Oh, Celestia!  Why does my head hurt?  

        I woke to find myself wrapped in darkness.  I tried to move my heavy feeling limbs, despite the fact it didn’t feel like I was moving them at all.  The weird combination of heavy and numb continued up my body and into something on my back.  My back?  Without thinking, the limbs gave a rapid jerk and I could tell they were wings.  Well, at least they were still there.  

        Finally realizing my eyes were closed, my brain forced them open.  The sudden surge of light made my headache worse, and I raised a hoof to block it.  At least I’m still in one piece.  Once my eyes adjusted, I sat up and looked around the room.  How did I wind up here?  I glanced down at the soft feeling underneath me to see I was sleeping on something white and fluffy.  I scrapped at it with my hoof, raising a piece to inspect it.  

        Cloud?  I was a pegasus, that much I could tell.  But whose house was I in?  I jerked my head towards the door.  That was a mistake, as it caused a new wave of pain in my head.  Rubbing my temples with my hooves, I took a glance around the room.  Whoever they were must have a thing for the Wonderbolts.  I’ve never heard of them, but they looked kind of cool.  If they were real.  Nearby was a wooden case, probably given some kind of spell to keep it sitting on the cloud floor.  Several trophies and medals lay on the shelves, covered in dust.  Whoever I wound up in bed with wasn’t real keen on keeping tidy.  Typical stallions and their messes.  

        Once my headache was back to an annoying throb, I got out of bed and stretched my legs and wings.  Feeling began to return to them as I enjoyed the sensation of sinking into the squishy floor.  Whoever I went home with must be gone, so I figured I’d explore around some more.  There was a pile of books near the bed.  The little white stickers with numbers on them showed they were library books.  All of them were about some action hero named Daring Do.  I rolled my eyes at them.  They looked boring.  Looking over at the bed, I saw more Wonderbolts on the blanket and pillows.  This guy was a nerd.  I don’t know why I thought that, but it seemed to fit.

        My exploration was cut short by a knock on the front door.  I tensed up as thoughts of whoever this house belonged to came back.  The knocking continued to grow louder, making my headache return in force.  Gritting my teeth, I rushed downstairs to the door and jerked it open.  Staring at me was another pegasus.  Her eye wandered off in another direction as she gave me a smile.  

        “I got a package for you!”  She stuck her head in her saddlebag, fumbling around for something.  I shuffled my hooves, unsure if I should take this pony’s mail or not.  My eyes glanced around as if to make sure nopony was watching.  It felt kind of exciting for some reason, taking another pony’s mail.  My wings spread in anticipation as the cross eyed pegasus finally emerged from her bag, holding a box in her teeth.  I eagerly snatched it and looked at the label for any clues.  

        Equestria Book Club

        Rainbow Dash

        1010 Stirrup Street

        Ponyville, Equestria 0041

        So I was in the house of a pony named Rainbow Dash.  Sounds like a cool name.  Wonder what he’s like?  “Um...thanks...Derpy...”  I don’t know why I came up with that name, but it seemed appropriate given her eyes.  They stared at me in that weird way and it kind of creeped me out.  

        “That’s not my name, you know?”  She frowned at me, but her eyes made me want to snicker.  “The mail always gets through!”  Her attitude changed as she saluted, catching the strap of her mailbag and sending the rest of the letters falling over the edge of the cloud.  Without hesitation, I darted after them.  It felt like the right thing to do, helping her out.  She seemed nice enough.  My wings flapped hard as I gathered up the falling boxes and envelopes.  Despite the heavy load, I managed to fly back up to the house.  Perhaps I was a better flyer than I thought?

        “Thanks a lot, Rainbow Dash!”  Derpy smiled, placing the mail back into her bag.  “You always were a good friend.”

        What did she just call me?  “No...um...I’m not Rainbow Dash,” I shook my head.  “I’m ---”  Wait.  I blinked in alarm.  Who was I?  

        “Always kidding around!  You’re Rainbow Dash!”  Derpy tapped me with a hoof, trying not to laugh.

        “I’m...what?”  Now I was really confused.  I’m Rainbow Dash?  A quick glance at my tail.  Yep, rainbow colors.  Great, now this is going to be bugging me all day.  

