"No, that can't be right either."
Erebus lay unceremoniously upon the sheets of the bed he had been provided, the frame barely large enough to fit him. His hands were firmly locked around the corners of a large book, its cover worn and wrinkled. The candle on his nightstand had long since gone out, but the dim light did nothing to impede his eyes, locked on a passage of the current page.
"This one here," He lifted his hand to trace a certain symbol, his brow set in a deep furrow. "It has to mean 'pieces' or 'components' of something... But what?"
He slid his finger over to the next glyph for the thousandth time in the last hour
"It's not 'order', I've already ruled that out." He scowled as his patience began to wear thin.
In the time since Nightshade and Overcast had left him in peace, he had set to work on translating as much of "Predictions and Prophecies" as he could. His original hope had been to find any mention of mythological humans, or perhaps even an event that may coincide with his own resurfacing; alas, his search had bore no such fruit. After exhausting that particular line of thought, he soon found himself aimlessly flipping through the pages, still struggling with the archaic language.
One term specifically had been causing him a great deal of trouble.
"I'm not even gonna lie, the 'Components of balance' sounds just as stupid as the 'Pieces of Order'."
With a groan he snapped the book shut, laying it on top of the nightstand before throwing his head backwards into the waiting pillows. Of course he knew that it was just pictures in a book, but he still couldn't help but feel mildly defeated at the whole venture. As the room went quiet and he stared up at the darkened ceiling, he slowly began to take notice of an awkward sensation; something he hadn't quite taken to mind since he had arrived in the palace.
"Well... If I didn't know any better, I would say that this almost feels normal."
Of course he knew all too well that this was only partly true. He was living in a beautiful castle, populated with a vast assortment of colorful and magical ponies; normal might not be the best way to describe things. Even knowing how strange this seemed, he couldn't help but draw comparisons to the way he lived so long ago. As harsh as life underground could be, he had rarely ever gone without the amenities and luxuries that The City could provide to those in its service.
A smirk settled on his face. "Back then, I might've killed someone for a bed this comfortable."
Sinking down into the sheets he briefly considered getting some shut-eye for an hour or so. It was true that he didn't actually need the rest, but it would provide him an easy way of passing the time. Not only that, but the warmth of the mattress was proving itself to be highly persuasive.
He had very nearly closed his eyes when he suddenly found himself partially blinded by a myriad of golden beams of light. Confusion followed as he tried to blink away the sudden shift in his vision before giving way to embarrassment as he realized it was sunlight filling the room.
"Ah, right. I guess I really should've expected this."
He glanced over at the nightstand, just barely making out the edge of a clock face, peering out from behind his pile of books.
"And I probably should have paid some more attention to that."
Pressing his hand to his forehead, he groaned and peeled himself off the mattress before grabbing his cloak off the bedpost. He slowly began making his way over to the balcony, pulling the fabric over his shoulders as he squinted against the sunrise. The morning air was brisk, but not so cold as to overpower the warmth of the rays that peeked over the distant horizon.
Bracing himself against the balcony railing, he peered downed at the city beneath. Up until now, he had only had the opportunity to catch fleeting glimpses of the bustling metropolis, obscured behind the decorative windows of the castle. Now though, he found himself thoroughly impressed that any city could incorporate artistic flair on such a massive scale.
Just as it was with the palace, the buildings that crowded the streets were constructed of a pure white marble, adorned with similar lavender and golden rooftops. The streets themselves were paved of the same material, only a few small cobblestones breaking up the pattern. A teeming assortment of trees, shrubs, and flowers brought a beautiful vibrance to an already striking city.
What truly amazed him though, was the mountain that held everything in place.
"Who builds a city like this into the side of a mountain?" He gazed up at the looming formation. "It even has a freakin waterfall. This is some prime fantasy bullshit if I've ever seen it."
Dropping his gaze, he noticed that some of the streets were already becoming lively with the distant sounds and shapes of ponies emerging from their houses.
"To think that this is what rose from the dust of humanity's failure... From my failure." He chuckled at the absurdity of it all.
"Despite everything, I think I can live with that."
He was content to stand and watch the morning unfold for a few moments more, when a sudden knock at the door drew his attention. Wheeling around, he had only taken a few steps before a familiar voice called out to him.
"Erebus? It's Princess Luna. If you're decent, may We be allowed to enter?"
Surprised that Luna herself was here to collect him, and that she was so early, Erebus quickly gave his outfit a once-over. The feeling of self-consciousness was foreign, but not entirely unwelcome.
After he was certain that his clothes weren't about to fall apart at the seams, he called out in response.
"Of course, everything's fine Princess. Please, do come in."
Making his way back to the edge of the room, he watched as the door slowly creaked open and Luna poked her head around the threshold. As soon as their eyes met she nodded and pushed herself the rest of the way through, stopping a few feet in front of him.
"Princess Luna, good morning." Erebus bowed politely.
"Erebus," Luna returned the gesture. "We do hope that you had a pleasant evening."
Crossing his arms, Erebus smirked playfully. "Well it's certainly a step up from the past eon, although I was hoping for a personal swimming pool."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes well, We're afraid that our sister had more pressing architectural concerns... Like the royal spa."
"Jokes aside, we assume that Nightshade and Overcast offered you no trouble?"
Erebus shook his head. "Not at all, the both of them were more helpful than I could have asked for."
"That is very good to hear." Luna smiled, her eyes drifting about the room before noticing the mess of books on the nightstand.
