When Arin returned to the entry hall, he wasn’t surprised at all to find Luna gone – perhaps he was a bit disheartened that he had to leave her there. But he had to make sure someone in this castle was at least trying to aid her, if he had to avoid her for the next few days.

He found the Lunar Princess by the window of her small garden, after thirty minutes of searching; a guard stood next to her, but seeing Arin approach meant he could safely, and very quietly, slip away. He gave a bit of a hurried head nod as if to say ‘it’s your problem now’ before rounding the corner out of sight.

Even just approaching Luna made a sense of dread well in his stomach. Above, rain clouds had blocked the sky, save for the thin glow of the moon beyond the clouds. Rain patterned the glass of the courtyard, as in the dim light of the torches of the hall, she watched the moon.

Arin hesitated next to her, thinking about the best way to approach this. He had no idea how crazy, evil, wicked alter egos wanted to be treated, except for what Twilight told him just now.

“Does thy hooves tarry at Our regality? Or perhaps the beauty of the night leaves thee speechless?” she said, gaze locked to the outside world.

Letting his eyes wander to the outside world to imitate her, he used this time to try and mimic her words in some way.

“It is the night, your Grace,” he said. “The infinite cosmos of your stars are almost half as alluring as your moon.”

Mentally, he pat himself on the back for sounding so poetic just then; a habit that totally wouldn’t stick for years to come. Luna did not react, but her ears did swivel towards him as ponies do when their attention wanders elsewhere.

“Thou hast come with a request,” she said, turning to face Arin now in proper. He nearly stepped back, seeing the slits of her irises honing in on him. To avert his eyes and let that feeling of unease pass, he kneeled down – keeping his head low.

“Yes, your Majesty. I wish to spread word of your proper rule to the… peasants of the realm, at your request.”

He could feel it above him – that very same off-putting smile from before splitting her lips. He chanced a look upwards to catch her expression, and nearly reeled - Luna didn’t have fangs, did she?...

“Splendid. We… oh no, I may find a use for you yet.”

Whatever purpose the shift in her speech had, he had no clue. But it felt more malevolent now than ever. Her voice had grown a touch deeper, the innocence behind it now lost. This wasn’t Luna anymore. It was something far, far worse.

“I will grant thy request, Sir Knight. Since I have little use for you otherwise. None may challenge my rule, and those that do will face the gallows.”

He gulped at her words, but tried to stay in character. If it was a servant she wanted, play along for the day. They were on borrowed time as it was.

“Thank you, your Highness.”

“You are dismissed,” she said, turning back towards the window. Taking his chance to flee, he made it to his feet and quietly marched down the corridor. Passing that very same guard with a nod.

“W-Wait, Sir Arin, aren’t you going to escort her?” he asked, nervousness seeping into his words. “You’re her Knight!”

“I’m afraid I can’t. I’m leaving the castle for a while; I’ll be back soon. Until then, er…” Arin paused, unsure how to address the more cowardly Guard.

“Fizzle Wing,” the guard offered, worry etched into his face.

“Oh! You’re Fizzle Wing! I knew it. You’ll have to escort her, and even carry her, when she needs it.”

Fizzle Wing’s legs began to shake at the request, but nodded. “I uh… I’ll do my best. Please tell me she was like this with you, when you were last here? So I know she’s not going to stab me with her horn?”

“Uh…” The Knight paused, before shrugging. “Sure, whatever. She’s harmless for now. Just occasionally fan her ego and you should do fine.”

Arin turned to his left up a flight of stairs, the patter of rainfall against the window helping ease his troubled mind. It was all just a game… for now. And with his newfound freedom, he could move unimpeded through the castle halls to retrieve his spare clothes. He was, after all, going to bother Vee again – best to arrive prepared if she said yes. If not, an Inn would suffice in the meanwhile. If he could scrounge up the bits somewhere along the way for it.

His clothes were mostly where he left them - but he had trouble finding his chaps and bracers; regardless, the Seraph tossed the balcony windows open. He was always weary of flying in rough rains, and now that it was picking up fully, his already damp clothes would be soaked by the time he landed. If only he knew spells to keep his clothing dry. His list of usefulness hardly stretched beyond healing spells and basic levitation as it was, something he definitely needed to work on.

