Home of the Ponies and Awesome Bronies

Chapters

1. Magical Mishaps
2. Mane 6
3. Random Puddles and Cutie Mark Crusaders
4. Meet the Little Inner Voice
5. Pony *Heart* Human?
6. Zecora
8. Houses and Paintings
9. Rebirths (Special Chapter)
10. Ultimate Confusion
11. Chasing Stallion and Avoiding Mares.. Wait what.
7. Trying Harder

1. Magical Mishaps

*Hi everypony.. I'm new at this so... yeah. Don't be afraid to bash me down.*

I’m a little strange. See, I’m a witch. So I got that whole magic thing down? So when my brony friend suggested I try to create a spell to take us into Equestria of course I’m all like: Oh hell yeah!! Three weeks of hard work and here we are, in the middle of one of those large fields ready to blast my spell.
“Okay, ready?” Ryan nodded and shouted “Let’s do dis!!” He was already standing in his casting circle so I stepped into mine. The circles lit up and wind surrounded us. Here goes nothing. I closed my eyes and focused. Take us to Equestria home to ponies, because we’re just those awesome bronies. I felt the magic released. The wind picked up and I was blown off my feet. Something hard hit my head and I blacked out.
I opened my eyes. I was leaning against a tree with sun shining down in my face. My head throbbed and I couldn’t get my body moving. A little ways away I saw Ryan against a tree stump. His back was to me so I called out his name. He stirred and looked around.
“Ryan! Behind you dummy.” Ryan turned and nearly fell over.”Oh, come help me up already.” Stumbling, the tall, brown-haired boy came over to me and stared at me. “Um...I could use a little help here...” He was oddly silent. Slightly irritated, I extended my hand out to him... oh. I stared too. In replace of my hand was a pale blue colored hoof. I looked down slowly in shock. Sure, I complain about my body half the time like any other girl, but this was ridiculous. I was a pale blue pony. I was lying on my back and felt oddly exposed without my usual anything-but-jeans-and-a-tee attire. Movement returned to my muscles and I sprang up.
“Eep! Stop staring!” Ryan looked me in the eyes and his look of shock slowly spread into a huge grin.
“Teehee, you’re a unicorn! Hahahahaha!!” I just glared at him. Sure, being a pony was kinda cool but...wait did he say unicorn? My eyes grew wide and I looked up trying to see my forehead. This only made him laugh harder...hard enough to end up rolling on the ground. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” I could feel my usual temperament returning. “Stop effin’ laughing at me! This isn’t funny!” I stomped my foot...hoof. Slowly Ryan’s laughter ceased and he stood up, wiping tears from his eyes. “...teehee...” I glared at him again. “Now, how bad is it?” He looked me over.
“Well doc, I’d say we have our average pale blue unicorn...black mane and tail...with thick red streaks...and no cutie mark.” I made a sad face. No cutie mark??? WAH!!!!
“Well, what do we do now?” I asked glumly. “I mean, I ASSUME we made it since I’m a FREAKIN’ PONY!”
“Teehee...unicorn!” This started his laughing all over again. I just waited until he was done.
“Now then,” I said glaring at him again, “we should start with ‘where are we?’” Ryan pointed to something right behind my head. I turned and found myself snout (!?) to cardboard (?) with the WELCOME TO PONYVILLE sign. I turned back to Ryan. “Well then.” Ryan was serious for once. “We should go find Twilight first. She’s the smartest of the mane 6 so she might understand best.” I nodded and found my face half covered in straight black and red locks. I shook my head awkwardly and followed after the once again laughing Ryan.
We entered Ponyville cautiously. The ponies were busy with this and that so they didn’t notice the human hiding behind the new unicorn sneaking behind stands and buildings. Ryan had to redirect me a couple times but we soon found ourselves in front of Twilight’s house. Ryan knocked on the door. The lavender unicorn appeared in the doorway in only a moment. Her jaw dropped and she seemed to go into some kind of shock. (Can ponies even go into shock?)
“Who...what...where...how...”
“Hi. Can we come in?” Ryan asked sweetly, smiling at the unicorn. Twilight simply nodded and moved aside allowing us entry. “Thanks.” We entered and a little purple dragon with green spikes came running down the stairs.
“Twilight! Twilight! I found the book you were looking fo-o-o-o-whoa.” He froze on the last step. My eyes opened wide with delight. “Spike!” I ran, trotted, galloped, whatever you want to call it, toward him until I was face to face with him. “Ohmygoshyouareevencuterwhenyou’renotonthescreen!! Ohmygoshcanyoudothatfirebreathingthingyoudo?? Pleasepleaseprettypleaseiwanttosee!! Andwhatdothosegemstastelikewhenyoueatthem?? WhydoyouhaveacrushonRarity?? Shecanbeso...”
“ELISE!!” I froze midsentence. “Yes, Ryan?” “We should probably explain who we are and how we got here before you start acting like a hyped up fan girl.” I backed up from the terrified dragon for a moment. “Oh. Right.”
Twilight had regained her composure during my fan girl attack. “Please explain to me! Who are you?! How did you get here!? And most of all, WHAT is HE??”
Ryan began. “My name is Ryan. I’m a human. We came from a place called earth that’s not even in the same dimension, we think.” I continued. “And my name is Elise. I was a human. But the spell I used to get us here in Equestria must have turned me into a unicorn.”
Twilight thought a moment then began taking notes with the quill she was levitating with purple magic. “I have read about humans before. You say you used a spell? Nothing I ever read said humans could use magic.”
“I’m an exception. Very few of us can use magic and the few that can are usually locked up under the accusation of losing our minds.”
Twilight nodded and was intent on taking notes. Spike puffed up. “How did you know so much about me? And my crush on Rarity?? Oh no! Did Twilight tell you??”
Twilight chuckled at her assistant. “Spike...”
Ryan answered Spike. “Back where we’re from we had an entertainment system called television. One of the things that showed on the television was a show called My Little Pony and it had all of you in it.”
Here Twilight froze. “Wait, so back on your world you watched us for entertainment?” Ryan shrugged. “I guess that’s how you could say it.” The quill moved faster. “Spike! Send this to Princess Celestia.” The parchment rolled itself up and flew over to Spike who took it and blew green fire onto it. The letter flew out the window in a collection of green smoke and ashes. I hopped from hoof to hoof (weird) and had a major *SQUEEE* moment. Twilight looked at me strangely and Ryan just laughed. “Don’t mind her. She can be a little special.” I glared at him. I began to say a smart comment at him but was interrupted by Twilight. “I just told Princess Celestia everything you have told me. I also stated that I did not sense any threat in you and perhaps she would let you stay here under my watch.” Spike coughed and a letter materialized out of the green fire. “That was quick.” Twilight opened it and read it out loud.

“My Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle,
I trust your judgment. If you sense no threat from them, the human Ryan and the unicorn Elise may stay in Ponyville. However they are to remain under the Elements of Harmony’s supervision until I may arrive to meet them myself.
Princess Celestia”

Twilight finished reading and smiled at us. “Guess this means you have to meet the rest of us.” This means Applejack and Rainbow Dash and Rarity and Fluttershy and, (brace yourself), PINKIE PIE!! Screamed my brain. Ryan and I hugged each other. Oh yeah, now we’re living the brony dream.

2. Mane 6

“You caught me at a good time. I was just headed toward Pinkie Pie’s. It’s Gummy’s birthday today. Gummy is her...” “...freakin’adorabletoothlessalligatorandItotallywantone!” I interrupted. The look on Twilight’s face was a mix of slight irritation, amusement, and slightly startled. “...yes. Her ...alligator.” As we were walking through Ponyville I noticed ponies staring intently at Ryan. Ryan was grinning ear to ear and randomly greeting ponies. “Hi there. Hello. Hi. Howdy.” I rolled my eyes and was sure to keep my head down. I didn’t want to be stared at. No way no how. We arrived at Sugarcube Corner. The outside was decorated with random balloons and the door was open. Twilight entered first and was instantly greeted by a highspeed pink blur.
“Hi Twilight! So glad you could make it! We’re having so much fun! This is such a superduper paaaaaarty!” Pinkie caught a glimpse of me behind her. “Oh oh oh! Did you find a bring somepony new?! I love new friends!” In a flash the speeding ball of Pinkieness was past Twilight and face to face with me. I stepped back a moment startled. “Hiya! What’s your name?” “Um..Elise.” “Hiya Elise! I’m Pinkie Pie!”
At this moment Pinkie spotted Ryan standing next to me. She had to turn her head back to look him in the face. “Whooooooooooa! You’re a tall strange one!” Twilight had been listening. “Pinkie, this is Ryan. He’s a human. Princess Celestia wants me to introduce them to you all.” Pinkie’s smile had momentarily vanished to a shocked expression when she was looking at Ryan but instantly returned to its usual Pinkie smile. “Okie dokie lokie!”
At that the pink pony hopped back into Sugarcube Corner. We followed. Inside was decorated with balloons, streamers, ‘Happy Birthday Gummy!’ banners, and food was everywhere. The rest of the mane 6 were scattered throughout the room. Fluttershy was watching Gummy snapping at balloons; Rarity was inspecting the cupcakes and observing (with obvious disgust) Rainbow Dash shoving cake and punch down her throat. Applejack had been dancing but came over when she saw us enter. I heard Ryan muttering “Oh my god it’s really AJ I love AJ and oh my god she is wearing the hat I’m gunna have a squee attack!!” under his breath. I giggled. Our favorite ponies were in the same room as us. The light orange pony stared at Ryan and Ryan turned a slight shade of pink. Haha I thought.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing and talking at the same time. “Everypony listen up! Twilight here found some new friends and wants us to meet them!” Rarity trotted over next to Applejack and Ryan found Rainbow Dash in his face. “Hey what are you? You look kinda funny.” Fluttershy mumbled something from her hiding spot behind Rarity. “RD, please.” Twilight looked the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and backed up.
Twilight cleared her throat. “Everypony, these two are Ryan and Elise. They’re humans who have come to Equestria by means of magic. These are my friends; Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.” Rarity spoke up. “I only see one human. The other is clearly a unicorn.” I scowled. Rarity had just lost that little amount of likeness I had for her. “Elise was a human. She was the one who performed the magic to get them here. The magic turned her into a unicorn.” “Ooooh.”
Awkward silence. “Weeeeeeeeeell, now that we have new friends we have MORE reason to party! Come on everypony, let’s party!” Pinkie proceeded to start dancing around the room. Ryan had practically started hopping with excitement during all this and now proceeded to hug-tackle AJ. They landed, AJ trapped in a hug and Ryan giggling like a little girl in excitement.
“You’re my faaaaaaavorite pony AJ!!”
“Well,” said AJ to the laughing ponies as she sat awkwardly in his arms, “Looks like ah got myself a fan.”
I laughed quietly and looked around at the other ponies. Rarity and RD had gone over and were laughing with Ryan and AJ. Twilight was eyeing the food table and Pinkie was, well, being Pinkie. “Yay! Party!”
“You were a human?” asked a soft voice next to me. I looked over at Fluttershy. “Yeah.” “Oh, that’s...cool.” she said shyly. My own shyness was disappearing slowly and I felt my old self returning. Ryan and the other bronies had always told me I was a human Pinkie...
Oh my gosh I’m really at one of Pinkie’s parties!! screamed my brain. AWESOMENESS!!!

