> A Pony Displaced
>  by NoLongerSober
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> I Quit [Chapter 1]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You dare strike your queen!" 

The words echoed through the empty throne-room of the Everfree Castle, their only accompaniment being the sound of a violent energy discharge and a pained grunt, followed shortly after by the sound of stones collapsing to the ground.
“Be grateful, you foal. Did I not have business to attend to, your death would have been long in coming...” the same haughty voice from earlier spat out at the crumbled pillar, followed by the solid clop of hooves-on-stone and then silence as the owner of the voice presumably left.
Hours later, sound once again echoed off of the halls, this time in the form of several grunts and pained groans, followed by the sounds of shifting stone; from beneath the rubble that was once a decorative pillar, a charcoal-grey unicorn pulled himself out into the moon-lit throne room.

With a particularly pained heave, the unicorn hauled himself upright and leaned into one of the walls as he took stock of himself and his surroundings. What little fur could be seen beneath his armaments was a deep charcoal grey; most of his body, his cutie mark included, was covered by heavily-scuffed plate armor, somewhat similar to what the royal guards wore, though it differed in that it covered nearly his entire body and had an empty sword-sheath hanging off the right side of the armor. Both of his sides were covered, as well as his underbelly; in addition, he had a pair of steel slippers that came up from his hoof to just below his knees. Much of his armor was scratched or dented -particularly on the right side where it looked like it had been caved in- and his helm was nowhere to be found, letting his mane -blue with both light and dark-blue streaks- hang free. Pressing hard against the caved-in side of his armor with a hoof, the unicorn took a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing in pain.

“Ribs are busted up...armor’s cracked also...” the unicorn muttered to himself as his deep blue eyes roamed around the room.
It was the throne-room of the Everfree Castle where the final confrontation between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon had taken place, though it appeared to have been abandoned for some time. The walls were coated with thick layers of dirt and grime and the plant-life of the Everfree Forest seemed to have reclaimed most of the room by this point. “The hell?” The unicorn glanced around the decrepit room a second time. While he could recall some damage from the dueling alicorns, it sure as hell wasn’t this bad. It was clearly the same place from his memory just…older? “Where in the blazes have I en-” The unicorn fell silent as his ears twitched.
At first, there was only silence, but after a moment the soft clop of hooves-on-dirt could heard. There were at least five ponies, possibly more, if the unicorn’s ears were to be trusted.

As silently as he could, the unicorn limped into the shadows, only now noticing the splitting pain in his rear-right fetlock over the pain pretty much everywhere else. With a silent swear, he hid in the shadows and waited, hoping his presence would go unnoticed by the new arrivals.
The unicorn could make out six ponies - two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns, with his pain-blurred vision; it was too many to fight in his condition, should they be hostiles. As the six ponies approached the raised platform in the center of the room, the orange one spoke.
"Whoa…” she trailed off for a brief moment. “Come on, Twilight. Isn’t this what you’ been waitin’ for?” She had a thick southern accent and seemed to be addressing the purple unicorn.

“The Elements of Harmony…” Twilight began, seemingly in awe. “We found them!”

Both of the pegasus ponies flew up to the raised platform and began to lower the Elements down.

“Careful, careful…” Twilight advised from the ground.

The charcoal unicorn tuned the six ponies out, focusing on the crushing pains lancing through his side; he could feel his ribs pressing up against something he was pretty sure they shouldn’t be and had the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. Clenching his jaw as tightly as he could, he forced the blood back down his throat and glanced back to the Elements of Harmony, his eyes widening. While he had been focused on staying silent and undiscovered, five of the ponies had left the throne-room, leaving the purple unicorn alone with the elements. This wouldn’t be cause for alarm if not for the fact that a whirlwind of dark mist was circling around the elements while the unicorn had her eyes closed in concentration. “Open your eyes, you damned fool!” he yelled at Twilight, still hidden in the shadows.

“Ah!” Twilight shot upright and stumbled back, only now noticing the whirlwind of dark energies.

“Twilight!” The collective voices of the other ponies could be heard just outside the throne room.

“The Elements!” Twilight exclaimed, followed by her doing the stupidest thing possible -- jumping into the whirlwind of darkness and very likely death.

“Oh for buck’s sake…” The unicorn rushed to where Twilight had been teleported from and into plain sight of five very colorful ponies.
“What the hay did you do to Twilight?!” The blue pegasus shouted as she dive-bombed him.

Is she stupid? The question crossed his mind for a brief moment, before he concluded that yes, she probably was stupid. While it had certainly seen better days, his armor still marked him quite clearly as a member of the royal guard...was the royal guard still a thing? He frowned, just realizing that it very well might not be in this...world? Time? He wasn’t sure anymore, and it was starting to frustrate him.

Clenching his jaw in frustration, completely ignoring Rainbow Dash, who was rapidly closing in on him. In a flash, he teleported, following the trail of energies left behind by Nightmare Moon. Regardless of what was going on and where he was, she was trouble, as well as something he recognized.

Her intended target having vanished, Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as she face-planted the stone floor with a particularly comical sounding crunch.

“Rainbow, are you okay?” The orange pony asked, moving to help Rainbow Dash off of the ground.

“Look!” The white unicorn pointed a hoof out of a nearby window at a tower, where the flash of teleportation could be seen.

“Gods damnit…” The unicorn groaned as he forced himself upright. His magic had been more drained than he realized and he had suffered a magical burnout with his sudden teleportation, resulting in an immediate headache-from-hell, and the sudden inability to use magic. Glancing around the room, he saw Nightmare Moon charging up a spell to launch at the purple unicorn who was hunched down over the Elements of Harmony.

“I’m not paid enough for this...” The charcoal-coated unicorn muttered and took off as fast as his injured body would allow him, racing towards Nightmare Moon in what he hoped was a great sprint but in reality was more like a broken-ass gallop “A stupid whorse says what!” he yelled out as he closed in on the alicorn of darkness.

“What?” Nightmare Moon turned around, the sheer stupidity of the statement having distracted her for a brief moment.
“Case in point!” he replied as he threw his body around and bucked the alicorn as hard as he could.

As his hindhooves connected with Nightmare Moon’s side, he felt something in his right hind-leg snap, followed immediately by the pain intensifying several times over. He guessed he had completely broken what was previously a fracture; totally worth it, he grinned inwardly to himself as he saw his results. Nightmare Moon, having had minimal time to brace herself against the surprise attack, had been thrown off of her feet and a short distance away, crashing into a nearby wall. “Hope you have a plan, purple!” He yelled out as the alicorn climbed back to her feet.

“But...where’s the sixth Element?” Twilight turned back around to face Nightmare Moon, crestfallen that her plan had failed. What she saw, surprised her. A unicorn -similar to her brother in appearance, with the exception of the coat- was standing -if you could call him swaying back and forth lazily standing- on three legs, across from Nightmare Moon, who was climbing to her feet.

“No sixth Element, huh?” the unicorn questioned almost casually “Well, buck.” As he fell silent, the alicorn began to cackle madly.

“You little foals! Thinking you could defeat me!” she stalked towards the grey unicorn, a cruel grin on her face.

“You have failed! You will never see your precious princess again, and the night shall last forever! But before that, I’m going to enjoy myself…” 

As she fell, magic wrapped itself around the unicorn that had bucked her, causing her cruel grin to grow wider.

“Ya’ know, your laugh is hilarious…sounds like something out of a foal’s tale...kinda cute ac-” He started only to be silence by a scream, as it ripped itself from the his throat; he was fairly certain that hind-legs weren't supposed to bend three ways at once.

Over the next few moments, the unicorn’s vision faded in and out of black, courtesy of the alicorn swinging him back and forth across the room like a rag-doll, occasionally slamming him into the walls and floor.

This was the first time he had ever found himself wishing his armor wasn’t enchanted; in the short Nightmare War, Nightmare Moon and her followers employed heavy-duty sleeping spells wherever they could, executing the soldiers that fell asleep. In response, their armor had been enchanted to prevent a pony from falling asleep -or unconscious- so long as the armor held.

His pain was all he could focus on, with the exception of the walls and floor; they repeatedly rushed up to meet him for some reason. It was only when he fell to the ground, free of her magical hold that he realized something had happened. Craning his neck as far as he could, he saw the blurry image of the purple unicorn -Twilight, he believed- rushing over to him.

“Don’t move! We’ll get you to the hospital soon!” Twilight exclaimed, a teary expression on her face.

“Magic Barrier, is that you?” Princess Celestia suddenly rushed over, joined by Princess Luna and the five ponies from earlier.

“Your majesties…”  The unicorn, now identified as Magic Barrier began, “I quit.”
> 1000 Years [Chapter 2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A stretcher sped through the halls of Ponyville General, a cluster of ponies around it, all speaking frantically to each other.

“Magical scan shows that the damaged armor caused a severe hematoma!”

“By Celestia, how thick is the armor?”

“Come on, Magical Barrier, stay with us…”

“Prepare to burn that hole shut when we take this armor off…” the voice tapered off for a moment “And somepony sedate him already!”

Magic Barrier could feel the straps of his armor being severed, the heavy plates falling off as leather parted from metal.

“Steady, steady…” said another heavily distorted voice.

“Where the buck is that sedative!”

The breastplate was levitated off, followed immediately by a bloodcurdling cry ripping itself from Barrier’s throat and the most intense pain he had felt thus far.

“I’m sorry...” The speaker sounded to be nearly crying…

Magical Barrier opened his mouth to reply that it wasn’t the speaker’s fault, but the tube being run down his throat prevented it. He could only gag weakly and fade into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness as his armor-enchantments faded.


***


“What do you think happened to him? That armor looked sort of like what the royal guards have, didn’t it?” The voice was feminine and right next to him.

“The princess said that he fought Nightmare Moon, so I would imagine the injuries could be attributed to that…the rest, I’m not so sure. That armor has more enchantments than everything in the hospital combined—hay, the princess had to lift it off of him. None of the staff could use magic on it.” That one was masculine and on the opposite side. 

“The princess seems certain that he’ll wake up…wish I shar-” the stallion leapt backwards with a rather feminine shriek as Magic Barrier reached out and touched his shoulder.

“He’s awake! Nurse Redheart, get that tube out of his throat!” 

Redheart’s eyes widened and she quickly began to slide the tube out of his throat as quickly and gently as she could.

Barrier stayed as still as he could, only coughing as the end of the tube escaped his throat. “Whe-r- a- I?” he managed to croak out in a hoarse and broken voice. Neither of the ponies could understand him.

“Ah. Nurse Redheart, could you get him a glass of water?” The doctor removed the stethoscope from around his neck, saying, “Don’t try to speak, your throat is drier than the Appleloosan Desert. Just wait until the nurse returns with water.” The doctor began checking vital signs. “I’m Doctor Horse and that was Nurse Redheart,” he spoke as he wrote the information down on a clipboard.

Remaining silent, Barrier decided to take stock of himself while he waited for the nurse to return. From what he could feel, his right hind-leg was completely immobilized, though the left seemed to be unrestricted. Glancing down at his barrel, he could see that it was wrapped entirely in bandages and smelled heavily of antiseptic. With a thought, his horn flared dimly to life.

“Ah, I wouldn’t try magic just yet. You had a pretty nasty burnout when you came in and your magic will need tim-” The doctor trailed off as the bedsheet lifted itself. “Or your magic has already recovered enough for you to use it…” He smiled, slightly surprised.

Raising the bedsheet, Barrier could see that his right hind-leg was in a thick cast from the hoof up; it even covered the cutie-mark on his right flank.

“Here you are.” Redheart had returned, a large plastic cup of water balanced on her back.

Taking the cup from Nurse Redheart in a telekinetic grip, much to her surprise, Barrier took several deep sips. “By Sol, water’s never tasted so fine.” While still hoarse and raw, it was understandable. “As I was trying to ask earlier, where am I, and what happened?” He fell silent for a moment, seeming to slip into deep thought before adding, “And what is today’s date?”

The doctor took a moment to think over the questions, returning his stethoscope to his neck; the last one was a bit odd, and he wasn’t actually positive as to what had caused Barrier so much damage, nonetheless, he took them in order. “Well, to begin with, you’re at Ponyville General, a hospital,” a frown settled on his features, “and I’m honestly not positive as to what happened to you. When you were brought in, you were in armor; the whole right side was smashed in, breaking two ribs and tearing your side open. This caused blood to pool around your lungs and heart.Besides that, your right metatarsal -your hind-leg, that is- was broken in three different places.You had various fractures elsewhere, though they are of little note.” Taking a short breath, he continued, “The worst of it was the wound on your side. Your armor was keeping it sealed, and we had to cauterize the wound for lack of time and information. After that, we drained the blood that had pooled, put your leg in a cast, ribs in bandages, and sealed the fractures. You’ll be in a world of hurt when the morphine wears off, but you’ll live.” The doctor took another short breath. “And to answer your last question, this is the first year of Harmony. Princess Celestia declared an end to the Solar Era in the thousandth year with the return of her sister, Princess Luna, only a few days ago.”

Barrier remained silent for the duration of the doctor’s explanation, simply absorbing the information; his location and injuries didn’t really surprise him - he had worked most of that out in his head beforehand. The date on the other hoof, had his head spinning. The last era he remembered -his era- was the Second Equestrian Era, during which Princess Luna had become Nightmare Moon and plunged the world into a short yet brutal war. Head spinning, he only vaguely registered the doctor speaking to Nurse Redheart and then to him before both of them left him alone.

For nearly an hour, he sat in his bed, simply staring down at the bedsheet, futilely attempting to wrap his head around…whatever it was that had happened to him. He remembered being banished alongside Nightmare Moon, and he remembered returning alongside her. How long had he been banished? One thousand years, at least, if the doctor was to be trusted. As the implications of his situation dawned on him, a choked sob escaped his throat, followed by a steady stream of tears, no matter how tightly he closed his eyes. He was alone; his parents, his wife…gods, his daughter… Pulling the bedsheet up over his head, he rolled onto his left side and quietly cried himself to sleep…

> I need a favor... [Chapter 3]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magical Barrier remained silent underneath the bedsheets, listening to the conversation outside of his room.

“And you’re certain he is okay? There will be no lasting effects?” The soft regal voice of Princess Celestia.

“None, Princess. His side healed up wonderfully and his leg will heal just fine, as long as he doesn’t do anything…unintelligent.” the voice, who Barrier mentally identified as Doctor Horse stated.

“Unintelligent? You mean like fighting an evil spirit with the powers of an alicorn when he can barely stand?” The voice was scratchy and familiar, though he couldn’t quite place it.

“Rainbow, that’s not very nice.” That one was…Twilight?

“What? He looked ready to fall over when we saw him. Just callin’ it like I see it Twi.” So, that was Rainbow; one of five ponies that had accompanied Twilight to the Everfree Castle, Barrier mentally noted.

“I’m surprised he was standing at all, Rainbow Dash. He did spend a thousand years magically sealed with Princess Luna, after all.” Princess Celestia again…Barrier could never get tired of her voice; it had always had a soothing, motherly quality to it that was hard not to enjoy.

“Princess Celestia, is everything okay?” Twilight began, “You look…worried.”

“Yes, everything is fine…I was just thinking about how Barrier is going to handle all of this. He was always very distant towards my sister and me, and everyone dear to him has long since passed…” Celestia’s voice faded into a depressed silence.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself for the coming conversation, Magic Barrier spoke for the first time since he had awaken. “Worry not, Highness…I’ll persevere.” His voice, unlike the previous day, held an air of professionalism; he wasn’t speaking to a nurse and doctor anymore, he was now speaking to his commanding officer and his tone and attitude reflected such.

“Ah, Mr. Barrier, you’re awake.” The doctor turned to the visitors, “I’ll leave you ladies to it…just remember, don’t let him move around, and try not to stress him out. He still has a lot of healing to do.” Bowing his head respectfully to the princess, the doctor trotted away.

The three visitors walked in, Celestia and Twilight each taking a side of his bed while Rainbow Dash floated lazily at the foot, sizing him up.

“Your majesty.” He threw a tired salute, bowing his head as much as he could in respect.

“At ease, Magic Barrier; formality is unnecessary at this time.” Princess Celestia wore a hint of a smile.

“So this is the stallion that looks like your brother huh?” Rainbow floated over the bed, almost muzzle-to-muzzle. “Not bad…not bad at all.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow when she realized that the unicorn wasn’t paying attention to her. Following his gaze, her eyes rested on Twilight’s flank. “Oh-ho-ho” Dash’s grin got wider. “Looks like you’ve got an admirer Twilight.”

Raising an eyebrow, Twilight followed Barrier’s gaze to her own flank, a light blush lighting up her face as she realized that he had been staring at her.

“What can I say, it’s a very nice flank.” Barrier smiled softly, a chuckle escaping him as Twilight turned even redder. “Princess Celestia…I know it’s probably futile to ask, but can you send me back to my own time?”

The Princess’ hint of a smile vanished almost instantly. “I’m sorry my little pony, but I cannot. You were pivotal in the initial banishment of Nightmare Moon; time travel is far too complex to risk sending you back.” Princess Celestia’s gaze drifted down to the ground.

“Figured as much…well, we can’t win all the time. Since I’m stuck here, I guess I should try and figure out where I go from here…I don’t imagine my savings gathered interest for the last thousand years…” he fell silent, briefly tuning the outside world out as he lost himself in thought.

“You know…” Celestia began, snapping the unicorn back to attention, “you could always return to your job as a royal guard. We have a positions open for senior advisors.” 

“I quit the guard didn’t I?” Barrier replied matter of factly. “And senior advisor, really? Am I that old?”

“Well, you are over a thousand years old,” Twilight made her presence known “Perhaps you could be a historian of sorts,” her inner scholar was giddy at the possible knowledge, despite Princess Celestia coaching her to remain calm and not ask any questions before Barrier had even awoken. “We don’t have any particularly accurate history books about life before Nightmare Moon!”

Was that payback for the flank comment? Inwardly, Barrier grinned at the unicorns comment about his age. “Maybe. It’s something to consider, if nothing else…I imagine I have a lot of history to read up on myself.”

“Twilight, could you give Magic Barrier and me a few moments in private?”

“Of course, princess. Come on Rainb-” Twilight trailed off, looking around the  room. Rainbow was nowhere to be found. “Where in the hay did she go?” Twilight trotted over to the door, sticking her head out and looking around before stepping out of the room, muttering to herself.

As soon as Twilight was out of earshot, Barrier turned to the princess. “Your majesty, is she…?” He trailed off, waiting for Celestia to pick up the thread.

“Is she…what?” Celestia looked at him with a bewildered expression. After a moment, she began simply guessed as to what he was referring to. “Is she single? Even disregarding the one-thousand years, you’re far older than her, Barrier.”

Magic Barrier sighed and pressed both hooves firmly to his face, his horn lighting up as a third magical hoof pressed itself alongside them. “Nevermind, your majesty.” Shaking his head to clear it of the absurdity. “What did you want to speak to me about privately?”

“I wanted to apologize, Magic Barrier…I failed you. Because of me, you’ve lost everything you held de-”

“Stop.” He cut the Princess off. “By Sol, Princess, stop.” Barrier had his jaw clenched tightly as he mentally processed what he was trying to say. “It wasn’t your fault; the fault belongs to Nightmare Moon, and Nightmare Moon alone.  Nopony else is at fault. We both did what we had to…I can live with that, no regrets.” No regrets, however, doesn’t necessarily mean no revenge, though Barrier kept that to himself. “Just…don’t blame yourself. I don’t think I could handle it if you blamed yourself, Princess.”

“Of course, Barrier.” The Princess nodded, a forlorn smile on her face. “I suppose I should let you get some rest…you no doubt have a lot of things to think about…“

“Yeah… I really do I guess.” Barrier couldn’t help but stare dejectedly at the bedsheets. “Princess?”

Celestia stopped.

“Can you tell the doctor I want to speak to him? Also, I need a favor…”


***
 

Several hours after the Princess had departed, Barrier awoke to the sound somepony entering his room; glancing up, he spotted the doctor approaching him, a tray of ever-so-excellent hospital gruel in his magical aura.

“Oh joy.” Barrier commented dryly, the smell of the bland food wafting around the room.

“Ah come on, it’s not that bad is it?” the doctor started “It must be better than the paste we were pumping into you, at the very least.”

“The paste is more desirable…at least I could not taste that.” Taking the tray of food in his own aura, Barrier sat it on the bedside table.

“The princess said you wished to speak with me?”

“Yes…did she mention the favor I requested?”

“She did, although I would ask you to reconsider…it would break doctor-patient privilege and I am not particularly comfortable with the request…”

“Sorry doctor, but this is really important to me,” Barrier felt guilty for forcing the doctor’s hoof on this, but he absolutely had to know. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

With a dejected sigh, the doctor nodded and pulled a needle from his coat-pocket. “Very well, but know that I do this against my will.” He quickly took a sample of blood, leaving the room immediately after.

Glancing down sadly, Barrier sighed and began to force the contents of the tray down, his mind running amok with possible scenarios should his hunch pan out.

> It sounded better in my head... [Chapter 4]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every day for the next week-and-a-half repeated itself; breakfast and then physical therapy, lunch and then magical treatments, followed by visiting hours and Twilight…assaulting him with questions. She always seemed to steer wide of personal questions, the princess’ doing, no doubt. He had initially occupied his spare time catching up on history and learning new speech patterns, but there wasn’t a lot to take note of. The last thousand-years had been painfully peaceful and speech patterns hadn’t changed much; a lot less pronouns, but little else of note.

“Guess I should be glad there wasn’t anything interesting to write about…not like it was back before the Nightmare…” He had taken to holding short conversations with himself to help fill the time; most of the nurses were certain he wasn’t in the right state of mind.

“Mr. Barrier?” Nurse Tenderheart, he believed.

“I’m awake.” He replied eagerly, despite knowing that she was only delivering breakfast.

“You sound awfully excited today.” The nurse commented as she deposited the tray of food on the bedside table, ignoring the mild look of distaste that Barrier was giving it.

Turning his attention from the food to the nurse, he nodded. “Yeah, I get out today; gotta take a trip to Canterlot to answer a summons.” The summons had been delivered by Twilight and she had specifically said that there was no rush; fortunately the doctor wasn’t around to hear that part.

“Well then, I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, just press the call button.” Tenderheart departed, leaving Barrier to climb from his bed and hobble to the bathroom with a tray of food.

Barrier muttered dryly to himself as he scraped the food into the toilet and flushed it, as was his habit with breakfood as of late. Seriously, that stuff was worst than field rations. With that out of the way, he returned to his bed and began to throw a ball that one of Twilight’s friends had left him at the wall repeatedly.


***


As the sun reached its zenith, Barrier was still slapping the ball against the wall in a dull, neverending cycle. It wasn’t until Doctor Horse appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair that his attention failed, leaving the ball to smack him square in the horn.

“I meant to do that.” He lied as he rubbed his sore horn; that ball was a helluva lot harder than it appeared.

“Of course you did.” the doctor shook his head as he lifted Barrier in his magic, depositing him in the wheelchair,

“Were you able to find what I asked for?”

“Yes, it was in the armor as you said, though I’m afraid it’s a little bloody.” The doctor removed a necklace from his labcoat, passing it to Barrier with his magic.

“And the other thing?”

“That is a yes as well, though I still wish you had consulted Miss Sparkle beforehand.” The doctor began wheeling Barrier to the front desk, sitting a clipboard in his lap as he did so. “Those are the transfer papers. I expect to hear that you’ve checked in to Canterlot Memorial Hospital by the end of the night, Mr. Barrier. You’d be here for another month were it not for your summons.”As they reached the front door, the doctor fell back to all four legs. “And remember, no strenuous activity, your medication is in the saddlebags, and Canterlot Memorial is expecting you by eight-o'clock.

“Yes mom. If I eat all my dinner can I go outside to play?” He muttered annoyedly as he wheeled himself away.

“I just said no strenuous activity!” Barrier vaguely heard the doctor yell as he gained distance.


***


As he wheeled himself through town, Barrier suddenly felt a chill work it’s way down his spine; all of his instincts were suddenly screaming at him to run. Taking a deep and steadying breath, Barrier gazed around, trying to figure out why he suddenly felt this way; after a moment of scanning, his eyes settled on a gingerbread-house with a large cupcake hanging above it. Without a doubt, it was the origin of his fears. As casually as he could, he began to wheel himself away, praying that whatever had him frightened wouldn’t pursue.

“Barrier! You’re out of the hospital already?” Ah Twilight Sparkle…of course she would be the one he ran into. “I thought it’d be at least another week!” Twilight had to maintain a brisk trot to keep up with the wheelchair. “Where in the hay are you going to so fast?”

“In order, I’m being transferred to Canterlot Memorial so I can answer the summons from the princess, there is no way in Tartarus that I’m that I am staying in any hospital for another week, and I’m in a hurry because I am fairly certain I’m in mortal peril.”

The train station had just come into view; on the tracks was easily the fruitiest damn thing he’d ever seen. He had never seen a train in-person before, only briefly reading about their creation. The idea had fascinated him as such machines would have been tremendously helpful in his time; in person it was kind of underwhelming.

“Yeah, okay,” Barrier couldn’t help but press a hoof to his face “next I’ll find out that their using gold to make the guards armor.”

“Well of course they’re using gold. It’s the most readily available metal, after all.” Twilight spoke very matter of factly.

With an elongated sigh, Barrier wheeled himself to the ticket booth. “How in hell do you downgrade armor!” Barrier shook his head annoyedly, I’m just going to stay quiet I think.” Purchasing a ticket with a handful of borrowed bits, Barrier couldn’t but frown as he did so. He really needed to attain some bits of his own; being broke sucked. “Huh, maybe I shouldn’t have quit.”

Turning to Twilight, Barrier’s expression softened and a genuine smile -the first since he had woken up- crossed his face. The situation sucked, but maybe it wasn’t all bad. “I’ll see you on the return, Twilight. Peace until then, friend.”


***


Canterlot was, for lack of a better word, disappointing. The city walls were clearly more for display rather than actual usage; and why the hell was the city on the side of a mountain? That was a disaster waiting to happen.

Departing the train station, Barrier carefully wheeled his way toward the castle looming in the distance, taking care to avoid the many ponies meandering through the street; most of them were clearly of the upper class and said nothing to Barrier as he wheeled along. It wasn’t until he had reached the castle and was waved through the front door that one of the nobles finally spoke to him…sort of; it went about how he had expected it to.

“Honestly, they’ll let any pathetic commoner roam the castle these days!”

Raising an eyebrow, Barrier turned his chair around to face his new best friend, a slight grin on his face. He loved snobs; they were easily one of his top five favorite things. This one looked ripe for the picking; blond well-cut mane, a unicorn, and a high-ranking noble if his attire was any indication.

Putting on the most snobbish tone he could muster, Barrier began “Oh, I know…what were they thinking letting a bumbling oaf like yourself wander the halls? Honestly, were it up to me we would nae allow you inbred fools entry to the city, much less our castle.”

The blond unicorns expression turned from superior to contemplative to stupefied over a period of three seconds and no retort seemed to be forthcoming; all in all, in was quite amusing.

Finally, the silence was broken, a choked giggle escaping the guards-mare who had been escorting Barrier to the throne room.

“Y-yo-!” The noble sputtered to life, his brain finally firing back up “You dare laugh at me!”

Barrier was surprised that he had lashed out at the young mare rather than him; it made him suspect that this noble had no actual authority over civilians.

“I’ll have you discharged, you harlot! I’ll-” the noble went into a rant, detailing all of the punishment he would personally oversee.

The guard’s expression fell as soon as Blueblood said that she would be discharged -- nothing seemed to bother her more than that. “I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your days in poverty you who-”

“Hey pillow-bitter!” Barrier cut him off, unintentionally trading his usual voice for a far icier and threatening tone; nobody talked to his fellow guards that way.

Blueblood fell silent and the guard’s jaw dropped. Most ponies wouldn’t dream of throwing such an insult at a fellow pony, much less at the nephew of Princess Celestia.

“Until three weeks ago, I killed ponies for a living…open that meat-hole of yours again and I’ll have all the reason I need to come out of retirement.” a short breath, followed by Barrier’s horn flaring ominously black “Do yourself a favor, colt…run home before I ship ya’ there in a pine box.”

Blueblood seemed like he was going to make a retort until their eyes met.

Rage, power, wrath…Barrier’s eyes seemed to threaten Blueblood in ways unimaginable. They weren’t the eyes of an injured pony anymore, they were the eyes of someone who could and would kill if he deemed it necessary; they almost seemed to be begging him to make a retort.

As fast his legs would carry him, Blueblood turned tail and sprinted down the hallway, stumbling once or twice.

“I…is it true?” The young guards-mare asked timidly, uncertain about the sudden personality shift her ward had undergone. “Did the royal guard really kill ponies back then?”

Letting a sigh escape him, Barrier mentally chided himself; he had let his attitude get the better of him.

“What’s your name, private?”

“D-Daisy Chain, sir.”

“To answer your question, Miss Chain, Equestria was a very different place a thousand years ago. Few of the other races saw an opportunity for easy conquest. We did what we had to do for our fellow ponies…nothing more and nothing less. Come on, let’s get to the throne room before I do something else stupid.”

“Yes sir.” The guards-mare stood up behind the wheelchair and began down the hallway towards the throne room.

“Announcing Sir Magic Barrier.”

“Magic Barrier?” Celestia questioned from her throne, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance; she hadn’t expected him this soon.

Barrier bowed his head as best he could as he was wheeled in.

“Magic Barrier, what are you doing here?” Celestia glanced down at the unicorn doubtfully “you shouldn’t be out of the hospital for another week, at the very least.”

“Needed another favor and to talk to you about your job-offer, so I escaped the institution and came here to see you.”

“Hospital. It’s a hospital, Barrier.” Celestia pressed a hoof to her head. “Right, the job offer. I’ll speak to the involved parties and get back to you on that, what favor would you ask of me this time?”

“My hunch was correct and I’d like to meet the others, if you’ll permit.”

“Of course, my assistant will get you their address. Is there anything else?”

“No, your highness... “ Barrier turned his chair around and wheeled himself to the door, mentally noting how annoyed the princess seemed to be ”Oh, there is one thing. Militarily, your city sucks. Honestly, a hive of insects could lay siege to this city and you’d be defenseless.”

Wheeling himself out, Barrier found the assistant waiting for him, a slip of paper in hoof.

“Thank you, sir.” Barrier tilted his head slightly and wheeled himself away slowly, his escort behind him. As he made his way to the gate, Barrier mentally took note of every little detail he could, from guard positions to the various rooms. His eyes perked up at the sight of one room in particular. It was an ornate door with a crescent moon on it. Noting it’s location, he departed, looking at the scrap of paper only after he was a safe distance from the castle.


***


Despite the confidence he had felt before, Magic Barrier’s mouth was fairly dry for reasons he couldn’t understand. Raising his hoof to knock, he hesitated. What would he say? What did he hope to accomplish by confronting these ponies?

“This was a bad idea…” Barrier lowered his hoof, a familiar sensation running through his stomach; he was nervous. “Just turn around and leave, Barrier.” The door opened as he spun his wheelchair around.

“Hah! I told you someone was at the door, Velvet!”  

Turning around to explain that this was an accident, Barrier’s brain shut down temporarily. It was like looking at a carbon-copy of his long-deceased father.

“How can I help you today, mister…”

“Barrier. Magic Barrier. I’m here to speak to you actually, Night Light.” Barrier realized he might have come off as rude, having skipped the use of honorifics; it probably wouldn’t matter much here soon anyways.

“I see. And what did you need to see me ab-”

“Who’s at the door, Night Light?” the mare cut her husband off as she approached the door, taking position up alongside her husband. “Oh wow, he looks a lot like Shiny!”

“I really have to meet this Shining character. That’s the third time someone has said I look like him.” Or would it be that Shining looks like Barrier? “Anyways, I’m here to ask you some questions about you,“ He nodded at Night Light “your daughter Twilight, and especially this Shiny character.

“That’s quite an interesting request,” Velvet pointed out. “Why don’t we discuss this inside? I just put the kettle on.”

Stepping aside to usher the unicorn in, Night Light pushed the door shut and followed his wife and guest into the living room.

“So, why do you want to know about our family history?” Night Light asked as soon as Velvet left to check the kettle. “It’s a fairly random topic, all things considered.”

“”Well, Night Light…you probably won’t believe me when I tell you this, but know that I have evidence to support this statement.”

Velvet stood in the doorway, observing the conversation curiously.

“Heh…this is kinda hard to say really. It sounds stupid when I play it out in my head.”

“Just say it dearie. It can’t be that bad.” the unicorn mare pitched in.

“I’m your great grandpa.”

And silence.

> Rarely Pure, Never Simple [Chapter 5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There’s a punchline to that, right?” Night Light finally broke the silence, a frown on his face. Who the hay was this nutcase? “I think you should leave Mr. Bar-”

“Hold on dear.” Velvet cut her husband off. “You said you had evidence to back up your statement, Mr. Barrier?”

“Yes mam, but before that, I should probably explain how the situation came about. When Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon and the war started, I was one of the ponies in charge of preparing our operations, both defensive and offensive. In the final confrontation, Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon engaged each other in the throne-room of the Everfree Castle…” As he began to recall the past, he found himself reliving the memories in his mind. Though they had happened a millennium ago, it still felt like yesterday. It sort of was yesterday, he supposed.


***


It was pouring rain as the battle raged inside of the Thestral’s war-camp. One of the scouts had discovered the camp by chance and reported that he had seen Nightmare Moon in the camp; they had launched a surprise-attack to try and bring a rapid close to the war. So far, it had worked almost perfectly to sketch. The only problems that had arisen was that neither Nightmare Moon or Princess Celestia were anywhere to be found.

“Captain!” An orange-coated stallion rushed up to Magic Barrier, sliding to a stop in front of his captain and throwing a sharp salute.

“What’s the word, Flash? How long until we can go home?”

“The thestrals are giving us a hard time but we should have the camp mopped up by daybreak.” The lieutenant took several deep breaths before continuing his report “As the report said, there were roughly a thousand thestrals in the camp. We managed to put about half of that number down while they were still asleep before one of them called an alarm. After that, we sent up the flare and we collapsed in on them from all sides.”

“Well done, lieutenant. Keep an eye on things down there for me.”

“Sir!” The orange pegasus saluted once more before he flew back towards the now-burning camp.

Barrier couldn’t help but gaze down at the burning camp in frustration; not being able to join the battle was disheartening. Both he and the princess had agreed to meet at the top of a nearby hill and wait for Nightmare Moon to make an appearance; from there, Princess Celestia would engage while he played support.

“Where are you, Princess…”


***


Realizing he had drifted off into a daydream, Barrier cleared his throat and began again. “Anyways, when I got to the throne room, Nightmare Moon was lobbing rocks everywhere. The princess managed to avoid most of them, but one slipped through and she took it hard in the face.” Stopping to take a short drink of tea, “Anyways, I jumped in to buy her time to recover. After she recovered, I climbed atop Nightmare Moon and and yelled for the princess to do it. Next thing I know, something hot washed over me. Cut forward a thousand years when Nightmare Moon returned and here I am.”

Finishing his tea, he made to explain the blood-comparison he had requested the doctor to run only to stop as he realized both ponies were beet-red.

“Is everything okay? You’re both rather red…”

Coughing awkwardly, Night Light waved a hoof. “Fine. I mean, we’re fine. Just taking in the story is all. Nothing more.”

Shrugging off the awkward response, “The evidence I mentioned earlier,” Barrier fished an envelope from the saddlebags. “is this. Initially, I had asked the princess to do some research for me, to check my hunch. She informed me of an easier way, that being this blood-test.”

Levitating a pair of reading-glasses onto herself, Velvet began to peruse the test-results.

“So Barrier, I have some questions,” Night Light began. “First and foremost, and not to sound rude, but what do you hope to accomplish by telling us all of this? While I am admittedly interested and would love to discuss this all with you, I would like to know all of your reasons for seeking us out instead of discussing all of this with our daughter.”

Resting his chin on a hoof, Barrier smiled sadly at Night Light before responding, “I honestly have no clue. When I woke up I felt…broken. Everything I had bled and fought for…all of it was gone while I remained. I guess I just wanted to know that it wasn’t all in vain.”

“Well, the blood-test certainly checks out,” the mare passed the paper to her husband. “does Twilight know about this all yet?”

Shaking his head a negative, Barrier explained. “I wasn’t afraid to bring it up. I wasn’t sure if she would react positively or negatively; I decided I would talk to you two before-hoof.”

Returning the paper to the chair-bound unicorn, a slight smile on his features. “Well, blood doesn’t lie. You’re a Sparkle. Welcome…back to the family, I guess. As for Twilight, I honestly think she’ll be ecstatic at the prospect of having a relative from so long ago, so long as you’ll answer her questions. So, how did you come to meet our Twilight upon your…” Night Light fumbled briefly “re-entry to Equestria?”

“Well, when Nightmare Moon returned to Equestria, I was still mounted upon Nightmare Moon. My first instinct of course was to strike her as hard as I could between her wings.”

Night Light flinched at the thought; pegasus wings were extremely sensitive and a solid strike at the nerve-bundle between their wings could cost them their ability to fly.

“She didn’t take very calmly; the next thing I knew I was face-down with Nightmare Moon beating my flank like it was her job.”

Shining Armor stopped his hoof as he heard a voice he didn’t recognize. Glancing over at Cadance, he turned back to the door just in time to hear: “Face-down with Nightmare Moon beating my flank like it was her job” Shining’s face began to heat up at the mental imagery conjured up and Cadance had choked back a giggle. “when all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. After that, everything went black.”

Cadance couldn’t take it anymore and began to laugh.

With a sigh, Shining Armor pushed the door open.

“Shiny, Cadance!” Twilight Velvet jumped upright, galloping over to embrace the two.

The laughter stopped abruptly as the air left their lungs.

“Ah, so this is the boy I keep hearing looks like me.” Wasting no time, he climbed out of his chair with both great effort and a groan of pain, Hobbling over to Shining Armor and Cadance, circling around Shining a couple of times..

“Excuse m-” Shining's voice left him as he saw Barrier limping over to him. Much of his coat and body was hidden under his bandages, but the mane and face were like looking into a mirror.

Stopping nearly muzzle to muzzle with Shining, Barrier gazed deeply into his great grandson’s eyes. “Hm…” Taking a few steps back and limping to Shining’s side, Barrier took in every detail he could, from the cutie-mark to the condition of his fur.

“Um, and you are…?” Shining Armor shifted uncomfortably under the grey unicorn’s gaze. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but he felt like he was back in his first day of guard-training.

Running his gaze over Shining Barrier, he finally  stopped, a wide grin on his face. “Damn we look good. If we weren’t related I’d jump right on you…then again, it’s a pretty distant relation, so maybe if your mare-friend consents…seriously,  your flank looks like it was sculpted out of pure marble.”

“Uh…thanks? I think…” Shining took a back away from Barrier a bit.

“I consent-" A wide grin broke out onto Cadance's features "-as long as I get to watch it happen."


***


“So, you were the captain of the royal guard one-thousand years ago?” After running Shining Armor and his mare-friend through the same story he had given their parents, Shining had wasted no time in peppering him with questions, most of them pertaining to the royal guard in the Second Equestrian Era. He was definitely Twilight’s brother.

“I was a captain,” Barrier couldn’t help but smile at Shining Armor’s enthusiasm. Thus far, he had learned that the stallion was only recently promoted to the Captain of the Royal guard as the youngest in Equestrian history. “One of five or so. The guard was much bigger back then as opposed to what it is now, from what I’ve seen. As terrible as the Nightmare War was, it told the rest of the world just how capable the Princesses were. Either one of them has the capacity to end all life on our planet.”

Shining frowned at that; it wasn’t something he had ever considered, but now that he thought about it, he couldn’t refute the statement.

“Contrary to belief, our princess’s aren’t infallible. They’re ponies with emotions, same as us.”

Cadance simply nodded in reply, knowing all too well that her aunt was as much of a pony as all of her subjects.

“Hey, I meant to ask earlier.” Night Light intervened. “How did you know you were related to Twilight when you first met her?”

“What do you mean? It’s...oh right.” He realized that none of the ponies present had seen his cutie mark; he had only stood up once they had all been focused on him sexually harassing Shining Armor at the time.

With a pained grunt, he climbed upright and exposed his non-bandaged flank to the family.

His cutie mark was similar to Shinings -it seemed to be a pattern at this point- in that it was a simple heater shield with the six-point arcane star in the center. Mounted behind the shield was a plain broadsword. It was a very generic guard cutie-mark. As he fell back into the chair, he didn’t wait for any further questions. “I suppose I should be heading out soon.” The sun was rapidly descending beyond the horizon.

“Where are you staying at while in Canterlot?” Night Light asked. “We have a guest room if you’d like to stay.”

“Thanks, but I have a room waiting for me at Canterlot Memorial. I may or may not have snuck out of the hospital in Ponyville two weeks before I should have. I’ll probably be in town for another week or two, so I’ll stop by if circumstances permit.” Waving a hoof behind him, Barrier wheeled himself out of the door.

“Barrier, wait up!” Cadance was trotting up behind him. “I thought I would walk with you part-way, since I have to see my aunt.”

“Of course, princess.” Barrier tilted his head slightly, much to Cadance’s annoyance.

They walked in silence for several long minutes before Cadance asked a question that Barrier had been waiting for all evening.

“What was my aunt like one-thousand years ago?”

“Ah I wondered when you’d ask that, princess.” Barrier chewed on his lower lip for a moment before continuing “Are you sure you want to know this, Cadance? The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” he dropped the formality, his tone becoming more serious.

Cadance, slightly taken aback by the sudden shift in tone, nodded at him, donning a determined expression. “When I was younger, she was always sad. Not many ponies noticed, but I could tell she was upset. She always told me it was because she missed her sister, but that never felt like the whole truth.

“If you insist, princess,” lowering his voice as they made their way to the castle, he began, “As I mentioned earlier to Shining Armor, Equestria was a very different country back then and Princess Celestia was very different than she is now. Her and Princess Luna both did whatever it took to protect us- to protect their little ponies. Unfortunately, one of the most effective ways to do that was to eliminate problems before they could become a threat. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say she regretted far more than just the banishment of her sister.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Barrier.” she didn’t seem to grasp the concept.

“An example that comes to mind was about seven years before Princess Luna was corrupted. I was a lieutenant at the time. The griffins had been getting aggressive; the king of Griffonia was old at the time and needed to announce his successor. Now, the old king didn’t want war with Equestria, but his brat of a son did. He was convinced that the land we lived in belonged to the griffins and the griffins were the superior race. Despite his young age, he was very vocal about his beliefs. When the old king announced that his son would succeed him, Princess Celestia ordered five ponies, plus myself to sneak into Griffonia and…deal with the problem before it became a threat. By whatever means necessary.”

Cadance had all but stopped when Barrier finished that statement. The idea of her aunt - the benevolent Princess Celestia, beloved by all - ordering such a thing. “And...how did you deal with the situation?” she was fairly certain that she already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it.

“We killed both the old king, his son, as well as several members of his immediate family. By the time we left Griffonia, we had made certain that a more desirable griffin would take the throne.”

Cadance stopped walking, trying to process Barrier’s response and emotionless delivery; the unicorn kept wheeling along casually.

“Just remember, Cadance. If your aunt hadn’t ordered us to do that, we would’ve lost thousands of ponies in a war with the griffins.”

A twinge of guilt sparked through Barrier’s stomach as he dug the transfer papers from his bag and left the princess in silence.

No doubt this would strain the relationship between Cadance and Celestia when Cadance confronted her aunt.

“Just a little longer and it won’t matter.” Barrier commented, biting back the guilt as he rolled into the hospital lobby.

> ...there's a punchline, right? [Chapter 6]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry Magic Barrier, but I couldn’t convince the council to approve your advisory role. They believe that you’ll be too aggressive and that you would abuse your relation to Captain Armor.”

Well, crap. So much for that idea.

“I understand, your highness. I’ll figure something out.” Would’ve been too easy if he had actually gotten the job.

“There is another order of business however, that I imagine will help tremendously.”

“Oh? What might that be, your highness?”

“Your backpay. You served the crown faithfully for one-thousand years, helping keep Nightmare Moon bound. You went over a thousand years without picking up a single paycheck. It adds up after awhile, you know?” She had a sly grin on her face. “The council wasn’t particularly happy when we ran the numbers. All in all, the crown owes you about one-hundred and eighty million bits.”

“...there’s a punchline, right?”

“No punchline my little pony, you were an active-duty captain until four weeks ago. I have your discharge papers right here.” A stack of papers levitated over. “I hope you’ll forgive me, but I took the liberty of creating you a bank account.”

“Uh…” Barrier was dumb-stricken. “Um, thanks. Huh, I guess this is the last bit of business we really have together…”

“I suppose so, my little pony.”

“It was an honor, Princess.” Barrier saluted sharply.

“The honor was mine, Barrier. I wish you luck in your endeavors, and should you ever need somepony to talk to, I’ll be happy to listen.” A sad smile on her face, the princess turned and departed. She had entertained the idea of maintaining contact with the grey unicorn but simply couldn’t justify it; while he had made it clear he didn’t blame her for his misfortune, she still blamed herself for both his loss, and Luna’s.


***


Today was the day; the bane of his existence would be removed from the world on this day. They say vengeance is bittersweet, but Barrier could taste nothing but joy.

“Ready to get that cast off?” Night Light was in the room as well.

“You have no idea.”

Magic Barrier and Night Light had hit it off relatively well after the initial meeting nearly a month prior. While they didn’t, and never would have a grandfather-grandson type relationship, they had become fast friends.

“So, what do you plan to do after you get the cast off? If you need a place to stay, we still have an empty room. You’re more than welcome to it until you can get back on your hooves.”

“Funny you should mention that, Night. A few days ago, Princess Celestia gave me some news. I didn’t get the job, as I had hoped I would, but it turns out that I was listed as KIA, or MIA. Due to a small technicality, I’ve been on active-duty until like…a month ago. Turns out I was entitled to backpay for my service to the crown.” Levitating a bank-statement to Night Light.

Night Light’s lips moved but no words came out.

“Think I’m going to head somewhere other than Canterlot.” Barrier tried to spark a conversation.

“I-huh?” Night Light snapped out of his stupor. “Well, you can certainly afford to move wherever you want.”

“Yeah, not sure when I’ll see you or Velvet again…I just need some time to get my head on straight.”

“I can understand.” Night Light’s smile faded a bit.

“Still, I’ll be able to make it to dinner tonight. Still gotta explain to Twilight that I’m her grandfather…man that sounds awkward.”

A sharp rap at the door signaled the entry of the doctor.

“Oh by Sol, about damn time. Getitoff, getitoff, getitoff!” Barrier began to flail his hooves in a foalish fashion.

“Yes, yes, I’m here to remove the cast.” the doctor was clearly exasperated at the stallion’s behavior.

Chuckling as he stood up, Night Light turned towards the door, talking as he went, “I’ll see you at dinner tonight, Barrier. Don’t forget that Twilight will be there and that you owe her an explanation.”


***


The removal of the cast and subsequent discharge went off without a hitch and Barrier soon found himself once again standing in front of the Sparkle’s -his family's- front door, only this time, he wasn’t wheelchair-bound. Raising a hoof, he threw his hoof forward to knock…and proceeded to punch Shining Armor in the eye as the door opened.

Shining reacted about as well as could be expected, given the circumstances.

“Gah!” Shining Armor stumbled backwards, clenching a hoof over his eye in pain. “Again with the bucking eye!” Tripping over the coffee table, Shining fell back-down on the couch..



“Don’t worry, it’ll feel better when it quits hurting.” Dick move, but it had to be said.

“Seriously though, sorry about that, Shining. Didn’t expect the door to open mid-knock.”

“Gah, I’ll live…” Shining rubbed his eyes which had begun watering. “Second time that’s happened today” Shining explained, “Flash Sentry got a cheap-shot in earlier during training.”

Barrier’s mind flashed back to the orange pegasus he had left in charge of razing the thestral camp all those years ago - one of his descendants perhaps?

“Here, lemme help you up.” Barrier trotted over to the couch.

Apparently, Barrier hadn't regained full coordination and fell forwards onto the coffee table as he moved to help Shining Armor up; this, of course, resulted in him falling forward, collapsing on top of Shining Armor.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" The front door opened to reveal a lavender unicorn.

"Are you home?" She yelled out before her eyes slowly gazed to the couch, her eyes widening and jaw dropping.

"Twily, this isn't what it looks like!" Shining called out; he and Barrier were pressed barrel-to-barrel, with Magic Barrier on top.

The opportunity was too great.

“Oh, who are we fooling Shiny, darling.” Barrier turned to Twilight with a perfectly straight expression. “This is exactly what it looks like, Twilight. Your brother and I have fallen madly in love and are gay together.” Even after the delivery, Barrier maintained a serious expression.

“It’s true.” A melodic voice chimed in. “As the princess of love, I can promise that what they have is truly special.” Cadance sounded downcast as she spoke, only briefly throwing a glance at Barrier.

“It means the world to me that you’d say that Ca-”

“Oh get off me!” Shining grunted and rolled Barrier off of the couch.

“Oh Shiny, I didn’t know you wanted to be the dominant one…all you had to do was ask darling, I don’t mind taking turns…” Barrier spoke shyly and put on what could only be described as a ‘come hither’ face. 

Cadance couldn’t take it; she collapsed in laughter pounding a hoof on the floor.

Twilight couldn’t speak; her eyes seemed to have rolled back into her head as if she had passed out standing up; seeing this only made Cadance laugh harder.

With a loud sigh, Shining pressed a hoof to his face. “I hope you get hit by a chariot.” He made his way over to his little sister. “Twily, wake up!” Shining shook her slightly, getting no response. “Twily!” Shining raised his voice this time and began to shake his sister like it was his job.

“I promise I won’t tell mom and dad I caught you having intercourse on their couch!” Twilight suddenly blurted out, causing Shining to flush red and face-hoof again, this time with both hooves.

Barrier, while not doing so loudly like Cadance, was tearing up inside; he was doubled over, practically dry-heaving as he tried to control himself.

“Shining did what on our couch?!” Twilight Velvet’s voice came from the kitchen.

As Velvet’s voice rang out, Night Light came downstairs, raising an eyebrow as he took in scene.

Shining had both hooves pressed firmly against his face, Twilight was as red as a tomato, Cadance…he wasn’t actually sure if she was breathing or not, and Magic Barrier appeared to be dry-heaving like a cat with a hairball caught in its throat. Just a typical day in the Sparkle household. 

After things had calmed down and Cadance was breathing again, her and Twilight both ran up, commencing an adorable little dance. It brought a slight smile to Barrier’s face. With a careful smile, he turned to Shining Armor.

“Shining…”

“No.”
 
“Oh come on! We could make that look badass!”

“No.”

“I’ll tell your mom you broke up with Cadance to pursue a relationship with me.”

Shining’s frown deepened and with a resigned sigh, nodded. “Fine, but this never leaves this room!”


***


Dinner had turned out excellent; it was an Artichoke and Mushroom Lasagna and easily the best thing that Barrier had eaten since his return. He couldn’t help but groan slightly for the first few bites, much to the amusement of the other ponies at the table.

“So, Twilight.” Barrier began, setting his fork down “I have to apologize.”

Twilight swallowed the food in her mouth and turned to Barrier, the question clearly written across her face.

“I had your blood-sample ran without asking you beforehand. When I saw your cutie-mark, I asked the princess to do some research for me, to see if we were related. She commented that it’d be much easier to simply run a blood-test. After figuring out what a blood-test was, I convinced her to convince Doctor Horse to run the test without consent, and for that, I apologize.”

None of the other ponies at the table seemed particularly bothered; they all knew how Twilight would react.

“That’s all?” Twilight didn’t seem particularly perturbed. “I’m not happy that you went behind my back to do it, but I understand why you did it.” she explained. “and besides that, I kind of thought we might be related already.” she pointed at his exposed flank. “When you looked at my cutie-mark, I decided to check the copy of your cutie-mark they had filed at the hospital.” she admitted. “It seemed like too much of a coincidence that you, Shining, and myself would all have an arcane star prominently featured in our cutie-marks.”

“Well, alrighty then. In that case, I’m your great-great--great-great-great-” he stopped and inhaled, “great-great grandfather. Give or take a few greats”  Taking another bite of food, he groaned softly and dinner proceeded normally.

Dinner proceeded without incident, Twilight asking questions about the different styles of magic used back then. Barrier had expected her to be curious -Night Light had said she was “studious”, which he had suspected from the few times he met her in the hospital. but this was something else; the way she devoured anything he told her was mildly frightening. Eventually, she brought up the topic of combat-magic, which caused Barrier to fall silent.

“What do you mean you won’t tell me?” Twilight pestered; she had asked about what kind of combat-based spells they used one-thousand years ago and he had suddenly clammed up. Even her brother had turned away uncomfortably.

“Some things are better left forgotten Twilight. Combat-magic served a whole different purpose one-thousand years ago, and that’s all I’ll say on it.”

“Just let it go Twily, trust me…it’s not something we need to know.

Shining had given Barrier a rough idea of the guards’ training regimen. These days, the extent of combat-magic was a variety of stun-spells and non-lethal methods to subdue their target. In his days, it was a few methods to subdue various creatures and a whole host of how to effectively kill the creatures in question. A handful of unicorns had excelled at those techniques; it was rare to have powerful unicorns, but even rarer to have powerful unicorns with surgical-precision control over their magic. Barrier and a few others could go so far as to snip arteries without ever laying a hoof on their opponent. Such abilities had no place in current-day Equestria.

“While I can’t tell you about our combat-magic, I can tell you about this.”

With a flash of his horn, Barrier was holding a silver chain in his hoof, an arcane star--similar to their cutie marks- from the center.

“This, is a family heirloom. As far back as I can remember, we’ve always had a presence in the guard. My grandfather was a guard, my father was a guard, and I was a guard. This was given to me the day I passed the entrance exam.” Barrier floated the necklace above the table, in plain sight.

“And it absorbs and retains magic.”

“That’s not possible.” Twilight argued almost instantly. “Researchers have tried to store magic in all kinds of metals and gems for hundreds of year. The energy ALWAYS dissipates in an hour or so.”

“Afraid I don’t know anything about that, but I know for a fact that this trinket retains magic. I used it first-hand during the Nightmare Wars.” What he didn’t say was that he had used to kill the supporters of Nightmare Moon by the dozens, stopping hearts and scrambling brains equally.

“It also, rightfully belongs to you.” Barrier levitated it over to Shining Armor. 

“I can’t take this.” Shining began as the necklace hung itself snugly around his neck. “Twily could make much better use of this than I can.”

“Perhaps,” a slight smile “but Twilight already has a powerful artifact in the forms of the Elements. Take the necklace, Shining, and trust me when I say, one day you will need it. Until then, store every spare ounce of energy you can into it. I did the same once, and if I hadn’t, we very well may not be here today. Only because of that little trinket was I able to stand up to Nightmare Moon and help the princess banish her. And,” Barrier turned to Twilight “both princesses already tried to replicate the metal and understand how it works to no avail, so it’d only be a waste of your time.” Twilight visibly deflated.

“I uh…thanks, I guess.” Shining wasn’t really sure what to say. All he could was hold the little star in his hoof and trace the patterns etched into it with his eyes.


***


“Well, mares and gentlecolts.” Barrier climbed off of the couch. “It’s been wonderful, but I have a train to catch.”

“A train? You’re leaving Canterlot?” Shining stood up as well.

“Are you coming back to Ponyville?” Twilight asked, crestfallen when he shook his head. “I got a decent sum of money from the princess for service to the crown. I’m going to move to Manehattan for the time being. I need to go somewhere that I can be left alone. I’ve still got a lot to think about.”

“Why don’t you stay in Canterlot? All you have to do is ask and we’d all give you your space.” Twilight offered.

“Honestly, it’s because of the princess. Luna, mind you, not Celestia. While I know she wasn’t entirely responsible for Nightmare Moon, I’m having a hard time telling my heart that…I just don’t think I could be comfortable in the same city as her. I lost everything because of Nightmare Moon, and while I don’t regret what I did, it still, and probably always will, hurt.”

Standing in the doorway, he turned to face his family one final time, “See you when I see you.” and walked away to the train-station and Manehattan.

> My Dream, My Rules... [Chapter 7]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manehattan. A city where the rich get richer and the poor get trampled underneath. Tall, dull-colored buildings lined the streets. Some offered food, or cheap apartments, others looked to be abandoned. This was a city where anything could be bought if you had the bits and knew where to get it; at least, that’s how his doctor had explained it to him when he asked about it.

To Barrier, it sounded a lot like Old Equestria.

Taking a deep, steadying breath of the morning air, Barrier departed the train, stopping only to grab a map from a nearby kiosk; the first order of business, to find an inn. The train-ride had been an overnight affair and the beds provided were not comfortable in the slightest.

“Excuse me miss, could you direct me to the nearest inn?” Barrier fell silent as the mare sped past, not even giving him a glance. This was turning out more difficult than he had anticipated. He couldn’t find an inn anywhere and anytime he tried to ask a pony for help, they would either ignore him completely, or laugh at him for some reason; it was a frustrating situation and he could feel his temper steadily building at his lack of results over the last hour.

Under normal circumstances, he would not have come to a place such as this; it was far too crowded for his tastes. Sadly, it was the only place he suspected he could get what he was hunting for.

Grumbling annoyedly to himself, he turned to a building with a large sign above it, reading CLUB PON3; Perhaps he would have better luck seeking help inside.

“Hello?”

The building showed obvious signs of habitation, but was eerily quiet. What establishment didn’t conduct before noon?

“I already told you buckers that I’m not payin’ you crap!” A mare’s voice rang out from the back of the establishment. “Now get out before I call the guard!”

Barrier sighed and pressed a hoof to his face. Less than a day out of the hospital and he had already walked face-first into a conflict of some sort. With a trot, Barrier made his way towards the back, instinctively moving silently as his mind tried to work out the details.

“Get that ring on her! We’ll teach this whorse a lesson.” A masculine voice this time, followed by the sound of a struggle.

Pushing the door with a hard shove, Barrier bolted into the room, taking in his surroundings as rapidly as he could.

The room contained five ponies; two unicorns, one stallion, one mare, and two moderately-sized earth ponies, both stallions. The last pony was a pegasus who was huddled up in the corner, groaning in pain with both hooves between his legs. Barrier sympathized with the stallion.

The unicorn mare was pinned by one of the earth ponies and the unicorn was huddled over her trying to fix a ring on her horn while the second Earth Pony stood a short distance away, watching the scene unfold.

Sprinting up to the lone earth pony, Barrier’s horn flared as he turned and bucked as hard as he could, grinning in satisfaction when he felt something give way beneath his hooves, followed by an audible crack.

The ring clamped into place and both the unicorn stallion and remaining earth pony turned just in time to see their compatriot fly across the room like a sack of potatoes.

“Don’t suppose I could convince you gentlecolts to take your friend there and leave, could I?”

Leaving the mare groaning in pain on the ground, both stallions reoriented themselves, taking positions on either side of the new unicorn.

Barrier could feel the adrenaline flood him as the ponies responded to his request by trying to circle behind him; it was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

Not waiting for them to get behind him, Barrier took off towards the unicorn, avoiding the bolts of energy directed at him with chain teleports. Within seconds, he was face to face with the unicorn, much to his surprise. Seeing the unicorns horn light up frantically, Barrier lashed with his right hoof, striking the base of his opponents horn, his metal horse-shoe sending a crack up the length of the horn and sending a surge of magic back down into the unicorns skull; he was unconscious before he hit the ground..

With a rapid-teleport, Barrier vanished and the earth-ponies hooves travelled through empty space. Surprise written across the ponies face, he wildly threw a hoof at Barrier, aiming for his face. Throwing his right hoof in front of him, Barrier redirected the punch and countered with a left cross the moment the right hoof landed on the ground. Almost immediately after, Barrier threw both hooves up and latched onto his opponents shoulder; three times in rapid succession he brought his forehead down on the dome of the earth-ponies skull, being careful not to headbutt with his horn. At the end of the third strike, he teleported above the now-wobbling earth-pony and crashed into his head with a knee; with a thud, the pony collapsed to the floor beneath Barrier, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Taking a few shaky breaths to help clear the adrenaline, Barrier trotted over to the mare on the floor who seemed to be coming around.

“Oooh, what the hay happened?” She gingerly touched her horn, wincing as she did so, and sat upright just as Magic Barrier reached her.

Barrier’s first thought as he stood across from the mare was about her mane. Was two-tone blue a really common color or something? This made three ponies he had seen with what in his time was unique. “Are you okay?” Barrier asked as he opened a nearby window with his magic.

“I’ll live. Bastard caught me on the horn.”

With a burst of magic, Barrier sent a dark-red burst of magic into the sky. From what Shining had told him, if the guard saw a red flare that they went to investigate; sort of like an emergency call-button for unicorns to get the guards’ attention.

“Can you get this ring off of me?” as the mare asked, the pony who had been huddled in the corner slowly climbed upright; taking one look at his compatriots and then at the two unicorns, he huddled right back down into the corner.

Chuckling slightly as the pegasus huddled down, Barrier flared his horn. With a pop, the magic inhibitor disengaged and floated off of the mares horn.

“Man, you really did a number on these guys.” the mare approached the earth-pony he had dealt with first. He was gasping for air painfully, but didn’t seem to be suffocating. “Thanks for that. These jerks have been giving me trouble all month and I couldn’t get the guards to do anything about it. I’m Vinyl Scratch by the way, though most ponies refer to me as DJ PON3 these days.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Scratch.” Barrier tilted his head formally. “I’m known as Magic Barrier.”

“So, not that I’m complaining, but what’re you doing in a club at this hour? We don’t open for like seven or eight more hours.”

“I actually entered to ask for directions. Fate must have a sense of humor, as I walked into this,” he motioned to the collapsed ponies, “not twenty-four hours out of my month-long hospitalization and I’ve already gotten into a fight with multiple ponies.” Barrier fell silent as the front door of the club opened and a voice called out.

“Did somepony here call for the guard?” A stallion’s voice came from the front of the building.

“We’re in the back office!”

By the time the guard had collected enough information, it was well past noon.

“Ah, that explains why nopony would help me.” When he had explained why he came into the club, Vinyl had explained to him that the term ‘inn’ was rather archaic and had long-since been swapped for motels; only a handful of rustic towns in the outskirts of Equestria still had inns.

“So, you said you planned on moving here? Any particular place you’re lookin’ for?”

“Somewhere out of the way where ponies won’t ask any questions or bother me under any circumstances.”

“Well, you picked the right city for that. Most of the ponies in this city couldn’t care less as long as ya’ don’t cause problems.”

He and Vinyl proceeded to talk for several more hours, Vinyl giving him a brief rundown of what he needed to know.

By the time all was said and done, it was nearly three in the afternoon; his stomach was not happy about that.

Vinyl trotted towards the door with her new employee. “I gotta start getting things set up to open. You should swing by sometime.”

“I suppose I can manage that. Til’ then, Miss Scratch.” Barrier bowed his head slightly and trotted out the door.


***


Settling for an early dinner at a small cafe, Barrier ate a quick meal consisting of a grilled-cucumber sandwich and a bowl of vegetable stew, before he once more took to the streets, this time having no issue finding a place to stay, now that he knew what a motel was.

With a quick fee of forty bits, he had a room for the night in downtown Manehattan; the room itself was okay, but the neighborhood was not. The streets reminded Barrier of why the royal guard in his time had night-patrols. Using the few remaining hours of daylight, Barrier took a brief walk around the decrepit neighborhood, making mental notes of alleyways and manhole covers, mentally mapping out choke-points and escape routes should the need call for it. As he did this, he unintentionally stood straighter and pushed his chest out slightly; it was something that guards did while on patrol even in this day and age to make their presence more pronounced. Were he still a guard in Canterlot, it wouldn’t have mattered, but appearing as guard in a particularly rough patch of Manehattan did not cater to one’s well-being.

Walking along, Barrier could feel various gazes on him, some from the alley’s, some from the buildings that surrounded him. Most didn’t bother him, but some triggered innate instincts; he felt as if he were some prey-animal walking into a lions den.

