I awoke to what had felt like a pony pushing against me. I turned over in exhaustion, hoping to carry on with my rest. But to my dismay, the shoving continued. There was no possible way that it was morning already. Opening my eyes, I saw that there was a face in the darkness.

"Non-non, time to get up. C'mon."

Struggling to focus on who it was, my eyes closed under the weight of my eyelids. I was just too tired. But Pinkie persisted, shaking me a little harder than before.

"Nonzie, c'mon. You got to get up."

Sniffing and wiping the drool off the side of my face, I groggily looked to the pink mare standing beside me. "Nnnnnngh... What time is it?" I woozily asked.

"I know it's early, but Mr. and Mrs. Cake are downstairs. They're both waiting to speak to you."

I looked at the window, seeing that there was not even a remote sign of the sun rising into the sky. No birds chirping, no changing colors of the sky, pitch black still swallowing the room. Just how early did I wake up.

"What are we doing up so early?" I questioned, yawning as I stretched.

"We're getting ready for the early-bird specials this morning. That and we need to get started on our usual morning inventory."

One by the other, my legs staggered out of the bed, carrying me with them. Stretching again, my joints popped and cracked as I let out a long, strained groan. After I finished, I was still as tired as I was when I had woke up. "Where are they again?"

"Downstairs. But be really quiet when you get in the hallway. The twins are asleep."

Slowly yet surely, my body inched out of the door and down the stairs to meet with two familiar faces. Carrot was busy removing the chairs from the top of the table while Cup started to clean off the counters. As soon as I crept down the stairs, their attention soon shifted to me. Taking a seat in a nearby chair, I started to nod off. Luckily, Pinkie handed me a steaming cup of coffee that already screamed 'wake the fuck up'.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cake." I sounded out tiredly.

Cup walked over to where I had sat. Her husband followed suit. "Hello Nondis. How are you feeling today?"

Really, it's like four and some change in the morning. What else is there to feel? "Tired."

Carrot nodded in response to my broken-toned answer. "I can understand why. You're not used to waking up this early in the morning."

"But we do suggest that you start to, being that you'll be living here." Cup added.

"So let me guess, if I live here for free, I have to work here, right?"

Cup Cake shook her head. "Hardly. In fact, we'd be willing to pay you for your work."

"I'm sure that Pinkie has already given you the rundown of how her wages are paid, right?" Carrot asked me.

"You'd subtract her living expenses out of her check so that you'd be paid anyways. And then by the time that's paid off, then she can receive the rest of her check."

"Yes. But we're willing to pay you for any additional time that you would want to put in." Cupcake stated as her husband gave me a lively smile.

"I told my wife about the time when you worked in the kitchen with me. I can honestly say that you'll be a welcome addition to the Sugarcube Corner family."

The only thing that seemed to be questionable in this deal was how much they would cut out of my check in order to pay off the living expenses. And even then, I'd still collect a paycheck. This was my only option. "Well... I guess I could give it a shot, being that I live here now."

Cup clopped her hooves together with glee, feeling more than excited for my agreement to the terms. "You won't regret it."

At the same time, I felt a pair of hooves wrap around my neck, hugging me. "Ooooh! Non-non, you're gonna love being here! You'll get to meet up with plenty of other ponies here in the town. You'll get to spend some time with Pound and Pumpkin. You'll even get to help me plan more parties. I can't wait till you get settled in!"

"Now a few ground rules." Carrot added. "The first rule is respect. Respect the customers, respect the belongings, respect the rules of our little home."

Cup pointed to the pink mare behind me. "Though we moved out a while back, we still call this home. Ultimately, the home aspect is really more onto Pinkie Pie."

"Also, the second rule. Please feel free to be comfortable, but also remain courteous to others who share the same space."

"If there is something that you need to borrow, please ask us first. We don't mind if you borrow, but we would like it if nothing was to be broken."

"And a third rule. I know that both you and Pinkie are young, so I can only ask that if you two were going to do something, just remember to clean up after yourselves."

What did they mean by that? I know we might throw a few parties, but were they really implying that we'd... have sex on the counter or something? I don't think that will happen but okay. "I guess those shouldn't be too hard to follow."

"Great! That's good to hear." Carrot cheered.

"Glad to have you in the family." Cup said in a sang-sung voice.

"You'll love being here, Nonz!" Pinkie assured me as she clenched onto me even more.

Looking at the three ponies before me, they all shared smiles that seemed to brighten up the room. I guess the sun didn't really need to come up because they all seemed so bright. They were willing to take me in and more than willing to give me a job. Pinkie was more than willing to give up her bed for me. These three were making sacrifices long before I had even walked through the door. They welcomed me in their home with open hooves, despite my being different.

I'd write this in Twilight's friendship journal, if only she'd let me come near her.

