Old Habits

Chapters

The Plan
The Scene
The Mark
The Reveal
The First Last Job

The Plan

“Alright, Nova. Hold still…”

“I know,” he said as he felt the cold needle slide into his foreleg, parting skin as it slipped into one of his veins. The orange glow around the base of the needle winked out as Dawn let go, and behind it the clear plastic tubing began to take on a bright red coloration; blood flowing through it and back towards the empty bag on the tray.

“So how much do you need this time?” Nova Beam asked, twisting his foreleg slightly as the line of red continued to move further away from his body.

“Only a small amount,” Dawn Triage said, her voice as clipped and precise as some of the medical tools she’d just examined him with. “This last bit is only a sample. Just for a few tests.” The pink mare turned away from him, her horn lighting up as she went, sweeping a clipboard off of the side of the medical table he was lying on.

“What kind of tests?” He cocked his head to one side and glanced down at the sliver of metal embedded in his flesh, watching as it glinted under the lights of the medical bay.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Dawn said, her voice perfectly calm. Of course she’d be calm. She’d probably say the exact same thing to a patient who was near death—well no, he knew that wasn’t true. He’d been close to death once, so close he hadn’t even been awake for it, and she’d been totally clear about it when he’d woken up.

“Alright then,” he said his eyes following the path of his blood back to the small bag once more, watching as it slowly filled. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.” He looked up at her and twisted his face into a grin. “That or break in here one of these nights and see exactly what sort of tests you’re conducting.”

Dawn’s head came up, her clipboard coming down on the metal countertop with a sharp crack that rang across the med-bay. Piercing, blue eyes locked with his as the pink unicorn took a step towards him, her mouth compressed into a thin, barely visible line.

“Nova,” she said, her voice only slightly lower than normal, “I will tolerate you breaking out of your own room or picking the locks on the equipment lockers—” that had actually been Hunter, but he wasn’t about to correct her, “—but if I so much get a hint that you have been breaking into my medical office, I’ll see to it that your next medical appointment ends up with you not being able you use your hooves for a very long time, clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Good,” she said, her eyes moving towards the blood bag, as if silently weighing exactly how much more blood she would need to remove to get him to shut up. “Because I’m very serious. There are a lot of dangerous items in this lab, and without somepony experienced around to make certain you know what you’re dealing with, you could end up suffering all sorts of horrible effects.”

“Horrible effects?” His grin slipped from his face for a moment as he spoke, and Dawn's eyes flashed.

“Well, I would hope not, but you know how it is,” she said, her tone warming just slightly. Was she smiling? “I could not guarantee your safety if you were found to be messing around in here. In order to be safe, I’m afraid I’d have to do a full detox to make certain. And of course, for that, I’m afraid I’d be forced to shave you.”

“Hey, look at that!” Nova said as icy claws ran down his spine. He lifted his free hoof and dropped it back down one the examination table with a loud thump. “My desire to ever have anything to do with this med-bay has evaporated in a puff of smoke. Poof!” He threw his hoof up again, giving Dawn his best smile and holding it for a moment as she fixed him with a level gaze. "What little of it there was already, I mean."

“Hmmm,” Dawn said as she stepped forward, her horn glowing once more. “I’d imagine you're telling the truth there. Although don’t think for a moment that I believe you wouldn’t try if you thought breaking in here would be a challenge.” There was a gentle tug against his skin as the needle slid out, a faint, red dot welling up against his purple coat in its wake. “Hold this there,” she instructed, floating a small cotton ball across the room and pressing it against his leg.

“Got it.” He lit his own horn, yellow magic surrounding the cotton ball even as the dull-orange glow it had been wrapped in faded away. It didn’t take much mental effort to hold the cotton ball firmly against his leg. Compared to levitating something like a column of solid marble, it was easy enough he could've done it in his sleep.

“No bad reactions since your accident?” Dawn asked, pausing as she glanced at his horn. “No itching, no discomforts?”

“Nope,” he said, tilting his head slightly and eyeing the tip of his horn out of the top of his eyes. “Totally fine.”

“Good,” she said, floating the bag containing his blood by her side as she walked away from him. “Tell me, do you have any plans for the day?”

He shrugged. “Not really. I think I’m just going to go spend some time down in the market district, shop around a little.” The cotton ball peeled away, and he narrowed his eyes at the unseen hole the needle had left. The cotton ball twirled, spinning as he flipped it over and then dabbed it against his foreleg once more. It came away still slightly red.

So much for that. He pushed the cotton ball back down again. A little longer.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Dawn’s voice called from somewhere behind him. He twitched his ears, once again wishing he’d sat down facing the other way.

At least then I’d be able to look at more of this place than the door I walked in, he mused as he ran his eyes around the medical lab’s entryway. Or was it medical bay? Between the Captain, Hunter and Dawn all using different names for it, it was getting hard to tell.

“No, not really,” he said as something clattered behind him. “It’ll just be nice to get out and be … a part of the crowd, you know? There’s a life to it, a vibrancy!” He smiled as the cotton ball spun again, this time coming up clean. “I haven’t just had some time to relax and watch the world go by, you know?”

“I believe I understand,” Dawn said, appearing at his side, a small metal trash can floating in her magic. “It sounds somewhat similar to the same reason I would attend a symphonic concert or an expensive dinner. Drop the cotton ball in here please, and then you may get up.”

“Thanks,” Nova said. He gave the small ball of fluff a little toss, grinning as it arced through the air and dropped perfectly into the metal cylinder. Muscles quivered as he rose, arching his back and stretching his forelegs out across the cool metal of the examination table.

“Oh, sun above, that feels good,” he said as blood rushed through his forelegs, sending a wave of tingles down toward his front hooves. He let out a satisfied sigh and switched his stance, raising his rear legs in turn, shaking them as blood began to rush back into his back hooves. Then he jumped, ignoring the short steps down the side of the examination table in favor of the more direct route. The loud clap of all four of his hooves touching down at the same time rang through the medical bay as he landed, a sharp, staccato echo that quickly faded.

“Feeling better?” Dawn asked with a slight smile as he turned in place, rolling his shoulders. He gave his tail a quick flick, the fire-red hairs whipping back and forth before settling once again with a series of quivers.

“Much,” he said, giving her a grin. “Sorry. Just a little tired of laying in one spot for the last hour, you know?”

“I noticed,” Dawn said, her voice dry. Then one corner of her mouth turned upward. “Exactly how much time did you spend wishing you were facing the other way?”

“Subtract about five minutes from however long I was in here, and that’s about it,” he admitted. “I guess I’m not the first?”

“No,” she said as she turned and moved further back into the room. He twisted his neck, following her first with his head, and then when that was no longer an option, turning his whole body, rolling his shoulders once more on the way for good measure. “However,” she said as she reached the back wall of the office, “you’re certainly the most antsy about it.”

“Hey, it’s a reflex,” Nova said, shaking his head. “I’ve gotta know what’s going on around me at all times. Old habits.”

“Well, I can hardly dissuade you from that,” Dawn said, a cabinet door swinging open under the glow of her magic. Nova watched with interest as she began to juggle various pieces of tools and equipment. The medical lab was interesting, at least compared to the rest of the barracks. The moment he’d crossed the threshold it had been like stepping into one of the most advanced hospitals in Equestria, with tile underhoof instead of wood, bright, brilliant magilights that illuminated the whole room flawlessly, and shining, silvery metal on every surface that wasn’t painted white. Even the examination table had been metal. Cold metal, much to his surprise. Somehow, even in the late warmth of the end of summer, the table had been as cold and icy as the Canter River in winter.

“So, shopping then?” Dawn asked, setting something down on the counter. Nova pulled himself away from his examination of the room. If there was anything interesting to find, it wouldn’t be worth sneaking in for anyway. Not if he wanted to keep his coat where he liked it—on his back.

“Not really shopping,” he said, stepping a little towards the back of the room. The counter that ran along the wall ended next to an opening that led further back, a single sheet hanging in front of it. The rest of the room was standard enough—medical cabinets, the table, a small desk with a few chairs carefully sitting under it, that large mirror over by the examination table—but what was behind the cloth? “More just looking around, maybe grabbing some new music records.”

“More Trotaikovsky?”

“Naw,” Nova said, shaking his head, “not this time. I think Vinyl Scratch’s got a new album out, and I’m going to see if I can find a copy somewhere.”

“Vinyl Scratch,” Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. She flicked one ear, brushing aside a strand of her orange mane as she turned to face him, her face held in what had to be a well-practiced pose of formal distaste. “I suppose we each have our own tastes.”

Yeah, she definitely has to practice making that face, he thought as he grinned up at her disapproving eyes. There’s no way she could hold that level of poised distaste so flawlessly otherwise. “So what’s in the back?” he asked, tilting his head towards the rear doorway.

“Storage,” Dawn said, waving a hoof and turning away. “For various surgery and medical equipment, as well as any other equipment I may need in the course of the Guard's missions.” Her tail gave a quick, satisfied swish to one side. “Extravagant, perhaps, but the Captain said that price was no object.” There was a strain of smug satisfaction in her tone, and Nova nodded.

“In any case, that is neither here nor there, Nova,” Dawn said. The bag holding his blood floated up into view for a moment before it was swallowed by a small, compact cardboard box. Then a roll of tape floated up and began wrapping neat, concise lines over the top. “You’re done here for the day. Make the most of your day off. I have a feeling that we’re going to be needed for something official soon.”

“You got that vibe too, huh?” Nova asked as he turned partway towards the door, his eyes still on the floating box. “What was it for you? Hunter ending up on KP duty after that meeting with the Captain and Princess Luna, or that newspaper article on a certain griffon derailing a train car near the border?”

“Neither,” Dawn said as the box floated out of his view. “I’m merely basing the assumption on the fact that we haven’t done anything for almost two weeks, and I know that both of the Princesses are most interested to see how Sky Bolt’s new adaptations for our armor have progressed. And stop staring in the direction of your blood like I’m doing something suspicious with it.” He twitched, and then grinned as he saw her eyes reflecting at him from the silvery surface of one of the cabinets. “I simply need to take it to Canterlot General for the test itself. Now,” she said as her horn flashed once more, “on your way out for the day, if you wouldn’t mind stopping by Sky Bolt’s workshop and telling her that I’m ready to see her now?” The box floated back into view, a small flurry of vapor trailing from the thin coat of ice that had grown over it.

“Oh, and Nova?” Dawn asked as he headed for the door. He came to a stop in front of the room’s mirror, his own fire-red mane and yellow eyes staring at him for a second before he turned all the way back towards the pink doctor. She waited until she had his full attention before giving him an approving smile. A somewhat approving smile.

“Enjoy your day off.”

“Thanks,” he said, grinning. “I will.”

Stepping back into the rest of the barracks was like stepping into another world. Although it wasn’t much like stepping into an actual barracks. Nova had seen the quarters that both the Royal and Night Guard bunked in; long, tightly packed rows of bunks barely divided by temporary walls that didn’t even go to the roof of the building. No thanks.

Of course, it had been what he’d been expecting to live in when he’d first been plucked out of jail to serve his sentence as a member of the team. But thanks to Sky Bolt’s lack of hesitation, the barracks that the Dusk Guard lived in was more like a base of operations than a barracks, with personal quarters, an armory, offices … Even a common room.

