Friendship is Failure #24- Twilight in Therapy

by DakariKingMykan

Act 5: Looking back: Part 1

Author's Note:

I can't use every single FIF I ever made...

-They all happen in different timelines...
-Certain characters appear in more than one story (None of which are canon-linked to one another)

It better just to use a few of the most major ones (Which don't include Beast Boy)

ACT FIVE

*Twilight’s POV*

Stone Heart was a mere trash picker, but he also worked as a janitor, and at the Canterlot steel works, but he was a very disturbed, and very angry pony.

He tried to make it as a writer of novels. He would write tragic or deathly stories where friendship didn’t work. Instead, friends would betray friends, which lead to chaos, and battles so severe, that all the former friends would regret their actions.

He was also very adverse towards Character Development, or seeing characters in written stories grow, learn, and become better beings; preferring to settle for Plot-Driven sources instead.

He faced such ridicule from the public and other publishers.

Everywhere he went, he was treated harshly by others. They would tip over his trash wagon, throw garbage in his face, publicly denounce him.

“We know you’re a retard, but don’t call us out when you make such garbage.”

“Thank goodness there’s only one of you, because one is one too many!”

“Your works are stupid, and you’re stupid. I doubt if any decent pony would be able to stomach your nonsense without getting a headache!”

Others would even demand he change the story to be better suited for the public.

“Your stories will improve if you add better effort and character to them!”

“You want others to stop hating you? Then write something good for a change!”

So, stone wrote a book I really loved-- that the whole of Equestria loved “A Change of Heart.”

It had all the proper needs that everyone loved-- proper plotting, character development, less drama, logic, and friendship working out, and it finally became a best seller…

…But I found out that Stone was more infuriated than ever. He hated the story with a vengeance, and refused any, and all, benefits that came with it.

-He didn’t accept any money his books made-- he just gave the checks away to charity…

-He refused to attend signings or accept praise from his fans…

-I even invited him to the School of Friendship to help lecture the children on literature, and he refused…

-He even spat at Princess Celestia as well when she tried to praise him by inviting him to her Royal Book Club.

“The princess is most eagerly excited to have you this evening.” said the guard “Shall we inform her of your acceptance?”

“No!” snapped Stone “Give my comments and tell her to go to the devil!”


I never felt so horrified of anyone refusing a royal invitation like that, let alone insulting Celestia so angrily.

I knew he was having some sort of problem, and I thought I’d help him, I viewed into his life and realized he had lived a hard life in his childhood, and that he had been bullied so much, hardly had any friends, and friendship didn’t do the wonders for him as it did myself and others…

…this explained why he hated friendship so much, and why he refused to write good stories that everyone would love.

My friends and I tried to help him change his groove and show him that friendship was worth trying, and changing your ways isn’t all that bad, but all I got out of him was a load of hostility!

“Alright, Princess Twilight…” Stone said, and he looked her dead in the eye, “If you and your friends feel that way, why don’t YOU write stories like this, and while you’re at it, you can all accept the fame and praise and pride you feel that comes with it…

…BUT GET OFF ME!!”

“I’m not letting any-pony push me around anymore, least of all any of you! Now, please leave.”

“You need to give friendship better chances, Stone.” said Twilight, “I’m sure there’s some-pony out there who would appreciate you, but you have to be willing to appreciate them for their tastes and respect their ideals too.”

Stone was growing very irritable! “You know there’s a limit to my patience, and you are very rapidly reaching it!”

“You’re being very stubborn!” sneered Rarity “We are not going to sit by and let some-pony throw his life away and be some nobody!”

“That’s enough!” shouted Stone.

“Let us help you, Stone!” Twilight said, practically demanding “You can improve yourself! You can be so much more than what you are now, and other ponies will like you better!”

“…If you and your miserable friends are not out of my sight in two seconds, I don’t care if you are Princess, I actually will do something horrible, ON YOU!!”

Spike shuddered in fear, “Um, maybe we should just go.”

Twilight was furious, “How dare you speak to me that way. I’m only trying to help you, but if that’s way you want to be…”

“…TIME’S UP!!” shouted Stone, and he whipped round in a threatening manner, and Twilight stood ready to defend herself.

*POV Pause*

Twilight was panting-- more angrily than fearfully, but she calmed herself with deep breaths.

“My word!” cried Cy, “That sounds like some pony with some temper.”

Twilight grunted miserably. “I never met any pony like him. How could he hate friendship so much? How could he be so mean to others, and why couldn’t he just listen to reason.

…I was trying to help him become a better pony.”

Cy consulted his notes, and he had a funny suspicion the way Twilight claimed to have been “Helping” Stone, but rather than ask her about it, he needed more proof.

“Can you tell me another incident where you tried to help?”

Twilight relaxed and thought back. “There was Strings, the great singer and songwriter.”

Cy nodded, “Yes, I remember him. I loved his concerts, and I find some of his songs to be quite soothing.

I heard he has been living in recluse now and has given up on his music career.”

Then he nearly dropped his quill, “Wait, was it because of you that he decided to quit?”

“Oh, no, no… not really.” corrected Twilight. “He was planning on quitting all on his own because he had a huge problem.

…He was in love with--” she stopped right there, remembering this was supposed to be a big secret kept from the public. Only she, and a few others knew of it, and never told another soul.

