I can't believe I said that. I cannot believe I just fucking said that. I can't believe that any of this is happening.

I'm standing in Twilight's room, with Princess Celestia a few feet away from me, smiling gently. With a resigned sigh, I rest my back against the wooden wall and rub a hand against my brow. I essentially agreed to stop being such an ass to Twilight and her "friends." It occurs to me then that I don't know who her friends are. I'm assuming Rarity is one of them, given how Twilight mentioned her earlier. Wait, at the party, Twilight had spoken with Applejack, Rainbow, and Vinyl. If those are her friends...then I guess it could be worse. I live with Vinyl, and she seems pretty chill. Applejack...well I'm still mad at her for forcing me to take her sister to school.

Then there's Rainbow. I have no idea what to think of that pony. On one hand, she's got an ego the size of Montana, but on the other...she's a lot like Amaryllis. Tomboyish, rough, and fiercely loyal were all traits the two of them shared.

So yeah...it could be much worse. I mean, Pinkie could be one of her friends after all. That would suck so much, especially after I'd torn the poor mare a new one just yesterday.

"Are you ready to return to the others?" Celestia asks me softly, snapping me out of my thoughts. I hesitate, and then nod, not really in the mood to talk.

The princess and I walk back down the stairs and into the main room once more. What awaits me is a very beautiful sight.

Luna's horn is glowing a dark blue, and a faint ray of light emanates from it. Projected in the air around the center table is the image of a cluster of stars and galaxies, which Twilight is gazing at in awe while scribbling down more notes.

The moment we enter the room, Luna terminates the spell or whatever it is she's doing to make that image appear, and the two of them watch us worriedly.

"Princess, are you all right? We heard a commotion upstairs," Twilight immediately asks, standing up and galloping over to us. I walk right past her like a zombie, my facial expression devoid of all emotion. While Twilight is talking to Celestia, Luna is watching me, probably curious as to why I look so different. Actually, I'm probably being foolish. She probably knows exactly what I'm feeling, having been one of the ponies who killed Sombra before I had a chance to do it myself.

"I am fine, Twilight. I was merely helping Seth understand something. I can fill you in later if you'd like," Celestia responds kindly.

"No," I say out of impulse, not even realizing I said it until I see the surprised and curious expressions of the other three ponies. "I'll do it myself."

"All right. I would actually prefer she hear it from you," Celestia concurs, her surprise turning to satisfaction. No...I'm not doing this because of what you said. I just don't want you telling her about something as personal as this. If my secrets are going to be spilled, it will be on my terms.

"Sister, art thou finished? No doubt the council is in an uproar, given our sudden departure," Luna questioned, sniffing derisively when she mentioned the council. Usually, I'd feel the need to question that. Why do they need a council if the two of them are in charge of the country? Or are they figureheads? I should ask...but I just don't feel up to it right now.

"I believe we are done here. Twilight, I entrust Seth's well-being to you," Celestia decides. Twilight gasps, while Luna looks aghast. Even I give her an incredulous gaze. What the fuck does that mean? I can take care of myself.

"Me? Look after the first human in Equestria?" Twilight exclaims. I can't tell whether or not she sounds incredulous or excited.

"Sister, what is this madness? Humans art violent creatures. Surely it wouldst behoove us to return to Canterlot with him?" Luna protests, gesturing at me with a hoof.

"That aside, I don't need looking after. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself," I add. Celestia shakes her head, as if she's admonishing a foal.

"I do not mean to insult you, Seth. I only wish for Twilight to help you acclimatize to living in Equestria," Celestia clarifies. I'm still not convinced. I've done well enough on my own so far. I don't need the help of some sequestered librarian pony. "Luna, what he needs isn't to be isolated in the castle, where the other ponies will gawk and gossip about him. No, what he needs is the kindness and love that I know Twilight and her friends can show him."

"Still here, thank you," I point out, but I'm practically ignored. I huff irritably. I wish they wouldn't talk about me like I'm not here. Plus, kindness and love? Two of the most fake emotions to ever exist. Not to mention really cheesy when used in a serious conversation like this.

"I beg thee, at least place some of our guards here in Ponyville, if only for our peace of mind," Luna insists.

"I assure you that won't be necessary. Seth has been here for almost a week now. If he planned to hurt our subjects, he would have had many opportunities to do so before now," Celestia reasons.

"You ponies can be ridiculously annoying, but I'm no murderer," I tack on, staring at the floor. Don't get me wrong, there are many points in my life where I've wanted to physically hurt someone. Sometimes, I've even acted on those thoughts, resulting in fistfights with my peers in my early years. But...I never thought about killing anyone. I still don't. I won't be able to bear to see the life leave someone's eyes. There's enough pain in this world. I won't become like the rest of the shitty human race and add to it. Hah, listen to me. I seem like a whiny bitch, even on paper.

