A bright blue light appears above a large platform with a large working clock behind it. The bell rings loudly as Ryuji flies from the light onto his feet before stumbling forward a bit. The light disappears quickly leaving the tenno dazed and confused as to what has happened. He looks around trying to gain his bearings once more. Eventually, he finally does. His eyes first fall to the massive grandfather clock face that seemed to function just as a regular clock would. But the sounds were very low and loud. He turns and gazes around at the rather gothic decor of the room. Then down at the black and blue platform, he stood upon. It was in the shape of a hexagon and even had a working clock built into it under the glass. He turns again to see the platform has a lengthy pathway that leads to large dark doors that opened up as if they were expecting him

“Where the hell am I now? I am getting a little tired of being yanked around into these kinds of places…”

Obviously, he had nowhere to go but forward. He began his walk towards the now opened doors, his footsteps in sync with the ticking of the clock as he cautiously approached. As he finally made it through the doors, they slowly closed behind him. What he saw in the room was stunningly beautiful. A sandy beachside that leads out into sparkling blue water that the night sky reflected off of. Even the moon had a clock face on it. Ryuji’s mind came to one conclusion. He was neither in Equestria or back in his own universe. But in an entirely different place altogether. As he got closer to the water, a figure in a dark blue hooded robe appears before him. He stops dead in his tracks and looks up to see horn and wings before catching a glimpse of an elderly looking mare under the hood who smiled to the tenno in a gentle manner.

“Well, well. I was wondered when you’d finally make your way here, young one. I knew it was only a matter of...time.”

She gave a light chuckle at the end of her words. Ryuji looked the elderly alicorn over as she lowered down in front of him.

“So, would you mind telling me where I am? I have a hunch that this is some kind of..timekeeping dimension. Given all the clocks and clock faces around here.”

“You’d be right in your assumptions, Ryuji. You are actually in the Gallery Of Time. A place few have the chance to come to and change any part of their time and critical choices should they be so inclined. This place appears to you now because this is the condition of your heart. Calm and relaxing, but also dark and unknowing. Most likely because of the other being that resides within you.”

Ryuji walks over to the edge of the water and looks down into it. At first, he sees only his reflection, but then images shimmer into existence of moments of his life playing like some kind of movie Even images that go as far back as his awakening from his long, long sleep. But the only part of his life he wanted to see again was..there they were. The two timelines he had departed from. One that started it all with his first day in Equestria, and the one when he saved both Luna and Celestia as fillies from the Dark Hydroid.

Ryuji waded into the water as two portals appeared before him. He had two choices. To return to his original timeline, or return to the one he had left moments ago. He looks between the two portals and squeezes his hands into fists. In both timelines, he had grown to love each and every one of his friends. But most of all, he loved Celestia the most. And with these new memories…

“Since these are my timelines, I can do whatever I wish with them right?”

“I may be Mother Time, but even I cannot control your fate, Ryuji. The choice is yours, and yours alone. Though, I am rather curious as to what you will do…”

Ryuji looked back to the portals again and closed his eyes. He thinks of only one thing to try. He clasps his hands together in front of him and begins to remember every single good memory that he possessed out of both timelines. The moment he met the girls, the moment he showed Twilight the inside of his orbiter, the moment that he saved Celestia from Dark hydroid, the moment he finally confessed his love to her. Suddenly the portals started flashing brightly as they began to move closer and closer together. The water around it and Ryuji began to shift and sway. The ever-present swirling energy around his arm fluctuating in both size and glow as he did this. The elder alicorn watched in amazement as he began to combine the two timelines together. This is the first time someone has used sheer will and magic to combine time like this.

“Tia...Twi...I am coming home. And we will all be a family once more.”

Ryuji did not hesitate once the portals became one. He leaped forward with a void dash through the portal before it had a chance to split itself apart. Ryuji knew that meddling with time like this had consequences. But he’d deal with those down the line. All he cared about was getting his loved ones back. As Ryuji flew through the gateway of the portal, he could see things changing and shifting into unknown images. But he kept his mind and sight forward. Moving forward was his prime objective now. No matter what may come, he knows he won’t be alone in the fight. His first thought when he makes it back, to become one with his frame. He doesn’t know how long he has been gone from Equestria, but knowing Celestia, she would have ordered to make sure his frame would be kept safe in his absence.

--Canterlot Castle, 2 Years Later, Hearth’s Warming Eve--

Celestia sat in her bedchambers as she watched the snow fall from the sky from her window. She rested on her bed wrapped in a blanket as the fireplace next to her worked to warm up the room. The crackling of the fire making itself heard every now and again.

“I..I miss him so much...please, mother. Bring him back to me this Hearth’s Warming Eve. I just want my love back. We all missed him so very much.”

