Karon awoke to the wafting aroma of ... pancakes? And there was more, so he lazily opened one eye and took a few investigative sniffs. To his great delight, the investigation yielded result in the form of pancakes, cupcakes, fish, vegetables, cakes, fruit, chicken and....

Oatmeal.

“Yeah I'm gonna skip that one.”

He sat up and eyed his breakfast assortment greedily. It stood on a small desk situated at the foot of his bed, and behind this great culinary tribute stood Feather Touch watching him expectantly.

“Ehh, good morning ... Feather Brush was it?”

She bristled a little at the mistake but didn't say anything else besides correcting him.

“No, my name is Feather Touch sir, and I took the liberty of preparing you a breakfast since it is, as you stated last night, the only thing keeping you from eating me alive.”

She sounded deadly serious.

“You do know I was just joking. I don't eat ponies.”

“Ohh ... but you do eat breakfast?”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Wonderful! I wasn't sure what is proper for a human to eat at the start of the morning so I had the kitchen staff prepare a little of everything for you.”

“I can see that,” he replied while his mouth began watering. Then he realized something.

“Wait, you usually just walk into guest rooms while the guest is still in them?”

“Of course, and since princess Celestia herself has ordered me to act as your personal servant and guide during your stay, I will be sleeping in the room next to this one. So I can be available for servicing you at all times.”

“Easy access to my room ... in case I would wake up in the middle of the night having a ... need ... for a little sumthin' sumthin'?”

“That's right sir, don't hesitate to call on me no matter what!”

“You're not going to be any fun if you keep being this unaware.”

“I don't understand what you are referring to, but I promise I will strive to learn and see to all your specific needs.”

“Now you’re just pretending....”

“Pretending what?” she said and blinked in confusion, real confusion.

She wasn't playing dumb, she really was that naive.

“Never mind. Do you think you could give me some privacy while I eat?”

“Of course, the door over there leads directly to my own, and the walls are thin so just shout for me if you need anything.”

“Sure...”

The unicorn gave a tiny bow before turning around and walking towards the door, on her flank was a cutie mark that appeared to be a feather duster, but Karon's eyes brought themselves to the table laden with the soon to be devoured breakfast and he crawled down to the foot of the bed and looked it over.

It was far too much for him to eat in just one breakfast, hell it was probably more than he would eat during an entire day, but since there was no shortage to choose from he picked up a pancake and shoved it in his mouth. Despite the aroma that clung to the air it was actually cold, it didn't bother Karon in the least, but it did beg the question....

“Feather....”

“Yes sir?” The maid turned around in the doorway and stood at attention, fully prepared to cater to his every need.

“Oh so tempting....”

“For how long did you stand there waiting for me to wake up exactly?”

She turned her head and looked out the window to her left, nothing the position of the sun then frowned as she calculated the time.

“Not sure sir, the sun was just rising when I arrived with your breakfast at least.”

From the light streaming in from the window Karon guessed it was close to noon.

“And you stood there watching me the whole time....?”

She looked surprised at his question.

“Of course. As your personal servant it is my duty to remain close at all hours in case you need me. As such, I will never stray out of your hearing or sight unless it is to perform a task you need done.”

She said it as if it was an obvious thing, and Karon started to get a dark sense of foreboding in the back of his mind. He waved his hand to show her she was dismissed and she dutifully turned around and closed the door behind her.

Karon swallowed a lump in his throat when he realized what this meant. The fanatic little unicorn would follow him around everywhere, and she would report every single detail of what he did if Celestia asked it of her.

He groaned at the thought. His stay at Canterlot castle had just become a lot more difficult than he first had anticipated, and for some reason, he had a feeling somewhere right now, Celestia was laughing to herself. He should have known better than to think he could play a being several thousand years old.

“I shouldn't have slapped her ass....”

                                **************************************************

After eating as much of the breakfast as he could, Karon went about exploring his new home. It was spacious, but after having lived in a library, that didn't seem like such a big deal. The ceiling, wall and floor were all white much like Rarity's boutique had been, but the interior decoration came in darker more subtle colors like navy blue and dark brown, giving the place a very distinct feeling where everything was clearly outlined.

Besides the color scheme of the room, there wasn't much else besides the usual. A large table against a wall with an inkwell, quill and a large stack of blank paper on top of it. There was a small bookshelf against a wall as well right next to the room's only window. He would have to go through that later.

There were also three doors in the room, one leading out into the hallway and one leading into Feather Touch's room. Karon guessed the third led to a bathroom and the assumption proved correct when he opened the door to look inside, but it was not just a bathroom, no ... within that tile covered room existed the very epitome of hope and salvation.

A Jacuzzi.

“Oh yeeeeeees. Can we please get in it right away?”

“After having eaten so much we're drowsy enough as it is. If we get in warm water now we will most likely fall asleep and drown.”

“Shoot, tonight then?”

“Tonight.”

Tearing himself away from the beautiful sight, Karon looked briefly in the mirror and noted he wasn't too scruffy looking. He dragged his hand over his chin and noted it was still smooth, there hadn't even been a sign of a stubble after Eldros had worked his magic on him.

His clothes reeked, and he took off the robe and the shirt he wore under it before putting the robe back on. There wasn't much else he could do at the moment until he got some more clothes sewn for himself. How he had been able to make it with just one set of clothes for almost half a year was beyond him.

But such small details as fashion could wait. Right now, there were more important things on his mind. Like how to proceed with his attempt to get Luna out of her ... whatever you want to call it. Depression wasn't a fitting description, as she was too old and had experienced too much to allow negative emotions to rule her to this degree.

No, she was simply still recovering from her imprisonment. A thousand years locked away in darkness with nothing but her own twisted jealousy and corruption to keep her company. A lesser mind would have broken, but she was an alicorn. They were shaped to live long lives and endure far more than the normal creature.

But a thousand years was still a very long time, even by the standards of the greater beings. A thousand years in darkness and silence. Over time her neural pathways would have atrophied from the lack of stimuli and her mind, containing so much knowledge and experience, would have withdrawn to the higher state of herself. Leaving her consciousness becoming less and less, hence why she displayed such childishness at the present.

The 'real' Luna was still in there, withdrawn to the deeper recesses of her soul, but finally freed, the brain and body were trying their best to reconnect to her old self and all it contained. All the new impressions bombarding her while the withdrawn part tried to bring itself forth by trying to form connections with the new world around her.

And trapped in the middle between her slowly reconnecting higher self and brain was the consciousness, constantly being battered with information and data both from the old and new.

“No wonder she is so emotionally unstable.”

“Yes, she will be easy to manipulate at the start, but as she recovers more and more of her former self, she will start to read us too well.”

“So we have a limited time to do ... whatever we are supposed to do.”

“There is one more thing also....”

“Yes, if we understand this then it is guaranteed Celestia does too.”

“She probably understand it to a greater extent than we do.”

“Which means she picked us for a specific reason, because she think I will work as the trigger to make Luna whole again.”

“Any idea why she would think we would work so well for this task?”

“Not a clue honestly.”

“Then we will just proceed as originally planned and see how it works out. If not ... we will just have to improvise.”

“Because that always works out so well....”

With his mind set and a direction to follow, Karon walked over to Feather Touch's door and knocked on it. His knuckles hadn't even left the door for a second before it opened and she stood facing him as eager to serve as ever.

