The Return of Loyalty

When you wake from a dream you can’t remember when you started to have it. You close your eyes and the next moment you’re suddenly being chased by a monster, or discover a cave full of lost riches, sprouting wings and fly with every bird in the sky. Maybe you could be inside a house that can travel through dimensions. A dream can become so real that it’s impossible to know the difference between reality and what’s projected in your mind, until you realize the scenarios you’re experiencing are too good to be true, and the illusion fades away.

It wasn’t like that for Scarlet Penhoof. Her eyes were closed and she remained on her seat. She hoped everything was just a fever dream. If she opened her eyes she’ll find herself in her own room again.

Scarlet opened her eyes. She was still in the flying machine, or dimension-hopping machine, or… whatever it was. He was reaching for his walking cane while Penny appeared from the corner. Her heavy breath grew audible in the cave they were in.

Wait a minute. They’re in a cave?

Scarlet pinched herself two times. So it really happened. Or did it? Scarlet rationalized that she had passed out and the machine didn’t actually travel across dimensions. It was probably just an illusion. Either one of them could have added some weird ingredient to the tea that made her see and feel things that weren’t there.

Clovis climbed out of his chair and went to Scarlet, chuckling when he saw how stunned she was on her seat, with her arms protecting her head. “The trip is over. Are you alright?” he asked. Clovis helped Scarlet to her hooves.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled.

A swell of pity overtook the old stallion. He laid his hoof on the back of her neck. Scarlet looked up, and groaned when she realized the cave was real as well. There was noise in the distant, and music.

“Have you ever been to the Bizarre before?” he asked Scarlet. She shook her head. “Well, I believe you’re going to have a magnificent time.”

The ponies stepped away from the flying machine. They walked down a steep formation inside the cave. As they became closer the music and commotion became clear to their ears. They were finally here - the bizarre. Creatures big and small scuttled and trotted between booths, wagons, and tents. An intoxicating scent hung in the air, and nobody knew what it was, but the smell promised of strange new things. Scarlet saw things she couldn’t begin to describe. Goblins persuaded passersby in their screeching voices to try their enchanted fruit. A pale thin insect hung skinless chickens and fish from his display. There was music playing from somewhere, but it was the kind of music Scarlet knew. It wasn’t like anything she knew. The instruments blended together to make this unnatural sound full of mystery and wonder, and sent chills through her spine.

She gazed at Penny and her weird uncle. Have they been here before? They must have, because they briskly walked through the large crowd like it was an average Tuesday afternoon.

“Charming, isn’t it?” asked Clovis. “Around here to can find anything that can’t be found anywhere on Earth.”

“We’re not on Earth anymore?” Scarlet asked fearfully.

“Well… technically speaking, we were never on Earth. All of the pieces will fall into place. Right now we have to find Miss Paradigm. If she’s even here.”

Words were coming from her guide’s mouth, but her mind couldn’t process what she was hearing or seeing. Scarlet looked to her side. There was an ugly-looking feline staring at her with yellow eyes. It stood behind a table with a display of books, many of them with horrifying designs. One of the leatherbound covers looked like it had an agonizing face.

“Those are the forbidden tomes,” said Penny as she pulled Scarlet away. “Reading them can drive you insane. How these guys are getting them we’ll never know.”

Clovis stopped… someone was a thin head and red cloak and asked him a question. The cloaked being made hand gestures and spoke in its own language, then pointed to a direction. “The kind fellow said that Miss Paradigm is not far away,” said Clovis. “Her tent is just outside.”

“Outside? You mean we’re… inside somewhere?” asked Scarlet.

“Oh, you hadn’t notice,” chuckled Clovis.

They approached to what looked like the end of a tunnel. Scarlet’s jaw hung open. When they arrived outside she realized the entire market was under the sands of a beach. A giant crescent moon reflected and rippled over the dark ocean, mountains far off gave off orange specks of light like they were neighborhoods. Scarlet never been to the beach before. She sniffed the salty air. It was exactly what a beach should smell like.

“Miss Paradigm’s tent should be… somewhere,” said Clovis. “We’ll know when we’ll see it. You do remember what it looks like, don’t you Penny?”

