Disaster. The entire invasion was an outright disaster for Equestria, and shook the world down to its roots. It has been three years since Leotoln’s ships breached Canterlot’s air space, and even now, the endless vibrations of the catastrophic event are still felt on the daily.

One of the more major changes was a – hopefully temporary – switch in leadership. For three years, Luna has been tasked with running an entire country. And needless to say, she didn’t feel as if it was worth it.

She woke up every morning, after the briefest, roughest three hour nap filled with sheet stirring restlessness. Heavy bags under her eyes and brain throbbing from a magic-sapping headache, hardly a memory of the night before stirring in her mind. From there, she had to raise the sun – a hard task for her, as her magic was already pinched from rough nerves and coarse night scouring sessions of dream walking - it didn’t help that it was beyond her element either. By the time she had breakfast, which was mostly coffee packed with high potency caffeine by her now three year veteran kitchen chefs – she was a zombie.

What’s worse is that Day Court followed. Day Court. She hated it. She hated every aspect of it. She hated being awake for it, being present for it, and more importantly – being social during it. Luna couldn’t even come close to Celestia’s level of extroversion or patience. And it did not help that the majority of ponies were terrified of her. Actually, maybe it did. It kept the more pesky, bickering nobles out of her mane – save the most brave or arrogant of the crowds.

Celestia once said that ‘Good days are something you wake up to’, and she couldn’t help but agree. Since her Sister was imprisoned, she hasn’t woken up from this endless nightmare to experience a ‘good day’. Even with Twilight’s help in law writing and her vast resources of knowledge, Luna struggled beyond reason to make it through until her head could touch the pillow once more. If she could even make it that far. Sometimes, she’d raise the moon - and stir from her sleep, drifting away to somewhere else in the castle entirely.

She only had one thing left to keep her sanity. Letters. A letter, almost single day – well over a thousand by now – from her beloved Knight. Her sleep deprived brain could just stir up the energy to read his scrolls, and her cramped magic-empty horn could barely produce a small, but heartfelt reply – before being sent off to return to his world. She would manage just this, perhaps… once, maybe twice a week.

His world. If there was one place she could despise now that wasn’t Day Court, it was Erenorn.

Despite his best intentions to restore peace, all out Civil War had broken out in the Far Reaches. Though Arin had the support of some of his population, including the Inerts – swathes of Ascended rejected his rule. Many fought against his intentions to return the rightful Blood to the throne, others seeking to take control themselves.

But it could change, any day now. The Twin Spears of the South had agreed to join him in restoring order, at the condition that when victory was attained, he would immediately surrender the crown to the now neglected bloodline of Ravens; it was the most honorable thing to do, in their eyes. It had been a story and a half, enough to write a dozen books about – but it would soon be over, and she would have her Knight again.

Even Umbra, now titled ‘Shadow Huntress Umbra’ by those that feared her, had found her purpose as a Spymaster in Erenorn. Not only was she a ruthless fighter and magical tactician, but she still retained the ability to shadowmeld – making her a deadly force to be reckoned with. The former Umbrum worked hoof in hand with the Crown in rooting out camps of traitors, and now, matters were finally coming to a close.

Luna could only bear the burdens another day, and hope Arin would return to save her from this cyclical Tartarus.

She perched upon her Sister’s throne, her mane a dull blue, limp over her eyes. She had developed a rather sad huch, as well - her aching body fighting against the urge to rest. Listening quietly to the rambling stallion before her, as he complained for – what would be the sixth time this month – about the intrusions of charities at his door.

“Then, this impudent mare – Princess, you must understand – she asked if I could spare coin for the orphans of the Canterlot Orphanage! So that they may visit the zoo! So not only was she intruding on my property – she demanded compensation! I demand persecution-”

Luna stared through Silverbit as he continued to complain, waving his cane in frustration. She had heard rumors of this horrid noble that stalked her Sister’s Court with the most trivial of issues, but she never believed Celestia when she said he appeared nigh daily with a new ‘problem’.

Luna turned her tired head toward the grand hall’s doors in front, gazing aimlessly at the impressive line that had formed. With changes to laws and the unveiling of new tech, came needed modifications to professions and industry. Due to this, the desires of Canterlot shifted. Now, formerly lucrative jobs fell to the wayside and left a large gap in employment, one that only skilled labor could fill.

