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// Chapter 4 If the kids these days are so dumb, how bad are the parents? 
// Story: A Collaberative Conundrum 
// by Not Professor Kokonoe 
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Much to my displeasure I was given a small retinue of guards when I left the Crystal Empire. I had originally planned to leave the empire unannounced but when Stefan had joined me to go along and try to have a meeting with the two royal sisters that quickly went out the window. Though I doubt the reasoning behind the group of four being assigned to us was what I was making it out to be. Though, honestly, there was no reason why it couldn’t be. I guess it is my own fault for being so brash about my abilities and moral standing. It clearly put Cadence, and probably Celestia by proxy, on edge about the country's safety.

Though It wasn’t that much a problem until the two of us made it to the train station turned border fort and there were was a similar group of Equestrian Royal Guards waiting for us. That right there is when I knew my little plan of jumping train and searching for a few key locations was no longer an option. If it wasn’t for the groups make up my plan would have still been a go but the one pegasus with the two unicorns and two earth ponies would have too many options of tracking and reporting me after popping smoke. I would just cause more problems than necessary.

I shrugged it off however and moved about my business as if they were not there already deciding how to plan my next move. Two to one Celestia, you haven’t won the match just yet. I could however provide them with as much misinformation as possible. After all I’m sure they were given instruction to not only watch my every move as much as possible but note down everything. Even if they knew they were being fed false information. It’s what I would have my own guard do after all if I knew nothing about the ones in question. I figured that they would take the hint and leave my two guards and myself alone if I did it overtly enough. 

...

After the second time I had ordered a salad in front of them moments after stating that anything other than insects would be fatal to my kind if eaten they got it and left to another car. This however, was after I insisted that if they were to be inside the small room alongside us they would have to perform ritualistic sex or my mother, upon hearing this, would take the voyeurism as an insult to her divinity and would go to war.

Whether or not they bought that complete load of bullshit was irrelevant since it got them away from us for the rest of the ride much to the amusement of Mereneith[1] and Khama’at[2]. Unfortunately when we arrived at the train station in Canterlot that evening the guards waiting for the lot of us to, as they put it ‘escort us safely to the palace’ was when the lot of it was truly annoying. As we started walking leaned over to voice my displeasure to Stefan. “At this point it’s now more your fault than mine for this. Maybe next time you will realize you are a grown man and just leave of your own accord rather than asking mommy and daddy if it’s ok to play outside.”

“Mommy and Daddy run a fucking country, guy. There ain’t much I can do ‘bout this, to be honest.” He chuckled, looking over at a guardsmare. “Gotta have protection, my friend. Did they teach you nothing in sex ed?”

“You could have just, oh I don’t know, bought a ticket last second and dipped. Like any rebellious youth against their parents.” I then huffed letting out my exasperation and smiled a bit at his humor, “Of course. Why do you think my guard is also my harem?” I said with a massive grin on my face and wrapped a foreleg around Khama’at’s waist and pulled her against me while I was sure she was internally plotting my death and wondering if Equestria would grant her amnesty.

“Hey hey, I wish. As it is I don’t need a harem, females in these parts like jumping your bones just as easy as talking to you. But, yeah, I couldn’t just dip on Cadence and Armor. They’ve been good to me, and repaying that with being a dickwad wouldn’t help me in the long run. Look at it this way: it makes them,” He gestured to the crowd gathering around us as we made our way out of the station. The guards formed a wedge in front of us, carving a path through the throng of ponies that were turning their heads, gasping, and pointing at us. “Feel safer. And if that keeps me alive, or makes Big Momma happy, then I’m good with it. Besides, I think your dick doesn’t need any more stroking.”

I shrugged letting go of Khama’at and sighed again. “Alright fine. It’s not like I couldn’t have just had you ride me all the way to the castle or something… If you know what I mean.” With a chuckle I decided to give everyone around something to actually gawk at and raised my body up and over my head walking on only my front two legs knowing that the wrapped skirt like shendyt[3] would at least protect my modesty. “Happy now? I am complying with all the princesses wishes and I’m not even antagonizing anyone.”