Deciding he had a suitable mental map of his immediate surroundings, he turned and walked back towards his motel as confidently as he could, making sure to lock his door before he sat down on the stiff bed. A part of him felt he shouldn’t stay the night here after his earlier trip, whereas another part of him was too tired to care. Ultimately, he decided it was too late to find another place to stay; the sun had already set, giving way to Luna’s moon. Shifting himself slightly, he fell into a deep sleep, his conscience giving way to dream.


***


No matter how hard or fast he ran, he couldn’t catch up to them; he could see both his wife and daughter - Radiant Smile and Radiant Sparkle - in the distance and no matter how hard he sprinted, they kept growing in distance. As the duo vanished, Barrier fell to his haunches panting desperately for air, not evening noticing as his surroundings shifted from the plain-white to the ruins of the Everfree castle. In front of him were a pair of ponies; his wife, a slender pale-blue unicorn mare with a matching mane and tail and piercing green eyes, and a small, charcoal-grey unicorn-filly with the pale-blue mane of her mother and the piercing blue eyes of her father. Glancing up with teary eyes, he watched helplessly as the pair rapidly grew old and turned to skeletons and then dust in front of his eyes. Forcing his eyes shut in an attempt to stem the flow of tears; even though he was well aware it was a dream, he could do nothing to stop it.

With a speed that would give most ponies whiplash, Barrier turned around to see the one pony he wanted to see least in all of Equestria.

“Leave. Now.” Barrier’s voice was low and dangerous.

The mare backed away several steps before staring at the ground dejectedly. With a deep steadying breath, she straightened her back and matched eyes with the unicorn. “I cannot, Sir Barrier. Regardless of what thou think of me, it is our solemn duty as princess of the night to ensure that dreams such as the-”

“It was not a request, Luna. Leave, or I will remove you myself.” Barrier horn flared dangerously “My dream, my rules.”

The alicorn stared at the ground dejectedly, hurt clearly written across her face. “Of course, Sir Barrier. My apologies for intruding on this night.” With a flash of her horn, the alicorn had vanished.

His horn fettering out, Barrier collapsed onto the cold stone floor his dreamscape had produced, sniffling slightly. Part of him felt guilty for how he had reacted to the Princess; the expression as she left…he did that. What would his family think? What would his daughter have thought? With another choked sob, Barrier curled up into a ball and waited for his return to the waking world.

> Long damn ride... [Chapter 8]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic Barrier settled in to a comfortable routine over the next several months; he would wake up, usually hungover, and eat breakfast. Afterwards, he would run through the various exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and magical conditioning where he flared his horn and magic as strongly as he could for extended periods of time. From there, he would run to the Manehattan library and study every article he could find, both fiction and nonfiction about Canterlot Castle and the princess of the moon. After that, he would return to his apartment to shower and drink himself to sleep.

After his nightmares started, he turned to the age-old remedy of alcohol to suppress them. This pattern continued for nearly four months until Barrier finally decided it was time to act out his plan. He had a near-perfect mental map of Canterlot Castle and an impressive understanding of the Princess of the Night’s powers and capabilities; all he needed now was a weapon capable of killing an alicorn. While weapons did exist, they were far and few inbetween and the vast majority of them were housed in the Canterlot Vault, beyond his reach. It was because of this, that he found himself standing outside a particularly impressive looking mansion on the very outskirts of Manehattan.


***


“Mr. Melody is expecting me.” There were a pair of unicorns at the door, both roughly the same size as him and clearly trying to appear intimidating. Without a glance, they pushed the front door open and one of them led Barrier inside and up a flight of stairs.

The interior of the mansion was even more lavish than the exterior; everything from the light fixtures to the paintings on the walls screamed high-class and expensive. It would probably make most ponies feel little, but Barrier had enough experience with wealthy nobles to not care; to him, it amounted to a pony with a little-pony complex.

“Mr. Melody will see you shortly, please wait inside.”

The office wasn’t as impressive as what Barrier had seen so far. In contrast to the rest of the house, the office was plain; composed of a single desk, two comfortable-looking chairs, and a single bookshelf pressed up against the wall.

For nearly fifteen minutes, Barrier sat in one of the chairs and waited in silence, consumed in his thoughts.

This was a turning point for him; assuming this pony could help him, there would be no turning back. As he ran over his plan one more time, he couldn’t get the image of Princess Luna out of his mind; because of her immaturity, he and thousands of other ponies suffered. All because she felt underappreciated; truthfully, he could sympathize with her on some level. Nopony enjoyed their work going unnoticed. Then again, most ponies didn’t sell their soul and bodies to a dark entity and try to plunge the world into eternal darkness. To Barrier, it was only fair; she took his life, so it was only fair he took hers as recompense. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

“Mr. Barrier, was it?” the voice was deceptively friendly and belonged to an earth-pony with a coat similar to his, a midnight-black mane and a cutie-mark of a piano’s keyboard.

“Yes sir.” Barrier sat up straighter as the pony sat behind the desk, pulling out two cups and a bottle of scotch, filling both glasses.

As the two of them sipped the drink, the dark-maned pony began.

“I’ll cut straight to business…you seem like a stallion who can appreciate that. I understand you were asking about specific objects of interest and were directed to me. I was also informed these objects might be frowned upon by society. Tell me, what specifically are you hoping I can help you find?”

Taking a sip of the whiskey, Barrier met eyes with his host. “I need a bladed weapon forged of magicite. I have more than enough to purchase it, but finding someone who deals in them has been…difficult.”

“And why, if I may, do you need a weapon capable of killing an alicorn?”

“Revenge.” the one-word response rolled off of Barrier’s tongue with practiced ease. “Princess Luna took my life from me, I plan to take hers as recompense.”

Draining the glass of whiskey, the earth-pony sat the glass down on the desk.

“A simple enough reason, but before we discuss this further, I’ve a question.” The earth pony locked eyes with his guest.

“Is vengeance going to bring your family back to you?”

The question stung, but Barrier was quick to respond. “No, it won’t bring back my family, nor have I ever expected it to.” Barrier threw back the whiskey in the glass and felt the pleasant burn in his throat as he placed his glass on the table. “Can you help me or not?”

“For a price, I can help you.” The pony held up a hoof, cutting Barrier off before he could even start. “The price won’t be in bits. I have plenty of bits. What can you offer me that I couldn’t find elsewhere?”

That was a good question, actually; the pony clearly had far more bits than Barrier did and realistically, there was very little that bits couldn’t buy.

“I’m more combat-inclined than most unicorns due to my old-world guard training. I’m one of perhaps the top five most capable magic-users in Equestria. Beyond those, I have nothing of particular note.”

“Are you willing to kill?”

That a good question; Barrier had always been a very moral pony. Even with his plan to kill the Princess of the night, he hadn’t planned on harming any other ponies in the process. Sure, he’d killed dozens of his fellow ponies one-thousand years ago, but it was for a fairly justifiable cause, what with the risk of the world freezing over and the oceans rampaging. Could he still consider himself a good pony when he was here plotting to take revenge?

Licking his lips slightly to moisten them, Barrier took a deep breath “If it’s justifiable, I can and will kill.” Mentally, he ran over his attempts to justify the life of Princess Luna. A life for a life; she took his life, he’d take hers, so he kept telling himself.

“A bodyguard.” the earth stallion finally stated, finishing his own drink.

“A threat was made on the life of my daughter, three days ago. A rival family has decided she is worth the efforts, despite her own efforts to distance herself from our family name. My daughter and I have not been close for many years; she doesn’t approve of some of my business ventures. Protect her until I can deal with those that would harm her, and you will have your magicite weapon. Is that acceptable?”

“You have a deal.” Barrier firmly shook his host’s hoof.


***


Nearly a week had passed since his meeting with Clavier Melody; the pair had worked out that Barrier would return when he had convinced his daughter -Octavia Melody, Barrier later found out- to pay him a visit in regards to her safety. It was for this reason that Barrier once again found himself outside the mansion. Unlike last time, Barrier had taken care to groom his coat and mane, deciding he should at least look professional. As he was shown into the mansion once more, he could hear a mare shouting faintly in the distance. His ears swiveling slightly, he could just make out the shouts.

“...nd I’ve told you, I’ll not have one of your thugs following me around! It’s bad enough for my image that I have your last name!”

The guard waving him through the door, Barrier briefly met eyes with Clavier, directing a slight nod towards the business pony before he took in the mare; her coat was a light shade of grey and her mane a dark shade of grey, not too dissimilar from his own coat. She was a beautiful mare, overall…minus the attitude she seemed to have with her father. That would have gotten him and other foals beaten one-thousand years ago.

“And another thing-” The mare fell silent and turned to face him when she realized her father’s gaze was directed elsewhere.

Barrier kept both his tone and expression professional as he swept a foreleg across his chest, bowing respectfully to the mare and spoke. “With all due respect, I don’t work for your father, Miss Octavia.” he turned to Clavier and added: “No offense, Mr. Melody, but your line of work isn’t one I think I would particularly agree with.”

Octavia was momentarily caught speechless before clearing her throat and responding. “Yes, my apologies for that…outburst. I was unaware we were having guests.” She briefly sized the unicorn up before turning to her father. “This doesn’t change anything, father. I still have no need for a bodyguard. Besides, I’m sure this gentlecolt has more important things to do than follow me around Canterlot.”

A frown on his face, Clavier pressed a hoof to his forehead. “I’ve tried to be patient about this Octavia, but you leave me no choice. If you refuse a bodyguard, I will see to it personally that you do not perform at the Grand Galloping Gala next month. In addition, I will have my men watch you from afar, regardless of your wishes.”

The two ponies locked eyes and Barrier would’ve sworn the rooms temperature dropped several degrees.

“Very well, Mr. Melody, but do not think this is over.” A flash of pain briefly perched itself on the stallion's face as his daughter referred to him by name.

Locking eyes with the unicorn, the mare spoke, “We board our train at seven o’clock sharp, tomorrow morning. I expect you’ll be there. Good day, sir.”

The only thought that worked itself through Barrier’s mind was that the mare’s amethyst eyes were gorgeous, though he didn’t vocalize the thought.

“I’m sorry that you had to see that.” The stallion pulled the bottle of whiskey out from behind the desk and skipped the cups entirely, taking a shot from the bottle and then holding it out to the unicorn.

With a shrug, Barrier took the bottle in his magic and took a mouthful of the nectar-of-the-gods that was whiskey himself. “I suppose I should head on home then. It’s been quite awhile since I had to wake up that early. I don’t think we’ll see each other again, so it’s been a pleasure, Mr. Melody.” Bowing his head respectfully, Barrier turned and departed, meeting eyes with Octavia only very briefly as he passed her on his way out.


***


Six-thirty in the morning came far too early for Barrier’s tastes. Rolling off of his bed with a grunt, he took a bottle of vodka in his magic and took a quick morning-shot before he glanced around at the poor state of the room. Not like he hadn’t paid more than enough to pay cleanup costs. It wouldn’t be his problem, soon enough. With a quick shower and another shot of vodka, Barrier found himself groomed, wearing a set of plain-white saddlebags, and trotting out the door, stopping only to hand his key in at the office.

The Manehattan train-station was dreary as-is, but when you take away pretty much any and every pony that usually frequents the area, it just looked sad and pathetic.

With a sigh, Barrier plopped onto a nearby bench and waited; no doubt little-miss-sunshine would be along shortly to brighten his day.

As if on cue, Octavia trotted into view, posture straight and head-held-high. Stopping only to glance over at him distastefully, she trotted towards the train that was just pulling up.

With a sigh, Barrier climbed upright and boarded alongside Octavia, only smiling weakly at the mare who only glared and turned away in response.

“Don’t suppose it would help if I told you I’m not anymore eager to do this than you are, would it?”

The mare ignored him completely, not even acknowledging his presence with a glare anymore.

“Yeah, didn’t think so.”

As the train departed the station, Barrier took a seat across the aisle from the mare, pulling off his saddlebags and setting them in the seat next to him. Fishing around in the bags, he pulled out a bottle of vodka and a pair of glasses. Offering one to the mare, he sighed when she continued to ignore him.

“One of these days, Octavia, there will be a breakthrough in medical-science that will allow doctors to remove the tree you have lodged up your ass.” That got the mare’s attention as she turned to him and stared with a mixture of disbelief and pure, unadulterated hatred.

“You’ve got a few years until your stare is remotely threatening. Believe me when I say, you’ve got nothing on Nightmare Moon.” Pouring himself a shot and throwing it back, he turned away from the mare, openly ignoring the rage on her face.

This was going to be a long train ride.

> Love and Tolerance! ...or just tolerance... [Chapter 9]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the two walked through the dimly-lit streets of Canterlot, Barrier noted a pair of thestrals in guards armor; if looks could kill, Barrier would have trisected the two bat-ponies. The two guards, new recruits if he were to guess, smiled nervously, sweat trickling down the stallions’ brow.

“Honestly, to believe I’m forced to associate with a racist drunkard such as yourself.” The mare’s snooty voice started up once again.

Barrier tuned her out as they continued towards the hotel, doubting she had anything particularly insightful to impart and focusing more on his surroundings; there weren’t any ponies, save the occasional Thestral, which he mentally dissected, patrolling the streets. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of what he thought was a trio of unicorns, though they were so rapid that he wouldn’t doubt his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The rant continued until the reached the hotel; it was a fairly impressive building, standing nearly six stories high and being decorated in the traditional white and gold of Canterlot. ”Oh thank the gods, you stopped talking.” He commented dryly, as they entered the lobby and fell silent.

Ignoring the snide remark, Octavia trotted to the counter elegantly and spoke to the peach-colored mare at the reception desk. “I have a reservation under Octavia Melody.” She waited as the mare flipped through the book, a frown on her face.

“My apologies miss, it says here that your reservation was cancelled twelve hours ago. We’ve since rented your room out.”

“What do you mean my reservation was cancelled? I made it over a month ago, and I most certainly did not cancel it!”

Barrier once again tuned her out in favor of his surroundings; specifically, the five ponies that had entered the lobby; there were three unicorns and two pegasus ponies. The moment the ponies pointed in Octavia’s direction, Barrier turned to the mare, apparently still arguing with the receptionist, and grabbed her roughly by the hoof. “We’re leaving.” He pulled Octavia towards the door, speaking rapidly as he went. “Don’t say a word.” His voice was cold and calculating, his eyes roving over the five ponies who followed them out of the hotel, and once again taking in every detail he could, mentally trying to work out how to deal with them. No matter what scenario he ran through his head, there was no way to beat them without aiming to kill. Perhaps if he got the jump on them, but he was certain they were aware of him and vice-versa.

“Unhoove me!” Octavia finally jerked her hoof away as they entered the streets of Canterlot once more; the five ponies had disappeared. “You have some nerve, dragging me along like that! Who do you think you are!”

“For the love Celestia, shut the buck up!” Barrier finally snapped at her, raising his voice. “I’ve listened to you bitch for the last fifteen hours!” Octavia opened her mouth to retort only for Barrier to cut her off again. “No! Not a bucking word. I swear on Celestia I will gag you if you speak before we reach our destination! Shut up, follow me, and do NOT lag behind.”

“My father will hear of this.” Was Octavia’s only retort as she followed behind Barrier, practically steaming mad; any attempt to veer from his path was met with magic tugging her back into line; she didn’t seem to notice the stallion’s eyes roaming endlessly, particularly watching alleys and roofs.

As quickly as he could, Barrier directed himself and the mare towards the Sparkle household, taking care to go into the path of every guard he could find. As the house came into sight, his horn flared to life and a veil of light washed over him as he cast a low-level illusion spell on himself; the spell turned his coat white and altered his cutie mark slightly. Trying to ignore the sweat on his brow from the intensity of the spell, he suddenly called out to a pair of passing thestral-guards. “Guards! Attention!” whispering, he turned to Octavia, “Not a word, I’m doing this for a reason.” The tone of his voice told her that he wasn’t joking by any means. Both guards galloped over to him and snapped a sharp salute. “Captain Armor, sir! Apologies, we weren’t aware you would be in our sector tonight!”

“At ease soldiers, I need a favor.” Shining Armor’s voice once more rolled off of the unicorn's tongue. “A group of ponies have been following my cousin and me for the last fifteen minutes or so. As of now, I’m changing your patrol orders. You’re to stand guard outside of my parents’ home until dawn. I’ll see to it personally that you’re compensated for the sudden change in plans.” Both guards saluted, something in their captain’s tone telling them that it would be unwise to refuse.


***


It was nearly eleven o’clock at night when they finally arrived. Glancing around once more, completely ignoring the thestrals accompanying them, Barrier pounded roughly on the door.

Octavia, while mad before, now seemed to be a mixture of both frustrated and irritated. She did not like being an accessory to a felony-crime, nor did she look forward to waking these ponies at such an hour. Nonetheless, she held her silence. Something about Magic Barrier’s tone and demeanor told her that silence was the best option available. She hadn’t been particularly afraid of the unicorn before, but now something about him radiated a cold professionalism; the change was rather shocking.

“Who is it…?” Night Light answered the door, his eyes half-shut. “Shining? What are you doing here? And who's this mare?” The unicorn’s eyes widened as he noted their guard escorts.

“When dawn comes, knock four times on the door and then you may leave.”

Both guards saluted and stood on either side of the door.

“Can we talk about this inside, Night Light?” Barrier’s image flickered and for a brief moment, strain was evident on his face; he hadn’t even bothered to mask his voice.

“What’s going on?” Night Light stepped aside to let the two ponies in. Only when the door shut did Magic Barrier drop the illusion and collapse to the floor in a panting heap.

“Barrier!” Night Light trotted over to the unicorn, helping him up. “What the hay is going on? It’s almost midnight! And who is this mare?”

“Second, Night…” Barrier plopped on the couch wearily. “Illusion magic can get bent."

Though Night Light remained silent, he was clearly curious, and more than a little irritated.

“Right, in order, I’m a bodyguard for this mare, yes, it’s a quarter until midnight and this mare is Octavia Melody, a musician and my current client, even if she has been…a rather difficult individual.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you dragged me across Canterlot!” Octavia snapped, clearly irritated with the situation.

“Doesn’t explain why you were disguised as Shining Armor either, or why there are guards.” Night Light pointed out.

“I dragged you across town, because your father’s fears were well-founded and we needed somewhere safe that a group of ponies couldn’t follow us.” Annoyance was clear in his tone as he addressed Octavia.

“And I was disguised as your son so I could convince those two…” Barrier fell silent, an upset expression on his face. “thestrals, to watch the door for the night. So long as they’re there, the ponies after us aren't likely to try anything.” a tired sigh escaping him, Barrier continued, “I’m sorry to drop in on you like this, Night Light, if I had an alternative, I would have taken it. The specifics are painfully convoluted, but the gist of it is that Octavia and I need a place to stay and this was the only safe place besides the castle, and the night-guard is apparently composed of thestrals…so yeah. Sorry.”

“Just hearing that much sounds convoluted, but I trust you, Barrier." Night Light let an exasperated sigh escape him, "If this was the only option you had, I’ll take your word for it.” Finally addressing the mare, Night Light bowed his head respectfully. ”Miss Melody, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Night Light, close family of Magic Barrier.”

“A pleasure, Mr. Light. I apologize for dropping in uninvited.” Octavia bowed her head in return. Unlike when she spoke with Barrier, her voice was soft and almost friendly, with a more pronounced accent. Barrier could almost enjoy the sound, if it weren’t attached to her.

“Right, well, you can take Shining’s old room, Barrier, and Miss Melody can take the guest room. Upstairs, last two doors on the left.” Night Light yawned deeply, reminding everypony of the late hour. “Help yourselves to anything you need, I’m going back to bed.” With that, he trotted off up the stairs once more, leaving the two ponies in silence.

Glancing down at his hoof, Barrier noticed it had seemed to shake slightly. Stumbling upright, still magically drained, he left Octavia alone in silence for a moment before he returned with a teapot, a pair of cups, and a bottle of whiskey.

“Honestly, have you no shame?” Octavia scoffed, pulling her gaze from the bottle of whiskey and focusing on the teapot which Barrier was heating with a notably dim stream of magic.

“Nope.” Barrier took a shot directly from the bottle before setting it aside and preparing two glasses of chamomile tea. As the leaves steeped, a deep sigh escaped Barrier and he began to speak.

“Okay, look. It’s clear that we loathe each other. I’m not any happier at this situation than you are, so I’ll make you a deal. You cut me some slack and stop being so stuck-up and difficult to be around, and I’ll stop being an ass and do my best not to cause you any troubles.”

Octavia seemed to contemplate the thought before finally nodding her acceptance. “Very well, but I expect you to keep your end of that bargain, otherwise I’ll make your every waking hour difficult.” Was that a slight smirk on her face?

“Fair enough.” Handing Octavia a cup of tea, Barrier drank his own in a few swallows. “I’m going to go ahead and go to bed. I’m exhausted. Your room is the last door on the left. Make sure that your window is locked before bed.” With a tired yawn, Barrier drug himself up the stairs and onto Shining Armors bed; he was out before he hit the sheets, the illusion magic having taken its toll on him.


***


Barrier groaned as four rapid-knocks sounded from the front door. Rolling off of the bed, he made it to the window just in time to see the two thestrals trotting away and for the sun to shine right in his eyes, alerting him to the migraine. Good kids, for thestrals, he supposed. With a slight rumble of his stomach, he dashed from the room to the bathroom, quickly holding his muzzle over the toilet as he emptied his stomach’s non-existent contents. After several minutes of dry-heaving, he stumbled through a quick shower and into the kitchen, where Velvet was preparing breakfast and Octavia appeared to be enjoying a glass of tea.

Levitating a bottle from his bag, Barrier started to fish out the whiskey, before he turned to see Octavia frowning at him. With a sigh, he replaced the bottle and took a seat at the table where Velvet poured him a cup of tea.

“My, you don’t seem to have slept well.” Velvet commented as Night Light joined them in the kitchen.

“Morning, Barrier, Miss Melody.”

Octavia responded in kind while Barrier moaned unintelligibly.

With a slight chuckle, Velvet levitated a bottle of ibuprofen over to the table.

“Thanks…” Barrier mumbled out as he swallowed several pills.

“So, what will you two do now? I don’t think Velvet or I mind you staying here, but if you’re in trouble, maybe you should talk to Shining. I’m sure he’d be willing to help.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to stop and see him. I have to apologize to him for my stunt last night anyways. What all do you have to do today, Octavia?”

Octavia frowned at the use of her first name. “I’ve practice with my quartet from noon to seven. Before that, I’d like to find another hotel to stay at.” she turned to Night Light and Twilight Velvet. “Your hospitality is greatly appreciated, but I don’t want to intrude.”

Twilight Velvet tittered slightly, “Oh, don’t worry about that, dear. It’s nice having some ponies other than Night Light and me in the house. It gets fairly dreary sometimes when it’s just us.”

Night Light only nodded his agreement.

“Right, Miss Melody.” Barrier smiled slightly at her. “After breakfast, we’ll go see the captain of the guard, Shining Armor. After that, I’ll follow your lead. Deal?”

Octavia looked as if she wanted to argue, but visibly deflated when she remembered they were guests. “Very well.” She nodded curtly.

Barrier smiled inwardly as the four ponies ate in silence.

Things were starting to look up…at least, he was fairly certain they were.

> What we had was special! [Chapter 10]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Honestly Barrier, you committed a felony!” A hoof slammed itself down on the desk.

“Oh, so I should have splattered their insides all over the neighborhood?” Barrier’s delivery was casual, causing both of the ponies in the room to cringe.

“No! You just...gah!” a sigh of frustration. “Seriously Barrier…” the unicorn pressed a hoof to his forehead in annoyance. “I’ll make sure that the rumors don’t spread and that those ponies get the overtime YOU promised them, but you owe me. Honestly, those two probably think I have a mistress now…”

“So…” Now that the subject had died down, Barrier climbed to his hooves and headed towards the door, “any plans for tonight?”

“No, I’ve got a date with Cadance…big plans for this one. I’ll probably be there tomorrow night though, so maybe we’ll catch each other then.”

“You’re already seeing other people?!” Barrier suddenly shouted, “It’s only been three months! I thought what we had was special, Shining!” Barrier made an active effort to be heard by the guards outside of the office.

Shining’s deadpan stare greatly amused Barrier for some reason, while Octavia simply face-hoofed with a resigned sigh.


***


“Right, my business for the day is done, where to Miss Melody?” Barrier’s tone was once more professional.

“The concert hall.” The answer was curt as the mare took the lead.

As the streets of Canterlot slowly came to life and the noise picked up, Barrier groaned, holding a hoof to his head as his headache flared up. Pulling the bottle of painkillers from that morning out of his saddlebags, he dry-swallowed two pills, much to Octavia’s irritation.

“Honestly, have you no decency? Yesterday it was drinking in public on the train, then it was yelling nonsense in the castle, now you’re eating pills like candy in the streets of Canterlot!” Despite being no more than a hushed whisper, Octavia still managed to portray her irritation flawlessly.

“What can I say, you bring out the best in me.” Barrier retorted quietly as the concert hall came into view.

Turning to Barrier, Octavia glared at him as the two of them entered the lobby. “I am going to practice. I trust you’ll not cause me any trouble as per our earlier agreement.” It wasn’t a question.

“What time should I expect you to be done?”

“I will return at eight o’clock.” She turned and walked off, leaving Barrier to stare at her backside.

After several seconds of staring, Barrier coughed slightly and turned away as he realized what he had been doing.

As soon as she was out of sight, he fished around in his saddlebags for a brief moment before he found the nectar of the gods that was whiskey and took a deep swallow. Stashing the bottle once more, he took in his surroundings, mentally noting what he deemed weak points. The interior, like most of Canterlot, was far too lavish for his tastes; white stone and gold trimming, everywhere.


***


Over the next few days, he found himself in yet another routine; wake up, eat breakfast with Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Octavia -who was surprisingly polite and presentable to the couple- go to the concert hall and wait for Octavia’s practice to end, which seemed to get gradually longer each day. He couldn’t complain too much, being a fan of classical music, but Octavia seemed to get more irritable each day, and that was beginning to grate on him. The mare could bitch with the best, no doubt.

This day, like many others, started in the same pattern.

““What does the fox say…” Barrier softly sang to himself as he trotted around the lobby; practice was set to last nearly ten hours today; it was a long day. As his brief song came to a close, he took a seat on a bench and lapsed into memory.


***


“I swear to Celestia, Sergeant, if you sing one more word of that song I’ll have you discharged!” Barrier found himself all but shouting at the young lieutenant in front of him.

The lieutenant, an orange pegasus with a dark-blue mane, only grinned widely as he clearly took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak, only for a sharp rap on the barracks door to silence him.

“Oh, thank whatever gods exist.” Barrier rolled off of his cot and onto his feet as he eyed the pony that saved him from committing an act of murder.

The filly couldn’t have been more than six or seven years of age and she seemed to be trying to hide behind her pink mane.

“Um, the princess asked me to get a…” the filly quickly pulled a piece of scrap-paper out and continued shyly, “Lieutenant Magic Barrier.”

“Relax kid, I’m not going to eat you. Give it another year or two and I can talk to the chefs, until then you’re fine,” Barrier joked as he sidestepped the filly.

“Honestly Barrier,” Flash sighed as he kneeled down to the filly’s level. “you’re just terrible sometimes.”

Magic Barrier ignored the remark and trotted away, leaving Flash Sentry and the small earth-filly to chat. Poor guy had a bunch of kids himself and always seemed to get along with them; Barrier didn’t envy him.

“What does the…” Barrier stopped as he realized he had been singing that accursed song. “Damnit Flash! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!” He yelled out to nobody in particular as he face-planted the wall one good time before trotting off to meet the princess.

“I worry about that pony…” A nearby guard who had seen the display mentioned to his compatriot.

“You can’t be an officer and stay sane in the guard. Heard he spent more of the last three years in Griffin territories than in Equestria. Probably drive me bonkers, too.”

“You wished to see me, highness?” Barrier soon found himself kneeling before both princesses.

“Ah, Magic Barrier. Tis’ good that thou hath arrived.” The princess of the sun began, “As thou may be aware, the King of Griffonia announced his successor less than a fortnight ago.”

“I am aware.” Barrier kept his head kneeled and answered respectfully.

“Then thou also know he declared his son his successor.”

Barrier remained silent, his answer not needing to be spoken.

“We hereby promote you to captain, per Captain Iron Hide’s recommendation, and deliver unto you new orders.”

The last statement caught him off-guard and he almost raised his head to question it, though he managed to keep his gaze on the floor.

“Thou and five ponies of your choosing are to depart immediately for Griffin Lands to ensure the succession does not happen. We leave the method up to your choosing, captain.”


***


“We’re no strangers to love...” Barrier was still singing to himself after nine-and-a-half hours after his flashback; it was a rather sad sight. At the sound of hooves-on-wood, he fell silent and turned to see Octavia once more.

“Honestly, now you’re singing in public? At least sing something good; that song sounds dreadfully irritating.”

Octavia unintentionally began to hum the short snippet of the tune she had heard as they departed the concert hall, “Oh by Celestia, now you’ve got me doing it! I can’t take you anywhere!”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Can’t help it really. The damn tune was something they sang back when I was in the guard. It’s stupid but damn catchy.”

“You were a royal guard?” Octavia glanced over at him, seeming to size him up once more. “How do you go from a royal guard to an alcoholic and public nuisance?”

Barrier clenched his teeth at the mare’s tone of voice and silently reminded himself why he hadn’t smothered her in her sleep yet.

“Spend a thousand years on the moon with a princess who is stuck going through buckin’ puberty, that’s how.”

Octavia was unable to form a response, instead remaining silence as they wandered aimlessly.

The mare stopped at a small café, causing the unicorn to stop as well.

“I’m stopping here so I can grab a late dinner.” Octavia finally stated, choosing to ignore the absurd earlier statement.

“Why? We can just eat when we get back to Night Light’s place. We’ve done it the last few days, why break routine now?”

“You really have no sense of decency, do you? They were kind enough to house and feed us this long and you would further impose?” The mare scoffed as she trotted into the establishment.

With a sigh of resignation, Barrier trotted after the mare, muttering angrily to himself about the methods of arguing with a mare and how none of them worked.

Initially, the two had eaten in silence, both having ordered a salad, while Octavia ordered tea, and Barrier ordered ‘whatever you have that’s alcoholic’, much to Octavia’s silent fury.

“Honestly, how did you end up with this role?” Octavia finally broke the silence.

“What, babysitting you?”

“If that is what you wish to call it, then yes.” she replied moodily, “From what I’ve seen, you’re a jerk with an alcohol problem who is possibly insane; I know my father and I don’t get along, but he must really loathe me if you’re what he decided on.” The entire statement had been made very matter-of-factly, as if Octavia didn’t believe the statements could be refuted.

Normally, he would have shrugged the mare off, but a hooful of whiskey-shots during dinner had given him a different attitude.

“A jerk? Seriously, I’m the jerk?” the statement was one of disbelief “Are you honestly that conceited? You’ve done nothing but glare and openly loathe me since I stepped into your dad’s office. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a bit of an ass, but when you treat somepony like dirt, you should expect to be treated the same in return.”

A flash of irritation crossed the mare’s face and she opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off.

“And insane? Yeah, I’m out of my bucking mind.” Barrier continued, raising his voice slightly, “You try being sealed with an avatar of darkness for a millennium and we’ll see how straight-minded you are. Lastly, an alcoholic? Yeah, I guess I am, but considering everyone I ever held dear is dead, I think I have a little leeway!” Barrier shot upright, startling the mare and several ponies who were watching the affair; with a flare of magic, he levitated a handful of bits onto the table. “I’m not a particularly great pony. I’m an ass sometimes, and probably a jerk more often than not, but at least I don’t delude myself into thinking otherwise.” Barrier turned and trotted away, leaving the mare and surrounding ponies in a stunned silence.


***


He was alone on the sidewalk for nearly fifteen minutes before Octavia finally left the establishment.

“...sorry. I’ve been very difficult, I suppose.” Octavia finally broke the silence as the two them walked through the dimly lit lights of Canterlot.

“Yeah, me too.” Barrier sighed. “My usual attitude of fight fire with fire didn’t really help, and I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that, earlier.”

“Yes, though I fear I didn’t give you much option in the matter. I didn’t realize it until you yelled it back there, but I really have been impossible towards you since day one…you must think  I’m a terrible pony.” Octavia glanced down at the ground.

“Well, it is the only impression I have of you up until this point.” Barrier commented without hesitation, much to the mare’s irritation.

“Honestly, have you no tact?” Octavia’s tone faded from irritated to dejected.

“Well, it was, until this conversation, anyways.” Halting the mare with his magic, he trotted in front of her and stared into her eyes intensely.

Octavia, unsure of what was happening, only stared back, her amethyst eyes meeting his. With a faint blush, she tore her eyes away from his and huffed. “So, what is your opinion of me now?”

Smiling softly as the mare turned away, Barrier trotted back to her side. “You’re not a bad pony, you were just angry, is all. As I said before, I didn’t really help the issue any with my attitude.” Holding his hoof out to the mare, Barrier smiled and finished with a simple question, “Fresh start?”

After a moment of thought, Octavia nodded and returned the smile, shaking his hoof with one of her own. “Fresh start.”

> Horseshoe's Hurt [Chapter 11]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I just don’t understand why practice starts earlier each day.”

“I’ve told you, Magic, the closer to the Grand Galloping Gala we get the longer practice will last. We must be at our absolute best.”

“I guess,” Barrier started with a yawn, “I just don’t see why it has to be this early. Even Celestia doesn’t get up this early. Trust me, I know.”

It was no exaggeration; the sun wasn’t due up for nearly another half-an-hour; even the streets of Canterlot were utterly deserted.

“And you didn’t let me take my alcohol today...you have any idea how long today is going to be without it?” Another yawn.

“Oh you’ll be fine. You don’t need the alcohol.” Octavia brushed his concerns off listlessly.

“You’re a cruel mistress, Miss Octavia.” As the two of them passed by the front gates of the castle, Barrier stopped.

A hoof full of guards were outside the castle; one guard in particular wasn’t in the standard uniform; he seemed to be directing the ponies to various spots, no doubt for the Grand Galloping Gala coming up soon.

“Besides, your liver will thank me for…” Octavia trailed off when she realized Barrier wasn’t following her. “Barrier?” She turned to see the unicorn staring intently at a pegasus guard who had yet to realize he was being watched.


***


The group was comprised of six ponies; two of each type. Rather than typical guard armor, a suit of soft fabric covered the ponies from head-to-hoof. Their hooves were thickly padded to help muffle their sound at the expense of traction, while the cloaks were specially woven to reflect as little light as possible. Any exposed parts of the pony had been dyed black for the duration of the missions; wings, horns, faces. Anywhere there was fur, it was black.



“The informant pulled through. Southwest gate is open.” Flash Sentry landed in the group of ponies. “Patrol passed by every ten minutes or so. Getting in shouldn’t be a problem, nor should getting out, as long as we don’t get caught.”

“Right, we’ll move as soon as the next patrol passes. Remember ponies, this mission is black. If something goes wrong, you all know what to do.” Each pony carried an unstable crystal somewhere on himself; Barrier would charge them all minutes before the mission started; they would have an hour at most before the energy dissipated and they would have to leave. A pony caught in the Griffin capital would spark a war that neither side would be able to prevent. Though Barrier didn’t say it out loud, everypony knew that if they were unable to escape within the one-hour time-frame, they would have to self-terminate; grim, but necessary.

“Right, let’s go.” Barrier and Flash Sentry both trotted off, the four remaining ponies following behind them.


***


Barrier remembered that night particularly clearly; Flash had managed to run down a Griffin that spotted them from afar before the griffin could shout an alarm; he didn’t think he’d ever seen a pegasus fly that fast in such a narrow corridor; it was that feat in particular that got him bumped up to Staff Sergeant.

“Barrier? Equestria to Barrier!” Octavia was waving a hoof in front of the unicorn, consternation clear in her expression. “Stop staring at the poor guard, it’s rude!” She finally hissed at Barrier, tapping him slightly on the head.

By now, Flash Sentry had noticed the two; he seemed particularly nervous as the unicorn stared at him intensely. Without really knowing why, he straightened his posture ever-so-slightly and slightly flared his wings, subconsciously trying to appear more impressive.

"What's your name and rank soldier?"

“Uh, Lieutenant Flash Sentry?” The lieutenant backed up slightly; who was this crazy unicorn? And why was he smiling?

Sizing the pegasus up, Barrier couldn’t help but smile a sad smile. He was almost a carbon-copy of his old friend, minus the tacky gold armor.

“You look a lot like your grandfather, Flash.” Barrier’s voice was almost sad; a stark contrast to the usual happy-go-lucky tone and attitude he had.

“Um...thanks?” Flash wasn’t really sure what to make of the odd unicorn.

“Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere.” Octavia shook her head, bemused. “Come along now, I’d rather not be late for practice.”

“Right, right.” The carefree attitude returned. “Still think you should have let me bring my whiskey. What am I supposed to do for the next twelve hours while you practice?”

“That is up for you to decide. Perhaps you’ll think twice the next time you decide to be a bodyguard, hm?”

“Won’t be a next time I’m afraid. This was a one-time thing. After your performance, you’ll never have to worry about seeing me again.”

The way Barrier had said that; the sense of finality unnerved the mare a bit. “Yes well, maybe I shall, maybe I shan’t.” Silence reigned for the remainder of their walk, Barrier having nothing more to say and Octavia uncertain of what to say.

“I’ll see you when your practice ends, Miss Octavia.” Barrier bowed his head slightly as the mare turned to trot away.

Taking a seat on the familiar bench, Barrier glanced down at his shaky hoof. Though he had hid it well, his head was killing him and for some reason, he couldn’t stop his hooves from shaking, unless he was actively using them.

“It’s because of the alcohol, you know that, right?” Octavia had returned to find him staring at his hooves, his face scrunched up in thought.

“Yeah, maybe.” He was well-aware that he had an alcohol problem, though Octavia had, in no uncertain terms, stated that if he continued drinking on the job and in public, she would make his life a living tartarus. He had no choice but to agree; he still needed her father’s help, and in all honesty, he knew she was right; drinking while actively working was a problem. “Not to be rude, but I thought you had practice?” Barrier questioned.

“Yes well, I decided that, if you wish, you may move to the auditorium and listen to my ensemble and I practice.”

Barrier grinned slightly and climbed off of the bench; outside of a show, the auditorium was usually off-limits to everypony without the proper permissions. Up until this point, Octavia hadn’t arranged for the permissions, likely on account of their poor business relationship. While it had posed a security risk, the unicorn had taken to feeling around with his magic as best he could, focusing specifically on the back-entrances for performers. As the doors were never disturbed, and he honestly loathed the mare, he never brought the issue forth.

“So long as you don’t cause problems.” Octavia added with a slight glare. “No yelling out, no sarcasm. You’re to be a perfect gentlecolt for the duration of this practice. Is that understood?”

“Dang, foiled again.” His grin faded, replaced by a soft smile. “I’ll behave, promise.” The two trotted through the doors into the auditorium. “Also…thanks for this. It really is dull sitting out there for that long.”

Practice was...practice, Barrier supposed. The musicians were all very talented, but Octavia outclassed most of them in Barrier’s opinion. While he wasn’t a musical savant, there was something wonderful about the mare and her ability to play. Octavia seemed to tune the world around her out when she played; nothing existed but her and her cello.

It wasn’t until the practice session came to a close that Barrier realized he had lost himself in the sounds of music for nearly twelve hours. Mentally, Barrier noted a pony approaching him from behind and was almost instantly on guard.

“Quite the talented cellist, wouldn’t you agree?”

“She has a bright future ahead of her.” Barrier agreed as he turned around to greet what had to be the biggest damn unicorn he had ever seen. Barrier was a fairly large specimen of the unicorn race, so the fact that he had to crane his head upward to meet this pony’s eyes was worthy of note.

“Mm, I don’t know. I’ve a feeling her career might be cut a little short. It’d be a shame for you to be drug down with her.”

“I’ll have to disagree. I see her having a long and prosperous career, and I plan to do whatever necessary to ensure it happens.”

“Then you’ve made your choice.” The giant of a unicorn turned and trotted away as Octavia approached.

“I’m surprised. Not only did you behave the entire time, but you even made a friend.”

Barrier turned to the mare and smiled slightly. “Yeah, the guy’s…interesting. So, practice is over. Wanna go grab an early dinner?”

“Are you asking me on a date?” The mare raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

Coughing slightly and turning away to hide his face, Barrier responded as he walked into the lobby. “You just played an instrument for like...twelve hours without stopping for lunch or anything. It might just be me, but dinner sounds really good right about now.”

The mares stomach rumbled its agreement, much to her displeasure.

“It wasn’t twelve hours. It was like ten, at most.”

“The sun wasn’t even up when we got here. It’s…” Barrier glanced at the clock as they departed the lobby. “ three o’clock. You practiced for like...eleven hours.”

“Oh, quit whining.” Octavia waved a hoof in Barrier’s general direction.

“I’m not whining, I’m complaining.” Barrier reasoned. “Can’t complain too much, though. You’re the best cellist I’ve ever seen.”

“Yes well, I do try.” Octavia turned her head away to hide the slight smile.

“It shows. You’re better than Mr. Casal could have ever hoped to be. Granted, I only ever heard him in pony twice, but I still stand by my statement.”

Octavia blushed slightly at the praise, until a flash of recognition crossed her face.

“You said you’d seen him in pony?” Octavia stopped walking and turned to face Barrier.

“You keep saying odd things like you were with Nightmare Moon for one-thousand years. Forgive me if this sounds rude, but do you know how asinine that sounds?”

“I’m well aware, but the difference between me and other crazies is that we can go to the castle right now and I can prove my statement.” A grin crept onto Barrier’s face; he knew what Octavia was about to say.

“Hah! I’d like to see that.” The mare scoffed.

“Alright, the Princess isn’t in bed yet, so I’m sure I could get a quick word with her.” Barrier turned and trotted off towards the castle.

“It was a joke, Barrier!” The mare followed after him, taking his tail in her teeth and trying to stop him, to little avail.

“S’cool. I need to see the princess about something anyways. Might as well do it now rather than later.” Barrier continued to trot, dragging Octavia behind him flawlessly, much to the amusement of some passerby and the irritation of others.


***


“Honestly Barrier, stop it!” A loud clop resounded as Octavia smacked him on the head with a hoof.

“Damn it mare, that hurts.” Barrier whined.

The two guards Barrier had been staring down in the hallway took this opportunity to flee.

“Honestly, what do you have against the bat-ponies? I understand that they’re different, but that’s no reason to be so rude to them.”

“It’s a personal thing.” The humor was gone from his voice as he responded; the levity of the conversation vanished almost instantaneously as Barrier turned back to the door and the two day-guards standing on either side of it.

Octavia fell silent when Barrier turned around; for some reason, she felt bad, despite Barrier clearly being the one in the wrong.

“Barrier, what are you doing here?” The motherly voice of the princess came from behind the pair.

“Y-your majesty!” Octavia bowed respectfully.

“Sup Celestia.” Barrier greeted casually. “The guards said you had business in Ponyville and I decided to wait here for you. Needed to discuss a couple of things, if you’ve a moment.”

“Barrier, bow to the princess!” Octavia hissed from her place on the ground.

“Why? She explicitly told me I didn’t have to months ago.”

“Rise, my little pony.” Celestia giggled slightly. “Tell me Barrier, who is your friend?”

“Ah right. This is Miss Octavia Melody, my current employer.”

“Unwilling employer, mind you. I apologize for my companion’s rudeness, your majesty.”

“It’s fine, Miss Melody. Barrier and I have enough history that he doesn’t have to stand on ceremony with me.” Celestia trotted into her room, Barrier and Octavia following when she motioned for them to do so.

“So, Ponyville huh? How’s Twilight?” At this, the princess frowned slightly.

“She enchanted her doll with a want-it-need-it spell,” Celestia pressed a hoof to her face.

“Yeesh.” That was a fairly serious crime, “What’s the punishment for that these days? Mind-altering magic would cost you your horn back in the day.”

Octavia cringed at the thought; while she didn’t have a horn, she was well-aware that losing it could very well lead to the death of a unicorn; the sudden backlash from the loss of such a connection was the stuff of nightmares for unicorns, or so she had heard.

Celestia cringed as well, frowning. “No, penalties such as that were abolished centuries ago. The worst we have now is banishment from Equestria.” The princess explained. “Twilight, however, won’t face such a punishment for obvious reasons.”

Barrier actually scoffed at the ‘worst punishment’ when the princess said it; Octavia reached over and swatted him once more, causing him to shrink back.

“Damnit mare, those horseshoes hurt.” Barrier whined, much to Octavia’s annoyance;  this had the unexpected effect of making her reach over to swat him again.

A light giggle escaping her, the princess spoke once more.“So, Barrier, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Octavia and Barrier both sat upright again.

“Ah, right. First and foremost, Miss Melody here doesn’t believe I’m over a thousand years old. I need you to confirm that for me, if you’d be so kind,” Barrier stopped as the Princess consented.

“As odd as it sounds it is the truth, Miss Melody; Magic Barrier spent a millennium imprisoned in the moon.”

Barrier continued, completely disregarding Octavia’s sudden expression of confusion, followed by disbelief, followed by realization, “And secondly, I’d like you to close out my bank account and donate the funds in it to whichever charity or orphanage needs it most and can do the most good with it.”

“That’s very generous of you, Barrier, but I must ask. Why?”

“Because I’ll never use one-hundred eighty million bits. I’ve got a few hundred-thousand put up at my place of residence at the moment. That will be more than enough until I figure out what to do in this day and age.”

Octavia’s jaw had unhinged itself; while she herself came from a very wealthy family, that was still an impressive amount of money, especially for an uncouth joker such as Magic Barrier; Had the princess not maintained such a straight expression, she’d have thought he was joking.

“If you insist, Barrier, I’ll not turn down the offer. Thank you for your generosity.”

“No problem, princess. Come on Miss Melody, we should be on our way before night falls.” Barrier levitated the mare in his magic and departed, placing her on the ground when they made it to the front gates.

“So when you said that you had seen Pablo Casals play the cello…”

> Ow, my knee... [Chapter 12]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner was once again a simple and quiet affair, though a bit late. Octavia seemed to be digesting the newest information dropped on her while Barrier was simply glad for the peace and quiet. Octavia had a LOT of questions regarding the past; specifically, the music and instruments of the time, but a lot of questions nonetheless. Barrier, having been a guard, had very little knowledge on the subject, much to the mare’s irritation.

The pair had left just before the restaurant closed and the sun had nearly completed it’s descent beyond the horizon, leaving them as two of only a handful of ponies that remained on the streets. Much to Barriers dismay, one of those ponies was a pair of pegasus ponies. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, except they were the same two pegasi that he had seen at the hotel. It wasn’t paranoia if ponies were out to get you, Barrier reasoned to himself. Would they attack in such a public space?

“Octavia, hold.” Barrier held a hoof out, stopping the mare. Guess that answered that; a pair of pegasus ponies and a unicorn blocked off one end of the relatively narrow street; craning his neck around, Barrier noticed that another two unicorns, one of whom was the giant from a few days prior blocked the other path.

Swallowing hard, Barrier turned his back to the building, trying to keep the ponies on either side of him.

“Barrier, what’s going on?” Octavia had a fairly good idea -she wasn’t naive- but confirmation would be nice.

“Shite is about to go down.” Mentally, Barrier analyzed their location and tried to decide where the closest safe-house would be; the Sparkle household was closest, but there were no guards and it likely wouldn’t deter these ponies a second time. Barrier couldn’t see himself putting the couple at risk anyways. That left the castle and a small handful of other places where the guard-presence was heavy, such as bars.

“When I tap my hoof four times, close your eyes as tightly as you can. Be ready to run.” Barrier whispered from the corner of his mouth to Octavia, who had backed up against the wall with him.

“Honestly, five stallions sent to eliminate a single mare. Your parents must be ashamed of you.”

One of the pegasi made a step forward, his face set in a scowl, only for the giant unicorn to hold a hoof out, stopping him.

With a wave of the unicorn's hoof, the five ponies began to carefully trot forward together. As soon as the ponies grew close, Barrier began to carefully tap his hoof on the ground.

One tap, two, three… Octavia slammed her eyes shut as Barrier’s horn erupted into a painfully blinding light that illuminated the entire street. 

With a tug, Barrier took off at a dead sprint, all but dragging the mare behind him. A notable metallic scent filled the air, and the five ponies were groaning and rubbing furiously at their eyes as Barrier and Octavia sprinted towards the pair of pegasus ponies and their unicorn compatriot.

“Keep running until you get to the castle! Don’t stop for anypony!” They were approaching the three ponies; with a burst of magic, Barrier shoved one of the pegasus ponies aside, creating a small gap for Octavia to shoot through. Rather than following the mare, Barrier charged headlong into one of the pegasi, burying his horn forehead-deep with a wet thud. The ponies had recovered just in time to watch Barrier flare his horn and jerk out; the smell of charred flesh filled the air.

“After her!” The giant unicorn finally spoke, calling to the remaining pegasus, who took flight.

“Oh no you don’t!” Barrier glanced upward and vanished with a pop, re-appearing above the unfortunate pegasus. The sudden additional weight caused the pegasus to swerve unstably; wasting no time, Barrier brought a hoof crashing down in-between the ponies wings several times in rapid succession. Each time his hoof connected, the pegasus screamed in pain before a wiry snap rang out between the two ponies and the pegasus’ wings fell limply to his sides.

With an ungraceful thud, the two ponies crashed into the ground, the unconscious pegasus on bottom.

Ignoring his bruised and aching body, Barrier rolled upright and back up to the three unicorns who were now advancing on him from all directions, his back to a wall.

Licking his lips in a sadistic manner, Barrier grinned creepily at the three unicorns. “It’s been a long time since I got to kill a pony.” Barrier’s eyes gleamed dangerously as his horn lit up, the gore caked on it glowing as well.

The statement caused one of the unicorns to pause in his approach, only to continue a moment later when his companions ignored the remark.

“Don’t blink!” Barrier called out, accompanied by a flare of his magic. All three unicorns slammed their eyes shut, as Barrier had hoped. The moment they did, the unicorn disappeared in another pop of light, rather than the bright flashbang-like spell they had expected. Rather than using the second of darkness to run, Barrier reasoned it would be better to stop the threat dead in its tracks, and reappeared in front of a particularly unfortunate unicorn. With a swift wave of his horn, Barrier cut his fellow pony’s throat wide open with the sharp tip of his horn. Most unicorns didn’t use their horn in such a manner, what with it being such a vital part of unicorn physiology, but Barrier was one of the few who saw it as an effective weapon in certain situations.

“And that leaves two.” Barrier grinned the sadistic smile once more. The unicorn who had faltered before licked his lips nervously before he turned and sprinted off, leaving Barrier alone with one freak-of-nature unicorn.

“Or one. Don’t suppose I could convince you to give up and turn yourself in can I? I don’t actually like killing if I can help it.”

A slight grin crossed the giant’s face. “I’m afraid that I’m a professional, Mr. Barrier same as you. Just as you refused to back down, so shall I.”

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage mister…?” Barrier mentally ran over how to combat the giant. Unlike the ponies had just slain, the unicorn was clearly a cut above; his body was toned and his eyes sharp. Only now did Barrier note the actual color of the unicorn. The stallion was a deep crimson color with a baby-blue mane. His magenta eyes gazed at Barrier with a sadistic glee, similar to what Barrier had tried to portray moments prior, only his was genuine. The fact that the death of his allies clearly didn’t bother him, meant he had likely seen such things before.

I should’ve killed this one first. Barrier mentally berated himself for such an obvious oversight.

“Iron Hide.” The unicorn started off at a trot after he stated his name; no reason to further delay.

Well that explains the size. Barrier briefly thought back to his long-dead CO and one absolute giant of an earth pony.

Barrier took off at a sprint as well, meeting the unicorn’s charge. As the two approached, Barrier's horn lit up and he vanished with a flash. Unexpectedly, he felt a freight-train catch him in the ribs as he reappeared behind Iron Hide.

With a meaty thud, Barrier crashed into the window of a pony’s house, going clean through the glass.

“I deserved that…” Barrier climbed to his feet wincing. Those were definitely cracked ribs he felt. “Why is it always the ribs?” He muttered as he glanced around the house. It showed clear signs of ponies living in it, though they were nowhere to be found. Hiding, perhaps? Ah well, irrelevant.

“I guess I choreographed that one.” Barrier carefully climbed out of the window. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through him once more as he locked eyes with Iron Hide. With a single teleport, Barrier closed the distance between the two and lashed out with a hoof; he had to end this before the adrenaline wore off and his ribs put him out of commission.

With practiced ease, Iron Hide fell to the side, the hoof missing him by centimeters. In response, he lashed out again at Barrier’s injured side, only for his hoof to be met with the solid surface of a hard-mana shield.

Momentarily caught off guard, the shield bashed Iron Hide in the muzzle, forcing him to take several steps back and press a hoof to his muzzle.

His own horn flaring to life, Iron Hide tried to cast a spell only for the shield to bash him once more the instant his horn lit up.

Barrier was glad; combat-casting had never been a particularly easy art and it wasn’t widely practiced beyond basic defensive spells; most creatures had an innate resistance to magic that made it all but impossible for it to affect them and many never bothered with learning to concentrate and fight hoof-to-hoof at the same time. Lucky for Barrier, this unicorn was no exception. His horn still flush with power, Barrier charged once more, determined to end the fight as soon as possible.

The shield, floating alongside Barrier lashed out at Iron Hide; with a frustrated grunt, the unicorn lashed out at the shield, bashing it with a hoof. His eyes widened as the shield shattered like brittle glass. Reversing the same hoof, he swung it towards the unicorn, only to rear back and yell in pain as dirt released itself from Barrier’s magic, directly into his eyes.

The moment Iron Hide’s eyes shut, Barrier reared onto his hind-legs and latched a hoof onto Iron Hide’s head. With a jerk, he yanked the unicorn's head down and, gripping his horn, lashed out with his second hoof, striking the base of the unicorns horn as fast and hard as he could.

With a sudden blood-curdling yell, Iron Hide felt his horn snap. Shoving his hooves into Barrier’s underside, he reached up with a hoof to feel his horn.

As soon as he felt himself shoved away, Barrier squatted and shoved the now-severed horn of Iron Hide into his knee, driving the sharp bone clean through the joint. With one final scream, Iron Hide collapsed on his side as his knee gave out. 

Falling to his haunches, Barrier touched his side gingerly; why was it always the ribs?

“Over here!” A mare’s voice yelled out from around the corner, followed by the sound of many hooves on stone. Octavia, and a half-dozen night-guards all rounded the corner.

“Bloody thestrals…” Barrier murmured angrily as he turned towards Octavia, only to see her eyes wide in horror.

“This isn’t as bad as it looks…” Barrier finally vocalized, only to take in the scene. There were two dead ponies -one whose throat had been torn open, still leaking life-fluids and another with a charred hole in his chest- while the giant of a unicorn was unconscious with his broken horn driven through his knee, and finally, there was the unconscious pegasus.

“Okay, scratch that. It’s exactly as bad as it looks.” Barrier wiped some of the blood from his mane.


***


“Sorry Octavia.” Barrier sighed and rested his chin on the cold floor of the dungeon. He had willingly surrendered to the thestrals until the situation could be sorted out; much to his surprise, Octavia had come to his defense when they cuffed him. In response, the night-guards arrested her as well. For some reason, that had pissed him off and he laid two of the night-guards unconscious before they piled on and subdued him. If he hadn’t been injured, he might have tried to fight back. At least they had bandaged him up and given him a painkiller.

“It’s fine, Barrier.” The mare’s resigned voice responded. She had come to terms with the death surprisingly well, though the gore had clearly unsettled her stomach. “I shouldn’t have lashed out at the guards like I did.”

“Not that I’m complaining, because it means a lot that you’d defend me, but why did you do it?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Something about seeing them put hoof-cuffs on you bothered me. You fought and killed in self-defense and they were treating you like a criminal. In hindsight, I understand you looked like a criminal, but…” The mare trailed off, uncertain of how to continue.

“Well…thanks. And sorry you had to see that. I hadn’t planned on you coming back with the guard.”

“It was…shocking, but I don’t know what else I expected. I’m not as naive as other ponies, I know ponies die…my father made certain that I wasn’t blind to the world. And besides, it was ultimately my fault you had to do that. They were after me, after all.”

“Hey ‘Tavi” Barrier still had his chin on the floor, his eyes half-lidded as he bordered on falling asleep.

The mare frowned at the shortening of her name, but responded all the same. “Yes Barrier?”

“Wanna go out to lunch when we get out of here? Somewhere nice maybe?”

The mare blushed slightly and glanced over the half-asleep unicorn, her expression softening as she did so. He looked surprisingly peaceful when he was asleep.

“Yes Barrier, that would be lovely.”

> The Old Fashioned Way [Chapter 13]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier shot a look of pure hostility at Cadance through the bars, much to Shining Armor’s confusion. As soon as Shining Armor turned to look at Cadance with a questioning glance, Barrier winked subtly at the princess. Much to his pleasure, she adopted a hard expression.

“I don’t want to hear it, Barrier. You could never love Shining Armor like I could. He’s too much stallion for you and you know it.”

“You’re a homewrecker, princess!” Barrier spat back, throwing himself at the bars causing both guards on each side of the cell to jump at the sudden clang. “Shining Armor is mine and always has been! You just wait, I will have him back, Princess.” Barrier turned his gaze to Shining Armor, his expression softening. “Shining, darling, surely you remember all the good times we had? The nights we spent cuddling on your parents couch while we showed your little sister what true love was…”

“You’ll never have him back Barrier. Shining is mine and nothing you do will ever change it!” Cadance stepped in front of Shining Armor, blocking the stallion from view.

“If I can’t have Shining Armor, then neither will you!”

Shining, deciding the best course of action was to ignore the antics of his friend and marefriend, levitated a key to the cell-door.

The moment the cell-door opened, Shining was all but tackled by the charcoal unicorn.

“Oh thank you, Shining, I knew you’d choose me over that tramp!” Octavia raised an eyebrow at the curious scene.

“Barrier, get off of me.” Shining’s voice was blunt and deadpan.

Taking a particularly loud breath through his nostrils, Barrier whispered just loudly enough to be heard by all of the dungeon’s occupants.

“You smell nice today.”

“Oh get off of me!” Shining shoved the charcoal unicorn off of him with a huff, causing both Cadance and one of the cell-guards to giggle.


***


“Self-defense or not, this is serious Barrier. You killed two ponies, crippled two others, and assaulted two members of the guard. In the middle of Canterlot no less.” Shining rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “Princess Celestia was livid, Barrier.”

“So, what’s the verdict? Lock me up, throw away the key? Do I publicly apologize for being incapable of fighting five ponies with no fatalities?”

“You know that’s not the problem here Barrier. Equestria has its fair share of deaths, but this is a whole different creature. It was messy and in public. Over fifteen ponies saw you gore a unicorn with your horn.”

With a pronounced sigh, Shining continued. 

“You probably won’t see a trial for it. Nearly everypony wants this to go away it seems, not that I can blame them too much. The princesses have both agreed that it was self-defense, but Celestia wanted you watched and followed. Lucky for you, something happened to change her mind. Your dungeon-fees have already been paid, and you’ve been given …you’re both free to leave at any time.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but who paid our fees?”

“A mister…” Shining glanced down at the papers on his desk and leafed through them briefly. “Clavier Melody.”

A sour expression flashed across Octavia’s face, while Barrier simply nodded in understanding.

“Well, I guess that explains why I’m not catching ten tiers of flak for this whole incident.” With a heave, Barrier climbed out of the chair. “I suppose we’ll let you get back to the grind, Shining.” Glancing over at Cadance, who had been in the room with them, albeit completely silent, he tilted his head in respect. “Princess.”

“I suppose I owe my father an apology.” Octavia commented as the two of them meandered through the castle corridors. “I can’t believe I was so foolish as to bel-” Octavia fell silent in favor of bowing.

“Princess Luna.” Barrier’s tone caused the Princess of the Night to take a few steps back, and her two accompanying night-guards to take two steps forward, in front of the mare.

“Magic Barrier, we-”

“Don’t.” Barrier cut her off with a hoof. “There isn’t anything to be said between us.” Though Barrier knew that statement to be a lie, he simply didn’t want to speak with the mare.

One of the night guards took a step towards him, raising a hoof, only for Barrier’s gaze to turn on the thestral, freezing him in his tracks.

“Step off foal, I’ve already killed two ponies this week, no need to make it a third.”

“If thou chooses to be hostile towards us, we understand Barrier. You have that right, but it will not extend to my guards.” Princess Luna had stepped forward as Barrier made the threat..

“Or what, you’ll threaten to plunge the world into an ice-age again?” Barrier’s hard gaze met that of the princess who visibly shrunk back, hurt at the comment.

“You’ll order the thestrals to attack mares and foals in favor of splitting your sisters attention again?” Barrier didn’t move from his spot, and Luna cringed back even further, her bravado leaving her almost immediately as her eyes began to moisten up ever-so-slightly.

Silence reigned for all of ten seconds before a resounding smack shattered it. Octavia had smacked the ever-living tar out of the unicorn, much to the guards and princess’s surprise.

Rubbing his cheek slightly, Barrier turned to the mare; the bitch had just knocked a tooth loose.

“How dare you speak to the princess that way!” The mare began almost immediately, giving the unicorn no time to react. “I understand now that there is some bad blood between the two of you, but that gives you no right to act that way! She clearly suffered as much, if not more, than you!” the mare proceeded to smack the unicorn again and continue to berate him for several long minutes.

“No matter how you feel, she is still a pony, same as you and I!”

There wasn’t a sound to be heard; neither the guards, the princess, nor Barrier could say or do anything beyond watch Octavia catch her breath and glare at the unicorn.

“Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Magic Barrier?” She was akin to a mother lecturing a child in tone.

With a deep breath, he met eyes with the seemingly dumbstruck princess of the night.

“Miss Melody is right, I was out of line, Princess. I went too far in my anger and I apologize.” Even in Barrier’s mind, he knew he had said too much. He couldn’t help it; everytime he looked at the princess of the night, all he could do was think about what he lost and what he’d never have again.

“I apologize for his behaviour as well, Princess. He’s had a very stressful last couple of days.” Octavia seemed to have calmed down and bowed once more to the princess.

“No apology necessary, Sir Barrier.” The night princess finally found her voice, though she still sounded quite nervous. “We are well aware that you lost that which was most precious to you due to our mistakes. For what it's worth, know that we blame ourselves. Our past haunts us every day and I’ve no doubt that it shall continue to do so for the rest of our lives.”

Barrier didn’t respond to the princess, instead turning to Octavia.

“We should go before it gets too dark. I believe I still owe you a dinner-date, Miss Melody.”

“O-of course.” Octavia blushed slightly at the sudden shift in subject and tone, and bowed a final time to the princess before she trotted after her unicorn companion.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Shining commented to the pink mare after Barrier and Octavia had departed. “Honey?” Shining noticed that the mare’s attention seemed to be focused entirely on the departing ponies.

The princess of love had a sly grin on her muzzle, her eyes glimmering slightly. Shining knew that look all too well and could only face-hoof in response.


***


“Thank you for that, Octavia.” The pair had just left the castle. “I was out of line and…not in the right mind.”

“Um, sure. Uh, sorry I smacked you back there. I didn’t intend to lose my temper, it just sort of happened.” The mare chuckled sheepishly.

“Eh, I needed it. So, dinner, do you want to eat out or do you want me to cook us something back at Night Light’s place?”

Octavia snorted slightly at the question.

“Honestly, inviting me to your…” Octavia fell silent for a moment. “I don’t believe you ever specified your relation to the Sparkle family.

“I’m Night Light’s great grandfather times…well, a lot. Same for Shining Armor.”

“...that will never stop being mind-numbing will it?”

“Probably not, no. Hell, it still confuses me. Physically, Night Light is like...twenty-five years older than me. In any case, dinner.” Barrier’s stomach grumbled at the statement, as did the mare’s, much to her embarrassment. “Night Light and his wife are visiting Twilight in Ponyville for the weekend, so how about I cook us something?”

“Going to serve me field rations, are you?” the mare smirked as they trotted towards their temporary place of residence.

“Hay no, I’ve got a brick of dirt in the fridge with your name on it.”

