Why Humans Shouldn't be Allowed in Equestria

I was in shock. After everything that's happened, she said 'no'. Not only that, she said it absolutely. She said it like she used to talk, that cold, logical voice that won't be changed. My mind went blank. I got up and left, I think. She was done with me. Nearly everyone I helped, everyone I loved, ended up just using me. This couldn't be any different – it never was.

I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Canterlot. That was it. There's nothing left for me now. I've been used and put away. No matter how many times it's happened, I keep believing it'll be different. I'm a fool. Always been a fool. I meandered along the main road until I found myself back at the train station. There wasn't any bar to drown my sorrows in, so I got right onto the next step. Starting over again. Just like every other time. The rest of the bits were earmarked for the house, and I had nothing to sell. Guess I'm going homeless again. I'd prefer to just end it all, right here and now, but I can't. If I had the ability to do that I'd never have made it through high school. I know, I've tried. It failed.

“And where would you like to go, sir?” said a pony at a window.

“Doesn't matter.”

“Afraid I'll need more information than that sir.”

“I've seen it before. They don't need me anymore. Time to go. Next one leaving.”

“Ah, that would be the number twelve.”

“How much?” He looked at a sheet, presumably with prices, and gave me the number. I handed the bits over. Well, dropped them in that recess under the window, you know how those places are. He gave me the ticket, and I left without another word.

The train wasn't crowded, but it was over half full. I must be headed for a touristy place. Shit. Nothing mattered though. I was busy replaying the scene in my head. Over and over it went, drowning out anything else. I missed where it was going somewhere in there.

It was a long one. It's been a couple hours, I think. Couldn't tell, couldn't care. It was time to start again. Just... give me some time to think on everything I just lost. It was a lot. She was something else. Jaded as I was, and as many times as I'd learned my lesson, I really thought she was the one. It was another world, another life. Still it turned out the same.

We hit some kind of bump, temporarily shaking me out of it, and back into reality. Then another, harder shock hit the train. Ponies were getting worried. The whistle screeched as we were all jolted from our seats. Everything went sideways, literally. A pony landed on top of me, or rather, on my side. Good thing it was a young unicorn, or I'd have broken something. Instead all I got was a big bruise. Everything tumbled around before we all stopped. The doors slammed themselves open on either side, even though it was up-and-down instead of at the sides. Most of them seemed to be okay.

“Oh no...” some pony said.

“What?” I asked after it. Everyone looked out what space they had available.

“Shadow crystals!” one yelled. The room went silent. What was going on? That must be what had the train off the rails. I didn't need to see the track to know being sideways wasn't right.

I turned to the unicorn pseudo-sitting on top of me. “What's so bad about these crystal things?”

She looked at me like I had three heads. Even being a different species couldn't match that look. “Shadow crystals are dangerous! It's, it's... it's deadly to be around them for long! Oh my Celestia we're gonna die here!”

I pushed the pony over and climbed on the seats until I was hanging on to the door that was now the ceiling. There were big, black crystal formations on the tracks and around them. I stepped off the edge of the car, rolling on the ground. I was gonna be bruised up pretty bad after this, if I survived. Fuck it. I had this weird idea for years that if I was gonna die, I'd rather go some kind of hero. Hey, we're all gonna die someday anyway, and most of us don't get the while-you-sleep kind. I grabbed the one on the tracks, expecting it to burn or frostbite or something, but it felt normal. It was smooth on the flat edge and angled, just like a big version of quartz on Earth. I log-rolled the thing off the tracks. “Hey, can you fix this train?” I yelled at the car.

“We can't gear near the crystals! At best you bought us time. We need 'em farther away!” Well shit. If only to break the line of thought on how everything's gone to hell again, I started rolling the big crystal spikes away. It's therapeutic to do work like this sometimes. It took the better part of an hour, pushing these things a few yards away. I stood there for a moment. I didn't feel any different. This must've been a magic thing, like poison joke was. Looks like I'm living to put up with shit for another day. Fine. I've done this before. I'm sick of it like you wouldn't believe, but life's a bitch like that.

“Now get out here and fix this shit, I got places to be!” I yelled back at the car. I didn't expect what I heard. Cheering. What looked like every unicorn in the thing jumped out and lit up their horns. It only took a couple of minutes, but a lot of sweating and magic, before it was back on the tracks. Everyone, including myself, got back and as the coals were piled and the engine screamed. “Aaaall aboard! We're back on our way to the Crystal Empire!” Huh, so that's where I was headed. At least I'll have my fifteen minutes of fame before everything goes to shit again.

We arrived late, of course. A few ponies were waiting on us. Looks like most of them gave up and went home. The crowd flooded out, jumping into the hooves of what I presumed were their friends and loved ones. Three of them waited and exited just after me. Then they jumped on and hugged me. Needless to say, I was confused. “Ain't you got someone? No one hugs me.” They held on anyway, as one apparently spoke for the group.

“We don't have anyone, but thanks for saving everypony!”

Another chimed in “Yeah, thanks sir! We owe you everything!”

The third came in with “Indeed. We owe you our very lives.” That third one told me more than it knew.

“So you're all changelings.” They froze, with wide eyes fixed at me.

“How'd you know?"