//------------------------------// // Meet the Parents // Story: The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan // by Rytex //------------------------------// The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan Chapter 03 - Meet the Parents “I see,” said Princess Celestia, frowning as Aegis finished up his account of what had just transpired.  “Is that everything you have to report?” “Yes ma’am,” Aegis said, bowing. “Very well.  Good work, Corporal.  You may return to your post.” “No ma’am,” Aegis said.  “I came as soon as I was relieved.  I’m finished for the day.  And as Nova is my friend, I’d very much like to help him out of this little conundrum.” “How does he need help?” asked Luna. “The pegasus finding him this morning, and Sergeant Shield-Breaker I believe being possessed, both happened in a location Nova was expected to go,” explained Aegis.  “Granted, Nova was in disguise for the first encounter, but the pegasus was able to see through it.  Nova has a routine while he’s here, and if he wants to avoid trouble with those after him, it would be best if he did something a little differently than he usually does.  As such, I believe Railside Inn should be avoided.” Nova nodded. “Seems I need to vary my routine here a little more than I have been.” “I don’t see a problem with this,” Princess Luna said.  “Canterlot Castle has more than enough rooms for him, and plenty of--” “No.” Whatever Luna had been about to say about exactly what Canterlot Castle had plenty of was lost as she almost choked on her suggestion.  Twilight was very taken aback by this.  She wouldn’t dream of interrupting her teacher!  And yet Nova had done so completely without remorse for it.  In fact, he seemed to be noticeably irritated at the mere notion of staying in the castle. “Why not!?” Princess Luna demanded. “Now now, Luna,” admonished Princess Celestia, giving her a look.  “I’m sure he meant no offense.  But Nova, do explain why your reasoning for Canterlot Castle isn’t your preferred place of lodging for the night.” “It’s simple, really,” Nova said, that calculating edge creeping back into his voice, as it had on the train ride here.  “The pegasus that found me today is definitely searching for me.  The pony that went and possibly possessed the sergeant in the Gardens, we don’t know who he was looking for.  It could be any of the four of us.  If it is someone other than me, that theoretically puts us in twice the danger you would be if I were somewhere else.” “So, you’re saying your reasoning for not staying in the castle is to reduce the danger we all could be in?” asked Princess Celestia, raising an eyebrow at Nova, a strange glint in her eye.  “How selfless of you, Nova.” “Even so, regardless of that hypothetical danger it would put us in,” Aegis argued, “you are still within the headquarters for the Equestrian military.  Nopony would dare make a move against this bastion.” “Have you been to any weddings lately, Aegis?” Nova asked coldly. Aegis opened his mouth, but only grit his teeth with a growl.  Nova had a point.  They had once thought Canterlot Castle was unassailable.  It had taken only one being to weaken Canterlot’s defenses from within, and that had brought about the single most embarrassing defeat in Equestrian history.  Not only had it shown how complacent they had become, but it even sent a message to other nations that Equestria was not impervious to attack. It used to be that the largest thing keeping the Griffin Emperor from invading was the appearance of invincibility.  Now, the only thing keeping the Griffins from invading was Equestria’s Eurponyan allies north of their little empire. “But if you cannot stay at Railside Inn, and you refuse to stay in Canterlot Castle,” pondered Princess Celestia, “where can you stay?” “My parents’ house.” Aegis’, Princess Luna’s, Nova’s, and Princess Celestia’s heads all turned to look at Twilight.  Twilight blushed a little at the sudden attention, but stood her ground regardless. “That… seems a good idea,” Princess Celestia said, nodding approvingly at her pupil.  And dare Twilight say it, there might have been a bit of a knowing look in her eye. “That depends,” Aegis replied, stealing the words right out of Nova’s mouth.  “How far from Novus Manor is it?” “On the other side of the Canterlot Business District,” replied Princess Celestia.  “And it is also within reasonable distance to the Train Station.” “Reasonable distance, relative to you, anyway,” added Princess Luna with a cheeky smile. Nova said nothing.  He merely started to rub the skin around his horn, no doubt thinking about their solution. “Don’t worry about him doing this,” came Aegis’ voice to her right.  Twilight jumped.  She hadn’t seen Aegis move! “What do you mean?” asked Twilight. “He likes to try to find ways to tear down solutions.  Not that he doesn’t like it,” he added, noticing the strange look Twilight had given her, “but if he can’t come up with a good argument, it’s a good solution.” “Fine,” Nova said, adding to Aegis’ point.  “I’ll go with Twilight.” Twilight smiled to herself.  Not only had she had convinced both two princesses and a Royal Guard to follow her suggestion, even if she hadn’t actually done the convincing, but she had also managed to win a little more time to get to know Nova. “I guess that settles it,” she said, turning around and beginning her trot out.  “Oh, and Nova?” she added, pausing and giving him a mischievous smile, “we’re not taking the alleys this time.  We’re taking the main roads where we’ll be less conspicuous by blending in.” Nova felt his mouth go dry.  He had considered venturing out into the crowd before, but he figured it was best to stick with the safe option.  But now that he had been discovered… His train of thought was interrupted as Aegis bumped him forward, after Twilight. “Get going, you,” he commanded.  “Your marefriend awaits.” “She’s not my marefriend!” Nova called behind him, but he followed Twilight regardless. “So…” Twilight started, as he caught up with her outside the Testing Room, “you said you’d tell me later how you knew that pegasus was following us.” “So I did,” Nova concurred as they rounded a corner and began their walk down one of the longer halls in the castle.  “Well, do you know of energy sensing?” he asked. “I’ve heard of it,” Twilight said.  “Never took the time to learn how.” “It takes some time, which I figured you’d think would be better spent learning to cast spells.” “Pretty much.” “Well,” started Nova, taking a deep breath, “energy sensing is just that:  sensing the energy around you.  Seeing as how you and I both know that everything generates energy, this allows me to sense things within a certain radius.” “Kind of like the Inheritance books?” asked Twilight. “Oh, you read Eragon?” “Well, duh.  I read everything.  Except the Twilight saga.  I wouldn’t use those novels as paperweights.” Nova chuckled.  “Yes, well, yeah, kinda like Inheritance.  Can’t extend my mind, or anything, but if it generates energy, most of the time I can sense it.  There are things that are too small, and if someone casts too powerful of a spell nearby, it kinda overloads me for a bit.” “So how did you know that pegasus was following us?” asked Twilight. “The other pegasi in the sky were flying faster,” answered Nova.  “He was going exactly our speed, and he was staying right above us, only slightly behind.” “Interesting,” said Twilight as they passed through the castle foyer again.  “Well, if you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you right to my parents’ house.” {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} “I’m home!” called Twilight as she opened the door to her parents’ house.  Nova had been very surprised at the sight of it.  