Rainbow stared at the ground as she laid on a cloud with Scootaloo, watching Twilight's castle sadly as the two saw two chariots flying closer to Ponyville. "Princess Celestia and Luna are almost here…" Scootaloo whispered sadly. "T-they'll get Dillan out right? He's been in there for weeks…"
“I hope so Scoots…if they can’t…I don’t know what we’ll do.” Rainbow said sadly.
Scootaloo scooted closer to Rainbow Dash, laying against her with a sad look. "Why did Twilight lock him up? I thought you said she just wanted to talk to him."
“I don’t know…” Rainbow said, still staring at the castle below.
"Shouldn't we go meet with them and the princesses?" Scootaloo asked worriedly. "Maybe we can convince them to let him out."
“I…want to but…I don’t want to make things worse.” Rainbow said sadly.
Scootaloo looked at her. "Don't you like him? Shouldn't you be there to support him? That's what my dad said you're supposed to do."
“Of course it is…but…” Rainbow said, not able to find the right words.
Scootaloo frowned and looked back at the castle. "Who knows how Twilight has been treating him, I'm sure he could use his real friends."
“You're right.” Rainbow stood up. “Let’s get down there!”
Scootaloo smiled as she hopped onto Rainbow's back, as she pointed to the castle. "They landed!" She said as Rainbow noticed the princesses talking with Twilight.
“Hang on!” Rainbow spread her wings and glided down to them. “We want Dillan freed!”
Celestia and Luna looked at Rainbow and Scootaloo in confusion before turning to Twilight. "Twilight what is miss Dash speaking of?" Luna asked.
“Well um…I kinda…had to lock Dillan up.” Twilight said nervously.
"Why would thou do such a thing?!" Luna asked in astonishment.
"She thinks Dillan is doing something to me and Scootaloo and blames him for all the stuff that's been happening lately!" Rainbow said angrily, glaring at Twilight.
“A-at first yes…b-but after seeing up close…I think…he is…mentally unwell.” Twilight said nervously.
Rainbow's mane stood on end as her anger rose inside her, the two princesses glancing at each other concerned. "First you accuse him of doing something to me and Scootaloo, and now you think he's crazy!?"
Twilight held up her hooves. “Not crazy!” She looked back at the castle worried.
Rainbow snorted as steam actually came out of her nose while her mane began to smoke slightly. "Then what! You've kept him locked up for WEEKS, whatever happened to him is YOUR fault!"
Celestia stepped forward and placed a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Miss Dash, I understand your loyalty is unmatched but I'm sure Twilight had a good reason."
“I…wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt himself…” Twilight said quietly.
Rainbow's growled again as her mane began smoking more. "Oh I'm sure! What happened to everything you accused him of huh?! Saying he did something to me and Scootaloo, saying he caused that snowstorm! Saying he brought that robot here! What changed!?"
Luna and Celestia glanced at each other again, before turning to Twilight. "Please elaborate."
Twilight sighed and lowered her head. “I had a lot of suspicion that Dillan was up to something, I didn't know what and Rainbow and Scootaloo were acting off, I thought either him or one of his aliens were responsible and disasters kept on happening around him…after I had him locked up for a few days I saw that it wasn't him doing it…and he also…” Twilight couldn’t finish but instead pulled out a piece of sharpened rock with a small bit of blood on it.
The princesses both covered their mouths with their hooves in shock as Rainbow's mane instantly stopped smoking, her eyes glued to the sharpened rock as she stepped back. Scootaloo however teared up looking at the rock, as she began shaking. "H-he… h-hes…"
“No! No…I…stopped him…he is tied to a bed right now…I didn't want him to try again…I…don’t know what to do…” Twilight said and looked at the ground.
Rainbow Dash instantly flew inside the castle, leaving the princesses with Scootaloo and Twilight. "Twilight… this is a very serious matter. All of this. Why did you not inform us of this sooner?" Celestia asked.
Twilight’s ears folded down. “I thought I could handle it…”
Celestia sighed and looked at her. "We understand, let's go talk with Dillan." She said as the group started heading down to the dungeon.
Twilight walked slightly behind the two royal sisters with her head low. “I’m sorry…I did what I thought was right..”
Luna smiled and wrapped a wing around Twilight. "Tis alright Twilight, thou wast just worried about thy friends. We believe this problem doesn't have its roots in your actions." Luna said as the four of them approached the dungeon cell Dillan was in, seeing Rainbow sitting on her haunches as she starred in on the human.
The human had his hands and legs tied to the bed within the cell with a bandage wrapped around his left wrist, his clothes dirty and ragged with rips and tares here and there as he stared out the window with dull lifeless eyes.
Celestia frowned and used her magic to open the cell. “Dillan, can you hear me?” She asked softly.
Dillan glanced at her for a moment, confirming he could hear her before looking back out the window. Celestia slowly walked into the cell and sat down beside him. “Dillan, we need you to talk with us.”
Rainbow tried to take a step closer to the two, but Twilight grabbed her shoulder and shook her head softly as Dillan spoke, his voice raspy and broken as if he hadn't spoken in days. "There's nothing to talk about…."
