Time went on, as it always has and always will. Ryan continued to work a the library and boutique, went to the gym, explored the forest a bit. He had pretty much found the spot where he planned to stay, that cave system from before, so he had little reason to explore any more. The days were growing shorter, the weather cooler. Now he actually needed to wear the jacket, and at night, the cloak. October tends to be that way.

Around the middle of the month, he learned about Nightmare Night, their version of Halloween. Walking around in silly and scary costumes, getting candy, then getting sick... it brought Ryan back to the good days, back home. Kids were ecstatic, preparing for the night of fun and crazy activities. Ryan had prepared himself by making a Ghillie suit out of some of Rarity’s extra cloth and by gathering plants to attach to the suit.

He got up on the Sunday morning of the day of the holiday, feeling extra tired. He did not really know why; nothing had happened lately. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the Wraith. Luna sent him some letters, checking up on him, that he replied to. Life was... normal, for the first time in a while. But as he had grown to be, he knew that it could never last.

Ignoring his body’s desire to sleep, he got up and got dressed, putting on a new pair of long pants Rarity made him and then his shirt and jacket. He left his exploratory gear inside, save for his tactical vest, of course, then donned the necklace and beret. Once he was certain that he was good to go, he went upstairs for food.

It was about seven-thirty, the usual time he would be going to school right now. His classmates were probably wondering where he was, unless the world news told everyone what happened. They all probably thought he was dead. What were they saying about him? Did they think he could have done all the damage to Haqqani, or would they accredit it to military forces? And what of his family, how were they coping? It pained him to think about these things, so he stopped doing so.

As he exited the basement and entered to the kitchen, he witnessed Rarity trying to put down some kind of gray ash from her bowl. Sweetie Belle was wearing a huge smile as Rarity ate, indicating that she was the one who made the food. Ryan chuckled as he walked by, patting Rarity on the head a he went.

“Sweetie Belle, I think you should cook more often.” he commented, going into the fridge for milk. Realizing that he had yet to pull out any cereal, he moved quickly to avoid warming the milk too much. “You might not be cutie mark-potential, but you certainly have a way with food.”

Sweetie Belle cheered and Rarity glared at Ryan for his comments. “Yes, Ryan.” Rarity said. “Why don’t you try some of this? It really is something.”

Ryan finished preparing his own food, set it down, and planted himself in a seat at the table. “Don’t mind if I do.” he said, pulling Rarity’s bowl over. Dipping his spoon in, he quickly pulled it back out and stuffed it into his mouth, chewed rapidly, and swallowed. “Good stuff.”

Rarity just stared at him for a second, shook her head, and sighed. “Yes I suppose that it is, if it pleases your palate.” Ryan smiled mischievously as Rarity was forced to keep eating.

Ryan blew through his own food quickly, trying his best to ignore the woody taste of the pony cereal, trying to hide his troubles for the day. It would be easy to mask and ignore them in all the festivities, helping his neighbors prepare, walking around the park. It would get his mind off the troubles of his life.

When he finished up, he cleaned his utensils and bowl and set out. “I’ll see you ladies later, I guess.” he said, using a well-faked casual tone. The mare and filly waved goodbye at him as he walked briskly out the front door.

Out in the open air, exposed to the elements of the world, Ryan pulled his jacket close to guard against the cool Autumn winds that tried to steal his warmth. He wasn’t a fan of the cold; never had been. Knowing that the trees would guard him against the gusts that buffeted the town, Ryan made his way to the park, where he could at least sit down in relative comfort.

As he walked along, he could see all the little kids preparing for a night of candy and fun, the parents setting up decorations. The pegasi were moving the clouds to allow for warmth during the day, but later would move them back to cover up most of the night sky, with the exception of the moon, of course. Clouds at night would help to keep heat on the ground, and make it easier for the kids to go around town.

There were all sorts of costumes being worn by the excited little ones; soldiers, doctors, monsters, and assorted plants and silly things. Just like back home, it seemed, many of the adults wore skimpy costumes that, were it not for their regular nudity, would have revealed quite a bit to any onlooker. It’s something that Ryan always looked for back home when he walked around with friends that night.

It didn’t take long for Ryan to reach the park, needing the temporary isolation it would provide him. He desperately needed to think right now, to clear some things out of his mind. They were too-

“Hi mister Ryan!” a British accent sang out. Ryan sighed, put on a smile, and turned around to see little Pip, the British kid. “What are you doing out here?”

