[FR] Tough Love - 6 Misguided Youth

A/N:  Re-uploaded because pastebin is being dildos to me and deleted it somehow.

--
Day 441 in Equestria
Location:  The Museum of Equestria’s History
Time:  09:00
--
>”Hurry!  Hurry!  Hurry!  They’re about to open the doors!” Twilight said as she circled a non-chalant human.
“Twi!  Chill!  They’re closing at six tonight, right?  In fact, I think we’re one of the first ones here.  There’s not really much of a line anyways.”
>”No, we’re not!  What about…  THEM!?”
>You then turn your attention to where Twilight was pointing her hoof.
“What ABOUT them?  That’s just a bunch of school fillies and their teacher.  They’re probably visiting for their school field trip and they just have as much a right as you and I to be here.  Please promise me you’re not actually going to try something…  reckless… on them.  They’re still kids.”
>”But I wanted to be here first!  I’m ALWAYS the first one here!  I wanted to be the first inside and I wanted to see-”
“WahWahWahWahNyuhNyuhNyuhNyuh!  You want this!  You want that!  You big baby!”  You said while mocking her.
>Twilight narrows her eyes at you while pouting and crossing her forehooves.
“Look, I know you’ve been looking forward to this, but this place isn’t called ‘Twilight Sparkle’s Personal Museum of Equestria’s History.’  Now is it?”
>”Hmph!  No, I guess not.”
“There’ll be plenty of learning, history, and museum for all of us to share, okay?  Come on, ya big neeeeerd.”
>”What did you call me!?”
“Nothing!”
>Pokerface.jpg
>”That’s it!  I don’t want to go anymore!”  She said while looking away and sticking her nose up in the air.
“Come on, don’t be like that!”  You said while trying to catch her gaze and playfully nudging her with your elbow.
“No, I heard what you said!”  She replied while trying to look away from you and finally turning her back to you.
“I’m just messing with you!  Listen, let’s make a deal; let’s go about the day and I promise I’ll tell you a little more about me and I promise it’ll be juicy stuff!  Deal?”
>She turns her head to face you.
>“Well…  I don’t want you to feel as though you HAVE to tell me personal and private things about you just because I’m curious.  I mean I’d like to know more about you, but I don’t want you to feel as though you have to…  you know… ”
“No!  No!  I understand!”
>You then squat down to meet her eye level and take one of her front hooves in your hand while cupping it.
>She looks at you while you hold her hoof and see a slight tint of red on her face.
“But I WANT to tell you.  Look, I know we don’t see eye to eye on some things sometimes, but I’d really like to turn that around.  I’d like to hang out with you and get to know you a little better, Twi.”
>”…R-really?”
“Yeah!  It would really be a damn shame if you decided to turn in for the day.  Please…  I need you, Twilight.  I need you to be there for me…”
>Twilight gasps slightly with her eyes widening.
>“…Y-you…  You do!?  You need ME?  I don’t know what to say…”
“I really do.  I can’t do this alone.  I need you to…”
>She starts leaning in closer to you.
>”Yes, Anon?”  She whispered softly.  “What is it you need?  I’m here for you and-“
“I need you to save me from EXTREME boredom!  I’m so glad you’re taking me out today!  What the Hell am I going to do all day long at the castle other than eat and sleep!?  Plus it’s kinda awkward and difficult for me to keep Princess Celestia company sometimes.  She’s not too talkative around me and I really don’t know why.  Neither is Luna.  In fact, I haven’t seen Luna ever since I arrived here!”
>”Oh, I see.”  She said while sounding disappointed.  “I’m glad I can help.”
>Twilight makes her way to the ticket booth, but for some unknown reason her mood seemed to have taken a turn in a different direction.
“Umm… You okay?”
>”Yes.  I’m fine.”
>Like Hell she was.  She wasn’t much of a liar neither.
>She’s less enthusiastic than before.
>You should try talking to her to get her going.
>Maybe if you get her started on some famous Pony in history, she’ll revert to her old dorky and egghead self.
“Hey Twi!  Didn’t you want to show me that one exhibit… with that one p0ny..  that did that one thingy….  something?  He had a beard, I think.”
>”You mean Star Swirl, the Bearded?  Oh yes!  I had forgotten that they were adding his own section to the museum today!  Thank you for reminding me, Anon!  Hurry!  Let’s go!”
>That was easy.  At least her spirits are starting to pick up again.
>Crazy-ass bipolar ponies.
“You kinda had a mood crash there for a minute.  Something on your mind?”
>”No, it’s okay.  It’s just that… being excited wore me out quite a bit.  I’ll be fine.  Really!  That and the caffeine must be wearing off.”
“Aight, Girlie!  Come on, I’ll race you to the top of the staircase!”
>”You’re on!”
>You sprint to the top and still see that Twilight was still at the bottom with a smirk on her face.
>Whatever, you’re in the lead and you’re about to make it to the entrance.
>Looks like you’re in first plac- WHATTHEFUCKYOUREYES
>You stop in your tracks as you’re blinded by a bright light.
>As the bright light clears, there stood Twilight at the entrance.
>”I win!  What took you so long, Anon?”  She said with the same smirk while leaning on the doorway.
“That don’t count!  I can’t use magic, cheater!  I demand a due-over!”
>”Jealousy is very unbecoming of you, Anon.”
“Psh!  Me, jealous?  As if!” You said as you walked inside and waving your hand.
>Yeah, you were A LITTLE jealous.
>And by “a little,” you mean a lot.