"We do not like this," Luna says, acquiescing with bad grace.

"I won't let you down, princess!" Twilight exclaims, hopping up and down. Yup, she looks excited. I figured as much.

"I know you won't. Now, if you'll excuse us, we must return to Canterlot, lest the councilors work themselves up into a panic," Celestia says, cantering gracefully towards the door and opening it with her magic. "It was good to meet you, Seth."

"Likewise, I guess," I reply uncomfortably. There may be some merit to what Celestia says about ponies not being like humans. At the very least, she's different. I've never met anyone who acts like she does. She's in a class of her own. Unique. Beautiful. The way the morning sun reflects off of her flowing mane is just gorgeous...and what the fuck did I just think?

"Feel free to send me a letter whenever you'd like," Celestia offers, gazing at me. I snap out of my thoughts and nod mutely. Satisfied, Celestia shares one last nuzzle with Twilight, and then to my utter shock, she walks up to me and gives me a nuzzle as well, her snout rubbing gently on my cheek for a short moment before she backs away. It happened so fast I didn't even know what was happening until she was already walking out the door with Luna.

I stand there paralyzed, my hand resting on my cheek where Celestia had nuzzled me. I'm guessing that nuzzles are the ponies way of showing friendly affection, kind of like how humans hug one another. No one had ever hugged me apart from my mother and Amaryllis, and the latter had only done it the once. In Equestria, I'd been "hugged" by Apple Bloom, Derpy (if you can even call that a nuzzle), and the fucking Royal Princess of the Sun in less than a damn week.

"Hey, Equestria to Seth," Twilight calls to me with amusement, prodding my leg with a hoof. I look at her to see she looks the slightest bit smug. I flush when I realize she's seen how off guard I am. Damn it, she better not think less of me for this. I'm not weak! I'm just...unused to this place. These ponies. I don't...fucking...what even.

"What?" I grunt, averting my face to keep her from seeing my blush.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Twilight asks. Almost on cue, my stomach gives the most obvious of growls. Goddammit. My blush deepens as Twilight giggles at that. "I guess not. What do you say we go eat somewhere?"

"Why would I..." I begin, but then stop myself.

"So let me ask you: please give Twilight and her friends a chance."

"Sorry, but I can't afford to eat out," I correct myself before I finish my snide comment. I still don't feel like eating with Twilight, because I'm used to eating meals on my own. But I did say I'd give them a chance, and I do keep my word. Goddammit, why did I say that? All this is doing is opening the both of us up for future pain.

"Don't worry about money. I'll pay for you," Twilight offers, but then she claps a hoof to her mouth when she realizes what she'd said. I give her a firm look.

"Absolutely not. I won't be in your debt any more than I already am," I asserted with a grim expression, referring to when she'd forced me to be healed by her.

"Don't look at it that way. I won't try and get anything out of you for this, I promise. Your happiness is all I want," Twilight pleads, desperately trying to get me to change my mind. It's not working.

"That's bullshit if I've ever heard it," I scoff, trying not to gag at how cheesy that line sounded. Please, no one really thinks that way. "Sorry, but I'll just buy something from Golden Harvest on my way to work."

"You are so stubborn!" Twilight huffs, adopting that adorable pout. "How about this: if I pay for your breakfast, you tell me about what Celestia spoke to you about while we're there."

"What are you talking about? I was going to tell you about that anyway," I demand, unsure what she's trying to pull here. Twilight adopts a devious smile at my question.

"Yes, but you never did say when," Twilight says. I freeze, and her smile becomes triumphant. Shit, she saw right through me.

"Dammit, fine. Using favors to get stuff out of me. Just like every other human," I relent, slightly irritated.

"Don't talk like that. I'm only proposing an even trade because you're too paranoid I'll hold my favor over your head or something," Twilight counters. I don't have a retort for that. For a moment, I feel like telling her exactly why I know she would hold a free meal over my head, but then I stop. I've blown up enough today. Not to mention I'm not ready to tell anyone that story just yet. I don't even want to relive it myself. I shudder just thinking about it. My breathing quickens and I start to sweat. Shit, I need to think of something else.

"Whatever," is my delayed response. That's the most accurate summary of my thoughts right now. Twilight's smile returns, and she opens the door with her magic. Shaking my head and scowling, I stride out the door, Twilight following close behind me.

