The Colours of Dusk

Chapters

There Will be Cake
The Hoofy Decimal System
Pegasus Undercover
Berry's Blunder
Cooling Off
A Midsummer Night's Dance
So Many Books, So Little Time
Bursting the Bubble
Calm Before the Storm
Pine Cones
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
A Dash of Firewhiskey
Rain or Shine
Royal Subterfuge
Tangled Bedsheets
Epilogue: Poetry in Motion
Dusk and Dawn
Follow Me to the Bath House

There Will be Cake

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Two
There Will be Cake

My dearest Dusk Shine,

Surely you jest! I have every confidence that you will be able to deftly handle her in all manners, my student. You talk as though this is just another assignment, or a task to be tolerated. Let me remind you that she is a full grown mare and not another research project! From what Luna is telling me now, she appears to be very interested in meeting you and is greatly looking forward to spending time with you. She's very friendly and promises not to bite! I hope this helps to assuage your fears.

Best wishes and the warmest regards,
Celestia

Dusk heaved out a heavy sigh as he read the letter over his breakfast of pineapple rings. It was hardly a day to be in a sighing mood, the rising summer sun was blazing brightly through the open windows, casting a sparkling gleam on all the crockery piled in the kitchen sink, belying their true dirtiness.

"Good news?" asked Spike through a mouthful of cereal from across the table.

Dusk rubbed his temples and sighed again.

"Guess not?"

A cool breeze from the windows rolled over Dusk, sending a shiver down his spine, though he was unsure whether it was just a shiver of trepidation.

"It's... alright. I'm still not really looking forward to this, I'm so useless with girls! You should see me when I'm on a night out with the guys–" Dusk blanched. Looking up, he saw the eager expression on Spike's face. "Correction, you should never see me when I'm on a night out with the guys."

Spike disappointedly returned to his breakfast while Dusk's mind ticked away. He thought of his five friends, and one in particular stood out as the kind of stallion to turn to in such dire situations. He was handsome, charming, and always a hit with the ladies. Through many alcohol fuzzled memories, Dusk hazily recalled the time he had acted as wingcolt for him, and... well, that had been a bit of a disaster... He shook his head violently to dispel the painful memories. He had decided.

"Spike!" Dusk declared, "I'm going to see Elusive!"

It might have been a blip in the space-time continuum, a slip of the pencil on a cosmological scale where the Creator forgot to carry the one. It also might have been Rainbow Blitz tearing through the skies like a bull through tissue paper. But, in the end, what's the difference?
The stallion felt as though he were lord of all he surveyed, looking down on Ponyville, and around at the little woods, streams, fields and orchards. Although this wasn't strictly true, he was certainly a force to be reckoned with in the skies, and the tales of his mastery of his domain would be written into the annals of history, no doubt by Dusk Shine.

Dusk Shine.

The simple thought of the humble, bookish stallion brought Rainbow's bravado and confidence crashing to the ground. His wings, lacking energy all of a sudden, ground to a halt and Blitz glided down onto a cloud over Ponyville and flumped upon it.

Dusk Shine.

Blitz, by all rights, ought to have grown used to the thought by now, it had been over six months. Blitz liked Dusk. A lot. He liked to think he did a good job of hiding it, and he did to Dusk at least, who was the most romantically blind pony you could ever hope to meet. A war raged in his body, between heart and mind, a war that so far his mind was winning, if only out of fear.

"I can't let him know," he mumbled into the cloud. "He's too good a friend to risk losing."

A counterargument began to form a retaliation, but he was distracted by the very pony that was causing him such grief.
Walking nimbly through the lively streets of Ponyville was Dusk Shine. His gorgeous mane and tail shimmering like the stars in the sunlight. His well groomed coat equally shiny and glossy. And his plot, oh Celestia, that plot. Blitz shook his head forcibly, deterring the amorous thoughts that were congealing in his mind.

"Stop being an idiot, you're only making it worse for yourself."

Eventually struggling through his internal demons, he realised just how hungry he felt. Waiting for Dusk to disappear around a corner, he fluttered out from his cloud down to Sugar Cube Corner.

Dusk cantered through the vibrant streets of Ponyville, weaving through the crowds of colourful ponies, the cheerful chattering faded into a tranquil silence as Dusk daydreamed while he walked. Upon passing the town hall, it chimed loudly, scaring a few birds from its roof. Glancing up, Dusk saw that it was half past ten, which gave him one and a half hours before Dawn was due to arrive: plenty of time.

A bell tinkled merrily when Dusk opened the door to Elusive's shop. The rich display of brightly coloured suits and dresses hit his eyes like a fabulous tsunami, and through the vibrancy was a white stallion with his eyes closed, languidly kicked back in a chair behind his desk, a cup of coffee at his side. He didn't appear to have heard the bell.

"Yes, the red velvet," Elusive mumbled in a half doze, "just tie it there would you?"

Dusk stood patiently, awkwardly scratching a hoof against the pristine floor. Elusive cracked open an eye as he went to take a sip of his drink, and spat it straight out again upon sight of his visitor.

"Dusk!" he stammered, losing his usually calm and suave composure as he flailed like a beluga trying to haul himself out of his undignified and frankly revealing position."Ahem! How may I assist you this fine morning, my friend?"

"I need a favour," said Dusk meekly.

"I'm always happy to help a friend who requires my talents," he said happily. "What do you need? I can whip up anything you like after all. No, don't tell me, Spike spilled tea on one of your suits again did he?"

"Not exactly, it's more, uh, personal than that..."

Dusk's tone of voice interested Elusive. He was dancing around something important, he could tell that much. Grinning inwardly, he decided to have a little fun. At his friend's expense of course.

"Are you sure this is something you should be telling me and not a doctor?" muttered the alabaster unicorn conspiratorially.

"What?! No!" sighed Dusk, putting a hoof to his face.

"Then what?" asked Elusive, teasing the answer out of the tormented stallion.

"I need help with girls," Dusk blurted.

Elusive's ears swivelled like two radar dishes onto the purple pony, and his eyes lit up. The proverbial cat was out of the bag.

"Ooh hoo hoo! What's this? Our little Duskie is getting about is he? Who's the lucky mare? Is she nice? Do I know her?"

"Elusive–"

"Of course she's nice, what am I saying, you are a stallion of fine taste after all."

"Elusive– ... am I really?"

"Why didn't you let me know sooner? I mean, as one of your dear friends, I would have thought–"

"Elusive!" Dusk barked.

"Huh? Yes, my good man?"

"I-It's not like that! I got a letter from the Princess telling me that Luna's own personal student will be visiting Ponyville today, she's staying at the library with me, and I have no idea what to do!"

Elusive's expression slid from one of surprise to one of gentle sympathy. He knew what was going to happen, he could see it. Two intelligent ponies staying in such close company together, it was like it was straight from a story! If anything, he felt a few jabs of envy, but swiftly brushed them off. He drew up a chair beside him and invited Dusk to take a seat. He indicated to the coffee pot, but Dusk politely declined, caffeine would do no favours right now.

"Dusk," began the unicorn, taking a drink, "I've known you for a long time, and I can say you have everything you need already."

"'Lucy, you know how awkward I am around new ponies in general, especially girls," said Dusk miserably, looking pleadingly into his friend's bright blue eyes. "How do you make it look so easy?"

"So easy?" he said, waving a dismissive hoof. "A simple old stallion like me? Dusk, this will sound ever so cliché and repetitive, but you only have to be yourself. Least-ways, a charming pony such as you should have no problem."

"But, it can't be that simple!"

Elusive considered his next words carefully.

"The short of it is that you think too much about things," he said as tactfully as only Elusive could be. "If you try too hard to be yourself, you come across as fake, it's silly I know, but that's how ponies are. Take a few breaths and relax. I believe I know an old Canternese proverb for such matters: if you shine too bright, don't be surprised when others are burned."

Taking Elusive's zen advice immediately, he inhaled deeply, feeling better already.

"I just want to make a good first impression," he mumbled to his hooves.

"Don't we all," said the unicorn sagely. "I say, do you know anything of this mysterious mare?"

"Celestia says that her name is Dawn Star, and she's apparently very friendly. I also have a picture."

At the word 'picture,' Elusive sat up like a rocket, curiosity piqued. Whisking his glasses off the counter, he observed the picture as a jeweller might a fine diamond.

"Dusk... she's gorgeous! You're a very lucky fellow."

Something clicked in Dusk's head.

"Oh, no no no, I uh, don't have any intention to... ah, she's just staying at mine, we won't be–"

Elusive was impervious to Dusk's babbling, still disappointed that he didn't get to this stunning mare before Dusk did.

Still, he thought, I'm a stallion of honour, and it would not do to even think about pursuing her myself. And goodness gracious, that stallion needs to lose his virginity some day.

"I wish you the very best of luck," Elusive said stoically, ceasing Dusk's inane chatter. "You just have to be confident, but not overbearing. You're Dusk Shine, you can overcome any challenge!"
Dusk nodded, feeling more confident already with the pep talk.
"Oh I have just had the best idea! Wait here a second!"

Elusive zipped off and returned a few seconds later with a large orange flower.

"Give her this when you meet her! I've enchanted it so that it never wilts!"

"W-Won't that kinda give the wrong impression?"

"I shouldn't think so..." he began with furrowed brows. "Hmmm, maybe you're right." He took the flower back and procured a blue one instead. "Orange was so two seasons ago."

Dusk Shine absently played with a pebble under his hoof, and the temporal panther of twelve o'clock was creeping up on him whether he liked it or not.. Sitting on a bench at the smoky train station, the unicorn watched ponies arriving and departing, saying their hellos and goodbyes in turn over the hissing of the great steam engines; Dusk saw a certain beautiful poetry in that; even if their voices mingled into obscurity, as all voices will. Smiling grimly, he took a few calming breaths to banish his anxiety and kicked the little pebble off the platform. He caught sight of his nervous reflection in a window and he ran a hoof through his mane.

Ten to twelve.

He closed his eyes and breathed again, however, when he opened them, his vision was a wall of bright pink.

"Heya Duskie!"

Dusk yelped and recoiled, slamming his back into the metal seat. Grunting in pain, he looked up to see the ever smiling face of Bubble Berry.

"Argh! Berry, what in Celestia's glorious name are you doing here?!" he all but demanded, rubbing his back.

"Seeing what you were doing round here, duh! Is somepony special coming to town?" he asked enthusiastically, dancing on his hooves. "Or are you going away?" It was frightening how quickly his mood could change from ecstatic to morose.

"I'm not going anywhere, don't worry," assured Dusk, putting a big smile back on his friend's face. "But somepony is coming."

"Ooooh! Who is it?! Will I like them? Will they like me? What's the flower for? Are you hungry? I'm hungry."

The slew of questions was starting to erode at Dusk's nerves.

"You'll meet her in due course, but Berry, in all seriousness, can you give me some space while I meet her? I mean, I really wouldn't like to mess this up. Why don't you go to Sugar Cube or something, 'cause you're hungry and all."

Realisation struck Bubble Berry like a custard pie to the face.

"Oh. Ohhh! I getcha," he said with a knowing wink. "You want some time alone, it's only natural! I'll be in Sugar Cube then, see ya around!"

As Berry bounded off, Dusk wondered how Berry knew that he'd even be here. He watched his pink friend's cotton candy tail disappear around a corner, filing the thought away into a section of his mind that was devoted entirely to Berry's peculiarities. In fact, Dusk's mind was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the steam train rolling into the station, belching thick, grey smoke across the platform. Nor did he notice the ponies disembarking and walking past. He felt a small tap on his shoulder and he turned around to be trapped face to face with a certain white mare with bright blue eyes. Dusk felt his brain freeze up.

"H-Hello? Are you Mr Shine?" she asked uncertainly. She glanced around but there was no other pony waiting on the platform.

"Mr Shine... me..." he murmured, his brain desperately trying to kick itself into action. "Yes! Yes I am, call me Dusk," he said, standing up and shaking her hoof as his mind clunked into gear "You must be Dawn Star?"

"The one and only! I checked," she replied, returning the hoof shake and eliciting a small chuckle from Dusk. "Um, couldn't give me a hoof with my luggage could you?" she asked, indicating to the seven bulging bags and cases that had accompanied her. "I couldn't help noticing you have a horn."

At this, Dusk started and instinctively drew his forelegs together to hide himself. Noticing his motion, a smile curled Dawn's lips.

"I merely meant you were a unicorn, don't worry," she said, trying not to laugh as his cheeks turned an adorable shade of red. Dusk nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he levitated Dawn's luggage for her. "I say, what's that?" she asked curiously, pointing at his sides.

"Oh, this?" he said, drawing out the flower Elusive had given him. "It's a Dragon Bell, I believe they only grow in forest glades around here, consider it a... um... w-welcome to Ponyville gift," he stammered, offering it to her.

"Celestia did say I didn't bite, right? I asked her to put that in," said Dawn, finding his nervousness endearing. She sniffed the flower, taking in its honeyed tones as they began trotting through Ponyville to Dusk's home. "Thank you, this is lovely."

Butterflies are peculiar creatures, if nothing else, they are the sole cause of all hurricanes and storms. But one particular butterfly was more intent upon Dawn's flower than trying to end the world. It fluttered down from the air to land on its sky blue petals. Coming to a halt, Dawn eyed it closely, tilting her head as ponies carried on their way around her, one or two giving her funny looks.

"I can't say I've ever seen one of these before," she said quietly, taking in its iridescent royal blue wings flecked with white speckles. "Does Ponyville have its own endemic ecosystem or something?"

"I don't know, I don't think anyone's really looked into it," Dusk replied. "But I do know that it's called a Shimmer Skipper."

"Shimmer Skipper," said Dawn, rolling the name over her tongue, "that's a fun name to say."

"Oh, you think so too!" said Dusk enthusiastially. "No-one else agrees... with... me... uh oh."

Dusk looked over the top of Dawn's head and realised they were stood directly outside Sugar Cube Corner. The domain of Bubble Berry. Dusk was quite sure that Dawn didn't need to experience the pink pony just yet.

"What is it?" asked Dawn, thoroughly confused, looking about.

"Hmmm? Nothing," lied the stallion convincingly, "let's get you to the library and unpack, eh?"

Dawn took a step forward, but it was too late, the door to the renowned café burst open to unleash the fizzing cascade of energy that took the physical form of Berry.

"Heeellooooo! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!" he squealed eagerly.

Dusk, accepting his fate, covered his eyes as Berry whipped out a one colt band set from nowhere and serenaded Dawn with the traditional 'Welcome to Ponyville' song. Dawn, taken by surprise, sat stunned as streamers and confetti fell all around her. Dusk, also taken by surprise, was now covered in a thick layer of dripping cake mix.

"What d'ya think?" asked Berry, bouncing up and down. "Was that fun or was that fun?!"

"The butterfly..." said Dawn sadly, watching it fly away into the distance, presumably to start a hurricane somewhere by flapping its wings. "A pity, I rather liked it," she lamented.
Dusk meanwhile squelched his way over to the pink stallion.

"Berry, what the hell are you playing at?" growled Dusk, out of Dawn's earshot. "I asked you to give us some space, and now look at me! What kind of first impression is this?!"

"That you're fun, sticky and taste like cake mix?" said the stallion suggestively while taking a lick of Dusk's neck. "Mmmmm!"

Dusk was quite thankful no-one could see his ferocious blush through the mixture as Berry zipped back into the shop. Dawn turned to Dusk and her mouth fell open.

"Well... at least the luggage is alright."

"Yup, gotta stay positive in dire situations after all. Which happen surprisingly often with me" said Dusk wearily, shaking off some of the sticky residue.

"Okay, Berry said I gotta see this so what's–" The familiar scratchy voice of Rainbow Blitz floated through the door. He stopped dead upon the sight of Dusk before him. "–going on?"

Blitz began shaking, his face becoming more and more contorted.

"Something funny, Blitz?" asked Dusk dryly.

Not being able to hold it in, Blitz collapsed and started rolling around in mirth. Berry came back out and promptly joined him. Dusk had to content himself with wishing a swift and painful death upon them both.

"Dawn," he began flatly, "may I introduce you to to the absolute bundle of fun that is Bubble Berry and my good friend Rainbow Blitz. No prizes for guessing which is which."

"What?!" yelped Blitz, his laughter sublimating into the aether. His eyes flashed from Dusk to Dawn like he was watching a tennis match.

"You two, this is Dawn, she's a student of Princess Luna and is staying with me for a bit."

"Staying with you?" said Blitz in a slightly strangled voice, it felt like he had swallowed a bucket of ice water that was now settling in his stomach. Dawn's eyes narrowed slightly at Blitz's sudden change of behaviour. She may have only just met him, but nopony flipped from raucous laughter to fear that rapidly. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for possible future occurrences, she also made a note reminding her that it was none of her business.

"Well yes, she's gotta stay somewhere," said Dusk matter-of-factly and obliviously.

"O-Of course," Blitz mumbled, his bombastic attitude noticeably lacking.

Frowning, Dusk decided to concentrate on the bigger matters at hoof.

"Well, it was nice seeing you both, but I hear my shower calling. More shouting, really."

"'Kay Duskie, see ya around!" yelled Berry as Blitz merely raised a heavy hoof in farewell, all manner of terrible thoughts were swimming in his head like sharks. Dawn and Dusk trotted and squelched away respectively, leaving the two stallions behind. Berry wasn't always the most observant of ponies, but he always knew when a friend was feeling down. Slinking closer to Blitz like a concerned weasel, he noticed Blitz's face looked rather strained, Berry tentatively struck up conversation. "You okay, Blitzie?"

"I dunno Berry," he said lamely, sitting on his haunches, looking up to the infinite blue skies, letting the warm sunlight dapple his face. Silence fell between the two. Berry shifted restlessly, wishing Blitz would talk some more. "Berry, do you think I'm an idiot?"

The pink stallion was rather thrown off by this question.

"No... should I?"

"Probably," said Blitz with a humourless laugh. "Love is the domain of fools, at least, that's what Dusk always says..."

His eyes widened fearfully, he hadn't intended to say that.

"Waaait a minute," said Berry slowly, putting the pieces together in his head. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Maybe," he mumbled to his hooves. Why was he embarrassed? He was supposed to be the coolest pony in Equestria for goodness' sake.

"Hey, it's natural," said Berry kindly, pulling Blitz's head up with a hoof. "She is very pretty after all."

Blitz couldn't help but think they might be talking about two different things at this point. He gave Berry a deadpan look.

"Berry, you've known me for years, you know I'm gay, don't you?"

"Well, I don't recall ever having to turn you down, so I guess it slipped my mind!," giggled the pink pony. "So that must mean... you like Duskie!"

Blitz lunged forward and clamped Berry's jaw together.

"Don't go shouting it to the whole town!" he hissed, looking around, lest anyone heard him. The only ponies in sight were two blobs in the distance that were Dusk's sexy behind and Dawn's much less interesting behind. Sighing with relief, he let go of Berry, and was struck with one of those rarest of things, a good idea. A smile crept over his face as he looked slyly over at his pink friend, who had been distracted by a pretty flower, and was batting it back and forth in his hooves. "You like fun, don'tcha Berry." It wasn't a question.

"Fun?" said Berry, ears perking up.

"I have an idea, and I'm gonna need your help."

"Ooh! If it's fun, count me in!"

"Then follow me, my friend," said Blitz, striding into Sugar Cube Corner. This was perfect! He was gonna find out what was going on (or not) between Dusk and Dawn, and they'd be none the wiser!

Squelp.

Despite his valiant efforts, Dusk had not managed to shake off most of the cake mix. It had become one with his mane and coat, so he was now technically a pony/cake hybrid. And while potentially delicious, he also looked ridiculous, a fact not lost on passers by, who were openly laughing at him. Dawn meanwhile seemed totally unphased and unabashed by the conspicuousness of her companion who was sticking out like a sore thumb over the edge of a precarious cliff.

"Why is it always me?" grumbled the unicorn angrily as they made towards the Library. The birds were twittering merrily in the young trees around them, he wished they'd shut up.

Dawn, in all honesty, had rather enjoyed the surprise introduction to Berry and Blitz, even if it interrupted her study of the butterfly. It was refreshing to meet such lively ponies sometimes, though she was also glad she wasn't staying with them instead of Dusk, that would have been a bit too much.

"Are all your friends that... rambunctious?" she asked tentatively. Dusk snorted, sending bits of cake mix everywhere.

"Thankfully, no. I apologise for their behaviour by the way. Those two are nothing but trouble, especially when they're together... I should swap their manes around, to teach them a lesson." Dusk was about to wonder into the logistics and whether he could get away with it when Dawn interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh you don't have to at my expense," she said suddenly. "It was a much more interesting introduction than some boring formalities over a coffee or something."

"Y-You think so?" asked Dusk through a layer of sugary goodness. He mentally crossed off her meeting Elusive over a coffee.

"Suuure! You think just because I'm an intellectual it means everything has to be neat and ordered in my life?"

Dusk's blush was once again mercifully hidden by the cake.

"No!" he exclaimed abruptly. "I mean, no. I just didn't think you'd apprectiate, well–" He gestured to his body. "The chaos, shall we say."

"Well, I'm sure you don't appreciate it, and I don't blame you. But I found it all very interesting. It's much better for ponies to act naturally around one another than trying to be something they're not in order to impress."

Dusk swallowed this particular sugar lump of wisdom and found it to be most agreeable. Perhaps this whole visiting business would be more simple than he thought. Looking up, he saw the familiar form of the library up ahead.

"Oh wow," said Dawn in awe, "I didn't know it was possible to live in a tree!"

"I guess in Seaddle, trees in themselves are a rarity," Dusk remarked.

The wistful look on Dawn's face told him all he needed to know about the concrete jungle. He opened the door and held it for her as she and her luggage entered the library.
Dawn's eyes were burning with such awe and interest, Dusk was genuinely worried sparks might fly out. She took in the thousands of books, old and new, big and small, popular and forgotten. She inhaled deeply the intoxicating scent of knowledge as she trotted around the entrance hall, her head twisting in all directions as she drank in her surroundings. Spike wandered in on the scene from the kitchen, seeing Dawn sniffing books, he gave Dusk a look that plainly said 'she's nuts,' and continued with his business before Dusk could give him a reprimanding glare.

"L-Let me show you to your room," said the stallion from the bottom of the stairs, not used to having ponies so interested in his library. "Then I'm gonna have a much needed shower."

Dawn however didn't appear to have heard him. She was apparently engrossed in a book about Equestrian history.

She really loves her books, thought Dusk. Of course, there was nothing wrong with that. A healthy literary appetite was to be commended, but she seemed to really love the books.
I wonder if her cutie mark is book related? Dusk surreptitiously craned his neck to glance at Dawn's flank.

I just wanna look at her cutie mark, I'm not staring at her butt, I just wanna–

"Enjoying the view?" sang an amused voice.

Shit.

"I... was just looking at your cutie mark," said Dusk in an unnaturally calm voice, wishing he could just sink through the floor and never be seen again. Why did cutie marks have to be in such a stupid place?

"You silly boys and your... hormones," she said, giggling.

"No! Honestly, I swear to–"

"Celestia told me about you," she said deviously, heaving the book back onto the shelf. Dusk's froze to the spot, he knew what Celestia was like. "She told me you were the most harmless stallion I'd ever meet. Don't worry! You're too easy to tease, Dusk Shine."

"What," deadpanned the stallion, his heart beating was beating as erratically as Ringhoof Starr in his chest, unsure whether to be panicking or not. "What did Celestia actually say?"

"That you don't hold that much interest in mares... or stallions. She sounded disappointed to tell the truth."

Dusk breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"Right. Okay... I think... Anyway! I think your cutie mark suits you well."

Dawn turned to look at the open book that was imprinted on her flank.

"I think so too," she smiled.

"Right, I really need that shower," said Dusk, leaving Dawn to her exploration of the library. Might have to make it a cold one.

The Hoofy Decimal System

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Three
The Hoofy Decimal System

Steam rose up in aetheral curls and danced their vaporous dance together. Dusk let out a blissful sigh as the hot water cascaded over him; this was was easily the most satisfying shower he'd ever had. Feeling himself finally be rid of the cake mix was a blessing in itself, but he also found plenty of to think while he scrubbed.
That was the funny thing with showers, they had strange properties that let the storm of thoughts that occupied every active mind settle down and let the owner see the world in perfect clarity for a change. His calmed mind began to wander through the thickets of imagination, from what blackberries and carrots might taste like together, and then on to what books he'd like to buy, and then drifting aimlessly to what kissing somepony might be like... or even making love...

Wait, rein it in there, boy he thought, turning down the temperature of the shower to dispel the thoughts. Of course, all that succeeded in doing was making him more uncomfortable. Dusk knew that it would be impractical to pursue a lover, as he had explained countless times to seemingly deaf ears, he didn't much care for romance or any of that. He hadn't the time, the money, nor the patience for such reckless frivolities. Some, such as timid old Butterscotch, could relate, whereas some, such as Elusive, called him mad for not taking an interest. Even so, it was nice to imagine sometimes.
His thoughts naturally turned to his friends, first to Elusive, who could turn any guy gay at the drop of a hat if he wished, he was certainly handsome enough. But that was it for Dusk, he was nice to look at, but he was lacking in substance. He was also straight, but it's all hypothetical so it didn't matter.
He reeled through the rest of his friends, who all fell into the same class as Elusive, except one...

Blitz?

The charismatic, prismatic, and often problematic pegasus stormed through Dusk's inner eye just like he would in reality. There was something more about him, Dusk couldn't put his hoof on it, but Blitz always acted very kindly towards him, and rarely poked fun at him anymore like he used to, not only that, but he was strong, athletic, everything he himself wasn't...

Meanwhile, back in the real world, time was whittling away as usual, and there was a hammering on the door.

"Hey! Unless you're planning on washing your fur off or something, you have a visitor down here!" shouted Dawn through the woodwork.

Snapping out of his intimate thoughts, Dusk jammed off the faucet and all but fell out of the shower, dripping wet and disgruntled, but at least squeaky clean. He shook off the thoughts of his friends, and even one or two about Dawn as he dried himself off.

Stupid ideas. I've never acted on them before, no need to start now.

With a ruffled purple coat and mane that made him look as if he'd been bedraggled in a rain shower and then dragged through a hedge backwards, Dusk came trotting down the stairs to meet: apparently no-one.

"Hello?" he called out to the empty entrance hall as he drew a brush through his hair. Dawn's head poked out from around a corner, her golden mane flowing over her face.

"Umm, he's in the living room," she said uncertainly. "Didn't seem too keen on talking, so I just left him to it..."

"Oh, it'll be Butterscotch then," said Dusk confidently. "He's just very shy of ponies he hasn't met before... uh, is all your luggage still down here?" he asked.

"Yes, but don't mind me, I'm not exactly short of entertainment," she said amiably, gesturing to the city of literature around her.

"Right, I'll go deal with 'Scotch, and I'll help you settle in, 'kay?"

"Take your time," said Dawn, climbing up a ladder to peruse the higher tiers.

Nodding to himself, Dusk ventured into the living room, to see a wavy pink tail sticking out from behind his sofa.

"Hey Butterscotch," said Dusk, rolling his eyes.

There was a frightened squeak that was unnaturally high for any stallion, and two bright blue eyes rose from behind the sofa, surveying the room fearfully.

"Hello, Dusk," he whispered. "I-Is she in here?"

"No, she's outside," said Dusk gently, gently coaxing the timid pony out from behind the sofa. "Come on, she's not gonna bite you, I even have a letter from Celestia proving it."

Slowly but surely, Butterscotch slunk out of the shadows like a cautious deer and into the entrance hall, albeit nervously. Dawn tactfully stayed up the ladders so as not to scare him away.

"Butterscotch, this is Dawn Star, she only got here about an hour ago."

"Two hours actually, you were in that shower for ages. And hello Butterscotch, it's always nice to meet a handsome pegasus."

Butterscotch, although still confused as to what this mare was doing in Dusk's house, blushed furiously at being called handsome. Most nopony ever called him handsome.

"Th-Thank you," he stammered, feeling a measure of confidence being injected into him. "Dusk, I'd like to borrow a book, please," he said with a tentative, yet firm smile.

"Of course," he said, pleased that his friend wasn't hiding behind him as he'd expected.

"I don't know if you have any books on feng shui?" asked Butterscotch. Up behind Dusk, he noticed Dawn push the ladders about down the room as she searched the shelves.

"Feng shui?" said Dusk with a hint of disdain. "'Scotch, you don't actually believe in that crap do you?"

"The way I see it, it's not about believing it," called Dawn from on high, "it's good to dabble in other cultures after all. Mind expanding. You don't have to believe in it."

Butterscotch nodded fervently.

"That's– actually reasonable," said Dusk, surprised. "Though I dunno if we have any books on it, I don't recall seeing any."

"Here," said Dawn, stepping off the ladder and presenting Butterscotch with eight books. "I'd personally recommend The Equestrian Guide to Balance in the Home, it has a very approachable format that's neatly presented."

"Oh my, thank you!" said Butterscotch gratefully, taking the book and looking at them with interest.

"How–" began Dusk staring at her in disbelief.

"Hoofy decimal system, memorised it when I was a filly. And close you mouth, it's not a good look."

"You'd make a better librarian than I!" he exclaimed, throwing a hoof into the air.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said modestly, "I'm sure there's lots of things I don't know about taking care of all these books."

Dusk shrugged. He wondered just how many more surprises this mare had up her proverbial sleeves.

"Thank you, these look wonderful!" said Butterscotch. "Yes, I'll take these three please."

"Okie doke," said Dusk, "Spike! Could you stamp these out please?"

"On it!"

Dusk eyed Dawn critically. He'd only just met her, and she'd surprised him more than half the ponies he knew. He came to only one vague conclusion.

She is not a normal pony.

"Thanks, Dusk! A-And Miss Star!"

Dusk nodded with a smile while Dawn insisted he call her by her first name. The bell on the door tinkled as Butterscotch left with a noticeable spring in his step, leaving silence in his wake.

"So, handsome eh?" said Dusk with a wry smile.

"Well, he's not bad looking," said Dawn. "But it was mainly to give him some confidence, the poor guy."

"Whatever you say."

"I do say!" she said indignantly. "He looked so terrified of me, I didn't know what else to say!"

"Come on," said Dusk chuckling, "let's get you unpacked."

Bubble Berry set two cups of tea down on the polished wooden table. He took a seat opposite Blitz and immediately took the lid off the sugar bowl. The pink pony took a generous spoonful of sugar out of it, tipped the whole sugar bowl into his tea and put the spoonful back into it. Shrugging, Blitz took the remaining spoon of sugar and added it to his own.
Sugar Cube Corner was relatively quiet for an afternoon, which was good news considering Berry had been distracted from his job by Blitz.

"So Blitz," said Berry as he stirred his 'tea', "what fun plans do you have in mind? More pranking and/or drinking?"

"Not exactly," said Blitz, considering his words carefully, and wondering how he was supposed to word the proposal without sounding creepy. "Uh, you know how um... er... do you wanna sneak on Dusk with me?" he asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

"Huh?" asked Berry, puzzled. "You mean like spy on him?"

"Shhh!" hissed the pegasus, looking around to make sure no-one was listening in. "You make it sound so... dishonest. I just wanna see how he's getting on with this Dawn Star chick."

"Ohhh," said Berry, realisation dawning. Rainbow Blitz was worried about Dusk falling for this new mare! But if that was the case... "Why don't you just talk to her about it yourself? Or him?"

"In case I'm wrong and he does like her!"

"But what if you're right?" asked Berry tactlessly as he ate some of his sugar with tea in it.

"I don't wanna think about it," muttered the pegasus darkly. "But I have to know. So, will ya help a guy out?"

Berry considered. There didn't seem to be any harm in Blitz's plan, and it did sound fun, especially if he was allowed to wear his black latex ninja suit.

"I'll do it!" he said eagerly, bumping Blitz's hoof.

"Great! We'll leave it until tomorrow, then have a look at what they're up to! Or not up to, as the case may be."

This was the perfect plan! Nothing could possibly go wrong!

Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the spare bedroom, and Dusk Shine, champion of locked luggage everywhere, was pottering around opening up bags and trunks effortlessly with his magic. It's often said that you could comfortably fit everything you'd need to travel into one suitcase. Dawn had apparently never heard of this principle.

"You really like books, huh?" commented Dusk as he snapped open yet another suitcase and was greeted by the smell of paper and ink.

"Huh? Oh, yes. Despite this whole visiting business, I still have work to be getting on with. Although Luna seemed to neglect to mention that I'd be staying in a library." She sighed irritably. "I could've made space for more things... I dunno, clothes maybe."

"What would you need clothes for?" asked Dusk, puzzled.

"Dusk Shine, a mare always needs clothing when she's travelling."

"Uh, if you say so..." He opened another bag, but found this one full of sanitary items. "I-I'll let you sort that one out yourself," he said, cheeks tinting pink. He flipped open another case, and found this one containing a few steamy romance novels. In retrospect he was wishing he hadn't volunteered to unpack for her, this was riskier than being drunk in a minefield.

Dawn meanwhile tried out the guest bed, first pressing her hooves down on it to test the springs, and then sitting down on the edge as she sorted out another bag that contained her quills and inks.

"Nice bed," she complimented, "much better than that old, dusty one I had to put up with last night in the Aurora Tower."

Dusk, who was setting a few books onto the bedside table, fumbled and dropped them. He winced as one struck him on his hoof.

"Did you say the Aurora Tower?" he asked, rubbing his leg. Dawn nodded. "But that's where I used to live! You must have slept in my own old bed!"

"Oh really?" said Dawn, taking an interest to this coincidence. "Ahh, that does make sense," she said, looking at Dusk's mane. "I did see some horrible blue and purple hairs in an old hairbrush in the bathroom..."

Dusk couldn't help but feel a little affronted by this.

"My mane isn't horrible," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Oh no, I didn't mean your mane," said Dawn hurriedly, doubling back on her words, "I just meant the hairs in your old brush..." Dawn took a vase off the window sill and shuffled to the bathroom to fill it with water. She returned and put the flower Dusk had given her into it. "I didn't mean your mane," she repeated, eyeing him uncertainly.

"Don't worry about it," said Dusk waving a hoof carelessly. "Besides, if you see my mane in the morning you would think it was horrible!"

Dawn chuckled. She wouldn't have long to wait to see if that claim was true.
The sweet melodies of the twittering birds in the trees outside would have been pleasant to listen to, but the vernal symphonies were spoiled somewhat, partly by the windows, but mostly from Dusk's grunting as he busied himself around her. Dawn gazed out the window to assess the view she'd be living with for the next two weeks. Through the emerald dappled shadows of the young summer leaves, Dawn could see some of the small streets of Ponyville. Peering down curiously, she could see a chocolate brown earth pony and a blue-grey pegasus in cheerful conversation with one another as they walked. Dawn wondered what they were talking about. She also noticed that the pegasus' eyes were... well, a little wonky to say the least. An innocent intrigue burned within her, but she composed herself not to stare at the poor mare. Dragging her eyes up to the horizon, she could see–

"Canterlot," she whispered. Dusk, hearing some kind of faint hissing sound, trotted over to the radiator, and tapped it with a confused expression, before returning to work with a shrug.

The afternoon's light struck the mountains of Canterlot at an impressive angle, accentuating the rugged formations and casting them in sharp relief. As beautiful as they were in their own right, they regrettably paled in comparison to the glowing beacon that was Canterlot itself. The city shimmered proudly over the plains of Equestria, and Dawn was loving it. Due to it being invisible from Seaddle, she'd never seen Canterlot like this before, shining like a polished lighthouse made of diamonds. So all in all, Dawn concluded that it was rather a pleasant view.
She became aware that she could hear the bird song clearly now, it leapt merrily through the now open windows and settled down gently into Dawn's ears. The white mare turned to see Dusk's horn glowing as he opened the panes with his magic. He gave her a swift smile that she returned.

