Deviation Actions
Literature Text
The scene opened upon a large store-front, surrounded by beings similar to Ryan, but very different at the same time. Some of them were as big as two or three ponies stacked on top of each other, while some were very small and adorable. All of them were mostly hairless, at least from what parts of them were unclothed. The only section that was usually covered in hair was the very top of their heads. These manes varied from creature to creature, with some being a simple blonde color and some being wildly colored. One being even had a head of hair that reminded the two princesses of a prismatic pony they knew quite well. The clothing they wore was very different. It was strange to see some beings wearing very light fabric, while others were adorned with finely tailored business clothes.
That was another thing that surprised Princess Celestia; every single creature was wearing clothes. The projection had only been on for a few moments and already she had more questions than before she started watching. What were these beings? Why did some of them have different skin colors? Why did every one of them cover most of their body with clothing? Was this some kind of social event? Why were they just walking by each other without saying hello or at least acknowledging each other's existence?
Where were the ponies?
Not a single pony was shown in the projection. Now that she thought about it, Princess Celestia noticed that she couldn't see any of the races she was familiar with. It was just all...these beings. She was expecting everypony else around her to share the same confusion, but when she looked around, they were all just sitting and watching contently. Even Luna was snuggled up with a large blue cushion. A look of attentive hope was plastered on her face. Celestia sighed and returned her gaze to the projection. Whoever the pony was who was telling this story...they had one active imagination. All these strange new creatures, with such varying physique and structure from most of the other races in Equestria. No wonder Twilight had become so involved in its following. The knowledge-hungry young alicorn would probably do anything to learn more about this new culture. And apparently, she had tried her best to do anything.
"What kind of creatures are these, sister?" Princess Celestia asked. Luna glanced at her older sister before turning her head back to the projection. Even without looking at her, Luna answered.
"They are called 'humans.' They are a race whose origins come from that of an early ancestor of their world's monkeys," she said quietly as to not disturb the viewing. Celestia waited for more of an explanation, but got nothing else.
The projection zoomed into the store that had been shown, moving past the bipedal beings that were busily walking one direction or another. They all seemed to have somewhere else to be. Even the smallest ones were just trying to keep up with their assumed parents. Where were they going? Were they all late to some kind of meeting? Her questions went unanswered as the scene filled with the view of the inside of a large store. Inside this new room, a few beings were busy walking around, looking at the hundreds of odd objects lining the walls and isles. Some were even sitting down and trying them on.
"So, they are buying shoes?" Celestia asked her younger sister. Luna just nodded her head without turning it away from the projection. She was strangely focused on something. What was she anticipating?
Princess Celestia noticed that out of the maybe two dozen or so humans in the store, a good five or six of them were wearing the same colored top. That must have been their assigned uniforms. The tops were a light blue color, while the pants were different among them. The two larger humans, probably the males, wore light tan garments that started at their midsection and traveled down to meet their shoes. The four assumed females, varying in age, wore bottoms ranging from black smooth pants to skirts.
Princess Celestia was broken from her observation by a thunderous cheer that erupted from the crowd of nobles in the room with her.
"RYAN!" they all cheered, some pointing their front legs at the projection, towards the larger of the two males. Even Luna had sat up and started clapping her front hooves together excitedly. Princess Celestia turned her attention towards the tall being that everypony was cheering for.
So that was Ryan.
She had expected the object of some many others' affections to have been more...well, esteemed. Ryan was tall, around two times the size of the average pony. Of course, it did help that he stood on two legs instead of four. He seemed to be taller than his other workers, even the other male. The females were all much smaller than him. One girl was smaller than the rest of the beings in the store and wore a good amount of dark makeup on her face to match her black hair. Ryan maintained a small smile as he walked around the room, stopping to help the humans without blue shirts every so often. Some of the them looked rather elderly and appeared to need help with their shoes. The tall man gladly knelt down to help those who needed it.
