Act 7 - Pa-thet-ic

Leo's head makes a loud thud as his head connects with the table he was sitting at. The remainder of his hot drink falls all over his shirt, staining it and burning his skin. The guard with a dark grey coat, whom Leo has become acquainted to shouting in his ear. "DO NOT RESIST. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO USE NECESSARY FORCE." The guard pushes harder after saying that. Feeling something in his back crack and the situation dawns on him, and his body goes into self preservation mode. He rolls off the table and onto the ground, "Get the FUCK OFFA ME."

The guard falls with him, hitting the floor. Leo falls face down but surprisingly doesn't feel any pain. The guard stumbles a bit as he falls. Leo feels the grip lessen and uses this to roll out of the guards grip. Facing up he looks the guard in the eyes as he kicks him square in the jaw. Then in the barrel, knocking the wind out of him, causing the guard to go tumbling into the table across from him. Getting on his feet he backs up to the wall, seeing the other guards move to him he falls to his knees and puts his hands behind his head. "I'll GO JUST DON'T GET ROUGH."

The other two guards stop and look at him, one with a blue coat using his magic levitates hand cuffs over to Leo, to which Leo stands up and lets his hands be cuffed. The third guard gets up, and practically tackles Leo. " YOU HAVE ASSAULTED A GUARD OF-"

"ENOUGH SMOKEY! OFFA HIM, NOW!" The gray colored earth pony gets off the human, grumbling. "I think the Ape, bruised a rip." He said clutching his side.

"I don't care!" The blue colored stallion continued, in a low tone close to the earth pony. "You barged in ahead of Shades and I again. Didn't even give the charged a chance to come peacefully! As far as I am concerned he had every-right to kick you like he did." With a huff he turns to Shades, the matte black colored Pegasus. "Go notify the pony's on the list. Smokey and I will lead the accused to the chariot. Then escort them to the train." With a Nod Shades trotted out of the store.

Looking down at Leo as he laid on the floor, it wasn't his proudest moment as a guard. The human, as the princess called it, somehow got it's face covered with someponies cake. Shirt still dripping wet with hot coffee and whatever was supposed to be in the remnants of that shopping bag. As the human leaned against one of the chairs, his eyes moving from pony to pony.

Leo could see the fear renewed on the other pony's faces. If they didn't like him before they sure didn't now. "So lead away." He said as he stood up, which went alright considering he couldn't use his arms. Following behind the two guards out the door.

As the door shut, Pinkie came back from the kitchen with a small basket of pastries as she looked around the store she looked at the confused looking ponies and asked. "What just happened? AND WHO MADE THIS MESS!" She shouted and dropped the frosted treats on the floor only adding to the mess.

Leo and the guards walked into the chariot placed outside the store in silence. The blue pony closing the door roughly with his magic and the Pegasus team pulled the chariot away and into the sky, Smokey decided to speak up.

"Sorry, Bluebottle I just." But he was cut off by the other guard. "Quiet, this is not the place to discuss." He said motioning to Leo. Nodding the red pony gets quite.

Bluebottle turns to Leo, "So you did assault a member of the royal guard. With the witnesses its going to get reported, but I will make sure it's striked from the record as long as you don't press charges against Smokey." His green eyes stared directly at Leo's. Bluebottle was clearly a older stallion, a little bit of white mixing in with his coat, making the blue seem lighter.

"Seems like a pretty shit deal to me." Leo said in response, "Even if he is a guard I assume what he did would count as brutality right?"

The old blue stallion didn't flinch, but he did nod just the slightest bit. His voice quite and slow. "That it would, and it could get my friend here kicked from the guard for good."

Leo looked over at Smokey, who was currently trying his best not to look worried out of his mind. He was not doing a good job.

Leaning back against the side of the chariot, Leo answersd"Fine, but you gotta apologize and make it up to Pinkie Pie."

"What? Who?" the two guards asked in unison.

"She works at the bakery that just got trashed. So that means she has to clean up your mess, literally."

