I regretted that day. I allowed myself to be consumed by something that I wasn't familiar with and now I'm regretting the fact that I came to realize the thing of which I held. The Power that the Brood wielded but never used, The Power that even a Goddess feared enough to commit genocide.
I flew as far as I could from the Badlands after witnessing the aftermath of my attack, my one and single attack.
The Princesses started hounding the cause of the destruction, and heard of a great dragon flying off to the empty northern regions. They found me a few miles close to where the Crystal Empire used to be and they asked me if I knew what happened to the dragon that they were after. My mind was still reeling at what my body had been capable of at the time, and wasn't really at the right state to keep secrets.
So, I told them. I'm my moment of brilliant vulnerability, I told them: My return to Equestria, the cry of agony, the base within the Badlands, my discovery of what acts were done in that deprived hell hole, my rage, my fury, my justice, and my power.
They were accepting at first, but after I told them that there was no way of saving the victims in that horrid place, they grew stern. They said that there was always a way to save them, a way to heal them. They said that there was no such thing as losing hope.
Naive.
For all their strength, they couldn't understand the plight of those victims who were born without power or have come to acquire them. The creatures, the victims, that I saw in that place had already given up hope, given up on waiting for someone to come and rescue them, and most of all they've given up the will to live. Their eyes that were so dim and without light only served to fuel my rage. I will never forget their words, where they pleaded for freedom.
To be free of the curse called "Life".
Something inside me snapped at that moment, where everything began to clear. My mind completely went still. The fury that had been growing suddenly shrank and was pushed deep into myself. But that didn't mean that it lost any of its intensity. I felt so disconnected with my emotions that everything just felt... numb.
The last that I saw of them was when regained the light in their eyes, where hope was once again ignited in their souls, where they looked on and smiled as the item of their demise fell upon them and erased them from the world. The numbness inside me continued to linger as I watched the gorge get swallowed by the blast, but that soon gave way to fear and panic as I noticed that the blast was not stopping. I looked on as it continued to sweep across the mountain ranges of the Badlands, and watched in trepidation as it devoured everything it touched.
Every hateful emotion I felt before then was drained as I looked at the aftermath. The once high and imposing mountain ranges of the Badlands were reduced to nothing but a crater of destruction. I hovered at the center of it all, surveying the damage, the cataclysm. Miles worth of land, high and towering mountains, reduced to rubble and dust and burning debris.
Then came the realization, my ignorance of my own body, the power that it held and the countless number of deaths that it would wreak if I ever lose control of it. What would she say, or do, if she ever realizes that what she had taken in back then, what she cared for and nurtured carried something so monstrous inside him?
The Pony Sisters, as I expected, were not pleased by the death of both the victims and the criminals. They tried to preach to me of peace and harmony, and that death and violence were only meant for the wicked. I paid their words no heed as my thoughts were still caught in a never ending turbulence.
I had power but no control, no better than a savage beast without a goal. So I decided, if I were to live in this body of mine, I must learn to master it and rely on my dragon forms as a last resort. I needed to master my magic.
Oh how I am still vexed at the sisters and their interruptions. The two have no sense of timing whatsoever.
We were still in the throne room, where I was leaning back on my tail, said appendage was stabbed through the floor for better balance. The guards and princesses didn't appreciate the damage on the floor.
The guards had me surrounded from all sides, the Pony Sisters were up on their thrones, and the Elements were forming a half circle right below them. The girls were given each one pillow to sit on, where Generosity was more than happy to accept while saying that all the stress was getting to her. Even with that small bit of amusement, the air was still tense, and some of the guards had been eyeing the hole that my tail made with a barely recognizable nervousness.
"I see..." Celestia muttered in contemplation. "This news is truly rather disconcerting."
I've informed her and everyone else of the Brood and Myria, and the possibility that it may be her that was coming closer to this world. I told them of the war that almost destroyed our (the original Ryu's) world because of the Goddess and her power, where the Dragon Clan's greed made them turn on each other for the right of the wish.