3. Random Puddles and Cutie Mark Crusaders

When I woke the next morning, I was laying in a spare bed someone had brought over to Twilight’s. I looked around and saw that Twilight, Spike and Ryan were still asleep. I wobbled to my feet hooves and slip out of Twilight’s house. I sit on the doorstep and watch my surroundings. The sun is rising and the ponies are just starting to get up and about. I shake my head so that my mane falls into my face. A blue pony looks up at me from the puddle in front of me. It’s so much to take a hold of. A single tear drops into the puddle causing the foreign pony face to be distorted. The door behind me opens and closes. Ryan puts his hand gently on my shoulder.
“It’s gonna be okay you know.” He says gently. I sniff. “I was having so much fun I never thought about this part of it; is this permanent? Will we ever go back home? What if we’re not accepted?” My eyes grew wide as I remembered something from the fanfics I had read. “And... and what if Pinkie’s cupcakes are really...” This is where Ryan decided I should shut up I guessed, as he forcefully jammed his hand over my mouth.
“Um... let’s not be the Debby Downer today okay?” I nodded and he removed his hand slowly. I opened my mouth to say something that I felt had to be said when a voice came out of nowhere.
“SMILE SMILE SMILE!!!” My mane stood straight up and I fell over into the puddle from shock. The big freakin eyes of Pinkie appeared from nowhere in particular and stared down at me. “Don’t fall over silly!” Ryan had frozen in surprise and now proceeded to start laughing his human ass off.
“Ohmygosh! That looks like so much fun!” Pinkie pushed me out of the shallow muddy puddle and jumped in it herself. “WHEEEEEE!”
A blur of rainbow flew across the sky. Ryan’s eyes grew big. “I’ve been dying to be able to do this. RAINBOW DASH!” Dash landed behind him. “Yeah?” “Wanna race?” I facehoofed. Ryan knew he was going to lose. Everypony knew he was going to lose. There was something for the history books, Ryan, being the idiot that he is, challenged Rainbow Dash to a race knowing he’d lose.
Mud-covered Pinkie Pie sat straight up. “Oooooh! A race!” She hopped out of the mud and drew a line in front of Dash and Ryan. “Reeeeeeeady! Get seeeeeeeeeeeeeet. GO!” Dash was a blur and Ryan was... well... running. Dash made a complete circle around Ponyville before Ryan had even made it past Twilight’s. The rainbow pony grabbed him after she passed the finish line and lifted him up into the air, dropping him in the now mostly mud puddle. Ryan sat in the puddle, dripping and doing something between a fake scowl and laughing hysterically. “Epic fail.” I giggled.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle came walking up. “I thought you all might want to... good gracious!” I thought Rarity was going to faint at the sight of two mud covered ponies and a mud covered human. Twilight appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on out here?” Dash, Pinkie, Ryan and I looked at each other and started laughing again.

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

We were sitting around a table at Sugarcube Corner. And Sweetie Belle was staring at me. Like she had been all day. Nonstop. Actually, it was kind of unnerving. Everypony had kind of been ignoring this fact until finally Rarity became too embarrassed.
“Sweetie Belle! It is rude to stare!” Sweetie Belle broke her stare to look at her big sister with a mixture of excitement and fear. “She’s not a filly anymore. But she doesn’t have a cutie mark!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “She also wasn’t born a filly dear.” Sweetie Belle mimicked her sister’s eye rolling and scampered out of Sugarcube Corner.
Rarity looked hopelessly after her. “I’m so sorry Elise. I’m not quite sure what that was all about.” I smiled encouragingly. “It’s fine.”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes grew wide, “OH MY CUPCAKES!” The pink pony bounced into the kitchen and disappeared. Applejack looked over at Ryan who was wearing her ever famous hat. “Ya wanna come visit lil ol’ Sweet Apple Acres?” I thought Ryan was going to die. “Sure thing!” The two of them walked out together and I felt a slight pang of jealousy. I shook it off though as Twilight began to ramble on about a book she read. Fluttershy and Rarity listened politely while Rainbow Dash made gag faces and ended up fast flying out the door. I giggled and rose. “Where are you going darling?”
I shrugged. “I think I just want to walk around for a little bit.” The two unicorns and the pegasus smiled at me then returned to their conversation. I slipped quietly out and squinted in the sunlight. It was actually really cool just watching ponies walking around, but I WAS standing in a doorway. I forced my hooves to start walking aimlessly.
Somehow I ended up standing on the bridge, looking down in the water at my reflection. My ear flicked at the sound of something behind me.
“Hi.” I turned. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were standing behind me. Grinning. I stammered. “Um... h.. hi.”
“We jus’ wanna know if yah wanna be a Cutie Mark Crusader!” beamed Applebloom. “You’re a little old,” added Scootaloo, earning a punch from Applebloom, “But you don’t have a cutie mark yet so you fit in!”
The whole idea of it was just so bizarre that I just kinda blinked. “Um... well...I..uh....” “YAY SHE SAID YES!” the three fillies squeaked. “Wait, I did?” Before I knew it I was being dragged off by the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Somewhere along the way Scootaloo had climbed onto my back and covered my eyes with her hooves. Much to my annoyance. I could only hear the three fillies yammering on and on about.... well.... I wasn’t quite sure. “Here we are!” Scootaloo uncovered my eyes and jumped to the ground. I found myself looking at the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse. “Time to give a warm welcome to our newest member!” cheered Sweetie Belle and the three of them raced up into the clubhouse.
“What did I get myself into?” I mumbled to myself as I trudged slowly after them.

4. Meet the Little Inner Voice

***Just because I can I’m adding my annoying little voice that I hear in my head who I like to refer to as Inner. It will be “talking” in italics to avoid confusion even though I know there will still be some***

“I feel ridiculous.” I was quickly hushed by a very serious looking Sweetie Belle. “Hush! I worked hard on these capes with my sister. They are the official Cutie Mark Crusader capes!” I rolled my eyes, glad that the filly couldn’t see them in the dark.
It was nighttime. I had spent my afternoon and evening up in ‘the official Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse’ getting ‘the official Cutie Mark Crusader welcoming’ and learning ‘the official Cutie Mark Crusader rulebook’. (WTF!?) I sighed. Now I was on my first Cutie Mark Crusade. Mission: get a cutie mark from jumping rope backwards in the dark. I mean come on. How are you supposed to see what you’re doing? Much less get a freakin’ cutie mark from it??
“Guys, it’s late. Shouldn’t we be going to bed?” In the moonlight I saw three fillies face me. Glaring no doubt. “For being a big pony you’re not much fun.” stated Scootaloo stoutly. I rolled my eyes. “Excuse me for not wanting to wake up Twilight as I sneak in hours past when she fell asleep.”
Applebloom snorted. “Yer stayin’ with Twi’?? Why, she’s up at all hours o’ the night, readin’ some book er another.” I groan-sighed. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom took up each side of the rope. Scootaloo pushed me into the middle with her. “Now all you gotta do is jump. Just listen for the rope.” She nodded and the other two girls started swinging the rope.
Now as a human I was a champion at jump roping. As a pony? not so much. I was still not used to having four hooves, or hooves at all for that matter, so my face had a nice chat with the ground after the first hop. “You okay?” asked Sweetie Belle as soon as I could distinguish her voice.
I groaned. “Yeah. I’m fine. Listen, why don’t you guys let me get used to being a pony before you drag me into your crusades okay?” The three fillies looked at me sadly. “And sad faces don’t work on me.”
Applebloom sighed. “Well, alright. Ah guess we oughtta get ta bed too?” I nodded. “Alright.” The three of them began slowly dragging their hooves over towards Rarity’s. I headed off towards Twilight’s.
In the distance I heard Scootaloo say, “Okay, now what are we gonna try?” I stifled a laugh. I hadn’t really expected them to go to bed.
I arrived at Twilight’s door and walked in. Sure enough, true to Applebloom’s words, Twilight was up and about. She nearly dropped the book she was carrying with magic when she heard me.
“Oh! I thought you were already in bed Elise! Although I didn’t check so...” The purple pony glanced over at my empty makeshift bed of pillows and laughed. “Guess I should have checked.”
I looked around. “Where’s Spike and Ryan?” Twilight returned to replacing books on the shelves with magic as she answered me.
“I sent Spike down to Pinkie’s with a book on cupcakes that I found and I haven’t seen Ryan since he went over to Sweet Apple Acres.”
There it was again. That slight pang of jealousy. I shook my head and blurted out a question to distract myself. “Twilight? How do I use my magic?”
I probably should have picked a different question.
The whole room became aglow in purple magic as Twilight searched the books for books on magic. “Well, it takes a large amount of concentration and although it might seem to take forever, as soon as you get a hold of it, it comes really quite easily. Now I recommend this particular book...”
The unicorn continued talking about good books to read on magic while magically piling the books in front of me. I felt my ears go back in disbelief as the books piled so high they toppled down on me. Faintly, under the some hundred books, I heard the door open.
“Twilight!” The books became surrounded in Twilight’s purple magic as they lifted off me. Spike was standing in the doorway looking rather dismayed at the books flying everywhere. “Hi Spike!” Twilight greeted then returned to her endless lecture.
“Spike... help...” I squeaked as more books were tossed toward me. The purple dragon sort of looked at me like ‘I’d love to but you brought this on yourself’ then said, “Um. Twilight? Elise looks kinda tired. Shouldn’t she... uh you know... go to bed?”
Twilight froze and looked over at me. I tried to give her my best ‘I’m exhausted please please please let me go to bed’ look. “Well, books will always be here tomorrow!” I sighed contently as the books were piled up neatly along the room. I shot Spike a “Thanks.” as I walked by him and curled up on my pillow bed.
Spike climbed up the stairs and curled up in his bed and Twilight continued going through books. I felt a growing concern building up in my chest. Ryan had been over at Applejack’s all day. He hadn’t even come looking for me at any point. And he wasn’t here yet. Twilight had agreed to let both of us stay here until we found our own places. My gut felt like someone had punched it. What if he decided to stay with Applejack? What if he preferred Applejack’s company over mine?
I rolled over and forced that thought out of my mind. Why did I even care? I didn’t like him that way. Yes you do. Shut up little voice that doesn’t know anything. If I don’t know anything how come you know that I’m telling the truth? You’re insanely jealous that he spent all day with Applejack. And if he’s staying overnight what could that mean? Hmm? I squeezed my already shut eyes and bit a pillow to keep myself from crying from the twisting pain in my stomach.
At some point in the night I fell asleep. My dreams were reflecting my thoughts. All I could picture was Applejack and Ryan. Ryan and Applejack. Applejack and Ryan. Ryan and Elise. Added my twisted little inner voice. Applejack and Ryan. Ryan and Elise. Elise and Ryan. Ryan and Elise...

5. Pony Heart Human?

A Pony + A Human ?
***Italics are still that annoying little inner voice. Trying to get my word count up to 2,000 at the minimum but 1,700 something will have to do :) ***
***Oh, and the Twilight comments are for you Kintra. I know you’re reading them.***

“Good studiers rise early!” Twilight sang, dropping three books on my head. I moaned and rubbed my head with my hoof. “Today we start with lesson one!” And the torture began.
I swear that if I had gone to magic kindergarten or whatever, I totally would have FLUNKED. With a capital F. L. U. N. K. E. D. I have never been much of a studier. School was always kind of a lazy naptime for me. I would blow off homework, class work, anything that required using my precious brain neurons or whatever. This... this was freakin’ Twilight-the-muthurfuckin’-magic-study-drill-sergeant.
I had completely zoned out within the first three minutes, which was a long time for me. The only thing I heard was, “... and it usually takes time or, as it was in my case, a strong outside force to bring about the use of magic...” then I zoned. I snapped back to when the door opened and Ryan came into the house.
In a flash I was in his face, somewhere between angry with him for being out all night and happy that he was back. “WHERE WERE YOU ALL LAST NIGHT?!” Ryan froze with the stupid smile still on his face. I heard Twilight shuffle nervously behind me and I didn’t care. “Um... at Sweet Apple Acres...”
I stepped back a step a closed my eyes. I could feel my anger building in me. “All. Night.?” I growled softly. “Um... Yeah?” My eyes flew open and Ryan stepped back slightly. Twilight gasped. “Doing. What.?”
Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “None of your business.” He was getting angry with me and I didn’t care. “I. Want. To. Know.” “Why.” I bit my lip not wanting to answer that. Tell him. Fuck off voice. “Because...”
His hand slapped over my mouth firmly. “You know what, I don’t really care. Now shut up.” I glared up at him and felt a funny feeling in my horn. All I wanted was for him to get his hand off my mouth. Suddenly his hand became engulfed in light blue magic and moved off my mouth. As pissed off and sad as I was I could hear Twilight scribbling excitedly on parchment, probably writing something about my magic. Ryan and I glared at each other for a moment then he stormed out of Twilight’s house slamming the door behind him.
I sighed and turned around to face Twilight. She was definitely excited. “Oh my gosh! I have so much more information here...” I stormed past her and flopped down on my pillow bed. Twilight placed down the parchment and quill. “Elise... are you okay?” I pulled a pillow over my head. It was silent for a moment then I could hear Twilight’s hooves as she walked away. More silence. I nearly fell asleep again. Spike tapped me on the shoulder. “Elise?” I rolled over to see him. “Why don’t we get you something at Sugarcube Corner?” I glowered at him a moment then gave in and let the little green spiked dragon lead me to the sweetest place in Ponyville.

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

Sixty nine cupcakes later...

Twilight gave up.

Fluttershy gave up.

Rainbow Dash gave up.

Hell even Pinkie Pie gave up.

