//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Apologies 
// Story: Doomed Secrets 
// by darkstar64 
//------------------------------//

	I had spent two and a half months avoiding this place. I went out of my way to avoid Ponyville and the Elements of Harmony. And yet, somehow, I was walking through town with two of them. They both had this insane idea that I wanted to be friends with them, but in reality I just wanted run as far away as I could. I was ignoring every sense of self-control in my brain just so I could have another meal and kill time before the next train.
As we were walking towards Sugarcube Corner, I took the time to study the village and see how closely it resembled the show. If anything, it looked better than it did on the show. You can see the little details in everything instead of flat colors, such as splinters in wood or chips in cement. It was amazing how well everything resembled the show, especially the ponies themselves. They looked exactly like their cartoon counterparts, but it was even better in three dimensions. In a way they had the appearance of well-made plush toys, but it was a thin fur coat instead of fabric, you could see every strand of hair in their manes, and the eyes were just beautiful. The bright colors of their irises and their shining pupils were perfect details, delivering an unreal sense of beauty. It was nothing a painting or a videogame could re-create.
I recognized some of the ponies from the show. I saw Big Macintosh pulling a cart full of apples towards the town square, most likely to be sold at a stand somewhere. A pony I assumed to be either Cloudchaser or Flitter flew right over our heads, I didn't know which one it was. I constantly get those two mixed up.
I couldn't help but snicker as we passed the library. I knew that a very pissed off Twilight is in there, having no choice but to think about me as she attempts to figure out what my cutie mark means. 
"What's so funny?" Rainbow asked.
"Nothing, nothing. How much longer until we get there?" I replied.
"We're almost there!" Pinkie Pie answered as she bounced up and down. "Don't you worry Darky! We'll have you eating delicious cupcakes in no time!"
"DON'T call me that."
Darky. Sounds too close to dorky, which is what I thought of that nickname. It pissed me off to see Pinkie Pie so happy about everything. While she was living in her pleasant little world, I was living in a dark void of stress, anger, and fear. I was stressed because I was still trapped in Equestria, I was angry because I let myself walk into Ponyville, and I was afraid of accidentally letting my secret slip. 
I can just imagine the reactions now. The mane six probably won't be able to handle knowing that they're fictional characters, nothing more but animation layers, scripted dialogue, and voice actors. They could go into shock, lash out in a violent psychotic rage, or maybe even slip into depression. The only pony that would be able to handle it would be Pinkie Pie, who would just love to know she has a fanbase and thousands of complete strangers that love her.
And if they do find out, don't mention anything about the cloppers.
My thoughts were interrupted as we came across the giant gingerbread house known as Sugarcube Corner. To everyone else it was a pastry bakery if you had a sweet tooth. To me it was a prison, where I'd be trapped along with my annoying pony inmates. 
"After you Darky!" offered Pinkie as we approached the front door.
"I said don't call me that." I stated. I stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. This was it. Party time. I gritted my teeth, and pushed the door open.
"Wow, what a surprise!" I yelled out loud into the restaurant.
I was greeted by the stares of confused diners, who were eating away at their pastries. Mrs. Cake was staring at me from the till like I was crazy, along with the customer she was helping. It took me a second to realize that there was no party and I just made a total ass of myself.
"Oh.. but... I thought..." I mumbled as a red haze flooded my cheeks.
"What surprise Darky?" Pinkie Pie asked. "We were only just getting you a special cupcake!"
"Well, uh, you see, it was, um, nice of you to open the door for me Pinkie." I muttered. "Normally there aren't nice ponies that let me in the door first, so yeah, it surprised me." I felt like a fucking retard.
"Aw, thank you Darky!" Pinkie smiled. "More ponies need to be nice, especially to my friends!"
"Uh huh, friends." I replied. "And stop calling me that!"
Rainbow Dash let out a little snicker behind me.
"Shut up!"
I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that. Why didn't Pinkie Pie throw a party for me? It just seemed completely out of character for her. The three of us walked up towards the counter, where I was scanning the vast selection of cupcakes on display.
"Hi Mrs. Cake! How are the twins today?" Pinkie asked.
"It took us a couple hours, but we finally got them to fall asleep!" the fat bitch replied. "You don't work today Pinkie, so what brings you here?"
"I was just grabbing my new bestest friend Darky-"
"DARKSTAR."
"-Darky here a special cupcake because Rainbow Dash completely smashed him through the train station platform!"
"Is that so?" Mrs. Cake replied as she gave an evil glare towards Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, it was an accident!" blurted Rainbow. "I didn't mean to hit him! He just got in my way, that's all!"
"I was standing still on a cloud, in plain sight." I responded. "You hit me from above."
"Don't help her!" she exclaimed. "It's just that I messed up one of my signature moves for the Wonderbolts!"
"That's not all that's messed up..." I mumbled.
"What was that?" replied Rainbow, again lifting her ear to hear me.
