Karon was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. Come morning, he and the elements of harmony would take the train to Canterlot where the princesses would lay down judgement upon him. He had spent the day cleaning up the mess that was Ponyville's library with the help of Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Fluttershy had needed to go home so she could take care of the animals since they once more had missed breakfast, and Rarity....

Well, when she had seen Karon in the remains of what was once his robe, she had been in shock, and when he told her that he had been called to visit the royal sisters and had nothing else to wear, she had almost fainted, and then ran home to finish making his new clothes.

Twilight had still been in a state of shock, and Spike had spoon-feed her soup before putting her to bed, which might be fortunate. If she had come out of her room and seen the state the library was in, she might have died from a heart attack.

Before she had left, Fluttershy had asked Karon to try and find out if Rainbow Dash was okay.

After a little divination and a very unpleasant ordeal with possessing a seagull he had established that she was somewhere on the eastern shore of the continent, but that she was unhurt and would be able to make it home by herself.  

The cleaning had taken most of the day, and when it was done, Karon had spent the rest of the day next to Twilight trying to comfort her to the best of his abilities. She had started hyperventilating when he told her that they all had been ordered to Canterlot and refused to calm down. Had it not been for Spike, Karon would most likely have started panicking himself.

Spike had managed to get Twilight to sleep and promised Karon that she would be better in the morning before bidding him goodnight.

So now, Karon was in his bed, staring at the ceiling wondering if he had any chance at all. Pinkie Pie might have defended him but that was Pinkie. Twilight would be someone whose opinion Celestia would value, but if she continued like this, and also found out about all the other things that had happened at that party, she might start blaming him.

Technically, it was his fault.

But there was nothing he could do about that now. Hopefully, Twilight would have recovered when she woke up and he could talk with her about all that had happened. He had a sense of direction and meaning now, and he was not about to let that slip away from him.

“Have you considered that perhaps you ARE a bad influence on these innocent little ponies?”

“I have, but I don't think I am. Sure, last night might have gotten a little out of hand, but what do you expect. From what I could figure out, all of them had never been drunk before. It happens. If Celestia and Luna are as experienced and wise as Twilight has made them out to be, then they shouldn't actually care that much about the party.”

“So what do they care about?”

“What I might do in the future. They will probably listen to the elements' account of what I have done since I got here, then start questioning me in order to discern what kind of pon- ... person I am.”

“You will have to be careful there. As far as we know, Discord is the closest thing to a true trickster that the sisters have encountered, and we know how that ended.”

“Yes, but I am not planning on doing the things he did. I doubt total honesty will work in my favor this time.”

“Yes, a true trickster is a scary thing to have around for anypony in a position of authority. A trickster that also happens to have been trained in advanced magical arts are even worse.”

“I think we should learn something from Loki in this.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“He went on about not breaking but bending rules, so how about we don't tell lies but instead bend the truth a little bit.”

“It might work, if we are really careful about it.”

“I wasn't planning to be anything else.”

There wasn't much else left to be said. He closed his eyes and relaxed as much as possible. He would need to be as rested for tomorrow as possible.

He felt as if he had barely closed his eyes before he opened them again and found the sunrise spreading it's light across the room. He sat up in the bed and looked over at Twilight. She was still sleeping and he decided it would be best to give her a little time. The train would not leave until nine for the two and a half hour journey to Canterlot.

He silently got out of bed and put on his clothes. He had no shirt or anything else to use to cover his upper body, so he went out of the room barechested.

“You have to admit that our ego is getting quite a boost walking around showing off these new muscles of ours.”

“It would probably work better if ponies had a frame of reference for human fitness. They probably think this is how humans normally look.”

“Let's ignore that fact and pretend that every pony that sees us is secretly drooling at the sight of our abs....”

“You are in a good mood this morning. Anyway, we should head over to Rarity's first of all. I hope she has finished my clothes so I can look presentable when being questioned by Celestia.”

“You are really taking this whole new goody two-shoes image seriously.”

“As Loki said, we tricksters must act with charm and grace in our goings. No one would put up with our behaviour if they did not find us amusing or desirable in some way.”

“If you say so.”

Karon walked down the library stairs and looked around. The books were back in place thanks to Spike who had helped him find the right places for them. It was as if the crazy night had never happened in the first place.

Karon walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge in search of food. He took out some carrots and an apple before he sat down and ate his breakfast. He missed the taste of meat, but he knew he would eventually learn to live with the strict vegetarian diet.

He looked over at the clock on the wall. It was a little beyond half past seven, so Rarity might still be in bed. Karon did not want to wake her if so, but he needed to make sure he would have something to wear for the audience.

