Grevin sighed as he let his gaze drop the pristine marble floor before him. "There once were two races of magical beings that were meant to act as guardians to the people of Bastion. The first were the Dracien, and the second were the Celestians.” This caused Celestia and Luna both to pause and lock eyes briefly before looking back at Grevin and nodding at him to continue.

He turned and began to walk towards a window, looking out at the vast city of Canterlot, taking in not only the cityscape but also the rooftops spanning out before him, making it a truly majestic sight to behold. “Each race was proud and important in their own way. The Dracien’s were a warrior race, strong, fast, and powerful. They appeared much as I do, darker skinned, red eyes, dark hair, very physically fit and very strong. They were the land guardians, meant to face down any armies that were to threaten the people of Bastion, and they were very good at what they did. Hardly anyone could face down a Dracien in battle and come out of it alive. There were stories about how Dracien could shrug off just about any wound for a time before succumbing to its effects. They were a proud and strong people and while they did have the ability to work out issues through diplomacy, they often preferred open combat to resolve most issues. They were often referred to as devils or demons with good reason. “

He shifted his position slightly and rested against the windowsill and looked over at Luna and Celestia who had followed behind him a bit still listening intently with polite interest. “The Celestians were the more graceful of the two. What they lacked in strength they made up in magical ability. They were agile, quick, and fair skinned. They preferred to resolve issues through diplomacy without confrontation, but then they did fight, it was rumored that they entered combat with blades of fire with bright white armor and holy vigor that would allow them to heal most wounds quickly. They were known for their magic, compassion and kindness, making them to be referred to as angels. Both races were known to age fairly slowly, their longevity akin to something other worldly.”

Luna sighed as her ears went back a bit and leaned her head forward. “This is all fine and good Mr. Hades, but how does all of this answer our question? “

He cleared his throat once more as he looked out over the city once more taking note of how the sun was in the middle of the sky. “Well as it turned out two of those people came together and created me. I am a half breed, a mix of both races, thus making me extremely unique.”

Luna tilted her head her ears perking back up in curiosity. “You are a member of both people?”

He nodded. “Aye, I am. I never knew my parents, but I came to know this while I was with my mentor, who was quite a historian. I inherited my combat skills from both sides, as well as some magic from the Celestian half. I also inherited most of my looks from the Dracien half of the family…making me appear devilish…which is one of the main reasons I conceal myself.”

Celestia frowned but nodded in understanding. “Sadly even Equestria is prone to fear and hatred of those who look different from others. I am curious, you say you inherited some abilities from your parents, what are other abilities you have been given?”

He nodded as she laced his fingers together behind his back. “Well, I don’t know what I inherited exactly, but what I have learned thus far is that I have the Dracien strength, speed and agility as well as some of the magical abilities of the Celestian. I have the endurance and stamina that the Dracien were infamous for which is far greater than a typical human, and I heal fairly quickly from most wounds. Basically, I am a juggernaut. Cut me and I’ll bleed, hit me and I’ll bruise, break my arm and I’ll feel it but I’ll also get back up and keep going. To be honest, I don’t know the extent of my abilities simply because there was no one to train me. My magical abilities only began to develop once I truly focused on them after learning about my heritage.”

Luna noticed his body language finished speaking, a small frown coming across her lips. She sensed there was more than what he was letting on but decided to not pry at the moment. “In one of Twilights letters, she mentioned you were on a quest, which was interrupted by your arrival here…may I ask what that was?”

Grevin nodded and turned his head to once again look out at the cityscape. “Well this is where things get interesting. You see both races lived among the people of Bastion for many centuries without conflict. The Dracien lived in various nomadic tribes while the Celestians would seclude themselves high up in the mountains watching the world below, both only taking action when it was absolutely needed. That was until great war happened.”

Celestia tilted her head as a questioning look crossed across her features. “Am I right in assuming that the two people began to clash?”

Grevin nodded once more. “Yes. The Dracien grew tired of defending the people of Bastion and soon began to feel that in order to best keep things calm was to rule with an iron fist. The tribes gathered together and began to attack and destroy any village in their path. They trampled over any army that stood in their path and finally the only option left was for the army of the Celestian’s to step in and stop them.”

His voice softened as he faced the two rulers once more. “The battles were tremendous, and the cost was great. Scars were opened in the earth; fields that were once lush and green were burned and so saturated with magical energy that nothing would grow there again. Finally it all boiled down to one final confrontation, a battle that would put an end to all the conflicts and decide the fate of Bastion once and for all. The armies clashed in a distant, long ruined land that was barren, desolate and far from civilization. The only thing found there is dirt, rocks, and storm clouds. There is no life, no plants, and no sun shine, nothing there shows any kind of life.”

He sighed a moment and shook his head. “The battle was vast and brutal; lasting for days and the cost of life was great. The Dracien dominated the Celestians and for a time, all seemed lost, but the Dracien had a fatal flaw. While they had a few followers, which were used as spies and fodder in battle, they had no allies. They were so confident in their ability to wage war that they never sought any help, and that was their mistake. The Celestian’s were smart about their combat and allies. They enlisted the help of Bastion’s best archers, swordsman, cavalry, and mages. They also enlisted the help of one of the most mystical magical orders in Bastion’s history, the Sages.”

He looked up noticing the perplexed looks on Celestia and Luna’s faces and couldn’t help but smile a bit of a cheery tone hinting on the edge of his voice. “I’m sorry, I know this seems long winded of me, but I promise I will get to the point very soon.” The two Alicorn’s simply smiled and nodded taking a seat on their haunches waiting for him to continue.

He cleared his throat and continued his tale. “Well, the Sages were able to create a powerful binding spell that, with the help of the Celestian’s and a few other powerful mages, created a portal in the very earth that, when it was activated, created a kind of vortex. This vortex pulled every Dracien in the battlefield into it, placing them into a kind of suspended animation, sealing them off from time and the world. Once the portal had closed, the Celestian’s and their allies stood victorious but their duty wasn’t finished. The portal could be opened again, and if it were the evil of the Dracien army would again be unleashed upon Bastion once again. In order to prevent this, the Sages placed a special kind of seal on the portal. A blood seal that would require the blood essence be provided from a Celestian, a Dracien and a Sage to open. The Celestian’s decided that in order to prevent the seal from being opened, and to prevent something like that conflict from happening again they cast a final spell, a very powerful spell. The Celestian army cast themselves out, ascending to the heavens separating themselves from the affairs of Bastion forever leaving only the Sages to watch over things.”

He smiled a bit. “This is where it all begins to come together. You see, as it is with nearly all races, not all of the Dracien or Celestian agreed with the war, and thus separated them from the conflict. Some continued to try and act as guardians of Bastion, while others acted as keepers of ancient ruins and historical documents. Others actually found a mutual peace and even came together in love creating families. After several years, the conflict began to fade into obscurity; the area of battle became lost in the sands of time. The remaining Dracien and Celestian people disappeared until only a handful of pure blooded souls remained.”

He sighed looking out at the sky once more noting how the sun was beginning its descent to the horizon. “Well…as it turns out someone found a loop hole in the plan. As it turns out a half breed such as myself could be used to unlock the blood seal so long as a Sage could be found, and he found a way to get at both. When I was pulled into Equestria I was on my way to the ancient battlefield where the gate was sealed to stop it from being opened.”

Celestia tilted her head as a curious look came across her face. “Wait a moment…you said that in order to open the gate, the blood seal required a half breed…with you gone, isn’t the risk eliminated?”

Grevin shook his head as he crossed his arms. “No. The one who found the loop hole actually had everything he needed.”

Luna frowned a bit. “How was that possible?”

