//------------------------------// // Bystander // Story: Fame is not Friendship... // by Lady Spider //------------------------------// *A/N: Ob-la-di Ob-la-da by The Beatles suggested by ThatOneRandomPony* *A/N: Also, sorry it's short. I think it's time for things to get movin. This is the last prologue type chapter. After this, stuff should get longer and better! Enjoy!* Bystander “...Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah! Lala how life goes on Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah! Lala how lifes goes on...” Another night of autographs, hard drinking, and even harder bass dropping ended. As always, the stallions left me to close up. I stepped out of the club and stared at the door. My shades magically lifted onto the top of my head as I squinted at the paint. I had never noticed the dark blue door had silver lightning bolt patterns down the sides. The sun was rising and the rays lit the silver and made little sparks appear to bounce off the bolts. My eyes caught something glittering next to the step. I turned my head and a strand of my blue mane fell onto my face. Dew was glistening off the leaves of a rosebush somepony had planted. I blinked and locked the door. I turned away from Club Pon-3 toward Ponyville. The sounds of talking and laughter floated to my ears. At that moment, the decision I chose to make was influenced by fatigue, the slightest head buzz, and the growing need for that something I knew I was missing. I ignored the calling of sleep and trotted toward Ponyville. It was so strange walking through the streets with the sun on my back. My eyes searched the views in front of me hungrily. A pegasus mailmare with a derped expression was apologizing to a blue unicorn who’s mane reminded me of toothpaste. “...I just don’t know what went wrong!” The blue unicorn sighed and smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll just send it back and reorder it.” The mailmare hugged the unicorn gratefully and flew off lopsided to her next delivery. My attention was grabbed by a filly’s voice. “Watch out!” I turned quickly and sidestepped just in time to avoid getting run over by a young pegasus filly on a scooter pulling two other fillies in a wagon behind her. “Sorry!” The earth pony in the wagon yelled as the trio disappeared between the buildings. A trail of dust was kicked up by the wagon’s wheels making the air swirl with movement even after the fillies had left. “Apples! Come get yer fresh apples!” I walked slowly past an orange mare with a stetson standing at an apple stand. From the three apples on her flank I assumed she was a member of the Sweet Apple family. “Apples! ... Pinkie! Get outta mah apples!” I turned to see the orange mare laughing at a pink earth pony with an extremely fluffy mane poking her head out of one of the apple barrels. The pink pony made a funny face then hopped out of the barrel, laughing. Outside a flower shop, an aquamarine unicorn with a mint and white mane and a beige pony with a blue and pink mane giggled over a light yellow colored stallion with a blue mane sneezing nonstop over a pot of orange blossoms. My chest ached. I couldn’t remember a time I had laughed freely like that. I looked away and continued to walk through Ponyville. Fillies ran through the streets and ponies went through their day. And no one saw me. But I saw everything. For the first time in my life I felt like I knew what I was missing. By now I was about to fall asleep standing up and I could feel a headache coming on. I took the long way back home, going past places like Sugarcube Corner, The Dandelion Diner, the library, and a clothing boutique. I stood outside my own door. How many times had I walked these steps and turned this handle but never noticed the stone coloring or the ivory knocker? Tomorrow. Tomorrow I would remake myself. Club Pon-3 was closed on weeknights so this would be the perfect time. I had had enough of my life. Nothing would feel right until I could laugh and have fun like the ponies I had seen today. If I had to travel all the way to Manehatten, I swore to myself right then and there, I would find a real friend.