He swung right as he walked out of the medical bay, the noise of his hoofsteps shifting down in pitch as he passed from the white linoleum of the bay to the wooden flooring of the hall. First I’ll go let Sky Bolt know that I’m done, he thought as he passed the door to the armory, then I’ll swing around and grab my saddlebags from my room, along with a some bits so I’ve got some money to spend … but not too much. After all, every bit he withdrew from his pay was one more bit he’d have to earn back to pay off his debt to society. But a little fun every now and then could be worth it.

He could feel a thumping bass beat pumping through the floor and pulsating up his hooves as he drew closer to the door. She’s probably hard at work on something else that’ll be absolutely nuts, he thought as the pounding rhythm grew louder. The strength mod she’d shown off the other day, along with the speed mod, had both been awesome. He could see the use behind either of them, although she’d mentioned that she was working on a shield variant. Maybe I could ask to see her list, make a few suggestions of my own … His thought process, and then his body, ground to a halt as the door to the workshop swung open, giving him a clear view inside.

“Oh, hey Nova!” Sky Bolt said, looking up from her desk with a smile. The grey-coated pegasus was sitting at the desk nearest the door, a tool he couldn't identify clutched in one hoof. “How’s it going?” She leaned over towards one side of the desk and tapped at something, and the near-deafening beat that had been emanating from the workshops speakers died, fading away to a faint, background hiss punctuated by small, tinny taps. “Is Dawn ready for me?”

For a moment Nova was silent, his attention barely focused on the young mare. Then he opened his mouth, his eyes still refusing to leave the item standing on top of her desk as he gave voice to the only thing he could think about.

“Sky Bolt?” The mare nodded at the mention of her voice, and his eyes slowly slid down towards her and then back up again. “Why do you have—and in fact is that—an actual griffon skeleton sitting on your desk?”

Author's Note

Ah, at long last, Nova's side story!

I've got to say, I really enjoy writing Nova and Dawn in the same scenes together. Nova's already fun to write because he bounces off other characters pretty well, but he really reacts best with Dawn, since they're such great foils for one another. And yet despite that, they share some common ground.

Hmmm ... how many little details mentioned here are going to turn up later in the series I wonder?

The Scene

It’s a truism of every major city, Nova mused as he trotted down the streets of Canterlot, his hooves ringing against the clean, polished stone. No matter how big it is. No matter how many ponies live or don’t live in it, or how run-down or polished it is...

Although Canterlot is definitely the latter in that case, he thought as he passed by a public cafe, the chairs and tables laid out in a careful pattern so clean-cut he could have marched his way through them with his eyes closed simply by counting his hoofsteps. Several more well-to-do members of the city were already sitting at a few of the tables, nobles in flashy clothing and gaudy jewelry discussing various topics as they sipped at morning cups of tea or poured over newspapers. Or perhaps that was noon-day tea. It was closer to lunch than it was breakfast.

But even with all this polish and glitz... Nova thought, smiling as he passed the restaurant and took a left at the first corner, moving away from the more well traveled thoroughfare and the pomp and glamour of the city, passing down streets where the displays were less ostentatious, more to the point. Even with the nobility, and the crispness, and everything else that runs through Canterlot, or the toughness and independence of Manehatten, or even in the arts and cultural focus of Baltimare, there’s one thing that every city will aways, always have. His smile grew as he passed by larger and larger groups of ponies; unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies of every shape and color.

The shops on the thoroughfares and main streets would always be crisp, clean, and congenial. But if you really wanted to find anything, to experience the beating heart of a city's public economic district, then there was only one place to go. The bazaar. Nova took a final turn, rounding the corner at the end of the street and—

—and it was like he’d stepped into another world. His pace slowed for a moment as the sounds—kept from spilling over into the surrounding streets by carefully placed baffling spells—swept over him, a symphony of voices, shouts, and noise blending together in a tumultuous melody. Voices in languages both familiar and foreign, words that spoke as much from context and volume as they did from anything else. Hooves, paws, and even claws scraping against well-worn stones, the rushing torrent of species with places to be.

And the color! While the rest of Canterlot’s businesses took great pride in matching the aesthetic of the city, patterning their storefronts after the famous marble-and-gold colors that were so much a part of it, the bazaar had no such restrictions. Brilliant spectrums of color stretched across the square, vivid blues, startling pinks, transcendent yellows, electrifying greens … colors of every conceivable shade and style in a veritable rainbow hurricane that challenged and then overwhelmed the rolling crowd for variety.

Nor was the color stationery, either. Brilliant banners rippled from storefronts, their bright or dark surfaces always dancing in a wind that was far too strong and regular to be naturally occurring. Colorful cloth awnings gave shoppers shade from the hot summer sun, their eye-catching patterns designed to hopefully draw in prospective buyers. Some more extravagant or wealthy shops had gone even a step further, with magical signs, illusion spells of pure light that danced or pulsed to try and draw the attention of the crowd.

Nova paused for a moment, his head just past the nearly invisible barrier that marked the change from ordinary, quiet Canterlot to the frenzy, the life of the bazaar. He took it all in, a deep breath as if he was the one of the mares moving from bouquet to bouquet at the flower cart to his left, sampling each selection. Or perhaps like the griffon to his right, the one staring hungrily at the rows of shish-kebab meats and veggies that one pony was busily hawking, doing his best to taste them with his eyes as he counted out bits from a small bag. Or the stallion near the smaller fountains, his chest puffing out with pride as somepony—probably his marefriend—became completely ecstatic over a small vial of perfume.

Nova took it all in: scents, sights, sounds. The feel of the cobblestones beneath his hooves, shaking and trembling with each movement of the crowd. The taste of excitement, of interaction in the air. He took it all in, a shiver running down his spine as he let out a deep breath. The team, his life in the Guard … that was home now. But this?

This was where he’d grown up. This was where he’d lived. The flow of ponies, the way the crowd moved and spun ... It didn’t matter what city or what side of Equestria he was on. If there was a bazaar, then he was right at home.

He trotted into the square, an uncontrollable grin sliding across his face as he began to move past ponies of all shapes and sizes. Mostly unicorns, since it was Canterlot, but there were plenty of earth ponies moving through the crowd as well, along with some pegasi. There were quite a few overhead as well, casting shadows across the crowd as they flew from place to place. The sky was clear and blue, with almost no clouds in sight to block the warm sunlight from heating the stone beneath his hooves.

Occasionally a larger shadow would pass overhead as a griffon flew past, bags of merchandise slung across their backs or clutched in their talons. Most of the bazaar’s clientele were ponies, but Nova could see quite a bit of representation from other races and species as well. Several griffons were down among the crowd, laughing and chatting as they made their way across the square, and his eyes spotted several different sets of black-and-white stripes wrapped in brilliant silks that made even some of the more colorful ponies look plain. Zebras, in traditional garb, if he was remembering Sabra’s little notes about his people’s culture correctly. There was even a horse on the far side of the square, his tall, slender frame putting him a head above the crowd around him.

One side of the central fountain was occupied by a large, blue minotaur who seemed to be chanting to the crowd about some sort of seminar, with a pair of goats nearby that were handing out fliers—probably related to whatever the minotaur was selling. There was a small piece of the bazaar that had stopped in order to listen to him, but only half of them seemed truly interested. The other half seemed more concerned with resting their hooves, chatting with their neighbor, or taking a moment to steal a sip of water from their pack.

Nope, there’s nothing like a bazaar, Nova thought as he made his way towards the center of the square. Even in Canterlot, at the center of Equestria, you could still find a little bit of everything if you just knew what to look for.

Including spare bits, he thought as a blue-and-orange unicorn couple passed in front of him, their saddlebags only half-closed. His eyes slid over the pair, fixed on something just past them but close enough that he could clearly see make out the small, telltale bulge in the side of their saddlebags where one of the pair’s bit-bags normally sat.

It wouldn’t even be hard, Nova thought as he moved up behind the blue unicorn. I wouldn’t even have to cross paths. In this crowd all it would take is being close enough for a second… He stepped up behind the mare, almost shaking his head at how easy it was to get close without her noticing. She was completely focused on her conversation with the stallion next to her, gushing about some tickets to some show she’d acquired. Nova slid up alongside the bag.

“Excuse me, Miss?” he said. The mare kept on watching. Her stallion friend hadn’t even noticed that he’d said anything. Nova fought the urge to roll his eyes. Definitely an easy mark.

“Hey, hello?” he said, tapping her shoulder with one hoof. The mare let out a little gasp of surprise, her head snapping around as she came to a halt. “Yeah,” he said, waving his hoof. "Hello.”

“Can we help you?” her friend asked. He had a fairly deep voice, definitely deeper than it had been a moment ago.

Relax guy, Nova thought as he nodded his head towards the mare’s saddlebags. “Your saddlebags are open. Just thought I’d say something.”

“Oh!” the mare said, her eyes widening as she looked back. “Thanks!” A purple glow wrapped itself around her bags, the drawstring letting out a barely audible whiz as she pulled it shut. She glanced back at him, the corner of her mouth turning up as her eyes darted down to his hooves and then back up again, lingering for a moment on his chest.

Oh no… He could already see her friend's brow furrowing as he looked at the mare’s obvious attention and then back at Nova. Not good at all. This was why the good looking thieves always got caught. You had to be invisible. Not memorable.

“No problem,” he said, turning and heading back the way he had came. I am not getting into this. No. No, no, no.

“Hey!” the mare called, and he could feel her eyes on his side. “What’s your—”

“Don’t worry about it,” the other unicorn said, and Nova was relieved to hear a note of relief in the poor stallion's voice. “I’m glad he pointed that out. You could have lost something!”

“Oh gosh, do you think I did?” The rest of the pair’s conversation faded back into the crowd as Nova moved away, a small smile on his face.

Well, that was … different. Not just the mare eyeballing him, although that was a little surprising. And slightly uncomfortable. The whole thing though, helping the mare instead of grabbing her bits...

Then again, it wasn’t that different. You would have gone after somepony like that when you were a kid, but even a few years ago? He almost shook his head, but opted instead for nodding politely and then ducking out of the way of a black-and-grey griffon carefully balancing a large platter of something that smelled spicy in one paw. She gave him a quick nod back, her wings opening slightly and then folding back down as she passed. He wasn’t sure if she’d just been adjusting them or if it was a social cue he didn’t know much about. He’d known a few griffons growing up in Baltimare—well, no, he corrected himself. It was more like he’d known of a few. He’d never been much for socializing past being friendly with most of the local crews.

And now I work for the Guard, he thought with a wry grin as he reached the center of the square and hopped up onto the edge of the fountain. The minotaur was still bellowing away on the far side of the fountain, sidestepping back and forth along the rim of massive marble construct as he shouted something about his self-image seminar.

Maybe he’ll slip and fall in, Nova thought with a grin. That’d give that crowd something to watch. It was tempting to ‘help’ the idea along a little bit, but he shook the idea away. If it were Hunter, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Or Sabra or Sky Bolt. And … that’s it. I don’t think I’d dare try doing that to Captain Steel or Dawn. Well, maybe the Captain. Maybe. Above him, the tiered fountain sputtered once, a spurt of water jetting up to a momentary abnormal height. Someone laughed as the cascade of water splashed down into the fountain pool, kicking droplets up on all sides.

