As they were all drinking from their wine glasses, there was a knock on the front door. Xvital and everyone else frowned at this; they had been placed into the penthouse suite of one of Night's family hotels after they had saved the world three days ago and a contingent of Guards had been stationed outside the to keep the more persistent members of the press and others away. They had been trying to figure out which hotel they had been placed in as according to Captain Violet and what few fragments they’d gotten of the news from the outside world, all of the hotels had Guards at the penthouses’ doors with people living inside to fool anyone that got past the Guards. Outside of the Guard, only Tizoc had been in to see he-them since that day, and even he had been required, and reluctantly agreed, to submit to having an illusion spell over his eyes (and another over the rest of himself, to disguise his identity from the public) for the trip in so he couldn’t tell where exactly they were.

Xvital frowned, thinking of her fiancé; she wished she could be with him more but he still had to deal with all the government stuff. There was a nightmare of things he had to go through in order to make sure there was no actual war breaking out due to the whole illegal capturing of Tizoc incident. The fact that both he and Well Branded had both spoken out had helped a great deal but there was still a lot they needed to do. Which meant talks after talks over the radio to convince the world that another great war was not breaking out as a result of what had happened in Canterlot.

Shaking her head, Xvital brought herself back to the present as the people outside the door knocked again.

Turning her head to the door, she summoned her magic as the rest of them moved to gather their own gear to defend themselves.

Going to the door, she was surprised to see it open and two elderly bat ponies that looked familiar entering the room with the Guards closing the door behind them. Behind her, she heard a faint gasp, and looked back to see Night Blade, his eyes wide.

“Mother?” Night said as he walked up besides Xvital. “Father?” Xvital could see the resemblance in the family in the bat ponies; seeing Night had the same mane as his father although not as grey and the same with his coat and his mother. “What are you doing here? How are you here?”

“Hello Night,” the mare said, smiling at Night as she stepped towards her son. In response, Night took a nervous step backwards.

“It has been a very long time since we have spoken with you, Night,” the stallion said. “The day of the Honour Festival, I believe.”

“The week before it, Father, but why are you two here?” Night asked again as he narrowed his eyes.

“Well Night, son,” the stallion said while looking at his wife, before looking at Night again. “We have heard of what you did and we finally found you and-”

“And now you care about me?” Night snapped out angrily. “Now that I have done something actually important you care about me? That I am worth something now‽ I’m worth being called son now?!” Night shouted, storming up towards them. “You two have screwed me up so massively and now you have the gall to try and act like parents‽” Night spat onto the floor and shoved his face into his parents’ faces. “You can both get the fuck out of here right now!”

“Don’t you talk to your mother like th-”

“Where the fuck do you get to talk to me like that?!” Night snapped into his father’s face. “Why the fuck do you even care; I am not embarrassing you in front of all of your fucking friends like I did during my talentmitzvah! Oh how fucking wrong of me to want something you don’t approve of and you know what, I don’t care! Get out now, I don’t want to see either of you EVER AGAIN!” Night screamed at the elderly ponies who backed up before running out of the room with Night slamming the door shut behind his parents before turning to face them.

And then Night began to laugh.

It was the kind of laughter you did when you survived something really hairy or when Vix-Lei said a really funny joke and it was really weird to see Night laughing that hard or smiling that big.

“I feel wonderful!” Night said in a cheerful tone, going to pour himself another glass of the wine before leaning over to kiss Page’s cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that for ages! Another celebration drink is order, eh Windy?” Night said overly cheerfully as he playfully elbowed the griffon.

“Yeah… right.” Wind Breaker sighed. “I think you’ve had enough, actually.”

Night Blade raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”

“Because the last time I saw somepony acting like you are now, they were blind stinking drunk,” Wind Breaker said bluntly. “Either this stuff’s suddenly gotten a lot stronger than it looks, or your tolerance levels have taken a nosedive.”

“I’m just happy, that’s all,” Night said with a shrug. “Not drunk yet but the day is still young.”

“Uh…” Vix-Lei blinked before she shook her head. “Okay, I’m going to say it but what the fuck just happened? I mean, I knew you had some major issues with your parents, and I can’t say I blame you after what we heard, but that… that was crazier than my youngest brother’s fashion sense.”

“Dare I ask?” Wind Breaker remarked.

“Bright orange ties on dark fur. Especially during important business meetings.”

