"Day seven-hundred of our voyage, Luna is really boring" The human said for his mental diary and the princess rolled her eyes at the bored guardian.

They had been at sea for a few hours, the small harbor they had left behind long gone in the distance. The ship was pretty big, or at least it was big for Nathaniel. The captain had said it was a brig, so it was a medium sized ship most used for cargo then. The cargo transported this time was a little more important however, as the lunar princess governed a pretty large portion of the world.

The quarters they found themselves in was that of the captain, but as Luna was on board it had been converted to her own personal room, moon banners and all. Even a small bookshelf had been brought with her for the two months they would be gone. When the young man first heard about them being gone for so long he hesitated to step on the boat, a stern glare from Celestia has changed his mind pretty quickly however.

He was sitting by the round table in the middle of the room, the box shaped captain's quarters not really suited for royalty, but it was a good disguise. So far ships that had been carrying royalty was often attacked for having decors out of gold or fancy looking hulls, according to the captain at least, so they had not picked a large ship bearing the royal sisters crest.

The human found it to be a dumb idea, as they could still be attacked as a cargo ship. Even if it minimized the chances for someone hunting them because they had royalty on board it didn't do squat about the common pirates and thieves on the sea. This very thought was the reason why there was more guards then crew on the ship.

The princess of the sun had wanted the best protection for Luna while she was abroad, meaning that the best and most loyal guards had been sent with them to help keep her safe. It was a good idea, but the amount of soldiers on the ship was a dead giveaway that the vessel was hiding something valuable inside it.

Which was the reason Luna's new guardians were put to the test, meaning they had shifts where they stayed with the princess in the cabin while the others guarded outside the door. Blaze was with Star Swirl below deck, having taken a shine to the old pony after Nathaniel introduced the wolf to the wizard.

Guarding the princess had a few perks. For one you didn't have to stick around the angry grumbles of the guards outside, all of them annoyed by the new guardians being the ones to protect the princess instead of them. So standing guard outside the cabin door meant taking a lot of glares, and Nathaniel just found that uncomfortable.

What made the cabin boring however was that during duty they were not really allowed to speak with Luna unless addressed. Sure he had broken this rule many times but she just returned it with a look of a soft giggle at a dumb joke he told in an attempt to break her stone face while she read over important documents.

The human had tried to start up several conversations but was always shot down by the alicorn, telling him that she needed to focus on the upcoming work she was forced to do. With a sigh he had given up and tapped his fingers on the table only for her to envelop his hand with her magical aurora to stop it.

When he tried to hum on a song she had put a blue magic bubble around him to silence him and even when he made rude gestures to get her attention Luna made no effort to pay him any mind. The princess wasn't being mean per say, she was showing him how to act when around her in public and around Celestia if she ever required him to act as her bodyguard.

Nathaniel wasn't even allowed to read a book, as that would also distract from his duties, which meant he was bored. After a week of constant change and excitement he had to admit that just sitting down and doing nothing threw him off quite a bit. The young man had gotten used to the servant life being fast paced, so why was he on a boring boat with a princess refusing to speak with him?

"If you truly feel so bored then you can practice your magic skill for a while, or if you feel up to it try to get to know your fellow guardians. Trust will be required in battle if you are to protect and stay alive" Luna said, not looking up from the book in her magical grasp.

"I'd rather get some information on where we are going princess. I'd rather not offend a king by mistake or make your nation look bad because of something I said" The human huffed out and the alicorn put down the book.

"We are going to Griffonstone, the capital of the griffon empire. It's Ruler, King Guto, has requested these talks about our borders for a long time and we can finally appease him" The lunar mare said and looked at the map depicting the territories of the different nations.

The green part of the long map belonged to Equestria, taking up almost a fourth of the world map. It stretched from the yellow borders of the crystal empire down to the blue borders of the mysterious south (or dark kingdom as it was called). The red borders started right next to the Equestrian borders end, making the two split the Celestial Sea in half. The red borders of the Griffon Empire enveloped the entire southern part of the map, making it compete against the pony nation with sheer size. The badlands draw on the map were a purple circle in the middle of the dark kingdom's and Equestria's borders, its other referred name being "The Dragonlands".