The balcony doors clicked shut behind him, as he took to the air – cutting through the thick rain like a dart. The water struck cold and hard, stinging his eyes as he pitched downwards – looking to land as quickly as possible in the darkened world. His wings embraced the air in a flurry of wind, reducing his speed as he roughly hit the soaking cobble. Mud smearing under his boots, he’d have to walk most of the way if he didn’t want to crash. It was just too dark to see what he was doing, and just like his wants for essential traveler spells, he craved the ability to see in the black pitch around him without the need of a light spell.

At least the simplest of magics didn’t elude him. Raising his hand, a small marble sized ball of light appeared – fluttering like a firefly above him; Magelight. It was strong enough to bathe the black stones in their proper gray hues, but besides that, he’d have to rely on the silhouette of the City’s imposing walls cutting through the distant street lights.

Soaked through with rain, he stepped down the now familiar hub of the market, Vee's shop illuminated by a purple flame lantern in front. Surprisingly, she was still open – even though most of the block around her was shut down for the night.

The bell rang as he entered the now bustling atmosphere of Vee’s abode – no less than two dozen ponies of all shapes and sizes had found themselves here at the warm fires of the Pegasi’s cafe. Many were enjoying fresh food and coffee, but the vast majority were browsing the mystic goods lining the shelves. And what appeared to be the newest addition to the shop, was two floating pillar-cases that housed potions of all colors and luminosity. Some glowed with spectacular lights, others seemed to eat the color surrounding it in pure black. This actually explained why Vee was so restless during the day; she had no business during it! Why stay up at all if most of the money is made at night?

“Oho! If it isn’t the Tall-fry, yet again – now the Soaked-fry! Or Soggy-fry. Wet-fry? Hmhmhm,” Vee called from his left – did… was this section of the shop here before? It’s like the very layout of the store changed since he left, and a new apothecary’s work station – complete with hundreds of jars, vials, herbs and shrooms – had formed to his right. Vee stood behind three cauldrons of varying sizes, Pumpkin Spice reappearing from the kitchen; a cart full of empty glass bottles tugged by her teeth to make it over the threshold following right behind.

“Vee, we’re out of the square bottles again-” She squeaked, freezing in place when she turned around. “A-Arin! Y-You’re back?”

The small mare trotted up, giving the towering Seraph a tight hug. She pulled away with a gasp. “You’re soaked, too! D-Did you walk all the way here in the rain?”

“Well, partly.” He motioned to his wings, as Vee chuckled.

“D’ohoho, you’re much too early for work! Or late. Or both! The kitchen is closed for the night, Tall-fry.” Vee waved her hoof around, as the heavy ladles in the cauldrons turned around her – magic glimmering from their wooden handles. “Unless you're here to apply to be an alchemist of sorts? If so, I think you know the answer to that one.”

Vee pointed towards the door, “Please take your wetness with you on the way out, don’t let your feathers get caught on the hinges, etcetera etcetera. You’re fired.”

“Actually, I wanted to know if I could stay here for a bit. I mean, you don’t have to shelter me if you don’t want – I can find a few bits for a hotel. But it would save me the travel, and the search for an open room.”

Vee clicked her tongue, raising a wing to preen. Thinking quietly for a minute, before spitting a feather into the cauldron on her left.

“I see, I see! Bold of you to assume I have a spare bed. Because I do. It’s mine. I don’t sleep in it, it’s bad for the feathers. But I do pretend to sleep there, when the coffee runs out.” She lifted her ladle from the left most pot, frowning.

“Pumpkin, did I add any live frogs to this batch?”

“What? No, I don’t believe so.” The little pony leaned over the ladle – just as the frog jumped out with a new set of wings, splattering against her face. Pumpkin squeaked, the toad tumbling to the floor – splattering against the wooden boards below as a wristwatch.

“Oho! There’s my watch. It must have hit my spoon. Just a tad too much pole will turn you into a frog, after all.” Vee quickly scooped up the soaked piece, setting it on the table.

“Why did it have wings?” Arin asked, distracted by the magical brew.

“Time flies when you’re boiling a broth,” Vee chirped, confusing the Seraph even more. The ‘Purple’ was truly a bewildering pegasus. “Now, about that bed. I’m not an Inn, Tall-fry. If I was, I would also need an Out to keep balance, and I don’t have time for that! Much too many things going on to keep my feathers preened and also change bed sheets.”

“Worth a shot. Besides, it’s Canterlot. It’s not like there aren't a dozen hotels down the block.”

