//------------------------------// // Chapter 5- Rainbow and Fluttershy, When Horses Fly // Story: Race Relations // by DatZigga //------------------------------// With no real plan for the rest of the day, Spike insisted that Anon meet with Granny Smith and learn a little bit about the founding of Ponyville. Anon reluctantly followed, as per the course. He was steadily feeling he was having less and less agency as time went on.  The duo found themselves walking a path that led away from the town, a nice change of pace for Anon. Instead, they walked toward an orchard one that seemed to reach as far as the eye could see. Anon’s eyes, while taking in the admittedly beautiful scenery, saw that the sun had left the highest point of the sky and was currently on its way to making its descent. He still couldn’t believe the day wasn’t over yet. He would give anything for the sun to just drop out of the sky, preferably onto him. This thought of planetary assisted suicide was disrupted by a hawk speeding past Anon’s head, nearly clipping its wings against Anon’s face. Anon’s head whipped back to follow the bird as it flew off into the distance. He pondered why a hawk felt the need to fly that fast despite no visible prey in sight. “Look out!” Called a voice ahead of Anon. It sounded a considerable distance away, so Anon casually swiveled his head back to the direction of the voice...only to find a speeding blue blur approaching him. Then, darkness. It was only a few minutes before Anon’s brain caught up to the current time. He could hear ponies talking, along with Spike, but couldn’t make out the whinnying and neighing. Anon’s eyes were close and had half a mind to just keep them close but okay dead. But, against his better judgement, he slowly began to open them. He saw two ponies, one blue with a rainbow mane and one yellow with a pink mane, talking to the stout dragon. When Anon went to move however, his head vehemently decided against it, giving him a throbbing headache. “Fuck.” Anon vocalized, catching the three’s attention. “Did someone catch the license plate on that truck that just hit me?” Spike ran up to Anon, his words now becoming clearer. “Oh good, you’re awake.” Spike said, with a sigh of relief. “You should probably just lie down though. That was a pretty bad collision, Anon.” Out of spite and defiance, not only did Anon not lie back down, but stood up fully, his head screaming at him that that was a poor choice. Anon powered through regardless, standing with his arms crossed and signature glare. “Woah!” The rainbow horse awed, flying up to Anon’s eye level. Anon decided it wasn’t worth it to think about the absurdity of horse wings, lest he risk a migraine. “This new guy is pretty tough!” More like I’m just hardheaded. Anon wordlessly admitted.  “You must be Anonymous.” The rainbow continued. “Well, Anon. You’re looking at the one and only Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria and official member of the Wonderbolts!” She struck a pose in mid air with the biggest shit eating grin Anon’s ever seen. Oh yeah, she was already low on the list of ponies he’s met and they were all pretty low to start with.  “Uh Huh.” Anon replied, being as unimpressed as was physically possible. “So, when’s the part you apologize for ramming me at light speed.” “Hey! I told you to look out!” Rainbow shot back. “Besides, I’m not used to someone so big blocking my way.” Excuses, excuses. This horse was full of them. “Um, excuse me, Mr. Anonymous?” Anon heard from his left. He looked down to see the yellow one, speaking at a volume he could barely hear. “Don’t be too mad at, Rainbow. She was trying to help me reclaim a hawk that flew by. Oh, and, um, my name is Fluttershy.” With that it was official: pony naming conventions were stupid. Anon sighed. “Whatever.” Anon threw up his hands in surrender. “I’ve come to accept that life here is insistent on being as inhospitable to me as possible. I get it.” “Oh no!” Fluttershy perked up slightly. “Have you not been enjoying Ponyville?” “No, I have not. This place has been a crapsaccharine nightmare.” Anon kept his glare now casting it on all three of them. “I genuinely preferred the danger and isolation of the Everfree Forest than the sickly, happy ass horses in this damned town.” Fluttershy and Rainbow simultaneously gasped, although for different reasons.  “You were living in the E-everfree F-forest?” Fluttershy said, her voice started to shake. “That’s so terrifying!” “You were living in the Everfree Forest?