Thiemo was in a bathrobe in the large bathroom, standing in front of one of the many mirrors and stroking his hand over his freshly cut hair. The mystery about the side room was solved: it was some kind of salon. While a professional stylist was waiting to work on Amy’s mane, they had apparently hired a dog groomer for him. Based on his looks, however, it was more likely that the stallion was the one who gave the guards their manecuts as well. The unicorn was clueless at first on how to handle his hair, so he had used a large pot as a template. It was something similar to how his grandmother had told him about from the post-war years. The few hairs that had still hung over his eyes after that were quickly trimmed before they moved on to shaving. The unicorn utilized one of those old knives that weren’t even used by his grandfather when he was young. He had been fervently hoping that his barber knew what he was doing while levitating the knife over his face. It was a mystery how such precise work could have been done without even touching his face with hands (or hooves, in this case).

But now here he stood, his throat uncut and his hair only remotely reminding him of a crow’s nest. He took some of the tincture out of the bottle the stallion had given him and rubbed it in his hands before spreading it onto his freshly shaved face. He immediately clenched his teeth as the alcohol reared it searing, burning head, causing him to quickly wipe the rest off with a towel. “Not even Dad’s aftershave was that mean,” he mumbled to himself and turned towards the open door of the salon again.

On the other side, Amaryllis reclined on a couch while all six maids and a professional hairdresser worked on her. Even though they had previously stated that they were here to work on both of them, they had instead concentrated solely on Amaryllis. He was envious of her, but only slightly. She was the princess in the room after all.

“Mister Thiemo?” He turned towards the new voice and saw that it belonged to a white unicorn that had just come in through the entrance. “Ah! There you are.” If he recalled correctly, she was a friend of Princess OCD, though they had not been introduced to each other as yet.

“Voilà! Here you have found me even though I was hiding so well… Miss?” It could have also been sarcasm mixed with the water that dripped down from his slightly wet hair.

The problem was that the white unicorn with the purple mane either did not recognize his mockery or was just ignoring it. Since he expected that was a brain behind all the eyeshadow and obviously fake eyelashes, he assumed the latter. “Oh, where are my manners. I do not believe we have been introduced yet. I am Lady Rarity.” She reached out her right foreleg, her hoof slightly bent, showing him that she was not expecting a handshake. So that was exactly what Thiemo did.

His hand wrapped around her hoof, softly at first before heavily shaking it a few times. When he was done, blank shock was evident on Rarity’s face, and her neatly done mane was looking quite similar to his hair. “Ouch! What a ruffian!” Immediately, multiple combs from the shelves were encased in a bright blue aura of magic as they flew over to her and began their work. “Is that how you treat a lady? But never fear, we shall a gentlecolt out of you yet. It’s not every day that you meet a princess.”

“I’ve already met two. One of them is over there,” he replied with a wide grin and waved at Amy. She returned with a faint wave of her hoof, too busy with the massage Thiemo would have loved to be enjoying right now. “But now that you mentioned it… I don’t think I left a good first impression with either of them.”

“Not to belittle Twilight here, but I am speaking of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! We simply have to follow the required etiquette.” Thiemo just rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Rarity turned around, and a small trolley with various silverware and cups rolled inside. Below the trolley was something draped in cloth and tightly wrapped. “Let’s start with something simple.” She levitated a cup in front of her and took a dainty, little, pretend sip from the empty cup. “And now you.”

Thiemo grabbed the cup out of the air and carefully placed his pointer around the handle while stretching his pinkie away. He then proceeded to repeat her actions and took a short sip from the cup. “Wow, good stuff.” He threw his head back and downed the entire non-existing contents of the cup in one go and gave the cup back to her.

“Well… at least we can say you tried.” She sighed and placed the porcelain cup back down. “Let’s try something else.” In the corner of his eyes, Thiemo could see Amy snickering at his antics. “This is a salad fork.” She had placed a whole row of silverware in the air in front of him and was going through all of them.

“Dinner fork, dessert fork, cake fork, and serving fork. Since the carving knife and the fish fork are missing, I take it that neither meat nor seafood will be served?” The unicorn blinked with surprise when he named all the remaining forks and tapped at each one.

“Well then, it would seem that not all hope is lost. Since it would seem that you can behave if you at least try, my work here is done.” She placed everything back on the trolley and arranged it neatly. “That only leaves me to give you this.” The wrapped package flew over to him from the trolley. “Unfortunately, I was quite in a hurry, so I couldn’t give it the finishing touch.”

