>You are Anon.
>Yeah, weird name, but your parents were not the most normal people.
>Their reasoning was that it'd "make you feel more relatable."
>Whatever the fuck that means.
>But your name is probably only the second most interesting thing about you.
>The honor for the most extraordinary thing would have to go to your place of residence.
>That place being Ponyville.
>How you got here, you still have no idea.
>But you're here, and it's been pretty great.
>No pony has ever seen a creature quite like you.
>You're tall, bipedal, and from another world without magic.
>To small technicolor horses, that's probably the most crazy thing they've ever heard of.
>You haven't had to pay for much of anything, they even built you a human sized house expecting nothing in return.
>At most you've had to do a few odd favors and go on a few comical adventures.
>Other than that, not a day of work.
>It's pretty great, the ponies definitely put you on some kind of pedestal.
>Everything from your food to clothes is provided for you.
>And you thought they thwarted Glim Glam's socialist dreams.
>Kidding aside though, you can't think of much that you don't like here.
>Sure, you're missing a lot of the comforts from Earth and you had friends, but people would kill to be in your spot.
>And you can't say you blame them.
 
>It's a pretty average day.
>The bright, technicolor world around you makes every morning feel warm and inviting.
>That is, unless there's some villain of the week bullshit going on, then things can get bad outside.
>But that happens less than you 'd think.
>Ponyville as you know it is like if you took the show and stretched it out.
>It's like life, everything's a filler episode.
>You've witnessed first hand the gripping drama of Applebloom losing her bow and Rarity being out of silk.
>More obsessed fans would probably eat that shit up, but you could care less.
>You're more into the adventurous stuff.
>Being a big, imposing monkey man, you tend to be a pony's first pick for getting help with more risky things.
>"Hey Anon, there's some rogue Changeling's outside of town."
>"Hey Anon, there's a very important book hidden in some swamp."
>"Hey Anon, Discord got bored and turned half the town into foals, care to help?"
>Stuff like that.
>You know it's them using you, but it's fun.
>That and it justifies you having everything handed to you for free.
>Usually you have a few day's notification before being sent out to go do something.
>Which means most likely it's going to be a do nothing day today.
>Days like that tend to mean you sit around inside all day or wander into town when you get overly bored.
>It's kind of disheartening when you know your day is going to be a filler day.
>But that's just a part of living here.
 
>Sighing to yourself, you look through the Earth stuff you have.
>The items that were on your person followed you to Equestria, and luckily you had a backpack on at the time.
>You've got a wallet, a long dead phone, a small lighter running low on fluid, a dead laptop, a paperback copy of "Dune", an old notebook you've used as a diary, the bag itself, and the remnants of the weed you were on your way to sell before you wound up here.
>It's going to be a very sad day when your stash runs out entirely.
>Thankfully you've managed to pace yourself decently.
>Other than these things, everything else you own is from Equestria.
>If you knew you'd be moving to a different world, you'd have packed some other stuff.
>Like your memory foam pillow or some more books.
>But you've managed to piece together new belongings.
>Everything from a deck of cards you swiped from Trixie to some Equestrian literature.
>A shame that they don't really have sci-fi.
>It makes sense seeing as how this is a fantasy world at heart, but still disheartening.
>Nothing can be perfect you suppose.
>Although stuff like your phone and laptop have absolutely no value anymore, you still like holding onto it.
>They serve as something of a keepsake.
>Something to remind yourself of home.
>Because as much as you enjoy living here, you don't want to lose touch with where you're from.
>After all, you're still you.
 
>Not wanting to just sit around all day, you decide to make your own adventure.
>You toss some shit into your bag and sling it into your shoulder.
>Heading out the door, you start walking down a random direction.
>You're bound to find something interesting along the way, you don't leave town for stuff besides work so it's not like you've explored everything.
>You could go camping out in the Everfree or something.
>But that would require you to sleep outside.
>And you have learned the hard way that mosquitoes are still a thing in happy horse land.
>Never again.
>Shuddering a bit to yourself, you notice something from the corner of your eye.
>A cave.
>It's a large looking cave, the entrance seems clean cut and artificial.
>You've never in your life seen it before.
>Odd considering that it's only a few yards away from your house.
>Literally a stone's throw away.
>Maybe somebody has started a mining operation nearby?
>Although you haven't heard any work like that at all.
>Regardless, it's definitely given you something to do.
>Approaching the cave, you can't help but feel odd.
>You can't put your finger on what it is, but something feels off about this place.
>And that only serves to make you want to explore it more.
 
>The cave's insides are relatively small.
>It's a perfect circle, a sort of dome of rock.
>In the far back you can see what looks like an altar of sorts.
>The altar is around average pony height, carved in a dark black stone.
>Your best guess is obsidian or something.
>Upon closer inspection, there's an indentation in the altar filled by a small sphere.
>The light filtering in from outside shines on everything in the room, but the sphere does not reflect that light.
>It's like a black hole swallowing up everything.
>And what do you do with strange, light swallowing artifacts?
>Grab that shit.
>Granted you aren't normally that impulsive.
>Something is just pulling you towards the thing.
>You reach out, placing your hand on it to pull it from the altar.
>It's impossibly cold, sending shocks down your spine.
>Recoiling, you notice your hand is stuck to the sphere.
>Fear welling up in you, you desperately try to free yourself.
>All the while you can hear faint, unintelligible whispers in your head.
>Your vision begins to blur and darken, everything feels heavy.
>Maybe this was a mistake.
>Hindsight is an absolute bitch.
>As you begin to slip out of consciousness, you hope that Twilight can help you when you wake up.
>If you wake up that is.
 
>You do thankfully wake up.
>When you come to, you’re sprawled out on the ground, lying on your belly.
>Almost instantly you notice the small muzzle in the bottom of your line of sight.
>Going to touch it, you find your hand has been changed into a small, tawny hoof.
“Fuck, again?”
>The soft female voice that escapes your mouth all but confirms the situation.
>You woke up as horse.
>When you went pony the first time, it was due to Twilight practicing a body double spell.
>She wanted to see if it would work on other species than ponies, and sure enough you spent the day as Twilight.
>It was weird, but not exactly unlikable.
>After that you had become a pony three other times, this being the fourth instance of ponyification.
>First time you’ve had a coat this color though, you’re usually a green color if you aren’t an existing character.
>Oh well.
>Sighing a little, you pick yourself up off the ground.
>Twilight is probably going to scold you about the dangers of exploring alone before she gives you back your body.
>Annoying but you can’t use magic so you can’t fix things yourself.
>And Twilight is by far the most easy magically skilled pony to talk to.
>Princess of Friendship and all that, you know?
 
