The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan

by Rytex

Realizing the Obvious

Any minute now, any minute…

A tan unicorn with a short and slightly-untidy brown mane and tail sipped at his drink as he patiently waited for the one he was meeting.  It had been quite some time since they had seen each other face to face, and Quantum Bit was looking forward to it.

It’ll be just like old times, he thought, yawning a bit.  It was late morning, but it was still 5:00 somewhere.

The Cloak and Dagger Pub had been rather busy this week.  So busy, in fact, that Potent Brew had hired some extra wait staff.  On shift today was a rather attractive peach unicorn, with a curly blonde mane and tail, and very deep brown eyes.  Q found himself admiring the mare every few moments in his boredom. What was she doing all the way out here in Neighton?  He hadn’t seen her until a few days ago.

She had caught him looking a few times.  Rather than make a face or generally act disgusted, she instead chose to give him a bit of a flirty wink each time, and each time, it set Q-Bit’s face aflame.

Wonder if she lives in Manehattan, he thought as she did it yet again, forcing him to avert his gaze.

“You know, I’ve been trying to be polite and let you approach me, but you can’t seem to take a hint, can you?” asked an assertive, musical voice from the side he wasn’t currently looking at as he tried to avoid a certain unicorn’s gaze.

Said certain unicorn had come to the table and was leaning against it, and she was giving him a catty grin.

“S-sorry?” Q asked cautiously, trying his best and mostly succeeding at making his expression unreadable.

The unicorn groaned good-naturedly, and shook her head.

“Are you gonna talk to me, or are you just gonna stare at my flank all day?” she asked quite nonchalantly, her eyes sparkling as Q’s eyes shot open.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean…” Q-Bit stammered.  “I just… Been looking around. Trying not to stare at him over there.”

Q gestured to a spot on the bar, where a white unicorn with a blue mane was slumped over the bar, staring sullenly at the wall ahead of him, a mug of lager next to him.  Or at least, it had been lager when it was poured. From how long it had sat there, it might be too warm to be a proper lager by this point.

“You know, you’re pretty cute when you’re flustered,” the mare grinned.  “And you’re from Manehattan, right?”

“How’d you know?”

“Been hearing things,” the mare shrugged.  “Ponies have loose lips at bars. Just gotta know how to hear what they have to say,” she tapped her nose with a hoof.

“Don’t you have other ponies to wait after?” Q asked.

“Nah, I’m almost done for the day,” the mare shrugged again.  “My name’s Honeyed Words. You can call me Honey. Or if you prefer,” she lidded her gaze, “you can buy me a drink?”

“While you’re on the job?” he replied, feeling a bit of a confidence boost.  “Aren’t there laws against that?”

“Well, considering you’re my last table before I’m off for the day, I don’t think Poe would mind,” she said, sliding into her seat.  “So tell me, Manehattanite, who are you waiting on?”

“Who said I was waiting for someone?”

“When you weren’t staring at me,” she smirked, “you were staring at the door.  Who you waiting on?”

“My sister,” Q shrugged, not affected by Honey’s teasing.  “She lives in Vanhoover. We were supposed to meet up today, but she appears to be running a bit behind.  She’ll have a Sprite, with no ice, though.”

Honeyed Words pouted.  “Poo. Just when I thought we could have a proper moment.”

“She’s heading back tomorrow, but I’m sticking around,” Q grinned.  “Maybe when she leaves, we could--”

But what they could do exactly, Q never got to.  The door to the pub opened, and in trotted an aqua unicorn mare with a long blond mane.  At the sight of her, Q leapt up from his chair and dashed over, practically tackling his sister at the sight of her.

“Whoa, dude, lay off, it hasn’t been that long,” the newcomer grunted.

“A few months,” Q replied, ushering his sister to their table.  “We barely talk anymore! How’s Vanhoover?”

“Same as it always is,” Penstrokes sighed, a small notebook appearing and the pencil moving at top speed on its own.  “Cold, boring, never leave my room…”

“You could always go watch the Whitecaps, or the Canucks,” suggested Q.

Pen gave him a flat look.  “I’m not as into sports as you, remember?” she reminded Q equally flatly.  “Well, maybe the Whitecaps…”

“That’s cool, that’s cool,” Q grinned all the same.

There came a clattering from over at the bar, and the two of them looked over.  The white unicorn had stirred, accidentally knocking the bottle with his hooves, slopping beer over the side.

Q didn’t miss the annoyed look Potent Brew gave the unicorn as he slid over and wiped up the mess.

“What’s his problem?” Pen asked, still staring.

“No idea,” Q shrugged.  “He’s been there, from what I’ve heard--”

“--for about five days now,” came the musical voice of Honeyed Words as she trotted over, pen and pad held aloft in soft pink magic.  “Good morning to you, ma'am,” she smiled to Pen, who had a slight look of unease at this development. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Just a water is fine,” Pen said.  Honey wrote it down, gave a subtle wink to Q, and then trotted off to retrieve it, leaving the two of them alone again for the moment.  “So, how’s the computer gig?”

“Is what it is,” Q shrugged again.  “Some days are good, some aren’t. Pretty nifty machine, though.  Really cool that it’s what I’m getting paid to do things with.”

“Good to know.” With a flash of light, a notebook appeared in midair and Pen set to doodling in it with a black pencil.

“Just like old times, eh?” Q grinned wryly.  “Meet up several hundred miles away from each other in the middle, and it’s same old same old.”

“You know it,” Pen inclined her head.  “Still doing that Con Mane thing in Manechester in a few months?”

“Of course,” Q dipped his head.  “What about you? Still into My Little Human?”

“Meh,” Pen shook her head slightly.  “Not anymore. I lost interest around Season 4, didn’t I tell you?”

“But that’s the best one!” sighed Q.

“Meh, I’ll pass,” Pen shook her head again.  “Not my thing anymore.”

There was another clattering at the bar, causing them to look over.  The white unicorn was still blankly staring straight ahead, but he had fully knocked over his mug in his stirring this time, spilling beer everywhere, and greatly irritating the bar’s patrons.  One of them, a large grey earth pony with a white mane, whose food had been spilled on, was shouting down at the unicorn, who appeared completely and totally non-responsive. When the grey pony saw he wasn’t getting through, he finally stormed right out.

Potent Brew, it seemed, had had enough of the unicorn’s presence as well.  But before Potent Brew could do anything about the situation, the door was thrown open with a loud bang!

Someone was shouting above him.  It didn’t seem to matter, nor did it seem like it was worth paying attention to.  Nothing seemed like it was worth paying attention to anymore. Not the stallion shouting at him, not Potent Brew, not anything…

“I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN YOU--!  YOU--!”

His eyes reflexively clenched shut as fresh tears leaked out the sides, and the bruised spot in his chest pulsed with a dull pain, as it hadn’t properly healed from… from her beam hitting him..

The shouting stallion suddenly seemed to grow angrier, and he finally stormed off.  Nova didn’t watch him go. It didn’t matter where he was going. Nothing mattered to him anymore.

A silver knife was floating above him, held aloft by red magic, as a mare wearing Rarity’s face smiled victoriously down at him…

His closed eyes clenched, bracing himself for the dropping knife.  She wasn’t going to be there to save him…

What was he going to do?

BANG!

Nova jumped slightly at the sudden loud noise, but otherwise didn’t react.  Who cared what was going on now?

He heard a deep sigh, though.  A strange sound, that cut through the angry babble around him to fall directly upon his ears.

And there was only one stallion in the world who had that… that dripping disappointment permeating every millisecond of sound.

Nova felt his face tighten with anger, but it relaxed after a moment.  At this point, did it matter anymore? What more could the universe take from him?  He had already lost everything. What was a little more time and dignity?

There he was, that fool.

As Ray Novus strode into the bar, a look of distaste on his muzzle as he stared down at his son, his horn shone grey and instantly cleaned up the mess of food and drink caused by Nova’s spillage, even going so far as to clean the bar and seat so that he could slide in as well.

By the time he was done, Nova was left with several barstools on either side of him, though he didn’t seem to notice at all.  Nova just continued to dully sit there, oblivious to everything going on around him.

The bartender, a Brew by the look of him, looked about ready to quite literally kick Nova out of his bar by that point, but before he could, Ray stepped up.

“You are the owner of this establishment?” he asked.

“That I am,” the Brew said, sounding wary.  “Why? What’s up?”

“How long has that stallion been sitting there?” Ray pointed to Nova.

“Since I opened this morning,” Brew answered, with a scowl.  “Like clockwork these last few days. I open, he falls over the bar for eleven hours, and then he leaves when I make him.  Why do you ask?”

“Why hasn’t he been kicked out yet?” Ray asked, curiously.  “Surely, if he’s costing you customers…”

“Because he’s the only damn unicorn in town, and he’s a particularly powerful one,” Brew half-growled, half-sighed.  “It wouldn’t be so bad if he were a pegasus, earth pony, or even a normal unicorn, but he’s not.  We can’t risk him being one of the belligerent kind of drunks, because he’d blow half the place apart.”

“How do you know he’s that strong?” Ray asked, feeling a smattering of pride within him at this news.

“Heard some rumors here and there, you see,” Brew replied.  “About things that happened in the Forest several weeks back.  Anyway, we know for a fact he’s strong. Which is why I asked my contact in the Royal Guard to send a contingent of ponies to help evict him.”

