Arin hobbled along toward the ledge, as Luna looked toward the distant horizon. They stood at the top of her tower – her room, in fact. Ignoring the copious amounts of blue, the soft candlelight and the large bed, it could be seen as rather cozy to some. Her eyes closed and her horn glowed, as Celestia’s sun fell quickly behind the horizon.

Her wings began to stretch, as the moon quickly crested and stopped, hanging high in the sky. Shimmering magic twinkled across the blank canvas, as stars appeared and comets fell across the horizon.

In this brief moment, Arin was in shock. Such beauty and grace… he took in the moonrise in awe, letting the colors melt into his eyes.

“It’s beautiful.” He said quietly, and Luna smiled.

“Thank you, We – er… I put a lot of thought into it. Every night, I try to make it as beautiful as the last. Even on my worst nights, I take care of my sky.”

Arin smiled, letting the night come over him. Relaxing, he breathed in the cool night air – odd how the shifting moon could change the winds, but he enjoyed it none the less.

“What’s next on the agenda?” He asked. Luna gave a nervous laugh in reply.

“Well, only a few… basic tasks, then we enter the Dream Realm to see the dreams of our subjects.”

Arin blinked. Dream realm? It would be his first question – but he decided to tackle it from the rear first.

“Okay, basic tasks first, then we’ll talk about the Dream Realm when we get there. What’re we taking care of tonight?” Arin sounded a bit excited to dive into it, and Luna gave a sheepish smile.

“Well uh… heh… you see, we do a few things… we take care of the lavender plants, look over the garden a bit… handle the castle staff and preparations for the coming day, and… well, that’s… all?”

Her smile wavered.

“That’s all? I thought you’d be filling out paperwork, or handling some late night dignitaries.”

“Well, no. We’re not very… social, per say. As our sister is. She handles those issues, along with most public appearances and the like. Tis very rare to see a soul wandering the halls at night.”

Arin frowns, but decides to push on. “Well, okay. How about the dream realm? Let’s go over that. What do you do in there?”

Her confidence returned, and she gazed back to the world outside her balcony. “We enter the dream realm through meditation, where we actively find pony’s dreams that may be under stress and solve their nightmares for them.”

Arin blinked. “Nightmares are healthy. Why do that? They’re the brain’s way of coping with stress.”

Luna frowned. “Well, nopony deserves to suffer in their rest, when most injustices can be handled in their waking hours.”

“No, not exactly Luna. I’m well educated for my world’s standards – partly in fact because the Librarian seemed heavily inclined to lend me books for free, when I was younger. And if there’s one thing my people have learned, is the science of the dream.

“In Nightmares, the body is using the stress of fear to overcome an issue, teach a lesson, or give a greater meaning to something in the person’s waking hours. By solving their nightmare, unless you can directly tell them what’s wrong, you’re just kinda… stopping that, which isn’t healthy at all. In fact, I believe that’s really bad, as it leads to a populace that doesn’t learn to face their fears.”

He leaned over the balcony himself, staring over into the lights twinkling in the city below. “I’m sorry if that’s different here, but… that’s what I know.”

Luna was quiet, looking down at her shoes. Her work was thankless. But that… that hurt. That hurt deep.

“We do say that We believe it’s time for you to leave, Inert.” Luna said quietly. “There is nothing you can aide us with tonight.”

The blunt side of Arin recoiled, learning much too quick that he said something wrong. Very wrong. He quickly thought back to how he treated Honey Rose, and he wouldn’t have that happen twice. Not to a Princess, not to one who seemed eager for company.

“No.”

“What?” Luna said, daring to look up from the floor. Barely restrained emotions huddling inside of her chest, ready to spill.

“No. I stand by my words, but that doesn’t mean what you do doesn’t hold meaning.” His mind raced to come up with a solution, to keep the words coming. If he can be blunt and striking, then he should be doing it to smooth out those dents he made.

He agreed with himself; don’t just be blunt, be helpful.

