Despite the slightly chilly weather, the party atmosphere was still rather nice as ponies from Canterlot and beyond socialized in the garden. Brightly colored, ornate decorations were hung all about accenting the natural splendor it already possessed as Celestia and Luna mingled with them all. Even the arrival of Ryan, flanked on either side by his friends (and Spike still on his shoulders) seemed to do little to disrupt the talking; after only a moment's pause to glance at them, the (from what he could tell, mostly posh) ponies went back to their own discussions and such.
"Hmmmm...lots of fancy looking ponies here." Ryan noted, letting Spike down so he could wander about, "Stay out of trouble little bro."
"Sheesh...I'm not a little kid..."-he paused and rolled his eyes-"Okay, I am but you know what I mean."
And with that he was off as were most of his friends to go enjoy themselves, as it was he stuck with AppleJack as they looked over the garden and the decorations that had been set up. One in particular caught Dark's attention, 'My goodness...Woona looks spectacular in ice.'
Curious as to what he was talking about, Ryan glanced at the table and saw a massive sculpture of ice that depicted the two Princesses in a pattern he'd seen many times since he'd gotten here: the two in a circle, following one another much like the moon follows the sun.
'Or the sun follows the moon.'
"Ah reckon you would say it that way, with how crazy ya are over our Princess of the night."
'Well, I can't admit I didn't enjoy a few late night astronomy sessions with her...oh yes, we certainly saw stars by the time morning rolled around.'
Ryan and AppleJack stared at one another, eyebrows raised as they both shared the same thought: somewhere in there was innuendo about him and Luna, but for the life of them they weren't quite sure where it was. Then they figured it was probably best they didn't know about that and went about their business as if Dark hadn't said a thing.
'...y'all aren't any fun when you don't react to what I say.'
"Nah. We're just gettin' better at tuning it out there Darky."
Ryan snickered at that remark and went about staring over the balcony at the town below; if he really tried he could even make out Ponyville in the distance. It looked almost magical from here, the snow covering the houses that were lit up here and there. With the various colors coming from the decorations set up around town it nearly looked like something one would find in an ornament or snow globe. All in all it reminded him of just how quaint and peaceful this world was and he lost himself in his thoughts for a bit; it wasn't until he felt AppleJack lean against him that he broke from his thinking.
"Ya okay there Ry-Ry?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay hon."-he smiled and put an arm around her-"Just thinking about how pretty our home looks from here."
AppleJack scooted over to glance and smiled as well, "It sure does look cozy and such doesn't it?"
"Quite...but only with y'all does it feel like home. Otherwise it'd simply be another town."
"Awwww, that was cute Apple Ryder."
Ryan coughed, hoping to the heavens above he wasn't blushing as he excused himself to get something to drink.
'Such a smooth-talker...'
"Shut up Dark...I can't help it if the ladies just find me so adorable."
The two quietly enjoyed the party atmosphere, listening to Octavia playing with her band (though idly he mused she would say it was "her orchestra") and quietly dancing with one another. It wasn't until they had finished that he felt a hoof tap him and heard a familiar voice, "I say, it is you."
Turning around, Ryan saw a familiar looking posh pony; he studied him for a moment before it dawned on him who this way, "Ah, Mister Fancy Pants."
"Please now, call me Fancy. I must say it's quite nice to get to talk to you again when you aren't being chased by a legion of ponies."
He gave a hearty laugh, "Quite; I reckon that's not a possibility at this party though."
"I can hope so old chap; I must say you have made Rarity quite popular. I'm willing to bet everypony knows her name now..."-he grinned and nudged Ryan-"And you too I imagine."
"Eh."-Ryan shrugged-"It comes with the territory I suppose."
"Quite right! But pardon my rudeness, I must say I've ignored the charming mare you're with."
Ryan pointed to Apps with a grin, "This here is mah marefriend, AppleJack. Ya might recognize her from a few photo shoots..."
"I say! I do." Fancy Pants took her hoof and kissed it lightly, "I'm always a big fan of the apples your farm produces; the best in Equestria I say!"
"Well shucks, that's a mighty fine compliment."
"I am a pony of quality, so you can be assured that if it passes my test it is indeed something remarkable." Fancy Pants paused for a moment before smiling, "Did I hear you correctly? About her being your marefriend?"
Ryan blushed and gave a nod, "Indeed you did."
"Ah, I see, I see."-he looked at Ryan's attire and smiled wider-"You must certainly love her so given that your outfit practically screams that dear boy."
"Well..."
"Haha, young love; it's such a wonderful thing. I wish you two the best! Now then, though, I have others to speak too."
"Of course, of course."-he took Fancy's offered hoof and shook-"Good to see you again...with less trouble as well."
Fancy Pants let out a hearty laugh, "Oh you are quite humorous as well. Till later, I look forward to seeing what you and Rarity do next old boy. Oh...and the two of you should join us on the yacht sometime."
"Well, I'll think about it Fancy; nothing against you but stuff like that doesn't interest me all that much."
"Ah, so it is true; you are very laid back despite reportedly being in the upper class."-Fancy Pants nodded-"That should serve you well. And think nothing of it dear boy, it is up to you. Farewell."
"What in tarnation was he going on about?"
Ryan turned to his puzzled gal, "Well, remember how T-Sparks and I have been working on trying to replicate technology from mah world in this one?"
"Sure ah do! Half of the time it's explodin' or going up in smoke."
"The more complicated things, but yes."-he laughed at how accurate her description had been-"Well, the more simpler things that I know of have been much more easier to replicate and, well, when you own a few choice patents on things that help improve pony life it's kind of hard to avoid getting Bits. Granted, not everything is approved by Cellie, but the few things that she has have certainly bankrolled a lot of experimentation with T-Sparks. I just don't talk about it because I figure it's not too big a deal."
"That sounds like somethin' ya'd say Ry-Ry. Although..."-she leaned in and whispered-"Though, just between you and me...how much have you and Twilight brought in?"
"Enough that Sweet Apple Acres and all mah friends will be well looked out for as long as I stay vigilant."
AppleJack frowned, "Ah know that's really sweet of ya Ry but I kind of was lookin' fer a number."
He eyed her curiously, "Are ya sure about that?"
"Do I look sure?"
"Yeah, ya kinda do."-he snickered-"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell ya...but...don't tell anypony else would ya? I...I know mah friends wouldn't care, and neither would our family, but I'd rather them not get caught up in it ya know?"
"Apple Ryder..."-Apps hopped up to hug him-"Always looking out fer others like that...heh, of course I'll keep it a secret."
"Pinkie Pie swear?"
"Someone said my name!" They heard an energetic shout from somewhere else in the garden, followed by somepony shouting about a lunatic juggling cupcakes.
"...that Pinks, what a pony! Hahaha. Anyway, do ya Apps?"
"Shoot! Of course! Now come on, sate mah curiosity."
Nodding, he leaned over and whispered into her ear; for a moment she did nothing and seemed to be in a bit of shock. He shook her slightly to try to bring her around and, when she did, she simply stared at him before giving him a deep kiss. While he would never turn down a kiss from his gal, he had to say her response was unexpected, "Ya know...fer a second there I thought you were gonna faint on me Apps."
"Ah...ah have to admit I almost did but...I did ask for the number exactly. Tarnation..."
"Just...don't tell the others; I'd rather prefer they don't know. I'm sure it's bound ta be a little different here, but money can change people."
"Right! I gotcha Ry-Ry; mah lips are sealed."-she kissed him again-"Thanks fer trusting me with that knowledge though."
"Well...I know you can be trusted; ya might not be Loyalty per se like Dashie-kins, but yer word is sacrosanct."
"...you and yer speaking in fancy."
He laughed warmly, "It means that what you say is sacred to ya; your honesty is something you hold in high regard and never wish to falter from that."-this time he kissed her -"And I love that about ya...so then, shall we go pester Lunes and Cellie? I'm sure they need some somepony to liven up their party experience."
'Oh I am so down for that one!'
Ryan and AppleJack stared at one another before breaking into hearty laughter and heading off to see if they could find the Princesses.
Finding the Princesses wasn't very hard, though trying to get to them was a bit more difficult: the two of them were sitting at a table looking bored though smiling as many a pony came up to greet them, talk to them...or, as Dark could tell, suck up to them as well.
'Well, rich ponies always want to get in good graces with royalty so it's nice to see some things never changing.'