“That would be me,” Ray inclined his head.  “If you are referring to Corporal Aegis, he came directly to me.”

“That motherb--” Brew growled, before cutting off and sighing.  “I’m sorry. I was under the impression he was going to send a cadre of anti-mages.  Pardon me, but who are you?”

“His father,” Ray gestured with his head at Nova.

Brew’s eyes went as wide as saucers.  “Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir.”

“Whyever not?” Ray asked, already knowing the answer, and feeling the wrench in his gut that had come to be all too familiar after the last time he and Nova had seen each other.

“He, err…” Brew trailed off, before glancing away uncertainly and rubbing at the back of his head.  “He’s… not terribly fond of you.”

“He hates me, Mr. Brew,” Ray corrected him, with a wry smile.  “Let’s not mince words. And perhaps he will continue hating me after today.  But there’s more important things at stake than an intra-family relationship.”

Brew still looked unconvinced, but Ray didn’t allow him to challenge.

“I will require a pot of tea, earl grey, hot, a small pitcher of ice water, two teacups, a pair of mugs, and a bottle of brandy,” he instructed, his magic pulling out the barstool next to Nova, so he could take his seat in it.  As he sat, a large pile of bits, far more than enough for all of those items, appeared on the bar top.

Brew blinked, then seemed to steel himself, before nodding and going to retrieve what was being asked of him.

With that taken care of, Ray looked over to Nova, still staring at the far wall with sullen and unfocused eyes.  The sight of him looking so thoroughly broken and apathetic was something he wasn’t prepared for. His eyes were puffy, the fur around his eyes was noticeably damp, and caked with dried tears, and his mane was a total mess, even more so than usual.

Nova looked completely and utterly defeated, broken entirely.

“I must admit, I’m disappointed,” Ray said quietly, resting his elbows on the bar.  “I’d have thought you’d have at least had the dignity to mope in your home, rather than a bar like a common drunk.”

“Where have I heard that before?” Nova murmured quietly, his eyes hardening slightly.

Ray raised an eyebrow.  “I don’t know, Nova. Where have you heard that before?  What even is ‘that’?”

“You know damn well what I mean,” Nova growled, his eyes hardening even further.  “You were always going on and on about how disappointed you were in me.”

He grit his teeth.

“Why am I even talking to you?  Why are you even here? I thought I made it quite clear I never wanted to see you again,” he scowled.

“”Your exact words were, and I quote,” Ray said, trying to keep his voice as neutral and even as possible, “‘I hope I never have to come to your wretched home again’.  We are not in our family’s home. We are in a bar. By your own exact wording, ”

“Pretty sure I excommunicated myself from your family,” Nova replied scathingly.

“You still haven’t answered my other question, though,” Ray chose instead to extricate them both from this dead end of a conversation thread.  “You’ve said that I was always going on about how disappointed I was in you. When? When did I ever say that?”

Nova was now gritting his teeth so hard, tendons were bulging in his neck.  Ray was then acutely reminded of the time he had completely gone berserk in their home, his magic unleashing a harmless-but-still-intimidating explosion, and of the fact that now they were surrounded by other ponies, and things that were a lot more fragile than sturdy bookcases.

“Don’t answer that question,” he cut in before Nova could.

“Why?  Don’t want to hear the truth?” Nova asked, a biting note in his voice.

“I would very much like to hear an exact instance,” Ray replied coolly, “but I don’t want to hear it while you’re plastered over this bar.  This conversation needs to happen while you’re sober.”

“Then it ain’t happening,” Nova replied, and Ray was startled to hear his earlier anger vanish, replaced by a despondence he had seen only a couple of times before.  “Hurts too much to be sober right now.”

At once, Nova cringed to himself.  He must not have wanted to reveal that sensitive information to the stallion he hated most in the world.

“I apologize in advance,” Ray said, leaning his head over.

“For what?” Nova asked warily, but he was able to do nothing as Ray placed the tip of his horn on Nova’s temple, and sent a jolt of energy into his head.

Nova, at once, jumped about a mile in the air, and a wince of pain crossed his face.

“OW!” he yelped, before turning to give Ray a furious glare.  “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?”

Suddenly, all eyes in the bar were on them, observing the flailing Nova Shine with trepidation, considering his reputation of causing magical accidents.

“You’re sober now,” Ray replied, swiveling to wave Brew over with the items he had requested.  “Arcane alcoholic burnoff. Not a comfortable process, but it successfully cleanses your system of alcohol particularly efficiently.”

“Yeah, no shit,” spat Nova, before his left eye started to twitch uncontrollably, and a vein started to bulge in his head.  “Fuck… ow…” In no time at all, he was back on the bar, clutching at his head.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent the hangover,” Ray commented dryly.  “Here, drink this,” he added, pouring hot tea in one of the tea cups. “Go back to your drinks,” he added in a raised voice, which did seem to get the crowd back to talking among themselves, though it seemed a lot more hushed than it had a moment ago.

As he slid the full teacup over to Nova, he couldn’t help but wonder if Nova would refuse out of spite, but to his surprise, Nova picked it up and gulped it right down.  He must have been that desperate to get rid of the headaches, which did make Ray smile slightly. At least the boy wasn’t going to stubbornly refuse to accept his aid just because it came from him.

Baby steps.

“Now this,” he said, taking the tea cup away and replacing it with one he had just filled with ice water.

He alternated both until the teapot was empty, and then he poured a rather generous measure of brandy into the mug, slid it to Nova, and watched as Nova downed it in only a few moments.  Ray was rather impressed. Nova was clearly no novice when it came to drinking. He might have been even better at it than Ray himself had been back in his younger days…

Though that certainly explains the alcoholism, he thought grimly.

“Feeling better?” he asked.  Nova was starting to sit up. His eye wasn’t twitching anymore, and the vein wasn’t bulging in his temple.

“Yeah,” Nova groused.  “Thanks for fixing the headache you caused.”

“It was a standard hangover, multiplied by rapid removal of alcohol from your system,” Ray replied, with a distasteful expression.  “I’ve experienced it a few times myself. Mostly when I was your age. Back when I did stupid things and tried to drink away my pain.”

“Really?” Nova replied, raising a skeptical eyebrow.  “You, the stallion who was always just so concerned with the family image, and how I wasn’t living up to it, got drunk in a bar like I did?  Because I find it rather hard to believe.”

“I did,” Ray inclined his head.  “I was young too, you know.”

Nova just directed a glower at the bar counter at that.  Ray could only wonder what was going through his head as he stared at the table, with his eyes directing a mixture of fury and despair at the polished wood.

“To say we aren’t on the best of terms,” Ray said as delicately as possible, “is putting it rather lightly.  I get that. You are beyond angry with me over my negligence and my poor parenting, and you are right to be. I was a poor father, and I won’t ever deny it.”

If Nova had something to say to that, he didn’t show any reaction.

“There is a reason-- not an excuse, but a reason-- why I failed to be active in your life, and seemed distant,” Ray continued, his mind drifting back to that day, years before, when his world came crashing down.  “I… I would like nothing more to tell you, but…”

He trailed off.

“But what?” Nova asked sourly, still glowering at the bar.

“But it’s not my place,” he admitted softly, with a slight shake of the head.  “Your mother made me swear that she would be the one to share it. When she felt ready,” he added, his voice barely a whisper by that point.  “It… had an impact on me, in ways I’m still trying to fix, and it had a large bearing on how I interacted with you as a father.”

If Nova had any qualms about that explanation, he, again, didn’t show it.  Perhaps he was simply too caught up in his own grief to care.

“But that’s not what I came here for,” Ray shook his head again, dismissing that particular day of his life.  “I came here because you need me.”

“As if,” spat Nova, eyes narrowing.

“You can believe what you want,” Ray replied, keeping the sarcastic edge that had once been so common in his youth out of his voice, “but one way or another, I am needed to lead you to the diaries of the Night Apprentices and Faithful Students.  Or have you forgotten?”

Nova didn’t answer.  Perhaps he had, so consumed with his current predicament that he hadn’t thought about those diaries.

“And even if I wasn’t needed,” he continued, now finally getting to the heart of the matter, “I would have come anyway.”

“Why?” Nova asked, giving him a look, one that had no shortage of anger behind it.  “I’d have thought that a disappointment like me would have been ignored, like always.”

Ray simply let that one go.

“I would have come, because you are my son.”

Nova snorted at that one.

“Not anymore, remember?” he asked, glaring at him.  “I disowned you as my father to your face.”

“As infuriating as this is going to sound,” Ray couldn’t help the wry smile, “you didn’t file the appropriate paperwork at the Royal Legal Department.  You may have verbally said it to me, and perhaps you will file said paperwork in the future, but as of now, legally, you are still a Novus, and still my heir.”

Rather than anger him, that just seemed to cause Nova to deflate even more.  It wasn’t much, but it was still enough to speak volumes as to how down he really was.

“But it wouldn’t matter to me whether you were my heir or not,” he continued, looking directly at Nova.  He had hoped to meet his son’s gaze, but Nova didn’t seem to want to. “Because you are my son. Legalities, last names, positions, nothing will change that, and none of that matters to me when it comes to you.  What matters to me is that for once, I can actually act like a good father and help get you back on the right path.”

He was so sure Nova would challenge that statement, would have some kind of backhoofed remark…

...but all he did was continue to stare at the bar.

“If I may be so bold as to ask, Nova, why are you here?”

“Why the hell do you think?” Nova spat harshly.

