...what’s going on…

I was floating in darkness, feeling nothing, only existing.

...can’t...move...

I was here for a reason… something I couldn’t control.

...wait…there’s...something here…

The new voice sounded like my own thoughts, but had a darker undertone to it as if someone else was speaking in tandem.

I…WILL...NOT...ALLOW...THIS…

Suddenly my dark realm of existence began to shutter. I heard the sounds of earth breaking as a strange feeling came over me. It was if ice water were flowing through my very bones.

As the quakes began to subside, I tried to move, to break free of whatever was holding me, but before I could make any progress I felt my eyes grow heavy.

Sleeeeeeeep…

* * *

I awoke again to darkness, only this time my other senses were working to some degree. Whatever I was laying on was hard and cold. There was something stabbed into my chest and it was pouring burning liquid into my veins. I could smell a mixture of pungent odors and I could hear the sound of multiple clawed feet moving across the stone floor.

Suddenly the object in my chest was wrenched out as I struggled to hear someone speak. “...solute morons! You… enough venom to…” The voice was gravelly yet not low pitched. Whoever it was sounded incredibly angered.

Now a lot of people would be extremely freaked out by this combination of events, and inside I was completely losing it. The only reason I hadn’t jumped up and made a break for it was because I still couldn’t see.

Something began to shake my arm until the same voice spoke up. “Don’t you dare… burn your… touch…”. After the voice had finished what I assumed to be scolding, the sound of clawed feet against stone began to slowly quiet down as whatever had been assembled around me left.

Once they were gone I tried moving my arms and found them to be weak but capable. I first brought a hand to my chest to search for a wound but found none.

I must be hallucinating or something… maybe I had too much to drink?

Next I moved my hand to my eyes but instead of skin I found cloth.

A blindfold? No wonder I can’t see. Must have been a crazy night.

I pulled it off and blinked a few times so I could adjust to the light. All I could see was a stone ceiling and cobwebs. A quick glance at my hand revealed that the blindfold was tattered and covered in an impressive amount of dust. The fact it had completely blinded me in its condition was amazing. On top of that my arm was covered in spider webs.

Okay, if this wasn’t weird before, than now it is.

I began to slowly sit up, taking a look at the surroundings as I did so. The disgusting scent I had noted before was quickly identified to be rotten corpses. Bodies lined the walls on both sides the room, all of which were lying within slots made to fit them. On the opposite side of the room from the stone block I was currently on was a stairway leading up somewhere.

I’m getting a ‘Skyrim-y’ kind of feel to this place. Hopefully the corpses aren’t the same as in the game.

Noticing I was naked, I decided it would be best to get up before some poisonous bug bit me somewhere no man wants to be bit. I swung my legs over the side of my stone bed and slowly put my weight on my feet. Once I was balanced, I cleaned myself of cobwebs and began salvaging clothes from the corpses. Before long I had some baggy clothing on full of holes.

Damn, this stuff has seen better days. I really hope I can find my clothes… what was I wearing?

Alot of people would scold me for stealing from the dead, but to me their possessions are of no use down here. Now that I had covered myself I decided it was best to head straight for the exit. Unfortunately I could not find any shoes and had to be careful. It didn’t take long though before I was climbing up the stairs.

As I stepped outside I held a hand up to block the light shining in my eyes. I was in the center of a small clearing in a thick forest. The canopy above prevented little sunlight from getting through so my eyes adjusted quickly. The crypt I had stepped out of was only a ruin overgrown with vines.

Before I could question where I was, the earth began to quake causing me the fall to my knees. As the land shook the entrance to the crypt began to crumble. Just as quickly as the earthquake had come it was gone. The only thing left of the crypt above ground was a pile of rock.

Oh man, I could have died if I had been just a few seconds late.

Once my heart stopped beating so quickly, I picked myself up.

Let’s see, I have no idea where I am, how I got here, or how to get home…wait…

What IS home?!?

This realization was the final thing to break my calm demeanor. I began to panic and hyperventilate as I tried to remember anything about my life but came up with nothing every time.

No name, no home, no friends or family, just nothing...

Part of me wanted to curl up on the ground and cry, but what pride I had pushed those ideas away. Instead I began to call out, hoping someone, anyone would hear.

“Hello? Is anyone around? Please help me!” I continued for hours, not daring to leave the small clearing I was in. I yelled and yelled until my throat was raw.

Unable to scream anymore, I sat down and held my knees against my chest.

