> Camisado > by Aleksandr Sherbet > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 -Friendship is Magic, Dante! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1 – Friendship is Magic, Dante! “Cadence,” You turn towards your pink alicorn companion with a clear sign of annoyance, “can you please – for the love of God – stop trying to ‘hook me up’? You know as much as I do that I get frustrated in situations you put me in." While trekking through the Royal Gardens, you and your friend, Princess Cadence, ruler of the Crystal Empire, have been arguing for the past half hour or so. Don’t be mistaken about the issue though, because you knew the argument had been waged countless of times before. Throughout those countless times, it has become natural to dispute with her. From the subjects of food, particular fashion, and peop- er- ponies. The most popular is your relationship status. She glances to you, "Dante, you have to get rid of that whole ‘I’m a lone wolf’ mentality. You're seventeen and you have an abundant amount of friends here in Canterlot. Tartarus, almost everypony in Canterlot knows you!" Giving her a deadpan, you commented, "The only reason why they know me is because you know me, Cadence. You're a princess for God sakes!" She needs to stay out of your business soon. Dear Lord, her constant blabbering is going to piss you off so bad that you are going to resort to ram a random streetlamp headfirst and hope for it to knock you out. Maybe you will get amnesia and forget all about this topic. Oh that would be grand. However, even though it pertains to your love life, you can’t seem to blame her for bothering you; it’s her job as the Princess of Love after all. But when it gets to the point where she sets you up with dates and/or plans out a scen ario involving a relationship with a pony every opportunity she has, it brews to irk you with a burning passion. While you continue to inform her of your displeasure, and attempting to get yourself out of this via clever excuse you have in your astounding arsenal, you walked out of the entire castle and towards the café you and Cadence planned to eat at. “They will certainly care for you if you gave them a chance. I see mares looking at you with smiles – even the suggestive ones.” She continues her verbal rampage but turns completely to you with a look of sheer determination and slight anger. “Come on, Dante! At least talk to one mare without making her feel bad for even talking to you! They deserve a chance!" She ended her rant by tackling and pinning you to the ground. Why she did this, you have no clue. Feeling uneasy from this position that you’re in, you voiced your opinion nervously. “Uh… Don� 39;t you have a coltfriend, Cadence?” “Yeah…” She didn’t really make you feel any better when she cocked her head to the side cutely. “Why?” "Well, you're kind of on me; your rump is on my crotch, and ponies are staring at us. We are also in public nonetheless. While the guards are blocking us, they are not blocking all of us." As you said this, Cadence looked up to see ponies whispering, pointing at you two somewhat discretely. She rose from the ground, lifting you up with her magic. The pink princess then dusted you off with a feathered duster she magically spawned. “There. Are you better, you big foal?” She asked teasingly. “I'll be better after we eat.” You began to resume your walk to the café. Glancing to her, you asked teasingly too, “You comin', Candy?" “I'm coming, Danny!” The Lov e Princess hollered back, giggling like a little filly. You and Cadence resumed the walk towards the café, ignoring the lingering stares from other ponies that may have witnessed Cadence’s questionable stunt. As you entered the shop, you looked around to see ponies bow respectfully to the pink princess and returned to their food. Some of which gave you either the curious glance or an unmistakable stink-eye. "So what do you want to eat today?" Cadence asked after you both found a spot to lounge. Taking a moment to look at her, you see your royal companion fidgeting on her seat. “She can’t even hold still…” You thought to yourself. You harshly whispered your opinion. “You're acting like a kid; stop it! You’re going to make a scene!” “Aww~, you don't like it when I act like this?” She asked as a frown appeared across her muzzle. By Go d, her lower lip is quivering ever so slightly. This prompted you to make a frown because you cannot handle the diabetes she is mercilessly bestowing upon you. “Please stop,” You tried to close your eyes, but all you managed is to squint. Your actions doubled her onslaught by staring at you but with now dilating eyes. “Jesus, I can't handle the sheer adorableness.” “Excelsior,” She declared loudly, bopping your nose to emphasize her victory. You crossed your arms. “You're acting more like a kid than I ever had since I first arrived here on Equestria. You know, me being as the creature that lurks in Canterlot, you can learn a thing or two from me.” “Oh? And what might that be?” “Acting like an adult and not a child who just found out that Santa Hooves brought them all the gifts they have always wanted.” “We have Hearths Warm ing, not that Christmas parallel you keep mentioning.” Cadence is giving you the most serious