Grevin’s voice became quiet. “Well…he managed to snatch away the last remaining Sage from my protection, and as for the other two thirds of the blood seal…well he had a way around that from the beginning.”

Celestia rose to her hooves and made her way over to stand beside him her face solemn. “I see. So your home land may be overrun as we speak. Sadly the magic that brought you here is a sort that we are not familiar with…and as a result, we cannot recreate it to return you from whence you came.”

He nodded slowly and spoke with a quiet tone. “I understand, and while I still have hope for Bastion I know that for now, my home is here...Well, that is if you will allow it.”

Celestia smiled softly and nodded once more. “Of course you are welcome to stay. You will be given the same rights and privileges as any resident in Equestria.”

He slowly rose to his feet and with a polite nod. “I thank you your highness.”

Luna rose to her hooves now and smiled. “Mr. Hades, we wish to ask about your experiences in Ponyville thus far. From what Twilight Sparkle wrote, you tend to go through a vigorous training regiment in the late hours of the evening or early hours of the morning…may I ask if this is true and why at those particular times? Also I had another question; a little under a year ago we visited the town for a local celebration and learned quite a bit. What do you think of the little village and the ponies who call it home?”

He smiled a moment as he pushed away from the window, moving past both Celestia and Luna. “Yes, I tend to try to practice my training in the evening hours for several reasons. I’ve always enjoyed the peace that the night brings to the world. It’s a time to rest and collect one’s thoughts. I’ve always enjoyed feeling the cool evening air against my skin as I go through my training with the magnificent picture of the moon and stars above me. It’s all…very calming.” He stopped mid step as he pondered how to answer the second question.

Luna stood there with wide eyes for a few moments as she processed what he said. Very rarely had she heard such praise of the evening and she couldn’t help but feel a slight warmth come to her cheeks at the tone of his voice. Her attention was brought back to her sister who had a look of mirth in her eyes and a smirk on her lips as she watched her younger sister. Celestia chuckled as she walked past her sibling giving her a slight bump on her side with her hip as she took over the conversation.

“What about her second question Mr. Hades? What do you think of Ponyville and its residents?”

He nodded as he brought a hand to his chin before turning back to face the two Alicorns once more. “Well, to be honest I haven’t had to much experience with a majority of the residents of Ponyville, but the ones I have met, mainly the bearer’s of the Elements of Harmony, have been incredibly acceptable of me, welcoming me with open arms, providing me with a place to stay, food to eat, and even clothing. It is a nice change of pace from Bastion.”

-Banquet Hall-

Twilight was thrilled to be back in Canterlot with her friends, especially when she was able to sit down to lunch with not only Cadance, but her brother Shining Armor as well. The group had just finished their meal when he arrived a little bit after noon.

“I am so glad to have run into you here at the castle, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to see you or Cadance due to your duties.”

Shining smiled and shook his head as he sat himself down next to his wife. “Hey I wouldn’t miss seeing all of you for the world, especially since you did so much for Cadance and I at our wedding.” He took a moment to look at all the mares nodding a small greeting to each before continuing. “So how have things been in Ponyville?”

Twilight smiled. “Very busy. As you know, we’ve had a new guest arrive in Ponyville and we’ve been trying to help him adjust to his new surroundings.”

Cadance smiled “How is that going? Is he staying anywhere in particular?”

Applejack grinned. “Sure is, he’s staying with the Apple Family out at Sweet Apple Acres. We let him stay out in the barn loft in exchange for his help in the fields. He’s pretty handy to have around…um…no pun intended.”

The group sat there blinking in silence for a moment before ignoring the unintended joke and continuing their discussion. Pinkie Pie giggled and stood up in her chair. “He’s super nice too! He saved three little fillies from a huge, red hot fire and he’s not even a fire pony!”

Rarity smiled and nodded in agreement. “That’s right, and let’s not forget how he saved the life of our dear friend Fluttershy.”

The cream colored pony blushed and hid behind her hair. “Oh…well…yes he did save me but he ended up hurting himself because of that healing spell he used…I hope he wasn’t upset over that.”

Twilight sighed. “Fluttershy, don’t forget that he can heal very quickly so everything worked out.”

Rainbow Dash shot into the air a small scowl on her face. “Well, he wasn’t all good though. He wouldn’t let us see his face under that cloak of his for the longest time.”

Applejack sighed. “Rainbow, he has every right to keep himself hidden if he wants too. Besides, he opened up to us after a while.”

Cadance took a long drink of water while listening to the group, but her eyes widened in surprise as she heard that last note from Applejack. “You’ve seen what he looks like under that cloak and armor?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, it took some prying from us, turns out he can be as stubborn as Applejack at times.” She grinned at her farm pony friend who simply laughed at the little joke. “He was afraid that he would be hated for how he looks.”

Shining Armor tilted his head a look of confusion coming across his face. “He was afraid of being judged on his looks?”

Rarity sighed and nodded. “Indeed darling. It turns out that in his home land people were very judgmental of others.”

Cadance sighed shaking her head. “That’s terrible. I know that Equestria still has that kind of problem but thankfully we are taking steps to try and stop that kind of behavior.”

Twilight smiled a bit. “Well, thankfully most of Ponyville came out to meet him and warmed up to him quickly.”

Pinkie Pie jumped up grinning “Well of course they did! He may try to look like he’s all big and scary but he’s like a superhero! He’s all strong and tough and nice!”

The group couldn’t help but smile at the antics of the pink party pony her cheerful nature easily shifting the mood in the room. Shining Armor took the moment to change the subject. “So I have to ask, what is your opinion of this guy?”

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I guess he’s okay. I mean he did save Fluttershy and all, but he could be cooler.”

Pinkie Pie laughed. “Dashie you think we all could be cooler. I think he’s awesome! And nice, and kind, and tall, and –“

Rarity stepped in front of her friend and lightly tossed her mane over her shoulder. “Well I think he is simply amazing. By introducing me to a new form of magic I could revolutionize the fashion industry.”

Cadance’s eyebrows raised a bit in surprise. “Really? In what way?”

Rarity grinned as she sat down. “Well he told us about how in his home land they could infuse clothing with magical qualities. Imagine a new stylish form of royal guard armor or even royal clothing that was imbued with protection spells, messenger clothes that have teleportation or speed spells, work clothes with strength spells, the possibilities are endless really.”

Cadance smiled. “That sounds amazing. Please keep us informed of your progress with it. It really could do a lot of good for all of Equestria.” She turned her gaze back towards the rest of the group her soft smile still present. “Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, you never told us what you think about Mr. Hades.”

Applejack felt her cheeks redden a bit as she quickly darted her eyes around thinking of what to say. “Well, um…he’s a real big help at the farm. Yep, that’s for sure. Apple Bloom has taken a real shining to him too. What about you Fluttershy?”

The shy Pegasus blushed and hid behind her hair. “Well…he is nice, and he did save my life…and the lives of Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. So I’m…I’m…” she mumbled off into the end of her sentence.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.” Cadance leaned in her ears tilting to hear her better.

Fluttershy jumped a bit her pink mane tussling ever so slightly. “Oh, I’m sorry, I said that I’m…glad he’s here.”

Cadance once again nodded turning her gaze to Twilight. “What about you Twilight?”

Twilight felt her own cheeks go red as she let her gaze move to the floor between her front hooves. “Oh, you know. I’m just like everyone else. I am glad he’s here and I hope to learn a lot from him.”

Shining Armor slowly nodded his head a small smirk coming to his lips. He heard the tone in his sister’s voice. She was hiding something, or at the very least she had something else on her mind. Normally it wouldn’t bother him but the way her demeanor shifted when she was asked about Grevin, it set off a few red flags in the back of his mind. He would make it a point to talk to her big brother to little sister before they returned to Ponyville.

