//------------------------------// // Chapter 45: Party! // Story: The Hacker Pwny // by Chetzi //------------------------------// Ughhhhh, what happened? Last thing I remember is Twilight asking me what happened, then everything just went dark. I think something might have hit me from behind, and knocked me out. I felt like I was restrained on a wall. As I drifted in and out of conscience, I picked up tidbits of conversation. Every time I glanced in front of me, I shall the throne room, with the princesses pacing back and forth. "...not safe..." was something I heard. "... saved... don't send..." was another. The voices were far too distorted for me to guess who was saying them. I couldn't think straight. I opened my eyes one more time, to find Luna staring at me. "Sir Blaze, I'm glad you're awake," Luna told me. "Why am I here?" I asked. "Celestia... she doesn't want you in Equestria anymore. I tried to keep you here, but my sister insists on making you go. She claims you're a danger to everypony here. I'm sorry to say, but you must return to Earth, immediately." "What?!" "I'm very sorry. I could not persuade her." I looked down as Luna freed me from the wall. After all that, I'm getting banished to Earth. After all I've done, Celestia wants me to just go. "Does anypony else know about this?" "Yes, I've told you friends." "This really is it, isn't it?" "I don't want to see you go, but I don't have a choice." "Is he awake?" Asked Celestia as she walked up to me. "Yes," Luna said. "Neon," Celestia continued, "I'm very sorry for this, but I can't have you risk the lives of my citizens any longer. You must leave, and never return." "If you really find that the best option, then I'll go," I replied. A tear almost came to my eye, but I held it back. I slowly walked out of the castle, the two princesses following me close behind. As I pushed open the doors, I could a large crowd screaming outside. What the?! I burst through the door, seeing a huge crowd of ponies all around the castle. They were chanting, "Save Neon! Save Neon!" How...? Who even are these ponies? Then I spotted seven ponies near the front. The Mane Six, and Vinyl. Luna must have told more than just my friends. And maybe exaggerated what I did. As I looked back at Celestia, she had a look of pure surprise. "I suppose this changes things, Neon. I will keep you under watch, but you're allowed to stay here as long as nothing else happens because of your presence. I would not be a very good ruler if I didn't listen to my subjects, and I'd rather not have another fight to transfer to a democracy system again." So... I can stay now? Well, that was quick. For the first time in a while, I shot a smile toward Luna. I haven't smiled in quite a while. Now that all that's gone, trying to fit in here, getting home and back by building the MTSC, the human invasion, fighting Scavell, I feel... free. Like a pressure has been lifted. At least, for now, I will be free to do what I want. Luna floated a mic toward me, and motioned for me to say something to the crowd. I tapped the mic, and a tapping sound echoed throughout the crowd. I held the mic to my face, and said, "Hello, everypony. I'm the one who saved you from the humans, as Luna probably told you. I did it for all of you. I do what's right, no matter how hard it is. But, don't treat me like a hero. Treat me like a friend. Why? Because it's what a friend would do." A male pony walked up to me, pointed his hoof at me, and yelled into the crowd, "He's the one that caused the humans to attack in the first place! He made some sort of device that the humans used to get here! I have evidence, it's all in the blueprints from when he made it!" The crowd gasped, and went silent. Quiet conversation was heard between small groups. "What he said is true," I said, but the crowd went into an uproar. I spoke over them, "I made the device so I could go home, I had no idea the humans would steal it and use it to invade this place. You can't blame it on me. If I really wanted this to happen, would I have risked my life to save all of you by stopping the humans?" The crowd was bursting with conversation between small groups, each sounding like gibberish because so many were talking. Luna took the mic from me, and said, "I'm sure we can all forgive sir Blaze. We have all made mistakes, but Neon has fixed his." The crowd had murmurs of agreement. The pony who turned the crowd against me went back into the crowd. I guess this means I'm accepted as an Equestrian. Strange how accepting the citizens are here. I thought they had xenophobia, but they must have learned not to fear the unknown since the Zecora event. Most of the ponies here appear to be from Ponyville. I just hope that I can go a week without some event happening that involves me being in a lot of pain. Maybe I'll head back to Earth, with Vinyl, and show her around. So much fighting, so much pain, and I get a break. But, of course, it's not over. It's never over. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the little things. As I walked down the stairs, to meet Vinyl, Celestia stopped me with a hoof on my shoulder. "Wait," she said. "I have one thing to say before you go. I'm sorry. Since the beginning, I've never trusted you. I now see I've been wrong to do that. Just moments ago, I didn't trust you. But above all else, you deserve my trust, and my friendship. I grant you full citizenship in Equestria. You've worked harder than anypony else, and you deserve it. Not only that, but Luna really thinks of you as a friend." I nodded, then continued my path to meet Vinyl. As I approached her, she trotted up and hugged me. I stood there, not reacting. After a brief pause, I said, "You can let go now." I probably should have said something else, but I don't care. Vinyl released me, while leaving her arm around my neck. As I approached The Mane Six, I noticed that Rainbow Dash wasn't there. Hmm, she must still be mad about that one time I was at her parent's house. No, wait, I only count four of them. Uh, which one is missing? It's... the yellow one, I think. Yeah, Fluttershy isn't here. I look past The Mane Six, to see Fluttershy politely trying to move to the front of the audience. She must have been to scared to be in the front, but now the crowd is clearing out. I looked back at The Mane Six, to find that Vinyl is standing with them. Wait, then who has their arm around me? I looked to my left, to find that Pinkie Pie took Vinyl's place. "Turn that indifferent expression upside down, I'm throwing a party for you! And everypony's invited!" Pinkie said. "An indifferent expression turned upside down is still an indifferent expression," I replied. Haven't I told her I don't like people? Why does she keep insisting on these parties? There's nothing to gain by looking like a fool with your hooves in the air. Ugh, I don't feel like having to fight her right now. I'll try and not smash my face into the wall. "But, fine. I'll go. Can I pick the theme?" I wonder if Ponyville has neurotoxin... "Ohhhhh, a theme? I love themes! It should have pirates, and ninjas, and ninja pirates and peanut better that tastes like fried cheese and penguins and-" I put my hoof over Pinkie's mouth. I can not take any more of her high-pitched talking. She continued to talk about random things, though I couldn't understand here because everything she said was muffled. She somehow teleported to the other side of me, and continued to talk. "So, what's the theme?" As for the theme, I wanted something of human design. Also, relating to technology in some way. I think Vinyl would like this, also. Plus, I could slip away pretty easily if I got tired of it. I don't have positive or negative tags on themes, but with the facts and opinions stated above, I know what to pick. It looks like it won't be too much longer, the sun's already going down. (Play the music.) "Woohoo!" Pinkie squealed as she danced around, in a cyberpunk-themed party with neon glow sticks wrapped all around her. Various other ponies did the same, with Vinyl providing the wubs. I never really liked music, just the hum of a computer fan was often the only sound I ever heard. And I liked it, it was nice, it wasn't distracting, and it allowed me to think clearly. But now, something I never thought would happen, I should just stop thinking and have fun. I deserve it. If only that was as easy as it seemed. I always felt silly trying to do things like this. I leaned on a wall as I thought, the rest of the party oblivious of me. Vinyl changed the song, and trotted over to me, her arms covered in glowing bright blue rings. I'd say she looks absurd, but there are a lot worse subcultures on Earth. And I guess it just kind of fit her. She tapped my shoulder, making my eyes open. "Hey!" Vinyl screamed over the ground-shaking wubs. It was loud enough for it to be considered a whisper at the current background decibels. "You okay? I thought you'd be dancing, or something, man. It's your party, after all." I looked over her again, she was wearing those purple glasses. Then I noticed something behind her. Is that... Luna? I shifted to see behind Vinyl, to see Luna being carried across the sea of ponies, like when rock stars jump into crowds, and the crowd carries him. I guess I could consider her a friend, even though she's the one who dragged me into this mess in the first place. We were in the town hall, and Vinyl had me repurpose the hologram to shoot lasers and make a light show. "Hell-lo? You still there, dude? Should I turn the wubs up?" Ah, that reminds me. I wonder why this society has arcade games, powerful audio systems, including bass, and yet they still use typewriters and don't have washing machines. The tech used in arcade alone is enough for- "Yo, Neon, anypony home?" Vinyl interrupted my thoughts with, followed by a repeated tap to my head. "I'm fine, just thinking," I replied. "Well stop, let's dance!" "What a perverse idea, dancing with hooves and quadrupedal movement. If you surely insist that rhythmic movement is even possible in such an awkward body type, then you have anoth- mfh!" Vinyl cut my talking off with a kiss. I hate it when she does that, I can never win. "Heh, that shut you up. Now, let's dance." She dragged me over to a dance floor, that already had quite a few ponies already on it. Most notably, Pinkie Pie, considering how she's going all over the place. She looks a little tipsy also, she must be hitting the cider. And where there's cider, there's a drunk-out-of-her-mind Rainbow Dash nearby. I couldn't find her, not with the wave of bright colors invading my eyesight already. Actually, it was dark, I couldn't even see the floor or the walls. The only lights were the lasers and the glow rings everybody has, but me. Vinyl took my hooves, and tried to dance. It was akward, but I did what I could. I just wonder what’s next.