deadpan she has ever given you. It doesn't last long because her expression soon softened just a tad. “Other than that, you need to stop acting like such a stick in the mud and have fun for once in your life. Who taught you to act like an uptight guy anyway? I know it wasn't me or Auntie Celestia.” “Her name starts with a ‘T’, I'll let you guess from there.” You hinted her as you two order your drinks and meals. As usual, both of you asked for salads. You really miss a nice juicy burger. It may give you the shits, but those were always the good shits. “Was it Twilight?” She inquired. “Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner!” You congratulated the pink alicorn with loud, obnoxious clapping. Just to be more of an idiot than what you are currently being, you grabbed a fork and spoon, tied t hem with a napkin by their ends, and gave it to her. “You have been awarded the Spork of Brilliance. Use it wisely.” Cadence rolled her eyes from your idiocy but abruptly adopted a questioning look. “Wait… When I foalsat Twilight, she was a fun loving filly that actually broke rules as a pass-time. When did the change happen?” “We all grow up someday, Cadence. Trust me; it'll probably happen to you soon.” She sighs as she lays her head on the table. What could possibly bother her so much? “I wish that we can just have fun,” Ah, there it is. “But you're right… Everypony has to grow up someday.” You raised an eyebrow. “Although, I gotta’ say, if you're the goddess of love, how come you can't even find me a match? Is it really difficult?” “No… You have to find your own love. It'll take some time but you'll find your sou l-mate one day.” You rolled your eyes and looked at her, soon feeling like a total ass. To amend your behavior, you decided to brush her mane and scratch behind her left ear. Doing this made her lean closer to your God-blessed hand. “Why do you have hands?” She cooed randomly, sighing pleasantly afterwards. She then started to nuzzle your hand at certain points of your scratching. “You always know where to scratch.” “Probably it’s because I’m not from the world of pony-land. I was born on a little rock called Earth, remember?” You retracted your hands. “Plus, I am a nature’s loving human, so I get these bad boys." You finished your answer by waving your hands in front of her, making her sigh again and shake her head. Feeling tired from the conversation, you close your eyes and leaned back on the chair, whistling a tone in your head aloud. You later heard something being placed on the table, pro mpting you to open your eyes. You discovered that both your – and Cadence’s – food and drink have arrived. “Dante…” She grabs your attention with a gentle tone in her voice. “What's the real reason you won't give a mare a chance? C'mon, no lies this time… I really want you to have somepony special by your side. Tell me what interests you the most and I'll-” She was interrupted by you as you covered her lips with your single digit finger. “Ugh… fine. If you're so interested, I want a mare who loves nature as much as I do. Someo- er- pony who also loves fashion and who also adores to see the sunrise at the break of dawn. If you can find a mare like that, call me.” Cadence rubbed a hoof underneath her chin as she looked up at the oh-so appealing ceiling – almost as if she was wondering who she can contact. “Oh, and Cadence, don't go all crazy trying to find me a mar e. I deal with Twilight as it is when it comes to her tardiness.” You warned her as she looked at you and gave you a determined nod. *** You both finished lunch later than expected but you’re not complaining. Interestingly, the alicorn princess is still not giving you full attention, mostly because she is still contemplating to herself on which mare you should date. To be fair, you did give her the details on a mare that probably doesn't exist or lives far away. Or maybe isn't interested in a guy who is taller than her, and has a 'lone wolf mentality.' Ever since you were young, you had that mental state of mind; believing that you are forever alone and can only rely on yourself. For the longest time, you wanted life to be where you shaped it to be, likely something others cannot control without your permission. But regardless of what you wanted, life would most definitely change into a beast that you couldn't even see, affecting you, others and their lives. You and Cadence trekked back towards the castle. The Royal Guards bowed to you both, mostly for her but some for you because you were a close friend. Were you a noble? Eh, somewhat. You weren't too sure about the idea of being a noble/scholar. You weren't born to the nobility; you arrived at Equestria at the age of ten. Seven years later, you remained here in Equestria. Before that, all you remember is some weird storm attacking your old home and waking up in the Royal Gardens in the castle. Even if it’s difficult to remember, you luckily still know about living in New York at a rather large city on the east coast of the country you were born in. … It seems legit. During your time on the world of ponies, you proposed to Princess Celestia that you’d help her with her governing paperwork because you had experience in th e past. It is still shocking when she agreed