Author's Notes:

Apologies for the delay, but I hope you found it worthwhile

Galen woke the next morning in the predawn light feeling strong and energetic. Oh, the wonders a glorious meal of beef can do. He practically leaped from his bed from the force he got up with and stepped lightly over to his clothes. He dressed quickly and found his way outside of the quarters he was given and found a pegasus maid in a rather flattering uniform humming merrily as she dusted a vase likely worth more than his entire forge was to cost. He did a bit of a double take and found himself flushing slightly as she swayed her hips as she went about her chores. It must be the uniform, he thought ruefully.

“Mornin' miss,” he hailed with a broad smile. “Do yew know who Ah have ta hunt down fer mah breakfast?”

She chuckled a little nervously at his comment, though she smiled at his enthusiastic attitude. “If you'll give me a moment, I'll pass word along to the kitchens and have someone come along to guide you to the dining room when everything is ready.”

“Thanks, Missy,” he said cheerily. He paused a moment as he pondered a thought. “Say, yew don't mind if Ah go get lost in tha castle fer a bit? Ah'd like ta take a gander 'round tha place an' see what Ah stumble across.”

She shook her head with a laugh, “Not at all, sir. We'll be able to find you easily enough, even if you can't find your own self in here. Just be careful of the objects you see on display. It would be a tragedy if something were to happen to one of them.”

“Got ya,” he replied with a broad grin. “Ah'll see ya 'round.” With that, he set off down the hall, passing Celestia's chambers where she was just getting up herself, yawning widely and blinking away the fog of sleep. She had decided to indulge herself and sleep a little extra that morning after she raised the sun. She didn't let herself do it often unless she led by example, as she often did by pure accident, and made sleeping in later than usual a social trend.

Galen had absolutely no idea where to go and even less of an idea as to what he would find, but that was of little consequence to someone accustomed to striking out on his own and forging his own path. He took a narrow staircase on his right and followed it down three flights before emerging into a well lit cobbled courtyard. He glanced around and saw a few doors leading off to parts unknown and decided to take the one on his left that led into a tower that was connected to the main castle by sheltered walkways set at every other floor. Once he entered it, he found himself turning right and walking down a slightly dim hallway that followed the outer wall. There wasn't much of beauty or grandeur here, but he didn't mind that in the least.

As he walked, he took the next staircase he found up one level and into a vast library rising level upon level thick with the smell of old paper and parchment thick in the air and lit by flame-less orbs of light. He restrained a loud sneeze, and walked out onto the thickly carpeted floor. He had a healthy appreciation for reading, but would likely find nothing that he would or could understand here, so he looked around for the exit to the walkway he saw from above and made his way to a thickly paneled door and opened it to the brighter outside and shut it behind him before crossing and made his way back inside the castle.

He looked around and jumped slightly when he found Luna not even a pace away from him. She chuckled and gave him a little grin. “Out and about early this morning, Galen?”

“Jus' explorin' a bit,” he replied as his heart slowed down a bit. “What about yew?”

“I was on my way to the Royal Archives to return a book before breakfast,” she replied, a book levitating at her side evident as she waved it about to show him. “If you would give me but a moment, I would be more than happy to accompany you on your wanderings.”

“If yew want to,” he replied with a thankful smile at her offer. She was quite different than her sister and Galen wouldn't mind getting to know her better as well.

“Of course,” Luna said with a little smile, making her way by Galen and through the door he just came in through. He waited for a few minutes before Luna came back through and smiled at him with a wave of a foreleg. “After you, dauntless trailblazer,” she said with a little grin. Galen snorted with a roll of his eyes and took off at a familiar, ground eating pace. He knew he wouldn't have too much longer to wait until one of the staff would find him and be his escort to breakfast, so he wanted to make his time wandering worth it. Luna kept pace with him at a brisk pace, almost a trot and she looked over to him with a raised eyebrow. “Whatever is your rush? You didn't flip the skirt of one of our maids, did you?”

Galen laughed at that. “Nope. Jus' tryin' ta get as good of a look at tha castle as Ah can before Ah head out into tha city proper. Doin' tha whole tourist thing before Ah head back ta Ponyville since Ah don' know when Ah'll make it back up.”

“I see,” she replied, happy that Galen could take a joke. She would have to make it a point to get to know him better as he seemed like such an amiable fellow. “Would you care to see the Royal Glade?”

Galen thought it over for all of one second before nodding with a grin and motioned for her to lead the way. Luna grinned and gave a little laugh as she broke into a canter, grinning over her shoulder as Galen took a couple seconds to realize he was being left in her dust. As soon as he noticed that, he growled with a fierce grin and broke out his loping sprint that quickly closed the gap to Luna's surprise. Feeling her competitive spirit rise to the occasion, she broke into a full gallop and laughed loudly at the thrill, her shod hooves thundering like a crystal bell on the marble. Despite her galloping, Galen kept pace. One didn't hunt deer in the wild without being able to chase it down properly after feathering it. That was a great way to both go hungry and lose a potentially recoverable arrow.

