The 7th Element

by thunderhawk7865

Decisions

Chapter 23: Decisions

"Whoa...guess I was right when I guessed that everypony was at my party..." Dan's voice echoed through the empty town hall.

He walked in ahead of Luna and Celestia, the latter of which turned and ordered the Red Hooves to not let anyone in while they were inside.

"Yes, your Highness..." Blue Arrow did a quick bow before turning around and barking, "You bloody heard the princess! Get your tuckuses into gear, Red Hooves!"

The door slammed behind him and Dan turned around, facing the Princesses. Luna flanked Celestia as they approached him.

"So, Dan..." Celestia said his real name out loud. "What seems to be the issue?"

"Well..." Dan gulped and pawed the ground nervously with his right hoof. "As you already guessed, it involves Rainbow Dash..."

"Of course." Celestia smiled. "She's a good mare, Dan. You should be lucky to have her so attached to you."

"That's just it, Celestia!" Dan suddenly yelled, causing both Princesses to recoil in alarm. "I'm unlucky that she's so attached to me!"

The Princesses exchanged looks before Luna shook her head and cocked it to one side, "How is having an attractive and athletic marefirend a BAD thing?"

"Sister, please..." Celestia raised a hoof. "I think I know the answer..." She turned back to Dan. "I am correct in believing that you think that being too attached to somepony else while here is a bad thing because you are really a human?"

Dan lowered his head, gulped again, and slowly nodded. "Yes..."

"Do you care for Rainbow Dash?" Luna chimed in.

"Y...yes?" Dan raised his head and looked at the younger princess. "Yes, I do..."

She shrugged, "I don't see the problem then..."

"My little sister is right, Dan. There should be no problem." She seemed to squint at his head. "But I feel that there's a deeper meaning her... Am I correct again, Dan?"

"It's because I care about her too much to deceive her like this!" He stomped the ground angrily, and it echoed throughout the town hall. A tear fell from his face as he continued his explanation. "I didn't expect to fall for anypony while I was here, Celestia! I thought I would just be relaxing from troubles at home! But what do I get! MORE TROUBLE!"

The Princesses exchanged glances again, this time of pity and sorrow.

"Sure, I get you needed me to save your world from an evil god! But...but did you think about what I would feel like about having to fall in love with a member of a different species? On a different world! In a different freaking plane of existence! NO!" He started crying even more. "I bucking kissed her, Celestia. More than once!"

The Princesses were both silent as Dan walked over to a chair sat down, burying his face in his front hooves.

"On Earth, I swore I would find the right girl...no matter how long it took and no matter how many times I got...got stepped on..." He looked up and squished his two hooves together in a squishing motion. "Who knew I would find her in a different universe?" He shook his head, "But its because I care too much about her to tell her that I'm not..." He stood up and wiped away his tears. "That I'm not who she thinks I am..."

"Dan..." Celestia sighed. "I had no idea you felt that strongly about Rainbow Dash..."

"And how much it has been hurting you..." Luna sniffed slightly as if trying to hold back tears herself.

Dan shook his head, "I just don't know what to do..." He started pacing. "I can't continue this with her...without deceiving her even more about what I really am...WHO I really am..."

"Then tell her."

Dan stopped pacing and snapped his head in Celestia's direction. "W-what? No!" He ran up so that he was right in front of the royals. "Princess, I couldn't do that! It would break her heart! Can you just...argh! I don't know... Tell everypony in Ponyville that I moved back to Cloudsdale? And send me home for good?"

"I see a flaw in your plan Dan." Luna stated flatly. "They'll want to come visit you... What happens when you're not there?"

Dan thought for a moment, then sighed. "You're right..."

"Dan, you've been included in Twilight Sparkle's circle of friends..." Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder. "They will know something's wrong and will find out eventually... But you will have deceived them..."

Dan brushed her hoof away. "You said yourself that it would be bad for everypony to know who I really am..." Be backed away a bit. "I don't want them all to know..."

Celestia sighed heavily and advanced towards Dan. "Dan, you claim you love Rainbow Dash too much to keep deceiving her, yes?"

Dan looked up at her and nodded, "Well, yes, but-"

"Then only tell her!" Celestia asserted. "No pony else. Just. Her."

Dan exhaled deeply and scratched his chin with his hoof, clearly in thought.

"If she truly loves you back, she will accept you for what you really are." Celestia smiled. "If not, and she disapproves, I will send you back home and wipe Rainbow Dash and Ponyville of any memory of you."

Dan looked up, "You promise?"

"Promise." Celestia smiled down at him.

"As do I..." Luna said, bowing her head.

Dan stared into space, thinking deeply about the situation. After a few moments, he slowly nodded, "Alright..." Dan looked up at Celestia confidently. "You're right, Princess. I'll do it."

Both Princesses smiled. "Good decision, Dan." Celestia nodded before gesturing towards the door. As Dan and the Princesses walked towards the door, Luna spoke up. "If push comes to shove, and Rainbow Dash 'squishes' you emotionally..." She smiled. "Send a letter to me by burning a letter, and I'll send you home..."

