Arin awoke to find himself on the softest bed he’s ever been on. A warm, fluffy blanket over him – that shifted softly, pulling him closer. His eyes fluttered open, coughing up a sharp pain in his chest.

Luna stirred, darting up with a glass of water in her magic. She quickly brought it to Arin’s lips, her eyes tiny beads of worry.

“Arin? Are you… alright?” She said, withdrawing her wing from his chest. He downed the entire glass of water in one long draw – cold sweat soaked into his clothes. The chilly water felt like it was soothing a blazing flame in his chest.

“No… I feel like I’ve swallowed magma, straight from the source.” He shook quietly from his bolt upright position, before Luna’s magic gently eased him backwards onto her bed.

“The magic inside of you rejected the touch of the spell, and the result was… not welcome.” Luna said quietly, her hoof stroking over Arin’s bare chest. “If you were not wearing that vest, it could have been much worse. I took it off so you could breathe, the shirt as well. You were sweating fiercely, and we worried for your life for a moment.”

He dropped the empty cup into the sheets, gazing up into the starry ceiling. The constellations drawn across the domed roof, gleaming softly in the moonlight.

“That paint is wonderful…” He said, rubbing his blurry eyes.

“Tis not paint, but a spell. It mimics the night time sky perfectly on clear nights such as these, and turns a dark blue during the day.”

Luna lifted a hoof, pointing to a constellation of stars; “That is the Orion Constellation, right there-” She pointed with her limb, a figure lighting with silvery lines that connect the stars. “You can tell, as he only has three stars in his belt. He stands for the Great Hunter of Old, a pony as fearless as the beasts he purged from this world.”

She pointed to another constellation, the symbols alighting once more in glowing lines. “That is the Canis Major, and Canis Minor. They are eerily similar; but Canis Minor is much smaller, and floats to the right.”

Arin raised a hand to the sky above him, pointing to a constellation of his own. It lit up, small and distant.

“That is the Arcanis Ring, from my own world.” He said dumbly, recognizing it even from here. “It’s so small, and distant… but I know that it’s the Ring, because it has a red, green, and blue stars on the top of the band.”

“Have you studied the stars on your world?” Luna asked, laying flat on her back to stare with him. He shook his head.

“No. It’s the only constellation I know from my world, as it’s also known as the Ring of Ascension. Newly ascended are granted a band similar to that, after completing a year of training. It’s a mark of power, that silver and gemstone ring, and it gives you many rights above those without it. In the heat of battle, an Ascension Ring will glow the color strongest to the bearer’s combat prowess, with a knight’s ring shining red, a mage’s shimmering blue, and an archer’s glowing green.”

“I see… so this band, what does the Ascension Ring mean to you?” Luna said, tracing the constellation with her hoof.

“To me, it’s a symbol of something I would never have, a symbol of crushed hope. I always saw that ring in the sky, and cursed its existence. I hated it. It reminded me that I was a lesser, and would always be treated as such.” Arin signed, grunting as he held his chest. There was no burn mark, thankfully, but his skin was a heavy crimson from rushing blood.

Luna looked up to the starry band, illuminated by the magic of her room. With a flick of her hoof, they vanished from sight – the three colors fading into nothing.

“What?…” Arin said, the pain numbing down after a brief moment.

“I faded them from the sky. They are still there, distant and gleaming – but not for us. Only a powerful telescope could reveal them now, as they’ve joined the distant glow of space.”

Arin could feel a weight settle on his chest. It was Luna’s hoof, the Princess turning to face him. He blushed softly, reaching up to hold it in his hand.

“Thank you, my friend. It means so much to me that you would… do something like that. Change the very stars in the sky for me.” He said, his words heavy with the slow laboring breaths of his damaged chest.

“Do not thank me, Arin. I’m happy to do it for a friend.”

His heart burned, but a softer pain. A pain he could deal with, the organ fluttering with happiness at the words. She soon turned back to look up at the stars, highlighting another constellation. Simply staring at it for a moment, before letting the magic go.

They held on to each other for several moments, before Luna spoke quietly.

“I am sorry for the injury, my friend. It wasn’t intentional, though I should have taken the warnings seriously. If thou would feel better, you may spend the night here, resting in my bed. I can promise no ill dreams will come to you as I work.”

Arin shook his head, rejecting the offer. “No. I came here to learn magic, and this is part of the process. I can only rest for so long before my legs grow weary, anyway. Let’s try something else.”

“Are you sure, Arin? You could have faced more serious consequences if it weren’t for sheer dumb luck. Do you not want to rest before We make another attempt?”

“No no – we’re here for a task, and a task I’m here to complete. Pain is only your body’s way of telling you that there is an injury that must be tended to – once you acknowledge it, the pain will subside and become bearable. I am ready.” He stood up with a herculean effort, gasping as the breath was drawn from him in a gasp. Stumbling to his feet, he steadied himself for another spell.

“You are stronger than I could have imagined, Arin. But! Alas, if you are able – and the body willing – than let us make haste!” Luna withdrew the large liber once more, darting through the pages like a bat out of hell. Her quill was fast on a spare notebook, writing down page numbers that could be of use for later.

The night continued onwards for a few hours, with Luna attempting every method of magic summoning she could find in her book. From meditation, to simple spells, questions, hypnosis (which Arin really didn’t like) and even a few herbal remedies, she had discarded the giant book with a sigh.

