//------------------------------// // Friends No More // Story: Making the Best of it // by Flame6666 //------------------------------// Making the Best of it Friends No More Anthony felt that his world was being crushed around him after what he did to Fluttershy. He was just a shell, only existing in the world, he would sleep, eat, and play his movies for the paying ponies all day, ever day. It wasn't until Applejack asked him a question that he thought the honest farm pony would never ask in all her life, that snapped him out of his depression, only to be hit harder still. "Hey Anthony, ya got a sec?" Anthony only looked at her and nodded. "Well Ah was wondering, wouldn't it be a fine idea to raise the prices for yer' movie house?" Anthony shook his head in disbelief at what she asked, "Wait... what?" "Now hear me out before ya say no, there has been a lot of ponies comin to see yer' movies and a lot of them look like big wigs and Ah'm sure that they can pay a few more bits than five." "But what about all the ponies in Ponyville?" "Ah'm sure they'll understand." "I'm sorry Applejack but no. If I did that then I'm no better than the rest monsters that charge a hoof and a flank." "Now listen here Anthony, Ah'm letting you live here on my property and Ah'm letting you play yer' silly movies on my property, the least ya can do is help the farm anyway you can right?" Applejack said pretty aggressively. "Applejack... I do pay rent... also I've never heard you once say that the farm is in financial trouble since I started the theater. I'm more or less sure that your just letting the bits go to your head." "Ah don't have ta sit here being lectured by somepony who just sits around all day!" Applejack walks off only to turn around, "Oh and yer' rent... its doubled now." she continues into the apple trees. Anthony stood there watching Applejack vanish into the trees and thought to himself, "What the buck just happened? There is no way that the bearer of honesty would be so... greedy. I think I need to pay a visit to Twilight." Anthony left Sweet Apple Acres and went to see Twilight. Along the way though Anthony noticed a huge amount of new faces in town, the streets were almost unwalkable do to how dense the crowd was, not only that but simple chatter of the crowd was deafening loud. Once Anthony got to the library he knocked on the door as hard as he could to make sure that Twilight or Spike could hear it. A few moments later Spike opened the door and greeted Anthony, " Hey Anthony, hows it going?" Spike said sounding like he wasn't pleased to see Anthony. "We have a problem with Appl-" Anthony was cut off by Spike. "You think you have a problem? I'm the one dealing with Twilight who's gotten information deprived since its so loud outside." "Well can I come in to talk to her, its kind of important?" "I don't know Anthony... I think she's blaming you for everypony being here." "Oh... well I still need to talk to her, so can please come in?" "Okay but don't say I didn't warn ya." Anthony walked into the library and Spike shut the door behind him, he got into the main room only to see Twilight pacing back and forth with her mane messed up and wearing a weird smile, "Uhm... hi Twilight." Anthony said a little nervously. Twilight snapped her head to Anthony, "Hello Anthony... how are you today?" she said still clenching her teeth. "Uhm... I'm doing good but uh... Applejack wasn't acting like her self earlier." Twilight stated walking toward Anthony, "Really? I think that anypony would be acting weird if they had to DEAL WITH THE CONSTANT TALKING OF EVERYPONY!" Twilight started to yell when she was just inches away from Anthony's face. Anthony starting to back away, "I think that I came here at a bad time." REALLY? A BAD TIME? Well if you would just take your theater and GO AWAY and take EVERYPONY with you then I would be having a GREAT TIME!" Twilight's word felt like daggers to Anthony as he absorbed them, "Did you...did you just tell me to leave Ponyville?" "YES NOW GO!" Twilight heartlessly said. Anthony turned around and headed to the door with Spike following him, "Don't take it to seriously dude, when she gets like this she can say some really terrible things." Spike said trying to cheer him up. "Thanks Spike, I needed to hear that." "No problem, if you need some more cheering up you should go see Pinkie Pie." He nodded, "Yeah... I think I will." Anthony left the library and walked trough the dense crowd and went to Sugercube Corner. The store was crowded and he went to the front of the of the line to ask Mrs. Cake something, "Hello Mrs. Cake, is Pinkie Pie working now?" "No dear, she's in her room up stairs." "Really? Shouldn't she be working when there's this many customers?" "Well normally yes, but she's uhm... planing." "Oh... well can I go up to see her?" "Yes but, you might not want to right now... how should I put this nicely-" "She's gone crazy." Mr. Cake cut in. Mrs. Cake nodded, "Not what I would have said, but yes. You can go up if you want, but I wouldn't." Anthony gulped and nodded, I think I'll just go see." The couple nodded and Anthony went to the stairs and climbed up them, he stopped once he heard Pinkie Pie's voice. "So... many... ponies... so... little... time." Pinkie said sounding a little crazy. "What is she talking about?" Anthony thought. "Too many parties to plan, too many ponies, too many parties, too many bucking ponies." "Oh shit, I think she just overloaded." "I am not OVERLOADING, THERE'S JUST TOO MANY BUCKING PONIES!" Pinkie Pie yelled turning her head to Anthony, who was way more shocked at how she just read his mind then her yelling. Anthony just started to step down the stairs wide eyed and walked out of Sugercube Corner, only to hear Mrs. Cake say, "I tried to tell him." and then Mr. Cake, "I know Sweety, I know." Anthony only had one more friend that he could turn to at this point, Rarity. But when he got to Carousel Boutique he couldn't even get inside, there where to many rich looking ponies that blocked his way. He gave up trying to squeeze through them and decided that there was only one pony that might talk to him, but he knew she wouldn't like it. He went to Fluttershy's cottage, he knew that she was still afraid of him but he just needed someone to talk to. Anthony knocked on the door and in a few moments he heard Fluttershy speak, "Uhm... who is it?" "It’s me Fluttershy, Anthony." There was a long pause before Fluttershy spoke up once more, "What... what do you need?" "I just... needed somepony to talk to and your the only one who I thought would listen. I know your afraid of me still, so if you would like... can we just talk through the door?" "I think that would be for the best... so what did you need to... t-talk about?" Anthony sits on the step in font of the door, "It’s just that... everypony I know is no longer my friend. Rainbow Dash hates me, Applejack turned greedy, Twilight wants me gone, Pinkie has gone crazy, crazy, Rarity was swamped with business, and you're scared of me and I can't think of a way to fix everything." Again a long pause, "I'm s-sorry, I don't know what to say." "It’s okay Fluttershy... I didn't expect you to... and one more thing Fluttershy... I'm sorry for what I did to you." "I know you are Anthony... It’s just that I'm afraid of how easily you lost control." "Honestly Fluttershy... so am I." Anthony said as he stood up with a tear falling from his eye and walked done the path. Fluttershy opened the door with tears falling down her face, she wanted to go over to him to try and comfort Anthony, but her fear stopped her from moving to his side and she hated herself for it.