Ray winced slightly.  He hadn’t been expecting quite that much venom over it, even if he had expected some soreness.

“Is this about Twilight Sparkle?” he asked, as gently as he could.

Nova’s reaction said it all.  His shoulders tensed and his eyes clenched shut, and Ray could see a small glimmer of light in the corner of his visible eye, as though he were holding back tears.

“Please don’t say that,” Nova replied quietly, shifting his head to look away.

“Say what?” Ray asked, just as gently, though he knew very well what.

“Twil--” he bit off the end of that, and then changed course.  “Her name.”

Ray grunted, but didn’t pursue it.  After all, he had been in the same spot as Nova only a few decades ago.

It felt so long ago.  The pain had long since healed.  Yet he could still remember it just as vividly as the day he felt it.

“I understand,” he muttered, so softly he was sure Nova couldn’t hear it in the tavern babble.

“Yeah, right,” Nova just shook his head.

“I promise you, I do,” Ray responded patiently.  “Would you like to hear the tale? Maybe it will offer you some insight on how to set things right.”

“What is there to set right?” Nova spat again, jaw clenching.  “I did nothing wrong. She did nothing wrong.  Yet it still happened, and I’m still here in a fucking bar, fucking drinking myself to fucking death!”

Ray suppressed a look of distaste.

“Was the swearing really necessary?” he asked.

“Fuck you!”

“Lovely,” a grey aura pulled his glasses from his face and polished them.  “I suppose I’ll tell you anyway. After that, well…” He gave a small, wry smile, “after that it’s on you.”

“What’s on me?” Nova asked, finally shifting to give him a look that was half-curiosity, half-disgust.

“Any action taken to repair this burned bridge,” Ray replied, replacing the glasses on his face.  “Because I truly believe that this bridge isn’t completely burned if you are telling me the truth about not doing anything wrong, and I believe you are.  Granted,” he admitted as he inclined his head, “I don’t know what she believes you did wrong, but I can sense you believe you did nothing wrong that led to this.”

“Sense…” mouthed Nova.

“Yes, Nova, ‘sense.’”  Ray nodded. “I learned how to sense energy too.  After that time in Manehattan, when you sensed your mother and I in Thomas Hoofman’s office, I picked up the skill myself.”

“How did you not see me coming when I visited the manor, then?” Nova asked suspiciously.

“I did,” Ray corrected him.  “But I didn’t know it was you.  I had never felt your aura before.  I just assumed Sharp Eye was bringing in some new guest who wanted to meet with us.”  His wry smile returned. “I guess I wasn’t wrong.”

He shook his head.

“Back to the topic at hoof, it was an otherwise-normal day in Canterlot, years ago…”

Ray Novus strutted up the High Street of Upper Canterlot, basking in the warmth of the sun shining down on them this glorious day.

“Stupid nobles meeting,” he said to himself, inwardly scowling at the idea that there be an orientation process for future nobles.  “Why the hell does it even exist? It can’t be that hard to be a noble.”

For whatever reason, they had to have these things on a Saturday, too!  Why a Saturday? Saturdays are for relaxation and fun! Not boring, dull meetings on “How to vote for tax reform.”

He turned the corner where the High Street made its approach to Canterlot Castle, and he paused.

There was a young mare there.

There were young mares everywhere in Canterlot, but Ray knew all of them.  But not her. Not this mare. She was completely new.

Her mane was somewhat long and silver, her eyes were also silver, and were staring at the ground as she frowned.  Her coat was a pleasantly-light blue, though it was mostly covered by a small coat that she was wearing. Ray wondered why for a moment-- after all, it was a rather warm day-- but a deep rumble in the distance got his attention, and a glance over confirmed that indeed, rain was on the weather forecast.  If he really squinted, he could make out the weather pegasi slowly pushing the rainclouds over.

But still, why was this mare alone?  Why did she look so… thoughtful?

Honestly, it really didn’t matter.  As interesting as those tidbits about her were, she was pretty, and she looked like she could use some help.

“Excuse me, miss,” Ray said, his voice proud and confident as he trotted over.

The mare looked up, her silver eyes meeting his own grey, and Ray at once knew, he had to get to know her better.

“Yes?” she asked.  Her voice was, surprisingly, refined.  Not like the common ponies’ accents in the Lower City.  It sounded perfectly in place in Upper Canterlot, but behind it, he could sense uncertainty.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting anything,” he preempted diplomatically, “but I noticed you seem a little lost.  Are you new to the area?”

Her silver eyes shifted just a bit, but she smiled nervously.

“Was I that obvious?”

“Not really,” Ray admitted, shrugging.  “I just know almost all of the young mares and stallions, and you’re a new face.  Moving here?”

“Yes, actually,” she dipped her head, “though I’m not… completely new to the area.  It’s been a long time.”

“Well, do you need any help moving in, or finding a place?” Ray asked.  This was good. He could use this. “I know of several places.”

“How nice of you,” the mare inclined her head.  “I never got your name.”

“It’s Ray,” he replied.  “And your own?”

“I’m… Shimmer,” she answered a bit nervously.

“Well, Shimmer, give me just a few hours, and I’ll get finished up with my business at the castle, and then we can get started on finding you a living space.”

“Thank you,” Shimmer inclined her head again.

“And maybe, we could talk a little more over dinner?  I’d definitely love to get to know you some more.” Ray asked, feeling more than a little confident.  He had her. All he had to do was--

“Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of mare-makers,” Shimmer replied, smiling sweetly at him as Ray’s cocky smile vanished instantly.  “Your offer to help me move in is appreciated, though. I suppose I’ll see you around, Ray.”

And with that, she was gone, striding rather confidently into the city, leaving Ray standing there confused.

What the hell was that?

“...and that, Nova, is how I met your mother,” Ray finished.

“Ugh,” Nova rolled his eyes.  “How did I know you were going to say that?”

“You’re my son,” he replied simply, giving him a knowing look.  “Don’t tell me you’ve never made a large set-up to an unfunny payoff before.”

Nova grunted at that.  “Still,” he added after a moment, “she shot you down pretty hard.”

“Yeah,” Ray nodded, smiling nostalgically.  “Like a pro, too. Led me on, acting timid, and then sent me down hard when I started to make a move.”

“You say she called you a mare-maker,” Nova pointed out, eyes narrowing.  “That doesn’t mean what I think it does, does it?”

“What do you think it means?” Ray replied, arching an eyebrow.

“You… you did what you could to get into mares’ beds. Made fillies into mares,” Nova answered, a scowl starting to form.

“That is correct,” Ray bowed his head, his smile turning humorless.  “And she was right. I was a mare-maker in my youth.  For the life of me, I don’t know how she was able to tell, but it doesn’t change the fact that she spotted me a mile away.”

Nova just stared at him in disgust and disbelief, but then his scowl returned, growing even deeper.

“If you’re here to try and make me want to still be part of your family, you’re doing a horrible job,” he growled.  “Just when you couldn’t make me think any less of you, you reveal that.”

“Think as little of me as you want,” Ray shrugged.  “I’m not proud of that chapter of my past, and your disgust with it is very justified.  And if it does make you feel any better, I’ve been faithful to your mother the entire time we’ve been married.”

Nova’s scowl didn’t even slightly lessen.  “Let me guess, you cheated on her while you were dating?”

“Yes, actually,” Ray admitted, his head bowing somewhat as the lingering shame of that particular point in his past came back as it always did when he thought of it.

That time, Nova’s scowl did vanish, replaced by pure and total disbelief.

“I don’t believe you,” he said softly, with a slight shake of his head.  “Just keep digging yourself deeper, why don’t you.”

“You think I have no remorse over this?” Ray snapped, a brief flash of anger appearing in his eyes.  “You think I don’t regret it? You think I spend every day wishing I could go back to those days?”

Nova had no response, his scowl lessening somewhat, replaced by uncertainty.  Progress, thought Ray.

“Believe it or not, some of us are actually quite aware we haven’t exactly been the most upstanding stallion on the planet in the past,” he continued, resting his elbows on the bar, pressing his hooves together, and resting his chin on them.  “As I said, it’s a chapter of my history I’m not proud of. But I need you to hear about it, because perhaps it will offer you a way out of your current…” he gave Nova a once-over, taking in the sorry state he was in, “...situation.”

Without waiting for Nova to offer some half-drunken retort, he just decided to continue.

“Continuing,” he said, giving Nova a look that made it quite clear he was not to interrupt, “yes, I was a mare-maker back then.  I enjoyed the company of mares, and my wealth, family name, the charm I learned how to employ, and the fact that I was rather handsome in my youth certainly made it easy to charm them.  And so when I first saw Shimmer, I admit, that was my first intent.”

He frowned.

“As noted, she sniffed me out a mile away and shut me down before I could do anything.”

Ray felt his eyes go a tad out of focus as he recalled the immediate days after, when he started to spend time with Shimmer.

“Rather than simply shake it off like I had when I had been shot down in the past,” he said, feeling the tiniest of smiles, “I felt… challenged.”

“Ugh,” Nova shook his head.

“I didn’t always try to win my way into her bed, you know,” Ray gave him a flat look.  “It wasn’t long after we started spending time together that I suddenly didn’t really care about other mares, and regarding her, I was just starting to enjoy having her around as a friend, and not more.  Sure, there was some mild flirting from time to time, and yeah, at first I made another few advances, all of which she led me on and sent me crashing down yet again, but after that, she was spending time with myself, Tantalus, Night, and our other friends.”

