Amnesia
Don’t forget... some things musn’t be forgotten. The shadow hunting me... I must hurry.
My name is Twilight, I live in Equestria at... at... Ponyville...
What have I done? This is crazy. Don’t forget, don’t forget. I must stop her. Focus!
My name is... is... I am Twilight.
She opened her eyes, recovering from her recent black out. Twilight’s body shook, her vision nearly fading again. Weakly, she attempted to stand, barely managing to get on her hooves. Her legs trembled, and she nearly collapsed to the cobblestone floor again. Stumbling, she slowly looked around.
”Where am I..?”
She was surrounded by the cobblestone walls, nothing there to greet her but two suits of dull armor on the other side of the hall. A large window took up the space of the wall behind her. The sound of rain and thunder could be heard coming from outside. Eeriness loomed over the dimly lit corridor.
Twilight looked at the ground, noticing a pink liquid leading through a doorway on the other side of the hall. Without any visible exits, Twilight knew she did not have any choice but to follow the liquid trail, hoping only that it may lead to a way out. Hesitantly, she began walking towards the doorway. Her legs, still weak, were having trouble supporting her, and she once again nearly fell to the ground, her vision leaving her. She attempted to regain her composure, pushing on through the doorway.
”Another corridor?”
Entering the aisle, she investigated her surroundings. To her left stood a closet, and to her right she noticed a door. At the end of the passage was yet another door. Twilight investigated the closet. Her horn began to glow, the closet doors being gripped by magic. Slowly, she opened the doors, revealing what looked like a leather satchel, hung by a peg. A tinderbox also occupied the closet.
Twilight clasped the satchel with her hoof, moving her head through the strap, adjusting it until it was properly over her shoulder. She magically clasped the tinderbox, opening the satchel to set it inside. Closing the satchel, her attention now turned towards the nearby door. Cautiously, she approached the door. A sudden wind passed her, the door being flung open. She stepped back quickly, dread overtaking her. She began taking small steps towards the door until she was able to peek into the room.
The room looked rather inviting, a change from the cold stone that she had already developed animosity towards. She stepped inside. Red tapestries lined the walls, and a couch lied on the opposite side of the room. Also within the small room were two ornamental chairs, a finely carved wooden table, and a lit stone fireplace.
”The fireplace is lit.. I’m not alone..”
Twilight became paranoid, guardedly stepping further into the room. On the table lie another tinderbox. Stepping up to the table, she looked around, making sure she was the only inhabitant of the room. She quietly put the tinderbox into her satchel, listening for even the slightest noise that would cause alarm. Closing her satchel, she headed back through the doorway, making sure to be as silent as possible.
She now faced the adverse side of the hall, an arched wooden door occupying the wall. She began walking towards the door, making sure not to collide with anything that may make noise. Slowly, she opened the door, peeking her head around the corner. A staircase lied in front of her, heading up into yet another corridor. The flight was lit by a large chandelier.
”How many corridors are there?”
She falteringly began ascending the steps, her own breathing being the only sound audible. Reaching the top of stairwell, she noticed that the corridor took a sharp turn to the right, a blind corner being the only thing visible. She filled with anxiety, knowing this was the only chance out she would get. She began advancing towards the corner. She stopped, her ears erecting.
She heard the steps of leather boots hitting the cobblestone ground. Something around the corner was walking.
”What is that..?”
The footsteps stopped, fading from existence. She peaked around the corner, only to be greeted by another sharp turn and more of the pink liquid she had been originally following. She collected herself, stepping out from the wall she hid behind. She inched across the chilling stonework, listening for any other signs of possible occupants. She once again stopped at the corner, preparing herself for the worst. She glanced around the corner, her eyes only noticing another large chandelier that lit the next part of this maze. Twilight traipsed out from behind the bend, warily walking down towards the next dogleg.
About to make the next turn, Twilight abruptly felt feeble, her body weakening. She succumbed to the ground, her consciousness fading. On the inimical side of the hallway came a sudden howling, its noise filling the halls. Twilight stiffened, still unable to move. The sound only drew closer, threatening to be right on top of her. Whatever was making the howling was intangible, obscured by the next bend in the passage. Twilight, barely conscious, vainly attempted to drag herself back around the corner, hoping to only get out of view of whatever was producing this horrible noise.
At last, the noise stopped, the halls settling in serenity. Twilight’s vision began to return to her, and her body gained barely enough strength to allow her to push herself up from the ground. She sighed, knowing that she still did not have any choice of where to go. Plodding around the next corner, she sighed in relief.
“Finally, a door. A way out of this wretched hall.”
Twilight managed to get a wavering magical grip on the door, scarcely able to open it. She finally managed to pull the door open, a mid-sized room revealing itself to her, lit by a chandelier and four candle-holders, four candles residing in each holder. A doorway presented itself to the left, on the opposite side of the room. Another door stood to her right, past an overturned closet. Twilight then realized something; this room was nothing like the previous one. It was not finely decorated or orderly. It did have the familiar red tapestries, but much of the furniture had been overturned. Chairs lied scattered across the floor, and a couch had been overthrown. It was as if something had been searching through the room.
Slowly, Twilight entered the room, checking every corner, once again to verify she was the only occupant. It was then she noticed another doorway to her right, absent of any actual door. Inside waited for her an almost unnatural darkness. Seeing nothing but the blackness of the room, she carefully advanced into it, her eyes adjusting to the shadows. She unsuccessfully attempted to cause her horn to glow, in hopes it may shed light on the walls of the small area. All she managed was a spark. Carefully moving ahead in the room, Twilight was met by a dead end. A shelf containing two tinderboxes stood alone at the end. Unable to use magic, Twilight opened the satchel with her mouth and pushed the tinderboxes in with her hoof. She closed the satchel, looking around the dark room one last time.
She yelped, stumbling backwards. It was only then that she had noticed a figure that had been standing next to her the entire time. She then observed that the figure had not reacted, standing motionless against the stone wall. Whatever it was was inanimate. Twilight investigated it, fear still gripping her body tightly.
”Oh.. it’s just a rusty suit of armor..”
Twilight chuckled to herself; not so much as in the humor of the situation, but nervously, to fill the void of silence. Backing away from the armor, she exited the room, sighing in relief at the sight of the well lit area. Something then caught her eye. The previously closed door on the right side of the room had opened. Twilight felt on the verge of tears.
”Why is this all happening..?”
Biting her lip, Twilight investigated the now opened door. She peeked around the corner. Nothing was in the small room except for a smaller chandelier, more candlesticks, and a painting. Stepping inside with the intent of examining the painting, the candles blew out from a wind, casting the room in darkness. Twilight screamed in terror, managing to bring her weak body to a full sprint, leaving the room. She slammed the door behind her, making sure whatever was in the room stayed that way. A sob escaped her, a tear running down her cheek. Questions flooded her mind.
”Why am I here..? Why is this all happening to me..?”
Twilight focused on the only area she hadn’t investigated; the doorway on the opposite side of her. She now only had one goal; no longer to find the source of the pink liquid trail, but to escape her imprisonment, to leave the crumbling stone walls of the castle behind her. Wiping the tear from her face, Twilight stepped over to the doorway. A flight of stairs led down to another door, this one more intricately designed than the others. More of the strange liquid was present on the steps. Twilight descended the stairs gradually, stopping at the door. Upon closer examination, this door was in fact heavier than the others. It was metal, but painted red, a copper colored design on it. A sign above it read, “Old Archives”. Twilight knew she had to push forward if she wished to escape this stone prison.
Hesitantly, she pushed open the door.