During some point during her sleep, the train hit a bump and stirred her awake, enough to quietly – and lazily – peel herself from the window, and crawl over to the spread out bed before her. She didn’t care if this was a bit too personal – lifting the sheet up, Luna crawled right in against her Knight and tucked a pillow under her head to sleep.

Arin could feel the shuffle of the sheets, the heavy weight of a guest slipping in. Dully, he turned over, letting his arm wrap tight around the intruder in a warm hug. He nosed in to the bundle against him, breathing in the soft lavender scent with a dim smile, before letting dreams take him again.

And for a few hours, they stayed just like that. The night time princess quite happily snuggled up to her Guardian, and Arin – only slightly aware that a warm lump had appeared in his sheets, and that it was a very good pillow to cuddle.

Arin broke from his slumber to find an orange light streaking through the slit of the window, the late day sun getting ready to sleep for the night. He wanted to move – but he was just too comfy to bother, feeling the pillow pressed tight to his chest.

A very warm, breathing pillow. He moved his hand around it, feeling soft hooves gingerly, wings, a horn… he cupped Luna’s face, resting on his arm.

If this was a dream, it was a pleasant dream. As he slowly slid his hand down her shoulder, her eyes popped open.

He stopped, freezing in place as Luna timidly sat upright. She didn’t acknowledge him, only sat there for a moment. Her mane and tail – once laying flat and lifeless – began to stir and awaken with ethereal wind.

She approached the window on autopilot, moving the curtain to look at the sinking sun. While she was distracted, Arin quietly laid back down – watching her as she focused her energy, lifting the moon from its resting place beyond the distant horizon. The sun, seeing this motion, began to quickly dip down – vanishing from sight, leaving only the soft, white moon in the sky.

Her horn continued to twinkle as stars peppered the horizon, constellations reappearing in the blue canvas, save one; the Arcanis Ring. She made that special effort for Arin, not letting it shine in the sky of Equis. Arin felt touched, that she remembered that tiny detail after so long – his eyes sliding shut as she turned around to face him.

Seeing him still asleep – or perhaps not admitting him to be awake – she quietly stretched the second bunk about, sighing quietly to herself.

She took her sweetly scented pillow off of Arin’s bed in her magic, resting her hooves on it as she looked out the window, thinking. Arin knew it was much too early to enter the dream realm, as no one was asleep yet.

He stirred, blinking open his eyes. Luna jumped a little as Arin sat up, yawning.

“Ah, good night Luna. Sleep well?” He asked, the Princess giving a smile.

“As well as one could expect. Though we wish we could rest a little longer; it was quite comfortable.” She smiled, stretching her wings.

Arin wrapped his arms behind his back, popping his spine with a grunt. “You find these things comfortable? My shoulder is killing me. I think I slept entirely on my left side.” Arin said, hoping to get a response.

He would like her to be honest, but if she wants to be quiet, he’ll accept that.

“We slept well, at least. Are you hungry? I believe we are to arrive at the Cloudsdale train station any moment, if the schedule is correct. Surely something could be found there, if there’s nothing aboard the train.”

Arin turned onto his back. Maybe he was just dreaming it. He’s had dreams like that before, where he dreamed of waking up, going to work, only to realize he was sleeping.

“Yeah, I could go for something. Let me get dressed – Cadence and Shining are probably still awake, considering how we’re about to touch the station.” Arin stood up, stretching in his clothes. He quickly slipped his quiver over his back, feeling the blue feathers on his arrows again. It comforted him a bit, the bow fitting snug around the holtser. His bag slid across on his left, and Nocturne joined the same side; leaving him feeling overly prepared just to say hello to whoever they meet.

Luna joined him as he popped out of the carriage doors. The train was already slowing down, finding their company’s door next to theirs. With a knock, the door pulled open, Cadence holding her sleeping foal against her chest.

“Finally awake you two? We’re about to arrive in Cloudsdale; there’s a small train town by the station, we can get a quick meal while they fill the coal cart.” Cadence gave a soft yawn, leaving the cabin with Shining in tow. He didn’t seem all too tired, but he did have some slight bags under the eyes.