He cleared his throat as he smiled at the mane six and his wife. “Well, I had an opportunity to meet Grevin and escort him to the throne room a while ago and he had some nice things to say about his experience in Equestria thus far.”

Pinkie Pie shot forward her blue eyes wide. “Really-really-really! What did he say?!”

Shining took a small step back and chuckled softly. “He said that you all were very kind to him, welcoming him into all your lives without hesitation. He was very grateful to all of you for kindness. He feels that you’re a very special bunch.”

Applejack smiled as she sat back down. “I’m mighty glad to hear that.”

Rarity nodded in agreement before turning to face the still newlywed ponies. “Well enough about us and Grevin, what about you two? Is there anything new going on in your lives? Have things settled down for you now that the changling threat has passed?”

Shining smirked and nodded. “Absolutely, it’s been a lot more relaxing with the threat of being invaded gone. In fact…” He glanced over at his wife who was now blushing a bit. “We may have some very good news for Twilight in the future.”

Twilight blinked a moment before looking over at Cadance then back to Shining as the gears in her mind began to turn. “Do you mean…” She pointed to Cadance “Are you trying to have a foal?”

Cadance blushed and simply nodded while Shining just grinned. Twilight’s eyes brightened and she did a little jump a large laugh escaping her lips. “I’m going to be an Aunt! Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes, oh I’m so thrilled!”

Shining laughed as she trotted over to his sister and gave her a warm hug. “Easy there Twilie, we don’t know when the foal will come yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we do. After all, we know you’ll have all kinds of educational toys and books to spoil it with.”

Twilight grinned and nodded. “You know it BBBFF.”

Applejack smiled and trotted over to Cadance who was still giggling at Twilights display. “Well I wish you and Shining the best, that’s for sure…” She smirked and lightly elbowed her in the side. “Don’t go and have too much fun trying now princess.”

Cadance blushed hard as the group laughed while Applejack earned a small scowl from Twilight who just brushed it off with a good natured chuckle. After a few moments the orange mare sat herself down on her haunches and took a look out the window noticing that the sun was beginning to set signaling the end of the day. “Say…do y’all know when Grevin well be joining us? We’ve been here a good while now and I didn’t think he’d be with the Princesses that long.”

Shining sighed and cleared his throat. “Well, I’m sorry about that but I was told that after he met with the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, he would be escorted to his quarters for the evening. I imagine that his meal was brought to him there in order to help keep him from worrying about upsetting any of the castle staff. I do believe that he is in the same part of the castle as the rest of you so you should be able to see him anytime you want.”

Twilight frowned but nodded in slow acceptance. “I suppose that makes some sense. After all, he is the only one of his kind in Equestria…I’m sure the Princesses have lots of questions.”

Cadance rose to her hooves. “Well then, I’m better you’re all fairly tired and ready to enjoy some real beds instead of those rough train bunks.”

Rarity grinned and was on her hooves immediately. “Oh yes, please darling, that was be divine. My coat is so worn out from that trip, a nice soak in a warm tub will do wonders.”

Cadance laughed while leading them through a large set of ornately painted doors “Well then let’s not waste any time.”

Twilight fell into step beside her Sister in Law. “Hey Cadance? Is there any chance I’ll see you tomorrow, for lunch maybe?”

She shook his head a bit. “Sorry sis, I can’t meet you for lunch, but I could do dinner. Shining and I already are planning to have a lunch date at a new café in the city marketplace.”

Twilight smiled. “Oh that’s alright; I just want to make certain I see you again before we leave to return to Ponyville.” She glanced to the side as her thoughts drifted to Grevin and the meeting he had with the Princesses. Did everything go well, did the Princesses accept him? Would they allow him to continue to stay in Equestria?

Her question was answered soon enough. The group made their way deeper into the castle past various meeting halls, banquet rooms, and even the wing where the royal family had their quarters, the doors to that particular wing a beautiful gold color emblazoned with the two Alicorn sisters on either door all of which framed by ornate, beautiful tapestries hanging on the walls. They soon found themselves making their up a broad but beautiful staircase which would lead them to the guest quarters, reserved exclusively for guests of the royal family.

Twilight was the first to see him at the top of the stairs, resting with his back against a wall, arms crossed, hood up and head down as if resting his eyes. “Grevin!” She smiled and ran forwards brushing past her former foal sitter, soon followed by the rest of the mane six, all of whom quickly surrounded the man asking him all sorts of questions.

Shining smirked as he stood next to his wife and lightly bumped her with his shoulder as they both watched the man push off of the wall and take a small step back as he tried to answer the various questions being asked by the small group. “Looks like they have him pretty outnumbered huh?”

Cadance laughed and nodded as she watched the group mob the quiet man. “Quite so, but he handles it fairly well.” She smirked noticing that her new sister in law was actually standing closer to the man than most of the others and her interest was particularly peaked when she saw the slight look of annoyance briefly wash over Twilight’s face as the pony named Applejack stepped in front of her getting between the two. Unlike Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Cadance never received any correspondence from Twilight so she would have to speak to her later about it…and of course not say a word to her husband about it, at least for now.

Applejack grinned as she brushed past Twilight and reached an arm up giving Grevin a friendly slap on the back. “Well it’s about time you joined us sugar-cube. Have you been talkin to the Princesses all this time?”

Grevin nodded as he took a small step back chuckling as he did so trying to put a little space between himself and the mini-mob surrounding him. “Well, yes. The Princesses had several questions for me, and I finished with them about a half hour ago. I was told to meet all of you here to see where my room for the night is.”

Shining armor stepped forward through the group “Yes, I was informed that we would be meeting you here. If you all would follow me I’ll show you to your rooms.”

The group did as he suggested falling into step behind him, Applejack moving to walk to the left of, and Twilight to the right of Grevin with the rest mingled around them and Cadance taking the back of the group. Shining Armor led them through beautiful open halls that were ordained with tapestries and ancient armors and finally up a set of stairs which at the top, opened up into a large circular chamber that had a set of eight doors spaced out along the outer wall.

Each door was clearly meant to serve as an entrance for the guest rooms and was a brilliant golden color with elaborate flowing etchings emblazoned in them. The center of the circular chamber was clearly set up to be a kind of gathering place for the guest rooms. In the very center was an enclosed circular fire pit that had a small fire already going in it. Surrounding that were five beautifully crafted stone benches and behind that were soft couches in a semi-circle facing towards the stair wells. The group stood there a moment taking in the sight of it all as Shining and Cadance moved past them into the chamber. “Here we are. You each have your own room, and this area here can serve as a kind of hang out for all of you when you don’t quite feel like going into the city.”

Cadance smiled as she turned to face Grevin specifically. “I trust that this will meet your needs?”

Grevin cleared his throat and gave a brief nod. “Y…yes of course. To be honest I’ve never been allowed to stay in a castle…well at least not as a guest. Your hospitality has been truly wonderful. Thank you.” This was true, the last time he had been in a castle he was actually being taken to the dungeons for an assassination he had committed. He was lucky to have escaped that place with his life. Of course this was before he had met his mentor and changed his life for the better.

Cadance grinned. “I’m glad. Shining wanted to make certain that his sister’s friends were going to be truly comfortable during their stay.”

This made Grevin take pause. He glanced at Twilight then at Shining noticing that their cutie marks had a similar star shape to them. It finally clicked. This was her brother that she had told him about. He had no idea when he first met him but now it all made sense. “I see. Well I can honestly say that everything here has been wonderful. I thank you, and the Princesses for your hospitality.”