“Feather Touch, I have a task for you.”

“Anything you need sir! Just point me in the direction and it shall be done!”

“I need to speak to princess Celestia, I don't need more than a few minutes. Think you could do that?”

She looked shocked at the suggestion and she stammered a response.

“B-but sir! Princess Celestia h-has court duties she m-must attend. I could n-never interrupt something so v-vital.”

Clearly the idea of stealing Celestia away for a few minutes broke some kind of servant code, or maybe that was just Feather Touch. Either way she needed some incentive.

“I understand, you must be new to being a servant. I should go find someone a little more ... well versed in the business.”

The unicorn's eyes turned to iron in a single heartbeat and she spoke in the same way a soldier about to charge into the front lines alone would do.

“I am the most experienced servant in all of EQUESTRIA! I was BORN for this! The first words I ever spoke were 'would you like some cream with your sugar sir'!”

“Really, because I would think somepony like that would be able to secure just a few minutes of her highness' time.”

“I would never have dreamed I would do something as atrocious at interrupting princess Celestia's daily schedule, but I will do as you ask of me sir. Because I am a servant of the royal Canterlot court, and no pony shall go unserved!” She turned around and disappeared in a rush, her golden mane trailing behind her and her face set in determination.

“Well that was easy.”

So, for lack of anything better to do while he waited, Karon searched through the small bookshelf that stood in his room. But much to his disappointment, he found nothing of interest, most of it was fiction with a few tourist guide books thrown in here and there.

So, he spent his time lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling until Feather Touch returned with a polite knock to the door before entering. Karon sat up in the bed and looked over at her with one raised eyebrow.

“Well? How did it go?”

“It was through a great deal of personal pain I managed to secure a brief spot on her schedule, but it was not without cost.”

“Oh, what would that be exactly?”

She stared at him with wide eyes as if she had witnessed an unspeakable horror occur right before her.

“I had to convince a fellow servant to misplace an order and bring the gryphon delegation dried tuna instead of steamed salmon!”

“And that is ... bad?”

“Of course it is! If the gryphon delegation does not receive their specific order, they will have to send it back and wait for the right one, but that means the chefs will have to delay their other orders which will mean that everypony's order will be delayed. Which means that they will be late for their appointments which means that the official decisions and verdicts will be made late. Which means that the governing of Equestria could become irregular to the official planning, which means indecision and confusion will reign. This could lead to fear and anarchy and chaos and it would mean the end of Equestria as we know it ALL BECAUSE OF ME!”

“Wow....”

“I think things work a little more fluidly than ... that.”

“You are new here and it is understandable that you do not yet understand the intricate part servants play in maintaining a safe and stable ruling. We bear a heavy burden, for upon our shoulders rest the fate of all of Equestria, and that is why not a single bed must remain unmade or one lone towel be allowed to disappear. No, we must remain ever vigilant, but we do so proudly knowing we serve our part as ... servants.”

She beamed with pride as she looked at him after her speech and waited for him to say something. When he only stared at her with both eyebrows raised and a very unbelieving look on his face she only nodded as if she understood completely.

“It's okay, I felt the same way when I first realized the responsibility that we have, but no thanks is needed, the joy and pride of being a royal Canterlot servant is more than any pony could ever ask for.”

“She's ... insane.”

“I know.”

“No I mean INSANE insane. Not fun insane, but chewing on her own hoof insane.”

“Yeah I know....”

“Okay what the hell is it you are thinking of?”

“Crazy chicks are always great in bed ... and this one ... Wheeew.”

The urge was so great that Karon's physical hand flew up and smacked him in the face. Feather Touch didn't say anything and only took it as a sign he was trying to cope with this sudden revelation of the importance servants played in the greater political governing of their glorious nation.

“I understand if it is a lot to take in sir, but we should hurry.” She swallowed and her face turned ashen. “We wouldn't want to cause more delay.”

Deciding it would be a lot easier for his peace of mind to simply ignore the last minutes conversation, he nodded and turned his attention to what he was doing instead.

“Lead the way.”

Feather Touch gave a slight bow before turning around and walking out the door with Karon following behind. She led him through a long set of corridors, turning a corner every now and then with confidence. They ran into a few ponies on their way that tried not to stare too hard at Karon as he walked by. The lone gryphon they met didn't make that attempt though and stared openly at Karon when they passed each other by, waiting for him to sprout two more heads and go on a rampage or something.

Karon decided that he didn't like gryphons.

Feather Touch led him into the same great hall where he and the elements of harmony had stood defending Karon and waiting for the princesses' judgement of him. Looking at the area where he had stood beside his friends, ready to face and fight banishment if need be, brought with it a sense of melancholy he didn't like.

This place had too much meaning attached to it, and he didn't like it. He was supposed to have left that behind, instead, now he almost thought he could hear the echoes of the defensive speeches the elements had given him.

Applejack's and Rainbow Dash's silence, Twilight's desperation at feeling torn between her savior and mentor. Pinkie Pie's usual nonsensical behavior that somehow managed to make sense after all. Fluttershy's hesitant speech despite her fear of speaking up at all, and Rarity's assurance that Karon was nothing but a gentlecolt.

“I made a liar out of all of them beside Rainbow and Applejack. They were wise to keep their silence.”

“Hey, we were pretty selfless and heroic leaving them despite our desire to stay.”

“No, it wasn't. It was selfish, we could have stayed if we really wanted to. Instead I choose to remain the trickster and mage, the student of deceit and mystery. I could have abandoned it if I really wanted to, but I didn't. It wasn't selfless, I had a choice between them and me, and I picked myself.”

“If we had stayed, would it truly have been us?”

He didn’t have an answer for that.

“Enough, we can't help Luna with her personal crisis if we keep falling into our own.”

“Sorry, it was just this place. A temporary lapse, I will be prepared next time.”

He shook his head and turned his head towards the single throne that stood within the hall, it had a crescent moon contained within a sun at the top. Meant to represent the joint rule of the two sisters, during the day Celestia would have the seat, and come night, Luna would take her place.

It was designed so it was a lot wider than a human throne, allowing the princess to lay sideways upon it, and right now Celestia sat there. Her mane flowed gently as it always did, caught in a perpetual breeze that only seemed to exist for her. If it was a deliberate magic for vanity, or simply a natural effect of her alicorn nature, Karon didn't know.

He walked up to Celestia and stopped right in front of her, allowing them to be able to speak without being heard. Behind him the sound of Feather Touch gasping in shock when he didn't bow or scrap his foot or whatever the correct court procedures were.

He only rolled his eyes and Celestia, hidden from view by Karon, smiled at him with an amused sparkle in her eyes.

“Karon, what is it you need to speak to me about so badly that you feel the need to delay the gryphon delegation by food poisoning them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Gryphons can't digest tuna for some reason. I have no idea why, and it is one of the few little mysterious I like to keep.”

“I don't think Feather Touch knew that.”

“If she had she would have committed dustukku.”

“Which is?”

“The royal castle servants have this ridiculous notion that when they have shamed themselves and their profession utterly, they are to take their feather dusters and make it as dirty as possible. Then they take the duster and 'dust' their cutie marks until it is completely covered in dirt and unable to be seen.”

“That's ... really stupid ... and melodramatic.”

