Cimmy's Equestrian Side Adventures

I quickly stopped the song. As soon as I did Rare's thought cut off. Part of me hurt from the memory of what I did before I left Equestria and from the sadness in Rare's voice, the other part of me decided I needed to research more into this development.

I started the song again. For a few minutes I waited anxiously. Then Rare's voice sobbing from the emotional hurt I was causing her. I stayed silent as all the love she had for me as a friend poured out. The sorrowful sound pulled at me, making me rethink my plan stay at home.

For days it went on like that. Voluntarily breaking my heart for the name of research. Finally one day I made a desperate experiment out of seeing if the phenomenon was a two way street.

I started playing love songs to convey how I loved her as a friend, the others I'd created bonds with, and everything else about Equestria, and songs that described how much I suffered not being in Equestria. Soon enough more than thoughts were coming across the music supported channel. These conversations only helped strengthen Equestria's pull on my heart and mind. I finally broke one day while rifling through my schematics file cabinet. A way to get back to Equestria was suddenly the only thing on my mind.

As I built a replacement model of the item on the schematics I packed all of my worldy possessions. When both everything was packed and the new remote completed. I wrote a goodbye letter to those who I once lived with then sent Rare a message using a song with the lyrics "I'm on my way." before laughing at the irony of being back to square one on how I got to Equestria the first time as I activated my remote.

I awoke to find myself back in the Crystal Empire. I was in the lawn outside the castle. I breathed a sigh recognizing a feeling of home I normally got from the place I just left. I made the decision to go see Cadance and Armor and apologize for everything I did the night I left.

As a shadow fell over me I had a split second to realize I'd been beaten to the punch as the bars of a cage quickly surrounded me.

I knew that I was in trouble the moment I was caught. Fearing I'd be attacked I curled up into a ball and hid as the cage was lifted. "I'd be afraid too if I was to face what now lies in your near future, but you know that I won't hurt you," Cadances voice came through the bars.

I uncurled and discovered that it was Cadance that was carrying my cage as she boarded a train. "You will be fine and I'm glad you came back but you are in quite the bit of trouble. "she said without even looking in the cage. "I'm not going to let you out of the cage until I'm supposed to so I'll ask you to not repeat your last feat and make things worse and to stay put." She stated looking in the cage with pleading eyes as she set the cage down. I silently moved to the far side of the cage away from her and sat down not looking at her. She reacted by spinning the cage until I was back close to her and cheerfully said "Everything's going to be all right, you're back amongst family." as she laid on the seat with the side of the cage against her side.

I was silent the whole train ride. Harming Rare like I had and then running from the problem was no excuse for treating everypony like I had. I wasn't going to beg for mercy nor forgiveness I felt I didn't deserve.

At one of the stops the cage was lifted and Cadance exited the train. Looking around I easily recognized Canterlot. "Alright little guy time to pay for your actions." Cadance said grimly as she walked toward her aunts castle. The first thought to cross my mind was that my plans for reuniting with Rare had just been cancelled. I let the last remaining bits of unconscious hope blow away in that moment as we entered  the castle.

In the throne room I faced my doom as bravely as possible. It came in the form of Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna. I kept my head bowed and my eyes closed in submission.

"I see you brought him, how much trouble did he give you?" Tia asked critically. "He was too sad and scared to do much more than wait for your judgment in the center of his cage." Cadance answered expressing the emotions I felt through her voice. "If only he knew what awaits him this night." Lulu said smugly. "Agreed sister, things are as set as they can be so let us not keep him waiting then." Tia said with finality.

"Cadance take our guest to the garden and drag him through the mud puddles, dirt, and grass, dirty him up a bit." Tia instructed. "I shall have a guard retrieve you when we are ready." She said before my cage door was opened and I was levitated out in a light blue aura. All three of the princesses wore evil grins.

Outside Cadance did as she was told. I didn't fight against Tia's instructions and stayed pretty much as limp as Cadance's aura would let me. Soon I was a ball of mud, dirt, and blades of grass. A guard came out shortly after telling Cadance to take me to a room. By this point I just shut everything out and awaited whatever punishment I was going to receive.

Soon she stopped in front of a door in a hallway of doors that ended in a small room. She knocked as she put me down and then disappeared as a voice from inside responded. I heard hoofsteps approach from the opposite side of the door and prepared myself to be ground into the carpeting by the hooves of the room's resident.

The door opened and instead of hearing a scream and feeling the sole of a hoof flatten me into the ground, I was picked up. "Oh your poor dear let's get you cleaned up." the voice of whoever answered the door said. I was levitated by a blue aura to a nearby sink as it was filled with warm water. Soap was added to the water at the same time I was placed in it. Then a pair of hooves vigorously scrubbed all the debris from the garden.

As the last bit of dirt disappeared into the soapy water a scream resounded. I cringed awaiting the be destroyed. Instead I was pulled from the sink and thrust into a towel where I was dried as vigorously as I'd been cleaned.

As the towel receded I heard a loud gasp. I was floated from the towel into the arms of a pony. She squeezed me against her chest in a hug. "Thank the princess it is you." A voice from above celebrated. A large tear splashed down on me from above and brought me out of my stupor.