Luna was greatly surprised that Galen could keep pace, so she felt that she needed an edge to ensure her absolute victory and brought her wings into play, using them to propel herself forward. Galen tried to keep up, but he simply couldn't match the velocity Luna was pouring on. She suddenly banked a hard left at the t-intersection, flapping her wings to compensate for her speed. Galen was not so lucky on the other hand. He had been watching Luna like a wolf on the hunt and hadn't noticed the intersection coming up, so when she suddenly turned his own response was delayed slightly and he couldn't slow down enough to safely make the turn. He leaned as far to his left as he could and tried to keep as much traction as possible, but it was all in vain as the sole of his right boot slipped on the polished marble and sent him sliding hard along the floor and into the wall with a loud 'oof!'

Luna looked over her shoulder at the sound and skidded to a halt as quickly as she possibly could and sped to his side. “Galen! Are you okay?”

He groaned in pain as he shifted around and glanced about dizzily. “Ugh...” he replied as he settled back on his elbows and his eyes finally settled on her. “Tha' probably wasn' tha best idea.”

“Are you hurt?” Luna pressed, worried that he had possibly broke or sprained something in his accident.

“Jus' mah ass an' pride,” he said with a wince as he moved to stand up. “Kinda hit tha floor hard, but tha's tha worst of it.”

“Oh,” Luna replied, relieved that he was okay. “Maybe we should walk the rest of the way.”

“Migh' be a good idea,” he said with a smirk. “Don' know if mah can can take any more abuse like tha'.”

Luna giggled and smiled widely at that. “It has been a long time since anypony has given me a run for my money. Maybe we could make sport of it in the future?”

“Migh' be fun,” he replied with a grin as they started walking down the hallway again, Galen walking with a slight limp due to his bruised 'ego.' “Haven't been as active as Ah'd like lately, so Ah wouldn't mind a good run here or there, but Ah'll be goin' back ta Ponyville later today which migh' put a bit of a damper on it.”

“Not to worry, Galen,” she said with a little grin. “It would be nothing but a short trip by wing for me.”

“Ah guess if yer okay with it, then Ah am too,” he replied with a half smile at her willingness to make things work just to have a bit of fun.

“It's settled, then!” Luna exclaimed happily. “I look forward to it!”

Galen chuckled at her enthusiasm and wondered if she would take it amiss if she were to find out the real reason why he was such an adept runner. He shook the thought from his head as head and followed Luna through the halls. It didn't take them long to reach their destination and Galen was not disappointed in the slightest. As they walked outside, they entered a slightly misty forest glade with knee high grass glittering with dew and trees that towered above. There was a slightly chill atmosphere reserved for those almost magical areas found in forests that would have been around for hundreds of years. The silence was that of nature, the gentle rustling of leaves in an almost imperceptible breeze, the scratching of a squirrel as it ran from one branch to another and the flutter of wings as a bird took wing.

“This is amazing,” he said quietly so that his disturbing the silence would be minimal.

“I know,” she said quietly as well, though she wore a little smile. “Tia was the one who wanted to keep this glade intact, so she built around it in a manner as to not stunt its ability to thrive and cast a spell so that all of the light that would naturally fall upon this place still does despite the proximity of the castle walls. If you look in the distance, you can see a tiny little brook as well.”

Galen looked in the direction she pointed and saw the slight shimmer of light on water through the faint mist. Galen smiled as he found his favorite place in the entire castle and turned to Luna. “Thanks fer showin' me this, Luna,” he said in a gentle rumble. “It's amazing.”

She smiled slyly back at him with a smug, knowing expression on her face before moving deeper into the glade with a flick of her head. Galen followed wordlessly, his steps barely rustling the grass as old habits surfaced in this place. They walked between the trees for a few minutes until a rather massive oak began to reveal itself, silver edged leaves swaying slightly and branches spread in a natural display of might and majesty. As they came closer Galen guessed that its top branch stood over sixty feet in height from its thick, gnarled trunk. Back when this whole area was a forest, this tree would have been nothing more than a scrawny sapling. Now it was the king of this glade.

Galen was in awe of its majesty. In all his years, he had only seen one other tree to match this one in size and glory. Sadly, it was dying when he saw it, either from old age or some reason unknown to him. He had never returned to its resting place because if he did, he knew he'd likely cry like a baby at its inevitable loss to the world and he would be the only one who knew of it. Now, standing under this trees boughs, he was filled with unadulterated joy at seeing what could likely have been its twin thriving in this magical world where such wonders were hidden away and kept safe.

“I take it you're enjoying yourself?” Luna asked in a rather smug tone. Galen didn't say anything as he made his way over to the tree and sat down with its trunk to his back, a smile of contentment on his face. Luna smiled to see her new friend so happy at such a thing. She remembered Lero simply being in awe of the tree his entire time here, able to appreciate its conservation and beauty but unable to really connect with it like Galen did.

“Very much so,” he said in an odd tone that Luna had rarely ever heard before and couldn't place off the top of her head.

“What has you troubled?” she asked, worried that something might be amiss.

Galen looked at her in utter confusion. “Nothin'. Nothin' at all.”

“But you sounded so odd a moment ago,” she replied.

“Odd?” he said, his head tilted to the side as he thought about how he felt. “Ah was at peace.”

“Peace?”

“Yeah,” he said with a little smile at her confusion. “Peace. Righ' now, Ah'm not worried about a single thing. Sure, Ah have a lot goin' on an' a lot more ta be about, but righ' now? Ah'm jus' content ta sit under tha shade o' this tree.”

