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by PseudoBob Delightus

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Horror, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1004

It's okay. I'm here. I can remember what happened.

It's okay. I'm here. I can remember what happened.

I'm still here.

Written for the Thousand Word Contest III, categories Horror (Pewter Medal!) and Experimental.

Thanks to Silk Rose, Scriblits Talo, ThePeer, and MorganaTheNotCat for pre-reading and feedback.

Now featuring an excellent dramatic reading by Ross and Wizzy!

I recommend reading this in a web browser.

Published 2024-07-09 21:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-07-09 21:00:00 UTC

Story

I'm awake. I can think.

Something's not right. I'm not in bed. I don't feel thirsty or hungry or tired. I don't feel in pain, I don't feel anything, despite what happened

What happened?

It just slipped my mind. I'll remember it later.

What was I doing before?

Oh, right. The lecture. My friends weren't really paying attention, but I'm used to that. It's all practice anyway. They support me by being there and sometimes listening. And they usually enjoyed the spell demonstrations.

I just need to clear my throat

clear my

my mind before I start.

Ahem.

We're all familiar with the first domain. Sight, smell, taste, sound, touch, and ego. Phenomena that can be observed. Even things that cannot be observed under normal circumstances remain theoretically within our reach as long as it is in the first domain - and the threshold of observation is always pushed forward. Maybe all in the first domain will some day be observed. You may have guessed from its name, the

What was its name?

I could have sworn that I knew its name.

Nevertheless, you may have guessed that this is not the only kind of phenomena. All reality is made of things that can be observed and things that cannot be observed. But even that may be too broad a brush. Some scholars divide further, proposing four categories, not two, with observability and existence as axes. You could imagine something that doesn't exist, yet is observable, and something that exists, yet

It just slipped my mind.

What was I doing before?

Oh right, the lecture.

That was the point where my friends would usually stop paying attention. Spike, Fluttershy, and Applejack were usually more polite about it, and Pinkie Pie could go either way, but Rarity and Rainbow Dash were harder to satisfy. Rainbow Dash would say, "Heck, Twilight, when are we gonna need to know any of this?"

Wait, no, that might have been Applejack.

Rainbow Dash would say, "Pardon me, but-"

No, that's more like what Rarity would say.

Rainbow Dash would say, "Geez, Twilight

It just slipped my mind.

I can feel it. The space where it used to be. It was big.

Trying to remember it is like trying to reach through a glass window. I just

I can see it

and I know where it's supposed to be

I just can't

It's okay. I'm here. I can remember what happened.

Who said that?

Is there somepony there?

I think I'm talking to myself. Thinking. Thinking to myself.

It didn't matter who was there. They got bored with the lecture, so I hurried along to the demonstration. They always liked the demonstration more anyway.

The spell is hard to compare to anything else. It's transmutation - but it doesn't adhere to a recipe. It's teleportation - but it doesn't require spatial coordinates. Entirely new.

I remember spending weeks just to compose it on paper. Actually casting it was a different challenge.

There was something there when it happened. Shapes in the fog. A blur. Two trunks, inverted because of my position relative to them. And something opposite them. Flexible strands parted by another trunk.

I think I'm describing myself.

Ah.

ah

i think

i dont remember what i look like?

somethings not right

ah

um

a

whos there

Is there anyone there?

myself again

Focus.

Don't panic.

I can still remember.

I am female. I have legs below me and a horn above me and something blurry in front of me. Yes, it's all coming back to me.

The lecture on the nature of reality.

What exists and what can be observed.

And the spell that was meant to break down the walls. To see beyond them.

Not the walls of my

house?

No, not that kind of wall.

Nor the walls of

uh

whatever this is

It would help if there was somepony something here with me

other than whatever this is.

But I can do this on my own for now.

I remember from something I

wrote

said

thought?

Yes, something I thought. There is what is known. What can be observed in reality. It may be difficult to observe it with our natural senses, but we can exceed our natural limits with technology, and observe reality in scope and detail that is otherwise impossible. Magic is especially difficult to observe naturally, but when understood it can be employed to further the observation of itself. This was the purpose of my

ah

what is it

i am so close to it

I had a spell that would help. Clarify things. Break down the walls.

how?

i dont

It doesn't matter. It worked.

It worked!

I'm here!

Now I can

i can

what can i

I can tell others what I

who

what i

experienced.

Here.

Wherever here is.

What is here?

Shouldn't there be something?

something

else

Focus.

I'm here.

There should be something here.

Here.

This should be a location. I was at a location before. In my house,

or wherever

but now im not

or at least i cant tell

right now

Now.

What time is it?

Time is passing,

i think

but I could never judge these things.

Focus.

It may be different here. No time or space.

but then

how am i here?

am i here?

i can remember

still

i can!

but its only spaces

left

where something used to be

if someones there

Leave me alone!

I just need some

not

no

i need

I need some time and space to think.

i dont have it

i need to think

keep thinking

and think about

what

what is there to think

about

did it work

Did it work?

or

am i just

spilling out

like a

memory

is someone there

Focus.

Is anyone there?

Is there anyone?

is there anything?

other than

than me?

i am still here

i can still remember

something

one last space

still full

its me

i am still here

i am still

i am

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