He took one last bite of the apple, then went outside, threw it into a nearby bush and started walking towards Rarity's boutique. There were hardly any ponies outside this early, and those that were looked a little sleepy and gave Karon weary looks as they trotted by. He guessed rumours about the little incident with Celestia and Luna had spread. Hopefully, it would not last for long.

He arrived at the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. He waited for a minute before trying again. No answer. He gently pushed on the door and it swung open.

Ponies are very trusting.

He entered the store and walked by the mannequins. It was strange seeing this place so early. What was normally a place of brightness and colours was now silent and slow, as if the store itself had not woken and was quietly sleeping.

Karon could not see any human shaped clothes anywhere, so either Rarity had not finished his clothes, or they were in her inspiration room.

Which also happened to be her bedroom.

“My, my. You two ARE moving fast aren't you.”

“You know that keeping at it this much will just make it old.”

“Then stop handing me so much material to work with.”

Karon ignored himself like he usually did and went up the stairs leading to Rarity's bedroom. He stopped outside the door and thought what the best way to deal with this was.

He could knock, but if she was sleeping that meant he would wake her up and he really needed everyone to be in a good mood today. But if he sneaked in to search for his new clothes and she woke up, that would definitely raise a few eyebrows.

“You already know what you are going to do.”

“I do?”

“We're the same, and since I know that you are going to sneak in, you know that too.”

“Sometimes I forget that I am actually talking to myself instead of some random spirit that decided to make a home in my mind.”

“And what kind of spirit would I be?”

“I don't know. A spirit of annoyance perhaps.”

“There is no such thing!”

“That is exactly what a spirit of annoyance would say to keep it's existence a secret.”

But he was right as usual. Karon knew he would sneak inside simply because it was the more amusing thing to do. Trying to get along a little better with the local authorities did not mean he suddenly wasn't a trickster any more.

He gently pushed open the door and peeked inside. Rarity was lying in her bed with a sleep mask on, and Karon was not surprised to find that it was pink and had laces on it's sides.

He carefully moved into the room and looked around. On the desk was the robe she had been making for him, and it looked complete. It was dark red in colour and opened up in the middle. Along the opening, a forest green strip of fabric had been sewn on with golden buttons following it downwards, and he could see a pair of dark grey boots standing beside it. He had no idea where Rarity had gotten them since she wasn't a shoe maker. Hell, why would any pony become a shoe maker when they don't use them.

He couldn't see a hat though which kinda of made him sad. It might be a huge cliché, but he had always wanted one of those hats. Mostly because he knew it would have pissed of Varsif to no end seeing him play up to a stereotype like that.

He sneaked forward and made sure he didn't trip on all the stuff lying scattered on the floor. He brought the robe up in front of himself and looked it up and down.

“This will do nicely. You can't be a trickster without being stylish.”

“Explains why you haven't gotten anywhere so far.”

He was about to put it on and grab the boots when he froze and realized something.

It had been demonstrated over and over again that the universe seemed to posses some kind of twisted humour. Whenever a situation arose where there was a perfect opportunity for grand failure, then it usually happened. Which meant that when he tried so sneak out again then he would either trip on something at the last step, or that Rarity would wake up and find him mid stride beside her bed.

“So what do you suggest?”

“I don't know, let me think.”

But the universe must have been aware of his planned escape from situational comedy because Rarity suddenly gave off a huge yawn and stretched her hooves up in the air before sitting up.

“What do we do!?”

Rarity moved her right hoof up as if to remove the sleep mask and Karon panicked. He put the robe back on the table and dove in under it, hiding behind the robe reaching down to the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Hiding of course.”

“Yes I understand that, but why? You realize that you could have simply explained the situation or perhaps manage to silently run out of here. But no, instead you hide under a desk. You just made this situation ten times worse than it was a second ago.”

“I ... didn't think about that.”

Karon quieted his inner self and listened as Rarity got out of bed and headed towards the door, if she was heading to the bathroom, then he would have ample time to disappear. Instead he heard the sound of hooves stopping then turning around and walking towards him.

“Oh I do hope that he will be pleased with my work,” he heard her say before a bluish glow enveloped the robe and it levitated into the air. Karon's heart almost stopped as the robe moved away and his position could clearly been seen by any pony looking at the table.

Fortunately for him, Rarity's back was turned, and she was trotting to the door with the robe floating after her. She went through the door and disappeared out of sight with the robe soon following.

Karon let out all the air he'd been holding and climbed out from under the desk. He would have never thought he would fit under there now that he looked at it. He shook his head, walked to the door and looked down the hallway.

He could hear Rarity humming to herself downstairs. If he could manage to sneak by her, then perhaps he could pretend to walk in from the outside.

