A Simple Soul

"Wow.."

The matriarch said as she sat next to me, staring at me through the mirror while the stallion would, after washing off all the dye from my hair and adding some conditioner started to blow dry my hair. Seeing it for the first time retouched and recolored in, the red looking more burgundy than actual read as I smiled. Seeing also the perfectly cut split ends as he stood behind me, his hoove on my shoulder as I would hold it with a hand caressing it a bit. Making him giggle cutely before replying to her reaction.

"Yeah, after that I knew how I really felt about my sexuality. Soon Austin and I started up a relationship and it went well for a few months. Sadly he broke up with me after 'accidentally' cheating on me with some girl."

I said as I leaned back against the chair, looking down at my lap as I sighed.

It was a hard time for me after we broke up, how it all happened was pretty interesting, to begin with. Two weeks after the party, Austin got my number from someone God knows who gave to him in the first place but that's beside the point. We both slowly started talking to each other more and more each day until finally, he asked me out to a movie. I don't remember much of that movie but what I did find out was how who had the pants in the relationship. Sure in my heart I still had feelings for Veronica, but I was with Austin and he was my first real relationship. Yes, she liked Austin more than me, but- wait where was I going with this? Nevermind, anyway after a few months of dating Austin, things were going really well. It wasn't until our year anniversary came up that things started getting...strange. I told him I was bringing some movies for us to watch, and he just texted a simple 'k'. Now that may seem like a fast way of saying 'sure' but I something about him just using that one letter made me feel uneasy. Eventually, I shrugged it off and went to his house with three different horror movies. Yes, I love movies in general, hints my addiction to referencing different movie quotes every now and then. Oh, I haven't yet? It'll pop up at some point, I swear.

Anyways, I entered his house and noticed that the living room was empty. Usually, he's sitting on the couch, waiting for me. But something was definitely wrong, then I heard something coming from upstairs like giggling and a few chuckles here and there. Quickly I walk up the stairs carefully making sure that I couldn't be heard as I would make it to his room, leaning my ear to the door while trying to listen into his room. It didn't take long for me to know that something was up in that room once I heard Austin say another name, I covered my mouth not only from the shock factor but how I was about to burst into tears. I was an emotional fourteen-fifteen year old at the time, anyway we parted ways since then and I haven't dated anyone since.

I leaned back against the chair as I stood quiet for a moment, both the matriarch and the stallion hairstylist looked at me. Feeling bad over how it happened, the stallion's hooves would slowly wrap around my neck knowing how it must have felt as the matriarch soon joined in. Her hooves wrapped around the lower half of my body as both equines hugged me, I soon held both of their hooves with one hand each. Just in case you didn't get the image, one hand went on one equine's hoof while the other went to another equine's hoof. So that's one hand for each pony, got it? Anyway as we hugged it out, the moment was quickly interrupted by one of the other four mares came into the room as she saw what was going on making a quiet gasp sound. This then caused the hug to pulled apart as we looked overseeing the mare standing there as she blushed for ruining the moment as the matriarch cleared her throat.

"So...what is it miss?"

"W-well, Zachary's clothes are ready whenever he is ready to get dressed."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

I said smiling as I looked over the matriarch's shoulder giving her a smile. The mare giggled trotting away and back where she came from as I whipped my lap gently looking at both the stallion and matriarch near me as I spoke.

"Well, it was nice chatting with both of you."

I said smiling as they both gave one back the matriarch getting her hooves off my lap as she stood in front of me. Once the stallion moved his hooves away from my neck, I stood up and off the chair my hair feeling fresh and new as I would follow the matriarch towards the back. The stallion following close behind as we walked towards the other mares, preparing myself for what was about to come. After grabbing the clothes that were made for me, one mare leads me to a dressing room. Giving me some privacy as she clothes the curtains leaving me alone in the room with about four different mirrors, one on the wall both in front and behind me along with two mirrors on the wall to the right of me. Allowing me to look at every angle of myself, smiling as I would hang the pieces of clothing on a hanger. Giving myself a moment to process what was going on right. It has literally been only four weeks and by now I should be getting used to the area and their locals. Especially since I was so used to moving from house to house every year. But this was different, it wasn't like I could sleep it on. In fact I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep on it, considering I'm only a foot taller than most of the equines on this land. If I'm going to be completely honest, the only way I'll ever be able to sleep here is if someone would knock me over the head.