>Looking around the cave, you make a startling discovery.
>You can’t find your bag.
>Losing your bag would not be good at all considering your belongings from Earth were in there.
>It’s definitely nowhere in the cave itself.
>Maybe it went to the same weird subspace your clothes went to?
>Those aren’t here either and usually disappear in magical transformations.
>So hope now, panic later.
>Sounds like a plan.
>Best case scenario it’ll be right back on your back once Twilight is done nagging.
>Worst case?
>...You should just go find Twilight.
>The walk from here to town is pretty quick.
>Passing by a few ponies, none seem really surprised about your appearance.
>Granted, they probably don’t recognize you.
>Makes things a little less awkward you suppose.
>Once in town you catch your reflection in a shop’s window.
>Tawny fur, a chestnut color mane, crystal blue eyes… and a horn to top it all off.
>Pretty cute.
>Curious, you peek at your flank.
>The symbol on there is a big black book, opened to some random page in the middle.
>Not normally what winds up plastered on your ass, usually you get a little question mark or something.
>After a minute of looking yourself over, you tear yourself away from the reflection.
>Cute it may be, but you need to fix this.
 
>Doesn’t take you too long to find Twilight.
>She’s milling about town, mingling with others.
“Hey, Twilight, I need your help!”
>”Oh hey there! I thought you said you were busy today.”
>You blink.
>Did you tell her that?
“Um, sure. But, uh, I need you to do me a favor.”
>”Sure, what do you need Lexi?”
“Huh?”
>Twilight frowns slightly, cocking her head.
“What did you call me?”
>”Lexi! Your… name.”
“Hey, quit messing around! We both know I’m Anon.”
>”What’s an… anon?”
>She’s got to be fucking with you, right?
>Although it’s really not in her nature to do something like that.
>Your ears droop a little as you try to think of something to say.
>”Are you feeling okay Lexi? There isn’t some weird spell on you, is there?”
“A sp-spell? Um, no…”
>”Then what’s wrong?”
“I’m uh… just tired I guess… feeling a little under the weather.”
>She thankfully seems to buy that.
>”Why don’t you head on home? I can bring you some lunch later.”
>Nodding, you turn back towards your house.
>”Lexi… your house is that way.”
>Twilight points a quaint little pony sized house a little ways off in the distance.
“R-right…”
>Blushing, you scurry past her and towards the house that is most definitely not yours.
 
>Approaching the house, you notice a little sign on the door.
>”Scribbled Lexicon’s Residence”
>Pony names have always been a little weird to you.
>Actually having one is a million times worse.
>It’s a miracle that you have a normal sounding nickname…
>You shake your head.
>You don’t /have/ a pony name.
>Twilight is just confused.
>Hell, the actual Lexi is probably sitting in this house right now.
>That however is quickly proven false.
>Looking inside, there’s not a soul in sight.
>The house looks almost nothing like yours.
>Big shelves line the small walls, each full to the brim with books.
>The actual house is rather small, a little parlor area, a kitchenette, and a door you assume leads to a bedroom.
>What is going on here?
>Never in your life have you heard of a pony named “Lexi.”
>But here’s a fully furnished house, one you’ve never seen.
>And Twilight treated you like an old friend.
>Maybe that sphere had a bit more to it than you thought.
>It’s a scary thought, but something is definitely different here.
>That’s when it occurs to you.
>Your house should still be right where it was, right?
>In an instant you bolt out of the house.
>Running at full gallop makes the trip to your house a quick one.
>But there is most definitely no house there.
>It looks exactly like it did before the house was built.
>Uncleared, untouched, not a sign of anybody ever even coming over here.
 
>You feel numb.
>A part of you wants to run off frantically and ask any and everypony if they know the real you.
>That would probably only cause more concern though.
>After all, if Twilight had no idea who you are and your house doesn’t exist…
>Clenching your eyes shut, you desperately don’t want to think about it.
>Whatever is going on, you’re going to have to fix this.
>But that is easier said than done.
>After all, asking anybody for help could lead them to thinking you’re crazy.
>That damn orb messed things up badly.
>The orb.
>If you can take Twilight to it, maybe she’ll know what’s going on!
>It’s worth a shot at the very least.
>However, as you approach the cave, you’re met by nothing but a smooth rock surface.
>It’s not surprising, but it is devastating.
>Takes a lot of effort to not break down right there.
>But you do manage to slowly trudge back to “your” home.
>You’ll think of something eventually.
>Won’t you?
 
>Twilight comes by shortly thereafter.
>She’s got a small picnic basket with her.
>”How are you feeling?”
“Um… better, but I should probably get some sleep, I pulled an all nighter last night.”
>You can’t come up with much better of an excuse off the top of your head.
>”Again? You need to take better care of yourself Lexi…”
>The concern on her face tells you this is a reoccurring issue.
>But as far as you know, this is the first time this has ever come up.
>Whatever has gotten into her mind, it’s potent.
“I’ll keep that in mind, right now I just want to go rest.”
>Nodding, she slides the basket over to you.
>”Just return the basket when you’re done, okay? Feel better soon!”
>And you’re alone again.
>Sighing, you walk off to the small little bedroom in the house.
>It’s nothing special, a bed, a desk, a few odds and ends.
>You flop down onto the bed with a groan.
>Lying down as a horse is awkward to say the least.
>Even though your certain your legs are bending the right way, it doesn’t feel right.
>What the hell are you going to do?
>In this moment, with nobody around and your ideas pretty much exhausted, that question ways heavily on your mind.
>It’s all you can focus on, it’s the only thing you can think about.
>And it hurts.
>Hot tears sting your eyes, threatening to pour out in ugly sobs.
>Going to wipe them off is difficult with your hooves, and the difficultly only makes you want to cry more.
>So you do.
>You cry and cry, burying your face into the pillow.
 
>During the crying you fell asleep.
>It’s a couple hours later that you wake up, groggily lifting your head up.
>Still a horse head.
>And, as you are now privy to, horse heads still get headaches.
>Your body feels heavy and lethargic as you pull yourself up.
>It occurs to you that you aren’t quite sure how to stretch like this.
>You position yourself in a way similar to “Downward Facing Dog.”
>Your body leans in forward, your back end pushes up slightly.
>After holding for a moment, you hastily straighten yourself back up.
>Thankfully nobody around is here to make “I want to cum inside Lexi” jokes.
>Thoroughly embarrassed, you walk back out into the the main area of the house.
>Shit, the picnic basket.
>Your stomach grumbles as you remember the food you left out.
>Hopefully it’s not anything that would spoil.
>You try opening the basket with your hoof.
>That however proves more ineffective than you would have thought.
>You underestimated the power to grip things before, now you’re swiping the edge of a wicker basket hoping for the best.
>Frustrated, you hit the basket a bit too hard, knocking it over and spilling the contents.
>Oh great, jam.
>Jam and broken glass.
”This is bucking bullshit!”
>Your eyes go wide with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
>There’s no doubt you were thinking of fucking, but it didn’t come out that way.
>Maybe it’s best to focus on cleaning your mess now and how fucked up everything is later.
 
