My fuckery senses are tingling...

Ryan wasn't sure how to interpret that. It was kinda just out of the blue and he was so invested in the conversation with Fluttershy that he didn't know how to process it. He quickly resigned himself to tuning back in to ol' Fluttertits- Fluttershy's!- story about how she and Angel met. It wasn't like he particularly cared for the little prick, as he found himself hating that rabbit for reasons that even he couldn't figure out, but she was excited to talk about it, so he tried to pay attention.

Personally, he found it strange how well things were going. On an average day, he would never even think about hanging out with her. And when he did, his attention was locked onto her chest more often than not. But, oddly enough, he's hardly even glanced at those monsters hanging off of her torso. It's like he's seeing her for the first time, beginning to notice the person behind that glorious bosom. And though his little buddy down south may not be happy about it, Ryan was actually content with how things were right now; Calm, quiet, and-

Incoming!!!

Ryan's eyes went wide as his body reacted purely on instinct, lunging forward and tackling the shy, yellow pegasus. The force put behind him was enough to throw both of them over the arm of the couch, landing on the floor behind the previously mentioned piece of furniture.

Fluttershy looked up at Ryan, a bit of fear shining through her eyes as her back became pressed to the ground. "Ryan! What-" She fell silent as the sound of her front door being kicked open reached her ears, causing them to fall flat against her head.

"Ryan!" A familiar voice called out, absolutely dripping with rage.

Ryan glanced behind him, unable to see the pony who had so rudely interrupted, what was beginning to turn into, a pleasant evening. With the couch in its current position, both him and Fluttershy were hidden from her sight as well. Turning back to face the mare beneath him, he places two fingers to her lips and quietly shushes her before slowly rolling to the side. No longer on top of the poor mare, he inched his way toward the kitchen on his stomach.

Let’s just army crawl our ass out of here and find a nice rock to hide under for the next few years.

Just as he was about to reach his destination, a small squeak, not too far from him, caught his attention. This was all he needed to figure out just how screwed he was. "Fuck..." No sooner than he had said that, a cyan blue hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him onto his feet. There was a moment where he contemplated running, but was spun around before he could even move his own feet. "Me..."

This habit Rainbow was developing for shoving her angry mug into his was starting to become a little too repetitive for Ryan's tastes. He would happily go back to how things were before, only having to deal with this sort of thing once every other week rather than the twelve times he has in the past twenty-four hours. However, the gods have yet to forgive him for his past crimes, so his hopes of going back in time to fix this was ignored.

We should have claimed our throne as the King of the Everfree.

“Still gotta wait for the blood moon, buddy.” Ryan responded to himself in a whisper.

"We are going home. Now!" Dash announced, not giving the human a second to argue against this as she wrapped her hand tightly around his wrist and pulled him toward the exit.

There was going to be hell to pay for this bullshittery she was pulling on him when things had finally started to calm down. But, surprisingly enough, it didn't come from him.

"Rainbow Dash, you stop right this minute!" Fluttershy yelled- if you can even call that yelling- as she got up from her spot on the floor. Dash froze for a few seconds, angling her head toward the cream-colored pegasus that was giving her a look that could make grown men shit themselves. "I don't know what's going on, but there is no reason for you to treat our friend like this."

Rainbow knew that stare Fluttershy was giving her. Those eyes of hers could bring a Lovecraftian Horror to its knees. Knowing this, she averted her gaze as to not fall under the same spell that so many others had in the past. If she stayed any longer, Shy would only try harder to get Ryan away from her, just like everyone else.

This thought continued to repeat itself in her head; They were trying to take him from her. But, why? That's what she couldn't figure out. Everything was fine before her so-called friends got involved. Sure, she and Ryan had a rough patch earlier today. Things got a little out of hand. But, that was it! Who doesn't have a simple altercation in their relationship?