I dug my fingers into the scalp of my now burgundy colored hair as I move it away from my face. Walking back and forth, overing thinking what was happening right now. But suddenly I heard a very demonic and or very dimented voice coming from behind me, which just so happens to come from inside the mirror. Not only was it a voice but also a figure, who looked very familiar as it was my own reflection. Except he looked more, blue midnight blue to be exact. Not only that his eyes were glowing with the same color as it's skin the sclera a midnight blue but the Iris was white as it stared into my soul, and I knew it was my reflection because when I tilt my head to the left it would follow along with me. I was slowly starting to panic, my heart raising slowly taking a step back as my reflection followed me once again. For only a minute though before it would stand up straight giving me a devilish smirk as it would start to walk forward, coming towards me but soon it met its end bumping into the mirror as it placed its hands against the mirror glass. Looking dead into my eyes as he started to chuckle at me, as if it knew what it was getting itself into. Soon pushing its hands against the mirror as it would slowly start to move through the mirror and into the same room as I was. Water flowing in its footsteps as it would appear to be completely wet from just being inside of the mirror. It's pitch black hair, as it was floating behind and around him was now completely down and wet. Looking at me as it now took a wet footstep closer and closer towards me, while I would take steps back trying to be as far from it as possible. Soon meeting my end as I bumped into the wall behind me, looking back for just a second and once I turned my head back it was standing right in front of me staring into my eyes as it tilted its head. A very ominous clicking sound coming out of its mouth, twitching slightly as it made the sound. Now my breathing became heavy as I looked at it before telling myself (literally).

"It's not real, you're not real, this isn't really happening."

And once I said that it would slam it's hands against the wall behind me now closer to me as it looked dead into my eyes. It was like it was staring into my brain reading everything it could read before chuckling softly to itself as it had a voice.

"You think all of this was just out of luck?"

It said as it pulled away from me, chuckling more miniocly some more as it turned around walking away for a moment before turning by towards me. Still against the wall as I heard what it said, turning my head a bit not breaking eye contact with him as I asked.

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious? They're clearing doing this out of pity, I mean making you some new clothes? A bed and breakfast in that stupid train? You even fucked a nurse of a slut."

"It happened only once."

"And it was the best moment of your life wasn't it?"

It asked smiling at me as I looked at it, in a way he was right there not a single brain cell in my head that denied what it said. Them again she wasn't what it called a slut as I stood quiet. It just chuckled as it knew it was right as it would now rush towards me, once against pinning me against the wall as it stared into my eyes smirking miniocly.

"I can guarantee you, that by the end of the festival. You'll be known as the freak of Equestria, destined to walk on this land as nothing more than a piece of scum."

It said as it smirked at me, seeing me still in the robe just like it's except was black while mine was still somewhat white. While mine was still dry, it was completely soaked from coming out of the water puddle that was the mirror. It looked at me as it smirked finally saying what broke me as it reclaimed.

"I bet you still wanted to be in that closet, next to that poor soul of a janitor. Bleeding on the floor, and you have no one else to blame but yourself."

"I did nothing wrong and you know it!"

"You sure about that?"

It said as it would place it's hands on each side of my face as it would press it's hands as if it was trying to crush it. Making me get on my knees as it's eyes were now glowing a bright white, smiling.

"See for yourself!"

—

"It started in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand…"

I heard it again, hearing something quite familiar as my lift my head up immediately, eyes widen after jumping up in my seat. I took a look around as I noticed the area, the class I was in that day, hearing the same lecture from my history teacher. Everyone in the room turning around as they saw me sitting in my chair. Sweat coming down my forehead as I looked at them, my hand shaking, Mr. McCarthy looked at me his hands on each side of his waist as he asked.

"Mr. Sanchez, is there a reason why you had your head down and now you're disrupting my class?"

