I join the group at the table for breakfast and eat my apple while they chat. I didn’t get much idle chat as a kid, so it is refreshing and new to listen to them.
“So the customer starts yelling at me because the food is taking too long, and just as the food is finished and I am handing it over, he asks for my manager!” Ed is saying, in between bites of cereal.
“So I call for my manager, and we didn’t know that it was her last day, but she had been drinking. She stumbles out, cusses him out, and hands me her badge. Tells me I’m the new manager and walks out.” he says with wide eyes, shrugging. “That’s how I got promoted.”
Julien laughs, shaking his head. “I work at a restaurant too, but since we are family owned I can pretty much tell them to go buck themselves if they annoy me.”
I look over to Jessica. “You go to school or work?” I ask curiously.
“Oh I am still going to school, senior year of high school. Hoping to get an arts degree when I graduate.” she says, smiling to her dad.
He just nods, chuckling. “It’d be a waste not to. You’re damn good at what you do.” he tells his daughter.
I tear up for a moment. That’s what I was missing. I fall silent as the others chat between themselves. I had been missing something in my little philosophical theory. I had been missing love. I don’t mean that all we do is motivated by sex, I mean we all need love to live. Love for ourselves, love for a sibling or friend, love to a significant other.
Fear and hope drove us away from or towards love. I wondered how long it had been since I had loved myself. I was happier and more comfortable with myself now than I had ever been in my life. For a long, long time I hadn’t liked myself at all. I considered every idea I had to be terrible, I looked to others for guidance on every bit of my life.
I hadn’t even believed it when Dash had told me that I shouldn’t listen to bullies.
I had been bullied all through high school until I met him, and Ben had gone on to help me learn how to stand up for myself.
We drifted apart over time, even though we were such close friends. I still had his phone number, but surely he wouldn’t have time to listen to my ramblings. He had been the first step in my self discovery. He taught me that being strong doesn't mean being cruel or cold.
I look up and see that the table has fallen mostly silent, Julien looking at me expectantly.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask, looking down at the wooden tabletop.
“Not a problem, I had asked you if you needed more supplies for the trip.” Ron said, without skipping a beat.
“Oh I’m sure we will be fine.” I say, smiling.
“And by that she means that we are broke and any help will be appreciated.” Julien adds.
I wince. “We aren’t that bad off...” I protest.
“Uh huh.” Julien says, raising an eyebrow.
“I mean, I’ve still got some space on the credit cards.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Most of the food is still good!”
“Uh-huh.”
“If anything we can stop at the side of the road and eat some grass...”
“Uh-huh.”
“Stop it!”
“Uh-huh.”
I stop talking and just glare at the smug unicorn.
“Uh-huh.”
“AAAAAHHGG!” I scream in rage, and jump across the table, knocking him off the chair as Ed starts laughing over his sister’s gasp.
A moment later, Ron pulls me off the uninjured and laughing white and blue blur.
“Come on now, you two. Cut it out.” Ron puts me back on my chair and helps Julien up onto his.
“I just got assaulted by a cloud. Pegasi have no weight at all. But good try.”
I just bury my head in my forelegs and start crying.
“Woah, woah, calm down. What’s wrong?” Julien’s tone goes from jovial to worried in the space of six words.
“I... Don’t want to take more of their money... and I’m so scared because I don’t know which thoughts in my head are mine anymore, and I’m so far away from home...” I succumb to the tears and just whimper.
“Hey, it will be okay.” Ed says as all four of them move over to hug me in a big group.
I feel warm, safe, but my fears aren’t all gone.
“Who am I?” I ask quietly.
“You are you. No matter the name, shape, or place, you are whoever you want to be. If you want to be Erica, then be Erica.” Julien says, putting a hoof under my chin to look into my eyes.
“I know how you feel. I know how scary it is...” He swallows and looks away for a second before looking back.
“I feel like I need to get to New York right now, because my job is to guard Celestia. I feel like every second we are here I am failing at my duty, but I know it will all work out, okay? Smile.” he coaxes.