Thiemo carefully opened the package and found something inside which, at first, he expected to be his coat. But that was only half the story. It was clearly the same cloth and the same color, but someone had taken the time to restore it, making it look like it was brand new. Even better, there were some improvements made for the cold season. He now had a collar out of some fluffy cloth that he couldn’t identify clearly. Some sort of fake fur maybe.

Underneath that was not his brown shirt that felt and looked like it was made out of a potato bag, but a real white shirt. Just like his coat, there were some improvements as well in the form of the new fabric and some buttons obviously.

He carefully placed the two garments into an empty drawer of one of the shelves and looked at the next piece. It was his old blue jeans, or at least that was what it looked like. It was patched and cleaned like it hadn’t been for years. His old, fake leather belt lay on top of it.

Again, he looked over his stuff and then down at the bored looking unicorn who was scratching her chest with a hoof. He was feeling like a jerk now for snapping at her like that earlier even if she only repaired his clothes because she was ordered to. “Thanks,” he mumbled, barely audible.

“Oh look. Manners. Maybe I should rethink keeping the shoes for myself then. But who would want to have something this ugly anyway?”

Lyra sat in the kitchen of her parent’s home, languidly stirring a spoon in her hot chocolate. She had just stored her stuff in her old room and was now waiting for her parents to come home. She didn’t plan on leaving Canterlot before she got to speak with Princess Celestia, or Luna, or at least with somepony that would allow her to prove her theory.

If she was right, then it would mean they were not alone in the universe. That there were other stars out there that were inhabited just like theirs. And most importantly, that humans didn’t originate from Albion. “Damn it,” Lyra cursed as she stirred too forcefully and some of her hot drink spilled over her hoof.

“What? Such language in this house. That’s not how I raised you.” Her father grinned as he entered the kitchen. “I thought you would be in the castle?” It was no surprise she didn’t hear him coming. The entrance to their large mansion was basically on the other side of the building.

“Hello Dad,” she muttered while levitating some paper towels over from the counter to free her fur from the brown attack. “And no, the thing at the castle is over. Apparently, Princess Celestia cancelled Princess Twilight’s project.”

Her father, a light green unicorn with a white-grey mane that showed his age, was the professor for Dark Magic Defence at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. He had had to often examine objects and possible magical artifacts and had experienced times when his sponsor, usually a stuffy aristocrat, lost his patience. Cancelled projects were nothing new to him, and Lyra knew that. “Oh, my dear. What special thing was it, anyways? You’ve never said a single word about it during your few visits.”

That was because she had to remain silent. But now that she was fired, she realized she was no longer bound to her contract. “You know there was a non-disclosure agreement.” Her father sat down at the table next to her and poured himself a cup of the now tepid chocolate drink. “But that’s not the point! They captured a human, and he could speak our language. I’ve learnt more about their race in the last two months than in the last five years.” Which represented her entire time after university. “And just when I thought I made a huge breakthrough, Captain Stick-in-his-butt fires me!” In order to get rid of the anger that had built up in her, she took a large sip from her cup, only to choke on it.

“If the princess doesn’t want to fund this research any longer, well… it’s her right. But they really have one of these monsters down there in the dungeons?” Lyra, who had caught her breath again, rolled her eyes.

“They aren’t monsters, Dad! They just have a different culture that we sometimes can’t understand.”

“I know, I’m just teasing you. Everypony who reads some history books will quickly find the origins of these legends. Nightmare Moon and her horde of wild barbarians marching against Canterlot, impaling the heads of their enemies on sticks, eating their bodies and so on, which is where the story of the headless horse comes from. The war of the Endless Night, or as others liked to call it, The Sibling War. Twenty-five years of death and destruction and the three factions.” He paused to take a sip. “So? What’s your big breakthrough then? I can see how eager you are to tell it.”

“Okay, hold your hat!” Quickly, she looked around to see if they were alone. The clock on the wall was ticking. A few drops of water dripped down from the tap into the sink, and a single fly hit the window for the twentieth time. “I think that humans aren’t from Albion. They came from a different star.”

Her father blinked and then laughed. “Are you serious, child? And you’re wondering why the princess ended the project?” Teeth gnashing, she looked at him, eyes full of resentment. His laughter still rang in her ears, mockery and derision blending in with her imagination. “Alright, if you can prove your theory with some facts, I wonder why you are here and not in the castle waiting in line to speak with the princess?”

“They just returned today! They didn’t even look at my results. It would be pointless to go there because I doubt they’d give any audiences today.” Spectre nodded.

“So… How’s your marefriend? Bonbon was her name, right?” He tried to change the subject. “Are you still together?”