Stefan laughed, and shook his head. “Mmmhm, sure. Bend over for Big Momma, boy. She likes ‘em young. I won’t tell you what to do with yourself, as I’m sure you’ve got your shit together. If you wanna misbehave your consequences are your own.”

“Not even a single bus in this whole world and you wouldn’t hesitate to throw me under it.” I laughed a bit lowering myself back down to all fours while taking stock of where we managed to be guided as we started to enter the inner area of Canterlot. The age of the city’s planning showed here more prominently with the designs of the buildings being tall and slim and less masonry over all. It reminded me of the early industrial age in older areas of the Americas like New York before skyscrapers took over everything.







The rest of the trip up to Canterlot Palace was uneventful. Shezmu and I got plenty of looks, sure, but the Royal and Sphinxian Guard did their duty to keep curious ponies from getting too close. 

When we made it to the gates, the guards crossed their spears in front of our entourage.

“Halt, who goes there?” One said.

One of our Equestrian guards approached the gate guards, said something I couldn’t quite make out, and backed away. The gates swung open, and the guards returned to guarding as we passed through. I couldn’t help but be enthralled by the aesthetic nature of Equestrian architecture: granted, most of the golden filigree and carving did nothing for the actual efficacy of the structures themselves, but the ponies surely knew how to impress.

As the group continued through the wall and into the palace grounds, the sounds of the city faded into the background. The entrance to the palace itself was no less impressive than the gates outside: a street-sized brick path came in and looped past a grand staircase, which led up to the main entrance. There were statues lining the circular pathway, and one in the center of the circle it made which was atop an ornately carved fountain.

There were two more guards at the entrance, but they didn’t give us any trouble as we stepped into the palace. Once we got past even more eye candy, we eventually made it to the throne room. An earth pony mare with a red cap and a bowtie stood next to the door guards, and stepped in before we did as our entourage halted us in front of the doors. Through them, I heard the red-capped pony’s voice.

“Announcing Kha[4] Shezmu of the Sphinxian Kingdom, and Stefan Keller-Black of Earth to Their Highnesses Princesses Celestia and Luna!” She said, as our Equestrian entourage opened the doors.






With a sigh of having to go through the hoops of ‘polite’ conversation once again I composed myself before all but marching in, my two guards flanking me tightly. During the train ride I wanted them to stay close to me and at the ready to drop anyone I give the signal to. Which judging by the reactions of the denizens of the city may or may not come to pass as even the throne room guards were having problems with their vaunted stoicism. Though one thing that I noticed and unfortunately carried over is that though both sisters were present there was only one throne.

Deliberately making a show of not bowing before them I wore a mask of indifference when I came to a stop and flitted my tail about to give my charges a signal for non-lethal take-downs should a guard approach me for the sake of posturing. Giving Stefan a sidelong glance I took a half step forwards deciding I might as well get the ball rolling. The few nobles that were in attendance would be entertained indeed. “Greetings Princesses. I would like to first thank you for the armed escort as if I were some dangerous criminal to be paraded about and freshly captured for you to show your power over me.”

With a grin I waved a paw dismissing the matter before either of them could get a word in edgewise to defend themselves quickly moving on. “But enough about that. Allow me to to properly introduce myself. I am Shezmu. Foremost, in my lands, I am the god of Execution, Butchery, and Blood. Only child to Sekhmet goddess of War, Fire, Fertility, and Healing. Kha of Fayum. I trust that the both of you are well this fine evening.” With my bit said I took a step back, remaining standing, to be between Mereneith and Khama’at and allow Stefan to say his piece.

It was at that moment some of the nobles on the sidelines started to talk softly to one another while others took down notes or remained unmoved. Though Luna herself looked displeased as she fully processed the meaning behind what I had said. With a slight smile sent my way it appeared that I earned some favor from her as she looked to see what her sister would do. However, all Celestia did was continue to sit there with a mask of perfected serene neutrality though the hesitation of her doing anything at all already cost her.

Before he could speak, Celestia held up a hoof in a placating gesture towards me.

