Luna and Canis walked down the spiraling staircase together. Luna talked briefly about her time in Equestria since her return.
“How did you manage to stay hidden all of these years?” Luna asked.
“The Everfree Forest hosts many shadows that easily hide a servant of the night such as myself,” Canis said. “I apologize for not coming sooner, but news does not travel fast in the forest.”
“It’s ok. I still can’t believe you are here now.”
“Neither can I,” Canis admitted.
When they entered a long hallway, they found a servant pony bearing a tray of tea.
“Ah Princess Luna I was just about to bring you your evening AHH”
The pony noticed Canis and jumped back in surprise. The tray of tea crashed on the ground. The Pony looked wide-eyed at the wolf. Canis simply looked at the pony with placid detachment. He waited for his princess to speak first.
“Oh hello there Vintage. I’m assuming you have not met my friend Canis,” Luna said.
“Your friend?” Vintage asked nervously.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Canis said and offered a paw.
The pony hesitated, looking from the outstretched paw, to Luna, and back again. He took a small step forward and stretched out a hoof. Canis seized the hoof and shook it curtly.
“Same here,” Vintage managed to say.
“I’ll be giving Canis the grand tour. He’s new here. Would you be so kind as to bring some tea up in an hour? While your at it, have somepony clean this up,” instructed Luna.
“Yes your highness right away,” Vintage said.
The pony turned and ran down a connecting hallway.
“Thousands of years of civilization and ponies still have not overcome their baser prey animal instincts,” Canis observed.
“I’d turn tail and run too if I’d never seen your scary face before,” Luna said and smiled.
Canis turned to her with utter confusion. “L…Luna, was that a joke?”
“Why yes it was, why do you ask?”
“it’s just…”
“I know, it’s a new thing. My sister is rubbing off on me.”
“I see,” Canis said a little darkly at the mention of Celestia, “Shall we continue?”
“We shall,” Luna said lightly and proceeded down the hall.
Canis kept pace beside her and laughed softly to himself.
“It was a pretty good one,” he remarked.
“Thank you,” Luna replied, smiling as they made their way into the royal dining hall. There were two unicorn guards standing at either side of the door. When they saw Canis walking next to Luna they hesitated to open the doors. They weren’t sure rather the wolf was a friend or foe. On one hoof he was a wolf, and on the other he was walking with Princess Luna. They looked at each other hoping the other would know what to do. One of them decided to take action as Luna reached the doors.
“Welcome Princess,” the guard on the left said and magically opened the doors.
“Thank you sirs,” Luna said and entered the dining hall.
Canis watched both guards until the door shut behind them. Luna noticed that he wasn’t about to trust anypony besides her.
To their surprise, Princess Celestia was there eating cake at the head of the large table. She looked at Luna, and then at Canis.
“Ah dear sister, I see you have found a friend,” Celestia said.
“Sister,” Luna said, “I didn’t know you were still up.”
“Yes well, I decided to have a little cake before I retire to my chambers,” Celestia said and took a small bite from the cake. Luna couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t a fork with the cake.
Canis gave a low suppressed growl that only Luna could hear. She silenced him with a look, and turned her attention to Celestia.
“Yes, he is quite an old friend. This is Canis, my old servant,” Luna said.
At this Celestia looked up sharply from her cake. She looked at Canis again with surprise.
“Why… yes it is. How are you Canis,” Celestia asked politely and stood up.
“I am quite well,” Canis said as smoothly as ever, “and yourself?”
“I am well thank you,” Celestia replied and walked over to them.
Luna heard Canis’s claws scrape the floor as he clenched a paw. She looked at him with an expression that said, “you are going to behave yourself aren’t you?” Canis simply retained his usual demeanor. Celestia stopped a pony length away from them and looked at Canis.
“So, are you going to be here long?” Celestia asked.
“I wasn’t going to say anything this early, but I was hoping he would resume his old position as my right hoof.” Luna said nervously. The tension between Canis and Celestia was palpable, despite the fact that both of them seemed polite and calm.
“Is that so? What do you say to this Canis?” Celestia asked, never once taking her eyes off of him. The guards must have noticed the nature of the exchange of words and they moved in closer from the corners of the room.
“I would be honored to serve you once again,” Canis said to Luna.
“Wonderful, I know of a nice place you can stay,” Celestia said and smiled.
Something Celestia said set Canis off, because he let out a deep blood-curdling growl that reverberated off of the walls. His eyes began to glow white as the dark magic inside him came out. His stance widened. Luna knew he was ready to lunge. If he was as good as he was back when she was Nightmare Moon, when she used him for assassinations, he could easily kill her sister. The pegasus guards moved in and pointed spears at the wolf. Luna was about to say something when Celestia spoke up.
“Peace Canis,” Celestia said and waved off the guards with a hoof, “That’s not what I… I’m not like that anymore.”
“I have yet to see any evidence affirming that assertion,” Canis said angrily in his augmented dark magic voice.
“Please, allow me the chance,” Celestia said. Everyone in the room was taken aback. Even Canis forgot his anger briefly. None of them had ever heard, or expected to hear, Celestia use a pleading tone like that. Luna was thoroughly perplexed. Whatever her sister had done to Canis in the past, she obviously regretted it immensely.
Canis remained where he was, silently assessing his options. Luna decided to make the choice for him.
“Canis! Out!” She said authoritatively.
Canis’s eyes lost their glow and he looked at her. She returned his gaze with a stern face.
“As you wish Luna,” Canis said and backed away bowing. He soon turned around and walked out of the room.
Luna turned to Celestia. “What was that?” she asked a little irritably.
“An old ghost has come back to haunt me,” Celestia replied cryptically.
Luna realized she was not going to get anything out of her sister and turned to leave the room. She had to find Canis and get to the bottom of this.