This happened at least once a century with innovation, Twilight had told her. Unluckily, it happened when her Sister couldn’t be there to guide the process.

“Are you even listening to me!? You are worse than your Sister, if you can’t even spare a moment to handle my serious issues-”

The moonlight Princess snapped her head back to Silverbit, as he spoke ill of her regal self. Rage boiled inside of Luna’s chest, the insolent whelp growing quiet as those piercing, tired eyes ripped through his core. Her horn began to sparkle, lightning pulsing off of it in frustration as she thought of all the horrible things she was about to do to this ignorant fool. How dare he tread into her court, and speak ill of her?!

But, before she could even act on that carnal, much needed desire, the clattering of boots on carpet – with a gentle cup of a hand on Silverbit’s shoulder, brought the Princess back to her right mind. A wave of wind blasted over the old codger’s fur, a sense of dread filled his being. He could just hear the fluff of wings behind him, as his head slowly turned to look at the towering Seraph.

“Heya Brace-Face. Remember me?” Arin smiled, in his now all too familiar Lunar gifts – chaps and vest, the mithril and dragonhide armor fresh and fitted to his body once more. Free of any royal vestments from Alma Sol, strapped with Nocturne and Sonata – he was finally, finally home.

“You… you monstrous, deplorable, wr-”

“Thought so.” Arin hefted Silverbit up by the scruff of his neck, the top hat once placed snugly on the Stallion’s head toppling to the floor while his little monocle dangled helplessly beneath him. He began to yell, scream, demand blood; until he heard the click of the latch. A window latch, actually; one conveniently in the throne room. Arin threw open the stained glass, and with an unceremonious grunt, tossed the now murderous Silverbit into the pond a couple dozen hooves below. The Unicorn flailed in the chest deep water, screaming for help even though he could clearly… well, stand. It wasn’t a particularly deep pond, being this close to the throne room, when you faced the water’s bank, at least.

Dusting his hands off, he closed the pane with a thunk. A heavy, desperate weight seized him, knocking him to the floor in a blue of blue feathers and mane. His wings splayed out to catch the air, to find balance – but it was too late. Luna had him pinned, a dozen kisses catching him by surprise, his hands trying eagerly to seize her muzzle and return each and every single one.

It was a losing battle. She was too fast for him, and her lips found his a hundred times over before he finally gave up. Wrapping his arms around her back, his wings joined the bundle of love as Luna embraced him so tightly that he honestly thought he would suffocate.

“L-Luna, a-air!” He shouted, but her lips took his again – wriggling into another loving, ‘I missed you’ kiss. When she pulled away, she finally, finally spoke.

“Arin! Our Knight! My Knight! My big Seraph, my winged lover, my Canterlot-saving hero, my sweet, precious, lovely-”

“I get it, I get it! I missed you too, Luna, and I love you as well!” He surrendered, but it didn’t stop the adorable onslaught. A dozen more kisses rained down, those cerulean eyes gleaming with absolute joy.

It took a heavy, powerful yank of emerald colored magic to end the moment – wait, no. Actually, it didn’t end anything. Umbra’s magic had tried to pry Luna from Arin’s chest, yet all it did was yank Arin to his feet - that blue bundle of love stuck to him like glue.

“It seems you were desired.” Umbra gave a somewhat forced smile, unarmored and finally free to be her normal, markless self, “Did you miss us, Luna?”

“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes-”

“I will take that as a yes.” Umbra nodded, the pumping of wings from another darting into the room making her spin to face the potential threat – and stop herself short of violence, when she saw it was none other than Sir Vapor Cloud. Donning full Captain’s Armor, he bum rushed the Seraph as well – minus the kisses, of course. His hooves squeezed Luna and Arin tight enough to pop their backs, his laughing uncontrolled.

“Arin! My pal, my friend! You’re back! You have NO idea how boring it is without you, my main stallion!” He swung them around on his hind legs, an impressive feat for a pegasus, “Oh! I have to get Honey, you have to meet her – you have to see! Hold on, don’t move – don’t leave, stay here, whatever! Just – hold on!”