“Yes, usually I give them a day or two before ordering them to take a bath and return to their duties.”

“You ponies are a really strange bunch, you know that?”

“Coming from a creature like yourself, I will chose to take that as a compliment, but you haven't told me why you needed to see me.”

“Oh yes, it's about your sister.”

Karon quickly explained what he was planning and what he needed from her. She was surprised, but gave him the detailed description he had been hoping for, but ended it with a doubtful look at him..

“That alone will not be enough to help my sister.”

“I am aware and I am working on it, but until you tell me what it is about me you think will help Luna reclaim her former self, I am running blind here,” he said and gave her a meaningful look to which she answered with batting her eyelashes and trying to look innocent.

“I have no idea what you speak of, but I hope you will do your utmost in your attempt to help my sister.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say oh great princess of mystique and evasiveness.”

Karon didn't get any further, as the the sound of talons clicking against the marble floor was heard behind him. He looked around and saw a group of gryphons come towards him. Most of them were the regular brown and white color Karon had seen in books. But the one in the middle had a cobalt blue fur and black feathers. He walked in the middle like he owned the castle and looked in irritation up towards Karon and Celestia.

“Your highness, I feel I must complain about the sorry state of affairs I find myself in. I was nearly poisoned by your incompetent staff and now I see that you have put aside the time we scheduled for discussing the import tax regulations for ... whatever that thing is.”

“That thing!?”

Karon stepped aside to allow Celestia a clear view of the hall and the group of gryphons. He heard a quiet sigh of exasperation before she addressed them.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. I was told there was a mix up in the kitchen and everypony is terribly sorry.”

“I don't care! I could have died, I demand that the responsible ponies are punished severely!”

Karon could hear Feather Touch gulp in fear from across the hall, and before Celestia could answer he spoke directly to the obviously spoiled gryphon.

“I would have thought someone that nearly died from a mix up between the servants would be more respectful towards them. After all, who knows what could happen if it were to occur again? Perhaps done in a more discreet and careful manner to avoid detection before it was too late.”

The gryphon looked shocked at the mere suggestion and spoke with the raging indignity only someone born into privilege could feel.

“They are SERVANTS! The thought that they would willingly turn their flabby little pony hooves towards such a superior gryphon like myself is INCONCEIVABLE.”

“You'd be very surprised at the things that can happen when someone or somepony actually possess the ability to think for themselves.”

“Think!? They are servants! They don't need to think, they just need to do what they're told. Thinking Hah, Inconceivable!”

“You keep using that word, I don't think it means what you think it means.”

“Of course it does. Don't you know who I am?”

“Oh, did he really just say that?”

“A walking cliche?”

The gryphon sputtered indignantly, but one of the other gryphons flanking him hid his beak behind his talons, trying to cover up his smirk.

“I have never been so insulted in my life! Who is this creature that dare speak to me in this manner!?”

Before Karon could respond Celestia answered.

“He is the most likely candidate for the newly appointed position of court wizard.”

Karon had to try his best to keep his jaw from going slack as he turned around and stared at Celestia with eyes nearly popping out of his skull.

“What. The. Fuck?” he whispered to her. He really wanted an explanation for what she meant by that.

“I will tell you later this evening after my official duties have ended. Until then, go and take care of Luna. She is in her room sleeping.” She said all of it without actually moving her lips, which was fairly impressive.

Karon looked back at the gryphon brat and saw that Celestia's response had actually managed to render him speechless. He just stood there with his jaw moving up and down while his tiny underdeveloped mind tried to process what he had just heard.

Karon didn't care to hear whatever garbage he would spew forth after he recovered his ability to talk, so he swiftly walked down the stairs and passed him by, waving for Feather Touch to join him on the way out. Once they were outside though, she gripped his arms with her hooves and he looked down at her, surprised to see she had tears in her eyes and her lips were trembling.

“Oh what did I do now?”

“Nopony has ever defended us like that before. Even the princesses must always do their best to be diplomatic towards their guest. But you, you....”

She sniffed and threw her hooves around him as if he was the most wonderful thing since the invention of soap. She kept sniffing into his shirt so he patted her politely on the head, but then her sniffs changed in quality and she looked up at him with a wrinkled nose.

“Are you wearing filthy clothes?”

“Uh ... yes?” he answered questioningly, not sure what was the right answer.

“Back to your room immediately! This must all be washed without delay!”

“But, wha-?” he had the chance to say before she tugged him along with her magic and he went with her back to his room without a fight. Once there she stripped him out of his clothes and threw him a towel without giving his naked form even a glance, so intent was she upon her work.

And in all honesty it was pretty impressive. It took her less than half an hour to wash and dry all of the articles of clothing with the help of her magic. The skill and speed she did it with showed she had done it so many times that it was all but ingrained into her subconscious, much the same way with Rarity and sewing.

When it was done Karon dressed and felt the warm clean clothes rub against his skin with a wonderful feeling, they even smelled nice.

“Thank you Feather.”

“I am only doing my duty, sir.”

“Whatever you say, but I have another task for you.”

“Whatever you need sir.”

“Enough with the 'sir' it's getting annoying, and I need you to go down into whatever market or trade district Canterlot has and acquire an item for me. I will give you two hours before I go to the market myself with Luna. I need you to have obtain the item before then and hand it over to me when I'm there without her noticing.”

He gave her the details of the item he wanted made.

“Tell them it is for the princess, and I think that should deal any problems that might come up.”

“I understand, but it will be very difficult. Protocol demands that the princesses must have at least one guard with them at all times while outside of the palace grounds.”

“Why the hell would they need that? It's not like the guards could do anything they couldn't do themselves.”

“It is protocol.”

“You say it like it should mean something to me, but fine, I'll think of something. In the mean time, you should get going. Remember, you've got two hours.”

She saluted smartly and went out the door and trotted of fast towards the Canterlot market. Karon remained in the room for a few minutes stroking his chin in thought. He needed to get rid of the guards ... but how?”

Then a plan took form in his mind and he grinned wickedly.

                             ***********************************************

The nocturnal guard barrack was very lively despite it being the middle of the day, which was their equivalent of midnight, but most of the noise died down when Karon stepped into the barracks with a box under his arm. He scanned the crowd of stallions looking at him with their typical rock hard eyes until he found what he was looking for, an anomaly.

One of the stallions was looking at him with eyes that weren't sand colored iron as much as liquid gold, radiating curiosity and an iron will at the same time. He would do perfectly.

Karon sat down next to him at the long table. Everypony else stared at the both of them, waiting for something to happen that would explain what he was doing there.

“Hey there, I'm Karon. The most promising candidate for the position as court wizard, what's your name?”

Karon had no idea what this whole court wizard was all about, but it sounded impressive and maybe the guard knew something he didn't. If that was the case, this would be an excellent time to dig for information beside his main scheme.

The guards ear twitched a little and he looked torn for the moment between trying to retain his attempt at the same cold stare the other guards had perfected and indulging in his own curiosity.

Curiosity, as it always does, won out.

“I thought professor More-than Tardy was supposed to get that position. He's the one that's been pushing the princesses to create the position in the first place.”

“Oh?” Karon said trying to make it sound like he knew exactly what the guard was talking about.

“Yes, but if the princesses thinks you are better suited, then that's how it is. They are never wrong.”