The town is starting to wake up, ponies trotting out of their houses to head to work or wherever. While we walk, I get the usual glances, most of them angry or curious this time for whatever reason. However, I notice that some of them are looking at us in shock. Maybe it's because this is one of the few times I'm not alone. Or maybe they know Twilight. Fuck it, I don't care.

"Do ponies always stare at you like this?" Twilight asks quietly.

"Yup," is my terse response. I don't know why she cares anyway. Maybe she's jealous I get more attention than her. That wouldn't surprise me.

"I'm sorry. That must be uncomfortable for you," she empathizes, pressing her muzzle against me in what I'm guessing is supposed to be a comforting manner. To me, that's just...odd. Over time, I've just started looking past their appearance and viewing them as just more humans. That being said, it's really jarring when they break human societal customs and start doing shit like that. For all I know, it's normal for them.

We continue the rest of the way in an awkward silence. I don't think Twilight knows what to say to me. In my case, I just prefer to pretend she's not there.

She eventually takes the lead from me, since I don't know what place she has in mind. When we pass the path that leads to Sweet Apple Acres, I have a miniature heart-attack because I think she's leading me to Applejack's for breakfast. Thankfully, we continue past that until we reach a decently sized building crammed between two other houses or businesses. Fucking, I don't know how to tell the difference yet.

"This is it. Armare's. I sometimes come here with the girls when we're all free," Twilight explains, pointing towards the entrance with a hoof. It looks pretty nice inside. Not quite a French restaurant, but definitely fancier than a fast food place. If I had to make a comparison, it's closest in style to someplace like IHOP.

"What do they serve?" I inquire, following her inside. Before she can answer, the stallion earth pony at the front behind a counter greets us.

"Welcome to Armare's! Hello Miss Sparkle. Will you be wanting your usual table today?" His greeting is crisp and proper, yet he's got a wide smile on his face. Huh, cheery demeanor and he knows her name. I feel like I've walked into a place run by Publix employees. As usual, his eyes widen slightly upon seeing me, but he doesn't comment. Probably knows better.

"Yes please. Just two this time around," Twilight replies politely. The stallion gives a small bow, which looks odd from a pony, and then fishes out two menus.

"Right this way please," the stallion requests. We follow him through the groups of other ponies, almost all of whom look up at me in awe as I pass by.

"Oh, Seth! Hi!" a voice greets me as I pass by a particular table. I turn my head, and I see none other than a very hated mint green unicorn. Shit, it's Lyra and Bon Bon. What are the fucking odds of this? Lyra is smiling and waving a hoof at me. I turn my head away without saying anything, ignoring the fact that she'd spoken to me. Her smile drops in an instant, her expression turning distraught. "Seth, please!"

"Seth? What was that all about?" Twilight questions as we're led to our seat, which to my dismay isn't that far away from Lyra. I give a pointed glance at the stallion who is seating us. Twilight gets the hint.

"Somepony will be with you shortly. Have a nice day!" the stallion expresses, handing each of us a menu. I still don't know how these ponies grab stuff like this with hooves and no hands. Probably better not to ask.

"Seth?" Twilight repeats once the stallion leaves and we're relatively alone. I grunt in annoyance. I honestly don't feel like telling her, but I did say I'd try being friendly.

"That bitch thought it would be a good idea to try and flirt with me," I scoff, ignoring Lyra looking at me sadly even now. Twilight tilted her head, looking bemused.

"Really? Are you sure she wasn't just being friendly?" I give her a very irritated stare at her words.

"Please, Twilight. I've been alive long enough to be able to read the signs. That was flirting, and it was disgusting," I snap. We pause our conversation for a short moment when a waitress comes by, asking if we want drinks. I order some water, and Twilight follows suit. When she's gone, we continue.

"Why is it disgusting? I mean, I doubt it was serious. You can't have known her for very long," Twilight presses. Is she really asking these questions? Why should I have to explain myself? No one ever...fuck it, she's always explained herself to me.

"Because I don't want to fuck animals!" is my very diplomatic response. I can see Twilight taking offense even as I continue. "I don't care if it was serious or not. It's the idea of it that is revolting."

"Seth, we're not animals! I don't know how things were in your era, but we're intelligent, not driven by instinct like you claim," Twilight argues back, her brow furrowing in anger.

"You're animals to me. It doesn't matter how long I spend here in this crazy world. That will never change," I say off-handedly. It doesn't matter how she words it. I will always see these ponies are more cartoony versions of the ones I know. I'd never fuck a pony in my era, so I'd never fuck a pony in this era just because they can talk.

"Seth, that's not fair! You can't judge us just because we look different from you! That's downright bigotry!" Twilight snaps at me, slamming a hoof on the table.

