Chapter 3 Psychological rage

POV Jacob S, Fidelis

I looked around and quickly grasped which memory it was. I stood in the middle of a dirt field craters, bodies, and barbed wire littered the landscape, and the rhythmic sound of bolt action rifles rang through the air louder than the artillery both near and distant that cratered on what I believed was the allied ententes side.

‘Well, I guess the simulations aren’t a bad spot. Damnit that pony has no idea what she is looking for.’ Then the screams of six different female voices got my attention.

“Twilight sparkle where are you!” I yelled as a row of horse cavalry man charged right past me.

Example of Calvary look.

‘damnit why this simulation!? You could have picked any memory to suck us into, but you had to pick one of the most miserable and physically challenging memories.’

“Over here!” I heard a yell, but I couldn’t tell where they were. Chaos erupted as bullets flew all around me. Men were screaming in pain and agony as the gunfire continued.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE IF YOU CAN HEAR ME KEEP TALKING!” I yelled. The response was well unique.

I looked around and noticed something wasn’t quiet right. Normally when someone has the ability to see memories and has the even rarer ability to have others join in. Usually, they follow the affected persons memory from a 3rd person perspective. In addition to being able to hear and feel what the person is actually feeling and thinking during that moment in time.

I immediately started processing and analyzing everything as my brain kicked into overdrive as it tried to figure out basics.

‘Can I die? No, I would have been riddled with holes already.’

‘Are my senses functioning? Yes, My boots are sinking in the mud blood and whatever else of no mans land. I can smell the death, gunpowder, and rot. I can a hear screams, bullets, shells, etc. I could practically taste the smell too. I can see everything around me and interact with it and leave a trace.’ As I lifted my boot leaving a very clear impression that I was there.

‘Can I see myself or my unit that this memory originated from? Not immediately, so this must be what my subconscious mind picked up over the battlefield.’ I looked around and saw myself and my unit slowly crawling/crouching against a ruined bunker a distance away.

Using all this I waited for twilight sparkle and her gang to give me a single or make a sound so I could locate them in this mess.

As if to answer my inquiry a firework shot straight up about 400 yards away from me. Allowing me to get the almost precise location of where at least one and hopefully all of the ponies are hunkering down.

(A/N Hi guys did you know your brain is constantly storing everything that happens all the time whether you realize it or not. Fascinating stuff there are hundreds of studies out there about it and really makes you think. Could I have stopped that embarrassing moment that happened ten years ago if I had access to the subconscious part of my brains processor along with my conscience mind working in tandem. Alright back to the story)

“Hang on don’t move im coming!” I yelled in response.

Good news it’s a memory so most of the bad stuff like being covered in blood, guts and mud won’t affect my next shower... And my eardrums wont feel like there ringing nonstop thanks to my idiot self-taking off my damn helmet. Bad news its 400 yards through no man’s land.

“Hang on don’t move im coming!” I yelled in response.

I trudged my way through the mud as it felt like it was sucking me in. It also managed to give me a few face pancakes as I fell flat on my stomach and face into the mud. To alleviate some of my struggle I started using the fallen bodies to island hop sort of speak. So, I didn’t waste more time then I needed to.

A few minutes later I made it to their location. Thankfully my prayers were answered as all six were in one location. They took shelter in abandoned dugout the previous occupant a skeleton sat in a chair with a knife in its ribs.

‘Good at least they aren’t seeing what’s happened above us. Now to that grill soft spoken pegasus.’

“Alright first is everyone okay?” before they could speak, I added. “Individually please and tell me exactly how your feeling if you’re feeling sick, tired, in pain tell me, etc.” I looked at the white unicorn first aka Rrarity.

“Fine darling although my coat and mane are absolutely ruined. It’s a memory it won’t stick you will be as clean as when we left. Thank celestia!”

‘Ugh, drama queens.’ I looked towards the pink pony next aka Pinkie Pie.

“Well, I feel funny, The ground is shaking, Oh and my party cannon still works.” She smiled and I heard a squeaking sound. Which I ignored as the ringing in my ears mad me dismiss it.

‘Well at least she is upbeat or trying to be.’ I looked towards the purple alicorn next aka Twilight Sparkle.’

