Change

Prologue

The one thing that I was meant to do was run.  I loved running.  It’s what made me the way I am now.  Back then, I had a very hard and painful life; both physically and emotionally.  I blame my poor excuse of a father.  I wish I never knew him.  He was a very evil man.

Let me start with introductions.  My name is Stan Asher.  I’m now 25 years old.  My story here in Equestria began when I was 22.  I’ve changed a lot since then.  If you knew me when I arrived, you would’ve had this mixed opinion of me.  I mean, don’t get me wrong; I was a great guy, but had a bad attitude and they saw that in me.  I was told by the Princesses that this world was so much better than planet Earth.  They were wrong.  It did indeed look more beautiful than Earth, but that’s the only thing that makes it better.  With every world; there will always be a bad side to it and Equestria has proven that to me.

Now you may be wondering how I got here.  Well, let me explain.  It was March 24th, 2008; my birthday.

March 24th, 2008

“Stan? …Honey?” My mother called to me silently.

I grunted in extreme frustration, but immediately calmed down when I saw my mother.

“Hey.  What’s up?  Is it dad again?”

“No, Stan it isn’t.  It’s your birthday today.  Get dressed and come down when you have taken your medicine, okay?”

“Okay, mom.” I said.

My mom left the room and closed the door behind her.  I got out my pill bottle and took a capsule of my anti-anxiety medicine.  I took it and got dressed.

This should be exciting…

I made my way downstairs and I see my father sitting on my couch; drinking.  I immediately got angry and my mother then looked at me and noticed.  My father looked at me and smiled.  That only made it worse.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, angry.

“Why?  Well, duh!  It’s your birthday today, Stan.  Here, I got your present right here.”

“Oh, what is it; more beatings?”

My father got the present out and then looked at me with anger.  I smiled back and made my way to the kitchen.  I heard footsteps coming from behind me; approaching me.

“No, Roger.  Stop!” My mother yelled.

I turned around to see my father looking at my mother.

“…What?  I’m not going to do anything!  I just want to talk to him.  I won’t hurt him, I promise.”

“That’s what you said on my tenth birthday, you sick fuck.  Then what happened?  OH!  A belt to the back and many hard slaps to the face!  You have a lot of fucking guts to be here, you know.” I said.

“And you have a lot of guts to insult me.  Just because you’re older, doesn’t make you any stronger than I am.” He said, chuckling.

I squeezed the glass of water that was in my hands and break it.  I immediately turned around and got right up to his face.

“You sure about that, you fat fuck?  If you haven’t noticed; I’m 20 years old and I have no problem in shoving my foot up your ass, let alone kill you.” I said.

“Okay, STOP IT NOW!  FOR GOD’S SAKE, CAN WE GET ALONG FOR ONCE?!” My mother screamed.

“No, let him talk some more.  Maybe then I’ll have a reason for him to be locked up with his sister.” My father said, laughing.

“Now you’re fucking crossing the line!  Leave!” I screamed.

“…No.”

I giggled, took a deep breath to calm myself down.

Okay, calm down.  Talk to him like an adult and maybe he’ll go away. I thought to myself.

I then looked at him in the eye, politely this time.

“…Dad, I’m warning you.  Leave this hou-“

I was interrupted by a very hard punch to the face.  It didn’t hurt, but it did make me fall over.

“ROGER NO!” My mother screamed.

I heard a slap and a yelp in pain.

“SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH YOU CUNTBAG!” My father screamed.

“Did…did you just…punch me?  Was that supposed to hurt motherfucker?” I said, getting up and looking at him with intense anger.

My father turned his head and started backing away, ready for a brawl.

“…And you slapped mom too, huh?  …Big mistake.” I said, rushing him.

I tackle him to the ground and started throwing punches on his face and throat.  My father was screaming with fury and started throwing punches of his own.

“God, you punch like a bitch dude!” I said, laughing hysterically.

I kept throwing punches at him for several more minutes, before my mom decided that enough was enough.

“STAN, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!” My mom said, pulling me back.

My father got up and grunted in pain.  His nose was bleeding.  He looked at me with intense anger and then grabbed me.  He then started choking me to death.  I threw my hardest punches, but didn’t work.  I was freaking out at this point.

I tried to scream “GET OFF OF ME!” but it was no use.  I couldn’t breathe.  My vision started to get fuzzy.  My father reached over to his left and had an empty bottle of beer.  He smiled with malice.

“Sweet dreams, you little fucker!” My dad screamed.

