I found my way to the kitchen eventually, helped along by my growing knowledge of the layout of the castle. Unfortunately, there was no chocolate powder to be found anywhere, nor any bottles for that matter. I had taken all of it for my son, except a precious few that Celestia had asked to keep as mementos.

... Mementos like that picture in her room.

I sighed a little as Celestia made her way back into my thoughts. Sure she didn't have any real reason to threaten me, but at least she had good intentions. She just wanted to protect her sister, who I guess I was in danger of hurting somehow. Just like Spike used to say I was doing to Twilight.

"Wait a minute, Spike used to say that about Twilight, and Twilight loves me... Now Celestia's saying that about Luna and..." I thought for a moment, on the very verge of discovering that intangible reason the goddess sisters both acted so strangely around me. The concept I arrived at was ridiculous though, and I threw it aside. "Nah, surely I would know if Luna liked me too. I mean I can't be THAT dumb."

"Yes you can." A deep, masculine voice said from off to my left. I jumped a bit and turned to look at another door as it opened to reveal a large dark brown stallion. His muscles were equal to those of Steel Boulder, he could be his brother.

"Geez, when the heck did you get here?!" I shouted in shock, ignoring the comment on my stupidity. The stallion was bandaged massively, particularly around his head and chest. He seemed to be walking fine though.

"I've been in the castle a few days now, only got to the kitchen long enough ago to hear your little talk about Luna and Twilight. Must say, you're quite the mare's mustang, huh?" the stallion leaned on the doorframe easily, despite the amount of pain his bandages led me to assume he was in.

"Who the fuck are you? I uhhh... Maybe I am?"

The stallion gave me a sort of half confused frown. "Come on, don't tell me you don't recognize your old buddy Steel!"

I blinked at the stallion a few times. "Steel Boulder is black. And we all know that means he can NEVER go back."

"Yeah, while I'm wearing my enchanted armor!" he scoffed. "All the guards wear enchanted armor to look the same. Sort of a... unity... thing. You didn't really think that there were that many stallions that looked EXACTLY the same, did you?"

My son gasped and tried to look over my arm at Steel when he heard his name. "Name! My name! He know my name!" Unity shouted excitedly. I struggled to keep him covered that way Steel didn't see him.

"Oh, that makes sense! Well it was nice talking to you guess I should be going now bye!" I tried to awkwardly stutter and stumble my way past him back into the halls, but he took up almost the entire width of the doorway. I would have had to force my way past him, and I didn't want to hit the bandaged stallion.

"Oh hey wait! Was that the colt from the article? Can I see him? I love kids." he asked eagerly, genuinely interested in seeing my son.

I raised Unity a bit higher to keep Steel from peeking at him. "Uh... no, and what article?"

Steel looked a little hurt but didn't press the matter. "You know, the interview you did a little while ago." Steel mumbled as he slumped down and out of my way a little. "It was the first exclusive interview ever gotten out of you! I think just about everypony has seen it by now..."

It took me a little while to remember what the heck he was talking about. So much had happened since the interview, but I remembered it eventually. "Awww dang it! I told her to not include him!"

"What's the matter?" Steel asked, a smirk slowly spreading across his face, "Got some dirty secret about him? Is he..." Steel looked left and right quickly, "Illegitimate?"

I tried not to burst into laughter at the vast understatement. "You could say that, yes. He's about as legitimate as Fluttershy's stash of hard liquor..."

Steel nodded smugly at my confirmation. "I knew you had some secret, every knight does. Don't worry, it's safe with me."

"Alright, thanks Steel..." I turned and returned my search to the cabinets. I looked everywhere, but there wasn't a spoonful of chocolate powder anywhere, nor had Celestia left any of the bottles behind in the cabinets.

"Well, I should probably get back to the medical ward. They don't really like it when I walk around. Say I need to rest to heal properly."