"Whatever. I'm not going to suddenly think differently of your species just because you think it's wrong," I reply, not really caring. Twilight opens her mouth, but then the waitress returns with our drinks, so we glare at one another sullenly until she leaves.

"Tell me then. What are you going to do? There's no humans here. If you ever want to find romance, you'll have to look past our appearance," Twilight points out while I take a sip. This time, something about her argument strikes a chord within me. I set down the cup hard and narrow my eyes.

"Look, I'm giving you a chance because Celestia asked me to. I've having a hard enough time accepting that I supposedly need friends. Why the fuck do you think that I'd even consider romance?!" I shoot back, ignoring the empty feeling in my chest. Her words cut me deeper than I want to admit.

"She what?!" Twilight gasps, her eyes widening. A few seconds later, she adopts an expression of understanding. "So that's what Princess Celestia spoke to you about?"

"Pretty much. I got this whole, 'by the way, Sombra is dead and you should get the fuck over yourself' speech. Albeit with different words," I reveal, and then I drain half of the cup of water.

"She's right, though. Nopony, or human in your case, can handle being alone all their life," Twilight whispers. "I found that out myself, only a year ago."

"Well, I don't believe that," I grunt, my spirits falling further. We fall into silence once more, neither of us having anything more to say. I know she's technically right, and I'm being an incredible bigot, but...I'm not suddenly going to decide that ponies are sexually attractive or whatever just because there's no more humans around.

For the first time, I pick up the menu and peer down at it. What the hell is all this? Hayburgers? Hayfries? Daisy and dandelion sandwiches? What the fuck? Right, they're ponies. They eat like them too, though it doesn't make sense that they eat like we do. Is that just more evidence of human influence?

"Is there anything I can eat on here?" I mutter, forgetting that I'm not alone. Twilight tilts her head at me curiously.

"Do humans not eat hay?" she inquires. I give her a flat look.

"Hell no. We can eat grains like you do, but mostly we eat meat and dairy," I explain. Twilight visibly looks queasy after I finish talking. Oh, does the fact that I'm a carnivore make her uncomfortable? I make sure to give her a grin that shows off my canines. "Personally, I like a nice juicy steak."

"O...oh...well, that's...nice...?" Twilight stammers. I burst out into raucous laughter.

"I'm fucking with you, Twilight. I like meat, but if it's not readily available, it doesn't matter to me," I chortle, holding my sides. Twilight gives an annoyed huff. "Now, what the hell should I eat?"

"You said you ate grains, so you should be able to eat the pancakes," the librarian suggests, pointing at the item on the menu with her hoof. That gets my attention.

"Holy shit, they have pancakes," I utter in awe. "Welp, I know what I'm ordering."

The waitress dropped by a few minutes later with a pitcher of water on her back, which she uses to refill our drinks. We give our orders to her. I order a moderate portion of pancakes, while Twilight orders an omelet with hash-browns. So everypony is a vegetarian here, seeing as they eat animal byproducts. That will make this less painful.

The food is here very quickly for some reason. Like, five minutes after she leaves. How the hell does that work? Wait. I'm answering my own question. Magic.

A plate of steaming pancakes dribbled with warm maple syrup is placed in front of me. My mouth immediately begins to water. Oh my god.

Twilight giggles at the look on my face. "Just wait until you taste it. There's a reason I come here."

Thankfully, there's some silverware placed here for me. I guess they do have silverware at some of the fancier places. Perfect. Using a knife and fork, I cut into the pancakes and lift a piece to my mouth.

Oh my god, it's like sex in my mouth. I give a small moan at how fucking amazing this is, compared to everything else I've eaten here. The cake from Pinkie's party notwithstanding.

"You're really enjoying that, aren't you?" Twilight says with an amused grin.

"Shut up and let me enjoy this in peace," I grunt at her, digging into the pancakes. Goddamn, this is really good. To think that I can eat it for free. I didn't even have to tell Twilight much about that conversation in her room because she figured it out on her own.

Twilight isn't really one for being proper. She's practically sticking her face in her food, and it's getting all over her muzzle. I bet Rarity would have a fit.

When we're finished, Twilight pays the bill up at the front desk, and then we leave the restaurant. Thankfully Lyra and Bon Bon had left earlier than us, so I didn't have to run into them. It's now around the time when I should be getting to Applejack's.

"I need to go to work," I tell Twilight, crossing my arms.

"All right. I should be getting back to my studies, anyway," she acknowledges, nodding her head. "Just...please try to make some friends. I know you'll be better off for it."

"Pfeh. I'm strong enough to handle myself without them," I scoff, turning away. Twilight starts to protest, so I interrupt. "Look, I will try. I told Celestia I would."