What am I going to do?!? I can’t survive out here. I don’t how to find food. I don’t know how to make a shelter. I don’t even know what this forest holds beside a death trap of a crypt!

As I tried to figure things out -emphasis on tried-, I didn’t notice some of the bushes at the edge of the clearing being parted until the cause let out a huge gasp. Looking toward the noise, I found myself looking into the eyes of a small purple unicorn.

Wait...what?

We stood there staring for a good thirty seconds. As we did, the unicorn seemed to go through a number of facial expressions all conveying some form of confusion. I hardly cared though since I was bit tied up at the moment with determining my own mental health.

Okay, in front of me right now is a creature that should not exist. What does that mean? I could be on drugs. Lack of water after a night of alcohol could be causing hallucinations. Or I’m just completely insane.

“H-hello there” the purple figment of my imagination spoke.

And it talks! Now I’m for sure psychotic!

Finally making sense of the situation, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable- fall on my back, close my eyes and wait for my head trip to end.

Just calm down. Count to three. When you open your eyes there will be no somewhat-adorable purple unicorn...

1...

2...

3...

After a deep breath I opened my eyes to the forest canopy above, only instead of seeing leaves my vision was filled with purple eyes and muzzle.

“Are you okay?” the unicorn asked.

Nice try, but this little illusion isn’t going to fool me!

Before the unicorn could react, I brought my hand up and threw an open palm right at her muzzle. Imagine my surprise when my hand found resistance to pushing through the apparition.

The unicorn responded to my blunt strike by stumbling back onto her rump and holding her nose with her hooves. I was about to give an apology but before I could get a word out, my vision turned purple and I began floating in the air. My body was then flipped upside down so that I was face to slightly-bruised muzzle with the unicorn.

“What the heck was that for?” she definitely sounded mad, or at least I thought it was a she. As far as I could remember I had never worked with animals.

I assumed that whatever was holding me at the moment was in her control so I was quick to clear my throat and speak. “Sorry! I was pretty sure you were some sort of hallucination. I figured my hand would pass through you and that you would disappear.”

This shoddy, though truthful, excuse didn’t seem to win me any points with her. “Why in Equestria would you assume I was a hallucination?”

“Well, you’re a small purple unicorn with tattoos on your flanks. What part of that doesn’t sound crazy?”

Despite my ‘charming’ choice of words she gave me a glare I could only assume was one of hatred though it was hard to tell because she was just too disgustingly cute. Once she was done she opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her.

“Look, I’d love to continue floating here in the middle of a crazy forest while the blood rushes to my head and play twenty questions with you, but so far everything since I’ve woken up has made no sense so I’d love it if I could get somewhere safe and with water before we continue this conversation.”

Despite the harshness of my words, she seemed to soften up a bit. “Alright, but I’m going to need you to stay here for a moment. Although we are only a few minutes from the edge, the Everfree Forest is dangerous and considering your lack of natural armor, magic or any sort of defense mechanism, the chances of you being able to fight anything are extremely low. I’m going to clear the path ahead of us and then I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, if this forest is dangerous shouldn’t I stay with you?”

“Normally yes. However this clearing has some sort of magic that’s keeping the animals away. I came out here to check it out but instead I found a hairless ape.”

“Hairless ape? Where did you- oh. Hey! I’m not-” it was then that the little purple demon decided to drop me on my head.

…*grumble*...

As I heard this sound I thought for a moment the earth was beginning to shake again.

Damn, she dropped me on my head pretty hard.

Once I was right side up, I watched the unicorn approach the edge of the clearing from which she came from.

“Now stay here. I should be back in a minute or so.” And with that she jumped between the bushes and out of sight. With nothing better to do I decided to wander around but before I could even stand I heard something on the other side of the clearing. For a moment I began to panic but I then remembered what the unicorn had told me.

Calm down. She said no animals could get in because of magic. As crazy as that sounds, who am I to question a unicorn with fucking telekinesis?

What entered the clearing was definitely not an animal.

The first thing I saw was a gray imp-like creature wearing a cloak that made his hunched back seem even bigger. In his claws was a rusty syringe filled with something I could only assume to be acid by the way it was bubbling. But the thing that attracted my attention was his eyes which glowed a dull yellow. Overall I got the idea that he was really old.

What followed were about three creatures that looked similar to the first except instead of gray these were brown. They wore only loincloths and each were carrying a club. Also unlike the first these seemed much more physically capable but also incredibly stupid.

I prepared myself for a fight. Thankfully the old one was distracted with yelling at the others and quickly turned his back to me as the group came into view.