Ryan thought fast. “Well, I have an idea to prank...” Who? “Rainbow Dash.” Yeah, great idea. “I just need to check a few areas for the prank.”

The little one looked up at him with awe-filled eyes. Something wasn’t right. “YOU want to prank HER?!” he shouted. That might not be good. “Wow, you sure are brave. Good luck!”

Ryan thought about what he may have just done for a moment, but passed it off and decided he would just say he was kidding later. “Yeah, thanks, kid. Run along and play.” And the colt ran off, leaving Ryan to his thoughts.

Ryan entered the empty park and found the bench he had adopted for himself as of late, dropping onto it and letting out a drawn-out sigh. He needed to sit down in a cool spot, away from noise and movement, just think about... something. It was hard to keep himself still.

The previous night had been rougher than usual; he still had his nightmares, they would likely never go away. Ordinarily, he just sees his old friends in his dreams, reliving moments of what happened. He would watch them die, sometimes from the first person, sometimes looking on as his body killed them. It was never pleasant, and he always felt troubled when he awoke, but he had gotten used to it. The last dream was different, though.

This time, he saw it from the perspective of those he failed. He watched himself kill Joey and Catherine from their eyes. He knew the fear that they experienced before he killed them both, how terrified they were, knowing that nothing was going to be okay. From Catherine, he felt a sickly loss of hope, lost his will to live. He knew that he was about to die, but hadn’t accepted that.

When he was killed in the dream, it was all black for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was, or what was about to happen. He could feel someone embracing him, holding him tight, but didn’t really know who it was. The only thing he knew was that his mother would never come back, that her screams, though muffled by the hands of his protectors, could only signify her end. He didn’t understand what they did to her, but his protectors did. That they didn’t tell him made him want to cry.

“It’ll be okay.” his holder said. There was a small bit of comfort in those words, a faint glimmer of hope. The bad man had just talked about giving him Anthrax, then sending him home. Anthrax sounded like it hurt. “It’ll all be okay.”

A small smile crept onto his toddler face, holding his protector tighter. “Thank y-”

And all was black once again.

He felt nauseous, sitting there on that cold, lonely bench. The dreams weren’t ever going to stop, and nothing could ever alleviate the pain. The only companion he had to share hi spain was the endless passing of time, the stale winds that came and went through the world, forgotten forever once passed. The grass around his bench was brown, the leaves falling off the trees, the park fountain turned off. There was nothing for him anywhere, it seemed.

He sat there for an hour, letting the air chill his bones and take away his urge to vomit. He tried and tried to come to terms with what he did, what happened, but he couldn’t get the feelings out of his head. He knew their fear, he knew their pain; he knew that he inflicted it all upon them.

It was ironic, really. Tonight was Nightmare Night for the ponies. Every night was Nightmare Night for him. He let out a loud, cynical laugh into the still air, hoping that it might alleviate some of the pain in his head. Nothing.

Giving up, Ryan decided to stand up and walk around the park. As he stepped away from the bench, he could feel some kind of weird presence behind him, like something was watching him. He could tell who it was, though he didn’t know why it was back right now. It made sense, though, when he thought about it.

He walked over to the big pond in the park and parked himself before it, looking out at the water. It was so still, so serene, like it had already turned to a sheet of white ice. Below, he could still see signs of movement, but they never approached the surface of the water. Where did the fish go, anyway? Could they survive the frigidity of the ice above them during the winter, cut off from the world by that which sustained the world? He never did understand the whole thing.

The leaves on the ground crunched behind him as his tail approached. “So what brought you back today, of all days?” Ryan asked, sticking his hands in his pocket.

The Wraith shrugged, then did the same with his own hands. “Oh, nothing, really. Just thought I would come out for the celebration.” He walked over and stood right next to Ryan. “It always has been my favorite day, you know.”

“I can imagine why.”

The two Ryan’s stood in silence, watching the water, waiting for the other to make a move. Ryan wore a stoic frown on his face, completely still, while the Wraith had a simple smile on. Ryan never got why he had the smile on, but he wasn’t sure he cared to know. It wasn’t like he needed to.

Ryan broke the silence, agitated by the Wraith’s demeanor. “What do you want?” he asked. “I thought I made it clear last time that I don’t like you or being near you.”

The Wraith turned his head, smile still persisting. “Well, I was taken a bit off guard last time. This time, though, I’m ready.”