The mare giggled slightly but didn’t respond.

“So...two more days until the Grand Galloping Gala.  I know you missed practice yesterday, but do you think you’ll be ready?”

“Mm, I’ve no doubt my ensemble will not be particularly pleased with my absence, but I’m certain we’ll manage. I suppose we’ll probably go our separate ways by the time the grand-galloping gala rolls around.” The mares voice trailed off towards and the rest of the trip was spent in silence for both ponies.


***


Barrier found himself staring at the oven, a frown adorning his face. At least, he was fairly certain it was an oven. It was a far-cry from the rock ovens he had grown up with and he wasn’t entirely sure how this thing worked. Glancing at the ingredients he had dug out of the fridge and then back to the oven, he pressed a hoof to his face. Glancing out of the kitchen window at the backyard for a brief moment, Barrier trotted out the front door and looked around the slowly-darkening neighborhood suspiciously. With a flare of magic and a grunt, several moderate sized stones ripped themselves out of the neatly-paved streets. The stones held in his magic, Barrier trotted through the house, stopping to grab several logs from the fireplace in his magic, and out into the backyard. With fifteen minutes of precision magic, Barrier had a makeshift rock-oven built in the backyard and a fire sparking up underneath it. Within another thirty minutes, during which the sun completely disappeared beyond the horizon, he had portobello mushrooms stuffed with onions, various cheeses and garlic. With a quick smear of butter on the exterior of the mushrooms, he found himself sealing them inside of his makeshift oven just as Octavia trotted out back.

The mare could only scrunch her eyebrow and stare speechlessly at the rudimentary rock oven.

“Couldn’t figure out the oven in the house.” Barrier explained as he trotted past the mare. “Dinner will be ready in like…twenty minutes, though.”

Octavia only continued to stare at the dimly glowing rock-oven. With a silent facehoof, she shook her head and trotted after the stallion who was now sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of water in hoof.

“Where did you get the stone for that oven?” Octavia finally asked, finding the words that had escaped her before. “The street. It’s surprisingly good stone, believe it or not.”

Pressing a hoof to her face, the mare shook the absurd statement from her head; it wouldn’t pay for her to question it.

“So, where did you learn to cook? I didn’t think they taught culinary in the guard.”

“A pony in my squad taught me the basics when we were out in the field. Had to get creative. All we had in the field back then were bars of condensed hay and mineral blocks. Those things were disgusting, but they kept you going I guess. Anyways, Flash Sentry was the squad’s field-chef. He taught us the basics and I just sorta built off of that. I wouldn’t cook for a living, but I could live comfortably in the wild.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Flash Sentry? The same guard we met outside the castle the other day?”

“Yeah. Well, his great-grandfather, I’m fairly positive. Guy is almost a carbon-copy of him, minus the cutie mark. Wonder if this era’s Flash Sentry has a freakish amount of kids…” A sad smile found its way onto Barrier’s face, lapsing into memory as he occasionally did.


***


“You’re a rabbit. That’s the only feasible explanation. You and your wife are secretly rabbits.” Barrier declared from his place in the hospital waiting room.

“Oh shush, Barrier. We just really want a big family is all.” The pegasus huffed and rested his chin on a hoof.

“I’m not loaning you anymore bits, and I can’t give you another raise for like...seven or eight months.” Barrier also had his chin resting on a hoof.

“It was one time! You loaned me bits one time!”

“No, I loaned you forty-five thousand bits as a down-payment on your house one time. You still owe me most of it that, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m good for it, don’t worry.” Flash fell silent for a moment. “So, Fleetfeather and I were talking about the godparents…” Flash glanced over at his unicorn friend. “We wanted you to be the godfather, if you’d be willing.”


***


Barrier snapped back into reality with Octavia’s face only centimeters from his, a marker held firmly in her mouth and her eyes wide as Barrier’s eyes came back into focus. A slight blush showing through her coat, she pulled back and cleared her throat lightly, setting the marker on the table, a slight snicker escaping her.

“Mature Octavia, very mature.” Barrier commented dryly as he created a reflective plate of magic and took stock of his face. He had a particularly impressive marker-monocle with a half-finished mustache.

“It’s not my fault you zone out like that. You were practically begging for it.” She somehow managed to sound dignified while biting back her chuckles.

“If this marker is permanent, I’ll eat you.”

Octavia’s eyes widened and a blush spread across her cheeks while Barrier slammed his face into a hoof.

“That sounded a lot better in my head.” He glanced at the blushing mare intensely as a sly grin wormed it’s way onto his face. “Though I suppose there are far worse things to eat in that regard.”

“How dare you!” Octavia’s face was redder than a tomato -a rather impressive feat, given her grey coat- as she sat upright and bolted towards the unicorn, a hoof raised threateningly as Barrier bolted out the back door.

> A Ludicrous Assumption [Chapter 14]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner was a surprisingly vocal affair for the pair; over the past two weeks they had spent together, they hadn’t really talked until the last handful of days, and even then it had been mostly business between the two, just with noticeably less hostility.

“Manehattan University?” Barrier hadn’t been familiar with the different tiers of education in present-day; most ponies in his time had only went through four to six years of primary before they went to work and learned a trade by hoof. “Apologies, I’m still trying to wrap my head around going to school for more than ten years.”

“Well, how long was school one-thousand years ago?”

“Ponies had four years of primary and then you would apprentice under somepony to learn a trade for another year or two. We didn’t have any schooling beyond that, with the exception of a few personal tutors for nobles and the guard academy for enlisted ponies.”

“I see. Well, present-day, ponies have primary school which ranged eight to ten years, and then a large number of ponies will proceed to further schooling in the form of colleges and universities. I myself studied music at Manehattan U for six years after primary school.”

“Ten years of school…that sounds awful.” Barrier shuddered at the thought of spending that much time in a classroom studying the same subject.

“It wasn’t too terrible. A little tedious I suppose, but the subject matter was enjoyable, so that certainly helped. So, what about you? You said that you went to the guard academy which was akin to a college from this era. What did you study?”

“Well, it may be different today but the guard academy wasn’t a school as you know it. We learned how to…well, we learned how to guard. It was mostly just defensive,” and offensive, Barrier thought to himself, “measures and the associated protocol. Some guards were pulled aside to specific units and occasionally given a specialty. I suppose my specialties would fall under hoof-to-hoof and magical combat.” As well as assassination and espionage. “That was about the extent of it as far as I know.”

“I see. So, a few days ago you mentioned that being a bodyguard was a one-time thing. What will you do next, now that you’ve signed away the vast majority of your money?”

I plan on killing a princess, not sure where I’ll go after that. Barrier mentally noted to himself, though his heart was even less into the thought of regicide after the incident with Luna earlier in that day. “Not sure, really. Honestly, the only reason I agreed to this was because I needed a favor from your father. Until a few days ago, I honestly regretted taking it, because holy mother of Tartarus you were insufferable. But, once we agreed to tolerate each other…well, you’re a good pony and I’m honored to have met you.”

Octavia smiled slightly as Barrier’s statement came to a close. “Yes, I’m afraid I was taking my frustrations out on you when you were no happier with the situation than I was. Again, I apologize for that.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. We both made some mistakes when dealing with each other, we’re past them at this point.” Neither of them brought up that in two days they would go their separate ways. Barrier would have been elated had he known that four days ago, but now that he was getting to know the mare underneath the anger, he found himself slightly saddened by the prospect. He couldn’t help but wonder whether the mare felt the same.

“Thank you for dinner, Magic Barrier.” Octavia smiled softly and stood up. “Surprisingly, it was quite good. Certainly not the gruel I had expected of you. I suppose we should turn in for the night, so that we can get up for practice tomorrow.”

Barrier snapped out of the newly-discovered depressing thought and nodded, levitating their dishes into the sink and making a mental note to remove the rock oven the following day. “Good night Octavia.” Barrier watched as the mare turned and trotted up the stairs, his eyes lingering on her backside for a brief moment. He couldn’t help but bite his bottom lip slightly as he followed her up the stairs.


***


“S’too early. Gimme like….another hour.” Barrier pulled the blankets up over his head and curled up into a ball.

“So help me Celestia, Magic Barrier, if you make me late for practice after my absence yesterday I will beat you.” The charcoal mare took the blanket in her teeth and yanked it off of the unicorn, exposing him to the cool morning air.

“You’re a really cruel mistress ‘Tavi.” Barrier yawned and sat on his haunches in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Oh, you love it.” The mare shot back, glancing at her sleeping companion before blushing and turning to the door rapidly. “Honestly, have you no shame!” The mare trotted to the door and slammed the door shut. “I leave in ten minutes, with or without you!”

“Yes master, please don’t abandon me, master!” Barrier called out as he looked himself over, trying to figure out what caused the mare’s sudden shift in tone. With a chuckle, he realized he had been saluting the mare from the time the covers were yanked off of him.

“You’re the one who pulled the covers off of me. And besides, it’s a perfectly natural reaction for a stallion my age.” Barrier chuckled slightly as the two of them trotted through the city, the sun only barely beginning to rise.

“For the last time, Barrier, drop it.” Octavia was once again redder than a tomato, and her voice was reduced to little more than a squeak.

“Fine, fine.” Barrier chuckled again as the two of them entered the familiar building, complete with it’s painfully extravagant decor.

“Come along, Barrier, today is the last day of practice before the Grand Galloping Gala.” The mare trotted through the lobby, followed by her unicorn companion.

As with the practices before, the ensemble went for nearly ten hours, with the closest thing to a break being them discussing the finer points of the performance. Barrier could appreciate good music, but ten straight hours of music, broken only by the occasional bathroom break, tended to suck most of the joy out of a day.

“So, you’re Magic Barrier.”

Barrier turned the knob of the sink, cutting the flow of water. “Really? We meet in the bathroom?” Barrier turned to greet the pianist of the ensemble before sighing and acknowledging the statement. “Yes, I’m Magic Barrier, how can I help you?”

“I was wondering what your intentions with Octavia are.” Well that was straight-to-the-point. “Octavia is a dear friend to myself and the ensemble and we want to ensure she’ll not be hurt.”

Barrier could only raise an eyebrow. “I have no intentions with Miss Melody. She’s a client and acquaintance, nothing more and nothing less. What gave you the impression it was anything more than that?”

“She missed practice yesterday in favor of spending time with you in a jail-cell.” The pianists deadpan delivery made Barrier chuckle slightly.

“Yeah, that was a bout of bad luck, not really anything beyond that.”

“With all due respect, Mr. Barrier, a ‘bout of bad luck’ doesn’t end with a night in jail for our cellist. She’s a very punctual pony. Might I request details as to what happened?”

“Haha, nope.” Barrier stated in a deadpan manner. “So much nope. You want to know, you’ll have to ask Octavia. If I tell you, she might very well hit me again.”

“...she does have a strong right hoof.” The pianist noted with a nod. “Very well, thank you for the chat, Mr. Barrier. It has been enlightening.”

“Sure thing...uh pianist.” Barrier commented as the pony departed the bathroom. “Huh, well that happened.” Barrier returned to his seat in the auditorium, his horn flaring slightly as he checked his sentry-spells and plopped down into the soft chair. Thank the gods this was the last day of practice; he might very well take up knitting or something if it were to continue.

As the final hour slipped by, Barrier once more found himself chatting amiably with Octavia, the pair discussing what they should do for dinner. They ultimately decided on the same small cafe where Barrier had finally snapped at her.

“Perhaps we’ll actually get to eat dinner this time, hm?” Octavia teased slightly.

“I don’t know, I think we should make it a tradition. Me blowing up at you should become a regular thing. I rather like the idea myself…”

The mare frowned and stared at her companion. “The only reason I let you get away with that was because I deserved it. I trust you enough to not embarrass me in public like that again.”

Barrier chuckled at the menacing tone the mare’s voice had taken. “What’s in it for me? The day after tomorrow, I’ll be free to harass you however I please, you know.”

“So help me Barrier, I know where you sleep.” The mare hissed as they continued to trot through the streets of Canterlot, the light rapidly fading to give way to the night sky.

Barrier adopted the same mischievous grin as he had the day prior and opened his mouth to make a retort only for the mare to cut him off with a swat to the head.

“Not a word, Magic Barrier.”

“You’re no fun.” Barrier ruefully rubbed the back of his head as the two trotted up to the door of the cafe.

Dinner was a short but amusing affair; once more, the pair of them ordered a simple salad, Octavia for her own reasons, and Barrier because it was the only thing on the menu he recognized the name of.

“So as I was saying…” the mare trailed as Barrier’s gaze drifted off to the side, her gaze following his.

A thin piece of lettuce found itself on the mare’s nose the moment she took her eyes off of her companion, much to her irritation.

“Honestly, you’re like a big foal.” A facehoof, followed by a groan and the removal of the lettuce.

“Would you have me any other way?”

“Yes. I can literally think of a half-dozen different ways I would prefer you.”

“...are any of them bound, gagged, and on the bedroom floor?” Barrier grinned slightly.

The mare opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out; all she could do was stare blankly as her brain rebooted.

“You know, you’re kind of cute when your brain shuts down like that.” Several of the cafe’s patrons were staring in slight amusement.

“I hate you.”

“You really do say the sweetest things sometimes.” Barrier began to pick at his salad, the fork levitating in his magic.

“I hate you.” The mare reiterated, also returning to her salad.

“So, two more days until your performance at the gala. Nervous?”

“Not terribly so. My ensemble and I are the best at what we do and we’re given a free-day before the gala to collect ourselves. We are more than capable of performing at a function such as the gala and I’ve no doubt that we’ll do splendidly.”

“Well, you’ve no lack of confidence.” Barrier chuckled slightly. “You know, your pianist asked me some questions earlier, towards the end of your practice.”

“Ah yes, they were asking why I had missed practice. What did you tell him?”

“I told him that if he wanted to know they could ask you. He asked why we spent the night in jail. I didn’t think you’d want me to tell him it was for murder, so I kept silent. Why, what did you tell him?”

“I told him that it was a personal issue and that it wasn’t anything he or the ensemble should worry about. He didn’t press, so I didn’t elaborate any further.”

Silence reigned for a brief period as the two of them mopped up their salads, Barrier breaking it as he pushed his now-empty plate away.

“I think your pianist thought I was courting you also.”

The mare choked slightly on her last bite of salad. Clearing her throat, she posed the question, “And pray tell, why did he believe that?”

“Hay if I know. He just asked me what my intentions were.” Barrier chewed the question over for a moment before adding, “I guess it makes sense, if you think about it. I’m hot, you’re hot, hot ponies date each other.” A brief chuckle, followed by Octavia blushing awkwardly before he added, “In all seriousness though, I accompanied you to and from practice for like a half-a-month. We arrived and departed together. It’s fair that they would think we’re seeing each other.” The pair paid their bill and stepped out into the chilly night air of Canterlot before Octavia finally replied.

“What a ludicrous assumption on their behalf.” The mare didn’t seem to speak with the same intensity Barrier had expected.

“Yeah, a ludicrous assumption indeed.” Barrier chuckled humorlessly. Why did that statement leave him feeling sad?

> Confusing [Chapter 15]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier found himself conjuring an angular shield, the spear aimed at him glancing off to the side. With a flare and thrust, the shield softened and reshaped itself into a blade before launching forward at the batpony, skewering him through the chest and immediately dissipating in favor of a new mana-construct, only for the new construct to find no target; he and another two-hundred some ponies were surrounded by a pile of thestral-corpses; Barrier found himself glancing down at the last bat-pony he had skewered. He was a colt, easily no older than thirteen. Licking his inexplicably dry lips, Barrier took a shaky breath and tore his gaze away, focusing on the surviving ponies.

Barrier knew this memory; it was the night that Princess Luna had become Nightmare Moon; she and the thestrals had launched a surprise night-raid on Canterlot, trying to capture the city.

“Check for wounded and gather yourselves, ponies!” Barrier glanced around once more. “Bind any surviving thestrals as well!”

As soon as the ponies went about binding the surviving thestrals and tending to the wounded, Barrier called out once more.

“Flash, Apple, front and center!” Barrier shouted out, and the familiar pegasus jumped in front of him saluting, followed by an earth pony with a light-gold coat, orange mane, and amber highlights.

“We’re going to split into three groups.” Barrier glanced over at the group, who were now scavenging armor from the fallen thestrals.

“Choose sixty ponies each and muster here with your group in fifteen minutes.” Both ponies sharply saluted and went about their orders, leaving Barrier to scavenge armor from the fallen thestrals as well.

The thestrals didn’t have particularly impressive numbers, but they had excellent night-vision that ponies lacked which gave them an advantage. Putting aside their reasons for attacking, Barrier didn’t really have the ponies to repel an attack; had it not been for a stroke of luck, they’d all be dead in their beds. A pony had woken up and yelled that there were thestrals in the barracks. Barrier and pretty much every other pony who had been asleep in the barracks rushed to that, and before long, were fighting in the streets.

Glancing down at the foal he had slain one last time, Barrier sighed and glanced up to meet eyes with his lieutenants and their groups.

“Alright, Flash, you and your group are going to take the western-wall. Pick up any civilians or guards you come across, and add them to your group. As of now, both of you are authorized to offer compensation on behalf of the crown.” Flash saluted and Barrier turned to the golden pony once more. “You’re heading south to the front gate. Same orders as Flash Sentry, you pick up anypony you find. The remainder of the ponies and myself will push forward to the castle and try to get a grasp on whatever the hay is going on. Until ordered otherwise, consider any thestrals an enemy of the country. Unless they outright surrender, put them down. Move out.”

Both ponies saluted a final time before leading their groups off in different directions.

“Alright you lot, listen up! We-”


***


Barrier bolted upright in bed, throwing Octavia off-balance and causing her to fall on her rump.

“What the hay do you think you’re doing?” His gaze fell on the mare, his breathing heavy.

“I came to tell you that a package arrived for you, only to find you sweating profusely, as well as tossing and turning. I decided to wake you up and you decided to shove me aside.” The irritation was clear in her voice.

“Ah, sorry.” Barrier ran a hoof through his fur; he was absolutely drenched in sweat. His mind flashed back to his dream. “Had a bad dream.”

“Yes, well…” The mare trotted to the door, not meeting Barrier’s eyes as she spoke, “the package in downstairs in the living room. I’ll see you in the kitchen for breakfast.”


***


After a quick shower, Barrier found his way to the kitchen; much to his surprise, the table was already set and the food was already plated.

“Morning.” He took a seat across from Octavia and glanced down at the plate; scrambled eggs, hay-bacon, and pancakes.

“Good morning.” The mare kept her attention on her food.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s the occasion?” Unless Twilight Velvet was home to make breakfast, they usually just ate out.

“I didn’t want to wait for you to wake up.”

“Well, thanks.” When no response was forthcoming, Barrier turned his focus to breakfast. He was pleasantly surprised when he found that it was excellent; for some reason, he didn’t expect the mare to have any culinary skills. She just didn’t seem the type.

Breakfast done, Barrier soon found himself in the living room, unwrapping a plain brown package that his name had been scribbled on. As the wrapper fell away, Barrier held a dagger and a letter in his hooves, wrapped securely in cloth. Unravelling the cloth, he smiled slightly. It would have been a plain-looking dagger if not for the way that the edge shimmered; violent magic seemed to dance along the edge and tip of the blade, giving it a faint glow. The letter was straightforward and had been written by Clavier Melody, stating that their contract was complete and that he was no longer obligated to protect Octavia.

“So, is that what you’re going to use to kill the Princess?”

Barrier turned to see Octavia standing in the doorway, a slight frown on his face. How in the hay did she know about that?

“I’m not a fool Barrier, I asked my father what he was giving you in return for guarding me the day we met in his mansion. With how you acted towards Princess Luna, it isn’t much of a stretch to figure out why you would want such a blade.”

With a shake of his head and a slight chuckle, Barrier shook his head. “I had planned on it in the beginning, not so much now.” Laying the dagger on the coffee table and falling back onto the couch, Barrier chuckled at the mare’s confused stare. “My heart was never really in it. I tried, believe me. I tried so hard to blame the princess, to hate her, but I couldn’t. All I could do was tell myself that it was only fair; my life for hers.” Adjusting himself so that he was sitting properly on the couch, Barrier motioned for the mare to sit down next to him.

Hesitantly, the mare joined him and he continued his explanation.

“When you lost your temper in the castle and pointed out how she had suffered,” Barrier briefly thought back to the mare’s rant and prior smack before continuing. “what little resolve I had sort of fell away. Granted, the resolve was fragile to begin with, but yeah.” After a moments hesitation, Barrier quickly hugged the mare. “Thank you for snapping on me in the castle the other day. You very well may have saved me from doing something I’d never be able to forgive myself for.”

Octavia blushed profusely at the sudden and unexpected contact, though her blush faded and she smiled slightly and hugged back when he cited his reasons for the hug.

“So…” Barrier separated from the mare. “I suppose after today you’ll be rid of me. Eager?”

Octavia turned away at the thought. “Perhaps not as eager as I once was. Tell me Barrier, do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

I planned on being either dead or in the dungeons for regicide tomorrow, so nope. “None at the moment. I didn’t really plan on making it past tomorrow if I’m being honest.”

“Yes well, since you’re no longer going to attempt to regicide, would you like to attend the grand-galloping gala with me?”

Barrier’s face scrunched up in thought as the mare quickly tried to explain herself away.

“It’s just that as a performer, we’re all given tickets, but our tickets all allow for a plus one, and I don’t really know anypony else who would be willing to attend an-” The mare was cut off by Barrier pressing a hoof to her muzzle and chuckling slightly.

“I would be honored to accompany you to the Grand Galloping Gala, Miss Melody.”

The mare fell silent and smiled slightly as she nodded. “Right then, now, do you have something to wear?”

“Don’t suppose it’d be too much to hope I can au naturel, can I?”

“Haha,” a humorless chuckle, “no, Mr. Barrier. You’re going clothes shopping.”

Why do I feel like I’m going to regret everything that lead me to this point?


***


I regret everything that lead me to this point.

The sun was high in the sky and Barrier had been in a Canterlot clothing shop for most of it.

“I really don’t think this is necessary, Tavi.”

“If you’re accompanying me to the Gala, you must look the part. We’ve not the time to have you a suit tailored, so this will have to do. Now, go try on this black one.” Barrier sighed and took the outfit in his magic before departing into the changing room with it.

“Why do we even wear clothes? We’re naked all the time.” Barrier muttered to himself in annoyance as he buttoned up the suit and trotted out to the store once more, this time dressed in a black suit and red tie. While not one for fashion, Barrier was fairly certain he looked good in the outfit; the tie would contrast nicely to his coat and the shirt would contrast nicely to the tie; simple enough in his mind, but would the slaver-musician approve?

“Hm…” The mare circled around him before finally nodding her approval.

“I thought you were a musician. You’re reminding me of my granddaughter’s friend Rarity a lot right now, and that is horrifying.”

***


“Oh hush, I already told you that this is important if you’re to accompany me.” The mare all but drug the reluctant unicorn to the counter.

With a resigned sigh, Barrier paid for the suit -an exorbitant amount in his opinion- and allowed the mare to drag him to his next destination; a mane salon.

“Ow, be careful damnit!” Barrier winced as the brush struggled its way through his mane.

“Honestly, how do you live like that? It’s like a rat’s nest!” Octavia sat across from him, watching the mare struggle to run the brush through his blue mane. “Stop struggling and let the mare work, or else there won’t be enough time to have your coat trimmed.”

“Yes mom, if I behave can I go out and play lat-” Barrier clenched his teeth and swore again. “Damnit mare, careful back there!”


***


“You clean up rather nicely.” Octavia observed the unicorn with a slight grin on her face.

Barrier’s coat and mane both shone resiliently in the daylight as the pair trotted along.

“Feels like I’m heading to my first day at the guard academy again.” Barrier couldn’t complain too much; he felt better than he had in months. His mane flowed loosely once more and his coat felt light; all in all, it had been worth the torture.

The pair had stopped back by the Sparkle residence to find the couple had returned from Ponyville. Thanking them for their hospitality, Octavia had stated that she would be returning to Manehattan after the Grand Galloping Gala; Barrier had told them that he would likely head back that way himself, having decided it would be his best chance at getting a regular job. It certainly didn’t have anything to do with being near his first real friend in over a thousand years. Not even a little.

Barrier found himself trotting through Canterlot alone. He and Octavia had split up; him to run an errand of his own and Octavia to go drop off her cello at the castle, in preparation for the following day’s festivities. Now that he was alone again, Barrier found himself reminded of the lonely feeling he’d lived with since his return; though he hadn’t realized it at the time, the daily banter with Octavia had done wonders for his state of mind. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Barrier trotted into the bank, intent on depositing and investing the few hundred thousand bits that he hadn’t donated. While the returns wouldn’t be enough to live on, they would certainly help. 

Nearly two hours later, Barrier found his wallet significantly lighter and his magicite dagger stashed safely away. The conversation only a few hours prior rang in his mind.

“So, now that you’ve come to your senses, what will you do with the dagger?” The pair was trotting through Canterlot, chatting occasionally, though mostly just taking in the other’s presence.

“I’ll probably see about putting it in a safe somewhere. While I’d rather not use it, if one of the princesses ever falls to the extent of Nightmare Moon again…well, I won’t let another pony suffer like I did if there is anything I can do to help it.”

The mare had suggested a Safety Deposit Box, if Barrier insisted on keeping the weapon. Afterwards, they had once again drifted into amicable silence.

As he trotted back into the Sparkle household, Barrier smiled and nodded at Night Light, who was on the couch. The family and Barrier knew Octavia wouldn’t return that night; now that their business was over, she had insisted on staying in a hotel, claiming it would be improper to do otherwise; so they had set a place to meet the following evening and went their separate ways.

“You’re lonely, aren’t you?” Night Light chuckled slightly and sat his book down.

“Yeah, not really sure why though. It’s not like I won’t see Octavia again. Hell, I’ll see her tomorrow evening.”

Night Light shook his head with a knowing look, once more picking his book up. “Yeah, love has a funny way of confusing us.”

> Moving On [Chapter 16]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love? Barrier rolled the word around in his head a few times, thinking back to his past experiences with the emotion. Ultimately, he decided that he indeed had feelings for the mare, though he wasn’t sure if they extended quite that far yet. It hurt him, to think he might be falling for another mare so quickly after the death of his previous wife. One-thousand years for most ponies, less than eight months for him. Glancing at a nearby bar, Barrier contemplated a few drinks to help ease the thinking; the moment he took a step towards the bar, he could feel the back of his head hurting, as if Octavia had smacked him once again; horrible phantom pains, those. With a wince, he turned away from the bar and continued towards the castle and a mare who could hopefully help him.

“But Shiny, it was hilarious!” Cadance whined and slumped over the stallion’s desk.

“Do you have any idea what the guards are saying about those? Where did you even get the pictures?”

“I may or may not have put a camera in your parents’ bathroom. I think your grandpa knew about it, though.”

A solid clop could be heard as hoof-met-face.

Barrier knocked lightly on the door, entering as soon as Shining called him in. “What was that about pictures, Shiny?” Barrier bit back a grin, knowing what the stallion was talking about.

“Oh gods, just what I need, now the other one’s here. Were you in on this?” Shining gazed intensely at the stallion as he slid a folder of pictures foward. Opening the folder, Barrier chuckled and flipped through the pictures. “I didn’t have a part in this one, though I have been signing autographs on copies of this one,” Barrier held up a picture that depicted both Shining Armor and himself soaking wet and what looked to be wrestling with each other, “since I got to the front gate. Gotta say, I look damn good in some of these.”

Shining face-hooved again. “Of course you have. So, what felony did you commit this time?” Shining’s head plopped down on his desk, next to his wife.

“I may or may not have stolen Princess Celestia’s cake off of her dinner tray.”

Shining’s eyes bugged out and he jolted upright. “Are you out of your mind?!”

Both Barrier and Cadance were trying and failing to bite back laughter.

“Oh, I hate both of you.” Shining plopped down once more.

His laughter subsiding, Barrier patted Shining’s head gently. “There, there, Shining, I’m not here to make your life harder. I’m here to make your wife’s life harder.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow, her smile fading slightly.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, Barrier all but shouted, “I need advice. And possibly a psychiatrist, but definitely advice!”


***


“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

Barrier and Cadance had relocated to the mare’s bedroom in the castle; the sheer amount of pink was honestly making him a little nauseous.

“Well, I think I’m developing feelings for a pony.”

“The mare you were safeguarding, I assume? Miss Melody?”

“Yeah. I’m not actually sure what I feel for her though.”

“Well, imagine Octavia is leaving town and you’ll not see her again for an extended period of time, if at all. How does that make you feel?”

“Hollow, empty…the same way I felt whenever I would deploy for an extended mission back in the guard. I’ve a fairly good idea of what I’m feeling, just not sure how to approach it.”

“Talk to her about it.” Cadance giggled slightly at the brief look of confusion on the stallion’s face. “It’s surprisingly simple. You and her both feel much the same; you both feel the possibility of a relationship but are uncertain of how to approach it.”

“And you know she feels this way, how…?”

The mare gave her best deadpan stare.

“Right, stupid question.” Is it really that simple? Barrier shook his head slightly, amused at his own prior confusion. The best answers were almost always simple. “Okay, so that’s how I address the situation with Octavia, but how do I cope with myself?”

“That’s something only you can decide, I’m afraid. All I can do is give you my opinion on the matter.”

“Your opinion being…?”

“I never knew your wife, so I can’t say too much, but I like to think she would want you to move on and love again.” The mare finally stated, “The fact that it’s such an issue for you speaks volumes about the relationship you two must’ve had.” The mare’s gaze softened, “You’ll have to let go of the past, Barrier. Don’t ever forget her, but if you let these feelings of betrayal linger in you, then a relationship between you and Octavia will never work.”


***


Barrier found himself outside of the throne-room once more, even as the sun steadily disappeared beyond the horizon. He contemplated seeking advice from one of the few ponies who could help him, though now he was here, he found himself uncertain.

“Are you on the docket?”

A unicorn guard asked, glancing up lazily at the stallion. “No, I’ve not made an appointment, but tell her highness that Magic Barrier has come to ask a difficult question.”

The guard raised an eyebrow but shook his head. “If you’re not on the docket you can’t-”

While the unicorn was caught up in explaining why Barrier couldn’t see the princess, Barrier trotted past, the second guard making a move to stop him, only for Barrier to lock him in place with the usual glare. With a flare of his horn, the doors opened and the talking unicorn realized what was going on.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave!” Suddenly his voice didn’t sound so bored.

Ignoring him, Barrier trotted into the throne room, both door-guards rushing in after him, spears ready.

“Apologies, princess,” Barrier glanced up at the regal mare, documents held in her magic as she took in the situation.

“Guards, stand down.”

“Not that I’m averse to seeing you, Magic Barrier, but what is the occasion?” The papers levitated to the side and the princess straightened up on her throne.

“I need to know how to let go of the past.”

With a knowing smile, the princess turned to her guards. “Guards, leave us. There is something we must discuss in private.” The guards saluted before filing out neatly.

“You should really get some of those guys checked. Your door-guards didn’t even realize what I was doing until I’d taken my first steps into the throne room.”

“There is little need for the heavily-trained guards of old, these days.”

“Fair enough, so, can you help me?”

“I’m afraid letting go of one’s past isn’t quite as easy as that, Barrier. For you, it’s far more personal of a subject. If I may, what has brought this on?”

Barrier gave a brief recounting of his discussion with Cadance and the feelings he feared he was developing, including the sudden sense of betrayal in his gut, as well as the frequent nightmares regarding his family.

The princess opened her mouth to speak, only for Barrier to cut her off.

“And before you mention it, no, your sister will not be welcomed into my dreams.”

The princess closed her mouth and frowned. “Do you hate Luna that much? You once served her with as much faith as you did me, did you not?”

“I killed foals because of the things she did while under the influence of the Nightmare, princess.” Barriers features hardened. “I killed thirteen colts and fillies because your sister had an emotional breakdown.” Barrier glanced hard at the princess, “For what it’s worth, I don’t blame her, but that doesn’t mean I forgive her, or you, princess.”

The princess sighed and slouched a bit. “Very well, Barrier, I will not force the issue. In response to your query, letting go is not something you can simply do. It requires time to grieve and ruminate. It’s not as easy as simply telling yourself to let go, unfortunately. Just remember, letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care anymore. “

Bowing his head respectfully, Barrier thanked the princess and departed, disregarding Princess Luna, who stood outside the throne-room entirely, a hurt expression on her face.

As he walked through Canterlot towards the Sparkle household, he couldn’t help but roll the thoughts over in his head. Despite knowing that Cadance had been right in her assumption of Radiant Smile, he still couldn’t get the feeling to dissipate from his gut and chest, and yet at the same time, he couldn’t convince himself to think differently of Octavia; he enjoyed the mare’s company and loved her personality; some part of him longed to pursue a relationship with the mare, regardless of the feelings.


***


After a quick dinner with the two eldest Sparkles, Barrier found himself falling onto Shining Armor’s old bed. This is pathetic. Dinner had been a mostly awkward and silent affair, as Barrier had been consumed by his thoughts for the majority of it; he was wondering how his wife would have judged his actions up to this point, aside from his developing feelings for Octavia. It wasn’t good; the mare had never been especially fond of alcohol, her father having been a mean drunk, and if she found out he had plotted to kill the princess…well, that wasn’t a pretty thought. It wasn’t until sleep came that Barrier found any semblance of peace.


***


Barrier once again found himself in the dreamscape. This however, wasn’t like the previous dreams; rather than the usual cold stone walls of the castle, Barrier found himself in the home he and Radiant Smile had shared; it was a nice change of pace, though his heart broke at the ghostly figure of his wife sitting in front of the crackling fireplace.

“Radiant Smile…” Barrier slowly approached the mare, taking a seat next to her, feeling the warmth of the fireplace. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for,” The ethereal voice responded; that was odd. She’d never spoken to him in the dreams and nightmares before.

“I have a lot to be sorry for. I wasn’t there for your or little Sparkle, to say nothing of the unfaithful thoughts I’ve been having about another mare.”

“I’m gone, Barrier. You have to let me go, Barrier. Do not close your heart, for my sake, please.” The ghostly figured steadily faded into nothingness.

“Thank you, Princess Luna.” Barrier spoke into the fireplace, disregarding the sudden gasp.

“How did thou know?” The mare suddenly materialized where the ghostly figure had been moments before.

“I’ve always been a lucid dreamer, princess. With lucid-dreaming and the magical capability, it’s trivial to detect magic tampering within a dream. Before now, my nightmares never talked to me.”

“We apologize for the deceit, Magic Barrier, but we overheard thy conversation with our sister earlier and wanted to try and help…” The mare gazed away uneasily.

“Believe me, if I didn’t know your intentions were pure, I very well might have attempted to kill you both in this dream and in the waking world.”

“We-”

Barrier held a hoof up, silencing the mare. “I hold no anger towards you for this event, Luna, I’ve come to a number of realizations today, one of which is how unfair I’ve been towards you, and to an extent, your sister.”

The mare remained silent, gazing into the fire as Magic Barrier continued.

“I can’t say I forgive you...hay, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive you, but I’ll try, if only because Radiant Smile wouldn’t have wanted me to hold such a grudge.” Barrier sighed and stood upright, trotting away from the fireplace. “But know this, princess, should you or your sister ever fall like that again...I will not let another pony go through the same suffering I did, so long as I can help it. Should it come to the extent of Nightmare Moon, for you, or any other being of power...alicorn or not, I can and will kill them.” The tone left no real room for a rebuttal; it sounded like a simple statement of fact.

After nearly two minutes of silence, the princess nodded and stood up as well. “We thank thee, Magic Barrier. Should we ever fall that far again, we would be grateful for such a mercy.” Bowing her head, the princess’ horn flared to life dramatically and she steadily faded into oblivion.

With a weary sigh, Barrier sat down and prepared to wait out his dream, trying to decide how to discuss the subject with Octavia; he doubted it would be as easy as he had hoped.

> He's Okay! [Chapter 17]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh relax, you look fine.” Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Magic Barrier stood in front of a mirror in the couple’s bedroom; he wore a black tuxedo-top, a white undershirt, and a red tie which was neatly tucked in.

“By the gods, this thing is miserable,” Barrier took a few steps, noting how his movement was restricted. “is there no way to remove the sleeves?”

“It’ll be fine, Barrier, and besides, you want to look good for your date, don’t you?”

Clearing his throat, Barrier spoke with the utmost professionalism. “Buck you, it’s not a date.” It was a half-hearted statement that came out as more of a pout rather than professional, though inside, Barrier found himself genuinely uneasy.


***


Barrier licked his lips, not really certain why they were dry. He was in a carriage with Octavia, and while she wasn’t particularly dressed up -only wearing her signature pink bow-tie- he still felt underdressed.

As the mare glanced over at him and giggled, he sighed and put a hoof to his face.

“Sorry, sorry, you just look so nervous.” The mare’s melodious giggle filled the air once more.

“I am nervous. I didn’t like parties like this a thousand years ago, and for some reason, I don’t think they’ve changed terribly much.”

“If you don’t like them, then why did you agree to come?” The mare locked eyes with him a slight smirk on her face as he squirmed uncomfortably.

“Couldn’t help it, I really enjoy being around you.” Barrier began, disregarding the slight touch of pink on the mare’s face, his own eyes meeting hers. “And besides,” Barrier got a grin of his own. “if you hadn’t asked me, another mare would have. I mean who could say no to this?” Barrier motioned to himself in the tuxedo top, causing Octavia to look at him as well. While Barrier wasn’t a giant, he was an impressively sized unicorn, what with his longer-than-average horn and the fact that he was notably bulkier than most ponies, while not being grotesquely so; Barrier was toned, handsome, and while he would never state it outside of a joking manner, he knew he cleaned up well.

Turning away with a slightly darker blush, the mare didn’t respond, instead turning to gaze at the castle that was rapidly looming in the distance; Barrier was glad that Octavia was performing; that meant he could get in and get settled before the vast majority of the guests arrived.

“I look forward to seeing you perform.”

The mare didn’t respond right away, instead licking her lips slightly, now with a nervous expression perched on her face.

Barrier inwardly chuckled to himself; he had seen this before. The mare was rather akin to a new guard, fresh out of the academy. She had been confident and capable until the moment she actually arrived, then the nervousness set in.

“Relax, I’ve heard you play. You alone could carry your ensemble through this should it come to it.”

The mare turned to him with a questioning glance.

“You’re nervous.” Barrier continued before the mare could argue the point, “I’ve seen it before, back in the guard. You put on a facade of confidence, but when the actual event rolls around -whether it be a mission or a concert- the gravity of it all hits you.”

The mare turned away silently, unable to really argue the comparison.

“Trust me, you’ll do wonderfully.” Barrier thought back to what Night Light had told him earlier.


***


“Twilight and all of her friends will be going to the Gala as well. Tell them we said hello, will you?”


***


Barrier shoved aside the feeling of dread in his stomach. “Just…make sure you’re ready to leave at any moment’s notice. I have a really bad feeling for some reason.

The pair departed the carriage and trotted up the stairs to the waiting Princess Celestia.

“Welcome to the Gala, Miss Melody, Mr. Barrier.”

“Princess.” Barrier tilted his head politely while Octavia bowed, before the couple departed into the Gala, Octavia to set up and Barrier to do…Barrier things.

“Don’t blink. If you blink I’ll have to tell Captain Armor.”

The guard swallowed nervously, glancing to his partner for help, only to receive none.

Barrier had decided to occupy his time before the Gala by staring down some of the guards.

“Good on ya kid, you didn’t blink.” He moved to the guard’s partner, putting on a particularly intense and soul-threatening gaze.


****


At the Gala


***


The hell? Barrier turned from the guards and listened intently.


***


I am here at the Grand Gala
For it is the best party


***


Barrier swallowed nervously as a feeling he had long-forgotten resurfaced in his gut and he began to get flashes of a gingerbread house.

“Good evening gentlecolts, I need to flee for my life.” Tilting his head slightly, Barrier trotted back into the main room where the musicians had just started their performance.

Marshmallow, Skittles, Barrier made a mental-note to see if Skittles were still a thing, and if not, to convince somepony to make them, Butter, Applebutt, Twilight, Barrier’s eyes fell to the last of Twilight’s friends and he licked his lips, trotting over to the refreshments table to get a drink. Cotton Candy…good gods why do you fill me with such dread?

The Gala was turning out to be as boring as he had expected.

“Miss Applejack.” Barrier trotted up to where the mare had set her stand up, just in time to see one of the Wonderbolts leaving with his purchase.

“Howdy there, Magic Barrier, didn’t expect ta’ see you here at the gala. Hungry?” The mare motioned to her stand.

“A friend asked me to accompany her. Would’ve been rude to say no, so here I am.” Barrier glanced over the apple products, remembering the hoofful he’d had during his extended visit at Ponyville General. “Hm, just a fritter for now. Not certain whether Octavia will want to go out to eat after the Gala or not. Ah, if you could bag those as well, I’m not sure when her concert ends.” Barrier’s ears swiveled slightly as the mare proceeded to bag a pair of fritters for him.

“MY PIII-”

Shaking his head Barrier managed to tune the shout out in time to pay Applejack. “Well, best of luck tonight, Miss Applejack.”

Barrier arrived just in time to see Skittles save one of the Wonderbolts’ pie, followed by the Wonderbolt…good gods, that just looks offensive. Tearing his gaze from the disturbing sight, he watched Skittles talk to the other Wonderbolt, a mare. 

Glancing over the mare in her skintight uniform a couple of times, only in a professional regard, Barrier smiled slightly. I’d hit that. Both of the mares as well as the pie-fiend departed behind the rope.

“I am Prince Blueblood…”

“...-rity”

Poor girl has no idea what she’s getting into. He trotted towards the garden to observe the night’s entertainment. Or rather, he would have, if the butter-pony, Fluttershy, Barrier thought her name was, hadn’t caught his attention. Had she always looked so psychotic?

This won’t end well. The mare was setting up a particularly sad box-trap. Glancing back to where Rarity and Blueblood had been, Barrier lamented that he had missed the pair wandering off.

Glancing around, Barrier decided to return to the provided refreshments; specially, he found himself gazing at the selection of various wines and other alcohols. With great reluctance, he managed to pull his gaze from the cure-all, just in time to see Cotton Candy -the pink one, that is- singing the pony-pokey and grinding awkwardly against various ponies, including most of the musicians.

“Haha, nope.” Barrier turned right back around and fished around underneath the table for a moment before pulling out several unopened bottles of wine. Pulling a final half-empty bottle from it’s resting spot on the table Barrier took a short swig and trotted back over the musicians. He could justify drinking at this particular moment, he felt; less than two hours into the gala and it was already falling apart, quite literally. Pillars and statues were crumbling, Octavia and her ensemble all seemed to have given up and were simply sitting around watching the carnage; crumbling structures and -called it, Barrier thought to himself- stampeding animals everywhere.

Trotting up to Octavia, Barrier smiled sadly when it became obvious that the mare was saddened by the turn of events. “Wanna go forget this happened?” Barrier held the wine up, his smile widening slightly when she sighed, packed her cello, and trotted off stage, out of bucks to give at that point it seemed.

As carefully as the pair could manage, they navigated their way towards the front gate, Barrier taking in their surroundings all the while; the screaming nobles and fleeing Elements of Harmony were far more amusing than they should be.

“Great Gala, Princess. Far better than the ones I remember.” Barrier waved to the large white mare, chuckling all the while as the pair left for the gardens.


***


“Our one chance to be famous! This event was going to secure our future…and she ruined it...that...that…”

“Cotton Candy?”

“That one.” Octavia slurred slightly, taking another swig of the wine.

 “Well, there will no doubt be other opportunities for your ensemble and you to become famous.”

“Thank you…” The mare tilted her head sleepily. “You’re a good pony…”

Barrier chuckled slightly and emptied their last wine bottle. “Wine’s gone…” Barrier turned to face the mare when he felt something warm press into his side.

Well, didn’t get to have that talk but I suppose there’s always tomorrow.

With a grunt, Barrier hoisted the sleeping mare carefully onto his back and trotted off towards the Sparkle household, cello case levitating behind him.

The streets were moderately packed, dozens of ponies walking home, frustration clear on their face. Man, I’m glad I didn’t end up staying in Ponyville. Those ponies are crazy.

“You look like you had a fun night.” Night Light chuckled as he stepped onto the porch to greet the pair.

“I can’t complain too much. It was mildly amusing to watch the nobles scream and run after Twilight’s friends trashed the place.”

“Looks like Octavia had an even better time.” Night Light stepped aside to welcome the pair in.

“One of Twilight’s friends kind of killed their performance. She had good intentions, I think, but...eh kids will be kids. Going to go put her to bed. We’ll probably head back to Manehattan tomorrow. I really appreciate you letting us stay here as long as you did, especially given the circumstances.”

“Eh don’t mention it, you’re family.”

“I’ll be back down in a moment after I put her to bed. Run you through the highlights of the night.” Being careful not to jostle the mare, Barrier made his way to the guest room, gently rolling the mare off of his back and onto the guest bed. “There we go…” Barrier reached down and took the blanket between his teeth, pulling it up over the mare. “Sleep wel-” Barrier choked slightly as the mare’s hooves shot out and pulled him into the bed.

Mare’s got a death-grip… Barrier thought to himself as he tried to wiggle loose; everytime he tried to pull away, the grip seemed to tighten. Well, buck.


***


Octavia blinked several times before she yawned and made to stretch both forelegs, only to find one trapped underneath of Barrier. Scrunching her eyebrows up in concentration, the mare began to shake the unicorn awake.

“Barrier, dear friend.”

“Wassat?” Barrier rolled over to find his muzzle centimeters away from Octavia’s.

“Would you care to explain why you’re in my bed?” He couldn’t resist; the flat expression was too perfect.

“Damn, I knew I was out of practice but you don’t remember anything from last night? You were pretty loud. We actually drove Night Light and Twilight Velvet downstairs.”

The mare’s eyes narrowed and a look of pure death perched itself on her face before Barrier chuckled.

“Relax, nothing happened. Except you spooning me. That was a bit weird, but surprisingly pleasant.”

“Barrier, I can and will hurt you.” Neither pony moved, their muzzles still nearly touching.

Well this is awkward. Barrier found his heart beating slightly faster, a slight blush rising to his face. Can’t have that. “We got drunk.” After a moments thought, “Scratch that, you got drunk, I got buzzed. You fell asleep on me -you’re absolutely adorable when you sleep by the way, you do this little running thing- and I carried you back here.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re in the bed with me.”

“Well, I tried to leave and you jumped my bones.” Another deadpan, no-nonsense expression. “You’re no fun. I tucked you in and you latched onto me. Everytime I tried to move your grip got tighter, so finally I stopped trying. Seriously, your grip is stupid strong.”

After nearly a minute of silence where the two stared at each other and processed their individual thoughts. “Can I tell you something that might run you off?” It wasn’t the same joking tone as usual.

The mare’s eyebrows raised in questioning.

“I meant to do this last night but we were drinking and it wasn’t really the time for it, but…” Barrier fell silent, chuckling instead. “I can’t actually think of words to describe it. It’s…well, buck. This is honestly harder the second time around…” Taking a deep breath, Barrier opened his mouth once more. “This is a really awkward thing for me, with my past and all, but I think I’m developing feelings for you. It’s…kind of difficult for me to try and decipher them because I was married less than a year ago and I just….he-”

Octavia cut the stallion off when she leaned forward and pecked his nose, a slight smile on her face.

“Sorry, I ramble a bit. I like you, a lot...and I would really like to attempt to court you, it’s just weird for me, with my former situation and-” He fell silent when the mare pressed her lips to his once more, slightly firmer this time.

“Relax, Magic Barrier, I understand. You were widowed both a very long and very short time ago, I wouldn’t expect any pony to be over it this quickly. Perhaps we should try it, but take it slow, hm?”

Barrier didn’t reply, instead choosing to curl up with the mare and rest his head on top of hers, the mare’s responding in kind; for nearly fifteen minutes they simply laid there and enjoyed the others presence…until Barrier decided to ruin the moment. 

“You know, your hooves are stupid capable with your cello. Wonder what else they’d be good for…” He flexed his eyebrows and grinned slightly, pulling back just enough to see the mare’s annoyed expression.

Almost casually, Octavia curled her legs up and launched them out like pistons, all but catapulting Barrier off of the bed with a grunt.

“I’m okay!” He called from his spot on the floor, waving at her with a hoof..

“Honestly, you’re insufferable.” The mare rolled off of the other side of the bed, a smile present on her face and amusement clear in her voice.

“Hey ‘Tavi.” Barrier called out from his spot on the floor as she made her way towards the door.

“Sorry that last night went so poorly for you. Also sorry for…ya’ know, being me.”

“Don’t ever change, Barrier.” The mare held her hoof out to Barrier, the same smile still perched on her face.

> Manehattan...Again [Chapter 18]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the pair made their way downstairs, two voices became apparent, besides Night Light and Twilight Velvet, Cadance and Shining Armor were home.

“It was an absolute disaster.” Shining’s head was on the kitchen table as he went over some of the details regarding the previous night’s festivities. “There were animals all over the place, to say nothing of the property damage. We’re still trying to track down all of the animals, an-” Shining’s ears perked up. “Why do I feel a sense of impending doom?”

Barrier took quick stock of the kitchen; Shining Armor, Cadance, and Night Light were all sitting at the table. With silence that would make a ghost proud, Barrier carefully trotted over, shushing Cadance and Night Light with silent hoof-motions.

“Shiny! I knew you’d come back for me!” Barrier all but jumped on top of Shining, the chair toppling over and Barrier landing on top of the unicorn once more.

Cadance of course, giggled, while Octavia sighed and face-hoofed, the clop resounding throughout the house.. It was good fun, for the moment, but then another pony trotted down the stairs to join in the fun.

Twilight needed coffee after last night. Badly. As she made it down the stairs, her brain slowly started to fire up, to take in the scene before her. Her brother and Barrier were once again on top of each other, all but grinding together. Staring at the scene for a moment, her face ran through several expressions -all of them bewildered- in rapid succession. After nearly a full two minutes of everypony staring at the mare with baited breath, Twilight silently turned around and departed right back up the stairs.

The moment she was out of sight, Barrier and Cadance both lost it for some reason, breaking down in laughter; even Night Light chuckled slightly.

“Honestly, the poor mare…” Octavia trotted over to and sat down and the table, trying and failing to hide her grin.

“I swear to Celestia, Barrier, one of these days, straight to the moon.”

“Domestic abuse, I need a lawyer!” Barrier called out as Shining rolled him over and climbed upright.

“What’s this about domestic abuse?” Twilight Velvet trotted downstairs, passing her daughter on the way.

“I’m in an abusive relationship with your son, I’m afraid.” Barrier climbed upright and took a seat at the table.

“It’s quite severe, I think we may have to get the guard involved.” Cadance pitched in, sitting alongside Shining Armor, sandwiching him between Barrier and herself.

“He just goes on these benders where he drinks heavily and beats everything in sight.” Barrier seemed to tear up slightly.

“The table, the walls, even Magic Barrier. Nothing is safe from his wrath.” The pair seemed almost in sync with each other.

“I’m afraid he’ll hurt me if I try to leave.”

“And I’m trying to convince Barrier it’s not a healthy relationship and that he should leave.”

“But I’m fairly certain she’s just trying to steal Shining for herself.”

Armor’s head thudded on the table and he groaned in irritation, eliciting another laugh from all of the ponies at the table, minus Shining Armor, as well as Twilight Velvet, who had moved to the counter.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay for breakfast. I’ve got to stop by the hotel and gather my belongings before my train leaves.” Octavia stood and bowed politely. “I thank you all for your hospitality, it has been an absolute pleasure.”

“I should probably go get a train ticket myself, since I’m heading back to Manehattan today as well. Thanks for letting me crash here. Uh, Shining. There might be some wet spots in your room. I tried to keep them concentrated in one area, but…well, when it goes, it goes.”

Shining’s eyes widened and he sprinted from the table upstairs to his bedroom, not catching Barrier and Cadance both laughing at his reaction.

“You are just terrible.” Night Light chuckled and shook the images from his head. “You’re both welcome here anytime.”

“You should visit more often. It’s almost always empty here save Night Light and myself. It gets kind of lonely.”


***


After a quick trip to the bank to retrieve some travelling funds and the item-of-interest from his safety-deposit box, Barrier soon found himself at the train-station, sitting alongside Octavia yet again.

“Hard to believe it’s only been...what, two weeks now?” A dry chuckle escaped him. “Can’t say this is where I saw us being two weeks ago.”

“Things have certainly changed, I suppose. So, where do you plan on staying once we get to Manehattan?”

“Mm, good question. I stayed at the tenth-street motel last time I was there, but since this will be a bit more permanent, I suppose I’ll need to find an alternative.”

“You could stay with me, if you’d like…” It came out as more of a squeak, a slight red tint adorning Octavia’s face.

There was no way Barrier was going to let this go. “Why Miss Melody, are you propositioning me?” Barrier made to flex his eyebrows, only for a sharp pain to erupt on the back of his head, courtesy of Octavia.

“Honestly, you are just insufferable.” The blush was gone. “I have a guest bedroom that, if you’re willing to split the bills, you are welcome to. Since you’re no longer rich, that means you’ll need a job.”

The pair fell silent long enough to board the train that had just arrived.

“Fair enough, I’d probably try to find work even if I had the money. Well then, Miss Melody, it would be my honor to share a home with you.” He bowed deeply, causing the mare to cough and turn around uncomfortably. 

“Yes, well,” A brief silence, “have you any idea what you’ll do for work? Perhaps apply to be a local guard?”

“Mm, that’s a good question, actually.” Barrier thought back to his time in Manehattan. “Actually, I think I have an idea. Miss Scratch still owes me a favor, she may be able to offer me some suggestions.”

“Miss Scratch?” Octavia’s eyes lit up slightly in recognition. “Vinyl Scratch? You know Vinyl Scratch?” Her tone was rising slightly.

“I met her once when I first arrived in Manehattan. I helped her out of a less-than-desirable situation. Sounds like you know her as well?”

“Not personally, but she’s a fairly big name in the world of music. I’m not a terribly big fan of her music, but I have immense respect for the mare, as she is essentially spearheading a new style of music.”

“Huh, I never knew. In any case, she may have some ideas as to where I could work. I’ll pay a visit to her establishment tomorrow and see if she can help me out.”

Octavia shook her head in exasperation. “One does not simply go up to the queen of DJ’s and ask for a favor.”

“Mm, we’ll see.” Barrier turned to the window, losing himself in the rapidly passing scenery.


***


“Buck you, Barrier!” An earth-pony with a light golden coat was latched onto the railing of the chariot, yelling over the roar of the wind.

“Oh come on Brae, it isn’t that bad! I enchanted it myself and Flash is flying it! You’ll be fine!”

“Get bent! Earth ponies weren’t meant to fly!”

Nearly a half-hour later, the chariot landed in the castle courtyard, bumping roughly.

“Princess,” Barrier bowed once more, disregarding the shivering wreck that was Braeburn Apple. “Minus the rough landing and lack of safety-belts, the flying chariots are excellent and should serve our purposes wonderfully.”

After a short discussion with the princesses, Barrier trotted back to the chariot, where the earth pony was only now regaining himself.

“I hate you, Barrier. I hate you so much. Why couldn’t we just stick to the ground-models?”

“Needed a faster way for military travel. Hook six pegasi up to one of these and you’ve got a troop transport that doesn’t have to worry about terrain.”

“Buck you.” The stallion shakily walked through the courtyard, Barrier chuckling when he realized there was a puddle in the chariot.
 

***


The chuckle continued into present-day, drawing the mare’s attention once more.

“Something you find funny out there?” She glanced at the window.

“Nah, not really. Was thinking back to when sky-chariots first became a thing. There was an earth-pony in my squad who had a phobia of them from day one. Was thinking what it’d have been like if we had trains back then.”

“So, have you met any other descendants you recognize, such as Flash Sentry?”

Barrier thought for a moment and frowned. “Yeah…that giant unicorn that I fought with in Canterlot. Same name as my old C.O, but my old CO was an earth-pony, so it’s hard to say at this point.”

“I see.”

“You know, I was mildly surprised. You didn’t take that whole scene nearly as bad as I expected you to.”

“My father had intended me to succeed him as head of the family, and as such, I was exposed to certain things that better groomed me for scenes such as those.”

“Glad you decided not to pursue that particular career. No offense, but your father’s line of work is…well, if I hadn’t needed a favor, our conversation would have been very different and you and I probably wouldn’t have met.”

A brief silence.

“Ugh, I hate long trips. These trains are great but they’re kind of dull.”

“Well, how would you entertain yourself before you had trains?”

“Mission briefings, weapons and armor maintenance, making fun of Braeburn and his fear of heights. Occasionally we’d complain about how Flash had way too many kids to be an enlisted pony, also.”

“Too many kids? You mentioned that before when we met that guard. What do you mean exactly?”

“Just that. That colt and his wife were more rabbit than pegasus. They had six kids by the time that Nightmare Moon surfaced. I don’t know if that’s a lot now, but back then that was one helluva feat.”

“No, that’d still be quite impressive in this day and age as well.”


***


By the time the pair had arrived, the sun had begun and nearly finished it’s descent beyond the horizon.

“So, how far to your apartment?” Barrier asked as he levitated both Octavia’s and his own suitcase behind him.

“Perhaps a thirty-minute walk, at a slow pace. It’s fairly close to the center of the city. It makes it easier for me to get to work and back.”

“Speaking of, what do you do for a living? I know you and your ensemble play together, but…?”

“I play at a number of local restaurants five nights a week and I take weekends off.”

“Huh, well alrighty, then.”

The pair trotted in silence for a number of minutes before Barrier once again broke it. “Are there any gyms nearby?”

“There are a couple of them, though I fail to see why you would need one. You seem to have stayed in fairly good shape without one.” The mare glanced him over once before face-hoofing when she realized what she had opened herself up to.

“I’m not going to say it because I’m above that.” Barrier’s manure-eating grin said all that needed to be said.

“I hate you.”

“You say the sweetest things.” Deja vu?

“And we’re here.”

Barrier glanced at the building in front of them. It was, much to his surprise, not as lavish as what he would’ve expected from the mare.

“Why so surprised?” The mare trotted into the lobby smugly.

“Sorry, I suppose I expected it to be…” Barrier struggled with the word.

“Lavish? Sorry it’s not up to your expectations.” The pair entered an elevator.

“I’m glad, honestly. I expected you’d live somewhere really high-brow. I’d honestly rather be in a guards barracks than a place like that.”

“I take it you don’t get along with most nobles?”

“Yeah, Brown-nosers and I don’t tend to get along. Funny really, since I was classed as a noble one-thousand years ago.” Barrier thought for a moment, placing a hoof on his chin. “Actually, scratch that, I’m still technically a noble.”

Glancing intently at the unicorn, the earth mare shook her head. “I can’t see you as a noble. You’re too…”

“Normal?”

“I was going to say uncouth and uncultured, but normal works as well, I suppose.”

“I’ll have you know I’m the very model an elegant and cultured unicorn.” Barrier raised his pitch a bit and corrected his posture; he looked and sounded strikingly similar to a certain prince; the facade lasted for all of five seconds before Barrier stuck his tongue out. “Good gods, I feel like an absolute moron when I do that.”

“You look like a moron when you do that.” The mare shook her head and trotted to a nearby door. “Well, home sweet home.”

Room #420...why do I feel like I’m missing something?

> Two to One [Chapter 19]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ooooh, buck you Celestia, put it back down.” Barrier pulled the blanket over his head, though it did little to block the sun from filtering into the room. With as much grace as a fish-out-of-water, Barrier rolled himself off of the bed, landing in a tangle of blankets and flailing limbs.

“Elegant.”

Barrier managed to poke his head out from his cocoon of blankets. “Thank you, miss.” With a grunt and a thud, Barrier tried to climb upright, and failed.

With a slight grin, Octavia watched the unicorn struggle in vain, having wrapped himself beyond movement.

“Yeah, laugh it up, chuckles.” Barrier flopped around a couple more times before freeing a limb, followed shortly by the rest of him.

“I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you to wake up this early.”

“And yet you came into my room? Were you going to watch me sleep?” A lecherous grin worked it’s way on the stallion’s face. “Naughty, naugh- Ow!” Barrier flinched in pain as the mare swatted him. “Damn your horseshoes hurt.” Rubbing his head, he sighed, “So, why did it matter if I’m up this early or not?”

“I was going to tell you that I’m leaving and that I only have one key to the apartment. Until I can get a duplicate made, you’ll be locked out until tonight.”

“All good. I can teleport in.”

“There are magical enchantments to prevent just that.”

“I’ll just put a binding on something to bypass the spell.”

“I...what?” The mare shook her head, throwing the thoughts away. “Very well, I’ll see you this evening then. Feel free to explore the apartment,”

A grin was working it’s way onto Barrier’s face.

“As long as you stay out of my room.”

The smile vanished. “Just answer me one question and you have my word.”

The mare waited expectantly,

“What color are your socks?”

and promptly facehoofed.


***


“How the hay does anypony live here?” Barrier talked to himself as he went through the cabinets, hunting for breakfast. The fridge had been nearly empty, with the exception of what had once been milk, as was the rest of the house and cabinets. With the exception of the couch, everything looked brand new, if a bit dusty. “I guess she isn’t here all that much.” He continued to keep himself company as he closed the last of the cabinets; he had only found a hoofful of silverware and some dusty dishes. Glancing over at the couch, Barrier mentally smiled. The apartment was grey, the curtains were grey, the walls were grey, even the carpet was grey, but the couch was a deep burgundy, and it looked comfortable.

Later… Barrier promised the couch, and took one final glance around the kitchen before glancing down at the floor. With a small burst of magic, a thin trickle of blood trailed down his hoof. With a sigh, he smeared it on the underside of one of the cabinets. The binding made, he turned and began trotting down the hallway towards the bathroom.

The bathroom, unlike the rest of the apartment, clearly saw use. As he levitated through the bottles, a frown steadily grew on his face; there were four bottles of conditioner, a bottle of body-wash, and not a single bottle of shampoo. Well, this is clearly a mare’s bathroom.

After a cold, shampoo-less shower, Barrier found himself dripping wet. With a twist of his head, his horn lit up and the water separated itself from his fur, forming into a shapeless blob in front of him. With another flare of energy, the mass of water all but exploded in a blast of warm steam.


***


“Please?”

“Nopony gets in before opening hours. Boss’ orders.”

Unlike last time, there was a blue earth-pony blocking the front door of the establishment.

“Just tell her Magic Barrier is here to talk to her.”

The stallion remained silent.

“Just te…” Barrier trailed off, looking off to the left, causing the stallions gaze to follow his.

Pop; Barrier vanished in a flash of magic.

Is she head bobbing in her sleep?

Barrier glanced down at the mare, seemingly unconscious on her desk, a small puddle of drool forming; it was kind of cute and reminded him of a young Sparkle, except her leg kicked like a dog occasionally.

The office door slammed itself open as the earth-pony rushed in, anger written clearly on his face.

“I don’t like bananas!” Vinyl screamed, suddenly jumping up and falling to her haunches, breathing heavily as she nervously glanced at her surroundings.

“You are just adorable.” Barrier deftly sidestepped another wild-buck. “Long time no see, Scratchy. What’s with the imbecilic doorpony?”

The stallion stopped as he tried to process the statement.

“I…oh mate, don’t do that, it’s not worth it. You’ve only got like two brain-cells and if you sacrifice one to figure out what the word imbecilic means then the other will get lonely and commit suicide and nopony wa-”

“Barrier!” Vinyl cut the stallion off as she trotted up to him.

“Morning Miss Scratc-” A resounding clop echoed through the room as Vinyl smacked the ever living tar out of him.

“Ow, son of a…” He bit his tongue. “What is it with mare’s and hitting me? By the gods that hurts.”

“That, was for picking on my doorman. And this,” she swatted him again, though not as hard. “is for waiting forever before you came back to visit.”

“Uh, miss Scratch…” The earth pony wasn’t really sure what was going on anymore.

“Oh, you can go on back to watching the door.” She waved the stallion off. “Now you,” Vinyl stared at Barrier, and her stomach rumbled. “are joining me for breakfast.”

“It’s lunch-time.” Barrier observed a nearby clock that read eleven-thirty.

