The Aftermath

Have you ever done something that you knew you'd probably quickly come to regret? Going out drinking on a Sunday night when you've work in the morning is a fine example. Yea, it's fun and you'll probably have a bloody great time, but you'll quickly come to regret last night's actions when you wake up an hour late to work with the biggest hangover ever. 'Still one of the best nights I've ever had, though'

Another great example of something extraordinarily stupid is of backhanding an omnipotent pony, who has the power to move the sun and is who is also one of the two rulers of the country you're residing in. A ballsy move to be sure, but a downright stupid one nonetheless. Still, I've dug my own grave, and I'm still far too angry to lie down in it right now.

But still, I Immediately knew I'd made a big mistake. I'd done some idiotic things in my life - like throwing candle wax in my eyes as a child for a dare - but this may have taken the cake and threw it off of a bridge. Within the blink of an eye, I found myself tackled to the floor by a number of guards, who had pinned me to the floor and were holding their weapons to my neck. For a bunch of armoured ponies, they could sure move fast. 'Well fuck me if tonight hasn't gone down the shitter.' Before any further action could be taken, I was saved by the last pony I'd expect.

"STAND DOWN!" That was the first time I'd ever heard Celestia use what I'd been told to be the 'Royal Canterlot Voice.' It's what Luna used that one time, the one that had almost murdered my ears. Thankfully, this one wasn't as loud, yet it was definitely more authoritative. 'Forgive me if I don't salute.' The guards surrounding me immediately backed away, their spears returning to their sides. Chances are though that their wielders probably wanted them to still be pointing at my neck, if only to ensure the safety of their princess. Taking a moment to catch my breath from being forced to the floor, I got up off of the ground and looked to Celestia, who was still sporting a noticeable red hand print on the side of her muzzle. 'Dunno if I should be proud or worried about that. Bitch still deserves it, though.'

"We have a lot of things to talk about before you get to hear me say 'thank you'." I mutter, glaring at the mare. She gave me an understanding nod, before looking to her guards, who, even though being ordered to stand down, still looked ready to skewer me. 'Bet this is a first for them, watching their Princess get slapped. Tough.'

"I commend you all on your swiftness, but I must ask that you all leave us," The Princess ordered, watching as the guards reluctantly began to vacate the room, before turning to the girls, "and I mean all." Unlike her guards, however, the girls did not budge, and began to vocally protest. 'Oh you're not getting out of this, Celestia.'

"SHUT IT!" I shout over them, silencing the six mares. With the room now momentarily quiet, I give Celestia a hard stare, nodding towards our companions. "They're staying to hear this." I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. Seeing as how both I and the rest of the girls wouldn't take be taking no for an answer, Celestia nodded in agreement.

"Okay, can somepony please tell us what is going on now!?" Came a frustrated Rainbow Dash, hovering above the rest of the girls, her eyes darting between me and Celestia. Crossing my arms, I glared at Celestia, who, to her credit, was still managing to hold the same stoic expression throughout all of this. 'Bet she'd be a bloody master at Poker.'

"I shall tell you all the full story, but not here. Please, let us make our way to my private study, where we may speak in private." The Princess says, already beginning to move away from the group. Having no choice but to follow her, I let out an annoyed grunt before following, though from a small distance. I was still pissed off with the mare, and I didn't really want to end up slapping the mare again.

It took us but a few minutes to find ourselves within Celestia's private study, the mare having already used her magic to levitate a large number of cushions for us all to sit on. I for one preferred to remain standing, leaning against the wall. The rest of the girls we're quite anxious to be told what was going on, as neither I nor Celestia answered any of their questions during the walk to the study.

As soon as they'd gotten comfortable, all Hell broke loose. The girls began shouting question after question at the both of us, their questions being lost within the cacophony of sound coming from the six of them. Thankfully, Celestia took it upon herself to quieten the girls down, raising her hoof into the air. As if they were robotic, the six of them immediately went silent, staring expectantly towards their Princess. 'Let's get this over with.'

"Now I understand that you all have questions, and that some of you may be upset—"

"—That's a bloody understatement."

"—but I must ask that you all, you in particular Alex, give me the chance to explain." The Princess says, getting a nod from the girls. Biting my tongue, I nod, eliciting a small smile from the Princess. Taking a deep breath, the Princess begins her explanation. "The reason for Alex's striking of me, which, because of what has happened will go unpunished this time, is because I've concealed something important from him. Something which, despite my reasoning, I should have told him about from when I'd first discovered it." She explains, her eyes remaining on me throughout most of this.

"And what was that, Princess? Just what life-changing fact have you been keeping from me for God knows how long?" I already knew the answer to my own question, but I still asked anyway, if only to both confirm what I already knew and to also turn the girls against her. Twilight, as perceptive as she is, noticed how I'd emphasised part of that sentence, and her eyes widened in shock. 'Yep, she caught on quickly.' "Is it, perhaps, that you knew how I got to Equestria in the first place, maybe?"