"You seem to be enjoying the view," remarked Dusk, as he snapped shut the mostly empty cases around him, again with magic.

"I- It's beautiful," she said, turning to look at the stunning horizon again. Dusk chuckled.

"I won't deny that it is, but I found it ever so distracting when I moved in. This used to be my study, but I had to swap the study and the guest bedroom around so I could focus on my work!"

"So are you of the easily distractable type?" asked Dawn casually as her eyes spun back to the designer skyline.

"Not particularly," said Dusk, frowning slightly. "I doubt anypony could do research on second era economic policies or mitochondrial biochemistry with that glittering like a waterfall. Heck, there are waterfalls!"

While he had been talking, he rose up the cases and bags and set them neatly in the corner of the room, not even taking his eyes off Dawn. She however, watched with interest and even a little envy at his skills.

I wonder just how adept his magic is, she wondered, staring at his horn. Of all the stories I've heard, are any of them true?

"Dawn, you alright?" asked Dusk, glancing self-consciously up at his horn.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, giving her head a little shake.

"Wonderful," he said, flashing her a smile as he headed for the door. "Seeing as all your stuff is now in place, I'll be down in the laboratory if you want anything. Or if you wanna come and join me or whatever." That had sounded a lot better in his head than it had vocalised.

"Thanks, Dusk."

"I'll just leave you to it," he said sheepishly, fumbling slightly with the doorknob on his way out.

Dawn grinned and turned back to take out a battered brown note book and quill. She sat at the edge of her bed and began to write:

Dear Journal,

I got to Ponyville today; it looks like a charming little town and I can't wait to explore it some more tomorrow. I'll ask Dusk if he can show me around or something. Speaking of Dusk Shine, I met him today, he's one of the most helpful unicorns I've ever met! He carried my bags to the library and even unpacked most of my stuff for me. He seems a little unsure of himself at times but I think that comes of him having just met me.
Anyway, it's nice here, I have a great room and I think I'm going to enjoy my visit.

Dawn put the quill to her mouth and she sucked on the end of it for a second before adding:

I met a few of Dusk's friends today too. Butterscotch, who seems very pleasant, if terrified of me. Bubble Berry, who is nuts, but in the good way. And Rainbow Blitz, who I don't know anything about yet, but was acting rather oddly when I met him. I'll keep an eye out on that.
Going to do some reading now, and have a look at Dusk's laboratory later. I've never even heard of a library with a lab in it before!

Nodding to herself, she closed her journal and took out a new book she was reading: Daring Do and the Jungle of Terror.

Yes, this was going to be a fun two weeks.

Pegasus Undercover

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Four
Pegasus Undercover

"Alright, sounds like a plan! Catch ya later, Berry!"

Rainbow Blitz walked out of Sugar Cube Corner feeling considerably better than when he had entered. Of course, this was a normal side effect of Berry's infectiously gleeful nature. Yes, it had been fun. Yes, it had been chaotic. And yes, it had been confusing. Smiling, he snapped open his wings and swept powerfully into the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust in his wake. Blood coursed through his veins, fuelling his straining flight muscles. Blissfully, he closed his eyes as the wind roared over his powder blue wings. Nothing else mattered now. He was flying, and that meant he was home. He was free. He was liberated. He was soaring. He was–

WHAM!

–Crashing into another pony. Blitz couldn't see who it was, but he heard a very surprised squeal of terror upon collision. The ball of confused ponies spiralled down like a galaxy's twisting arms to the ground, which thankfully wasn't all that far. Unfortunately, instead of ground to land upon, it was a pond.
With an almighty splash, the duo found themselves submerged in icy cold water. Blitz was the first to surface, spitting out a mouthful of reedy water, anger painting his face. Whoever had just crashed into him was about to pay. This was not cool. Eyes sweeping his surroundings, he saw a lily pad that was wobbling. A pony surfaced from underneath it, looking dazed and confused.

"Butterscotch?!" said Blitz, his anger dispelling as fast as it had arrived. The yellow stallion shook his mane, sending water and bits of lily pad everywhere.

"Blitz, I– oh no! My library books! Whe–Where are they?" he cried, looking frantically around him.

"Books? I, uh, is that them over there?" he asked, pointing to a small blue something on the bank of the water and mercifully not in the water.

"Oh thank goodness!" sighed Butterscotch, paddling across the water to retrieve them. "I don't want to even want to think what Dusk might do if I dropped his books in water. This bag's ruined though," he said sadly, looking at the rips in the canvas. "I'm sorry for colliding into you, Blitz, I was just so eager to get home."

"I'm sorry for breaking your bag," mumbled Blitz. "It's also kinda my fault for crashing into you, I wasn't really looking where I was going."

Butterscotch was quietly stunned. Blitz rarely ever apologised for his actions, whether he was in the wrong or no.

"I-It's alright," said Butterscotch softly. "Neither of us was hurt, that's what counts." He took stock of his surroundings, and then looked back at Blitz, his normally spiky and impressive mane and tail looking like a wilted willow. "We're not far from my house. Come, you can dry off there. If-If you want..."

After a short and soggy walk, the bedraggled stallions found themselves in front of Butterscotch's secluded country home. The yellow pony did his best to shake the water off himself before entering for obvious reasons, however, Rainbow Blitz didn't seem to take this into consideration and simply trotted inside, scattering animals everywhere and leaving small puddles in his wake. Inwardly wincing, Butterscotch followed him and flitted upstairs to fetch his careless friend a towel. The poor pegasus came back down into his living room, and to his horror found Blitz sitting on his sofa, no doubt getting it all wet and pondy.

"Ah, thanks 'Scotch," said Blitz as his friend exasperatedly threw the towel over his head and began drying his mane, face and shoulders. While Blitz's vision was impeded, Butterscotch tactfully nodded to his animal friends who were hiding in the corners and he motioned to the trail of water. Silently and efficiently, the assortment of mammals and birds soaked up the excess water with cloths, sponges and mops. The stallion smiled gratefully at them and wordlessly promised them an extra treat for their help.

"I'll let you dry yourself now," said Butterscotch awkwardly, having accomplished what he'd intended.

"Good call. Don't really fancy you drying off my wings or my junk to be honest, even if I am that sexy" said Blitz slyly, knowing it would fluster Butterscotch. He stuck his tongue out at the crimson faced pegasus as he took the towel. "By the way, could I have a drink? Like OJ or something? I can't get the taste of weeds outta my mouth."

Butterscotch nodded weakly and sped to his kitchen, highly embarrassed. Blitz grinned evilly at having mentally traumatised his friend. He leaned forwards to have a look at the books Butterscotch had borrowed. He casually flicked through one of them and then looked at the cover, brows furrowed.

"Hey, 'Scotch!" he called over the tinkling of glasses from the kitchen. "What the hay is feng shoes?"

No answer.

"Oh come on, Butter," he groaned. "I wasn't that bad. It's not as if it's like that time Berry full on kissed you at Applejack's last birthday party." Blitz grinned at the hilarious memory. "Boy, was he smashed."

"I guess not," said a voice on the lower limits of hearing.

"So, what's feng shoes?" he repeated.

"Uh, it's feng shui," came a tiny voice.

"Oh." A few seconds of silence. "Well what the hell is it?"

Butterscotch came trotting in, carrying a tray of drinks on his rump. He sat himself opposite Blitz and took a nimble sip of his drink.

"It's traditionally about the balance and flow of 'energy' in the home," explained Butterscotch, happy that Blitz was taking an interest. "It's a common practise in the Far East of Equestria, and it's a nice hobby to have."

"Sounds like a load of crap to me," said Blitz bluntly, and Butterscotch's face fell like a stone.

"I-I don't believe in it myself..." said the pegasus, looking at his hooves, "b-but there's no harm in it, is there?"

"I guess not," said Blitz, gulping down his drink in one. "Ah, that's the good stuff."

A tiny packet of inspiration burst into Butterscotch's head and an idea struck him. He wondered whether to ask Blitz. He considered the stallion thoughtfully, staring at his bright magenta eyes, that were currently centred on his glass as he tried to extract the last few drops from the glass with his tongue like an aardvark in an anthill.

No, no. It's stupid. Why would he want to? He's not into that sort of stuff. At least, it seems like it.

"What's eating you?" asked Blitz with mild concern, for Butterscotch's face resembled one of constipation right then.

"Oh," he said, snapping back to the real world. "I was just... um– if you're not busy or... er–"

"Spit it out, man." Butterscotch started trembling. "Look, you can always talk to me when something's bugging you," said Blitz kindly, his expression softening like butter in the sun. "I'm not the Element of Loyalty for nothing ya know."

"I was just wondering... if you'd like to..."

Blitz began to wonder just where this statement was headed. Was Butterscotch about to declare his undying love for him? He fervently hoped not.

"Wondering if you'd like to help me do some feng shui?" Butterscotch asked hopefully.

Blitz was so relieved, he didn't even think twice before answering:

"Yes, Butterscotch, I'd love to."

"Oh Blitz, thank you!" said the overjoyed pony. "I didn't think you'd want to!"

Despair filled Blitz as he realised just what he'd accidentally signed up for.

Oh, honeysuckle.

There was a gentle knocking at Dusk's lab door.

"Enter," he called stoically.

The merry bubbling of many distinctly coloured and labelled flasks and test tubes obscured Dusk's hearing and vision of his visitor's approach. He examined a small cotton bud in his hoof and pulled a rack of test tubes closer to him. It was quite unconnected to the brightly coloured liquids around him.

"Aha! Yes, this just might work!" he whispered with triumph, making a note in his lab book.

"Hello," said Dawn pleasantly, "it's a bit of a maze to find you in here!"

She found Dusk sat down, hunched over a desk like an old arthritic stallion. He turned around at Dawn's greeting.

"Ah, hello! Nice to see you down here. What's it like in the outside world?"

"It's gone half eight."

"Goodness, I really need to put a clock in here..."

"This is all very impressive, what does it all do?" she asked, pointing to the dozens of sciencey looking concoctions.

"Uh, wouldn't like to say," he said swiftly. "Work in progress you know?"

"I can't help but feel it isn't really necessary," she said, idly tapping one of the flasks with a hoof.

Dusk gave her a look of surprise, then a sly grin crept across his features.

"You're a clever one," he said as he routed in a drawer for some safety goggles. "Three years I've lived here, and no-one has questioned them."

"You mean they actually serve no purpose?!" she asked, snapping a pair of goggles over her eyes. "Goodness, I thought they looked a bit overzealous but–"

"No. But Celestia always advised me to set something like this up, so that if anypony came to see me, like a friend for example, my work looks a lot more impressive than it actually is. Showmanship she called it. Can't say I'm a fan for the purposes she told me to use it for, but it provides a pleasant enough environment for me to work in."

"I guess that's all fair," said Dawn. "So what are you actually doing down here?" She looked at the small test tubes Dusk had set on a stand in front of him. "Is that all?" she said, disappointment lacing her voice.

"See?!" said Dusk. "That's why all these bubbly flasks are necessary. And besides, as unimpressive as it may appear, I'm on the verge of perfecting my hypothesis!"

Dawn looked at the humble test tubes in front of her. They were empty. Looking sceptically around his desk, she saw a box of sea salt, a bottle of washing up liquid and another of rubbing alcohol.

"You are doing science, right? Not topping yourself off?"

"Yes!" said Dusk indignantly. "I think these may help to precipitate DNA!"

"But we already know how to–"

"Maybe so," said Dusk, waving an idle hoof. "But, is it accessible to the everyday pony?"

"Of course not! You need a powerful centrifuge for a start if I recall."

Dusk nodded in agreement. "But what if we only wanted to see the DNA itself?"

Dawn merely looked bemused. Being the curious mare she was, she could fully see why he was doing it.

"Celestia charged me with a task of helping science become more accessible to the population in an interesting fashion. So, with just a few home ingredients, I'm about to find out if I'm right."

Without further ado, Dusk picked up the cotton bud and jammed it into his mouth, rubbing it against his cheeks. Dawn watched with wide eyes as he threw the bud into a tube.

"There, Dusk Shine DNA, check!"

He opened the bottle of detergent.

"That to break–"

"Break down the cell membranes, yeah," said Dawn.

"Add a little salt and alcohol–"

"To precipitate the DNA."

"And, voilà," sighed Dusk, slightly grated at being interrupted, but pleased nonetheless at the successful outcome of his experiment. "It worked!" he said happily, scribbling in his lab book. "The Princess will be ever so pleased with this."

Dawn picked up the test tube, and observed the thin, white tendrils that were suspended delicately in the liquid like the most fragile of whispers. Indeed, it was a whisper. The whisper of life itself. She found it a very sobering thought that everything that made up the pony standing in front of her was encoded in those fragile strands of gloop.

"That's what I want to inspire in every filly and colt across the country," said Dusk, noticing the awe on Dawn's face. "To help inspire a whole generation."

"You'll certainly do that," she said softly. "Well done!"

"Thanks. What time did you say it was again?"

"Just gone half eight."

Dusk straightened his back, eliciting a series of loud cracks like a firecracker, making Dawn wince.

"Let's head on back up," said Dusk, groaning as he stretched his stiff muscles. He trotted around the room, switching off the Bunsen burners.

"Um, Dusk?" asked Dawn.

"Hmmm?"

"Would it be alright if you could give me a tour of the town tomorrow? I'd love to have a look around."

"Of course! It's not a huge town, but there's a few interesting places here and there."

Dawn said her thanks and followed him back upstairs to surface back into the world outside, both ponies feeling a slight, crackling undercurrent of intellectual rivalry.

"Do you think if I hang like this, I'll pass for a hanging basket?"

Blitz looked up at Bubble Berry, who was suspended from the corner of Rose Luck's flower shop by his hooves, swaying gently in the breeze. He was tired and more than a little irritable after being trapped at Butterscotch's for the majority of the evening doing feng shoes with him. Blitz opened his mouth to tell Berry to shut up but was interrupted.

"Or!" he said, bounding over to a bench and whipping out a newspaper, scaring the elderly couple who were sat there. "Should I put holes in this and stare at 'em?"

Before Blitz could even form a thought to begin to answer, Berry was off again, suggesting another ludicrous idea to 'spy' but 'not spy' on Dusk and Dawn. Rainbow shook his head and decided that enrolling Berry to help might have been a bad idea.

"Berry," said Blitz wearily, closing his eyes and taking a sip of Star Buck's delicious coffee.

"And then if I shimmy down here with a pair of binoculars–"

"Look," muttered Blitz darkly. I'll shimmy down you in a minute if you don't shut the hell up. Whatever shimmy means."

Blitz opened his eyes and spat his coffee out. Berry was covered head to hoof in very tight black latex.

"Uhh, Berry, what the fuck is that?"

"Why, it's a ninja suit silly! For super sneaking!"

Blitz tried to look away, but found his eyes drawn inexorably back to Berry, it was very... tight on his body.

"You know... that suit leaves nothing to the imagination."

"Oh Blitzy, you're so funny," said Berry, bouncing off again.

With a groan, Blitz looked up to the clock tower over the town hall. He had no idea when Dusk might be about in town, but it was almost lunch time. Couldn't be long now, surely. He threw his empty cup into a bin and began tapping a hoof impatiently, his eyes scanning around restlessly. Where were they?! Blitz hated standing around at the best of times, and having spent all morning doing just that with no results had only worsened his mood. Something heavy collided with him, from above of all directions. Blitz' knees buckled and he fell to the ground with a yelp of surprise. It turned out the object that had hit him smelled of candy floss and was giggling.

Who else?

"I found them!" Berry whispered excitedly, still on top of Blitz.. "Follow me!"

With a leap that knocked the wind out of the pegasus, Berry sprinted off, leaving a dusty Rainbow Blitz behind to hurry after him.

Dusk Shine was stood by the front door, his eyes drooping in sheer tedium. The familiar clitter clatter of Spike coming down the stairs roused Dusk from his near stupor.

"What in Celestia's name is she doing up there?" asked Dusk incredulously.

"Getting ready, bro," said Spike. "Don't you know anything about mares?"

"Why is she taking so long?"

"I refer you to my previous statement," he replied, and then scurrying off to the kitchen.

Dusk watched the pendulum of the clock in the entrance hall, his eyes following the hypnotic chronological metronome, feeling his soul drain into the the abysses of time.

Are mares always like this?

For how long he was stood there, not even he knew, but eventually, Dawn came down the stairs flashing him a smile, looking as normal as always, a saddlebag slung over her back.

"But you don't look any different!" exclaimed Dusk's mouth before his brain could stop it.

"Huh?"

"Spike said you were getting ready..."

"Sorry! I must've got carried away reading my book, for um," she glanced at the clock, "twenty minutes."

Dusk's eyes narrowed momentarily, then began chuckling.

"You remind me of me," he said, opening the door for her. "The number of times I've been late to events because of getting lost in a book." Dusk flipped the 'open' sign of the library to 'closed.' See ya, Spike!"

Spike gave a distracted farewell as the door shut behind them. Scrambling to the freezer, the little dragon hauled out a huge tub of strawberry ice cream. Today was going to be a good day.

"So what do you wanna see first?" asked Dusk as they walked in tandem down a narrow cobbled street. The tall wooden houses leaning over them, casting them in cool shade.

"I dunno," said Dawn, feeling a little like a filly in a candy shop. They emerged at the end of the street into bright sunlight. Before them lay a sprawling green field, surrounded by many trees. Ponies of all ages were scattered like confetti across the grass, some on a morning stroll, some playing hoofball, and some simply sitting and admiring the view. The duo crossed the road and Dawn noticed that they were impeded by a river that the road they were on was straddling. Looking up and down, there was only two bridges that they could see, each roughly equidistant. On the left, an old, wooden and rickety bridge, on the right, an elegant bridge, made of finely cut stone arced gracefully over the lazy river like a dolphin.

"Yeah, the town could only afford to renovate one of them this year," said Dusk apologetically.

"Oh."

"Come," said Dusk, leading the way to the new bridge and into the park.

"Good morning Mr Kindle!"

"Ah, nice to see you out and about Mrs Smith, how's Applejack doing?"

"Hello Melody, I like your new mane cut!"

As they walked around, Dusk habitually greeted the ponies who they passed.

"It's odd," said Dawn, as Dusk bade greetings to an elderly stallion he had to considerably raise his voice for. "Celestia said you were a bit of a recluse."

"Aha, she would," said Dusk. "And it was completely true when I was under her study, working for hours and hours on end, day in, day out. I never made friends you know, they didn't seem worth it." Dawn raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. "I've made a few friends since I came here, and although I still am cooped up in the library a lot, as I'm sure Blitz will tell you, I make a point of being neighbourly around town."

"I see. So you're like a friendly recluse?"

Dusk laughed openly at this as they walked down a gentle bank to the old bridge at the other side of the park.

"Friendly recluse. I love it!"

They came to the bridge, which lay under the boughs of a tall, and more impressive pine tree. Dawn looked dubious that it would hold their weight. In fact, she was dubious that it should even be supporting its own weight. The old and weather-worn wood had cracked and splintered over the years. The elements had warped its shape, making it sag and dip down in the middle, looking less like a graceful dolphin and more like a soggy paperback.

"Look, I know I am a little husky, being a librarian and all, but we're not gonna break the bridge, 'kay?" said Dusk amiably, trotting forward onto the bridge, evoking a loud groan from it.

Dawn watched him go, observing his figure.

"You're not fat," she decided, which was the truth. If Dusk was as big as he was claiming, she couldn't see it.

From the bushes, Dusk thought he heard a rustle and a yelp, but he dismissed it.

"Thanks," he said, pausing at the centre of the bridge. He picked up two pine cones with his magic, and handed one to Dawn.

"What's this for?" she asked, cautiously joining him as the bridge gave another loud creek.

"Poohsticks," he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I beg your pardon," said Dawn, trying to suppress a giggle, and failing miserably.

"Poohsticks," said Dusk. Incomprehension was still painted across her face, along with a wide smile. "Don't tell me you've never played poohsticks before!"

Dawn merely shook her head, her bangs swinging left and right across her face like silky curtains.

"Nope! And poohsticks. Is it really called that?"

"I'll teach you then. It's not hard. And yes it is. Stop giggling, you're making me laugh too!"

Dawn had to hold onto the bridge to support herself and Dusk joined in with her. Eventually, he cleared his throat.

"The rules are easy. We both drop our sticks, or in this case cones, into the water, run to the other side, and whoever's cone is first to appear on the other side is the winner! Simple."

"This is a game?" asked Dawn, doubtful that this could be classed under 'fun' of any description.

"Yeah, Celestia and I used to play it when I was a colt. She said it was invented nearly a century ago by some author, I forget the name."

Dawn felt slightly more enthusiastic. If it was good enough for a princess of the Sun, it was good enough for her.

"Oh, well, while we're here, might as well have a go."

Dusk counted down from three and they dropped their pine cones, resulting in a synchronous 'plop'. They rushed over and waited. And waited. And waited...

"Where are they?" asked Dawn.

"I-I don't know," said Dusk with a constrained voice. "I've read a book on poohsticks before and it never mentioned anything like this. This isn't supposed to happen." Dawn noticed that a bead of sweat was running down his face.

Silence flowed out from around them, dispelled only by the quacking of the ducks on the water. Dusk knelt down and leaned over the bridge to have a look at where the pine cones might have got to.

"Be careful," said Dawn, seeing as Dusk was now on his belly, leaning over.

"I am, I–"

Berry, who had two pine cones in his mouth and was currently hanging onto the bridge from the underside swung his face up to Dusk like a jack in the box.

"Hey Duskie!" he yelled.

Dusk fell into the river.

Berry's Blunder

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Five
Berry's Blunder

Inside some not very inconspicuous bushes, just downstream of an elderly and sorry looking bridge, two very cramped ponies were hiding.

"So where are they, Berry?" said Blitz impatiently, squinting through the leaves. "I can't see them."

"They'll be along soon. Trust me."

Blitz couldn't help but think that they could've picked a better spot for this. The bush was prickly and kept jabbing him in places he'd rather not be jabbed.

"I'll hold you to that," growled the stallion, whipping his tail to beat off the branches that were so intent on stabbing him.

They waited for about ten minutes. Blitz grumbled while Berry hummed merrily. However, true to his word, both Dusk and Dawn made their appearance. Berry, in his excitement, perked up and jammed his head forwards to have a better view of what was going on. Unfortunately, that came at the price of Blitz's face being shoved first into one of Berry's forehooves, and then roughly into the ground as the pink pony clambered on top of him enthusiastically.

"They're on the bridge!" whispered Berry, excitement oozing from his voice. "They look like they're talking!"

"Ggreff tffphe fffucff offmm mmmffee," said something from underneath Berry's tummy.

"I wonder what they're talking abou– yaahhh!"

Blitz thrust up his head angrily, knocking Berry off balance. Taking a deep, much needed breath, he sat up and finally looked through the foliage himself. Dusk and Dawn were on the opposite sides to the bridge, and Blitz once again couldn't help but find his eyes drawn to Dusk's behind like a compass to the North Pole. His eyes unfocussed a little as he stared. Berry, having picked himself up, waved a hoof violently in front of his face until he snapped back into reality.

"Sorry, Berry, I was just uh..."

Berry patted Blitz on the withers in a knowing fashion. A sparkling laugh washed over them and they turned their attention back to the duo on the bridge.

"Looks like Dusk told a joke or something, sounds like fun," whispered Berry. Blitz didn't even need to look, he knew his friend was squirming with excitement to go and join them.

"Don't you dare," warned Blitz, not shifting his gaze from the couple on the bridge. He squinted. "Looks like they have sticks in their hooves, no wait, pine cones," he said, puzzled.

"Sticks," said Berry under his breath, the saccharine gears turning away in his head. "Sticks, bridges, ponies, pones, sticks and cones, sticks and stones, breaking bones, words, hurt, divide, connect, bridging gaps, sticks on bridges, drop like stones, dropping sticks, but not sticks, cones, ponies dropping sticks on bridge. Poohsticks!"

"Poohsticks?" asked Blitz, turning his head to find that Berry was standing up. "What are you doing?!" he hissed. "Get down!"

"But Blitz!" Berry whined, "they're playing poohsticks! I wanna play!"

"No Berry, sit down. I said sit down!"

Blitz grabbed the pink stallion by the barrel, trying to force him down, but it was useless. A fine athletic stallion he may have been, but he couldn't compete with the raw power of an earth pony. Berry wriggled free of Blitz's grip like a slippery fish from a hungry angler and zipped off before Blitz could stop him.
Stamping the ground in a burst of anger, Blitz was helpless to intervene without revealing himself. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the inevitable chaos.

"Hey, Duskie!"

There was a loud splash as of something approximately pony sized hit the water.

"Fucking great," he growled. He assumed it had been Berry, jumping obnoxiously into the water, but he looked out to see that it was Dusk.

A jolt of panic hit him. Thinking fast, he sneaked out from the bushes as stealthily as possible, running through the undergrowth to the main road outside the park.
Sneaky though he was, he wasn't sneaky enough to escape the notice of a certain mare who, despite the scene unfolding before her, saw a flash of blue between the trees.

"Maybe I shouldn't have surprised him," said Berry uncertainly as he watched a floundering purple pony float downstream. "Should I go and get him out?"

"Perhaps not," said Dawn dryly, her attention on the entrance to the park ahead of her, where she waiting for Blitz. He didn't disappoint. "Perhaps Rainbow Blitz would be better suited to the task."

"Heya guys," he said casually as he could while his crush was floating downstream. "What's going on down here? I heard a splash and so I'd thought I'd come and check it out." One of his eyes was twitching slightly.

"It's lucky you just happened to drop by actually, we really need a pegasus right now to go and help him out."

Sensing that Dawn knew what he was up to, he ruffled his feathers. He shot Berry an angry glance and took off like a bullet on caffeine to save his friend.

Dusk, having never been a strong swimmer, wasn't having all that much fun as he struggled to stay afloat even in the languid and slow flowing river. Panic clouded his thoughts as he inhaled a little bit of water in his efforts to stay afloat. He had no idea where the shore was and no idea how he was going to get out.

"Help!" he gasped during a few seconds of buoyancy.

He thought, or maybe hoped that he heard a voice reply from up above him through his water logged ears. It didn't really matter any more. Just as he was accepting his fate as being 'death by muddy water', he felt two strong hooves grip him by the stomach. Bewildered but relieved, he cracked open an eye to see the river falling beneath him as was carried to safety by his saviour. An involuntary squeak of fright escaped him.

"Don't worry," said Blitz gruffly, tightening his grip around the purple stallion. "I've got you. You're safe."

"B-Blitz? Where did you come from?"

"That doesn't matter," grunted the pegasus evasively. "What matters is that you're out of danger."

They touched down on the road outside the park, and Dusk was extremely happy to be back on solid ground. Blitz released his grip with slight reluctance, even if the unicorn smelled of weeds and muddy water, it was Dusk after all.

Shaking himself like a soggy dog, Dusk dried himself off, Blitz using his wing as a shield from the assault of water droplets.

"Thank you, Blitz," said Dusk, gratitude shimmering from his eyes. He raised a hoof in a gesture for a hug.

Hardly daring to believe his luck, Blitz almost stumbled forwards into the close, if damp hug.

Best day ever, thought the pegasus.

Dusk embraced his friend tightly, and felt... warm? He'd hugged his friends lots of times before, but they'd never felt quite like this. Blitz's scratchy mane tickled his face. Inhaling deeply, he smelled petrichor in Blitz's hair. It went straight to his head. He closed his eyes and let himself melt into the hug–

"Hey, lover boys!" came a call from nearby. Dawn was approaching them down the road, followed by a unusually sorry looking Berry.

Blitz sighed in irritation, he wanted that hug to last forever. He broke away and coughed, looking up at the trees as if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. Dawn's implications flew straight over Dusk's head, who was thoroughly confused at what had just happened.

Berry approached him.

"I'm sorry, Duskie," he whispered meekly. "I didn't mean for you to fall in."

"Berry, I could have drowned," said Dusk dispassionately.

The poor pink pony had rarely felt so uncomfortable. He never liked upsetting his friends, and he especially never liked almost killing them by accident.

"W-Would you like to push me in to make us even?"

Dusk started laughing.

"Oh, Berry! You know I'm far to used to your antics to get mad!" he said, ruffling Berry's already ruffled mane.

Berry started chuckling too, and the two ponies trotted back to the others. Dawn, who had initially looked worried at Dusk's apparent anger, was smiling genially, while Blitz, who was still abashed at Dawn's remark, was also eyeing Berry to let him know he was not pleased with his behaviour at all.

"So, you two again," said Dawn mischievously, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were following us."

Berry opened his mouth but swiftly closed it. The look Blitz was giving him guaranteed that if he dared to utter a word, he'd soon be suffering the absence of the softer regions between his legs.

"Don't be silly," said Dusk amiably. "Why would they be?"

"Why indeed?" said Dawn neutrally, eyes on Blitz, who shuffled on his hooves.

Deciding that his plan had been a total disaster, decided to cut his losses. He coughed pointedly.

"Berry, weren't you gonna make some cakes today that I was gonna help you with?"

"Huh? I thought we were–"

"Yeah, we better get going," said Blitz loudly, headbutting the pink stallion in the rump. "See ya later, guys!"

They both watched as they ambled off, Dawn, wondering if her suspicions about Blitz were true, Dusk, dripping slowly.

"Look at you," said Dawn, tutting. "You look like a drowned rat."

"Just an almost drowned stallion," he remarked, flicking his damp bangs out of his eyes. "So, where do you wanna go next?"

Dawn's eyes widened.

"You can't carry on like this!" she implored, eyes grazing his mane and coat.

"Oh yes I can. I made a schedule for today, and by Celestia's wings I'm sticking to it!"

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

"Blitzie?" said Berry hopefully, as the blue stallion stomped wordlessly into the town centre. "Blitzie, I didn't mean to ruin your plan..."

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

Blitz was angry, he knew he was. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. A knot that coiled slowly tighter the more he thought.
If Dawn didn't suspect anything before, she did now. In fact, it was like she was rubbing it in his face. All the casual looks in his direction. All the undertones in her words. 'Lover boy' indeed! She knew that she had Dusk wrapped around her hoof already and was smugly satisfied that he didn't.

It is often said that love makes fools of us all. In this case the quote should be amended to include: 'especially Rainbow Blitz', after it.

"We could try again maybe?"

Blitz slowed to a halt and turned round slowly. He glared at Berry sharply.

"Try again?" he muttered. "Try again?! To let you fuck it up again?! I don't think so! She knows, Berry. She knows I like Dusk now, and she'll probably turn him against me! She obviously wants him for herself!"

"Blitz," said Berry reasonably. "I don't think she–"

"Just– shut up okay? I'm not in the mood right now."

Berry looked helplessly around him, as if expecting someone to come to his rescue.

"But you saved Dusk," said a quiet voice eventually. "That's gotta count for something." Blitz's ears twitched, and he felt the painful knot unravel slightly. "And I really don't think she's trying to turn him against you, or even likes him like that to be honest. In fact, you might want to talk to her about all this..."

"Hmmf," he said grudgingly. "You might be right. Though I'm still pissed off at the whole thing."

Berry sped off and returned so quickly, Blitz didn't even notice his nanosecond of absence. In his hooves lay a delectable looking lemon drizzle cake.

"I know it's your favourite," he said. "I'm sorry Blitz." Berry's eyes became very shiny as they became heart meltingly adorable.

Blitz sighed heavily.

"C'mere, you," said Blitz, grabbing the earth pony by the neck and giving him a noogie. They both began laughing.

"C'mon Blitz, quit it!" he begged playfully.

Releasing his friend, and panting lightly, Blitz finally smiled.

"Berry, you're as annoying as hell sometimes, but never change 'kay?" He stretched his legs and cricked his neck.

"Where ya going?"

"To the pub! I need a drink and a good think. Catch ya later, dude, thanks for the cake!"

And with that, he trotted down the main high street to Jingo's, a quiet pub that Blitz was rather fond of... even at one in the afternoon.
Berry merely shrugged and zoomed off into the next scene.

"And this is Sugar Cube Corner, where me and the guys sometimes meet up if we have the time for a snack."

"It smells delicious," commented Dawn, her blue eyes sweeping the pristine and welcoming bakery.

"You got that right," said Dusk. "Berry works here on weekdays, or at least, he's supposed to."

"Supposed to what, Duskie?" asked a voice from behind him, zipping in from the previous scene. Dusk yelped. "Sorry! While you're here, ya want something?"

"Sure," said Dusk, his tummy suddenly rumbling like a tectonic fault line. "What would you like, Dawn? I'll pay."

Berry made a number of very quick calculations in his mind, and for once, the numbers all came out nice and neatly. He could still help Blitz in his quest for not losing Dusk, and he was going to do it Bubble Berry style.

"Don't worry!" he bubbled. "They're on the house."

"No, really Berry, I can–"

"I insist," said Berry firmly. Then the cogs spat out some more thoughts. "As an apology for making you fall in the river, see?"

Dusk reluctantly accepted the offer, and had a gingerbread pony for himself, and a large strawberry cheesecake with tea and cream for Dawn. They took a seat by the window and watched as life did what it did best around them. Customers circulated around, and Berry, like an electron, had the mysterious property of being able to exist in several different places at once. Dusk talked Dawn through the high street, and regaled her with dramatic tales of animal stampedes, "freak" weather caused by Blitz not doing his job, random synchronised outbreaks into song, everyday things like that.
All the while, Berry watched them closely.

"And you see down there?" said Dusk, pointing behind him. Dawn craned her neck. "That's where an ursa minor decided to visit town."

"You're joking."

"Nope, a real life ursa minor."

Dawn still looked a little sceptical. She swept the café with her eyes, and noticed that Berry was watching them as he washed dishes. He quickly looked away. Suppressing a grin, Dawn turned back to Dusk, his mouth full of gingerbread.

"But... how did the town get rid of it? Something like that is very dangerous!"

"I-It doesn't really matter," said Dusk, realising he'd accidentally trapped himself and awkwardly trying to divert the conversation, but he was no match for Dawn's curiosity.

"Come ooon," she pressed, coaxing it out of him as Butterscotch would a rabbit from its den.

Dusk sighed heavily, resting his head on a hoof.

"I um, did it," he said quietly.

"You did it?"

"Yes!" he said shortly. "I built it a giant milk bottle and floated it home."

Dawn's jaw looked as though it had dislocated. Yes, she had heard rumours of his magical prowess, but they were all modest compared to what she was hearing straight from the horse's mouth.

"But... magic of that calibre, that power..." she stammered while Dusk squirmed uncomfortably.

"Please, it sounds a lot more impressive than it was–" he babbled, "I'm just a unicorn–"

"Dusk, stop belittling yourself," she snapped suddenly, shutting him up in his surprise.

Dusk still looked abashed, as though saving Ponyville was something to be ashamed of. Dawn watched him, and felt an unfamiliar twinge strike at her insides. She had always longed for an intellectual equal, but Dusk was amounting himself to be her intellectual superior. Was she beginning to feel... jealousy? No! Dusk was nice, she didn't want to start fighting with him after all. So why did she feel the urge to prove herself?

"Dawn?" asked Dusk uncertainly. She'd been sat staring at the floor for over a minute.

"Sorry. You were telling me more about the town?"

"Yes!" he said, getting back into his flow. He pointed out the bowling alley and the flower shops. Then he went on a passionate tangent about the local bookstore, Waterstones. He certainly painted such a favourable picture in Dawn's mind regarding the tasteful décor, wide selection, reasonable prices and two for one offers that she wanted to visit it next, until Dusk motioned a little further down the street, past a water fountain. "That one over there, see the one with the green roof? That's the spa."

Dawn's ears perked up at that. A mare always did enjoy a good spa treatment after all.

"I have heard about this town's spa, it's supposed to be one of the best in the country! Can we go?" she asked enthusiastically.