“Kha Shezmu, I assure you that our actions were only to ensure the safety of yourself and the citizens of Equestria. The guards that joined you when you crossed the border were explicitly instructed to respect your rights as a diplomat and a foreign national. On that note, if they violated any of these then you most certainly have the right to inform either me, or my sister and they will be disciplined appropriately.”

I merely smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow as I laughed internally wondering what took her so long. At that point not saying anything would have the better play.  Shifting blame onto others when you are the one who gave the orders is just being a poor sport. Looks like the game is now three to two. Down one again Celestia and you are already on the back foot. Other than a look back to Stefan I made no further motion to indicate that I even heard the princess talking. 

Without a reply from me, Celestia nodded to Stefan.

“I apologize, Mr. Keller-Black. Please, go on.” She said.

“Well, Your Highness, I don’t have all the titles the esteemed Kha does, but,” He cleared his throat. “I’m pleased to meet the both of you. I’ve heard quite a lot from Armor and Cadence, but I don’t think it really did you all justice. Either way, I’m uh, glad I could come.” He nodded. He stood at the position of parade rest while he spoke, stiff and as professional as he could manage. 

Disregarding the chatter of the nobles I moved forwards once more since it was clear Celestia, much like Cadence, was out of practice. “Well since you have deemed it appropriate to appropriate my evening I trust that we are not going to have this impromptu meeting here in the throne room. Unless it is proper protocol to sit while looking down on your guests as they are forced to stand. If so, then by all means, let us begin.” I said with an ever growing smile on my face that managed to not stray too far from being polite.

“I apologize, Kha Shezmu. The Day Court was still in session when you arrived, and it will be until the end of this afternoon. This meeting was simply so that we could be introduced publicly, and any more… nuanced dealings were to be dealt with later in a more comfortable setting. If you like, I can arrange for your escort to your guest chambers.” Celestia said, her eyes locked with mine. “My sister may entertain you, if you like.” She paused, turning to Luna. “If it’s not too much trouble, of course.”

Luna looked at her sister then at myself out of the corner of her eye to which I returned the glance by raising my eyebrow. She lightly took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before smiling at me and gesturing to a side door with a hoof, “If you and your escort follow us out this way we would like to hear about your time in the Crystal Empire. Perhaps over a meal if that would please you. We don’t believe that you and your guard have had the chance to eat yet.”

Following her lead I made my way out the door but before it closed I spun around to face Stefan and did my best to give him a look that said ‘now is your best chance to ask her for things since I got her off balance’. Spinning back around on a hind paw I continued to walk forwards catching Luna’s attention. “I wonder why she was so quick to get rid of me when she was the one who called me there?” I took a few steps to be alongside her my ears flicking before my guards and myself stopped in our tracks. Looking hard between two dark alcoves behind a pair of tapestries before relaxing and looking at Luna. “Oh my. I heard stories but I did not think your nocturnal followers were that good.”






As Shezmu and Luna walked and talked, I waited for an opportune moment to ask for the use of the palace’s library, which came just as we rounded a corner.

“Say, Princess, could I make use of your library? There’s some stuff I’ve been meaning to look up that the Crystal Empire just doesn’t have, and it would definitely be beneficial to my research.” I asked.

She turned away from the sphinx and looked at me over her shoulder mulling over the question. “We understand that you mean that you wish to have access to the castle’s library and not our personal collection of books yes?” She then gave me an inquisitive stare as her pace slowed. “We do not see a problem with this. The castle library as a whole is open to the public upon request. Though we must ask, What is it that you hope to find in those words?”

“Anything, really. I’ve just started looking into magic and the like, but it seemed like there were a lot of holes in the Empire’s collection, and some of the things Sunburst taught me about didn’t exist in print there. That, and it might give me an idea of where your society is at as a whole. Equestria itself is, I imagine, very different from the Empire.” I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts. “Oh! Yes, and a way to get home. The device I accidentally activated to get here was deactivated after I came through it, and Sunburst couldn’t make heads or tails of it. I thought I might be able to find something here on it, but if there’s nothing on that specifically, maybe there’s another way.” My statement ignored, of course, the fact that I had no idea where Earth even was in relation to Gaia.