Later that day, I had found out that my shifts wouldn't start until sometime tomorrow. At the very least, they wanted to give me a day to get settled in. But in reality, I had other plans. To this moment as the morning shines brightly in the streets of Ponyville, my bags have gone unpacked. If I had unpacked, then I would be giving up on making things work with Twilight.

I just hope I don't see Shining Armor again.

While my day went on, I had started to resent him for what he did. With each passing moment, I was reminded of the choke-hold he placed on me. I mean, yeah I was scared. But deep down, I was more angry than that. I was already assaulted by Caramel and to have Shining nearly snuff me out like that, I just don't see myself forgiving him anytime soon.

Yeah, it's true that I nearly did the nasty with his younger sister, who he considers precious and dear. She could've lost more than her virginity messing around with me, her title would've been stripped from right under her. I can understand his anger, but still I tried to apologize more than I was trying to play it off. I was admitting to my error and he was a squeeze away from dusting me.

It was almost embarrassing to beg for forgiveness and have someone else beg for my life. At least against Caramel, I had the dignity of going down with a fight. With him, there was just a sudden feeling of a magical ring around my neck.

Yeah, my mind was more on those two than anything. So imagine the folly that swam through my brain when I blindly decided to take a walk to the castle again. As soon as I had hit the front door, that's when my mind clicked back to what was said and done as a result of our lustful urges. I guess my walking here was really a developed habit. I couldn't believe that I was sitting here accepting that I wouldn't be seeing Twilight anytime soon...

No the fuck I'm not.

I decided against knocking. Opening the door, I waltzed right on in and started my march down the hall. And just as I turned a corner, I bumped into a familiar face. The purple princess rubbed her forehead as she took notice of me. I guess my luck wasn't all that bad.

"Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to..." As soon as she saw my face, I could see a bit of color fade from her cheeks. "No..."

I needed answers and I wasn't going to go anywhere without them. "Twilight, we need to talk."

Looking both ways to make sure that we weren't being watched, she pulled me behind a pillar and whispered to me. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I know that. I just came her to talk to you." I whispered back. "I had to hear something from you directly."

"Why are you even here?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Because I want answers. You know that you're free to see me as much as you'd like."

"No I'm not. I have been ordered not to see you."

"That wasn't even the issued punishment. What you're doing is self-imposed."

"What I am doing," She stressed. "Is protecting you from Shining Armor. He's already pissed since he had to patrol the Equestrian border in the southern badlands. My brother has spies, and they are very loyal to him."

"Can't you keep them on the hush?" I asked as her eyes grew wide and her ears twitched. Apparently she heard something that alarmed her.

"SHH!" She covered my mouth with a hoof and pulled me closer to the wall. I didn't know what she was doing at first, but when I had heard the approaching hoofsteps accompanied by two stallions conversing amongst each other, I knew that she had just saved me yet another time. She kept her hoof over my lips, causing me to smell nothing but the sweet scented lavender she wore. I held onto her hoof, taking in as much as the intoxicating scent as I could while remaining quiet.

As a patrol of two guards walked past the hall we hid ourselves in, Twilight's breaths started to get a little heavier, gaining volume as she watched me worship the scent that emanated from her body. Realizing that she had become too loud, she found her silence locked into my lips. I drove my tongue into her as madly as I could while she pressed me further into the wall. As the guards passed completely, our clandestine kiss had erupted into a volatile exchange of tongue and flesh. Even our breaths became unified as we started to become entranced in lust. A quiet whimper snuck out from her throat as we separated.

Yet her desire drove me and her close yet again. She licked my cheek, quickly before greedily seeking my tongue to dance with hers. Our reunion was dangerously forbidden... yet it was eagerly welcomed. Like a untamed beast, she dared to corner me behind the pillar that hid our forms. Her wings started to unfold on their own and her tail had started to raise. It was at those signs when she backed off of me completely. Even I was left compressed, longing to be captive yet again by the moistened flesh of her nethers.

"That was close." I whispered, holding myself as I started to experience pain.

"You need to leave." She whimpered, trembling from what could've been the escalation of our passion.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Are you really asking me th-"

"Why did you kiss me? It's a simple question that requires a simple answer. Why did you kiss me?"

"Because I know I can trust you."

"What if I said that I trusted you as well?"

"Then I'd have to ask you to leave, like I am now."

"Twilight-"

For the final time, she pressed her lips against mine. Our exchange was a brief and sloppy one, our lips smacking as we parted and our fluids uniting in a thin bridge. "Ugh! I can't stand being like this." She complained, shifting her hind legs. Looking both ways, she summoned up a letter with an unidentifiable seal set upon it. "This letter is your explanation. Now go. Stay safe. I'll see you in a month or so."

As her horn began to glow, I offered her one last question. "Wait, what do you mean by a month?"

I never got my answer. Before I could even finish my question, I was suddenly in a room full of pink decorations, rainbow streamers and numerous balloons. Despite my being in Pinkie's room, my lips were still moist from the sinful exchange that Twilight and I both shared. The lavender scent, as well as a light musk, still lingered in my nostrils. The tightness in my pants still remained as I held the sealed letter in my hands.