I sat with my head drooped over cupcake number seventy. “Come on everypony... smile smile... smile...” Pinkie grumbled half-heartedly. I poked the cupcake with my hoof then picked it up with my newfound light blue magic and nibbled at it.
“You can’t eat every cupcake in Sugarcube Corner and expect it to make you smile.” groaned Rainbow Dash. Just then Ryan walked in. I knew it was him. I just didn’t turn around.
“Excuse me guys.” He murmured. The other ponies fell away as Ryan sat across from me. “Hey.” I concentrated on the cupcake. “I got you these.” He placed a bouquet of flowers on the table. “I was going to get you a cupcake too but ...” He eyed the seventy cupcake wrappers piled on the table. I looked wearily at him. He leaned across the table to me. “Nothing happened. I was just pissed that you flipped out on me when nothing had happened.”
I set the cupcake down. Slowly I could feel a small smile returning to my face. Pinkie spotted it from behind the counter. “YAY! SMILE SMILE SMILE!” The tension broke and everypony laughed at the pink pony’s somewhat random outburst.
“So. Why DID you flip out on me?” My smile froze on my face. Tell him. He returns your feelings. Tell him. I found myself stammering. “I... um... well... I...” I glanced around at the somewhat full Sugarcube Corner. “Its... full here. Why don’t we talk about it somewhere else?” Ryan looked around then followed me out of the bakery. We walked in silence until we reached a pond surrounded by trees. He stopped.
“Is here quiet enough?” I hadn’t been listening and walked straight into the water. “Huh?” Ryan was sitting under a tree laughing at me. I blushed and sat down beside him.
“So. Back to my question. Why did you flip out on me?”
My stammering returned. Damn stammering, wait, I never stammer. WTF. “Well... I... ah... I ... I was.... well... um...” OUT WITH IT STUPID! SHUT UP VOICE!
“Do you...” Here he leaned in to whisper in my ear which was pressed back in embarrassment. “...have a crush on me?” I felt my cheeks turn warm with blushing and my old personality return for a moment.
“Mad blushing, Ryan.” I scolded. Any other thoughts flew from my mind as he nibbled my ear lightly.
“It’s okay Elise. I like you too. Actually, I love you. Dearly.”
My cheeks turned hot and the voice forgot to shut up. Ohmygosh I TOLD you he liked you. Aw hell did he actually say LOVE?? Wow. That’s awesome. That’s amazing. That’s fantastical! Am I dreaming? This is definitely a dream. This is so....
Ryan then killed my brain. He moved down from my ear breathing lightly on my skin causing shivers to go through my body. When he reached my lips he paused over them as if afraid to touch them. The moment seemed like forever, just the two of us alone with our lips almost touching. Then he gently kissed me.
It was amazing. It was magic. I never wanted the moment to end. I could feel heat and electricity around us and our breath became one. My skin tingled with anticipation and my mind was entirely and utterly blank. When he pulled away I could still feel him on my lips as if he was still kissing me.
I felt my face drop with sadness as the sensation faded. He noticed and smiled at me. I wanted another kiss so badly. Without realizing it I had been leaning my head towards his. Ryan leaned in and met me. I was rewarded with the tingling electrical heat that I had felt before. Then he surprised me. I felt a gentle prodding at the crease of my lips. My lips opened almost mechanically and his tongue invaded my mouth. I gasped and nearly pulled away at the unexpected living thing in my mouth but he held the back of my head gently not allowing me to leave.
Like two animals meeting each other for the first time, my tongue reached out to taste the invader. It tasted.... well... like Ryan. There was no distinct flavor. Our tongues wrestled until we had to come up for air. I leaned back from him and looked him in the eyes, causing myself to blush more. He was blushing as well.
“Um... Ryan?” I hinted. “Yeah?” He totally missed it. “Um... unlike you... I’m not wearing any... ehm... clothes...” I nodded my head downward toward my visibly wet feminine parts. Ryan’s blush deepened.
“Right. Sorry.” He backed away and gave me time to cool down. Just as I thought I had myself under control, “That was sexy though.” his comment wet me up again. “Ugh. Ryan!” “What?”
I shook my head laughing and trotted around for a few moments. When I was sure I was under control I returned to him. “That was bad.” He looked confused. “I thought we were pretty good.” I laughed again. “No, I meant your little comment there. Just because I’m a pony...” Here Ryan looked me straight in the eyes. “Elise. I loved you when you were human. I have loved you since you were dating Tony.” He said referring to my ex-boyfriend. I felt myself blushing again. Oh goddess would the blushing ever stop?? LOL NOPE answered the little inner voice.
“How did I not ever notice?” I demanded. “Did anyone notice?”
Ryan shrugged. “Well, our friends knew. Your grandmother knew. Your mother most likely knew. Everyone but you probably knew.”
“I feel dumb now.” Ryan laughed at my comment then asked what I didn’t want to answer. “How long have you liked me?
Since that day you were working with my grandparents in the garden and you got water all over yourself, since you could make me laugh no matter how pissed I was, since ... since...
“Since... I don’t know honestly. I just... it feels like forever... but I only admitted I loved you when I realized how jealous I was that you were with someone else.” I glanced quickly into him eyes. “Even though nothing happened.” I added quickly.
He laughed again, a sound I realized I loved and hugged me. As he hugged me, the realization that we couldn’t be together struck me. When I was human I had a tendency to lure anyone I wanted without effort. Something I wasn’t proud of since it was only because of my Asian features and none of them really truly loved me. A pony and a human... this was proving that Ryan was someone who loved me not just because of some stupid ethnic features on my face or words I could weave together with a fake accent. A pony and a human... I pulled away from him. I had to be with him, but ... a pony and a human... it wasn’t possible. Ryan looked at me with confusion.
“Ryan. We have to see Zecora.”

6. Zecora

*** I'm not one for rhyming... trying to space more... keep the feedback up!***

Zecora’s place was somewhere on that very fine line between let’s-get-our-asses-outta-here creepy and really kinda cool. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had helped Ryan and I find our way here and well... I was just glad I didn’t come here by myself. The door to the hut was shut but we could hear the zebra humming inside.
Fluttershy knocked timidly on the door. “Um... Zecora? We... uh... well... we...” She was interrupted as Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and flew into the hut causing the door to bang on the opposite wall.
“We have two visitors who have some questions for you!” Fluttershy poked her head into the room.
“If... well... I mean if that’s okay.”
Zecora smiled at the two pegasi. “You are always welcome to be my guest; I will try to put those questions to rest.” Fluttershy tiptoed into the hut with me and Ryan in the rear. Zecora’s eyes fell on Ryan and her jaw dropped open. “A human you have brought to me; how is that possible to see?”
Ryan stared at her blankly. “Why can’t she speak normally?” I kicked him gently with my hind leg. He yelped and bent forward. Apparently I had better aim and stronger kicks than I thought.
“Zecora,” I stepped toward her. “I was a human until I came to Equestria. We have three questions for you. First, could I ever become human again?”
The zebra thought a moment then flipped through a rather large old fashioned book that had been lying on a shelf. “A human turned to pony has never been done; as far as I know you are the only one. To turn back is unknown; in this you are alone.”
I nodded and tried to make Zecora’s rhymes make sense. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes impatiently and flew out the open door, saying something about changing the weather and dragging Fluttershy behind her. Ryan asked the second question.
“Is there any way to get back to our home on earth?” Before he even finished Zecora was shrugging.
“The existence of other worlds I knew, but the search to get there is meant for you.”
I sighed. They weren’t straight answers. But then again, it’s a talking, rhyming, spell casting zebra. What HAD I been expecting?
“Lastly, do you know how to turn him into a pony?” I pointed to Ryan with a blue hoof. Zecora stopped flipping through her book. She flipped the book around so we could see the pages. I felt my face droop slightly in disappointment as I realized it wasnn’t a spell or potion for changing other species into ponies. It was an old legends book.
A pony and a human were pictured on the pages. A figure was behind them and seemed to be turning to stone. I squinted at the form not recognizing it.
“Is that... Discord?” Ryan guessed. Zecora shook her head making her golden hoops glint in the strange lighting of the hut.
“The figure is similar to Discord but not exact; humor is the only thing it seems to lack. The figures almost represent you; you must remain as you are to keep it true.”
Ryan and I exchanged skeptic glances. It was a book of legends after all. Zecora wasn’t being as helpful as we had hoped.
“Thank you Zecora, for your help.” I said graciously. Ryan nodded his thanks to her and followed me out of the hut. He shut the door behind him and groaned.
“’Thank you Zecora, for your help.’ What help? I have a headache from trying to figure out her stupid rhymes.”
I shrugged helplessly. “Maybe it will make sense some other time.”
We returned to Ponyville as it grew dark and we went our separate ways, him to Sweet Apple Acres (ugh) and me to Twilight’s (double ugh). As I lay on my pillow bed listening to Twilight read off a letter to Princess Celestia I decided that tomorrow I would start earning my own bits and I would earn enough to get my own place.

I surprised myself. As a human it took seven alarm clocks, my mom, my stepdad, a cat, and a dog to wake me up in the morning. As a pony, it usually took Twilight dropping ten or eleven books on my head. Not thin books either. Like those really freakin’ huge, thick binded, heavy inked, thick paged, gold plated... well maybe not gold plated but you get the point. Not today. Today I was up before either Twilight or Spike had even begun touching the edges of consciousness.
I rose and shook my mane out of my eyes. I slipped out of Twilight’s house and trotted around Ponyville. It was strange being up early. The air was cool and the ground was damp. In the clouds above I could see pegasi pushing the clouds to wherever they needed to go. Windows overlooking the streets were being opened and store shops were setting out open signs. I eyed the shops wondering who would hire the human pony without a cutie mark.
Somehow I found myself in front of Sugarcube Corner. I looked at the building and sighed. Perhaps the Cakes and Pinkie needed an extra hand. I went into the bakery to find Mr. Cake tidying up the front room. I could clearly hear Pinkie in the kitchen.
“Why good morning Elise.” greeted Mr. Cake. “What can I do for you so early in the morning?”
“Um.” I shuffled my hoof on the floor. “I was wondering if you guys need any help around here. I kinda need a job.”
Mr. Cake thought for a moment. “Well, Mrs. Cake is going to be gone for a few weeks. She went out to Manehatten to visit her sick sister. I suppose it would be alright with me.”
A blur of pinkiness flew from the kitchen to the counter. “You’re going to be working with me?! Oh boy!”
“Now, Pinkie. It’s only temporary until Mrs. Cake gets back.” He turned back to me. “I’m sorry. I would hire you permanently but there are usually enough ponies around.”
I smiled reassuringly. “It’s alright Mr. Cake. Temporary will at least give me some place to work until I find someplace else.”
I thought Pinkie was going to explode from excitement at Mr. Cake’s next statement. “Okay then, you can work in the kitchen with Pinkie.” Pinkie started bouncing around the room with happiness.
“Um. Pinkie? Pinkie. Pinkie!” I grabbed her mid-bounce with a small bit of light blue magic. She giggled.
“Yes silly?”
“Shouldn’t we, you know, start baking something?” That did it. Somehow the pink pony broke hold of my magic (?!) and bounced right into the kitchen. I sighed and followed her.
“Now then.” Pinkie said in an all not-so-serious-seriousness. “There are good cupcakes and then there are Good cupcakes.”
“What’s the difference?”
Pinkie rolled her eyes. “One has a lowercase g and the other has an uppercase G silly.”
I facehoofed. Pinkie continued her explanation of the good cupcakes and the Good cupcakes. “Good cupcakes make a customer want to eat a whole batch of them. good cupcakes make customers just want to eat one or two. We don’t want to make good cupcakes do we?! We want to make Good cupcakes!! YES WE DO!!”
I stared blankly at the pink pony. She had ended up standing on her back hooves on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Pinkie was panting from her speech (?) and looked thoroughly proud of herself. I, on the other hand, was thoroughly confused.
The silence lasted only a few moments before we heard the door bell chime signaling a pony customer.
“Let’s do this!” I blinked a few times as I tried to register hearing Ryan’s favorite line said by the pink pony then joined the pink blur of energy in baking.

