With an almighty push, Discord opened the doors of the king's chamber, strutting in like he owned the place before giving a deep bow to everypony inside. "Fear not! Discord has returned!"

"OH JOY, ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD AGAIN," Solaris responded with his usual unheard sarcasm.

Discord ignored him as he walked over to Luna, who watched the draconequus with suspicion. "And where, pray tell, has Flash gone to?"

Discord shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. Guess he wanted some personal time or something?"

Luna narrowed her eyes to him. "You're hiding something."

Her fellow ancient seemed almost touched by that. "Why Lulu, you know me so well!"

Solaris, naturally, had little time for Discord's antics. "SPARE ME YOUR MISCHIEF. IF FLASH IS GONE WHO IN TARTARUS AM I GOING TO TALK TO?"

Discord grinned in a way that all knew was going to mean trouble. "I'm sure you'll get somepony eventually."

Doubtless the king would have wanted to ask further about that, only to be stopped before he could ask by the sudden and unexpected sound of some sort of chorus in the background. "WHAT IS THE WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA IS THAT NOISE?"

Luna, with recognition coming to her, gave herself a facehoof. "Oh no."

Much like Discord had done shortly before, the door opened, and into the chamber leapt a trio of stallions whose mere presence caused a grimace not only on Luna's face, but Discord's as well. The stallions, Blueblood, Trenderhoof and Zephyr, grinned to the ancient skeleton before them, and the first of their number stepped forward to give a bow, though much like Discord it was clearly not done with any genuine reverence. "Greetings, my glorious overlord! Behold, your new custodians."

"...WHAT THE WHAT?! WHO ARE YOU THREE SUPPOSED TO BE?! AND WHY OH WHY AREN'T YOU DRESSED IN PROPER GUARD ATTIRE?!"

Stepping alongside Blueblood, Trenderhoof stood in a manner designed to show himself and his leather garb in as much of an exposed way as possible. "A great look, yes?"

"NO! BY THE GODS I DON'T BELIEVE IN, NO!"

Zephyr, the last of them, added his voice to the matter. "Hey, since we're just starting out here, should we maybe sort out things like overtime pay and break-length? I mean, not that I don't like work and all, I just wanna set the ground rules for when we can ease back on it, ya know?"

"...WOW, I WASN'T EXACTLY IMPRESSED WITH FLASH, BUT SEEING YOU THREE MADE ME REALISE HOW GOOD I HAD IT."

"Oh come now," Blueblood replied. "I can assure you that we can prove to be just as able at keeping you company as that lowborn commoner. I mean, you're speaking to a true thoroughbred aristocrat here..." He glanced to his two sides. "And also some extras. That's got to count for something."

"...DAUGHTER?"

"Yes, Father?" Luna responded.

"I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SERIOUSLY START QUESTIONING THE RECRUITMENT STANDARDS OF THIS COUNTRY IF THIS IS GENUINELY CONSIDERED CANDIDATE MATERIAL."

"You and me both, I fear," the princess acknowledged.

Discord, holding back the laughter, muttered to himself. "Oh, if he had actual flesh on his face, his expression in this moment would have been simply priceless."

"KNOCK IT OFF, CHAOS-LOVER. THIS DAY IS BAD ENOUGH WITHOUT YOUR SNARK MAKING IT WORSE."

The draconequus shrugged. "Meh, the day's still young. And this is Equestria after all. The unexpected is to be expected, you may have noticed."

"AT THIS POINT I'LL TAKE ANYTHING UNEXPECTED IF IT MEANS BEING DISTRACTED FROM MY SO-CALLED NEW CUSTODIANS."

"Harsh," Zephyr remarked.

Then, as if to answer the king's prayers, there was a sudden burst of light right in the centre of the room, in-between everycreature present. All eyes turned, and when the light died down they found, to their understandable confusion, that there was a newcomer in their midst. Namely a unicorn filly, pale in her fur and bearing a mix of purple and pink in her curly mane. Luna recognised her immediately, and the filly herself, having had her eyes shut tightly since she arrived, slowly opened one. This was followed shortly by her taking on a look of pure joy as she bounced happily in place. "Yes, yes, yes! I did it! Twilight's lesson really worked! I know how to teleport now! I can't wait to tell Apple Bloom and Scoot...aloo?"

Her words had grown slower with the sudden realisation of where she was and who she was surrounded by. Luna she was happy to see, but everycreature else had her feeling wary, especially when her eyes finally landed in the enormous alicorn skeleton upon the throne before her. And speaking of whom, Solaris, having been given a perfect excuse to ignore the less-than-likeable stallions he'd just been introduced to, leapt onto this chance. "HELLO THERE, LITTLE ONE." When Sweetie Belle failed to respond, he continued. "MAY I ASK YOUR NAME?"

Sweetie Belle, with justifiable fear of this horrifying image in front of her, fumbled her words. "I'm...I'm...I'm...

"SORRY. TAKING TOO LONG, YOU WILL BE KNOWN AS FILLY FROM HERE ON OUT."

Luna, after doing another facehoof, walked over to the new arrival and placed her hoof upon her shoulder, leaning forward and speaking gently. "I'm sorry about this, but just humour him, okay?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, though still clearly having no idea what was going on. As for the king, his monotone voice was nevertheless giving the impression of one who was growing frustrated. "CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THIS DAY GO SOMEWHAT NORMAL FOR ONCE? HOW ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT PRINCESS TWILIGHT AND HER FRIENDS AGAIN?"

Zephyr looked to him, smiling. "Oh, that's easy. One of them is my sister, Fluttershy. I can tell you all about her if you like."

"...WHAT? ONE OF THE GREAT DEFENDERS OF EQUESTRIA IS RELATED TO YOU? TRULY, THIS NATION IS DOOMED."

Discord glared angrily at him, and was likely on the road to responding angrily, when he was halted dead in his tracks by a new voice, calling out and echoing through the chamber to get the attention of all of them. "Stop. You must not speak ill...of Fluttershy."

"WHAT? WHO DARES TO MAKE SUCH DEMANDS OF ME?" No words answered him, and instead he and everycreature else looked on to see the silent guard, who had been little more than a statue for most of Solaris' revival, still clad head to hoof in armour, striding forward. "WELL NOW. ARE YOU FINALLY GOING TO SAY OR DO SOMETHING INTERESTING, GUARD?"

The guard stood still for a time, before finally speaking up, the tone calm and measured. "King Solaris. Your unknown guard was really I..." With a single motion, the helmet was removed and discarded, finally revealing the face underneath. A mare of grey fur and a purple mane. "Maud Pie."

"GASP...I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS."

Next Chapter: Introductions Estimated time remaining: 46 Minutes