What the actual fuck was that about?

A memory stone? Seriously? What, were they gonna tell me next—magic is real? That I’d been cursed or some shit? That I was actually some different person just yesterday?

What a joke.

Did they really think I was going to believe that? [Believe her? After everything she did to me?

There was no fucking way.

I stormed into the halls, still seething from whatever the heck happened in the courtyard. My hands clenched into fists, nails cutting into my palms as I replayed their words in my mind. Sunset staring at me with tears in her eyes, as if she truly cared about me. The way those other girls, whomever they were, behaved as if I was the one who had changed.

Like I was the one in the wrong.

Bullshit.

I made my way toward my locker, trying to shove everything else out of my mind. I needed to focus. Just get through the day.

the papers.

"Fuck"

I should’ve grabbed them. Not because they mattered, I didn’t even remember writing that crap, but because now they had them. And I had no idea what else might be written there. I wasn’t about to let Sunset get inside my head with some twisted lie about how I used to be different.

No. That was bullshit. That wasn’t me.

I know who I am.

The thought felt weaker than I wanted it to.

I shut my locker with more force than necessary and turned to head to class when—

"Do you have a moment?"

Principal Celestia stood a few feet away with her arms crossed.

"Uh…" I glanced around, wondering if I could pretend I hadn’t heard her.

No luck.

"Follow me to my office" she said firmly.

Great. Just fucking great.

First, a bunch of random girls Sunset manipulated attack me. Now I’ve got the principal on my ass?

I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets, doing my best to act like I didn’t care. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

I slouched into the chair across from Principal Celestia’s desk, keeping my expression neutral. If I acted too defensive, she’d start asking even more questions. Act calm. Act cool. Don’t let her see anything.

Celestia sat down and studied me for a long moment, like she was searching for something in my face.

"Tell me" she said finally, folding her hands on the desk. "Did you find any information about who could be behind Anon-a-Miss?"

"What?"

"It's becoming a serious issue. The school is in chaos, and if this continues, we may have to consider closing the school temporarily."

Closing the school? Over some stupid gossip blog?

Jesus. These people needed to grow a spine.

I shrugged and leaned back in my chair, like I didn't care. "Miss Celestia, both you and I know that Anon-whatever is probably Sunset." I let my head rest against the back of the chair. "So just expel her. Problem solved."

Celestia’s entire body stiffened. Her lips parted slightly as if she had no idea how to respond.

She just stared at me.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She shook her head slowly, as if trying to process something too impossible to believe.

"But… you said it wasn’t her."

Her voice was cautious, like she was stepping over thin ice.

I frowned. "What?"

"You defended her" Celestia said carefully. "You were certain she wasn’t responsible."

That made zero sense.

I let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah, no. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sunset’s been shit to me since the moment I got here."

The shock on Celestia’s face was immediate.

The carefully composed principal—the one who always kept her calm, no matter the situation—looked at me like I’d just told her the sky was green and the grass was red.

Like I had said something completely and utterly wrong.

"Do you truly not remember?"

"Remember what?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.

Celestia opened her mouth, as if trying to find the right words—

And then a hand landed on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, Miss Celestia"

A familiar voice broke through the tension, and suddenly, out of nowhere, he appeared. Discord seems to have always been a part of the conversation, standing behind my chair with the same annoying grin on his face.

Celestia didn’t even flinch.

Discord put a dramatic hand to his chest. "I hate to interrupt, but we have a bit of a situation on our hands."

He paused, then turned his head toward me. His grin faltered for just a moment.

"You" he said, his voice quieter. "Are a little… out of sorts today."

I glared at him. "I know exactly what I’m saying."

Discord ignored me and turned back to Celestia, waving a hand dismissively. "We need to talk alone. There’s an emergency, and this boy is the culprit. Don’t take anything he says too seriously."

"Fuck off."

The words came out sharp, venomous. My patience with all of this—with him—was running thin.

Celestia suddenly slammed her fist onto the desk, making both Discord and me flinch.

Her gaze was sharp. Furious.

"I will not tolerate this kind of language or behavior in my office."

The room went dead silent.

Celestia turned to me. "We are not done with this conversation."

Then she turned her attention to Discord. "And you—we will be talking about this emergency."