to your proposition kindly – even when you were young at the time. Since then, you'd help her with some paperwork and other kinds of forms. You didn't actual mind working with them; they became second nature when you continued to do them until reaching the late nights with the sun princess. Sometimes you would keep her awake while you both slaved away past eleven at night. Those were the days… After you departed yourself from Cadence, you made your way to your office on the upper floor of the castle. Once you found it, you entered and got to work, which consisted of evaluating city complaints or laws that are voiced to be sternly passed from the high-class ponies. You were in charge of seeing these papers and deciding whichever should go to Princess Celestia. It was certainly an easy job; it’s something that didn't get you too stressful. On your free time, you'd be in the library studying bec ause Celestia recommended you to study the main subjects of Equestria. Surprisingly, you didn't mind learning this new world. Equestria has a unique, but completely different culture than your own. In this land, there were dragons, griffins, cockatrices, and many other creatures you thought existed in mythology. Of course the wildest you'd see on earth were wolfs, lions, and even a snakehead fish. Here, you can’t even look at these new sentient species without gawking at them. To you, it is rare that you'd be seeing a unique creature you would have never seen before. The first time you saw a ferret, it was unique; meeting Spike for the first time, left you speechless. An hour later... After finishing off your third packet of forms, you thought back to your time with Cadence. What she said about your mentality still left you perturbed. “Who is she to say I have to get rid of my ‘lone wolf mentality’? I was born this way… They should just get use to my attitude; it isn’t changing and I plan to keep it that way.” Your mental rant was cut short when you hear your door open. You glanced up from the paperwork to see the one and only Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria. Noticing that you acknowledged her, she smiled as she let herself in. “Good afternoon, Dante.” She greets as she plants down on a pillow, located at the other side of the desk. “Hello there, Princess.” You put the quill down to show your full attention. Sliding your work aside, you questioned the eldest alicorn. “What's up? You usually don't come to see me in my office unless you have something important to tell me.” “Well, I've seen you grow up into the stallion that you are today and I've been pondering whether or not you've had accomplished yoursel f on making new friends. Have you had any success on making these friends?” You rolled your eyes and slid back your paperwork. Celestia sees your displeasure, however, questions you again. “Dante, please, have you attempted to make any friends at all?” “No… Not really. Why do you ask, Celestia?” You asked, not giving much thought to her request. The forms have somehow become a lot more interesting to you. She sighed and walked over to you until she draped one of her majestic wings on your back. This is what you’ve come to learn as an equine equivalent to a hug for pegasi. “Dante, you need friends. I know you weren't anti-social back in your world, yet here, you've been sealed away and not giving anypony the time of day.” "Sure, because everyone I met on my first week here had been so nice telling me to leave or trying to kill me. Ya’ know… what normal people do on a sunny afternoon." You dripped your reply with enough sarcasm in your tone that would make your dear mother proud. It doesn’t end there though. Oh ho-ho, there is a lot more to bitch about. “Hell, your guards thought I was a threat because of my height difference and the color of my eyes.” “It doesn’t matter whether you are different or not. You're still, and always will be, the same pony me and Twilight would ever know. Even Cadence cares for you… My subjects just require time to recognize you as a peaceful pony.” “You mean peaceful man, Princess. Man.” You corrected her. “Regardless, I think that was because Twilight and I hit it off to begin with. I still remember the whole bonding experience when we first met: I was helping her clean the library after she went on a mass reading spree.” Celestia giggled as she too remembered the time you cleaned the library and re-sorted the library’s knowledge supply when the lavender pony freaked out about test she gave her. After Twilight completed her test, she had been lying around in the library, talking to you during your free time. The topics went off from comparing books to the ones you already read with her. The friendship between you two blossomed that day. “Look, Tia,” You continue your speech as you break the equine hug. You used the nickname her sister uses for a more pleasant effect. “I appreciate everything you're doing, but you aren't my mother. You're a friend and nothing more. Take Luna for an example; she's a friend, and – quite frankly – actually becoming a closer friend.” Celestia had a sly smile on her muzzle as she inspected your facial expression. After living in the castle for years and witnessing Celestia's stone cold poker-face many times, you've