Twilight grinned as she trotted past them and towards the center of the chamber. She loved looking at the ornate architecture of the room, the look of it, the designs, all of it spoke of a time long forgotten in pony history. It was beautiful. She glanced over at the eight rooms and then to her brother. “Shining, who gets what room?”

Shining nodded and pointed to the first room to the left “Well you’ll be in here Twily, and then Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and then Applejack.” He pointed to each room in order moving down the line. He then skipped the next room and pointed to the one beside it. “And finally Grevin you’ll room here.”

Rainbow frowned as she rose to the air her rainbow colored mane flowing with each flap of her wings. “Wait a second…why is it that Grevin’s room is being kept separate from ours?” She narrowed her eyes at Shining who had a nervous smile on his face. “Do you have something against him??”

Grevin was about to step forward when Applejack cut him off, stepping in front of him a scowl on her face as well. “Yeah, what’s the deal?”

Twilight frowned and moved in front of the whole group cutting them off from their intended target. “Calm down everypony, I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation.” She turned to look at her brother. “…which is?”

Shining smiled and nodded, thankful for the chance to explain the rooming situation. “Yes, you see the representative from the Zebra nation was using that other room and just recently left. It hasn’t been cleaned or prepared for a guest. I swear that’s all that was.” He glanced to his side and shot a small glare at Cadance who had raised a hoof to her mouth hiding her laughter.

Twilight smiled. “See everyone, there was a simple reasonable explanation.”

Rarity grinned as she moved to one of the couches, hopping onto it and laying down folding her forelegs under her. “This is simply divine. If the common area is this nice, then the room must simply be gorgeous.”

Pinkie Pie grinned and ran around the room “This place is awesome! It’s set up just like a camp fire…” She suddenly shot up into the air with a gasp and beamed. “Oh-oh-oh I know, lets have another cookout! We won’t have to worry about rain or anything here!” The group began to smile and nod in agreement liking the idea.

Cadance laughed “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll let the castle cooks know that you would like to have some food brought up to here for dinner.”

Rainbow Dash grinned mischievously rubbing her hooves together in a menacing fashion “Awesome, and then we can play some games.”

Cadance blinked at that comment and noticed that not only did Twilight glance at Grevin as the words left Dash’s lips, but so did Applejack and Fluttershy. A small smile crept onto her lips as she lightly shook her head. It was clear to her that the three mares had some sort of feeling for the mysterious man, who had take a few steps back edging towards his room. She held back a chuckle. It was clear that he had no idea what he would be in for. Her cutie mark of love wasn’t just for show; she had a knack for knowing when love was in the air, and she could already get a small hint of it. She nudged Shining and began to walk towards the stairs. “Come on dear, it’s getting late and we have appointments to keep in the morning. “

She smiled and gave Twilight a quick hug as they moved past. “I’ll be sure to talk to you tomorrow.” She gave a knowing wink which caused Twilight’s cheeks to redden a bit before nodding.

The newlywed couple left without much hassle and soon several servants arrived bringing a vast amount of fruits, vegetables, and even a wonderful smelling soup leaving the well stocked cart out for them. After a few minutes the servants finally left and the group was able to sit around the warm fire pit enjoying the wonderful meal provided to them. About an hour later the group was sitting lazily around the fire pit reflecting on the past day…well most of them were. Rainbow Dash sighed as she lazily flew around the room. “You know, I never got an answer from you guys. Are you up for playing a game tonight or what?”

Pinkie Pie giggled as she rocked back on her rump. “I’m game!”

Rarity smirked. “Absolutely, I’ll play as well darling.”

Grevin cleared his throat as he rose to his feet. “I’m afraid I’ll pass girls. I didn’t have the best sleep on the train so I think I’ll turn in early for tonight.” The girls groaned in disappointment as he began to step around the stone benches making his way towards his room.

Fluttershy tucked her head behind her pink mane as she glanced at him as he walked past. “Um…Grevin? You’re not tired because of me taking that dare yesterday are you? I tried to not wake you up…”

He smiled and shook his head reaching down to lightly ruffle her mane. “No Fluttershy, you aren’t the reason. I’ve just not been sleeping well lately and the idea of a cushy bed sounds pretty relaxing.”

She grinned and nodded as he continued to walk on to his room unaware of the slight glares being sent at the cream Pegasus by both Twilight and Applejack. He glanced over his shoulder a small frown appearing on his lips as he looked at Rainbow Dash. “And Dash…no more dares that involve surprising me…alright?”

The blue mare simply grinned and winked shrugging her shoulders with a laugh. “We’ll see.”

He rolled his eyes and waved a simple goodnight to the rest of the group before opening the door to his suite and closing it behind him. He rested his back against the door for a moment before relaxing enough to really take in the room he had been provided.

It was beautiful and large, providing him with ample room to move around. A little way into the room to his left was a doorway which led him to an elaborate bathroom equipped especially with amenities that were designed to fit him…even a large shower. This made him smile; it had been a very long time since he had been able to have an actual shower. The main part of the room had a large desk and dresser, that had his pack set down next to it, and just after that was a large bed that looked as though it could hold three people his size. He was going to enjoy this. That wasn’t the kicker though. The room was large enough that he could easily go through some of his exercises and not worry about hitting anything, and on the far wall was a set of windowed double doors the opened out onto a large private balcony that would allow him to see out over the city in an incredible view.

He slowly slid his cloak from his shoulders followed by his weapons, setting them on the dresser with care. He then proceeded to remove his gauntlets, armor and boots setting them in a small but neat pile next to the bed. He then made his way into the bath room and turned on the shower a smile coming over his lips as the hot water flowed in a strong steady stream, the steam beginning to fill the tiled room. He quickly went to his pack and pulled out a set of clothes to change into, setting them on the vanity near the door before shedding his remaining clothing and climbing into the steamy, relaxing shower. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

* Outside Canterlot Castle*

Spearhead grumbled as he made his way through the royal gardens, a light shining from his horn as he went. He was free and clear to have the night off but then one of his friends from training just had to come and ask for a favor. He had a hot date with this mare he met in Pony Joe’s shop and begged Spearhead for an hour before finally winning him over.

The brown colt shook his head his mane shifting under his helmet as he fought back a yawn. He trotted deeper into the stone garden scanning his head around trying to keep his eyes open. The sound of his hooves on the smooth marble pathway was hypnotic lulling him into an unaware state until his hooves suddenly slipped out from under him making him fall into a cold wet, sticky surface. He groaned as he shined his light around a moment gathering his senses before noticing that he had slipped and fallen in a puddle. He frowned as he leaned down and took a closer look at the liquid that now covered the lower portion of his uniform as a sweet smell wafted to his nose. His eyes widened then narrowed in anger. “What the buck…”

Getting back to his feet he learned that indeed his suspicions were confirmed. Some inconsiderate dolt had come out to the garden with a glass of chocolate milk and dumped it all over the walkways. Now not only would his armor be sticky for the rest of his patrol and he would have to clean up this mess, but he would have to take another hour to just clean his armor so he could look his best for throne room duty the next day. “Great…just great…last time I do a favor for a friend with a date…unless she has a friend I can go out with…”

What spearhead had failed to notice is that not only was there a puddle of chocolate milk, but it was growing. If one were to follow the trail of the offending substance they would see a slow steady drip flowing from a crack on the underside of the statue of Discord. Within a few minutes the puddle had grown in size and as the drip under the statue slowed to a stop, the mass of liquid began to move on its own flowing along the smooth pathway leaving a semi slick trail in its wake. The puddle began to grow in mass and change into a thicker, darker color as it moved through the surrounding hedge work and out of the garden, flowing down the side of the castle walls into the city disappearing into the shadows of the city a haunting laugh floating out from the dark.