Blinded by her own ignorance, Dash continued for the door with determination. Nothing was going to stand in the way of her-

"Ya best stop right there, sugarcube!" Much to her annoyance, something was indeed standing right in her way out of here. Both Applejack and Twilight had come to the rescue, the previously mentioned farm-pony standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as she glared at Rainbow Dash. "Y'all ain’t goin' nowhere if ah got anything to say about it."

Twilight remained still with unease within the cottage, staying close to AJ while she tried to formulate a peaceful resolution. "Rainbow Dash, please!" She begged, wanting nothing more than for all of this to end. "Hear us out. We just want what's best for both of you."

This was the last straw, she wasn't holding back anymore. Releasing the human from her grip, Dash took a few offensive steps toward the pair blocking her path. "What's best for us!" She snapped, her face now red with anger. "All you guys have done this entire time is keep us apart! How is that even close to being best for us!?"

"Rainbow, just listen. If you-" Twilight tried to reason with her friend. Unfortunately, no amount of words were going to deter her from her goal.

"No!" Rainbow spat, "I'm through listening to you; To any of you!"

Ryan slid back as he watched the chaos unfold; Twilight and Applejack trying to compromise while Rainbow Dash argued over and over how they were both wrong. After a while, even Fluttershy jumped in to help convince the irate mare that there was a much more peaceful solution to all of this. But the more they tried to persuade her, the angrier she got. The argument ensued far longer than any fight he had seen them have with each other. Things were said that cut deep. And with each verbal assault, a pit formed in Ryan’s gut that only grew deeper and deeper.

Look at what we did...

Ryan looked on in silence at the horrific scene before him. Dash and AJ were upon each other, throwing one another into walls and furniture while Twilight tried to separate them; Fluttershy standing in the corner crying as their friendship seemed to burn right before her eyes. Never before had he seen them so aggressive, especially with each other. They were best friends. But, because of his mistakes, they were falling apart.

Even when we try to do the right thing, we make things worse for everyone. We're just too toxic for them.

Guilt started to surface, his heart racing as he became reacquainted with a feeling he hoped never to face again; Hopelessness. For once in his life, he thought he was doing something right. He thought he was doing better. And for a while there, he felt so much better. But, of course, he was wrong. Every time he thinks things are starting to turn around, it comes back to bite him in the worst way; By hurting those he cares about.

I can't do this anymore...I just can’t fucking do it!

Unable to watch any longer, he quickly moved to the kitchen. Taking advantage of a bad situation, for probably the millionth time in a row, he left the room and made his escape out of the nearest window. Once outside, he started to run, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he broke into a full sprint. There was no conflict anymore, no harsher realities to face, no more signs needed. This has been a long time coming and there was no point in fighting it anymore.

We can't keep doing this to them!

Rainbow Dash struggled in her binds as Applejack finished hogtying her, preventing the fuming pegasus from making any more attempts to physically harm them. The rope in her mouth, that had been tied around to the back of her head, helped with her verbal attacks. After finishing the last knot, the farm pony got to her feet and rubbed her hands together.

"Well, that takes care of her." Applejack stated as she looked around Fluttershy's living space, noticing a certain something that just so happened to be missing. "You have got to be kidding me..." Frustrated, she placed a hand to her head to massage her temples. This disappearing act Ryan has taken a liking to was starting to get on her nerves.

Having calmed down a bit from earlier, Fluttershy took notice of her friend's displeasure and out of instinct went about trying to figure out what was causing it. It was then that she too noticed that her home was lacking a particular human. Confusion set in as she started looking about the room to locate him. "Where did he go?"

Twilight was about to say something, but was interrupted as Applejack took the initiative. "Ah'll find him." She declared, walking outside at a quickened pace to go about tracking him down. "Y'all take care of Dash while ah’m gone."

The two obeyed, picking up their tied up 'friend' with combined effort and moving her into another room while AJ searched outside for the missing human.