"Thank you. That's all I wanted," Twilight expresses. Then, with one last wave, she leaves for her library, leaving me alone in the streets. Well, relatively speaking of course. There are still other ponies around me.

I should get to work. With that in mind, I travel down the streets until I'm standing back at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. Just a short walk, and then I'll be hard at work on the farm again. And for what? For money to eat and keep a place to sleep. Then I'll just get up the next morning and do it all over again. Can I really keep doing that for the rest of my life?

No. I don't want to do this. I can't do this. Almost as if guided by an outside force, my feet turn and face away from the farm, propelling me instead towards the open fields in the general direction of the Everfree. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what I'm doing. All I know is that I can't go on like this.

This isn't what I wanted out of life. I don't know what I wanted, but this isn't it. I don't want to waste my time on a fucking farm surrounded by colorful ponies. Not when the cost for it was losing my family, and...Amaryllis.

I brood further as I walk further away. I walk so far I end up in Ponyville's outskirts. Yet for some reason, the urge to move doesn't die down. I ignore everything in my way. This includes the ponies that stare at me, or even the house across a small river that looks like it's been roofed with leaves. One time, I even think somepony calls to me. It might have been Flitter, if I remembered correctly. I ignore that too. Don't try to stop me. The terrain gets hillier and more rugged the more I travel, with several treacherous drops evident the closer I get to the Everfree.

I finally come to a stop at the top of a massive cliff that drops down into a rushing river, situated just a few meters away from the first trees of the forest. This probably isn't a very safe place to be, knowing how close to the forest I am. But safety isn't the first thing on my mind right now.

Twilight was right. I really am going to be alone for the rest of my life. There's not a damn thing in this life to look forward to. There's no chance of me ever finding romance, if such a thing even exists. After all, isn't love just lust in disguise? Lust is disrespectful.

Come to think of it, that was probably one of the reasons I never said anything to Amaryllis about my feelings for her. If I were her, and someone were to come up to me and say, "by the way, I'm really in love with you," my first response would be to punch him in the face and say, "yeah no, you just want to fuck me." I mean, I suppose I did feel that way towards Amaryllis, if I'm really honest with myself. I told myself it was more than that though. I wanted to see her happy. Someone like her should have been smiling more often. But...in the end I was probably just deluding myself.

It doesn't really matter anyway. She's dead. I need to face facts. I'm the first human to ever walk the earth since the apocalypse, and it doesn't mean a damn thing. Even if Celestia is right and there are ponies that aren't like the humans I remember, it's too late. I'm past the point of no return. I'm too broken to ever enjoy a meaningful relationship, platonic or no.

"Heh." I chuckle to myself as I stare out to the horizon, standing on the very edge of the cliff. "This is what it all comes down to, doesn't it?"

Fuck humans. Fuck ponies. Fuck friends, family, and love. Fuck life for dealing me such a shitty hand.

As I look down into the abyss before me, I feel strangely calm. Hope, dreams, and happiness...where do they come from? Where do they go? We spend our whole lives searching for a meaning to this pointless existence, and once we die, none of it matters anymore. What's the point in living, if everything eventually has to die?

Here I linger, like the dying flame of a candle as its wick melts to nothing. Just like a homeowner throws away the useless lump of wax once it's purpose is served, no one will care when I die. So why make it last longer?

My decision is made. I'm not waiting around any longer. One quick glance to the bottom of the cliff shows me sharp rocks and rushing water waiting for me. It's deep enough that the fall should kill me.

I'm not going to hesitate. I've never been a coward, even if this is technically the coward's way out. I don't care though.

My foot moves forward. I don't need to say anything. Nothing needs to be said. I won't say something like "Oh, goodbye cruel world!" Like anyone ever said that. Yeah, life is cruel. Everybody knows that. That's no reason to do something like this. When somebody is driven to harm themselves like I'm doing now, there's more to it than that.

A breath leaves my lungs as gravity takes over. I deliberately allow myself to unbalance and topple over the edge. Almost immediately I can feel that nauseating feeling that comes from falling. Wind whips past my face, sending my hair fluttering in the air behind me. Time seems to move slowly for me.

Maybe if I had been born anywhere else, I wouldn't be like this. Maybe I'd have had a chance for a normal life somewhere else.

I swiftly look back over my life, the rocky rapids getting closer and closer to me every passing moment. I remember my early life and childhood, and how vicious mankind was to me the moment I was exposed to them. Oh, I didn't realize it at first. Everything was fine...until...Janna...showed me what humans were really like.

