There were a lot of hushed conversations and quiet grumbling that took place in Canterlot that night. Magic offers many new ways and options that do not exist otherwise, and this fact seeps into every single aspect of a true practitioners life.

Which is why it is perhaps not so strange after all that the rumor of the newly appointed court wizard of Canterlot swept through the unicorn community like a tidal wave. Most ignored it, having no interest in the intrigues of those who only cared about the art, but there were the few, those whose life, soul and heart belonged to magic that paid careful attention to the rumors.

And so, the news spread. Magical messages of all kinds were employed and before Luna had lowered the moon to make way for her sister's sun, the message had been spread over all of Equestria to those that wished to hear it.

Something strange was going on in Canterlot.

And it did not take long before this news reached the ears of a certain studious unicorn in Ponyville. Twilight was staying up late as usual, giving the excuse of catching up on her studies when the truth was that she had never in her life ever fallen behind.

Her eyes lightly bloodshot widened slightly when Owlowiscious came flying in through an open window unexpectedly. She had thought he would remain for a few more days with her friend Rose Petal, whom she had met in princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns and decided to stay in touch with after Twilight moved to Ponyville.

But the strangest part of the owl's return was that he carried a sealed scroll in his claws which he dropped down on the book in front of her before flying to his usual perch. Twilight looked over the scroll before opening it. It was short and had the usual babbling writing she had come to associate with her friend.

Good morning Twilight, I am convinced that right this moment you are thinking to yourself why our owl friend would return so soon? Well, the reason is an incredibly simple one, I asked him to. Now you might ask yourself why I would do that, well it's because I have some very exciting news I just can't wait to share with you! I just heard that princess Celestia herself finally gave in to professor More-than Tardy's advice and created the position of court wizard!

But that is not the most exciting part of the news, no this is far better. Instead of giving the position to the professor, who all of us thought it would go to, she gave the position to something called a human. The entire consortium is shocked by this new development! After all, the court wizard will be the final voice in all research and study involving magic in all of Equestria, and nopony even knows who this human is!

But I heard mention its name is Karon and he comes from a faraway place and possesses magic unlike anything any unicorn has ever seen. This is so exciting! You must come to Canterlot and stay with me. Perhaps we can even manage to get to meet this mystery creature and see for ourselves.

-Rose Petal

Twilight read the letter three times before she was certain she hadn't missed anything. She had been a strong supporter of instituting the role of a court wizard. A pony to monitor and see to the magical studies undertaken and strive to bring it forward and together beyond the divided science it had become lately.

She had imagined someone wise like Minty Frost or someone sophisticated and mysterious like professor More-than Tardy to take the place of Equestria's first court wizard.

Not Karon....

Not Karon who hadn't even bothered to say good bye to her, instead just leaving her with a sorry excuse through SPIKE of all things. So she would just forget about him, she had plenty of work to keep busy with. Or at least that was her plan until now.

If Karon was named court wizard, then it was inevitable that she would have to face him sooner or later. Even worse, if she planned any greater experiment and needed funding, then she might even have to get his approval!

“Garh!” she let out in frustration. This was just unbelievable. How could Princess Celestia ever think that KARON would make a good candidate for the court wizard position? She considered what might have made her pick Karon but couldn't come up with anything logical beside that he knew a lot of different human magic.

But all magic was fundamentally the same, so why would she just give him the position based solely on that? The most logical answer was that she didn't. Twilight knew Celestia better than most ponies thought, she had been like a daughter to her after all and not just a personal student.

And if Twilight knew anything about Princess Celestia, it was that she never did anything without thinking five steps ahead. So there must be some other reason she had chosen Karon....

The more Twilight thought about it, the more convinced she became that there was more going on than what most ponies would think, and she wasn't going to sit in Ponyville and do nothing to find out what it was. She was going to Canterlot!

Getting the chance to face Karon and tell him exactly what she thought of him would just be ... a bonus.

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

After the members of the consortium had left the room, Karon and Celestia remained standing where they were. Celestia looked as composed and regal as ever while Karon ... looked about ready to explode.

“Tia ... I will need a VERY good explanation for what you just did, or I am calling off this entire thing and leaving,” he said through gritted teeth.

“There is no need to be so dramatic Karon. I did what was best for all of us, you included.”

“Do explain, in great detail please.”

“Very well. There is a lot of political maneuvering involved and it wouldn't mean anything to you. Let's just say that I needed a qualified outsider to take on the role of court wizard. Someone with no ties to any movement or family within Equestria. I would rather have chosen my faithful student Twilight Sparkle to take up the role, but she already has one to play which left only you as the best candidate. With this new station, you will have an official position within the court, and you will also have jurisdiction within all things related to magic that occurs within Equestria's borders. There will be duties that follow with this new position, but they will not hinder you in any way and will not take up much of your time. Equestria's community of magic students regulates itself mostly, you need only worry if there is something serious that occurs.”

“There is still the question of what exactly you want me to do with this new found power and influence.”

“Whatever you deem fit. I have faith in you.”

Karon couldn't believe what he was hearing ... Did Celestia just give him full control of the magic studies of Equestria and then set him lose?

“Too good to be true.”

“There is more to this. It is obviously a trap of some kind.”

“No trap, I simply would prefer you to have the seat than any of the other candidates. You may use your new found authority as you please as long as it doesn't endanger any ponies.”

“There is still a trick here, I know it.”

“I have set no trap for you Karon. I simply trust you to be yourself.”

“That sentence has so many different meanings it could be anything.”