He dropped the now winded duo, before darting back out of the courtroom in a flurry of orange pinions. Arin was left hugging Luna, who refused to let go for anything. In fact, she began to sob.

“Arin, stars above - you have no idea how hard it’s been! How the world fell to pieces when you left! My Knight, my love, I’ve needed you since the day you left. Never leave again, never!” Luna whimpered, sniffling adorably.

“Okay, I promise – I promise Luna, I’ll stick by you like glue. Got it?” He gave a comforting smile, running a hand through her droopy mane. Her magic had all but left it – leaving it a faint, static, baby blue pile of hair. A magical wisp or two ran through it, but otherwise, her once billowing locks remained limp. “Are you okay?… You look burnt out.”

“No! I’m not okay, I’m not! It’s horrible! Everything is horrible! Equestria is going through a recession, even with the platinum you sent from your world – our economy is tanking, there’s so much in-fighting among our noble houses, not to mention crime is on the rise again! It’s been terrible! And betrayal! Traitors! In the dark! How! How does my Sister do this?!”

“Shh, it’s alright now. I’m here, let’s focus on the good things… alright? I finally turned over the Crown to the Ravens in the Far Reaches, and I’m free to stay. And! I can see you’re no longer speaking in the old Canterlot voice! That’s amazing! You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you!” Arin forced a reassuring smile, but it was hard to hold when Luna’s lip couldn’t stop quivering. Her eyes were big and round like a kicked puppy, tears running down her cheeks.

“I will instruct the guard to dismiss Day Court, Princess; lest you slay a noble where they stand.” Umbra bowed, her keen eyes inspecting the near magicless Princess curiously. “Unless you desire the populace to see you in this state?”

Luna nodded towards Umbra, letting the Unicorn turn towards the door. Before she could even slip out of the Throne Room, an all too familiar Pegasus darted back in above her with a mare tucked tightly in his hooves. And in the familiar mare’s grasp, a small bundle! As soon as Vapor Cloud set his wife down gently, Honey Rose dashed forward - seizing Arin and Luna both in a hug. She managed to do so without crushing a certain little pony against her chest, as well.

“Arin! My favorite acrobat, back at last with pretty new wings! I barely got to see them before you left! You forgot to tell one of your BESTEST BEST FRIENDS IN THE WHOLE WORLD YOU WERE LEAVING, BY THE WAY!” She scorned him, but hugged the Seraph tight regardless. The soft babbling of a foal made her pull away before her grip could prove fatal, shushing her sweet baby with a giggle.

“Honey! You had a foal?!” Arin’s smile reached critical levels – Luna slowly releasing Arin from her hooves in the process. “By my feathers! With who?!”

“Who do you think!” Vapor Cloud puffed up his chest, giving a proud smile. “And with another one well on the way, too! Meet Sweet Dreams, our little filly.”

Arin’s eyes shot between the two, giddy for them both. So much has changed since he left! It’s been so long – three years, three whole years and his friends had grown so much! But there was still one pony he had yet to see, and it quickly dampened the mood.

“Did you free Celestia yet? I haven’t had a letter from you in weeks.” He turned back to Luna, who instantly went quiet. The Princess’s head fell low, defeat overtaking her in yet another moodswing.

“It’s… complicated,” Vapor interrupted. “We’ll talk about this somewhere a little more private – c’mon, Twilight should be in the library right now. We’ll catch up there, and hopefully fill you in on what she discovered.”

The library was as cozy as ever, though the mood inside felt a little… down. A familiar reading corner was left long abandoned, cobwebs having formed over Celestia’s old reading pillow from years past. It seems not a foal had visited the castle since the battle, and the former Librarian – Candlelight – had to move on due to a lack of work.

Twilight snored between two giant towers of books, her face using ‘Of Stars and Solar Lights’ as an impromptu pillow. The massive bookshelves were as impressive as ever, though garnering an unhealthy amount of dust from disuse.

“So, we married about a year after you left – around the same time my wittle puffy pillow got his promotion-”

“Oh stop! I’m not poofy or fluffy, I’m the new Captain of the Guard! You know, since Shining became an official Prince of the Crystal Empire.” Vapor blushed, the teasing riling him up, if only a little.