I smile ironically and close my eyes, mentally bracing myself for my incoming death. Goodbye Amaryllis. Maybe I'll be granted one last kindness, and I'll be able to see you again in an afterlife. A bitter chuckle escapes me at that thought. Then, the rushing sound of the rapids overpowers my every thought. This is it.

The next sensation that hits me is not at all what I expected. The first thing I hear is a sound akin to thunder. The earsplitting noise washes over me in a painful shock wave that I can practically feel. When I open my eyes, the only thing I can see are the colors of the rainbow flashing across my vision, blinding me until I have to shut my eyes again.

Something grasps me around the middle, two appendages of an unknown nature wrapping around me and holding me close. The amount of force with which the object hits me is enough to completely change my trajectory, diverting me away from my imminent death on the rocks. I can feel myself being propelled at a speed that makes roller coasters look like a kids toy. I'm going so fast that it's painful, and even the sound of the rapids is distorted. What the hell is going on? Why am I not dead?

I eventually slow down as whatever it is that has me decides to take me back to the ground. I feel myself being laid against the ground on my back. Soft grass tickles me through my torn clothing, and a slight breeze gusts over my face.

"Whew, that was close, even for me!" Wait a minute. That...scratchy female voice is familiar to me. Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me. You fuckers had to even ruin my death, as well as my life?!

I shoot upwards, my eyes snapping open into an immediate glare, directed at the infernal cyan colored pony sitting on the grass not far from me. Rainbow Dash gives me a smile, panting slightly. Her mane is slightly damp from sweat, clinging to her face in tangles. She adjusts her mane with a hoof. "Relax, buddy. You're safe now."

"What the fucking hell, Rainbow?! I don't recall ever asking for your help!" My angry, almost primal shout takes Rainbow aback. My throat slightly hurts from just how loud I screamed. I reach my hand around to my rifle, though I'm not quite sure what I plan to do with it. To my surprise, Rainbow's eyes flash angrily, and she walks closer to me, getting in my face.

"What do you mean, 'what the hell?!' No, buck that, what the hay, Seth?!" Rainbow yells back at me, surprisingly echoing my foul language back at me. And it seems like she used some of her own as well. "Jumping off a cliff like that? What's wrong with you?"

"I don't have to tell you anything. Why the fuck didn't you just stay out of my business? Why can't any of you fucking ponies just LEAVE. ME. ALONE!?" I'm standing now, my rifle in my left hand, though I'm mostly leaning on it because of how sore I feel. Though I don't know why I feel so sore.

"What are you talking about? I pulled off a Sonic Rainboom just to get here in time to save you, and this is the thanks I get?" Rainbow snarls back at me, her face looking just as frightening as that one time at the party, when she threatened to beat the shit out of me. "What were you thinking? Were you trying to get yourself killed?!"

It hits her a few seconds later after I don't respond, instead averting my gaze and looking down at the ground. Rainbow's eyes widen, and her angry expression melts away, instead becoming one of pure and unadulterated shock. Actually, it won't be much of a stretch to call that traumatizing. Look at these little ponies running around in their happy idyllic world, not a care in the world. The idea of someone trying to end their own life probably never occurs to them.

Suddenly, Rainbow's hoof slams into my cheek, pure pain erupting from the point of impact. She hits me so hard, my head snaps to the right, and white lights flash in my vision. I clutch the affected cheek and stare at her in disbelief. Holy fuck, did she just hit me? She hits hard.

"Why...why would you..." Rainbow stammers out, and to my shock, she's actually crying. Not like, tears streaming down her cheeks crying, but more like I can see her eyes are wet. "You...you were, weren't you?"

"What does it matter to you, anyway? Scared that the only human in the world might disappear before you can get anything out of him?" I taunt, my right hand forming a confused gesture subconsciously.

"You...you idiot!" Rainbow's shout rivals the one I sent at her earlier. "Why would you ever want to...to kill yourself?!"

"If I didn't tell you anything before, I'm certainly not going to tell you anything now," I snap at her, furious that she's forcing me to stay in this shitty world. Just fuck off so I can try again, bitch. Rainbow glares at me in frustration. For a moment, I think she's actually going to leave, but then she gets closer.

"No, you know what? I don't have to take that. You're not going anywhere until you tell me why, buster!" Rainbow jabs a hoof in my face to embellish her point. My response is to laugh in her face.

"Like you can stop me. I'm going back to town," I tell her, turning my back on her and walking away.

I don't get more than a few feet before Rainbow clamps her teeth down on the collar of my shirt and yanks me back to where we started. I unbalance in the process and fall on my back. Then, the air whooshes out of my lungs as Rainbow's hoof slams down onto the middle of my chest, keeping me in place. "Yeah, tough luck, buddy. Like you can escape me, the fastest pegasus in Equestria," Rainbow sneers down at me.

