Big Macintosh and Daring Do decided to take the time to look around Radius's home as the wait for him, the others or both to return could take a while longer than most would like to spend sitting still. The two started out by pawing through the desk and learn more about the one who saved them a few days prior. They would find that during his spare time, Radius seemed to enjoy doing equations as they failed to make heads of tails of all the jumbled up numbers and letters that made little to no sense. When he was not working on math, he was keeping his mind sharp by examining all types of tissue samples under a microscope that sat atop the desk next to a desk mat that doubled as the periodic table of elements.

After going through the genius's papers, the two then examined several tools, hoofmade or otherwise that he stored inside a large chest next to the work bench that had what appeared to be an unfinished two cylinder engine block sitting on it. Inside the chest were items including a makeshift telescope, a small, cheap portable radio meant for only listening to music, various wrenches, ratchets and sockets. One particular item that caught their eyes was a frame of what apparently was supposed to be a foal sized go-cart of sorts. After taking a moment to examine the item, the sudden realization as to the sad reason such a thing would be here hit the two ponies where it hurt.

"Didn't Rainbow Dash mention that he said something about building things like this for his sisters' foals?" Daring Do asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied as he stifled oncoming tears.

"My god...I bet that poor guy was making this to re-create the memories of *sniff* Oh man, that's just sad."

"Ee- *hic* yup."

Neither Big Macintosh nor Daring Do knew what to say to such a sad attempt to relive the fond memories of bring smiles of joy to the faces of his nephews and nieces. It only served as a reminder of why they were there and that no matter what, they would stop at nothing until Radius's life was restored. As beautiful as the thought of rehabilitating him and reuniting him with his family was, still nothing could give him back the thirty years lost in the Chernobyl meltdown of 1986. The bittersweet thoughts of the two ponies who awaited Radius's return would soon however be abruptly shifted to a new task at hoof.

Crack!

A loud crack and a bright flash of white light suddenly occurred just behind the brave explorer and the big farm pony that startled them so greatly they felt as if their hearts jumped into their throats. The light was nearly blinding at first as the two quickly turned around to see what all the ruckus was and as the light began to fade, they could make out the silhouettes of an average sized pony standing on top of a much larger pony as he lay on his back. Finally, the bright flash subsided revealing Shining Armor still in his hazmat suit as he stood on top of a large, green, glowing monstrosity of a pony with large glasses and a red bow tie neatly tied around a white collar.

The two whom awaited his return just stood there with their mouths agape as they had yet to lay eyes on what became of Radius until now. As Shining Armor stood on Radius's chest, panting and trying to catch his breath, the mutated creature looked up at his savior with a heavily bemused expression. Upon gathering himself and realizing the disapproval of the pony whose suicide attempt he had foiled, the same lump in his throat that he had when he caught this very creature assaulting his friend before returned. As he stared into the half lidded eyes above a serious looking frown, Shining Armor gulped as he felt as if he was frozen to the spot.

"You shouldn't have done that." Radius deadpanned with his ears folded back.

If he felt worried now, Shining Armor was now much more so after the mutant's latest comment. Not sure weather or not he should take it as a threat, he finally found it in him to hop off of Radius's chest and take several steps back and rejoin his other two comrades. Unexpectedly, instead of getting back up to his hooves to retaliate like they feared, Radius simply laid there motionless with the same annoyed look on his face. Nearly two minutes went by with his still lying on the ground until finally out of nowhere, the desperate Radius began sobbing profusely.

"I was so close!" Radius sobbed. "It could have all been over! Why did you do that!?"

Radius then slowly got back off the floor and returned to his hooves.

"Fucking look at me! My body always hurts all over! I even tried to kill you a couple days ago! Why didn't you just let me die!?"

"Because you didn't!" Shining Armor shouted much to Radius's confusion. "You could have done the same but you didn't! Twice, you had the chance to just look the other way and let four different ponies die! Twice, you could have decided it wasn't your problem and just went on your way! No! You saved four lives in two fucking days!"

"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!" Daring Do shouted after finally gathering her bearings.

"Ya'll got a bigger heart than ya think, mister!" Big Macintosh added.

"You didn't stop there either!" Shining Armor continued. "You even went out of your way to nurse me and Rainbow Dash back to health! Is that what some heartless monster would do!? Is it!?"

"No, but trying to rape somepony before gutting them is!" Radius countered. "Relentlessly chasing my victims to the point of giving them heart attacks is! And especially, chewing on the throats and tearing out the guts of three humans is! I just...I don't even..."

"Guys!" Spitfire exclaimed as she and Soarin ran into the room. "We saw this flash and we-Sombra's cock!!"