“Dillan…” Rainbow whimpered.
Celestia looked back before looking at Dillan again. “Dillan, can you tell us why you tried to…end your life?” Rainbow let out a choked sob.
Dillan's eyes sparked a little with life when he heard Rainbow's voice and sob, not going unnoticed by Celestia. "Why not? I'm a burden to everyone… all I do is cause problems."
Luna covered her mouth as Rainbow's eyes filled with tears while Twilight bit her lip worriedly. "This is my fault…" she whispered.
“What about the fillies you saved? Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo? If not for you they would have frozen.” Celestia said while subtly waving her wing towards Rainbow.
Rainbow slowly started walking over as Dillan spoke up. "They wouldn't have been in danger if I hadn't come here… My arrival disrupted the balance of nature and caused the storm."
Luna looked at Twilight who nodded softly. "It's true…" she whispered. "All the evidence points to it…"
“Perhaps, but you still saved them.” Celestia spoke softly then she guided Rainbow’s hoof onto his hand.
Dillan glanced at Rainbow's hoof for a second, before moving his hand away as best as he could while rolling over, causing Rainbow's ears to flatten a bit against her skull. "So what? If I had just gone through with killing myself instead of listening to paradox none of this would have happened…"
“But…then I never would have met you…” Rainbow said softly, and for a moment he heard his fiancé and felt the pull.
Dillan glanced back at Rainbow's sad face, his heart acting as he turned back around. "I'm sorry… but… I just can't right now…"
Rainbow started to openly cry. “S-so what…y-you’re gonna just stay in here? Wh-what about Scootaloo? Wh-what about our date? ….what about me?” She asked.
Dillan grimaced at the sound of her voice, closing his eyes sadly. "I… I don't know…"
Celestia and Luna glanced at each other, before the sun monarch gently led Rainbow dash away from Dillan and out of the cell. “This is troubling…”
"I shall send for Cadence, she has a much more expansive knowledge of the heart." Luna said. "Perhaps she may be able to tell us what is wrong with sir Dillan."
“It could also have to do with me…dulling the connection between Dillan and Rainbow.” Twilight said while rubbing a foreleg.
Rainbow's head snapped in Twilight's direction, as Celestia and Luna raised their eyebrows. "You did what!?/ What connection?"
Twilight flinched back. “I…found a magic connection between Rainbow and Dillan…I tried to cut it but I couldn’t, so I weakened it as much as I could in hopes that Rainbow would go back to herself.”
"Oh my bucking Faust Twilight!" Rainbow said angrily as she stomped her hoof. "I told you there's nothing wrong with me!" Celestia and Luna glanced at each other again, before Luna left the dungeons.
“I didn’t know for sure when I did it!” Twilight said as she backed away from her friend.
Rainbow groaned as she looked back at Dillan, who was still staring at the wall. "Please be ok…" she whispered to herself before trotting out the dungeon slowly.
"I'm sorry…" Dillan whispered to himself, the only two to hear both whispers being Celestia and Twilight. "I don't know what's wrong…" he said, before turning his head so it was in the pillow.
Celestia slowly sighed before using her magic on Dillan to help him rest, then she led Twilight out of the dungeon. “You acted too quickly and have potentially made things worse.”
Twilight's ears flayed back against her skull as she whimpered. "I-i was just trying to help my friend…"
Dillan's eyes opened a little as he listened to the two walk away. "It's not your fault Twilight, this is something I should have done a long time ago." He thought to himself, before turning back onto his back and pulling out another sharp rock.
Celestia and Twilight walk into the castle's throne room, noticing Luna writing a letter as Rainbow Dash sat in her throne with her head down. "Rainbow?…" Twilight said softly as she slowly went up to her friend. "Are you ok?"
“No I am not…you hurt Dillan, and through him you hurt me Twilight.” She said without looking up.
Twilight's ears pressed against her skull again as she looked down. "I-i know, and I can't begin to say how sorry I am. But if it helps at all… he had the same pulling sensation to you that you have to him…"
“How do you know that? Are you still spying on him?” Rainbow asked angrily.
Twilight gulped and shook her head as Luna's horn ignited and she sent the letter away. "N-no… he… he told me."
Celestia rested a wing on Rainbow. “Perhaps you should let Rainbow take care of Dillan, Twilight.”
Twilight looked at her mentor and nodded slowly. "I-i'm so sorry Rainbow…"
“It’s not me you should apologize to.” Rainbow said with a snort.
Twilight looked down again, sadly with her ears pinned back not looking up as the other elements walked into the throne room chatting with each other. "Oh! Forgive the intrusion, we didn't know you were here your majesty's." Rarity said, bowing to the two monarchs.
“It is alright Rarity, we were just about to call you all in.” Celestia said.
"Oh Rainbow! I'm so happy to see you again, I'm so sorry for… for… w-what's wrong?" Fluttershy asked her oldest friend, noticing the look of pain and anger on her face.
“Why don’t you ask ‘princess knows everything’…” Rainbow said with a frown turning into a scowl.