"Ah! We see you've been investing your time in some literature."
Her horn glowed as she selected a few volumes from the pile, observing the titles and skimming through the pages.
"'A Treatise on Equestrian Magic', 'Flora and Fauna of The Mainland', and 'History of The Three Tribes'?"
Luna's eyes slowly widened. "Some of these look like they were published centuries ago, and they certainly aren't page turners. Were they any aid in familiarizing you with our world?"
Erebus rubbed the back of his neck, not enthusiastic about the answer to her question. Although he had curated his selection of books with the intention of learning all that he could, his poor translation ability had done little to grant him any valuable insights.
"Ehhh... You could say something like that."
"Oh!" Luna carefully returned the books to the pile. "Well We hope that you will continue your pursuits."
"Princess, I don't mean to change the subject, but what brings you here so early?" Erebus asked. "I'm not complaining, I just remember you saying that you would send for me. I also wouldn't expect someone with your responsibilities to be keen on mornings."
"Your question is understandable." Luna sighed. "Normally, We aren't a morning pony; Celestia will be the first to attest to that. It just so happened that last night was... Less exhausting than usual, so We decided to use such an opportunity to collect you personally."
Erebus just barely took notice of the disquiet in her tone, subtle though it was. Still, it was none of his business, and he set the thought aside.
"Well I am glad to see you either way."
"Likewise." Luna nodded. "Now, We assume that you are curious as to what your schedule will contain today?
"If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't aware that I even had a schedule to begin with." Erebus amusedly raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm against a little organization."
"That may not be the most accurate term to convey what We mean, but it is the simplest." Luna explained. "Remember that you will be allowed most of each day to yourself, but there will be some occurrences that you may be required to attend."
Walking out onto the balcony, she gestured with a hoof for Erebus to follow.
"We know that you've only been in the palace for a day now, but We're certain that you don't want to be cooped up forever."
Erebus shrugged. "Remember, 'forever' is a relative term for me."
"Hah, indeed it is." Luna snickered. "You should still know that Celestia has been going over a few options on how best to allow you into the city proper. She's more than likely to request your presence at some point in the near future."
"There is something else you should know..." She paused momentarily, lightly clearing her throat. "Later today, a royal family from the north will be arriving in Canterlot for an important meeting with our sister; a meeting that We will need attend."
"Ah, politics!" Erebus crossed his arms. "I get this strange feeling that you're going to tell me I'm not invited."
Luna shook her head. "We're afraid that Celestia has requested that you be kept occupied elsewhere while the proceedings are ongoing; you will be on your own for some time."
Leaning forward, Erebus grinned smugly. "Let me tell ya, there's no love lost. I can think of a hundred different things I'd rather do than get caught up in the affairs of the state."
"Yes, well at least you will be enjoying yourself." Luna mumbled. "All the same, there is still some time until We are required." She pointed up at him. "Before then, We had considered that it would only be proper to show you more of what the palace grounds have to offer. Surely you wouldn't mind joining us, would you?"
Erebus was immediately intrigued. While last night had allowed him to become familiar with the library, there was still a great deal about the castle that he wasn't aware of. Knowing that he would be living here for the foreseeable future, a proper tour would allow him some much needed perspective.
"Princess, I would be honored to accompany you." Making his way across the room, he swept the door open and gestured courteously to Luna. "By all means, lead the way."
The lower halls of Canterlot were bustling with commotion. Ponies of all different styles and colors were hurriedly trotting up and down the various corridors, calling out to one another, and generally making themselves as busy as they could. Despite the odd happenings of the past day, the palace staff had long since become accustomed to the potential for disturbances in their daily lives, and as such, knew well how to carry on with their duties regardless.
Quietly humming to herself, a diminutive unicorn made her way down the hall, her eyes barely able to see beyond the cart of freshly dried laundry she was pushing. Turning a corner, she scarcely had time to react before her cart came to an abrupt halt, crashing into something that she couldn't immediately see and sending some of the linens flying off. With a dismayed whinny, she quickly moved to see what had caused the accident.
"Oh my goodness, I hope I didn't hit somepony! Is anypony hu—" She went silent as she saw exactly what had stopped her.
Erebus was stooped over in front of her, a forgiving smile on his face as he reached to pick up the fallen laundry.
"Please, don't trouble yourself Miss. I'm a bit more sturdy than I might seem." He chuckled.
The mare's jaw stood agape, repeatedly failing to come up with any sort of response. Her eyes widened as Erebus shifted, revealing Princess Luna behind him.
"We do apologize for the mess that was caused." Luna said softly.
The unicorn hastily levitated the remaining linens back onto the cart, before bowing to Luna. "O-oh no! No apology is necessary Your Highness!"
"Pray, do forgive my clumsiness, I'll be out of your way immediately." No sooner had the words passed her lips than she had regained control of the cart and scurried down the hall.
Erebus brushed himself off and calmly rested his hands on his hips. "Well, I'd say that one went slightly smoother than the last, wouldn't you?"
Luna looked back at where the mare had disappeared before meeting her companion's gaze.
"We must admit that interaction was less awkward than the few before it. We are still surprised that she spoke to Us at all."
Erebus shrugged. "I'm an unknown variable, you're not. Why wouldn't she address one of her own rulers?"
Luna nodded and the two continued their way down the corridor, Erebus doing his best to give the hallway corners a wide berth.
"We suppose it just seems odd to us because... Well, because the staff usually tends to hold their tongues when in Our presence."
