Chapter 40: Killer In The Mirror
I was pacing back and forth as my mind was racing. I'm a murderer... I'm a murderer... I whispered as I turned back to take a look at the stallion's body again, just to see he was okay. No. He wasn't okay. The wide, bloodshot eyes, looking right into mine lifelessly. I sobbed before the scene in front of me, tears started to form on my eyes again. I did this... "I never meant it!" Yes I did... "He deserved it!" To die..? "I..."
"Come on! This way! It must be around here! Search everywhere!" The voices ahead filled my ears like sirens. I turned to the forest again, taking a look at the trees that were growing upon me. Run...
And so I did. I ran... I ran as fast as my legs could handle. Didn't look behind even just for a second. Because I knew they were there, the eyes... The lifeless eyes that will haunt me for life. The eyes that will ream into my mind with their hateful stare.
As Jason got away from him, he moved... He stood up, slowly but surely. After stretching out, and cracking a few bones. He looked at his right hoof which started to melt, to be replaced by a lion paw, his other hoof took the shape of a claw. The neck of the stallion extended as his chin lingered from his head, completed with beard grew out in a blink. On the top of his head, two horns grew out, one like a goat's and the other one like a deer's. His legs, with another snap, changed as well. A dragon claw and a more primitive kind of hoof. And finally, his tail was replaced with a scaly one instead of an equine's.
The Draconequus looked after the human running away as a dirty grin took over his face. With the voices of ponies drawing closer, he vanished into nothing with a poof.
Twilight was rushing ahead, hoping to find Jason before things get worse for everyone. She saw the crowd gathered in front of the trees that she believed that belonged to Everfree Forest. Some mares, such as Lyra, Bon Bon, Berry Punch were staring at the darkness ahead while stallions were going deeper into the forest. Of course, there was a line that even they can't pass, the line that separates their safe grounds from where darkness conquers the surface and bloodthirsty creatures become dominant.
After reaching the angry mob of ponies, Twilight stopped to understand what was going on. She turned to mint-green mare right next to her, "W-What happened? Where is he?"
"What? The beast? He ran into the forest!" Lyra pointed at the trees. "After attacking ponies around, he escaped."
"HE- WHAT?" Twilight exclaimed, "Into the Everfree Forest?!" Oh no... "W-What about the ponies he attacked? How are they?"
"Well, he threw a rock at Berry Punch, it hit her hard enough that we heard bone breaking." Lyra admitted. "After that he started to attack random ponies in the crowd before running off and starting this chase.”
What to do, what to do… Twilight raised her head and took a look at the forest before turning back and running to town.
I wasn’t sure how long I have been running… Minutes? Hours? Has it ever been that long? I had no idea. All I knew was— “Gyah!” All the world spun around me for a second. Before I could realize what was going on, I found myself lying on the ground. I turned my head to see what tripped me. Just a big rock. Thank God nothing else. I got up to take a look at my surroundings, it was nothing much to be honest. Trees, bushes, dark atmosphere which I was used to seeing for a long time now and the river that was flowing.
I crouched to get a handful of water, I was thirsty after all this runaway. After a few sips, I placed my hands to sides and inhaled slowly, then exhaled.
“So you finally did it.
I quickly got up and scanned my surroundings. “Wha—“
“But they got what they deserved… Didn’t they?”
“Wh- Who are you?! Sh-Show yourself!” I clenched my fists.
“Right here.”
I looked back at the river to meet the gaze of a man in his middle ages, thirties or forties I’d say if I was to tell. With his toga on him, a cloak over his shoulders and with a beard on his face as the messy hair fell upon his forehead.
I put my hand on my face, as the reflection did the same. “N-No…” Was that… Me? I-It can’t be. “I—“
“You did it.”
“I-I just—“
“Took a life, killed someone. Yes.”
“I didn’t mean to!” I tried to make an objection. “I was only trying to—“
“Take out your anger? Take revenge? For what they have done to you this whole time?”
“I…” For the first time, I really did not have anything to say. This whole scenery, my reactions. He had a point, there really was nothing to prove things otherwise. “Oh God…” I just bent down and covered my eyes with my palms. “What have I done..?”
Even after all they have done, I couldn’t bring myself to idea that they deserve to die. I just couldn’t… “What… What am I going to do now?” I whispered as I felt the drops of tear slid down to my cheeks.
This was the rock bottom, the lowest point of my life. Out of all the bad memories I had here, this was the worst. I disappointed everyone now… Celestia, Luna, Applejack… And the worst of all, myself… I always made myself believe I was right, I always believed I was misunderstood, innocent. And now? I threw it all into the Hell.
“Then you know what you have to do now.”
I took my hands off my face and stared at my reflection. I knew what he meant.
“You have to finish what you left undone.”