"Maud? Why are you here?" Luna asked, giving her friend's outfit a quick look-over. "And why are you dressed like that? Did you join the Guard?"

Maud shook her head. "No. I was here in Canterlot visiting an old friend from my education days. I took a wrong turn and wound up among some Guard recruits. Their instructor mistook me for one of them and ordered me to the barracks to get my uniform. I just sort of went along with it until now."

Luna blinked. "...Why?"

Maud shrugged. "I figured it'd be good material for my stand-up routine when I get back around to it."

"HOLY GEEZ," Solaris remarked. "IT EXPLAINS SO MUCH ABOUT THIS COUNTRY THAT YOUR PRIMARY PROTECTION FORCE CAN BE MADE UP OF RANDOM PEOPLE BROUGHT IN OFF THE STREET BY ACCIDENT."

Luna, glancing to the three guards who had come in to take Flash's place, sighed. "Yes...I cannot disagree."

Blueblood scoffed to that. "I'll have you know, dearest Princess Luna, that I am most certainly qualified for this position. Just ask Auntie Celestia, she'll vouch for me."

Luna arched an eyebrow. "If by 'vouch' you mean she'd agree that this was the only place she could put you to finally give you something useful to do, then certainly," she said with utter bluntness.

Blueblood looked to her, aghast. "I say! That is most certainly..." He thought on that for a moment. "...About ninety percent not true."

"HOLD UP," Solaris interjected. "DID YOU JUST CALL CELESTIA YOUR AUNTIE? LUNA, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO TELL ME?"

Luna facehoofed. "Father, I assure you, he is not mine!" she said in a manner that made it clear that this was not the first time she'd had to clarify such a thing.

Blueblood swept some of his mane aside. "Indeed, good Sir. My family and Celestia have been friends for many years. I simply spent time in the palace a great deal during my youth and I came to view the princess as a sort of aunt that I never had."

"THAT'S A RELIEF. FOR A MOMENT I WAS WORRIED YOU AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RELATED. THANKS FOR SAYING THE ONE PLEASANT THING YOU'VE SAID SO FAR."

As before, Blueblood seemed indignant to that. "Well! I never!"

Meanwhile, Discord had been giving Maud some close attention, looking to her with confusion and curiosity. "You know, it's weird. You're a total straight-mare. Completely evening out any of the wacky personalities you'd find in this chamber."

"Guilty as charged," Maud admitted in her usual deadpan manner.

"But we already have such a person here with the group when Luna joined up again," Discord added, pointing to the alicorn in question.

"Also true," Maud replied.

Discord stroked his beard. "Huh...it's almost as if some higher power had plans to introduce you way back when but then ditched the idea for your part in the story when Luna was brought back...then introduced you anyway, thus leaving us with two mares to do the same job."

Maud shrugged. "Well, I was here before Luna came back, so I guess there was no alternative."

Placing his paws upon his hips, Discord shook his head while sighing. "Well that's just lazy writing."

"HEY NOW. WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT GETTING META?" Solaris asked with annoyance.

"Nothing. This is the first time you've mentioned it," Maud answered flatly.

"...WELL I'M MENTIONING IT NOW. STOP BEING META."

Discord folded his arms and pouted. "Pfft! You're no fun! Meta is half my schtick!"

"No wonder my sister likes being your friend," Maud pointed out.

A chuckle escaped the draconequus at that. "Ah yes, Pinkie always was one of the more sensible ponies."

"YOU'RE PINKIE'S SISTER?" Solaris asked, clearly intrigued by this new information.

"Yes. Her older sister."

"FIRST WE GET THAT FLUTTERSHY MARE'S BROTHER IN HERE AND NOW YOU. I'M STARTING TO THINK I NEED TO START WRITING UP SOME FAMILY TREES TO KEEP EVERYPONY'S INFORMATION IN-CHECK."

Luna looked to him with bemusement. "It's really not that big a revelation, Father. Just a happy coincidence." After glancing quickly to Zephyr, she continued with a quieter tone. "Happy being an admittedly relative term in some cases."

Having been quiet for a while, Trenderhoof cleared his throat so that all paid attention to him. "Anyway, now that we're all here, I'm sure we can prove to you that we're just as good to have as your aides as old Flashy-boy was. Just tell us what you want us to do and we'll do it."

"...ALRIGHT. I'LL PLAY BALL. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME OF THE CURRENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EQUESTRIA AND THE HIPPOGRIFFS OF MOUNT ARIS? I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK."

Hearing that, Trenderhoof blinked a few times before looking over to Zephyr. "Well, you heard him, Breeze. Go on."

After fumbling for a bit, Zephyr stepped forward. "Oh! Right! The Hippogriffs. Well, I hear they're really...hippo-y?"

"...IF I COULD MOVE MY HOOF, I'D BE GIVING MYSELF THE BIGGEST FACEHOOF IN THE UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW."

Luna who had actually done such a motion, spoke. "Way ahead of you on that one, Father."

Blueblood, shaking his head to his compatriots, walked over to look at the old monarch. "Sir, why bother with the minutia of far-distant lands and uninteresting topics such as this? Everypony knows that little of importance takes place outside of Canterlot after all."

"THAT IS THE MOST ISOLATIONIST, BACKWARDS THINKING I'VE EVER HEARD. THERE'S AN ENTIRE WORLD OUT THERE, AND IN CASE IT SLIPPED YOUR NOTICE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SEE MUCH OF ANY OF IT FOR THE PAST FEW CENTURIES. I NEED PONIES AROUND ME WHO WILL ACTUALLY KEEP ME INFORMED. SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT FLASH, BUT HE ACTUALLY SEEMED WILLING TO LIFT HIS GAZE HIGHER THAN THE GROUND, WHICH IS MORE THAN CAN BE SAID FOR THE THREE OF YOU." His new custodians hung their head, though Blueblood in particular seemed just plain irritated as being spoken to like that. Solaris, who noticed Discord taking great satisfaction in their reactions, was next on his agenda. "AND YOU. I KNOW A PLOT WHEN I SEE ONE. SPILL IT. WHERE DID SENTRY GO?"

Discord smirked as he looked off into the imaginary distance. "Oh, I'm sure he's getting up to something very important right now."

After a long while of him just staying in that pose, Solaris spoke up again. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY WAITING FOR A SCENE TRANSITION RIGHT NOW?"

The draconequus never looked back to him as he meekly replied. "...Maybe?"

Sweetie Belle, looking to all the people she was now in the presence of, looked over to Luna glumly. "Can I go home now?"

Next Chapter: Recruitment Estimated time remaining: 41 Minutes