There was no punishment the next day of Sin's return to royalty, though it was nothing his mind was bent on, as it did not concern him the intensity Cadance did give him yesterday for his childish actions towards Blueblood. Sure, the blond unicorn was a prick and beyond spoiled, but even the princess of love could see that the man was getting too close to abusing what little authority was given to him through the agreement.

Still, that did not mean there was a mean side of her. She thoroughly enjoyed the look of disgust and shock on Blueblood's face when it was all over.

The atmosphere around the immortal was confusing to Celestia as she remained in bed with the man sitting at an oak desk he pulled out of his bag this morning. The secretary had quietly carried in the paperwork Sin requested, and she left him alone whilst standing next to him for her next order. They were not the most likely of friends, but sitting in silence and doing his job did give the secretary some understanding of the human's motivation. She had to admit that although it'd been barely a day since Sin's return, he had good ethics.

Still, the frustration in his eyes did not help Celestia relax as she was ordered by him. She had nothing but the overbearing curiosity of what exactly had Sin slightly on edge.

"This is all the paperwork for the guard?" Sin asked the unicorn next to him. Fine Quill was her name, but he was too attached by the annoying mistakes in the papers to regard the mare by her name.

With a nod of her head, Fine Quill crept around the prince and pointed out that she triple-checked the listing and left no guard safe from from his judgment.

About fifteen minutes into reading the pages he picked out, he groaned and leaned away with a serious migraine from the work that was sure to come. He had a serious problem with the listings and rubbed his temples to soothe the rapid thoughts before glaring at the sick alicorn watching him curiously.

"Did you not have any of your guards under psychiatric evaluation before enlisting them?" He asked in a serious tone that made Celestia blink with uncertainty. His fingers tapped harshly against the desk, which was a very bad sign to the princess.

"No, I'm afraid not." Celestia answered in a hush tone. She'd never thought about such a thing and realized how aggravated her husband was already.

Sin immediately groaned as loud as he could, his eyes rolling sarcastically before he slammed his head against the desk, startling both mares as the migraine grew.

"What about an evaluation for their abilites?" He asked.

Celestia was silent but smiling sheepishly at the trouble she was in. She had expected the irritated man to lax on changing the guard and focus more on his return to power, but that was clearly a mistake on her part as to not knowing how much the man she loved had changed over the generations of separation.

"What about their weaknesses?" Sin moaned.

"We've been easy with recruiting," Celestia admitted, and Sin's head shot up from the desk with a powerful glare. If it hadn't been for dealing with this attitude in the past, she would be nervous or concerned. "Things have happened over the years and recruiting was becoming scarce over the years."

"There is no excuse for this!" Sin stood up and slammed his palm against the table, his tremendous strength leaving large cracks in the wood as he flared his magic. "Numbers are good, but when you pull something this stupid you put yourself at risk. It's no wonder you rely on the elements of harmony so much!"

Celestia was taken back by his bold statement and found herself tense with aggravation. Although she felt weak from the nasty cold received by standing outside in ponyville, she took that harsh insult to heart and sat up to meet the man's glare with her own as he walked around his desk to approach. Whether it was to talk or scold, she was not at all too sure and had no desire to be taught how to run her kingdom.

"Magic will not save this country every time," Sin said in a smooth yet commanding voice. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed at the mare. Twenty years ago, Sin would have to fight the urge to chew on a royal that relied too much on something,. Now, he was tired and sick of his own complaining. Plus he had to remain in control and show some piece of mannerisms towards his wife, given that he was a prince once more and carrying more responsibilities than he wanted.

But, alas, that driving edge of an unbreakable fortress burned in his heart and gave him the motivation to fix Canterlot into a powerful symbol of peace and power.

"You've got to stop relying on magic all the time," he told the princess in a calm voice as he sat he next to her, his eyes burning with the same man that was a general. "A kingdom that thrives on magic is a kingdom that is bound to crumble. A good foundation and system must start with the guard you have. Magic should be a last resort."