gain the ability to mimic the ivory palette pony. “You're good.” She briefly chuckled with a motherly smile as she turned and trotted out of your office. You shook your head from all of this nonsense and continued your work. “Why can't they keep the whole pointless talk of friends to themselves? Better yet, why can't they just mind their own business and leave me alone?” *** After quite some time, you felt as if Celestia wanted to tell you something regarding earlier. Your educated guess was true when she sent her Day Guards to retrieve you after your business was taken care of. It must be very important for her to speak with you. You walked towards the throne room and, upon entering, you see her reading a friendship report Twilight had sent over. Without even glancing at you, she spoke. “Ah, I'm glad you're here, Dante. I would like to speak to you about our current standing with friends.” You were about to turn for the doors until they began to glow a glorified golden hue. The princess used her magic to seal you in. “I know you enjoy your time here in the castle, but your life huddled up in one spot isn't a life I want for you to have. So, I arranged that you live with Twilight until you learn a thing or two about friendship.” Celestia finished with another motherly smile. You looked at her and reluctantly nodded to her decision. Noticing her horn glowing again, you turned around to the throne room exit, watching the doors lose the magical glow it once had. “You may leave now,” She said. As you walked out of the throne room and towards the gardens, you decided there was no use fighting the reluctant might of friendship. You were to leave even if they put you in a magical bubble and tossing you unto a train. You weren't a hundred percent sure about the idea of leaving, but this wasn't the first time your own decision was taken into consideration. When you ended up in the Royal Gardens once again, you sat down and looked into a small pond. Enjoying your rippling reflection, you soon felt a wing drape over your right shoulder. You looked to your side to see Luna smiling down at you; almost as if she knew what you were going through. “We see that thou would rather not leave our beloved Canterlot to enter a new environment, and possibly have thyself re-educated.” “Is it really that obvious?” You asked softly. “With thou; yes.” She giggled and gave you a hug. Damn, you be gettin’ so many of them hugs today. You recorded three from Moon Dancer, four from Cadence, and one from each of the royal siblings. “Wow, I need more practice to be more of a Billy-badass.” Oddly enough , you were semi-okay with the idea of befriending more ponies. You'd be seeing Twilight again. She left two months ago and always wrote about her experiences in Ponyville – mostly the crazy ones. To be honest, you were actually curious about the quaint little town. What’s it going to be like if there were any interesting characters? Will you find what you so desperately need? Would Cadence be on to something about finding a special somepony? … Will they have meat? Oh Lord Almighty, please let the place have meat. You'd find out soon enough as you did have to leave the first thing in the morning. > Chapter 2: To Ponyville... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: To Ponyville... You sighed as you rose from your luxurious, comforting bed and looked around your morning lit room, scanning about and acknowledging how the decently sized bedchamber is as barren as could be. Of course, sometimes hanging or settling on the countertops, there will be your old and recently collected knickknacks you gathered throughout the years. You analyze them for a bit, reminiscing fond memories acquired from your time here in Equestria before you begrudgingly prop yourself on your elbows on top the comforter. You were just lying down, taking a rejuvenating rest after your little talk with Luna. In actuality, you chose to sleep afterwards because you wanted to be away from everyone, seeing how it was impossible for anyone to speak with you about anything without someone sounding like they are rejecting you. The same old topics are growing quite sickening. Also, you were just plain tuckered out. Staying up until two in the morning was not a very wise decision. You barely had time to contemplate what Luna voiced. Browsing one last time around, you began to recall your time back home on Earth, mostly about your interaction with the world. Since you've moved around from house to house in the state of New York alone due to being involved at an orphanage, you weren't concerned about making any friends; mostly because they'd be adopted and left you. You didn't hate them nor held any sympathy for them, but merely felt disappointed that you couldn't see any of them again. Their lives would go on and yours would always remain the same – alone. However, throughout that time, you miraculously developed a connection with a young girl named Cindy in the orphanage. At the time, you were much older by a range of three years. Regardless of age, you both would always spend time with one another whenever the chance arises, sharing favorite interests or made up stories. But of course, her life continued on while you stood, paved to the same