She mulled over my reasoning before having a concise decision as she nodded. “We see no problem with this. However we would like it if you were to document any findings you make that you think would help you.” 

“Can do. I can make you a copy of my notes, or a report. Say, I might also need some directions. Can I borrow a guard for that, or?” I said.

“Just a copy would be fine. This while of course is a personal venture of your own is something that should be documented in at least some manner. You are after all the only documented human to ever be here on Gaia to my knowledge.” With a tap of her hoof a Lunar Guard whom I didn’t notice more or less appeared out of my shadow to stand beside me. “Sergeant Ghost Quill shall escort you to the castle library and she shall assist you as you see fit for the duration of your stay. Do you find this to be adequate?” 

“Seems so,” I looked to Quill, who raised an eyebrow. “Lead on, Sergeant.”

Quill stepped in front of me, and led me off into a side passage. After a few minutes of walking, we ended up in front of the library’s entrance: a vaulted archway with two Day Guard standing on its left and right. Just inside the entrance, a desk sat in front of a ring of shelves, and behind that desk was the librarian. She was an old mare, and even though I wasn’t a good judge of the physical signs of pony aging, I could easily tell that this mare was absolutely ancient. Her eyes, it seemed, were no worse for wear despite the reading glasses perched on the end of her muzzle. She looked at Quill first, then me as we approached.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” She asked.

“Ah, yes ma’am. I’m looking for anything related to teleportation, advanced enchanting, something on Equestrian history… lots of things. Guess we should just focus on one, and go from there.” I said. She nodded, and slowly got to all fours.

“The history books are the closest, on those shelves there.” She pointed with a hoof to the shelves behind her. “New and popular at the bottom, and vice versa as you go up. I’ll have to show you where the other sections you asked for are; even I get lost sometimes.” She chuckled, and opened one of the desk’s drawers.

As I perused the library, Sergeant Quill grew more and more bored. An hour passed, and I closed the heavy tome I’d been reading.

“Not a bookworm, eh?” I asked.

She looked at me with a flat expression and what looked like at an attempt to keep her eyebrow from raising. “No. Not really. It is just because I’m an avid study I was summoned by the Mistress of Shadows to aid you.” She said with a slight monotone to her voice.

“So you are a nerd. Bet you got a lot of shit for that in basic. See, for me it was all about the video games, which was true, don’t get me wrong,” I slid the book to the side, and grabbed a smaller one off of the pile I’d accumulated on the table next to me. “But eventually I got past that phase, and into the one where they made fun of what I did in the Army. ‘Course, that’s what everybody does. Half of the fun of the military is just shootin’ the shit, but. Sometimes I wish it weren’t.” Instead of opening the next book, I laced my fingers together, and leaned forward. “What’re you studying?”

She genuinely smiled at me before she shook her head. “I’m studying you. Might I say you have been quite the interesting subject. Did you not think you would be under watch since you set hoof… foot in Canterlot?” She then flashed her fangs with a grin, “But do not let that stop you. Do please tell me more. The Crystal Empire has been rather tight lipped about you.”

“Tight-lipped? And I thought Celestia and Luna were family to ‘em.” I sighed. 
“I figured I’d be under some sort of supervision. Just, you’d think that the armed guards following us around would be enough. What, did you need to watch me jack off or something?”

“Our Lady of Stars has not ordered you for to be supervised in any fashion.” She laughed a bit before moving closer to me and placing an armored hoof on my thigh, “Were you asking for help with that last part? She did say anything after all.” She then sighed and backed up shaking a bit with mirth before going back to the stoic guard routine. “Was there anything else you need to be clarified. I have been ordered to answer most questions you ask, dependant on subject matter of course.”

“So you just took it upon yourself to study me. Got a fetish?” I pulled my hands apart, and wiggled them. “These two are pretty popular with the mares these days, and my wingman always sticks around for a long while.” I smiled, and shook my head. “What’s Princess Luna like? For that matter, what are the Princesses like? I’ve heard plenty from Armor and Cadence, but… it was never entirely specific. Some mention of a Nightmare Moon, and the Elements of Harmony, but I feel like that was just a folk tale that got twisted by time. How are they now, like, as people?”