His hair was a darker brown color and wasn't nearly as long as the hair that adorned the heads of the females. He had a relatively larger build to him, but did not seem to be overweight. He was just muscular and large. Despite his size, he was quick and agile on his feet. Even the drawback of being bipedal didn't hinder his movement at all. Celestia noted that when one of the humans that was shopping called for him, he quickly swiveled on his feet in the opposite direction and walked to meet the customer. It was oddly fascinating to watch his footwork.
Once he was done helping the customer, he stood up quickly and went off again, this time towards a large structure in the middle of the room. A line had formed in the middle that none of the other workers seemed to notice. Ryan took it upon himself to rush over to help those in line.
"Did you find everything alright, today?" he asked in a soothing voice. It was deep, but not dark. He seemed to be trying to be as friendly and calm as he could possibly seem. The customer he was engaging with smiled back at him and gave a positive nod. Ryan proceeded to go through the box that the shoes were in, checking them for...something. Maybe to make sure they were a match? Celestia wasn't all that familiar with pre-produced clothing. Normally, she was fitted for the clothes she wore. Each outfit was specially made for her. This store had all of their items already made, and it was up to the humans to find something that fit them.
Ryan interacted with some sort of strange piece of technology that beeped loudly at him when he aimed a device towards the box. What an odd sound that was. It sounded hollow and almost prickly. It would certainly be annoying if it was heard many more times. Once he was done doing whatever it was he was doing, Ryan slid the box with the shoes in it into a large shopping bag and handed it to the customer. With one more farewell, the human left the store and the next human walked up.
This next customer seemed a bit more twitchy. It appeared to be a female, judging by her chest. That was the main difference that Celestia was seeing; the females had their mammary glands on their chests while the males were mostly flat-chested. Mostly. Some of the larger customers were pushing some boundaries.
Anyway, this female was shifting from side to side nervously. In her hands was a bright orange box with some kind of weird check mark on it. Ryan greeted her with the same kind smile and took the box to check it. The whole procedure seemed to have been going fine until Ryan made the machine beep again. Immediately, the female started losing her mind.
"That's not the right price!" she yelled, pointing to a tag on the box. Ryan followed her finger and examined the orange tag that looked to have been ripped and hastily put on. Princess Celestia knew what had happened instantly. That was attempted thievery! Ryan just kept smiling and pulled the box closer, removing the tag the rest of the way and exposing the true tag underneath. He kept his kind smile, while the woman just went rigid and got more defensive.
"Ah, I see what happened. Looks like someone was messing with the tags again," he calmly told her. The others in line were eyeing the thief with suspicion. The woman just got more nervous and tried staring at Ryan. Maybe she was trying to intimidate him? It had obviously been her! Why wasn't Ryan confronting her about it? Did he truly believe that she was innocent?
"Th-that's not my problem. The tag was on there when I saw it. You have to honor the advertised price!" she was getting oddly aggressive now. A few of the other workers were moving closer. They kept their distance, not interfering but keeping a close eye on what was happening. One of the girls, the smallest one, was giving the customer a glare that could have killed if she had used her magic.
That was another thing Princess Celestia noticed. None of the humans were using any of their magic. Maybe they just didn't need it for what they were doing? Thoughts for later, time to see what was happening. Ryan was just smiling calmly at the customer.
"Sorry, that happens sometimes. Unfortunately, I can't change the price, because-" he was cut off by the fuming thief.
"This is ridiculous! Where's your manager?!" she yelled. Instantly, one of the workers walked up. This female was the oldest of the bunch and had been watching the closest. Ryan stepped back and allowed the woman to take his position. He folded his arms and gave the woman a knowing smirk. What was he doing? That leech was obviously going to lie to get her way!
"How can I help you, ma'am?" the manager asked softly. The woman collected herself in an attempt to give herself more credibility. She met eyes with Ryan for a moment. He was giving her a playful grin that she responded to with a sneer. She matched his folded arms and took a deep breath.