"So why exactly are you discussing borders? Is there a problem I should be aware of?" Nathaniel asked her and she shook her head.

"So far it's more about reinforcing them and making sure the nations are ready to help each other if a crisis occurs. We have been allies with the griffins for such a long time that it's more of a friendly visit than actual talks, even if those will happen as well" Luna told the human who nodded.

"A thing that might be good to know is that their empire focus heavily on military might, one of the many reasons we allied ourselves with them when our mother and father united the broken tribe's land into our kingdom" The priness said and Nathaniel pondered about that.

"So we're safe there right? No assassins or sudden attacks?" He asked her and the alicorn nodded.

"The Griffon Empire has little to no problems with bandits, and assassination attempts on either ruler would be a foolish thing to do with the amount of soldiers that guard the meeting" Luna mused and then went back to reading her book.

"If you say so" The human mumbled in response and went back to drumming his fingers on the table.

He sat there and just eyed the mare for a few minutes, trying to see if his small (but annoying) antics would make her break the silence of the room. After a few rude gestures, most of which she didn't understand anyway, Nathaniel gave up on this endeavor and levitated a book to him from the bookshelf.

The book was about the Griffon Empire and as they were heading there (and Luna was gonna give him the silent treatment for his training) he could as well read up on the country they would spend a week in. So the human opened up the first few pages and was immediately met with a picture of "The idol of Boreas". The gold chalice like object held a great pearl on the golden foot formed like an eagle claw. From around the pearl a golden wing swirled around it, making the object look truly majestic.

Nathaniel read on as the pages spoke about what the great artifact could do, mentioning that the first Griffon king, King Grover, used it to unite the griffins and form the great empire they had today. The idol was said to hold power which lead to the wielder becoming better at commanding others and getting those below them be more loyal to one's cause.

The young man thought that the idol sounded a bit like light brainwashing. The wielder could just suddenly command people and get others to blindly follow them? Why did it feel like another type of servitude, like the one he was currently in? Sure the book didn't outright state that the idol forced people to follow someone, but the idea of becoming more loyal from a magical object rather than a trust built with the one you followed didn't sit well with him.

"This idol of boreas, does it brainwash you?" The human asked the princess who put down her book, looking thoughtful.

"Yes and no. King Guto has the ability to command creatures very easily and get their trust without effort. But so far he has not abused it somehow, and it's reach is limited to those who serve under him, not creatures from other nations. When you meet him you'll mostly feel the air of authority around him being pretty thick" The alicorn said, deciding to concentrate on her bodyguard.

"Still feels weird, I'd rather not have anyone poking inside my mind thank you very much" He said and she nodded.

"I understand your fear, but you will be fine. King Guto's father was a good Griffon and raised his son to be the same, you have nothing to worry about in Griffonia" Luna said with a small smile but dropped it at the sight of Nathaniel's frown.

"Tell you what, just do this for me and when we return I'll have Celestia release you. You have proven yourself to not be a danger to our subjects in my mind and I can see how much your chains hurt you" The mare said and his eyes lit up with hope.

The spell had only been on him for a few days, but the weight it had on his mind was taking its toll. To always know that you were not truly free was a cold emotion. He had came here and been given freedom only to have it taken away by Celestia. But Luna was gonna give it back, she truly was compassionate and cared for those around her. The princess of the night was truly an admirable pony.

"Thank you so much princess" Nathaniel smiled, his grin making her giggle.

"You have gone through a lot in under a week's time, you have also been sent on a mission to some unknown country. You deserve to have a reason to stick around and have hope in the future" She said and his smile widened, her words were very touching.

"You are on a good path to earn my complete forgiveness" The human said with a grin and she gave him a smirk in response.