I wonder if it does that on purpose? Nova turned his attention away from the fountain and back to the square around him. Maybe just to give ponies an excuse to cool off on a hot day?

Around him, the square was packed. Although it had clearly been designed to give the most space possible, with the actual buildings ringing the edge in order to allow the inside to be as open as possible, the sheer number of vendors and ponies that had packed the space made it look smaller than it actually was. The fountain which he was currently perched on made up the center of the square, and he could see four paths leading out back to the rest of the city, each with a smaller fountain along it.

For a city built on the side of a mountain, they sure manage to keep it spacious, he thought as he spotted a waving blue-and-black flag that looked promising. How is it Manehatten can’t manage this? Or Baltimare? Both cities had always been packed, full of narrow alleys and streets that had only been two-carts wide while almost always seeming to have three carts competing to pass one-another. Although for a thief, such close quarters hadn’t exactly been a bad thing.

A flowing electric-blue-on-black banner caught his eye, and he hopped down from his perch, ducking around a pair of donkeys carrying heavy shopping bags as he made his way towards the store he’d been looking for. As he drew closer, the magically animated text beneath the banner spun, and he could make out the words “—Scratch’s new album—” before the rotation was too off from his perspective to be able to make out the rest of it.

Not that it mattered. He knew exactly what the rest of it was referring to. He could hear it now, too, and he pricked his ears forward, picking out the faint sounds of a beat above the hustle of the crowd. He heard something else too, a rapid, clattering cascade of sound rushing towards him.

High pitch, rapid sequence! Nova thought as his eyes darted downward. From the right! He snapped his eyes to one side as a young unicorn colt came crashing out of the crowd at a full sprint, his own hooves tripping under his small body as he barreled towards Nova’s flank in an out-of-control rush.

Nova snapped himself to the side, darting out of the colt’s way and almost crashing into a nearby earth pony. His horn was lit, ready to catch the young pony even as he came to a skidding halt, his eyes wide open.

“Sorry about that!” the colt said before Nova could say anything. “Good thing you’re fast!” Then he was gone, darting forward into the crowd, his hoofsteps once again controlled, regular.

“Sorry,” Nova said, apologizing to the earth pony he’d nearly run over. “The kid just surprised me, that’s all.”

I’ll say he did, he thought as he turned back to look in the direction of the vanished colt. Nopony was chasing him, and his hoofsteps only picked up a few seconds before he burst in on me. He didn’t fall either, even though he looked like he was going to … and that saddlebag. The small bump had been colored the same shade of red as the colt’s coat, and it had been faint, but it had clearly been a saddlebag designed to blend in. He headed straight for my flank. Was that little guy actually going for my bit-bag?

Maybe I’m just being paranoid. He shook his head as he turned back towards the music shop. The kid probably just was in a hurry to get somewhere. Not everyone who bumps into someone’s saddlebags is a thief.

Not that they’d find his money if they did. His own bit-bag was snug against his side, inside a pocket that could only be accessed from the side of the bags that pressed against his flank. It wasn’t impossible to get at, but it was much more secure than leaving his bit-bag sitting in the main pocket of his bags where any halfway decent pickpocket could get at them.

The sign over the shop proclaimed it to be “The Soundwave” in the same electric-blue color as the banner, with some smaller text beneath that declared it a “one-stop-shop for records and instruments.” Nova grinned as he pushed the door open. This was exactly the kind of shop that he’d been looking for.

A bell rang somewhere above him as he stepped in, and a green-coated unicorn looked up from behind the shop's counter and gave him a welcome wave. He returned it with a wave of his own, nodding at her as she turned her attention back to her magazine. He’d been to The Soundwave twice before, although it had been a stallion behind the counter on those occasions. Five rows of shelves stood in front of him, just tall enough that he could look over the tops without stretching his neck, each bearing small, metal signs that listed off each of the genres that could be found on the racks. The walls around him were covered with instruments, mostly simple stuff that a beginner could pick up, but there were a few more complex and difficult to play instruments hanging, like guitars.

The store was definitely more crowded than it had been before. On his previous visits there had been maybe four or five ponies at most browsing the shelves or listening to the portable record-player over by the till. Today though, there were at least twenty, maybe as many as twenty-five ponies in the store. Maybe more. He couldn’t really make a solid guess since most of them were clustered in the back, but he could make out the buzz of excited conversation.

Nova stepped between the first two sets of shelves, his eyes still peering over the top to try and figure out what the crowd was up to. It seemed to be mostly ponies his age or younger, all pressing forward against one another in an excited jumble. The crowd parted for a second and a sky-blue unicorn darted out, a wide grin stretching across her face and a record sleeve floating in the air in front of her.

Ah, I get it, Nova thought as the mare almost bounced up to the register, her body practically shaking with excitement. Autographs. Must be somepony famous back there. He took a second glance back towards the back of the room, but still couldn’t make out whoever was doing to the signing. The crowd was too thick.

The row he’d wandered into wasn’t what he’d been looking for. Row after row of purple-lidded eyes stared up at him, loud lettering proclaiming the artist’s name in bold overtones.

They’ve moved things, Nova thought, frowning as he looked down at the collection of pop music. Sapphire Shores had never been his thing, nor any of the other artists in the pop genre. To much fluff, he thought as he panned his eyes across the signs, stopping on one that read “DJ Pon3.” Give me a symphony or a grooving beat to move to any day. Overhead the song that had been playing since he’d entered the store faded away, only to be replaced by a familiar Draft Punk tune.

That’s more like it, he thought, his head bobbing to the beat as he stepped around the end of the shelves and made his way towards the row he’d spotted. In the back of the store, the crowd was starting to bob to the beat, rocking to the music as somepony—probably the mystery guest—started to cheer them on. There was something familiar about the voice though. Something very familiar ... maybe it was an artist he'd listened to before. Or one that Sky Bolt loved.

Nova stepped into the last row before the back, stepping around another customer who was eagerly picking up one of the record sleeves in his teeth. Now, this is the right row. Rows of blue-on-blue album covers stared up at him, each featuring a white-coated unicorn with a pair of iconic magenta shades. Even better, there are still plenty of copies! The middle shelf was empty, and the bottom rows were taken up by other popular artists in the dance genre, but the top shelves showed no such sign of running short anytime soon. He lit up his horn, wrapping one of the new albums in a yellow glow and pulling it from the top row, away from the rest of its siblings and the paper banner that was hanging … just … above…

Nova paused, his eyes narrowing as he read the text on the banner. “Come to The Soundwave this afternoon—” the banner read, “—and you can get your record signed by—”

Nova felt his body freeze as he read the last words on the banner. “—signed by DJ Pon3 herself: Vinyl Scratch!”

That explained the crowd. And the noise. And the familiar voice. Nova shifted his eyes over the top of the shelf, halfway hoping that he was just mistaken, that the banner was from the day before. Maybe today was some other artist.

But no. The crowd parted for just a moment as another happy fan wandered out, the same album that he was holding in his magic gripped in her teeth, a sharp, showy signature splashed across the front in black ink. And through the gap in the crowd, he could see the same bright, electric-blue, two-toned mane. The magenta glasses. The white coat. There was no mistaking it. He was standing in the same store as Vinyl Scratch.

Great.

For a moment, he froze. Then the crowd pushed together again, laughing as Vinyl said something, and Nova shook himself free.

Ok, this was unexpected. He could feel his heart beating a little faster as he turned towards the register, the album floating by his side. But everything’s cool. Just pay for the album and get out of here before she notices you.

“Find what you need?” the unicorn behind the counter asked, setting her magazine down as he walked up.

“Yeah,” Nova said with a nod. He slid the album across the counter, smiling a little at the faint swish the cardboard made when it slid across the wood. “Found exactly what I wanted.” He kept his voice neutral, as if he was any other customer. Just like robbing a place and playing it cool, he thought. Although this time, I’m actually paying before trying to get out.

“Oh, hey!” the mare said as she picked up the album. “You a Vinyl fan? You know she’s right in the back, right?” Her eyes darted towards the group clustered at the back of the store. “You can just go back there and get it autographed for free.”

“That’s alright,” Nova said, shaking his head and keeping his voice level. “I just came for the album.” He twisted his head back as he tugged at his saddlebags with his magic, the zipper over his bit-bag making a satisfying buzz as he tugged it open.

“No, no, it’s totally cool,” the mare said, lifting his album higher into the air as she reared up on her hind legs. “Half of those ponies aren’t even buying, they’re just hanging back there and chatting with her—”

“No, it’s fine,” Nova said, his panic rising as he sat back and raised his hooves. “I’ll just take it as is, I’m kind of in a hurry and—”

“Yo! Vinyl!” the mare called, completely oblivious to his protests. “We’ve got a guy up here trying to walk away without letting you sign your album!”

The clamour at the back of the store ground to a halt as a single voice cut through the store.

“What?”

Nova felt his heart drop into his stomach as the crowd parted, Vinyl’s magenta lenses fixing on him. Dang it.

Vinyl’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses as she leaned forward. “Yo!” she called, her head cocking to one side. “You’re a fan but you don’t want my autograph? What?”

“Well,” Nova said, his mind frantically screaming as he scrambled for an excuse. “I’m a big fan, but you seemed to have so many—”

Vinyl’s eyebrows jumped so high he almost saw the whites of her eyes. Then she grinned, letting out a little laugh, and Nova tried not to grimace.

Crud.

“You’re that—!” Vinyl started to say, leaning forward, but then she snapped back into her chair, glancing at the ponies on either side of her.

Oh dang. Sun above, she recognized me! Nova thought as Vinyl stood up in her seat and waved her hoof to the crowd.

“Alright guys,” she called, waving her hoof to the crowd. “Any final party-goers here that want to get some albums signed before I take an hour for lunch? And don’t you go anywhere!” Vinyl called, her hoof snapping in his direction as he started to rise. “You’re coming with me.” Amid gasps and looks of surprise, she gave the crowd a quick shrug. “I owe him for some help he gave me once, guys. I’ll catch up with you all later. Any last takers?”

Nova turned back towards the salesmare behind the register as a few eager fans rushed towards Vinyl with albums held high. Her horn began to glow as she signed each of them with a flourish.

“Don’t go anywhere!” she called in Nova’s direction as he glanced towards the door. “I’ll be right there!”

Alright, Nova thought as the salesmare looked at him in awe. I can figure out a way out of this. Slip away. I’ll just tell her I’m busy. Grab my album and—

A soft-blue glow swallowed his album as the salesmare finished ringing it up, and Nova watched, a sinking feeling in his stomach as it floated over towards Vinyl. The pearl-white mare gave him a bright grin as she trotted up next to him, his album sliding down into one of her saddlebags.

“Here,” she said, levitating a hoovefull of bits out of her bag and dropping them on the counter with a clatter, “this one’s on me. It’ll give me a chance to sign it for you after we have lunch.”

Alright, Nova thought as Vinyl headed for the door, almost dancing with energy. New plan to consider. How much trouble will I get in if I steal my own gift and make a run for it?

