The following morning, after Luna’s night shift, was perhaps the most sluggish and slow its been for the duo. By now, Arin and Luna has clocked at least 36 hours awake, with no hint of rest in sight – and it was only going to get worse in the coming weeks.

Last night was particularly rough on the night Princess, as the overwhelming amount of anxiety in Equestria wore her down like a grinder. The coming war left a lot of foals afraid of never seeing their mother or father again, anxiety about homes being burnt to a crisp, a few worrying dreams of dissent. The ponies were no longer happy with the state of affairs, and it was beginning to show on all levels of their society.

Breakfast, for the morning, was handled entirely by Celestia. Who made sure to use fresh, untainted ingredients in case of any more tampering. Arin was just happy to have food in his ravenous stomach; he hadn’t even touched a bite in two days, and his body was beginning to seriously protest this.

Glorious pancakes piled high, Arin dug face first into Celestia’s amazing cooking. Amazing, only in the mornings. He’s heard tales of her stomach churning brunches, or mouth-withering dinners, passed around by some of the veteran staff.

It would be a while before a normal diet could be whipped up, as they were also detaining the castle chefs, for interrogation. So far, they’ve found signs of the luminous Erklin Fae Shroom by a spill of glowing juice. It wasn’t the full recipe – but it was enough to warrant a full and proper investigation. Besides, most of the staff were given leave for the coming battle – it was curious that they chose to stay.

Honey Rose babbled on in front of the dead-to-the-world duo, slamming her hooves excitedly on the table when she reached the crescendo of her story.

“WHAM! She knocked him out with a tin serving tray, and darted for the door, screaming about the lobsters in her hair!”

Enraptured by the story, a surprising character inquired further – Umbra. “And then? Did she ever find her true love by the sea? Did she make her escape? Or was it a fruitless attempt at love?”

“Nopony knows! The strange fisher pony never checked into Canterlot High Hopes again, and the mare was found crying by the seaside in Baltimare, a week later! She still visits that beach, every day – she even moved there permanently to find him!”

Umbra’s head fell, a pang of sorrow racing across her features. “It’s a humbling tale. That love can be as fleeting as it is beautiful.”

“Yeah! And a true story!” She said, clapping her fork on the table by the hilt – pancake wobbling on the prongs and spilling syrup across the once pristine dining surface. “You could ask any of the receptionists at High Hopes – that man is still on the loose somewhere, at sea!”

“Intriguing. But why not return for her? Is she not worthy of love?”

“I believe it had to do with the fact that she was hospitalized with dozens of lobsters clamped to her mane, so much so that Doctors had to move her to High Hopes to get them all pried off.” Vapor cloud offered. “That, and the fact she still had nightmares of them stuck in her hair whenever she slept. That was probably it.”

“I will keep this information in mind, when I believe myself to be more… normal, as you are all.” Umbra said. “But I believe that today is the day I uphold my duty in finding the Crystal Heart. And unfortunately, I can not.”

Celestia looked up from her pancakes, confused. “And the reason being?”

“The Crystal Heart is not on Equis anymore. My magic can no longer detect it. With its disappearance, the Umbrum’s voices have fallen entirely quiet. I am no longer under their influence, at least for the time being.”

Luna slumped forward into her pancakes, unconscious. Arin went to pull her free, but seeing how comfy she is… he slowly slid forward in exhaustion, splattering more of her pancakes on the table as he, too, used them for a pillow. If it was important, he missed it – just like the War Council yesterday. Somepony will fill him in. Eventually. Probably.

“This is… worrying. And a poor indicator of what’s to come. All of that magical power, exported to another realm… what they could do with it is disastrous.” Celestia said, making it to her hooves. “Umbra. When did the voices stop?”

“By dusk, I heard nothing but my own thoughts, clear and pristine.” She said, viewing Arin and Luna with curiosity. Honey Rose sighed, stuffing her pancake into her muzzle before disappearing under the table. Reappearing by Arin’s side, she grabbed him by the arm and rolled his body into hers, hefting him and his gear with ease. Her miraculous sponge appeared, wiping his face clean.

“Hey spooky horn! Get over here and grab Luna. We’ve got a workout today, getting them to their tower. Wherever it is.”

“I’ll lead the way, if Celestia does not require immediate protection?” Vapor Cloud offered, raising a hoof to his Princess. She gave him a nod.