“Of course; big, black with gold designs. Easy to spot in the dark.”

Scarlet wanted to say something about Miss Paradigm, but something caught her eye. A glowing winged creature was flying across the stars, but as Scarlet gazed at long enough she learned it was a winged being she only imagined in stories. It was a combination of different things; the body of a great stallion, the head and a torso of… an animal she knew not the name of. It’s wings were appendages that extended from the sides of the torso, like arms, with more appearing from the sides of the stallion part. It gave off the magnificent, comforting light she ever felt. She wanted to point it out to Penny and Clovis, but she couldn’t stop looking at it. Beautiful was too simple a word to describe what she saw.

“What is that?” Scarlet finally said.

Penny turned her head to where Scarlet was looking. “That’s a seraphim,” said Penny. “Many say they are the highest order of angels. They give off good vibes, or so I heard.”

Scarlet tried to find it before it became another speck of glowing light among the stars. She made a silent wish to see it again.

A breeze settled on the beach, but it didn’t make Scarlet shiver. In fact, it was smooth and welcoming. She looked at the stars. During all her time in the city the stars were never visible. There was too much electric light. But now the stars were everywhere, illuminating the night sky along with the moon. She guessed this is what astronomers wish would happen, if the entire world turned out the lights for one hour.

Clovis stopped on his sand tracks. He squinted squarely into the darkness.

“What do you see?” asked Penny.

There was a dark tent in the middle of the beach, or what looked like a tent. Yes, it was a tent. Clovis propped up his legs in excitement. He trotted quickly towards it, with Penny and Scarlet following him. There were slits of pale light from the sealed curtain when they arrived at the black tent. Scarlet tried to look for the gold designs they talked about earlier.

“Excuse me,” someone said.

Out of the darkness came a pair of yellow eyes. Unlike the yellow eyes Scarlet saw earlier at the Bizarre, this pair had a quality of friendliness to them. The patch of darkness to the form of a black cat, Miss Paradigm’s familiar. “You can’t go in yet,” it said to the group of ponies. “She’s conducting a séance.”

“Please, it’s very important that we meet her,” said Clovis. “We have someone we’d like for her to meet, and well, maybe restore some of her memories.”

“I apologize, but she needs her full concentration,” said the familiar. “You just have to wait for a few more minutes. I’m sure she’s almost done.”

The cat bowed - or was it trying to stretch - then returned to that patch of darkness on the ground. Clovis leaned his ear on the curtain, trying to hear what was happening inside. A giggle came out of Penny. There were moments when she often forgets who was supposed to be the child in their small family.

“Did a cat just talked to us?” asked Scarlet.

“Yes. His name is Bubastis,” said Penny. “He’s been with Miss Paradigm for awhile, but he’s not really a cat.”

Scarlet’s eyes widened. “What is he?”

“He’s a demon. He takes the form of a cat. That’s why they call those like him familiars. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you, although he will do Miss Paradigm’s bidding.”

“There’s something I need to know,” said Scarlet. “All of this time… your uncle sent you to spy on me?”

“I wasn’t spying on you. We the book and the ruby on one of our trips. He sensed that whoever sent them was trying to send us an urgent message. My uncle says we must never ignore a world’s cry for help. Uncle Clovis believed the ruby belonged to someone important.”

“How so?” asked Scarlet.

“One night when he touched the necklace, it gave him some visions of a pegasus that can create massive rainbows by breaking the sound barrier. He heard a voice in his head that uttered a name: Rainbow Dash. We spent all this time trying to find you.”

“Is that all that I am? A scavenger hunt?” said Scarlet.

“Scarlet, you might not believe what I say, but you’re probably the only friend I have,” Penny said with sincerity. “You give out some pretty funny advice. And there were some things I wish we could have done together.”

“So if this Miss Paradigm character turns me back into Rainbow Dash - and that’s a big if, does that mean I won’t remember a thing?”

Penny didn’t say anything. She looked back at her Uncle Clovis. He fidgeted, pounding the bottom of his walking cane on the sand as he waited impatiently. Penny looked closely at the slit of light from the black curtains. The pale light turned yellow, and the curtain opened. A couple stepped out of the tent with fear in their faces.

