Rest didn’t matter anymore. His legs didn’t matter. His breathing didn’t matter. His sanity didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered now was sleep. And the only way to obtain said sleep was through a comfy bed in Canterlot Castle.

It took literally every fiber of his being to not pass out in Celestia’s hooves. By now, even he was starting to get emotional - distraught from the lack of rest, and the shrinking sense of awareness to his environment, his brain would stutter and shut down to try and force him to the pillows.

By the time he roughly stitched up the now less-than-comfy jacket, his poor energy reserves had barely recovered. Celestia and himself would catch themselves staring blankly at the tent wall, only their soft breathing keeping them company in these harsh moments.

When he blinked, he was packing his tent. He had his trusty timekeeper in his mitten - which said mitten was on the wrong hand - and was staring at the time. It took him an uncomfortable while to decipher the clock’s hands, as his brain simply couldn’t remember how to read analogue. It finally clicked after an uncomfortable silence; three days, seventeen hours.

Judging by their pace, they would be lucky to make it to the castle with two days left. Muscle-tense legs waddled his aching body to the sleigh - giving it an unexpectedly light push.

“Tia? Where…”

He looked around for the mare, finding her dozing fitfully on her hooves to his left. She rattled in the wind on slightly more steady legs, her strength slowly returning to her with food and rest.

“Sleigh, Tia… over here, on the sleigh… come… move.” He dragged the metal snow-raft to the half dead mare - her eyes twitching open at his prodding.

“Oh?... Sleigh, sleigh…” she whispered to no one in particular, stumbling her way over before roughly collapsing onto the metal of the compact platform.

This was no way to live. He roughly grabbed her hood - pulling her up to the familiar position facing him. Aches and pains shooting up through his foggy head. His legs forced the ambling pace forward, keeping his eyes plastered on Celestia’s.

This wasn’t even an affection thing. If one of them blinked, they may not open their eyes again. Thus, the creepy staring contest was born - Arin only dragging his sight over the approaching peak when necessary.

“When we get back to Equestria, I don’t care what happens, what Luna says or needs. I’m going to collapse on top of you, bury my face in your fluff. And I. Will. Sleep.” Arin grunted, ignoring the painful burn in his legs.

“That… is a perfect idea. See, Arin? You’re smart. You have… big thoughts.” Her hoof traced the air several times, failing to pet him each - before gently bumping him on the nose with her limb’s frog. “Yes. Big brain. Big brain seraph. Smart… Smarter than Twilight. I am a good pillow. I am the best pillow.”

The sleep deprivation was reaching a critical point, it seemed. As Arin was entirely convinced that this was a normal conversation.

“Ha, a pillow that snoooores.” He smiled like a dope, the stupid sinking in deep.

“I don’t! I snore to bother Vapor Cloud, haha. He… small thoughts. Little thoughts in his head. Yeah.”

Without warning - her head smacked the bar of the sleigh. It took Arin several seconds too long to realize she passed out, and wasn’t in fact still talking to him.

“Noooo. If I… I stay up, yooouuuu stay up,” he said, his hand slipping from the bar to angle her head to face him - but he missed. Instead, he slumped forward - just narrowly avoiding her horn as his body went limp to the side of the big Alicorn.

They were at the crest of the shorter mountain now… both unconscious, Arin’s legs sliding in the snow as the sleigh began to pick up speed. At first, it was slowly moving on its own down the long slope of the mountain. But with little in the way of brakes, and an unconscious pilot - it careened freely down the slope. In moments, it went from a gentle, amiable pace, to a violent bolt of lightning rocketting down the side of the untouched slopes.

A rock bumped the Princess awake, as her eyes cracked to look around her at the disturbance. Finding Arin unconscious - and the world moving much too fast around her - Celestia’s head spun around towards the base of the mountain. Broken cliff sides and dark patches of gray rock breaking the thick snow layer.

