It had been nearly two weeks since Celestia and Twilight had seen Ryuji ever since he departed from the castle. The reason being is because Ryuji himself started isolating himself from everyone in his ship that continued to orbit around the planet. The only thing he really did was physically train his body and learn just what this new thing that was forced upon his was about. The forever swirling energy around his right arm an ever constant reminder of what was forced upon him. It drove him absolutely crazy. The hands he was being dealt certainly weren’t making the situation any better either. He didn’t want to believe it. But, those ponies were, in fact, the same ones he knew and cared for more than anyone he had ever. But, it wasn’t fair that he got to keep his memories only to have them not know what he even is. But, he really did miss them. All of them. Especially when both Celestia and Twilight came to mind. He missed when Twilight and himself would come up here to hang out on his ship. She would bring books upon books for both of them to read and enjoy. They’d even share his bed for warm snuggles and sleep. He didn’t know why, but he felt safe with the purple unicorn. He saw her as more of a loving sibling more than anything.

But with the sun princess, it was a whole other story. The feelings he had for her ran deep. She was beautiful, warm, and caring. And her smile certainly made everything a bit better if the day was dull and sad. Not to mention both her physical and personality beauty attracted him to her. Even finding out how she acted when she was a filly only made him like her more. And he wasn’t going lie to himself. He would definitely want his first time of intimacy with her. But after the way he had spoken to her and pulled away from her in a cold manner, he started regretting his actions and poor choice of words toward her. After all, nor she or Twilight are the ones he should be angry with.

He paced around on the bridge of his ship in a slow manner. As thoughts went through his head on if he should return today or not, Ordis suddenly spoke to Ryuji in what seemed to be a concerned tone of voice. Then again, over the years, Ryuji and Ordis have grown close with all the things they have been through. So it was only natural for the cephalon to worry for him.

“Operator…? Are you ever going to return to the planet? I am sure that your friends are worried about you. I mean...I know they aren’t the friends you know. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be.”

“I know that, ordis. But it just seems like...all because of the beings with a higher power I am forced to bend to their will and that I should be the one to lose the ones I care for because those same beings choose not to do their own work. Bah, I really do need to stop this self-pity, though. I am a tenno damnit. If I can deal with hordes of corpus, grineer and infested and having my memories of before sealed away, this should be no different.”

He then looks down at the ever coiling energy that surrounded his arm, his icy grey and blue eyes scanning over it before the blade appears in his hand with that same ghostly wind sound. What used to be the physical form of his Nikana Prime that he had crafted himself now bound to him. He took the time to look it over. Ordis seemed to zero in on it as well.

“Now then. What to do with this. They told me it was...an element of guardianship. And something about being a standalone element as well. While it still functions as a regular blade, it apparently has some kind of..supernatural abilities.”

“It is quite strange indeed. I sense no void energy coming from it. Is this magic stuff that the purple one has told me about? It seems to read as such from what my sensors have told me. But at the same time, it is bound to you. As if you have been marked.”

Ryuji lets out a sigh of slight annoyance. He knew that he’d have to return back to them eventually to know exactly what this thing was that seemed to continuously and lovingly coil around his right arm. The blade vanishes as Ryuji lowers his hand and makes his way over to Hydroid. He looks up at the warframe and places a hand over his chest and looks up at him as if asking for his advice. But knowing full well that Hydroid couldn’t speak, it just made him feel better when he spoke to the frame that has helped him for so long.

“What do you think I should do, Hydroid? This whole thing...it’s hard to make a decision. Especial with dealing with so much in such a short time span. You think I should just...leave it all behind and start anew…?”

Ryuji thought long and hard about it. He weighed the pros and cons, with the pros seeming to outweigh the cons by a bit. He knew them all, even though they didn’t know him. Perhaps the more time he spent with them and shared his memories as well, they just might befriend him quicker than they had originally. Twilight even seemed eager to know about the memories he had of her. Maybe...this wouldn’t be so bad. Though he decided on this, he still wasn’t going to allow himself to be used in anyone’s game anymore. He will do what he believes is right now. Even if it doesn’t seem fit with others. After a bit more careful consideration, he decides that dwelling on this will not help anyone. He lowers his hand and balls it into a fist before vanishing into Hydroid and making his way to the landing craft.

“Ordis, I will be gone for a while. Make sure that the ship is well taken care of.”

The landing craft’s engine roared and departed from the orbiter quickly. His first destination was Canterlot Castle. His first priority was to apologize to the one he cared for the most. Even now still regretting his words, trying to figure out what to say to her once he got to her. Little did he know, that he would stumble upon an invasion a certain couple’s wedding day and that it was time to show that no one messes with his home. Be it otherworldly beings or even other beings of this world.