“Whatever you say, hon~” She winked, before continuing. “Soon after, my lil’ Dreamy joined our family. We named her Sweet Dreams because Luna had given me so many pleasant ones, when I was going crazy with stress over my pregnancy. It really helped me along, and now that I have her, I’m a stay at home wifey, here in the Castle with my oh so famous Captain~!”

“So you finally moved in? Did you want to, or?…” Arin asked, finding a comfy pillow – with Luna snuggled against him – at Twilight’s table.

“I was insistent they stay close at hoof, in case of an emergency. Without my Sister, I am the last line of royalty between a noble house seizing the throne and plunging Equestria into a Civil War, much like what almost occurred in Erenorn, Arin.” Luna nodded solemnly, her blue hoof resting in his hand. Twilight gave an incredibly loud snore, disrupting their conversation as all eyes fell on the sleeping Princess. With a poke, she shot up into the air – her purple horn popping a hole in the ceiling far above.

“Who! What! Celestia?! Oh. Arin!” Her wings gave several flaps – dislodging her deadly spike before landing at the table with a flurry of papers, nearly blasting the quiet Umbrum in pages with a flurry of her wings. She quickly collected them in her magic, shuffling each note back into place. “You’re back! And in one piece! Thank Celestia, maybe with a few outside opinions, as inexperienced as you are – you could help me figure this out!”

“Well hold on, I just got here. Let’s catch up a bit and see what’s going on before you go complete… What did that rainbow one call it, ‘egghead’? Egghead on me? Yeah.” Arin nodded, snuggling up close to Luna on the pillows. Vapor Cloud and Honey found their own spot by the head-slumping Lunar Princess, Umbra deciding to join Twilight’s side at a comfortable distance from Luna.

Strangely enough, she eyed her with some level of distrust - something Arin brushed off as simply ‘Umbra being Umbra’. The Princess of Friendship gave a cough, collecting herself for her catch up speech.

“Alright! Let me give you the details then. Financially, the kingdom is a mess. The evacuation, while a good tool to save lives, tanked our economy that was running on borrowed time as it was. All of the repairs, even with a massive payment from Alma Sol, on top of the debts we owed other nations for loans – ran us nearly bankrupt. We scraped by until tax season, thankfully, but other problems have sprung up across the board. More specifically, my blackboard.”
Twilight hopped up to a nearby chalkboard on wheels, rolling it over before spinning it to the backside. “When Leotoln lost, there appeared to be a few financial institutions tied up in war-time investments against Equestria. A lot of gold that went nowhere, politics became tense and led to a lot of massive financial disruptions and sabotage, which impacted us hard. On top of this, we just hit a new innovation cycle – and now, what was once military technology is going mainstream.”

Her chalk tied lines between related economic impacts, hoping to keep the attention centered on the devastation it wreaked.

“We’ve moved into the age of radio and distant, wireless communication. This changed not just the mail system, but also the music industry and the need for newspapers. This innovation cost hundreds of jobs to an already war-stricken, struggling populace – and bureaucracy with shrinking wages from noble suppression is leading to economic hardship. There’s already protests against Luna’s leadership, in Canterlot and Manehatten. It’s reached as far as Los Pegasus, which is incredibly worrying.”

Arin gave a cough, cutting her off before she could talk a hole in his ear.

“I mean… I wanted to know how you were doing, you and your friends. But uh… thanks for the info.” The Knight scratched the back of his head. There wasn’t much he could do with this information right now, but it was nice to know.

“Oh! Um. I’m doing… okay? I've definitely been under less stress before this happened, of course. Uh…”

Twilight shuffled through her notes, giving a sigh. “Well, Spike moved on lately, to explore the world a bit and be on his own. He’s becoming a bit hard to handle, now that he’s growing up and becoming a teen. So he wanted to visit his homeland. I couldn’t say no, I mean. He deserves a break too. But it’s been hard for me.”

When Arin didn’t speak, the purple Alicorn took this as a reason to keep talking.

“Rarity is busy trying to drum up more business, but with no Galas or grand events, ponies aren’t biting. Applejack is finding it hard to make a profit with her family’s farm, and she’s having to turn over more losses on unsold products due to financial instability. Rainbow Dash is now Co-Captain of the Wonderbolts, and she hardly has time to visit anymore – she’s constantly under a barrage of paperwork, like me. Pinkie Pie can still stop by, but it’s hard for her to meet me here in Canterlot since she started dating Cheese… and Fluttershy had to pick up a second job just to end’s meet.”

