"... Did you really have to get everypony?" I asked. Twilight and Fluttershy had stopped me before I started my story and gone to get the other girls, Stormy, Shadow, Gilda, and Blaze.

"Well, everypony needs to hear this." Twilight explained. I sighed.

"Fine... Here goes." They all huddled around me in a small circle, like this was some kind of bizzare story time. "Oh, before I start, I should tell the rest of you about Steven."

"Uh... ain't that yer real name?" Applejack asked.

"Shut up! I'm talkin'! Yes, yes it is."

"What did ya just tell me?!" Applejack shouted.

"Whoa whoa! Calm down! Listen, according to Twilight, I have two personalities now, so if I say something mean and change my voice it's not really me."

"... Ah'm gonna need a mite more of an explanation than that..."

"Look, there are two of me now. One is very mean and he responds to Steven."

"Oh, is that why you kept changing your voice when I was talking to you at my place?" Gilda asked.

"Yeah, when my voice changes, I'm Steven not Sharky."

"Whoa whoa... back up, so you are really two ponies?" RD asked.

"No, I just have two people in my head. One is the real me, and the other is Steven. Just ignore Steven if he talks ok?"

"Sounds legit!" Pinkie Pie shouted. I let out a small laugh. The ponies all still seemed a little confused, but didn't press for more information.

"Ok, well... Here's my story girls... My life was actually really good back on my old world. I was in college, a school that is for--"

"We know about colleges Sharky." Twilight interrupted.

"Bitch don't cut me off! Oh, you do? Huh, sorry. Wasn't sure if you had them here. Anyway, I was doing really well... then I met a girl." RD, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity all seemed to lean in closer. "We started dating... we went out for about two years... A few times she tried to push our relation ship to the 'next level', but I refused because the last thing I had promised my parents was that I'd be abstinent. I wonder if I made a mistake with that... anyway, on our two year anniversary, I had decided to propose to her. My grandmother had given me her engagement ring, the same one I gave you Rarity." Rarity's eyes widened as she realized what I had given her. "She was taking a vacation to Italy on that day, so I flew to her to propose."

"Wait, I thought that humans can't fly!" RD countered.

"Nah, we made these giant metal birds to carry us around. Let me finish talking and I'll explain little details like that ok? Anyway, I showed up at her hotel to propose. The staff gave me her room number, and when I got there, the door was left open.... so I walked inside and.... and... and..."

"And what?" Pinkie asked.

"She was fucking another man! I don't know if I can actually say it..." Tears started forming in my eyes again. All the ponies gasped and rocked back. Except Gilda. She just gasped.

"I... haven't even told you yet..."

"S-sharky... That's terrible!" Fluttershy wailed. She flew over and hugged my waist. "N-no wonder it makes you sad!"

"... I still haven't told you..."

"Steven said it! Thats so horrible Sharky!" Twilight explained. She trotted over and hugged me too. The rest of the ponies all trotted over and embraced me. Even Gilda.

"Thank you... but that's not even the worst part..." They all looked up at me in shock.

"I-it gets worse?! Oh dear!" Rarity shouted. I nodded somberly.

"On my way back to the... metal bird to take me home... I got three phone calls. You know, on something like the thing I use to talk to Luna." They nodded in understanding. "On the first call... I was told I had been kicked out of my college... I had let my grades slip so I could be with her more often..." Twilight gasped.

"Sharky! That's terrible!"

"Not done. Applejack, I think you'll understand this one the most. I had worked for a very long time. I was trying to save up money so I could go and buy myself a house. I worked from the day I turned 16 until I had enough money for the down payment on my own house."

"Well... that's mighty respectable, but Ah don't see how it's a problem..." Applejack said quietly.

"I loved that house.... It was the embodiment of all my work... On that second phone call... I was told that it had been attacked by arsonists. People that burn buildings down for fun..." All the ponies present gasped audibly.

"H-humans d-do that?! That's horrible!" Shadow wailed.

"Mah gosh... Ah'm so sorry Sharky! Ah can't even imagine what it would be like if mah orchards burned down..." Applejack muttered.

"Still not done. There's one last thing..."

"I-it gets worse?!" Stormy shouted.

"Right after that... I got one last call... It was the police. My parents died in a train accident... That was the day you brought me here Twilight..." I was openly crying now. I didn't feel ashamed of the tears like I used to. Almost all my friends were crying too. Blaze looked sad, but he wasn't crying. Gilda might have been crying, but she had turned away from me, so I couldn't tell. "That day... I lost everything. I had no other family, no home to go to, my dreams of becoming a marine biologist had been destroyed, I had nopony to turn to, nowhere to go... I was alone girls... all alone..." I started shivering with sadness. Sobs from a few of the girls rocked against my body. "That... is why I will never go back. I actually had been planning on dying." Every head in the room snapped back to look at me.

"S-sharky... t-that's... horrible..." Stormy mumbled.

"I know. In a way, coming to Equestria saved my life twice over. I have never been happier then when I'm here with you guys, even at my best moments on my old world."