“Well,” BOOM! A shell landed particularly close my instincts and training forced me to hit the dirt or well mud of the dugout and everyone followed suit rather quickly. After a few seconds I got up dusted myself and looked back at twilight.

“Status? Im alright nothing to report.” She said shaking a bit her eyes wide. Well wider than they were the ponies already have large eyes to begin with.

‘Okay neutral tone, body shaking, definitely scared then again who wouldn’t be?’ I looked towards the orange pony aka applejack next.

“Err im doin just fine sugar cube although im a bit worried.”

“About? Well, err the explosions outside they are pretty close.”

“It’s a memory it can’t harm you, but I don’t blame you for feeling worried. If you weren’t a bit worried I would be a bit worried for you.”

“Aw shucks thanks fer that.” I nodded and looked towards the blue pegasus and rainbow haired mane aka rainbow dash.

“I can’t fly and im feeling tired for some reason.” I was confused for second.

“Explain can you not fly, or do you just fall down?”

“Uh, hello! I can’t even flap my wings.” She said looking at her wings. No matter how much she strained her wings wouldn’t budge.

“Alright tired what kind of tired?” Rainbow dash snorted before speaking.

“Well, im tired in the fact that I could fall asleep kinda of tired.” I looked at her as she looked visibly tired compared to the rest her. Which were standing upright and on edge. She was sagging to the ground as her head was lowered just above her barrel.

“Fair enough although if you can sleep through this, I have some questions.”

“Really?” Rainbow dash said raising her eyebrows.

“Yea later though.” I moved my eyes to the banana cream colored pegasus aka fluttershy as she hid her face behind her mane.

“Im sorry.” She said so quietly that I don’t think anyone could hear her minus me.

Sigh* “Look im not angry with you people, err ponies. A pony with your abilities isn’t exactly… well never mind the point is there is nothing we can do. What’s done is done so? How are you feeling?” I asked genuinely concerned as she squeaked almost every few seconds hiding in the corner of the dugout.

“Well, I feel a bit sick and scared EEP!” She screamed as a shell landed extremely close with a loud boom and a shaking of dirt from the dugout roof later, she was even worse off. Again, I hit the dirt as did everyone else.

“Right well as I said I would be worried if you weren’t at least a little scared.” After a little bit the fighting died down.

“Looks like the charge is done for now. Stay here.” I was about to climb out of the dugout when I literally got dogpiled by all six of the ponies.

‘Note to self these 3 foot ponies when put together are exceptionally heavy.’

“Okay what the hell get off of me!” I yelled as I lifted them off me and stood up.

“Don’t go please!” Twilight Sparkle begged.

“Yea who will keep us safe from the explosions.” Fluttershy said her voice the loudest I’ve heard her speak.

“Yea come on man you can’t leave us hanging. We need to stick together.” Rainbow dash added.

“Im in agreement with rainbow dash. However, if we leave this albeit dull dirty and muddy cave we will most certainly be blown to bits.” She said trying to shake the mud and blood out of her main and coat. Before I could answer with it’s a memory you can’t die in a memory and the dirt and mud are temporary I was interrupted.

“Yea you expect us to stay here while something terrible could happen to you up there!” Pinkie pie said pretty damn fast I almost didn’t catch it.

“Err sure pinkie… but if you think about leaving us down here to fend fer ourselves ill drag you back here myself.” I looked between each of them, and terror fear and many other emotions were on their faces.

‘Ugh this is going against everything I was taught.’ I mentally facepalmed as I looked back at them.

“Fine I’ll stay but I need to learn some things from fluttershy here.” They all looked to fluttershy as she slowly inched back.

“M-me she stuttered “What could I know that you need to know.”

I kneeled and looked her in the eyes.

‘Alright time for some answers she has something akin to a seers abilities but to what extent?.’ I wondered.

“Look fluttershy im not angry with you but I need to know more how this might have happened. To do that im going to need provide three examples answer yes or no or don’t it’s up to you okay?” I winced as the shelling started up again. Her friends tried comforting her as well which made this process slightly easier.