Spitfire and Soarin had now seen Radius for the first time and being the louder and less subtle pony she was, Spitfire had somewhat of a more vocal reaction to finally meeting the pony whom was the very reason they were all there. After a moment, they just stood there and gawked like Big Macintosh and Daring Do did before but at this point, Radius was becoming even more annoyed.

"The fuck are you looking at!?" Radius snapped at the two wonderbolts.

"The toughest, bravest, most selfless son of a bitch I've ever met." Said a new female voice behind Spitfire and Soarin, making Radius's blood run cold.

Radius looked behind the two more seasoned wonderbolts to see Rainbow Dash walking through the door to the room and like the everypony else, she was in a hazmat suit of her own as their location was too close to the reactor to do otherwise. Instantly, Radius's expression of annoyance turned into that of shock and disbelief as he stared back at the very first pony to befriend him in thirty lonely years just to be violated and murdered afterwards. Seeming to ignore her commenting on his toughness and bravery however, Radius could no longer stay on his hooves and collapsed onto the floor and continued to sob while hyperventilating.

"Oh my gawhahawd, Rai-Rainbow Dash!" Radius sobbed as he crawled over to the mare he assaulted before. "I'm so sorryyyy! I don't *gasp* I can't ev- *gasp* I'm sor-"

"Dude! Get a grip!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she grabbed Radius by the head and firmly held him in front of her face. "Calm...the fuck...down. Okay?"

"O-okay. I-I-I'm c-calm."

"No you're not, just chill. Breath a little...no, a lot slower than that."

"*sniff* Okay..."

"Okay now I'm gonna let go of you. I need to to just stay calm for us and tell us what we need to know. Can you do that for us?"

"Yes..."

Rainbow Dash then released her firm grip around Radius's face and helped him lift himself up off the floor up to a sitting position. Being the only one who had talked to Radius enough to know how to calm him, Rainbow Dash did an excellent job and now that he was pacified, everypony else was now much more calm. As the last tufts of hair on the backs of everypony's necks laid back down and their heart rates decreased. Finally, Rainbow Dash and the others could get to the bottom of what happened before.

"Radius..." Rainbow Dash began. "Something happened to you when you attacked me the other day. Before that, you mentioned that your body is kinda...addicted to radiation?"

"R-right. Oh um, on that note...sorry but I'll need a few of these."

Suddenly, without any other warning, Shining Armor's pack of cigarettes that he had stashed in a zipped pocket on his hazmat suit began levitating out of it. To avoid any unwanted confrontation with an emotionally unstable pony turned mutant, Shining Armor would not have minded to spare a cigarette or two but once a fourth followed by a fifth was yanked from his pack, he spoke up.

"Hey, those are mine!" Shining Armor barked.

"I'm sorry, but I use these as a small supplement to my radiation intake." Radius replied before lighting up a smoke. Much to everypony's amazement, he placed the cigarette between his lips and after a single powerful suck, he completely finished it on one drag. As soon as he was done with the first, he immediately lit up another. "I'll show you a stash I have later on and then you can have all you want but if you guys want my help, I'll need to chill out like Rainbow Dash sai-"

"Cigarettes have...radiation in them?"

"Minute traces, yeah. They really help me focus. Really though, you didn't know that? Huh. I thought it was pretty common knowledge."

"Uh...here, you can have the rest of them."

"Oh...uh, thanks."

"Hey, come on, stay with me, Radius." Rainbow Dash spoke up. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

"Why is that anyway? What are we trying to get out of this?"

"Because we're getting you out of here weather you think we can or not. You're coming home with us and you're going to see your friends and family again. Now c'mon, talk to me."

"*Sigh* If it'll make you guys feel better, fine. I first found out that my body needed radiation about a month after the explosion. That's the first time I tried to leave. It took like three days for me to spazz out but I was so weak and moving so slow that I didn't get very far anyway. I couldn't keep any food down so I wasn't getting any nourishment and that's about when I found that only meat could sustain me. After like twenty more times trying, I just accepted that I was stuck here and that...was a really bad fucking day."

"So is that what made you attack Rainbow and Shining Armor?" Soarin asked. "Like a withdrawal or somwthing?"

"Part of the aggressive behavior could be attributed to it, yes but there's a lot more to it than that. For a little while after the meltdown, there wasn't much wildlife around but once more animals started appearing is when I started...eating them. Rabbits, mice, rats, foxes, birds, reptiles, you name it. Anyway, whenever I ran low on my radiation, this...other side of me would come out. I've been able to keep it under control for the most part but it got a lot worse over the years and my doses would last me less and less time before it ran out. Once it happened and there were any animals unlucky enough to be nearby..."