The scent of her fur was the first thing to hit me. As I fumbled for thoughts in disbelief her fur color caught my eye. I was struck dumb by everything that had lead up to this moment.

I wanted to struggle so fearing that I was being tricked by an enemy. I was too paralyzed to do more than open and close my mouth in silence. Every one of my senses screamed out the perfection in proof that my thoughts were wrong. I was lifted up to stare in my captors face. When I stared into those big blue eyes the truth finally hit me and life was brought back into both my voice and my body.

Relief and happiness flooded out of me through my tear ducts. "Shh it's okay everything's all right, I'm right here." Rare said comfortingly as she returned to hugging me. For a few minutes we were frozen in that hug, crying joyous tears at seeing each other again.

Then Rare stopped and put me down on the bed. Her expression went from happy to serious. I lowered my head in shame thinking she would scold me about how I'd injured her during a nightmare. "Now now don't look so down." she said placing a hoof under my chin and gently prodding me to look at her face. "I know why you ran away and I'd like you to know I know it was an accident and that both Sweetie and I forgive you for that whole incident." Rare said smiling.

"We're all happy you care that much but there are other ways of dealing with problems." she reassured. "Now if you're ready there's a few ponies you need to apologize to." Rare said nuzzling me. "Don't even think about guilt tripping yourself, what's done is done, now let's go." she said as she lifted me to her mane.

Out in the hallway she went to the table in the small room at the end of the hallway. There she set me on the table and told me to wait as she went to get the others I had to apologize to. She knocked on every door and kept saying to the occupiers "he's here.". When she finished she returned to me and  nuzzled me in reassurance. Then other hoofsteps were heard coming down the hall.

Five grim looking mares surrounded the table as well as an innocent looking Cadance and rare. Despite them normally being friends their expressions scared me more than the princesses. I kept my eyes down and dared not to look any of them in the eyes.

"Explain to us what happened." Twi said flatly. I sighed and began retracing events beginning when I hurt Rare. "I was having a bad dream and when Rare woke me I accidentally injured her and then proceeded to run away after that." I said guiltily. "Why did you run away?" Twi asked sounding less angry. "I ran to prevent that or any other accident from happening and anypony else getting hurt by me." I confessed.

Twi sighed and looked around the table before returning her gaze to me. "Can we get this over with so I can torture the poor little guy?" Dash rudely said out loud. I started to give her permission when Twi interrupted.

"Both of you knock it off!" Twi scolded. "Rainbow that will come later." Twi said appealing to Dash. Twi then turned to me. She lifted me with her aura and held me in front of her face so I could look her in the eye. Her expression had softened since I first seen her enter the small room we were in.

"What happened that night wasn't something you did voluntarily right?" Twi asked. "I meant to fight off the fear that trapped me in the dream and save Luna yes, to harm Rare by losing track of whether I was awake or not no." I said guiltily. "Then it was an accident and therefore not your fault." Twi stated smiling a little. "As for running away, we appreciate you trying to prevent further harm but we're all friends and as such we are willing to take a few hits if it means we're helping a friend in need." Twi explained. "All we ask is that next time you ask for help from any of us and not run away from your problems." Twi finished as she looked at me pleadingly.

"I'll admit I was wrong for running but before I ask for help I wanna make sure I've got some time to calm down first." I compromised. With that Twi hugged me and I was soon being passed around and hugged by everypony. Then Cadance got a grip on me.

"As the princess of love I understand your actions were an expression of the love you had for your friends and for that I forgive you." Cadance said solemly. "Although I still owe you some tough love for your stunts in my kingdom but that'll come later." she said smugly. "I'm just gonna say that you're not gonna count earlier's torture, set up, and otherwise utter breakdown of my will as even and that you've got something planned for whatever comes later." I guessed.

"Silly a slumber party is what's later." Pinkie yelled. "Oh Twilight can we start now please?" Pinkie begged. "Dear Tia why do I have a bad feeling about this?" I said aloud as Twi agreed to start the slumber party.

Turned out my feeling was correct. The slumber party consisted of the girls taking turns picking an activity and I was to own up for my actions with each event choice. Rare chose to play a board game and I was to be her player piece. Another of the girls chose hooficures and I was responsible for that one's hooficure. It went on like that for the rest of the night.

At one time during the party Lulu made an appearance. She understood the most about how the nightmare had effected me and sentenced me to a few weeks involuntary duty helping her at night with her dreamwalking and nocturnal pred slaying. I thought that was the easiest punishment.

A good while later Aunt Tia herself made an appearance. She asked to see me out in the hall and levitated me out to the hall as she left the room. I cowered from her wrath being helpless in her aura. "You have nothing to fear from me little one for your punishment is and has been dealt." she said reassuringly. "You had to face your friends and earn their trust and friendship back and that is a mighty task indeed after pulling what you have and was a perfect punishment." Tia explained.

"Was anypony actually mad at me?" I asked in surprise. "Not mad but we weren't too happy with your choices but that's a talk for a different time, your needed else where." Tia said as she teleported me into the room and  levitated me into Rares arms. As Rare hugged me all she could say was "You think I'm being clingy just wait until we get home and Sweetie finds out you're back,".