Ages beyond Equestria: ponies out of time and place

You know, there are some times that I wish I had never left my island home.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love living here in Equestria. There are so many nice and friendly ponies I've met since I moved to this country. But Manehatten... this place seems so cold, so impersonal. I don't quite fit in with anypony here, so I live in the old church on the edge of town. Ponies come to me when they want my help or advice, and it works out better that way. I don't seek out ponies all that much, and it helps me avoid annoying them. But a lot of ponies do come to seek the aid of Lore-Lei, the mare who understands other ponies's special talents even better than they do.

As I trot down the dark and dusty alleyway behind Vanilla's Kuppa Coffee cafe,  I see Gorri sweeping up after the shop has closed. It's the early morning hours of twilight, and most of us are heading home for a late rest.  I don't feel like dealing with Nevermore or her emo right now, so I just let her trot by without a word. I try to do the same to the happy and bouncy Petal, but she notices me in the shadows right away, and it's only moments before I have a face full of pink pony asking me a thousand questions.

"Lre, omygawsh, I can't believe it's you!" Rose Petal asks me, getting right up into my face. "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be on your way home? Don't you have a job to go to this afternoon?"

"Hey Rose Petal. No, I'm not going to work today, I got laid off from the therapy center a week ago." I tell her with a sigh, retreating into the back alley so none of the other patrons see me. "My boss told me I didn't have a high enough level of friendship for Equestria, whatever that means."

"Yeah, I know! Like, my boss at the candy store told me the same thing, too! She said I was too energetic, and annoyed the customers. So she was getting rid of  me, and like, getting someone who understands friendship better!" She rolled her eyes. "Like, whatevar!"

While I agree this airhead might be enough to drive customers off, I don't like how 'friendship' focus has overtaken all of Equestria. Ponies who don't quite live up to the ideals of friendship are pushed aside in favor of equines who more fit their ideals.

"I think it's kind of unfair you lost your job, Petal." I tell her with a sigh, as we trot around to the front of the building. "Too many ponies are being treated too poorly in this city. It's a real travesty!"

"I know, right? I mean, how can I be a brainless pink bubble head like my boss accused me! That is like, so unfair!" Petal suddenly looked away. "Oh, my gosh, I just realized my mane is sooo shiny! I'm soooo hawt! I should so totally, like be a model or something!"

I love to help ponies,. by helping them figure out who they are. But the equines of Equestria is such a distant and aloof bunch, not friendly to outsiders who don't fit the preset mold of 'friendly pony' that they all expect. Once again I regret my decision to move to this dreadful place, and were it not for my few friends here, I would most certainly go home.

Sigh, I miss my home of Blissful island, the land of the Magyar ponies. I miss the sweet song of the musician playing his hurdy-grudy in the marketplace, and I miss the sight of the Körtánc dancers dancing in the square.  I miss the taste of Blissful Island Goulash, and the colorful pageants and festivals held at the court of our beloved ruler, Saint Stephen the just, which he opened for all the common ponies to view and experience. Oh, how I miss Blissful Island! Oh, how much I really miss home!

"Oh my, look what we have here!" Nevermore sneered, conning around the building, finally noticing us. "The ditzy alicorn wannabe, and the mopey Magyar! What are the two of you doing back here, waiting until mocha opens up again tomorrow night?"

"Oh look, it's the emo goth pony with no social life." Petal shot back, sneering at the other pony. "Don't you, like, have an afternoon job at your goth-y cosmetics company you work for?"

"I would... except they pulled the plug on my job." She rolled her mascara-laden eyes. "My manager said I wasn't 'friendly' enough, that I was too grumpy and unhappy to make a good sale."

"Wow, these business ponies are, like, totally trying to do away with ponies who don't their perfect image of an Equestrian." Petal noted, rolling her eyes. "We, like, don't fit the mold of the perfect friendly pony."

"I normally don't agree with the bimbo here, but I think there might be something to what she's saying." Nevermore replied, thinking for a moment. "Have you noticed how a lot of the offbeat ponies have been disappearing from all over the city? I've heard rumors they've all been losing their jobs, and being sent away to Dream Valley with the other outcasts."

"Dream Valley? Please don't tell me you believe in such silly urban legends." I sigh again. "But yes, I do agree that Equestria's culture is turning against those ponies who don't except the new definition of 'normal'. And I fear those who don't accept this new way of thinking will soon fall under the Manehatten elite's wrath."

It was just then, when we heard some sobbing coming from inside the cafe, and we all trotted over to the window to see what was the matter. Inside, we saw the sobbing form of Vanilla Mocha, sitting on a stool and crying, while Gorri tried to comfort her.

"I can't believe it! I just can't believe they're shutting my cafe down!" The white unicorn bawled, as Gorri tried to comfort her. "We're doing so well, and I have the highest clientele of any establishment on the city's east side!"

"I'm so sorry, Miss Mocha, it really isn't fair." The oversized Minotaur said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But when I went down to renew your restaurant license,  they told me your establishment doesn't measure up to the new standards of friendship equality."

"Ugh, those stupid, corrupt pencil pushing ponies are just looking for a reason to get me to cough up more cash on an even more expensive license. Well... well I won't do it! I'll move my cafe to another city in Equestria! I'm not going to be intimidated by a pack of government thugs!"

"I'm afraid you won't get very far doing that, Miss Mocha." Gorri replied with a sigh. "From what I've heard, the other cities in this kingdom are falling prey to the same corruption."

And as we continue to watch, I begin to realize that the Minotaur might actually be right. There might actually be no place for ponies in Equestria like us anymore.

I'm really  starting to wish I had never come to Equestria at all....