And also of the brave hero and his friends who battled with the goddess before.
By the Sun Princess' side was Twilight Sparkle, having asked for someone to get her some parchment for her to take down notes as I told the story. It was almost disturbing to watch the shine in her eyes if I wasn't already expecting something like this from the die-hard scholar.
The rest of the Elements were also paying rapt attention to the story, commenting on some details and annoying me on some occasions when they would continue to disturb me one after another. But even all of that was nothing compared to the awe and possible worship that I saw in the eyes of the other dragon in the room.
Spike had been fully immersed with the tale that he had unconsciously made his way towards me to hear the story better. If it hadn't been for Celestia and Luna pulling the young drake back beside them with their magic I wouldn't be surprised if he had been sitting in front of me as I finished my tale.
"Fascinating!" the lavender unicorn chimed. "A whole different dimension! And a being not resident of this world here in the castle itself!"
If that mare comes even close to me with dissecting tools, I'm chaining her to a wall and leech her magic enough so that she wouldn't be able to teleport out of them for a long while.
"Indeed." Luna commented. "For thou to actually come from another world, 'tis quite a surprise, but We should have known better after searching the farthest reaches of the world for the rest of thy kin and gaining naught even a sliver of word even after months of research by Our subjects."
I shook my head sadly. "You wouldn't have found another like me." I said. "I'm the last of my kind to carry the might of my clan. And if you did find another they wouldn't even have any power at all."
The original Ryu had been called the Prince by the Brood who gave up their power since he was the only one left capable of transforming into his dragon forms. He was the last to carry the burden and legacy of what was left after the rest were hunted down. Now I am Ryu, and by technicality what was his is also mine now.
"That's so cool!" Spike exclaimed, his eyes shining in admiration and bouncing on his heels while Applejack had his tail pinned down with her hoof. "It's like one of the stories I've read in books!" he stopped for a moment, changing his expression and the tone of his voice while he spoke dramatically. "The last of his kind, The chosen one, The hero who fights the forces of evil to save the world! Just like Supermare!"
I snorted and gave a small smirk. That wasn't too far from the truth-- actually, that's exactly what the third Ryu's life was like if it comes down to it. As well as the other versions of Ryu. Speaking of which...
"I find it rather odd." Celestia muttered as she looked at me. "For three generations of your kind to fight the forces that threatened your world were all named the same."
"It's symbolic." I muttered helplessly. Yes, I told her about the three generations and that they shared the same name. "It literally translates as 'Dragon' in another language. The first and second generation also didn't make it a big of a deal in what they did and accomplished, choosing to fade in history rather than bask in the glory. After their adventures they simply vanished, or at least that's what I managed to get from the stories."
"And now you bear their name." she said. I thought I heard a bit of an accusation in her tone, but ignored it.
"You can start calling me Bob, if you want, but that doesn't really change anything." I told her. "It'll just prove how petty you are."
She took a deep and calming breath, which made me think jokingly that she might fire sunbeams from her nose if she exhales. Instead she just closed her eyes and visibly tried to keep her temper in check. I knew she was still sore from being outwitted a millennium ago, and that I had been hiding in her country without her knowing. It was a big blow to her ego, I'm sure.
"And what do you want us to do with this information?" she asked.
"Oh, that." I piped up in thought. "Nothing. I want you and your pony subjects to do absolutely nothing when they do come."
"Nothing!?"
Everyone doing something at the time all snapped their attention back to me immediately, all those that were simply zoning out also did the same.
"Yes. That's the best help you can give me: Nothing." I said as I pulled my tail out of the hole I pierced through the floor. "If I didn't come here to warn you about it then you'd have probably tried to negotiate with her or something, where she'll just manipulate you into hunting me down like she did the rest of my clan. Then when you find me and sic the Elements my way, I'd be forced to fight back, where after I make my escape you'll announce to the kingdom that I'm some sort of Evil Incarnate, or something."
"Hey! The Princess wouldn't do that!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed before turning to Twilight. "Would she?"