“D’ohoho, how naive. Tell me, what’s today, Tall-fry?”

“It’s…” Arin frowned. He never learned the days here in Equestria. If they even had a proper calendar. “Um… it’s today.”

“Ooh!~ I love that answer. But no! Today is Prancetember eleventh, soon to be the twelfth! Which will be Sunday. If you wanted a room at a hotel, the closest one with an un-snooted room would be in Fillydelphia.” She wiggled her spoon around in the air, leaving magical trails in its wake. “So! Seeing as you’re as wet as my watch, and as your manager, I demand you stay the night. Rent will be whatever Pumpkin decides, because you’re taking her bed.”

“W-What! V-Vee, w-where will I sleep-”

“My bed, Smol-fry! Just ignore the feathers. Or stuff them in the pillow. That’s what I’d do.” She reached forward, patting Pumpkin’s head with a wing.

“My um… but my room is uh, h-he can’t sleep there! I need to get it ready!” the small witch mewled, clicking her hooves together nervously.

“D’ohoho, your room is cleaner than mine! What are you…” The purple pegasus blinked at Pumpkin, before the most mischievous smile began to form on Vee’s lips. The little mare pressed her hooves together, avoiding her eye contact with a blush.

“Afraid he’ll snoot up your romance novels, Smol-fry? D’ohoho~”

“Vee!” Pumpkin glowered, her cheeks bright enough to light up the room. The pegasus in question hid her snout in her wing with a giggle, before ruffling Pumpkin’s hat once more.

“It’s okay Small-fry. We all have our secrets and crushes! Ah, it reminds me of my youth. My first ever special somepony was tall, dark, smooth… coffee, it was coffee. But still! A love that will live for eternity, d’ohoho. Besides, if this Tall-fry can make Umbra not-so-angry, he can make your bed wet with his soaking wet clothes.”

Vee looked at the wet Seraph. “By the way, Tall-fry. You should probably change, or you’ll freeze to death. A frozen employee-sickle wont do! The dryer is outside, in the sun, whenever it stops raining. Because I don’t have a dryer. It’s a clothesline. I use it to hang the good feathers on for brewing.”

Vee plucked potion bottles from the table, filling them each with expert precision in her magic. Dose after dose of glowing purple vials were soon set to the side, all without a hint of attention from the Pegasus who seemed more intent on preening.

“Hm? Oh, you’re still here, Tall-fry? What are you waiting for, an order? Gallop to it! You’re dripping everywhere, and I’m too lazy to mop.”

“Oh, sorry! Sorry. Just dazed.” The Seraph said, looking at Pumpkin. “And uh… sorry for taking your room. Er… or for Vee deciding that I should sleep there tonight.”

“N-No no, it’s fine! I um… don’t mind letting you stay at all, I just wanted to share-er… see…” She paused for a moment, her brain stuffing the words back in place before leading the way. “I-It’s okay. Follow me.”

Pumpkin brought him through the kitchen door, passed the stoves and counters to the back entrance – an interior stairway leading up to the second floor awaited them. The little mare popped the door open to the second floor, another stairway leading up to the third – wait, wasn’t this building two stories tall?

Ignoring the third stairway, they entered into a small living room. A broom floated about on its own will, sweeping away purple feathers galore into an overfilled trash bin. How many feathers did Vee produce in a day? A fireplace crackled warmly in the center of the far wall – again, there were no chimneys connected to this shop – two recliners facing it. And yes, there was a coffee table. It had several mugs on it, one of them proudly saying ‘World’s Number One Sister’.

“The bathroom is here.,” Pumpkin said, opening the door to a large tile room, sparkly clean. Surprisingly, there weren’t feathers here – until Arin remembered that Vee probably washed in an actual bird bath. Why, he didn’t know. At least the fancy shower looked inviting. “I’ll um… w-wait for you, here. And you can hang your clothes to dry over the shower curtain.”

“Thanks Pumpkin.” Arin nodded, closing the door behind him. Stripping his outfit and blue dragon leather cuirass, he pulled a spare set free of his bag. He borrowed a towel from the hook to dry off, noting idly that it smelled a bit like… well, pumpkin spice. Not the mare, but he was positive she smelled like her namesake.

