Princess Luna wore a stoic expression, her head raised and her posture as formal as possible. She had always attempted to keep a royal air about herself when addressing her royal guards. This tone was only reinforced upon when she was in the presence of a third party. Celestia had often made this formality a point of amusement whenever she had the chance, but Luna never ceased to believe that it was only proper for a noble to uphold such values.
She was, however, beginning to have doubts.
"Luna, are you okay? You uh... You look like you might have a cramp."
Glancing up at Erebus, she noticed his raised eyebrow and the slight cocking of his head to one side. She supposed she couldn't blame his confusion, given the more lax attitude she had shown him from their first meeting. That kind of behavior would never be displayed in front of her guards though.
"Yes Erebus, We assure you that We're fine." She nodded while maintaining her composure. "Please think nothing of it, there are more important matters currently at hoof."
Erebus shrugged and nodded in return. "Very well then, maybe I should ask my question that actually pertains to said matter."
He gestured at the two thestrals. "Considering recent events, are you sure that is the best course of action?"
"We assume that you're referring to the incident that took place previously." Luna allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. "Your hesitance is understandable, but there is no reason to second guess the professionalism of Our guards. They can easily look past such a simple misunderstanding."
"That is the hope of course. Their wounds were insignificant, but Celestia made it quite clear how easily they were tossed aside."
"If you say so, I have no reason not to take your word for it." Erebus took a few steps toward the two guards and gave them a shallow bow. "Good evening to the both of you, I'd like to formally apologize for my earlier behavior. The situation certainly didn't allow for a decent introduction on my part."
Luna shifted her attention to the guards and soon noticed that, unlike his partner, Overcast's neutral expression was something more akin to a scowl. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Nightshade.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance sir. Princess Luna has explained the matter to us in great detail," He said with a measured tone. "It should be made quite clear that no apology is necessary. You were charged with her safety in that moment, as were we. There's no doubt that you certainly put us to shame in that regard."
Overcast's frown deepened as he interjected. "Hey Nightshade, small talk is all well and good, but maybe you should remember that The Princess has a job to do, and so do we. So could you do us all a favor and cut to the chase already?"
"Of course Overcast, I have no intention of keeping Princess Luna from her duties." He shot his partner a dismissive glance before looking up at Erebus. "It goes without saying that The Princess has already explained matters to you. While she is busy attending to her nightly tasks, we will be assigned to keep general watch over you."
"Now please don't believe that we're here to examine your every move." The thestral continued. "Our task is to assist you in the event that you require anything, and to guide you through the castle if you wish to go anywhere. Otherwise you have general free reign of the premises."
"Just don't go thinking that we're butlers." Overcast quietly grumbled, before noticing the unamused expression that Luna wore.
"Yes, Nightshade's explanation is in line with the orders that We have given both he and his comrade." Luna looked back at Erebus. "Though of course there will be some areas that are off limits to you, you are mainly free to roam the castle as you wish."
Her tone softened and she paused for a brief moment. "It should be asked of you that you remain within the castle for the time being. While the staff has been briefed to contain the information of your arrival, the local residents must not know until a formal declaration has been made."
Looking down at her, Erebus gave her a small smile. "I understand Princess, I'm sure I'll be quite comfortable here for the foreseeable future. Trust me, I've lived in some pretty bad places throughout my life, this is vacation if ever I've had one."
"Now please..." He drew back a few steps to clear her path. "I would hate for you to be late for work on my account."
Luna allowed a small grin to settle on her face. "Very well then, We bid you all a pleasant evening."
She took a few steps forward, the guards moving to allow her passage down the hall. Before going any further, she stopped and turned back to Erebus.
"We'll be sure to call for you the first chance that we have."
The man nodded and bowed. "I'll not keep you waiting, and I'll be sure that I make myself presentable."
Luna nodded in return and slowly began making her way down the hallway, eventually disappearing down a side corridor. An awkward silence settled upon the hall, leaving the two guards and their charge alone in the dimming light, sitting together.
