Friendship is Failure #23: Let's just NOT be friends

by DakariKingMykan

Act 4: Time and Space

ACT FOUR

It wasn’t until about sundown that Snap finally got off work. He was pacing back and forth around his house wondering if whether or not to give the letter he wrote to the princesses, still fretting if whether or not they’d forgive him.

“Oh, what am I going to do?” he groaned. “It seems I can’t do anything right. No matter which way I go, it never ends up good.”

There was a knock at his door.

He walked over and looked through the peephole, and saw Twilight and Co-- the gang was nowhere to be seen.

“EEP!!” he groaned as he fell to the floor. “What are they doing here?”

Not that he didn’t already know…They had either come to reprimand him for blinding them, or come to talk more about the gang and trying to reconcile with them.

“Snapshot?” called Twilight. “Please, we just want to talk to you.”

“We don’t want any trouble.” added Cadance. “We’re not angry at you either.”

Snap still didn’t know if he could trust them, and knowing he would let them in meant he would have to hear about the gang again, but seeing as there was no other way to clear his conscience, and he agreed to let them in.

He apologised whole-heartedly for what he did, and they two mares expressed their forgiveness, he felt most relieved… at least for that part.

“That’s not why you’ve really come, is it?” he asked.

Spike quickly answered, “No, we came to talk about you and your friends.”

Snap sighed and hung his head low.

“We talked with them, and we know about your avoiding them.” said Cadance.

Neither she nor the others explained how they spied on him; fearing it would make them look bad.

They also didn’t tell him that the gang was right outside, behind the fence, and once again using the viewing spell to listen in on everything that was said.

Pirouette did all she could to keep herself from freaking out.

All the others hoped the trio could convince Snap to change his mind about seeing them again, but Slam was still being grumpy about it, however he didn’t want to make any more scenes for fear of getting the others mad at him, especially his mare friend.

The trio spoke with Snap as best they could.

“I’m sorry, but the answer is “No.” said Snap. “I just can’t hang with them again; especially not Pirouette. I just can’t settle for being just friends with her. It makes me sound selfish, yes-- I admit it, but look at it this way…

If I don’t hang out with her and the gang, I don’t have to suffer, and they don’t either.”

“But they ARE suffering.” Twilight protested. “They miss you lots, and they hate that you’re avoiding them like this, and the way you’re behaving is completely unhealthy.”

Snap blinked once in confusion.

Cadance spoke, “I know that heartbreak seems harsh, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away all your friends because of one pony.”

Snap began to feel his shame and guilt creep up on him again, and it did burn.

He thought of all the others-- Red, Pierce, Droplet, and especially his best pal, Seeker.

He missed him dearly, and all the good times they used to have-- playing sports, or studying, and Seeker even knew of shots Snap could take for the paper.

But of course, there was still the difficulty of having to hang with Pirouette and Slam if he hung out with any of his friends.

“It’s no use.” he said “No matter what way I go… there will be pain and upset. At least this way it’s not as harsh.

I’m sorry, but I just can’t do it.”

Spike sighed, and shook his head. Then he looked up at the mares, and they were starting to realize the hopelessness of this too.

“Whatever you decide, we won’t try to force you.” said Cadance.

Snap was shaking painfully trying not to shed frightful and shameful tears. “I just can’t do it. Maybe I should just say goodbye to the gang for good.”

The gang heard all this and gasped hard, and the trio didn’t like what they heard either.

“…I’ll start over; make some new friends, and I’ll make sure not to let love get in my way ever again.”

Normally, Twilight was all for the idea of starting over, but the say Snap was talking made her question it.

“Snap, you can’t mean that.”

He just gave her a strict look.

“…I think he does.” said Spike.

Cadance didn’t know what to think or say anymore. It was obvious, even to her, that nothing they could say or do would convince him to change.

She hated to fail her first-ever Friendship Mission, but she was starting to think this was all for the best.

“Now wait just a minute!” snapped a voice at the door.

Everyone turned and saw the gang standing there. Some of them looking cross, especially Slam, while Seeker and Pirouette looked deeply concerned.

Snap’s features hardened. “What are you all doing here?”

“Trying to stop you from doing something really stupid and morally wrong.” sneered Red.

“Snap, you can’t just abandon us like this,” scolded Pierce. “Just because you’re not happy that Pirouette doesn’t want to date you doesn’t give you the right to up and abandon all of us like this. It makes you look selfish and insane.”

Snap was growing angrier and felt most insulted.

“So what are you saying?” he spat. “That you’d rather I just hang with you guys and see Pirouette with some pony else, and let it bring me pain?!”

Slam stepped forth and let it out with all he had, “No… what we’d rather you stop being such a spoiled and bratty colt, and learn to grow up and GET OVER YOURSELF!!”

“Slam!” snapped Pirouette.

“You stay out of this!” he thundered at her. “I’ve had just about enough of all this “Oh, poor Snapshot.” As far as I see, we don’t owe him anything!”