The Mark

“So,” Vinyl said as she sat down across the table from him, “let me guess. You were pretty quiet on the way over here. Wondering how I knew it was you?” She rapped one hoof on the table-surface, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Nova admitted as he settled in his seat. When Vinyl had said that she was taking him out to lunch, he’d been expecting either the standard Canterlot fare—something ritzy that went for more bits than most earned in a day—or something from a quick bazaar booth. Not to be walked to the other side of the bazaar and pulled inside a place that looked like some sort of tropical hut from the outside. Granted, the balcony she’d led him to was nice, and the umbrella above the table lent the final touch to the bamboo chair he was sitting in, but he just couldn’t relax. Not with who was sitting across from him.

“Well,” Vinyl said, her hoof coming up and pushing her glasses up her muzzle, “I do have an awesome memory for ponies, but it helps that they had your picture in the paper a few weeks ago.”

“They did?” Nova asked, sitting up in surprise.

“Of course,” Vinyl said, grinning as she leaned back in her seat, completely at ease. “Granted, it was a little blurry, but I got a decent look at you when you busted into my club that night. You know, before the lights went out and everypony started screaming. Hah! I gotta tell you, that was one crazy night! And I never did find out what that thing was.” She leaned forward, one hoof idly tracing a path on the wooden tabletop, an expectant look on her face.

Nova shook his head as he leaned back. “Sorry. I can’t tell you.” Vinyl frowned and he gave her a small shrug. “I’d tell you if I could, but the Captain was pretty specific.” His gaze drifted to the side, looking out over the balcony, down at the crowds crisscrossing the square. The fountain was clear now; the big blue minotaur had moved on, replaced by a few ponies eating lunch and one young filly who seemed to be intent on spending at least several bits worth of wishes at one go.

“Not even if I ask nicely?”

He let out a laugh, surprised at how natural it sounded. On the inside, he could feel his stomach twisting into a knot, fear creeping through his body like … well, much like he’d once crept through rich marks' homes. Homes like hers.

“No,” he said, facing her once more as he gave his head a gentle shake. “Sorry, but trust me. I’d be in a lot of trouble. And you probably don’t want to know anyway.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, leaning on one foreleg. “It didn’t have anything to do with that big building out in Baltimare coming down a few weeks later did it?” He gave her a shrug.

“Sorry,” he said, doing his best to sound apologetic. “Classified. Why are you so interested, anyway?”

“Hey,” she said, pulling back with a laugh. “I have every right to be interested. In case you forgot, you crashed my party with one of those things. But you are one of those guys then?”

“One of what?” Nova asked.

“The Dusk Guard. You know, those new, super-secret pony Guards that they introduced at the diplomatic dinner? There were a few articles in the paper about it. That’s where I saw your picture. That was … what, a few days before you jumped through the window at my club?” she asked, rubbing her hoof against her chin in thought.

“Your club?”

Vinyl gave him a shrug. “My club, Lucky’s club. Whatever. I play there. But that was you, right? Jumped through the window? I’m not feeding lunch to the wrong pony?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Nova asked, chuckling. “You waited until after we took seats at—” he paused for a moment, “—actually, I don’t even know what this place is called. You had me in the door and up the stairs out here before I could even ask.”

“Hey,” Vinyl said, one eyebrow dipping in what he assumed was a wink behind her glasses, “I had to rush you down here. I was worried you were gonna bolt if I took my eyes off of you.”

“Really?”

“Are you kidding? I had a stun spell at the ready just in case you tried it,” Vinyl said, laughing. “Not really, but I kind of got that vibe.”

“I’m not used to attention,” Nova said. That wasn’t a lie, at least. “I usually just stick to the sides.”

“A shy guy, huh?”

“Naw,” Nova said, shaking his head. “I’m more … unobtrusive. Most of the time. But you are sure you’re talking to the right pony?”

“Well, unless there’s another pony out there named Nova Beam who’s a member of the Dusk Guard…?” She let the question trail off as she cocked her head to one side.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “There isn’t. At least, not that I know of. There’s just the one, and that’s me.”

“Oh, good!” Vinyl said, letting out a laugh. “For a moment there, I really was wondering if I’d totally gotten the wrong pony. So,” she said, stretching her hoof across the rough wooden surface of the table, “name’s Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch. Unicorn DJ extraordinaire! Nice to meet you at last. Officially. When you aren’t diving through my windows.”

“Nova Beam,” he said, leaning forward and giving her hoof a quick shake. “Unicorn, diver of windows and slayer of monsters I can’t tell you about.”

“Rad,” Vinyl said, grinning. “So, how are your two buddies anyway? The pegasus and the zebra? I haven’t seen them since we hung out backstage that one night.”

“Sky Bolt and Sabra?” Nova asked. “They’re doing pretty well, actually. They’ve been super busy testing some of our new gear, but other than that, doing alright.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Vinyl said. “I hadn’t seen them come by in a while. That mare is a pretty kickin' dancer. I can’t say the same your zebra buddy.” Nova’s eyes widened as she shrugged her shoulders. “The guy can move though. With a little practice, he’d be all right.”

"Wait, wait, wait,” Nova said, raising one hoof. “Sabra, the king of...” He rolled his hoof, trying to think of a good way to describe the zebra’s slightly overdone thoughts. "Of silent brooding, maybe? He was actually dancing?”

“Yeah,” Vinyl said with a chuckle. “Well, more like he was trying to. She was giving him some pointers, but like I said, he needed practice.”

“Dang.” A chuckle escaped his throat. “Sky Bolt's good. Wish I could have seen that.”

"Her or the zebra?"

Nova rolled his eyes as the unicorn rapped her hoof on the table in a quick approximation of a drum hit. "Sabra." One eyebrow went up as Vinyl smirked. "Trying to dance."

“Well,” she said, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses, “you should have come.”

“I was studying,” he said, almost on reflex.

“Studying?”

“Studying,” he said, nodding.

“Do you do a lot of that, working for the Guard?”

“I…” he paused for a moment, hesitating.

“I don’t bite,” she said into his silence.

Not yet, he added, taking a breath. “More than you would think,” he said at last. “I’ll be honest, it’s not what I expected.”

“The Guard work? Or the studying?” Vinyl said, her grin softening to a smile.

“Both,” Nova said, his gut unclenching a little. Maybe this would just be a normal lunch. No big surprises. “There’s a lot I have to know for my role on the team. I’m basically the team magic-user, and so Steel—Captain Steel Song, that is—wants me to have a full knowledge of all the basic Guard spells as well as all sorts of special spells. I never had much of a formal education—” He stopped, surprised at how easily the words had slipped out of his mouth.

“Really?” Vinyl asked, one ear twitching down. “Didn’t pay attention much in magic class?”

“Uh, not really?” he said, giving her what he hoped was an honest looking grin. “It’s a long story.” The table was silent for a moment, and Nova blinked at the crowd, his horn lighting up slightly. Bingo. There it was. A sound baffling spell just past the railing. No wonder it seemed like they were the only ponies around.

“Just noticing the sound baffle spell,” he said as Vinyl gave him a questioning look. “It was really quiet up here.”

“Nice catch,” she said, her own horn lighting, probably to probe at the same baffle. “So. Studying?”

“Yeah,” Nova said, nodding. “Most of the time it’s basic stuff, the kind of stuff they teach all the Guards. Light spells, disabling spells. Some shields.”

“Any teleportation?”

“No,” Nova said, shaking his head. His guts unclenched a little more. “At least, not yet. I’ve never been any good at getting that one down. If I have to, I will, but…”

“Eh, I can’t teleport either,” Vinyl said. “Although,” she said, raising her voice, “I might be tempted to try if we don’t get some service out here soon!”

“Hey!” came a loud call from the stairs in an odd accent Nova couldn’t place, “Vinyl, what're you talkin’ about?” Hooves rang against the steps and the beads rattled against one another as a dark brown stallion with a black, braided mane pushed his way through, trotting out onto the balcony. “You know I always wait until you be readying to be makin’ your order.”

“Yeah,” Vinyl said, shaking her head, “but not with company.” She nodded her head in Nova’s direction, and the big earth pony’s attention shifted towards him. “He’s never even been here.”

“Never been!?” the stallion exclaimed, his eyes growing wide. “Den allow me to welcome you to my humble restaurant.” He gave Nova an exaggerated bow. “My name is Jam Roll, and I’ll be your chef today, tomorrow, or any time you come to De Thunder!”

“Nova,” Nova said, nodding. “That’s an interesting accent, if you don’t mind me asking, where’s it from?”

“Hey, pon, ask all you want, alright? I’m from the Janeighcan islands, pon,” he said, shaking his braided mane. “Born and raised. Moved to Canterlot when I fell in love with my sweet, sweet wifey on her vacation. And now? I be bringing you the best de islands have to offer!” He sat back and clapped both his hooves together. “So, since you’re new here, I’d be expectin’ you’ll be wanting a menu. Same for you, Vinyl?”

“Got anything new on it?”

“I would hope so, pon. It’s been ages since you looked at it last!”

“Alright then,” Vinyl said with a roll of her head. “A menu for me. And a pitcher of Shock for both of us.”

“Shock?” Nova asked.

“You’ll like it,” Vinyl said as Jam Roll spun on his rear hooves and pushed back through the bead curtain. “Trust me.” She smiled again, and he gave her a half-smile back.

“Are you alright?” she asked after a moment. “You look tense. Not a fan of foreign food?”

“Ah, actually the opposite, I love it,” he said. “I’m just … crud, how to put this?” Terrified that you’ll realize that the club wasn’t the first time we’d met one another? “A little surprised, I guess you could say.” That’s a good enough cover. “I mean, I was just doing what I was supposed to be doing, and now I’m being treated to lunch by a celebrity.”

“Hey, I just wanted to thank you,” she said, rolling one hoof on the edge of the table. “You never came by the club, and when I heard your voice in the store this afternoon, that was my chance. And I’ll admit, it’s pretty sweet to find out you’re a fan. But I did want to say thanks for doing whatever it was you did to stop that monster and saving a bunch of ponies lives. That and get to know a little about the pony that did that.”

Nova’s stomach unclenched slightly, his muscles relaxing. There was another rattle as the bead curtain parted again, and Jam Roll trotted out onto the balcony, humming a tropical-sounding beat under his breath. A bright green apron was tied around his chest, two paper menus sticking up from one of the pockets, and he was carefully balancing a tray on his back that held both a large pitcher and two heavy-looking wooden mugs.

“Alright den!” he said with a wide smile. “Two glasses of Shock…” Nova nodded, impressed as the big stallion slid the tray from his back with practiced ease, the pitcher barely wobbling.

“I got it,” Vinyl said, a blue glow wrapping around the pitcher and one of the mugs as she floated them over to her side.

“I’ll take this one, then,” Nova said, picking the cup up from the tray in his hooves. The wood felt smooth under his hoof, polished. He locked one hoof through the handle and gave it a quick heft. “Pretty solid.”

“Dey have to be, pon, to hold Shock!” Jam said with a laugh. “Now, here are your menus, I’ll be back in a few minutes when you’ve made your choosings, alright?” He gave them both a borderline mad grin as he slid the menus from his apron, and Nova found himself smiling back as the stallion twirled the menus on his hooves before sliding them across the table with a flourish. “Enjoy, pon!” Then he was gone, vanishing back through the bead curtain almost as quickly as he had come.

“So,” Nova said, floating his menu up in front of him, “I have absolutely no idea what Janeighcan food is like. Anything I should try?”

“Jerk Daisy patties,” Vinyl said, tossing her own menu back down on the table with a soft slap. “Trust me, if you’ve never had them and can handle a bit of spice, they’re just about the raddest thing you’ll ever eat.”