The unicorn tapped her chin in thought before looking at her teacher for an answer. Celestia caught the look and sighed, ruffling her wings before turning to me.
"I probably would have." she said.
"Do keep in mind that before this conversation, Celestia and Luna here considered me as their enemy." I pointed out. "And even now I think they still do." I looked at both of them and threw an accusing stare.
The guards around me all pointed their spears on my upper body, glaring at me with and equal amount of anger. "You will respect the Princesses!" one of them exclaimed.
I gave them all a flat look. I then turned my attention to the spears that were in front of me. "Celestia, you should really teach your goons to stop provoking creatures that could easily rip them apart." And to prove my point, I took one of the spears in my hand and pinched the bladed tip, where I then pulled off half of the metal as easily as tearing out a piece from a soft clay.
The guards all looked a tad more nervous than before, but they still held firm, standing as diligently as they could.
"Stop patronizing my subjects, Ryu!" the Princess of the Sun demanded. "They are merely doing the tasks assigned to them, and it is their job to protect us and the kingdom. Is this how you act to those you seek aid from?"
Letting out a grunt, I threw the broken tip of the spear behind me, ignoring the sound of it bouncing off one of the guards' helmets. "You never saw me talking to a crowd, Celestia, and time changes a person's patience depending on how they live." I said. "Just as you are now less arrogant and prideful, I've become less patient to lack of common sense and general stupidity."
You'd think that living for centuries would make me more patient, but because I lived most of the time in isolation, I really started to hate socializing. Of course, I didn't spend all of my time alone. I've met a few travelers over the passing years and even made friends with most of them. They staved off the insanity that came with boredom, keeping my head straight after all this time. Though I also kept in touch with the descendants of my friends, and getting appointed as the recluse uncle who just comes and goes.
Come to think of it, I should really go and say hello to them soon, there was one family member that hasn't met me yet.
"I suppose that's all I have to say. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to pay some friends a visit." I turned my back to the princesses and started walking towards the door. I waited for the guards blocking my way to part... but they didn't.
I looked back to the throne and found Celestia standing with stern expression on her face. "Though your warnings are appreciated, I cannot simply sit by as this world is invaded. As a ruler of Equestria, I also cannot allow someone with your destructive temperament to just wander the land. The last time you did, you turned the Badlands into a wasteland and even destroyed a few forests in the country."
"Have you gone senile, Celestia?" I shot her a look of irritation which she returned with a scowl. "I admit that the Badlands were my doing, but the forests that you're talking about were only half my fault. You and your sister also contributed to those when you kept shooting at me and kept on missing."
"Insolence!" Luna bellowed. "'Twas thee who destroyed more of nature than Our sister and Us!"
"Those places where you found me were isolated! So isolated in fact that no one lived close to it for miles." I retorted. I was just starting to familiarize myself with my abilities fully back then and was thinking of better ways to apply it other than just combat, " But still, it's not as if you could stop me. I know that you've gotten rusty, Celestia, after years of peace and the lack of war. I know that Luna should still be up to par with how she was back then, but after the whole Nightmare Moon incident, her magic has become less... how do I say this. Potent? And I don't even want to begin with the six mares who had little to no combat training."
Rainbow Dash immediately stopped laughing at that. "Hey! If I wanted to I could knock you down ten seconds flat!"
"Only because I would be laughing at all your attempts to hurt me." I countered. Though I do faintly remember that out of all of them, she was the one who was most battle oriented.
"Why I oughtta-- Ow, hey!"
The rainbow pony looked down on her tail, where it was pinned down by Applejack's free hoof while the other was still on Spike's. "Settle down there, Rainbow. Don't let 'em rile you up."
"That's right, darling." Rarity spoke. She looked at me and the single piece of clothing that I wore; which were my pants, secured by a large belt. "Eugh. You really shouldn't approach him until the princesses deem it safe."