"I hope so, convincing Tia won't be easy. But after everything that have happened so far you have started to earn my trust. Act well during the talks and prove to me that we have absolutely nothing to fear and Celestia will be forced to release you from servitude" The princess smiled and offered him a sudden cup of tea, the human gladly taking it.

"Tell me Nathaniel, what did you do before coming to Equestria? You seem to know the manners a noble or royal uses during meals yet you avoid using it. I have seen how you started at the violin player in the courtroom from time to time again, so I assuming you enjoy music as well?" The princess of the night said and the young man looked at her in surprise.

So his enjoyment of the violin had given something away? Dammit. Why oh why had he still some love for an instrument he could barely use. Anything that these ponies knew might be used against him, even if Luna had started to gain his trust he was still unsure about her sister. Celestia had mostly given him glares whenever she had spotted him in the castle, so there was no love coming from there. He needed to answer this carefully, but that cute cat like stare the alicorn was looking at him with made him wanna be honest.

"I used to help my father with small jobs he didn't want to do himself or that he was to cheap to pay a worker to do" He answered her first question and took a sip from his tea, damn her cat like cuteness.

"When it comes to the violin however, I used to play it as a child and at times during what little free time I had when working for my father. I don't think I could play it again however, or at least not with any skill. It was so many months ago since I played it last, yet the feeling of seeing that instrument is very liberating. It was one of the few things at home that made me feel happy" The human said and Luna looked at him for a long time before nodding.

"I understand now why you act so calm about serving someone else, you're used to it. I'm sorry about your father treating you like that" The alicorn said and splayed her ears back.

"If anything I killed him on my way out of his company building, so let us forget the past and focus on the road ahead" He responded and Luna eyed him at the mentioning of killing his father, but let it go.

Nathaniel was pretty sure his father had survived the magic fueled punch, but that didn't mean he had to wish for the old man's survival. It seemed the princess saw through his lie, her eyes starring into his intensely like she was looking for something. He couldn't look away for a few seconds, like her eyes was keeping him there, his mind feeling muddled. Just as soon as the feeling came it left, and the human shook his head to get rid of the tired feeling that came over him.

"Did you just read my mind?" He mumbled out and looked at the princess in disbelief.

"I read you, like you do during meditation. The only difference is that my alicorn magic leaves a mark, you know when I read you much more clearly than when you read others" The mare said and he nodded slowly, glad that she hadn't dived into his mind.

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Standing guard outside this door was even more boring! On top of that the sea made him feel sick with the amount of salt the guardian could smell in the air, the glares from the ponies made him feel exposed, Blaze was howling below deck at something, Rose was almost falling asleep and the captain had been arguing with one of the soldiers for TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES about what kind of pebble hurt the most to chew on.

When had his life taken such a steep turn? An hour earlier and he had been reading up on Griffon lore with a cat like pony sipping on tea next to him. Now he was out here with the worst kind of company, Nathaniel and Rose wasn't even allowed to speak with one another, so he was once again bored. The only saving grace of the situation was that there was announce mixed in with the boredom, making it somewhat more exhilarating than just starring creepily at Luna.

Guardian Sol just stood there and looked at the other ponies who glared at him, making him more annoyed. If those amused signs he could feel from Luna was anything to go by then she knew very well that this was making him annoyed and stressed. Could she not take pleasure in his pain!? Sure he was being a bit over-dramatic, but the stillness of the ship was really getting to him.

The human had tried to speak with Rose several times now, trying to follow Luna's advise and get to know his fellow bodyguard better. But each time he tried to speak with her one of the soldiers would clear his throat and glare at him. Nathaniel swore that if it happened one more time he was gonna throw that stallion of the ship and let him swim back to Equestria!

"Rose, I have a question" Nathaniel asked her and the mare standing to his left looked up at him.

"Yeah? What do you want to know?" She asked and yet again a guard/solider/who cares anymore cleared his throat to shut them up.

