Pinkie Pie bounced around as she led the group towards a building that looked like a giant cake. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! It's where we bake cupcakes and cakes and have parties and all sorts of fun stuff!" She opened the door and smiled widely as she let them inside. Graham went wide eyed.
"Woooah..." was all he said as he looked around. There were baked treats spread all over on a giant table. There were Whoopie Pies, Cupcakes, Cakes, and cookies!. Graham stepped over and licked his lips. "I haven't eaten in a while. Can I...?" He looked at Pinkie pie.
"Go ahead! Just one! the rest is for customers! I gotta get ready!" Pinkie then started grabbing stuff, but saw Graham pick up a cupcake with a cherry on top of it.
"This looks good.." He said as he took a small lick. His eyes widened a bit as he bit it and chewed. "My god, this is awesome!" Graham laughed as he ate the whole thing quickly.
Pinkie pie giggled as he ate it. "You got a little something on you, Graham!" Graham then looked and her and smiled. He took his finger and swiped at his cheek to find a bunch of frosting. He laughed and so did the others.
By the time Graham was done with Being introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Graham was off again to see more of Ponyville with Gypsy closely following behind him. Pinkie Pie stayed back to help make a party for somepony she couldn't say. The next place on the list was Sweet Apple Acres. Graham looked about in amazement as he looked at the whole plethora of Apple Trees. Each tree carried a dozen or so apples on their branches. The apples themselves looked mighty tasty, but Graham had eaten the juicy cupcake already and he didn't wanna impose on the cowpony's kindness.
He looked around and saw three little fillies doing something with a platform to jump from, and a plank, that was balanced on a rock. two fillies were on the tall platform waiting for a red haired filly to walk on the plank.
"Ready!" She said as the three yelled at the top of their lungs "Cutie Mark Crusader Flying Circus!".
The two fillies at the top crashed down onto the opposite side of the plank as the Red haired one flew in the air, but looking down, she screamed as she realized how high up she was.
"Applebloom!" Applejack said as she tried to grab a nearby rope, but looked as Graham ran in, and jumped as high as he could, grabbing her in the air, doing a front flip, and landing with a powerful thud that shook a few apples from the trees. The others applauded and cheered as Graham wiped his forehead and set the pony down.
"Well I'll be darned! That was some mighty fine catchin' you did saving mah sister!" Applejack shouted as she ran over.
"Aw, it wasn't anything..." The Man flushed a bit of pink as the others ran over.
"That was amazing! when you were like reeeooow in the air and she was all like Applebloom! Applebloom!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew around describing his actions. He smiled as everyone chattered on.
"You did good!" Josh walked over slapping his back.
Graham laughed. "I was just glad nopony got hurt." He said.
Applebloom walked over with her other two friends walked over. "What were you ponies thinkin' with tryin' ta launch each other in the air like you were tossed apples!" Applejack said in disappointment as Applebloom and her friends looked down.
"And you too, Sweetie Bell! You should know better!" Rarity said rather harshly to the little unicorn. Scootaloo frowned. "It was my Idea..." She said.
Graham frowned and walked over, kneeling on one leg. "Look here, Applejack, Rarity. I know you guys are mad at them, but cut them a bit of slack. I'm sure they wont do that again, right girls?" He looked at the three and winked.
The fillies nodded. "We wont ever do a stunt like THAT again! We promise!" They said in unison as He patted them on the head. "Who are you, we need to know who our hero is!" Applebloom asked as Graham flushed from embarrassment.
"Name's Graham. and who're you cute little things?" He chuckled.
"I'm Applebloom!"
"I'm Sweetie Belle!"
"I'm Scootaloo!"
"And weeeeee're...The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" They said in sync. "We're trying to find our cutie marks!" Sweetie Bell piped up. Applebloom looked at the Chinese Dragon on his shirt. "You have a cutie mark! What is it...?"
Graham looked over. "Oh this? Well, It's a Chinese Dragon, Representing ferocity" He said.
"You're a Monster Slayer!" Applebloom looked at it more.
"Nah, No Monster slayer, but a Fighter, none the less..."
"What, Like Karate and stuff?" Scootaloo asked.
"I guess so, if you wanna think it like that." He smiled.
"Cooool! Can we see?" The three asked towards him.