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “That. is. So. Awesome!” “Yeah, it was terrifying!” Anon shouted, anger rising in his voice. “And yeah, it was awesome! I spent 6 months there, without a clue on how to fend for myself. But, through my own wit and ingenuity, I made it out alive.” Anon began to pace, no longer facing the ponies to talk to them. “I got hounded by wolves made of wood everynight. I had to evade a manticore that hunted for a full day non-stop! I ate some weird blue plant and became deathly ill, with no medicine in sight! I even came across some leviathan in the swamps and nearly loss my fucking life! But I survived it all, all by myself.” It became clear to the ponies and Spike that he was no longer speaking to them. “Where I came from, I had nothing. I was nobody. You see, where I come from, people developed a bad habit of judging people’s worth long before they could make something of themselves. As such, you grew up with no real goal other than to fit in a world that didn’t even want you. Didn’t care if you lived or died. Then, I somehow ended up here. For the first time in my entire, I felt free. No one to help me, no one to guide me. I had to figure shit out on my own. Blaze my own trail. Be my own man. And I fucking did! Now though? Now?! Here I am, in a little hamlet where I find a couple horses working on a portal to another dimension. Horses of all shapes and colors, with wings and horns, capable of levitating objects and flying at breakneck speeds. No matter where I go, anything I’m capable of is made pointless and irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. To top it all off, this place is so unbearably perfect. Since I got here, I’ve been taught a new language and given a place to stay by a dragon, fed and clothed by horses, and now I’m being led around to make friends like a goddamned toddler!” Anon took a deep breath. His eyes shut tightly as he tried to catch himself from his rant. He was a bit surprised at the passion in his voice, as though he was representing this for a long time. The two ponies and the dragon that listened to him had all seated themselves, speechless the whole time. That was, until Fluttershy spoke up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but why is it bad to receive help?” Anon almost burst out laughing at this question. “Don’t you horses get it?” Anon retaliated. “I don’t need help. Humans don’t need help. I was doing just fine before tubby over here dragged me out and around town like his pet!” Rainbow did not hesitate to get up in Anon’s face. “Watch it, pal!” Rainbow threatened. “No one makes fun of my friends!” Anon was unamused, but before he could further incur the pegasus’s wrath, Spike spoke up. “Anonymous, you do need help!” Spike pulled on Rainbow’s tail in a vain attempt to have her stand down. “I mean, look at what you’re doing! You’re being unbearably mean to everypony you meet!” “Yeah, Spike. That’s what we humans do. It’s called “calling it how we see it” and as far as I can see, this entire town-no, this entire planet is naive and childish. It’s your willingness to befriend someone like me that’ll get you all killed.” “We’ve solved plenty of problems with friendship, thank you very much.” Rainbow crossed her arms, turning his head up at him. “Yeah? And how many times did your country almost fall as a result of only relying on peaceful, friendly methods?” Rainbow opened her mouth, but paused as she thought about it. “I thought so. Friendship isn’t the cure all solution. Sometimes the best thing to do is let sleeping dogs lie. That, or get rid of the problem entirely.” “But, wait!” Fluttershy joined in. “Why would you say such an awful thing?” “Cause being kind where I come from either gets you killed or exploited. Maybe both. You give a homeless man some money? Someone else will jump you and take your wallet. You speak out against injustice? Those who swore to protect you, beat you. You about your life with your head down? Someone will inevitably try and start shit.  I was raised to expect nothing good out of life. Even in some paradise like this because the moment I do, the moment I settle, the moment I believe everything will be okay...that’s when everything goes to shit.”  With that Anon turns to continue down the path he was walking, leaving the two ponies behind. He suddenly felt a tug at his pant leg again. He looked down to see a Spike, eyes watering and lips quivering. This sight alone brought pause to Anon, who got lost in those big, sad eyes. Anon closed his own eyes, forcing them shut to hold back tears. He shook his leg violently until Spike came off, landing on his tail. When Anon opened his eyes, they were just as watery as Spike’s. “This is why I told you to leave me alone, Spike.” Anon‘s voice wavered, threatening to crack. “I told you I was never going to adjust and I told you I didn’t belong here. I wouldn’t belong here. I couldn’t belong. I shouldn’t. I-” Anon struggled to say anything more. If he did, he would break right then and there.  So, Anon ran away.