Twilight slowly walked to her throne with her head down as the other elements sat in their thrones as well, each one with a worried look on their faces while Rainbow scowled at Twilight. "I-i… I used a spell to nullify the connection between Dillan and Rainbow…"
The others looked at each other confused before applejack asked. “Ain’t that a good thing?”
Rainbow snorted angrily as her mane began smoking again. "Tell them what happened after you did that!"
Twilight flinched back from the shout as she hung her head, gulping back a lump in her throat as the others looked worried. "Twi, what happened?" Pinkie pie asked, her natural bubbly personality put aside for the serious conversation.
"I-i…" She said, trying to find the words. "I-i caught Dillan… t-trying to… to…"
"To Kill himself!" Rainbow shouted angrily, slamming her hooves on the table with a burst of wind as her mane became engulfed in flames with her fur turning out white. "She made Dillan suicidal!"
“N-no I didn’t!” Twilight argued before looking down in shame. “I…only stopped the link with you which was helping him get better…I don’t know how or why it works…but before he came here he was s-suicidal, after he was getting better…”
"What's the difference!" Rainbow yelled as their friends tried to process the information. "He was getting better, and you made it worse!"
"Rainbow calm down, pegasi don't normally rage shift, if you don't calm down you'll over exert yourself again." Luna said to the mare.
"I don't fucking care! One of my friends has caused another important creature in my life to almost kill himself!" Rainbow shouted.
“I know I screwed up! I was just trying to find out what was happening to you! I stopped after he tried to kill himself and have been trying to stabilize him but…I don’t….I can’t…” Twilight said and sat down on her throne looking very tired.
Rainbow Dash shouted in anger before sitting down on her throne, exhausted as her mane and fur returned to normal. "I… I know you were trying to help Twilight… I… I just… I don't know why it bothers me so much! I just met the dude but it feels like we've been friends for years!"
Celestia looked down and off to the side as she contemplated something for a short time before sighing. "I believe I know why."
Everyone looked at her but it was Fluttershy of all ponies to ask. “You do princess?”
Celestia took a deep breath before nodding. "I was not sure at first, but after everything you've said… I believe there is no other explanation…" She said looking at Rainbow with a small smile. "The reason you feel drawn to Dillan and vice versa is because you have been friends for years… you met each other many years ago not long after you performed your first sonic Rainboom."
Rainbow looked confused, as did everyone there. “How?”
Celestia frowned as her horn began to glow, a sphere of magic appearing above the table as a memory appeared.
"Every fifteen thousand years a natural portal connects our world with that of the human world where Dillan is from. Fifteen years ago the portal opened and in a twist of fate you Rainbow dash had performed your sonic Rainboom precisely at the exact moment the portal opened, causing a chain reaction that pulled you in." Celestia said softly, as the magic sphere showed the image of Rainbow's parents in the throne room. "Your parents witnessed everything, and came to me begging to find you. However, not long after this did you return. You said you met a strange creature called a human, you described him as a small Colt with a brown mane that stood up on two legs with tannish skin."
Celestia's horn flashed slightly as the image in the sphere shifted again, showing Celestia herself with a young Rainbow dash standing in front of a portal. "Not long after that still, the portal opened again for the last time, it revealed the boy you spoke of while he was wearing a yellow shirt with some colorful animals in it, it turned out he had broken into a facility run by his government in order to rescue you." Celestia said, the image shifting again to one of the boy in handcuffs and looking at the ground. "You said you had been captured after you had met him, while for us it has been only a few hours in the human world for you it had been months. You told me how close the two of you had gotten as he kept you hidden knowing what his government would do if you and an alien in their world had found you. When they did he risked himself to save you and get you home, then when the government officials of his world noticed the two of us watching they attempted to capture us both. However, not wanting you hurt he sabotaged a machine in the facility causing it to implode and close the portal. You had begged for him to come through the portal because you didn't want him to get hurt but he refused because he didn't want to leave his family."
The image shifted again to show flames and explosions erupting around the young brown haired boy as he smiled at Rainbow through the portal. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thanks for being my friend Dashy!" The boy said smiling as a final explosion erupted while flames surrounded him, the portal snapping closed immediately afterwards. "You were devastated thinking he had died, I don't know what you two did while you were there but you became so close he risked his own life to make sure you were safe, a child himself. You wouldn't eat and barely slept for months afterwards, your parents eventually had to ask me to erase your memory so you'd finally eat and sleep…"
Rainbow stared at the orb for a long time, her breathing slowly picking up. “Y-you mean I…know him? I….forgot him? I…he….” Tears filled her eyes once more. “C-can you give them back?”
The elements stared at the orb and Rainbow as well, most with tears in their eyes while Applejack had her hat over her eyes."I can, but I don't know what his government officials did to you, it could be traumatic." Celestia said softly as Luna looked at the Rainbow maned mare with a sad look.
“I don’t care…I want to know Dillan again…I want to help him.” Rainbow said with a stomp of her hoof.
