Alone in Equestriaby KerberosChaptersSuffering in SilenceHope RestoredSecond ChancesHopeAlt ending for the storySuffering in Silence"Anon, Flash just proposed! Isn't it great?" You were shocked to hear the news. Twilight and Flash have been together a little over four months, and to be honest, you really didn't expect them to last this long. “That is really great! I can't wait for the wedding.” Twilight reached her legs around you for a hug. After she was satisfied witht the hug, she let go. "I can't wait to tell the girls!" “Well don't wait on me, go tell them.” You didn't need to tell her twice. She ran right into town to spread the news. After she was out of your site, you slumped your shoulders. The rest of her friends were dabbling in their own relationships, but it didn’t hit you till you heard the word 'proposed.' Looking back, you never took the time to find someone for yourself. You were always too busy getting yourself set up in town, trying to make a name for yourself. A while down the road you gave up waiting for a human long ago. That’s when you were hoping to maybe start something with one of your friends, but, as always, you were too slow. But, someone would turn up for you. There is always someone for each person/pony. Right? One by one, all of your friends found stable relationships. You were still looking for someone to fill that space in your heart. But, that had to wait when you attended Twilight's wedding. It wasn't anything over the top like Cadence's Then again, Twilight wasn't a princess. The ceremony was still like one out of a story book. After the ceremony, you all went to the reception. It was arranged by Pinkie, so you knew it was going to be good. However, you ended up sitting at the bar... alone. All the other ponies brought along dates. Hell, Applejack even brought an apple. It was really awkward when she asked you to scoot over to make room for it before the wedding. Anyways, you were just wanting this day to be over. There was always comfort for you at the bottom of your glass. Even though you were feeling down, you made sure you didn't bring anyone down with you. That would be selfish, especially at a wedding. The DJ then asked for everyone to clear off the floor so the bride and groom could have a dance. You didn't turn around. It would only make you feel worse. If only there was someone special for you... It has been a month since the wedding. They seemed pretty happy together. Pinkie got engaged to Cheese. It was a match made in heaven. You remember when she was bouncing all over Ponyville as soon as she put the ring on. The other couples were getting closer as well. Big Mac was taking more time off from the farm to meet with Fluttershy. Soarin and Rainbow were constantly taking flight trips together. Rarity and Fancy Pants were starting to set up their own shop in Canterlot. As it turned out, Fleur de lis was just an associate, not his wife. Applejack's apple went rotten after three weeks. She even held a funeral, claiming she would never love again. Once again... awkward. You were still alone on the sidelines, watching everyone's life take a turn for the better. Life was never easy on you. You ended up going through the motions just to get through the day: wake up, eat, work, come home, eat, sleep. This was your life, and how you wish it would change. The time finally came for you to go ready for Pinkie's wedding. You really didn't want to go through another one, but you were one of her close friends. She would have be devastated if you didn't show up, and it wasn't like you to stand in the way of other's happiness. Even if it harmed your's. The wedding was party themed... big surprise~. The actual ceremony didn't last too long. However, the reception was a different story. Any time cut out of the actual wedding was put into one of the greatest receptions ever. You still found yourself sitting alone while the rest of the ponies have a good time. Applejack actually brought a pony as her date. You think his name was Trend something. Either way, they were having a blast. There wasn't any alcohol to ease your pain either. Well, no alcohol that they were serving. You made sure to bring a flask just in case. Your non-alcoholic cider soon became hard cider. As you watch other ponies dance, you sipped on your drink. Is this what you were reduced to? Having to drink in order to be happy for your friends? You just didn't know anymore. Time moved on and the rest of your friends get hitched. You turned towards the bottle more and more times to help relieve the pain. Twilight had a baby recently. Her name was Starlight. When you saw Twilight and Flash cuddled up with their newborn, you had to get out of there. You ran straight home and slammed the door. Sliding down the door, you silently wept for the future you will never have. Then came a knock at your door. You could hear Rainbow outside. "Anon! Are you in there?" You held your breath. Maybe you could talk to h- "I didn't think he is home." The voice of Soarin stops your thought process. You didn't want to be known as that whiny guy who complains that he was always alone. No one likes that guy. Rainbow sighed into the door. "I guess not. Why did he r..." Her voice trailed off as she and Soarin went to look for you. Once you were certain that they were gone, you locked your door. You didn't want any surprise visits. Walking into the kitchen, you took out a bottle of whiskey and a tall glass. This wasn't the first time you have gone home to drink your sorrows away. It was the first time ponies actually tried to check up on you. You popped off the lid and filled the glass. Capping the bottle, you raised your glass high and downed the liquid. It burnt going down, but it was a burn you were familiar with. You didn't know how much longer you can take being alone. At this rate, you didn't know if you were going to give up... or your liver. The next day, your friends literally broke down your door. You were already having a pretty bad hangover and the noise wasn't helping. "Anon! I know you're in here!" You covered your ears and groaned. Moving off the table, you popped your back and stumbled to the entry. Standing in your now permanently open doorway was Rainbow and Applejack. Outside the door, you could see Soarin and that Trend guy. You probably should learn his name for once. Seeing the two stallions outside made your mood worsen. "What?" Your voice came out with a hint of spite. "Why did you run out yesterday!?" Her screaming was not making you feel any better. "I needed to do... something." The apple obsessed lie detector didn't believe you. "You're lyin' Anon. Just tell us what's wrong." Your blood pressure spiked and caused you to hold your head in pain. The two stallions were leaning in, trying to get a grasp on the situation. You didn't let them. "I just need to be alone for a bit." With that, you walked into the bathroom and locked that door. You popped out some pain pills and sat on the toilet. "Come on Anon. Talk to us." You reply with silence. This was something you never wanted to deal with, especially hung over. A few minutes passed before you heard a sigh followed by the sound of hooves leaving. Another week goes by. Another lonely and depressing week. You fixed your door and cleaned yourself up for your job... that you no longer had. Turns out, missing one day of work could get you fired and get some shitty teenager to replace you. Well fuck it! You didn't need a job! You didn't need friends! You didn't need… Y-You don… You cried yourself to sleep that night. It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't you be happy too? What about you made the universe hate you so much? You couldn't even bring yourself to drink anymore. It didn't numb the pain like it used to. One evening, you were mopping around your home when you got an idea. If you couldn't be happy here... why stay? You packed up some essentials, nothing more than food, water, some clothing, and a few bits of supplies. It would be better if you headed out in the morning, it was already late. You curled up in your bed, taking your time to fully appreciate a mattress. You woke up with the sun in your face. This was not how you wanted to start your day. Rolling off the bed, you grabbed something to eat. You didn't want to use up any of your supplies, so you ate what little food you had left. Once you finish up, you grabbed your bag and walked out the door. You didn't bother closing it, there was no point. Stopping at your mailbox, you saw a letter poking out the side. It was bright pink, so it came from the party mare. Curiosity got the better of you and you opened it. Confetti shot out of the envelope. You would never figure out how she does that. Looking over the letter,you saw that they were inviting you to a party. It was probably just some party to show off their special someponies. Too bad you wouldn't be making it to this one. You dropped the letter and headed towards the Everfree Forest. Maybe the universe will have some mercy and let some creature eat you. But, you knew that wasn't going to happen. That would be too easy. Hope RestoredPinkie POV It was almost time for Anon's party. You noticed how he was feeling a bit down lately, so you decided to throw him a party to cheer him up. And of course you wanted to make sure he wasn't late. He didn't leave his house much, so that is where you went to look for him. However, when you arrived at his house, his door was wide open. That was strange, he usually kept it shut. Walking over, you stepped on something. Looking down, you saw that you stepped on your invitation. Oh good, he read it. You bounced up to the open door and looked inside. "Oh Nooooonnnyyyyyy~" Silence was your only answer. "Nonny?" You walked in his house and looked around. Some cabinet doors were left opened, displaying their emptiness. The place looked overall, emptier. The last room you checked was his room. "Anon?" He wasn't there. Once again, there were some open, empty drawers. Where could he be? He rarely left his house. You didn't see him anywhere in Ponyville. Then it hit you: the empty drawers, the open room, the lack of a human. He's gone! You ran as fast as Pinkiely possible back to Sugarcube corner. Slamming the doors open, you pretty much made everypony jump out of their coats. Twilight was the first one to recover. "Pinkie what's wrong?" Your eyes darted around the room, still trying to cope with the situation. "He's gone!" Large gasps filled the room. "What do you mean gone?" Twilight was trying to get a grasp on your bad news. "Gone! Absent! Not there!" "Where did he go?" Tears were starting to fill your eyes. "I d-don't know" You feel Cheese put his leg around you. Pulling yourself into his grasp, you melt into his shoulder. You can't believe he would just leave without saying goodbye. All the ponies put on somber faces. This was the worst party ever. "Well I'm not about to stand by and let this happen! I'm going to look for him." Rainbow flew out of the store, followed by Soarin. What did you do to drive him away? He may have lost his job, but he still had friends that cared about him. So why did he leave? The search for Anon went from hours, to days, to weeks. Rainbow ran herself ragged trying to find him. Being the Element of Loyalty, she took it harder than most. She kept beating herself up saying that she should have done something quicker or should have been there more for him. You were happy Soarin was there to help her. The rest of you took it hard as well. Twilight became a bit more shut in. Applejack busied herself on the farm. Fluttershy was now taking care of more and more animals. Rarity consumed herself with fashion. And you were busy trying to make everypony smile again. You knew it was a losing battle, but you knew you had to do it. Cheese made sure to help you by bringing a smile to your face. It was always nice to know you had a special somepony. In fact, all your friends were happy that they found one. Well, almost all of your friends. Maybe that was why he left. Maybe he didn't feel loved. It had been years since you last saw him. Starlight was starting her third year