“I see,” she said as she moved to join him at the base of the tree. She sat down and tried to find what it was that he found under it to be at peace about. She looked around the area, the grass stretching out into the modest distance and into the swirling mist in gloom between the trees. A soft breeze came down and disturbed the treetops and rustled like the breaking of waves on a distant shore with the smell of life strong in the air. Luna didn't get it.

Galen looked over at Luna askance. “Not doin' it fer ya?”

“I guess it has its appeal, but I only find myself coming here to find a quiet place to think or to just show off Bartholomew.”

“Who now?” he asked in utter confusion. Luna looked up to the tree above them. “Oh.” he said lamely before he thought about it. Then he started chuckling and then laughing great belly laughs that had Luna worried.

“What? What's so funny?” she asked with a confused expression. When he didn't respond for a time, Luna took on a pouty expression for being ignored when she really wanted to know. Eventually, Galen settled down and wiped a tear of mirth from the edge of an eye.

“Hoo... Tha's rich,” he said as a couple chuckles interrupted him. “Yer sister's got a funny sense o' humor.”

“How's that?” she asked with narrowed eyes, still a bit peeved.

“Tha name, it means 'son o' fertile land,'” he said with a huge grin at the literalness of the name. Luna took it in and found herself sharing a laugh at it as well, her mood lightening now that she knew what was so funny. She didn't think her sister had such a strange, literal naming sense as well. Luna had just thought that the names were kinda cute in a old fashioned kind of way.

Their time was cut short under the tree, however, as Galen spotted Celestia walking calmly between the trees, looking about. She spotted them finally and made her way over to them.

“I see you're enjoying the shade under Bartholomew,” she said with an warm smile.

“Yeah,” Galen replied with a grin. “Yer not so little 'son o' fertile land.'”

“You know what his name means?” she asked in surprise.

“Knew a Bartholomew back home,” he replied. “He was older than dirt an' a farmer born an' raised there. When he hit seventy, he was still strong enough ta throw a log at tha festival competitions. Still couldn't beat tha old coot ta this day.”

“That's... rather impressive,” Celestia said with raised eyebrows.

“No kiddin',” Galen said with a snort.

“So, are you two ready for breakfast?”

“I would have to say so, sister,” Luna said with a little flush as her stomach chose that moment to punctuate her statement with a rather unladylike rumble.

“Ah could go fer tha rest o' tha' roast beef,” Galen said with a chuckle as he got up a little stiffly from his bruise.

“Then let us be on our way,” Celestia said with a smile.

When they returned inside and had started making progress down one of the halls, Galen spoke up, “So what were yew doin' in tha Glade?”

“Well, one of the staff reported to me that you two had gone in a while ago,” she replied. “For some reason, they generally don't like to go into the Glade unless it's absolutely necessary.”

“Weird,” Galen said with a tilt of his head. Luna chortled at that with a grin. After that, they made their way to the same room where they had eaten the previous night, golden light streaming through the crystal clear windows and glittering off of the crystal goblets and silverware. They each took a seat, Luna sitting at the head of the table so the light wouldn't bother her eyes with the windows at her back. They waited only a couple moments and the staff came bustling in, bright eyed and radiating a low grade aura of happiness before they quickly found their places set and meals uncovered for their enjoyment.

“So, what plans did you have today, Galen?” Celestia asked a few minutes into their meal, once their initial hunger pangs were seen to.

“Was gonna check with Hard Edge ta see if Ah can get supplied through tha Forge an' Foundry,” he replied with a tilt of his head. “Then Ah was gonna head out on tha town an' do a little sight seein'. Gotta find tha' griffon place Leera was talkin' about an' bring 'im back some bacon.”

“I don't think you have to worry about Hard Edge,” Celestia said with a smile. “After you were indisposed of, I returned to the Forge to retrieve your hammer and asked him what he thought of your talent. He was quite pleased by your aptitude in all the implements you created and was more than willing to sell you any tools, implements and metal stock you may need.”

“Tha's great ta hear,” he said with a relieved sigh, some of the tension visibly leaving his frame. “Ah didn't want ta buy from any o' tha other places since their cost was a good bit more than here. Wouldn't even wanna think 'bout tha price of a four pound flatter if their stock was five bits more on average fer ten five pound ingots.”

“That is one of the advantages you have as a Royal Minter and friend of the Crown, after all,” she said with a smile. “Not many individuals can buy from us as we use most of the stock produced here in the production of weapons, armor and miscellaneous projects required to upkeep the rail ways and other necessary products.”

“Ta be honest, Twilight mentioned it, so Ah sent a letter askin' about it,” he replied.

“Ah, yes, I received word from Twilight about your project and smoothed the way a little bit for you,” she replied with a slightly guilty expression. “It was before our little encounter at Applejack's farm and I didn't want you to run into any major hardships getting yourself established. At that time I had no idea that your favor was to borrow some money from me for that very purpose and didn't want you to feel as though I was trying to win your good graces through favors.”

“Hey, enough 'bout tha',” Galen said a bit gruffly. “Yew owned up ta it an' done is done. Ain't no use bringing up something tha's been settled.”