“Are those the ones that come with the spiced potatoes?”

“Yeah, if you get the split platter.”

Nova folded his menu back up. “Might as well try a variety. What are you getting?”

“Me?” Vinyl chuckled as she picked up her mug and took a small ship. A shiver ran through her body and she let out a content sigh. “I’m actually thinking of trying the coconut-glazed shrimp.”

Nova blinked. “Shrimp? Aren’t those the little bug-like things that they sell in Horseshoe Bay?”

“Different breed, I think,” Vinyl said, pausing to take another sip of her drink. “Same idea though. Little guys in shells? Jam’s been trying to get me to try them for a while. They’re a bit expensive, but once in a while you’ve got to splurge, right?”

“I guess so,” Nova said picking up his mug and eyeing the bright green drink liquid inside of it. He took a quick sniff. It smelled … tangy. Sweet but tangy, with a faint crispness to it that he just couldn’t place.

“Ooh, your first sip of Shock,” Vinyl said, grinning at him. “Just take it easy, Shock can be a bit of a—wait!” He tipped the whole mug back, sending its entire contents splashing into his mouth.

At first, it tasted just as it had smelled: sweet and tangy, almost like a pineapple. Then his face contorted, his body jerking as something took hold of him. His eyes widened as his whole body locked up, his legs jerking sporadically, muscles twitching and pulling in all directions. He could feel his mane standing on end, feel ripples of current rushing through his coat as a loud crackling sound filled his ears.

Then whatever force it was that had grabbed him let go, and he slumped back in his seat, panting heavily. His mug slipped from his hooves, landed on the tabletop with a hollow thunk, Vinyl’s magic catching it before it could tip over and spill what little was left. He could still feel his limbs twitching. His tongue felt numb. And Vinyl was … Vinyl was laughing. Not just chuckling, but flat out howling.

“You—you—” she gasped between guffaws. “I—I tried to warn you—but—but—” She stopped laughing long enough to look up at him and promptly threw her head back again, her chest heaving as she shook.

Nova shook his head, trying to bring some sense of feeling back into his cheeks. “Whag?” He shook his head again, slapped a still twitching cheek with one hoof. “Wha?” Come on tongue! Work with me here! She was laughing, so whatever he’d been served couldn’t have been deadly. That only happened in books anyway. “Whag?”

Oh come on! he thought as Vinyl continued to laugh. He rolled his tongue across his teeth, trying not to twitch as pins poked their way across his mouth. He felt like … like … Like I got hit by a bolt of lightning.

“What?” he finally managed to gasp, the word slurring slightly as he said it. He tried again. “What was—” A final shake of the head. He could feel his mane sticking out at odd angles, smell the faint tinge of ozone on his breath. “Did I just … drink a lightning bolt?”

“In—in one gulp!” Vinyl said, lifting her glasses and wiping a hoof across her eyes. “I can’t believe you just did that!” She let out another giggle. “I—I tried to warn you, but—” She ran her hoof across her eyes once more, staring at something off in the distance. “Oh, by the moon, I can’t believe you just did that! The look on your face.”

“I…” Nova glanced down at his mug. Then he started to chuckle. The tension in his stomach seemed to melt away, or maybe it had already vanished, kicked into submission by his drink. A laugh rolled out of him, and then another. A third started, only to cut off as he let out a burp that resonated with a sharp snap as static arced between his teeth. Vinyl snorted, and then they were both laughing together like idiots.

“Well,” Nova said after their mirth had subsided. “I feel a lot better now. Or maybe that’s just the fact that I still can’t get my right leg to stop twitching.”

“Hey, it was good though, right?” Vinyl asked, lifting her own mug to her mouth. She paused, the mug an inch away, and then stuck her tongue out. There was a sharp pop as a bolt of static jumped to her tongue, and she grinned before taking another sip.

“Maybe?” he admitted, eyeing what was left in his own mug. He lifted it up and stared at it for a moment. “I kind of don’t remember.” He titled the cup up, making sure to just take a small sip this time.

Sweetness poured across his tongue, succulent and pure, but tangy at the same time. But there was something else to it as well, something tart that he’d never tasted that mixed with the tang and the sweetness.

Then the sparks hit. He could feel them, rolling over his tongue and through his teeth like beads, leaving a tingling, numbing sensation in their wake that quickly faded. He swallowed, and the beads seemed to stretch as they moved back before snapping down his throat and settling in his stomach with a rumble that almost felt like thunder.

“So?”

“Alright,” he said, thumping his chest with one hoof and getting an actual rumble from his stomach in return, “I’m sold. That has to be one of the coolest drinks I’ve ever had. What’s in it?”

“No idea,” Vinyl admitted, picking up the pitcher in her magic and motioning towards his cup. He nodded and held it out.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” she said as more of the bright green drink spilled into his cup. “Anyway, I know it’s got pineapple in it, and kiwis, but past that, I’m stumped and Jam Roll isn’t talking. I know it’s got thunder in it somehow,” her stomach rumbled, and she grinned, “but how Jam or his wife get it into the drink? I have no idea.” She took a longer, deeper drink, and let out a squeak as her mane arced. “It’s probably a mystery I’ll never get the answer to.”

Nova nodded as he tried to press his own mane back down. I’m glad I don’t have a mirror. I really don’t want to know what I look like right now.

There was a clatter as the beads parted, and Jam Roll trotted onto the balcony. He took one look at Nova, snorted and then asked “All at once?” Vinyl nodded and he burst out laughing.

“Hey, pon,” he said, slapping a hoof against Nova’s back. “Vinyl here didn’t warn you what you’d be drinking?”

“I tried,” Vinyl said. “He chugged it to fast.”

“Well, at least now you be knowing why we call it Shock! Look at it dis way,” he said as Nova managed to get one part of his mane to lay flat, “at least dere’s nopony else up ‘ere to be seeing you, right?” He chuckled and popped a small notepad out of his front pocket. “So, what can I be getting you two fine ponies?”

Vinyl made her order, swapping out, Nova noticed, the side the shrimp came with for some of the jerk patties his own order would come with. Jam took both of their orders without further comment past “oh, dat's being a good choice,” and as soon as he’d jotted them down, promised that it would be a ten minute wait before vanishing back through the bead wall.

“I like it here,” Vinyl said as the earth pony vanished. “The prices are a little steep, sure, and I know he's hamming up his accent, but he and his wife are way tight, and he’s really good about giving me a bit of privacy.”

“That’s why we’ve got the balcony to ourselves?” Nova asked, eyeing the other empty table.

“Well, that and it’s not exactly a rush-hour for lunch right now.” She took another sip of her drink and Nova followed suite, the drink sparking against his teeth and down his throat. “If it was, he’d eventually seat someone up here if he had to, but most of the time he knows I appreciate the peace and quiet.”

She took another sip of her drink, probably a heavier one, he guessed, based on the shudder that ran through her body. “Wow. That hits the spot.” She set her cup back down and looked right at him. “So, were you a member of the Guard before you ended up assigned to the Dusk Guard? Or did you join the Dusk Guard right from the start?”

“I…” he paused, his drink halfway to his mouth. “I guess you could say I joined at the start. Sort of.” I really didn’t have much of a choice except the farm or making a run for it, and I was tired of that.

“I see. What did you do before that?”

Nova winced. “I’d really rather not discuss that if it’s all the same to you.” He took another sip of his drink. Now that he was expecting the jolt rather than being surprised by it, it was almost better.

“Alright,” Vinyl said, nodding at him as he set his drink down. “Well, in that case, can I just ask you one question? You don’t have to answer,” she said as he cocked an eyebrow at her, his gut clenching once more. He could feel his ears trying to lay flat against his head, and he forced them to stay still. “But if you could, I really would like to know.”

For a moment he stared at her, his mind bubbling as he tried to pin down a single, audible response. Yes or no? What do I tell her? Vinyl continued to stare in his direction, eyes unreadable behind her glasses.

Oh come on, what’s the worst thing she could ask? She probably just wants to know if she’s going to have to worry about any more of those golem things breaking into her club. He shrugged and leaned forward on his elbow. Or she’ll just ask something about what I used to do, and I push it off.

“Alright,” he said, his voice surprisingly steady even to his own ears. “What do you want to ask?”

“Well,” Vinyl said, rubbing the back of her neck with one hoof, “this is kind of an awkward question, but how’d you go from being a professional thief to a Guard—”

Nova snapped back in his seat, the words hitting him with almost physical force. She knew. He didn’t know how, but she knew. How? But she kept going, and all his composure vanished as her question continued, his mouth falling open even as his stomach gave one last fearful twist.

“—and why did you rob me?”

Author's Note

Just a little note here ... Shock is one of my favorite things I've ever dreamed up for any world ever.

The Reveal

“You knew?” The words had slipped out of his mouth before his shocked mind had even caught up with the fact that he was speaking. “You knew that was me?” He was leaning forward now, both front hooves on the table, his voice rising in panic. “You—?” he caught himself, cut his voice off as he sat back down. He could feel his heart pounding away behind his ribs.

One day off. That’s all this was supposed to be. Across the table Vinyl was pressed back in her seat, an expression of shock on her face.

“I’m … I’m sorry,” Nova said, focusing on his breathing. “You just … you caught me off-guard is all. I wasn’t expecting—I didn’t—”

“You didn’t know that I knew,” Vinyl said, her voice surprisingly cool. “That’s as much my fault as yours.” There was a pause, and Nova turned away, staring out into the crowd of the bazaar. He could see mouths moving, hooves hitting the ground, but all he heard was a faint murmur. A young filly crashed into an older stallions saddlebags and tumbled to a stop, but he couldn’t hear any of it. He wanted to. Part of him wanted to be the one she’d crashed into, to be anywhere but sitting where he was.

He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath and turned back towards Vinyl. There wasn’t anything he could do about it now. He couldn’t run. She knew. Had known, somehow. All he could do was face it.

“You knew,” he said again, looking right at her. “Was it because of my court case?”

“Court case?”

He nodded. “I know the papers didn’t use my name when they did those stories on us. Believe me,” he said with a nervous laugh, “I checked. But the court case, though. That would have had my name on it when they contacted you. Then you talked with Sky Bolt and Sabra—”

“It wasn’t them that gave you away,” Vinyl said quickly. “And your name wasn’t on the court notice either.”

Nova shook his head, confused. “Then how did you know it was me?” His mind spun back to a night years earlier, one of the last jobs he’d ever pulled. He could remember the whole theft. He’d broken into her penthouse suite in Canterlot, snuck into her bedroom, and had been helping himself to her jewelry when she’d woken up. He’d killed the lights, but she’d almost caught him in the dark anyway. At the time, he’d been running his mouth, the entire exchange nothing more than an excuse to get the Guard called. But she hadn’t called them, at least not then, and his hope of a chase had been thwarted. And she hadn’t seen him, he knew that. “You didn’t see me,” he said, the theft replaying itself again and again in his mind. “I made sure of it.”

“I didn’t,” Vinyl said, nodding. “But then, I’m not seeing you right now, either.” Her horn lit up, a soft, blue glow surrounding her iconic shades. Slowly, they pulled away, revealing a pair of cerise eyes that were once again looking at something beyond him—No, he realized as they moved in his general direction. She wasn’t looking past him. She wasn’t looking at all.