He hit me in the head with the bottle and that’s when everything went black.  The last thing I remember was my mother screaming bloody Mary.

Two Years Later

May 28th, 2010

I started to grasp consciousness and opened to see that I was in a hospital bed.  My mother was sleeping on the chair; holding my hand tightly.  I squeezed it a little bit and that woke her up.  She gasped with joy and started crying.

“Stan!” My mom screamed with joy.

She then jumped and hugged me tightly.  She then started sobbing intensely.  The doctors rushed in with worry, but smiled when they saw me awake.  I hugged her back, but lightly due to me still being a little weak.  That got me confused

.

“W…Why am I so…weak?” I asked, weakly.

“Stan…you’ve been in a two-year coma.  It’s May 28th, 2010.  Welcome back.” The nurse said to me with a smile.

I got angry instantly, as I remembered back in 2008; what my father did to me.

“Where is that fat fucker?  I’LL KILL…”

I started wheezing and my vision got blurry.

“Stan, calm down sweetie.  You’re still weak.  Don’t worry about him.  He’s been put away.  It’s going to be alright now.  I promise you.” My mother said.

“…He’s…gone?” I said, choking up.

“Yes, honey.  He’s gone.”

I calmed down instantly and tears began to stream down my eyes.  I chuckle a little bit and started crying with joy.

“He’s…gone.  It’s over.  I…can…”

My vision got blurry and I pass out.  Everything went black.  My mother started screaming my name and all I could hear was the beeper going crazy.  I felt pressure on my chest.

Then I heard the beeper go flat.  I was gone.  The last thing I heard was my mother screaming for me to come back.  I tried, but I couldn’t.  My mother started crying with extreme intensity.  Then I heard the doctors freaking out, saying that I was glowing.  Then there was silence.  No light, no nothing.  I couldn’t open my eyes.  This was it.  I was officially gone.

“I’m…dead?  No, I can’t be dead.  I just woke up from a two year coma for Christ’s sake.  …It’s his fault.  He’s the reason for me being here.  …But at least my mother doesn’t have to worry about him anymore…or me.  At least I got to see her again.” I said to myself.

I opened my eyes and I was in a very dark and long hallway.  This was it.  I was passing to the other side...or so I thought.  A light then glowed from the other side of the tunnel.  Some people told me not to go towards it, but what did it matter?  I was dead, so what was the point in living anymore?  I got my wishes; my father being put away, my mother not having to worry about him and I anymore.  I was officially at peace.

I ran towards the light and as I running to it; I started hearing a woman humming one of my childhood bedtime songs.  I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around.  I couldn’t see anyone, but I kept hearing her.  I ignored it and kept going towards it.  I heard something crack as soon as I take a step.  I look down and the ground looked like it was about to fall apart.  I heard more cracking and I started sprinting towards the light.  It kept getting farther and farther away before I saw only darkness.  The ground came apart and I started falling.  I screamed for the woman to help me.

I saw a bright light right in front of me and it then consumed me.  I then saw a woman with wavy hair and blue eyes.

Follow me.

I know the way.

Grab my hand and I will take you there.

I grabbed her hand and I was consumed by light.  That was when I lost consciousness.

My Awakening

I wake up feeling absolutely shitty.  I immediately freeze.

“…Wait.  Aren’t I dead?  How am I still alive?  I heard the beeper go flat.” I said to myself.

I started having all sorts of questions run through my head.  I get up and I realized that I didn’t have any clothes on, besides my underwear.  I looked around the room and I see a note on the dresser.  I go over to it, picked it up and started reading it.

Dear Mr. Asher,

If you are reading this, then that means you have awakened.  You have been asleep for almost four months.

Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Princess Luna; Goddess of the Moon.  The current room you are staying at this moment is a special suite that has been reserved for you for a long time.  My sister and I have been waiting for the right time to send you here to Equestria.  Not to worry; you are not dead, though you were getting close to going to the other side.  I got there just in time to save you from the horrors that were to fall upon you.

Now, where you are located is a town by the name of Canterlot.

About that day; we are sorry that your father did such a disgusting and terrible crime.  I must also apologize if this sort of subject is something that doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable, so I will move onto the basics.

Once you have freshened up; there will be a man waiting for you down the hallway.  His name is Blueblood.  He will give you the grand tour around the castle.  Once you have come familiar with the castle; we want you to meet my sister and me in our throne room.  Blueblood will escort you there.

We hope to see you there and, most importantly; Welcome to Equestria.