...I feel somewhat insulted yet self conscious now that the fashionista made a face on my attire. I feel an odd urge to cover myself with my wings. My clothes are a part of me and this body, I can get them to appear and disappear if I want. I'm somewhat thankful for that since I didn't want to change clothes every time I transform, ripping what I had on at the time. I could still wear other clothes, but my default set is the only one that's safely converted into magic when I turn into a dragon while others don't survive the process.
"I would actually love to see you try, little pegasus." I taunted the mare, which only made her struggle more under the farm pony's hoof. Applejack sent me a look that said she didn't like me poking fun at her friend. I raised my arms up in a gesture of surrender and stopped myself from saying anymore. "But like I said, I did not come here to fight, so please stop poking at the dragon's pride."
"The Princess is right." Twilight Sparkle commented as the pegasus began to settle down. "Someone like you shouldn't allowed to roam around without an escort. Who knows what you'll do?"
"I spent years doing nothing to your Equestria, and now you accuse that I'll be doing something to it now that I revealed myself to you?" I raised a brow towards her. "Where's the logic in that?"
"You will stay here at the castle until we are convinced of your sincerity." Celestia spoke up, flaring her wings from where she stood. "With Discord's recent rampage, the ponies all need time to recover from the trauma that were inflicted upon them. If word of your return circulates, and if they find out of our previous encounters all those years ago, I'm afraid that my subjects would panic upon knowing that you have been free all this time."
"I won't say anything if you won't. Also, it's really annoying when you do that." I pointed at her wings. "Fully extending your wing to make yourself look bigger than you already are to the ponies." I did the same and extended one my wings prompting the guards at that side to move out of the way when it unfolded. It was more or less seven feet in length, and would be fourteen if I also add my other wing into the equation.
Celestia said nothing as I compared her feathery wings with my leathery ones, but she still didn't fold hers when I did. The other ponies in the room were rather surprised at the length of my wing, only now noticing it since they were more concerned about the person who it was connected to. Rainbow Dash also stopped scowling under Applejack's hoof to compare hers with mine.
"Don't do that to creatures who don't care for formality, Celestia, because the law of the wild dictates that as a sign of a challenge." I pointed out. I've met creatures before who had wings and also make the same gesture when they feel threatened or are threatening someone or something else. I had many of the same gesture pointed at me over my travels, and ran away from most of them because it would have been troublesome in keeping myself hidden from the world. The some who didn't let me leave came to regret that decision after I transformed into [Myrmidon].
"There are also some who use it as a sign to attract mates." Fluttershy added helpfully.
Then I saw Celestia snap her wings close with the speed of a stretched out rubber band. I found a great amount of amusement in the princess's look of horror when she looked at Fluttershy. Everyone was also doing the same when they looked at the resident animal expert, who went "Eep!" and tried her best to hide behind her mane. I suppose that it never occurred to sapient beings that some gestures they make are also used by animals in the wild.
I sent the Princess of the Sun a knowing look which she returned with a pointed stare and a light blush. We've both lived for over a thousand years, so we both know what it's like to have a repressed sexual drive when the body's aging slows down to a crawl or even more, and that doesn't mean that the urge disappears. It takes a lot of willpower not to let it control us, but everyone has a breaking point, and Celestia and I were no exception. I took care of mine a few decades ago and still have a few decades left till it becomes unbearable. I wonder how Celestia works around it since with her being a princess and all. I don't think I've heard of a prince to her princess title ever coming around to sweep her off her hooves. Or maybe she does, in a hidden drawer somewhere in her room.
"This is funny and all," I started, "But there is no way that I am giving up my freedom just because you say so."
"Then do it as a sign of trust." Celestia countered after taking back control of her own facial expression. "Even though we were against each other all those years ago, we cannot simply stand by and allow you to be hunted down by this Goddess."
"Unless you have an army with a magic potential equal to your student, then no." I told her sternly. "I don't know if she'll be coming here alone or with backup, but, all the same, your guards have no chance."
