Hopes this bowl's well.

Silly fitted the old worn shoes for his hoofs, they were soft on the bottom to prvent ponies from scraping up the waxed wooden floors. He hadn't been living Ponyville for too long and hadn't really talked to anyone expect a few passing ponies. He didn't notice this lack of friends though. He wasn't expecting a best friend to come walking through the door of the bowling alley or anything. He was listening to the calm music in the place, he had come to listen it more then the bowling even. It was his music he wrote, it was commission by a little jazz band that pretty much did background music for waiting lobbies and Bowling alleys. If you wanted generic background music they were your ponies. I'm not messing around these fillies are nuts, it in there logo and everything.

Silly hadn't gotten the check in the mail yet, but he heard the bowling alley had bought the CD in was on and was gonna play it. Silly was proud as he could be to hear the song his wrote with his own to hoofs being heard by all these ponies. Nothing made him happier then knowing that, even if none of the ponies cared even a bit about this song. They still were hearing and that is all he wanted in life. To be heard.

No one knew this, but he gave up everything to write music. The love of his parents and school.. everything. This was all he had in life now and he was gonna be as proud as if this song was his only son. The filly in the lane next to him smiled and asked him if he was planning on bowling anytime soon. He blushed and put his hoof behind his head, rubbing it with a cheeky grin. He told her sorry for some reason as he ran out to the lane and threw the bowling ball. He hit over all of them but three on the left side. He pumped his hoof in victory at how good he had been getting at this. He had picked up the hobby of bowling to justify coming here so often and loitering about. He was getting pretty good at it to as he had been able to get mostly spares when he came.He had also gotten in to pool to because of the pool table in the corner that had been set up.


The place was pretty busy most days, but on this rainy day there were hardly any regulars here or even that one pony he played matches with. Well, it was more like one match and she had creamed him. Though she did teach him how to bowl. Living in Cloudsdale his whole life, he hadn't played any games with balls or anything that would fall through clouds. The only sports they cared about there were racing ponies and arena games. So he really hit the books to learn soccer and baseball, he also been adding to his artic side be larrning to knit and build models. He had a half built model of Cloudsdale he stopped when he mad to make the street he lived on. The wounds those memories had were to new it to heal this soon. He was more then likely never gonna finish that model and that was he couldn't face his past till he was ready.

He sat down in the sit for his lane and merely closed his eyes with a few tears running down his face. Not even the past would ruin how happy he felt hearing his song over the loud speakers. He quietly hummed to the song as he just sat there listening.

Articulus had only been back in Ponyville for a few hours, and was already back at his old stomping ground. The Bowling Alley. He rolled into the building, and blinked, surprised at the shock that ran through the building. He didn't think anypony would even.. Miss him, but apparently, he was missed. He rolled through the building, and saw SillySymphony, and rolled over to him. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, his voice un-naturally kind, caring, gentle, and soft. He frowned a bit, moving his hoof off the button of his control on his chair, tilting his head.

The sound of the music seem to be going on forever, he had even thrown away time to enjoy this song to it's highest levels possible. He was glad there weren't many ponies around to see him all teary eyed. He almost got away with no one noticing till fate changed those plans. The door creaked opened as a humming sound filled the air of some machine. Then he heard a soft spoken voice, filled with concern ask him if he was alright. He turned to the voice, breaking hold of his music tranve and leaned up, wiping his eyes. Pretending his wasn't crying at all.

"I'm fine." He manged to say as he wiped his eyes. he had a whoe speech in his head about having something in his eye nd whatnot, but only I'm fine came out. Maybe listening to those sleep talk tapes were helping him to stop being such a liar. he never lied about big things, but for some reason he always thought little white ones for no reason. He had been doing it his whole life and it had impacted greatly over the years.

Articulus frowned, and held his hoof out. "I'm Articulus. My family called me Artie, but everyone else calls me Wheels.. It's pretty obvious why, though." He pointed to his wheelchair, managing a weak chuckle. "It doesn't look like your okay, sir. It looked like you were shedding a tear.. Either from pain, or your past, I can't tell.." He then raised one hoof and fixed his glasses on his nose, frowning.

