They passed through the double doors to find Luna facing them. She had her wings spread wide and her eyes peered through a thick helmet. She was dressed for battle, a sword clenched in her teeth to the side.
She stood there silently as Color and Day entered, both peering at her.
Her magic wrapped around the sword and lifted it into the air, freeing her mouth. "Is it not suitable? We feel ready for battle."
Color raised a hoof to his chin, considering. "You pose an intimidating figure, very nice."
Day shook his head. "But it's not you."
She blinked at Day. "Who is this?"
Color gestured at Day with a hoof. "This is a close friend of mine; Day Dreamer."
"What a fortuitous name... We do not recall seeing you before." She leaned towards him, examining him. "We presume your dreams, be they day or night, are untroubled?"
"I sleep like a foal," he contently reported. "I blame it on the best princess."
Luna lit up, her cheeks pinkening despite her already dark fur. "You speak in flatteries!"
"I speak in truth." He looked to Color. "Tell me you don't agree."
Color blinked at being put on the spot. "Oh, um--"
Luna pointed at Color. "That is more the response we expect. Tell me then, Dreamer, what makes me better than mine sister who lifts the sun?"
Day laughed softly, immune to the tension. "It's not a contest, but you're still the best princess. It's great actually meeting you, um, m'lady." He dipped his head towards Luna. "Your vassal is honored to be here and stuff."
"And stuff," echoed Luna with a wry half-smile. "Earth ponies and unicorns are drawn towards my sister, but pegasi can feel me when they fly at night, and they love to do so... Of the three tribes, they are the closest to me. You are not one of them, to what do you owe your proclaimed fealty?"
Color softly coughed. "Well, he is Day Dreamer."
"We cannot argue this... Very well, for this moment, you are mine vassal, to be used as we see fit."
Day saluted sharply with a big smile. "Reporting for duty, ma'am."
"Very good." She suddenly swung the sword held in her magic, the tip just short of Day's throat. "Now tell me what you meant before. How does this uniform not suit me?"
Color squeaked at the implied violence. "Please don't cut my friend in half."
"That depends in part on his response." She arched a brow, watching Day Dreamer steadily.
"This is kind of awesome." He tilted his head, looking not terribly frightened of the sharpened steel so close to his throat. "You guard dreams. You watch out for ponies, their insides, you know?"
Luna shook her head. "And what attire would be appropriate for that?"
"I think it's more the setting..." He tapped a hoof softly. "All regal, but in an alien place."
Luna quirked a brow. "What manner of alien setting have you in mind?"
Color suddenly thrust out a hoof, pointing past Luna, to a window that dominated on side of her room. Like the window in the hall, it blocked most of the light going through it to paint a scene of a brilliant night. "That."
Luna twisted around to look where he was pointing. "The stars? No..." She lowered the sword. "You would put me back on the moon."
Color drew in a soft and uneasy breath. "But as a choice. You are its guardian and ward. It is yours. I don't think any pony could argue that."
Luna's sword fell with a clatter as she regarded the artificial moon that adorned her window. "Mmm... You may have a point... Luna, lunar guardian... That is... perhaps more truthful. Tell me, will I look ready?"
Color smiled at that. "You are a beloved warrior of our dreams."
"A knight of the night," added Day with a soft nod.
"Exactly. I will try to capture that. You won't be a passive presence."
"Good. Very good." She hefted the sword in her magic and tossed it casually into a bin with some other blades. "Then do that. I will judge its readiness when you are prepared to display it to me." She reached with a wing, popping off her helmet. "That gets quite stuffy after a time. It is beyond us how guards tolerate it for an entire day at a time."
Day perked his ears. "That reminds me, can I try on some night armor, just for a moment?"
Luna squinted at him. "You do not have wings."
"Nope." He shrugged softly. "So?"
"So..." She considered a moment. "I suppose we can allow you to wear the helmet at least." Her glowing horn grabbed for a new helmet, the one on her own head being tossed aside. The night helmet was plopped right on Day's head, wriggling into position. "There we are."
Day blinked his slit eyes. "Woah! I'm all batty!" He reached up a hoof to bat at his newly tufted ears. "This is awesome." He leaned off to the side and gently tickled at Color's cheek with an eartuft, looking quite happy with life.
Color smiled awkwardly. "Forgive him. Um... There is one other thing."
"Did you want to try one as well?" She quirked an ear at Color. "You did not strike me--"
"--No! No, I mean, payment."
Luna tilted her head left and right. "Ah, yes, you are not in the direct employ of the kingdom. I will consult with my sister." She casually patted Color on the head. "We will deal fairly with those that perform services at our command."
Color felt little doubt he would get a visit from the money-counting poney the castle had on staff. "That will do just fine, Your Majesty. I'll get to planning and start on your portrait."
"Yes, please. We can scarcely wait to see what the result will be." She clopped her forehooves. "Now... I cannot leave that with you." Her magic yanked the helmet free of Day, his eyes suddenly round again, ears unadorned. "If you wish to apply to join the night guard, that is another matter."