"I, um...I dont know..." He said back.
"Aww, pleeeeease?" Applebloom pleaded. He looked at her as she made a adorable face to trick him into doing it.
"Fine..." He said as the three cheered on in excitement. "I'd need something to practice on first, it's been so long since I fought last." He said sighing. He looked over at Twilight. "Could you help? I know you have magic, maybe summon a dummy?" He asked.
"I can do better than that, Graham. Hold still." She smiled as her horn started to glow.
"Wait, wha-" Was all he got out as a bright light enveloped him. A second later. he opened his eyes. "I don't get it, what was I waiting fo-" Was again all he got out as he stared at himself...right next to him! "How did you...?" He looked at his clone, as his clone looked at him. The clone was all grey, even his clothing was uncolored.
"I used magic, a new spell I've been wanting to use to see if it worked!" Twilight smiled feeling proud of herself. Graham's clone copied everything he did.
"So you gonna sit there all dumbstruck or fight it?" The little Scootaloo asked as Graham looked at them.
'Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I was too busy looking at my awesomeness." He said laughing as he sighed. "Alright. Ready." He said as he backed up a bit. The clone took a stance. Graham gulped a bit as he did the same.
"Reaaady...Go!" Meowth yelled as the two collided with each other in a lock. The two staring at each other angrily. The clone then got the upper hand as he started to pick the real one up. "Wait, no! I was gonna do that!" He said as the clone tossed him on the ground with a powerful throw downward. The clone then jumped into the air as he was about to do a body slam. The real Graham then dodged it by rolling out of harm's way and getting up.
"Come on, do something! Get mad!" Rainbow Dash cheered him on.
Graham looked at her and smirked. "Ok, my turn, you faker." He said as he rammed into it as the fake got up, he picked it up with all his might. "Man, is this how much weight I'm holding? Gotta lose some of it." He said as he tossed it upward instead. He then jumped high into the air, he raised his hand over his head, connecting them into a ball, he then came down on it with a hard knock into it's head as the others cheered. The fake fell downward, but not without bouncing back up from the ground. He then grabbed its legs and started to spin in the air, he got one full revolution as he threw it down. It hit the earth with a giant crash that shook the ground, causing Applebloom to lose her balance.
"Come here, Cupcake! I'll beat the stuffin' outta you!" Graham taunted as his blood boiled with excitement. The grey Graham got up shakily, while the real Graham snorted a bit and ran up to it. Graham grabbed the clone by the Shirt as the thing looked at him with fright and tried to run, but couldn't get away. Graham laughed as he punched it over and over in the face. It soon broke free as The real one preformed a sweep kick to down the big grey one. The clone couldn't get up. As The real one stomped over, his eyes seemed strange.
Fluttershy looked at him and noticed that his eyes were full of anger and hate. She gasped and flew over to separate them.
"What are you doing, Fluttershy? I must Kill him!" Graham growled.
"Graham, stop!" Fluttershy yelled. "This isn't you...I know it isn't you...you couldn't be this violent..." She spoke softer.
Graham looked at her face and frowned. "I..." Was all he said as he looked at his hands. "Oh my god...what have I done..." Graham said as he ran the opposite direction. "Wait! Where are you going!" Josh said as he tried to keep up by flying by Graham's side, but he was knocked away as Graham ran straight into the woods. The other ponies were shocked.
Twilight Sparkle then made the clone disappear. "We gotta find him! He's heading towards Everfree Forest!" She exclaimed as the others headed straight into the forest in search for their friend.
Fluttershy looked at Gypsy, who looked at her. They knew what to do. Following his scent, Gypsy ran towards the middle of the everfree, inside of a ancient ruin. It seemed familiar to Fluttershy, which after looking around, she remembered. "This is that place that my friends and I found Nightmare Moon" She said towards Gypsy. The pup looked over and barked, Seeing Graham looking at his fists, covered in blood.
"I'm a monster...I've tried running away from my true self...All I am is a monster...a monster that will never be satisfied..." He said to himself as the blood slowly dripped from his hands, spattering at his feet.
"I don't think you're a monster, Graham..." Fluttershy said softly floating on her wings, inching closer. Gypsy sat down, letting the Sweet pony do what she wanted to do.
