//------------------------------// // That's all folks....or not. // Story: Aftermath of the Blanks // by HumanSVD //------------------------------// Konrad regretted many things in his life, such as not telling his parents he loved them often enough, playing too many video games, and failing to ask his high school crush out on a date. However, saying “Boo” to a herd of panic-prone ponies was new. “Oh god, I really screwed up…wait! They’re not doing anything!” Sure enough, everypony stared at him with their jaws wide open, unable to process Konrad’s apparent authenticity as a human. “Phew! Maybe they won’t panic at all. I guess I’m in the—” As if Murphy’s Law could hear his thoughts, the residents of Ponyville broke out in a fit of panic. Both young and old ponies ran everywhere while screaming their lungs out. “-clear…You know what? Screw it; I don’t care anymore. I’m too tired to even try.” With a look of bemusement on his face, Konrad stared at the sight of chaos before him, not bothering to help alleviate the situation. Parents grabbed their foals and immediately ran towards their homes to avoid being trampled on while others ran in circles screaming. Stands that had bowls of candy and other various treats were knocked over by ponies not paying attention to where they were going, while others ran into each other. Even more ridiculous was the sight of a wagon wheel rolling through the middle of the herd. He looked on as the wheel slowly made its way towards Roseluck, wearing a dress he swore was stolen from a Disney movie. She screamed as if her life was about to end, making the man facepalm. “Oh god! This is too painful even for me to watch.” The wheel stopped dead in its tracks and fell just a hair’s length away on its side. Roseluck blushed in embarrassment for overreacting while Konrad shook his head at her. The two made eye contact causing the mare to scream before running away. “Whatever… You’re just a stupid Beauty and the Beast copycat.” As the panic continued, Konrad realized that there were two things he had forgotten about; Apple Bloom and Princess Luna. Konrad, now worried, began searching for Apple Bloom; her safety was first and foremost to him. Not having the luxury of Ruby’s special talent at his disposal, he did his best to search for the young country filly, fearing she may have been trampled in the stampede of ponies. “Where is she?! Where is she?! It’s like trying to find Waldo on crack-oh there she is!” His attention was now focused on Apple Bloom, who had taken refuge on the wagon her brother had pulled not too long ago. Applejack and Big Macintosh were inside the wagon, surrounding their little sister to protect her from the ponies galloping around. Relieved that Apple Bloom was safe, he turned his attention to Princess Luna, who had a worried look on her face watching her subjects running and screaming. He knew they would stop if the Royal Canterlot Voice were to be used, but the odds of that happening weren’t very high, considering the last time she used it. “I’ve got to do something! But what?! I’m the cause of all this! They won’t listen to me! Luna, I could really use your help.” As if she could hear his mind, Luna spread her wings and flew right onto the stage, standing next to him. The Royal Guards, both Solar and Lunar alike, rushed onto the stage with lighting precision so fast that even Konrad was impressed. He had no doubt it was to make sure he wouldn’t do anything to harm her. While it was understandable, seeing how his first encounter with them and Shining Armor nonetheless greatly annoyed him and. Raising a hoof in the air, Princess Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice ever so loud, “BE STILL!” Konrad covered his ears to reduce the noise damage now inflicted on his ears. The ringing of her voice could still be heard as the man cringed. ”Damn! It’s so fucking loud! Wait, they stopped!” Looking at the herd before him, he noticed that everypony had stopped screaming, running, and coming out of hiding. Seeing their Princess on stage with the scary human surrounded by Guards, the residents of Ponyville felt a sense of safety, but more importantly, a sense of curiosity. Many ponies approached the stage, prompting Konrad to notice a few things. The first was that some of their costumes were ruined by running around. One filly, in particular, looked sad that her ladybug costume was destroyed, making the man feel really guilty. “If I hadn’t said “Boo,” maybe they wouldn’t have panicked, and her costume wouldn’t have been ruined. Now I feel like a dick…” The second thing he noticed was the parents bringing them out of their homes or from the places they hid. He could see the various colts and fillies hiding behind their parents. Despite