“So what can we do?”

“Since we can't figure out what kind of game Celestia is playing ... let's just ... enjoy the ride.”

Karon's mouth formed a smile, then a grin, and then finally it turned into laughter. He laughed and laughed a maniac's laugh until his stomach hurt and his breath came out only in wheezes. The cackling sounds receded slowly and with a final giggle he straightened his back and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“You're actually serious. You're giving me all this power without restrictions? Are you insane?”

“There are restrictions of course. You can only act with authority when it involves the study or use of magic within Equestria. This means it is your decision to allow or disallow certain practices or experiments and also ensure a safe and stable use and restriction of the higher forms of magic. The basic education all unicorns go through is handled by the mundane school system and you don't need to bother with it. It will be your job to monitor the higher forms practiced by unicorn mages and magic researchers.”

Celestia hesitated for a second but then went on.

“...And it will also be your duty to guard against any greater magical threat that might arise. If it is serious, it should be handled by the guard and you should only act as an investigator. If the theoretical threat would turn out to be too much for the guard to handle alone, I will contact the elements and they will have to face it. It would have been mine and Luna's duty to do so before, but ever since the elements of harmony were passed on to the new wielders, our purpose is a different one, and we will only intervene if there is no other way.”

“But the fact remains, you are giving me free reign as long as I make sure that Equestria doesn't get blown up either unintentionally or otherwise?”

“That's one way to phrase it, but in essence yes. In three days time, there will be a dinner held where most of the noble families will be represented as well as the diplomatic representatives of the gryphons, zebras and otters. I think it will be the best time for us to officially introduce you to the 'elite' of Canterlot.”

“If you think that is the best, who am I to argue? But I need to know how exactly I am to perform these new duties?”

“We can discuss that in the morning when the rest of the consortium is gathered. You will be working with the members mostly since every situation important enough to warrant your attention will be received through them. Of course, if you so desire you could keep a more active involvement and familiarize yourself with the community as a whole, your choice. It will be your job to bring the magical studies in Equestria forwards. I trust that you are up to the task and can decide the best way to do this yourself.”

“Tia, I'm not an idiot, there has to be more to it than that. One half of me thinks you've gone insane and the other thinks you must be setting me up somehow.”

“I already did explain everything Karon. I have looked over all the possible candidates and what Equestria needs right now isn't one of them, it is you.”

“Insane it is.”

“I still don't trust it's that simple, but fine, I accept.”

“That is excellent news, I think it's best if we retire for tonight. You will have a busy day tomorrow and you will need a clear mind for what is to come.”

“Because that wasn't ominous at all....”

Karon tilted his head in affirmative and turned around, his smile lopsided as he considered all the things he could do with this new authority.

“Goodnight Tia.”

“Goodnight Karon,” she replied and watched him leave knowing full well that he was smiling at this turn of events. She heard him say something to Feather Touch outside in the hallway before the door closed and then he was gone.

Celestia remained standing still for a while and was lost deep in her own thoughts. There would have been a time when she would have shied away from playing creatures they way she did now, but she had learned very early that everything has a price. And a ruler must always do what is best for the whole not the individual no matter how horrible that might first sound.

But you need only witness one kingdom and all it's ponies die once before you understand that the alternative is far worse.

Bringing herself out of her reverie she focused her magic through her horn with the easy skill born out of thousand years of practice. It shone white for a second and with a chiming sound she teleported to her room.

It was just as she had left it, ever since Discord had stolen the elements of harmony despite her precautions, she had become extra vigilant concerning her belongings. Which was why she had immediately noticed when Karon had tried to steal one of her sun crystals.

The thought of the human mage with a fully charged crystal was ... disconcerting.

But she had more real trouble to deal with at the moment than just hypothetical ones. The game she was playing now was a dangerous one. She had played it before but never had she imagined she would use a creature as unreliable as Karon in it.

But risks were a necessary part of ruling and all that remained now was to guide Karon on his path.

So she went over to her table and her horn glowed once more as she wrote a letter to her faithful student in Ponyville. Celestia knew Twilight well and understood that there was a high probability she would know something was going on once the news reached her.

She wished she could share all her secrets with her student, but that was just a distant dream at the moment, she was still so young.

She finished the letter and sealed the scroll before sending it away with a flash of magic. Spike would not appreciate being woken up this late at night, but he would deliver the letter to Twilight straight away.

The game had begun. Now she could only hope she had made the right choice in putting her faith in Karon. There was too much at stake to fail. Had she told all of them what was going on, they would have only seen the immediate threat. The here and now, but Celestia knew better than to be distracted by the obvious.

She knew how to read the signs and the visible threat they now faced was just a shadow of what was to come. The future looked dark for all of Equestria, but like always, Celestia would do whatever was necessary to prepare them for it.

She would never let another kingdom fall again.

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

Twilight was pacing in her library when she heard the door upstairs open. She stopped momentarily and glanced up. In the doorway stood a very sleepy Spike rubbing his eyes and carrying a scroll in one hand.

“Spike what are you doing up? You know you need your sleep.”

“I didn't want to wake up, but it's hard to sleep when the princess decides to send letters in the middle of the night,” he grumbled in response and waved the letter before him.

Twilight's ear pricked up at this. “A letter from the princess? Now?”

It's was too well timed to be a coincidence. It must certainly have something to do with why she would elect Karon as court wizard. She didn't wait for Spike to carry it down. Instead, her horn glowed and it came flying down to her by itself.