“I doubt that.”

“Yeah well, I thought it might be a good idea to get to know the ponies around here. See how the guards work and so on since we probably will be bumping into each other regularly.”

“I see, well my name is Dusk Keeper and I am one of Princess Luna's handpicked bodyguards.”

“There are many of you?”

“Actually all of us in here are, we switch between guarding the castle and guarding the princess. Usually only one of us accompanies her, but if they go away on a long journey there are at least two and sometimes the whole company.”

“That's interesting. I am scheduled for a private conversation with Luna later today outside the castle. Any idea who in here is supposed to follow with us?”

The guard tapped his chin and looked around the barrack until he spotted a guard that looked just like the rest of them and pointed towards him.

“Star Gazer over there is the next one on protection detail.”

“Mhmmhm, but you all just rotate around correct? And if one guard is unable for some reason to perform his duties it passes to another yes?”

“That's right, why are you asking?”

“Just familiarizing myself. If I don't learn this now, I will never get it into my head.”

The stallion nodded in empathy and his mask of stone faced guard pony dropped, and what was left was a very young stallion struggling with himself.

“I know exactly what you mean. When I first got picked for this, I could barely believe it. It is a great honor and I am one of the few ponies who are more suited to a life under the moon rather than the sun, but the demands are brutal and the manual for the nocturnal guard is thicker than my head.”

“Must be tough.”

“This is just perfect.”

“Yeah it is, sometimes I wonder if I'm really up for this. The others take to it so naturally, I on the other hoof barely seem to scrape by.”

“Well Dusk Keeper, I think you've earned a reward for your hard work. I don't know what they feed you but I can't imagine it's any good.”

“It's not so bad actually, most days it's....”

The stallion trailed off when Karon opened the box and revealed the collection of cakes and cupcakes he hadn’t devoured during his breakfast. As soon as the stallion eyes locked on the box's content, Karon could almost see the drool beginning to gather inside his mouth. The plan was just going perfectly.

“Here you should have this.”

“W-what? No, I can't. I am supposed to keep to the official diet while on active service.”

“These won't make a difference, and if you don't take them I will have to give them to somepony else ... or throw them away.”

At the thought of the delicious forbidden treats being thrown away, Dusk Keeper took a step over the brink of discipline and fell down into the great chasm of sugar craving.

“I guess it would be a terrible waste to throw them away ... and I'm not on watch duty until nightfall....”

He carefully wrapped his hooves around the box and put it on his back, his eyes darted to the guards that sat around the table. There was enough space to ensure their conversation hadn't been overheard, especially not over the din that had returned after Karon sat down. The other guards watched impassively as Dusk Keeper stood up and turned to walk out from the barracks.

Before he did Karon turned to him and asked.

“So everypony else who is in the nocturnal guard is in here? There won't be any risk of you running into a comrade outside?”

Dusk Keeper's eyes took in the room in its entirety and seemed to be counting, then he shook his head looking a little relieved.

“No, they are all here. I am the only one who will be outside the barrack ... Karon was it? I just wanted to say ... thanks, life in the royal guard isn't easy.”

Karon nodded as if he understood him completely, which he didn't, and gave him a pat of the back and watched the stallion leave with hungry eyes.

When he had disappeared out the door Karon allowed himself to smile.

“First stage done, initiate stage two.”

“Hey! Everypony in here!” Karon shouted loudly to draw the attention of every guard present in the barrack, which is to say, every nocturnal guard except Dusk Keeper.

“Yeah, what is it?” one of the guard shouted back.

“I heard that you were supposed to be the toughest guard unit there was, but honestly you don't seem that much different from any other town militia.”

“Oh, that got their attention.”

Every single eye in the room was now focused on Karon with the cold deadliness of trained killers. They didn't even have to try, it came naturally for them.

“Oh yeah, I seem to remember we took down your ass pretty easy last night!” one one the guards shouted back and most of the stallion chuckled at the response. The story of what had happened had obviously been passed around.

“Yeah after Luna threw me out of that tree, you only got there in time to stand on a guy who was already down on the ground. Not very impressive if you ask me.”

The irritation the guards felt was now coming dangerously close to real anger and Karon knew it.

“We held back because we didn't have enough intel on what was going on. Had we wanted to, we could have handed your flank in at any time.”

“Yeah, how's so?”

“Because we're the best! There are no earth pony guards stronger and with more endurance than ours! There are no pegasi guards faster and there are no unicorn guards better with magic. Name one thing you could do we can't do better, I would have said you could climb trees with your monkey hands but you obviously can't do that either!” the guard finished smugly and the rest of the room laughed and a few clopped their hooves together in applied.

“Well, I know I can do one thing none of you in here could ever do.”

“Oh yeah! Let's hear it.”

“Satisfy a female.”

The entire room went as silent as a graveyard.

Karon began walking slowly around the table and groups of guards ponies in what looked like a random pattern, but really took him closer to the exit.

“I mean it's not like I blame you. You all look the same so I guess it's in your heritage or something, you all probably have the same mother who couldn't stop jumping around all the stallion she could meet, but still didn't get any satisfaction at all.”

Some of the stallion were rising up from the seated positions in slow deliberate movements. The way a tiger creeps up through the bush towards a prey.

“Unless of course you're all the result of inbreeding, which would explain why you all look so incredibly stupid.”

With a unified roar, all the stallions flew up from their seats and rushed towards Karon who only snapped his fingers in return.

                       ***********************************************************************************

Captain Nightchill was among the most respected ponies in Equestria's entire military, but he was also without doubt the most feared one. His exploits were the stuff of legends, recruits often told tales of how he had stopped a rampaging hydra with his bare hooves. Or how he had stared down a gorgon despite that their gaze turned all who beheld them into stone.

Yes, among the guards, the captain was the ultimate stone cold warrior, and he had accepted the role as leader over the nocturnal guard for that very reason. He was set on shaping them into the most deadly group of fighters Equestria had ever seen. When he was done with them there would be no reason for Equestria to ever to go war again, the mere threat of the nocturnal guard would be enough to ensure that.

Which was why he was not happy when a servant had come scurrying to his chambers and told him that there was a terrible commotion going on inside the barrack where his men were bunking.

He slammed open the door and despite having gone through the stuff most guards only experienced in their worst nightmares, he froze in his tracks as he took in the sight before him.

Every single guardsman was tearing across the room chasing some invisible enemy while roaring in pure rage. The entire barracks was demolished, the tables destroyed, the bunk beds shattered and strewn across the room. All in the attempt to capture an enemy which Nightchill could not see anywhere.

Or maybe the guards had just all cracked at the same time.

From behind him somepony snickered and he turned his head and locked his icy glare on the creature behind him. It matched the description of the human that had been given guest privileges.

“I take it you know what in Luna's name has gotten into MY guards!”

Karon swallowed and tried not to sound too pleased as he explained.

“Well it kinda started as an argument about the abilities of your guards. Since I stand as the likeliest candidate for the position of court wizard, I wanted to see if they were really as good as was claimed. But they took offense pretty quickly and as you can see I had to defend myself.”

“What did you do exactly?”

“It was just a mass illusion, a simple one at that. I just made each and every single guard in the room see a copy of me while I retreated out from the door. As you can see, they bought into it easily.”