of school. But Twilight wasn't the only one to have a child. Rainbow and Soarin had one filly and one colt: Glider and Blitz. Applejack and Trenderhoof had a filly: Autumn Apple. Rarity and Fancy had a filly named Flawless. You even had a little colt yourself named Bubblegum. Fluttershy had a rough time when it came to children. She and Big Mac tried to have kids on multiple occasions. When that didn't work, they went to see a doctor. You could still see the look on their faces when they came out. It was cruel irony. The one out of your group that was most ready to be a mother, was the one that couldn't be one. You made sure to give them some hope by bringing them an adoption pamphlet. The smile on their faces assured you that you did the right thing. They sent a letter to the agency in Fillydelphia asking for permission to adopt. So, the agency sent a representative to see if they would be suitable parents. She gave your friends the green light to adopt. But that wasn't the only news you heard. The representative was inside Sugarcube Corner, talking with some pony about metal work. "Yeah, I needed some repairs done to the bed frames for the little guys and you wouldn't believe who came over." "Who?" "It was- Oh thank you dear." You sat down a tray and refilled their drinks. Taking their empty plates, you walk back to the kitchen. "It was some ape like creature named Anonymous." You dropped your tray, letting the plates smash on the ground. All the ponies jumped at the noise, and you ran back to the table. "Who!?" The pony cowered a little. "A-Anonymous." "Where!?" You felt terrible about making a pony feel bad, but this was somthing you had to know. "I-I'm sorry, but I need to know." When the pony recovered, she told you everything she knew. Apparently he ran away to Fillydelphia and works in a blacksmith's shop. Once she finished her tale, you thanked the pony and ran off to spread the news. You found him. When the other ponies heard the news, they were almost jumping with joy. Rainbow suggested to jump on the train and go kick his flank. All of you at least agreed to the train part. Once you bought the tickets, your husbands opted to watch the kids while you were gone. This was an affair for just you six. The train ride wasn't that long. Fillydelphia is only a few hours away. Once you got off the train, all of you looked around for a blacksmith shop. There was at least a whole section of the city dedicated to all the different kind of smiths. It was a bit intimidating seeing how large the section was, but you have come too far to quit now. You asked many smiths if they have seen a human. At first, they had no clue what a human was. Once you explained what a human looked like, they directed you further and further down the streets. All of you ended up towards the edge of the city, looking at a shop. Well, it looked more like a shack than a shop. Twilight was the one who walked up and pushed the door open. When you looked inside you saw your old friend. Or, what was left of him. Standing over an anvil, hammer held high, was a one legged human. His face was covered in hair and his clothes were torn and worn down. Most importantly of all, he was missing a leg. In its place was a wooden prosthetic. "I'm busy today. Come back tomorrow." His voice sounded deeper and... empty. "A-Anon... It's us." He stopped his hammering and looked at your group. Maybe you could get him to come back and get his life back. "Go home." He turned back to his work. You and your friend's jaws dropped to the floor. You came all this way to take him back... and he just told you to leave. "W-what do you mean?" Twilight asked him what you were all thinking. He sighed and stuck the metal in some water. "Exactly what I said. Go home." Rainbow stomped her hoof. "Not without you we won't!" Anon's empty face turned into a frown. "Yes you are." He turned around and tried to walk into a different “room”, only to be stopped by Twilight. She lit up her horn in case he tried to run… on his one leg. "Please at least tell us why" Not seeing a way out, he slumped his shoulders. "I couldn't stand it." "Couldn't stand what?" You built up the courage to say something. "Watching other people's happiness and failing in my own." Twilight's magic stopped and you lowered your gaze. "What do you mean 'failed happiness'? Weren't we enough!?" All of you looked over to Rainbow. She was taking it as a personal attack. That is when Anon turned around and looked straight in her eyes. "Tell me. How do you feel with Soarin?" “What?” Rainbow, along with the rest of you, raised an eyebrow. Out of nowhere, Anon kicked over the anvil he was working on. “TELL ME!” Anon shouted right into her face. Rainbow all but turned white at the outburst. "I-I feel h-h-happy and l-loved." You could agree with her, feeling the same for Cheese. "Now how do you feel around your friends." Anon eased off her. "I feel happy and loved." Rainbow slowly gained some courage. She did make a good point though. Anon, however, brought a hand to his face. "But it's different. Isn't it?" She couldn't come up with any more arguments, so she nodded. "Now imagine having to watch everyone you know find that love that you would never get in return. How would that feel?" Rainbow scuffed her hoof on the ground, not meeting his gaze. "How would it feel to watch others talk about finding their perfect match, raising a family, and living their lives to the fullest, while you are still stuck without anyone to hold you close and love you more than anything in the world?" You couldn't meet him in the eyes either. Your whole life you have been making ponies smile, but you never once thought how showing happiness could be a bad thing. "Didn't think so. So please, just go home." He walked into the other room, if you could call it that. The only separation was a thin curtain. You and your friends slowly turned around and headed for a hotel. It was too late to get a train back to Ponyville. Applejack found a nice place to stay near the tracks. The whole walk back was in silence. Never in your life would you have thought smiling could make people frown. It just wasn’t right, and you didn’t know what to do. When you arrived at the hotel, Twilight paid for a room big enough to accommodate all of you. You walked to your room and sat down on the floor. Once you all found a spot, Fluttershy spoke up. "Is it our fault?" All of you looked at her. "Is it our fault that he was driven away." Rarity gave her a supporting hug. "It's nopony's fault dear. He just couldn't handle what he already had." "Then why did he leave?" Your attention went to Twilight. "If friendship is supposed to be everything we need, why are we all married?" Rarity didn't have any argument. "I can't help but feel like we neglected him for so long. We all moved on with our lives, but he was stuck in his place. I heard he was shot down from multiple mares, but I didn't think they all would turn him down." "Wait just a second. Ya KNEW he was goin through this?" Twilight nodded at Applejacks accusation. "Why didn't ya say anythin!?" Twilight recoiled a bit. "I didn't think this would happen. I just got caught up with Flash and..." "It's not your fault Twilight. We all should have seen the signs: the drinking, the lack of getting out, his face when we would tell him about our husbands. But we didn't, we ignored it and thought friendship would be enough. Now look at him. He is worse than ever: poor, lonely, and crippled." You gave your two cents. The rest of the mares lowered their heads. "I just want everypony to be happy." All of you fell silent until Dash spoke up. "So what do we do now?" You looked to Twilight. She would know what to do. She always knew what to do. "I... don't know girls. He won't go back on his own, or with us. I don't want to put him through any more pain, but he won't last long living in the condition he is." "What if we found him a mare?" Twilight shook her head at Rarity. "I don't know about any of you, but I don't know any single mares." "I think I may know one." Rarity levitated a flier that was sitting on the nightstand over to Twilight. Once Twilight took it in her own magic, she slammed it down. "No! Absolutely not! I wouldn't do that to anypony, let alone Anon." "Twilight, what choice do we have? I don't want to see him living that way any more than you do." Twilight looked back down at the flier. "But her? I don't think she would be a good match for him. She would probably push him away more than ever." Rarity walked over and sat by Twilight. "Do you want to be the pony that does nothing and loses him or the pony that tried everything she could to save her friend?" Twilight gave a sigh of defeat. "I guess not." Rarity hugged her close. "Good, now lets get some sleep. We will have a busy day tomorrow." Rarity walked back to her bed. You, Rainbow, and Applejack walked up to see who they were talking about. The flier read 'Come and see, for one night only, The Great and Powerful Trixie!' Suddenly, you weren't too sure about Rarity's decision. Second ChancesThe next day Twilight made sure to wake you up bright and early. You actually wanted to sleep in for once. Yesterday took its toll on you. At least she bought all of you breakfast. Once all of you were filled and cleaned up, you went out to search for Trixie. The hunt for her went about as well as the hunt for Anon. There was a lot of asking, and a lot of hoof pointing, but you were able to find her after you stopped for lunch. She was at the Wellington Center in downtown Fillydelphia. The guards in the front let your group in as soon as they heard Twilight mention the word "Celestia" She didn't like to flaunt her influence, but it was for a good cause. Once you made it to the dressing rooms, Twilight knocked on the door that said Trixie. "Come in." Twilight opened the door to reveal a slightly older Trixie than you remembered. It made sense though. It has been years since you last saw her flee from Ponyville. Once she saw your group, her eyes widened. "Twilight!? What are you doing here?" That didn't sound like the Trixie you knew. No boasting about her accomplishments. No putting down Twilight. Heck, she wasn't even talking in third person. "H-Hello Trixie. It's been a while." Trixie calmed down at Twilight's non-threatening voice. In fact Trixie walked right up to Twilight... and gave her a hug? All of your friends faces mirrored your's of disbelief. After Trixie let go, you could see Twilight also in a state of shock. "W-what was that for?" "For giving me the flank kicking I deserved." Twilight's shock turned into confusion. "What are you talking about?" Tixie moved out of the way to let you all enter the dressing room. When you walked in, you looked around the room. It was just like any other famous pony's dressing room. No special Trixie posters or merchendice. Just a normal pony dressing room. "Darling, this place looks magnifique!" Of course Rairty would be the one excited about seeing a dressing room. This was a place for celebrities to be. "Thank you. It isn't much more than a temporary dressing room." Twilight was still greatly confused. "It does look nice, but what was that think about flank kicking?" You were curious about this yourself. "I guess I have some explaining to do right?" All of you nodded your heads. "Well after you kicked me out of Ponyville... for the second time, I was ruined. My career was in the toilet and I had to live in my cart. I started to beg for food and places to stay. Then one day, I found a sack of bits laying right in front of me with a note. It said that “everyone deserves a second chance.” It was exactly what I needed at the time. I took a job at a diner, cleaning up tables and such. The bits helped me pay my rent and for some food. I eventually started to do some magic tricks down in the hospital for little sick foals. It didn't take too long for somepony to recognize me and they offered me to perform here tonight. Speaking of which, did you want some tickets?" All of you were amazed at the tale. Well, all except Twilight. "What did the note say EXACTLY?" Trixie walked over and pulled it from the mirror. "I have