"..." said Dusk, conversation extraordinaire. He'd never been to the spa before; Elusive was the only stallion he knew who visited frequently.

"Pleeease?" she said, leaning forwards. Dusk met her eyes and held her gaze for a few seconds. "It's not like you couldn't do with a cleanup. You are a little... river-y," she said delicately, deciding not to point out he still had bits of twig in his hair.

This was all it took to cause Dusk to collapse.

"Alright," he conceded. "Elusive's probably in there anyway, so you can meet him."

They waved Berry farewell, and he waved energetically back. The tinkling of the bell chimed in their wake. Berry all but slinked his way up to his bedroom in the attic, to scribble down what he'd observed for Blitz. Looking at the clock, he saw that it had just gone two. He finished his shift at four, so three would be a fine time to go and see Blitz. Bouncing back down the stairs, he returned to his work.

Cooling Off

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Seven
Cooling Off

"Elusive!" Dusk gasped, leaping off Dawn as though she had become electrified. "This is not what it looks like I swear, I–"

"Now now, Dusk," he said lazily, waving a dismissing hoof, "there's no need to be coy around me. Although I must say this is not quite the manner in which I expected to meet your... friend here."

Dusk looked as though he wanted to say something, but no words were forthcoming for his jaws appeared to be locked together. Elusive turned and flashed Dawn a glittering smile as he helped her to her hooves, her cheeks glowing.

"Thank you," she said softly. "But might I add something?"

"Certainly, my dear."

"I think it's what Dusk is probably trying to say... or at least, what he's trying to try to say, is that he's not my ah... coltfriend, despite initial appearances."

"Ohhh!" said Elusive, tapping his snout knowingly. "A casual encounter I see! Dusk you old dog! I must admit I can't say I'm not a little jealous–"

"N-No! Not that either!" exclaimed Dawn, while Dusk fell onto his haunches, feeling severely flustered. "We're just friends! Aren't we, Dusk?"

The purple stallion nodded weakly. "Y-yes, just friends," he said quietly, but assuredly.

"See? Although... what were you saying about being jealous?" said Dawn slyly, eyes fixed on Elusive's own deep blue ones.

Elusive was caught off guard, if only for a moment.

"Well, ah, Dusk came to me the other day to tell me about you and your visit to Ponyville. Personal student of Princess Luna I believe, yes? So I thought to myself, 'she must be a very refined and intelligent mare to study under her', not like the riff-raff Celestia will take."

"Oi!" said Dusk indignantly.

"You know I jest, Dusk. But asides, my guesses have thus far been accurate," he said smoothly, looking at Dawn with a cocky smile.

Dawn noticed that he made absolutely no mention about her appearance; this pleased her greatly, she never found stallions who valued appearance over personality attractive anyway.
Elusive was studying her carefully, he'd tactfully made a point of not making any points on her appearance; that never went down well with mares of a more intelligent persuasion anyway.

She is gorgeous though, he thought, his eyes surreptitiously drinking in her sleek form, golden mane and round, inquisitive eyes. Travelling down, he saw that her cutie mark was an open book. Yeah, she can open my book any time she likes... wait, that doesn't make sense–

Dusk coughed loudly, and they suddenly remembered that they weren't alone.

"Can we get out of here?" he asked. "I think I'm gonna die of hyperthermia."

"Of course, of course," said Elusive, leading them to the pool where clients went to cool off after a sauna.
They entered a large, circular room, which Dusk assumed to be the pool room. One clue that alluded to this conclusion was the vast, round pool that dominated it, complete with its own waterfall. The sunlight streamed through the glass-domed roof, where it hit the cascade to send it sparkling like midnight diamonds, the beams echoing off the walls along with the sound of crashing water.

"This is... mixed sex then?" said Dusk limply, standing at the water's edge. There were a dozen mares and stallions in the water.

"Yes Dusk," said Dawn in the overly kind way an adult talks to a young child. "You seem to forget that you've been with me since we walked in here."

Far too preoccupied trying to evaluate whether he'd caused offence, he didn't notice Elusive and Dawn nod evilly to one another at either side of him. Time to have a little fun.

"I only meant–" he began sincerely, before he felt two hooves thrust him forward. The resultant splash made others turn their heads, and the two white ponies feigned innocence as they gently slipped into the water.
Coughing and spluttering, Dusk surfaced. He was quite tired of surprise attacks by bodies of water for one day.
"Please don't do that again," he growled, irritably jerking his mane from his eyes.

"Oh lighten up you big sugar lump," said Elusive, who was propelling himself through the water with an aqatic grace that rivalled an otter. "You have to admit that this water feels gorgeous does it not?"
Dusk had to agree to that. Whilst being only barely able to just about tread water, the water itself was cool and relaxing, the perfect temperature after the boiling hot sauna.
"Plus," murmured Elusive conspiratorially, "it's a great place for checking out mares. And stallions if that's your kinda thing of course."

Just as he was getting over his flusterfulness, poor Dusk was thrown headfirst into another wall of bumbling agitation. He started longing for the end of the day, for his bed, and for a good night's sleep, preferably with a nice book.
In fact, he appeared to be longing for it so much that he forgot to tread water and would have sank like a stone with a big hole in it if it weren't for Elusive holding him afloat.

"Sorry," said Dusk. "I think I was thinking too much. I think."

"You never really want to do that," said Dawn, shaking her head.

"There is some steps into the pool over there," said Elusive, nodding in their direction. "You can sit on one of those and still be in the water if you like?"

Dusk fervently agreed and they paddled over to the shallow steps. He sat down and stared blankly into the middle distance while Dawn and Elusive engaged in animated conversation with one another. His deep purple eyes resolved his vision into focus, and they found themselves centred on a pair of ponies sitting at the water's edge, a mare and a stallion. His attentions became divided upon each of them in turn. He could never tell which he liked more...

"I told you the views were delightful, didn't I?" said Elusive into Dusk's ear, making him jump.

He opened his mouth to say that he wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, and then remembered who he was talking to; he nodded bashfully.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, my friend," said Elusive gently. "You're only pony after all. Hay, it might even do you good to get out there a bit... you're twenty-one for goodness sake and you've never even been kissed!"

"'Lucy," said Dusk shortly, the use of his nickname grating on the white stallion, "we've been over this before and you know my opinion on the matter."

"Yes, yes, it's all very noble and everything that you should put your work before all else, and heavens, I know how devoted you are to it...I just don't think it's that healthy."

"Don't tell me how to live my life," Dusk snapped, much to Elusive's surprise. He knew Dusk was always sensitive to such topics, but he rarely lashed out.

"I'm not!" said Elusive, moving away slightly, "I only have your best interests at heart, you know that." He daringly reached for one of Dusk's hooves and held it. "Just think about it, okay?"

Dusk scrunched up his face in frustration, then sighed deeply.

"I'll think about it," he muttered reluctantly.

As one, they turned to see Dawn looking at them, making no attempt to conceal the fact that she had been listening.

"What?"

In the end, considered Dusk, his first trip to the spa had at least been interesting. He'd not felt so flexible in years, and he'd rarely felt cleaner. He considered the debacle of being found in such a compromising position with Dawn, but the subsequent embarrassment and short conversation with Elusive that Dawn overheard had put him in a bit of a bad mood. He took another sip of hot chocolate and looked up from his book to Dawn, who was sitting in an armchair, just like him and drinking a hot chocolate, just like him. If her opinion of him had changed at all in lieu of the news that he had never been kissed, she didn't show it. Instead, she had been curiously questioning Spike for the last hour about what it was like to be a dragon. The little dragon had been eager to comply, enjoying the attention he was receiving.

"Dawn, you do know I wrote an entire book about dragons, extensively using Spike as a primary source?" said Dusk.

"Oh I know," said Dawn, pausing in her conversation. "But I like to get a first hoof account."

"But he was a first hoof– never mind."

"And that's when I went on the Great Dragon Migration!" exclaimed Spike happily, successfully drawing Dawn's attention back to him. Dusk rolled his eyes irritably, he didn't feel much in the mood for illogical conversations.

"I'll be in the lab," Dusk announced shortly. "I've got to follow up that DNA experiment with an essay to the Princess." And without another word, he stalked off to the cellar door. Dawn waited for the door to slam behind him.

"What's up with him?" she asked bluntly.

Spike shrugged.

"Beats me, he's always been a bit grumpy from time to time, you saw what he was like when he–" Spike allowed himself a little giggle, "–when he got covered in cake mix."

"Well, yes, but anyone would be grumpy if they were covered in cake mix."

"Except Bubble Berry," chipped in Spike.

"Except Bubble Berry," Dawn conceded.

Spike put a claw to his chin, in what he must have thought was a pondering manner.

"So, did you say anything to upset him?" asked Spike.

"Me? I don't think so," she said, casting her mind back. "It may have something to do with what Elusive was talking to him about though..."

"Which was?" asked Spike eagerly.

"Never you mind!" said Dawn, leaning towards him and batting him on the snout.

"Awww!" he whined.

Dawn drained the last of her hot chocolate and sat up.

"I think I might go to bed, it's been a busy day."

"'Night," said Spike as she began to climb the stairs.

Dawn had all the intentions of going straight to bed, but as she passed Dusk's bedroom, a glint from inside caught her eye. She tried her hardest to keep her nose out and just walk past, a furious battle of wills between her reasoning and her cat-like curiosity and magpie like interest for shiny objects. Eventually, she cracked and snook into Dusk's room quietly, her heart hammering in her chest.

"You shouldn't be in here, you shouldn't be in here, you really shouldn't be in here."

Shutting the door behind her, she looked around his room for the first time. It didn't much surprise her at first glance, mountains of books, towers of tomes and shelves crammed with literature dominated, a modest bed and scattered notes, not unlike her own bedroom in Seaddle, except here, instead of a flowery scent there was the faint, indefinable smell that could only ever be described as 'male'.
Upon closer inspection, she saw small photographs in tasteful frames dotted on his bookshelves and window-sill. Photographs of Dusk and his five best friends, her eyes lingering slightly upon Elusive. She recognised all of them already except the orange one. There was also a half empty bottle of whiskey, of all the things Dawn expected to see in here, alcohol was not on the list. She shook her head, she was getting distracted.
The glinty thing that was glinting so enticingly resided on Dusk's writing desk, was in between a solitary book and a stack of loosely bound papers. It was two sparkling and ornate crystal jars of a thousand shimmering facets, one filled to the brim with a rich, golden brown liquid, the other, of an iridescent bluish purple. Dawn's eyes felt funny looking at it, unable to focus properly. She tapped one softly. It resonated a clear, singing note.

"I wonder what's inside them for them to get such beautiful jars... they must be very special, magical or something."

Every fibre of her being was screaming at her to just leave and to please, go to bed. So, why were her hooves moving of their own accord to the lid of the purplish jar? She knew it was none of her business, she knew it might be dangerous, she knew Dusk would be angry if he caught her, but she couldn't help herself. She opened the lid.

The last thing she remembered was a blinding flash, a strangled cry and something colliding with her from behind.

A Midsummer Night's Dance

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Eight
A Midsummer Night's Dance

There was the smell of lavender. And a soft snuffling sound in the low light, followed by silence. All was dark; most probably because her eyes were shut.

Dawn felt as though she had been hit in the face by a custard pie made of lead; her face hurt, her head hurt, her everything hurt. She tried to open her eyes, but they were far too heavy. She lay for a few minutes, in a bed if the softness was any indication, trying to coalesce her thoughts. The faint snuffling punctuated the air periodically. She tried to open her eyes again, and she saw that she was still in Dusk's room. The curtains were drawn, it appeared to be daylight outside, and she... she was in his bed! Turning groggily to the side, she saw Dusk, fast asleep in his rickety old writing chair across the room. His head was slumped forward, and rose and fell with the cadence of his breathing. He looked exhausted, his mane was frazzled as though he'd been electrified, and his horn had a dark streak, like a scorch mark on it. A crackle filled the air, and a vivid purple spark lanced from Dusk's horn, straight to the ground. What the hell had happened? She sat up, and immediately wished she hadn't. Groaning with pain, she fell back onto the bed with a flump.
Dusk snorted in his sleep and awoke, bleary eyed and confused.

"Snnk! Wh-oh, you're awake!" he said, stumbling back to consciousness.

"Wh-what happened?" she mumbled.

"Well, in short, you happened," said Dusk, not unkindly. "I guess you saw the jar, yes? Either that or you were just sneaking around my room, but for some reason I doubt that."

"Y-yes, definitely the former," said Dawn, her head throbbing painfully as she nodded.

"Well, what possessed you to open it? Strange, mysterious liquid in fancy crystal jar, didn't you consider the danger of what you were doing?" Despite Dawn's delicate state, Dusk quite wanted to know what had compelled her.

"Of course I did," she said. "But still... I couldn't help myself." Dawn couldn't help but feel he was trying not to reveal the contents of the jars on purpose, to tease her.

Dusk tried to understand this, but came up with nothing. Were all mares like this?

"Well, whatever. If only you'd opened the other jar first... that's completely harmless."

"What are in the jars?"

Dusk chuckled weakly.

"The one you opened... is pure, unrefined magic," he said simply, with a hint of embarrassment.

Dawn blinked. She must have heard wrongly.

"No, seriously, what is it?"

"Magic. My magic."

"But how?!" she stammered. "I thought it was only a legend! No mortal pony since the great Starswirl the Bearded has managed such a feat." Again, that feeling of mingled awe and jealousy was rising up inside her, but she stamped it down.

Dusk blushed furiously, scratching the back of his neck modestly.

"It wasn't easy, not only did I have to contain all the mana, I had to concentrate and condense it down into a liquid. I want to do some research on it, I'm just glad most of it's still there." His face suddenly looked troubled. "It's lucky my quill had broken in the basement, if I hadn't come up here to get a new one..." He shuddered. "I dread to think what might have happened."

"What happened? I don't remember any of it."

"Um, if I remember correctly, you opened the jar and of course the magic escaped, or at least it tried to, by diffusing into the nearest living thing, that being you of course. I jumped on top of you, sorry about that, and had to force it back in with my own magic." Dawn took a moment to appreciate the absurdity of Dusk commanding his own magic with his own magic. "Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, I think my horn acted like a kind of lightning rod, so you were shielded, but now I'm full of surplus magic, no doubt It'll discharge outta me during the day."

"That explains the sparks from your horn a minute ago," she said. She looked him over and her ears drooped in shame. "I'm sorry, Dusk," she murmured, looking down at her hooves. She heard the creak of the chair, and hoofsteps cross the room. Dusk's hoof took hers gently as he knelt beside the bed.

"Just taking your pulse, don't worry, I'm not coming onto you or anything," he said matter-of-factly. "You don't have to be sorry. No-one was hurt... permanently, and I shouldn't really have left it in such a conspicuous place anyway, should have put a lock on it or something..."

Dawn smiled.

"Stop trying to make it your fault, it was all mine, and I'm still going to say sorry."

"Well, in that case, I accept your apology." He stood up and gave his head a little shake. Unlike Dawn, he'd escaped a headache and was feeling quite keen to get on with his day. "Right, you better stay in bed today, you don't look too good."

"Hmmf!"

"You don't," he said bluntly. "And it's not like you have a shortage of entertainment, you are in a library after all. If you want anything just give a shout, and either me or Spike will come and help, okay?"

He's too kind, thought Dawn. After all the trouble I've caused him already.

"Thank you, Dusk, really," she said with a small smile. "Though, may I ask you something? Actually, two things."

Dusk paused at the door.

"Yes?"

"Uh, why were you grumpy last night?"

His expression became rather tense, like a deer in the headlights.

"It was nothing," he said coolly.

"Right," said Dawn hurriedly, not particularly keen on the possibility of touching a nerve. "And the other, what was in the other jar?"

"Honey," he said with a chuckle.

"Honey," Dawn deadpanned.

"Ah, not just any honey," said Dusk, walking back. "This is the best honey you could ever hope for in Equestria!" He rummaged in a drawer for a spoon, picked up the jar and returned. "From Princess Celestia's own beehive, the species Melissa majoria if you care to know."

"I never knew the Princess kept bees," said Dawn as the purple stallion dipped the spoon into the thick golden liquid.

"Oh yes, she's quite fond of them, she gave me this last year as a birthday present. Now open up, it'll do you good."

Dusk stuck the sticky spoon into her mouth. Dawn's eyes flew open as the flavour exploded like a syrupy tsunami. She'd never had that much of a sweet tooth, but she definitely liked this.

"Oh wow," she said with a sticky voice.

"Good, isn't it?" he said, sealing the lid back on and getting up. "Right, I'm headed out, there's a few things I gotta do in town before Blitz comes round later."

Dawn coughed pointedly and gestured for him to look in the mirror.

"Goodness!" he exclaimed, trying desperately to flatten his mane. "I look like Jimi Haydrix!"

"Perhaps a shower is in order before you go off galavanting," said Dawn, winking at him.

Dusk smiled sheepishly, and left Dawn to her own devices as he retired to his shower.

Rainbow Blitz was in space, spinning serenely and completely weightless. Looking around, he found he was swimming with the stars, bound to an unknown galaxy. Rainbow wasn't always the smartest pegasus, but he was pretty sure he should be boiling, suffocating and generally exploding to death, yet this clearly wasn't the case. Flapping his wings didn't seem to have any effect as he rotated slowly amongst the shimmering diamonds, so there he floated, unable to do anything except watch the infinite majesty and complexity of the Universe unfold around him in the shattering beauty of supernovae and coalescing cataclysms of spiralling hot gas and dust, forming stars, planets, life, kitchen sinks, wheels and all manner of other cool things. The spectrum of light split through his heart as each star shone with every colour of his namesake. This was what it is to be truly alive, to see all of creation telling its never-ending story, to be one with all that is, was, and ever would be.

The roar of our stars.

He grew bored after five minutes.

After ten minutes, while he was drooling into infinity, he saw two apparitions materialise in front of him.

"Come with me if you want to live!" said Princess Luna frantically.

"Live with me if you want to come!" said Princess Celestia enticingly.

Rainbow blinked stupidly.

"Hold up," said Blitz. "Firstly, what the fuck is going on here? Secondly, sorry to disappoint, Princess, but this pegasus is batting for the other team, 'kay?"

Instead of answering, like any reasonable pony would, they decided to morph together into a featureless ball, which reshaped itself into Dusk Shine, the stars shining in his deep purple eyes.
The two stared at each other in the deafening silence, whole empires rising and falling around them, like candles in the gnawing dark. A powerful ache lanced through Blitz as he raised a hoof longingly towards Dusk, the stallion of his dreams. Blitz's hopes and fears leapt in tandem when Dusk began to reciprocate, extending his hoof to meet Blitz's. They were an inch apart.

Blitz woke up.

His hoof was stretched out towards the ceiling, and it promptly fell, like his heart. Rubbing his eyes, he realised his cheeks were damp, but he passed it off as being sweat. Yeah, just sweat. Lying for undefined length of time in his bed, he thought about Dusk. His face swam across Blitz's mind and his insides clenched painfully as though were being clawed from the inside out. He screwed his eyes tight and some inner barrier deep inside him cracked.

I've had enough.

It was time to take some action... or at least talk to him... nah, too upfront, maybe just... talk to Elusive first? Yes, that seemed like a reasonable thing to do, he always had good advice on that sort of stuff. Oh, but today was his weekly reading time with Dusk. Right. Reading time with Dusk, talk to Elusive tomorrow.

"Sounds like a plan!" he said to himself, throwing off this tangled covers and cricking his back. "But first, breakfast!" He looked at his bedside clock. It was half past eleven. He shrugged. "Alright, lunch then."

Squeaky clean and groomed, Dusk trotted out of Quills and Sofas, a small paper bag stuffed full of new pens. Another job to tick off the checklist! The town's bell tolled eleven times, its ringing bouncing down the streets and across the town.

"Excellent," he said, rolling up his list. "I'm even ahead of schedule!"

He was cantering leisurely past the town hall when something caught his eye on the noticeboard. He scanned his eyes past the various sales, coffee clubs, weather reports and other paraphernalia that came with such boards until they came to rest upon a colourful, yet tasteful poster.

Ponyville Annual Midsummer Night's Dance
21st June, 19:00-01:00
Everypony welcome
Meal optional (+10 bits)
5 bits entry
Alcohol will not be served to under 18's!

"Ooh! The dance is back!" Dusk squealed excitedly as a bright spark of magic discharged from his horn, catching the poster and setting it alight. He hastily blew it out and trotted away, whistling nonchalantly.

Every year, as part of the Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville hosted a fun, semi-formal evening dance, as had been the tradition ever since the town's founding. Dusk had attended the last two dances and had enjoyed them immensely, even if he never actually had a partner to go with, he had still had a grand time with his friends.

"That's the day before Dawn leaves! Perhaps she would like to go? There's no harm in asking; as friends of course."

Humming merrily, he all but skipped the way home, daring to break his schedule to inform Dawn about the dance. She did want to learn all about Ponyville after all, and what better place was there to meet the townsfolk themselves?

"Spike, I'm home!" he called over the tinkling bell, "I got you that special phoenix quill that you wanted!"

There was a scampering, and Spike appeared at the foot of the stairs, eyes sparkling.

"You did?! Thanks!" said the drake happily, observing his new golden-red pen.

"It's no problem. You've worked hard lately, I figured you should have a treat," said Dusk with a warm smile. "How's Dawn by the way?"

"Alright. She's gone back to her own room, and she's looking a lot better, but still a little... fragile."

"She will be. Still, I better say hello."

Dawn sat alone in the guest bedroom, the blue flower on her window-sill was still as youthful as the day it had been picked. The same could not be applied to Dawn. She was as tired as a rubber wheel, and felt like one to boot. She drew the covers closer to herself as she snuggled deeper into her bed. She was licking a hoof and turning the page of the book she was reading when she was interrupted.

"Knock knock!" said Dusk, tapping the door with his hoof.

"Who's there?"

"Dusk."

"Dusk who?"

"Oh no, maybe you have concussion too!" said the unicorn worriedly as the attempted joke sailed clean over his head and into the Zebrahara.

"Urgh, never mind," said Dawn huffily. "I know who you are."

"Riiight," said Dusk slowly, entering the room with a cup of cocoa. "How are you feeling?"

"Still really tired," she said, stifling a yawn. "But better than when I woke up."

"That's to be expected. Has Spike been treating you well?"

"Oh yes," said Dawn happily, "he's such a little gentleman. You're lucky to have him."
Dusk nodded approvingly as he sat down at the end of the bed, the bed springs creaking slightly.
"What's going on in the outside world then? All I can tell is that the birds are quite happy," she said, nodding to the branches outside the window.

"Not too much, Blitz hasn't been doing his job as usual, I've seen a lot of rogue clouds floating around..."

"When's he coming round?" asked Dawn.

"Probably about one o'clockish, you might wanna watch out for that, he likes to make, how shall I say, dramatic entries... oh, oh, and there's a dance coming up soon as part of the Summer Sun Celebration," he said excitedly.

Dawn's ears flickered.

"Oh really? Will I still be here in time for it?"

"Yup! And I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" said Dusk rather thickly, as his tongue felt suddenly twice its usual size in his mouth. Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Just as friends of course," he added quickly.

Dawn, who had been wondering if she could ask Elusive to the dance, met his gaze. It took a more heartless pony than Dawn to turn down those warm purple eyes that radiated sincerity like a... sincerity radiator.

"Sure," she said brightly. It wasn't like Elusive wouldn't be there anyway, plus, she owed Dusk Shine for his gracious hospitality.

"Oh, thank you! I've never gone with anyone before! It's going to be so much fun!"

With a veritable skip, he left the room and cantered down the stairs, humming happily again.

"Just as friends, right?!" called Dawn after his retreating back.

"Yup yup!" he returned, only one thing on his mind. Elusive's shop.

Sometimes I wonder if he ever does work, thought Dusk, the familiar tsunami of fabulosity hitting him as he entered Elusive's domain. He appeared to have been reading a newspaper but had found the struggle to stay concious too overwhelming, for he was slumped over his desk, asleep, with his face pressed into the paper.
Dusk looked at the bell on the counter and grinned mischievously.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Snnk!" said Elusive elegantly, snapping bolt upright, a sheet of newspaper stuck to his face. He peeled it off and took stock of his surroundings. "Oh Dusk! Please, you're going to give this stallion a heart attack one of these days!" he said while washing his face with a wash cloth he'd procured from seemingly nowhere.

Dusk gave him a lopsided smile and cleared his throat.

"'Lucy, I would like a new suit please!" he said, drawing himself up smartly.

"Ooh!" said the alabaster stallion enthusiastically, leaping out of his chair and starting to pull out fabric willy-nilly. He halted abruptly and wheeled around. "Oh look at me, I'm so excited I'm getting ahead of myself. I can hardly design you a suit if I don't know what it's for now, can I? Or your size for that matter! Get up onto the measuring stand, would you?"

"It's for the Midsummer Night's Dance," said Dusk, hopping up onto the slightly raised wooden platform while Elusive pulled out snakes of measuring tape which he had to untangle.

"You don't say?" said Elusive with interest as he shook one length of tape free. He briefly contemplated on why he had so many when one was sufficient. "Will you be going with anypony this time?" he asked as he ran the tape from Dusk's left forehoof to his withers, jotting down some numbers with his magic.

"Yup! I'm taking Dawn with me!"

The pen slipped on the paper, marking it with a long, black streak.

"I... uh, didn't quite expect you to... ask her. I mean... never mind."

He walked around Dusk and he noticed the look of hurt in Elusive's eyes.

"Oh! Wait! We-We're only going as friends!" Dusk burst out.

"Ahhh! Very good! I mean... I see."

"Only b-because I felt it was my duty, seeing as I am hosting her and everything," said Dusk, desperately trying to explain his actions.

"Oh, my dear friend," said Elusive smoothly as he ran the tape around Dusk's barrel, "you sound worried! Rest assured, I understand entirely. Besides, I bet it feels nice for you to be finally going with somepony, isn't it?"

Dusk nodded bashfully.

"It does," he mumbled.

"Well, there you are!" said Elusive happily, making some more notes. "Have you thought at all about what we were talking about yesterday? Also, lift your tail please."

"What?"

"Your tail, Dusk. How do you expect me to measure your inner leg? I'll use my magic for this bit don't worry–"

"No, I mean what we were talking about," said Dusk, obediently following his instruction, if with a little reluctance.

"Surely you remember out little talk in the pool?"

"Oh that!" said Dusk, trying hard not to giggle at the tape's tickling. "No, not really, but that may be because Dawn kinda almost killed herself last night."

"She what?!" shouted Elusive, losing control of his magic, causing the tape to snap back like an elastic band. "How?!"

Dusk however, was in no position to respond. His position, in fact, was on the floor, writhing in exquisite agony.

"Uh, Dusk?"

"'Lucy," he hissed through clenched teeth while rolling back and forth, "I trusted you!"

"I don't–"

"Tape... snap... pain... so much pain..." he grunted.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"A thousand apologies!" said Elusive fretfully. "Believe me, this has never happened before!"

"I feel so lucky!" Dusk returned sarcastically.

Elusive just stood there, not sure what to do. Most stallions at this point would be laughing their sides off at such an event, but he was above such vulgar humour, and instead just stood there like a fashionable lemon.

"When you've... recovered, could you please hop back on? There's a few more measurements I need to take," he said delicately.

"As long as they don't involve my balls, near my balls, or anywhere in the vicinity of my balls," Dusk grumbled, gingerly getting to his hooves and wincing. Elusive merely coughed in a nondescript manner.

"Now," said Elusive eventually, breaking the silence that had fell upon them, "what were you saying about Dawn nearly killing herself?"

"Hm? Oh, she uh, opened a jar of pure magic and it sort of attacked her. She's resting up today."

"Attacked her?"

"Once released it tries to inhabit the nearest living thing, and it would have been too much for her, it was almost too much for me..."

"Goodness. Why in Equestria do you have something so dangerous in your home? Especially where Dawn could be hurt!"

Dusk was surprised at Elusive's sudden change in tone, it was almost... accusatory?

"It was in my room," said Dusk defensively. "None of this was my fault, she might have died if I hadn't found her!"

"But–!" Elusive began hotly, then took a deep breath. "Sorry," he said shortly, clearing his throat, "I just feel... never mind. Does– Does Dawn want a dress made?"

Dusk, having never been known for his tact with the opposite sex, hadn't considered this.

"I uh, suppose she should, shouldn't she?" he said slowly, the thought of the huge hole he would have in his bank balance looming over him.

"I know that look!" said Elusive briskly. "And you don't have to worry, I'll do it for free!"

"Are you sure, Elusive?" said Dusk, feeling as he always did, a little guilty when Elusive was extremely generous.

"Of course! Right, your measurements are all fine!"

Dusk hopped off the table and Elusive trotted over to his calendar, where he consulted his empty days.

"If you tell Dawn to pop down... the day after the day after tomorrow, I'll measure her up."

He had the entire afternoon off, he might even take her for coffee after. Coffee and... who knows?
A dreamy look must have come over him because Dusk was waving his hoof.

"Is that all, Elusive? Only I am meeting with Blitz in half an hour."

"Wuh? Oh, yes, of course. How's that flower I gave you by the way?"

"She has it on her windowsill in a glass of water," said Dusk.

Elusive nodded thoughtfully and bade Dusk farewell, a smile attached to his face.

So Many Books, So Little Time

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Nine
So Many Books, So Little Time

It was a typical entry to Dusk's house for Rainbow Blitz.
He'd been flying, as is to be expected, when he tried to pull off a new trick, as is to be expected. Unfortunately, he overextended himself and starts crashing, as is to be expected. And naturally, this collision course always has to be directed squarely through one of Dusk's open windows and into a (preferably large and heavy) bookshelf, as is to be expected. Bubble Berry claimed it was a common fanfiction cliché, whatever that meant.

"Hey Blitz," said Dusk genially, not turning around from his writing desk.

"Hey," grunted Blitz, rubbing his temples. "Dodgy landing today."

"You don't say?"

Blitz trotted over to him, feeling cool and collected.

"What'cha doin'?" he asked, peering over Dusk's shoulder.

"I've spent the last half hour just trying to refill this jar," said Dusk.

Blitz looked at the sparkly jar with its purple contents.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to take an interest in the random crap that Dusk filled his days with.

"At least you asked what it is first. It's liquid magic."

"So, uh, do you like rub your horn and it comes out or something?"

"No!" said Dusk indignantly, while Blitz laughed.

"Sorry dude, but I dunno how you unicorns work!" he said, still chuckling. Dusk sighed, and Blitz looked around, noticing that someone was missing. "Hey, where's that Dawn chick?"

"She's in bed, she tried to open this jar and... let's just say the magic wasn't too fond of her."

"Oh. She alright?"

"Nothing to worry about; it's just lethargy really."

Blitz nodded, and then asked, as casually as possible: "And how are you two getting along?" He appeared to be extremely interested with a seashell that rested on one of Dusk's bookshelves, his eyes fixed on it.

"Just fine," replied Dusk honestly. "She really likes this town and you guys. I think she's really enjoying staying here."

"Good good," said Blitz distractedly, noting the intricate pattens striped onto the shell. "It's just... I know what it can be like when two super clever ponies like you two spend lots of time together," he said, trying to keep any suspicion out of his voice.

"What can it be like?" asked Dusk innocently, genuinely curious at what the answer was.

"Well, they either start fucking or hate each other," said Blitz simply.

Dusk's cheeks suddenly decided they loved the colour pink.

"I can safely say neither of those has occurred," he stated.

"Oh good," said Blitz with relief before his brain had caught up with his mouth.

"What?"

"Oh good gracious, can we read some books?" said Blitz, trying to save himself and failing spectacularly. But still, it seemed good enough for Dusk.

"What d'ya wanna read? I have a feeling you may like this," he said, getting up and bouncing across his bed, picking up an oblong object wrapped neatly in brown paper. "I picked it up the other day, here, my treat."

"So, this is for me?" asked Blitz, taking the package and tearing through it.

"Yes, I hope you li–"

"Ohmygosh! No way!" Blitz had ripped through to reveal a smart hardback book entitled Captains of the Sky. Blitz read the back. "Spitfire's autobiography... this doesn't come out for another week!"

"One of the benefits of being head librarian I guess," he said, shrugging. He started to lean over his bed to pick up his own copy, but had barely moved an inch before a prismatically coloured blur collided with him, sending Dusk reeling onto his back.

"Thank youuu so much!" Blitz exclaimed, hugging Dusk tightly.

"If's no profblem!" said the breathless unicorn from under a pile of Rainbow Blitz.

Blitz let up and suddenly realised he was in Dusk's bed, bearing over the young unicorn, his mane splayed out on the bed like that, wow, that looked good. His face mere inches away... his lips, so tantalisingly close...

"I... uh..." said Blitz vaguely, his heart thumping madly.

Do it! Do it! Do it! chanted the voices in Blitz's head. His face contorted into one of supreme inner conflict, a contortion that Dusk hadn't failed to notice.

"You okay Blitz?" he asked.

"Yeah..."

They met each other's eyes for a long moment, each of them teetering on the edge of a knife. Dusk blinked, and the spell was broken.

"I uh, shall we read this book?" said Dusk shyly.

"Yeah," said Blitz with a barely concealed sigh.

Dusk picked up his copy and leaned back on the headboard. He looked up to see Blitz sitting nervously on the end of the bed.

"C'mon, get up here," said Dusk encouragingly, patting the space next to him.

Blitz shimmied his way up and settled down beside him. It was nice and cosy, Blitz thought as he cracked open his book and relaxed into a more comfortable position.
Reading time with Dusk; these were the highlights of his week, and never before had it been in Dusk's bed.

"I brought some jammie dodgers too for snacks," commented Dusk as he opened a packet and let them spill onto a plate. Blitz's eyes twinkled.

This just gets better and better! he thought.

"Oh Dusk, you spoil me," said Blitz.

"I try," said Dusk simply.

Blitz raid an eyebrow, wondering whether there was a hidden meaning to the stallion's words, but was immediately distracted by a hovering jammie dodger hovering in front of him.

A few hours and chapters later, both stallions were growing drowsy. The fault didn't lie with the book, in fact, it had been a very entertaining read about the young life of the Wonderbolt Captain. No, the blame rested with the hot summer air that was rolling in through the open window, compounded with the serene atmosphere of contentment that had wrapped around them both like a fluffy blanket. The plate of jammie dodgers was almost empty (thanks mostly to Blitz) and their eyes were now drooping down as they became heavier and heavier as time plodded inexorably ahead.

"Dusk?" whispered Blitz eventually. "Dusk?"

He was met by a soft snunt of a sound, for Dusk had fallen asleep, his head resting on Blitz's shoulder. Blitz wriggled a bit, trying to shake him off, lest he wake up, but Blitz's movements only caused Dusk to mumble and snuggle his head into his shoulder even more, the unicorn's sleepy breathing gently caressing his neck.

Blitz's mind was split in two, half of it wanted it to stop, feeling as if he was almost taking advantage of the purple stallion beside him, and yet... half of him never wanted this to end.

"Blitzzz," mumbled Dusk, shifting in his sleep, turning over so that his back was facing Blitz, almost as if they were spooning...

Blitz never did like being indecisive, and so the mental sparring quickly intensified and one side emerged victorious.

Heart racing like a leopard on energy drinks, Blitz shifted his weight and lay on his side. The floral, lavender scent of the stallion tinted the air before him. Leaning forward, he could feel Dusk's floppy mane tickle his nose. Gritting his teeth, Blitz lifted a trembling hoof and with agonising slowness began to move it over his best friend. He was so close, their bodies were but inches apart. Time to finally close the gap.

The doorknob rattled. Blitz froze up in sheer terror as it swung slowly open to reveal the worst possible intruder.

"Uh, good afternoon, Blitz," said Dawn hesitantly as she surveyed the unexpected scene before her.

"I was just stretching!" said Blitz, his face hidden behind Dusk, his voice coloured with fright.

