Her eyes fluttered open as shafts of light broke through the window’s drapes, casting a shadowy mask across her face.

She heaved out a yawn as she pushed herself into a sitting position. After stretching out her limbs and getting a satisfied “pop!” in return, she couldn’t help but smile at the smooth awakening. No alarm clocks, no surprises—what more could she ask for in the morning? Well, other than a cup of coffee. Blinking the early morning dreariness out of her eyes, she threw her gaze around her, taking in—

Where am I?

Her eyes shot open to saucers as the unfamiliar surroundings registered. She was in a small, square room adorned with only the minimal necessities. The bed she lay in occupied almost half the floor space, leaving the cabinet and chairs squished against each other. On the wall her bed was the window, and opposite that was the single door connecting here to Whereverland. Is… is this a hospital room? What?

Whatever the place was, it was most definitely not what she had been expecting to wake up to. Instead of the comfy bed of her… her…

She held her head as teeth-clenching pain stabbed at her head until it died down to a dull buzz. Wha… what? she thought, What was that…? Oh, forget that! Where am I, and why can’t I remember where I live?

Her face scrunched up as she went into concentration mode, grasping for anything her mind could conjure up to answer her question. Which question, she didn’t care. She just wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

Another spike of pain, thankfully less intense than the last one, hit her head and snapped her out of her focus. It… hurts to remember… Not that I remembered anything. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she shot a glance toward the door as if expecting the answer to come waltzing in. I can’t remembering anything, she thought as anxiousness started to well up inside, Nothing important anyway. She shook her head. Okay, okay, don’t stress yourself out. Start small. What’s my name?

Glaring but not looking, she weaved her way through her muddled thoughts once again, ignoring the cry of pain her body made in response. Her heart skipped a beat as it didn’t come immediately, but she pushed deeper into her psyche. …R-ry… Ry… Why can’t I remember my name?!

She threw her arms out in frustration before slamming them back onto the bed, rippling the sheets on impact. Her eyes glanced down at her… hands? Brow furrowing, she brought the fingerless, gold-coated stump closer to her face. Flexing it this way and that way a few times, she caught sight of the “U” shape imprinted on the bottom. That’s… odd. That doesn’t feel right for some reason. This thing—

Hoof.

Right! she thought as the word popped into her mind, Hoof. Why does my hoof look weird to me? It’s normal… right?

Her ears perked up as they picked up the sound of the door creaking open, followed by the unmistakable clopping of hooves against a hard surface. She gasped as she saw a tall, pristine-white horse stride in, a spiraling horn protruding through her rainbow, flowing mane. The newcomer paused as they made eye contact, her expression becoming unreadable for a moment before being replaced with a warm, motherly smile.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

The amnesiac didn’t reply right away; instead, she stared in silence as she tried to place the feelings that gushed through her. Surprise? Apprehension? …Fear? She couldn’t decide on anything other than anxiety. Maybe that’s just because I’m all stressed out considering what’s going on, she thought. Realizing she was still being waited on, she opened her mouth to reply.

“Fine. I think. Who are you?”

The regal horse pursed her lips in thought for a moment before responding. “Don’t you remember me?” she asked, “I’m just Princess Celestia.”

“Princess Celestia? I…”

She gasped as memories suddenly rushed into her vision, flashing vivid scenes into her consciousness. Princess Celestia! Equestria’s ruler! How could I forget?! Gulping back nervousness, she pushed herself down into an awkward bow. “Your majesty!”

Celestia’s eyebrows shot up, doing nothing to ease the amnesiac’s anxiousness. The princess only stared for a moment, a confliction in her eyes, but she closed them as she took in a deep breath. Darning a smile again as she reopened them, she said, “You may rise. And please, don’t feel the need to bow again. I would rather make sure you’re alright.”

“Heh… yeah…” She glanced around before speaking again. “Um, your majesty? What happened to me? Why can’t I remember anything? Just… who am I?”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll answer all your questions. As for what happened, you were in a carriage accident just outside the castle. Since the hospital was further away, we decided it would be best to simply bring you here.”

She shut her eyes for a moment to think, but shook her head within moments. “I don’t remember that.”

“That’s probably because you’re suffering from memory loss, yes?”

“Oh… right.”

Celestia flashed her smile again. “Fortunately, we don’t believe it to be a simple, straightforward case of amnesia. I expect your memories to come back to you with a bit of reminding. You just remembered me, after all.”

“So can you tell me who I am?” she replied, leaning forward with wide eyes.

“I can certainly try. Although I believe the best thing for you would be to return home, I can answer some of your questions. Now then…” Stepping up to the bedside, she gazed down at the amnesiac. “I’ll just be blunt about it. You’re an earth pony that had just moved to Ponyville. Currently unemployed, unmarried, and… no immediate family within contact… Any of that help?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, her mind was whirling through a hurricane of scenes. Her mouth hung agape as memories flooded back into her awareness. She picked out the sight of her quaint home on a quiet lane in town, just recently bought with her own bits; she took in the pleasant rush that came with starting over in a new town; she even felt the thrill of taking a final trip to Canterlot to pick up the rest of her belongings. Though, that one tapered off into a blur. She figured that was when the accident happened.

However, one particular memory was missing.

“Princess?” she said, peering up at the alicorn, “What’s my name?”

Celestia chuckled. “Silverbolt. Your name is Silverbolt.”

“Silverbolt…” she repeated, “Yeah, I remember now! I’m Silverbolt!” A few genuine laughs escaped her throat. Finally, everything was returning to normalcy in her mind.

The sun goddess turned away, heading for the door. “I’m sorry to cut this meeting short, but now that you’re up, I have to prepare for you to return home once you’re ready. Is that alright?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s fine. Oh, but before you go!” Sending a smirk Celestia’s way, she said, “Thanks a ton. I was pretty stressed there for a while.”

“…You’re welcome.” With a shut of the door, she was gone.

Alone once again, the not-so-amnesiac grinned as she went through her fresh memories, for she knew where she was going.

She was Silverbolt the mare, and she was not lost.