The two guards just shared a look and nodded in agreement. The rest of the ride to Canterlot was quite, only the wind and the occasional creak of the chariot was heard.

After landing the guards moved Leo into a cell. It was small maybe a ten foot by nine foot cell, with only a cot the was attached to the gray walls. The thing that surprised Leo was that there wasn't anyone else in any of the other cells. Every one of them was empty, leaving the place quite. and after a few hours Leo fell asleep on the cot.

The rattle of keys unlocking the door started to get Leo to stir as he woke up. Turing to see Bluebottle standing there, he rolled out of bed and stood up. "So whats the deal? Am I going to a different jail or something?"
The blue ponies eyes widened, then he looked away in shame for a moment. "Sorry, we forgot to tell you, everything happened so quick I forgot." Moving his attention back to Leo. "You are called to be seated before the princesses in court of equestrian law. Your accused of lying to the princesses on matters of importance that could cause great harm to Equestria. So we are taking you to night court."

"Night court? Was day court booked up?" Leo chuckled a bit.
"Yes, the nobles tend to bring their business up during the day."

A couple of slow blinks blinks later Leo was being ushered out and up stairs, through the castle into the throne room. "So do I get a lawyer or anything?" He got no response from the guard, "Bummer."

As he walked into the throne room he noticed that quite a few pony's were already inside, talking.

He heard a loud female voice, "Thank you all for bringing us up to speed. He should be here In just- Ah fantastic."
It was Princess Luna, "The accused is finally here." Leo saw not just Princess Luna but also a large white alicorn, as well as Rainbow Dash, Non, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Twilight and Rarity.

"Great lets get this over with, hes wasted enough of my life as it is." Rainbow Dash quipped. Non, nodded in agreement. Looking just as displeased as everyone else in the room. Well almost everyone, Pinkie was waving at him so not everyone seemed mad.

"So the trial begins." Luna said in her royal voice. In response all but Celestia covered their ears. "The accused is Leo the Human from Earth, the crime, knowingly withholding dire information from the crown."

'Dire? what have I gotten myself into here?' Leo thought as he was lead to sit down on a bench, which had this odd red stone in the center. "Leo, we have heard from every pony about your actions while staying in Equestria! We have concluded that you pose no direct threat to our citizens. But require you to tell the truth about how you came to us. We have seen enough of your dreams to know you have lied about a matter of great importance." As she pointed to the crystal in the bench Leo sat on, she continued. "This gem has a very specialized magic to it, it will prevent you from altering, embellishing or changing events of your memory so that we know what we see of you will be the truth. It will show us all the events leading up to your arrival, and we will truly know of your intentions."

"I only caught about half of that." Leo responds, the red crystal glows and hums for a moment after he speaks.

"That is what it does when you tell the truth Leo." Luna states, just as much to Leo as the rest of the room. "Now you will tell us everything that led to you coming here, and hopefully answer a few other questions about your character in the process."

"So you just want me to talk?" A nod from the Princess was his answer.

"Alright, So I guess it started the night you saw in my dream when-" He was cut off by a loud buzzing from the crystal.

"Remember, I said Everything that lead you to coming here. Not just the act that sent you here. Any detail no matter how small could be of great importance."

"Okay, so then it all started when my roommate got -" Again the loud buzzing went off. Frowning at it, Leo tried again. "It all started when got my new -" again the buzzing. Pushing his hair away from his face and mumbling. "What does this thing want from me?" and after a short pause he tried again.

"It all started when I found out that my fiance fucking some other guy." The Crystal once again, glowed and hummed. Everyone in the room looked uncomfortable at the new information. Including Pinkie, even though she already knew. "Yeah, no I don't wanna do this. What happens if I refuse?"

"Well you'll be banished to the deserts on the edge of Equestria, or imprisoned for very a long time."

"So it's basically spill my personal business or go to jail?"

"If it wasn't for the fact that other humans could start coming to Equestria in droves, and the danger that poses. We would not ask this."