Compared to the other homes in Canterlot, the Sparkles’ residence was rather modest.  But then, it was in a more modest neighborhood to begin with.  Still, the fact that it wasn’t some grandiose mansion was a bit of a surprise, given that they were still in Upper Canterlot. The door had opened into a simple hall.  The dining room was off to the left, an office to the right, what appeared to be a living room was in front of them, and against the right wall was a staircase that led into another hall, by the look of things. “Twilight?  You didn’t tell us you were going to be in to--” came the voice of a rather matronly unicorn mare.  But she stopped as she came around the corner and saw Nova.  She looked almost exactly like Twilight, but older, and with a different color coat, mane, and tail, not to mention cutie mark.  Her coat was an off-white, her mane and tail were a mix of purple and white, and her cutie mark was composed of three purple stars.  After a moment of staring at him, she smiled kindly.  “Who’s your friend, Twilight?” “Mom, this is Nova Shine,” Twilight said, gesturing back at him.  “He’s Princess Luna’s Night Apprentice.  He needed a place to spend the night, and I thought we could lend him Shiny’s room.” As perceptive as he was, Nova noticed that Mrs. Sparkle’s eyes seemed to display some nervousness, despite the cheerful smile she wore.  “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sparkle,” he said, bowing his head politely. “Where’s Dad?” Twilight asked. “Up in his room,” Mrs. Sparkle said, glancing up the stairs.  “Dinner’s almost ready, and you’re most welcome to join us, Nova.  And please, do call me ‘Velvet.’” “Come on, I’ll show you to your room,” Twilight said, grabbing his hoof and pulling him up the stairs. But once they reached the top flight, a door close by swung open and out stepped a pony with a blue coat, a darker blue mane and tail, golden eyes, and a moon and star cutie mark that could only be Twilight’s father, based on some of the pictures that lined the wall by the staircase. As soon as their eyes met, Mr. Sparkle’s eyes widened, and his mouth parted in a bit of shock. “Nova Shine?” he blurted out. Nova’s eyes, in contrast, narrowed dangerously and his mouth became a very thin line on his face. “Twilight,” he said quietly, “your father and I need to talk.  Alone.” Twilight had stopped as soon as the door had opened in front of her, and at the moment her father had said Nova’s name out of shock, she had been staring suspiciously at him.  But when Nova said that in a low voice, her gaze turned back to him, etched with concern. “Are… are you sure?” “Yes,” Nova said, not breaking eye contact with Mr. Sparkle, whose face had fallen into a frown.  “You can show me to my room later.” Mr. Sparkle gestured with his head into the room he had just left, the master bedroom.  Without another word, he walked on in, leaving Nova to follow.  As soon as Nova was in, Mr. Sparkle shut the door behind him. “How do you know who I am?” Nova asked immediately.  “He didn’t hire you, did he?” “Relax, Nova,” the stallion said, rolling his eyes.  “Princess Luna told me all about how touchy you were when it came to the subject.  To see it in person though…” “You know Princess Luna?” Nova asked suspiciously. “Let’s start over, shall we?” Mr. Sparkle said, smiling at him.  “I’m Night Light Sparkle, current head of the Sparkle clan and the Canterlot Castle Director of Staff.  And you are?” “Canterlot Castle Director of Staff?” asked Nova, taken aback. “Nice to meet you, Canterlot Castle.  Or should I call you Director of Staff?” “Agh,” Nova said, practically slamming his face into his hoof.  “You’re definitely Twilight’s father.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Dad Joke that bad from any other dad I’ve met.” “Yes, well,” said Night Light, smiling rather sheepishly, “I do try.”  His smile fell slightly as he gave Nova a more serious look.  “But to answer your question, I know who you are because I interact with the Princesses almost every day.  It would have been impossible to not know you were the Night Apprentice, and even more so to not hear of your… ah, incident.” “I see,” Nova said, eyes narrowing again, but this time his displeasure wasn’t directed at Night Light.  “But Velvet said she didn’t know Twilight was in town.  Did you not know of our little examination today?  If you interacted with the Princesses as much as you say you do, you should have known.” “We thought Twilight wouldn’t be spending the night,” replied Night.  “However, emergency train problems happened, according to the coordinator.  I was informed only an hour before you arrived and I got home right before you two did.” “Emergency train problems, on the day I happen to come to the city?” Nova asked, skeptically. “Relax,” said Night.  “I’m sure it’s nothing.” “Your daughter and I were accosted by a bounty hunter this morning.” “What!?” “But that’s fine,” Nova said.  “Relax.  I’m sure it was nothing.” Night Light just stared at him angrily for a moment, but Nova could tell, as was the case with his scowl back at Night earlier, that the anger was not directed at him. “Did they--” “No, neither of us suffered any harm,” Nova cut him off, holding up a hoof.  “But it can’t be coincidence that on the day the trains stop and keep us in town overnight, we get accosted by a bounty hunter.  Not to mention the stir up at the castle I’m sure you heard about.” “Yes, I did hear about that,” Night said, frowning.  “Curious.” “Not as curious as your daughter,” Nova said, raising his voice slightly, “who has been listening in on our conversation the whole time.” They both smiled as they heard an “Eep!” and the sound of hooves scuttling away. “She really likes knowing what’s going on, doesn’t she,” observed Nova, chuckling lightly. “That she does,” Night said.  “But listen Nova,” his tone got serious again.  “I know about you and your situation.  And allow me to say right now, if I ever find out my daughter came to harm and you had something to do with it, there will be no place in Equestria you can hide from me, and so help me Celestia, you will pay for it.” “You needn’t strain yourself,” Nova said, completely unfazed.  “I’ve avoided a pony trying to hunt me down for ten years, and even though a bounty hunter found me today, I’ve made sure he’s been set back several hours.” “My promise still stands,” Night said.  “But you’ve done nothing wrong tonight.  Dinner’s almost ready.  Let’s go relax in a little more light-hearted environment, shall we?” {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} Set on the High Street, further  back into Upper Canterlot than the Mane Street intersection, was one of the most affluent manors in all of Equestria, much less Upper Canterlot.  It featured a sprawling three-wing house, with gardens larger even than the castle’s.  The marble that composed the walls of this magnificent structure were almost glimmering with the enchantments set into the stone. As the pegasus passed through the courtyard and gardens, he couldn’t help but notice the many contraptions and magitech inventions that kept the plants well-maintained.  No grounds staff were to be found, as the Lord of Novus Manor was well-known to be a fan of horticulture and enjoyed tending to the plants himself. Despite the grand size of the entire estate, its owners only used two of the wings for themselves and the gardens.  The third wing was devoted to an entire laboratory that attracted some of the foremost minds in Equestrian Arcanology.  As such, these enchantments were inlaid to prevent some of the more explosive developments in that lab from affecting the house, or any of the surrounding houses. The pegasus stared at one of the marble pillars that flanked the front doors of the house, watching glittering lights twinkle all around it.  