Ren's POV
We were asleep when the knocking came and awoke us from our beds.
"Oh," I groaned. "Who could be knocking at this hour?" I went up to the door and opened it to see Applejack standing there.
"Ren!" Applejack exclaimed. "Abacus's here!"
I ran to our beds to wake them up. "Everyone, Abacus's here!"
They went up and we went with Applejack and the others.
We made our way towards the barn as the sun began to come up from the distant hills of Sweet Apple Acres, and shined brightly to begin the new early morning.
"Right, y'all," Applejack said. "Abacus is inside."
"Well, you could've at least wait until later this morning to tell us." Rarity yawned and brushed her hair with a hair brush in her magic. "A pony needs to have their well needed beauty sleep."
Applejack turned to us. "I'm sorry ta get y'all outa' bed this early, but this here's mighty important."
"It's okay, Applejack," Twilight said. "From what you told us, I'm glad you did."
Before long, we made it to the Apples front door. Applejack walked in first, and saw her brother, Big Mac standing there to greet them. "Howdy, Big Ma-"
"Shhh!" Big Mac tilted his eyes in a come-take-a-look-at-this fashion at Applejack.
Applejack got curious as to what Big Mac wanted her to see without making a sound.
A minute later, Applejack went up to us. "Alright, everypony. Y'all can come in now."
The rest of us began to walk towards the door to enter. Pinkie Pie rushed right past us, and peered into the living room.
"Abacus!" Pinkie Pie excitedly rushed over to Abacus like a pink blur, and wrapped her hooves around him in a big, tight hug before Abacus even realized it. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"
Applejack rushed over to stop Pinkie Pie from getting carried away, for she could tell Abacus was somewhat distressed and probably suffering from lack of oxygen. "Easy there, Pink! He ain't a stuffed animal. Give'em some air."
"Oh, sorry." Pinkie Pie said.
As Pinkie Pie let Abacus go, he gasped for air from the pink pony's tight hug. And just as quickly, put his front legs up fearfully as if to protect himself.
Pinkie Pie tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Abacus? Don't you remember me? It's me, Pinkie Pie."
"...Pinkie Pie." Abacus said.
"You do remember me!" Pinkie Pie bounced up and down with glee. "Whoo-hoo!"
The rest of us all enter the house and into the living room to greet Abacus. But he wasn't a pleasant sight. His left side of his face was scarred. This shocked us to see him in this condition.
"Abacus. So lovely to see yo-." Rarity let out a shocked yelp at seeing Abacus's horribly scarred face. "Oh my goodness, darling! Whatever happened to your beautiful, handsome face?!"
Abacus sadly winced, and turned his head left to keep his scarred left side of his face out of view.
Applejack growled. "Rarity, Ah told ya in advance that he had a scar on his face."
"I know you did, but you didn't say how bad it was." Rarity turned her attention back to Abacus. "You poor dear. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Please forgive me. You remember who I am, don't you?"
Abacus slowly looked back up. "Rarity."
Rainbow Dash stood proudly in front of Abacus. "How about me? You couldn't forget about somepony as awesome as me, could you?"
"Rainbow Dash." Abacus said.
Abacus turned his attention to the butter coloured pegasus standing there quietly waiting for her chance to greet him. "Fluttershy."
"Hi, Abacus." Fluttershy said.
Twilight walk forward to get closer to Abacus so that she could introduce herself to him.
"Hello there, Abacus Sum. You don't know me yet. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and my friends have told me a bit about you."
"…Friends?" Abacus asked.
Twilight nodded. "Yes. They did. These are my friends."
Abacus then looked at us and gasped. We begin to introduce ourselves.
"I'm Ren Loodon, and this is Mason Hunter, Carrie Hunter, Kaede Ross, Jamie Watson, Jack Yamaki, Nicole Bonnie, Skye Jones, and Sarah Gem. And we are the humans."
"Humans?" Abacus asked.