“Breakfast.” The mare reiterated.


***


“So, you want a job.” Vinyl continued to stuff herself with hay-bacon, stopping only occasionally to speak.

How do you eat that much and stay that thin? Barrier glanced at the near-white mare and the huge plate of food she had, compared to his two fried eggs and a biscuit. “Yeah, I’ve got a roommate now and need to help with bills.”

“Well, what did you do before you had a roommate?”

“I lived off of my one-thousand years of back-pay until I went to Canterlot as a bodyguard. Decided to donate the vast majority of it to...somewhere. I didn’t actually ask the princess where it would go to, just told her to give it whatever ponies needed it most.”

“Well, alright then. Can you start work tonight?”

“That depends on the job.”

“Security. For the club.”

“What exactly does security for your club entail?” Barrier only had a bare understanding of what a club was, based on his single conversation with Vinyl months earlier.

“Basically just throw out any troublemakers. If somepony gets too grabby or drinks too much, or just causes any trouble, you ask them politely to leave. If that doesn’t work, you throw’em out quick and quiet.”

“So...a guard, basically.” Barrier chuckled, “I suppose I can do that. What time should I be there?”

“Club opens at eight, closes at four. If you can be there by seven-thirty, that’d be great.”

“Very well then, I’ll be there at seven. Til’ then Miss Scratch.”

“Oh, and stop calling me ‘Miss’, it makes me feel old!” She almost immediately went back to stuffing her face.


***


Almost six o’clock and Barrier finally found himself back outside the apartment, dozens of bags of groceries floating in his magic. “Alright, should be close enough…” Barrier sat the groceries down and lit his horn up. “Little to the left…” With a burst of magic, he vanished, leaving the groceries outside the apartment.

Octavia fumbled a pack of cello strings as yells suddenly rang out from the kitchen.

“Son of a motherbucking piece of s-”

Quickly identifying the voice, she trotted into the kitchen, only to find Barrier wedged between the kitchen-sink and the cabinets above it; his face was in the sink and his hind-hooves were pressed tightly up against the underside of the cabinets.

“That’s an interesting way to stretch, Magic.” The mare had a slight smirk at her roommate’s predicament.

“I will eat your face.” The unicorn retorted as he flailed wildly, managing to get a leg free and rolling painfully out of the sink to the floor.

“So, you didn’t knock because…?”

“Because buck you, that’s why. And I didn’t think you’d be home.” He winced as he arched his back. “Ponies really shouldn’t be able to bend that way. Blasted teleportation.” Barrier grumbled as he trotted towards the front door. “In other news, I have groceries. Oh, and I meant to ask, that milk living in the fridge, is that a pet or should I throw it out?”

The mare blushed slightly and cleared her throat before answering. “The milk can go. I’m never home long enough to justify buying groceries-” The mare began to help Barrier in putting the groceries away. “as I work nearly fourteen hours a day between a half-dozen different restaurants. This is the earliest I’ve been home in months and it was only so you wouldn’t be locked out all night, though it seems you managed to make it inside.”

“So, any luck finding a job?”

“Yeah, I start in an hour and a half actually. I’m going to be security for Vinyl’s club. I get off at four in the morning, I’ll probably be back around five.”

“Well, that’s convenient, that’s about when I wake up to get ready. I’ll see about getting you a key made tomorrow.”

You wake up at five in the morning to play at restaurants…? Barrier shook the thought from his head. “Well, I’d better get going. Still need to get a layout of the club. I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Night ‘Tavi.”


***


Once again, Barrier found himself in a pattern. He would wake up around two in the afternoon, eat breakfast, and then go to the gym for a couple hours. From there, he would wander aimlessly around the city until his shift. He had long-since invested in a pair of earplugs to dull the sound of Vinyl’s music. It wasn’t bad, he was sure.  A lot of ponies clearly enjoyed it, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what was so great about it; he just couldn’t stand it on a personal level. Most nights were uneventful. Only occasionally having ponies who needed to be thrown out; all in all, it was a fairly dull job, but it paid the bills. From there, he would arrive home just in time to cook himself and Octavia dinner and breakfast respectively. All in all, it was a nice life minus the small amount of time he and Octavia got to see each other. Occasionally on weekends they would both have a day off and go to lunch, but those were far and few between.


***


“You’ve got a little bit right there…” Barrier motioned to his cheek, only for the mare to dab at her face with a napkin and miss the small smear of sauce completely.

“Did I get it?” The mare glanced down balefully at her plate of spaghetti. “Barrier?” She looked back up just in time to see Barrier closing the distance between the pair.

With a quick lick, Barrier removed the spaghetti sauce from the mare’s face, smiling in satisfaction when her face tinted red; the little things in life were the most satisfying. As the mare glared at him in embarrassment, he opened his mouth to laugh only for the mare to reciprocate the action, causing his face to heat up and the mare to smirk in victory.

Well played. The pair turned their focus to their food, occasionally glancing up at each other, slight grins on their faces.

“So, ‘Tavi. What are the chances you could get the week after next off?”

“I suppose I could. The restaurants are fairly lenient when I need time off.”

Barrier actually snorted. “Of course they are, you’re one of the biggest reasons ponies eat there.” Barrier had only visited the mare at work a couple of times on his odd weekday off, but they were almost always packed as opposed to when the mare wasn’t performing.

“So, I get the feeling that wasn’t a random question.” The mare looked at him in askance.

“Ah, no, it wasn’t. I got a letter from my granddaughter the other day asking if I could visit Ponyville to help her with something when I had the chance. I thought it’d be a nice change of pace rather than our usual hour or so of time together.”

“Hm, well, we’ve gotten ahead with the bills in the last couple of months, so I don’t see why not. A vacation to Ponyville sounds wonderful.” 

“Excellent. I’ll write Twilight and ask her to reserve us some rooms at an inn and…” Barrier trailed off and slowly drifted his gaze to a neighboring table; after a moment, the mare’s gaze followed and he quickly reached in, licking her cheek once more.

“I believe the score stands two to one.”

> Drinks and stuff... [Chapter 20]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The score stands two to one…”

The mare gazed at him, narrowing her eyes. Without warning, she leapt over the table, all but tackling Barrier, knocking both pony and chair back, much to the surprise of Barrier and the observing ponies.

Barrier hadn’t been ready for that one, OR the two licks that followed.

“I believe that makes it three to two.” The mare replied smugly.

She’s warm. Barrier mentally noted as he and Octavia separated. “Well played, Tavi’. You do know this means war, right?”

“I believe the final score stands six to five.” The mare flashed her smug grin once more as she trotted into their apartment complex, flicking Barrier slightly with her tail as she stepped in front of him.

Barrier snort-chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “So it is, but this war isn’t over yet, Miss Melody.” The pair trotted into the elevator, standing side-by-side in the close space.

“Oh yes it is, Barrier.” Her smug smile still held firm, “You’re in way over-” The mare was silenced as Barrier kissed her.

“I believe that makes it six to six.” Barrier left the elevator at a gallop, all but throwing himself through their apartment door, fleeing from the mare.


***


“These things are boring.”

The mare glanced up from her book, “I told you that you should have brought a book.”

“But Taaaaviiii!” Barrier whined and flailed around foalishly. “Reading sucks.”

“You read more than I do.” She turned back to her book, turning the page.

“That’s different. I’ve still got like three-hundred years of magical theory and associated subjects to catch up on.” Barrier stopped flailing.

“Then take a nap.”

Barrier thought about it for a moment; he wasn’t particularly tired, but he had nothing better to do. With a pop, he teleported from his bench and onto Octavia’s. Without any hesitation, he wiggled next to the mare and laid down, all but using her as a pillow.

“Honestly, you’re impossible.”

“Can’t talk, napping.”

A slight smile tugged at the mare’s lips as she dog-earred her book and pushed it away, curling up into Barrier.


***


“Oh for the love of the gods, Flash, don’t make this weird!” Barrier spoke through clenched jaws, fighting to keep his teeth from chattering.

“C-c-ca-can’t he-help it.” Flash managed to respond, his teeth clacking wildly. “Y-you’re fluf-fluffy.”

“I. Wi-will.” Barrier snorted, aggravated at his broken speech. “I will end you.” The pair were cuddled up as tightly as they could be, a thin cloak and magical barrier over them as a blizzard raged outside their little bubble.

“I-if I wer-were gay…” Flash chattered, “it wo-would tot--totally be for you…”

“I swear on Celestia’s name, Flash, I will let you freeze to death.”


***


“Uh, ma’am, sir?”

“Flash…why do you have a stiffy?” The line was mumbled right before Barrier awoke, yawning and glancing up at the speaker, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “Wassat?” He asked, still half-asleep.

“Uh…” The attendant had temporarily left his senses, trying to process the first statement.

After nearly a minute’s silence, he got his original message out. “We’ve arrived in Ponyville and most of the other passengers have already disembarked.”

That got Barrier’s attention. It was a lengthy ride to Ponyville as they had to go to Canterlot, switch tracks, and then to Ponyville; that they slept through it was impressive.

“Tavi, wake up.” Barrier nudged the mare slightly.

“Oh yes, Magic Barrier,” the mare responded in a sultry tone, kicking her hind-leg slightly. “I’d love to play a private concert for you.”

Barrier blushed brightly, showing through his coat with a little effort. Similarly, the train attendant blushed intensely at the sultry tone the mare had used as well.

“Tavi, up, up!” Barrier began to poke her in the ribs, causing her to giggle and for her eyes to shoot open. I’ll have to remember that spot. “Come on Tavi, we’re in Ponyville. It’s time to get up.”

The mare stretched and yawned, climbing upright and stretching. “I’m up.” The statement was followed by a yawn.

“Thank you for waking us up. We’ll be out of your mane shortly.” Barrier watched the attendant leave and nudged Octavia slightly before trotting to the door.

With a moment’s hesitation, Octavia followed Barrier and leaned into his side, walking alongside him.

Barrier smiled and slightly leaned into the mare in return, thinking back to the spaghetti incident only two weeks prior; after that, they had been far more open with their affection in public. Much to Barrier’s surprise, it didn’t hurt like he had expected it to; all that went through his mind was that Radiant Smile would be glad that he was moving on.

How far in this relationship are we really? Barrier was uncertain what constituted a relationship in this day and age; courting seemed fairly similar, but were time-frames the same? They had been together for nearly three months, but their relationship had only really seemed to start after the little war they started at the cafe, only a couple of weeks prior...yet, Octavia was clearly having very interesting dreams. With a sigh, Barrier shook the thoughts from his head, making a mental note to consult somepony about it.

“Something wrong?” Octavia had noticed his sigh, preceded by deep thought.

“Nah, just trying to wrap my head around everything. I’m pretty well adjusted at this point, but it all still seems really surreal from time to time.” As the pair exited the train, Barrier found his hair standing on end, his breathing becoming slightly heavier as adrenaline flooded him for some reason.

“Barrier, is something wrong?” the mare noted the sudden change in behaviour.

“Feels like something is coming. Can’t really tell what, it just feels...horrifyin-” Barrier fell silent and lashed out on pure instinct.

“Hi, I’m Pinki-” Pinkie Pie was touching Magic Barrier almost muzzle-to-muzzle for all of a half-second before Barrier caught her square in the jaw with a hard right cross, laying the mare out flat on the ground.

Both Octavia and Barrier glanced down at the unconscious mare, stuck in utter silence.

“Barrier.” Octavia’s voice was eerily calm. “You just punched a mare in the face.”

“It was a reflex!” Barrier was suddenly defensive. “You can’t just appear in somepony’s face and expect them to not react adversely! She came out of nowhere!”

“Barrier, you punched her in the face. That is-” Octavia fell silent as the pink mare wobbled back to her feet unsteadily.

“Wowzers, that was one heck of a greeting!”

“Uh…yeah. Hi.” Barrier glanced at Octavia in uncertainty, only for the mare to shrug. “Uh, sorry for…you know, punching you. I get jumpy when ponies appear in my face.”

“That’s okay! I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name!” The mare had taken to bouncing in place with barely contained glee.

Oh god, I can feel the diabeetus infecting me!

“I’m Magic Barrier, and this lovely mare,” Octavia blushed slightly, “is my marefriend, Octavia Melody.”

With a drawn out gasp, the mare hovered in mid-air for a moment before sprinting off, never actually touching the ground.

Magic Barrier could feel his eyes roll off in opposite directions as he tried to process what had just happened. Brain.exe has stopped working...

“Yeah, okay.” Barrier finally broke the silence. “You know what, not even going to question it, something tells me it’d be a really bad idea. Let’s just get to Twilight’s place, get the location of the inn and…hell I think I need a drink after that.”

“A drink sounds excellent.” Octavia replied, shaking off the shock of the physics-defying mare.


***


“It’s a library…in a tree.” Barrier tightened his jaw and sighed heavily. “My ideas hurt, Tavi. They’re hurting my ideas.”

“I can’t imagine the insurance for such a building is cheap. It’s like a big fire hazard. Didn’t you say she has a baby dragon living here with her?”

Ah, Spike. The only male presence in Barrier’s first stint in Ponyville. That little guy had been an absolute lifesaver. All the estrogen in this town could bring down even the strongest of stallions… 

“Barrier, knock!” Octavia chided as Barrier walked up and put a hoof on the door.

“I...what?” He was genuinely confused.

“It’s impolite to barge into somepony’s house uninvited, family or not!”

“It’s,” he glanced at the clock-tower. “one-thirty, on a monday, and it’s a public library.”

Octavia opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent, simply shaking her head at the realization.

That out of the way, Barrier turned back to the door and pushed it open, stepping inside to…

“SURPRISE!”

A massive wave of sound strong enough to physically blow his mane back.

Licking his lips slightly as he took in the surroundings, he glanced at Octavia and mouthed, ‘All the alcohol’ before turning back to the pink mare who was once against uncomfortably close and talking way too fast to understand; Barrier simply tuned her out for the duration.

After nearly a minute of non-stop talk, the pink pony fell silent and looked at both Barrier and Octavia expectantly.

“...yes.” Barrier finally answered, having caught nothing the pink mare had said.

“Of course?” Octavia’s came out as a question, having missed everything Pinkie had said as well.

“Welcome back to Ponyville.” Twilight and two other mares trotted up to the pair. “Sorry about that. Pinkie is…unique.” Twilight chuckled nervously.

“She means well,” Marshmallow added, “she’s just a little overwhelming to most ponies.”

“Miss Rarity, Miss Dash.” Barrier tilted his head in acknowledgement. “This is Octavia Melody, my marefriend.”

“Sup.” Dash floated above the ponies lazily.

“Octavia, this is Rainbow Dash, Miss Rarity, and my granddaughter Twilight, who you may remember.”

“Wait…marefriend?” Twilight scrunched her brow up in confusion. “I thought you and my brother were dating?”

Maintaining his neutral expression, Barrier responded in a very matter-of-fact tone, “Your brother and I have what’s called an open relationship.” He glanced at Octavia, shooting her a silent plea, “We’re still together, but we’re seeing other ponies at the same time. We’re still very much in love, we just needed a small break is all.”

Octavia, against her better judgement, nodded her affirment. “Barrier and I discussed it and we both agree that a short-term relationship would be fine, until he and Shining get together again.”

Rainbow Dash stopped hovering, touching the ground for a brief second, “Wait, aren’t you like...his grandpa? Isn’t that kinda weird?”

“It’s an incredibly distant relation at this point and has little to no bearing on our relationship.” The charcoal unicorn reasoned, winking subtly at Dash, all but begging her to play along.

Rainbow Dash, catching on, nodded. “That’s cool, I guess. Long as you guys are happy.”

Rarity simply nodded when Twilight remained silent. “It’s not uncommon for noble houses to try and keep bloodlines pure. Though uncommon in this day and age, it’s technically not illegal. So long as you’re both happy, I suppose.”

“Uh-huh…” Twilight was skeptical, at best.

“So, a party. I only have one question.”

All of the mares looked at him, awaiting the rest of the statement.

“Is there any alcohol?”


***

“I...quit” the mare spat out and fell backwards.

Barrier chuckled as Rainbow Dash thudded to the floor, hiccupping.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Magic Barrier and a mare named Berry Punch had decided to have a drinking contest; Rainbow Dash was the first out, Applejack was getting close, but Magic Barrier and Berry Punch were still going fairly strong..

“How-” the mare hiccupped, “in the hay rre you still sober?” She slurred heavily, nearly twenty glasses in.

“Because I’ve drank way heavier. We used to drink a lot of griffon stuff way back when. This stuff isn’t bad, but I’ve had stronger.” Barrier measured his speech carefully, appearing more sober than he actually was.

“I haven’t ever lost a drinking match. No reason to start now.” Berry Punch locked eyes with the stallion, slamming back her mug to even their count out. “Why don’t we bring this to a close?” She pulled out an unmarked bottle with clear liquid in it.

“Oh no, I’m out.” Applejack backed away from the table when she saw the bottle.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Barrier smirked and slammed a hoof on the table. “Buck it, you’re on.”


> Seriously Scary Dream [Chapter 21]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier groaned as light filtered painfully into his eyes, forcing them closed once more. “What the hay happened last night…”

As he tried to sit upright, the unicorn realized he had weights on both sides of him. Cracking his eyes, he glanced to his left, finding Octavia draped over his hoof, her mane a mess and leg twitching slightly.

Okay...who’s on the other side?

Attempting to open his eyes and view the pony, Barrier winced as his eyes slammed shut and pain forced its way through his head. With no small amount of effort, his horn flared and cleared the haze enough for him to take in the...that’s a big bucking pony.

“You were wonderful last night.” The giant muscle turned and smiled seductively.


***


Barrier bolted upright, throwing Octavia from the bed as he did so, his breathing erratic, his eyes bugging out.

“What’s going on?!” Octavia climbed back onto the bed, nearly as panicked as Barrier, due to his reaction.

“Horror…” Barrier gasped out. “Pure, unadulterated horror…”

Octavia waited impatiently for him to explain.

“Uh. Sorry, just a bad dream.” He smiled sheepishly.

The mare facehoofed and fell back onto the bed.

“Sorry about that. It was a pretty horrifying dream though.”

The mare only grumbled and rolled over, turning her back to him.

With a chuckle, Barrier found himself thinking back to the party; after Berry Punch had pulled out a bottle of Granny Smith’s moonshine, Applejack had bowed out and they went at it. They had both gotten pretty screwed up, but Barrier had the good sense to drink boatloads of water beforehand, at Octavia’s urging.

“I’m surprised you’re up this early.” Twilight sat at the table, coffee mug in her magic and a newspaper in her hooves.

“Some habits never,” Barrier yawned deeply, “die I guess. Can’t even count the number of times I’ve had to get up early with a hangover. Not to mention I had a particularly sobering dream”

“Princess Celestia said you were notorious for being hungover on-duty.” The mare giggled lightly and returned her focus to her coffee-pot on the table, pouring Barrier a cup.

“So,” Barrier took the cup in his magic. “not that I’m complaining-” Barrier turned and watched Octavia stagger down the stairs, looking worse than he did. With a quiet chuckle, he floated his mug of coffee to the mare as she joined them at the table.

Taking the coffee gratefully, Octavia took a sip and plopped her head on the table wearily.

“So, why did you want me to come to Ponyville? I doubt it was just to bask in the glory that is Magic Barrier.”

Twilight giggle-snorted at the statement, blushing slightly when she realized what she had done; Barrier of course, found it amusing, grinning in response.

“I thought we’d gone over everything when I was in Ponyville General.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you some questions about…” Twilight scrunched her face up and lit her horn, levitating something Barrier had all-but-forgotten about; in her magic, was his old guard-armor.

“I...holy buck, I thought they would’ve thrown this out.” He took the armor from Twilight in his magic, taking in the condition of it.

The armor had been cleaned of blood and grime, though it was still terrible condition. The entire right-side of the armor was still caved in, and there were scuffs and dents all over it. While it was mangled beyond repair, it still resembled a guard’s armor.

Barrier was speechless; his stomach had dropped as he took in the armor. He’d known he was in bad condition, but he should’ve been dead.

Taking a shaky breath, he sat the armor on the table, prompting Octavia to look up at the sound, only to take in the armor herself.

Taking a moment to regain himself, Barrier opened his mouth to speak, only to find no words.

“Princess Celestia had to take the armor off of you, you know. The doctors couldn’t grip it with their magic while it was on.”

“By Celestia, what happened to this armor?” Octavia had rotated the armor and gotten to the point where the right side bent inwards.


***


What the hay is going on?

Those were the first thoughts that Barrier found passing through his head, though he had little time to ponder them. Glancing down, his eyes widened and he realized he was resting on Nightmare Moon’s back. Almost instinctively, he raised his hoof above the unsteady mare and brought it crashing down between her wings several times in rapid succession, causing her to cry out in agony before he felt her magic envelop him, magic that powerful being nearly alicorn-exclusive.

Well buck.

“You dare strike your queen!”

“Mad?” Barrier spoke quietly, the magical grip around his throat preventing any real noise escaping him.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrowed in anger at his audacity, her horn lighting up painfully bright.

Closing his eyes as a painfully bright light erupted from the mare’s horn, Barrier clenched his jaw tightly and grunted as pain erupted across his right side; he vaguely registered that he was flying through the air at break-neck speeds. With a crash, he found himself beneath a crumbling support pillar, hundreds of pounds of stone on top of him.


***


“Nightmare Moon likes it rough.” Twilight blushed brightly as Barrier continued, “That’s the armor I had on when I came back to the…uh world.” Barrier chuckled humorlessly, magically pouring himself a cup of coffee. “I should’ve been dead.”

“You probably would have been if not for Princess Celestia.” Twilight folded the newspaper and placed it neatly on the table. “She pumped you full of enough magic to kill most ponies.”

“Guess that explains why the doctors cauterized my side rather than sealing it with magic.”

“The doctors didn’t cauterize it.” Twilight explained. “Princess Celestia did. She was with you almost the entire surgery, you know.” Twilight frowned a bit. “None of us thought you would make it. There was a lot of blood…” Twilight trailed off, shivering as she remembered the scene, paling slightly as she did so.

Octavia had fallen silent, still examining the armor.

“Well, at least that’s all over.” Barrier chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, though in truth, he himself felt little joy.

“Yeah. You survived, and that’s all that matters.” Twilight nodded, a smile working its way onto her face.

“So, you had a question about the enchantments on my armor?”

“A couple actually. I asked the princess, but she said she didn’t know much about them.”

Barrier chuckled at that, nodding in agreement to Celestia’s statement.

“I’m not surprised. Most of the armor’s enchantments were spells devised by Princess Luna.”

“Did all of the guards’ armor have such heavy magical enchantment?”

“Nah, most of it was pretty light. When I became a Captain, my armor got a bit of an overhaul, as well as being enchanted by Princess Luna and Princess Celestia themselves. Most of the military was under Princess Luna’s jurisdiction in those days and Princess Celestia didn’t often get involved. Was there a particular enchantment you wanted to know about?”


***


“This must be the place.”

The pair stood out of an inn that could honestly just be considered a large house.

“It’s rather plain, though I can’t complain too much. It is a rather small town.”

Barrier glanced upward as a snowflake landed on his muzzle. “Huh, I forgot that it’s winter. Almost Hearth’s Warming…not sure how I forgot that.”

Trotting into the building with her companion, the mare smiled slightly. “So it is. It’s quite easy to miss as busy as we stay, though.”

“So uh…” Barrier hesitated, a nervous chuckle escaping him, “Have any plans for Hearth's Warming Eve?”

“I’ve not made plans for Hearth's Warming Eve ever since I left home.” The mare smiled sadly, and shook her head. “I’ve no plans.”

“Well…want to spend the day together? I know we’ve not been dating very long, but I’d really like to spend the day with you, if you’d be willing.” Barrier blushed slightly, really uneasy for some reason, despite normally asking her on dates not bothering him in the slightest.

A slight smile forming on her face, the mare nodded. “I think that’d be lovely.”

“Excellent.” Barrier turned to the counter, chuckling when he realized that he knew the mare sleeping on the counter.

“Miss Berry Punch…” Barrier spoke softly, biting back a chuckle.

“Mm…” The mare slowly opened her eyes, a sick expression on her face. “Wayu want?” she mumbled, closing her eyes as she awaited a response.

“We had a room reserved under the name Barrier. Two full-sized beds, one bath?” Barrier levitated a bag of bits to the counter.

“Just take a key...twenty bits a night.” The mare sounded miserable, furthering Barrier’s amusement.

“One-hundred and twenty bits it is.” He levitated the appropriate amount behind the counter and levitated a key off of the rack. “Here’s to hoping we got an appropriate room.”

No such luck. The room -number 4 according to the key and door- was moderately large, with a single decent-sized dresser and a large not-quite queen-sized bed.

“I’ll go and try a different key and we-” Barrier fell silent as the mare trotted past him and set her saddlebags on the dresser.

“This room will do fine.” She almost sounded pleased.

“Uh, okay.” Barrier didn’t mind terribly. Ever since the night at the Sparkle home, they would occasionally share a bed when circumstances -such as them both being home- permitted.

“So, any idea what you want for Hearth’s Warming?” Barrier levitated his few belongings out of his saddlebag and into the dresser; a pair of scarves and a pair of heavy-duty looking boots, both of which he had bought shortly before winter began. I don’t need anything for Hearth’s Warming. The thought crossed Barrier’s mind almost as soon as Octavia vocalized it.

“I don’t need anything for Hearth’s Warming.” She placed her now-empty saddlebags under the bed. “Just having you with me will be gift enough.”

Barrier felt a slight twinge in his chest and he found himself smiling unintentionally. “Doesn’t mean I won’t get you anything. I can’t promise much as I’m terrible at buying gifts, but I have a couple of ideas.”

Truthfully, Barrier only had a single idea. On occasion, Barrier would get to listen to Octavia practice playing her cello, or he would visit a restaurant she was playing at. It was clear that she took painstaking care of her cello, but it was simply old. It was, according to her, the only cello she had ever owned, which meant she had played it almost eight hours a day every day for almost fifteen-years, sometimes even longer with only the barest of funds to support herself.

From what Barrier could tell, playing at restaurants didn’t pay terribly well, and coupled with her bills, she had been falling behind financially when he moved in, and she outright refused to ask her father for assistance, their relationship being distant and cold at best. The gala had been her big chance, though that didn’t quite pan out as she and her ensemble had hoped.

Only in recent weeks were they starting to come out on top as far as finances were concerned.

“So, where do you want to go for dinner?”

“Hm, what about Sugarcube Corner? Twilight said their sweets are quite delectable.”

Barrier felt his stomach lurch. Cotton Candy lives there. “I suppose that would work, though Pinkie Pie is a bit overwhelming.”

“Indeed. I honestly had to bite my tongue when I first met her at the party. I know she meant well, but she all but ruined the reputation of my ensemble and I at the Grand-Galloping gala.”

“She’s a good pony just…young. Twilight and her friends are good ponies, they just have a lot of maturing to do.”

“Indeed.” The mare pulled a scarf from the dresser, throwing it around herself expertly.

Levitating his own scarf around him, he trotted out the door. “Kind of makes me feel old, talking about them like that. I’m not even thirty yet.”

“Technically, you’re over one-thousand years old. The only ponies older than you are the princesses.”

“And yet you’re dating me. Have a thing for older ponies, I take it?”

Octavia blushed slightly as they left the inn -Berry Punch still unconscious on the counter- and angled themselves towards the nearby Sugarcube Corner.

“So, that wasn’t a no.” He held the door open for Octavia.

“Barrier, shut up.” She trotted in.

Biting his lower lip slightly as his eyes roved over Octavia’s backside, Barrier followed her in.

“Yes master, please don’t punish me master.”

“Then you’d better behave. I’d hate to have to beat you for back talking.” Her voice dropped slightly.

“I have the weirdest boner right now.”

“That’s kinky.” Observed the pink mare behind the counter, a freakishly wide grin on her face.

Octavia blushed intensely, realizing they had said all of that in public while Barrier simply shrugged it off, focusing instead on Pinkie Pie’s casual world-breaking.

How is that physically possible? Her face should be in two separate parts.

“Pinkie Pie,” The stallion spoke casually as he and Octavia sat in a booth as Pinkie Pie hopped over to take their order. “You horrify me.”

> It's being well-informed! [Chapter 22]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t see how you can eat that.”

Barrier chuckled and took another bite of the pancakes, simply shaking his head in response.

“Don’t shake your head, that’s weird. What pony eats plain flour pancakes?” Octavia took a small bite of her own syrup-soaked concoction.

“After the cupcakes at the party last night? I rather like my teeth, thank you.”

“It’s just syrup, Barrier. I rather think your teeth would be fine.”

“I’ll err on the side of caution, thank you. It’s rather common for ponies over thirty to start losing their teeth due to such things, and I’ll not join them if I can help it. Hay, I’m still lucky enough to have all of my teeth at this point.”

Octavia froze, a forkful of pancake inches from her mouth. “How in the hay does a pony lose teeth before thirty? Have they never heard of a dentist?”

Now it was Barrier’s turn to frown, his forkful of pancake freezing in a similar location. “The buck’s a dentist?”

“Pinkie Pie?” Octavia called out, setting her fork down. “Does Ponyville have a dentist’s office?”


***


“Oh for the love of…!” Octavia smacked Barrier on the back of the head, causing him to place his forehooves over his head and let go of the lamppost. “Stop struggling. Your teeth need to be cleaned! Eugh, with all the alcohol you drink it’s a miracle you’ve any teeth left!”

“My teeth are clean! I brush them daily!” Barrier argued loudly as Octavia dragged him along by his tail, drawing the attention of nearby ponies, many of whom seemed amused at the pair.

“By your own admission, you’ve not been to a dentist ever. You’re going to the dentist, whether you like it or not.” The mare pulled the unicorn into the dentist’s office by his tail, much to the amusement of the blue mare behind the desk.

“How can I help you today?”

“Hello miss, I’m Octavia and this big oaf is Magic Barrier. Magic here would like to see the dentist. We don’t have an appointment, but it recently came to my attention that he has never been.”

“Well, Miss Octavia, my name’s Colgate, and I’d love to take a look at your friend’s teeth for you.” An almost scary spark appeared in the mare’s eyes as she stepped out from behind the desk and trotted through the far door.

“Your mane looks like my toothpaste.” Barrier commented idly as he followed the pair into the backroom.

“Don’t be rude, Barrier.” Octavia chided, “So, miss Colgate. You work here by yourself?”

“Yup. Ponyville’s a really small town so I don’t have too many patients, and the ones I do have almost always schedule ahead of time, so I don’t really need a secretary.”

Octavia simply nodded her head in understanding.

“Alright Mr. Barrier, just climb up in this chair here and we’ll get started.” Colgate stepped beyond the chair, taking several tools in her magic.

“Uh, why does this chair have restraints?” Barrier nervously did as he was told.

“Oh, don’t worry about those.” Colgate brushed the concern off casually.

“Just don’t give her a reason to use them, eh Barrier?” Octavia grinned creepily as Colgate trotted back around to the front, an assortment of dangerous-looking tools in her magic.

“I don’t know, if you’re using them it might not be so bad.” The unicorn made to grin only to be interrupted by Colgate and several very intimidating looking tools.

“Now then, open your mouth and say aah.”


***


“Never again.” The pair trotted out of the dentist’s office as the sun reached it’s zenith.

“Oh, surely it wasn’t that bad. And besides, even Colgate said that your teeth were terrible.”

“Of course she said my teeth were terrible, we were paying her.”

“Oh, stop complaining. You desperately needed your teeth cleaned properly and it’s already done. Let’s just get some lunch and decide what to do with the rest of the day, hm?”

“Fine, fine. As long as we don’t eat at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie’s grin scares the crap outta me.” Glancing around, “What about that little cafe there?” The stallion pointed a hoof at a little outdoor cafe.

“Hm, that will do, I suppose. I’m a little surprised they’re open, though. The weather is fairly chilly this time of year, I didn’t think outdoor cafes were that popular this time of year.”

The cafe wasn’t packed, but there was a noticeable number of ponies sitting at the various tables. Barrier only recognized a couple of the ponies from the party last night; there was Lyra, who Octavia said she had went to school with, and her mare-friend Bon Bon. They had been nice enough ponies, though Lyra was more than a little strange, occasionally staring off into space as if she could see something others couldn’t..

“Small town like this, it probably isn’t a terrible issue. It’s small enough that the weather is fully maintained so they should know when it’ll be painfully cold.”

“That makes sense I suppose.” Octavia glanced upward and took note of various pegasi manipulating clouds. “If only it were like this in Manehattan. Knowing the exact weather would be wonderful.”

“Huh, nimbostratus clouds. I suppose we’ll have some snow tonight. That’ll be nice. It’s been awhile since I saw any snow.”

“You know about clouds?” Octavia raised her eyebrow curiously.

“A little bit. Mostly just the different types of clouds by shape and size and the types of weather they’re capable of. Any pony ranked lieutenant or higher had to be somewhat familiar with them. Can’t launch an attack if it’s getting ready to hail and storm. Or you could, I guess. We more just planned around them and tried to use them to our advantage. Not sure about now, but Equestria used to be the only country with any real semblance of weather control.”

“That makes sense, I suppose.”

“What can I get you for you two today?”

“I’ll have a…” Barrier fell silent when he noticed the mare taking their order. “Berry Punch? I thought you were the innkeeper.”

The mare chuckled slightly. “Innkeeper for Ponyville? You two are the only ponies that have visited and stayed there in nearly six months. I work here most of the time.”

“I’ll have a cucumber and tomato sandwich, as well as a glass of water. My mouth is irritably dry for some reason.” The mare licked her lips in a futile effort to produce moisture.

“I’ll have the same as the lovely Octavia here.” Barrier smiled slightly at the mare, enjoying the faint blush.

“Hah, that’d be all the alcohol you drank last night.” Berry Punch turned to Octavia, completely disregarding the flirting stallion. “You might not remember it but you started drinking not too long Before Barrier and I finally called it a draw. Think that’s the first time I’ve ever been drank to a standstill, much less by a unicorn.”

Octavia blushed slightly and suddenly became very interested in the table.

“I’ll be right back with your orders.” the mare trotted into the building.

“Gotta say, I never pegged you for a drinker.” The unicorn chuckled slightly.

“I’m not. That was the first time I’ve ever drank more than a glass of wine.”

The two basked in pleasant silence for several minutes until Barrier glanced around the cafe, his eyes widening slightly in realization.

“Wow, how the hay did I miss that?”

“Miss what?” Octavia glanced around as well, trying to catch sight of whatever her companion had missed.

“Mares. Mares, everywhere.”

Octavia actually snorted at this and rolled her eyes at the stallion.

“Woah, woah, didn’t mean it like that.” He chuckled nervously and held his hooves out defensively in front of him. “I meant in general. Like eighty-percent of the ponies I’ve seen since my return have been mares.”

Octavia snorted again, though her gaze softened. “Not terribly surprising, I suppose. The gender-ratio in Equestria is roughly seventy-thirty mares to stallions.”

“That’s a lot of mares.” The unicorn chuckled once more, turning to greet Berry Punch who was now returning with their sandwiches and drinks, all balanced masterfully on her back. How is that mare even sober right now, much less working?

Octavia thanked the mare and turned back to her companion. “It’s gotten to the point that there are almost four mares to a herd.”

Levitating the plates from their waitress and thanking her, Barrier turned to Octavia. “The buck’s a herd?”

“I…how do you not know what a herd is?”

“Dunno, the term’s not terribly familiar. I can sort of guess what it is from your earlier statements, but it’s new to me. Remember, thousand years of no social activity. Sorta. Does Nightmare Moon count? Because she was kind of ranty.”

“Well, you’ve probably guessed correct. A herd is basically a stallion and two or more mares.”

“Uh, we don’t have to form one of those do we? I mean I might be able to get used to the idea in time, but I was raised on one mare and one stallion.” Barrier began to nibble absentmindedly at his sandwich, more interested in the conversation than food.

Taking a short sip of her water, Octavia shook her head, “We’ll see, Barrier. We’re not quite that far in our relationship just yet, but we can discuss it when we get there. I must say, I’m flattered though. There aren’t any other mares you would be interested in forming a herd with?” A wry smile worked it’s way onto her face as the gears in Barrier’s head began to turn.

The last comment brought to mind several mares, most of whom he didn’t know the name of. Vinyl Scratch is a lot of fun and I’d hit that if I weren’t spoken for… A brief flash of blue and the wonderbolt from the Gala showed up in his mind, the skintight uniform leaving little to the imagination.

“Not right off the top of my head, nope. You’re the only mare for me.” Barrier chuckled nervously, his sandwich suddenly becoming much more interesting.

“Good answer.” The mare replied with a slight smug grin as she turned to her sandwich.

“Thank you, I do try.”

The pair fell into silence and quickly finished their lunch.

“So…what do ponies do on vacation?”

“You know, I’m not actually sure. I suppose most ponies would sightsee, but there’s not a lot of notice in Ponyville beyond the Everfree Forest, and I’m afraid that’s not a terribly popular vacation spot.”

“You sure? There’s probably a few neat things to see in there. Maybe we could get a manticore or something for a pet.” A grin began to work its way onto his muzzle.

“I don’t think our lease allows for a manticore.”

The smile began to fade, “Well, crap.” only to crop back up a moment later. “Okay, so maybe not a manticore, but what about something else?”

Swallowing the last of her sandwich, the mare rested her chin on a hoof. “Do we really have the time to take care of a pet? We both work full-time. We’re home together maybe twice a week for any real period of time.”

“Mm, good question.” Barrier leaned back in the seat, levitating their plates onto each other and placing them in the center of the table with a pile of bits. “I think we could manage it if we both work for it. We do work full-time, but there is almost always one of us at home.”

“Fair enough. Well then, did you have anything in mind for a pet?”

“Mm, not sure. We can swing by Fluttershy’s place before we leave. Twilight said she has animals for adoption.”

“Oh, while I’m thinking about it, our lease is up two weeks after Hearth’s Warming Eve. Mr. Landlord wants to know whether or not we’ll be renewing.”

“Do we really want to? It’s a nice enough apartment, but the rent is kind of steep for what it is.”

“Yes, good housing isn’t particularly abundant in Manehattan, I’m afraid.”

“Well, we’ve got a bit of time to figure it all out. It’ll come together.” Draining the last of his water, Barrier stood upright and stretched himself out, yawning as he did so. “You know,” his eyes met Octavia’s as she stood up as well. “you’re a damn impressive mare.”

“Um, okay?” The pair trotted away from the cafe in no direction in particular.

“Sorry, it just sorta jumped out. It’s true, though. You work your flank off for everything you’ve got.”

“I didn’t want ponies to think I was riding out on my father’s fame and fortune.”

The idea was all too familiar with the feeling, though not to the extreme of Octavia. “Well, I admire the tar out of you for that.” Barrier smiled in satisfaction when the mares cheeks turned a dull shade of pink. I wonder how blush shows through our dark coats…? Shaking his head of the stray thoughts, he glanced up and realized they had walked to the edge of town, where the ‘inn’ was located.

“So, few hours of daylight left. What should we do with it?”

Glancing at the Everfree Forest in the distance, Barrier shrugged. “Well, we could go see Fluttershy about that pet.”

“You know where she lives?” Octavia raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

“She’s an element of harmony, close friend of my granddaughter and a national hero. It’s not really a state secret.”

“It’s not really common knowledge either.” Her gaze picked up in intensity.

“She’s a potential target for…well, a lot of ponies as well as other creatures. Just because I’m not a guard doesn’t mean I can’t stay well-informed.”

Trading the gaze for a smile, Octavia trotted off down the road. “Very well, let’s go adopt a pet. And no more stalking Twilight’s friends.”

> Adoption [Chapter 23]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“For the last time, Magic Barrier, we are not adopting a bear.” The mare could feel a headache coming on, as the pair walked home in the rapidly-fading sunlight.

“Oh come on, she said that he didn’t eat ponies. He just wanted to hug you!” The stallion continued to argue.

“You are absolutely incorrigible.” A deep resigned sigh escaped the mare, followed by a facehoof..

“Aww, you’re sweet. I still think we should adopt the bear, though. I mean what if the owl we adopted gets lonely?”

“We’re not adopting the bear.”

“Well, what about th-” Barrier was cut-off by a glare from the mare.

“Fine, fine, none of the pets that didn’t like you. That certainly narrows down the options.” The unicorn chuckled a bit as the mare’s gaze intensified.


***


“Miss Fluttershy!” Magic Barrier yelled out as they neared the cottage to find the mare outside at her chicken-coop. The sudden noise caused her to eep and jump into the chicken-coop, only nervously poking her head out moments later.

“...can we adopt her?” Barrier looked hopefully at Octavia, whose only response was a deadpan stare.

“Oh, hello Mr. Barrier, Miss Melody.” Fluttershy timidly trotted towards the pair, meeting her at the front of her cottage.

“Good evening, Miss Fluttershy. We’re here to see about adopting a pet.” Barrier lessened his posture a bit, making an effort to appear less intimidating.

It was like a switch had been flipped as Fluttershy raced to them at a speed that would have made Rainbow Dash proud.

“Really? Oh, I have so many wonderful animals that I know you’ll just love!”

Barrier turned and looked hopefully towards Octavia once more.

“We’re not adopting Fluttershy.” The mare’s deadpan delivery caused the unicorn to chuckle.

“Just wait here and I’ll go get all of my little animal friends!” Fluttershy darted inside.

Barrier stood there in silence with Octavia, waiting for the mare to return, when he felt something thumping against his hoof. Glancing down, he saw an adorable white rabbit.

“Well, aren’t you just adorable.” Barrier leaned towards the rabbit.

With a glare, the rabbit drew his foot back and kicked Magic Barrier square in the muzzle, causing him to snort and take several steps back, and Octavia to giggle.

Flaring his horn ominously, Barrier created a bubble around the rabbit, suspending him in mid-air and enraging him.

Levitating the bubble, Barrier smiled darkly. “You know, I had to eat a rabbit once back when I was a guard. Was survival training.” The rabbit’s eyes widened and he began to pound furiously at the bubble, causing Barrier’s horn to flare even brighter as more magical energy was expended. Shaking the bubble violently a few times, Barrier dispelled the bubble mid-shake and sent the rabbit flying a short distance away.

“Was that really necessary?” Octavia asked, with a poorly concealed smirk.

“Entirely necessary, the cheeky little bastard.” The rabbit performed several obscene gestures with his paws, causing Octavia’s eyes to widen.

“I will skin, cook, and eat you.” Barrier made to step towards the rabbit, only for Fluttershy to rejoin them, animals trailing out of her cottage behind her.

Must be bigger on the inside. Barrier mentally noted to himself as the animals continued to trail out. Is that a bear? That’s a bucking bear! A childish grin wormed it’s way onto his face and he looked at his mare-friend excitedly.

“Don’t even ask, Magic Barrier.”

“Buuut ‘Tavi!” Barrier whined, kneeling down and pouting at the mare.

“We are not taking a bear through Manehattan, and that is final.” The mare stomped a hoof for emphasis.

Glancing at the bear and then to Fluttershy, Barrier trotted up to the mare and whispered something in her. At first Fluttershy frowned, but it was then followed by a knowing smile as the mare whispered something to the bear.

“Barrier, what did you do?” Octavia trotted forward hurriedly, only for the bear to stomp towards her, causing the mare to panic and backpedal furiously.

“Don’t worry, she just wants you to work for it.” The unicorn reassured Harry the Bear, causing the bear to growl his acknowledgement and take off after Octavia, who turned tail and sprinted.


***


“Oh, I’ll meet you back at the the inn.” Barrier branched off from Octavia when they passed Carousel Boutique. “Need to ask Rarity about something.”

“Um, alright?” Octavia stared in bewilderment as the unicorn bolted in the opposite direction, all but leaving her in the dust.


***


With little ceremony, the unicorn barreled through the door of Carousel Boutique, stopping only when it closed behind him.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where e- Oh, hello Magic Barrier.” Rarity had stepped into the main room, a pair of reading glasses perched on her face. “What brings you here, darling?”

“Sorry to barge in like this, but I couldn’t really think of anypony else to ask for advice.”

“It’s no trouble, how can I help you?” The mare levitated her glasses to a nearby desk and trotted into the kitchen to fetch tea, motioning to a nearby couch and table.

“I needed advice regarding my relationship with Octavia.” Barrier took a seat on the couch, turning to meet Rarity’s gaze when she returned with the tea-kettles and a pair of cups.

Rarity met the unicorns gaze, a slight sparkle in her eye as she poured two cups of tea. “Well, that’s quite a steep request. Is there a particular aspect of your relationship you’re looking to get advice on?”

Chewing his lip nervously, Barrier waited until the tea was ready, instead staring at the floor uncertainly.

“You don’t have to be nervous, Barrier. Everything we say here will be perfectly confidential.” Rarity reassured, taking a cup of still-steaming tea and flaring her horn with magic to cool it, before taking a sip.

“Sorry, this feels more awkward than I thought it would.” The unicorn chuckled nervously and sipped his tea, cooling it with his magic similar to Rarity. “I’m trying to figure out when it would be appropriate for Octavia and I to move our relationship forward.”

After a measured silence, Rarity levitated her teacup back to the table, seeming to think her answer over. “Well, where do you see the relationship at currently?”

“Uh, well.” Barrier rubbed his chin, thinking the question over. “We’re fairly comfortable with public displays of affection, and it’s not terribly uncommon for us to share a bed and cuddle. That’s as far as it went.”

“Well, it sounds like your relationship is going fairly well so far. What has you worried it should move forward?”

“Octavia had a…very interesting dream on the train-ride to Ponyville. It’s fairly clear the direction the dream was going before I woke her up to depart. I suppose I’m just worried that I’ll take too long to do something I should, and risk losing her or make her feel like I don’t want to move forward or-” Barrier fell silent as Rarity held a hoof up, only now realizing his breathing had grown heavy.

“Relax, Barrier, you’re getting yourself worked up over nothing.” The mare tittered slightly as Magic Barrier caught his breath. “From the sounds of it, you’ve had a natural relationship thus far. It’ll progress well enough on its own and you’ve little to worry about.”

“I...thanks.” Barrier leaned back into the couch, taking a slow breath. “I suppose I just needed somepony else to tell me that it would be fine. I’ve no real dating experience beyond what I have with Octavia. My first marriage was arranged and while it worked splendidly, it didn’t leave much practical experience in the field.”

“Of course, it was my pleasure.”

“So, um...can you give any suggestions as to what to do in Ponyville? Octavia and I are on a bit of a vacation for the next few days but don’t really know what to do to pass them.”

“Hm,” the mare finished her tea, “well, there isn’t a terrible amount of things to do in Ponyville as far as sheer enjoyment goes. There is a very excellent spa, but beyond that, there’s little of interest, I’m afraid. Most ponies from town just take a trip to Canterlot if they’re looking for recreation.”

“Huh, probably not the greatest vacation for me to have chosen, then. Ah well.” With a heave, Barrier hauled himself up from the chair and smiled politely at the marshmallow. “Thank you for your time and help, Rarity, and sorry to bother you over something as trivial as that.”

“It was no trouble, Barrier. I’m always glad to help a friend, no matter the issue.” The mare waited until he had departed to fall back on the couch, mumbling to herself about how lucky Octavia was.


***


Barrier found his teeth chattering wildly as he made his way back into the inn and towards his room. The snow had really picked up after he left Carousel Boutique, the pegasus ponies seeming to kick their clouds into high-gear.

“Honey, I’m home!” Barrier all but threw the bedroom door open, only to find a very unamused mare and her book. With as little grace as possible, Barrier threw himself over the mare and onto his side of the bed, causing her to go airborne.

“Honestly,” the mare grumbled as she fell back onto the bed, reorienting herself and once more taking her book up.

“Sorry.” Barrier apologized, rolling onto his back as the room lapsed into silence once more.

For nearly fifteen minutes, nothing was said between the two, Barrier staring at the ceiling while Octavia read in the dim light of the nearly-faded daylight.

“Hey ‘Tavi?” Barrier flicked the bedroom light on with his magic as the room darkened. “Sorry if this is a stupid question but, should we argue more?”

The mare’s head jerked back slightly at the question. “Should we argue more? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one.”

“Sorry, it just feels like everything is falling into place with us. It’s not a bad thing we don’t argue, I don’t think, I just…” The unicorn stalled, trying to find the words. “Not really sure how to word it. Just…don’t ever hesitate to let me know if I buck up.”

“Oh don’t worry, Barrier, I’ll let you know if you ever mess up enough to warrant an argument, rest assured.” The mare snapped her book shot and rolled over into the stallion, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Good to know.” With a grunt, Barrier rolled over, resting his head on top of Octavia’s, a soft smile on his face.

“So, what brought all that about?” Octavia shifted, making herself more comfortable.

“Paranoia I suppose. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t feel like you had to defer to me on stuff. My first marriage,” Barrier didn’t often talk about it, having decided it wasn’t really appropriate to talk about with his mare-friend, “was a bit of a mess. She almost always deferred to me on stuff and never really voiced her displeasure about anything. Guess it was probably some sort of conditioning. Wasn’t terribly uncommon back then to marry a pony off solely to further your family name.” Barrier took a moment of silence to run over some memories in his head. “Anyways,” Barrier got back on topic, “it finally came to a head and she let loose all these years of pent-up aggression out in one big burst. Things were said that we both regretted and we very nearly split over it. If not for Radiant Sparkle, we probably would have. It got better after that and I still loved her, but things were never quite the same. Guess I just didn’t want to risk anything like that happening to us.”

Octavia digested the information in silence before a graceful smile settled on her features. “Then you have my word that I’ll never let it get that bad, as long as you do the same.”

“You have a deal, Miss Melody.” A soft smile perched on the unicorn’s features as he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

“So, what did you have to so desperately see Rarity about that was so urgent?”

“I asked her if there was anything to do in Ponyville beyond eat at one of the restaurants. She said there wasn’t much of note and that most ponies went to Canterlot if they wanted to do something recreational.”

“Ah, well that’s disappointing. Still, it’s nice to have a week where we don’t have to worry about work or bills. So, what shall we do tomorrow? A trip to Canterlot, perhaps?”

“Mm, perhaps a trip to Canterlot to go shopping. I’ve still gotta get gifts for pretty much everypony. By the way, you’ve still not told me what you want for Hearth’s Warming.”

“I already told you, I don’t need anything for Hearths-” the mare opened her eyes to see the unicorn staring at her with a flat look. “Ugh, fine. If you absolutely insist, I could really use a set of cello strings. The ones I have now are on the verge of giving out so another set would be immensely appreciated.”

The unicorn opened his mouth, only for Octavia to silence him with her own lips.

“In exchange however, you have to tell me what you want for Hearth's Warming.”

“Fair enough I suppose.” Barrier gave it a moment of thought before a smile settled onto his face. “I could use a hair-trimmer. My mane choked my last one out, sadly.”

“Very well, then tomorrow we’ll pay a visit to Canterlot.”

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, and with a flick of his magic, the lights extinguished, plunging the room into darkness. With another flick, the blanket wrapped the pair up.

“I love you.” Barrier whispered softly, closing his eyes and falling into a comfortable sleep, not quite catching the mare’s response.

> Feeling your age... [Chapter 24]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hoo.”

“I know, but we have to go shopping for ponies.” Barrier glanced at the snowy-white owl on his back.

“Hoo.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to get you something as well.”

“Barrier, you’re talking to an owl.” Octavia deadpanned as she followed the stallion off of the train.

“Tavi says hi.” Barrier glanced back at the owl, who only hooted in return.

“Right, so to reiterate, we’ll meet back here at six-thirty to catch the final train back to Ponyville, correct?” Octavia tightened her scarf as a chilly breeze tore its way through the train station.

“That’s the plan, given nothing comes up.” Kissing the mare, Barrier turned and trotted away, calling out as he went. “See ya’ soon!”


***


“Shiny!” Barrier glomped the stallion as soon as he opened the door to the Sparkle household. “Just the pony I was looking for!” He had planned on asking Night Light about Shining’s whereabouts, but this worked.

“Oh joy.” The stallion stared at him in obvious annoyance.

“Come shopping with me. I need help figuring out what to get your sister.” Barrier rolled upright, Shining doing the same.

“I guess I could. I still need to get Cadance something anyways.” Shining pulled a scarf from the rack with his magic, calling out as he did so. “Mom, dad! I’m going shopping with Magic Barrier! I’ll be back around dinner-time!” After a muted ‘okay’, the pair trotted out into the frosty streets.

“So, what brings you to Canterlot?” Shining asked as the pair made their way towards the market. “It’s not a particularly quick trip from Manehattan after all.”

“We’re staying in Ponyville for the week. Twilight had some questions about old-world armor enchantments, and Octavia and I decided to take a vacation.”

“I’ll never understand how that mare puts up with you.” Shining quipped as the two of them stopped outside of a music shop.

“Beats me. She has the patience of a saint.” Barrier trotted into the music shop, turning to Shining Armor as he did so. “So, Shining. How much do you know about cellos and stringed instruments?”


***


“You just spent ninety-five hundred bits.” Shining pointed out in mild disbelief as the pair left the shop. “Where in the hay do you get money like that? I thought you donated your fortune months ago.”

“I did donate it. Well, the vast majority of it anyways. Saved a couple hundred-thousand and invested it, plus I’ve been working full-time since then. I’m not loaded or anything, but I probably have a good bit more than most ponies. Besides, a new cello is the least I can do for Octavia after everything she’s done for me.” Like preventing me from committing regicide.

“I guess. So, how did you know so much about cellos?” Shining asked as the pair trotted into a bookstore.

“Been researching them for a few weeks now. I had planned on getting Octavia one before I realized Hearth’s Warming was coming up. She takes damned good care of her cello, but it’s seen better days, and as it turns out, musicians don’t make a terribly easy living unless they’re well-known and play a lot of functions.”

“Didn’t she play at the Grand-Galloping Gala, though?”

“The one where Twilight’s friend pushed them to play the pony-pokey, destroyed the gala, and all but destroyed the ensemble’s reputation?” Barrier raised an eyebrow at his companion, levitating through the various books that lined the wall as he did so, going over them in his magic.

“Well, when you say it like that…” Shining stopped to examine the books as well.

“Shouldn’t we get her something other than books? She lives in a library. What books could we possibly get her?”

“I usually just get her nice quills and parchment.” Shining shrugged as he replaced a book on the shelf.

“Huh, well alrighty then. Since you’re getting her quills…” A grin broke out on Barrier’s face as he levitated a book in front of him. “I’ll get her this.” He passed the book to Shining Armor, who read the title aloud.

“Fifty Shades of Hay? Don’t think I’ve heard of this one.”

“You’re not missing much, believe me. Oh, and a card. Oh and this for your mom and dad.” Barrier plucked a card from its spot on the shelf as well as a copy of the Pony Sutra before approaching the cashier with Shining Armor, who had quills and parchment in his own aura.

“Really, the Pony Sutra?” Shining Armor observed dryly.

“Hey, it’s a good book that we had one-thousand years ago. You can thank me when you have another little sister or brother.”

Shining Armor only sighed and shook his head in bewilderment as their respectives purchases were bagged and they once more departed to the frosty Canterlot streets.

“So, how have things been going between you and Cadance?” Barrier inquired.

“They’ve been going great, believe it or not. I think I might ask her to marry me on Hearth’s Warming. I already have a ring picked out.”

“Good on ya’, mate. I’ll look forward to seeing you get hitched. She seems like she’ll get you a nice collar.” Barrier held the door to the smithy open as both he and Shining walked into the dimly-lit shop, the smell of various metals heavy in the air, as well as a stifling heat and ringing as a pony hammered something out in the back.

“Wait, what are we at a blacksmith’s shop for?” Shining glanced at his companion in curiosity.

“I need a sword.” Barrier shrugged as he levitated several different swords off of their resting places on the wall.

“What the hay do you need a sword for?” Shining watched him cycle through each of the swords with ease.

“Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Besides, it doesn’t feel right not having a blade.” Barrier levitated all of the swords back onto their spots on the wall. “Though all of these swords are a joke.”

“They all look fine to me.” Shining took one of the swords off the wall and gave it a few practice swings.

“Seriously?” Barrier stared at the unicorn with an incredulous look on his face. Taking the blade in his magic, Barrier held it out to Shining. “Three things. First of all, a short-sword such as this shouldn’t bend like this.” Barrier bent the sword in his magic, almost afraid it would snap as he did so, “That’s a good indicator they won’t hold up under pressure or in a fight. Secondly, all swords should be full-tang, otherwise you risk them breaking on contact with another blade or hard surface. The handle should be an addition to the blade, not the other way around. Lastly, and this is a big one,” Barrier held the sword into the light, the light shining fantastically off of the gold blade. “This blade is gold, which means that besides looking pretty, it’s useless.” Barrier hung the sword on the wall once more.

“What’s your problem with gold? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say anything good about it.” Shining asked as the pair trotted to the counter.

Barrier snorted and shook his head, “Gold’s okay for some stuff. It’s pretty and has some value, but as weapons and armor it’s useless. Fact of the matter, is that no matter how you treat gold it’s still soft and far too malleable to be effective armor or weapons. There’s a reason that the guards spears aren’t made out of gold. How can you be a Captain of the Guard and not know this?”

“As far as I know, gold is the best we have. The spears are iron, but iron is way too expensive for us to make armor out of. Gold’s the best we have.” Shining shrugged in response.

“I guess if it’s gold versus nothing, gold would win.” Barrier finally shrugged.

“What can I help you with?” A well-built black pegasus with a silver mane and deep purple eyes trotted up to the counter the pair stood at, an anvil and hammer resting on his flank. 

Before he could say anything, Barrier started, “I need to order a spatha. Thirty-seven inches, made out of iron. The hilt needs to be a dark-wood, perhaps mahogany, full-tang. The scabbard needs to be brass with an adjustable leather strap. Think you can manage that for me?”

The blacksmith blinked in surprise, seemingly unaccustomed to a pony having such a specific order. “Uh, sure.” The pegasus finally answered, quickly grabbing a quill in his mouth and scribbling down the order on a nearby piece of paper.

“It also needs to be made properly. Nothing like that crap you’ve got on the floor.” Barrier added quickly.

“Uh, sure. I have to tell ya’ though, iron is really expensive right now with the lack of trade from griffin country. You’re probably looking at a fifteen-hundred bit sword.” The blacksmith held the paper up, showing Barrier that he had the right specifications written down.

“That’s fine, as long as it’s made right.” Taking the paper in his magic, Barrier scribbled down his address and handed it back to the pegasus. “Have it sent to that address.” With a flare of his magic, ten one-hundred bit pieces flew to the counter. “I’ll send you the other five-hundred when the sword is finished, deal?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine.” The pegasus still seemed uncertain about the whole situation.

“Right, off we go then, Shining. We’ve still got things to do.” Barrier trotted back out of the store, Shining following him in silence.

“So, uh…that was quick.” Shining wasn’t really sure what else to say regarding that transaction.

“No reason to mince words for something as simple as that order.” Barrier turned to say something else, but stopped as a building caught his attention. “Shining, care if we stop off there at the museum?”

“Huh? Uh sure, but why?” Shining turned to the Canterlot Museum which stood tall and imposing across from them. “Oh.” A poster on the wall advertised an exhibit dedicated to the Nightmare Wars - the one-week war that pit sister against sister, ponies against ponies. “Yeah, I think we have time to swing by there.”

“Thanks.” Barrier trotted across the street towards the museum, Shining following behind him, his own curiosity piqued, curious as to how Magic Barrier would react to the various displays and information presented inside.


***


After a twenty-bit admission fee and particularly flirty receptionist, the pair found themselves at the entry to the Nightmare Display.

“You know, I grew up with stories like that. It’s what made me want to be a guard.” Shining commented as they read through the museum pamphlet, which gave a brief overview of the war.

“Can’t say this is the kind of thing I expected history to write.” Barrier shook his head and levitated the pamphlet into his saddlebags.

“What do you mean?” Shining asked, doing the same with his pamphlet.

“They depict it as some epic race against time. The ultimate battle of good versus evil.” Barrier sighed and sat down on his haunches. “It wasn’t anything like that.” Barrier shook his head and took a deep steadying breath.

“Well, that’s just how Princess Celestia told them the story.” Another voice rang out, followed by the sound of a pony trotting up to join them.

The newcomer was a pale-blue stallion with a dark-blue mane and emerald-green eyes; the pie-fiend from the Grand Galloping Gala, Barrier mentally noted.

“Soarin!” Shining trotted up to greet the pony, hoof-bumping him. “It’s been forever, how’ve you been?”

“Eh, it’s been okay. Got some time off from the Wonderbolts for Hearth’s Warming Eve and decided I’d stop in at Canterlot for some shopping. So, Shining, who’s your friend?”

“I’m his non-homosexual-gay-lover Magic Barrier.” Barrier said with a perfectly straight face. “Nice to meet you.” Barrier firmly shook Soarin’s hoof, revelling in the pony’s dumbfounded expression as he tried to process the statement.

Face-hoofing, Shining shook his head and let a slight chuckle escape him. “Soarin, this is Magic Barrier my…” Shining hesitated. “Uh, my grandfather.”

Soarin’s expression, which had started to recover, dropped once more.

“Magic Barrier, this is Soarin, a friend from the guard academy, though he’s now a Wonderbolt.” Shining continued.

“I remember him from the Grand-Galloping Gala. That poor apple pie never stood a chance.” Barrier shook his head in mock sadness.

The comment snapped Soarin back to the conversation at hand, rather than trying to comprehend absurd statements. “Hey, I couldn’t help it! It was a long show and I was really hungry!” The stallion poorly defended.

“He didn’t eat the apple pie, he ate the apple pie.” Barrier put extra emphasis on ‘ate’, causing Shining to laugh and Soarin to blush.

“So, what brings you to the museum, Soarin?” Shining finally asked as Barrier went back to examining displays.

“Recently took up history as a bit of a hobby. Found out they had an exhibit on the Nightmare Wars, and came to see what I could find out on it. Gotta agree with your uh…grandpa though. They really doctored the whole story up, I think. The pamphlet doesn’t mention anything about the hundreds of ponies who died to the followers of Nightmare Moon, and it never gives any specifics about her followers. It’s a really one-sided story.”

“It pisses me off.” Barrier chipped in, his voice somber.

“Uh, what do you mean?” Soarin asked in uncertainty.

“It doesn’t say anything about how Nightmare Moon came to be or the cause behind it. It doesn’t mention any of the bad that happened during that week. Like you said, no deaths, nothing on her followers,” Barrier’s expression was one of deep sorrow, surprising the blue pegasus. “I can understand why the princess kept the information to a minimum, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I look at all this,” Barrier motioned to the various displays, containing different weapons and armor, as well as old pieces of parchment that related to the event. “And all I can think about are the ponies who died that week. Not a single mention to them anywhere in this display. The ponies who died because we ignored Princess Luna in our ignorance. We could learn from that, but this?” He once again motioned around to the display. “There’s nothing to be learned here.” Barrier made to leave the exhibit, but found his attention drawn to a display with a worn metal helmet in it.

“Your uh, grandpa seems to have pretty strong opinions about this all.” Soarin commented to Shining.

“He’s my grandfather times like...eleven or twelve. He was a Captain during the Nightmare War.” Shining explained. “He was banished alongside Nightmare Moon for one-thousand years. I can’t really say I get why he’s so upset at all of this, but chances are he has a good reason.”

“Wow man, that’s heavy.” Soarin glanced over at the one-thousand and twenty-something year old stallion. “No wonder he’s so upset about this. I wouldn’t be too happy if my friends died to save Equestria and didn’t get hardly any recognition for it. There aren’t any kind of memorials that I can think of dedicated to them, and the losses aren’t really mentioned here and…uh, are you okay?” Soarin called out to Magic Barrier.

“I’m fine.” Magic Barrier removed his hoof from the display case and glanced at the dented helmet on display. “Just remembering the pony this helm belonged to…nobody else will.”

The helm was plain iron with a dark two-tone blue plume and slight gold accents in several places, denoting the rank of the helm’s wearer. On the side of the helm, the letters F.S were messily scratched, probably with a knife.

“You know the pony who owned that helm?” Soarin asked as he trotted over to Barrier to glance at the display.

“Yeah, his name was Flash Sentry.” Barrier chuckled slightly.