He moved down the stairs, gingerly making sure he didn't cause any sound, and pressed himself against the wall. He quickly took a look at the room. Rarity had her back turned still and was busy trying to set up the robe so it would be displayed nicely. Problem was that her head was still turned halfway and there was no way he would be able to make it to the front door.

“How about you simply sneak up behind her and say good morning.”

“How would that help me make sure she doesn't get frightened by me being here?”

“It probably wont.”

“Then why would I do that?”

“It would be really fun.”

“...I hate when you're right.”

“I'm always right.”

Karon smiled. Things had been getting serious lately. It was about time he did something stupid purely for the sake of having fun. He waited until Rarity tilted her head and looked at the robe hanging from a standing mirror, then moved quickly behind her before she could spot him.

He had trouble keeping himself from laughing. Perhaps this wasn't so gentlecoltly, but he couldn't keep up appearances all the time with Rarity. He needed to mix it a little with his usual self, though he had to admit it was amusing coming up with new ways of flattering her.

He waited until Rarity made a pleased sound and took a few steps back and admired her work before he moved in close enough to touch her and said.

“Absolutely gorgeous.”

Rarity screamed loudly and twisted around so fast she went up on her back hooves and fell down. She was breathing heavily lying on her back when she saw that it was Karon standing behind her laughing.

“I am terribly sorry lady Rarity, did I scare you?”

Her eyes became like slits and her mouth was drawn. “You did that on purpose, didn't you.”

“Why lady Rarity, would I ever do such a thing?”

“I am not quite sure what you are capable of I'm afraid.”

Karon frowned at this. He had expected a not so happy reaction at first but Rarity looked ... nervous.

Karon got down on one knee and extended a hand towards Rarity. She put her hoof in it, but before helping her stand up he said with a serious look on his face.

“Rarity, I don't know what you heard happened between me and the princesses, but it was nothing but a misunderstanding and a mistake. You need never fear me, and there is nothing you could do that would ever make me want to hurt you.”

With Karon's help, Rarity got back up on her hooves and looked a little ashamed at what he'd said. She bit her lower lip and looked at him uncertainly. As if she didn't know what to really think of him.

“Well ... You have acted like a perfect gentlecolt to me so far, and I have never before argued with someone that felt as strongly about fashion as me. I am just not sure what to make of all this.”

“You don't need to make it into anything. I am still new here, so I think it's best if we just let this form naturally into whatever it becomes.”

“Well that certainly sounds fine and all, but I can't help but wonder exactly what ... this ... is?”

Karon sighed and rubbed his face, he knew what she was thinking about.

“I take it you are referring to me kissing you at the party?”

She blushed and only nodded in response.

“At first I did not remember much of what happened at the party, but I did have some memory return to me while I was working on your clothes and....”

She bit her lip again and seemed at a loss for words.

“Rarity, what happened was my fault. I did not expect things to get quite as out of hand – I mean hoof – as it had that night. You were begging me on your knees to forgive you for arguing with me, and I just ... wanted to reassure you.”

“Oh, that sounds....”

“Not so good, no. Do you think you can forgive me ... lady Rarity.” Karon smiled at the last part.

“Well I guess I can try, but I think you will have to work hard to earn it. I believe you promised to educate me in human fashion.” She smiled back at him, and so, everything between them was settled.

She looked behind her at the robe and then back at Karon with a satisfied face. “But I am pleased that you find your new clothes ... uhrm ... 'absolutely gorgeous.'”

Karon leaned in a little and said, “It was not the robe I was speaking of,” before going over to said article and taking it down.

“But it is beautiful.” He opened the robe and put it on, feeling how the soft fabric slid across his skin like water. It fit perfectly.

Rarity was watching him intently. She obviously cared about the reaction ponies had when trying out the clothes she had created.

Karon did not want to disappoint her, so he walked forward and did a little spin. The robe followed his body effortlessly and made a pleasant swooshing sound as it drifted through the air.

“Oh yeah, this will be awesome for some dramatic entry or exit later on.”

“Rarity I can honestly say that I have never before worn clothes of such elegance. You deserve all the praise I can possibly give for this.”

“I'm so glad you liked it, but I'm afraid I did not have enough time to properly begin work on that hat you wanted so badly.”

Karon shrugged in reply. Yes he wanted that hat, but he was certainly in no position to complain at the moment. He buttoned the robe and it closed perfectly. The robe fit snugly on him and would allow him to move around without any tight spots restricting manoeuvrability.

But Karon had not forgotten why he had come to pick up the robe in the first place. He looked around and spotted a watch hanging on the wall, the train would leave in a little more than an hour. He needed to get back to Twilight. The rest of the elements were supposed to meet them at the train station.