        “You’re Rainbow Dash,” Derpy continued, her face now showing she was worried.  Her wandering eye had a habit of making whatever emotion she was displaying be the complete opposite.  “You okay?”

        “Uh, yeah...fine!  Thanks, Derpy!”  I slammed the door in her face.  

        “That’s not my name...”

        Okay, so I’m Rainbow Dash.  Now the next question is, why didn’t I know that?  In fact, I didn’t seem to remember much of anything.  Vague memories of flight camp came to mind, but that was about it.  Glancing around the living room of the house I was in, I saw various pictures of a pegasus with rainbow hair, just like mine.  A quick trip to the bathroom mirror showed I was the pony in those pictures.  But who were the others with me?  Maybe I can find them and get clues as to what happened?

        I got an odd feeling when looking at those pictures.  Like I should know all of this, but I don’t.  Where would I even begin to find them?  Maybe those photos had clues?  One of them looked like it was inside of a bakery.  Maybe I can find something there.  With a nod, I took off out the door and into the sky.  The sudden burst of colors spinning below me as I tried to get my bearings gave me a headache.  This town I was in was bigger than I thought, and I had a lot of sky to cover.  But despite seeing the town below for what seemed to be the first time, it felt like I had been here before.  It was a strange, hollow feeling in my stomach that somepony missed me.  

Where would I find a bakery?  If I am Rainbow Dash, then I probably live here and would look like a foal asking for directions.  But flying blindly would just sap energy and time.  

        Looking down at the sprawling town underneath me, my eyes darted around for anything that looked like a bakery.  Maybe that giant gingerbread house with the cupcake on top was it?  Was that even real?  My stomach growled at that thought, making me come up with the idea to get something to eat while I was there.  At least I still remembered how to fly.  Guess that’s one thing that comes natural to a pegasus.  

        Swooping low over the town, a faint sound lingered on the edge of my hearing.  It sounded like a buzzsaw or something and it got louder.  Whatever it was it kept up with me.  I was really more surprised by how fast I was flying.  No wonder my name was Rainbow DASH!  

        “Rainbow Dash!”  A voice cried over the buzzing and the wind whipping my ears.  “RAINBOW DASH!”  I skidded to a halt and looked down to see a copper colored filly waving at me from a scooter.  “RAINBOW DASH!”  She called out again.  That was my name, right?  I swooped down to see what she wanted.

        “Hey ---”  I paused, blinking as I struggled to place a name.  I felt like I should know her.  Giving up, I just blurted the first thing that came to my mind.  “Squirt.”

        “You doing okay?” She asked, tilting her head.  Apparently ‘squirt’ worked well enough.  “We hadn’t seen you since you went home yesterday.”

        Yesterday?  Well at least I know that it wasn’t like, a year or something.  I hated this nagging feeling that I should know this, know her.  “What happened yesterday?  I must’ve been tired.”

        The squirt seemed to hesitate about giving me an answer.  Her purple eyes darted around for an opening and she gave a weak smile.  I opened my mouth to ask again but she was already gone.  I could chase after her, but I had more important things to deal with.  She’ll come back to me soon enough I hope.  With a sigh towards the long task ahead, I landed in front of the gingerbread building and walked inside.  The smell of cookies made my stomach growl louder in protest as it provided a bit of relief from my headache.  Hoofsteps came down the stairs, apparently alerted to the bell ringing as I walked inside.  Standing before me was a pink pony, wearing a big smile.  But for some odd reason, looking in her blue eyes made me feel kinda guilty about something.  What, I don’t know.  She was in the photos with me, so maybe I could get some answers.  

        “Dashie!  You’re back!”  Great, a nickname.  “I thought you were still mad at me.”

        “Mad at you?  For what?”  I asked, noticing her eyes widen a bit.

“The stupid thing I did?”  She asked, her voice wavering slightly.  Now I was in a bind.  I came here for answers, not more questions!  Maybe she had something to do with why I can’t remember anything.  Did she attack me?  Do something by accident?

“What did you do to me?!”  I snapped, closing the distance between us.  She flinched and looked on the

verge of tears.  I don’t know why, but something told me that she was the kind of pony who should never be crying.  

“I did a bad thing, Dashie...but I didn’t mean to hurt you!”  the pink pony managed to say between choking sobs.  