"Y-yes, I was trying to buy these, but that guy behind you tried changing the price to something other than what was on the sticker!" she accused. Ryan just smiled wider and buried his face in his hand. The woman took this as a sign of him being embarrassed and smiled victoriously. The manager did the same beep thing to the box before lifting an eyebrow at the woman. The thief's confidence faltered at the look she was given.
"Ma'am, the sticker price that was on the box was actually higher than the sale price on these," the older woman deadpanned. The younger customer's eyes shot open. For a few moments, she tried desperately to say something, but all she achieved was looking like a beached fish. Ryan had both of his hands to his face now, trying not to laugh too loudly. The other workers around the store were also trying their best to not crack up. Even the other customers in line were smiling.
The customer quickly made her purchase and rushed out of the store. As soon as she was out of sight, every human in the store burst out laughing. Several of the other customers in line walked up to Ryan and gave him a pat on the back for his calm handling of the situation.
"Nah, it's fine. Happens all the time, honestly. Just have to let them defeat themselves," he chuckled. The smaller girl walked up behind the larger man and punched him as hard as she could on the back. The impact had a deep bass sound to it, but Ryan acted as if he had barely felt it. He just turned around with a raised brow and grinned.
"That's what, the third one this week?" he asked the small girl. She just nodded up at him.
Celestia looked around the room, examining the reactions of the other ponies. Why had that girl punched Ryan? That was clearly assault in some form of the word. Or maybe things worked differently in this world. Perhaps the punch was a show of force or dominance? Was that girl claiming her right to him?
"Luna, is that his special some...er, mate?" Princess Celestia asked. She flinched back in surprise when Luna's head whipped around to face her. A look of deep shock was adorning the face of the blue alicorn. Had she said something offensive somehow?
"No! That was only Rebecca. She was just...'hitty' like that. Do not pay attention to her," Luna huffed. Was she...pouting? That was confusing. But this Ryan character was his own set of cards. That woman had just started screaming at him and attempted to lie her way into a lower price. Granted, she had been stupid and actually tried to increase the price, but even if she had gotten it right...
Ryan probably would have stayed just as calm. He seemed to let nothing bother him all that much. If this was the being that now existed in the real world, with a fuse attached to his emotional state, then maybe Ponyville was as safe as Luna had made it out to be. Celestia would wait to pass that sort of judgement until more was shown, though.
The Solar Princess's attention was caught by a figure watching Ryan from the back of the store. This was another human, of course, but she had been acting strangely. At first she looked suspicious enough to think she would try and rob the store directly, but as the moments passed, it became clear that she was just observing. She was a small woman, but not as small as Rebecca. She had a darker blonde head of hair that she had tried to hide behind while she watched.
Ryan noticed her watching him as well and starting walking towards her. He seemed to assume that her stare was meant to signify to him that she needed assistance of some sort. When she saw that he was approaching her, her eyes shot open and she quickly ran out of the store. The tall man blinked a few times before shaking his head.
"Oookay, then," he sighed to himself. Celestia tilted her head and turned to ask another question to her sister. Luna was too busy shaking nervously to even process that she was being talked to. What was going on now? She had been acting fine before that strange female showed up. Maybe she had been a bit jealous about something, but now she looked terrified.
"Sister? What is wrong?" the white alicorn asked. The concern in her voice broke Luna from her trembling. She turned her head slowly, trying to regain her composure. The laughs of the other ponies in the room helped her clear her mind.
"Yes, of course, Tia. I just...let my mind wander for a moment," she tried to explain. Princess Celestia was not convinced by her sister's excuse. Something about that human in the projection had clearly disturbed her. Was that woman going to be a problem in the future episodes? Being that this was the first time that Celestia had ever seen the show, she had literally no idea what was going on despite for Ryan staying calm against an aggressor and selling some shoes.