He probably shouldn’t have those thoughts when stripping his gear. Though it did leave him curious. It wouldn’t hurt to check her shampoo bottles, after all. Pumpkin shampoo, pumpkin conditioner, pumpkin body wash, pumpkin soap… yep, this was definitely her towel.

He put it back on the hook, and pulled another from a cupboard. He’d shower in the morning, for now, he just wanted to dry off and warm up.

Fresh clothes fitted and soaked hair made damp instead, he felt like a new Seraph. His wings were hard to maneuver when they were this damp, and difficult to pull through his clothes – but they’d air out by the fire. He left his towel to dry next to his soaked garments, returning barefoot to the hallway. Pumpkin hadn’t moved – only waited, just like she said.

“Y-You’ll um… sleep here tonight,” she nearly mewled, opening the door at the far end of the hallway to a small, but comfortable room. Curtains hung over the walls and bed, a tiny wood stove by the window letting warmth flood over the wooden floors. A bookshelf lined with dozens of books and old childhood plushies sat against the wall. She had a nightstand with a lamp, too – and next to it was a perch right in front of the window that he hadn’t noticed before. A large, black Raven sat there, staring curiously at the Seraph.

“Who are you?” It spoke, startling Arin a bit. It reminded him of the birds of his own world, who would occasionally speak on their own.

“Oh! Onyx, meet Arin. H-He’s staying here tonight,” the witch chimed with a blush.

“Ah! A guest; of Vee’s or Pumpkin’s?” the bird spoke eloquently, intelligent black eyes scoping the still-damp Seraph.

“Both at once, I suppose. I’m just staying for a few days, to keep my head low at the Castle and work on my fundraiser.” The whole time Arin spoke, Onyx took him in. Scouring him with his smart eyes, before giving a nod.

“I believe I read about you, three years ago. You’re the Knight of Princess Luna, as sworn before the Courts of Canterlot and indentured to servitude of the throne, are you not? Peculiar that a creature of another realm may hold that title. But none-the-less, welcome.” Onyx bowed his head, raising a wing in the utmost respect.

“Onyx is our resident housemaster. He’s basically like a spirit from the Astral Plane; his m-magic allows us to do a lot of neat things! Er…” The blushing mare tapped her hooves together. “You probably noticed we um… have an odd house. Vee is in a contract with him; he manipulates our little shop and home, a-and we give him cookies. T-That’s what m-my Sister tells me, at least.”

“...Cookies?” Arin questioned.

Pumpkin nodded in reply. “He’s a very old Spirit. He’s had everything in the world offered to him for his services over time, and… well, instead of souls or riches, he wants cookies.”

“’Tis a living,” Onyx said. “I have witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. The death and dethronement of Kings and Queens of Yore. But I have not yet been pleased with such carnal delicacies such as these… cookies.” He said that last word with scrutiny, as if he had questioned their very existence. Or perhaps the very reason itself.

Pumpkin smiled, reaching under her hat – withdrawing a fresh cookie for the Raven. Immediately, he scarfed it down, giving a low hum of satisfaction. “Delightful, as expected, Miss Pumpkin.”

“Thanks Onyx!” She smiled. The next time Arin blinked, Onyx – and the perch – was entirely gone.

“Where did he?…”

“W-Well um, you can’t expect him to be around all the time. H-He’s needed in many different places at once!” Pumpkin gave an anxious smile, finding it hard to keep eye contact with Arin. “A-Anyway, this is my bed.”

She motioned to the full size bed in the corner, next to her nightstand. Really, there wasn’t much to say about it; two big red pillows, a small shelf above, white sheets and an orange blanket… She really enjoyed color-coding her things. Then again, her cutiemark was three pumpkins – the scheme did make sense.

“If you um… need me, I’ll be staying i-in the living room tonight. I know Vee wants me to sleep in her bed, but um… it’s hard. I mean, it’s like… almost as hard as concrete. The bed is hard. T-That’s what I mean.”

Well, now he felt bad. “Pumpkin, if you want, I can sleep on the floor, I don’t mind. Just pass me a few pillows and a spare blanket.”

“N-No! I was, um, planning on it tonight. I had a book I-I wanted to finish, a-and my recliner is fine, too. I’m a day witch, s-so I like to be up in the mornings, unlike Vee.” Pumpkin trotted to a nearby closet, pulling an absolutely massive blanket down from the shelf above. It nearly smothered the small pony in the folds of it, but she managed to drag it outside. Her magic glimmered at the bookshelf south of the bed, drawing a paperback book from the rows before settling it on top.