Spearhead trotted back a towel draped over his shoulder ready to clean up the large puddle only to find that a majority of it was gone and only a small wet strip remained on the marble. He tilted his head in confusion before shrugging his shoulders and tossing the cloth on the wet stone and began to sop up what he could. “I swear, I hate evening patrol duty.”

*Canterlot Castle Guest Suites, Grevin’s room*

Grevin sighed as he rested his head against the cool tile of the shower his eyes closed and a content smile on his lips. It had been a very long time since he had felt anything like this that allowed him to clear his mind and find a moment of peace. He took another deep breath before reaching out and grasping the faucet handle and turning it off. He opened the shower door and quickly grabbed a towel drying himself and wrapping it around his waist as he stepped out enjoying the slight chill as the room temperature air touched his still heated skin.

He took a moment to wipe some steam off of the vanity mirror and gave himself a good once over taking note of the bags under his eyes bringing a small frown to his lips. He hoped that the bed just on the other side of the wall would help relieve him of the nightmares for at least one night. He reached down to his right to pick up his sleeping shorts and undershirt only to feel the cool, smooth top of the vanity meet his fingers. He looked down thinking that they may have fallen to the floor but noticed there was nothing there either. Did he forget to grab them before getting in the shower?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard what sounded like the soft clop of hooves on the tile in the next room. He frowned as his frustration flared and tightened the towel around his waist and made for the door hoping to catch the culprit. “Alright, I don’t know what game you girls are playing outside but if another pony sneaks into my room and tries to spend the night with me I’m going to....”

Grevin’s thoughts were cut short as he rounded the corner and was met first by a cool breeze washing over his chest and face followed by the sight of an open balcony door and finally Princess Luna lying on her stomach atop of his bed, her forehooves crossed just in front of her resting on his missing short and shirt. His jaw dropped and he stopped dead in his tracks as only one word seemed to find its way to his lips. “Fuck…”

Luna smirked as she gave him a coy smile and tilted her head to the side a laughing glint in her eyes. “Mr. Hades, if you have a problem with mares entering your bed chamber I’m not certain that, that particular action would dissuade them from doing so again.”

She held back a laugh as she watched him squirm under her gaze a sly look in eye as she allowed her gaze to move from his face down his neck stopping to linger over his chiseled chest and washboard stomach stopping where his towel began. Her blue eyes locked with his as she lightly ran her tongue over her lips. “However…I can see why they would keep coming back to pay you a visit.”

Before Grevin could respond she rose to her hooves her horn glowing placing an aura around the clothes she had borrowed levitating them in front of her. She moved forward to stand directly before him and leaned in holding the clothes in front of his face. “Here, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’m simply teasing. Go and get dressed and I shall wait here, please don’t keep me waiting.”

He reached up and quickly took his clothing taking a few steps away from the dark blue Alicorn before turning and returning to the bath room to dress as quickly as he could. Once he had a chance to collect his thoughts he felt a small surge of anger at the intrusion to his privacy. Once he straightened his shirt and returned the towel to the wall mounted hanger he returned to the main room and stood in the entryway with his arms crossed over his chest. “So Princess, would you be so kind as to tell me why you decided to pay me a visit this evening…and why you took my clothing?”

Luna simply smiled at him from her perch on the bed and lightly tapped a space next to her expectantly. “I wished to talk to you in a more relaxed setting, nothing as formal as the throne room. I wanted to speak the Grevin that isn’t hidden within his shell. As for the clothes…” She laughed lightly and locked eyes with him once more. “I couldn’t help but want to play a little joke. I also wanted to apologize if I upset you, I meant no offense.”

He nodded as he tried to calm himself while walking around her and sitting down on the far corner of the bed. “Alright, your apology is accepted, I am sorry if I seem a bit off putting, but I wasn’t exactly expecting company. If I had known I would have picked up some refreshments.”

Luna smiled and nodded before shaking her sparkling mane so it rested more on her back. “I’ll be sure to let you know I’m coming next time. On a serious note, I wished to speak to you about something I noticed when I first met you.”

He nodded his eyes showing no change but his muscles tensed ever so slightly and did not go unnoticed by her. “I’m not certain that I know what you mean.”

Her gaze hardened as she stared at him a small frown on her lips. “A darkness I sensed from you, buried deep within.” She quickly shot a hard glare at him preventing him from speaking before she was finished. “Do not attempt to hide it from me…I can see that something haunts you just by gazing into your eyes.”

Grevin paused taking a slow breath closing his eyes. “Alright…perhaps I have a bit of a rough past, what does it matter to you?” His tone was calm and even as he again looked at her.

Her eyes softened as she looked down her tone softening. “I was once known as Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the Night Eternal. I allowed myself to become so enveloped in my own jealousy and anger that I lost what I needed most. When I was free from banishment I was still blinded by those things and would have done something terrible to Equestria. If not for the Elements of Harmony I would still be stuck in my old ways and completely lost.” She raised her gaze to him once more and leaned forward a bit placing a soft hoof on his knee. “I could sense a darkness within you Grevin...I want to know where it comes from, and if you’re willing to tell me about it.”

Grevin looked at her hoof on his knee then at her face taking not of the genuine concern in her eyes and came to his decision. If he was going to make a home in this land he would have to be as honest as possible with its leaders. “Well, if anything about me is as dark as you fear then its what I’ve done in the past before I joined the guild of my mentor. The girls know some of this but nothing in detail…they don’t need to know the specifics.”

Luna simply nodded in expectation. “Fair enough, just what is it that puts this dark taint in your soul?”

He sighed. “When I first started my military career I was used as a tool to do great harm. My employers saw me as a weapon due to my abilities and they used me as such. I killed…murdered people because someone hired my blade. I assassinated people who I didn’t know…some of them were simply innocent victims to some foul political grasp for power. I even participated in battles of one country invading another. I did some pretty bad things, and to be honest, part of me enjoyed it. The thrill of the fight, the sense of adrenaline I felt as I struck down every foe that tried to end my life…all of it.”

Luna tilted her head to side her eyes watching him carefully taking note of the saddened tone that had begun to seep into his voice and the grave look in his eyes. “Grevin...it’s clear to me that you don’t enjoy such things now, but I am curious, what made you enjoy it before?”

He took a moment to close his eyes and look away swallowing down the lump that had formed in his throat. “It was the first time in my life that I had been appreciated for what I could do. All my life I had been scorned and hated for what I was…but when I was part of that group I wasn’t…I was praised and respected. I even earned the eye of a beautiful woman who showed affection towards me. I had no idea that what I was doing was so terrible because of how good it made me feel. I was foolish though and soon enough the rug was pulled out from under me.”

He opened his eyes once more this time they seemed to have a hint of a hard edge to them. “As for not enjoying such things now…well…that’s not entirely true. There are times, however rare, when I fight that I can feel that familiar rush…the thrill of the combat pushing the bloodlust in the back of my mind. When that happens I have to fight to keep it under control because I have no idea what will happen if I just let go.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed slightly “And have you felt that urge while here in Equestria? “

He shook his head somberly “No, thankfully no…I was fortunate to purge a good bit of that behavior long ago…All of that came to a head before I tried to end things and ultimately turned my life around. If I were to ever feel that…rage…that blood lust again here I would separate myself from the girls and go into hiding…probably into what they call the Everfree Forest.”

Luna smiled warmly and nodded in approval. “That is noble of you…and I am glad that you are taking the safety of our people into consideration. However, I also worry about you.”

He frowned and looked past her to the balcony doors and the curtains attached to them that flowed ever so slightly as the night air blew into the room. “Why would you be concerned about me princess? I’m technically an outsider in your society.”

