FEB 28 Sunday.

I smile widely as I finally see Canterlot in the distance.

The last two days have been just as annoying as the last week, but it wasn't all bad as I did get to talk to Cadance a little when some things needed translation. Could she have just asked the other translators? Yes, did she? No. But it did give her some time to reassure me.

I could tell she wanted to ask about my meeting, but instead focused on helping me with my mood a bit. It's been obvious I'm worried about going home because several ponies now know me far more than I'd ever like, and that's where the good news comes in.

Turns out the specifics of meetings like the ones I attended are normally kept pretty tight-lipped, mostly so the different monarchs can announce the results without massive rumors or misunderstandings happening, or accidentally exposing important ponies to the public eye. Not the most democratic or open thing, but this is a literal monarchy so I'm not sure that really matters.

To be blunt, it means that not many will be talking about the meeting when they return to Canterlot, and those that do talk about it will be very careful with who they tell and what they say. Mostly so they don't leak anything big and have the crown come down on them as a result. So while others will certainly learn about my involvement, it will mostly be nobles and other diplomats.

It will probably leak a little from there but Cadance assured me it was very unlikely for the press and by extension the public to find out about me. That's part of the reason this rule is upheld, it's partly used to protect ponies in complicated political positions, which I am basically the definition of at this point.

So while I'm still far more well-known than I'd like, it's not the complete end of my peace and normality, which helped me cheer up some. After that she gently asked about the meeting, I just told her to ask me when we return. I have no intention to hide what happened but I just wanted some time to relax and unwind more.

I spent the two-day train ride drawing things and not really coming out unless I needed to. I drew, played, and relaxed with Entropy, along with working on a new project that I thought about while hiding in my room at the old mansion. Fire is endlessly useful and necessary for so many things.

For ponies, fire is an easily accessed thing that can be summoned as one of the most basic spells there is, but the same could not be said for other races. In Griffonstone I can not count the number of Griffons I saw refueling, tending to, or trying to light a new fire to light the many torches and lamps still used.

In Griffonstone the upper class could afford to import magical lights from Equestria but the rest of the city could not say the same. They light their homes and shops with fire at night, keeping in mind that Griffonstone is on a decent-sized trade route that comes directly from Equestria.

It's not a matter of demand though, I saw magical lights in Griffonstone with ten times the price sell out quickly, but the supply simply can't keep up. Many in Equestria use magical lights now, but many smaller towns and cities have only limited access because they simply can't be made quickly enough to fill Equestria's demand.

Each light needs a gem and that takes time on its own but add shipping times, the sky-high demand, and the limited production capacity, and it's not much of a surprise that buying a magical light outside of Equestria can be hard. Then there is the simple fact that sometimes you need plain old fire instead of just light.

The main roadblock comes down to the gems, they take time to cut, shape, and enchant, so my idea is something more mass-produced. Gem fragments are a much more common thing and often they are either cut into smaller gems or just thrown away as waste.

But a gem fragment can still be used, so I want to modify my Candle Flame spell to be weak and efficient enough to be enchanted into those fragments. The result would be an easy source of fire with a cheap cost and short production time, along with a way to use gem waste more efficiently, plus Equestria would have yet another popular export.

But to do this properly I quickly realized I'd need a better fire rune and I'd need to build the spell from the ground up to be as magically efficient as possible. So for the moment I pass the time by working out a few ideas as we finally arrive at Canterlot and I'm finally fucking home again.

I smile at the busy train station and quickly make my way to the door. I'd like to leave as soon as possible and check on a few things. But when I open the door a guard walks up at the same time. :OH WHAT NOW!: I give him a blank look and the nameless guard just passes me a piece of paper before walking off to do something.

I raise a brow and flip it open.

Aunty wants to meet at the palace, at eight this evening. Don't be late.

That's it, because of course Cadance would. It doesn't take a genius to guess what they probably want to ask about, on the upside I get to see Celestia and catch up. I smile at that and have to force my mind to stop thinking about my friend before I embarrass myself in public.