spot of loneliness. She got adopted. You did not. “Maybe I should've talked more to her. Hell, seven more years and I'd be able to leave and take her with me as well as adopt her… Back then, even if that was unlikely, I would've crossed that bridge when I got to it.” You heard a rap on your door during your mental musings, prompting you to end your internal depression and answer the door. You rose from your propped state, beginning to walk over to the door until you reached it. You twisted the knob and opened the door with a sigh; on the other side was your pink pal Cadence. “Hi Dante,” She greeted, trotting herself in. “I just wanted to congratulate you for finally leaving the castle and moving to Ponyville. I'm sure you'll certainly make some friends there.” You chuckled at her filly-like enthusiasm and scratched her head behind the ears, making her lean closer to you. “Yeah I'm sure I'll make more friends besides you three princesses and Twilight.” You ended the ear scratching, leading to crossing your arms. “By the way, did you get what I asked you to pick up?” “Sure did! Here…” She turned her head around to glimpse in her gold colored saddlebags and pulled out a moderately sized box by her teeth. Once she gave it to you, she asked, “What is it by the way? It felt kind ‘a light to be in a box.” “You'll see. Just go wait for me to pack and shower, alright?” Giving you an exasperated, determined nod, Cadence turned to leave. Shaking your head, chuckling to yourself, you went towards your suitcase and filled it with your usual semi-formal clothes: being slacks, dress shirts, suit vests, and a few pairs of black shoes. Custom made too, since these ponies have never seen feet like yours before, or even heard of them. The package that Cadence had brought over was a new book written by your favorite author, a stallion going by the name of Gamma Raidtockik. The name was weird, even for all pony names, but he sure was a damn good author. He wrote stories of war – some fictitious and historical. He reminded you of a man in your world who wrote like that, however, you didn't know his name. One of the books he wrote, of which you’re now grasping, was titled Flashlight, an extremely long book that would take you awhile to finish. It was about a boy who will be willing to do anything to help his sister no matter the costs or consequences. A riveting story, if you dare say so yourself. Once you have everything settled, you exited your room, bags and other belongings in hand, and trekked towards the throne room. Cadence is by your side, humming joyfully to herself while you both walked by passing guards of either Solar or Lunar branches. When you entered the throne room, you spotted Celestia and Luna conversing about something – probably political subjects that do not condone you. Or, maybe they’re talking about you and your departure. You couldn't necessarily tell what exactly they were talking about, but you didn't really care as much. This whole escapade has left a sour taste in the mouth. Sensing your presence was near, Celestia spoke out loud without turning her head, “Ah, Dante, you're here. Are you ready for the journey ahead?” “Ready as I'll ever be.” You inform her as you give out a small sigh. The sun princess glanced at you, noticing your melancholy tone but remained quiet. “Do not fret, young Dante,” Luna approached you and gave a gentle nuzzle. “We are surely positive thou shall have a grand time.” Seeing her small smile brought a short chuckle out of you. “Sure… whatever you say Lulu. I just hope you gals aren't expecting me to bring a mare when I come back in a few weeks.” Cadence decided to voice her opinion, surprising you slightly due to her being quiet for quite some time. “We all just hope you make a few friends, and go enjoying your life at the quaint little town.” She too gave out a soothing nuzzle. “Just remember, Twilight will support you, along with all of us. Have a great time, Dante; we’ll sincerely miss you.” You nod to the princesses before bestowing a respectful bow. After giving them gentle hugs and being oh so close to choking to death by Cadence’s death grip, you began to walk out of the castle and towards the train station. The journey there was indeed uneventful, only a few stares here and there, but it was alright. You are the only one of your kind here, it was expected. When you found the train station, handing over your ticket, and settling in your seat, you chose to take a quick nap – just to past the time. ================================================================== Waking up for some time, you are now unfortunately experiencing a dastardly headache, probably from the uncomfortable resting spot you chose. The train’s seats were never always a perfect rest stop for tired individuals – what with their cheap polyester layers and uncomfortable angling style. And now you regret your decision, but at least you killed some time, because from rising from your position, you took notice that you have arrived to Ponyville. The speaker above your head sparked to life with an announcement. “Attention! Attention, passengers! We have arrived at Ponyville’s western station! Please make your way towards the designated doors with your belongings in check – make