Unfortunately, Spike wasn't prepared for that so when the letter went out into the air he was dragged behind. He let go off it with a shout, but he was already hanging in the middle of the air by then and crashed down with a loud thud.

“Spike stop goofing around, this is serious! I think there is something going on in Canterlot and Princess Celestia wouldn't contact us if she didn't need our help,” she spoke with a fervor and quickly opened the scroll. Inside it was the familiar writing of Princess Celestia and Twilight felt an inner satisfaction at having guessed correctly.

My dear student Twilight Sparkle

I am writing to you at such a late hour to bring news you might find interesting. I have decided to formally create the position of the court wizard and have chosen Karon as the first holder of the title. I understand you might find that choice strange, but I ask you to trust that I have good reasons for it. In three days time, there will be a dinner held for the nobles and dignitaries of Canterlot. I will introduce Karon during this event, and I invite you and your friends to attend.

I am also writing because you mentioned that Karon has taught you the ability to read another ponies minds. I understand that this new ability must have made you very eager to experiment and undertake a study, but I ask that you remain quiet about this and any other magical skill Karon might have taught or revealed to you.

His magic has many differences from the one practiced by unicorns, and I wish for the details to remain as much of a mystery as possible for the moment. So please, let all you know of Karon's abilities and what else you have learned to remain a secret for now.

I hope to see you soon.

                                                                                                                      Princess Celestia

Twilight's heart sank as she read the letter a second time. She had been working on her paper about telepathy for weeks now and it was nearly done. It was the kind of thing that would have made her famous among unicorns.

But now she would have to get rid of all of it just to make sure no pony would read it. She wouldn't even be able to demonstrate her new ability before the other scientists and researchers.

She trusted the princess completely, but she couldn't help feeling a bit dejected. Karon had left her without even saying good bye, and now it looked like Celestia had taken an interest in him to the point she wanted to keep his abilities a secret. It felt like she was being replaced.

“No, she would never replace me like that,” Twilight said aloud, trying to disperse her worries.

“Did you say something?” Spike asked while rubbing the top of his head.

“Nothing, never mind,” Twilight answered with a shaky laugh. The last thing she needed right now was to involve anypony else in her suspicions.

“We should both go to sleep now. I will be leaving for Canterlot in a few days and I want to finish all my work before then.”

“Canterlot? What are you going to do in Canterlot?”

“Find some answers.”

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

Sleep had not taken Twilight without a fight. Her mind was too busy tyring to dissect the situation for her to rest, but even the sharpest of minds have a limit, and at some point the deep thinking shifted into an uneasy sleep.

Her dreams were fragmented and without any discernible reasoning behind them, and when Twilight opened her eyes to the light of dawn, she barely felt rested at all. Spike had not shirked his duties today as was demonstrated by his empty bed, so there was no need for her to wake him up.

With the unresolved questions still swimming around in her head Twilight, got out of bed and went downstairs. Inside the kitchen, she found Spike putting the finishing touches on her breakfast, which she proceeded to eat without comment. She was still busy calculating the different possibilities behind what was going on.

When she finished her breakfast, the only thing she had been able to conclude was that it would be best to bring all of her friends along. Partly for her own moral support, but also because she might be able to get to the bottom of all of this with their help a lot faster.

“Spike, could you prepare some cookies and tea for the rest of the girls?”

“Sure thing Twilight, when will they get here?”

“As soon as I tell them the news most likely.”

“So you're all going to Canterlot ... does that mean I get some time off while you're gone!?”

“Yes Spike, you get time off when we're in Canterlot, but I still expect the place to be tidy when I get back, understood?”

“Understood,” the little dragon replied and saluted.

Twilight left him to his chores after that and made her way towards Sugercube Corner since Pinkie Pie was the closest of her friends to the library. It had just opened when she walked inside and the Cakes both gave her surprised looks. Nopony in Ponyville ever expected to see Twilight up before noon anymore.

“Good morning missus Cake, is Pinkie Pie up yet?”

“Yes, she's in the kitchen dear. Do you want me to ge-”

The matronly pony didn't have time to finish the question before the unnaturally hyperactive bundle of sugar and pink that was Pinkie Pie bounced out of the kitchen and spotted Twilight.

“Hey Twilight! I thought I heard you voice, but then I thought 'no way it's Twilight, she NEVER gets up this early', and I had to come investigate, but then I saw you and I realized it IS you and here I am. Isn't that hilarious?!.”

The pink earth pony said it all without stopping for breath once and left Twilight feeling dizzy for her instead. She put a hoof to her head and grumbled something about it being too early for having these kinds of conversations with Pinkie.

“It's me Pinkie, I came to talk to you about a letter I received from Princess Celestia last night.”

“A letter? What kind of letter? Oh oh! Was it a love letter she meant to be sent to a stallion she likes but accidentally was sent to you instead?” she asked and cocked her head to the side.

“What!? No ... I ... just listen. Princess Celestia wants me and all my friends to come to Canterlot for a party in three days.”

“A party?!” Pinkie Pie shouted and her eyes shone with barely restrained excitement.

“Yes Pinkie, a party, but it's a state dinner for the nobles and other dignitaries, so you can't bring your party cannon or make a scene.”

“Aaaaaaaaw,” Pinkie said and slumped down to the floor in defeat.

“But the reason Celestia wants us to come is because she is going to present ... Karon to everypony there. She has made him court wizard for some reason and wants us to attend.”

“Karon will be there?” Pinkie asked and bounced back up with renewed vigor.

“Yes, as I said. He's being presented to all the members of the court and we need to be there.”