“Rarity, I don't think I can properly thank you enough for this, but I will try and find a way in the future. But at the moment, I need to return to Twilight and make sure she is ready for the journey to Canterlot.”

At the mention of the capital city's name Rarity's eyes began to glitter twice as much as they regularly did, and she let out a dreamy sound.

“I understand completely. Just remember to meet us at the station on time. None of us can afford to miss this train.”

“No, too much depends on it.”

The gravity of the situation had settled in, and Karon lifted Rarity's hoof and gave it a light peck as a goodbye and remembered to exchange his worn leather shoes for the new boots before he left.

They felt nice as he walked back to the library, and the robe was admittedly a pleasant change to his otherwise all black attire. More ponies had come out now and while most of them gave him a wide berth, some of them gave him a wave instead.

Most likely, they were the ones that had enjoyed the party and chosen to ignore the rumours going around about what had happened between Karon and the royal sisters.

The library was quiet as he stepped inside, but he could hear Spike in the kitchen, probably making some food for the trip. Karon walked up the stairs and entered into Twilight's room. She was sitting on her bed staring out the window.

“She does not look happy. We should try and improve her mood before arriving in Canterlot.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Yes, she loves knowledge, I'm sure there is a secret or two I could tell her that might conjure a smile. Or maybe just cuddling, who doesn't like cuddling.”

He walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. The window offered a nice view of the east and the rising sun climbing over the rooftops of Ponyville. Karon looked down at Twilight. She looked like she had swallowed something very sour and couldn't get it out. Her face was outlined in the sunlight and made it very easy to see the contorted lips and the barely noticeable trembling of her eyes. Her right hoof was slowly stroking her left in a typical display of self comfort.

She looked so small there on the bed lying on her stomach, she almost looked delicate. Karon placed his right hand on her back and began stroking it, and as he did Twilight stopped moving her hooves, allowing him to be the one to comfort her.

Time was beginning to run out, but he felt like it was important that he did this. It was important Twilight knew that he was willing to be there for her when she needed it. He had saved her yes, but that had been a one time deal to get her home.

What he was doing now was, in a way, much more significant. He was showing her that he could be more than just a saviour who stepped in only when needed. He was showing that he could be a friend, a friend that could comfort her, laugh with her and live life side by side with her.

It felt good.

It wasn't just for her though, it was something he did for himself as well. This was new to him and he had no idea if he was capable of it, but what he was doing now was almost a sign. An event that marked the beginning of something.

They remained there for a little while, Karon was enjoying the warming sunshine and the soft coat beneath his hand. It had not taken long before he had began to feel Twilight's heartbeat as he moved his hand up and down.

But they needed to go, so he moved his hand up to Twilight's face and stroked her mane then moved on to her face. He let his hand remain on her cheek for a few seconds and she pressed against it, grateful for the contact.

“You must think I'm overreacting.”

“Well you are. It's not like it's you whose fate is hanging in the balance.”

“No, but yours is. Applejack didn't say much about what happened, but she said you and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had been fighting each other. I don't know why you would do that. Why did you do that?”

She turned her head and looked Karon in his eyes as she spoke, hers had begun to shine, and he knew that tears might soon follow.

He sighed deeply but did not break eye contact.

“It was stupid. I was still a bit under the effect from the alcohol and thought that considering the results my interference in your life has caused, they would banish me somewhere or even lock me up. So I drank some more and prepared for the worst, and then Luna started acting a little hot headed as well. I think she came here looking to fight me, but I can't be sure about that right now. She ... destroyed my robe with a spell.”

He shook his head angrily and continued while looking at the sunrise instead.

“That robe meant something to me. It was the last anchor to my old life, and when even that was taken from me ... It was like staring at your own tombstone. So I got angry and fought back. I have a lot of past issues I don't think I will ever manage to deal with, and they have left wounds. Most of the time I can't feel them, but when something like that happens, something that shakes you to the core, it's hard to avoid stirring up the old pain.”

He turned back to face Twilight. Her eyes no longer shone but instead had a clear focus as she listened intently to what he was saying.

“It didn't last though. My pain is the result of my own mistakes, and projecting that on others only works for a short time before you realize it's just you. There is no one to blame but yourself.”

She looked at him with that intense stare and put both her hooves around his neck and pulled him down into a hug. She held him there for a minute or two then let go and said.

“I'm not afraid because of that stupid report I sent. Yes, I panicked when I first found out about it but ... What I am really afraid of is that I will have to choose between you and princess Celestia. I can't make that choice. I could never turn against the princess but you ... saved me from that place. Please, please don't fight her. You are my friend and I don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Can you feel that pleasant sensation of being made of nothing but butterflies and sunshine?”

“Normal people call it joy.”

“Yes, but we do not belong to that category.”