Dawn's eyes narrowed as she saw the opportunity for a bit of fun.

"Cosy, are we?"

"Yes. I mean, no! No, that's why I was stretching, see? Because of the uncomfortableness."

"Discomfort," she corrected before she could stop herself.

Blitz couldn't help but feel affronted by that.
"Miss know-it-all," he muttered under his breath. The fright had subsided now, to be replaced with anger. Why now? He was so close! It was like she planned her entry, and now she was making fun of him. Just when he was thinking she was alright, too.

Dawn, blissfully unaware of Blitz's chagrin, walked over to the bed. Two stallions sharing a bed together, it was all very sweet, but Blitz was definitely going about it the wrong way. There was little doubt in her mind anymore, Blitz liked Dusk.
Her consciousness tried to flag her down and remind her it wasn't her business. She met his eyes and saw the frustration smouldering in them. She sighed.

"Look," she said, turning her eyes down to the slumbering stallion, "you won't get him like this."

"What?"

"I'm just saying, it's pretty obvious you like him, you might want to let him know that," she said cautiously.

Blitz sat up and glared venomously at her.

"Do you want me to make a fool of myself? I can't tell him because I– You just barge in here like this and now I'm being lectured on what to do? Well no-one tells me what to do, alright?" he snapped.

"O-Okay," said Dawn timidly, backing away slightly at the fury being directed at her, feeling it flare up in herself at this unwarranted assault. "I was trying to help. I'm sorry if I somehow hurt you."

"Hurt me?" he snarled, raising his voice. "If you weren't so–"

"So what, pray tell?" she said dangerously, her teeth bared.

Dusk's eyes fluttered open and he groaned.

"Wus goin' on?" he said sleepily. "Dawn! Are you alright? You should be in bed."

"I-I'm feeling rather better now, thank you," she stammered, but keeping her composure. "I came in to see how you were getting on... but I'll be going now."

"Oh, don't leave on my account," said Dusk amiably, quite unaware that Blitz was shooting daggers at her from behind his back.

"No, it's fine. I-I'll see if I can help Spike with dinner."

The door closed behind her.

"Whew," said Dusk, picking his copy of the book off the floor and putting on the bedside cabinet. "That was a good nap." He bent over the edge of the bed to do some stretches of his lax muscles. "What about you, Blitz? Did you nod off too? Blitz?"

Dusk turned to face an empty bed. The curtains rustled in the breeze by the open window.

Bursting the Bubble

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Ten
Bursting the Bubble

Dusk turned to face an empty bed. The curtains rustled in the breeze by the open window.

"Blitz?" he saidsoftly, reaching a hoof out over the empty space that Blitz had occupied not five seconds ago. With a sigh, Dusk picked up Blitz's abandoned book and set it on the cabinet beside his own. Staring at the ceiling, he frowned. He felt... funny; he couldn't exactly put his hoof on it, but Blitz's sudden departure left him feeling slightly hollow inside, and he didn't like it.

He didn't say goodbye...

A gentle tapping at the door distracted him. It was Spike.

"Hey, um, are you guys okay? I just bumped into Dawn and she looked upset."

"I... yeah. I'll go talk to her... what's for dinner?"

"Tomato soup, it'll be ready soon, so you better hurry it up."

"Right," said Dusk distractedly, getting to his hooves and trotting up to the guest room.

"Come in," said a small voice after Dusk knocked.

He took a calming breath and entered the room to find Dawn perched on a chair by the open window, morosely batting the dragon bell flower Dusk had given her between her hooves.

"Hey," she said, without turning around.

"Are... are you okay?" asked Dusk uncertainly.

Dawn sighed and looked up at the shining mountains in the distance. She'd done it again, meddling in affairs that weren't hers to meddle in. She'd tried to help Rainbow Blitz, and she'd only made it worse for him.

I wonder when I'll learn?

She turned to look at him, his face coloured with uncertainty and concern.

"I'm fine," she said briskly. "I expect I'm still tired from the magic."

Dusk approached her and conjured a chair out of thin air, taking a seat next to her.

"You know..." he began quietly, staring out at the shimmering spires of Canterlot in the distance, "Sometimes, it's like I don't understand anything in this world. Do you ever have that feeling?"

"What's brought this on?" she asked. "But I think I know what you mean. Like the more you learn the less you know kinda thing."

"Mmm," said Dusk, nodding. "Precisely that. In ignorance we know nothing, in wisdom we know that we know nothing." He gave his head a little shake. "Whoa, that's too deep for me."

A prismatic blur streaked the flawless blue sky. Both Dusk and Dawn felt their hearts sink at the sight. They watched as the rainbow sped into the west, disappearing into the summer haze. Dusk wearily pressed a hoof to his face and rubbed his eyes.

"Hey," he said,trying to curb his mind to other topics. "You wanna go for a ride in my hot air balloon tomorrow? The weather's supposed to be great again and it's very peaceful."

"You have a hot air balloon?" said Dawn, surprised. "I'd love to! I've never been in a hot air balloon before!"

"You'll enjoy it," said Dusk, suddenly feeling much happier. "That is, if you've recovered from the magic."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," she said, waving a hoof.

"Excellent."

"Dusk! Dawn! Soup's on!"

"Perfect timing," chuckled Dawn, leaving the room, a suddenly hungry Dusk in tow.

Blitz slammed roughly into the ground, which was not wise when the ground was made out of cloud. He stood in front of his house and stomped in. Hurt and upset, he could barely contain his fury, fury at Dawn, at the world, but himself most of all. He'd been so stupid. As if he could compare to Dawn. He roughly opened his bedroom door and went straight to the bottom drawer of his dresser and extracted his bottle of emergency firewhiskey. He looked at it intently, teetering on the edge of a decision so badly he was like Schrödinghoof's famous feline. He hadn't felt the need for it for a long time, not since he'd come out to his father those years ago...
He put a tentative hoof on the lid of the bottle, and shoved it back in the drawer. Cursing, the pegasus threw himself onto his bed and let his anger simmer for a while. The face of a white mare swam into his mind.

"Stupid mare, thinks she can one-up me, she can think again."

He bitterly wished he had someone to talk to, but he also wanted to be alone. A nice catch twenty two indeed. He tossed and turned, trying vainly to get comfortable. He then tried falling asleep, he then tried reading a book to distract himself, all to no avail, Dusk and Dawn weighed heavily on his mind. In the end, he started to meticulously clean his bedroom, just for something to do, but he didn't stop there, and soon his entire house was spotless. He fluttered up to his roof and flumped down upon it, exhausted. Night had fallen, and the stars sparkled overhead.

It hadn't worked.

He scooted down into his room and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and flew back to the roof. He took a great swig of the honey-brown liquid. His face scrunched up as it burnt his throat, but he immediately felt all warm inside.

"Man that's good," he said to himself, laying back under the stars. He could already feel his mind slowing down, and was grateful it was. He took another gulp. "Tomorrow... I need *hic!* to see... um..." He thought hard. "*Hic!*" And thought harder. "Elusive! Yes... m-maybe I should see him now. It's not too, um, late."

He made to stand up, but all of a sudden, there didn't seem to be any ground beneath him. He hiccoughed and puzzled over this for a second before he realised he'd fallen off the roof. He braced himself at the last moment and felt his front garden slam into his face.

"Ow!" he said lamely, rubbing his head. "I-I think I'm too... drunk to *hic!* fly..." He started giggling.

Rainbow Blitz tried to stand again and collapsed. He took one last drink of whiskey and fell asleep at his front porch.

The sound of hoofsteps echoed along the marbled corridors. A door opened silently, and the steps continued. Princess Celestia was on a mission. She strode past ornately decorated windows, dark in the night. She quietened her steps as she drew closer to her destination, this was too important.
She opened the ebony doors that stood before her and snook stealthily into the room, she could hear the tinkling of water and a soft melodious voice emanating from the bathroom, confirming to the alabaster alicorn that Luna was bathing. Putting her plan into action, Celestia raised a wing and withdrew a whoopie cushion she'd been carrying, placing it on a certain spot under Luna's bed. Giggling silently to herself, Celestia hurried to a corner of the room and hid behind an armchair, waiting patiently.
Eventually, her patience was rewarded, as Luna exited the bathroom, running a towel through her flowing mane. If only she didn't sit on the exact same spot on the bed every time, she could have avoided Celestia's devious flim flams. Nonetheless, she sat her rump down on the edge of the bed, and the resultant sound made her jump so badly that she slipped off and tumbled to the floor.

"'Tia!"

Celestia, trying her hardest not to laugh, couldn't hold back any longer, collapsing to the floor and giggling wildly.

"Why, 'Tia?" asked Luna exasperatedly.

"Because–" Celestia wheezed, "your face! Ahahahaha!"

"Hilarious, I'm sure," said Luna, lifting her bedsheets and flinging the cushion in Celestia's direction. "True comedic genius."

"Oh come," said Celestia, getting to her hooves and sitting beside her. "Sometimes I wonder where your sense of humour is."

"I could say the same to you," said Luna dryly. "Was there anything you wanted? Other than to play practical jokes?"

"In fact, there actually was, fancy that: I'm a little concerned at the lack of letters from either of our two students. I would have thought they'd have written by now."

"Is that all?" said Luna. "Celestia, forgive me, but I fear you have forgotten what it is to be young."

Celestia looked thoughtful.

"You think so?"

"Perhaps. Ponies are forgetful in youth, they, for wont of a better phrase 'live in the moment'. Let them be, and do... whatever it is that they do."

"It seems I am not the only one who has forgotten," said Celestia.

"Shut up."

Beams of golden sunlight bathed the early morning land as the Sun rose above the horizon, waking every pony except one.
Rainbow Blitz was fast asleep. The birds that had tried to sing outside his house had given up in trying to make themselves heard over the cacophony of his snoring, and a small puddle of drool lay on the ground beneath his cheek.
An eyelid fluttered, a voice-box groaned, a pair of lungs yawned and a brain throbbed painfully. Rainbow Blitz awoke and sat up, clutching his head.

"Urgh, good goddess, what did I do last nigh– oh yeah," he said, noticing the bottle beside him. Getting gingerly to his hooves, he trudged into his house and made several cups of very strong tea to help clear his mind. It sort of worked. He was stirring sugar lump into his fourth cup, when a thought came to mind.

"I need to see Elusive."

Stretching his stiff wings, he ran outside and threw himself off the edge of his house, gliding down to Ponyville town.

Dusk reached a hoof out in his sleep, as though he were trying to touch something, or someone. Vainly he grasped at thin air, until he overextended and tumbled out of bed, waking with a start. From his world of tangled blankets, he wasn't completely sure which way was up, his head popped out and he found he was upside down, and that the door had just opened.

"Morning," said Dawn. "We heard a bang and Spike asked me to check it out. You alright?"

"I'm fine," said Dusk, extracting himself and stretching. He sniffed. "Can I smell eggs?" he asked hopefully.

"Yup! I guess you want some?"

"Please," he said gratefully. "I'll just, you know, have a wash and whatnot and I'll be straight down."

Dawn nodded and made her way back downstairs.

"He'll be down in a little bit," said Dawn to Spike, who was standing on a stool, cooking eggs merrily.

Ten oil spitting minutes later, Dusk came down the stairs sparkling clean and ready for his breakfast.

"Morning, Spike," he said happily as he made a cup of tea.

"Hey, you're in a good mood today."

"Well, I am looking forward to a ride in the hot air balloon later," he said, sitting down opposite Dawn.

"Aw, can I come?" asked the little drake, looking hopefully at them both. Dusk glanced at Dawn, who nodded serenely.

"Of course you can," said Dusk briskly. "You've been very good lately after all, you deserve a treat."

"Can I bring some ice cream?" he added.

"Don't push it now," said Dusk, grinning at Spike's nerve.

After breakfast, the trio ambled out into the back garden, and Dusk dragged open the heavy shed door, revealing a large mound of rich purple fabric. He laid it out with his magic and turned to Spike.

"Would you like to do the honours?"

Spike padded up to the burner and lit it with his breath. The green sparks leapt into great golden tongues of flame that licked up and filled the balloon with air.
After a short while, the balloon looked ready.

"Right, hop in!" said Dusk cheerfully, already in the basket, his hooves on a length of rope that was tethering them to the ground.
"Here we go!"

A bell tinkled elegantly. A pony grunted in their sleep. A stallion approached. A yelp was emitted.
Rainbow Blitz, for a joke, had jabbed a slumbering Elusive in the stomach, startling him greatly.

"Ah! Oh, good morning Rainbow! Uh, what brings you here today?" asked the social extraordinaire curiously, running a hoof through his glossy mane.

"'Lucy, I need some advice," said Blitz, cutting straight to the chase.

"Oh, you don't say," said Elusive, his eyes sweeping round to ensure they were alone. "What's troubling you my friend?" he whispered conspiratorially.

"It's about Dusk and Dawn, what's–"

"Mmm, would you care for a jelly baby?"

Blitz was caught off-guard.

"What? Oh, go on then. But Dusk and Dawn..."

"What exactly is it about them you want from me?" asked Elusive placidly.

"I was just, you know, wondering how they're getting on and stuff," said Blitz casually, meandering over to a half made suit that was resting on a mannequin. "Just curious..." he said, while gently touching the dark blue fabric.

Elusive's eyes furrowed.

"I don't understand, weren't you at Dusk's yesterday afternoon?"

Blitz felt a lick of anger as the memories returned.

"I, yeah..." he said shortly. He didn't know how to finish that.

"You know, I can't figure them out myself," said Elusive thoughtfully. "Dusk insists that they're just friends to me."

Blitz was looking at squarely at the subtle starry patterns in the cloth of the suit, but his ears were pointed at Elusive, hanging onto his every word.

"Yes, but something's telling me you don't one hundred percent believe that..." said Blitz, feeling his heart reach new depths in his chest.

"It's not a question of Dusk's sincerity, it's just that there's some apparent evidence to the contrary."

"WHAT?!" Blitz roared, head snapping round so fast it hurt. Elusive sat in shocked silence. "What evidence?!" demanded Blitz, panic flooding him.

"I-I thought you said you were just curious..." said Elusive weakly, his heart hammering in his chest.

Blitz walked over to Elusive, fear and anger evident in his eyes. "What evidence?" he growled.

A bead of sweat fell from Elusive's forehead. "You know, p-perhaps this was a bad idea, I wouldn't like to say–"

"Tell me, or so help me I'll hold you down and shave your mane off," said Blitz. It was an empty threat, but Elusive's pupils shrank at the mere thought.

"A-Alright," he said nervously. "Uh, the other day, when they went to the spa, I walked in on them, and ah–" He swallowed nervously.

"Yes?" Blitz pressed.

"Dusk was on top of her... they said they had stumbled and ended up like that."

"Likely story," Blitz spat.

"I think it probably is," Elusive said desperately, trying to be reasonable.

Blitz snorted and looked at the suit again.

"This thing you're working on," he said suspiciously. "Whose is it?"

Poor Elusive felt wretched. Things were going from bad to worse. The look on his face was confirmation enough for Blitz. He looked behind the suit and his fears were realised in the form of an outline for a powder blue dress.

"Now, Blitz," began Elusive carefully.

"No!" he shouted, rage taking over. "I don't wanna hear it! I can't take any more! This isn't fair!"

He aimed a kick at the dress.

"Please!" said Elusive with a strangled cry.

Blitz struggled with himself, his face contorted, as if on the brink of tears before flaring his wings and shooting straight through the door, shattering the glass and woodwork.

"Blitz!" yelled Elusive, scrambling to his hooves and darting to the 'door', but it was too late. "Oh goddess..."

He jumped over the splinters and broken glass, galloping in the direction of Blitz's rainbow trail.

"Oh! It's all so pretty from up here!"

Dawn was peering over the edge of the balloon's basket, her eyes wide.

"I know, it's great to get a different perspective," said Dusk happily.

"Meanwhile, I'm down here and can't see a thing!" complained Spike, hopping up and down, trying to see over the edge. Dusk chuckled and knelt down. Spike clambered up onto his back.

"Better?" asked Dusk, straightening up.

Spike was speechless as he looked over the landscape.
It was so peaceful up there, thought Dawn, still and silent except for when Dusk had to use the burner. Floating effortlessly above Ponyville, it was very therapeutic.
At least it was peaceful until the oncoming storm met them through the clouds.

A single silver tear rolled down his cheek.

"A-All I want is Dusk..."

Blitz shoved his face into the cloud and yelled in frustration. Everything was wrong, this was not how things were supposed to be.

"Stupid fucking Dawn, stupid Dusk! Aargh!"

A Rainbow Blitz who feels helpless is a dangerous Rainbow Blitz. The time had come for drastic measures, if he couldn't have Dusk, no-one could have Dusk. Thoughts discharged through his head and anger lanced through his body, powerful muscles flexed in his torment. What to do, what to do. Malicious thoughts of framing, sabotage and trickery bubbled up through his seething mind, he allowed himself a grim smile as he thought of ways to carry them out, followed immediately by waves of shame.

"I can't just stay here," he hissed to himself. It was time to do something, anything, to take his mind off how shit life was. He made to stand up, but he was caught by a huge purple mass that breached the cloud layer from beneath him. Blitz found himself spread-eagled on top of Dusk's hot air balloon. As his initial shock wore off, his ears twitched, he could hear voices.

"I just wish he'd leave me alone sometimes, you know?" said Dusk.

"Mmm, I know exactly what you mean," returned Dawn's voice.

"I mean, it's great and all, and I couldn't live without him, but still..."

"Perhaps you should let him know?" suggested Dawn tentatively.

Blitz's blood was threatening to boil in his veins. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He heard a laugh.

"Aha, nah. He only means well. He just does my head in half the time."

"I don't blame you. If I knew him better I'm sure I'd understand more."

Something snapped inside Blitz. The red mist had descended over his eyes. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that Dawn was nothing more than a manipulative bitch who wanted to make Blitz's life a living hell while she sat there acting innocent. He raised a trembling hoof in unthinking incandescence and threw it into the skin of the balloon in his rage.

"Oh shit."

A blast of hot air hit him in the face, sending him reeling into the air.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" he hissed as he tried vainly to plug the resultant tear in his panic. There was a loud ripping noise.

Meanwhile, down below in the basket, panic also reigned. None of them had seen Blitz, but all of them saw how the Everfree was coming up to greet them.

"Throw the sandbags out!" Dusk roared over the wind as they began plummeting out of the sky. It wouldn't make much difference, but he had little choice. The cards were laid before him, and right now they all seemed to be jokers, a two, and the rules of Bridge. He closed his eyes and tried to perform a levitation spell to slow down the descent of the balloon, it appeared to be working.
Back up above, a terrified Blitz was desperately trying to keep the sinking airship afloat. He had a mouthful of balloon and was flying with all his might upwards. His anger had been temporarily replaced by terror as he flexed his powerful flight muscles. Despite his efforts, the balloon kept adhering to the laws of gravity. Blitz suddenly felt the tops of tree branches whipping his face.

This is not happening. This is not happening.

There was a loud cracking sound as the basket crashed through a bough, snapping it clean from the tree. Dusk, Dawn, and Spike were catapulted from the basket and thrown to the mercy of stray branches, tumbling, ragdoll fashion through the air. Blitz's chest collided with an arm of an oak, winding him, and he slammed face first into the ground hard. Tears streamed to his eyes as he heard much crashing through the undergrowth as the others landed roughly around him. The skin of the balloon fell over him.
Dusk wheezed heavily, having also been winded. He got gingerly to his hooves and touched his face. He hissed through his teeth at the stinging pain he felt. Withdrawing his hoof, some of his fur was stained crimson, but that was the least of his concerns.

"Is everyone alright?" he shouted urgently.

"Yeah," said two weak voices from nearby. "Are you?"

Dusk just gasped, limping over the source of the voices as fast as he could. Dawn was clutching her head in pain.

Blitz lay motionless, too petrified to move, and his jaw throbbing too much for him to think.

"Dusk! You're bleeding!" cried Dawn. Blitz heard a scurry of hooves.

"It's fine," said Dusk dismissively, though his voice was shaky. "Spike, you okay? Good. Listen to me. That balloon runs on propane, we need to get well clear of it in case it explodes– now don't panic, I'm going to run back to Ponyville and fetch help, we don't want a forest fire."

"But Dusk, you're hurt–" began Dawn.

"No, I won't hear otherwise," he said firmly. "We're all shaken, and I can't ask one of you to go running off on my behalf." He made to gallop off, but a rustling in the undergrowth held him back. "Get behind me!" he ordered, powering up his magic lest it be a timber wolf, or worse. In fact, it was a very sour-faced Elusive.

"Why oh why did you have to crash amongst all this icky muck?" he demanded. "Are you all alright? Dawn! Are you okay?"

Dawn merely blushed and nodded meekly.

"Yes, thank you," said Dusk. "Wh-What brings you out here?"

"Why, I was out, looking for Bl– a friend, who'd I'd arranged to meet you understand, and I saw your balloon falling out of the very sky! I couldn't just ignore that now can I?!"

"Well, thank you," said Dusk sincerely. "I'm going to go back to town and get some help, so–"

"Oh, I'll do that," insisted Elusive. "No offence intended my dear Dusk Shine, but I'm a little more athletic than you, and besides, I can't wait to be rid of this horrid place."

Dusk did some quick thinking.

"Very well. We'll need a supply of water in the event of a fire, someone with the know-how to dismantle a burner safely, and a few strong pegasi to help lift the wreckage away."

"Pegasi... hmm," said Elusive, putting two and two together. No, surely it's a sheer coincidence! Blitz would never–

"Elusive?"

"Sorry. I'll be back soon!" he declared, saluting Dusk stoutly before galloping off into the trees.

"Right, I guess all we can do now if keep an eye on it and lick our wounds," he said, looking down, he noticed another paper-like cut on his hoof; he suckled on it surreptitiously. "My poor balloon," he lamented, his lips trembling. Dawn reached to pat his shoulder but he collapsed, the shock finally overwhelming him.

"Dusk! Are you feeling okay?" asked Dawn frantically.

"I'm fine," said Dusk weakly. "I just need a lie down."

Under the canvas, a train of thought twitched horribly.
I have to get out of here.
Not even the keen eyed Dawn Star noticed a very meek, slinking blue figure sneak out from under the balloon and steal away into the darkness.

Calm Before the Storm

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Eleven
Calm Before the Storm

Shaking, Blitz stole away through the undergrowth, muttered curses flying out of his mouth, turning the air as blue as his fur.

"Couldn't keep your fucking temper could you? Now look what you've done, you fucking idiot."

He didn't know where his hooves were taking him, but neither did he care as long as it took him away. He plodded on in a half daze, time slipped on, and his hooves kept trotting. If anyone had stumbled across him, they would be surprised at his lack of lucidity to his surroundings. His eyes were as glazed as one of Berry's doughnuts, and his face as blank as Butterscotch's sex life, yet still he navigated himself efficiently through the forest.
Blitz blinked, and he found himself at the edge of the trees. The transition was so sudden, he wondered if he'd teleported there. Before him lay more trees, but these trees were spaced out and well tended too. They were also bearing succulent red fruits. Wasting no time, Blitz fluttered up and plucked one from its tender stem, eliciting a soft rustle from the branch. No sooner had he raised the juicy fruit to his eager lips than it was snatched from his hooves by a lasso.

"Hey!"

Blitz twisted his head around to see an Applejack standing stoutly before him; he didn't look impressed.

"Hey indeed! I thought you were nothing more than some miscreant, scrumping for my apples, and ya know what, I was right!"

"Aw c'mon, AJ! It's not like I don't buy enough off you anyway!"

"I s'pose," he said grudgingly, throwing the apple back at him. Blitz caught it in his mouth and champed it down. "Why you out here anyhow? Ain't nothing out here except the Everfree... and mah trees."

Blitz deliberated carefully for a moment; trust and secrecy battling together.

"Can I have a drink?" he asked, throat dry, despite the apple.

"Sure, ah guess," said Applejack, noticing Blitz's troubled expression. "You like my hard cider don't'cha?"

Blitz nodded and followed Applejack's lead through the groves back to his home.

Honesty is said to be the best policy. This worked especially well when conversing with Applejack.

"It looks like you're in a bit of a pickle," said Applejack, as Big Macintosh walked silently past them. The two stallions were sat in Applejack's homely dining room, sitting at his table. Copper pots and pans hung from the low ceiling; Big Macintosh bumped his head on a particularly low hanging colander on his way out.

"A bit?!" blurted Blitz as Applejack took a swig of his own cider. "AJ, you did hear me, right?"

"I sure did, bro," he said, setting his mug down on the smoothed wooden table. "You said you had a crush on old Dusk and now everything's more than a bit fucked up, right?"

"Right." He took a draught of his drink. "I didn't mean to puncture the balloon."

"I believe ya," said Applejack patiently, this was the seventh time Blitz had told him so.

Blitz looked down at his mug and saw a tired faced stallion in his reflection. He sighed.

"What the hell do I do now?" he asked miserably, slumping forward.

Applejack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He judged the best course of action was to be honest. Surprisingly.

"You can do two things," he began slowly. "You can either pretend you had nothing to do with it, and risk being found out... or you can tell Dusk the truth yourself, and hope he's reasonable; he's the most reasonable pony I know so that might be a better option."

"But I don't like the sound of either of them!" complained Blitz.

"Sorry bro, but that's what you've gotta deal with. No-one said it was gonna be easy."

"Urgh! Hey, you won't tell anyone about this will you?" asked Blitz, suddenly fearful.

"Ha, this mess seems way too complicated, hell if I'm getting mixed up in it!"

"Oh good," said Blitz, feeling several tense muscles relax slightly. "This sucks enough for me as it is."

"I hear ya," said Applejack, draining his mug. "Righ', I gotta get back to work. You're welcome to hang out and stay fer dinner if you want," he said kindly. "You sure look like you use some company right now." Blitz's eyes shined with gratitude, that was all the confirmation Applejack needed.
"C'mon then ya big lump. I need a bit o' help pumping the fertiliser anyhow."

Blitz couldn't help but snicker like a school colt.

"Oh, shut up."

Over a slow moving and somewhat muddy river lived an old pine tree. It had lived a long and simple life, which can be the best type of life, especially for a tree. In its old age, it was bent over at a slight angle, hanging over the river and the ancient rickety bridge next to it.
It was a very patient tree, even for tree standards, and right now it was patiently busy with a particular pair of pine cones that were growing patiently on one of its branches. For trees know things. They are often overlooked and underestimated, but trees are surprisingly observant, and this one had observed enough to know what was going to happen. It remembered the fleeting blurs of pink, purple, white and bright blue from the other day. They had been fast, but the tree had watched them closely and had seen the signs. With wooden eagerness, it went back to preparing its pine cones.

"I can patch up that canvas for you no trouble if you like."

"Oh no no, you're doing enough for me as it is, what with the suit and dress."

Dusk and Elusive were standing at the edge of the Everfree, while the sorry looking mess that had once been a beautiful hot air balloon was dragged across the grass, led by Spike.

"Besides, I think it's a bit beyond repair," Dusk added sadly, casting wan eyes over what was perhaps his most cherished possession.

"You may be right," admitted the white stallion. Still, at least you're okay– well, except for those unsightly cuts you have..."

"Thanks, 'Lucy," said Dusk dryly. "My chest is pretty bruised up too, I'm just glad I'm purple." He started to chuckle, but it hurt, so he stopped.

"Yes, sometimes I envy you," said Elusive absently as a white figure separated from the team of ponies that were pulling the wreckage free and came towards them.

On reflection, Dusk counted himself very lucky that no-one had been badly hurt, and that no fire had broke out. His nerves twanged when he reminded himself that he still didn't know how it could even have happened at all.

"I'm glad that's over," said Dawn, panting slightly, her mane straying over her eyes. She swished it out of the way impatiently.

"You didn't have to help," said Dusk hopelessly. He'd spent ten minutes trying to persuade her to rest, but she insisted.

"Oh, it's fine, don't fuss! The only reason you're here is because I made you."

Dusk had to concede this, and sat down. Elusive took a step forward.

"Dawn, my dear, you're not busy tomorrow at all, are you?" asked Elusive smoothly, gently leading her away from Dusk.

Dawn glanced at Dusk, who was sat stiffly, looking at a dandelion lion clock with such intensity she was worried it would combust.

"No, I'm not," she returned, smiling. She was horribly concious of how her mane must look right now.

"I'm sure Dusk mentioned something about my offer of making you a dress for the Midsummer Night's Dance?"

Dawn nodded profusely.

"Ah, good. Would you be so kind and willing to visit me tomorrow afternoon? I'll need to get you– measured up."

"Th-That sounds fine," said Dawn quietly.

"I look forward to it," he said softly. Taking his leave, he turned and surreptitiously flicked his tail, catching Dawn's chin, causing her cheeks to erupt with colour. "No need to bring Dusk or anything you understand," he said with a wink. "Ta ta!"

Dawn realised that her breathing had become somewhat ragged. Taking a moment, she composed herself and returned to Dusk.

"Dusk?" she said apprehensively.

"Hmm?" He shook his head and snapped out of his self-induced trance. "Sorry." He stood up and they started walking back to Ponyville. "You and Elusive are getting on rather well," he observed wryly.

Dawn's blush returned with full force.

"Well, can you blame me?" she queried. "He's quite dashing, to say the least."

"I-I wouldn't know about that..." Dusk stammered, a blush of his own threatening to make an appearance.

"Well I do," said Dawn dreamily. She coughed awkwardly and they walked in silence for a little while.

Dawn wondered how to go about asking about a certain miniature horse of the blue, flying variety.

"Did you ever find out why Blitz disappeared yesterday?" she asked apprehensively.

"Huh? Oh, no. I haven't heard from him to tell the truth..."

Dusk looked a little troubled. Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it.

"I'm sure you'll see him soon enough," she said, not entirely sure she wanted that to happen, they weren't exactly on the best of terms after all.

"Yes... he's been acting rather more oddly than usual..." mumbled Dusk, more to himself than to Dawn.

Walking fretfully and jumping at small noises, Rainbow Blitz walked through cool and shaded avenues towards the Library. His heart hammered in his chest as he approached the door, not noticing the 'Closed' sign hanging upon it in his nerves.
Raising a trembling hoof, he considered running. Just running. Running to the horizon and never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame. If only things were so simple...

You don't have to do this, said a small voice in his mind.

Taking a swift breath, he closed his eyes and knocked on the door. Okay, step one, done. He waited in trepidation, the sounds of his hoof on wood echoing around his head, feeling more and more ill with every passing second. After about a minute of tortuous waiting, he repeated the process all over again.
Blitz snorted in impatience.
He stamped on the ground to bring back some feeling to his legs and shimmied over to a window, peering in, and inadvertently treading on one of Dusk's blooming flowerbeds. The Library looked completely still from what he could tell.

"Oh, are you fucking kidding me," he cursed to himself.

Dusk wasn't in.
Unawares to the irate blue stallion, he was no longer alone. The new arrival looked at him curiously, and with a little difficulty focussing, approached him.

"But I don't wanna have to wait ages..." mumbled Blitz coarsely, moving his head from side to side to see more of the Library's interior.

"Good evening, Rainbow," said a gentle voice from behind him.

Once Blitz's body had finished reacting to the voice as though it was a live electrical wire, he spun around to find himself face to face with a amber-eyed pegasus.

"H-Hey, Derpy," he said weakly.

"What are you doing?" she asked inquisitively, sitting down. "And why are you trampling poor Dusk Shine's flowers?"

"Oh crap," said Blitz, jumping off the flowerbed, although the damage had been done. "I- uh, this is a long shot, but you don't know where Dusk is do you?"

"Dusk? Last I heard he was, um, still out in the Everfree, clearing that balloon up." Derpy shuddered, her eyes rolling slightly. "I hate to think what could have happened to them. I'm surprised you're not out there with them."

"I must have missed the memo," said Blitz evasively. "I wish he'd come back soon."

"The library's been closed all day," said Derpy reassuringly, noticing his agitation. "So I imagine he'll be back soon enough."

"I hope so," said Bliz absently, looking inside again. He sniffed and looked at Derpy, as if for the first time.

Derpy was a mother, he knew that much. So that must mean she had at least some experience with a stallion before... maybe she could help him.

"Um, Derpy, you know stallions?" he began stupidly.

"Yes, I know stallions," she said, smiling wryly.

"Well, um, how does one go about... um asking them out?"

Derpy blinked. She hadn't expected that. But, being the motherly mare she was, she felt compelled to try as best she could.

"Usually," she began, one eye staring fixedly at him, "a stallion asks you out and you make a decision... at least, that's in the case of stallions and mares. I imagine it's different for two stallions..." Blitz nodded fervently. "Hmm, I guess, at least for me, I was swept off my hooves, rather literally in fact. Perhaps that would be a good approach?"

"Swept off your hooves?" asked Blitz.

"Mmhmm, and taken to see wonders beyond imagination," her eyes glazed over for a second. "But anyway, you could do something like that if you like. Be bold! Show him a good time! Impress him!"

Blitz nodded thoughtfully and drank in all she had to say. He knew he was impressive already, he was Rainbow Blitz after all... Derpy Hooves may suffer from a lazy eye, but she was a highly observant mare, which probably comes from being able to focus on more than one thing at once. She gave him a wan smile.

"I wish you luck Rainbow. I hope you fare better than I did."

"What hap–"

"Travelling," she said shortly, an uncharacteristic tone of bitterness in her voice. "He- He likes to travel."

"Sorry," said Blitz quickly, feeling as though he'd struck a nerve.

"It's fine," she said, her voice coloured with sadness. "He comes to visit every so often. Not as often as I'd like of course, and it hurts, but..." she sighed, it carried much more heartache than she was letting on in her voice. "If you ever want to come and talk, you know where I live," she said kindly, standing up. "And I always have a few muffins to spare for a visitor."

"Thanks Derpy," said Blitz gratefully, his heart panging in sympathy for the poor mare's situation. You couldn't look into those yellow eyes and not care about her. "I'll see ya around."

"Goodnight!" said Derpy, flapping a wing in farewell as she rounded a corner.

In her absence, Blitz suddenly found himself lost. He couldn't just stand and wait for Dusk's return, that'd be just weird, and neither did he really have anywhere to go. In the end, he decided to go for a walk; he didn't have any destination in mind, he just walked under the warm, evening sky.

I just wish he'd leave me alone sometimes, you know?

I know exactly what you mean.

Dusk was on top of her...

He's going to the Dance with her.

Blitz shook his head violently, dispelling the memories.

Blitz felt oddly visceral of his surroundings. The smell of freshly cut grass blended with fragrant flowers caressed his nose, the symphonies of birds, and melodies of running water, the feeling of cool grass under his hooves, now dry dust, now wood... wait, wood?
He found himself on a bridge in the park, a particular bridge that looked too haggered and bent to even be stood up.

"Huh," said Blitz. He paused for a moment to enjoy the tranquillity, standing on his hind legs, his front legs resting crossed on the bridge.

An old pine tree's branches shifted slightly, despite there being a lack of wind. It looked down at Blitz closely and observed him as only a tree can. It was not time yet.
The shadows crept across the landscape in unison as the day lengthened, the water flowed lazily under the bridge, the world ticked over as it had for countless millennia, and yet, Blitz didn't move a move a muscle for over an hour.
Blitz turned his head, he had a feeling of being watched. Frowning, he slowly made his way back to the Library, preparing to do something both extremely brave, and extremely stupid.

Pine Cones

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Twelve
Pine Cones

Rainbow Blitz once again found himself standing at Dusk's front door, and once again he found his insides tying themselves into shoelaces. Steeling what little resolve he had, he knocked on the door and waited for an agonisingly long ten seconds.
The door opened and a puzzled looking Dusk looked out into the twilight. Blitz immediately noticed the slender cut on his face.

"Blitz? Is everything alright? It's nearly ten o'clock!"