Discord, for once, looked serious.

I scoffed, pushing myself out of the chair, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Whatever"

I didn’t need this. Any of this.

I walked out, slamming the door behind me.

And, of course, who was waiting for me outside?

The same fucking girls who had been making my day worse since the very beginning.

Sunset was at the front of the group. “You need to remember!” she yelled.

I grimaced and rubbed the inside of my ear with my pinky. “Jesus, don’t yell in my ear, dumbass.” I glared at her. “My memory is fine, but I’d rather not lose my hearing .”

The others quickly moved into position, closing in around me, forming a tight circle.

I sighed, already annoyed. “So that’s your plan? What, jump me? Right under the principal’s office?” I crossed my arms and smirked. “Well, bring it on, idiots.”

But none of them clenched their fists. None of them got ready to swing.

Instead, they held hands.

And then… they started singing.

It was soft at first, a quiet harmony of voices blending together, weaving a melody around me like a net. The lyrics were simple but insistent—something about how this wasn’t me, about how I needed to come back to them, about how I had to remember.

I stood there, staring at them in disbelief.

Oh.

Oh, they’re crazy.

Not just dumb. Completely fucking insane.

I exhaled sharply, a small chuckle escaping me. Well. If they were gonna act like this, I might as well have a little fun.I let my body tremble. I dropped to one knee, clutching my head with one hand while the other flailed slightly as if trying to stabilize myself. “N-No… please…” I choked out, making my voice quiver.

Their expressions lit up with hope.

I almost laughed right then and there. They actually thought it was working.

Sunset leaned forward slightly, her grip tightening around Rainbow’s hand. “It’s okay. We’re right here. Just listen.”

I smirked.And stood up like nothing had happened.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough of that.”

Their faces twisted in shock.

I shouldered past them, knocking into Rainbow and Sunset and leaned in close to Sunset’s ear, whispering, “I told you to leave me alone. This is your last warning.” I stepped back, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "And if I see my face on your stupid little profile, you won’t have fingers to write with."

Her breath hitched.

I didn’t wait for a response I walked off, ignoring the way the others were staring at me like I had just punched them all in the gut.

By the time I got to math class, I was late. Not that I gave a shit. I slid into my seat, ignoring the look the teacher gave me, and pulled out my notebook.

I flipped it open, prepared to doodle or jot down random notes—anything to kill time.

But something was off.

Among the usual messy handwriting and half-finished thoughts, there were drawings.

Of me.

And someone who looked an awful lot like Sunset.

Some of them were simple sketches—two figures sitting side by side, laughing, shoulders touching. Others were more detailed, filled with emotion—like one where I was holding her, my arms wrapped protectively around her waist, our foreheads pressed together.

Something twisted in my stomach.

I didn’t draw these.

I wouldn’t draw these.

I grabbed my pencil and scratched them out. Hard. Over and over until all that was left was a mess of gray smudges.

Yeah. Like something like that would ever happen.

The rest of class went by in a blur. Numbers and formulas and equations that I barely paid attention to.

When the bell finally rang, I shoved my notebook into my bag and made my way out into the hallway, scanning my surroundings.

Good.

The girls weren’t here.

I let out a breath, relieved.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.

Flash.

I walked up to him. “Hey,” I said.

He looked up and gave a small nod. “Hey.”

I crossed my arms. “How’s it going?”

He sighed. “Better, I guess. People are already moving on. You know how it is. They change who they’re making fun of every five minutes.”

I snorted. “Figures.” I patted him on the back. “Well, at least you won’t have to deal with this for much longer. Sunset’s definitely getting expelled for this.”

His face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

“Yeah,” I said, shrugging. “Once Celestia sees all the shit she’s posted, there’s no way she’s staying.”

He was staring at me now.

“Dude,” he said slowly. “Why do you think it’s Sunset?”

“Because it’s obviously her?”

“But… you said she wouldn’t do something like this.”

I scoffed. “When the hell did I say that?”

Flash’s brows knit together. He studied me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. “Aren't you two together?”

I blinked.

And then I laughed.

“Me and Sunset?” I shook my head. “You’re out of your damn mind, dude.”

But Flash wasn’t laughing.