Under normal circumstances, he would be quite interested in watching the light show, but he had dealt with enough magic today. And I lost my target, he thought bitterly.  He’s not going to be happy. Raising a hoof to the large yew doors, he knocked three times. It only took a minute before the door to the manor opened.  A pale blue unicorn mare stood there, taken aback at his presence.  Her silver mane was swept behind her shoulders, her tail was neatly combed and held with grace, and her eyes, as silver as her mane, were staring straight at him. “Good evening,” he said, inclining his head.  “Not sure if you remember me, but--” “Sharp Eye?” she asked, in a very fine Canterlotian accent.  “That is your name, yes?” “Oh, umm, yes,” the pegasus said, nodding.  “I believe your husband may be expecting me.” “Yes, I think he is.  Follow me, then,” she said, backing up to let him in.  “I take it you bring good news, then?” “Good and bad,” he admitted.  “But I’ll elaborate more when I speak to both you and Ray.” “Very well,” the mare said, shutting the door behind him. No matter how many times Sharp Eye stepped into the foyer of Novus Manor, he always felt a sense of awe at the place.  The Novus clan was well-known and well-regarded all around the pony lands.  They were supposedly the direct descendants of one of Equestria’s most talented and most accomplished spell smiths, second only to Star Swirl the Bearded himself, and it was evident in the magical talent that seemed inherent in the family. All around the foyer were symbols of the long history of the clan.  Original pieces of artwork, a crystal chandelier in the direct center, a mezzanine with two staircases, one on each end of the room, leading up to it, doors leading to each of the three wings, and several different suits of armor with the family crest painted on the chestplates. Sharp Eye found himself admiring the crest as he waited for his hostess to lead him to his client.  The crest was simple compared to some of the others that belonged to other clans, such as the Kickers, a pegasi clan that had their own compound elsewhere in the city.  All it depicted was a crescent moon facing upward, with four stars set between it and a sun above those stars, symbols of the magical talent that helped to bridge the sun and the moon. “If you’ll follow me,” came the mare’s voice, jolting Sharp Eye out of his observations.  She led him through the door at the back of the foyer, through a kitchen and past a dining room, into the manor’s living room.  A fire was crackling in the hearth, a number of bookshelves lined the walls, a few pictures hung on the walls, mostly depicting the mare with a stallion, and there were several poufs and easy chairs scattered around the room. “Ray?” the mare quietly said as they approached the living room.  A stallion was sitting in one of the easy chairs, reading a book.  His tan coat glinted in the firelight, his brown mane looked slightly disheveled, and his grey eyes followed the words on the page behind a pair of glasses. At the sound of his name, Ray Novus smiled slightly. “And I was just getting to the good part, Shimmer,” he said.  He turned to give his wife a smile, but at the sight of Sharp Eye it faltered slightly, before widening. “Sharp Eye!  I must admit, I didn’t expect to see you here this evening.” “You as well, sir,” Sharp Eye said, walking forward and sitting on a pouf as Shimmer went to sit in a chair next to her husband. “I trust you bring news on our son?” Ray asked, an expectant gleam in his eyes. “Good and bad,” Sharp Eye said again. “Well, let’s start with the good news first,” said Ray cheerfully. “I have managed to find your son,” Sharp Eye said.  “I found him today in Canterlot as he made his way to Canterlot Castle with a Royal Guard and with a unicorn mare.” “Twilight Sparkle,” Ray noted.  “Yes, he was taking a sort of examination with her at the castle today.” “Yes, well,” said Sharp Eye, looking away as an embarrassed blush crept into his cheeks, “I, uhh, lost him.” “Excuse me?” Ray said, cocking his head. “I said I lost him,” Sharp Eye repeated.  “Was talking with him in an alleyway when that Royal Guard hit me with something and knocked me out.  I woke up locked in a dumpster and had to wait for the street-cleaning crews to let me out.” “You spoke to him?” Ray asked, leaning forward, hooves pressed together under his muzzle. “I… well, yes,” Sharp Eye said, feeling sheepish.  “He had disguised himself as a Royal Guard, and I confronted him and--” Ray groaned and buried his face in his hooves while Shimmer rolled her eyes.  “Bet he took that well,” she remarked. “You fool,” said Ray in a low voice.  “After he’s spent the last ten years running, did you really think that running right up to him and trying to convince him to come back would work?” “I just-- I-- he-- Ugh,” Sharp Eye said, burying his own face in his hooves.  “I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time.” “No, clearly you weren’t,” Ray said, shaking his head, but he still smiled.  “But still, it is good to know that my son is in good health.  Sharp Eye, if you’ll follow me, I have your payment ready.” “Sir?” he asked, as Ray had gotten up, marked his place in his book, returned it to the shelf, and started to trot back out into the foyer.  “I don’t understand.  Your contract was to--” “The contract was only to find Nova,” Ray interrupted.  “And you did.  You needn’t fear losing him again.  The trains have stopped for the evening, leaving him stranded here in Canterlot.  He will undoubtedly be on the first train back to wherever he lives, and you can simply follow him from there.” “Is that wise?” Sharp Eye asked.  “If he sees me, he’ll--” “He won’t,” Ray said, as he began to climb one of the staircases in the foyer.  “You must make sure of that.  Sharp Eye, I’m counting on you here.” “Hang on,” Sharp Eye said, suddenly thinking of a flaw in Ray’s logic.  “If you’re paying me now, that renders our contract complete, meaning I don’t have to go through with this.” “Which is why I’m offering you a new one,” Ray replied simply.  “But we’ll discuss that more in my office.” “If you say so,” Sharp Eye said, following Ray as he strode into the West Wing, and into the first room on the right.  The office was simple, with a desk and a chintz armchair set behind it.  An Appleture Science Magitech Computer sat on the desk itself, which Ray powered up.  As it went through its boot-up, Ray opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a stack of paper bills. “Your payment,” he said.  “Now, I said we would be offering you a new contract.” “Yes,” said Sharp Eye, feeling a little let down now he remembered the agreed-upon fee.  Had he accomplished his job quickly, it would have been quite the windfall.  But ten-thousand bits spread out over nine years was almost nothing. “Well, I am prepared to offer you a weekly sum of ten-thousand bits, if you will agree to follow and to keep an eye on Nova.” Sharp Eye dropped the stack of bills. “What.” He could have sworn he misheard.  There was no way he would offer ten-thousand bits weekly.  That kind of money was something only the highest-paid bounty hunters made. “You heard me right,” Ray said, smiling.  “Ten-thousand a week, if you will simply tail Nova and let me know if anything’s happening with him.” Sharp Eye could only blink stupidly as Ray continued to smile at him.  After a few seconds, he broke into a broad grin. “Well, I’d be a fool not to take that one up, wouldn’t I?” “No more foolish than I have been in the past,” Ray said, his eyes glazing over and his gaze suddenly gaining a far-off look to them.  “Back when I was young...” Sharp Eye gave him some space to reminisce, but to his relief it wasn’t long before Ray dismissed those thoughts with a brief shake of the head. “Nevertheless, thank-you Sharp Eye.  You have no idea what this means to me.” “You’re most welcome.  Though it’s really a funny story how I ran into him today,” he said. “Oh?  Do tell.” “Pretty sure it was entirely dumb luck,” Sharp Eye explained.  “I had literally just gotten off of the train and I heard that mare, Twilight Sparkle, say the word ‘Nova.’  Had just gotten off a different contract at the time, but I remembered the name.  So I followed him from in the air.  After that, well… you kinda know the rest.” “Hmm…” said Ray, resting his forehooves’ elbows on his desk and leaning forward to stare intently into Sharp Eye’s eyes.  “That your meeting with Nova is luck, I highly doubt.” “Sir?  I promise, I’ve nothing to hide.” “No, no, I believe you,” Ray said, waving a hoof to forestall the rest of his response.  “I believe you think it was luck.  But take it from a researcher of magic.  In all of my many years of studying the arcane, never once did I ever find any evidence to justify the existence of luck.” “How do you mean?” “Equestria is a land overflowing with magic,” Ray continued.  “Love magic in the Crystal Empire, the magics of friendship, the day, the night, and so on.  And these different magical forces have guided the ‘fate’ of this land.  The Fires of Friendship, the Elements of Harmony, and so forth as well.” He gave a small smile.  “I believe you were led to Nova for a reason.  What that reason is, I cannot say.  But a reason nonetheless.” Sharp Eye had nothing to say.  He simply chose to look down at the wad of bills he had dropped. Had that random moment where I had heard the name “Nova” as I exited the train not been random at all? “Well,” said Ray, interrupting Sharp Eye’s thoughts, “our business is concluded, and I’m hungry.  You’re welcome to spend the night at the house, but thanks to a few bits sent the way of the train coordinator, I made sure the next train out of Canterlot is set for 11 AM tomorrow.” “Thank-you, sir,” Sharp Eye said, politely dipping his head. “You are most welcome.  Now let’s get to the dining room, shall we?  I wonder what’s for dinner.” {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} Nova let out a long, satisfied sigh as he leaned back against the dining room wall.  He couldn’t even eat one more bite!  Mrs. Sparkle was the single best cook he had ever had the pleasure of eating the works of, and part of his mind was convinced it would definitely be totally worth it to marry Twilight just to experience this every so often. “Would you like any more, Nova?” Night Light asked, the pan with potato casserole being levitated toward Nova with his magic. “No thank-you Mr. Sparkle,” Nova said. “Call me Night Light.  It’s my name, might as well use it.” “That was nothing short of excellent, Mrs. Sparkle,” Nova said happily from his spot as Night Light returned the pan to its place on the table. “What did I tell you?  Call me Velvet,” Mrs. Sparkle said, wagging a hoof at him disapprovingly.  “And thank-you, dear.  I always appreciate my food being enjoyed.” “Does that go for me too, Velvet?” Twilight asked, giving her mother a catty grin. Night and Velvet shared a look, but they were smiling regardless.  Yet Nova couldn’t miss how knowing their smiles looked.  Almost as if they could see something past Twilight’s cheeky statement. “Well, if you’re going to call her that,” Night said, “I guess it’s completely alright if we call you Twinklesparky.” “DAD!” Twilight’s face had completely skipped lightly blushing.  Her cheeks were positively flaming red as she did her best to hide her face where no one could see her. “What?” asked Night in faux-confusion, as Nova stuffed a hoof into his mouth to keep from laughing.  “If you’re not going to call her ‘Mom,’ isn’t it only fair if we break out the baby nicknames?” Nova decided the best course of action was to take a drink to try to keep it under control.  As such, he tapped into his magic and brought his bottle of beer to his lips.  He had to admit, he had been pleasantly surprised to find that the Sparkles weren’t prudish about alcohol as most of the ponies in Upper Canterlot were. “So Nova,” Night said, turning to him, “how does it feel to be the first coltfriend Twilight’s ever brought home?” What beer had been in his mouth and had been running down his throat was suddenly hacked back up as Nova sputtered.  Over in her seat, Twilight’s face had gone even more red, if that were possible, and she was almost trying to hide under the table. “D-Dad, he’s not my coltfriend!” she protested weakly.  “W-we’re just fellow students of the Princesses.” “Sure, darling, whatever you say,” Night said, giving that same knowing look to Velvet, before turning his sadistic gaze to Nova.  “But Shining Armor had the same goofy look on his face every time he looked at Cadance, and look where they ended up.  Oh, and Nova, just want you to know, I have a Black Haysa Industries Magi-Gun up in my closet, and if you hurt my daughter--” BANG! Nova had been too busy trying to deal with his own teasing, and as such, he had failed to notice that Twilight had levitated a massive book and slammed it down right in front of her face as if she were reading it, hiding her from view. It might have fooled them, were it not for the fact that the book was upside-down. Nova opened his mouth to let her know of this fact, but he caught Night Light’s eye.  Night Light gave a small shake of his head, before standing up from his pouf. “Well, I have to be up early to be at the castle tomorrow.  Good night, Nova, Twilight,” he said, inclining his head to each of them, before starting to trot out of the dining room and into the main hall.  Velvet got up as well, taking the pan and all the plates with her. “I’ll join you in a minute, dear,” she said as she trotted over to a sink behind a stone counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room.  “Let me get all this cleaned up.” With Night gone, Nova took the opportunity to lean next to Twilight, who kept her eyes firmly fixed on a spot on one of the pages. “Nice book,” he said quietly.  “Might be able to read it better if it were right side up.” Twilight’s magic slammed the book shut so fast, it almost sounded like a gunshot and it came within millimeters of absolutely shattering both his muzzle and her’s.  While Nova was busy trying to process the sudden action, Twilight simply took the book with her and trotted out into the hall after her father, leaving Nova to just stand there, utterly perplexed. “...the fuck just happened?” he asked, before he was slapped on the muzzle by Velvet’s rag. “Watch your mouth while you’re in here,” she scolded, before returning to her dishwashing. “Yes ma’am,” Nova said hastily, rubbing the spot on his nose it had hit. For several moments, neither of them said anything.  Nova was still trying to figure out why Twilight had gone and done that, but Velvet kept her lips sealed as she dutifully scrubbed the dishes. Finally, after a few minutes, she whapped him again. “Nova, get your flank up there and talk to her.” “Ow!  What did I do?” “You stallions are just so damn thick sometimes.  She wanted to talk to you on her own, without me or Night!  You may not have thought that was the warmest way to say that, but I’d be a poor mother if I hadn’t seen her do that whenever she wanted Shining or Cadance to talk with her on their own and make that connection.” “I, uhh…” Nova said, before Velvet raised the rag again, freshly stained from what appeared to be his plate.  “Alright, alright, I’ll go.” Moving as quickly as he could, so as to avoid another whip from Velvet, Nova almost cantered out of the kitchen, into the hall, and up the stairs.  