Aura sat at a table with the ponies she had come to accept as her family over the last months. Thiemo was obviously still her dad; for her, there was no doubt about that. Without his consent, she would have never even come here. Despite her initial misgivings, however, she was glad she did. For one there was Granny Smith, an old, light green mare with an apple pie as a cutie mark. She was the undisputed boss here on the farm, though from time to time, she would say something that Aura could only interpret as random gibberish. But she was nice and always had an open ear for her. They often sat by the fireplace, telling each other stories about what they had been through. Of course, the older pony had more stories than she did. But at least now she understood the fun her father had in telling stories. It was a wonderful feeling when others listened, interest obvious in their eyes as one spoke.

Macintosh, or Big Mac as everypony usually called him, was pretty nice too. She just couldn’t figure him out though. The large stallion was always there when she needed him like the one time she almost fell out of the old tree house. But he spoke so infrequently and always briefly when he did, making him seem a little eerie. Like he was hiding something. Maybe he didn’t want anypony to notice when he would go into town at night. Aura once followed him to Ponyville and saw him with a strange mare. He even went into her house but didn’t even leave that night. Nevertheless, he was sitting at the breakfast table the next morning. Thiemo always said it was worth trying to lift a secret, and that was exactly what she was going to do. She also really wanted to know what his large, green, apple cutie mark was supposed to mean.

Then there was Aunt Apple Bloom, who had an apple blossom and tools as her cutie mark. Aura didn’t want to address the young mare as ‘aunt’, but she had insisted, saying something about making her look more like an adult. Aura didn’t really understand it, but Apple Bloom was happy when she called her that. After all, they were all somehow related. When Apple Bloom was not busy repairing something on the farm (aside from the strange old treehouse), she spent her time with her two friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The three of them would often take her with them to do a whole host of things: playing in the snow, ice skating, building snowponies, or simply playing a board game in the warmth of their homes. They were years older than her, but since Aura didn’t go to school, they were the only friends she could do something together with.

The last pony in the Apple household was Applejack. Like Apple Bloom, she was related to her, but they hadn’t figure out how just yet. The first few days she had spent on the farm clearly showed that there was some kind of connection. She could read the older mare like a book. When she was tired of the housework, Aura and Granny Smith would bring her food and drinks. When she was tired, Aura would lie down next to her, her warm body pressing closer to the larger pony’s. When she was sad, Aura somehow felt the need to cheer her up. It was similar to how she had been with Thiemo, and that was just what confused her so much. The strange spell from the princess said that they were closely related. Applejack had instead told her that Granny Smith’s sister had a daughter, and she was her cousin or something like that. She had stopped trying to understand the whole thing halfway through.

These confusing thoughts were just some of the reasons that led to the following question: “Applejack… are you my mom?” Muzzles immediately were unhinged, eyes shot over the table, and one set of artificial teeth dropped out of one elderly mare’s mouth as everypony present stared, first at Aura and then at Applejack. Well, everypony except Granny Smith, who was still softly dozing and mashing her gums together, seemingly realizing that something was missing from her mouth even in her sleep.

Applejack returned the questioning looks of her family and coughed. “Errr… What gives you that idea, Sugarcube?” Aura could clearly see that she wanted to avoid the subject from the way she was fidgeting around in her seat.

“Well, that spell said we were directly related. But Granny said something about a cousin.” All eyes were still locked on the slightly sweating Applejack.

“Look, Sugarcube. It’s not like I wouldn’t want to care about you and all, but I think I would remember if I had a foal.” She looked over to Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom, but they still remained silent. Granny Smith’s only contribution to the conversation was still her light snoring. “Or did any of y’all see me pregnant?”

“Ah don’t know, sis, ya often travelling with the others,” Apple Bloom piped up.

“Eeeyup.”

“What? Are ya saying I did… and gave birth to a foal and then left it? Ya know I would never do something like that!” The two other siblings giggled at the flustered appearance of their sister. “Oh, for Celestia’s sake…”

“Well AJ, ya are the closest thing to a mother figure we have here.” She angrily stared at Big Mac for a few seconds before sighing. Aura, who had watched the whole scene with interest, was only more confused. They could be a weird bunch of ponies sometimes, but she liked them. If only her father could be here too.

It always happens the least imaginable way you would expect. That was the first thought Thiemo had when he found himself in the room again. He was lying on the floor, his head on a pillow, and the flanks of Amaryllis and the other alicorn he had ‘met’ at the entrance to his left and right. The last thing he could remember, right before he opened his eyes a few moments ago and began staring at the ceiling, was that she had casted some sort of spell on him. “He is remarkable. Usually a pony’s tail is the same color as its mane. Despite that, the elements gave him a white tail.”