"Hmmm...but how to get to them?"
AppleJack smirked, recognizing that look on his face quite well, "Yer gonna be naughty aren't ya?"
"Mah dear Apps, I am hurt you'd think to say such a thing about me of all people."-he snapped his fingers, pleased his hypothesis about his wings was true-"I'm merely going to drop out of the sky to say high. Thinking that I of all people was going to create a scene...shame on ya hon."
'Indeed! We're not some common pranksters after all.'
AppleJack rolled her eyes and smirked, "Of course, what was ah thinking?"
"Haha, I know but it's okay, we all make mistakes."-he gave her a hug-"I'll be right back after I have a pleasant chat with them."
Hopping up, he began flying high enough to get over the crowd and avoid being easily seen; curious as to what he had planned and knowing it was most likely going to be silly AppleJack grabbed a cup of punch before sitting in the perfect spot to watch.
Now Luna and Celestia maintained their poise as best they could; while they were a bit tired of sitting there and not partaking in the party they did know their subjects enjoyed talking to them and, well, it was not as if they could turn down a request from their little ponies. As it was Ryan (who was now hanging upside down and watching from a safe distance) noticed they did seem to be in need of a little livening up; casting a spell to silence his wing flapping he slowly lowered himself down behind them and could tell they were so wrapped up with talking to the posh ponies neither one had noticed him. One of the guards did, but he merely raised an eyebrow before giving him a look that asked him to not make too much trouble; winking back at him he gently tapped Luna's shoulder before flying up out of reach.
"Yes sister?"
Celestia blinked and glanced at her, "Yes....what?"
"Did you not tap my shoulder?"
"No...I've been answering questions this whole time."
"Strange." Luna remarked, giving a shrug before talking with somepony else...until she felt it again, "There it is again; what do you want sister?"
"...is the party getting to you?" Celestia asked, concerned over her sister's behavior, "Perhaps we should take a break."
"No! I mean..."-Luna composed herself-"I am alright; perhaps it is just an annoying bug...now then, what were we discussing?"
Meanwhile, just above them, was Ryan who was trying his hardest to not start snickering; Dark was highly amused as well at how they were injecting some amusement into Luna's night but had to wonder something, 'Hey Ryan?'
'Yeah?'
'Those other ponies can clearly see us right? So then why aren't they saying anything?'
'Well...I imagine they're so on edge as it is talking to their ruling god-monarchs that perhaps they feel they're seeing things.'
'...I suppose that's true; while I'm sure most of the populace in Ponyville and Canterlot knows about you at this point, the sight of a winged bi-pedal creature is still probably an odd one to first behold.'
'Precisely!'-Ryan smirked, slowly lowering and this time tapping both sister's shoulders-'Oh dear, Luna is looking quite annoyed.'
"Sister! I am getting quite perturbed now."
"While I can understand your feelings, and apparently now feel the same movements bothering you, remain calm."-Celestia smirked-"I am sure that whatever is happening will make sense soon enough."
'Do you think we've had enough fun?'
'Probably.'-Ryan chuckled softly-'Judging by her words I think Cellie is on to us...but doesn't mind us havin' some fun.'
'Most likely, but let's settle my dear Woona's nerves now, alright?'
Nodding in agreement, Ryan slowly lowered down till he could wrap his arms around both of their necks and give them a hug, "Howdy ladies! Ya looked a bit bored, so I reckoned I'd come and liven things up a bit."
"Ryan!" Luna gasped, glancing over at him, "I should've known you were behind this trickery."
Ryan looked shocked, frowning at such accusations, "Oh dear Princess, you wound me so by saying such awful things about me."-smirking, he flipped around in mid-air before landing between them-"Possibly true mind you, but awful none-the-less."
Luna snorted a bit before smiling and laughing, "I suppose a good prank is always enjoyable as long as it's harmless."-she narrowed her eyes-"Though I imagine my sister was all too aware of what was happening."
Celestia raised a hoof innocently to her chest, "Me? Are you trying to insinuate that I would let such hijinx go on were I aware of them?"
"Yes Lunes, how could you say such a thing about yer sister?"
'Even if it's totally true.'
"Darkness!" Celestia gasped before noting the wide-eyed looks the ponies gathered around them were giving them, "...where's a distraction when one needs one?"
As if on cue, there was a loud splash sound followed by a very familiar shout of glee; glancing over the crowd Ryan could see....was that Spike now sitting in the large bowl of punch?
'Oh God! No...the perfect setup! We can't ignore this!'
"Yer darn right we can't!" Ryan laughed loudly, "It would appear, mares and gentlecolts, that the punch..."-at this he pulled on a pair of shades from nowhere-"Has been Spiked!"
There was silence for a moment, Ryan wondering if perhaps his delivery had been off, when all of a sudden there was a slight snickering; glancing to his left and right, he could see that Luna was the culprit, trying her best not to laugh. Unfortunately she lost that fight pretty fast and was laughing loudly, her sister soon followed and eventually the whole crowd was laughing at the awful pun. While he let everypony get it out of his system, he gave a bow before running over to help Spike out, "Sheesh little buddy, what happened?"
Spike huffed, his whole outfit dripping with the red drink, "...let's just say Pinkie Pie doesn't know her own strength."-he took Ryan's offered hands and hopped out-"Ugh...the world is still spinning some."
"So then...."
Spike rolled his eyes, "Don't you freaking dare..."
'You could also say the Spike has been punched!'
Spike simply facepalmed while Ryan broke out into laughter, slapping his thigh in amusement; calming himself he wiped a tear from his face, "Okay, okay...enough puns for now, why don't we..."
And that was when, while turning around, he bumped into a pony walking passed them and spilt punch all over his jacket.
"Oh man! I'm so sorry!" Ryan quickly grabbed some napkins sitting on the table and went about helping him, "Here, let me help ya!"
The pony looked at him with disdain, narrowing his eyes before angrily slapping Ryan's hand away from him, "Get your hands off me you damn, dirty ape!"
The pony's shout was so loud and so full of hatred that it caught everypony's attention and, strangely, though there was no turntables in the band playing, a loud record scratch noise rang out as the party suddenly became quite silent.
To say Ryan was shocked at the pony's choice of words would be underselling it, but judging by the voice, "...Filthy Rich? Is that you?"
"Peh! Of course it is you miscreant! Who else could it be?!"
'Dude, he's a bit angry....this could be bad.'
Spike frowned, walking over and trying to help defuse the situation, "Sir, it was just an accident; I'm sure Ryan would be more than happy to..."
"Be quiet!" Filthy spat out, spooking Spike who hid behind Ryan's leg.
"Hey!"-Ryan frowned-"If'n yer angry at me, then take it out on me, not mah little brother."
Filthy Rich snorted, narrowing his eyes at Ryan, "Little brother? What would a freak like you even know about family? Or anything in general other than evil and destruction?"
He raised an eyebrow at this but remained calm, "What in tarnation are ya talking about Mr. Rich?"
"You might have these other ponies fooled"-he motioned to the crowd that was slowly paying more attention to them-"But I know the truth about your kind, I know all about the ancient past and what your kind was capable of. Which is why I can't rightly see why so many ponies are just content to let you roam about like you! I can only imagine their ignorance is what makes them so blind: blind to the truth, blind to you, and blind to the danger you represent!"
"...I would suggest you relax Mr. Rich, this cannot end well for you if you don't take a breather." Ryan calmly tried to reason with him, noting the crowd at the party was now completely focused on this outburst of his, "I know ya don't exactly like me, but if'n yer gonna do this, at least let's handle this like reasonable adults."
"Heh, so at least yer perceptive enough to catch that fact. Not bad for an overgrown monkey!"-He scoffed-"I will not silence myself! No longer! Not when you exist, not when ponies trust their children to you, not when you are a threat to my daughter....a threat to me."
'What is he getting at?'
"And that! How strange is that?! Does nopony but me see that you having another voice living in your mind is just damn weird!?"-Filthy grumbled, stamping the ground-"But no! They treat it as if it's alive too! As if it's just normal to hear a disembodied voice like that! You're only safe because nopony knows the truth: that humans are destructive, distrustful, violent, and greedy! Your apparent fortune is proof of that last one; the fact that someone like you is considered part of the same class as I is ridiculous! And even that is irritating! You spend it on everypony but yourself! How does that make sense?! How can you be so...so....confusing?!