Graham looked up and saw her. "Fluttershy...you have no idea how twisted i am inside...I have been harboring heavy feelings...ones that I don't think will ever disappear..." He looked back down.
"If you want...um...I could listen..." She said trotting towards him slowly. She made it so that she was in his view. He was shedding a tear, which hit her little nose. Fluttershy sat down. "I'm here for you, just like I am with my friends." Fluttershy smiled a bit, as he looked at her and sniffed.
"A-Alright, Flu-fluttershy..." He said as he calmed down a bit. "I first found my inner rage a long way back..." He said looking straight as his fists. "I was only eight years old...My parents and I were as happy as we could be. One day, my family heard a crash downstairs in their house...it was a madman, we didn't know where he came from, but he was tearing the place apart, they tried to call for help, but they weren't fast enough, he got to them before they had even a chance...He slaughtered them both in cold blood..." He started to shake. "He was looking for a hiding spot from the asylum he escaped from, he found me and tried to kill me, but I hit him with something and ran as fast as I could. I know I would never go back." He looked at her.
Fluttershy could only feel the sadness that he felt. She couldn't even think about being in his position. "As time passed, I tried to be friendly with other children, but they would laugh at me for losing my family...one day, a kid pushed me out of the way. Telling me to back off. Something in my head snapped that day, and I grew angry, I grabbed him and beat him up, it took three teachers to get me off of this boy, and even then i wanted to kill him, I screamed it out of the top of my lungs, and every little kid that day was frightened of me, saying they would never talk to me. I was a outcast for my rage. I wanted to kill that boy so badly...so, so badly..." He said, looking at her with tears. "I ran from the everything, I hid for years, and as soon as I started to grow up, I found Gypsy, She was being beaten by a man, so I did what she couldn't and that was fight. I knocked him clean off his feet. The man did nothing to me as I bashed him with whatever I could hold." He shook. "I saved her, but the man called the police, the people who are supposed to protect the innocent... I've wanted to make every single person feel my pain, the torment that sizzled in my heart, the rage the boiled in my veins... After I saved her, I ran off with Gypsy to find a new home..." He started to sob. "I've been wanting to escape my rage, and be happy for once in my life, but my past keeps haunting me Fluttershy... I've always felt like I could have done something to save them... but I'm a demon deep down, and not a single person would help me...everyone was afraid of me..."
He started to cry. Fluttershy's heard his biggest secret. All of it. Her heart was burdened with sadness for him, but she didn't know what to do, suddenly, she found herself talking. "Graham..I wont run away from you...you need somepony...somepony who can care for you, and help you find happiness...I'll be that pony who will help you...I'm your friend, Graham, and I don't want you to feel like someone isn't there for you...We all are. We would never run away from you." Fluttershy nuzzled his arm with her head, trying to cheer him up.
He looked at her and sniffed. "You...you mean it, Fluttershy...?" He stopped shivering.
"Of course, Graham, I'm the element of Kindness, after all." She said smiling. She soon flapped her wings and brought him into a hug. He started to cry once more. "There there, let it all out..." she said softly. He held her close, her mane soft against his skin. "Shhh...shh..." She cooed as the man started to calm down. just then, the others came up to find them.
"Graham, we heard the whole thing, and we wont run from ya," Applejack said.
"We care a lot about you, darling and if there was anything wrong, you could have told us." Rarity added.
"Friendship is a strong thing to have, and even though you didn't have it back where you came from, we want to help you get what you've missed out on: Friends." Twilight Sparkle concluded.
Graham looked at everypony in the group, Even Josh stepped up. "To tell you the truth, they made me feel special too, Graham, even after..." The teen stopped, not wanting to remember his past.. "We're all friends here, and you can tell us anything. That's what we're for." He smiled.
Meowth looked over. "You should never be afraid ta tell us anything on ya mind." The cat scratched his ear.
Graham started to tear once more. "I...I feel so...so...happy..." He said quietly as Fluttershy hugged him again.
Pinkie Pie, who was told during his disappearance what happened, bounced over. "We got something for you later to help you feel welcome in Ponyville!" She grinned and trotted around. He started to feel the dark cloud in his heart disappear, and he suddenly knew how having friends...TRUE friends finally felt...ones that would never leave. He could finally move on.