Everything was still for the moment as Ryuji stared back at Celestia and Twilight through the comms unit he had in his hand with the younger version of the sun princess draped across his back and pressing into him with her soft, warm wet body. She stared at her older self and admired just how beautiful she was going to get when she got older. Ryuji thought he was in for the argument of a lifetime. Tears and screaming were the first things he expected from this. But what he got was certainly unexpected.

“I trust that you are taking care of our beloved then?”

The older one asked with a warm smile, no hidden hate or sadness within her at all. Was this really happening right now? Ryuji thought that Celestia would be furious! But it turns out that this certainly wasn’t the case.

“Mhmm! He has had a rough day today. So I figured a nice hot bath with him would cheer him up~.”

“Ooooh he loves bath time with me. He is always so cute when I press into his back. He blushes every time when my breasts press into his back...like what’s happening now~.”

She giggled as she watched her younger self grind and rub against Ryuji, a heavy blush forming on his face which made them both giggle in response. He clears his throat and gets back to the matter at hand trying to change the subject quickly.

“Okay, hold up. First off. How the hell are we even chatting right now? You and Twi are like...YEARS away from me. And yet I can talk to you through this coms unit And second. Why are you not threatening to throw me into the sun when I younger version of you has her naked form draped over me? Even Twi is in shock!”

He said as he pointed to the purple alicorn’s face who had eyes as wide as dinner plates and a massive blush across her muzzle. Celestia looked back at Twilight and couldn’t help but laugh then turned her attention back to them.

“Well, she IS me, silly boy. Why would I get upset knowing that I will have memories of you when I was younger? I think it will be pretty romantic to know that you and I have been lovers for sooooo many years.”

“Oh, I know! It’s like a dream come true! To think that not only we got to see him when we were still fillies, but now as we are starting to mature...it’s the perfect romance spanned across centuries~.”

Both of them seem to be lost in swooning over their conversation about ‘time-crossed lovers’ and such. Ryuji’s double suddenly popped into view for all to see and chuckled lowly, startling Celestia and Twilight.
“Ryu..is that...how is he..?”

Stuttered Twilight in great concern for her friend as much as Celestia was for him. They saw the creature that had caused Ryuji so much pain before in hoping he’d never return again. Ryuji sighed and shifted his eyes toward his double then back to the screen.

“Turns out he never left. I should have known right from the start that getting rid of something that has been with me for my whole life wouldn’t just up and leave simply because my mind bested him in combat. But you don’t need to worry. He isn’t causing trouble anymore. But my main concern is: How in the hell am I going to return back to the present?.I have learned that the forces of time have brought me back and forth to places for a reason…”

“He is always right about these things, ladies. As many times as he and I have been thrown through time. It’s always been to alter some kind of critical moment or something to that effect.”

“Well, I don’t care~. I will help him however he needs. But I am just happy that I get to spend some time with him. Especially when I am maturing into a mare now. That’s when she needs her beloved the most~.”

Celestia said as she pressed into Ryuji again, those warm, soft ample breasts pressing into him once more. The older Celestia watched on in not in anger, but in excitement at this display. If her expression didn’t give it away, her wagging tail would.

“Ryu, could you hand the device to the younger me and cover your ears? I need to speak privately with her. And don’t you dare try to listen in, cause I’ll know if you do!”

She threatened. Ryuji shrugged and handed the device to Celestia and covered his ear. As the two of them spoke, he heard nothing, only blushing muzzles and laughter among their features. This went on for five minutes. Ryuji noticed a blushing and wide-eyed Twilight on the screen as they spoke. Just what in the world were these two talking about?! Soon though, younger Celestia motioned it was okay for him to uncover his ears and she handed the device back to Ryuji.

“Alright, my love. Since I can see you are in good hands, I will let you get back to your bath time with me. Please return to the present safely. I miss you so much~.”

Ryuji simply smiles and nodded with a low ‘hmmm’ coming from his lips.

“I will hurry back as soon as I am able...I love you, Tia. Just hang in there for me a little while longer.”

“And I love you, Ryu.”

She leans in close with those soft, warm lips and kisses at the camera that relayed the video. This made Ryuji chuckles and soon the device shut off the feed. Once he had sat it back down into the pocket of his clothes, Celestia dragged him back to the hot water and resumed to shower him with affection and grooming.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. There is going to be a school trip coming up. And no, you can’t not go! Your future wife demands this~.”

Ryuji grumbles. It’s like she knew that he was going to deny the trip right out. And since she said that, he sighed and simply leaned back against her while resting his hands on her soft thighs and rubbed them gently, which made Celestia sighed in delight at the attention.