“‘Night?’” Nova blinked.

“Night Light Sparkle,” Ray replied.

Nova’s mouth pursed, and his eyes bulged.  “I knew he had something to do with you,” he fumed.  “That motherbucker…”

“Well, not recently,” Ray frowned.  “After the incident at the school, and the fallout between myself and Tantalus… well,” he closed his eyes rather ruefully, “needless to say, he felt compelled to distance himself from the both of us.”

“Can’t imagine why,” muttered Nova.

“You can continue your verbal assault on me all you want,” Ray gave him a cool look, “it’s only prolonging the conversation you’re so desperate to get out of, and I certainly won’t be leaving until I’ve said my piece.”

That only added to Nova’s glowering.

“In any case, allow me to continue,” Ray preemptively said, cutting off any other way Nova could drag out this part of the conversation when it would go nowhere.

*tap tap tap*

Ray blinked as he stared down at the mana crystals he was busy charming.

I thought I locked all the doors into the house, he thought, frowning as he glanced back at the door into that particular lab room.

Still, he dismissed the thought and returned to trying to charm the crystals.  No doubt it his father, back from the Gala early tonight, or perhaps his mother.  Maybe it was even Night or Tantalus, here to see why he wasn’t there.

“Thought you’d be at the Gala,” came an unexpected voice, that was none of those four.  It was Shimmer, the uncertainty of their first encounter gone, replaced by a bit of playfulness.  “Lot of mares are disappointed you’re not there, you know.”

“How did you get in?” he asked, feeling an amused smile creep onto his face as he started to cast a spell.  It really was a bit lonely here. Maybe this would make the work he was trying to get done go by faster.

“Picked the lock,” she replied.

Ray blinked.  “Picked… you picked the lock?”

“Yep!”  She sounded just so proud of herself.

“Our locks are enchanted to detect the use of picks, and they have the highest security, and you’re saying you just went and picked it?”

“How many times are you gonna ask?” she replied.  Ray could almost hear the grin. He knew she was pulling his leg.  There was (quite literally) no way she could have simply picked the lock.

“So how did you really get in?” he asked, feeling his magic sputter out, which got an annoyed scowl out of him.  Why did his magic always have to be so inconsistent?

“Your dad always leaves the key to the patio door hidden under the mat,” she replied.  “What are you working on?”

“Trying to see if it’s possible to conduct energy between mana crystals,” he answered, retrying the spell, which successfully did charm the mana crystal in question.  “Dad thinks we can greatly cheapen the process of making magical batteries if we can find a substitute material for gems. Common as they are, they’re not the most efficient to get energy out of, whereas mana crystals are easy to tap into.  Problem is, we know mana crystals decay over time unlike gems, so they’re impractical for long-term energy storage. If we can find a method through which mana can be easily transferred between crystals, it would have quite a profound effect on energy storage.”

“Such a nerd,” Shimmer remarked airily.  “So, why are you doing this tonight?”

“Everyone’s at the Gala,” Ray replied, setting the two crystals next to each other and configuring an energy siphoning machine to deposit the energy within this crystal rather than redirect it as a controlled blast.

“Except you, apparently.”

“And you,” he pointed out.   “Did Tantalus or Night send you?  Or even Bella?”

“You really think Bella wants you at an event she’s at?  She’s still not happy about your last romp,” she answered, sounding a bit bemused.  However, surprisingly, she added something in a bit of an undertone that he was just able to make out.

“Neither am I, for that matter.”

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, wondering what she meant by that.

“Nothing,” she replied flatly, the bemusement gone.  “So, you gonna keep playing with your toys, or are you going to come out of your lab for a break anytime soon?”

“When I’m done,” Ray replied, preparing to activate the machine…

...only for a flash of silver magic to suddenly encase it and both mana crystals.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes.  “Let me do my work.”

“Say that to my face next time, please.”

This mare was going to be the death of him one day, he just knew it.  With a roll of his eyes, he turned around to humor her.

Only for his reply to die in his throat.

She was leaning against the frame of the entryway into that particular lab room, watching him with an expectant smirk on her face.  She was wearing a sequined silver dress that glimmered in the light of the lab, and seemed to make her silver eyes shine all the brighter, to say nothing of her mane.  Normally kept free-hanging, she had styled it into a very elegant coiffure that took the normally-relatively-unkempt-but-still-pretty mane into a beautiful arrangement.

He felt his entire face just go slack, felt the bottom of his stomach drop out, and felt heat suffuse his cheeks at the mere sight of her.

He had thought she was pretty when they had first met, but now?  Pretty was a complete understatement. She was absolutely beautiful.

“You flatter me,” Shimmer said, suddenly sounding a bit embarrassed.  A bright shade of red was shining through her cheeks as she rubbed at the back of her head bashfully, and looking away to avoid his eyes.

He didn’t realize he had been staring for quite as long as he had.

“S-sorry.  It’s just… you look…  I mean,” he swallowed nervously.  Goodness, why was this suddenly so terrifying?

Shimmer, however, appeared to regain her confidence at his own blubbering.  Her blush vanished, and she strode forward and stuck a hoof on his lips, forestalling any response.  The feeling of her hoof making contact with his lips sent a slight shiver up his spine, and caused goosebumps all under his coat.

“I know,” she whispered, before smiling sweetly.  “I… wanted to surprise you.”

Ray swallowed nervously, feeling as though his tongue were made of lead.  As he felt the touch of her hoof vanish from his lips, he took a deep, shaky breath.  “W-well, you’ve certainly done that.”

“I had hoped you would be at the Gala,” she confessed, his eyes never leaving his.  “I was… going to ask you something there, but you never showed up.”

“Ask me something?” he tilted his head.  “What?”

Now, it was her turn to act embarrassed again.  Her eyes did finally leave his, as she stared at the ground.

“I was going to ask… if you would be willing to let me be your marefriend.”

Ray blinked, feeling a combination of triumphant leaping and a shocked clenching in his gut.

“But…” he furrowed his brow.  “You shot me down. That first time we met, you shot me down.  And now--”

“Ray, I won’t lie to you,” Shimmer interrupted with a shake of her head.  “I thought the worst of you when I met you. But since we started spending time together, I’ve come to see you for who you really are beneath the surface.  You’re not a mare-maker. Hell, you haven’t even made an attempt on any mares that I’m aware of since that day in front of Canterlot Castle.”

That was untrue; Ray had tried to stay in the game since then.  Several times, in fact. But for some reason, he didn’t really feel all that up to it.  No mare had quite given him the same drive as Shimmer had, and that only left him feeling unmotivated to pursue them.  Which was yet another reason he wasn’t at the Gala tonight, when normally he’d be there schmoozing every pretty mare he could.

“And I’ve done plenty of thinking, and I’ve come to realize,” she met his eyes again, with a steely, unyielding resolve behind them, “I don’t care what you’ve done.  I know you for who you are, and I like you. So, for the sake of formality,” she smiled, “Ray Novus, will you do me the honor of letting me be your marefriend?”

“I… would be honored to have you as my marefriend,” he answered, his voice rather miraculously coming out straight and clear despite his insides undoubtedly measuring a 7.6 on the Richter Scale.  No sooner had he said this than he broke into an uncertain smile.

Shimmer’s smile widened, and without waiting for him to say or do anything, she stepped forward and gave him a very fierce nuzzle in the crook of his neck.  Ray felt himself recoil ever so slightly at the contact, caught off-guard by it, but it didn’t take long for him to return the nuzzle.

“That was about eight months after we first met,” Ray added, taking a quick drink from some of the leftover brandy.  “Some months longer than it took you and Miss Sparkle to get together, correct?”

Nova’s face, which had been rather impassive as he had listened, soured ever so slightly.

“I asked you not to say her name,” he muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

“I never said I wouldn’t,” Ray reminded him.  “Frankly, I fully intend to keep saying it. I want you to think of Twilight Sparkle,“ Nova’s sourness intensified, “because there’s a question I’m going to be asking you about when my own tale is finished.”

“Great,” his son grumbled.  “And here I thought this was going to be a quick conversation.”

“As quick as it needs to be,” Ray admitted with a shrug.  “I will say my piece. After that, it’s up to you.”

Nova said nothing, as he had so often over the course of the last several minutes.  It was rather unlike him to be so quiet, especially considering everything he had heard from Princess Luna about his inclination toward sarcasm and snark.  Truthfully, it was rather concerning that he wasn’t anything close to what his teacher said.

“I think everyone’s starting to get less angry with you,” Ray observed, taking the moment to glance around the pub.  Potent had been throwing glances their way several times over the last few minutes, though he didn’t look all that infuriated anymore.  Only… concerned. Yes, that was the right word. A natural reaction, considering his concerns before.

Even around the bar, ponies weren’t throwing as many looks their way.  The tan-coated, brown-maned unicorn and his companion a few meters away had stopped glancing over and were now thoroughly involved in a conversation about whatever “c-sharp” was, the grey-coated stallion close to the kitchen doors was now minding his own business rather than staring at them, and the atmosphere had significantly quieted down since his arrival.

“What happened?” Nova asked, still not looking up from his focus on a brown spot in the wood on the bar.

“I guess they’ve relaxed now that you appear to have calmed down,” Ray answered.

“I mean, with you and Mom,” he replied.  “You got together. Was that it?”