If she hadn't pieced the puzzle together by now, then I'd solved it for her. And for the rest of the girls as well, whose reactions mirrored Twilight's, as they all turned to their regretful looking Princess. Finding her voice, Twilight voiced the question that all six of the mares were wanting answered,

"Princess? Is.... is that true?" The mare in question could do nothing but nod, much to their horror. The girls looked even more shocked than they were when I'd struck Celestia. An impressive feat to say the least. Seeing the mixture of disappointment and shock on their muzzles, the princess sighed sadly, before looking over towards me, flinching ever so slightly at the uncaring look I was sending her way. 'If she thinks she's getting any sympathy from me right now, she can get fucked.' "How.... how long have you known?" Twilight asks, getting my attention. I didn't know how long she'd known, so this would be news to me. Steeling herself, the princess took a deep breath.

"I've known ever since his visit to the castle, immediately after he fell into a coma." 'Oh you have got to be shitting me.' "Now I know that you must all be feeling nothing but anger and disappointment towards me, you even more so, Alex," 'No shit?' "but I had good reason to do what I've done." Hearing this, I can't help but chuckle in disbelief, shaking my head. 'I bet you fucking do.'

"Oh, of course you do. Of course you had a 'good' reason." Slowly, I advanced upon the mare, ignoring the worried looks I was receiving from the girls, "I mean, to these lot, you're a bloody saint! Hell, they talk about you as if you're some all-loving, all-powerful ruler who can do no wrong, and that anything and everything you've done for their benefit! Christ, after seeing you and getting to know you, I actually believed all that shit!" By this point, I didn't care if anyone outside heard my shouting, for I was too far gone to care.

"Alex darling, perhaps you should just calm down and—"

"NO!" I yell, starting the six girls, "I'm getting this out of my system, and not a single one of you is going to do a goddamn thing about it!" Not giving them a chance to protest, I turn back to Celestia, continuing from where I left off. "A few hours ago, I had so much respect for you. Th-that's gone now. You've betrayed my trust and lost more or less all the respect I had for you. This was cold, Celestia. Cold." I was now staring the mare down, standing directly in front of her.. "So, please... enlighten us as to what this 'good' reason of yours is. But it had better be a good one, Sunshine, because if it isn't, I swear to God I'm going to—"

"It was for Luna." The mare said, silencing me. The mentioning of the mare who'd brought me here in the first place should have enraged me further, yet it did not. If anything, it should be Luna whom my anger should've been directed at, yet it was her sister who I was most vexed by. Still, chances were that, sooner or later, I'd be giving Luna a piece of my mind. Until then, I'd have to settle with her sister.

"Seriously? Luna? That's the best you've got? What, do you think that bringing Luna - the mare who brought me here in the first place - is going to somehow help you?" I ask, genuinely confused as to why she thought it was a good idea to bring up the source of tonight's problems. Taking a few steps back, I let out a low chuckle, running a hand through my hair "Tell you what: you go ahead and tell me why hiding this was, 'For Luna', and I'll sit comfortably right here as you do so." Doing exactly that, I prop my head up with my hand à la Gene Wilder, patiently awaiting Celestia's explanation. Taking a deep sigh, she looks to her window, gazing into the night sky.

"When you and my sister first met, do you remember how distraught she was? How she believed that, as Nightmare Moon, she'd nearly killed you?" She asks, turning back to face me. It only took me a moment to remember that night/day. Nodding, she continues, "Even though your words were soothing, it still took her two weeks - to my knowledge, at least - to come to terms with how it wasn't her fault." Celestia says, before a small smile appeared on her muzzle. "Out of the two of us, she is definitely the most stubborn." 'And physical, if the hugging is of any hint.'

"Yea, she's stubborn alright, and you're delaying." I remark, still waiting for an actual explanation. "Can you get to the point?" I ask impatiently. Her smile vanishing, Celestia shakes her head.

"My point, Alexander, is that my sister, despite the help from both myself and the castle's staff, is still disorientated with the world, and is still trying to come to terms with both being back in control of her body and the consequences that Nightmare Moon had almost brought about. Despite not having been in control of her actions that night, she believed that she'd nearly murdered you. You saw how she reacted yourself, did you not?" Hearing this, I look to the floor, her words going through my head. 'Goddammit, I tell her that it ain't her fault and yet she still bloody thinks it is. She couldn't even control her own body for fuck sake, and she still thinks she's responsible?... Damn, guilt must be eating her up inside.' "She has felt such an intense guilt over what had occurred that night, but just imagine how she must feel knowing that she's the reason you're here in the first place?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the colour drained from my face and my eyes widened in understanding as I finally realised exactly what it was that she was getting at. 'Oh fucking Hell, if she was upset about almost killing me, then knowing she was the one who ripped me away from Earth must be killing her... And I just left the mare crying alone in her room, thinking that I must hate her... Oh fuck me.' Slowly looking up to the mare, I was shocked to find tears welling up in her eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Twilight and the girls were as shocked as I was, evidently having never seen their ever-so-stoic-sovereign like this.

"Not since our parents passed have I ever had to hold her at night as she cried herself to sleep. The guilt has been tearing her apart for months, and even though she's wanted to tell you the truth ever since the both of us found out about it, she could never muster up the courage to tell you the truth." She explains, levitating a nearby tissue to wipe away the tears running down her cheeks. The small box it came from was brought to the rest of the girls, who themselves were struggling to keep their emotions in check upon hearing this revelation.