In truth it had cost Karon nearly all the energy he had. He kept his hands in the pockets of his robe so the captain wouldn't see them shaking. While Karon had been circling around the table he had begun laying out a web of energy that spread and hooked into every one of the stallions, after that it was just a simple matter of sending an illusion of himself along into the web and it spread to all that were attached to it. He might have helped the guards out a little and sent an impression to them as well, encouraging their rage until it drove them senseless. The guards minds were like fortresses and they would have noticed if Karon had gone in tinkering there from the start, but that kind of mental forming demanded a lot of focus, and if that focus was disrupted by say, a very arrogant human with insulting the entire guards manhood and mothers at the same time. Well, then they were as easy to manipulate as every other emotional pony.

But Karon needed to make it seem like it the guards had been quick to anger for no reason and then fooled by a very simple magic trick, and that was exactly the impression the captain got off the situation.

Karon almost felt sorry for the poor guard ponies. He could feel the anger streaming out from the captain, but it was an ice cold rage, focused, controlled, harnessed.

He was a very dangerous stallion.

He walked into the chaos of the room without flinching as guards, completely in the throws of their fury, tried to chase down the false Karons. When he stood in the middle of the room, he could shout in the most self confident tone Karon had ever heard.

“FORM UP!”

So great was the fear and respect the guards felt for the captain, that they immediately snapped out of the almost trance like state they were in and stood at attention. They had been drilled endlessly in it and their bodies moved entirely on their own as they heard the call.

Some of them blinked when they realized what had happened, then their eyes widened in fear when they REALLY understood what had just happened.

The captain let his gaze slide over each and every one of them in turn then spoke, his voice low and dark. There was no need for him to speak louder, they were all listening as hard as physically possible.

“You are an absolute disgrace to this country, your families and our princesses. You have all failed me today. You all let petty emotions take complete control of you then fell for a simple piece of magic! Well, I know the cure for that! Three weeks of double paced training, and you will all clean every single bathroom in this castle with nothing but a rag until it sparkles! And you cannot use your hooves or magic!”

“Ouch...”

The captain looked around the room and shook his head.

“And get this fixed up immediately! I will return in one hour and it had better be BETTER than the last time I was in here, do you understand me?!”

“SIR, YES SIR!” all the guards shouted in unison.

The captain looked around the room and seemed to be counting heads.

“There is one of you missing, who is it?”

“I believe it is a pony named Dusk Keeper. I asked him the same questions as I did the rest of the room, but he decided it was better to reply politely then walk outside for fresh air to cool down.”

The entire room turned towards Karon as he spoke, the captain in surprise and the rest of the stallions in pure rage as once more as they realized they had all been set up, but they knew their captain and knew that voicing any complaints at this point would only worsen their situation.

The captain turned back to his guards and sounded almost a bit proud.

“Now that is how a true stallion of the nocturnal guard acts! Fine, Dusk Keeper is on protection detail for the next three weeks while you try and get to where he is!”

The captain gave them all once last icy glare, then turned around and exited the room with Karon close behind. He did NOT want to be left alone in that room.

When they had walked far enough, the captain turned his head to Karon and kept walking.

“I don't know what you did back there, but it was damn effective. I would like to discuss with you in private what kind of tactics and combat behavior I can expect if we should ever run into a hostile group of humans.”

“I find the possibility unlikely, but I can spare some time if you wish. Not at the moment though, I have business to attend.”

“Now that my little ploy with the guards was a success.”

“Good, send a message whenever you are free and I will make time,” the captain turned a right into a different corridor but before he could get out of earshot he called back to Karon without turning around.

“And if you ever do that to my guards again, I will kill you.”

Karon shuddered at the cold, almost bored tone the captain said it in. He meant it too.

Karon remained standing where he was and considered what he had just done. He had made an enemy out of one, if not THE, most elite fighting force in Equestria with the exception of the princesses themselves.

It had been dangerous, stupid, incredibly reckless and the payoff could probably have been achieved in some other far more constructive way, but it had also been really funny...

“Mwhehehe, whatever. I've got other things to worry about for the moment.”

So Karon turned a left and headed towards Luna's bedroom. When he reached the stairs, he had caught sight of the sun from a few windows and imagined that the two hours he had given Feather Touch would probably be up by now. He just hoped she had come through for him.

He climbed the stairs until he reach the top where a dark door with a silver crescent moon painted on stood. He knocked on it respectfully, then opened it without waiting for an invitation.

The room he walked into reminded a bit of Celestia's. There were similar crystals in there too, but they shone with a silvery light instead of gold. The room itself was also darker and didn't have the same huge window at the far wall. Instead the entire room was almost nothing but glass. Located so the sun wouldn't shine in more than the absolute minimum but would probably give an excellent view of the night sky.

Luna herself was half risen from her bed and blinked at him sleepily before her brain registered who it was.

“Karon? Why are you interrupting my sleep? Return here after it's time to raise the moon.”

“No can do Lunatic, I have a surprise for you.”

“I will surprise YOU with a fall down from the tower if you don't leave me to my rest.”

“Enough with the crankiness. I spent several hours up late playing with you so now you owe me some time.”

“Was that what it was?! Just an attempt to gain favor and debt from me?”

“Don't be silly Lunatic. What I mean is that friendship is a give and take deal.”

She piqued up at this and looked at him uncertainly.

“So are we ... friends now?”

“Yes, so get your flank out of bed and let's get moving.”

“Hmmmm, no,” she said and went back to bed.

When Karon was about to tell her to get up, she opened one eye and her horn flashed blue for a second and no sound came out of Karon's mouth. He frowned then tried speaking again, no sound.

Luna closed her eye again but a small smile made its way to her lips, Karon on the other hand rolled his eyes and looked irritated. He took a glance around the room and found just what he had been hoping to see.

Luna remained on the bed where she was slowly dozing off again, content now that she believed she had beaten Karon and he would return later. Instead, she jerked out of bed as he dumped a vase of flower water onto her head. She sputtered and shook her head as the sticky liquid made her mane cling to her face and smelled horribly.

She growled at Karon and her horn began glowing threateningly. In turn, he only crossed his arms and looked down on her expectantly. They remained in the standoff for a few moments before Luna's horn flashed and the water disappeared.

“Sigh, fine I will join you.”

Karon gave her a triumphant smile in return.

                                          ***************************************************************

Both Karon and Luna walked down the Canterlot Market. Karon had tried to keep up a conversation for as long as he could, avoiding the topic of the mentioned surprise, but he was running out of time and there had been no sign of Feather Touch. The market was crowded, but Karon stood out very clearly and most ponies stopped to stare when they saw Luna walk beside him.

They made an odd pair, Karon admitted that, but they were going a little overboard with the attention in his opinion. Some of the ponies even stopped and fell down on their knees as she passed, a gesture that seemed to invoke disgust in Luna.

“Something bothering you about them?”

Luna looked over at a pony pair, one middle aged stallion with a middle aged mare. Both wearing expensive clothing and both falling down on their knees and bowing as Luna passed them by, not giving them a glance.

“Sycophants and greedy nobles,” she said without trying to hide the revulsion, “In the old days, they had the manner to at least adhere to certain standards, but now....”

He got her point. Some of the ponies were close to crawling in the mud to get the princess' attention. They would probably have approached her if she hadn't been in the big scary human's company, and Luna was aware of that.