“B-By the Stars! Arin! Wake up - WAKE UP!” Her hoof crashed into his face hard enough to bruise his cheek - instantly bolting him upright. His eyes went haywire, brain catching up to the moment as the Knight struggled to move his legs back onto the feet of the sled.

Adrenaline shot through their bodies, as sleep was instantly forgotten in place of a new panic. The cut of Arin’s legs through the snow sent balls of ice tumbling down after them - breaking apart the still fluff of white cold as more soon followed. Celestia turned back to face Arin at the sound, bloodshot eyes turning to pinpricks at the danger.

“ARIN!”

With his gaze split between the ice in front, and the avalanche behind - a jarring rock crashed hard into the side of their toboggan, throwing the duo off into the chilly powder around. With snow approaching fast behind, and tumbling down the mountain - it was seemingly their doom. The angle grew sharp and steep, the snow fast catching the slower duo.

At one point, Arin’s wings shot open in a final attempt at pulling free from the cold - catching a wind and righting himself long enough to give desperate, jarring, stomaching churning flaps. Crashing into Celestia, he managed to grab a hold of her roughly - escaping with little more than several fresh rips in their coats, into the freezing air.

The snow quickly overran the broken metal of the sleigh, the duo panting as the chilled death shot down the mountainside. Taking with it their former transport.

The extra weight of the pack on his back and the bundle of a mare clinging tightly to his chest forced his wings to strain and falter, sinking slowly in the sky. With little options left, he tilted forward - billowing winds chilling their now exposed bodies. By the time they touched the ice below, their laboured breathing had steadied just enough to afford them some respite.

“That… was intense,” Arin breathed, clutching the bony pony tightly to his chest.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” the Princess began, but Arin shook his head.

“No, I also passed out. If you didn’t wake me, we would have both been crushed under the ice.”

“A fitting fate,” a dark voice called, landing before them both. No longer did Nightmare Moon carry a confident grin, instead a heavy scowl lined her expression. Her eyes gleamed with fresh murder, Arin’s wings flashing in heavy pumps in an attempt to escape.

But, it was pointless. Near instantly, her horn flashed - knocking the stunned duo unconscious in a fitful sleep - falling to the air and to the churned powder below. For now, sleep was all she would give them. The punishment will come, with time. She had many plans ahead of her, none of which she wanted to set in motion here.

Nightmare Moon collected her two prizes in a flash of her empowered foci, fluttering off on bat wings towards her temporary abode. The dungeon could use some more decor, after all.

Cold. So terribly, freezing cold. His arms ached, and his body cried - but his brain. Oh by the Feathers, it felt good. Sleep, actual, well needed sleep - however dreamless it may have been - soaked his brain in all the lovely blood it needed to clear out the cobwebs and wash away the exhaustion.

His eyes slowly cracked open, stirring fitfully at his consciousness. They weren’t ready for the light, but… his body was shaking. He needed heat. Tia - she was warm. Where was she?

When his vision returned, he found himself staring at a dimly lit wall - a blue flame soaking the world around him in gentle, white light. Confused, he made to move - but found himself bound by the wrists and feet, his torn jacket removed. Leaving him in just his long sleeve undershirt, and choice dress pants. Luckily, he still had his boots as well. His feet would have frozen off otherwise.

His wings ached from his binds, struggling hard against them - how many chains were really necessary? Legs, ankles, arms, wrists, neck, wings… all bound. How long had he been out? Where?... Right. Nightmare Moon.

For some reason, he knew this was bound to happen. There was no way he could go a week without sleep, not while also walking a marathon each day. A week? No, it should have taken four days, at most - which means he was still within their time limit, depending on how long he’s been out. He still had time to escape. If his finger could just… reach a lock on his shackle...

After a while, the impatient click of a cell door stirred him from his thoughts. Already dreading this moment, the pit in his stomach sucked at his very soul - wanting nothing more than to cower away from the terror-radiating Nightmare. She approached in familiar regal steps, soft blue eyes slit down the middle, taking him in like prey.