"Very well." Celestia said, her horn glowing as she touched it to Rainbow's forehead. The mare's eyes widened as memories from long ago flooded back, memories of two young creatures running around playing in childish wonder, songs played on A machine the boy had, him bringing her dinner as they sat and chatted with smiles on their faces. The memory of one day, after months of them playing and growing close, he had been followed and they were caught. The memory of her getting taken away as the boy begged and pleaded for them not to take his friend, as tears fell from his eyes. And finally the memories of the weeks she has been in the government facility, being starved, interrogated, and how happy she was when the boy had jumped out of a vent hitting a scientist on the head as they were about to cut her open. The memories of everything Celestia had told them, everything was back.
"Rainbow? Did it work?" Fluttershy asked her friend worriedly.
Rainbow cried openly and gasped for air. “Dillan…he saved me…they…he…” She looked up at everyone. “He saved my life.”
Her friends all looked at her with shocked expressions. "H-he did?" Twilight asked, making Rainbow nods as she sobbed.
"T-they were going to dissect me… h-he jumped out of a vent with a large pipe and hit the surgeon on the head…" She said, sobbing before starting to giggle with a blubbery laugh.
Twilight fidgeted before she said. “Actually, if you were still alive and be a vivisection.” At everyone's look she blushed and lowered her head. “Sorry.”
Rainbow continued to giggle and ugly crying laugh. "What is it?" Rarity asked bemused.
"I remember a nickname his friend called him, Dill pickle…" she said, still laughing. "A type of pickle they have in his world."
Pinkie giggled and smiled as her mane became poofy again. “That’s funny.”
Rainbow nodded with a small smile, as she looked up at the ceiling. "I think her name… was…" Rainbow started to say as her eyes widened in shock.
“What was her name Darling?” Rarity asked.
"A-alyssa… h-his fiance…" Rainbow said softly. "S-she was his only other friend at the time…"
“Do ya think he remembered you?” Applejack asked.
Rainbow sniffed as she whipped her eyes, shaking her head. "I don't think so, when we all first met him it didn't seem like it."
Pinkie tapped her chin. “Maybe you should call him that old nickname, it might jog his memory.”
"I wonder why he doesn't remember." Applejack said, looking at Rainbow.
Rarity thought for a moment before she gasped. “The explosion! He obviously survived it, but maybe something hit him on the head and he forgot!”
Rainbow gasped as she looked down. "H-he did so much for me… who knows how long he was hurt… oh my God…" she said covering her face.
Fluttershy hugged her friend. “I am sure he would be happy to remember you.”
Rarity giggled softly. "What a romance story, friends from two dimensions being reunited after years. One thought long dead another without any memory… How tragically romantic!"
Rainbow blushed and rolled her eyes. “Rarity…we were childhood friends, we aren’t romantically interested in each other…”
“That's not what you said a few days ago.” Twilight said weakly.
Rainbow blushed again deeper and looked away quickly. "T-that's because that's what I thought it was!"
Rarity smirked and leaned closer. “Are you sure darling?”
Rainbow blushed deeper and looked away, as Luna slowly went down to the dungeons. "I-i don't know…"
Fluttershy giggled softly before she rubbed Rainbow's back. “You seem to be feeling better.”
Rainbow smiled softly at her. "Y-yeah… remembering all the fun I had with Dillan as a foal really helped."
Fluttershy rubbed Rainbow's back. “Do you want to tell us more about him or his world?”
Rainbow smiled softly as she blushed a bit. "Well… it's actually kind of funny. I remember exiting the portal in a large wooden forest full of tall red trees, there was fog everywhere. I had no idea what was going on and began wandering around randomly. I even tried to fly over the trees but it was too high even for me to get to at the time… that's when I met him. I flew up so high I had to land quickly but I was going too fast. He caught me right before would have hit the ground, causing him to slam into a tree…"
“Aww what a gentle colt.” Rarity said with a smile.
“Even as a colt he was savin folks.” Applejack said.
Rainbow blushed a bit more as she nodded softly, making Twilight's ears flatten in guilt again. "In a panic I got away from him and demanded to know what he was… we were both surprised when we found out we could both talk."
Fluttershy giggled softly. “I could just picture his face.”
Rainbow smiled a bit. "Well while he did look surprised, he was mostly excited because he had never seen a talking pony before. But before we could talk his parents started calling for him, so he told me to hide before they caught me."
Celestia smiled softly. “So he protected you from his world, even his parents.”
Rainbow blushed again with a smile as she thought back. "Y-yeah… after that he explained to me that he knew from books what would happen if I was found out and he didn't think it was right that someone that could talk would go through that."
Twilight looked up weakly. “Did you learn anything about his world?”
Rainbow looked at Twilight and nodded a little. "Yeah a few things… mostly about dinosaurs since Dillan was a big Dinosaur nerd!"
Everyone tilted their heads in surprise. “Dinosaurs?”
"Yeah apparently our worlds share the fact that dinosaurs roamed around thousands of years ago." Rainbow sighed softly.
Celestia giggled from beside Twilight’s throne. “Sounds like Twilight when she was little.”
