Missing Pieces

There was blood everywhere;  I have taken an arrow to my side. I do not recognize this place. I was surrounded by my enemies with nowhere to go, no way to escape. My country’s fate was damned by my enemies. I sloped down on my knees knowing I was going to die here. I wonder what I could be reborn as, where I am destined to go, what would become of my world. I accepted my execution as my conquerors prepared their magic, aimed their arrows, swords and spears readied. Everything went into slow-motion. I glanced around to see everything shot at me. I was going to become nothing, but dust and ashes after this. My energy was spent, my strength was leaving me, I tried to shout but nothing could escape my voice. Tears began to form in my eyes as everything went blurry. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wanted another chance, something that could give me a new life; to start all over. My head lowered in defeat. There’s no stopping this…

You asked for a renewed life? A soft voice trailed off into the distance followed by a bright flash of light

Just as I was about to become the human target of the army, everything froze, as if time itself has fallen into a tranquil slumber.  I couldn’t feel the wind across the valley of bloodshed. I opened my eyes to see multiple arrows and spells about to engulf my body, my enemies didn’t move, nor blinked. They didn’t look like they could see what’s going on, as if time froze.  I couldn’t find the strength to stand, so I took a looked around from where I was, I couldn’t see anything that was moving until I felt a figure standing above me. I quickly spun around to see who was there, but I could see nothing. My vision began to black out, my strength was gone from the lack of blood; I collapsed on the ground. I could only see a figure standing over me, it wasn’t human as it stood on all fours. The thing was too bright to see its face, but only saw a horn sticking out of its forehead. It unfurled its wings and lied beside me, its enormous wings wrapped around my body as I fell into unconsciousness. I could only feel like I was floating, being carried to someplace else.

I awoke from my slumber. I felt the same pain as I was before, that one arrow that had pierced my body before. I was still dying, but the difference was my location. Everything was green, large trees flooded the land and the army was no more, gone, vanished. I could hear birds chirping off in the distance, a nearby stream running fresh water down its canal. Great, not only am I dying, but I get to die in a forest I don’t know anything about. What could get better than this? I continued lying in my pool of blood as I dozed off to a deep sleep. I couldn’t bring myself open my eyes again as I felt something carry me through the forest. I began to forget how I got here, or where I came from. My memories slowly disappeared until it came to a stop. The only thing I could remember is that I was human…

My strength  finally came back to me. After a few weeks of rest, I could finally open my eyes. My the wood and there were bottles, potions, which stood on counters and shelves. I found my sword lying beside the bed of hay. A glimpse of black and white streaks glistened across the side of my eyes. As I motioned my attention toward the source, I saw a zebra standing next to a large cauldron. It didn’t appear to have noticed me yet. I wonder why would anyone have a zebra as their pet, I thought to myself. I tried standing up, but, instead, fell back on the floor.

I felt that there were eyes gazing upon me as I looked up and saw the zebra standing in front of me.

“Ah, it seems you are awake. Wandering in the forest is a big risk to take,” the zebra rhymed with a blissful voice.

I started to panic. Why is the zebra talking? More or less rhyming. “Why is it talking!?” I shouted in fear. Crawled over towards my sword and reached out with my…hooves? I screamed to the top of my lungs as I kept backing away until I crashed into a bunch of shelves. The bottles rattled and fell off the shelves, shattering all over the floor. I quickly took a glance at the puddle of mixed liquids and saw a pony as my reflection. “What is going on here!?”

“Please be still, my pony friend. You still have that wound I have to tend,” the zebra said with concern painting her face. “Be careful not to step in that puddle of ooze. Otherwise, it will be a hoof or two you might lose.”

“No, stand back.” I felt cornered against a shelf. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll-- ack!” I felt pain coming back to my side as my wound opened up. I collapsed on the floor again.

The zebra quickly ran over toward my side, avoiding the giant pool of purple that lied between us. Opening a pouch that rested on her flank, she pulled out a bottle with her teeth and placed it beside her. “It is preferred that you get your rest,” she, I concluded from the sound of her voice, stated as she rubbed the contents of the bottle on my wound. “For this wound will not heal for another week at best.”

I tried struggling, but she refused to release me. She picked me up and started walking back to the bed of hay, placing me back down where I had once awoken. I tried to move my legs, but my body refused to listen. I kept my eyes on alert as I stared at the zebra. “Where am I? Who are you?” I asked in confusion.