Applejack scanned the area, looking for any sign of Ryan. She almost missed him, just barely catching a glimpse of his backside charging straight into the Everfree Forest. Her eyes went wide at this. Quickly taking off after him, moving as fast as her legs could carry her, she darted across the cottage yard. Her feet practically soared through the stretch of land just before the forest, then into the forest itself. Dread filled her as she dodged trees, branches, and brush. It wasn't easy keeping up with him in this place. She could hardly see where she was going, let alone where he was. The only indication that she was even on the right track was the sound of his grunting as he maneuvered through the chaotic assortment of tree trunks and deadwood.

Being forced to go through the carnage that littered the Everfree made it feel as though she had been running for hours. Not to mention that it was beginning to physically feel that way as well. Her legs were tiring from the strenuous task of moving through this place and her lungs were burning as a result. Before much longer, she came upon a clearing; One that nearly killed her.

Applejack's legs locked up, her feet sliding across the gravel as she came to a stop just before reaching the edge of a cliff. Taking a few steps back, she leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Each breath she took was deep and greedy, her lungs sucking in as much oxygen as they could. This process ended sooner than she would have liked as an odd sound caught her attention.

Panting, Applejack stood to her full height and searched for the source of the noise. Her head turned in every direction as she struggled to pinpoint its location. At last, she spotted the one person she was looking for. There he stood, no more than a hundred yards from her, looking down the mountainside and into the unforgiving waters below. Flashes of the fire that almost claimed Ryan's life began surfacing in her head as worry and fear wracked her body from the inside. Slowly, she approached what was now a very emotionally fragile being.

"Happiness is found..." Ryan sang quietly to himself, unknowing of the pony creeping up behind him. "In the darkest ways." He places his right foot to the edge, letting the front half of it rest on nothing but the open air below him. "And as I search around, I've made nothing but mistakes."

A tear falls onto the toe of his left shoe, before he moves that foot as well and allows it to be set beside its companion. "And there's the faceless cries, that twist my every dream!" With little effort, his form leans forward, ready to embrace what lies beyond for him. "And almost every night, I hear the demon sing!"

"Why are we going on this way?" The wind lightly hits his face as his feet leave the surface of the cliff, "Why do we play these games?"

Ryan feels something wrap around his arm, stopping him from going any further with a rather painful jerking of his body that left him dangling over the edge. His arm now stretched above his head, he looked up to see Applejack on the other side of a rope, her face scrunched up as she held him in place.

"Ah ain’t...lettin' you go...that easy..." She grunted, doing her best to, not only support his weight, but pull him back up. It took a lot, but his body started to rise as she tugged with all her might.

Ryan stared at her with tear-filled eyes, doing the only thing he could think of to save her and her friends from him. Lifting his leg, he pressed his foot to the cliff side and pushed. The force was enough to knock the mare above him off-balance, causing her to lurch forward. Her front side collided with the cliff's edge, the top half of her body now hanging over the ledge. Through this, she managed to keep a tight grip on the rope, refusing to let it slip from her hands.

"Dammit, AJ!" Ryan yelled from below. "Let me go!"

"No!" She shouted back through clenched teeth. "Ah ain’t losing you!" Though she tried and tried, she couldn't pull him back up. Not in her current position. Letting go of the rope with one hand, she reached out to him. "Take mah hand!"

Ryan looked at her hand, then back to her. He could see the sadness through her tough exterior. It hurt him to be the source of this sadness, but it hurt even more knowing what his presence was doing to them. In his eyes, this was a small price to pay in order for them to be free. If he simply just left, they'd come after him. This was the only way he could be sure that their suffering would end.

"Please!" Applejack breathed heavy, attempting to stretch her arm further down to grab him. To her relief, he raised his hand, bringing a small smile to her face. That smile, along with any amount of hope she had, quickly vanished when she noticed what he was holding in that hand. "Ryan..."

Without saying a word, he flicked the stud with his thumb, propelling the blade from its resting place. "Ryan!" With the knife held firmly in his hand, he pulled his arm back and hurled it forward. The blade tore through the rope, sticking into the cliff side from the force he put behind it. "No!"

The knife slipped from his hand as he dropped, gravity taking hold of him and dragging his form down further and further until his body finally hit the water below. Given the distance, AJ didn't even hear his body hit the water. All she could do was lay there and watch in horror as he vanished.