sure you have not forgotten anything of value! Have a wonderful morning, and thank you for choosing the Friendship Express!” “Huh… If we have nice, friendly conductors like that back home, there wouldn’t be so much Hell in New York.” You thought to yourself while you situated your belongings and hopped off the train. Browsing about, you acknowledge the fact that there are absolutely no ponies roaming about. Understandable, since it is still early for them. Ponies weren't really up or around as they'd probably be sleeping and would maybe awaken much time later. You walked towards the local library; Twilight did say she lives in a place that makes her happy as could be, which, of course, would have to house books. How a girl that gets excited from only literature surprises and disturbs you only slightly. It makes you think: If girls were like that back home, you wouldn’t even try that hard to hook up. All you had to do was to get a library card and wave it around like a damn treat. You could have gotten so many bitches… During your mental musings of your favorite book worm and odd realization, a gentle yet particularly random breeze is felt during your trek, prompting you to assess the disturbance. Looking around, you spotted a rose and lavender tail poking out of a tree that is conveniently place just by you. This is quite suspicious to you, so you put down your suitcase and slowly approached the pony that was hiding behind the tree. Deciding to humor yourself and the mysterious pony, you knocked on the trunk of the tree. This got the desired effect, making the pony jump out of the tree’s proximity and fall on her rump. Peering up on you, the little filly squeaked, unceremoniously causing you to take a step back. The outcome kind ‘a makes you feel like a douche, because the adorable little thing is now cowering a few feet away from you, covering her eyes with her pristine ivory hooves. Crouching down to her height, you voiced your concerns. “Hey… Are you alright?” “I wasn't following you!” She shouted before covering her muzzle. She must have misinterpreted your tone with scolding; probably from you still sounding rather raspy, of which, somehow lingered after your uncomfortable awakening back at the train. You sighed and looked at her as she gasped, finally gazing at your heterochromatic eyes. “Alright… What’s your name, kid?” “Uh, S-Sweetie Belle, mister,” She answered shyly. “Huh… Sweetie Belle? It sounds… surprisingly adorable.” You abruptly shook your head as you realized that you were muttering instead of thinking. “Why were you following me?” “I wasn't following you...” She muttered quietly with protest. This is getting nowhere so you attempted to pry info from her by giving her a glare, not a real one, but one that shows you are certainly perturbed with a mix of bemusement. The action worked for she reeled back slightly and answered, bestowing a small pout. “I wanted to see if you were dangerous… and I also thought I'd get a monster hunting cutie mark.” You face palmed from her thinking you were a monster, but still find her curiosity cute. Moving closer, you began to pet her mane, making her lean closer to your hand. God bless those hands. “Look, kid, I'm not dangerous or a threat. I'm here to visit a friend, and then get the hell out of this town.” “What's hell?” She asked, tilting her head. You mentally face-palmed from your forgetfulness, you are talking to a child and is now plaguing her mind. “Ugh… Nothing… Just don't do anything I wouldn’t do.” “Trampling buildings beneath your hooves?” You gave her a deadpan. “For the last and final time, I’m not a monster. I’m not going to hurt anyone.” You got up to your respective height, however, brought out a gasp from the marshmallow pony. “Also, I have feet, not hooves.” You turned away and resumed your trek. “So what are you?” It looks like she is going to follow you. “Human.” “What's a human?” Anger is heating up, desperate distraction is rising. “Don't you have to go to school?” “No. What's a human?” Frustrations are now at a boiling point. “…A species...” “What kind of species?” Dear Lord, she isn’t going to leave it be. Her constant questioning is tipping you over the edge, but you somehow find her determination acknowledging. Her determination… is surprisingly alright; all the more reason to like this little pony. It’s the barrage of questions that’s frustrating. Either way, it’s time for a subject change. “Hey kid, want to do a favor for me?” “Oh! S-Sure mister,” She brought her trot to a more leisure pace, signaling that she has your full attention. “What do you have in mind?” “Alright, I want you to tell your friends that the scary looking biped with clothes is not a bad guy.” She tilted her head to that. “Uh, what I mean is… Inform them that I am not a monster seeking for trouble. Say that I'm a nice and reasonable guy who is at least willing to help the best I can.” “Why?” “I’m just trying to prevent a disaster to happen, kid. Ever seen a whole town go into panic because of a mysterious creature that decides to walk around populated streets?” She shakes her head. “Well, I don’t want that to happen. Would you?” The filly made a ‘oh’ sound; you guess she gets it now. “Good... Do we have a deal?” “OK Mr. Human!” Sweetie