"Escutcheon are you okay?" Dusk asked softly as the two of them sat down on a bench outside of the university library.
"Yeah." He gave her a halfhearted nod and smile.
"Please don't do that Escutcheon. Please don't lie to me." She scooted up next to him. "I know that at least something is on your mind."
"I think it's something that we should talk to the professor about." Escutcheon looked at her, his face softly blushed at how close she was. She started to giggle which caused him to start to laugh. He loved her laugh. "I'm sorry for lying Dusk. I'm just, I'm just a little anxious to get moving again. I'm sure that you want to go home soon."
"So long as I'm with you. I'm okay." She closed her eyes and rested against him. They were alone like that for about a minute before Professor Atlas came out and found them resting on a bench over looking the eastern part of the university. Her ears perked up as she heard the professor walking up behind them. She sighed and opened her eyes.
"Are you two love birds ready to go home?" he asked with a happy little smile.
"Dusk?" Escutcheon asked. She nodded her head and opened up her eyes and took of her enchanted necklace as she looked into the encroaching night. She put it in her bag and the three of them headed down the hill to Atlas' family estate.
***
The sun had set over the ocean to the west before the three of them entered the professor's home. Turkeylegs was waiting for their return in the open first floor. When they came in Turkeylegs looked over the colt and filly nuzzling each of them and giving a happy half moan half chirp.
"It's good to see you Turkeylegs." Dusk laughed as the large bird tickled her cheek. She patted the bird just as Escutcheon had done before her, knowing that it was the only way to get the affectionate bird to stop. After looking the two of them over Turkeylegs went over to the table sitting down. Even sitting down the birds long neck was enough to look over the table. The three of them walked into the home and together began working on their dinner.
It took them a only half an hour to finish their supper and set the table Turkeylegs was given a few cooked fish. The the three ponies had fish, lettuces, and for dessert they had cooled mango much to Dusk's delight. "Atlas, I was wondering something." Escutcheon began.
"Yes Escutcheon?" Atlas looked up from his plate across to the colt that was seated on his left. Dusk took a quick and stealthy spoon full from the professor's mango hers was already gone.
"I was wondering about the expedition that you sent out how long will it take them to get back? It's already been half a year. They should have been back several months ago."
"Well yes, but they need to gather interviews to substantiate your claims, it would help to get funding from the government if what you said you did was true. That would go a long way to funding your trip across the ocean." The was a knock on the door. The three of them looked at it.
"Are you expecting somepony?" Dusk asked her ears perking up.
"No not at this hour." Escutcheon got up as the professor put an empty spoon in his mouth. "Odd I thought that I had mango already scooped on this spoon."
"Hello?" Escutcheon opened the door. He only had enough time to register the guard who was about to cast a spell before said guard loosed a bolt of magic knocking him half a meter back into the house. He slowly lost consciousness, as he watched several more bolts fly into the dinning room. Everything faded away.