 >It’d certainly make life much easier for you, but for now you’ll just have to rely on your human ingenuity and strength to guide you through life.
>As you walk inside, Twilight is pushing and ramming you from behind forcing you to pick up the pace.
“Seriously, Twi.  This museum is not going to sprout legs and walk away.”
>You see that Twilight eyes lit up as she started trotting in place and teleporting here and there.
>”Ooooooh!  What’s that!?  What’s this!?  Oh, that’s new!  Hey, I’ve read about that before!  What’s this!?  What’s that!?  What’s this?  What’s that!?”
>You stand there with your arms crossed while smiling at her.
>It was as though she was a kid visiting Disney World for the first time.
>There were statues, relics, tablets, and glass displays as far as the eye can see with all sorts of things hanging off the ceiling.
>All in all, it might actually not be that bad.
>It actually seems kinda fun.
>Maybe doing a bit of history homework might help you get things rolling with your education in Canterlot University.
>Plus it beats trying to entertain the Princesses.  Why do they act so odd around you?  Especially Princess Celestia…
>Whatever, let’s enjoy the day and the time here.
>”Anon!”  Twilight said as she was approaching you and stopped before you.  “Come with me, Anon!  I wanna show you around!”
 “I’d like nothing more, Twilight.”
 “Let us take a trip: a trip back in time to when Equestria was still young and Blah blah blah blah BLAH blah blah!  Blah Blah?  Blah.  Blah blah blah…”
>Wow.  She was really getting into this, isn’t she?
--
Five minutes later…
--
>”Blah blah blah blah Discord blah blah blah Princess Celestia Blah Luna blah blah…”
>So bored.
>So fucking bored.
>You thought this was going to be fun.
>You thought wrong.
>This was going to be one long-ass day.
--
 About four hours or so later…
--
>”Blah blah blah blah Caydence and my BBBFF Shining Armor blah blah blah something unintersting blah blah.”
>Mother of God.
>Make it stop.
>Your brain was going numb.
>Was there any Adderall or Bronkaid in this world?
>You would kill for a bottle of either right about now.
>How in the Blue Hell is she still flapping her gums?
>She must really enjoy listening herself talk.
>”Blah blah blah blah and that’s how Equestria was made!”
>Silence follows.  Sweet, golden, pure, untainted silence.
>You snap out of your mindless daze.
“I-is…  Is it over!?  Has the tour ended!?”
>Twilight sighs as she hangs her head in disappointment.
>”Unfortunately, yes.  Yes it is.  Our journey has ended here for today.  It’s a darn shame because I was really hoping it would last longer.”
“YES!  THANK YOU!  Err…  I mean…  It’s okay, Twi.  I was really hoping there would be more for us to learn and explore also.”
>pokerface.jpg
>”I know.  I’m sorry, Anon.  Hey, I have an idea:  Why don’t I give the grand tour again?  The museum will be open for 6 more hours anyways!  Let’s start from the beginning, yes?  I’ll see if I can stretch it out longer than the previous!“
>MOTHEROFHORSECOCKSNO
“You know what?  I have a better idea; let’s head out and get some lunch.  It’s been a while since we’ve eaten, has it not?”
>”Is food all you ever think about?”
“Why are you acting so surprised at this?”
>”Right, of course.  What was I thinking?”  Twilight said as she sighs at you.  “I am a little hungry myself anyways.  Come on, there’s a shopping mall a few blocks from here.”
“Awesome, let’s go!”
>Thank God.
--
1:30 PM
Canterlot Mall
--
>The mall here was also crowded, but it seemed to have been just another day here.
>Both you and Twilight walk side by side while making your way to the food court while doing a bit of window shopping.
>You were getting stares from a few ponies, but then again you did stand out quite a bit.
>Again, this was nothing new for you.
>They were already used to you in Ponyville, but you were certainly the spectacle here in Canterlot.
>You should probably visit more often so they don’t see you as much as a freak.
>Your ears start picking up on random whispers on some of their conversations.
>”What is that…  thing?  Is that some sort of monkey or primate?”
>”What an interesting looking…  specimen.”
>”I think they call it a ‘hyooo-man,’ or something like that.”
>”Why isn’t it on a leash?”
>”It’s so cute!  Mommy!  Mommy!  I want a pet ‘hyooo-min’ like her too!  Buy me one!”
>”What do you think it eats?”
>A smirk appears on your face as you turn around to respond to the previous question.
>You approach the same pony and stop just before her.
>You lean in close to her while try to make the most twisted and disturbing grin you facial muscles can form.
“I eat ponies as a part of my diet.  But luckily for you, my owner here was able to keep me well fed with cupcakes.  It eases my unrelenting lust and craving for pony flesh.  Another Pony, like yourself, also became too curious of my nature.   I ate her liver with some fava beans and some nice chianti. *Slurpslurpslurpslurp*”  You said while doing your best impression of Hannibal Lecter.
>Ponies around you gasp.
>The frightened pony screams at the top of her lungs and bolts in the opposite direction away from you for dear life.
>You damn near fell over laughing while leaning on the wall for support.
>You make your way back with Twilight who seemed to have had nothing but discontent for you.
>…As always.
>”Anon!  What in Celestia’s name are you doing!?  Are you trying to get us in trouble!?”
“I’m just having a bit of fun!  That’s all!  You really need to loosen up.”
>”Well, tell that to them!”  Twilight said as she tried hushing you.  “Don’t worry everyp0ny!  I assure you that this human is harmless!  He certainly does not eat p0ny flesh!”
“Well, that’s only because I’m not currently craving it at the moment.”
