After returning to his room, Arin found himself brooding in his thoughts. He had a bit of a brain when he needed it – or whenever something got stuck inside. Today was no exception. And he was well read, after all – this gave him more words to deal with than he’d like.

He had learned a lot since arriving here. The feeling of respect, what it’s like to make a friend… he had friends before, right?

His thoughts stretched back to Milla Serine, that quaint village far below the Capitol. He had contacts – work partners, employers, work work work… people he would joke with. But none he actually got to know – really know, besides maybe a few bar maidens he tried to sway, and that never played out well.

Turns out that unless you have a promising future, your chances of finding love are low. Doesn’t matter how wise of the world you are, how how many skills you have – unless you have a talent for something, a knack for enchanting volumes or brewing mystical potions, you don’t have a name – and you wont have a proper life.

The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize how badly his world ‘sucked’, as Honey Rose would probably say. Celestia said he was to be treated as an equal citizen here, legally. That means that, compared to other civilians, none are above or below him. The ponies in the town below follow the same law as he.

Another thing about his world. If you have wings and magic, you’re essentially a God among the Inerts. Killing one or two Inerts bore hardly any penalty, if they have no skill. It’s seen as cleansing the livestock. It’s been a belief that magic, wings, or both are passed down by generation, so those who were born Inert were considered lame, and expendable.

Inert couldn’t hope to fight. Not well, at least. Even a simple winged Ascended is a hell upon the battlefield, if your targets are stuck to the ground. On top of this, the more powerful an Ascended, the faster they regenerate – it’s said that King Leotoln could break an arm at breakfast, pop it back in place, and it would be fully healed by the time he finished his toast.

Some would exaggerate, but if you referred to history, you wouldn’t be too shocked if it were true. Some Ascended can outheal arrows if they fail to strike anything essential. And if there’s one thing the Librarian in Milla Serine was adamant about teaching him, was history. He really did have special treatment from Sir Arveck, the old codger. He was the only Inert allowed to study there, and Arveck even gave him literacy lessons. But magic lessons...

And to think, this power could be his. Luna could teach him. He’s not too sure of her exact age, but the way her Sister carries herself? It must be at least a thousand, if Alicorns are anything like Seraphs. Maybe more.

A knock at the door disrupted his thoughts, as he stumbled over to the lock. Why he started to lock it, he doesn’t know. Just the thought of it gave him some comfort. Like anyone would just barge in, against his will. Well, perhaps Honey would.

A clink, and the handle turned. Oh no.

Speak of the devil…

“Hello again, Arin.” Honey Rose gave a dim smile, before receding back into a slight frown. “Celestia said you wanted to speak to me. I took lunch a little early so I could get this out of the way, so sorry if I’m bothering you.”

Arin opened the door, inviting her inside. She hesitated, before quietly entering the room. He closed it shut behind her, using a hand to steady himself as he limped over to the bed.

“I uh… I wanted to apologize, for what I said.” Arin began, twiddling his thumbs. He didn’t recite or practice for this, so it’s best to just go with it.

“Oh, the fact that you told me to buck off when I said I would be your friend? Why, what made you think I needed an apology.”

That wasn’t a question. Arin continued.

“Look uh… I just wanted to say that when I said that, I was frustrated with you. The way you’ve been treating me, some of the words you said… it crossed a few lines, and it gave me a bad impression. And I know you think I was just kidding when I told you to leave me be, but. I… well, I was having trouble expressing myself.

“I kinda just hit a breaking point, and took out my frustration on you. I was too blunt, and I regret saying it. I would like to be your friend, if we could start over again. Clean slate. I don’t want you to think I hate you, I just… I was having a bad time, and you weren’t helping in a way I needed.”

She turned her head to the side, looking to the floor for guidance. With a sigh, she shook her mane. “No, you were right the whole time.”

“Huh?” Arin blinked. He was right? About what?