“A remarkable fact indeed, Luna. Unfortunately, I do not have an explanation for that either.” Thiemo blinked again as he heard Princess Celestia’s voice. At least he knew now that she was not all knowing. “The Elements have their own methods to show us the right way.”

“Let’s come back to the subject at hand, Tia. Why did you scare him so much? He ran like a little foal that just saw a monster lurking underneath the bed.” Thiemo slowly brought his hand to his face and massaged his temple.

“You do know that the human can hear you, right?” He didn’t need to turn around to know that all eyes in the room were on him. He slowly sat up and turned around, facing the ponies. Celestia still sat in the exact same spot she had been in from the moment he had fled. He then threw a look towards the pony to his right. Luna, as Celestia called her, her name matching well to her appearance. To his left sat Amy, a worried expression on her face as he sat down on the cushion at the table. “So… why am I not back in the dark dungeons then?”

His question simply got ignored. “I did not scare him, simply confronted him with some truths. This is a hearing about what shall happen with these two after all.” Luna merely took a sip out of a fourth cup that most likely was created the same way as the others.

“Hey! Hold it! Almost everything she listed there happened outside of Equestria. Even I know that the laws don’t apply there.” The alicorn grinned, something that didn’t please him.

“Maybe, Thiemo.” She took a brief sip out of her cup. “Or should I address you by your real name?”

“Thiemo is my real name.” She nodded, seeming content to let it slide.

“Well, you are right in saying that our laws do not apply in the Leylands and beyond, but we could deliver you to them to face justice at their hands. I am certain a few diamond dogs and some dragons on Dragmire would like to see you again.” Thiemo swallowed. “But I just stated those events to judge your character.” Not much better. “And I was not finished before you decided to take a… short walk.”

“May I say something as well?” At the very least, he wanted to defend himself if he was in court here.

“I gave you the opportunity, and you have declined.” Another moment where his big mouth got him into more troubles. “Where were we? Oh yes, the assault on Twilight Sparkle. Let’s come to the more positive things... even though there are only a few. Tell me, what do you think about Auralia?”

“She is my daughter. I love her like my own child,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. It was something he had never told anyone directly, and even Amy was probably aware of it only through his emotions. But right now was not the moment to hold onto half-truths.

He noticed Princess Luna’s confused look. “Like an own child? Pardon me, but how old are you really, Thiemo? I have met a lot of humans in my life, but you seem to barely be half their age.”

“When I… started my journey, I was seventeen. I must have been eighteen when I met Aura. No clue, nineteen, maybe twenty.” He shrugged. He had quickly learned that time went by differently here, so he stopped using Earth’s calendar in his mind.

“Then one more question. What do you think about Amaryllis? You took her with you and guided her.” Thiemo and Amy looked at each other. He knew what she was expecting, hoping. But every word, every movement now was going to be carefully scrutinised. Even the words he didn’t say.

“Well… I like her… a lot. It’s just that… I will go home when I get the opportunity. A place where she can never be happy. It would be cruel to lead her and myself on about that.” Amy looked away and stayed silent while the two princesses exchanged a short glance.

“Allow me one more question if you would, Thiemo,” Luna stated. As if he really had a choice in the matter. “You speak as though reaching your home is beyond the realm of possibility. If you wish to return to Ti,” she looked at her sister again, “we could make the arrangements for your trip back.”

There were three creatures on this planet who knew that he was not from Albion: Amaryllis, Auralia, and Deerling. It was a rare occasion that he told anyone about it, if only for the fact that almost no one would ever believe it. But the two powerful beings around him wanted to hear it, and since lying could lead him down more painful paths, there was only the truth left. No, he had to try and be positive. Maybe they even knew a way back, or they could persuade Eris. “I’m not from Ti. If you could call something on this planet my home, it would be Cervidas.” The questioning faces of the two alicorns spoke volumes. With a sigh, he began his story from day one.

Estoc watched the human as he was levitated back into the room by Princess Luna, the doors shutting close behind them. He waited for a few minutes, doubled the guards in front of the room, and then carried on. Being called in because of such a minor incident made him a bit angry, and he would have loved to give the cadet a tongue lashing. One would think that she, even freshly out of her parent’s house, would be more independent. Not that he was really expecting her to show initiative though. It was why she was being trained, but one could dare to hope.

Maybe he would have been less angry if in his quarters, consisting out of his office, a living room and private bathroom, didn’t have a beautiful mare waiting for him. Lady Rarity had been spending more time inside the castle during the youngest princess’ stay, and they had enjoyed a fair number of meetings. It was enough for him to decide to invite the fine lady for a cup of tea in his quarters.

The confidence he exuded while in contact with his soldiers completely dissolved whenever he came into contact with the other sex. During his school days, he had been the plain Joe in the corner at every party, literally because of his grey coat. Not that he hadn’t good looking, though not as toned as today. He had just lacked the courage, having had to witness, on more than one occasion, how other stallions would snatch the mare he had his eyes on from under his muzzle. If there hadn’t been clear signals from Lady Rarity, he would have never asked her out.