>”Anon, shut up!  I’d like to come back here someday!  Let’s just go to the food court before you start an uproar and get us kicked out!”
“Do they serve pony flesh in the food court?”
>”Seriously, Anon!  I cannot take you anywhere, can I!?  You’re just impossible sometimes!“
“You’re a real stiff, you know that?  You really need to learn how to chill out and not take everything so damn seriously.  It’s good for you, trust me.”
>”There’s nothing more than I’d like to do other than ‘chill out,’ but babysitting someone like you can be very taxing sometimes.  Do you get a kick out of irritating the ever living daylights out of me!?”
“Honestly…  Yeah, I kinda do.”
>”Why!?  Why!?  WHY!?”
“Because you’re so cute when you’re pissed off!  I find it to be one of the most adorable things about you!”
>”UGH!  UUGGGGHHHHH!”
>The both of you continue to walk side by side with each other, but Twilight suddenly stopped scolding you while avoiding eye contact with you.
>In fact, she completely stopped talking to you altogether.
>It was rather odd.
>”…”
>Why did she suddenly just stop talking to you just now?
>You must’ve really pissed her off and you should probably try to fix this.
“You know, Twi…  You must have the patience of a saint to put up with me.  I can’t really help it, even for a man my age.  It’s kinda become a habit of mine to always just joke around and try to always find the humor in some things.”
>She turns to face you.
>”Even in the most inappropriate times?”
“It’s a habit I can’t seem to shake.”
>”Well, can you please be a little more considerate in the future?  I think it explains the reason why Spike has been misbehaving as of late.”
 “Oh, so it’s my fault he’s like this?”
>”In a way, yes.”
“Oh come on.  How bad can it be?  He seems fine to me.”
>“His tongue has been sharp ever since you two started hanging out and he even started acting out towards me.  Even before, he was such a well-behaved dragon.”
“I still refuse to accept full responsibility for his behavior, but I will admit he might be rubbing off of me.  And for that you can’t really blame me completely, can you?”
>“Hmph!  That’s not how I see it.  Also another thing…”
>The two of you arrive at the food court and take a seat and table.
>”Why do you like hanging out with Spike so much?”
>You then stare at her with almost no expression on your face.
“…Do I really have to tell you?”
>”If you two are spending so much time together, I’d really like to know why.  I find it rather odd…”
>You lean your elbows on the table and give her your full undivided attention.
“How so?”
>”Shouldn’t you hang out with others your age or ponies older than Spike?”
“I do.”
>”Your mom doesn’t count, Anon.”
“Okay, fine.  I’ll admit I spend quite a bit of time with those two.  But I hang out with other ponies also!”
>”Barely.  Did you forget about the rest of us?”
>You cock your eyebrow at her.
“Why do Spike and I hangout so much, you ask?  I have my reasons.”
>”If there’s something I don’t know that’s going on between you two I’d really like to know.  I don’t like it sometimes when Spike keeps secrets from me and I especially don’t like it when they involve you.”
“’When they involve me?’  What’s that supposed to mean?”
>”It usually means trouble for my little Spike.”
“I assure you he’s being a good little dragon and not doing anything he shouldn’t be doing.”  You said while putting your hands up in defense.
>”Like him getting into a fight with Gilda?”
“…”
>”And to be honest…”
>You notice a more stern and serious look on her face.
>”I really don’t want you hanging out with Spike nor do I want Spike hanging out with you anymore.”
>You quickly rise to your feet while slamming your hands on the table.
”WAIT, WHAT!?  WHY!?”
>”I have my reasons.”
“That’s not fair, Twilight!  It’s not fair to neither me nor him and you know it!”
>”That’s not your decision.  He is MY baby dragon and as long as he lives under my roof, he lives under my rules.”
>You narrow your eyes at her.
>She got you there.
>Even if it didn’t seem fair to the both of you, there wasn’t anything you could really do about it.
>Twilight was Spike’s Mom, and you knew better than to come in between a parent and their child.
>Even if you did have some choice words for them sometimes.
>You sink back into your seat with a sigh of defeat.
“If that’s your decision, then so be it.  I can respect that and I probably can’t change your mind…”
>You then turn your eyes to her, and it would seem that she’s standing by her decision.
“But, can you hear me out for a bit?  I really don’t want you to segregate us both from each other.  Do you really want to know why Spike and I hang out so much with each other?”
>She doesn’t say anything, but she still had that determined look on her face with her front hooves crossed.
“Spike reminds me of someone.  He reminds me of…  myself as a kid.”
>Twilight had that look of curiosity and interest in her eyes again.
“Everytime I see him, I always see an image of a ‘little Anon’ when we hang out.”
>”I don’t understand.  Why do you see him as an image of a younger you?”
>You clasp your fingers together and lay your elbows on the table while resting your chin on your thumbs.
>Twilight could see that look of doubt and insecurity appearing on your face.
>You really need to start working on your pokerface.  Big time.
“Being a single man with no kids or ANY kids at all, I can’t help but see Spike almost like a little brother or even as my own kid.  I know he’s your baby dragon, Twi.  Hell, he’s practically your kid!  But…  How do I explain this…  It’s hard to describe that feeling when someone or somepony thinks you’re ‘cool,’ you know?  They want to know everything about you, they look up to you as your role model, they want to BE you when they grow up.  And all you want to do is turn them into a little version of you.”
>”…Go on.”
“I really don’t think you should really blame Spike’s little attitude change on me completely.  He is getting to that age where he wants to hang out with the ‘bigger kids.’  He’s growing up and he’s also getting to that age where he’s craving for attention and wants to be heard.  You’ve noticed this when he hangs out with me, right?”