Rubbing his hands over his face wiping away the odd feeling of scratchy hairs just tickling his skin, no doubt caused by dried food that was stuck to his face. He rather angrily started "Fine, it all started when I found out that my wife to be, was fucking around on me."

Three Months before leaving earth

“What the fuck Racheal?”

“Oh fuck, Leo. I- Its-.”

The door slams shut. Leo walks over the the kitchen opens the pantry and takes out a bat sitting inside. Racheal comes out of the bedroom. “Leo don’t I.”

“Get the fuck out. Now, or I swear to god.”

“Leo dont,”

He swung the bat into the wall, ripping up the drywall. Knocking framed pictures to the floor. “Out now! Or the next thing I hit will be your fucking face.”

With little more then a sheet covering her she goes and leaves through the door. The other guy coming out having managed to get his clothes on. “Listen man I.”

That was all he managed to get out before the bat connected with his head. Dropping him straight to the floor.

Leo dragged the guy out the door and threw him outside. “Take this shit with you.”

The next few day his phone kept buzzing with texts and left voice messages.

-I am so sorry, we can move past this-
-dont throw away what we have-
-that sucks man, I don’t know what to say-
-just forgive her-
-I just heard that guy is gunna try and sue you?-
-so that means the money I spent on the wedding was a bust then?-

Leo felt his only blessing was that the apartment was solely in his name. So when it came to kicking out Racheal. There was nothing she could do.

He tossed everything that was hers out the window, about half of it broke, or got rained on. She came the next day to get her things. She tried to talk to him through the door but he didn’t break. He let her pound on the door and try but he didn’t let her in.

Ten years worth if a relationship thrown away. Ten years of building and making a life. He didn’t want to hear any excuses, he didn’t care why. He didn’t want to build again, he just wanted her gone.

While working on some guys cracked phone screen he lost it. The guy was complaining about the cost to replace the glass and Leo overreacted.

So here he was, talking to potential roommates. So he could afford the rent, his saving where really good, especially considering he wasn’t going on a honeymoon anytime soon.

“So yeah, I make about $3,900 a week. So making rent isn’t an issue for me. I really like this place because its close to where I work.”

“Uh huh, thats nice. Are you currently in a relationship?” Leo asked interrupting.

“Exscuse me?”

“I just want to know how often you’d be inviting people over. And if you had an SO, i’d like to know if they would be here often.”

“Oh, well there isn’t anyone. But the occasional person might stop by. Only to pick something up, not to hang out or anything.”

“Alright, I’ll level with you. Your the first person I have talked to today who hasn’t reeked, or a college student so you got it.”

“Sweet” And thats when things started to really go down hill. Still without a job Leo stopped trying to really find work. On top of that he also started to turn his savings into alcohol. Drinking just enough that he didn’t have to deal with his issues or get employed. The unemployment checks managing to pay his half of the rent.

A knock on the door roused him from the nest he made for himself on the couch. “ALEX DOOOOR!” He said as he rolled over. The light from the tv casting over his body, as he rolled to cover his head with the pillow.

Alex walked out of the bedroom and opened the door. Stepping out for maybe a minute, before walking back in and looking at the lump he once called Leo.

“Heeey man. I had a question.” The response was a low grumble. “I wanted to ask, why did you give me the master bedroom? Not that I am complaining but just seems odd.”

“I can’t go back in that room.”

“Is there a reason for that or?” He waited to hear a response from the lump. What he got was a arm reaching out for a bottle, and then that arm retreating under the covers. “That bad huh?” He said as he got up, patting the lump. “Don’t drink that, you have interviews today.” The end of his sentence was met with a pressurized pop as the cap came off the bottle.

Another knock at the door, and away Alex went.

Eventually his parents came to visit him, worried that their son had really gone off the deep end. It turns out they were right.

“Just go and ask for your old job back! Its not that hard, you were good at it!” His father yelled at him. His mother already went outside, not wanting to hear them argue.

Thats when it really hit the fan. Outside someone came to the door looking for Alex.

“Hey, uh do you got it?” This stranger asked Leo’s mother.

“Have what? What do you want?”