“Thank you again for forgiving me, even if it came about in a rather unorthodox manner,” she said with a grin. Galen just nodded with a grin of his own.

“What happened between you two?” Luna asked, her curiosity rising quickly. As she waited on a response, she sipped on her orange juice.

“Nothing of any great import,” Celestia replied. “It's been settled and forgotten as Galen has said.”

“Ah decked yer sister,” he said in a flat voice. Luna choked and spluttered on her orange juice, a look of utter shock and surprise widening her eyes comically. Celestia facehooved and Galen chuckled as he ate another mouthful of his roast beef while Luna recovered.

“W-what?!”

“Broke 'er jaw an' straight up shattered a few teeth too,” he replied with an odd tone of satisfaction. Celestia simply sighed and took a large bite out of a multi-grain muffin slathered in melted butter. Luna looked between the two with a look of utter astonishment, Galen happily eating his roast and Celestia with a mildly chagrined expression bordering on grumpy.

“Why would you do such a thing!?”

“I was the one at fault, dearest sister,” Celestia cut in. “I would rather not dwell on my own shortcomings when handling new and potentially dangerous beings coming into our world when I'm unsure of their general disposition. My diplomacy comes up a bit short when something, or in this case, someone, suddenly appears and is heavily armed.”

“Ah was kinda decked out in mah survival gear, so Ah don' really blame yew, but there are some things yew simply shouldn't do,” he said in a level rumble.

“I think I learned that lesson succinctly, thank you very much,” she said primly. “Now, moving on to other things, why don't I arrange for a guide for you for when you go out? Wouldn't want you to be later for the train just because you got yourself lost. What time were you planning on leaving anyway?”

“Tha' would be much appreciated,” he replied with a thankful nod and smile. “Ah was thinkin' 'bout leavin' on tha first train after lunch so Ah could drop by tha contractors an' get tha ball rollin' on construction sooner rather than later.”

“That reminds me,” Celestia said after a short pause. “The royal architect was quite happy to provide her services in helping you make the most of your materials.”

“Ah'll drop by after breakfast,” he said with a wave of his knife. “Ah can jus' find mah own way since yew got things ta be abou'.”

“Are you sure? It wouldn't take too much time out of my schedule,” Celestia replied.

“Ah'm sure,” he said after swallowing another bite of beef. “Yew ain't gotta fret over me an' give me tha royal treatment.” Luna giggled at that around her own mouthful of food.

“Alright,” she said with a smile. “But before you go, I have something for you and Lero. I thought that you would enjoy yours, especially since you seem so active and Lero might appreciate his since it looks like he might have trouble incorporating a second feather into his braid.”

“Oh?” Galen said, curious as to what it was that she had dusted off for him and Lero. “In tha' case, let me thank you in advance.”

“Don't think anything of it,” she replied cheerfully. “I think the original owners would much rather see their items in use instead of collecting dust in a store room.”

Galen snorted at that and gave a wry smile, “Ah suppose tha's true enough.”

After that, silence reigned supreme as they demolished the remainder of their meals. Luna made her farewells as she turned in for the day while Celestia had Galen wait in the dining room. He didn't have long to wait as she returned a few minutes later with a pair of items floating in tow. “This,” she said as she levitated a necklace crafted out of a silvery-blue metal with a modestly sized engraved pendant of silver hanging from a link before her, “was a gift from an enchanter from centuries ago. He was a unicorn who, surprisingly enough, defied the usual established herding practices and fell in love with mares of a completely separate tribe because he found his unicorn suitors far too pompous. He ended up loving not two or three pegasi, but five all told. He loved each and every one of them equally and felt that if he were to braid any of their feathers into his mane would be the same as placing one above the rest due to the order, so he came up with this pendant.

“He thought that if he could keep all of their feathers in a place close to his heart that it would show not only them, but any who looked on that he loved openly and equally among all the mares who shared his heart. I think that Lero has finally come to the same place that he was and shares his heart unreservedly between his three wives. So, with Twilight's rising to the ranks of royalty, I do not think that Lero would want to make either feel as though one were more important to him than the other and would appreciate this gift greatly.”

“Ah'm sure 'e would,” Galen said with a smile. He wasn't particularly one for sappy stories like that, but he could appreciate a man wanting to make sure all all the women he loved knew that they were important to him.

“Now, your gift is much simpler in story,” Celestia said with a chuckle as she levitated forward a small pouch that was reminiscent of a messenger bag. It had five strips of flexible metal inscribed with various symbols on the top flap and a thick canvas strap held in place by a well worn buckle. “I actually made this item myself for a rather bold adventurer. He was an earth pony cartographer who wanted to be the first to map the entirety of our world and sought my approval for his venture. It would be the work of decades for him to explore beyond the edges of the maps the previous kingdoms had made. To ensure that he would never be without sustenance, tools or shelter, I made this for him.

“Reach in and you will be able to pull out whatever you want, as long as you have put it in to begin with. Food will not spoil, nor water become foul and nothing will contaminate anything else. Peel off a metal strip and place it on the ground to have it turn into a small tent that can weather all but the most severe storms. It can heat or cool itself at a thought to provide respite in any climate. To convert it back, simply push firmly on one of the sides of the tent while thinking about packing it up and it will revert back to one of the strips you see. I hope that you can put it to good use since I remember you saying that you enjoy going out into the wilderness for extended periods of time.”