>She nods.
“And for him to actually look up to me…  I can’t describe it.  It makes me feel like I have a reason to move forward and do something.  It makes me feel like I’m the bigger brother and he’s me as a kid.  Does any of that make any sense?”
>She pauses for a moment while uncrossing her front hooves.
>She stands up from her seat and makes her way closer to you as you keep her eyes on her the entire time.
>She takes a seat next to you and was sitting pretty damn close to you.
>”Anon…  Did you have an older brother?”
>You turn to see that stern expression on her face disappeared.
“…”
>You nod.
>”What’s he like?”
“He was my only sibling.  He wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t have asked for anyone better.  He tried his hardest to be the best big brother to me and I wouldn’t have him any other way.”
>”You must really miss him.  I’m sure your family misses you too.”
“He was my ONLY family.  I had no one else.”
>”Your only family?  Wait…  Are you an-“
“An orphan?  Yep.  I didn’t have a mother or father growing up.  They passed away when I was really young.”
>”*GASP*  I’m so sorry!  I didn’t know!”
“Twilight…”
>”If I’ve known, I would have stayed away from the subject!  I’m so very very very sorry!”
“Twilight!”
>”Ireallydidn’tmeantopry!I soveryveryveryveryverysorry!PleaseforgivemeAnon!Ididn’tknow-HMPRPHMHMPRHMPHPH!”
“TWILIGHT!”
>You stop her midsentence by placing your hand on her mouth.
“It’s okay, really.  Also stop saying you’re sorry; you didn’t anything wrong, okay?  Plus if you keep saying it over and over, it starts getting kinda dry.”
>You uncover her mouth.
”May I continue?  I should probably start from the beginning though.”
>”If you want.  Whatever makes you comfortable.  I have nothing but all the time in the world for you.”
>She gives you a warm smile which you just couldn’t resist.
>In fact, it made her seem kinda… cute.
>She did have those big bright eyes which were just so…-MOTHEROFFUCK
>PONIES, GODDAMMNIT!
>FOCUS!
“Anyways…  I never had a chance to meet them when I was young.  They passed away when I was just an infant and my mother, father, and my brother were the only family I ever had.  My brother was around 9 or 10 when I was still an infant, so he was too young to get a job or find work.”
>”So, who took care of you?”
“He and I lived in an orphanage for most of our youth.  Even then, I still didn’t even meet him or have a chance to actually talk with him.  He ran away from the orphanage when I was a baby.”
>”How could he leave you like that!?”
“He promised he would come back for me one day.   Before he ran away, he wrote a letter and left it in my crib.  It was all I had of him at the time.”
>”Then what happened?”
“I continued living in the orphanage until I was 12, but I never saw or heard from him ever since he left.  I was mad at first when I learned that he left me, but I started to understand why.  Like him, I just couldn’t take it anymore in that orphanage.  So I followed in his footsteps and started looking for him.  But, with no family, no money, no friends, and no home I was forced to make choices that I’m not particularly proud of.”
>”Uh-huh…”
“Eventually, I found a ‘family’ that looked out for me.”
>”You found a family?  That doesn’t sound so bad!”
“You don’t understand.  My ‘family…’  was nothing but a bunch of street gangs and criminals.”
>”I…  see.”
“They were the only family I could find.  They took me in, fed me, taught me how to fight, how to make money so I could eat, gave me a roof over my head, and even looked out for me.  They weren’t a perfect family, but they kept me alive.  And at the time, that’s all I cared about.  I didn’t question anything they did and even started imitating them and started following in their footsteps, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.”
>You open your hands and palms and bury your face.
>You sigh as you start rubbing your face.
>Twilight could see the shame of which you were trying to hide from her.
“I started off with just running errands for my ‘family’, but then I started getting involved with gang violence.  It was only a matter of time before I got caught with something serious.”
>”…What did you do?”
“When I was 15, I got caught with breaking in and committing an act of burglary on a house with a bunch of my friends and those who I called my family.  They all managed to escape, but I got caught by the police.”
>”After that?”
“I was found guilty, but I had the worst luck that day.  I was put before some corrupted judge that was lower than a fucking snake and didn’t give a shit about human life.  He wanted to send ‘delinquent trash’ like me to an adult prison instead of Juvenile hall and make an example of me.”
>”That’s so awful!  Why would he do that to you!?”
“He wanted to run another term as a judge so he decided to use me to kick start his campaign.  He wanted to deliver a message to everyone that he was serious with crime and punishment and he wanted to scare children into being ideal members of society.  This in turn made him look like some good guy or hero to the public.  So, I was trialed as an adult and got sent to a maximum security correctional facility for adults.”
>”I don’t understand!  Judges are supposed to be fair and equal to everyone!  That’s so underhanded of him!  What kind of world did you live in!?”
“Let me tell you something about my world, Twi.  I lived in a place called the United States of America and I was born in a place called Detroit, Michigan.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my home country, I’ve learned that we are VERY competitive people whether we were born with a silver spoon in our mouths or born into poverty.  If there is some edge to help us get ahead or some weakness to exploit, we will us use it to our advantage and leave behind those who we betray.  You’re either the barracuda or minnow in my world, and seeing how I was in the wrong place at the wrong time I became the minnow and the judge was the barracuda.”
>Twilight stares at you as though you gutted Princess Celestia and wore her skin like some kind of trench coat.
>She couldn’t imagine such a world that existed and how someone like you were able to survive where everyone was always at each other’s throats.