Ray felt himself smile a tad.  Good, he was invested in the story.

“Well, it turned out that I had some serious commitment phobia issues lurking beneath the surface.”

That, it seemed, finally got Nova’s attention.  He seemed surprised by this fact. So surprised, he didn’t even look all that angry to be staring in his general direction.

“You had commitment phobia?” he asked.

“Oh yes,” Ray nodded sagely, as though it were just an uninteresting bit of trivia.  “Petrifying commitment phobia, as a matter of fact. It wasn’t there at first, when your mother and I dated.  But as time went on, as the months rolled by, and things got serious, I started… internally panicking.”

Nova said nothing, but Ray could see the recognition in his son’s eyes.  The sort of recognition one only has through experience.

“You have the same phobia too, don’t you,” he stated, meeting his son’s eye.”

“Had,” Nova corrected, now leaning down and resting his head on the bar glumly.

“If they were there for Twilight Sparkle,” Nova clenched his eyes shut for the briefest moment, “they will be there for any mare.  The mare isn’t the cause of commitment issues, Nova. You are.”

“You’re saying it’s my fault?” he snapped, giving his dad a sideways glare.  “What a pep talk. You really suck at this.”

“I stand by what I said,” Ray answered evenly.  “You are the one responsible for your own mental problems. Don't mistake that to mean you could have prevented this, because most of the time such problems and phobias are out of your control, but events in your life and your personality are the reason such issues develop and vanish.  Commitment issues are one such problem, and there’s no cure for them; they just… well, for me, they just disappeared when there was a certain… incident.”

“So they’re like depression, then?” Nova asked, choosing to put aside his barbs for now.  “Not really controllable, they just come when they want?”

“Yes, actually,” Ray dipped his head.  “I don’t suppose you ask about depression out of experience?”

“Twi--” he bit off the end of that, but then continued, “she thought I might have a case.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Ray shrugged.  “After you ran away, I was in a very dark place, and risk of depression is a hereditary thing, after all.  Maybe when all of this is behind us, and you’re back to your normal self, you can see a counselor.”

Nova clenched his eyes shut again.  For a moment, Ray wondered why, but decided it didn’t matter.  The important thing was, as he said, to get this current situation behind Nova.

“Now, I mentioned an incident a moment ago that proved to be what cured my own issues.”

Nova grunted, though Ray did see his ears swivel back toward him, to ensure he could hear him over the tavern babble.

“So, we dated for several months, and we grew a lot closer as a result,” Ray smiled fondly at the memories.  “Every hour with her felt like a few minutes, because she always had a way of making the time feel like it was flying by.  But… as I noticed that I really was beginning to fall in love with her… I got scared.”

“How?” Nova asked.

“Think about it, Nova,” Ray rubbed at his muzzle for a moment.  “For years, I was a casanova. For the longest time, I chased every mare’s tail I saw.  And now, I was facing the very real prospect of settling down. To me-- and perhaps you can relate to this-- to me, it kind of felt like… I was about to enter a cage.”

That did get Nova’s attention again.  He turned his head to face his father, all trace of animosity gone.

“A cage?”

“A cage,” Ray nodded.  “I was afraid. I was afraid of settling down, of feeling ‘trapped’ by love.  Oh, I truly loved Shimmer more than anything I could ever imagine,” he added, seeing the look on his son’s face, one of surprise, “but I felt terrified that this was going to lead me being metaphorically caged up.  Shimmer knew something was wrong, and I knew she could tell I wasn't right, but I couldn’t confide in her. How could she understand?”

Now it was Ray’s turn to close his eyes as the memories of that day flashed through his head.

“And so I did something desperate.  I did something that I still look back on as my greatest moment of shame.”

“You didn’t,” Nova mouthed, his surprise slowly morphing into anger.

“I walked down to some of the seedier parts of Canterlot,” Ray said, his voice barely above a whisper, “I paid for an escort, I brought her back, and… well,” his mouth twisted, a crude mixture of a grimace and a humorless smile, “I got myself caught in the middle of the act.”

Despite the babble around them, when it came to Nova and Ray, you could hear a pin drop.  All Nova could do was stare at his father, his expression a mixture of anger and total incredulity   Ray had to wonder just what was going through his head, considering he had hated Ray for most of his life, but maybe found a new reason to.

“Feel free to hate me even more than you already do,” Ray didn’t wait on him to make some snappy remark.  “I readily acknowledge that was easily the second-worst thing I’d ever done.”

“What was the first?” Nova growled.

For a moment, Ray considered telling him.  Nova probably thought it was the neglect, and while it definitely was up there on the list of terrible things he had done, it was nowhere near these two.  But unfortunately, it was not his time to know exactly what happened.

“Since I’m sure you’re asking about where I consider my neglect of you to be,” Nova’s unwavering gaze didn’t confirm nor deny this, “know that I consider all three of these in near-equal regard.  However, the first is, without a doubt, the fact that I attacked Tantalus in the aftermath of the incident at Celestia’s school.”

Nova continued to glare at him, but rather than feel unnerved by it, Ray just shrugged.  “If you’re trying to make me feel like a terrible pony, believe me, I’ve had a little over thirty years to live with this.  I did my time thinking of myself as the worst pony alive, slumped over a bar and drinking until I couldn’t feel a damn thing, rather like yourself,” he added, giving Nova a quick look up and down.

Nova just let out an angry snort and returned to slumping over the bar.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he growled.

“No, I believe you didn’t,” Ray concurred.  “Unlike me, you have proven you are far more dedicated to your commitments than I ever was, and quite frankly, at your age, you are a far better stallion than I could ever have hoped to be.”

At those words, Nova glanced over at him, his mouth parting slightly in surprise.

“I… you think I’m better than you…” he tried to say, but kept trailing off.

“Beyond the shadow of a doubt,” Ray answered firmly.  “The thought of cheating on Twilight Sparkle never crossed your mind even once, did it?”

“Never,” Nova said instantly, sounding almost insulted that Ray would even ask that.

“Proof-positive,” Ray smiled at him.

For a long time after that, Nova was quiet.  Ray didn’t mind the silence. There had to have been a lot going through his head at that moment.  Perhaps he was completely reevaluating a lot of things. Maybe, if he really were lucky, Nova was reevaluating whether or not to keep hating him.

“How did it end?” he finally asked.

“I’m sorry?” Ray asked, leaning his ear a bit closer.

“You and Mom,” Nova clarified.  “You’re married now. How did it end?”

“As you can assume,” Ray smiled wryly, “it ended well.  I have Tantalus, Night Light, Bellatrix Lulamoon, and even Twilight Velvet and Princess Celestia to thank for that.”

“How do you mean?” Nova asked.

“Well, when I was slumped over the bar, it was Night Light who got me back on my hooves,” Ray helped himself to a bit more brandy.  It was more of an opportunity to consider how to say what was to come. “He taught me that alcoholic burnoff technique I did on you, and was able to knock some sense into me.  Though life after that day was a total drag,” he frowned as he recalled how those days just seemed to stretch on and on without Shimmer there.

“How long did it take before you two were on speaking terms again?” Nova asked.

“A long time,” Ray replied quietly.  “I did what I did i late October of one year.  I didn’t see her again until the Grand Galloping Gala of the following year.”

“You didn’t see her for half the year?” Nova asked, sounding more than a bit surprised.

“We were both hurt by what I had done, Nova,” Ray defended.  “But there’s more to it than that. Everything came to a head at that gala.  I was alone and had no intention of going again, but your grandfather retired not long after Night broke me out of my slump, and as the new Lord of the Novus family, I was obligated to attend.”

Why was he even here?  What was this whole obligation even about?  Why did new Lords always have to show up to this gala to rub shoulders with each other?  Was it supposed to build camaraderie?

Whatever the case, Ray wasn’t going to take any part in it.  Here he was, in his black tuxedo, standing in line to be greeted by Princess Celestia for coming, and he was quite sure, he was the one stallion in the entire building who didn’t want to be there.

Invitation to the Lord of the Novus Family in hoof, he did his patient waiting in line as it slowly moved forward, with certain ponies taking longer due to getting the formal announcement treatment, and he was going to be one of them.

Twenty ponies ahead of him became ten, and then ten became five, until finally, he stood at the head of the line, a frown on his face as he waited patiently for the trumpets to sound.

Finally, after a few moments of waiting, sound they did, in a fanfare fit for Princess Celestia herself.

“Presenting Ray Novus, Lord of the Novus Clan!” the herald shouted as Ray stepped inside the foyer.  Standing at the top of the small ceremonial staircase, as she always did, was Princess Celestia, who smiled warmly down at him.  Her smiles always had this way of making him feel loved, even when, like tonight, he couldn’t think of anyone who would show it to him.

“Ray, I was hoping you would arrive soon,” she greeted, before gesturing to a spot at her right side.  “Please, come sit next to me. I would love to speak with you.”

“Sure, he grunted, before clambering up the steps and plopping himself down next to her.  She gave him another warm smile, before noticing he didn’t seem in the mood to return it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he replied, not in the mood for her to give him a lesson on friendship tonight.

“Is this about your recent breakup with Shimmer?”

Ray’s eyes clenched shut, and his jaw tightened.  Right. He had forgotten that Shimmer and Princess Celestia were related somehow, or were friends or something.  Of course she would know.

“...yes,” he admitted after a long moment.

Celestia just gave him a short stare before returning to greeting the new ponies that came in.