Twilight blushed a bit and rubbed the back of her neck softly as Rainbow looked at her and sighed, getting up and going over to the Alicorn. "Twi, it's alright. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen." She said, wrapping her wings around her friend.
Twilight hugged Rainbow back. “I’m so sorry Rainbow.”
Rainbow smiled softly. "Hey it's alright, if it wasn't for all this I wouldn't have gotten to remember everything… and besides… you said it yourself Dillan was depressed before coming here so hopefully this will help him fully move forward instead of ignoring it."
“Maybe…but I still hurt him…both of you.” Twilight said sadly.
Rainbow sighed. "Yeah… but you had the best intentions, now come on I know that egg head brain of yours wants to learn more about Dillan's world."
Twilight blushed. “I’m not an egg head…”
Everyone giggled at her as Rainbow playfully bumped her. "Sure you're not."
Twilight sighed as she pulled out some paper and a quill. “Mind telling me about his world?”
Rainbow smiled a bit, before Luna came barging back into the room with a panicked look on her face. "Sir Dillan is gone!"
“What!?” Everyone yelled and Rainbow ran past Luna down to the dungeons.
"He shouldn't have been able to get out! I know I made it so he wouldn't be able to reach his Ultimatrix!" Twilight said in shock.
“Twilight dear, did you make sure he couldn’t just squeeze out of the cell?” Rarity asked.
"He was tied down!" Twilight said. "I tied him down so he wouldn't hurt himself!"
"He had another rock!" Rainbow dash shouted, rushing up the stairs. "He cut himself free!"
“What!? How?!” Twilight asked as her ears folded back. “We need to find him.”
"B-but where…" Rainbow said holding her head with her hooves.
Twilight tapped her chin. “I can try a locating spell but…they can be tricky.”
“It’s true, even me and my sister have trouble with them.” Celestia said.
"It is dark out." Luna said. "Maybe I can use the moon to locate him."
“What are you waiting for? Do it!” Rainbow yelled.
Everyone stared at Rainbow in shock for a moment, before she used her magic to create a magic viewing orb showing Dillan flying through a forest as a blue bug looking alien. Clouds start to cover the view. “What the?” Rainbow got closer. “Where is he going?”
Dillan landed near his house in the white tailed woods, grabbing his head as he returned to normal gritting his teeth as his body shook in pain and anger. "What the hell is wrong with me…" he said, tears flowing down his face as he shook.
Dillan's teeth clenched more as he screamed in agony his voice filled with pain and sorrow before he suddenly punched himself in the face repeatedly and slamming his head into a tree as he cried and slid down to his knees.
Rainbow covered her mouth and gasped. “No! Dillan stop it!”
Everyone else covered their mouths in shock as he curled up in a ball, covering his head like a scared child who didn't know why they did something. “I’m going to him!” Rainbow said as she turned to leave.
"Rainbow wait!" Twilight said, going over to her. "Listen, I think Dillan feels guilty."
“He needs a friend!” Rainbow yelled back.
Twilight nodded her head. "you're right he does, but… I don't think any of us can give him that right now. All of us aside from you accused him of doing something bad and causing all the stuff that's happened… but you… he told me he thinks he has feelings for you, just like you do for him." She said, making Rainbow blush. "And because of that I think he feels guilty for… for forgetting and getting distracted about his family and fiance's deaths… and for moving on so soon."
Rainbow looked down.” So there is nothing I…we can do?”
Her friends hugged her in a comforting embrace, as the princesses watched them no one noticing as a portal opened near Dillan. “Whoa!” A young girl fell through and landed on her butt. “Ouch! You could have made it where I can walk through the portal!” She yelled up at the portal.
Dillan hugged himself more as he sobbed, not looking up.
The girl rubbed her butt as she stood up. “Um…hey there…my name is Kendra.” She said before looking around. “Can you tell me where we are?”
Dillan sniffed a bit as he looked at Kendra with a depressed stare, his face bruised and bloody with pieces of his hair missing. "Just outside of ponyville…" he whispered.
“Oh…” Kendra dug in her bag and pulled out a first aid kit. “Do you mind if I help you?”
Dillan looked away, holding his knees to his chest. "the help I need no one can give… not unless you can bring back the dead."
“Sorry no.” Kendra said as she knelt down next to him, then she drew something in the dirt. “I just know how to make light.” She then tapped on the drawing and made a ball of light.
Dillan looked at the ground as it glowed, turning his head away sadly. "Neat."
Kendra moved the ball of light up to Dillan’s face. “I may be a teenager but I am a good listener.” She then tried to clean Dillan’ forehead.
Dillan turned away again, covering his face. "It's… complicated…"
Kendra hummed before she placed a hand on his head. “I am here for you.” She gently rubbed his head.
Dillan choked out a sob, slowly lifting his head as he stared at his knees. "I-i killed my family before I came here."
Kendra kept rubbing his head. “I am sure that’s not true, you seem like a good person.”
