Dusk Fire

Chapter 6 - Explanations

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday had flown past Dusk as if they were the Wonderbolts. Try as he may, Dusk couldn't find Petal on Monday or Tuesday. Her friends also seemed to avoid him. Dusk had no idea why, he had done nothing wrong to her. At least, he hoped he hadn't. She may just be like the rest of the mares at this damn school, shallow and unforgiving, but that didn't mean she deserved to be hurt. His father had told him to respect his enemies, and that no matter how much you hate someone, you should always treat them with respect and mercy.

But Dusk didn't hate Petal at all. She was the first mare to have the guts to talk to him, apart from Lavender, and he respected that. Every other mare would stare or mutter as Dusk walked by, never wanting to speak up, or tell him their feelings. It was a sign to him that they were shallow. Petal had seen him and talked to him in a second, she had more guts than any of the other mares at this school. To Dusk's knowledge, at least. Compared to the other mares, it was the gutsiest thing he had seen a mare do.

Lost in his own thoughts, wandering down the halls early in the morning, Dusk didn't notice the pink mare in front of him. He bumped into her, causing them both to yell in fright. The pink mare Dusk had run into was Petal.

"Where were you yesterday, and the day before?" Dusk asked.

"I was here," Petal said.

"Then why the buck were you avoiding me?" Dusk said, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, Dusk," Petal said. "It's just, after what happened on Saturday, I thought you didn't want to know me anymore. I told my friends not to bother you, as well. I just thought you wanted some time to yourself."

"That's awfully thoughtful, Petal," Dusk said. "But don't you think I would have told you if I needed some time? It was our first date, Petal. First dates are always shit."

"I guess you're right, Dusk," Petal said. "I wanted to say sorry for what I said on Saturday."

"Why should you be sorry about that?" Dusk said. "You barely know me, how could you have possibly known that flirting could have hurt me?"

"I guess I didn't," Petal said. "But I didn't take you seriously, I didn't think."

"Neither did I, Petal," Dusk said. "We barely know eachother and I've already told you things I would only tell my closest friends. Speaking of friends, where are yours?"

"Well, Roe and Crystal usually arrive together just before first session, but Fleur and Feather are here before 8:00," Petal said.

"So where are Fleur and Feather?" Dusk asked. "Surely they'd be walking around with you."

"Well, you see, they got expelled," Petal said.

"What?" Dusk asked, surprised.

"Well, Fleur and Feather have always been a bit, off the rails," Petal explained. "They played truant, they got into some bad stuff, they did drugs sometimes."

"Really? You wouldn't have guessed," Dusk said, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, well," Petal said. "We never told anyone because they were our friends, we just thought they'd drop it. But someone gave the headmaster an anonymous tip. He investigated, found de-coloured rainbow in their lockers, and expelled them."

"And you're not cracked up about it?" Dusk asked.

"Not really," Petal said. "When you greeted them on Friday, they behaved so politely that I thought they were somepony else. I've never seen them that nice."

"Well, shit," Dusk said.

Dusk scanned her face. She wasn't lying. He then noticed she was still wearing the pin he had given her.

"Hey, you're still wearing that pin," Dusk said.

"Of course. Do you really think I'd throw it away?" Petal said.

"I guess I didn't give that one much thought," Dusk said with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Dusk, what do you think of me?" Petal asked suddenly.

"Are we really going into this?" Dusk said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Petal said.

"Stop being so apologetic, Petal," Dusk said. "The only reason why I went on that date with you was because I thought you had guts."

"What?" Petal asked.

Dusk let out a sigh and said, "Petal. I hate shallow mares. Every single bucking one of them here looks at me like I'm some kind of god. I bucking hate it. In fact, I've though about cutting my face just to get them to stop staring at me like that. The thing that gets me, though, is not their stares, but the fact that they mumble and giggle as I go past, as if they're too nervous to tell me how they feel. As if they think they're not worthy of me. The truth is, I don't give two shits what you look like, so long as you care about me for who I am. Petal, you were the first mare here to actually say something. The first bucking mare to have shown some guts. That's why I went out with you. And that's why I like you. Truth be told, I probably don't like you as much as you like me. I like you as a friend, but I won't deny that you are rather attractive. So please, I bucking beg you, don't act like the other mares, all sheepish and shit, because that's not what I like in a mare. And that's not the reason I took a chance with you."

