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?

Author's Notes:

Lot of snow here last night. Our main Highway [I65] was shut down last I heard. Got emergency vehicles out dispensing aid [gas and the sort to keep heaters running] because apparently some cars have been there overnight. Good times.

The usual thanks go out to Izanagi/Alticron for being awesome and looking damn good when naked. Don't tell them I said that though, they don't know about the pen-cameras. I've got enough restraining orders without adding that to them.

Also, this [Living Illusion] is the album I listened to while writing this chapter. Friend asked about it and I decided to just post it here. Give those guys a listen, they're great.