"Oh, but tonight those here will know about humans...about their greed, the evil they perpetuated when they lived here, how they enslaved ponies to be their workhorses, to be their laborers! The atrocities they committed...and that you"-he walked over and jabbed Ryan in the chest-"have the potential to do as well. It's all well and good you've been the hero but as you gain more power and skill who's to say you won't turn on us as well? If only my plan had worked, you'd be out of everypony's hair by now..."
Ryan stood there as Filthy ranted and raved, trying his best to remain calm at such accusations; losing his cool would do nothing positive but he couldn't just stand there and say nothing. In particular, that last bit sounded really confusing and menacing at that. As he tried to formulate something, he felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned to see Luna standing behind him with a smile.
"You bring up information that, unfortunately was true for a percentage of the human race that shared the land of Equestria with us over a thousand years ago."-Luna shook her head-"However...this information you speak of is common knowledge now. And has been for some time."
Filthy titled his head, "...what?"
"It was actually Ryan and Twilight Sparkle's idea to make information about humans more knowledgeable following the Elements second defeat of Discord. The two of them figured that after a positive showing like that to guide them, perhaps pony-kind could take both the good and bad about humanity in order to learn of those that once lived among us."-Luna narrowed her eyes at Filthy-"We agreed and made means to make it accessible as quickly as we could."
"But...but then why? Why would they?"-Filthy grimaced as he continued glaring at Ryan-"Why would they still trust him? Trust that voice of his? And even yet...why would they trust him with their children? That doesn't make any sense!"
"That's because he has proven worthy of that trust."
Looking to his left, he saw Rarity slowly stepping forward, "He has looked after my sister as if she were his own: he's spoiled her, comforted her, and protected her as if she was his family."
"That's right! He's done the same with Spike." Twilight added in, joining Rarity, "He's risked his own life to protect him before...and to help him become capable of protecting himself and others."
Ryan glanced down at Spike and smirked, the memory of their last sparring match still pretty fresh in his mind as he patted the top of his head.
"Ah reckon I've got two bits to put in here as well. I ain't seen AppleBloom take to anypony like that before and he immediately took to caring for her before we even really knew a lot about him. So fer you to go saying things like that about him Mr. Filthy just goes to show ya don't know a darn thing about Ry-Ry."
"Apps..." Ryan felt his heart warm at his friends words, knowing they'd always have his back, "You are right Mr. Rich about a lot of things: humans are capable of atrocious deeds...but we're also capable of the most miraculous ones as well. I'm sure ya can agree that's no different from how ponies are as well."-he shrugged-"I've never made a point to hide things from anypony, mostly because somepony important told me once that it's foolish to judge someone by what their species has done in the past and not by the actions they take themselves in the present."
Looking over to Celestia, he smirked and gave her a wink before continuing on, "And that's just petty, poking at the money issue like that; ya might as well throw me under the bus for eating meat while yer at it. Besides, haven't you ever heard that a man's worth isn't judged by how much money he has...but by what he does with it? In all seriousness, it's no surprise Diamond Tiara acts the way she does."
"You shut up about my daughter!" Filthy Rich practically growled as he charged at Ryan who did nothing to stop him...but AppleJack did, "Grrrr! Get away from me you traitor!"
"Traitor?! What in tarnation are you talking about?!" AppleJack wrestled with him before pinning him to the ground, "Ya need to just calm down bucko!"
"What am I talking about?! What am I talking about?!"-Filthy tried to shake free before just glaring at her and Ryan-"You two! Together! It's...it's sick! He's a human! You're a pony! Why am I the only one that sees something wrong with that?! Although I guess it would just make sense seeing as he's such a freak! Being human was bad enough but to have wings too! You're not satisfied with just being here anymore; now you want to corrupt innocent mares as well..."
"Like ah said before Mr. Rich...say all ya want about me...but ya leave mah family, mah friends, and all mah loved ones out of this!"
"Peh! I can only imagine it came down to such a simple thing though..."-Filthy grinned wickedly, his words filled with malice-"And that is for all your bravado, all your heroics, all your words, and all your actions....your mind cannot get over the devastating fact that you. Are. Alone. The only human that will ever be in Equestria. Never to be with another of your kind...let alone your family ever again...never. Ever. Again."
Ryan just stood there, his mind finally unable to hold back the thoughts that had plagued him since his arrival here; the force with which they hit was unlike any strike, any attack, any type of anguish and pain he'd ever felt before and his mind nearly shut down from it. Even Dark trying his best to offer some comfort and words did nothing to dull the intense pain Ryan felt in both his mind and heart at how deep and cutting the realization truly was to hear. That he would never see his family again, never talk to them, share memories with them.....he stood there in shock as he tried to keep his mind from completely falling apart in the face of the despair he'd kept at bay only with the help of those he'd met here. He was dimly aware of what sounded like Rainbow Dash yelling at Filthy, trying to struggle loose from where Fluttershy and Twilight were holding her back. AppleJack looked back at Ryan and could see the hollowness he was feeling reflected in his eyes, that blank stare causing her chest to tighten; this filled her with quite a bit of rage as she reared back and decked Filthy right across his muzzle, "How dare ya say something that heartless to mah Apple Ryder!!"-she wound back and hit him again-"He might be alone...but only when it comes to being human! As long as me and mah friends are around he'll never be truly alone!"
Those there watched as AppleJack continued to verbally berate him as she landed another punch...and then felt a hand gently, but insistently, hold her leg back, "...that's enough."
"Ryan?"
"...there's no need to attack him. The fact that he has such a cold heart is punishment enough." Ryan's voice was flat, monotone.
AppleJack nodded, getting up and letting Filthy go; as she turned to face him she could see Ryan talking to Celestia, "Ahm not pressing any charges...Diamond Tiara doesn't deserve having her father taken away completely after all."-he closed his eyes and sighed deeply before glancing at everyone there-"I'm sorry everypony...but....but I need some time alone..."
With that said he began walking away slowly, even ignoring when Filthy stood up and threw a chair at him; Ryan paused for a moment before continuing towards the balcony edge. With one last quick push he leapt from the edge, spread his wings wide, and flew off into the night sky.
"See! What did I tell you? A freak!" Filthy spat before getting flung to the ground by Celestia's magic, "Ugh!"
Celestia calmly walked over before staring down at Filthy, "While Ryan may have it in him to forgive you for another's sake, do not think for one second that you will not have to face any type of punishment for such a ridiculous outburst. You and I will be having a long talk about this, of that I can assure you."
With that Celestia motioned for the guards to come take him away before she glanced in the direction Ryan had taken off in; Luna walked over before placing a hoof on her shoulder, "I am worried about him as well...he seemed quite affected by those words."
"I do not blame him; clearly he has done all he can to hide his hurt from us."
AppleJack trotted over to them with her friends, sadly nodding, "He's been acting weird since the holiday season started...but ah know mah Ry-Ry and he's not one to bother his loved ones with thoughts like those. He...he thinks he can take on those things by himself."
"...where do you think he could've gone?" Twilight asked, "I know he said he wanted to be alone but...nopony should be left alone when they're hurting like that."
"Well!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "Why are we just sitting here letting him get away? Come on! Get yer flanks in gear!"
"She's right darling! He'd come after us if the situation was reversed so let us not dawdle any longer."
The six friends (and Spike too) nodded before heading off, hot on Ryan's trail; Celestia and Luna watched them run off before smiling.
"I think everything will turn out alright."
"You think so sister?"
"Of course."-Celestia smirked-"Friendship is magic after all. Now then, I believe that we have a certain pony who needs a long talking to."
And with that Luna and Celestia, after bidding farewell to their guests, headed inside to have a nice, long discussion with Filthy Rich...
Given the time of night it was, most businesses would be closed which was not helpful to the seven friends as they headed through Canterlot's town as that meant there wouldn't be many out to ask if they'd seen Ryan. Of course, this was assuming they were correct in guessing that Ryan was still somewhere in Canterlot but they had a good feeling he was somewhere in the town: call it a gut feeling, a connection they felt from all they'd been through, or something along those lines but they knew he was in town somewhere and by Celestia they were going to find him!
"In here girls, let's see if he came by here." Twilight and the others entered the donut shop to see Joe doing a little cleaning up, "Good evening Joe."
Joe looked up and smiled at the group, "Well now, Twilight Sparkle and friends; what do I owe this visit to? I figured you'd still be up at that party the Princess was throwin'."