"Ok then, see you later dude." I responded distractedly with a nonchalant wave. I heard his hoofsteps echoing down the halls after he left. It wasn't until a few minutes after he left that I finally remembered Unity's secondary food source.

"Yummy!" Unity shouted with glee as I re-opened another drawer near the large sink. Sure enough, there were gems embedded in the handles of some of the silverware the princesses had. I looked from side to side nervously to see if anypony was watching.

"Well... I'm sure they won't miss just one..." I mumbled as I grabbed a spoon with a large red ruby. I bent the handle until the ruby popped out of the metal and popped it into Unity's mouth as fast as I could. I couldn't find any trash cans quickly enough, so I simply opened a window and threw the spoon out.

"Ow!" a voice shouted from somewhere far below. I flinched and decided it was a good time to make a hasty exit. I quickly walked out of the kitchen and rushed down a few hallways. After only a short walk, I turned to look behind me to make sure nopony was following me angrily.

*WHAM*

I found myself suddenly sitting on the floor in a daze. It felt like I had just run into a wall! My vision swam for a few moments, but once I could see clearly I discovered the real reason I had been knocked on my butt. Celestia was sitting across from me, looking considerably less dazed but no less confused.

"Oh crap! Sweet Jesus, please don't send us to the sun! I swear I can pay for the spoon!"

Celestia didn't look any less confused after I blurted out. "... What are you talki-- It doesn't matter. Look, we need to talk. Now."

I hadn't realized I was covering my head with my free arm, but I slowly dropped it and gave her a suspicious look. "Does this talk end on the sun?"

"What? No! Look, quit foaling around and follow me!" she snipped hastily. She stood and took off at full gallop down the hall.

I'll be honest, my first thought was to just ignore her and make my escape. Curiosity won over though, and I ended up sprinting down the hallway after her. "Hey, wait up!"

I can only imagine what it must have looked like to the ponies we passed on our way. The princess, running full-tilt down the halls with a very large man sprinting after her intently, wearing full armor with weapons strapped to his back. Whatever it looked like though, we ignored the confused stares of those we passed. Eventually we made it back to her room and I, against my better judgment, followed her in.

"Alright Celestia, what the hell do you want?" I snapped, having remembered I was mad at her during our run.

"I wanted to..." she started out slowly. "I'm trying to..." Celestia released a heavy sigh. "What I mean to say is..."

I rolled my eyes dramatically at her. "Just spit it out, I don't want to wait all day."

Celestia shot me an irritated glare. "Hey, don't think you have the right to be rude to me. I'm still a princess!"

"As you should have figured by now, I don't give a damn! Now tell me why you brought me here, especially after you had the audacity to treat me like you did before." I ordered huffily, placing Unity in a chair next to her little tea table so that I could cross my arms angrily. Unity looked up at me and made an angry face at Celestia too, mimicking my crossed arms as well.

Celestia glared at me and puffed out a few breaths before finally inhaling and seeming to calm down a bit. "I brought you here... to apologize."

"Bitch we ain't apologizing to you! Are you crazy? I'm not apologizing for what happened earlier! You had no right to--"

"I'm apologizing you oaf!" Celestia shouted. She inhaled deeply and pressed her forehooves to her head. I was just shocked enough to not be mad she called me oaf.

"Ah... By all means, go on then." I muttered.

"I... had no right to try and interfere with your relationship with Luna. I just... I was just trying to protect her." Celestia spoke slowly and with great effort. Despite how mad at her I had been before, I was smart enough to realize how much pride she was choking down to say these words. I sighed softly at her and took a seat next to my son.

"I guess I'm sorry too. I could have kept that from getting out of control, probably."

Celestia shook her head. "No no, it was my fault."

"Well... why do you feel you have to protect her from me anyway? Am I doing something wrong?" the thought that I might be hurting Luna wasn't a good one. I didn't want to hurt her any more than Celestia didn't want her hurt.