“My name is Zecora, and you are in my shack. For I have brought you here from what seems like a violent attack.” She cited pointing her hoof toward my wound. “You looked to be on your last breath. So I ran you back here, hoping not to face your death. If you don’t mind, what is your name? Watching you a while ago, you definitely don’t act the same.”

“The name is…my name is…” I muttered. Why can’t I remember my name? My head started to hurt as I tried remembering. “I-I don’t know,” I shouted out. “Why can’t I remember my name? I don’t even know where I came from, or who I am.” I was about to panic as though there was something I wasn’t supposed to forget.

“Please, calm yourself, young child. There is no need to get anxiety and wild. That is strange that you don’t know who you are. I never knew such a wound could leave such a scar. In order for me to heal a condition like this, I will need to find a certain flower called Angel’s Bliss.”

I sat up in surprise, “You know what’s preventing me from remembering? Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go and get it-arg!” The pain quickly came back as soon as I got up. Zecora helped me back to laying down.

“It is not what is preventing you, my dear. It is more of a loss of memory that I fear.  We can’t just simply go and get it. For you can only find this flower in Timber Pit.”

I could hear hoof steps approaching the shack. I glanced behind the zebra to find a small yellow filly opening the door. She had a red mane with a large, pink bow accessory on the back of her head. “Hay Zecora. How’s the sleepin’ visitor?” She notices that I was awake and quickly ran over to me. “Oh my gosh, yer alive!” she exclaimed with her western accent. “Ah thought you were a goner fer sure. How are ya feelin’?” she asks.

I hesitated before answering, since there’s another pony is talking to me. “I’m fine, I guess.”

“That’s good,” she sighed in relief. “My name’s Applebloom. Every pony back in Ponyville was worried about’ cha. Ya were in such a bad shape we couldn’t move ya to the hospital. So you were kept here with Zecora. It took a while to pull this out of yer flank.” She pulled out the arrow that was lodged into my side before from her pack. “Ah went to Twilight to see what it was and she said it was an arrow.”

The sight of the arrow, gave me a severe headache. My mind was spinning with memories I had lost before:

A man standing against all odds against an army of monsters. He wore silver armor, carrying a bow and sword at hand.

My mind flashes into a new image…

A man covered in blood. The field had arrows throughout the land accompanied by dead bodies of different creatures.

My head felt like it was being crushed by a boulder as another image flashes into my mind…

The man stood there with an arrow in his side, as a different army finishes him off with a barrage of magic and arrows.

Tears welled up in my eyes as my vision came back to me. Zecora and Applebloom was standing over me. “Are you okay, sir?” Applebloom asked worrying about me. “Does it hurt?”

I sniffled as I wiped the tears away. “N-No, I’m fine, Applebloom. Don’t worry, the pain is gone.” I didn’t mention anything about the visions that came to me as they sighed in relief. I wanted to switch the subject so I went back to what Applebloom was talking about. “Yes that is an arrow. It has many uses, but most of them aren’t good, sadly.”

“Well, he must rest my fair Applebloom. For today, he has had to learn a lot more than he could consume,” said Zecora guiding Applebloom to the door. “You should go home, and tomorrow you may come back. But if you stay here too late, you will worry Applejack.”

“Aww okay, Zecora,” Applebloom whines. “Ah’ll see ya tomorrow, ya hear?” I only waved my hoof to her as she exits the door. I stared at my hooves wondering how I became like this.

“And it is time for you to rest, so take this pill, get some rest, and tomorrow you will head to Ponyville.” Zecora orders as she hands me a yellow tablet. I simply did so without another word. I slipped the pill in my mouth and swallowed it. The zebra hands me a cup of water and I chugged it down. She went over to her own bed and lie down.

“Hey Zecora? What if I was a killer, you know? Would you still help me?” I asked. “I don’t really know what happened in my past, but if it’s like that, I could change and turn on you and Applebloom.”

“Hmm… You being a killer could very much be true. But the Everfree Forest doesn’t give me ponies out of the blue. Sleep now young colt, there no need to fret. You will turn out to be a nice, gifted pony I bet.”

That was the last time I spoke to her for that night. She may be right, but the images in my mind bothered me a lot. All I could do was to take her advice and fell into a deep sleep…