being scared, their curiosity would eventually get the better of them. A few foals would take a peek at him every now and then before retreating back behind their parents for safety. He couldn’t help but find their peeking eyes adorable, reminding him of how he once acted as a kid when he saw something scary to hide behind his parents. The last thing he noticed was how silly some of the place ponies chose to hide. Some hid underneath a cloth draped table while tails stuck out, compromising their cover. A stallion he didn’t recognize stuck his head out from a pile of hay used as decoration near the candy stands. It was incredibly ridiculous that he was sporting a beard made entirely of hay. The last pony he saw was Derpy coming out of the apple bobbing tank. The mare made him laugh on the inside as she stared at him with her eyes cutely crossed and jaw opened in shock. “Oh, Derpy, I haven’t even met you yet. I like you already!” As the ponies continued to approach the stage, Princess Luna turned to Konrad, giving him a wink. After struggling through the battle of his life, he knew if there was anypony he could trust, it was her. Not wanting to ruin whatever plan she had, the man stood still, trying his best to look neutral and non-threatening, a task easier said than done. “Should I smile and wave? Nah, I’ll just screw it up for her.” “Everypony! Do not fear this being next to me, for he is a friend to ponykind!” Everypony looked at each other in confusion but nonetheless turned their attention back to Luna, eager to hear what she had to say. “I present to you, Konrad Ford! The Last Human!” Several ponies gasped while others quickly conversed about the human before them. While the grateful for Luna’s assistance, hearing her call him “The Last Human” made Konrad sad, but he did his best not to show it. In many ways, he realized it would be difficult for him to relate to the ponies on many levels considering he was neither born as one nor raised among them. They would never be able to understand many jokes unique to humanity, nor would they get any references he may throw at them. There was also a much larger problem, explaining everything about humanity. “Great, they’re probably going off the assumption that humanity used to live in Equestria long ago. It will blow their minds if I tell them that I’m from a different universe and that they’re a cartoon where I’m from! It will also scare the shit out of them, and I can’t let that happen! I won’t let them experience the meltdown that I went through not long ago.” “Yes! This is the last human and proof they are not the myth we believed them to be! He is not our enemy, my dear subjects, but rather our friend!” Konrad inwardly cringed hearing the title again as the ponies continued to whisper and gossip about him. To say he was uncomfortable was the understatement of the year. In what seemed to be 24 hours, he was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted; he felt like he could collapse at any moment. As the man stood on the stage, the Lunar Princess continued her speech. “I know he may seem intimidating, but I assure everypony that he is no threat. I trust him with my life, as he already has saved me in my time of need. He was introduced to you as a “zombie killer,” a title he has earned.” Not expecting Luna to admit he was indeed a killer of zombies, the fact that she confirmed their existence scared many ponies and surprised Konrad. “Okay…what are you getting at Luna?” Before the ponies could get worked up again, Luna put a hoof in the air, effectively silencing them. “Do not worry, my dear subjects! Yes, I know it instills fear to hear the existence of Blood Hooves be confirmed. However, due to the valiant and skillful efforts of Konrad and the Royal Guard, they are no more. Equestria is safe, and we owe much to the human you see next to me.” As she finished her sentence, Princess Luna gave Konrad a wink, making him blush subtly. “Damn, I feel like I’m losing my military bearing. Hold it in...” “That’s right! He the bravest friend Ah ever had! He saved my life from those scary things!” Gasps were heard as a sea of ponies parted from Apple Bloom. Unable to hold it in, Konrad gave the biggest smile in all of Equestria. “Okay, forget it! Apple Bloom is too damn adorable!” Many ponies looked at each other in disbelief at what was said by the little filly, prompting Applejack to step in herself. “You heard her everypony! You all know my family, and we don’t raise liars. She’s telling y’all the truth!” Everypony gasped again before quickly talking among themselves. “Humans are real?!” “He saved her and Princess Luna from zombies?! Wow!” “His legs are weird.” “Keep your mouth shut; it will only make you sink faster.” Standing