“Of course we'll go! And I will make the most supderduperlicious cupcakes ever known to ponykind as a surprise!”

“That's really great and all Pinkie, but remember, Celestia wants us there for an unknown reason, so be prepared for anything.”

“Okey dokey lokey!”

“And do you think you could get Applejack and Rainbow Dash and tell them to meet me in the library. I'll go get Rarity and Fluttershy.”

“Okey dokey double lokey!” Was the only reply she got before Pinkie Pie disappeared out the door in a pink blur, leaving the Cakes to finish her half-baked creations.

Twilight spent the rest of the morning gathering her friends and leading them to the library. When she arrived she found Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and strangely enough Lyra waiting for her inside.

“Lyra, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked while she blinked in surprise. Behind her Rarity and Fluttershy walked in and took places beside the rest of the ponies, forming a half circle before Twilight.

“I ran into Pinkie Pie who told me you got news about Karon?” she asked and a hard look came over the unicorns features.

“Oh that's right, you were friends with him.”

“I was,” she said and her tone dripped with malice.

“Okeeey then,” Twilight replied looking at her a little nervously.

“So Twilight, what are we going to do about this news?” Rarity asked tentatively.

Ever since Karon had left Ponyville, and Rarity, behind the unicorn had lost much of her usual cheery and emotional attitude. The fashionista had fallen into a dark mood and she rarely spoke in any other voice but a careful questioning one. As if she were unwilling to provoke any more emotions than absolutely necessary.

Twilight did not agree with it, but she knew why Karon had left, and it had worked in a way. After he broke up with Rarity and left, she had spiraled down into despair and spent the entire day crying, and despite the way the friends had treated each other earlier, they all came together to comfort Rarity and after the tears had stopped all was forgiven.

Rarity had needed her friends and they were there for her, nothing more had needed to be said.

“Princess Celestia asked me to attend this party and to bring any friends I wanted along with me. I wanted all of us to meet so we could discuss how we should do this and who wants to join me.”

“I WILL!” All six voices spoke in unison with Fluttershy barely being heard above the rest.

“Ooookey,” Twilight said a little wide eyed at the force with which the ponies had responded.

“So when do we leave?” Rainbow Dash asked from her position up in the air, lazily gliding around above them.

“Well, I was thinking the day before the party would probably be best...”

“Why don't we just leave now?” Rarity asked and Twilight saw a spark of emotion in her eyes again.

“Well I....”

“Yeah, we can just go right now! It would be a super duper adventure with lots of fun!” Pinkie added joyfully and started skipping around all the gathered ponies.

“Well, I would have to get somepony to take care of the squirt while I'm gone,” Dash said and stroked her chin.

“Hey AJ do you think she could stay at your farm while I'm gone? I'm sure Applebloom wouldn't mind her sleeping over a few days.”

“'Course she can stay at the farm while we're gone. Ah'll just tell Big Mac whats going on, and Ah'll be ready to leave.”

“Awesome, I just gotta fly over and tell Scoots about it.”

“But girls I....”

“I agree it's best to leave right away, there is no sense in waiting,” Lyra said and the rest of the ponies nodded and started filling out the door with Twilight remaining behind trying to get a word in.

“Wait I....”

“We will meet back here in one hour and buy some tickets to Canterlot!”

“Awesome.”, “Excellent.”, “Yummy!” and other words of affirmative were heard as the pony group separated and went to take care of whatever they needed.

“...I still have work I wanted to get done first....” Twilight finished with no pony to hear. She turned around to face Spike and asked him.

“Why does no pony listen to what I have to say?”

“Huh did you say something Twilight?” The dragon replied and shook himself out of his daydreams of the coming freedom from his usual chores.

Twilight's eye narrowed dangerously at the response, and Spike gulped when he suspected he had said something very wrong.

Exactly one hour later, the group of seven ponies left Twilight's library behind, leaving a VERY angry Spike who Twilight had given the task to complete all her remaining work. When he asked her why, she simply responded that it would help him pay more attention in the future.

Each pony in the group was feeling something different as they boarded the train, ranging from the detached boredom of Rainbow Dash to the ever present stoicism of Applejack to the....

Twilight had difficulty putting her hoof down on what Lyra was doing with them. When she looked over at the unicorn she seemed very ... eager. Not content to leave a question unanswered, Twilight walked over to Lyra's seat and sat down in front of her.

“So uhm, Lyra, you never really told me why you wanted to come with us. Not that I mind of course!” she added quickly at the end when their eyes met. There was something in Lyra's gaze that was very unsettling.

“I finally discovered a real live human, and he thinks he can get away from me? Oh no, no, no. He didn't even say goodbye before leaving, and I have a few things I want to say to him very badly,” she said and rubbed her hooves together in a way Twilight couldn't describe as anything else but sinister.

“You and me both,” Twilight said as her suppressed anger made its way towards the surface. The two unicorns held each other’s eyes for a few seconds and an understanding passed between them.

Karon would not get away with this.

There wasn't much in the way of conversation for the rest of the journey. Half of the ponies were lost in their own thoughts and the rest either slept or joined Pinkie Pie's guessing games. When Canterlot came into view in the distance, all of them moved over to the left side of the carriage and watched the magnificent city come closer and closer.

When Twilight looked over at Rarity, she could see some of her old light return to her eyes at the sight of what some ponies called 'The Jewel of Equestria'. Hopefully they stay would bring back some of her old self. After all, if a dinner with the elite of Canterlot could not breathe life into her again, nothing would.