Erebus quizzically raised an eyebrow. "And why is that, if I may ask?"
Luna remained silent for a moment, Erebus noting a brief yet sudden change in her demeanor. Her wings quickly shifted before falling still, and she seemed to have trouble keeping eye contact.
"We are known to be rather old fashioned at times." She lowered her voice. "We also are said to be somewhat... Intimidating to the staff and citizens."
Guessing at her discomfort, Erebus attempted to lighten the mood. "It's a good thing you're with me then, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
Erebus smirked. "Not only am I literally older than dirt, I'm also far more terrifying than anyone might believe you are."
Luna shook her head disapprovingly. "You are far older than Us, but your mannerisms are more open and lenient. To anypony that actually got to know you, you certainly wouldn't come across as frightening."
Something that could be mistaken for a snort escaped Erebus' nose, quickly followed by a gentle but long-winded chuckle. The laughter continued for longer than expected before he composed himself, Luna staring up at him in quiet bewilderment all the while. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. "Still, I'm not sure that you know me as well as you might think."
He shook his head and did his best to wave aside his outburst, an amused smile still hung on his face. "That's neither here nor there, better to just ignore me. After all, didn't you say that you wanted to show me where the kitchen was? Personally, that's a part of the castle I'd love to know about before you get swept away to deal with the day's business."
"Ah... Yes, of course." Luna was clearly unsettled by a response like that one, but did her best to focus on what she had time for. She stopped and raised her hoof down the hall. "Well, from where we are now, the kitchen is partway down that corridor on the left. In fact, if we hadn't gone around past the courtyard earlier, you would find that the kitchen is located almost directly beneath your room."
"Well isn't that a stroke of luck?" Erebus followed her gesture, nodding to her directions. "Not that I have any issue with walking, but I'm glad that I won't have to drag myself across the palace to get a meal."
Luna glanced up at him as they continued forward. "That does raise a good question, you know. What exactly do you eat? The most anypony has seen is when you drank that tea yesterday, and that doesn't explain all that much."
Erebus haphazardly bit his lip before constructing his answer. "Hrmm... Well that depends on whichever answer you prefer, the long or the short."
"Both, We suppose?" Luna did nothing to hide her confusion.
"I'll start with the short." Erebus shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't need to eat anything. It's a side effect of my unnaturally long life."
"Now on that note," He hastily cut off Luna before she could move to question him further. "I still do eat. In fact, there's little I enjoy more than a well prepared meal."
"So then, what's the long answer?" Luna warily questioned.
"The long answer is that I'll eat just about anything." Erebus raised a finger matter-of-factly. "Humans are, by nature, omnivorous; I just take that to the extreme. My body is sustained by unnatural means, and so it stands to reason that nutritional norms need not apply."
"Basically," He put extra emphasis behind his shrug. "My body will never have a reason to reject anything that I eat."
Turning the corner, Erebus could see that his explanation had done little to assuage Luna's thoughts on the matter. Though she was silent for the moment, he could tell from her eyes that she was still attempting to work over the intricacies in her mind. Knowing there was no need to drag on the conversation, he decided to capitalize on her hesitance.
"Listen Luna, it's a lot like breathing... There's never going to be an easy way to explain the mechanics behind it. So instead, just know that I'll happily eat whatever you prepare for me."
Luna's face softened somewhat. "It doesn't make much sense to Us, but We are becoming used to your more enigmatic tendencies. Truly We were just concerned about you going hungry, so We're happy to know otherwise."
The two soon made their way over to a small set of swing-doors, nestled on the left side of the hallway. Moving closer, Erebus immediately noticed a slight increase in temperature, as well as a number of different scents making their way out from the room beyond. Inhaling deeply, he allowed himself to sort through the mixture of aromas, each renewed breath dredging up memories that he hadn't considered in millennia.
"Okay, no lack of necessity is going to keep me away from whatever's in there."
"Princess," He looked over at Luna. "I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorite rooms in the palace."
"Then by all means, go right ahead. That is the whole reason We brought you here." Luna gestured toward the doors.
Nodding and taking a step forward, Erebus reached out his hand and pushed himself through the leftmost door with one clean motion, a gust of warm air rushing to greet him. As he entered he held the door open to allow Luna through, though his eyes remained fixed firmly on the space ahead of him. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the difference in lighting. Many of the halls outside had a number of windows and arches that allowed the sunlight to fill them, while the kitchen was seemingly lit mainly by a large brick oven that sat in the corner. Something else that he quickly took note of was a distinct absence of the artistic flair that permeated much of the palace; the room was clean and well-kept, but not overly embellished.
"A bit more quaint than I might've thought."
Situated in the center of the room was a long counter that lay mostly cleared, with only a cutting board and some knives in clear view. Looking up, a number of drying racks caught his eye, adorned with herbs, braids of garlic, and a few items that he couldn't identify. Lining the back wall were shelves of different sizes, housing items that ranged from books and wooden cartons, to jars that were both empty and filled to the brim with unknown substances.
Seeing Luna slip past him towards the counter, he released his grip and allowed the door to gently swing back into place, before moving up to where she had stopped.
"So Erebus, what would be your 'professional opinion'?" Luna asked, half-jokingly.
Erebus snorted. "I'm afraid that I'm no architectural connoisseur, and I'm definitely not used to seeing so much wood used in furniture." He briefly ran a hand over the grain of the countertop. "All the same, everything looks clean, well stocked, and it smells heavenly to boot. I would say that's deserving of my approval, whatever it's worth."