"The squishing metaphor was unnecessary sister..." Celestia said dryly as Dan chuckled.

"Sorry..." Luna looked down. "It's been a thousand years... I'm not quite used to new customs yet..."

"It's okay, Luna." Dan opened the door. "I'll let you know how it goes..."

---

Dan watched as Celestia and Luna and the Red Hooves took off back to Canterlot to oversee the repairs. He waved a hoof at them as they left.

"Ok, Dan..." Dan thought to himself as he started walking back to the hospital fair-grounds where his party was still underway. "Just take it easy...you can do this..."

"Hey Ace!"

Dan perked up and saw Applejack running towards him from the fair-grounds. "Where have ya'll been?" She cocked an eye. "Was you canoodlin' with the Princesses?"

"What?" Dan exclaimed. "No, Applejack! Jeez..." He playfully shoved the tom-colt aside. "That was so unnecessary..."

"Then what was you and the Princess talkin' about?" The cowpony persisted.

"Um..." Dan thought for a moment. "Where to get my armor and weapons if...a hydra attacks the city..."

"They were that specific?" AJ questioned. "A hydra?"

"Yep, a hydra..." Dan sweated a little bit. "They have a feeling that hydra from the marsh could attack any day now...haha. They told me to expect the unexpected."

"Ah see..." Applejack said dryly. "So listen, Ace. Ya'll wanna come over to Sweet Apple Acres after the party? Ah've got sum apples fresh off the tree fer ya'..."

Dan blushed, "Applejack, today isn't really the best day, I'm still hurt..."

"Pleeease?" AJ sidled up to him.

"Little sister!" A deep voice boomed from the fair-ground and Dan heaved a sigh of relief. Big Macinotsh and Shadow Breeze was galloping down towards AJ and Dan.

"Lay off 'im, AJ." Big Mac frowned. "My bud's had a tough enough day already, right, partner?" He patted Shadow Breeze on the back...a little too hard, because he grunted in pain as he did.

"Um...um yeah..." Shadow Breeze pawed the ground. "He's got...um...a date with Rainbow Dash instead..."

Applejack growled in frustration. "Another time then..." She thought. "Alright, big brother, calm the hay down..." AJ rose a hoof in defense. "I'ma goin'..."

"Bye Applejack..." Dan waved as she trotted up towards the fair-grounds.

"Bye, Ace..." She winked at him as she left.

Dan heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks guys...that could've been bad..."

"Eeeyup..." Big Mac nodded as he started walking with Dan and Shadow Breeze. "Saw that, and ah thought 'Na' knowing Ace, he probably has sum big after-party planned with good ol' RD...'"

"So we thought we'd...um...interfere...so to speak...if that was okay..." Shadow Breeze looked down at the ground.

"It was more than okay, Shadow..." Dan smiled. "Thanks, both of you...you guys are great friends."

"Ace!" Rainbow Dash was flying through the air towards him.

Big Mac shoved Ace forward and winked. "Have fun, partner..." With that, he and Shadow Breeze turned and trotted away towards the food pavilion.

"Hey Ace!" Rainbow Dash landed and nuzzled his nose. Dan blushed a nuzzled back, "Hey there, Rainbow Dash..."

"Wanna come throw darts with me?" She asked excitedly.

"S-sure..." He stammered slighted, as he started walking him her. She cuddled up to him as they walked, and Dan sighed.

"What's wrong, Ace?" Dash looked up.

"Oh? Nothing..." Dan responded quickly. "Listen, Dash..." He gulped. "I've thought about it and... well, the bandages can come off tonight anyway, so, I've changed my mind..."

"You can come hang out at my place then?" Dash lifted up into the air excitedly, looking down at him as he walked.

Dan nodded and smiled slightly. "Y-yes..."

"Woo-hoo!" Dash did a hoof-pump in the air before landing next to Dan and cuddling up to him again. "We'll have one hay of an after-party, lover-colt..." She said in a low, sexy tone.

"Oh yeah..." Dan looked away briefly. "We...we sure will..."

---

As the pair started their dart flinging game, Dan thought to himself, "I'll tell her tonight... I won't...do anything...to her... I'll make sure of that. That is a line I WILL NOT cross... But I WILL tell her tonight... I WILL tell her tonight..."

He kept repeating the last phrase to himself over and over again in his head as he enjoyed the rest of his party with Rainbow Dash; the pony whom he had accidentally fallen in love with.

---

OCs:

Shadow Breeze (c) AnonJ31

Blue Arrow (c) QTXAdsy

Comments

[fenril]

FIRST!!!

[Kenseirabbit]

awww!

[Dralen]

:/ the Princess said that time "freezes" for the human world, so why not just say "dont send me back" to Celestia? he isn't anyone special, and his "girlfriend" back home was a "sort of" girlfriend, so there would be no loss if when he dies in Equestria (old age or other cause) if he doesn't come back on earth :/

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Hmm... Looks like Dan is having trouble with his feelings...