I saw that some said guards looked affronted by what I said. I turned my attention to them and glared hatefully, causing more than a few to flinch as they remember who they were talking to.
"She has powers equal to mine and can easily wipe you all out as easily as breathing." I said. "I know that if she wanted to she could bring monsters here that originated from our world."
"We can take 'em" Rainbow Dash asserted.
"Just like you took care of that sleeping dragon a few months back?" I retorted. "Some of the creatures that I'm talking about are just as equal in size, but are more ferocious, less intelligent, driven by their anger and instincts." I looked at the rainbow pagasus in the eye. "Some of them are even capable of magic. Very strong, potent, and lethal magic."
I could feel the dread the came down on the room. I felt the added burden that everyone felt when I spoke those words, but unlike them, I've been familiar with the feeling ever since I embarked on my journey alone into an unknown world.
"Creatures with magic?" Twilight asked in both fear and intrigue.
"Yes." I nodded seriously. "I know of species that breath out ice with the strength of a blizzard, lizards that could summon bolts of lightning and direct it at their foes, monsters who take the form of miniaturized volcanoes and spit out lava, hideous gigantic fishes that could crawl on land and breath out venom. Demons, monsters, ghosts, abominations, and all manners of horrors are frequent and alive back in that world."
As I mentioned some of the common monsters of the Breath of Fire world, Celestia and Luna were the only ones who were not impressed in the slightest or even at all worried. If anything they grew more serious.
"Thou portrayeth thine world in a horrible light. Surely it cannot be as bad as thou sayeth." Luna commented.
"Half the world is covered with flourishing nature, but half of it is nothing but a barren desert." I told her. "The only thing separating the two is the vast ocean that divides the planet." I neglected to tell them that maybe the barren half was the remnants of the internal war of the old Dragon Clans. I have no proof, but with the history of nearly destroying the world, it could be possible. "It's survival of the fittest and everyone is required to at least be able to defend themselves from the random monster encounters."
Even though what I'm saying is RPG logic, it would be a terrifying thought if I actually lived in a world like that. Ryu and his friends actually lived there, and even camp out at nights. You'd have to be very, very brave and strong to pull something like that and survive till morning.
"And you came from that kind of world..." Celestia muttered solemnly.
"More or less." I shrugged. Not completely a lie. Back my original world, there are some monsters in human skin and it was definitely survival of the fittest, in a sense. "It's also because of this that Heroes are less than rare but not really common."
"What do you mean?" Spike asked, the topic suddenly gaining his attention.
"Because of how harsh life is, there are a lot who would take advantage of others to make their life easier." I said. Like the people of Syn City and its criminal organization that Rei, Ryu's friend, pretty much slaughtered. "In return there would be heroes who would rise above the rest and right the wrongs. The sense of justice is strong in the less fortunate. They find the courage to act, not out of duty, but because it's the right thing to do."
A moment of silence passed in the room, with the atmosphere lifting up as the seconds ticked by. The dread the everyone felt earlier was slowly being eased by the talk of heroes and such. Even though I don't really believe in such concepts.
After a while Celestia smiled, and I saw something flash in that calculating eyes of hers. "Tell me, Ryu, why did you reveal yourself to us?"
I looked at her, long and hard, giving her my best deadpan I could muster. "Have you truly gone senile, Celestia?" I ignored the indignant looks shot at me by most of the ponies in the room, keeping my attention solely on the Sun Princess.
"Humor me, if you would." she said in her most serenely and motherly expression.
"I came to warn you." I said plainly.
I saw her smile stretch farther. "And...?"
I kept my face impassive as I repeated the question in my head. Why did I reveal myself to her? I could have just sent anonymous messages to warn them, but that wouldn't last if Myria asked for me specifically. Celestia would just think that the messages that I sent were traps and after they find out that the statue wasn't the real me, they'll just send out search parties after me, which in turn would keep me away from the friends I made through the years.
I could have just taken care of this silently without revealing myself for a while, but I'm pretty sure that the battle between me and a Goddess would be felt even by the sealed Discord. And the risk of getting civilians involved in the fight would escalate if I were to be caught in or close to a settlement without the royal sisters sending a warning to evacuate the area.