-Princess Luna

P.S: Please ignore my nephew’s behavior and attitude.  It’s just the way he is.  Be nice and, most importantly; no fighting with him.  Trust me; it’s not worth it.

Also, your clothes are in the closet, which is located in the other side to your room.  You’re clothes, upon arrival, were torn up and dirty.  We cleaned them and fixed them up for you.  The designers felt that they wanted to make adjustments to the clothes, so we approved and they really hope that you like them.  They wanted you to dress nice, so make sure to give them your thanks; since it is a polite thing to do.

I put the note back on the dresser and I sit back on my bed; mind blown.

I…got a second chance?

My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the door.

“Mr. Asher?  Are you ready in there?  I’m getting impatient!”

That’s probably Blueblood.

“Hold on just a second.  I need to get dressed!” I called out.

I go over to where the closet was and I open it to see my clothes, but as expected, with a few adjustments.  I look at my t-shirt and I was mind blown at the adjustments.  I saw a note on it.  I read it.

Hi Mr. Asher!

My name is Amy and I really hope you enjoy the adjustments that we made to your clothing.  Once we got your clothing all patched up; I thought of adjusting them to your style!

Hope you enjoy it!

-Amy H.

I loved it.  I absolutely loved it.  I put it on and it was so fucking comfortable.  It wasn’t too loose and not too tight.  It was perfect.  I get my jeans out and I look at them.  They had holes in them and I bet it was intentional.  That was my style.  They got it right.  I put it on, along with my socks and shoes.  I look at the mirror and I look at myself.  I looked great.  I walked to the door and I see my hat and it was clean.  It was nice and black, along with a moon symbol on it.  I loved it.  I put it on and walk out to the hallway.

The Tour

I was greeted by a surprisingly short man with blonde hair.  He looked at me and he had a semi-surprised look.

“Hmm…you don’t look to shabby at all.  I love what the designers have done to your clothing.  It looks nice on you, Mr. Asher.” Blueblood said.

“Please, you can just call me Stan.” I said.

“Okay then, Stan.  Please follow me.”

We started walking down the hallway and I was already introduced to other doors.  One was Princess Celestia’s room and one was Princess Luna’s room.

“So, Stan, where are you from?” Blueblood suddenly asked.

“Um…I’m from planet Earth, obviously.  Where I was living at was Detroit, Michigan, which is a state on my planet.”

“I see.  How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-two.  Why?” I asked.

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

We went down the stairs and that’s when I greeted by a very good scent in the air.

“Mm, what’s that smell?  It smells great.”

“That would be food, sir.  We are getting close to the cafeteria.”

We walk down a short hallway and Blueblood went to the left.  I look up and a sign read “CAFETERIA”.  I take a left and I was amazed.

“Holy shit, this cafeteria is HUGE!” I said.

“Indeed it is, Stan.  Our chiefs are the best in Equestria and they will make anything you desire, like apple pie or other sweets.  Would you like a cupcake, sir?”

“Um…sure.” I said.

“Chiefs, bring Mr. Asher a cupcake!” Blueblood ordered.

It took only a few seconds for a chief to bring me a cupcake.  She looked at me with a smile.  I take the cupcake and took a bite.

“…Wow.  Now that’s a cupcake!  Damn, I haven’t had a cupcake this good in years.  Thank you so much.” I said, giving a wink at the lady chief.

The chief giggled.  “We’re happy that you like it, Mr. Asher!  Well, I best be getting back to work.  I really hope to see you some other time, Stan!” She said, walking away with joy.

“She’s a bit cheerful, isn’t she?” I asked.

“Indeed.  She loves to cook and make others happy, especially my aunts.  Now, let’s keep moving forward because I’m starting to get bored of this.  Not that you’re boring or anything.  I just don’t like giving tours.” Blueblood said sheepishly.

“No no, it’s alright.” I said.

“Okay…” Blueblood said, relieved.

30 Minutes Later…

“Are you familiar with the castle, Stan?” Blueblood asked.

“Yes sir, I am.  It looks incredible.”

“Good.  Now, let’s get you to the throne room.  We don’t want to keep my aunts waiting for your arrival.”

We started walking down a series of hallways and then we arrived at the door of the throne room.  I was about to go inside, but was stopped by Blueblood.

“Now, when you get in there; let them talk to you first.  If you have any questions at all; I suggest you do so.  Oh, and do not lie to them.  They will detect that immediately.  Just be straight with them and be as honest as you can.” Blueblood said.

