Thomas:
Thomas perked up when he heard the soft hoof falls approach the large doors to he dining room. 'Don't let this be another servant.' He thought in dismay, Thomas had been waiting long enough to have a servant lead him to the kitchen. Where he had baked a cake from scratch. ’Still can't remember where I learned that recipe, though it looked delicious.' He thought salivatingly. He really hoped they liked it. Still they had some time before it was done being decorated with the frosting he made. The head chef had insisted they finished it. 'Though Celestia lookes upset wonder what's up.' He thought waving Celestial and Luna over.. He was surprised to see a third pony following them. 'Hmm silver armor let's see, oh yes she's storm guard. Looks to be a captain if I recall correctly.' He proudly thought to himself. Until he tried to recall who told him that.
"Ah Mr. Thomas you're looking healthy." Celestial said walking over to the round table. She managed a small smile for her guest.
"Oh yes I'm fit as a horse your Highness." Thomas said smiling broadly. It then occurred to him that he may have just insulted the princess.
"That was an odd way of saying that." Celestial said with a laugh. Thomas watched amazed as her stress visibly melted away with that one action. "So I take that as a human term how strange." She mused slipping into her seat opposite Thomas. "It's good to see that our worlds are not so different." She said taking her seat. Her face went from pleasant to confused when she noted that both Luna and lightning dancer chose spots a little to close to Thomas. "Luna?!" Celestial hissed in warning.
"It's OK I'm used to this by now." Thomas said with a laugh. "By the way captain what brings to Canterlot is Cloudsdale so dull?" He laughed as Lightning blushed.
"I'm here as a envoy to see your release and reinstatement as king." Lightning announced with pride.
"OK?" Thomas replied confused. "What do you mean reinstatement as king?" The look on his face said it all namely disbelief. "I mean no disrespect but I'm not even from this world." Thomas explain easily. 'Not to mention pretty sure I'm the wrong species.' He laughed to himself.
"Oh of your not let's just say we've been expecting you. Though you're superior to your pictures." Lightning said pulling a small hoof drawn picture out of her armor. It was a decent picture of his five year old self. Lightning suddenly found the picture being levitated out of her hands. "Hey that's mine!" She cried reaching out for her picture.
"Technically this belongs to Thomas." Luna said levitating the picture over to Thomas. "Though I must say I would like one as well." She said somewhat sadly. "I wish we had more paintings of him." She mumbled trying not to cry. "I'm happy uncle found a successor." Luna smiled at Thomas.
"Successor, no I'm not interested." Thomas declared holding his hands up defensively. "I mean my race no longer has monarchs." He explained hoping to dissuade the eager little pony. She simply looked at him with large pleading puppy dog eyes. "Sorry captain my race has a high cute tolerance, especially the males." Thomas said dismissively trying not to laugh at Lightning,s disappointed expression.
"A most dangerous ability in Equestrian politics." Celestia remarked laughingly. "So my dear captain what's your plan now?" She asked snidely innocent.
"Actually before we continue in such a strange direction I wanted to request something." Thomas said interrupting the increasingly bizzar conversation.
"Oh and what is it that yo would have of me?" Celestia asked her muzzle betraying her curiosity.
"Well I was kinda hoping that you would let me join your guards." Thomas asked feeling a little uncomfortable with stares he was receiving. 'Maybe turning down the the offer to be king wasn't the best way to ask for the a job.' He thought looking around the room for inspiration. "I get it, weird request seeing what I just turned down but..." He paused looking for exactly the right words. "I was raised for guard duty or more accurately to be a private military guard. I don't know any other kind of life and at least this time I would be in control of my own mind." Thomas finished staring up at the sky.
"You really are his successor." Celestia replied looking ashamed. "Tempest said something closed when our mother asked him to take over her job." She shook her main causing it to flutter more. "He kept insisting that he was a soldier first not some political pony. He kept adamant that war and the monarchy should stay separate, I should have listened more." Celestia said looking more and more dejected.
Thomas didn't know how to feel on one hand he felt like the princesses were family, on the other he knew something was off ever since he arrived. Still deep inside he also knew he didn't want to see either princess cry. Again he scanned the room and this time he spotted his escape in the form of a small waiter poking her head through a side door.
"Ah, looks like my surprise for you gals is ready." He said motioning the servant to bring in his cake. "I know its not much but as a thankyou for taking my sister and I in, I baked a cake."
Luna:
Several hours had passed since the conversation with Thomas in the small lunch area and Luna was back in her room stuffed with a delicious cake. 'He hasn't lost his touch chocolate cake withe vanilla custard filling and whipped cloud frosting.' Nightmare said as Luna rubbed her belly in satisfaction.
