"By the goddess... I don't know how much longer I can stand being imprisoned in here... My supplies are starting to run low, at least of all the good stuff. The isolation's starting to make me think I'm hearing things. And I swear that chicken has taken up camping outside my doorway. I can hear it all the time now, if I'm close to the door. I swear I can also hear it scratching at the boards and pecking away at them... as if it's trying to get in here to me, and it is determined to do so... which scares the fucking hell out of me, to be honest. Why the fuck is a chicken so determined to get to me, to the point where it's trying to scratch it's way through boards as thick as railway sleepers?"

"According to the Internet clock, it's the Eighteenth of May. I've been boarded up in here since the Second, and I just want to get out so badly! I have no idea how to, to be honest. Nothing works! I've even tried chucking notes to the public out the only window that opens, but no-one seems to be noticing! What is going on?"

"And that nutcase Corddis from the American Senate is going on and on about how 'There are no ponies, it's just the President's attempt at distracting the public from his lack of policies!' unquote. I'd love to get up before him and give him a piece of my mind! Before I lose what little I have left. I keep dreaming of voices, and faces. Other pony faces, one of which snuggles with me, the other being a young face that calls me Mama all the time... and her voice grows older as I go blind and I know her... but I never see her as an adult. Does... does that mean I went blind in both my lifetimes? There, as well as here? And the strong male who cuddles me and tells me he loves me? My... husband? Oh, I hope so..."

"That begs the question now... Who am I? Am I Cheryl Cafari, as I was before May started? Or am I this pony I now 'see' when I look in the mirror? Some creature who's name I don't even know? Or... or do I? Maybe I do, but I haven't recognised it yet. Maybe... Maybe I need to sleep on it a little more and listen for what others call me. Oh, Celestia above! Who am I?"

"Wait."

"Who?"

"Celestia?"

"Who is Celestia?"

"That name... I know that name, but I don't know who it is. Celestia... Celestia... Who is Celestia? What is she? A pony like me? Or something else?"

"Come on, brain! I don't need Four-Oh-Four errors from my memories at this moment! Think, think... What? Come on, I almost have it..."

"Princess..."

"Huh?"

"Princess? Princess. Princess... Celestia... Princess Celestia!"

"Oh gods! Why was that so hard to remember? Princess Celestia!"

In a lonely apartment, Celestia jerked her head around at the voice that seemed to come from everywhere. The others were yet to return, so she wondered who could have called out so loudly. She slipped off the chair, looked around, out the window and even out into the hall. There was no-one to be seen. Sighing, she moved back to the computer and tried to see if anyone out there had seen or heard from Luna...

In a Canadian holding facility, a pink pony princess was startled awake. Looking about her across the darkened area of the improvised quarters, her ears wilted as Cadance realised that the voice hadn't come from anypony near her. Most of them were either sitting in small groups and trying to keep occupied, some of the ponies were eating the admittedly-good food those keeping them there provided for them, or dozing like she had been. Sighing sadly, she lowered her head to the pillow she'd been given, pulled the thin blanket back over her shoulders with her wings and settled into sleep again. There was very little else to do here, where they had her and the others 'for their own safety'...

In a back alley miles from the building she had thoroughly brought down on top of the bastards that had hurt her and her little ponies, Luna was twitching uncontrollably as the person inside her was struggling against the nightmare that had flooded her mind and taken control. Then she gasped and her eyes flew open, as the Voice echoed through her skull. Exhausted, she looked about but found she was alone.

The alleyway was the home of various dumpsters and several large boxes, some big enough to shelter her. After looking at one with blinking, bleary eyes, Luna slowly crawled over to it and carefully slid into the box. She barely managed to pull another one up against the open side, before she collapsed, breathing heavily. Her magic seemed as depleted as she was of energy, and her hunger made it only worse. She slowly allowed blessed unconsciousness to claim her again... but this time, the darkness didn't return.

On a farm near Muscatine, Iowa, Twilight Sparkle launched herself from the chair she was occupying in a near state of panic. She was literally standing on the ceiling, her pegasus magic holding her in place as her eyes raced around the room she was in and her unicorn magic scanned the entire area. The door to the computer room opened and Applejack looked in. "Y'all okay, Twi'?" She asked as she stared up at the pony on the ceiling.

"Okay?!? Do I look okay?!?" Twilight answered in a panicked voice. "Somepony just yelled in my ear... but... there's... no-pony in here but... me." She eventually said, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, using her forehoof to do her almost-patented stress-release gesture. Her magic let go of the ceiling and she flipped over in flight, touching down with only a little stagger as she regained her balance.

Applejack looked worried, but she just moved to Twilight and said "Come on, Twi'. Ah nice piece 'a pie will cheer ya up." And Applejack led Twilight out of the room.

"I swear to you, A.J., It was like somepony was standing right next to me and yelled in my ear..."

And on an airship flying along north of Pittsburgh, another purple pony princess awakened as well...

Author's Notes:

Cheryl's started something, something even she is unaware of at this time. Will somepony come to her rescue? Maybe next chapter...