"Well, we were until somepony made a total ass of himself." Rainbow Dash huffed, crossing her forelegs, "And now we can't find Ryan anywhere because of that."
"Hmmm...I figured he looked more out of it than usual when he came by."
"So Ry-Ry was here?"
Joe jumped back a bit as AppleJack nearly hopped over the counter, "Heh, yeah...he came in for what he always seems to get whenever I see him lately: the Main Six Special and a chocolate milk."
"Hold up." Spike titled his head in puzzlement, "...the...what?"
"It's something silly he talked me into making back when he visited after you beat up that Discord fellow again." Joe explained, motioning at the display case, "He said I should make a special donut based on each of you and sell it as a half-dozen special. He noted I'd make a ton of money doing that."-he laughed softly-"And dang if he wasn't right, those are some of my highest selling donuts."
Blinking at the sight, they saw that indeed there was six donuts in particular that appeared to correspond to each of them nicely...Pinkie's in particular looked as if one would immediately go into a sugar coma after one bite.
"Curious...but why didn't he have you make one for him?"
Joe shrugged, "He said he didn't need it; that while he was a hero you six were the real stars. And then some joke that a seventh messed up the flow and nopony buys seven donuts, they always go half or full dozen. Of course"-he pointed at one that had wings-"I winged it for his. I remember when he saw it; he just grinned and gave me a...thumbs-up I think he called it. Anyway, you're looking for him right?"
"Yes! I-I mean..." Fluttershy nodded, "If you could help us find him that'd be nice."
"Well, while he didn't exactly tell me where he was going, he did go in that direction."-Joe pointed for them-"He said something about a quiet spot he always liked visiting when he came to Canterlot. Then he thanked me for always being awesome, paid, and off he walked. The whole time it felt like his entire being was dragged down, like somepony hurt him bad."
"Ry-Ry..." AppleJack sighed before nodding, "Thank ya kindly Joe! Now come on everypony! Let's go find our human and keep him from falling further into despair!"
"Our human huh?" Rainbow Dash snickered as they left the donut shop, "So we are his harem now as Dark so hoped?"
"Ohohohohohohohoh! That would make Rainbow Dash really happy!"-Pinkie stuck out her tongue and tapped her chin-"I guess that would make me happy too since then I could get all the belly rubs I could wish for, though that's only when it's my turn because the laaaaaaaaaaaast thing I'd want to do is make one of my friends jealous by hogging him and..."
"Gack! Look what you've started! And ya know what I meant Rainbow Dash! Now quit flapping them gums and start flapping them wings so we can find him!"
'Ryan...you shouldn't be doing this.'
Ryan took a swig of chocolate milk before staring out across the large lake in front of him; the silence of the night was broken only by the massive waterfall that fed into it and was just one of the natural wonders of Canterlot that he always found so calming. Of course, he had to admit how clever it was for them to also use it to generate power for the city so that only added to its splendor in his mind. Polishing off a very sugary donut that was chocolate stuffed, glazed, covered in bright pink icing, and then topped with sprinkles he chugged more chocolate milk before reaching for the final one in the box.
'...as always, ya leave this one for last.'
Ryan found himself smirking slightly at Dark's little jab while he stared at the Apple Fritter donut drizzled with orange icing before he sighed heavily again and bit into it. His mind was still a bit of a mess, though the sugar was certainly helping dull the pain to be certain. As it was, all that kept replaying in his mind was those last words Filthy stated as he sat there quietly trying to cope with a realization he'd been holding back as best he could. Polishing off the last donut as well as the milk, he continued staring forward and had to wonder if anypony was gonna find him here. After all, he'd never shared this location with any of his friends...not even AppleJack though mostly for the sake that there would be somewhere he could claim as a sanctuary when he needed to be alone.
'You know they'll come looking for you despite that Ryan. Those mares, and our little buddy...they aren't going to leave you alone like this when yer hurting. And neither will I.'
Ryan let out a quiet laugh, levitating up then throwing a stone; watching it skip across the lake's surface before it finally sank he sighed, "Yeah...I know. I just...don't want them seeing me this way."
'Why?'
"I don't want to bring them down with mah pains..."
'...even though AppleJack told ya that, as her stallion, she's got no problem with ya sharing such things?'
Ryan groaned before laying back on the grass, his hands behind his head, "Ah know that...but I don't like bringing others down because I'm feeling like crap."-he closed his eyes-"Maybe...maybe that's just because people I knew seemed to want to know what was bugging me but when I'd tell them they'd just dismiss mah issues. Usually because they didn't know how to help or, more often, didn't want to help. After all, most of the time when yer asked that question, they don't want to hear anything other than yer doing "okay"."
'...so how do you know they will be like that?'
"I don't." Ryan quietly murmured, "But...I just worry..."
'Well, you shouldn't...keeping stuff like that inside can cause more problems.'-Dark sighed-'Just look at what happened to my poor Woona...'
Ryan opened one eye and smirked, "I suppose you've got a point there Dark...maybe...maybe I don't have to face mah issues alone here."-he grimaced, his hand resting over his chest-"Doesn't make the ache from the truth hurt any less though..."
At the same time while Ryan and Dark were having their chat, the girls had split up to look anywhere they could in order to find him. AppleJack had been walking for a little while and took a moment to rest her legs and think, "Now if'n ah was Apple Ryder, where in tarnation would I go?"
Not sure the reason for doing such, she began walking south and slowly came upon a rather tucked away but beautiful park. Wondering if perhaps he was here, she slowly made her way deeper into it before she heard voices...voices she recognized! Slowly trotting towards them she paused when she saw Ryan lying there in the grass, a box of donuts and milk bottle discarded nearby. Relieved that she finally found him, she slowly walked over before calling out to him, "Apple Ryder!"
Ryan opened his eyes to see AppleJack standing over him, looking down with a relieved smile, "Well howdy Apps...heh, if anypony was gonna find me I figured it was gonna be you..."
"Ya sure worried us heading off like that."-AppleJack sighed, lying down next to him, "...I was starting to wonder if ya weren't even in town anymore."
"...well, maybe subconsciously I wanted to stay here and be found."-he shrugged-"Sorry."
"There ya go again, apologizing for that. If...if anythin', yer the one that needs apologizing to."
"Haha, well, ah doubt Filthy will ever do something like that..." Ryan sighed before slowly sitting up and turning to face her, "His words are partially true though...maybe not in the way he stated since I have y'all but I do always feel some sadness that I'm the only one of mah kind here."-he closed his eyes and frowned-"That I'll never see mah family again...never make another stupid joke with mah father while on some silly errand...never have another delicious home-cooked meal from mah mother and tell her I love her...never get to see mah sister's music career finally blossom after all her hard work...and...never get to see mah brother overcome his own demons and finally be able to live normally...hell, ah don't even know if they're still alive...
"But the worst is ah didn't even get to say goodbye...and ah never will. I want to say knowin' how they are that they're still lookin' fer me and hopin' but..."-he wiped his eyes with his sleeve-"it's been six months now and I'm sure with the holidays they'll do their best to move on because they know that's what I'd want them to do. After all, moving on doesn't mean forgetting, it means finding the strength to keep going on and always remembering the treasured times you had with the one gone...no matter the ache."
And with that he finally lost the battle against his emotions he'd been fighting as he lunged at AppleJack, burying his head into her shoulder and crying his eyes out. AppleJack patiently sat with him, one hoof gently running down his back as he continued to vent all the anguish he'd been holding back since he first arrived there. Eventually she noted his sobbing slow, though his breathing was still stuttered, "Sugah, if this has been bothering ya since ya got here, why haven't ya ever told any of us? Ya know we wouldn't think badly of that."
Ryan sniffled a bit, doing his best to even his breathing before rolling over and resting against her, "There was just more important things to focus on at the time; things that were more productive uses of the energy. Yeah, it's true."-he nuzzled against her to calm his nerves-"Those were the first thoughts in mah mind after I fainted from the unexpectedness of it all; ya know, the whole seeing a talking unicorn and dragon, ending up in a crazy new land thing. When I woke up in Flutters' cottage, with the six...seven of ya, Spike was there too wasn't he? Anyway...my mind was a mess but when I saw I was unharmed, when I noted the genuine tone of care in yer smiles and voices...I felt a calm that helped me focus and realize that thinking on those thoughts wouldn't help in the least. Could I have whined and lost mahself in the depression of it? Yeah, but what good would that do?