He asked as he crossed his arms over each other. Now I was genuinely confused, was everything that happened just a dream? Was it all just a daydream and I was just sleeping in class again? It sure seemed that way from where I was, but there were a few minor details that say otherwise. First, there was something off about the prejecter it was showing something else that wasn't what Mr. McCarthy was explaining to the class and secondly what I had on my desk was a drawing I didn't draw. It looked to be a set of claws, cutting it's way out of the paper seeing..

"No ...no…"

"Excuse me?"

"It's just a dream, nothing is real, it's all just a dream.."

I said as I closed my eyes holding onto the sides of my desk, gripping on them tightly as I kept telling myself nothing is real and that everything that is happening is all a dream. While I was having a passive panic attack, Mr. McCarthy had enough of it as he would walk up towards my desk, I knew it was him based on the soles on his shoes hitting against the floor getting closer and closer.

"Alright that's it, principal's office now!"

"It's all a dream, none of this is real, it's all a dream, none of this is real."

"I said now-."

And like that, it went silent as I heard a sudden puff sound, it was someone dropped a huge amount of leafs in the room. Slowly I started to open my eyes as I saw the room was now completely empty, no light coming through the windows as it turned dark outside making the room fully blue and fill of ash. But of course I wasn't alone as I looked over seeing my dark counterpart standing in front of the room as it would use his fingers like claws running them against and across the board. Creating a loud screeching sound, my ears starting to hurt just by hearing that screech as I covered both of them with my hands.

"So you still think this is a figment of your imagination?"

It asked, stopping his claws from continuing to run his claws against the board, turning its head slightly around towards where I was sitting. Looking at me over its shoulder as it turned completely around, I still had my hands over my ears before noticing it looking back at me, slowly moving my hands off my ears and down my cheeks as I looked back at it. Smirking at me as it would slowly start to walk towards me, my hands shook as I got out of my chair. Moving through the desks as I tried to make my way out of the classroom. My counterpart stood there as it saw me making my way out the door, running out as I looked down the hallway. Seeing what looked to be the janitor laying on the floor inside of a bag as he looked at me, blood on the floor and some midway filled inside the same bag. He looked at me, attempting to breath seeing the bag preventing him from breathing as it would get in the way of his breathing. Looking at me as he would say in a very raspy voice.

"Zach ...help me…"

He said as his legs would both start to levitate up, his body being dragged away towards the left into another hallway. I ran up to where the pool of blood is as I looked to the left seeing the trail of blood leading up to another door, following said trail I was now in front of the door where the blood trail ended as I looked up seeing what looked to be a very familiar door. My hand shaking in fear as I made a loud gulp sound, nervous over what I was about to see behind this door. Moving my shaky hand towards the door knob, gripping my hand on it as I slowly started to twist it allowing me to open the door only to be met with both myself and the black figure that I was faced with. Seeing him shooting, my fist clenched as I rushed up towards him tackling the figure as he dropped his gun. Grabbing it as I held it in my hands finger against the trigger as I aimed it toward the black figure, yelling.

"Get up, get up!"

I said as I finally had him right where I want him as he would slowly start to stand up, keeping the gun aimed at him. He still had his hood on as he leaned against the wall, the hold preventing me to look at his face as I pulled the hammer back getting ready to fire as I threaten.

"Take the hood off or I'll shoot."

I said looking at him, full of rage as he would stand up straight looking down while turning towards me. His head down as he would move his hands up towards his hood as he would slowly take it off. My heart started to race as I was ready to see who the shooter really was, but something told me that I wasn't ready to be faced to my murderer as he pulled it off his head Revealing to me my dark counterpart as it smirked at me, saying one simple word chuckling as it said.

"Shoot."

I looked at it, outraged as I kept the gun up towards it's face, getting ready to fire. But unknown to me, the gun had no bullets left in reserved in the magazine so when I pulled the trigger back it made a loud click sound. My hands shaking as I pulled it again, and again hearing the click sound every time I tried to open fire. I dropped the gun to the floor as my counterpart chuckled miniocly, pulling the glove it had on its hand as it revealed it's bare hand wigging every other finger but one. Its pointer finger bent towards it as it would spring it up, revealing a claw to pop out. It looked sharp as it would move it's hand around showing me it's palm before saying.