The answers to all of my questions were now within my grasp. Literally. I could only hope that this letter doesn't provide me with more questions than answers.

After reading the letter, I was given more questions to ask. But thankfully, my answers far outweighed the questions. It seems that the vows were made as an anti-scandal device of some sort. It would appear that there have been rulers in previous times where they'd have at it with some of the guards or one of the commoners. When the news had gotten out, Celestia had no other choice but to act accordingly.

Many were stripped of their power but given the right to marry. Some stallions, in refusing to marry, were gelded as a result. And being that there was never a rape case brought up with a princess' name on file, there was never a need to execute anyone.

Cadance was close to breaking her royal vows with Shining Armor. But it seemed that her wait was so prolonged, she sought to get approval. And given their infatuation with each other, they decided to go all-out by getting married.

Which lead up to the situation with Shining Armor. It seems that he openly admitted to his wrongdoing of assaulting me before the council. That being the case, Princess Celestia, also feeling a little biased with Twilight, decided to let her off with a warning and him with a temporary exile. But knowing that Shining Armor would still be angry with me for being with his sister, with the addition of being sentenced to patrol dragon country, aka the Southern Badlands, he'd be coming at me with a sharpened tool. As far as how long he'll be gone, no one knows. So to prevent any further conflict, Twilight decided to give herself the minimal sentence as a means to buy me and Shining Armor some time to cool off.

At the end of the letter, she went on to explain that her feelings couldn't go any further with me than what's already been shown for the past five months. She admits to liking me, questioning whether she'd see me as more than a friend. She kisses me full on the lips and doesn't know if she wants to take it further or not. If that's friendship, then I'm excited to see what she means by next level.

But she goes further to explain that she will not be seeing me for a full month, maybe even more. She will try her best to avoid me and advised me that I'd start looking for, and I quote, other options.

That's where the questions started to snowball from. Was she really asking me to see other mares? Perhaps she wanted me to search for something if things didn't work out between us. But my only question was who would be a fit for that? I've known her for five months and lived with her in that time span. No other mare here in town has been that close to me. I can give a list of close seconds but not anything near the depth of what she's done for me. I know that I do like her now. The hard part is knowing that I wont be able to see her for a month or longer.

I might not even get to see her until it was time for me to leave.

With my clothes unpacked, I had finally let myself sink into a trough. I took a seat outside of the place I now had to call home. I never weighted the option of being in a relationship during my time here. I just wanted to wait out my stay and leave on the first train smoking. But now, I've grown confused. As a human, I have grown attracted to equines. In that attraction, I've developed sexually and have grown even more frustrated as the time went by. And no signs of wet dreams for miles. Hell, I just suffered one of the worst cases of blue balls known to man. So for the moment, I decided to go for a walk, trying to distract myself from the real world.

I really hate being an adult at times.

When I was a kid, I was more carefree than anything. I didn't have to worry about tuition, the cost of books, room and board, gas money, saving up for an upgrade to my computer's RAM, Steam sales, social awareness, having sex to be popular, internet forums, cell phone bills and groceries. Hell, I didn't think that I'd have to worry about traveling to a new world and trying to start my life all over again, get my ass beat, get into a forbidden relationship with royalty and nearly get choked out by the princess' older brother.

Yeah, times were much simpler. All you had to do was make sure that your parents had bought you a playstation and you were ahead of the curve. Everything was already done for you. If you had to eat, your parents paid for it. If you needed school supplies, your parents got them for you. If you wanted to go to another class, you'd just walk down the hall. If you wanted someplace to sleep, then you'd go to your room, free of charge.

Life was easy then. But now as an adult, the world was your battlefield and everything was your enemy. Emotions matured and became complex to deal with as a result. People who were your friend way back when were now your enemy. They either envied you or they hated you. At least then, you were blissfully ignorant to those harsh realities. Things were a little more black and white then but now you couldn't be too sure. The world and it's people were all different shades of gray. You knew that there was a reason behind everything. And that's what makes things so difficult to tell which ones were genuinely troubled from those who were criminally insane.

When I was a kid, I didn't have to worry about any of that.

"Heads up!"

Looking up ahead, I could see a soccer ball barreling towards my head. Reflexively throwing my arms into the air, I defended myself from the ball's blow. Unsure on where it came from, I tried to identify it's source. As I looked around, I could clearly see that I was no longer in the streets of Ponyville, but in it's town park. More specifically, a soccer field.

Yeah, I know that the world has decided to call it football. But given that it is a stupid decision and with me being an American, I have elected to ignore it.

"Scootaloo, Ah thought we told y'all ta be careful!" I heard a young filly call out from my far left.

"Hey! I didn't know that he was going to be walking right into our goal post!" The young pegasi shouted back.