kept it as a reminder. It keeps me humble and not going back to what I was." She levitated it over to Twilight. Twilight took the note in her hooves and inspected it. Then, her eyes lit up. "I know this handwriting! It's Anon's." Trixie cocked her head to the side. "Who's Anon?" You all looked at her with sideways heads. "You know Anon silly. He was there when you came and tried to take over Ponyville." Trixie thought deeply for a moment before she shook her head. "Nope, can't say I do." "C'mon you know! The really tall human." Trixie just shook her head. "Not ringing any bells." You rubbed your head in frustration, as the other girls did too. Twilight was the first to recover. "Nevermind, we were wondering if you were doing anything after your show." "Nothing comes to my mind." "Well, would you-" "Except going to see my coltfriend." Twilight lost all steam in her engine. "Y-your coltfriend?" Trixie smiled twice as big as before. "Oh yes, he is a wonderful stallion. His name is Moonlight and he works at the observatory." All of you gave the best fake smiles you could. "Oh that's nice." Twilight tried to keep her composure while Trixie looked off into space. "He sure is. I always believe that there is somepony out there for everypony." You felt a spike of pain go through your heart when she said that. This was what you and your friends were trying to fix. The room soon fell into silence. A few awkward moments pass before Applejack speaks up. "Well would ya look look at the time. We better get movin'." Rainbow joined in as well. "Yeah, we still have some things to do, right Twi?" Twilight was confused for a second before she caught on. "Oh yes, I completely forgot. I am so sorry, but we are going to have to cut our visit a little short." You stood up to leave. "Well, here are some tickets in case you want to drop on bye." Twilight took the tickets from Trixie. "Thank you, and good luck with the show." "You are very much welcome." You and your friends walked out of the door and it closed behind you. Your pink hair deflated right when you heard the door click. "Now what?" Twilight put a hoof on your back. "I don't know Pinkie. Unless you know somepony else who is lonely, I think it would be best if we left Anonymous alone." All but Rainbow agreed. "I'm not going to just leave him here to die Twilight! I never leave anypony hanging!" "Rainbow..." "No Twilight. I spent weeks trying to find him. Week! I am not letting him go again." "Rainbow." "I am the element of loyalty for Celestia's sake!" "Rainbow!" Dash stopped her ranting at Twilight's shout. "Don't you think this is hard for all of us. We just found our friend after years of nothing and he doesn't want anything to do with us. We all know how you feel." Rainbow lowered her head. "But going home doesn't mean we are giving up. I have a sister to send a letter to." Twilight trotted down the hall and you followed. You should have known she had a plan. She had a plan for everything. You followed her down the hall, not seeing Trixie open the door from all the shouting. "They really care about you, don't they Anonymous." Trixie POV You just watched your former enemies walk away. They were talking about somepony named Anonymous. "They really care about you, don't they Anonymous." Just by the shouting you heard, you could tell he was very dear to them. You looked up at the clock. It was going to be a few hours before they started letting ponies in. Deciding it was enough time, you grabbed the note and went off to look for this Anon. After asking a few sources, you ended up standing in front of a shack. You could hear the ring of a hammer as it struck an anvil. Gathering up your courage, you pushed through a curtain. Anon wasn't how you expected him to look. Then again, you didn't know what to expect. He kind of reminded you of a minotaur, but shorter and less beefy. That didn't mean he wasn't muscular, quite the opposite. You cleared your throat to get his attention. "Mister Anonymous?" He stopped what he was doing and looked over at you. "Well, well. If it isn't Trixie." It didn't sound like he was mad at you. In fact, he sounded almost... happy? "Come on in." He waved you over to a broken chair and a dirty couch. You accepted his offer and walked over. Once you seated yourself, you looked back over to Anon. He put down his work and limped over to you. "What's wrong with your leg?" He continued to limp to the broken chair. Once he sat down, he smirked and pulled up his pant leg. You gasped at the site of his wooden replacement. "Besides it not being there, nothing. Damn manticore wanted a piece of me, and well, he got it." He popped the leg out off of his stump "Much better. So how have you been?" You couldn't take your eyes off of the wooden appendage. It shocked you how a pon-person worse off than you could hand you anything, let alone a sack of bits. "I've been worse. I just wanted to thank you for that sack of bits you gave me all those weeks ago." He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't give you any bits. Hell, I barely have any bits for myself." Being a show mare, you knew when somepony was lying. It’s what you mostly did on stage after all. That, and Twilight said that it was his handwriting. You pulled out the note from your saddlebag. "Twilight said this was your handwriting." His spirits crashed when you mentioned Twilight. "Oh." "You know, they are worried about you." He slumped back into the chair. "Yeah, I know." "Then why won't you go back?" He rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. "Have you ever been in love?" There was your coltfriend, but it wasn’t true love... for now anyways. You shook your head. "Neither have I, but all my friends have. In fact they all have husbands and probably kids by now." You sat there in silence and listened to his tale. "Hell, I haven't ever had a girlfriend. And not from lack of trying, mind you. Anyways, their love bloomed, and I was stuck where I was as they moved on. At first it was just little bit of sadness when I saw them kiss or hug. Then, it got worse when they started to talk about marriage. When Twilight had her baby, I almost lost it. I knew if I stayed, I would lose it. So, I packed up and left. I went through the Everfree." He gave his wooden leg a kick. "I ended up here after about a week or two. Found a pony who taught me how to work with metal. He moved on while I stayed and made stuff for the little people." You sat there and let everything sink in. "That doesn't explain why you gave me those bits." His frown turned into a small smirk. "Just like it said. We all deserve a second chance." "What about your second chance?" You caught him off guard with that. "You are probably the sweetest and stupidest po- human I know. First, you torture yourself by putting your friends happiness before your own. Then, you have the gaul to hide away the pain from those that care about you most. You let that well up inside you to the point where you are afraid that you might ruin that happiness. So, you ran, hoping that they will forget about you. And even when you are down on your luck and MISSING A LEG, you still find it in you to help out a nobody like me with a pile of bits. Out of EVERYTHING you have done, wouldn't that warrant a second chance?" He leaned forward. "This was my second chance." It was your turn to be caught off guard. "What do you mean?" He gave another sigh. "Do you know how I ended up in Equestria?" You shook your head. "I died." You gave a sharp gasp. He died? "H-how?" "I was walking down a street when a car came speeding down it. Some punk rolled down his window and began to fire a gun. I got hit in the chest." Tears started to fill your eyes. "I never made it to a hospital. I died right there on the ground. Then poof. I wake up in a field outside Ponyville. If you ask Twilight or any of them, they can tell you the rest. So that is why I don't have any chances left." Your tears threatened to come streaming out of your eyes, but you held them it. "That's awful." He nodded his head. "Have you told anypony else?" "Never had the need to." "Then why are you telling me?" He took a deep breath. "Because someone should know. Someone who truly understands second chances." That hit you right in your chest. He trusted you with his story, and you were not going to let him down. "Then give them a second chance." "They did nothing wrong." You looked out the window and saw that sun lowering. You were out of time. "Just listen to me for a second. Whether it hurts their feelings or not, they did mess up. They didn't mess up when they got into relationships. They didn't mess up when they decided to get married. They didn't mess up when they had children. They messed up when they couldn't see what was going on with you. Friendship is a two way street. You look over their happiness, and they look over yours. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I think all of you need some closure." He sat there in silence and took in your advice. "I would stay longer but I have a show tonight. Thank you for listening." You got up to leave. "Wait." You turned around to face Anon. "Are you doing anything after the show?" You bit your lip. He was in a vulnerable state, but you couldn't betray Moonlight like that. "I am going to have drinks with... a friend." He sunk back into the chair. "Oh... alright. Well, you have some fun." It broke your heart to see a creature reduced so low. You walked over to him and gave a kiss on his cheek. "Things will look up for you soon." With that, you hurried back to the Center. You hoped that he would find the note you left on his couch. HopeTwilight POV Once the train arrived in Ponyville, you headed striaght towards your home. You didn’t even take the time to talk to any of your friend. But, they knew what you had to do. Opening the door to your home, you saw your husband reading to your child. "And so, she banished her si- Twilight? Welcome home." Your daughter looked up with her bright happy eyes. In that moment, all your troubles melted away. It was funny, you always thought children would cause you more grief than joy. You were never so happy to be proven wrong. "Hello Flash. Hello Starlight. Did you have fun while I was gone." Flash marked the book while your daughter charged up to you. You barely got the door closed before the little fluff ball almost knocked you over. "Yeah! Daddy read to me, played games with me, OH! And he gave me a whole lot of cake!" You husband smiled sheepishly at the last remark. "Not a whole lot. Just a few pieces." You raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway. Little antics like this is the reason you fell for him, even if it was going to make your little Starlight jump on the walls for a few days. "Mhm, and where is Spike?" Flash looked up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to recall where Spike was. "I think... he is out with... Sweetie. Yeah, I remember that he left a few hours ago." You leaned down and gave Starlight a squeeze. "Star, could you go get him for mommy?" "Sure!" Your daughter took no time running out of the library to go look for your assistant. She was always willing to help you with… well, pretty much everything. Seeing your messenger would be here shortly, you walked upstairs to write letter to Cadance. As soon as you had your quill and ink, you started writing. "So did you find him?" Flash’s worried voice sounded echoed in the room. It took you a little bit to gather your courage before you started to tell him about what you saw. "What was left of him. He is a shell of what he was. Tartarus! He was even missing a leg!" He walked over and gave you a hug to keep you from breaking down right there and then. You hung onto him, trying to hold back your tears. "What did we do?" The hug only held back your tears for so long. Soon enough, you were letting them fall on Flash's coat. Your husband could only rub your back and tell you that everything was going to be alright. A few minutes passed by before you could calm yourself. You whispered a thank you in his ear and rewarded him with a quick kiss. "You know I am always here for you." Flash pulled you in a little tighter. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't have to show you my love." You gave him another kiss. Right before you heard the door slam open. "Mom! I have Spike. Where are you!?" Star was faster than you thought. You didn't even get a chance to show Flash how much you really love him. It would have took your mind off of Anon if nothing else. "I'm upstairs!" You turned to your husband. "I have to send a letter to Cadence. Maybe she can fix this mess." Flash left to watch Star, not before stealing one last kiss, while you wrote up a storm. You made sure to give Cadence every detail you could. One quill and long two scrolls later, you were finished. As soon as you rolled them up, Spike was standing behind you, waiting to deliver them. "You know, Celestia could teach you how to send your own letters by magic." He was right though. It would come in handy more often than not. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something, Spike, but it was for a good reason." He took he scrolls and enveloped them in flames. "And that would be." You watched the cloud of magic fly out a window. "To get Anon back." After a few letters back and forth, and some complaints from Spike, Cadance decided to meet up with you back in Fillydelphia. It has been four days since you visited Anon, so you hoped that he has cooled off. Flash, however, wasn't too on board with the idea, but you were going either way. He eventually gave in, but you had to promise to stay at home for a while and give him some "adult time" when you got back. It wasn't like you were against that, quite the opposite. Star, being the curious little filly that she was, wanted to go with you, or at least know what was going on. Along with childproofing it, you only had to explain half of what was going on before she let you leave. After your four day waiting period, you jumped back on the first train that headed towards Fillydelphia. On the train, you were trying to think of different ways to convince Anon to come back. It would be easy to point out everything about his living conditions, but he didn't seem to mind that. Friends and/or family were also out of the question. You couldn't come up with anything that would convince Anon to come back in his state of mind. When the train stopped you hopped out and reserved a room in the nearest hotel. Cadance wouldn't arrive till tomorrow, so you walked around the city. Overall, it was a very industial town. There were more cloud stacks and warehouses than Manehatten and Canterlot combined. You also noticed a lot of ponies were talking about some magic show. You guess it was Trixie's since that was the only show you knew about. You thought about meeting up with her again. However, the only place you could think of to look for her was her coltfriend works, the observatory. You made a trip to the observatory and looked for a pony named Moonlight. Once there a secretary pointed you to his office. When you opened up the door, you immediately slammed it shut. "I didn't know Trixie could bend that way.” A few blushing seconds went by before the door opened back up. "H-hello Twilight. You uh... caught us at a bad time." You both shared an uncomfortable laugh. "I saw." You and Trixie were blushing like mad. At least you just walked in on it. Trixie was the one “doing it.” "Yeah... So what are you doing back here?" "We couldn't get Anon to come back with us. So, I asked my sister-in-law, Cadence, to see if there was any way we could get him to come home. He kept talking about love so who better than the Princess of Love." Trixie looked mildly shocked to see what you were doing for Anon. "That's... wow. You really want him to go back with you. When is she supposed to get here?" "You don't even know the half of it. She is supposed to be here tomorrow." Trixie gave a half smile and a nod before she started to fidget like she wanted to ask something. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could I come along when you go to visit him?" You cocked your head sideways, confused by her request. Why would she want to go? You know that Anon gave her that not, but-. Shaking you head, you get rid of any previous thoughts of Trixie. She is a changed mare. "Umm, sure. You can meet us at the train station around... noon." Trixie gave you a bigger smile, which only confused you more. You had to keep reminding yourself that she probably just wants to make amends by helping you out. Which is in no way bad. "Thanks." The bonding that was slowly building between you two died that second. You both ended up scuffing your hoofs on the floor and stood awkwardly in the hallway. "Well, I better get back to..." Trixie pointed back at the door she came out of. "Oh yeah, I should get going too." You two share a quick hug and go your separate ways. It was nice to see her again. She is defiantly not the same pony who tried to take over Ponyville. On the way to your hotel, you picked up a random newspaper. If you were going to be away from your library, you were at least going to read something. You got to your hotel without an incident and read the information section of the paper till you fell asleep. When the paper fell on the floor, it revealed an article that you would have been interested in. Local police bust open an underground fighting ring. The next day, you met Trixie at the train station. You two sat and chatted about your new lives while you waited on Cadance to show up. "... and I think you would like her. She loves to meet new ponies," you finished. "Well, I guess Moonlight and I should take a trip down to Ponyville soon. With the extra bit's I'm making, I'm sure Moonlight could afford to take some time off." You were about to agree with her when you heard a train whistle blow. Coming down the tracks was the Crystal Empire Express. For being over one thousand years old, the train looked more advanced than the Ponyville Express. But that might be because of the crysals and how sleek it looked.When the train pulled up next to the platform, a few guards hopped off the train and stood guard by the door. Once the guards settled down, Cadance stepped onto the platform. "Cadance!" You waved your hoof in the air, letting her know where you were at. It didn't take long for her to spot you at your table. She turned around and waved off her guards before trotting over to you and Trixie. "Twilight, it's been too long.” She wrapped her hoofs around your neck and gave you a quick hug before looking over at Trixie. “Who is this?" she asked as she pointed at the nervous blue mare. "This is Trixie. She wants to help bring Anon back." "It's nice to meet you Princess." Trixie gave her shakey bow. It wasn't like she met royalty almost every day like you did. Cadance just giggled at her display. "Oh please. You don't need to bow to me. I have a feeling we will get to know each other." Trixie raised up off the ground. "Of… of course." Cadence then turned to you, trying to hold back her giggling. "Shall we get going?" "Yes, he is this way." You took them up and down many streets till you got to where Anon was shacked up. "He lives... here?" Cadance looked at you with a sad expression. You respond with a shallow nod. "A-alright then." Cadance cleared her throat. "Anon, are you in there?" There was no response. "Anon?" Cadance pushed the curtains open and revealed an empty shack. You followed her inside and looked around. He wasn't anywhere inside. "Guys. I think I found something." You and Cadence looked over at Trixie, who was holding a flier. Looking closer, it read "Fillydelphia Fighting Ring. Big event. One night only. All of the top fighters coming in all the surrounding cities." You raise and eyebrow. "Why would he go there?" Cadance shrugged her shoulders. "He might want to blow off some steam by seeing some ponies fight." You turn back to Trixie. "Where is it going to be?" "Some warehouse near the docks. I can take us there." Trixie trotted out of the shack and down the street, into a shadier part of town. Trixie took you to an abandoned part of the docks. All the building looked worn and needed to be torn down. Cadence got nervous on the way there and shifted into a regular looking pony. "I believe it is the next building over.” You followed Trixie around the corner to reveal a large crowd of ponies standing outside. "That's strange. I didn't figure anypony would be here due to that bust." "What bust?" You and Cadence looked at Trixie. "The one in the paper. They busted one on the other side of town. It was in the paper." "I must have fallen asleep before I saw that." "It doesn't matter girls. The flier at Anon's... *sigh* home gave this address." All of you walked up to the entrance where a sketch looking pony waited. "One hundred and fifty bits for three." You were happy to have Cadance with you. She paid the pony and you walked inside. In the middle of the warehouse was a cage like ring and a bloody looking mat. "Twilight, I don't like the look of this place." "I don't either. Let's just find Anon and get out of here." All of you walked around the ring a few times but couldn't spot Anon. After giving up, you went towards the exit, only to have it slammed in your face. "Sorry girls. Once we close up. We stay closed till the end. It helps limit the ponies who like to squeal." "Oh, alright." You turn back to your friends. "I guess we should find a seat." Trixie led you to a spot where there were three seats. You sat down in the middle while you listened to the crowd. "I hear the bear is here tonight." "No way! He is going to cream the others." "I don't know man, I heard that the Bull from Detroit is here along with the Mighty Apple from Appleloosa." "Man, I can't wait for the fights, but I am putting all my money on the bear." "Pfft whatever man." Bull, Bear, Apple? You wondered who, or what, they were talking about. The lights dimmed lower and you saw a pony take the stage. "Good evening fillies and gentlecolts. Tonight we have a special show for you. You have seen him in out tournaments before, but he is looking to climb the ranks again. Heralding from Appleloosa, the one, the only, The Mighty Apple!~" The crowd went wild around your group. The noise was almost defining. At the entrance to the ring, you saw a burly looking earth pony with an apple cutie mark. He was a few shades darker from Braeburn. Once he got to the center of the ring, you saw that he could rival Big Mac... or even Celestia herself. "Who's ready to pick some Apples!" Dear Celestia, that was awful. No pony else seemed to mind when the crowd let out another deafening scream. You looked over to Cadance and was surprised that she was also screaming. "Cadance, what are you doing!? We are supposed to be looking for Anon, not a cheap fight!" Your yelling was barely heard over the crowd. "This wasn't cheap! It cost me 150 bits to get us in here! The least we can do is have a little fun!" You slumped back in your chair and looked at Trixie. She was also mirroring Cadance. On a better day, you would have joined in, but you were too concerned about Anonymous. "And the challenger from right here in Fillydelphia. He's strong. He's big. He also stands on one leg. The Bear~" You got up out of your seat to get a clear view of this "Bear" Limping down the aisle was the man you came here to save. He was just like you left him, with a few differences. First off, he was shirtless. You could tell why they called him the bear. His chest was covered in hair. The wooden leg he was using also looked different. There were a few metal rods holding it together and some joints for movement. He stepped into the ring with the stallion. "Puny pony stands no chance." That had to of been the worst Stalliongrad accent you have ever heard.The cage door closed and a bell was rung. The fight was on. Alt ending for the storyAuthor's Note The story is technically done, but I am to lazy to edit, and it is a pain to edit. So if you want to read the full thing, it's here. Alt ending for the story For all those that want the full story... so I don't have to edit it, is here http://pastebin.com/8BB4kmgm And here is an alternate ending from a different writer. It is a bit happier http://pastebin.com/GYvTRzWB