“Luckily, this is not the only source I have; my library is quite unique, full of ancient books on all forms of magic and spells. If my Sister believes that I can do it, than do it I shall!” Luna began to pluck book after book from the shelf, Arin helping by holding the growing pile of tomes in his hands.

“Do you really think she meant for you to scour your library for it? I mean, what would Twilight do in this circumstance? She said Twilight would be more suited for this.”

“Arin, we are doing exactly what Twilight would do. Her specialty is magic, books, and friendship. She’s the Princess of Friendship, after all.” Luna stacked another book on the already towering pile in his hands, the Seraph having to adjust his stance so that it doesn’t slide over his head.

“And what does Friendship have to do with anything? Like what does she handle, friendship problems? That seems awfully ineffective for a Princess to handle.”

“Ironically enough, that is exactly what she does. She handles friendship, after all, friendship is… magic.” Luna held the tome in front of her face for a moment, her muzzle scrunching up in thought.

“A spark… hmm. I think Tia is right… But…” Luna quickly snatched the large pile of books from Arin’s hands in her magic, reading over the titles again before methodically reorganizing and shuffling her books into place.

“Arin, I do believe that this concludes our attempts for the night. I will escort you to your room – let us talk about something more lively. How was your time in Canterlot proper, for example? Did thy meet any interesting ponies?”

Arin shook his head as they made their way down the flights of stairs of her tower. The torchlight illuminated the twisting corridor, bending the shadows as he thought.

“No, no one interesting. I didn’t really speak to anyone, there was just too much bustle to make out anything from the crowd, and too much noise to hold a conversation. The only thing to note was that your sister gave a really good, short speech, and the rock or something that hit me as I was getting adjusted to leave.”

He idly ran a hand over his chest, feeling the healing bruise beneath the armor-like vest. They turned towards the west wing as they exited the staircase, Luna thinking it over.

“Strange. Our Sister would have been able to detect an object such as a rock hurtling towards her at a slow pace. But regardless, no harsh damage was done. Though this does draw my ire; if this becomes a common occurrence, We shall see to it that you are accurately guarded.”

Luna’s ears flicked, a hint of comfort in her voice. “At least I am not expected to hold such ceremonies; I am not the social type, as thy… you can tell from the way I speak, I do not hold well in the typical conversation.”

“I think you’re fine, Luna. I like your quirks, they help define who you are. Besides, it’s fun teasing you about it.” Arin nudged her wing, and she quickly slapped his side in return with the feathery appendage, a smile playing on her features.

“I am happy to hear it, my friend. Many have a tough time dealing with me on a personal level, unlike my Sister. Though I have plenty of admirers, most are out of fantasy and less are realistically inclined. I have received many a letter of sympathy; they all believe that I cower in my room during the day, weeping sorrows into the rug like a pitiful foal.”

They passed a unicorn tugging a cart through the halls, several watering cans resting on the wheeled platform. He bowed calmly to the Princess, though reflexively shied away from her as she drew near.

Luna sighed.

“And for every crazed admirer, frothing at the mouth, a thousand more ponies cower at the sight of me. Even some of the staff think ill. It is good to have someone who doesn’t fear me walk by my side, excluding my sister.”

Arin reached over to the night time Princess, giving her a soft stroke of the mane. She flinched, if only just, before relaxing as they walked. “I can feel your pain, Luna. Where I come from, I’m rather used to being avoided – but typically by those a class higher than me. Here, it’s a wonderful change – I was a bit worried at first that I would be enslaved or treated the same, but all I’ve experienced is generosity from your sister, and kindness from you. And perhaps a little bit of comedy from Honey Rose, too – which has really eased my soul.”

He pulled his hand away from her ethereal mane, their pace slowing as they turned left at her Garden.

“I see… that’s… that’s wonderful news,” Luna began, her face lighting up in a warm smile. “You have only been here such a short time – but to experience those elements must be wonderful, is it not?”

Arin nodded, smiling. “Yeah. I’m not really used to it, really. I’ve been toiling away for so long, by my Feathers – when I awoke here, I was ready to exile into a nearby forest and begin taking care of myself! But all these new feelings, they really put a sensation to the definition. I had never experienced anything like this before, in the thirty years of my life I’ve lived.”

They soon found themselves in front of Arin’s bedroom, the blue mare turning to face her friend. She didn’t know what to say – usually, she would bow and say something along the lines of ‘farewell’ with whatever parting thoughts came of it. But tonight, she wasn’t ready. She had more to discuss, more to say – her mind was alight with potential conversations bubbling away inside, desperate for release.

Her turquoise eyes gleamed up to his in the moonlight of his open door, as they stared at each other for several moments. He was just an inch or two taller than her – a feature she had hardly noticed until now.

“Goodnight, Luna.” He said, stepping into his room. He turned to face her, awaiting a response. Several seconds ticked by, before she gave a nod and a smile.

“Yes, of course. Goodnight, Arin.” She bowed her head, turning to the hallway once again.

Kindness… She thought, her heart glowing with warmth. He finds me kind.

Her Sister’s generosity and open heart – and his caretaker’s laughter. If her theory – as scatterbrained as it could be – was correct, using Twilight’s experience as a basis to go off of… he needed to make two more friends, Honesty and Loyalty.

Celestia knew exactly what she was doing, it seems. She would need to write a report for her, in the morning. Friendship was Magic, after all – and Arin’s magic needed friendship to grow.