But it was only once he hit the top stair that he realized, he didn’t know which of the five rooms was Twilight’s.  The only one he knew was the master bedroom, and that was immediately to his left. Well, let’s try this one. He opened the door directly across and-- “OI!  I’M ON THE POT, HERE!” Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope! Scrambling out of the bathroom and desperately trying to erase the image of Night Light sitting on a toilet with a newspaper propped between his legs from his brain, he galloped a few paces away before slowing back to a trot to find Twilight’s room. “Well, that was… unexpected,” he said.  It had felt like Twilight had been behind that door, with similar energy nexuses emanating from areas nearby.  No doubt the familial resemblance in their magical Source.  Fortunately, that left only one room she could be in. He trotted over to the left room at the far end of the upstairs hall, raised a hoof to the door, and knocked gently. He felt the energy nexus move toward him and after a moment, the door opened slightly, revealing Twilight, staring at him. “Yes?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Want to talk about our feelings like pathetic, sappy, touchy-feely ponies do?” Nova asked, grinning. “What do you want?” Twilight asked, irritated. “I, uh… well, your mother told me to come talk to you…” he answered lamely. Twilight groaned and facehoofed. “Oh, that is just so like her.  I come up here to calm down and read in peace and she sends--” She broke off and sighed. “Fine.  Come on in.” She pushed the door opened wider, allowing him to enter and see her room for the first time.  At first, he couldn’t believe he was seeing so many books!  Every wall had a bookshelf on it, and each one was stuffed full of different books.  The wall opposite her bed had a sort of upside-down U-shape bookshelf, in the gap of which was constructed a desk that was cluttered with even more books, quills, and parchment and a small picture of a younger Twilight and a younger white stallion with a two-toned blue mane. Having been at said stallion’s wedding, Nova couldn’t help but grin at seeing the normally-determined Shining Armor smiling like a child as he played with his sister in a book fort.  The six square inches of space surrounding the picture were completely uncluttered, telling Nova that the picture was clearly Twilight’s favorite possession on that desk. And speaking of, Twilight had let him in, before shutting the door behind her and trotting over to hop onto the bed with all the grace of such a well-practiced art.  The same tome she had been attempting to hide herself behind at the dinner table was lifted off of the bed about six inches before falling back down right where it had been before.  As soon as it was back down, Twilight immediately opened it and began reading.  Or just ignoring him, as she had attempted to do earlier. “Nice room,” Nova said conversationally.  Twilight didn’t respond.  Definitely dutifully attempting to ignore him or she just didn’t care to say anything. But after noticing that just about everything in the room looked carefully organized, it gave him an idea on just how to get her to reply.  Trotting over to her collection of Harry Trotter books, arranged in numerical order, he took the opportunity to switch them all around into alphabetical order based on titles. And by the time he was done, she was giving him a death glare that could have incinerated the wall behind him. “Put.  Those.  Back,” she said, glaring at him with narrow eyes. Nova just stuck out a tongue.  “Make me.” Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but just closed it and rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll get them later.” “And I’ll get you to get out of your book and actually talk to me,” he countered, his own aura snatching up Twilight’s book and replacing it in its proper place on her shelves.  “So tell me, Twilight, what’s it like studying under Celestia?” “Why do you want to talk so badly?” she asked, curiously. “Call it a litmus test,” he answered, thinking to his half-formed plan that was starting to take shape in his mind. “A… litmus test?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Exactly,” he said, nodding.  “Quick question, actually.  Do you happen to know a place in Ponyville that rents rooms for a low price that’s not an inn?” “Uhh… not really, no,” she said, confused.  “I mean, I guess I wouldn’t mind letting somepony sleep in my basement if they paid rent every day, but--” “How much?” Nova asked. “I dunno, seventy-five bits maybe?” “How about a monthly fee?” “Nova, are you seriously asking to move in with me?” she asked, an amused glint in her eyes.  “You have your own very expensive-looking house.” “I’ll tell you more tomorrow, on the train ride home,” he said.  “Still working out the details.” “The details of what?” “Tomorrow,” Nova replied simply, snorting.  “Don’t quite have it all figured out, but I have an idea.  Just need to sleep on it some.” “Oh.” “So,” Nova said, wresting the topic back to his original question as he hopped onto the bed as well, “really, what is it like studying under Princess Celestia?” “I could ask you the same thing about studying under Princess Luna,” she said.  “I’ve gotten to talk with her a couple of times, and I even got the chance to show her around Ponyville on Nightmare Night, but I’ve never really gotten to know her.” “Oh yeah, she told me about that,” Nova said, smirking.  “Told me she spent an entire evening gobbling the backsides of little foals.” “Well… you could say that,” Twilight reasoned.  She smiled at the memory.  “There’s a colt in our town from Trottingham by the name of Pipsqueak.  Fell into an apple-bobbing tub, and Luna tried to rescue him by snagging his shorts.  Pinkie and Pip then proceeded to lead the town foals in a mass panic.” “Yeah, remember that,” Nova said, recalling how she had recounted him with the night’s happenings during a little visit to his house before she returned to Canterlot.  “Tried to turn it into a ‘Get out and enjoy yourself’ lecture.” “I know the feeling,” said Twilight, smiling.  “Princess Celestia used to do that all the time.” “Speaking of…” Nova said, trailing off meaningfully. “Oh, yes, well, studying under her is strange,” she explained, glancing up at the ceiling as she attempted to formulate an answer.  “I mean, you’d expect the pony who knows the most about you to be you, right?  Well, for me, she knows more about me than I think even my parents or I do.” “Can’t imagine how that must work,” Nova remarked truthfully.  “Luna is still working to get to know me.  Doesn’t quite have a really firm handle on what I’m good at, what I’m like, and so on.  Like this one time, she sent me some books on alchemistic magic.  All so she could teach me a lesson in unbending my pride enough to ask for help.” “You’re learning Alchemy?” she blurted out, eyes wide and jaw open even wider.  “Princess Celestia and I haven’t even touched on the magical implications of the subject yet!” “No, I’m not,” Nova said, shaking his head.  “Couldn’t decipher a word of the textbook she sent to me.  Frankly, I don’t think I’m anywhere near casting alchemical spells.  Still very behind in spellcasting ability.” “What do you mean?” asked Twilight, confused.  “How can you be behind?  You were able to do everything I was able to at the test today.” “Oh yes, I could,” he replied, “but that doesn’t mean I could do so smoothly.” “I don’t understand,” Twilight said, still not quite getting it, which only added to Nova’s ever-increasing irritation. “Look, Twilight, do you think we’re on the same level of spellcasting?