After his sudden learning of the piano, Mark simply walked out of the mansion to clear his mind. Having a good memory, he could remember the way back home.

Wandering around the city, he stopped every while to see closer at the buildings, marvelling at the sight of the huge buildings made of stone, seemingly weighting tons. On top of that, when he arrived at a certain part of Canterlot, he remembered the sight of the city hanging from the side of a mountain.

It definitely was a wonder of engineering, for he had never seen anything like that in his life… well, in his past life, he kept reminding himself.

In his own world of discovering and admiring the city, he didn’t notice a pony walking toward him with his face buried in an old book until it was too late.
“*OMPF*!” Both ponies stumbled back at the hit, not strong enough to send them to the ground.

As the prince recovered, he turned to see the book of the pony in the floor and the pony himself trying to reach the book. From his point of view, the pony was already on his golden age.
“Please, let me help you.” The prince said as he reached for the book, picking it.
“Thank you, young prince.” Even when the pony acted like an old one, his voice caught Mark’s attention, as if he had heard it before. He cursed himself for his lack of short-term memory. It didn’t help either the fact that the old pony’s eyes couldn’t be seen due to the way he stood.
“No problem. I’m sorry for hitting you. Are you alright, sir?”

The pony simply lifted his head, revealing a pair of eyes whose pupils were gone, almost as if they were lifeless…
…

… Almost as if they were dead.
“You have my thanks, Mark.” The pony said as he simply walked slowly to an alley close to the street.

Still in shock, Mark simply followed with his eyes the pale pony until it vanished in the alley. Suddenly realizing what he had just seen, he snapped back to reality in a full sprint after the pale pony.

Upon reaching the alley, he instantly noticed that it was dark, even when the sun was at full. Still with fear of the deadly vision he just had, he put a hoof inside the alley.

Taking cautious steps, he walked further into the alley, feeling himself sinking into a dark void. Suddenly, he felt a presence standing behind him.

Turning around slowly, the sight that not even a week ago he had seen was standing before him.
“Greetings... my dear friend.” Death spoke lowly, trying to sound gentle. Still, when one is facing Death it is expected it to be everything but gentle.

Mark couldn’t even find the will to talk. He just stared at the lifeless eyes of the being in front of him.
“Whatever is wrong, dear friend? You seem like you have seen a ghost.” Mark swallowed nervously before answering to him.
“Mostly. It’s something ghostly, alright.”

Death simply walked past him in the dark void. Suddenly, Mark reacted and his brain got back to work.
“Wait, now that I think about it… What are you doing here? I haven’t tell anybody about the… umm… deal between us.”
"Yes, I know.” Death said simply, not showing signs of concern. “I’m here to help a friend in need.” Mark simply blinked at that, feeling confused.
“... Why would I need your help? I’ve been faring quite well without any help.”
“Yes, I noticed when you played the piano like a professional.”

Mark flinched as he heard that, his mind immediately going on alert as he faced the deadly figure with a mix of fear, anger and curiosity on his face.
“... You have been following me.” Mark realized, much to Death’s humor.
“I have been watching you. It’s different.”
“Under what purpose?”
“To keep watching one of the most interesting event I’ve been able to see in over a millennium.”

Mark’s face got no response to that. His face showed no emotion as he tried to analyze what Death had just said. Finally after some minutes, Mark reacted.
“... You seriously need some friends… or a girlfriend…” Death didn’t answer to that, but simply stared at him. For some minutes, none of them said a thing, and Mark started to get nervous at the uncomfortable silence between them. Finally, a question came to his nervous mind.
“So… did you say that you were here to help me?”

Death took a few steps away from him, causing some of the Darkness around him to disperse. At Mark’s eyes, a crystal mirror stood in front of him, one like none other he had seen before. Death motioned with his bony hand to the mirror.

Mark took a few steps toward the mirror, curious as to what Death was motioning him to. Finally, when he stood in front of the mirror, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw something that before two weeks ago, he was used to see everyday.

In front of him, in the mirror, stood his former self. The image of Mark could be seen clear as the day. Turning to look at his body, Mark was disappointed to see the body of the pony he had come to be while the mirror showed his human form. A tear rolled through his muzzle.
“... Why are you showing me this?” Mark asked, hurt and sadness evident on his voice.
“What this mirror shows at this moment is your soul.” Death said as his scythe suddenly moved in front of the mirror, changing the image on it. “However, some of your… thoughts and ideas are moved by this...”