“Restless sleep is not helpful to those resting. If you can enter their dreams and stop the nightmare, then you’re still helping in some way. Especially if you can tell them why they’re having these bad dreams. I’m not an expert, but I know this: A nightmare will haunt you as long as you still hold fear over it. And explaining that fear, and finding where it comes from, that can help them in their waking hours, too.”

The emotions began to die down inside of Luna as she listened. She still restrained herself from throwing him off the ledge, but… she wasn’t going to send him away. Not just yet.

She stood to the guardrail, thinking these words over. “It is true. I wasn’t clear in the way I described my duty. I do help them decipher their dreams. I do not just end their nightmare, I try to help them emotionally. But you are right. What I do isn’t necessary.”

“And that’s where I’m wrong, Luna.” Arin said with a smile. “My people have a saying, ‘The value you find is worth more than gold’. How much you value something can not compare to what others may price it. Don’t let my words, however blunt, stop you from helping your people.”

Her heart calmed, and she smiled. “Thank you, Arin. Well said. But I’m afraid you have trampled my honor, and the only punishment is death. Goodbye.”

She picked him up in her magic, making him grab the railing in sheer terror. “By the feathers, NO!”

She laughed, dropping him back to the floor with a thud. The Seraph shaking, but eventually giving a soft laugh too. “I’ll remember this. Next time you pick me up, I’m grabbing you and taking you with me.”

“We’d like to see – oh by my starry mane, I would like to see you try.”

“Try? You mean succeed?” He made it to his feet, patting himself off. Feet. He forgot his shoes. No wonder the tile of the castle has felt so cool. “Now! Onward to tending to fauna, obviously a very regal duty.”

He gave a coy wink, and Luna huffed.

“Come now, Arin. Do not tempt me with the balcony so close.”

“The night air is good for your lungs, though, Princess! Now, forward!”

~

They walked down the halls of the castle, three heavy watering cans floating in Luna’s magical grasp. Hanging from the ceiling on hooks were dozens of lavender plants, needing to be cared for. Pruning, tending, rotating so that the light may hit both sides. It was gardener’s work.

“So why don’t the castle staff handle this? And furthermore… why is this important for the Princess of the Night?” Arin asked, holding a bucket half full of lavender trimmings.

“Lavender is soothing for the mind, especially during sleep. Since most ponies tend to… well, sleep through my night, I’ve come accustom to making sure that sleep is as restful as can be. Especially here in the Castle.”

“Huh. How many people are staying in the castle overnight?”

“Well, the guard barracks usually have around twenty four guards resting, we have individual maid quarters spread across the castle – about eight maids in total, and including dignitaries and traveling nobles, our number of guests move from ten to forty on average.”

“Impressive. I know in Erenorn, the average castle couldn’t have more than forty staying the walls at any given time, that was including the family living within. So you have twenty four guards resting, and twenty four more active?”

“We have seventy two guards in total in or on castle walls at any given time. Part of my job is organizing their schedule, time off, and their times of rest. They work in shifts of eight hours, with eight hours of free time spent away from the barracks and eight hours at rest within. There is plenty of overlap, marches, and movement at all hours of the day.” She emptied another watering can as they finished the third hallway for the night.

“So only eight maids? That seems low for such a… well, massive castle.”

“We have eight maids who stay in, there is also a full kitchen staff who do not stay in the walls, and who handle most food related duties. The maids simply clean, change sheets, and wash linens.”

“Huh… this place is on par with Alma Soul. But that’s a lot of guards, are they effective? I mean, I’ve seen at least… half of them with wings, the other half with horns.” He caught another batch of spent stems of lavender, as Luna pruned freely.

“Against normal threats? Yes. Against abnormal threats? About as effective as tissue paper stopping an arrow.” She hummed as she worked. Arin gulped.

“That uh… well then. Care to fill me in on that?”

“It’s not something We need to clarify. Your stay here shouldn’t be troubled with worries over the heinous villains of the past. For now, in this moment, we are in peace. Expect nothing else from it.”

Finishing up the watering duties, Luna made her way to the barracks. Arin had just noticed, but tucked under her wing was a folder. Down a flight of stairs, past a somewhat quiet common room, she stood in front of a cork board. With a pluck of her magic, the old schedule fell, and the thumbtack was snatched just in time. She also removed another paper – one Arin couldn’t understand, and replaced them both.