Blitz didn't trust himself to talk, and instead shook his head as he entered. Dusk frowned at his friend's odd behaviour and shut the door behind him.

"Would you like some water?" Dusk offered, half out of manners, half to diffuse the silence that had fallen around them.

"Please," said Blitz, with some effort.

On the plus side, Blitz found it pleasant to be indoors where it was nice and warm; a chill had rapidly descended as he was walking. And it appeared that Spike had been put to bed, which was another bonus. He wasn't sure where Dawn was but she didn't seem to be downstairs.
Dusk, with a slight limp, walked over and handed him a glass of cold water. He looked Blitz over critically.

"Come," said Dusk, warmly, guiding Blitz into his living room and plopping him down on his sofa. "I can tell something's up," he said, sitting down next to him and shutting the door. "Is it something I can help with?"

Blitz raised a shaking glass to his lips and drank. This was officially the worst idea Applejack had ever had. He wanted to ask what was really going on between him and Dawn, but this was going to be bad enough without making it worse.

"Not exactly."

Dusk was bewildered. He opened his mouth but Blitz spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he said. It was two simple words, but Dusk had never heard Rainbow Blitz sound as sincere as he did then.

"Oh? Oh, it's fine!" said Dusk jovially as everything fell nicely into place. "I'm sure you had your reasons."

"I... what?"

"For leaving the other day," said Dusk.

"Oh," said Blitz wretchedly, "it's not that. I-It's about your balloon."

Dusk frowned politely for a second, then he felt an icecube slip into his stomach. No, it can't have been. Can it?
Blitz meanwhile felt a glacier sink through his body as Dusk's face aligned itself into one of disbelief.

"No," said Dusk flatly, standing up. "Y-You can't have!"

Blitz winced, bit his lip hard, and then nodded.

Dusk opened and closed his mouth like a fish. Blitz, arguably his best friend had almost killed them all. Something didn't quite compute in his brain, refusing to believe it. He felt shock, he felt disbelief, but most of all, he felt betrayal beginning to course through his veins, followed swiftly by its friend anger.

"I can't believe this!" he said. "You almost killed us! The Everfree could have caught fire! That balloon was a gift from my parents for getting into Celestia's school! What were you thinking!"

Dusk was shouting now. Blitz had never seen him lose his temper like this before, and found himself backing away. It was scary; it was like being viciously bitten by a loyal dog, and it hurt all the more for it. It became even more scary when he remembered how accomplished Dusk was with magic, he was weak and defenceless.
Unfortunately, when Blitz felt threatened, the only defence he knew was a good offence.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Blitz protested, "I didn't burst it on purpose!"

"Oh, I guess that makes it all okay then?" said Dusk, his sarcasm lashing at Blitz like a spitting viper. "As long as it was an accident, it doesn't matter that we could have died!"

Blitz fell to his haunches, desperately trying to rein in his own temper.

"Dear Princess Celestia," snarled Dusk, pacing up and down, dictating to thin air. "Today I learned that one of my friends almost burned the Everfree down and nearly killed me at the same time! I mean, you never think do you? You're so... so reckless! I'm surrounded by idiots!"

Blitz knew Dusk was only saying these things in the heat of the moment, that he was still shaken from the ordeal and that he wasn't himself, but that didn't stop it from wounding his heart, and neither did it stop him gritting his teeth.

"I didn't mean it," he said as civilly as he could, while his world crumbled around him.

"Right, okay, you didn't mean it," said Dusk. "Would you be saying these things if Spike had died? Or me?! Look me in the eye and say it," he demanded.

"'I just wish he'd leave me alone sometimes, you know?!'" burst Blitz suddenly, not being able to hold it back any longer. "'He just does my head in half the time.' What the fuck was that about?! I thought we were friends!"

Dusk stopped pacing and looked Blitz straight in the face.

"We were talking about my brother," he said, his voice dripping with saturated animosity. "Please tell me that wasn't what made you angry, for pony's sake, I thought better of you."

Blitz winced. The sheer disappointment in Dusk's voice was worse than anything so far.

"Dusk, I–"

"Look, today's been bad enough already without making it worse. Just... leave," said Dusk quietly. "I need some time to think."

"But–"

"Just go."

Dusk collapsed into a chair and stared unblinkingly at the floor. Blitz was torn, he wanted to hold the beautiful stallion and show him how sorry he was. Instead, he sniffed and motioned towards the door.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he opened it.

"I know," returned Dusk wearily, speaking into his hooves. There was no warmth in his voice.

With much pain and turmoil, Blitz forced himself to the door, and out into the night, not noticing the sheepish looking white mare who had been eavesdropping.

One should never underestimate,
The power that language imparts,
Sticks and stones may break your bones,
But words can break hearts.

Out in the darkness, a lost sheep walked with nowhere to go, for even his home seemed alien and unwelcoming. He considered taking up Derpy's generous offer and going to see her, but it was late. So through the night he walked, his mind punishing him for his foolishness, as minds tend to do.
The Moon hung low in the sky, dancing its celestial dance. Once or twice, Blitz felt as though someone was watching him; he half hoped it was Dusk, running out into the night to make amends with him, but no-one seemed to be there. Climbing a small hill on the edge of Ponyville, Blitz flopped down onto the soft grass at its crest and stared blindly into infinity.
That was the worst idea ever, he concluded after about a second's thought. He knew that was going to happen, he knew Dusk would get rightfully angry, so why did it still hurt him so? And why did Dusk seem even more cut up about it than he did?

Maybe I should just... give up, he thought, finally allowing himself to entertain the idea. I've gone and fucked everything up so much, there's no chance anymore.

He rolled over onto his belly, and found that he was looking at four, dark blue hooves. He looked up to see the smiling face of Princess Luna.

"Uh, hey," said Blitz, caught off-guard.

"There are many reasons a pony walks in the night," Luna began, as she helped Blitz to his hooves. "The desire for solitude, the search for a muse, the serenity of the night. ...the quaffing of too much alcohol..." She sniffed. "What brings a handsome stallion such as you out on a night such as this?"

Blitz didn't want to answer that, even to a Princess of Equestria; he snorted and turned his head away.
Luna looked piteously down at him. A thousand years on the Moon had given her the ability to notice loneliness at forty paces, and right now she could feel the heartache emanating from him as keenly as a tree can feel sunlight.

"Ah, that is another reason," she said sadly.

"What?" asked Blitz shortly. He wished Luna would leave him alone.

"Does it need saying?"

"Why are you here?" Blitz snapped, as Luna's words struck too close to home.

Luna didn't answer immediately, instead she looked up as a shimmering purple and gold shooting star fell out of the sky. Blitz followed her gaze and instantly wished he hadn't, the colours reminding him of Dusk.
Luna extended a feathered wing and gently patted Rainbow. He jumped at the initial contact, but soon he found it to be as comforting and as secure as a mother's hug. Blitz looked up again to see a sky blue shooting star fall from grace. Luna's grip tightened slightly.

"I understand your pain," she said, the weight of millennia heavy in her voice. "And I know it always looks hopeless. But I want you to do one thing for me."

"What?"

"Don't give up."

"Yeah, well, that's easier said than done," growled Blitz.

He looked at Luna, as if daring her to get angry at his rudeness. Luna merely smiled wanly and ran a hoof through his mane.

"There is always hope for those with the eyes to see it."

Bemused, Blitz watched as Luna faded back into the shadows.

"Wait! I–"

"Good luck, Rainbow Blitz," she called.

Then Blitz woke up.

He was still on the hill, he was still lying on the grass, now sparkling with dew. He still felt terrible, but he heard the dawn chorus as the eastern sky was paled with butter yellow light. Whispers of cloud were scattered around, dyed pink in the oncoming sunlight.
Rubbing his neck, Blitz sat up, groaning like a ship in a thunderstorm. He made to stand, joints cracking in a most satisfying manner. Boy that felt good. Falling to his haunches, he extended his wings and began preening them. That felt even better! Perhaps today didn't have to suck, he thought brightly, despite its unusual start, it couldn't be worse than yesterday at least.
With that optimistic thought in mind, he flexed his wings and took off into the early morning sky.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have been so harsh," said Dusk uncertainly as he played with his toast. "I feel awful."

"We all say things we regret when angry," said Dawn consolingly, spreading marmalade on her own slice of toast.

"I still don't know how my voice carried that far, I did shut the door."

"Well, you were shouting rather loudly," said Dawn, shifting in her seat. It wasn't untrue, he was, but she had also been listening intently at the foot of the stairs out of sheer curiosity. She felt now was the time to do something. The situation between Dusk and Blitz was about as bad as it could be, so she no longer held any reservations about possibly making it worse. "You should go and talk to him," she suggested.

Dusk snorted.

"I know Blitz, anyone who tries to talk to him today is a dead colt walking."

"Something tells me this isn't a normal situation though," she said carefully.

"Whatever gives you that impression?" asked Dusk, frowning.

"Just a hunch," said Dawn quickly, wishing she hadn't said anything.

"Maybe I should at least try... I'm sure we both want to make amends."

"Yes, you should never leave a fight unresolved," said Dawn encouragingly.

"But how do I talk to him? My balloon's ruined, so I can't go to his home... I'll have to ask Butterscotch to go and get him for me. Urgh, I hope this will be worth it... and I hope he doesn't tear Butterscotch's head off."

Rainbow Blitz meanwhile had no intention of returning home. Despite having been out and about for over twenty-four hours, he felt compelled to visit the old bridge in the park. It was nice and peaceful there, it let him think.
He reared up and slumped over the warped barrier, staring down into the brown water and blocking out the world around him. Any attempts from passers by to bid him good morning were ignored, not out of any contempt, Blitz just couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.
Blitz lost his grip on the rope of time as it began to slip past him, hours turned to minutes and his surrounding became fast-paced blurs upon the arena of the world.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Blitz, pressing his head into his hooves.

"Me too," said a sheepish voice from his side.

Blitz's heart lurched painfully in his chest. He turned to see the anxious face of Dusk Shine looking at him with apprehension.

"W-What are you doing here?" Blitz stammered.

"I was on my way to Butterscotch's, but by sheer luck, I found you here."

A silence as awkward as a tap dancing turtle descended upon them both.

"Look–" they both began.

"No, you go first–"

"I didn't mean to–"

They grinned in embarrassment.

The old pine tree above them scrutinised them intently. A whisper of a zephyr caressed its wizened branches, causing two large pine cones to drop, landing squarely on both their heads, instantly banishing all tension.

"What the hay?" exclaimed Blitz, picking it up and rubbing his head. He glanced at Dusk and smiled. "Hey, d'ya wanna play poohsticks?"

Dusk picked up his cone. He looked up and frowned suspiciously. That seemed like too much of a coincidence... almost as if there was some omnipresent and omnipotent being watching over them and controlling their every action... and then, he forgot.

"Sure."

They both leaned over, pine cones in hoof. Dusk blew a bit of mane out of his face.

"Ready?" said Blitz. "Three, two, one, go!"

Two splashes and a scramble of hooves later, they were both leaning over the other side of the bridge, it's structure groaning ominously.

"Uh, who won?" asked Blitz, scratching his head.

The two pine cones came out from under the bridge at exactly the same time, mocking them with their synchronisation.

"Maybe we both won?" offered Dusk.

Blitz considered this. There was something about sharing victory that rubbed him the wrong way, but for Dusk, he'd make a special exception.

"Yeah, why not," he said, chuckling softly.

They looked at each other, purple and magenta eyes in the morning light. Words had failed them already, and so they threw themselves at one another, into a tight hug.
In an instant, Blitz felt all his pain and angst drain away like poison drawn from a wound. He buried his face into Dusk's soft mane and breathed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I knew you meant it," whispered Dusk, his voice shaky, "because you never apologise." They both laughed. "And I'm sorry too."

Dusk sniffed, feeling his eyes well up slightly. He withdrew and ran a hoof over his face.

"Come on man, don't get all emotional on me," said Blitz.

"Sorry, it's just... it was a dumb old balloon and I acted like I cared more about it than I cared about you. You're my best friend... and I certainly didn't act like a good one."

Blitz felt his heart melt looking into those shining lavender eyes.

"Hey," he said, his voice radiating kindness. "You cared about the safety of Spike and... Dawn... and yourself. That's three against one, I don't blame ya, buddy."

"I-I care a lot about you too..." mumbled Dusk, sniffing again.

Blitz's insides squirmed a little at those words.

"Huh... I guess it's only to be expected when you know Ponyville's most amazing resident!"

There's the Blitz I know, thought Dusk happily. Proud, confident, and a little deluded.
"Stop being such a high horse," he said jokingly.

"Hey, shut up," said Blitz, playfully punching Dusk in the shoulder.

Dusk reflected later that afternoon, that all in all, it went rather well. He had invited Blitz to his house for another reading session after they'd made up, which both ponies were enjoying more than they let on. They had the house to themselves seeing as Dawn had gone to visit Elusive to get measured, and Spike wanted to play with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.
Today, Dusk and Blitz read out on the balcony, lazing around in the hot sun, sprawled the decking reading a whodunit comedy novel about a City Watch. Needless to say they were both enjoying it thoroughly.
A funny thing about hot lazy weather is that personal boundaries become more lax, it's just one of those universal rules. Dusk motioned to turn a page, and Blitz started laughing. This would normally not be an issue, but when your head is propped up on his belly, it suddenly becomes a very shaky experience.

"Wh-What di-did you j-just read?" asked Dusk as best he could.

"I am Death, not taxes," Blitz recited, "I only turn up once."

"You're all the way back there?" exclaimed Dusk, flicking back about thirty pages.

"Leave me alone, I'm a slow reader," defended Blitz. "You probably didn't even find it funny because you don't even pay taxes!"

"I can't help it if Celestia exempts me from paying her back what she pays me in the first place," said Dusk.

"You're a lucky bastard," Blitz teased, sticking out his tongue.

Dusk rolled his eyes and hauled himself to his hooves.

"I'm gonna go grab a drink, it'll let you catch up a bit. You want anything?"

"I'll have whatever you're having dude," said Blitz, waving a hoof.

Dusk closed the glass balcony door behind him, out of the corner of his eye, the pegasus watched Dusk's rump as he walked away. This morning he'd woken up as a wreck, now he had Dusk's head lying on his chest as he read! It's funny how things turn out.
A bee buzzed around his head and landed on Blitz's snout. Instinctively, he started and tried to swat it away with a hoof. It buzzed angrily. With a yelp he scrambled to his hooves and flew up above the balcony to avoid the potentially painful insect, only to see it flying around, as if looking for him. Eventually it gave up and flew away.

"The most sucky thing about summer," he grumbled as he touched back down and snatched up his book. "Damn insects everywhere. It's even worse when flying, when they get in your mouth, urgh."

He settled back down, looking cautiously around for any ninja bugs. He breathed deeply and resumed his reading. He managed to read all of one line before being interrupted again, but by a much more pleasant arrival.

"I got you lemonade, is that alright?" asked Dusk tentatively, proffering a tall glass of ice cold sugary goodness.

"Aw, sweet! Thanks!" said Blitz eagerly, taking the glass and gulping half of it in one.

Ice cubes rattled in the glass as Dusk took a sip of his own. He retook his position, lying comfortably on his back, using Blitz's belly as a pillow. The purple stallion could feel Blitz's heartbeat, which seemed unnaturally fast, but he shrugged it off and continued his reading, which was broken periodically whenever Blitz sniggered. The warm, hazy atmosphere began to take its effect on the young unicorn, his eyelids as heavy as neutron stars as he struggled to stay awake.

"Ohh, not... not this again," he mumbled, before slipping off into a light doze, book flopping to his side.

Blitz looked down upon the slumbering stallion and sighed internally. What he wouldn't give to be able to kiss his forehead as he dozed... alas. With a small grimace, he returned to his book.

Still, this is nice, thought Blitz drowsily. The slow and steady breathing of his companion was acting like a sleep-inducing metronome on both his heart and mind. Nice to have some peace. He closed his eyes in contentment, savouring these few precious moments with Dusk. He gave the unicorn's mane a slow stroke with his hoof, and joined him in the world of dreams.

Dusk's eyes fluttered to find a Rainbow Blitz tangled in his hooves. In their sleep, the two stallions had shifted, and now they face to face, hind hooves muddled together. The stallion was still slumbering at his side, his snoring coming like a rumble of distant thunder. Dusk turned his gaze up to the pristine blue sky. The Sun had moved quite a bit since he last looked at it, and they had been cast into the cool shade of the Library's canopy. Turning back to the matter at hoof, Dusk tried to slowly extract himself, doing his utmost to not awaken his friend. Blitz snorted, the cadence of his breathing faltering as he snorted awake.

"Wassat?!" he said stupidly.

"Heya," said Dusk, rubbing his eyes. "Looks like we did it again. I blame the weather."

"Heh, yeah," said Blitz, stretching his muscles and sighing happily. "I'll tell ya one thing; doing nothing sure makes you hungry," he said with a sideways glance at Dusk.

"Blitz," said Dusk, folding his forehooves, "would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Aw, thanks Dusk," said Blitz, beaming widely.

"So, ah, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Dawn Star with a measure of apprehension.

"I just want to sort a few things out," said Blitz levelly, from a chair against the dresser. "I think we can both agree this has got totally out of hoof."

They were in Dawn's bedroom, having left Dusk and Spike behind in the dining room with two big distracting bowls of strawberry ice cream.

"I don't think anyone's going to deny that..." said Dawn softly, shifting slightly on her bed. "Except maybe Dusk, he still doesn't understand the implications of this."

"The what?"

"He doesn't understand what it all means."

"I-I knew that, I was just testin'."

Dawn raised a skeptical eyebrow. She opened he mouth to speak but Blitz interrupted.

"Are you fucking Dusk?" he asked bluntly. Boom! he thought. A simple question with a simple yes or no answer. No messing around anymore.

"What?! No!" she stammered. A light of realisation dawned in her eyes. "Is that what this is all about? You think I'm messing around with him?"

"N-No," lied the stallion, suddenly feeling extremely foolish. "But what was this thing about him being on top of you in the spa?"

"Oh goddess, I knew that would come back to haunt me... that was an ill-timed accident, I swear to you. We tumbled and ended up in that position when Elusive stumbled upon us."

"And you going to the dance with him?"

"As friends," said Dawn bluntly. "When he asked, no-one else seemed prepared to ask him, and the poor guy's never had anyone to go with before, so I thought I'd accompany him, as thanks for his gracious hospitality."

Blitz nodded thoughtfully, but still didn't seem completely convinced. Dawn sighed and looked down at her hooves.

"You needn't worry about me liking Dusk," she said in a barely audible voice.

"Why?"

"Because, to be honest, I'm much much fonder of Elusive..."

"'Lucy?!" said Blitz, blanching. "He has to get all the mares doesn't he?!"

"But... wait, I thought you were gay," said Dawn, puzzled.

"I am! But it still feels unfair to me!"

Dawn began laughing, she couldn't help herself. The look of indignation on Blitz's face at Elusive's supposed success was priceless.

"What's so funny?" asked Blitz, feeling his lips curl into a smile as well. Her laugh was contagious. "Stop it!" he said, chuckling.

Dawn tried to force herself to stop, and with a struggle, she won out. She took a few breaths.

"Blitz, can I be blunt with you for a second?"

The pegasus narrowed his eyes.

"Depends what you're going to say," he said carefully.

"I... I would consider letting Dusk know how you feel. I think you both deserve each other, and it's horrible watching you both suffer in the way you have been."

"Wh-What? Since when have you cared about helping us get together?" said Blitz with a lace of accusation.

Dawn looked as uncomfortable as a balloon surrounded by porcupines.

"Since I first suspected your feelings towards him," she began, "I decided to not get involved, I have a habit of poking my nose into things that don't concern me and I usually make it worse, so I didn't do anything. But this one got worse all by itself," she said with a mirthless laugh. "I didn't mean to walk in on you the other day when you were reading, I'm sorry about that and how it ended up. And I actually stumbled upon you both sleeping earlier today but I managed to sneak away without waking you. I must say you both look so cute together."

"R-Really?" said Blitz, feeling horrified as his cheeks began to warm up.

"Yes, I think so anyway," said Dawn briskly. "But I would at least let him know, I bet you're probably scared he'll reject you?"

"It's not that," said Blitz, trying to put his feelings into words. "I think he might be angry or, or scared of me or something–"

"Sorry, but that's just stupid."

"Hey!" exclaimed an affronted Blitz, but Dawn waved him down.

"Look, you should know him better than I; do you really think he'll be angry because you tell him?"

"...no," said Blitz begrudgingly.

"Look, if you're scared–"

"I'm not scared!"

"Okay," said Dawn, backtracking. "If you want, I could tell him for you?"

Blitz looked at her, the fog of complacency dissipating to let Blitz see her as if for the first time. This was an offer he hadn't even considered before.

"I uh... m-maybe not. I think I should let him know myself, but– thanks."

"Not a problem," said Dawn brightly. "But at least you can be happy knowing I'm not about to 'steal' him or whatever from you!" She started laughing again.

"Yeah," said Blitz glumly, feeling like an idiot again. "Boy was I stupid."

"Hey," said Dawn kindly, "have you ever been in love?"

"No, but I think I am."

"Awful, ain't it?"

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Thirteen
The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Dear Diary,
Of all the things I expected this trip to become, where I am right now is definitely not what I had in mind. In a good way. I have met an amazing stallion here, I've never been treated so well by one in all my life! He's sweet and caring and handsome too! I've been getting to know him well over the last few days and he even invited me out for coffee yesterday. I'm so lucky to have met Elusive.
I am still finding it hard to believe that I have not only been involved in a hot air balloon crash, but I seem to have landed myself in a romantic drama, which, incidentally, was what caused said balloon crash! To be honest, it's all got a bit out of control recently, with many misunderstandings, ill-timed interventions and plain blind ignorance. But hopefully, for both Dusk and Blitz's sake, they can get together and be happy. I hope Blitz tries before I leave, I'd love to see them happy together.

Dawn dipped her quill back into the inkwell and paused, biting her lower lip slightly. She looked down at the gently drying ink upon the parchment and mused to herself. Wasn't it about time she got on with some work, as Dusk was currently doing in his laboratory? Her eyes wandered to the basement door and she felt a pang of guilt. Yes, she really should do something academic, even if Luna hadn't actually asked her to. Her mirror like lake of collected thought was disturbed by the ripples of birdsong emanating from outside. There was a melody woven in the chorus that she hadn't heard before. Curious, she got up from the dining room table she was sat at and trotted outside to investigate.

As Dawn left the house, the cellar door opened to reveal a fog of blue smoke. Spluttering and gasping, Dusk leapt out of the azure cloud and landed haphazardly on the library floor, coughing. That hadn't gone well at all; frankly, he was surprised he wasn't a mouse wearing a hat right now. Motioning to the kitchen for a much desired drink of water, the unicorn noticed a small and slightly battered looking notebook. Confused, Dusk wondered how his lab book had got up here, but upon closer inspection, he realised - with a small jolt - that it was Dawn's diary. He turned his head, intending to bypass it and return to fixing his catastrophic experiment, but his eyes gravitated towards it like a hoof to a 'wet paint' sign.

The words 'met an amazing stallion', 'never been treated so well', and 'getting to know him' leapt out at him like a snarling lion. Oh no no no no! Not Dawn surely! That was preposterous! Nope, it couldn't be that! he thought desperately as his heart thumped madly in his chest. The seconds dragged by like claws on a blackboard before Dusk read 'so lucky to have met Elusive".
Dusk felt a great tension suddenly unravel inside him. Thank heavens!

See? Haha! You knew you had nothing to worry about! Haha ha! his mind told him with shaky confidence. It was never a good thing when even your thoughts had the air of hysterical laughter.

He dared to read on. He approached 'not only been involved in a hot air balloon crash, but I seem to have landed myself', when, to his sinking horror, he saw a snow white hoof gently, but firmly close it. Dusk looked up, petrified.

"You're lucky you're reading my diary," said Dawn briskly. "I know curiosity well, of course, for better or worse, so I understand. I'd probably have done the same in your position... but what did you read?" she asked, more seriously.

"I.. uh, I read about you and E-Elusive," he stammered, covering his head with a hoof, bracing himself for a slap. When nothing seemed to be happening, he peeked open an eye.

"Nothing... beyond that?" she asked, with only a trace of apprehension seeping through.

Dusk shook his head. Dawn, internally relieved, scooped up her book, trying to project that she didn't actually care he'd looked, it didn't seem to work.

"I'm sorry," said Dusk to the floor.

"Aw, c'mon," said Dawn encouragingly, looking around for something to divert the subject to. "Hey, what's with all the smoke?"

She pointed to the cellar door, which was still slowly oozing a blue cloud.

"Ah, that was just an animation spell that went wrong," said Dusk, latching onto the turn of conversation like burdock seeds to a dog's fur.

"Animation spell? Can I have a look?"

"I... you can look at the aftermath..." he said with a slightly far away voice, trotting down into his lab.

Bubble Berry was like a cork in water, even if you tried to put him down, he'd bob right back up again in an instant, jumping around, but even corks could be submerged if you tied them to a weight. At the current time, Berry was lying and groaning on his bed like a walrus.

"I told you not to eat so much!" barked Blitz, having little sympathy for the pink stallion's foolishness.

Berry merely groaned in response, turning over onto his back and clutching at his belly.

"H-How much did I eat?" he asked weakly.

"Mrs Cake is doing damage control and it appears she won't be able to sell any bakery products for at least a week. We're just glad you didn't drink all the coffee too."

Berry gave a wan grin, looking Blitz hazily in the eye.

"That's what you think," he managed.

"Dear goddesses man, how are you still alive?"

"I'm not entirely sure... Blitz?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there supposed to be a wormhole on my ceiling? I don't remember putting it there..."

Blitz looked up to see a perfectly ordinary cream coloured ceiling. He raised an eyebrow under the momentum of slight concern for his friend.

"And, ah, of course," Blitz began uncertainly, "you can't do something like this and not expect it to bite you in the ass, so uh, h-here's the bill..."

He hovered the note over Berry's face, but it elicited no reaction whatsoever; the pink stallion's eyes were glazed like the two hundred doughnuts he had just eaten. Blitz therefore just sort of placed it gently on Berry's face and then scampered from the room before Berry realised what was written on it. He was padding halfway down the stairs before he heard a panicked voice yell

"TWO THOUSAND BITS?!"

He almost made across the empty café to beautiful freedom when he was assailed by a mass of pink. There was a brief tangle of pony, and a synchronous eye roll from the Cakes behind the counter.

"Good grief!What happened in here?!"

Dawn and Dusk descended into the gloomy cellar of the Library. Through the blue haze, Dawn could only see blurred silhouettes of what looked like broken test tubes and... splinters of wood?

"It was nightmarish," Dusk said, kicking aside shattered glass with a tinkle.

"What's with all this wood?" asked Dawn. "At least I think it's wood..."

Dusk stopped and Dawn walked into him. In the low light it was difficult for either of them to see.

"Sorry," apologised Dusk, reaching out a hoof blindly to find her. "I would turn on the lights, but they got broken too."

"Is there anything in here that isn't broken?"

"I don't know, because I cannot see anything that's in here," said Dusk distractedly as he fumbled for his desk, the sounds of disturbed paper, broken glass and a grunting Dusk permeated the darkness.

Dawn didn't understand why Dusk wasn't just lighting up his horn like any reasonable pony with a horn would do in the current situation. Instead of suffering the question with no answer, she decided to simply ask him.

"Dusk, why don't you just use your magic to light us up in here?"

The sounds stopped as Dusk considered this.

"Sorry," he said, closing his eyes and lighting his horn with a purplish white light. "I-I've just been rather distracted as of late, or so it seems," he said, collecting up his notes now he could see them.

In the new, pony-powered light, Dawn looked down at what appeared to be an explosion at a matchstick factory. The floor was strewn with thousands and thousands of splinters, it was quite impressive really, for all the wrong reasons. Looking up, she saw that the vast majority of Dusk's diverse and intricate (and almost entirely superfluous) lab apparatus of test tubes, flasks and beakers had been ruined and smashed.

"What the hell did you do?!" she said, open mouthed. It was hard to believe one pony could have caused this much carnage.

Dusk's eyes travelled to a rather innocuous looking broomstick that was lying on top of all the splinters. Dawn looked completely at sea.

"I was down here, working on– trying to work on a new alchemical agent I've been researching, but I couldn't focus at all. That's when an idea occured to me. Now I know Spike's the best assistant I could ask for, but he's only one dragon after all, so I thought to myself, perhaps I could enchant something to aid me down here while I worked so I didn't have to think about so many things at once. So I tried an animation spell on the broomstick, gave it some arms to work with, and set it to copying down my diction as I worked. When it came to reversing the charm, I appeared to have done a botched up duplicating spell in its stead... soon enough I was surrounded by dozens of the damn things."

"How horrifying," said Dawn dryly.

"Hey! It was pretty creepy with load of them! The only way to get rid of them was to destroy them all."

Of course, Dusk kept one of the brooms in one piece, it didn't do not to have a broom in a cellar after all.

"That doesn't explain the blue smoke though," said Dawn, perplexed.

"By the time I'd finished with the brooms, my experiment went and exploded from lack of supervision."

"Ah." She looked to his tired eyes and slumped demeanour, like a sloth who'd been up all night. "Want some lunch? My treat?"

Dusk's smile was more than confirmation.

Bubble Berry came with his positives and negatives, both of which seemed to be skewed to the extremes. His good qualities shone like a supernova over everyone he met, and his bad qualities sucked you in like the black hole that forms immediately afterwards. In short, Berry Bubble was about as easy to handle as a star in its death throes: proceed with caution and some extremely durable oven mitts and you should be fine.
The main reason the Cakes weren't particularly angry with Bubble Berry was because a) he was a invaluable sales-stallion, and b) this debacle would get ponies talking, and, in the long run, better business for them... once they had goods to actually sell again.
The two stallions came to rest: Bubble Berry heaving above him, his eyes mad and twitching slightly, Blitz, pinned down and looking for an escape.

"How the hay am I gonna pay two thousand bits?" he uttered in a whisper that carried all the way over to the Cakes.

Mr Cake made to speak, but was interrupted by a tinkling of a bell. It was Dusk Shine.

"I– oh goodness, I'm having spa flashbacks," he whimpered, looking down at the two ponies on the floor in their compromising position.

"This isn't what it looks like!" yelled Blitz immediately.

"Two thousand bits!" shouted Berry at the same time.

Dusk, completely flummoxed to what he was witnessing, looked up to the Cakes for help.

"Berry ate everything, we've naturally charged him accordingly, and now he seems to be panicking," said Mr Cake, with impressive serenity.

"Oh, hello," said Dawn with amusement as she walked in on the scene behind Dusk. "What's this remind me of, Dusk?"

Dusk answered by turning rather pink and fumbling his words.

"Couldn't um say, Dawn. Er, Mister Cake? Did I hear you right when you said Berry had eaten everything?"

Mister Cake nodded forlornly.

"We will have to reduce your payment Berry until your debt is cleared," he sighed, turning back into the basement of the shop, to salvage what little had been spared in Berry's righteous cleansing of the establishment for anything edible.

"Ya know, I didn't even get to see it," said Blitz sadly, looking down at the ill-looking Berry, lying on his back. "I mean, it must have been quite the sight," he concluded, tactlessly poking the pink stallion in the belly, causing him to belch loudly.

"I'm sure the patrons who witnessed it will be scarred for many years yet, don't worry," said Dusk dryly, fetching Berry a glass of water. After a half-hearted struggle, Dusk poured it down the stallion's unwilling throat.

Berry grunted in pain and his eyes began to water; with a monumental effort, he staggered to his hooves and stumbled to the bathroom. The sounds that quickly followed made Dusk throw two hooves over his ears and cowered to the ground. Even Blitz's nose scrunched up in mild disgust. Dawn however looked absolutely unperturbed and was trying not to laugh at Dusk, who looked like he was about to throw up himself.

"I knew the water would make him throw up," moaned Dusk, "but I didn't think it'd be this bad!"

A minute or so later, Berry bounded into the room as though nothing had happened.

"Hey! What's for lunch? I'm hungry!"

A silence so stunned it had been tasered was his answer.

A Dash of Firewhiskey

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Fourteen
A Dash of Firewhiskey

A breeze walked along the branches, rippling the needles to where one last pine cone was being hastily made. The pine tree had laboured hard, but it had one last task it wanted to perform. Just one more.

Dusk wasn't quite sure how it had happened. He was sitting at a secluded corner table, on a large and squashy seat, sipping from a tall glass of ginger beer with whiskey. Despite it being one of his favourite drinks, he looked at it, frowning, as though it had planned this all along against his will. It certainly wasn't through any intervention of his own. If left to his own devices, Dusk would currently be in his bed reading a nice book, perhaps with some camomile tea. But no, somehow, he was in Jingo's, in a cosy, low lit corner with a tipsy Bubble Berry for company beside him, grinning stupidly, a pile of bottles and glasses surrounding him like he was a magnet for alcohol.
Leaning back slightly and looking around a wall, Dusk caught the eye of Butterscotch from the next table, who grinned shyly as he took a drink of his apple juice. He was sitting next to Applejack, who suddenly struck up conversation with the pegasus in a loud and boisterous voice. Needless to say, Butterscotch fell off his chair.
Dawn and Elusive had been in their own little bubble all evening, with eyes only for each other. Butterscotch's tumbling to his flank was enough to burst that bubble. Dawn turned around from her table to see if he was okay, then returned to her discussion with Elusive about current Seaddle fashion trends.
Meanwhile, on the same table in a little world all of his own, was Blitz. His eyes were glazed and he appeared to be in an unusual state of contemplation, which was slightly worrying. When Blitz was doing a lot of thinking (and drinking), you knew something was up. Butterscotch had noticed Blitz's odd behaviour and was speaking in hushed tones to Applejack, and altogether making a bad job of being subtle about it. Luckily, Blitz was too far out of it to notice.

"So, when was *hic* yours?" said Berry, finishing off another bottle of cider.

Dusk blinked. Evidently he had just missed a Berry monologue.

"Sorry, what?" he said amiably, raising his glass to his lips.

"Your first kiss, duh!" he said, slurring his words slightly.

Dusk coughed. Luckily for him (and Berry's fur) he didn't have a mouthful of liquid, but he did spill some of his drink over himself.

"M-My first kiss?" he stammered, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "Yeah, I-I remember that."

"Ooh, ooh! Tell! Tell!" squealed Berry, clapping his hooves together.

"O-Okay... it was in, um, when I was at college, right? And I knew this, this mare called, um..." he searched vaguely for a name. "Hoofy McClopsonbury... right...? And er..."

"This never happened did it Dusk," said Berry flatly.

"Oh of course it didn't!" snapped Dusk.

Berry nodded in understanding, and hiccoughed.

"It's fine!" he said soothingly, clearing a path through the bottles to pat Dusk's hoof. "It doesn't, *hic* doesn't make you any more or less of a stallion."

Dusk sighed, his hoof slipping down the bottle he was grasping. He felt another one of his rants boiling up inside him, and alcohol had weakened the barriers that hold them back.

"I don't see why it should even be an issue," he lamented. "Everyone seems to either think that you're a loser, or they take pity on you! It's ridiculous! I mean for Celestia's sake I'm only twenty-one! Is it so bizarre that some of us have better things to be getting on with than chasing mares and stallions around like they're the something unequivocally necessary in my life? Does it ever occur to anyone that maybe I can survive without it? That I can handle the 'shame' of being single?!"
He took a breath in his diatribe to see that Berry looked a little hurt.
"Wait, I wasn't having a go at you, Berry," said Dusk quickly. "Just at... society." He spat out the word with disgust. It left a nasty taste in its wake.

"Oh goodie!" said Berry happily. "Ya know, I was *hic* worried for a minute there!"

"No no, sorry if I worried you."

"You know *hic* Duskie," said Berry slowly, a predatory, and alcohol-induced gleam in his eyes. "Since you've never been kissed, and you say it shouldn't matter..."

