful amount of thought, though, I decided that Mr. Pony and Mr. Not-a-Pony were just varying degrees of knowledge that didn't always agree with each other. Strange.

I was drawn back to the party by Pinkie squealing from somewhere close by, and suddenly finding myself pressed side-by-side against Clementine, who I hadn't seen since earlier that day.

"Now BOTH guests of honor are here, so the party can REALLY start!" Pinkie yelled over the crowd. Wait, it hadn't really started yet? And Clementine only just arrived?

Clementine laughed from beside me. "Quite the party, huh?" she asked, and I just nodded. I then turned my head around to her hi... er, flank, and took in her Cutie Mark. Three clementines, stacked in a pyramid. Figures. I turned my head forwards again, and caught her staring at me, looking rather offended, and I realized what that had probably looked like.

"OH! No, I just... I hadn't seen your Cutie Mark yet. That's all, I swear!" Clementine looked fairly relieved at this, and I breathed a little easier. Last thing I needed was to get hit in the face again. The thought brought a twinge of pain to my jaw again, and I raised a hoof to it. Clementine noticed the movement and got a look of remembrance on her face.

"Oh right! I got you something." She reached over and pulled a small box seemingly out of nowhere. Where was..? You know what, I'm not sure I want to know. She removed the lid on the small container and I looked inside, a white slimy substance meeting my eyes.

"Is that..?" I started to ask, but she answered for me. "It's ointment! It should help with all those burns! I'm afraid it doesn't do much for bruises, though." I thanked her and took a small dab of the ointment on my hoof, smearing it over some of the worst burns. Relief instantly spread through me, and I hadn't even known I was in pain! I had just gotten used to it, I guess. Clementine set the box down on the floor and took a small dab of ointment, wiping it across my face, where I could only assume there was a burn.

"AWWWW, you two are so CUTE!" Pinkie yelled from directly in front of us. I jumped nearly a foot in the air, and so did Clementine, to my eternal relief. "OO, oo! Twilight, Twilight, TWILIGHT!" The crazy pink earth pony continued, somehow stretching her body and grabbing the lavender unicorn from her position in front of a yellow mare with a pink, curly mane and tail. "Can they come with us to Manehattan? You know Rarity wanted to take us there, don't you? Do you think Dark Time and Clementine could come?"

Twilight didn't answer for a moment, but whether it was because Pinkie was currently squeezing both of her cheeks, or because she wasn't sure that I should be allowed in Manehattan, or a combination of the two, I wasn't sure. Eventually, after Pinkie elected to release her face, she spluttered out, "I guess so Pinkie, as long as it's okay with them." Clementine and I exchanged a glance, and then she sighed.

"Sorry, Pinkie, but I've got to be on my way to Canterlot tomorrow. More citrus to sell, you know." Pinkie seemed disappointed, but lost none of her vigor as she suddenly draped one foreleg over my back and gave me a noogie.

"Well, that's too bad! But at least Dark Time can still come along, right?" I stiffened. Up until this afternoon, I had been expecting to travel on with Clementine, but with all this, I didn't know anymore. Mostly, I just didn't know if I'd have a choice in the matter. I looked to Twilight and she smiled in a way that told me I didn't.

"I think that's a great idea Pinkie. It will be fun to have him along." I understood the true meaning behind those words. She wanted to keep an eye on me. The best way she knew of to do that would be to bring me along. It made sense, but...

"Hang on, don't I get any say in this?" I asked, surprised that I had managed to spit those words out. Clementine turned to me and I looked back. I wanted to say that I wanted to go with her. I wanted to tell her I'd come with her. I really, really did, but, if I was dangerous, as Twilight and Applejack seemed to think I could be, I didn't want to hurt Clementine. Not that I honestly thought I could subdue her, or anypony, for that matter, but if I so much as scratched her, I doubt I could forgive myself. There was much less chance of my hurting anypony if I went with the super-powerful unicorn and the physically strongest pony I had yet met. Slowly, I turned away from Clementine and looked back at Twilight.

"I... guess I'll get to see Manehattan, then." Pinkie smiled wide and Clementine looked surprised, then slightly saddened.

"Sorry Clementine. I really wanted to go with you. It's just that..." I was silenced by her hoof pressed to my mouth.

"No need to explain, Dark. I just got a little attached to you, I guess. Funny, since we haven't known each other very long, huh?"

"Yeah... funny..." I said.

*     *     *

The next morning found me on a train, barreling down the tracks towards our destination. The seven of us, that's myself, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail named Rarity, a cyan pegasus with a multicolored mane and tail named Rainbow Dash, and the yellow pegasus Twilight was talking to last night, apparently named Fluttershy, had said a hurried goodbye to Clementine that morning and hopped aboard the train. I sat staring out the window for a long time after that.

"Hey Dark Time! You ever gonna come away from that window?" Rainbow Dash asked, hovering a few inches above my head. Hang on, we're in a moving train, and she's just hovering there. By all rights, she should be moving separately from the train, unless, of course, she was managing to keep exact pace with the train but still make it seem like effortless hovering. I rubbed my temples. You know what? I don't care. Magic. Let's leave it at that.

"Dark Time? Helooooo? Anybody home?" The physics-defying pegasus continued, knocking on the top of my head with a forehoof.

"OW!" I answered, and rubbed my head while frowning up at her.

"Oh, good. Thought you might be sitting there forever. C'mon, relax, talk to somepony. Don't just sit there gawking out the window!"

I turned. "Fine." Was all I said before slumping into my seat, no longer facing towards the window. Dash sighed and shrugged her shoulders, choosing to land and continue chatting with the other girls.

I should've gone with Clementine.

