Of Minds and Magic: The Reckoning Truth

Okay. So, first, I would like to apologize to the Transcriber, for having to deal with John giving him something that is hard to work with. From now on, he will hopefully only speak in the first person past tense, as well as better describing the environment around him. As for me, I was going to use FP-PT from the very beginning.

So, now since that debacle is out of the way, let me give MY perspective.

My name is Twilight Sparkle. And I can only hope you listen to us...

Twilight Sparkle

It was a warm, spring day in Ponyville. Nice and hot, but with a cool, northern wind. Man, they sure did a good job that day.

So, I was on my way to complete the checklist I had made for the day when this whole mess started. Ugh, let me tell you how much of a complete CLUSTERFUCK that day was...

"Spiiike! I need you to do me a favor!"

That's me. Yelling at my little brother. Or, son. Or whatever the hell Equestria's legal system named him as.

"Okay, Twi! I'll be right down!!" he called from upstairs.

"Hurry, Spike! I have to leave soon!"

"On my way! I'll be rig- Oof! Ouch! Yow!"

That was him. Falling down the stairs. Now, this may seem like cause for alarm, but it really isn't. See, he's a baby dragon. Able to withstand a lot of things that would seriously injure somebody without much as a scratch. What does John call that...? Ah, yes. Tanking.

Wasn't he used like a battering ram once...?

Anyway, he got up and dusted himself off.

"Okay, Twilight. Whaddya need?"

"Spike, I need you to clean and manage the library while I'm gone. I'm not sure how long it will be before I get home later, so don't stay up waiting for me. Here's a list of what you need to do while I'm gone."

I handed him the list (and for those of you with hooves (or, rather, used to have hooves, as the case might be), I'm saying that because I am around John constantly, so those types of mannerisms became habit for me. and it's just easier when dealing with him, because he always thinks it's funny and loses focus on what is actually important. He is very easily distracted.). It was quite a large list, as was momentarily evidenced, as it unrolled (almost comically) all the way out the door and into the street.

"...Jeez, Twilight. Leaving for good?"

"No, Spike. Only a little while."

Heh. If I'd only known how wrong I was...

So, I was on my way to Ponyville Proper to see Pinkie about Spike's upcoming birthday. Or, hatchday, as he prefers to call it. Anyway, I walked all the way to Sugarcube Corner. Now, I could have flown, teleported, or used a number of other methods of transportation. But, I wanted to walk along the streets, (slowly) making other pones more... No, less... Gah, what are the words I'm looking for...?

...

Oh, thanks, John.

It is quite handy, poking about in someone's head...

I was trying to make them more comfortable in the presence of a princess.

Anyway, I was walking to see Pinkie. She had expressed incredible interest in planning his party. I mean, an abnormal amount, even for her. So, I get there, and she's talking with Cheese Sandwich, which is weird. Not because she was talking to Cheese, more rather how she was talking to him. She was subdued in her talking, almost sedated. And, for anyone who knows Pinkie, it's that she is ALWAYS hyper and full of energy. Since I figured something was wrong, I decided to walk over and see. I got within about twenty yards, and I could see that Pinkie had been crying. And what was equally as strange, was the fact that Cheese also seemed sad. Once I got within listening distance, I could make out a bit of what they were saying.

"...not right, Cheese! It can't be a coincidence! It just can't be! Ponies that we know are just GONE, without a trace! I went to the farm to see my family, and Marble was gone. Then, I find out that Snowfire went missing, hay, even SOARIN, a WONDERBOLT, is gone, Cheese. Gone! Off the face of the planet. And don't tell me that you haven't noticed this as well. And, what's worse, ponies don't seem to care!"

"Now, Pinkie, let's be ra-"

"NO, Cheese."

Then, in a voice more akin to a whisper, she began speaking again.

"Want to know how I know something is wrong? When I was at the farm, I asked where Marble was. They simply said, 'She'll be back soon'. Didn't even care! And if there is one damn thing about the Pie family, is that we care for our kin! This is no random occurrence! I need to find out what happened. Help would be nice, but... If you want to sit spinning on a rock, go right the buck ahead."

With that, Pinkie walked away. Cheese chased after her, saying things like, 'Wait', and the typical, 'I'm sorry', and such.

Now, as you can imagine, this information was startling and troubling. If ponies were really going missing, and nobody seemed to notice, then this was cause for major alarm! So, as I was walking back to library, I knew that this was far too much to deal with at once. I decided to go walking in Whitetail Woods to clear my head. I walked for... Honestly? I don't know how long I walked. I was so lost in thought, I did not realize or recognize that the deciduous trees of Whitetail had given way to the tall, ghastly pines of the Everfree. Of course, I look back on it, and kick myself for not seeing it sooner. But, of course, hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say. Eventually, I found myself in a clearing, with a single, solitary log in the middle. I, in all my glorious smartness, decided to sit on the log. Now, normally, this would not be cause for panic. But, there was something funny about that log. It was a cross, and there was a circle of stones around it. Or maybe it was an X. Who cares? Anyway, I sat down on it. Now, across the clearing, there was this beautiful apple tree, with the most gorgeous, perfectly ripe, red apples you ever did see. And I am sorry to my old friend, Applejack, but these apples... Whew, they were amazing. I was far too tired and lazy to walk all the way over to the tree and get them, so I, in my great, infinite wisdom, chose to levitate the apples over to me. Now, here's where shit gets crazy. I ate the apple while it was still in my telekinetic grasp. While I was doing so, I noticed there was a strain on my magic. Not large, but quite noticeable (again, hindsight). As soon as I tried to drop the apple and end the spell, the strain increased to dangerous levels. I felt my magic being sucked out of me. Then, when it was all gone, it felt like my body was melting, freezing, getting wet, and being dried, all at once. I started to taste colors, hear the wind blowing about me, and smell the blackness closing in around me. After a while, all of my senses were gone. I felt like I was floating, but also firmly anchored to something. It's... Hard to describe. Damn near impossible, really. Everything I knew was... Wrong, I guess would be an apt term. And then, my eyes flickered open...

But I wasn't in control...