Celestia was brave enough to scoff the man before turning away to ignore him, but that warm feeling from his hand drew her to absolute focus as he rubbed her cheek tenderly.

"We've done quite well with Twilight and her friends protecting Equestria." She argued in a low tone, but Sin heard it completely and chuckled whilst standing up to pace around the room with his arms crossed.

"You see, that's the problem with you, Tia," Sin accused boldly. "As much as it pains me to admit, you have one quality similar to your father. You are arrogant and never thinking about what is best for everyone."

"I am quite benevolent. Thank you!" Celestia spat, only to have a raised hand pressed against her lips to silence her.

"Maybe as a princess," Sin chuckled, shaking his head at her. "But I know underneath that crown you are like your father when it comes to magic. You believe in power and use it as the main solution to your problems without ever thinking of the consequences to come."

"Oh, you really think so?" She rolled her eyes and tried to play the victim, but Sin wasn't having his emotions twisted. "Then please, all-knowing war prince, tell me what it is I do not see when I rely on Twilight and her friends to sort the problems Luna and I are too old to deal with."

"You don't see that you're putting a bunch of kids in danger," Sin told her, his tone sounding of disappointment as realization struck the mare. "And you're immortal, you never get tired. You, my darling wife, have grown very lazy and send kids to do your dirty work, and that's what disappoints me about you the most, especially when one of them is our granddaughter."

"Because I have a kingdom to run!" She defended, although it was worth naught as it did not change the man's perspective. Sin simply shook his head and walked away to see at the outside world through the window.

"You're not a good liar." He pointed out, receiving a deep glare and grit teeth from the princess. "You choose not fight because you are afraid. You had Luna and I to fight with you, but after we were gone and the elements no longer obeyed your every command, you grew afraid from the lack of power and hid behind your walls."

Celestia's face held a furious glares as Sin walked away from the window and towards the door, opening the left door to leave the mare in her mess. Once fully outside of the room, he gingerly looked back to his angry wife snorting and gritting her teeth as she tried to get out of bed to probably punish him, but the cold and medication in her system made her legs numb, and she fell back on the bed with her breath already robbed by the illness.

"You have no right to accuse me like that," she panted.

Sin made the effort to re-enter the room and gently lean down to the mare with a warm kiss to her cheek. Of course, it was rejected with a push of her hoof, but he was the stronger one here and forced the loving touch before whispering into her ear:

"I only do this because I love you and want you to learn from your mistakes. Seriously, Tia, please learn from me that real power is not in magic but in everyone who follows you. Trust me, some day, it will save your life."

And with that, he left the room and closed the door behind him to give the angry mare some time to think. He hated himself for having to point out the flaws his wife possessed, but to have a stable kingdom and a marriage that can start anew without the problems they had in the past, he needed to pull the mare away from her fear and see things in his perspective.

He just hoped she would come to understand herself a little more and see that he was right. And he really wanted her to stop sending his granddaughter into battles that could potentially harm or kill her.

"God, give me strength."

The usual walk he would take around a castle consisted of a few minutes—maybe twenty minutes, but Sin was curious and had too many things on his mind to go about his day learning the corridors of the castle. As always, no matter where he went, there were guards patrolling the halls while giving him glares and whispers that were not unheard. His enhanced gave him that advantage, and the the voices of his new trainees brought a smile to his face as he listened to their negativity. Still, they did not have the courage to approach him and went about their work without a batting an eye in the end. There was no elaborate scheme to the ahead, but he knew he had it made with how difficult it was going to be. Turning soldiers that were pampered into a union of power and might was not an easy feat, and it certainly did not help that every one of them was grown up.

"This is going to be a fucking nightmare," Sin sighed to himself, passing a group of maids that were actually talking about him in a more positive perspective. He had to fight the urge to laugh as the comments turned out to be more than just about his actions.