“How often do I have to tell you that, Dad? Bonbon is just a friend!”

“If you say so.”

To simply say the whole thing was worth it would have been an understatement. Thiemo looked like a human again and not like a diamond dog with some bald patches here and there. Well, maybe aside from his fringy haircut. Amaryllis went through a change like day to night, or in her case, from night to day, considering her dark coat. It shimmered and reflected every ray of light that fell upon it. Groomed and with various care products applied to it, it was incredibly soft now as Thiemo found out when she walked past him out of the door to the bathroom.

Her mane no longer loosely hung down at her side. Apparently the maids and the stylist had the idea of curling it. Slightly crimped, every one of her so many pink streaks swayed to each movement of her legs. And while he watched her, Thiemo had to admit that she looked attractive. Not like she wasn’t already, but in a different way. It was more her character, not her looks then. Right now both came dangerously close. It didn’t help that her tail had gotten the same treatment as her mane, something that gave him the opportunity, if he wanted to take it, to take a peek through the streaks. A fitting comparison would have been a Victoria’s Secret model that only wore a nylon string and tried to pass it off as a bikini. Not like he was complaining though.

“Uh… um.” One of the maids next to him who seemed to have noticed his stare harrumphed. His eyes went up front again, and he looked down the hallway they were walking through, something that was much more comfortable now with his boots back on. Rarity couldn’t save his old kicks but instead had made some new ones, using them as a template. Not that he was trying to be ungrateful, but he could immediately tell that she was not expert in making shoes. The boots were made out of an unknown, leather-like material and reached up to and covering his knees, making it seem as though she had thought everything until there belonged to his legs. But at least the material was stretchy and didn’t hinder his movements.

They came into what Thiemo recognized as the entrance hall, but now with far less corridors. There were still a lot of them to the left and right in front of the staircase to the first floor. What had changed completely, however, was the color schema: a dark violet, now the banners that were white with a golden sun emblazoned on them, just like in the bathroom. He slowly realized the meaning behind it, but he wouldn’t receive the confirmation to his suspicions until later.

They went up in the first floor and were guided to a room just to the right, above the entrance. “If the guests would please enter, the princesses will be with you shortly.” With that, the beige pegasus maid opened the door, allowing them to see inside the small, but comfy-looking round room. A fire crackled on one side of the room. Red banners hung down the walls, and on the places where they were absent hung various pictures of what most likely was Canterlot, each one seemingly showing different time periods. A fluffy red carpet covered the floor and in the middle of the room was a seating place, looking a bit Asiatic to Thiemo. There was a small round table with a sheet on it that touched the ground, and some red cushions with golden threads placed around it.

On the table was a crystal bowl filled with various fruits that couldn’t be fresh, not only because of the current season, but also because there were a few in there that only grew in the regions around Zebraica, namely bananas and pineapples. “Mother had a similar room… only it was larger.” Amaryllis walked around the table and looked at the pictures on the wall. “There is at least a century between each of these pictures.”

“How do you know that?” Thiemo followed her through the room, the door closing behind him with a click.

“The structures and the plants. Building something like this and growing a tree that large like in this picture to that one takes many years. We changelings appreciate what we have built,” she answered, also giving him the information as to why she knew that. Thiemo though back at the hive where he had met Amy.

“How old is the hive in the Leylands? I think I saw a lot of it, but I expect it was way bigger than that.” Amy nodded.

“If you came in through the same way we left, then you’ve seen one of the three chambers. It is the oldest hive on this continent, built by my grandmother Echidna. She was—”

“A friend. It is sad she is no longer with us.” Startled, they both spun around and looked in the face of the newcomer. It was an alicorn just like Twilight, but she was gigantic. So far, Thiemo was taller than most things on this planet, but she was at least one head taller than him, even without her horn. Her coat was pure white, and her mane consisted out of green, blue, and pink streaks that seemed to flow in a non-existing wind. Around her neck, she wore something that looked like a golden yolk in which lay a purple gemstone in the center. Unlike other ponies, she wore something resembling shoes over her hooves, also made out of gold. “I am Celestia, Diarch of Equestria.” She bowed her head slightly and pointed with her wings towards the table. “Please, take a seat.”

Thiemo didn’t dare move at first. How did she get in here? The door was still closed, and he should have felt any kind of magic. Aside from almost radiating authority, it caused a cold shiver run down his back. “A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am Princess Amaryllis, daughter of Chrysalis, rightful queen of the changelings.” Amy bowed to her as well, only she moved her head significantly lower than Celestia did.