“What did you do?”  I asked again, my teeth clenching as I fought the urge to lash out.  Was I always this aggressive?  I hoped I wasn’t.  The pink pony was crying now, barely able to form words.  But when I asked again, she looked up at me, with those sad blue eyes, and gave a few sniffs.  She was confused, and I could understand why.  She was pouring her heart out to me and I didn’t even know who she was.

 Her stare seemed to ask ‘you don’t remember?’ as she wiped her eyes.  Instead of saying anything else, she turned and ran back upstairs, crying harder than before.  Did her hair just go flat?  Well, if she was the only pony here then I wasn’t going to get anything to eat.  The bell above the door rang as another pony stepped in.  I turned to see who it was and to my luck it was another pony from the photos.  This one was a unicorn, and she seemed surprised to see me.  

“Oh, hello Rainbow Dash,” the white unicorn greeted me, styling her purple mane with a hoof.  “I came here to find Pinkie Pie, have you seen her?”  

I glanced at the stairs that the pink pony ran up and swallowed.  “I think I have...”

“Well, where is she darling?”  the unicorn asked, noticing my wings flapping nervously.  I didn’t want to get

in any trouble, or I’d blow any chance at finding answers.  “Is everything okay?”

        “I think I made her cry...”  I replied sheepishly, staring at the floor.  I could feel the unicorn’s blue eyes boring into me.  

        “Rainbow Dash,” the unicorn replied, her voice sounding like she was yelling at a foal.  “I don’t believe you!  Haven’t you hurt her enough?”  

Wait, what?  

“I always knew you didn’t have any tact, but this draws the line!”

        “What are you talking about?  I just met her!”  I snapped, pointing a hoof towards the stairs.  I don’t know who this unicorn thought she was, but she was not going to come in here and insult me.  

        “I...you...what?” the unicorn trailed off, reeling back in surprise.  Her eyes widened in terror as she looked me over.  “You....you really don’t remember anything?”  She looked on the brink of tears all of the sudden.  “Do you feel okay?”  She reached out to me but I jerked back, making her flinch like I had hurt her.  

        “I’m still breathing, aren’t I?”  I snarled, flaring my wings for effect.

        “Yes, well...” the unicorn adjusted her mane once again, calming down somewhat.  The waver in her voice told me that she was worried, which made me worried.  “The attitude and the temper are still there,” she muttered.  Then she turned to me and gave a forced smile.  “Maybe we should consult Twilight Sparkle on this matter?”  Her eyes pleading at me like that, I couldn’t say no.  Why couldn’t I say no?  

        “Who?”  I asked, raising a brow.  “Is he like, a doctor or something?”

         The way she looked at me, with her eyes starting to widen, told me that something was very wrong.  What that was, it seemed I would never find out.  Not at this rate, anyway.  She was staring at me like she had seen a ghost.  Was I supposed to be dead?  Now I was really worried about what was going on.

        I don’t know why, but I felt I could trust this pony, despite wanting to buck her in the face right about now.  “What’s your name?”  I finally asked.  

        “I’m...I’m Rarity,” she replied, sounding like she was trying to catch her breath.  “You...really don’t remember anything...” she stared at the floor, her voice cracking slightly.  Such a drama queen.    

        “Actually, no...I don’t,” I flinched, expecting her to blow her top or something.  She looked at me long and hard, until she spoke up.

        “Oh...oh my,”  Rarity whispered.  “This is serious!  We must get you to Twilight at once!”  Rarity’s magic grabbed my tail and she took off in a gallop surprisingly fast for a girly mare like her.  I didn’t really object, as she had a pretty good grip on me.  Maybe this Twilight will help me with my memories?

        My wings ached from trying to keep myself off the ground.  Didn’t want to break a leg getting dragged along like this.  Rarity seemed pretty shook up by my admission, which now made me even more anxious.  Did I even want to know what happened to me?  Could I live with the answers?  The odd feeling at the back of my mind screamed yes, like I was supposed to know all of this.  I had a purpose here.  I could feel it.  Well, it’s nice to know I’d be missed if I was ever really gone.