“Inside these palace walls, a small score of Royal Guards will suffice. Do not tarry, Vapor. Meet me in the war room when you’re able. Umbra, you’re welcome to join us.”

“Hey! What about me?” Honey Rose chirped, puppy dog eyes following.

The Sun princess tapped her hoof to her chin, thinking. “Well, if Sir Vapor Cloud isn’t able to take notes, perhaps you could serve as a scribe?”

“Oh yes! My uh… my teeth hurt, I can’t write anymore notes ever again. Ever. Ever ever.” He smiled, waving a hoof to Honey.

She gave a cheer, “Honey Rose, Seventh Place spelling champion at Canterlot Elementary, coming through!” A hoof punched the air, narrowly missing Arin’s sleeping head.

Celestia made her way down the dining hall, destined to split from the group. Umbra had calmly made her way around the table, inspecting Princess Luna.

“Curious. Months ago, this would have been a golden opportunity for me to help achieve my plans. Now? I’m reminded of my time as a foal, except the roles are reversed. I’m the attendant, and Luna is the orphan. And I must carry her to her bunk.” She said, her magic – once crimson – engulfed Luna in a green aura, corrupted horn tilting up as she brought the unconscious mare onto her back.

A sponge quickly dabbled away the pancakes, as Vapor Cloud took the lead.

“Some days, I wake up and think ‘I’m too old for this’. Other days, I wish I could sell pictures of what I see to the tabloids. Let’s move you two.” Vapor Cloud sighed, rolling his eyes.

To any guard in the halls, this was perhaps an uncommon sight. It’s well known that the younger alicorn Princess would often pass out in the dining hall, after a rough night – but usually this was settled by a small group of guards bringing her – quietly – to her bed. Or if she could be roused (a task near impossible, as she was particularly well known for sleeping through invasions), she would teleport herself to bed.

What made it uncommon was the fact that an Enemy of the Crown, now perhaps converted to an ally for the moment, was gingerly carrying her to bed. And she did so without a hint of shame, or vile intentions.

Vapor Cloud didn’t even seem nervous around her. If Luna could sleep with her eating breakfast right in front of her, he could be cordial and friendly to the once evil mare. And if Celestia can trust her – he could trust her.

Making their way up the stairs is when Honey Rose began to pant. First flight to the second guest wing – easy enough. The spiral staircase to Arin and Luna’s room? It was a few flights too many.

Groaning in the stairs, she looked to her left – surprised to find Umbra completely unphased.

“Aren’t you – huff – tired yet?” She asked, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek.

“This is not a heavy burden to me, Miss Rose.” Umbra was as stoic as ever, graceful steps leading up the stairs. “It is only strenuous when the distance is far.”

“Please, just… – huff – call me… Honey. I’ll call you a friend – huff – if you promise not to eat me or… whatever.”

A soft, low chortle came from the gray Unicorn. “I do not eat ponies, so I will keep this promise. Thank you, Honey. You are invited to visit me any time, in my quarters. That is, if you don’t expire from another set of stairs.”

“Me? Expire? What am I – huff – milk?” She said, finally crossing the threshold into the study, just before the doors into Luna’s room proper. Honey gave an exasperated sigh, head hanging low.

“I’m strong… but not Umbra strong.” She said, ragged breathing punctuated by gasps for air. Now dripping with sweat, Vapor Cloud held the door open for them, as Umbra lifted Arin from her new friend’s back. Gently, she set the unconscious Seraph in his nook, closing the thin curtains around him and extinguishing the enchanted candle there. She even pulled the blanket over him, tucking him in.

Next, she… less than carefully chucked Luna onto the bigger bed. Not only did she not stir, but she essentially flopped like a beanbag.

“Well uh… that takes care of that?” Vapor said, looking over Arin’s nook. “…Celestia still hasn’t put curtains over my window, and Arin gets an awesome veiled bed? Lucky bastard…”

A snap of emerald magic thrashed against Vapor’s front left leg, his muzzle held shut by Umbra’s green aura to prevent the inevitable yelp. “Do not. Ever. Insult my friend. Or the next time, it’ll be two small somethings dangling behind you that I lash. Do I make myself clear?”

Umbra’s deathly gaze was enough to intimidate a battalion of soldiers. Eyes like pinpricks, he nodded.