When the train halted, they all disembarked and made their way towards the castle with Twilight in front and the others following close behind. The guards at the gate recognized her and let them all through without any problem. Twilight was well known by all in the castle, and she was trusted implicitly.

Most of the ponies in the group didn't react to the fact they were in the royal castle, after all they had been there several times by now. Lyra, on the other hoof, had only ever been there once before, and then in the role as a musician, not as a guest. Which was why she paid careful attention to everything she saw around her while the rest of the gang chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to their surroundings.

Which was why Lyra was the first one to see the red robed, funny hat wearing and irritated looking form of Karon on the far end of the hallway they were walking through on their way to Princess Celestia's chambers.

“KARON!” she shouted angrily. The sound bounced off the marble walls and amplified its strength. The human had had his eyes turned downwards to the floor in thought, but jerked his head up when the sound reached him.

Even from that distance, Lyra could see how his eyes widened in surprise and a little fear. At first Lyra wondered why, but then she realized she had not only sounded very angry when she shouted, she was actually growling at the sudden sight of him.

She had a thing or two she wanted to say to him.

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

Karon woke up in the late morning and remained staring up at the ceiling for quite some time. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to think at the moment. Last night he had been furious at first, then giddy with excitement as Celestia explained the details of his new position.

But no matter what the alicorn said, it was obvious she was playing a game of some kind. It would take a brainless idiot to actually give Karon a position of authority and not include very strict codes of conduct. Actually, it would take a brainless idiot to give him a position of authority, period.

And the princess of the sun had a brain, one that was so cunning apparently that even Karon couldn't discern her motives. The only thing he did know that like his task with Luna, Celestia most likely just seized the new opportunity that Karon's arrival had presented. Which meant that something was going on that had been going on before Karon got to Canterlot.

Which just made him feel worse because that in turn meant he had now joined in some great scheme or game he had no clue what was all about.

He needed to find answers, and what better way to use his newly acquired power than misusing it for personal gain.

Of course, that might be exactly what Celestia was expecting him to do....

“Garh this is hopeless! I hate playing against opponents better than me.”

“So you admit defeat?”

“Never, but I need to figure out what it is she wants from me THEN I can start manipulating whatever is going on.”

“Well the consortium is a good place to start. She said she didn't like the other candidates, which is either because they are all inept or she doesn't trust them with the power.”

“Good idea. As far as I know, none of them know what I can do, which is an advantage. I will have to come up with a reason to gauge their abilities as well so I know what THEY can do.”

“Why not just say you want a full report on what unicorns are capable off. Since they are supposed to be the most powerful and knowledgeable of all unicorns, we can simply find ways to counter whatever abilities a unicorn can do at the most.”

“That list might be very long.”

“Doesn't matter. If we can find the patterns, we can find common weaknesses all their abilities share and hit them there.”

“That's very theoretical.”

“Got a better idea?”

“For once I actually do. I am supposed to be the leader and investigate and monitor things, so I will ask hard questions and read their mind for the true answers and whatever secrets they want to hide.”

“That's ... actually not a bad idea. Just take care, you know how easy it is to lose control of reading.”

“Don't remind me....”

Karon finished the thought with a shudder. The memory of having your mind bombarded with the thoughts and feelings of several hundred people at once was not forgotten easily.

He rose from the bed and put on his clothes and hat before walking into the bathroom and going through his new morning routine. Which, among other things, involved putting his head in a bucket of ice cold water. It was the kind of habit that felt necessary when surrounded by nothing but insane ponies every single day.

When he was done he went over to Feather Touch's door and knocked on it once and opened. Inside, Feather Touch stood perfectly still beside a table, upon which a tray carrying Karon's breakfast stood. He had asked her specifically not to enter his room with his breakfast and remain there for hours staring at him anymore.

When she asked why, he just said it was a human thing. An excuse he had the feeling he would be using a lot in the future.

The dutiful servant remained both silent and still during the entire time he ate. It was the kind of discipline even the most hardened of military stallions could appreciate, but Karon found it more disconcerting than impressive and waved his hand to her and said.

“Don't you want to do anything else than just stand there waiting for me to finish eating?”

She looked surprised at the question, but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lowered her eyes in careful contemplation before she turned them back to him with a smile.

“Would it be alright for me to dust off your room while you finish your breakfast?”

“I give up.”

“Yeah sure, take your time,” Karon mumbled and dug into another piece of toast. The unicorn actually skipped a little from joy as she headed into his room with a feather duster before her. Her cutie mark certainly fit her he could not deny that.

Karon finished his breakfast and spent about half an hour looking out Feather Touch's window towards the town below. It was easy to forget that behind that colorful exterior of both the ponies and their homes, there lurked hearts and minds just as capable of deception and betrayal as any human.

When the sun was far enough for him to consider it close to noon, Karon walked into his room to interrupt what Feather Touch most likely considered a pleasure. Inside, he found her humming some kind of song with her feather duster dancing on the bookcase, removing all dust that dared stand in its way.

“Feather, it's time for my meeting with the rest of the consortium. Are you supposed to join me or...?”

She turned around and the duster stopped its movement.

“Of course. How else are you to carry all the documents and scrolls you will gather.”

“Documents and scrolls?” he asked with a suspicious glare.

“Yes of course, with such an important position as the court wizard you will gather a lot of paperwork I believe.”

“I'm going to make Celestia regret this....”

“I wasn't aware of that, but why do I need a servant for it?”

“How else are you to carry it?”

