The things i do for love

Rarity and Applejack had taken me to the local barber shop and, after assuring him that I wasn’t going to kill him, got me a shave and a haircut. Looking into the mirror, I saw my face for the first time in a long time. I’d seen my reflection in puddles on the way to town, sure, but without so much hair I looked completely different. I rubbed my chin, feeling the slightly wrinkled skin against my finger tips and smiled. “My, you do look much better now.” Rarity said. I looked back at her to see her smiling as well. “But you still need some more fitting clothes, those rags simply will not do.” she said, to which I nodded. Then I remembered the clothes Luna had given me and started looking around in a panic.

“Oh no, I lost them!” I yelled, putting my hands to the sides of my head. “Princess Luna gave me clothes, and I lost them.”

“Ya’ll lookin’ fer these?” I heard Applejack say, and looked towards the door to see her standing there with them on her back. “They were liein’ in tha road. They’re a lil’ tattered an’ dirty though. Ah know somepony won’t allow that though.” She said, and we all laughed, though mine was half-hearted. I didn’t feel like I belonged. Even with the slight welcome I had, I felt like an outcast. I sighed as we stepped outside.

“Come now darling, let’s get you some real clothes, before the ones you’re wearing fall off.” she said, giggling at her own joke as we walked towards her shop. As we walked, I felt something nagging at me, way in the back of my head.

Christian. I looked around, looking for the source of the voice. It sounded evil and threatening, but somehow familiar and welcoming at the same time. You gave your word, Christian. You can not escape it now. A pact was made, and must be kept. We will speak again soon, my friend. I heard it say with a chuckle as it faded away.

“You alright there buddy? Looks like ya’ll seen a ghost.” I snapped my head to the side to see Applejack looking at me worriedly.

“Y-Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” I said as we stepped through the door to Rarity’s shop.

“This is the Carousel Boutique! Wait right here while I get some fabric and some measuring tape. I will be back shortly.” She said, wandering off to the back room. Applejack said she had some important stuff to do at home and left, so I was alone in the waiting room. For what seemed like an eternity, I thought, trying to remember anything that voice could have been talking about. I thought I was about to breach that barrier between what I could and couldn’t remember when Rarity came back, several things wrapped in her magic. “Now, if you could just stand up on this stage right here, we can begin.” she said, sounding happy as could be.

“Alright, sure.” I said as I stood up and took my place. She took my measurements and started working on the outfit.. While the fabric was wrapped around me. She occasionally poked me with a pin, but apologized immediately after, though the apology never sounded that sincere. Soon, we were done.

“Alright, step down while I go put the finishing touches on these.” she said, carrying a bundle into the back room with all her other supplies.

So innocent… Or is she? She hates you. She wants your blood, and if you’re not careful she will have it. the voice came again. I looked for its source, only to be met with nothing yet again. You will not find me. Not yet, anyway. We will meet again, old friend. It’s been far too long since we spoke. Ta ta!

“Alright, all done. There’s a bathroom over there where you can change.” She said as she walked out with the same bundle of clothing, pointing towards a door not far away.

“Thank you rarity, you have no idea how much this means to me.” I said with a smile as I stood and took the bundle in my hands, feeling the soft fabric as I walked towards the door. When I opened it, I was met with a sterile white room, large even by my standards. I set the clothing down on the sink-top and stared into the mirror for a moment. Outside, I heard a door open and close, indicating that Rarity had left.

“Well, now that she’s gone, we can talk.” I heard the voice, but blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend what I saw. When I opened my eyes again, my reflection was no longer my own, but that of a demonic figure, with the parts of many different creatures that I could not name. “Oh, come now, don’t look at me like that. We are friends, aren’t we Christian?”

“I-I guess so…. Who are you?” I asked. The figure in the mirror sighed and face palmed.