"But why? I-if I was willing to forgive her for almost killing me - which I shouldn't have had to do in the first place since she wasn't in control of her bloody actions for crying out loud - why would she think I'd hate for this?" I ask the mare, forgetting about my anger and instead focusing on what I was being told.

"Because I told her about what had happened after you had signed the Citizenship Form." The mare answered. This would definitely explain Luna's reluctance to reveal the truth. That day had not been one of my proudest days. 'Christ, that perfectly explains it! Given how upset I was, Celestia would have told Luna, and so Luna probably thought that, were I to find out that she was why I was here in the first place, that I'd probably despise the poor mare... FUCK!'Having heard enough, I rise to my feet, intent on fixing this whole situation before it could get anymore worse. "Alex?" Celestia says, sounding concerned, "Where are you going?" 'To rectify this monumental fuckup.'

"To set shit right." Is all I say, throwing the door open and stepping outside into the corridor. Thankfully, I was beginning to memorise the directions to certain areas of the castle, and so I quickly managed to devise a route to Luna's chambers in my head. 'Now let's hope her guards don't skewer me on sight. Actually, let's hope she doesn't do that herself, even if I may or may not deserve it.'

Arriving outside of Luna's chambers for the second time that night, I could already tell that getting to Luna wasn't going to be easy. The same two bat ponies - Starry Skies and that other one whose name I still hadn't found out yet - were still standing guard and, upon seeing me approach, their spears crossed over the doors and each other in an 'X' fashion. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant. 'Great, just great.' Stopping just a few feet away from them, I try the diplomatic approach.

"Hey guys, me again. I was just, uh, hoping that I could talk to Prin—"

"Her Majesty does not wish to be disturbed and shall court no visitors until further notice." Interrupted the nameless stallion, the lack of emotion in his voice almost making him sound like a machine. Holding back a frustrated groan, I try again. 'Come on, give me a break.'

"Okay, I know what this is about. She's upset and/or angry with me - which is probably justified - and doesn't want me anywhere near her. But I want to make things ri—"

"Her majesty does not wish to be disturbed and shall court no visitors until further notice." He repeated once more, his voice sounding just a bit more authoritative this time. I couldn't help but growl in annoyance this time, my attempts at getting through to the guy failing. Evidently, he wasn't going to budge. Unfortunately for him, neither was I. Rubbing my neck, I look the bat pony deep in the eyes, deciding on a different approach.

"Okay mate, I'll be straight with you right now: I couldn't give a flying fuck about whether or not she wants to see me or not, because, unfortunately for her, I'm not going to stand out here and be fucked off by some guy who has about as much emotion as a bloody fence panel. Now you can either let me in there so that I can apologise to Luna, or I can take that spear off of you, and ram it... up... your..." I was so focused on the guard that I hadn't noticed the doors opening, nor had I noticed the pony responsible for it. Seeing their monarch, the two guards respectfully bow. Looking at me, I couldn't make her out, seeing as how her room was still as dark as it was when I'd left it. Looking to her loyal guards, she said something that I couldn't make out, before disappearing from the doorway and back into her chambers.

I assumed that she must have told the two of them to let me in, as their eyes widened and, after a few moments, they removed their spears from the doorway, allowing me passage. Nodding to the two guards, and ignoring the hate filled glare of the nameless stallion and the surprised and slightly impressed expression from Starry, I cautiously entered Luna's chambers, expecting something to be flung at me.

A few steps into the room and the doors gently shut, leaving both myself and Luna in the room alone. She wasn't in the mood for games, it seemed, as she simply stood in the middle of the room, facing away from me. Knowing that she was probably emotional right now, I took a small tentative step towards her.

"Luna?" I say gently, taking another small step. She doesn't move, nor does she answer. Her attention remains fixed on the other side of the room, leaving me just a bit nervous. 'Come on, speak to me Luna.' "We uh, need to tal—"

"It's my fault." I could barely make out what it was that she'd whispered, as her voice was barely audible. Slowly, she turned towards me, and I was finally able to get a good look at the mare. Earlier that night, she was as regal and refined as her sister in appearance, her mane flowing and her coat pristine. Now, however, it was the exact opposite. Her ethereal mane looked as if it had dimmed in colour, barely even floating in the air anymore, whilst tear streaks adorned her muzzle. The state she was in when I'd first met her was nothing compared to this, and seeing her like this honestly hurt me. 'Get fucked, I'm not leaving her like this.'

I barely had time to react when she more or less flung herself around me, her forelegs wrapping around my neck as she began to openly sob into my shoulder, repeating muffled apology after apology for what she'd done. Bringing the pair of us down to the floor, I brought my own arms around her and began to stroke her mane, hoping that it would calm her down. Minutes passed, and, soon enough, she did just that. Her crying soon ceased, and the the two of us remained motionless the floor, silently holding onto one another.