Furthermore, he already knew a little about Lady Rarity. She was the Element of Generosity, multiple time saviour of Equestria, and a well-known fashion designer. Somehow, his rank as a reply to her beauty, wealth, and fame seemed so shabby, but if Shining Armor could do it, he could do it too… right?

Slowly, he placed a hoof on the handle to his quarters before pausing. His hoof was shaking. The last time it had trembled so was when he had stood against a changeling for the first time. Estoc took a deep breath. “Keep your hair on, colt… It’s not like a beautiful lady is waiting for you… yes… that helps.” With more momentum than planned, he opened the door and saw Rarity sitting exactly where he had left her. “Pardon me for having you wait, Lady Rarity, but the cadets were overeager again. Nothing serious.”

She smiled at him from the couch and nodded. “That’s nice to hear, darling, but a stitch in time saves nine, wouldn’t you agree?”

Estoc once again sat down on the chair opposite to her, so that only his little table with his cup of tea stood between them. “True. But if I get called in for every little incident, I should start demanding a toll.”

“Oh, stop it you! I remember back to when I opened my first store here in Canterlot. I gave my employees, two young things who had just finished school, the order to let me check on every piece of work first. But instead of sending them to me, they honestly expected me to come here every time. Not that I don’t love Canterlot, but the train ride is anything but pleasant. They have been with me for four years now, and I still have to hold their hooves sometimes like they are little fillies.”

Estoc, meanwhile, was wrestling with deciding the next topic he could bring up in their conversation. Sure, the Royal Guard was a great subject, but this was Lady Rarity. She drank tea with three princesses in the afternoon if she wanted to. Then he noticed her saddlebags lying next to the couch. It was made out of a white fabric with her cutie mark as a buckle, but its content was what interested him more. “Maybe you have some designs you could show me? I would like to see them.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t take you for someone who was interested in fashion. No offense of course, darling.” He actually wasn’t, but nopony who went to school in Canterlot could avoid eventually knowing what the latest trends were. Today he did that through those very cadets he would often snarl at, whenever he could see their newest outfits in the locker room. It was a mystery to him how they could afford them from their slim salaries, but they most likely just had rich parents. Nothing uncommon in this city, with his family being an exception.

“Well, I know the latest trends for simple stallions and soldiers. I also saw many of the up and coming trends and fashions, and I think can give the opinion of a potential husband who admires the clothes his mare is wearing.” Estoc wondered how he came up with such a fitting reply. Maybe the final chapter had not yet been written.

Lady Rarity merely smirked and levitated her bag over to her, pulling out two sketchbooks. “Come over here, and we will have a closer look.” He hadn’t thought about that, but it was a pleasant surprise. He stood up and sat down next to the unicorn, who made some room for him on the couch. She opened the upper book, and Estoc immediately felt lost. He had never seen any clothes like this. “Oh, that’s the newer one. Here are only sketches for the clothes I made for this human… Thiemo. Seriously, that name is a jawbreaker.”

Now that he had an idea what the sketches were about, Estoc could bring some clarity to the pages set before him. “So that’s a coat, that’s a shirt, and these are... pants? Why is there a hole in the back?” Lady Rarity giggled and moved closer to him to point with her hoof at the picture in question.

“Well for his tail, darling. I can’t imagine that these kinds of clothes are made for it. It surely must be uncomfortable.” Estoc looked at each of the drawings closer.

“So you didn’t design them yourself?” She shook her head.

“Well no, I just used his old clothes as a template and base material. I can’t say for myself that I have ever made anything for a human. Well, until today. But one thing my trained eyes could say is that this coat was loved a lot. It got patched so often that it would have been easier to just buy a new one. But let’s come to my designs, or do you want to look at these longer?” Estoc waved it off, and she stored the book in her saddlebags again before opening the other one. What he saw now looked more like a dress, and were those socks on the other page?

“A very interesting story,” Celestia said after a while in which she and her sister just looked at each other. Thiemo had just told them in detail about his appearance in the ruins, how he found the staff, and why exactly the populace of Cervidas thought of him as a god. “Excuse me if we don’t just believe you quite so soon. But it would explain a lot of things.”

“For example?” Of course he expected that not everyone would believe him, but Amy had done so without asking any further questions. Now her hoof was resting on his thigh, giving him courage.

“It might sound a bit mundane, but why do you think we would show interest in a simple human?” Something Thiemo had been asking himself the whole time. Why would they even meet him here to decide the verdict in the first place? He had to agree with Luna there.

“What my sister is trying to say is that… we’ve had an eye on you. The appearance of a self-proclaimed god by the name of Bananarama caused the spreading of rumors. Even though I can understand that; bananas are wonderful little things.” Thiemo saw Celestia dallying over at a basket with said fruit.