An eyebrow rose as she slightly looked down her nose at me her lip twitching above one her fangs, “I am one of the Dreamweaver’s best spies and I happened to be on shift here in the castle when you arrived. So no.” She sat down on her haunches pulling her helmet off to scrub at her mane with a hoof. “I can not nor would I speak for Princess Celestia. Though the Guiding Lights is hard to describe. She is kind and merciless. She is understanding while unyielding. Melancholy yet carefree. She may have embraced with the dark though it is because of her darkness we survived.” She replaced her helmet and stood back up. “Anything else?”

“So, question one: How the fuck can you fit so many contradictions into a sentence? Two: If you’re here to study me, then why not ask a few questions of your own? Observation’s great, but you can only glean so much. That, and staring at me all day has got to be fucking boring.”

She smiled a bit, “In reverse order, The Light Binder will have her own chance to ask questions. You would be surprised how much you can learn about someone just by watching them go about their day. As for the other question. Is not life itself a contradiction? We live in order to die while the Star Guardian exists outside of life while still living.”

Our casual conversation continued talking until I’d finished writing my notes, and we got up to leave. By my wristwatch, Quill and I spent roughly four hours in the library. By the time I turned in all of the books, it was late; around nine o’clock PM. With this and my empty stomach in mind, Quill and I went to grab some food.






I stopped and stretched enjoying the feel of the cool soft grass of the palace gardens. During dinner Princess Luna arranged for us to meet up and have a small casual conversation before she opened up Night Court at midnight. I twisted my back about groaning in satisfaction as my spine popped seeing Mereneith and Khama’at propped up against a tree as they relaxed themselves. Rather than stay in my guest room waiting around on me they opted to come along after I had allowed it.

Rolling over fully onto my back I wiggled about scratching my back and working a little divot into the grass to lay back more comfortably. I Idly traced patterns in the stars while I had waited the starlight drastically more brighter due to my lion like eyes. Though It was not long till I heard the dissonance of several armored hooves approaching me even when muffled by the thick grass. Gradually they grew louder before coming to a stop and I could hear my guard get to their paws and I waved them down with a paw before patting the grass next to me. “Join me gazing at the stars. You’ve outdone anything that Celestia has attempted before your return.”

“We appreciate such forward flattery but it is truly unnecessary.” The soft though clearly measured sound of Luna’s voice was a delight to hear once again. Though I figure I may as well keep laying it on thick.. If anything one of my plans, and if not for her sake, hinged heavily on having her against Equestria. Not so much the concept but how the empire is now and has been under Celestia’s unmitigated thousand year rule. It would be a massive boon to have her direct support.

“Nonsense.” I say with a teasing smile still looking about the stars and avoiding direct eye contact. “Princess Celestia for all that she may be is not the artist that you are.” I raised both my forepaws up and gestured to the sky. “Night after night it was the same thing. Stagnant and unwilling to change. I care not of the reasons why to be frank whether they be important or not.” I then smile roguishly, making sure to flash my fangs for her to see my gesturing taking on a more grandiose series of movements

“Now that you are once again using your brush to paint the canvas that is the night sky it has never been more beautiful.” I wave a paw across the sky once again while again patting down on the grass right besides me. “Each night since you took up your role has been just as breathtaking as the last. Even if only it is slightly different, or at times drastically so, each time I stare up in awe.”

I hear a series of shuffling before I feel steps near me but I make sure to keep my eyes locked onto the sky. “You truly flatter Us, Kha Shezmu. But, we do appreciate it.” I smile widely to myself. 

So it is true. 

She, even after all that she has been through in the show and then how it more or less translates into the world I am in now. 

Luna is still alone. 

A light chuckle escapes my lips as I ponder on what it is exactly I am about to do.

Now to push the envelope, and begin the first step of many on a road only traveled once. “Please… this has nothing to do with business or official duties. Just call me Shezmu. And, might I be so bold, may I call you Luna in return?” I hear her give a light hum and my ears flick about in response. I hear the shifting her her head as she tilts it to the side. A bit of her starry mane dips into my field of view. 

