Arin’s mind went blank as Celestia finished up her tea, stood up, and stretched.

“I still have much to attend to before my duties end. If you need me, ask one of your guards to guide you. Oh, and Arin?”

The Seraph finally closed his mouth, speaking. “Y-Yes, um… Celestia?”

“Good luck. Real friendships are much harder to make than you think.” With a wink and a swish of her tail, she turned and headed for the main entrance to the Garden. The doors swung open, another guard bowing his head to his Princess as she entered.

“Did… what… what just happened?” Arin said to himself, as Honey pat him on the head to soothe him.

“Well, you just became a friend to a very powerful Princess, which deserves some serious bragging rights, by the way. I think there’s only like, seven other pony in all of Equestria that can call her ‘friend’, and that’d be like, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Hmm… maybe Princess Cadence as well. I don’t know about the rest, though. Seriously, wish I could call her my friend.”

Honey Rose canters behind the wheelchair happily, bouncing about. “And I get to bully you more, so today is a great day so far! Like, definitely one of the best.” She giggled again, which made Arin spin about in his chair.

“What in the seven skies were you thinking back there, when you agreed to that?! I hardly know you!” He demanded, clenching the back of the seat in frustration.

“Well, I was thinking ‘Oh sweet, I get to hang around the castle more, Spongey is gonna flip when he finds out about that’. Also, I really don’t mind you. You’re pretty cool for a grumpy mini-taur thing, sweetie.” She winked, unable to restrain a happy snort.

Rolling his eyes, Arin flopped in his new, mobile prison. “Yeah, but you could obsess less about taking care of me. I can take care of myself.”

“The bathtub would disagree!” Honey laughed, clopping a hindleg on the ground in delight at her own joke. “Besides, you gotta make five friends, you’ve got Celestia and you’ve got me! That’s two in the bag.”

“You’re not my friend. And you can’t make me your friend, you touched me in the bathtub. That’s too far.” He scowled, crossing his injured arm gingerly over his other.

Honey didn’t say anything as the guards opened the door out of the garden, she only gave a soft, sad sigh. “Alright. I get it. I’m still gonna try my best to be there, you know? Teach you about Equestria.”

Arin mumbled under his breath. He was thankful for Celestia for being so considerate of him, but… she could have picked another person to teach him. Anyone else but Honey. He didn’t hate her, but she was… not the first choice, by far. And his list of ‘creatures he knew in this world’ included a Doctor, and a Princess.

“Well, I’ll put forward the effort, and do my part so you can return to your proper job as quickly as possible. I take it that you can’t say no to royalty here, much like my own home.” The clink of the guard’s behind them continued as they approached the door to Arin’s room, the winged Guard trotting ahead to open the door with a wing.

“Yeah… of course. Anyway… I’m gonna head home now, gotta tell my boss that the Princess put me on a task in the castle for a bit. I’ll see you tomorrow, after lunch.” She wheeled Arin in to the room with a gentle push, before closing the door.

She wasn’t in the room with him. After everything that happened today, he was alone.

Arin sighed. Peace at last. Being antagonized by an overly motherly pony was the last thing he wanted after knocking himself unconscious in the bathtub… but he got the feeling that he may have been a bit too rough with her. Her voice sounded kinda tense when she left, almost like…

She was holding back tears.

He sighed to himself. Well, maybe she could have been his friend. But… she trampled on his personal space, and he didn’t think he wanted that. And she did call him handsome a bit too early on for him to adjust to it.

He would apologize to her tomorrow, after lunch. Thinking back, he did hold some regret, even if he was trying to push her away. Maybe they could start all over?

He stood up shakily, trying his best not to put weight on the damaged limb without some form of protection on it. Arin was sure Cheery Hooves wouldn’t be so cheery if he broke another bone. Bouncing on one leg to the bed, he flopped onto the sheets. With a quickle shuffle, his face in the pillow – he fell asleep. A nap before dinner couldn’t hurt.

~

A knock on the door, and he turned over. It was dim outside – the sun approaching the distant hills as it hung low, orange light filtering in through the window. He looked over the white walls of his room, wondering if he imagined it. Another knock, and he called.

“Come in!” He said, and the handle turned in a blue aura. A tall, blue mare walked – ethereal mane glowing dimly in the fading sunlight, piercing azure eyes honing in on their guest. Her navy coat was nearly black in the falling orange, adornments and regalia that seemed familiar at this point. Her chest bore an onyx necklace, with a crescent moon – her hooves guarded by a gentle royal blue shoe each. After learning about cutiemarks, he began to take notice as well – a black splotch with a similar moon as her necklace.