“So, where will this trip be taking us then? And why drag me along? Isn’t this kind of stuff for the most highly academically achieving students? Last I checked, I am not on that list. In fact, I am faaaarrrr below it.”

He stated as he knew that his grades weren’t the best, but they weren’t the worst either. Celestia frowned as she heard him talk down to himself like that. Sure he wasn’t the smartest person in the school, but he certainly was smart enough to maintain a ‘B+’ through all his subjects. And if everyone knew what he was truly capable of outside of school, they’d see him in a whole new light.

“Well, you are going because everyone who is on the top fifty that is going can bring a plus one along with them. And you are going to be that plus one, silly boy.”

“Why not just take Emerald? I am sure he could use the fun.”

He then remembered that the feminine stallion was actually ranked high up on that very list and sighed.

“Right...he’s way up there with you.”

“Come on, Ryu! We are going out to an island resort for a week! It will be fun! Plus plenty of time for you and I to get to spend together~.”

“Yeah, that part I don’t mind. But fuckface is going to be going to, I am sure. And if he pushed me, I can’t promise anything since it won’t be on school grounds…”

By ‘fuckface’, he meant Star Breeze. The school bully and captain of the school’s hoofball team. If he was going on a trip that involved downtime, he certainly didn’t want him to be there. Celestia sighs and shakes her head, knowing full well that Ryuji meant what he said. And she knew just what he could do if he wanted to.

“Only if things get bad and you are backed into a corner, you are allowed to do something about it. Otherwise will you please try to keep the physical stuff at bay? I know you could tear him apart if you wanted to. But you also need to remember that you are a warrior with over a century of experience. He is just a dumb colt who thinks he is the alpha male. And the only reason he is going to be able to go is that he is the star of the team. All the other members of the team won’t be able to go...unless he invites one of them of course.”

Ryuji just sighs and turns his head to gaze at her, another smile forming across his lips. Celestia wished he’d smile more like that. She thought he looked so much cuter than his usual scowl.

“Alright, Tia. You win. I’ll go and I will try to keep a cool head. But I can’t promise anything.”

She gasps happily and squeezes him into a hug and nuzzles her nose into his neck.

“Yaaaaay!~ I can’t wait till the trip. It happens in the next few weeks, so that gives us plenty of time to prepare! We are going to need to get you some new clothes made for sunny weather and all that other fun stuff.”

“No way.”

“But bu-.”

“No, Tia. You know how I feel about not having my armor on when I got out in public. I still itch without it a little bit these days. That’s what happens when you live in nothing but full bodysuits for as long as I have.”

“Then just leave all the bulky bits behind! You will still be covered without them! Pleeeeaaaasseee pleasepleasepleaseplease?”

When she said that word and the adorable puppy eyes came along. Ryuji grunted in annoyance as she was the only one who could actually pull that off on him. And it bugged him. But given who she was to him…

“Fine!”

“Yaaaay!”

She cheered, spending the rest of the afternoon and evening smothering him with both her body and love.

--A Couple Weeks Later--

Ryuji leaned against the railing of the top deck of the large yacht that Celestia did not mention to him until it was too late. He stood there in the bare minimum of what was left of his armor which was basically a tight-skinned under armor shirt that was long sleeve and what appeared to be cargo pants without all that mechanical armor plating. Even with his clothing fully covering him, he felt so...exposed. He sighed as he lightly swirled the juice he was drinking from a fancy cruise glass with the fruit on the side and even a little umbrella. His eyes were focused on the water. Being out in the ocean and watching the waves...it made the tenno think about his partner more than ever…

“I miss you, bud. I hope I can find you someday soon.”

Apparently, they were heading to some fancy island resort that the smart kids got to go to because of their good grades. He there simply because Celestia chose him as her plus one. And being the way he was, he felt like he didn’t have any right to enjoy such a thing since he didn’t really care nor work for it.

The salty sea air lightly blew into his face and through his hair which he had let fully grow down to his upper back ever since he came to this world. It felt nice. So much that he gets lost in thought, even more, not noticing Emerald Delight coming up on his right and playfully placing his ice cold drink against Ryuji’s cheek which made him jump slightly as lean to the side

“That’s cold!”

He exclaimed. This made the feminine male giggle as he leaned forward against the railing. He was ACTUALLY wearing a female swimsuit, a two-piece that was black and blue and VERY tight around certain parts. If it wasn’t for the obvious bulge between his legs, others would simply see him as a flat chested girl with a very nice rear and hips.

“Wow...they actually let you wear that?”

Emerald giggled and nodded.

“Mhmmm~. Don’t I look hot in it?”

