The Anti-Brony Chronicles 2: Aftermath

2 months have passed since the day I died. 2 long grueling months of bad memories, pain, and long nights of crying myself to sleep. Not even Pinkie can cheer me up. Why am I crying, you may ask? It's a long story. It all happened about 3 months ago.

I had a long time hatred for the Princesses of Equestria and all of brony-kind, but it was what I had to endure. That is until they created a stable link to Equestria, my parents disappeared, and I lived for 16 long years in a foster home. They knew of my 'anti-brony'-ness. But they had accepted me as family. In many futile attempts to kill the Princesses and the mane 6, it ended in a strained allience.

When all was said and done, and I had helped the ponies kill off the majority of the Brony-rebels, the general, somehow surviving the entire thing, shot me in the stomach, giving me a long, painful demise and a very sad ending for that chapter of my life. But not all was lost, and the Princesses were saved from the rest of the brony-rebellion. Upon hearing of the sacrifice the ponies endured, Celestia attempted to bring me back, but they couldn't do it as a human. They instead created a husk of a pony, a lifeless body that needed nothing more than a soul to fill it.

Luckily for me, I was that soul. I awoke in Ponyville hospital about 2 weeks later, and was forced to relearn basic motor skills, like walking, using magic, and eating with hooves. The first few days were fine, then it spiraled downhill. I guess some ponies heard that this 'new pony' was really that fugitive who nearly killed the princesses and they tried to....do away with me.

Twilight and her friends defended me and told them that I was changed.

I was. But not for the better.

Ever since that day, I've been depressed. I can never take back what I've done. It will forever be something burned into the books of Equestrian history. Nothing I can say or do will right what I've done. I get traumatic flashbacks to the battle. People screaming as bullets tear through them, explosions, falling rocks and debris crushing anyone unlucky enough to be under it. Twilight says it's just PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But I know what it really is. It's guilt, slapping me in the face with everything it's got.

Fate has got dirt on me, and it's going to use it to it's fullest. So whatever happened to the brony who gave me everything I needed? The sweater....the glasses...the keychain...I wanted to know if he was okay.

He was, but even if I did see him, face to face, he wouldn't even recognize me. I'm only anonymous to the bronies. The ponies know me all too well.

So here I lay, in Twilight's bed, tears staining the fur on my cheeks. Twilight has made many attempts to cheer me up, all in vain. She just wants to help me. But she can't. Not now. I can't even trust myself anymore, knowing what's really inside this pony's body.

"Austin..."

"My name isn't Austin...It's Sketch."

"Oh right..."

I changed my name in an attempt to seem more 'pony-like'. It didn't work.

"Sketch, I know how you feel."

"Do you Twilight? Do you really?"

"Well....sort of..."

"Twilight I just want to fit in. But I can't. I'm like a puzzle piece trying to fit into a puzzle that I don't even belong in. I'm from a different puzzle Twilight."

"I know, but you'll get used to it! Ponies will forget eventually!"

"Oh don't give me that. The last time I stepped outside I got an egg thrown at me."

"But you were just outside 15 minutes ago..."

"Exactly."

"You don't have any egg on you."

"Check the downstairs window. It wasn't so lucky."

Twilight blinked, then walked over.

"Sketch, just try to cheer up....I can see if Celestia can give you a royal pardon or something. Maybe she can tell everypony. They'll listen to her!"

"Sometimes I think I'd be better off out of everypony's mane..."

"Don't say that..."

"Well it's true, Twi! Look at me! I'm not even supposed to be alive! I'm a empty husk filled with the soul of a human!"

"But you're pony outside."

"Yeah? And candy bars are plastic outside. That doesn't mean that there's plastic INSIDE..."

Twilight bit her lip, then sighed.

"Do you want anything while I'm out?"

"How about a pony who doesn't hate me?"

"Um....Well I'll be back soon..."

"Whatever..."

Twilight left without another word, and I laid there in the bed, hugging a pillow. To me, it was the only thing that wouldn't hurt me.

"How is he?" Applejack asked Twilight, seeming worried.

"Not any better. I think he's actually gotten worse..."

"What should we do?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"I don't think we can do anything that'll do any good. Not even Pinkie can cheer him up."

"Can we see him?"

"If you really want to. But I need some supplies...Just don't mess with him. He's not in any shape to be toyed with."

Twilight walked down the street, and Applejack walked into the library, with hopes of cheering him up. When she got there, she saw poor Sketch laying on his side, hugging a pillow and crying once again. She walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder, but he swatted it away and shimmied further away from her, out of her reach. Applejack sighed, then looked at Fluttershy, who came in with her.

"Fluttershy, Ah think you'd better put him to sleep. We're not going to be able to reason with him until he's well rested..."

Fluttershy nodded and sat near the bed, and started to sing her lullaby, 'Hush Now Quiet Now'.

Sketch's quiet sobbing slowly ceased until he was asleep without a sound, other than his gentle breathing. Fluttershy tucked him in, and left with Applejack. Sleep's gentle blanket slowly overtook Sketch, and he felt himself transfer into Dreamworld...