“Tha's a mighty fine gift, Celestia,” he said with a wide grin. “Ah'm sure Ah'll get plenty o' use out of it. So each o' those strips can become a tent?”

“Indeed they do,” she replied with a grin. “I had the forethought to include more than one in case he had any companions who could use any succor they could get.”

“If they were travelin' like yew say, Ah'm sure they could use all tha' they could get,” Galen said with a hearty chuckle that Celestia joined in as well. “Still, these're amazin' gifts an' Ah thank you very much, Celestia.”

“I'm certain that the two of you will be able to appreciate these gifts and put them to good use,” she said as she floated the pair closer so that he could take them. As he did, he sucked in a quick breath as he felt the hand holding his gift warm suddenly before a flash of heat washed over his body with a faint pressure that dissipated faster than it had appeared. He let his breath out slowly and wondered if he would ever have a normal reaction to something magical. First his charm-knife that had picked up some kind of charge and now this.

He shook his head with a little smile and said, “Ah'll be sure ta take good care o' this an' make sure ta tell Leera 'bout 'is gift too.” Celestia nodded and smiled her thanks. “But, if Ah'm ta get anythin' done today, Ah should really be 'bout it.”

“Of course,” she said as she took a step to the side to let Galen through. He made his way back to his rooms, gathered his bits and hammer and left again in search of the architect. He found his way there after roughly twenty minutes of wandering and general directions from the palace staff. The visit was surprisingly short as after he had introduced himself, the mare had him immediately sketch his designs out and took the reigns. She quickly and efficiently drew out another set of blueprints that had him baffled in how easily she managed them. As she neared finishing, a stray thought about the heat siphons used in the forge came to mind and about how they were used to heat the water for the entire castle. He asked her if she could add designs for a medium sized cistern for said use as well as plans for a small bath house as well. He'd have to send a message back to his supplier for more wood and stone, but felt that the extra expense would be more than worth it since he had saved so much anyway.

With a pleased smile, Galen left the architects offices with his blueprints in a sealed tube that he dropped in the new bag Celestia had given him and watched in wonder as it simply fell away into nothingness. He reached inside with a thought for the same tube and felt it rise to meet his reaching hand before letting it go again. This was going to be handy. Galen grinned and strode purposefully as he sought the exit. He found it after getting lost a couple times, somehow even finding his way by complete accident into the mares changing room which he left promptly along with several shrill shrieks and laughter at his expense. After that, he was politely escorted by a grinning mare who had took pity on him and chased after him to help. She also took the opportunity to tease him mercilessly the whole time by flirting shamelessly and sashaying her hips seductively. By the time he walked through the front gates, he felt as though his head had been boiled and wondered if his ears were still red.

With a cough to clear his throat, he asked one of the two guard ponies which way to the griffon restaurant in the ambassadorial quarter and was pointed down the street that was parallel to the castle wall. With a quick thanks to the obliging guard, he made his way down the street and wove between ponies going about their own errands. It didn't take too long for Galen to notice the impressive domiciles of the foreign dignitaries. They were rather hard to miss as not a one was under six stories tall with intimidating guards of several different races standing watch at the entrances.

With no further clues to go on, he took the next logical step and looked for the griffons. They weren't particularly hard to spot as they wore plate caps that sculpted to their heads while a mixture of leather and chain mail protected the other sections of their bodies. He was pretty impressed in the manner they presented outward and decided that a direct approach would be most useful. He walked up to them and they turned to address him.

“What business do you have with the ambassador, creature?” the one on the left asked when he was close enough.

“Not a thing,” Galen replied. “Ah was wonderin' if one o' yew knew where this fancy restaurant was located that catered to us meat eaters.”

“What do we look like, guides?” the right guard replied sarcastically. “Go ask somewhere else.”

“Now, now,” Galen said in a deeper tone, letting some hardness leech into his face and speech. “Tha' ain't no way ta go 'bout treatin' a tourist. Ah was jus' askin' ta be pointed in tha righ' direction an' Ah'll be on mah way.”

“Too bad,” the guard replied as he took a bold step forward. “Now get on your way before we arrest you for loitering outside of a diplomats residence.”

Galen knew it would be a bad idea to get into a scuffle here and land himself in a cell. So instead, he drew on the same body language, tone and emotion he used when faced with a dangerous predator. As he lurched down to eye level with a growl and made direct eye contact with his tormentor, he felt a stirring somewhere in the pit of his stomach and a small wave of heat washed through him before it snuffed out a second later. The guard, whose bravado immediately vanished as he backed up an involuntary step, squawked awkwardly and hunkered himself down in submission with a look of fear plainly on his face. “Yer ambassador mus' be a real piece o' work if yer tha sort tha' 'e hires. Ah'm sure 'e's jus' as petty, mean spirited an' vindictive as yew are an' Ah feel sorry fer yer people if this is tha best ya have ta show tha other nations how willing ya are ta even offer up even a single speck of common decency. So yew can jus' go get bent an' bugger yer bedfellow ya sodding cuntnugget. Ah'll jus' go find tha damn restaurant on mah own.”