“We find this to be acceptable. This is just a casual meeting between two beings after all. You are free to call Us Luna, Shezmu.” I grin again letting the childish glee of a kitten doing something and knowing they will get away with it. However I reign the comment in thankfully. I didn’t want to mess with her in that way just yet.

“Perhaps it will be easier to explain my love of your night and how much it means to not only me but to all of the beings in the lands I call home.” I then finally turn to face her and give her my most warmest and sincere smile. It is a real smile after all for it is true for both lives I have lived so far. “Again please lay beside me and truly look at your stars and hopefully you will understand why I appreciate you so.”

The princess of the Moon and Stars stumbles a bit and, I’m sure that if I looked hard enough into her dark coat, blushed. But whether to ward off the embarrassment or get a hold of herself she makes a bit of a show of laying down besides me and looking up at the stars. “You speak of those who live in your lands. From our understanding do the Sphinx still live along that river in the deserts in the continent to the east?”

“Yes. That we do. It is a very harsh and barren land and it is because of that the night is so important to us. Did you know that we have as of recent years… A little over one thousand years ago. We have adopted a mostly nocturnal lifestyle?” I turn to her and I see the wonder that comes with learning something that has ties to an interest you hold close in her eyes. “We in fact mostly go to sleep after the sun has risen and begin our ‘day’ when the sun begins to set. In total we have people active for about five daylight hours total while almost all of us live in the light of your moon and stars.”[5]

I look into her eyes and smile causing her to turn her head and look up at her night sky and a slight chuckle escapes me. “So you say that more or less of all the beings of your homelands are guided and cared for by mostly our night?” I turn my head back and look at the stars again as a star streaks across the horizon line. “Since your lands are mostly desert I’m sure that this change came about because more of a necessity than anything else.” I shrugged a bit, not like I have lied or will lie to her.

“You are correct, Luna. But we kept doing it for more than just the convenience.” I sprawled out and stretched out all my legs again making sure to not come into contact with Luna. “Due to our life in the desert the sun is harsh and unforgiving. In fact the sun is more or less just an unpleasant ball of pain that we have to deal with. But your night. Oh be that is! Your night is everything. You can enjoy a day without being drenched in sweat by just breathing. You and look up and see without causing horrible damage to your eyes. Though what you see when you do is the best part. There are shapes and there are paintings in the sky. You have all the time you want to see it as how you want and thanks to our eyes it is perfectly bright enough to see and do everything we did in the day to begin with.”

I start to go on a bit of a carefully calculated rant about how much the night means to the beings of the Sphinxian lands. Though I do begin to taper off at just the right point. I can tell that Luna has some questions she would like to ask without even having to look at her with how silent everything around us is. I shoot a glance at my guards and move my ears about before continuing. “If I might but ask one last thing before we continue any further Luna.”

“A-What is it thou would ask of us?” Her tone is in that perfect level between enraptured, bewildered, and surprised and I know that would be able to slip almost anything past her. However now is not that time just yet. I put some more slack in the line if but just to ease her tension.

“Would you be willing to one night come out to Teramu or the budding town of Fayum? I’m the unofficial mayor of the latter. It seems that those who follow me have congregated there and established a town and temple in my honor. However the Honor would be for you to come out there.”

I feel her posture shift and tighten a bit from the proposal though the ground and grass. I continue to let my prey gain a lead only for her to lose sight of me in the tall grass. “You don’t have to answer now or ever. You wouldn't even have to tell me that you are on your way to visit. You are free to just arrive whenever the mood strikes you.” Her posture relaxes and I can feel her sink back down into the grass as her muscles relax.

“Now… I’m quite sure that you have some questions of me. Of course depending on the subject I might have to pass but fear not. I highly doubt that you will so easily cross that line.”