“A late supper is better than none. And the next stop before the Crystal Empire is the middle of Galloping Gorge. This is the only time you’ll catch a meal from here on out, the rest is trolley food.” Shining led the way as the conductor opened the doors, trading hooves with a fresh conductor for the rails north.

“Keep yer tickets with ya if you want back on.” The fresh face said, a gruffy old mare looking half awake. “We’ll be leaving in an hour. Next stop Galloping whatsit… Galloping Gorge? I need me some coffee.” She headed up the train, greeting a few other ponies in a similar fashion.

Shining led them forward, taking the lead. “Hey Caddy, think that old general shop is still open? We could get some snacks for the road.”

Cadence thought it over, frowning. “The one with that musty old stallion who smelled like moth balls? I don’t think so, Shiny. It’s a bit too late for that. You know, there is that Inn right around here – they have griffin food, Arin would like that. And they would be open late.”

“Oh yeah, it’d be quick too. Here, follow me.” Shining took a left off the platform, past the ticket booth with a dozing filly behind the glass. Looked a bit like a family business, from Arin’s perspective. As they prepared to step down into the gravel, Luna stopped.

“Arin, would thou please retrieve Our shoes? Our hooves are rather sensitive after having spent so long protected.”

With a nod, he slipped the four hoof shoes from the bag, placing them in front of her. With a few solid steps, she had them back on. “Do you want the tiara, too, or?…”

“No no, we believe this to be sufficient. The necklace may rest as well – we like to be free of the weight from our chest.” The padded shoes pressed into the stones below with a satisfying crunch, as the group made their way up the quiet street.

A few lackluster streetlights pecked the road, several small businesses lining the path up towards the floating city in the sky.

…Floating city in the Sky. Arin’s eyes lit up in the moonlight, seeing that massive cloud above him. He had never seen anything like it in his life; in the dark, he could clearly see the thousands of lights of homes and buildings spread about, breaking the pitch of night as white clouds floated effortlessly in the air. Ornate pillars and unique patterns broke the cloud into districts and civil zones, streams of rainbows pouring down the sides of this massive structure. From his view, he could pick out over one hundred unique homes comprising this side of the cloud structure – but he couldn’t tell exactly how big this thing was, it was just so far up and away.

He really wanted to see it – to have Luna or Cadence fly him up there, but they simply paid little mind to it. Like massive, towering civilizations thousands of feet in the air were completely common.

Luna took notice of his staring, and gave a smile. “Maybe one day, when you have unlocked the secrets of your magic, we could pay Cloudsdale a proper visit?”

Arin nodded, his mind reeling at the thought. He could go up there, truly? And not fall through? He could see the wonderful details of that massive civilization, like he did with Canterlot?

“I would absolutely love to. It looks amazing. We have nothing like this in Erenorn. Not even the great coliseum even scratches the beauty of it. And the rainbows! How do they do that?”

“The pegasi have machines to create rainbows; it’s something one must experience thyself to understand. For now, let us eat. I am famished.” Luna followed behind Shining, Arin dashing to keep up. They reached the Inn – second building from the station – with little delay beyond that, Arin reading the title aloud.

“’Over the Rainbow Inn’,” He commented, as Shining opened the door for the trio plus one. “Fitting, I guess. With it being so close to a bunch of rainbows, I guess it makes sense.”

“It reminds me of a song, one I heard forever ago – if only I could hum the tune.” Cadence said, as the welcoming atmosphere enveloped them.

Unlike Cloudsdale way up high, this had the roots of a more down to earth race of ponies, several mares and stallions occupying varying seats and tables across the room. Only quiet talk filled the space beyond simple furnishings – the group scurrying over to an open table by the bar, just out of sight of the door. Best not to draw too much attention while waiting.

The bartender approached, a warm smile on his face upon seeing Cadence and Shining once again. “Well if it ain’t the two lovebirds – and I see you brought… oh my Celestia, is that Princess Luna?” The yellow stallion gasped, his hoof over his heart as if he just saw a ghost. His short burgundy mane nearly stood on end at the sight.