Before Ryan could respond, the Wraith brought his left fist around in a hook punch and slammed his fist into Ryan’s solar plexus, crumpling him to the ground. While Ryan tried to get his breath back, the Wraith grabbed his face and tossed him backwards, sending him sprawling on the ground. He followed up the takedown with a quick stomp on his solar plexus once more, then kicked him in the side, leaving him groaning in pain on the ground before him.

All this, he did with that same agitating smile. “I figured I should pay you back.”

Ryan coughed. “You dick.”

The Wraith shrugged. “Well, I just wanted you to know.” He leaned over Ryan’s face, voice taking on a dark tone. “I can do anything I want to you, anytime I want to. You have no control anymore, not like in Asia.” Ryan was in too much pain to argue that. “I own you; you can’t do anything without me allowing it. The only freedom is that which I give you.”

Ryan rolled away and stood. “Well fuck you.” he said, brushing himself off and getting into a deep Sanchin stance. “I can take you.”

The Wraith chuckled. “You really want to do this?” When Ryan didn’t move, he nodded. “Alright.”

The Wraith took his hands out of his pocket and looked Ryan over. Ryan waited in what felt like an interminable state of anxiety, following his opponent’s eyes to see where he was looking. The Wraith was watching his torso, by the looks of it, maybe trying to determine where he had hit him before to generate maximum pain. Ryan, meanwhile, was trying to keep himself safe while looking for weak points in the Wraith’s stance. It was full of perfect spots, but if the Wraith was him, none of that would matter. he knew how to counter every attack that came to mind. It put him in a tight spot.

The Wraith rushed forward suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, hands getting into position to put Ryan on the ground with whatever takedown he had planned. Ryan lowered his stance, setting his center of gravity as low as possible, and prepared himself for a eha don collision. It wasn’t the most ideal way to stop the attack, but he had to think outside the box for this, avoiding anything he was trained to do.

The Wraith had expected this, though, and when he was within grabbing distance, he shot his hands up between Ryan’s guard and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. In a swift motion, he brought his right leg in between Ryan’s legs and set it behind his left leg, then went forward, putting his full bodyweight behind the motion.

As they fell, Ryan maneuvered his right leg to be in front of his chest, between him and the Wraith, and planted his foot firmly on the Wraith’s chest, creating as much distance as he could. As he smacked into the ground, sliding back just a little, he pushed up with his leg and then back, sending the Wraith backwards in a perfectly executed Tomoe Nagi.

As he spun around onto his belly and pushed himself up, the Wraith rolled forward and back up onto his feet, ready for another go. Ryan took the initiative this time, trying to get to his opponent before he could prepare himself for their next round, speeding forward with closed fists.

As he closed in, the Wraith pulled a fast one and dropped to the ground, shooting his right arm forward to get under Ryan’s groin for a throw. Ryan saw it, however, and jumped up a little, going right over the Wraith, catching him off guard, and landing on the other side. As soon as his right foot touched the ground, he spun himself around, sending a roundhouse kick powering through the Wraith’s face.

The Wraith went spinning away, but the kick didn’t stop him. He just hopped back up, smiling, sickening joy in his eyes. “Nice.” he commented. “I imagine that was kind of like what Harris felt when you punched him in the face.”

Ryan snarled and rushed at his enemy, losing some of his focus to anger at the lack of effect on the Wraith. As he approached, the Wraith sidestepped left and shot his hand out to grab Ryan’s oncoming punch. As Ryan’s fist came into contact with the Wraith’s hand, he let his arm collapse and from an elbow strike aimed at the Wraith’s head. The Wraith hadn't seen this coming, and promptly received an elbow to his nose.

Again, there was little to no effect. The Wraith just shrugged it off and resumed his cool demeanor. “I thought you would be something worth fighting.” he said. The Wraith lowered his head and closed his fists. “I suppose I was wrong.”

He lunged at Ryan, grabbing him by his collar, and threw him to the side, sending him stumbling toward the pond. As Ryan rolled up, he found himself face to face with the bottom of the Wraith’s shoe. The kick struck him in in the nose with the force of a phone book, sending him further back and smashing his nose. At the edge of the pond, he managed to stand up and face his enemy.

“I can’t fight him.” Ryan realized. He didn’t stand a chance. Looking around, he searched for anything that might help him to escape. Behind him, there was the pond. To either side, there were small rocks, but he did spot a drainage pipe that might lead to the river not too far away. It was half-submerged and looked like a tight fit. Ahead, there was only the Wraith. He had to make a split-second decision.