I struggle as hard as I can, but I can't budge her. It's only now, when I have the chance to look at her up close, that I notice the powerful muscles rippling underneath her skin. She's...a hell of a lot stronger than I am, and she's not even an earth pony. She must exercise a ton. That means Applejack would probably be even stronger. I'm really nothing here.

"You ready to talk now?" Rainbow demands, hovering just above me, her wings flapping at a rate far beneath what they should be to keep that kind of body mass airborne. Fucking magic. I give her a slight nod, and she lifts the hoof from me.

I'm embarrassed to say that I immediately took off like a rocket, hoping to outrun her. I might as well have tried to reach the moon. She caught me easily, but that didn't stop me from trying over and over again. It's really childish of me to avoid my problems like this now that I write it down, but at the time all I want is to get away. I don't want to let anyone in. Not anymore. Not since the only ones who understood me died. I won't tell her. I can't tell her.

No matter what I try, I can't escape Rainbow. If I try to lose her in the canyon, she cuts me off from the other end. I also try to get away by throwing dust and rocks into her eyes, and I actually manage to get pretty far, but she zooms in like a fucking rocket and takes me all the way back kicking and screaming. I even try to run into the Everfree Forest in the hopes that I can get myself killed by a timberwolf or something, but she easily stops me then.

Finally, in one last desperate attempt, I attack her physically with my rifle. The way she takes care of me is just laughable. She easily deflects my strike with a hoof and then disarms me by striking the wrist of my right hand, which held the rifle. My flailing, uncoordinated punches don't do shit to her. She flies around them like nothing, and then lays me flat with a double hoofed bash to my chest.

I don't move, staring up at that infuriatingly blue sky. I try to catch my breath, as I'm panting heavily from all of the exertion. Rainbow's barely panting at all. She's ridiculously strong compared to me. Is there no way out of this?

"You done?" Rainbow asks simply, sitting back on her haunches, unamused. She wipes some of the debris from my earlier attempts off of her muzzle, being surprisingly patient with me.

"Yeah..." I groan miserably. I can't bring myself to say anything a for several minutes after that, even when my breath returns. It's starting to sink in. Rainbow's not going to let me leave until I tell her why I want to die. She's perfectly capable of enforcing that, too. Dammit, why was she even out here?

Rainbow waits for me to say something patiently. Well, I say patiently, but I can tell Rainbow is just hiding her impatience. She's fidgeting ever so slightly in place, and she even whistles a tune at one point, though how a pony can whistle is beyond me. She's a pegasus. I bet she's not used to staying in one place for very long.

"Why are you doing this?" I finally say after at least ten minutes of silence. Rainbow glances at me in confusion.

"What do you mean? Doing what?" Really, is she really going to act clueless?

"This. What does it matter to you if I live or die? Is it because I'm the last human?" I clarify for her. She actually has the gall to look offended at that.

"What? No, I don't care that you're human. Yeah, the books were good I guess, and it's interesting that one of you is around after thousands of years. But in the end, you're just another sentient species, like the minotaurs or zebras," Rainbow defends herself. I raise an eyebrow. Did she just say "minotaurs" with a straight face? "Look, it's not that big a deal to somepony like me. You're just like another pony to me. Who cares what you look like?"

"Then what is it? What would make you go out of your way to save my life, when I clearly didn't want you to?" I press further, eager to know exactly what it is she thinks she can get out of me. Because I'm not going to give it to her.

"Because you're not a bad guy. I mean, you're kind of a jerk at times, but that doesn't mean I would just let you die," Rainbow answers confidently, earning an incredulous splutter from me. "I knew you had problems, but I didn't think they'd be so bad you'd want to die."

"Are you crazy? I hate you. I hate you and every single pony here. How the hell can you assume that I'm 'not a bad guy.' I'm the worst kind!" I throw back at her, unconvinced. Out of all the expressions I expected, I did not expect her to look coy.

"Who are you trying to convince here? I know you're not all that bad. I saw you, you know," Rainbow questions mysteriously. I freeze. What is she talking about?

"What...?" I utter, but Rainbow keeps talking.

"With Derpy, I mean. You could have easily left her there, stuck to that mailbox. But you didn't. You helped her out without expecting anything in return," Rainbow clarifies. Shit, she saw my one moment of weakness. I open my mouth to protest. "Did you stop there? No, you helped her move that box all the way to her house for nothing."

"That proves nothing," I grunt, even though she's got me fair and square. I didn't have to help her...but the way she looked...she'd been like a kitten. How cruel would I have to be not to help her? And...I'm making excuses. She's right.