>Opening a basket is one thing, cleaning up broken glass and jam is another.
>You fucked up hard enough as is on opening something, how the hell are you going to fix this?
>That’s when you remember something.
>There’s a horn on your head.
>Unicorns have magic, telekinesis being an example of that.
>You just need to figure out how.
>Grimacing, you try to focus on a piece of glass, trying to get it to work.
>It can’t be too hard, right?
>But, much to your dismay, you just can’t seem to get it to do anything.
>All you’re succeeding at is making your headache worse.
>You keep pushing however, trying your hardest to cause some movement.
>A shard of glass does seem to twitch slightly, but that’s about it.
“Ugh!”
>You sit down indignantly, a scowl on your face.
>The one upside to this damn body and you can’t figure it out.
>How are you even going to function like this?
>No hands, no telekinesis, no memories related to Lexi…
>Everything has gone to shit.
>Taking a deep breath, you try to calm down.
>This isn’t going to help anything, and it doesn’t feel good either.
>So you might as well just try your best and calm down.
>Deep breathes, in and out, in and out.
>You just sit there with your eyes shut until your headache dissipates.
>That’s something at least.
>Your head feels a lot more clear now, although you still aren’t very happy about this whole thing.
>But this is as solid a start as any.
 
>Turning back to the mess on your floor, you try to focus on a shard of glass once more.
“Move, move…”
>Nothing.
>You whimper slightly, your whole body tensing up.
>Can’t you just get one thing, one little silver lining in this shit show?
>Just something you can latch on to!
>Miraculously, the shard moves, floating upward at your beckoning.
“O-oh my-”
>The moment your concentration breaks, the shard falls again.
“Buck.”
>Take three goes far better, you manage to keep your focus and move the shard around.
>The more you do it, the more natural it feels.
>However, you don’t exactly want to play around.
>You spend the next few moments cleaning up the place, floating the mess out the window.
>Only because you aren’t sure where the garbage goes here, and the window was right there.
>Moving the basket back over to yourself, you survey the remaining contents.
>Something wrapped in thin paper, paper now covered in jam and an apple.
>Great.
>The soggy paper pretty much points to the contents being inedible, so you aren’t even going to try.
>So instead you settle for the apple.
>It’s not great, but it’s something.
>And at this point, you’ll take anything you can get.
 
>After your “meal”, you look over at the large shelves of books.
>At first you wonder how Lexi would have ever been able to reach them, before the obvious dawns on you.
>Magic is some potent shit.
>A combination of curiosity and boredom compels you to pull a book down from a shelf.
>”Magic and Me.”
>Paging through, it looks like some kind of guide on spells, simple stuff.
>Probably helpful, but you’re not exactly interested in learning basic spells at the moment.
>You put the book back in its place, a shelf just below eye level.
>Grabbing a few books from nearby places, you find unassuming guides on a multitude of subjects.
>Stuff like “The Principles of Proper Horn Care.”
>Some of these volumes look like they’ve hardly been touched too.
>That’s when you wonder, what’s on the high shelves?
>The top shelf is high enough that you can hardly see it from where you’re sitting.
>You’d need to move back slightly to see it properly.
>The book you grab from up there is much heavier, but surprisingly less dusty than some of the other ones.
>”On the Matters of Channeling Chaos Magics.”
>You blink, looking it over.
>That’s… odd.
>It’s like finding a book on the occult in a public library’s reference section.
>You grab another.
>”An Incomplete History on Discord.”
>Also far less dusty than her lower shelf books.
>Maybe the lower books are simply there for show?
>Because despite these books obviously seeing more use, they’re definitely tucked out of sight.
>For the first time being Lexi, you’re more curious than frustrated.
 
>Discord.
>The name on the cover is more perplexing than anything.
>Even after Discord’s little reformation, he’s not the most popular guy around.
>A lot of ponies refuse to even mention his name.
>Yet, here’s a book about him.
>You’re fairly certain it’s not required reading for anypony studying magic.
>That coupled with that chaos magic book makes you wonder.
>What has Lexi been up to?
>Twilight mentioned something too come to think of it, but you can’t think of a natural way to press her for info.
>But Discord maybe…
>That’s it!
>Discord is basically a god, he should remember you!
>The only question is… where to find him?
>You could go see Fluttershy, but it’s no guarantee he’d be there.
>And you really want to avoid contact with ponies right now.
>They expect to be speaking with Lexi, and you have no way to emulate that yet.
“Where to find a chaos god…”
>”You ring~?”
>You jump at hearing his voice, looking around frantically.
>He’s nowhere in the room.
>”Down here!”
>You look back at the book, and sure enough, there’s an illustration of Discord on the front.
“Discord! You remember me, don’t you?”
>The illustration moves, scratching its chin.
>”Hm, I dunno, you ponies all look alike to me…”
>Rolling your eyes, you clarify.
“First off, bullshit, secondly, I mean the real me, Anon!”
 
>”Anon?” he asks.
>You nod.
>”Hm, Anon… Isn't an anon a... giant monkey? Right?”
>Your heart skips a beat.
“Y-yes! A human! Finally, someone who remembers!”
>Discord stares for a moment.
>”I… was joking Lexi. I’d accuse you of trying to play along but we both know that’s not your style.”
>The sudden turn is soul crushing.
>Your jaw hangs open as you try to figure out what to say now.
>”Wow, you seem really out of it Lex! Did you mess up another ritual?”
“I... I…”
>”Insanity is not a good look on you, but if you’re going to play with the unfathomable, you have to pay the consequences sometimes! I’ll probably return you to sanity after a while.”
“I’m not insane!”
>Your heart is racing right now.
>For a split second, you almost bought his insanity story.
>Even though you know for a fact that you were a human this morning you almost believed it.
>The sheer lack of will you just expressed makes you shudder.
>No, not lack of will…
>It’s Discord’s overpowering magic, even without trying he can have a subtle effect on those around him.
>You blink.
>Does he?
>You don’t remember anybody mentioning that before, but it sounds right.
>Just put the book up, he’ll get bored and leave you alone.
>Now, you can’t be sure of that, but something inside feels so convincing.
>So you do, and he does.
>How did you know that?
>A lucky guess?
>Intuition?
>Regardless, you’re all shaken up now.
 
>You’d probably roll up a joint right now if your stash hadn’t disappeared with your bag.
>Because you are the definition of a nervous wreck.
>You settle for the next best thing.
>A nice glass of tea.
>Before winding up in Equestria, you never really drank the stuff.
>But your drink choice here is limited, no real alcohol from what you’ve seen.
>So cider and tea have become more of a mainstay in your life.
>And, as far as you’re concerned, it’s pretty nice.
>Although getting shit faced on some cheap beer until you’re numb sounds awfully appealing.
>Alas, you settle for a cup of Earl Gray.
>Your horn makes the process of brewing it somewhat novel.
>Hasn’t taken you long at all to get used to handing it.
>Once you have the tea, you carefully levitate the cup to your mouth.
>Despite your quick learning, it never hurts to be careful.
>Especially when a fuck up will scald you.
>Thankfully you manage to take sips without much spillage.
>The muzzle thankfully doesn’t make things too weird or tough.
>A soft sigh of relief escapes your mouth as the warm liquid passes through you.
>You’re not shaking anymore.
>There’s even a small smile on your face.
>You blow through half a pot of that tea, and by the end of that, you’re feeling calm.
 