“You’re blind?” he asked slowly.

“Not entirely,” she said, her eyes focusing in his direction. She smiled. “For all intents and purposes I am, though. Right now for instance,” she said, her eyes squinting, “I can kind of make out this vague, purplish shape where you are, but it’s kind of hard to pick out what’s you and what’s the table and the chair.” Her eyes widened as she leaned back, the glasses floating back down across her eyes. “That’s why I have these.” She gave each lens a tap with her hoof. “I was born like this, but when I was twelve, my parents were able to afford a pair of glasses like these. Specially made with an enchantment on them that basically mimics the way a normal set of eyes would work and pipes that right to me. It’s not cheap, but as long as I have a pair on and cast the spell myself every so often, I can see. Pretty rad.”

“Can they see in the dark?” Nova asked.

“What? No,” she said with a laugh. “I wish! But after spending the first twelve years of my life living in a giant blur, I got pretty good at telling apart ponies voices. And I’m pretty sensitive to noises, which is probably why I got my cutie mark in music. You woke me up when you robbed my place, and all I had to do was get you talking.”

“No wonder you almost caught up to me,” he said, his mad dash to the window through the darkened apartment springing to mind.

“Yeah,” Vinyl said, nodding. “And then that was the end of it … until you jumped through the window of my club and told everyone to run for it.”

Nova nodded as the pieces fell into place. “And the moment you heard my voice—”

“Well, I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure,” Vinyl said with a grin. “Not until I got a chance to hear your voice a little more today. You’ve got a very distinct voice actually. Made it easier. Once I could hear it for a bit, I knew it had to be you. Which brings me back to my original question. Why me?”

Nova let out a sigh. The edge of fear was fading now, growing into a cold, abrasive chill of nervousness and reluctance. Reluctance to speak, to talk about himself, his past, or anything else. Part of him wanted to just get up and walk away. Leave the table, leave the restaurant. But…

No. He wasn’t that pony anymore, to run from his mistakes, his crimes. That was the pony who’d denied his own cutie mark.

That pony wasn’t him. Not anymore. Maybe he never had been him.

“Honestly?” he said with a shrug. “There wasn’t any real special reason that I chose you. You just happened to be the pony who was in the penthouse that night at the hotel.” He let out a sigh at her look of confusion. “You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You were in the penthouse. You had bits to throw around. So I figured you’d be alright losing a few—”

“The jewelry was my grandmother's,” Vinyl said.

“Your what?”

“The jewelry,” she said again, her words driving his heart lower into his chest with every syllable. “It was my grandmother's. My agent put me in that room. I barely had a bit to my name.” Nova winced, her words digging into him like a spear.

“I…” She looked up at him and his voice faltered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. If I had—”

“Why?” There was no sadness or anger in her voice. There wasn’t even sympathy. Just honest, humble curiosity.

“I…” Nova felt his throat close up. You can tell her, he thought. You can open up, right here, and tell her. She already knows. You might as let her know why.

“Alright,” he said, slumping back slightly in his chair. He picked up his cup and took a quick drink, larger than any of his previous sips, the energy arcing across his teeth and sending a long shiver down his back. He took a deep breath.

“I haven’t been a Guard for long,” he said, forcing the words out. "And I didn’t exactly choose to join. I mean, I had a choice, but it was between this or the prison farm. Before that, I was a thief. A really good one.”

“I know,” she said, nodding again. “After you robbed me and the Guard said it was probably you, I did all the research I could. I read every article, checked every story. You really were a good thief. The best. Just…” She tilted her head to one side, her ears lying flat. “Why? What made you want to do that?”

“Hunger,” he said, the words slipping free of his mouth with barely a thought. “I was alone, cold, and starving. So I stole an apple from a grocery. Almost got caught. I got a little quicker the next time, started to make plans. Then I realized it was a lot easier to steal ponies bits and just pay for the apple, so I moved up.”

“Nopony would give you a job? Something to earn bits for?”

He let out a short, forced chuckle that sounded hollow in his own ears. “I was five. No one was going to give me a job, and I wasn’t going to go back to the orphanage. So I made things work on my own, and I got good at it. Really good.” He leaned back in his seat and gave her a shrug. “After that, I kept it up because I was good at it. It wasn’t my talent, but I had a knack for it, and it worked. I could make enough to afford a studio apartment and some necessities—”

“You owned a studio?” Vinyl’s head jerked up in surprise, her eyes widening behind her glasses. “With the thefts you pulled off?” She cocked her head to one side, one ear twitching and then lying flat. “You don’t have, like, some crazy massive bank account somewhere in the Plainslands or the Griffon Empire?”

“Nope.”

“But all that stuff you stole—”

“I didn’t actually steal that much, just stuff that got attention,” he said, cutting her off and grinning a little at the memories. “Most of the time, I stole stuff that wasn’t worth that much just to get the Guard to chase me. I was in it for the sport. The stuff I did steal, I fenced, and it usually was just enough for me to live a comfortable life. It was also practicality. If I had stolen a bunch of really expensive stuff rapidly, it would have been hard to sell it all without giving myself away. Same for living in some splashy, massive house or apartment. One of the secrets to being a great thief is knowing what will attract and attention and what won’t. I didn’t want attention. I hate to say it, but you weren’t a target or anything. You were just simply the pony there at the right time.”

“Well, that’s a little disappointing to hear,” Vinyl said, slumping slightly. “I hope you at least got a good price for my Grandmother’s jewelry. I don’t dress up often, at least not for events like that stuff was for, but it would have been nice to have.”

“I uh, don’t remember. Sorry.” He hung his head, folding his ears flat. “I really do mean it when I say that though. At the time … it was all just fun. I never stopped to worry too much about it. But now? I really am sorry. I know that you’ve been paid back for what I stole, but that doesn’t replace—”

“So why’d you stop then?” He paused at her question. Again, her voice wasn’t accusatory, angry, or even upset. It was actually kind of ... curious. There was no other word for it.

“I … let’s just say I got my cutie mark,” he said, rising slightly so that she could see the dual crescents on his flank. She rose from her own seat, leaning forward across the table. “It took me a while to figure out what it was for, but let’s just say the night—”

“Alrighty now!” Nova froze as Jam Roll jumped through the bead curtain, a tray with two heavily-loaded plates on it across his back. “Now,” he said without even looking, “who’s ready for some good old fashioned … island cooking?” His eyes widened as he stared at the pair, his goofy grin stretching even wider.

Nova’s snapped his head back forward, his eyes locking with Vinyl’s for a moment as they stared at one another, shock and horror simultaneously crossing both of their faces as the saw how close they were.

Nova jerked himself back, slamming his shoulders against the seat-back even as Vinyl let out a startled yell, dropping back into her seat so fast Nova was sure he would have missed it had he blinked.

“Uh,” she said, holding up one hoof. “Jam, I know what that looked like, and I swear it wasn’t—”

“Oh, I know!” Jam said, trotting forward with an obvious glee. “I know, I know, I told you two lovebirds that I’d be back in ten minutes,” he said, his accent growing thicker with his excitement, “and den you went ahead and just decided that you were going to be making good use of de’ time!” He winked as he slid the tray from his back.

“So, here’s your jerk patties and potatoes,” he said, sliding a plate piled high with steaming portions of sliced, fried potatoes and what looked like small, dough-baked pockets down in front of Nova. “And here’s your shrimp, also with jerked daisy patties,” a second plate, piled almost as high as it was wide, slid to a stop in front of Vinyl, “and I’ll let you two be getting back to whatever it was you two were,” he paused and covered his mouth with one hoof as he let out a cough, “talkin' about?”

Then he grabbed the tray and tossed it on his back, the braids in his mane bouncing as he spun around and headed for the door, laughter ringing across the balcony. “Oh, wait until I tell de wife!”

Then he was gone, vanishing back through the bead curtain. Nova looked down at his meal and then back up at the stunned unicorn sitting across from him. He was pretty certain that the shocked look she was wearing was a mirror of the one on his own face. He grabbed his cup and took the longest, largest pull of Shock he’d had short of his first, mistaken cup. A choked gasp squeaked out of his mouth as his entire body tightened, his muscles trembling, and then he slumped back in his seat, sparks arcing around his mouth.

“Why—?” Vinyl started.

“I was hoping it’d bring some sense back to things.”

“Did it?” Vinyl asked, looking at her own cup as if considering the option.

“No.” Nova shook his head. “Did he really—”

“I have no idea. He might have been teasing. I hope he was. I swear, he was waiting for something like that to happen with timing that good.” She let out a laugh. “I mean, he couldn’t have come in at a better time!”

A chuckle rolled out a Nova, which soon switched to a laugh as Vinyl joined in. “You’re right,” he said. “Leaning across the table, muzzle-to-muzzle—sun above we must have looked like a couple of foals!”

“Anyway,” he said as a blast of hot, scented steam rolled across his nose and his mouth started to water, “what do you say we dig in before this gets cold, and I finish my story.”

“Really?” Vinyl said as she picked up a fork. “You don’t have to. I can tell it makes you a little uncomfortable.”

“Which is exactly why I should tell it,” he said as his own horn started to glow. He took a deep sniff, his nose burning from the rich, spicy scent. “Because…” He paused for a moment, a smiling image of the Princess of the Night coming to mind. “Somepony important to me told me once that failing to trust anypony will only lead to more regrets.” A smile moved across his muzzle as the memory filled his mind. “She was right.”

“She?”

“Princess Luna.” He saw Vinyl’s eye widen and he had to grin. “What? I’m a Guard. Of course I see the Princesses. But, she was right.” He shrugged his shoulders and speared one of the dough pockets—which were probably the “jerk daisy patties” he’d ordered—on his fork. “I need to trust ponies. Which means being open about my past, no matter how much the old me would have hid from it. And of all the things I should be proud of,” he said with a smile as he lifted the patty, “my cutie mark is definitely one of them.”

A sharp, spicy flavor rushed across his tongue in a flood of juice as he bit down. He chewed it a few times, taking in the smooth texture and the pleasant blend of spices before swallowing. Vinyl grinned at him from across the table.

“So,” she asked, “how’s the island cooking? Good enough to hear about that cutie mark and how it got you into the Guard?”

“You know?” Nova said as he picked up the patty once more, “I think this might even buy you the story on how I got it in the first place.”

He took another bite of the patty and chewed. The spice had never tasted so sweet.

The First Last Job

“Thanks for lunch,” Nova said as he followed Vinyl out the door, rolling his eyes at Jam Roll’s titanic and over-dramatic “farewell” from behind them. “I’m going to have to remember this place.” He paused in front of the door and glanced up at the sign.

“Hey, it was my pleasure,” Vinyl said, giving him a grin. “It’s not every day you get to eat lunch with someone who’s got so many interesting stories. Drop by the club sometime and we’ll do it again.”

“You know what? I’d like that,” he said, smiling. “Although next time I’ll pay.”

“Really?” She cocked her head to one side and grinned. “How about next time, we see who can chug the most Shock at once without freaking out. Winner pays.”

“Sounds like a deal,” Nova said with a smile. “See you then?” He held out his hoof.

“You bet,” Vinyl said, tapping her hoof against his own. “Anywho, I need to get back. I’m already twenty minutes late. See ya!” She reared back and spun on her hind hooves before galloping off through the crowd, dodging around shoppers with a gleeful abandon.