Belle gave a determined nod as she ran off on her ‘mission’. Slightly chuckling to yourself, you picked up your belongings and resumed the trek towards Twilights’. Once you found it, you slowed your pace, because the sight to behold is… surprising to say the least. The entire structure is a tree, literally a treehouse. What’s more astounding is the fact that the tree itself is still alive. Although, the other known fact that it is a library, kind of destroys the purpose of housing, let alone protecting, the literature it withholds. Meh… Knowing Twilight and how she operates, she might have found a solution for that most apparent issue. When you got to the front door, you steeled yourself, contemplating if this whole escapade is worth your time. Reluctantly, you decided to give it a whirl. “Let's get this shit over with.” After giving three knocks on the door, it opens to reveal your old friend, Twilight. Seeing her now brings you way back, to when you first arrived in the pastel pony world. From then to now, you still see her as the same beautiful unicorn you long ago befriended. She is indeed special, in her own right. Her features automatically flipped from confused to excite from just laying her amethyst eyes on you. “Dante! You made it!” What happened next brought a loud laugh out of you. She used her magic to lift you and float you inside without even a warning. Afterwards, she tackled you with an expected hug, but the very unexpected and weird kiss on the cheek kind of altered your amused laugh to an awkward chuckle. It was somewhat known, her having a crush on you. You’ve never believed of anyone, or anypony for that matter, who would develop relations with you. You noticed her affections a long time ago, but you’ve never said anything otherwise. Other than the princesses teasing you about it, all in all, it has always humored you. However, the idea to actual share the same wavelength of feelings with Twilight will never come to be. Viewed as a friend, and only a friend, was how you acknowledge about her. Returning the hug, you said, “Well, Celestia, Cadence, and their almighty thought processes thought that this would be what’s best for me, staying here for the time being. Including Luna, they want me to make an effort to make a few new friends.” Breaking the embrace, you moved towards the couch and dropped off your belongings. “Removing my Anti-social vibe is also what they planned for me.” She raised a brow, followed by an amused look. “Hmmm… I wonder how they guilt tripped you into coming here. You're usually hard headed about any idea of change.” She ended that statement with a giggle. “I have no idea either, but you know what? I'm not going to question them; they might have an actual plan.” You exhaled a long sigh. “Let’s just say it was dumb luck on their half... I’m not going to complain this time, and just roll with it. Hopefully, something decent will come out of this.” Giving a hesitant nod, Twilight trotted to you with much concern. It always warms your heart to see someone like Twilight actually caring about you and your plights. Before she reached you, an annoyed child-like voice was heard upstairs, “Hey Twi’! Do you mind keeping it down?! Someponies are trying to sleep!” You looked towards the stairs to see Spike rub his eyes as he tiredly yawned. Turning your attention from the lavender librarian to the other presence in the tree, you see another one of your guy friends, the purple drake dubbed Spike. His whole stature expresses exhaustion, his spines slightly drooped and his tail is tiredly dragged behind him when he started to walk to the kitchen. “Sorry Spike…” Twilight apologized with a hint of a blush. “Did we wake you up?” "Well, seeing me walking about and talking, kind ‘a gives you the answer, huh?” Ha! This kid gives you stitches. The purple librarian pointed her muzzle upwards and away from the drake. “Don’t be rude Spike.” Chuckling to yourself, you decided to question your coldblooded pal while he waddled to the kitchen. “So Spike, how's life treating you?” Not knowing that you rose from your seat and walking towards him, he answered. “Pretty good, I guess…” He abruptly froze up on the spot, his claw still in the fridge as he realized who he had just started talking to. “Wait… Dante, is that you?” He glanced behind himself to see you standing there, his eyes widening from surprise. Kneeling down to his height, you patted his scaled head. “Relax bro’. It’s just me.” He shook his head a bit and scratched the side of his head. “Sorry dude… It’s just… Wow. A few months in and I am still not used to your eyes.” You feel slightly hurt but you just can’t get mad at the little guy, so you chuckled playfully. “Gee, thanks Spike. I always enjoy the things you say about me. I certainly feel touched.” You give Spike another pat on the head, making him chuckle as well. Leaving him be to resume his food plundering, you returned to the spot on the couch, Twilight resting by your side. Once settled, you took out your book and focused back on the page you left off on. “Dante…” Twilight grabbed your attention. “Aren’t you suppose to – oh I don’t know – go out and make some friends right now?” “I got a whole week to do that, Twi’. I got plenty of time to make