“Awake at last, I see,” she said, jagged teeth forming a smile. “Now, plenty of time to talk. To make merry, to speak with your future Queen. Tell me, how do you feel, Sir Knight?”

His head fell back, watching the terror stride so elegantly through the room. When she turned, he spotted it on her right side - Nocturne.

“That wasn’t a question to be ignored, Knight. Speak,” she stressed, horn flashing magic into the silvery blade. Within seconds of agitating the gleaming sword, he was urged to speak against his will.

“I-I am freezing, terrified, and would very much like to be let down now.”

“Splendid; results at last.” Her sharp grin turned into a more calm, more approachable smile. It did little to ease the fear frolicking within him. “Perhaps now that you are bound, I will not have to resort to such… barbaric tactics, such as Dream Branding to achieve my goals. After all, I can be merciful, even when slighted. After all, fool me once.”

“D-Dream Branding?” He shivered. Her expression changed from regal matriarch warming to the thought of victory, to a more softer teacher - speaking lowly to a foal.

“Ah yes, of course. You are unwise in magic. Dream Branding is a term I use to implant an idea into one’s thoughts. With my bind to the Dream Realm, I can enter your mind - and decide upon what you may visit in your sleep… and visit again, for years and years within your very consciousness. A lesson you will not forget, for ages to come. Or a punishment, if I so desire. Time turns slowly in the dream realm; the peasantry had never felt the true gifts I can offer.”

She stepped close again, horn funneling magic into the blade of Nocturne. “And you don’t wish to be punished, do you? Or perhaps… you’re interested in a certain type of punishment. There is much to learn from your kind, Sir Knight. And little I can take from my lesser half - not without sharing her material form.”

Unlike before, the magic of Nocturne had little effect against him - he was a bit more wise to her ways, but regardless, he gave a response. “Sorry, I-I have little interest in nightmares. But it’s funny you should ask, Miss… uh… Moon. I’ve been quite the commodity among a few too many of my friends.”

She honestly didn’t expect that response. And perhaps, she even respected it - tilting her head to the side to fetch her senses. “That… I did not inquire about your history. Let’s not change the subject.”

“I mean, you asked,” he said, gaining confidence against her. She didn’t blink, only gaze upon him with burning hatred.

“You are doing exceptionally well in testing my patience, ‘Knight’. Unfortunately for you, I’ve already foiled your little plans.” Her horn sparkled brightly, withdrawing the Alicorn Amulet from thin air.

Arin had the exact perfect response to give her, too. Because she still didn’t know what to do with it. “Cool. Now what?”

“Is this not the key to my freedom? It hosts the very power of harmony - I sense it stirring in waves. You can not deny the power coursing within!”

“And what exactly are you going to do? Put it on? Wouldn’t that… kill you? Or something?”

Her expression dropped to a frown, eyes glazing over with bitter rage. Without so much as a warning, she spun on her forelegs and landed a heavy buck into his gut - forcing Arin to wheeze and shudder. His bowels stirring in his belly from the pain, blood pooling within his stomach. In seconds, he coughed up blood, shaking like a leaf as pain took him.

Upon seeing the vast damage she caused to the Seraph, she faltered - not out of empathy, but out of fear of killing him. If he died, there was no way she’d escape. She had no idea what to even do with the amulet, and it was unlikely she could use it without dying.

“Tell me what you know, or die.” She glared through him. Arin spat out the blood from his mouth, hissing as his innate healing power worked on mending the deadly blow.

“Say something nice at my funeral,” he grunted. The Nightmare sighed.

“Very well. Perhaps you’ll be more vocal after a good night’s rest.” Her horn began to shine a deep blue, similar to Luna’s magic - before tapping him on the forehead. And just like that, he was out cold.

“Another lesson learned… mercy means nothing to the loyal,” she hissed, returning to the door. She had another guest to attend to, one she didn’t mind slaying. But… perhaps she had frustrations that needed to be vented, first. Her sister dearest would be a fine ear to borrow. Oh, how she had plans - first, some deep cuts… a few dreams, perhaps water and food to keep her breathing another sparse day or so, to make more blood for the letting. Then, she’ll saw off those beautiful wings… maybe her horn, too. ‘Tia’ always wanted to be a commoner, after all.