Dillan raised an eyebrow at her, before chuckling softly. "You just met me… and I… I was supposed to change a gas valve but didn't… My house exploded and killed e-everyone…" he said, begging to sob again. "M-my whole family… E-even my.. f-fiance… a-and ourour unborn child…"
Kendra looked down. “You didn’t change it but…things happen in life.” She looked up at the sky while she kept rubbing his head. “My aunt and uncle died one day when they were driving due to the weather getting bad. But we don’t blame them.”
"That's different!" Dillan yelled, moving away and standing up. "Weather in the human world can't be controlled! But I could have changed the valve! My fiance asked me so many times to change it and I didn't!"
Kendra got up and followed him. “But you didn’t want the house to explode. You were probably busy with other things and forgot about the valve.”
Dillan sighed and nodded a bit. "I did have work… but I mean… it's not just that…"
“Then tell me.” She said before she took out some paper and placed them down, making two ice pillars grow and vines wrap around them and form a hammock.
Dillan glanced at it with a chuckle. "Trying to be a therapist?"
Kendra shrugged and rubbed the back of her head. “I just thought you’d feel more comfortable with somewhere to sit.”
Dillan smiled softly and sat down, staring at the ground for a while. Kendra sat on the ground and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.
Dillan's eyes filled with tears before they slid down his face, causing him to sob as he tried to wipe them away like a child. "I-i've only been here for a few months… a-and I feel like I'm betraying my fiance because… i-i'm…"
Kendra tilted her head. “You’re what?”
Dillan sobbed a bit. "I think I'm moving on… I think I have… a crush on someone…"
Kendra smiled and clapped. “That is a good thing! But I think I understand, you are falling in love but still have feelings for your fiance. You can move on and still hold her in your heart.” She said and put a hand on her chest.
"I-i know… but i-i just forgot about her when I got here… I was so distracted and moved on without even realizing it… what kind of person does that! Forgetting about the one person that was besides you for your whole life!"
Kendra thought for a moment before she said. “What if she was guiding you here? Helping you move on because she saw how much pain you were in.”
Dillan leaned back in the hammock and as he looked away. "That would be something she'd do…but I'm not ready to move on."
“Why?” Kendra asked softly.
"Because it hurts to look at the mare I think I like… every time I do I can't help but think of Alyssa…" He whispered.
Kendra looked between him and the ground. “Have you talked about this with that mare?”
Dillan sighed and shook his head. "No… I know she has a crush on me as well, but it just feels… wrong comparing her to my dead fiance…"
Kendra hummed and looked down. “Do you compare them or do you just get reminded of your fiance?”
"Reminded…" Dillan said with a soft sign. "but it's hard not to compare them automatically when they're so much alike."
Kendra hummed and looked up at the sky. “I see, well maybe you could talk with this person and explain your feelings. She could understand and help you get to know her.”
Dillan chuckled softly. "Didn't you say you were fourteen? How are you so smart?"
Kendra blushed and chuckled as she looked at the ground embarrassed. “Me and my mom used to watch a lot of soap operas together.”
Dillan smiled softly. "Hearing everything you just said… makes what I'm feeling seem stupid…"
“It is never stupid to feel that way, it is just your mind trying to defend yourself.” She said and stood up. “You are hurting and still grieving for your family, so your uh…subconscious is looking for something to keep you safe and blaming you seems to be the easiest way you thought of.”
Dillan sighed and nodded a bit. "I suppose so…"
"Get away from him!" A voice shouted before Rainbow dash landed between Dillan and Kendra. "I don't know who you are but I'm not gonna let you do anything to my friend! He's been through enough!"
Kendra flinched and backed away slowly. “Wh-what? I was j-just-”
"Rainbow…" Dillan said softly, gently grabbing the mare's shoulder. "It's ok, she was just helping me calm down."
“She…was?” Rainbow said and started to calm down, then she looked back at Kendra and saw a scared child. “Oh geez, what did I do…”
Dillan looked over at Kendra, slowly going over to her and settling a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"
“Y-yeah sorry, she just surprised me and…I am kinda on the run from Celestia in my world.” She said with a sigh and sat down. “Nice to meet you Rainbow.”
"On the run from your Celestia?" The two asked together worriedly. "Why?" Dillan added.
Kendra held up a piece of paper with a glitch on it, tapped it and it became a ball of light. “Wild magic.” She said with a helpless shrug.
"Wait, your Celestia is after you because you have wild magic?" Dillan asked with a frown. "That's so dumb."
Rainbow Dash nodded and slowly walked over to Kendra, gently putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Yeah it is, and I'm sorry again for scaring you… i-i was just worried about my friend."
Kendra nodded and sighed. “Yeah, it is stupid and thats not all.” She looked at Rainbow. “It’s ok, I was just talking to him about his troubles.”
Rainbow blushed in embarrassment as Dillan smiled softly, the two glancing at each other for a second as Kendra noticed the look. Kendra gasped and pointed at Rainbow. “So she is the mare you were talking about!” She said excitedly.
Dillan blushed deeply as Rainbow looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing!" Dillan said quickly.
