Tropes pertaining to characters from Rytex's Fan Fic The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan and its sequel, The Archmage's Last Bow. If characters exist in canon, only differences between this story and the source material or tropes exhibited in the story will be documented.
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Major Characters
Nova Shine
- Voiced by: Speedy Tempo
The protagonist, "the Apprentice", Nova Shine is a unicorn from Canterlot with an unnatural skill in magic that he appears unable to harness until Princess Luna shows up on his doorstep and offers him a position as her apprentice.
- Blue Is Heroic: His color motif is blue.
- Color-Coded Characters: Nova is a stark white and blue, next to Twilight's purple and magenta, Aegis' grey, Trixie's lighter blue, and so on.
- Curtains Match the Window: Blue mane and tail and blue eyes.
- Deadpan Snarker: It's easier to count the moments when he isn't being a smart-ass.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: He starts off rather cold and closed-off from everyone around him, but warms up and opens up as the story goes on.
- Hates Their Parent: Nova Shine lives his life trying his damnedest to stay away from his parents at all costs, due to years of being neglected as a child. A major part of the first half of the story is Nova letting go of his hatred for them, forgiving them, and letting them into his life again.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Not afraid to dish out the sarcasm and snark.
- Sarcastic Devotee: To Princess Luna, but never in bad taste.
- Unknowingly in Love: With misguided views of love, flatly refuses to believe he is in love with Twilight even though he is head over heels for her and everyone else comments on it.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: He and Aegis snipe and poke fun at each other every time they meet, but they're the closest of friends.
Twilight Sparkle
- Voiced by: PrincessRil
"The Student", Princess Celestia's Faithful Student and Nova's partner as they seek out the source of nightmares plaguing the both of them.
- Unknowingly in Love: Zig-zagged. She doesn't realize she is crushing on Nova Shine, but eventually knowingly falls in love with him.
Princess Celestia
- Voiced by: Truesailorcomet
- The Gadfly: She enjoys riling ponies up. It's a lot more subtle in the present versus the past.
- In the present, she irritates Nova by implying Nova's entire reasoning for not wanting to stay at Canterlot Castle when there are ponies trying to stalk potentially two of them are out of a selfless intention.
- In the past, she often makes suggestive implications around the easily-flustered. Nova is the only one who never bites.
Princess Luna
- Luna Voiced by: Otiscat123
- Cool Teacher: To Nova, to the point where, in light of his family issues, he acts as though she's his mother.
- Shout-Out: She has an abacus that she wants to use in place of modern machinery.
Beatrix "Trixie" Lulamoon
- Voiced by: ShootingStar Pony
"The Charlatan", Nova's old rival from their younger days. A thorn in Twilight's side, and trying to atone for what her father caused at Nova's expense.
- The Not-Love Interest: Childhood friends with Nova, they tease each other on first meeting, and after they make their amends, they seem to hit it off. However, they hold no romantic feelings for each other. Trixie even tries to push Nova and Twilight together, in her own antagonistic way.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The first clue that Trixie is dealing with someone taking over is when she drops the third-person to antagonize Twilight.
- Shipper on Deck: Very supportive of Twilight and Nova getting together, though it usually manifests itself by her relentlessly teasing them.
- Third-Person Person: She claims it's a stage act, but Nova and Twilight are rather skeptical of that fact. Indeed,
Aegis
- Voiced by: Performance Major (Episodes 2-3), Nevel Yashgi (Episode 4 on)
Nova's best friend from Canterlot, a corporal in the Royal Guard, who spends his on-screen time exchanging snark with Nova.
- Deadpan Snarker: There are times he can outsnark Nova.
- Elemental Punch: Aegis can punch with lightning, something not many pegasi, even in the Guard, are able to do.
- Gentleman Snarker: Maintains the height of courtesy when he's tearing Nova a new one.
- Sarcastic Devotee: Anytime he's around Nova, expect the snark to fly.
- Troll: His first appearance is him scaring Nova into thinking he's getting arrested.
Sharp Eye
- Voiced by: Midnite's Realm
A bounty hunter contracted by Nova's father to find his son, and then to keep an eye on him and make sure nothing bad happens to him.
- Awesome Aussie: Neigh Zealander, more specifically, but treated the same way, even to the accent in the audio drama.
- Baritone of Strength: No slouch when fighting, and voiced in a glorious deep voice by MR.
- Mysterious Mercenary Pursuer: Hired by Ray Novus to keep an eye on Nova and make sure he stays alright.
Clover the Clever
The first Faithful Student, who falls in love with Nova during his foray into the past.
Steelshod
Princess Platinum's Captain of the Guard, who has very definite feelings for Clover, and sees Nova as his main rival for her affections.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Loves Clover, even though she longs for Nova.
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: He would rather see her happy with Nova than alone and sad.
- The Rival: The closest thing Nova really has to one in the past.
The Novus Clan
A powerful family of mainly unicorns that have been prominent in Equestria over the generations. In General
- Gratuitous Latin: "Ex stellae, magicae. Ex magicae, lux." ("From stars, magic. From magic, light.")
- Pretentious Latin Motto: At least, in Nova's opinion.
Allies
The Grey Monarch
King of the Changelings, whose name is only known to those who have been designated friend of the Changelings.
- Red Baron: His real name is King Metamorphosis, but he only reveals that to those he deems worthy.
Lord Star Swirl
Clover's, Celestia's, and Luna's former master, patriarch of the Lulamoon clan.
- The Hero's Idol: Nova Shine idolizes Star Swirl the Bearded like Twilight does, but also Nova Shine I, his namesake and a pony said to be on par with Star Swirl in how much they contributed to magical knowledge.
- Non-Indicative Name: He still has his beard, but it apparently is comparatively short.
- Violent Glaswegian: In the original version, he is explicitly described as sounding like an angry Trot (Scot). In the rewrite, he does still have a Trottish note, but plays it up when in disguise.
Antagonists
Envy
- Voiced by: Truesailorcomet
The primary antagonist, a mysterious shadow being that wants Nova and Twilight dead, and who always seems a step ahead of them.
- Large Ham: Especially in the audio drama.
Abacus Cinch
A former professor at Celestia's School, who is responsible for kicking Nova out of the school to get Trixie Lulamoon in at Tantalus Lulamoon's request.
- Offscreen Villainy: We never see her in person; her actions are relayed ten years after the fact.
Lord Silverblood
A unicorn adviser to Princess Platinum, who goes rogue in service to Sombra.
- Affably Evil: Very polite to Nova during their one conversation. Until they have to fight.
Other Characters
Ponyville
Derpy Hooves
- Voiced by: Katie Patterson
- The Ditz: Just like in normal fanon (and the show), she's portrayed as extremely well-meaning, but klutzy.Derpy: We'll always make sure your package is moving in the general direction of its destination... most of the time.
