Crippled, Beaten and Broken.

Silence.

Peace.

Warmth.

Ryan awoke, his thin body still nestled in the blanket that Celestia had given him, He yawned and stretched slightly, wincing as his still-aching joints shifted, but the pain was quickly drowned out by a realization that brought tears to his eyes.

There weren’t any dreams.

He smiled as the tears escaped his eyes and bit his lip to keep from weeping openly.

“I can see that the spell worked, thank Faust.” said a familiar voice from his side.

Ryan turned his head and saw Celestia looking at him with a smile on her face. The human staggered to his feet, came towards her, and then fell to his knees in front of her, bowing his head in supplication.

“Thank you, your highness.” he said in a choked voice, “Thank you so….so much.”

Celestia draped a wing over his back, feeling a surge of relief when he did not tense up or shrink back. She wordlessly bade him rise and he did, still looking at the ground.

“I’m glad that you’re feeling well,” she said, “and I think that it’s best that you rest a while longer, we have some matters to discuss, but I think that they can wait.”

“What matters?” asked the human, a note of fear creeping into his voice.

“It’s nothing that you need to concern yourself with at the moment.” she said kindly, helping Ryan to his feet and gesturing to her sister, who bore a relieved grin of her own.

“Rest now, Ryan Doe. You really do need it.”

Ryan nodded and allowed Luna to lead him out of the room; Celestia smiled when the human let out a low yawn and rubbed his knuckles into his eyes like a foal.

Once they had departed Celestia went to work writing a note:

Dear Captain Armor.

I request your presence in Canterlot as soon as possible. I have just managed to cure, or at least block off, the nightmares which have been plaguing the being known as Zap and now I turn to you to help me with his punishment.

Zap-or Ryan as his real name seems to be- is to be taken to Ponyville to perform his community service. I need your and some of your men to escort him there.

I fear that the guards at my palace will be none-too-gentle with my guest due to their anger towards him and, while their anger is certainly justified, I think that Ryan needs to be treated cordially in light how he has acted around others; I’m not sure what it is, but something very, very bad happened to him in the time that he was away.

I will also inform your sister and the other Elements of Harmony about his arrival. I need you to keep an eye on your sister. You and I both know how Twilight gets when she finds something new, and I don’t think that Ryan would appreciate getting poked and prodded in some experiment.

I hope that you can accept this request and I look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia.

P.S: I got those petit fours that Cadance sent me, please tell her that I would knight her if I thought it possible.

Celestia sent the letter, then began working on the one which would go to her faithful student.

A day passed, and Ryan awoke after a fitful sleep that had been unmarred by nightmares.

He yawned and stretched, noticing that his joints felt better, then got to his feet, feeling the cold nightly draft from the open window ruffle his red hair.

Ryan smiled, he felt better than he had in a long time: the pain in his joints had been eased, his gums didn’t ache, his fever was all but gone and he could actually feel things physically; He felt like weeping anew as he dug his toes into the carpet.

The human looked behind him at the sprawling, blue-sheeted bed that he had fallen asleep on. He had, at first, been wary of that bed due to the memories that came with its like, but the different color of the sheets, the gentle prodding from Luna and the deep exhaustion that had weighed him down overcame any fear that he might have had.

Ryan took his eyes off the bed and looked to the open window. The silvery moonlight streamed through the window onto the carpeted floor and made fireflies of the dust motes.

The human walked closer and peered out: Luna sat on the balcony, her ethereal mane billowing out behind her was the only movement that she made. Ryan crept closer, wincing as his bare soles made contact with the cold stone, and found that the lunar princess had closer her eyes and seemed to be in deep thought.

Maybe I shouldn’t disturb her. he thought, starting to back away.

“Is something wrong?” asked Luna, suddenly, eliciting a gasp from Ryan.

Luna turned and smiled brightly at the human, holding a hoof to her mouth to hide her giggles when she saw the blush that lit his hollow cheeks.

Ryan appeared to struggle with what he wanted to say before finally settling on, “Thank you. Thank you so, so much for helping me. I-I don’t know why you did, but you did and-”

“None of that.” said Luna flippantly, “I can see the blame in your eyes and I promise you that you Do deserve a good night’s sleep, everyone does.”

Ryan hung his head, “But I hurt your subjects, I….I’m a murderer.”

Luna nodded, her face going grim, “Yes, there is no denying that you have taken lives. But I have, too.”

The human’s head shot up, “You did?”

Luna nodded sadly, “Yes. When I was much younger I used to look out at my beautiful night and see….no-one. Then I would look at my sister’s day and see our little ponies playing, making merry. I grew jealous of her, and frustrated with my subjects.”

Ryan felt a surge of sympathy for the lunar princess as her blue eyes began to grow wet.

“As time wore on my jealousy grew into….into hatred, I hated my sister and-” she choked back a sob, “-and I became a monster, a nightmare. I tried to take Canterlot by force so that I could wrest control of the sun from Tia’s grip and, in so doing, I killed some of my subjects, th-the ponies who looked up to me, who loved me.”

She hung her head as the ghosts of the past caught up to her.