"For once we can agree on something." Luna replied groggily. "Still to think he doesn't want his throne back!" She sad flipping onto her side.'Would you he was slain for it last time.' Nightmare hissed she then sighed. 'Listen I'm not the badmare here even before I only cared about making us happy.' Luna was surprised Nightmare was being reasonable. "Well I guess we are stuck with each other." Luna said tentative wondering what Nightmare was getting at. 'I want to protect him this time. He's our uncle and we should be able to protect him.' She whispered to Luna's mind. "But he's not. Thomas is not Tempest!" Luna exclaimed back louder then she intended. 'Right... Riiight, that's perfect he's not our uncle only a king.' Nightmare laughed an idea forming in her semi deranged mind. "What are you getting at Nightmare?" Luna asked concerned. 'He's a king and we are a princess what do kings do with princesses?' Night made asked victoriously. "No that's... Just no." Luna said slightly disturbed by Nightmares proposal. 'And why not is he's practically alone and a stunning specimen of his species.' Nightmare argued happily. "Point one wrong species. Point two has ourour uncle's memories. Point three... Point three... Uhmm." Luna couldn't think of a good point three. 'Listen I admit there may be complications. But its us or some pony else like star maybe.' Nightmare said calling the image to Luna's mind. Luna found that she couldn't stand the site. "Alright you win how do we do this."
'Step one my girl give him what he wants but keep him close.' Nightmare said almost sagely. "So how do we do that?" Luna asked confused. 'Simple we make him a lunar guard.' Nightmare stated proudly. "Won't that be dangerous?" Luna queried concerned. 'I don't think he cares child his people live in space. Believe me it is unpleasant.' Nightmare said remembering a thousand years. "OK what's next?" Luna brushed off the comment. 'Easy show him we can meet his needs.' She proclaimed happily ignorant of human norms. "Oh I can get what's on his list for armor repair Twilight might have some of it." Luna said excitedly finally able to contribute to the plan. 'And the final piece of the puzzle is to show him our appeal.' Nightmare finished trying her hardest time sound lustful. "Oh, how would we... Rarity! Rarity would know how to do that she's got spike going after her." Luna said clapping her hooves together. 'Oh I had forgotten that... Uhm is there a nice way to say tramp?' Nightmare asked coldy. "Uhmm I think you say madam." Luna finished smiling ignorant of what Nightmare meant. 'So back to Ponytown?' She said not touching Luna's last comment. "Yep I can't wait to see my friends again." Luna said enthusiastically. 'Fine but no bringing Thomas Twilight wouldn't let us leave if we did.' Nightmare said already dreading such an encounter.
Celestia:
Celestia paced her office area. She had long ago chosen the room to get work done and knew nopony would disturb her here. Still the day's events kept her from working. 'I'm tryed so hard to ensure he wasn't being influenced by Tempest's memories, yet he goes and uses my uncle's recipe for cloud cake.' She thought in fustration. 'The infusion must be more prevalent than in anticipated. In which case I can't remove his new memories without a totsaidind wipe.' Celestia thought sadly. She stopped pacing she still had documents to sign and peruse. 'Right Equestria first.' She though buckling down to work.
Before she could begin however she heard some pony knock at her door. 'Really, what pony in their right mind...' She thought ripping the doors open. Her anger melted as soon as she saw who was standing at her door.
"Twilight! What brings you here?" Celestia exclaimed pleasantly surprised.
"The girls wanted me to check on the creatures you pulled from the Everfree." Twilight said meekly.
"Well they're well." Celestia moaned dejectedly.
"Oh and Rainbow mentioned that your uncle Tempest is back?" Twilight asked confused.
"Should have known, so what does she know about him?" Celestia asked exasperated.
"Said her mother was captain of his personal guard?" Twilight replied almost proudly.
"So Lightning Dancer is her mother of coarse." Celestia was half torn between laughing and sobbing in frustration. 'Why do all my pegasai seem to be secret servants of my long dead uncle?' She thought marching back to her small writing area. "So what else did you here is Fluttershy a secret agent?" Celestia moaned.
"Oh no, but her father is a general in his army." Twilight replied worried. "Also did you issue armor change for the guards?" Twilight asked confused.
"What!" Celestia shouted yanking her door open again. Looking outside she spotted her normal appointment of guards save every Pegasus was wearing storm guard armor. "Well I guess I found my security leak!" She called angrily. 'This was supposed to stay under wraps till I figured things out!' She thought turning back to Twilight. "Sorry it's been an extremely trying week." Celestia said bringing her hoof to the bridge of her muzzle.
"Is your uncle one of those ponies like Blue blood." Twilight asked shuddering.
"Heavens no he's actually quite nice and he is not my uncle." Celestia said sadness returning. "Twilight I need to tell you about what happened between my uncle and I." She said turning solemn.