I pull a smile and everyone hugs one more time before letting go.
“I suppose you both had better be heading out sooner rather than later then.” Ron says with a firm now to Julien.
“If that is okay. I wish we could just stay here but we have a trip to make.” Julien says, smiling.
“I understand, how bout you go get your things together, lass.” Ron points to the stairs and I nod, heading up them.
On my way up, I hear Ron’s voice carry easily through the doorway. “For food and gas, and here is our number if you need anything else.”
Oh my! I comment, and then right after, new chapter! Wow. Second verse, same as the first. This chapter was more touching than the previous one. Loved it.
On the first day of discord the marsday tree gave to me: a vital apparatus cake
Okayyy... First off, why did you use my character without permission? And second, you need to PM me about what this planis. Third, you're getting a little ambitious and bigheaded if you think you can use my character without permission and have Discord. And last, what point in time does Discord see my character? It's okay if you have it from a previous chapter, but right at that moment? Nope. (Although it is okay if my character is just there to show Discord lost that one)
1543199
Wait, I thought Discord was talking to Mr. DeLancie?
...Ah, your character is the Twilight insert, who, in this chapter...
appears on a TV screen typing on a computer, and is not mentioned again.
...I'm not sure how this could possibly interfere with anything, unless you've, like, set up anti-scrying wards or something, and even then, Discord. All I'm seeing is a hint of a larger framing device to tie multiple stories together, which, since this is a collab project, is kind of normal. I'll grant you that not having all the members of the project be aware of the large-scale scheme is bad; however, a five second cameo of another project member's character doing something innocuous really isn't something to be objected to.
Of course, I'm not actually involved in the project in question, so feel free to disregard me completely.
1543199 All I did was say he was watching her. This is identical to the "every-viewing screeninator" you had. I did not change your character in any way. Both you and Markus have controlled Discord and had him do far more outlandish things. I posted that I was going to try writing as Discord, and this was the result. Once again I would like to point out that I DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING, not the names of the days of the week, not a giant army of infinitely powerful clones (you can't say turning into an SCP is "limited power") Give me one reason why Discord wouldn't be planning the supposed leader of the mane 6's downfall.
1543226 Oh. Well, sorry about that. I mean, really, I'm sorry.
1543279
Grats, brah. You yelled at Fluttershy. I hope you're happy.
1543804 I am REALLY sorry about this! Seriously! I didn't mean to hurt her feelings! Sorry about hurting your feelings, 1543226...
1544563 Yes sir
John DeLancie, working with Discord... I don't know about you, but if I met an omnipotent and mischievous version of myself, I would run screaming in the opposite direction (for all the good it would do).
I wonder if he'll eventually turn into Discord himself? Double Discords all the way across the sky!!
1544609 if I am allowed to play discord by the group, I have a pretty good way to tie this all together as well as a way to make his/their actions up to this time make sense. But thatd be spoilers. *evil grin*
1543808 I didn't choose Fluttershy because I like animals or because I have trouble talking to people (Though those are still similarities) I choose her because Kindness is a central factor in my life. I don't hold grudges and I always give people another chance. I am not angry at you anymore, I just hope this can all be worked out so that we are friends. That is what MLP:FiM is all about, after all. Without friendship, Discord will win every time.
If it's about Fluttershy, then, naturally, it has piqued my interest.
Excellent. Fluttershy is difficult to write, but you have accepted the challenge and have fared well.
- Oh, um, t-thank you for writing this fic with me in it... it was very... nice of you.
She enjoys it, no worries.
Enjoy her in a bag.
i1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii485/Church8/FLUTTERSHYINABAG_zps20f05acf.png
- Church
So the colllab begins, this will probably get confusing later on.
1544591
Like I kinda said you have no idea how many times I keep skimming and reading stories about guys becoming one of the mane cast or female ponies. No offense guys who like this story and write it.
Well, lets see how well the ponies go.
That's some deep stuff about self-discovery in the middle of the chapter.
Continuing the saga of Funky Pony as he reads this story after being awake for 29 hours.