“Uh is Leo or Alex here?” He asked as he opened the door. “Oh Leo! Wheres Alex man?”

“And who is this? Some other lay about?” His father started in.

“You Randal?” The man nodded, “It’s the bag on the table.” He said pointing at a plastic shopping bag his roommate had left. It wasn’t until now somethings started to fall into place for Leo. If he was bring honest he was so drink most often that he hadn’t noticed.

His parents however put it together way faster. He father grabbed the bag and sure enough, it was filled with wrapped up little tin foil squares.

Randal quickly grabbed the bag from the father and bolted. The looks on his parents faces would be burned into his memory till the day he died. His parents left after that. He didn’t hear from his parents again after that.

The argument with his roommate happened when he got home. Or at least it started but, it ended with Leo starting to sell with Alex. He was just so done with everything else in his life and just staying at home and giving the supplies to runners it just so easy.

Then came the night when a old work buddy asked him to test something. When everything collapsed into a rainbow covered wormhole.

"I remember vomiting all over the place every time that thing started up. That damn space boat is probably lodged in the side of that snow-pile I passed before slamming into the sidewalk."

"Wait, so the thing you came here in is probably crashed into a mountain, and is probably still operational?" Non Stood up from his seat, hysterical. "So you could have just told us, from day one! That I could have gone home! I could have seen my family!"

"Well I-"

"NO!" Non walks up to the bench, slamming his hands on the table. "You shut up, I let you in my house. Had I know half of what I do now I would have let you die in the Everfree. You were nothing but a fucking drug smuggler back on earth. Unlike you I had a life to go back to, I have people who I didn't treat like trash, who would have been happy to see me." Stepping away from the bench and turning, " I gotta go I can't be here right now."

Non walks out, and the rooms silence starts to cut through Leo, it reminds him of the time his parents visited, the tightness in his chest growing. It was starting to fall on him again, he felt like he was going to vomit, his nose twitched, and his hands started to feel cold and wet. His breath grew heavy, panting as he spoke. "There was a reason I didn’t say anything."

"I think that will be enough, you'll be released and sent home." Luna said.

"What? After everything I just told you, your just sending me home?" Leo was feeling the cold on his face now, trying to wipe it away with his hands, it only caused him to feel the sweat wipe across his face.

"We cannot arrest you for crimes you did not commit on Equestrian soil, Its a old law, but a law none the less. As far as what brought you here today, you have atoned for that, and I like to believe in second chances. Which means you'll have the choice to stay in Equestria should the device function once we find it." Luna descends from the throne, before she is in front of Leo. Her hair taking up his vision so he has nowhere to look but her face. "However, if you ever fall back into old habits, or hurt any of my little ponies, we will not show mercy." She goes to leave with her sister, Celestia's cold glare following him as the two sisters left. "The guard will be back in to get you to do some release paperwork." The rest of the pony's also go to leave, except for two.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack walk up to the very quite human, staring at the crystal on the desk.
"Listen ah Leo?" Applejack slowly taps at the top of the desk, getting him to look at her. His face having lost a lot of its color. "Ah want y'all to know you still have a job at the farm. I'll have to tell Granny and Big Mac, but I don't want you to, well you know. Also, it would probably be best if ya stayed away from my sister Applebloom too, it'll be hard enough convincing my family to let ya stay as it is." A slow nod was her answer, before he went back to looking at the crystal. Applejack just shurgged to Pinkie as she left, Bluebottle waiting by the door.

Pinkie just sat there across from him, tapping her hoofs together, looking for a way to start. So she did what she did best, and tried to get him to smile. "Well good thing you landed in Ponyville huh? We wouldn't want you having turned into a LeoCicle, huh?" His lips flattened together and he looked over at the pink mare.

"I really didn't want to have to share any of that. I really was hoping I could leave all of that behind me. Part of me really though I could-" He cuts himself off, sitting back against the chair.

"Well I am happy you landed in Ponyville. I have met a lot of bad pony's, It happens when you party as much as I do. You made a pretty big mistake but, I don't think it makes you a bad person."