Maybe he should have followed her example. “Morgan Freeman, the pleasure is mine. How’s the god business? I have to say it can get really stressful from time to time. But we all know that, right?” Thiemo reached out with his hand. To his surprise, Celestia reached out her hoof as well and briefly shook his hand.

Now completely confused, he watched the princess start to giggle as she walked past his stiff body and sat down at the table. Amaryllis followed her example and left the completely perplexed human standing in the room. “Can I offer you some tea? Maybe some cinnamon apple?” She didn’t wait for a response, and four cups immediately appeared with a quick swing of her horn.

Thiemo caught his breath as he saw that. That was no teleportation. She really created tea out of nothing, something he had read about in many books. It took energy, a lot of energy and an almost infinite amount of experience. Even then, the few lucky ones who managed to pull it off only could create a pebble stone. Tea, including the cups, with its complex aromas and various ingredients, was basically impossible. And Celestia did it just like that. He still doubted she was a goddess, but one thing was certain: he didn’t want to mess with her. “Thank you, Princess,” Amaryllis replied and took a cup with her hooves.

Thiemo rubbed his eyes one last time and silently sat down next to his companion. “So, you two. My sister will arrive later, but I don’t think she will mind if we begin. I would like to hear how you entered my lands.”

Celestia looked at Thiemo first, but he preferred to stay silent for now. She then focused her attention to Amy, who began to tell her story. She skimmed over her life in the hive, something Thiemo mostly knew about by now. Then she came to the day the two had met. From the tour she gave Thiemo to the moment she was informed that he has fled and how she found him in the end. Then her short fight and finally their escape. “I didn’t know what to do. I was an outcast and defeated. But Thiemo took me with him and promised we would search for my father. The thought of meeting him had me worried at first because of… what I am, but Thiemo said that every father would be happy to see his children.”

“Wise words,” Celestia agreed. “Thank you for sharing your story with me, Amaryllis.” She turned towards Thiemo. “And now to you, Mister Freeman?” Even though she had heard his real name multiple times, she still used his fake one, only raising more suspicion.

“Sorry, but my mother told me not to speak with strangers.” In the corner of his eyes, he saw Amy’s worried face. She was surely aware that he was playing with fire right now. Celestia played it off well and simply continued smiling.

“Well, may I step in then?” Now Thiemo was curious. “Bananarama the Ape god, Simba, Captain Baloo, Lucky Luke, or Morgan Freeman?” Now he knew his worries were valid, and he swallowed in sudden trepidation. “Where shall I start? Maybe how you tricked King Rehgard? Or how you trampled on the camels’ culture? Or maybe how you fled your training from Master Zarni when it got too hard?” She knew it. She knew it all. But he had no idea how. “Then there is still your time as leader of a small pack of bandits in the slums of Dragmire. Your journey on the Northwind, and your stay in the prison of Boardor. Your contention in Round Rock, and finally, your audience with Queen Chrysalis. A few thefts in Fillydelphia, and to come to some more recent events, attacking the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and a princess of Equestria. My daughter to be exact. Is that all for now, Timo?”

It had been years since he had heard his name pronounced correctly. But that wasn’t the reason why his eyes were searching for an escape path now. She knew too much, even if it wasn’t everything. The room had no windows, the chimney had a fire burning underneath it, so there was only the door to his left. “Thiemo?” Amy looked at him with concern. She knew some of the stories, but only to a certain degree.

“Is something wrong? Did I forget something?” The grin on Celestia’s face meant nothing good, and fear took over. He suddenly stood up and ran over to the door. In one movement, he swung it open and rushed past the two guards waiting outside before they even had time to react. At full speed, he freed his right hand of the ring and threw it in a corner. When he looked forward again, he saw guards rushing up the stairs already and some more coming out of the corridors. There was only one way left. With one leap, he jumped over the handrail down to the ground floor. In mid-air, he saw another alicorn coming through the entrance. It looked at him with a blank expression as he hit the marble floor and tried to roll. Unfortunately it was too high, and without the usual deceleration provided from the controlled wind, the shock of his landing rang in every bone. He felt something crack as he remained prone on the floor, unable to move, searing pain shooting through every fibre of his being. The guards didn’t need any more time to catch up, and soon enough he found himself surrounded again. “Shit…”

The other alicorn, this one with a dark blue coat and a mane that seemed to reassemble the night sky, came over to him and bent over him. “Easy, you are hurt. Let me help you.”

Author's Notes:

Two little things you maybe want to know:
1. New update schedule. Read more here
2. And some spoilers, if you want.

Thanks to Gron for translating this chapter.
Special thanks to JBL for proofreading and editing.