Suffering in Silence"Anon, Flash just proposed! Isn't it great?" You were shocked to hear the news. Twilight and Flash have been together a little over four months, and to be honest, you really didn't expect them to last this long. “That is really great! I can't wait for the wedding.” Twilight reached her legs around you for a hug. After she was satisfied witht the hug, she let go. "I can't wait to tell the girls!" “Well don't wait on me, go tell them.” You didn't need to tell her twice. She ran right into town to spread the news. After she was out of your site, you slumped your shoulders. The rest of her friends were dabbling in their own relationships, but it didn’t hit you till you heard the word 'proposed.' Looking back, you never took the time to find someone for yourself. You were always too busy getting yourself set up in town, trying to make a name for yourself. A while down the road you gave up waiting for a human long ago. That’s when you were hoping to maybe start something with one of your friends, but, as always, you were too slow. But, someone would turn up for you. There is always someone for each person/pony. Right? One by one, all of your friends found stable relationships. You were still looking for someone to fill that space in your heart. But, that had to wait when you attended Twilight's wedding. It wasn't anything over the top like Cadence's Then again, Twilight wasn't a princess. The ceremony was still like one out of a story book. After the ceremony, you all went to the reception. It was arranged by Pinkie, so you knew it was going to be good. However, you ended up sitting at the bar... alone. All the other ponies brought along dates. Hell, Applejack even brought an apple. It was really awkward when she asked you to scoot over to make room for it before the wedding. Anyways, you were just wanting this day to be over. There was always comfort for you at the bottom of your glass. Even though you were feeling down, you made sure you didn't bring anyone down with you. That would be selfish, especially at a wedding. The DJ then asked for everyone to clear off the floor so the bride and groom could have a dance. You didn't turn around. It would only make you feel worse. If only there was someone special for you... It has been a month since the wedding. They seemed pretty happy together. Pinkie got engaged to Cheese. It was a match made in heaven. You remember when she was bouncing all over Ponyville as soon as she put the ring on. The other couples were getting closer as well. Big Mac was taking more time off from the farm to meet with Fluttershy. Soarin and Rainbow were constantly taking flight trips together. Rarity and Fancy Pants were starting to set up their own shop in Canterlot. As it turned out, Fleur de lis was just an associate, not his wife. Applejack's apple went rotten after three weeks. She even held a funeral, claiming she would never love again. Once again... awkward. You were still alone on the sidelines, watching everyone's life take a turn for the better. Life was never easy on you. You ended up going through the motions just to get through the day: wake up, eat, work, come home, eat, sleep. This was your life, and how you wish it would change. The time finally came for you to go ready for Pinkie's wedding. You really didn't want to go through another one, but you were one of her close friends. She would have be devastated if you didn't show up, and it wasn't like you to stand in the way of other's happiness. Even if it harmed your's. The wedding was party themed... big surprise~. The actual ceremony didn't last too long. However, the reception was a different story. Any time cut out of the actual wedding was put into one of the greatest receptions ever. You still found yourself sitting alone while the rest of the ponies have a good time. Applejack actually brought a pony as her date. You think his name was Trend something. Either way, they were having a blast. There wasn't any alcohol to ease your pain either. Well, no alcohol that they were serving. You made sure to bring a flask just in case. Your non-alcoholic cider soon became hard cider. As you watch other ponies dance, you sipped on your drink. Is this what you were reduced to? Having to drink in order to be happy for your friends? You just didn't know anymore. Time moved on and the rest of your friends get hitched. You turned towards the bottle more and more times to help relieve the pain. Twilight had a baby recently. Her name was Starlight. When you saw Twilight and Flash cuddled up with their newborn, you had to get out of there. You ran straight home and slammed the door. Sliding down the door, you silently wept for the future you will never have. Then came a knock at your door. You could hear Rainbow outside. "Anon! Are you in there?" You held your breath. Maybe you could talk to h- "I didn't think he is home." The voice of Soarin stops your thought process. You didn't want to be known as that whiny guy who complains that he was always alone. No one likes that guy. Rainbow sighed into the door. "I guess not. Why did he r..." Her voice trailed off as she and Soarin went to look for you. Once you were certain that they were gone, you locked your door. You didn't want any surprise visits. Walking into the kitchen, you took out a bottle of whiskey and a tall glass. This wasn't the first time you have gone home to drink your sorrows away. It was the first time ponies actually tried to check up on you. You popped off the lid and filled the glass. Capping the bottle, you raised your glass high and downed the liquid. It burnt going down, but it was a burn you were familiar with. You didn't know how much longer you can take being alone. At this rate, you didn't know if you were going to give up... or your liver. The next day, your friends literally broke down your door. You were already having a pretty bad hangover and the noise wasn't helping. "Anon! I know you're in here!" You covered your ears and groaned. Moving off the table, you popped your back and stumbled to the entry. Standing in your now permanently open doorway was Rainbow and Applejack. Outside the door, you could see Soarin and that Trend guy. You probably should learn his name for once. Seeing the two stallions outside made your mood worsen. "What?" Your voice came out with a hint of spite. "Why did you run out yesterday!?" Her screaming was not making you feel any better. "I needed to do... something." The apple obsessed lie detector didn't believe you. "You're lyin' Anon. Just tell us what's wrong." Your blood pressure spiked and caused you to hold your head in pain. The two stallions were leaning in, trying to get a grasp on the situation. You didn't let them. "I just need to be alone for a bit." With that, you walked into the bathroom and locked that door. You popped out some pain pills and sat on the toilet. "Come on Anon. Talk to us." You reply with silence. This was something you never wanted to deal with, especially hung over. A few minutes passed before you heard a sigh followed by the sound of hooves leaving. Another week goes by. Another lonely and depressing week. You fixed your door and cleaned yourself up for your job... that you no longer had. Turns out, missing one day of work could get you fired and get some shitty teenager to replace you. Well fuck it! You didn't need a job! You didn't need friends! You didn't need… Y-You don… You cried yourself to sleep that night. It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't you be happy too? What about you made the universe hate you so much? You couldn't even bring yourself to drink anymore. It didn't numb the pain like it used to. One evening, you were mopping around your home when you got an idea. If you couldn't be happy here... why stay? You packed up some essentials, nothing more than food, water, some clothing, and a few bits of supplies. It would be better if you headed out in the morning, it was already late. You curled up in your bed, taking your time to fully appreciate a mattress. You woke up with the sun in your face. This was not how you wanted to start your day. Rolling off the bed, you grabbed something to eat. You didn't want to use up any of your supplies, so you ate what little food you had left. Once you finish up, you grabbed your bag and walked out the door. You didn't bother closing it, there was no point. Stopping at your mailbox, you saw a letter poking out the side. It was bright pink, so it came from the party mare. Curiosity got the better of you and you opened it. Confetti shot out of the envelope. You would never figure out how she does that. Looking over the letter,you saw that they were inviting you to a party. It was probably just some party to show off their special someponies. Too bad you wouldn't be making it to this one. You dropped the letter and headed towards the Everfree Forest. Maybe the universe will have some mercy and let some creature eat you. But, you knew that wasn't going to happen. That would be too easy.
Hope RestoredPinkie POV It was almost time for Anon's party. You noticed how he was feeling a bit down lately, so you decided to throw him a party to cheer him up. And of course you wanted to make sure he wasn't late. He didn't leave his house much, so that is where you went to look for him. However, when you arrived at his house, his door was wide open. That was strange, he usually kept it shut. Walking over, you stepped on something. Looking down, you saw that you stepped on your invitation. Oh good, he read it. You bounced up to the open door and looked inside. "Oh Nooooonnnyyyyyy~" Silence was your only answer. "Nonny?" You walked in his house and looked around. Some cabinet doors were left opened, displaying their emptiness. The place looked overall, emptier. The last room you checked was his room. "Anon?" He wasn't there. Once again, there were some open, empty drawers. Where could he be? He rarely left his house. You didn't see him anywhere in Ponyville. Then it hit you: the empty drawers, the open room, the lack of a human. He's gone! You ran as fast as Pinkiely possible back to Sugarcube corner. Slamming the doors open, you pretty much made everypony jump out of their coats. Twilight was the first one to recover. "Pinkie what's wrong?" Your eyes darted around the room, still trying to cope with the situation. "He's gone!" Large gasps filled the room. "What do you mean gone?" Twilight was trying to get a grasp on your bad news. "Gone! Absent! Not there!" "Where did he go?" Tears were starting to fill your eyes. "I d-don't know" You feel Cheese put his leg around you. Pulling yourself into his grasp, you melt into his shoulder. You can't believe he would just leave without saying goodbye. All the ponies put on somber faces. This was the worst party ever. "Well I'm not about to stand by and let this happen! I'm going to look for him." Rainbow flew out of the store, followed by Soarin. What did you do to drive him away? He may have lost his job, but he still had friends that cared about him. So why did he leave? The search for Anon went from hours, to days, to weeks. Rainbow ran herself ragged trying to find him. Being the Element of Loyalty, she took it harder than most. She kept beating herself up saying that she should have done something quicker or should have been there more for him. You were happy Soarin was there to help her. The rest of you took it hard as well. Twilight became a bit more shut in. Applejack busied herself on the farm. Fluttershy was now taking care of more and more animals. Rarity consumed herself with fashion. And you were busy trying to make everypony smile again. You knew it was a losing battle, but you knew you had to do it. Cheese made sure to help you by bringing a smile to your face. It was always nice to know you had a special somepony. In fact, all your friends were happy that they found one. Well, almost all of your friends. Maybe that was why he left. Maybe he didn't feel loved. It had been years since you last saw him. Starlight was starting her third year of school. But Twilight wasn't the only one to have a