        Rarity finally stopped in front of a strange looking tree.  It had windows and a balcony and everything.  Cloudy memories of a similar tree tried to come into focus, but I couldn’t concentrate long enough to keep them there.  Rarity pounded on the door, sounding almost like Derpy.  

        “You remind me of Derpy!”  I smirked, shaking my head at her increasing worry.  

        “Who?”  Rarity paused, her eyes glancing around for an answer.  Realization came over her as her eyes lit up.  “OH!  That mail mare!  Why do you say that?”  

        “She was pounding on my door like that.  In fact,” I tapped a hoof to my chin, “She was the one who told me I was Rainbow Dash.  Was she wrong?”

        “No, darling,” Rarity gave a weary sigh.  “This time, she wasn’t wrong.”  The door opened behind her and she turned to greet another unicorn.  This one was purple, and was another pony from the photos.  So this was Twilight?  She was kind of cute.  Wait...did I just think that?  

        “...and she can’t remember a thing it seems,” Rarity finished, glancing over her shoulder at me as I was shaking my head.  I gave a nervous smile, not wanting to explain why I was doing that.  Twilight rushed forward, her look one of worry as well.  I hated having ponies fuss over me. She examined every inch of me with her eyes, all the while muttering to herself.  What was she looking for?

        “What?  I’m fine...nothing wrong with me!”  I smiled and began to whistle innocently.  Twilight raised a brow at me.  After an awkward silence, she finally turned and galloped back into the tree, Rarity following.  I guessed I should follow them too.  The smell of ink came over me and I realized I was in a library.  “Ew, books...”  I frowned and stuck out my tongue.  I looked over to see Twilight pulling down several huge books, flipping through them all at once with her magic.  I admit, that was kind of impressive watching the giant books float around her in a light show.  She’d be great at parties.  

        “But you like reading now,” Twilight replied, sounding almost frantic.  Her aura blinked off as the books fell to the ground.  “Daring Do, remember?”  The way her voice sounded, you’d think she was going to lose me forever.  If I was even her friend to begin with.

        “No...I don’t remember much of anything,”  I sighed.  This was getting old.  Shouldn’t it be obvious by now?

        The purple unicorn looked me over, hooves rubbing in places I didn’t feel comfortable with.  One of them brushed over my wing and I yelped as a strange pleasure shot through me.  I almost hit her in the head but resisted the urge.  Why did everypony want to touch me?  

        “Is something broken?”  Twilight asked, jerking her head up to look me in the eyes.  

        “No...”  I replied, trying to hide my embarrassment.  Twilight cocked her head, but went back to work.  After she was done there, she stood on her hind legs and parted my mane, looking over my head.  I glanced over to see Rarity frowning at me, no doubt because of the scowl I had the entire time.    

        “Hm...no concussions...or any signs of injury.  So she didn’t hit her head during a crash,” Twilight scratched her head, her eyes looking me over once again.  I began to fidget in my chair.  Anxiety started to overcome me as I glanced around for a way out.  It was then I realized that I didn’t like being cooped up for long.  My wings began to flap on their own as I launched out of the chair, hovering around in the air for any exit I could find.  

        “What’s wrong?”  Twilight asked, looking up at me.  

        “I don’t like being cooped up!”  I blurted.  “I need some air!”  I felt like a fly trying to escape.  

        Twilight pointed to the balcony window and I took off.  I hovered around outside the window, feeling my body starting to relax again.  My headache was almost gone, but that slight panic attack didn’t help.  I could hear them talking, so I moved closer to the window.  

        “I didn’t know Dash was claustrophobic,” Rarity looked over at the window, making me move to the side so she didn’t see me.  I don’t know why that felt like what I should do.  

        “She isn’t.  Obviously enough of her original personality is still there to make her act on instinct.  But since she doesn’t know about it, the experiences surprise her,” Twilight replied.  “I’ve never seen memory loss like this before. It’s almost like she forgot certain things, but everything else is still there.”

        “So she doesn’t know we’re her friends?”  Rarity gasped.  I was worried too.  They seemed pretty nice, and I would like to be their friends.  But not now.  Now, I had to know what was going on.  Instead of going back inside, I opted to leave them.  Maybe they could find a way to cure me, but I had my own mission.  

There were still two more ponies in that picture, and I had to see if they knew anything.