8 hours, a lunch break, 12 cakes, 14 sheets of cookies, and 18 double batches of cupcakes later my first workday with Pinkie finished. Mr. Cake hung the closed sign up in the evening light and faced the two ponies sitting at a table. I was sure I was a mess. I could feel flour on my nose and back. Pinkie, I swear, had simply dumped a bag of flour on her head. Even the pink ball of never ending energy looked a little tired.
“Well, good work today girls!” He lifted an eyebrow at Pinkie. “You might want to wash up...”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie half bounced half hopped across the floor and up the stairs. Mr. Cake went over to the register.
“Here Elise.” I tiredly got up and dragged myself to the counter. “Since we don’t know how long you’ll be staying I’ll pay you by day okay?” He dropped 40 bits in front of me. “You girls did great today.”
I smiled up at him with half closed eyes. Back at home I used to bake for fun. Baking for a job was much more tiring. I took my 40 bits, bid Mr. Cake good evening and shouted up the stairs a goodbye to Pinkie.
As I walked slowly through Ponyville toward Twilight’s, I kept an eye out for Ryan. I hadn’t seen him all day. Again. If this was going to become normality for us I didn’t know if I could keep my feelings for him going. I sighed as I reached Twilight’s. I was so tired I didn’t even hear her yammering on about the latest book she read or Spike’s complaining of his missing gem that he forgot he ate yesterday. All I could do was curl up on my pillow bed and dream of ... well... you don’t want to know.

8. Houses and Paintings

***Short chapter I know. It's worth it though. Surprise next chapter. I promise y'all will love it! ... if anypony's still reading this...***

The next morning was a whirlwind. We were up, had eaten, and arrived at Rarity’s before my eyes had even fully opened. The white unicorn opened the door.

“Why, good morning darlings!”

The words echoed through my empty head, going in one ear and out the other. I felt my ears fold back against my head.

“Too early...”

Rarity looked at me strangely. “Was it something I said?”

Ryan shook his head. “Nah. She’s just.... tired. We have some questions for you.”

Three hours later, we left with the information for a small house that was for sale at a good price and advice on how to start an art business.

“My...brain...hurts.” I whined as we headed toward the FOR SALE house on the other side of Ponyville. Ryan rolled his eyes.

“So does mine. Just pull up your frilly stockings, tighten your thong, and stop being such a god-damn pansy!”

I stopped.

“Wait...WHAT!” I giggled all the way to the house. By the time we got there, I couldn’t breathe.

“It wasn’t even that funny!” Ryan was protesting.

I went to answer when my eyes caught on the house. It was beautiful. The outside was pale blue and adorned with dark green ivy and bright red flowers.

“I.... wow. How much did she say they were asking for this?”

“Like, 520 bits.”

My face fell. If I bought the house now, I would only have 40 bits left. I think Ryan noticed my look.

“You know, AJ has been paying me... I have almost a thousand bits saved.”

I looked up at him. “I could get it... you still need a place though. You get it. I’ll find an apartment. I’m not the house type anyway.” I forced a smile on my face hoping it didn’t look forced.

The look he returned me was.... unlike any one I had ever seen before. It was a mix between in love, irritated, forceful, and stubborn.

“What if I bought it and we both lived in it? She said it had two bedrooms.”

I stared at him. Did he really just suggest that? SQUEEEE!! Inside, my emotions were jumping and my heart was screaming. Outside, I simple nodded.

“Well, I’ll feel bad about it but...” I was cut off as he kissed me lightly. I slapped him on the back of the head with a hoof. “Save it.”

Ugh. He’s laughing...

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

I stood in front of the blank canvas and sighed. Ryan had disappeared soon after we took a tour of the house so I went to Fluttershy’s. After a quick stop at the only art shop in all of Ponyville.
Fluttershy agreed to let me set up a small temporary art area in her yard, away from her animals of course.
I sighed again and the pale yellow pegasus poked her head out her window.

“Um... are...are you okay?”

I turned and smiled at her. “Yep. Just... thinking.”

“Oh... o..okay.”

I faced the canvas again. It was propped against a tree and was larger than me.
Slightly frustrated from the lack of artistic stimuli I lay down on the grass and let my mind wander. Many images flew through my mind... my cat, my friends, my family, my house...

I opened my eyes not remembering when I closed them.
The paintbrush levitated over to the paint bucket. The white paint had been the cheapest at 5 bits so I decided to change the paint color by magic. Beige paint formed in the bucket and I began painting.
My grandmother’s living room, I could see it perfectly. The beige walls, the hardwood flooring, dark red area rugs, dark red couch, dark wood furniture... I painted away until the afternoon sun began to sink in the sky.

When I finally stepped back from the canvas, a realistic painting of my grandmother’s living room stood in front of me, down to the very last detail.

“Very nice.”

I jumped at the unexpected voice behind me and turned. Sitting quietly behind me were Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight.

“Um. How long have you guys been sitting there?”

“About when you got to the wooden coffee table.” Answered Twilight. “Fluttershy was watching you and thought we might like to watch.”

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane.

“Darling! It’s simply divine!” raved Rarity.

“Ah’m impressed Sugarcube!” added the orange country pony.

I blushed slightly. Suddenly a rainbow streak came tearing through nearly knocking the canvas over. I leaped toward it protectively.

“Rainbow Dash!” I scolded. Nopony else would have been able to create a blurry rainbow entrance like that. The cyan pegasus crash landed and I noticed Ryan on her back.

“Ow. Next time I drive.” Ryan groaned.

“Grow some wings and I’ll believe you.” Dash snapped.

I snickered. “We’re just missing Pinkie.”

As soon as I said, that I realized how bad of an idea that probably was. A pink head poked out of Fluttershy’s hen house.

“I heard PINKIE PIE!!”

We gaped at the pink pony. Her head ducked back into the hen house.

“Did I miss out on a party?!” Pinkie shouted from behind Twilight.

“What? Where... how... ugh.” Dash facehoofed.

Applejack fell to the ground laughing which started an entirely hilarious argument between the two ponies. With the ponies occupied, Ryan came over to me.

“She’s a horrible navigator.” He complained. I snickered and stepped away from the painting.

“It’s beautiful.”

I blushed lightly as he admired the canvas. Suddenly he turned and hugged me.

“Huh?” It caught me by surprise and I nearly forgot to hug back.

“I got it.” He whispered into my ear. My mind was still buzzing from painting. It took me a moment.

“What?”

He leaned back and grinned widely at me. “The house.” It clicked, but it didn’t fully register. For a moment.

“You...you got it!” I hugged him.

“..and you need to be about 20 percent cooler!” Dash was yelling at Applejack. We giggled and Ryan turned back to the canvas.

“So. It’s Mimi’s living room huh?” He asked, using the name I always called my grandmother. I nodded. “I remember that couch.” Ryan reached out to the painting. His fingertips came close to the still damp paint. Light blue sparks jumped between the paint and his fingers.

“Huh?” His finger touched the paint and Ryan became engulfed in pale blue light.

“Ryan?!” I cried. The light faded and Ryan was gone. I ran forward and inspected the entire canvas frantically.

“Ryan?! RYAN!?” I collapsed in front of the canvas and cried. I felt a light tapping on my back. I turned to gaze at a blurry Applejack through wet eyes.

“Ah’m sorry.”

I nodded my head to her in acknowledgement that I heard her as my flanks began to tingle like crazy. I squirmed a little before hearing Pinkie gasp.

“Cutie mark alert!”

I couldn’t have cared less. I didn’t want a cutie mark. I wanted Ryan.

9. Rebirths (Special Chapter)

***[A/N] Hello Everypony! Elaruki here. I just wanted to let you all know that, from this point forth, DemonRykuKyuubi will be writing when a part of a chapter is in Ryan’s point of view.

DemonRykuKyuubi: That’s right, Everypony! I hope you enjoy the twist we’re throwing at you, and I hope you continue to enjoy Ela’s story. Well, I hate to hold you up! On with the chapter!***

Ryan

“Oofph... That wasn’t fun...” I said as I landed on my face. I sat up and instantly realized where I was... and noticed the five people... staring at me. “Umm... Hi there, Mimi... and... everyone...”

I had landed in Mimi’s living room, and Elise’s grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, and uncle were all staring at me in shock and bewilderment.

“Where the hell did you come from? And just where the HELL is Elise?” demanded her five foot tall mother.

Well, the shock lasted as long as I’d expect for her... “Umm... that’s... kind of a long story, Lea...” I was cut off before I could say anything else.

Her eyes narrowed and I could feel them burning into my face. I wasn’t sure if it was for the lack of answers or the use of her first name...

“Where. Is. My. Daughter. It’s been nearly two months.” She growled.

I was scared to death. Four out of five of them were glaring daggers straight through me. The only one that wasn’t was her uncle, Jordan. He had the biggest grin on his face, and he just sat back and laughed at me. “W-Well let’s s-start at the b-beginning...” I stuttered.

I spent the next four and a half hours, curled up in the fetal position in Mimi’s living room, recalling EVERYTHING I remembered. Everything from going to Equestria, to finding ourselves jobs, to what we ate when we did... I told them everything. And their reactions.... well.... they were.... normal. For them. Her uncle laughed, Mimi began a very long rant on unholy actions, her grandfather and father stared blankly, and her mother, I swear, was going to kill me with her eyes.

“So... umm... that’s what happened... can I... Ya know... go now? I’m sure my Dad worried about me too... and I need to find a way back to Elise...” I ventured, already knowing the answer.

After a moment of silence, I wasn’t sure I was even going to get an answer. ... More silence..... then..

“I choose to believe you.” came a short sharp answer from her mother. (Which knocked me flat on my ass. Seriously. I just kinda dropped backwards in the chair.). “Go home. But if I ever see you again, I want my daughter with you. Or I will have you arrested.” The way she said arrested made me think she would rather have me killed .

I did something I probably shouldn’t have. “Heh, arrested? They’ll put me in a psych ward! Because... well... ponies!” I said in a comical voice. The look I received was something on that thin line between confused and murderous. “Okay, okay! I’m going!” I bolted out the door.

Once I was a safe distance away from that house (I.E. HALFWAY ACROSS TOWN), I slowed from a sprint to a slow walk, thinking. How the hell did I get out of THAT alive? I paused. Wait a minute. How did I even end up there? I remember touching Elise’s painting... and then *poof* I’m home... Wait... Elise changes the paint with her magic... oh boy...

Before I knew it, I was nearing my house. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured, until I found someone who could help me, it would be nice to have SOMEWHERE to stay. I walked in... and...

“WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!” Came my Dad’s voice, obviously more worried than angry.

My uncle’s voice was next. “You better not be thinkin’ you’re comin’ in with not so much as an explanation, boy.”

I sighed. Ugh. Here we go again...