“There’s a reason I have trouble keeping contact with people. It’s my personality. I kind of… clash against myself, and I’m a bit all over when I speak. Sometimes I’m happy and sweet, like honey. Other times I’m sharp and prodding, like thorns. That’s why I got this cutiemark. It really is my personality. I have trouble making friends because I push them away by just… being too sharp at the wrong time. It’s why I do well in the Nursing Home. Those old codgers will forget me by the next day, so it’s easy to really just… be yourself, be spiteful or sweet based on how your patient is acting.”

“I’m a good fit there. I really am. And when Celestia offered me the job, I accepted without considering how I’ve treated you that morning, and how you felt about me. I should have asked for some time to think about it, instead of diving in. You were right. I wasn’t your friend.”

She kicked the floor with a hoof, sighing. “I wanted to get that off my chest before my break was over. I can’t be your guide, hon. I’m sorry.”

She turned to the door, quickly trotting out. A clink of the knob, and she was gone.

Arin sat dumbfounded on the bed, fiddling with his arm brace. Thinking. It’s not too late, he could run out to her… catch her in the hallway, and ask her to come back and try again.

The moments ticked by. Oh Feathers.

He grabbed his crutch and hobbled quickly to the door. Throwing it open, the guard narrowly stepped to the side as it bounced off the door stopper.

“Honey, wait!” Arin shouted, bounding down the hall as quick as he can. Had she already rounded the corner?! How long was he sitting on that bed!

He stumbled and tripped halfway down the hall, landing flat on his face. His nose popped, breaking again. A dribble of blood leaking onto the cold marble floor. Hoof steps approached as he laid there, groaning in pain.

“My, your acrobatics are as stunning as ever.” Honey said above him, hefting him up with ease. The two guards had already trotted up behind, offering their help before Honey quickly waved them off. “Nah, this one’s mine. I think I’m strong enough to lift my pupil off the floor. Though you’ll need to get a towel for uh… well, all this blood. Jeez, you mini-taurs are good at breaking stuff, huh?”

Arin laughed softly, stumbling onto his good leg. The mare quickly handed him his crutch, and he tucked it under his arm. “So I’m your pupil now, huh?”

“Yep, I was offered a job, and I think I’ve had enough time to decide on it. Arin, if you’ll have me, can I be your guide to Equestria?” She smiled, standing before him. She reached into her saddle bag, pulling out a hankerchief. It was red, with a rose embroided on the edge. Arin used it to swiftly plug his nose, giving a short laugh.

“Ha, are you saying I might get lost? No, I don’t need a guide. The position is closed. But a friend… I do need one of those. The pay is exactly the same, and so is the duties. Are you interested?”

She gave a soft chortle, nodding. “You drive a hard bargain. Alright, sold. I’ll be your friend then. Guess I better send a letter to the Princess telling her the good news, and for her to outline exactly what the hay I need to be doing.”

“Well, I think you need to be teaching me how to read, and showing me around Canterlot. Seeing how I still have another two or three days on this crutch, let’s start with reading. Lucky for you, I’m a quick learner.”

“Great, sweet, awesome! Now, let’s find a book. Any book. I’ll even take a book about rocks! Let’s just get started before my boss finds out I’m ditching work.”

With a bit of directions from the guards (who followed close behind), they eventually found themselves at the Castle’s Library. Greeted by the Librarian on staff (how many staff members did Luna neglect to mention?), they were quickly offered advice on where to begin. Well, somewhat.

“So let me get this straight…” The young mare hummed, straightening her glasses. She looked bookish, with a brown coat and a cream mane, a candle on her flanks. “You… can’t read. At all.”

“No no, I can read, just not Equestrian.”

“Alright, well, we have books on translation from Minotaur to Equestrian, if that-”

“No no, I honestly mean I can’t read any of your languages. I’m from uh… a place where Equestrian isn’t written, just spoken. Instead, we write in a different language not recorded here in Canterlot.”

“Ooookay. So you need children’s books, I take it?” She was absolutely confused, but tried to push through it. She was doing exceptionally well, in fact.

“Well, not children’s books. Just somewhere to start.” He drummed his fingers on the desk, mulling over the approaching humiliation. If he was unlucky, of course.

“That would be children’s books, Sir. Regardless… do you see that pillow in the corner? You’ll find plenty of books for foals there. That’s where Princess Celestia hosts her reading hour for her Magic Kindergarten, after all.”