“Splendid.” Smiling, the Unicorn released her vice grip. Immediately, Vapor hugged on to his hoof, massaging it desperately to push away the pain. Regardless, it’s going to swell into a lump, or bruise like hell.

“Oooh, remind me to never get on your bad side, Spooky Horn.” Honey laughed. A bit nervously, but still.

“I will meet you two in the War Room. Thank you Honey, for your stories at breakfast. And Sir Vapor?”

The orange pegasus looked up to her in slight fear.

“I do apologize, but I stand by my word.”

With that, she turned into a cloud of shadows – moving at lightning speeds down the enclosed staircase. A flurry of loose papers being tossed into the air in her wake.

“Aw mare. Why couldn’t I be born with Unicorn magic? That’s awesome.” Honey commented, before quickly following along. The injured stallion in tow, hovering above the ground to stay off his stinging hoof.

---

When Arin awoke, it was black as pitch – a banging on the door stirring him from his sleep.

“Luna! You can’t just sleep all night and day! You have to raise the moon!” Celestia’s voice called through the heavy barricade. Immediately, the shuffling of sheets turned to the curtains, throwing them open. Lazily, the blue Alicorn seized hold of her celestial body, and raised it quickly into the sky.

The door finally opened, as Celestia entered the room. “Finally! I thought you went quietly into the night, Lulu. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes – are you two waking up? We need to go over the war meetings.”

“Huh? Yes whatever…” Luna yawned, her horn sparkling to lift her plushie up. The plushie being Arin. Plopping him down lazily in her bed, the barely conscious Seraph was left snuggling with the royal blue mare cozily in the sheets.

With a sigh, Celestia slowly clicked the door shut. Leaving the two be for now. At least the moon was up, and they might appear for food. Maybe.

It took ten minutes before Arin could even struggle, the warmth of the blankets and Luna overwhelming. Her soft nose was squished to his chest, and today, of all days, things felt normal once again. Like nothing ever happened to begin with. Soft hooves pressed into his body, like little pillows. His nose bumping hers as he gave the sweetest kisses he could. Helping stir her from her sleep, until her mane began to gleam with magical power.

She was awake now, but she didn’t move. Only open her eyes to stare into Arin’s.

“We do not wish to work. We wish for thee to stay by our side, instead.” She whispered, tracing his cheek with a hoof. “Thou are precious to us. Always remember this, my Knight.”

“Yes, but if I keep skipping meals, I’ll be a precious skeleton. Two meals a day is hardly enough as it is.” He said, slowly pulling himself up in his sheets.

“Indeed, Arin. It is time for you two to wake.” An all too familiar voice called from the shadows, as Umbra decided to make an appearance.

“BY THE FEATHERS!” Arin jumped up so fast, he nearly smashed his head into the starry ceiling a dozen feet into the air. Luna yelped and rolled out of bed with a thump, a flurry of blue feathers erupting as she sprouted up with a pillow clutched in her hooves, ready to defend herself.

“I do not understand. Is there an issue?” Umbra asked, tilting her head.

By now, Arin came crashing back down into the bed, grunting as he bounced off and into the nearby closet. The crash of falling books came, clattering across his head.

“Yes, thou manners are non-existent! We request that thee knock before entry, ‘tis only polite!” Luna said, dropping the pillow with a sigh. “Thou nearly ended Our life from the stopping of Our heart!”

Arin meekly reached his hand out of the collapsed books – green magic enshrining it as Umbra pulled him free. She stood him up delicately next to her, looking him over for a moment before casually fixing his hair with her magic. Flicking away any dirt with her magic.

“Uh… thanks for the help, Umbra. But uh… yeah, try knocking next time. That way I wont suffocate under a pile of books in the future.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. She bowed her head.

“But of course. We have little experience with… manners, beyond what I learned as a foal. But I do believe it is time to eat. If you would care to join me?” She asked, steely cool gaze training on the duo.

“We were uh… just on our way, Umbra! Thanks for reminding us.” Arin chuckled nervously. Even if she was his friend, she could be very intimidating. Regardless, a genuine smile formed on her lips.

“I will wait outside, if that would be more polite?” She offered, and Arin agreed with a ‘please’.

Now alone, it was like a weight was lifted off their shoulders.