The projection faded to black soon after Ryan had helped a lost young one find her parents. The throne room erupted into stomping applause and cheers for more. That was it? It was nothing more than odd creatures that interacted with one another. Why had this story gained so much momentum? Celestia had assumed that the story was at least going to be exciting in some way. But maybe that was the charm. A different world with different creatures, living their lives. Did they even possess any magical abilities at all? How did they manage to create such intricate structures without magic? Too many questions.
"Would you like to watch another episode?" the gem on the floor asked. Before the sisters could answer, the nobles in the room all decided to answer for them. At the same time. With every pony shouting the name of a different episode. The gem on the ground tried to process all the information that it was being given, but it was simply too much. After a few moments of humming that was barely heard over the sounds of the roaring ponies, the projection just popped up with ' 
' shown in the middle. Princess Luna decided to end the madness with a well-place Royal Canterlot shout.
"SILENCE!" she thundered, causing a few of the ponies to fall over in fright. The room went dead silent except for the sound of ponies falling into the pond outside. She really needed to close that window before she used her Royal Canterlot Voice. Too many ponies had dove out of it today.
"We would like to watch the episode labeled 'Sarah,'" Luna calmly said to the gem on the floor. It gave her a quick ' 
' before humming to life.
"Playing Season 5, episode 1," the gem said before beginning the projection.
This time, the scene opened outside. Princess Celestia gasped at the sight of the open area. No longer were they seeing the inside of the building with the many stores and people. Now everypony sat staring at the open city. Hundreds of people walked along the side of the street with the same busy sense of purpose that was so familiar for these creatures. The people were just as diverse as they had seen, but the buildings...
These creatures had to possess magic of some sort. How else would they have created anything close to the architectural masterpieces that were displayed for all to see? Princess Celestia was blown away. The structures were so tall! How would they manage to keep all of that material upright and safe? Some of them looked like they could fall over at any moment!
She was surprised that she recognized some of these designs. A few of her most prestigious architects had shown her plans for making buildings very similar to the ones she was looking at. Is that where they came from? Celestia had initially passed the designs off as too risky and fantastical. But there they were...as real as the humans that occupied them.
Which was to say they weren't, actually. They were still just part of a story and humans didn't exist.
Until now, thanks to Twilight.
So there Ryan was, just walking along the sidewalk. He was wearing his same work attire, but also wore a plain gray zip-up hoodie over it. It must have been one of the colder seasons. Princess Celestia was once again struck by how familiar the new piece of clothing was. Just a simple gray top...she had seen it before. In Canterlot. But why? It was much too simple to have been sold in the clothing stores in the city. Despite the lackluster design and colors, she had seen nobles wearing it...
Oh. She had seen merchandise based on Ryan. The nobles had worn that attire as a show of support for their favorite human. This was getting out of hoof. Why did they like him so much? Sure, he seemed kind and collected enough, but just what had he done to secure his position as a fictional celebrity?
He was just walking along, his hands in his pockets. Every few seconds, a tuft of steamy air would rise from his nose. Yep, definitely one of the colder seasons. The other humans just walked by him without noticing his existence. If they only knew that they were walking by someone of his stature. Where was he going? Okay, he was walking inside of some kind of multi-layered outdoor building. Inside, there was a multitude of the large contraptions that Celestia had spotted moving around outside. They were some kind of odd metallic self-propelling carriages. Did the humans pilot them? It made as much sense as anything else in this world.
Ryan walked up some stairs before coming out into a different level of the carriage resting area. He was making a whistling noise with his lips akin to what a bird would do. It was a strange tune that sounded...other-wordly. He continued on walking while whistling his song until he came to a black carriage that was smaller than the ones around it.
It was then that Celestia spotted movement coming up from behind him. Some of the noble ponies tried to warn the projected image about the impending danger, but it was obviously futile. Not only was it just an image, it was also a recorded image. The story had been told years before. Nothing anypony could do could change what was happening.