And he made it a split-second too late. Before he could act, the Wraith moved in on him and grabbed him by the neck, raising him up into the air with strength he had no business having.

“I really don’t like you, you know. I wish you were the way you used to be.”

Ryan brought his own hands up to alleviate the pressure on his neck. “Sorry to disappoint.” he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The Wraith sighed. “You were better before, that much I can tell. There was something in you, that extra drive. Now... now you’re just a pathetic excuse for a human being. A shell. There’s nothing inside you that’s worth fighting for, and you know it. The only reason you’re alive is that you cling to this small bit of honor you don’t even have. It’s just sad.”

Ryan swallowed, not an easy thing to do when you’re basically being choked. “Well, at least I can see.”

“What-?”

Ryan shot his right hand forward, fingers together and pointed, and shoved them right into the Wraith’s left eye, digging in. When he was deep into the Wraith’s socket, he hooked his fingers and ripped them out, tearing the eye out in a mess of stringy veins and nerves, blood coating his hand. The Wraith shouted, letting Ryan go, and put his hands to his eye, falling back.

Ryan took the chance and dove into the freezing water, smashing any bit of peace that had once been existent there, and made his way for the pipe. When he got there, he dared a quick look back and spotted the Wraith, looking coldly at him with his one eye, then darted into the small pipe, crawling his way to safety.

The Wraith sighed, and removed his hands from his eye. As he reopened it, he blinked a few times, regaining the sight in his eye. Using his reacquired sight, he found the eyeball on the ground, walked over, and kicked it away, over to a rock. He followed by using his own powers to lift the rock and stuff the eye underneath it, leaving it there to never be found.

“Clever.” he said, smirking. “You’re getting there, Ryan. You’re getting there.”

And with that, the park was empty once again, save for the waves created by the one human and the mark left by his battle with an undefined enemy.

**************************************************************************

Ryan found himself at the river at the end of the tunnel, cold and wet, and quickly ran out, eager to get to someplace warm.

As he came out of the river, getting scared looks and gasps from the ponies around him, he looked for anything familiar. The first thing he spotted was the library, where he knew Twilight would help him; her magic couldn’t possibly hurt. Deciding on what to do, he ran through the streets to the door and slammed his fist into it.

“Twilight, I could use some help.” he said, voice sounding funny from what was likely a broken nose.

He heard the clip-clop of hoofsteps from the door and the sound of Twilight talking to someone, liekly Spike. When she opened the door, she looked like she was taken aback by Ryan’s condition, like she didn’t know how to respond, but her look quickly turned to horror.

“Get inside, you’ll die of the cold out there!” she shouted, ripping Ryan inside with her magic and shutting the door. Ryan fell to the floor, just grateful for the warmth, but soon found himself floating over to a fireplace in the corner and saw sparks starting up inside. “What in Equestria were you doing out there?”

She set Ryan down in front of the fireplace and the flames began to burst into life, giving Ryan the sweetest relief he had ever had. He sighed contentedly, letting himself be consumed by the fire before him.

“Well?” she asked, reacquiring Ryan’s attention.

Ryan thought fast. “I was walking in the park and slipped and fell in the pond.”

Twilight looked doubtful. “Then why is your face covered in blood?” she asked, repulsion in her countenance.

Ryan felt his face, then pulled his finger away to investigate. Yeah, there was blood, all right. It had mostly been around his nose and mouth, but at some point, he must have maneuvered himself so that the blood came out toward his eyes. Or maybe the Wraith just kicked him that hard.

“Like I said. I fell.”

Twilight frowned at him, unconvinced, but turned around and opted not to pursue. “Fine. I’ll get you some hot chocolate.” Before she entered the kitchen, she had one last thing. “And take those clothes off; they’ll dry faster that way.”

Ryan waited for her to leave, then obeyed and stripped down to his underwear. The sheen of water and light of the fire seemed to accentuate his scars, like the fight had somehow made them that much more relevant. Looking at his chest, he traced his finger across his bullet wound, trying to feel for any change in texture. Sure enough, there was, and it felt odd to him to know that he had been shot. Most people don’t know that feeling.

“Woah.” a male voice said. It was clearly Spike. “What happened to you?” he asked.

Ryan looked back, seeing Spike already right behind him, then shrugged. “I fell in the pond, hit my face on a rock.”