She looked over at the lone stallion wearing a top hat and something vaguely resembling a tie. When he noticed he had the princess attention he froze then began making his way towards them.

Both Luna and Karon stopped to wait for the stallion while the rest of the nobles around them looked at him with naked envy. When he reached them he trembled a little from nervousness, or perhaps he was imagining all the opportunities he thought would fall into his lap as soon as he spoke to the princess.

“P-princess Luna, it is such a great honor to finally meet you in person. Allow me to introduce myself, Stomping Ironshoe, of the Ironshoe exports. When I saw you enter the market I thought to myself, 'Princess Luna, here!? In the market? Just as I realized what an excellent business opportunity had just opened up for me. Can this be a coincidence I thought? No, it is clearly fate itself at work here'!

“Please let me kill him. It causes me physical pain to listen to him.”

“Shh, let's wait and see what Lunatic does with him.”

The stallion went on to explain just how MUCH it would benefit Equestria's economy if his agency were given special privileges, and how much good they could do for the Canterlot community if they were given a tax cut.

Luna acted as if what she was hearing was of great importance to her. When he was done and watched her with eagerness shining out of his eyes, Luna just said in a nonchalant tone.

“Well of course I can see your point clearly. You will of course have to surrender all of your assets for a review first of course, but I think we might have an excellent future together.”

The stallions face turned white, which was impressive since his coat was orange.

“A ... a review? But certainly that wouldn't be necessary. After all, with all the good I cou-”

“I am afraid it is not negotiable, the rules apply to everypony.”

“Well, I guess we shouldn't rush into things ... Let me ... consider it and I will contact you if there is any development,” he finished hastily and gave a quick bow before hurrying away.

Luna watched him go with mixed sadness and anger before she turned to Karon.

“That is not what I want from my subjects.”

“Not all of them are like that. I heard you made a great hit in some of the outer villages during last Nightmare Night.”

“Those are far away. I am a princess and I must remain in Canterlot for most of the time to attend my duties, and that is why I don't leave the castle anymore. Canterlot is the center of our culture and art. My sister built it after my banishment and she told me she wanted it to be a place where one could walk through the street and taste and see all that this world has to offer. Instead, most dare not approach me, thinking that it wouldn't be proper, and the others ... they seek only the favor of a princess not....”

“They don't come seeking Luna.”

She nodded and looked around herself sad, the collection of well-dressed vultures disguised as ponies still hovering around them waiting for the slightest hint they could approach. The other ponies kept away, seeing the collection of wealthy and influential ponies gathered around the princess and an exotic stranger, thinking they did not belong in such company.

“Such a vicious circle.”

“Indeed. Do you think this was what Celestia was thinking about when she put us in charge of getting Lunatic back to normal?”

“Perhaps. She is a princess and so a normal friendship would be unconventional since she would have to combine it with her role, and I am certainly good with unconventional ... still, it's best not to jump to conclusions.”

Karon was just about to try and say something re-assuring when he heard a yelp from behind himself. He spun around in time to see Feather Touch get tackled to the ground by Dusk Keeper. He blinked several time in confusion at the scene before him and Luna did the same.

“Miss you are under arrest for suspicious behavior and the attempted assault on her royal highness the princess Luna!”  Dusk Keeper stated while pinning her down to the ground skillfully.

“What!? How dare you accuse me of betraying the princess!?” Feather Touch retorted with so much venom in her voice Dusk Keeper flinched and suddenly looked a lot more uncertain. The mask of the stoic guard once more slipping and giving way to the uncertain youngster.

“Do you deny that you were stalking the princess in a most suspicious manner and attempted to approach her when her back was turned?”

“No, I did that but I wasn't going to attack her! And I wasn't stalking the princess, I was stalking the sir!”

“The what?”

“The sir, the human guest that is currently staying at Canterlot castle. I am his personal servant and was supposed to give him this package without being seen by the princess.”

She managed to dislodge one hoof and pointed it to a neatly wrapped gift package in violet and blue colors on the ground close to her.

All four sets of eyes plus a few from the crowd still keeping it's distance focused on the package and then Luna's eyes turned to Karon.

“What is this?”

“It's the ... surprise I mentioned.”

Luna carefully walked over to the package and looked down on it. She tilted her head and the package was enveloped in a blue aura as it floated upwards to rest at eye level and slowly began unravelling itself.

When she spotted what was inside she gasped and the magic disappeared. The package fell down to the cobble street and a gentle wind blew by, taking the gift wrap with it. What was left on the ground was a wooden toy figure of an alicorn with its wings outspread and head held high.

It was painted in a dark blue color, not entirely dissimilar from Luna's own colors, but the toy didn't have a cutie mark. Instead, it was a blank slate, the same color as the rest of it.

Luna looked down on it without moving, without breathing. She just stood there, staring at the toy as if she were seeing a ghost. Ever so carefully she tipped her horn down an inch and the blue glow spread across it. The toy levitated up into the air where she held it before her, never taking her eyes off it.

Then she turned around without a word and walked away, the toy floating through the air beside her.

Karon didn't dare to chase after her yet, something had happened here that he hadn't anticipated, and he would have to move very carefully unless he wanted to undo the progress he'd made so far. So he turned his attention to Feather Touch and Dusk Keeper instead.

“Okay you can let her go now.”

The guard pony looked down at her and seemed to be weighing his options, but he was a guard. If there were no clear regulations or rules to follow then he preferred it if someone simply gave him orders. Karon wasn't perhaps officially of any rank at the moment, but he had unofficial ties obviously, so he did what he asked and released Feather Touch.

The unicorn got up and started dusting herself off meticulously, making sure she didn't miss a single spot. Which demanded a bit of gymnastics from her, which Karon found amusing and Dusk Keeper embarrassing.

“So....” Karon said and looked at the guard. “...For how long were you following us?”

“Since you left the castle grounds. When I returned to the barracks, I was told what had happened. I don't know why you did it, but I do NOT appreciate it. Everypony hates me now and think I was in on it.”

“Don't worry about that, it'll get resolved. What I was wondering was why you sought fit to remain hidden. Why didn't you just march out and join us as guards are supposed to?”

The earth pony nodded towards Feather Touch who looked at him expectantly, clearly wanting for an explanation as well.

“It's ... complicated. Not long ago, when I was still stationed in the city, there was some talk in the guard about a new pony that had arrived in Canterlot. There were whispers, rumors and small traces of evidence that suggested somepony really smart was slowly taking over what little crime had existed in Canterlot and was turning it into something serious. We didn't know much about him besides the few rumors that he was a real badflank. Somepony smart enough to whip up all the ponies who for some reason don't agree with us being ruled by the princesses. At first, it was nothing but a scary ponytale between the guards, but soon, real evidence started to turn up. Entire noble families disappeared, their funds raided never heard from again. Others just seemed to have a string of bad luck and lost everything, but there was something about it that was wrong.

Like a pattern you just couldn't put your hoof on, but then I got picked for the nocturnal guard and I left that investigation behind, but recently I got a letter from an old friend that said it was a lot bigger and more dangerous than we had suspected. He said that he had managed to get evidence that somepony just called 'M' was behind all of it, and just not that, but he said that this 'M' had influence everywhere, even in the royal court. And worst of all, was that my friend thought he was trying to prepare for a coup against the princesses. He said he had evidence and would present it to Celestia herself.”

