Entering the dining hall, Cadence used her magic to light candles along the walls.
Stevie and Ray both sniffed the air and listened to the guards setting the table, the clinking glasses, and the sound of plates being placed on the table.
“You smell that?” Stevie asked, walking further into the room.
“Yeah, salad!” Ray confirmed, following his friend further into the room.
Pinkie bounced up to a chair and sat down next to Stevie.
“Sounds like we’re sitting at a long table!” Stevie remarked.
“Yeah, I think we might be!” Ray agreed.
The others slowly sat down, with Twilight next to Cadence and her brother, Flurry sitting next to her mother grinning from ear to ear.
“Come on, let’s dig in!” Apple Bloom, who was sitting next to Applejack spoke up.
Twilight used her magic to levitate a bowl of salad over to Apple Bloom.
“Thanks, Twilight!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, taking some salad out of the bowl and passing it to Scootaloo who also took some salad out of the bowl and then passed it to Sweetie Belle.
“So how did you come to Equestria, Stevie?” Cadence asked.
“Well, I was originally human, but one day, it all changed, all I remember from that day is I was in a car accident, and then I don’t remember anything after coming to Equestria, then, a few years ago, I met Vinyl and Octavia!” Stevie answered.
“And what about you, Ray?” Shining asked, swallowing his last bite of a burger.
“Well, I was pretty young when I came here, I was pretty upset when I saw my brother in that well!” Ray sniffled, remembering how his mother scolded him after he had told her what happened. “And many years later, I was upset about it so I jumped in the same well, and ended up here!”
“I’m sorry that happened.” Cadence said as she tried to comfort him..
“Don’t be, honestly I’m glad that ah’m here!” Ray dryly admitted, taking a sip of his apple cider.
Stevie could feel his eyes fill up with tears, why didn’t Ray tell him what happened? He thought to himself as he started to softly cry.
“Hey sugar, everythin’ ok?” Applejack asked, noticing that Stevie looked sad.
“I’m fine.” Stevie lied, wiping away his tears from under his glasses.
“Ya ain’t, you can tell me, Ah ain’t gonna judge ya.” Applejack honestly said as she went over to him. “So tell me.”
“It’s not important!” Stevie mumbled under his breath.
“It’s not like Ray is gonna betray you and then marry Vinyl.” Pinkie blurted out.
Twilight glared at her as she went over to Stevie.
“What?” Pinkie asked, looking confused.
“Pinkie, now ain’t the time.” Applejack scolded the pink pony.
Twilight laid a hoof on Stevie‘s shoulder.
“You ok?” She asked the brown stallion.
“Do I look ok, no, of course I’m not ok.” Stevie snapped, removing his sunglasses to reveal his small gray eyes, now moist with tears.
“Pinkie, y’all better have an explanation for this.” Applejack growled at Pinkie.
Flurry was looking between the adults, not really sure what was happening.
“Flurry, sweetie, go to your room please, mommy and your aunties need to talk.” Cadence gently told her daughter.
“But mom, I wanna know what’s going on.” Flurry protested.
“Sorry sweetie, it’s grown-up stuff.” Shining interjected.
Flurry let out a heavy sigh, but did as she was told.
When she passed her aunt Pinkie, the young alicorn waved to her.
When Flurry was gone, Cadence stood up and walked over to Applejack and Pinkie.
“I understand that it can be hard when you believe somebody has betrayed you, but I also know that in the end you can apologize, so Pinkie, I think you should say that you are sorry for assuming that Ray would betray his friend.” Cadence gently advised.
“I’m sorry, Stevie for jumping to conclusions.” Pinkie went over to him.
“Well, if you promise that it ain’t gonna happen again, Ah guess Ah could let it slide.” Stevie wiped away his tears and put his glasses back on.
“This was really nice, Princess Cadence.” Ray said to her from across the table.
“I’m glad you liked it, but you can just leave the ‘princess’ part of my name out, you can just call me Cadence.” The princess of love gently advised.
“Of course, Cadence.” Ray grinned at her.
“Ray you better not get any ideas, she’s mine.” Shining defended his wife.
“Ah wasn’t, Ah swear.” Ray huffed in frustration.
Shining looked at his wife, who was giving him a disapproving look.
“Shining Armor, why in Equestria would you jump to a conclusion like that, just because Ray smiled at me, I for one don’t see an issue with that.” Cadence asked when they were back in their quarters.
“Yeah, I just want to make sure.” Shining embraced his wife.
Then there came a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Cadence called from the bed.
Their young daughter, Flurry entered the room, her face strict with tears.
“Oh, Flurry, what’s wrong?” Cadence asked.
“I went back into the dining hall, but they were fighting, auntie Twilight was trying to defuse the situation, I ... .I only tried to help.” Flurry hiccuped as fresh tears started to form in her eyes.
“Well, when your auntie Twilight is trying to defuse a situation, it’s best to stay out of her way.” Shining gently reminded his daughter.
“So maybe next time you should ask, before just trying to help.” Cadence gently added.
Back in the dining hall, Ray and Stevie were sitting at opposite ends of the table, Twilight desperately tried to get both of them to talk to each other.
“Ah ain’t talkin’ to him.” Ray growled.
“Ah couldn’t agree more.” Stevie interjected.
“ENOUGH.” Twilight shouted, the whole room group quiet except for the occasional hiccup from Stevie.
“But why do you want him to move out?” Rainbow asked Ray.
“Because Ah don’t need him tellin’ me, how Ah should live my life.” Ray granted.
“But you should at least try.” Fluttershy added.
“No thank you, he needs to go.” Ray yelled at the top of his lungs..
Fluttershy shrunk down in her seat from him yelling, Rainbow looked furious, but didn’t say anything more.
“I know you’re upset because of what happened between Ray and Vinyl, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t get to enjoy your time here.” The alicorn walked over to Stevie, lifting his chin to meet her face.
“Ah don’t wanna hear it, Ah don’t care and Ah ain’t changin’ my mind.” Ray raged. “He needs to move out,” Ah don’t care where he goes but Ah don’t ever wanna see him again.”
“Well, ya can come live with me, if ya want, sugar.” Applejack spoke softly as she came over and laid a hoof on Stevie’s shoulder.
“Really?” Stevie asked in surprise.
“Yeah, good idea.” Twilight agreed, nodding her head in approval.
“Thanks, Applejack.” Stevie exclaimed in surprise as Apple Bloom came over.
“We’re gonna have so much fun, Ah know it.” She beamed.
All the ponies filed out of the dining hall, and went to their respective rooms, except for Applejack and Stevie, who stayed in the dining hall.
“Ah know how hard it’s been for y’all, what with ya, comin’ into a world that ya didn’t know about.” Applejack softly spoke.
“Yeah, it’s been really difficult.” Stevie agreed getting up and feeling his way to the door. “You comin’, Ah’m goin’ to bed.” He yawned.
“Yeah.” Applejack smiled as she got up and together they left the dining hall.