He just kept staring. Kept watching me like he knew something I didn’t. Like he was seeing something that wasn’t there anymore.

And for some reason—

That scared the hell out of me.

Bro, don’t say shit like that.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “We never were and never will be together. But good joke, man, you almost got me.”

Flash didn’t laugh.

Didn’t even smile.

The bell rang again before he could say anything else, and I took the excuse to walk away.

The rest of the day blurred together, classes speeding by in a rush of half-listened-to lectures and notes I barely bothered to take. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to deal with her or the rest of them trying to push their crazy agenda on me again.

So when my free period rolled around, I made sure to disappear.

I slipped into the boys' bathroom, locked myself inside one of the stalls, and sat down, pulling out my phone. Mystable was already open.

I scrolled through the latest posts, smirking at some, outright laughing at others.

Damn, Sunset can actually be funny when she wants to be.

I chuckled under my breath, eyes skimming over the screen. Look at this shit.

She had posted about Flash getting rejected again. Hah Classic.

Another post made fun of Derpy’s clumsiness.

Huh?

My scrolling slowed as my gaze landed on a new post.

A picture of Rarity.

Her skirt was way too short, the angle just barely showing a glimpse of her panties.

But that wasn’t what caught my attention. Well not entirely.

Sunset was in the picture.

In the background, standing a few feet away, clearly visible.

My brow furrowed.

Wait a second.

How could she post something like this if she was right there when the photo was taken?

My mind went into autopilot, searching for an answer. Oh. Oh, I see. She probably got someone else to take the photo. Yeah, that makes sense. She made someone take it and send it to her so she could post it later. Hah.

Good one.

But well, i wanted to look closly at the photo so i clicked it and.. blog post deleted :< Hm why bother?

But that doesn't mean anything

"Yeah, good one. I don’t trust her. This whole ‘I’m good now’ act never works." Voice said near to me

"Exactly!" I reflexively agreed with the voice.

I was alone.

Right?

My head snapped up, eyes darting around the cramped stall. No one was here. No one should have been here.

My throat tightened. My fingers curled around my phone. "Yeah, who woul—"

Something moved.

From the corner of my eye, something slid under the stall door.

A face.

A pair of wide, mismatched yellow and red eyes, grinning at me upside-down from beneath the door, his head twisted at an unnatural angle like a scene out of a horror movie.

I screamed.

Like, full-on, high-pitched, horror-movie-final-girl screamed.

Then, without thinking, I kicked.

Hard.

There was a comical yelp, followed by a loud thunk as the intruder’s head was sent flying back into the next stall.

A beat of silence.

Then the stall door swung open. Despite it being locked.

And there he was.

Standing like nothing had just happened.

Smirking.

Completely unbothered.

Discord.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I scrambled to press my back against the stall wall, my brain struggling to catch up to what just happened.

"What—" My voice cracked. "What the actual hell—"

He dusted himself off, completely ignoring my reaction. "You know, you have terrible reflexes for someone who used to be important."

Used to be—?

What?

I didn’t have time to process that because before I could demand an explanation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

Cigarettes.

He flicked the box open with one hand, pulling one out and twirling it between his fingers before holding it out to me.

"You know," he said conversationally, "we don’t have these in my wo—oh. Oh, wait." He tapped his temple, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Silly me. You’ve forgotten."

That word again.

Forgotten.

Why did people keep saying that?

My eyes flickered between him and the cigarette. This is creepy.

Even for him.

It was probably smarter to take it and just report him later.I slowly reached out. "There are fire alarms in he—"

SNAP.

The fire alarms vanished.

In their place, tiny bubbles floated down from the ceiling.

"What… what was that?"

Discord grinned.

It wasn’t a normal grin. It wasn’t the kind of goofy, exaggerated expression I’d seen from him before.

Something almost… knowing.

"Now, now," he tutted, shaking his head. "No need to be afraid. It’s just a little thing called…" He lifted his hands, wiggling his fingers. "Maaagic."

Magic.

The word sounded wrong in my head. Like something twisted inside my skull, like something was missing.

I felt dizzy.

Like my mind was trying to reach for something, something just beyond my grasp.

But there was nothing.

Nothing but a blank space where something should be.