That was it. He had had it with these jealous fucking guards and their attempts at annoying him. Stand aside Rose, he had a stallion to mess up. Which what he was going to do before Rose's eyes turned a deep red and she bared two fangs at the stallion, making both him and Nathaniel jump.

"Allow us to speak, Second-Lieutenant Scorch. I have put up with all of you showing clear disrespect for me and my two fellow guardians for hours but that is it. With the highest authority only second to the princesses and Lord Protector Silver Wing I order you to either do something productive or jump of the ship. Do. You. Got. That." The sanguine mare said, standing in the stallions face at the end of her rant, her two red eyes glowing in fury.

"Y-Yes Ma'am" Scorch said and backed off, running towards the larger group of guards standing there looking at the scene with fear.

Rose huffed and walked back to stand next to the stunned Nathaniel, looking very confused. So he had power over each and every one of these ponies? Why hadn't anyone told him so!? Maybe because they didn't trust him, but still! Why was he not told he could solve this problem ages ago?

"You had a question?" The bat-pony asked him and the human snapped out of it, thinking for a second.

"Yes, on Luna's orders I am to get to know you and Osiris better. So I'm wondering why you became a guardian" Nathaniel said and the mare was taken back at first before answering.

"I joined to keep and eye on you. Not because Celestia asked me to, even though she did, but rather to make sure you don't get hurt" She said and he was confused.

"After I tricked you I'd assume you would harbor more negative emotions for me than possessive ones. You have also known me for like three days, so why would you want to keep me safe?" Nathaniel asked her and she looked away with a frown.

"I threw that knife into your shoulder on the order of Major Fury, or rather second Lieutenant Fury now. I feel very bad about what happened to you and to make it up to you I'll watch your back" Guardian Rose said and looked back at him with a small smile.

The human was unsure how to feel, on one hand she had tossed a knife at him, on the other hand had she taken a dangerous position just to make up for it. Rose was clearly showing compassion for him the first few days he was here and if she was ready to keep him safe then Nathaniel felt very grateful towards her.

"If you seek forgiveness then you are on the right path, just give a little time and I'll forgive you. You were acting on orders after all" He said with a small smile and she reached up her hoof for him to shake.

"Friends?" The bat-pony asked and he hesitated.

Why was he hesitating? Hadn't he craved friends and people to connect with just months before? So now when he had a chance at making a friend why was he not taking that hoof right away? Was it just fear? Was it because he hadn't had such a connection before and it was scaring him? Was it because she had helped attack him? Was it because he didn't trust these ponies fully yet?

Even with all the thoughts and hesitation Nathaniel still took her hoof and shook it. It felt good to know that he now had someone to watch his back and talk to except Luna. After such a long time he had finally someone to call a friend and the young man was not gonna lie, he loved it.

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"So, do you play cards or anything?" The young man asked the sand colored earth pony who eyed him with a rised brow.

After he and Rose, mostly Rose, had stopped the other guards from disrespecting them she had been called into the cabin and Osiris had been sent out. The two males now stood side by side, the stallion not giving Nathaniel any kind of attention unless he found it to be important. They had been like that for over two hours before the young man had asked for something.

The human wasn't exactly a master when it came to social interactions, which meant small talk wasn't his strong suit. The question about cards had been asked just to find out something about the stallion next to him, Nathaniel unsure about how he would gain the earth pony's trust.

"I play cards from time to time, why do you ask Sol?" Osiris asked the human guardian.

A thing he had noticed about Osiris was that whenever he spoke about or to him the earth pony would always call him "Sol" or "Guardian Sol". There was no attempt at getting to know Nathaniel on a deeper level nor to gain his trust, Osiris just didn't like him. At least the stallion wasn't vocal about it.

"I thought that maybe we could play some later, you know, get to know each other?" He asked the pony with a awkward smile who eyed him with disinterest.

He had acted fine around Rose and Luna mostly because they had shown clear compassion and worry for him, Osiris on the other hand was hard to start up a conversation with. Nathaniel couldn't even play cards, he had never learnt any advanced card game like poker or the like, so asking about something the human couldn't even play hadn't been his most bright idea.