The sun princess prayed hard with all her might. Little did she know that her wish was going to true this night. She heard rapid hoofsteps approaching ehr doors before the were swung open by her younger sister, Luna whose eyes were as wide as saucer plates Clearly she had seen something that gave her quite a shock.

“Sister! You must come see this! I feel the same energy once more that Ryuji used to give off surrounding his frame once more! You must come now!”

Celestia flew out of her blanket and quickly followed her sister down to the chamber that held Hydroid in a protective holding box made of strong glass. This chamber was made to house Hydroid as a memory of Ryuji to those who knew him. It was kind of like a memorial. After all, no one knew if he was dead or still alive. Once they were down there, it grew warmer than it normally did there.

“R-Ryu…? Have your returned once more..?”

Suddenly Hydroid jolts to life and lifts into the air as it curls up. Celestia knew what was coming next and proceeded to grab Luna and dive behind a conveniently placed large stone tablet. A large shockwave shattered the container as a loud blast came from the frame. Hydroid landed back on his feet and stepped down from the platform before standing still at the bottom of it. Celestia and Luna slowly made their way out from behind the slab as they stared at the motionless warframe.

“Ryu..?”

Celestia whimpered out, hoping against all hope that it truly was him. A smile slowly formed across her muzzle as a figure stepped out from Hydroid, the light only leaving a shadowy form until it vanished, revealing the tenno has returned once more.

“Hello there Tia...sorry I worried you. But, everything is alright now. The things the way they were. I have fixed it all. And now I have come back to-.”

He was cut off by the happy sun princess who called out his name as she ran to him and scooped him up in her arms and wings. Tears of joy flowing down her face as she held him close and kissed him over and over as she sobbed gently. Ryuji could only smile as he gently cupped her cheeks in his hands as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. This was truly an emotional moment for them both.

“I missed you too, Tia. Very very much. I am very happy to feel your embrace once more. Do you...do recall any memories that you may have recently acquired? Or rather have some that are mixed together?”

She stared into his eyes as she nuzzled into his soft touch. She had missed his touch for so long. And she had also missed staring into those unique eyes that held the outmost love for her. After he asked that question, she thought back on it and did remember getting a strange feeling in her heart and mind that events had happened that she just now remembered. But she didn’t care at that moment. She had him. That was all that mattered to her right now. Her only answer that she could give him was a tighter embrace and more kisses. How long was he gone for?

“Tia...I was only gone for a few minutes..an hour at most. What happened?”

Celestia blinks a few times in confusion and walks over to the window while carrying Ryuji. What Ryuji saw was breathtaking. A beautiful winter night with lights and decor all along the castle grounds and the city below as well.I The slow snowfall only added to the beauty of the Hearth’s Warming Eve. Ryuji looked back to Celestia with his mouth slightly agape.

“Tia..? How long was I gone…?”

“Two years, my love. Two...very long and lonely years without you. It has been torture. Not knowing if you were still alive or...gone forever.”

“Come on Tia. You know I can’t be killed that easily. I am a tenno. We survive no matter what.”

He said as he lightly takes her cheeks into his hands again. But this time, he leans in and locks his lips with ehrs in a heated kiss. Their lips locked together as they held onto the kiss as long as possible. Luna smiled as she saw her sister happy once more. Even more so on a night like this where loved ones are meant to be together.

“Good for you, big sis~.”

She said with a smile as she departed the room to leave them alone. She had work she needed to do anyway being the princess of the night and all. Eventually, both Ryuji and Celestia ventured to their bedchambers and cuddled up under to blankets of their bed next to the fireplace. Celestia laid her head on his chest and she wrapped her arms around him nearly constantly nuzzling into him. But Ryuji didn’t mind. He happily welcomed her affection as he ran his hands through her mane. Celestia was happy once more now that the love of her life was with her again. And this time, she wasn’t going to let him slip away from her again.

“This is truly the best Hearth’s Warming gift I could have ever gotten. To have you back in my life, Ryu. It’s...so wonderful…”

“And I am glad to be back here with you, Tia. I wasn’t sure what would happen when I did what I did. But here you are. Still in love with me...still my beautiful princess.”

“I will always love you, Ryu. You are my fiance. And that will one change on the day that you and I finally marry as our hearts become one. But for now, I want to sleep with my beloved in my arms. Just wait, I am going to give you the best gift ever when you wake up tomorrow. And it is the gift that I will most certainly keep giving you~.”

She said with a wink before pressing her warm soft body against his. After all, their first lovemaking session is way overdue. And Celestia was going to make sure to mark the occasion on Hearth’s Warming Day.

Amidst all this happiness, however, shadows began moving in once more. As Ryuji had upset the balance the Fates have so carefully formed. But things were going to be on equal ground now. As Ryuji was no longer a being who didn’t belong. And he had his friends and fiance behind him the whole way.

Author's Note

Yay, happy times for them once more! But will it last through the future conflict? We shall see.

May the darkness grant you peace.