He doesn’t say anything, just looks down at his hands. "So do you think you'll be staying in Equestria if the thingy works or?"

"It does't matter. I'll still be just as pathetic either way. Nothing changes if I am here or there. He used me because there was no one left that would have cared if I disappeared."

"Well i'd like you to stay, I hate saying goodbye to a friend." She says offering a smile before she leaves. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She asks before she leaves through the door.

"Maybe." She smiles and nods before she leaves, Bluebottle holding the door for her.
"Alright, lets get you outta here." The old Guard says as as he unlocks Leos cuffs.

It was now pitch black outside, as Leo and Bluebottle walked out of the gaurd barracks. "Ya wanna follow that road straight down and you'll start seeing signs that will direct you to the train station. Here's the ticket, it leaves in four hours."

"Four hours? What do you guys only have one train running at a time?" He questioned the pony, taking the ticket. "God, what am I supposed to do for four hours."

"I suggest wait for the train, also here." The old stallion handed a small bag of bits to Leo, "This is for what smokey ruined on ya, should be enough for new clothes and to replace whatever food got wasted on your shirt." Taking the small bag and looking inside it was indeed good amount of bits. Almost as much as as Applejack had paid for his one day of work.

"Thanks, but that doesn't mean Smokey gets out of owing Pink a solid." Bluebottle chuckled at that, "Oh, don't worry about that. Ill make sure he covers that debt."

With a nod Leo starts to walk, following the old stallions directions he gives himself time to look at the stores and shops he passes. Afterall he’s got plenty of time before his train.

Although they are all closed by now he begins to have looking through the windows. Being able to look around the world he’s been dropped into without the gaze of other on him for the first time.

That is until he comes across a building with all the lights on. He could hear a lot of music playing from it, And that smell. He knew exactly what he was looking at.

A bar.

A place to get shit faced and forget.

As the door opened a small jingle from the bell on the door violently rang. At first only the bartender and a waitress noticed. Both shocked at the visitors appearance. Leo wasted no time talking a seat at the bar and ordered. “Whatever you got thats close to hard liquor. No Ice.”

The pony next to him turned “Nice order, trying to impress, some, pony?” The mare next to him slowly looked up at the much taller human. “No, trying to get a drink.”

“Holy! Your that Human they had on trial today aren’t ya?” The yellow furred, red haired mare gave him a punch in the arm. It didn't hurt but it made a good thud against him.

“Yeah thats me.” Leo said as the bartender gave him a drink. It was a good sized glass.

“Welp glad I don’t have to read the paper tomorrow. You got yourself a pardon, congrats.” The mare said as she raised her glass to his, before downing her own drink.

“Also heard you kicked a a greentailed guard through a window back in ponyville?” She said as she elbowed him.

Leo hadn’t expected to have anyone talk to him. He was hoping just to down 20 bits worth of liquor and beat it. Starting on his first glass with a good couple of chugs. Feeling that tightness in his chest finally start to ebb.

Slamming the glass back down on the table, “Well I did kick’em, but not through a window. His tail was also white, not green.”

That got a good laugh from the unicorn mare, as well as half the bar. Leo, looked around to see almost all of the bar was looking at him now. “Names Cherry Lemon”, the mare put out a hoof which Leo shook. “Leo, nice to meet you.”

“No way!”

“Yes way! Tyler wasn’t even real! So he shot himself to get rid if him!”

“Why?” Cherry asked, “That’s so messed up!” She says as she puts her hoofs over her head on the bar, trying to playfully shake out the image.

“I know right, it gets ya right at the end.”

“Yeah” She says, thinking about the story Leo just shared.

Leo had managed to waste almost all the time he had to wait for the train in the bar chatting with Cherry, and a good amount of the bar, mostly about human things. She was really curious about human stories and goodness did Leo seem to know alot of them.

“Alright what about music?”

“What about music?” He said as he finished another drink.

“Whats human music like? Is it as hardcore as those stories?” She asked, a small slur to her voice.