still, Konrad did his best to keep his bearing on stage as he struggled to hear the comments about him. His body was still sore, the open cut on his arm wasn’t getting any better, and stage fright was now officially a new discomfort for the young man. Turning his attention to Princess Luna, Konrad noticed her appearance closer in detail. Her mane was flowing with sparkles, clean, and a smile of happiness was ever so present. He still couldn’t but help but be entranced by her beauty. “I got the hots for a pony...my life is weird, but hey, screw it! Got to make the most of what I have.” Noticing the man was staring at her, Princess Luna smiled and winked at the man. This action didn’t go unnoticed as Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow at her sister and the man on stage. Turning her attention back to the residents of Ponyville, Princess Luna continued, “Applejack speaks the truth, citizens of Ponyville; he has also saved Apple Bloom’s life. What further proof do you need? Please do not fear him as you did to me.” Several ponies in the crowd frowned in shame as they remembered how last year’s visit with Princess Luna went. Suddenly, a small pair of hooves could be heard clapping, prompting Konrad to find the origin of the sound. As he looked around the herd of ponies before him, Konrad could single out the source as one pony, Apple Bloom. The young country foal was smiling as she clapped and cheered, “Yee-haw! Welcome to Ponyville Konrad!” As if the man couldn’t be any happier, he felt his heart grow three sizes larger. “Gah! I’m suffering an “HNNGH” attack! Too damn adorable!” As the man suffered an overabundance of cuteness, Apple Bloom’s actions spread like wildfire. At first, it was a few ponies, but within seconds, almost everypony began to cheer and clap for the man on stage. Pinkie Pie could be seen from the back jumping up with confetti and streamers coming seemingly from nowhere. Konrad simply smiled and waved to the party pony in the back, making her night even more special than it already was. Even Konrad could see Twilight Sparkle giggling at her friend’s crazy antics before looking at the human and clapping herself. The man’s fears or worries about coming to Ponyville were now gone. “Yes! I’m a fucking hero! I’m so glad nothing went wrong! I mean, this is turning out better than I imagined! Nothing can go-” As if Murphy’s Law was back for seconds, Konrad felt his leg being held by something VERY strong. Snapping out of his euphoric celebration, Konrad looked down to find the source and noticed something he thought was no longer a factor. “MY HERO!” shouted Lyra Heartstrings. Feeling his stomach turn, Konrad knew all too well about the fandom version of Lyra as it was apparent she existed in this universe. “Oh.....Fuck... I’m screwed.” “Luuunaaa....assistance please?” Unfortunately for Konrad, her attention was turned elsewhere as she waved to the crowd, oblivious to the scene evolving behind her. The man nervously smiled at the crowd, waving his good arm while trying to wiggle Lyra off his leg. Several of the Solar Guards looked at each other, unsure what to do with the scene before them. The man tried to shake her off several times, but the mint green-colored mare would have none. Looking down at Lyra, Konrad gave her a look of annoyance as he continued in vain to shake her off his leg. “Hey! Get off me!” “You saved me!” Rolling his eyes, the man made eye contact with the mare. “No, I didn’t, you weren’t there, and I didn’t save you personally. Now please go off my leg!” “Real! I can’t believe you’re real!” Upon hearing that, Konrad made it his top priority to get her off his leg. Bending down to grab her forelegs, the man began prying her off, a task that was easier said than done. The pain from his wounded arm was rising to extreme levels as his arm tensed and exerted what little energy he had left. “Get off me!” “Human! Real! So real...” Konrad’s balance was becoming increasingly tricky; with every attempt, he made to pry her off, she doubled down with more strength. Several Ponies ceased clapping, unsure what to make of the scene before them or why Lyra was so intent on hugging his leg. Others assumed her being on the stage was planned entertainment and continued their applause. Konrad wobbled back and forth, struggling to maintain his balance while trying to get rid of the mark on his leg. Realizing he was too exhausted and not willing to use more forceful measures, Konrad realized there was one thing he could do. Walk off stage with Lyra in tow. “Well, that’s all, folks!” “It isn’t but damn, do I wish it was! Princess Celestia couldn’t believe the sight before her eyes as Konrad, the last human was alive. A mix of emotions flowed through Princess Celestia