She frowned at his tone and sat back raising her head up her wings ruffling a bit. “That may be but I am a member of the royal family and it is my duty to try and ensure the safety and happiness of everyone who lives within our borders. You have barriers set up to keep yourself apart from others, you tend to be cold, calculating, you wrap yourself in a shell both emotionally,” She motioned to the armor and cloak stacked across the room, “and physically.”

He ground his teeth a bit and glanced over at her. “What does it matter that I keep to myself for most things? I am friends with the girls and I’ve shown myself to the town…there isn’t anything else I can do.”

Luna simply smirked and leaned in almost uncomfortably close causing him to lean back until he felt his back press against the cool wall behind him. “Oh really?” She pressed closer and closer until he could feel her warm breath wash over his face. She reached out a hoof and lightly placed it on the center of his chest. “Then why not open yourself in here?”

He growled as he tried to move his head away from her only to have her follow his movement. “Stop.”

She simply chuckled and moved closer placing another hoof on his knee as she lightly circled the center of his chest with her soft touch while she gazed into his eyes with a humors glint in hers. Grevin jerked his body away from her rising to his feet putting several feet between himself and the Princess of the Night. “That’s enough!”

Luna sat back once more taking note of his flushed cheeks and his shoulders heaving with each breath he took. “Easily flustered aren’t you?”

He narrowed his eyes and clenched a fist but didn’t move from where he stood. “If you’re trying to be funny again I fail to see the point...and if you’re trying to make a point about something then I think there needs to be some clarification.”

She smiled and nodded her flowing mane shifting ever so slightly her crystal blue eyes shining. “You’re not comfortable around the opposite sex, not something I’d expect from a confident warrior. I have a believe that this means you won’t allow yourself to grow close to those who care about you. Right now you keep everyone at arms length though they don’t easily notice it. I don’t know what happened in your past that jaded you but it’s safe to bet that as you go around helping others, you will gain an admirer if not many. Some of them could allow you to be quite happy if you gave them a chance.”

He frowned as he slowly crossed his arms and paced around the room with his head down. “So the whole point of you trying to give me that little massage was to tell me that I should open my heart?”

She smirked as she rose to her hooves and flexed her wings a moment. “Partially, I also just wanted to have some fun…” Her eyes softened as she sat slowly moved towards the balcony, “But in all honesty I want you to consider opening your heart once more Grevin. I don’t know your past, but I’m willing to bet you can have a wonderful future…after all you have the best ponies around to help you…they certainly helped me when I needed it.”

She stood out on the balcony now and turned to face him a soft smile on her lips. “Consider all of what we spoke about. I shall see you and the others tomorrow. I wish you a good evening.”

Grevin sighed as he gave a polite bow at the doorway his frustration still evident. “Goodnight Princess Luna.”

He watched her begin to rise into the air as she flapped her large wings before shutting the door and resting his back against the nearby wall as a sigh escaped his lips. Why the sudden interest in what his heart feels? He had tried to close that portion of himself off a long time ago and now he’s had multiple attempts at trying to get him to open up once again. He was never good with women to begin with and his experiences back in Bastion did nothing to raise his confidence, so he did what his instincts told him to do…shield himself from that kind of pain and avoid romance, now he felt like his back was beginning to be pressed against a wall.

He rested his head back against the wall with a slight thunk opening his eyes to look out over his room resting on the bed that was just vacated by the Princess of the night. Sleep was not going to come easy to him now. He ran his fingers through his hair and growled as he shook his head while mentally kicking himself. Why was he allowing his emotions to be toyed with? Yes he wanted to continue to help those who have been so kind to him but why did he allow himself to even begin to open up to them? He could be perfectly kind to them and be a friend without allowing himself to get into some sort of romance.

He sighed once more as he moved across the room and sat himself down on the bed before falling back onto the plush, cool sheets. Besides, he was pretty certain that if he were to get into a relationship it would only end badly. He closed his eyes and tried to allow his thoughts to fade and hoped that even a troubled sleep would find him this evening.

-Perspective Change-

She flapped her wings twice and was off rising into the air with ease gliding out away from his room as he shut the door behind her. Luna sighed enjoying the cool air under her wings as she flew through the night sky. She always enjoyed these small moments of freedom before returning to her royal duties. She glanced up to check on the stars she had set for the evening and smiled noting that everything was perfect and as it was meant to be, but her smile didn’t last. Despite all that was right with Canterlot, something felt off…but she couldn’t place her hoof on it…not yet.

She pulled her thoughts back and focused her attention on her next task. With a mighty flap she rose up to the tallest tower where the all to familiar telescope rested on it’s balcony, a soft glow coming from the light inside the room at the top. She landed on the balcony like she had so many times before and made her way inside where her sister waited.

Celestia sat in front of a large desk looking at various papers, a large fireplace setting the room alight with a soft glow. Celestia glanced over her shoulder at her sister. “Well…what do you think sister?”

Luna sighed as she sat down onto her haunches. “It is hard to tell sister. He carries a pain deep in his heart and he has a darkness within his very soul that he may not be fully aware of. However he does strive to do what it is right even when tempted to do otherwise.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and smirked as she began organizing her papers, putting them away for the night. “You played with him a bit didn’t you…?”

Luna blushed and looked away leaving the question to hang in the air. Celestia chuckled as she slid the papers into the center desk drawer. “Sister, your sense of humor pushes limits at times. We’ll come back to that later…What about the real reason you visited him…do you think that he fits the description?”

Luna sighed as she rose to her hooves and moved further into the room. “He may be the one in the legend that father told us about…he may not be. He still keeps himself guarded so much so that he may never allow himself to open up…perhaps time will tell us more. The question I have is this; what do we do until we know for certain? Should we tell him and the Element bearers what we know?”

Celestia shook her head gently a soft smile on her lips. “No…not yet. Not until we know more. I have a feeling that things need to play out before we say anything. As for what do we do for now? Just leave that to me.”

-The next morning-

Twilight yawned as she shifted out from under the covers of her posh bed enjoying the warmth it provided her lavender eyes opening to the sight of the morning sun shining in through the shaded windows of her room taking in the peaceful calm of the morning as she gathered her thoughts.

It had been a fairly fun and relatively quiet evening once Grevin had gone to his room. She and the girls had sat down during dinner to enjoy some girl talk and things started off innocently enough ranging from how their respective hobbies were going to what they were planning to do the next day in Canterlot. She wanted to take the group to the local museum while Applejack had mentioned the market place and of course Rainbow Dash had wanted to see the next Wonderbolt Derby.

She shook her head shifting her mane away from her face as she slid out from under the covers and began to prepare for her day. She had the day’s checklist already set and planned out. Once she was cleaned up she would meet with the others in the common area and then they would have some brunch in the banquet hall. After that they would meet with Princess Celestia and then they would go out into the city and see some of her old hang outs like Pony Joes doughnut shop. Hopefully she would be able to speak to Cadance about her crush and get some advice. Maybe she could even get some alone time with Grevin.

She set her brush down and checked herself in the mirror smiling when she saw no flaws. She trotted out of the room and into the common area surprised to see that not only had the castle servants brought up a large fruit and bagel tray filled with piles of fresh fruit of multiple types and bagels that ranged from blueberry to poppy seed, but Grevin was sitting on one of the benches eating from a plate that had some Strawberies, Rasberries, and a Plain Bagel loaded down with a cream cheese spread on it.