The image on the mirror was almost an exact copy of his pony form, but his eyes were lifeless and his face seemed like that of a dead one.
“... Wait, you’re telling me that I have, like… two different beings inside of me?”
“No… when we made the deal, I made sure to put your souls on each other’s body… Therefore…?”
“... This body’s not mine… And I can’t control it...” Mark said, fear started to creep on him.
“Not exactly...” Mark simply turned to him with a confused face. “Yes, that body you use at this moment is not yours… but you can control it. However, there are certain things where your body will act on reflex, doing what it is used to do.”
“... Like the piano?”
“Yes.” Death said as, with a movement of his scythe, the mirror vanished, leaving them completely alone again. “Therefore, you have to be careful, for some of those reflexes are somewhat… unpredictable.”

Mark nodded as he found himself with more problems of he thought he already had.
“Well… my dear friend… My time here grows short. Goodbye.”

Before Mark could even answer, Darkness vanished. When he turned around, he found himself facing a wall. Still not able to understand it, he suddenly heard a male voice.
“Excuse me, my good pony, but what are you doing in such a gloomy place like an alley?”

Mark turned around to the source of the voice, only to find an almost perfect clone of himself, this pony who had a coat as white as him, but having a deep blue mane and tail.

Mark turned around, trying to see if Death was still in there. Seeing no trace of him, he opted to turn to the pony.
“Um… I was just looking for… somepony I thought I saw.” He said as he walked out of the alley. As he got out of there, the pony saw more accurately the one who he was addressing, causing his mood to go down.
“Oh, if it’s not other than Prince Blueblood.” The pony said as his face showed nothing but annoyance.

Mark turned to him with a confused look, which transformed into an annoyed look as his eyes turned to the ground.
“... What did I do to you?”

The pony simply blinked in confusion. After a few moments, his eyes widened in thought.
“Oh, so it’s true about your... accident and by extension, your amnesia problem?”
“Uhh… Yeah. I don’t remember anything before two weeks ago. Therefore, if I did something bad to you, I ask you to forgive me beforehand.” The pony simply blinked a couple times in surprise before starting to chuckle.
“My, it seems the Prince has been replaced… ” Mark’s eyes widened as the pony said those words, believing other thing. “... For somepony smarter.”

The pony started to chuckle as Mark sighed in relief. He seemed to dog just in time another of those conflicts. While the pony was saying those words figuratively, Mark could see a deeper meaning on them, for he had experienced the saying in flesh and blood.

After a few minutes, the pony stopped his quiet laugh and turned to him, still beaming a smile.
“You know, maybe we can still be friends.”

Mark didn’t know how to answer to that. Blinking a few times, the pony simply grinned before sliding a hand on one of his pockets. After a couple minutes, a small card was drawn and given to the prince.
“Go to this address tonight. You will find a rather… warm welcome in there. Farewell.” The pony said before turning around and walking. Before he could make it far from there, the prince called.
“Hey! Wait! I-I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh, that’s quite simple. I’m Fancypants.” The pony said, not bothering to turn around.

Confused, Mark took a glance at the card.
You have been invited to Fancypants’ house to commemorate his 30 marriage anniversary with his wife, Fleur de Lis.

Even when the card said the address, he couldn’t put the reasons as for why he would invite him. At first, he seemed to be rather harsh (if not rude) toward him. But seeing his reaction toward his “past actions”, he simply shrugged it off.
“Might as well… Not that I have much to do.” He said as he started to walk toward his “house”. Seeing as there was one maid who he could trust, he decided for her to go with him.

Author's Note

I was reading some statistics about this story a while ago, and I just realized something: I hasn't been even five months since the creation of this, and maybe five months since I got the idea.
It has been so little time since I started, and yet, It became so popular since then.
... Just reflecting. You see...
Five months ago (Hell, even two months ago!) I was still a kid, going to school and whatnot. But now, I find myself working. I was starting to think that I had changed, that I was going to be different since then.
That I was going to become something else... That somehow sent me into a slight depression.

But then, I took the time to read what I have written in this story until now, and I realized something...
WHY THE HELL DO WE HAVE TO PRINT A LITTLE OF OURSELVES ON EVERYTHING WE DO!?
Mark's also in a state of transition between his death as a human and his reincarnation as a pony. And, I find myself in the same condition. However, as Mark struggles to do better as what he has become, I realize that I must do so, to try an do better as what I have become (an adult), but still being myself.
I want to thank all of you who read this and favorite it, like it and everything else, for you have pushed me to keep being myself in a different circumstance.