*     *     *

HOLY WHAT? This... this place is huge! I didn't know ponies could build stuff like this! Wow... just wow.

There had been some disagreement on the train as to where we should go first, so the girls had elected to split up, something that, now I saw the city, didn't seem like such a great idea. Of course, I was the odd stallion out, in more ways than one, and the others thought I should stick with one of them. I elected to go off on my own, but of course Applejack and Twilight forbade it as politely as they could. So I was left wandering around Manehattan with Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. Both Twilight and I hadn't much cared where we were going, so we were currently heading towards an apple museum. Yep. An apple museum. How they found enough interesting information about apples to call it a museum is beyond me, but they did it.

I decided I would slip away at the earliest opportunity. Yes, it could be dangerous, but I thought I could control myself long enough for Applejack to stop freaking out about the apples. My earliest opportunity came earlier than I expected, as Applejack gasped in a display reminiscent of Pinkie Pie, and snatched Twilight away, apparently forgetting all about me.

I wandered back outside, wondering what I should do. It was a big city, but as long as I kept my sense of direction intact, I should be able to go for a walk. So that's what I did. I walked down street after street, taking in the sights but choosing not to get too absorbed. I saw many different kinds of ponies, but didn't really interact with any of them. Until I heard the scream.

It was feminine, that much was obvious, and it came from not too far away. None of the ponies around me reacted as if they had heard anything, and, for a moment, I thought I might just be spiraling into deeper insanity. But something stopped me from brushing it off and walking on. I don't know what it was, but something in me decided it couldn't hurt to take a look where I thought the scream came from, right? So I walked a little ways ahead and gazed down a dark alley. I swallowed. Great, dark alleys in the middle of large cities. What could possibly go wrong here?

I stepped between the buildings, trying to keep my knees from shaking. Oh man. What was I going to find down here? I had just made up my mind to turn around and head back when I heard a muffled sob coming from somewhere ahead. I stepped forward another two paces and saw something that nearly knocked me out with the number of emotions and voices it unearthed. There, not three yards from me, was a dark blue unicorn, levitating what looked like a knife, and standing precariously on his hind legs, with both forelegs pressed against the mouth of a struggling mare. A mare I instantly recognized as the member of Twilight's little group I had associated with the least.

It was Fluttershy.

*     *     *

He was having quite a time with this yellow pegasus mare. He had expected it to be easy. She already looked so scared and everything. Should have been easy, but no, she had to go and scream. Lucky for him, no one seemed to have noticed, or cared. Time to get to business.

"Alright, mare, you know what I want, and if you don't give it to me, well, I'll have to take it from you myself." The pegasus' eyes widened, and he stifled a chuckle."You know what? I'll just take it from you regardless!" And he brought the knife swinging down. She closed her eyes and cringed back, waiting for the impact. But it never came.

"Huh?" The blue stallion asked dumbly, and turned to look at the knife now hovering between them. Before, it had been his own blue aura that surrounded the knife. Now, however, a jet-black light held the knife steady, seeming less like it gave off light and more like it sucked all surrounding light in. He turned to see who might be doing this, panic rising in his chest, and then relaxed and even chuckled heartily when he saw a single unicorn standing in between himself and the street, head down, so his red mane hid his eyes.

"Oh, look, a funny little hero boy, come to save the princess. Sorry, bucko, but I'll be taking that knife back now." And he pushed his own magic forward, attempting to reclaim the weapon. But the knife didn't budge. He tried again, using even more magic this time. Still, the knife stayed exactly where it was. He tried one last time, pushing all of his magic into trying to grab that one stupid knife. And still, it stayed in the other unicorn's possession. He was beginning to panic again.

"H-hey! Who do you think you are, anyway?!" He demanded, gesturing to the strange pony with one hoof. The mare had finally decided to open her eyes, and found that her assailant had released her. Every fiber of her being told her to fly, to get away as fast as she could, but she sat stock-still, staring at the scene that played out before her.

The stranger's shoulders were shaking, and the unicorn once again thought he had the upper hand. "Awwww, crying now, are we? Ain't that cute." But the stranger wasn't crying. That was made evident when he finally looked up, and both assailant and victim drew back in surprise and horror. The stranger had pointed teeth, every single one, and they were currently twisted into a maniacal grin that would've given a hydra the shivers. He was also laughing, a frightening, mirthless sound rather like a crow squawking in rapid succession. And then he opened his eyes. They glowed red, blood red, like his mane. Finally, he unfurled his wings. These weren't the wings of a demented pony, though, these were large, grand, magnificent white wings that wouldn't have looked out of place on a young prince. They filled the mare with new hope and put all new kinds of fear into her attacker. The strange alicorn stepped forward, and the unicorn fell back. The mare stayed where she was, however, and saw that from his forelegs forward, he was black with a red mane, but from there back he was white with a blue tail. An indescribable blue, like sapphires, and the sky, and the sea, all at once.

The strange pony stepped forward again, raising the knife with his magic.

"NO! NO PLEASE! DON'T!" screamed the blue unicorn. The mare looked on, thinking she should leave now, but neither her legs, nor her wings would move. The knife came down...

And halted, just before it sunk into the pony's skull. The strange alicorn seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle. Or was it internal? The mare looked to him, and it seemed that the barrier between where the black and white fur met was beginning to ripple. At first she thought they were both pushing towards the other, but soon she saw a new color blossom onto the fur in between the two. It was green. The green started to spread, pushing the other two back, and slowly, slowly, the knife lowered from the unicorn's face. The pony shook his head, and then faced the unicorn again.

"RUN." He said, in a voice with three different tones to it at once. He didn't need to be told twice.

He ran.