With that, he stood up and all traces of his foul mood disappeared with a falsely bright smile. “'Ave a good day, now,” he said mockingly cheerily to the guards who both had cowered from his display. As he turned, he noticed that he had drawn a crowd of onlookers who all wore looks of either scandalous shock at his words or were outright laughing at the pairs public humiliation. Galen shrugged nonchalantly and strode off down the street through the crowd that parted easily for him. As he made his way, he chuckled to himself and wondered if he'd get in trouble for that later. Oh well. He'd deal with it when it happened. He had a crowd of onlookers to provide any testimony he needed after all.

“Hey traveler,” a slightly rough voice called out from across the street. Galen stopped and turned to look at a lazy looking minotaur that was leaning against the gate post. He was dressed in a simple loin cloth and had a red velvet quarter cape covering his right shoulder. His build wasn't exceptionally bulky, but neither was he any pushover, especially with a pair of dark gray horns curving almost gracefully over his brow. “That was pretty impressive, but I wouldn't recommend being caught out alone after dark. Ambassador Black Wing's an honorable sort, but his guards tend to forget their basic training soon enough when they land this easy gig and let their power go to their heads unless he yanks on their leashes. So, unless you're on his 'untouchables' list, you should stay clear of the local bars where the griffons go to unwind unless you're looking for a scuffle.” He looked Galen over for a brief moment. “Not that you would be in too much trouble even if the odds were two to one.”

“Thanks, stranger,” Galen replied with a nod and a smirk. “Any chance yew know where tha' fancy griffon restaurant is? Ah'm lookin' ta pick up some odds 'n ends without too much hassle.”

“Keep going down the way you were going and you'll find it on the right side of the plaza at the overlook,” he replied.

“Thanks,” he said as he crossed the street and offered his hand in greeting. Their hands met, tested each others grip and parted respectful for each others strength.“Name's Galen.”

“Ambassador Steel Heart,” he replied with a smug smile and a chuckle as he watched Galen's expression turn from pleasantly happy at the turn of events to embarrassed shock. “Don't look so surprised, Galen. You did know you were in our quarter after all, so you should have at least expected to see one of us here.”

“Yeah,” he conceded. “But Ah din't think Ah'd be askin' one fer directions.”

Steel Heart laughed at that with a smile. “You should have seen the expressions of the bar regulars when they finally found out who I was. They practically ran for their lives, thinking they were going to go to jail for drinking with an emissary.”

Galen snorted and felt his mild shock drift away at his new acquaintances sense of humor. “How's tha toss 'ere in Equestria? Any good?”

“If by 'toss' you mean alcohol, it's not too bad,” he replied. “I'm rather fond of Sweet Apple Acres' ten year reserve brandy. Costs you a horn a glass, but it's most definitely worth it.”

“Ha! Ah'm livin' there righ' now!”

“You're kidding me!” he said in utter astonishment. “You're a lucky son of a dog, aren't you?”

“Yew could say tha', though Ah'll have ta ask Jack 'bout tha' reserve o' 'ers,” Galen said conspiratorially, a sly grin on his face.

“Hey, mind if I tag along with you for a bit? It's worse than Tartarus in this damned estate and you seem to have an interesting tale to tell,” Steel Heart asked, eager to hear Galen's story.

“Ah don' mind,” he replied. “Jus' grabbin' some stuff from tha' place an' wanderin' tha streets until tha one o'clock train back ta Ponyville.”

“One sec,” Steel said with a quick grin as he jogged back to the front door, opened it and yelled, “I'M GOING OUT FOR A WHILE! DON'T BURN THE PLACE DOWN AGAIN OR SO HELP ME I'LL TAN YOUR HIDES!!!” He jogged back and smiled a slightly embarrassed smile at his expression. “It's the kids, you see. They burned the place down by accident. Twice.”

“Twice?”

“Twice.” Steel Heart rubbed the back of his head. “I'm ready when you are.” Galen just nodded slightly with an unsure smile and turned to continue walking, this time with Steel Heart at his side. “So... Tell me, Galen, how'd you get here and what have you gotten yourself into since then?”

Steel Heart had a good appreciation for Galen's story as he told it while going about his quest for bacon and then through the surrounding area to do a little sight seeing. Steel was even able to sympathize with the general culture shock, though he was able to acclimate to it through short amounts as he had come with his father on occasion to Equestria when he had held the same position. Eventually, Steel followed in his fathers hoofsteps and became an ambassador as well. By the end of Galen's story, Steel Heart had even asked if he could come down to visit his forge once it was finished and see the quality of his work to which Galen welcomed him wholeheartedly. He even offered to treat him to some cider as he doubted he'd have his microbrewery producing anything by then. That definitely had Steel more than eager to make the trip.

By the time noon rang out from the many local bell towers, they both felt that they had started the beginnings of a great friendship and Steel offered to help Galen back to the train station so he wouldn't get lost and miss his train. Galen accepted his offer without a second thought and hoped that Steel would make it home without finding his palatial home smoldering. They crossed the distance to the train station in relatively short order which left Galen with roughly twenty minutes to leave after he got his ticket, so he glanced around for a few touristy things to spend a few bits on for himself and his friends.