"I know what the princess wants us to do human, but I care nothing for it. You and your mut had been nothing but problem since you arrived. I'm lucky your guardian title holds no real power since Princess Celestia do not trust you, I can see what you desire. Every time I look away you get let tense and eye the ocean, hoping to find a way to get off this ship. But let me tell you something, as long as I breathe you're not running away from your assigned duties, guardian Sol. Is that understood?" Osiris asked and pulled Nathaniel down by his collar so they were eye to eye.

"I understand sir" He responded with slight fear, the earth pony having noticed a bit more than the young man would have wanted.

"Good, now you will stand here and guard the door. No distractions, no talking and if I spot you eyeing the lifeboat again Celestia help me I'll kick your ass. Got it?" The stallion asked the human who nodded in response, being let go to stand up straight again.

Nathaniel had hoped that conversation would go a little better, but he wouldn't win over everyone in one week. He would have to prove himself and hope for that Osiris wouldn't leave him to die in a fight. But with how the stallion glared at him it was a slim chance the earth pony would save him even if he carried Luna on his shoulders.

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"Day five-hundred of our voyage, it's night and the meat Luna brought with her taste like chicken" The human narrated to himself as he sat by his bed below deck, the bowl in his hands mostly empty.

Having stood guard most of the day had drained most of his energy, having to not move a muscle to not upset Osiris. But when the day finally turned to night they had all been dismissed, Luna having sanguine stallions (whoa, more dudes) guard the door to the cabin.

The princess had been true to her word with getting meat for him if he took the position as guardian, the white fish reminding him of a salmon but it tasted like chicken. This was the first meat he had been given since he had hunted in the woods, the fish having been cooked on the ship by one of the chefs.

The stallion that had given him the bowl of fish and lettuce had looked disgusted to say the least, but Nathaniel didn't care, he had meat! Oh how he had missed the feeling of having a stable meal for the last three days, pancakes being the only thing that had been close to giving him any kind of satisfaction.

The human had not been given a fork or spoon, meaning he was eating with his bare hands. They already saw him as an animal, so why not live up to their expectations. The chicken salmon was really good though, something the wolf sitting next to him would attest to.

The small room was just a door and a space large enough to fit the bed he and the wolf was using. The bed itself was very comfortable for being used at sea, the human and wolf both fitting on it. The young man wondered if Luna had requested the bed for him, seeing how it was so much larger than a pony's bed. If she had than that was another point for the princess of the night.

There was a round glass window in the cramped room, the only source of light in the room being Luna's moon. But it at least allowed him to watch the stars, the beautiful night sky shining unlike anything he had seen back on earth. This world was truly more beautiful than anything he had seen back home, the ever changing constellations making his eyes widen.

As he and the wolf watched out the window could Nathaniel hear the sounds of hooves from above him, Luna obviously moving around in the captain's cabin. The thought of a being having so much power that she could change how the sky looked was both terrifying and inspiring, making him yearn for the ability to do the same thing.

As Nathaniel ate his meal he shared the meat with the wolf next to him. Blaze had already been fed by Star Swirl earlier that day, but the wolf gladly took what the human gave him as they watched the night sky shift and sway. Was it an illusion? Or did Luna have so much power she could move stars so far away? Did it really matter?

Blaze laid down on the human's lap and his tail wagged happily as the human petted him, the wolf licking his hand in appreciation. The two just sat there on the bed before the human laid down, Blaze laying down next to him for warmth and support. They had made it past the first day without to many problems, the second day of their journey looked less bleak now than it had before. With that positive thought the human fell asleep, his calm breathing soon sounding through out the tiny room.

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"So, do I hold any power over your troops?" Nathaniel asked Luna who was sitting by the open window, enjoying the wind and sun coming from the Celestial Sea.

"No, you hold the title of guardian without the privileges that entails as long as you are under the servant spell" The alicorn said calmly and offered him some tea, the human taking it.