Petal looked stunned. She thought about what Dusk had said, but could find nothing to answer with. She searched his face for some indication that this was a joke. Did he really just say he took a chance for her? That she was attractive? This had to be a joke. He had to be lying. She looked into his eyes, his piercing ruby eyes, and she knew he wasn't lying.

"What are y'all doin' over there?" a country voice asked from behind the two.

"Look at her face, he must have told her he doesn't like her," a more regal voice chimed in.

Dusk spun around and saw Monroe and Crystal standing behind him, hoof in hoof. Were they? Surely not?

"Are you two, good friends?" Dusk asked.

"What's it to ya?" Monroe asked back.

"Well, I don't mind, personally, it's just first Fleur and Feather get expelled, and now you two are going steady and I've just made up with Petal. This is too much change for one day," Dusk said.

"If you must know, we are not 'going steady'," Crystal said. "Roe was just being a gentleman."

Monroe nodded and said, "I was just leading her down the hall to her class, as I do every morning."

Monroe took a look at Petal, and a sudden flash of anger passed across his face. He dropped Crystal's hoof and walked over to Dusk.

"What the buck did ya say to 'er," Monroe said.

"I just told her how I felt, that's all," Dusk replied.

"Look at 'er, Dusk. It looks you've gone an' slapped 'er," Monroe said, trying not to raise his voice.

Dusk turned around and looked at Petal. She really did look as if she had been slapped. Her face was bright red, and she had a look of shock and confusion on her face. Her mouth was slightly agape, and she looked absolutely stunned. Crystal walked up to her side and waved a hoof in front of Petal's face, trying to snap her out of whatever trance she was stuck in.

"What, exactly, did ya say, Dusk?" Monroe asked, obviously angry now.

"Look, mate, calm the buck down for a sec," Dusk said. "I just said that she was the gutsiest mare I had seen in this school, and that I liked her a little. That's all. I swear to Celestia that I didn't insult her!"

Monroe's scowl dropped from his face as he searched Dusk's eyes for signs of deceit. He could see none.

"I can spot a liar a hundred yards away, Dusk, and I can tell ya, you ain't no liar," Monroe said. "It seems ta me that you reciprocated some o' 'er love, and that went and stunned 'er. Sorry for takin' it the wrong way, Dusk."

"That's fine, Roe," Dusk said. "What do you mean by 'reciprocated love'?"

"Well, Dusk, she fancies ya quite a bit," Monroe said. "The way she talked about ya last week, I think it was quite bleedin' obvious."

"Well, I know she likes me, but does she really love me?" Dusk asked. "That seems a little quick for somepony she just met."

"She's a little foolish, that one," Monroe said. "Has 'er 'ead in the clouds most o' the time. But she's a keeper, Dusk. Even if ya don't love 'er, treat 'er well."

"I will," Dusk replied. "I just overreacted on Saturday, and I wanted to apologise and give her an explanation. I didn't know that'd put her in a bloody coma."

Monroe gave a hearty laugh at Dusk's comment. Crystal shot him a glance that said 'Shut up, you fool'. Crystal turned back to Petal to see that Monroe's laughter had knocked her out of her trance. Petal looked over at Monroe, then to Crystal, and finally, Dusk. Then she just turned around, walked down the hallway, and disappeared into the mares' toilets. Crystal and Dusk stared at eachother while Monroe continued to die of laughter.

"I should probably go," Dusk said, starting down the hall.

"I'll see you at lunch, Dusk," Crystal called after him. She then turned her attention to Monroe and yelled, "Stop laughing you idiot! Ponies are starting to stare!"

As Dusk walked to his first class, Pony Studies, he thought about how Petal had reacted to his confession. Monroe had said that she fancied him, so it would be logical for her to be surprised if he said he liked her.

"Assuming she has a crush on me," Dusk thought.

But her reaction was completely out of left field. He had explained himself, told her he liked her a bit, and apologised for overreacting. Somehow, something he had said had stunned her. If she had a crush on him, then saying he liked her could have been the root cause, but it was still a little bit of an overreaction. Dusk was so lost in thought, trying to decode Petal's actions, that he didn't notice Lavender in front of him. For the second time this morning, he bumped into a mare.

"Ouch, watch it, asshole!" Lavender exclaimed.

"Shit, sorry," Dusk said, surprised at her response.