as she tried to process the view of her sister on stage with him. Relieved that he was alive and that she and the Element Bearers were not responsible for his death. Confused as to how he disappeared along with the other two ponies and the re-appearance. And finally, unnerved as to why he was not petrified at all. “Could he be somehow immune to the Elements of Harmony? If so, what else could he do?” “Princess Celestia! He’s alive!” exclaimed Twilight Sparkle. “It would seem so, my student...” replied Princess Celestia, seemingly trailing off in thoughts. Jumping up and down in excitement, Pinkie Pie cheered as the ponies clapped and celebrated Luna’s introduction of Konrad, who stood there sporting a sheepish smile. Confetti and streamers appeared out of nowhere, something that always confused Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia didn’t mind a bit; however, Pinkie Pie did; it was of no concern to her. “Woohoo! He’s alive! Oh yeah! ♫Gom, Konrad! It’s your birthday! Not really! I don’t knooOOoow! Go, Konrad♫” Sporting a small smile, Princess Celestia found her antics as amusing as ever. “Oh Pinkie Pie, you are the true embodiment of Laughter. Never change who you are.” As the herd of ponies continued to clap and cheer for the man on stage, Princess Celestia knew she had to get answers and wanted them as soon as possible. Had Princess Celestia known he was alive for sure, she would have kept him from the public. Knowing that Equestria’s citizens tended to panic at the unknown, she would have loved to reduce that possibility as much as possible. Now that Konrad was out for all of Ponyville to see, it wouldn’t be long before the entire Kingdom would know too. She could see it already, the court session filled with ponies demanding and begging for information on the human. “Soon, it won’t be long before the truth of Sunny Town. Not to mention what he may know...” Thoughts of less than reputable parties taking an interest in him were also concerned for her. If he indeed was the last of his kind, he would need to be looked after. It was, after all, the least she owed him for saving her sister’s life and the life of a foal. Princess Celestia still felt guilty for wanting Konrad to be nothing more than another statue in the garden, right next to Discord of all beings. She would make this up to him and show Konrad that Equestria would be a great place for him to live his life. “At least they are receiving him well, thanks to Luna. This may turn out well after all. Now I wonder what that winking was all about...” As the ponies continued to cheer for the man, Princess Celestia noticed the mare known as Lyra Heartstrings suddenly grab his leg. Her stomach sank as she knew what was about to happen. ”No...please don’t. Not when everything has gone so well.” Pointing to the stage, Twilight Sparkle said, “Uhh...Princess Celestia, I think something-” “Is wrong; I know my student.” “Awww! He’s already making friends! I wanna hug a human!” said Pinkie Pie. The human on stage looked down and tried multiple times to rid himself of the mark on his leg. Even from this distance, Princess Celestia could see the poor human was wounded, bleeding from an open wound. No matter how hard the human tried, the mare simply would not budge. And to make it worse, the crowd was still giving applause to the scene before them, with Luna being oblivious to it all. Waving a hoof at her sister to get her attention, Princess Celestia then pointed to Konrad, hoping she could assist him. Princess Luna, however, smiled and waved back, happy that Konrad was alive and well, not knowing the scene behind her. As much as she strived to always carry herself regally, Princess Celestia could not but help face hoof at the situation. Now Princess Celestia could feel the inevitable disaster coming, similar to that of last year’s Grand Galloping Gala. While she did not mind the disaster back then, she most certainly wishes the same would not happen this time. Once again, Twilight Sparkle stood next to her teacher, unsure what to do at the scene before them. “I-uh, I-um...should we run this time?” “No, Twilight, we will watch and hope for the best this time.” “Oh dear...” said Twilight as she lowered her head. But the disaster of epic proportions never came. Instead, the scene evolved somewhat differently than anypony could have expected. Instead of the human taking a swing at the mare, just like he did to Rainbow Dash, Konrad did something completely unexpected. He gave a big, seemingly fake smile, waved to the herd of ponies, and comically stepped sidestepped off stage. “Oh, thank goodness! I thought he was going to hit her! It would seem we will be spared chaos for now.” As Konrad, along with Lyra, finally disappeared off