She eyed her guest cautiously, approaching slowly. Arin turned over in the bed, sitting up with his right arm for support.

“Oh, uh… hi. My name is Arin.” He said. A blue glow surrounded the Alicorn’s horn, and a magic wave ran right through him.

It always tingled. Why did so many ponies do that? “You know, I would find it polite to ask first.”

“Oh, forgive me, but I came here to meet you after reading the letter my Sister received. I thought it only proper to say hello and check on you before my night started.” She bowed her head, before continuing: “I am Princess Luna, Co-Ruler of Equestria and the guiding hoof of the Moon and Stars.”

She gave a soft smile and a nod, though it seemed to be lacking the practiced ease that Arin was keen on spotting. With Celestia, it was almost completely natural to smile; not just grin, but give a genuine response. This seemed a little more forced, as it quickly faded into a more neutral expression.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Luna. I must ask, why do ponies keep… using their magic on me like that? The wave spell? Doctor Cheery did it when inspecting me for magic earlier.”

The night Princess flicked her ear, as if thinking for a moment. “We wanted to be sure the letter was true; that you lacked magic, lest you attack Us like an assassin in the dark.”

Her expression remained neutral, and she seemed believable on the surface. Arin gave her the benefit of the doubt, nodding. “I am an Inert; I was born without the gift of magic, flight, or both. Unlike Earth Ponies here in Equestria, that means I am entirely devoid of magic, unless under very specific circumstances.”

She gave a little tilt of her head, but nodded. “We see that now. We have learned that you’ve been given a single task, is that correct? To make five friends?”

Arin gave a soft nod, a smile quickly forming. “Well, four now. Celestia said that I may be her friend, though I don’t know what that entails. Then again, she has been more than reasonable and so accommodating, I’m inclined to believe she really is my friend.”

Luna’s own lips turned in a soft, more genuine expression of happiness. “We’re happy to see that she thinks fondly of you. But that does raise a valid point. Arin, the night is about to begin. Would you like to accompany me on my duties?”

Without thinking much of a reply, he nodded. Anything to explore this new land.

“Wonderful. Wait right here – I have something for you.”

She trotted – quite happily – to the door, her head peeking out just around the corner before returning with a new fashioned crutch, and a unique brace.

“These are both for you, so that you may trot unimpeded. I will give you a moment to slip into these, while I speak with the guards.” She left the room again – just as quickly as before, giving him the briefest moment of time to sit down and strap his foot in.

The crutch was also a welcome change – and even had a mechanism to adjust the height! He did just that, tapping it on the ground. Sturdy, strong, and well crafted. These ponies knew how to forge metal!

He made his way to the door, just as Luna opened it with her magic. She gave a flick of her wings, unable to hide some of her excitement in her voice. “Tonight will be splendid! Company is much appreciated, as our duties are often… barren, socially.” She gave another unsure smile, that had just a hint of true happiness in it.

“Though I am not the best host, I will do my best to insure your pleasure tonight! It will be a most wonderful evening, I promise you.” Her words only grew in energy, almost bouncing with it.

“Company is rare, you say?” Arin said, getting into the motion of his crutch with some work. He had fletched some at one point for the shopkeep in his town, so the idea wasn’t foreign. “A place like Canterlot is surely busy past dusk, I would think.”

“Aha – you would be wrong. Thou hasn’t lived as long as I have. But before we continue, we must make haste to the dining hall, and sup with Our Sister.”

Arin looked behind him. The guards had moved on down the hall, leaving their posts. Must have been a shift change, or perhaps they were no longer necessary in the care of this Princess?

“So… what is it you both do? Princesses must not have many duties, if there’s anything I know from my world.” Arin asked curiously – they took a right this time, avoiding the garden.

“Haha! You are most incorrect, Arin. Here in Equestria, me and my Sister are nearly overwhelmed – for her, she raises the sun, attends day court to hear the worries of our people, leads events-”

“She raises the sun?!” Arin lost timing with his steps, stumbling to the side to be quickly caught in Luna’s magic.

“Aye, and We raise the moon!” She smiled, eyes gleaming. Though that faded a bit when she continued, “Though to be quite honest, not many ponies take notice. It’s a small thing, but… you understand, correct?”