Dusk looked nonplussed.

"Yeah? What's your point?" he said, obliviously walking into a trap so obvious, it had metaphorical flashing neon lights around it.

"This!," said a giggling Berry, pulling Dusk towards him and briefly pressing their lips together.

Dusk's mind went haywire. Flooded with never felt before sensations and thoughts, his mind all but shut down as Berry kissed him. As soon as it had began, Berry pulled back and started sniggering uncontrollably at Dusk's expression, or rather, the lack of it.

"So does it still not matter?" he said though his giggles.

"N-No it doesn't..." said Dusk distantly. "But... it is an experience..."

"Eh, you get used to it," said Berry shrugging and downing his drink.

Dusk's brain finally caught up with the events occurring around it.

"Wait..." said Dusk, sticking out his tongue as though trying to get a bad taste off it. "Did we just..."

"Only a lil' one!" said Berry, his tone of voice hovering between both cheerfulness and trepidation.

"I see," said Dusk calmly. His eyes darted from left to right. "Uh, no-one saw us did they?"

"Nope! I think you'd know if anyone saw; especially Blitzy."

Freezing in his spot, Berry braced himself for the repercussions of his idiocy, but there didn't seem to be any.

"Why's that then?" asked Dusk, fishing the ice cubes out of the bottom of his glass and crunching them happily.

"Oh you know me, I just say words sometimes," said Berry, thinking faster than a bolt of lightning.

Meanwhile, the pervasive hum of the bar was entering one of Blitz's ears and floating straight out of the other. His mind had entered an almost zen-like state, where the melting pot of consciousness became eerily calm and mirror-like, passing the task of thinking to the aethereal veil of the subconscious. Naturally, this transition comes with its consequences. Drooling for example.
Butterscotch kindly put a napkin on the table before him, where the saliva was steadily dripping.

"Is he alright?" asked Applejack, waving a hoof in vain over Blitz's eyes.

"I'm not sure," answered Butterscotch honestly. "I've never seen him so... docile before."

"Hey Blitz," said Applejack with a grin. "My bro said he wants to sleep with ya! I read your crappy fanfiction where you shipped Soarin' with Spitfire! I..." he paused, running out of ideas. "Dusk is pregnant!"

At the word Dusk, Blitz was dragged out of his catatonic state.

"Whaa?"

"Ah said, Dusk is pregnant!" said Applejack, thoroughly enjoying teasing his dozy friend.

"P-Pregnant? What?"

"Don't listen to him," said Butterscotch, shooting a glance at Applejack. "I can assure you that Dusk is not pregnant."

"Why are we even talking about Dusk getting pregnant?" asked Blitz, blinking stupidly. He was clearly still a bit out of it.

"Why am I pregnant now?" called Dusk from around the corner, looking bewildered.

"I think I need a drink," announced Blitz.

"Me too," said Dusk, looking sadly at his glass; there wasn't even any ice cubes left.

"Blitz," said Butterscotch in the tone of a mother to a mischievous child, "how many have you had so far?"

"I've been on bloody blackcurrant cordial!" said Blitz indignantly. "You made me!"

"You have? It must have slipped my mind," said the yellow pegasus innocently.

Grumbling, Blitz got up and followed Dusk's lead, which was a big mistake on his part, because he now had an eyeful of Dusk's swaying purple rump all the way to the bar. It was impossible to look away from, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Blitz sighed; he could hear Berry's laughter over the din of the pub.
They reached the bar, after what felt like several hours to Blitz, he was still amazed with himself that he didn't have a wingboner, or worse...

"What d'ya want?" asked Dusk amiably, flashing Blitz an utterly disarming smile.

"I, uh..." he began weakly. He coughed. "A double whiskey," he said firmly.

"Blitz, are you sure that's wise–"

"A double whiskey," repeated Blitz resolutely. "Firewhiskey."

Dusk, knowing when he wouldn't win, went and bought him what he wanted, in addition to another ginger beer for himself. He straightened up to return to the bar when he felt a hoof stop him. He turned to find it was Blitz.

"Uh, can we go outside for a lil' bit?" asked Rainbow as casually as one can when your heart feels like it's going to jump out.

"Sure," said Dusk, "it's a bit loud in here for me anyway."

Blitz chuckled on the way out. Dusk always did love the quiet, he had done for as long as he'd known him. He fondly cast his mind back years ago to when he first spooked the unicorn by swooping down upon him from the sky. Blitz made sure to never do that again near a tomato stall, the fallout from Dusk's jumpiness had been extremely messy, and expensive.
The pair stepped out into the cool, dry, and above all, quiet night air. Dusk inhaled deeply and caught the scent of tobacco from a few ponies who had come outside to smoke. Despite not being a smoker himself, he enjoyed the atmospheric aroma.
While Dusk was distracted watching an elderly, bearded unicorn blow some pretty smoke rings, Blitz necked back his whiskey and shivered as it burnt his throat. Dusk turned back.

"You alright? You look like you just ate a lemon."

"'m fine," Blitz said with some difficulty. He swallowed painfully, eyes almost watering. "W-Would you like to go for a walk or something?" he asked with much less grace than he imagined in his head.

"What for?" asked Dusk simply.

"Dunno," Blitz shrugged. "Just seems like a nice night for it that's all." He gestured vaguely to the clear sky, complete with stars and moon.

That seemed to grab Dusk's attention; anything regarding the heavens usually did.

"What do I do about my drink?" the unicorn asked.

"Just take it with you, dude. They won't care."

"Why won't they care?"

"Because they'll never know! Quickly!"

Leading the way, Blitz hurried off down a deserted side street that lead to the river, Dusk in tow behind him.

"Where exactly are we going?" asked Dusk, noticing that Blitz's running wasn't exactly straight.

"I 'unno, wherever my legs are taking me, snrk!"

"What the hell was that noise?" said Dusk, catching up to him and trying not to laugh.

"Dunno what you're on about," said Blitz absently, crossing the old bridge into the park. The pair made a circuit of the park's perimeter, talking about everything and yet nothing under the moonlight, with Blitz occasionally stumbling. He blamed it on the tree roots, but Dusk didn't seem to be suffering any such issue.
Exiting the park by the new bridge, Blitz led Dusk up the small hill he had fallen asleep upon the other night and they both flopped down on the cool, silver-kissed grass. Blitz turned his head to see Dusk looking up at the sky with a look of pure awe on his face.

"Ya know, for a unicorn, you sure do like the sky," Blitz observed.

"I've noticed that a lot of notable astronomers are pegasi," Dusk returned.

"No, I mean a sort of... real love for it, if- if you know what I mean. Not like a scientist, who studies it and writes stuff down, but a love for... what it is, ya know?"

"Astronomers love the sky too though," said Dusk fairly.

"Well, yeah, but you know what I mean, it's like two different loves I guess."

"I suppose it is, I never thought of it like that." A golden shooting star fell above them. "Oh wow! Look at that!" he squealed with delight.

"I really like the sky too, for slightly different reasons of course," Blitz continued, "but I guess it's something we both share in common huh."

"Yup yup," said Dusk, sitting up to drink the remainder of his drink.

Blitz sat up to, and swallowed hard.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, we share quite a few similarities," he tried. He knew being subtle with Dusk would be tough.

"What else would you say we had in common?" asked Dusk, curious of the answer, looking back up.

"Er," said Blitz, not expecting to actually have to say. "We both love reading, we are both, um male? And both... like super attractive..." he tailed off lamely.

"Oh Blitz, you flatter me," said Dusk softly, still staring into the sky, and running a rather self-conscious hoof through his mane.

"I mean it," Blitz pressed, feeling as though he was too far gone to stop now. Heat was rising treacherously to his face. "And I'm sure a lot of mares would agree with me."

"I wouldn't go that far," said Dusk, taking his eyes from the stars and locking eyes with the pegasus.

If any eyes retained memory, Dusk's would certainly qualified. Blitz could swear he still saw the reflections of the ancient stars glimmering in his irises. Blitz felt powerless, Dusk was a stallion of words, he was one of action, time to bite the bullet.

"Dusk... are you busy anytime soon?"

"Only to the dance, why?"

"I was just wondering if- if you'd like to I dunno, like go to the theatre, or to dinner or something."

"I'd love to see the theatre!" said Dusk enthusiastically.

Such sincerity glowed from Dusk, Blitz wasn't very sure he understood the underlying offer.

"You would?" he said delicately as is possible when tipsy.

"Yeah! I haven't been since my birthday."

No, he hasn't got it, Blitz sighed internally. He then sighed externally and threw all of his cards on the table. He shuffled closer to Dusk and leaned close to him, his face mere inches away from his purple friend's.

"Dusk, I'd really like you to come to the theatre with me. Like really like."

Dusk blinked.

"Th-This isn't just about going to the theatre is it?" he said, realisation starting to dawn on his face.

"No, no it isn't."

"I–"

Dusk paused and looked out from the hilltop. The humble golden lights that made Ponyville twinkled beneath him, and the sparkle of the stars reigned above him. In between them sat himself and Rainbow Blitz, whose eyes were shining with what must have been months of hope, uncertainty and... love...

"I... don't know," said Dusk, averting his gaze, this was already painful enough for him. "This is all very sudden for me, I–"

"I know I know, I should have just been more obvious about it," said Blitz, speaking very quickly, almost as if he was scared. "I know what you're like... Dawn noticed ya know, she's the one who persuaded me to get the balls to ask you."

"Dawn, she would notice," said Dusk quietly. "Why must these things be so complicated? Is that why you got so cut up about that argument we had?" asked Dusk. "I thought there was something odd about it."

"Yes," said Blitz miserably, it was becoming clear what Dusk's answer was going to be and he didn't want to delay this any longer. "So... I think I know the way this is headed..."

"Huh?"

"You don't want to, do you?"

Dusk found himself at a loss for words. The abyss of silence that had opened up was begging to be filled, and Blitz felt like he had to oblige the deafening quiet with something. Anything.

"I... really like you Dusk," he whispered, staring at the grass beneath him.

Dusk sniffed. Blitz assumed it was just the cold of the night, but when he turned he saw that Dusk's eyes were shimmering.

"Dusk! Oh gods, I'm sorry if I've upset you!"

Dusk shook his head.

"No, I'm not upset, it's just... all a bit much. I'm sorry Blitz, but I really don't know what to feel right now... may I have some time to think?"

"So you're not saying no?" he asked with an unmistakable air of hope.

"No, but neither am I saying yes."

"O-Okay," said Blitz, his voice faltering, not sure how he felt right now. "Can I ask one thing though?"

"Perhaps."

"Can I have a hug?"

Dusk looked up at him, the proud, confident and boisterous friend he knew well looked completely diminished, leaving a small, sad and scared pony in his wake. A terrible pang of guilt clutched at Dusk's heart, but that didn't stop him smiling warmly.

"You can always have a hug from me," he said, extending his hooves.

Blitz fell into the warm, comforting hooves of Dusk. Blitz's face rubbed against his neck and the pegasus was trying fiercely to hold back tears, as six months of suppressed feeling threatened to break the dams. Dusk could feel his friend's breathing becoming ragged and he gently stroked Blitz's mane in an effort to calm him down. This helped a little, but it wasn't long before Dusk felt hot droplets of water hitting his back. Blitz's barriers had finally burst, and he cried unashamedly. Dusk tightened his grip and comforted him as best as he could, a few tears falling from his own eyes. Time passed, how much, neither knew, but Blitz eventually came to his senses and withdrew, coughing awkwardly and drying his eyes.

"Er, never tell anyone that just happened," he said hoarsely.

"I Berry Promise," said Dusk, going through the motions.

"I'm sorry to be such a pain in the ass," Blitz mumbled.

Dusk looked at the poor stallion hopelessly.

"Can you do one thing for me?"

"Name it."

"I want the old Blitz back. The Blitz who reminded me how great you can be if you are determined. The Blitz who could make me laugh about almost anything. The Blitz who was always there when I needed him. The Blitz who at times had even more energy than Berry! Can I have that Blitz back?"

Blitz looked astonished.

"I mean all of that to you?"

"That, and more. You're my best friend! So, can I have the old Blitz back?"

Blitz couldn't help but grin widely.

"Yes, and then some!"

On Blitz's way home, he crossed the old bridge again in the park, and something struck him on the head, bouncing off. He grunted with pain and rubbed between his ears. He picked up the guilty pine cone and looked at it blankly.

"Dumb tree," he grumbled, almost throwing the cone into the river, but instead he decided to keep it, and carried on his way.

It could have been worse, he decided at length. Sure, he was a castaway floating in the turbulent waters of the unknown, but then again, aren't we all?

Rain or Shine

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Fifteen
Rain or Shine

The day had finally arrived. It was the high solstice, commemorations were in earnest, the Summer Sun Celebration was well underway all over Equestria.

It was the longest day of the year.

It was the big one.

It was raining.

Rainbow Blitz, who for whatever reason seemed very distracted of late, and had mixed up his orders and forecasts from Cloudsdale and so the weather team had made it rainy when it was supposed to be bright and sunny. While the pegasi were flying around, desperately trying to fix the mess, down below, Dusk and Elusive were enjoying a coffee together, sheltered from the rain inside Elusive's cosy living room.

"It's been a while my friend," said Elusive, stirring creamy milk into his drink. "Where have you been these last few days?" He leant back in his armchair and surveyed Dusk with a keen eye. He looked... tired, and that was being generous.

"Oh you know... work, keeping the library, research, Celestia's tasks for me... thinking. It's all been rather hectic."

"Yes," said Elusive measuredly. "In fact, it hasn't escaped the notice of a keen young pony, who came to me the other day asking me for advice about your current health and situation."

"Ah," said Dusk, looking guilty. "That explains all the meals and cups of tea she's been making me recently."

"Yes, I told Dawn to make sure you were eating well. I know what you're like when you're too busy or distracted. You never take care of yourself, that's the problem; too busy running around taking care of everything else."

Dusk looked at the window. It was covered in condensation and water trickled down the panes, like they had on Blitz's face...

"I've been thinking a lot lately."

"You mean more than usual," said Elusive, helping himself to a ginger biscuit.

"Yes. Elusive, what do you do when someone says they like you?"

The white stallion nearly choked.

"You mean, he actually asked you?!"

"You knew?!" said Dusk, shocked.

"Oh Dusk, everyone knew except you!" said Elusive impatiently. "What did you say?"

"I-I said I didn't know," answered Dusk honestly, as Elusive facehoofed.

"And you left the poor guy fretting about it didn't you?"

"Stop making me feel worse than I already do," said Dusk miserably.

"I'm sorry my friend, but really! You need to give him a definite answer! If you say yes, then everything's dandy, and if you say no, it'll let him move on. But keeping him on the fence like this will only make him, and you, feel awful."

You don't have to tell me," mumbled the purple stallion.

"Apparently, I do," said Elusive, smiling slyly. He raised his cup to his lips. "Why not give it some due consideration this afternoon, and give him an answer tonight at the Dance?"

"But what if I ruin the Dance for him by saying no?"

"Dusk, his night will be ruined if you don't give him an answer anyway!"

"Right! I get it!" snapped Dusk, his teacup rattling on the saucer in his stress. Elusive noticed and felt a pang of sympathy.

"What are you looking forward to then, tonight?" he asked, trying to divert the conversation to more pleasant affairs.

Dusk gave himself some thought, before answering "Dancing."

"Dancing," Elusive repeated warily, peering over the ceramic rim of his teacup.

"Before you say anything," Dusk said hurriedly, "I'll have you know that I've been taking lessons!"

"Oh?"

"Yes! I've seen those pictures from my last birthday, and from my brother's wedding, and my dancing was so embarrassing!"

"It was embarrassing," affirmed Elusive. The white stallion's mind dug up the memories. Good grief. Dusk danced like a giraffe on a trampoline, and the giraffe was on stilts.

"So, I thought it would be a good idea to get better at it," said Dusk, looking considerably more cheerful than he had done a few minutes ago. "I visited Zecora a few months ago and she said she'd be more than happy to help."

"Zecora can dance?" asked Elusive doubtfully.

"Very much so! She's taught me loads of neat dances."

"Hmm, I look forward to seeing how you've improved," said Elusive with great interest.

"So do I! I hope I'm better than I was."

"Look at it this way, I don't think you could possibly be worse."

Dusk nodded and relaxed a little more into his chair. That was the problem with Elusive's furniture, it was far too comfortable. Even his mind started going soft as it conformed to the contours of the silky velvet of the headrest.

"Hmmf! Anyway, what are you looking forward to the most?"

"The wine tasting," answered the stallion quickly. "I've always loved it so, it makes me feel... sophisticated."

"Spitting alcohol into a bucket makes you feel sophisticated?"

Elusive shot him a glance.

"Really, Dusk. You know as well as I there's a lot more to it than that!"

Dusk conceded this. Although it was very easy to wind Elusive up about such matters, Dusk also enjoyed the wine tasting too; he got to have a try of many wines he would never be able to afford otherwise, which was something. In fact, most of his friends enjoyed the event, except Butterscotch, who didn't drink, and Rainbow Blitz, who insisted that wine was gayer than he was. Oh Blitz...

"And the mare who minds the table," said Elusive dreamily, in his own little world. "What is her name?"

"Wh-Who?" said Dusk, coming out of his own little world.

"The girl at the wine. Has red hair, and a rather nice... behind."

"I believe her name is Grape Vine," said Dusk.

"Naturally. Wouldn't you agree she's beautiful?"

Dusk shrugged non-committally. Elusive sighed. It was hard to tell whether Dusk was possibly gay, or just disinterested in the affairs of love altogether. Perhaps putting some alcohol into the purple pony would help him elucidate the answer and loosen his tongue, perhaps in more ways than one.

Work is lame.

Puff! Cloud gone. Tick box.

Holy crap work is so lame.

Puff! Cloud gone. Tick box.

What time is it?

Thundercloud. Kick. Get zapped with electricity. Tickles.

Kinda just wanna go home and knock one off.

Puff! Cloud gone. Tick box.

Same old shit, different day.

"Blitz!" called a voice from below.

"What, Thunder?" asked Blitz irritably.

"It's like lunchtime already," said Thunderlane, dancing with anticipation on a cloud. "Hurry up, I'm hungry!"

Blitz looked at the several dozen clouds he still had to clear. After a resounding "Fuck it," he abandoned his work to join his friend for lunch.

"Alright, but it's your day to pay!"

"Ya know, I've never seen either of them look so down before."

"Oh my gosh, it's like you're reading my mind!"

"You think they'll be okay?"

"It's always the same. In the end, everything's okay."

"Wow, that's unusually deep for you, Berry.

"Thanks, AJ!"

Applejack was watering the flowers around his home, while Berry kept him company. In any other setting, two personalities such as Berry's and Applejack's would not make good bedfellows, or even flowerbedfellows, but life likes throwing surprises at you, and Berry loves surprises.

"So, did you snag anyone for the dance?" asked Berry.

"Not this year I'm afraid. I asked Rose the other day, but guess who she's goin' with already?"

Berry shrugged.

"Mah darn brother! He kept that quiet lemme tell ya!"

"AJ, your brother keeps everything quiet."

"I know. Can be annoyin' at times."

"So you're not gonna try and ask Lyra like you did last year then?"

Applejack visibly winced.

"Hell no! I can still feel where Bon-Bon slapped me." He sighed, wiping sweat off his brow. Watering flowers was harder work than it looked. "How 'bout you?"

"Me? Nah, I'm faar too busy having fun for any of that mushy stuff."

"To each their own ah guess," said Applejack, shrugging. He paused. "What kind of fun might that be?" he added slyly.

"Never you mind, pony boy."

"Ah."

Berry, unperturbed, looked up at the patchy sky above him.

"Who's 'Scotch going with?" he asked.

"Ah, that's a dead end and no mistake. Ah've been trying to wrangle it outta him all week but he won't say anythin'."

Berry frowned. Butterscotch was of course notorious for being shy and easily embarrassed, perhaps that's why he wouldn't tell. Or maybe because he was so shy, he hadn't plucked up the courage to ask anyone. A mystery indeed.

"Do you think they'll get together?" he asked. Whether this question was directed to himself, Applejack, or the sky was anyone's guess.

"Who?"

"Anyone..."

"We're gonna find out in about five hours."

Far off in the distance, the bell of Ponyville town hall rang out twice.

Author's Note

Apologies for the lateness, but I've been in Italy this week and have been far too busy to write.

Royal Subterfuge

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Sixteen
Royal Subterfuge

"How do I look?" asked Dusk, spinning around.

"Handsome and dashing!" said Dawn enthusiastically. "It really looks great on you!."

"It's actually pretty good," said Spike, disappointed that he could find nothing to poke at in Dusk's flawless attire.

"You sure?" Dusk asked, striding over to a full-length mirror. "I think the hat might be a bit much."

Dusk examined his reflection closely. If Dusk Shine had ever possessed snappiness and dapperness, it was definitely now. He almost radiated it, a credit to Elusive's masterful work.
He was wearing a white linen shirt, on top of which he had a decadent shimmering midnight-blue tailcoat, woven with rich hues and twinkled as if starlight was within its fabric. In between the shirt and tailcoat was a dark purple bow-tie. Moving upwards, Dusk had tried to tame his hair by attacking it with a wet comb, he'd succeeded slightly in his attempt; his mane now looked smarter than usual yet still he retained his floppy locks. It was a very good look. Resting neatly on his head like the cherry of a cake was a stylish top hat, the same colour of his tailcoat, with a sky blue silk band encircling its base and a five-pointed star nestled with one of its points in the silk band. Overall, he looked... fabulous.

"I can guarantee you'll be turning a few heads tonight," said Dawn, smiling.

"Not if you don't upstage me," said Dusk. Elusive had really gone all out on Dawn's elegant, sweeping sky blue dress with gold-rimmed edges, complete with modest tiara.

"He said he was trying to bring out my eyes," she said, blushing slightly.

"He did well, you look stunning," said Dusk kindly. He glanced at the clock over his fireplace and winced involuntarily. "Dawn, are you sure about this time thing?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean, it's half past seven! We're half an hour late!"

"You may be the cleverest stallion I know, but you still have a lot to learn Dusk Shine," said Dawn, licking her hoof and rubbing away some toothpaste Dusk had left on the corners of his mouth. "It's called being fashionably late."

"Fashion," said Dusk darkly. "Dangerous stuff in the wrong hooves. And mine are certainly the wrong hooves."

"So just let me and Elusive make the decisions for you then," Dawn said, straightening his bow-tie and nodding in approval. "I think we're ready."

The trio stepped out into the evening air, the distant sounds of much fun and frivolity falling on their ears. Blitz and his team had eventually got their act together and cleared the sky to allow the waves of summer heat to roll over Ponyville. Now that the sun had set, the town bathed in the balmy shallows of a summery evening. Dusk, being a gentleman, held out a hoof for Dawn as they admired the calm before the celebration. She took it graciously. They looked up and saw the warm pastel oranges and pinks of the sky.
Spike was growing impatient.

"You lovebirds just gonna stand there all evening?"

They both looked shocked.

"N-No! Not lovebirds!"

"Just friends!"

"Why does being nice have to mean romance again?"

Spike rolled his eyes.

"Jus' hurry up."

Sheepishly, the two ponies followed the little dragon all the way to the bottom of Ponyville high street. Turning the corner, they were greeted by a hive of vibrant activity. Mingled sounds, smells and sights attacked their senses all at once.
Be it the heady aroma of honeyed chestnuts being roasted at a nearby stand, the crackle competing with the clear laughter of fillies and colts, or the wonder of watching a street performer whose talents rivalled even Berry; his hooves a blur as he juggled twenty assorted objects all at once. Dusk licked his lips, he suddenly felt rather hungry. He looked down to ask Spike if he would like anything, but he was met by a Spike shaped absence. It seemed the dragon had already run off somewhere.

"So, you say we should be fashionably late?" said Dusk, his stomach rumbling. "I guess it won't matter if we tarry a few minutes more right? Those chestnuts have my name on them."

"One of the types of nut is called Old Dusk," observed Dawn, smiling broadly.

"Is it indeed? How interesting, we must... try them."

"What's taking them so long?"

Applejack was feeling restless. He was walking up and down the marble floor of the town hall, which was difficult since it was bustling with other ponies. Elusive's eyes were watching him like a hawk; Applejack didn't seem to feel the need to wear anything fancy, and was in fact just wearing his usual yoke and hat. It was setting the white unicorn's teeth on edge.
He himself was decked out in a smart black suit sharp enough to cut diamonds on, with a white rose pinned to it. He kept looking around his bench to make sure nobody could possibly spill or drop anything on it. The only reason he let Berry sit next to him was because he knew that Berry knew the dire consequences that such an act would bring.

"Applejack, sit down," said Elusive swiftly. "You're getting in the way."

"Oh come on 'Lucy, they're half an hour late already!"

"I'm having fun!" piped Berry, taking a long lick of the lollipop he had just bought.

"That's all very well and good, but can't we just go and do something? I mean surely we'll bump into them sooner or later."

"For Celestia's sake you're acting like Blitz!" said Elusive, turning to glance at the prismatic pegasus, who was sitting on the floor next to Berry, looking slightly lost.

Bless him, thought Elusive. He's tried so hard.

Blitz was wearing a navy blue jacket that he'd found buried in his wardrobe, the colour had faded slightly on the shoulders but otherwise it looked perfectly serviceable. He'd also attempted to smooth his unruly mane, and unfortunately had cocked it up more than a dog against a lamppost. Elusive's eyes twitched. Why were his friends so incompetent? He wrenched his eyes forwards again, only to be greeted by Applejack in his work clothes.
With a grunt of frustration, he stood up and marched over to Rainbow Blitz.

"I'm doing you a favour here," said the unicorn, taking his front hooves and scruffing up his friend's mane as much as possible until it returned to its former windswept form. Elusive wasn't entirely sure that Blitz even noticed what he'd just done, he continued looking ahead with the same slightly troubled expression on his face, but at least he looked better now...

"Ah... that's much better! Now, as for you."

Applejack blanched in the face of an advancing Elusive, who was brandishing a red bow-tie.

"Wha-" began Applejack.

"You could have at least put some effort in!" grunted Elusive, wrenching off the farm stallion's yoke and tying the bow-tie around his neck. "Honestly!"

"But what about mah yoke?" asked the stallion, feeling almost naked without it, an accurate feeling indeed.

"I'll hold onto it until I see your brother, he'll look after it," said Elusive dismissively, now judging Applejack's appearance. "Yes... a little can go a long way it seems."

Bubble Berry meanwhile was cowering behind his lollipop, awaiting Elusive's wrath and subsequent salvation on the state of his naturally curly and wavy mane. The poor pink pony felt certain that curly and messy hair was not 'smart'. He was also only wearing a green top hat, that couldn't be good either. His bright blue eyes looked cautiously over his sugary treat to see Elusive looking baffled.

"Are you feeling okay, Berry?" asked the unicorn kindly. "You're shivering!"

"M'fine!" squeaked the stallion. He was very fond of his mane after all.

Berry needn't have worried, Dusk and Dawn had chosen this ideal time to make their appearance, serving as the perfect distraction.

"Good evening, gentlemen," said Dusk, happily champing on chestnuts.

"Finally!" exclaimed Applejack. "Where the hell is Butterscotch though?"

Both Dusk and Dawn shrugged as one.

"I haven't seen him in ages," said Dusk.

Elusive ponderously stroked his chin with a hoof and then set his eyes on Dawn. His hoof dropped like a stone, along with jaw.

"Shut yer yap 'Lucy," teased Applejack, noticing his gawping.

Dawn giggled as Elusive blushed. It hadn't escaped Applejack's notice that Rainbow Blitz was also looking at Dusk with a similar yearning burning in his eyes. The farmhand opened his mouth to poke fun at him too, but thought better of it.

"How are we all?" asked Dusk conversationally, his eyes locking briefly with Blitz's. Both ponies smiled sheepishly with pink cheeks before quickly looking away.

"Bored," said Applejack flatly. "Ah've been busting my hump all day, with the promise of a few good drinks at the end of it, an' so far I ain't had a single drop!"

"That's another thing!" said Elusive, whipping out a bottle of cologne and spraying it all over Applejack, making him splutter and cough. "You smell like you've been working all day too!"

Blinking, Dusk turned his head to the others.

"How about you, Blitz?" he asked nervously. "I haven't seen you for a while."

The pegasus went from morose to energetic in a frighteningly short amount of time.

"I'm great!" he said brightly, remembering his promise to be the old Blitz. "Looking forward to the dancing?" he asked, sniggering.

"Laugh all you want," said Dusk dismissively, "but I'll show you! I've been practising."

"Care to demonstrate for me later?"

"You bet," said Dusk.

Blitz's grin widened, and then faltered slightly, as though he suddenly realised where he was and who he was talking to. Looking over Dusk's shoulder, he saw both Elusive and Dawn nodding at him encouragingly.

"Uh," began Rainbow, eloquence extraordinaire. "I-I'm gonna like have a bit of a mingle, is that alright with you guys? I-I hear Spitfire and Soarin' are supposed to be here tonight or something."

And without another word, he disappeared into the crowd. Bewildered, Dusk turned to see Dawn looking at him sympathetically.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"On the contrary, I thought you were doing really well," said Dawn kindly.

"Doing really well at what?" asked Dusk, furthering his confusion.

"Poor fellow, Blitz has got a lot on his mind. I'll explain properly later Dusk, when we have a bit more time," said Elusive as Butterscotch weaved his way timidly through the crowd, a dark grey mare in his wake.

"Oh my..." said Elusive gently.

"Is that who I think it is?" whispered Dawn in Dusk's ear.

"I... think so," said Dusk.

Equestria's most accomplished cello player stood beside Butterscotch, who looked both bashful and pleased with himself at the same time.

"Miss... Octavia?" asked Elusive, not quite believing his eyes.

"Good evening," said Octavia softly. Inside, she was rather enjoying all their wondered expressions. She was still relatively unknown to the world at large, the vox populi of Equestria wasn't shouting for orchestral music as much as they used to; Octavia often felt as though she were born a few centuries late.

"I... adore your music," said Dusk breathlessly, he was a huge fan of her kind of music, and it showed.

"Why thank you," she replied graciously. "You can hear it first-hoof at the dance later you know. I shall be playing in the string quartet."

Dusk's lips quavered slightly.

"R-Really? That'd be incredible!"

"You all seem so surprised by me," said Octavia serenely. "Didn't Butterscotch say anything?"

Elusive opened his mouth to begin telling her that Butterscotch did indeed tell them and that they were simply dazzled by how beautiful she appeared this evening. At least, that's what he intended to say, but was pipped by Berry Bubble who chirped

"Nope!"

"Oh."

Butterscotch somehow managed to hide himself behind himself in embarrassment.

"Come," said Elusive hurriedly. "I think we could all do with a drink, no?"

"Finally!" said a relieved Applejack.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Rainbow Blitz was outside in the bustling street. The bell of the town hall rang eight times. Being the longest day of the year, the sun was still in the sky, though it was getting lower as Celestia guided it down. Each ring of the bell echoed loudly in Blitz's head, coupled with the buzz of ponies all around him, it was driving him crazy. Seeking his escape, he unfurled his wings and shot straight up into the air.
Under normal circumstances, it was considered rude for pegasi to take off or land in busy areas, but he didn't much care right now. Ignoring the complaints and coughs below him as he kicked up dust in his downdraught, he zoomed down the street, into Honeysuckle Avenue, which was spacious and relatively empty. He descended around a tall beech tree to sit on a bench that lay under its canopy.

"What happened?" he asked himself. "Cool one minute, shitting myself the next."

He grunted in frustration and stamped a hoof on the ground. If Blitz were a more intelligent pony, he would start pondering on the paradox that just when you needed to act cool and collected in order to appear attractive was the moment your voice falters and your face feels like making you look like you're suffering a stroke. But when the cards of intelligence were dealt, Blitz's hoof was less than stellar, so instead of thinking that, he thought of how much he wanted, no, needed a drink.
Huffing, he turned and lay on his back along the bench, staring at the gently swaying leaves above him. If his mind was an aquarium, there were shoals of Dusk Shine's swimming about in it. The thoughts were more stubborn than they'd ever been, nothing took his mind off Dusk Shine anymore.

"Evenin' mister, uh, you okay?" said a female voice behind him.

"I'm fine," replied Blitz to the mystery voice. He sat up to see a cream coloured mare carrying a large sack of roses.

"Flower for the lady?" she asked hopefully.

Blitz raised one eyebrow.

"You're not from 'round here are you," he said. It wasn't a question. Everyone in Ponyville knew he was gay by now.

"Uh, no," she conceded.

"I thought as much. And does it look like I have a lady?"

"Uh, no," she repeated. "But it's for a good cause!" she pressed gently, jingling a bucket she was wearing; it said 'Equestria Cancer Research' on its side. "We're looking into new methods in reducing cancer in the community. Did you know not wearing a fedora and regularly shaving your neck reduces cancer by a third?! And by not obnoxiously shoving your opinions on others when nobody wants to hear it, in public for example, can almost eradicate it entirely!"

"Er, you're not related to Bubble Berry are you? He talks about a lot of weird stuff too..." said Blitz warily.

"Who's Bubble Berry?"

"Look, if I give you some money, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes."

"Here," Blitz growled, handing over a few bits.

"Much appreciated," said the mare, giving him a rose in return. "Enjoy your evening!"

Blitz grunted and swung his legs back onto the bench.

"The hell do I do with this?"

Dusk scratched his neck, trying to wrap his mind around what Elusive had just told him.

"So... he's waiting for me to give him an answer... tonight?"

The five friends, Dawn, and Octavia, were sat in a corner amongst the neat decking and round wooden tables of Jingo's beer garden. Dusk, Elusive and Dawn occupied one table, while the others were gathered around another.

"Dusk," said Elusive patiently, setting down his plate of cucumber sandwiches. "We've been through this, and you said you'd give poor Blitz a proper answer this evening."

"Yes, I remember," grumbled Dusk irritably. "It's hard to forget such a conversation. But I didn't expect him to be expecting me to give an answer! I mean... this is confusing enough for me as it is!"

The unicorn buried his head in his hooves despairingly. Elusive patted him consolingly on the shoulder and insisted he try one of the sandwiches.

"I know this can't be easy for you Dusk."

"You don't understand," he sighed. "I'm still not totally sure I even like stallions. How can I give an answer when I don't even understand myself... or the question."

Elusive looked surprised for a second and glanced at Dawn. A silent conversation happened and they both stood up.

"Forgive us Dusk, we'll be back in a minute."

"'Kay," replied the stallion, slumping forwards, suddenly looking rather lonely at his solitary table.

Something happened. Something must have happened. Ponies don't just teleport from one place to another, but Dusk found himself sat next to Berry at his table.

"Wha-"

"You looked like you were having a sad so I brought you here," said Berry kindly.

"Um, thanks, I guess?"

"Whoa, Dusk, where'd ya come from then?" asked Applejack, his eyes taking a while to focus on the unicorn.

"I'm not sure myself, AJ," answered Dusk honestly.

"Well, it's nice ta see ya out tonight instead of bein' in that stuffy old library!"

Dusk noted the several empty tankards around him and made a simple conclusion.

"AJ, how much do you intend to drink tonight?" asked Dusk with only a hint of wariness.

"I dunno, I've only had four pints so far! Berry's been buying fer me 'cause he's a bro's bro."

Dusk nodded, thinking about how four pints of the cider Applejack was drinking would have put him under the table already.

"Berry," said Dusk quietly. "Don't let him have too much now, will you."

Berry saluted and proceeded to sip on his own drink, a margarita through a straw.

"Nah, don't worry, he's in safe hooves with me!"

Dusk intended to question that statement, especially since Berry kept taking small cakes from out of his top hat and eating them happily, but he was interrupted.