>With your head clear, you look over the bookshelves.
>Unassuming at a glance with a dark secret.
>If you’re stuck like this, best to look a bit deeper into what she’s been up to at the very least.
>More books fly off the shelves.
>Ranging from chaos magic to taboo rituals to inflammatory rebukes of Celestia’s rule from draconian cult leaders.
>Half of this stuff flies straight over your head.
>The other half you know is some big “no-no” shit.
>Like, you’d expect some minor villain to have a library like this before she gets reformed.
>Could Lexi be a minor villain?
>No, there’s no way.
>Twilight seems to be friendly with her.
>As you go to shelf the books again, a scrap of paper falls from one of them.
>Curious, you pick it up.
>”Dear Lexi, in the chance that Discord or something else destroys your memory or mind, I hope you find this.”
>Well, you suppose that this is a fitting circumstance.
>”No matter what you may think or what anybody may tell you, you are a chaos mage.”
>”That may not make sense to you, but you’ve practiced for a long time. It’s what you study, it’s what you live for.”
>”After all, ever since birth you’ve been destined for this path.”
>”So, good luck on fixing yourself up, and don’t let anybody’s nagging get you down.”
>”Regards, Lexi.”
>You stare at the page for a minute.
>It’s basically what you had assumed, but now it’s all confirmed.
>This Lexi dabbles in some very dark stuff, and does it with pride.
>And, for now, that’s who you are.  
 
>You put the paper up, sliding it back into the book.
>Or at least, some book, you aren’t quite sure what thick black volume it was in originally.
>Close enough though.
>Managing to not freak out again, you start pacing around the room.
>Staying like this any longer than necessarily is not wanted.
>So you need to work out your options.
>One: You fix yourself with your magic.
>Two: Twilight fixes you.
>Three: Discord fixes you.
>Four: Somebody else fixes you.
>Five: This is all some weird hallucination caused by a shrew in the moon.
>All of these have their own issues.
>They require you to either get really good at magic really fast, or convince somebody that you’re not a pony.
>And, you know five is a joke, but sometimes dumb shit keeps you going.
>Even if it’s dumb shit you make up off the top of your head.
>Regardless of what path you’re going to take, you can’t rush this.
>Giving somebody the wrong impression or fucking up a powerful spell can be irrevocably damaging.
>So, basically, you’re walking on thin ice right now.
>And you are not used to walking on these hooves.
>Right now, it seems your safest bet is learning more about Lexi.
>After all, you’re going to have to function as her for some time.
>But, how?
>Your glance turns back to the bookshelf once again, a thought beginning to form in your head.
>She’s a researcher and a scholar, that much is obvious.
>Meaning there’s a good chance that she’s got journals.
>You just need to start looking.
 
>So you tear through the entire top shelf of her books.
>Yet, you find not a single journal.
>Although you do find a single smutty novel tucked away with her tomes.
>That’s… something?
>You put it back, noting it’s placement for purely reasons of curiosity.
>But, right now, you’ve got bigger things on your mind.
>You start combing through the next shelf down.
>Doesn’t take you long to notice a small row of books all with the same, uniform blue binding.
>There’s no writing on the spine of any of them.
>Curious, you grab the first one from the group.
>The front cover is embossed with the number “1” in an ornate font.
>Opening it, you are greeted with what you assume is the title.
>”Observations and Recordings: 1”
>Jackpot.
>You eagerly flip through the pages, only to be met by the same thing on every one.
>Nothing.
>They’re blank, every single page.
>Maybe these are also just for show?
>But then, why have the title in the front?
>If anything, you’d want a fake book to have something innocuous on the spine, not something suspicious.
>And a group of blank spines is certainly suspicious.
>In total there are eight of these books.
>Just to be safe, you combed over every single one.
>The volumes continue the “Observations and Recordings” series.
>Yet all lack anything in terms of content.
>Somewhat disheartened, you put those back as well.
>Back to square one really.
 
>After all of this, you’re feeling tired all over again.
>The sun is setting steadily, it’s gotten dark out.
>You yawn a little, heading back to the bedroom.
>You can try learning more about Lexi tomorrow.
>Maybe you can play the Discord angle a bit.
>He thinks you’ve gone mad, or is at least teasing you, so you could play into that.
>Try and weasel stuff from him.
>What’s the worst that an all powerful chaos god could do to you?
>Well a lot.
>But at this point, you don’t have much to lose.
>Hell, his toying around with you might actually lead to a better form.
>Although, you wouldn’t bet on that.
>You can never bet on anything with that noodly fuck.
“Reformed my ass.”
>Hearing your own voice makes you wince a bit.
>You haven’t done much talking, and sitting her by yourself right now, it’s just echoing there.
>This isn’t you, there’s no way.
>And you’re going to fix this.
>As you fall asleep, you feel determined, albeit concerned.
>While you sleep, you feel something nag at your mind.
>Not quite a full dream, but there’s something going on in your head.
>It’s urging you, hammering one thing into your sleeping mind over and over again.
>”Don’t trust Discord.”
>The barrage of the warning makes your sleep restless, you can practically feel yourself tossing and turning in the bed.
>However, upon waking, the message doesn't fully stick.
>You feel haggard and slightly uneasy.
>And you can't figure out why.
>It's on the tip of your tongue though...
 
>Despite your unease, you know what you have to do.
>Sitting around staring at this house won’t accomplish anything.
>No, you've got to start working towards making a difference.
>And that sadly starts with Discord.
>Just thinking of his name makes you shudder.
>But he's about the only person you can think of that might give you some info on Lexi without raising suspicion.
>So, you must.
>Grabbing that book you used to speak with him earlier, you pause for a moment.
>That strange uneasiness passes over you again.
>It's right on the brink of your memory, but you can't force it out.
>Trying to ignore the dread, you pull the book down to your eye level.
"Hey, Discord!"
>The image of the draconequus twists around, facing you.
>"Took you long enough Lexi! Where are your manners?"
"I doubt you were waiting for me this whole time."
>He shrugs off your dry retort.
>"If you don't mind, I'm going to get out of this dreadful book!"
>Even if you did mind, he barrels out of it anyways, filling your house with a plume of thick smoke.
>Probably all just for show, to tick you off.
>Coughing a little, you focus your gaze on him.
>He's not his full size, he's shrunken down to fit into the pony sized house.
>Still large enough to tower over you with ease though.
>It's all about dominance with him.
>As long as he looks like he has the upperhand, he feels comfortable.
>Even if he has to fake it, he wants to look like the smartest guy in the room.
>Where did you read that again?
>You blush, shaking your head.
>Haven't gone through any of these books yet.
>The theory still feels sound, almost too thought out to be your own.
>Maybe Twilight told you it at one point.
 