Arin sighed, feeling a pang of sorrow for the Princess. She gave up so much just to be here, all of this… for a greater good. “Thank you. I know it’s been hard, but let’s try to keep spirits high. It’s what Celestia would want. The last thing she needs now is for any of us to give up.”

Umbra stood from her seat, and approached the drawing board. With a flick of her emerald swirling horn, she turned it back over to look at Twilight’s scrambled notes on magic. The former umbrum tilted her head left, then right, before speaking.

“This theory here is wrong,” she said, tapping the board with her grey hoof. “Harmony magic is the majority of the actual magic produced from the Element’s beam, not the entirety.”

“…What?” Twilight frowned, standing up abruptly from the table. She had grown an inch or two since Arin had last seen her, putting her nearly at height with the darker mare. “No, that’s wrong. Harmony magic is condensed magic. I should know, I am the element of magic.”

“And I have been struck by Harmony twice.” Umbra turned to face her, indifferent. “And I can feel the magic auras of you and your friends coursing through the spell, not just Harmony. The majority of it is condensed magic force. The other fraction is a culmination of you and your friend’s innate magic. By combining your unique auras, you form a magical conduit – and you can channel ambient magic through a lens. This is how I’ve determined ‘Harmony’ to work.”

Twilight blinked, picking up a stack of papers as she flipped through her notes. “Even if that were true, we’ve already tried to break the seal on the moon. With all of us together, it simply won’t shatter. The best we can do is punch holes through the fabric of the Lunar Plane of magic.”

Umbra turned back to the board, quiet. Her horn glowed green, picking up one of the many pieces of chalk scattered around – clearing a spot on the board for her own use. She didn’t say anything else – only stare at the blank spot, thinking.

“Ha! Spooky horn thinks your math is stupid, Twilight,” Honey teased, sticking her tongue out. But Arin knew Umbra’s look all too well. When she went quiet, she was thinking intensely – and if there was anyone more adept at understanding the effects of Harmony magic, that would be her, in a close second to Twilight.

Arin joined her side. He didn’t have anything to add or help her with, so he just took a piece of chalk and started to doodle. Partly as a distraction, but also to try and gauge what she’s thinking. She can be hard to read, after all.

First he doodled Celestia. Very poorly – it was more of two circles and a horn, with stick legs, but still. Finding that Umbra ignored it, he doodled a stick Seraph. Her magic stopped him mid-flick of the wrist, dark eye brows crossing.

“What’s up?” He smirked, knowing full well that it got her to tick. She snatched the piece of chalk from his hand, and circled the Seraph. With a quick line, she added a spear to the Seraph’s stick arm – a little heart in the middle.

“Leotoln,” Umbra said quietly. “Leotoln cast the banishment spell. Correct?”

“Noooo, I thought Celestia decided to visit the moon on her own – what gave you that idea?” Arin teased, but she seemed to be on to something.

“Yes, Umbra. From Luna’s description of the events, he used the power of Harmony to imprison Celestia inside the moon.” Twilight sighed, a little frustrated that Umbra could just… waltz in, and steal her thunder.

“Then Leotoln is the one who can free her from the moon. Simple as that.”

She drew six stars around Leotoln, before setting the chalk on the edge of the board once more. The dark unicorn then found her seat once more, staring blankly at the now dumbfounded Twilight. Quietly, she plucked a spare piece of paper from the table - stealing one of Twilight’s quills to jot down a quick message.

“No. He used Harmony magic to imprison Celestia, that doesn’t mean only he can free her. Banishments can be undone by any magic source,” Twilight said, reaching to erase the little Seraph. But once more, Umbra’s emerald green aura blocked the use of the eraser.

“Not Harmony magic. You need the original casters of the spell present to undo the effects, or they need to fade with the passage of time to be weak enough to break. At least, as the mages of Alma Sol declared.” Umbra reaffirmed her previous statement, eyes narrowing at the purple alicorn. “I do not lie; challenge my logic if you must. But I am not incorrect, nor making any assumptions when I speak.”