Lavender turned, a look of anger on her face. She saw that it was Dusk who had bumped into her flank, and she immediately dropped her angry look.

"Great," Dusk thought.

"Sorry, about that," Lavender said. "A lot of stallions have been 'accidentally' bumping into my flank."

"So how am I any different?" Dusk questioned.

"Well... uh..." Lavender said, caught off guard.

"That's what I thought. Look, I gotta go, I'm late for class," Dusk said.

"Wait!" Lavender exclaimed, before Dusk could move. "Would you like to meet up sometime?"

"Geez, I dunno, Lavender," Dusk said.

"Oh come on, Dusk," Lavender pleaded. "Pegasus Pier, tonight at 8. It'll be fun!"

"Lavender," Dusk said. "You know as well as I do that this wouldn't work. I yelled at you, and I only apologised because I felt bad and it was the right thing to do. Why are you so interested in me?"

"Dusk, why are you playing hard to get?" Lavender said. "Live a little, Dusk. Come on, meet me at the pier tonight, I promise you won't regret it."

Dusk sighed and shook his head. He knew this was a bad idea but he agreed anyway, saying, "Alright. I'll see you at the pier tonight. But if it doesn't work between us, I won't do this again."

"Oh thank you, Dusk!" Lavender exclaimed, smiling.

Dusk sighed and continued on down the hall. Lavender truly was rather pathetic. She was the shallowest mare Dusk had ever spoken to. Which wasn't saying much, considering Dusk almost never spoke to shallow mares. Dusk put her out of his mind and turned his thoughts once more to Petal. Compared to Lavender, Petal was almost an angel. In fact, compared to how much he liked Lavender, Dusk was in love with Petal. She was just a friend, but even still, Dusk found that he thought of Petal as more than a friend. He apologised to Lavender because his dad had always told him to be polite to mares. Dusk had done the wrong thing by losing his cool, so it was by default that he apologised. That was all. Petal, however, was a different case. Dusk apologised and gave an explanation, mainly because he felt it was the right thing to do, but also because he genuinely liked her.

"Buck, it's moving so fast," Dusk thought. "She's apparently 'in love' with me, and I'm starting to fancy her. This is going too fast, I need to step back a bit. I don't want to get her hopes up."

Dusk walked to class, thoughts of Petal racing through his head. Try as he may, he could not push her out of his mind. Her reaction was so out of left field that Dusk couldn't stop thinking about her. He was still thinking about her when he arrived in front of the Pony Studies classroom.

Petal was in Dusk's class, but he couldn't see her. So instead of talking to her, as he had planned to, he stood away from the group congregating in front of the classroom door.

The door opened, and the class filed in, Petal still nowhere to be seen. Dusk took his place at the end of the middle row, saving a seat for Petal. Dusk was exceptionally good at Pony Studies, and Petal sat next to him so he could help her, among other reasons.

The class began, and Dusk listened intently to Miss Wing. Pony Studies in primary school had been a favourite of Dusk's, but it had never been as in depth or as interesting as the high school equivalent. This was one of the few subjects that Dusk had actually learned anything from.

Today's subject matter was the kingdoms of old, in the early days if Celestia's rule. The class had progressed through this subject and was now on the tale of Nightmare Moon.

"According to the estimated dates of archaeologists around Equestria, Princess Luna was imprisoned on the moon roughly 993 years ago," Miss Wing explained. "If we go by those estimates, Nightmare Moon will escape from her imprisonment in 2011. This is just an old mare's tale though, a piece of olden-time literature that was passed down through generations of ponies."

"Miss, are you implying that the story is just a story?" Dusk inquired.

"Yes, Dusk," Miss Wing answered. "I doubt that this story is true, it describes events so old that it is entirely possible that through countless re-tellings, this story was majorly altered."

"But if the Princess can raise the sun, surely she could trap her sister on the moon," Dusk said. "If Celestia has magic that powerful, I think this story could be technically feasible."

"That is an interesting point of view, Dusk," Miss Wing said. "The elements of this story have been debated many times over, every pony has a different opinion on it. We may never know if this story is true or not."

"At least not until 2011," Dusk said, smiling.

Miss Wing laughed at Dusk's comment as Petal entered the classroom. Miss Wing looked at Petal and asked her where she had been. Petal said she had been in the nurse's office. Miss Wing told Petal to take a seat.