“Ow.” Spike replied, cringing at the thought. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.” he came over and sat down next to Ryan.

“Me too.” Ryan said.

A few minutes passed, and Twilight returned with the hot chocolate and some pads. Setting the drink down, she planted herself down in front of Ryan and said, “Stand still, I’ll clean you up.”

Ryan did as he was ordered and remained still, letting Twilight drag the cloth across his face, wiping away the blood, but leaving streak marks. She focused intently on his face, especially his broken nose, like she was trying to solve a puzzle. Problem was that this puzzle had some missing pieces.

“There, all clean.” she said, levitating the cloth over to the fire to burn. “Now, let’s fix that nose.”

Before Ryan could tell her no, her magic gripped his nose and shoved it back into place, making a loud snap as it shot into place. Ryan shouted from the pain, but felt an instant relief of pressure from his nose when it was all done.

“Thanks.” he said.

“Don’t mention it.” Twilight replied. She remained in front of him. “So what are you thinking of doing tonight?” she asked.

Ryan raised an eyebrow at her. “Interested?” Ryan asked. Twilight blushed just a bit. “I’m gonna be a plant; I made a Ghillie suit for it. I’m sure you’ll see it tonight.”

Twilight nodded, then, like a lightbulb went off in her head, she got a big smile. “You want me to see your bush?”

Ryan smiled right back. “I’d prefer that you see the wood that the leaves come off of.”

Twilight laughed uncontrollably at Ryan’s response, unable to come up with anything to beat him with. No one could beat him at this game. Not when it was played fair.

As she rolled on the ground before him, Ryan thought about when she first found him. She was the first pony he really had any communication with, the first to try to talk to him peacefully. At least, that was who he saw it. He had given his hammer to Applejack, and his old jacket to Rarity. They had been helpful to him, and he repaid them with something that meant something. Twilight had received nothing.

Well, he had something that he could give her later. “Twilight, why don’t I meet you here tonight at seven to get ready for the night?” he suggested.

Twilight was surprised by the suggestion, but her smile never faltered or became awkward. “I think that sounds fun. I’d like to see your costume too.”

Ryan stood up, still almost naked, but not caring. “Wonderful.” He started to move for the exit.

Twilight cleared her throat, getting Ryan to turn around. “Forgetting something?” she asked rhetorically, holding up Ryan’s now dry clothes.

Silently, Ryan walked over and put on his clothes, then walked out and said goodbye, an idea in his head as to what he would do that night.

******************************************************************************

Ryan decided to put his armor on under the ghillie suit, just in case he startled somepony and they went to kick him. There was no need to get another broken bone today.

Now, he was sitting next to the door to the library, a wrapped up, box-like object hidden under his outfit, waiting for Twilight to open the door. He had made sure to get into position when nopony was looking, hiding perfectly in plain sight. As of yet, the younger fillies and colts still had no idea he was there. He almost considered scaring them when they came to Twilight’s door for candy.

He was sitting there for a while before Twilight finally came out, wearing some elaborate wizard costume, complete with a beard and staff. When she came out, Spike on her back, she looked around, trying to find Ryan, who was a mere three feet to her left.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”

“Ahh!” she yelped, shooting into the air and rocketing Spike off her back. When she calmed down enough to speak, she looked angrily at the Ryan bush and said, “That was unnecessary.”

“It was entirely necessary.” Ryan replied, standing up to reveal himself. Twilight scrutinized his costume/tactical garment, looking him over. Her eyes ran over the package, but didn’t stay there.

She growled to herself, not noticing Spike land on the ground next to her, and turned and walked out into town. Ryan picked up Spike and followed behind, wondering if he had made the wisest choice.

They walked through the town, noting good costumes, looking for their friends. Their friends... when did that happen?

They walked through the fair, where there were games and contests going on, ponies having a blast and enjoying the festivities. Ryan might actually have enjoyed himself if his day hadn’t already been wrecked by the Wraith. His mind kept turning to it, how he nearly got himself killed by that crazy son of a bitch. It was unpleasant to think about.

Spike and Twilight had been talking the whole time, arguing about candy consumption, and by the sound of it, Spike had lost. “Fine.” he finished. “Let’s head on over to the apple cart; the others are waiting for us there.”

Ryan figured this could be as decent a chance as any. “Why don't you go ahead, meet us there, Spike.” he said. “I need to talk to Twilight.”