Honey Rose blinked, piping up with a question. “Princess Celestia teaches Kindergarten?”

“Indeed. The Princess oversees a school of Magic for young foals, with very high recruitment standards. The fillies and colts who qualify must show a budding sign of strong magic to enter her special classes. An example would be our most recent Princess, Twilight Sparkle, having taken these courses before her Ascension to royalty in her adult years.”

Ascension? Magic? This seems like a place to start, at the very least.

“Well, thank you for the help. I guess I’ll have to follow in the steps of foals, then.” Arin turned, Honey giving a soft giggle as she bounded to his side.

“You know what this means, right?” She couldn’t stop herself from bouncing, “I get to baby you like a foal!”

“Boundaries, Miss Rose, please spare me.” Arin sighed, and the mare quieted down. With a flop, the Seraph fell into Celestia’s large, soft pillow. It was exceptionally comfy, and large enough that Honey could fall right next to him. Oddly enough, the pillow smelled just like Celestia – a comforting fact. Honey plucked a thin picture book from the shelf, smiling brightly.

“Alright, since I haven’t really done this kind of thing before, I guess I’ll have to get into the mindset of you being a small foal needing lessons.” She gave a polite cough, “The wittle engine that could…”

Her hoof traced over the words, and Arin facepalmed. “At least avoid baby talk. Please, by the Feathers, I can’t stand baby talk. Not even my mother treated me to such shame.”

She turned the page, restraining herself as she continued… “Once upon a time, there was a little engine at the bottom of a tall, tall hill.”

She traced each word, as Arin watched. Focusing on the shape of the letters, the sharp lines. It was written in a block-like pattern, almost – with few curves. He pondered over why the letters would be like that, before realizing that a pony had to write it with their mouth, or magic.

She turned the page, “This little engine was small, but had a big job to do. Bringing carrots to its little ponies, up, up, up the hill.”

Smiling, she pointed to the hill. “See? There’s the little ponies, in their little houses.”

“Honey Rose…”

“Oh, right right. Sorry. Heh…” A flick of the page, “The engine gave a big tug on the big cart, and moved, up, up, up!”

By now, Arin’s cheeks were red with shame. But the lettering did seem to make some sense, even if it was a little square.

Another flick, “The engine began to chug! The mountain was too big, it could never make it!”

The page turned, “But the engine believed in itself, ‘I think I can, I know I can’.”

The Seraph groaned. This was going to be a very, very long day.

~

Several books passed, and Arin’s brain was throbbing. He was about to throw the book about blue tomatoes and yams to the floor in frustration, but he restrained himself. After all, he didn’t want to upset Celestia by destroying her books.

“Need a break?” Honey asked, as Arin dropped the book on his face.

“What gave it away?”

“Do I need to answer that? Besides, I’m hungry. We just missed lunch, let’s see if-”

“Oh no! That’s right! I need to meet with Celestia in Luna’s Garden!” Arin sprung forward, stumbling to his feet with the help of his trusty crutch. “Come! We must hurry!”

“Huh?” Honey joined him by his side, as he bumble-bounced and hobbled to the door, waving goodbye to the Librarian. She gave a sheepish wave back, adjusting her glasses.

“Bye?…” She said, as the great library doors bounced closed. “Wait a weird… thing, whatever he was.”

Quickly retracing his steps, Honey kept pace with the bouncing Seraph. “Do you even know where the hay you’re going?” She said, keeping up with a simple canter. “You’re going to run yourself ragged!”

“I know enough – this hallway, here!”

He rounded a sharp right, sliding on the well polished marble. Honey quickly caught him from falling, the clattering of armor not far behind. Arin completely forgot about his escorts.

Honey turned her head, giggling. “By Celestia’s mane, they tripped! Ha!”

Arin risked a peek behind, the two white pegasi stumbling to get to their hooves. It appears a maid had recently polished the floors, too. He couldn’t help but laugh, calling back to them. “Sorry you two! Keep up! We’re late!”

Passing the dining hall, they broke their line of sight as the duo darted around another corner, and down a long hallway. The windows on the left side grew massive, showing the beautiful garden Arin had come to know.