"Girls, I think we should be apologizing rather than arguing." Sweetie Belle said, trying to break up the two other fillies.

The three fillies faced me with folded ears and shame veiled over their faces. "We're sorry." The choraled in unison.

They really didn't have to. I wasn't paying any attention to where I was walking. My mind was more concerned with the long nostalgia trip I took rather than making sure that I didn't walk into a creek somewhere. "You three are okay. I should be apologizing."

"That aside, how are you doing today, Nondis?" Sweetie asked.

My day was already long enough without an explanation. I didn't need to bog myself down explaining everything that happened. "I'm okay."

Finally raising their heads, they continued the game I accidentally walk in on. Apple Bloom reset her position back onto the grassy field, or pitch as they would call it. "So, what brought ya over here?"

"You came to watch us play?" Scootaloo asked as she grabbed the ball from me.

"Actually, I just walked over here. So what's going on?"

"Scootaloo an' Ah are tryin' ta see who's the best at soccer. We're hopin' that the winner gets their cutie mark." Apple Bloom explained.

"And that cutie mark belongs to me." Scootaloo argued.

"It does not!"

"Does so!"

The competition between these two had a familiar edge to it. Apple Bloom and her older sibling, as well as Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash being of no relation but similar ideals, often butted heads over who was better at what. I'm just hoping that I don't have to wear a dress this time.

"Okay. So what are you doing Sweetie Belle?" I asked, turning to the white unicorn filly.

She smiled luminously as she levitated a clipboard, holding a scoring chart with a slew of chicken scratch all over it. "I'm keeping score!"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes at the mess on the score chart. I saw a few tally marks, a few flowers, some hearts, arrows, the quadratic formula, a haiku and a picture of a chicken with Scootaloo's head on it. "That's... quite a score." I tried my best not to burst out in laughter.

"Really? Maybe I could get a cutie mark for being a good scorekeeper!" She said enthusiastically. Though it wouldn't be likely for her talent to be one.

"That's great! Keep it up!" I encouraged, not wanting to break her spirits.

"Enough chit-chat, ref!" Apple Bloom shouted to Sweetie Belle. "It's time to get this game going."

As I watched the three fillies run back onto the pitch, I felt myself becoming distracted from the nonsense that plagued my mind. Instead, I enjoyed myself watching Apple Bloom and Scootaloo trying to score against one another. I didn't have an interest in the sport, nor could I help Sweetie Belle keep score as she continued to carelessly scribble on the score sheet. I just had fun watching the two jump at each other, tripping each other and fussing that they didn't get a foul call. Sweetie Belle was too busy humming and drawing while the other two went at each other's throats. It was quite a hilarious sight.

That's when it had hit me. I needed a day to embrace my inner-child. One could argue that the pranking antics of last night could be me doing just that, but Discord and I were doing it to ponies who were on a date. Even then, he was having his own issues while I needed to escape from the castle.

Today would be a day where I could finally cast my cares to the wind as if I was back in elementary school.

As time passed, the two combatants finally wore themselves breathless, frustrated that neither of them could hit the back of the net. Sweetie Belle as more frustrated that she had ran out of paper to doodle on. My mind continued to flash back to the times I used to do this in my own world. Kids would run around and play various games on the playground. It was a much better comparison to the preteens who only sat on the ground, playing Flappy Bird on their ipods and smart phones.

Though the reactions they produced when they failed were something to laugh at too.

"I... give up..." Scootaloo panted as she laid on her stomach.

Apple Bloom was in no better condition. "Ah... can't take... anymore of this."

"Well at least the two of you are doing fine. I ran out of paper!" Sweetie added.

"Neither of us scored." Scootaloo staggered as she tried to regain her breath.

"Yeah. But now I don't have anything to draw on." Sweetie clarified, drawing moans from the both of them.

"...Seriously?" Apple Bloom deadpanned. "Ya only had to keep score. An ya waste all of the paper drawing instead!? Ya had one thing ta do!"

"Sorry. I guess I was a little bored while you two were kicking the ball senselessly at each other."

I guess that's something Sweetie and I both have in common. Soccer was never a vested interest of mine. Sports in general were okay but my interests were of the Japanese-animated variety.

"Now neither of us aren't gonna get our cutie marks." Scootaloo droned gloomily, causing the two other fillies to sink their heads in response.

"Aw! Don't feel too bad, girls. I don't have a cutie mark and you don't see me complaining." I stated. My only response were blank looks from the three fillies who thought I was dumb for making the comment. At the very least, I tried to make them feel better. But it seems that Sweetie Belle was the first to have a light bulb pop on above her head.

"I GOT IT! Nondis, remember how you said that you would one day go crusading with us?"

To be honest, I didn't even remember saying anything like that. Did I make a promise to go crusading with Sweetie Belle and the others? I don't recall. "Well... I... don't think I do."

"That's a lie and you know it!"

