> Another Like Me > by Mischievous Blue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Another Like Me > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another Like Me "In a world of 7 billion similar individuals, there is at least one that is just like you." -Mischievous Blue- I walk back into Ponyville, the town that had rejected me the days previously. I cautiously walk the busy streets, gently pulling my new scooter along. The noon day sun warms my body after spending a wet, cold night in the forest the night before. Princess Luna's words bounce around in my head, followed by my parent's. Mom. Dad. I feel tears pooling in my eyes and I blink, causing the tears to form an orb, and travel down my orange fur and splash against the ground. I continue through the bustling streets of Ponyville and past the many ponies walking past. None of them resemble the ones I met the previous night, either the nice ones or the not-so-nice ones. My stomach rumbles, and I realize that I haven't eaten in a while. But what can I eat? My parents always made me breakfast, but they weren't around anymore, and I didn't have any money. My stomach growls longer and louder this time, begging for attention. I walk into the urban section of town and look for someplace to wash myself. After sleeping in a forest all night, my normally orange fur and purple mane and tail were weighed down with mud and starting to get mats in it. Out of the corner of my vision, I spot a roof with water running off it. I trot over and stand under the cold rain water. After I was sure the mud was all washed off, I jump out from under the small stream and shake myself off. My body starts shivering violently as a cool breeze blows through the town. As the sun and wind combine to dry off my wet coat, I walk through the back alleys of Ponyville, looking through dumpsters and trash cans. I find a few remains of food, and eagerly scarf them down. My stomach feels a little better, but I must have eaten something bad, because what I ate comes right back up. After I finish spitting the sick taste from my tongue, I mount my scooter and slowly ride back into the sunlight. I start to lose hope, figuring I will die of starvation. Just then, I smell something. It smells like fresh bread, and I quickly scoot over to the windowsill where the baked goods were sitting. I duck under the sill and peek over to make sure there was nopony in sight. When the owners didn't reappear, I grabbed a roll and rode off as fast as I could. As I sit against a tree and eat the bread, I think back to my life before my parents died. Darkness. Then, a bright light. A quick gust of cold air against my face. I start to cry. I feel something warm around my body. My body is moving on its own it seems. My body stops moving and I feel something under me. I open my eyes and I see a face smiling at me. I stop crying and look at the kind tired eyes. Several years pass and I'm mad for some reason. My parents said I couldn't go to a sleepover. A few more years pass. My parents have bought a new house and we have moved in. I marvel at the large building. I run up and down the stairs, checking all the rooms. Another year passes to a couple days ago. My parents are saying they need to go do some business in another part of Equestria and are leaving me in charge of the house. I say that I will take good care of it, and they kiss my forehead before they leave and catch the taxi outside the house. I turn on the TV several hours later and the news is on. There was a crash with two taxis. I recognize the number of one of them. It was the one my parents were in. The news said there were no survivors. Just then, some older ponies run by and knock into me. One of them turn to me, snarling, and pins me to the tree. He asks me what my problem is, and I struggle to free myself. He lets go, but kicks me in the face before he runs off. My eyes well up with tears and I hold my hooves to my mouth as I start to cry. I can only curl into a ball under the tree as I wait for the pain to subside. I wish mom was here. I wake up as darkness is falling across the town. My mouth had subsided to a dull throbbing pain, but it didn't matter. I had to find a place to stay again, just like the night before. As I got up and began walking down the darkening streets, I hear a scream. I change my course and head off toward the sound of the scream. As I round the corner of a building, I see the older ponies from before standing around a smaller filly. She had a white coat with a pink and purple curled mane and tail. Her light green eyes showed fear and were brimming with tears. The bullies were kicking and pushing her around. I yelled out to them and began running at them. My lip reminded me of what I received from them earlier, but I didn't care. I only cared about keeping the little filly safe from what I had. The one who hit me earlier looked at me and drew back a hoof as I approached, aimed for my face again. I would let myself get hit as many times as it took to protect others. Suddenly, a rainbow blur zoomed past me so fast that I couldn't see what it was that caused it. It reached the pony that had kicked me and he flew across the field. The rainbow landed and turned into a blue pony with rainbow mane and tail. She was crouched down in a defensive position in front of me and the white filly. The other bullies backed off and ran away. The blue pony turned to us and helped the white filly up and asked if we were alright. I said we were and she smiled. She gave me a little nudge and said her name was Rainbow Dash. She then took to the skies and disappeared in a rainbow blur. I turned my attention to the white filly. As I approached her, I saw the horn on her forehead, which made her a unicorn. I asked her name and she said it was Sweetie Belle. I asked if she had someplace to stay and she said she lived with her sister in Ponyville. I volunteered to take her there. She brightened up and nodded. We walked into town and headed for the town's boutique. As I opened the door, another white unicorn rushed toward us. She picked up Sweetie Belle and took her inside. I followed, closing the door behind me. The older unicorn asked my name and I replied. She nodded and told me she was Rarity. She turned back to Sweetie, asking why she was out so late and what happened. I suddenly realized how tired I was, and my legs gave out under me. Rarity turned to me and asked if I would like to stay the night. I nodded and she levitated a couch over to me. I pulled myself onto the soft couch and fell asleep almost at once. I did it, Mom. I made a friend. The sunlight coming through the window wakes me up as well as the bell chiming as the door opens. I look up through bleary eyes and see the unicorn named Rarity trot through the door while levitating several rolls of cloth. She kicks the door closed and disappears through the back door. I get up from the couch and look around for the little filly I found last night. I find her sitting up in bed in one of the rooms. I enter and she turns to look at me and smiles. She thanks me for last night and I ask why the bullies were picking on her. She jumps out of bed and turns so I can see her flank. I gasp as I see that it's blank. I turn to the side as well and show her my blank flank. She runs up and hugs me tightly. She holds me at arms length and, with a large smile on her face, says, "Another like me!"