“Hello again, Cider Song, and yes. This is Princess Luna, and her knight, Arin. We don’t have much time to talk – can you bring us something quick to eat for the road? Uh… three hayburgers, and a chicken club for Arin.”

“Griffin food? You sure do know how to pick a knight, your majesty.” He gave a deep, respectful bow to the Love Princess, backing away to the bar.

Luna sighed at the motion.

“I understand now why our sister complains so heavily of our title. He treated you two, Shining and Cadence, as familiar faces – and nearly fainted at the sight of me. I believe I agree with her – I don’t wish to be royalty at this moment, just a simple mare.” She twirled her hoof around the table cloth, feeling alone among friends.

Well, Arin wouldn’t have that. He quietly moved his stool next to hers, draping an arm around her. Not in any… romantic sense. Like you would a down friend.

“It’s alright Luna. He just doesn’t know you that well! I’m sure after a couple of visits, Cider-whatever will treat you like family.” Arin waved his free arm around in front of him, as if to make a point.

The night princess huffed, nodding. “One can only hope. But alas, it is not meant to be. Our Sister will confirm; no matter how many times she may pay a visit, she’s treated by her title by all she meets. Tis very rare to be given the reputation of ‘friend’, by our nature.”

She put herself in a slump, it seemed. Maybe a change of topic will help.

“So, Shining… uh, anything interesting to note about the Crystal Empire? Oh, how about that uh, Queen Umbra character?”

Shining winced at the name, not from pain – but from anger. “That… oh, you really want to know more about Queen Umbra, huh? I guess I didn’t cover it enough in our lessons. Alright. Back when the Crystal Empire reappeared, a vile shadow haunted the outskirts. This Shadow was ancient and evil, back from the post Discord Era, as Celestia and Luna came to power. It was Queen Umbra.

“A strange magic had sealed away the land, until one day, it just reappeared, seemingly out of thin air. The ponies inside still intact, though they had lost their gem-like luster. They were missing the crystal heart, a powerful gem that gave the city protection against the encroaching darkness. Without it, Queen Umbra could enslave the ponies within to do her bidding.

“She’s a wicked horse, and with Twilight’s help – and a certain purple dragon – Cadence and I were able to defeat Queen Umbra once more. At least, temporarily. There have been reports once again, strange sightings of a familiar shadow haunting the night. If there’s anything to look out for, it’s her. But there’s nothing she can do now. The Crystal heart is returned, and she is banished from the Empire. One day, we’ll pin her down and bring her to justice. Until that day, be wary.”

The mood had shifted as Luna and Arin listened in. Of course, Luna already knew of these events – but Arin was new, and it sent shivers down his spine. He had little idea of what she looked like, save vague descriptions that Shining gave during his lesson. Big, gray, red eyes, curved red horn. She sounded evil, for sure, and he definitely didn’t think he could take her down – especially as untrained as he was.

Cider Song reappeared, carrying four to-go boxes on his back, one with a large X over the top. It caused Cadence to jump; she was a little distracted from thoughts, it seemed.

“Alright, three hay burgers and a chicken club. Just uh… don’t eat me, okay pal?” He joked, forcing a smile from Arin.

“Well I don’t know, you’d probably taste like cider. Anyway, what’s the damage?”

“Well, the hayburgers are three bits a piece – I threw in some fries, as a courtesy to your Majesty. The chicken club is five bits, so fourteen bits.” He flank-checked the table, knocking all four boxes onto the sturdy wood. Well, sturdy enough – it did wiggle at his bump.

Arin withdrew eighteen bits, pressing it into his hoof. “Thank you, Cider. Keep the change. We have a train to catch.”

The bartender tipped his head in a bow, backing away to count his profit. Shining Armor placed the boxes on his back, giving a grin up to Arin.

“First paycheck and you’re already blowing it on fast food, huh? Not gonna lie, I thought that would happen the moment you got out of the castle for a bit.” He made his way to the door, turning the handle with his magic as Cadence followed – quieting Flurry with a shush. Luna and Arin stayed close, as they made their way back to the train station.