"We may have asked in jest, but your approval does matter." Luna replied. "You are a guest in Canterlot, it's only fitting that no expense be spared in making sure that you enjoy your stay."
"And I really do appreciate the thought." Erebus couldn't help but smile at her words. "You can take me at my word when I say that I haven't been any more comfortable in my life than I have been over the past day."
Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of creaking wood drew Erebus' attention toward a now open door at the back of the room. Looking on, he spotted a grey coated earth pony stallion making their way out into the kitchen, not immediately aware of him or Luna. As the pony finished closing the door and turned to face them, Erebus couldn't help but prepare for what he expected to be the most likely reaction, hurriedly stepping behind Luna in a vain attempt that she be noticed before him.
An attempt that didn't seem to be necessary.
"Ah! Princess Luna, I certainly wasn't expecting Your Majesty to grace my humble kitchen!" The pony grinned warmly and promptly trotted over to properly greet her. "Begging your pardon if you were waiting on me, I thought I heard somepony, but I was busy checking over the pantry's stocks."
Moving around the counter, the stallion bowed and righted himself, before his eyes fell on Erebus.
"Well I'll be!" The pony's face lit up. "Your Majesty has even brought our esteemed guest to see me as well! I should have dressed for the occasion."
"That's... Not the reaction I was expecting." Erebus raised an eyebrow.
"Myles, truly you're as forward as ever." Luna's response was measured. "We know that We don't visit very often, but you don't need to blow this out of proportion."
"I'm afraid it's just the way that I am, Princess." The stallion chuckled heartily. "Besides, I'm always excited at the thought of meeting somepony so different."
"We suppose you do make a fair point." Luna glanced back at her companion, moving aside and motioning for him to step forward. "Myles, We would like to introduce you to Erebus, the very first human to visit Canterlot."
Moving closer, Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as the stallion looked up at him with a large smile. His last few encounters had been met with a good deal of panic, and even Auburn Study had been fairly cautious upon meeting him. The fact that this pony showed no visible fear or hesitance upon seeing him had caught him slightly off guard.
"Can't say I know much about humans, but you're a celebrity if ever there was one! I must say, It's a damn good pleasure to make your acquaintance Erebus, a pleasure indeed!" The pony dipped his head respectfully and held out his hoof.
Erebus almost instinctively reached out his own hand in kind, drawing back to nearly every person he had ever greeted. It was a full moment before he came to the realization that ponies didn't even have hands to shake, and he was likely misunderstanding the gesture.
Seeing this brief pause, the stallion simply pushed out his hoof a bit further, planting it firmly in the palm of the outstretched hand before him.
His smile only widened as he saw the visible confusion on Erebus' face. "Now don't go and be too surprised. Canterlot plays host to all sorts of diplomats, and I'm a very outgoing fellow. I think you'll find I know how to deal with a handshake."
Rebounding from his confusion, Erebus stared down at his hand for a short moment, somewhat impressed by the confidence he was being shown. Looking the pony in the eyes, he nodded before securing his grip and giving the hoof a firm shake.
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, what exactly should I call you by?" Erebus asked.
"Ah yes, of course! There I go getting ahead of myself." The stallion scoffed. "The name's Myles... Myles Raleigh Edison. Frankly I have no idea what my parents were thinking when they thought that up, but I'll have no problems at all if you just call me by Myles, same as everypony else."
"That's an oddly specific name to have."
"Alright then, it's a pleasure to meet you Myles." Erebus shook the hoof once more before releasing his grip.
"So then, with the formalities all well and done, I do want to apologize if either of you were looking for a full meal." Dropping his hoof to the floor, Myles looked back at Luna. "I've a small batch of bagels about to come out of the oven, but a lot of what I made up earlier has already gone off to that fancy meeting you're set to attend."
"Our visit was simply a tour, so there's no need to worry yourself. We will be just fine as We are." Luna replied.
"Myles does make a good point though." She shifted to face Erebus. "If the food has already been delivered to the main hall, it won't be long before Celestia sends somepony off to go and retrieve Us."
Erebus crossed his arms and nodded. "She does strike me as the type to make sure everything is on time and in order. I assume this means you'll be leaving me all on my lonesome to fend for myself?"
Luna's expression turned to mock disbelief. "Why, you wouldn't be accusing Us of poor judgment, now would you? After all, We have only the highest degree of faith in you."
"Although," She pointed to Myles, who was busying himself with a large baking tray. "You could always ask him to protect you."
"Ha! I'm quite flattered, Your Majesty. Still, I'm not likely to be doing much 'protecting' with my condition." Myles called out from behind the counter.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" He hastily set aside his work to focus on Luna. "Your Majesty, if it isn't too much trouble, could you give my regards to Captain Shining Armor? It has been a while, and he isn't likely to see me during his visit."
"Of course, We're certain the captain will be glad to know you still think of him." Luna nodded, before positioning herself near the exit, her hoof resting on the door.
"Erebus?" She craned her neck towards him. "We may be occupied for some time, so do try to stay out of trouble."
"I can't promise anything." Erebus merely shrugged. "Trouble has a really bad habit of finding me."
He watched as Luna sighed and pushed herself through the doorway, calling out as she left. "Then let's hope that isn't the case today!"
As her voice faded and the door swung shut, Erebus found himself letting out a sigh of his own, becoming all too aware that he had no real plans for the rest of the day. Certainly he still had some books with him, and while he was enticed at the thought of a few hours of reading in the gardens, he knew that would only occupy him for so long.