“I won’t lie in saying you’d certainly fool a guy who doesn’t know you like Tia and I do. So...yes. There I said it.”

He said as he turned his attention back to the water with a slight blush on his face. He knows he just said a male was hot, but god damn it. he is just two missing components away from a girl! Emerald giggles at Ryuji’s uncomfortable body language and sips from his drink.

“You know, Tia is worried about you. She knows you don’t want to be near Star Breeze, but you have been spending the whole trip in this same spot. What’s got you so fixated on the water…?”

He asked in a rather concerned manner. Ryuji was his friend. And being how the stallion was, it was only natural for him to worry too.

“It’s...a long story, Emerald. All I can say is I lost a friend, and I hope I am able to find him once more someday soon.”

As the two conversed on the railing, Ryuji suddenly felt something stir inside of him. Suddenly his right arm started swinging about on its own as if an invisible source was pulling at him and tossing him around on the deck. The magic that he normally kept invisible from the student’s eyes that normally swirled around the arm appeared and started to go haywire.

“What the...what is the matter with this thing?!”

He shouted as he struggled to keep his arm under control, fighting back the magic as best as he could. Emerald’s and everyone else’s eyes were now on him as the commotion began. Ryuji took hold of his arm and tried to keep it pinned as the spectral nikana prime started to slowly form in his hand, an ethereal and ghostly wind sound could be heard as it formed completely, the black and ice grey weapon flaring up as it dragged Ryuji back towards the edge of the boat, threatening to pull him off the edge. The commotion brought almost everyone to the upper deck, soon enough, the spectral blade had pulled the tenno over the deck and left him hanging on by the metal railing. Just as Emerald was doing his best to pull against the sword’s grasp. Star Breeze pushed him down to the side and grinned evilly at Ryuji before kicking at his fingers. Ryuji let’s out a grunt of pain as he fights against the pain to hold on.

“Drown, freak.”

“Star, don’t!!!”

Shouted Emerald as he tried to get back onto his hooves. But it was too late, another kick to Ryuji’s fingers forced him to let go and fall into the water below. Or rather, pulled below as the sword took him to the depths. Celestia had come up on deck to witness this just as it happened. Her eyes filled with terror and anger as she ran up to the colt and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

“You complete asshole! What the fuck were you thinking?!”

She didn’t even give him a chance to answer as her horn glowed fiercely, a magical aura forming around Star Breeze and lifting him up before slamming him onto the deck with force. The princess clearly upset and outraged by the colt’s actions

“H-He had it coming. He messed with the wrong stallion and got what was coming to him...I hope he dies…”

He said before he was thrown into the wall of the captain’s quarters by Celestia.

“He better not be dead for your sake! I will have you thrown into the dungeon and you will live out your days in your own filth!”

After she had taken out her anger on him, she fell to her knees and buried her face into her hand and started crying. Emerald and her friends surrounding ehr to try and comfort the princess as best as they could.

As Ryuji was pulled further and further to the depths, he could feel the pressure starting to affect his body. Just as he felt like he couldn’t last any longer, the blade suddenly lodged itself into what appeared to be some kind of dark crystal with a figure inside of it. With a shimmer of the blade, the crystal began to crack and a bright light filled the ocean floor, bright enough to illuminate the water around the yacht and even cause it to shift. All was quiet for a moment as they all looked around at what had just happened below the ship. Suddenly, an icy grey tentacle flew up from the water and wrapped around the railing. It pulled up a dark figure than landed on the deck with a heavy metallic thud under its feet. It rose up from its landing position and revealed itself to the ponies before it. Celestia looked up from her hands to see..’him’ standing there. The same Warframe, but with sharper and more menacing looking details as if it had gone through a slight transformation while it was encased in that dark crystal. Its head moved around as if looking for something or rather, someone. With one quick motion, it moved toward Star Breeze and quickly drew that oh too familiar shotgun, the arca plasmor and smashed the heavy barrel to the side of his head as the frame pinned him down.

“GIVE ME ONE GOOD FUCKING REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT RIGHT NOW!”

Ryuji shouted in absolute rage, pushing the gun even harder against Star’s skull, it was taking everything the tenno had to not instantly pull the trigger, the finger shaking and tapping against it.

“Ryuji, don’t kill him! He did it out of his petty nature! He isn’t worth killing!”

The urge to pull the trigger was tempting...oh so very tempting. Not only was Ryuji feeling the rage from himself, but the fact that Hydroid had been imprisoned in that dark crystal and separated from Ryuji was also fulling that fire. What was going to happen..?

Author's Note

Yay, Ryuji got Hydroid back. But at the worst time! Will the tenno pull that trigger...?

May the darkness grant you peace.