Pinkie Pie began bouncing up and down with joyful glee. "Oh-Oh, that's right. She moved to Ponyville from Canterlot. Amazing what you can miss out on while in prison, huh?"
Abacus cringed, whimpered, and depressingly put his head down with his eyes closed at Pinkie Pie's mentioning him being in prison. All of the rest of us noticed this and turned to Pinkie Pie.
NKIE!" We all yelled in unison at Pinkie Pie, giving her an angry glare.
"What?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What did I do?"
"Geez!" Jamie growled.
Our irritation increased at Pinkie Pie's lack of sensitivity, combined with her lack of realization and understanding what upset Abacus. Apple Bloom, who was still sitting next to Abacus, began to stroke his back to comfit him. "It's okay, Abacus."
Fluttershy then came forward to help Apple Bloom comfit the distressed stallion. She began to hover above the floor, and began to stroke Abacus's mane. "There, there. It's okay. Pinkie Pie didn't mean it. She didn't know any better."
Abacus soon began to calm down soon enough. Applejack smiled proudly seeing Apple Bloom trying to help calm the traumatized stallion. Applejack's proud moment was interrupted by a certain Granny Smith calling from the top of the stairs.
"What in the hayseed is goin' on down there?!"
Granny Smith began to walk down the stairs towards the entrance to the living room. "Now, what are all ya youngins doin' here so early in the mor-" Granny paused as she noticed Abacus sitting in the living room. "Well, bless my apples! Abacus. How nice of ya ta visit.
"When did he get here, Applejack?"
"Since the night before last." Applejack said.
Granny Smith tilted her head. "The night before last? But how did he get here?"
Applejack sighed. "A long story, Granny."
The conversation was interrupted again, this time by a growling, rumbling sound. All of our eyes turned to Abacus, for the noise turned out to be none other than his stomach growling.
Abacus felt very embarrassed.
Applejack chuckled heartily. "Oh, Ah know that sound. Well, since y'all here, how's about we all have breakfast. Does pancakes sound good ta y'all?"
"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow Dash said.
Apple Bloom licked her lips. "Oh boy!"
"Yippee!" Pinkie Pie bounced with glee. "Pancakes! With cream, butter, and syrup!"
"How simply divine." Rarity said.
Big Mac smiled. "Eeyup."
Applejack nodded. "That's settled then."
Before long, we were enjoying a wonderful breakfast of hot, delicious smelling, homemade pancakes, with cream, butter, and syrup. We were all smiling, laughing, and enjoying themselves while eating, all except for Abacus. When he took the first bite of one of the pancakes on his plate, the delicious taste of them made him cry silently, for it had been the first real home cooked meal he had in a very long time. Apple Bloom and I noticed this, but did not say anything.
"Who's up for seconds?" Applejack asked.
"Oh, yes please." Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. "Heck, yeah!"
Pinkie Pie chewed loudly. "Abso-defi-posi-lutely!"
"Right then," Applejack said. "Be right back, y'all."
Applejack picked up some plates, and walked into the kitchen to make more pancakes. Apple Bloom soon walked in after Applejack.
About ten minutes later, Applejack and Apple Bloom came back with four more big serving plates of fresh, hot pancakes.
"Alright, everypony." Applejack put the four plates down. "Grubs up."
Just when we were about to dig in, we were all halted by a sudden knock at the front door.
"Now who could that be?" Applejack asked.
Applejack walked to the door, reached the door handle, and opened the front door. There, she came face to face with a dark grey unicorn mare, with a chocolate brown mane and tail, light brown eyes, and wearing black-framed glasses. Her cutie mark was of an opened eye that was the same color as her own eyes. With her was a human that he had been gone for three months.
"Is this the Apple Residence?" The unicorn mare asked with a serious look.
Applejack nodded. "Umm... yes ma'am. What can ah do ya for?"
The unicorn mare adjusted her glasses. "I'm looking for Abacus Sum. Is he here? I was told he's here."