“Yes, go on.” said Cy.

Twilight hesitated, and she said “It’s just that… well…”

“If it troubles you, we don’t have to speak of it, but just remember, anything that transpires in the room is between us, and no one outside will know.”

Twilight bit her lower lip, but ultimately knew she had to say it.

“…Strings…” she paused “…He was in love with Princess Cadance; my sister-in-law.”

Cy stopped writing, and his widened in surprise. “…Oh my.”

Twilight then went into details…

*POV Continues*

Strings had it all, talent, fame, spirit… but he seemed so sad, so lost, like pony ready to commit suicide, and eventually I discovered why.

He was in love with Cadance, and had been for many, many years. She was his main inspiration. She enflamed his passion to be a singer and make beautiful and romantic songs that the world fell in love with.

…But, of course, Cadance loved my brother, Shining Armor. They got married during the royal Canterlot Wedding…

…And Strings was crushed!

He didn’t swear vengeance, or stalk her, or do anything crazy like that. He let her be happy, and he also kept his feelings about her a deep secret. So, she never knew.

Over the years, Strings steadily fell deeper into despair, and his songs became as sad and as depressing as he was, but still well-received and adored by the public.

I had already tried to help him by matching him up with Sun Rae, a friend of his who loved him all her life-- also because I thought she and Strings were both in love with each other.

When I learned the truth-- when Cadance learned the truth-- were we ever surprised.

Strings had announced he was giving up his career and leaving the Crystal Empire. He didn’t say why at the start, but now it was clear…

…He was running away-- trying to put distance between himself and Cadance, even though it meant he was ruining his career, letting down all those fans who looked up to him, and breaking Sun Rae’s heart.

We tried to convince him he didn’t have to do this, and that he could move on, and be happy with Sun, but he refused.

“I never had feelings for you, Sun. I know that you love me, and I always have known, but I cannot give you the love you want. It would never work out.”

“But how do you know… you didn’t even try.” cried Sun “Why… why can’t you love me, Strings?”

“Love doesn’t work that way, Sun.” replied Strings “It’s not something two ponies can try and make happen. I can’t change my feelings simply because you want me to.

I can’t just stay here either. How can I keep making other ponies happy while I’m so incredibly unhappy? It isn’t healthy for me. I just can’t do this anymore. It hurts too much.”



So, he left the empire, and who knows where he went.

*POV Pause*

Twilight held her hooves over her eyes in frustration. “He could have moved on, he could have been happy, but he chose not to. He rejected all help, and… and…”

She had no words left, and Cy was growing more and more convinced of something, but he was still not ready to direct towards it yet.

“It feels hard, doesn’t it?” he asked. “We all feel that way… Frustrated and resentful that our efforts to help don’t work or go unappreciated.”

Twilight was forced to confess, “I hate that feeling, and I especially hated it when all my efforts were thrown back in my face when I tried to help Talon Ted the actor.”

Cy flipped over a clean sheet on his pad, “Go on…”

*POV Continued*

Talon Ted was resident of Ponyville who had a dream: he wanted to become a great superstar, but rather through conventional means-- Having serious training, taking lessons, and having a degree and all that stuff-- he wanted to get there through Raw Talent and self-training—to prove that such things were not truly needed.

He was rather fantastic, he could act, sing, dance, make impressions, even mime-- you’d think he was already a master.

However, he was refused all auditions from any acting agency or tryouts there were. For not having the proper training, credentials, or even a degree, he was denied any chance for anything, by others, and thus was forced to take lessons and get a degree.

After which, he was graciously welcomed by all those who turned him down, and many were practically begging him to audition, but Talon turned them all down.

“You’re a bunch of biased bigots! Rather than give me a chance to prove I can be just as good, you forced me to go against my pride.

I can never prove now that you don’t need degrees and serious training now!

I’ll never work for any of you until my pride is restored!”

He threw it all away-- all that opportunity, all the benefits, all the wonders he craved all his life, just to satisfy his own pride and ego.

He was viewed as a “Lazy, entitled, jerk expecting only his wants and needs to be catered to without even bothering to truly work for it.”


My friends and I tried to convince him to put his pride aside-- many did before us-- but he wouldn’t budge.

We tried to set him up in performing in a live stage show, so he could see that having a degree was nothing to be ashamed of, but he pulled a fast one on us by having one of his equally talented friends perform in his place… without a degree.

With this, he not only exposed the very bigotry he was trying to fight, but he humiliated me in public and destroyed all my arguments and attempts to help him.

With his pride resorted, and society renewed with this new revelation about having a degree… Talon went off to become famous.

To Be Continued...

Comments

[Fox Boss]

Do you think you could make a fic where Stone Heart basically throws the flaws of the Friendship Journal, such as hypocritical lessons, in her face, such as a lesson on accepting a ponies flaws, while there are other lessons about how they should get rid of their flaws.
The best examples, in my opinion, are Mare-Do-Well and 28 Pranks Later.
Some other examples are Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity's bragging, while they got on Trixie's case.
How quickly Twilight forgave Starlight, who messed with time and ruined the future multiple times, which is worse than anything Trixie did with the Alicorn Amulet.

[DakariKingMykan]

11711182

there's this..

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/485368/friendship-is-failure-20-hearths-warming-ill-never-forget