>"Well Lexi, what is it?" Discord asks, lounging back as if in a chair.
>Of course, he's simply floating in midair, showing off.
"You implied I had lost my mind last time we spoke... is it possible that's true?"
>The path you've decided to head down will require some acting.
>Going straight forward with the "I'm a human!" argument won't yield results.
>But, if you pretend to at least be considering that you're actually Lexi, Discord might tell you some stuff.
>Even if it's just details about your personality.
>"I'd say it's likely."
"O-oh?"
>"After all, you're the one who seemed to feel relieved when I jokingly called you a giant monkey."
>Your face goes flush.
>It's only half an act.
>There's just something about his tone that puts you off, flusters you.
"Maybe I was just messing with you!"
>"Then why ask me if it's possible right now?" he replies back without hesitation.
>Your ears droop a bit as you realize that your assertation was dumb.
>Don't just blindly rush through this.
>You don't need to try and prove yourself against him, just get information.
"Heh, yeah, you've got me there..."
>Discord frowns, sitting up a bit in his chair of air.
>"What's really going on here Lexi?"
"Huh?"
>"Something is obviously going on here, it's clear as day."
>You open your mouth to speak, but are abruptly cut off.
>One might expect some sharp reprimand or harsh rebuke.
>Maybe even some show of magical force from the chaos god.
>But, instead, he poses a rather... strange question.
>"What's your favorite food Lexi?"
 
>The question catches you off guard to say the least.
>Is he quizzing you right now?
>Trying to change the subject?
>"Isn't is jam on toast? I remember visiting you several times while eating it!"
>Your face wrinkles up in confusion .
>What is he getting at here?
>Just before you call him out for skipping around the main point, you remember something.
>There was a jar of jam in that little basket of food Twilight brought you.
>So, that might be a tidbit of Lexi's past for you to use.
>It's not much, but it's something.
>Instead of calling him out, you simply nod.
"Y-yeah, apple jam..."
>You even put on a little smile.
>If he's just going to spoon feed you information, you'll take it!
>Discord nods, rubbing his chin.
>"Remembered that it was apple, eh? That's a good sign for your psyche."
>As if!
>You just remember the jar from yesterday, easy as that.
>So what if you never tasted it, it looked like apple jam!
>You... think...
>But of course it was, Discord just confirmed that.
>"And, do tell me..." Discord began, dragging you from your internal confusion.
>"When did you get your cutie mark?
>You look at your flank, blinking.
>Another random piece of Lexi trivia...
>"It was the first time you went into the restricted part of the library." he said, grinning.
>This time he didn't even give you a chance to reply.
 
>As you look into his eyes, you feel as if you've remembered something.
>It kind of spills out from your mouth, you don't even consciously recognize you're saying it.
"Yeah... the teacher said that those spells were to dangerous for us..."
>Discord chuckles, nodding.
>"But you sure showed them, didn't you?"
>You catch yourself from nodding.
>The words that rolled off your tongue have finally met your brain.
>What the hell did you just say?
>Was that just a lucky guess or something?
>But... why guess at all?
>You're letting him tell you stuff, there's no need to guess!
>"Ah, Lexi, you're loosing focus again!" he chides, wagging a claw.
>Your head shoots back up to look at him.
>The information he's feeding you is valuable, you have to keep it going.
"Sorry about that, I appreciate the help..."
>"Of course you do! It's like that time when I taught you that last part of that chocolate rain spell!"
>A soft chuckle escapes your mouth this time.
>"Yeah, and you didn't tell me the rain cloud would be in my house!"
>A genuine feeling of wistful joy wells up from inside of you.
>Nostalgia for an event that never happened.
>With your heart racing, you stare up at Discord.
>Fear is drowning out that nostalgia fast.
>What is going on?
>Discord's grin twists wider and wider as he leans in closer.
>"What's your favorite color Lexi?"
"Royal p-purple..."
>It comes out as a soft whimper.
>That's not your favorite color, is it?
>The idea of it feels wrong, but no other answer comes to mind.
>And, even worse, Discord didn't even give you a hint this time.
 
>"Is something wrong Lexi?" Discord asks, chuckling.
>"You seem tense!"
"I... I..."
>"I understand Lexi, therapy can be tough, but you're remembering so much!"
>Remembering...
>You blink, your eyes locked onto his.
>That's what this is, isn't it?
>Discord is helping you... remember.
>You think back to that note you found yesterday in the book.
>Lexi was concerned about her memory being toyed with.
>And Discord seems to think that's what happened...
>In this moment, everything feels like a big murky bog.
>No, two big bogs, superimposed on one another.
>Each step is tough and arduous, and even then you aren't sure what you're stepping in.
>Are you actually Lexi?
>Was your whole human life a delusion?
>Or are you  Anon?
>Is this all some kind of trick?
>Hot tears begin to stream down your face as you look up at the draconequus.
>You just don't know.
>Earlier today everything felt so certain, but now?
>It's hard...
>"Oh, don't cry Lexi, it's so unbecoming!"
>You snivel.
"I-I'm confused..."
>He shakes his head, patting yours.
>"That's just the reprogramming that's rotted your mind! That genius, if misguided, little mind!"
>You nod weakly.
>"But don't worry, I find no more joy in watching you suffer Lexi, a day or two has been more than enough."
>He leans in close, his face pressed up to yours with a wild grin.
>"I'm going to fix you, trust me~!"
 
>That phrase is like a rock being thrown into a tinted window.
>The barrier obscuring everything shatters around you.
>"Trust me."
>Your sleep last night rushes back to you.
>That shitty, restless sleep!
>More importantly, the voice that was bothering you all night...
>"Don't trust Discord."
>You tear your eyes away from his, clamping them shut.
>"Lexi...?"
>His sadistic enjoyment is no longer evident in his voice.
>It's calmer now, more curious if anything.
"Fuck off..."
>You can't see it, but the snort he gives makes you think he recoiled slightly.
"Leave me alone!"
>Your voice cracks a little as you yell at him.
>Sniffing a bit, you peek at him.
>HIs back is turned to you, it's as if he's walking away from you.
>"You're afraid of me, aren't you Lexi?" he asks coldly.
>You don't humor him with an answer.
>He simply sighs, looking back at you.
>"You're sick Lexi, you've messed up your head. If you won't let me fix that, fine, live with this torment."
>He smirks a little, his facade already back up in full.
>"But, don't fear me!"
>He disppears in yet another puff of smoke, his voice echoing in your house.
>"After all, fear is the mind killer!"
>You shudder as his laugh trails off into nothing.
 
>What are you going to do now?
>Talking with Discord was an utter failure.
>Just thinking about it makes you shudder.
>The way you just started reciting these facts about Lexi was just surreal.
>Even now you're still somewhat unsure of if you're actually Lexi or not.
>The only thing that really keeps you from fully falling into that belief is that you don't actually remember anything you said.
>Like it raining chocolate in this house, you have no recollection of that.
>Hell, you don't even remember seeing this before going to that damn cave.
>But in that moment with Discord, you believed it whole heartedly.
>You felt the emotions like they were a part of you.
>Was Discord imposing them onto you?
>If he really did think you were Lexi, it would make sense that he'd do something like that to fix you.
>After all, there's no worries in brainwashing someone if that's fixing them, right?
>But you don't need to be fixed.
>You don't think that you do.
>One thing is for sure though.
>From here on, you will not be leaning on Discord for anything.
>No help, no advice, nothing.
>Even if he means well, it's far too dangerous.
>And you aren't even sure that he means well.
>Instead you're going to seek help elsewhere.
>Literally anywhere else.
 