The two of them talking over a cup of tea was becoming a habit, one he found fairly relaxing, if it wasn't for the bad news the princess often brought to him. The fact that he held such a high position but at the same time had no power confused him, wondering how that even worked legally. But then again, the princesses made the laws.

"So once that is removed I hold control over troops?" He asked the mare and took a sip from the tea cup.

"Yes and no. You can command troops, but only if you have to and I've given my permission in any way. This is because you lack military training and with it the experience to lead, meaning that you will only command if necessary" The princess of the night said and turned to him.

So the human held limited power over the army, if he was given permission to use it. But to do that he needed the spell removed, and Celestia would not remove it anytime soon unless Luna convinced her. That white coated mare seemed to fear everything, what had made her so afraid and overprotective?

"Wait, does that mean I am above a general or at the same level? I have been with you for like five days and I have that sort of power?" Nathaniel asked and she giggled at his confused expression.

"While the guardians do hold power like that is still very limited, as we cannot have them go mad with power. The only one except me or my sister that truly hold such power over country and the army is the Lord Protector, the chosen defender and spokespony for the land" Luna informed the human and sipped down her tea, pouring up more.

"So this Lord Protector, who is he? Or she?" He asked the mare who pointed to a silver figure placed on the map.

The silver object was that of a Pegasus in armor, the figure placed in the north of Equestria to show where the Lord Protector was. The ship they were on, the "Golden Stallion" if Nathaniel remembered correctly, was placed out in the middle of the Celestial Sea. There was a few other markers, like a golden pin in Zebra territory or a jade sword in the dark kingdom, clearly all to show some important pony or creature being there.

"Lord Protector Silver Wing, first general of the Equestrian army and commander Hurricane's first born son. He has helped defend this land for a long time and he's never backed down from any assignment given to him by me or Celestia" She told the human and smiled slightly.

"The mares are just swarming around that one" Luna mused and took another sip from her cup, Nathaniel doing the same.

"I need to ask you something that has been on my mind for a while. Why are there so many more mares than stallions in Equestria?" He asked the princess who raised a brow at him.

"Why is this information important?" The alicorn questioned and he thought for a second.

"It's just a question, I come from a place where there are female to male ratio is pretty much fifty-fifty" The human said and Luna looked at him in disbelief.

"Really? The only kingdom even close to that is the Zebra kingdom, and even then there is at least two mares per one stallion" She said and looked at him with interest.

"So, how is it in the Griffon Empire then?" The unwilling servant asked and the mare looked at the map for a few seconds.

"While Equestria has always had a problem with an overflow of the female sex the Griffins have the same problem but in reverse. For every three males there is one female, which is the reason you will see many Hippogryphs while we're there, our populations often mingle and start families together" Luna said and he nodded, taking in all this new information.

Wait, so did that mean that crossbreeding was possible here? Sure it was a magical land but the fact that two different species could conceive a child like it was nothing special must mean it was common, which meant he could see many more mixes of magical creatures! Oh he was actually a bit excited about this whole thing now.

"Wait, with that kind of ratio between male to female how to keep such stable population numbers?" The young man asked the princess who gave him a weird look.

"Through herds of course, even though it is not as common as it once was with the griffons gladly having relationships with ponies, is still happens quite often that the mares will share a stallion in marriage" She said and Nathaniel had problems with processing that information.

So the mares lead the relationships in Equestria then? Why did the image of some poor stallion being dragged into the darkness pop up into his mind from that thought alone? Yet, this also meant that the stallions were swimming in mares in this world. Wow, he had found his father's greatest dream, if one replaced the mares with women that is.

"So.. That is very different from my home" He said slowly and she looked at him, hoping her bodyguard would finally share some information about where he came from.

"If I tell you about my world and species will I get rid of this servant spell any quicker?" Nathaniel asked the alicorn who nodded.

"It's easier to convince my sister about your release if she's shown evidence of you being harmless. I know that we are putting you through a lot, but I need you to trust me if I am to trust you Nathaniel" Luna said with her head high, looking into his green eyes.