"Aw." He was smiling despite the sad noise. "Thanks for letting me try it."
Luna waved him away. "Think little of it. Now, we are in accord?"
Color offered a hoof. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll expect someone by to deal with the tiresome details."
"Quite." She met his hoof with one of her own. "I look forward to the result."
Soon they were back in the hallway. Day was at the guard's side. "Which way to the gardens?" He had his priorities quite set.
It was the final day... "I suppose you'll come with me..." She ran a wing gently along the metal of her typewriter. "I paid for you, you're mine, sweet little prince." She had given it a name. He was Sir Words a Lot, the fourth. A distinguised name from a fine line of wordsmithing tools." She glanced aside at the third. That one did belong to the paper. She'd leave her. "They better treat you right..."
Libel had no assurance of that. She looked to her inbox, but it was empty. She had finished all of her projects, and they had stopped sending her new ones. That made enough sense... Why give new projects to someone who has already tendered a resignation? "Bottom?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you all done too?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't call me that... we're going to be partners." She slipped from her chair to the floor with a soft clop. "This is... exciting, but it feels..."
"Like it's not real?" suggested Bottom from the other room. "I know how that feels..."
"We'll have to set our own schedules." She took a slow breath. "No other pony will tell us when to start working, or when to stop. It's up to us to decide that, and we better."
"I have something worked out." Bottom nudged the door open with her magic, entering with a notepad held in her magic. "This is my proposed schedule."
Libel's ears went up as she reached a wing for the book to have a peek. "Hmm..." It had a clear start and end point for each day. "Why do you give Tuesday and Saturday off instead of just going with the weekend?" She squinted softly. "Extra long on Monday, but short on Fridays?"
"Those are office hours." Bottom nodded softly. "We need to be available to be at other places, to negotiate, sell, and promote. Better, I say, to have a schedule that leaves room for such things instead of having to accommodate them. Of course, sometimes we'll have to be flexible, that's life."
"But less often," finished Libel with a little smile. "I see where you're going..." She frowned softly, considering. "This will do better than winging it."
"I'll leave all matters of wings to the experts." She casually tapped Libel's closest wing with her magic.
"Ha ha." Libel offered the notepad back. "Do we have a--"
The door in the main office opened. "Libelous." It was her boss, soon to be ex-boss. "You here?"
"In here," she called. She and Bottom emerged from the back room to see him standing there with his usual grave expression.
"There you are. So... no way to change your mind?"
Libel smiled thinly. "Thank you, Sir, for everything."
"Yeah yeah... Some of the other editors may thank you for the chance. You're giving other ponies a chance to be in charge of it for a change." He heaved a soft sigh. "So, who you gonna get to be your editor?"
Libel blinked softly. She had failed to even consider the concept. "Why can't I just... oh."
"Yeah, oh." He snorted softly. "You don't edit your own stuff, don't work. All our writers try, and you still find things to fix, don'tcha?"
Libel raised a hoof to her cheek, rubbing softly. "Sir... why are you... I mean..."
"Libel... Look." He set a hoof on her shoulder. "We're going off in different directions, but we were close for years. I'm sorry if I was too hard on you, but that's how you get a pony to grow, right? Now, look... you better do this right. If I hear you messed this up, I'll be over there to chew your ear off!"
Libel suddenly saluted sharply. "Of course, Sir."
"Yeah... Lemme know when you're published, I'll have one of our mares give it a review." He turned to leave, his eyes passing over Bottom before pausing. "You're going with her, right?"
"Y-yes!"
"Hey, you quit. I can't do much to hurt you anymore." He laughed softly. "You better treat her right." His eyes went back to Libel. "Get out of here. We got no more work for you, and you have a book to write. You better write it good."
Libel looked hesitant and he frowned. "You'll be paid for the whole day, Miss Word, now get out. Go decompress or whatever. Get something nice to eat or something." He threw up a hoof as he marched for the door. "If you're feeling nice, send me a copy of whatever you make."
The door closed behind him, leaving the two stunned mares behind. Bottom rubbed behind her head lightly. "That... went better than I would have thought."
"I thought he... really stopped liking me." She took a slow breath. "Remind me to just tell ponies what I mean instead of assuming they'll get it."
"Yeah... So... Need help moving your things?"
"Thank you."
Gears shifted, and they began packing all their things into boxes. Knowing they would be leaving, there wasn't that much left to pack. The typewriter was the biggest thing, and they walked out with it held in a tether that went from one pony to the next, it cradled between them.
As one, they performed the walk to the door one final time. Ponies stopped what they were doing to wave and give well wishes. Libel felt a few tears forcing their way free. She hadn't thought it would be at all emotional, but those ponies had become part of her life, and she was leaving them.
At least, she reasoned, she was keeping Bottom Line. That made it far more bearable.