I'm not sure how long the pair of us remained like this, but eventually I began to move, Luna's hold loosening. Looking at the mare, I saw how she was refusing to look up at me, instead choosing to stare at the ground. Putting my hand under her chin, I gently brought her muzzle up so that she was looking directly at me. We stared at one another for a few moments, before I broke the silence.

"You shouldn't have hidden the truth from me, Luna," I muttered. Averting her eyes downwards, the mare nodded, and a new set of tears began to drop onto the floor.

"I did not wish for you to hate me." She replied, the sadness in her voice unmistakable. Shaking my head, I once more bring her muzzle up for her to look at me, offering the mare a small smile.

"I don't hate you at all, Luna." Hearing this, she appears shocked and confused, blinking rapidly.

"But I'm the one who—" Quickly realising that she was about to go off on another speech about how it was her fault I was in Equestria and that I should despise her very being for that fact, I put a finger to her lips, stopping her before she could get that far into it. With Luna now silent, I sighed. 'Right, let's do the whole It's-Not-Your-Fault- routine again. This time I'll make it fucking work though.'

"A few months ago, I was living in some shoddy apartment building, with a job that, whilst paying well, was boring as all hell. I was spending my nights in bars, or in some backroom poker game wasting money on hands that I'd no chance of winning," I can't help but laugh a little at the fond memories I had of those nights, "I mean, going all in with only a pair of twos? I'd no chance, but damn if it wasn't fun at times. But in the end, I had no idea what I was doing with myself. I wasn't depressed or anything, just bored and with no idea as to what to do in life." 'I was going to join the police, but no hope of that now. Unless I become a guard, but that'll probably not happen.' "But one night, Luna, that all changed. Do you know what happened?"

"What?" She asked, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"Why, you of course," I chuckle, the mare appearing confused as to why I was laughing in the first place, "I was wandering through a dimly lit park at night when, all of a sudden, bang! I'm landing face first in some otherworldly land of myths and flying carriages and talking, magical ponies. Within hours, I'm roped into some adventure to save the world from eternal night, and along the way, I meet those who, without a doubt, would become my closest friends in this place. Hell, believe it or not, one of them apparently loves me!" I didn't notice Luna's eyes widen at what I'd just said. "In such a short time, I've made great friends, been given a home and had parties thrown in my honour. I've stared down an Ursa Minor, got knocked out by a dragon, ran into a burning building and slapped a near godlike being known as your sister!" 'And fuck me if that hasn't been the ballsiest thing that I've done in my life.'

"You struck our sister!?" She all but screeched. 'Fun times.'

"Oh believe me, I'm as shocked as you are," I smirk, inwardly cheering at seeing a small, amused smile forming on Luna's lips. "But yea, this place has really grown on me. You might've thought that I'd hate you for bringing me here, but at this point you couldn't be any more wrong. I may miss Earth and my old mates at times, but as it stands, I can live with being here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, whilst you've taken one home away from me, you've also given me another one. And whilst it may not have the luxuries of my old one, this place is still a bloody great place to be, so cheers for that I guess." I finally finished, surprised at how easily that had come out. 'Huh, I guess I have come to terms with being here. Good for me, I guess.'

"...So... you don't hate me?" Luna asked in a hopeful tone, her smile getting larger and larger by the second. 'Was I talking to myself that whole time?'

"Did you even listen to a single word I just said? Of course I don't hate yo—" I wasn't able to finish before I found myself yet again victim to another speciality hug from Luna; the one where you find yourself tackled to the ground with a large, insanely adorable four legged equine wrapping itself around you and snuggling into your chest. I wasn't going to complain.

Looking down at the positively delighted mare snuggling into my chest, I had a pretty good feeling that I wouldn't have had a choice in the matter anyway. 'Eh, all's well that ends well I guess. Hopefully she doesn't break a rib or two.'

I was more or less stuck in that hug for almost a full ten minutes before I was finally able to pry the reluctant mare off of me. After a few more assurances that I didn't hate her and that I didn't blame her for what had happened, we decided to go and talk to Celestia. Passing the bowing guards stationed outside of her room, we began to make our way towards where I'd last seen her sister. As we walked, I couldn't help but glance towards my royal companion. 'Yep, she still doesn't look 100%. Let's try and make her feel better somehow.'

"Hey Luna," I say, getting her attention as we turn another corner, "I know I've said this about a hundred times by now, and I've meant it every time, but I just want to tell you again that what's happened wasn't your fault." Hearing this, the mare sighs sadly and looks at me.

"Be that as it may, we are still not as innocent as you claim. If we had never fallen prey to it's clutches, then none of this would have ever happened." She replies, averting her eyes. Rolling my own, I shake my head.

"I've still not heard the fully story about this whole 'Nightmare Moon' story, and I'm not going to pressure you into explaining it until you're ready to do so yourself. Still, I'm not blaming you for anything that's happened, and I don't plan to either." Seeing as how she still didn't look happy, I try a different approach. "But look on the bright side," I add, getting a confused look from the mare, "at least you're back to normal now, right? You've got your subjects and your sister behind you, who care about you and look up to you. And if all that fails, you've got me at least." I finish, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Smiling, she nods and wraps a wing around me.