Her energy seemed to die down as they picked up their pace. They took a right – swinging the opposite way from the garden, it seemed.

“Actually, yes. I know the feeling of being overshadowed by my peers quite well. You see, us Inert can use magic – though not in our control, per say. It’s developed much like a ‘cutiemark’ is here. When an Inert finds a skill they excel at, they can channel the magic of the world into their work, enchanting the item. This ability grows with time, and can produce high quality goods. I um… well, I lack this ability myself. In all thirty years of my life, I have not found a talent that has earned me praise.”

His description earned him a knowing stare from Luna, and her mood soon returned. “Well, perhaps we have more questions for you, then. What are thy opinions on Equestria so far? Have thy seen the night?”

“Actually, my first sight of Equestria was just before the cusp of dawn. I stumbled out of my bed, and looked to the window. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in all of my life; Canterlot is a spectacular city, and the colors work splendid in the soft blue.”

Luna smiled, feeling just a bit better about herself. “I’m happy to hear you enjoy Our work. It is no easy task to illuminate the sky with such wonderful beauty.”

Her tail swished, as if in a small victory.

“You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘our’, do you have help doing it?” They came to a final stop in front of two large, oak doors. They were partially opened, allowing the warm candlelight to peek through past the orange glow of twilight.

“No no, I am completely alone. Our… My way of speaking is… habitual. There is a bit of a story to it, one We wish… I wish not to delve into now. Though I promise you, I am working to improve this.”

Celestia was already waiting at the table for them, alone. And what a table it was – it must have stretched at least the length of the garden, built to seat a hundred or more. It seemed overly excessive for supper, but Arin knew very, very little about royalty.

“Ah, Luna! I see you brought company. Did you rest well, Arin?” She asked, barely stifling a yawn. Her eyes seemed heavy after a long day.

“Yes, as pleasantly as I could. I may have had a bit of a disagreement with Honey Rose, though, if I can say, Celestia.”

She gave a frown – very soft, but definitely detectable on her usually happy face.

“I had heard. She wrote to me stating that she believes that she may not be up to the task of assisting you. I’m sorry to hear that, Arin. I had hoped that perhaps the company could be beneficial for your improvement.”

It was now Arin’s turn to frown, his heart sinking a little. Was he really that rough?

“I… oh. I’m sorry, Celestia. I… you know what, that’s not right. Maybe I could talk to her? I feel like I was a bit rough after how quickly she agreed to teach me – this isn’t going to sit well with me at all. Can I send her a letter, too? I think she would do well. We just need to talk in person, that’s all.”

The smile returned, if only for a brief moment. “Well, perhaps it could be arranged. She did seem to take to you rather well, I was hoping that you two would become fast friends. We shall see. For now, I am absolutely famished. And if my timing is correct-”

On the opposite end of the room, a wide door parted in the middle, a servant trotting forward with a cloche on his back. Celestia began to beam at the sight, her stomach giving a light growl. Luna quickly made her way opposite of her, leaving Arin no choice but to sit at the head.

The cloche lifted, and Celestia’s smile instantly vanished. It was a tiny bowl of salad.

Luna laughed hard, as the servant sat the ‘meal’ in front of Celestia, who could only stare at in in depression.

“Sister, are thou STILL on thy diet?! Has thou NOT returned to a proper form?” Luna couldn’t help but chortle at Celestia’s distress, the white alicorn’s mane going limp.

“Yes Luna, I am. Please, don’t make this any harder on me…”

“Oh don’t worry Sister, We know when thy are awake, prowling the larders at night. Who do you think receives reports of kitchen theft every morning before we rest? What would the Night Guards say if we identified the culprit?” Luna smiled deviously, and Celestia glared.

“You wouldn’t dare.” The sunlight Princess took a defensive pose, hooves on either side of her bowl.

“Oh? Perhaps you can enjoy the salad then, after all, it’s your public image at stake, Sister.” Luna winked. “Lest we refer to pictures nay several decades old?”

Celestia’s glare shut down, as she idly poked at her – disappointing – salad. Another cloche appeared, presenting in front of Luna. The lid raised – revealing a large slice of odd colored lasagna. It was green, and Arin looked it over – spinach, mint, with a cashew sauce and chickpeas. He was surprised to see familiar foods from his world. It didn’t seem appetizing to him, but Celestia…

Well, her mouth found it very appetizing, from how much drool began to form. Luna only smiled, as wide as ever, as she carefully took a presented fork and pierced the alluring meal.