Well, that was definitely not what I expected to do today, he thought as he watched her go. Turned out pretty fun though. Sky Bolt and Sabra were right, she is pretty cool. I’ll have to see if I can get her to sign the rest of her albums for me.

He trotted out into the square, his eyes scanning the vendor's stalls for anything that looked interesting. The square was even more heavily packed now, filled with so many ponies that he was forced to slow to a gradual shuffle as he approached the central fountain. The minotaur was back again, shouting out about some “self-esteem” seminar, and another group of ponies had slowed to a halt in front of him. The place was definitely getting busy.

The perfect time to be out looking for good marks, he thought as he hopped up on the edge of the fountain. I hope the Guard are paying attention. His eyes caught sight of a pair of winged sentries standing near one of the entrances to the square, looking bored in their gold armor. Then again, they’re probably baking in that stuff. I know I would be. Crud, he thought as he pulled his eyes back towards the various stalls, I’d be making excuses to guard the fountain.

As if on cue the fountain sputtered again, showering the ponies closest to it with a spray of water. Nova suppressed a shiver as the heavy droplets rolled down his coat like wet beads. I wonder when they turn that off, he thought as he scanned his eyes across the square, pausing on the occasional sign that seemed interesting. Do they wait until somepony complains or…

He paused as a familiar sound entered his ear, a rushing cadence of near-uncontrolled, high-pitched hoofbeats. His ears twisted, swiveling as he tried to identify the source of the noise.

It’s the same thing I heard earlier, he thought as the hoofbeats reached a fever-pitch. Right before that colt—there!

Fifteen feet away a pegasus pony stumbled, her rear legs giving out as something—or someone—slammed into them. Nearby ponies gasped and pulled back, splitting around the pegasus as her wings flared out reflexively. Nova reared back, balancing on his rear legs as he tried to get a better look. The crowd was thick enough and the accident far enough away that—no, there! There, picking himself up from the ground and apologizing profusely, was the same red unicorn colt he’d seen earlier that day. The same one that had “accidently” almost run into his own saddlebag.

Nova’s eyes narrowed as the colt leapt to his hooves, shouting out apologies before darting off into the crowd. Nova watched, following the colt’s movements by the flashes of red coat and the startled exclamations of the nearby shoppers. It took roughly ten seconds for the colt to stop running.

Either that kid and the other one I saw earlier are having some sort of contest to see how many shoppers they can head-butt or… He jumped off of the fountain-wall and began to pick his way through the crowd, old instincts taking over as he moved towards the teal-blue pegasus. He stuck to the fringes of the crowd as she picked herself up, moving slowly but making sure to show the appropriate amount of concern as she dusted herself off, muttering something about “crazy colts” under her breath and then chuckling.

The crowd moved back in, and he moved with it, coming up alongside the mare as she moved forward once more. The ponies to the right of his target were all looking elsewhere, their attention on bags, shopping lists, or the signs above them. His target shifted direction, stepping into one of the open pathways between the various booths, and he followed, keeping just behind her and to the left.

The actual action was smooth, so practiced he barely had to think about it. He stepped out with his rear, right hoof, making it look as if he was stepping around something on the cobblestones but actually twisting his body so that none of the ponies behind him could see what he was doing. His right foreleg came up, just as if the same action that had caused him to step to the right had thrown him slightly off-balance, and then—he twisted his hoof, flipping it into and then back out of the mare’s saddlebags, right through the distinctive bulging space where her bit-bag had been.

Had been. His hoof came out empty, dropped along with the rest of his foreleg, and he shifted back, the entire motion looking like nothing more than a pony who had stepped to the side and then realized he would be bumping into somepony else. Except that there should have been another step to it, the step where he would have cupped the bit-bag between his foreleg or his chest until he could roll it someplace safer. Not that he would have done that anyway. The moment his hoof would have made contact with the bit-bag he would have pulled away. That wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that the bit-bag hadn’t been there at all, when it should have been. His hoof should have tapped it, recoiled, and pulled away. Instead, it had gone right past were the distention of the fabric had said the bag would be. Which meant one of two things. Either the pegasus in question had decided to stash her bits somewhere else for some reason … or somepony had just swiped them.

And if it was the latter, he had a pretty good idea of who the guilty party had been. Nova turned back towards the fountain, first pulling away from the mare he’d been tailing and then cutting a sharp left across the flow of the crowd.

If I’m right, and I’m putting the pieces together here properly, in the next few minutes I’ll see that same mare backtracking across the square before heading over to one of those Guard to—that didn’t take as long as I thought. He could already make out the distinctly teal-blue silhouette of the pegasus mare as she took wing, flapping back along the path she’d been walking moments earlier. Nova settled on the edge of the fountain, doing his best to look like somepony who was relaxing in the afternoon sun rather than eyeing the crowd looking for a mark as the mare began explaining her situation to the Guard.

They’re watching the crowd, Nova thought as the pair began to circle the square, but they’re not looking for the right thing. He kept up his own observations, his eyes scanning back and forth, but fixing on signs, businesses, or interesting sights that would catch most ponies eyes. Staring right at something? That was a dead giveaway. But watching from the corner of your eye? There was no way to tell.

It was another eight minutes by his count when his ears picked up the sound of another near-collapse gallop. Nova smiled as another mark—this one an older earth pony—stumbled as somepony ran into his legs from behind.

Right near the fountain, so he—no, she— he corrected as he caught sight of the young pegasus filly, —can follow the curve of the crowd and get as far away as possible without raising suspicion. The earth pony climbed back to his hooves, the filly already racing away as he yelled something after her. Once again, the filly ran for about ten seconds before slowing down to a more sedate—but not by much—trot.

Hmph, Nova thought as he pushed himself off of the fountain wall and began to make his way towards the oblivious filly. You’re smooth, but now it’s my turn. He turned as the filly began to head for one of the square exits. Just like the red colt from earlier, he could see a small, pink saddlebag the same color as her coat secured along her back.

No pony your age comes up with something like this, as bland as it is, Nova thought as he followed the filly out of the square, staying a good twenty feet or more back, not that she ever checked for pursuit. Nor did he see any signs of other fillies, colts, or adults keeping an obvious eye on her as she made her way down the street, away from the more populated areas of Canterlot.

Somepony put you up to this, Nova thought as he followed her further into the city, and I’m going to find out who.

* * *

“You got another one?” Thundercloud asked as she leaned forward across her desk. The pink filly grinned as she pulled a rather large bit-bag from her saddlebag, her stubby wings flapping with excitement as she hopped up high enough to drop the bag on the end of Thundercloud’s desk.

“Yeah! I did!” the filly—Sunset, that was her name—said with a smile of pride. “Just like the last one!” Her wings gave another little flutter of excitement, lifting her hooves from the floor of the wagon. “That makes—makes three today!” The little filly’s face beamed as she looked up at Thundercloud.

“Yes it does,” Thundercloud said as she cupped her hoof around the bit-bag and pulled it towards her. She could feel the heavy coins, maybe even a few bars, clink against one another as the bag slid across the table.

Oh, this is a good haul. You’re pulling down all the bits today, little filly. The bag came to a stop in front of her and she hesitated. The little pegasus was still looking at her expectantly.

“Do you want something, Sunset?” she asked, pulling up the filly’s name from memory.

“Um,” the pink pegasus said, suddenly looking a little less sure of herself. “I—uh—was just wondering if that was enough for the day? We’ve been at this for a long time, and—” her eyes darted downwards as the filly began twisting her front hoof against the floor, her ears falling slightly, “—maybe we could go play for a little while?”

Thundercloud let out a long sigh and the filly’s face fell. Don’t lose your temper, Thunder, she reminded herself as she started to shake her head. She’s just a dumb kid being a dumb kid. Still, for this to work…

“Well,” Thundersaid, leaning back and resting her head on one hoof as if she was really thinking about it. “I suppose you could, if you really wanted to—” Sunset’s face lit up, her wings fluttering out, “—but if you did, we probably woudn’t have enough to send you to that flight camp you wanted to go to, right?” Thundercloud tried not to smile as the filly’s face fell, but it was hard not to. So young, so trusting, she thought as Sunset’s shoulders slumped, her wings falling to the ground.

“Well, I guess...” the filly said, her head drooping. Then she looked back up with a hopeful smile. “But we’re almost there, aren’t we?”

“We are!” Thundercloud said with a smile. “Just a few more, and I think we’ll be able to do it. So get back out there and help!”

Sunset let out a little cheer as she darted around the small chair on the far side of the desk and out the door, her stubby wings buzzing. Thundercloud smiled to herself as she rose from her desk and turned around, watching through the large window as the pink-coated filly shot off towards the bazaar.

Keep running towards the carrot, you little gutter-orphan, she thought as the filly ducked out of sight. As long as you keep running, I won’t have to use the stick. Much. The image of a moss-green unicorn colt leapt to mind. Her first attempt at the project, and the one she’d left behind in Las Pegasus when the dumb little brat had gotten too uppity with her. She’d made sure to thoroughly terrify the ungrateful little rat beforehand though, he wasn’t going to dare tell anypony about her little operation. And she’d at least been kind enough to dump him on the steps of one of the local orphanages before leaving town.

I should have thought of this years ago. She watched the backstreets for a few moments more, smiling as she mentally tabulated how many bits she’d made so far. Couple of orphan kids, a little sleight-of-hoof training and bam! Instant profit. And speaking of profit… Her mind turned towards the heavy bit bag sitting on her desk. I wonder how much I just made, she thought as she turned. From the weight, there’s at least two-hundred— “YEEAG!”

The last part came out as a strangled scream as she jumped back, her wings snapping out in shock as she took in the purple unicorn sitting across the desk from her, watching her silently. How long had he been there? Where had he come from?

For a moment the inside of the wagon was completely silent save for the faint rustling her feathers made as she smoothed her wings down. She continued to stare at the pony, who was looking back at her with a gaze that looked somewhat hostile; although he hadn’t moved yet. Besides, there was always the small thundercloud she kept in the drawer of her desk. A single kick would be all she’d need to send a bolt of lightning his way if he tried anything funny.

There was something familiar about him though, she couldn’t quite place it. She sat down, forcing herself to look calm and rational despite her pounding heart. Purple coat, fire-red mane, unicorn… she thought as she catalogued the unicorn’s appearance. Muscled—make that really well muscled. Still there was something about those eyes, the way they seemed to stare right at her, boring into her like they saw her every secret. Then the corner of the unicorn’s mouth teased upward ever so slightly, his expression taking on a familiar sardonic look and Thundercloud let out a gasp of surprise as everything connected. The look, the coat color—it couldn’t be, it had been years!But no, she saw it, was almost certain of it…

“Nova Beam?” she asked hesitantly. The unicorn’s half-grin widened and he nodded.

“Hello, Thundercloud,” he said. “Been a long time. How’s Misty?”

“Mistwalker is back in Las Pegasus, and she still hates that nickname,” she said, shaking her head but not taking her eyes off of Nova. She’d heard at the farm that he’d quit. Vanished. But if that was true, what was he doing in her wagon? “She gave up the business after we got off the farm.”

“Smart choice,” Nova said, leaning forward slightly. “You should have done that.”