"No Sharky, you are doing everything right. Therein lies the issue. One day, when you grow old and die, it will break Luna's heart. That is a pain I wish for her to never feel."

I had to stop and consider that for a moment. That was a powerful thing to say. "S-surely she's gone through losing someone like me before right? I mean... she's immortal! It has to have happened before now."

"No Sharky, she has never been so close to anypony as she is to you."

"Wow... she must have been really sheltered." I had to wonder to myself, what kind of pony is so secluded they never even have friends?

"To be entirely honest, it is my fault. I kept my sister from becoming too close to anypony for her whole life... You slipped by me though. You showed up and stole her affection so quickly I didn't even know you had it."

Celestia's words made me blush a little. "I-I'm sure it's not quite like that..."

"Oh, but it is! When I first found out, I tried to make her doubt you by saying horrible things about you. You only wanted money, power... and to a degree I believed it myself. No matter what though, she never lost her faith in you. I see now that you are something else... a stallion worthy of my sister's heart."

I tilted my head at her. She was giving me a big smile. I was a little confused. Heart?

"You have my blessings to continue your romantic relationship with my sister."

"..." My eyes widened a bit. Romance a princess? Did she think I was crazy, or just plain stupid? "Umm... Luna and I are friends..." I informed her. Now that I realized Celestia thought I was dating Luna, it was a bit easier to understand why she was mad at me before. She was over-estimating the depth of Luna and I's relationship.

"... Ha ha ha, good one. Look, I'm giving you my blessings. It's okay to openly admit you two are in love now! I've even got a plan to make you im--"

"No no, we're really just friends Celestia. I'm touched you would let me date her, but Twilight is my marefriend now. I've got other mare problems too, Luna is just my friend..."

Celestia felt a cold sweat break out. Sharky didn't seem to be the kind for cruel jokes, and something in his voice made it absolutely clear he was dead serious.

"... Ohhhh dear..." Celestia muttered. "That's not good."

Heartbreak was one thing, but heartbreak coupled with rejection could seriously destroy Luna. She had to get Sharky for Luna. She couldn't believe the article about him and Twilight was true! She had assumed it was just slander and hoped Luna would believe it... He was the one! She knew it now! She also couldn't run the risk of her sister finding out that he didn't feel the same way about her though. Her sister was loveable, kind, sweet... maybe if Sharky just spent more time with her! Celestia suddenly put on a very broad smile.

"Of course you are! I was merely playing... but say, she gets awfully lonely. Think you could do me a favor and visit her more often? She doesn't have many friends, and I'm always so busy..."

I grinned with relief, I wouldn't mind that at all. "Sure Celestia, I can do that no problem."

"Uh oh." Unity said from beside me. I turned to look at him but Celestia stole my attention back when she started talking again.

"Oh, but don't use the word friend around her ok?"

"Why not?"

Celestia seemed to be thinking for a moment. She eventually sighed and just blurted out a response. "It's a mare thing! Just don't do it!"

Yikes, mare stuff. "Alright, you got it Celestia." I promised. I decided that was all there was really to say for now and stood up. "Well, my girls are probably wondering where I am by now. I should be going."

"Yes, run along then." Celestia agreed without losing her creepy smile. I grabbed Unity and slowly backed out of the room, a little creeped out.

Once Celestia was sure he was gone down the halls, she took off down the halls herself towards her sister's room.

She had to stop Luna from reading the article!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Curiosity had finally won out. Luna was holding the article her sister had given her. She couldn't bring herself to read it, she felt like she was betraying Sharky just by still having it. She sat there, holding it for a long time before she finally found the nerve to go on...

Author's Notes:

Holy fuck finally done. Sorry, I've been busy... shitty excuse I know, but it's hard for me to write nowadays. I need to be completely bored to get a good writing rhythm going. Without school, and after discovering Steam, these times are more and more rare. I'm removing myself from all games for a while though, so hopefully I can write at a rate that isn't MONTHS long.