Once Ryuji landed a ways off from the castle, he saw that it was being plagued by...bug-like beings that resembled ponies in a way. He looked around as saw the carnage as both civilians and guards laid in puddles of blood as the invading army tore the town apart. Ryujii’s gaze widens in horror as he gazed upon the death before him. The screaming and the fighting. Both hearing and seeing it as he had come to do something that should have brought happiness was ruined by this. He has had enough. It was time to settle this in his own way.

"I am coming, Tia..."

Time seemed to slow down as he drew his gun from his back as he moved forward. Something he rarely did unless it was needed. He cocked the choke of the shotgun as he held it to his front. The first changeling to notice him flew forward with their weapon pointed directly at him.

POW!

The gun went off, spraying fire from its barrel as the spread landed directly on the changeling’s chest, creating a massive crater in the changeling’s torso. He continued to walk forward with his syndana flowing behind him in the wind as he fired one shot after another into each changeling that charged for him, time still flowing slowly as he stepped toward the castle’s chapel stairs where the wedding was being held. As he ran out of ammunition, he took to using the butt of the gun to fend off a few of them as they crowded upon him. In the time he had them dazed, he quickly reloaded the shells before pumping the shotgun again, ready to go at it again. The shotgun’s shots overpowered the sounds of the current battle, catching both the attention of guards and the invaders. Once they saw who was creating the sounds and what he was doing, the guard who was on the verge of giving up, suddenly got their second wind. And proceeded to fight back harder on the changeling army.

Ryuji didn’t really care about that though. His primary objective laid just before him as he walked up the stairs and kicked open the door. Just as he did he saw the crowd of frightened ponies surrounded by armed changelings who now took notice3 of him, along with Twilight and her friends who were standing near the alter with what appeared to be another alicorn and from what he remembered, Twilight’s brother. And then his eyes fell upon Chrysalis, the queen of the changelings. He then looked up to see Celestia encased in some kind of green prison. Having used all of his main gun ammunition on the changelings outside, he pulls both akstiletto prime from his leg holsters just as more changelings charged forward. Ryuji jumps into the air with his guns forward, time still moving slowly as he glides through, the bullets leaving the gun’s muzzle at high speeds as he twirls and flips through the air, only landing the bullets into the bodies of the changelings with precise accuracy. He makes his way to the front of the altar before holstering his spent sidearms. He quickly turns around and shouts to the ponies that were mixed in with the changelings.

“Get down, NOW!”

They quickly do as Ryuji says and drop to the ground, leaving only the changelings confused. Before they had time to react, it was too late. Hydroid suddenly fell to his knees in a limp fashion. And a pure void-like image of Ryuji rises out from the frame with a slight spin and curled up before letting out a loud eerie scream that echoed as if it was in the void itself. A bright concentrated beam shot from out of his right hand as he levitated around. When the beam made contact with the changelings, it turned them to stone.statues, eventually making them shatter and crumble with how much void energy he released. Once he had used all the void energy he could, he gets pulled back into Hydroid and quickly draws his sword, sliding forward with one quick motion and placing his sword’s edge against Chrysalis’ neck.

“You are not welcomed here. And I don’t care who you are or why you have decided to come and plague this land. But I am giving you one warning before I kill you here and now to take whatever of your kind is left and leave this place.”

Everything was happening so fast. Chrysalis’ heart beat heavily in shock and fear at this...being’s ruthlessness. Ryuji was only toying with her, however, and didn’t give her time to speak as he thrusts his sword into the queen’s stomach, then with a swift cut, he pulls the blade from ehr now flame-engulfed body which turned to ash on contact before sheathing his blade with a click. Little did he know that taking this course of action would change the flow of the future, and that future was what the fates had planned to have happened. But with that one decisive action, Ryujii has ruined it for them.

After Celestia had been released from her prison and the other ponies had been helped, Ryuji walked in front of Celestia after he had come out of Hydroid. Shining Armor was quick to take a defensive stance in front of the princess, expecting the unknown being to be a threat as well. But Celestia stopped the guard captain and shook her head.

“He is not a threat to us, captain. I will handle things from here. Your soon to be wife needs you right now.”

The stallion looked between Ryujii and Celestia and nodded to her. Twilight sees ehr mentor approaching the tenno and quickly makes her way over as well which he had hoped she’d do. As they both stand in front of him and gaze down at him, his own gaze lifts up as he begins to try to speak the words he has wanted to ever since the day he left.

“I..I want to apologize for the words I spoke and the manner I acted towards you two the other day. I shouldn’t have taken out my frustration and anger on either of you. I was just so upset and sad that you two..who i cared for the most back in my time….will never again share the memories I have of you. Sure, I can tell you about them. But memories aren’t memories when you haven’t lived them. I...love both of you so much. But I don’t think that love can exist anymore because of what happened. I just...I just wish I could share my memories with you all so that things could possibly return to the way they were. I just...I am sorry for what I said and did..I truly am.”