“Sometimes, but alot of it is really similar to music here though. Like, catchy and the same thing a few times over.”

“Thats sounds super laaaaame.” The mare said as she slumped onto the table.

“No, not all of it. I mean sure its sappy. But alot if its nice.”

“Ill take your word for it big guy.” She laughs with a small snort.

“Oh? You want proof of a good human song then?” Leo leans in, “You sure? Pony music will never do it for you afterwards.”

She gives that laugh snort again. “Yeah? From what I hear they aren’t half as long~” She teases back, her meaning going right over Leo’s head.

“Oh yeah?” He motions for the bartender to come over, which he does. “Can patrons play the piano in the corner?”

“Not usually but, I think with the looks the ‘patrons’ are giving me they might riot if I don’t.” He chuckled Leo once again realizing half the bar was following along with his stories again.

With a small stumble Leo makes his way over to the piano. With Cherry shaking her head as he finally sits down. One of the stallions sitting next to her saying. “Kinda dense ain’t he?” Which gets another laugh out of Cherry.

Now with the whole bar looking at him, Leo feels glad that he had enough liquid courage in him to drown a pig. As well as wasted a lot of time at piano lessons.

“This songs called Dancing In the Moonlight, by uh. I actually dont remember the bands name.” Dragging over a seat he slowly starts by finding the key, and then begins playing the music. His voice is deeper then the original but it doesn't sound bad.

He forgets where he is for a moment as he starts singing. His energy helping to carry the song. His foot tapping along the beat, and he is brought back to the bar as he see’s most of the Ponys stepping with the beat. Most even managing to sing along After the first verse. Once he finishes he gets up and bows dramatically. Before walking back up to his bar stool, looking Cherry in the eye as picks up his next drink. “See told ya.”

She giggles and is about to say something as the bartender interrupts. ”Leo! Your gunna miss the train if you don’t leave now!”

“What? Its only.” Looking at the clock Leo’s face looks sober for almost a full second. “Shit, and I got work tomorrow.” He quickly starts to pay off his tab and the other Pony's in the bar say their goodbyes.

Cherry still trying to say something but Leo couldn’t hear over the bar. “What?” He leans in so he can hear her better.

“Am I ever going to see you again?” She asks, to which Leo shrugs. Then using her magic she quickly jots something down on a napkin and slips it in his pocket before he runs out the door.

“Uuuhh” Leo moaned as the train shook again. With nothing but pretzels and beer in his stomach at this point he was having a hard time keeping it down. “I thought trains were supposed to be smooth.” The empty train car didn't answer him. But it did slow to a stop. The loud speakers hurting his ears.
“Last stop Ponyville.”

“Finally” Leo slowly got up and out of the train. Stumbling through the station almost falling down the short stairs he started walking home.

Outside of his house he saw some ponys. Thats kinda odd, he thought to himself. As he got closer he started to see writing on his place.
-Send the monkey back!- and -Leave Ponyville- written over and over again across his house.

“What the fuck?” He startled the pony’s but they quickly turned and started after him. Some throwing rocks with magic. Shouting at him, Leo couldn’t hear what they were saying. Running on instinct he ran and stumbled around in the dark. Until they stopped chasing him. Looking around all he could see where trees and plants. “Where the fuck am I?”

Author's Note

I honestly wish I could share my outlines for chapters, because this ones was golden.

I tried to write this chapter a bit differently then I have been writing I hope it reads better. If it does and gets a positive response Ill try and re-write the early chapters so they match.

Because right now my guess is the down votes are because my writing kinda sucks. I really don't know how to feel about a perfect split of 9 likes and 9 dislikes....its like, is my story good but the way I am writing it sucks. Or is the reverse?

Also I read every comment and if you have questions/critique please give it!

Also fun facts about the Guards names, used a variation of slang terms for police officers for each.

Bluebottle - was a old term used for the blue uniforms policeman used to wear.
Shades - which is a Irish term that came from the 'shades' a shadow would cast over the eyes when in uniform.
Smokey - Slang term for state troopers, often used by truckers as well.