"Nothing, don't worry about it. So where's this special cupcake I was promised?"
"Right here!" shouted Pinkie Pie, suddenly popping up from behind the counter, holding a cupcake. It was covered with orange icing, underneath what appeared to be a glob of white icing and a cherry. The pastry underneath I could tell was chocolate, wrapped neatly inside a cupcake wrapper.
"Wow, that actually looks pretty good!" I stated, taking the cupcake from her without saying thanks. I lifted it towards my mouth and bit down, finally getting a taste of Pinkie Pie's famous cupcakes. The pastry was warm and moist, probably baked fresh not too long ago. The icing hit the roof of my mouth, exploding into a mass gathering of flavor. The slimy-like food baked inside the pastry was... wait, what?
Slimy stuff in my cupcake? Were there worms in my cupcake? I quickly spat it out all over the ground, then took a peek inside the part of the cupcake I hadn't eaten yet. A piece of macaroni fell out of the pastry. Seriously?
"Aw, why did you spit it out?" Pinkie asked with a frown. "Did you not like my cupcake?"
"You put macaroni in it?!" I exclaimed. "I thought you were kidding about the macaroni!"
"Nope! Like I said, thirty-nine recipes contain various amounts of macaroni! There's also hot mustard, relish, sesame seeds, peanut butter, corn, hay,-"
"I get it Pinkie. I get it. Can I just have a regular cupcake? You know, the one that's just a pastry with icing on top?" I asked.
"Aw, you're no fun!" she pouted as she grabbed me a normal cupcake. This one was the same chocolate pastry as before, but... oh my god. Blue icing and a decorative cloud and lightning bolt on top. I swear if Rainbow Dash wasn't right beside me, I would of believed this cupcake to have a certain secret ingredient. Lucky for me, that wasn't the case.
I half expected Pinkie to pull a prank on me with this cupcake, but to my surprise it was just your ordinary cupcake. I'm sorry, did I say ordinary? I meant FUCKING DELICIOUS. I don't know how Pinkie Pie manages to achieve putting ponies in a euphoric state from sugary desserts, but I didn't care. I wolfed that cupcake down to every last bite.
"Wow, that was surprisingly good." I said out loud, smacking my lips.
"Of course it's good!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she ate her own cupcake. "Everypony loves Pinkie's cupcakes!"
"I love it when my baking makes ponies smile!" Pinkie beamed. "I always make the best pastries for my best friends!"
I was about to object being best friends with Pinkie when I heard the door open behind us. The little bell above the entryway caught our attention, and I caught sight of Twilight Sparkle and Applejack walking inside. Oh for the love of fuck, not the Element of Honesty. I could not afford to lie right now.
"...and then he just started being all smart with me, not caring that he just broke the law... YOU!" Twilight exclaimed, finally noticing me.
"Who, me?" I replied, playing innocent.
"Yes, you! What are you even doing here? I thought you were just passing trough Ponyville!"
"Wait, is this that stallion you were talkin' about Twilight?" Applejack asked, southern accent and all.
"Yes Applejack, that's him!"
"Oh, are you still upset about that?" I whined. "I don't see how it can upset you, it didn't effect you in any way. It's not like you were blamed for it."
"EERGH! You see Applejack? He does this every time I talk to him!"
"Now look partner." Applejack said to me sternly. "It may not effect Twilight in anyway but it sure as hay effects the Railway Company because they're losin' business. They provide comfortable sittin' rooms and food services, and you outta respect that!"
Wow, did not expect that from her. At all. She may be a southern girl but she sure as Hell knew her shit. As cliche as it sounds, she appeared to be very traditional.
"Hey, don't be so hard on him AJ!" Rainbow rushed to my rescue. "It's not THAT bad, I'm sure he had a good reason to sneak onto the train."
"Rainbow Dash! Good reasons or not, what he did was immoral!" Applejack responded. "And what are you doin' defending him for?"
"Because he's my friend!" Rainbow attempted to stare down at AJ. "You got a problem with that?"
"Well, maybe I do!" Applejack stared back. "You shouldn't be hanging around with troublemakers like him!"
"Oh, will you two just shut the fuck up?!" I exclaimed. Rainbow and Applejack both turned to look at me, eyes wide with shock. "I get it, sneaking onto trains is bad. I got the lecture from the conductor, I got the lecture from Twilight, and I certainly don't need the lecture from you. It's in the past, get over it, and stop fighting inside a public bakery."
"Excuse me?" Applejack stated. "What makes you think you can use such vulgar languag-"
"And another thing!" I interrupted. "You don't even know me, yet you're making such harsh judgments about me! I only snuck on the train in the first place so I'd have enough money to eat later! Is that not a good enough reason? Should I have starved myself just because paying is the right thing to do?"
Applejack was backing away from me now, completely shocked at my outburst. I noticed Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie were equally shocked too.
"I..I.." AJ tried to speak, but I wouldn't let her.