“Well, what can I say?” she said, letting out a nervous chuckle. “When you’re as good as I am—”

“You were never ‘good,’ Thundercloud,” Nova said, his level tone cutting her off. “You were only passable at best.”

“Yeah, well maybe I’ve gotten better since the farm!” she shot back. Her rebuttal did little to ease the sting. What a jerk, she thought as Nova leaned back in the seat, his expression still unreadable save for that stupid half-grin. Breaking into her wagon, and he still hadn’t told her why. Unless…

“Wait a second,” she said, moving her right leg towards the hidden thundercloud in her desk. “Am I on your turf?” She let out a silent curse as he nodded. Of course that would just be her luck. Crime had to be kept under a level in Canterlot, in any city, and each group had their own turf they worked. She’d done the work, asked the various crews when she’d arrived if the bazaar was free territory, been amazed when it was. Of course it belonged to Nova. Even if the jerk didn’t use it, he could still lay claim to it, even without a crew. Who would say no to him?

Lousy sun-cursed thieves, she thought as she pulled her leg back from the thundercloud. They’re probably laughing their plots off back at the den, all happy that they got me to poach Nova’s turf. Jerks.

“Alright, my bad,” she said, smiling and holding up both of her hooves. Best not to cross him. Last time you did that you ended up getting in way over your head and stuck in the farm to boot. “I’ll move to one of the other markets or something. Not a big deal.”

He was shaking his head. Dang it! Why was he shaking his head!?

“The kids you have working for you?” he asked, his tone flat. “Where’d you find them?”

“Who, them?” Thundercloud asked, her coat standing up on the back of her neck. Just play it cool. “They’re just gutter trash. Worthless orphans I can pick up at any orphanage in Equestria and cut loose when … the job’s …. done.” Her words slowed as Nova’s face darkened, switching from the more familiar half-grin to a dark glower that almost made her breath catch in her throat.

“You’re done.” It was a flat statement. No inflection. Thundercloud felt a faint sweat start to sweep across her back. Was he threatening her?

“I’m sorry?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Come on, you’re better now. You’re not the same pegasus who spent four years pushing dirt on a farm. She felt a faint hint of confidence and grabbed onto it.

“Here’s the deal,” Nova said, leaning forward and setting both his hooves on the table. “As of today, this is your last day. You’re going to take those kids back to whatever orphanage you found them at and you’re going to return them. Then, you’re going to get out of Canterlot and quit thieving altogether.”

“Whoa!” Thundercloud said, folding her ears flat. “That’s a little intense, don’t you think? My system’s working fine. I’ll just get off your turf and we can call it—”

“The whole city is my turf, Thunder,” Nova said, cutting her off.

“What?” she asked, confused. “But—”

“You’re going to return these kids, and then you’re going to go back to the den. I want you to take them a message. Tell them that I’m back. I’m done hiding. And this city? Canterlot? It’s my turf now.” She gaped at him as he continued. “Tell them they’ve got a week to get everything in order. They want to run small stuff, that’s fine. Pickpocket occasionally? I’m not going to look. It’ll happen. But something like this? It’s done. I’ll know.”

“But ... the whole city? You can’t possibly claim the whole city!” she said, her voice sputtering. “You’d need a huge crew to work it! And—and—you work alone!”

“Not anymore,” Nova said, the half-grin coming back to his face. “You might have heard that I’d quit. And they’re right. I did quit. Now? I’m doing what I should have always been doing.”

She could feel sweat pouring from her pits now. What was he doing? Was he trying to actually build a criminal empire? Something that could even take on the Guard? Was he nuts!? How could he expect anypony to—

“I’m rolling with a crew for the first time in forever,” he said. His half-grin shifted to a full smile and Thundercloud almost felt her jaw drop. “Although that’s not exactly what we call it. I guess ‘team’ would be more accurate. You might have heard of them,” he continued, his voice taking on an edge as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “We’re called the Dusk Guard.”

This time Thundercloud’s jaw did drop. Celestia’s Royal Plot! she cussed silently as she slammed herself back in her seat, her wings coming out as her rear hoof connected solidly with the thundercloud under the desk. He flipped! There was a sharp crack as the front of her desk exploded outward, a jagged bolt of lightning arcing through the air straight towards the unicorn.

Then there was a bright flash, and for the briefest moment there was something silvery-white, a sharp crescent that split the air between her and Nova. Then a sharp pain bloomed across her chest as her own thunderbolt reflected into her, shoving her back. Her body crashed into the wall of the wagon, wings spasming as the heavy electric current coursed through her body. She was struck by a clear, rational thought as her body crumpled to the floor, the breath exploding from her chest as she slammed into the wood. At least I didn’t go through the window.

She tried to push her head up but her limbs weren’t obeying her commands anymore. How much power had she packed into that cloud? She’d had it down there for weeks, but…

Some feeling was coming back into her legs now. She was a pegasus, she’d been born to shrug off lightning strikes. She just need to get up, get out, get away, before—

Her desk, wrapped in yellow glow, slammed into her side, shoving her back and pinning her against the wall with her wings spread wide. Her hooves slid uselessly across the desktop as she tried to push it away, and the heavy wood jabbed in again, digging into her ribs and pushing what little breath she had from her lungs.

“So…” Nova said as he stepped up to the splintered front of the desk, his horn glowing a bright, vivid yellow. “Are you done trying to escape?” Thundercloud gave the desk one final shove, only for it to push even harder against her, the last bit of air leaving her lungs with a gasp. She tried to suck in a breath, but the pressure on her chest wouldn’t give, and she started to panic, her legs frantically kicking as she tried for anything, anything to get air into her body. Then the desk pulled away and she dropped to the ground, gasping for air, her chest heaving as she pulled in breath after breath of sweet, blessed oxygen.

“Done trying to run?” Nova asked, and she nodded as she pushed herself up on trembling front legs.

“Good,” he said, shoving the desk aside with a bright flash of his horn. There was a splintering sound as it broke apart somewhere up near the front of the wagon, bits spilling out of the shattered drawers and onto the floor. “You really shouldn’t have gone for that thunderbolt, but then again, you should’ve bolted that desk down too.” He bent down next to her, his voice infuriatingly calm. Or what would have been infuriatingly calm if she’d had enough energy left to be furious. Which she didn’t.

“So, this is my message to you, Thundercloud, and to every other crew in Canterlot. I know who you are. I know how you operate. And if I see any signs of big crime, jobs like this one in this city from now on? I’ll come down on you. You guys can do your little pickpocketing from time to time, the same old basic stuff, and I’ll leave it to the Royal Guard. That’s their job. But you do something bigger? You wrap orphans into your scheme? You start showing signs of some serious organization? Then it’s my game, and I’ll come looking for you, and I’ll bring my friends. And you’ll all end up on the farm, because we’ll catch you. Trust me when I say it,” he said, shaking his head, “we’ll definitely catch you.”

“So,” he said, rising and looking around inside the wagon. “You want my advice, you’ll go back to Las Pegasus, give all this up, and focus on something that’s really important. Your sister’s probably worried that you’re going to wind up on the farm again, and if I catch you doing something like this again, you will. And I won’t feel bad for you either. I was one of those ‘gutter-trash orphans,’ Thundercloud,” he said, his voice taking on a slightly angry tone. “You messed up big. So take them home, and then go find your own.” His eyes moved towards the crumpled remains of the desk and then back towards her. “Maybe you should try weather school. You’ve got a talent for it. So...” He gave her a shrug. “Are we clear?”

“You’re…” she managed to gasp, her chest still fighting to get the wind back into her. “You’re—a jerk.”

“Well, I could just arrest you now,” he said, shrugging. “Or even go grab the Royal Guard. I get the feeling they’ve been looking for you for a few hours now.”

“No.”

Nova nodded. “That’s what I thought.” He turned around once, his eyes darting all around the inside of her wagon. “So, you’ve got the warning. Let the rest of the crews know.”

“And—and if they don’t want to?” she said, her question ending with a cough. Her chest felt like she’d been bucked by an earth pony. Maybe more than once.

“Then in a week or two the Guard will be able to arrest them,” Nova said with a small shrug. “They can go small, or go home. But they can’t stay the way they are. Got it?”

“Got it,” she wheezed, and he nodded at her. She mustered up enough energy to scowl at him as he pushed the back door open and stepped out onto the the street, but she didn’t think he noticed. Or that he cared. He was Nova, the most famous thief she’d ever known.

And now he was a Guard.

Thundercloud let out a groan of pain as she pushed herself to her hooves. She was going to be sore for a day or two, but she’d survive. As badly as the bolt to her chest had hurt, it had been her bolt. Technically, the most he’d done was pin her to the wall with her own desk, which given what she’d done, wasn’t exactly something she could fully hold against him.

But it was a clear warning. She stumbled, her wings flaring out as she caught herself. Any moment now, one of those kids would be back with another bit-bag for her.

And she had to be ready when they arrived. She had a lot to do, and only a day to do it.

And she wanted to be out of Canterlot before that day was up.

* * *

“Hey!” Hunter called. Nova grinned as he stepped into the common room, returning Hunter’s wave with one of his own. “How was your day off?"

“Fairly uneventful,” Nova said, hopping over the back of a couch and crashing down on the cushions with a bounce. “I enjoyed it. Just doing some paperwork?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said, nodding down at the spread of papers covering the common room table. “I was about to crack a fruity sitting in my office. Needed a change.”

“Anything interesting?”

“Not likely,” Hunter said with a shake of his head. “Just the usual stuff. No worries. Do anything while you were out-and-about?”

“Made a new friend, had lunch at an island restaurant,” Nova said, digging himself into the cushions slightly.

“Nice,” Hunter said, his attention drifting back down towards his work. “See anything interesting?”

“A couple of kids playing a being pickpockets,” Nova said, grinning as Hunter looked up in surprise. “I gave the ringleader a bit of a talking to. They won’t be doing it again."

“Really? You’re not giving me a beat up?”

Nova shook his head, still grinning. “Nope. Straight truth. Or uh, dinkum, as you put it.”

“Well,” Hunter said, leaning back. “Call me gobsmacked. And on your day off?”

“Well, what else can I say, Hunter?” Nova said, his grin widening as he leaned back into the couch. “There’s no rest for the wicked.”

Author's Note

"Old Habits" ... underwent a lot of extra work. I actually rewrote the entire thing, scrapping the original story (although a lot of elements, such as Shock and Vinyl, stayed the same) and making a lot of changes. In the end though, I'm a lot happier with what came out (and you guys definitely are, trust me).

This story also marked the second time I commissioned an art piece for the cover, which came out looking pretty much exactly like I wanted it to. So much so, in fact, that not only did I have the cover version of it made, but a full-out background title card as well, which you might have noticed above! Nova Beam, in all his glory, with that little catchphrase that ended up making up so much of his character. Grab it here! Or alternatively, it should also be available at the artist's page here.

But now that "Old Habits" is complete, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about what lies ahead, both for Nova and the rest of the team. One part I've really enjoyed about these side stories is getting even further into the heads of the characters and seeing some of the sides to them that the rest of the team didn't (or doesn't) get to see, especially as "Rise" really was only from three core viewpoints with two major arcs (which was plenty, given its length).

Anyway, this also marks the official halfway point of published side stories. Only three more to go! The next one is coming soon, guys! Until then, thanks for reading!