After another three hours of explaining (By this time it was like ten at night), They both just kinda stared at me. “So. I’m gonna go in my room, and go to sleep. Then, I’m going to figure out how to get to Elise. You two can believe me, or not. I really don’t care. I survived Elise’s family today (and that’s saying something). I can’t get much luckier.” With that, I walked into my room and passed out.

~~~~~~~~~

Elise

A week later, in Ponyville

I sat, staring into space at the bar. Like I had for the past week since Ryan had disappeared. I hadn’t done much in the way of art the whole time because I was too busy trying to figure out what happened... that is, until Twilight decided to fill me in... then I was too busy drinking at the famous Club Pon-3. I didn’t want to believe it was my fault that he had left me. Twilight had said that my paint, which I had changed color with my magic, was at fault for the whole thing. Because I had painted a real place, the paint opened a portal to that scene. Then Ryan fell through the portal. Afterwards, she told me I couldn’t follow because the paint had dried, and the portal closes after it dries... Who knew painting portals that stole away best friends could create cutie marks of rainbows and paintbrushes....

“Anot’er one.” I growled at the bartender. The stallion looked at me skeptically.

“Don’t you think that’s enough for tonight, Elise?”

I grimaced at him. “I said, anot’er one. Now.”

Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me. One that I had heard before, but from where, I couldn’t say. “I think Straw’ here has a point, hun. I’ve seen you here for a week straight. Got some stallion on your mind?”

I turned, irritated. All I wanted was my freakin’ drink. My vision wasn’t perfect but I faintly remembered that pony. I started to yell, but my mouth went dry as I realized who it was. “V’Vinyl Scratch...?” I said with as little slurring as I could muster (which wasn’t much),

“Well, at least you’re still sober enough to recognize the most famous DJ in Ponyville. The name’s Strawberry Daquiri, not Straw, by the way.” The bartender said nonchalantly.

I stared at the famous pony, in drunken awe at first which quickly turned to anger. “I don’ care if yer Celestia herself,” I slurred, “I WAN’ MY BUCKIN’ DRINK.”

“Look, I don’t really know you. All I really know is you’ve been here every day for a week, so there has to be somethin’ on your mind. Follow me. I’m on my break. Let’s see if we can’t figure out what’s up. If it turns out I can’t help, I’ll pay for your drink. Alright?” Vinyl said, holding back irritation at my outburst.

I glared at her for a moment then stood wobbly. I thought about it for another minute and sighed. “I... I guesh...”

Vinyl nodded and ushered me toward a door labeled VIP Only. She opened the door and I entered first... after bumping into the doorpost. I swear the DJ pony snickered at me. I flopped myself onto one of the many love seats that were arranged throughout the room. She slammed the door behind us and sat across from me.

“So then. Why don’t you tell me what’s got you this way? You can tell Vinyl anything. Like, your name, for example.”

I didn’t answer her question. “Drink. Want. NOW.”

She slapped me. Hard. “Alright, look. Drowning yourself isn’t gonna get you anywhere. Now answer the damn question.”

I was too drunk to really feel that... but the message got through my foggy head. “Elise.”

“That’s better. Now, what’s got you all bummed out, Ellie?” Vinyl asked calmly.

Usually the use of the nickname “Ellie” would piss me the hay off. I hated Ellie, and Eli was prefered. But, at least she was trying. I gave her some credit for that. I corrected her and then went into story mode. For an hour and a half, I slurred my way through a short fuzzy version of what had happened with Ryan.

When I was done, Vinyl looked at me with half amusement, half sympathy. “Damn. I can see why you’ve been hammered for a week, girl. But you can’t just give up. There are ways to fix things like that.”

“T-there are?!” I said with more clarity than I thought possible at that point. “H-how?”

“Well... I wouldn’t be the one to ask. I’d say if anypony around here knows, it’d be Twilight Sparkle.” Great. I get to deal with HER again.

“Hey. Don’t worry about your drink tab. You’ve spent enough here as it is. Just come back when you’re... less drunk off your flank.”

My temper flared back up slightly, fueled by the alcohol. “I am NOT drunk offa my fank!”

“Just keep tellin’ yourself that, Eli. Go get some sleep. Oh, and warm milk will help in the morning.” Vinyl said with a smile.

I stared blankly at her. “With?”

“Why, your hangover, of course!” She grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan

“Ugh! It’s been a week, and I’ve tried five different ‘witches’ , three ‘warlocks’ and a freakin’ crazy lady selling Portal cards so far! A lot of good they did me! I think one of the ‘warlocks’ might have just been a pedo with a weird fetish! Is no one serious about any of this?!”

My dad and my uncle pretty much just agreed that I was crazy and let me go off on my own after about the third day. Since then, I’ve been trying everything to try to get back to my lo--I mean, Elise, and avoid her family, who seem to be EVERYWHERE. SERIOUSLY! I’ve seen them at least twice every time I’ve left my house! Anyway, I was heading off to the last person I’d found in my search.

I walked up the front steps to the last of my hopes. A self-proclaimed witch by the name of Mary. I knocked three times... and didn’t like what I found.

“Hi there! Are you the one that wanted my ‘services’?” She asked cheerfully. She was wearing a stereotypical witch outfit... only... it wasn’t covering much. It was ridiculous. Look, I’m not naive here, people. She wasn’t even being discreet about it. She had a typical pointy ragged hat and the typical pointy shoes. It was the dress (?) that got me. If it had been solid it would have looked like some sort of a black freakin’ Tinker Bell outfit... only... it was sheer. I could see straight through the small piece of fabric to her lacy black bra and panties.

As much as I wanted to... I walked away. I slammed HER door, in HER face. And then I bolted. For the second time that week, I ran HALF WAY ACROSS TOWN before stopping. That... was the best witch costume... ever. Of all time. Reminder to self: Buy Elise a pony version of that. Or have Rarity make it. She’s always willing to make something new. I smiled at the thought and walked home. When I got there, I flopped on the lounge chair and stared into space for a few minutes.

*Sigh*. As much as I didn’t like him... I didn’t really have much choice... As the realization hit me that I really had no other choice I groaned. This is going to be... very unpleasant, to put it lightly. Maybe a nap first...

Two hours later, and here I am... outside his apartment... Maybe I should have brought my shotgun... too late now I guess... He opens the door...

“Oh. Hi.” The person that opened the door said simply.

I looked away. “Um... Hey, Tony... I uh... need your help...”

The boy just stared blankly at me. Then, a small smile crept onto his face. “Heh. Never thought I’d hear that from you. Come on in. Whatcha need?”

“Well... it’s about Elise...” I started as I sat on his couch.

The smug, ‘I know it all’ look I’d seen far too often appeared on his face. “What happened? She finally get to you? You flip out on her? Did she become a handful? Oh! Did you ---”

“She’s in Equestria. She’s a pony in Equestria.” I stated bluntly, trying to stop his ‘I told you so’ speech.

He blinked. “Wait. What?”

“...And I know she taught you at least some of her spells. Please. I need to get back to her. I was there. We... bought a house, Tony. We got jobs there. I was... happy... for once. Please. You know I wouldn’t come to you unless I was beyond desperate. Can you help me out?” I said to the very confused Italian.

For a few minutes, we just kind of stayed there. Him in a chair and me on the couch.

“I might know something....but...” He started.

I face-palmed. “There’s always a but, isn’t there? Well... what is it?”

He sheepishly fought off a grin. “Well... I’m not as skilled with the spells as Elise... so there could be some side effects...”

“Like what?” I said with a slight hint of hesitation in my voice.

Tony flipped open a book and looked through it quickly. “...Loss of limbs... mental breakdown... gender changes... memory lock... aging... there’s any number of things that could go wrong.”

I thought for a moment. “I got all of those, except... memory lock? What’s that?”

“It’s kinda like memory loss, only the memories are just sealed. They’re still there instead of being lost.”

I breathed in deeply. “Alright... let’s do this. I have to get back to her.”

“Okay. I hope you know what you’re doing, Ryan. I know we don’t get along very well, but... be careful over there, alright, man?” He said with a hint of worry in his voice.

I nodded. “Of course. And... Thanks, Tony.

Tony set up the spell quickly and told me to stand in the center of the room. “I’ll tell your Dad and Elise’s family where you went. You ready?”

I nodded again. I closed my eyes, and waited for him to finish the spell. I felt a rush of energy and saw a bright light, and then I blacked out.

~~~~~~~~~~

Elise

“...Damn...hangovers suck...” I said to myself. I thought back painfully to what Vinyl had said, and poured myself a glass of warm milk. I drank it down and blinked. “Wow... that took a good bit of the edge off...”

I walked through the front door of my house. I trotted down the road to Sugarcube Corner and bought a fresh cinnamon roll form Pinkie Pie. I say bought, but... she kinda just gave it to me when I walked in.

“Thanks, Pinkie. These are always the best in the morning!” The happiness was short-lived. My next stop of the day was Twilight’s library... Oh goody... I sighed. It was going to be a LONG day.

Pinkie stopped what she was doing and looked at me. “What’s got you all frowny-wowny?”

“Just... this whole thing with Ryan, I guess. I miss him, and I want him back here...

“Don’t worry, Eli! I’m sure he’s trying his best to get back here!” She smiled wide.

I grinned a bit, then frowned. “That’s just what I’m afraid of, Pinkie. He’s probably gonna try something stupid...”

“It’ll all turn out okay! It always does!” The party pony assured me.

I gave a small smile in return. “Yeah... I guess you’re right...”

I thanked Pinkie again, slipped the bits for the roll on the counter when she wasn’t looking, and walked out of the bakery. Let’s see... Twilight’s was... that way. I traveled at a slow trot and took as many back routes as I could to draw out the time before this conversation. I even took the farthest road, leading into Whitetail Wood. It was pretty peaceful, actually. Taking the backroads gave me some time to really take in the scenery, which I really haven’t been able to do since I first arrived here. I’d say the trip other than that was uneventful, but... I’d be lying.

As I made it into Whitetail Wood, I happened to glance into a nearby field, and... I wasn’t sure what to make of what I saw. There was a pinkish orange earth pony with a fiery red, orange and yellow mane, sleeping in the center of the field. He looked really close to Ryan’s OC, Ryku, except without a Cutie Mark. At first I was going to just ignore him... but... something felt different about him. I walked up to him and prodded him in the side with my hoof. He stirred and looked up at me.

“Uh... hello there, miss? Where are we?” He said cautiously. “And for that matter, who are we? I can’t seem to remember what happened... yesterday... or any other day, really.”

I looked at him and a light bulb went off... one that I hoped was wrong. “Um... do you remember your name at least? I might be about to help you...”

“Yeah, I think I do. It’s Ryku.” He said with a very serious face.

My inner emotions did a literal flip. Ryan was back. Sorta.

10. Ultimate Confusion

Ryku

The blue mare was staring with a look of intensity that honestly made me nervous as hell. Her eyes shone with curiosity and a bit of fear... although of what I wasn’t sure just yet. I got to my hooves and stared at her. “Why’s my name important? It looks you’ve heard it before...”

The mare blinked her giant violet eyes. “Oh. Um. Well...” Instantly her expression changed to one of friendliness laced with faint confusion. “It just sounded like the name of a friend I used to know... It’s no matter.”

I stared at her. She wasn’t telling me everything, but I wasn’t sure how I knew. Well, I guess I could start with introductions. “Well, like I said, I’m Ryku... I think. And you are?”

“I’m Elise.” She said.

Well... that went nowhere... “So... um... Where are we exactly?” I said with a sheepish grin.

“Whitetail Wood.” Again, a ridiculously short answer.

I was about to say something, when I realized the reason I’d been getting these short answers. I looked at her, and I could tell her mind was on something completely different. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” She looked at me with surprise for a moment before smiling, in a rather distracted way.

“Oh um. Nothing. Just, you know, found a random,” She paused a moment and whispered something under her breath before continuing. “Stallion in an empty field who has no idea what his past is.”

“Um... okay. So... you gonna show me the way outta here?” I said, trying to hold a poker face.

Elise stammered. “Oh... Right.. Yeah... Um...” She glanced down the path. “The nearest town from here is Ponyville. Which is... Like... This way....” The blue mare began walking away.

“Um...” I stared after her for a moment. Who is this mare, and why does it seem like we’ve met before... I shrugged and ran after her. After all, what did I have to lose?

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Elise

Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this. What happened to you, Ryan? My mind was exploding as I led him back into Ponyville. If you really are Ryan... What did I do to you?! Maybe if I take him back to where it happened...

We walked in silence me; Deep in thought with my brain exploding. Him probably wondering what the buck was wrong with me.

“So, what the buck is wrong with you? Why are you so quiet?” He said in a serious tone.

My mind went instantly to the first thing I could think of. “Thinking of where to take you first. I was thinking the local club would be a good idea. There are a ton of ponies who go there. Somepony might recognize you.”

“Let me get this straight. I wake up in a field one minute, and then a mare decides to take me to a bar. I’m liking this already.” He said with a smirk.

“Don’t expect me to take you home with me.” I snapped quickly, my bitchy nature kicking in. Even though that was EXACTLY what I was going to do...Since it was OUR home in the first place...

He gave a sarcastic sigh. “Aw... Well, lead the way. At least I know where we’re going now.”

I quickened the pace after his comment about taking him home; my cheeks were stained red. In almost no time. “Maybe this is too weird an idea,” I mumbled to myself. “He is so gonna enjoy this too much...”

“I’m sorry? All I caught was ‘He’ and “Enjoy’. We havin’ fun?” He grinned. I was starting to believe this really WAS Ryan.

“Bucking stallions.” I grumbled as we reached the entrance to Club PON-3. Evening had begun to fall and the line to get in was already long. Good thing we don’t have to wait. I smirked. I flashed the card that Vinyl had given me and the tough-looking stallions let me in ahead of the line, allowing me to pull Ryku in after me.

There were already quite a few ponies in the club. Groups of pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies stood around tables or sat at the bar counter. The different colored lights lit the floor in hypnotizing flashing patterns. I glanced over at the soundboard and speaker system. Vinyl’s glasses glinted at me through her mane of blue. Ryku must have noticed what I was looking at.

“You know her? I don’t really like the music, but she sure is good at what she does.” The fiery-maned stallion said.

“Yeah. She is.” I was practically yelling over the loud thumping of the strange electronica music that Vinyl was playing. A small smile somehow made it to my lips as I watched her bounce to the beat. I broke my gaze around the room and headed over to two stools at the bar counter.

He smiled. “Over there, huh? Alright. I uh... I’d rather not have you pay, but...”

