//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Unpleasant arrival // Story: The Return of a Fallen Ally // by Autumn Lightsky //------------------------------// Twilight The trio of Ryuko, Spike, and Twilight walked out of carousel boutique saying goodbye to Rarity. Twilight pulled out her checklist for the market. Ryuko's eye widened. The list was around 7 feet long. "Alright you two, ready to help me get some supplies?" Twilight asked. Spike replied with the usual nod but Ryuko just stood there for a moment before responding. "Y-yeah. Sure." He said looking at the ground. This made her worry a little. But she didn't think much of it. "Okay, first, we need to go to Sugar Cube Corner to get some bread. Let's go!" She said putting the list away in her saddlebag with spike a Ryuko following behind. As she walked she started noticing glares from everyone. -what's up with everypony today? Why are they all staring at us?- She had been so focuses in the crowd that she hadn't noticed the stallion in front of her. "Oof!" She rubbed her forehead and looked up at the stallion she bumped into. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." He didn't respond to her. He seemed to be glaring behind her. He turned to see Ryuko's hand in his pockets and his eyes towards the ground. "What's is that thing doing here?" The stallion pointed a hoof at Ryuko. "What do you mean? Ryuko has a name. And he isn't a thing." "He's a strange creature that should leave. We don't want freaks like him here in Ponyville." Twilight looked at the stallion in shock. He didn't even know what Ryuko had even through. How could he say something like that? "Well, I see that things haven't changed at all for the last few millennium. I'll let you and Spike go run your errands. I'll head back to the library." "But Ryuko, it'll be okay." Twilight pleaded. "Come with me and Spike." "It's fine Spark- I mean Twilight. I can see I'm not really wanted here." Ryuko said. "I'll see you later". He started off towards the library. A few paces later he extended his wings and flew off at great speeds. Twilight looked in the direction Ryuko took off and back at the stallion. "Why would you say that to him?! He have his life to save the Princesses over 1000 years ago! He doesn't deserve this!" She yelled at him, causing a few heads to turn in their direction. "He's still a freak, no matter what he did." The stallion said trotting off. Twilight's jaw dropped. -I thought the ponies in this town were accepting. Not segregating.- "Don't worry Twilight. He still has us. We should just give him some space." Spike suggested. "Okay, if you think it's a good idea Spike." Twilight sighed. "Well, we better get our errands done." Spike nodded. Throughout the day ponies she kept hearing conversations about the new freak in Ponyville. It made her think about something Ryuko said. -what did he mean that nothing had changed? Did every pony treat him badly back then too?- Suddenly, a loud noise and a large amount of confetti covered her. "PINKIE!" She yelled. "Oh my gosh Twilight! I'm so so sorry! But you do look kinda funny like that." Twilight sighed as the pink pony jumped up and down, never seeming to tire out. "It's okay Pinkie." She said cleaning the confetti from her mane. "I was just heading back to the library actually." "Oh cool! Is that where this new person is? Everyone is calling him a freak but I thinks all he needs is for people to accept him! Every pony tells me that he was with you. So I thought he would be at the library when I saw he wasn't with you." She said hopping up and down. She then stopped and looked up when a rainbow maned Pegasus shouted. "Pinkie pie! Twilight! We have to look for Dinky! Look at anyplace that is high! I'll explain later but we need to hurry!" Rainbow dash shouted. She seemed distressed which rarely happened. Twilight turned to spike. "Spike, go get Ryuko and tell him about what we know and what Dinky looks like." Spike nodded and hurried off. Twilights horn glowed as she tried to cast a scrying spell. As powerful as the spell was however, it failed. "Dinky must not want anyone to find her, my scrying spell isn't working." She darted off in a direction and began her search.