“G-Goodnight, Arin! Sleep well! I-I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that, she gently slid the door shut, leaving him to his own devices. He wasn’t a big fan of passing out in all of his clothes, but tonight he’d have to deal with it. It would be weird to roll around her bed in the nude, after all. Especially if that odd Raven popped up.

But if there was one thing that caught his attention, it was the mention of books. Ever since he learned to read Equestrian, he hadn’t read much beyond training manuals or historical accounts. And when Vee mentioned that Pumpkin was a bit of a ‘scholar’ in some way, it made him curious. And of course, maybe a little snooping wasn’t the worst thing. If anything, he’d get to know his co-worker better.

He made his way to the bookshelf, reading the titles off to himself quietly. ‘Fifty Shades of Neigh, The Neighbook, To All the Stallions I’ve Loved Before, Just my Buck’…

Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have bothered, since all of them seemed to be around the same genre. And he really shouldn’t have opened ‘Fifty Shades of Neigh’. But he did. He kinda felt bad for her, in fact. She must have been lonely. What was really peculiar was ‘Just my Buck’ - it had two mares on the front and… dozens of pages marked with tiny notes. In the end, maybe some things should be left well enough alone.

Flopping on the bed, and taking care to avoid laying on his wings – he stared up at the ceiling, thinking. He felt helpless at the moment, unable to do anything worthwhile to save Luna. In fact, it’s better if he just stayed away entirely – and while he was angry with her, and wanted to hold her accountable for her recent moods… the guilt about abandoning her nagged at him. Regardless, he did want to completely reconsider his position as her Knight.

Maybe after his trip to the moon, he’ll have a better idea. Maybe.

Not willing to think about it any longer, he rolled over, examining some of the trinkets resting on a small desk in the corner. Pestle and mortar, quill and inkpot… lots of papers, half baked story ideas jotted down. She seemed to have an interest in writing, too. His hand lazily reached for the drawer to his right, tugging it open to see inside.

Another book. This one was more like a journal… did… did Pumpkin have a diary? He knew Luna had a diary, a lot of ponies did. It was pastel green, like her eyes – and had a small button clasp on front.

The real question was… should he break her trust and look into it? Was he really going to invade her privacy like that, without her permission – and snoop around? How disgusting was he?

He slowly closed the drawer, tugging gently at the light’s pull-string. The room was plunged into darkness, only the low light of the woodstove keeping the room dimly lit and warm.

Then he clicked the light back on, and like a teenager hunting for juicy gossip – pulled the book out. Okay, maybe just a peak. She never had to know. He popped the button and flipped to today’s date, to see what her thoughts were on the bake sale, at least.

‘Dear Diary… Today that handsome Knight came back from the Castle. Gosh! He reminds me of the Minotaur from ‘Hands and Hoofbeats’; except he’s much more… selfless. It’s hard to describe; he really wants to work hard to save the castle from the greedy nobles on the High Streets. I can’t stop stuttering around him, he just takes my breath away. And of course the rumors were WRONG! Luna isn’t dating him! At least, I don’t think so. He wasn’t specific. He’s a good baker, too! Just like me! I just wish I could talk to him without tripping over my own words. And Vee loves him! In her own way, of course. She even gave him a talisman! Maybe one day, I’ll be brave enough to ask him out like I tried that other stallion at the flower market… I keep thinking of that one chapter from-’

Arin abruptly closed her diary there, as it started to get into the nitty gritty. No wonder she was always a blushing mess, he was a blushing mess, right now after reading that. He made a mental note to avoid collars and leashes around her, for a pony so ‘innocent’, she had really… not-so-innocent desires.

Maybe it was a cultural thing. Since his first day in Equestria, he has tried to make an effort to be more open to the locals. And Celestia did, too, by forcing Honey Rose to be his tutor. Even though he clearly wasn’t okay with it at the time, if he didn’t have Honey Rose pushing his buttons, he’d still be a social recluse right now. Sometimes, you just need to be thrown into the pot to really melt and blend.

But, imagining the little witch in a collar… nope. That was not a cultural thing. Definitely not. Pulling the blankets over himself, he clicked the light off and gazed at the fire. Letting the heat of the flames melt away his worries and stray thoughts, especially the less than wholesome ones, until the comforting darkness overtook him.