"I had more pressing things to deal with: a new world with a new way things worked, a multitude of new sentient...sapient...whichever word works, either way there were a ton of species that were as emotive and alive as I was to contend with. Add in trying to find a way to eke out a living, a place to call home...well, in mah mind those ranked a lot higher to worry about then being stuck here away from mah family and mah home world. There were moments where I slipped here and there..."
"Like on yer birthday, when ya got talking about your hometown?"
"Yeah...or at the beach, when we were having dinner that second night. Dents in the armor would pop up, but ah always managed to hold it back thanks to mah friends...mah new family..."-he smiled at AppleJack, pulling her head down for a kiss-"And of course, mah love. I guess I just didn't realize how bad it was until Filthy said all those things and it completely destroyed all mah defenses. It was like a flood being held back by a piece of paper...I had no chance. So I blanked, my mind went fuzzy, and I just knew I needed time to think by mahself."
'Well, if you don't count me anyhow.'
"Haha, yeah, Dark's kind of stuck to me so he had no choice but to come along." Ryan laughed softly before closing his eyes, "Ah just wish...that I could at least send some word back to them; to let them know ahm okay, to give them closure so that they don't have ta worry."-he lifted his hand up, holding it towards the sky-"To show them their son is fine...and happy so they don't have to carry that ache with them to their last days........"
AppleJack noticed his silence and glanced down to see his body had finally succumbed to sleep; looking up she could see something glowing above the park. Smiling up at the orange, heart-shaped light Ryan must have created she gently brushed aside his shaggy hair, "Yer such a kind man, thinking of yer family and not worrying about yerself. Ah hope that the Princess finds a way ta make that happen someday so ya don't have to carry that ache for the rest of yer days either..."
With Ryan's signal to guide them, it didn't take long for the rest of his friends to find him and Apps; as they walked over to where she lay with him, AppleJack nodded as she gave them all a warm smile. Exchanging no words they joined AppleJack in surrounding him with the comforting warmth of friendship and love underneath that glowing symbol he had created, allowing him the rest he so dearly needed on this cold winter night.
From one of the balconies of the castle, Luna and Celestia shared a smile at seeing the glowing heart, "Well then sister...can we not see if it is possible to fulfill his request? After all...he has done much to help his friends and never asked for anything in return."
Celestia closed her eyes and nodded, "Yes; I am not sure if it is possible...but for Ryan I will certainly try."
Across the cosmos, on a world very similar to those of the ponies...
A middle-aged man paused in his steps before looking up at the night sky and seeing a very strange sight; his daughter noted the far-away look in his eyes before gently nudging him, "Dad? What's the matter?"-she looked up at the sky as well-"What are you looking at?"
"Ya see that bright star there? It's kind of an odd color isn't it?"
She narrowed her eyes, "Which one?"
"That one."-he pointed towards it for her-"It's twinkling...and it seems to be orange, I think..."
"Huh...that's weird. I don't think I've ever seen a star look orange from this distance."
"As far as I know there aren't many...and certainly none that should be visible this time of year." He looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up, "...I don't know why, but fer some reason I feel drawn to it."
"Weird." She shrugged before seeing her mother walk over.
"What are you two lookin' at?"
Taking an offered drink, the daughter pointed up at the night sky, "That strange star up there...it's orange."
Looking at it, her mother smiled sadly, "Hmmm. He would've loved seeing this; orange always was one of Ry-Ry's favorite colors..."
A single tear fell down Ryan's cheek as he slowly awoke to find it was still night; he was curious as to why he wasn't cold but one quick glance around him told him why. Feeling comforted by his friend's presence, but realizing sleeping in the middle of a park in the cold winter time air was not the best for them he focused on his and Apps' room back in the castle before pulling together enough focus to teleport them to the castle. It was only after initiating it did he realize they might just fall again...but no bumpy landing came as apparently somepony had foreseen this and set out large pillows exactly where he had dropped them.
'...Woona.'
'...and Cellie too I'd reckon. Heh, doesn't surprise me though.' Ryan sighed before closing his eyes and settling back in, '...ahm too tired still to worry about it, but I'll have ta thank them in the morning. Good night Dark...'
'Good night Ryan.'
The next morning finally rose, the sun beaming brilliantly but not so much to burn away the snow that had accumulated in the late hours of the night; Ryan opened his eyes and saw that apparently he was the last one up. Sniffling a bit and hoping he wasn't catching something after sitting out in the cold for so long, he sleepily rummaged through his bag before getting some stuff to change into; shucking off all but his shirt and underwear he tucked his clean clothes underneath his arm and headed into the shower to get cleaned up. As he shucked the rest of his clothes off and hopped into the shower he turned on the hot water and sighed; as always though, he had to wonder just why it was that a species with no hands had knobs in the shower. How in tarnation did they use them anyway? As he cleaned up he mused that unicorns wouldn't have an issue...and neither would Pegasi since he'd seen enough of them use their wings like hands, "Heh, once again Earth ponies get the shaft then...although I guess they could use their mouths. Hmm...I guess it's the same thing with doorknobs; doesn't make any damn sense. Haha....although, maybe it's a leftover from when human lived here? Hmmm...."
Now seeing as Ryan was lost in his thoughts, he neglected to hear the door to the room open as well as the door to the bathroom slide open; in fact, he was so out of it he didn't even pay much mind to the pair of hands that began to rub his shoulders before caressing his chest. "Mmmm...that actually feels really good. I'd completely forgotten how nice hands felt..."-he paused and looked down-"Wait a moment...wait a moment. Ahm the only being around here with hands, especially ones like those, so then..."
"Hee-hee, good morning there sugah."
Ryan's eyes went wide at that as he turned around to see, "...Apps? You look...different."
Sure enough, AppleJack looked as if she could totally pass for human; the only giveaway to the fact she wasn't was she still had her pony tail, ears, and her legs ended in hooves instead of feet. Of course, that was about all Ryan saw before he felt faint and slipped, falling down on the floor of the shower and being rather lucky he only landed on his butt. AppleJack gasped and knelt down to check on him, "Ya okay Apple Ryder?"
"...yer naked." He mumbled out incoherently, his face a dark shade of red.
She snickered, "Well, us ponies are always naked Ry."
"Ah...ah know that but yer...human. Pretty much anyhow."-he opened one eye, got a faceful of Apps' ample assets, and then shut the eye before turning redder than any apple-"It's a little different..."
AppleJack bit her lip, trying to hold back laughter, "That's so adorable...all shy about somethin' like that...and not about being in the shower like this."
"W-well!"-he sputtered, slowly standing back up-"It's not like we...haven't had a moment like this before mind ya. It's just...a little different with ya being all humanized and stuff....how'd ya even do this anyhow?"
"I'll explain everythin' shortly sugah, but first....how about we finish enjoying this hot shower?"
'You'll find he'll have no objections to that.'
"...you traitorous bastard!"
'Whoop-whoop-whoop!'
"...ah swear he just scuttled off into some hidden recess of mah mind."-shaking his head, he smirked at AppleJack-"So then...ya mentioned something about enjoying a hot shower?"
About twenty minutes later, Ryan was dressed and walking with AppleJack (who had on the skimpiest jean skirt and t-shirt he'd ever seen) while she explained how she was currently in this form, "Well, Twi's been wondering if she could get her little transformation spells to work with the human form and she's actually been workin' on it pretty hard. After last night, she...well she figured that ya might feel a little better if'n ya had some more human company around to, ya know, ease the ache and such."
"Haha, that T-Sparks...such a silly but sweet mare. I do have to say, it's kind of nice seein' ya like this."-he took her hand in his, smirking as he laced his fingers with hers-"I mean, ah love ya fer who ya are mah sweet apple but...I can't say I don't find this version of ya breathtakin' as well. Though...where did ya get them clothes from?"
AppleJack looked over her attire and frowned, "Is it not good? Rarity made it up short notice by modifying the designs she had for yer stuff."
"No, no, it's fine. Definitely helps me focus better than ya being naked and such but..."-he blushed slightly-"It still reveals quite a bit."
He slowly let his hand fall from hers before wrapping it around her waist; giggling, she smiled at him, "It's kind of nice walkin' with ya like this."-she narrowed his eyes-"Ah can't believe I'm still shorter than ya though."
Laughing heartily, he kissed the top of her head, "Yer not short by much, so ah wouldn't sweat it too much luv. Now then, we probably should pick up the pace; ya did say the others were waitin' on us fer breakfast."