>Especially with you being so calm and talking about it so openly.
“When you see someone in my world giving you a thumbs up with one hand, he’s giving you the middle finger under the table with the other.  This judge was a prime example of that and used me to get ahead.  The fucker won another term as judge while he left me out to dry.  But honestly, it wasn’t all bad.  There was actually some good that came out of it.”
>”Then what happened?  What good could have possibly come through all of…  THAT!?”
“When I got sent up the river, I met my older brother for the first time in prison.”
>”You did?”
“Yep.  As it turns out, he was on the very same path I followed.  He too was involved with gangs, drugs and stuff like that.   I guess it was only a matter of time before we met up with each other.  At least this time I was reunited with my blood.  My REAL blood;  not a bunch of thugs claiming to be my brothers and deciding my worth based on how much I give to them, who I hurt, or who I robbed.  When I got locked up, they didn’t cover my bail.  They abandoned me like all of the rest.”
>”I’m almost afraid to ask you this, but…”
”Hmm?”
>”A little while ago, you said prison and jail here was nothing compared to your old world.  What was it like in your old world?”
“I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, not even on my own worst enemies.  Death or even being comatose might even be a step up from being locked up.  It was…  just … terrible.  You trust no one but yourself and any day could be your last.  They’ll pick on the weakest and eat you alive.”
>”But, what about the guards?  The ones that patrol the place?  You were under their protection, right?”
“They did what they could, but not even they can see everything that goes on 24/7.  Because I was still a kid, I was a target for others.  And being the know-it-all teenager I was and pissing off a bunch of the other guys, they had no choice but to lock me in ‘the hole’ for my protection.”
>“’The hole?’”
“Segregation; which is away from the general population.  You’re locked in a windowless cell 23 hours a day with 1 hour of exercise in another concrete cell with a window.”
>”That’s…  Barbaric!  Even zoos here don’t treat their animals like that!”
“I said the exact same thing.  I started losing my mind, but after a bit of heat died down I was transferred to another general population holding area.  And that was the first time I met him…”
>”Your older brother?”
>You nod.
“He looked like a typical convict in prison.  He had spent years within the walls and he was hardened from the inside out.  He was cold-blooded, covered in ink, at least twice my size, and even earned respect amongst the other prisoners and his peers.  And yet…”
>You turn to face her.
“He still had a soft spot in his heart for me.  It was the weirdest thing; I just couldn’t stay mad at him despite him abandoning me.  In fact when I saw him, I was just glad to see him and meet him for the first time.”
>”Of course you’d be glad to see him; he’s your older brother!”
>For her to say that doesn’t really surprise you.  She also had a bigger brother by the name of Shining Armor of whom she loved dearly and the two of them shared a very unique bond.  Not only was Shining Armor Twilight’s brother, but he was practically her best friend.
>You’ve seen those two together before.  And when you did, Twilight was almost like a completely different pony.
>They were really…  Close.
“Yeah, I guess.  You too have an older brother so you and I are kinda on the same boat here, heh.”
>”So, what happened after you met him?”
“The sentence I had to serve suddenly seemed a lot less like a punishment, but nonetheless we were both in prison.  He protected me from extortion, other gangs within the prison, we worked out together in the exercise yard, he showed me the ropes about prison life, taught me how to make a fifi-…  Er…  Um…. shared his commissary snacks and lunch with me.  He even told me about Mom, Dad, and what life was like before everything went south and how it all came crashing down.  We were really spending time together.  Quality time?  Maybe not, but we had each other and that’s all that mattered.”
>You let out a sigh.
”But deep down, I knew he was hurting and crying on the inside.  Being in prison for so long taught him how not to show weakness or emotion, but even I could see past it and see what he was hurting himself over.”
>”What was he hurting himself over?”
“Me.”
>”…I don’t understand.”
“He hated the way things turned out.  He wanted a better life for the both of us and all he could do was try and make the best of what we had in prison.  Even if I did forgive him for leaving me as a kid, he still had trouble accepting my forgiveness.  Even to this day, he still probably hates himself for it.”
>”So when you arrived in Equestria, was he still…”
“Incarcerated?  Yeah, he was.  I did manage to get out by joining a military program offered to younger prisoners with good behavior.  After completing the program, I managed to become a 'good boy' and they decided to reduce my sentence.  I had nowhere to go after I was set free so I joined the military.  They molded me, de-programmed me, and taught me how to be a more 'ideal' member of society.  I was done with gangbanging and I decided that wasn’t the life for me anymore.  After serving for about four years or so in the military, I got out and they covered a good portion of my college tuition and I even got a monthly check from them.”
>”Well, that’s good!”
“Yep.  I took a full-time job to pay for other things like rent, utilities, and stuff like that.  I studied my ass off and managed to land a white collar job with a six figure income as a physician’s assistant.  I was really living from there on out and I was able to enjoy the finer things in life while never having to worry about finances.  I had a nice car, a beautiful home, a fridge full of food, and I even had enough to pursue a doctrine degree in college.  But, I still couldn’t enjoy life on the outside.  Not without my older bro…”
>”What happened to him?  Did he get out also after serving his time?”
“…”
>”…Anon?”
>You sigh.
“He wasn’t getting out.  He was never going to leave prison.”
>”Why not?”
>You then start massaging your neck with your hand as you turn your gaze away from her.
>You feel a hoof draping and massaging your shoulder and another hoof gently stroking your hand.
>You look back and see Twilight trying to comfort you.
>You bite your bottom lip and gather as much of your wit as you can.
“..He…”
>”…Yes?”