“Twilight, I promise you that I no longer have any intention to fight against Celestia or Luna unless they try and turn me into stone or something else equally horrible, but I will say that unless we go to the train station now then they will not be happy with us.”

Twilight looked at the rising sun one last time before she stood up on the bed and jumped down. She trotted over to the ladder without any further speeches and moved out into the main library.

Karon lingered for a second, still enjoying the scent of her mane from when she hugged him, then he got up and followed the unicorn downstairs.

She stood at the front door with a saddlebag on her back, most likely filled with food and drink prepared by Spike. The little dragon stood next to her and was whispering, but he shut up when he glanced over and saw Karon watching them.

“Okay, see you later tonight Twilight,” he added hastily and retreated into the kitchen. Karon felt a little sad that the recent events had distanced even the dragon from him. He had liked the little guy.

“Ready to go. Unless we hurry, we're going to miss the train.”

“I said that already. You were the one that needed coaching not me.”

She looked up at him smiling once more. It felt good making her smile. Her eyes were a little quirky as if challenging him to say something else.

“Those eyes...”

“Stop saying that!”

Karon didn't answer, instead he walked by her and held up the door for her. She passed him by with a suspicious glance and continued walking for a few paces before turning around and asked.

“Why are you just standing there?”

“Oh sorry, I was just busy staring at that mesmerizing flank of yours. Did you know it jiggles a little when you walk?”

“It does not! And stop talking about my flank already!”

“As you wish,” he answered in return and made a very obvious glance at her flank and widened his eyes as if seeing something he liked.

She just turned around and groaned in frustration as she began walking towards the train station with a smirking Karon in tow.

They arrived about ten minutes before the train did. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood there waiting for them, while an extremely tired looking Rainbow Dash was sleeping on a bench nearby.

She must have been tired after flying back from such a long distance. Karon made a mental note to ask her about what she had seen so far off. Though the irony of the situation for her was that she had passed over Canterlot on her way back here, one night's sleep did not look to have been enough for her to have recovered.

They all stood waiting on the platform in silence, every one of them deep in their own thoughts about how all of this might turn out. Well, Pinkie Pie and the sleeping Rainbow Dash perhaps being the exceptions.

The clanging of a loud bell interrupted their inner musings as the train stopped on the track in front of them and they climbed on board. Karon thought it looked like an old style steam driven train, but he couldn't be sure. Equestria and Earth might be similar, but there were still plenty of differences.

Inside the waggon was an assortment of cushioned benches of some kind, obviously designed for ponies, but they proved comfortable enough for a human too.

The trip would take about two and a half hours, during which Karon had no idea if he should let the ponies talk amongst themselves, or if he should speak to the group instead. Or maybe speak with them one by one.

Looking at them he decided one by one would be best. Most had remained quiet as before, but Pinkie Pie had dragged Fluttershy into some kind of guessing game using the passing scenery. He spotted a lone bench at the far end and rose from his seat.

He walked over to where Applejack was sitting next to the snoring Rainbow Dash and asked her.

“Applejack, could I talk to you alone for a minute?”

She looked over at the sleeping pegasus then around at the others, then she nodded briskly and Karon went over to the empty seat on the other side of the waggon. Of course, almost every seat in the train was empty, only two other ponies were riding it besides themselves, but he wanted privacy for these conversations.

Applejack sat down next to him and looked at him with those green rock hard eyes of hers.

“Ah know what yer thinking, and no ah'm not about to interfere with whatever princess Celestia decides. Ah know ya saved Twilight and all, and ah'm sure they will be thinking about that. But whatever the princess says is what it is.”

Karon was a little unnerved by the earth pony next to him. Her spirit was that of the honest and stoic kind. The one not given into flights of fancy or easily deceived.

A tricksters bane.

He only looked back at her and nodded once, after he did she got up from the seat and went back to her old spot and woke up Rainbow Dash. The pegasus looked very irritated at first but Applejack pointed at Karon and said something to her. She kept quiet after that and walked over and took the seat next to him.

“So, whatcha wanna talk about?”

“Just wondering how you feel about me and if you will be willing to speak up to Celestia on my behalf?”

“Well, I guess you're alright, I don't know you that well so I don't know what I could say that might change the princesses' minds.”

“It's okay, I just wanted to know where you stand is all. Which reminds me, you owe me unlimited sparring sessions whenever I wish it.”

“Hey, that wasn't a fair bet! I had no idea what I was saying!”

“How about one session per week and we call it even.”

“Fine, just don't start crying when you can't handle me.”

He smiled at her and simply said, “I'll try my best.”

She snorted softly and went back to her seat where she promptly laid down and went back to sleep. Now for Rarity, he waved at her until she noticed him and pointed at the seat next to him. She got up and moved over to the seat he'd been pointing at.