I did it because it was the safest path I could think of, minimizing casualties and using Celestia's own drones to report any strange activity through the land where the incoming threat might have come in silently instead of something like a flashy entrance. I did it because there were only so little I could do while keeping myself hidden, even if I called in the aid of my friends. I did it because I'm pretty sure that none of the Equestrians could take on this threat. I did it because through the years I've grown bored and this could sate that boredom. But most of all, I did it because-
"I'm lonely." I sighed, slumping my head down.
A lot of inquisitive brows were raised at my statement, but it was Celestia who seemed to actually know what I meant by what I said.
I raised on hand up rub my face, slumping my shoulders tiredly while I sighed again. "You should know what longevity does, Celestia. Friends and loved ones come and go, but even through the flow of time you stay the same."
I cracked an eye open and saw a melancholic expression settle on the white mare's face. She gave me a sympathetic nod and sighed softly as well.
"I gained great mastery over my magic three hundred years ago, and spent most of my time from then till now roaming the lands again and visiting old acquaintances." I said. My eyes panned across the ponies present, settling mostly on the two ponies that I've known most. "I want to stop hiding and maybe settle down somewhere. But even after seeing most of the continent, all of its glory and splendor, Equestria was always the place that I find myself returning to no matter where I go."
I took note of the pride that most of the ponies showed when I confessed to them of what I thought of their country. In all honesty I couldn't blame them. This was the most peaceful place I have ever encountered, even with it's hidden darkness in some corners that Celestia's sun couldn't reach.
"If I swear to you, Celestia, that I would protect this land till my last dying breath, will you leave me in peace?" I looked her in the eye and held my gaze with hers.
After a few moments of searching, the Princess of the Sun relented as she leaned back and sat down on her throne. "I see no lies or deceit in your eyes, Ryu." she turned her head and met her sister's gaze, smiling as she smiled back. "I, too, know of the pain and the loneliness that comes through the passing of time. After my sister's banishment, I only had my subjects to help me pull through in the coming years."
"But that wasn't really enough." I added.
"No, not always." she shook her head sadly before looking back to me. "As you've said, they come and go but we always stay the same. It's hard to watch the ones you cherish complete the cycle of life while you can do nothing but watch as it does."
By her side, Twilight Sparkle looked at her teacher sadly. Unlike us who have lived for so long, the lavender pony couldn't understand the pain and heart-breaking acceptance that we must endure all these years. I had to watch as the mare who took care of me back then die as her time came. I went back to her and the town she lived in time and time again, never really noticing that every time I visited, years had already passed.
Whenever I came back empty handed in my journey home, I would always cling to her like a child. I started treating her like my own mother and I didn't even realize it until the time where I had to say goodbye for the last time. It was then that the painful truth came to me, that her passing would not be the first or the last that I will experience in my long and miserable journey.
"Princess." Twilight whispered to her mentor.
Celestia smiled back to her and I saw some cheer return to her features. "But I endured. I was not truly alone, and I learned to cherish the memories I have of them. And I also had a sister to wait for."
That's one of the things that I envy of her. She has family, a real blood related family member.
I grunted, gaining her attention again, and I couldn't hide the displeasure I had from showing on my face. "And I had to resort to hiding like a rat all these years, because I reshaped the Badlands and killed everything in it."
I was bitter about her still having a family, but can you blame a guy who had his ripped away from him? Though as soon as the feeling came, it left just as quick. The feeling wasn't anything new, and I was more bitter back then than I was now. I encountered many settlements in my journey, so seeing a family close and enjoying their lives was a common sight. It left me bitter and jealous, but that only lasts until I came to accept the feeling and knowing that there was nothing I could to about it.
That doesn't mean I couldn't express my displeasure, though.
Some of my friends back then noticed my growing depression and went out of their way to welcome me into their own family. It had been a touching day and it lessened the pain I had of losing the mother figure that took care of me. Still, that didn't erase my bitterness completely.