>You chide yourself in silence for showing weakness and vulnerability to her; something you were taught NEVER to show when in prison and in the military.
>You couldn’t tell her.  It was already painful enough just thinking about it and-
>”Anon…”
>You turn to face her.
>If you told her, would she think differently of you?  Even if you two weren’t the best of friends most of the time, would she just further distance herself away from you?  Would she condemn your brother’s crime as barbaric and label you just the same?  Would she speak lowly of your family name because of it and say that you were no different?
>…Or would she be just as forgiving as Mom?  Would she tell that everything was going to be okay?
“Mumblemumblemubmle…”
>You pause for a moment.
>I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”
“Oh God...  He…  mumblemumblemubmle… for…  mumblemumblemumble..”
>”Anon, can you speak up?  What did your brother-“
>In a sudden burst of rage, you interrupt her as you flip and knock a chair over to the side.
>She backs away from you as a reflex and pulls her forehooves up slightly as though she was trying to defend herself.
“JESUS SAINT FUCKING CHRIST!  HE WAS GOING TO ROT IN THAT GODDAMN CELL FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE!  WANNA KNOW THE FUCK WHY!?  CAUSE HE KILLED SOMEONE, THAT’S WHY!  THERE!  YA FUCKIN’ HAPPY!?  HE DOESN’T DESERVE TO…  WHY DID…  Oh, mother of God…”
>You were now stumbling upon your own words as your anger clouded your rationality.
>Your breathing was now requiring a conscious effort.
>The mall food court went dead silent, and all eyes were upon you once again.
>”…I think I’ve heard enough.”
>Your anger started to subside when you looked into Twilight’s eyes.
>You didn’t see resentment, hate, or judgment from her.
>She had the same look on her face as Mom did when you tried telling her about your life.
>She wanted to help.  She wanted to do something for you.
“…I…  I-I’m so sorry, Twi!  I don’t know what came over me!  I just-”
>”It’s okay.”
>You stand there staring at her while feeling great shame for your sudden outburst.
“…What?”
>She lowers her hooves and slowly walks towards you.
>You back away from her abruptly.
“I-I think need some time alone.  I’m going for a walk to clear my head for a bit.”
>You started taking deep breaths as you started walking away from the food court while ponies and colts clear a path away from you.
--
About 5 minutes later…
--
>After walking for a bit and ignoring most of attention, you started calming down as you make your way outside of the mall for some fresh air.
>You see a park with a huge lake across the road that was lush and full of plant life, so you decided to settle down.
>The scenery looked rather tranquil and it was easy on the eyes.  The sounds of children’s…  Er…  Foal’s laughter filled the air as you hear them playing off in the distance along with birds chirping and ducks quacking.
>As you walk a dirt path around the park two little foals start following you, but still kept their distance from you.
>You continued walking, but you could hear their whispers as they started following you.
>You stop in your tracks as they do the same.
>You turn around and wave at them while giving them a warm smile.
“Hey there!”
>You turn around and continued walking your path around the park, but you start hearing somp0ny coming up from behind you.
>Or more specifically, the same little foals coming from behind.
>They rush up to you to get a better view of what freak of nature on two legs stand before them.
>There wasn’t a look of shock or disgust on their faces, but rather curiosity and fascination.
>And thankfully, their fascination was that of nowhere near Lyra’s level.
“Care to join me?  I could use a little company.”
>They nod as they run circles around you and chase each other as you walk.
>You couldn’t help but smile as you heard their child-like laughter and it was oddly starting to do wonders for your mood.
>Maybe there’s something about it that just puts you at ease and calms you down.
>Upon arriving at the lake you sit down on a nearby bench, and still watch the two foals circling you while laughing.
>”I thought I’d find you here.”
>You turn around and see Twilight.
“Hey.”
>It was all you could say to her.  You barely had the nerve to face her after snapping at her.
>You then turn your view to the side of lake and see two other ponies looking at your direction.  They had a look of slight shock as they laid eyes upon you.
>Judging from their reaction, it was probably the little ones’ parents and it might be best that the little ones went back before they started getting worried.
“Say, is that your mother and father?” you said while pointing at them.
>They both nod at you.
“You better get over there before they start worrying about you.  Now be good little fillies and run along while I have a chat with my friend here.  Okay?”
>”Okay!” One of them said.  “Bye mister Two-Legs!”
>You wave to them as they run off to their parents.
>Twilight takes a seat next to you on the bench, but you still refused to make eye contact with her.
“So…  How’d you find me?  You work fast.”
>”You’re not exactly hard to find, really.  You kinda stick out and all I had to do was follow the trail awestruck ponies along the way.”
>The both of you let out a slight chuckle.
“Listen, Twi…  I’m really sorry.  I just don’t know what came over me!  I guess talking about my life and myself puts me in a bad mood sometimes.  Also, I’m just not used to opening up to others because...   Well…  I’m afraid.”
>She starts scooting closer to you, but you still had your view to the lake.
>”Afraid of what?”
“I’m afraid that if anyp0ny knew about me and my life they’d probably distance themselves from me.  I just don’t want to lose any of you as friends.”
>”Why would you ever think that?”
“You’re pretty much all I have and I didn’t want to take any chances.  Like I said, I had friends here and there.  But you guys are different;  all of you are genuine.  I’d hate to admit it, but I think I actually do care if something happens between all of us.”
>”You do?"
“I’ve learned something in the time I’ve spent here.  It’s going to sound really cheesy as Hell though…”
>”And what’s that?  Come on, tell me!”