I swallowed hard. "No. No, no, no, no. It’s a trick. Some kind of setup. This isn’t real."

He just smiled.

I hated that.

That knowing look. Like he was waiting for me to figure something out.

"Alright, alright," he sighed dramatically, "I won’t push you. But, seeing as it’s my duty to keep you informed…"

He flicked his fingers.

And a stack of photos appeared in mid-air.

Dozens of them.

Each one had Sunset.

Each one was timestamped.

Each one proved that she couldn’t have posted anything.

In some, she was with me at the exact time Anon-a-Miss made a post.

In others, she didn’t even have her phone in her hands.

This has to be fake.

But… the timestamps were right.

The angles were right.

The details were right.

What if…

What if it wasn’t her?

"THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING!"

Discord clapped his hands, grinning like a madman.

"See? Your memory is gett—"

"No."

His expression faltered.

"I still have my memory. And it’s telling me that you’re some creepy new teacher, Sunset is a bully, and the girls are crazy."

A beat of silence.

Discord frowned.

Not his usual exaggerated pout.

Not his usual playful expression.

A real frown.

Like something actually bothered him.

Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

He grinned again, all humor.

"Ah, well." He flicked his wrist, and the photos disappeared. "Can’t win ‘em all."

Discord turned as if to leave, as if he were done playing his little game, as if he’d drop this whole strange conversation and disappear from my life forever.

But something inside me hesitated.

Something in the way he looked at me, something in the way he spoke, something about all of this felt too real.

“Wait.”

He stopped mid-step, his leg still in the air like he had frozen mid-stride. He turned his head all the way around unnaturally, like an owl, except much, much creepier.

“I still don’t believe you. If that's what you think.”

His eyes twinkled. He turned the rest of his body to face me. “Ah, progress! You don’t believe me—but you’re still listening.”

I ignored that. “This whole ‘you forgot something’ act is getting old. What’s up with that?”

Discord sighed dramatically, throwing his arms into the air. “Wheeeellll, you see, my dear, memory-challenged friend, you had such a noble heart, such a heroic—oh, what’s the word?” He tapped his chin. “Obsession? No, no. Delusion? Hm. Oh! That’s right. A ‘desire to help.’”

I frowned. “So?”

“So,” Discord drawled, leaning in so close that I could see my own reflection in his mismatched pupils, “you got hit with a little something called the Memory Stone.”

“...The what?”

He grinned. “Magic-erasing rock.”

I stared.

Then laughed.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed right in his face.

“Okay, okay. That’s the best you can come up with? A pebble erased my memory?”

Discord flicked his fingers into a dramatic snap. “Exactly.”

I rolled my eyes. “Right. Sure.”

He just watched me.

Waiting.

And the thing was… I didn’t feel like he was lying.

Because no matter how ridiculous it sounded, no matter how much my logical brain wanted to reject it—there was a part of me, deep in my chest, that whispered

"What if it’s true?"

Because hadn’t I felt it?

That strange, empty hole in my mind? The way my thoughts felt like they had gaps, like I was reaching for something that should be there but wasn’t?

Hadn’t I felt it from the moment I woke up?

That weird sensation, like something was coiling in my chest, something alive, something I couldn’t quite name?

Something powerful?

Discord was watching me carefully.

Then, he grinned.

“What do you say about a game?”

I snapped out of my thoughts. “A game?”

His grin stretched wider. “Yes, yes! You see, I must admit I have been having an absolute blast watching you. You’re quite the entertainment, you know! A poor lost soul wandering through the world, completely unaware of just how much he’s missing.”

I scowled. “You’re messing with me.”

“Always,” he admitted cheerfully. “But this time, I’m being completely serious.”

He straightened, smoothing out his coat. “I propose an offer. A game, if you will. A gamble, if you’re feeling dramatic.”

I crossed my arms. “...Go on.”

His eyes glowed.

“If you win,” he said, voice suddenly smooth, almost hypnotic, “then I ensure that no one in this world would ever have the courage to get in your way again.”

My breath hitched.

“I will help you learn, help you unlock the potential you don’t even know you have.” He waved his hand, and suddenly, floating in the air were images—visions of me standing atop a skyscraper in a sleek black suit, powerful, rich, untouchable. Another showed me lounging on a golden throne, surrounded by beautiful women, all reaching for me, all worshipping me.