“So, what happened?” Karon asked feeling like he was walking into a bad spy novel.

“Nothing. After that letter I never heard from him again. The guards in the city said he just ... disappeared.” he sounded sad at the loss of his friend, and underneath it was a note of fear.

“So when you saw Feather here stalking us, you thought the worst, that she was sent by this 'M' to kill Luna?”

“Yes,” he said and looked down on the ground. “I know it doesn't seem plausible but I swear I am-”

“I believe you.”

“You do?” he sounded surprised and looked up at Karon with hopeful eyes.

“Yeah, you don't really possess the imagination to make all of that up.”

Choosing not to take offense, the guard pony seemed relieved at finally having somepony to talk to about his suspicions.

“So what can we do about it?” he asked Karon, expecting some kind of brilliant idea that would solve everything.

“At the moment, nothing. I'll look into it. Just be ready to act if I find anything.”

“I will.”

“So will I!” Feather Touch almost shouted, her head held so high her neck looked about to break.

“And why would you do ... whatever you would contribute with?”

“If somepony dares threaten the wonderful rule of our beloved princesses, they will have to go through me first!” she exclaimed and waved her hoof around as if she wanted to punch somepony.

“Fine, you could be useful perhaps....”

“As cannon fodder.”

“...But we've got nothing right now, so just go back to the castle and do whatever you normally do.”

“But I am supposed to follow Luna!”

“And I am supposed to be following you!”

“Oh for bucks sake....”

“What ... did you just say?”

“I've been here for far too long.”

“Dusk Keeper, Luna needs her privacy right now, so you go and do something else. We will be back at the castle grounds soon enough, and Feather ... I have a task for you.”

“Anything you need sir!”

“I want you to follow Dusk Keeper around and make sure he doesn't get eaten by a dragon.”

“As ... you wish sir.”

“Excellent, now shoo while I go search for Luna,” he said and waved his arms to make them go away.

Then he turned around and walked in the direction that Luna had disappeared to. Fortunately, it was relatively easy to track her. She left very visible ripples in the pony crowds and he just had to follow the inane chatter to reach a secluded little park. He entered through a dirt road, and after walking forward in the shade of the trees, he came upon a small pond where Luna sat.

She looked down at her own reflection without moving, the toy right beside her on the ground.

Karon walked up and sat down beside her. She didn't say anything, she was lost in her own thoughts.

“I take it this holds more meaning than just a toy some unlucky human accidentally stepped on?”

She nodded slowly without taking her eyes of the reflection.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She remained still at first but then shook her head.

“You should anyway.”

She turned her head and looked him straight in the eyes. She didn't need to voice the question out loud.

“Because you need to, you know that.”

She remained silent, staring into his eyes as if searching for something.

“It never gets any easier,” she finally said.

“What?”

“The pain, it never gets any easier. I can see it inside you, festering, wriggling like a worm burrowing deep inside your soul.”

“I thought we were talking about you.”

“We are. I have lived for so long, and I still carry that pain like it is still fresh.”

“So talk about it, don't let it hide and eat at you from within.”

“Hear ye, hear ye! Come all, come big come small, come old come young and see the world’s greatest hypocrite!”

“Just because I know the lesson as a failure knows it, doesn’t mean I don't understand it.”

Luna looked down at the toy and poked at it with one hoof.

“My mother made a toy like this for me.”

“I take it things didn't end well?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

She stared out over the pond, and for a brief moment her mind went back in time, to days of nothing but hunger, disease and suffering.

“Discord happened.”

“Oh....”

“The reason Tia and I took the title of princesses is because that's what we were. Daughters to the king and queen of the alicorn kingdom.”

“I read something about an alicorn kingdom in a book in Ponyville.”

She nodded, her mind still lost in the maelstrom of memory.

“It is no secret history, but few know the whole truth.”

“Would you like to tell me?”

She returned her gaze to him, and there was a new weight to it, as if there was something more than just the usual Luna staring back out at him, and in that moment he thought he could see the vast field that was Luna's life and the memories of it.

“If you travel to the north and west for many days, cross mountains, river lands and forests, you will come to the edge of a desert. This desert stretches for what will seem an eternity, and no living thing resides within it. Only the bones of my family, and all they protected and guided. Travel there if you wish to know 'the truth'.”

“I'm sorry Luna.”

“Why?”

“Because I am not lying when I say you are my friend.”

She didn't answer, instead she continued her story.

“When our kingdom fell only a few escaped, and only Tia and I wanted to go on fighting. The others ... had lost all hope. But Tia and I knew there was a chance, our mother had told us so before she ... died.  She said that Discord drew strength from the disharmony that existed between ponies and all they were connected to, which is our entire world, and the only way to truly defeat Discord was to seal him away. He is this world's mistakes and failures given form and cannot be destroyed. Only ... put away. And so Tia and I did what our mother had asked of us, we searched for what she had called the elements of harmony....”

A breeze drifted by, catching a few leaves in its wake and made them dance in the air before they fell down to the pond's water. Luna watched as they slowly drifted off.

“We found them, and with them we broke Discord's hold over our world. Step by steps we beat him back until he had nowhere else to run, and then he finally faced us, and we turned him to stone ... But we couldn't save our home. Death was all that remained there, so we left.”

“The ponies we once guided with wisdom and protected with our magic fractured. They grew apart and hate and jealousy took the place of harmony. It was too much to bear, so we left. Tia and I wandered for centuries, we saw much and experienced even more, but never did we actually feel any hope. We were just the remains of a dying race, waiting for a time when we would finally be deigned worthy to take.”

“It was when we were without hope that we found what we never thought we would see again. Equestria, a place where all the three pony tribes had come together in peace and harmony. After we had seen this, we knew we could never leave. This was the last remaining hope of becoming what we were always meant to be.”

“At first we just advised them, then they grow more and more trusting of us. They came to us for constant help and barely a generation had passed before they all came together and wanted to name us their queens.”

“We refused, Tia and I can never be queens. We can never become all that our mother was and built, but we tried. We shaped Equestria into the image of our old kingdom, the one we failed to protect and we swore we would NEVER let the same thing happen again.”

“But it still hurts....” she finished as tears ran down her chin and fell into the pond, distorting her reflection.

“I know it does.”

“And your story?”

“Is locked away, deep inside me. I can't even access it anymore, but I still know what happened. I just can't remember it.”

“It will not last.”

“I know, but I am not ready. I know that if I open that door now, as I am now ... it will end me.”

They both leaned against one another, feeling the comforting presence of a friend beside them.

“And the doll?”

Luna looked down at it.

“My mother made one like it, it was supposed to be me.”

“Why the blank flank?”

“She made it that way, it was when Tia and I first wielded the elements of harmony that our cutie marks appeared. They came very late for us, and we spent over a thousand years running away from them afterward. Leaving the duties that were rightfully ours to the struggling unicorns.”

“So why did the doll make you feel this way?”

“When I saw it ... I remember what mother used to say. That when we were truly ready to embrace who we really were, our cutie marks would appear. When I see this doll again ... she has no pain, she has no regrets and no fear. All she had was hope and dreams of who she could become.”

