"Ugh..." I felt awful. I hadn't slept for days after that threat from the local gang. I turned on my sink and splashed some water on my face. I looked in the mirror and saw a black stallion, with a white mane, and pale, yellow eyes. His name was Shadow Weaver, and he was me. I wasn't all that good looking, and I looked worse than ever. My mane was all shaggy, I had bags under my eyes, and said eyes were bloodshot. That's what happens when you don't sleep...

I had all of my things packed, I just needed to wait for the wagon. Then, I heard banging on my door.

"OPEN UP! WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, WEAVER!"

"Oh horseapples... I guess I was just a bit too late... Well, so much for taking my stuff with me."

I opened up my bathroom window, and crawled out to the fire escape. I climbed my way down, until I noticed that the ladder at the bottom was gone. I jumped down, and landed on top of a dumpster, which was thankfully closed. I hadn't made a single sound. That's what I am good at, being sneaky...Though I didn't have a Cutie Mark to say so. I crept out of the alley, and walked down the road towards the exit of the city. Looking around, I see many sophisticated people, wearing fancy and whatnot. I was in Manehattan. It seems like a nice place, but it's like a rotten apple. It looks good, but on the inside, it's all bad. But it was my home, and I had to leave.

This wasn't the first place I had been forced out of due to the company I keep. Everywhere I went, whether it be Canterlot, Stalliongrad, Fillydelphia, Trottingham, Hoofington, and now Manehattan, I had been driven out of all of them for crime, or by the causers of said crime.

"Why can't I just catch a break...?"

I just kept wallowing in my sorrow, and didn't notice I almost walked right into a gang member. He heard my hoofsteps, and turned around to investigate. By that time, I was already in a nearby alleyway. I simply went around the building, and exited next to the city gates. I was glad I had decided to start living as close as possible to the exit of wherever I was at the time. It has payed off many times.

After walking for a minute or so, I came to a fork in the road just outside of the city. It pointed off in different directions, but one name on the signs stood out.

"Ponyville..." I read aloud. I could have sworn I knew that name, but I couldn't quite place my hoof on it, so I decided to head there. And for the fifth time in my life, I decided to head off and try to change myself for the better. I knew that I would just get run out of town again after a year or so, and have to live somewhere else. It was routine by now. I trotted along the dirt path. I had a long walk ahead of me...

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Moments after arriving in town, I had wandered into what seems to be the town square, judging by all of the ponies that were there. I looked around, and saw all sorts of colors. I wasn't accustomed to so much color, as I was always at home.

I looked around, and saw all sorts of different merchant carts and stores and restaurants. I even saw a bakery that looked like a giant gingerbread house. I snickered when I saw it. Then, my stomach rumbled. I had forgotten to eat breakfast, and I had left my lunch behind.

"Well, sounds like Yer' mighty hungry there, pardner."

"Huh?" I looked beside me, and saw a cart with apples and apple based foods all over it. My eyes widened, and I felt a drool coming on. The orange mare running the cart giggled when she saw my reaction. I looked her over a bit. She had a blonde mane with a red band at the end, holding it all together. She had a cowpony hat, and three apples as a cutie mark.

"Yer' new in town, ain't'cha? Ah' know 'cuz Ah' ain't never seen Ya' 'round here b'fore. How'd Ya' like a free sample?" She handed me a bag of apples, which I happily accepted.

"Oh... Thanks..." I felt a little awkward talking to her. I never really talked to ponies, or even got out. Most business was done in or near my home, and I never spoke. I always stayed in the shadows. I wasn't the most sociable of ponies, and I had a bit of a shy disposition.

"No problem, pardner. Y'all come back now, Y'hear?"

I grinned slightly, and trotted away, munching on an apple. It was juicy and absolutely delicious.

"I think I like it here already..."

I wasn't paying much attention, and when I looked up, I had to stop myself immediately so I didn't slam into the cream colored mare with a purple and pink mane and three pieces of candy as a Cutie Mark stepping out of the... Quill and Sofa store. Strange...

"Oh, sorry! Am I in your way?" She looked at me, and raised an eyebrow. "Hey... I've never seen you around here before... You're new in town, right?"

I just nodded my head.

"Well, a word of advice. If you see a pink mare, run and hide. She's a sweet girl, but she's absolutely nuts."

I nodded again, and continued on my way. I didn't even know where I was going, to be honest.

"A crazy pink mare... Alright, noted. I don't feel like getting jumped today."

As if on cue, I saw a streak of pink zooming around between ponies up ahead. It was coming straight for me.

"Oh bucking hay."

I ran into the nearby alleyway, and sank into the shadows. My jet black coat hid me perfectly. The crazy pink mare poked her head into the alley, looked around, then got a defeated frown on her face as she trotted away.

"Phew... That was close... Now, to find a place to stay..."

I looked at a bulletin board nearby, and saw that somepony was renting a room in the Ponyville Library. I asked a passing pony where it was, and they pointed to a large tree nearby. On further inspection, it had a door and windows. Wow.

I knocked on the door, and a purple baby dragon with green spikes answered.

"Hey, what's up?"

I just stared at him in shock. "A dragon..."

"O... Kay then... Twilight! I've got a crazy stallion here to see you!" He shouted behind him. A few moments later, a lavender mare came, and the dragon walked away. I gave her a quick look over. Purple mane with a streak of pink, a horn, and a cutie mark of a few stars.

"Hello. I'm Twilight Sparkle... I've never seen you around town before. I'm assuming you want to rent the spare room upstairs?"

"Yes please... How much is it?"

"Well, only twenty bits a month."

"Wow. That's cheap."

"Sure."

She led me up to the room, consisting of a bed, a lamp, and a window. She explained a few rules to me, and then trotted off. I looked out the window, and noticed that it was getting late. I decided to hit the sack for the night, so I turned off the lamp and went to sleep.

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A few days went by, and I had managed to get a real job for once in my life. I was a waiter at a restaurant near Sugarcube Corner, the gingerbread house that I had seen. I think it was called "Tasteful Delights" or something. Amazing that I worked there and didn't even know the name. One day, I was waiting on Twilight's table. She and I had gotten a little friendly, talking every once in a while, but I mainly kept to myself. She had five of her friends with her that day. I only recognized one as the orange mare who gave me the apples, and the other... The pink mare. Uh-Oh.

"Uh... Hey, Twilight..." I said in my normally shy manner.

"Oh, hey Shadow! Everypony, this is my new friend, Shadow Weaver. He's been renting the room in the library."

The pink mare just looked at me, a wild grin on her face. The rest were eager to introduce themselves, aside from a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, who just sat there. I learned the orange mare was Applejack, the white mare was Rarity, the blue pegasus mare was Rainbow Dash, and they told me that the yellow one was called Fluttershy, respectively.

The pink one just spoke in a plain tone. "My name's Pinkie Pie."

Everypony looked at her like she was acting out of character.

"So... Can I take your orders?" I sat the notepad on the table and put the pencil in my mouth, ready to write.

After getting their orders, I just went back into the restaurant, the whole time, Pinkie Pie was giving me a cold stare, like daggers. I didn't even know what I did to her...

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After my shift, I decided to go home, not wanting to really go do anything. I was tired, and still thinking about what I could have done to Pinkie.

"Well... I did hide from her... Maybe she just wanted to talk... Maybe I should give her a chance."

I stepped into the library, and turned the lights on. Nopony was home. I assumed Twilight was still out with her friends. I decided to pick up a book. It was a romance novel, which I was really into. After a few minutes, I heard frantic knocking on the door.

When I answered it, my jaw dropped.