For himself, he settled on a set of decorative spoons that displaying the various sights one could see in the town for himself and vowed to see them all the next time he came up to Canterlot. For Lero and his herd, because of the help and friendship that they so freely offered, got them each a blown glass ornament of Canterlot Castle that had an enchantment that constantly gave off a slightly golden glow. For Applejack, he found a dusty silver hair pin with a patinated copper representation of Equestria that had a “Earth Fair, 900 A.B.” logo in a stylish block text. Pinkie Pie was harder for him to pick out, but felt it was worth his while to find something for the mare that somehow managed to pull an entire town together to celebrate his arrival to their world. He was almost late getting to his train, but felt that he had spent his time well as he found a wooden figurine of a painted clown pony who gave the world at large a massive smile that Galen couldn't help but return as a tiny smirk even though he was in such a rush. He was juggling with three balls of varying colors while standing atop a ball that served as his pedestal, almost seeming to be on the verge of moving when seen from the corner of his eye. Shelling out the eighteen bits in a rush as soon as the total rang up on the register he tossed his items into his new bag and bolted from the store, rushing madly for the train and swinging aboard as the first chug of its steam engine began to move forward. He handed his ticket to the conductor who gave a long suffering sigh and smile before taking a chunk out of it with his punch and moved off to confirm the other passengers fares.

Galen found a vacant seat and sat down roughly before he smiled contentedly at what he thought would be thoughtful gifts, even if they were gaudy or odd. He thought about his time in Canterlot, getting to know Luna, finding out about Celestia's silly naming sense and even his strange reaction to seeing mares in clothing. That may take some time getting used to, but he will admit that they looked pretty damn cute. Especially when they were undressing. He felt a blush creeping up his neck and forced his thoughts to his new friend Steel Heart, the down to earth ambassador. Steel Heart seemed like a down to earth fellow and was a family man (bull?) to boot. At least he had met someone else to potentially hobnob around with that seemed to appreciate the efforts he invested in forging something of quality.

To be honest, it came as something of a surprise that he nodded off on the return trip to Ponyville. Especially since he was almost certain that a certain pink mare would be waiting for him on his return.

Galen walked off the train with a light yawn. He had dozed for most of the return trip and woke easily enough when the conductor came around announcing the stop. He was pretty sure that he'd need another nap if he was to make anything productive done. With that in mind, he took the easy route out. He dropped by the contractors with his vastly improved blueprints and let them know about the additions of the cistern and bath house. He told them to request the additional materials in his name to the same wholesaler and to forward the charges to him when the additional charge came due. Finally finished with all his most pressing matters, Galen made his way back to Sweet Apple Acres.

The trip passed in a slight fog as his want for sleep got the better of him so, when he entered the front door, he wasn't prepared for the sight that he found waiting for him. There, a couple paces in front of him stood Applejack and Pinkie Pie, slightly leaning against each others shoulders. Now, that wouldn't be much of anything to think twice about, but what they were wearing certainly was. They were both dressed up as maids, the only difference between their outfits being their cutie marks embroidered on their bonnets, and had vibrant blushes dusting their cheeks as they looked up at him. They smiled and fidgeted on their hooves in a way that Galen could only describe as cute. It took a moment for Galen's mind to fully comprehend what he was seeing and felt the same flushing embarrassment from earlier that day when he had walked in on the mares' changing room in the Castle.

When Galen came through the front door, Applejack and Pinkie Pie felt a surge of nervous panic. It had taken some rather inventive explanations for Big Mac to get why they were dressing up the way they were, but Granny and Apple Bloom were on board from the start as Bloom loved a good prank and Granny saw right away what they were trying to do. So, there he was, standing in the doorway for a long moment before he flushed a deep red from the base of his neck to the beginning of his hairline. Even the tips of his ears turned red. They almost couldn't help themselves as laughter bubbled up within them fighting with the urge to rush him with hugs because it was so adorable seeing him so vulnerable. Galen on the other hand didn't think it was quite that funny. He choked out a noise that could only be considered panicked surprise before he turned around and stood stiffly, wondering what in the world was going on.

“What's the matter, master?” Applejack asked in her polished accent. Galen twitched slightly at that. “Are you not happy to return home?”

“It seems as though he's peaked from his travels~,” Pinkie said in a slightly breathy tone that seemed to trail a finger lightly down the back of his neck. It made him shiver involuntarily despite the warmth in his face. “Perhaps we should help him to his bed so that he can recover~?”

“That may be for the best,” Applejack replied. She walked forward and stopped just behind him. “Now, come along to bed. We wouldn't want you coming down with something just because of some travel fatigue.” With that, Applejack moved to his side and took a hand in her mouth, Pinkie quickly copying her. Galen almost jumped out of his boots when he felt Applejack's soft, warm lips close around his hand. They were very warm and surprisingly dry as they wrapped around a couple fingers. Pinkie's lips were slightly warmer but no less soft as they closed around his other hand.

With his mind well and truly derailed, first by his want for sleep followed quickly by this rather odd turn of events, he simply let himself be led along. They turned him around and led him by the hands back to his room where his bed had already been turned down. They took him to the edge of the bed where he sat down. Applejack hopped up to pull his bag off and moved it over to the dresser while Pinkie moved up and pushed Galen down to the bed. He got the idea quickly enough and arranged himself. When he was settled, the two mares each moved to take a corner of the light sheet and pulled it up to his shoulders.