"You should have Luna fix that then," a young, feminine voice sounded next to him. Two-hundred years ago, Sin would jump and have his blade drawn to any unsuspecting voice, but he knew that voice and that the source was next to him with his filly following her as a tray of cupcakes were levitated above her and Skyla.

"It's an expression," he said in an equally smooth tone, turning at the princess before casually approaching her. Though his actions yesterday did not leave him in good graces with some ponies, this particular had a thing for his bull-headed nature.

"Taking a stroll, or are you going to urinate on somepony else?" Cadance asked in a haughty voice. She reared up to the smirking immortal and gently pecked his lips.

"Funny. I figured I would go find Spitfire and take a big dump on her head for replacing me with that blonde asshat." Sin replied with fake evil as he kept the mare on her hind legs with a hug.

"She is still my friend, so I would appreciate it if you would not retaliate," Cadance suggested, slipping from Sin's grasp to check that both fillies were watching them with complete focus.

"Only because you asked nicely," Sin chuckled, reciprocating the affection with a slightly kiss, his hand resting in Cadance's mane as she blushed in shock. The kiss was released and the princess of love let out a slow breath just as he licked his lips.

"So how is your day going?" Sin asked, continuing the conversation, both staring at one another intimately, though one of them was nervous now.

"Good. . . other than word of your appearance spreading faster than most gossip. Most of the staff was already asking me about your relationship with Celestia and Luna, which did not turn out good."

"I can only imagine some of the stallions around here hate my guts now. It's not every day you find out that the princesses are actually married to a man and have kept it secret all these years." Sin added. Cadance could not help laughing with him.

"Some of the mares are disappointed as well. When it reached their ears that you urinated on Blueblood, they immediately wanted to thank you. I have to admit, I am glad that we have you here as the higher authority now."

"Because I am the oldest prince?" Sin questioned, cocking an eyebrow at the princess. Cadance adored that confusing look about him. She found it humorous and adorable that he could be himself rather attempt being noble. She laughed gently and shook her head.

"No. It's due to the fact of Blueblood no longer holding authority as the highest male. You're his uncle, so done in his power must first be approved by you. That's how authority works here, but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Actually, I didn't know that." Sin corrected with a serious look in his eyes. He leaned against the wall and pet his surprisingly needy daughter when she approached and reared up to him. He was gentle and careful to scoop the filly into his arms, causing the child to nestle against his chest and rest her eyes when the warmth from his body overtook her. It was sad though. At the same time, Skyla was growing more and more jealous by the unicorn having such a loving a father, and grimaced at the man when he looked down to her.

"When I was just sniveling kid with everyone despising me, authority was absolute here. Solaris played god with that crown on his head, and everyone believed that he was god; even Era was afraid to go against his will."

"But not you," Cadance suggested, bumping the side of his hip in a teasing fashion. Sin wasn't paying attention, however, he was busy thinking about the past and how unfair it was for Skyla. He decided to surprise the little princess, and adjusted Rose Spark into one arm while lifting the alicorn around her barrel.

Needless to say, Cadance was taken back by the human's affection to Skyla, but the growing smile and sigh of content as he nuzzled her head showed the pink alicorn that behind his violent nature there was a man of love and care for children, and it made her want him even more as they watched both fillies rest their eyes.

"You know, a normal man could not do this," Sin moved both fillies, up and down in his arms like they were a pair of feathers in his hands. He laughed at himself for it. "Thank god for magic enhancing my body."

"Which reminds me," Cadance said genuinely. It was her turn to ask questions now. "Just how much of your body is enhanced?"

"Everything." Sin chirped. Cadance nodded but immediately gazed at his crotch as he pondered the best way to explain his enhancements. She grinned evilly and licked her lips at the limp bulge pressing against the zipper. "Being an experiment does that, but after escaping I made it my purpose to improve myself since I had these enhancements done to me. There's no point in having them if I was going to waste myself."

