The Elements of Darkness: Element #1 Suffering

What have I done?

I spent most of the trip to Ponyville testing the limitations of my magic. Forming it into blades and throwing it around was easy. I could do almost anything as long as the blood stayed hydrated. The law of Conservation of Energy seemed to apply; the more magic I used the more I was fatigued.

disguising myself as best I could I walked into town.

Blending in is hard

“That’s why we should have used my idea.”

Shut up Pride.

“I told you my name is John.”

How do we know that I won’t die from touching another pony?

“You didn’t die when Fluttershy carried you into the cottage.”

Yes but she’d already touched me by then

“We’ll never learn how this works if you keep running around with that bush tied to your back and those ridiculous glasses on your face.”

Shh someone is coming.

“They can’t hear me idiot.”

Yes, but you are quite distracting

“You must be new in town.” said a caramel colored stallion with a single hoof print on his flank

Silence

“Shy huh. Little tip stay away from the pink one; she likes to throw parties for all the new ponies.”

Silence

“See you around town.”

“Come on that one would be perfect.”

Fine

As he walked by I gently brushed by back leg against his side bracing myself for the pain that was sure to follow

A tingling sensation made its way up my leg, gradually encompassing my entire body.

Well that wasn’t so bad

“See what was there to worry about?”

Looking back on my now blank flank, I was relieved to discover that I was indeed male again. I was less happy with the color, a shining gold, how am I supposed to blend like this?

Then the cold came; a slowly spreading, burning pain forcing itself towards my head. Today I die. Then it stopped.

Pleasantly numb I pulled the bandages off my back. “That is going to be hard to explain.”

What

“Look at your flank.”

A bloody handprint marred the golden finish of my flank

Shit, Only one thing to do

Reaching down with my mouth I bit the inside of my knee. I tried to pull some blood out of the wound, what did surface required all of my concentration to remain in my control.

I bit down harder. This time the blood was flowing swiftly and was much easier to will into shape. So the more I bleed the easier it is to use? Focusing on the individual cells I started to rub them together creating a large amount of heat. What shape to use? A cup? A circle? No that’s dumb. Come on think. I got it!

The smell of burning flesh filled the air as I pressed the steaming blood against both sides of my flank.

“A shield huh, how are you going to explain that?”

Chances are I won’t have to

I used my old bandages to stop the bleeding; making sure that there was enough wrappings so that the blood wouldn’t show.

Time to explore town I guess

I began to walk towards the center of town. I didn’t get far before I ran into a large group of crying ponies huddled around Sugarcube Corner. Moving in for a closer look I was shoved out of the way by a sprinting Applejack.
“Oww”

“Sorry didn’t see you there.”

What could possibly be causing such a commotion?

It turns out that Bon-Bon’s problem was not something that anyone could fix. She was nailed to the wall, her throat cut and intestines splayed out in the shape of a heart.

I vomited in the middle of the street. Who could do such a thing?

I did and it’s entirely your fault.

What?

You left your body so easily when they started pulling on you but I had other plans, that is until you grabbed my foot

Listen, I have no idea what you are talking about or how you got inside my head just leave me alone.

Never! You see as long as you’re still alive Michael will keep me here and I want my freedom as much as you do.

Lies! I would never hurt someone for my own gain!

Oh, but you have and will again

A pressure exerts itself on my eyes until the nerves behind them warp the feeling into a stabbing pain causing me to scream.

The ponies turn and stare at me as I witness the etching of a short poem form above Bon-Bon’s head

Roses are red

Violets are blue

A fifth of vodka cost less than a dinner for two

But low and behold what is shared can be crushed

By the one who is fallen or the one who is pushed

And if you decipher this in time

I might even let you be my Valentine

It has to be directed at me, these ponies don’t know what a Valentine is.

”Or what vodka is for that matter.”

Indeed what do they want?

“Hey didn’t you used to go drinking with your roommate?”

Yeah, wait a minute I can remember him now

The memories came flooding in, but one stood out from the rest. It was a memory of a trip to the grocery store before a run. I had parked on the far side of the street to avoid the heavy traffic and my roommate was almost to the car when the semi came. It crushed the bottom half of his body so thoroughly that I couldn’t identify any part of it. He was trying to say something. I lean in to hear him better.

“Kill me.”

“Is that what you want?” I responded in a cold voice

“Yes.”

I then pulled out the unfolded the knife I had in my pocket and wrapped his hand around it.

“You do it.”

Then I turned and walked away.