Crossing his arms, Erebus abruptly broke the tension. "So then, how about I make this night easy for the both of you?"
Overcast said nothing, but Nightshade was intrigued. "How do you propose you're going to do that?"
"Oh that's simple," Erebus grinned. "I assume this castle has a library, right?"
Luna slowly made her way down the castle halls, her hooves lightly rapping against the marble floor. Her mind was in a haze, and she was quite busy doing everything she could to try and clear it. She had never considered her life to be mundane, but recent events had certainly rattled view of the world, and today had only begun to bring things into perspective.
"There's a human in the castle."
She slipped over the thoughts even as they came to her. "There's actually a human living in the castle. A human that We have to take responsibility for."
The past two days had gone by faster than she could remember, all the major events mixing and blurring together into a murky soup. Not that long ago she had stood among the towering ruins of a long extinct civilization, but now she could barely call to mind the details. Luna audibly huffed and quickened her pace, frustrated by her lack of focus.
Coming to the familiar spiral staircase, she began to ascend the numerous steps, but stumbled as a sharp pain wracked her hind leg. She quickly turned her head back to spot where her wound had been inflicted, wincing as she expected to see a stream of blood. A shaky sigh of relief left her lips as her eyes settled upon where the wound used to be, the area now barely distinguishable from the bloody mess that it was. Even with the healing spell she had used back in the Everfree, her leg had been subject to intensive medical scrutiny from the moment that they had arrived in Canterlot; indeed, no expense had been spared in the process of her examination, both magical and conventional.
"He-heh, We... We'd nearly forgotten." Her nerves were still on edge from the sudden shock. "We haven't sustained a wound like that in quite some time. Even with the work that went into healing it, We need to remember that not all the internal damage can be dealt with so quickly."
She gazed up at the remaining steps and whispered. "It's best that We take things slowly for the time being, there's no reason to rush."
Starting again, she began making her way up the remaining steps, occasionally flinching. Eventually managing to crest the final step, she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the doors to her bedroom. Biting back the faded pain, her posture straightened just long enough for her to silently greet the two guards that were posted for the night. Pushing open the doors and swiftly closing them behind her, she was quick to drop all pretenses of formality, bracing against the wall and thoroughly stretching her leg until the pain had subsided.
"We would do well not to antagonize the wound in the future."
Gingerly setting her hoof back down, she glanced over at the balcony, taking notice that her sister had already finished lowering the last of the sun's rays. Coming over to the railing, she looked up to see Celestia turning back towards her own room to retire, but not before their gazes locked for a brief moment. Luna didn't have time to read her expression before she disappeared from sight, but she could tell that Celestia was deep in contemplation. The sentiment wasn't lost on her as she gazed out at the starlit night, preparing to raise the moon.
"Sister isn't wrong to be concerned, not after Chrysalis, Sombra, Discord, and... Nightmare Moon have so recently threatened Equestria. Even then, we were no strangers to their intentions."
Luna's horn gave off a gentle cobalt glow as her namesake slowly began to rise over the horizon, before lazily settling itself high above the clouds. Gazing up at her work, the makings of a smile danced across her face for a few moments before falling away. The act of raising the moon had always brought a semblance of normalcy to her life, a focus to keep her grounded in reality and help her clear her mind.
But now it did nothing to calm her.
Looking down at the flickering lights of the city, her thoughts were drawn back to earlier that day. After Erebus had been granted his accommodations both Celestia and herself had withdrawn to the main hall to ready themselves for their meeting. Early in the preparations, it had been Luna's idea to send for Auburn Study in place of the guards, to demonstrate that there should be no reason for mistrust. Though Celestia had initially protested, she eventually relented, moving instead to reinforce Luna's responsibility over the matter. While Luna could tell that her sister was seriously trying to place trust in her, Celestia's words still hung on her like weights.