"You'd tear 'em limb from limb?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I'd black out and wake up with blood and guts all over the place. I even massacred a bunch of deer that got too close to me when I was withdrawing. This other side of me, this...completely different personality tried to take my body over. Anything that moved and breathed would end up mangled and destroyed. I'd remember next to nothing of what exactly happened but I knew for a fact that I was the one who did it."

A nervous gulp could be heard from everypony's throats as Radius calmly told the disturbing tale of how he came to be and things he had done to other creatures. Radius paused for a minute or two while he nervously fidgeted with his main forehooves and soon his smaller, mutated hooves followed suit. The awkward tension in the air could not possibly have gotten any thicker and Rainbow Dash being the one who had most of the questions to ask made sure to get the important conversation back on track.

"I'm not...I'm not proud of any of that." Radius said as he continued to fidget.

"I know you're not. It's not your fault either." Rainbow Dash reassured.

"Surely you're joking!"

"Hey, was it your fault when you got caught in a nuclear explosion?"

"Well, no."

"Was it your fault when your body got fried and caused you to change?"

"No..."

"Was it your fault when your body could no longer be sustained by plants?"

"Well, I...uh..."

"You have no control over that, Radius! That was just another mutation and it's not your fault!"

"I just...you really think I can integrate back into society after being here for so long?"

"Try spending a thousand years on the moon." Spitfire chuckled.

"The moon? Oh man, Celestia told me about that sister of hers and how she was...uh, she told me she would return around the year twenty-ten. I would have loved to meet her..."

"And you will." Soarin said. "That's why we've come all this way. To bring you home where you belong."

"Even if I killed those men?"

"Well, did you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That's the worst part. I don't know. See, when I get low on my radiation and spazz out like I did and there's someone around, later I find their blood all over me. But I just...found these construction workers. I-I mean, They've been out there working on that big arch for years but I've made it a point to stay away from them to avoid this. That's also why I didn't go and look for you all when you came here on that bus. I wanted to protect you all from...myself."

Another pause ended the conversation for the time being however this time, the tension and nervousness from everypony had gone. To really take the time to listen to the pony they had spent all week searching for helped them better get to know him and understand more about his background. Not only that but to hear him say that he wished to keep everyone safe by staying away from them just made that much more determined to see their objective through and bring him back to Equestria. Even if he refused to see the very many examples of the good in him, everypony knew that he deserved to go back home and live his life again.

"There's just gotta be something we can do." Shining Armor said. "If there's some kind of spell where I could get inside your head an-"

"Get inside my head..." Radius repeated, sounding interested. "Hang on. How long have you guys been here now? A little over a week, right?"

"Sounds about right." Rainbow Dash replied.

"What's your name again?"

"My name's Shining Armor." Shining Armor answered.

"Well Shining Armor, it's a long shot but based on your magical prowess, we might be able to do something with it. See, when a unicorn first comes to Earth, their magic is severely weakened and usually limited to the bare basics like levitation."

"Okay?"

"However, the more time you spend here, it slowly gets stronger. You've been able to teleport already so maybe you have something we can work with. I've been here for thirty years so of course mine has long gotten used to this universe. Still though, if we combine ours, we may be able to crack this. There's a spell we can use to give you access to my memories weather I myself actually remember them or not. They're still in there, I just don't have access to them. You don't have to know the spell, I've got that covered. Your magic just has to be strong enough to allow mine to...grab hold of it if you will."

"Then let's try it. What have we got to lose?"

"Well...I'd like to find out if I'm actually guilty myself. Oh man, to find out I'm not the one who killed those men would be the best news I've heard in thirty years...Yes! this should work! Okay, everypony else needs to stand back a bit."

Everypony was indeed anxious to find the truth and hopefully clear Radius of wrongdoing and with much haste, they all took several steps back and left Shining Armor in the center of the room. Radius was just a few feet away from the former guard captain and as he trotted up to him, the latter nervously eyed the mutated unicorn up and down, truly comprehending the sheer size of him. It was much like looking up at his sweet Aunt Celestia towering over him but rather than seeing a pair of bright, life filled eyes and a warm smile, he saw the polar opposite. Shining Armor gulped as he looked up at a set of dull, lifeless, drooping eyes and a stone cold stare seeming to show no emotion whatsoever. Still, he had a job to do and the mutant pony whom towered over him needed and deserved his help.

"Shining Armor?" Radius asked.

"Yeah, Radius?" Shining Armor replied.

"You...you trust me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Just a heads up, some of the stuff you're about to see is probably gonna make you sick to your stomach."