“…Okay.”

“Good.  Now get in there.  They’ve been waiting long enough.  Good luck to you, Stan.” Blueblood said.

With that said, he left and went on his day.

Jesus, he’s annoying.  He’s such a complainer. I thought to myself.

I faced the doors and took a deep breath.  I open the doors and look to see two women sitting on their thrones; Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  They immediately looked up at me from reading their notes.  They put them down and smiled at me.

The Talk with the Princesses

“Hello Stan.  We’ve been waiting for your arrival.  Was the tour with Blueblood good?” Celestia asked.

“It was pretty good at first, but near the end; he just started complaining and wouldn’t stop until we were near the doors that lead to here.  It was a relief that he walked away.  I finally get to have somebody else to talk to, geez.” I said, sighing in annoyance.

“We understand completely.  I’m still trying to get some sense into that boy.  He still has a lot of maturing to do, so if he ever tries to start a fight with you; just walk away.  He isn’t worth the time or energy.  If you want, you can try to talk some sense into him, but it will be difficult for him to calm down.  I’m just warning you; he is a fighter and he isn’t afraid to beat a man down.” Celestia said.

“Well, I could teach him a thing or two if he ever lays a finger on me.  I’m quite the fighter myself, but I’m a bit more brutal.”

“Trust me by these words; he’s very brutal when he comes to fighting.  He won’t stop until his opponent is unconscious.” Luna said.

“Then that’s going to be a problem for him, then because it takes a lot for me to go down.  I may not look that tough, but I’m a lot stronger than you think.  Trust me by those words.  …So, what was the thing that you two wanted to talk to me about?” I asked.

“Oh, yes.  As you may already know; you are in Equestria.  We have given you a second chance at life for a reason.  One, we want to see you change your ways.  We don’t want to see you become like your father, which is a possibility that might never happen.  Two, we have watched you for long enough to see you fighting your way to survive.  Well, we have indeed seen your fighting skills and we think that it would be good for you to go to fighting tournaments here in Canterlot, Ponyville and Manehattan.  They happen once a year.  We think that you would do just fine in there.  The winner gets to take home 50,000 bits, which is a huge amount here in Equestria.  But, you can only fight in the tournaments.  We want you to cease fighting anywhere else other than the tournaments because we think that it would help your process of changing the way you are.  If there is a good reason for you to fight outside the tournaments, then go ahead and do so.  Do not let people around here get to you.  They only want to look for a fight, especially to newcomers.  Do you understand, Stan Asher?” Luna asked.

“Yes mam.  I understand.” I said.

“Good.  The tournament begins in a couple weeks.  The first one will be at Ponyville.  That’s where the beginners go.  There will judges there to see who is worthy enough to go to the next stage, which is in Canterlot.  That’s where it gets tricky.  There will be more experienced fighters here and, if you win, you will go to the finals; which is at Manehattan.  That’s where it’s going to get very difficult.  The people that have survived the semi-finals will get the chance to fight the most experienced fighters.  Whoever makes it to the final round will face the champion.  You will have to find out and see who the champion is.  If you win, then you will win the 50,000 bits.  But if you really give it your all, we will give you a special made gift from the both of us.  In the meantime; we suggest that you practice and get to know a few people here in Canterlot.  Also, we suggest that you go down to Ponyville to meet with the Main 6, which are a group of women that has saved Equestria numerous times.  So, what do you say, Mr. Asher?  Will you accept the challenge?” Celestia asked.

I thought about it for a second.

“…Yes, I accept.” I said, confident.

Celestia and Luna nodded with a smile.

“Very good, Stan.  We like your confidence, but don’t let it go to your head.  It has happened a few occasions and it ended up with them killing a man and we don’t want that happening to you.” Luna said.

“It won’t.  You have my word on it.” I said.

“Good.  Now, with that being said, we both have duties to attend to.  Stan, we hope you enjoy your stay here in Equestria.  Remember; don’t fight outside the tournament unless it’s important.  Good luck.” Celestia said, with a smile.

“Thank you.” I said, bowing to them.

They both giggled and waved.  I got up and waved back as I was leaving the throne room.  When I did, Blueblood was standing near the doorway.

“So…you’re entering the tournament, huh?  Well, I wish you the best of luck, Stan.  You’re going to need it.  I’ll be routing for you in the crowd.” Blueblood said, chuckling.

He went on his way and that left me with only one thought in my mind.

I need to get a girl.