"I trust you with my life Luna, I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind about that. In the same way, I want to trust your new friend. Just remember that Princess Amore once thought that Sombra was innocent... And his betrayal brought only despair to Equestria."
Even now the words stung more harshly than she would have liked. She knew all too well of King Sombra's seemingly innocent upbringing, and the horrible tyranny that his ambition unleashed. It was an ambition that she had thought she would never fall to, but how wrong she was.
"No! He's not like that, he can't be! We won't believe it!" She slammed her hoof to the floor in frustration. "He's already lost everything and everyone that he ever knew! How can it be fair to pass judgment on him like this?"
A tense moment of silence followed, the sound of her impassioned snorts the only thing filling it. She slowly shook her head and allowed her anger to subside. Yes, she was anxious and frustrated, but she was well aware that an outburst such as this would do no good for anypony. Loath to admit it though she was, it was going to take time and effort for Celestia's trust to be won.
"Sister's approval on this is a matter of considerable importance. If Erebus can gain her confidence, there should be no grounds for anypony else to question his intentions."
Though the anxiety continued to gnaw at the back of her mind, Luna remained faithful that her new friend would be more than up to the task. Though this was his hill to climb, she would help him in any way that she could.
Turning back to her room, she took a deep breath, setting aside the issue for the time being. The night was still young, but recent events had kept her away from her duties for too long already. Any number of ponies could be suffering from nightmares even now, and forgoing her responsibilities any longer would be unacceptable. The thought of such dereliction caused her to frown, even as she prepared herself.
"Every moment plays out in due time Luna, never forget that. Right now, the only moment you need worry about is the current one."
Bringing herself into a more comfortable position, she forced her mind to clear and began gathering a small amount of energy to her horn, no more than was necessary. Even as the magic gave off a gentle glow, the moonlit walls of the room around her began to fade into an encroaching and gentle darkness. Feeling the world fall away from her, she instinctively shifted the spell to run a new course.
Quickly as it appeared, the darkness was pushed back; a multitude of colors and shapes exploding outwards from her field of view. A familiar feeling of weightlessness took hold of her as she cleared her vision and began to look out at her surroundings. Numerous orbs of vivid light and sound began to drift their way past her, each vastly different from the other. Most of these she would only catch glimpses of before they moved beyond her sight; such was the nature of dreams, and her relationship with them.
Nightmares, on the other hoof, were a far more dangerous breed.
The mind is a powerful thing; even more so when allowed the freedoms that dreams can provide. Luna knew well that the mind of a strong-willed pony, when driven to terror, could cause significant damage to not only themselves, but any others within the dream realm. In dire circumstances, uncontrolled fear could even have lasting consequences upon the waking world.
Staring out at the vast starlit plain, she was filled with a sense of growing unease; not due to any surplus of rampant nightmares, or even due to one particularly worrisome vision. What caused her to feel particularly unsettled was something that wasn't immediately noticeable.
"This can't be right, how can there be no nightmares?"
Her eyes began to dart around left and right, scanning each and every dream in an attempt to verify what she was seeing. Even among this vast sea of visions, she knew that any nightmare should be a simple thing to spot; they stood out like timberwolves among sheep, or a scream in the dead of night. Now though, there was no shriek to be heard, no whimpers of fear, no sound whatsoever.
Luna's thoughts were brought back to the night before, when she had flown over Ponyville on her way towards the Everfree. She had been distracted at the time, but even then had noticed that most of the dreams she saw weren't particularly out of place. It had struck her as an odd state of affairs, but she had attributed this to her lack of thoroughness in that moment. With what she was seeing now though, the comparison wracked her nerves even further.
"Certainly this has to be pure coincidence, it wouldn't make sense otherwise." Her brow furrowed as she continued to stare out at her charge.
"If our eyes aren't deceiving us though, and truly nopony is having any nightmares... Can we actually call that a bad thing?"