I swallowed hard.

“You will have everything you could ever ask for” Discord continued, voice almost a purr. “Money, power,respect. A life of absolute freedom.”

I licked my lips. “And if I lose?”

He smirked. “Then things go back to how they were before you lost your memory.”

I let out a small laugh. “That’s it? That’s your big penalty?”

Discord tilted his head. “Oh, you’d be surprised how much you stand to lose.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.

He saw the hesitation in my eyes, and his grin widened.

I shook my head. “You’re insane.”

He beamed. “Why, thank you!”

“I hate to tell you this, but—” I gestured to myself my tired eyes, the way I barely felt like I belonged anywhere, “—I already live among the swells. And we don’t pick up offers from someone like you.”

I turned away.

I should have left.

I should have walked out of that bathroom and never looked back.

But then—

His voice, smooth as silk

“Your mother.”

I stopped.

My heart stopped.

“What?”

Discord’s grin was wolfish. “Oh? Did that get your attention?”

I turned back slowly. “What did you just say?”

“Hmmmm…” Discord tapped his chin. “No offer, no talking.”

I stepped closer. “Tell me.”

He waggled a finger. “Ah-ah! Tsk, tsk. That’s not how games work.”

“You said my mother.”

“And your brother.” His eyes glowed again. “The truth about them is in the offer.”

The air around me shifted.

I could feel something.

Something inside me.

Like a pulse.

Like a deep, ancient power stirring in my chest.

Something was pouring out of me.

It felt warm. It felt cold. It felt alive.

Discord’s expression flickered. Just for a second.

Then he grinned.

“You feel it, don’t you?”

I did.

I felt it.

Magic.

My magic.

It was there.

And I believed him.

As insane as he was, as ridiculous as this entire conversation had been—

I believed him.

Because he knew something.

Something about me.

Something about my family

And I needed to know what.

He reached out his hand.

Something poured from him—raw, untamed chaos. It curled around his fingers, reaching toward me like a living thing.

I reached back.

And the moment our hands touched—

A shockwave of energy burst through the air.

Magic exploded around us—his wild, erratic chaos clashing against mine. My power felt stronger, more controlled, more alive.

Discord laughed

A deep, delighted laugh.

He let go of my hand and clapped. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

I narrowed my eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Discord wagged his finger at me, his body floating midair as if gravity was nothing more than an optional suggestion. “Oh, ye of little faith! No need to worry your pretty little head—I’ll take care of all the arrangements. The girls will know that you’ve accepted my offer.”

“The girls?”

“Oh, yes. And make sure you’re free after school today. It’s going to be a long night for you.”

A weird feeling settled in my stomach. “...What exactly do you mean by ‘long night’?”

Discord stretched his arms dramatically, then snapped his fingers. A massive pit of bubbling, molten lava appeared before my eyes, glowing an eerie orange-red.

I stiffened. “Oh, hell no.”I knew it. I knew he had some crazy trial waiting for me. I was going to have to jump over lava, battle some kind of ancient spirit, or—

“No, no, no,” Discord sighed, waving his hand. The lava vanished like smoke. “You’re not jumping into lava.”

“...I’m not?”

“Nope.” His grin sharpened. “You’re spending the night at Applejack’s house.”

My soul left my body.

“NOOOOOOO!”

Discord cackled.

“What? Lava? You would rather jump into lava?”

I turned away dramatically. “None of your business.”

He chuckled, leaning against thin air. “Oh, my dear, dear boy… you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.” His voice lowered, almost teasing, but something about it sent a chill down my spine.

And just like that—he vanished.

Leaving me alone.

Standing in the middle of the boys’ bathroom.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The person looking back at me felt… off.

Like a stranger.

Or maybe, I was the stranger.

Because if Discord was right—if I really had forgotten something—then what did that make me?

Who was I before all of this?

And if I really had lost my memories, then…

How could I be sure that what I did remember was even real?

What if it was all just… lies?

“What the hell did I get myself into?”

I needed to just—play along. If I played this right, I would get everything.

Power. Knowledge. The truth.