I huff and walk out of the train through a lesser-used door and make an uneventful exit into the busy streets of Canterlot. A light rain makes the walk a little wet but not long after that I walk up several flights of stairs and I'm home, it's the weekend so I knock on Daisy's door.

She opens it a moment later and smiles brightly at the sight of me. "Shade! Good to see you. Enjoy your trip?" She greets me happily and I nod. It seems she's happy, it's good to know she's still doing ok.

I smile back. "Hey, Daisy. It was... Certainly entertaining. But I'm just here for my key, I still have to unpack." I gave Daisy a key to my apartment so she could water my plants and check on them, although I had to modify the shield to let her move through it without turning it off, something that I will be reversing soon.

She nods and walks over to a counter before fishing my key out of a bowl and passing it to me. "I'm glad to hear that. We'll catch up on Friday, go relax." She tells me with that same smile.

I nod again. "Thanks, Daisy, see you soon then." She closes the door and I turn around to do just as she said. Over the next two hours, I unpack my things and organize the items I bought back with me before having Entropy take me to Gaia's Eden. This is my calm space and for a while, I just sit in the afternoon grass and meditate.

Gaia's Eden is basically the same, beyond the grass growing some more and a small film of golden dust covering some of the grass from the Gold Oak's falling leaves. I decide to just stay there for the next few hours as the sun sets and the moon rises into the sky.

But eventually, it's time to go, I have two princesses waiting for me after all. Things go as normal and a little while later a guard leaves me at a solid wood door and I walk inside of Celestia's office once again. Cadance is on the couch reading a book as Celestia is once again wearing her glasses and looking over some paperwork.

It's at this point I remember a certain thought I had while on vacation. There is no way in hell Celestia didn't recognize Phelix and Silvis when I described them, and she then sent me on a trip to be in a meeting that was likely to have one of them at it. "You are a very good schemer, and I will get my revenge." I glare right at Celestia but still smile.

She looks up from the pages and gives me a clearly fake confused look. "Good to see you, Shade, and I have no idea what you're referring to." She then smiles and looks back at another page. "Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the trip." She says genuinely.

Cadance drops the book she was reading and gives me a sympathetic look. "She told me the exact same thing, actually now that I think about it she even used the same tone." She closes the book and smiles at me. "Well, Auntie's working and I want answers. So, spill." She demands but keeps a soft and friendly tone.

I sigh and watch as Entropy flies off to play with Philomena. I decided to just lie down on the plush carpet instead of the couch. "Did Celestia catch you up already?" I ask while shifting to get comfortable.

Cadance shakes her head. "Nope, she said I should ask you." I should have expected that, it's nice she kept it private though. I take out my teapot to make some ginger tea, I might get better at telling stories at this rate.

One explanation later.

Cadance gives me a baffled smile before chuckling. "You just walk headfirst into such unlikely and ridiculous things, don't you? Can't say it was a bad choice though." She does agree with my actions which I find interesting. Although, she is the alicorn of love, and people can do crazy things for love.

She drinks some tea that I gave her as Celestia finishes her work and decides to lie on the carpet with me. "If he wasn't so good at runes I'd say it was his special talent." Celestia joins in on the teasing and I just roll my eyes. "And the meeting?" Celestia asks gently while giving me that same kind of smile that makes me relax.

I try my best to ignore some thoughts as she keeps her glasses on. :They do look good on her: I crush that thought quickly and focus on answering her. "Mostly normal actually. Thelis wanted to meet and thank me for my actions."

Cadance interrupts. "What exactly did he thank you for? You weren't exactly clear." She gives me a look that says to get to the point already.

I huff but comply. "I didn't really know what I did at the time, and I didn't get any real answers. But he said, and I quote. Thank you for saving my niece's life... I think I stopped an assassination attempt. But I'm really not sure!" I add that second part as Celestia's eyes narrow a very slight amount before she returns to normal.

Cadance just laughs despite the heavy answer while Celestia gives me a proud look. "Maybe you would make a good diplomat?" She jokes to lighten the mood and I glare up at her as Cadance laughs harder and Celestia smiles down at me.