"You'll never escape over what happened that day."

And like that it swung it's hand across my neck, feeling the claw on it's finger slitting my throat. Blood spewing out of my neck and down my chest as I gagged, spitting out blood before.

——

"Zachary?"

I heard the matriarch speak, as I opened my eyes. Staring at my reflection in the mirror as I hand my hand against it. Pulling it back, immediately moving it towards my neck dragging my finger against across it as I felt no blood and my slit on my neck gone. Sweat coming down my forehead, it really was a dream but what did it mean? Was it really a dream or was it some sort of episode? I then heard the sound of knocking against the wall making sure I was okay as I try to speak only stuttering out my words.

"I-I'll be out in a couple!"

"Are you okay? Do you need somepony to help you get them on? Because the girls would be happy to help you, hell even out hair stylist wouldn't mind at all."

"No! I-I mean no, I'm fine I'll be dressed and out in a few minutes."

I said as I took off the robe using it to swipe off the sweat, ignoring the fact that my butt might have been all over it as I threw it onto the floor. Grabbing the set of underwear to begin getting dressed in the clothes that was sewn for me. Adding on the last piece of clothing as I looked at myself in the mirror. My face showing a genuine expression of surprise and happy that they actually fit. The sneakers fitting nicely, jeans not too tight or too loose, my tank top looking great with the sweater as I moved my hair out from being trapped behind the sweater as I smiled at myself. I shook my head, forgetting what just happened as I knew the princess might have some answers to what just happened. I walked out of the dressing room, moving the curtain over revealing myself to the fashionistas and the hair stylist as they all yelled in excitement, hearing one of them screaming out.

"Strut darling, strut!"

She asked as I knew if I walked out and sat down on a chair they would be suspicious, they might wonder what was wrong with me and I didn't them to be disappointed over me not liking the clothes. Not only lying to them but to myself because I actual to love the clothes, so with my hands on my hips and my hopping popping out, my face making a cringe worthy attempt at looking like one of those female models you see on Project Runway, yes I watch that show fight me. Once showing that I was into the clothing I began to walk, like I was saying if I've learned anything from watching Project Runway is that you have to keep your chin up, your hips controlled and your arm still from swaying back and forth. The equine's in the room yelling things like 'work' or 'they weren't ready for you', keeping my poster as I would take the sweater off showing off my shoulders and exposing my collar bone as I threw it over my shoulder.

"Phfff I can't!"

I said as I broke out in laughter, I knew what I did was cringe worthy and I wasn't going back from that as the others just laughed along with me. I sat down on the chair after showing him how the clothes fit well and looked great in me as I looked at each equine smiling at them before saying.

"But ...I would like to thank all of you. Honestly I've never looked better than how I am right now."

I said as they all smiled at me, all five ponies trotted over towards me hugging me simultaneously as I felt ten hoofs wrapped around me. I would hug the closest pony to me, while my hands would grip onto other's hooves leaning my head on somepony's shoulder. Enjoying the group hug for as long as I could before feeling them all pulling back, and after talking to all of them for another while, I was ready to meet back up with Raven. After hugging and exchanging nuzzles with each pony especially with the hairstylist as I got a small cute chuckle out of him. I would wave goodbye to everyone in the room as I would close the door behind me once I was out of that room. Sighing as I wished we could have just hung out for a little while longer as I made my way towards Raven's office. If I remember correctly, she told me that her office was just around the corner from the salon as I walked down the hall and to the left, and as expected there it was. Raven's office door, judging by the sign on top of the door as I walked towards the door. Putting the sweater back on as I would stand in front of the door getting ready to open the door. Only to be stopped by the sound of Raven arguing with somepony else in the room and judging by the pitch of that other voice it appeared to be male as I heard her speak.

"Look, I already gave you almost half of my paycheck last time. How much more can you possibly ask for?"

I heard her speak as I moved away from the door being ready to be faced with whoever was in there as I leaned my head against the wall also hearing the male's voice.

"Look, I just need a few more bits to pay off my boss. Please if you could just spare a more bits for me, please?"