“May the two of you have an enchanted night,” a female voice said pleasantly. She stopped waving when she saw the three ponies standing near her. A lantern manifested out of thin air. It hovered over her white furry face and revealed the faces of the party. “Clovis, is that you? Bubastis told me you’d arrive.”

“Miss Paradigm, it’s been too long,” Clovis said happily. He introduced the medium to his niece, telling how she has grown from the last time Miss Paradigm has seen her. The goat-medium only glanced at Scarlet’s direction before approaching her.

“Ah yes, so this is the pony you told me about,” said Miss Paradigm. She held the lantern over Scarlet’s face and inspected her.

“Hi,” Scarlet said nervously.

“And what is your name, child?”

“Scarlet. Scarlet Penhoof.”

Miss Paradigm took a few steps back, this time looking at the entirety of Scarlet. The pony didn’t know if the medium liked what she saw, or had unpleasant thoughts of her. She was so nervous she looked to Penny for some form of encouragement, but the filly only shrugged.

“What do you think, madame?” asked Clovis.

“This young mare gives off a quite a unique vibe I have ever felt in a pony,” said Miss Paradigm. “Yes, very peculiar indeed. Clovis, my friend, you said this pony was… special?”

“Oh yes, very special.”

Scarlet couldn’t comprehend anything that was happening or being said, or even what she was seeing. She never thought her first time at the beach will be with a weird goat that told fortunes, or whatever she does as a day job. And she still didn’t know what was so special about her.

“All of you, come inside my tent at once,” said Miss Paradigm. She turned to Bubastis. “And cancel my other appointments. This situation with our new guest may take a while.”

“Aye aye, captain,” responded Bubastis.

A magnificent aroma hung in the air when Scarlet and the others entered the tent. The scent came from the candles that spread throughout the tent, giving the inside a warm and yellow glow. With so many of them Scarlet wondered how the tent hadn’t burned down. Then she remembered whose tent she was in, and figured Miss Paradigm had enchanted candles that wouldn’t cause any harm. It was probably the reason why they smelled so good.

Not only did the sweet aroma caught her senses, she also took in how wide the inside of Miss Paradigm’s tent was. Along with the scented candles, there was a bookshelf that stretched from every inch and corner of the tent. For some reason she had the sudden urge to pick one and read. Souvenirs and antiques from foreign lands can be found everywhere; masks, rugs, lamps, dolls, bits and bobs, knicks and knacks - how can Miss Paradigm navigate her way around the tent without stepping on anything? In the middle of the tent were a pile of pillows for everyone to sit on, which is what Miss Paradigm ordered them to do.

Penny helped her elderly uncle get comfortable sitting down while Scarlet searched for anything else she hadn’t seen before. She looked up to find a miniature model of the solar system dangling over her head. Scarlet looked closely and realized it wasn’t exactly a model the solar system, but a nursery mobile for foals that only consisted of the sun, the moon, the earth and six stars. The yellow sun and white moon had faces painted on them. They looked feminine, like mares. The stars were in different colors with small symbols on them that Scarlet couldn’t make out.

“What do you think of my humble abode?” said Miss Paradigm.

After everything that happened to the bewildered pony and all of the things she has seen, no words could describe how she was feeling. “It’s nice,” Scarlet finally said. “It’s much bigger on the inside.”

The goat medium chuckled. “My child, if you think the inside of my tent is amazing, just wait until you discover what is about to come to light,” she said. Her voice carried an air of intrigue.

“This is exciting, is it not?” Clovis whispered to his niece. He wore a foalish smile as he waited for what was to happen next.

Miss Paradigm sat on a pillow facing Scarlet, who shifted nervously on her seat. The goat squinted her eyes and examined the pony closely. Bubastis stood at the side to watch and to carry out any of Miss Paradigm’s orders. Scarlet stole a quick glance at the black cat. Bubastis also examined the pony while he groomed himself. She remembered how a few moments ago Penny told her the cat was actually a demon in disguise. Scarlet didn’t want to know what Bubastis actually looked like.