"Anyway, I'm still going to see my friends." I repeated. "And there's nothing you can to to stop me from doing it, Celestia."
The princess sighed, looking ready to relent as the talk about friends and memories seem to let her sympathize with me. "I suppose I have no right to prevent you from being with them, and your crimes were already more than a thousand years ago. Few ponies even remember that day, and even then they only know the gist of it." Her face grew serious, and the guards all around me straightened in their spots. "I will be lenient, but you will still be punished for what you did to the Badlands."
"Oh?" I raised an interested brow at her. "And what would that punishment be?"
Celestia shot me a mischievous smile before looking at Luna. "You are to help my sister familiarize herself to modern times."
Huh?
"WHAT!" was Luna's more vocal reaction.
All of the elements cringed around her while Celestia didn't even so much as twitch when her sister nearly blew her eardrums by how close they were sitting. The guards were giving their ruler a clear surprised look, breaking their vigil at the deemed punishment.
While the ponies were all making faces at Celestia, I never really broke eye contact with her after she declared the task I must do in order to be forgiven of my crimes.
To others it may not seem like a terrible punishment, but to me it was different. The implications of the things that I'll do, what I must do, and be forced to do against my will made me glare at the smiling alicorn in irritation. This means that I'll have to interact more than I'm comfortable with, and to a pony who more or less hates my guts. I'll probably have to teach her how to talk like the modern day ponies and be forced to be in the same room for hours with... books. I shudder at the thought.
I grunted. "If I didn't know how you ruled, Celestia, I would have called you a Tyrant."
"So, do you accept the punishment?" she asked with a smile a little to sweet for my taste.
"Though I dread the time I'll be wasting, I don't think my friends will be happy with me if I said No." I confessed. "It's honestly pretty light, now that I think of it... more thoroughly, and who knows, I might even get me some laughter at her expense."
"We Refuse!" Luna bellowed. "We will not be taught by a criminal!"
"But you will have to." Celestia told her sister sadly. "He is the only one suited enough to impart the history of one thousand years during your banishment, and is also well verse in the modern tongue. I really wish to give you a better instructor, Luna, but..."
She trailed off and I saw some hurt coming in the features of the younger sister. I also noted that some guards shifted and looked away uncomfortably.
It made me wonder if one thousand year banished princesses also applied to the local xenophobia, even if they were the blood kin of the one who ruled over them for over a millenia. I can take a guess and say that her attempt in making night eternal not once but twice also added in making the ponies close enough to get skittish.
Well, from her lack of progress in her speech patterns, it would be safe to assume that she rarely had anyone to talk to, given that it was nearly a year ago that she was set free from her Nightmare phase. It also gave the lazy bum inside me some hope that all I had to do during the duration of my punishment was to strike conversation with the Moon Princess until she was adequate enough to talk to other ponies or creatures of the land.
I suppose, I also feel sorry for her as well.
"I'll do my best, then."
Luna looked at me in surprise while Celestia merely smiled. "Thank you." the sun alicorn said.
"Can I leave now?" I asked, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently.
"Yes, I believe that is all. But..." Celestia trailed off just as I was about to turn around. "Tell me, Ryu, if it wouldn't be any trouble. May I ask who these friends of yours are? They must be great ponies to have accepted you given your... difference with the other inhabitants of the world."
I was about to tell her that it was none of her business but then caught the sight of the Elements looking curious and hopeful as well. They all looked like children eager for a tale. And with my age it wouldn't really be much of a stretch. Still, over the time that I interacted with my friends, I saw all of them grow up from when they were nothing but colts and fillies to great stallions and mares. The look that the six were giving me really struck a cord in my old, grandpa, heart.
"I guess they wouldn't mind," I muttered carelessly.
"Then...?" Celestia urged.
Instead of answering her, I turned my attention to someone else in the room.
"You won't mind if I made my visit early, right, Applejack?"