She asked the question quietly, tentatively even, simply because she already was aware of the answer. No matter how dreadful they could be, nightmares were a simple reality of living; certainly not welcome, but not necessarily evil. She could understand if this night and the last had been the result of good fortune, but any further instances like this would begin to truly unsettle her. After all, her purpose here was to protect ponies from their nightmares, not to be worried they weren't having any.
Although she would have to continue to monitor this turn of events, Luna knew that she couldn't allow herself to go looking for a problem where one may not exist. If this was the way things were, then she had no real option other than to go about her nightly business.
"We can't remember all the times that we've hoped that We might have an easy night. It's almost laughable that We are actually wondering why nothing is going wrong."
A short moment passed by as she floated among the open space, the dreams of her subjects falling past her like brilliant snowflakes. With a sigh, she took one more look out at the dream realm, before ending the spell and bringing herself back into the real world. Immediately the starscape fell away and the familiar veil of darkness quickly drew itself around her. Seconds later, she felt the cool light of the moon resting upon her face, reality beginning to reassemble itself around her.
Clearing her eyes, she stood up and promptly took in her surroundings, looking for any signs of change or intrusion. She was well aware that her guards would have alerted her in the event of any upset or emergency, but the practice had become customary after venturing in and out of the dream realm. Though she had seemingly been gone only a short while, time passed differently in between the two worlds, and it only took her a quick glance at her clock to confirm that she had been occupied for a few hours.
"There's still quite a while before the night comes to an end. It would be prudent to check in with the night guard around the city and ensure that everything is in proper order."
Her words drew her mind back to Nightshade and Overcast, still quite preoccupied with their own orders. She wouldn't be relieving them until much later, but she couldn't help chuckling at the circumstances of their current assignment.
"Truly, we can only hope that Erebus hasn't been giving them too much trouble."
Erebus sat peacefully in front of a large desk, a vast array of books laid out before him, leaving just barely enough space left open for a dimly flickering lantern. The atmosphere was perfect for the type of work he was engrossed in; a dark room illuminated only by candlelight, a calm silence permeating the air around him, only broken by the occasional crinkling of pages being turned.
That, and the ongoing dysfunctional conversation of two armor-clad thestrals.
"Why Overcast? Is there any real reason why you have to be like this?"
Nightshade stood a few feet from Erebus with an exasperated expression. Since the three of them had arrived at the palace library, Nightshade had made a point out of trying to be as helpful to Erebus as he possibly could. The guard wasn't exceptionally knowledgeable when it came to sorting books, but he had still done his best at pointing out specific volumes whenever he could; assistance that Erebus had been more than grateful for.
In stark contrast to his partner, Overcast had done little else other than lazily follow the two around whenever they went off in search of a new book. While at first he had been relatively successful in keeping generally silent, as the night had dragged on he had slowly begun to outwardly show just how miserable he was.
"Hmm, I dunno Nightshade, that's a pretty serious question there." He leaned in to the other guard and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Oh wait, I do know. Maybe it's because I've been bored out of my sober mind for the past two hours?"
Nightshade grimaced and pushed him away. "Really, sober? I can't exactly say that your breath adds any truth to that story."
"At any rate, your lack of entertainment should have no bearing on a mission that was given to you by Princess Luna." He pointed an accusatory hoof at him. "You're a royal guard of Equestria, it might do you some good to start acting like it."
Overcast opened his mouth to respond, but stopped mid-breath, falling back into a frown and grumbling incoherently.
Erebus tried his best to hide an amused smile behind the book he was currently buried in. While his abilities had allowed him to assimilate the native language with relative ease, the prospect of their literature had proven itself a considerable challenge for him to overcome. Most of the volumes he had attempted to study were inscribed in various different alphabets, with some consisting entirely of a form of hieroglyphs. Though he had been able to make some progress with the more modern texts, he had become increasingly frustrated with the book he was currently reading.