"R-really?" Twilight asked quietly. I started absentmindedly stroking her mane and rubbing RD's back. The contact helped to calm me down.

"Really. This place... it's the best thing that ever happened to me, no matter how many times I get the crap beaten out of me." I gave all of them a serious look. "That's why I'm so ok with risking my life. I don't matter any more..."

"Now hold on!" Blaze shouted. "That's ridiculous!"

"H-he's right dear, you mean so much to us!" Rarity agreed.

"S-sharky... Blade... he was all I had until you found me... If I lost you too..." Shadow broke down into sobs.

"Sharky... when you left... every time you leave, I'm terrifed for you! If you ever left forever... I... I don't know what I'd do..." Twilight added.

"Sharky, if it wasn't for you, Scoots would be dead! You can't just die on us, imagine if you could save somepony else by staying alive!" RD threw in.

"And what if I save more with my death?" I countered. "You all said it yourselves, you'd be sad if I was dead, yes? Now, imagine if I could save hundreds of ponies from that same sadness by fighting these monsters. Even if I died in the process, it would be worth it." Twilight and Fluttershy seemed to stop and think. The other seemed confused. "Previous argument." I explained. They nodded in understanding.

"Well... I... I guess I understand Sharky..." Twilight admitted. "But... but... I still don't want you to go..."

"Yeah! You're more use to everypony alive! You can't use this to justify risking your life!" RD agreed.

"Dear... we care for you now." Rarity offered. "You have meaning here! You can't simply tell yourself you don't matter! Your death... it would destroy us..."

"... Girls... and boys... it doesn't matter if I matter. I'm gonna do this. I... I have to. If I could've saved somepony, and I don't do it, I'd never forgive myself... Geez this crap makes me wanna puke. I'm savin' my own ass if it comes down to it."

"Sharky... what happens when you aren't strong enough to fight something?" Gilda asked.

"Ha! Won't happen! I've got a legendary weapon and my own magic now! Not to mention I'm way more damage resistant and stronger since I came back from the other world!

"Heh, and I didn't think you could be more of a bad-flank..." RD mumbled. "Well... If it's what you want... I guess we can't stop you..."

"Damn right you can't! Thanks RD..."

"I... I still don't like it... but... ok Sharky... just promise you'll always come back?" Twilight asked.

"I promise." Pinkie jumped up in my face.

"Do you Pinkie promise?" She asked.

"Uhh... sure?" I held up my pinkie finger. She gave me a confused look.

"What are you doing that for?" Pinkie asked.

"This is my pinkie. I'm pinkie promising!" I explained.

"... But... I'm Pinkie."

"Oh! The smallest finger on a human hand is called a pinkie and we wrap them together to pinkie promise in my world. I thought you meant that for some reason... Well, how do you Pinkie promise here?"

"Oh, it's easy! Just say 'cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She explained. She made the motions as she said it.

"God that's stupid. Ok Pinkie. I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"Good! Remember, you can never break a Pinkie Promise!" She warned. I smiled.

"I won't. Now guys... I need sleep... actually, I gotta pee then sleep. Then I gotta eat and spend some time with each of you guys individually. After I spend time with Unity of course." They all seemed to shake themselves clear of thoughts.

"Oh, right. It's getting late anyway, I should get back to Scoots." RD trotted out the door, Gilda close behind. Gilda stopped at the door and turned to me.

"Sharky... stay safe kay?" With that she turned and left.

"Ah should get goin' anyway, gotta get up early ta work tomorrow anyhow. C'mon Shadow!" Applejack turned to leave as well.

"Well... just stay alive, ok Sharky? You... you mean a lot to us..." Shadow turned and followed after Applejack.

"Well, I've got a forest to train in, so I'll see you guys later!" Blaze turned and left as well.

"Well... I'd love to stay and chat some more... but Celestia knows what messes Sweetiebelle may have made already! I'll see you for that date soon Sharky! Oh, silly me, how could I forget? Don't forget to stop by the boutique soon, I've got a gift for you!" Rarity waved me goodbye and left as well.

"Well, you should get back to the Cakes Pinkie." I offered. "Pinkie?" I looked around quickly for a sign of the party pony, but she was already gone. "Huh, nevermind."

"Well, I've still got to break up what's left of that ice storm, I'll see you soon Sharky!" Stormy smiled and went off on his way as well.

"Well, I'm gonna pee. I'll see you two later." I left Twilight and Fluttershy in the main room as I left towards the bathroom. I relieved myself and took a quick shower. I was back downstairs about five minutes later, and to my suprise, Fluttershy was still at the library. "Hey, don't you have to get back to your house?" I asked her. She blushed.

"I'm still afraid of the dark..." She explained. I grinned.

"Don't worry, I don't mind taking you home." I scooped her up and walked to the door. "I'll be sleeping at Fluttershy's house Twilight! I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Wait, what?!" I closed the door and took off towards Fluttershy's house. As soon as we were there, I tucked her into her bed and left her in her room.

"Wait! Aren't you gonna s-share the bed?" She asked.

"Nope!" With that I collapsed on the floor in her living room and was out like a light in a matter of minutes.