//------------------------------//
// Alone With Myself 
// Story: Dawn of Discord 
// by BubblesOnMyButt 
//------------------------------//

	Pain... The pain was numbed, but still unbearable. There was a decayed taste in his mouth, like he had been there for a long time. Sitting up, the blood ran from his head into his body; the sensation felt like needles rippling across his flesh. He spat the horrid taste onto the floor and rolled over to his hooves, taking special care to avoid the fresh toxic pool.
Finally, opening his eyes fully he saw he was still at Poly's house (as far as he could tell at least). The walls had been burned now and the ceiling collapsed, dried sweat cracked on Dusk's skin as he twisted to look around some more. The entire place was covered in ashes and the sky was visible through holes in the ceiling; the orange glow of fire danced ominously across the cottony clouds. The cotton candy clouds actually.
Dusk watched as another bit of the roof fell and exploded into a cloud of ash before flying up and igniting again. Slowly the building crumbled and followed suit as a fire storm of ash and wood swirled into the sky. The horizons were cleared slowly as the walls began to fly into the sky piece by piece. Dusk scanned the world opening up all around him and regretted his attention to detail. The Ponyville he had come to love over the years was now in a blaze, smoke flew to the sky before forming into clouds of blackened cotton candy. The fires cackled with laughter and their sparks spread furiously as Ponyville was eaten up in the inferno bit by bit. He couldn't understand how this had started, nor how anypony could have allowed it. "It's beautiful isn't it."
Dusk turned and his teary face reflected the fires and the figure behind him. A tall, monstrous figure whom he had only seen once before leaned over him, "How are you enjoying New Ponyville?" His voice was proud and dark, he took a great appreciation in the current state of affairs. "Oh, Riiiight. You were unconscious when all of the fun was going on, we played such wonderful... 'games'. He he he he, maybe next time I'll keep you awake for the festivities." Dusk was at a loss of words as this figure chuckled at the destruction of an innocent town, he was dumbstruck with silence for a little bit until he mustered up the courage to squeak out two words. "Dawn... Why?" The draconoquis made an about-face and placed his arms behind his back as he walked away, "Entertainment, boredom... revenge. Maybe a little bit of it all."
"Oh, and for the record, 'Dawn' was the wretched name that your subconscious gave me and I refuse to let you soil my image with it. You've already heard my name before, I'm sure you have. You were there for the unveiling, weren't you?" Dusk's memories drew blank, no matter how hard he tried to remember he could not pull out what he did not have, "I-I don't know your name, I can't remember anything really." The draconoquis swiveled his head 180 degrees, "It's Discord you foal and it would do you well not to forget it."
As his head continued along the other one eighty required to make the full three sixty he silently cheered to himself, 'Excellent!!! He doesn't remember a thing! He he he he, now I can have some real fun.' Dusk was still searching for his memories but they had been wiped somehow and everything leading up to the last couple minutes or so before he blacked out was gone. "If you did all of this for revenge then why am I still alive? Why haven't you killed me along with the rest of the town?" Discord looked at him through the corner of his horrid eyes, "Oh Dusk, he he he, you honestly think that I killed everypony? No, that is not my job. You see, I need them for my game."
"What game? What do you mean it's not your job?" The ashes that floated in the air began to sink and pile up in Discord's monstrous paw before compacting into what looked like a mirror. Discord looked into the mirror vainly and began to run his claws through his ragged mane and around his horns, "That does seem to be a rather important question for you, isn't it? You see, my little pony, now that I am back (and have a near unlimited wellspring of untapped magical power), I found that there wasn't much challenge in taking out the holders of the Elements of Harmony so I decided that I needed some pawns to play a game of chess with."
He took the mirror and threw it to the ground were the ashes that formed it dispersed and reformed into three ponies, "So I corrupted the people of this land and now they do my bidding. Of course every game needs two sides, doesn't it? That is were you come in..." The ash fell off of the ponies and revealed them to be the three ponies that he had fought with on the first day of high school in class, though there colors had become dulled and grey. "I'm sure that you recognize these three don't you? I had a fun time crushing them that time we were together, though they work for me now." He picked one of the cronies up and swung him around limply, "Though... Just because they are on my side doesn't mean I necessarily have to treat them well... he he he." He dropped the pony back down and looked at Dusk again, "You may find that this world has some deadly new consequences for everypony..."
"Especially for those that you love."
Dusk stared at the three colts and back up to Discord, "What do you mean?" Discord's comment was solemn and honest. Whatever he meant by it, he was not joking around. "You want to see Equestria returned to peace don't you? What if that were to cost you beyond what you can pay?" Dusk's heart sank slightly, "What are you going on about now?"
"I'm going to have you become the main piece in my game, Dusk. Your life will be on the line every second of the way and I honestly don't care whether you live or not, because if you win... You'll still lose."
Dusk resisted the temptation to gulp and pushed his fear under the rug, "Now I know you're an idiot. If I win, then you fail. There is nothing for me to lose. Are you so deluded that you have forgotten this detail?" Discord chuckled for a moment, "Oh no my little pony. To return peace to Equestria you must save the Elements of Harmony, but if you do that...

...

I kill Poly, her family, and your mother." Dusk felt woozy and wide eyed, this development was unfair in every sense. He couldn't see how it could get worse.

...

"And if you save them, the Elements die instead and Equestria is doomed for all eternity." Never mind.