“If you idiots had filled the syringe the whole way the first time, we wouldn’t have had to make this second trip.”

Wait a minute, he sounds just like the guy in the crypt!

It was at this moment the three brown imps noticed me and started trying to get the old one’s attention but he continued his rant unimpeded.

“I swear if the Master doesn’t tan all your hides for this nonsense, I may just do it myself! Now let’s just- What is it now you… you…” he turned his head to see me still ready for an attack.

“Master! You’re awake. I should have known that it would take only half a dose of manticore venom to revive you.”

Okay, purple magical unicorns AND imps that pumped me full of venom. Now I’ve seen everything.

“I don’t know who this master of yours is, but I’m definitely not him. I’ve never even seen… whatever-you-are before in my life.”

At this, the grey imp brought a claw to his chin. “Hmm, we knew Faust had gone to great lengths to seal you away, but to go so far as to remove your memory. If I didn’t know better I would say she was the evil one.

“Never mind that though. Evil always finds a way. Now hurry Master, we must-”

“Hey, the coast is clear! Come on.”

Upon hearing the unicorn calling for me, two of the brown imps freaked out and ran in circles until they crashed into each other while the third began to bite on his claws nervously. The grey one was the only one who remained calm.

“Would you three stop it? We don’t have much time.” He then looked to me. “Master, there is much to be done, but it seems in our absence you were found by a pony. This is an opportunity for you to slip in and learn about your enemy. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Well, I guess, but how is-”

“No time! Quickly, give me your left hand.” Now in most cases you would think ‘Creepy imp wants me to give him my hand. That sounds like a terrible idea.’ However my reasoning was still shot to hell from the whole telekinetic talking horse thing so I obeyed.

I kneeled down before him and showed him my hand palm down. As soon as it was in reach, he dropped the syringe and grabbed my wrist in one claw. He then held the other claw up to his eyes and began to speak in some strange language. A dark voice echoed his words.

“Abu shal tranil setro bathazal. Yeulopiba vanquilza…”

Abu shal tranil setro bathazal. Yeulopiba vanquilza…

His claw began to glow a dark orange and before I could even flinch he stabbed it into my hand. It went numb as the energy surged beneath my skin before finally forming a symbol on the back of my hand. Once the mark was complete, leather began to materialize in a way that I could only describe as a piece of paper burning away in reverse.

When I could finally feel my hand again it had been covered by a leather gauntlet, the symbol still glowing like fire. It wasn’t long though before it faded away, leaving nothing but the gauntlet.

At this point there was a million things running through my head. What is this glove? What are these creatures? Where am I? Why am I master? What happened to my memory?

I would have been spewing questions like a hose if the gray imp hadn’t started speaking first. “We must hide for now Master. We cannot risk being seen, but know this: My name is Gnarl, in another age I was your advisor, and you cannot tell the ponies anything about us. If they figure out who you are they might trap you in stone or send you to the moon. They might even decide to just kill you without a thought. You cannot trust them.” A rustling from the bushes was all the warning the brown imps needed to start running.

“I will contact you later Master. Remember what I said.” And with that he disappeared into the forest. It didn’t take long for the unicorn to enter the clearing.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me? We should get going monkey.”

IF I HAD THE POWER RIGHT NOW, I WOULD DESTROY YOU FOR SUCH INSOLENCE!

A voice that felt like it came from the darkest parts of my soul echoed in my mind, clouding my thoughts with many gruesome and creative ideas of how to kill the unicorn. Once I had pushed away the plans to rip her horn off and use it to gouge her eyes out, I turned toward her and gave her the coldest glare I could.

“I am not a monkey.”

She flinched as she looked into my eyes but then seemed to realize how rude she had been. Her ears drooped as her eyes quickly found interest in the grass. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. What should I call you?”

That’s a good question. Without any memory of who I was before the crypt, I couldn’t give her my name. I guess I’ll have to make one up. I thought about it for a few moments, coming up with a few terrible names and I was about to give her one when the voice spoke again.

...Dominus…

“Dominus. My name is Dominus, but you can call me Don for short.”

“Alright then Don. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Shall we leave before a manticore tries to inject venom into our bloodstream?”

Way ahead of you.

By this point the overwhelming anger I had for Ms. Sparkle had worn off. I was honestly surprised by how short a temper I seemed to have. “Sounds good to me. But I have a question: What’s a manticore?”

Author's Notes:

Like I said in the description, feel free to comment on ways for me to improve the story. I'm very open to criticism.