“With ... my hands.”

She looked at him as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.

“Never mind. Let's go before time runs out and we get there late.”

Feather Touch nodded her approval and they both set off towards the consortium's meeting. The halls were mostly empty and only a few other servants were seen on the way, that was until they walked into the hallway outside the consortium chambers.

It was full of unicorns of all shapes, sizes, colors and ages, and they all froze and stopped talking the second Karon walked into view.

“Feather, is there something I should know?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth, not daring to take his eyes of the mob of unicorns.

But she was just as surprised as Karon. She hadn't been informed of any additions besides the consortium members to the meeting, and neither did the unicorns look like they were about to enter the chambers either. Instead, they just lined the hallway and stared wide eyed at the human.

“I think ... they are here to see you sir.”

“What? Am I supposed to hold some kind of service desk for every unicorn with a request?”

“No, I meant that they are here to SEE you. I think they just want to catch a glimpse of the court wizard.”

Karon studied the unicorns more closely and to his surprise Feather Touch actually seemed to be right, they were waiting in the hallway just to get a look at him.

It was actually a bit flattering.

Straightening his back a little, Karon proceeded to walk down the crowded corridor with a swagger and tried to look as mysterious as he could. It was very hard for him not to smile whenever a unicorn held it's breath because Karon had just looked she or he in the eyes, but he managed it until he reached the door leading into the consortium chambers.

Once he was inside and hidden from view, he grinned at the sight he had just passed by and reconsidered his new position. It might not be entirely a waste of time after all.

The other eight members were gathered around the long table in the exact same positions they had stood last night. At the far end, Celestia was looking over at him with patience, waiting for him to join the rest of them.

He did, though it was a bit awkward standing at a table that was made for ponies since it didn't even reach his waist.

When they all were gathered Celestia looked at each and every one in turn before addressing the consortium.

“I hope you all had a pleasant sleep and have had time to consider the situation. From now on, Karon will act as the supreme authority concerning all study and practice of magic in Equestria. This consortium will remain as it is with the new addition of Karon, and will act as the channel through which he is to make decisions and be informed on the current status of magical practice and study. The details of how this relationship between the court wizard and the consortium will work is something I will leave up to Karon to decide. If there is anypony with any questions they want to ask of me concerning these new changes instead of Karon, now is the time.”

The eight unicorn members of the consortium all looked back and forth between each other. Finally it was professor More-than tardy that spoke in a cultured accent.

“The consortium will of course abide by your discussion your highness, but I believe I speak for all of us when I ask what exactly makes this ... Karon, a candidate more suitable for the role than those of us that have served Equestria for all of our lives.”

“This is not a question of long service. Your honorable and excellent record speaks for itself, but Karon here has demonstrated abilities beyond that of any unicorn I know of today. The very first time we meet was not under the most desirable of circumstances, and he fought both me and my sister simultaneously. Not only did he stand his ground, but I dare say my sister and I would have been in grave danger had we not brokered peace with each other.”

Karon understood what she was doing, and worst of all it was working. All eight of the wizened unicorns, the apparent elite of all unicorns magic users, drew their breath at this revelation. All of them looked shocked at the news, but Karon caught the naked look of surprise and fear the professor gave him before carefully concealing it.

“There is something off about him.”

“I know, we should pay careful attention to what he does.”

“I assure all of you it was a simple misunderstanding, and I pose no threat to anypony here.”

“Unless of course Celestia put me here to thwart one or more of you.”

Celestia allowed the members a few minutes of hushed conversations before continuing.

“And besides having demonstrated skill and power equal to my own, Karon possesses magical abilities and knowledge unicorns or alicorns have never even dreamed of. It is my belief that the unique point of view he will provide will help bring the magical studies and practices undertaken today forward  and beyond what would have been possible had a unicorn been given the position as court wizard.”

The consortium grumbled quietly at this, but none of them actually protested. How could they? They had just been told this strange creature could measure up against both of the most powerful ponies known in Equestria, and that he also possessed knowledge which even they did not hold.

Celestia nodded almost imperceptibly towards Karon, saying it was time for him to take the lead. He didn't like the way he was being pulled along in whatever game she was playing, but at the moment there wasn't much he could do about it.

“I will accept this position as court wizard and shall strive to make myself worthy of the honor and trust you have given me today....”

“Oh the lies, the beautiful lies.”

“...but I will not be able to do this alone. Which is why I will require the assistance of everypony gathered around the table here today.”

They all nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and a very old looking stallion with a white beard and mane spoke.

“What exactly do you wish of us?”

“I will require a full report concerning all the magic used and studied today by unicorns, beyond that which would be considered basic. I also wish for each and every one of you to make an evaluation on groups or individual unicorns that are undertaking specific studies that are significant in any way. Also, I would also like a personal conversation with all of you. Beyond that, I will trust your judgement and leave it to you to bring anything important that might require my attention to me. I have no connection to the magical community in Equestria, and I will be depending on you for this.”

They all nodded except for the professor who only looked at him with a searching glare, trying to somehow pierce through him and see whatever he could be hiding. Karon would have been very worried had he not known unicorns didn't know how to use telepathy.

After that, the meeting descended into nothing more than small talk and pleasantries as Karon was introduced to the members of the consortium. Most of them weren't particularly interesting. They reminded him a lot of the usual stuffy, self-absorbed professors you could find at any university.