"Oh heyyy Dusk," said a sweet voice from behind him. Frowning, Dusk made to turn but was stopped by two hooves slipping off his jacket and pressing down on his shoulders, and... massaging them gently? Dusk yelped at the contact and struggled to turn around. "Don't pretend you're not enjoying it," whispered the voice in his ear.

"What-" said Dusk, so thrown off his train of thought was derailed. "What's going on... wait... Dawn?"

As if the unicorn wasn't confused enough, Dawn Star was definitely rolling her white hooves over his shoulders, an alluring glint in her eyes.
Whirling around, looking desperately for help, he couldn't help but notice Bubble Berry was nowhere to be seen. Applejack was far too busy to even notice, and Butterscotch and Octavia were so engrossed with one another they might as well have been in the Mareana Trench. Turning back to the panic at hoof, he spluttered:

"Wh-What if Elusive sees you?! He'll kill us!"

"Oh... let him look," said Dawn in a low, sultry voice that only he could hear. She pressed on his shoulders particularly hard, eliciting a spasm of pleasure whether Dusk liked it or not, which to his surprise, he did. "Besides, maybe I want him to see," she added, raising a hoof and tapping his horn a few times, causing a groan to escape him as he turned crimson.

"Dawn, we're in public!" he hissed. Truth be told, they were in a corner, and nobody seemed to be paying them any attention, but it was the principle for Celestia's sake! He couldn't do this! Not when Blitz... when Blitz... wait...

"You need to realise what you truly want," said Dawn, snapping back to her usual peppy voice, breaking the spell Dusk was under as effectively as a cup of cold water to his face.

"I don't know what you mean," spluttered Dusk, his poor mind turning to a puddle.

"Hmm, maybe you'd prefer me instead," said Berry, who was sitting in Dusk's lap with one hoof around the poor unicorn.

Dusk didn't even bother to ask what was going on, but looked wildly around for Dawn, who was now nowhere to be seen.

"I mean, perhaps we can come to an arrangement," said Berry, in an unusually soft tone.

"Berry. What's going on? I don't think I can take much more of this..."

"Oh Duskie, you don't understand what this is about do you? Can't you see fan service when you see it?" said Berry knowingly. "And don't be scared, we're good friends, right? Friends don't hurt one another."

"I-I suppose," mumbled Dusk quietly. "That's the only sentence that's made sense in a while."

"And reeeaaally good friends can have... all types of fun," said Berry, his voice dripping with suggestion as he stroked Dusk's chest gently.

Dusk's eyes widened considerably at Berry's implications.

"I... I can't Berry. I mean... B-Blitz."

"What's this? Concerns for our dear Blitzie?"

"Um... yes," said Dusk, wondering why he hadn't noticed this before.

"Simulation complete."

"What?"

"It worked guys!" shouted Berry, hopping off the stallion and taking his seat again.

Elusive and Dawn were suddenly at Dusk's side. Dusk blinked stupidly. He'd just been borderline sexually assaulted by two of his friends.

"What... the fuck... was that about?" asked Dusk, hauling himself to his hooves and sitting back at his table, Berry in tow. It was the first time Dawn had ever heard him swear, and the two stallions had only ever heard him curse once or twice before.

"It was... necessary," said Elusive, wondering if he'd maybe gone too far.

"Necessary for what?" asked the stallion hysterically, still reeling from his traumatic, and yet exciting... experience.

"Allow me to be blunt, but you're denser than whipped double cream when I've tried to talk to you about romance."

Dusk opened his mouth to voice his indignation, but Elusive raised a hoof.

"And I'm sorry. But I know that simply asking you outright would have got us nowhere. Surely, as a scientist, you can appreciate the necessity of a fair and unbiased test?"

Dusk mulled the reasoning around his head like a fine wine.

"I can," he admitted.

"And so I had to give you a good kick. It's obvious you two are all but made for each other, and I need to help you see that."

Dusk looked weakly at both Berry and Dawn, then to Elusive's plate of sandwiches.

"I-"

"Here," said Elusive kindly, pushing his plate towards Dusk, and for good measure, his drink too. Dusk gratefully ate.

"Thank you. But... what the hell were these two doing?" he asked, waving a hoof at Berry and Dawn.

"Ah, now you see, they were to help you determine your sexuality."

Dusk choked on his sandwich.

"Yes," Elusive continued, as though nothing was happening. "Tell me, did you enjoy one of them? Both of them? Perhaps, -heaven forbid for Blitz's wellbeing - none of them?"

Dusk looked uncomfortably at his hooves before mumbling. "Both of them."

Dawn at least had the decency to look shy and flustered by the whole affair, Berry meanwhile had never heard of 'tact'.

"Heeee! Does that mean we can have fun together Duskie?!"

Dusk blanched as Elusive head-desked.

"Wh-What?! No! What if I'm with Blitz?" cried Dusk.

"So?" asked Berry, with startling sincerity.

"It seems," said Elusive loudly, "that we've been able to discover that you definitely do like both mares and stallions-"

"Sorry," said Dusk, feeling abashed.

"Oh for goodness' sake Dusk we don't live in the dark ages anymore!" snapped Dawn. "Implying that anyone you care about will think of you any differently for this, honestly"

"Sorry, Dawn," said Dusk, feeling abashed.

"Don't worry about it," she said briskly. "Now then," she reached out and patted one of Dusk's hooves. "I think you have a few things that need seeing to, don't you?"

Dusk looked her in the eyes, at her glowing smile of encouragement was pulling the corners of his own upwards. He swallowed meekly, and nodded. He stood gingerly to his hooves, downed Elusive's drink in one, wiped his mouth with a hoof, and walked with purpose towards the exit, his tailcoats bobbing in his gait.

Go get him, she thought happily. It's been far too long... and I've only been here a fortnight.

"I must say," said Elusive, watching Dusk's retreating back. "Drinking that whole glass was impressive."

Oh, how could he have been so foolish? So narrow-minded, so dead set on his work that he was all but blind to the real world?
Dusk Shine didn't know where to start. His eyes slid from one end of the street to the other, in the slim hope of finding the only pony he wanted to talk to at the moment. Steeling himself, the unicorn determinedly braved the crowded town, weaving around stalls, ponies and buildings, occasionally calling for Rainbow Blitz, so far with no success. He held onto his top hat as he was jostled by some ponies around him.

"Urgh, is it so hard to just walk without idiots bumping into you?" he growled under his breath, keeping his head down.

Dusk strode forward and found himself in an unexpected patch of clear space. Confused by this sudden clearing in the middle of the street, he looked up and bumped straight into something firm, yet warm and smooth. It turned out to be Princess Celestia's flanks.

"Ah, hello and good evening my faithful-" began Princess Celestia graciously, turning around.

"Can't stop to talk, Princess. No time, got someone I need to see."

And without another word, he walked off, a stallion on a mission.

If Celestia was shocked, it was difficult to tell, although she seemed to forget to blink for a little while. Dusk Shine had never blanked her like that before, not in all the years she'd known him. Something important was going on, that much was obvious, but what? With troubled thoughts, she stood and pondered, until another bubble of space moved towards her.

"Ah, there you are, sister," said Luna, carrying two glasses of red wine and a toffee apple. "Did you have to have one of these... things?" she sniffed, giving Celestia the toffee apple. "I felt terribly foolish with it."

"But they're to die for," said Celestia, wrapping her lips over the apple and biting it in half. This wasn't much of an issue, except she somehow managed to do it seductively.

"'Tia!" Luna hissed. "Please! We have an image to maintain!"

"What?" said Celestia innocently. "Can't a pony eat a toffee apple in peace?"

"Of course, but-"

"Besides, I have more important things to worry about," said Celestia briskly. "I just bumped into Dusk Shine."

"Oh?"

"Well that's just it. He walked straight into my ass, then wandered off. He's never done that before."

"He... walked into your... posterior?" asked Luna, blushing.

"No, he's done that plenty of times before... I think he does it on purpose you know. But he's never ignored me before; not even a 'hello' out of him."

"Oh my, do you think there's something wrong with him?"

"Sister, I know something is wrong with the poor boy, the only suitable course of action is that we need to-"

"Oh no you don't," protested Luna, seeing the manic mischievous glint in Celestia's eyes. "Celestia! Please-"

"Follow him and find out!"

Tangled Bedsheets

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Seventeen
Tangled Bedsheets

Dusk Shine ambled down an alleyway. He knew he had been extremely rude to Celestia, but right then he struggled to care, he'd deal with that later. Dusk trotted up to a greying stallion on a ladder, lighting the town's lamps by means of the wick he held in his mouth.

"Excuse me, sir?" asked Dusk, starting to clutch at straws. "You haven't seen a sad-looking blue pegasus around here anywhere have you?"

"Eh, what?" asked the stallion, wick falling out of his mouth onto the ground, where it was extinguished. "Ohh blasted thing," he grumbled, stepping down.

"Oh my, I'm sorry!" said Dusk, feeling at fault and using his magic to reignite the splint.

"Thanks lad. A blue pegasus ya say?"

"Yes, with a rainbow mane."

"Oh Blitz? Why he's down Honeysuckle Street last I saw him. Lyin' on a bench he was, looked a bit ill."

"Ill? Hmm. Thank you, sir!"

"Not a problem, young man! Enjoy your evening!"

Dusk followed along a few select short cuts through the town on his way to Honeysuckle Street. Turning into the road, he fancied he saw a blue splodge on a bench ahead of him, it was somewhat difficult to tell in the waning evening.
Lamplight flickered over him as he walked down the empty street. Dusk shivered slightly.
Approaching the blue blob, he discovered that it was indeed Rainbow Blitz, lying lazily on a bench with his eyes shut. The unicorn frowned when he saw the rose he was holding in a hoof.

"Um, hey," said Dusk tentatively.

Rainbow Blitz opened a tired eye.

"Oh, heya Dusk," he said quietly, sitting up and scratching his tummy. "What brings you out here?"

"I was... uh, getting a little worried about you," answered Dusk truthfully, yet still evading his true intentions.

"You don't have to worry about me!" said Blitz, puffing out his chest, his old self shining through. "What could possibly affect me?"

"There's alcohol for a start," said Dusk dryly, which deflated Rainbow's ego.

"I'll have you know that I haven't touched a drop!" he rallied. "Anyway, I can hold my drink as well as the next stallion."

Somewhere in the depths of eternity, the Universe lost ten years of its lifespan in order to accommodate the immensity of Blitz's lie.

Dusk made no comment. Instead he diverted the subject.

"Why do you have a rose?"

Blitz looked down at the ruby flower, as if he'd only just noticed it.

"This? Some mare came round for a charity thing, and I gave her some money so she'd fuck off," said Blitz.

"Oh," said Dusk, not entirely sure why he felt disappointed.

A few crucial brain cells in Blitz's neo-cortex buzzed excitedly, pining for his attention.

Yes, what? said his subconscious, irritated at the racket they were making.

We have a good idea! He should give that flower to Dusk! We're sure he'd like that! Plus, it'd make him look smooth and more appealing too! Permission to send this idea to the amygdala for emotional evaluation?

Send it to that dusty old thing? When have we ever used that before we send words to his mouth? It's much more efficient to say and do things without it, and worry about the consequences later.

Yes, we know sir, but we are receiving increases in testosterone and adrenaline sir, it's obvious he cares deeply for the affections of this unicorn, perhaps, just this once?

Oh, go on then.

"Dusk," began Blitz, "you can have it. It'd look great in your hat." Gently, Blitz bit most of the stem off the rose and placed it in the band of silk that circled his top-hat. "Not that it doesn't look great anyway, or you for that matter."

Dusk blushed. Blitz was never this flattering to anyone but himself, this was a big deal.

"I- thank you," said Dusk, reaching up and straightening his hat; Blitz had knocked it lopsided.

"Are you still up for showing me your, snrk, fancy hoofwork, pony boy?"

Pony boy?

"You're on," said Dusk, his eyes narrowing. "I'll knock your socks off, th-that is, if you were wearing socks."

"Hey, maybe I will be if you play your cards right," said Blitz in a low voice.

Laughing internally at just how flustered Dusk looked, Blitz led the way back to the town hall.

The street echoed with their hoofsteps, becoming fainter and fainter until they melted into the distant frivolity. A faint puttering from one of the lamps was all the sound that the street made, until a garage door burst open and two ponies tumbled out, a tiara clattering to the pavement.

"'Tia!"

"That wasn't my fault! Your ass is too big!"

"Well, you shouldn't have chosen such an inappropriate hiding place! A garage with no room in it indeed!" She shook off the dust and loose book that was resting on her back. "Frankly, I don't even know why I'm here! I should just let you get on with it since no matter what I say, you won't listen anyway."

"Now, sister, that's not true," said Celestia, picking up her tiara and setting it back into its proper place. "I value your opinions greatly."

"You-You do?"

"Yes, I just don't listen to them. Now come, Rainbow Blitz and Dusk Shine seem to be liaising with one another."

"My, my, 'Tia, I don't think it was that far."

"A pity. Still, let's keep following them!"

Dusk re-entered Jingo's, keen on letting the others know he'd returned with Blitz. He spotted Elusive a ways off at a table. Dusk approached it and immediately turned one hundred and eighty degrees, blushing furiously.

"What's the matter?" asked Blitz as Dusk returned to him.

"I think he'd appreciate not being interrupted," said Dusk delicately. "He's a bit busy."

"Oho, really now?" said Blitz evilly, his eyes sparkling malevolently. "He's made his move has he?"

"You could say that, he doesn't look like he's gonna be talking for a while– I know that look! Please leave him be!" implored Dusk. "Besides, you've got some dancing to do."

Dusk found Bubble Berry's gaze. He was sitting at the bar, Dusk nodded to him and Berry winked back, somehow knowing where they were going. Dusk smiled, feeling giddy, and led the way back out of the bar.

Berry smiled at their retreating backs and turned back to the bar, devouring an entire bottle of pickled onions in one mouthful.

"Hey, yer gonna have ta pay for that!" shouted the barkeeper.

Berry shrugged and produced a bag of shiny golden coins, which shut him up nicely. With almighty crunches, the pink pony munched his way through his pickled onions, much to the displeasure of the ponies around him who were trying to hold conversation.

"Keepf them coming!"

"Uh, Bubble Berry?"

Berry belched loudly, propelling him off his chair, into the hooves of Princess Celestia.

"Oh hey, Princess!" he chirped, flipping around, eyeing the sun goddess with warm regard. "What brings you here?"

From behind her frame, Luna's head popped out, eyeing her sister beadily.

"Oh... nothing..." said the alicorn casually. She lowered her voice. "You haven't seen Dusk Shine anywhere have you?"

"'Tia," growled Luna warningly. "Can't we just mind our own business and have some fun? I like fun."

"Look, Luna, pudding!" said Celestia dramatically, pointing across the room, Luna darted off like a bullet.

"Heh, there's no pudding," said Celestia. "Right, have you seen him?"

"You just missed him! He left with Blitzie for dancing at the town hall."

"Oh? Hmm," said Celestia, musing and scanning the room. She did this for about a minute until she noticed the questioning look. "I'm looking for a suitable dance partner," she answered. She resumed her scouting, the small bubble of realisation growing larger insider her until it was balloon sized and she could ignore it no longer. Berry was still giving her the look of vague inquiry.

"Bubble Berry, would you like to share a dance?" she asked with a gracious smile.

"Little old me? Dancing with royalty?"

"If you wish, although, let me make it clear that this is purely in the interests of spy- uh, observing Dusk Shine."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Berry, producing a toothpick and jamming it between his pearly teeth.

"Wonderful." She turned and surveyed her fabulous female form. "Although," she said hesitantly, "I feel I may need a disguise of some description; I sometimes feel just too big ya know?"

"I know the feeling well," said Berry casually, sneakily checking out the stallion next to him.

"Wait, what?" said Celestia.

"So, we gonna dance or not?" he asked.

Celestia blinked.

"You are smoother than most, I'll give you that," she conceded.

"Where did the pudding go?" asked Luna.

There are many reasons why a sufficiently advanced organism will engage in the activity known as dancing. Boredom. Because no-one is looking. Catchy music. Peer pressure. As a profession. As a mating signal. In one particular case, it was half done out of sheer joy, half out of proving a point.

"I didn't quite expect so many people here," said Dusk Shine nervously, looking around the wide open hall.

"Hey, don't go chickening out now," said Blitz, hearing Dusk's fear.

He turned and saw Dusk looked a little more than scared, he was visibly trembling.

"Dude, are you okay? You've never acted like this when dancing before..."

"Everyone expected me to be terrible then, now I want to be good, and they'll judge me."

"Dusk, no-one will give a shit how you dance, okay?" said Blitz as they walked onto the shiny, polished dance floor

"Not even you?"

"You could wave your hooves, knock everyone over and kick me in the nads and I'd still not care... much."

Dusk smiled and felt a little more at ease. He clearly hadn't noticed the not at all inconspicuous form of Princess Celestia, who, in an effort to conceal her identity, had dressed up from snout to hoof in black. Her desire had been in diverting attention away, but instead it achieved the opposite effect by making ponies wonder aloud on just why Princess Celestia was wearing such a bizarre outfit, and why the notoriously immature Bubble Berry was standing next to her with a cocky grin on his face. Somehow, Dusk Shine had missed all this, and as such, Celestia deemed her idea to be a great success.
The lights overhead started to move jerkily towards a small podium. Once rested, Mayor Mare stood up and cleared her throat, beaming broadly at them all.

"Good evening, mares and gentlecolts! I would like to express how happy I am to see such a turn-out for this most ceremonial of evenings, the Summer Sun Celebration." There was a smattering of light hoof stomping. "Thank you. The dance is due to commence shortly, performed by the Royal Canterlot String Quartet no less, and let me just say, it's a great honour to be graced by such talent in our humble little town."
The members of the quartet smiled and nodded in acknowlegement.
"But tonight, we are not only host to the Quartet, but also our beloved regal Princesses!

"Oh fu-" said Celestia as the lights whizzed round onto her.

"Any words, Your Majesty?" asked the Mayor kindly.

Under the bright lights and intense gaze of hundreds of eyes, Celestia felt a little silly for her 'disguise.'

"Yes. Ahem. I am humbled and gladdened in my heart for such a striking and entertaining celebration. You've all worked incredibly hard, not only here, but all across Equestria. As such, in recognition of your labours, I declare that next Monday be a National Holiday!"

There was a thunderous explosion of hoof stomping and cheering. Celestia certainly know how to please a crowd, she had a lot of experience after all. Still, her plan had rather gone through the floor.

"Your Majesty? May I ask the whereabouts of Princess Luna?"

"Last I saw her she was at the dessert bar, scoffing down puddings," said Celestia, to received laughter.

Dusk's pupils shrank slightly. Celestia was here? That meant only one thing. She was here for him. He knew that much, he didn't know how she knew he was here or for what purpose, he just knew she was here because he was here.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he mumbled to his hooves.

"Come on Dusk, don't pussy out on me," said Blitz, straightening Dusk's bow-tie and giving him an encouraging pat on the back.

Dusk looked up into Blitz's eyes and felt a warmth bridge the gap between them, and within that gap, Dusk felt safe, felt comforted, felt loved... suddenly, the world was his dancefloor; especially the dancefloor.

The next thing Dusk knew, he was hoof in hoof with Blitz, who had hauled him onto his hind legs, somewhere back in the real world, the music had begun, coming to Dusk as if from across a vast ocean. He turned to see Octavia at her cello, with Butterscotch sat at her side, humming and nodding merrily. The unicorn regained some lucidity when they began to move in a slow waltz. He felt his body being steered gently yet resolutely by Blitz.

"Hang on, why are you leading?" asked Dusk.

"Because you were off in fairy land," replied Blitz rolling his eyes.

Blinking, Dusk took note of some other fine details that were making some big messages, such as the position of his left hoof, which was resting on Blitz's shoulder, and the pegasus' right hoof, which was just above his flanks.

"Hey... why am I the girl?" he asked, indignation colouring his voice.

"Oh come on," said Blitz, grinning evilly. "You're hardly more manly than I am, Dusk."

"Oh yeah? What about that time when you met Soarin', and, quote from Butterscotch, 'screamed like an adorable little school filly'?"

"Oh gods, don't remind me of that!" said Blitz, turning red against his will.

"Need I go on? Because I fondly recall the time when Berry grabbed your-"

"Right, I get it! My track record ain't exactly clean either!"

Dusk wore a smug smile for all of three seconds, before he accidentally trod on one of Blitz's hooves.
In truth, although Dusk Shine had considerably improved his dancing prowess, being significantly better than zero talent still leaves a lot to be desired. The poor unicorn often moved out of step, in the wrong direction, or in this case, onto Blitz's hooves.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't sweat it, at least you don't look like you're having a seizure anymore."

"Thanks, I guess?"

Across the hall, a ridiculously dressed Princess Celestia and her ridiculously grinning partner were sweeping across the room, Celestia keeping her eyes fixed upon her student.

"How's it going for them?" asked Berry, not being tall enough to see over the sea of bobbing heads.

"Dusk keeps standing on Blitz's hooves," she remarked.

"Ah, it's going good then, I'm surprised he hasn't stood on his face yet," said Berry dryly. "I mean, did you see him at his last birthday party?"

"I admit, I may have been watching from one of the towers..."

Chuckling, Celestia then decided to bust out one of her favourite tricks. With a swoop, she picked up Berry and tossed him into the air as easily as he were a stuffed toy, she spun around and caught him. While Berry was still trying to figure out what had just happened, Celestia sent him pirouetting on the spot, then leaning forward in a flash, she planted three hooves on the ground and caught him with the other as the song ended. She waggled her eyebrows into Berry's stunned face, and the pink pony giggled sheepishly; something was dawning on him, though it came slowly; his brain was still spinning around in his head.

"Princess, exactly how long have you danced?"

"Aha, more years than I'd care to mention, my young stallion, I've danced with many of the greats over the centuries, and I have learnt much off them over that time." She leaned close and lowered her voice. "And between you and me, all those years have led me to become quite accomplished at certain other activities too, if you catch my drift."

There are many rare events in the history of universes, the invention of lampposts, the evolution of badass dragons, the development of a quasi-dimensional time machine... but the blushing and embarrassment of a certain pink stallion ranked high among the infinite list.

"D-Did you just imply what I think you implied?" he gulped hoarsely, his electric blue eyes flickering between Celestia's rich magenta ones.

"That's up for you to decide," said Celestia in a low voice as a new song began.

Berry swallowed meekly as he found himself swept off his hooves again.

Dusk was watching his mentor's hooves with a determined frown, trying to imitate her masterful hoofwork.

"That's how I imagined this dance would go," he commented in envious awe as he almost stumbled over his own legs. "It was a lot more romantic in my mind."

"Hey, I'm doin' my best here!" said Blitz with a knowing grin.

"I-I meant I thought I'd be better!" pleaded Dusk, not registering Blitz's smile.

"Dusk, you're doing really well! Besides... what was that about romantic? When did romance enter this dance, eh?" Before Dusk let himself become confused again, Blitz cut to the chase and plucked Dusk's rose from his hat and held it with his teeth. "I'll show ya romance, pony boy."

"I think I just died from cheese," said Dusk weakly in Blitz's gentle hooves.

"Don't act like you don't love it," said Blitz, his confidence shining as bright as it ever had.

Dusk's breath caught in his throat when he saw the smouldering look in Blitz's eyes; he couldn't help but giggle.

"You're so cute when you do that," growled Blitz. With surprising strength, he spun Dusk around until they were back to back. "Just wait until I get you home," he said daringly, spinning around and taking Dusk's hooves, the unicorn facing away from him. He could feel Dusk's back rubbing against his belly, the unicorn's rump pressing onto his- he wasn't complaining in either case.

"I- I- You're welcome to s-stay at my house tonight, if you like," said Dusk so timidly, Blitz had to strain his ears over the strings.

A thrill ran through Blitz.

"Please tell me you just said what I thought you said," he breathed, manoeuvring Dusk until they were nose to nose. This was the first time Dusk had taken any initiative, and he liked it. To hear the shy and reserved stallion offer him "a place to stay" was exhilarating.

Dusk merely smiled. Tonight had been an experience in itself for him already, and he had no intention of ending it any time soon. New and unknown feelings were erupting like butterflies inside him, and now he knew why.

Kind Blitz.

Dependable Blitz.

Friendly Blitz.

Confident Blitz.

Book buddy Blitz.

Loyal Blitz.

Sexy Blitz...

"My hooves... my poor hooves..."

Berry Bubble had collapsed at the foot of the town hall, rubbing his legs; Celestia looked quite pleased with herself.

"I should have mentioned, I love dancing."

The dance had continued through the evening. At the beginning of a rather lively number, Dusk had seen a very happy looking Elusive and Dawn strut into the hall to join in the dance. Blitz kept sniggering as they danced by, and at first, Dusk wondered why, until he saw that Elusive's mouth and cheeks had become reddened by lipstick. As the evening wore on, some tired couples left the floor, opening up the room, until a mere dozen pairs remained.
Bubble Berry now looked uncharacteristically exhausted at the bottom of the town hall's steps, bathed in flickering lamplight, Celestia at his side. His tongue lolled in his mouth as he panted in the cool summer air. Celestia meanwhile wore a huge grin and was radiating all her usual energy and enthusiasm.

"I have a few duties to attend to," said Celestia apologetically to the pink pony, "but don't worry, I'll send an escort for you to return to the Castle... of course, it's entirely up to you whether you'd like to visit, as much as some certain newspaper ponies would like you to believe, I am not clingy, nor do I force anyone into anything... the millennia have taught me too well on these matters. Immortality, it changes you, don't get too attached, for they say goodbye all too soon... oh, do look at me go on, I'm glad Luna's not around." She flashed him a glittering smile that made his insides flutter like a bread-and-butterfly. "The offer is on the proverbial table for you, nevertheless." She gave him a wink and left him alone with his thoughts, a trickle of ponies passing him up and down the hall's steps. "Ah! My faithful student! May I have a word?

"Um, certainly, Princess."

Berry took off his hat and ruffled his hair. Oh how times had changed, until a few years ago, he thought the best fun you could possibly have was with a party, and now... in fact, it was still a party, but growing up had led him to many new and exciting branches on the tree of fun, and he started to wonder whether he was being reckless along the slender branches that demanded caution.
The stallion was so deep in thought he didn't notice a gaggle of his friends descend the steps.

"Berry, are you alright?" asked Butterscotch.

"Hmm? Oh... yeah I'm fine."

Butterscotch didn't have the opportunity to investigate any further, due to an approaching orange blob that was staggering up the street, swaying like a drunk spinning top, which was half correct: it was a drunk Applejack. His chest and belly were dusty, as though he'd stumbled a few times on his way.

"Aha! Ah found yers! I've been done lookin' every... everywhere."

Celestia and Dusk returned, walking side by side, Dusk looking embarrassed as he trotted over to Blitz, Celestia observing him in a motherly fashion. Blitz briefly wondered what he had discussed with her, but the intoxicated Applejack was more of an issue right now.

He squinted at them, trying to focus, his brows furrowed in intense concentration over Berry and Celestia, Butterscotch and Octavia, Elusive and Dawn, and Dusk and Blitz.

"Hold on... are y'all tellin' me that all my friends are getting laid tonigh' except fer me?"

As one, three couples blushed furiously. Elusive snorted indignantly, while Butterscotch squeaked fearfully, giving Octavia a pleading look that said that definitely wasn't his intention. Dusk gave one of his apparently adorable nervous giggles and shuffled his hooves, while Berry remained quiet. The only problem was that when Bubble Berry doesn't speak, it leaves a very loud silence in its place.

"...Apparently not then," slurred Applejack. "Tha's good ta hear! I didna wanna feel left out you know? 'S'like, 's'like, did ya know yer all my very best friends?" He swayed on the spot and tottered over onto the steps, where he began snoozing gently. Celestia cleared her throat.

"I must go. There is much to be done. I hope I will see you all next month for the garden party?"

There was a mutual nod. Smiling, she unfurled her wings, when Berry interrupted.

"No," he said quietly.

"Hmm? I suspect this is not about the garden party?"
Berry nodded.
"I see... you are more mature than you realise, Bubble Berry."

Berry's eyebrows furrowed.

"Was this... like a test?"

Celestia's eyes twinkled.

"If you wish," she said enigmatically. "I was merely curious to tell the truth."

"Hmm, well, thanks for the offer and all," he said, feeling slightly awkward.

Celestia's eyes scoured him closely, examining him. She eventually nodded slowly, turned gracefully, and took off into the deep blue.

"Wait," said Blitz slowly after a few seconds, the true absurdity only now just being processed. "What's going on between you and Celestia now?"

"I don't know!" cried Berry hysterically, eyes even madder than usual. "She's..." He remembered himself and calmed down. "I need to do some very important Berry thinking. I'll, um, see you guys around, okay? Lemme know how your evenings go so that I can make preparations for any parties, alright?"

And with that, he stumped off, looking slightly lost.

"What's got his tail in a twist?" asked Blitz, staring after him.

"I suspect Celestia's been teasing him something awful," said Dusk eventually, feeling as though someone should at least attempt an answer.

Applejack rolled over, mumbling in semi-consciousness. Dusk rolled his eyes. Applejack always did this on nights out. He always drank himself silly and collapsed in a pile of alcohol filled pony. Flashbacks of last Hearth's Warming rose up in Dusk's mind. The inebriated stallion had thought that it would be a very good idea to ski on the frozen surface of a pond in Ponyville Park. Predictably, Applejack was much too heavy for the ice and had fallen straight through, triggering one of Dusk's more severe panic attacks until Blitz flew to his rescue.
A groan collapsed the cirrus swirl of Dusk's memories as he was thrown back into the real world.

"How much has he drank?" asked Dawn.

"I'll suspect we'll find out sooner or later," remarked Dusk, as Applejack coughed and held his stomach tenderly.

A distraction appeared in the shape of Princess Luna, her muzzle was coated in a thin layer of delicious pudding, and indeed, a bowl of ice cream was floating before her.

"Has anyone seen Sister? She said she'd fly back with me and I can't find her anywhere."

Dusk inhaled deeply. He felt truly relaxed for what may have been the first time in years. No work, no stress, no worries. His parents were right, maybe he should learn to kick back and not care about the world once in a while. He was young, they would say, and that he should treasure it instead of fretting.
He was currently sprawled on his bed with his violet eyes closed in contentment. He'd bid goodnight to his friends and happily welcomed Blitz into his home, and by the overarching laws of narrative imperative, they had the house to themselves tonight.

Peace.

Silence.

Ahhh.

The quiet was broken by a low creak; the bedroom door had been opened. He heard small hoofsteps softly make their way into the room, each followed by a glassy rattle.

"No need to be surreptitious, I am awake."

"Kay, cool," said Blitz, setting down two glasses of icy water to complement the warmth of the room. "What does surreptitious mean?"

On the floor next to Dusk's bed lay a sleeping mat and a roll of blankets. Blitz looked at them critically, he had no intention of using them tonight. He sat at the end of Dusk's bed.

"Thank you for this evening."

Dusk raised his eyebrows as he picked up his drink.

"Huh?"

"You know, being really nice and treating me special..." He scooted up the bed a little. "I always wanted to know what that's like... so yeah, um thanks."

"You're welcome?" said Dusk, once again finding himself at a loss in the unfamiliar terrain of feeling and implications. He needed to get a better map.

"You really are cute when you're flustered," said Blitz in a low voice, pressing his advantage and scooting up a bit more, under the pretence of leaning over for his glass of water. He took a gulp of it and looked at the purple pony, who was also drinking from his glass, both hooves holding it as he raised it to his lips.

Adorable.

Blitz had managed to slink up to Dusk's side, his head propped up on a hoof. A knot of tension had twisted in his stomach. He clenched his teeth and recklessly plunged forwards.

"So... do you like me?"

Where subtlety had failed, bluntness came to the rescue. As Blitz saw it, if you’re going to screw something up, you may as well do it with style; it makes for a good story if nothing else.
Dusk finally realised what Blitz was getting at. Carefully, he lowered his glass, and a devious smirk crossed his face.

"Why don't you come and find out?"

Blitz spat out his water. That was the last thing he expected to hear. Dusk had left the proverbial door wide open for him, inviting him in warmly with his glittering smile, all of which were also proverbial. The real Dusk meanwhile received only a chestful of cold water, his breath catching in a swift gasp as the icy blast hit him.

"Oh shit! Sorry!"

Only I could fuck up at a time like this, he cursed internally.

"Don't worry, I'm fine-"

"At least lemme get you a towel," insisted Blitz, clambering over the bed to the bathroom, to be stopped by a hoof.

"It's fine," said Dusk gently but firmly.

“Urgh, fine… oh hey," said Blitz, finding himself positioned on top of Dusk.

This hadn't been in Blitz's mind's plan at all, and he couldn't tell whether it was going well or not, Dusk was so tricky to work with. The unicorn himself was merely surprised to find himself with a damp chest and trapped under Blitz. He could see Blitz's anticipation, it was written on his features like words to a book. On the air, he could smell a fresh rain scent, the sound of his heavy breathing made his skin tingle.
There was a brief time where their lips were but an inch apart, waiting for the other to make a move.

BANG!

Dusk started with such ferocity, he launched Blitz clean off the bed.

"Whoa!" yelped the pegasus as the ground disappeared from under him, only to have it rush up to meet him eagerly.

"Umph! Dusk!"

Dusk was paying no attention to Blitz, or indeed anything. He was cowering in his bed, his head shoved under his pillow which left his rump sticking up in the air. Tearing his eyes from the view, Blitz meandered to the window and peered out. Bursts of colour and sparks lit up the night sky with many bangs, whistles, and whooshes.

"It's only the firework display, Dusk. Dusk?"

Blitz knew well that Dusk had always harboured a great dislike of loud noises, fireworks in particular. It only seemed fitting that a librarian should harbour an intense dislike for loud noises, but right now it was a hindrance to him scoring, and that would not do.

"Dusk?" ventured Blitz again. "Can you hear me?"

If Dusk had heard him he wasn't showing it, instead he shivered in fear.

"Dusk!" said Blitz, growing impatient.

Dusk however had his hooves clamped over his ears and couldn't hear a thing. He felt something poke his cutie mark and he froze. He didn't want to admit it, but that felt awfully good. He then felt a patting sensation on his back, followed by a very muffled 'there there' as the firework display continued outside. Dusk sighed into his pillow, that patting felt really good too.
Blitz couldn't tell if he was doing a good job of calming Dusk down or not, so he awkwardly continued until the last great rocket exploded with an almighty bang. His expression was deadpan. First the water, now this. Why couldn't anything go right for him?

"Dusk!" said Blitz loudly. "You can come out now!"

Dusk poked his snout out of his pillow, sniffing slightly, followed by his large and fearful eyes.

"Is it over?" he whimpered.

He turned his head and found himself looking straight at Blitz's lap. Heat rose to Dusk's cheeks.

"It's over," Blitz reassured, taking a final glance out of the window before attending to more pressing matters. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes."

Quick as a flash, Dusk felt himself be picked up and flung onto the bed, he felt the new urgency in Blitz's movements, a jolt of excited nervousness leapt through him, wondering what was going to happen next. He was going dizzy.

"Dusk," said Blitz, shuffling up to meet him, "there's something I wanna say... again."

Dusk, although he knew what it was, remained silent.

"I was just wondering... you remember that offer for the theatre trip?"

Dusk, slightly thrown, took a second to remember, then nodded fervently.

"Yes. Are we going to the theatre?" His tailed swished.

"Not now, you dope."

"I-I knew that."

"But yes, some time... maybe next week, ya know?"

"I'd- I'd like that," said Dusk quietly.

"But... you also know what I'm getting at here right?"

"That you like me?"

"Aha, you're learning," smiled Blitz, booping Dusk on the snout.

Dusk licked his lips, saliva glistening off them like stars in a deep purple sky. He giggled nervously and watched closely as Blitz opened a wing and appeared to rummage around until he presented a small object to Dusk.

