It had been a short time since the events of the guards and foals, and Midnight had taken it upon himself to do a few things that would keep his children safe and sound. Although a bit extreme, it would ensure their safety at all costs.

Currently the foals were playing together within the throne room, each of them working on a large coloring book each. Midnight however was going through his list of spells as quickly as he could to find spells that he had already created that would aid in his children's safety. Ever so often his horn would light up and a beam of energy would shoot out from it, hitting his children to place a protection spell on them. After the sixth spell had been cast, they just ignored the rest. However, as an hour had passed them by, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor came into the throne room just as Midnight was casting another spell onto the foals. This causing Celestia a moment of panic as she trotted up to them to administer a scan spell to see what had been cast on them. After the scan spell was complete, Celestia's eyes went wide as she looked to the dark Alicorn just a few yards away.

"Midnight? Are all of these spell's really necessary?" She asked in slight worry.

"They are. Just in case I'm not around at the time to protect them, these spells will do the job." He smiled warmly to her before casting another spell. "The best part is that these spell's are permanent and are immune to any and all enchantment's, curse's, and counter spells as well. The only problem with casting them though..............." He trailed off as his form began to glow a bright white before his form shrank and reappeared back in front of everypony as his human form. "Is that their potency requires a lot of magic." He sighed for a moment until his children looked up to him in wonder.

"Daddy?" Starlight spoke as he trotted up tot he human.

"Yep, that would be me little guy." Charles chuckled as he picked up the foal and tossed him playfully in the air causing him to giggle out.

"What happened to you daddy?" Marina asked as she came up to him giving a questioning and worried glance.

"I think it's time to let you two know something. My original form is what you see before you now. Your aunty Twilight cast a spell on me that turned me into an Alicorn some time ago. When I use up all of my magic, I return to my original form. But don't worry, I will still protect you two with every fiber of my being, even if I don't have magic in this form." He said with a smile as he huge his children close.

"Well then, isn't this a precious moment in time." A voice echoed playfully through the throne room causing everypony to smile. The foals both beamed to each other as they giggled out loud, jumping from their fathers embrace as they bounded around him in glee.

"Was that?" Charles spoke out just before a flash of light erupted in front of him, revealing a draconequus that was known all to well. "Discord?!"

"Right on the first try my friend." Discord chuckled as he pulled the human into a tight hug. "It's about time you got out of that nasty stone prison." He chuckled as he released the human back onto the ground.

"Yea, and I would just like to say one thing to you right now." Charles stated as he looked up to the now curious draconequus. "I'm sorry............. I never knew what you had to go through when you were in that stone prison you were captured in. Having time blink by only to have to catch up once you were freed is a terrible thing." He sighed as he gave a disheartened smile to Discord.

"My friend, I have to let you know something. Time never blinked by for me when I was encased in stone. I had to live every day in that state while in this dimension. But never fear. Just because I was stuck in stone here doesn't mean that I couldn't travel to the realm of the Gods or into other dimensions. I just came back here ever so often when I felt the presence of any creatures around my statue." He chuckled. "Eventually I was released, then re-imprisoned, then release again before the cycle repeated over and over again. I swear Tia, couldn't you have figure out all of that junk all those years ago. It was such a pain to get you to realize that Harmony could never exist without Chaos." He groaned out in annoyance.

"I am sorry for all of the hardship I caused you my friend. But you never made it easy on Luna or I, nor any of my little ponies." She tittered. "Still though, now that we have obtained that knowledge, it is a pleasure to have you hear and on good terms no less."

Spirits seemed to be quite high at the moment for everypony and draconequus as they continued chatting idly. That was until........

"Uncle Discord?" Starlight spoke out as he looked up to the draconequus.

"UNCLE?!" Charles spoke out with wide eyes as he looked to Discord and then to Celestia.

"Yes, he seems to have done what you did with the crusaders some time ago. I think it to be rather cute." Celestia giggled as she watched the draconequus picked up Starlight and hold him in his large bear paw.

"Yes my nephew?" Discord smile seeing Charles cock a brow at him.

"Can you play with Marina and I? Daddy let us have some time off from our royal duties so we can play." He beamed only to cause Celestia to give a slight glare toward the human. Charles face palming as he knew what that glare meant.

"Sure, how about we go play on the moon again? I've built a HUGE fort on there with all kinds of slides and stuff, it'll be great!" Discord chuckled as the two foals yelled out in glee as he turned around and began to head out the door with them, vanishing in a flash of light.

"WHAT?!" THE MOON?!" Charles shouted in a slight panic.

"Don't worry my dear, Discord is a dear friend, and has been since your imprisonment. He has earned all of our trust and has never faltered once, nor given us any reason to doubt him again. The children are safe." Celestia chuckled softly.

"But there isn't any air in space, its a vacuum!" Charles stated, still in a panic.