“That all of you…  Mom…  Spike…  And yes, even Applejack…”
>In the time you’ve spent living in a utopian-like world in Equestria, you learned to love a little more and even find a way to still hate and feel anger.
>But even then you learned something else very important…
“I’ve come to find out that you guys ARE my real family.  In my lifetime, you guys are the closest thing I’ve ever had to having a real one and I really don’t think that there would be anyone or anyp0ny closer to me.  And if I were to risk losing any of you…”
>You turn to face her.
“…I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.  That’s why I don’t want many p0nies knowing about me or the things I did.  I’m not particularly proud of the choices I’ve made in the past and I really wish I could go back and make better ones.  I was afraid all of you would think differently of me and distance yourselves away from me.”
>”But that’s not you.  That’s all in the past and you’re reformed now!”
“If you say so.  I’d make better choices if I could, but I guess it still haunts me every now and then.  I’m still trying to come to terms with the way things are, but sometimes it eats me up inside.  Sometimes I just let it manifest itself into a health problem and let a physician or drug fix it for me.”
>”That isn’t healthy, Anon.  And you know it.”
“Yeah, yeah.  I know.  I did whatever I could to avoid my problems and my past in life.  It’s kinda the reason why I’m a bit of a workaholic.  I’m always addicted to stress because I know it occupies most of my time and attention so I would never have to face or confront my problems.  But when I arrived here in your world, everything changed suddenly for me.”
>”How so?”
“When Mom found me injured in the Everfree Forest, she took me in and cared for me like she did her animals.  I had nothing to my name in this world and I had nothing to distract me.  And so, it all finally came out.”
>”Everything?”
>You nod.
“I had no drugs to give me my temporary fix.  I had no stress to occupy my thoughts and time.  I didn’t have bills to pay, a pager and phone to answer every five minutes; I no longer had any diversions.  I was confronting everything and I had no way to avoid it this time.  And when it all came at once…  It overwhelmed me.”
>”What happened?”
“I cried the hardest I’ve ever had in my life.  I just reached my boiling point and I had to let it all out.  I confessed everything to Mom as though I was going to die within the next hour.  Even though I was just blabbering about this and that, she just smiled, held me, and told me that everything was going to be okay.  And…”
>You turn to face her.
“Twilight, do you want to know why I adopted Fluttershy as my mother?”
>Her eyes widen.
>“Are you sure you’re ready to tell me?”
“I think so.”
>You take out your wallet and several crumpled photos.  You start sifting through them and show them to Twilight.
>The first photo you showed her was a picture of a man in his mid 30’s holding an infant, and an adolescent child next to him with smiles on all of their faces.
“That’s my old man and he’s holding me when I was about less than a year old.  The other brat next to him is my older brother.  The house in the back was our old home before everything went to Hell.”
>Twilight takes the photo and studies it.
>”You take after your father, I see.  So does your brother.”
“Yeah, but I am the better looking one.  Right?  Hahahah!”
>Twilight handed you your photo back while giving you a smirk.
>You pull out another photo from your collection and it shows two grown men.  One was in casual wear while the other was wearing an orange jumpsuit and had several tattoos covering most of his skin.  The two men were flexing and striking body-building poses and smiling.
“This is me and the bigger dude is my older brother in prison.  This was a few years after I got out.  He may look hardened from the outside, but he’s gentle giant.  Just don’t get into a fight with him, steal his food, or pile up debt with him.”
>”He has many cutie marks.  I bet he has a lot of talents!  What does this cutie mark represent?”  She asks while pointing to a particular tattoo on your older brother’s forehead.
>You cock your eyebrow at her.
“That’s what we call a swastika in our world.  I wouldn’t look too much into it.”  You said as you snatched the photo from her hooves.
>You pull out another photo, but stop to stare at it for a few moments.  This photo had a picture of a woman in her late 20’s holding an infant.  She wore a yellow sweater, a green skirt that went past her knees, and brown sandals.  She had long black hair with some pink streaks, bluish-greenish eyes, and she had a warm smile on her face that could melt even the coldest of hearts.
>You hand the photo to Twilight and anticipate her reaction.
>Her jaw drops and her pupils shrink as she stares into the photo.  She glances at you and the photo over and over again.
>She then stares at the photo while not moving a muscle for a solid minute.
“Umm…  Twi?”  You said while nudging her lifeless body.  “If you don’t say anything within the next 5 minutes, I’m going to perform an autopsy on you.”
>“T-this… human!”
“Watch it.  That’s my mother you’re talking about.”
>”S-sorry!  But your mother…  She looks exactly like…  Like Fluttershy!  Except she’s human!”
“Yeah, heh.  That was also my reaction when I first saw her.  She does kinda look like her, doesn’t she?”
>”Kinda!?  Anon, the resemblance is striking!”
>You stand up and start walking towards the edge of the lake.
“All my life, I just wanted someone or somep0ny to just tell me that things were going to be alright and someone to just share my life with. But most of all, I just wanted a family.  A REAL family.”
>You turn around and walk towards Twilight.
>You look at the photo that Twilight was holding.
“I have seen my parents’ graves with my own two eyes and I visit them at least once a week back in my old world, but despite them having passed…”
>You let out a sigh.
“I was able to make peace with my father’s death, but after meeting Fluttershy I was unable to accept my mother’s death.  As strange as it may sound, I really don’t think my mother is dead, but alive and here with me.  And I live with her under the same roof.”
>Twilight finally breaks her gaze with your photo and looks at you.