Shining’s ears perked up at this and he trotted over to join them, Barrier pointing out the faint markings of the letters.

“I remember when he did this. Our squad kept hiding his helmet from him. We’d put it back in the armory. After the third or fourth time of him having to explain to the quartermaster how his helmet kept going missing, he finally scratched his initials into the side to help him find it if it went missing again. Not sure where they found this helmet though, it wasn’t part of the Nightmare War.”

“What makes you say that?” Shining asked as he stepped away from the display case.

“The markings are that of a sergeant. Flash was a lieutenant by the time Nightmare Moon and her followers attacked. Last time he wore that helm was when we had a mission in Griffonia. The one that he made lieutenant on actually.” With a sigh, Barrier turned towards the window. “Come on, let’s go get some lunch or something, this exhibit is making me irritable.”

“Uh, yeah sure. Soarin, wanna join us for lunch?” Shining turned to his friend.

“That’d be awesome. Hey Mr. Barrier, do you care if I ask you some questions?”

Barrier sighed as they left the museum; he felt far older now than when he had went in.

> To Appleloosa! [Chapter 25]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Barrier, is everything okay?” Octavia asked, glancing over at the unicorn; he had been distant and quiet yesterday, and she had been unable to get much out of him. The mood seemed to have carried over.

“Huh?” Barrier glanced up at the mare across from him, shaking his head in an attempt reorient himself. It was snowing lightly outside of the little cafe and the pair were sharing a platter of hay-fries and sipping cocoa. They had almost ended up at Sugarcube Corner, but Barrier didn’t think he had it in him to deal with Pinkie Pie again.

“I asked if everything was okay.” The mare reiterated.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, everything is fine. Just thinking about times long past. Wondering what happened to my teammates. I don’t have any idea what happened to any of them. Flash and Braeburn were like brothers to me.”

“Braeburn?” The mare asked curiously; Barrier occasionally mentioned Flash Sentry, and he had seen his descendant in Canterlot, but this was the first she’d heard of Braeburn. “I don’t believe you’ve ever told me about him.”

“I never mentioned Brae?” Barrier ran through his thoughts for a brief moment before beginning, “Braeburn Apple was one of the earth ponies of my squad. Flash, Brae, and myself went through the academy together and they both came with me when I made captain and got my own squad. Braeburn was the rock of the group. Wasn’t terribly big, but I don’t think he had more than an ounce of fat on him. Couple that with his sharp intellect and top-notch hoof-to-hoof and you had a pretty capable pony, though we could have done without the uh…excitability he had. Not actually sure if he ever had a kid or not. His family was big then and it’s even bigger now.”

“So, you’ve mentioned your team a couple of times, but only those three. Who were the others?” Octavia sipped her cocoa, never taking her eyes off of the stallion as she waited for his response.

 “Well, we had Flash Sentry, Braeburn Apple, River Styx -he was an earth pony, silent and wiry little bastard- and…” Barrier fell silent as Applejack trotted towards them.

“Howdy Barrier, Miss Melody.” The mare tipped her hat.

“Morning Applejack, what can we do for you today?” Barrier slid over in his seat, offering the mare a spot in the booth, which she brushed off.

“Thank ya kindly, but I can’t stay long. Just came to ask fer a favor.” The mare averted her gaze slightly as she said that.

“Well, what can I do for you, AJ?” Barrier slid back over, taking his beverage in his magic.

“Well, the storm last night toppled an old oak tree right on top o’ mah sheep fence. BIg Mac and I’ve tried to haul it out there but it won’t budge. We don’t like to bother anypony with stuff if we can help it, but Twilight is in Canterlot setting things up for the Hearth’s Warming pageant we’re actin’ in, and Rarity ain’t got the magical power to move it. I was wondering if you’d come down and try to lend a hoof with yer’ magic.”

Glancing askance at Octavia, Barrier responded as soon as the mare nodded. “Sure thing, we’ll head down there as soon as we finish here. Five or ten minutes, maybe.”

“Thank ya kindly Barrier, Miss Melody.” The mare tilted her hat once more as she trotted away from the table.

“You know, you could ask her about Braeburn.” Octavia pointed out, causing Barrier’s eyes to widen slightly.

“Wow, I am a stupid pony.” The unicorn face-hoofed, “I didn’t even think about that, but you’re right, they’re both Apples.”

As both ponies drained the last of their cocoa, the pair trotted towards the door of the cafe, wrapping their scarves around them as they did so.


***


“Well, that’s certainly a tree.” Barrier noted as he glanced at the massive oak tree, completely bereft of any leaves and resting in a little self-dug trench. “Heh, really wish Twilight was here for this.” Barrier chuckled nervously as he paced around the tree. He was strong - pretty much every direct member of the Sparkle line had impressive magical capabilities, but this thing was huge.

“I understand if ya’ can’t manage it. Me and Big Mac tried everythin’ we could think of to try and roll it out of there.”

“Eeyup.” The simple farm stallion commented from the side.

“Well, let’s give this a go.” Barrier gave the tree a few experimental kicks, not even shaking the leaves. “Big Mac, AJ, both of you take the right side of the tree, by the base.” Barrier approached the opposite side, bracing his chest and bending his knees slightly, his horn flaring to life. To his surprise, Octavia trotted over and took up spot next to him. Shooting her a thankful smile, he turned back to the tree. “On three…” His horn flare to life, magic sparking violently from it as the tree was engulfed in the aura. “One,” A second layer of magic flared to life over the first, “two,” Barrier’s eyes were narrowed in concentration as the third and final overlay of magic flared into being, “three!” With a grunt, he threw his entire body into the tree, followed by three other ponies doing the same.

For the first five seconds, nothing happened before finally, with a deep groan, the tree began to roll, the four ponies slowly picking up momentum as it was rolled out of the way of the fence. As it finally rolled to a stop, Barrier’s horn fizzled out with a pop, and the stallion leaned forward over the tree panting heavily, a trickle of sweat working it’s way down his brow. “I’m…” he took into a grateful gulp of air, “way too old for this.” With a tired chuckle, he shoved himself upright, turning and nuzzling the slightly-sweaty Octavia.

“We greatly appreciate the help, Magic, reckon you just saved us a whole heap of trouble.” The mare commented.

“Barrier, don’t forget to ask about Braeburn.” Octavia commented as she returned the nuzzle.

“It was my pleasure, AJ. While I’m thinking about it, I don’t suppose you know a pony by the name of Braeburn do ya’?” 

“Cousin Braeburn? I reckon I know a little. If you wanna come in the farmhouse I got a picture of him at the family reunion.” The mare trotted towards the farmhouse, her brother following behind her.

“Cousin? I was referring to an ancestor of yours, actually.” Barrier commented as he and Octavia joined the mare.

“You probably wanna ask Granny Smith if yer lookin’ for information about our ancestors. She’s got records from just about anythin’ you can think of about the Apple family.”

“Granny! We got guests!” Applejack hollered out as the group approached the farmhouse.

The ancient mare on the porch snorted slightly as she woke up, resting her tired eyes on Octavia and Barrier. “Well howdy there, young’uns.” The mare greeted the pair, heartily, despite her tired appearance.

“Granny, this here is Magic Barrier and Octavia Melody. They came to ask some questions about cousin Braeburn.” Applejack introduced the pair, taking a seat on the edge of the porch.

“Well, shoot, I know all about Braeburn. He’s m’grandson, you know.” The old mare smiled down at the pair. “Watcha wanna know ‘bout’im?”

“I was more curious as to his ancestors, to be honest. I’m trying to find a little bit of information about his namesake about eleven or twelve generations ago.”

The gave the elderly mare a slight pause before she responded, “Well, that’s quite a specific request.” The old mare crawled up out of chair and trotted slowly inside of the house. “Come on young’un, we’ll have to get to m’books out for that’un.”

A slight smile began to form on Barrier’s face as Applejack, Octavia, and himself trotted in after Granny Smith.

“So, Barrier. Not ta be nosy, but why are you lookin’ for information on this fella? I mean besides him prolly bein’ from your uh…age.”

“Braeburn Apple, or at least the one in question, was a close personal friend and squadmate of mine when I was in the guard. I saw a badly made exhibit of the Nightmare War and it made me a bit melancholic.”

The mare looked at him in confusion, causing Barrier to raise an eyebrow.

“Uh, the bad exhibit made me depressed might be a better way of saying it. When Octavia asked me what was wrong and I got into thinking about the squad, I realized I don’t know anything about what happened to my two best friends. Octavia pointed out that you were a relative of Braeburn and suggested I ask you. So, here we are.” Barrier chuckled uncertainly.

“Well, alrighty then.” Applejack nodded her affirmation. “If anypony can tell ya’ about Cousin Braeburn from a long time ago, it’s Granny Smith.”

“I’m honestly surprised.” Octavia admitted. “I can’t think of too many ponies who would keep information from so long ago. It’s rather uncommon.”

“Well, us Apple’s try to keep everything. It’s important to know where you come from,” Applejack stated. “Well, Barrier, Octavia, I appreciate all yer help, but I gotta get back to work. Still got a lot to do today.” The mare tilted her hat once more she departed.

“Braeburn used that line a lot.” Barrier commented idly as they followed Granny Smith into her bedroom, where she dug a particularly wide and flat chest out from under her bed.

“The one about where you come from?” Octavia asked as she watched the elderly mare pull the case out with seemingly little effort.

“Yeah, though there was a bit more to it than that.”

“Here we go.” The old mare croaked as she popped the lid of the chest open, revealing it to be absolutely packed of various pictures and files -- even an oil painting.

“You ponies are welcome to go through these here documents if’n you’d like. I’d stay and help, but I gotta go start lunch.

“Thank you Mrs. Smith.” Barrier bowed his head in thanks, causing the older mare to scoff and wave a hoof.

“Just call me granny, sonny, everyone calls me granny.” The old mare left the pair in the room with the large chest; Octavia was already carefully rifling through the documents, adding any documents with the mention of Braeburn to a little pile.


***


Nearly half-an-hour later, the pair had a small pile of documents. They had sifted through everything with a mention of Braeburn with very little luck. As excellent as the Apple Family record-keeping was, there simply wasn’t a whole lot of luck with the subject.

“Ugh, I give up.” Barrier flopped forward onto the floor wearily, scattering several pages in the process.”

“Hold on, Magic.” Octavia held a page up - one of the ones he had just scattered. “This pony here, Apple Barrier.” Octavia held the paper in front of her unicorn companion who took it in his magic.

Skimming over the documents, Barrier frowned. How in the hay had he missed that?

“Huh, well would ya’lookit that.” The unicorn levitated the paper back to the chest. “Named his kid Barrier...that kinda tickles me. Wish it made mention of what happened to him or his kid though.” Barrier levitated all of the paper that they had looked through neatly back into the chest and closed it, sliding it under the bed.

“Barrier?” Octavia glanced at him questioningly, curious as to what he was thinking.

“Ah, sorry.” Barrier stood upright and offered Octavia his hoof. “Just debating whether or not I should keep researching this all. It’s nice to know he had a kid and I’m honored he’d name it that, but at the end of the day, they’re both dead and while it’s brought a little closure, it honestly just makes me wish I knew more.”

“Well, what about Appleloosa?” The mare offered up. “You could go see the uh, current Braeburn Apple. Maybe he would know something more about his ancestors.” Octavia took the offered hoof and was pulled upright.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why do you keep suggesting I look into all this?” The pair trotted back towards the kitchen to thank Granny Smith.

“Because I think it’s something you need. After that exhibit, you…” The mare struggled momentarily to find a word, “weren’t yourself. It was like you’d had the life sucked out of you. It may just be me, but I think closure would do you some good. I…” Octavia bit her lip slightly. “I don’t ever want to see you that depressed again.” She admitted, “It was odd. When you got home you just felt…lifeless. Seeing you like that really bothered me.”

“Well howdy there young’uns, find what you were lookin’ for?” Granny Smith had just pulled a steaming pie from the oven when they trotted in.

“We found mention of a pony named Apple Barrier, the son of the Braeburn Apple I was looking for.” Barrier glanced at Octavia softly. “I think I’m going to head to Appleloosa and meet Braeburn Apple the uh, tenth, eleventh? Something like that. Maybe see if he can tell me anymore about it all.” Turning to Octavia, Barrier nuzzled the mare lightly.

“Sorry about all this, Tavi. I know we came here for a vacation and it’s been anything but, and here I am probably heading off to Appleloosa when we only have three days of vacation left.” The pony chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head.

“Fret not dear, I was the one who suggested it, and I think I’ll be accompanying you, if it’s all the same. If nothing else, it will be nice to take in the sights for a couple of days.”

“What’ll we do about work, though? Vinyl expects me back in three days. I could probably get more time off, but I know how you like to keep to a schedule, and I’d hate to ruin it for you.”

Granny Smith smiled pleasantly at the two and went back to her cooking.

“Yes, I was quite persistent about practicing with my ensemble, wasn’t I?” The mare smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll lose my time-slots at the restaurants, but if I do, well I’m eligible for plenty of other jobs. We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

Nuzzling the mare once more, Barrier nodded. “To Appleloosa then.”

> Braeburn, get checked! [Chapter 26]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, how in the hay did we end up doing this? And why aren’t the others here?” Flash Sentry and two other ponies were sitting in a chariot - Braeburn was latched on to the railing, shivering like a foal, while Flash Sentry and Magic Barrier were discussing the mission; the sun was rapidly setting over the arid landscape below them, the shift in terrain showing that they were on the very fringe of Equestria’s territory.

“I told you, Flash,” Barrier sighed and rubbed his temples in exasperation. “Several of the buffalo tribes are uniting under Chief Stonehorn. The princess tried to open diplomatic talks, he shot her down and made some threats. We’re here to put the fear of the gods into him.”

“And we’re going to do that by acting like spirits…” Flash seemed a little skeptical.

“If you’d read the file, like I told you to, then you’d know that the buffalo are stupidly spiritual and just relatively stupid. We screw with them a bit, make it clear the ‘spirits’ would be very displeased should they prove hostile to Equestria, then leave. If that doesn’t work, we kill the buffalo that are most capable of uniting the tribes.”

“And the others aren’t here because…?” Flash trailed off,

“Because they’re doing the exact same thing to a tribe one-hundred miles south of us, now would you shut up?”


***


“So, Barrier, you’ve been to the Appleloosan desert before?” Octavia asked her zoned out companion, snapping him back to reality.

“Uh, yeah. Once a long time ago on a mission. Long before Appleloosa was even an idea.” The unicorn confirmed, leaning into the mare next to him a bit more; the cabin was dull and lifeless, composed of varying shades of grey. Apparently, the train to Appleloosa was pretty barebones.

“For what purpose?” The mare looked at him curiously, “As far as I know, Appleloosa is the only thing out here in the desert. Well, that and the unbearable heat. I’ve never really had any desire to be anything more than an Earth Pony, but that spell almost makes me wish I had a horn.”

Barrier chuckled as his horn glowed dimly in the cabin, casting a low-energy spell to cool the air in the cabin. “There were nomadic buffalo tribes that roamed the land. They were starting to unite under a single tribe, which was fairly unusual. When the princess approached the head of the tribe, he was…less than hospitable. We went in to make sure they wouldn’t make war on Equestria.”

“I see. At least now the buffalo are fairly peaceable.” Octavia mused.

“Yeah, I’m surprised that they were peaceful about it. Then again, the last confrontation was fought with pies, so maybe I shouldn’t be…” Barrier shook his head in uncertainty. On one hoof, he was glad that no lives were lost, on the other…who in the actual hay would fight a war with pies?

“Well, is it possible that there’s something you or your team did to make them this way?”

Barrier’s eyes widened slightly as a memory leapt unbidden to the forefront of his mind.


***


Flash Sentry stood carefully balanced on the top of the tent-like structure, speaking softly to Chief Stonehorn, who was inside the tent. Barrier was a short distance away, his horn thrumming faintly with energy as he cast a spell to morph Flash Sentry’s voice into something other-worldly. Braeburn was a short distance away, making sure no buffalo caught them.

“...and remember the pie…” Flash silently fluttered over to the group, the voice fading into nothing as the spell ended.

“What was that last bit you said, Flash?” Barrier whispered to the pegasus as the trio made their ways back towards their camp, nearly five miles away.

“Nothing to worry about boss. Nothing at all.” The pegasus smiled slyly.


***


Barrier remained silent for nearly two minutes. Octavia jumped slightly when Barrier suddenly spoke. “...dammit Flash…”


***


“Ugh, why can’t you use your spell again?” Octavia whined miserably.

“Too much air.” Barrier huffed out, rather hot himself. “The cabin was closed off and not tons of fresh air made it in or out.” The unicorn explained as the pair exited the train.

“Hey there!” A light-gold Earth Pony popped in front of them sideways, in a manner slightly reminiscent of Pinkie Pie - Barrier’s reaction then was the same as it was now - on pure instinct, he lashed out with his right hoof, slamming the stallion into the ground, eyes widening only moments later.

“Oh dammit all.” He sword under his breath, glad that nopony else had been on the train with them and that nopony else seemed to have been waiting at the train station.

“Barrier!” Octavia smacked him in the back of the head. “Stop punching ponies!” The mare hissed.

“He popped up out of nowhere, I couldn’t help it! It’s a reflex dammit!” The stallion argued, completely disregarding the stallion he had just laid out. “And besides, do the laws of physics not apply to Earth Ponies or something? If not, then I demand a reroll!”

Octavia reached over and cuffed the stallion once more on the back of the head.

“Oh, for the love of all things under the sun, just help me get him upright.” Octavia trotted over to the unconscious stallion and began to unceremoniously shake the stallion.

“How do you propose we wake him up? You’re the one who hit him.” The mare stared at him in clear annoyance.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Barrier hunched down over the unconscious pony. “Pears are by far, superior to apples.” No sooner than Barrier had spoke, Braeburns eyes shot open, a frown adorning his muzzle.

“You take that back!” He shot upright, frown widening, causing Octavia to snicker.

“Welcome back to the realm of the waking, Braeburn Apple.” Barrier spoke to the earth pony.

“Barrier…” Octavia warned from behind.

“Fine, fine. Sorry that I hit you in the face. You got a little too close a little too fast. Nasty reflex, that one. Oh, and pears aren’t better than apples.” Barrier added as almost an afterthought.

“Well, alrighty then.” Braeburn rubbed his jaw sorely, already feeling it swelling. “Welcome to Appleloosa, Mister Barrier, Miss Melody.” The pony tipped his hat to Octavia and held a hoof out, which Barrier shook.

“It seems you were expecting us. I assume Miss Applejack sent you a letter?” The mare asked, receiving a nod of affirmation.

“Applejack said ya had some questions to ask about mah ancestors.” Braeburn trotted towards the town in the distance.

“Yeah, about Braeburn Apple from twelve or so generations back. Mostly just trying to figure out what happened after his bit in the Nightmare War.”

Braeburn raised an eye in confusion, staring back at the pair. “Well, my pa could probably tell you a bit more about it. He takes care of our hist’ry. I can take ya’ll to meet him if you’d like.”

“That would excellent,” Barrier glanced over at Octavia, the mare clearly not enjoying the heat. “Before that however, could you direct us to where we could get something cold to drink? Not terribly accustomed to this heat, I’m afraid.”

“Well, sure. We’ll just stop by the saloon. I need ta’ pick up a payment anyways.” The trio departed the train-station into town, and headed towards the saloon. As the building came into sight, it became clear something was going on as a brown stallion with a darker-brown mane and a black handle-bar mustache came flying through one of the windows. “Sheriff!” Braeburn ran towards the stallion with wide eyes, helping him upright.

“What’s going on in there?” Barrier asked as he also helped lift Silverstar upright.

“Couple’a ponies from outta town said some unkind words and a couple of local ponies didn’t take kindly to it, from what I can gather. Hard to say, it was really bad by the time I got here.” The sheriff wobbled unsteadily. “I’ll just have to wait for ponies to calm down ‘fore I can do anything.” The sheriff sighed in resignation.

“Why? Isn’t there a guard post here for situations like this?” Barrier asked, receiving two negative shakes of the head.

“Damnit Shining…” Barrier muttered to himself as a slight grin worked it’s way onto his face. “Still, it’s been a long time since I had a good brawl…” He looked over at Octavia in askance, as was habit, only for the mare to facehoof and sigh.

“Barrier…” Her voice grew slightly threatening.

“Oh come on, I won’t get hurt. Besides, if that isn’t broke up soon, somepony could get hurt.” The stallion pointed out, causing the mare to frown at his logic.

“You can try to break up the fight. But no maiming anypony, Barrier, remember what separates you from the thugs in my father’s employ. And don’t get hurt. I don’t want you in blasted bandages again.” The mare’s eyes bore into him, causing the stallion to gulp.

“Yes ma’am.” The unicorn replied in a fairly somber voice; the pair had a fairly lengthy talk regarding the whole Canterlot fiasco shortly after it had happened. Octavia understood why he did what he did and was mostly fine with it, but for some reason she was worried he would end up as just another of her father’s thugs. Most of the worry seemed to have passed when he ended up employed under Vinyl Scratch rather than her father once more.

“Good, then go do the job you’re not supposed to do anymore.” The mare shoved him forward, causing Braeburn and the Sheriff to look at her in surprise.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Braeburn turned to Octavia, his frown returning in full force.

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve a feeling he’ll be just fine. Besides, it’ll do him some good to vent frustrations.” The mare waved off their concerns as she trotted a short distance away and took a seat in front of the general store, out of the blistering heat of the Appleloosan sun.


***


No sooner than he had entered the saloon did Barrier get noticed - before the doors had even closed, a chair caught him across the side, shattering and sending him stumbling sideways, struggling to get his feet underneath him. Glancing sideways, he watched his assailant - a grey earth pony with a black mane and tail - charging him with the remnants of the chair clutched in one hoof. A slightly bloody grin spanning his face, Barrier threw a hoof up, catching the pony’s hoof at the wrist and throwing hoof and chair away, taking satisfaction in the sudden surprise that crossed his opponent’s face. With no similar hesitation of his own, Barrier slammed his hoof into the underside of the stallion’s jaw, taking care not to strike too hard, all too familiar what that could do to a pony if seriously damaged. As expected, the pony went down like a sack of potatoes.

Spitting a mouthful of blood out, his grin persisted as he glanced at nearly a dozen ponies all brawling wildly. With an almost child-like glee, he threw himself into the fray.


***


“Sheriff, ain’t there somethin’ we can do? Ponies are gonna get hurt!”

“What can I do, Braeburn? I’m only one pony,” The sheriff began, “Sure, I can fight a pony or two, but I just ain’t got tha means to break a brawl like that up. Just gotta wait for them to tire em’selves out and then cleanup afterward.” A depressed sigh escaped the sheriff.

Biting his lower-lip, Braeburn began to trot towards the saloon. “I cain’t let Applejack’s friend get hurt!” Swallowing heavily, Braeburn began to pick up speed. As he approached the saloon doors, another pony came crashing through a window, similar to the sheriff nearly ten minutes prior.

Steeling himself, he shoved the saloon doors open and stepped inside - just in time to see Barrier ducking blows and back-peddling. Soon, his back was to a wall and one of the ponies reared around, aiming to buck him. In a single fluid movement, Braeburn watched as the unicorn ducked under the buck and lashed out with both fore-hooves, striking the inside of the stallions forehooves - less than a second after he struck, the stallion’s fore-hooves gave out from him and Barrier lunged forward as the pony crashed to the ground, wailing almost immediately about how he couldn’t feel his fore-legs. Paying the stallion no heed, Barrier turned his eyes back to the unicorn, suddenly far more interested. He would have expected the unicorn to use magic, but he seemed to be using nothing more than his hooves.

“Uh, heh…” The stallion that had been assaulting Barrier moments ago began to back up nervously, the unicorn giving a horrifying bloody-grin with his eyes narrowed in clear excitement. “I give up?” The stallion asked nervously.

“Well, that’s no fun.” Barrier commented, his smile softening as he spat out another mouthful of blood and turned to Braeburn. “Hey there, Braeburn. Gotta say, loving the town so far. Been forever since I had a good brawl.”

Braeburn stared at the stallion in mild disbelief as his mind processed the surroundings. All of the ponies were one of three things - they were worn out, groaning in pain, or complaining about how they couldn’t feel various limbs or at all.

“Oh, you should probably grab the bits payment while things are calmed down.” Barrier trotted past the earth-pony. “I’ll wait for you outside with Octavia.” Barrier waved a hoof idly as he left the stallion alone amongst nearly a dozen unconscious or injured ponies.

“I thought I said not to get injured! You’re bleeding everywhere!”

> Wrestling is fake... [Chapter 27]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere.” Octavia chided as she dabbed a damp napkin on Barrier’s head, wiping a small trickle of blood off of the stallion’s forehead. “Don’t get hurt I said, you come back hurt. Stay still while I clean your lip I said, you flail like a foal.” The mare focused once more on the treatment, pouring rubbing alcohol on the wound.

“Where’s the part about where you split my head open with the frying pan?” Barrier asked, a slight smile on his face.

“I was simply worried about you.” The mare had the good grace to look ashamed as she neatly wrapped a bandage diagonally around her counterpart’s head.

“You’re worried about me, so you hit me with a frying pan when I tried to run. Where did you even get a frying pan?”

Braeburn watched in disbelief as the pair carried a casual conversation. Barrier had made it out of the saloon only for Octavia to be worried about his - admittedly - very bloody lip which had leaked spectacularly onto his chest, making him look rather gruesome. When Barrier refused to let her clean him up and check him for wounds, the pair had started arguing, before something was said and Octavia clocked him with a cast-iron frying-pan. Needless to say, the unicorn gave into her request immediately after.

“You never know when you’ll need a frying pan.” Octavia said wisely, backing away from the unicorn and examining her hoof-work. “And…sorry, for, you know.” She motioned to the bandages on his head.

“Eh, I’ve had worse. I don’t think it was your intention to actually hit me with it so much as it sorta happened when we fell.” Barrier nuzzled the mare affectionately, which she returned.

Braeburn smiled at the pair’s clear affection for the other, “So, Barrier. How’d ya do that thing with the pony that was tryin’ to buck ya’?”

“Uh, which one? There were three of four.” Barrier chuckled and turned to meet gazes with the stallion. “Assuming you mean the last one. When he went to buck me, I ducked underneath and hit him in the femoral nerve on his front-left foreleg. It’s on the inside of the thigh, around the same height as the testes. A good blow there tends to numb that leg up.  Nothing permanent, mind you, but it’s damn effective.”

“I’ll say.” Sheriff Silverstar trotted into the office, a stack of papers in hoof. “Five of twelve ponies say they tried ta’ fight you and none of’em ‘cept Lucky Clover got ya.”

“Lucky Clover? That the pony that caught me with the chair when I walked in?” Barrier chuckled slightly. “I should probably apologize to him, hitting him in his carotid like that. He okay?”

“Lucky’s fine. Said he was sorry about nailing you with a chair. Sorta heat-of-the-moment, he says.” The sheriff plopped down into his chair.

“Well, we should probably be on our way, then.” Barrier climbed upright, followed by Octavia and Braeburn. “Gotta find a place to crash for a couple of days before we head home.”

“Why shoot, we got a spare room on the farm. Ya’ll can stay with us if you’d like. Any friend of AJ’s is a friend o’mine.”


***


“Braeburn Apple the ninth.” A gruff older pony, nearly identical to Braeburn, with the exception of noticeably darker colors and a larger build was speaking to Magic Barrier and Octavia in the living room. “Father to Apple Barrier.” The pony closed the filing cabinet and passed a thin manilla folder over to the unicorn. “Afraid we don’t have a whole hay of a lot of information about him. Born and raised in Dodge Junction, joined the guard at sixteen, spent most of his life in it. We ain’t got any information about his time in the guard. Moved back to Dodge Junction after his discharge and started a family.” The stallion shrugged and leaned back in his chair, sipping a glass of lemonade.

Barrier glanced over the discharge papers of the pony in question. “He was discharged as soon as the Nightmare Wars ended.” Barrier sighed softly. “He left the military less than six months after I disappeared.” Barrier commented as he placed the certificate back into its envelope.

“Waddya mean?” The older pony asked, glancing at the staircase leading to the second floor, Braeburn carefully making his way back to the first floor, having been preparing the guest room.

Opening up another envelop, Barrier slipped the papers out, smiling nostalgically as he glanced at a set of six cutie-marks all grouped closely together - the three most noticeable being a dark-silver apple, a blue shield with a bolt in the center, and a shield with a sword behind it and a familiar arcane star in the center. The vast majority of the text on the paper was blacked out, and what wasn’t was extremely faded and only barely legible; the paper was clearly aged. It was astonishing to see the documents survive so long, Barrier mentally noted.

“These here.” Barrier pointed out six marks. “Were the cutie-marks of the six members in our squad, one-thousand years ago. Shining said they use pictures these days, but back then our cutie-marks would be copied into our file to identify us. Your great-grandfather, Braeburn Apple the Ninth, was a member of this team. As was myself and four others.” Barrier turned around, showing his cutie mark to the stallion, who took the paper and compared the two.

“Huh, so AJ weren’t exaggerating.” The older stallion commented, replacing the picture in the folder. “The letter she sent said you were from one-thousand years ago, but it was a mite hard to believe.” The stallion admitted.

“Oh, I understand completely.” Octavia agreed. “I thought he was out of his mind when we first met.”

“She still thinks I’m out of my mind, if we’re being honest.” Barrier chuckled. “Not entirely wrong I suppose.”

“So, Mr. Barrier,” The pony locked eyes with the unicorn. “I’ve told you what I can about my ancestor, can you tell me what you know about him? What did he do in the Royal Guard? Almost everything is marked out in his files.”

“Black operations mostly.” Barrier admitted, pursing his lips. “Sabotage, assassinations, problem solving basically.”

“So my ancestor killed ponies for a living?” The stallion asked, his own lips tightening.

“We killed more than ponies. Any creature that the princesses felt posed a threat to Equestria, whether they threatened us with war or looked to be preparing for a war that could involve us, we dealt with them. It was mostly the Griffins, but we dealt with minotaurs and ponies as well as a few other races.” Barrier glanced sadly at his mare-friend, who responded by placing a hoof on his shoulder. Shaking the dark thoughts from his head, Barrier continued, “We didn’t always like what we did, Braeburn first and foremost, and we tried to pursue diplomatic routes first and foremost, but we did what we had to in order for Equestria to prosper and I’ll not apologize for it, nor would any of the team.”

The stallion’s gaze had hardened over the course of the conversation and the couple had half-expected to be thrown out.

“Ya did what you had to, nothin’ more, nothin’ less.” Braeburn had reappeared at the top of the stairs. “Can’t say I like the thought of killin’ ponies or other creatures, but the princess wouldn’t have made ya’ll do it if it weren’t important, would they?”

“No, the Princesses never gave us orders like that without a good reason, and most of it was split up between the different special forces at the time.” Barrier glanced apologetically at his host, knowing he had probably upset him by telling him his ancestor was a killer. The Apple family had always had very strong morals surrounding topics such as that, at least to his knowledge.

His tight expression fading, Braeburn’s father closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. “So, Braeburn the Ninth was a part of the special forces?”

“Yeah, Sergeant Braeburn Apple. Though he was a sergeant first class on his discharge papers, so he probably got promoted right after the war, before he was discharged.” A very brief flash of hurt crossed the stallion’s face, though he was quick to mask it from his hosts.

“And what about the other special forces you mentioned?” Octavia inquired, attempting to shift the topic from his old friend, however slightly.

“Hay if I know.” Barrier gazed at the mare appreciatively, “We didn’t really get involved with each other. The only other team we really worked with were the Wonderbolts, and they had dealings in just about all of the other special operations.”

“I thought the Wonderbolts were just celebrity stunt-flyers?” Braeburn asked quickly, taking a seat next to his father, clearly interested in the subject, regardless of it having drifted away from the original topic.

“Not sure about now, but back then the Wonderbolts were our aerial infantry. What I’m talking about was the Dark-Ops branch of the Wonderbolts though.” Barrier took a sip of his lemonade, savoring the drink for a moment before once more picking up his narrative, “Unlike the main branch of the Wonderbolts, they weren’t entirely pegasus-exclusive. They handled reconnaissance and scouting, as well as serving as a quick-response unit and support for the other special operations. They could be pretty much anywhere in the blink of an eye, and I can’t count how many times they pulled our flanks out of the fire.” Barrier started to lapse into memory, snapping back to reality as Octavia rested a hoof on his lap, stopping the daydream.

“Well, Braeburn, why don’t we go start dinner and let our guests get settl’d in?” The older stallion asked gruffly as he stood up from his chair, followed by Braeburn.

“Yessir,” Braeburn nodded smartly and turned to his guests. “Ya’ll are in the second door on the left, upstairs.” The stallion instructed, before both he and his father trotted off to the kitchen, his father taking the briefcase with him.

When the pair was alone, Octavia turned to the unicorn, a worried expression on her face.

“It’s fine.” The stallion responded sadly, taking a shaky breath. “It helps knowing he settled down and had a family. Hurts to know I left the guys behind, but it does me good to know he didn’t die on some foreign battlefield.”

The pair sat in a pleasant silence for nearly fifteen minutes, the only sounds being that of Braeburn and his father cooking in the kitchen.

“I’m a little surprised, you know? I had expected to be here longer trying to figure this out, but it’s only been a day and we’re pretty much done here.”

“Well, at least now we won’t have to ask for extra time off of work.” The mare climbed upright, pulling her stallion upright in the process. “Not that I would mind doing that, if needed.” She quickly added, smiling weakly at the stallion.

“I appreciate it.” Barrier trotted towards the stairs, the mare leaning into his side, as he did the same to her. “You taking off of work to come to Ponyville with me and then right out here to Appleloosa. Don’t think I’ll ever understand how you put up with me.”

Octavia didn’t respond, instead letting the conversation lapse into silence as the pair made it to the guest room. The room was a simple affair, having a full-sized bed, a couple of  wooden nightstands and a single solitary dresser, as well as a lonely window on the far wall. Plain but functional, Barrier supposed.

Flopping down wearily on the bed, Barrier wrapped himself around Octavia as soon as she laid down, snuggling into her. “So, what should we do next? We’re already done here, and guessing by what we saw earlier there isn’t much to see. Not to mention this heat is absolutely miserable.”

“Mm, what about Canterlot?” Octavia muttered through her pillow. “That Flash Sentry fellow was there. Perhaps he could tell you about your other friend.”

“Mm, maybe.” Barrier spoke with his muzzle pressed up against Octavia’s neck, causing the mare to giggle at the ticklish sensation. Smirking, Barrier continued, pressing his lips even closer, “Then again, I think I’d rather just head home, unless you want to personally stop in Canterlot.”

Octavia was unable to respond, the giggles escalating to laughter as she began to try and pull away.

“But then again, I guess we could stop in and see Shiny and the family,” Barrier continued to ramble aimlessly, tightening his grip around the mare to prevent her fleeing. “I do need to see what they want for Hearth’s Warming, after all.” Falling silent, Barrier proceeded to blow a raspberry on the back of the mare’s neck, causing her to laugh even harder and flail. The fun came to an abrupt stop as she got loose and rolled over onto him - suddenly, it had become a full-blown wrestling match, both sides trying to come out on top.


***


“Mr. Barrier, Miss Melody!” Braeburn tapped sharply on their door and pushed it open. “Dinner’s read…y…” the words died in his mouth as he took in the scene before him. Octavia rested on top of the unicorn, both ponies breathing heavily as beads of sweat trickled down their face. The covers and sheets were all over the floor and both of the ponies had turned to stare at him, wide-eyed like a foal who had just been caught elbow-deep in the cookie jar.

“Um, ah…” Braeburn’s face lit up an apple and he quickly turned his back to the pair. “Dinner’s ready, see ya’ll at dinner, bye!” He jerked the door shot and the pair could hear him scrambling down the hallway.

“Never realized,” Barrier had finally begun to catch his breath, “how strong you were.” The mare had pinned him several times, and ultimately came out on top.

“I try to stay in shape, I’ll have you know.” Octavia leaned in closer to the unicorn, her eyes half-lidded and she pecked him softly on the lips.

“It shows…” Barrier bit his tongue and glanced over the mare’s figure. He had always known Octavia was in good shape - the mare looked phenomenal, but he’d never realized how much of it was muscle. Meeting the mare’s half-lidded gaze, he bit his tongue even harder. Tempting as it was, their hosts had invited them to dinner. “Guess we should be heading down to dinner. No telling what Braeburn thinks we were doing.”

At those words, the mare’s sultry gaze suddenly shifted and her cheeks heated up, realizing what the pony had probably observed it as. “Yes, dinner sounds good right about now.”

> Well, that sucks... [Chapter 28]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“These trains suck.” Barrier complained as he and Octavia departed with a hoofful of other passengers. They had been on the train for an entire day after their leave from Appleloosa, on their way home to Manehattan, arriving around the time the sun had begun to set beyond the horizon.

“Yes well, while not terribly comfortable, they are the fastest way to just about anywhere in Equestria.” Octavia rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness that came from being cooped up far too long.

“You’d think they could put better seats in.” Barrier, like Octavia, was stretching his back out, arched rather similarly to a cat. He groaned in relief as several pops and snaps rang out.

“Oh, that sounded good.” Octavia commented, arching her back as well, similar pops filling the air.

“Felt as good as it sounded.” Shaking his head a few more times, he sighed in relief. “So, should we pick something up for dinner, or do we want to make something back at the apartment?”

“Mm, let’s grab something on our way home. I can’t imagine you feel like cooking after such a long trip, Celestia knows I don’t.” The mare trotted off at a slow pace, Barrier following behind her.

Biting his lower lip, Barrier tore his gaze from Octavia’s backside and sped up enough to walk alongside her.


***


With a flick of his horn, the apartment door flared open and Barrier trotted inside, a half-dozen envelopes floating separately in his magic.

“Anything interesting?” Octavia asked, following the stallion into the apartment. A thin layer of dust had settled over most everything and a slightly musty smell pervaded the apartment. 

With a further flick of his magic, the lights flared to life and several windows opened, Barrier responding at the same time. “Electric bill, a letter about renewing our lease, something from my boss, a letter from...the hospital?” Barrier’s eyes narrowed in confusion at that one, “and…” Barrier took a sharp breath of air as he described the last letter. “A letter from your dad.”

“You can throw the last one away.” Octavia closed the apartment door with a hind leg and slid the pizza onto the countertop. “Can’t imagine he has anything terribly important to say.” The mare trotted off to the bathroom, leaving her companion alone in the kitchen.

Biting his lip in uncertainty, Barrier set the letter off to the side and opened their electric bill, scanning over the numbers before setting it off to the side with the letter about their lease and then opening the letter from Vinyl.

“What did Ms. Scratch have to say?” Octavia asked as she rejoined him at the table, taking the electric bill in her hooves.

Letting a long, drawn-out sigh escape him, Barrier tossed the letter onto the table in minor frustration. “Said that her club burned to a crisp while she was gone. Electrical fire, apparently. Nopony was hurt, but one of the DJ’s that was playing in her absence lost some equipment. She doesn’t know when she’ll have the club up and running. Said I should probably try to find another job, but that she’ll be able to pay me my usual wage for a couple of weeks while I look. Soon as things start to look up, kicks me right back down.”

“That’s unfortunate, but at least nopony was hurt. I don’t think you have too much reason to worry. There are plenty of other employers that would love to have you on board, even outside of security.” Octavia rattled out in her slight accent before she noticed the letter from her father and frowned, reaching for it, no doubt to throw it away, only for a magical aura to stop her.

“Barrier, we’ve been over this.” Annoyance crept into her voice.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry just…” Biting his lip in uncertainty, Barrier released his hold over the letter. “Just skim over it, please. I’m not asking you to make amends with the guy or anything, I know you two don’t get along. Hay, I don’t care much for the guy myself, but he does care about you, Tavi, and believe me when I say that he’s hurting when you ignore him.”

“Good, after some of the things he’s done to ponies, he deserves to hurt.” Was the mare’s only response and with that, the subject was dropped.

Clavier Melody had been the subject of their first argument as a couple, nearly two weeks after they had moved in together. Barrier had suggested the mare try to make amends and at least tolerate her father, but she hadn’t taken well to it, and the pair fought. Ultimately, they made up, though the issue remained unresolved.

“Want me to open this letter from the hospital? S’in your name.” Barrier levitated the pizza and a pair of plates over to the table as he held the letter up in a hoof.

“Go ahead. Not really sure what they’d write me for, I’ve not been to a hospital in years.” Octavia popped the box of pizza open and doled out a couple of slices on the plates. “Barrier, is something wrong?” Octavia had moved his plate towards him, only to see a tight expression as he read the letter.

“Not really sure, Tavi, but well…” Barrier wasn’t really sure how to approach this subject. He had written plenty of letters to the family of fallen ponies in his time, but this was completely different for him. The letter wavering uncertainly in his aura, Barrier levitated over to the mare, who took it in her hoof, skimming over it.

The room was silent, even as the letter fell from Octavia’s hoof, the pizza long-forgotten. The mare went through several expressions, seemingly uncertain what to feel at the moment.

“Octavia?” Barrier asked softly, resting a hoof on the mare’s withers.

A choked breath escaped the mare as she tried to speak, her shoulders visibly slumping. “He’s gone.” She managed to get out, “How am I supposed to react to this, Barrier?” She turned to her companion, their eyes meeting.

“I don’t know, Tavi.” The stallion sighed and leaned forward, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I can’t tell you how to feel about the stallion.”
“You know the last thing I said to him?” A hollow chuckle escaped the mare as she buried herself further into his fur, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “Told him I hated him.” Another choked sob escaped the mare. “Told him I hated him and to stay out of my life.” The mare’s grip loosened and she slumped lifelessly into the unicorn. “I can’t ever take that back.”

Barrier could only wrap himself tighter around the mare as she half-sobbed into his chest, clearly trying to stifle the noises.

“And why should I want to take it back?” She choked out. “I hated him and everything he stood for, so why am I so damned sad!” She pounded weakly on the unicorn and it seemed a dam broke as the half-restrained sobs became full-on tears.

“No matter how you felt about him, he was your dad, Tavi. Even if we hate our parents, we’ll always love them, Tavi.”


***


Barrier stirred slightly as the sun filtered through his bedroom window and onto the bed. His mind briefly flashing back to the prior night. They had gotten off of the train relatively late, grabbed a pizza, and read their mail. After Octavia read the letter from the hospital, she had cried herself to sleep in a maelstrom of emotions. Though he hadn’t thought about it at the time, more focused on comforting Octavia, Barrier was curious as to what had happened now. Clavier Melody had looked to be a fairly healthy pony when the two had met, and that had been less than six months ago. He had been in conflict with another crime-family at the time, leading to his employment as a bodyguard. Had the family gotten the better of him? Did Octavia have reason to worry? Biting his lip, he resolved to write a letter to Shining Armor and request a thorough investigation of the situation. It wasn’t paranoia if ponies were out to get you.

“Mm…” Octavia stirred slightly, glancing up at him, her eyes still slightly red from the previous night’s crying. A weak smile adorned her muzzle and she buried herself right back into his chest.

Returning the weak smile with one of his own, the unicorn broke the morning’s silence. “How’re you feeling?”

“…lost and uncertain.” The mare replied softly. “What should I do, Barrier?” The mare gazed at him once more, her sad expression still present.

“I wish I could tell you, ‘Tavi, but I honestly don’t know. Only you can decide what to do. All I can do is suggest that you don’t bottle it up. Don’t let it eat you up from the inside, try to talk about it with friends or family. I know I’ll be here if you ever need to talk.” Tilting his head down, Barrier pecked the mare slightly. “Why don’t I go make us some breakfast?”

Feebly, Octavia nodded and released the stallion from her grip, still rolling things over in her head.

“Delivery!” Several sharp knocks rang out from the door.

Opening the door with his magic, Barrier called out, “Just drop it on the table!”

“Need a signature!” The voice replied.

“Ah, bring it to the kitchen then.” Barrier replied, trotting over to the divider, briefly meeting eyes with the stallion carrying both a long package on his back, in addition to a pony-sized box, which was tethered to him and on wheels.

“Uh…” The stallion stared at the multitude of objects all doing something completely different. Several pans moved themselves onto the stove which self-ignited, pancakes were being mixed in a bowl, while scrambled eggs were mixed next to them, as well as a package of hay-bacon being opened, as well as multiple utensils, plates, and glasses, all floating themselves out of drawers and cabinets to their spots on the table. “This one is B.O.D for five-hundred bits.” The blonde-coated pegasus finally managed out, tearing himself from the spectacle that was breakfast and putting the long package forward.

“Hm, one sec. Gotta go grab the bits.” Barrier trotted out of the kitchen and back into his bedroom.

“Is somepony here?” Octavia asked sleepily, glancing up at her companion, who was counting out bits.

“Yeah, delivery-pegasus. Couple of packages I ordered from Canterlot arrived. Breakfast will be done in about twenty minutes.” Pecking the mare quickly, Barrier trotted out with the required bits.

Even as he left, the magically held items continued preparing breakfast, though nothing actually went on the stove until the unicorn trotted back in. Almost all at once, pancake batter, eggs, and hay-bacon all floated onto the stove while teabags floated from the cabinets, dropping themselves in the cups on the table.

“Here are the bits, just one second while I check this…” The lengthy package tore itself open, revealing a simple wooden box. Popping the box open, he levitated a sword and sheath out, a narrow grin perching itself on his face. The blade gleamed dully in the light, having been made to his exact specifications. Measuring out to exactly thirty-seven inches, the blade ran all the way through the hilt, which looked to be a dark shade of mahogany, as he had suggested. In addition, the sword felt sturdy and he couldn’t bend it in his magic like he had been able to do to the display blades. The sheath, like the blade, was made to specifications, being made entirely out of brass, with a thin padding inside of it and a plain leather strap fixed at the end.

The pegasus swallowed nervously as the package was unveiled. Weapons weren’t unheard of, but full-on swords were unheard of in a large city such as Manehattan, and the unicorn clearly went over it with a discerning eye.

“Well then, that concludes our business.” Levitating another one-hundred bit piece to the pegasus as a tip, Barrier sheathed his blade and placed it on the counter, turning his focus back to breakfast. Going to throw the wrappers and egg shells away, Barrier glanced sideways at the trash can. Glancing uncertainly at his bedroom door and back to the trash-can, he quickly levitated the letter out of it. He wasn’t one to push the issue, especially now, but he couldn’t help but wonder what the letter contained, and some part of him was certain Octavia would want to read it at some point or another herself.


***


Lured by the promise of a much-needed breakfast, Octavia pushed her way out of the door, glancing at her lover with a grateful smile before she noticed the letter in his magical aura. With only a slight waver of her smile, she trotted over to the table, taking a seat.

“We’ll read it after breakfast.” The mare all but whispered in defeat.

> Loyalty [Chapter 29]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That one will do fine.” Barrier pointed out the casket to the funeral director before leaning back into the chair and nuzzling the non-responsive mare next to him. The last few days had been a maelstrom of emotions for the mare, ranging from depression, to anger, to regret, and then all over again, ultimately ending with near silence on the subject. Finally, the mare asked him if he’d be willing to help her plan the funeral, citing that she wasn’t really certain how to handle such an affair; she simply seemed ready to be done with the whole situation. Barrier couldn’t imagine how a pony could be so distant from a parent, but he supposed she had her reasons; he would love her regardless.

“Very well then, that concludes everything needed. The funeral will be held tomorrow from two to five. I’m sorry again for your loss.” The funeral director - a plain brown colt with a casket cutie-mark and a green mane - stood up to see the two ponies off.

Someone has to be, I suppose. Barrier stood upright with Octavia, the pair trotting out of the room.


***


“Barrier, am I a bad pony?” Octavia asked as the pair were whisked towards the funeral home in a pony-drawn carriage, both ponies being dressed in black.

Barrier’s neutral expression shifted to one of confusion. “What? No, why would you think that?” He was quick to respond.

“I don’t know, I guess I feel like I should be sadder than I am. I know it’s horrible that he died, but I honestly can’t find myself to feel all that terrible about it.” The uncertainty was clear in the mare’s voice.

“You’re not a bad pony, Octavia. I don’t know what happened to drive you and your father so far apart, but I know you well enough to know you’d have a good reason for it. Don’t ever think you’re a bad pony for this.” Though Barrier would never admit it, out of respect for the dead, but the world wouldn’t be missing much in Clavier Melody - as far as he was concerned, it was one less criminal in the world to cause problems. The best thing he had done for the world was helping create Octavia. “Not to pry, but, you never did tell me about your mother.” He glanced at Octavia who stiffened slightly at the question.

“She moved on some number of years ago…of all the reasons I hate my father, his hoof in that is what sealed our relationship.” Octavia said nothing more on the subject, silence reigning as the carriage stopped at the funeral home.

Glancing around at the other attending ponies, almost all of them dressed in funeral attire, Barrier couldn’t help but wonder how many of them were ‘business’ partners and how many were friends or family.

“Come, there’s nopony here I’ve a particular interest in talking to, even on a day such as today.” The mare’s voice was distant as she trotted off.

Perhaps, Barrier mused silently to himself, this is her way of coping. While it was illogical and unthinkable for him - parents had always been ponies you respected, if not as ponies than as parents - it was her choice, he decided. If she was happy he was gone, he’d love her all the same.

Taking a slow breath to steady himself, Barrier nodded his acknowledgement and trotted after Octavia.


Two Weeks Later


“Wakeupwakeupwakeup!” Barrier was all but bouncing up and down on his bed, which he and Octavia had been sharing on a nightly basis since their return from Appleloosa. “Taaaaavi wa-” The unicorn’s voice vanished as the mare in question kicked his legs out from beneath him and caused him to flop uselessly onto the bed and then the floor.

“Honestly, you insufferable…” The mare fell silent in favor of a yawn. “If I wanted a foal, I would have adopted.” She rolled off of the bed sleepily, giving her unicorn a sidewards glance, which was returned with only a sheepish smile.

“You’re so sweet in the mornings.” He crawled upright and twisted his neck, getting a satisfying pop in response.

“So, what merits waking me up at,” she glanced at the clock, “eight am on my only day off this week?” The mare’s critical gaze caused the sheepish smile to wither almost immediately.

“Sorry, but we’ve only got an hour and a half before we gotta go catch the train to Canterlot. I’d like to remind you, that you’re the one who wanted to go see Twilight and her friends in the play.”

Octavia’s eyes widened in realization. “Of course I want to go, the princesses offered us box seats to the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant in Canterlot! Have you any idea what some ponies would pay for such seats?” She seemed almost offended.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear ya.” The unicorn brushed her off with a chuckle.

“Honestly, you should be more enthusiastic. You’re going to watch your granddaughter act in one of the most prestigious plays in all of Equestria.” Octavia trotted past the stallion, making her way into the kitchen where breakfast was already waiting, as it often was.

“I’m proud of her, but I’m just not a terribly big fan of plays. The only reasons I’m going are because I want to show support. That and that you’re going to be there. That’s another really big incentive.” Barrier plopped down at the table with Octavia.

“So, who gets the box?” Octavia glanced sideways at the pony-sized crate in the living room, which Barrier had said was a gift and that it should remained unopened.

“It’s a secret.” A slight smile crossed the unicorn’s features.

“Well, can you tell me what’s in the box?” The cultured mare requested, the stallion’s smile only widening.

“Secret.”

The mare’s expression narrowed slightly, “Well, can you tell me how much whatever’s in the box is worth?”

“…promise not to hit me?” Silence. “So, the silence is really not making me comfortable with telling you what I paid for it.“

Octavia’s gaze only narrowed further, her face giving him a silent order.

“I definitely didn’t spend more than three-months rent on a present. Promise.” Barrier chuckled nervously as her gaze locked him in place. He was capable of some soul-shattering stares and gazes, but something about the way Octavia stared at him in disappointment…horrifying.

Taking a deep breath, the mare nodded. “I’m not going to hit you because it’s your money to spend how you see fit. I would, however, advise you not to make such rash purchases.”

Despite Barrier having a healthy chunk of savings -which he seemed to be rapidly depleting, if the crate was any indicator- Octavia had refused to take advantage of it, initially citing that it was his money to do with as he pleased, not pay her half of the bills with. As the relationship progressed, and he once more offered to put it to use on bills, to further ease the burden of a mediocre yet expensive apartment, she insisted that they ensure they were able to manage without the savings before even considering such a thing. While sound reasoning both times, Barrier still felt like he owed the mare more than he’d be able to repay in one lifetime.

“I know, I know.” Barrier chewed through a couple of pieces of hay bacon to buy himself some time. “The sword was partially impulse and partially personal, since I just didn’t feel right not having one,” even farmers owned some degree of weaponry for self-defense, usually against wildlife one-thousand years ago, “whereas the…” the unicorn hesitated, glancing at the crate, “item in the crate was actually a very thought-out purchase that I did a significant amount of research on before purchasing.”

Octavia didn’t really argue for the sword. While she didn’t understand the desire to have one in the home, it was clear that it was something Barrier seemed to need, and so she let it go. “So, I’ll assume whatever is in the crate is a Hearth’s Warming gift. I can’t think of any reason you wouldn’t tell me who it is for or what it is, unless…” The mare’s eyes narrowed dangerously once more, causing Barrier to shift in his seat uncomfortably.

He had initially planned on hiding the box, but Octavia had seen the crate the morning it arrived, giving him no time to do such…and even then, where in the hay was he going to stuff a crate like that? It was roughly the size of a pony-and-a-half if they were standing on their hind-legs.

“You know it horrifies me when you stare at me like that, right?” The soul-piercing gaze faded behind the mare’s eyelids.

“So, correct me if my theory is wrong, and please, do correct me,” her eyes remained shut, “you spent…” the mare thought for a moment, calculating their rent in her head, “nine-thousand some bits on a Hearth’s Warming Present for me, when I was rather insistent on receiving nothing?”

“S”not a Hearth’s Warming present.” Barrier finally sighed out, closing his own eyes. “Was initially a thank you gift, and I contemplated giving it to you for Hearth’s Warming instead, though ultimately decided against it.”

The mare finally opened her eyes, her amethyst eyes meeting the unicorn’s own deep blue eyes as she asked a simple question.

“Why?”

“Because you saved me from me.” Barrier said without hesitation. “You’re pretty familiar with how I think. Loyalty, to me, is…” the stallion frowned, thinking for a moment, “was everything. I was loyal to the Crown, my friends, and my family, more than anything. Princess Luna was two of those, and I was going to, and could have, killed her.” The stallion stopped to take a drink before continuing, “You saved me from myself and stopped me from doing something I’d have regretted immensely, whether I lived, or the most likely scenario, died. To say nothing of the disgrace I’d have brought my family. I felt like I should thank you, so I bought that.” Barrier motioned to the crate once more. “The reason I didn’t bring any of this up is because I know you wouldn’t have let me get it for you if I did, and that you’d have insisted I didn’t owe you anything.”

Octavia couldn’t really argue, as she knew she would’ve done just that. Instead, she shook her head in slight amusement, and decided on gratitude rather than the initial frustration she had started with. “Very well then, thank you…but what is it?”

“A surprise that’ll you have to open to see. And looking at the clock, that will have to wait until tonight.” The unicorn smiled slyly. Tomorrow was Hearth’s Warming, and it was a lengthy trip to Canterlot for the pageant, which would run until relatively late. By the time they got out of the play, they would likely grab a quick dinner and go straight to sleep. They were due at the Sparkle household the following morning, having decided to spend Hearth’s Warming Eve there, since it was Barrier’s first Hearth’s Warming since his return, as well as Octavia having no family she would enjoy spending it with.

“Well-played, unicorn of mine.” The mare’s eyes glinted playfully.

“Yeah, it all lined up a little better than I thought.” Barrier chuckled in response and stood upright, levitating his plate to the sink after scraping leftovers into the trash.

“Very well then, I’ll take a quick shower and we’ll head off to the train-station and to Canterlot. Do know that I’ll get you back for this.” The mare motioned to the crate.

“The score stands at one to zero, I believe.” The pair locked eyes briefly before Octavia pulled her gaze away and trotted towards the bathroom, Barrier’s eyes lingering on her flank as she trotted away.

Biting his lower lip, he tore his gaze from her flank just before she disappeared down the hallway and set about gathering up their tickets and travel-bags, levitating his sword over his shoulder and buckling it on.

> A Bolt in the Night... [Chapter 30]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And you didn’t tell me this, why? I’d love to hear you play.” A soft voice echoed through the train, followed shortly by accompaniment.

“Because I knew you’d probably want to hear me play. Just because I can play it, doesn’t mean I’m good. Besides, where in the hay would we put a piano?”

“And the crate?” Octavia replied, glancing to the large crate that Barrier had insisted on bringing with them to the cabin.

“That’ll size down when the crate itself is gone. Plus, it’s far more vital than a piano.”

“And I’m still not allowed to open it?” The mare raised an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s your gift, love, you can open it whenever you please. It just happens you’ve not yet had the time.” Barrier smiled softly at his mare.

“In that case, perhaps I should op-”

Octavia was cut off as a voice called through the speakers, informing them that they had arrived in Canterlot and were about to depart.

The mare stared at Barrier, a thin smile on her face. “Well played, Barrier.”

“Thank you, mistress.” Barrier replied, a much more noticeable smile adorning his features. With a flare of magic, he trotted out of the cabin with the large crate and two travel-bags floating effortlessly behind him.

“We’ll stop at the hotel to drop off our bags and freshen up, and then we’ll head to the theatre.” Octavia informed, trotting a short distance ahead of her companion to lead the way.


***


“I still don’t see why we have to dress up. It’s just a play.” Barrier grumbled as he buttoned the shirt with practiced ease and tucked his tie in. He was wearing the same outfit he had worn to the gala, at Octavia’s insistence; a black tuxedo-top, white undershirt, and a red tie, though this time he had his sword neatly strapped across his barrel, having replaced the plain leather strap with a less-durable black cloth strap that better matched. As he finished, he turned to face Octavia, only for his jaw to drop and his eyes to widen.

Octavia had a gorgeous black dress on with a frilly chest and a white ribbon tied neatly in the center. Further back, the dress broke off into two layers, a sleek black, broken up by light grey trim; to finish the look, a pair of black slippers covered her forehooves.

Barrier wasn’t terribly knowledgeable about fashion, but damn. The mare was naturally gorgeous, but this was something else entirely.

As the mare put her mane into a neat ponytail and tucked a pale white lily behind her ear, she realized the unicorn was staring at her.

“What?” She asked, blushing slightly at the stare.

“Ah, sorry.” Barrier blushed in response. “Just…” Barrier fell silent again.

“Barrier?” The mare poked him in the shoulder, frowning at the odd behaviour.

“Sorry, it’s just…wow.” He motioned at her outfit. “You’ve always been a beautiful mare, but right now, words simply don’t do you justice.”

Octavia’s expression bloomed into a full blush and the mare turned away at the sheer honesty and reverence in the stallion’s voice. He was never one to withhold compliments and he always seemed genuine, but the statement just sounded like so much more; the mare couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but it made her heart flutter in her chest. “...thank you, Barrier.” The mare responded with a genuine smile on her face. “Shall we be on our way? No doubt the princesses will be at the theatre shortly, it wouldn’t do to keep them waiting.” She held a hoof out for the unicorn to take, which he did with a smile of his own and no hesitation.


***


“Barrier, don’t give the guards a hard time.” Octavia whispered as one of the guards trotted away from the entrance to the box-seats towards them.

“I’m sorry, but this area is off-limits at this time.” The guard was one of the grey unicorns adorned in ornate golden armor. He had never noticed it, but their coats were quite similar to his own.

“We have an invitation from Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia.” Barrier’s tone rose as he spoke, giving him a more commanding presence.

“Thank you, sir. You’re welcome to go in, but I must ask that you leave your sword here.” The guard glanced at the weapon.

With a silent nod, Barrier levitated the sword off of him. “You lose my sword, you lose your job.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise.

“Yes sir.” The guard saluted sharply.

“Was that really necessary?” Octavia asked, hiding a slight grin at how Barrier had turned over his sword.

Barrier snorted in slight amusement. “That sword cost me more than they make in a week and could quite literally cut through their own swords and armor. At least this way, I don’t have to worry about one of them trying to run off with it.”

The mare shook her head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“Ah, Mr. Barrier, Miss Melody, it’s wonderful to see you were able to join us.” The Princess of the Sun smiled warmly at the two new arrivals.

“Fancy Pants, this is Miss Octavia Melody and Sir Magic Barrier, a Knight of Equestria.” The princess introduced the three ponies, Barrier gazing at her curiously as she did so.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Barrier inclined his head politely towards Fancy Pants, while Octavia bowed respectfully.

“Thank you for inviting us, Your Highness, it’s a great honor.” Octavia addressed the Princess of the Sun and her sister, who had remained entirely silent thus far.

Taking his seat across next to Octavia, Barrier glanced down at the stage, though his mind was no longer on the stage. The way the princess had addressed him had his mind running amok.He supposed that technically he was still a knight, despite no longer being a Captain of the Guard, but she had never addressed him as such since his return, so why the sudden change? Even if he was no longer a guard, as a knight he was sworn to defend Equestria if called upon. Frowning at the sudden anxiety gnawing at his stomach, he decided payback was in order.

Inwardly grinning, Barrier turned to the Princess of the Sun, "Forgive me for asking your highness, but have you put on weight recently?"

And silence.


***


The play was extremely enjoyable, much to Magic Barrier’s surprise. Twilight and her friends had all played their roles excellently, and by the sounds of stomping throughout the theatre, he wasn’t the only one who thought so. In addition to that, Octavia seemed to have brokered a function for her and her ensemble to play at for Fancy Pants. All in all, it had been a fairly pleasant night, despite the slight unease brought on by his title being used.

Saying their goodbyes and thanks to the two princesses and their new acquaintance, the pair departed.

A satisfied smile sat upon the mare’s features as the pair leaned against each other, walking carefully through the streets. Slowly, the mare opened her mouth wide to let out a yawn left as her eyes drooped sleepily.

Barrier himself had started to get rather drowsy, the day’s travels catching up to him. Turning to the mare to offer to carry her the rest of the way, Barrier suddenly heard a low click, followed by his body instinctively flooding with adrenaline. In the span of two seconds, Barrier’s horn flared to life and he shoved Octavia the opposite way, throwing her to ground, much to the mare’s surprise. No sooner than she hit the ground, another click, this one followed by a sharp twang joined in, further breaking the silence of the night.

Turning her gaze up to berate her lover, Octavia’s eyes widened as the barrier shattered and a flash of pain crossed the unicorn’s face, followed by a twenty-inch piece of wood and metal burying itself half-way into the unicorn’s side, just below his withers; the magical shield had done little to stop the bolt, it seemed.

Barrier could feel the blood pooling in his lung, as well as a headache from the shattered shield; glancing off to the sides, he counted four ponies rushing towards the pair as well as a fifth pony working to reload the crossbow. “Run…” Barrier managed to gurgle out weakly.

Meeting his eyes, Octavia’s blood ran cold. For the first time, she saw genuine fear in the stallion’s eyes. Glancing around at the ponies closing in on them, Octavia swallowed heavily and rushed forward, barreling into Magic Barrier’s knees, bending the joints and hunching down, causing the stallion to roll onto her back. With a strength unique to an earth pony, Octavia took off at a dead sprint, the stallion bouncing on her back.

Barrier could feel blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth and onto Octavia’s dress. Throwing his blurry vision towards the back, he could see a number of ponies rushing after them and steadily gaining, what with him weighing Octavia down. Fighting to stay conscious, Barrier attempted to roll himself off the side, only for Octavia to suddenly shout at him.

“So help me Celestia, if you fall off of me, we will die together!” Her voice was sharp and hard, almost daring him to try again.

Futilely, the stallion attempted to argue, though all that came out was a pained gurgle.

“Guess we die together then…” The thought ran through his head as blackness edged into his vision.

The last things to cross his vision before the blackness enveloped him was the sight of a pegasus dropping down onto the crossbow wielding unicorn, an audible snap ringing out as the unicorn crumbled like a sack of potatoes with a shattered spine, followed by the ponies cloak billowing around him, revealing a cutie mark that Barrier couldn’t quite place and a particularly nice flank. Not the worst image to die with, Barrier reasoned to himself.