Ryan barely had time to comprehend what was going on before he was shoved violently against his carriage by another figure wearing mostly black. The assailant was smaller than Ryan, but something about the metal object that they were pressing against Ryan's head was keeping him frozen still.
"Gimme your fucking keys!" the figure demanded in a hushed tone. Despite the low volume of the voice, the malice and will to harm was clear. All of the other ponies in the room flinched, including Princess Luna. What was that word that he had said? It seemed to cause discomfort to the others. Celestia was very confused. It sounded very close to 'Bucking.' It must have been a piece of harsh language in that world. Why did the other ponies know it so well?
They were fans. Maybe they knew the ins and outs of the strange world?
Now some of the ponies were shivering as they stared up at the sight before them. Ryan held himself completely still, trying to figure out what was going on. Why didn't he fight back? He was much larger than his attacker, he should have had no problem subduing them.
"Sister, what is that piece of metal in that figure's hand?" Princess Celestia asked. Luna looked over. She had been trembling with more than just fear or suspense. She was furious at what was happening in the projection.
"That...is a gun. It...it uses a miniature explosion to send bits of metal flying out at tremendous speeds. It is one of humanity's greatest weapons," Luna responded, her voice becoming more stable as she went on. Princess Celestia was repulsed. Such lethal force! And it was small enough to fit into one hand. So the attacker was threatening to make a piece of metal fly through Ryan's head! It made sense now that Luna had been mad. She was a huge fan of Ryan, and to see a random figure threaten to murder him was plenty enough to set her off.
Ryan just stood there, completely motionless. This appeared to have been the wrong choice, as the assailant responded to his silence by smacking the side of his head with the gun. Ryan grunted and stumbled to the side, clutching his head. A few drops of blood stained the carriage now, causing a few of the ponies in the room to either cry out or get nauseous. Just then, another series of movements appeared to the left of the attack. Another new figure flew into the scene and tackled the assailant, hard. The attacker grunted and smashed into the part of the carriage that Ryan had been pushed against only moments earlier.
This was exciting! Celestia found herself leaning closer to the projection, trying to make out every detail of what was happening.
"Get away from him!" shouted the new figure in a voice that was much too familiar to the Solar Princess. It sounded so very close to her, but different at the same time. Like somepony very well-known was trying out a different accent. But who was it? The answer was on the very edge of her mind. It was already driving her insane.
The attacker tried to turn around and raise the gun to the new character. Before they could so much as aim it, it was snatched from their grasp and swung into their face with astounding force. The ponies in the room cheered as more blood joined the side of the carriage, this time coming from the nose of the hooded attacker. The hood flew back, revealing a light-skinned male with very short hair. He looked rugged and almost starved. His eyes were trying to focus on the figure with the familiar voice, but the blood trickling down his face caught his attention. He looked to be in so much pain that he could barley yell out. Without another word, the gun was once again brought down onto the man's head, knocking him to the ground. He looked unconscious, if he was even still alive.
The projection moved over to show Ryan on the ground, still clutching his head. His hair was soaked with blood. The strike from the weapon must have given him a gash. His savior quickly moved to him and lifted his head. When the scene moved out a bit, Celestia gasped. The other ponies in the room started cheering. Their joyous screams died out after a few seconds and a look of glum realization spreads through the faces of the crowd. What was wrong with them?
"Th-thanks..." Celestia heard Ryan choke out, his voice weak and raspy. It hurt her somewhat to see such a kind, gentle man reduced to this. He had done nothing to wrong his attacker; he had just been walking to his carriage. Yet there he was, bleeding and nearly unconscious on the ground. His attacker lay probably dying on the ground, a pool a blood spreading from where his nose had landed. Just who had saved Ryan? Why did she sound so familiar?