>Your stomach rumbles softly after a bit.
>Makes sense, you haven't eaten anything since that apple yesterday.
>Looking through  your small kitchen, you thankfully do find some food.
>The jam looks tempting, but you make a decisive effort to avoid it.
>Last thing you want to do is prove Discord right.
>You might have found the lack of meat discouraging if you hadn't basically gone vegitarian here anyways.
>In a world where just about every creature can talk or at least convey emotion, eating others is generally frowned upon.
>Not to mention you'd be the one doing the butchering.
>So you've altered your diet a bit.
>Which means finding the ingredients you'd use normally to make oatmeal is rather encouraging for you.
>Either Lexi was a far better cook than you, or working with a horn is criminally easy because the process goes by quickly.
>It's even a little fun.
>And the piping hot mush tastes pretty good on top of that.
>Just what the doctor ordered!
>You scarf the whole bowl down and go for a second one.
>Looks like you've found out the true meaning of comfort food.
>Once you're full, you set the dishes aside in your little sink.
>You can clean them later.
>As you do, you hear a knock on the door.
>Who could be visiting you?
>Discord wouldn't knock, so maybe Twilight?
>Or perhaps somebody else that Lexi associates with?
>But that could be just about anybody at this point.
 
"Um, who is it?"
>You call out, not opening the door yet.
>"I-It's Fl-Fluttershy..."
>Oh, that's not that bad.
>You can deal with her, even if her nervousness can be a little annoying.
>Heading over to the door, you let the yellow pony in.
>She looks around a little, before awkardly averting her gaze to the floor.
"Can I help you?"
>You, as Anon, haven't really interacted much with Fluttershy.
>She was always kind of around, but she'd tend to avoid you.
>Probably out of embarassment or something.
>"Have you t-talked to Discord yet today?" she asks, looking up sheepishly.
"Um, yeah, why?"
>"O-oh, it's nothing! H-he just seemed a little... a-angry. N-not that I'm implying you made him mad!"
>You nod, your eyes darting around as if to look for Discord.
>You know he'd probably be invisible right now if he was watching, but checking does ease the tension a little bit.
"No idea why he'd be mad, he seemed pretty normal when I talked to him."
>Not a lie really, Discord's normal is very abnormal.
>Fluttershy nods slowly, thinking about something.
>"M-must have been nothing then..."
"I suppose so!"
>Putting on a fake smile, you fully expect her to leave.
>But she doesn't, she kind of just waits there.
"Um... Everything okay?"
>"Oh... I was just wondering if... w-well..."
>Fluttershy blushes immensely, looking down.
>"I-If you'd prepared that spell for me yet?"
 
>Well, fuck.
>You have absolutely no clue what she's talking about.
>Fluttershy looks very concerned upon looking at your wide eyes.
>"I-I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to rush you...!"
"I-It's fine, it's fine!"
>No it's not, it is definitely not.
"I've just, well, been very... busy?"
>She nods, a nervous look still plastered on her face.
>"I understand, it's not a request you hear everyday... th-that's why I came to you."
>So Lexi is kind of the black market mage here, huh?
>Does shady jobs and spells under the table and all that.
>Makes sense, it's a decent living from the sounds of it.
"And I'll be more than glad to help, once everything here has settled down a bit."
>"S-settled down?" she asks, cocking her head.
"Well, you know, I've been pretty busy... studying..."
>Realization flashes over Fluttershy's face.
>"O-oh right! That c-cave!"
>Your jaw drops open, your heart soaring for the first time all day.
"Yes exactly! The cave! Wh-what have I told you about it?"
>"Th-that... well.. um... you really didn't Lexi, all you mentioned was that it was 'f-fascinating'..."
>That soaring feeling quickly crashes into an ocean of disapointment.
>Not that you didn't find a silver lining though.
>Somebody has to know about that cave! If not Fluttershy, than somepony else!"
"Y-yeah, it's very fascinating, and I'll happily tell you more later, but right now, I need to get back to work!"
>Fluttershy nods, quickly scurrying out.
>You're back on track to figuring this all out!
 
>You are Twilight Sparkle, and you're concerned.
>Lexi has always been somewhat problematic.
>Ever since she moved here, she's teetered precariously on the edge.
>Her skills and gifts are undeniable, and she's nice enough when you get to know her.
>But her interests are dangerous.
>Chaos magic is some of the most volitile, harmful stuff you can think of.
>Yet Lexi craves to learn more and more about it every day.
>You still remember when she flat out asked to be Discord's pupil.
>Thankfully Discord wasn't interested, but the thought of a pony so willingly wanting to work under him is frightening.
>Outwardly he seems mostly reformed, but you've seen him slip more times than you're comfortable with.
>This line of thought makes you sigh.
>You hate to be so judging and skeptical.
>As a princess of friendship, you should really be more trusting of your friends.
>At least, you think so at least.
>Lexi hasn't shown anything close to outward aggression.
>Anything shady she may be doing she hides rather well.
>Although you hate to admit it, you're fairly certain there is something shady going on.
>But you don't have the evidence to push that, nor do you want to be accusitive from the onset.
>Especially as of late.
>Lexi does not seem to be in the best mental state.
>When she came up to you last, she was acting so bizarrely.
>Bizarre even for her.
>And that's saying something.
 
>As you reflect on this, you're met with a familiar face.
>Discord.
>Sometimes you swear he can read your mind given how often he shows up when he's involved in your thoughts.
>Shaking off that creepy thought, you face him.
"Do you need something Disc-"
>The look on his face is a strange one for him.
>He looks concerned, nervous even.
>You've only seen such a look from him in very, very tense moments.
>"Tw-Twilight! We have a problem!"
"What? What's wrong?"
>Your body tenses up slightly upon hearing the worry in his voice.
>Discord takes a deep breath.
>"It's Lexi, she's not healthy."
"I noticed she was acting strange earlier, yes."
>He shakes his head.
>"It's worse than that, more than that. Her head is sick."
>You frown, not sure what he means.
>"She... she did something to herself, now her identity feels... fractured, like she's somebody else."
>Anon comes to mind.
>When Lexi first came up to you, she insisted she was Anon...
"Do... you know why?"
>"No! If I did I'd have fixed it myself!" he spits back.
>He looks really upset.
>Thoroughly unnerved, you try pressing on.
"What do we do?"
 
>Taking a deep breath, Discord looks at you.
>"Right now, she seems... fine, but there are dangers."
"Dangers?"
>He nods.
>"We have no clue what exactly has overtaken her, so she may be unstable."
>You imagine an unhinged Lexi, and it's not pretty.
>She's powerful, and even though you're fairly certain you could stop her, damage would be done.
>Both to her and the residents of the town.
"Should we watch out for any specific behavior?"
>"Seems like the safest bet. Just make sure she's acting as normal as possible, maybe even recovering."
>He pauses for a moment.
>"And... keep her away from caves."
"Caves?"
>You have no idea what he's hinting at.
>"Remember before all this? She was scoping out this strange cave?"
"Your cave?"
>He looks aside.
>"I will neither confirm or deny that."
>You roll your eyes.
>"Anyways, keep her away from it. Especially if there's some... other entity in her."
>Nervous for your friend's health, you nod slowly.
"Of course."
 