“Okay, wonderful! Luckily for me, I can prove you wrong. My friends and I already attempted-” A gray hoof slowly pressed to Twilight’s mouth, stuffing her voice in her throat.

“Attempted. You are still missing Leotoln. Without him, you could not break the seal on Celestia so easily.” With a flash of arcane power, she presented the note quietly to the purple mare. Umbra reached over to a nearby abandoned teapot with her magic – her horn glowing, the liquid began to boil before serving herself a hot, fresh cuppa. She then offered the pot to any of the others present, Luna’s magic taking a hold of it.

The dozing Princess Luna also poured herself a cup, yawning with exhaustion – but still alert enough to swivel her ears as the two spoke. After reading the note over, Twilight gave a quick nod and a glance at Luna - before incinerating it in a flash of magic. Just like nothing happened. Twilight’s feathers soon puffed up regardless, standing by her theory. After all, she was the scholar here – not Umbra. The purple Princess continued to argue back and forth, whittling away the minutes with the dark, collected Unicorn.

At this point, the words were a jumbled mess of half sentences to Luna; eyes drifting in and out of focus. Gently, her horn twinkled – tugging Arin close as a comfortable arm rest. Without so much as a word, her head fell lazily against the comfy Knight. The Seraph’s wing hugged around his bone-tired mare, sighing. Within seconds, she was unconscious.

“And how would Leotoln casting the spell have any effect at all? Umbra, please explain; because I don’t get it.” Twilight tilted her chin up, as if she had caught the dark mare in a trap.

“I could sense the magic inside the Crystal Heart. At any time he swung, or cast a spell – I felt his magic fill it. If only barely. That would change the magic signature of the spell. Thus, you would need his assistance – along with the Elements – to instantly free Celestia.”

Gently holding Luna, Arin gave a soft cough. “Look uh, I’m not an expert at Magic. I mean, I know what I know – from what my lover here taught me and the mages at Alma Sol. But… why don’t we just teleport up to the moon, grab Celestia, and teleport back?”

Twilight sighed, slouching back down to own pillow. “She’s not on the moon. She’s inside the planar embodiment of the moon. Think of it like… a part of a fabric to our reality. It’s bitter, howling cold, all the time. A haunting, terrifying place to be. Where you can’t escape, only freeze and suffer. You can see Equis – but you can never fly to it, or teleport there. Simply put, it's an enclosed space. A box. A jail cell. A Lunar-magic Tartarus.”

The Seraph gulped. “So Celestia is just… freezing to death, on the moon right now?”

“At this moment, probably not. Alicorns are exceedingly tough to inclement weather. But as Luna once said – death would have been preferable than another moment in that blistering cold.” Twilight closed a drool covered book on the table, passing it to Arin at a flick of her hoof. “Luna wrote about it in her diary upon her return. Which she was willing to share with me, if it could help me find a way to bring her Sister back.”

Arin was out of ideas at this point, picking up Luna’s diary to inspect it in his hands. “Won’t she starve?”

It took Twilight several moments to come up with a response, but it wasn’t hopeful. “Luna couldn’t starve on the moon, as she was simply absorbing the ambient magic essence of the realm. For her, she had no need for food. Celestia, on the other hoof… she’s not in her element, like Luna was. It’s likely she’s forced to use her Ember’s own magic to subsist. And even then, it’s a bandage solution. It’s like crawling on your front hooves, when you’ve lost the use of your hind legs. Yes, you can do it – but how long until they give out as well?”

This put more pressure on the situation. The Seraph – unable to offer any immediate solutions, could only pry in hope of drawing out an idea. “So. Break the banishment immediately. How do you go about doing that?”

“From what Twilight rambled on about, anyone could – or at the very least the Elements. But if what Umbra said is true, then there’s no way to get her back,” Vapor piped up, as the fastidious student of bad situations, giving Twilight more time to think.

“Maybe the approach I’m taking is too direct. I’ve studied this to death, and frankly speaking, she’s lost for the next thousand years, however long the spell holds, or at worst - her death, if I don’t change my way of thinking. If what Umbra said is true, which I find… doubtful, then perhaps I need to work on a new theory.”