some later.” Apparently that wasn’t the answer she wanted, because her response was to magic your book closed and lift you off the couch. Proceeding then to prod you with her horn, Twilight sighed, “Go and find some friends. Your time starts now.” Forced towards the front door, you whined, “But Twiii’… I don’t wannaaa.” “Go and find somepony to talk to!” As you are pushed out, the purple pony closed the door behind you. Well… more like slammed it closed. That was completely unnecessary. As you let out a small sigh, you journeyed out into the town with no destination in mind. During your travel, whispers from ponies around you are heard. They are mostly whispering about you – the lies they are conjuring up that could possibly address you as a bad egg. Ignoring them for now, you walked to the point where you are now currently standing at the center of town, probably the market district. Seeing how standing at the busiest sector of town for no reason at all is certainly weird, you decided to move from your spot towards a place to rest. Continuing your trek, you heard even more whispers, but for some reason, these particular ones have caught your interests. The ponies behind them are silently speaking about you, out of curiosity rather than fear. As you turned around to see the very ponies to that are attempting to be discreet, you looked upon three mares. One mare that has a cream colored coat with a two-toned red wine mane, another with a sea foam green colored coat with a two-toned mint mane, and the last with a slate grey coat and a charcoal mane. When you saw them, they froze in their place, gazing out in a thousand yard stare. Apparently, you seem to spook them just a tad. Oh, look at that, the grey one has a bow tie and collar. How quaint. As they continue to stare, you shook your head slightly and walked to a small bench to relax. While you are relaxing, the mint mare decided to sit next to you… in the same fashion as you are. Feeling a tad perplexed, you waved, “Uh, hey.” “Hi!” Not even a damn second and you see that she is chipper to you… Better watch yourself. It can be sketchy. She continued, “So what's your name?” “And you care why?” She began to pout from your rudeness. Feeling like a total ass, you readjusted yourself. “Ugh… If you really must know, my name is-” “First of all,” She interrupted you with a raised hoof. “If you think that I just want to know you out of pity, you are wrong, so please calm yourself.” The mint mare dropped her hoof. “My name is Heartstrings, but you can call me Lyra.” Her lighthearted smile at the end caught you off guard, but it didn’t surprise you enough to drop the attitude. It’s still early after all. You sighed, “Alright, the name is Dante, but you can call me Dante.” She giggled at your half-ass joke. “And if you are wondering what I am, I’m a human.” You got up from your spot on the bench. “Uh… Care to join me to the park, Ms. Heartstrings?” She smiled up at you, “Of course, and its Lyra if you want.” “Well alright then, Lyra. Let’s shove off.” You two began to walk for a bit through the park, conversations were bleak, mostly about the weather. It was at a certain point where you thought it was a good idea to announce that Ms. Heartstrings, Lyra, could be considered a friend. “So, Lyra… You seem to have become my first friend in Ponyville. How does that sound to you?” The only response you had was silence. “Lyra?” Turning to your mint friend, you notice she is no longer by your side; although, she is currently being dragged towards her friends. Well… you couldn’t really tell that they are even considered acquaintances, due to the fact that they are now in a loud argument in not even five damn seconds. It appears to be a heated discussion involving you, because Lyra is shouting at the apparent naysayers whether she can be around you or not. The bowtie adorned pony isn’t much into the argument as the cream mare, but she is impressively stoic throughout the entire debate. Interesting… After all wants going on, you couldn’t do much help – only to shrug and walk away from the scene. Finding a tree, you sat down and leaned against the trunk, watching the surprisingly amusing scuttle between your new friend and her friends. You close your eyes for a moment, attempting to ease the upcoming pressure that is arising on your face. What brought you out of your actions was the slight poking sensation coming from your side. Looking to that side, you see the ivory palette pony, Sweetie Belle, poking you with her horn. “Hi!” She exclaimed happily. “Huh, hey there kid. What's up?” She tilted her head. “What are you doing out here? I thought you were visiting a friend.” “I am but she kicked me out until the day ends, so I got all this time to sleep.” She smiled cutely and prodded you with her tiny horn again. “What?” You asked, annoyed by her persistence for attention. “Well, a deals a deal!” You grew quite confused. “Deal, what deal?” “Yup!” She put on a coy smirk. “Now… what’s a human?” You felt two tiny hooves pressed against your chest. As you looked down, Sweetie brought her muzzle right up to your nose; resulting to have no choice but to look into her squinted eyes, followed up by her determined, serious expression. “And don’t lie…” … Well, Shit.