"I am from another world, something I'm pretty sure you have gathered from what information I've given you" He said and she looked completely stunned for a second.

"While I held suspicions and know of creatures from other realms I didn't think.. I mean.. I'm sorry, it's a lot to take in to finally confirm Star Swirl's theory on you. He spoke to me about residue traces of a portal near in the woods and on you, meaning that it had to be a powerful spell as we can still find traces from it months after it brought you here" The princess of the night said and tried to compose herself.

"I come from a world with almost seven point five billion humans, I lived in a city made up out of buildings that touched the sky, I was the heir of a large company worth twenty five billion US dollars, I lived my life in metaphorical shackles surrounded by dreams and desires not my own, I hurt my father so badly the day I mysteriously gained my magic I think and hope I broke his back, my old name was Nathaniel Rob Lucas Walker and my kind has a history of war that would make you feel sick" He rambled, just letting information pass onto the princess who did not suspect the sudden info dump.

hen Nathaniel finally ended his rant and looked at Luna the young man was scared for a second, the princess frozen. The mare just sat there in shook, her brain trying to process all the information handed to her by the human. The thought that the princess mostly focused on was the sheer amount of humans that was just beyond the dimensional veil.

"And you say, your kind are warmongers?" She suddenly questioned, trying to focus on that single thought so she had a starting ground.

"Yes, not all of them but many from my world gladly kill and starts wars" The human told Luna who in the end nodded.

"To think you dare to share this information even after you have been bound to service and stand before someone that has your fate in her hooves makes me respect you Guardian Sol, but I will need to see more signs of that you are willing to help us before I can even think about letting go of that spell. A species of seven billion warmongers" The alicorn mumbled and looked out the window.

Nathaniel couldn't help but feel like his panic filled info dump had done more bad than good. The clear fear and disbelief in her eyes had been enough to confirm for him that he needed to work harder now to gain her trust. She at least didn't fear him per say, but if Luna felt worry about his world then that could be attached to him. The young man did not want to be a servant for years because of someone else's fear.

"You are dismissed Guardian Sol, please have Guardian Osiris and Rose stay outside, I need to think" Luna said and Nathaniel nodded before leaving the cabin.

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"So, do you drink blood?" The human asked the sanguine mare next to him, both of them getting scowls from having meat in their bowls.

"Yeah I do, thought I can eat other things, like meat. I just feel more full from drinking blood than just eating normal food. Then there is the fact that I feel very tired if I don't do it" Rose responded and chewed on the chicken salmon.

"So, is it normal for ponies and bats to get together or?.." He asked and got a playful punch from the bat-pony.

"We come from the dark kingdom, that is all we really know. So far any tome on how we sanguines came to be is either destroyed or to damaged to get any good Intel out of, meaning we don't know how the first sanguine came to be" The mare said and bit into her piece of fish.

"So you are a mystery? Well, if we're ever in the dark kingdom I'd gladly do some research. I don't like unanswered questions, they stick around and take up brain power" Nathaniel said and Rose nodded.

"We'll be going there later after the world council summit. This trip is about borders and relations, stuff I do not care much for but I still gladly follow Luna anywhere. It was she that intro-gated us into pony society through the Lunar guard, even if we only make up half of it" She said and the young man gladly soaked up the information, enjoying not being in the dark about things.

"Who are the world council?" Nathaniel asked and Rose took out a badge, that of a star with each spike being a different colour.

"The world council is made up of the strongest countries in the world. Even smaller kingdoms are allowed to join in but only gain a voice once they have reached a population of one million" The sanguine mare started and the two got comfy against the cabin door.

The deck was filled with ponies working, most of them looking at the mountains one could see in the distance. They would reach the Griffon Empire today, just like they had told him. It was a good thing they wouldn't be going any futher, Blaze was already trying to eat some of the crew for being pushy with him.