Wow, I give Sweetie credit. She will call you out for something that you may or may not have said. At the very least I wasn't being crucified for it. "What lie!?"

Sweetie cleared her throat and walked up to me. "I remember you distinctively stating that you would go crusading with us. It was two months ago and we were walking down the street to help Rarity carry some of her bags from her shopping trip." Okay, that I remember. "We also had a conversation about you not having a cutie mark, just like this one now." I remember that too. "So I asked you if you could come crusading with me and Rarity said not that day. So I got a little upset and you said that you would. You said, and I quote, 'Cheer up. If I'm free one of these days, then of course I can go crusading with you and your friends.' That's what you said."

In my time here, I have learned to appreciate and curse a unicorn's memory retention. Twilight has shown her ability to maintain her memories when completely plastered and even months down the line. That meant that Sweetie Belle memories would be in picture perfect HD being that she wasn't under any sort of influence. Scary, huh?

"Oh... Did I say that?"

"You know you did. Now today's the day where you make good on your promise."

"I didn't even promise it!" At least I don't remember that I did. Maybe she could recall something else that I might've said to imply that I had promised that. But either way, I was definitely in need of an escape. So I guess I could go on ahead and play crusader for just today.

"So... you don't want to go crusading with us?" Sweetie questioned with a growing frown.

"Not in the slightest." Her head sank low as I denied her question. "Bah! I'm just pulling your leg, of course I'll crusade with you today."

Sweetie and the others smiled from ear to ear as they all tacked me collectively, enough to push me to the ground as they all gave me a hug. Cheerful banter was all I could make out as the three continued to show appreciation.

"Okay! One at a time!" I pleaded, hoping to settle them down. "I can't make out what any of you are saying."

In unison, they all shouted the wax out of my ears. "Cutie Mark Crusaders! YAY!"

While I still felt a slight ring in my ear, I smiled back at the three fillies who held me against the ground. "Great. So what are we doing today, Cutie Mark Crusaders?"

Throughout our day, the girls and I have done a variety of things around the town. We started off our journey with sailing, but found ourselves being unable to how to navigate a boat. So after being stuck at the docks for over an hour. we tried hiking. By the time we came down, the girls were still upset that they didn't get their cutie marks in that either. Shortly after, we volunteered our time to help some of the floral ponies plant flowers in their gardens. After the girls clumsiness with potted plants, we were shown away. But in time, their destructive ideas have even inspired them to make a disaster movie. After many hours of trying to come up with a script, nothing came to mind. So that idea was immediately abandoned.

Despite our reoccurring failures, we all found enjoyment in the time we spent with one another. By the time that the sun had started to burn out, we sat in the empty auditorium of the local schoolhouse. Sweetie wanted to try her hoof at play writing again. She said it was something that she did once before, but was greatly outshone by her sister's costumes. She knew that Rarity had did the costumes specifically for her, but she was still a bit bummed out that everyone else was more interested in what they were wearing rather than what they were seeing, the lines that were spoken.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were too busy laughing at some old, broken props that they said they had used once before. Scootaloo especially was laughing at the thought of her singing on stage again. Apple Bloom was mocking herself for her interpretive dance routine she did at the show. I grew envious that I wasn't here to see it. But I guess that couldn't be helped. I'm just an outsider looking in.

Looking over to the end of the stage, I saw an old-looking piano. Walking over to it, I rubbed my fingers against the off-white keys. It felt a little gritty and worn, but when I pressed a note, I found that it was one of the best sounds I've ever heard an instrument produce. No tacky wavelengths, no dual-tones, no clashing noise, just pure sound.

"Do you play piano?" Scootaloo asked as she crept up on me, startling me a bit.

"Whoa! Didn't see you there."

"Don't tell me that I scared you." She mocked.

"No. Just caught off guard." I rebutted, returning my attention to the instrument.

"Well, do ya?" Applebloom asked as she banged a few notes on the lower register.

"I don't play it. I guess you can say that I dabble a bit. The reason I started to pluck at it is because of a few anime and videogames that I liked."

The three fillies became lost at my answer. Scootaloo was the first to ask. "What's anime?"

I guess my otherworldly reason seems to be hit-and-miss. They don't know what anime is, nor would they ever know because it doesn't exist here. "It's a type of entertainment medium. It's sort of like stuff you watch on TV."

My explanation seemed to only deepen their curiosity. "What's a TV?" Sweetie asked.

"A TV is like a radio. Only instead of just sound, it's like a moving picture screen in your living room, or your bedroom."

"So, it's like a movie theater in your own house?" Scootaloo inquired.

"That's so amazing!" Apple Bloom complimented.

"Wait, did you say your living room... AND your bedroom?" Sweetie asked.

"Yeah." I can't believe I haven't told anyone this before. I would've expected Twilight to explain a bit of my world to them, but it seems that she hasn't gotten a chance to. "In fact, you can have one in your car, you can have one on a plane, you can even have one in your hand."