"I wanted to give you this," he said uncertainly, placing the pine cone in Dusk's hoof. "I dunno why I want to give it to you, but here."

Dusk looked at it carefully. It had been pine cones that had helped them make up after their argument... many words had been said under that pine tree... Dusk doubted that Blitz understood how much weight this little cone had for Dusk, but that didn't matter; it was his now, and something changed inside him. He looked up at the nervous expression on Blitz's face, and it was the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

"Thank you," whispered Dusk.

"No probs, pony boy," he grinned, putting a hoof to Dusk's bow-tie, ready to undress him. "Right, do you want this?" asked Blitz, unwilling to pressure Dusk into anything.

"Yes, it's just, I've never done anything like like this before. Are- Are there any books on the subject?"

"Dude, your trashy romance novels won't help you here," said Blitz, chuckling as he undid the bow-tie and unbuttoned Dusk's shirt.

"You know about them?!" exclaimed Dusk, becoming distracted and mortified all at once.

Blitz yanked off the shirt and reached under the bed to produce two books.

"They've been there for ages. I saw them when I fell off your bed that one time. To be honest, I'm disappointed I didn't see any more personal items," he said, taking off his own clothes/

"Oh," said Dusk, blushing furiously, his imagination running wild at the mere thought. "D-Do you have such... items?"

"Maaaybe," teased the pegasus. "I'll have to show you some time."

Dusk, predictably, became a flustered ball of pony, a trait that Blitz found most endearing. Running out of the little patience he had, he pounced on Dusk. A confused tumble of stallion resulted, and it took a minute for each pony to work out which bit belonged to whom. It resulted with a struggle and Blitz pinning Dusk down into his mattress, trapped by a tangle of sheets and athletic muscle.

"Hey Duskie..." he said huskily.

Blitz's insides were tying themselves into balloon dogs as he tried to make his mouth move, Dusk smiled encouragingly.

Dammit, Blitz! Just spit it out, you technicoloured tosser!

"I-I love you," he stammered. The weight of the words fell heavily onto Dusk.

He means it, thought Dusk. He really means it, with all his heart.

"Oh Blitz-"

Blitz didn't wait for Dusk to finish as he finally closed the gap and pressed his lips hard against Dusk's. The young unicorn's mind went into meltdown, the electric current of lust short circuited itself into Dusk's brain, fizzing it until it became an incoherent puddle. He moaned loudly and returned the kiss with great enthusiasm, feeling their tongues collide in a long awaited passion.
Blitz was desperately trying to communicate without words just how much he had wanted to do this, how much he desired to please Dusk, and above all, how much he loved him. The sounds of short and hasty breathing punctuated the silence, Blitz pressed his chest hard against the unicorn, their fur rubbing together warmly as Dusk sank further into the bed. Blitz felt a hoof running softly through his mane, he smiled into the kiss at Dusk's sudden burst of initiative. He was even more surprised when Dusk didn't stop there, as the hoof travelled further down until...

Pomf!

The joint between his wings, a hot tangle of sensitive nerves and muscles, were being rubbed by one of Dusk's hooves. Blitz groaned and pulled back from the kiss. He looked down to see Dusk's half-lidded smug expression.

"How... did you know about that?" he asked breathlessly.

"I read a lot," whispered Dusk.

"Oh yeah, well so do I." Blitz leaned forward and took a long slow lick of Dusk's horn, his tongue caressing the grooves all the way to the tip, eliciting a sharp gasp from the startled unicorn. "What's the matter pony boy? Can't handle the heat?"

"Y-Yeah I can," mumbled Dusk.

"Mmmhmm, good to hear," said Blitz, diving in for another kiss. He felt something soft and warm slide even further down than his wings, until it came to a rest upon one of his cutie marks, massaging it gently; Bliz shuddered slightly. "You've got some tricks up your sleeve, I'll give you that."

"My element is magic, I'm only just getting started on the tricks," said Dusk, his blush growing stronger by the second.

Blitz paused and looked Dusk dead in the eyes.

"That was terrible."

"Heh, I know," said Dusk, abashed.

"You can make it up by coming here."

Dusk leaned closer and kissed him tenderly on the lips again.

How long they spent together, neither of them knew. What they did know was that they eventually collapsed in an exhausted pile in the tangled bedsheets, Blitz with his hooves wrapped around Dusk as he slumbered softly. He was thinking how fickle the world really was, and how eventful the last few weeks had been.

"This world is mental," he concluded.

A small smile crept over his face and he shut his eyes, joining the ships to carry him away with Dusk to the realms of dreams.

The sun over the hills early the next morning, sweeping up the night like a cosmic dustpan to make way for the new day. Few were out or about after the previous night's frivolities, but one mare had a train to catch, and little time to prepare for it.
A surprisingly radiant Dawn Star trotted through the morning town, followed by an equally well groomed Elusive, both carefully avoiding the occasional litter and rather more queasy looking messes on their way to the library.

"Dusk Shine! Are you awake?!" called Elusive to the unicorn's bedroom window after knocking the door yielded no results. "It's funny," he said to Dawn, "he's usually up by seven o'clock."

Dawn remained silent, but had a rather good idea on just why Dusk might still be asleep. She smirked inwardly. She watched Elusive pick up a tiny pebble and use his magic to tap on the window. They saw the curtains be pulled back, and a fumbling hoof search for the handle, until it was cracked open. A very sleepy looking Dusk Shine squinted out, yawning loudly.

"M-Mornin'," he said shudderingly.

"Good morning my friend," said Elusive, trying not to cry at the state of Dusk's mane, which looked as though it had been twisted backwards through a hurricane. "Would you mind opening the front door? It's just that Dawn leaves for Seaddle in, what was it? Oh yes, two hours."

"Two hours... two hours?! Oh goodness! Oh my, oh dear!"

They could hear him scrabble away and bolt down the stairs, bumbling incoherently the whole time while he unlocked the front door.

"Dusk, I'm not in that much of a hurry," said Dawn in an effort to calm him down.

"But don't you want to get to the station an hour early?"

"Whatever for?"

"Contingency time."

"What could warrant an hour of delay in the quarter mile between here and the station?" asked Dawn.

"You'd be surprised," said Dusk darkly.

Shrugging, Dawn trotted upstairs to the guest room, leaving Dusk and Elusive alone in the entrance to the library. They looked at each other.

"Sooo...?" they both said simultaneously. "Yup." They both grinned and hoof-bumped each other. "Congratulations!" "Thanks." "Stop that, it's creepy." "Whoa."

"Okay, stop," said Dusk.

"It wasn't me, it was you!"

Dusk smiled and shook his head, his mane flopping about.

"Would you like some coffee to pass the time?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Steam swam across the platform as the large red train bound for Seaddle chugged into the station. The grey rain curtain rolled back to reveal an almost tearful Dawn Star, surrounded by piles of bags and suitcases. Dusk was once again struck by the bitter romance that was a train station, where we so often say hello, and regrettably, goodbye...

"When I walked off this platform and tapped you on the shoulder, I never imagined what a ride I was in for," said Dawn, just about maintaining her composure. "I'll take many fond memories away with me, and I hope I can come back some time."

"The Library is always open for you," said Dusk, giving a little bow.

"And as for you," said Dawn to Elusive, "I want you to promise to keep in touch and maybe visit Seaddle, yes?"

"Oh Dawn dearest, you won't be able to keep me away," said Elusive with a flawless smile.

Dawn looked strained for a second, before she walked forwards to kiss him full on the lips. The white stallion's eyes fluttered shut at the contact until they broke apart, each wearing a bittersweet smile.

"And Rainbow," she said, turning to the prismatic stallion at Dusk's side. "I'm glad we now understand one another."

"You and me both sister," said Blitz, holding out a hoof for a hugging invitation, that she graciously accepted. "I'll see ya around," he said, giving her golden mane a small ruffle.

"Dusk, I cannot than you enough for accommodating me, guiding me, and dare I say it, even inspiring me over these last two weeks. You have shown me that I still have a long path before me on the road to wisdom. Dusk opened his mouth but was stopped. "Ah ah ah, trust me, you're more wily and clever than even you know... except perhaps in romance..."

"I-I'll concede that," admitted Dusk. "I'm so glad you came, and I will definitely keep in touch as well, perhaps we could do a research project together someday!" His eyes sparkled with radiant enthusiasm.

"Until then," said Dawn, placing a hoof on his neck and leaning up slightly to give him a peck on the cheek, causing Dusk to blush.

"Hey, don't get any ideas now," said Blitz jovially, giving him a friendly punch.

Dawn laughed and Elusive helped her load her possessions onto the train, giving her one last kiss before she left.

"Goodbye!" she called, her voice finally cracking as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I will see you all again."

And with that, the whistle was blown, and the wheels of the world began to turn once more, carrying Dawn away until she was a small speck in the distance. It was time. She was gone.
Elusive, suddenly feeling very glum, turned to Dusk and blinked. In Dusk's mane was the powder blue Dragon Bell flower that he'd given to Dusk two weeks ago.

"Dusk? You have... a flower in your mane."

"I do? The unicorn extracted it and observed it. "Dawn must have put it there when she hugged me."

Elusive frowned.

"Did you ever tell her that it was me who gave it to you?"

"N-No, was I supposed to?"

"Haha, of course you weren't my friend, I was just curious..." he sighed deeply and rubbed his face wearily, as though he'd suddenly aged a few years, a terrifying concept. "I... I'm gonna go home, I'm not feeling myself, for obvious reasons. See you fellows around."

Dusk held out the flower to his friend, with a knowing look in his eyes. Elusive nodded.

"I... thank you, Dusk."

As one, Dusk and Blitz watched the dejected stallion trundle off and around the corner.

"Will he be alright?" asked Dusk tentatively, taking a seat.

"Course he will," said Blitz, sitting next to him. "This time tomorrow he'll be going on and one about suits and shit again."

"I do hope so."

They sat together, looking out past the station to the rolling gold and green hills of Ponyville and beyond, each lost in his own turbulent thoughts. Life can sometimes push you together in wonderful and curious manners, but equally, it can wrench you away from those who mean the most to you, often in the cruellest circumstances. Everything is equal, and the yin must balance the yang. In a small corner of Equestria, in a wholly unremarkable station, on an even more unremarkable bench, two young stallions decided that day to challenge the ways of the world in open combat, enclosing their hooves together as if daring the forces that be to pull them apart. This was the day they held each other, to never let go.
A cool breeze ruffled through their manes.

"I love you."

"I love you too, pony boy."

Epilogue: Poetry in Motion

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Eighteen
Poetry in Motion

Oh, how swiftly the time passes,
From one hour to the years,
Are our memories the sum of ourselves?
Are we the sum of our fears?

Vainly, I seek the answers,
To the questions that never were,
For when I lie in your cuddly grasp,
The clocks become a blur.

In meeting you, three years before,
I was bestowed with grateful luck,
And now we're here with each other to blame,
And I find myself wonderstruck.

"What'cha writing?"

"Nothing!" said Blitz, slamming his book shut.

"C'mon, let's have a looksie," whined Dusk, grinning and sitting beside him.

"Mmf, fine," said Blitz grumpily, reluctantly opening the black book to Dusk.

Waves of warmth from the fireplace bathed Dusk's study. Outside, the first snow of the year was starting to fall, kissing the ground and turning the world white. Rainbow Blitz had been left to his own devices for some time, and had decided to do some writing at Dusk's writing desk to ward away the boredom.

"It's shit, I know," Blitz mumbled, shuffling a little closer to his boyfriend, who was shivering. "You been outside?"

"Yeah, it's freezing out there," said Dusk, sniffling.

At once, Blitz scooped him up, eliciting a yelp from the surprised unicorn. They curled up on the hearth rug and Blitz extended a soft feathery wing, draping it over Dusk like a fluffy blanket.

"You should say, I don't want you getting a cold."

"Thank you," said Dusk, snuggling into Blitz and flicking through the pages of the small books. "And this poem is great!"

"You're just saying that... I used a dictionary a lot... and a thesaurus."

"So? It's great work no matter how you did it."

"You really think so?"

"Yup," said Dusk, cuddling up to him to get warm.

"Aw, you still cold?" asked Blitz, manoeuvring around so that Dusk's body was facing the fire. "Better?"

Dusk hummed in agreement while Blitz nuzzled his ears; he loved it when Blitz did that, and he loved it even more when he-

"Mmf!" squealed the unicorn at the nibbling sensation on his ears.

Works every time, thought Blitz, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Dusk Shine was now putty in his hooves, twisting his head into Blitz's administrations.

"Ooh, please don't do that while I'm trying to concentrate," said Dusk as he squirmed.

"And why not?" said Blitz with all the slyness of a fox. "By the way... do you want me to wear the socks in bed tonight?"

"Ooh, yes please," murmured Dusk.

"Mmhmm, which ones?"

"Th-The blue silk ones... I like them..."

"You're way too easy when I nibble your ears."

"Sh-Shush you... wh-what's this?"

The book was open on a clean page, where Blitz had curiously penned a new poem Dusk hadn't seen before. It had caught his eye because it was written all in different colours of the spectrum, or at least, the coloured pens that Blitz had to hoof at Dusk's writing desk. It also seemed to have been written carefully, a great difference from Blitz's usual hoofwriting which had all the loops and coherence of a pile of string thrown onto the ground.

"Oh, um, I've been meaning to show that to you, but I keep feeling like it's not ready."

"Hmm, I know the feeling," said Dusk, thinking about all the work he sent to Celestia 'half-done'. "May I read it?"

"I suppose, it's not gonna get any better..."

Dusk gave one of Blitz's hooves a gentle squeeze, and read slowly and carefully, the amethyst pools of his eyes were shining wider and wider. He smiled, baring his pearly teeth to Blitz.

"This is... so beautiful- I-I can't even begin..."

Blitz swept a loose lock of Dusk's mane from his eyes and looked down at him.

"I thought I'd make a poem about us... it's not too corny is it?"

"It's seraphic."

"Gesundheit."

Dusk rolled his eyes, and sneezed.

"Gesundheit. You really are getting a cold, aren't you?"

Dusk tilted his head back into Blitz's fuzzy chest and looked up. Blitz's eyes held nothing but sincerity. The unicorn's chest started shaking, until he burst out laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" asked Blitz, feeling as though he had missed something.

"Oh, it's nothing, haha," said Dusk. He turned so that he was face to face with him. "Just never change...I love you," he said, kissing him on the nose.

Blitz smiled at the three little words, he always did.

"I love you too."

And there they lay, warmed in each other's embrace by the fire, on that snowy Hearth's Warming Eve.

I am the red in the past,
The pictures in the books upon your bedroom floor.
And I am the orange in the overcast,
The yellow on your cellar door.
I am the green in the grass,
That bends back from underneath your hooves.
And I am the blue in your pegasus view,
The purple in your sunshine youth.

If you cut me I suppose I would bleed,
The colours of the evening stars.
You can go anywhere you wish,
'Cause I'll be there, wherever you are.

The sweet rainbow air will sink in the night,
When all your dreams turn to dust,
The shimmering Sun smiles down upon you,
Revealing,
Thecoloursofdusk.

The End

Author's Note

The Technicolour Phase by Owl City. The 'theme' as it were to this whole story.
I hope you enjoyed this story, see ya on the other side.

Dusk and Dawn

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey
Edited by Reevsie
thatman helped (a bit)

Chapter One
Dusk and Dawn

Amber flames burned lazily in the grate, suffusing the air with a soft golden warmth. The fire briefly licked up and hissed as yet another scrunched up piece of parchment was tossed angrily into its waiting jaws from the writing desk, followed by a groan.
Dusk Shine stared intently at the fresh sheet of parchment before him, as if daring it to challenge him as its previous brothers had. Every attempt he made to write a reply was futile, the words stubbornly refusing to string together. As a stallion of learning: reading and writing were Dusk's forte, or so he had thought, but today he'd received a letter so stressful that it put him at an utter loss of what to write. Okay, that wasn't strictly true, he knew exactly what he wanted to write, he just didn't know how to phrase it so he wouldn't be spending the next five years stranded on the Moon.
Silence reigned over the room, broken only by the irritable sniffs of the stallion occupying it, his ears twitching in annoyance every time the fire dared to utter so much as a crackle. The bands of tension that Dusk was emanating into the air were almost tangible; Spike could sense it from two rooms away and knew better than to interrupt, leaving Dusk to his contemplation, or rather, the lack of it.
His brain was jammed, or so he reasoned. So many thoughts were bouncing around in his skull, battling for dominance, that it was impractical to even try to write. The poor stallion had tried everything to induce mental clarity: meditation, reading, having a nice long bath, he even had a shot or two of Applejack's best whiskey, but nothing was working.

"This is ludicrous," he grumbled, playing with the half empty bottle of spirits in front of him. "How can Celestia possibly expect me to do this?"

He glanced to his left at the innocent looking letter that was causing him all this trouble. It was innocent in roughly the same fashion that a bear looks beguiling and handsome until you see it maul a deer to death. Picking it up, he scanned the elegant, curvy words for an eighth time, just to make octuply sure that what he had read was correct, and it wasn't just his mind playing a cruel joke.

My most faithful student,

As you are perhaps not aware, my sister has recently taken a student under her wing as I had with you. I have neglected you ever meeting her, for which I apologise. I don't recall even telling you anything about her, forgive me. Her name is Dawn Star and she's a delightfully charming character who you'll get along with like a house on fire. I've found a little time to arrange for her to visit Ponyville from Seaddle, in the hope for you both to get to know each other and share your brilliant minds, and that it will do you both good. She's spending the night en route here in Canterlot and will be departing for Ponyville tomorrow morning. If I do say so myself, she is available, my student, so you might want to get to know each other a little more if you catch my meaning. Just keeping your best interests at heart you understand. Returning to topic, she'll be staying for two weeks so please help her feel welcome and introduce her to your friends, and I'm sure you'll have a blast. In more ways than one.

With warmest regards,
Your friend and mentor,
Celestia

To be super sure, Dusk read it yet again, and then let his head hit the desk with a dull thump.

Why? Just... why?

Enclosed was a photograph of Dawn herself. A smiling white earth pony with wavy golden hair and inquisitive blue eyes looked at him, the smile seemed almost mocking now.

"She can't be serious. I never talk to– to girls! I-I'm not cut out for it, that's more Applejack's or Elusive's job."

He thought momentarily of just dumping her on one of them for the duration, but swiftly dismissed it. No matter how awkward he may be, he was still a gentlecolt at heart.
Clutching his head in frustration, he hesitantly raised his quill and set it into the inkwell.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Having made quite sure what you sent me was indeed correct, I've decided that although I'm used to you setting me challenging tasks, I can't help but feel this one takes the proverbial biscuit. Are you sure I'm up to this? I mean, you know, for wont of a better word, how reclusive I can be, is this really the wisest decision? Still, I will graciously accept this assignment, if a little reluctantly. I've heard that mares often get in the way with work, though I hope this doesn't ring true, I still have a lot of research to be getting on with.

Your faithful student
Dusk Shine

Narrowing his eyes, Dusk gave his letter a critical once over, and breathed a relieved sigh when he found what he had written to be adequate.

"Spike!" he yelled.

There came a yelp and a small thump, as if something had been dropped on the kitchen floor, then a clattering of claws as the little dragon dutifully answered the call, flinging the living room door open.

"Yes?" he asked simply, trying his best not to look guilty.

Dusk leaned down from his seat and put a hoof on Spike's cheek, eyes suspicious.

"You've been eating ice cream again haven't you?" he said sternly, looking at the melted residue that was now on his hoof.

"M-maybe," admitted Spike, hanging his head low.

"Spike, what have I told you? Only at weekends! It'll do you no good."

"But you eat ice cream every day!" Spike complained.

"Yes, but I'm older than you and I need it. My job is very stressful," Dusk countered.

"But that's not–"

"Look, this is beside the point," said Dusk, surreptitiously licking his hoof, "I need you to send this letter for me."

"I– fine..." he grumbled.

Pressing a stamp to the parchment, Dusk sealed the letter and passed it to Spike, who sent it on its way.

"What's it about?" he asked, wondering what had got the stallion worked up this time.

"We've got company."

"And, done!"

Her reading glasses flashed in the grey moonlight, betraying the eager glint that her eyes also harboured. The frantic scratching of a quill echoed around the dark and spacious bedchamber as a young ivory coloured mare added the finishing touches to what was surely a very engaging essay on tree biology. Stretching demurely, Dawn Star neatly placed the quill into its holder and folded up her parchment, putting it into her bag.
Dawn had many other such bags, seven in fact, all fit to bursting with books, paper, quills, bathing products, nice smelling perfumes, and some other trivial and forgetful items like money and train tickets. After double checking that they were all accounted for, Dawn glanced up at the clock in the dark room, and was surprised to find that it had passed eleven o'clock.
Yawning, the mare stood up and meandered wearily to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

"Gracious, you do look a mess," she mumbled to her reflection with a smile, peering at her fuzzy golden mane and weary sky blue eyes. She picked up an old looking hairbrush off the basin and her nose wrinkled a little when she noticed that there were several long blue and purple hairs tangled into it. Setting it back down, she rummaged through her bags until she found her own hairbrush, which had never known such horrors as tangled hair. After her mane was back to its long, flowing splendour, she set to work brushing her teeth. She began to fall into a bit of a daze, thinking about the next two weeks with this mysterious stallion with such imposing notoriety. She had seen the stained glass of the Royal Hall many a time and remembered noticing a small angular Dusk Shine forever immortalised in its panes. She'd also heard many tales about him these last few years, but struggled to believe any of them.

I wonder what he's like? she mused. I wonder what Ponyville is like?

Dawn had always loved travelling, even from a young age. She smiled to the mirror as she recalled the time she had boarded a train to central Manehatten as a foal, and the subsequent hysteria of her parents... the police eventually found her snoozing in a science museum. It amused her that she had been so adventurous even then.
As such, the trip to Ponyville was all very exciting to the young mare, even though she had an annoying little niggle at the back of her mind.

What if he doesn't like me?

A knock at the door startled Dawn out of her reverie.

"Hewwo?" she called with a mouth full of bubbly toothpaste.

Dawn heard the door open as she rinsed her mouth and sat upon her bed. She was not at all surprised with the new arrival, in fact, she'd been expecting her.

"Good evening," said the calm, low voice of Princess Luna, a bowl of pudding floating in front of her. "I trust you are all ready for tomorrow morning?"

"As always, Princess," said Dawn with a hint of pride at her organisational skills.

Luna looked the alabaster earth pony up and down critically.

"Is there anything that is troubling you?" she asked.

Dawn considered this for a moment, before answering:

"What is this Dusk Shine like?”

“I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if it weren’t for him, I know that much,” said Luna, looking slightly uncomfortable at bringing up her past.

“Yes, but what’s he like?” she insisted, curiosity getting the better of her.

Luna cast her mind back to the few occasions she’d actually shared with the stallion.

“You’d do better asking ‘Tia,” she concluded, “but from what I’ve gathered, he’s a very kind, caring and honourable pony as you could ever wish to meet. He’s not bad looking either,” she added with a wink.

“I see, I guess it’s only to be expected from Celestia’s personal student," she said dryly.

“It’s also expected from my personal student,” said Luna pointedly, “requirements that she fulfils admirably if I might add.”

Dawn’s cheeks blushed silver in the moonlight.

"He sounds like a nice enough guy," said Dawn, getting into the bed proper and throwing her head into the pillow, catching a faint hint of lavender as she did so.

"You'll find out first hand tomorrow morning," said Luna amiably, drawing the curtains around her with her magic. "Goodnight, Dawn, I'll send some pleasant dreams your way tonight."

"Thank you, Princess," said Dawn sleepily, closing her eyes and drifting soundly to sleep.

Lit only by candlelight, Princess Celestia was reading a well-read book in her bed whilst munching on a hovering banana. The royal bedchambers were by matter of course a lucrative affair: oval shaped and large, featuring a snow white bed, cupboards full of accumulated possessions, and shelves with many a curious celestial instrument. A bedroom often reflects its inhabitant's personality, as such, Celestia's room was a calm and collected affair, bathed in serenity and peace, until Luna comes bounding in.

"Hellooo, sister!" she said playfully, jumping on the end of the bed and disturbing Celestia.

Celestia's magenta eyes appeared over the top of the book like the sun rising over the horizon.

"Do you like bananas?" she asked simply.

"Not really," said Luna.

"A pity, I was going to offer you one," she said, pointing at her banana bag. Luna looked puzzled, but shook it off.

"I was going to ask you how Dusk Shine has taken the news of my student visiting him."

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a materialising letter that arrived with a little pop onto her head.

"Ah, a conveniently timed response from Dusk," she said. "That was fast."

Celestia broke the seal began to chuckle as she read the letter.

"Something amusing, 'Tia?"

"Aha, I think that my faithful student might have met his greatest challenge yet," said Celestia with a wide grin.

Follow Me to the Bath House

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Five
Follow Me to the Bath House

Rainbow Blitz knocked his head back, tipping the last drops of delicious cider into his mouth. He hiccoughed slightly and set his mug back on the bar, giggling to himself. Maybe he was just being silly. Neither Dusk nor Dawn seemed the type to just jump into bed after so short a time. But still... the thought that he should perhaps let Dusk know the truth weighed heavily on his mind, as it skipped hoof in hoof with his fear. He groaned and slumped forwards, tracing his hoof in small circles on the counter. The silver-maned barkeep gave him a concerned look through his half moon spectacles, mumbling something along the lines of: "Pegasi..."

"How *hick* many am I on, dude?" he asked genially to the elder stallion behind the bar.

"This is yer first..." he said, trying to keep a straight face. "Yer Rainbow Blitz, right?"

"One and only!" he said proudly, displaying his wings and looking like a fool.

"Ah," said the pony. He'd served the bold and brash pegasus before, and would've recalled him sooner, but his memory wasn't quite what it used to be. But he did remember that Blitz was a complete lightweight. "W-Why don't you go play pool in the corner?" he offered kindly, trying to distract him from more alcohol. "It's free this afternoon."

"But the sign says it's two bits–"

"It needs updating," he said swiftly. "Off you trot."

Easily persuaded, he grabbed a cue and set up the table. Eventually, he realised that he was alone and had no opponent.

"Oh well, I'll just have to play with myself," he said, giggling like a school filly.

Rainbow Blitz always fancied himself quite a shot when it came to pool, snooker and the like, unfortunately, the reality was that Blitz couldn't have landed a ball even if the pocket was the size of Applejack's barn door, but still, he was happy, so nobody pointed it out to him.
Hitting the ball with his cue in the same fashion as a blind pony would hit an anvil with a hammer, he sent all the balls scattering in true Brownian Motion, including sending a red ball off the table entirely and by sheer coincidence, a yellow into a pocket.

"Nailed it!"

"Oh wow! Great shot Blitz! Can I join in?"

Blitz turned to see Berry sitting at a table, clapping happily.

"Uh, how long you been there, Berry?"

"Only thirteen point three seven seconds."

Shrugging, Blitz tossed him a cue, and missed, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Please be careful!" called the barkeeper.

"Sorry!"

"Ya know," said Berry as he lined up his shot. "Dusk and Dawn visited me earlier."

Blitz, who had been placidly laying his head on the end of his cue, jerked his head up and lost balance of the cue, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Once more, and you can leave!

"Sorry!" Blitz shouted. "Berry. Please tell me you didn't do anything to make the situation worse!"

"What? Oh, no! I just sat and watched them, I don't think they noticed," said Berry as he took his shot, bending the white around a yellow to hit a red.

"And?" said Blitz tensely.

"They acted completely normally, like two friends," said Berry simply. "If there was anything worth mentioning, it was that Dusk wanted to pay for their snacks."

"Ah, that's just Dusk being Dusk," said Blitz, taking a shot that sent the ball whizzing narrowly past Berry's head.

"I paid anyway, just to be on the safe side," said Berry, looking proud of himself.

"Aw Berry, you didn't have to do that!"

Berry shrugged modestly.

"I must admit, it makes me feel a little, uh, better," said Blitz, lining up his next shot. "Still gonna keep an eye on 'em though."

"I'm super happy to hear that, Blitz," Berry chirped. "Now all you have to do is let Duskie know how you feel!"

Blitz spluttered and dropped his cue, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Okay," said the barkeep, losing his temper. "Out!"

"I'm still not entirely sure about this," said Dusk, looking up at the gently swaying sign above him. It depicted a hoof on a purple cushion, it was being filed. Underneath the picture, in fancy gold lettering was written: Lotus' and Aloe's Day Spa. It seemed to swing tauntingly at him.

"Dusk, sometimes it's good to challenge gender stereotypes," said Dawn soothingly. "And also to try new things I guess," she added as an afterthought.

Dragging his hooves, Dusk followed Dawn into the spa. His initial thoughts were that of a very large bathroom, even though they were only in the foyer. The walls were shiny and enamelled with large, pale turquoise tiles, the graceful, curving roof had large, stained glass windows, sunlight cascading through it like a waterfall. Taking a deep breath, Dusk smelled what can only be described as cleanliness. He tilted his head in slight approval of the whole spa thing.

"May we help you?" came a silky, feminine voice from their right.

Dusk turned to see a beautiful pink earth pony mare with a shimmering blue mane. He started stammering, but thankfully, Dawn came to his rescue.

"Hello," she began politely. "We're both rather new to this, so yes, what would you recommend?"

"If it's your first time here, which... I think it is," she said, scrutinising them closely, "then it's free."

"Whoa, really?" said Dusk, surprised.

"Of course, we don't get prestigious awards for being greedy," she said pleasantly. "And if I may be blunt sir," she said, looking at his matted fur and twiggy mane, "you need it..."

"So, um, what are you going to do to us?" asked Dusk awkwardly.

The spa pony gave a chuckle, which echoed around the foyer.

"You needn't be so nervous Master...?"

"D-Dusk Shine, my name's Dusk Shine."

The spa pony turned to Dawn with a smile.

"And I'm Dawn Star," she said.

"Very pretty names," she complimented. "I'm Aloe. And as I say, you needn't be so nervous, the mares will take good care of you for sure."

Dusk found himself blushing.

"I-I have heard r-rumours about um w-what goes on in... ah, certain spas..."

"Rest assured, that does not happen in this establishment," said Aloe with another tinkling laugh. "Although, you never know, it might bump us up to number one in Equestria!"

Dusk chuckled nervously, but it came out as a near hysterical giggle.

"Getting back on topic," said Dawn, rolling her eyes, "what can we expect today?"

"Yes," said Aloe, blushing in turn. "Um, yes. Our standard treatment covers, a power shower, a full body massage, a facial–" She tactfully ignored Dawn's snort of laughter. "–hoof care, a session in the sauna, and finally, a soak in the pool. Sound good?"

Dawn's eyes had glazed over slightly.

"It certainly sounds... interesting," said Dusk with an air of caution.

Dawn nodded weakly, a smile on her face.

"Very well, follow me please."

This might not be so bad after all, thought Dusk lazily, as he felt a pair of hooves grind slowly and deliberately down his back. He was lying face down on a plush, snow white bed. His body melted into it like it was made of cloud. It was nice to have a mane relieved of twigs at least.

"Mmmf!" he grunted involuntarily into his pillow.

"I'm sorry, Master Dusk," said a mare who'd introduced herself as Lotus Blossom. "Was that too hard?"

"N-No, it's fine," said the unicorn muffledly.

"I think Dusk Shine's just enjoying this a bit more than he anticipated," said Dawn, who was in a separate bed next to him, the amusement clear in her voice.

"Quiet, you," said Dusk. She was quite right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
In fact, Dusk was in a totally different world. He'd never experienced anything like this before. Years and years of muscular tension were unravelling under the skilled hooves of Lotus. The knots caused by many hard years of... reading books were being kneaded out of him like lumps of flour from dough. He shut his eyes in pure bliss as he melted like jelly into the bed. There was a pause to Lotus' ministrations and Dusk cracked open a heavy eyelid.

"What's– aaaaagh!"

He yelped as he felt his tail be moved to one side and then two hooves press down on his rump.

"Just relax, Master Dusk," said Lotus soothingly. "I won't go for anything too ah, sensitive."

"That's surprisingly reassuring," said Dusk in a high voice.

Dawn grinned into her pillow.

They were alone. The sizzle of boiling water bounced around the tiny, wooden room. A mushroom of steam rose up to join the thick cloud that dominated the room. Dawn poured a little more water onto the coals with a ladle and then returned to Dusk's side.
Dusk meanwhile could barely breathe, the air was hot, dense, and as sticky as boiling treacle, but he supposed this was necessary for whatever this was doing to him. He swept his sweaty fringe from his eyes.

"Can you please explain to me why we're wearing towels?" asked Dusk, drawing his own closer to himself.

"Well, it's traditional I guess," she replied. "Traditional things hardly ever make sense."

"I suppose... and why does it have to be so hot? What does this actually do?" he asked, panting slightly.

"It's good for your skin," said Dawn happily. "You sweat all the toxins out, or so I'm told. It's generally good for your pores too." She was very pleased to be in an environment where she knew a lot more than he did.

"Oh," said Dusk with interest. "It's certainly doing its job in making me sweat at least."

"You got that right," said Dawn, pouring some more water over the coal. Sitting back down, she cast her mind back to the bridge, and Blitz's behaviour. She had her suspicions about the guy, but had to put her hypothesis to the test, like any good scientist. She began to wonder how to approach the subject that was on her mind. They sat in silence for a little time. "Dusk?"

"Mm?" said Dusk, who was laying back with his eyes shut.

"You know Rainbow Blitz, is he... um, how do I put this..." Dusk opened one eye. "Is he– does he, prefer the company of stallions?"

Dusk's eyes looked lost.

"He hangs out with me a lot, but I don't see–"

"Is he gay?" she said bluntly.

"Oh! Yeah, he's gay."

"Is he open about it then?"

"Yeah, he only came out about six months ago though. Come to think about it, he started acting a bit different around that time..."

"Hmm," said Dawn thoughtfully, "have you ever considered, you know..."

"I wouldn't know about that," said Dusk blushing deeply, he was never comfortable when it came to romance, or even potential romance.

"What about your other friends, Berry or Butterscotch? They seemed sweet enough, even if Berry's a little... energetic."
Dusk stumbled over his words like a pony with four left feet, his blush going supernova.
"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it," said Dawn quickly, seeing Dusk's crimson face.

"I'm okay, I think it's the heat," he mumbled.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Dawn digested the new information, and while Dusk sat in excruciating embarrassment.

"You wanna go to the pool?" she offered, diverting the conversation. "The water's nice and cool."

Dusk nodded, grateful for the sudden snapping of the tension that had been hanging in the air. They both got up, and several things happened very quickly. Dusk's hoof got caught on his towel, and with a strangled cry he fell forwards, straight into Dawn, who went tumbling to the floor with him. There was a confused flurry of hooves and tails, and Dusk closed his eyes tightly, wishing that this wasn't happening. They came to rest, and Dusk didn't dare open his eyes, he could only hear heavy breathing in the dense air, and the rise and fall of a chest from under him. He timidly opened his eyes to assess the situation. To his horror, he found that he was straddling Dawn and that his hot and sweaty body was pressing, quite intimately, into the mare who he was now bearing down upon.

This can't be happening, this cannot be happening!

Dawn was flat on her back, her damp mane was covering an eye and her face was but inches from his, their hot panting mingling together in the steamy air. Her expression was merely of surprise. Dusk's mind was going into meltdown from the five hundred things he was thinking about at once. The fear, the embarrassment, and even the arousal...

"So..." said Dawn neutrally. "This is cosy."

Dusk was still in too much shock to form a cognitive thought or action, let alone process what she just said.

"I–"

"You know Dusk, you work fast I'll give you that," said an impressed voice from behind them.

Dusk's heart leapt in terror. The door to the sauna had opened, the clouds of thick steam dissipated to reveal a white unicorn with a fabulous mane standing before them.