Sleep was evasive for her that night.

It was not for lack of comfort - the bed, low to the ground and soft, was so comfortable Armistice almost forgot she was laying on anything at all. The room Grecio had shown her to was decorated in the most soothing of themes: a star scape that could only have been inspired by Canterlot's own Princess Luna. The ceiling and walls were all the deepest blue, embedded in them twinkled tiny white gems, illuminated by a light source Armistice could not locate. The bed was a circular cushion, much like the ones in the front room, only upholstered in a smooth silk that remained cool to the touch no matter how long Armistice lay upon it. It was blue, like the walls and ceiling, but shimmered when she poked it with her hoof. Gauze drapery hung from a hook in the ceiling to enshroud the cushion, giving it a cozy feeling. Candles hovered in the air, bathing the room in the softest of light. A large window overlooked the Manehattan skyline.

It was enchanting.

Armistice turned to lay on her stomach, head on her forelegs, and sighed through her nose. At 19 summers, she had seen much of the world, more so than anyone else from her empire, and she could not help but get the sense that, for all of Noir's age... the alicorn was not as experience in life as Armistice was. She had played for the king and queen of Saddle Arabia, entertained the elusive leaders of the Deerfolk, even performed for the normally combative minotaur who inhabited the lands surrounding Tartarus. Noir had spent nearly five hundred years in one city.

Heaving another sigh, the young unicorn flopped onto her back, illuminating her horn and sending one of the floating candles dancing across the room. She kicked a hoof absently, watching the candle twirl.

Magic came naturally to her people. Millenia ago, when Celestia had assumed the throne, the leaders of her empire had declined the offer to join the newly formed kingdom called Equestria. Fearing interference from the crown, they had established a barrier around the perimeters of their land, shielding the existence of their home and their people from the outside world. No one entered. Only those who obtained express permission and swore to a series of oaths were allowed to leave. It was customary for colts and fillies of her age to take a "knowledge quest" to observe the ways of the Others, and to bring back new ideas in science and art. This kept the empire from stagnating, and allowed them to preserve the elements of the medieval society that made her home so very unique.

She divided the candle into two, stretching the flame into a bridge between the wicks.

Armistice had left three winters ago. Her musical skills were unique among even her people, and she craved what any artist did: an audience to share her work with. There were only so many concerts she could hold before everypony in the empire had witnessed her skills, and she no longer stunned and surprised. Having completed the mandatory schooling her empire required earlier than her classmates, she petitioned the Council, obtained permission from her family, and set out into the world of the Others.

Noir was disturbed. Noir was also powerful. To wield alicorn magic before Ascending was certainly something notable. Were it not for the Nightmare's interference on her spell... she very well might have succeeded in bringing the marooned Princess home. Armistice allowed the candles to merge back into one, and float back to its original position.

An interesting smell caught her attention. It was sharp, and sweet, with a hint of smokiness. Curious, the unicorn hopped off the cushion and pushed the door open with her hoof. Not as if she was getting any rest to begin with. It seemed to be coming from down the hall... She arched an eyebrow and a faint blue line shimmered in the air.

That way, she thought with a smile, trotting softly down the carpeted corridor.

The blue glimmer led her to a pair of large glass doors, sitting wide open, that opened onto a stone balcony. Leaning against the railing was the diamond dog, Grecio. He had his arms folded, facing the city, the light breeze blowing his ears and fur back. He no longer wore his waistcoat or starched white shirt; instead, he was clad in a loose, simple tunic that was open at the chest. Armistice stepped forward slowly and quietly. Grecio raised a rolled bit of paper that had a glowing ember at the end to his mouth, and inhaled.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, not turning his head. Armistice shook hers in response.

"No. I... I can't sleep." The diamond dog blew a slow lungful of smoke into the night. The smell was the same smokey sweet smell Armistice had detected before.

"I should never had brought you back here," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. Armistice furrowed her brow.

"Why?" She took a step closer, one hoof slightly raised. The breeze felt good on her skin, lifting her mane from her shoulders. Grecio turned to face her. His eyes her pained.

"She thinks you can help her," he said, his voice thick. Armistice titled her head. Grecio laughed sharply, more of a bark. "You're just a filly. And Noir's finally gone mad..." He took another drag on the clove and closed his eyes, trying to center himself. Armistice put both her hooves on the balcony railing to stand on her hind legs and be at his height.

"May I?" she asked, indicating the clove.

Grecio looked at her, startled, but offered it to her. She illuminated her horn, delicately drawing the clove to her mouth and taking a slow, even hit. She exhaled, eyelids lowered, and with the wind blowing her mane back, the moonlight illuminating her sapphire eyes, made even brighter by the khol that rimmed them... she was one of the most beautiful things Grecio had ever seen. He took the clove without a word as it hovered back within his reach.

"My people are ancient," Armistice began. "We do not bow to your Princesses." She closed her eyes and bowed her head, her horn glowing faintly. A faint hum filled his ears.

In a sudden explosion of light, a arial view of a land was born in the air before him. A grand castle sat at the top of a mountain, surrounded by verdant forests. The view swerved, diving closer, through the trees, faster, faster, and Armistice continued, her horn glowing so brightly it was almost white. Grecio could feel the heat from it.

"When Equestria formed, we declined to join." The view slowed as it approached the town surrounding the castle, showing taverns, shops, earth ponies and peagsi and unicorn of various professions, all medieval, all cordial and prosperous and healthy. "We do not divide our people as Equestrians do, and live together as one race." The view soared again to show the town from the air, a neat arrangement of streets and houses, criss-crossing orderly. "Magic is valued. Hard work is valued. Everypony is valued."

The mirage blinked out of existence as quickly as it had appeared. Grecio stared at the small cream unicorn, his jaw slack with wonder. Armistice returned the look with an even stare of her own.

"I left on my knowledge quest five years before it is customary in my culture. Do you know why?"

Grecio could only shake his head.

"Unicorns are required to attend mage school. I completed my studies years before scheduled. I had the privilege of mastering several concepts at an early age, and was able to graduate before my peers." She smiled. "All magic was alicorn magic before the Sisters, Grecio."

He took a slow drag from his clove. She noted his paw was trembling ever so slightly.

"Do you still think I am 'just a filly?' " she asked, arching an eyebrow.

The diamond dog met her eyes again, and she almost gasped. They were haunted, and ancient, with none of the playful gleam she had see earlier that evening. He knelt, taking her face in his hands.

"Can you save her...?"

Next Chapter: Grecio - A Friend Indeed Estimated time remaining: 6 Minutes