The magic levitated a healthy bite of lasagna in front of her blue muzzle, Luna breathing in a deep sigh before slowly pressing it into her hungry mouth. Savoring it. Enjoying it.

Celestia honestly looked like she could cry.

Arin’s plate arrived just in time, too – revealing an odd dish for himself. It seemed familiar…

Cheesy golden crust, with an orange… sweet potato layer? And beneath that, a fine avocado layer. It reminded him a bit of Shepard’s Pie, though he wasn’t sure if that was accurate. It did have chunks of tomato on the bottom, making it rather pretty looking.

Celestia’s eyes turned to the delicious food on her left now, ignoring Luna as she makes it all too apparent that she’s delighting in her suffering.

The Seraph had never seen such large puppy dog eyes in his life, nor were they so beautiful. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t resist them well.

He took his spoon, scooping up a healthy portion of his meal – and plopping it on top of Celestia’s depressing leaves. She nearly gave a squee, her eyes sparkling.

“Aww! Thaf’s no fun!” Luna pointed her levitating fork at Arin, mouth full of lasagna. “You’f gotta make her worf for it!”

“It’s alright. I was kind of hoping for some kind of… meat, I guess. I do eat meat too, you know.”

The two Princesses didn’t say anything, as Celestia was too busy savoring her reward for begging, and Luna was chewing. She pointed a piece of lasagna at Arin. “You could have just asked. Occasionally We – Grr… I partake in fish. And eggs are always welcome. Though plenty of our subjects don’t have the stomach for it.”

Arin gave an audible sigh of relief. He wouldn’t be seen as a monster, at least. He did have thoughts about being seen as an outcast among herbivores, if he declared his tastes publicly.

Regardless, he dug into his… vegetarian shephard’s pie, somewhat enjoying the clash of sweet, salty, and savory. The flavors could really lean into each other. It could possibly go on a sandwhich, if he so desired.

Wine and water were poured, which he happily partook – if only in gentle amounts. He didn’t want to become like the town drunks in Milla Serine, after all. Celestia was only allowed one glass, too, which she wasn’t pleased with, while Luna had two and shots to spare. Desert made its way to the table, which Arin was pleasantly surprised to see.

And Celestia… well, she started to drool again. It was red velvet cake.

“Oh, if it isn’t your favorite, Sister. You recall. The cake that mysteriously vanishes every night.”

“Yes, I have heard rumors…” Celestia said, almost whimpering at Arin’s piece. He was the weak link, it seemed.

“I heard that the chefs came up with a solution.”

“A solution?” Celestia said, her hoof slowly reaching for Arin’s piece. In return, he slowly began to inch it in the other direction.

“Yes, a most wonderful idea. They now keep the pantry – specifically all deserts – under intense lock and key, with a guard stationed in the kitchen.

“Yes, wonderful news Lulu, but…” She was now leaning halfway across the table, and Arin was now on Luna’s side.

“Which means no more cake late at night.”

“Arin, how’d you get over there? You need to sit closer to your friend…” Celestia’s magic began to pull Arin’s pillow he was sitting on towards her. The scary part was that it was working.

“Are you listening, Sister?”

“Mhm, you said the Lake is still safe at night, good news.”

She had pulled Arin all the way under her wing, watching the cake intently. Arin gulped. He had a feeling that one wrong step, and he would have no cake at all.

“Luna, unhand him, you vile cow!” Celestia said, as Luna picked up Arin with her magic – cake kept safe out of reach. “He’s my friend!”

“Your friends aren’t cake dispensers! It’s time for you to sleep, Sister, please!”

“Luna, I have had nothing but some pieces of cucumber, a carrot, and a salad for THREE DAYS, please spare me! Please, I NEED the cake!”

“You need a therapist and a hobby!” Luna scooped up Arin’s unmolested cake in her magic, and shoved it in his face. He was still holding the plate, fork in hand, ready to enjoy it too. Instead, he was now a mess.

Some plans go out the window, it seems, as Luna took her slice to-go. And the Seraph joined her, whether he liked it or not.

“Luna, you fiend! You traitor! You will hang for this!”

“I’ll hang like a bat from the rafters after enjoying my cake, Sister!” Luna swished her tail, as Arin hung in the air. Suspended by magic. “Come along Arin, we have work to do. And please… do not feed the pigeons, no matter how hungry they may be.”