"I'm going to have to think of ways to entertain myself, at least until Celestia decides to let me out of here".
His thoughts were cut short by the sound of metal being scraped against metal. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Myles rummaging through the oven with a baking tray, likely removing the bagels he had mentioned earlier. Moving a few feet closer, he decided to see if he couldn't be of some use.
"I uh, I don't suppose you need any help with that, do you?"
"Help? With this?" Myles quickly glanced back from inside the oven, still very much focused on his work. "No need to bother yourself, I'm quite capable."
"I wasn't implying that you weren't. I just remember you saying something about a condition that you had."
Though he couldn't immediately answer, Myles looked mildly confused as he carefully removed the bagels. Gently setting the tray onto the counter, he turned to close the oven door, before a moment of realization suddenly dawned on him.
"Ah, right... That." He nodded. "It's not something I associate with my work, so it didn't register when you said it. I'd have no problem explaining it to you though."
He paused to wipe a bead of sweat that traced his forehead, before locking eyes with Erebus. "You see, I actually used to be a member of the royal guard, believe it or not. Golden armor, clean white coat, stoic expression, and all the bells and whistles that go along with it."
Erebus, now intrigued, leaned a bit closer. "You were a soldier? It doesn't seem like you kept going in that line of work."
"A soldier? That's a generous way to put it." Myles shook his head. "The royal guard doesn't do too much in the way of soldiering anymore. They serve their purpose, but it's a whole lot of ceremony these days."
"And no, it obviously didn't pan out." He turned and brought a hoof up to a spot on his temple. "This beautiful little mark here keeps me from doing anything that's necessary to wear that armor."
Focusing where Myles had pointed, Erebus noticed a patch of fur that didn't seem to match up with the rest of the coat; a well hidden, yet sizeable scar that ran back behind the ears.
"I had the good fortune to pick this up during a misunderstanding with a griffon." Myles explained. "I decided I was going to break up an altercation he was involved in... He decided he was going to shove me off the closest balcony."
"Now us earth ponies are usually regarded to be made of pretty stern stuff. A two story fall though?" He gently tapped the scar and smirked. "Let's just say that I'd never wanted to be born a pegasus until that exact moment. My helmet caved in on my head... Not pretty."
Erebus couldn't help but grimace at the thought. He'd had the chance to see plenty of gruesome injuries throughout his lifetime, and as far as he was concerned, falling was only just beat out by burning. Honestly, the fact that Myles had seemingly recovered so well was somewhat impressive.
"After the whole incident was said and done, the doctors had a field day with me. They did what they could and closed me back up, but everypony knew the internal damage was beyond repair." Myles continued on. "As you can see, it didn't leave me crippled or anything, but it was more than enough to get me a medical discharge from service."
Erebus slowly raised an eyebrow at Myles, intrigued at his openness, but still feeling like he was missing part of the story.
"So then, how exactly did you go from a royal guard to the royal chef?"
"Now that's a very good question, and one I get asked an awful lot." Myles nodded into empty space. "However, the answer is particularly long winded, and I don't have all the time in the world to share it with you today."
"For now, I'll just give you a demonstration of why I'm good at my job. I take it that a tall fella like you could go for something to eat right about now, right?"
Erebus couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at Myles' sidestepping the question, but he understood that things were busy around the castle and not everyone would have time to humor him. More importantly, he had to come up with an answer of his own.
"You know, I'm all for taking you up on that offer, but I really have no idea what I would want."
Myles just laughed. "If only I had a bit for every time that somepony told me that. Don't you worry, I'm fairly confident I can scrounge together something that you'll enjoy."
Walking around to the other side of the counter, he stopped to pick up a small woven basket in his mouth, before making his way over to the pantry and slipping inside. For a few minutes, he remained just out of sight, mumbling to himself and shuffling through the contents of darkened shelves. When he finally reemerged he had filled the basket with only a few small items.
Resting his hooves on the countertop, he looked over at Erebus. "Now, I have a decent eye for this kind of thing, and I can tell that you probably eat a fair deal of meat; no judgement on that, it's just the way life is. Usually we have appropriate stock for visitors like yourself, but you weren't exactly expected, so I'm afraid we'll have to make do."
"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine with whatever." Erebus answered.
"Not picky eh? That's always good." Myles nodded and began removing the items from the basket, explaining as he went. "Most of what I have here is pretty basic; just some chives, a cucumber, and some capers. Nothing fancy, but simplicity has a quality all its own."
Erebus leaned in closer to the ingredients. Back in the city, hydroponic farms were plentiful, so he was generally familiar with most of the items he saw, excepting the small bottle of capers. What truly drew his eye was a small block of something that had been placed off to the side.
Myles took notice of his interest and placed his hoof over the item. "Oh right, I almost went right past this. We get regular shipments of this cream cheese in from Fillydelphia. It's a bit of a chore to keep it from turning too quickly, but the nobles can't go more than a few days without the stuff."
"Fillydelphia?"
Erebus wasn't exceptionally well taught on Old-World cities, but that name served to bother him profusely.
"Yeah, big city out on the east coast." Myles was busy rummaging through a drawer. "Bit of slum these days if you ask me, but nopony that lives there really seems to care that much."