“So lady Rarity, will you speak on my behalf before the princesses, so that I might find that opportunity to earn your forgiveness?”

“Oh darling stop acting like this. You already know that I will do all I can to make sure that you can stay with us.”

“Thank you, I would hate to leave you all now that I have grown so attached to you.”

“Why that is of course completely understandable, it is not often I get the chance to spend time with a gentlecolt like yourself, and I am certain that you have enjoyed our time as well.”

“Of course. I think there is no sight I would miss more than that of you glaring at me in white hot fury as you explain to me why gold must never be mixed with black.”

“You just had to bring that up ... I was an absolute disgrace that day and I am terribly sorry for arguing.”

“Don't be. I found it oddly pleasing to see you so ... passionate.”

She smiled a little and touched his hand with her hoof briefly before she got up.

“I will go tell Fluttershy that you want to speak with her.”

“Thank you.”

She walked over to Fluttershy and on her way there Karon suddenly realized that he was staring at her flank unironically.

“Don't you dare say a word....”

“About what? I have no idea what you are talking about. Seems to me that whatever you are talking about is so blatantly obvious I don't even need to comment about it.”

Karon groaned. It was just like his subconscious to comment about something while not commenting about it at all.

While he had been discussing that with himself Fluttershy had made her way over and was waiting patiently for him to start talking.

“Fluttershy ... I know we didn't exactly have the best start, but I had been hoping that I could rectify that later. I wanted to talk to you about whether or not you are willing to speak up on my behalf before the princesses.”

“Me? What should I say?”

“Whatever you want to say about me. They will be trying to figure out what kind of per ... creature I am. Simply tell them your impression of me.”

“I could do that, if there is just us I mean ... and not a lot of ponies watching me.”

“It's a private meeting.”

“Oh, okay then.” She smiled that wonderful smile of hers that could make the sun itself shed tears.

“Would you mind telling Pinkie Pie I want to talk to her.”

“You wanna talk to me? About what?” The pony in question asked as she popped up from behind the seat Karon and Fluttershy were sitting on.

“How the hell did she get over there?”

“Uh well Pinkie, I was just wondering if you are going to say anything about me to the princesses. I don't think they would have called you all there with me unless they had planned to question you about me.”

“Hmmmm, that sounds kinda obvious when you say it. I thought they just wanted you to have company.”

“Might have been a motivation as well. So, Pinkie ... Will you speak on my behalf?”

“Of course I will! You're my friend and you know what they say about friends....”

She leaned in closely and whispered in his left ear.

“...they're much more fun when they talk.”

Karon resisted the urge to shake his head and just patted Pinkie on the head.

“Thank you Pinkie. I looked forward to hearing what you will say.”

“Okey dokey,” she said and bounced away followed by Fluttershy making worried sounds.

Karon sat back and relaxed. He had already said everything that could be said with Twilight. All he could do now was try and enjoy the ride and convince himself that everything was going to be fine.

Time is funny. If you have fun it passes quickly, and if you are bored it will drag itself forward with painful laziness. It seems that if you are heading for your potential doom, then time passes even faster than when you have fun.

The landscape had shifted from rolling hills and grassland to rocky mountains and small valleys. Eventually a large city with tall spires came into view. It was nested beside a large mountain, situated so that one could see almost all of the plain grassland stretching from there to the Everfree forest.

The wheels of the train started screeching and it began to slow down. The other ponies rose up and went to the doors, waiting for the train to stop entirely.

When it did, all the elements and Karon rose up and stepped off the train. The sun was higher in the sky now and the spring air was pleasantly warm.

They all followed Twilight's lead as she walked toward the castle. To say that Karon caused a scene would be an understatement. Some ponies stopped and stared at the strange creatures with glowing amber eyes and stylish robe the colour of blood.

Others became afraid and hastily trotted off into all kinds of directions, just as long as it was away from him. There was even a few screams of terror as he passed by.

He had no idea how this would have gone had he not had the elements of harmony with him, their presence lent a certain atmosphere of importance. As if daring the common citizen to interfere in the business of the country's guardians.

Karon doubted it was intentional. He was extremely sensitive to magical energies and he didn't think the elements were actually aware they were giving off that kind of vibe. Not that it did matter at the moment.

Karon had more important things to consider than the reactions of the townsfolk.

They arrived unopposed at the castle's guarded, gilded gates, and two white pegasus guards dressed up in golden armour allowed them passage. The castle was certainly grand. It was almost ridiculously large and Karon had a sneaking suspicion that there were tunnels dug deep into that mountain, housing all manners of artifacts and treasures.

But that kind of thing would also have to wait until after this business was resolved ... one way or another.