***


Octavia slowed down as the hooves behind her slid to a stop, following a sickening crunch. Gasping in huge amounts of air, she turned just in time to see a pegasus leap off of a collapsing unicorn for one of the aggressor’s companions. Crashing into him, the pegasus slammed the pony to the ground, driving his hoof hard into the pony’s jaw several times in rapid succession until he was still.

“Get him!” one of the three remaining ponies finally yelled out, prodding the trio to advance towards the mystery pegasus, only for the pony who had shouted to collapse forward, a bolt sprouting from his chest, dead before he hit the ground.

The other two ponies gave pause; it was the biggest mistake of their lives. The mystery pegasus rushed towards one of them at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash proud, twirling himself around the pony’s neck and onto his back, his hooves latching onto the throat in a single fluid movement. In seconds, the pegasus was hunched down on his knees, futilely grasping at the pegasus’ hooves, each attempt at freedom growing more feeble than the last.

Seeing his sole remaining partner in trouble, the final assailant made to rush forward, only for a crossbow bolt to appear in his knee, punching right through the joint with a wet crunch, causing the pony to scream out in agony and lurch forward, holding his bloodied knee.

Trotting over to the fallen pony, the pegasus glanced down at him, harsh brown eyes glinting dangerously in the dim streetlight. With no hesitation, the pegasus dropped his hoof onto the wailing pony, silencing him almost immediately.

“Stay back!” Octavia warned, drawing Barrier’s sword in her mouth and holding it out in front of her as she had occasionally seen him do.

“Relax miss, I’m here to help.“ The pegasus slowly approached, his pose lax and expression as gentle as it could be while his eyes drifted to the unicorn on Octavia’s back, whose breathing grew more ragged by the second.

Octavia didn’t respond as she recoiled slightly, her eyes swapping between her fallen assailants and one of the ponies that had put them down.

“I know you’re on edge and probably in a bit of shock. You have no reason to trust me, and if I were in your situation, I probably wouldn’t trust me either. I am really here to help, though. If you don’t let me, Magic Barrier will die. His lung is collapsed, and I haven’t invented the time travel needed to get him to the hospital five minutes ago.” The pegasus stepped directly underneath a street-light. His cutie-mark and tail were obscured by a dark cloak, though his back, neck, and muzzle were all a faded lavender, whereas his mane was a dark, greyish black. Unlike before, where his eyes had been harsh, they were now a soft, and almost pleasant, chocolate color that seemed to silently plead with the mare to not do something stupid with that sword.

Biting her lip in uncertainty, Octavia glanced at the unconscious stallion on her back. “Very well, but only for lack of an alternative.” The sword clattered to the ground and Octavia carefully trotted up to the pegasus, carefully transferring the large unicorn from her back to the mystery pegasus. “Please, hurry. I can’t lose him…” The mare’s voice, where it had been hard and protective initially, was now desperate and pleading, her eyes filled with worry.

The pegasus turned and gave one solid nod before he whistled sharply, flexed his wings and took off at a speed that would leave the Wonderbolts envious, especially if he hadn’t been carrying over three-hundred and fifty pounds of stallion on his back.

“That stallion would look good in a skirt…” Octavia found the odd thought flitting across her mind and quickly shook it away. Turning back to the sword she had dropped, the mare bent over, aiming to grasp the hilt in her mouth once more, only to bolt upright when somepony whistled at her, blushing angrily as she glanced around, trying and failing to find the source of noise. Glancing back at the sword, she sat down on her flanks first this time, kneeling over to grip the sword in her mouth.

“Not buckin’ bad for a reputable cellist,” a stallion’s voice catcalled the mare, prompting Octavia to clench her jaw upon the hilt of the sword and swing it towards the latest imposition. “I was paying ya a compliment, ya crazy bucker!” he shouted while ducking below the blade. The weapon sheared the very top of his Coltston hat and barely missed the tip of a horn that lurked beneath. “I like ‘em wild, but a colt’s got limits.”

The mare turned to face the stallion, noting how his black coat seemed to absorb the light radiated by the streetlights while his silver mane and cutie mark - a seven-pointed silver star inscribed with the number twenty-two - reflected it. Deep amber eyes met amethyst as Octavia gave him the nastiest look she could muster, no doubt assuming he had been the one who whistled at her earlier.

The stallion grinned widely at the mare. “Oh, you are just adorable.”

She balanced the sword in the crook of her leg. “And you’re repulsive.” Her voice carried a surprising amount of venom as she turned away angrily and took off at a light gallop towards the hospital, mentally noting the stallion running behind her.

“Ya can thank me for kneecapping those asshats later…”

There was no response from the mare - only one clear thought that permeated her focused mind. “Don’t die on me Barrier…”

> Think he has kids? [Chapter 31]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Halt!” One of the guards held a hoof up, stopping the approaching pair. “This area is off-limits while the guards conduct an investigation into th-” The guard was cut off by the mare.

“So help me, if you do not step aside this very moment and allow me access to my special somepony, I will break you in ways unfathomable.” All the while, the mare’s gaze had bored hard into the guard. He swallowed heavily and began to shift nervously, unable to break his own gaze away from that of Octavia’s.

“Buck Luna, didn’t they ever teach you guys never to come between a mare and her SSP? That’s like Lesson Zero, amateurs.” Trigger ceremoniously ribbed the rookie into submission while Octavia stood in what could adequately be described as a fuming mess. She was doing her best to ignore him, but the obsidian stallion did not particularly mind. His pegasus cohort had assuredly gotten Magic Barrier there in time, and that would prove reward enough.

“Stand down soldier,” a firm and familiar voice called out, breaking Octavia’s death-gaze on the assaulted guard.

Not even waiting for the stallion’s reply, Octavia pushed roughly past the guard, the black unicorn trotting carefully behind her, a slight grin on his face.

“So, is Barrier a squealer?” The black unicorn asked with what appeared to be genuine curiosity.

“Shining.” Octavia mostly ignored the two unicorns, instead going further into the hospital.

“And you are?” Shining asked, his eyes resting on black unicorn.

“The stallion that made you all look like colts,” Trigger quipped as a satisfied grin usurped control of his countenance. “Well, at least one of them. Be sure to put a nice thank you note in the papers for it. I’m sure ponies will get a damn kick out of it.” He shrugged off the well-known captain and reaffixed his sights upon the grey mare. His biting amber eyes softened to effective grip of concern as he continued, “Magic Barrier will be fine. When he’s up and about, please be sure to tell him that the DOC sends its regards.”

Shining glared at the Coltston-wearing unicorn with an expression that fell somewhere between rage and confusion. He clenched his jaw in annoyance at the stallion’s brash behavior and blinked a couple times as the darkened spirals of teleportation magic whisked the smirking pony from his presence.

“Thank you…” Octavia whispered softly as the stallion vanished, the last dregs of adrenaline leaving her body, causing the mare to visibly slump and Shining Armor to snap out of his frustrations and support the mare, preventing her complete collapse.

“Come on, let’s get you somewhere you can rest while we wait for news on Magic Barrier.” Carefully levitating the sword out of the mare’s loose grip, Shining walked forward, slowly guiding her.

“Will he be okay?” Octavia asked, allowing the stallion to guide her to the waiting room. Much to her surprise, Princess Luna sat in the lobby, boredom clear on her face.

“He should be fine. The doctors said that the bolt popped a lung and caused blood to spill into it. They’re going to drain the blood and then fix the lung up. He should be fine by morning, if a little sore.” Shining explained.

“Your Highness.” Octavia bowed wearily. She had already been borderline asleep before the whole attack, to say nothing of the subsequent adrenaline-rush and following crash; it took what little energy she didn’t have left to address the princess.

“Rise, Octavia, you’ve no need to bow in a time such as this.” The princess raised a hoof, waving the mare off. “Tell us, Shining Armor, has any new information become available?”

“I’m afraid not, Your Highness. There was mention of a ‘DOC’ by another pony, but he teleported away before I had an opportunity to question him. I’m afraid we won’t know anymore until Miss Melody awakes.” The stallion glanced at the sleeping form of Octavia, sprawled out on the floor.

The princess’ eyes widened at the mention of the ‘DOC’, and she almost vocalized the fact that her sister had disbanded the ‘DOC’ nearly nine centuries ago.

“We see.” The princess acknowledged. “Very well, we shall return to the castle. Inform us or our sister as soon as she, or Magic Barrier awakens. Until one of us comes to speak to them, I do not want either pony disturbed. Is this understood, Captain?”

“Yes ma’am.” Shining Armor saluted smartly.

“Very well then, we suggest thou get some sleep Captain, you’ve no doubt a very long day ahead of us.” The princess, with a flourish of her horn, vanished in a flash of light.


***


Octavia blinked in irritation as the sunlight began to filter dimly through the windows of the waiting room. “Barrier, close the blinds…” The mare muttered unintelligibly, rolling over to try and escape the morning light. “Barrier…” The mare groaned out, reaching over with a hoof, expecting to find the stallion. When her hoof caught nothing but air, she tilted her head up wearily and her eyes widened as the night’s events raced back to her. Without ceremony, Octavia shot bolt upright and all but galloped to the front desk.

“Can I help you?” A pale-blue mare with her mane in a tight, dark-blue bun asked without looking up from her paperwork.

“I’m looking for a unicorn named Magic Barrier. Black coat, two-tone blue mane, sword-and-shield cutie-mark, ice-blue eyes. He was brought in late last night with a punctured lung.” Octavia rattled off the information without taking a breath, causing the nurse to look up from her paperwork.

“He’s in room two-twenty-seven, but under…”

Octavia trotted off, completely disregarding anything else the mare had to say.

“Miss, this room is off-limits.” One of the two guards outside the room had moved to block Octavia’s entry, only for his companion - a very familiar pegasus with an orange coat and two-tone blue mane - to wave him off.

“It’s okay, she’s cleared to see him.” Flash Sentry stepped off to the side to allow the mare inside the room, following her inside.

Magic Barrier slept comfortably on the bed, the only indication of the night’s events being a short square of gauze covering his chest and a second square over his shoulder, where the bolt had struck.

A sad smile perched on her face. “That should’ve been me, you know?”

“Uh, ma’am?” Flash asked uneasily.

“The arrow, I mean. He shoved me to the ground and threw up a barrier around us to try and stop it. It all happened so fast that I didn’t really know what was going on until he hit the ground and told me to run.” Octavia sighed and rested her chin on the edge of the bed, near Barrier’s head.

“It was impressive, you know?” Flash took a seat a respectable distance from the mare. “You ran nearly four miles with him on your back, from what I understand.”

“There was no alternative.” Octavia’s voice was muffled slightly as she draped her muzzle over the unicorn’s chest, careful to avoid the gauze. “He would have done the same thing for me.”

“Can you tell me anything about him? Last time he looked at me, it looked like he knew me, but I can’t remember meeting him. Was kind of creepy, how he stared at me, though. Felt like I was trying to meet some impossible standard.”

Octavia chuckled slightly, “I honestly think he does that just to mess with ponies. In any case, he sort of does know you. He and your great-grandfather served together a millennia ago, after all.”

Flash’s muzzle scrunched in confusion. “What? He’s only like...twenty-something.”

“One-thousand and twenty-seven years old, to be exact.” Octavia shot upright, glancing down at the unicorn she had previously been resting on.

“Morning.” The unicorn smiled sheepishly at Octavia, who was frowning at him for having scared her.

“Wait, one-thousand and twenty-seven years? You mean that rumor was true?” Flash’s expression shifted to sheer confusion.

Barrier inwardly grunted as the voices rerverberated around his aching skull.

“I feel like I’ve been going over this story way too often lately. I was a guard before Nightmare Moon, I got banished with Nightmare Moon, I returned with Nightmare Moon. The end.” The unicorn huffed out in mild irritation.

“So when you said he served with my ancestor…” The pegasus turned uncertainly to the earth-pony,

“She meant it literally. More specifically, your ancestor was one of my best friends and you look a lot like him.”

The room fell into silence for several minutes before Barrier asked a question that had been burning in his mind for awhile. “So Flash…got any kids?”


***


“So neither of you can remember anything about your mysterious saviors?” The princess of the sun sat across from them in the chair previously occupied by Flash Sentry.

“Sorry, Your Majesty, I lapsed into unconsciousness before they appeared.” Barrier tilted his head apologetically.

“And I was far too caught up in getting to the hospital to learn anything about the ponies beyond their race, for obvious reasons.” Octavia bit her lip in uncertainty. She didn’t like lying to the princess, but Magic Barrier had insisted they keep what they knew secret for reasons he had yet to explain.

“Very well, I suppose that concludes this interview. I wish you both a swift recovery.” The princess looked at the two with an uncertain expression before she and both of her guards departed, leaving the pair in silence.

The moment the door closed and the sound of hoof-steps faded away, Octavia turned to the unicorn. “I hope you have a very good reason for convincing me to lie to the princess, Barrier.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want to put us in that situation, but when you told me the DOC sent its regards, I couldn’t help it. Chances are, Princess Celestia doesn’t know about them, and if what I’ve heard about the special forces being disbanded eight-hundred some years ago, it’d be best if it stays that way.”

“I don’t understand, what the hay is the DOC?” Octavia asked as she departed her chair in favor of crawling into bed next to the stallion.

“Dark Ops Corps.” Barrier explained. “They’re Equestrian Special Forces...uh, unofficially I guess. “ Barrier shifted to allow the mare more room to get comfortable before scooting in close once again and throwing a hoof over her.

“And you decided we should withhold knowledge of their existence from the Princess, because…?” The pair were a tangle of limbs, muzzles facing each other.

“Because she’d probably try to disband them, which would make their jobs harder. Besides that, they risked a lot saving us, the least we can do is not oust them. If they wanted the princess to know, they would’ve told her. Besides, didn’t you say Shining Armor told Princess Luna about the DOC last night before you fell asleep?”

“I vaguely remember him mentioning it to her, but it was very late and I was very tired.”

“Then it’ll be fine. If Princess Luna thinks they’re a threat, she’ll tell her sister. Chances are, she sees them like I do, though.”

“And how do you see them?” The mare asked as she nuzzled into the stallion’s shoulder.

“I see them as a group of ponies able to handle the shadier sides of the realm. They can do what Princess Celestia is too overconfident to see needs done.” Barrier’s voice dropped towards the end, a light sleep beginning to take him.

“You’ve a lot of confidence in ponies you know nothing about…” Octavia muttered in response, drifting off to sleep herself.

“Mr. Barrier, it’s come to my attention that you’re awake!” A pony pushed the door open and trotted into the room, throwing both ponies out of the oncoming sleep.


***


The couple once again sat in Shining Armor’s office, this time inquiring as to whether or not they would be needed for anything before departing back to Manehattan.

“Relax, you’ve got nothing to worry about since you didn’t kill the ponies. Would sure like to question the mystery-pegasus and his unicorn friend, though.” The bitterness was clear in Shining’s voice. While grateful the pair had rescued the two, he already didn’t like the unicorn.

“While I’m thinking about it…” Barrier levitated a quill and inkwell from Shining Armor’s desk and quickly scribbled down a drawing. “Do either of you recognize this?” He had scribbled a rough yet legible drawing of an atom.

“That’s an atom.” Octavia was the first to reply. “Not that I mind, but why would you choose now of all times to ask about that?”

“I saw it shortly after I came back with Luna and I couldn’t remember where or what it was. Mostly forgot about it, but for some reason, it came back to mind just now. Figured since we’re mostly done with the business portion I’d ask.” The stallion shrugged noncommittally and turned to Shining Armor. “So Shiny, I didn’t see you at your sister’s play last night. Is it correct to assume you were out with Cadance?”

Shining gazed at the unicorn flatly in response. “Yeah, I proposed to her.” He admitted. “The night was going great and she said yes, then the guards show up at my door telling me there’s been a fight and that you were shot, absolutely ruining the mood and forcing me to leave her side. I’m also at work on Hearth’s Warming Eve filing paperwork.” The flat gaze intensified.

“Well, at least she said yes. Sorry about the whole arrow-to-the-lung thing. Trouble is an old drinking buddy of mine.” Grinning, Barrier climbed out of the chair and stretched, wincing slightly as he did so. While the magical healing had done wonders, he was still sore and the doctors had advised him to avoid any strenuous activities, lest he tear the magical sutures.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Shining.” Octavia smiled weakly at the stallion, who smiled softly in response.

“Be careful you two. I’d hate to spend all of today writing up and filing another report.” Shining commented as the pair left his office.

“Barrier…” Octavia waited until they had left the castle and were mostly alone. “Do you ever regret being with me?” The hesitation in her voice was clear, causing Barrier to stop.

“I, what?” Barrier began, uncertain how to reply. The hesitation and uncertainty in the mare’s expression was enough to make him lurch forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I don’t regret it for a moment, and I don’t ever plan to. ‘Tavi, what brought this on?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” The mare blinked back tears, shaking her head a bit in an effort to clear her thoughts. “This marks the second time you were injured in my stead.” The mare seemed to pick up steam as she spoke, “If you weren’t with me, you wouldn’t have been shot.” The steam disappeared and Octavia glanced forlornly at the ground. “It would be better if I simply le-” The mare was cut off by Barrier roughly pressing his lips to hers, silencing any further speech.

“Don’t ever think that it was your fault.” Barrier replied sharply as he broke the kiss. “If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t change a thing. Besides, if you left me, I’d just stalk you.” The casual delivery towards the end got a light chuckle out of the mare.

“Thank you.” Was her simple response as she pressed her side into his and the pair once more trotted off.

“So, Tavi’, what can you tell me about these atoms?”

> And it was glorious! [Chapter 32]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mark my words, Barrier, as soon as we get to the apartment I am opening that crate.” Octavia all but glowered at the unicorn.

"Hoo." The snowy white owl perched on Barrier's shoulders called out in response to the mare; Fluttershy had been kind enough to bring the owl to Canterlot with her for them, since they were headed back to Manehattan.

The unicorn flipped another page in his magazine and paying her no heed.

“Oh hush you." Octavia glanced at the owl briefly, "Honestly, I can’t help but wonder if you planned all of this out.” The mare huffed and rolled over in her seat, brooding.

Barrier finally relented and replied, “I had actually planned on you opening it the night before Hearth’s Warming. Just got delayed a bit, is all.”

The mare was the silent one this time.

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Barrier levitated the magazine away, tucking it into his bag and draping himself lazily over the mare, jabbing her gently in a rib, getting a slightly-restrained snicker in response. “Cheer up.” He poked her rib again, draping the rest of his weight over her to immobilize her as he began to poke the spot relentlessly; within moments the mare was flailing and laughing.

Aloysius, the owl, wisely departed from the stallions back and watched the pair roll back and forth.

As one would expect, the physically stronger pony had ultimately come out on top, and the two found themselves in a familiar position, this time on the floor of the train. Barrier found himself at a loss for words as warmth flooded his being. With only a moment’s hesitation, he found himself leaning forward. Octavia was apparently thinking the same as the two met in the middle, forming a heated kiss which soon became two, and then ten.

Carefully, Barrier trailed a hoof down Octavia’s spine, working his way towards her flank, only for the moment to be ruined in the form of an announcement: “Attention all passengers, we will be arriving at Manehattan Station in five minutes! Please be ready for departure!” The voice clicked out of existence.

“Ooooh, motherbucker.” Barrier slammed his head into the floor as Octavia climbed off of him, a slight smile on her face as she gazed at the stallion’s predicament.

“I’ll grab your cloak.” The mare giggle-snorted as she reached into the unicorn’s bag and pulled a long cloak and draped it over the stallion, hiding Lil’ Barrier from the world.


***


“So, did you find anything about our mystery ponies?” Octavia asked as she watched Barrier once more flip through a magazine with a large atom on the cover.

“Nothing in particular. Hard to say if I saw his cutie-mark or if I was just losing it, but it won’t be too hard to find out. Doesn’t seem like there are a lot of pegasi in this magazine. Granted, the chances of me finding him in this magazine hinge on him being a big-name in the world of…” Barrier glanced at the magazine. “Atomic physics.”

“Your dinner.” A voice announced, followed by a blue unicorn levitating a pair of plates onto the table and glancing uncertainly at the owl, who was now pecking away at a hunk of bread.

“Thank you, sir.” Octavia responded politely, while Barrier simply nodded.

“In any case, I’ll probably make a trip to city hall tomorrow and see what I can dig up on the pegasi listed in the magazine. A few of them are listed as ‘of Manehattan’ so there should be something on them there.” Barrier tucked the magazine away once more, placing it in his travel-bags, right next to the pony-sized crate he was still lugging around.

Chewing through a mouthful of pasta, Octavia daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin, much to Barrier’s inward amusement. “Do you think they’ll give you access to their files on these ponies?” The mare raised an eyebrow.

“Pft, who cares?” Barrier swallowed a mouthful of pasta himself. “I’ll ask nicely, and if that doesn’t work I’ll just break in and find what I need on my own.”

Octavia sighed at the stallion’s casual delivery. “Barrier, you can’t just keep breaking laws when it suits you.”

“I know, it’s just so much easier than going through the official channels. Hay, I’d have to message the princesses to get permission for something like that.”

Octavia returned his statement with silence and a deadpan stare.

“You know, that look is ruined by the sauce on your bottom lip, right?” Barrier smirked as the mare suddenly dabbed away with her napkin, despite the fact that no sauce actually existed. “I promise that I’ll try not to make it a habit to commit felonies. But this is kind of important to me. I’m grateful for them saving us, but today’s friend can be tomorrow’s enemy.”

“I’ll hold you to that. I’d rather not conduct our relationship through prison bars, if it can be helped.” Octavia raised her napkin over her mouth to cover a yawn.

“Suppose we should get home and head to bed soon, huh? That train-ride really takes it out of a pony.” Barrier released a yawn of his own in response.

“Oh no you don’t.” Octavia’s gaze narrowed dangerously. “The first thing we’re doing when we get home is opening that blasted crate of yours. Honestly, you went so far as to carry it into the restaurant.”

Barrier let out a loud laugh at the resolve in the mare’s voice, attracting the attention of a couple of several patrons. "What can I say, he needed a place to sit and eat as well." The owl was perched on the crate with his hunk of bread, staring at the two curiously.


***


“Whoever invented steps should be executed.” Barrier grumbled as the pair climbed the steps, bags and a crate - which at this point was feeling relatively heavy - in his magic.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Octavia, two cups of coffee later, seemed to have no problem with the stairs.

“Hay if I know. Guess I’m out of shape or something.” True enough, Barrier was slightly winded and could feel a migraine coming on. Remnants of the trip to Canterlot and subsequent lung-magic injury, he supposed.

“Well, perhaps if you hurry, I can help get you back in shape.” The mare quipped as she flicked her tail in the stallion’s face and jumped up several steps, leaving him behind with a rather filly-like grin.

Snorting in response, Barrier took a deep breath and strengthened his hold on the crate and bags before bounding up the steps after her, only vaguely remembering his doctor’s words about no “strenuous activity”

With the near-gallop up the stairs, the broken elevator held little relevance.

“I should really start drinking coffee again…” Barrier all but drug himself to their room, noting that the door was already unlocked, Octavia no doubt inside.

“Bill, bill, lease notice…” The mare was sifting through their mail.

“Nothing interesting?” Barrier asked as he levitated the crate back into the living room, noting how Octavia’s eyes lingered on it. The moment the crate touched the down, the owl flew around to inspect his new surroundings.

“Not terribly. The electric bill, the water bill, and rent. Another reminder about the lease. Since we’re not renewing, I suppose the last one is irrelevant.” The mare climbed up from the kitchen table, glancing towards the crate.

“Open it.” Barrier chuckled out and dipped into a low bow, holding a hoof towards the crate.

“Hm, I think I’ll open it in my room, alone, since I had to wait so long for it.” Octavia trotted towards her bedroom, motioning for Barrier to follow, along with the crate.

“Now that’s mean.” Nonetheless, the unicorn pulled the crate behind him, levitating it into Octavia’s room.

“I’ll be out shortly, love.” Octavia pecked him on the nose and pulled the door shut. Barrier could faintly hear her working on the crate moments later.

“...well played, ‘Tavi.” The unicorn muttered as he went into the kitchen and set about boiling water for coffee. Glancing at the owl perched on the paper-towel holder, Barrier smiled. "You pretty much have free-reign of the place. All I ask is that you concentrate your droppings on the windowsill. Make the people on ground-level suffer and what not." Barrier opened a window with magic and the owl quickly swapped from the bread-holder to the windowsill.

After nearly ten minutes on light conversation with Aloysius, Barrier heard a pleasing melody running through the apartment as he was finishing his coffee. It was vastly different from what he was accustomed to. Normally, Octavia’s music was more reserved and softer - perhaps to try and reduce the stress on her strings. As such, it tended to be soft and rather melodic, but now it was fast and hectic, though no less glorious. Barrier found himself grinning widely as he took a sip of his coffee and listened to the music go through several more phases over a period of fifteen minutes, shifting from slow to fast and low to high, almost as if the two were waging a battle against each other violently before the apartment suddenly fell into silence.

For nearly ten minutes, Barrier sipped his coffee and strained his ears to catch any noise from the mare’s room before she finally called out to him in a particularly coy voice.

“Barrier, would you come here please?”

Throwing back the remainder of his still-hot coffee, Barrier swallowed and climbed upright, trotting to the mare’s bedroom. Raising a hoof to knock, the door suddenly shot open and a sock-clad hoof shot out, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.

So that’s what color her socks are… were the last thoughts through Barrier’s head before he was yanked into the room and promptly ignored every piece of advice given by his doctor; the owl fled into the night.

And it was glorious.


***


Seven times. They had went seven times, before Octavia finally fell asleep. He hadn’t been this sore since boot-camp and even that had paled in comparison to the aches he now felt. The first time had been incredibly sensual and meaningful, but after that things got progressively more primal.

Barrier winced as he made to sit upright, his stomach protesting at the effort as well as the mare’s grip around his midsection tightening.

“Guess I can skip my morning exercise.” Groaning, Barrier flopped back onto the bed and glanced at the messy-maned mare next to him. The night had taken its exertions on the both of them, it seemed. With a weary yawn, Barrier wrapped the mare in a hug and kissed her gently on the head before his horn lit with a thin layer of magic. Eyes narrowing in concentration, he teleported from the mare’s grip and into the kitchen, the teleportation leaving no pop as usual.

Listening closely to make sure the mare hadn’t awakened, Barrier smiled when no noise was forthcoming. With an unnecessary flourish of his horn, the unicorn’s horn once more flared to life as the various pans and bowls came to life and set about making breakfast. As his consciousness split into dozens of tiny segments, he sleepily made his way towards the greatest invention in over one-thousand years: the coffee maker.

“Hello precious…did you miss me?” Barrier sensually caressed the side of the machine as he poured the water in with his magic and the coffee grinds in with his other hoof. “I missed you, yes I did.”

“Replaced me with the machine already, have you?”

Barrier let out a masculine scream as he jerked around to find Octavia staring at him with obvious amusement. “What can I say, she’s a damn fine coffee maker.” Barrier stared at the coffee maker with obvious affection. “Not quite fine enough to replace you though.” Barrier leaned forward, meeting Octavia half-way with a kiss. “Breakfast should be done in fifteen or twenty minutes.”

Behind him, pancakes were pouring and flipping themselves and hay-bacon and eggs were all frying up, the stove functioning at maximum capacity.

“Surprised you’re up this early.” Barrier commented as he took a seat at the table, plates, glasses, and silverware all making their way over. Now that he looked at her though, she looked absolutely vibrant, rather than tired. Sure, she was walking a little lopsided, but otherwise looked radiant.

“Mmm.” Was the mare’s only response as she joined him at the table, a cup of coffee floating its way over to her.

“I’ll have to go run errands after breakfast.” Barrier commented idly as food sizzled in the background. “Care to join me, or would you prefer to recuperate at home?”

“We’ll see how I feel after breakfast.” The mare yawned adorably, scratching her mussed up mane as she did so. Barrier couldn’t help but smile at the unintentionally adorable display.

“That is far too convenient.” Octavia noted as breakfast floated to the table and landed neatly between the pair, a plate of pancakes landing in front of the owl who had also joined them. “Is that standard unicorn curriculum?” She asked as she began to put together her plate.

“Actually,” Barrier was already killing a piece of hay-bacon. “They taught us that in the guard.” A brief yawn of his own broke out as the coffee began to take full-effect, his eyes sharpening in the process. “Was supposed to help unicorns fine-tune their levitation for us with precision weapons like bows or javelins. Most unicorns were able to manage three to five things, but every now and then you got ponies who could hit a dozen. I think the most I hit was fourteen at once. I’d imagine Twilight is even more capable than me.”

“Wouldn’t you be more capable than Twilight? You’ve had far more experience than her, haven’t you?” Octavia had neatly wrapped her eggs and bacon in a pancake, making a pseudo-burrito of sorts.

“Mm, yes and no. In the Sparkle family, females usually have a slightly smaller mana pool, but far more general capability, whereas males like Shining Armor and myself have a deep mana-pool, but less versatility. In a magical duel, I’d likely beat Twilight with a good bit of effort. In a sheer display of magical prowess though, she’d likely blow me out of the water.”

“You sound like you’ve given it some thought.” Octavia noted with interest.

“I’ve given it a lot of thought.” It had been part of his job at one time. “Twilight, from what I’ve seen, has an amazing potential for magic. It’s her talent, after all, but her greatest strength is her greatest weakness. She was a wider range of spells than Shining and I do, but because of that she studies multiple spells rather than a dozen or so. She has access to more spells, but I can use the ones I know far better because I’m accustomed to having to use them for far more than their intended purpose.” Barrier shoveled the last of his breakfast down, followed by draining the last of his coffee. Still sore, but damn if he didn’t feel better. “It’s all about ingenuity, and having access to a wide array of spells doesn’t lend itself to that.”

“I see.” While Octavia didn’t understand the intricacies of magic, she could grasp what he had said. Finishing her own breakfast, she stood up and yawned. “I believe I’ll stay here today. I’ve much more to learn about my new instrument.” Amethyst eyes met cerulean with nothing but pure, unadulterated love.

Barrier simply nodded, a pleasant smile on his face. Levitating the now-empty dishes to the sink, he set his magic to rapidly cleaning them as he trotted into the bathroom, Octavia following.

> First of Seven [Chapter 32.5, NSFW]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        After nearly ten minutes, Barrier heard a pleasing melody running through the apartment as he was finishing his coffee. It was vastly different from what the timbre to which he was accustomed, for normally, Octavia’s music was more reserved and soft - as though she sought to gently comfort temperamental, fragile strings. As such, her performances were rather soothing, but this was fast and hectic, though no less glorious. Barrier found himself grinning wildly as he took a sip of his coffee and enjoyed the winding phases over the next fifteen minutes. The phrases spanned the broad ranges of pitch and volume as if the instrument and master battled against one another in a violent struggle of brewing familiarity before the apartment suddenly fell into silence.

        For nearly ten minutes, Barrier sipped his drink and strained his ears to catch any noise from the mare’s room before she finally called out to him in a particularly coy voice. “Barrier, would you come here please?”

        Throwing back the remainder of his still-hot coffee, Barrier swallowed and climbed upright, trotting to the mare's bedroom. Raising a hoof to knock, the door suddenly shot open and a sock-clad hoof shot out, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. The earth pony always seemed to have the upper hand on the stallion when it came to bouts of strength; however, this was more than a simple contest. Desire coated her purple irides after she planted her colt back-down upon her mattress.

        She brushed his chest with her black socks while stripes of coat-matching grey caught renegade glimmers as a limb came to rest upon Barrier's exposed stomach. "It plays beautifully," she spoke in a manner that sounded a bit distant - as though her mind had long since wandered to a different realm of thought. "I never would have expected such a gift from any stallion..." Her voice trailed off before her gaze fell directly upon Barrier's cerulean cores. She regained her usual composure as a sly smile plucked the corners of her lips. The mare sprawled out atop the colt and pressed her muzzle to his ear as a sultry whisper floated through the air. "You're absolutely insufferable, Barrier, but you're the audience I want to play for the most."

        Barrier shivered as the shock finally faded for a rising tide of excitement. Beneath her presence, he could feel his stallionhood swelling from every word and motion, and a small fragment of his mind wondered if he were - in fact - her instrument. He opened his mouth to answer, but his breath was promptly cut off by a swift motion that pressed her lips to his. With every second that ticked away, her forehooves found another place to touch. They caressed his mane, gripping strands of his blue locks with a force that was only equaled by their developing kiss.

        They did not break away when hot, needed pulses of wind rushed from their snouts over the short tufts of fur that covered their jaws. Beside himself with emotion, Barrier allowed his hooves to run down her sides until they were firmly planted against her cutie marks. He had not felt this way since before his return, and the thrill of finally sharing such an instant with such a special pony made his heart race more than combat ever could. He moaned softly - the gentle shift of her body revealing the wet need that dripped from her love - and made his pulse with even more want.

        Like the graceful musician she was, Octavia pulled back and composed the score of her dreams. Their wails emerged in a chaotic harmony as the mare guided Barrier's shaft inside her, and a fervent squeal erupted from her lungs as she slid her body down to his base. The bow danced across the strings, riding up and down the quivering stallionhood as a melodic sequence of moans rose from Barrier's muzzle. He arched his back and rolled his head before Octavia descended upon him to rake his vulnerable neck with her teeth.

        The stallion, struggling to keep a firm hold on her flank, grunted with each and every passionate grind. She was riding him - absolutely controlling the state of his physical being and mental fortitude. Her tempo was ravishing. It was something he would not have expected from the sweet mare whose tender melodies brought joy to the refined, but then again, the fast and frantic piece she had played on his gift moments before was just as beautiful. It was in that moment that Barrier's eyes widened. His hooves had instinctively moved towards her forelegs, and soon enough, he had her pinned to his chest.

        With the cunning of a soldier, he clung to her frame and rolled her upon her back to assume the dominant position. That piece had been her gift to him. It was a composition for the both of them - a duet in which he had to play his part - a duet in which he needed, wanted, desired to pen his melody to the page. Another guttural grunt emerged from his muzzle as he buried his shaft deep inside his mare. Passionate quarters manifested in response, propelled by the repeated grinds of Barrier's body against Octavia's. 

        He panted as the will to show his love for this mare grew with the ever-building arousal drenching both of their bodies. Their wails united for every thrust, touch and kiss that accented the notes of the quickening song. Heat brewed between coats, and sock-covered hooves sent chills up the already satiated stallion's spine. He practically howled as he threw himself into the mare and hit his climax. She squeezed him tightly, clinging to the fermata that saw her form embrace their first orgasm. It was only after a moment that she recognized that her own unbridled voice had joined the chorus for that joyous pause, but that realization was far from embarrassing when she found his sweaty figure nuzzling against her fur. 

        Against all the odds, they had found each other, an insufferable ex-guard and an elegant musician, and they had found love. Her chest was rising and falling with drawn breaths when she recovered the ability to speak coherently. "Thank you, Barrier," she cooed, "for everything." 
> Classified [Chapter 33]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a quick shower and mane-trim, Barrier found himself trotting down the streets with bit-laden saddlebags. He and Octavia decided he would go pay the bills, stop by City Hall to collect whatever information he felt necessary and then he would meet her at a local real-estate office to look into available housing, followed by lunch. Afterwards, they would - assuming he found the information he needed at City Hall - go to deliver a letter to a certain lavender pegasus. From there, Octavia had a short shift at a restaurant and Barrier had to go find a job.

“Electric, paid. Rent, paid…” The unicorn muttered to himself as he crossed off his checklist. “water…just leaves City Hall.” The unicorn rolled the checklist up neatly and tucked it into his saddlebags, and then took off at a light trot, a map levitating loosely in his magic.

As he made his way through a nicer part of town and towards City Hall, he stopped as his eyes drifted to a jewelry store. Biting his lip nervously, he took a furtive glance around before adjusting his sword-strap and trotting into the store.


***


“Can I help you?” The mare behind the counter was a dull brown with a grey mane and a pair of eye-glasses perched on her muzzle. She, like the building - as did most government buildings - looked old, and incredibly dull.

“I’m looking for any public information regarding…” Barrier fished around in his saddlebags before pulling out a list of names. “These individuals. If there are any pictures to go with the profiles, that would be most excellent.” Barrier maintained an even and professional voice, once again standing up straight and making himself appear larger, as was his habit.

“Wait here, please.” The mare drolled out emotionlessly. Taking the list from the unicorn, she trotted into one of the many doors lining the hallway. Mentally, Barrier noted the location of the room, in case he needed to get the information he sought a different way.

After nearly fifteen minutes of deafening silence, Barrier felt nothing but sympathy for the mare. This place was boring. He desperately hoped the mare was well-compensated. After another horrific five minutes, the mare returned with four manilla folders of varying size. With a quick thank you, Barrier levitated the four files in front of him, emptying them all out at once and levitating them around him. Almost immediately, he found what he was looking for.

“Well, hello professor.” A slight smile crossed his face as he glanced at a pale lavender physicist. Committing a handful of the information to memory, Barrier levitated the papers back into their folders, handed them back over to the bored-looking mare who seemed to be staring off into space, and trotted out of the building with a slight hop in his step.


***


“Took you long enough.” Octavia eyed the approaching unicorn, amusement clear in her expression. “You should know better than to keep a lady waiting, you know?”

“Good thing I didn’t keep one waiting then, huh?” The unicorn teased right back, walking alongside the mare and into the real-estate office.

Playfully hard, the mare smacked him on the back of the head. “I know where you live unicorn, don’t push it.” A mischievous glint lit up her eyes, seemingly begging him to say something.

“Oh yes mistress, please, punish me more!” Barrier called out loudly, making certain the surrounding ponies could hear.

Octavia, with all the grace of a refined cellist, promptly smacked him in the back of the head again, to little avail.

“Oh mistress, it hurts so well!” The unicorn all but moaned out for other ponies to hear, but in actuality was near doubling over with laughter at the mare’s bright blush and absolutely livid expression. Totally worth it.

By the time that one of the ponies had left their desk to check on the situation, Barrier was once again underneath Octavia, the pair wrestling in what - to an outsider - looked fairly violent, no doubt.

“Oh mistress ye-” Barrier started only for Octavia to accidentally sock him right in the jaw. All he could do was chuckle when a look of profound terror overtook the mare. “Dammit, I love you.” Barrier pushed his lips to the mare before she could begin to apologize. With another chuckle, he forced himself upright, taking the mare with him.

“Sorry about that. The mistress can get a little randy when it comes to doling out punishment.” Barrier flinched in expectancy of an impact. When none was forthcoming he turned to his mare, only to be met with a flat stare.

With a silent chuckle, the mare turned to the stallion who had come to check on them. “I apologize for his behaviour. He is a rather…uncouth stallion from time to time, though he means well. We’re here to look at available housing. We’re looking to move out of our apartment and into something a little more long-term.”

The stallion’s expression lit up, going from skeptical to excited. Must be paid on commission, Barrier mentally commented. They were probably going to make his day.


***

“Room two-fourteen, Professor of Physics, Wing.” Barrier glanced up at the impressive three-story building.

“That’s rather interesting architecture.” Every other brick seemed to jut out slightly, giving the building a fairly unique appearance. “It almost looks like a pony could climb it, don’t you think?”

“Challenge accepted.” A wide grin etched itself on his face.

“Barrier, I was joking. You can’t climb a three-story building. You’re only a day out of the hospital.” The mare gave him a flat stare.

“I’ll meet you there!” Barrier galloped off towards the side of the building, mentally counting the rooms on the second-story of the building.

“Barrier! BARRIER!” Octavia shouted out in frustration before finally sighing and resigning herself to a possible life with that stallion. “Where did I go wrong…?” She muttered to herself as she trotted inside.


***


Barrier grunted as his hoof shot upward, gripping another brick. With a pained heave, he jerked himself up to the desired window. What he saw, wasn’t terribly surprising. The pegasus Wing sat at a desk, and across from him, was Octavia. The pair seemed to be in a fairly interesting conversation and it didn’t seem like he’d been noticed yet. Flaring his horn quickly, he teleported silently into the room, popping into existence behind Wing and breathing heavy. “Challenge…” he sat down on his flanks on the floor behind Wing, “complete.”

Octavia snorted in amusement as the stallion sat down. “Good for you dear, I knew you could do it.”

Wing leaned back in his desk chair and stared at the unicorn with a rather enjoyable expression plastered upon his mien. “Hello there, Magic Barrier. We’ve been expecting you, but I must say, given your state the other night, it probably would have been better to just take the stairs. Clearly, Ms. Octavia is the better half of this relationship.” He winked, utterly unable to restrain the grin forming upon his countenance. “Of course, that’s pretty much always the case when pertaining to our mare counterparts.”

“I certainly can’t argue with that.” Barrier chuckled softly, “I’m getting way too old for that stuff.” The unicorn flopped uselessly onto his back. “Good exercise, though. Might start coming here to keep in shape.”

“Eh-hem, so long as you do your sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches at home. Those are rather fun to watch.” The mare grinned teasingly, hoping to fluster the unicorn.

Not one to be outdone, Barrier shot right back, “Well, I guess I could do it all at home. You can get pretty wild, if last night is any indicator, and that alone could count for a lot.” Octavia blossomed into a full blush, coughing and turning her head away from their host.

“As amusing as it would be to watch you exercise on a routine schedule, I’m afraid it’d be really difficult to explain to students and faculty. Trust me when I say that I get enough flak for the crap Trigger pulls around here. He, by the way, is the stallion who escorted Ms. Octavia following our little flight. To be honest, I’m a bit surprised to see you so lively, but all things considered, I’m not really one to take any pony’s abilities for granted.” He chuckled and waved his forehoof. “It’d actually kind of make me terrible at my job if I did so.”

“Well, Professor.” Barrier finally climbed upright, adjusting the sword-strap for comfort. “You certainly showed your form the other night, at least from what I’ve been told. We came to thank you for saving our lives.” Barrier fished a letter out of his pocket. “Not much, since I don’t really know how else to thank you, but consider this letter an I.O.U of sorts. You ever need anything and I’m your pony. I’d imagine you’re already familiar with my capabilities and the sort.”

“The same goes for myself as well, within reason of course. I can’t help but wonder though, why save us? Barrier said that the DOC would prefer to stay hidden, so why risk it?”

Wing tapped his forehooves together and leaned over his desk. “The official answer is that Magic Barrier is an asset to this country. The more correct answer is that we look after our own. He paid his dues long ago. It’s about damn time somepony repaid the favor. Then there is the other obvious point, which is that you were the target, Ms. Octavia. Despite the risk, protecting the common pony from the shadows is what the DOC does…”

After a lengthy and rather enjoyable chat, the pair had decided to depart. Octavia, of course, wanted to take the stairs. Barrier, on the other hoof, figured the window worked just fine.

“I’ll meet you outside, ‘Tavi. Professor, it was an honor.” Barrier saluted the pegasus sharply.

Wing, realizing what was about to happen, eyed the stallion after a wave of seriousness gripped his expression. “Before you go, Barrier, I just that you’d want to know that your sights should fall on Chaconne.” The unicorn gave an affirmative nod of understanding and returned his attention to the banter at hoof.

“Barrier, so help me if you don’t get off of that windowsill right this moment, I’ll-” The mare fell silent and bolted over to the window that he had just dove out of, only to vanish in a flash of light halfway to the ground.

“That pony is absolutely, indisputably, incorrigible.” Octavia sighed and turned to the door, departing the conventional way as chuckles arose from their host’s muzzle. “Oh, and professor?” Octavia turned briefly and smiled, “Tell Trigger, that he most certainly can be made to squeal.”


***


Focusing intensely in the center of a small circle, Barrier’s horn had two layers of magic flared up. With a pop, the mare’s new cello popped into life in a circle across from him. Panting slightly, Barrier allowed the magic to dissipate, his horn dieing out as he did so.

Pulling him into a deep kiss, Octavia smiled at him. “I’ll see you at home tonight, love. Make sure to bring your a-game.” Her half-lidded eyes told him everything he needed to know, though the way she flicked her tail at him as she grabbed her new cello-case certainly helped to reinforce the point.

Barrier couldn’t help but bite his bottom lip as the mare walked away, her hips swaying slightly. Tearing his gaze away, he glanced up at the three-story building once again. With a slight smile, Barrier turned and went the opposite way of Octavia, heading to the nearby ‘Manehattan Times to put an ad in the paper.

Magic Barrier had a fairly specific skill-set that didn’t lend its way to tons of civilian jobs. Ultimately, based on his cutie mark, he qualified for security and security-type jobs.

With the upcoming purchase of a house - as soon as his and Octavia’s credit and references came back - he was going to need a decent job if he wanted to keep anything in savings, so, at Octavia’s suggestion, he decided to put an ad in the paper, offering himself as a bodyguard. He had no doubt the Crown and Octavia Melody would validate his references.

After that, he had to make a house-call with a certain Mister Chaconne, if Wing’s information -which he was certain it was- was to be trusted. He wasn’t losing any sleep over Clavier having likely been killed by the family, but they had attacked Octavia with clear intent to kill, not threaten or intimidate. Octavia had lost sleep worrying for his safety as well as her own. They done goofed.

So, with a clear destination in mind, the unicorn trotted purposefully towards the building in question, already running over plans as to how to his house-visit would pan out later, and whether or not he should tell Octavia he had made said visit.


***


“And you’re certain this is what you want the ad to say?” The pink pegasus mare with the newspaper cutie-mark glanced skeptically at the stallion across from her desk.

“For the third time, yes.” Barrier said in exasperation. “And before you ask again, I can prove that I worked for the princesses as well as the late Clavier Melody if it’s such an issue. I’m friends with his daughter and have my discharge papers at the apartment. If I offer another fifteen bits, can we wrap this up? I have an appointment to keep.” Did he ever.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, the mare finally nodded. “Very well, I’ll see to it that your bit makes it into the classifieds for the week. Anything after that and you’ll have to come back to make another ad.”

“Thank you.” Barrier all but leapt out of the chair, poured the necessary bits - seventy-five of them - onto the desk and trotted out.


***


Another tidbit of information ran through his mind as he once again found himself outside of a large mansion on the outskirts of Manehattan, with, go figure, another pair of burly guards standing on each side of the gate. This mansion, belonged to the illustrious Chaconne family. They were another crime-family, similar to the Melodies and also, go figure, a family of rival musicians. What is it with fancy musicians and crime families? Feels like I’m probably missing something. Barrier mused to himself as he trotted up to the two stallions - a brown earth pony and a green unicorn - and grinned and grinned at them.

“Gentlecolts, I’m here to have words with your boss regarding his blunder in Canterlot. I’d prefer it if you could tell him I’m here, if not I guess I can tell him myself by writing it out in your entrails.” The happy and pleasant way he had made the threat had made both guards shift nervously, one of them - the unicorn - opening his saddlebags with magic.

“No, please go on. I’ve been looking to vent my frustrations after that goon buried an arrow in my lung, and you guys look perfect for the role.” An almost-hopeful smile wormed it’s way onto his face as Barrier’s own sword levitated a half-inch out of its sheath, gleaming viciously in the bright light of day.

“That won’t be necessary.” A third voice called out. A small unicorn in a maid’s outfit galloped out onto the lawn, stopping to catch her breath. “Master Chaconne said he’d meet you.”

> Come at me bro! [Chapter 34]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m not entirely certain if it was bravery or stupidity that lead you to come here.” A haughty brown pegasus strutted in like he owned the place…oh right. He was fairly young, Barrier noted. The son of Clavier’s former rival, perhaps? Had Clavier succeeded? This pony had only begun his adult life.

“Neither of the above.” Barrier wasn’t sitting down in the provided chair when the pegasus walked in. Rather, he stood up perfectly straight, his eyes narrowed into a stare that would make Nightmare Moon nervous.

The pegasus backed up in surprise as the unicorn’s eyes fixated on him, a frown fixating on his face.

With a burst of magic, the door slammed shut, startling the two ponies standing outside of it and causing both of them to try and force it open - the barrier around the inside of the door wasn’t going anywhere.

“Do you know who I am? I’ll have you kil-” The pegasus was shut up by arguably the hardest right hook Magic Barrier had ever thrown. The pegasus went down like a sack of potatoes, eyes wide in surprise.

The unicorn’s horn grew even brighter and a magenta glow wrapped itself around the pegasus’s throat, lifting him bodily.

“Funny huh? Most unicorns these days can’t manipulate other ponies with magic. Takes too much raw energy to bypass natural resistance.” It was uncommon one-thousand years ago, and Barrier’s horn clearly explained why - it had four layers of magic and was blindingly bright to look at.

The pegasus struggled uselessly with his hooves and wings, trying to break the magical hold. The moment he flapped his wings, the glow surrounded them as well, pulling them taut. Barrier’s mane had begun to flow violently as the waves of energy ran through it, taking on a near-ethereal appearance for a moment. With a burst of magic, the pegasus was flung into the solitary bookcase in the room.

Chaconne hit the bookcase with a meaty thud, books crashing down on top of him. Shooting to his feet, he cried out in pain as his right wing stayed tethered to the ground, Barrier’s hoof holding it there. Angrily, he began to lash out at the unicorn, his hoof bouncing off a thin layer of energy that had coated the stallion.

“Now, I’m going to say some things and you’re going to listen, are we clear?”

The magically reinforced door broke and the ponies began to pound away on the barrier behind it.

All the pegasus could do was nod in fear as it dawned on him that he was effectively defenseless.

“You tried to kill the single most important pony in my life. By all rights, I should kill you; luckily for you, Octavia wouldn’t like that.” With a flare of magic, the barrier around the door formed several particularly vicious spikes, causing the ponies to back away and stop bucking it, save for one unfortunate pony who had been mid-buck and skewered his leg before the spike dissipated. They were all frantic and quite clearly very angry at their inability to break the shield.

“So, instead, I’ve settled on putting the fear of Tartarus into you.”

Barrier applied more weight to the pegasus, the thin bones audibly crunching and causing the pegasus to squeal out in pain, tears forming in the young stallion’s eyes.

“Octavia has exempted herself from her father’s will, she has no interest in any of his former affairs, and if I ever so much as suspect that you’re going to make another attempt at her life or mine, I will break you, and not every hired hoof in this city will be able to stop me.” Barrier punctuated the statement with a stomp of his hoof, shattering more of the thin bones in the wing. Not enough to cripple the young pegasus, but it would certainly drive the point home.

“Are we clear on this?” Barrier’s hard gaze continued to bore into Chaconne’s soul.

“Y-yes!” The pegasus managed to stammer out.

“Yes what?!” Barrier all but shouted.

“Yes sir, I promise I’ll not attempt to harm you or Miss Melody, please don’t kill me!”

With a grunt, Barrier gripped the pegasus in his hooves and lifted him bodily, standing upright as he slammed him into the wall viciously. “And you better bucking remember it, because if you don’t, I’ll gut you like a trout.” There was no mercy in the stallion’s voice.

The pegasus lost all bladder control and soiled himself.

“Pathetic.” Barrier all but spat, throwing the pegasus across the room with a heave.

Turning to the door, Barrier glanced at the ponies all attacking it with makeshift weapons and multiple unicorns with their horns aglow.

I should be way more tired than I am… Barrier mentally noted. He had always been a capable mage, but he didn’t recall having access to this much magic. He could feel the drain of the recent activities, but it was nowhere near what he had expected. With a brutal flare of magic, the barrier burst outward, sending a powerful wave of telekinetic force, shoving the multitude of ponies backwards, but causing little damage due to the natural magic resistance ponies shared. With a pointless flourish of his head, the unicorn disappeared in a burst of teleportation.

“That should take care of that.” Barrier glanced at the mansion behind him, having teleported right to the edge of the grounds. As he expected, all of the guards had been called to try and gain access to the room.

As he made his way back towards the street a sad frown worked it’s way onto his countenance. He couldn’t say he was terribly fond of terrorizing a pony that young, but it was necessary, he reasoned. Nobody would hurt Octavia if he could help it.


***


“Are you out of your mind?!” An all-too-familiar voice broke the unicorn’s concentration.

With a flick of his magic, Barrier slowed the treadmill to a halt.

“You just got out of the hospital and you’re already doing exactly what the doctor told you not to!” The purple mare huffed angrily.

“Relax, Twilight, it’s just light exercise.” The unicorn waved at several other patrons of the gym, causing them to nod and go back to their business. “And lower your voice, you’ll get us thrown out of here.”

Twilight blushed as she realized she’d been yelling and followed the advice. “What the hay are you thinking, Barrier? You should be in bed resting, not exercising.”

“I could ask you the same thing. Not too many ponies come to Manehattan for vacation.” Barrier didn’t meet the mare’s eyes as he trotted over to a set of bars and jumped slightly, grabbing the topmost bar and beginning chin-ups while the mare responded.

The lavender mare gave him her flattest stare. ”I don’t have a patched hole in my lung. You.” Twilight enunciated the word. “Are going to end up doing irreparable damage to yourself at this rate.”

“First of all,” Barrier replied in-between the chin-ups. “we both know I won’t stay in bed and rest. It’s way too boring. Secondly, I’ve already finished my errands for the day and had nothing else to do, since I can’t really bug Octavia at work, so I am doing some light exercising. As long as I’m not overworking my lungs, I’ll be fine, and believe me, I’m not working near hard enough to worry about that.” Barrier dropped down from the bar and gazed at Twilight softly. “Relax, Twi. I know my body’s limits and I don’t plan on going back to the hospital any time soon.”

“I can’t believe Octavia let you even leave the house.” Twilight sighed and shook her head in resignation.

“Yeah, if you could not tell her I was at the gym, that’d be swell.” The stallion chuckled nervously as he slowly made his way over to the leg-press. He didn’t use his hind-legs all that often in a fight, but better to have them and not need them than the alternative, he reasoned. “So, what brings you to a Manehattan gym?” The unicorn once more began his work.

“I was on my way to the library to pick up some books that were mistakenly delivered here instead of Ponyville, but my darned map is wrong. Nothing matches!” The unicorn fumed and held up the map in question in her magic.

Barrier took the map in his own magic.

 “Anyways, while I was looking around for somepony to ask directions, I saw you through the windows, and so here we are.”

A muffled chuckle escaped him as soon as he looked at it. “Twilight, this isn’t a map of Manehattan, it’s Canterlot.” Barrier pointed out several fairly obvious landmarks on the map, one of which was labeled “To Canterlot Castle” and climbed off of his machine still laughing.

“But that’s impossible! I double and triple-checked my saddlebags, just like the checklist said! It shou…” The mare trailed off as her eye twitched involuntarily. “Rainbow Dash.” A weary sigh escaped the mare as she tucked the map back into her saddlebags.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to the library. In exchange, if we could keep the whole gym bit from Octavia, that’d be great.”

“So, how are you liking Manehattan, Barrier?” Twilight tried to spark a conversation as the pair departed the gym.

“Eh it’s okay. Sucks that I’m out of work, but that’s life. Hopefully that ad in the paper will turn something up. Other than that, it’s been fine. Oh, Octavia and I are going to be moving out of our apartment for a house soon. How’ve things been in Ponyville?”


***


Barrier was really glad that he hadn’t stayed in Ponyville. The ponies in that town were crazy, if Twilight’s stories were to be believed.

“Sure you don’t wanna crash at our place tonight? Overnight train-rides suck.” The charcoal-coated unicorn asked as he trotted towards the Manehattan Train Station, over a half-dozen crates packed to the brim with books floating behind him and Twilight.

“Wish I could, but I can’t leave Spike in charge of the library for that long.” Twilight smiled apologetically at her grandfather, who simply shrugged in response.

“Ah well, here we are.” The aura around the crates swapped to purple. “Have a safe trip kiddo, I’ll see you soon.” The pair hugged briefly and separated.

With a sigh, Barrier turned and departed the train station. The mare had been well over two-hours from the library the first time and refused to take a carriage, as such, he had walked through lunch, and then another two-and-a-half hours to the train station. Though he knew she wouldn’t have objected to going to the train station herself, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. His stomach was not happy with that little tidbit.

Glancing up at the soft sound of wings, Barrier chuckled slightly as Aloysius landed neatly on his back, a dead mouse held firmly in his back.

“Caught yourself some dinner, huh?”

“Hoo.” The owl responded, setting the carcass on Barrier’s withers and moving up to his head.

“Oh come on now.” The unicorn shook the carcass off of his withers, much to Aloysius’s irritation. “Ow, hey!” Barrier lowered his head instinctively as the owl pecked it, despite that the owl was perched on his head and only pecked again.

“Come on, cut that out or I won’t cook you dinner.”

The owl stopped mid-peck. “Hoo?”

“What, you thought I’d make you fend for yourself? Hay, I planned on feeding you for the rest of your life, but if you wanna feed yourself, I won’t complain.”

The owl tilted his head back almost as if he’d been struck. “Hoo.”

“Oh, now you’re nice.” Barrier chuckled slightly. “Come on, let’s get home and get something to eat while we wait for Octavia.”


***


“Barrier, I’m home!”

“Barrier?” The mare called out once more, poking her head in the kitchen. A single solitary pot sat on the stove, warming.

“Barrier?” Octavia trotted out of the kitchen and into the living room. At first glance, it was empty, but as she made it further in, she chuckled quietly. The unicorn was stomach-up on the couch, his legs scrunched up neatly, with his tongue lolling out slightly.

Leaving the stallion, the mare went into the kitchen and checked the stove, finding a rich vegetable stew still in the pan at a fairly comfortable temperature.

After depositing her cello in her room and eating a quick meal, she found herself back in the living room, glancing at the sleeping stallion. “Very well, come on you.” The mare snaked her head underneath the sleeping stallion and heaved him onto her back. Much to her surprise, Barrier didn’t so much as twitch at the shift. “Off to bed.” The mare carefully carried him to his room, which she suspected at this point was more their room.

A soft smile on her face, she pulled the covers over the sleeping stallion and crawled in neatly beside him. Feeling the stallion’s arms wrap around her and pull her in close like a teddy bear, the mare closed her eyes and went out like a light.

> Well...crap [Chapter 35]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Las Pegasus sucked. Barrier had spent over a week in the city, going to various shows and putting up with what he had at first decided was easily the worst unicorn, and possibly the worst pony, he had ever met. Initially, he hadn’t understood why he had been hired; he couldn’t imagine why a stage-performer needed a bodyguard, until the crowd had started to advance towards the stage during her first show. A quick show of telekinetic force - admittedly harmless - caused most of the crowd to back down, save for one unicorn that had continued towards the stage. One concussion and a brief discussion with the guards later, the pony was hauled off and the show went on with no further issues. From there, it had been show after show with multiple ponies showing displeasure at the mare’s apparent return to Las Pegasus, but, due to the rumors - which at that point had gotten out of hand - about her bodyguard, nopony dared to cause a scene. Rather, several of them seemed to enjoy the show by the end of the day, Barrier included.

Vanhoover sucked as well.

Yet again, the ponies had thrown insults and threatened the mare, initially. At least this time none of them had approached the stage; Barrier assumed the three-hundred and fifty pound stallion standing off to the side with a sword around his barrel and looking generally unhappy had a bit to do with it.

The unicorn hadn’t really questioned it in Las Pegasus, but curiosity got the better of him when Vanhoover also attempted to practically lynch the performer, and he finally asked her what the hay had happened to make everypony react so aggressively.

A quick story later and Magic Barrier wasn’t sure how he felt about the situation. He was proud of Twilight for safely dealing with an Ursa Minor, and mildly annoyed at Trixie, since her boast led to such trouble, but at the same time, her reputation had been ruined and her livelihood all but destroyed because a pair of - by the sounds of things - genuinely stupid colts had taken her lie at face value. Irrelevant now, he supposed.

After two weeks in Las Pegasus and two weeks in Vanhoover, Barrier finally found himself at the train-station, thinking back to when the performer had tried to come onto him the prior night. That had been awkward. Honestly, he was over a decade older than her.


***


The unicorn groaned as he departed the train with a half-dozen other ponies. The train had stopped mid-trip, due to ‘engine troubles’ and it left them stranded on the tracks for nearly four hours, in addition to an already two-and-a-half-day trip. By now, the moon was already high in the sky, signalling they were long past their projected arrival time.

“Hope Octavia isn’t worried,” The stallion rolled his stiff shoulders and adjusted his saddlebags as well as his sword. The scabbard had varying amounts of damage all along it, a stark contrast to the when he had ordered it nearly five months ago. With a deep yawn, the unicorn trotted towards home, more than ready to sleep in an actual bed for a change.

Four months ago, he had put an ad in the papers, advertising himself as a bodyguard for hire. He had expected it to be fairly slow, but apparently bringing down five ponies in Canterlot by oneself made one fairly desirable as far as personal-security went. Odd, since Barrier didn’t think the event was terribly publicized. In any case, the jobs had all but poured in. The pay was great, but being gone for up to a month at a time could be frustrating, to say nothing of the stress he put on Octavia with his occasional life-or-death situations.

Stepping through the door quietly, taking in his surroundings; they had ultimately gotten a fairly basic, yet nice home. It was single-story, with three bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, its own dining room and living room, as well an entirely separate kitchen, unlike the apartment where the rooms had all been crammed together. There was also something Octavia called a “utility room”, but Barrier had no earthly idea what purpose that would serve. He was fairly certain she just practiced her cello-playing in there. They had decided on a grey-with-burgundy theme for the house, built almost entirely around the glorious couch the mare owned. Trotting through the dining room and towards the bedroom he and Octavia shared, Barrier’s ears twitched at the sound of somepony retching painfully in the bathroom. “Tavi, that you?” Barrier dropped his stuffed saddlebags by the door, leaving his sword on. “Tavi?” The unicorn tapped the bathroom-door slightly, getting a miserable groan in response.

Pushing his way into the bathroom, the stallion blanched slightly at the smell. “I’d ask if you’re okay but…” The stallion chuckled uncertainly as he rubbed the mare’s back.

“Welcome home…” Octavia groaned out, spitting a mouthful of spit and bile. With a miserable sounding heave, the mare pulled herself upright.

Levitating a glass of water from the bathroom, Barrier shouldered some of the mare’s weight as she stood up and drank from the glass, spitting the first couple of times.

“Thanks, sorry I’m late. The train crapped out on us halfway home.”

The mare finished her water, sitting the cup back on the bathroom sink.

“You okay?” The unicorn flushed the toilet with a short flare of magic as he and the mare left the bathroom.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve just been sick the last few days. I have a doctor’s appointment today at nine-thirty,” Octavia yawned deeply as they made it back to their bedroom. “How was your trip?”

“Eh…” Barrier lapsed into an uneasy silence.


***


“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands your attention!”

“That’s nice,” He commented absentmindedly, flipping through a particularly boring magazine.


***


“I’ve had better and worse. Probably the safest job I’ve had so far. The mare was a pretty big wind-bag,” Dropping off his sword on the bedside, the stallion curled up on the bed, wrapping his hooves around the mare in the process.


***


Six hours later, Barrier groaned as he rolled sideways, off of the bed, and right onto the floor. Landing with a hard thud, the unicorn groaned and picked himself upright.  He could already smell breakfast drifting through the house, signaling that Octavia had awoken before him.

“Gff mrninf,” The mare called out with a mouthful of plate.

“Morning,” The stallion gave a quick glance at the clock. Ninety minutes until the appointment; just long enough for breakfast and a shower.

“Delivery!” A voice called out, followed by several heavy taps on the door.

Glancing in askance at Octavia, Barrier frowned when the mare shook her head. “Odd,” he commented as he trotted out of the dining room and towards the front door.

Going back to setting the table, Octavia plopped down miserably in a chair, staring at the eggs and hay-bacon, her stomach rolling uneasily.

“Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor,” Barrier read aloud as he trotted back into the dining room. “Guess it’s time for another trip to Canterlot,” Barrier said as he glanced at Octavia, who was uneasily picking at her food. “Worried you won’t be able to keep it down?” He set the letter off to the side, having been expecting it for some time.

“It’s been fairly consistent for the last week or two,” Octavia uneasily began to eat. “A couple of weeks after you left for your last job, now that I think about it.”

“Huh, that’s odd,” Barrier’s mind was already running ninety miles an hour, despite the fact that his coffee hadn’t broken the blood-brain barrier yet. Please say it isn’t what I think it is…

“So…how long until the wedding?” Octavia sipped her own coffee.