She smiled at first as she made her way over to him but her pace slowed as she watched him, noting that not only did he have his hood up, but he wore his weapons and armor. Her ears drooped a bit as she approached him from behind before an idea struck her. She glanced around taking note that there was nopony else in the area, the doors to her friends rooms were still shut, they were alone. She grinned as her ears perked once more and she moved as quietly as she could behind him waiting for the right moment. Once he bent down to take a bite of his bagel she initiated her attack. She jumped up and draped her forelegs over his shoulders resting her head on his left shoulder letting her body drape softly against his back.

She grinned as she glanced to her right and nuzzled her cheek against his enjoying the feeling of his stubble brushing against her coat. “Good morning Grevin.”

Her grin faded as quickly as it came when she felt his back and shoulders tense. She quickly let go her hooves lightly taping on the stone floor as she took a step back while he turned around slowly. Her ears fell back as she began to worry that she had upset him. “Grevin?”

He sat the plate he held down and lightly cleared his throat before raising two fingers in a slight wave. “Good morning Twlight. I’m sorry if I seemed a bit tense. I didn’t sleep to well last night.”

She frowned watching him for a moment her eyes narrowing as she looked at him, not quite sure if he was being truthful or not. She wished she could see his eyes, that would help her be able to tell. “Grevin? Why do you have your hood up?”

He turned and looked towards the stairwell that led into the common area from the rest of the castle. “Well, I didn’t wish to upset the servers that brought up the food.”

She nodded quietly before taking a small step forward. “well…they’re gone now…so…why not go ahead and pull it down for right now?”

He shook his head as he watched her carefully. “I’d prefer not to…”

She frowned and reached up with her right hoof to grab the fabric. “Nonsense…it won’t hurt anything….please?”

He reached up and gently grasped her hoof just before it touched the fabric. “I’d prefer not.”

She narrowed her eyes and reached up with her other hoof rising up bringing her face even with his, staring into the shadows that hid his eyes. “Please, it won’t do any harm.”

He shook his head as he caught her other hoof with his hand, the two locked in place now. “No.”

She stared into the space where she knew his eyes would be and suddenly pushed with her forehooves gritting her teeth together. “Pull it back!”

He held her steady as he saw the determination rising in her eyes. “No, why does it matter so much?”

“Because I want to see your eyes!” She lunged forward knocking the two back over the bench and onto the floor, Grevin landing with a solid thud his hood falling back revealing his face while Twilight rested atop him her hooves pushing down on his hands holding them to the floor, her face inches from his.

Her lips parted slightly as she stared down at him taking in the slight red hint to his cheeks, her own beginning to redden. She could feel him breathing underneath her, the muscles in his legs flexing as he tried to steady himself as she rested against him. She looked up at his eyes only to see him look away his lips frowning slightly. He was trying to put the shell back around himself, she could see it in his eyes.

Her eyes softened as a smile graced her lips. “Grevin…” She watched his eyes snap down to look up at her when she softly spoke his name before she began to lean down her warm breath brushing across his cheek. She felt him try to push her up off of him but she had an ace up her sleeve for that. Her horn lip up and a magical aura enveloped his hands pushing them back down to the floor. “Grevin…please… let me see your eyes.”

She felt his straining stop as he looked up at her. “Twilight…you need to let me up.”

She smiled softly and nodded but didn’t move an inch, her eyes locked onto his. “I will, I promise.”

He pulled his head to the side only to feel another magical aura pull him back so he was facing her. She felt her head lean down slowly her eyes softening as she noticed just how guarded his were. Time seemed to slow down as the gap between them slowly grew smaller and smaller.

Twilight couldn’t help herself...couldn’t stop herself. She felt her form drawn to him, her heart telling her that he was still hurting inside, that he needed help to heal, to feel again. It was if her body was acting on its own. She felt her eyes begin to close, this was it, she was going to kiss him.

“WHAT IN TARNATION!”

Twilight’s eyes snapped open as she pulled back her magic stopping abruptly in surprise. Grevin took advantage of this and quickly pushed her off of him to the left while he rolled to the right, his hand reaching back and pulling his hood up concealing his face once more as he rose to a kneeling position. Twilight rolled onto her hooves and stood up shaking her head, her mane slightly ruffled. She looked over her shoulder to see Applejack staring at her from her room’s entryway with narrowed green eyes a frown plastered on her lips.

She quickly turned to face her friend and put on a small smile. “Morning Applejack, how are you?”

Applejack slowly moved forward her head low eyes narrowed. “Twi…just what was goin on out here?”

Twilight glanced to the side her hooves shifting slightly under the uncomfortable gaze of her friend. “Uh…well you see…” What could she say? She didn’t mean for it to happen, all she had wanted to do was see her friends face to help her figure out what was wrong. He thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud cough. She and Applejack looked over to see Grevin clearing his throat.

“If I may A.J. It was just some playful rough housing.”

Applejack paused her walking and turned to look over at the man who now was seated once more on the bench holding his plate of food. “Really now? So that’s why she was sittin on top of ya?” Her face was skeptical her lips still frowning.

He nodded as he popped another Strawberry in his mouth. “Yes. She landed on me after I tripped and fell over. We were joking around and some playful shoving ensued and it simply got a little bit out of hand, I didn’t pay attention to where I was standing and ended up falling back pulling her with me. I hit my head and she wanted to make certain I was alright before I got up.”

Applejack glanced over at her friend who quickly nodded in agreement before sighing and looking down lightly pawing at the ground. “Well…alright…I’m sorry if I seemed a little jumpy, it just…well when I came out of my room it looked a might bit funny.” She glanced at Twilight who had moved to the food spread and begun filling a plate, and made a mental note to speak to her later about the whole thing.

She moved around Twilight and filled her own plate before setting herself down next to Grevin who shifted uncomfortably in his own seat. She smiled up at him and glanced at Twilight noting the small frown on the edge of her lips. Yep, she was going to have to talk to her friend.

-Throne Room, Mid-Day-

The group had gathered together in front of the large set of golden doors to the throne room an air of excitement seemed to be buzzing throughout the Mane Six. Grevin however did not share their enthusiasm. He stood there quietly as the doors opened and a familiar unicorn guard came forward with a serious look in his eyes. Grevin gave a polite nod knowing what was coming next. “Lieutenant Spearhead, I hope your day is going well.”

Spearhead did his best to hide a yawn but nodded. “Indeed I am Mr. Hades. I’m afraid I have to ask for your weapons before you are allowed to enter the throne room.”

Grevin nodded and went through the same steps he took the day previous allowing Spearhead to take the weapons in a magical field that floated them behind him. As the last dagger floated behind the guard, Spearhead stepped back and allowed the group to make their way inside.

Once inside they were greeted by the sight of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sitting on their respective thrones watching the ensemble as they made their way into the room. Twilight grinned and began to run forward only to see her mentor gently shake her head causing her to slow her pace to a walk.

The group slowed to a halt as the two Princesses rose to their hooves and stood before them an impassive look on their faces. Celestia took a slow steady breath before speaking. “Good afternoon everypony. We are meeting here to discuss the future of our newest resident to Equestria. As you are aware Grevin has been our guest for several weeks now and has lived amongst us peacefully during that time. I ask you, the ones who have been with him, befriended him, spoken with him, lived with him and gotten to know him. So we ask you, would you allow him to continue living here as a true resident of Equestria?”

Pinkie Pie grinned and rose up on her back legs spreading her front legs wide. “Well duh! He’s awesome! Why wouldn’t we want him to be a full resident here!”

Rarity stepped forward to speak next only to hear a dark ominous laugh fill the room as she opened her mouth. She squeaked and brought her hoof to her lips, her eyes wide in surprise.

There was a murmur of concern that quickly turned to cries of surprise as the room began to shake nearly causing the group to fall. Fluttershy and Applejack bumped into one another and nearly fell to the floor only to be caught by Grevin who was able to steady them as the air once again filled with the sound of a familiar, sinister laugh.