Smartphones being the prime example of this.

"WOW!" The three fillies seemed interested in the technological advancements of my world. Then again, the telephone isn't exactly a known medium of communication. But at least telegraphs are still in use. So it's safe to assume that phones wouldn't be too far off.

"Tell us more!" Apple Bloom demanded.

"Don't worry. We swear not to tell anypony!" Scootaloo reassured as Sweetie Belle stepped between them.

"Your secrets are safe with us. Crusader's honor."

A slight smile grew on my face as I found myself as the center of the fillies' attention. I know with my being different would always be the subject of interest for most of the ponies in this world, but I still think that it's a bit humbling that there are others who have a genuine interest in me. Even for a moment, I knew what a celebrity felt like.

But I still wouldn't tell them everything about the human world. I gotta leave something to talk about the next time. "Eh... Later."

"What!? Why!?" The three asked me in shock.

"Because I can't tell you everything in one go. Besides, you three have been looking around the old props and haven't told me a thing as to why they make you laugh."

"Huh?" The three quirked their eyebrows and tilted their heads.

"What makes these props so special?" I asked them, hoping to gain some context on the matter.

"Well, it's an embarrassing story." Apple Bloom mumbled as she played with her hoof. "But do ya remember when we told ya about the performance we did a long time ago? These were the props that Sweetie Belle made."

Sweetie gasped, seeming somewhat offended that the two had spent time laughing at her old work. "HEY! Those were my first props! I came a long way since then!"

"Yeah, but since when was the sun brown?" Scootaloo pointed out to a sharp, pointy circular piece of unpainted wood, giggling as she pulled out the hazardous prop.

"I ran out of paint! I didn't have any yellow after I colored in the house. What about that time when Apple Bloom kicked the tree prop and got her leg stuck in the hole?"

Apple Bloom laughed at the horrendous affair that continued to ring loudly in their memories. "Yeah, I'll admit that I should've let Scootaloo do the dancing. Her singing was absolutely horrible."

At this point, I was too busy laughing at the three as they bickered amongst each other. Everything from my chest down to my waist was aching from my perpetual chortle.

"Shut up! I had a sore throat! You know I sing better than that."

"Can you?" Sweetie asked with a smirk.

"Maybe it should've been you who should've sang in the show since your props sucked. You should've left the wood work to Apple Bloom."

"NO WAY! I can't sing in front of everypony! I'd sound horrible. If my voice sounded horrible then I'd die of embarrassment."

"Uh... Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom interjected. "Ya are the best singer of the group."

"Oh no no no! All that Apple family talent? Applejack can play an instrument and sing at the same time. Pinkie Pie can sing and play multiple instruments. Big Mac is apart of the Ponytones-"

"Rarity is apart of the Ponytones, and she's yer older sister!"

"But I can't really sing sing. Just... croon."

"How do you know that for sure?" I finally asked her, recovering from my fit of laughter.

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, but words failed to exit. As she took a moment to think, a startling reality had hit her. "I don't. Look, I'm just scared."

There was only one way to know for sure. "Sweetie, can you sing me a song?"

"S... s-s-s-sing? FOR YOU!?" She stammered as her face started to turn beet red. Looking away nervously, she tried to go down a list of excuses of why she thought it would be a bad idea. "I think I'm a little sick. I got a frog in my throat. I haven't warmed up. I haven't had any warm tea. I-"

"Please?" I simply requested in a low, fatherly voice.

As Scootaloo and Apple Bloom cheered her on, Sweetie Belle finally broke down, giving in to my request. "...Fine."

I walked up to her and placed an empty microphone stand in front of her. As I started to walk away, I had noticed that she had started to shake. "Sweetie, just pretend no one's here." I advised.

Starting to rub her throat and backing away nervously, she staggered in her speech. "I... eeee... aaah... I can't."

I tapped my foot, wondering what would be a better way to get her to sing. I found myself staring at an empty sound booth on the far end of the auditorium. As my line of vision panned across the room, I saw nothing but a bunch of empty seats.

And that was my answer.

"Sweetie, do you see those seats?"

"Y-y-y-you want me to imagine-"

I held up my hand to cut her off. "Not in the slightest. What you see is an empty room. No one is here to judge you or call you harsh names. Your audience for today is the dust in the air."

"So no one is here?" She started to warm back up.

"I'm not even here. Just have confidence in you and you alone. Look to those empty seats and find that there's not a single pony there. It's all you."

Sweetie drew a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes. As she took a moment to gather herself, I walked away as quietly as I could. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom remained quiet as they waited for the first note to fall from Sweetie's mouth. A final draw of breath, a quick intake.

And she started to sing.

I sat at the piano quietly listening to her. As I heard the fluctuations of her tone, I had gained an idea of where she was going to go with her song. As soon as the final words of her first verse had ended, I had figured out her key. Raising my hands to meet with the white keys, my mind focused on the F-major arpeggiation I would play behind her. Her chorus came in, and I played behind her.