“Two weeks. Think you’ll be able to schedule around it?” After the move, Octavia had decided to put several ads in the paper herself, deciding to teach other ponies how to play the cello, in addition to occasionally playing at the restaurant. It had worked out surprisingly well and the two were no longer financially starved.

“Mm, I’ll have to reschedule a couple of appointments, but that shouldn’t be a terrible issue. Where should we stay, though? I can’t imagine that the Sparkles will have a lot of room, and with a royal wedding approaching, there very well may not be any vacancies, even if we plan ahead.”

“Mm, we can check the hotels, but if worse comes to worst, I’m fairly certain the princess would put us up in a guest room at the castle,” Barrier stuffed the last of his breakfast in him, Octavia doing the same. A quick shower later found them both trotting through the streets of Manehattan.


***


“The doctor will be with you shortly,” The nurse trotted out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

“I’m scared, Barrier,” Octavia confessed nervously, sitting on the examination table, across from Magic Barrier, who was spinning around in the stool.

“It’ll be okay, Tavi,” The unicorn stopped spinning and made to stand up to comfort the mare, only for him to fall over as he stood. “Oh, hello world. The hay are you going to the left for?”

Octavia giggle-snorted at the stallion, blushing when she realized what she had done.

With a chuckle of his own, Barrier climbed to his hooves, managing to stay upright this time.

“It’ll be okay, love,” The unicorn wrapped a hoof around the mare, pulling her close and kissing her forehead gently. “Whatever happens, I’m here for ya.”

Octavia returned the affections, wrapping a hoof around the unicorn and smiling softly at him. “Thank you,” She pecked him quickly on the lips, jerking her head to the door as the doctor - a light-blue earth pony with a dark-blonde mane, white coat, and stethoscope around his neck - trotted into the room.

“Ms. Octavia, Mr…” He hesitated and eyed the unicorn.

“Barrier,.” He provided his name, nodding his head.

“Right. I understand you’re suffering from nausea and vomiting at completely random hours?”

The mare nodded her affirmation.

“Alright then, I’ll just take some blood for now, and I’ll need a urine sample as well,” As he spoke, he pulled a needle and pair of vials out of his coat-pockets. With practiced movements the stallion quickly put the needle in the crook of Octavia’s hoof, filled the vials, and trotted out with the promise that he would return shortly.

“So,” Octavia began, “you didn’t get to tell me about your job this month. How was it?”

“Eh it was okay, I guess. The mare was a bit difficult to put up with at the start, but it got better about half-way through…” Barrier quickly ran her through the story, commenting how proud he was of Twilight.

Octavia listened intently, occasionally commenting and making observations, but her expression only changed towards the end, when Trixie tried to ‘persuade’ Magic Barrier to extend his employment. That part gave her a particularly flat-yet-irritated expression. “She tried to come onto you, you say?”

Tartarus hath no fury like a mare… The stallion’s thoughts trailed off as Octavia pulled him into a deep kiss, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Perhaps we should invite her to Manehattan. Pay her to perform a show.”

Barrier really didn’t like the almost-evil gleam in Octavia’s eyes.

“Relax, Tavi, the mare has nothing on you,” Barrier was glad that he wasn’t like some stallions and didn’t particularly care for younger mares in that regard. “Besides, I don’t know if I could put up with her anymore. She got more tolerable after we hit Vanhoover, but the whole talking-in-third-person schtick. I’ve never come so close to smothering a pony in their sleep.”

A light rap on the door silenced the pair. “Ms. Melody, Mr. Barrier,” The doctor trotted back in with a folder held in the crook of his hoof. “I believe we’ve figured out the reason for your nausea and vomiting,” The stallion glanced at the pair for a brief moment, meeting eyes with each of them. “Mr. Barrier, Ms. Melody; congratulations. You’re going to be parents.”

Silence reigned for a brief period, nopony speaking until Octavia finally put a hoof on the stallion’s shoulder. “Doctor, could you give us a moment?”

The doctor glanced uncertainly at Magic Barrier, who all but pleaded for him to stay with his eyes. The doctor departed as quickly as he could.

“This is all your fault,” Octavia started at the stallion.

“How the hay is it my fault?” Barrier asked, raising an eyebrow. He could understand the part he played in the finished product, but hadn’t she been on pills for it?

“You should have worn condoms!” The mare raised her voice slightly, the irritation clear.

“The buck’s a condom?” The unicorn had a genuine look of confusion on his face as Octavia’s irritation shifted into confusion at the sheer absurdity of the question, to say nothing of the genuine tone the stallion had.

“You’re an idiot,” The mare draped herself wearily over the examination table.

“Well, what about those pills you took? You said that they’d prevent unwanted pregnancies,” Barrier shot out, taking a seat on the stool once more, resting his chin on a hoof.

“...That’s actually a damn good question,” Octavia commented, trotting towards the door. “I got those birth-control pills from here,” The mare poked her head out the door and motioned with a hoof for the doctor to come back in.

“Um, yes?” The doctor glanced nervously at the stallion.

“I purchase birth-control pills from this office’s pharmacy every month. Is there any possible way they could have failed?” Though the mare asked politely and maintained a neutral expression, her eyes held the doctor’s gaze firmly, almost daring him not to answer.

“Uh…” He swallowed nervously. “Have you been on any other medication in the last couple of months? Any antibiotics or anything that might have reduced the effectiveness of your birth-control?”

The mare briefly thought back to the antibiotics she had taken just over a month prior, to eliminate an inner-ear infection. “Amoxil, for an inner-ear infection.”

The doctor’s eyes told the pair everything they needed to know.

Barrier watched the doctor back out of the room nervously once more.

“Well, buck.”

> Beginning of the End [Chapter 36]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Barrier, something’s wrong,” Octavia called from her spot next to the window. “Barrier!” the mare tapped the stallion on the shoulder.

“Wassat?” Barrier mumbled unintelligibly and rolled upright, glancing at the window. His eyes shot open almost immediately as his mind sprung to life. That was a big shield. “Nothing to worry about right this moment. That’s a damn big shield spell though, wonder what’s going on,” The stallion floated his sword out of from underneath the seats and strapped it on as the train pulled into the station.

As the pair waited for the train to grind to a halt, Barrier found himself thinking back to a couple of weeks prior.


***


“Barrier, what are we going to do? I always wanted a foal, but I’m not ready. I don’t know anything about raising a foal! What are we go-” Barrier kissed the mare, forcing her into silence.

“Tavi, relax,” he advised, gazing deep into the mare’s eyes. “Do you regret being pregnant with my foal?”

The mare’s eyes widened. “Of course not! I just don’t know what we’ll do! I don’t know anything about raising a foal! What if I me-” The mare was cut off once again as the stallion pushed his lips against hers.

“Relax,” he repeated again. “So long as neither of us regret this - and I don’t, I assure you - then we’ll be fine. No parent is ever ready for a foal. I wasn’t ready the first time, and I won’t be ready this time, but we’ll get through it just fine, so long as we stick together,” The stallion nuzzled the mare gently, fixing her with a soft, reassuring gaze.


***


“Halt!” one of the guards called out and trotted up to him, spear at the ready. “Sir, you’re going to have to hand over your sword!” Barrier raised an eyebrow in...amusement?

“That’s adorable. You’re adorable,” Barrier had gone so far as to get a country-wide permit to carry his blade. “Do yourself a favor and piss off, mate,” Barrier spoke with a harsh tone, eyes boring into the guard.

“Excuse me?” The guard snapped right back.

Barrier was mildly surprised - that may have been the first guard to show a little backbone.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, hand over your sword, or spend the night in a cell!” The guard moved forward menacingly, causing Barrier to chuckle.

“I like you, you’re alright, unfortunately, you’re an idiot,” Glancing past the guard at a familiar pegasus, Barrier yelled out, “Hey LT! Call off your dog before he spends the night in a hospital!”

“Are you threatening me?” The guard reached forward with a hoof, only for the pegasus to launch into action.

“Stand down, sergeant!” Flash Sentry sped over to the black unicorn.

“You heard him boy, off you go,” Barrier chuckled at the absolute stink-eye the guard gave him as he trotted away dutifully.

“Flash,” Octavia smiled warmly at the pegasus.

“Miss Melody, Barrier,” Flash smiled at the couple and tilted his head.

“So what the hay’s going on, Flash? I get a feeling this-” Barrier motioned to the shield above them and dozens of guards, “-isn’t wedding security.”

“No such luck, sadly. A threat was made against Canterlot. Nopony knows anything beyond that. I should take you to the Captain. He’ll probably wanna see you.”

“I’ll go ahead and take our bags to the guest-room,” Octavia offered, pulling Barrier’s saddlebags off of him.


***


“I know Caddy, but he could really help out with this whole thing. He’s got as much magic as I do at the very least!” Shining could be heard arguing through a door.

“I don’t care, Shining, I don’t want him involved,” a familiar voice joined it, followed by the door being shoved open and best princess trotting out.

“Cadance, I see you’re giving me an opportunity at Shining, arguing with him like that,” Barrier grinned slyly at the mare, only for her to give him an annoyed look in return before turning and walking away without a word.

“Okay then…” Barrier commented with a raised eyebrow as the mare walked away. “When’s the surgery, Shiny?” He turned to his grandson.

Shining stopped in confusion.

“The surgery to remove the stick stuck up Cadance’s flank,” Barrier explained.

Shining let out a poorly-concealed snort, which cause Flash Sentry to do the same. “It’s not like that,” He turned towards the direction the mare had trotted. “She’s just really stressed out over having to plan the wedding by herself.”

“So, what was that argument all about?”

“Oh, that was nothing. Just arguing over the unicorns helping me maintain the shield.”

“I see,” Barrier didn’t question the obvious lie. “Speaking of which, what’s up with that?” Barrier motioned above them, though one couldn’t see the giant shield-bubble.

“There was a threat made against Canterlot. Nopony knows what or when though, so we just bumped security up as much as we could,” Shining began to walk, Barrier and Flash following behind him. “Gotta say, that family charm you gave me has been a tremendous help. I don’t know if I could’ve maintained the shield this long without it.”

“Glad to see it being put to use. I told you that you’d need it one day.” Barrier noticed they were heading towards the guest quarters.

“Where’s Octavia?” the white unicorn asked, facing his grandcestor.

“She went ahead to the room. Hey Shiny, why don’t you go ahead and check on Cadance? Seemed like she left a little upset. I’m sure Flash can show me the rest of the way. I need to ask him about his ancestors anyways.”

Shining stared uncertainly at the stallion before nodding and trotting away, leaving the two alone.

The two walked in silence until Shining disappeared from sight.

“Flash, you’re one of Cadance’s personal retinue right?” Barrier gave the stallion a critical gaze.

“Uh, yes, why?” Flash gazed uncertainly at the stallion, having expected something else about his ancestors that he probably didn’t know.

“Have you noticed anything odd lately? Behavioral?”

“Uh, not really. She’s been a lot ruder and short with ponies, but we just attributed that to the threat making her plan the wedding by herself.”

Barrier frowned. The story made sense, but something in his gut told him that there was something up.

“Have Twilight and her friends arrived yet?” Maybe she had noticed something; she was a sharp mare.

“Uh, yeah, a couple of days ago. They’re in the city right now, but they’ll probably come back to the castle for dinner.”

“Right, thanks Flash,” Barrier stopped outside of the room. He could clearly see Octavia inside of it. “And listen, keep a close eye out. Something doesn’t feel right, and my gut tells me the shield won’t stop whatever it is,” It was an odd sense of foreboding, hard to explain to most ponies, especially ponies who’d never seen real combat enough to develop the sense.

“Oh, and the practice ceremony will be in an hour or so, if you wanna watch!” Flash called out as he departed.

“How’d it go?” Octavia asked from her spot on the bed, not bothering to glance up from her book.

“Mm, something doesn’t feel right. The extra protection was definitely justified. I think there might be something wrong with Cadance as well. Hay if I know, something just feels off.” Barrier flopped down onto the bed; it was nice.

“You’re going to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, aren’t you?” the grey mare asked casually, turning the page with a hoof.

“I…” the stallion had started to lie, but his ears flattened against his head as the mare turned to face him with a flat expression, ”...plan on talking to Twilight about it, asking if she’s noticed anything. She’s been here two days longer than us.”

Octavia closed her book and rolled closer to the stallion, wiggling herself into his forelegs. “Must you? Can’t the guard handle it?”

A twinge of guilt welled up inside the stallion. “Were this anything else, than I wouldn’t mind, but if something is going to happen, it’ll probably be at the royal wedding. Not to mention that it’s my grandson’s wedding,” Barrier nuzzled the mare sadly. “Sorry, I know I’m not easy to tolerate.”

Octavia sighed and buried her head on his withers. “Never apologize for being you, Barrier, I wouldn’t have you any other way.”


***


After a brief nap with Octavia, Barrier found himself trotting towards the throne room, to observe the practice ceremony. As he approached the wide-open doors, Shining’s voice rang out.

“…wouldn’t bother showing up to the wedding at all…”

Barrier hid himself behind one of the throne-room doors as the stallion trotted out.

A brief silence, before another familiar voice, “Come on ya’ll, let’s go check on the princess.” Five of the elements plus Spike, Barrier noted.

“You have a lot to think about.” Barrier recognized the voice as that of the sun-princess. What the hay was going on in there, and why had he hid?

As the Princess trotted by, he slowly stuck his head out from behind the door, making his way towards the throne room, where he could now hear Twilight sobbing softly.

“I’m sorry…” He made out. Just poking his head around the corner, he noticed a familiar pink mare.

“You will be.”

A menacing voice severely out of place on the mare, Barrier noted. Carefully looking around the corner, he saw Cadance walking away and Twilight sinking into the floor, surrounded by green flames. It was then that Barrier did one of his stupider acts; he ran and jumped headfirst into the fire, disappearing alongside Twilight.


***


Barrier groaned as he opened his eyes, a slight headache setting in.

“Hello?” Twilight’s voice called out, echoing off the walls. “Is anyone there? Where am I?”

Barrier opened his mouth to call out, only for a green light to illuminate the room as Cadance’s face appeared in the crystals.

“The caves beneath Canterlot,” the mocking voice reverberated around the chamber. “Once, they were home to greedy unicorns that wanted to claim the gems that could be found inside, but it is now,”-a sneer appeared on the mare’s face-“your prison.”

Twilight backed away nervously, turning to run, only for her run face-first into Barrier’s chest.

“Easy kiddo, it’s fine.” Barrier wrapped a foreleg around the purple unicorn and lit his horn, illuminating the rest of the chamber.

“Oh, what’s this? Hah! It seems I killed two birds with one stone! How fortunate!” The mare laughed cruelly.

“You know this won’t end well for you, right?” Barrier asked levelly. “I am personally going to punch you square in the jaw.”

The mare laughed again. “It’s no use. No one will ever think to look for you here! This will keep both of you out of my plans…” The mare all but muttered the last part.

“Plans? What plans?” Twilight asked with a touch of uncertainty.

“The plans I have for your brother, of course.”

Twilight broke away from the larger stallion, an expression of rage overtaking her. “Don’t you dare do anything to my brother, you…monster!”

“Only way to stop me is to catch me!” The Cadance-impersonator taunted, laughing maniacally all the while.

Twilight powered up and discharged a wild blast of energy from her horn, ricocheting off of various crystals. Almost instinctively, Barrier threw a barrier up around himself, while Twilight launched several more telekinetic blasts, finally shattering the far wall.

All the impersonator did was cackle madly and vanish.

“No, wait!”

Barrier glanced up at the voice, his eyes focusing on a haggard-looking pink mare that Twilight was getting ready to absolutely trash. With a flare of his horn, Twilight crashed face-first into a barrier, halting her charge. As she scrambled to her feet, the mare turned to Magic Barrier with rage in her eyes. “Are you out of your mind?!” Twilight yelled, approaching the stallion.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Barrier spoke with a booming, authoritative voice. “stand down!” It wasn’t a request or a suggestion, it was an order.

“Barrier, she’s the one who trapped us here!” Twilight tried to argue.

“She’s also incredibly haggard, starved, and radiating little to no magical energy,” Barrier pointed out. “All things you’ll notice if you take a moment to look at her,” Barrier trotted over to his shield, glancing at the terror-stricken mare. “What did we argue about when I was in jail with Octavia?” Barrier’s eyes locked onto the mare, watching for any form of trickery or deceit.

The mare’s gaze flattened for a brief second. “He’s mine, Barrier, that’s all there is it to it. You’re not mare enough for Shiny.”

“Oh, that’s her.” Barrier chuckled slightly and turned to Twilight.

“Twilight, please,” Cadance pleaded, seeing the distrust in the unicorn’s eyes. “it’s me,” Cadance did an odd little dance, which caused Twilight’s eyes to widen and mimic the dance.

“Sunshine, sunshine…”

Barrier watched curiously; as the pair finished, he lowered the shield and grinned lecherously. “Thanks for the show ladies, but I don’t think my mare would approve.”

Both mares blushed intensely.

“Now, as much as I love to watch you two shake your flanks, we should probably get out of here and crash the wedding,” The charcoal stallion suggested.

“But how? I’ve never even heard of this place, and I can’t seem to teleport out.” Twilight tilted her head sadly.

“I haven’t either,” Cadance admitted.

“Well, lucky for both of you, I have.” The stallion walked past the two and began examining the walls. “The followers of Nightmare Moon used this place as a hideout after their failed attack on Canterlot. Just gotta find one of their...arrows!” As Barrier said that, he triumphantly pointed at a set of arrows scratched messily into the wall. One was a simple arrow, pointing to the left, whereas the other was pointing to the right, and had two heads on it.

“Two arrows means that there’s a friendly presence in that direction, where one arrow means that it leads towards the surface.”

“Then if we follow the arrows, we can get to the wedding in time to save my brother!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Ladies,” Barrier grinned. “let’s go crash a wedding.”

> Implosion[Chapter  37]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the trio trotted through the caverns in silence, Barrier couldn’t help but find his thoughts drifting back towards the last discussion he and Octavia had regarding the unexpected pregnancy.


***


“I don’t even know where to begin!” Octavia was once again working herself up into a panic. “There’s so much preparation!” The mare was walking around on three hooves, a pencil in her mouth and notepad in-hoof. “We’ll need a crib, bottles, diapers, oh heavens there’s so much we need to do to prepare.”

“I think you just channeled Twilight,” Barrier commented idly from his spot on the couch.

“Why are you so relaxed about this, Barrier?” Octavia plopped down tiredly onto the couch next to him.

“Because it won’t do us any good to work ourselves up over it,” The unicorn sat his physics magazine aside, having been reading one of Wing’s articles; it was surprising how many practical applications they had. “Let’s just calm down and go through it slowly and calmly,” he took a slow and deep breath, urging the mare to do the same, “Now, we need a crib, bedding, diapers,” Barrier watched as the mare scribbled the notes down, noticeably calmer than before. “We’ll need pacifiers and a feeding pillow.”

After nearly an hour of discussing the various things they would need in nine-to-ten months, the pair finally headed off to bed, though sleep didn’t come quite as quickly as the unicorn had hoped.

“Barrier?” Octavia whispered, her voice cutting through the dark room.

“Mm?” Barrier asked from his spot behind her, shifting a forehoof slightly.

“I’m afraid,” Octavia started, pushing herself further into the stallion. “What if we’re not good parents? What if something goes wrong during the pregnancy? What if-” the mare fell silent as the stallion nipped her ear gently.

“A pony once told me that the greatest mistake you can make in life is to constantly worry that you’ll make one,” Draping his head over the mare’s shoulder, Barrier pulled the blanket tighter around them with his magic, rubbing the mare’s belly and side with a forehoof, helping to lull her to sleep.


***


“Barrier, is everything okay? You look like there’s something on your mind besides all this,” Cadance broke the stallion out of his reverie; he and Twilight were looking around for another marker.

That’s a good question; was he? Despite his calm presence around Octavia, calming the mare whenever she worked herself up into a bundle of anxiety and worry, he himself wasn’t faring much better; he was simply better at hiding it. Ever since they’d received the news, he’d had a ball of anxiety wound up tightly in his stomach. The pair hadn’t told anypony about the pregnancy yet, not having a great many friends, and only a small number of them being local.

“No, not really, Caddy,” he admitted with a humorless chuckle. “Besides all this,” he vaguely motioned around them, “Octavia and I got some fairly unexpected news that we weren’t really prepared for,”

“Did something happen?” The mare’s response was quick and laced with worry.

“Yes and no, I suppose. Octavia took an antibiotic that made her birth-control useless and is now with foal.”

“Barrier, that’s wonderful!” Cadance broke the silence, snapping Twilight’s attention to their conversation as she found the marking they were all looking for.

“Come on, talk and walk, we’re on a schedule,” Barrier motioned forwards, both mares trotting behind him.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, following in line with the two, assuming Magic Barrier had found the marking.

“You’re going to have an aunt or uncle in nine months, give or take,” Barrier explained, “and I’m not entirely sure how to handle it,” the stallion turned to Cadance, “I’m not adverse to the idea, and neither is Octavia, we just weren’t expecting it. She’s always working herself up into a tizzy over it. I usually try to calm her down, but honestly, I’m not much better off myself.”

“It’s a big responsibility, but I think you’ll both do fine. Besides, didn’t you have a kid before?”

Barrier smiled sadly in response to Cadance, causing the mare’s ears to fold back against her head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up…”

“It’s fine,” A deep, steadying breath entered the stallion’s lungs, “I had a daughter, but I was still highly active in the Royal Guard at the time and didn’t see her near as much as I felt I should have. Always out on…” the stallion hesitated before deciding on a word, “missions.”

“Wait!” Twilight’s mind took a surprisingly long time to process the information presented to her, “I’m going to be a…” Twilight hesitated, her brow furrowing in confusion. “...niece?” That just sounded confusing.

“Yeah, I was pretty surprised as well…” The unicorn’s voice trailed as his eyes travelled up to a shaft of sunlight. “There!” He took off at a gallop towards the light. They had wanted to gallop before, but he insisted that they should conserve their energy; Cadance, in particular, was looking fairly haggard. Regardless, both mares rushed to keep up with him.

“You’re not going anywhere…” Three voices spoke out in unison as the group approached the exit.

Barrier kept running, mentally noting three unicorns, two of whom he recognized. Lyra, the eccentric unicorn, Colgate the dentist, and another cream-colored unicorn that he didn’t recognize.

“Keep going,” Barrier sprinted even harder, Twilight and Cadance both struggling to keep up, not used to such bursts of energy.

All three of the mares’ horns lit up, their eyes glowing green. Without hesitation, Barrier threw both of his forehooves out, striking two of the mares in the horn, one with each hoof, while his own horn flared to life, smacking the third mare in the horn with a thin shield; all three of the mares screamed out in pain and collapsed, though none of their horns showed any visible damage; Magic Barrier, Cadance, and Twilight kept running, though Cadance glanced back at the mares in obvious worry.

“Focus, Princess, they’ll live!” Barrier shouted back as the trio exited into the castle gardens.

“The gardens? How did I never notice the entrance!” Twilight asked as trumpets blared in the distance.

“Ask questions later!” Magic formed around the unicorn’s horn. “Teleport, mares, the wedding depends on it!” Barrier disappeared with a flash of light, appearing some twenty-five feet ahead and them and repeating it rapidly; both mares followed suit.


***


“…my great honor to pronounce you-”

“Stoooop!” Twilight’s voice yelled out as she burst into the audience chamber.

Everypony in attendance turned in surprise to the mare, the pink mare at the altar beginning to speak only to be cut off. “Wh-”

“Ima break your jaw, bitch.” The entire crowd gasped, everypony’s jaws opening wide, Celestia’s included. The stallion was only slightly winded, something else he find mildly odd, given how much magic he had expended in the various rapidfire-teleports.

Princess Celestia was the first to regain her composure. “Magic Barrier, are you out of your mind?!” she yelled, her voice bordering on the royal-Canterlot in terms of volume.

“And you!” Barrier turned to the Princess of the Sun with a surprising amount of venom in his voice;the princess shrunk back slightly in surprise. “I expect you to apologize to Twilight when this is all said and done!” Though Twilight hadn’t vocalized, Celestia and her friends had drove the mare to tears, all because they were too blind to see what Twilight saw. “And you five,” he turned to the Elements of Harmony. “I expect you all to apologize as well. In, three…two...one…” Cadance galloped in almost entirely out of breath.

“Auntie!” Cadance tilted forward slightly, taking in huge gasps of air. “She’s a changeling!”

The impostor frowned and erupted into a burst of green magic, laughing evilly as her real form was revealed, chitinous armor, a striking pair of harlequin eyes, and a dark-cerulean mane.

Any other time, Barrier would have found the creature quite attractive. Now however, he was merely contemplating on how best to break her jaw.

“Right you are, princess,” the mare’s voice was almost painfully ‘evil’ and Barrier found himself pressing a hoof to his face.

“Cue monologue,” Barrier commented in a mildly bored tone, drawing the ire of the changeling queen.


***


Well, this went bad quite fast, Barrier noted.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried out in fear as Celestia was brought low by the queen who first stared in absolute surprise and then began to cackle madly .

Son of a bitch, here we go again… Barrier found himself thinking back to Nightmare Moon as he did what he best: something stupid.

“Twilight, you and the girls get the elements!” He turned to the pair of guards by the door, staring at their fallen leader with obvious fear. “You two, guard the Elements of Harmony with your lives!”

“And what makes you think I’ll simply let you go?” the mocking voice sneered out.

“A stupid whorse says what!” he yelled out, charging towards the queen.

“Excuse me!” The queen back-peddled as if struck.

“Close enough!” Barrier retorted, the queen throwing a bolt of energy at him in irritation, only for him to vanish in a flash of magic.

True to his word, Magic Barrier threw one hell of a haymaker, catching the queen in the side of the jaw as he reappeared in front of her. He had guessed where her jaw hinged to the rest of her skull, and was not disappointed. The queen’s head snapped to the side and her jaw audibly cracked, causing the guards and Elements to cringe.

“Go!” Barrier yelled at the Elements and guards once more as all eight ponies rushed to obey.

With a burst of magic, Chrysalis’ jaw snapped back into place which sounded quite painful.

“You dare!” Chrysalis was absolutely livid, firing a bolt at the unicorn-who dove to the side-leaving a pile of molten stone where he had just been moments ago.

Barrier’s ears swiveled towards the windows as the sound like shattering glasses rang out as Shining Armor’s barrier failed, the white stallion collapsing in exhaustion.

“Go, my army, feed!” The queen yelled out as if she were speaking to someone that wasn’t in the room. “You have fai-” The queen fell to her side as Barrier lept onto her back and wrapped his forehooves around her neck. Her eyes widened as a vice-like grip wrapped itself around her throat, squeezing the life out of her. He wasn’t trying to put her to sleep, if the pressure was anything to judge by. He was trying to break her neck. The pressure on her chitin had her slightly worried and she lit her horn to deal with it, only for a hoof to lash out and strike the mare in the horn the moment it lit up, before immediately bracing the other hoof once more.

“Go to sleep, queeny…” Barrier whispered into the changeling’s ear softly. “Sleep…” He whispered, an audible crack ringing out, followed by the queen opening her mouth in pain only for a pained gurgle to come out; she was out of air and her chitin, while holding, had cracked.

Desperately, she fixed her eyes on the collapsed Shining Armor. With a mental command, the stallion struggled to his hooves and charged his horn, shooting a kinetic blast at his grandfather.

Barrier’s hold on the queen failed as the burst of energy tagged him painfully in the side, cracking a rib. In less than a second, the queen was standing over him, her hoof pressed violently on his horn.

Tavi… Barrier glanced sadly at one of the only ponies left in the room, most having fled.

“I must say,” the queen struggled to catch her grasp, rubbing her cracked chitin painfully. “I didn’t think any of you ponies had such capabilities,” The queen punctuated each word with a solid strike to the unicorn’s jaw, causing his head to bounce up and down on the concrete like a ball. “It’s a shame I have to kill you,” she sneered, applying more pressure to Barrier’s horn, causing him to groan in pain as his head spun, “even now I can feel your love for that useless earth-pony,” She glanced at Octavia with obvious disinterest. “Shining Armor is quite the catch, but you…” She licked her lips in a manner that made the dizzy unicorn beneath her squirm. “Well, maybe I’ll keep you after all. Just have to deal with this nuisance…” She put more pressure on his horn, lowering her head and snaking her tongue to his snout. “I’ll enjoy break-” The queen’s jaw snapped shut on her tongue and her eyes became a pair of harlequin saucers.

“Hooves. Off,” Octavia spoke in a flat and threatening tone as the queen crumpled to the ground, trying to cry out in pain, but only managing pained dry-heaves. It looked like she wanted to throw up, but her body was unable to.

Octavia, a mare who spent near eight-hours a day on her hind-legs, had steadily snuck towards the queen after she showed such disinterest in her. Queen Chrysalis, paying no heed to the “useless earth-pony”, hadn’t noticed when Octavia crept behind her, braced herself on her forehooves and delivered the buck to end all bucks.

The invasion was over, and Queen Chrysalis only had a pair of imploded ovaries to show for it.

Crawling to his feet, Barrier quickly trotted to Chrysalis, who only glanced up at him in pure, unadulterated agony.

Without a shred of remorse or hesitation, Barrier brought his hoof crashing down on Chrysalis’s horn, his entire weight behind the stomp. With a snap and a violent discharge of magic, her horn snapped like a twig and she slipped into what was, without a doubt, a merciful unconsciousness.

“Ugh,” Shining Armor shook his head painfully. “What happened, is the wedding over?”

“No such luck…” Barrier muttered as he affectionately nuzzled Octavia, kissing her lightly before he trotted over to the window and glanced at the countless waves of changelings assaulting ponies.

“Now…what in Tartarus are we going to do about all of those?”

> The Question [Chapter 38]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier couldn’t help but glance worriedly out the window as ponies screamed in the distance. He had just finished activating the enchantments set into the throne-room doors, normally inactive; only a pony from the inside would be able to open it. “Tavi,” His eyes silently pleaded with the mare.

“Go, we’ll be fine here. But so help me if you get hurt, I will maim you. I’ll not raise our foal alone, Barrier.”

Smiling apologetically at the mare, Barrier glanced over to Shining Armor, who was still trying to get his bearings. “Remember, nopony gets in without you confirming they’re them,” As the unicorn spoke, he trotted to one of the slotted windows and leapt from it, a quiet pop flooding the throne room moments later.


***


Barrier’s first encounter was a half-dozen royal guards - two of each type - all huddled around a single-story residential building and desperately trying to fend off twice as many changelings. Seeing he had yet to be noticed by the changelings, Barrier hunched down in the shadows as his horn flared to life. Without warning, the cobblestone beneath the changelings erupted into sharp stone-fragments. The fragments, all engulfed with Barrier’s magical aura, launched upward, punching through the chitin like a hot-knife through butter, their weight reinforced and multiplied by the magic.

“Who’s there!?” one of the guards - the highest ranked, if armor was any indication - yelled out.

“Lower your voice you moron!” Barrier hissed back as he stepped out of the shadows he had been hiding in. “Do you want to bring even more changelings here?” As he spoke, he set about casting disruption spells over all the guards. It was the only thing he could think of to clear them and even then, he wasn’t entirely certain such a method was effective.

The guard wisely snapped his mouth shut.

Barrier could hear a number of voices whispering and whimpering behind the closed door. “You two,” he picked out two of the six guards at random, a unicorn and a pegasus, “Get in there and calm those ponies down. Don’t let anypony in or out unless they can recite three words for you, pole, dog, flash.” The two guards saluted sharply and rushed to obey, not even bothering to question the stallion; his commanding tone and their disorganization was all the reason they needed.

“You two,” he picked another pair of guards, an Earth Pony and a Unicorn, this time, “I want you both to push eastward, towards the market. Pick up any civilians and guards along the way,” Deja vu, Barrier chuckled inwardly, realizing just how familiar this situation was. “Cast a disruption spell on anypony you come across, and once you have enough guards, start sending civilians this way with escorts. Two guards to any group, no matter what. Make sure to tell them the passwords, pole, dog, and flash,” he explained to the unicorn. “I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but it’s better than nothing,” Barrier thought back to the brief encounter with the queen. “These things might have some kind of hive-mind and they feed off of love, maybe other positive emotions, not sure. In any case, you fight to kill, protection of civilians is your number-one priority. And pick out a password yourselves, something to prevent one of these changelings from imitating you,” Both of the guards’ eyes widened, causing Barrier’s own expression to harden. “This is what you signed up for. Welcome to the royal guard,” He turned his back as both of the ponies finally went about their orders, rushing off towards the market.

“You two,” Barrier turned to the remaining ponies - an earth pony and a pegasus, “are with me. We’re going towards the eastern wall. As soon as we hit the wall we’ll circle north towards the castle gardens and from there go into the castle to reinforce.”

“I can’t believe we’re being invaded by a bunch of of bugs!” One of the guard exclaimed as he followed Magic Barrier.

Honestly, a hive of insects could lay siege to the city and you’d be defenseless! Barrier couldn’t help but chuckle as the three of them sprinted along.


***


Only fifteen minutes passed before Barrier felt a massive wave of energy spreading from the castle. “Everypony, down!” The unicorn’s horn flared to life, creating a shield around the twenty-some royal guards and fifty some civilians they had gathered in the quarter-hour. Gritting his teeth, Barrier’s eyes shut themselves tightly as a multitude of changelings bounced off of the large bubble, sending ripples along it, followed by a wave of pure…something, washing over them, originating from the castle no doubt. As the energy cleared the shield-bubble, Barrier found his mind conjuring up images of Octavia.

“Well, mares and gentlecolts,” Barrier rolled his shoulders slightly, his horn powering down. “Looks like the invasion is over. Guards!” He raised his voice. “Five of you are with the civilians, escort them to the others and wait there for orders.”

“Sir!” A number of guards rushed to follow orders, saluting as they did so.

“Sir, what should we do?” The remaining fifteen-some guards had approached him.

“Crowd control,” the unicorn stated matter-of-factly. “Lots of ponies are going to work themselves up into a panic.  Pair off into threes and spread out. Do your best to keep everypony calm and tell them to wait for an official statement from the crown. Presence is everything, ponies need to feel reassured and safe. Tell them the invasion was repelled and that everything is fine,” The ponies trotted off to carry out the orders. “And nopony talks to any reporters!” Barrier yelled out as an afterthought.

“Honestly, how did the Royal Guard ever get this bad?” Barrier muttered to himself in irritation as he made his way towards the castle.

The following day…

“Yo!”

Barrier turned to see Vinyl Scratch making her way over to him.

“Long time no see, man!” The mare took up a drink in her magic. “What brings you here? Never seemed like the kinda guy who’d hang out at a wedding reception.”

Barrier chuckled at the mare’s light-hearted tone. Something about the way she spoke just radiated fun. Man, if he hadn’t met Octavia first . . . “I’m not. Shining is my grandson. If it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have come. Plus, I don’t think ‘Tavi would’ve let me skip.”

“Good thing ya’ didn’t. Don’t even wanna think about what would’ve happened if you and that Sparkle girl hadn’t ousted the changeling queen,” Vinyl threw back her own drink with all the skill of an accomplished alcoholic. “I was there when you all burst into the throne room and for the fight. Gotta say, your mare dropped the queen like a bad habit.” The mare chuckle-snorted as the image played itself out in her head. “So why'd ya break her horn?” Vinyl asked as she poured herself a glass of wine.

“Threat neutralization,” Barrier stated sadly. “She was able to overpower Princess Celestia. Granted, the Princess was a moron for trying to fight like she did, but if Chrysalis had recovered from Octavia breaking her baby-makers, she’d have been just as unstoppable as before and twice as pissed off.”

Vinyl’s light cream-coat paled to pure white and she chuckled nervously at the stallion, taking a few steps back.

“I’m not apologizing or taking it back, Princess,” Barrier commented without turning around, pouring another glass of wine. “It was stupid and you know it.”

Celestia frowned intensely at the back of the stallions head. “Yes, perhaps it was unwise to try and rely on brute force,” She finally conceded, watching the unicorn throw back yet another glass of wine.

“So, have you apologized to Twilight yet?” The unicorn asked without ceremony as he skipped the glass in favor of a wine-bottle from underneath the table.

“Must you be so blunt?” The irritation was clear in the mare’s voice.

“I’ve got plans tonight, this wine is weaker than water, and I’m not terribly pleased with you at the moment, so forgive me if I’m just a little short,” Barrier yanked the cork out of the wine with his magic and took a sip. Taking a particularly deep breath, the unicorn closed his eyes. “Fine, I’m sorry. Now what do you need?” His tone shifted from near-contempt to neutral and disinterested.

Visibly grinding her teeth, the princess responded, “A number of things bring me here tonight. First and foremost is to give you my thanks for your role during the invasion. It has come to my attention that you had a major role in helping civilian ponies as well as bringing down Queen Chrysalis, in addition to preventing a widespread panic. For that, you have my thanks. In addition to that, as Shining Armor is now married to Princess Cadance and Canterlot will need a new Captain of the Royal Guard, I would like you to take that role once more, if you’d be willing.”

"Really now? The council agreed to that?" Barrier raised an eyebrow.

"Luna may have...convinced them, that you would go public with knowledge displaying the obvious ineptitude of the council and Royal Guard if they did not make efforts to reform the guard. They were all convinced you would be the best pony for the job after that."

Of course she did... Barrier pressed a hoof to his temple and sighed loudly. “We’ll see,” In truth, Barrier needed a better job. Being a bodyguard paid well, but the work wasn’t always consistent and it kept him away from Octavia for extended periods of time. It was certainly no way to raise a foal, being away from home for weeks and months at a time…he knew that much. “If there’s nothing else, I have plans for tonight,” Barrier waited a brief moment until the princess stepped aside, allowing him to pass.


***


“Taaaaaviiiii,” Barrier all but draped himself over the mare, causing her to snort slightly and the pony across from her - Fancy Pants, Barrier believed his name was - to smile in slight amusement.

“Honestly,” the mare took a step forward leaving the unicorn to fall to the ground where she looked down at him with slight amusement. “I can’t take you anymore,” She glanced disdainfully at the wine bottle. “I see you’ve wasted no time enjoying yourself, have you?”

“Tch, if you can call this stuff enjoyable. There’s no burn,” With a grunt, Barrier climbed upright, nodding his head in acknowledgement to Fancy Pants. “Sorry to interrupt, but something came up that I had to ask your opinion on before I can answer. Plus she expects an answer fairly soon, I’m sure.”

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” Fancy Pants offered, “It was a pleasure, Miss Melody,” He tilted his head before turning and trotting away.

“So…?” Octavia looked at the unicorn expectantly.

“Well, Celestia offered me a job.”

“Oh?” The mare raised an eyebrow.

“With Shining Armor marrying Cadence, he’s gone from Captain of the Guard to Prince Consort or something like that. Celestia offered me the position.”

“That’s wonderful! You often said that you’d prefer to change careers if the opportunity presented itself,” Octavia seemed genuinely happy, though she frowned when she realized Barrier didn’t share in her enthusiasm. “Judging by your reaction, I’ll assume there are stipulations to this job.”

Barrier chuckled nervously. “Most likely. I don’t have the specifics but I’d probably need to either travel to Canterlot or find a more effective way to commute. Train takes way too long for it. And since we just bought our house in Manehattan…”

“Ah,” Octavia frowned as the realization hit her. “We’d have to move to Canterlot.”

“And it’d be busy for a good while too,” Barrier glanced around to make sure nopony was eavesdropping. “There are some massive reforms that the Royal Guard needs to undergo, and if I become Captain there will be a lot of ponies that will really hate me.”

Octavia trotted towards the tables that Barrier had been at moments prior, “Well, what do you want to do?”

“Honestly, I want to take the job, if only because Equestria needs it pretty badly at this point. If it isn’t handled right we may have a war before the year is out. The changelings attacking are going to make us look weak - rightfully so, mind you - to the rest of the world, and that’s bad.”

“Well, if this is something you feel you need to do, we’ll figure it out, Barrier. I certainly can’t fault you for wanting to protect Equestria,” The mare eyed him critically before smiling, “No, I think it would have been odd if you didn’t want to protect Equestria.”

“Well, if it isn’t Octavia Melody and Magic Barrier,” A brilliant gold pegasus landed across from the pair, addressing them in a scratchy voice. “Heard you two got to meet the Queen.”

“Evening, Spitfire,” Barrier held up the bottle of wine in greeting.

“Ms. Spitfire,” Octavia inclined her head respectfully.

“And to answer your statement, I suppose we had a minor role in the invasion. What with Octavia defeating the queen and me trying to organize a defense for the city,” Barrier watched as the golden mare took the bottle of wine and emptied it in a single swallow. That’s impressive… Barrier couldn’t help but wonder what else she was capable of.

“Minor?” The mare raised an eyebrow in obvious amusement. “You,” she pointed a hoof lazily at the unicorn, “saved the real Princess Cadance, crashed the royal wedding, and went hoof-to-hoof with the queen of changelings,” She turned her hoof to Octavia, “and she defeated the queen with the buck of legends, if my sources are correct,” Her hoof dropped back to to the ground. “And that’s minor?”

“Fairly minor, yes,” Octavia reaffirmed. “We were simply in the right place at the right time,” And that whorse tried to touch what is mine. Nopony touches what is mine.

Spitfire trotted in between the pair and threw a hoof around each of their shoulders. “So, either of you ponies got plans after the reception?” There was an obvious lead in her voice that set off dozens of alarms in Magic Barrier’s head. He wasn’t sure if they were good or bad yet.


***


After that...situation, Barrier found Octavia and himself trotting through the Canterlot Gardens with little more than moonlight to guide them.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Octavia leaned into the stallion wearily, “but why are we leaving the reception? I thought it still had a few hours left.”

Barrier smiled slightly as he placed a hoof on his vest-pocket, feeling the bulge. “Well,” the stallion broke away from the mare, standing in front of her and meeting his eyes to hers, “uh, well. This is a lot harder than I expected,” Licking his dry lips, Barrier started again. “Octavia, we’ve known each other for quite some time. You’ve seen me at my worst and at my best, you’ve done more for me than I’ll ever be able to repay in one lifetime, and for some reason you still put up with me. It may be too soon for something like this, I’m not really sure, but,” Barrier took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“Octavia Melody, will you marry me?”

As he spoke, he found himself kneeling down and levitating a simple silver bracelet.

Octavia blushed intensely and opened her mouth to respond, only for her breath to leave her.

Barrier, maintaining his position, gasped in slight surprise when Octavia threw herself at him and gave her answer in the gardens.

And it was glorious.
> The Crystal Empire [Chapter 39?]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier bit back the rage bubbling up inside of him as his eyes glanced over the letter.

“Barrier? Is everything alright?” Octavia sat across from him, looking up from a plate of food while their young filly sucked noisily on a bottle.

The stallion’s first reaction was to lie; he wanted to assure her everything was fine. Instead, a grimace worked its way into his expression. “No. I’m afraid it isn’t.”


***


“He deserved to know,” Luna spoke through a mouthful of toast.

“I know, sister, I’m simply afraid of how he will react,” Celestia knew exactly how the stallion would react. Of all the missions she knew he had ever carried out, it was always the ones involving children that he had the most trouble with. “I worry that Twilight and the elements aren’t quite ready for the level of brutality this will all no doubt reveal to them.”

“They would’ve learned of it sooner or later. They’re too vital to Equestria for it to have been any other way, sister,” Luna refocused on her breakfast while Celestia lapsed into an uneasy silence.


***


Barrier double-checked all of his provisions. Unlike his usual trips to Canterlot, he was entirely decked out: his sword, a simple iron shield each hung from his side, laying over a pair of lightly packed saddlebags, containing a scarf, goggles, and boots. He had packed less than fifteen minutes after receiving the letter, explaining to Octavia as he went.

“I’ve gotta go to Canterlot, something’s come up.”

“What do you mean something’s come up?” The mare followed him towards their shared bedroom.

“Have you ever heard of the Crystal Empire?” He fell silent for a brief moment before explaining, “Not long after I made Captain of the Guard, a unicorn went mad,” His mind briefly conjured up images of a black-coated unicorn, “turned to dark magic, and enslaved the place,” He stopped briefly. “He killed a lot of ponies. Thousands. Anyways, a contingent of guards and the princesses went to confront him, myself amongst them. The princesses fought him, and when he started to lose, he cursed the place or something. Disappeared. The only reason I didn’t go with it was because I was right next to the princesses fighting him. As soon as they figured out what he was doing, all three of us teleported out of the empire,” He dropped the saddlebags on his back, followed by his shield and sword.

“That’s awful, but I don’t understand, why do you have to go?”

Barrier, adjusting his sword and shield, smiled at the mare sadly. “The princess is sending Twilight and her friends. I know Sombra,” do I ever... “and Twilight and her friends aren’t ready for that.”

Octavia frowned knowingly and stood in front of the door, blocking the stallion’s way out. “I know you, Barrier. There’s more to it than that,” The mare briefly thought back to his concealed rage moments prior, “I won’t ask you to stay, it’s clear to me that this is a very big deal for you, but I deserve to know why you’re going to leave myself and your foal behind, especially if there’s any chance you won’t come back,” The mare wore a hard expression, locking eyes with him.

Barrier, like always, was unable to break the mare’s gaze. With a defeated sigh he began, “You’re not wrong. It’s probably about as personal as it can be,” A humourless chuckle escaped the unicorn as he ran over various thoughts. “Hat Trick, pegasus, eighteen years old. His cutie-mark was a magician’s hat, he got it for his talent in sleight-of-hoof,” The stallion trotted over to the edge of the bed and sat down before continuing, “Swiftsword, unicorn, two crossed swords. She got her cutie-mark because of talent with blades. Iron Forge, Winter Gem, Verdant Range,” the stallion fell silent. “I remember the name of every guard that Sombra killed,” He tapped his temple, “The ones I named were all little more than kids. They were all cadets and not a single one of them was over twenty,” His voice grew hard. “Fleetfeather was in charge of the final leg of their training. They went to the Crystal Empire for cold-weather survival training. She took one of their kids with her, Wind Whistler.”

Octavia’s eyes widened slightly at the name; Barrier had mentioned her on more than one occasion; she had been Flash Sentry’s - the old Flash Sentry - wife.

“Flash never blamed me for it, but I sure as hell did,” Another humourless chuckle.

“There was no way you could have known, Barrier,” Octavia was quick to say, though Barrier shrugged the statement off.

“I know, but that doesn’t make me feel any less responsible, Tavi. I think what hurts the most is that I knew Sombra before he snapped. The bastard was one of my teachers. Always felt like I should have seen this coming,” He stood up from the bed once more. “In any case, that’s my reasoning for this. I already lost family to him once, I’ll not risk losing Twilight to him.”

Octavia sighed, nodded, and stepped aside, allowing the stallion to pass. “Very well, Barrier, but you’d better come home to us. As I said before, I’ll not raise a foal on my own.”


***


“Barrier?” Twilight waved a hoof in front of the stallion’s face, uncertain about his slightly glossed over appearance. Octavia had mentioned them to her before; apparently it meant he was in deep-thought. 


***


“Nervous?” Barrier stood next to the dark-green earth pony, watching Fleetfeather and Wind Whistler say goodbye to their husband and father.

The stallion turned to see who had spoken to him and immediately snapped to attention, throwing a salute.

“Relax,” Magic Barrier chuckled slightly.

“Sorry sir.”

“So, nervous about the survival training?”

The stallion seemed hesitant to answer, though the stall told Barrier all he needed to know.

“Why the career change, Verdant?” The captain asked as he watched Flash and his family.

“Sir?” The stallion glanced up uncertainly.

“Your file says you were a gardener before joining. Gardener to guard is quite a career shift.”

The stallion opened his mouth to reply, only for Magic Barrier to cut him off with a hoof. “What’s the real reason, not the crap recruits give their drill sergeants.”

The earth-pony closed his mouth for a brief moment before sighing. “I figured it’d be better to live in the guard barracks than a tool-shed.”

It wasn’t uncommon that a pony would join the guard to try and make a living; it was one the few jobs that was always in demand.


***


“Barrier!”

The unicorn shot off the bench and glanced around him for a moment before he realized that his entire body was tensed up and his horn was humming slightly with magic.

“Barrier, are you okay?” Twilight asked uncertainly, her eyes as well as the other elements’ all on him.

Taking a deep breath, Barrier sat back down on the bench. “I’m fine, just nervous.”

“So, you were there when this Crystal Empire disappeared, right?”

Barrier glanced briefly at Rainbow Dash and shook his head.

Twilight had asked Barrier several questions regarding the empire and what he knew of it, but he had been as tight-lipped then as he was now, only telling them to be careful and that it was going to be dangerous.

“Come on, it’d be a lot less dangerous if we knew what we were walkin’ into!” Rainbow Dash argued, pushing herself off of her bench with a few flaps of her wings.

“You’re dealing with a mass-murderer,” He bluntly stated, causing the mares’ expressions to widen. “And if it were up to me, none of you would be on this train.”

“Hey we can handle whatever this Sombra guy throws at us!” Rainbow Dash punctuated each statement with a jab of her hoof.

The stallion snorted in annoyance but didn’t comment.

“And why shouldn’t we be here?” Twilight finally asked. “We represent the elements of harmony, the most powerful artifacts in Equestria.”

“Because you all grew up in a very different time,” Barrier’s expression bore hard into the mares, especially Rainbow Dash, who he was focused on. “Sombra isn’t like Nightmare Moon or Discord. If he has any inkling that you girls are a threat to him, he’ll do everything he can to kill you without hesitation.”

None of the girls said anything, with the exception of Fluttershy who only curled up into a small ball.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for you and your friends, Twilight, but Celestia is out of her mind sending teenagers to deal with the second biggest mass-murderer in Equestrian history. Unlike Luna, with Nightmare Moon, Sombra enjoys what he did. There’s no second conscience trying to hold him back from committing atrocities. Make no mistake, if you give him a chance, he’ll kill you and your friends,” Barrier trotted out of the cabin as the train slowly ground to a halt, the screeching wheels indicating they had arrived.


***


“Come on, we’d better get moving,” Shining Armor had met them at the train station. “There are things we really don’t want to run into after dark.”

The group quickly trotted off after Shining Armor. Barrier vaguely registered Twilight and Shining Armor talking to each other. Instead, he focused on his surroundings, his horn glowing slightly as he tasted the magic around them. After a particularly dark spike, he yelled out over the storm.

“We need to get to the Crystal Empire, now!”

Shining turned back and opened his mouth only for a deep horn-like sound to ring out vaguely in the distance. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak only for a mass of shadow to make its appearance behind them.

“Run!” Shining shouted out causing all six mares to sprint forward, Shining Armor following suit.

“Spike!” Twilight voice called out from a distance.

Breaking his staring contest with the ominous green eyes, Barrier realized that Spike was still behind him, shaking in fear. Giving the black cloud a backwards glance, he swore under his breath and sprinted, tossing Spike up onto his back with his head.

“Come on, we’re almost there!” The white stallion in the lead called out, racing towards a dome in the distance.

With a toss of his back, Magic Barrier sent Spike flying forward and through the shield, as he slid to a stop just outside of it. He could make out the elements and Shining Armor on the other side.

Almost casually, Barrier’s horn flared to life, pulling a thin leather tube and a pair of rocks from his saddlebags. With a short burst of magic, he launched the three objects into the black cloud, which shifted slightly to avoid them. Rather than fly past, the objects followed the mass of smoke, the leather tube uncorking in the process and spilling a thin clear fluid out of the tip. With a sharp clack, the stones rubbed against each other and the liquid caught fire, racing back into the tube, followed by a deafening explosion and a magical bubble wrapping itself around the cloud of smoke and the explosion; the explosion itself was dwarfed by the otherworldly shriek that tore apart the air and drew the attention of the mares on the other side of the bubble.

As the fire died down in the bubble, starved of oxygen, Barrier let the shield fail. Rather than the cloud of smoke, a lump of flesh fell out, making a soft thud as it impacted the snow, rolling to a standing position.

Barrier wasted no time stalking cautiously towards the lump, a black unicorn with a curved red horn. “You know, after a thousand years, I’d given up on ever getting the opportunity to kill you.”

Sombra, having regained himself, stalked sideways, eyes focused on the pony that had forced him out of his gaseous form.

“It sounds like you have a grudge,” Sombra’s voice was just as deep and foreboding as Magic Barrier remembered. “So, who was it? Your friends, your family, your lover?” A sneer worked its way onto the king’s muzzle as the two ponies began to circle each other.

“Five cadets,” Barrier hissed, “You killed five of my cadets and one of my sergeants and best friends,” Barrier’s horn lit up, a thin layer of magic settling over it.

“Guards?’ Sombra snorted in amusement. “I killed hundreds of guards, what makes yours so special?” Likewise, Sombra’s own horn ignited.

“They were foals!” A second layer of magic worked its way across his horn, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

“That doesn’t aid my recollection at all. I killed dozens of foals! I remember this one little filly,” Sombra gave a fanged grin. “Pink mane, blue coat. The way she wailed when I plunged my horn into her mother...it was del-” Sombra was silenced as his head snapped to the side. Sombra, as well as the elements and Shining Armor all stared wide-eyed at the spectacle.

Shining had seen a lot of sides of Magic Barrier over the last two years, but he’d never seen the expression of pure hatred the stallion now had. “Girls, we need to get to the castle.”

“What are you talkin’ about?! We can’t leave Magic Barrier out there with him!” Rainbow Dash was the first to respond, still trying and failing to leave the shield that surrounded the city.

“I gotta agree with Rainbow Dash, we can’t just leave ’im!” Applejack was the second to speak up. Rarity opened her mouth to speak as well, though Twilight cut her off.

“He’s right, girls, right now Cadance needs us. Barrier will be fine. I don’t think he’d listen to us right now anyways…” Giving the stallion one last glance, Twilight nodded at her brother and galloped off towards the city in the distance, five mares hesitantly following behind her.

Moments after Barrier had lashed out and their audience had left, Sombra had lashed back, throwing an immense bolt of magic at his aggressor only for him to disappear in a burst of magic and reappear right in front of his face. Unlike most unicorns Barrier went toe-to-toe with, Sombra’s horn didn’t light up; instead, he lashed out with a hoof, which Barrier caught and redirected before throwing one of his own, which Sombra caught and redirected, followed by immediately ducking as Barrier’s blade flew through the space his skull had previously occupied. Opening his mouth to call out a taunt, the shield once again slammed home in his jaw, snapping his head to the side; in the same movement, Barrier jerked around and threw his hind-legs out in a hard buck, sending Sombra bouncing across the snowy ground and towards the city-shield. Rather than crash into the shield as Barrier had planned, the shield faltered and Sombra slid right through.

Sombra adopted an expression of surprise as he realized that he was inside the crystal empire. With an unnecessary flourish, his horn lit up as he prepared a teleportation spell. As his magic erupted, Magic Barrier crashed into him, the pair of them disappearing in a flash of black energy.


***


“I hope Cadance is okay! She’s the one keeping the shield active right now!” Shining Armor slid to a halt with Twilight as a pair of black unicorns materialized in front of them; a notable distance behind were five more mares, all rushing to catch up.

Though slightly disoriented, Barrier kept sprinting forward; he could feel Sombra in front of him, equally disoriented and with far worse traction than himself. With a grunt, Barrier slammed Sombra into the side of one of the houses, causing a long crack to run up the side. Barrier only slightly lamented that he’d lost his sword and shield in the teleport. With a heave of effort, he hauled Sombra up in his forehooves and stood upright, leaning against Sombra and the house. With his free hoof, Barrier began to deliver a multitude of blows, near-blindly flailing on the stallion.

“Barrier stop, you’re going to kill him!” A familiar voice called out.

“That’s the fucking point!” Barrier yelled out. The brief second of downtime as he replied was all Sombra needed for his horn to flare to life and his body to coalesce into smoke, causing Barrier’s hoof to pass through the space he had previously occupied and send another impressive crack through the building. Jerking around, Barrier watched the smoke circle around him. Eyes widening, he clamped a hoof over his nostrils and clenched his jaw tightly. With a flare of his horn, a large shield surrounded both him and the smoke. Calmly levitating two more leather tubes and four pieces of flint, Barrier smiled at the glowing green eyes of the king, which when he realized what was happening, began to thrash violently at the shield. “Let’s stress-test your dark magic, Sombra,” Wrapping one tube and two flint in a bubble and throwing the other at the gaseous form of Sombra, Barrier struck the flint together, causing the space inside the bubble to fill with flame and smoke.

“Twilight, what happened?” Rainbow Dash was the first to reach the stricken mare as smoke rolled away from where the shield had been. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“Twi, are you okay?” Applejack was the next to reach them. “We tri-” she was cut off as another bubble flared to life and another explosion rocked the ground. The physical form of Sombra, charred and smoldering went bouncing away from the force of the explosion while Barrier, still wrapped in a thin shield flew the opposite way, impacting and entering the building he had struck moments prior; almost immediately the sound of breaking glass rang out, followed by the building collapsing.


***


Twilight and the girls looked up from the piles of crystals they were trying to move, desperately searching for the body of Magic Barrier when they heard the sound of a pop and the distinct smell of teleportation.

Magic Barrier, while rough, was in better shape than the badly burned and unconscious form of Sombra. Blood poured freely down a gash in his right hind-leg, and the left hind-leg was obviously broken. His saddlebags appeared to have vanished, and most of his naturally dark coat was even darker, blood oozing from a dozen smaller scratches across his body. With a grunt, he dragged his limp hind-leg behind him as he limped towards Sombra and Shining Armor.

“Shining, grab me a flat rock...crystal, whatever the tartarus that building was made out of, and a heavy one.”

Shining looked at him uncertainly before moving to obey.

“I should kill you,” Barrier muttered to himself as he took the king’s black mane in his teeth and lazily drug him towards the ruined building, where Shining was searching for suitable crystals.

Making to light up his horn, Barrier hissed in pain, having not noticed the thin crack running down its length. “One thing after a fuckin’ ‘nother…” he muttered as Shining sat both rocks down near him. With a heave, he drug Sombra to the rocks and propped the tip of his horn up on it. Carefully putting weight on his broken hoof, Barrier carefully balanced on his two-and-a-half legs as he picked the second crystal up with a hoof.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to close it when she remembered what had happened the last time she stopped the stallion.

Blinking back the blurry vision, he dropped the rock and let gravity do the rest. With a sickening snap and a hiss, the former king’s horn snapped in two, a thin black smoke rolling out of the severed horn. “Shining, make damn sure that horn gets to Princess Celestia and Princess Celestia only,” He turned his glance to the crystal palace. “And has anypony told Cadance what’s going on?”


***


“But you don’t understand, I failed!” Barrier blinked as he returned to the waking world. Glancing out of a nearby window, he’d only been asleep for a couple of hours.

“I was supposed to protect the empire, but I couldn’t do anything…Barrier had to do it…”

“I didn’t do anything of the sort.” The unicorn in question struggled upright, body protesting in pain. As was the norm, he was once more covered from hoof-to-horn in bandages. “All I did was eliminate Sombra as a threat. It’s up to you ponies to figure out how to prevent the blizzard from turning this place into a popsicle. In the meantime, I’ve got a couple more things to take care of,” Barrier limped towards the throne-room doors, dragging his splinted leg behind him.

Shining glanced at Cadance uncertainly, asking a silent question to which the mare nodded. He was quick to follow Magic Barrier out of the throne room.

“Man, Octavia is going to kick your flank.”

“Better she kicks it than ride it, judging by how you were walking last Thursday,” Barrier smirked slightly as Shining’s white coat turned pink and his tail moved to cover his flank.

“So where are we going?” Shining asked as the blush faded.

“To the dungeons. I know you guys tied Sombra up and threw him in a room with Applejack, but I’ll wager you guys forgot about the ponies Sombra kept locked up.”

Shining’s eyes widened, confirming Barrier’s suspicions. “It’s a long-shot, but I wanna be certain nopony is down there a moment longer than they have to be,” As he spoke, the pair descended a long spiral staircase, Barrier stopping at the end just long enough to grab an iron key ring and pass it to Shining Armor.

“Go on, I’ll catch up,” Barrier waved the unicorn ahead, sighing and carefully sitting down on his haunches. Shining wasn’t wrong; Octavia was going to kick his ass. He hadn’t been this messed up since the Nightmare Moon fiasco.

After a moment to catch his breath, Barrier struggled upright once more and followed his grandson down the dilapidated hallway, occasionally glancing at either empty cells, or a cell with a corpse in it, and on occasion, multiple corpses. He noticed Shining stop at a cell a short distance away and give it a long hard look before levitating the key-ring in his magic.

“Hold on, I’ll find the right key…” Shining Armor was speaking to somepony in the cell as he tried individual keys. As Barrier limped into view, he glanced in the cell and smiled slightly. 

“Wanna go back to your tool-shed yet, kid?”

In the cell sat a haggard green earth pony with three raindrops on his flank and tired blue eyes. “To be honest sir, I’d like to request some leave. Maybe a long vacation to Rainbow Falls,” was the weary reply, causing Magic Barrier’s smile to broaden slightly.

“I’ll see what I can do,” He couldn’t help but laugh slightly before he turned to Shining Armor, “I’ll check the rest of the cells, Shiny,” Barrier nodded briefly towards the earth pony - Verdant Range, he remembered - and limped on down the corridor, carefully eyeing each cell. “Hello? Anypony in there?” He had stopped at the final cell. He thought he saw something huddled and shivering under a bed. “Hello? My name’s Magic Barrier, Captain of the Royal Guard, is there anypony in there?” At the mention of his name, a gasp met his ears and a young filly rushed out from under the bed and towards the bars.

Barrier’s expression - previously a slight smile - blossomed into a full grin, followed by feeling like his heart had just stopped in his chest. “Shiny, I need those keys!” He turned and glanced down the hallway at Shining Armor, who had finally succeeded in freeing Verdant Range.

“I’m coming,” the stallion called out, quickly trotting down the hall, the earth-pony following behind him.

“How’re you feelin’ kiddo?” Barrier crouched down next to the cell, reaching a hoof into it, which the filly quickly grabbed and almost immediately began to sob into. Whether they were tears of joy, sadness, or both, he was uncertain.


***


“Right, introductions.” Barrier limped towards the throne-room with Verdant and Shining in tow, and a small blue filly asleep on his back, pink mane contrasting his white bandages. “Shining Armor, this is cadet Verdant Range.”

“Actually sir,” The weary earth-pony interrupted. “It’s private Verdant Range now. Sergeant Fleetfeather had all of us field commissioned when Sombra attacked.” 

“Ah, thanks kiddo. I’ll be sure to note that. Anyway, Private Verdant, this is Prince Consort Shining Armor, my grandson.”

Verdant stared at the pair in brief bewilderment before asking, “Was your foal born pregnant or…?”

Barrier chuckle-snorted in response. “Not quite. Truth is, just over one thousand years have passed since you were captured. During the fight with Sombra, he did something that caused the Crystal Empire to vanish. What’s been a couple of weeks for you was like...two years for me and a little over a thousand years for everypony else. I don’t know right, but there are…sciences and stuff that explain it. Ask my granddaughter, she’ll know,” The stallion took several steps ahead of the pair. “Now, before we do anything else, I think we should introduce you to Shining’s wife, Princess Heartbutt,” Barrier stated with as straight a face as the tired unicorn could manage.

“Barrier…” Shining began uncertainly, only to be cut off.

“Just give me this, Shining,” Barrier whispered; the white stallion sighed.

“Princess…Heartbutt…?” The skepticism was clear in Verdant’s voice.

“Princess Glutei a Forma di Cuore,” Barrier explained with an impressive accent, “is a little difficult for some ponies to say, and the closest translation we could comfortably get was Heartbutt. So,” Barrier threw the throne-room doors open, “Verdant Range, meet Princess Heartbutt,” The last line was spoken softly, but not strangely so.

Glancing at a trio of mares - Cadance, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy - discussing something, Verdant bowed respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you, Princess Heartbutt.”

Absolute silence engulfed the room for all of fifteen seconds until Barrier began dry-heaving with laughter; it hurt so good.


***


Barrier groaned out loud as he trotted through the halls; literally every part of him hurt right now. After spending a short while checking on Applejack and Sombra, as well as tracking down and forcing a magic-inhibitor on Sombra’s broken horn and only barely resisting the urge to kick him square in the jewels, Barrier found himself trotting hungrily towards the library, where Twilight and her friends had last been known to reside. He had intended to stop by the kitchen, but with Wind Whistler still asleep on his withers, he reasoned it would be more effective to wait until the filly awoke to eat. No doubt she was as starved as she was obviously sleep-deprived.