“Presenting Crescendo Heartstrings, Lord of the Heartstrings Clan and his wife, Lady Allegrezza, and their entourage!”

Ray didn’t pay any attention as the Heartstrings family trotted in, giving cordial greetings to the princess.  How much longer was she going to keep him here? How long was he required to stay?

“Presenting Twilight Velvet, Lady of the Sparkle Clan, and her date, Night Light!”

That did get him to pay attention.  Focusing properly for the first time in several seconds, he looked down to see a beautiful young mare with an off-white coat, a mane with alternating purple and white streaks running through it that was pulled into an elegant ponytail, and bright blue eyes enter the foyer.  She was wearing a black dress that contrasted very well with her coat, and standing beside her and looking like he honestly didn’t think he knew how he got there, was Night Light.

“Night!” Ray exclaimed.

“Oh, hey!” Night grinned and waved at him.  “Nice to see you’re out and about.”

“Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala, Lady Velvet,” Princess Celestia gave the young mare a wide smile.  “How is your mother?”

“She’s doing well,” Velvet bowed her head gratefully.  “She’s glad the move from San Franciscolt is finally behind us, and I think she enjoys not having to concern herself with the family’s legal matters anymore,. Sucks that she had to dump all of those matters on me, though,” she growled, rolling her eyes.

“Yes,” Celestia covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.  “I’m afraid you’ll find few thrills in Canterlot. If I may make a recommendation, however, a number of pegasi operate a free-falling operation near the White Cliffs that sounds like you would enjoy it.”

Velvet smiled again, her eyes gleaming with excitement.  “I’ll have to keep an eye open for that.”

Celestia gestured to him.  “If I may, this is Ray Novus, the new Lord of the Novus family, and one of your date’s best friends.”

Velvet turned to look at him, giving him a brief inspection, before nodding.  Politely, he nodded back. He supposed there would be time to get to know her away from this infernal Gala.

“I had better get going.  Wouldn’t want to hold everypony up,” Velvet smiled apologetically at the Princess.  “It was nice to meet you, Lord Novus.”

“Just Ray, please,” Ray replied.  If he had to go by “Lord Novus” for the rest of his life…

With that, they were off, with Night giving him one more friendly wave, something he did return.

“Presenting Adora Belle, Lady of the Belleblood Clan, and her entourage!”

And like that, it was back to the monotony.  A group of ponies entered, bid their greetings to the Princess, and then trotted off.

“She seemed nice,” Ray said, thinking back to Velvet.  “Hope she and Night get along.”

“Two years ago, I probably would have been concerned she would become another one of your conquests,” the Princess replied, giving him a knowing look.

It was rather amazing how she could say that, but in a way that didn’t sound accusatory or angry.  It was so very matter of fact, without a hint of disappointment.

“Two years ago, I probably would have,” Ray agreed.  “But a lot’s happened since then.”

“You have learned a great many lessons since then, and have grown so much as a stallion.  I’m quite proud of you, and I’m sure your father is too.”

“Yeah, right,” Ray accepted the praise, but didn’t believe it.

“Truly, I am,” she insisted, looking right at him as she said it.  “Lessons and growth can hurt, but they make us all the better for it.  I believe the saying is ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’”

For a moment, Ray was tempted to reply with something along the lines of how certain poisons crippled the immune system, or how others that didn’t kill a pony could cause insanity, and neither of those outcomes sounded like the victim was being made stronger, but he resisted.

“Presenting Bacchus Lulamoon, Lord of the Lulamoon Clan, and his wife, Lady Verity, and their entourage!”

Ray turned to look at the newest ponies coming in.  Lord Lulamoon was there, his cream coat polished and gleaming in the light of the foyer, and receding black mane tucked behind his neck as he bowed to greet the Princess.  His wife, Lady Verity, had a very wide grin as she surveyed the room. Her coat was a pale blue, her mane a navy blue, and her eyes the strangest shade of aquamarine, and her very being radiated the kindness Ray had come to enjoy when she was around.

Standing beside her was Tantalus, his mane as black as his father’s, but allowed to flow freely.  He looked nervous, to say the least. Ray knew he had hated the previous several galas almost as much as he hated being there tonight.

Honestly, he had been expecting Tantalus to wave, or acknowledge that he was there, but he didn’t seem to want to meet his gaze for some reason.  For a moment, Ray wondered why, until his eyes fell on the fourth pony in their group.

It was Shimmer, wearing a silver dress that glittered in the light, complementing her silver mane and eyes beautifully.

And for a heart-stopping moment, Ray felt his heart skip three beats, before plummeting as far down into his gut as it could go, leaving him with a sense of dread.

Unlike Tantalus, she was staring right at him with those silver eyes.  Her expression was stony, and he suddenly felt the room growing chilly.

“Lord Bacchus, it’s great to see you again!” Celestia grinned widely at the stallion as he approached with his lady wife beside him.  Tantalus and Shimmer remained behind, with Shimmer’s eyes refusing to move from staring at him.

Why did she come with them? he wondered for a moment.  Is she here to…

But then it sunk into place.

In one moment, everything went from feeling chilly around him, to suddenly feeling like he was in an inferno.

She had come with Tantalus.  She was his date.

For a moment, Ray considered how much he deserved to be two-timed like this.  He had, after all, gone behind Shimmer’s back. However, it had been several months, and while he still felt empty, he had moved past it.

But apparently she hadn’t, and based on how Tantalus didn’t want to meet his eye, he knew damn well what was happening.

“Ray, are you alright?” came Princess Celestia’s voice, sounding very alarmed.

Ray blinked.  He had been staring at Shimmer for the last several seconds, tendons in his neck were starting to throb painfully from how hard he had grit his teeth, and he was suddenly very acutely aware that everyone except Tantalus and Shimmer were looking at him with some concern.

Tantalus still refused to meet his gaze, but Shimmer was just coolly staring him down, meeting his fury with a sort of challenging indifference.

“Just peachy,” he growled, before turning and stomping away.  “Excuse me.”

“Of course,” Princess Celestia said behind him, but he would have gone had she told him to stay..

If there wasn’t a reason for him to not want to be here anymore, there certainly was now.  He wasn’t going to spend another minute longer than necessary here, and he certainly wasn’t going to do it in the same room as either of them.

“Ray!  Is everything alright?”

He hadn’t even noticed Night Light and Velvet as he stomped past them toward the gardens.

“Everything’s just fine,” he replied sourly, not even glancing at his friend, before continuing.

Night Light could only stare after him in complete confusion as he went, passing by several would-be greeters without so much as a glance his way.

“The buck was that about?” Night muttered to himself, only to get a bump from Velvet.

.”Watch your language, please,” she admonished, giving him a stern look.

“Sorry Vel,” Night grinned sheepishly.  “I keep forgetting about all these noble rules.”

“It’s not a rule, it’s just,” she bit her lip for a moment.  “Ah, whatever. Just try not to make a habit out of swearing, would you?”

“For you, anything,” Night promised.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she smiled mischievously back at him.  “You owe me a trip to that free-falling thing the Princess mentioned.”

“Uhh… you sure?  I’m not exactly a fan of thrills like you are, you know.”

“It’ll be fine, trust me,” Velvet patted him on the shoulder.  “Anyway, to answer your earlier question, I’ve been… plotting with those friends you introduced me to.”

“Plotting, you say?” Night arched an eyebrow.

About what she had been plotting, Night never really found out.  Instead, a pair of mares and a stallion trotted up to join them. Shimmer looked absolutely gorgeous that night.  Silver really seemed to suit her as a color. Tantalus looked pretty sharp too. But Night had never known Bellatrix Astrus to wear a dress so well, considering she hated these blueblood social get-togethers almost as much as Ray did.  Her dress was white, with a lack of frills or any over-the-top dressings, but it made her look strangely like Velvet, considering her lilac coat and deep purple mane.

“So, we’re all here then,” Bella said in a conspiratorial voice, grinning impishly.  “Where’d he get off to?”

“He just walked out to the gardens,” Velvet answered.  “Rather angrily, too. I think you might have gotten under his skin a little too well, Shimmy.”

“He’s not gonna talk to me for weeks,” Tantalus moaned.  “I saw that look. He was on the verge of exploding where he stood!”

“I’ll handle him,” Shimmer assured him, though she sounded rather grave about it, and Night could see a flicker of uncertainty in those normally-confident silver eyes.

“What the hell are you all up to?” Night asked, feeling his confusion return.  At Velvet’s annoyed look, he added “Sorry Vel.”

“Well, Night,” Bellatrix answered, looking over toward the exit to the gardens, “let’s just say we’re helping a couple of friends in need tonight.”

As though that was her cue, Shimmer trotted off, heading toward the garden exit, after Ray.

“Oh, tell me she’s not…” Night whispered, suddenly realizing what they all were up to.

“She is,” Bella replied cheerfully, now sidling over to take Shimmer’s place next to Tantalus.  “Now I can finally enjoy the night with my date.”

“And hopefully, the four of us won’t be the only ones with real dates by the end of the night,” Velvet finished.

“And also hopefully, my best friend won’t hate my guts tomorrow morning,” Tantalus whined.  “Seriously, why couldn’t you have made Night do this? I like having both my guy friends; I really don’t want to see the day where I lose them.”

“Because Night’s not the kind of stallion to get involved in a plot like this,” Velvet patted his head patronizingly.  “He’d rather play bingo all day than do anything fun.”