And then—

“OH, ONE MORE THING!”

I jumped as Discord’s head popped out of the bathroom sink like a nightmare jack-in-the-box.

“WHAT THE FU—”

He grinned. “It’s not just tonight! You also have two more slumber parties coming up—oh! And a pre-holiday party at your house.”

My eye twitched.

“Oh! And don’t forget—” He waggled his fingers. “You have to find out who Anon-a-Miss is.”

I stared.

“Good luuuuuuck~!” He disappeared into the sink with a loud, cartoonish pop.

I was going to kill him.

Slowly.

Painfully.

This wasn’t what I signed up for. I left the bathroom, still trying to process the sheer bullshit I had just agreed to, when—

“HAAAAAAH!!!”

Something pink slammed into me at full force.

I hit the floor hard, the air knocked straight out of my lungs.

Pinkie Pie.

Beaming. Practically vibrating with excitement.

"You took the offer! You took the offer!"

“Ugh—can you get off me?”

She giggled but finally rolled off, letting me stand up. As I dusted myself off, I realized the others had arrived too.

Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Rarity.

And Sunset.

They all stood there, watching me.

“Okay, maybe I took the offer. But that doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

I met their gazes, one by one. “I’ll be there. That’s it.”

Pinkie beamed. “And at the next slumber party!”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“And the pre-holiday party! At your house!”

I clenched my jaw. “Yes.”

The girls… smiled.

Like something in them had softened, like something had settled.

And Sunset—

Sunset looked like she wanted to hug me.

But then I turned to her.

And I didn’t hold back.

“I still don’t know if you’re really ‘reformed.’” My voice was cold, "Matter-of-fact. I don’t even know if you’re really Anon-a-Miss or not.”

The warmth in her expression got bigger as she heard that i don't suspect her now fully.

I kept going. “I still have only bad memories of you. And I don’t believe we were ever… whatever we were before.”

She looked like I had stabbed her.

Her hands clenched into fists, but she didn’t argue. She didn’t fight it.

Instead, she took a shaky breath, then gave me a thumbs up.

“I’ll make you remember.”

“Yeah. We’ll see.”

I turned away before I could see the pain in her eyes again.And walked into the classroom early, slumping into my seat.

Then I stared at the clock.

I willed the time to slow down.

Because the slower time passed—

The longer I had before I had to go to Applejack’s house.

And that was something I wasn’t ready for.

So instead, I pulled out my phone under the desk.

Another post.

Anon-a-Miss.

Three minutes ago.

I stared at the screen, my fingers gripping the device a little tighter.

There was no way Sunset could’ve posted this.

Not now.

Not when she was sitting right across the room from me.

It was weird.

Before I could think on it any longer—

“Ahem.”

A sharp clearing of the throat broke my concentration.

I looked up.

Shit.

The teacher stood over me.

I quickly shoved my phone back into my pocket, forcing a sheepish look onto my face.

“I’m sowwy”

The teacher gave me a knowing look, like she pitied me,before sighing and walking back to the front of the class.

I let out a slow breath and leaned back in my chair, trying to focus.

I need to see it again.

I needed to make sense of this.

So, carefully I unlocked my phone under the desk.

A photo.

It was my wallpaper.

Me and Sunset.

We were in some house, sitting on a couch, smiling.

She was leaning against me[, her hand on mine, her eyes closed like she was at peace.

I stiffened.

Where was this taken?

I… I don’t remember this.

I don’t remember taking this photo.

I don’t remember ever being that happy.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket like it was on fire.

Did I really… forget everything?

No.

No, I know things.

I know my mom died.

I know my brother died. because of me, too.

I know that.

But—

Why… why didn’t I remember how?

I remembered Mom, her last breath, how she died in my hands, telling me she loved me.

And then—

Nothing.

Just blackness.

That was it.

That was all I had.

That’s suspicious.

Discord knew the truth.

If I lose this bet, I’d get my memories back.

And he thought I had something to lose.

But he was wrong.

I had nothing.

Nothing except the burning need to know.

I would win.

I had to.

And with that thought, the last two classes ended far too quickly.

My phone buzzed.

A message.

Applejack.

Meet in front of the statue.

I sighed, grabbing my black coat from my locker.