"It totally does. You're a nice guy, somewhere underneath all the jerk," Rainbow points out. I chuckle a bit at her lack of eloquence. "A guy that apparently needs a friend something fierce."

"There you go again. I don't need friends," I scoff derisively.

"So you say, but you want them, don't you? If you didn't, then I doubt you'd be throwing yourself off cliffs," Rainbow accuses me. How is it that these ponies can look right through me like this? First it was Twilight, then it was Celestia, and now Rainbow, the last pony I'd ever expect to help me. I'd pegged her as a worthless jock the moment I met her. "Don't lie to me. Don't you want somepony to relate to? Somepony to understand you, and have your back when you need it?"

"Sounds perfect, but I'd have to be a fool to believe that you ponies are more capable of that than my race was," I answer truthfully. Before Amaryllis, I'd told everyone that I didn't need any friends. Friendship caused pain, once they were finished using you and dropped you for their next victim. But secretly, I'd really wanted someone I could really relate to on a base level. I longed for it. I needed it. But it just wasn't happening, so I continued my life in a dull depression, days blending into one another into an endless cycle of disappointment.

Just when I'd discovered true friends in my brother and Amaryllis, I'd had them both taken away in the worst possible manner. They were dead now. So what was the point, if life itself is determined to keep me from having friends.

"It sounds to me like you're waiting for somepony to prove you wrong," Rainbow suggests, and that gives me pause. She...probably worded that better than I did in the past few pages. She's right. My entire life, I've been waiting for people to prove me wrong about how shitty the human race was. Two people did. And those two people were my friends.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," I admit softly, and Rainbow finally puts on a victorious grin. She flies over to me and wraps a hoof around my shoulders, causing me to tense up immediately.

"Well, look no further! I am your pony! I am the very Element of Loyalty, Seth, and I'm sticking by your side from here on out," Rainbow declared brazenly, and my jaw nearly comes unhinged. Just...what?

"What are you talking about? You can't just declare yourself my friend. Pinkie did, and that was annoying as fuck!" I snap at her, but she doesn't look deterred.

"Well, I just did. You probably won't consider me a friend until you know more about me, right?" Rainbow states flatly. I nod in confirmation. "And how in the hay are you going to do that if you keep running?"

I honestly don't have a response for that.

"I don't know what all of your issues are, but I've got your back. I only want one thing from you," Rainbow prompts me. My spirits fall like a rock. There's the damn catch. Of course you want something. Everyone wants something from me in a friendship. It's not fair! Why is everyone out to use me?! Just before I can give her a piece of my mind, Rainbow puts a hoof on my mouth, hushing me. "Just live. Live, and find happiness."

She removes her hoof, but I find my protests dying in my throat. That...has to be one of the most selfless things I've ever heard. No one in my entire life has ever said anything like that, to me or anyone. That line is something you'd hear out of a movie or book, because why should anyone care if anyone else lives or dies? They just turn their heads and drink their coffee, because it isn't their problem.

My composure slips, and a tear runs down my cheek. I blush furiously when I see that Rainbow can see it, but she's not laughing. There's one of the kindest smiles I've ever seen on her face.

A few moments later, she facehoofs, groaning slightly. "That has to be the sappiest thing I've ever said."

"A bit yeah," I agree casually. After a few moments of silence, Rainbow starts to chuckle. Heh, it is a bit funny when you look at it from the outside, isn't it? Soon enough, I start chuckling as well, and then we break out into full blown laughter. And goddamn it felt good. I haven't laughed like this since I got here, and I had forgotten just how much stress a good laugh can relieve.

You know what, maybe this isn't so bad. I'm still alive, and I may be forming my first friendship in Equestria.

Maybe...everything will be all right.

---

So that random guest who commented actually called what was going to happen in this chapter. Yeah, I had him attempt suicide. And honestly, it was a very difficult decision trying to decide who was going to save him. That also had me come up with several dumb ideas.

Pinkie flew up with her weird pedaling flying machine, grabbing Seth out of the air. "Yoink!"

Twilight captures Seth on the way down with her magic. "Are you throwing yourself off cliffs again? What have I told you about that?"

Applejack hurls her lasso and grabs Seth by the ankle with it, nearly killing him with the whiplash. "YEEHAW!"

Rarity catches him with her magic. "Honestly darling? Suicide must be done in style! Throwing oneself off cliffs is so last season."

Fluttershy rides in on a fucking eagle to catch him. "YOU. SHALL NOT. FALL!"

Welp, stupidity aside, now things start getting positive, I believe. Unless some other bullshit happens.