AppleJack nodded before smirking, "That's true enough darlin'. So then..."-she grinned, brought her hand back, and smacked him square on the ass-"Better get that giddyup goin'!"
Stunned at how brazen she had acted, he unintentionally gave her a five-second head-start before finally chasing after her, "Now y'all get back here!"
"No way cowboy! Gotta catch me first! Otherwise I'm gonna eat all yer breakfast!"
"...she's such a goober."
'Oh your just upset she beat ya to the butt slappin'.'
"And you!"-he menacingly pointed at his head-"Shut up and help me!"
Dark snickered, 'If you wanna catch her, use that magnet spell dummy! She probably can't run as fast in human form yet so that might help.'
Face-palming at forgetting something so obvious, he gave his sneakers a quick boost before he took off after her.
"Ahm gonna get ya!"
"Nope! No ya won't!"
The guards had paid little mind to the duo as they ran down the hallways, probably because at this point Swift Cut had noted the shenanigans that followed Ryan. Thus he (along with Shining Armor) made it clear it was better to just let things play out in regards to him rather than react...especially if that Katamari Cupcake incident was anything to go by. Which is why their little game of chase continued unabated until they finally arrived at the dining hall...if by arrived you were to mean Ryan plowing into AppleJack and finally catching her, his body landing atop hers while they both laughed. It wasn't until he heard somepony clear their throat that he looked up...and about fainted all over again.
"Whoa there Ry-Ry! Stay with us here!" AppleJack quickly caught him, keeping him steady as he regained his focus, "So...er...surprise!...ah think."
'Surprise doesn't even begin to cover this! This is like a dream!'
Ryan groaned, knocking his head a bit in an attempt to hassle Dark...though all it did was make his head start throbbing in pain, "Uhm.....so, his stupidity aside I..."-he rubbed his eyes before looking again-"Yeah, y'all are looking exactly as Apps is...what in tarnation is going on here?"
"Well...after how upset you seemed to be last night I told the others about the spell I was working on. It was supposed to be a Hearth's Warming Eve surprise for you but I figured you wouldn't mind getting it a little early." Twilight explained while wearing a hopeful smile, "When I told the Princess she thought it would be a wonderful idea. Although"-she glanced over at Celestia and Luna-"apparently they're a lot better at transforming into humans."
He had to admit she was right: while Twilight and his other friends looked pretty much human save for the same traits that, much like Apps, they had retained, Cellie and Lunes looked spot-on perfect.
'Now there's a sight I didn't think I'd ever see again. Still as lovely as always Woona.'
"Well, much like my sister I too had forgotten that one night."-she smirked at Ryan-"I see Dark did not though...I must say, I'd forgotten what it was like to have hands."
"You always did get a bit lost in those digits." Celestia teased her sister, "I hope this is not an inappropriate move but my favorite student was rather insistent we try this to cheer you up."
Rainbow Dash nodded, "That's right! I wasn't really sure about it but it's kind of cool being like this!"
Ryan snickered, winking at Rainbow, "Heh...maybe this time you can give me the belly rub eh?"
Rainbow Dash gasped, waving her arms all about, "Don't talk about stuff like that!! It's embarrassing!"-she glanced at her friends-"Don't give me that look! You all are guilty of that too! I know! Oh, I know all about that! About how you've all gotten Ryan at one point or another to let you lay in his lap while those amazing hands of his just worked away all sorts of worries and stress..."
'...and they say I'm a Casanova...'
"Shut it Darky!" Ryan sighed, "Anyway Cellie, no, it's not inappropriate at all. I'm actually quite touched but y'all didn't need to do this."-though, looking over them all, he did have to admit it was pretty sweet of them-"Doesn't mean ah don't appreciate it though...I'm just kind of surprised that Rares was able to pull together clothing fer y'all. Not that, ya know, I'd have any problem seeing some lovely ladies like that and....WHAT AM I SAYIN'?! Dammit Dark!"
'What?'-Dark scoffed-'I'm insulted that you'd think I had anything to do with such an enticing thought; such a lovely, wonderful, blissful thought...and yer not buying any of this are you?'
"...not one bit." Ryan burst into laughter, "But anyway...Rares?"
"Oh darling!" Rarity giggled, giving a twirl of her skirt, "It's nothing a little magic, quick planning, and a needle can't fix."
Ryan shrugged and smiled, "Works fer me. At least that shows Handwavium is in ample supply here in Equestria. Good to know for future use."
"Ohmygosh!" Pinkie hopped about, fell over, then began hopping about again, "Sorry, still not used to only two legs! Anyway, I can't believe you know about that stuff Ryan! I thought I was the only one!"-she frowned, holding her grumbling tummy-"Oh but, can we talk later?! I'm soooooo hungry! Like, I could eat a giant cake! Or two! I'm like Ryan-sized now so maybe I can eat more sweets! Oh I totally have to test that before we change back! Maybe with an eating contest and...."
Seeing as the quickest way to bring Pinkie under...control was to have breakfast, Celestia gave a signal for the staff to go ahead and bring it out; Ryan had to admit it was curious seeing his friends try to figure out how to use utensils with their hands...well, his friends that didn't have magic anyway. As his meal was brought out, he paused at a certain smell coming from it he certainly remembered but for the life of him he couldn't put his finger on. It was only when he pulled the lid off that he had to double-take and then stare at his friends, "Uh...is...is this...this is...I...."-he glanced at the meal in front of him and then back to Celestia-"Those are scrambled eggs but, uh, Cellie is this...steak?"
Celestia had to admit the look of confusion on Ryan's face was simply adorable, she giggled before nodding her head, "Yes my little human, it is."
"But...but...but...how?"
"Oh, we usually have delegates and dignitaries from the Griffon Empire that visit so we keep a supply in stock. When you first visited, we would have offered such an option however..."-Celestia grinned sheepishly-"As you recall I had said I'd forgotten all about human dietary habits."
"Ah yes, which is when I mentioned fish as a suggestion. I remember that; no harm no foul there but..."-he glanced down at the delicious, tantalizing steak before biting his bottom lip-"I...it's just...y'all won't feel uncomfortable about this? You won't...think weird of me will ya? I have to admit it...it does looks tasty..."
AppleJack knew that look he had all too well and smirked before reaching over squeezing his shoulder, "Apple Ryder, haven't we already told ya before that we don't really care that yer a meat-eater? And ah know yer more conflicted seeing as you've had a few discussions with the cows back on the farm"-she looked at her friends before nodding-"But well, this was mah idea since ah...kind of heard ya talking about it in yer sleep for a while now. You deserve it, especially after what that yellow-tailed, hoity-toity little bastard said to ya. So enjoy it sugah!"
Seeing that his friends had no reservations about it helped him overcome his awkwardness quite quickly. Ryan grinned widely before cutting into it and sighing blissfully at the first bite, "Oh sweet Celestia....well done too, just how ah like it."-he closed his eyes-"Magnificent."
His reaction brought forth a round of laughter from his friends as they enjoyed not only their breakfast, but more importantly the fact that their human friend was in much better spirits.
'...ya questioned the clothing, but you're not questioning swimsuits?'
Ryan looked up from where he lay, glancing at AppleJack and the others splashing about in the rather massive pool (magically heated of course) he somehow never noticed in their previous trips before smirking, 'Are you really going to poke holes in this? Or would you rather just enjoy the pleasantness of the moment?'
Hearing an audible smack, Ryan snickered at his counterpart's realization, 'Great Scott! You're right! What's wrong with me! Carry on!'
And carry on he did, smiling as his friends seemed to be enjoying their humanized selves; taking a sip of his drink he sighed, "Thank you Celestia and Luna fer such an enjoyable moment..."-setting his drink down, he figured it was time to join them-"Cannonball!"
"..what?" Fluttershy whimpered before getting splashed with the others as Ryan jumped in, "Eek!"
Sputtering, he swam to the surface before grinning, "Oh, don't mind me...just thought I'd drop in."
Rarity sighed before splashing him over and over, "Darling, those dreadful puns of yours never cease do they?"-she smirked-"Although if you are making them, that does mean you're feeling better so I suppose there's some positive to them."
"...thanks Rares." Ryan sputtered before rolling his eyes, "I could go back to being emo if ya want...I'm sure the mares just go crazy fer a fellah like that."