child. Rainbow and Soarin had one filly and one colt: Glider and Blitz. Applejack and Trenderhoof had a filly: Autumn Apple. Rarity and Fancy had a filly named Flawless. You even had a little colt yourself named Bubblegum. Fluttershy had a rough time when it came to children. She and Big Mac tried to have kids on multiple occasions. When that didn't work, they went to see a doctor. You could still see the look on their faces when they came out. It was cruel irony. The one out of your group that was most ready to be a mother, was the one that couldn't be one. You made sure to give them some hope by bringing them an adoption pamphlet. The smile on their faces assured you that you did the right thing. They sent a letter to the agency in Fillydelphia asking for permission to adopt. So, the agency sent a representative to see if they would be suitable parents. She gave your friends the green light to adopt. But that wasn't the only news you heard. The representative was inside Sugarcube Corner, talking with some pony about metal work. "Yeah, I needed some repairs done to the bed frames for the little guys and you wouldn't believe who came over." "Who?" "It was- Oh thank you dear." You sat down a tray and refilled their drinks. Taking their empty plates, you walk back to the kitchen. "It was some ape like creature named Anonymous." You dropped your tray, letting the plates smash on the ground. All the ponies jumped at the noise, and you ran back to the table. "Who!?" The pony cowered a little. "A-Anonymous." "Where!?" You felt terrible about making a pony feel bad, but this was somthing you had to know. "I-I'm sorry, but I need to know." When the pony recovered, she told you everything she knew. Apparently he ran away to Fillydelphia and works in a blacksmith's shop. Once she finished her tale, you thanked the pony and ran off to spread the news. You found him. When the other ponies heard the news, they were almost jumping with joy. Rainbow suggested to jump on the train and go kick his flank. All of you at least agreed to the train part. Once you bought the tickets, your husbands opted to watch the kids while you were gone. This was an affair for just you six. The train ride wasn't that long. Fillydelphia is only a few hours away. Once you got off the train, all of you looked around for a blacksmith shop. There was at least a whole section of the city dedicated to all the different kind of smiths. It was a bit intimidating seeing how large the section was, but you have come too far to quit now. You asked many smiths if they have seen a human. At first, they had no clue what a human was. Once you explained what a human looked like, they directed you further and further down the streets. All of you ended up towards the edge of the city, looking at a shop. Well, it looked more like a shack than a shop. Twilight was the one who walked up and pushed the door open. When you looked inside you saw your old friend. Or, what was left of him. Standing over an anvil, hammer held high, was a one legged human. His face was covered in hair and his clothes were torn and worn down. Most importantly of all, he was missing a leg. In its place was a wooden prosthetic. "I'm busy today. Come back tomorrow." His voice sounded deeper and... empty. "A-Anon... It's us." He stopped his hammering and looked at your group. Maybe you could get him to come back and get his life back. "Go home." He turned back to his work. You and your friend's jaws dropped to the floor. You came all this way to take him back... and he just told you to leave. "W-what do you mean?" Twilight asked him what you were all thinking. He sighed and stuck the metal in some water. "Exactly what I said. Go home." Rainbow stomped her hoof. "Not without you we won't!" Anon's empty face turned into a frown. "Yes you are." He turned around and tried to walk into a different “room”, only to be stopped by Twilight. She lit up her horn in case he tried to run… on his one leg. "Please at least tell us why" Not seeing a way out, he slumped his shoulders. "I couldn't stand it." "Couldn't stand what?" You built up the courage to say something. "Watching other people's happiness and failing in my own." Twilight's magic stopped and you lowered your gaze. "What do you mean 'failed happiness'? Weren't we enough!?" All of you looked over to Rainbow. She was taking it as a personal attack. That is when Anon turned around and looked straight in her eyes. "Tell me. How do you feel with Soarin?" “What?” Rainbow, along with the rest of you, raised an eyebrow. Out of nowhere, Anon kicked over the anvil he was working on. “TELL ME!” Anon shouted right into her face. Rainbow all but turned white at the outburst. "I-I feel h-h-happy and l-loved." You could agree with her, feeling the same for Cheese. "Now how do you feel around your friends." Anon eased off her. "I feel happy and loved." Rainbow slowly gained some courage. She did make a good point though. Anon, however, brought a hand to his face. "But it's different. Isn't it?" She couldn't come up with any more arguments, so she nodded. "Now imagine having to watch everyone you know find that love that you would never get in return. How would that feel?" Rainbow scuffed her hoof on the ground, not meeting his gaze. "How would it feel to watch others talk about finding their perfect match, raising a family, and living their lives to the fullest, while you are still stuck without anyone to hold you close and love you more than anything in the world?" You couldn't meet him in the eyes either. Your whole life you have been making ponies smile, but you never once thought how showing happiness could be a bad thing. "Didn't think so. So please, just go home." He walked into the other room, if you could call it that. The only separation was a thin curtain. You and your friends slowly turned around and headed for a hotel. It was too late to get a train back to Ponyville. Applejack found a nice place to stay near the tracks. The whole walk back was in silence. Never in your life would you have thought smiling could make people frown. It just wasn’t right, and you didn’t know what to do. When you arrived at the hotel, Twilight paid for a room big enough to accommodate all of you. You walked to your room and sat down on the floor. Once you all found a spot, Fluttershy spoke up. "Is it our fault?" All of you looked at her. "Is it our fault that he was driven away." Rarity gave her a supporting hug. "It's nopony's fault dear. He just couldn't handle what he already had." "Then why did he leave?" Your attention went to Twilight. "If friendship is supposed to be everything we need, why are we all married?" Rarity didn't have any argument. "I can't help but feel like we neglected him for so long. We all moved on with our lives, but he was stuck in his place. I heard he was shot down from multiple mares, but I didn't think they all would turn him down." "Wait just a second. Ya KNEW he was goin through this?" Twilight nodded at Applejacks accusation. "Why didn't ya say anythin!?" Twilight recoiled a bit. "I didn't think this would happen. I just got caught up with Flash and..." "It's not your fault Twilight. We all should have seen the signs: the drinking, the lack of getting out, his face when we would tell him about our husbands. But we didn't, we ignored it and thought friendship would be enough. Now look at him. He is worse than ever: poor, lonely, and crippled." You gave your two cents. The rest of the mares lowered their heads. "I just want everypony to be happy." All of you fell silent until Dash spoke up. "So what do we do now?" You looked to Twilight. She would know what to do. She always knew what to do. "I... don't know girls. He won't go back on his own, or with us. I don't want to put him through any more pain, but he won't last long living in the condition he is." "What if we found him a mare?" Twilight shook her head at Rarity. "I don't know about any of you, but I don't know any single mares." "I think I may know one." Rarity levitated a flier that was sitting on the nightstand over to Twilight. Once Twilight took it in her own magic, she slammed it down. "No! Absolutely not! I wouldn't do that to anypony, let alone Anon." "Twilight, what choice do we have? I don't want to see him living that way any more than you do." Twilight looked back down at the flier. "But her? I don't think she would be a good match for him. She would probably push him away more than ever." Rarity walked over and sat by Twilight. "Do you want to be the pony that does nothing and loses him or the pony that tried everything she could to save her friend?" Twilight gave a sigh of defeat. "I guess not." Rarity hugged her close. "Good, now lets get some sleep. We will have a busy day tomorrow." Rarity walked back to her bed. You, Rainbow, and Applejack walked up to see who they were talking about. The flier read 'Come and see, for one night only, The Great and Powerful Trixie!' Suddenly, you weren't too sure about Rarity's decision.
Second ChancesThe next day Twilight made sure to wake you up bright and early. You actually wanted to sleep in for once. Yesterday took its toll on you. At least she bought all of you breakfast. Once all of you were filled and cleaned up, you went out to search for Trixie. The hunt for her went about as well as the hunt for Anon. There was a lot of asking, and a lot of hoof pointing, but you were able to find her after you stopped for lunch. She was at the Wellington Center in downtown Fillydelphia. The guards in the front let your group in as soon as they heard Twilight mention the word "Celestia" She didn't like to flaunt her influence, but it was for a good cause. Once you made it to the dressing rooms, Twilight knocked on the door that said Trixie. "Come in." Twilight opened the door to reveal a slightly older Trixie than you remembered. It made sense though. It has been years since you last saw her flee from Ponyville. Once she saw your group, her eyes widened. "Twilight!? What are you doing here?" That didn't sound like the Trixie you knew. No boasting about her accomplishments. No putting down Twilight. Heck, she wasn't even talking in third person. "H-Hello Trixie. It's been a while." Trixie calmed down at Twilight's non-threatening voice. In fact Trixie walked right up to Twilight... and gave her a hug? All of your friends faces mirrored your's of disbelief. After Trixie let go, you could see Twilight also in a state of shock. "W-what was that for?" "For giving me the flank kicking I deserved." Twilight's shock turned into confusion. "What are you talking about?" Tixie moved out of the way to let you all enter the dressing room. When you walked in, you looked around the room. It was just like any other famous pony's dressing room. No special Trixie posters or merchendice. Just a normal pony dressing room. "Darling, this place looks magnifique!" Of course Rairty would be the one excited about seeing a dressing room. This was a place for celebrities to be. "Thank you. It isn't much more than a temporary dressing room." Twilight was still greatly confused. "It does look nice, but what was that think about flank kicking?" You were curious about this yourself. "I guess I have some explaining to do right?" All of you nodded your heads. "Well after you kicked me out of Ponyville... for the second time, I was ruined. My career was in the toilet and I had to live in my cart. I started to beg for food and places to stay. Then one day, I found a sack of bits laying right in front of me with a note. It said that “everyone deserves a second chance.” It was exactly what I needed at the time. I took a job at a diner, cleaning up tables and such. The bits helped me pay my rent and for some food. I eventually started to do some magic tricks down in the hospital for little sick foals. It didn't take too long for somepony to recognize me and they offered me to perform here tonight. Speaking of which, did you want some tickets?" All of you were amazed at the tale. Well, all except Twilight. "What did the note say EXACTLY?" Trixie walked over and pulled it from the mirror. "I have kept it as a reminder. It keeps me humble and not going