“I guess seven years is a long time after all.” it said, sounding disappointed. “Well, let me introduce myself again: My name is Discord, immortal god of chaos. And you, my friend, need a refresher.” It said. Before I could say anything it reached out of the mirror, placing a claw between my eyes.

Suddenly I was in unbearable pain as I saw many things flash before my eyes. Death. Blood. Feeding. Pain. Love. Loss. Joy. Despair. Laughing. Crying. So many things rushed into my mind. When it was done, I found myself on the floor, looking up, gasping for breath.

“Well, how do you feel?” he asked, and I stood up, looking at my hands for a moment, turning them over a couple times.

“I feel just fan-fucking-tastic. What do you want this time, eh?” I asked, looking Discord in the eye. I was kinda pissed off, and had a splitting headache.

“Oh, I just wanted to tell you a few things.” he said coyly.

“Such as?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing too major. That you’re uglier than you were before, you smell bad, you’re destined to be my replacement, and….. Oh yes…. YOU killed Rainbow Dash.” everything else he said slipped past me at the end. More memories flashed by of the rainbow manned pegasus mare. I died a little inside.

“……W-what?”

“Oh yes. Did you really think I had the power to make a duplicate of you? No no no, it was all in your head, my dear boy.” he said with a chuckle as I backed up. I soon found myself against a wall.

“No. No, you’re lying! You have to be!” I yelled as I watched him slither his way out of the mirror.

“Oh no… I can show you what really happened.” He said, and with a snap of his fingers, we were there.

In the Everfree forest.

And what I saw made me regret remembering anything.

“You came back for me?” I heard the familiar voice and looked around for the source. I saw Rainbow dash standing on the all-too-familiar path.

“Of course I did. I was worried about you. Come on, let‘s go.”

“That’s not how it went….. Is it?” I asked as I followed behind the past versions of Rainbow and myself. I didn’t know what to think. On one hand, Discord could be toying with my head, making me feel like I have no chance at redemption…. But on the other, it seems like something he would do, make me remember something, only for the reality to be something else entirely.

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?”

“Of course I do. It’s just up here, I saw it through the trees on my path.”

“Okay…. I trust you.”

“She trusted you…. And where did that get her?” I turned to see Discord looking over my shoulder.

“Why are you showing me this? This isn’t real…. It can’t be real…..” I said, though I didn’t really believe it myself. Suddenly time seemed to speed up, and we were at the ancient temple, where the elements of harmony had originally been found.

“So glad you could make it, old friend. But… you seem to have broken the rules…”

“No…..”

“Oh, yes indeed.”

“I know Discord. But what the fuck are you gonna do about it?" the past me asked, drawing my sword. I shook my head in disbelief.

“No, no, no, no, NO!”

“Well, cheaters must be punished…. But you’re not really cheating, now are you? You’re like me…. Above the rules…. Part of MY team…”

“Christian, what’s he talking about?" Rainbow said, sounding nervous. It broke my heart.

“Nothing. Nothing at all." the past me said, circling around behind her. Then, I dropped my sword and caught her in choke hold.

“DAMN IT NO!” I said, tears starting to fall down my face. “This can’t be real…… It can’t be.” I could hear Rainbow choking, begging for an answer, begging for help from the very person who was killing her. I could do nothing but watch and wonder how this could happen. I saw Fluttershy cowering in the background. No wonder she tried to kill me.

“Goodbye, Rainbow Dash.” the past me said before jerking his arm to the left. There was an ungodly snapping sound….. And she was still.

“No…. No, I didn’t do that… I couldn’t have done that…”

“Oh, but you did. And you will do it to the others too.” Discord said, snapping his fingers again. We were back in the bathroom. I was on my hands and knees, tears falling from my face to the floor.