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raising. “I… well, yes, we’re supposed to be--” “But we’re not,” Nova interrupted.  “I’ve been educated and I’ve been taught spells.  But despite all of that, I’m practically rubbish at spellcasting.” “Don’t say that!  No you’re not!  You performed very well today,” Twilight protested. “”Oh yes, today I did, but in the past, I’ve always had trouble focusing my mind enough to cast some of the more advanced spells.” Twilight’s look remained blank. How the bloody hell is she not getting this!? “Do you need me to put it in magic kindergarten terms for you?” snapped Nova, snarling.  “You.  Are better at magic.  Than me.  Twilight is greater than Nova.  I can decipher the spell’s magical language very well, but I can’t cast the bleeding--” Something twinged his horn and he started, biting off the end of his remark.  For a moment, all he could do was try to comprehend what had just happened, which would only have taken a second if he had just processed the fact that Twilight was returning to her spot on the bed. “Shouldn’t have taught me that,” she teased, but then her expression got more serious.  “And Nova, trust me, I understand how you feel.” “Really?” asked Nova in deadpan skepticism.  “The mare who spent all her time indoors studying and performing high level magic has an idea how it feels to not be able to properly indulge in one’s special talent?” “Seriously, Nova,” Twilight continued, choosing to ignore his little jab, “before I met my friends, casting magic wasn’t as easy for me as it is now.  And when I started to study friendship for myself in Ponyville, I grew stronger and stronger at a much faster rate than I did before.  It just took me finding that little niche, so to speak.  Everypony has theirs, even you.  You just need to find yours, and I know you’ll make a powerful spellcaster.” “High praise, Twilight Sparkle,” said Nova, inclining his head.  “Thank-you for it.” He glanced at the clock above her desk.  It wasn’t late by any stretch of the term, but he was hoping to catch up on some of the sleep he had lost from the nightmare that morning. “Well, I’m off to bed.  Thanks for the encouragement.” “Any time,” replied Twilight, giving him a friendly smile. “Good night, Twilight,” he said as he started to trot out. “Good night to you too, Nova,” he heard her respond before the door shut behind him.  As soon as it was in place, he trotted into her brother’s room, shut off the lights, got into bed, and fell asleep within minutes. {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} Night sighed as he slid his way under the covers of his bed, as Velvet read a book next to him. "What a day," he groaned, pulling the comforter up to about his armpits and resting his head on the pillow. "Yes, today has been... something," Velvet admitted, marking her spot in the book and setting it on the nightstand. "Little did either of us to expect Nova to show up here. Night, don't you find it ironic?" Night gave a grim smile, knowing exactly what Velvet was referring to. "Yes, Vel, I think I do," answered Night. "The two of them do seem to have a certain something between them already. Don't want to call it chemistry, but it's impossible to deny that there's something there, considering the looks she was giving him." "We thought it was going to be Glimmer and Shining Armor," Velvet remarked, "only to find out that it just might be Nova and Twilight. But, oh Night, what are we going to do?" "What do you mean, Vel?" asked Night, confused. "He's bound to find out sooner or later that Nova spent the night here," Velvet said, sliding herself further down to lay next to him. "How do you think he'll react? And what if Nova stays here again in the future? Will he come calling?" "I'll talk with Ray tomorrow," Night said, teeth gritting slightly as Nova's words about Ray's bounty hunter holding up their daughter returned to his mind. "He and I need to have a word after the commotion in the market place and the incident at the castle today." "But what if he demands to see Nova in the future?" asked Velvet. "You know how he was after the colt left. Tantalus--" "We won't let him," Night interrupted his wife, draping a leg around her. "Regardless of who is chasing him, Nova Shine is our guest, and he is Twilight's friend, and truth be told, I think he's a good stallion. I trust him. So long as he is under our roof, he should not and will not have to fear us betraying his trust." For a moment, Velvet and Night just watched each other, waiting to see what the other would say or do next. When it was clear that both of them were of the same mind, Night smiled and pecked his wife. "Well, since we both seem to agree, I think it's time for bed, Vel." "I agree," said Velvet, leaning over and pulling on the drawchain to shut off the lamp beside her, as Night did the same to the lamp on his side. "Good night, honey." "Good night, dear." {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} Deep in the Everfree Forest, there stood a stone building.  It had a distinctly temple-like look to the architecture, but over the years of neglect, the once-colorful stone had faded into dull grey colorlessness.  Windows were shattered, statues were weathered, and it looked like many of the other crumbling ruins scattered around the forest. Once full of ponies, now it was empty.  But nestled in a vault, there was a strange glass vial.  It was glowing orange, faintly brightening and darkening, as if pulsing with a heartbeat.  But suddenly, there was a flash of red-- --and Nova shot up, gasping loudly as he suddenly woke up, fearing something catastrophic.  But there was no strange temple ruin, no glowing vial, no end of Equestria to be found.  Instead, he was still in Shining Armor’s room at the Sparkles’ home, his once-perfectly-made bed now completely disheveled and… had he tied a knot in his sheets somehow? The clock next to him read that it was only 6:33AM, leading Nova to groan and fall back against his bed, letting his back contact the sweaty sheets underneath, only startling him even further into alertness. Great… yet another one, and it seems like it’s going to be one of those days. He lay there for several seconds, not really knowing what to do.  Should he get moving?  Or should he just lay there and hope he finished out his sleep regardless? After a few minutes of doing so, he discovered that the answer to the latter question was definitely “Nope.”  The sweaty sheets made it impossible, their cold keeping him alert.  A hot shower was probably in order.  He felt completely filthy.  His fur was matted with sweat from the night’s tossing and turning, his mane and tail were disheveled and also grimy from the evening’s exertions, and his muscles felt more sore than they should have for such a relaxing inaction as sleeping. Resigning himself to another long day, he slid out of bed and trotted down the hall to the bathroom.  Sunrise didn’t usually happen until 7:30, meaning he had a whole near-hour of darkness to work with.  As he reached out a hoof to open the door to the bathroom, it swung inward on its own, revealing Twilight Sparkle. For a moment, they just stared at each other, surprised to see each other up and about this early.  Nova looked Twilight over during that time.  Her coat was glistening with water droplets and her mane was freshly styled, so it was obvious she had just gotten out of the shower herself.  But her eyes looked even worse than they had the day before.  More sleep-deprived, so much more bloodshot, and her gaze even looked a bit half-lidded. “Wow, you look as bad as I feel,” Nova said, before clapping a hoof to his mouth as he realized what he had just said. Twilight just gave an exhausted smile.  “It’s fine, I know what you mean.” They continued standing there in silence for a moment, before Nova tested the waters. “You were having a nightmare…” “...about a ruined building in the Everfree Forest, yes,” she said, nodding. “With a glass vial, right?” he asked. “Yeah,” she answered, nodding. “It glowed, and then it flashed red--” “--and we both woke up,” she finished, nodding. “How cute,” came a voice from somewhere to Nova’s left, which revealed itself to be Night Light when they both turned to see who it was.  “You both can finish each other’s sentences.  Truly you’re made for each other.  Now, is one of you going to use the shower?  Or are you just going to stand here and block the hall all day?” Nova rolled his eyes and trotted past Twilight into the bathroom, whereas Twilight tried to slip past her dad, who was grinning in that annoying, knowing way that only dads can. {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} The sound of loud knocking echoed through the halls of Novus Manor.  Ray had been just about to go out into the gardens for some afternoon work, which put him in just the right place to answer the door.  He checked through the peephole in the door and was surprised to see none other than the Canterlot Castle Director of Staff himself, Night Light Sparkle. “Night,” he exclaimed as he opened the door to greet the stallion.  “What can I do for--” But he was cut off.  Night Light had stormed in, shoved Ray back a few paces, before using a hoof to push him back even further, pinning him to one of the walls. “What the hell are you doing?” Ray asked, horn brimming with magic, but Night simply placed a hoof on the tip of his horn and forestalled a response. “Your bounty hunter,” he growled, snarling at Ray, “accosted my daughter yesterday.” Ray sighed.  Sharp Eye had mentioned that Nova and Twilight had been travelling to the castle together.  What had Sharp Eye done? “If you’ll let me down,” Ray said, gently pushing back against Night, but Night was having none of it. “You’d better give me a good reason why he--” “He didn’t have one,” replied Ray, rolling his eyes.  “And it wasn’t your daughter he accosted, it was my son.  Your daughter just happened to be with him at the time.” Night just stood there, glaring at Ray while Ray pushed with just a little more force.  Finally, Night let him down. “Explain,” he said. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work up at the castle?” Ray asked. “Lunch break, now explain!” “Alright, alright, come with me,” he said, trotting out of the hallway he had been shoved into and in toward the living room.  Night followed, still looking quite a bit sour. In the living room, Night took a pouf.  Ray trotted over and took one of the sofas, before sighing heavily and launching into his account. “I spoke to Sharp Eye last night about it when he came to let us know what had happened,” he explained.  “He told me he had confronted my son, who was traveling in disguise as a Royal Guard that was supposed to be part of your daughter’s escort to the castle.” “If he was in disguise, how did he know?” Night asked, eyes narrowing. “As best I can tell, he flew up above the scene and saw it, so he followed them until he thought he had a good opportunity to confront Nova.  Nova fled the scene, Sharp Eye followed, but Aegis, the actual guard on the scene, knocked him unconscious, allowing them to escape.” “And now he’s searching again,” Night finished, it coming out as a growl.  “If he so much as talks to my daughter without her permission, Ray…” “He’s already found him again, Night,” Ray groaned.  “And all he’s doing now is just keeping an eye on Nova.  Tailing him from a distance, making sure he doesn’t go and do anything stupid.” “How could he have already found him again?  You said he was knocked unconscious--” “Because there’s only one train out of Canterlot today,” Ray said, giving Night a serious look.  “And they still haven’t reopened the path down the mountain.  It’s been five months since Trixie Lulamoon took that little spill in her wagon, and they still haven’t determined what caused it, and you know they’re not going to reopen it until they find out what it is.” “Oh Ray, don’t tell me,” said Night, groaning and covering his face with a hoof.  “You had something to do with the trains being stopped for the evening yesterday, didn’t you.  And you were the one responsible for possessing the pony in the Castle Grounds weren’t you.  Weren’t you!?” “I did, yes!” said Ray, nodding frantically as Night scowled at him.  “I had to see my son, Night!  And as for the trains, it was simply a little bit of a bribe to pay for some rescheduling.  Nothing harmful to anypony,” he said, trying to justify himself. “I don’t think I need to tell you what happened the last time one of us bribed somepony for something we thought was harmless,” Night retorted scathingly.  “You, me, and Tantalus used to be the best of friends, Ray!  And then ever since the incident at the school, we’re all drawn into stupid little confrontations like this.” Ray had no answer.  All he could do was sit there and think about it.  Night was right.  Last time someone had bribed someone else over something supposedly harmless, it had led to the mess they all were still trying to clean up. And it had led to his estrangement from his son. Ray sighed and let his head drooped as the realization hit him. “I’m sorry, Ray,” Night said, getting to his hooves.  “I do wish you and him would patch things up.  But I don’t think this is going to help.” Ray paused, suddenly struck by a bit of a realization. "How did you know it was my bounty hunter?" asked Ray. Obviously, the incident in the market had caused enough of a stir for everyone to hear about it, but that didn't explain how Night had known Sharp Eye had been in Ray's employ. "As I said earlier, Nova was traveling with Twilight to Canterlot Castle. And in the wake of the hunter's encounter and the guard at the castle, Nova needed a place to stay. Twilight brought him home with her, and we let him spend the night." Ray sighed, but Night continued. "And we will continue to offer him our roof and Shining Armor's bed in the future. And Ray, we will not be telling you when he is staying with us, is that understood?" "Completely," said Ray, smiling wanly. "I completely understand, old friend. If I knew he was staying at your home, I know my wife would probably try to beat down the door just to see him." He sighed. "For what it's worth, Night, I am sorry about Sharp Eye accosting Twilight. I'll send him a letter telling him not to go anywhere near the filly, if that will satisfy you?" "It should," said Night hesitantly, "but it had better be a more thoroughly-worded order than that." "It will be. You have my word." "Very well." Night started trotting out, but paused at the entrance to the living room. “My promise still stands, though.  If your bounty hunter so much as talks to Twilight without her permission, there will be hell to pay.” And with that, he was gone, leaving Ray to think on his words. {T} {A} {T} {S} {A} {T} {C} They were sitting in the same compartment in the same train car as they had been only the day before.  Unlike before, however, the Friendship Express was taking a much longer route to get to Neighton and Ponyville, circling around north through Manehattan and Fillydelphia, west to Seaddle, down through Trottingham, and finally back through Neighton and Ponyville before finishing back in Canterlot close to midnight.  They would be arriving in their towns close to eight and nine o’clock respectively. As such, as soon as they had gotten into the train cars, the two of them had decided to simulcast sleep spells on each other to regain their lost sleep, in a remarkable display of cooperation between two acquaintances. A few hours later, somewhere between Fillydelphia and Seaddle, they both woke up around the same time.  