"Equestria, the Griffon Empire, The dark kingdom, The dragon lands, the zebrikan kingdom, the minotaur tribes land, the changeling empire and the crystal empire make up the world council, with the crystal empire acting more as a honorary member" The bat-pony said and finished up her meal.

"So, they are like the UN but made up of magical creatures. Cool" He said and she looked at him with confusion before shrugging.

"They handle all global matters and create laws all kingdoms must follow" She said as the captain called out to have the ship go faster, the wind finally picking up after being nonexistent for a while.

"We'll be in Griffonstone in two to three hours depending on the wind and if they make us wait down in the harbor" Rose exclaimed, muttering the last part.

"Will we as guardians have to do something special once we get there?" Nathaniel asked and the sanguine chuckled.

"Me and Osiris? No. You on the other hoof, they will be having a field day about what to do with you. Some will want to know if you have any diseases as you are a uncatalogued creature, some will want to check you to make sure you're not smuggling something and so on. We sent word about your existence to stop that, but they will want a full medical examination just to make sure you don't carry the plague" His fellow guardian said and the human threw his head back and groaned in frustration, even more creatures wanting to poke him with a stick, brilliant.

"I won't leave your side Nathaniel, as your superior and friend I'll make sure you'll be safe on your first assignment and that the Griffins keep their claws of you. Faust knows that they like exotic meat.." She muttered and the young man sighed, this was going to be a long week.

Sombra's POV

I looked upon the dark tome with a glee filled expression crossing my face, the dark purple wisps swirling from my eyes growing in size as dark energy surrounded my horn. I looked upon the maid sleeping in the corner, a blanket covering her body. She had been so shy and reluctant at first when she saw me, that had quickly changed with a few spells and lewd suggestions.

My son had so far not requested my presence yet, which aided in my plans. If he saw me in this form he'd have a panic attack like the fool he is, always afraid of taking power that was his by birthright. But if he was gonna ignore that power than I would gladly take it, take all of it.

The mare groaned and sat up, her now yellow eyes looking around the room in confusion. The small study room had once only been a round room built out of blue crystal, its walls was now a deep red and the wooden table was covered in a layer of black rock. I had been doing some changes that fitted the empire better than the light theme my son was going for.

"Ah, you're awake my dear" I said and walked over to her, the once blue eyed Pegasus looking at me with a carnal hunger.

"W-What did you do to me?" She whimpered out and I laughed, her weakness making me hunger for her flesh again.

"I simply laid with you miss Page, per your request" I said with a dark grin, her eyes widening as she crawled into a corner.

"No I would n-never, I couldn't have.. You did something to me! I feel weird and wrong! What did you do!?" The mare said and spread her wings wide, trying to intimidate me, cute.

"I simply mixed in some corruption into your blood my dear, it's nothing to worry about" I grinned as her yellow eyes looked into mine with panic.

"I'm telling King Crystal about this sir Fury, he will not stand for thi..!" She began only for me to magically take a hold of her neck and pick her up from the ground and into the air.

She gave of fear filled shrieks and trashed in panic as her air supply was cut off by my magic, looking at me with pleading eyes to make it stop. Only when she almost passed out did I drop her onto the floor, making her cough and sputter. Where my magic had held her a black crystal collar had appeared, a perfect thing for a mere pet. Her blue mane and yellow coat stood out in this room, she would have to dye it later. Dyeing her cutiemark would also be good, that book and featherduster not befitting of a royal's plaything.

"Now pet, what games should we play?" I asked with a dark smile and walked towards the mare who covered in the corner, her eyes looked in constant fear.

If one had been in the study section of the castle then her screams would have been deafening, but my son was gladly holding a parade outside, the screams of a maid mare no one would care about in a week being lost in the sea of happy cheers as the current king walked in front of his troops. I would defend my empire at any cost, it was my empire, and only my empire. My son would soon find that out the hard way.

Author's Notes:

I feel like at time I missed using use "somepony" or "someponies", but eh it happens. Thank you for reading another chapter of CoN