Without another word or moment's hesitation, Radius quickly reached out with his forehooves, grabbing Shining Armor by the shoulders and pulling him towards him. To begin the process, he then lowered his head down to the startled unicorn's level and then placed the tip of his horn onto that of Shining Armor's. Immediately, the eyes of both ponies glowed in a bright white flash until nothing but white was all either of them could see.

There was absolutely nothing but bright white in the empty abyss. For a few minutes, it stayed that way. Not only was the lack of anything but white and any tangible objects to be seen but Shining Armor's complete lack of the ability to move, speak, or even look down at his own hooves was rather concerning. He had never seen nor been a part of a memory sharing spell before but he had read about them so he at least had a vague idea of what to expect which kept him from panicking.

Finally, the white light very slowly began to fade. It took nearly a minute but at last Shining Armor felt as if he was standing on solid ground much to his relief. Later still, he could make out the walls of the inside of a room and before long, he could finally move his head around to get a look at his newly forming surroundings. At long last, the colors and textures had fully come into focus as Shining Armor found himself in what seemed to be a small office of sorts.

Now that Shining Armor could move, he turned around to the back of the office to see two ponies, a tan mare and a gray colt with a red mane and tail, both of them sitting in a chair of their own facing a large desk. Upon further observation, he could tell that they were both unicorns and the mare appeared to be in her late thirties and the colt must have been approximately eleven years old, wore large, thick framed glasses and had a cutie mark of the universal black and yellow radiation caution symbol.

"No way!" Shining Armor gasped as he double took. "Is that...Radius!?"

"Heheh, yeah that's me, alright" Said Radius's voice seemingly coming from nowhere. "This was one of my first life changing events in nineteen sixty-two and that's my...m-my mother sitting next to me...god I miss her."

"What the...why are we here? Why did we go back so far?"

"The spell works wonders but it doesn't allow us to pick and choose where we start out. Basically, it let's us see the very important events in my life. Events that changed a lot for me. If we looked at everything including the less significant ones, we'd be here forever. Oh, by the way. Prepare to get a bit freaked out in five, four, three, two..."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the faint click of a door opening and then closing could be heard directly behind Shining Armor followed by a truly startling spectacle in the form of a stallion in a lab coat trotting right through him as if he were made of smoke. Shining Armor then sat on his rump, lifted his forehooves up in front of him and stared through them in amazement as he realized he was completely transparent.

"Keep in mind, you're not actually there." Radius spoke again. "You're just observing my memories just as they happened and nopony here can see or hear you."

Quickly, Shining Armor was able to get over the shock of having somepony else trot right through him and better understood what was happening before him and what to expect. Now that he could calmly observe the events about to unfold, he waited patiently as the stallion in the lab coat took a seat at the opposite side of the desk with a clipboard in his unicorn aura.

"Well, doctor?" The mare asked as she hugged her colt tightly. "What's wrong with my son?"

"Mrs. Hoofenschtov, there's nothing really wrong with him." The doctor assured. "My colleagues and I have come up with a diagnosis and it's nothing we need to worry too much about."

"So, what is it?"

"Radius here has a mild form of autism called Asperger's syndrome."

"My colt is Autistic!?"

"Miss, relax. Like I said, it's extremely mild but after analyzing him, we've discovered something...quite amazing really."

"What good could possibly come out of this!?"

"Ma'am, your son's IQ is like nothing we've ever seen! There is nopony currently alive in the world today with his brilliance!"

"Is that why he can't make any friends?" Radius's mother seemed to completely ignore what the doctor had said regarding her son's incredible intelligence. "All the other fillies and colts tell me they get headaches after talking with him."

"What the...Mrs. Hoofenschtov!" The doctor simply could not believe what he had just heard the mare say and was clearly offended by her taking the brilliant young colt she had for granted. "You should be proud! Your son is a genius! So later on he may have some difficulties with social interactions and forming relationships but with practice and patience, he can easily overcome! You should embrace what makes him unique!"

"I think I've relived that day enough." Radius's voice sighed. "I loved them to no end but my parents were not really all that receptive of my...uniqueness. All they heard was 'autism' and brought me up thinking I was broken or something. Come on, let's get out of here and on to the next one. Try going through that door."

Shining Armor was well aware of the proper social etiquette that made speaking ill of somepony's mother something one just does not do but he could not help but trot away to the door angered by the way she was handling the news. He badly wished that he was actually there to give her a piece of his mind but alas, there was no time to waste as he would need to travel to the Radius's next life changing event. As Shining Armor opened the door before him, the blinding white flash returned but not for as long as before as it faded much more quickly.