"I'm just happy you're okay, Ry..." choked the savior. Ryan blinked in confusion up at her. She was definitely a female, now that Celestia could see her chest and face. The hair was what tipped her off. That was the same girl that had been watching Ryan at the shoe store! Had she been following him? As creepy as that was, it was a good thing she did. Otherwise, Ryan might have been the one dying on the ground.
"Do...do I know you...?" the injured man said weakly. A look of deep hurt and confusion flashed across the girl's face. Very slowly, she lifted her gaze until she was looking straight into the projection. At this angle, Princess Celestia could see deep into her eyes. They were a very pretty bluish green color. Almost the same color as...
Luna.
The voice also clicked in that instant. She sounded exactly like Luna. She had the same eyes as Luna. Celestia turned her head slowly towards her younger sister, who was busy trying to scoot away quietly. A look of nervous apprehension was very obviously plastered on her facial features.
"Sister," stated Celestia. Luna froze and looked up, but not directly at her older sister.
"Y-yes, Tia?" inquired the Princess of the Night, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking. Celestia just looked into her eyes with a stern glare. Now that she could compare the two, she could see that Luna's eyes were the same exact color as the girl in the projection.
"Why does that character have your voice and eyes?" Luna just swallowed and tried once more to calm herself.
"That...is why I showed you these episodes, sister. That...is me..." she confessed. The larger alicorn froze in shock. Her sister had just admitted to being a character in a fictional story. How was that even possible? How did those transfer gems even work? Something told her she was going to need to get into contact with the Flim Flam brothers regarding the security of their gems. First Twilight had used it to yank another unicorn's memories out through one of them, and now Luna was telling her that she was inside the story.
"How?" was all Celestia managed to sputter. Luna took a deep breath before trying to explain herself.
"Those gems...they function by putting the user into a sleep-like state so that they can focus on creating an image in their mind. I...just so happen to be able to access the dream sequences while they're happening. So I...kind of went into the head of the storyteller..." Luna was quickly losing her confidence. Celestia's eyes had just got wider and wider as she went on. They were interrupted by the projection, which had been going on the entire time they had been talking.
"I'm...Sarah..." spoke the girl softly. Her darker blonde hair was covering her face, almost concealing the tears that were falling. Her choked sobs and hiccups were way too familiar for Celestia. That character on the screen was her sister, without a doubt. How hadn't anypony else figured it out from her voice alone?
Well, it had taken Celestia a good while to figure it out, and she was her sister. Other ponies probably barely knew what Luna sounded like normally. How would they pick out her voice when she was trying her best to disguise it? And now that she thought about it, her sister's depression made sense now. Ryan had died. How did he die? Celestia hadn't actually took the time to learn about what had been going on besides for the death itself. What was their relationship in this show? But the better question was...
"Luna, how old is this episode?" Princess Celestia asked quietly. She had to speak low so that this whole situation did not spread around. The other ponies could not hear the conversation they were having. To know that their princess was secretly inserting herself into the most popular gemline show in Equestria...it would be utter chaos.
"It's...the fifth season opener...so about two years..." Luna said just as quietly. Two years. This had been going on right under Celestia's nose for two whole years. How had she managed to keep herself hidden for so long? Princess Celestia knew that her younger sister probably could have kept it going on for much longer if not for Twilight's intervention.
"But...why?" Celestia managed to ask. Why would Luna put them both into this kind of situation? Luna just sighed and looked back to the projection. 'Sarah' was now helping Ryan walk out of the building, calling for help the whole time. He looked in really rough shape; blood trickled down the gash he had received from the gun, he was barely standing, and he was blinking like he would pass out at any moment. He probably had gotten a concussion. Luckily, a human that appeared to represent the local law enforcement spotted them and ran over to help. They were just lucky that they were in a more populated area where they could easily find others willing to assist them.