“Now, it’s true that she may not be a human, but I believe that my mother is here with me in some shape or form.  Is she my biological mother?  Probably not, but she somehow fills the void as my mother.  She loves me as her son and takes care of me as though I AM her son. She protects me from manticores, dragons, and even crazy-ass rapist ponies.  She even feeds me, nags me, and watches out for me while keeping me in check.  She has given me everything I have and she’s been more of a mother figure to me than anyone or anyp0ny I have ever come across my entire life.  I’m nothing without her.”
>”…”
“And all I want to do is make her happy.  That’s one of the reasons why I’m pursuing an education here and some kind of career.  I want to spoil my mother rotten and give her the finer things in life.  I want be able to take her out and share the things with her that I once had in my old life.  I don’t ever want her to work or even lift a hoof. I want to let her do whatever she wants whether its school for her or just lounging around.  I don’t ever want her to ever worry about finances or if there’s going to be enough money for food on the table the next morning.  I want to be able to buy her something from the market if she’s unable to afford it with my own money and without ever having to worry if it’s going to hurt our budget.  I just want the best for her because she deserves the best.  If I could, I would give her the world.  But I can’t do that with the amount of money I make right now.”
>Twilight continues to stare at you while not saying a word.
“So you see Twi, in a way, I am once again reunited with my mother.  She’s the perfect mother and I couldn’t ask for anyp0ny better.  She’s not dead; she’s alive!  My mother is alive!  And when I first laid eyes on her I’ll admit that I was shocked, but I believe that everything happens for a reason, Twilight.  My prayers have been answered and I have a real family again.  For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong.  You know?”
>“Anon…”
“I know, I know…  it sounds crazy, huh?”
>”If I may ask;  Why did Fluttershy agree to become your mother?”
“At first, she actually treated me like one of her little critter friends.  But after spending so much time together, something between us just clicked.  I can’t really explain it, but all I know is that I wanted to be a part of her life through the best and worst of times, as she did with me.  I told her everything, and being the caring and nurturing mare she is, she agreed to be my mother.”
>”I…  see.  Also, may I ask you something else?”
“Hmmm..?”
>”How much do you love her?”
“W-what!?  What kind of question is that!?”
>”Let me rephrase that;  In what way do you love her?”
“Umm, Twi…  I don’t think I really understand the question here.  What are you trying to ask me?  Mind you that I’m not always the sharpest knife in the drawer so can you put it in Layman’s terms?”
>What the Hell was she talking about?
>”How do I ask this…  Okay, let’s say hypothetically that Fluttershy wasn’t your mother.  Let’s say she was just another p0ny in P0nyville and somep0ny else was your mother.  And-”
“Like who?”
>”I don’t know…  Lyra?”
“OH HEEEEELLLLLLLL NO!”
>”Focus for a second, will you!?  Let’s say that Fluttershy wasn’t your mother, but somep0ny else was.  How would you feel towards Fluttershy if she wasn’t your mother?”
>You had a confused look on your face.
“I don’t know…  I never really thought about it like THAT.  I never could fathom Mom being like some kind of complete stranger to me.”  You said as you scratched your head.
>”Let’s say she was your friend, but a VERY VERY close friend.”
“You mean like a sister?”
>”No, you simpleton!  Let’s just say that-“
“Hey!  I got feelings too, godammit!”
>”You’re not making this easy for me, Anon!”
“Just bucking say it already!”
>(“Can I really tell him?  Can I really tell him that all this time that his mother has been taking advantage of him and how she really feels about him?  Should I tell him or would it hurt him too much to learn that his own mother was lying to him?  But then again, ever since Anon entered her life she’s had a glow and almost a change in personality.  Is it really best to remain silent and let this continue, or does this have to be brought to light?  It may not be my place to discuss this, but…  They’re both so happy...”)
“Twi?  Is there something you’re hiding from me?”
>”…Forget it.”
“Are you sure?”
>”Yes.  Things will work themselves out, right?  Just as long as you’re happy with Fluttershy, that’s all that matters, right?”
“I couldn’t agree more.  Mom will always try to find a way to make things right.  She always does.  Besides, you weren’t really making any sense there.”
>“…R-right.”
“So then…”  You said as you changed the subject.  “How much longer must Spike serve his sentence?”
>”I still haven’t decided on the length of his punishment.”
“You cruel little p0ny.  Also, do you think maybe it’s possible if we can hang out again if I promise to behave a little more?”
>”We’ll see.”
“It’s all I ask…  and thanks.”
>”For what?”
“For hearing me out.  It feels good to talk about stuff with others sometimes.”
>You extend your hand out to her.
>She looks at it, but instead lunges towards you and wraps her forehooves around you in a tight embrace.
>You are taken back by Twilight’s sudden action, but return her hug your with your own.  You also start scratching her mane and ears like you would your cat.
>As you pet and scratch her, she starts shivering as she buries her face in your chest.  She also starts wrapping her forehooves around you even tighter and showing no signs of letting go.
>She’s kinda acting the same way Mom does when your scratch and pet her.
>…Except she’s not trying to kiss you continuously.
“You’re more than just the voice of reason for me, Twi…  You’re like a big sister to me.  You really are!”  You whispered into her ear.
>Twilight raises her head and releases her embrace from you.
>She then backs away from you and takes a seat while trying to force smile.
>”Big sister…  Right.  That’s what I am to you, huh?”
“You certainly are!  Come on!”  You said as you patted her on the shoulder.  “Let’s see what else we can do in this town, ya?  I’m sure there’s other things you’d  rather do than just sit around here all day long and hear me mope.”
>”Sure!  I’d be more than happy too…”