“Oh hey! You do know your way around this place – this is where I brought you in that wheelchair the other day!”

They approached the glass door into the courtyard, Celestia’s two Unicorn guards granting entrance without question. Arin panted out a quick ‘thanks’, as he limped his way towards Celestia – who was sitting comfortably on her all too familiar blanket.

She took a sip of tea, smiling at his approach. “Aha, and I truly started to believe you forgot about me, Arin. And I see you’ve brought company?” The Princess smiled, setting her cup down. “I didn’t see you two in the dining hall at noon, and I was quite curious as to what could lead to such an absence. And Arin… are you panting?”

“Yeah yeah – I shuffled a bit quicker than I would have liked from the Library to get here on time. Speaking of which, I may have accidentally… well, incapacitated two of your guards. It was their fault! They rounded that corner way too quick.”

“Well, you would have fallen too, if I didn’t flank check you.” Honey winked. She looked completely unphased from their little run, unlike Arin. The added struggle of moving a crutch was more exerting than one would believe.

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be fine, excluding the harm to their pride. Though I wouldn’t make that a habit. The guards do tend to get feisty with our more… energetic, guests. Now, onto business. What have you learned about friendship today?”

She used her magic to summon a quill and parchment, passing them both to Honey to write. “Take a letter please, if you will, Miss Rose.”

Arin’s mind went blank, as he forgot to summarize his thoughts on the subject. While it was a bit childish to even think of coming up with a learned ‘friendship lesson’, the last thing he wanted to do was go against Celestia’s wishes. With a nod, he closed his eyes before speaking.

“Today I learned the value of setting boundaries, and being honest with my feelings.” He blushed, opening his eyes to look at the Princess. She gave a comforting smile, a flick of her hoof telling him to go on. She’s obviously done this before.

“When I sent Honey away yesterday, I did so out of frustration. I told her I wouldn’t be her friend, but I didn’t tell her why. I um… I felt bad, and asked to speak with her again. With an opening of my heart, I found that we were both wrong. She had troubles understanding others, and I had a problem expressing myself. I learned that being honest, and making sure that she understands my feelings on space and words were more important than blocking her out. Honey has a good heart, and she accepted my apology – and I accepted hers?…”

Celestia’s warm smile grew, the Alicorn beaming. “Wonderful, Arin. While your wording wasn’t… spectacular, I’m happy to see you’ve learned something about your emotions.”

Arin could feel the weight lift off of his shoulders, as he spoke. “But I do have a question, Princess… why is this important, in any way? Do I really need to tell you what I learned about friendship?”

The Princess nodded, “It’s crucial for you in particular Arin. Wouldn’t you agree that you spent most of your life without friends? What has that given you, in the end?”

The Seraph went silent, as he thought over the question. What did he earn from being without friends? His time in Erenorn – he learned many things, nearly all on his own. From cooking to construction, crafting to catering, he knew a lot… but what was she getting at?

“Arin, in your old world – Erenorn, was it? When was the last time you were happy?”

The question weighed on his mind. Happy. When was he happy in Erenorn? In Milla Serine?

“I had a few too many ales years ago, and for a while, I was happy. Carefree, before I got sick and spent the rest of the night huddled in the corner.”

“And in Equestria, when was the last time you were happy?”

“When… me and Honey Rose became friends, and began to understand each other.”

“Before that?”

“The night before, when I helped Luna with her Garden, and learned about the castle.”

“And how about before that?”

“At dinner, when you were trying to eat my cake. It was funny, and it made me happy.”

“Anything else?” Celestia said, sipping her tea. Her eyes were closed, and her smile was as strong as ever.

“I have been happy when I’ve been with others here, in Canterlot. When I first met you, I was happy. When you told me you were my friend, I was ecstatic. I… in Erenorn, I wasn’t really happy at all, just kind of… there.”

He began to fiddle with his brace, sighing. He staggered as a wave of magic washed over him, Celestia’s horn glowing dimly before fading.

Her smile grew, as she withdrew two teacups from thin air. “Would you both like to sit with me and enjoy some tea?”