"I did not mean to at first...I did not know she was a storyteller. Back when this happened, I didn't even know what OtherWorld was. I was there because I enjoyed the visions inside the mind of the unicorn who created the world. It was so amazing, she dreamed of this world and its inhabitants every night. The sights, the sounds, the smells...they were all so real. I truly do believe the storyteller for OtherWorld is one of the most powerful leaksleepers I have ever seen. I tried to interact with the inhabitants in the dream, but couldn't. Except for a few. Those few were Ryan Burbank and his family. I met them a long while before the episode you just saw-" Luna was cut from her explanation by her sister, who was trying her best to follow all of this information.
"But Ryan acted like he didn't know you. If you knew him in the dream long before he met you in the episode, why did he act oblivious? Was he aware that the world was not real?" Celestia asked. The last question was more directed at herself than at Luna.
"Ryan...he was different that day. I hadn't visited him during one of the projections before. He knew me so well...then to act like he had no idea, it...it hurt, sister," Luna lamented. Her beautiful teal eyes had set their gaze to the floor. Celestia felt a pang of sympathy break through the shock and confusion of what was going on. Luna had trouble making friends since her return from the moon. Somehow, she had found a friend in a fictional character in a story, but that character was made to forget her for the sake of the show. Why, though? Was the storyteller aware of 'Sarah' being there? Maybe when she stumbled into the projection, she accidentally made herself aware to the storyteller. Then...Ryan was made to go through a sort of introductory scene with her.
Luna continued after a few moments. "The way he was attacked...it was so outlandish. I knew something was wrong when he asked me who I was. It was then that I realized that we were being watched. And Ryan was being manipulated. I had become part of a story I had been unaware of," she said. Celestia nodded to herself. Best to just accept the facts as they come. Pondering led to questions, which led to confusion, which led to...something.
"What was your relationship with Ryan?" Celestia asked, trying to sound as innocent as she could. Inside, though, she was dreading what the answer could have possibly been. Luna's blushing face did not ease her mind in the slightest.
"He was...uhm...it was intimate, Tia," Luna finally sighed. Princess Celestia went rigid again from shock. Ryan was real now. Luna had apparently disguised herself as a human and got into a relationship with him. Ryan was surely unaware of Luna's true form. Ryan was now a bomb that could possibly be set off by emotional instability. The shock of learning Luna's true self would very likely be more than enough to push him over the edge.
"Luna...have you told him?" Celestia asked, her voice shaking. Again, the images of Ponyville smoldering in the distance flashed before her eyes. It was just getting more and more likely. To both her horror and relief, Luna nodded. She was relieved that she had, but at the same time, she was horrified of what could have happened without her even knowing.
"I did. Last night I went into his dreams and discussed his current situation with him while Twilight Sparkle soothed him from the outside. All is well at this time, sister. Oh, and he even had a party in Ponyville! The ponies there loved him! The town is pretty much back to normal working order now. His existence knocked everypony out of the funk they had been experiencing since witnessing his death," she told her. Celestia was stunned again. That...could work wonders. If seeing Ryan alive would bring happiness to her ponies once more, than why not use him to do so? If he had weathered a party in Ponyville, surely he would not mind cheering up a few more ponies.
"So you managed to keep him calm. Did he...almost go off at all...?" the Princess of the Sun asked. Luna shivered once before nodding. The nonexistent color drained from Celestia's face.
"When he heard me, for the first time...I admit, I should have used more tact when I first met him at the party...but Tia, I love him. I saw him die...and there he was, right in front of me. I tried to get him to understand too quickly. He passed out and almost..." she couldn't say anymore. The memory of his body trembling and glowing purple was too painful and fresh in her mind. Twilight had told her after the fact that he had passed out once before, but apparently it was from the overload of cuteness he had received from a filly. The purple alicorn had referred to it as a 'heart awwtack.'
"I'm just glad you didn't do anything else to set him off before you left..." Celestia sighed in relief. Luna started to nod before the last interaction she had with her love flashed through her mind. Her large teal eyes got even larger and she almost screamed out. The ponies in the room were too busy watching the show to notice the emotional turmoil the two sisters were going through together. Celestia, on the other hoof, noticed the look on Luna's face. "What's wrong, Luna?"