He didn't really know what to say to this colt's statement. He introduces himself as Articulus, hi full name. Then he shortens it and explains who is allowed to say it. Add to that he prefers the belittling nickname of wheels. He also seems to be reading him like he was a book and wanted to solve the puzzle. Is this colt looking at him like he was something to study or was he actually concerned for somepony he doesn't even know? This colt either reads others pretty well or is a good guesser. He looks at the colt in front of him, he was bound to a wheel chair, it was clear as day. He wore glasses and by the way he speaks I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say he is probably smart. Silly clears his throat before he answers the colt, trying not to reavel to much about himself. It felt strange having someone have a feeling about you, like they already know who and what you are. "The music in this place moved me to tears.. That's why I am crying." At the moment he had come up, but what had filled his heart were the painful emotions that had helped them along. He didn't want to confess that to a total stranger.

Articulus smiled, and listened to the music, and the other cold. "I can see why you were moved to tears. The musical score is truely beautiful." He smiled, and his tail swished behind the chair. He then tilted his head, and frowned again. "I'm glad to meet you." He said, and extended his hoof as if to give the pony before him what some of his old friends used to call "bro-hoofs".

He did a something that sounded like a half grunt chuckle with a little sigh of relieve as he reached out to shake the colt's hoof. His hoof was warm from him moving around the stick to move his chair,and it felt soft to touch, which would mean he must of been in this chair a long time. He must do something that uses a pen more times then a hammer or requires getting in the dirt. Silly was embarrassed a little, his hoof was clammy and sweaty from playing bowling ball. He almost wished he hadn't shook this colt's hoof, but it would of been rude not to have shook it right? He didn't know what else to say to this colt expect for his name. "I'm Sil-uhh... Symphony. Just Symphony."

Artie smiled, and nodded. "Symphony. A wonderful name. I can see by your Cutie Mark that you've got a talent for music." He noted, and looked at his own Cutie Mark that was barely visible from his position in his chair but was clear as day to anypony. He didn't mind that SillySymphony's hoof was clammy and sweaty as he put his hoof back on his chair, moving the chair to get a clear view of the lanes, while keeping Symphony in sight.

The colt seemed unfazed by his dripping hoof and Silly was glad. He always hated making bad first impressions on others. The colt started discussing cutie marks, a very normal conversation for a pony to have. Most ponies always guessed his talent had something to do with music. It was pretty easy to guess his. He looked to the colt's to see a white dove staring off at something, like a dream not yet realized. What sort of deep talent thing colt have? Or maybe he was thinking to deep and it was just he was good with birds. "Yes, I do have a talent and passion for it. I don't to sound like I am blowing my own horn, but I wrote this song playing right now. I came here to listen to it, pretty silly huh?"

With a light chuckle, he shook his head. "I think it's a really good reason to come to the bowling alley. Back before I lost the use of my legs, I would come here every night with my dad. We were closer than a pony and their Cutie Marks." It was strange for anypony to use this analogy, but Artie couldn't think of anything else that could have described the relationship he had with his father. That's when he saw a pony walk in.


Eryx, a newcomer to the bowling alley, walked in, folding his wings against his flanks. "Hmm.. I wonder if there are any lanes open..." He thought to himself, and then saw Articulus, and frowned. "Well, look what the wheel-chair dragged in. Wheels, how are you!" He ran over to Artie, who only turned away from the Pegasus. "Don't. Speak. To. Me. Eryx. Darkwings." Artie said, biting his bottom lip.

He didn't no what to say about this colt, he was so open about himself and yet he seem to hid everything all at the same time. Silly didn't know what to say to his story. Should he tell one back? He didn't have one that fit anything like his. His father always pushed him to do things that he didn't want to do. He didn't have Friday night bowling stories to trade back. Lucky for him another colt shows up and distracts Articulus and turns his piercing gaze away as well. His eyes boar into your soul, like he was forced only on you when he talked. It was weird and yet very refreshing in a way. The other colt seem to know 'wheels' and he walked over very comfortably. They must know eachother and have some sort of history, though it seems Articulus doesn't seem to like EryxDarkwings.

He looked up at the colt known as EryxDarkwings. He had this feeling come to you when he was around, he seem to emit this feeling that you should avoid something about him. Not like he wasn't friendly or anything, but if you didn't say the right thing it could change the out come of things. Then again isn't that how all things worked? What you say and do affects everything, what is that called again? The butterfly effect or something. Maybe he was just expecting everyone connceted to this colt to have some sort of strange thing about thme. Maybe he was still a little emotional right now. He decided to say nothing to this colt, he seemed fixated only on the wheel bound colt.