AppleJack latched on to him and shook her head, "No, don't do it Apple Ryder! Yer puns are a small price to pay to have yer goofy self around!"
Ryan tried but he couldn't back his laugher, "Apps...that....that was so over the top and unnecessary."-he kissed her cheek-"Appreciated, but over the top."
Rolling her eyes, she dunked him underwater before swimming off; shaking his head when he emerged he couldn't help but smirk before seeing Lunes and Cellie walk in (wearing their own amazing swimsuits) before settling into the nearby hot-tub.
'Damn...and I thought the gals looked amazing but that Woona of mine in human form...'-snickering at Ryan's sigh, he decided to grief him some-"Hey! Come on! That is my lady after all...can't ya cut me a little slack at the fact I'd like to look at her?'
Giving a shrug, Ryan figured he was right; after all, if he'd been separated by the one he loved for a thousand plus years he'd be more than eager to take in the sight of her once more, 'Ugh, fine...just don't cause any mischief.'
After giving Dark plenty of viewing time, Ryan headed over to the girls in the shallower end of the pool before an idea struck; lifting AppleJack on to his shoulder he motioned for Rainbow Dash to do the same to somepony else. The somepony else was a slightly unsure Fluttershy, but none-the-less after getting set they had to question just why they were doing this. Ryan smirked before explaining, "It's easy; the object is to knock the other pony...person"-he chuckled-"the other person off their shoulder perch."
"You're going down AJ!"
"Yeah right Rainbow Dash; yer the one that's gonna hit that water."
And with that the craziness began, AppleJack and Rainbow Dash going all out as they tried to push the other from their perch; Ryan and Dark were laughing their butts off while Fluttershy kept going 'oh, my, oh dear' at the splashing and shaking that was going on.
Luna smirked as she watched those in the pool being a bit rambunctious, wondering if Dark had a hand in that; lifting up her arm she flexed her fingers and smiled at the old memories running their her mind. Glancing over at her sister, she could see she was out cold now...though that's what happens when one eats their bodyweight in cake and then relaxes in hot, bubbly water. Hearing a loud shout, she looked to see AppleJack and Rainbow Dash both falling off of their partners amidst laughter and giggles; just as she was about to relax like her sister she heard a voice, 'Hey Woona...you're still telepathic right? If ya are stretch with your right arm above your head.'
Luna glanced over to where she could see Ryan was lounging against the pool wall with AppleJack making small talk; with a shrug she stretched her right arm out before hearing a satisfied laugh in her head, 'Haha, brilliant. So, nopony but us can hear this yes?'
'That is correct...is there some specific reason you wish to talk this way?'
'Let's just say that I've acquired the help of my host to pull a prank on dear Tia but we needed to know if she was asleep yet.'
Luna did her best to suppress a chuckle, 'Yes, she has been counting cakes for a good twenty minutes now.'
'Excellent...most excellent. Now play this as cool as possible.'
'Very well...what do you have in mind?'
'Oh, you'll see Woona, you'll see.'
Having let them go about their conversation, Ryan made a few subtle hand movements under the water while continuing his conversation with AppleJack and Twilight; from the deep end of the pool rose a small ball of water that slowly floated over towards Celestia's sleeping form. Making one more move, the ball of water suddenly appeared much chillier but the only one that noticed anything was Luna as she glanced at the ball of now chilly water floating over her sister's head, 'Oh dear...she's going to be rather upset with this one.'
'That's the point my dear.'-Dark chuckled-'Alright Ryan, drop it.'
Closing his hand into a fist, the ball of water dropped in near slow-motion before it finally connected with the sleeping princess and shocked her awake to a sputtering and shocked gasp, "Ack!"
Everyone's attention shifted over to the outburst from Celestia while Luna tried her hardest to hold back her laughter, "D-dear sister...whatever is bothering you so?"
"...cold...water..."-her eyes narrowed-"But who? Who would do such a thing to the Princess of the SUN!?"
The mood got quite heavy at that declaration but Ryan kept his poker face...though Dark was laughing his disembodied ass off which really didn't help at all; Celestia looked towards the pool with a very angry look on her face...which quickly disappeared into a large smile.
"...yeah, that's not creepy." Ryan shivered, "Did...did the water just colder all of a sudden?"
Without saying a single word, Celestia rose from the hot-tub, wrapped a towel around herself, and walked off; this did not settle well with Ryan's mind but apparently Luna and Dark found it funny as hell.
"That was terrible you know? I hope Dark informed you of her prankster alter-ego before pulling this one."
"Lunes...what...? Dark, what is she talking about?"
'Oh, some nonsense about Trollestia...I can't believe I forgot to mention that.'-Dark laughed nervously-'Oh crap...I forgot her revenge pranks were always...yeah....well, it was nice living in your head while I could.'
Ryan gulped, "And what in tarnation does that mean?"
Well he got no answer to that one, not a single, solitary one; even after some time had passed and they were all drying off he was still looking about nervously, "Heh heh...okay, just got to relax about this. She can' t know right."
And that's when he got his answer, as he watched several towels magically float in the air, spin tightly, and then with a resounding and well-timed CRACK AppleJack and the others (including Luna) had their hindquarters snapped at by them; this was followed by what sounded like Dark's voice shouting out something about being snappy even though Ryan could tell Dark had said nothing. When he saw the seven of them turn towards him with anger in their eyes he took a cautious step back, "Now ladies! I assure y'all that was not mah doing! Nor Dark's! I can vouch he didn't talk at all! He wouldn't say something like that!"-he paused and frowned-"Okay, maybe he would but still! He didn't say it then! And.....sigh, and y'all aren't believing a word of it huh?"
'We're kind of fucked aren't we?'-Dark moaned-'And not even in the good way...'
"Even now yer thinking about that stuff?! Don't you see the pissed off human-pony hotties glaring daggers at us?!"
'Ryan! Less talky, more magnetic running away!'
Not one to argue with logic, Ryan fired up his magnetic skate spell and attempted to get away from them all; however, it was readily apparent he was out-matched by the group chasing him. Having only made it as far as the hallway leading to the pool, he felt strong magic latch on to him and start reeling him back in, "No! No! NO! Dammit Dark! You had one job! ONE! JOB! And that was to not cause MISCHIEF!"
As he continued to struggle valiantly, the others were chuckling and making a game out of it, "Come on Luna! Reel in that big sucker!"
"Yeah, come on Princess! Catch that fish! He's a record-breaker!"
"Apps! Dashie! Ahm no prize bass!"
"That's true Rysy-Wysy! But you are quite a catch and a prime example of a human! That's certainly record-worthy enough to not let you go!"
"Oh Pinks...you too?" Ryan groaned, looking over his shoulder before seeing someone come walking through the doors, "Spike?! Help me!"
Spike, looking all the part of a young human adolescent save for the spikes running down his neck not to mention his tail, blinked before glancing at the particularly shiny gemstone he was munching on, "...I knew it. Didn't I tell you trying to be humans would just make things crazier?"
"Spike! For heaven's sake! Help yer big brother out here!" Ryan pleaded, pulling against Luna's magic and reaching out towards him.
Spike took one look at what was going on, glanced at the girls then back to Ryan and seemed indecisive, "I don't know...I'm pretty sure if they're doing this you probably did something to deserve it."
"Spike! I'm yer sensei too dangit! Look at me when I say this: I didn't do anythin'! I swear!"
"Spike! Don't you dare interfere!" Twilight growled out, "Be a good little brother to me."
"That's not fair!" Ryan cried out, slipping slightly, "Come on!"
"I...I don't..."-Spike held his head-"Why must my loyalties be split so?!"
"Oh Spikey-Wikey?" Rarity smirked, sauntering over to him, "If you let us take care of business here, I'm sure I could find some way to make sure your loyalty is quite rewarded."
Ryan's eyes widened as he saw Spike wavering, "Don't you dare! Don't you freaking dare!"
"W-well Rarity I...if it's for you I..."-Spike gulped before glancing at Ryan-"...I'm sorry!"
Ryan sighed in defeat, his feet sliding along the ground now after Spike's betrayal but he couldn't blame him after all; for what chance did he have against feelings of love? Closing his eyes he waited for the inevitable until he heard a loud roar, "What?"
Opening his eyes he saw Spike had apparently run passed Rarity, hopped over him, and shot a fireball in front of the others that broke Luna's concentration; now free of the magic hold on him, he quickly turned, grabbed hold of a smirking Spike, donned his wings, and then took off while the others were confused.
