//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Eyes of a Stranger 
// by Lexicon 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1


It started off like most any other day. Today happened to be the day that my routine took me to the market to stock up on food. I had just bought some apples from Applejack, one of the members of the Apple Family that ran Sweet Apple Acres. That’s when I saw French Fry, a green earth pony mare with a golden brown mane and stunning blue eyes. She was amazingly good at frying different kinds of foods, as well as the love of my life. We were to be wed in a week, which is why I found it so odd that she would be speaking to my brother so close to my home.

After that, I must have blacked out, for I later awoke in a cold sweat, lying in my bed. It seemed I had had a nightmare that was horrible enough for my subconscious to remove it from my mind before waking me. I climbed out of my bed and went to the bathroom to begin my morning routine. Toilet, shower, then brushing my teeth. When I looked up into the mirror after beginning to brush my teeth, I happened to look into my eyes. They were the eyes of a stranger. Physically, they were my green eyes, yet the look in them was not my own.

My coarse yellow coat and my brown mane and tail French Fry had so often described as silky were just the same. My horn was just as long and pointy as ever. Nothing was wrong with my coiled rope cutie mark. Despite all that, something seemed off. It was almost as if somepony else had been living in my body.

I finished my routine, trying to put thoughts of possession by something from Tartarus out of my mind. When I checked the paper after bringing it in off the porch, my eyes wandered to the date out of habit. There were four days left until my wedding. The full implications of that realization didn’t sink in until I was halfway through a story about an expansion to the Canterlot library. There were three days I couldn’t remember. I put my newspaper down and immediately went to French Fry’s house, knowing she would be leaving for work in about ten minutes.

When I knocked, French Fry’s sister, Stir Fry, opened the door. She hadn’t seen French Fry for the past two days, and had no idea why there was such a large gap in my memory. After apologizing for waking her, as it was clear I had done so, I went to find a few of my friends in the hopes they could help.

My friends had no idea where FrenchFry was if her sister hadn’t seen her in the past couple of days. One of them recalled seeing her showing my brother around my house. Another mentioned that I had been acting strangely the past few days, and had paid a visit to the library yesterday. That was odd, as I rarely went to the library. I decided to see my brother first, however.

My brother, Couch Potato, ran a local furniture shop. He actually did look a little like a potato, and he had a habit of sitting around, so he know’s his wares. When I asked him about French Fry, he said he hadn’t seen her since he spoke with her three days ago about a wedding present for me. After that, he refused to tell me anything else, and kept saying he had said too much already. As for my memory, he had no idea what was wrong. That left me one lead, so I went to the library.

When I got there, I knocked just to be safe since I knew there were librarians quarters in the large tree. A violet unicorn mare opened the door. I struggled for a moment to remember her name was Twilight Sparkle, but she seemed to remember me from yesterday. I quickly explained my situation to her, in the hopes she could help.

She wasn’t too surprised I couldn’t remember the past few days. She told me that I had been looking into amnesia spells, and that I likely had cast one on myself by accident.

When she looked closer, she told me she could remove it, but that it would be painful. I didn’t care, and so I had her take the spell from my mind. I was not prepared for the pain, and I think it’s possible that my screams scared her assistant, as I didn’t see him when I opened my eyes.

Then suddenly, I remembered. I remembered what I had done to my beloved French Fry., and what I had planned to do to my brother Couch Potato. I broke down in tears, crying right there in the middle of the library.

After a minute or so of me crying, Twilight finally asked what was wrong. I made sure her assistant wasn’t around before telling her everything.

I told her about how I grew worried that French Fry was cheating on me with my brother when I saw them together in the market. How I had planned to kill them both.I described to her how I had strangled French Fry  with a length of rope. I confessed that I began having second thoughts after I buried her body in my basement, and that the memory spell I cast on myself was no accident.

After all that, I asked her to summon the Royal Guards so the could lock me in a cell for the rest of my life. Unsurprisingly, she did so.

By my count, that was three days ago. My trial was yesterday. It was a private and short affair, with the Princesses as my judge and jury.

Tonight, after I finish my evening meal, I plan to hang myself. I will use the sheets off my bed as the rope for the noose, for my talent is manipulation of rope and similar materials. I just can’t live with the guilt of my actions. On top of this will be my final wishes. I can only hope they will be carried out.