Spike shrugged and went along, leaving his boss/mom/best friend with the human. Ryan watched him leave, wishing that the little kids back home were as cool as him. Most of them would be up in your business, trying to be grown up or cool. It annoyed the hell out of him when kids tried to get into things they didn’t understand.

Twilight watched as well, then broke the silence. “What do you want to talk about?” she asked, thinking that it was about his broken state from earlier.

Ryan breathed slowly and deliberately, feeling up the gift he had prepared. Really, he only wrapped it, but it was something. He would feel like an ass if he didn’t give her something.

“I have something for you.” he said, pulling out the gift.

Twilight blinked twice, looking at the gift, a bit surprised. “Oh.” she said, taking it in her magic. “Umm... thank you.” She looked it over and shook it, trying to discern what it might be. “May I open it?”

Ryan had thought hard about this part. He wasn’t sure he wanted her to have it just yet, at least, not in the sense of what it was. That could backfire on him easily.

“Actually, this gift has a special nature.” he began. He looked Twilight in the eyes. “I have to ask you not to open it, not until a specific day. Once that day comes, you can open it and enjoy it as much as you want.”

Twilight cocked he rhead, confused, and asked, “What day might that be?”

“You’ll know it when it comes. I can tell you, it will be a day where my life will take yet another turn for the unknown. Trust me; you’ll know it when it comes.”

Twilight was clearly not amused, but in keeping with respecting Ryan’s wishes, she agreed not to open it until “the day” came. “The day” was the day that Ryan would leave, and likely never be found again.

He felt comfortable giving the gift to her. He knew that she was responsible enough to possess it, and she could handle what she got from it. At least now, that damn book was in safe, trustworthy hands. Or hooves. Whatever.

******************************************************************************

They had met up with their friends at the apple cart, Ryan taking a gander at Mac drooling over Fluttershy’s “Rainbow Dash Approved” costume, a stage-magician’s outfit with some unexpectedly accentuating parts. Mac never even noticed that he was so obvious;Fluttershy, however, definitely did. She made sure to stay next to him, and if Ryan’s hunch was right, Mac would be totally crashed from all his sugar intake on this night.

From there, they all just walked around, making the best of the night. Ryan would sit on the side of the road, making noises at ponies who passed by. They mostly just looked at him oddly, resulting in howling laughter from the others off on the other side of the path. When the ponies looked away, RYan would get up and move right next to the ponies, then resume his noises. He scared one pony so bad they actually dropped their candy and ran.

Feeling like a dick, but still enjoying himself, Ryan and the others took the candy and looked for their victim to return it. As they walked around, Ryan began to notice the sky taking a dark turn, getting stormy. Nopony else seemed to care, in fact, they were all pretty excited, so he let it go. It must not be that bad.

Everyone seemed to converge on the town square at one point during the night, so Ryan decided to try there. Mac said that he had to go do something, sounding rather nervous, and ran off, followed by Fluttershy. The girls and Spike were confused, but Ryan just chuckled and told him, “Don’t eat all your candy in one sitting.”

With them gone, the rest of the group went to the center of town. When they got there, the mayor was up on the stage, talking about sacrificing their candy to someone named Nightmare Moon to prevent her from doing bad things to them in their sleep. The girls and Spike cheered as the group began to leave, and followed them out into the forest. Ryan had no idea what to do, so he went along as well.

The walk through the forest was short and easy, with big paths carved out for the mass to follow. The trees weren’t nearly as evil-looking, and there was no suited, blank-faced dude trying to steal their souls, so it wasn’t so bad. After the walk, they were in a clearing with a massive statue.

Upon inspection, Ryan found that it looked rather like Luna. “Okay, little ponies!” the mayor announced. “Let us offer our candies to the evil Nightmare Moon so that she might let us be this night!”

Ryan watched as the little ones started to file in and drop their candy onto the statue, one by one, giggling all the while. Ryan wasn’t sure he got it, but hey, ponies will be ponies.

Then, the unexpected happened. At least, to Ryan. The statue started to move, lightning splitting the air around it, and laughed. Sensing a potential trouble, Ryan crouched low and got next to the bushes on his right, hand on his pistol. The little ones were screaming... but they were also smiling. What?

The voice of the statue began to speak, and instantly, Ryan’s hand lightened up and came off his gun. “Foolish foals, did you believe that I would leave you be just because you gave me your candy?! AHAHAHAHAHA! Taste the wrath of my Nightmare Powers!”