Erebus looked on as Myles produced a small wooden block with a cutout in the center. He was confused for only a moment, before he watched the cook slot one of the bagels within the object and begin slicing with a nearby bread knife. While he was still somewhat confused by the mere ability for an equine to grip objects with hooves, his astonishment was tempered by the fact that they obviously still needed assistance with tasks that might require more articulation.
He was just considering whether it was worth questioning Myles on his seemingly impossible grip when a sudden sensation caused him to stiffen up. A brief, but indistinct and impossible chill forcing its way across his back.
Even while preoccupied, Myles obviously noticed the abrupt change in demeanor.
"Hey, you okay there? You look like a ghost just passed through you."
Erebus didn't answer, not immediately. Instead, he swung himself around on the spot before glaring intensely at a corner of the room devoid of anything but a few barrels.
Myles gave him a slightly concerned look. "Erebus? There's uh... Nothing there."
Erebus responded without flinching. "No. There's something there alright. No mistaking that."
"Are you sure it's not just a rat? They do occasionally make their way int-"
Myles was cut short by a rather disgruntled snort emanating from the corner.
"A rat?!" A mocking voice followed the sound. "I beg your pardon Myles, but I'll have you know that I don't have a single speck of rat in me!"
Out of the ether, Erebus watched a large and quite disordered creature materialize, its mismatched arms crossed and a scowl set upon its face. He wasn't entirely certain what to make of this newcomer, but he knew that he was intensely unsettled by their very presence.
Myles groaned and spoke up from behind them. "Discord! What have I told you about sneaking around in my kitchen? Scratch that... What have the Princesses told you about sneaking around in my kitchen?!"
Erebus looked on as this "Discord" simply yawned and began leaning itself on empty air, his discomfort immediately growing more intense.
"I'm certain I haven't the faintest clue of what you're talking about Myles. I have all the power I could ever want, and still you throw around accusations like I'd stoop to being some common food filcher!"
Myles just shook his head and tried to focus on putting the bagel together. "Listen Discord, just use the door next time, would you? You know... Like everypony else does."
"Bah!" Discord waved a paw dismissively. "Just as boring as ever! It's a good thing I'm not here for you or your cooking!"
"I take it you're here for me then, am I right?"
Erebus broke his silence but clung loosely to his defensive demeanor, his eyes locked squarely on Discord. He couldn't imagine that the Princesses would allow anything overtly malicious to roam their palace, but he wasn't about to let this one out of his sight.
"Definitely not you."
Discord shifted his gaze from Myles and grinned exuberantly at Erebus. He straightened himself off of his invisible perch and sauntered closer. Even with how tall Erebus was, Discord still had to twist his body to avoid speaking over his head.
"Well well well. You certainly are the astute one, aren't you? I must admit, I'm still somewhat surprised that you managed to see me coming. Nopony ever sees me coming!"
"I have a keen sense for things that can't be seen." Erebus was still forced to tilt his gaze upwards. "That aside, what exactly do you want with me?"
Discord remained unfazed by the stand-offish attitude, opting to simply chuckle and reach his paw forward as if to shake Erebus' hand. "Isn't it obvious? Word gets around quickly in a place as small as this. I'm here to welcome one of the only things on this planet that's older than me! I didn't believe I'd ever find an opportunity to even speak those words."
Erebus looked down at the paw in front of him, then back up to Discord, one of his eyebrows raised.
"Oh come on now!" Discord feigned rejection. "You don't believe I'd do anything mischievous, now would you? You're far too interesting for me to upset you just yet."
Erebus sighed, he wasn't in the mood to deal with this creature but he could tell that they were far too eccentric to leave him alone without getting some attention first. Careful to keep his defenses up, he slowly reached out and grasped the lion paw with his hand before giving it a half-hearted shake.
"There now, you see? That wasn't so hard now-" Discord's face contorted slightly and he wrenched his paw away before he could finish. "Gyaah! Sweet Celestia, your hand is freezing! Do you get any sunlight under that cloak?!"
Erebus had to force himself to keep his face straight, regardless of how badly he wanted to smirk. He might have let his defenses go off a little more strongly than anticipated. He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his right hand, flexing his fingers.
"Sorry about that. I did live underground for a million years after all."
Discord tried to hide his confusion and displeasure. "Yes, well you would do well to hang around Celestia for a few decades."
Behind his counter, Myles was chuckling at the whole exchange. "Oh now that's rich. Discord's usually the one causing that kind of expression."
Discord shot him an icy glare. "With good reason you know! I'm the Lord of Chaos! Even reformed, I can't just go and give up everything about myself."
Myles just sighed. "Relax Discord, there's nothing wrong with some laughter at your expense every now and again."
He shifted his gaze back to Erebus. "At any rate, I just finished up this bagel for you. I know it isn't much, but I've got to keep most of these other ones for later on."
Erebus smiled, walking over to retrieve the food. It was simple, there was no denying that, but he was still certain that it would be incredible after all this time without a proper meal.
"Thank you Myles, I really do appreciate it." He reached out to shake the chef's hoof for a second time.
Myles quickly reciprocated. "No trouble at all sir. And don't you be a stranger to this kitchen. Even if I'm swamped, I'll be sure to have something for you if you ever want it."
"Again, thank you." Erebus reached out and grabbed the bagel, still slightly warm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find a quiet spot to eat this, preferably a courtyard."
Myles quickly spoke up. "Take a left out of here and there's a spot three hallways down. A left and two rights, in that order. It's pretty big so it shouldn't be hard to find."
Erebus nodded. "You're quite the helper, you know that? I don't think I'd get much direction from the other ponies roaming the palace."