“Normalcy isn’t something we should hope for, I guess. Let’s get going – if this keeps up, we’ll be having dinner in here with the entire castle.” Arin laughed sadly, scooping up his gear and strapping it on. It felt good to have Nocturne by his side again – luckily Luna kept it close at hoof once it was abandoned in the Garden.

“Indeed, and I do not cherish the thought of cleaning Our… actually, yes, our bed, of crumbs.”

“What if it’s soup for dinner? Afraid to get the sheets wet?” He winked, rejoining Umbra in the study hall, Luna close at his side.

“We have a feeling that tonight’s meal was not prepared by Castle Staff.” Luna gulped, and Umbra confirmed.

“That would be correct. Celestia wished to try her hoof at dinner.” The dark mare said, unaware of the mood she just set. Trepidation creeped into Luna’s voice, as they began to spirals down.

“Oh by the moon, We-er… I worry. I’m worried of what she’s burnt for us.”

“Do you not trust Celestia’s ability to provide a meal?” Umbra inquired, “I do believe her breakfast was acceptable.”

“There’s a clear difference between breakfast and dinner, when it comes to Celestia. From what I’ve heard. But I’m sure it can’t be that bad.” Arin said, trying not to be a downer.

He would regret those words.

At dinner, Celestia had prepared sandwiches for her friends and company. Simple enough on paper – but execution…

Arin took a bite of the overly toasted bread. Just bread, as the ingredients – tomato, onion, pickles? Why pickles? Slid out the other side. All he could taste was the carbon of the toast, and mustard. So much mustard! It dripped onto the plate, and that’s when he noticed a horrible burning sensation starting to stir in his throat.

“What…” He coughed loudly into his hand, peeling the overly sticky bread apart. She only toasted the outside of the bread. Inside, there was minced garlic. A lot of minced garlic. The pungent taste burning his mouth at the sheer quantity of it, as he spit it out.

He eyed the rest of the guests at the table. Umbra had opened her sandwhich, looking at it in confusion. It was mayo, all mayo. Literally nothing but mayo. She was unsure how it could hold so much mayo. And one piece of her bread was covered in butter on top? It made no sense.

Honey Rose wasn’t even given two slices of bread. She had a hayburger bun on the top, that was dry. No condiments on her sandwich, except again, butter. But not smeared on in a thin layer, more like… Celestia cut up a stick of butter and layered it on. Then it was covered by one piece of lettuce.

Vapor Cloud didn’t even get a sandwich. He just got pickles on his plate. Apparently, Celestia ran out of bread. And food.

Speaking of Celestia, she had… leftover pancakes. Because again, no bread.

At least Luna had food! Kinda. It looked like a leftover salad from Celestia’s diet. Wilted, sad salad.

After several moments of silent poking at food, Umbra stood up. She said nothing, picking up the plates on the table before vanishing behind the kitchen’s doors – leaving everyone’s table empty. The only plate she didn’t touch was Celestia’s, as her muzzle was buried in the cold pancakes and syrup.

Celestia didn’t even notice, until she looked up. “Wow! Everypony must have been famished.” She smiled, cheery as per usual, regardless of the bags under her eyes.

“Er, Celestia, as a friend now… just a question. Did you uh… know any other recipe besides pancakes?” Arin asked calmly, wiping the copious amounts of mustard off his muzzle.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I know what goes into tea sandwiches. Sort of. Unfortunately, my only free moments are in the very beginning of the day, so I’ve never had the chance to practice anything but breakfast foods.”

She waved her fork around in her magic, as Umbra reappeared several minutes later with a pot on a cart. Something smelled delicious and edible, at least, as she set out fresh bowls for her friends. With a ladle from the kitchen, she spooned out some home made stew. It reminded Arin of his time with her, not more than a few days ago – and soon, a hearty soup was delivered.

Where’d she even get the ingredients? Better question – how did she cook it so fast?

“Umbra, how did you-” He began, but she cut him off.

“With the chefs out of commission, I decided to handle my own meals. I did not realize it would be this dire, though. I prepared in advance several servings for my own tastes, but I do not mind sharing for this eve.”

“This is delicious!” Honey Rose chirped, gulping down a hot spoonful. “What’s in it?”

Without a second thought, Umbra began to list the main ingredients. “Potatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, green beans, rosemary, basil, elk steak…”

“What was that last one?” Honey shot up from her now clean bowl, eyes wide.