The winds started to kick up and the kids screamed, enjoying themselves immensely. Ryan stood up, watching from the sidelines, a little smile coming onto his face. He would never have pictured Luna as being good with kids.

The kids soon ran off, parents and guardians in two, leaving only Luna, the elements minus Fluttershy,Spike, and Ryan in the clearing. The elements were all laughing and having a good time, alongside Luna, loving the little spectacle that must have been tradition. Ryan stepped out of the shadows and joined the ponies in their merriment.

Luna had changed back into her normal from while she laughed, and her eyes had resumed that innocent look they alway shad. “Ryan!” she exclaimed. She ran over and hugged him. “It is good to see you again!”

Ryan hugged back. “Yeah, good to see you too.”

She released him and stepped back, looking up into his eyes. “I suppose that life has been well for you?”

“Pretty well.”

“That is good to hear.” a more motherly tone replied. It took him a moment of looking around, but he was able to find Celestia, who came out from behind the statue. “I’m sure that life will continue to be good for you.” Luna seemed to step away, looking a little less giddy than before, like she was guilty of something akin to a cruel prank. Ryan took a note of that as suspicious. “Why don’t we head back to town?” Celestia suggested.

“That sounds great, princess.” Twilight replied for everyone, taking the lead and walking back along the path to the town.

Luna looked warily at Ryan as she took a place with the main body of the group, seemingly worried about Ryan. Ryan, in turn, waited for the group to get some ways ahead before following. He had a feeling that there was a reason that Celestia was also waiting.

He started to walk, and, as if synchronized, Celestia started after him. The forest was dark and the path hard to see, but Celestia’s presence seemed to brighten the area up just a little. Not as much as he would have expected, but still a little.

They walked for a time in silence, watching the group ahead to avoid losing pace with them. Ryan could feel Celestia looking at him, and eventually, gave into his curiosity. He looked up at the large mare, meeting her gaze, a look of terrible shame and fear in her eyes. What they were about, Ryan could only guess at.

“You seem troubled.” Ryan commented.

Celestia blinked slowly, then nodded. “Yes, I am afraid that I am.” she replied. “There is trouble in the south, in the Southern Gryphon Colonies.”

Ryan didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of trouble?” he asked, still curious.

Celestia sighed. “What did you once tell my sister you wanted to be?” she asked. She already knew the answer.

“A SEAL.”

“Why?”

Ryan shrugged. “At the time, I wanted to protect people. I loved the idea of being able to go into a place with a team to rescue someone, bring them home, then disappear into the shadows to continue my work. I never liked getting credit for things or being famous.”

Celestia nodded. “I wish that we had some of your SEALs here.” she said, getting a surprised look from the human. “One of our soldiers is being held prisoner by a group of evil gryphons that wish to take control of the country. He fought them many years ago, and now, he is their prisoner. And we have no one to go in and rescue him.”

Ryan thought about what she was saying to him. She knew his past. She knew that he had fought unconventional enemies before, that he killed them and knew how they fought. She knew that he was a skilled fighter, along with having the most powerful weapon they had ever known. She knew that her guard was hopeless and that the only chance there was was in a human.

“That’s a damn shame.” Ryan said. “I don’t know how Discord brought me here, so I have no idea how to get SEALs or Deltas here.”

Celestia’s shine seemed to dim a bit, leaving the area dark again. “Yes...” she replied. “A shame.”

They kept on walking, no longer interested in conversation or interaction. The mood had died off and become depressed, a hopeless abyss in the darkness of the forest. That darkness extended deep into Ryan’s mind, blank and empty of emotion.

He thought about what he was just told. This guy, who fought for this benevolent ruler, probably for a good cause, was being held prisoner somewhere. He fought to defend the innocent, and now, he was suffering for it. What would the SEALs do? They would go in to rescue him, obviously. Ryan had always wanted to do that.

But now, he had no chance of being a SEAL. There was no reason for him to try any of that, no reason to stick his own neck out again and possibly get killed. Ryan, the original, was gone. Now, he just wanted to live in peace, alone with his misery and failings where no one would have to see him, be subjected to his appalling presence. Whoever this guy was, he was suffering. And Ryan could sympathize. But he couldn’t help him; that was simply impossible.

Feeling like he had been defeated in a battle for human dignity, Ryan walked back to town alongside Celestia with his head hung down, eternal shame pressed upon him by his irreversible decisions and the knowledge that he would never be capable of redeeming himself and deserving his life again.