"Do you think so little of me that I would not have placed a shield around the moon to allow oxygen to be made and consumed by living beings? I am the goddess of the moon after all." Luna smirked toward the human.

"Ugh! This is to much for me right now." Charles groaned as he began to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Celestia spoke up as Charles began to exit the throne room.

"To grab a beer, I need a stiff drink." He groaned.

After making his way to the kitchen, Charles grabbed a hard cider and began his trek through the castle, idly speaking to a few guards and a few maids to find out what had gone on within the past five years. Some of the stories that he had heard seemed odd while other seemed to be down right made up. But never the less, he continued on through the castle as he consumed his pint of cider. The effects of the alcohol laden drink making his troubles seemingly melt away. Well, that was until he ran across a certain white unicorn with a blonde mane and tail.

"Blueblood, it's been a while." Charles spoke up giving the unicorn a smile. "How has these past five years treated you in my absence?"

"I beg your pardon, but who, and what are you?" Blueblood spoke out in slight disgust as he looked the human up and down for a moment.

"Heh, forgot your soon to be king already?" Charles chuckled seeing his eyes go wide.

"Midnight? B-but, when did you become free of that tacky garden statue? Much less turn into.......... whatever it is that you are now?" He spoke as he back peddled a few steps.

"Long story short, life sucks, and shit happens." Charles groaned out. "Anyway, I'll let Tia fill you in on all the details. I'm just not in the mood right now to go over all the details."

"Uh......... very well then." Blueblood stated plainly as he stepped around Charles and continued on his way.

As the two continued walking further apart, only one thing crossed their minds. 'Boy was that weird.'

After walking around the castle for a few hours and chatting up quite a few ponies, Charles had made his way toward Celestia's quarters. The day was coming to a close as the sun began to set, shedding its last few rays of light through the long hallway that held the royal sisters and foals quarters. As Charles made it to her room, the guards hesitated for a moment before letting Charles in. It had been so long since they had seen him in his human form that it caused them to panic for a moment.

As Charles entered into Celestia's chambers, he moved slowly across the room and to the balcony, opening the door and stepping out onto it before leaning onto the banister to look out toward the horizon. He watched as time crawled by slowly, turning the horizon from a dark blue, to rust red and then into black as the moon slowly began to rise. He gave a contented smile as he stared silently at the moon, then to all the stars in the sky. After a few minutes his contentment passed leaving him giving a slight pout as he looked at the stars in the heavens above. A silent tear slowly fell from his eyes, running down his cheeks before finally falling to the balcony edge that he was leaning on.

"Charles?" Celestia spoke up causing him to jump just before quickly moving his hands to his face to wipe away the tears and giving a sniffle. "Are you alright my dear?" He turned around giving a halfhearted smile as he walked by her and into her quarters.

"Yea........ yeah I'm fine." He stated as he went over to the fireplace and taking a seat onto the floor. Pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them as he silently gazed into the fire.

"You don't seem fine.......... please......... tel me what troubles you." Celestia said in almost a whisper as she lay down behind him while slowly wrapping herself around him, pulling him to her with a wing in a gentle embrace.

"Tia............. I know I've been on this world for a long time now............ but........" He trailed off as he looked up into her eyes, raising a hand and gently pressing it to her cheek as he continued. "I'm just.......... home sick I guess........"

Celestia sat there as she pressed into his hand. Smiling softly to him as she spoke. "Charles............ Midnight........... I understand how you feel.............. I lost my entire planet and home eons ago. You remember the story don't you?" She asked before seeing him nod. "I know how you feel. But from what you have told me about your planet from before. I do not see why you miss it. All of the wars, death, destruction, among other things. What causes you to miss it so?"

"I don't know Tia. It's just one of those feelings ya know? I haven't been there in so long, but I can't help but to worry about what has happened there since my leave. What did my friends think happened to me? What happened to all of the other people that vanished from there as well. I know Samantha made it here, as well as a few others. But, what about other living beings? Did anymore humans make it into this world during that time, or while I was a garden centerpiece?" He chuckled but stopped as Celestia pressed her lips to his cheek giving him a quick peck.

"Much has happened while you were gone my love. But now we have all the time in the world to go over it and make plans for the future as well. For now though, rest. I am sure that having to spend all day trying to catch up to everypony has been tiring, and you deserve a good rest. Please, let us go to bed." She smiled to him as she got up slowly followed by the human.

The White Alicorn crawled into bed, levitating the covers in the air as Charles followed close behind. Celestia lowering the covers onto them as they snuggled close to one another.

"Been a while since I've done this." Charles smiled softly as he snuggled closer to Celestia. "In my human form anyway." He chuckled.

"I have missed this as well." She smiled as she nosed his cheek playfully. He turning slightly and giving her a gentle kiss. "For now though, let us rest. Tomorrow will bring new light to our lives. Then we can worry about future events." She smiled as she draped a wing over Charles and closed her eyes, he closing his as sleep found them quickly.