“Guess I missed them…” Barrier winced as a yawn forced its way out of him. The mares were nowhere to be found; looking out of a nearby window, he realized they were all helping to set-up and run the Crystal Faire. Limping towards the exit, Barrier began to mumble to himself, trying to figure out a contingency plan in case Twilight did fail, as well as to have a very long talk with Celestia regarding how she was treating his granddaughter; perhaps it was only him, but it felt like Twilight was being manipulated to Celestia’s whims, if the stories he’d heard from the elements were true. He couldn’t help but ask himself if it was really all that bad; it had certainly worked out in Twilight’s favor thus far, but…bah, he was too tired to contemplate it right now. As he ran over various plans in his mind, he felt a near-invisible force wash over him, filling him with joy, followed by a noticeable temperature shift. So much for the contingency, he smiled to himself and limped out, shifting his thoughts to how to safely transport King Sombra to Canterlot; ultimately, he decided a bound, gagged, and ring-horned Sombra would be fine.


***


“Pinkie promise you’ll write!”

Barrier lazily opened an eye and glanced at Twilight who was quickly scribbling something down on a piece of scrap paper, which she quickly shoved at Verdant Range before walking him through the motions of a pinkie-promise, ending with her jabbing herself in the eye.

“First come the letters,” Barrier commented as he limped tiredly past the pair. “and then come the bodily fluids,” He winked slyly at the pair as Twilight erupted into a full blush and made to swat at him Octavia-style before she stopped, realizing he was barely standing.

“Remember what I said, Verdant. You need anything, look me up in Manehattan,” The stallion waved a hoof casually, taking care to balance himself on two hooves before he climbed onto the train. “So, Twilight, you and Verdant…you know?” He flexed his eyebrows slightly.

“It’s not like that! He’s just a pen-pal!” Twilight blushed and stammered out an explanation. “He’ll be able to explain more about life one-thousand years ago, since he wasn’t a noble or anything!”

Barrier chuckled at the sudden near-desperate sounding explanations she rattled off. “Fine, fine. Just use protection. And uh, don’t get any ear infections,” Barrier trotted into his cabin, closing the door behind him before the mare could retort.

As he entered the cabin, his vision turned to black as a light-blue filly latched herself on to his face.

“I missed you too, Wind Whistler.”

The filly giggled and let go, flapping over to the bench. “So, where’re we going, Uncle Barrier? Can we go see daddy in Canterlot?”

Barrier frowned as he sat down on the bench; he wasn’t looking forward to this conversation. The filly had put up a strong front regarding the death of her mother, but this…it broke his heart just thinking about it.

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m not looking for a war,” Barrier punctuated the statement with a hard hoof to the cobblestone floor. “But the minotaurs are making a lot of weapons, diamond dogs are gathering in their capital, and a number of changeling hives are consorting with each other.”

“Not that we don’t trust you,” Princess Luna spoke up, “but where are you getting this information?”

Barrier bit his lip and glanced around the room. “A good friend of mine - rather attractive pegasus, that one - has contacts and resources in just about every country. Even before I asked him about it, he was already tracking the developments in question.”

“And this stallion’s name…?” An armor-clad pegasus trailed off, glancing expectantly at Barrier.

“Is not mine to give. I’ll talk to him and ask him to come forward, but until then, consider him a black asset. Anyways,” Barrier shifted subjects, “we need to reinforce the entire east-coast of Equestria. If anything does happen, it’ll start from somewhere along there.”

“The minotaurs would take that it an act of aggression if we suddenly started mobilizing our navy,” The same pegasus spoke up.

“We have every right to defend our borders Captain Star. Should they raise it as an issue, we will deal with it.” Luna stated firmly.

“Princess Celestia wouldn’t approve of this. Shouldn’t she be present at this meeting?” The pegasus yet again.

“Our sister hath given us control over the Equestrian military, so long as she is kept briefed on happenings,” Luna said hotly. “If you take issue with it, feel free to bring it up in day-court. I’m certain my sister would love for you to question her choices and mine own, Captain.”

Barrier pressed a hoof to his temple wearily as the stallion glared at the princess. The sub-captain had been a problem ever since he was reinstated. Apparently, he had been in line for the promotion after Shining Armor’s wedding to the Branch-Captain for the Equestrian Royal Army and Guard and he wasn’t terribly happy about Barrier taking what he saw as his job. Mentally, he made a note to have his friends keep close watch on the pony. He didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him.

Trying to rub the headache out of his head, Barrier gave the clock on the wall a glance. Fifteen more minutes until he got to go home. The week had been busy, having daily meetings with the advisors and Princess of the Night. Tomorrow, it all came to a head and they would decide on which measures to pass. Barrier was fairly certain he would be getting his way; he and Luna agreed way too much.


***


“I’ve gottit…” Barrier mumbled out as he rolled off of the bed, hitting the floor with a thunk, his ears picking up a garbled crying as his brain flared to life. Pulling himself upright with a heave, he trotted over towards the crib and leaned a single hoof in, pulling out a small bundle of blankets and fur. “Come on,” Barrier held the bundle neatly in the crook of a hoof as he limped into the kitchen, bottle floating in the dim aura of his magic. Sitting the bundle on the counter, he quickly sat about rinsing the bottle out and filling it with milk from the fridge.

The bundle of blankets contained a unicorn filly, a small horn poking out of her forehead, a dark-grey, borderline-black coat with a dark-grey mane like her mother’s, only shot through with a multitude of blue streaks. Most notable were the large beady eyes of the foal, one being a deep amethyst, like her mother’s, while the other had the icy-blue of her father. A heterochromia, the doctors called it.

“Here we are…” Barrier yawned as he lifted the filly in hoof once more and placed the bottle to her mouth which she began to drain with a vengeance.

“Come on, back to bed,” Barrier yawned and limped his way back to the bedroom, foal and bottle in hoof. Carefully laying the foal back in the crib, Barrier all but fell back into the bed, asleep again before he hit the pillow.


***


Barrier and Octavia both silently sipped their coffee while their foal giggled cutely in her high-chair. With a cute giggle and a flare of her horn, she disappeared in a pop of magic.

His expression unchanging, Barrier mentally followed the trail of magic from the instant it happened and held a hoof out, the foal popping into existence a split second later. Melodic Sparkle, as they had named her, was most certainly a Sparkle-family unicorn.

With a tired yawn, Barrier levitated the last of his coffee out of his cup and directly into his mouth, forgoing the cup, glancing sideways at the fourth member of their family as he did so. Much like himself and Octavia, and unlike the foal, Wind Whistler - the pink-maned, blue pegasus, with tired red eyes - was not a morning pony either, her expression dull and breakfast untouched.

“What time is the chariot due today?” Octavia asked in a sleepy voice as she also drained the last of her coffee.

Glancing briefly at the clock, Barrier yawned. “Got about three and a half hours. Any mail?” Another yawn.

“Letters from Twilight and Verdant Range,” Octavia slid a pair of envelopes across the table.

Flaring his horn, he first tore open Verdant Range’s letter, eating as he read to himself,



Dear Captain Magic Barrier,

I’ve got to admit, it’s been quite the adjustment, but I’ve got to say, I think I’m going to be alright. It was really something meeting Princess Celestia and Luna in person when they visited the empire. They were really kind when they told me about my owed back pay. Thanks to them, I’ve gone from having nothing to having nearly eighteen million bits! I’m also guessing Celestia will have plenty of food from Equestria to give to the crystal ponies, judging by how corpulent her rump has become in the past thousand plus years.
I’m forever grateful to Princess Cadance for allowing me to stay in the servants’ quarters in the palace until I got my money…as well as not throwing me back in the dungeon for that Heartbutt prank you pulled on me.
Once I got my bits, I left the empire and got myself a nice little place in Vanhoover. It’s a small little place with a yard for my new pet hen. I’ve decided to name her after what must be the greatest thing invented in the time I was gone; her name is Pizza.
I’ve met several great ponies since I’ve moved here, like my neighbours, Aqua Shine and Dapper Grey, as well as Dr. Sound Mind. She’s really helped me deal with… what I’ve seen.
I just sent a letter to Twilight with my new address. She and I became fast friends while searching through that library. She’s a fantastic and gorgeous brilliant mare. She really likes to ask me about stuff that happened back in our time instead of the library’s books, and I swear, it was next to impossible to tell what was historically accurate and what was just the result of the writer chugging witch weed with stuff like, “and thus the twinkle-eyed ponies - ponies that had blindness-curing gems jammed into their eyes - overthrew the evil penguin king, Charlatan, claiming that land as theirs and forming what we now know as the Crystal Empire.” 
Anyhow, back to Twilight. She introduced me to a sci-fi series called Star Trot. It’s pretty good, even if Captain Pathway’s a complete psycho. 
Anyway, I’m starting to ramble. The point is, I think the future’s looking pretty damn bright. 
- Former Private, Verdant Range.



Barrier smiled between bites of breakfast and carefully folded the letter up, replacing it in its envelope. Next, he tore Twilight’s letter open, settling in to read that one as well.


***


Barrier had agreed to the position as Captain of the Royal Guard when Shining Armor stepped down, stating the princess would need to help him find an effective way to commute to and from Canterlot. Ultimately, she had decided on arranging chariot transport for him to and from Canterlot, so long as he paid for it out of his check. It was still a long commute, but if he kept on top of his paperwork he could get away with only a couple of trips to Canterlot per month, and do the rest of his work from the Manehattan guard barracks. In the year-and-a-half since he had proposed to Octavia and become Captain of the Guard, he had implemented dozens of reforms and begun the process of completely reworking the guard. The attack on Canterlot had been a blessing, in its own way, making it clear to Celestia that her guards - her military - was useless and that she herself had grown soft over her thousand-years peace.


***


“Barrier, Flash Sentry is here!”

Killing the flow of water, Barrier dried himself with a flare of magic and quickly ran a brush over his mane and tail, making himself presentable as he trotted into his bedroom, giving a picture on his nightstand a quick glance; it was a full-body picture of Octavia from their wedding day.

Octavia had an exquisite white and violet dress on. In addition, there was simple black-lace trim and elaborate white embroideries. Towards the back, a trio of flowing skirts overlapped in three separate tiers, reminiscent of flower petals. It was clearly custom tailored to accentuate the mare’s eye, mane, and coat colors immaculately. The smile on the mare’s face was something that Barrier looked forward to waking up to every morning for the rest of his life.

“Barrier, Shining Armor and Cadance are here as well, hurry up!” Octavia’s voice called out once more.

“Coming!” He yelled out in response, grabbing his armor out of the closet and trotting out into the living room, only stopping in the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

“Have you two tried anal yet?”

Those were the first words Barrier heard as he trotted into the living room, and he heard them just in time to gag and spit out a mouthful of water, drenching the poor Flash Sentry, who had been standing by the door. It was moments like this that made him glad Wind Whistler was in school.

“Shining loves it! Sure, it may be a bit sore afterwards, but it’s just so much fun!”

“Cady…” Shining shifted uncomfortably in place, his tail shifting to cover his flanks a bit more.

Barrier chuckled slightly as he recovered from his coughing fit. Octavia was an attractive shade of red on the couch and muttered something inaudible. Barrier wasn’t quite sure why, but he was really looking forward to his birthday.

“So, any ear infections lately, Captain?” Shining asked with a slight grin, turning to his grandfather.

“Careful, butt-boy,” Barrier sipped his water, “else I’ll have to give Cadance The Breaker.”

The stallion paled; Barrier grinned.

The Breaker had become a joke of sorts between the pair. Barrier had found it on display at a rather risque shop and he had purchased it.  Eight inches wide, thirty-five inches long; It was the epitome of terrifying, all in the pleasant form of hard rubber.

Barrier, deciding to give the unicorn a break shifted the subject. “So, Shiny, ready for the Crystal Empire to get more guards?”

“Yeah I am. The Crystal Ponies are great but they’re still trying to recover from one-thousand years. It’ll be great to have some other capable ponies to help get them sorted out.”

“I still don’t see why we need the guards though,” Cadance pitched in, “We defeated the changelings after they ambushed and nearly overran our capital. How does that make us look weak?” Cadance asked.

“We didn’t defeat anything. We got lucky that you and Shining were able to drive them out the way you did. In the eyes of the world, we won by a stroke of dumb luck. We won because the changelings were repelled by the physical manifestation of your love, not because of our military. I doubt the minotaurs or diamond dogs will be as biologically inclined as the changelings. Plus the minotaurs aren’t going to be too happy about the Crystal Empire. To them we've gotten not only an Alicorn in the form of Princess Luna but an entirely new branch of resources in the form of the Crystal Empire. They'll feel threatened, even if they have no reason for it.”

Silence fell over the ponies, broken only by the occasional giggle from the foal. “In any case, we should probably be heading out soon. One way or another, everything changes today,” Barrier quickly pecked Octavia on the lips before the four of them departed.

Life wasn’t perfect - but it was close enough.



> Bonus Chapter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!”

Barrier and Octavia groaned simultaneously as the enthusiastic blue-and-pink filly bounced up and down on the pair.

“Come on, it’s already seven o’clock!” The filly whined, tucking her legs in as she plopped onto the bed.

Barrier’s eyes drifted hazily towards the clock on his bedside table. Flash had six of these…friggin’ masochist… Sure enough the clock read seven o’clock on the dot, which considering the filly had been bouncing up and down for at least two minutes meant that she’d probably planned that last statement out.

“We’re up…” Octavia groaned out, rolling off of the bed and hitting the floor with a muted thud, followed by a contented groan at the feeling of the cool carpet.

Wind Whistler jumped up again, speaking as she went, “Come on Uncle Barrier, getu~” she squeaked cutely as Barrier’s horn lit up and she began to float lazily in the air, finding herself upside-down and eye to eye with her godfather.

“Happy birthday kiddo,” Barrier stated with a quick nuzzle and a yawn as he used his magic to toss her into the air before, with a giggle, she impacted the soft bed once more.


***


Barrier couldn’t help but groan in satisfaction as the warm water rolled over his withers, his magic doing the work of lathering his coat and mane up, eyes shut in contentment. Lost in his own world, the charcoal-coated stallion gave no thought when a mare’s voice spoke out to him,

“Hey, can you pass me the soap?”

“Mm,” Barrier hummed in response, magic levitating the the soap to the pony besides him without a second thought, the silence reviving itself for nearly thirty seconds before Barrier’s brain kicked into first-gear; Octavia had left with Melodic and Wind Whistler to the train-station at nearly ten o’clock to greet Twilight and her friends. He was home alone. Eyes half-open, Barrier craned his neck around, taking in the thoroughly soaked form of his nightmares.

“You’ve got a really nice shower and Rarity would loooooove this brand of soap.” Pinkie chirped cheerfully,

…don’t question it, you know better… Barrier turned back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “When did you get here?” his voice was low and calm,

“I came last night. Had to make sure everything was ready for the birthday girl,” Pinkie replied surprisingly sedately. “Oh and Verdant’s about to ring the doorbell.”

No sooner than Pinkie had said that, the doorbell rang.

“The girls will be here a little later,”

Barrier didn’t respond, focusing his horn and opening the door for Verdant from within the bathroom.

“Hey, can you get my back? Sorta hard to reach,” Pinkie asked, shaking her hips slightly, not noticing how Barrier’s right eye twitched just slightly; nonetheless, Barrier’s horn lit up, firmly rubbing the shampoo along the younger mare’s back.

“You know,” Pinkie stated with a soft sigh of pleasure, her head carefully craning around to meet eyes with the stallion. “You look really good with a wet mane. You’re a total DILF.”

Barrier felt his eye twitch that time; a tic he’d developed since his time in modern Equestria. “I need to go check on Verdant. Knowing him, he’ll burn the house down.” As Barrier spoke, he stepped out of the shower, his body erupting into a warm steam as his magic eliminated the water in the coat and set to smoothing the sudden fluff. The sound of a crash in the kitchen found his eye twitching a final time before he disappeared with a pop of magic.


***


Barrier watched the green stallion shift awkwardly. The stallion had somehow gotten himself wedged between the sink and the cabinets directly above it. A simple plastic cup was resting idle on the ground, along with a number of pots and pans.

“Okay, I get the pots and pans,” Barrier started, mentally facehoofing, “but how in the name of everliving Tartarus did you get wedged in my sink?”

Verdant grumbled out in response, his muzzle buried between the wall and cabinet.

“Know what, nevermind. I just took a shower with Pinkie Pie, I don’t even care.” Gripping Verdant by the tail, Barrier tugged sharply, causing the stallion to fall from the counter with a louder-than-necessary crash as he scattered the pots and pans even further.

“The glass was really high up! I had to stand on the counter to reach it…” Verdant trailed off and followed Barrier’s gaze to the lower shelf and the neatly organized rows of glasses, “…and I now see that there are glasses on the lower shelf…shit…”

Barrier only shook his head in a mixture of exasperation and amusement as his magic set about replacing the fallen dishes to their respective spots.

“So, you said something about a shower with Pinkie Pie? Isn’t she over a decade younger than you? I didn’t know you and Octavia were into younger mares.”

Barrier’s eye twitched again, causing the stallion to take a long, drawn out breath and slow exhaling.

Verdant, unlike most ponies, noticed the tic and chuckled nervously, “So uh…plastic cups, huh?” He gestured to his hard-earned reward, “Not sure if I’ll ever get used to that stuff.”

“You’re early. Thought you were coming in on the train?” Barrier asked, eyes following the cotton-candy pony that proceeded to bounce out of his bathroom as he made his way towards the couch.

“I did, but the train ended up ahead of schedule so I got here early.” Verdant trailed off for a moment before asking, “So…is Twilight Sparkle going to be here today?”

This day went from great to a pain in the flank all in the span of ten minutes, “You damn earth ponies are going to drive me insane.” Barrier sighed, plopping down lazily onto the couch.

“So, what’s got you so bothered?” Verdant asked as he sat down in a chair across from the unicorn.

“Pinkie in my shower.” Barrier deadpanned, eyes checking over the back of the couch, nervous about the apparent lack of party-pony.

“Ah,” Verdant replied with a chuckle, “So…” he started slowly, “Twilight?”

“She’ll be here, along with her friends and their little sisters.” Barrier felt a chill work it’s way down his spine.

“Ah, I remember having sisters…” Verdant smiled sadly, “I miss them daily, all six of them…”

“I know the feelin’, Verd.” Barrier sighed out, thoughts drifting back to the ponies he often thought about on a daily basis.

“The girls are here~!” Pinkie sing-squealed, suddenly popping up behind the couch and bouncing towards the door with an envious amount of energy.

“Well,” Verdant stated with a sudden shift of tone, “Let’s give this little filly the best birthday ever!” Verdant jumped up with an equally envious amount of energy.

“Mm, that’s the least I can do,” Barrier stated sedately, thoughts drifting back to Flash Sentry with a sad smile as he rolled lazily from the couch and turned towards the door, silently wishing he’d been able to finish his shower.

"Cutie-Mark Crusader Party Goers!"

Barrier felt a familiar chill run down his spine as his fight-or-flight instincts attempted to rear their head. “Faust and Zacherle, let us survive this day…”


***


“Aqua Shine talked me out of getting her a can-opener, so I got her a copy of the book that I used to learn how to read modern Equestrian,” Verdant motioned to the book that was neatly stacked with the other opened gifts,

“Shoobee-Doo and the Witch Trio’s Ghosts...” Barrier read the title out loud. “I’ve a feeling your copy of this book is fated to a gruesome end.”

“I figure she’ll love it,” Verdant paid Barrier’s latter comment no mind. “It’s about a seapony in a fishbowl that travels around on a skateboard and solves mysteries.”

“…that sounds incredibly asinine.”

“Well, it’s popular enough that it’s getting a film adaptation next year,” Verdant stated with a grin, “Can’t wait.”

Barrier didn’t bother responding, eyes instead drifting over the various other gifts Wind Whistler had received and was still opening. She’d made one hell of a haul this year. Everything from a small keg of virgin apple cider to a Wonderbolts uniform that, courtesy of the material they used, would effectively grow with her, to a finely-crafted tin whistle courtesy of Rarity and Fluttershy.

“Everything okay, Captain?”

Barrier jumped slightly as a feathery appendage poked him in the back of the head and jerked around, meeting a pair of strong, orange eyes.

“Look like you’re depressed over here.” The golden mare took up position next to him, “thinking about Windy?”

“Just in awe of her,” Barrier shrugged, “she bounced back from everything so well. Sure, there are still problems here and there but…I dunno, guess I’m just worried about whether or not I’m not screwing up with it all. Keep asking myself what her dad would do or say about stuff.”

“Well, you just answered your own question.” Spitfire shook her head with a chuckle, “my dad always said the best parents are the ones that question themselves.”

Barrier didn’t reply, instead standing in silence next to the mare.

“So, where’s Melodic?” Spitfire asked, paying no attention to the green stallion on the other side of Barrier.

“She stayed at the babysitter’s last night. Octavia and I thought it best to dedicate this day to Windy as best we could. First birthday since she got back from the Empire after all.”

“Sir? Who is this mare?” Verdant finally asked, eyes going over Spitfire carefully, “She just came out of the sky.”

Barrier opened his mouth to reply but Spitfire beat him to it,

“Branch-Captain Spitfire of the Equestrian Air-Force and Barrier’s…” Spitfire met eyes with Barrier, her gaze going half-lidded, “close friend.”

Barrier only groaned in response and pressed a hoof to his face.

“And who are you?” Spitfire asked, loosing a brief chuckle at Barrier’s response,

Verdant threw a hoof up quickly, “Ma’am, former private Verdant Range of squad 982 of the Equestrian Royal Guard, ma’am,”

Spitfire chuckled, “At ease Verdant, it’s a party. No need to be so formal.”

“Ohmigosh!”

Barrier chuckled as a pair of pegasus ponies finally took notice of the brilliant, golden mare that had joined the party.

“Well Spitfire, looks like you’ve got something to take care of,” Barrier patted the mare on the withers with a chuckle, “Come on Verdant, let’s go see how Twilight and ‘Tavi are doing while Spitfire talks to her fans.”

Spitfire inwardly grimaced and outwardly grinned as an excited prismatic mare gave her an almost-creepy grin and an equally excited pink-maned filly gave her a far cuter grin. “I’ll get you back for this, Captain” Spitfire all but whispered, “just wait until everypony leaves for the night.” Spitfire turned back to greet the pair before Barrier could respond.

“I didn’t realize you and Octavia had such an open relationship,” Verdant grinned slyly.

“We don’t.” Barrier stated flatly, “but that aside, we need to talk, Verdant.” Barrier’s tone shifted towards the end, more akin to something similar to ‘Captain Barrier’ as Verdant had come to dub the shift.

“Uh, sir?” Verdant straightened up and began to trail just slightly behind the charcoal unicorn.

“I can tell you’re interested in my granddaughter.” Barrier began as he pressed through the backdoor and back into the house.

Verdant opened his mouth, only for a grey hoof to silence him,

“I’m not going to interfere, you’re both adults,” Verdant seemed to loosen up slightly at the statement, “but I think it goes without saying that if you hurt her in any way…well, you saw first-hand what kind of punishments I’ve doled out.”

“Yessir,” Verdant half-chuckled, “I remember when you arranged latrine duty for Hatty and Gem when they got caught rutting in the showers. You arranged for the mess to serve spicy food for the rest of the week.”

“Yup, and that was mild. Do you remember what happened when someone tried to hurt my family?” Barrier’s tone stayed flat and professional as Verdant paled; all of his squad had seen his interrogation of the griffin that had tried to strike at his wife and daughter, as well as how he had effectively bisected the griffin with raw magic, fueled by anger.

“It probably won’t be that extreme…” Barrier smiled slightly, “I like you too much for that, and I won’t give you shit if she’s equally at fault, but wrong her unjustly and I will break you. Are we clear?”

“Crystal, sir. I upset her or hurt her in anyway without a good cause and you’ll make me wish I was staring down Grimhilde LeGrande.” Verdant nodded with a resolve that honestly impressed the unicorn.

“Good.” Barrier stated levelly, “Now, do you know what a condom is?”

“A condom sir?” Verdant’s muzzle scrunched up slightly in concentration as he thought the question over, “I think there’s a griffin in my cooking class that lives in one.”

Barrier actually snorted in amusement. “Not a condo, a condom. It’s arguably a better invention than the can-opener.”

“Blasphemy!”

“No, trust me, you’re going to love this.” Barrier reassured, putting a hoof on the stallion’s withers as he started his explanation.


***


“Goodnight Barrier!” Twilight called out as she and Verdant walked away side-by-side. “I hope Wind Whistler liked her birthday party!”

“They both seem to get along rather well,” Octavia commented, “Do you think they’ll become a couple?” She turned to her husband.

“I can only hope so. I know Verdant will look after her.” At least he’d better… “So,” Barrier glanced up at the night sky, “what a day.”

Twilight and Verdant had been the last guests to leave, having decided to stay the night in the city for reasons Barrier could only guess at. The party had wound down nearly an hour ago, the children having all returned home and Wind Whistler being sound-asleep, the day having worn her out. 

Finally, time to rest… Barrier’s mind cheered out, the day having worn him out as well.

“So,” a scratchy voice reached his ears and images of a burnt-orange mane and a particularly interesting night flashed in the stallion’s mind. “I talked to ‘Tavi and she decided that I could take revenge for you throwing me to Rainbow Dash earlier. Even said she’d help me. Your flank?” Spitfire grinned, “It belongs to me for the night.”

Or not.
> Bonus Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Soon…” Barrier whispered softly as he gazed upon a stone obelisk, shuddering as the chill he felt slowly dissipated. The stallion departed the imposing stone structure in the center of the courtyard to search within the old castle’s walls.

Even as the stallion made his way up the stairwell, his mind went to work. 

This isn’t right. There was no obelisk in the castle courtyard. We were too busy for such a memorial…

“Man, the museum is gonna pay a fortune for this…”

Barrier’s ears twitched slightly, and his eyes narrowed. A treasure-hunter daring to steal from this war-torn castle? I’ll put an end to this thievery…

Even as Barrier slowed his pace and crouched forward with practiced movements, his mind continued to argue with him. 

This isn’t right. I never returned to the Everfree castle.

“I can’t believe it’s in such great condition…wonder what enchantments it has on it…”

Barrier’s eyes finally rested on the tan pegasus hunched over a blade  – his blade, he somehow knew –  carefully chipping away with a small, hoof-held chisel and brush.

My sword was never recovered. A dream, perhaps?

“Intruder!” Barrier bellowed with a heavy shout, “Intruder in the hall!”

The pegasus reacted almost instantly, yelping and swearing as her wings thrust her into the air and swung her around before she flapped them once more, driving herself backwards. No sooner than her hooves had touched the ground, she hunched forward and extended her wings, feathers splayed outward in what would be an intimidating display to anypony else.

Oh, she’s adorable. Barrier chuckled as he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I understand that it is natural to fan your wings out in an attempt to look intimidating,” as he spoke he strode forward as if lecturing somepony, “but of all the ponies you could choose to intimidate, I’m probably the one who will be least affected by it.” Eyes never leaving the pegasus, the unicorn trotted up to the item the mare had been fussing over. Set firmly in stone was a simple spatha. Thirty-seven inches of ancient iron, set firmly in a mahogany hilt.

“Are you out of your mind?” Daring suddenly screeched as the blade slid free of its prison.

I ask myself that same question sometimes, Barrier asked, absently noting that this was indeed his sword.

“You’ll damage it just yanking it out like that!” Daring hissed.

I never realized she was such a harpy…poor Verdant.

“I like to think I am aware of what my blade can handle. Even after one thousand years the princesses’ enchantments have clearly not failed.” The stallion admired the blade, carefully inspecting it in his magic.

“Your sword? That’s not yours! It belongs in a museum!” The pegasus prepared to launch herself forward, forelegs tensing.

“That would be a very poor decision, Madame…” Barrier trailed off, giving the mare a chance to introduce herself as the blade slid home in the scabbard mounted on his side, a series of runes flaring to life as it once again settled in its intended resting place.

“Hah! You don’t scare me, hornhead!” the mare stated confidently, her voice never wavering.

Look at the balls on this mare… Barrier thought to himself as he faced off with the pegasus.

In the span of several short seconds, Daring launched herself towards the stallion, wings flapping hard to grant her additional speed.

“You’re cute,” Barrier commented as his body lazily fell to the side, the tips of her feathers tickling his side as she narrowly missed him. With a deft hoof, Barrier drove a hoof hard into the underside of the mare’s wing, causing the wing to snap closed. The slick maneuver threw the mare into a spiral from which she quickly recovered, and after catching herself on the wall, she careened towards Barrier with the added momentum provided by all four of her legs. She’s quick.

Barrier bounced slightly, just enough to lift himself from the ground and turn himself into four-hundred some pounds of dead-weight for the pegasus to collide in to. With a muted thud, the pair collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Odd. That doesn’t seem like something I would do… It’s far too…carefree? Unprofessional? 

The stallion blinked as his vision began to blur before what little color remained shifted violently.


***


Barrier trailed a hoof carefully along the walls of the crystalline buildings he was staying close to, and his ears remained perked as they carefully listened for any sign of danger.

“Aaaaahhhhhh!”

Sounds like that bloodcurdling scream, perhaps. Throwing any pretense of stealth out the window, the charcoal stallion bolted towards the shout; the sight that met him was less-than-desireable and his horn flared to life in preparation.

Eyes narrowing, Barrier carefully took in the situation, his mind working overtime to try and reason out a plan.

Both Rarity and Spike were staring at the other element bearers in shock, as well as the four cloaked figures holding them at the points of varying small blades, save for Applejack, who had a firm hoof from another cloaked figure on her throat, almost daring her to try and move.

“Foul cur, you and your demon spawn shall surrender, lest you desire to see your compatriots’ blood spilt upon the crystalline soil!” the cloaked figure holding Rainbow Dash shouted out, pressing his blade closer to her neck.

That voice.... is that… 

“What is your answer, plump one?” a cloaked mare inquired, “Shall they meet their end in a dungeon long from now, or shall they depart for the Elysium immediately?”

This is impossible, they can’t be… Barrier’s vision began to blur once more, much to the stallion’s growing irritation.


***


Barrier’s vision cleared once more, his dream depositing him into… 

Oh for fuck’s sake…

Barrier tried to maintain balance as a tan-hoof drove him backwards through the bedroom door. When the stallion’s legs finally touched the bed, the tan pegasus drove her wings hard, lifting the stallion onto his hind-legs before toppling him onto the bed, setting the pair into a familiar position.

Focusing his gaze anywhere but on the the mare atop him, Barrier found his eyes settling on a small, hoof-sized Princess Luna watching him from the nightstand.

My word Barrier, what would your wife and benefitted friend say if they were aware of a wet-dream such as this?

Barrier’s eyes widened as tiny-Luna spoke to him with a clearly amused tone.

Princess Luna, thank Faust! Can you wake me up from this nightmare?

Mini-Luna didn’t reply but instead stood stock-still like a small statuette.

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve needed this,” the tan pegasus spoke in a soft, desireable voice. “My bones are fully healed…” her hoof trailed downward. “Why don’t we see if we can break something else, hm?” She grinned hungrily.

Luna, I know where you sleep! Barrier shouted futilely.

The tan pegasus turned her gaze from the statuette and locked eyes with Barrier. “Looks like we’ve got an audience. Let’s make sure it’s good, huh?”

Barrier swallowed nervously as Daring stared at him with what could only be described as come-hither eyes.

What in the name of all unholy…? Barrier watched as a bulge worked its way up Daring Do’s throat as she leaned in for a kiss. The stallion almost jumped when a pair of dark green forelegs and a tiny stallion’s head cartoonishly popped from between the mare’s lips before opening his mouth to speak, "Okay, kids. This is where it gets complicated."


***


Barrier shot upright with a sharp heave, sweat dripping down his muzzle. Glancing at the two lumps buried beneath the covers next to him, Barrier let slip a short breath of relief before he carefully hefted himself from the bed, being careful not to disturb its two remaining occupants, and quietly stumbled his way to the bathroom.

“I’ve got to stop eating so many sweets before bed…” Barrier thought aloud as he flared his magic, turning on the sink-faucet and throwing cold water onto his face, running it through the sweaty fur.

“Too many sweets! There’s no such thing!”

Barrier didn’t jump or panic, instead letting loose only a tired groan as his head jerkily shifted to the toilet and the pink mare on it. “Pinkie, why in the name of Faust are you on my toilet?”

“Because it’s rude to go in the sink, duh.” The mare replied with her usual cheer.

> Bonus Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrier could just make out his breath in front of him as he cautiously walked through the lightless streets of the Empire, eyes glancing at the bodies littering the ground. Swallowing heavily, the stallion turned his eyes forward, not noticing how nondescript the majority of the ponies were.

They died because of you… a haunting voice teased him in the back of his mind. You should have seen it coming, seen him coming… the voice continued. “Fie me! I did not know…” Barrier argued with himself out loud, eyes shifting to the empire looming in the distance. You promised them it was safe… Barrier opened his mouth to speak again before he stumbled forward, tripping over a corpse. Too weak to save them, the voice mocked with a chilling laugh,

“Verdant…” Barrier swallowed once more, meeting the dead, icy-blue eyes of the still body; they were attached to the shattered carcass of a dark-green earth-pony, his brown mane tattered and bloody, limbs bent at random angles and partly buried under rubble. Barrier grimaced, eyes trailing down to the faded-white muzzle of the former cadet, noting how a thin trickle of dried blood clung to the pony’s jaw. You might as well have killed them yourself…

“Get thy rest, soldier…” Barrier whispered softly as he reached out with his forehoof, gently closing the pony’s eyes. “Thou ear-”

“Thou didst this!” The green stallion’s eyes suddenly shot open, his blue irises replaced with a crimson-red, the whites surrounding them darker than Barrier’s coat.

Barrier, his own eyes widening, leapt backwards just as the green pony’s hoof made to shoot out at him, instead only swinging side-to-side in a sickly fashion. “How could I have known, Verdant…?” Barrier began to backpedal, nearly tripping over another corpse as Verdant’s form dragged itself upright, bones snapping loosely into place but doing nothing for the stallion’s appearance.

“Thou saidst we would be safe!” the stallion all but roared as he moved forward slowly.

No, no, no… Barrier could feel his breaths quicken as he glanced around, picking out six more familiar ponies, all slowly picking their broken and battered forms off of the ground.

“I’ll never lay eyes upon my kin again…” the lithe white mare looked to be in better shape than the others, save for the hole in the mare’s barrel, staining her once-pristine coat red. “They’ll be all alone.” She tilted her head forward, the once lustrous blonde mane now framing her eyes.

“I was going to be a blacksmith…”

Barrier whipped around, putting the ponies on either side of him as his eyes rested on the dark blue unicorn, noting the long-sword that had been run through his barrel and out his back.

“I was going to start a family,” another corpse spoke, driving Barrier further backwards into what he now identified as a narrow alley. A purple pegasus stallion dragged himself forward, missing his hind legs and wings.

“You destroyed my clan.” A light blue unicorn mare stumbled forth, blood still gushing from a large tear in her neck.

“You sent my daughter to her death.”

Barrier’s pupils shrunk and his breath hitched completely in his throat as the last line of dialogue ran itself through his skull. Anypony but her, Faust please… Even as Barrier silently prayed to whatever deity would listen, his eyes fell on the powder-blue pegasus mare, noting the dull shades of her once-vibrant pink mane and tail. Finally, his gaze rested on the puncture wound in her throat, his mind naturally comparing it to the hole in Winter Gem’s chest.

“I did not know, Fleetfeather, thou must believest me…” Barrier began to desperately glance around the alleyway for any kind of escape, even as the ponies continued to taunt him.

That’s right, flee… the dark voice laughed again, It won’t be the first time you’ve left them to die!

“Swiftsword, Winter, Verdant…” Barrier’s gaze traveled across each pony, naming them as he went, “Iron Forge, Hat Trick...Fleet…” The stallion stopped, horn flaring slightly as he caught a door leading into one the buildings that comprised the alley, “I am sorry…I thought you would all be safe…” Barrier turned towards the doors, preparing to lunge through it, hopefully to safety and sanity. With a jerk of his magic, he received a reply from the pony he’d least hoped to hear.

“Thou thought wrong,” the voice of a filly screeched as she lunged from the door, her bloody pink mane trailing wildly behind her.


***


With a jolt, Barrier shot upright...and directly off of the bed as his flailing had apparently brought him to the very edge.

"Barrier, what's wrong?" Octavia asked calmly, having already been awoken by his reaction to the dream, as well as being accustomed to them happening periodically, some worse than others.

"Nothing, love," Barrier lied convincingly as he climbed back onto the bed, nestling himself against the mare with a shuddering breath as he hugged her close, "Just a bad dream…"

"Join the club," a filly’s voice called out sleepily as she nosed open the bedroom door and gave her wings a short flap, propelling her tired form onto the bed. With practiced efforts, she was soon nuzzled beneath the blankets in between both Barrier and Octavia. "Now let's go to sleep, I've got school tomorrow..." Wind Whistler yawned adorably, setting the tension that still remained within Barrier at ease as he blinked back tears and held the filly closely to his barrel.

"I told you not to eat so much of your Nightmare Night candy in one sitting, that it would give you nightmares," Octavia replied with a yawn of her own, shifting closer to Barrier as well; neither could see the smile of contentment on the filly caught in-between the two warm bodies.

“Meh, worth it,” the filly groaned before she began to snore softly, finding no difficulty in returning to sleep.

A pair of burnt-orange hooves snaked over Barrier's side as another pony drew closer to the trio, having avoided the flailing pony courtesy of her wings. "We're gonna need to get a bigger bed at this rate."
> The Empire's Anniversary
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Barrier?”

The unicorn snapped his head to meet the voice, a weak smile settling on his face as his gaze rested on his wife.

“Are you okay?” Octavia eyed him knowingly, and smiled when he nodded his affirmative.

“Fine, just thinking.”

“About the Empire?” Octavia asked.

The stallion leaned back into his seat, gaze shifting to the sleeping filly on the bench across from the two, her pink mane draped delicately over her muzzle. “Just trying to get myself ready for it all. The whole thing haunted me for a long time, can’t even imagine how Windy will feel about it.”

“I see.” Octavia leaned into the unicorn. “Well, neither of you are alone in this. Verdant and Twilight will both be there, as well as their friends.”

“Yeah. I’m sure everything will be fine.” The unicorn glanced briefly at the clock mounted on the wall just in time for a stallion’s voice to call out.

”The train from Vanhoover is now arriving at platform six!”

“Guess that’s our cue to go see Green Bean.” Barrier glanced at Wind Whistler who remained asleep through the announcement while both he and Octavia were standing up.

“She was up all night,” Octavia smiled and leaned forward to nudge the filly awake…only for the small bundle of fur resting in the mare’s chest-holster to shove her hoof into her sister’s nose, causing her to sneeze and wake up with crossed eyes as she tried to fix her gaze on the hoof still resting on her muzzle.

“Morning.” Barrier grinned down at Wind Whistler who only yawned in response and looked at the pair with half-lidded eyes.

“Uncle Green Bean is here. Wanna go meet him?”

Wind Whistler shifted her gaze from Octavia, to Melodic, to Barrier and then back to Octavia. “Nope,” she finally replied with a yawn, rolling over and closing her eyes once more.

“I’ve got you one of those chocolate bars. The ones with the coffee in them.” The unicorn’s horn removed a piece of the candy in question from his saddlebags and unwrapped it, dangling it above the filly. After a moment where it seemed like she wouldn’t do anything, her hoof shot towards it…only for it to raise itself out of reach. “Gotta get up if you want i-” The unicorn was cut off when the filly latched herself to his face and broke his concentration, the chocolate falling into her outstretched hoof.

“Chocolate! Mine!”

“Captain!”

Barrier turned towards the familiar voice, despite the fact that his vision was a mixture of darkness and powder-blue.

“Hi, Uncle Verdant!” Wind Whistler managed through a mouthful of chocolate.

“Mmpaglh,” Barrier muttered through the mouthful of fur.

“Mrs. Melody.” Verdant bowed his head respectfully; Octavia snorted.

“I keep telling you not to call me Missus. It makes me feel old.”

“You are old.” Barrier finally pried the filly off his face with his magic, leaving her levitating above the group, still gnawing on the chocolate bar.

Octavia’s eye twitched slightly. “I’m the youngest adult here!”

“Ma’am, you don’t look under nineteen to me. You l-” Verdant fell silent as a smoldering glare met his gaze. “Youngest adult here, got it.”

Barrier only smiled when Octavia’s glare was leveled at him. “And to think ponies used to be afraid of my glare.”

”The train from Ponyville is now arriving at platform four!” the same voice rang out.

“Right,” Barrier tapped his hoof sharply on the ground out of habit. “That’s Twilight’s train. As soon as she gets here, we need to board the train to the Empire. They’re still not running entirely regularly, so we can’t afford to miss it. Celestia’ll have my flank if she found out she reserved our seats for nothing.”

“You say that as if you’re opposed to the idea,” Octavia sniped as the group started to move.

“No ma’am,” Barrier stated smoothly. “You’re the only mare for me.”

“Besides Captain Spitfire.” Verdant pitched in helpfully, much to Barrier’s annoyance. “And now that I think about it, didn’t you sleep with S-”

Barrier cut him off with a flick to the nose from his magic. “Keep quiet, or I’ll tell everypony about the time when Celestia ate you.”

Verdant raised a single eyebrow, his lips curving upward. “You mean because you sneezed when you were turned into a mare?”

“Wait,” Wind Whistler finally piped in, having finished her chocolate and set herself to reclining in the magical field. “Say that again?”

“Captain Barrier became a ma-” another flick of magic silenced him.

“Bad Verdant.” Barrier set himself on one of the benches dotting platform four. “Don’t make me regret leaving the squirt-bottle at home.”

“No no,” Octavia spoke this time. “Go ahead, Verdant. I rather want to hear this one.”

Barrier only groaned.

Verdant’s attention fell to the train instead of reciting the tale. “Say, isn’t that Twilight and company?”

Oh thank Faust. Barrier’s own gaze fixated on the gaggle of mares departing the train…and immediately regretted it.

“My party-cannon doubles as a luggage cannon. It’s pretty convenient for trips like these.”

The face of my nightmares…

Verdant met the mares halfway, sharing a hug with Twilight.

“I prefer to use my cunning for luggage transportation.” Rarity flipped her mane as she spoke, as if doing so actually accomplished something.

Applejack was the one to reply, tugging a large cart of suitcases behind her. “By cunnin’, yah mean beatin’ me at poker?”

“Hey, you got off easy!” Rainbow Dash followed behind Applejack, a second cart of suitcases in hoof. “I hated wearing that maid outfit…”

Barrier found his mind flashing to the mental image of Rainbow Dash in a maid outfit; his mind reflexively filed that away for later.

“I thought you looked cute in it…” Fluttershy spoke as softly as ever.

Barrier’s eyes fell on Pinkie Pie once more. “Octavia, is it too early to drink?”

Octavia’s eyes fell on Pinkie Pie as well and then back to her husband. “As soon as the children are asleep.”

Barrier shook the filly in his magic slightly. “Windy, don’t you feel like a nap right about now?”

“I just ate chocolate and coffee.” She fixed her caregiver with a bemused stare. “What do you think?”

“Bah, you’re no fun.” Barrier chucked the filly towards the group of mares, watching carefully as her wings unfurled to catch her…right before a cotton-candy mare jumped up and snatched her from the air.

“Traitor!” Wind Whistler yelled out before being muffled into Pinkie Pie’s chest.

Ah, vengeance can be sweet…

“Hot pony potato!” Pinkie Pie hefted the filly in the air only for another magical aura to snag her from her grip.

“Pinkie, no!” Twilight admonished, setting Wind Whistler on the ground. “We have to get on the train. Princess Celestia was nice enough to reserve our seats and we don’t want to miss it.”

“Nice isn’t the word I’d use for it.” Barrier finally spoke directly to the group, drawing their attention. “The trouble she put me through for this…if I never see another toilet-brush again, it’ll be too damned soon.”

Verdant’s eyes widened slightly. “She made you do a Hatty?”

“We’re not discussing it.” Was Barrier’s only response.

The train to Crystal Empire is arriving at platform two…


***


“So,” Barrier dropped down directly across from Twilight and Verdant as the others played with the youngest members of the group. “How have you two been over the last year?”

“I’ve been adjusting, for the most part.” Verdant started. “I’ve been making a quite a few trips to Ponyville. Twilight’s been a big help with the whole thing.”

“Has she worn you out with her questions yet? My first days here were…well, she’s a very curious mare.”

Twilight chuckled abashedly. “I haven’t been bothering him that much. We have been doing a lot of studying though. The first thing was to teach him modern Equestrian.”

“And the latest thing is soundproofing spells?” Barrier pointed a hoof at the book in Twilight’s magic, inwardly grinning when she blushed. “Now I wonder what you’d want to know those for.”

“No reason…” she defended weakly, much to the stallion’s amusement.

“Uh-uh.” Barrier’s inward grin became an outward grin as well. “Just be careful playing hide the-”

“Zucchini?” Pinkie Pie shoved the phallic fruit in between the three. “Applejack brought tons of vegetables to snack on during the trip!”

“No thanks, Pinkie. I’m not hungry and I’m sure Twilight already has plans for one later.” Barrier waggled his eyebrows slightly at Twilight, causing her to groan and bury her face as Pinkie headed back to her seat. “So, other than that, what have you been up to?”

Twilight shrugged. “Pretty much the same as always.”

“Cooking classes.” Verdant offered.

Twilight added to the statement right after. “Reading books.”

“Tending to flowers.”

“Reorganizing the library.”

“Writing letters.”

“The occasional trip here and there.”

“Helping Color Splash with whatever crazy scheme she comes up with.”

“Stopping ancient horrors.”

“Same old, same old.” Both finished almost in unison.

Barrier blinked twice before simply nodding. “Sounds about as exciting as my own. I miss the days when I did something other than paperwork.”

“Well, at least it’s better than what you used to do, right?” Verdant offered a half-smile, knowing all too well what was going through the pony’s mind.

“To be sure. Now that most everything is restructured and ponies are going through proper training, there’s not much to do besides cycling border patrols and denying leave requests.” The trio fell into a brief silence before Barrier finally sighed. “It’s been far too long since I saw you last.”

“Yeah,” Verdant leaned his head back. “Wind Whistler’s birthday.”

“Sorry that I couldn’t make it in for Hearth’s Warming.” Barrier glanced at Wind Whistler, who was locked in a staring contest with Rainbow Dash. “Wind Whistler had a cold and… well, you know.”

“That’s okay. My parents actually forgot to set the guest rooms, so only my old room and Shiny’s were actually usable.” 

“Anything interesting happen on Hearth’s Warming?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Twilight groaned once more. “Mom still won’t let me live it down.”

Barrier raised an eyebrow. “Did they give you a hard time about meeting Verdant?”

“Not… exactly.” Verdant failed to bite back the chuckle. “Twilight’s really embarrassed about it. It all started when her parents told me a bit about her youth…”


***


Twilight Velvet pointed at the picture in her album and smiled in amusement. “As you can see, my little girl hated wearing diapers back then.”

Shining Armor snorted to mask a laugh.

“Mom…” Twilight’s face was buried in a pillow on the couch. “Please don’t do this…”

“And she apparently really liked that rug, since she marked it as her own. It took us days to get the stain out.”

“Mom!” Twilight groaned again; Velvet and Shining just laughed.


***


Barrier didn’t even hide his laugh. “Ah, that must have been fun. For what it’s worth, if Emerald Hills and Viridian Forest were alive in this era and with cameras, I’ve no doubt they show you pictures of Verdant doing the same thing.”

“Hay, I did even worse than that, arguably. I was helping Velvet prepare a salad and I squeezed the ranch-sauce bottle too hard. It splattered all over Velvet and when the others heard her scream, they all ran in and saw…well, they thought I…yeah…all over her face…”

“At any rate, I think the worst of it was when we were headed to bed…”


***


Twilight yawned wearily from her spot on the couch. “I think it’s about time to head to bed.”

“Ah crap.” Night Light groaned. “Velvet and I were supposed to clear a few spare rooms. Sorry Verdant, looks like you’ll have to room with somepony.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Twilight stated matter of factly. “He can share the bed with me.”

Velvet turned and smiled slyly at her daughter. “Oh-ho! I didn’t think you were already doing that! I’m glad to know you’re getting some action that’s not from your forelegs.”

“Mom!” Twilight’s cheeks lit up. “It’s not like that! I’d just like to have my boyfriend inside me!” Realization waited several long seconds to smack Twilight in the face.

“Uh, Twilight…” Verdant chuckled nervously, glancing at both Night Light and Shining Armor’s raised eyebrows.

“Beside! I meant to say beside me!”


***


Most of the ponies in the train-compartment watched as Barrier almost dry-heaved with laughter; only Octavia and Wind Whistler seeming disinterested.

“Go ahead, laugh it up. My parents laughed for a straight hour. Thank goodness Spike was asleep then, or I’d never hear the end of it… kinda like now...” Twilight buried her face in her hooves.

Barrier’s laughter died down to a few short chuckles before fading out completely. “I’m sure it’ll fade eventually…well, until the wedding when I’m sure she’ll break it out again.”

“W-wedding?” Twilight half-choked out, drawing Rarity’s attention from across the compartment. “But we just…we’ve only…” Twilight fell silent as her brain seemed to overload.

“Sir,” Verdant replied calmly. “Twilight and I only met in the palace pantry a year ago. We care deeply about each other, but neither of us are ready for that sort of thing.”

“I never said you were.” Barrier replied simply and with a smile. “Just that when that time comes -and I’ll bet bits that it will eventually- that story will resurface in one way or another.”

The three lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, though it was short-lived as a voice rang out in the compartment.

”Pulling into the Crystal Empire Platform momentarily. Please be ready to depart!

“Well ponies,” Barrier hefted himself up, Rainbow Dash following suit. “That’s our stop.”


***


“Twily!” Shining Armor quickly rushed forward, tugging the smaller mare into a hug while Barrier and Cadance glared at each other venomously.

“Barrier.” Cadance’s tone was sharp as well as smug.

“Princess Heartbutt.” Barrier’s reply was equally hard, the tone carrying an almost-threatening edge.

The two stared intensely at each other before a grin broke out and the two gave the other a short embrace, Barrier speaking first. “How’ve things been?”

“Not bad,” Shining Armor answered as Cadance broke away to greet Twilight. “Hectic, but definitely not bad. Almost everything is finally up to par. It definitely made us kick our flanks into high gear.”


“And toned them rather nicely.” Cadance said with a wiggle of her hips.

“The royal flank looks great, Your Highness.” Verdant Range gave Shining a friendly smile.

“Look, Verdant.” Shining Armor let out a throaty sigh as he turned to face the earth-pony. “I’m okay with you dating Twilight, I really am, but please don’t stare at my wife’s flank.”

Verdant’s expression remained the same. “I wasn’t, sir. I was referring to yours.”

Cadance took over for the alabaster unicorn, allowing him to further talk with Verdant, Twilight seeming to interject herself in their conversation as well. “There are still classes for the crystal ponies to help them get to used to more modern technology and speech, but the ponies working at the castle are all up to date, and most of the Equestrian guards have finally been relieved of their teaching duties. Soon we’ll be completely modern.”

The charcoal-unicorn nodded, knowing how difficult such a transition had to have been. “I’m glad everything finally seems to be going right for a change.”

Cadance continued to speak even as the group began to move towards the city center by some unspoken agreement. “We also set up a memorial for all the ponies that gave their lives to defend the Empire from Sombra…”

Barrier’s smile faded just slightly at the news. “Thank you for that. It’s good to know they won’t be forgotten.”

“Princess?” Wind Whistler tapped the pink alicorn’s hind leg softly. “Does that mean my mom’s name is on it?”

Cadance expression saddened, but her smile remained. “It is. She was one of the first ponies that went on it.”

Wind Whistler smiled back up her before falling back to Octavia.

“The festival today…” Cadance’s tone was notably lower as she continued. “We plan on doing one every year, to celebrate the return of the Empire…and so that we never forget what was lost in the process.  I might have also scheduled you to give a speech at the memorial after the festivities have finished.”

Barrier stopped, the group leaving him behind and rushing to catch up with Cadance.

“What do you mean you scheduled me for a speech?” Barrier hissed under his breath.

“I didn’t think you would mind.” Cadance tilted her head, curious at the apparent reluctance. “Who is more qualified to give this speech than you?”

“Verdant Range comes to mind. Princess Celestia or Princess Luna would also be excellent choices.” The unicorn sighed and pressed a hoof to his face. “I’m not exactly a public speaker, Cadance. I’m not good at that sort of thing.”

“Well, Aunt Celestia has a sore throat and Aunt Luna threw her voice out while singing in the Royal Canterlot voice. I think the song was…Master Exploder, maybe.”

Realization seemed to dawn on Barrier’s face. “So that’s what I heard in Manehattan.” By Faust and Zacherle, how did Canterlot fare?

“So,” Cadance halted the group with a stomp of her hoof, motioning to the palace doors as well as the stalls and decorations that were being set up around the perimeter. “Can I count on you to give a speech?” Cadance gave the charcoal pony the most heart-wrenching eyes she could muster; Barrier stared at her flatly in response.

“Princess, I live with Wind Whistler. You’ve not got anything on Wind Whistler when she wants something.” The unicorn sat down and closed his eyes. “But, I’ll do it. I owe the ponies of the Empire that much.”

Cadance smiled appreciatively. “Well then, now that that’s settled, how about we help the ponies get this all finished up and have a great time?”

The group responded with a collective ‘yeah’ before splitting up to help out. Meanwhile, Barrier remained on his flanks, seemingly lost in his thoughts.


***


“Barrier? Barrier!”

The unicorn snorted and quickly turned to face his wife. “Apologies, Octavia. You were saying?”

“I was asking if you were okay.” Octavia placed a hoof on her husband’s withers. “You’ve been in something of a daze since shortly after our arrival.”

“I’m fine, just…tired I suppose. Cadance wants me to give a speech at the end of the festival. Being asked to do it really made me think about everything that’s happened. I just feel old, I suppose.”

“You are old.” Octavia hip-checked the stallion. “Now, enough brooding. You’re missing the…music.” Octavia almost spat the last word, drawing the unicorn’s attention to the cacophony of instruments in the background.

“Gods, those are…” A particularly loud horn rang out, though nopony seemed to pay it any heed. “Atrocious is not the word for this noise.”

“Quite.” Octavia agreed, nudging the unicorn along. “Come, why don’t we make our way to the palace?”

“Be glad I got them to come with a new version of the Imperial March,” Cadance piped in, almost winking into existence like a certain party pony. “I swear, it sounded like music to invade a country to.”

“Cadance,” Barrier pressed a hoof to his chest and took a deep breath, “There is no quicker way to get a black eye than to sneak up on me like that.”

“I’m actually quite surprised you held back,” Octavia tittered. “Progress.”

“So,” Cadance took up stride alongside the two ponies. “there’s a ruby-reaper-eating-contest before everypony gathers for dinner. Wanna go watch it?”

Barrier glanced at Octavia who after a moment of hesitation nodded. “Very well Cadance, lead the way.”

“Good. Shiny is participating.” Cadance squealed slightly. “It’s going to be great.”

“Though I have to ask,” Octavia turned to face the alicorn of love. “What’s a ruby reaper?”

Barrier and Cadance grinned at each other in absolute silence.


***


“Begin!” The crystal pony slammed a hoof to the ground, signalling the start. Almost immediately, all of the ponies took a red crystalline pepper in hoof and crammed it into their mouths. As per the rules, they all chewed for several seconds and swallowed. Thus began the battle of wills.

“Twenty bits that Shining cracks first.” Barrier held up a twenty-bit piece. Both Cadance and Octavia stared at him. “No bet.”

“Prince Armor is out!” The referee announced, watching with a slight smile as Shining Armor attempted to drown himself in a bucket of milk.

“Second pepper, go!”

The contestants all started on their second pepper; by now all save two of the contestants appeared to be rethinking their life decisions; Verdant Range and a familiar yellow pegasus.

“Fifty bits on Verdant.”

Cadance glanced at the contestants and then back at the charcoal unicorn and nodded, fishing out fifty bits of her own.

“Verdant!” Barrier’s voice rang out clearly over the noise. “I have bits on you, don’t lose!”

“No pressure.” Octavia smirked when the participant in question glanced at the crowd nervously.

“Garden Hose, out!” the announcer’s voice rang out. “Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, out!” After only the second round it was down to two contestants. A butter-yellow pegasus who seemed to be looking at her bowl of peppers almost impatiently and a green earth pony that was sweating like a whorse in church.

“Pepper number three, go!”

The audience waited with baited breath as the ponies chewed…and waited, neither of them backing out.

“Pepper four!” The referee clopped his hoof again.

For a long minute it seemed like neither pony would back down…until with a cry of agony, Verdant Range finally buried himself in the bucket of milk… and then the bucket of milk next to his.

“Damn…” Barrier muttered to himself as he handed the bits to Cadance.

“This game’s winner is…Fluttershy!”

The crowd began to cheer, the yellow pegasus seeming to shrink into her seat in response.

“Don’t worry, these bits will be put to good use,” Cadance promised as ponies began to filter out of the stands. “Come on, it’s time for dinner you two! Barrier gets to give his speech before we all eat.”

The unicorn grumbled to himself, but followed closely behind his two escorts.


***


Barrier took a deep breath as he glanced at the absolute giant of a table that had been built outside of the Crystal Palace, due to its size. He vaguely registered Cadance saying something and motioning to a pillar at the head of the table, cloaked beneath a white cloth and standing almost six ponies high and three wide.

“Attention everypony!” Cadance tapped the microphone several times, getting a loud feedback that quickly silence the crowd. “I want to thank everypony for coming to tonight’s celebrations!” Cadance waited several moments for the crowd to fall entirely silent once more. “We’ve all gathered here tonight to celebrate that on this day, one year ago, this great Empire returned, as well as the defeat of an evil tyrant!” Once again the crowd drowned her out, this time for several minutes. “However, before we continue, I ask that we have a moment of silence for those lost, as well as those who fought and gave their lives to defend this great city…” Nopony cheered that time, though even from her spot at the podium, Cadance could see Twilight comforting Verdant Range. “Now, before we begin the feast, I have asked a pony that some of you may recognize as Captain Magic Barrier of the Equestrian Guard who, along with the valiant efforts of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, finally succeeded in freeing us from Sombra’s cruel clutches. Captain Barrier, if you would address the crowd?”

“Barrier!” Octavia elbowed the unicorn sharply in the ribs. “Cadance called you up!”

With a nervous swallow, the unicorn stood up and made his way towards the podium almost on autopilot. It wasn’t until he became aware of the countless ponies in his vision that he realized where he was; the unicorn gave the microphone a sharp tap before starting.

“Uh…” Barrier ran a hoof through his mane and sighed into the microphone. “Some of you may know me from a really long time ago, but I guess most of you know from my most recent endeavors here in the Empire.” Barrier’s horn flared, retrieving a glass of… something, as he continued to speak. “For a very long time, the disappearance of the Empire weighed on my soul. I viewed my inability to protect it as my greatest failure. I felt like I’d let down the ponies important to me that were lost with the empire.” 

The unicorn took a long swallow of his drink and duly noted the slight, bitter hint of alcohol. 

“I didn’t think the day would come that I could put all of those feelings to rest, but lo and behold, here we are.” The silence continued. “I’m grateful to have this opportunity to be here with all of you, and I owe a debt that cannot be repaid to the ponies who sacrificed themselves so we could all have this opportunity.” Barrier blinked several times in quick succession. “I don’t really know what else to say, so just… thank you to everypony here and thank you to those that can’t be.” 

The unicorn raised his glass. “A toast!” He waited several moments for ponies to gather drinks. “To old friends,” He pointedly met the eyes of Princess Celestia and Luna, as well as Verdant Range. “To new ones!” He deliberately smiled and nodded at each of the element bearers, “To family,” his gaze found Octavia and Wind Whistler, as well as Melodic that was held in the crook of Octavia’s hoof. “To all old love,” he saw Cadance and Shining both smile warmly, “and to the new,” He nodded to Twilight and Verdant. “And to the ponies that gave everything they could to ensure we could all be here. May the light of the Crystal Empire shine ever brighter, and may it be a beacon to a brighter tomorrow.” Barrier threw back the last his drink as the crowd began to cheer and drink in earnest.


***


Barrier took a shaky breath as he sat down next to Octavia once more, ponies eating and drinking with a newly-found vigor.

“A wonderful speech, Captain,” Luna addressed very hoarsely. “Had I known you had the talent for them, I’d have had you give them more frequently.”

“Princess Luna.” Barrier bowed his head respectfully. He noticed her sister next to her. “Princess Celestia. I’m sorry you’re sick on such an occasion.”

“She’s not sick,” Cadance admitted, joining the group.

Barrier’s eye twitched slightly. “Then why didn’t you ask her to give the speech?”

“She’s not sick, but her throat is really sore,” the pink alicorn explained.

Barrier took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to help vent his frustration. “And why’s that?”

“Well, she and I had a ruby reaper eating contest of our own, but we never stated that you couldn’t swallow the peppers whole. Like I did. What made it worse was that she couldn’t actually keep her seven peppers down, so on the return trip…”

“Ah,” Barrier winced in understanding and smiled apologetically towards the solar diarch, only to notice the notepad she was holding.



“Were I griffin, I’d be making a fist with the middle talon extended at Cadance right now.”



Barrier refilled the glass he’d toasted with and quickly threw another glass back.

“Honestly, where do you put all the alcohol you drink?” Octavia swatted at the unicorn as he downed a third glass of the Crystalberry Wine.

“I have a separate stomach for alcohol.” Barrier smiled and quickly pecked his wife. “Say, where did Wind Whistler get to?”

“That…” Octavia glanced around. “Is actually a very good question.”

A half-choked sound escaped from Celestia as something skittered up her back and came to a stop on her head; Barrier found his gaze drifting upward, where it registered the small powder-blue pegasus…that had just stolen Princess Celestia’s crown off of her head.

“I’m the queen of the worldddd!” Wind Whistler slurred as she reared onto her hind-legs…and fell backwards into the princess’s magic.

“Barrier.” Octavia’s voice was tinged with disbelief. “Did Wind Whistler just drink herself silly and commit treason?”

“Yes.” Barrier slowly and deliberately swallowed another glass of wine. “Yes she did.”

“Oh crap,” Realization dawned on Cadance’s face as the filly burped drunkenly in Celestia’s magic, the solar diarch dangling her upside-down at eye-level. “I forgot, minors are allowed to drink wine at celebrations in the empire. I should probably fix that in the morning.”

“So, Princess. How many favors do I have to call in to get Wind Whistler pardoned?” Barrier turned to face his ruler.

Celestia quickly scribbled another note. 

“You’re running out of favors very quickly these days Captain…luckily for you, I shall pardon the filly due to her diminished inhibitions and on account of her being absolutely adorable. Besides that, I believe her hangover will be punishment enough.”



“You have my thanks.” Barrier glanced at the bowl of wine in the center of the table. “Right, what say we have a drinking contest and see how many of us can join her in her suffering tomorrow?”



 “No thanks.”

 Celestia was the first to reply, scribbling away at her notepad. 

 “My throat is sore enough.”



“As is mine,” Luna agreed.

“I can’t drink,” Cadance smiled sheepishly.

“What? Why?” Twilight finally spoke up, head tilted in curiosity.

“Shiny and I did what Barrier did, only this time, it was intentional. Oh, and there were no ear infections involved either.”

Twilight’s head tilted to the side even further. “What do you mean?”

Cadance sighed and shook her head in amusement. “I’m pregnant, Twilight.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and suddenly the mare yelled. “You’re pregnant?! I’m going to be an aunt?!”

“Well then,” Barrier’s horn flared and lifted a multitude of glasses. “How about those of us who can drink have one last toast? To your baby’s health and to a bright tomorrow for the empire?”

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up, though judging by her slurred speech, she was already more than a few in. “Here here!”

Everypony with a glass raised it.

“To the future, and many a day like this to come!”