I smile back a moment later. "I'll have more work for you in two to three weeks. It will be a complete mess." I promise her as she playfully glares back at me when I mention more work. I turn to Cadance who's still laughing. "It's also sure to be a big exporter, guess we'll need more trade deals," I say with a little glee.

She abruptly stops and also gives me a weak glare before huffing. "Who invents things while on vacation? You were supposed to just write things down and copy them." She complains a little and messes with me at the same time.

I smile back. "It's not my fault I had to hide in my room for a week, take up any complaints with her." I point to Celestia who just keeps smiling while pretending to look innocent. I turn back to Celestia. "Any other questions?"

Celestia nods. "How did the meeting actually go?" A simple enough question for me to answer.

"He asked me not to abuse the friendship they offered, I agreed as long as that didn't conflict with my own friendships, but I phrased it as loyalty. Then I spent the next few hours teaching him chess with his father and niece." I keep my explanation simple and short. "I'd say it went ok."

Cadance and Celestia give me slightly baffled looks. "Want? Why?" Cadance asks the question they both seem to share.

I shrug. "Phelix apparently promised to teach Thelis to be better at chess if he brought a good opponent. I think it was just an excuse to meet and get to know me, I'm just not sure if there was more I didn't notice." I voice my theory and thoughts.

Celestia nods after a moment. "I think his niece is still a filly right?" I take notice that she remembers something like that so quickly, but I still nod. "How did you react then? As distasteful as it might sound to have a filly act as bait, it's not the worst way to learn the intentions of others through their reactions." I think I can see where she's going with this.

"Well, she was drawing so I just, helped?" Celestia smiles in a new way that I can't pin down. "I helped her with a simple drawing trick and tried to keep her entertained by drawing things for her to color in." I summarize it simply. Cadance also shows the same odd smile I don't understand.

Celestia seems happy with my answer though so that's something. "Did anyone ask you to do that?" I shake my head. "Then why do it?" She asks.

I raise a brow. "Why not? It's not hard and it makes a good impression, plus it makes her happy." I shrug again. It just makes sense to be nice to those who have done the same to you.

Celestia's smile shifts to something more normal. "Good reasons, but all unnecessary in a meeting. You basically showed them you can be nice for no real reason, a good choice on your part... Anything else interesting?" She changes the subject and I just take the compliment and move past my confusion.

Cadance seems to have gone back to her book but an ear pointed in our direction shows she's still listening. "Do three hours of someone talking about different fishing spots count?" That seems to put her off a little, ponies. She shakes her head. "Then not really, it was mostly small talk beyond that."

Celestia nods and her face shifts back to normal. "It seems you are on your way to befriending another monarch then, should I be jealous?" I give her a deadpan look but she shifts to a more kind and reassuring look. "With that mock interrogation done, I do have something I'd like to ask about." She half-jokes and moves to her side to lie down more.

I can tell this will be an interesting topic, but at least she can still joke about it. "Be blunt, it's what works best." I return a reassuring look.

She nods. "Well, first I have some information for you. The Changelings you... Subdued, have been doing well." I perk up a bit and give her my undivided attention. "Currently the four you captured are still in a cell, and they have proven very hard to convince, and have mostly refused to talk at all." I hear a little sadness in her tone but don't interrupt her.

"The others have been let go under supervision." That shocks me a little and I show that to her as she continues. "It seems the Changeling that was being chased was a defector from Queen Cascadia's hive." She says the name with a little disdain much like Cicada and Cricket did, I also remember the Changelings saying something along those lines.

"The other larger group was a nonaffiliated family that took them in, I believe Miss Cricket called them hiveless Changelings." That gets my mind thinking as she continues on. "They have lived in Canterlot for years and have done no harm."

"Also, it's probably already known by some of the Changeling population that we know about them, so I saw no need to keep them locked up for a secret that's already out in the open or will be soon enough." Celestia steals my teapot as I think about her explanation and refills her cup before putting it back.

I nod after a moment as she is right. "A good way to show we're not an outright enemy, while also giving us access to more information than before." I summarize my agreement with the choice. "There's still ways that could go wrong, especially with Queen Cascadia's hive," I add with a little sadness.