“I had already finished the schedule the morning prior, with revisions for covers and requested time off addressed. I know you can’t read – but the other page is simply bulletin notices. The guards do well at their job, but security needs to be notified of guests, visitors, and expected movements for the coming days. Oh! My Sister had posted a notice about you, right here. Would you like me to read it?”

Arin nodded, and she began. In a somewhat mocking voice, doing well to impersonate her sister; “Please be aware of our newest guest, Arin. He stands just below eye level with me, a minotaur without hooves. He will be staying in the West wing, central corridor, first floor. I request two guards to escort him when alone. He is free to leave the castle walls…” She stopped short.

“Er… let’s continue.” She said with another fake smile. “You don’t need know the rest.”

It’s not like I can read it or anything. He thought, bumbling over to her side with his crutch.

“At least in a few days, I wont need this crutch anymore. Seraphs heal incredibly fast, compared to other races.” They traveled up the flight of stairs (which was exceptionally grueling for Arin, who had to essentially do it on one leg) and back towards the first place Arin visited – the Garden.

“Oh, that is good news. So my lashing in retaliation to your unruly behavior will heal unnoticeable quickly, then.” She hummed, unlatching the garden door. “Lest We leave them to fester, of course.”

“Don’t you mean I leave them to fester?” He smiled. Luna groaned.

“Thy…You are worse than my Sister.” Luna swatted him on the back with her tail, refilling the watering cans from a nearby pump. “But, at least you are willing to stay up with me, and watch the moonrise. For that, I am grateful.”

“It’s easier with a nap, but I wouldn’t mind doing this every night, if that’s okay with you?” Arin gave a warm smile. He liked Luna’s company, and he even felt like they had a bit in common.

The nighttime Princess couldn’t be happier, as she nearly bounced in delight. “Thy must have lost – Hmf! Ahem… You must have lost your wits, Arin, but yes, of course! I would love the company. There are very few I can speak to at length beyond sunset, even if you are an exceptionally abysmal conversationalist.”

“Hey, I believe I deserve some credit. I have to deal with you, that’s pain enough.”

They both shared a warm laugh, as Luna wrapped a wing around Arin in a comforting hug. “But again, thank you. And just for you, Arin, I will gladly call you friend.”

Two friends in a single day! Also, they are the rulers of an entire nation! Who needs other friends when you have friends in the highest place imaginable?

Tending to the third garden, as Luna called it (it made him wonder on the acceptable amount of Gardens to have), her mood slowly died down again.

“This place in particular is my Nightshade Garden. Nightshade Atropa Belladona, to be specific. You may not know it, but every plant here is a variation of the same deadly nightshade; magically intwined and bred among other flowers to produce such beautiful buddings and designs, while holding some characteristics of the traditional deadly plant.”

She cupped a flower in her hoof, a vibrant purple exterior with a bell shape. It housed a white interior, small and fragile.

“Nightshade is often seen as toxic or poisonous. I wanted to change that, to remove its vile nature, its past, and give it a new, vibrant future. And with the help of other flowers, and a Gardener or three to teach me, We… I did just that.” She gave the flower a soft sniff, sighing.

“My sister uses this Garden during the day as her place of rest, more than any other attraction of the castle. It soothes my heart to know that she cares for my work, and she appreciates me for what I’ve done, and what I do.”

She turned from the plant, approaching the fountain towards the epicenter of the beauty. “Arin, I do believe that now I must continue alone. The dream realm requires magic to enter. I’m thankful for your company tonight, it has been most pleasant.”

Looking up from the water, she gave a smile. He could feel a slight tension in her voice… apprehension, perhaps. He nodded in reply, thoughtful over what it could mean.

“I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.” He bowed his head, making his way towards the back entrance of the garden.

“Oh, and Arin?” Luna called after him.

“Yes?”

“Please, you are my friend. Call me Luna.”

The Seraph smiled, nodding. “Of course, Luna.”