Kendra giggled as she walked around the two of them. “He likes you.~” She said in a sing-songy way.
Rainbow blushed as she stared at Dillan for a moment, her head hanging down a little as he covered his face. "Kendra, what the heck!"
Kendra giggled a bit and walked over to Rainbow then whispered into her ear. “Be gentle with him, he has lost a lot and is feeling bad for moving on.”
Rainbow blushed and jumped away from her. "What the heck kid! He just lost his family, what do you think we'll be doing!?"
Kendra tilted her head. “Be friends, talk with each other and support each other?”
Rainbow blushed more and looked away. "Then choose your phrasing better!"
Dillan rubbed his arm and looked away a bit. "I had wanted to try and make it special when I told her…"
Kendra looked between them before she smiled. “Look Dillan, you have a friend!”
Dillan glanced at Rainbow who looked at him at the exact same time, making both blush and bit and smile softly. "Thanks Kendra…"
Kendra smiled and leaned back. “I am happy I could help.” They heard the sound of wings and she looked up to see Celestia coming, which made her eyes widened in fear, she then ran behind Dillan.
Dillan looked at her before turning back to see Celestia flying down. “Dillan, it is good to see you not hurt.” Celestia said softly as she landed.
He nodded a little glancing away, still feeling depressed about his family as Rainbow gently rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry I left Princess… I just… I couldn't stop myself when I saw Dillan talking to that human…"
“I understand Rainbow. Dillan, are you feeling better?” She asked with a soft smile while Kendra kept hiding behind Dillan.
"Y-yes ma'am, I'm sorry for scaring everyone…" He said softly as he looked back at Kendra. "It's ok, she won't hurt you. She isn't your Celestia."
“Are you sure? Her guards aren’t around here somewhere waiting to arrest me are they?” Kendra asked.
Celestia looked at the two with a raised eyebrow, as Dillan nodded. "I'm sure, she was already in ponyville to check on me before you got here."
“Ok.” Kendra siad and slowly came out from behind Dillan. “Hi.” She said shyly.
Celestia smiled softly. "Hello young one, thank you for helping our friend."
Kendra relaxed a bit. “I just did what I thought was right.”
Dillan smiled a little. "I appreciate it, I… I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't talked to me."
Kendra smiled and looked up at him. “I’m happy I could help then.”
Rainbow smiled softly as she glanced at Dillan blushing softly as she looked away and uncharacteristically rubbed her leg. "T-thanks for saving him…"
“All I did was listen to him and give him a different point of view.” Kendra said with a small smile. “I hope he can get better now.” She said and looked up at Dillan.
Rainbow smiled a bit as Dillan nodded softly, glancing back at Rainbow as well. "Dillan, I would like you to come back to Twilight's castle so we can keep an eye on you… just in case." Celestia said softly.
“Twilight has a castle?!” Kendra asked, shocked.
Dillan chuckled softly as Celestia and Rainbow raised their eyebrows. "She's a princess here, yes." Celestia said, confused.
“What!? But back home she is just a librarian!” Kendra shouted as she grabbed her head.
Dillan chuckled softly. "Let me guess you never watched the TV show."
“Show?” Kendra asked, confused.
"Apparently there is a TV show about us in the human world." Rainbow said with a sigh as Dillan nodded.
"Y-yeah, in it it shows how Twilight becomes an alicorn. So odds are this dimension is farther in the future than yours, but you can't say anything about it. Otherwise it might mess things up." He told Kendra.
“Oh…” Kendra said and looked down in thought. “I think the last thing that happened with Twilight’s friends was something to do with an empire.”
"Oh, the crystal empire…" Dillan said, glancing at Celestia.
“Yeah I think that was it.” Kendra said.
"I see…" Celestia said while looking at her. "How did you get here if I may ask?"
“A man in a lab coat said a future friend needed my help.” She said while tilting her head.
Dillan looked at her for a moment before smiling and hanging his head. "Paradox…"
Kendra yawned and stretched before wincing and grabbing her arm. “Do you think we could go inside for a bit?”
Dillan looked at her and nodded a bit. "yeah… is your arm ok?" He asked, helping her stand up.
“I’m ok…just a burn.” She said and looked down.
"A burn?" Rainbow dashed asked worriedly. "Are you ok?"
“Maybe?” Kendra said and lifted her shirt sleeve and on her arm is a fresh red burn mark.
"What in the!?" Dillan and Rainbow said together, as Dillan knelt down to look at the burn.
"Rainbow, can you go to my house and get the burn cream from the bathroom cabinet?" Dillan asked the mare as Celestia walked over to inspect the burn.
Kendra hissed when Dillan touched the burn. “Ow, it is just a burn from one of Celestia’s guards.”
Celestia covered her mouth in shock as Rainbow flew away quickly. "Crap sorry, it'll be ok soon."
“It stings but doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.” She said and looked down at it for the first time then her eyes rolled into her head and she fainted.
Dillan quickly caught her and looked at Celestia. "Do you know what this is? Since it's from your guard even if it's from another dimension?"