Dusk waved at Petal, who looked over. Petal's eyes were red, it was quite obvious that she had been crying. She looked away from Dusk and took a seat at the back of the class. Dusk thought this was odd, but given the circumstances, he paid no attention to her behaviour. He turned his attention back to the teacher and listened intently for the rest of the lesson.

It was 7:30 PM and Dusk was sitting in his room, thinking about how Petal had acted that day. They hadn't spoken at all since that morning, she didn't show up at their lunch table, and she didn't sit next to him in the classes they shared. She was still avoiding him. But why? Had Dusk really hurt her? Or did she just need time to her self? Dusk was beginning to worry. He had never intended to hurt her.

"I've got that thing with Lavender tonight, too," Dusk thought, looking at the clock.

Dusk stowed his thoughts of Petal and got up from his bed. He left his room, said goodbye to his mother and father, and left for Pegasus Pier.

It was about a half hour walk, and it gave Dusk some time to think about what he was going to say to Lavender. She obviously wanted him. Probably for things Dusk didn't want to think about. He simply wasn't interested.

"I'll give her tonight," Dusk thought. "I guess I'll have to let her down gently."

Dusk sighed. He hated to do this to her. Even if he didn't have any feelings for her, he still felt like an asshole for doing it.

Dusk arrived at the pier three minutes early. It was quiet that night, not many ponies came out during the week. Dusk wondered if Lavender knew that.

Pegasus Pier was like any other pier in the city. Boats were moored along the shore line and at the far end of the pier, fisher ponies were sitting on the edges, doing some night fishing. Fishing was more of a sport in Equestria, ponies don't eat meat, so these fisher ponies were probably practicing for a tournament. The pier was divided into sections. It went far out into the water, perpendicular to the shore, and every section of the pier was divided by a gazebo. There were three, one at the start, one in the middle, and one at the end. The middle gazebo gave way to horizontal branches of the pier that ran parallel to the shore. At either end of these branches was a gazebo. The whole pier was a large cross.

The night was cool, and the water was calm, Dusk walked down the pier to the far gazebo, listening to the distant crash of waves on the western cliffs, and the steady lapping of water at the pier supports. He stopped at the far gazebo and leaned over the edge, listening to the creaking of the few boats moored there. Lavender had chosen a rather romantic place for a first date.

"If she keeps choosing places like this, maybe I might go on another date with her," Dusk thought.

Dusk head hoof steps behind him. He turned to see Lavender entering the cover of the gazebo, the light casting alluring shadows on her, exaggerating her features. She had a small amount of makeup on, and her modestly cut mane had been curled. Try as he may, Dusk couldn't stop him self from feeling aroused at her appearance. Dusk coughed awkwardly as he felt blood rushing to his cheeks. Lavender had obviously noticed the change in colour, because she gave a small cheeky smile.

"I see somepony likes what he sees," Lavender said.

"Good evening to you too, Lavender," Dusk said.

Dusk decided he'd let the flirting slide for tonight. It was obvious that Lavender was going to lay it on thick, and Dusk thought he might as well enjoy tonight as much as possible.

"I didn't think you'd be here," Lavender said.

"I didn't think you'd 'dress up'," Dusk replied.

Lavender giggled and said in an enticing voice, "Well, if this is going to be our only date, I might as well make it memorable,"

"You're doing a very good job of it," Dusk said, smiling.

This kind of attention didn't seem to bad. It wasn't as bad as Dusk originally thought it would have been. It was almost fun, in fact.

"I noticed you were rather good at magic," Dusk said.

"Me? Good? Come off it, Dusk, you're just saying that," Lavender said.

"Compared to the others in the class, you're pretty spectacular," Dusk said.

"What about you, Mr. Magical Prodigy? You're the best in class, Mr. Short doesn't even care if you do the spells or not!" Lavender said.

"Eh, I'm about as good as any Canterlot unicorn. It just seems special here because Manehattan is mostly an earth pony city. They don't have a very strong magic program," Dusk said. "My dad taught me most of what I know. He used to live in Canterlot."

"Ooo, a pony with a fancy father," Lavender said. "If he's from Canterlot, why are you out here, in Manehattan?"

"He was discharged from the royal guard, sent out here," Dusk said.

"Father from the royal guard, eh?" Lavender said. "Now I know where you get your skills from."

Lavender smiled and looked into Dusk's eyes dreamily.

"You should teach me some of your spells," Lavender whispered.