They were let in through a large double door almost as big as the outer gates had been. Once inside, they walked trough a magnificent hall where sculptures had been carved into the marble stone and drapes hung from the wall.

Looking at them, Karon saw clearly that the age and theme of them varied greatly, and he reasoned that they must be things that Celestia had picked up during all her years.

They were stopped outside another heavy double door, one that looked like oak if Karon's eyes weren't mistaken.

One of the two guards stationed outside went through the door and said something. The words were muffled, but a lighter feminine voice responded to him.

The guard came back outside and opened both the doors, and the six ponies and one human went inside. The throne room wasn't quite as regal as he had expected from the outside of the palace. A single throne stood at the far end of the room on a slightly raised section of the floor with a few small steps leading up to it.

A red carpet framed in by thick golden thread lead up to it from the entrance. Celestia and Luna stood beside the throne, one on each side. They stepped forward a little as the ponies walked towards them. Karon had stopped for a brief moment and took in his surroundings.

Twilight loudly clearing her throat brought him back, and he hurried after them.

When they reached the first of the steps leading up to the throne, they all fell down on one knee each and gave a bow.

Karon put on hand behind his back and the other across his chest and gave a deep bow as well.

Being polite couldn't exactly hurt his chances.

Celestia was the first one to speak after they all had risen while Luna remained stoic beside the throne, staring at Karon with distrust evident in her eyes.

“My faithful subjects, I thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I know that you must be feeling confused by this turn of events, but I feel it is best if we resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”

She looked down at Twilight and smiled benevolently.

“Twilight Sparkle, my beloved pupil. It is you that this human chose to save and help bring back to our home, but there are still some parts of your story missing, such as why he followed with you.”

She held out a hoof to stop any possible interruptions.

“I know that you said it was an accident caused by some kind of spirit named Loki, but I need to understand why he would do such a thing and if he poses a threat to Equestria.”

Karon cleared his throat and said.

“I think it might be best if I explain that part. There are certain things that Twilight would not be able to properly explain herself, and you will be free to ask me any other questions you might come up with.”

Celestia gave a nod to show he could speak.

“Well, first of all, I need you to understand that when you say spirit, that doesn't really work to categorize a being like Loki. He is a god, a dark trickster god whose very nature is to remain unexplainable and seemingly without any far reaching plans, but this is the ruse. A trickster's power lies in his ability to distract and captivate while subtly guiding others as they see fit.”

Karon rubbed his neck a little. That definition encompassed all tricksters, including himself.

“Loki wanted to play with the rules of existence, and he chose me and Twilight as the tools to perform this deed. I do not believe that he was behind the unfortunate effect of Twilight's spell. She was simply overeager and did not have all the information needed to safely travel outside her body. I think Loki became aware of the situation as soon as she showed up in the void, and he simply saw the potential and seized it. The reason for me being here is that Loki tampered with my ritual, the one designed to bring Twilight back home.”

Celestia was listening carefully and even Luna looked to be curious about what happened.

“So instead of just transporting Twilight's mind it also transported the unmade energy that had been my body before Loki shifted it. So, when I arrived here, that energy formed a new body for me to house my soul and mind.”

Karon was looking into Celestia's violet eyes as he spoke.

“And to answer your other question, no Loki is not a threat to Equestria. He is a god, but he is a god of my home world. He is limited to it, and the amount of influence he could wield here is minuscule.”

Celestia looked at Luna. Luna in turn looked away, a little angry, but she said nothing.

“My sister and I have looked into the matter, and we have arrived at a verdict for what is to happen to the human named Karon, but first, I would like to give any pony here the chance to say something on his behalf if they think it will help us determine if he should be allowed to remain here or not.”

Twilight immediately spoke up as soon as Celestia was finished.

“Princess Celestia, please, I know Karon has only been in Equestria for short time, during which several things have happened that might have made you think he's not a good po-... human, but I promise it is all just a misunderstanding.”

Celestia held up her hoof once more and Twilight fell silent despite looking like she had wanted to say so much more.

“My dear Twilight, with the exception of the conflict between Karon and my sister and I, there is nothing that Karon has done here since he arrived which could be called dangerous and give us reason to banish him. A little irresponsible maybe, but not dangerous.”

She looked at Karon with compassion and continued.

“It is not what he has done that we are as much concerned with, as what he might do in the future. Humans have been here before, and they left scars behind that might never fully heal. We want to be certain that will not happen again.”

She turned and looked at the other ponies gathered.

“Does anypony else wish to speak for Karon?”

Rarity stepped forward and her sophisticated tone rang out and echoed off the hard marble surrounding them.