This time, Shining Armor found himself in the middle of a busy hallway with ponies trotting about everywhere he looked and some even trotted straight through him again. Everypony around was either wearing a white lab coat or a set of green scrubs indicating that he must be at a hospital. Upon closer observation at the bell-bottomed sleeves, mane styles, and sideburns on the stallions, he guessed that this memory must have been around the mid nineteen seventies. As he continued to look around, he became quite confused and wondered what kind of life changing event would involve such a facility. A death in the family or perhaps an injury or near death experience were all Shining Armor could think of but he would soon find that this particular event would be a most positive one.

Suddenly, a light gray unicorn stallion with a reddish mane with sideburns and matching tail wearing thick aviator style glasses, a white collar and a blue neck tie came trotting towards Shining Armor. As this stallion in question repeatedly glanced to his left and right with each room he trotted past, it was quite clear that he was on a mission. This was Radius is his mid twenties and he was on the move anxiously in search of a particular room and nothing was going to slow him down. Shining Armor quickly followed suit as the young adult Radius had become trotted through his ghostly form once again. After a few more yards down the hallway, Radius suddenly stopped in front of a doctor to ask for directions.

"Uh, pardon me, sir?" Radius asked. "Where's the maternity ward?"

"Just through those double doors." The doctor replied as he pointed down the hall with his hoof.

"Thanks!"

Once again, Radius quickly made his way down the hallway to where the doctor told him to go. Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief as it was the hospital's maternity ward he desperately sought after as it could only mean there would be a new addition to his family. After following Radius for another several yards, he suddenly stopped in front of a door labeled with the number one hundred twenty-nine and slowly reached his hoof forward before gently knocking. Within seconds, a tired looking stallion with his mane in an absolute mess which complimented his facial stubble opened the door and his eyes lit up at the sight of a familiar face.

"Raddy, buddy!" The stallion exclaimed as he promptly brought radius in for a hug. "Oh man, I can't believe it! I'm a dad!"

"Congratulations, Copper!" Radius beamed. "How are they doing?"

"Come see for yourself."

Without any hesitation, the stallion who was obviously Radius's brother in law stepped aside and allowed him in to see his sister and the new foal. Before Shining Armor could get to the door however, it shut in front of him but since ponies could walk through him, he effortlessly passed through the door to see something incredibly beautiful. In the dimly lit room was a bed with a mare laying in it and judging by the tired look in her eyes and her disheveled mane, she had recently finished giving birth to the adorable filly that Radius was gently cradling in his hooves.

"Ooohhh, she's so precious!" Radius squealed as he held his newborn niece. "How're you holding up, sis?"

"I'm just fine, little brother." The mare on the bed sighed with a smile. "Don't you worry about me."

"Raddy, look!" Radius's brother in law beamed. "She likes you!"

Radius looked back down at the foal he held and sure enough, the newborn filly had opened her eyes and was reaching her tiny little hooves up at her loving uncle with a huge smile on her face. Tears of pure joy began streaming down his face as he looked into the eyes of the precious new foal and it was from then on he promised himself that he would be heavily involved in raising her and any other foals either of his sisters may have later on.

If Shining Armor's outlook on Radius as a pony had not completely changed before, it was totally different now. To see that the now miserable, mentally unstable, mutated monster he had become was once an incredibly kind, gentle, family oriented stallion brought tears to his own eyes. Just the simple fact that he completely went out of his way to meet his niece as soon as she was born and even ended up being the first relative to come visit his sister and the baby heavily tugged at Shining Armor's heart.

"Now that..." Radius's voice began. "That was one of the five best days of my life.

"What were the other four?" Shining Armor asked.

"The days my other two nieces and my two nephews were born. I made sure to be there at the hospital for every one of them."

"Wow that's...I never knew you were so family oriented."

"I try. Now come on. Head out that door to the next one."

With his eyes still wet with tears, Shining Armor turned around and jumped through the door to the hospital room. This time, he was more prepared and knew what to expect as he braced himself for the blinding, white light once again. This time however, the flash faded even more quickly than before and revealed a Radius in his early thirties standing in front of a mirror in a large bedroom. This bedroom in particular was much like any other home of Radius's Shining Armor and the team discovered, was so spotless and well organized that he could have sworn his sister Twilight had been there. Not only was it neat and tidy but it was lavishly decorated and furnished and since Radius was an Equestrian renowned physicist with a PHD in physics and quantum chemistry, he could easily afford not only a room but a rather large house full of premium household items.