>"It... may be prudent to consider hospitalize her, at least until she's better."
>He's not exactly wrong, but you don't like the thought.
"If things get worse I suppose... we can consider it."
>He frowns a bit, but nods.
>"I suppose I should be off then, we've both got business to attend to."
"Thank you for being so... serious about this, it's unlike you."
>He smirks a little.
>"Lexi isn't like other ponies, not even you have what she has, I have direct investment in her."
"Then... why didn't you take her on as a student?"
>His smirk fades as he thinks of how to word his answer.
>"That's not my style, I've been her teacher, but never her mentor."
>With that he leaves, leaving you concerned but resolute.
>Lexi will get better, she's not doing well right now, but that can be fixed.
>You hope...
>Closing your eyes for a moment, you return to your work, or at least try to.
>Something is still nagging at you though.
>Why not the cave?
>Lexi hadn't told you much about it, but she seemed to believe it used to be Discord's.
>Or at least related to him in some way.
>She went to it recently too, saying that she "figured out the lock!"
>How do you lock a cave?
>It distracts you from your work, taking up more of your thoughts than you'd have hoped.
>You may want to do some digging...
 
>You are Lexi and you’ve got work to do.
>It feels like it’s been ages since you’ve stepped outside.
>Looking about the town fills you with an uncanny sense of unease.
>Ponies big and small know Lexi better than you do, yet you have to pass as her.
>Standing here worrying about it won’t help though, it’s time for action.
>With a deep breath you start walking around, looking for someone who may have connection with Lexi.
>Somebody who has worked with her before, or hired or, or is a friend…
>Because if they’re close, they may know something about this cave.
>Nobody seems to pay you much regard however.
>There’s the pleasant greeting now and again, but nobody stopping you or approaching you.
>The most meaningful interaction you really get is the odd lingering glace from a stallion.
>That obviously doesn’t sit to well with you.
>The sooner you’re back to being yourself, the better.
>Anon doesn’t have to worry about ponies giving them “fuck me” eyes.
>At least, you certainly hope not.
>In an attempt to get your mind out of the gutter and back on track, you decide to try and be more proactive.
>You’ll start the conversation!
>After all, if it’s you leading the conversation, you can keep it on topics you feel comfortable talking about as Lexi.
>Which, granted, isn’t a ton of topics.
>Feeling as ready as you’ll ever, you walk up to the first pony that you see.
>That just happens to be Big Mac!
>A surprisingly perfect candidate if you do say so yourself.
>He’s soft spoken so conversation won’t get out of hand.
>He may not have anything to do with you though.
>So this can basically be your warm up for talking with random ponies as Lexi.
 
“Hey, Mac, how are you?”
>The large red stallion cranes his neck over, looking at you.
>”I’m fine.”
>Silence hangs in the air for a bit.
“Well, that’s… good to hear!”
>”Eeeyup.”
“So uh… hear about any cool caves recently?”
>Smooth as a low poly cactus.
>Big Mac stands there, the gears in his brain churning in monotonous silence.
>”Nope.”
>You frown, inhaling sharply.
“Alright, I didn’t expect you to anyways… well… how’s your family doing?”
>Resorting to small talk already feels bad, but you don’t want to look crazy by pressing on this cave business.
>And you really do need to practice in conversation.
>”They’re fine.”
“Well I’m glad…”
>”Eeeyup.”
>Would it kill this guy to give you something to go off of here?
“Anything of note happen recently? Like, at all?”
>He contemplates the question again, looking up at nothing in particular.
>”Nope.”
“Okay then, have a nice day.”
>”Eeeyup.”
>You walk off feeling frustrated and a little embarrassed.
>That was totally him being bad at conversations, right?
>Right, you’re pretty bad, but you’re not that bad.
>You think.
 
>You assumed that finding someone actually worth talking to would be pretty difficult.
>However, it seems that your best bet has just walked into your hooves.
>There’s a zebra walking into town, clear as day.
>Your eyes light up with sudden excitement.
>She’s perfect!
>Zecora is a master of weird magic stuff, right?
>Lexi and her must work together sometimes.
>Approaching her, you put on as confident of a smile as you can muster.
“Hey there Zecora!”
>”Oh, Lexi, I didn’t see you there. On this day how do you fare?”
>Despite the rhyming, she’s already a million times easier to talk to than Mac.
“I’ve been better, work has been unexpectedly difficult recently.”
>Zecora nods understandingly.
>Either she’s being polite, or your tone is convincingly like Lexi’s.
“Yeah, my memory got a little scrambled so that set me back a bit.”
>You chuckle awkwardly, trying to play off memory issues as nothing major as soon as possible.
>”Lucky for you I know of this moss, I’ve found it quite good for memory loss.”
>Stupid friendly horses always trying to be helpful!
“I… don’t think that will be of much help. Besides, everything has been gradually sorting itself out anyways.”
>The zebra frowns slightly but doesn’t press any further.
>”Hopefully a least you remember what you worked on last, we don’t want that effort lost to the past.”
>It has to have been the cave, right?
>If so, you’ll have your first real lead in figuring out what happened to you.
>If not, Zecora is going to be way more skeptical of your memory fixing itself.
>Saying anything here is a gamble.
>But you’re going to have to make it.
>You’ll have to roll the dice and have faith.
 
“The details are still a bit foggy but… the cave-”
>Zecora quickly shushes you, looking around.
>”Lexi, don’t be a fool! Don’t you remember that rule?”
>You blink, caught off guard by her sudden shift in tone.
>She sighs, leaning in and whispering in your ear.
>”Only mention the cave when we are alone, secrets like these should not be known.”
>Well that’s pretty ominous.
>But at least it proves that this cave is both important and what Lexi was studying.
>”Come with me now, don’t delay. We need to talk and it must be today.”
>Ever since the cave has been brought up, Zecora has seemed different, on edge even.
>Pleasantries are most likely over for the time being.
>Fine by you if it means you’re one step closer to leaving this hell.
“Of course, lead the way.”
>She probably came into town for a reason, but she’s pretty much abandoned that.
>Apparently this is much more important to her.
>Good to have someone around with similar priorities.
 
>Zecora doesn’t say a word as the two of you leave town.
>The walk isn’t too terribly long.
>Your surroundings soon melt away into the dense green of the Everfree forest.
>This is where you first wound up in Equestria.
>You were confused, scared, and riding the tail end of a high.
>It was probably one of the most strange nights of your life, if not the strangest.
>You’d probably give anything to return to being that awkward monkey.
>”Come inside so we’ll have no need to hide.”
“Huh?”
>You’re outside her hut now, you were so caught up in your reflecting you hadn’t noticed.
“Oh, right, right…”
>Heading inside, you make yourself comfortable.
>If things go well you’re going to be here for a while.
“I’ll be honest, my memory of the cave is kind of foggy. Everything is sort of a blur.”
>”I understand, magic sometimes gets out of hand.”
>You’d drink to that.
>”The cave, as you may recall, is an important site from before Discord’s fall.”
>A shudder goes down your spine just thinking about Discord.
“Yeah, the place reeked of him for sure.”
>Zecora’s eyes widen a bit in surprise.
>”You managed to break through the seal? Now this is a big deal…”
“The… seal?”
>”An insignia carved in the cave’s center, it made it impossible for anyone to enter.”
>For a moment you wonder if this was actually the cave you went into, you don’t remember anything like that in the cave.
>”It was made to look like smooth rock and be hidden away, I thought it impenetrable until today.”
 