"I thank you once more for your comforting words, Alex. Whilst I may never truly feel innocent in what has been done, it gladdens me to know that you don't hold me accountable." Luna says appreciatively. Nodding, I'm about to say something when I realise that, despite all that had happened tonight, I'd still yet to ask the all important question. 'Fuck me, I still haven't even asked how the fuck I got here, anyway.' Opening my mouth to do just that, I'm interrupted by Luna, who retracts her wing and gestures to something in front of her. Following her hoof, I realise that we'd reached our destination. 'Actually, I can ask them both in a minute. Besides, Celestia could probably explain it better than Luna anyway.'

Knocking on the door, we're left waiting for only a few seconds before the voice of Celestia could be heard calling us in, the door opening a second later. Stepping inside with Luna close behind, I saw the white mare sitting in the same place that she had been before I'd gone in search of Luna. Seeing the two of us entering her study, and thankfully without my hands around her throat, a wide, hopeful smile began to form on her muzzle. Perhaps she thought that I'd forgiven the two of them.

I hadn't. Not fully, anyway. Whilst I certainly couldn't hate the two for withholding how I'd gotten here - if anything, I understood why, what with them being family and all - it didn't mean I was happy. 'I'll be remembering this shit for a while.' Ignoring the mare for now, I wait for Luna to get past me before I close the door, not wanting any passing guards or maids to eavesdrop on what was about to become a rather private conversation. I kept my gaze on the door for a few moments before I turn to the two sisters, who, realising that they'd probably be here for a while, had already sat down next to each other, their eyes not leaving me.

"I take it both you and my sister have spoken, then?" Celestia begins, stating the obvious. I nod to the mare and she continues, "Then, if it hadn't sunk in before, you must surely understand why it was that we kept the means of your arrival a secret from you." Nodding to the mare again, I sit down a small distance from the two. We sat in silence for a while before I decided to break it.

"So how'd it happen, then?" I ask no one in particular. The question had been on my mind for months, and until now, had been at the back of my mind. Tonight, however, with particular events having unfolded, it was all I could think of. Finally I'd be getting an answer. Finally I'd know the truth. Taking a deep breath, Celestia begins to explain.

"When I banished her to the moon for her crimes, Nightmare Moon was powerless, her magic depleted and strength exhausted. My magic acted as a barrier; an invisible wall surrounding the moon, keeping her there for 1000 years. Over time, however, her strength slowly began to replenish, and she eventually found herself able to call upon her magic one more. Meanwhile, my own began to wane, for the strain of raising both the sun and the moon began to take its toll. After 1000 years, the strength of the spell that I'd cast to imprison her there had weakened enough for Nightmare to finally break through." Nodding for her to continue, she turned to her sister and nodded. Returning the gesture, Luna picked up where her sister had ended.

"Having managed to muster up the strength to overcome my sisters barriers, the spell keeping us- her there was obliterated, and the demon used the opportunity to cast a teleportation spell that would allow her to travel through the tear in the barrier and back to Equestria. However, having not performed such an action for such a long period of time, the spell wasn't performed correctly. Whilst it mostly served its purpose in returning her home, a small portion of her magic did not follow her to Equestria. Instead, it somehow managed to find its way to the planet of what you call 'Earth'. The rest is, as ponies say, history." Luna finishes. The two mares remained silent, waiting for my response to hearing all of this new knowledge.

Now I understood how I'd gotten to Equestria. An accident, which, knowing my luck, was surprisingly unsurprising. 'So Nightmare managed to somehow fuck up her spell somehow, and, because bullshit, a part of her magic found it's way to Earth and, because fate is a prickly bastard, gripped me by the balls and threw me here. Fair enough, I guess. I guess that also explains why Luna thought it was her fault, seeing as how she still blamed herself for letting Nightmare take control.' Nodding in understanding, I return my attention back to the older of the two princesses.

"And the pair of you had known this since I'd first came to the castle, yea?" I ask, just wanting to hear her says yes. She did just that, and I sigh tiredly, rubbing my forehead. Suddenly, a thought came to my head, and I narrowed my eyes at the solar Princess. "Did you tell anyone else?" She remained silent for a moment, before nodding. Seeing my awaiting expression, she shared a look with her sister before looking back to me.

"I told my niece, Cadance, shortly after we discovered it for ourselves." 'So she'd known for just as fucking long as them? And she didn't tell me even "I specifically forbade her from telling you, however, as I wanted I and Luna to be the ones to do so." She added upon seeing my angered expression.

"Where is Cadance anyway?" I ask, calming my self down. I'd not seen her since that talk about Twilight, and I would probably want to talk to her about both that and tonight's events at some point. Celestia's eyes scrunched up in thought, before a look of remembrance appeared on her muzzle.

"Shortly after your introduction, one of her personal maids informed me that she had taken to her chambers. I believe the maid said that she had been struck with a particularly powerful migraine, the poor dear." Nodding, I put a visit to Cadance down the list of things to do, right above slapping her as well. Nodding, I sigh in exasperation, a wave of exhaustion striking me as I rub the back of my head. 'I just can't be arsed at this point, I really can't.'