As I continued to play, Sweetie looked back to me and gleamed brightly as I accompanied her. She grasped for the breath that left her as soon as I came in. I nodded my head at her, trying to remain focused on the notes I played. The other two rooted us on as I awaited Sweetie Belle's next verse.

I continued to play, slowing down as we came to the end of her song. When I had looked back over to her, I could see that her eyes were slightly reddened from the tears that trailed down her face. She looked directly at me, breaking her voice for a single second before she finally finished.

As she held her final note, I felt the emotions that spilled down her cheeks. Her very soul lied bare for the three of us to see. My playing finally ceased as I let a C ring low and long. When my foot finally left the sustain pedal, I watched Sweetie Belle run to me. She clenched me tightly, sniffling as she thanked me for playing behind her. Really, I needed to hear something like that. It brightened up my day on so many levels.

Everything was perfect.

"BOO!"

And then that tender moment had all came crashing down as I looked up to the very back of the room to see two other foals of equal age, laughing at Sweetie Belle's song.

"What the fuck's your problem!?" I had shouted back as they walked up to the stage.

"The problem is that Sweetie Belle actually thought that she could sing. Does she even know how to hold a note?" The light purple filly asked.

"All that sounded like was a dying bear. No wonder she'll never get her cutie mark!" The gray filly jeered as she and her friend pointed at the three crusaders.

"Blank flank, blank flank, blank flank!"

Bullies... That one aspect of childhood that was an introduction to the harsh world of growing up. If I could recall, those two were the two girls who always made fun of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for being late bloomers in finding their special talents. A reoccurring hobby that they often shared.

I've been meaning to have a few words with them.

"So what are your special talents?" I bluntly asked them, seeing if they would give me an honest answer.

"What does our talents matter to you?" The gray one, named Silver Spoon, questioned me.

"It's not like you have a talent of your own. You can't get cutie marks anyways, blank flank ape creature."

...I'm sorry, did she just...? Yes she did. She went there. She really went there. Why did she go there? "Excuse me?" I wanted to make sure that I heard that correctly.

"Hairless... abomination... CAN. YOU. UNDER. STAND. ME?" The purple filly by the name of Diamond Tiara mocked me as her friend laughed at my expense. Yeah, it's exactly what I thought.

I guess it's about that time to cash in that reality check.

"So... Your cutie mark is a tiara." I said as I pointed to the purple filly. "And your's is a ruby-encrusted spoon of silver?" I turned my finger to the other filly who had finished laughing at me. Pointing back to the purple filly, I only uttered one word. "Rich..." My finger then pointed to the other filly. "Spoiled...."

The two didn't seem to have a problem when I had called them out on it. But I was going to much deeper than that. If these two were going to play bully, then I'd think that it's time that they had a bit of that formula dished back at them. Circling my fingers at the both of them, I finally spoke the final two words of my summary. "Brats."

They stopped smiling as soon as the insult had left my mouth.

"So tell me why do you make fun of these two for not having something that indicates their individual talents? Why them and no one else?"

Diamond stood up to me and tried her best to defend their reason for bullying the three fillies that stood behind me. "It's because they're way too old to not have their cutie marks. We were like the first ones to get ours in our class."

"Really? So you two were in so much of a rush to define yourselves that you didn't care to what you wanted to be seen as in the long-run?"

"What does it matter? We have our cutie marks and they don't." Silver answered.

Neanderthal bully logic. "Why? That can only mean that their destinies are much larger than what you two could possibly comprehend."

"Boring! Those three blank flanks over there had already said that to us! Spare us the lecture." Diamond sassed as she turned around to leave. Silver followed suit.

"I think that you two are scared of them."

The two bullies took a single step forward before stopping in their tracks. Their faces were well out of my sight, but I knew that they were surprised to hear me say that. Diamond was the first to turn back around. "T-that doesn't make any sense. Us? Scared of them?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head as I continued my rant. "You're terrified of what they could be. You see, your cutie marks just so happen to be a reflection of what kind of person you can be, not just your special talents. So with yours being what they are, it means that everyone will only see you two as stuck-up, insecure, unfulfilled, self-entitled, arrogant, close-minded, uninteresting pair of ponies who can't seem to understand the basic guidelines of social acceptance. So instead of starting from the ground up, you decide to build your reputation on the backs of others. You make fun of what they are, fearing what they could be and how powerful they will be in the future. You tone them down so you can feel better about yourself."

"What?" Silver asked, backing away from me almost terrified that I was willing to dig deep into their psyche.

Diamond had already started to march off. "Let's go, Spoony. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"There you go, running away. You can't even perform the basic principles of standing up to your problems, so you cause others problems in hopes that what you put out is enough to throw everyone else off of you. But in the end, when the ones you've oppressed stand tall and proud of their accomplishments, you'll be the ones left questioning what you did with your lives."