stage, the ponies suddenly stopped cheering and clapping. Princess Luna, who was still unaware of what happened, raised a hoof while cheering, “Huzzah!” Instead of cheering, the ponies returned with silence, confused that the human was no longer on stage. The fact a mare was dragged along with him didn’t help the awkward silence that was now present. Confused that the citizens of Ponyville were not cheering, Princess Luna turned around and noticed that both Lyra and Konrad were now absent from the stage. Worried and not to mention embarrassing about her cheer, Princess Luna blushed before saying, “I, um...Well, I bid thee farewell! Goodnight, and enjoy the...candy! Yes, that’s it!” “Oh Luna, just go.” As if she could hear her sister’s thoughts, Luna quickly galloped backstage, with Royal Guards following her. The entire town was now confused, wondering why the human dragged a mare with him and why she was holding his leg in the first place. The herd of ponies, both young and old, eventually dispersed, chatting about the strange turn of events. Only Apple Bloom, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, and herself were now left. “Well, that certainly didn’t turn out how I expected it would.” said a relieved Princess Celestia. “Can we go backstage and see what’s going on? My sister would love to see him right now, and I owe him my gratitude,” asked Applejack. “Most certainly! It’s time to give him our sincere apologies as well.” “Count us out; Shiny and I will retire for the night. He’s still exhausted from earlier, right honey?” Looking back at his wife, somewhat confused, Shining Armor replied, “What? But I feel just fine-” “What?! You’re tired? Oh, poor you!” smiled Princess Cadence. As curious as he was to find out what happened to Konrad, Shining Armor dropped the subject. There was no way he would argue with his wife, and sleeping next to her once more was something he would never pass up. Looking back to the stage, the Shining Armor replied, “Eh, he’ll be fine. Besides, I’m sure I’ll see him again soon. Later Twiley!” Waving to her brother and sister-in-law, Twilight Sparkle smiled, happy that everything was going well. “Bye! See you in the morning! Pinkie Pie, do you want to come with us?” “No thanks, Twilight, I have to get back to Sugarcube Corner and plan for his party! I can’t wait! Lalalalaaaa!” Pinkie Pie suddenly turned tail and scurried off just as a chicken would, straight to Sugarcube Corner. Princess Celestia still found Pinkie Pie amusing as the mare finally disappeared from view. Turning to Twilight Sparkle, Apple Bloom, and Applejack, Princess Celestia said, “Well, I do believe we have a human to meet. Are you ready to see him again, Apple Bloom?” “Yes, your highness! I can’t wait!” replied Apple Bloom with a slight jump. Both Applejack and Twilight Sparkle smiled at her reply, happy to see things make a turn for the better. As the four made their way to the stage, Princess Celestia hoped that whatever compelled Lyra to grab onto Konrad was over. “I hope my sister has sorted out that issue. I wonder how they’re doing right about now.” “GET OFF ME!” yelled Konrad. ”NOO!” “Let go of him this instant, you deranged plebeian!” ”FUCK THIS HURTS!” For the last minute or two, Konrad continued prying the unicorn mare off him. Even with the assistance of Princess Luna’s magic, it was not enough to help Konrad get rid of Lyra. The Guards surrounding the three strugglings had no clue what to do, confused at the bizarre sight before them. Annoyed and tired of the situation, Konrad quickly brainstormed before coming up with the idea that made his stomach churn. He was going to tickle her. “I’m going to hate myself for this later, but damn, this has got to stop!” Looking down at Lyra, Konrad quickly extended his hands and grabbed her sides. Using his fingers, the man tackled her as best as he could. Thoughts of fanfics and fan art of ponies being tickled surged through his mind, making his stomach churn. He never understood tickling and considered it on par with a fetish. No matter how it was portrayed, it was something that always creeped him out. And here was doing that very same thing on the fandom’s designated human-loving mare, Lyra. Lyra’s eyes instantly lit up as she felt his fingers touching her sides. An involuntary grin was plastered on her face before the mare started laughing hysterically. Upon witnessing the tickling, Princess Luna ceased tugging on Lyra’s tail with her magic. Luna’s jaw dropped as she was shocked at the sight before her. “Oh God! Now she’s going to take this the wrong way! Please don’t be a tickle freak!” “Ahahaha! Stop that! It tickles!” shouted Lyra as she let go of his leg. “That’s the plan. Wait! HOT DAMN I’M FREE!” Seeing that he