"He's getting away!" Twilight shouted, "After him!"
"There's more important issues!" Rarity bemoaned, holding a hand to her head, "And that's Spikey-Wikey being immune to my charms! Ooooooooh~"
Rainbow Dash groaned, "Drama queen aside, Twilight's right! Come on everypony! We've got a human to catch!"
With that they all took off (dragging Rarity behind them) in the hopes of catching Ryan and Spike; of course, what they hadn't been aware of was the two hadn't gone anywhere. They had cleverly looped back around and waited till the others were off before landing and heaving a sigh, "Spike little buddy...thanks."
"Hey, well, ya know...I might like Rarity but I guess her human self has less power over me." Spike chuckled, "So...what happened anyway?"
Quickly filling Spike in, he nodded and rolled his eyes, "I always figured the Princess was a prankster at heart...good job on that one Dark."
'Hey! I said I was sorry! What more do you want?'
"To not be hunted by our friends for something we didn't do...we need to talk to Cellie, come on!"
One quick change of clothing later, Ryan and Spike were cautiously making their way through the castle towards not the throne room but Celestia's room; the guards thought it odd they were sneaking around but, once again, it was in their best interest to ignore what was happening until it was over. Having a few close encounters where the girls nearly had them save for some dumb luck, they were finally in the hallway leading to her room, "So Spike, why weren't ya with the others this morning?"
"Oh...it's this human form. It's all awkward and weird."-Spike glanced at Ryan-"Uh, no offense."
"None taken, I can imagine it takes getting used to. Haha, I guess ya just felt uncomfortable then."
"Yeah, Twilight's been practicing it with the others for sometime so they've gotten, well, not pretty good but good enough at walking on two legs. My problem is the legs are so much longer than what I'm used to, I kept tripping over them."
"Hahaha, oh heavens. Well, it's nice to know mah little brother chose to side with me."-he ruffled his green hair-"That makes me feel pretty happy, probably more than ya might know."
Spike knocked Ryan's hands away before fixing his hair, "Ack! Sheesh...haha. So then...what's the plan with the Princess?"
"Don't know...I'll figure it out once we get in there."
"So the same thing with Discord then?"
"Hey! I had a plan! It just...didn't fully form as fast as I'd hoped it would back then."
'Oh! Can I help? I promise it'll be good I swear!'
"...I don't know..."
Spike nodded and nudged Ryan, "Come on! I think he wants to make up for screwing things up in the first place."
Ryan sighed and shook his head, "Oh fine...so then...what's this plan of yers Darky?"
'Well....'
Celestia was in her room, cake in hand as she laughed heartily remembering the look of sheer terror when Dark (and sadly Ryan too) were blamed for her little prank; licking her lips she enjoyed another forkful before she heard a noise outside.
"Hey! What are you do-ack!" The guards groaned before going silent.
Celestia raised an eyebrow, hiding her cake back in the dresser before slowly standing up, "...Swift Cut? What is going on?"
And that's when the doors exploded inwards from a very violent kick before Ryan strutted in and struck a pose.
"What....how are you?!" Celestia gasped, seeing him standing there with Spike on his shoulders, the two of them wearing the oddest, angular shades she'd ever seen, and a dark cape with his cutie mark on it billowing behind him.
Spreading his arms wide, Dark took his cue and shouted in the loudest Canterlot Voice he could muster, 'WHO THE HELL DOST THOU THINK WE BEITH!?'
"Yes, come on Cellie? Seriously, ya didn't think I'd get away from them somehow? Oh wait..."-he smirked and seemed to look towards space-"Thanks for the inspiration fer that Rain Nero...now then...where were we?"
Celestia huffed and smirked, "I think I was about to send you straight to Trouble Town."
"Didn't you already try that when ya pulled a fast one and got us in trouble with the others?" Ryan huffed, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at her.
"Oh my....how did that old phrase go Darkness?"-Celestia tapped her chin before grinning-"Oh yes...U mad?"
'Ah, sweet Trollestia...how long has it been since I've seen that particular face? It ends here though my friend; we shan't go down for your prank.'
Celestia scoffed before laughing, "And just how do you propose to do that? You can't possibly prove it was me...you have no evidence."-she shook her head-"This is what happens when you prank the sun...you get burned."
"Huh, and here I thought that the cold would've kept that from happening Princess." Spike shrugged, shaking his head, "I guess we really are in some hot water."
Celestia merely twitched at that pun before a smile and then a very creepy grin practically beamed at our two...heroes? Does heroes work? At any rate, Ryan and Spike felt a bit uneasy at her confidence, "The only reason you're even still standing here untouched is because I haven't had this much fun in so long; I'd forgotten how amusing it was to have someone treat me like an equal. It really has been far too long hasn't it Darkness?"
Dark snickered, 'Indeed Tia...although...I wouldn't be too hasty.'
"What?"-she gasped when she saw Ryan holding her hidden cake-"But...how? When?"
"While you were acting all trollish dear Princess, I took the opportunity to get a little bargaining chip." Ryan looked at the cake, licking his lips, "It does look particularly tasty does it not?"
"You...you wouldn't!"
Ryan smirked and swiped some frosting with his finger, "Oh? I wouldn't huh?"-he licked the frosting off and smiled blissfully-"Heavens that's tasty."
Celestia fumed, her horn glowing brightly as she clenched her hands into fists before gasping as Ryan picked up a forkful to take a bite, "NO! WAIT! DON'T!"
Spike laughed before patting Ryan's head, "Looks like you've found you're bargaining chip Ryan."
"It would seem so little bro...oh, but it's so hard to fight the temptation."-Ryan licked the smallest bit of icing from the forkful-"Mmmmm...it's like a Rainboom of deliciousness. Oh...how can I resist?"
Her eyes widening along with her rising anger, she was so enraged at being played like this she turned back into her alicorn self and glared at Ryan; when she saw he ate the forkful and wasn't playing around she took aim and would've fired save for the fact that Ryan was now holding the plate above his head.
"Ah, ah Cellie...one move and I have Spike turn up the heat."-Ryan watched her whimper before bringing her anger under control-"Oh, no need to pout Cellie; I hate to waste good baked goods as much as the next pony so...just come clean and you'll have yer cake back. That's all I ask."
Celestia's lips quivered while staring at the cake, "And...and I can have my cake back? No tricks?"
"Ah might not be the Element of Honesty, but mah word is not something I break. So simply bring the girls here, tell them the truth, and we're all good."
"...very well."-she sighed-"I cannot let an innocent cake be harmed."
Concentrating on where they were, Celestia teleported her sister and the others into her chambers; watching as they fell into a confused pile, they were rather disoriented until they locked eyes with Ryan and were about to charge him till he raised a hand, "Ah-ah ladies! I believe Cellie has something important to tell you all."
Unsure as to what was going on, Twilight turned to her beloved Princess, "Princess? What is he talking about?"
"I bet he's just stalling!" Rainbow Dash growled at Ryan and Spike, causing the younger of the two to jump in fright.
"No no, he is right...there is something important."-she closed her eyes before smirking-"And that is he came apologizing to me, asking for me to help him but I told him to man up and take his punishment."
'Yeah, that's....wait a second, that's not right Ryan!'
"Dark's right I!"-he gulped, seeing his hands now empty-"Where's the cake?"
"Ryan! Run!" Was all Spike could think to say as they turned tail and attempted to flee...but to no avail as the others easily overpowered them, "Ah man, I bet on the wrong horse didn't I?"
"Oh I'm afraid so Spikey-Wikey."-Rarity sighed, shaking her head back and forth-"Naughty little boys must be punished after all."
'...yeah! Like no one is gonna take that out of context!'
"Darkness darling, do be a dear and shut up."
"Cellie! Why?! We had a deal!" Ryan gasped, glaring at her from under the pile of humanized ponies that were his friends.
Celestia merely took a bite of her cake...before smashing face-first into it; with icing and cake bits covering her face (it contorted into a deranged, wild-eyed smile) she uttered only this simple phrase, "I lied~"
'...damn, we got double-trolled!'
All that could be heard was the echoing of Ryan's screams as he was carried off by them...until by pure dumb luck the spell wore off and in the confusion of them returning back to pony form he was able to once more make a break for it; with the terrified screams of Ryan (and now Spike too) as music to her ears, Celestia sighed and rummaged around for more of her cake, "Ah, it's good to be me."