"I...may...have...sorta, um...changed his gender in his dream for the night..." Luna said sheepishly.
Eye twitch
"W...why...?" Celestia was doing everything in her power to not shout the room into oblivion again. If it was possibly, she probably would have started tearing her mane out. But as it was, the hairs in her mane were not rooted in the traditional sense. It would have been like trying to tear water in two. Luna blushed and scraped her hoof along the floor.
"He was kissing other mares," she said in a hushed whisper. Another eye twitch.
"So...I can understand you almost setting him off when you first met him...but then you decide to risk setting him off even after learning of his condition?" Celestia asked in amazement. Ponyville could have been destroyed by now, but at least Ryan would have learned never to kiss any more mares! Luna finally took the time to ponder her motivations reflectively and came to the conclusion that she had indeed been an idiot about the whole thing. A loud 'smack' echoed through the room as Luna facehoofed.
"I know of my mistake now, sister. I will do everything in my power to keep out any elements that could disturb him," Luna promised her. Her older sister looked her in the eyes for a few seconds before nodding. Plans on how to solve the whole problem could be formed once the fact that such a problem existed sank in.
Both sisters went quiet just in time for the whole room to erupt in cheers. They looked up at the projection to see Ryan in a hospital bed, locked lips with 'Sarah.' He had an odd look of shocked confusion on his face, but it was wiped away with a shrug of his shoulders. It was clear at this point that he had not initiated the show of affection. In fact, Luna had been the aggressor in this attack. Attack on his lips.
The projection faded and was immediately followed by the nobles trying to shout out episode names once again. The gem didn't even try to register the titles this time, choosing instead to just sit there with a ' > ' floating above it. Snarky little bugger, that one. Princess Luna stretched her wings and yawned once, her pillow fluffing around underneath her.
"I believe that is enough for now, Tia. We will discuss this further once-" Luna was cut off by one of the nobles, who had somehow managed to drown out the voices of every other pony in the room.
"The princess needs to see the new episode!" he shouted. "I have a recording of it on me!" The room became a choir of agreement before either princess could stop it. Luna wanted to do nothing other than remove the mouth from the obtrusive stallion, but Celestia actually quite liked the idea.
"NO, sister, we can't! It's, uh...very late, yes!" Luna tried reasoning, pointing her leg at the window that had served a diving board for a half dozen ponies that day. Her argument might have worked...if the sun wasn't currently shining brightly through it. Celestia was extremely confused at this point. Why didn't Luna want her to see the episode? Why was she getting so defensive? And why would she try to convince her sister of the time by using the sun's position? Celestia literally controlled where it went.
"Luna, the time is fine. I want to see the episode that caused the misery of so many of my little ponies. Maybe then I'll understand the problem a little better," Celestia stated. Luna wanted to argue further, but the tone in her older sister's voice let her know that the point was beyond refuting. Her mind had been made up.
Princess Luna sighed and nodded, pressing herself into her cushion. She didn't want to have see...it...all over again. Once was hard enough. And to see Ryan's face when he woke up and noticed she wasn't there...it would be too much.
One of the guards changed the recording gem out for the smaller gem with the most recent episode. Normally, the possession of a burned gem would be grounds for a fine, but the Princess was adamant about seeing it. With a few noisy slurps from his soda-drink hat, the guard clicked everything into place. The little makeshift gem hummed to life and the projection went up. The image was rather shoddy from the hasty recording. Still, everypony could clearly see the hospital room with a very sickly Ryan Burbank sitting in the bed. The feeling of gloom and death permeated the air now, especially since all of the ponies in the room knew how it would end.
Luna let out one last groan when she witnessed her human self tease Ryan with her rump. She quickly buried her head into the pillow to hopefully drown out the screams that would come momentarily.