was now free, Konrad immediately ran as far as he could away from Lyra. Seeing that the human was no longer in her grasp, the unicorn immediately got up and tried to run to him. Two Guards immediately intercepted her before she could get to the human, who was now standing behind Princess Luna. “Wait! There’s so much I want to ask you!” cried Lyra as the Guards restrained her. “Yeah, sure, like can you take my leg to go? Oh, and thanks for finally doing something, guys,” replied Konrad. Several of the Guards gave Konrad the stink eye, ignoring it in return. On the other hand, Luna was furious at Lyra and wanted to know why the mare was crazed toward him in the first place. “What in the wide world of Equus made you think you could just grab him like that. He is not a foal’s toy!” shouted Luna as she stomped the ground with a hoof. “He’s a human! He’s real! I made my costume based off of him!” “Oh God, please don’t tell me she just happened to have a dream of me!” “Based off of him? How could you have done that!? Nopony has seen him until now!” asked Luna. “I had a dream of him!” ”NOPE! NOPE LEVELS TO THE MAX!” “And he’s just like everything I’ve ever dreamed off! It’s all real! Take that haters!” said Lyra while raising a hoof in defiance. “Haters? The only one who is going to hate you shall be me! Guards, release her, and let me deal with this myself!” As Princess Luna’s right eye began twitching and magic powered up on her horn, Konrad knew soon what would happen next. The Guards obeyed as they were told, leaving a now scared Lyra’s Heartstrings. As creeped out as he was the human next to a human-loving Lyra, Konrad felt she didn’t deserve the wrath of Princess Luna. Taking a deep breath, Konrad stepped between the two mares, holding his hands up. “Stop! Calm down, both of you! Luna, as strange as it is, her dreaming of me...” Looking back at Lyra, Konrad received a bright smile from the mare still dressed in a costume similar to his camouflage. Returning a nervous smile of his own before looking back at Luna, Konrad continued, “...was her dream. She couldn’t have known I existed, and it’s understandable why she would be very excited to see somebody from her dream.” “Somebody?! I knew it! Humans DO use that term! This is SO cool!” Luna’s eyes narrowed at her before Konrad continued, “And I did sorta jump in on the contest on accident and took her place like a jerk.” “But they voted for you...not a fake like me.” Konrad turned and saw Lyra with her head lowered to the ground and felt a wave of guilt. As great as it would be to keep the money, he knew he’d be fine without it. “I probably shouldn’t act like a dick and keep it in the first place. I’d rather not make myself look bad since I’m here for life.” Taking the bag of bits from his pocket, Konrad walked over to Lyra while Luna watched with caution. Noticing Konrad was next to her too, Lyra looked up and saw the bag of bits in his hand. “Maybe, but you have good taste and pulled it off well, in my opinion. Besides, I’m the real human, and I say you win.” Looking at Konrad and then the bag of bits, Lyra stood on her hind legs and hugged the man. Luna’s eyes lit up again, and the look of rage was plastered on her face. A few of the Royal Guards stood back away from her, not wanting to be in the way should she release her wrath upon the unicorn mare. With a look of nervousness on his face, besides being red, the man tapped the mare’s shoulder. Lyra looked at him with a smile as Konrad made eye contact. Her golden eyes reminded him too much of Ruby’s eyes and her genuine love for him. As memories of Ruby surged through his mind once more, Konrad couldn’t help but feel the heartache associated with her. It was something he didn’t want to experience again. “And Lyra was it?” “Yup! That’s my name! Lyra Heartstrings!” As the mare squealed to Konrad, Princess Luna continued to watch the both of them holding each other. With each passing second, Konrad swore he could feel the anger emanating from her as if he was a Sith from Star Wars and knew he had to set boundaries with her right now. “Awesome name. Now could you please keep your hooves to yourself from now on? Starting by letting me go?” The mare frowned in sadness hearing this from Konrad but let him go anyway. Still angry at Lyra, Princess Luna calmed down seeing her let go of Konrad and walked up to his side. Feeling silly about her actions, Lyra blushed before apologizing. “Heh, sorry about that. I just never expected any of this to happen at all. It’s all so crazy!” “You have no idea...” replied Konrad with a tired frown. Realizing this was an opportunity to get to know him more, Lyra asked, “Really? Where did you come from! Tell me! Please! I want to know how much of my headcanon is