At the very back of the room next to the neatly made bed with perfectly folded sheets was dresser with a mirror on top that a very well dressed Radius was standing in front of. The gray unicorn was busy tying a red bow tie which complimented the black tuxedo he was wearing rather well. After he was done with the bow tie, he then used his aura to pick up a comb from on top of the dresser and began styling his mane. As Shining Armor glanced around the room, the door to the bedroom slowly opened revealing a tan mare approximately in her early sixties who then proceeded to trot towards Radius as she smiled at him warmly.

"Aww son, you're such a handsome guy, you know that?" The mare who was Radius's mother complimented.

"Thanks, Mom." Radius replied with a smile.

"Dear, I'm glad you decided to accept that invitation to the gala. It'll be just what you need."

"And maybe you'll finally meet our future daughter in law while your at it." A darker gray stallion around the same age as the mare chuckled as he trotted into the room.

"Whatever happens happens, Dad." Radius deadpanned. "Look, I don't get why you guys put so much pressure on me to just go out and find some mare just because."

"Son, lemme ask you something. Now, don't take this the wrong way but...are you gay?"

"No, I'm not gay, Dad!"

"We'll still love you if you are, son." Radius's mother assured as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. "It makes no difference to us and we'd never think any less of you."

"That's right." Mr. Hoofenschtov said with a nod. "So if you ever meet a nice guy who makes you happy, he's just as welcome into the family as any of your sisters' husbands are."

"But I'm not! I just...jeez, guys, it's not like I haven't tried to find a girl!"

"Well, Radius, you're thirty-three now and still have yet to even so much as kiss a mare." Radius's father said with a shrug. "What are we supposed to think?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe just accept the grandfoals you have now and get the hell off my case!? Now if you two will excuse me, my ride is here to take me to the gala. Help yourself to anything in my fridge and don't forget to lock my door when you leave."

Radius then proceeded to trot towards the door to his bedroom and turned around to offer his last choice words to his parents before leaving for the night.

"I love you both." Radius said with a sigh. "See you guys tomorrow."

"We love you too, son." Mr. and Mrs. Hoofenschtov replied in unison.

Upon finishing the awkward conversation with his parents, Radius trotted out the room and to the stairs of his impressively sized three story home. Though Radius's parents got on his nerves at times, they meant well and they never parted for any amount of time without saying "I love you". The Hoofenschtov family was a very tight knit clan and uttering those three uplifting words in that order as frequently as possible was just simply force of habit for them.

Knowing that it was imperative for him to keep up, Shining Armor was close behind and followed Radius all the way down to the first floor before he trotted out the front door to a yellow taxi waiting for him at the curb. With much haste, Radius hopped into the pony drawn carriage followed by Shining Armor quickly taking a seat next to him and they were now off.

Judging by the clues Shining Armor picked up by listening to conversations such as Radius being thirty-three years old at this time and the fact that he was going to the Grand Galloping Gala, he put them together and came to the only possible conclusion. He was about to witness the night that Radius met his Aunt Celestia who would then spend the next few months courting him.

"Oh man, you're in for a real surprise now!" Shining Armor said to the Radius he sat next to whom could neither hear nor see him.

"I sure was." Radius's voice confirmed. "This here is the night I met Celestia. We started talking quite a bit and...well, just wait and see for yourself."

" Ha! I called it! Do you think we have time for that though?"

"The half hour that it feels like we've been here is literally zero point zero, zero, zero, zero, six-two seconds that we've had our horns together...So yes, we've got time. I'm having a nice time reliving some of these memories. Please just...let me have this."

"Okay, okay."

For several more minutes, the Taxi brought Radius from the suburban side of Canterlot where Radius lived to the more busy side near where the palace and ultimately the Grand Galloping Gala was always held. Finally, the ride neared its end as they approached a long line of limousines both pony pulled and engine driven from Earth as the two universes were linked together in the nineteen twenties. Radius then asked the cabby to pull to the back of the line where he then paid his fare with a generous tip as he always did and hopped out, Shining Armor's ghostly form following close behind.

The closer they trotted to the entrance to the palace, the thicker the crowd of ponies and people became and many were slowly going through a line at the door to show their tickets for admittance. Radius paused for a moment to get good look at the size of the crowd and attempt to find the end of the line with Shining Armor still close by as dozens of ponies and humans walked and trotted straight through him. As he stood next to Radius while they both glanced about in awe at the familiar faces with big names everywhere they looked when suddenly, a well dressed man appearing to be in his seventies walked through him. This man with dark hair was walking arm in arm with a woman around the same age as him. Accompanying them were two tall, beefy men in black suits, dark sunglasses, and small wires coming from earpieces that went into their suits, apparently body guards for the couple. After squinting at them for a moment, Shining Armor realized who it was who just walked through him.