“If you excuse my words, princess I feel I must say something in Karon's defense. Ever since Karon arrived here, he has been faced with nothing but change and new things, and never once did he let this affect the way he treated the ponies around him. Ever since the first time I spoke with him, Karon has acted like a complete gentlecolt, and I know several ponies who are more deserving of a banishment than him.”

She didn't need to say it out loud, but Celestia knew Rarity was referring to prince Blue blood, who had acted rather rude towards her during the grand galloping gala.

“Thank you for your words Rarity. Are there any others?”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack kept quiet but Pinkie Pie bounced up and raised her hoof into the air and waved it while shouting. “Pick me! Pick me!”

Even Luna cracked a smile at the antics of the pink pony and Celestia motioned with her hoof that it was okay for her to talk.

“Well first of all Karon isn't a meanie. I know that because after I had thrown a surprise party for him and Twilight, when they got back he threw a surprise party for ME! And nopony does that if they're not nice, and I don't think humans do either. Besides, he kissed Rarity and I don't think he would do that if he didn't like ponies.”

Karon swore he could hear someone cough all the way back in Ponyville.

It was deathly quiet and he could see how suddenly every head inside the room turned and looked at him with wide eyes, then they slowly turned on Rarity.

The poor unicorn looked like she was trying to melt into the floor. She was lying down and her face ... Well it can't really be described, let's just say it was bad.

“You did what!?” Twilight shouted at Karon and looked very, very angry.

Karon briefly considered trying to lie, but decided truth would work best.

“I was drunk and she was drunk. She was upset and I wanted to comfort her. I am sorry if you find that offensive, but really, I thought ponies around here were the hugs and kisses kind anyway.”  

“I think that description might be a bit misleading concerning our cultural norms,” Celestia replied.

“I know, I was just making a joke,” Karon answered back before thinking.

The six ponies drew their breath in shock and Celestia looked surprised, but the most interesting reaction came from Luna. It had barely lasted for a heartbeat, but Karon had clearly seen her mouth turn up into a smile before being quickly turned down again.

“So she has humour ... I can work with that.”

“Later, deal with current crisis first before going off making a new one.”

“I think it might be best if we move on now. Does anypony else wish to speak for Karon?”

At first no pony said anything, but then Fluttershy strode forward gently. Her hooves barely made a sound despite the floor being marble as well.

“Well uhm, I ... was a little scared when I first meet Karon. Actually I was very scared of him because he looked so big and frightening, but then when he put his hands around me and started talking I didn't feel so scared any more. And then later, he tried to make me into a tree because I have always wanted to know how it would be like, and I had the most amazing dream of being a tree so I ... uhm ... I think he's ... nice.”

And that marked the end of every speech in Karon's defense.

“Oh we are so fucked. Should I begin charging power for some kind of distraction so we can escape or hit them hard and run?”

“Neither, all is not lost yet. We'll listen to what they will say first.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance again and Celestia spoke, her voice ringing loud and clear with a heavy tone of authority.

“After the ... misunderstanding with Karon yesterday, Luna and I travelled to the Whitetail woods where Karon first arrived to investigate, and we discovered something unexpected.”

She looked at Karon with an enigmatic look on her face.

“Do you remember something unusual when you arrived?”

“Besides new body and a whole new world? ... Yeah one thing, there was a circle around me of dead grass.”

“Yes, we found that as well, and we know what it is. From your explanation earlier, you said your body was destroyed back in your home world and the energy from it was used to form a new one here, correct?”

“Yes.”

“That's not entirely true.”

Karon blinked.

“You see when you first arrived here, and your body was being reformed, we think that the world of Equestria itself noticed you. It understood what was happening and so it tried to help you ... by giving you a piece of itself.”

Karon was a hard man to truly surprise or shock, but right now, his eyes were practically about to pop out of his skull.

“That is why the grass around you died, because the life force that sustained the grass and connected it to the world itself was gone, given to you instead. After Luna and I understood this, it was obvious we could no longer banish you.”

She walked down the steps and stood before Karon. Luna had followed at her side and they both flanked him.

“How could we try and deny your place here when Equestria herself deemed you worthy of a part of her. This is not a strange new world and you are not a stranger in it, you are as much as part of it as the mountains, rivers and forests themselves.”

Celestia placed a hoof on his right shoulder and Luna placed one on his left.

“As the rulers of all of Equestria, and the rulers of the court of sun and moon, we hereby name you a citizen of our lands and bestow upon you all the privileges and duties that follow.”

Karon looked around at the ponies and the two royal sisters. They all looked to be happy at having him there. Even Luna looked less like she wanted to kill him.

Celestia smiled at him and simply said.

“Welcome home.” Next Chapter: Chapter 10: First steps Estimated time remaining: 23 Hours, 41 Minutes