I plopped my flank down onto a stool and gestured to the other one. “Oh. Just order something and shut up.” My gaze shifted to the bottles behind the rose-colored stallion, looking over the various bottles of alcohol and trying to figure out which Ryku would choose.

“Heh you asked for it.” He looked at the list and seemed lost for a moment before shaking his head and smiling. “I’ll take an Apple Jack Daniels, with a shot of vodka.”

Once the order was jotted down he turned to me next.

“The usual, Straw.” His facial expressed the obvious annoyance at my adoption of Vinyl’s nickname for him. “Thanks, Strawberry Daiquiri.” I amended, after all pissing off the bartender is not a good idea.

He returned in a few moments, set drinks in front of the two of us, and left again. I sighed happily at the sight of my scotch on the rocks. The day was being absolutely ridiculous and I really, Really, REALLY needed this.

“Scotch, eh? Didn’t take you for a strong drinker.” Ryku smirked. “So, what’s the real reason you brought me here? It’s obvious this isn’t just because you found me stranded. You know me. Question is, how?”

Oh shit.

“Let me get drunk first.” I said with a sheepish sigh.

The orange stallion threw back a shot of AJD and grinned. “No complaints here, Elise!”

I looked away and downed another scotch. It was going to be a long night.

(~~~)

~Ryku (A bottle of AJDs and twelve scotches later...)~

At this point, I barely had basic control over my body and I was slurring every other word, but that was nothing compared to my companion.

“Ya... Ya all right there, Elish?” I slurred.

The smaller pony turned to me and I think she put her horn on sideways. Her violet eyes were large and out of focus.

“Yesh... ah tinks so...” She said with a sloppy grin.

I struggled to remember what I needed to ask. “Um... I had shomething I wash going to ashk you... um... AH! Would you marry me, mishhus... what wash your name again?”

She hiccupped and frowned. “Elish... but... ya alreaaady ashk me tat. an’ i alreaaady says yesh...”

I stood dumbfounded and very much more sober than I was a few mere moments ago. Although she still seemed drunk as ever. “Wait... WHAT?!” I yelled towards the drunken pony. “Wait... why did you bring me here?!” Brain status: ABORT MISSION! ABORT!

"Caush dis ish where ya proposhed da week bafore ya vanished.” Elise slurred.

At this point, my brain was on full freak-out mode. “What the hay are you talkin’ about, ya crazy mare?! I’ve never been married or engaged, and I have no intentions to!” AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘VANISHED’?!” I yelled, losing my temper easily, as I was still somewhat drunk. The bartender was strangely disinterested in the argument, but I had no time to yell at him for his indifference.

The blue unicorn flounced a little in her stool. “Liah liah flank on fire. Ya jush can’ remembeh.” She snipped back sticking her tongue out at me. “Ya got sucked up into mah portal painting an’ got sent back where we came from.” Her voice was beginning to raise to match mine and other ponies were eyeing us.

“I’ve had enough of this craziness! I’m outta here!” I jumped up, ran for the door, bucked it off it’s hinges, and galloped away as fast as I could. “Stay away from me!”

I ran. I ran as far and as fast as I could. I didn’t want to be anywhere near that crazy mare. Before I knew it, I’d reached the other side of town and kept going. I finally collapsed just outside of a large apple orchard with the sun going down over my head. Before I knew it, I’d passed out.

(~~~)

When I opened my eyes, the smell of apple pies was in the air. I was in a bed, and on either side of said bed sat a pony. One was orange with a blond mane, green eyes and a stetson on her head. The other was a heavy-built crimson stallion with a brown-orange mane, green eyes and a yoke around his neck. They both sat, staring intently at me.

“Uh...hey? Who are you? Where am I?” I asked for the second time in two days. “And, nice hat, by the way!”

“Uh, yeah. Ah’m Applejack, and this here’s mah brother, Big Macintosh. Big Mac’, fer short. Yer at Sweet Apple Acres, the best apple orchard around! Now, ah got a question fer YOU. Why did we find ya curled up in a ditch just outside th’ orchard?” The orange mare said with a heavy southern twang.

I blushed, embarrassed that I’d been found in a ditch. “Um... I was running from a crazy, drunk unicorn mare that thought we were engaged... My brain didn’t really let me know I could stop until I was exhausted... at the edge of your apple orchard... heh...”

“Drunk unicorn, eh? Blue? Red ‘n’ black mane?” Applejack asked with a grin that matched her brother’s.

Confused wasn’t the word for how I felt after she said that. “Uh... yeah... but, how did you know that?”

She smirked. “‘Cause that’s Elise. A human-turned-pony. She came here a little while ago with ‘er colt friend Ryan, who plum disappeared about a week ago. She’s been in a bar for the better part of everyday after ‘er work since then. Musta thought ya were Ryan in disguise, what with how close yer name is ta his. Don’t worry about it none, Sugarcube. She’ll probably apologize when ya see ‘er when she’s sober.”

But... she wasn’t drunk when I met her... or was she? I guess it’s possible. One thing’s for sure. I need to stay away from that particular mare... “Okay. Thanks for the heads up. Um... do you have any idea where I could find some work? I think I’ll be stayin’ here in this town for a while, considerin’ I don’t know where I’m at...”

Then the mare and stallion both grinned at each other before returning their gazes to me.

“Well, me and mah brother were actually thinkin’ ‘bout hirin’ a new worker for th’ Farm. It’d be a might helpful if ya could work fer us... our last worker... had ta leave unexpectedly.” Applejack offered.

I blinked once in surprise, though about the offer or the missing worker, I wasn’t sure. “That’d be great! What happened to the last guy?”

“Well, I guess I can’t lie ta ya, Sugarcube. The last worker that was here... was Ryan.” The farmpony said.

Oh isn’t that great... more connections to that guy... well... I DO need the job...

“Alright.” I said. “When do I start?”

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Elise

“I’ve had enough of this craziness! I’m outta here!” Ryku jumped up, ran for the door, bucked it off it’s hinges, and galloped away. “Stay away from me!”

I slammed my thirteenth glass down on the counter and pouted at the swirling bottles on the shelves in front of me. “How MA-TUR-E of him...leaving’ in da middal of our COON-VER-SA-T-ON!”

Straw simply eyed my empty glasses and locked the cabinet as somepony appeared next to me.

“Now what did I tell you the last time you got drunk off your flank over the opposite gender?”

“Um....” My drunk brain didn’t want to cooperate. I glanced over at the more than slightly blurry Vinyl.

The Dj sighed. “Drowning yourself isn’t gonna get you anywhere.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Now I remembered.

She glared at me under her large purple shades. “Say it.”

“Dwownin’ ya-self ain’ gonn get ya nowhere.” I swear she facehoofed as the words slurred from my mouth.

Next thing I knew, the unicorn was pulling me toward her personal VIP room. Vinyl was grumbling something about doubling as a counselor as she flung me into the room and locked the door.

“Why must you always be going and getting into trouble with males?”

I blinked at her. “It’sh da same male. That’sh Ryan. Rykru wash a shtallion he fash-ion-ed aftah himshelf. That’sh Ryan.” Unfortunately, Vinyl had flung some irritated soberness into my drunk self and my thoughts were a little clearer than I would have liked them to be.

The white unicorn lifted her shades onto her head and looked at me with annoyed red-violet eyes.

“What if it’s not Ryan.” She shook her head at me as I collapsed onto a couch. “Let’s say it’s not Ryan. It’s this Ryku that he created. What do you remember about Ryku?”

I knocked my head against the arm of the couch. It didn’t help the headache I was beginning to get.

“Earth pony...” I banged my head off the arm again. “...short tempered...” Bang. “...anti-social at times...” Bang. “...likes food, apples in particular...” I lifted my head again and went to hit the arm of the couch when Vinyl grabbed my head with her magic.

“That’s enough of that.” She waited a moment, then released me. “Now. I can’t let you walk home like this.” Her red-violet eyes stared me down. “You can’t even lay down without hurting yourself. If I let you walk home you’ll die or get abducted by aliens.”

I opened my mouth to object then closed it, realizing she was probably right. She pointed her hoof into my chest.

“Now you’re going to lay there and not hit your head off the side of my couch. You’re going to sleep all this alcohol off and in the morning you are going to tell your hangover to buck off while you go find your ... Friend.”

I nodded and closed my eyes obediently, knowing what would happen if I didn’t. Last time, Vinyl had made sure that I went to sleep. Using methods never meant to be known to pony. Bass cannons and nasty anti-hangover drinks ... yucky yucky...

I think I cried myself to sleep that night. The last thing I remembered was me sobbing to myself: He didn’t remember me.

(~~~~~~~)

The next morning, the hangover decided it didn’t want to bother with me. That, or I was so focused on my new goal that I refused to feel it. Vinyl was out cold on a couch on the other side of the room, so I just let myself out of the club.

I ran through the already awake town and to my... OUR ... house. I ran through the twelve plus room building, rummaging through drawers until I found a pair of binoculars and a voice recorder. The front door closed behind me as I stepped onto my front step.

“What’s that for?” A familiar voice sounded behind me.

I turned to face a sleepy looking Vinyl rubbing her eyes at me. “I’m going to do a little spying on Ryku-Ryan.” I waved the binoculars in front of her for proof. “If I have to spend an hour, all day, all night, all week... I WILL find out who this stallion really is. I have to.”

Vinyl shrugged drowsily and staggered down my steps in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. I watched her leave, and then headed off into the depths of Ponyville. Where I was going, I hadn’t a clue. The best thing to do, was start walking.

11. Chasing Stallion and Avoiding Mares.. Wait what.

Ryku

I got up from the guest bed that the Apple family had allowed me to use the night before. I stretched my legs out, then trotted down the hallway into the kitchen, where that same apple scent from the night before was wafting out. Applejack was standing in front of the griddle, making apple cinnamon pancakes.

“Mornin’, Applejack. Thanks for lettin’ me stay the night last night.” I yawned. “So, breakfast, then you’ll show me what I’m doin’ for work?”

She set the spatula down and turned to me. “Well, yer a bit late gettin’ up, but we didn’t really tell ya a time last night. Figured we’d let ya sleep off whatever the sam hill ya drank last night. Come on, now, Sugarcube. Come get somethin’ ta eat, an’ then Ah’ll show ya the ropes of what you’ll be doin’.”

I simply nodded, and sat down at the table in the center of the room. The orange mare set a plate of steaming hot pancakes in front of me and I greedily dug into them.

13 pancakes later......

After breakfast, I thanked Applejack and we headed outside the farmhouse. I’d never seen so many apple trees in one place before. She led me out into a nearby section of the orchard and set some baskets under one of the trees. I watched in awe as she gave the tree one powerful kick with her hind legs, and all of the apples fell directly into the baskets.

“H-How... how did you do that?” I asked shakily.

She turned to me and grinned. “Ah’ve been doin’ that since Ah was knee high to a grasshopper, Sugarcube. Now, let’s see if YOU can do it.”

I was not confident at all that I could do something like that. She set a few more baskets under another tree and backed up for me to give it a try. I gulped, then ran up to the tree, spun around, and kicked it as hard as I could. To my relief, all of the apples fell right down into the baskets, just like Applejack had done. I looked at her to see if she approved, but she had a distant look on her face. “Um... Applejack?”

“Huh, wha?” She said, looking startled.

“You zoned out for a second there. You alright?” I asked.

She shook her head a moment before looking back up at me. “Yeah. Ah’m fine, Ry’. Jus’... watchin’ you made me think of somepony else fer a moment.” She glanced down sullenly for a moment before continuing. “Anyhow, ya know what ta do now. You can start tomorrow. Fer now, how ‘bout Ah show ya around town? Ya should know the place yer gonna be stayin’, after all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elise

I must have looked like the craziest pony in Equestria. My mane wasn’t brushed from the night before so my black and red strands stood out like someone had electrocuted them. My binoculars were atop my head ready to be pulled down at a moments notice. I slipped behind a building and held the recorder up to my mouth.

“Morning, edge of Ponyville, ponies starting to move about, no sign of target.”

I snuck around the building and through a maze of assorted flower carts and doorstops. Ponies all around me were walking and chatting and laughing. My mind was set for a certain orange stallion with a ridiculously fiery-like mane. I scanned the crowds and doorways, then held the recorder to my mouth again and whispered.

“Morning, middle of Ponyville, ponies about on business, no suspicious activity, no sign of target.”

“Why are we whispering?”

I screamed and nearly hit my head on an overhang. “Pinkie! What are you doing here?!”

The pink pony beamed at me. “Weeeeeell, I saw you sneakin’ around and I thought maybe there was going to be a surprise party!”