"No way!" Shining Armor gasped. "Was that?...Did I just?..."

"United states President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy in the Flesh, my friend!" Radius's voice chuckled. "Well, not actually in the flesh but you get the idea. Oh! Britain's Queen Elizabeth the second was here somewhere too!"

"Wowww..."

"You can just go ahead and skip the line and find hi-er, me in a few minutes."

"Well I...I think I'm alright where I am. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having fun just getting to know my aunt's old flame."

"Oh, you're too kind."

"No really, I mean it."

"Heheheh, surrre you do."

Instead of trotting through everyone and everypony and skipping the line into the ballroom, Shining Armor chose to stick close to Radius as he was curious how he and his Aunt Celestia hit it off. Fortunately, the line moved quickly as everypony and everyone going through had their proof that they were invited and was promptly allowed in by the guards. Finally, came Radius's turn to flash his ticket and just like those before him, the guard at the entrance nodded and waved him through. Still, Shining Armor in his invisible form remained close by as Radius trotted in much to his surprise, he saw a Grand Galloping Gala like none other before.

The Grand Galloping Gala had always been a formal event but unlike the stuffy, uptight, and boring ones that Shining Armor was used to, this one was full of so much energy that he began to wonder if it actually was the Gala. Not only where their classical musicians with instruments such violins, cellos, and the like but on the opposite side of the stage, there was premium, top quality sound equipment with a team of two disc jockeys attending to it. The very center of the stage appeared to be reserved for live band performances as there was a drum set, a piano, and a three microphones. Currently, it appeared as if the classical musicians were taking a break while the man and the stallion behind the equipment played pop music from the era. Above the dance floor right in front of the stage was type of light system that was very commonplace in night clubs in the eighties and dozens of ponies and humans alike were having a wonderful time dancing to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

Much like the music the Gala attendees were dancing to, the hairstyles and the way the people and ponies wore their suits and dresses was a very clear reminder to Shining Armor that he was witnessing events from the Fall of nineteen eighty-four. As he looked around in amazement at the big name people and ponies of the decade who walked and trotted about respectively, Shining Armor noticed that he had lost track of where Radius had gone off to. Though there were many amazing people and ponies to see, he still did not want to miss seeing Radius's first interaction with Celestia so he hastily set out to find him again. Fortunately for him, Shining Armor did not have to push and shove past any of the gala attendees and was able to find Radius shaking the hand of Sir Elton John a few minutes later.

An hour went by and Radius along with the invisible Shining Armor hit the dance floor during a live performance by Prince and the Revolution, but still it was early and the event had several hours to go before closing. After the band finished and passed the baton back to the classical musicians for the time being, Shining Armor watched as Radius trotted off to mingle with the crowd once more. For a normally shy pony, it was very clear that Radius was especially making an effort to socialize and make friends tonight as those with Asperger's tend to have difficulty with. Shining Armor could tell that his efforts were really paying off as Radius appeared to be genuinely enjoying himself. If he was having a wonderful time now, Radius was about to have his life changed forever from that moment on as a very tall mare with a magnificent white coat accidentally bumped into him, knocking his glasses off.

"Oh! I'm sorry, sir, I didn't see you there." The mare apologized as Radius pawed at the floor in search of his glasses.

"Oh, uh, it's fine." Radius replied as he continued to blindly paw around. "Uh...oh, jeez I really need those."

"Here they are. I've got them."

With Radius now standing still and squinting, the mare then used her golden Aura to gently slide the spectacles back onto his face. This was the exact moment Shining Armor was waiting for and he proceeded to squeal with delight as he could finally learn how his Aunt and the Stallion who could have been his uncle came to know each other. Radius's eyes resembled saucers as he realized just who it was who gave his glasses back to him and for the first time tonight, he truly did not know what to say.

"Uh...Th-thanks..." Radius stuttered.

"Of course." Princess Celestia replied with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Gala. I don't recall having met you before."

"Th-th-thanks..."

"Teeheehee. A shy one are you? Well, we can fix that. How about we hit the dance floor when they start playing some halfway decent tunes?"

"Haaaaa!?"

"Yes, you heard me right. Oh, aren't you Doctor Hoofenschtov the physicist?"

"..."

"You know, I actually find physics very interesting. You have to know a lot about it when it comes to moving the sun."

"Oh, uh, absolutely."

