>”I’m telling you, Eri. Get out more. Go meet somepony.”
>You did meet somepony.
“I met you...”
>You blonde maned friend sighs.
>”That’s not what I meant. Your wasting away staying inside. You’re beautiful. Somepony would be crazy to pass you up. There are a lot of ponies who would do anything for a chance to be with you.”
“Well... t-there is one pony who caught my eye.”
>Connie Amore looks excited.
>”Really?! Spill it. Is it someone from your poetry club? Or is it- oh...”
>Yeah.
>’Oh’ is right.
>You close your eyes as Connie puts a hoof on your cheek.
>You already knew what she was going to say.
>”Sweetie, we’ve already done this song and dance before. I’m seeing somepony else. If things were different...” she trails off.
>’If you had acted on your feelings sooner,’ you finished for her in your head.
>Connie has been in a relationship for about a year and a half now.
>The day she came and told you was the day you were going to ask your best friend of several years on a date.
>To say it stung was an understatement.
>:.. Just go meet somepony.”
>She moves her hoof under your muzzle and raises your head up.
>You open your eyes to find her looking back into yours.
>You could see the whole world in those eyes.
>’There are a lot of ponies who would do anything for a chance to be with you’ she said.
>But she really had no idea how true that was for her.
>You have it bad.
>She makes you want to do better for yourself.
>To be better for her.
>”Please? For me. I just want to see you happy.”
>But you can’t have her.
>You give a small smile. 
“Ok. For you.”
>You blink before looking embarrassed.
“But I don’t really know where to go. And not tonight.”
>”That’s fine as long as you go out. I know a place for you tomorrow but the catch is I kinda can’t be there.”
“Oh.”
>”Nonono Nothing like that. It’s just I’m gonna be out of town tomorrow. I have to perform in Canterlot. That’s actually why I came over.”
>Connie reaches into her saddlebags and pulled out a little black box, presenting it to you.
>You take it in your hooves and look at her surprised.
“Wha... what is this?”
>Connie smiles.
>”For you. Just open it.”
>You nod and do so letting out a gasp.
>Lying in the box was a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of your cutie mark.
>On the inside of the box were the words ‘Happy Birthday, Miss Eri!’ in a stylized font.
>You glanced over at the calendar next to the front door and it turns out tomorrow was your birthday.
>Connie remembered when you would have forgotten.
>”Yeah, I thought you’d like it.”
>You get up and hug the mare, knocking the both of you over.
“Thank you, Connie,” you say into her shoulder.
>The two of you talk for the rest of the evening before she heads back home for the night.
>As she leaves you sit on the steps in front of your home and watch her walk away.
>You put a hoof to the necklace you wearing and sighed.
>Connie was really good to you despite all your crap.
>Despite your jealousy towards the stallion she was seeing, you were happy... in a way.
>She deserves better than you.
>It just so happens that he was better than you.
>He makes her happier than you could.
>And you only want her happy.
>That doesn’t make you want her any less.
>You sigh, getting to your hooves and start trotting into the night.
>You don’t really know where you’re going but you’ll just let your hooves take you anywhere and your mind wander.
>The air is cool and there is barely any wind.
>There are a few ponies out, most of them making their way home.
>Ponyville didn’t have many night spots so it made sense.
>After a long while you found yourself at the place Connie was telling you about earlier.
>It was the bar that she met her special somepony.
>It looked pretty small from the outside.
>The Soggy Horseshoe.
>The name sounded generic enough so it couldn’t be too bad.
>You were gonna wait until tomorrow and work up your courage but with how this place was tucked away at the fringes of Ponyville you weren’t really that nervous.
>You can hear music coming from inside but not many voices.
>Connie wants you to go out somewhere anyways so you might as well.
>You took a breath and open the door.
>Your nose was immediately assaulted by the smell of salt and apples.
>The music you hear was from somepony singing on the stage on opposite side of the room.
>Karaoke.
>Neat.
>There couldn’t be more than five or six ponies in this place besides the bartender.
>You did a double take when your eyes ran over who was sitting at the bar.
>That human.
>You’ve heard of him before.
>You’ve even seen him a few times around Ponyville with the princess.
>You have never gotten the chance to talk to him.
>And you wouldn’t be getting one now.
>You just didn’t have the courage.
>He hung around with the Elements of Harmony and a PRINCESS.
>You were just... you.
>Besides the meeting ponies part of your promise to Connie could wait until tomorrow.
>You made your way past him and sat at a booth near the back not really sure what to do with yourself.
>You couldn’t drink or enjoy a salt lick because you left your bits at home.
>You didn’t really feel like going home now that you were here so you decide to rest you head on the table and enjoy the music by yourself.
>You could see the clock on the wall from the way your head was lying.
>It was midnight.
>You sigh.
>Happy Birthday to you.
>Suddenly a figure obscures your view.
>You raise your head up just in time to see the human sitting in the booth with you.
>He sets two mugs of frothy cider down on the table and slides one across to you.
>”I figured you could use a drink and some company.”
>You sit and stare, too stunned to even reply.
>”...Or I guess I can can go dick around somewhere else. Sorry about bothering you miss.”
>The human starts to get up.
“Wait!” you blurt causing him to sit back down.
>You surprised yourself with that but you weren’t going to lose this chance now that you had it.
“I-I’m sorry. I was just surprised.”
>”About what?”
“You actually want to t-talk to me.”
>He scoffs and takes a drink.
>”Nonsense. A mare as cute as you probably has plenty of guys beating down your door.”
>The human holds his paw... talon thing out in front of you.
>”I almost forgot to introduce myself. I’m Anonymous, human extraordinaire.”
>You look at it for a moment before letting your hoof out to meet it.
>His appendages wrapped around it and he gave it a firm shake.
>You look back to his face with a blush on your own.
>Turns out you’d meet somepony today after all.
“M-my name is Miss Eri.”