Celestia’s eyes widened as the laughter continued. How was that possible, it couldn’t be…the statue was still in the stone garden. “Discord? It can’t be.”

The group gasped as the ground shook once more, several pony guards hunkering down while others took to the air trying to keep themselves from falling over. Finally it stopped as did the laughter, but then it was replaced by a jovial voice. “Well, well, well. What have we here, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, the Princess of the Night and the Princess of the Sun all together in a big happy reunion…and no one bothered to invite me? How terrible, and I was just so curious as to how you all were doing.”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “Discord? How? You were defeated by the Elements of Harmony years ago.”

Discord laughed his tones echoing throughout the room. “Oh indeed I was, but I was given a new lease on life courtesy of your newest guest…isn’t that right Mr. Hades?”

Grevin clenched a fist as the group turned to face him with wide fearful eyes. Had he betrayed them? Was he really an agent of chaos trying to disrupt the order of Equestria?

Celestia narrowed her eyes as she lowered her gaze at him. “Grevin…is this true.”

Grevin growled and shook his head. “Of course it’s not true, I come to you out of respect, he speaks lies.”

Discord sighed as a chilly air began to blow through the room. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You don’t remember do you? You visited me yesterday. The torment that goes on within your very soul called out to me…spoke to me…and I just had to respond.”

Grevin turned and looked at the group opening his hands so his palms were open and his voice was quiet and calm. “Princesses…girls…I had no idea. I’m sorry. My very presence is causing a disruption.”

Luna stepped forward and shook her head, her ethereal mane shifting with the motion. “Neigh, you are not at fault. The solution to this problem shall come soon enough. Twilight Sparkle, you and your friends must retrieve the Elements of Harmony and use them once more to vanquish Discord.”

Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six nodded as looks of determination washed over their faces. “It’ll be our honor Princess.”

The room filled with ominous laughter once more as the windows began to shakes. “Oh I don’t think so! Not this time. I learned my lesson and I’ve decided that I’m going to bide my time and get stronger before I face you once more.”

Celestia grit her teeth together as she stamped her hoof to the floor. “You can’t escape us that easily Discord!”

“Oh, I realize that my dear Celestia.” There was a sudden groan as the stain glass windows in the room began to bow inwards.

Grevin lunged forward and tackled the Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie with wide spread arms, using his cloak as a cover as best he could. “Get down!”

Suddenly the glass exploded inwards showering the room with broken shards of colored glass. Grevin cringed as he felt the shards pummel his cloak, some pieces managing to cut across the back of his exposed legs. Luna and Celestia had managed to put up a protective field of magic shielding the remainder of the group from the bombardment. “I’ve got a little trick up my sleeve to keep you occupied while I find a nice cozy place to set up shop. It’s been a thousand years since I’ve been able to really see the sights and I intend to see everything before I get into some fights.”

In the distance there was the sound of a small explosion followed by the sound of screaming ponies trickling in through the now open windows. Mares, stallions, even fillies and colts, all yelling in terror at what was going on all while the group slowly got back up on their feet/hooves. Celestia narrowed her eyes “Discord…what did you do?”

He simply laughed. “Why my dear Celestia. I’ve give you and your little group a dilemma. You see, I knew you’d want to come after me right away so I decided to give you a little diversion…”

Grevin stepped to the window and what met his sight shook him. In the distance there was thick black smoke rising from a portion of the city. From what he could see it looked like a market place. He was jolted when the sharp sound of a piercing roar echoed from that location.

“I decided that instead of my usual zany antics, I thought I’d do something a bit more chaotic…and not so fun. I pulled an image from our new friends mind…something that would be fun to play with…ta ta my deal little ponies, you’ll see me again soon enough.”

Grevin’s eyes narrowed and his fingers tightened on the windowsill to the point that the stone began to crack under the pressure. “You monster…” He looked over at Celestia. “I need to go…now.”

Celestia shook her head her tone angry but controlled. “No. We all must track down Discord. If we stop him now no more harm can be done.” Grevin growled and turned his gaze back out to see the city as more cries of fear and plumes of smoke rose into the sky. He could see the royal guard scrambling in an attempt to get to the scene but they looked disorganized.

Twilight had taken a shaky breath as a small realization hit her. Shining Armor and Cadance were going to be eating at a new café near the marketplace. They could be in danger, they could be killed. She felt her legs shake as the color drained from her face. She never saw Grevin calmly walk past her and towards the entrance of the throne room where Lieutenant Spearhead stood still holding his weapons.

Grevin quietly held out his hand as he stood in front of the quiet guard. “Weapons…now…”

Spearhead looked past Grevin at his rulers seeing that Celestia quietly shook her head her eyes looking pained. He locked eyes with the man who stood before him and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that sir.”

Grevin sighed. “Then I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Spearhead was genuinely confused now.

“For this.” Spearhead never saw the right backhand that hit him coming. His head snapped back sending him into a spin, his vision blurring and his ears ringing. He toppled to the floor as unconsciousness washed over him, his hold on the weapons dropping causing them to clatter to the floor.

Fluttershy gasped as she saw Grevin strike the guard and kneel down to begin picking up his weapons. “G…Grevin what are you doing?”

He sheathed his sword across his back and rose to his full height while looking over his shoulder at the group. “It’s my fault that this is happening. It’s my fault ponies are dying…I intend to correct it.”

Celestia stomped a hoof down silencing the room, the magic emanating from her was immense. “No, you can’t. We all need to track down Discord and stop him. If we can contain him, then all the danger will pass.”

Grevin strode up to Celestia his fist clenched at his sides, the sounds of terror bleeding in from outside making his pulse pound in his ears. Applejack could only stand there slack jawed as she watched the man stand eye to eye with Equestria’s most powerful leader. “Listen and listen good Princess. I mean your land no harm, and I have the utmost respect for you and your people…but know this. I am not an Element of Harmony, so I am going to do the only thing I can to help your people. You and the others go after Discord. Me…I’m going to help those poor souls out there come hell or high water.”

The Mane Six stood there dumbfounded as Grevin brushed past Celestia and to the open window. “I’ll accept whatever punishment you deem fitting when this is over.” With that he ran forward and dove through the open window in a swan dive, rolling into a flip as he disappeared from view.

Rainbow Dash gasped and shot forward as did Twilight and Applejack all expecting him to go splat on the ground below only to see him launch himself across various rooftops progressing off into the distance. “Whoa… he used the edge of the roof just under the window here as a way to get to the roofs over towards the city…I guess he’s cooler than I thought.”

Meanwhile behind the three, Celestia glanced and Luna and gave her a small smirk and a head nod before directing her attention back to business. “Alright my little ponies. We need to get the Elements of Harmony, let us hurry. The longer we delay, the more harm is done.”

Authors Note: Well hey everyone. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve pumped out another chapter but I hope that the wait was worth it. Due to circumstances mentioned in previous authors notes, I imagine that I will have to space out my upload time to close to a month a chapter at the rate I'm writing currently, I am striving to quicken my pace I swear it.

As promised things are beginning to heat up for our hero’s and it’s hard to see what will happen next. What did Discord pull from the depths of Grevin’s mind? Apparently something that can cause some chaos and do some damage.

I’ll start working on the next chapter right away, but I think for some inspiration I’m going to start listening to This is Gonna Hurt by Sixx AM and Now by Staind to get the right mindset for some good old fashioned destruction.

Please tell me what you think about the story thus far in a review. I’ll continue to do my best to stay in cannon according to the series and this story. As always thank you for reading and I hope you have a good day. /)*(\