>When you went to look at it after everything that happened, all you saw was a rock face.
>Your heart is hammering in your chest.
>This has to be the right cave.
“I-I got it open alright, but it’s sealed itself back up. I don’t remember how I got in the first time.”
>Zecora sighs, obviously disappointed by that.  
>”What did you find in that temple of the chaos lord? What relics from the Cult of Discord?”
>You feel as if you’ve just been dropped from a plane.
>The what?
>Cult of Discord?!
>Picking up on your shock, Zecora elaborates.
>”At the beginning of the reign the princesses of Moon and Sun, there were some ponies still thought it was Discord who should run.” Zecora began.
>”They were driven by chaos, warped by Discord’s call. They’d have done anything to bring about the princesses’ fall.”
>”It’s hard to say in the end where they did go, or even more so what they did know.”
>This is all a bit much.
>Did you really stumble into a temple for Discord?
>What was that altar for then and what did it do to you?
>”But, most importantly, I need to hear, did you find t-”
>Zecora’s mouth suddenly clamps shut.
>The two of you share shocked, confused glances.
>And that’s when a third voice enters the room.
>”Now, I’ve heard just enough of this! Talking behind my back is so rude you know!”
 
“D-Discord…?!”
>The draconequus makes himself visible, a devilish smirk on his face.
>”You call Anon?”
“A-Anon?”
>He laughs, rolling his eyes.
>”Yes, Anon, I was having fun playing pretend, but you apparently can’t keep well enough alone!”
>Zecora seems to reach for a bottle of something, trying to be as subtle as possible.
>In an instant she’s no longer in the room.
“Wh-what did you do to her?”
>”Oh, I just sent her into town and gave her a craving for oranges and no memory of the past hour. Should keep her busy!”
>You groan, getting up to go help the zebra.
>Discord however instantly cuts you off.
>”No, no, no Anon, you’re not going anywhere!”
>Gulping, you sit back down.
>”Good, good, at least you can do something right.”
>His normal jovial nature is abnormally lacking right now.
>He seems genuinely annoyed.
>”I don’t ask for much you know, just some basic life changing chaos!”
“That doesn’t sound very basic…”
>”Oh hush, you’re the one ruining everything!”
“I don’t follow.”
>Sighing and rolling his eyes, he looks at you.
>”Couldn’t just take being a horse on a chin? Just had to go around and start making ponies worry and try and fix things!”
>You don’t even know how to respond to all of this.
>It’s just an overwhelming wave of confusion.
 
>Taking a breath, you try to talk through this.
“You… you did this to me?”
>He gives a sharp chuckle, shaking his head.
>”No, no, you did this to yourself. I just happened to leave the tools lying around. Or rather, the entrance open.”
“The cave…”
>”Yes, the cave! That cave you just couldn’t stop bothering over.”
>He’s like an angry teacher scolding a student.
>”I thought ‘hey, Anon’s gone and turned himself into a mare! This should be fun!’”
>He flops over onto Zecora’s table, sending random papers and potions flying to the floor.
>”But you’re being so booooring! It’s horrible!” he bellows, groaning.
“I’m… sorry? Wait, why am I apologizing? Fuck you, fix this!”
>He sits up, looking at you with a malicious grin.
>”Fix this? I never thought you’d ask.”
>Why do you feel that things have taken a sudden, awful turn?
>Capitalizing on your growing worry, he leans closer, smirking.
>”I should get to fixing this right away, after all, poor Lexi must really want her body back!”
“...Huh? L-Lexi?”
>”What, did you think that altar shat out some random made up pony? Oh no, Lexi is very real!”
“I’ve never met her, I’ve never even heard of her before!”
>He shrugs.
>”Everybody else seems to know her, I know that I know her.”
>He raises an eyebrow.
>”But who knows Anon, hmm~?”
“Um… you and me?”
>He nods slowly.
>”So, weighing the options, it would seem Lexi has far more value to the world, wouldn’t you agree?”
>You try to stammer out an answer, but are met by Discord snapping his claws.
>In an instant you spiral into a deep dark abyss, the words “Good talk~” echoing in your head until the nothingness consumes you.
 
>Your body is sore and heavy.
>You sit up, confused by the thin gown draped over you.
>A hospital gown?
>The room you’re in is a sterile white.
>This isn’t your house.
>You stumble out of bed, your balance offset and wobbly.
>Part of you wants to go back to bed, but you can’t.
>Something is very wrong here.
“Hey, is anybody here?”
>An older looking female pony walks into your room, a warm smile on her face.
>”Oh, Miss Lexicon, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Not the best... why am I here?”
>She glances down, trying to formulate a response.
>”You’ve been acting strange recently Miss Lexicon, you’re here for your own health and safety.
>You bite your tongue, holding back your disdain for this situation.
>What has Discord done this time?
>Day in and day out you jump through hoops for him and he still pulls stunts like this.
>If it weren’t for his knowledge you’d probably limit your interactions with him for your own safety.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m sure you’ll find that whatever Discord admitted me for I-”
>The nurse shakes her head.
>”No dear, it was Princess Twilight who had you come here. She seemed quite concerned for you.”
>What?
>Twi sent you here?
 
“I-I don’t understand…”
>”Twilight mentioned you’ve been having memory issues, can you not recall what happened?”
>You shake your head, a strange feeling of defeat bubbling inside of you.
>”Well, you seemed to have a little breakdown, thinking you were somebody else. Called yourself Anon and acted very dangerously.”
>Anon…
>Don’t you know an Anon?
>You rack your brain, pondering all the ponies and other creatures you know.
>Nobody specific comes to mind.
“You’re saying I thought I was… Anon?”
>She nods.
>This smells of Discord, but there’s no way Twi would ever play along with that.
>Unless of course Discord has manipulated her mind…
>He wouldn’t stoop that low would he?
>Ugh, this is already too much of a headache.
“Um… thank you for the information. Could I have some time to think?”
>”Of course, if you need anybody, just call.”
>The nurse leaves the room, shutting the door behind you.
>You try opening it with your magic.
>As you expected, it doesn’t budge.
>So even if you were up for it, there will be no daring escapes for you.
>You walk back over to the bed and lie down.
>Your body is still heavy and your brain is foggy.
>And you doubt you’ll be able to get much of anything done feeling like this.
>Scribbled Lexicon does not shirk her work.
>Lying down and closing your eyes, you wonder how you’re going to get out of this one.
>And also, who in the name of Celestia is Anon?
 
End of Part One