Celestia sees it immediately and mostly drops the topic. "It's not your fault." I try to interrupt but she silences me with a hoof. "You did the best you could have, and considering what we've learned about Queen Cascadia I can guarantee you we would have never been allies." She reassures me and I nod a moment later.

I sigh. "You're right, as always. Still, it's not a fun thought... Anyway, what was the thing you wanted to ask about?" She's able to lift my mood a little and I move us along.

She nods but keeps the reassuring look. "Do you regret it?" A blunt question but also a question I've asked myself a few times now.

I tilt my head a little. "No. I do somewhat regret that I wasn't able to do it better, but I don't feel like I regret doing it." I answer with conviction in my tone.

She doesn't judge me and just nods. "Thank you for sharing, and if you need to talk I'm here... So, what have you been working on recently?" She changes the subject and I decide to just go along with it and leave that day's memories for now.

I think about it for a moment and I realize there is a project I haven't actually mentioned before. The prosthetics project with Avalon, that also reminds me to check in with him later. "Well, I'm helping a friend make better prosthetic limbs, although that's going to take a while to see any results." I try to tamper with any expectations.

Both of them seem to stop, Cadance drops the book again and mimics Celestia's shocked face. "It's not a priority so it will take a long time, don't expect anything soon." I try to downplay it again as Celestia gets an excited look and smiles widely.

"I think I speak for both of us when I say that's not the point." Cadance also smiles widely. "The fact that it's being done at all is more than enough, also... I do kind of feel bad for taking that vacation now. You work too much as it is." Cadance says sympathetically.

I don't like seeing her saddened, especially when it's not needed, so I wave it off. "Don't be, I may complain about it but I did actually enjoy the trip," I reassure her as Celestia nods.

"He also had it coming." I glare at her before nodding.

"Fair."

Celestia still keeps her smile as I put away my teapot. "Honestly I'm more surprised you are willing to tell somepony about your spell work." Seems she caught that.

"Some context then. Avalon is a nice Griffon I met who's a relatively new friend, I'm not too close to him though. Anyway, I met him on my last trip and it turned out he has a serious fascination with magic but didn't know he could learn it, so I started him on the Journey of becoming a runic caster."

"We met a few times and he improved decently, he has some serious dedication. So I agreed to help him make a new limb for himself, mostly because he couldn't find one he liked. He only thinks I have an interest in spell creation though, nothing beyond that." Celestia shows a somewhat proud smile and Cadance just looks happy. "What? I can make friends!"

Cadance chuckles. "Well forgive us for needing proof, you aren't exactly social." Cadance stands up and stretches in a way that makes me force my eyes away, while she gives me a knowing smile. "Well, it's late and I need to get going. Don't stay up too late you two." With that remark, she walks out of the door in a happy mood as she embarrasses me yet again.

I try my best to force my mind off of that and focus on Celestia, which doesn't really help. "I'm glad to hear you are helping someone, even among ponies many wouldn't do so much to help somepony they don't know that well." She compliments me again and I really have to force my body to calm down.

I shrug yet again. "It's like I said earlier, it doesn't take much from my side and helps others. A fair deal to me." I summarize and stand up to also stretch my legs as Entropy flies over with Philomena, they both decide I'm a good perch and land on me. "Having fun?"

"Good. Friend." She caws out as Philomena lands on my back and demands some attention.

I attend to both of them as Celestia also stands up. "I also think it is time to turn in. Have a good night Shade, and please keep me updated on that project, I think it could be yet another invention to add to the ever-growing list of times you've made more work for me." She shows a large amount of pride in her tone.

I chuckle and nod. "Sure, and I'll also get you some tea from the Cherry Blossom Tree, just leave it at Gaia's Eden." She nods with an even larger smile. "Have a good night." I turn back to Entropy as Celestia takes Philomena off of me. "Entropy?" A few short moments later I enter the Void.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :D
Current year is 994

Something unexpected came up and I might need to release the next one of two chapters every other day. Sorry in advance, but to tide you over I made this chapter a little longer then normal.