“Scenario one the person or pony in this instance is able to see glimpses into a person, animals or boths memories usually something that happened within the past year or two.” She looked at me and nodded slowly.

‘Okay im going to guess she can see peoples as well as animals memories given the circumstances.’

“Scenario two the pony glimpses all critical memories and a bit more of the person or animal they make eye contact with. The memories or memory is random and comes from a critical moment or moments from the person or animals life.” She nodded again.

‘Okay that’s two of three this would explain her shyness a bit more as well.’

“Scenario three time stops, and you can vividly see memories of the human or animal in question as if you were there. Not exactly in their shoes but there.” I kept my eyes on fluttershy as the blood drained from her face and she was close to tears.

“How many of the scenarios have you faced. Be honest with me.” I asked maybe too sternly.

“Is there something wrong with me?” She said now clearly distraught.

“No, there is nothing wrong… please answer the question but if you feel like stopping we can stop now and pick this up later.” She shook her head.

“No, im fine I’ve had a mix of all three. One and two I encounter often in my everyday life.”

“What is your occupation I might ask?” I asked genuinely curious.

“I tend and take care of the animals of Ponyville and the nearby Everfree forest.” I nodded and pressed her for more answers.

“Scenario three how often do you experience it?”

“Very rarely and only with those that are extremely good, capable of deeds of heroism, or have some kind of evil in them. Its consistent in that way.” She spoke thinking she still looked ready to burst into tears

“Okay I now understand somewhat. From what is happening right now and from what your telling me you got a pretty rare gift. Not unique mind you but rare.” I answered as another shell landed near us and again the dugout shook.

“What is it? What makes this happen?” She asked almost pleadingly.

“Fluttershy is it?” She nodded

“These abilities used to be common among many humans at least ones that were farmers and ranchers for obvious reasons. This was over a thousand years ago and since then the ability has all but died out. I also know the ability isn’t genetic its random.” She looked down tears flowing.

“Is it permanent?” She asked he head held low. Her tone demeanor and stance changed.

“Yes, Its something you take with you till you’re dead.” I felt sorry for her as she broke.

“I NEVER WANTED THIS!” She sobbed another shell landed almost on top of us taking out a portion of the dugout roof. She still stood angry or sad I couldn’t tell.

“Darling what’s wrong with you.” Rarity asked standing up as applejack and me quickly took the table/desk and used to cover the hole to that the shell made to the front of the dugout. Unfortunately, Fluttershy either couldn’t hear or couldn’t care less.

“I love the animals I take care of, and I care for them, but do you know what it’s like!” She yelled almost as if she was sad, angry, miserable, and just outright furious at the same time.

“I cant go into town without meeting someone’s eyes and seeing some of their darkest secrets. Or watching their worst memories!” Fluttershy ranted as she now took particular interest in me. Like the barrel of a gun her raw emotions now aimed at me. The memory we were in was cracking. Like literal visible cracks were forming along the dugout and everything around us.

“Want an example!? Derpy she is the sweetest kindest pony in Ponyville although a bit scatterbrained, but she wasn’t always that way. You want to know why?! Ill tell you her father HATED HER! Her mother died in childbirth, and she became the punching bag of her father every night till she turned ten. She became a mail pony at age fourteen not because she wanted to but because that was all she really could do. She suffered brain trauma from the constant beatings and her right eye is constantly off because of it!” She yelled getting closer to me. Her presence chipped away my memory and started falling off as blackness enveloped all of us.

“Here is another example bucking lyra heartstrings. She became obsessed with your kind after finding an old book that dated back more than a thousand years. The book was hidden in a box and the book she treasures deeply. She was ridiculed, mocked, beaten, and bulled where used to live because she would often go into the areas around her old town looking for these “Humans” She may seem happy, but she now carries a fear of being all alone and a labeled a crazy pony because she believes in something that I NOW know to be true.” I tried to process this, but she kept her emotions fixed at me. My mental strength was waning, and I couldn’t do anything to stop her as she lashed out viscously.

“I want it to stop I love the animals I love the people of Ponyville, but I don’t like knowing their deepest secrets or their most painful memories. I feel like it should be obvious to everyone. “HEY LOOK PONY IN PAIN” yet no one can see it but me!” I heard a voice off in the distance. It was barely intelligible.