Finally, he looked down at the not-so nervous alicorn staring at his crotch. He was not at all amused to find that behind the shyness of this mare was indeed a pervert, but he couldn't say anything since it would be very hypocritical. He had stared at her backside a few times and liked what he saw. He was glad though, that she was liking his package.

"It hurts to walk with it," he said to draw her attention, and it worked. Cadance shot her gaze up to the smiling man and blushed as he adjust his posture. "If I move wrong or fail to pay attention, well. . . you get the idea."

"Anyway," she coughed into her hoof. "What do plan on doing for today?"

"Do you have any plans for today?" He asked, still petting both fillies. While Cadance was well acquainted with ponies asking her that, she felt giddy to have Sin ask her.

"Other than seeing my ex-husband in a full body cast, I have nothing planned." She moved to his side, leaning into his side. She looked up to him with bedroom eyes. "Why, are you wanting to ask me on a date?"

"Actually, yes. But I don't think taking our kids with us would count as date." Sin responded, attempting to lure her in. She cooed and nuzzled his arm a little more than she was used to when his hand ceased rubbing Skyla's mane.

"You're thinking like a noble," she mentioned, and her next movement took him by surprise. Cadance curled her wing around his butt and gestured for him to follow, drawing the eyes of very irritated maids. The sudden touch of his backside was what really set the mare off as she guided him into the throne room. While as a mother and a princess who had obligations and was attracted to the man, that didn't mean she could have her own fun. She planned on owning this man in the first place.

"A date with our fillies is exactly what I want," Cadance continued. She had realized how firm his rump was and thoroughly enjoyed rubbing her wing on each cheek.

"Okay, but I need to check on my sister," Sin added, wondering if she was alright. Cadance, however, kept him firmly in her wing and shook her head as they walked through the throne room to the west corridor.

"Luna is with her right now. She's using her dreamscape to piece your sister's emotions and thoughts together."

"That would help a lot," Sin commented, but his concern could not be hidden from the alicorn. She see behind his thinking that he was genuinely worried about Luna making a mistake and worsening the condition his sibling was in.

"Have a little faith in your wife. She knows what she's doing, and who better to help her psychologically?"

"You make a good point, but I can't help it. That's my sister we're talking about, and I haven't seen her in such a long time." Sin responded, sounding ever so meek to the mare. He stopped and turned his entire form to give the pony his full attention. By the fear in his eyes, which was the rarest Cadance had seen, she could tell that words would not convince him.

She released the man and told him in a sweet voice:

"Why don't you go check up on her and get cleaned up. I'm sure you haven't had a bath since yesterday."

Sin did not say a word after that, rather use action by handing the fillies to Cadance as they reached the brink of napping and open their eyes to find out they were on their hooves again and groggily watching the man snap his fingers to teleport before they could blink.

"Hopefully he doesn't disappoint on our first date." Cadance said aloud, trotting away from where Sin was to prepare herself.

When Sin did reach to his sister's room he was expecting Luna to be doing her work and keeping any other pony away as he requested, but after appearing the eerily dark bedroom he found himself staring into a bedroom that was not as he had presumed. There was no issue of Elizabeth being untouched due to the barrier he erected around her, with only his and Luna's magic to pass through without any danger. However, Luna was not where she should be and the place was in shambles, as though a great battle had taken place during his one day away. Despite the possibility of Elizabeth potentially waking up and attacking Luna in the process, something in the very walls seeped and permeated the room with a foul smell that only Sin could smell. He was all-too familiar with the stench, and began searching for the only source that could release such an odor.

The question though, was how it got out and made it's way in here?

"Luna?" Sin called out, worrying for his lunar wife who was lying across the room with curtains over her body and the source linked to her horn. He immediately ran over to the mare and turned her over to find she was unconscious yet muttering to herself.

"Luna, baby, wake up." He shook the alicorn a few times, but to no avail did her eyes open.