It took them a few minutes to really return to alertness, but once they did, they were in much better shape because of it. As such, after Nova had woken up, the two of them were in markedly better moods than they both had been when they had stepped onto the train, and for once, Nova didn’t hate the concept of chatting with somepony he didn’t know very well. “So, last night,” Twilight said, as they finished up a conversation about the time Twilight’d had a mental breakdown regarding a possibly-late friendship report, “you said that your little conversation with me was a, quote, ‘litmus test.’  Care to elaborate?” “Ah,” said Nova, smiling.  “Yes, I asked you if you’d be charging rent money if I were to stay at the library for an extended length of time.  Well, perhaps I should start at the beginning.” “The beginning?” asked Twilight. “Yes.  The nightmares we’ve been having.” At the mention of the sleep-depriving dreams they’d been having, Twilight took the opportunity to make a show of taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. “What about them?” “What if I were to propose that we would work together to find the source of these nightmares and put an end to them?” Nova asked, a serious look appearing on his face. “I would say that it is a good idea, but that I wouldn’t know a way to work together while we’re both too busy learning from our teachers,” Twilight answered. At this, Nova smiled again. “Aren’t you studying on your own?” he asked.  “If I recall, you are actually working a full-time job and studying in your off-time.” “Well, I… yes, that is true,” Twilight admitted.  “Though I learn about the magic of friendship every time I interact with my friends.  What about you?  Don’t you have a job?” “Nope,” Nova shook his head.  “Magical mercenary, remember?” “Oh, right.” “That means I could simply do magic-oriented jobs around town and make enough money to pay whatever rent you’d impose, as well as help chip in for any food I eat.  And in my off-time, I could spend more time searching for a way to end these nightmares of ours.” “Just out of curiosity, why would you need to live in my library?” Twilight asked.  “Why not in your house, or someplace else?  Or even a different city entirely, if you’re looking to get away from Neighton?” “It’s simple, really,” Nova answered matter-of-factly.  “My home in Neighton has a fairly decent stuy, to be sure, but compared to a normal library, it’s inferior.  The Neighton Public Library is smaller than my study, if you can believe it.  And if that were the case, I’d have to walk three hours there and three hours back every day just to do anything in Ponyville.  That’s a quarter of the full day, and that leaves it out of the question. “Second, other cities may come with better libraries and better resources, yes, but Ponyville would put me in closer proximity to you.” He failed to notice Twilight’s slight blush at those words, so caught up in his explanation, and continued. “You’re a fellow student, you run a library, and you’re also suffering from these nightmares, meaning that Ponyville would make it more convenient for us to work to stop them.” “Um, okay,” said Twilight.  They were good points, but one question remained unanswered.  “But why stay with me?” “Because frankly, I’d imagine you’d be more willing to allow a friend to stay at your home for an extended period of time, provided of course that said friend pays his dues, than you would be allowing him or her to spend even more money on a room at the inn every night.” “So, long story short, you’re counting on me being a nice and generous pony,” she said. “That’s the gist of it, yes,” affirmed Nova.  “Well?  Do my arguments move you to acquiesce to my requests?” “Acquiescing would imply that I agreed reluctantly,” Twilight said.  “And, yes, your arguments have moved me to accept your request.  But,” the held up a hoof, “we would need to discuss payment and ground rules.  I do live in the library, and I’ll not have you treating it like a sty.” “Implying I ever would think of ruining books,” remarked Nova.  “But yes, I agree, and you have my word that I’ll live by your rules while I’m there, whatever they are.” Suddenly, Nova paused, his eyes losing focus, and he turned to stare at the wall behind him, more towards the front of the train.  There was a familiar collection of energy on the other side of the wall separating the train compartments. “Something the matter?” Twilight asked. “Yes, actually,” said Nova, brow furrowing.  “I just happened to notice that our bounty hunter from yesterday is sitting in the compartment next to us, and he’s listening in on our every word.” Twilight’s horn brimmed and Nova felt the nexus of energy on the other side of the wall shift in surprise, but Nova held out a hoof to calm Twilight. “No, no, if he wanted to take me, he’d have done so much earlier,” he said, his voice raising somewhat.  “Which means he’s obviously out to tail me.  And I don’t mind that, but so help me, if I even hear so much as a rumor of him coming to take me, or if I find that he’s been asking some funny questions of you, I’m going to make sure he gets returned to Canterlot on an express pegasi ambulance.” Nova continued to pay very close attention to the nexus of energy that was the bounty hunting pegasus on the other side. “Have I made my point?  Tap three times on the wall for yes.” For a fleeting moment, the room remained silent, but then there came three sharp taps on the wall the pegasus was on the other side of. “Good enough for me,” said Nova.  His horn shone, and the room was bathed in a blue glow.  The walls shone the brightest, before fading back to their original color within a few seconds. “A soundproofing spell?” Twilight asked.  “And how did you know he was there?” “My energy sensing,” Nova answered.  “And this way he won’t be listening in on us until we arrive home.  But still,” he propped himself with his legs on the little fold-out table stuck in the wall, and holding a bottle of pony-cola in his forehoof, “that escalated quickly.” “It did, didn’t it.  But speaking of keeping an eye on ponies, what about the Princesses?” “What about them?” asked Nova, cocking an eyebrow. “Should we tell them what we’re looking into?” “Has Princess Celestia been any sort of helpful to you when you’ve asked?” Nova asked.  “Because Luna has been most unhelpful to me.  Everything I know of this, I’ve had to figure out myself.  So I think that, while we shouldn’t outright lie to them, that doesn’t necessarily mean we should take the initiative in telling them what we’re doing.” “I… don’t think I can do that,” Twilight admitted.  “I would never go against Princess Celestia.” “How about this?  You simply lodge me, I do all the actual doing.  That way, you’re in no way at fault.  That sound reasonable?” “Do you even have a plan?” asked Twilight.  “This all sounds nice, but do you even have any idea where you’re going with this?” “As a matter of fact, yes and no,” answered Nova.  “While it is true that we don’t know who could be casting these dreams onto us, we can still try to find what that ruin in the Everfree Forest is and look into it.  Perhaps that will give us some insight.” For a moment, the two of them kept quiet, letting the only sound be the train’s wheels on the tracks as the plains of central Equestria zoomed by them. “Well, since you don’t seem to have any more objections, and you haven’t backed out of your agreement,” Nova said, holding out a hoof, “I look forward to working with you, Miss Sparkle.” “And you as well, Nova.” And with that, they went back to chatting about inconsequential nothings as the train continued on its way to Ponyville.