Karon looked down on the doll and picked it up. He looked it over carefully than with a nod he threw it out in the pond and watched it drift off. Next to him Luna stared at him with so much emotions boiling up inside her she could no longer think straight.

“Wh- why did you do that?”

“We all need to grow up some time.”

“From what!? Childhood!?”

“Innocence. No one can remain a clean slate forever. Yes, our pain hurts like nothing else, but it is OUR pain, and it is ours to carry and ours to one day let go off. Not yet, but one day. But that day will NEVER come unless we carry it with us. It is the part of us we hate more than anything, but it is still ... us. What would our joy and love mean without the contrast?”

“Such old words from somepony so young.”

“My innocence and childhood were taken from me before my age was even counted with two numbers. I might not have lived through all the lessons I need to, but I know they are still there and I will not hide from them. I will just move slow enough that when it is my turn to face them, I will find a way to ... make things right. Somehow.”

“I still carry with me years and years of pain that makes your life seem like the blink of an eye.”

“Well cry me a river.”

“You mock my pain.”

“Life is pain Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

Despite herself Luna smiled and looked out the pond, the toy was nowhere to be seen.

“We should leave. There is nothing more to be said that hasn't been so.”

“Very well,” Karon replied and got up on his feet, Luna walked off behind him while Karon stood staring out at the pond for a moment. The sun was setting and it cast violet and orange rays of light upon the world that made the sky appear to be on fire.

“I get the feeling that is a bad omen....”

Before Karon could think of a reply, something smacked into his back and launched him out into the pond. It was not deep, but it was enough to thoroughly drench him in water. He turned around confused and saw Luna smirking down at him.

“That was for the flower water.”

                                   **********************************************************

Karon had walked back to the castle next to a very self-satisfied Luna, and this time it was Karon that attracted the most stares from Canterlot's inhabitants. They said goodbye in the stairs and Karon trudged towards his room while Luna continued upstairs towards hers.

When Karon opened the door he found both Dusk Keeper and Feather Touch waiting for him. Dusk Keeper only looked confused at the miserable sight of the drenched human, but Feather Touch nearly had a heart attack.

She tore off his clothes with her magic much like she had previously in the day, and Karon was left with a towel awkwardly around his waist with Dusk Keeper next to him. After Karon reassured him everything had gone well with Luna, the guard pony left a grateful Karon alone.

Feather Touch came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later with warm clean clothes that Karon put on while the unicorn intently studied the wall.

“Sir I have news for you. While we were waiting for your return, another servant arrived with a message. Princess Celestia is expecting you at the consortium hall in ... fifteen minutes.”

“And you didn't think to tell me this sooner?”

“You couldn't very well show up drenched in ... whatever that foul stink was.”

“You have a point. What exactly is 'the consortium'?”

“It is Canterlot's, indeed all of Equestria's, elite collective of magic users. Only the most powerful, intelligent and wise are ever offered membership and they are well known throughout the entire world.”

“And she wants me there ... why?”

“I am not privy to princess Celestia's inner most thoughts. I am but a humble and loyal servant.”

“Uhuh ... Well then. Care to show me the way?”

As it turned out, the consortium hall was located at the other end of the castle and so Karon arrived fashionably late. Feather Touch led him to a light brown but sturdy looking door which several symbols had been scribbled into. He would have liked to remained and investigate what exactly they were, but Feather opened the door wide and announced loudly.

“Karon, esteemed guest of her highness princess Celestia, human and an accomplished mage, has arrived.”

“So much for fancy titles, couldn't she have thrown in one impressive thing at least.”

Inside the room, one large conference style table stood and eight ponies in total were gathered, not counting Celestia who stood at the far end.

They all turned to face him as he was announced and after Feather was done she went back to the hallway and closed the door behind her, leaving Karon to face the stare of what looked like eight very senile unicorns.

“Uhh, hello....”

No responses, only glassy eyed stares. Karon walked over to the other end of the table, facing Celestia directly and four unicorns before him on each side. After he took the place all eyes turned to Celestia instead and she spoke with the same mature calmness she always did.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I wanted all of you to be present as I have come to a final decision regarding the proposal professor More-than Tardy presented over a year ago.” She turned to face the unicorn directly to her left and Karon noted he wasn't quite as old as he had first thought.

“What kind of cruel parents birthed that poor sucker?”

“I am thrilled to hear you have taken it under serious consideration your highness,” he responded in a cultured voice, a slight accent noting each word.

“Of course, and so I am pleased to announce that from tonight a new position will have opened up in the royal court, a position that will stand both within the court of the moon as well as the sun. A single being will be selected to act as court wizard, ensuring the proper control, study and investigation into all things magical in our kingdom is guaranteed. The individual must display outstanding magical ability in practice, as well as theoretical knowledge. He or she must also have a deep sense of stability and order since he or she will be responsible for the day to day dealings which my sister and I are too busy to deal with personally.

“Oh fuck nonononononononono...”

“Which is why it brings me great pleasure to announce I know of one such individual....”

The professor straightened his neck a little and looked just about ready to begin whatever thank you speech he had prepared earlier.

“A recent arrival to our world, and in possession of a great deal of knowledge and ability we have so far not seen in unicorns. Karon the human!”

“You fucking bitch....”

There was not a single unicorn around the table that did not look to be about to die from shock. Each and every one of them was accomplished within their fields and had a long history of magical studies. They had all revolutionized one field or another in the study of unicorn magic but now ... now a total stranger, a non-pony no less, just snatched the most influential position a magic user could hold within the governing of all things magical in Equestria.

Most of them didn't care about it, as long as they were left alone and allowed to continue their studies they were happy, but there was one unicorn that glared daggers at the perceived usurper, no matter how much Karon wanted to scream it was all a ploy by Celestia.

“Now I am sure that this news will need some pondering, which is why I think it is best if we all retire for the night and meet back here tomorrow at noon. Karon, I will need to have a word with you in private now.

And with that they were all dismissed.

                           *************************************************

A few hours later in a darkened room illuminated only by a few candles, a figure was pacing on the hard stone floor restlessly. What did this mean? Was he a new player on the board? Would he be a threat? Celestia would never have chosen him for the position unless he had considerable talent, then why hadn't his operatives brought him news?

This was a strange turn of events and he couldn't shake the feeling it was even more significant than it first appeared.

Professor More-than Tardy had made plans, very detailed, very intricate plans, and now all of it might risk exposure or failure, all because of this unknown factor.

Yes, he would need to gather intelligence on this Karon. Learn all there was to know about him, his weaknesses, his strengths and of course, his secrets.

Smiling to himself the professor stopped his pacing and walked over to the cabinet where he kept his new favorite vice. Some farm pony somewhere out west had come up the most ingenious ways to prepare new forms of booze far superior to those previously seen in Canterlot.

Sipping from a hovering glass of fine Applejack's Daniels, the professor walked over to his favorite couch and sat down on it. At the other end of the room, there hung a banner he had designed himself years ago when he first began his rise to power, and he was nowhere near done yet, oh no.

No, professor More-than Tardy would not rest until that beautiful steel gray banner with the jet black M hung in the throne room of Canterlot castle.

Yes, he would not rest. There was so much work left to be done.

Next Chapter: Chapter 24: Behind the scenes Estimated time remaining: 15 Hours, 57 Minutes