“I never said you did owe me anything!” protested Snap. “What I am though is sick and tired of others telling me how to live my life just because they want it so.” he paused. “So in a way… that makes you just as worse as you make me out to be.”

Just as Twilight was about to break the two up and insist they calm down, Pirouette beat her to it, shouting. “STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!!”

The entire room went silent and everyone was gawking at her.

First she scolded her Colt-Friend. “Slam, this is exactly the attitude that’s driving this group apart in the first place.”

Slam was shocked at her. “Pirouette…”

“Don’t try and defend yourself!” she balked at him. “We’re all supposed to be friends here, and do we act like it? No!

We boss him around; we demand he do as we say. Is that how a friend is supposed to behave?!”

The rest of the gang members, even Slam rubbed the backs of their heads, or looked down at the floor nervously.

Pirouette then turned to face Snap, and rather than scold him, she spoke calmly and carefully.

“Snap…” she paused “I’m really sorry that you’re hurt, and I’m very sorry for what I said, but you are important to me; you’re important to us all.”

The others nodded, especially Seeker.

“We’ve all been bad friends to you,” he said. “That was wrong of us. We knew you liked Pirouette, and we tried to push you into getting over yourself.”

Droplet was starting to soften up herself and feeling less angry. She stepped up next to Seeker and nodded in agreement with him.

Then Red stepped up, and Pierce too.

For all their pleas and sincerities, Snap was moved deep down, but not nearly enough, even Pirouette could see this without him saying, “…I’m sorry, but I just can’t do it. I don’t want to cause trouble for you guys, for myself.

Even if I came back to the group, then we’d all just be bending over and trying too hard to make it work, and it still may not matter.

I’m sorry, but I think it’s best if we don’t.”

Faces turned bluer than a wet weekend, some of the friends shook their heads in dismay.

“Look…” said Red “We won’t force you, like you said, but if you ever do get the guts to find the strength, we’ll all be here waiting for you.”

The others all nodded agreeing that the friendship was not truly over, but just on “Pause”

They all had some thinking to do themselves.

With that settled, Twilight suggested everyone clear out of the house and give Snap the space he needed to deal with his emotions.

Snap was left alone to surrender to the despairing state he had asked for.

“Poor guy.” said Spike. “I hope he makes it.”

“So do I.” agreed Twilight.

Cadance felt really bummed. “My first friendship mission; a failure…”

“Not really.” said Twilight. “Our job is just to sort out the problems, and help those involved understand Friendship better.

In a way, that’s what we did. Now Snap can take time to find himself, and the others know what it means to be better friends.”

Her sister-in-law felt no better, and there was worse to come.

“What are you talking about?” wailed Slam.

“You heard me.” said Pirouette. “I need a break too. Maybe we all could use one.”

“Look, I’m sorry for the way I acted.” protested Slam. “Don’t let this whole mess affect you too.”

“Oh? But you let it affect you!” protested Pirouette. “That’s why you said all those mean things about Snap.”

“Pirouette, come on…”

“No, Slam! Like I said, I just need a break myself right now. I need time to think.”

Then she walked off. She hadn’t broken up with him, or the gang like Snap did. She just wanted space.

The rest of the gang shook their heads pitifully at Slam before turning to walk down the road without him.

Slam could only kick a small rock in the road, but then he felt ashamed.

Whether or not he and Pirouette would continue dating, or however this friendship with the gang and Snap would lead…

…Only time would tell.

Comments

[new55]

That was a good story.

[DakariKingMykan]

11111778

Thank you

[Zappers1234]

I like how the message of the story can be boiled down to "Trying to help a friend move on from their obsession makes you a bad friend and you should instead allow them to continue their self-destructive lifestyle"

[DakariKingMykan]

11657463

No one likes to be COMMANDED to move on.

People can't just move on LIKE THAT no matter how much YOU want them to for them... or for yourself.

Some people CAN move on, but some people CAN'T (Or don't want to) The choice is only theirs, not yours.

[Zappers1234]

11657472
I guess we just have to tolerate creepy behavior.

[DakariKingMykan]

11657487

Darn straight... This is Friendship is FAILURE... as in, Friendship loses, or just doesn't work this time.

But there's nothing creepy about his behavior. He's just depressed, and hanging with his friends will only make it worse. So... it's better to just cut the loses instead of get on each other's nerves every day

[Zappers1234]

11657490

So... it's better to just cut the loses instead of get on each other's nerves every day

It's a good idea. Because Snap is someone who won't improve his life

[DakariKingMykan]

11657497

Because Snap is someone who won't improve or change his life

Who says he HAS to? Or if he's even allowed to?

[Zappers1234]

11657498
Snap follows a "How to Be Miserable Guide" and follows the letter, not the SPIRIT

If he improves his life... I'll have no choice but to strike to him down

Its called a "Diabolus ex Machina". A common problem with striking him down is that it will feel forced instead of something natural