Myles shook his head. "Don't think too much on it, I'm sure that they'll come around to you in due time. Especially if they can put up with Discord."
"You do realize that I'm still in the room, don't you?" Discord huffed and crossed his arms. "I'd prefer it if you didn't go and act like I didn't exist."
Myles kept his gaze on Erebus and motioned his head towards the door. "It's probably best you get going. Before he goes and gets bored."
Erebus took that advice at face value. He wasn't entirely certain what Discord was capable of, but he wasn't at all keen on finding out.
"You're probably right on that." He began making his way toward the door. "I don't think the day needs to get any more interesting than it has already."
Before he could take another step, Discord spoke up from the corner, a smug grin on his face.
"Oh... More interesting you say?
"Discord! Don't you da-"
A loud snap echoed through the room.
Luna made her way down each successive hallway, rounding corner after corner. She was moving quickly, but not too quickly; after all, it wouldn't do for a princess to be seen trotting down the halls, much less cantering. As she moved, she tried her best to remain focused on the meeting ahead of her. She had only met with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor a few times since her return, and even then Celestia had done much of the talking. While Celestia had always been adamant that the pair would have no trouble in warming up to Luna, she still felt slightly out of place around them.
"It's clear that Princess Cadance and her husband hold my sister in only the highest of regards. However, We are not our sister."
Rounding out her anxiousness was the thought of leaving Erebus all to himself. Yes, it was true that she trusted him, and Myles would be excellent company. Still, she didn't expect him to remain cooped up in the kitchen all day. He was bound to be wandering the palace at some point. She could only hope that everything went well for him today.
"The smoother things go for him, the smoother this will all be for Celestia."
Her ruminations were cut short as she approached the door to the great hall. She straightened up and did her best to clear her mind as the two guards flanking the door bowed and opened it for her. Making her way through, she was greeted by the sight of her sister standing off to the side of a table laden with food of all sorts. Celestia was busying herself smiling and chatting with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, as well as a few other dignitaries that were set to attend this conference.
Celestia was the first to notice Luna's arrival. "Ah, Luna! It's good that you're here. We were set to begin in just a few minutes."
"Oh good, at least We aren't late."
"Princess Luna!"
As she walked further towards the group, Luna was taken off guard by Cadance moving to greet her, Shining Armor following not too far behind.
"It's so good to see you again! You know, it's strange really. I always thought that we would be meeting a lot more frequently
since Shining and I took charge of the Empire."
Luna couldn't help but smile with a genuine warmth. It was well known that Cadance's enthusiasm was a bit infectious at times. Clearly she took a great deal of her social cues from Celestia.
"Princess Cadance, it is good to see you too. You as well Prince Shining Armor. Though you shouldn't put too much thought into the frequency of these meetings. We can assure you that they are likely to only increase throughout your reign."
Cadance nodded. "I suppose you're right on that. The Crystal Empire is still in need of a great deal of assistance, so I can only assume that we'll be returning regularly, at least until trade and the economy can stabilize."
Shining Armor spoke up. "You can't imagine how much we appreciate your and Celestia's help with this. Even after Sombra's defeat, getting supplies to the Empire has truly been a struggle."
Luna nodded in agreement. She knew well that Sombra had been less then gracious in his first defeat. It had been a wonder that he wasn't able to cause much more damage before his second. It made securing new supply lines all the more important to the Empire flourishing once again.
"We can only imagine as much. Please know that We will do everything under our authority to ensure that both you and your citizens are well looked after."
"We will indeed." Celestia spoke up from behind the trio, carrying the other ponies in tow. "With that in mind, shall we begin these proceedings? I'm certain there will be plenty of time to catch up on other matters afterwards."
"Yes, of course sister." Luna nodded, motioning to Cadance and Shining before finding her seat at one end of the table.
After a few moments had passed and everyone had seated themselves, Celestia smiled and began addressing the assembly.
"Everypony, thank you for being here today. I'm aware that a few of you are here on short notice. I want you to know that your time is very much appreciated. The matter of discussion is certainly one of great importance."
Celestia continued. "Getting to the topic at hoof, everypony should know well that we are here to discuss the strain that is currently plaguing the only efficient supply line with the Crystal Empire, the rail lines. More pointedly, the lack thereof. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, would you please explain the situation from your end?"
"Of course." Cadance replied. "As I'm certain you are all aware, since its return the Crystal Empire has been suffering from a deficit of supplies that are vital to strengthening its economy. This isn't to say that we don't receive supplies, it simply means that the current demand can't be met with the available means. The Empire is much larger than any of the settlements across Equestria, and its infrastructure reflects that."
Shining Armor followed up. "There are a number of settlements to the south that have been gracious enough to offer aid, but they all have to contend with the single line that runs through the mountains. To the east, we only have Rainbow Falls, which isn't nearly large enough to sufficiently offset this."
"Thank you both." Celestia began again. "The way that the situation currently stands, there are no other truly efficient means of large scale transportation through the mountain range. Therefore, the only effective means of remedying this should be the most straightforward. We must commission the construction of a second railroad and more trains to help shoulder the existing one's load."
"For this reason, I've taken the liberty of inviting the current superintendent in charge of railway operations throughout Equestria." She pointed towards a stocky earth pony to her left before continuing. "Thank you for coming, would you please introduce yourself an—"
Before Celestia could finish her sentence, a bright flash and a short but distinct musical note filled the air around them all. Or rather, above them.