“Yowch.” Wind Breaker shook his head. “I see what you mean.”

Night Blade sighed, drawing Xvital’s attention back onto him,

“Look Night, I can’t say I understand fully what your deal is your parents but-”

“But nothing,” Night said sharply. “I don’t expect any of you to really understand why that was so important to me and I would appreciate it if you don’t meddle in it,” Night placed down his glass and brushed his mane back, shuffling on the spot. “Excuse me,” he said before walking into his room, closing the door behind him.

Page immediately turned around and looked at her. “Don’t do it,” she hissed. “I know you have the best intentions at heart but don’t. Let Night have this, please.”

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t wrap my head around it and-” Xvital began defensively before Night opened the door and gave her a piece of paper.

“Here,” he said coldly, glaring like he used to do when they first met. “This is my older brother, Crooked Blade’s number. I’d rather you spit on my wishes in my face instead of going behind my back.”

“Night,” she began, feeling really guilty now. “I-”

“Xvital, take it,” he hissed before shoving the paper into her chest. “You won’t have peace until you do this and again, I’d rather you don’t insult me by trying to play with my head from the background.”

Xvital winced at Night’s words, but what was worse, she knew that Night was right. She would have tried something if Night hadn’t given her this and she could only imagine how bad things would be if Night had found out. “Thank you,” she said awkwardly, going for the phone.

Night snorted at her, grabbing his coat. “Whatever; I am going out for a walk,” he said as he reached for the door.

“Okay…” Page said as she looked around the room. “And I am going to the Grand Library, to talk to the High Matron. Wind Breaker, do you want to come with me?”

Everyone paused to look at Night to see his reaction at this, worried that it might push Night a bit too far. Thankfully he seemed to be unaffected by this and merely shrugged his shoulders again. “Okay, be careful you two.” He slid his jacket on, attached his sword to his side and opened the door. He must have said the right things to the Guards before he left and closed the door behind him. Page went to grab her own jacket, lifting Wind’s jacket over to him before they went to the door before talking to the Guards and leaving the room.

“Well, if I remember stuff correctly, Rexy,” Vix-Lei said when the door closed behind her friends, wrapping her arm around the diamond dog. “Night never had a proper talent… whateveritwas, right? So I think we should try to make a proper party for him to enjoy, what do you say?”

“Um,” Rex said, clearly surprised by this and Vix-Lei took as this an affirmative.

“Great!” she said as she more or less dragged him out of the door, humming to herself with Rex still clearly confused by everything.

Now left alone in the room, Xvital sighed to herself. “Well, here goes nothing,” she said as she picked up the phone to call Night’s brother to get a better understanding of why Night would be so again-

“Hello, Major Crooked Blade’s office, whom may I say is calling?” Xvital blinked in surprise.

“Um, this is Xvital,” she said uncertainly. “I am calling to speak with Crooked?”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Well no but-”

“Ma’am, I do not know how you got this number but-”

“I got this from his brother, Night,” Xvital interrupted. “He told me to speak to Crooked about something.”

There was a moment of silence, and then the person on the other end of the line spoke again. “One moment please.”

Xvital waited, shifting around on her feet as she flicked her magic around. Her having magic was still very weird and the fact that the Captain General told her that she was to be put into Academy to be taught how to use her magic was another fun fact. And it wasn’t choice; no, the Captain General said it as it was a fact.

Thankfully, it had stopped being so damn powerful and gone downwards to what Page and Rex said was a normal level although they weren’t sure considering how ahuizotls didn’t have magic. Thankfully she got better at controlling the fire and wasn’t setting her bed ali-

“Hello,” a voice caused her to jump again.

“Ah yes, this is Xvi-”

“My secretary already informed me to who you are,” the voice said, causing Xvital to wrinkle her nose. “I wish to know what this is about.”

Floundering for a few seconds, Xvital found her center. “This is about Night and your parents; there is something I want to kno-”

“I suppose I can arrange a meeting today with you to properly converse with you as I am busy at the moment,” the voice said, cutting her off again. “I will meet with you at the Glass Jewel in two hours. Please dress appropriately, miss Xvital.” He then hung up on her.

Xvital stared into the phone and was already dreading this decision, wondering if Night knew that this was going to happen.

She tilted her head, wondering what she could use as a fancy dress beyond what Tizoc got her as a gag.

Groaning, she held the receiver to her head and prayed that no one she knew would see her in it or she’d never hear the end of it.