After I got situated in my quarters, a sudden fatigue came over me after I’d sat down on the plush four-poster bed. My belongings: a suitcase and the pack I’d brought from Earth sat in front of the only dresser in the room. They’re only things. No matter how much I told myself that, I still couldn’t come to terms with the eventual loss of what I’d brought from Earth. The solar charger might work, but my phone would probably-  a loud knock at the door startled me from my musings.

“Stefan? It’s Princess Celestia. May I come in?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” I said. I inhaled, exhaled, and turned toward the door as Celestia opened it, then stepped through gingerly. Her horn lit after she came in, and the door closed softly behind her.

She took me in for a brief moment as we made fleeting eye contact, and I could feel her gaze linger as I turned away from her.

“I thought to invite you to a late night meal, for a chat. If you would prefer, I can have the meal brought to this room.” She said.

“I’d like that, yes.” I said. The unspoken third option which had her leaving me alone to stew went down in flames.

I heard the plodding of hooves on carpet as she came up next to me, and sat on the bed.

Why?

“Cadence and Shining Armor told me a lot about you, Stefan. They told me you were a bright young human, and that you helped them with many of the problems their kingdom faced, and that you were in some ways... ambitious.” She said.

“Yeah, well… none of that’s getting me any closer to home. But hopefully you can help with that, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, well,” I rested my hands on my lap, and turned to look her in the eye. “The Empire’s archives are incomplete, which I suspect is due in part to Sombra’s reign. There’s no mention of the portal I came through, even though it predates Sombra. Indeed, the whole area under the throne predates Sombra, according to what Sunburst and I found. Maybe he expunged all record of it? That makes sense, because that same staircase was the one Princess Twilight stumbled into. The one that was boobytrapped, and locked by dark magic.

The portal itself broke when I used it, and from what Sunburst could tell, I was lucky I wasn’t reconstituted into a pile of boneless flesh or something when I came through. The spells, now that they’re gone, are going to be quite difficult to replicate. If we do manage to get a working prototype built before I die, we’d have to find the universe I came from, and… It’s hopeless with what I know now. I have a hunch that there’s something in the archives here in Equestria that might help.”

“You’re homesick. That is completely understandable, Stefan.” She paused for a moment, and set a hoof on my thigh. “But you’ve made a home in Equestria. I know Cadence and Shining both care for you, and I think you would do well to try to be at peace with the fact that you might not get back to where you came from. At the very least, you should know that you have a home here in Equestria.” 

I nodded. “I know, I know. But, knowing is only half the battle. You’ve got to… got to get past your emotions before you can deal with something. I feel like that’s a little too fresh to toss away just yet.”

“I will not ask you to throw away your hope.” After a moment of silence passed, Celestia spoke again. “Perhaps we should move on to another topic. What do you know of Shezmu?”

“He’s… interesting.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“He is, as yet, an unknown to me. I must assess if he or his kind pose a threat to you, or my subjects.”

“I don’t know much about him, to be honest. He said he was a governor or some equivalent so I don’t think he poses too much of a risk to you politically.” I shrugged. “You’ll just have to ask him.”

We stared at each other for a long minute. It felt like she was leaning closer, and her hoof still rested on my thigh. If this were any other mare, I might be amused, or aroused, but with the Princess of the Sun I had no idea what went on behind those inscrutable eyes.

She smiled all of a sudden, and I felt her hoof leave my thigh.

“Well that does sound like a good course of action, doesn’t it? To think all I would have to do is ask if he were dangerous. I don’t think he’d say no.”

“Of course not. You sound like you’ve already got your mind made up on that topic, though.” I said, with a small smirk on my face.

She looked at me for a moment.“In that, you are wrong. I must say that I try to give everyone a chance before I come to any conclusions, and Shezmu is no exception.”

I nodded. “Be that as it may, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re asking me to tell you about him. For all intents and purposes, that sounds a lot like you’re trying to reach a conclusion. Now,” I paused, swallowing. “I don’t blame you. You’ve got responsibilities, and I respect that. But schmoozing with me isn’t going to get you anywhere. I think you already know that, though.”

She grinned, her teeth glittering in the light of the room. “I’m afraid you’ve nailed me down, Stefan. Perhaps we should move on to other, more happy topics?”