back to what I was." She levitated it over to Twilight. Twilight took the note in her hooves and inspected it. Then, her eyes lit up. "I know this handwriting! It's Anon's." Trixie cocked her head to the side. "Who's Anon?" You all looked at her with sideways heads. "You know Anon silly. He was there when you came and tried to take over Ponyville." Trixie thought deeply for a moment before she shook her head. "Nope, can't say I do." "C'mon you know! The really tall human." Trixie just shook her head. "Not ringing any bells." You rubbed your head in frustration, as the other girls did too. Twilight was the first to recover. "Nevermind, we were wondering if you were doing anything after your show." "Nothing comes to my mind." "Well, would you-" "Except going to see my coltfriend." Twilight lost all steam in her engine. "Y-your coltfriend?" Trixie smiled twice as big as before. "Oh yes, he is a wonderful stallion. His name is Moonlight and he works at the observatory." All of you gave the best fake smiles you could. "Oh that's nice." Twilight tried to keep her composure while Trixie looked off into space. "He sure is. I always believe that there is somepony out there for everypony." You felt a spike of pain go through your heart when she said that. This was what you and your friends were trying to fix. The room soon fell into silence. A few awkward moments pass before Applejack speaks up. "Well would ya look look at the time. We better get movin'." Rainbow joined in as well. "Yeah, we still have some things to do, right Twi?" Twilight was confused for a second before she caught on. "Oh yes, I completely forgot. I am so sorry, but we are going to have to cut our visit a little short." You stood up to leave. "Well, here are some tickets in case you want to drop on bye." Twilight took the tickets from Trixie. "Thank you, and good luck with the show." "You are very much welcome." You and your friends walked out of the door and it closed behind you. Your pink hair deflated right when you heard the door click. "Now what?" Twilight put a hoof on your back. "I don't know Pinkie. Unless you know somepony else who is lonely, I think it would be best if we left Anonymous alone." All but Rainbow agreed. "I'm not going to just leave him here to die Twilight! I never leave anypony hanging!" "Rainbow..." "No Twilight. I spent weeks trying to find him. Week! I am not letting him go again." "Rainbow." "I am the element of loyalty for Celestia's sake!" "Rainbow!" Dash stopped her ranting at Twilight's shout. "Don't you think this is hard for all of us. We just found our friend after years of nothing and he doesn't want anything to do with us. We all know how you feel." Rainbow lowered her head. "But going home doesn't mean we are giving up. I have a sister to send a letter to." Twilight trotted down the hall and you followed. You should have known she had a plan. She had a plan for everything. You followed her down the hall, not seeing Trixie open the door from all the shouting. "They really care about you, don't they Anonymous." Trixie POV You just watched your former enemies walk away. They were talking about somepony named Anonymous. "They really care about you, don't they Anonymous." Just by the shouting you heard, you could tell he was very dear to them. You looked up at the clock. It was going to be a few hours before they started letting ponies in. Deciding it was enough time, you grabbed the note and went off to look for this Anon. After asking a few sources, you ended up standing in front of a shack. You could hear the ring of a hammer as it struck an anvil. Gathering up your courage, you pushed through a curtain. Anon wasn't how you expected him to look. Then again, you didn't know what to expect. He kind of reminded you of a minotaur, but shorter and less beefy. That didn't mean he wasn't muscular, quite the opposite. You cleared your throat to get his attention. "Mister Anonymous?" He stopped what he was doing and looked over at you. "Well, well. If it isn't Trixie." It didn't sound like he was mad at you. In fact, he sounded almost... happy? "Come on in." He waved you over to a broken chair and a dirty couch. You accepted his offer and walked over. Once you seated yourself, you looked back over to Anon. He put down his work and limped over to you. "What's wrong with your leg?" He continued to limp to the broken chair. Once he sat down, he smirked and pulled up his pant leg. You gasped at the site of his wooden replacement. "Besides it not being there, nothing. Damn manticore wanted a piece of me, and well, he got it." He popped the leg out off of his stump "Much better. So how have you been?" You couldn't take your eyes off of the wooden appendage. It shocked you how a pon-person worse off than you could hand you anything, let alone a sack of bits. "I've been worse. I just wanted to thank you for that sack of bits you gave me all those weeks ago." He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't give you any bits. Hell, I barely have any bits for myself." Being a show mare, you knew when somepony was lying. It’s what you mostly did on stage after all. That, and Twilight said that it was his handwriting. You pulled out the note from your saddlebag. "Twilight said this was your handwriting." His spirits crashed when you mentioned Twilight. "Oh." "You know, they are worried about you." He slumped back into the chair. "Yeah, I know." "Then why won't you go back?" He rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. "Have you ever been in love?" There was your coltfriend, but it wasn’t true love... for now anyways. You shook your head. "Neither have I, but all my friends have. In fact they all have husbands and probably kids by now." You sat there in silence and listened to his tale. "Hell, I haven't ever had a girlfriend. And not from lack of trying, mind you. Anyways, their love bloomed, and I was stuck where I was as they moved on. At first it was just little bit of sadness when I saw them kiss or hug. Then, it got worse when they started to talk about marriage. When Twilight had her baby, I almost lost it. I knew if I stayed, I would lose it. So, I packed up and left. I went through the Everfree." He gave his wooden leg a kick. "I ended up here after about a week or two. Found a pony who taught me how to work with metal. He moved on while I stayed and made stuff for the little people." You sat there and let everything sink in. "That doesn't explain why you gave me those bits." His frown turned into a small smirk. "Just like it said. We all deserve a second chance." "What about your second chance?" You caught him off guard with that. "You are probably the sweetest and stupidest po- human I know. First, you torture yourself by putting your friends happiness before your own. Then, you have the gaul to hide away the pain from those that care about you most. You let that well up inside you to the point where you are afraid that you might ruin that happiness. So, you ran, hoping that they will forget about you. And even when you are down on your luck and MISSING A LEG, you still find it in you to help out a nobody like me with a pile of bits. Out of EVERYTHING you have done, wouldn't that warrant a second chance?" He leaned forward. "This was my second chance." It was your turn to be caught off guard. "What do you mean?" He gave another sigh. "Do you know how I ended up in Equestria?" You shook your head. "I died." You gave a sharp gasp. He died? "H-how?" "I was walking down a street when a car came speeding down it. Some punk rolled down his window and began to fire a gun. I got hit in the chest." Tears started to fill your eyes. "I never made it to a hospital. I died right there on the ground. Then poof. I wake up in a field outside Ponyville. If you ask Twilight or any of them, they can tell you the rest. So that is why I don't have any chances left." Your tears threatened to come streaming out of your eyes, but you held them it. "That's awful." He nodded his head. "Have you told anypony else?" "Never had the need to." "Then why are you telling me?" He took a deep breath. "Because someone should know. Someone who truly understands second chances." That hit you right in your chest. He trusted you with his story, and you were not going to let him down. "Then give them a second chance." "They did nothing wrong." You looked out the window and saw that sun lowering. You were out of time. "Just listen to me for a second. Whether it hurts their feelings or not, they did mess up. They didn't mess up when they got into relationships. They didn't mess up when they decided to get married. They didn't mess up when they had children. They messed up when they couldn't see what was going on with you. Friendship is a two way street. You look over their happiness, and they look over yours. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I think all of you need some closure." He sat there in silence and took in your advice. "I would stay longer but I have a show tonight. Thank you for listening." You got up to leave. "Wait." You turned around to face Anon. "Are you doing anything after the show?" You bit your lip. He was in a vulnerable state, but you couldn't betray Moonlight like that. "I am going to have drinks with... a friend." He sunk back into the chair. "Oh... alright. Well, you have some fun." It broke your heart to see a creature reduced so low. You walked over to him and gave a kiss on his cheek. "Things will look up for you soon." With that, you hurried back to the Center. You hoped that he would find the note you left on his couch.
HopeTwilight POV Once the train arrived in Ponyville, you headed striaght towards your home. You didn’t even take the time to talk to any of your friend. But, they knew what you had to do. Opening the door to your home, you saw your husband reading to your child. "And so, she banished her si- Twilight? Welcome home." Your daughter looked up with her bright happy eyes. In that moment, all your troubles melted away. It was funny, you always thought children would cause you more grief than joy. You were never so happy to be proven wrong. "Hello Flash. Hello Starlight. Did you have fun while I was gone." Flash marked the book while your daughter charged up to you. You barely got the door closed before the little fluff ball almost knocked you over. "Yeah! Daddy read to me, played games with me, OH! And he gave me a whole lot of cake!" You husband smiled sheepishly at the last remark. "Not a whole lot. Just a few pieces." You raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway. Little antics like this is the reason you fell for him, even if it was going to make your little Starlight jump on the walls for a few days. "Mhm, and where is Spike?" Flash looked up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to recall where Spike was. "I think... he is out with... Sweetie. Yeah, I remember that he left a few hours ago." You leaned down and gave Starlight a squeeze. "Star, could you go get him for mommy?" "Sure!" Your daughter took no time running out of the library to go look for your assistant. She was always willing to help you with… well, pretty much everything. Seeing your messenger would be here shortly, you walked upstairs to write letter to Cadance. As soon as you had your quill and ink, you started writing. "So did you find him?" Flash’s worried voice sounded echoed in the room. It took you a little bit to gather your courage before you started to tell him about what you saw. "What was left of him. He is a shell of what he was. Tartarus! He was even missing a leg!" He walked over and gave you a hug to keep you from breaking down right there and then. You hung onto him, trying to hold back your tears. "What did we do?" The hug only held back your tears for so long. Soon enough, you were letting them fall on Flash's coat. Your husband could only rub your back and tell you that everything was going to be alright. A few minutes passed by before you could calm yourself. You whispered a thank you in his ear and rewarded him with a quick kiss. "You know I am always here for you." Flash pulled you in a little tighter. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't have to show you my love." You gave him another kiss. Right before you heard the door slam open. "Mom! I have Spike. Where are you!?" Star was faster than you thought. You didn't even get a chance to show Flash how much you really love him. It would have took your mind off of Anon if nothing else. "I'm upstairs!" You turned to your husband. "I have to send a letter to Cadence. Maybe she can fix this mess." Flash left to watch Star, not before stealing one last kiss, while you wrote up a storm. You made sure to give Cadence every detail you could. One quill and long two scrolls later, you were finished. As soon as you rolled them up, Spike was standing behind you, waiting to deliver them. "You know, Celestia could teach you how to send your own letters by magic." He was right though. It would come in handy more often than not. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something, Spike, but it was for a good reason." He took he scrolls and enveloped them in flames. "And that would be." You watched the cloud of magic fly out a window. "To get Anon back." After a few letters back and forth, and some complaints from Spike, Cadance decided to meet up with you back in Fillydelphia. It has been four days since you visited Anon, so you hoped that he has cooled off. Flash, however, wasn't too on board with the idea, but you were going either way. He eventually gave in, but you had to promise to stay at home for a while and give him some "adult time" when you got back. It wasn't like you were against that, quite the opposite. Star, being the curious little filly that she was, wanted to go with you, or at least know what was going on. Along with childproofing it, you only had to explain half of what was going on before she let you leave. After your four day waiting period, you jumped back on the first train that headed towards Fillydelphia. On the train, you were trying to think of different ways to convince Anon to come back. It would be easy to point out everything about his living conditions, but he didn't seem to mind that. Friends and/or family were also out of the question. You couldn't come up with anything that would convince Anon to come back in his state of mind. When the train stopped you hopped out and reserved a room in the nearest hotel. Cadance wouldn't arrive till tomorrow, so you walked around the city. Overall, it was a very industial town. There were more cloud stacks and warehouses than Manehatten and Canterlot combined. You also noticed a lot of ponies were talking about some magic show. You guess it was Trixie's since that was the only show you knew about. You thought about meeting up with her again. However, the only place you could think of to look for her was her coltfriend works, the observatory. You made a trip to the observatory and looked for a pony named Moonlight. Once there a secretary pointed you to his office. When you opened up the door, you immediately slammed it shut. "I didn't know Trixie could bend that way.” A few blushing seconds went by before the door opened back up. "H-hello Twilight. You uh... caught us at a bad time." You both shared an uncomfortable laugh. "I saw." You and Trixie were blushing like mad. At least you just walked in on it. Trixie was the one “doing it.” "Yeah... So what are you doing back here?" "We couldn't get Anon to come back with us. So, I asked my sister-in-law, Cadence, to see if there was any way we could get him to come home. He kept talking about love so who better than the Princess of Love." Trixie looked mildly shocked to see what you were doing for Anon. "That's... wow. You really want him to go back with you. When is she supposed to get here?" "You don't even know the half of it. She is supposed to be here tomorrow." Trixie gave a half smile and a nod before she started to fidget like she wanted to ask something. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could I come along when you go to visit him?" You cocked your head sideways, confused by her request. Why would she want to go? You know that Anon gave her that not, but-. Shaking you head, you get rid of any previous thoughts of Trixie. She is a changed mare. "Umm, sure. You can meet us at the train station around... noon." Trixie gave you a bigger smile, which only confused you more. You had to keep reminding yourself that she probably just wants to make amends by helping you out. Which is in no way bad. "Thanks." The bonding that was slowly building between you two died that second. You both ended up scuffing your hoofs on the floor and stood awkwardly in the hallway. "Well, I better get back to..." Trixie pointed back at the door she came out of. "Oh yeah, I should get going too." You two share a quick hug and go your separate ways. It was nice to see her again. She is defiantly not the same pony who tried to take over Ponyville. On the way to your hotel, you picked up a random newspaper. If you were going to be away from your library, you were at least going to read something. You got to your hotel without an incident and read the information section of the paper till you fell asleep. When the paper fell on the floor, it revealed an article that you would have been interested in. Local police bust open an underground fighting ring. The next day, you met Trixie at the train station. You two sat and chatted about your new lives while you waited on Cadance to show up. "... and I think you would like her. She loves to meet new ponies," you finished. "Well, I guess Moonlight and I should take a trip down to Ponyville soon. With the extra bit's I'm making, I'm sure Moonlight could afford to take some time off." You were about to agree with her when you heard a train whistle blow. Coming down the tracks was the Crystal Empire Express. For being over one thousand years old, the train looked more advanced than the Ponyville Express. But that might be because of the crysals and how sleek it looked.When the train pulled up next to the platform, a few guards hopped off the train and stood guard by the door. Once the guards settled down, Cadance stepped onto the platform. "Cadance!" You waved your hoof in the air, letting her know where you were at. It didn't take long for her to spot you at your table. She turned around and waved off her guards before trotting over to you and Trixie. "Twilight, it's been too long.” She wrapped her hoofs around your neck and gave you a quick hug before looking over at Trixie. “Who is this?" she asked as she pointed at the nervous blue mare. "This is Trixie. She wants to help bring Anon back." "It's nice to meet you Princess." Trixie gave her shakey bow. It wasn't like she met royalty almost every day like you did. Cadance just giggled at her display. "Oh please. You don't need to bow to me. I have a feeling we will get to know each other." Trixie raised up off the ground. "Of… of course." Cadence then turned to you, trying to hold back her giggling. "Shall we get going?" "Yes, he is this way." You took them up and down many streets till you got to where Anon was shacked up. "He lives... here?" Cadance looked at you with a sad expression. You respond with a shallow nod. "A-alright then." Cadance cleared her throat. "Anon, are you in there?" There was no response. "Anon?" Cadance pushed the curtains open and revealed an empty shack. You followed her inside and looked around. He wasn't anywhere inside. "Guys. I think I found something." You and Cadence looked over at Trixie, who was holding a flier. Looking closer, it read "Fillydelphia Fighting Ring. Big event. One night only. All of the top fighters coming in all the surrounding cities." You raise and eyebrow. "Why would he go there?" Cadance shrugged her shoulders. "He might want to blow off some steam by seeing some ponies fight." You turn back to Trixie. "Where is it going to be?" "Some warehouse near the docks. I can take us there." Trixie trotted out of the shack and down the street, into a shadier part of town. Trixie took you to an abandoned part of the docks. All the building looked worn and needed to be torn down. Cadence got nervous on the way there and shifted into a regular looking pony. "I believe it is the next building over.” You followed Trixie around the corner to reveal a large crowd of ponies standing outside. "That's strange. I didn't figure anypony would be here due to that bust." "What bust?" You and Cadence looked at Trixie. "The one in the paper. They busted one on the other side of town. It was in the paper." "I must have fallen asleep before I saw that." "It doesn't matter girls. The flier at Anon's... *sigh* home gave this address." All of you walked up to the entrance where a sketch looking pony waited. "One hundred and fifty bits for three." You were happy to have Cadance with you. She paid the pony and you walked inside. In the middle of the warehouse was a cage like ring and a bloody looking mat. "Twilight, I don't like the look of this place." "I don't either. Let's just find Anon and get out of here." All of you walked around the ring a few times but couldn't spot Anon. After giving up, you went towards the exit, only to have it slammed in your face. "Sorry girls. Once we close up. We stay closed till the end. It helps limit the ponies who like to squeal." "Oh, alright." You turn back to your friends. "I guess we should find a seat." Trixie led you to a spot where there were three seats. You sat down in the middle while you listened to the crowd. "I hear the bear is here tonight." "No way! He is going to cream the others." "I don't know man, I heard that the Bull from Detroit is here along with the Mighty Apple from Appleloosa." "Man, I can't wait for the fights, but I am putting all my money on the bear." "Pfft whatever man." Bull, Bear, Apple? You wondered who, or what, they were talking about. The lights dimmed lower and you saw a pony take the stage. "Good evening fillies and gentlecolts. Tonight we have a special show for you. You have seen him in out tournaments before, but he is looking to climb the ranks again. Heralding from Appleloosa, the one, the only, The Mighty Apple!~" The crowd went wild around your group. The noise was almost defining. At the entrance to the ring, you saw a burly looking earth pony with an apple cutie mark. He was a few shades darker from Braeburn. Once he got to the center of the ring, you saw that he could rival Big Mac... or even Celestia herself. "Who's ready to pick some Apples!" Dear Celestia, that was awful. No pony else seemed to mind when the crowd let out another deafening scream. You looked over to Cadance and was surprised that she was also screaming. "Cadance, what are you doing!? We are supposed to be looking for Anon, not a cheap fight!" Your yelling was barely heard over the crowd. "This wasn't cheap! It cost me 150 bits to get us in here! The least we can do is have a little fun!" You slumped back in your chair and looked at Trixie. She was also mirroring Cadance. On a better day, you would have joined in, but you were too concerned about Anonymous. "And the challenger from right here in Fillydelphia. He's strong. He's big. He also stands on one leg. The Bear~" You got up out of your seat to get a clear view of this "Bear" Limping down the aisle was the man you came here to save. He was just like you left him, with a few differences. First off, he was shirtless. You could tell why they called him the bear. His chest was covered in hair. The wooden leg he was using also looked different. There were a few metal rods holding it together and some joints for movement. He stepped into the ring with the stallion. "Puny pony stands no chance." That had to of been the worst Stalliongrad accent you have ever heard.The cage door closed and a bell was rung. The fight was on.
Alt ending for the storyAuthor's Note The story is technically done, but I am to lazy to edit, and it is a pain to edit. So if you want to read the full thing, it's here. Alt ending for the story For all those that want the full story... so I don't have to edit it, is here http://pastebin.com/8BB4kmgm And here is an alternate ending from a different writer. It is a bit happier http://pastebin.com/GYvTRzWB