Applejack glared at the unicorn mare. "Who wants ta know?"
The unicorn mare's horn began to glow as she magically levitated a badge in front of Applejack that looked like a police badge with a stern look. "Investigator detective Lawful Eye. That's who."
Before Applejack could respond, Twilight, who had come over to listen in, appeared from behind Applejack, realizing who it was.
"Hey! I know who you are. You're the investigator detective from Fillydelphia who got Abacus released from prison and cleared his name. I read about you in the paper yesterday."
"Are ya sure, Twi?" Applejack asked.
"Your friend is correct." Lawful Eye said.
Twilight smiled. "He's here inside, having breakfast."
"But Twilight..." Applejack started, but Twilight placed an assuring hoof on Applejack's shoulder.
"It's alright, Applejack," Twilight said. "I think we can trust her."
Applejack looked at Lawful Eye, and then looked back at Twilight, who gave her a confident nod. Though she was still untrusting towards the dark grey unicorn, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Come right on in." She said to Lawful Eye, stepping away to clear a way for her and a human to enter into the house.
Lawful Eye and the human walked right on in through the front door, and into the house. All of us in the living room turned our heads, and locked our eyes on the unicorn visitor. But what we were looking at was our friend that was gone for three months. It was Rantaro. Lawful Eye looked toward Abacus.
"Rantaro!" We all exclaimed happily.
"Hey guys!" He said. He went over to us and we hugged him.
"Abi!" Lawful Eye rushed over to Abacus, and embraced him. "Oh, Abi. I've been looking all over for you. I was so worried. Why did you run away?"
Abacus did not answer, he just lowered his head down depressingly. We all looked on, shocked, and surprised at someone in the police profession was acting so caring towards someone else. Fluttershy and Rarity looked at each other, and spoke quietly.
"Abi?" Fluttershy asked.
Rarity tilted her head. "Isn't that what Tiger Lily, and his mother called him?"
Twilight, hearing Fluttershy and Rarity's words, quickly paid no mind to it, as she came forward to Lawful Eye to explain.
"Abacus didn't want to show his face in public. He was afraid that the townsfolk would try to chase him out when he got out. So he went into hiding."
Lawful Eye turned to Abacus. "Is that true, Abi?"
Abacus sobbed "…yes."
"So how did you know Abacus was here?" Twilight asked.
Lawful Eye got up and turned to Twilight. "I came here on a suspicion he would come here. I just got here this morning, and went around town asking about him, until somepony told me about how a little filly was assaulted by him, and that he was hiding here."
"Little filly?" Apple Bloom said. "Ya must mean Scootaloo."
Lawful Eye raised an eyebrow. "Scootaloo?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah. She's my best friend. Or one of them anyways."
"And where is your friend?" Lawful Eye asked.
"Oh, she lives in town." Apple Bloom said.
Lawful Eye raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'd like to talk to this Scootaloo."
Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. "Hey, Rainbow. Do you think you could go, and get Scootaloo to come down here? We know how much she looks up to you."
Rainbow Dash saluted. "Sure. I'll just eat-up my next plate of pancakes, and I'll-"
Twilight pulled the closest plate full of pancakes away from Rainbow Dash with her magic.
"No. I mean right now."
Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration, and took her napkin off. "Alright, fine. I'll go. But save some pancakes for me when I get back."
Rainbow Dash began to fly above the others, and shot out the door with a loud "WHOOSH!", leaving a rainbow coloured trail behind her. Lawful Eye then took a seat where Rainbow Dash was previously sitting, and levitated the plate of pancakes with her magic.
"Do you mind?" Lawful Eye asked. "I didn't eat breakfast when I arrived here this morning. And these pancakes do smell delicious."
Applejack nodded. "Help yerself."
We continued to eat the pancakes, with Pinkie Pie stuffing her syrup, cream, and butter smothered face.