“Hey!” Night exclaimed, indignant at the belittling of his hobbies.  “Nothing wrong with a little tabletop gaming.”

“Never said there was, love,” Velvet replied with an impish grin.  “But you’re really not cut out for this whole plotting business. Trust me, we’ve been planning this for weeks.”

“I hope you’re right,” Night muttered, now turning to look back to where Shimmer had trotted off to.

Out in the gardens, Ray was doing his absolute best to focus on the flowers he was currently tending to.  Over the past few weeks, he had found horticulture to be an effective way of keeping busy and his mind off of what he had done months ago, but now it just didn’t seem to be working.

“The nerve of him,” Ray growled darkly as Tantalus’ face filled his head.  “He knew what he was doing.  The bastard couldn’t even look me in the eyes!”

There was a slight tremor under his hooves, and with a startled glance, he looked down to see cracks appearing in the earth under his hooves.  In his emotion, he was delving into his elemental alignment again, he realized. With a sigh of forced-calmness, he let go of his unconscious grip on the light within him and the tremors ceased, though the cracks remained.  It didn’t matter; they would be trampled down into a seamless surface again once more ponies walked over it.

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t in the main ballroom the Gala was being held in.  The last thing he wanted to do was defile the gorgeous architecture and effort Princess Platinum’s loyal workforce had put into the castle.

If there was one thing Ray prided himself on, it was that he could appreciate beauty, from things as obvious as a sunset that Celestia was putting extra effort into, to things as subtle as the simple architecture of a structure.  Perhaps that was why he enjoyed flowers so much. Their beauty was far more… natural. A flower wasn’t crafted with the intention of being beautiful; it just grew that way, tempered by nature around it.

He let out another slow breath, forcing himself to keep calm, as he surveyed the Hedge of Roses, a wall of hedge devoted to roses (naturally) and the different colors they came in, with some even being artificially modified to display colors roses normally didn’t come in.

Their fragrance was everywhere, but there was a particularly strong scent wafting from further down the way, which he followed.  But as he approached, he came to a stop, before glaring at the bush.

The roses issuing this particularly strong fragrance were artificially-colored silver.

Is this some kind of cosmic joke? he thought.  I can’t even enjoy flowers without seeing her color.

As if to confirm that it was, in fact, a cosmic joke, he heard the crunching of gravel behind him.  Someone else was joining him near the Hedge of Roses, though the gravel path was a bit further back.  He glanced back to see who his newest companion was, only to freeze at the sight of them

It was her.  Standing at the edge of the gravel path, watching him.  Even in the darkness, her silver eyes and mane were still very visible, as was the light glimmering off of her dress.

She was still a bit far off, but now all parties were aware of everything.  Ray knew shimmer knew he had seen her. The earlier anger returned, but as he reached critical mass in only a few moments, an entirely different feeling arose in him that quickly dwarfed the anger and left him feeling drained.

He wasn’t sure where he would rather not be.  Here, under the watchful eyes of the mare he still loved, and had betrayed; or in there, near the stallion who had been so blatant about going after her not even all that long after their breakup.

It was one or the other, since he couldn’t leave.

“I’m sorry.”

The words just spilled out of his mouth.  It felt like he no longer had control, like his body was on full autopilot.

“I was afraid.”

He swallowed.  The cat was out of the bag now.

“I was afraid to be in love with you, and rather than tell you about it, I went and did something stupid because  thought it was what I wanted. I was afraid of what being in love with you meant for my life’s future, and I hurt you and myself badly because of it.”

The tears were falling now.  But rather than feel draining like they had before, now they seemed to be empowering him, helping him to get all of this finally off his chest.

“I spent the last few months just… just lost.  You were everything I ever wanted in a mare, and that scared me, because it turns out I have a petrifying fear of commitment.  I guess when you spend your youth chasing the tail of every mare you see, you start getting afraid of settling down,” he added bitterly.

Still, she seemed content to let him get his confession out.  Frankly, he was suddenly glad she was there. Somehow, some way, she did what she always did, and encourage him to do right for once, even if she was doing so silently, and infuriating him all the same.

“I thought staying single, staying free to chase other mares was what I wanted,” his voice grew soft and he bowed his head, letting the tears fall into the grass below.  “But these last few months without you have been empty. I hadn’t chased a single mare since I met you, because you were everything I ever wanted and needed. You… I dunno, fulfilled me, I guess.  I didn’t know what I had until I lost you, and it’s my own damn fault.”

That seemed to do something for her, because he could hear her start to move toward him.  To what purpose, he didn’t know. All he wanted to do was finally free himself from this burden, and she was letting him.

“And I admit, even after what I did, deep down, I still love you to death.  If anything, these last few weeks have only made that even stronger.”

He clenched his eyes shut, even as he felt a pang of pain in his heart.

“But I know I can’t have you anymore.”

With a trembling hoof, he wiped the tears from his eyes, and sniffed.

“I wish you and Tantalus all the best.  You deserve someone who will make you happy and stay devoted to you.”

And now that it was over, his earlier anger at Tantalus was gone.  the pain at having her so close by was still there, but he supposed it, too, would fade in time.  What was important was that he had finally made his confession, and now he could work on being a better stallion for once in his life.

But as he turned to trot away, to head back into the Gala, and to threaten Tantalus that if he ever hurt Shimmer, he was going to answer to him, something caught hold of his tail.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she finally asked.  Her voice sounded… cool. There was that much, at least.  Maybe she felt he thought that was good enough to buy his way back into her good books, and was going to give him an earful for it.

He turned around to face her, noticing that she was still a few paces off, and that it was her silver magic that had gripped his tail, and saw that she, too, had a stream of tears.  And whether it was because of the light of her horn, or because the universe decided it wanted to continue reminding him what he lost, the stream looked like molten silver as well.

Seriously, this is getting kind of ridiculous, he thought.

“You think you can just drop a bomb like that on me and walk away without letting me say anything?”

Now she sounded… sad?  What did she have to be sad about?

Suddenly, she strode forward to come within inches of him, and reached a hoof up to touch his cheek.  At once, he felt a certain fluttering in his gut, as he had many times around her, as she made contact.

“I… I’m not really with Tantalus,” she smiled uncertainly.  “We… that is to say, Velvet, Bella, Tantalus and I…”

She licked her lips.

“We wanted to see if you still cared.  But when I saw the look in your eyes… you just--” she bit her lip, “I’m amazed you didn’t vaporize him right there.”

“You… you planned this?” Ray furrowed his brow.

“Tantalus and Bella have been dating for about a month now,” she smiled, and glanced into the main hall.  “We all knew how much you were hurting over what you did.”

“Hang on, hang on, what do you mean you wanted to see if I still cared?” he asked, now feeling utterly and totally gone.  Just what had been going on these last few months?

“None of us had seen you out and about over the last few months,” she explained.  “I shut myself away for several days, but it didn’t take long for Bella, and later Velvet, to get me back to spending time with everyone else again.  But you never came back. We started to wonder if you were intentionally avoiding us, so we decided to do something a bit drastic to get your attention.”

“I don’t…  What…?”

“Look,” Shimmer sighed.  “What you did hurt, Ray.  It hurt both of us, and you and I both know it.”

Ray felt himself look away when the thoughts of the mare he had solicited filled his head.

“But seeing you self-destruct hurt me even more.”

At that, his eyes snapped to her’s as quickly as they had to anyone’s, and he found her looking very forlorn.

“I knew something was wrong with you, Ray.  Even though you didn’t tell me, I could just tell.  And when you did what you did, I won’t lie, I did feel furious at you.  I felt that I was right in breaking up with you for it. And I’m sure no one, not even you, would disagree.”

“You were right,” he said.

“But the more I thought about it,” now her own voice had gotten soft, “the more I stewed in what happened, the more I started to blame myself.”

“What!?” Ray’s mouth fell open.  “Shimmer, you did nothing wrong.  It was all me.”

“I could have done something,” she shook her head.  “I knew something was wrong with you, and rather than ask about it, I kept my peace.  And it all led to this. Ray, you may have done the deed, but it was my inaction that led to it.”

“Look at us,” Ray suppressed a chuckle.  “We’re both completely convinced that everything here is our own fault, and we just won’t hear a word about it being the other pony’s.  Some perfect couple we were supposed to be.”

Shimmer smiled a bit at that.  “What do you mean ‘were’?”

Ray just stared at her for a long moment, not really comprehending.  “I… you… you broke up with me, remember?”

“Yes,” her eyes narrowed.  “I do. Ray, you’ve opened yourself up to me, now allow me to do the same.”

“Uh, okay,” Ray replied a bit nervously.  What was she about to admit?

“I’ve done things I’m not proud of, Ray,” she said, sounding quite casual about it.  “I’ve made peace with my past, and part of me coming here to Canterlot was so I could get away from it all.  Being in a relationship with you felt like… I dunno, redemption.  It felt like life was finally giving me a chance to bury the past and start over.  Everything was completely perfect. You were perfect, despite your old hobby.”

Ray could have sworn he felt himself grow at least ten inches right then and there.

“So when… when that happened,” she finally broke their eye contact as she glanced at the ground, “I… I thought that was the universe making me pay.”

“What did you do that could make you think you deserved me bedding a mare right in front of you?” Ray asked, feeling almost enraged by how she was treating herself.  “No one deserves that, Shimmer.  No matter what you’ve done, you could never have deserved that.”