"Y'know, I want to hate you right now. I mean, really hate you," I say, staring straight at Celestia. Despite understanding why this was, she still seemed hurt at my words. "But I can't," I admit to the shock of the two mares sat in front of me, "I want to, but I can't. And that's because of your reasoning behind this whole fiasco; you did it for your sister, your family. If I were in your position, then I'd have done the exact same thing." 'Though I'd have at least told the guy about it after a week or two, after shit's calmed down, instead of months like you've done, you arse.'

"But we take it that you have at least forgiven my sister and I for our actions?" Luna asks, giving me a hopeful stare. I had to turn away for a moment to come up with an answer. On the one hand, I couldn't hate them for what they'd done. Whilst I could certainly be justifiably livid with the pair, I couldn't despise them for their actions. Celestia had done it to protect her sister, and I could respect that. On the other hand, however, I certainly had the right to be angry with the two. They had withheld how it was that I came to be in this world. No matter if I cared or not about it, I still had the right to know regardless, and they themselves knew that. '... Fuck, I don't know how to feel about them.'

"To be honest? I don't know yet. Whilst I don't hate the two of you for all of this, I ain't happy either." I finally answer after a minute of silence and thought. Despite how hopeful she appeared, this was probably the answer that she was expecting as she didn't look to surprised to hear it, though it was evident that she was saddened to hear it nonetheless.'You tried sweetheart, you tried.'

"Given your actions not too long ago, I'd say that perhaps 'not happy' is an understatement." Quipped Celestia, raising an accusatory eyebrow at me. I wasn't exactly sure whether or not she was angry with me or not. I did hit her after all - in plain view of a dozen or so ponies no less - and I was doubting that I'd be getting out of that unpunished. Lightly chuckling at her words, I smirked sheepishly at Celestia. ''I wonder if I'm gonna get thrown into the cells for this. Or maybe beheaded or something. I mean, striking the ruler of a nation might be worthy of execution around here. Hell, I swear that's, like, punishable by death in some countries back on Earth. If anyone even touched Queen Elizabeth then they'd at the very least deserve a kick in the balls with combat boots.'

"In my defence, I wasn't exactly in a joyful mood at that point," I retort, an apology already prepared, "what with all that I'd learnt, my ang—"

"I know, I know," The Princess interrupts, stopping me "you didn't mean to strike me. Your emotions got the better of you, and in your anger you - which I don't hold against you might I add - struck the royal muzzle. Such a crime would be rewarded with a stay in the dungeons. Or worse, perhaps." The room is silent for a few moments as her words set in, and I'm preparing myself for whatever punishment she had in mind. 'What've we got, then? Death? Castration? Listening to a 24/7 repeat of Pinkie's songs- oh fuck that, just hang me now.' Sparing a glance at Luna, I saw that she seemed frightened by what her sister was implying.

"But sister—" Turning to her younger sibling, Celestia puts a hoof to her lips and gives her a gentle smile.

"Have no fear, dear sister, for I have no plans on punishing our friend." 'Wait what?.' Turning back to face me, her smile remains as she sees my shocked expression. Recovering, I give her an uncertain look, unsure as to whether or not she was being genuine.

"So... I'm not in trouble, then?" I ask, wanting to confirm that I wasn't going to be imprisoned/executed/other. She nods, and both I and Luna collectively sigh in relief, thankful that I wouldn't be punished for what I'd done. 'That almost makes me forgive you fully. Almost.'

"Given what you've been through tonight, I'd say that your actions were must than justified. For that, I can't in good conscience punish you when I myself may have reacted the same way if I were in your position," Celestia explains, before turning to and giving her sister a mischievous grin, "I know my sister more than likely would have." She jokes, getting an unamused glare from Luna and a laugh from me. 'There's the Celestia we all know and love. Less bitch, more playful.'

"Nah, she'd probably do worse than that." Hearing this, Luna transitions her glaring from her sister to me, trying to appear intimidating yet failing to do so. Seeing her expression, I laughed a little bit harder. 'Damn, tonight has been fucking mental ain't it? First the Twilight revelation, then all of this shit. Fuck me, just let me go to bed and be done with today.'

"True. Then again, she'd probably be able to hit harder." Suddenly the tables have turned, and I'm the one glaring at the two sisters whilst they both laugh at my expense. 'Wow, what a troll.'

Finally things had calmed down. I'd remained with both Celestia and Luna for a while, and the three of us talked about the nights events and how they'd affect our relationship. I was still unhappy with having been deceived for months, and I let them know about that, and that I'd need some time to think on where I stood about how I felt about them. They understood, of course, and after a few dozen apologies from both and more than a few dozen hugs as well, I was free to go.

Not wanting to remain in the castle any longer, and wanting to just lie in bed and not wake up for the next week, I began to make haste to the castle's courtyard, where an already prepared carriage was waiting to take me home. I was initially meant to return via train with the rest of the girls, but they were nowhere to be seen, and had most likely already returned to Ponyville by now. I was fine with that though, as chances are I'd have been bombarded with questions before, during and after the journey home. 'Still, I'll be dealing with that first thing in the morning. That won't be fun.'