Reboarding the train was easy enough; four ticket flashes and a “your daughter is so cute” from the conductor, and the group were finding their carriages again. Shining and Cadence yawned, Cadence especially, who had been dealing with a very unhappy Flurry for the majority of the ride.

“We’ll hit the Crossroads to Galloping Gorge a few hours before dawn. We’ll probably sleep right through it – so unless you need something at the Crossroads, this train will take us all the way to the Crystal Empire. The bathroom is down the way, to the left, just uh… don’t use it until the train is in motion.” Shining said to them, handing over their meals. “You can always wave down the food trolley if you get hungry. We should be arriving late afternoon tomorrow, depending on the weather.”

He nodded to Luna and Arin, flashing a confident grin. “Goodnight you two. I know you two wont sleep, but… good night anyway.”

“Thanks Shining. Sleep well, don’t let Flurry wake you up.” Arin said, and Luna followed;

“Indeed. We will be sure to give you sweet dreams.” She bowed her head, turning to their own doors down a slot and to the right. Arin followed close behind, returning to their section of the cart with a yawn.

“It’s going to take a while for me to adjust to being a night owl.” Arin said, popping his fingers. “Kind of reminds me of the time I spent in the mines, back on Erenorn. Sometimes I’d work twenty hours in a row, sleep for two, then lose track of time. After a week, you pop out of the tunnels with cloth over your eyes to protect from the sun.”

“That sounds horrendous. Did they really treat you that harshly?” Luna asked, as she popped open her to-go box, lifting her burger. She eyed it with curiosity, never having seen such a thing before. The closest approximation would be tea sandwiches, if she could place it. Examining the bun, she noted the seeds across the top – hay poking out of the sides, slathered in a thick red sauce.

She took a gentle bite of the food, her eyes widening in delight. “This is spectacular! Tis hot, and savory – sweet! The sauce is sweet, is that – yes! Cheese, I love this, this is wonderful. Pickled cucumbers… divine.”

She munched away happily at her burger, as Arin set to work on his chicken sandwich. Again, he was reminded of Inn food in Erenorn – simple construction, thick bread, toasted club with slices of juicy chicken and vegetables. The sauce was interesting – it tasted local, definitely something he enjoyed.

Within minutes, the duo had polished off their meal, Luna more than pleased with the experience. Arin was happy too, of course – though not as much as Luna.

“I dare say, we have never had food so… common, before. It is quite the experience!” She said, licking her lips. “And delicious, as well. We would wish for another, if another were present.”

Luna nibbled the last of her fries, sighing contently. “These ‘hay burgers’ should be a part of the kitchen’s menu. Wonderful.”

Arin was happy that she was happy – which was an odd thought to him. Before Equestria, he didn’t care about what others felt or thought. Now? Seeing Luna smile made his night worth while.

Leaning back, the Seraph cupped his head behind his hands, moving his quiver out of the way to do so. “I think we both know what time it is, Luna.” Arin said, sighing sadly.

Luna nodded, turning to the moon. With a tweak of her horn, it moved up to the center of the sky, gleaming down overhead.

“I used to be content with this work, but now, I grow weary of it. It takes time that I could be spending with you, Arin, my friend.” She said, pressing her hoof to the chilly window. “Sometimes I wish I could change fate, in a way to suit my wants. But one must wear the mantle, and there is none more suited than I.”

Arin sighed, nodding. “It would be nice to spend more than a few hours a night talking with you, Luna, before you entered into the dream realm. It’s a shame that I can’t join you, either. The whole ‘magic required’ bit kind of stings, on top of the fact that I have to guard you. If we were both in a dream, who would protect us?”

Luna closed her eyes. A distant star fell from the sky, and she gave a little wish. They never did come true, but it became a bit of a coping mechanism for Luna. To wish upon the stars she fell. And maybe out there, others would wish on them to, and have a little more luck.

“We will speak at dawn, Arin. And again… thank you.”