“You’re afraid,” a voice said. Scarlet felt as though her heart was going to pop out of her chest. Nobody in the tent opened their mouths. Something in the back of her mind told her it was the cat. She was right. Somehow Bubastis was telepathically communicating with her. “I can feel it. Fear is an undoubtedly very pony-like behavior, not to mention a rational response to the unknown and the incomprehensible absurdities this life brings to us.”

What the heck was he talking about?

“Tell me, child… where were you born?” asked Miss Paradigm. Her lips curled into a little smile when she saw Scarlet seemingly coming out of a trance. Bubastis must have been having a conversation with her, she figured.

Scarlet answered after thinking of the recent information about her existence that was given to her, “I don’t know. All my life I lived in that city in that crummy apartment and boring job. I can’t remember much of my fillyhood. In fact, I’m not sure if I even had a fillyhood.”

Miss Paradigm nodded. She placed her small hooves on Scarlet’s blue face. “Do me a favor and open your mouth,” she said. The pony hesitated before complying. The medium searched the inside of her mouth thoroughly like a doctor, then she moved on to inspect her blue skin, red hair, her eyes. The goat stared at Scarlet for a long while, making a quizzical sound underneath her breath.

“Is something wrong with me?” asked Scarlet.

“I’m not sure, but do tell me… have you had any dreams lately?” said Miss Paradigm.

“Now that you mentioned it, I’ve been having dreams where I’m flying. I don’t just hover off the ground or anything like that. In my dreams I’m an actual pegasus, with wings and everything.” Scarlet gave herself a little smile, remembering how good those dreams made her feel.

“And how did those dreams end?”

“I fly so fast that the world fades away. Then I…” Scarlet tried to think of the right word, but nothing came to mind. “And then I explode.” Miss Paradigm raised in eyebrow. Bubastis tilted his black furry head. “It’s not just any explosion. There’s no fire or destruction. Everything was bright, like the sun appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the night. My vision was nothing but swirling colors. And then I wake up.”

“I see,” said Miss Paradigm. Before Scarlet asked what she was thinking about, the goat put her ear on the pony’s chest to listened for a heartbeat.

“Is something wrong with my heart?” asked Scarlet.

“Nothing is wrong, although I sense… a presence inside you.”

Miss Paradigm let go of Scarlet. She motioned for the pony to resume sitting on the pillow. Nobody said anything for a few minutes, letting an uncomfortable silence pass through the tent like a lite breeze. Clovis and Penny gave each other uneasy glances. Although Scarlet couldn’t predict what Miss Paradigm was going to do or say, she knew whatever is going to happen will be anything but ordinary.

“Did those dreams have any significance for you?” asked Miss Paradigm.

At this point the medium was sounding like a therapist, but Scarlet answered her anyway. “Well, at first they didn’t, then Clovis tells me I’m some important pegasus named Rainbow Dash, but I have doubts about that.”

The goat’s eyes widened. Even Bubastis stopped grooming himself when he heard the name. Miss Paradigm remembered all those times Clovis visited her tent and asked whether he’d find “the One.” She’d always consult her crystal ball, performed an incantation or two, and gave a vague answer. Miss Paradigm felt bad for him during those days. Now things were different. Could it be true? Has Clovis found the one called Rainbow Dash? Luckily she had something prepared just for this special occasion. Although Clovis’ search for “the One” had taken him a long time, it didn’t mean Miss Paradigm gave up on helping her good friend.

“Everything is becoming clear now,” she said.

“What’s becoming clear?” asked Scarlet.

“I can see through the facade of the pony standing before me. I mean no offense to you, but Scarlet Penhoof is nothing more than a shell, a false identity that was made for you. Something… or someone has put your soul - the essence of your true self, into a deep slumber. However, I have the means to wake your soul. It’s a good thing Clovis brought you to me in such a time as this. I was growing interested in memories.”

Miss Paradigm rushed toward one of her shelves and grabbed a bag full of herbs. She ordered Bubastis to boil a pot of water, which the cat did just by staring at it. Scarlet thought she seen the dark feline’s yellow eyes turn red. The goat dumped the herbs into the pot, add some other ingredients, and stirred for a few minutes. Miss Paradigm ordered Bubastis to give her some powder. She poured some into the cauldron, and a cloud of green mist exploded into the air. She stirred for another few moments until she felt it the brew was completed. She scooped some of the contents into a bowl and presented it to Scarlet.