I didn’t bother with my books.

Didn’t bother looking back.

I just wanted to get this over with.

I stepped out into the cold. The air was crisp, sharp against my skin, but the world looked… beautiful in a strange way.

The statue of Canterlot High stood tall in the middle of the courtyard, reflecting the dying light of the evening sun.

I walked up to it, my boots crunching against the snow-covered ground.

Something about it called to me.I reached out, brushing my fingers against the surface—

And my hand sank into it.

Neat.

“No touching.”

A voice called from behind me.

I shrugged and turned around.

It was Sunset.

She stood there, hands in her jacket pockets, a smile tugging at her lips.

Her eyes—they looked like they knew me.

Like they’d always known me.

"I know you don’t remember, but we’ll make you," Sunset said, her voice gentle but determined.

"You already told me this." I folded my arms. "Listen, to me, we are strangers. All of you are. So don’t think I’ll be jumping into your arms today."

Her smile faltered, just for a second, like a crack in glass. But then she let out a small, breathy laugh. "Okay, okay. No hugging today. Not with anyone. You could’ve just said that, you know."

It was funny. I actually laughed, but I forced it down, turning my head away to hide the twitch of my lips. Don’t get comfortable. Don’t let them in.

Then— BAM!

"See, see? He’s not that bad!"

I jumped as Pinkie Pie materialized behind me, smacking my arm with her elbow.

"UHGH—!" I nearly tripped forward.

"What is it with all of you scaring me?" I groaned, rubbing my arm as I turned to glare at the rest of the girls approaching us.

They all looked… happy? Hopeful?

Even Sunset, despite my rejection, despite the way I kept my distance, despite my words.

Why?

Why them?

Why did they want me back so badly?

I tried not to think about it as they started talking about the ride to Applejack’s house.

Apparently, Pinkie’s truck was tiny, so we had to split into groups. Great. I tuned them out, stuffing my hands into my pockets, waiting for them to make a decision.

"You’ll be riding with Sunset."

Of course I had to ride with her.

I let out a dry chuckle, shaking my head. "Oh yeah, who would’ve guessed? I just happen to get stuck with my fabricated girlfriend."

I looked straight at her "I should’ve known. This is just another way to make me think I really loved you."

The others went quiet.

Sunset didn’t flinch.

She just looked at me. She didn’t argue. She didn’t defend herself. She just let me have my moment.

And that made me hate this even more

"Fine. I’ll ride with you. But promise me—if I say stop, you stop. No crazy stuff. No speeding. I don’t know what you’re playing at, and for all I know, you could throw me off your damn motorcycle whenever you feel like it."

Sunset still didn’t argue.

She just nodded. "I promise."

…That was too easy.

"Um…"

I turned.

Fluttershy had raised her hand, as if we were still in class.

Her big teal eyes were focused on me, soft and hesitant. "I can drive with Sunset if that would make you feel better."

Cute

But why?

Why would she do that?

She knew Sunset wouldn’thurt her, didn’t she?

She knew something I didn’t.

Something all of them knew.

I glanced at her small, delicate frame—so fragile compared to the rest of them, like she’d shatter with the wrong push.

No.

I wouldn’t let her take my place.

"No, it’s okay. I took the offer. I’ll ride with her."

Sunset smiled.

She tried to hide it, but I saw it.

I didn’t like that I saw it. As I walked over to the motorcycle, my body felt heavy.

I had to remind myself—this is part of the deal. This is just a game. I have nothing to lose.

I sat down. And then—

"You used to love riding with me, you know."

I clenched my jaw.

I gripped the sides of the motorcycle.

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t want to know if she was telling the truth.

I didn’t want to believe her.

Author's Note

Hey here is another chapter, but i want to explain the pact discord and mh made, we all know the truth about mh mother galaxia, yeah the bitch, but mh doesn't know about her after his memory got wiped, and that's discord wild card, he's manipulating? idk if that's good word, he's just not telling him the truth right away, annnnd discord is playing for time, he doesn't know yet how to get his memory right, he just hopes that the girls will find something while mh is with them, i think thats all? discord is being discord, mh memory is still in shambles, but he's starting to see and think as he did before the wipe, but there's a long way ahead. Have fun reading