“Some of our friends kept their eyes open for us,” Celestia explained when she magically refilled her cup. “For example, I received a very interesting letter from a former Royal Guard. Lone Star, or rather Billy as he preferred to be called. I can’t say I am content with his recent activities. Nevertheless, I was happy to hear from him.” Apparently, Celestia had done the same thing that he did back on Dragmire: build a network to keep up to date with everything that happened in the world. Without something like the internet or satellite communication, that seemed like the best way.

There suddenly appeared a strange being calling himself a god and terrorizing the planet. It was stupid for him to think that he would not have gained unwanted attention. “I think you’ve said all that needs to for now. Now then, let’s move on to you, Amaryllis.” Celestia smiled at her reassuringly. “Your father, my son, Shining Armor, no longer lives in this kingdom. I would love to immediately bring you to him in our beautiful neighbour land, the Crystal Empire. But the circumstances of your arrival have caused some… political fuss.”

Her horn glowed shortly, and a single page of a newspaper appeared on the table. In the middle of the page was a picture of the castle garden. Since there were still leaves left on the trees, even though not many remained, he knew the article must have been from late autumn. “Princess and Bearers of the Elements of Harmony attacked in the castle garden,” Thiemo read the headline.

“A dilemma indeed,” Luna agreed.

“If it were up to me, you would be in the next chariot heading to the Crystal Empire, but the parliament unfortunately wants to see you in court.” Frightened, Amy looked at Thiemo, who noticed the ‘but’ in her voice and nodded comfortingly at her. “Not that I want to put my granddaughter in such a situation. And that is where you come in, Thiemo. I want you to break out.” He could only blink in confusion. “You shall break out, flee into the Crystal Empire, and seek asylum there. Their laws are vastly different from ours. Due to certain reasons, you will be informed of how they never participated in a certain war. Humans and changelings are not prohibited from entering their lands.”

“Pardon me, but do I understand that right?” Thiemo was still a bit confused. “You want us to escape? By your orders?” Both alicorns nodded. “Okay… so I just get away with that?” Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that, but it sounded too good to be true.

“Certainly not,” Luna chuckled. “Your duty… or punishment - call it however you want - is to assure Amaryllis’ safety until you arrive there. As soon as your… disappearance had been discovered, we will not waste time in hunting you down. That, together with bringing not only Amaryllis but also Auralia back home, should make up for your little skirmish in the garden. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“So we just climb out a window, take the next train to the Crystal Empire, and we are free from there on?” That would be too easy.

Celestia’s face told him he was right in his assumption. “Well, you can’t take a train for one. During an escape, trains will be searched at the borders. You will have to take the mountain pass without any means of transportation, something that is not going to be easy in the winter, I am afraid. Furthermore, we will be monitoring you with an object, and we will also assign two special Royal Guards to accompany you on this mission. Night Hawk is an expert for stealth attacks and cover, and Iron Heart is a well trained healer. Just in case and if you should agree.

Thiemo had almost forgotten it, but hadn’t Eris told him he should agree with Celestia? Did she know that the princess would make this offer? Did she know who Amaryllis and he was? “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. What would be the alternative?”

“An indefinite period in Tartarus or in exile. Which would mean shipping you to Ti,” Luna explained to him.

“Thanks, Jerry, I’ll take door number one.” All looked at him, confused. “That’s my agreement to option one.” Amaryllis clearly showed that she was looking forward to spend more time with him from the way she smiled at him.

“Tartarus then?” Celestia was good, too good for his taste.

“Another question. How exactly shall we flee from the castle? We have these rings here for a start.” He raised his right hand, but what he wanted to show was missing. “Or had. Our magic is still being blocked. And I didn’t even get five meters out the door, the fall not included. Speaking about that, shouldn’t my leg be broken?”

“You are welcome.” Luna, however, he did like more, relatively speaking.

“The rings,” Celestia said as Thiemo’s lost trinket flew over, “are only for decoration. I bought them from the market a while ago and just scribbled some runes into them, which is something my guards are unaware of. They will now remove the seal in front of your room.” She did count on him accepting the offer all along. Then again, the other options weren’t so charming. “I also expect a visit from a certain unicorn tomorrow morning who was very interested in you and will be a little angry for being dismissed. I am sure she will accept my offer to see you one last time. She will also have everything with her you will need for your escape. Including your staff.” Thiemo couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“By the way, your staff is an extremely old weapon. Forged by nopony else but myself,” Luna proudly explained. "But from what my niece has told me, you haven’t even recognized its full potential. Let me tell you one or two things about it then.”

Author's Notes:

I just want to say it now, this story is ignoring season 4. (Even if I like season 4 very much so far. Apples for ever!)

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