“Sleep well,” Applejack said with a smile.

“Don't let the bed bugs bite~” Pinkie added.

Galen just stared blankly up at the ceiling.

“If Riley comes back to the house, would you like me to let him into your room?” Applejack asked.

Galen gave a very slight nod. Applejack smiled and gave Galen a little pat on his shoulder before she gathered Pinkie and left his room. They made their way to the kitchen before they finally exploded in barely contained giggles, their faces flushing brightly and tears running down their eyes from the force of their restrained laughter. They leaned against each other and slowly sank to the floor. Granny Smith walked in on the pair and shook her head with an amused smile on her face. Ignoring them after that, she got herself a cider, opened it with a sharp hiss and left without a word. That only set the girls to laughing even more.

After a time, their laughter finally ran out and they lay there panting as they wiped tears of laughter from their eyes. “Did ya see his face before he turned around?” Applejack asked in a strained voice.

“Oh my gosh! It was so funny!” Pinkie squeaked. “I didn't know he'd react like that!”

“Me neither, but it was so worth it!” Applejack chuckled. “So, you see that blush?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “I didn't know he'd get so flustered seeing us like this.”

“Just wait 'til he gets up,” Applejack said with a giggle. “Ah wanna see if Ah can get steam ta come out of his ears.”

Pinkie snorted and giggled at that. “Can he do that?!”

“Beats me, but it never hurts ta try,” she said with a fit of giggles. “Anyway, Ah'm really glad ya decided ta dress up with me. You look cuter than ever, if that's even possible.”

Pinkie blushed and snuggled up to Applejack. “Just you wait~,” she said in that breathy tone from earlier. “I have some plans, just for the two of us this Friday~”

Applejack shivered as Pinkie's hot breath ran over an ear, sending a flush of heat above and below. She squirmed around slightly and nuzzled up under Pinkie's jaw, so incredibly happy that Pinkie had finally started taking confident steps forward in their relationship. Maybe they'd take the next step sooner than she thought. She gave a throaty little growl and nibbled along the edge of Pinkie's jawline which had the pink mare shivering as well before Applejack pulled back and gave her a brief but smoky kiss.

“Plans, you say,” she said huskily. “Ah like plans. But sometimes we can just cut loose, you know.” Pinkie's blush was so furious that Applejack could feel the heat rising from her face with how close they were.

“That's always fun,” she replied in a husky tone that rasped slightly. “But I'd rather do this right, you know?”

Applejack just nodded and gave Pinkie a much tamer kiss in reply. They sighed as they just lay there on the kitchen floor, finding that they were more than comfortable as long as the other was by their side. That was until Apple Bloom walked in on them.

“Ah!” she yelled in surprise, a blush of her own flaring to life at seeing her sister and Pinkie Pie canoodling on the kitchen floor. “Get a room you two!”

“We already have one, go find another,” Pinkie replied with a grin and giggle. Applejack chuckled in amusement despite the blush she had.

“Come on, Bloom,” Applejack said with a grin. “It's not like you wouldn't do the same thing if you had a colt or fillyfriend of your own. Besides, we haven't even done anything other than kiss.”

“And nibble,” Pinkie added.

“And nibble,” Applejack amended.

“Yet,” Pinkie continued with a half lidded gaze at Applejack, punctuated with a quick peck on her cheek.

“Yet,” Applejack said with a throaty chuckle.

“Gah!” Apple Bloom said as she quickly raised a foreleg to shield her eyes. “You two are hopeless.”

“She'll understand someday,” Pinkie said in a strangely sagely tone.

“That she will,” Applejack agreed with a nod before giving a mischievous chuckle. “Now, where were we?”

“Kissing and cuddling?”

“Sounds about right.”

“I'm gonna go see what Scootaloo's up to,” Apple Bloom said exasperatedly as she lowered her foreleg and turned to go. “For some reason, I feel the need to do something life threatening.” Applejack and Pinkie Pie snickered at that. “I'll be back in time for supper, but could you two please keep the smooching to a minimum if Pinkie sticks around to eat? I know I'd like to keep my food down without you two being so sickeningly sweet.”

“We'll see,” Applejack replied with a snicker.

“But no promises,” Pinkie finished.

Apple Bloom just shook her head but couldn't help the smile that crept up on her. Ever since her sister had started dating the exuberant mare, she had grown more playful and loving to everypony around her, more likely to smile for absolutely no reason and just... happier with life in general. Apple Bloom couldn't help but give her sister guff because it was both fun to do it and ended with everypony laughing at the playful banter. With that final thought, Apple Bloom trotted off to go find her winged friend and see what they could make of the day.

Once Apple Bloom left the house, Pinkie turned back to Applejack and gave her a loving nuzzle which was returned easily with a gentle sigh. Galen would be asleep for a while, Apple Bloom was out of the house, Big Mac was tending to the orchard and Granny Smith was probably working on some project or other of hers. They had a good, long while to do what they pleased and were more than content to spend it as they were. Side by side, enjoying the warmth of one another and trading gestures of affection easily as they slowly grew tired from their busy morning. They fell asleep together, Applejack's head and neck resting lightly over Pinkie's shoulders as the light of the sun washed over them lying in the middle of the kitchen floor.