Shining Armor anxiously watched as their very first conversation unfolded and right from the start, it was clear that Celestia was trying to make Radius more comfortable by shifting the topic to something she knew they both had an interest in. Celestia's plan seemed to be working as in seemingly no time at all, Radius quit stuttering, began to maintain eye contact and even cracked a smile as the conversation went on. Very quickly, the two really started to hit it off and the conversation simply flowed as naturally as it possibly could have and to be able to witness the beginning of something that made his Aunt Celestia so happy made Shining Armor's heart melt as he continued to watch. Momentarily however, Celestia was about to make good on her offer to dance with Radius weather he felt he was ready or not.

"Dearly beloved..." None other than Prince himself began as he and his band took back to the stage. "We're gathered here today to get through this thing called...life."

"Oh! This is my jam!" Princess Celestia beamed as she excitedly galloped to the dance floor.

She had taken Radius by the hoof and seemed oblivious that he had nervously tensed up until she turned around to see that she had be dragging him the whole time. Though he seemed to have no trouble with dancing before, to do so with the Princess of Equestria was entirely different. Celestia on the other hoof was not about to take no for an answer and knew just the right way to coax somepony out of their comfort zone.

"Oh trust me, Doctor, there is no way you dance worse than I do." Celestia assured as she started swaying her flanks to the beat.

"And if the elevator tries to bring you down..." Prince continued to sing. "Go crazy! Punch a higher floor! Woooh!"

Without any warning whatsoever, Princess Celestia again took Radius's hoof and pulled him in a circular motion as hard as she could, sending him spinning rapidly. Shining Armor enjoyed a hearty laugh as he watched the Princess spin Radius like a top and watched in awe as he came to a flawless stop and began dancing just the same with his eyes shut tight. It was obvious that the nerdy introvert was still rather nervous but when he opened his eyes, he realized that he had become the very light of the Gala.

"If you don't like..." Prince sang. "The world you're livin' in, take a look around! At least you got friends! See, I called my old lady for a friendly word! She picked up the phone, dropped it on the floor, *ahh, ahh* was all I heard!"

Shining Armor and many of the Gala attendees who knew anything about Radius stared in shock as he and Celestia danced their hearts out in the very center of the floor. Even Radius himself never knew that he had such moves in him and many nearby mares blushed and swooned as they watched him cut the rug like a professional, not that he noticed. As the two continued to tap their hooves and get themselves loosened up, Radius looked up at Celestia's smiling face with an ear to ear grin of his own as she had done the shy introvert a massive favor by encouraging him the way she did. With just that little push he needed, Radius was having the most fun he had in years and it seemed that every ounce of stress from his job and every day life simply melted away.

"Are we gonna let that elevator bring us down? Whoa no, let's go!" Prince continued to sing. "Let's go crazy! Let's get nuts! Let's look for the purple banana 'til they put us in the truck! Let's go!"

Go crazy they indeed did and before long all eyes were on the Princess and the physicist as their dance moves were making everyone else look like amateurs. Radius was fully aware that he and the mare he danced with were the centers of attention which normally would be a trigger for his stage fright but tonight, he did not care. He just simply could not possibly care less. Even as every pony and human alike erupted in cheer, he kept going and going. Even as he started to sweat and the fatigue brought about by his intense moves started to set in, the only thing that could get him to stop was for the song to end. Once it did however, he and Celestia still could not find any reason to separate and continued to have the time of their lives together.

The hours went by and still Radius and Celestia were not only conversing about topics of similar interest to them but unbeknownst to the former, they were developing a full fledged friendship. After more hours still, nearly a dozen times on the dance floor together, and several more hands and hooves of celebrities shaken, still they continued to spend time together. Radius was of course completely oblivious but Shining Armor could see in Celestia's eyes that she was taking quite the interest in the nerdy stallion whose side she had still not left. Finally, the end of the closing onstage singing performance by Wilford Brimley meant the end of the Grand Galloping Gala and that Radius could go back home eternally grateful to have been invited.

"Thank you, everypony, I'm glad I could be here tonight!" The chubby, middle aged, mustached man on stage beamed as he took a bow. "You ponies are so sweet, you give me diabeetus, you know that?"

"Your Majesty, I had an amazing time talking and dancing with with you!" Radius beamed as he prepared to find a taxi to take him home. "Thanks so much for everything!"

"Of course, Radius! Anytime!" Celestia replied as she pulled a pen and small notepad from her pocket and proceeded to jot down her personal phone number. "So, um...call me sometime, okay? I'd like to get to know you more."

Author's Notes:

I'd like to take this moment to showcase this magnificent piece by mix-up. He is also responsible for the amazing image you see above.

A shout out to my dear friend mix-up! My story would not be what it is without your loyal following and your amazing art! I just hope you know how grateful I am to feature your work along with mine! It's an honor!