Luna looked on in knowing horror as she watched Erebus appear a good few meters above the table, holding what appeared to be a bagel, before abruptly hurtling down onto a waiting bowl of punch. The ensuing chaos was messy, violent, and short-lived, followed closely by a stunned silence. A lone human sprawled out on the table, punch splattered all over himself and Celestia, the both of them sharing nearly the exact same perturbed and haunted expression.
Celestia sat there, her face completely drenched. She didn't make a move, not even a sound. She just remained still, eyes wide and her nostrils visibly flaring. Likewise, what could be seen of Erebus' face was just as stoic. His apparent rage at the situation was much more palpable though, one of his hands tightly clenched into a fist.
The only pony that dared to move was Shining Armor, tearing himself out of his seat and preparing a spell on his horn. He was just about to open his mouth when a fit of raucous laughter erupted from much high above them all.
"Oh my! That... That was better than I possibly could have planned it to be!"
The group looked up to see an extremely elated Discord floating in the air above them. He was currently coiled in on himself due to how hard he was laughing, but he still had his eyes firmly transfixed on the mess on display beneath him.
"You know, it's really a bit odd. I was entirely certain that I was aiming to drop you directly on top of Celestia, and I never miss! This though... This is amazing!"
"Discord!" Luna growled and jumped up. "We may put up with your mischief around the castle on the daily, but this is beyond unacceptable!"
She looked on as Erebus slowly began to pull himself up off of the table, his bared teeth visible for only a second before settling into a scowl. He was absolutely soaked, no part of his armor or clothing spared from the incident, his hair clinging tightly to his forehead. Climbing off of the table, he straightened himself out, sighing through his nostrils before turning to Celestia and bowing more deeply than Luna had ever seen him do.
"Princess Celestia, I... I am mortified that I had any part in thi-"
Celestia quickly raised a hoof, her expression still unchanged.
"This is not your fault."
Without even gazing up to look at him, Celestia shifted her focus to the culprit.
"Discord! Get down here this instant!"
Surprisingly, the Lord of Chaos actually complied. Still chuckling uncontrollably, he snapped his left claw and popped up in the spot where Erebus had once been, a look of pure contentment set on his face.
"Why, Princess Celestia, whatever can I do for you?" He snapped again and a hair dryer appeared in his claw. "Do you perhaps need one of these? I would heavily suggest taking a bath first."
Celestia's eyes narrowed. Luna knew that look all too well. Even for someone like Discord, it didn't bode well.
"Discord, we have allowed you to frequent Canterlot and accepted your more innocent behavior as simply part of your nature. This is completely out of line though!"
"Really? This is what gets to you?" Discord waved a paw nonchalantly. "Have you forgotten what I was capable of before my reformation?"
"Discord!" Celestia snapped. "This is an important meeting that you just ruined! What's more, you involved Erebus in all of this! You will learn boundaries Discord, else I might reconsider the Elements of Harmony."
Discord's face mellowed out slightly, an eyebrow raised. "You wouldn't dare."
Celestia's glare only intensified.
"Oh fine then! I know when my company isn't appreciated."
Without another word, Discord snapped his fingers and vanished from the room in a brief flash of light, leaving just as much a mess as when he arrived. The room quickly returned to an uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by some surprised gasps and the sound of punch dripping off Celestia and Erebus.
"Erebus." Celestia was the first to speak. "I want this to be absolutely clear to you. You take no part in the blame for this situation. That falls entirely upon Discord... And myself, for not giving you any prior warning of his activities."
Erebus nodded, but his tone remained dour. "I understand, Princess Celestia. Still, I can't help but feel somewhat responsible."
"Pay that no mind, it wasn't your fault." Celestia sighed. "For the moment, I'm going to ask the guard to escort you back to your room, just until Luna and I can sort everything out here. That should give you some time to clean yourself off, and allow me some time to do the same and explain your presence to everypony here."
Her gaze softened as she continued. "Just take this time to relax. I'm going to reschedule this meeting for later today. After all this is taken care of, I'll send somepony for you. I'd like to speak with you privately."
Erebus looked disconcerted at that last comment, but he didn't have much time to consider it as Luna came up from behind him.
"Come with Us, Erebus. We'll let the guards know." Luna smiled up at him. "Celestia's right, you did nothing wrong."
Erebus sighed, turning to follow behind Luna. The whole room silently watched as the pair made their way to the door, all eyes trained on the man.
As the two exited, a swirl of hushed murmurs came from the group of dignitaries that had been completely dumbfounded up till this moment. The only ponies that kept their composure were Cadance and Shining Armor, though they were clearly still disturbed by the whole event.
"Princess, are you okay?" Cadance held a look of genuine worry on her face.
"I'm quite fine, Cadance." Celestia huffed lightly but smiled all the same. "A bit of a mess, but still fine."
Shining Armor was quick to interject. "Princess Celestia, who exactly was that?"
Celestia gently raised a hoof. "Patience Shining Armor, I promise Luna and I will explain everything after our current business is concluded."
Raising herself and her voice slightly, she called out to the other ponies. "Everypony, I personally apologize for Discord's unforeseen intrusion. I will be excusing myself for a short time in order to wash up. I'll also send for this mess to be taken care of. In the meantime, I'll ask that you remain here. My sister will return shortly to take my place until I return."
Celestia lifted herself from her seat and began making her way out of the room, doing her utmost to hide how she currently felt. Purposefully or not, Discord had given her a lot to think about.