Umbra paused for a moment, typical of her behavior. Her eyes turned to Arin, who gently shook his head ‘no’ before she spoke. “E-Elkstalk, a common plant found in the northern wastes.”

A drip of sweat formed on her brow, but otherwise remained emotionless.

“I love it, it’s awesome! You had me going there, almost thought I was eating meat! Phew. Wait a second…”

Her eyes peered harshly at the stoic, unwavering Umbra. Sweat now running down her neck. Wait, why was she stressed?

“Well, if you say so.” Honey shrugged. Umbra visibly relaxed, letting a pent up sigh free. Arin gave her a nod, and she smiled – exposing her fangs.

Umbra was a horrible liar. Luckily, Honey was equally as horrible at spotting lies. Enjoying their meal in a much more talkative state, the Sun Princess eventually pressed her plate away, before clenching her left cheek.

“My tooth is starting to hurt… hm.” She said to no one in particular, but Luna caught on after finishing her bowl.

“You have consumed enough sugar over the past week to supply a small candy factory for a season, of course thy tooth aches.”

Celestia waved away Luna’s concerns, before giving a more serious, attention gathering cough.

“The last few days have been an informal mess between us all, and I do apologize for my behavior if it has been… crude, even among friends. But now, I do believe we’ve recovered enough from the stress to turn our attention to the matters at hand. Lula, Arin, you’ve both been absent over the last few war meetings – but for that, I can not scold you for. I realize that stress accumulates, and we all have our ways of coping – and I’m thankful we have ways to relax, even in these trying times, to recover our Morale.”

“Oh no, she’s getting all speechy again…” Vapor Cloud sighed quietly to himself. Either Celestia selectively chose to ignore this, or simply didn’t hear. Luna did, and nearly choked on her food from restraining a giggle.

“Unlike Twilight, who is currently a nervous wreck in Ponyville – I’m happy to say that the stress of the coming battle hasn’t wavered our wills. Perhaps it’s with experience and time that the more dire events that transpired are so easily forgotten among friends. And I know that we will persist, and find times to laugh and be merry in even the worse of circumstances.

“The time of rest before battle is over. It is most likely that at the dawn of the third day, this coming morning, we should see the rise of a banner against us. We know that the integrity of the castle is less likely at stake, as they intend to claim Canterlot, not overwhelm us. Thus, our plan is simple.

“We have focused primarily on fortifying our air superiority. With the Crystal Heart no longer within Equestria’s borders, it is likely that we will experience a rush of an offensive line, likely led by Leotoln himself – in the form of a surprise mass portal gate. Their primary goal is to take the castle, and slay my Sister and I. If they claim victory, their next goal would be to seize Ponyville – then the Crystal Empire. In the North, Shining Armor and Cadence has erected a magical barricade to dissuade direct assault, with a mass increase to their formal military. Without a proper magical barricade that can be sustained, like Shining’s, we will have to make do with air ships and aerial traffic.

“By tonight, the Comet’s Rush Fleet will be patrolling the outer perimeter of Canterlot, while the Star Fall Fleet will manage interior security. Additionally, the Wonderbolts will maintain a presence on the more difficult to scour regions, in case of the appearance of a supply camp. With eyes and ears everywhere, and aerial barricades, this should reduce air freedom and make it hard for a proper push to form.”

“Finally, exterior doors to the castle – every single entrance – has had their gates and barricades updated, and the traditional redwood doors have been exchanged for reinforced Oak. On exterior changes, you may have noticed bars across the windows – to prevent individual soldiers from filing in. This coming morning, exterior walls will be guarded explicitly by Standard Military, while all inner halls are patrolled and maintained by Royal Guards. Siege weaponry is already in place to maintain our ground presence, as well.”

She took a sip of water, finishing her speech. “Luna, Arin – do you have any questions or suggestions?”

“I’m not sure of military strategy, but what if they try to… blockade our food?”

“Nonsense – the Crystal Caverns beneath Canterlot house two years worth of supplies, and a secret route in and out of the castle locked behind mechanisms and devices beyond one’s imagination. Some of which only my Sister and I know the answer to.” Luna added, but continued. “Should we rest fully tonight, Sister, and be ready for battle in the morning?”

“It would be wise, Lulu. The Dream Realm may wait until this conflict has passed. If anything, if you do not wish to sleep – you may also keep watch if you’re so inclined.”