There was no doubt in his mind what happened or what he had to do, so he pressed his hands against her chest and began chanting a powerful incantation built on his magic. The sound of Luna's muted weeping filled his mind with dread as he channeled his energy in rings through his arms and hands, into the alicorn's chest. He wasn't certain how much had to be given, but her eyes snapped open and his arms folded around her neck and chest.

Luna had to take deep breaths before realizing where she was. She felt numb and exhausted while looking up to the man, more needy than ever as she felt the softness of his fingers rub tenderly across her fur. Tangled in his limbs, unsure of her recovery, she calmed down in the cocooning warmth of his body. Beneath the draping of his hair, she was buried in his chest, needing the touch to heal her mind and emotions.

"Luna, what the hell happened here?"

She looked up to him again. Sin caught glimpses of sorrow, watery eyes, marred now by several thoughts that bullet into her tired mind. Her hoof moved into his hand, smallest of reassurance, a mere touch of the finger, back and forth across her hoof, soothing nerves.

Immediately, Sin waved his hand and commanded the room to clean and repair itself, to allow space and light. A chilly breeze from the open window nipped their faces before his magic latched it shut. He brushed back the hair over his face, removing all darkness from them both, while allowing the blanket caught in his magic to tighten around the shivering princess.

"What did you, Luna? Did you find something?"

Her long lashes fell and she looked down at the floor. The moment her eyes abandoned a good answer, his heart fell into his stomach. She had always been the kind of mare to have a answer. As she'd grown to the intelligent mare she was now, her mind was literally a vast pit of worthless knowledge, but it did not run strong with her today.

"I tried to piece the memories of her imprisonment, but something with similar power resisted my attempts and forced me out of her dreamscape. She answered. She turned her face into his neck, rubbing like a cat across his skin.

There was a little confusion that he caught in her voice. "You don't think Nightmare Moon is the problem?" He lifted her chin with one finger and bent his head to kiss away the path of tears. The question remained in the air. He was happy, however, that she was alright. "Luna, is that possible?"

She shook her head.

"Nightmare Moon was destroyed with the elements. Whoever it was that attacked me seemed to appear only after I tried to find the memories. Clearly this entity doesn't want me to see what is happening in her mind."

He felt her tremble, a large shiver of the body, but he didn't release her from his grasp, rather he pulled the mare closer subtly so he could rock her in his lap and brush the next kiss across her cheek.

"You're okay now." He kissed her gently, demanding nothing. Asking no more. Simply telling her that he loved her and holding her close was all that mattered to him.

"This is a minor setback, but I will not fail to enter her mind," Luna assured. "It was my intention of helping her to earn your trust. However, this entity that is latched to her insults my abilites, and has, as you would say, pissed me off."

His lips curved into a faint smile. "That's my girl. I missed the old, hardheaded Luna."

She sighed, turning her face back to the sleeping human. "I'm going to fix her, Sin. I'm going to help you find who did this to her."

"We'll find out who did this to her," he whispered. "We'll find out."

She heard the determination in his voice, every bit as strong as it was in his old self, maybe stronger. Her heart settled. Fluttered. Filled with joy. She took in his fresh scent and sighed with content during the silence between them. I will not ruin our relationship. I need to be stronger, and I will. Most of all, I will bring our daughter home.

Luna found herself smiling. More than anything else she was certain what she desired, and she wanted to be the strong wife in every sense of the word, the very mare that she failed to be the first time. But. . . how could she possibly improve herself to the standards of her husband? How could she be as strong as him?

"Luna,"

"Hm?" She looked up to him.

"This isn't like me," he scratched the back of his head and groaned. "But I know a child that has never met her parents would be angry or fearful."

She shook her head and cocked a brow at him, remaining silent as he continued petting her.

"What are getting at?"

He sighed away from the mare, looking to the outside world.

"Do you think, when we meet her, that our daughter will hate me?"