Ryan bit his lip, almost drawing blood as he debated going to comfort the alicorn.

On one hand she’s obviously suffering and I bet she’s like someone to be there for her….but is it really my place? I’m an outsider here, no matter what they say, I can see it in their eyes.

Luna began to wipe a trembling hoof across her still-leaking eyes.

Damn it. I don’t care if I get punished, I need to repay her kindness somehow.

Ryan padded up and gently wrapped his arms around Luna, pulling close to her and resting his head against her neck. He felt Luna tense under him, but then relax just as quickly.

“Thank you.” she whispered.

They stayed like that for a while, listening to each other’s breathing. For Luna it was a soothing sign of understanding from someone who felt the same as she did and for Ryan it was a merely the deep enjoyment of the first physical contact that he had had in a very long time.

Their hug was ended when the guard entered and requested both their presences.

Celestia sat at the center of a long table that was packed with officious, well-dressed ponies whose collective looks of disgust made Ryan’s heart ache.

“Hello, Ryan.” said Celestia, her tone as stern as her voice was grim, “Do you know why we have summoned you?”

Ryan nodded, “I-I think so, is it because I need to…..need to be…”

The words caught in his throat.

“You’ve been very naughty, little human, now you need to be-”

“Punished!” snarled one of the ministers, his eyes contemptuous, “You must be held accountable for what you’ve done, boy! Can you even comprehend the severity of your actions?”

“Minister Gold Bell.” warned Celestia.

Minister Bell payed her no mind as he began his tirade, “You blew up half of the palace, killed 12 of the animals in the garden-which were worth more than you’ll ever be-and threatened the princesses with death, which, in case you’re as stupid as you look, is treason!”

Ryan flinched as the minister’s tirade grew in volume, but he dared not interrupt.

“You also severely injured the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, you destroyed-what was it- over ten different buildings?”

Minister Bell paused and leaned closer, his long neck bringing his venomous eyes closer to Ryan’s own.

“Do you know how many ponies were in those buildings, boy? Over seventy. And do you know how many died out of that seventy? Five. Five stallions, mares, colts and fillies, dead via electrocution, crushing and mortal breaks and fractures, there was even one- a mare of twenty, I believe- who was impaled by a piece of rebar.”

Ryan hung his head as the full extent of his cruelty hit him like a freight train. His leg grew weak and he sank to the floor, feeling the sobs come fast and powerful.

But Minister Bell wasn’t quite finished.

“Ah, so you finally weep. But do you weep because of your actions? Or because you’re simply afraid of your punishment? It doesn’t matter, you’re a vile little rodent, Zap. You’re a killer, a monster and you should be broken on the wheel or placed upon Tirek’s cradle for what you’ve done, but their majesties seem to think that you’ve suffered before being caught, which is something that I would most definitely like to hear.”

“He will not be giving that account today.” said Celestia, her tone one of calm fury, “Minister Bell I’ll remind you that, although you are angry at Ryan, you are still one of my ministers and are expected to act your age.”

Minister Bell huffed and sat down, his eyes still on the quivering human.

Celestia turned her attention back to Ryan and said, “Your punishment is to be two years worth of community service in Ponyville. You will be placed under constant supervision by the Bearers and every bit that you earn will go towards the families of those you harmed, are we clear?”

Ryan nodded, but remained silent.

Celestia gestured to the two guards at the door and they opened them to allow Luna to carry the human out and away.

Once the door had closed Celestia turned on her minister, “You and I are due for a little chat.”

Minister Bell said nothing, just narrowed his eyes.

Ryan said nothing as Luna led him along the corridors back to her room, his legs were still weak, but he didn’t allow them the privilege of buckling.

Five…..five…..I killed five ponies….I have no one to blame for this, not my dad, not the Bronies, not the ponies, just me.

He shuddered slightly.

And I got off easy, too. Two years helping ponies, no prison time, no death. It’s more than I deserve by a long shot.

Luna sat him down on her bed and then said “I need to go talk with my sister, will you stay here?”

Ryan nodded, still not speaking, and Luna left, looking both sad and sympathetic.

The human sat and stared at the wall, feeling his stomach writhe like a snake as the number of his victims floated about his head. It was a long while before he moved, and it was only to finally vomit up all the self loathing and burning bile in his gut.

After washing his face and wiping his lips, Ryan went to the door, opened it and looked at the two guards, both were unicorns and both of whom affixed him with the same cold glares that everyone else did.

“I know that you hate me.” he whispered, “So punish me.”

He stepped out and knelt in front of them.

“Please. I deserve it.”

The only response that they gave him was a curt, “Please return to your room, Mr. Zap.”

Ryan stared at them in shock, then yelped then the aura of their magic lifted him up and deposited him back in the room.

The door closed and the silence fell upon his with all its strength.

Ryan’s legs trembled and, at last, he fell, curling into a ball and howling with pure, unfettered misery as the guilt and misery of what he’d done clawed at his insides with worse pain than all the knives, needles and shameful perversions that the dark thing that had called itself his Master had used.

Ryan sobbed and wailed until he finally passed out, letting the silence fall once more.