Celestia looked closer. “It seems like a fire spell mixed with a numbing spell, tracking spell, and sleeping spell…quite impressive.”
"Not helpful, can you remove it?" Dillan asked as he picked Kendra up gently.
“Yes, though we should take care of the burn first, if I remove the spells she will be in pain.” Celestia said as she kneeled down a bit. “I can carry you both.”
Dillan nodded a bit as he got on Celestia's back with Kendra in his arms. "A-are you sure?"
“You two are as light as a filly to me.” Celestia said as she flapped her wings and took off.
"If you say so… can we go to my house so Rainbow doesn't freak out about not finding us?" Dillan asked with a soft chuckle, his small smile slowly turning into a frown again.
Celestia giggled a bit. “Dillan, I am a princess that is over a thousand years old, do you really think she would think I'm trying to steal you?”
"I-i meant… n-nevermind…" he said softly, looking off to the side.
“Relax Dillan, I am just teasing you. I see you as a friend nothing more.” She said as she started to land. “Do you need help getting inside?”
"No, thank you though." Dillan said softly as he carried Kendra into his house, setting her on the couch gently as Rainbow came out of the bathroom.
“Oh Dillan! I got the burn cream.” Rainbow said as she walked over.
Dillan smiled softly at her as Celestia noticed the change in his demeanor. "Thanks Dashy." He said, gently putting some of the burn cream on Kendra's arm.
Celestia smiled softly as she slowly backed away. “You're welcome.” Rainbow said with a light blush. “Will she be ok?”
"I hope so, Celestia still needs to remove the spell." He said softly, glancing at where Celestia was. "Huh? Where'd she go?"
“She left?” Rainbow asked and looked around.
Dillan looked down a little as he continued to put the burn cream on Kendra's arm. "I guess… even Celestia doesn't want to be around me for as long as she has too…"
Rainbow sensing Dillan’s feeling placed a hoof on his arm with a smile. “Are you ok?”
He looked at her smiling face as his heart beat rose a bit, nodding slowly. "Y-yeah… s-still just thinking of my family you know?"
“Can you tell me about them…Dill pickle?” Rainbow said with a shy smile.
Dillan looked at her in surprise, while he gently wrapped Kendra's burn in some bandages from the bathroom. "H-how do you…?"
Rainbow blushed and rubbed her head. “Well um…you know how you have knowledge of us from that show?”
Dillan raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Yeaaaah?"
“Well it turns out…” Rainbow started but a scroll appeared between them with Celestia’s mark on it.
Dillan raised an eyebrow as he slowly reached out for the scroll. "A letter from Celestia?" He asked, confused, as he opened it to read. On the letter were instructions on how to remove the spells and Celestia’s apologies that she needed to go somewhere. "Oh, it's instructions on how to remove the spell." He said with a small smile.
“Oh, do you think you can do it as a unicorn or alicorn?” Rainbow asked him, forgetting what she was gonna say.
"I can try." He said, popping up his Ultimatrix and turning into a unicorn, his horn glowing slowly as he read the instructions. Rainbow watched him with a slight blush, her heart beating faster.
‘oh Foust, why is he hot as a pony?!’ Rainbow thought while doing her best to keep a straight face.
Dillan's hazelnut eyes glanced between the letter and Kendra's arm, his magic flowing over her as the moonlight shone through the window almost like Luna was setting a romantic sense.
Rainbow’s wings fluttered as she watched, eyes slowly widening. “Wow.” She said softly.
Dillan looked at her, his eyebrow raised as he blocked the light of the moon causing his shadow to fall over her while the light reflected off a mirror to give her a view of his face. "Everything ok?" He asked her worriedly.
Rainbow blushed lightly. “Y-yeah, everything is cool. H-how is the foal?” She asked, trying to change the subject.
Dillan turned his head back to Kendra with a small smile. "If I did it right, she should be fine by morning according to the spell."
“That's good.” Rainbow said with a smile before she leaned closer. “Huh, are all human foals this…small?”
"Well… sometimes? It depends on genetics most of the time…" Dillan said, looking at Kendra with a worried look. "I'm not sure if that's it though…"
“What do you think it is then?” Rainbow asked as she poked Kendra’s ribs.
"Probably malnourishment, she said she was on the run from Celestia so I doubt she's around others often." Dillan said.
“She did say something like that…why would her Celestia be after her?” Rainbow said with a confused frown.
"She said it was because she can use wild magic." Dillan said with a soft sign.
“The buck is wild magic anyway? Do you know what she was displaced as?” Rainbow asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"I think she's displaced as Luiz from the Owl house. A show where she could use drawings to Channel the natural magic in the air and use it… but it was illegal I think." Dillan said.
“Huh, that sounds kinda dumb.” Rainbow said before she looked back at the everfree. “Then again, we don’t like wild weather.”
"Exactly." Dillan chuckled softly, returning to his human form. "when she wakes up I'll cook her something to eat…"
“Is…is there anything I can do?” Rainbow asked as she followed him.
Dillan sighed a bit. "Just… be here please?"
“Of course.” Rainbow said with a smile.
Chapter end