Dusk coughed awkwardly again and began to blush. This wasn't the most comfortable thing on Equestria, but Dusk decided to roll with it.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Dusk replied.

"Am I really doing this?" Dusk thought. "Am I really going for a shallow mare? The last time I did this, the bitch crushed my heart. I should be careful here, I don't want that to happen again."

"Something on your mind?" Lavender inquired, playfully.

"Just thinking about what spells I could teach you," Dusk lied.

Dusk walked out from under the gazebo, beckoning Lavender, who willingly followed. Dusk stood in the open and shot a red magic bolt into the air. It shot high into the night sky and exploded, sending red sparks flying in a star shaped pattern. Lavender squealed in amazement.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"It's easy, just think of a shape, and fire it into the air," Dusk said.

Lavender closed her eyes and concentrated. She strained and a light blue aura appeared around her horn. A small spark shot out of her horn, flew about a few inches into the air, and exploded into a tiny star.

"Close!" Dusk said. "Keep trying."

Lavender repeated the process multiple times, each time shooting a bigger spark higher into the air until she finally shot off a bolt that exploded into a beautiful lavender star, high in the air.

"Yes!" Lavender exclaimed. "I did it!"

Dusk walked back into the gazebo, with Lavender following behind. Dusk walked to the far end of the gazebo and leaned against the railing. He looked out at the stars and the water. Lavender stood beside him.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked.

"Have you ever wondered how the moon comes out if Princess Luna is imprisoned on it?" Dusk asked.

"Celestia does it, I think," Lavender replied.

"It must take some skill to raise the sun and the moon," Dusk said.

"She is the princess," Lavender said.

"True," Dusk replied.

Dusk turned around and looked at Lavender. She looked back at him. They stared into eachother's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. The moonlight caught Lavender's face, making it glow. Her eyes seemed to shine like stars and for a moment, Dusk felt as if everything around him was gone. Lavender took a step forward, smiling seductively, as Dusk stood stunned by her almost unearthly beauty. Dusk's heart began to race as Lavender took another step toward him.

"Close your eyes," she whispered.

Dusk closed his eyes and Lavender kissed him.

Lavender leaned in on Dusk, her soft lips pressed against his. She smelled of flowers, and her intoxicating aroma overwhelmed Dusk's senses. He felt her place a hoof on his shoulder, and he replied by placing a hoof on her neck. Dusk forgot who and where he was for a moment, his entire brain shut down from the shock of suddenly being kissed, and rom the pleasure that accompanied the action. He pressed his lips against Lavender's and ran his hoof through her mane. It was incredibly soft, and Dusk couldn't stop stroking it.

The world melted away as time slowly came to a standstill. Lavender and Dusk remained lip-locked for what seemed like hours; their hearts racing, their breath shallow. Dusk had never experienced anything like this before. Slowly but surely, Dusk regained cognitive power, and he gently pulled away from Lavender, and opened his eyes. They stood there, looking at eachother, both blushing heavily.

"By Celestia, you're a natural," Lavender said, exhaling.

"I..." Dusk trailed off.

It had suddenly dawned on him. He had just kissed a mare. And one who he thought was shallow, nonetheless. Dusk stood for a second, stunned at what he had just done. He had broken one his biggest rules. But it didn't feel bad. Not as bad as Dusk thought it would. If anything, it felt exhilarating. He had broken one of his core rules, gone against one his largest morals, and so far, nothing bad had happened. It still felt wrong though. Deep down, Dusk knew he had done something wrong. He didn't know what, all he knew is that it felt wrong, somehow.

"Is something wrong?" Lavender asked, almost reading Dusk's thoughts.

"I - I don't actually know," Dusk replied. "I broke one of the biggest rules I had ever set myself. Never buck around with a shallow mare. It's only a rule because the last time I did, she broke my heart. It feels wrong, breaking that rule, but at the same time, it feels right."

"You think I'm shallow?" Lavender asked.

"I used to," Dusk answered. "I'm not so sure anymore. Please don't be offended, I'm very judgmental!"

"I guess my actions haven't been very deep, have they?" Lavender said, smiling awkwardly.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Dusk said. "This was fun."

"I told you it would be," Lavender said, he smile turning from awkward to cheeky once more.

"We should do this again," Dusk said.

"Definitely," Lavender replied.

"Come on," Dusk said, placing a hoof over Lavender's shoulders. "I'll walk you home."