“What is that?” Scarlet asked cautiously.

“Take this. It will take you into a journey deep inside your mind. This brew will help you unlock the secrets kept in your psyche, and find the lost memories of your past life. And then, only then, you will remember who you really are.”

Scarlet narrowed her eyes. “How can I be sure it’s not poisonous?”

“Why would I give poison to a stranger whom my good friend spent his old age trying to find? Do you honestly believe you came all this way to this place to consume something deathly?”

The red-headed pony didn’t try to wrap her mind around that logic. So much was happening so fast that she didn’t think Clovis or Paradigm will let her go until she eat that soup… or whatever it was. Scarlet looked back, grimacing when the old stallion and the young filly silently encouraged her to consume the brew. Even Miss Paradigm gave her a pleasant smile, but she didn’t know her true intentions.

“Oh well, here goes nothing,” Scarlet muttered. She took the bowl from Paradigm’s hooves, putting it to her lips so the substance can pour into her mouth. It didn’t taste like the kind of soup she’d give to others; in fact it tasted like herbal medicine or tea, which wasn’t so bad.

She spoke about she didn’t feel anything, but nobody seemed to listen to her. Scarlet tried to speak in a louder voice until her legs felt like noodles. The muscles in her jaw tried to move so she can form words, but it was no use. Any moment her body will fall squarely on the ground. Clovis and Penny caught her before that can happen, although Scarlet had already blacked out at the point. The last thing she saw was the blurriness of the world and the muffled, echoey voices of her insane captors until everything went dark, and then there was silence.

Miss Paradigm never realized her brew would be that strong. She glanced at her pocket watching, gasping inwardly learning the pony had been unconscious for over twenty minutes. Well, not entirely unconscious. There were moments when Scarlet was muttering something underneath her breath, giggling and soft crying.

“Do you know how long it will take before she comes to?” Clovis inquired. “I’m beginning to feel rather concerned. She’s been asleep for what seem like ages.”

“The effects of the brew will take as long as they have to, until Scarlet Penhoof discovers who she really is.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” asked Penny.

“Then that will be a reason to worry.”

The young filly couldn’t help but give another nervous glance to her old uncle. The day began with excitement for the salvation of Equestria, only to have it all hang on a loose thread. Clovis, especially, didn’t want to believe anything could go wrong. He and his niece worked too hard to find Rainbow Dash to have all of their hopes smashed to pieces.

Scarlet’s jaw twitched, like it was trying to make words. The ponies, the medium and her familiar, edged closer to her in anticipation. Nothing happened for a few moments until Scarlet raised her arms. Again she tried to make sounds in an attempt to speak, but all that came out was gibberish. Beneath that gibberish came a phrase everyone in the tent can understand.

“Sonic… sonic rainboom.”

She arms remained stretched; maybe she was reaching for something. Maybe she was flying. They looked closely at Scarlet’s face, seeing that she was smiling. They couldn’t know for sure if she was having that same flying dream or if she was actually experiencing it. Whatever was happening, it was truly extraordinary.

“No… no, don’t!” she muttered. “Don’t take me! Please, don’t take me away!”

Her body squirmed on the ground, which later turned into violent thrashing as though she were having a nightmare.

“Oh goodness, we have to wake her up! She’s terribly frightened!” exclaimed Clovis.

“No! We have to let the effects of the brew run its course! She will be fine,” said Paradigm. “At least, I hope,” she quietly added.

Now Scarlet began to flair her arms, seeming falling into an abyss or swimming through something unpleasant. She breathed heavily, once again trying to grab hold of something that wasn’t there. Finally she inhaled deeply and let out a soul-piercing scream that made everyone jump out of their skins. Her loud shriek almost made Bubastis shed his feline form out of fear. The red-headed pony stood in the middle of the tent, catching her breath. She looked around the tent, completely not sure of where she was.

“Scarlet, are you alright?” asked Clovis.

The pony looked at him with wide, fearful eyes. She was sweating profusely. Clovis dared not take another step forward.

“Who’s Scarlet? My name is Rainbow Dash,” she said, her voice still shaking.