"And what, I'm not allowed to be friends with other ponies because of my, "BAD" behavior? I come in here to eat a cupcake Pinkie Pie offered me and then you show up and start making nasty assumptions about me! I don't need to take you or Twilight's crap!"
I finished my rant and glared into Applejack's eyes. I may have been defending my unwanted friendship between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, but that was only because I was trying to get Applejack off my ass. I could tell she was hurt, the way her eyes were looking. Everypony else in the restaurant just stared at us in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for something to happen. It was Appljeack that finally broke the tension.
"You're right. It was rude of me to make assumptions about you." She hung her hat down over her face, attempting to hide her regret. "I still don't approve of what you did, but I guess you did what you had to do. I'm sorry."
My frustration towards her quickly melted away, replaced by a different emotion. Guilt. I had wanted to make her feel bad, but now I felt bad myself because of it. I had a good reason to be completely pissed at her, but I shouldn't have to be a total dickhead just because I wanted nothing to do with her or her friends. Not only that, but we caused a scene inside a bakery and created an awkward situation for the both of us. Pinkie Pie did invite me here, and there really was no reason to turn her workplace into a courtroom battle.
"I'm sorry too. Not just to you, but to Twilight as well. Swearing and shouting wasn't probably the best way to deal with this, and I guess I was just extremely annoying to Twilight. Also, I should have acted a little more mature since I was invited here. I'm sorry to you too Pinkie Pie." 
Applejack lifted her hat a little, and I saw a smile form on her muzzle. I noticed Twilight and Rainbow Dash were smiling too, which told me that all was forgiven. And then there was Pinkie Pie, who was somehow shooting fountains of tears as held a tissue at her face.
"I accept your apology." Applejack replied.
"I accept it too." said Twilight.
"Sniff.... WHY MUST MY FRIENDS BE SO HEARTWARMING?" Pinkie cried. "I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY TOO DARKY.... sniff."
"And I accept yours." I told Applejack. "I'm Darkstar by the way, NOT Darky." I clarified as I glared at Pinkie.
"Applejack, proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres!" she proudly stated, shaking my foreleg. 
"Hey, wait a minute." said Rainbow Dash. "If you didn't have enough bits for the train, why were at the station waiting for the next one anyways?"
Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight all turned toward me. You just couldn't shut your mouth, could you Rainbow Dash?
"ACTUALLY, I've decided to stay in Ponyville for a while until I can acquire more funds." I lied, hoping Applejack wouldn't pick up on it. Wait, that meant I would have to stay in Ponyville or... fuck.
"Oh really?" Applejack responded. "You sure you weren't just going sneak back on?"
"Hey, even if I wanted to, the conductor charmed the train so I couldn't get on anyways!" I clarified.
"I don't remember the conductor doing anything like that..." stated Twilight. You can shut up too egghead.
"He did it when he was throwing me off onto the platform." I replied. "Now we can just stop talking about trains already? I've had enough talk of locomotive transportation for one day."
"No sense talkin' about it now." said Applejack. "So, if you have limited funds, where do you plan on staying?"
"Well, I'm sure I can find a decent bench or some bridge to sleep under. I don't mind, really." 
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "You can't just sleep outside! You should TOTALLY stay at my place!" she offered.
"Are you sure you don't want him there for other reasons Rainbow Dash?" asked Applejack. "I mean, you two would be ALONE for the night."
Woah, what the fuck? I already knew that this was a more adult world compared to the cartoon, but i did not swing that way. I may be in the body of a pony, but I was still a human mentally. I was not going to have sex with a pony.
"Wha.. what?" Rainbow Dash said as a red haze flooded her cheeks. I heard Pinkie Pie giggle from behind the counter, and saw Twilight shift uncomfortably. "NO! I mean, it's not like he's unattractive or anything, I just think awesome friends shouldn't sleep outside this time of the year!"
"So you admit he's cute?" Applejack smiled. Pinkie was giggling harder and I was blushing myself.
"Well, I.." Rainbow tried to speak.
"Okay, I think that's quite enough." I butted in. "I'm fine with staying at Rainbow's place, but I'll be sleeping on the couch." I stated, making sure she knew I wasn't interested in that way.
"There, then it's settled!" said Rainbow. "Darkstar will be staying at my place!"
I wasn't worried about Rainbow Dash coming on to me, even if she was like that. I was just happy that I'd be sleeping in an actual house for once and not a under a bridge or a train car. Not only that, I could probably get free meals out of her too. Okay, that would be taking advantage of her hospitality, but I gotta eat, right?
"C'mon Darkstar, I'll show you where I live so you can drop your stuff off!" Rainbow stated as we both made our way outside. Finally, I couldn't wait to get away from those awkward stares the ponies inside gave us.
"Goodbye Darky!" said Pinkie Pie. "Wear protection!"
"IT'S DARKSTAR!" I screamed back. "AND SHUT UP!"