Along the way to the courtyard, I ran into a few familiar faces, such as Spring Cleaning and Flash. They'd heard a few rumours about the night's events, and so interrogated me for answers. I hadn't the patience nor energy to give them the full story, so I settled on giving them a basic explanation on what had been going on. Whilst they were evidently wanting to hear more, they agreed to leave it be for the time being, and they left me be, though they did expect a full explanation upon my next visit to the castle.

The journey home was uneventful, though that was mainly because of the fact that I'd slept through it. Not wanting to disturb anyone, I'd asked the carriage driver beforehand to drop me off just outside of Ponyville, and, upon landing, I made my into Ponyville and towards the park, wanting to think and plan my next course of action. Before we'd landed, I managed to make out Ponyville Library, and a specific window held a lit candle. This told me that a certain lavender pony was more than likely still awake, and was also more than likely waiting for me to arrive. 'Daww, she cares. Hell, if what Cadance told me is true, she more than cares.'

It didn't take me long to reach the park, and upon arriving I found it empty of any ponies. Not surprising, considering that it was more or less pitch black and late in the evening. If I had to hazard a guess at what time it was, I'd say that it was around 12 to 1 in the morning. Walking through the park, I soon found myself standing upon a small wooden bridge built over a stream that ran through the park. Looking over the bridge, I could still make out my reflection glistening in the water, despite the moon being the only thing providing light. 'Hello handsome.' I gazed at my reflection for what felt like minutes, before I let out a light chuckle.

"Alex mate, what the hell is going on?" I say to my reflection, though it doesn't respond, "A few months ago on a night like this you'd have been pissed in a pub, getting into a fight or two and flirting with a girl who would've probably been a 6/10 at best. Now, though, you're stuck in a magical fantasy land with talking ponies who can cast spells and shit, with one of them actually having fallen in love with you." Saying this, my mind focuses on that pony in particular: Twilight Sparkle.

I was slightly disturbed to notice how I didn't feel the same as I did in Cadance's room when it came to Twilight right now, though I could still feel something in my stomach when I pictured her in my head. 'Perhaps tonight's events have worn me out more than I realise, and those butterflies in my stomach are just that far gone into dreamland to be flying about right now.' Still, I knew that she was more than likely awake still as I'd noticed a candle at her window when I flew over the town, so I knew that I'd have to confront her about both our feelings towards each other.

I remained on the bridge for a few more minutes, staring thoughtfully down at my reflection, before sighing resignedly. "Time to face the music I guess." I murmur, walking off of the bridge and through to the other side of the park, Twilight still on my mind. What was I going to say to her? How would she react? How would I react? I had all these questions and then some, and there was only one way of any of them being answered.

It didn't take long to reach the library, having memorised the walk here from mostly anywhere within Ponyville. Gazing upwards towards the windows, I could still see light emanating from Twilight's window. 'Deep breaths, Grey. Deep breaths.'

Gripping the handle and turning, I was surprised to find the door unlocked. Stepping inside, I also noted that, like upstairs, there was a candle lit in here as well. 'Someone must be awake then, else we'd be fucked if I were an assassin or something.' I'd only just turned and closed the door behind me when I heard someone enter the room and gasp. Turning back around, I was immediately graced with a frontal assault of hug from none other than-

"You're alright!" 'Speak of the devil and she shall appear.'

"Well no shit, Sparky." I reply, wrapping an arm around the lavender librarian as she squeezed my torso into submission. I was surprised that she was yet to begin berating me for whatever reason, or threatening to slap me upside the head with a book or two. Still, I wasn't going to complain. After a few moments of her melting into my chest, she began to pull away and I reluctantly withdrew my arm. Now the two of us were just looking at one another, neither of us speaking nor moving. This silence lasted for only a few awkward moments, though, before I decided to just get straight to the point. "We need to talk, Twilight." I say ominously, slowing reaching into my back pocket to retrieve a certain letter.

Following my arm with curiosity, Twilight watched as I pulled out an open envelope with the letter jutting out from within, her eyes narrowing upon seeing a rather familiar seal emblazoned onto the envelope itself. Holding it out towards her, I awaited her reaction as she pulled it from my hands with her magic, retrieving it's contents and discarding the envelope into a nearby bin. It didn't take long for her to realise just what it was that she was looking at, and I had a front row seat to the wide range of emotions that flew across her muzzle in quick succession. 'Okay, we've got shock... yep, that's horror... oh hello, that looks like fear? Oh yea, that's fear alright. Not what I wanted, but what I expected. This'll be an interesting conversation.'

"I-I-uh-I-erm-d-did you r-read any o-of this at a-all?" Twilight stutters, trying yet failing to remain calm. I give her a slight smirk and a nod, resulting in a number of reactions from the mare. Firstly, her pupils shrink, becoming almost pinpricks. Secondly, she begins to hyperventilate, breathing rapidly in quick succession. Finally, she begins to stammer incomprehensibly. '... I think this is my fault?' All in all, she appeared to have lost all rational thought, leaving me with only one course of action. 'Fuck it, balls to the walls boys.'