Both Celestia and Twilight could see the sincerity in his eyes and hear it in his words. To his surprise, however, they both wrap him up in a hug at the same time and hold him close. The thing was, they were never mad at him, to begin with. Sure their feelings were hurt, but they understood the feelings he was going through as well and just needed to vent. Ryuji sighed lightly as he wrapped his arms around them both. That same feeling, that same smell, and that same warmth. He had missed them all so very much.

“We had..no. We have faith in you, Ryu. Both Twilight and I knew you’d return. ANd you on all days of today, show up at the perfect time. And...I won’t lie...I missed you very much. As for sharing your memories, perhaps one day, we will find a spell so that you can share them with us and the rest of Twilight’s friends. But for now, I am sure we’d all like make new memories for you. ANd we must first start, by introducing you to them. Now then, let’s get this real wedding planned.”

Ryuji turned around to see the rest of Twilight’s friends approaching him with beaming smiles. They surround him and start talking with and bombarding him with all kind of curiously filled questions. Ryuji felt that familiar warmth he felt with them all back in his timeline once again. Something he had thought he’d never feel again because of that one mistake. But there it was again. Running down his spine and making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“I...I am home…”

He thought to himself. Ryuji spent most of his time now just wandering about the castle either with Celestia or checking in on the preparations for the wedding. Even being stopped by some of the staff and guard telling him what a strong fighter he was during the invasion. He even sat some time aside for Twilight when she wasn’t busy prepping the wedding. Everything was going according to plan. Thanks to Ryuji's actions, things were set right.

On the night before tRyuji'sng, Ryuji laid in his bed in the chambers Celestia had set aside for him which was right next to her own bedroom. As he laid there, staring up at the ceiling with his eyes slowly drooping. He heard a knock at the door and sat up with his hands in his lap.

“Yes?”

“Ryu..it’s me.May I come in?”

“It’s open.”

The knob turns and the door opens to reveal Celestia in a rather..revealing nightgown. That certainly is one thing that didn’t change, she flaunts her stuff in front of Ryuji back in his original time, no reason she wouldn’t here. Especially since he did promise to be her fiance. She closes the door behind her and slowly makes her way over to his bed, her hoofsteps padding against the soft carpeting of the room. She didn’t even waste a time in sliding onto the bed next to him. She leaned in close and began to rub and nuzzle against his chest with ehr muzzle.

“Just like all those years ago, you saved me. But you also saved my subjects this time as well. And I love you even more because of it now. I won’t lie. Ever since you left that night, I have wanted you to be in my arms again so badly. My heart has been aching for you.”

“Tia...the version of you in my time had the same feelings that you do for me now. So...would it is right of me to tell you that I feel the same way...but knowing that you aren’t the one I shared those memories with. Does that make me a horrible person to say that I love you still?”

Celestia’s eyes met his in a moment of thought. She understood his hesitation and dilemma. While the timeline was altered, she was still the same Celestia. But she understood his feelings that he felt as if he was betraying her in a way. She was quick to reassure him that wasn’t the case, however. She picked him up in her arms and held him closely. She has him lay his head on ehr soft, large breasts and his body against her own as she ran her fingers through his hair and up and down his back.

“No Ryu. That does not make you a horrible person in the slightest. I understand that you feel you would be betraying the feelings of the version of myself you know. But you must also understand, that while I do not share the memories you possess, I am still that same Celestia. After all, this isn’t a different timeline, you just altered your original one. Perhaps...that is why Twilight felt a sense of familiarity with you. Would it have been a totally different timeline, she wouldn’t have felt anything like that. Time is a rather...tricky thing. That is why we do not mess with it. So please...tell me those words, Ryu. I want to hear them from your voice...please.”

Ryuji hugged his arms around her as tight as he could. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest before he spoke out.

“I love you, Tia. I love you so so much. And I want to be with you forever.”

She felt her heart beat quickly and her body warmed. She felt that same feeling of familiarity that twilight had experienced When he said those very words. It appears that her idea may be right on the mark after all. But for now, She simply held onto him and stayed with him the whole night, letting him fall asleep in her embrace and eventually falling asleep as well.

Author's Note

The song I chose for this one just felt right...it made me think of those military battle moments where death and destruction are going on, but soft and calming music is played in the background. After this chapter, I am going to bring down the seriousness and have Ryuji develop relationships with the main six. And progress his love for Celestia.

If anyone is wondering what Ryuji's voice sounds like, here is a sample https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxeciBkV3lE

May the darkness grant you peace.