The world around him was dark and cold. He found himself kneeling at the cool stone of a throne, the familiar shape of an Alicorn smiling warmly down at him. Her ebony fur a wonderful shade to compliment the soft blues of her eternal night.

“My loyal subject, so sweet and tender… you have served me so well these past few decades. I never would have suspected Princess Celestia to be so vile and wicked, and if it weren’t for your aid - the very world would suffer under her burning sun, for all eternity. The Lunar Empire thanks you, not just as its Knight - but as my endearing companion.”

Arin smiled; he was an exceptional symbol of loyalty and piety, a devout worshipper of her highness. It took him one hundred and twelve years to finally see it, but Nightmare Moon… she was the one true queen.

Every night, for the past… oh Gosh, he can’t recall - his life since the incident on the moon… it was such a blur now. But he stood by her side, and she stood by his. And he was happy to serve, despite the hardships that followed. The wars he helped won. The gentle affection she gave him. It was heavenly.

Her voice came once more, but he found it hard to listen. The click of a beak, a soft croak - it pulled his attention to the left.

A strange purple pegasus sat there, sipping her coffee. He felt like he knew her - did he? It’s been… years. Well over a century, since he saw a face like hers. A soft hint of green flashed in her eyes, as he felt a strange tingle crawl up his left arm.

Nightmare Moon continued to lavish on the praise, as he lifted his wrist up - inspecting the purple feather charm there.

“Hey.” The Pegasus had appeared directly in front of him now, nearly knocking him to his back. He stumbled, clawing at the ground to make a few hooves distance before coming to a halt.

“What? Who?...”

Nightmare Moon was gone. His Queen, his ruler… she had vanished, almost as if she was never there. Instead, the pegasus stared right through him, levitating a cup of coffee to her right.

“D’ohoho! Don’t tell me you forgot, Tall-fry? I’m going to have to dock your pay at this rate! And since I pay you nothing, you now owe me twenty bits for sleeping on the job. Because I’m still broke, and you not working means I’m not making money.”

“What’s going on?” he questioned. He felt like he knew, but… it was hard to say. Like a distant memory, far in his past. He was, after all, one hundred and forty five years old now - still young for an ascended, but his memory was nothing like it used to be.

“Many things! None of which are good for the feathers. Did you know I had a mare come by, into MY shop, during MY MORNING WALL STARING, and ask about Umbra? Oho! Had I known she’d been foalnapped, I would have snooted you up sooner. But you weren’t dreaming until now.” She downed her coffee, frowning as she turned over the empty mug.

“Well Tall-fry, this is it for me. Another pot to boil, another brew to stir - and you need to wake up before Nightmare Moon eats your candy, that jerk-face.”

And just like that, the purple mare ceased to be. That very same raven appeared on his shoulder, clicking his beak and croaking.

“Twice I have intervened with fate, and only once more I shall persist, lest I draw the ire of entities beyond this realm. Arin, you must wake. There is still time, there is still hope. Hold on to the flame within you, and let it spread like ash upon the breeze. Your time is nigh.”

Onyx bowed his head. Onyx. His name was Onyx… and Vee. And many other names, a world of history - of knowledge - of places he’s been and things he’s seen, the world he still cherishes. A flicker of light beamed within him, and he nodded his head.

“Then I shall grant you freedom. Make haste! The sun has nearly crested the horizon, and her hours grow short. The test of time will not bid thee well.”

The weight of a watch settled in his palm, and he took it to his eyes. One hour remained. And just like that… the floor around him began to sink away - no, his body began to raise. He found it hard to catch his breath, as bubbles surrounded him. Eyes were sent to the heavens, and he saw the surface of a pool there to greet him - and with a burst of speed, he shot for the water’s surface.