Shivers.

Massive, sprawling, majestic, beautiful, awe-inspiring.

These were the perfect words to describe the Palace of the Princesses, with its grand architecture and shining splendour. It had stood for thousands of years as the symbol of harmony itself.

But none of the group felt any of the awe present at their previous visits, and Pinkie Pie could see the slight tremor in Zap’s steps as he moved slowly onwards with the rest of them; she also noticed that his movements were stiff, like he was wading through a bog.

Pinkie felt her mane deflate a bit at the sight. She had been inside of the palace when Zap had first arrived and had seen the destruction that he had caused: he had destroyed the entire outer wall of the ballroom, created massive fissures in the ground and had even electrocuted a few of the royal guards who tried to stand in his way.

That was terrifying in and of itself, but the look of sheer, cruel joy that radiated off of him had given Pinkie nightmares.

But, looking at him now, it was hard to see any of that monster in him-well, technically he WAS a monster, but he wasn’t a MEAN monster now.

Pinkie shook her head and looked back at Zap, stifling a gasp when she found her eyes meeting his.

“Sorry, I didnt mean to stare.” said Pinkie, rubbing that back of her head and smiling disarmingly.

“It’s alright.” said Zap, “I guess I’m kinda interesting to look at.”

“You sure are!” said Pinkie with a beaming smile.

Zap blushed lightly and looked down, causing Pinkie to giggle. Her giggle faded into oblivion when she allowed her eyes to travel to the scar on his head, which was raw and angry-looking despite Twilight’s healing spell.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” asked the pink earth pony.

Zap shook his head, “No, not really.”

Pinkie saw a flash of sadness steal across his face when he said that, but it was a very….strange type of sadness: Pinkie knew as many types of sadness as she knew happy or angry, and this type of sadness was very vague, but didn’t seem to be directed towards the scar.

I guess it’s guilt. she reasoned, but that was on his face as clear as a summer day and that other sadness was underneath that.

And there was something else, something that was buried even deeper.

Something bad.

Pinkie had shuddered when she had felt it: a cold flash of nausea that had shot straight into her heart like an arrow. It was black, hideous, a kind of sadness that was almost alien to her.

The party planner felt her mane deflate even more when she realized that Zap was suffering from a type of sadness that was utterly foreign to her.

And that scared her far more than she cared to let on.

I’m sure he’ll tell us what’s bothering him. She thought, trying to force some of the rapidly dissipating cheer back into herself. But, even as that thought entered her mind, Zap shuddered violently and rubbed his stick-thin arms vigorously; Pinkie could practically smell the fear on him.

Poor guy, I hope the princesses aren’t too hard on him. she thought, shaking her head softly.

Ryan felt the hopelessness increase with every step he took.

One step closer to my grave, one step closer to the pony princesses, my judges and-probably- my executioners. he thought sadly, But then again, why should I expect any leniency from them? I probably killed a few of their subjects and the destruction that I caused has probably earned me a one-way ticket to the gallows.

He felt the guilt of his previous actions return in full force. He was honestly surprised that he still cared about what had happened when he had first entered Equestria after all that he had endured in the last two years.

Maybe they won’t kill you. said the calmer part of his mind, which had only recently resurfaced in the wake of his sanity being returned. I mean, do the ponies look like they’re under the control of a pair of tyrants to you?

This thought gave Ryan pause.

What if he was right? Would they actually show mercy to him?

Why not ask one of their most loyal subjects?

So Ryan turned to the pink, poofy-maned earth pony who was walking spryly beside him, the one who had talked to him, and asked-

“Will they kill me?”

The question hung in the air like a shroud. Freezing Pinkie Pie and the others who had heard it in their tracks.

“Wh-what?!” shrieked Pinkie, looking appalled.

“Why would you think something like that?” asked Fluttershy.

“How dare you insinuate that the princesses would even consider doing something so….so vile!” said Rarity, her voice full of righteous indignation.

Zap blinked owlishly, feeling a slight warmth spread across his hollow cheeks. He shivered under their intense gazes-or was it the sudden gust of cold air that blew through the area?

“I just-” he started, but he was cut off by Rainbow Dash, who flew up to face him.

“Listen here, Zap” she said, poking him in the chest, “just because you were a jerk before doesn’t mean that Princess Celestia or Princess Luna will be that harsh; the most they’ll do is put you in the dungeons.”

Zap blinked again, then looked away, not wanting to incur any more of his captor’s anger.

He shivered again and drew his thin arms tight around his midsection, feeling it roll through his body in a cold wave.

It was interesting: Princess Luna and Princess Celestia both stood apart, rather fittingly, like Night and Day, with Celestia radiating a calm, collected kindness that Ryan imagined most of the kings in fairy tales to possess; whilst her sister sat perched upon her throne, seeming to stew in her own thoughts whilst looking attentive.

But, though they shared their differences, they also shared one very discomforting aspect: they were both looking at him with curiosity, distrust and faint anger.

The human knelt before them with his palms laid flat on the cold stone floor, shuddering again as the chill rolled through his body.

“You may rise, Zap.” said Celestia, her voice warm, but stern.