But there were three different unicorns. One was the old blue coated, white maned unicorn that had spoken up earlier. He went by the name Minty Frost and even though his visage was old, his eyes were sharp and took in everything Karon said with an almost childish glee. He turned out to be the 'Keeper of Records', the pony Celestia had entrusted with guarding and maintaining the sealed of library’s and archives.

The second was a mare named Emerald, a green coated, red maned unicorn with eyes matching her name. She was energetic for somepony as old as her, and either she used magic to maintain a somewhat youthful image or she had just aged with grace. After a brief conversation, Karon had concluded she was the social butterfly of them all. If he was to believe what she had said, she knew more or less every single unicorn in Equestria whose special talent was magic.

Apparently, she also had a daughter named Rose Petal Karon just HAD to meet.

And finally, the third unicorn that stood out was professor More-than Tardy. He was the youngest member ever to have been accepted to the consortium, with the exception of Karon, and perhaps also the most influential.

Karon had been reading the minds of the unicorns he had spoken with, but so far had found no dirty secrets. Minty Frost's head had been full of questions and an eagerness to learn what this strange exotic creature could offer. Emerald's head had been like listening to a cage filled with hungry birds, a lot of chirping and meaningless noise. Not that she was stupid, she was just more interested in the social part of magic than the actual practice.

The rest of the consortium had been worried and a little guarded when he spoke to them, all of them fearing he might decide to cut their funding or disallow the experiments they were currently working on. Karon had no interest in whatever they were working on and couldn't care less of course, but he had to at the very least pretend like he was listening, and once they were done presenting the many reasons why their research was so much more important than everypony else, Karon assured them he would not interfere.

But now it was the professor's turn, and in Karon's eyes, it looked like he was not happy about it.

“Professor More-than Tardy. Would you mind telling me what it is you are working with at the moment?”

This close Karon could see that the unicorn was impeccably groomed, and unlike the rest of them, he was wearing a suit, equally impeccable. His face was carefully composed when he spoke, but his eyes were ... dark. Not just because they were pitch black, but because it was like he was looking through a window to something far and distant. Detached, separate and unmoved by what he saw.

His coat was light tan color and his mane steel gray. All in all, he would have looked like a proper gentlecolt if it weren't for those eyes, and of course the voice with which he spoke was equally as impeccable and cultured as the rest of him.

“Of course court wizard. I am currently working on perfecting the use of kinetics and moving smaller particles in order to refine elements.”

“Alchemy then.”

“I am not familiar with the word.”

“It is a word describing the refinement of being through the use of transformation, both spirit and physical matter.”

The way the professor spoke was unsettling. He was articulate, controlled and his tone was calm. Yet in his voice was the same kind of cold detachment Karon could see in his eyes. When people say the eyes are the windows to the soul, they are right in a way. The eyes are a crossroad between the inner and outer of a person, and those trained in the arts can use them to see parts of who the person really is.

And in More-than Tardy's eyes, Karon saw a distant shadow that looked upon the world with ... boredom. His mind was like a gray expanse working endlessly like a machine, analyzing, processing and calculating.

But there were emotions there as well, not strong ones but they were there. Ambition, disgust and a kind of apathy that scoffed at all things around him. Within this mind slithered memories and thoughts. Some were real, others were what many would call dreams, but to Karon they seemed more like nightmares.

He didn't like it, but after looking into those eyes it was clear Karon needed to investigate further. So he bridged the gap between their respective auras and suddenly all that occurred within the professors mind also did in his.

It lasted for maybe five seconds before Karon withdrew and cut the link. Karon was no saint, but the echoes of the professors mind clung to him like oily tendrils burrowing themselves into his mind. There was much missing, but Karon had seen enough to form a conclusion.

“The shadowy M is More-than Tardy ... Not very imaginative if you ask me.”  

“Now we know at least why Celestia was so adamant in not giving him the position.”

“Yes, there is no way she wouldn't be aware of his little plans. He wants the throne and he wants the princesses dead.”

“More than that, he actually thinks he has found a way to kill them.”

“Shame we didn't get a sense for just HOW he would do it.”

“He's planning something. It's enough that we know that for the moment.”

“So how do we proceed. He doesn't know what to make of my sudden appearance and he certainly doesn't suspect that Celestia is aware of his ... extracurricular activities.”

“We could go running to Celestia but honestly, I am not all too fond of her right now.”

“...You want us to play our own game.”

“Exactly.”

“How do we do that?”

“We ... upset the balance a little.”

“How woul- ... Ooooh.”

“Indeed, alchemy is just a basic part of the education students of the arts go through. We learn to master many skills like alchemy, elemental channeling, conjuration, spell casting, dream traveling and....”

He stared deeply into the unicorns dead eyes and whispered.

“...Reading minds.”

The professors black eyes seemed to swirl with darkness and a thousand questions and calculations took place within the blink of an eye. It settled down into the usual cold detachment and when he spoke, there was just a hint of amusement and malice in his voice.

“Had I known of your abilities, I would have come more prepared, but since the game is up there is no more need for subtlety. Leave Canterlot before the sun has set, and I will not hunt you. You can keep your life and watch from afar as I take what belongs to me.”

“How about no.”

“If you remain, I will take everything you cherish and twist it beyond recognition. All that you once looked on with pride and love will be a broken mockery of what it was. An ugly, corrupted, deformed shadow of everything you hold dear. I will not kill you, when I am done with my work, you will kill yourself.”

“And what makes you think I just won't take all of this to Celestia and have her deal with you mister Oh-so-scary.”