Frustrated that I was still chewing them out, Diamond turned back to me screaming. "I don't need to hear this! My daddy will-"

"Do what? Solve your problems for you!? In case you haven't noticed, daddy won't be around all the time. Mommy won't be around all the time. No one will be left to be your little hugbox for when things don't go your way."

"SHUT UP!" Silver Spoon shouted as she stood in front of her shocked friend.

"Sweetie Belle is a wonderful pony, a beautiful little filly with so much more promised to her and an amazing singer. Something. That. You. Aren't... And judging from the cutie mark on your flank, something that you'll never be."

"Y-y-you... BIG MEANIE PANTS!" Silver shouted as both she and Diamond took to the exit. As I was left to cool down, I had felt my heart racing at a million miles per hour. I couldn't believe that I had actually said all of that.

I guess I was a little too real?

Apple Bloom stared at me slack-jawed, unsure on what had taken place. "Nondis... that was..."

"Totally awesome! I can't believe you just told them off like that!" Scootaloo enthusiastically hovered in the air for a short while before landing back on the ground. "That was totally epic!"

Sweetie Belle, still recovering from the verbal lashing I gave to the two bullies, gave me another hug, followed by a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for standing up for me."

I patted the young unicorn filly on the head as I playfully winked back at her. "Whatever, munchkin."

I guess I could understand why these three stay together as often as they do. With their current search for their talents, it almost feels like they're going against the world.

They are going up against the world. In society they're often seen as misfits because they developed a little late. But all they are are just late-bloomers. There's no need to ostracize them because they can't help what they are. If there's anything to scrutinize, it would be the ones who takes advantage of other's generosity, their meekness, their smiles, their honesty, their fealty. If anyone or anypony has to take advantage of one's good nature for the sake of self-gain, then truly they are empty in their lives. They don't accept that they are empty and elect to bury others under the foundation of their false livelihoods.

Those are the real misfits.

After a long escort of the three crusaders to their respective homes, I found myself dog tired. My legs were a little sore, my arms felt a bit heavy, but my heart was as light as a feather. I had entered the room that I would sleep in for the next month or so, finally letting my body hit the comfortable mattress. A long breath exited from my lungs, thinking about the day I've had. The only thing that I didn't look forward to was waking up at four in the morning. But even then, this day made me happy in spite of my circumstances.

"Come in." I called out.

The door swung open, revealing Pinkie after a hard day's work. She was covered in flour and frosting, her hooves were matted with cupcake batter and her mane was an unorganized mess. And not in the usual way.

"Damn, Pinkie. You look like hell."

The pink pastry chef just chortled back at me. "Look who's talking."

"So... whatcha doin' here?" I asked, still looking up to the ceiling.

"This is my room, silly. I'm not allowed in my own room?"

"I didn't say that nor have I implied it."

Pinkie slowly sat on the side of the bed as I laid there. What once filled my vision with cream white was now nothing more than pink, fuzzy curls and vanilla-flavored frosting. Pinkie nudged my arm, causing me to cringe slightly. "I've heard about your little adventure with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Those three have a real deep respect for you."

"I've noticed." I said, sounding a bit strained.

Her face begins to show a little worry. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

Pinkie and I stayed silent for a long while. She started to lean against me a little, sighing as she felt the air fill and leave my chest. "So, you're good with foals, huh?"

"What, you need me to help you with the twins tomorrow?"

Pinkie booped me in the nose, finally letting her entire body lean against me. "No. I was just wondering."

"Hey I gotta ask you something."

The round, sapphire orbs locked onto my eyes, filled with their usual glow of optimism. "Ask away."

"Why were you crying last night?"

She blew a curl of her mane out of her face as she looked towards the hall. Just outside of the room was a row of portraits, and the one that stood just outside of her door was one of her, forelegs anchored around a tan-colored earth pony with green eyes and a curly mane similar to hers. "I started thinking about him again."

Cheese Sandwich, her most recent relationship. Thanks to the long distance that separates them, Pinkie had found herself becoming saddened over his inability to be around. "What about him?"

"How he feels about me. How I feel about him. What's gonna happen to the two of us."

I started to scratch her behind the ears and rub her belly, hoping that I'd cheer her up a bit. "I'm sure that it'll work out."

"...I'm not so sure it will."

That was something I didn't expect her to say. Usually she would be optimistic about something, but it had seemed that she had become more skeptical. This wasn't like her at all. "Pinkie?"

She drew in a deep breath, taking her eyes off of the portrait in the hall and to the hand that rubbed her belly. "To be honest... I don't know what I feel anymore."

I stopped rubbing for a moment. "Why not?"

The pink mare sat up from on top of me. Turning her head to face me directly, she spoke in a silent voice.

"Because of you."

Is this a confession? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out.

Also the song that Sweetie Belle sang.