He rose, albeit with an amount of difficulty that worried both him and some of the ponies watching.

“Art thou feeling well?” inquired Luna, tilting her head.

Zap nodded, “Y-yes, y-your majesty. I’m fine.”

Celestia and Luna both shared inscrutable looks when the human shuddered again, this time quaking longer and with more ferocity. Having reached some unspoken agreement, Luna stepped down and trotted up to Zap, who whimpered involuntarily when she reached out to touch him.

“Do not be afraid, Zap.” she said, laying a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, “I am going to perform a sort of magical scan on you. I must see how thou art faring physically before we discuss the mental aspect.”

Zap nodded and bowed his head, looking the absolute picture of submissive. Luna’s horn lit up and a beam of dark blue magic wrapped itself around his body, illuminating various spots on his torso and limbs before dissipating.

“Hmmm… That is…. disconcerting.” said Luna, placing a shod hoof to her chin.

“What is it, sister?” asked Celestia.

“You appear to be suffering from a combination of illnesses.” said Luna, addressing Zap whilst speaking up to allow her sister to hear.

“Well we did find him living in a junkyard.” interjected Rarity, “And goodness knows how long he was living there.”

“I was there for two years….I think.” said Zap, still keeping his eyes on the ground.

“Sweet Maker! You were living in that filth for two whole years? Without any proper food? Or….or a bath?!” exclaimed Rarity, her skin going green.

Rarity’s obvious disgust made Ryan’s gaunt face redden and he hung his head even farther, looking like he wished the ground would just swallow him up.

“Rarity!” scolded Pinkie Pie, “Did you really need to make such a fuss?”

The prim and proper unicorn blushed and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, “Eh heh heh….Uhm…..sorry.”

Luna had kept her eyes fixed on Zap as the two talked, noticing how his gaze never once strayed to anything other than his feet.

“Dost-I mean do you accept her apology, Zap?” prodded Luna, hoping to get a response from the human.

“She’s forgiven, your majesty.” said Zap, briefly glancing up at Rarity and nodding.

Luna turned back to her sister and mouthed “Alone Time with Him.”

Celestia nodded and said, “Thank you for staying with him, my little ponies, but I think Luna and I will need to ask him a few things in private.”

“Of course, Celestia.” said Twilight, ushering her friends out and slowly closing the door behind her.

Once the sounds of retreating hoofsteps had faded, Celestia turned her full attention on Zap, who was looking considerably paler than he had been a few minutes previously; the solar diarch also noted the sweat breaking out on his brow.

“So” she began, “how are you?”

“I-I’m fine, your majesty.” said Zap, his head still bowed.

“Thou can look at us.” said Luna with a soft smile, “Looking upon our glorious visages will not burn thine eyes out.”

Zap swallowed thickly, then looked up. Both princesses were shocked to see the tears rapidly filling them up.

“What’s the matter?” asked Celestia, rising from her throne and moving down to comfort him.

“P-please don’t-” he whimpered, scooting back and falling flat on the floor before Celestia could get within a foot of him.

“Don’t what?” asked Celestia, trying her best to calm her charge down.

“Stop...s-stop trying to b-be nice to me.” he said as the tears began to flow in earnest and a low, pitiful sob welled up in his throat.

Celestia stopped advancing.

“I know y-you’re going to kill me,” he continued, “so please, please don’t try to m-make me feel better. Just….just do it already!”

With those words spoken through a choked voice, he collapsed onto his back and gave himself up to silent sobbing while Celestia looked on feeling helpless and miserable at the sight of the former villain’s sorrow.

After what seemed like an hour had passed Zap’s sobbing subsided into quiet whimpers and plaintive mewling. Celestia drew closer and laid a wing over his trembling body, wincing internally when she felt the warmth from a raging fever heat her pinfeathers.

“It’s alright, Zap.” she said, holding the trembling human closer, “I won’t hurt you, not ever. Just go to sleep and we’ll get you to the infirmary, alright?”

She got no answer, Zap was fast asleep and breathing heavily.

Celestia gently wrapped his frail body in her golden aura and levitated him onto her back.

“Shall I alert the doctors?” asked Luna.

Celestia nodded, “Please do. Thank you, Luna.”

The Princess of the Night nodded and then left the room.

Celestia looked back to Zap as she began following her sister, feeling him shiver in his sickness-and-fear-induced sleep. I’ll have to have Luna keep his dreams calm. she thought, With all that stress and that nasty fever, he’s bound for some very unpleasant nightmares.

Celestia sighed and turned her attention back to navigating her palace, all the while knowing that Zap’s troubles extended far beyond illness and fear of punishment.

Something happened to him in those three years. Something very, very bad. I saw it in his eyes and the way he carried himself, but what could have made him so...beaten? What happened to him?

Celestia sighed again as the door to the infirmary came into view, thinking, with forced optimism, Well, at least he’ll get a good night’s rest.

Had she seen the shadow-swarmed horror that was her charge’s dreamscape, she would have taken those words back in a millisecond. But she didn’t know and, in the darkness of Zap’s fevered mind, a few drops of blacker-than-black madness had started to fall like the first drops before a thunderstorm.

Zap whimpered and hoped for oblivion.