There is a fact, known yet unspoken by those around me. They
think this young unicorn mare with the bright green coat and
yellow mane shouldn't know this fact. That she can't know this
fact. But I do know it. I know it well. I, Nicole Evermore, once
known as Column Hoof, am destructive. A catalyst for chaos and
disharmony, as well as a detriment to sanity.
"Spawn of chaos"
"Tool of the Draconequi"
"Cause of misfortune"
I know these names, know them well, for they are constantly
whispered behind my back.
-
I came to Ponyville alone. There I found a group willing to
accept the new pony as a friend. And there began the seeds of
dissent I unknowingly sowed amongst them.
Through a simple game, I came to know an earth-pony stallion by
the name of Norie. He had a dark blue coat and almost black mane
and tail. As we came to know eachother better, he slowly
developed feelings for me. At the same time I began to develop
feelings for him. Neither of us knew this at the time, so
neither of us spoke up, and the time passed.
My feelings faded, and I put it down as a foalish lust, nothing
more. Unbeknownst to me, he too tried to put down his feelings.
In doing so, he attempted to connect with another unicorn from
our group, Tzeen. At the same time, I drifted close to another
of our group, the pegasus Northern Wind.
North and I talked quite a bit, and feelings soon developed
between us. As time passed, we finally admitted our feelings for
eachother.
As this happened, another of our group, the last pegasus of our
group, Helping Hoof, watched and developed his own feelings.
Eventually, Norie and Tzeen's pairing fell apart, and Tzeen
drifted to North. I accepted her, and allowed her to share North
with me.
-
Why do ponies lie?
It seems like a simple question, they lie to protect themselves,
to avoid trouble, to escape blame.
Why do I lie?
To protect others. To, at my own loss, help them as much as I
can without hurting others...
To ease their pain...
Telling them everything will be alright... even though I know it
won't.
-
They started calling me Column Hoof; I helped support my
friends, standing strong as I was needed. I did my best to
deserve that name, in hopes that it was my special talent.
Through the arguments that came up, through the troubles that
arose, I did my best to support them, and keep them together as
friends. Over time, my help and support caused my cutie mark to
appear, A silhouette of a vine-covered column, with a group of
ponies leaning against it. It was a great day. I was almost 20
when I finally got it...
Then it happened...
My friends' fighting reached a peak that I couldn't contain,
couldn't prevent. They split apart, leaving me the only one
connecting them all... save for North and Tzeen, who were still
in a relationship with me...
I didn't notice it at the time... but that day... my cutiemark
disappeared from my flanks...
I did my best to do well by the Elements and my friends, trying
to stay loyal to Tzeen and North, showing kindness to them all,
trying to help them laugh, using my meager amount of magic to
aid them, and being as generous as I could to them all...
Those who know the Elements well know that I am missing one:
Honesty.
-
My life as a foal was rather stressful to me... to others it
seems lucky and almost idealic. I would act out, sneak and hide,
take things that didn't belong to me. And to cover it up, I
learned how to lie with the best of 'em. I learned how to subtly
manipulate ponies, control them without their knowledge.
I, when not covering my own hoofprints, tried to use this skill
to help.
It didn't work well.
-
As time went on, relations between the once close group of
friends began to narrow down until all they did was ask me to
tell another something, usually not very nice...
It was around this time I noticed a new change. When I woke up
and looked in the mirror, I saw a faded, pale green unicorn with
pale grey mane and tail. Nopony else noticed...
-
Time passed, and my mane, tail, and coat continued to fade in
color. Eventually I was just a gray unicorn with a lighter gray
tail and mane. Nopony else saw it, they saw the same happy,
green unicorn they always knew.
I had begun to emotionally distance myself from the ponies I
once called my friends... I did my best to stay close to North
though...
All this time, I had been lying, trying to keep my friends from
drifting away. Then... one day, disaster struck. Norie's friend,
Alma... ended her own life... Norie broke down... lost his
direction and heading. And I saw it happen... the slow fade as,
day after day, he turned monochrome like me...
He became withdrawn, quiet, and almost shy. I tried to prevent
him from falling into the same hole I did.
I failed, and he fell deeper than I could imagine.
-
There is a fact known by many, yet spoken by none in my
presence. They think I do not know it. But I do.
"Chaos-Spawn"
"One-Fang"
"Queen of Disharmony"
I know these names. Know them well. Because, day after day, the
ponies of Ponyville leave them written on notes attached to
trays of cotton candy and glasses of chocolate milk. Because,
despite my best efforts...
They are facts.