"Can you stop fidgeting for five seconds!" Twilight yelled as she tried to manually untie her struggling friend. "You're not making this any easier for either of us!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have let her tie me up in the first place!" Dash responded in a harsh tone, practically rolling around on Fluttershy's bed as she impatiently waited for the alicorn to finish freeing her.

"It's not like you gave her much of a choice." Twilight shot back, earning a displeased growl from the still-struggling pegasus. "Fluttershy, did you find the scissors?"

"Right here." Came the shy pony from across the room, holding the tool above her head.

Twilight grabbed the scissors in her magic, levitating them over to herself. With a few quick snips, Dash was free and already eager to get out of the door. Unfortunately for her, the lavender princess wasn't having any of that. Before she could even make it to the hallway, she found herself floating off of the floor and hovering in place.

"What the hell, Twilight!?"

"You are not leaving!" Twilight informed, both her expression and her tone making it very clear just how serious she was.

Rainbow Dash flailed around in her magical hold, using every ounce of willpower she had to break free, but to no avail. "For fuck sake! Put me down!"

"No!"

"I have to find Ryan!"

"Why!?" Twilight finally asked, hoping to resolve this issue now more than ever. "Why is this so important? Why can't you just leave him alone?" All she got in response was more flailing as her friend continued to try and fight her way out of this. "Rainbow!" Kicking, grunting, and probably on the verge of exploding; She fought on. "Rainbow Dash!!!"

"Because, I'm pregnant!" The room fell silent, the only noticeable sound being that of Rainbow's panting as she finally seemed to calm down. Of the three sets of eyes, two went remarkably wide while one drooped tiredly.

Fluttershy closed in on them, feeling more at ease now that they had stopped yelling at each other. "Are you sure? Does Ryan know?"

"Yes, I’m sure." Dash replied in a defeated tone, having given up on fighting. “And, no. I was going to tell him while we were at my parents house, but…” She couldn’t bring herself to continue. Just the memory of how he went all googly-eyed over her mother was enough to bring back some of that anger from earlier.

Twilight was probably the most shocked out of all of them. It wasn’t unheard of for different species to reproduce together, but with Ryan's track record, she never thought that he was capable of creating life with a pony. "H-how...how is this even possible?" A simple shrug was all she received for an answer.

Again, the room went quiet. This time lasting far longer than the previous one. The silence was finally broken when footsteps were heard moving up the staircase. They were slow in their approach, as if they were dragging with every step.

Twilight and Fluttershy were left dumbstruck by this new information. Dash on the other hand; Her eyes lit up as her gaze rested on the bedroom door expectantly. Her excitement quickly died when she saw that Applejack returned to them alone. She was almost mad about this, but the look in the earth mare's eyes caught her attention.

Applejack's eyes were red, the fur beneath them matted and wet. She was slumped over, her head hanging low. Normally this was the mare who always held her head high, even in the worst conditions. But at this point in time, she looked dead; Inside and out. In her hand she held a short rope and a closed pocket knife that looked vaguely familiar to the suspended pegasus.

Any amount of anger that Rainbow held was gone in an instant. Despite her feelings right now, AJ was still her friend. And she would be damned if she let anything happen to their friendship. “Applejack...What’s wrong?”

Something’s not right… Celestia thought to herself, looking away from the stack of paperwork she was tending to. It was strange, normally she could feel his presence, but it suddenly just disappeared. She had locked on to his specific energy so that she could be aware if anything were to happen. Due to the circumstances, him being from a different world and all, it was never strong enough for her to know if he were in distress, like she could others, but it was enough to remind her that he was still around.

It was there just a few minutes ago…

Author's Note

We've reached the end of our rope here. (No pun intended)
I'm sad to see it go, but I'm sure plenty of you...are probably really pissed at me. Don't worry though. With every ending there is a new beginning!

Also:

And! A big thanks to

Kelstar159

for editing this for me! You're a total bro...even if you're kind of an ass XP