I took a deep breath. “Well... it’s not a party, but... wanna help me find somepony?” I asked cautiously.

Pinkie’s face lit up. “OH! A somepony! Is it your special somepony?! Like your schmoopy-doopy snuggy-wuggy honey-woney wafflebaby?!”

I stared at her, my mouth gaping open. “Um. No.”

Pinkie was unfazed. “Oh! Okay! Who is it then?” She was bouncing so fast she was almost a pink blur.

“Ryan. Except... he’s a stallion. Named Ryku. But he’s really Ryan. In... an orange stallion with crazy-flank fiery mane form.”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! OKIE DOKIE LOKIE!!” She stopped bouncing and dashed around the corner, leaving me crouched under the overhang gaping after her.

“Um...”

Before I could finish any sentence the pink pony had returned. Pinkie crouched next to me dressed in a black latex ninja suit.

“We got this!”

I facehoofed and chuckled a bit. “Okay, Pinkie... Well, let’s go then.”

We snuck around corners and through alleyways between houses for nearly a half hour before we spotted our target. The orange stallion was walking down the road into town. Wait... he’s coming from Sweet Apple Acres... geez, even with amnesia, he ended up going to AJ... I thought with a scowl.

“There he is, Pinkie. Let’s see if we can’t figure out if he’s really Ryan or not.” I said confidently.

“Okay! I’ll go ask!” Pinkie suddenly started bouncing towards Ryku.

I grabbed her tail and dragged her back into my hiding spot. “Pinkie! We’re trying to SPY on him!” I whispered.

“Oh yeah! Oops. Sorry!” Pinkie said happily.

I sighed and watched as the target looked in our general direction for a few moments before shaking his head. He continued down the road, passing right by us. I overheard him say something like “I must be seeing things” as he walked, so I knew we’d just barely stopped our little mission from being over before it started.

“Pinkie... we should split up. You go up ahead of him. I’ll stay behind and follow him, okay?” I explained calmly.

She nodded furiously with a determined look before dashing around the corner at near-impossible speeds. I glanced around the corner to see where she’d gone, but she was nowhere to be found. I sighed, and looked at my target instead.

Except.

He wasn’t there.

“What the....” I craned my neck over the manes of other ponies but saw nothing. I lowered my binoculars with my magic and scanned the building windows.

I returned the binoculars to the top of my head and scowled. The recorder was lifted to my mouth and I began recording.

“End of morning, Ponyville, target had been spotted but has been lost. Hoping Section Pinkie hasn’t lost track of target.”

“Section Pinkie huh?” came a voice from behind me.

For the second time today I jumped, nearly hitting my head on the same overhang. And guess who was standing behind me with a smirk on his face?

“Wha-a-a!! How did you- You were- AJ- Gaaaaaaah!!! I wasn’t stalking you!!”

“Two things. One. A Pink mare comes out dressing like a bucking ninja and then is dragged away. You think I’m not going to check that out? And Two. WHY ARE YOU STALKING ME?” Ryku said angrily.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Ryku

I was staring at that crazy unicorn from the day before. She had a tape recorder in one hoof and binoculars on her head, and her mane looked like it hadn’t even been brushed though once with the way it was sticking out all over. “Seriously? Can’t you just leave me alone? I’m not this Ryan-pony everypony keeps saying you think I am!”

She shuffled her hooves on the ground in front of her and avoided looking up. “Um....”

“What is wrong with you? How long ago did this stallion bail on you anyway?!” I said, starting to lose my temper.

“Um... he … he wasn’t a stallion...” Elise looked up a little at me with a bit of her mane in her eyes.

I snapped at her, “Then how in the hay could I possibly be him?! I’M A STALLION!”

“I.. I …. I don’t know!” Tears swelled in her violet eyes and her lip started to quiver.

I stopped. I hadn’t meant to make her cry, and I half expected the crazy mare to start flinging magic at me for telling her off. Honestly, I felt really bad... “Listen... I’m sorry I yelled. But you need to accept this. I’m not the pony you’re looking for. I don’t know what else to say.” I reached out and put my foreleg on her shoulder.

Something must have snapped in her at that. The look in her eyes changed from sorrowful tears to flames of fury in less than ten seconds flat. “And you listen here Ryku. I’m a mare. I KNOW I’m right.” She shrugged herself out from under my leg. “And I will prove it to you before today is up.”

I cocked my head at her before grinning widely. “Haha! You KNOW you’re right, huh? Good luck proving to ME that I’M another pony!” I wave her off. “AJ was wrong. You’re crazy even when you’re NOT drunk!” I say, starting to walk away.

I didn’t get far before the blue unicorn was right in front of me. “HOW DARE YOU?! I’m. Not. Crazy!” Her hoof flew up from the ground and slapped me across the muzzle.

I fell back on my haunches and rubbed my stinging muzzle. “Ouch. You’ve got quite the slap there, miss. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to forget you exist.” I spat angrily and started trotting away again.

“No! Wait...” Her voice called from behind me. I could tell from her tone that she was on the verge of crying again but I was in no condition to deal with her mood swings now.

But I stopped. I dropped my sarcastic side that I’d been holding and got serious. “You gonna stop flopping back in forth between sad and super angry and actually explain this whole thing to me if I do?” I said without turning my head.

I heard her stamp her hooves into the ground and sob. “I did explain it... you thought I was crazy. Hay, you STILL think I’m crazy... Can’t you understand why I am how I am?” She sniffled. “Who do you think you are?”

“My name is Ryku. Short for Ruddy Knuckles. I’m not sure why I’m here, and I’ve only got broken memories, but I’m a stallion. I’m not whatever a human is. Though... Applejack said I remind her of somepony this morning...” I said suddenly, thinking.

“Now, Ryku. Broken memories. Don’t you wonder WHY you don’t remember anything?” Elise urged, her voice becoming pathetically desperate again.

I stopped and turned to her finally, uncertainty in my eyes. “Yes. I do. But what you say doesn’t make any sense at all. How could I change to a completely different species?”

“I did. And I don’t know how either.” She eyed me. “And seriously. Even when I’m drunk, there is no way I’d be able to come up with that good of a story.”

“What do you mean you did? You don’t seem very different from any other pony. You know, besides being a bit on the stalker side.” I look at her skeptically.

“I was a human too. Female, five feet seven inches tall, average build, and dark features. I remember everything.” Elise recited as if she had reminded herself every morning.

I scowled. “And what proof can you give me to show me this is true?”

The unicorn stared at me for a moment, almost in terror. “P-proof?”

“That’s what I thought. If you can’t prove it, then how can I believe you? All I know is that you are good at telling stories.” I said with venom in my voice.

Her violet eyes narrowed at me. “I can too prove it.” Suddenly she lit up. “TO TWILIGHT’S!” Before I had a chance to react, I found myself in the grasp of Elise’s pale blue magic. She was galloping through Ponyville, dragging me behind her.

I struggled for a few minutes before giving up and crossing my forehooves in front of me. She was dragging me by my tail, so that end was in the air and my front half was on the ground, and every now and then, I’d hit a stone much to my chagrin. “Ugh... whoever this Twilight pony is, she better solve this in a hurry... Ouch!” I said as I hit another pebble.

She lifted me higher and nearly threw me into the ground in front of her. I glanced at her face. She was beaming happily. “We’re here!!”

I stared up at the building with blurry eyes from being tossed. When my eyes came back into focus, I saw a large tree that seemed to have a house built inside it. A nearby sign said ‘Golden Oaks Library’. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Elise simply smiled wider, ran up to the door, and nearly broke it down knocking. “TWWWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHT!!!! Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight TWWWWIIIIIII-”

I covered Elise’s mouth with a hoof and knocked on the door tiredly. “Ugh... Anypony home?”

A little purple dinosaur-thing appeared at the door. “Hey! Don’t break the door down! Uh....”

Elise pushed my hoof off her mouth and went face to face with the little creature. “SPIKE!! Where’s Twilight!? I need some major magic here!”

Spike, as Elise called him, looked at her cautiously. “A-Alright, alright! I’ll get her! Just come in and calm down a little!”

“Um... what is Spike, Elise?” I ask as we walk into the library tree.

She didn’t even glance at me. “A dragon.” Elise looked eagerly around the library, searching for this ‘Twilight’.

While we waited, I looked around for myself. The inside of the tree was amazing. There was a main support in the center, and on every wall in the entire place up to the ceiling, there were books, all organized and in alphabetical order. “Geez... This place looks like it’s bigger on the inside...”

A lavender unicorn came trotting down the stairs. “Elise! What’s the matter? Spike said you were acting strange.”

Elise took a deep breath. “Okay. So I found this stallion in a field the other day and he has no recollection of who he is but he looks and acts and goes by the name of the pony that Ryan had created when we were human but Ryku here doesn’t believe me and thinks I’m crazy and I’ve been stalking him for the past day because I know this stallion is just Ryan in another form but no matter what I say Ryku thinks I’m insane and so I told him I can prove it to him but you have to help me because I don’t know how to show other ponies my memories.”

I stared at Elise. I could have sworn she said that on one breath. I started to ask, but decided against it and looked at Twilight instead. “So can you ‘prove’ she’s telling the truth?” I smirked.

“Hmm... let me think... Oh! I know just the spell. There’s a memory tap spell that will allow any pony see any memory that the other wishes them to. Does that sound like what you’re looking for?”

Elise just about jumped out of her fur. “YES THAT’S IT! Let’s do it now!”

“Sigh. If it’ll end this whole situation then fine. Show me what you’re thinking, you strange mare...” I said before looking to Twilight.

“Okay. I just need you two to be in direct contact; preferably forehead to forehead. Then I can start the spell.” The bookworm said confidently.

Elise and I both obliged and the blue unicorn placed her horn lightly on my forehead.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Elise

Automatically my eyes closed as Twilight began her spell. I could feel my fur tingle and warmth spread through my body as Twilight’s spell covered the two of us. When I opened my eyes again
I was in my own home, in the kitchen.

The smell of chocolate chip cookies filled my nose. “Oh! They’re burning!” I ran over to the oven and pulled out the tray of almost-burned cookies. “Damnit.. I never burn cookies...” I grumbled.

The doorbell rang. Irritatedly, I set the tray down on the counter and walked down the hallway to the door. There at the door was my friend Ryan. He’s 6 feet tall with medium brown, shaggy hair and a light five o’clock shadow. He was wearing his orange Applejack shirt with her cutie mark on one corner, and a pair of loose blue jeans. On his feet were his usual black and white Nikes.

“Hey, Elise!” He said, his blue eyes meeting my brown ones, “I could smell you bakin’ your cookies two blocks over! Mind if I come in and join ya?”

“Well.” I pretended to consider. “Sure!” I opened the door wider and allowed him entry. As soon as the boy entered, he made a beeline for the kitchen. “Hey! Get outta my kitchen!! They’re not ready yet!”

“But Ah want ‘em noooooow~!” He said, doing an impression of Apple Bloom and giggling. I stomped into the kitchen behind him in mock anger and slapped his hands away from the tray with the spatula.

“Okay...” He said with fake sadness. He smiled and me with his toothy grin and leaned against the fridge. “So, what’s new, Elise?”

I continued to take cookies off the hot trays and putting fresh cookie dough into the oven. “Well, I finally got around to making my OC!”

“Really?! Does that mean RYKU has a friend?!” He said as he almost squee’d from being so happy.

I giggled. “Elaruki isn’t going to be his friend. She’s gonna be his annoying-bitch-from-the-bar buddy!”

“Aw, but that’s Satin’s job!” He smirked.

The oven timer dinged again and I pulled out the last of the cookies. I rolled my eyes. “Come lookie!” I placed the tray onto the stove and nearly dragged Ryan into the next room where my laptop was sitting on the dining room table.

“Look look.” I shoved Ryan into a chair next to me and pulled up two windows on the laptop. “The one on the right is the pic of Ryku you sent to me and the one on the left is Elaruki!”

On the screen were two very familiar ponies. Oh look! It’s me! Or at least what I look like now! And there’s Ryku. Look’s just like him. I told him! Ryan smiled and looked up at me.

“That looks amazing, Elise! Nice work!” He said, looking into my eyes in a strange way.

I beamed at him and turned as I heard footsteps in the kitchen. “Dziadziu!” My grandpa was tiptoeing over to the trays of chocolate chip cookies. “Get away from my cookies!”

“Oh just one.” He took a cookie and walked away, slowly, from the trays as I ran into the kitchen. Ryan followed. Dziadziu laughed and went back upstairs.