Eryx walked in front of Articulus, frowning. "Come on Wheels. Or are you too 'crippled' to say anything?" It was clear that Eryx was Artie's bully. Artie fixed an ice-cold stare on Eryx. "Get. Out. Of. My. Face. You two-bit, good for nothing, worthless, winged bag of bones!" He snapped the words, tears in his eyes. He became weak when someone bullied him. Eryx smirked, getting right in Artie's face. "Oh, but you don't have the power to stop me, now do you?" He grinned, kissing Artie's nose. "Pathetic, Wheels." Artie whimpered, moving his char away from Eryx, trying to hold the tears in. "Why can't you leave me alone for once, Eryx? You never bothered me when we were younger.." "That's before you became a crippled freak." Eryx said, looking with disgust at Artie. Artie whinned, and turned the back of his chair to Eryx, no longer fighting the tears as they rolled down his muzzle. "Aww, poor little Artie Wheel-chair." Eryx taunted, and that set Artie off, making him turn back around to Eryx. "At least I'm not a useless excuse for a stallion! At least I'M not gay!" Eryx rose one eyebrow at this insult, and tossed his gray-and-red mane out of his eyes. "You think I care what other ponies think of my sexuality?" He asked Artie, not affected by the insult.

He sat there really unsure how to go about this. He didn't know if he should say something or guess watch this unfold before him. He saw a change int his colt before him, once a strong and almost noble like, suddenly reduced by a few words. It was like watching a a wonderful sand castle, it looked and stood like it would be that way forever till the tide came in and washed it away. He also thought it strange this colt was so mean, he didn't want to stereotype, but he thought gay colt's understood what it felt like to be treated badly, therefore they became humble and were a little nice at least. He clearly wasn't so. "I hear the bowling alley is a center of gossip nowadays, be shame if someone heard about the new player was cruel to a cripple pony. Mite not land a single date because of it." He said to the lanes, but loudly so the colt could hear it.

Artie looked at SillySymphony, and then turned away, rolling down to the game section, deciding to take his frustrations out with a small game of poker, the tears still falling from his eyes. Eryx looked at the other colt, then hurried after Artie, suddenly feeling awful. "Articulus." He stopped the other pony, sighing. "Look... I'm sorry." Artie wiped his eyes, sniffling. "D-Dont t-try and apologize to me, E-Eryx." Artie said, rolling past Eryx up to the table. "Hand me a set, won't you?" He said to the pony dealing. "Artie, I'm serious. I need to tell you something. But.. Not here." He ignored the jeers from the other poker players, and then sighed, sitting in a chair beside the crippled pony, leaning over to whisper to Artie. "I.. I really like you, Artie... I'm just... I'm just scared of rejection." Artie dropped his cards, and stared at Eryx, his face a dark blood red. He backed up, and booked it out of the bowling alley, tears falling after him. He only stopped when he realized that he had ended up burning the motor out on his chair, and he sighed, looking down.

He looked around for the camera crews to start busting in and the two turn to him, pointing and saying some dumb catch phrase to him. There was no way this was happening right now in this bowling alley. He didn't notice the colt's playing cards nearby and he didn't expect him to confess to this colt right after insulting him. It was like some sort of crazy soap opera or something. He felt so out of place in this world suddenly. Was this how they live down here? Was this normal? Could anyone even explain to him what normal even is? Should he look and listen to this? What is he suppose to do it this situation? He doesn't even fully understand what is going now here.
He remains quiet as he turned himself over to face the two before him, wondering what is going on and what he should do about this.

"Well, just perfect." Eryx huffed, throwing his cards down. "Just what I was hoping to NOT happen. Him to run off like this. God, our lives have been one freaking soap opera after another since we met! It's like we're on that tv show, "All my Fillies.." .... Not that I watch that or anything!" He snapped at the snickering and jeering poker ponies, then got up, frowning. Should I got after him? Eryx thought to himself, and scuffed his hoof against the ground.

He didn't know know what force maybe him run out after the whell bound pony, but he knew that his hoofs were running past Darkwings to find Articulus and help him. He couldn't let someone fall into despair like he was. He has found comfort in his sorrow, but that colt wouldn't be able to cope with it like Silly. He called out his name in the hopes he would hear hi. He looked left and right in search of the colt. He knew ponies were creatures of harmony, but they easily can trend the path of anger or distrust.


He raced down the street to find him.