“No… I won’t… I can’t….. They trust me…”

“Just like Rainbow trusted you?” he said with a chuckle. “How about this. Like I said earlier, you are destined to replace me. Everything that happened after Rainbow died actually happened. So, technically, I am dead. But, by Equestrian law, I am allowed to try to tempt someone into becoming my replacement.” he said, grabbing me by the shoulders and lifting my to my feet. We were eye to eye. “I’ll give you until after this party they’re throwing for you. If you don’t do it then, you’ll never hear from me again. Deal?” he asked, backing up and extending his paw.

“I won’t do it.” I said, determination in my voice.

“Then you’ll never see Rainbow Dash alive again. Pity. I always thought you two would have made a nice couple.” he said with a chuckle before disappearing in a flash of light. I sighed heavily before putting my new clothes on. I didn’t like the situation, but I didn’t really have a choice of rather or not I was in it. When I was done getting dressed, I looked into the mirror again. My hair was still white, but it was shorter now, like a buzz cut. I was wearing a black suit with a white button up shirt, and a rainbow striped tie. It made me feel like shit with what I knew now. I sighed again.

“How do I keep getting myself into this kind of shit?” I asked my reflection. I didn’t expect a response, and I didn’t receive one. I opened the door and walked out to find the boutique empty. I felt something in one of the pockets, and reached in to find a pack of cigarettes with a note taped to it.

Thought you might want these. I hear they help with stress and depression.
- Discord.

“What a smart ass.” I whispered with a chuckle as I stepped outside, crumpling the note and tossing it aside. I opened the pack to find a lighter inside and only three smokes. “Well, that’s not much help right there.” I said, putting one in my mouth and lighting it. I inhaled the smoke, then exhaled it again with a sigh as I leaned against the outside window of the store.

“Well well well, look who’s havin’ their first smoke!” I looked over to see Applejack standing not far away.

“Not so much. They gave us smokes in prison, you know.” I said, my voice monotone.

“Yeah, ah know. Ah jus’ never figured ya’ll fer the type at smoke ‘em.”

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“Yer actin’ kinda funny. Somethin’ happen while ah was gone?” she asked. I let out more smoke with a heavy sigh.

“I remember.”

“Remember what?”

“Everything. I remember you. I remember Rarity. I remember Twilight. I remember Fluttershy. I remember Pinkie….. I remember Rainbow Dash.” I said, choking up at the end.

“Does that mean ya remember why you were tryin’ at do us all in?”

“Yeah.”

“Ya’ll gonna try it again?” I hesitated for a moment. Was I?

“No. and if I was, I wouldn’t tell you, that’s just bad strategy.” I said with a small laugh. She laughed too, but it sounded more nervous.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be tha best idea ever. Now c’mon mister fancy, let’s get to that party. Ah’m sure Pinkie’ll be excited at hear ya remember everythin’…. then again, she might not be.” she said as she walked towards Sugercube Corner. I nodded, put out my smoke and followed her. It wasn’t too far, so we got there pretty quick. When we walked in, everything was dark. My instincts kicked in, listening for the faintest sound. Then the lights went on, and I was blind.

“SURPRISE!” I heard a few ponies yell. When I could see again, I saw Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and the Cakes all standing there. Everyone but the Cakes were smiling broadly.

“I think we’ll just let you kids have your fun.” Mrs. Cake said as they walked towards a back door. Pinkie ran up and hugged me again.

“You look great! Did rarity make the suit? I bet she did, she’s always making clothes, even though nopony really wears clothes that much, which doesn’t seem like very good business sense to me, I mean supply and demand and all that stuff right?” she asked, panting heavily. She’d been talking a mile a minute without stopping to breathe. How she does it will forever elude me. “Anyway, you’re not here to talk about business, you’re here for the cake!” she said before I could answer her question, pushing me towards the cake. There was a knife on the table next to it, and it seemed sharp….. “Well, are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna cut the cake?” she asked. I hesitated picking up the knife, thousands of scenarios rushing through my head. I looked from the cake, to the three ponies behind me and back again.

Do it. Do it now, while they trust you. Your life will be complete again, I promise. I shook Discords voice from my head…. And made a decision.