“Maybe someday I’ll tell you,” she said softly, seeming to not hear his outburst.  “But… but not now. What’s important,” she met his eyes again, and he could see a certain steely determination there, the same kind that had been there when they had locked eyes when the Lulamoons were being introduced, “is that I forgive you.  Because if I were to hold a grudge, after some of the things I did, I would be a monumental hypocrite.”

“But…hang on.  Shimmer, are you--?”

“Hush, Ray,” she reached forward and stuck a hoof on his lips.  “Stop overthinking this. I forgive you. I want you to forgive me.  And,” she chewed on her lip nervously, glancing away for a brief moment, “I would like to… to try again.”

It felt as if he had just been struck dumb.  Was this really happening? Was he really going to be given a second chance?  After what he did? Was she really wanting to try again.

“Yes, dammit,” he replied, after finally finding his words again.  “These last months without you have been hell.  Of course I want to try again!”

“We’re going to have to do better,” she warned him, giving him a meaningful look.  “Ray, if we’re going to try again, we have to communicate better.  Can you trust me enough to confide in me if something is wrong again?”

“Anything for you,” he said, feeling not the least bit of hesitance.  “Just… if you feel something is wrong, or if something is wrong with me, you need to tell me about it too, right?”

“Yes,” Shimmer dipped her head.  “I won’t make that mistake again.”

For a long moment, they just kept standing there, with a myriad of thoughts going through his head.  It’s really happening, isn’t it.  She’s really giving me a second chance…

Almost as if she could sense it, Shimmer smiled, and then extended a hoof.  “Come on. I know you like your flowers, but they’re all waiting for us.”

“Yes, of course,” Ray let out a sigh of relief, finally feeling the weight of everything he was carrying come off his shoulders for the first time in months.  “I’m gonna buy that stallion anything he wants for this.”

“Slow down there, love,” Ray smiled as she said that.  “Long night ahead of us. Are you ready?”

“With you with me?  Always.”

Reaching over, Ray poured himself another measure from the nearly-forgotten bottle of brandy as he finished up.  But as he looked back, he scrutinized his son’s face.

“Nova, are you… crying?”

“No!” Nova hastily wiped his eyes.  “I mean… yeah. Shut up, I like happy endings.”

Ray grinned at that.  “I hear that. And that’s why I’m here.  I think a happy ending for yourself and Twilight can still be salvaged, but,” his grin vanished, replaced with a very stern glare, “there’s work to do.”

Nova soured at the mention of her name.

“She’s put up a shield around the library,” he sighed, laying his head down on the bar again.  “I tried to get through it the moment I woke up, but…”

His eyes clenched shut.  To his credit, however, this time he managed to hold the tears in.  Ray couldn’t help but pity him. Unlike himself, Nova had done nothing wrong and had still been hit hard like this.

“Tell me, Nova,” he said.  “Why are you so torn up about her?”

“Are you kidding me?” Nova gave him a furious glare.  “I lost my best friend because of something I didn’t do, but she thinks I did!  Why the hell do you think I’m so torn up about it!?”

“Nova, please,” Ray dismissed his explanation.  “Ponies don’t just go spend an entire week plastered over a bar because of a misunderstanding between them and their best friend.”

His look became even sterner.

“Lie to yourself all you want.  I can’t stop you. But all I’m asking is to be honest with me.  What is Twilight Sparkle to you? Because you and I both know she’s far more than just your best friend.”

“I don’t…” Nova tried to respond, but Ray cut him off.

“If she’s only your best friend, why are you two even dating?  Are you toying with her emotions?”

“Fuck no!” Nova exclaimed, looking offended at the insinuation.

“Then why, Nova Shine, are you here!?”

Nova blinked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, sounding confused, and more than a little suspicious.

“You said it yourself,” Ray replied.  “She’s barricaded herself inside of the library via magical shield.  Which means clearly she’s heartbroken about the entire ordeal, if she’s not even letting those closest to her through.  She needs you right now!”

As Nova processed what he was saying, Ray knew he was starting to get through, but he knew that it would take more than that.

“But who am I kidding?” he asked, his voice becoming a tad derisive.  “This is Nova Shine, the unicorn so determined to stay off the radar to avoid his father that he even kept his best friend in Canterlot in the dark for the better part of seven years. Compared to Aegis, Twilight Sparkle must be an ordinary common mare, is that it? Is that how she is to you, Nova?” he demanded.

“She’s not--”

“Because you don’t seem to treat her as if she were any more than an ordinary mare to you.  Oh sure, you’ve gone on a date with her, you’ve hugged, cuddled, and cried together over small things, but when the going gets tough, you just up and abandon her.”

“I didn’t--!”

Despite his anger, Ray could really tell he was starting to dig deep, to really get to the heart of the matter.

“And now you’re just leaving her to sob into her pillow, broken-hearted and hopeless. But what do you care?” he asked, smiling coldly.  “It doesn’t affect your life, so you can just drop right into the pub, spend your hard-earned bits, and drink away your pain while you ignore the one mare in all of Equestria who needs your sorry ass right now. That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Shut up!” shouted Nova, which caused the bar to go quiet again. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I don’t, do I?” asked Ray, doing his best to hide a smile. Almost got him... “Then please explain to me how I don’t know what I’m talking about. I asked you to be honest, and you couldn’t bring yourself to say that which we both know. So, what other conclusion am I supposed to come to?”

Nova fumed, but he had no retort. All he could do was look into that maddeningly calm face of his father’s and wait for something he could interrupt and retort to.

“Since I obviously have no idea what I’m talking about,” Ray continued, “I feel compelled to ask you.  Nova, why are you in this bar, crying over--”

“BECAUSE I LOVE HER, DAMN IT!”

The words echoed around the pub, which had gone completely still.  Almost everyone there had gone quiet some time ago, but now, with Nova’s roar having drowned everything out, the entire pub’s attention was centered on him.

For a long moment, Nova looked ready to obliterate his father then and there, but Then the anger gave way to tears.  Ray knew joyous tears when he saw them, and Nova’s were a textbook example.

“Because what?”

“Because I love her,” Nova replied, a lot more softly, before beaming.

“It’s honestly about damn time you realized the obvious,” the bartender shouted from where he had been standing, observing the conversation.

“Hear hear,” called a stallion sitting over near a window.  Must have been one of Neighton’s citizens.

“But now what?” Nova asked, ignoring both of them.

“Pardon?” Ray leaned an ear over.

“She’s blocked me out, Dad.  I can’t just waltz right past a shield and apologize.”

“Ah, but I think you can,” Ray replied.  “You were at Prince Armor’s wedding, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, I was there because I had to be,” Nova replied, before understanding lit up his face.  “We had to go through Shining’s shield to get into Canterlot!”

“You did,” Ray dipped his head.  “The shield spell keeps out spells, and also ponies and beings the caster doesn’t want to get through.  But like all magic, the heart dictates how the spell works. If, deep down, Twilight Sparkle wants to see you, then you will be allowed through the shield, no matter how much she tells herself otherwise.”

“You think she wants me to tell her it’s all a lie?” Nova asked.  “She saw everything.”

“You say you didn’t do it,” Ray reminded him.  “Tell her the truth. Make her understand that it is the truth and not a lie.  After that,“ he shrugged, “then it goes as it does.  So long as you tell her the truth, your relationship will rebuild.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nova sighed, but then seemed to catch himself, and shook his head.

“Though, on the topic of rebuilding relationships,” and here Ray felt himself grow a bit nervous again, “I know we haven’t been on the best of terms, and I think it is a bit unrealistic to think things will be better overnight, but…” he held out a hoof, “I would like to try.  Do you think we can try burying the hatchet?”

Nova turned to stare at the hoof for a long moment.

“You told me to tell you if I could remember any times you called me a disappointment,” Nova said.

“I did.”

“I… I don’t think you ever did, did you.”

“Never,” Ray shook his head, his gaze at his son never wavering.  “You could never be a disappointment to me, Nova. Did I neglect you?  Yes. Was I a bad parent? Most certainly. But never believe I ever thought of you as a disappointment.”

Nova teared up again at that.  He had to know Ray was being honest, because his energy sensing meant he could see it plain as day.  And before Ray quite knew it, he found himself embracing his son for the first time in years. For a moment, he was completely taken aback, but then, he hugged Nova back, for the first time in more than ten years.

As Nova teared up, Ray felt himself doing so as well, but he held it in.

“As much as I’m glad to fix an old wound between us,” Ray finally lightly pushed his son away, “someone else needs you more right now.”

“R-right,” Nova wiped his eyes, but they were full of determination.  “I’ll wait as long as it takes if I can’t get through.”

“When the two of you are on, at least, cordial terms, send me a letter,” Ray instructed.  “You both need the diaries of the Faithful Students and Night Apprentices. On receiving your letter, Tantalus and I will be expecting you at noon on the third day after.  Though I do honestly believe you ought to be far more than cordial.”

“I hope so,” Nova said, before taking a deep breath.

“You can do it, Nova,” he patted his son on the back.  “Just be honest with her, and let time do the rest.”

“Alright.”  Nova took another deep breath.  “Gotta go get myself presentable, though,” he added, which got a grin out of Ray.  “Wish me luck.”

And with that, he stepped off his stool, head held high, and he trotted out of the bar and to his home, where he would prepare himself, and then off to Ponyville, where his mare waited.