“Had your intentions been to expose me, you would have gone straight to her. Instead you remained and is feebly trying to outmaneuver me. You cannot win. I have made traitors out of foals, twisted them with greed and hate until they murdered their own parents for their power. I have tortured more ponies than any monster ever has, turned their souls into empty despair and burned their hearts. You cannot win, you cannot stop me. Nopony can.”

“You seem to forget something.”

“I take it you are about to enlighten me.”

“I am not a pony, and you have no idea who you are up against.”

The professor stared at him with eyes the color of empty space, and then he smiled, showing of his teeth.

“I think I shall enjoy this.”

Without saying anything further the professor turned around and walked to the rest of the consortium, flawlessly blending back in as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“If that isn't upsetting a balance I don't know what is.”

“It doesn't matter if he seemed to take it with stride. Whatever he is planning now has a new deadline. He will have to act as soon as he can, or risk having me uncovering the details and stop him.”

“We will need to contact the pony gang back in Ponyville. He was serious about those threats. If he finds out about Rarity or Twilight or ... Scootaloo....”

“It won't happen.”

“It better not.”

Shaking the disturbing thought from his mind, Karon clapped his hands once and everypony gathered turned quiet and looked over at him.

“I thank you all for allowing me the chance to talk to you....”

Karon looked at each of them before stopping at More-than Tardy.

“...And I look forward to see what might happen in the future.”

Seven unicorns stomped their hooves to the ground in their version of applause while the professor remained still, a shadow of a smile displayed only for Karon to see.

After that they all filed out together and left Karon alone with Celestia. She walked over to him and asked in her usual calm tone.

“I hope everything went well?”

“It was ... informative, and I think I have much to do now.”

She nodded and he meet her serene lavender eyes with his own orange glow. She knew he had found out about the professor, now all left was to begin playing the game. The game of power Karon had longed to join for so long, but it was only now he realized just how high the stakes were. After all, back on Earth he had nothing to lose, now he had.

“I think I shall go find something to eat. I hope you have a pleasant day Tia.”

“You too Karon, good luck.”

Nothing more needed to be said, and the both of them exited the chambers and went their separate ways. Outside in the hallway, Feather Touch had remained waiting, no doubt having been bombarded with questions from the unicorns. The unicorns that seemed to have dispersed now since there was no sign of them anymore.

They probably gave up when the realized they were questioning a servant so loyal that fanatic was the only proper word to describe her.

She looked up at him with her usual zeal and asked.

“Did things go well? If you don't mind me asking that is, sir.”

“Things went ... better than I expected. I have answers I needed now.”

“It sounds like you made quite an impression. All the unicorns went after the consortium members and they seemed more than willing to tell them all about what had happened in there.”

“Did you hear anything good?”

“They were all talking at the same time, but at least matriarch Emerald talked about you like you were the best thing since the invention of chocolate.”

“Matriarch?”

“Yes matriarch, she is the head of her noble family.”

“She didn't mention that.”

“It's a well-known fact. Ever since she became in charge of the family, they have risen to become one of the most prominent groups of nobles in the city. She is friends with everypony, not just nobles but also regular ponies like me. It's why she is so well liked and respected.”

“Interesting....”

“Sounds like she wasn't lying about having all those connections.”

“She could prove very useful.

Karon's stomach growled and he smiled sheepishly at Feather Touch.

“Know of any place where I can eat?”

“Of course sir. If you want I can go to the kitchen and have them prepare lunch for you.”

“That sounds good.”

“Do you wish for me to bring it to your quarters or someplace else?”

“My room's fine. I will see you there.”

“Excellent,” she said and bowed before trotting down the hallway and disappearing behind a corner.

With lack of anything else to do, Karon began walking in a random direction with his eyes cast to the floor, deep in thought at what had transpired.

“The professor is planning something that will give him the chance to overthrow the princesses. He has already gathered political and economic power from what I could sense, but he isn't done yet.”

“Yes, from what I could tell, our nomination to the court wizard position threw a wrench in that plan. Which means he will have to find a way to control the nobles and the city through other means than an official position of authority.”

“Which means shadow games. Bribery, threats, seduction, blackmail and everything else belonging in the fun category.”

“If he can't work openly, he will keep working behind the scenes. Which means we will have to figure out his web of intrigue then unravel it.”

“And fast. If he can't gain control of all the nobles and other power bases soon, he might resort to an equally effective strategy. Sowing chaos.”

“True. If he simply incites uproar and terror in the city, it might give him the chance to strike at the princesses then rebuild Canterlot from the ruins.”

“Indeed, if he breaks Canterlot and removes the princesses, the pony with the biggest stick will become the next ruler, and if he finds a way to take them on and win, then he will certainly have the biggest stick.”

“So we have to figure out two things: the details of his underground network and how the hell he is planning to gain power enough to challenge two alicorn princesses.”

“Three things. We also have to figure out how to stop him once we have the information.”

“And we also can't forget we are supposed to help Luna get back to her old self.”

“I'm starting to feel a little stressed now actually.”

“Well it's not like it can get any wo-”

“Don't say it!”

“Oh come on what could possib-”

“KARON!”

Karon's head twitched up and his eyes nearly boggled out if his skull in shock. Down the hallway stood seven ponies staring at him. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight. All looking at him with equal amounts of shock.

Except for the aqua colored unicorn in the middle. Lyra had been the one shouting his name and there was not a sign of shock on her face. No, instead her face was showing signs of what one might call murderous intent.

“Told you.” Next Chapter: Chapter 25: An untimely reunion Estimated time remaining: 15 Hours, 17 Minutes