That being said, he had welcomed the distraction that his two watchers had provided, finding a fair bit of entertainment in listening in on their banter.
Lowering his book, he craned his neck back towards them. "Gentlemen please, there's no reason to be at each other's throats now is there?"
Sudden realization hit him as both Nightshade and Overcast turned and gave him looks that did nothing to conceal their confusion. He grinned sheepishly as he began rubbing the back of his neck, remembering all too late that just because he understood their language, didn't mean everything translated perfectly between their cultures.
"Right... Poor choice of words on my part." Sighing, he turned to face the two ponies. "That aside, the point I'm trying to make is that we're all soldiers here; there's no reason why we can't at least attempt to get along."
Brushing off his confused look, Nightshade was the first to speak up. "Well, I don't want to seem like I don't appreciate the sentiment, but you should know that Overcast and I have been like this since our first day of training. Though I can't say I'm at fault for trying to keep him in line."
Overcast snorted. "Yeah, well you can't say it's my fault for trying not to be a total stick-in-the-mud."
Nightshade casually brushed him off. "More to the point, what exactly did you mean by 'we're all soldiers here'? You were a soldier for your kind?"
The other guard stole a moment to interject. "He sure don't look like any soldier I've ever seen."
Erebus chuckled at this. "Well it's true that I never wore the standard uniform that was issued, I swore an oath just like everyone else. I fought and shed blood in defense of others, alongside those who died long before you ever existed."
"Also, not be rude..." He tapped the armor on his chest. "Despite being older than dirt, this armor outclasses anything you've ever worn, by miles."
Overcast tried to seem unimpressed. "Armor or not, you should just consider yourself lucky that I was off my game when we first found you."
Nightshade snorted and rolled his eyes. "You know Overcast, having a hangover is a pretty poor excuse of a handicap."
"So what does that say about you then?" His partner shot back. "If you're such a model soldier, then why did you get your shit wrecked only a few seconds after me?"
"Well it's pretty obvious that you ruined all semblance of strategy when you charged in like that." Nightshade quickly deflected the question. "Besides, if he's a soldier like he says he is, then it makes sense that he would have more combat experience than the both of us."
Overcast stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Wow, here I was thinking you couldn't kiss ass any more than you already did."
Erebus huffed and put a hand to his forehead as the two guards continued their bickering. Though at first he had been somewhat amused by their banter, he was starting to believe that his continued presence was just going to exacerbate the situation as time went on.
"I guess I wasn't wrong when I said that we're all soldiers here. I can't remember how many times I've seen this play out in the barracks."
Pushing himself out of his chair, he did his best to mimic a yawn before speaking. "I must say that this has been an enlightening experience. Catching up on some reading after a few thousand millennia, and getting to be properly introduced to you both. However, I do believe that I am well and truly ready to retire for the night."
"Finally, some good news." Overcast sighed with relief.
Pointing at the pile of books, Erebus looked back at Nightshade. "You don't think anyone would mind if I borrowed some of these for a while, do you?"
Nightshade shook his head. "I see no reason why not, as long as you return them. It may not be public, but it's still a library all the same."
"Just thought I should ask before." Erebus politely smiled and turned to tuck a few of the volumes beneath his arm, one in particular catching his interest.
Nightshade and Overcast moved to make their way towards the library's exit, the former addressing Erebus on the way out.
"Once we've escorted you back to your quarters, we'll remain on guard until the sun begins to rise. After the dawn has arrived, we'll be relieved from our posts by Princess Celestia's day guard. It shouldn't be too long after this that Princess Luna should send word for you."
Erebus nodded. "I'll make sure that I'm in proper order before then."
"And I'm sure I'll have more than enough to keep me occupied until then."
He glanced down at the volume that he had nestled under his arm; the very same that had given him so much trouble not long ago. Though he had made little progress with the book since he initially set it down, the title had by far been one of the most difficult points for him to translate.
Predictions and Prophecies.