Cracking my knuckles, I kneel down and place both hands against her head. This calms her down slightly, and her babbling ceases for the moment. It's my next action that completely silences her, however, as I pull her muzzle towards me. Before she even knows what's happening, I'm pressing my lips against hers. Her eyes blink rapidly in surprise, and I could literally feel her body freeze up in reaction to the kiss.

Despite it sounding cliche, the kiss lasted for only a few seconds yet felt like minutes. Pulling away from the now stupefied mare, I couldn't help but chuckle at Twilight's expression. She was well and truly in shock, not talking nor moving a muscle. Eventually it looks as if she's managed to regain control over her body, opening her mouth to say something before she then promptly faints. 'Shit, I think I broke her.'

Crouching down next to the mare, I can't help but smile at how adorable she looks like this. Not wanting to try and wake her up as of this moment, I gently scoop the sleeping mare into my arms before making my way up the stairs towards her room, passing Spike's, where the sleeping dragon could be heard snoring away. On my way to her room, my thoughts drifted to the mare in my arms. 'Well I'd say this has gone well, maybe? I mean, she didn't, like, scream at me or anything, which is a good sign. Then again, I kinda just kissed her without warning, which might not have been a good idea now that I think about it. I swear I could feel her kiss me back, though, or maybe that was just me? I don't even know. I won't lie, though, that kiss? It was amazing. Definitely better than my first. And second. Fuck it, I'd say it's in the top 5.'

Reaching and making my way into her room, taking care not to bang her head against the door frame as I entered, I carried the still slumbering pony to her bed. It took me a while to wrench her off of me, as she had unconsciously snuggled deep into my torso as I brought her here, and at the same time I was having to convince myself to stop holding onto her, no matter how much I didn't want to. In the end I managed to get her into her bed and underneath her own quilt. Despite how much I wanted to climb in there with her, I didn't exactly want to have to go through any awkward situations in the morning, especially in the hopefully unlikely situation that she rejects me. 'After those letters I read and all the signs I've been seeing over these months? Doubt that'll happen. Maybe. Hopefully. Please don't '

No longer seeing any reason to be here any longer, I walked over to the door and, sparing one last look towards the sleeping Twilight, who now had a goofy smile on her face, closed the door, leaving me alone in the corridor. Resting my head against the door, I groaned internally at realising what was now to come. 'Well tomorrow's gonna be a fucking weird one. She's gonna be all over my ass about that kiss, we're gonna be putting our hearts out, and the rest of the girls are going to be all over me about what happened at the castle. Oh, and they'll also be all over me the moment they find out about me and Twilight. That ain't gonna be fun at all. But enough about all of that, where's my goddamn bed?'

Eventually I managed to get myself into my own room and, with all the grace I could muster, I threw myself onto the bed, groaning into the pillow in pure satisfaction at how comfortable the bed felt. After everything that had happened tonight - the talk with Cadance, discovering how I got here, the kiss and everything else that happened - I was exhausted, and all I could think about right now was how great this bed felt. 'Oh I could just kiss you as well.' Sleep took me almost instantaneously, and I happily allow myself to drift off into dreamland, the worries of the morning temporarily forgotten about.

For now.

Author's Notes:

Damn, I felt as if I haven't updated in a year, never mind just two months. Still, here we are yet again, with another chapter. If any of you have cared enough to wonder just where it is that I've been, then the answer if that I've been on a well deserved holiday around Europe. I went to France to Germany to Italy and back to the good ol' UK.

France was hot, Germany was hot, Italy was hot, the UK was still fucking hot. Still, 'twas fun.

So in this chapter, a few things happen. First and foremost, we finally find out the cause of Alex being brought to Equestria. He wasn't brought here by a long forgotten prophecy, nor by a being of godlike power in need of a champion. No, he was brought here by accident. Just his luck, eh? Secondly, Alex, despite all that he had just learnt, doesn't hate the sisters, though he doesn't exactly like them as much as he did two chapters ago. Still, their actions could have some consequences down the line. Who knows?

I do.

And finally, the biggest thing to happen in this chapter? Alex kissed Twilight, of course. Hard to starboard captain, for the ship is sailing out to sea. A good chunk of the next chapter will focus on Twilight's reaction to what happened in the final part of this one, and both her and Alex coming to clean to one another about their feelings.

Also, after weeks and weeks of studying, partying, crying, masturbation and more crying, my exams are over and with my holiday done and dusted as well, I can happily say that I'm finally back. Hopefully the story can be worked on a whole lot more, and I can begin to update more regularly. I hope so, anyway.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, folks!

-Greyson

P.S - The ending to this chapter may seem a tad bit rushed, and that's because I wanted to release this chapter tonight. It's taken me from 23:00 to 3:08. I feel like death itself. I took one for the team. Love you all.

P.P.S - Some of you might have heard of this guy called An Intricate Disguise ? Yea, the guy is an absolute nonce who has a gun held to my family please send help I beg you has asked me to once again advertise our absolutely family friendly Discord server. Come join, if you dare.

https://discord.gg/B2hF27K