I sighed. My cookies were never safe. “Want a cookie, Ry’?” I never should have asked. Ryan snatched up a cookie and nommed it before I got to say goodbye to it.

“Well. That made me sad.” I picked up a cookie and brought it to my mouth...

...Right as Twilight ended her spell.

Everything blurred and swirled to darkness. The warmth I had felt from the magic faded away. My eyes flew open.

“You have GOT to be KIDDING me! Everyone got a cookie but ME! And I BAKED THEM!” I growled. Then I remembered what the point of that was. “Oh.” I pulled my head back as I realized I was still touching Ryku’s forehead.

He glared at me. “Hey. Maybe next time you wanna yell at somepony, do it AFTER your horn isn’t jabbing me in my forehead?!”

“Sorry!” I said, blushing. “So, do you taste my memory cookies? You are Ryan.”

“All I got from that is that some two-legged creatures were eating cookies and looking at pictures of us. And the stallion... I think it’s a stallion, anyway... mentioned my name. I still don’t see how I’m him.” He said calmly.

Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Really? You don’t see a connection?”

I dropped my jaw. “You. You can’t be serious.” I shook my head. “What, you think I made that up too now? Even Twilight saw the connection!”

“I just don’t see it. I’m a pony. Not one those human things.” He stated stubbornly.

I facehoofed. I just shared a MEMORY with this stallion and he STILL didn’t believe me. I started laughing. “You are bucking stubborn! Here’s a deal for you, you ask around and see what the other ponies around here have to say about ‘those human things’ and I’ll come up with some other way to prove I’m right?”

Ryku looked at her for a moment and sighed. “Fine, if only to get you off my back.” He said with a hint of boredom in his voice.

I growled. “Pinkie Promise on it.”

“Pinkie what?” He asked, puzzled.

“Pinkie Promise. Twilight. Let’s demonstrate.”

Twilight and I got together and recited the promise. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” At the end, we both said ‘ouch’, after touching our eyes.
Ryku watched us. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

I shook my head. “No. Now do it!”

“Ugh. Fine.” We recited it again, and he jabbed himself in the eye a bit too hard. “OUCH!”

I beamed at him. “Okay. Get going!” He didn’t move. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” I pushed him out the door with me.

“OKAY!!” The orange stallion roared at me.

Author's Note

DemonRykuKyuubi: Sorry for the wait, everypony! Ela and I have had some personal things we've needed to get settled, so it's been difficult to find time to write! I hope you enjoy! :)

Elaruki: Getting a chapter out has been a bit slow for a while but things should be moving along faster than they have been so stick around for more chapters!

7. Trying Harder

***Still working on spacing. Please, let me know how I’m doing with that. As always feedback is welcome. And to those who address me, I am fine with Elaruki, Elise, Ela, or Eli. Really doesn’t matter. Oh, and finally reached my minimum at 2,006 words! ...yay...!***

That day became the routine for next two weeks.
Get up before Twilight or Spike.
Help Mr. Cake open Sugarcube Corner.
Get a rundown on the difference between good and Good cupcakes from Pinkie.
Bake for eight hours with an hour lunch break in the middle.
Receive payment of forty bits from Mr. Cake.
Trot slowly home while unsuccessfully looking for the only human in Equestria.
By the end of the two weeks I was up to 560 bits, (480 bits from working at Sugarcube Corner, 80 bits from helping ponies with random tasks,) and up to my horn with frustration from not seeing Ryan in two weeks. I mean COME ON. He’s the ONLY human in ALL of Equestria. Unless he went off to Manehatten or Canterlot or some other pony city without me knowing he was still SOMEWHERE in Ponyville.
Or he just dumped you for Applejack again. Shut up little voice.
Unfortunately, I had to start looking for another job. And fast. Mrs. Cake returned from Manehatten. At least Mr. Cake was nice enough to let me finish the day and receive the same payment. I know some humans who would just be like nope here’s half of whatever you usually get now get out.
I also could start looking for a house now. Or an apartment. I was never really a huge house kind of a person. But I knew I had to move out of Twilight’s. Not that I had anything against Twilight. Or Spike. Spike is adorable. But I wanted my own place. I’m stuck in Equestria. I’m not living at Twi’s forever.
Technically it would be my day off if I were working at Sugarcube Corner so I simply walked around, looking for a place that was for sale or renting.
And I bumped right into Ryan.
He grinned widely at me. “Need a job?” I nearly turned around and bucked him.
“How would you know?!” Ryan glanced up at an overhead cloud and I heard light snickering. “RAINBOW DASH!” The cloud flew away in a burst of rainbow. I sighed. “Has she been spying on me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know for how long. She did come and tell me that you need a job and a place to stay other than Twi’s.”
“Damn, lazy pegasus that a rainbow fuckin’ puked on.” I swore under my breath.
Ryan laughed. “Come on!” He started down the road.
“Where are we going?” I asked, almost galloping to keep up with his long strides.
“Sweet Apple Acres.”
I groaned.

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

I wasn’t sure why, but that feeling of jealousy for Applejack that she had probably been spending all that time with MY ehm Ryan was like a poison seeping through my blood.
“What have you been doing while I was busy baking with Pinkie?”
“Helping AJ and Big Mac knock apples down from trees. They’ve been happy to have an extra helper around even if I’m not a pony or a stallion.”
“Ah...” Sweet Apple Acres was sprawled before us. It was the only place in Ponyville I hadn’t seen yet. The barn and the farmhouse settled nicely into the scenery as the famous apple trees rolled back for what seemed like miles. “Wow... So... what am I doing here?”
Ryan laughed at me again. “AJ needs to help Applebloom with school and Big Mac needed to continue hauling in the apple buckets. I can’t do either so Granny Smith set me to repainting the barn. Thought you might want to help.”
I loved paint. The smell of it, the feel of it, and the look of it as it was applied onto whatever it was that needed paint... “Sure.”
He smiled over at me and we walked down to the barn together. Sitting inside the door were three large red paint buckets and four or five giant brushes. He picked up two buckets and two brushes and motioned for me to follow him. I followed him around the side of the barn and eyed the wood that had been tediously scraped clean of any cracked or chipped old paint. Ryan opened the first bucket of paint and held out a brush.
I gently took it from him with magic and dipped it into the paint. Actually, the job wasn’t all that bad. We joked and chatted all day with him reaching the low spots that were his height and me reaching the high spots with my magic. It seemed like no time had passed when we finished but the sun was moving behind us into the evening.
At about the time we finished, Applejack came out with a skipping Applebloom to see how we were doing.
“Hiya Cutie Mark Crusader!” Applebloom greeted me.
Ryan snickered. “Cutie Mark Crusader?”
“Don’t ask.” I hissed.
“So, how’s that there paintin’ comin’?” Applejack asked.
“We’re done.”
Suddenly I had an idea. “Hey Applejack? Can I paint Sweet Apple Acres on the side of the barn in fancy letters for you?”
She looked skeptic but said, “Why, sure, iff’n ya want.”
I beamed brightly. “Thanks Applejack!”Ryan and AJ continued to talk but I concentrated on the paint. Red was the only color here. Hmm... I pointed my horn at the bucket of leftover red paint and imagined adding enough yellow to turn it a nice bright orange. My horn tingled and I gasped as the still unfamiliar feeling of magic poured from my horn turning the paint orange.
The flow of magic stopped and I looked happily at the orange paint. I lifted the paintbrush with magic and dipped it in the paint. After a few quick swipes I realized I needed black paint as a shadow for the letters. Using the same process as earlier, I created a very nice black paint from the previously orange paint. Within ten or fifteen minutes I had painted in giant graffiti letters: SWEET APPLE ACRES across the side of the red barn.
Not too long after I had started, Applejack and Ryan had gone off to check on Big Mac. Applebloom was the only pony around.
“Wow, that’s some fancy letterin’. Ah’m sure AJ’ll love it!” She continued to talk so I just zoned out as we waited for Applejack, Big Mac, and Ryan to return.
The light was starting to grow dim as the two ponies and human appeared again. The two Apples eyes grew large.
“Ah gotta say, yer a pretty good artist!” The orange mare turned to her brother. “What do ya say? Good?” Big Mac nodded.
“Eeyup.”
Applejack beamed. “Ah’m sure a pony like yerself could open an art business er somethin’.”
I had always dreamed of working in an art studio. But that was before I had ended up in Equestria. Just because you’re in a different universe doesn’t mean you can’t still be the artist you always wanted to be. For once the little voice was being a comfort rather than a fight.
While I was lost in my thoughts Ryan had struck up a conversation on housing.
“...at Twilight’s and I don’t want to intrude on you guys like this much longer. Know anywhere we could find our own places?”
Applejack thought a moment. “Ya know? Ah’m always so busy down here, Ah don’ know. Y’all could ask Rarity. That there pony knows everythin’ happenin’ around here!”
Ryan shuddered. “Rarity.” He looked to the now mostly dark sky. “We will tomorrow. Elise, wanna stay here so you don’t have to walk all the way to Twi’s?”
I shrugged. “Why not? Then we can head straight to Rarity’s in the morning.”
Applejack nodded her head toward the farmhouse. “There’s a spare cot in th’ basement o’ the farmhouse. Go ahead and use it.”
“Thanks AJ.”
The orange mare nodded her head yawning as she and her siblings headed for the house. “G’night everypony! Good luck tomorrow.”
Ryan turned to me. “Why don’t we go get that cot?”
I nodded. When we entered the house, the Apples headed upstairs and we could hear them getting ready for bed. Ryan and I headed to the basement and found the cot that Applejack had offered to us.
Ryan pulled it to the stairs and looked discouraged at the narrow staircase. I smiled confidently.
“I got this!” I stared at the cot and that funny feeling released from my horn as it became surrounded with light blue magic. Very carefully, I guided the cot up the narrow staircase and through the door. I followed and set it down ever so nicely in the living room.
Ryan bounded up the stairs. “Well, don’t you feel so special.” He teased.
I beamed. “As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I feel so special.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “You can’t do that!”
He shook his head laughing. “No, no I don’t think I can.”

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

That night was so.............................Yeah. Perfect.
I wasn’t driving myself mad thinking of what Ryan could be doing off at the Apples without me. I didn’t have to get up early and bake all day with Pinkie. And I could see the moon from where we had dropped my cot.
I [had] argued that I could’ve placed the cot in the living room or the barn but Ryan wouldn’t hear of it and placed my cot on the floor of the guest room he had been sleeping in.
If I rolled to face the room and not the window, I could see Ryan. So either way, my view was always perfect and I soon drifted off to sleep.
At one point in the night I woke and couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep again. No matter what I did. So I just lay there, fighting with myself.
Why am I so awake? I only slept for like three or four hours.
You have a lot to do tomorrow. New job, new home...
Yeah, but I’m taking care of home first with Rarity’s help.
How will you pay for home if you don’t have bits to pay for it with?
Oh shit. Maybe I should concentrate on the job first.
There ya go. The brain decided to work for once.
Shut up.
And what if you can’t find a job?
Well damn. Then I guess I would have to...
This went on for hours. Finally, in the middle of an argument about opening an art business and meeting the Princesses, I groaned loudly and rolled toward the window. There was a soft movement on the bed behind me. I had forgotten Ryan was in the room.
“Mm... Elise? Are...you awake?” He asked groggily.
I lay still a moment.
Oh just answer him.
I rolled over and looked up at his bed. “Yeah.”
He met my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh nothing.”
“Elise.” Ryan could always tell when I was lying. I hated that.
I sighed. “Just fretting about a job mostly. What if I can’t find anywhere to work? What would I do then?”
“Really, I think you should just do what AJ suggested.” He said. “Sure, she was probably kidding but even when you weren’t a pony you could out-art anyone I knew.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think I’m that good.”
“That’s because we’re always our worst critic.”
I smiled in the dark. “Can I come up there?” I asked shyly. I was personally very thankful it was dark. He wouldn’t see me blush.
“Sure.”
I got up from my cot and climbed into his bed. I lay down with my back to him, being sure my mane wasn’t in his mouth. Ryan wrapped his arms around me and let me snuggle up to him. “Goodnight Elise.”
“Goodnight Ryan.” I said as I settled down to sleep for the second time that night. Sleep decided I had thought enough for tonight as my eyes closed heavily. Somewhere in my drowsiness I felt Ryan kiss the top of my head right in between my ears. His breath warmed my mane as he whispered to me when he thought I was asleep.
“I love you Elise.”