correct about humans.” Princess Luna turned away and muttered under her breath, “If it were up to me, your head would be in a cannon...” Konrad cringed at the tension coming from Luna and wanted nothing more for it to end. Lyra did not hear Luna’s comment, and it was clear to him that he was the only thing that existed in the mare’s world. Seeing how he was tired and that continuous interaction with her would only continue to be more awkward with Luna around, the man waved a finger and said, “Nope. Some other time maybe. I really need to hit the hay.” “Ohh! Humans slept on hay! I knew it!” As much as Konrad wanted to facepalm, ending this conversation was now his top priority. “Yes...We slept on hay. All day, every day...See you later, Lyra!” “Bye, Konrad! Thanks for making my dreams come true! And the bits!” waved Lyra as she left. With a happy trot and the bag of money levitating with her magic, Lyra was finally out of sight. Princess Luna glared at the mare the entire time as she left and was relieved Lyra was gone. Konrad was even more relieved that the awkward moment was over and happy being reunited with Princess Luna. “So um....some Nightmare Night, huh? That is what you told me the name was, right?” Turning to Konrad, the Lunar Princess made eye contact with the man with a look of happiness on her face. “You’re alive.” Blushing slightly with a small smile, Konrad replied, “Yeah...sorry about that. Had a minor disagreement with your sister, but I’m alright. You look much...better than I saw you last.” Luna giggled before looking at Konrad in detail up and down. “You look terrible, Konrad as if you went to Tartarus and back.” “Sunny Town, actually. I never thought I’d see a place like that in my life. Be glad you didn’t go there, Luna.” Frowning at the memories of Ruby and Mitta and the fight, Konrad lowered his head and stared at the ground. Seeing his inner turmoil, Luna lifted his chin with a hoof and raised it back to her level. “Chin up, Konrad; you’re alive and well. Last night was terrible, but you made it.” Luna smiled as she briefly looked behind Konrad, causing the man to wonder what was happening. “Correction, WE made it.” Konrad turned around and saw four new ponies pointing a hoof toward him. Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and more importantly, Apple Bloom. The man and the filly instantly smiled as they saw each other as if they were lost siblings. Before either of them could say anything, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack immediately began apologizing. “I’m so sorry about what happened, Konrad! We didn’t know the whole story and jumped to conclusions!” “I have to apologize to you, mister Ford and a mighty big thanks! You saved my little sister, and I’ll always be thankful.” Before Konrad could reply, Princess Celestia lowered her head and apologized. “I, too, owe you an apology, Konrad Ford. You saved my sister’s life and assisted in removing a large threat to our Kingdom. For that, I’m eternally grateful.” “Is there anything we can do for you?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Same here. I’m willing to make amends for my wrongdoing,” said Applejack taking her hat off. “Just tell us what you need. It’s the least we can do for you.” said Twilight Sparkle. Konrad stood there and contemplated what he wanted and couldn’t but find the situation amusing. “They realized they fucked up badly towards me...should I milk this?” “Please, Konrad, they just wanna make it up to you. They’re really sorry!” pleaded Apple Bloom. Looking at Apple Bloom, the man noticed she had nearly the same look of sadness from when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon made fun of her blank flank. When he saw that episode long ago in his Raccoon City apartment, it hit him in the feels big time. And seeing it in front of him was an overload of cuteness, something he simply could not stand to see. Looking back at Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack, Konrad held a finger in the air, saying, “I’ll forgive only on one condition, and it will require someplace out of the public eye.” “We could go to the Golden Oaks Library; it’s a nice place, I assure you,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Okay, but still only on one condition.” “Yes?” said all three. “And I mean, it’s really a major condition, something REALLY big,” said Konrad with a smile. “Yes?!” asked all three once more. Turning to Princess Luna, Konrad winked, which in turn caused her to giggle with a hoof covering her mouth. “She knows where I’m going with this.” Turning back to Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack, Konrad grinned before saying, “Okay, here’s what I want.” Later at the Golden Oaks Library...........