“Fluttershy stop!” it was ignored.

“You’re telling me that there is no way to remove or reduce this ability is that correct?” She asked as she lifted her head up facing me. Her raw emotions had now solidified into just one emotion, loathing. Having this much raw emotion aimed at me I was barely holding my mind together as her psychological barrage continued to hammer at me. I then came up with a plan to let her vent out the emotional monster that had been building up for years. Now it had a target. Now it had something to vent its frustration on and I would not deny it that.

“No there is none fluttershy.” She screamed in anger as she began punching and kicking me. Her friends tried to intervene but were shoved aside. The blackness faded into the shelter we were in earlier as I blocked and dodged what I could.

“YEARS BUCKING YEARS! I told my parents about this when I was kid they told me it was just my “imagination” and my older brother teased me about it. To not draw any attention, I stayed on the sidelines but every time I made eye contact I picked up new information on the pony or animal. It was mild at first. The older I got the clearer I could see the memory and it got more expansive, and some things were bucking horrifying!” She yelled as she connected her head with my chest plate.

I fell over and rolled landing on my back as I coughed. The wind knocked out of me I rolled again and made the worst mistake in CQC. I got cornered.

The other ponies were trying desperately to stop her now. The magic of twilight sparkle and rarity didn’t affect fluttershy. Applejack tried to stop her with brute force but was thrown clear across the room into a wall. Rainbow Dash tried to stop her following applejacks lead but suffered the same fate as she lay in a heap near applejack. Pinkie pie tried making silly noises throwing confetti and other weird shit I just couldn’t figure out. Her angle did nothing but make fluttershy worse as she slowly walked toward me.

“Fluttershy stop you’ll kill him!” Twilight pleaded as she collapsed using most of her magic from what I guessed.

“Want to know the icing on the cake?” I didn’t answer as I stood up readying for her next strike.”

“Your memory told me something during those questions. Humans passively passed it around to other species so my suffering and my loneliness comes from you.” She said her voice laced with venom. Again, I didn’t answer.

“Its all your fault!” She yelled as she went at me again and again. I did nothing to stop her this time. I took blow after blow to my body. Her friends begged her to stop her assault but again it fell on deaf ears.

After awhile her blows became less painful until finally she collapsed and continued to cry on the floor.

“Hass, Kopraan, Sil.” I spoke blood spitting out with each word as the blood pooled around me.

Translated Health, Body, Soul

The ancient tongue of the dragons the words of power that could bend the will and reality of all living things. A language useless to all but dragons of exceptional knowledge and years.

I felt my body put itself back together. My ribs went back into their rightful places. My dislocated bones reset, and my mental state was put back together.

The spell would attract her attention, but she did say only in an emergency may I use it. Well, this was it.

I did not pay attention to the others as my body put itself back together. After a few minutes I tried and failed to stand up only for twilight sparkle to push me back down.

“Twilight sparkle what are you?” She smacked me. I felt a copper taste in my mouth for only a moment before it disappeared.

“Do you have any idea how much magic you just used?!” She asked/yelled.

“No, probably a lot why.” I coughed my throat suddenly dry.

“Enough magic to power a small city for a few months.” She said I didn’t look her in the eye.

“I know but it was an emergency… twilight tell fluttershy its not her fault.”

“What why?” She asked flabbergasted.

“Im tired and I wont be able to say anything for a few hours at least. Also try to calm her down she had no control over that reaction. Her anger… it” I coughed as my saliva and mouth went from dry as a desert to wet again.

“Her emotions had built up so much that it needed an outlet. Because of her personality she couldn’t.” I felt my body shutting down to rest and my mind followed suit. I couldn’t say anymore as I fell asleep.

End chapter

Author's Note

Oh boy two chapters Anyway enjoy.
Map cut due to it not loading properly.
Update Map may be added into a later or into an earlier chapter.

Edit/changelog 09/2/2021 18:06
Major tone shift chapter changed almost completely
Fluttershy's ability changed and will be abbreviated on further next chapter.
Rewrite of further chapters in progress
All later chapter will be unpublished and re added accordingly