E.q.Gee Rule Sixty-three

Waking up early, Faye had cooked some breakfast – two veggie sandwiches – and sat facing Dusk, who looked as if he had trouble sleeping.

“Homesick?” Faye asked.

“More than ever.” Dusk replied “I’ll be fine though.” Dusk told Faye that he would be leaving on the night of fall formal via plane.

“Okay then – what time is your flight?” Faye asked, accidentally taking with her mouth full.

“Midnight.” Dusk replied automatically, taking a bite out of his sandwich. However, the pickles started to slide out one by one.

“Where are you going?” Faye wondered.

“…Hawaii…” Dusk stated, having read about a few of the places in this world during his spare time. He took another bite only to have his tomato fly out.

“My bad…” Dusk groaned, “I’m just really exhausted…I mean, I think - No, I know we can win, but Sundown’s threats seem…seem to be just annoying me. Not scaring me – they are just annoying me.”

Faye nodded “You’d think that with that power from that key around his neck he would just burn everything to ground until he found the crown....”

Before she could answer continue, Faye’s phone buzzed

“Come to Jessy’s Cafe at 11:30 – I have an … I-de-aaaa? Elliot…” she read aloud.

Dusk never felt so much nostalgia hit him in long time, yet seeing “Jessy’s Cafe” made him feel that he was back Canterlot as a regular lavender pony, rather than a pale hairless human.   The dinner was in the exact same style as Pony Jessy’s doughnut bar, only that it was two stories tall, half as wide, and squished between two apartment buildings.

“You look happy.” Barbra commented quietly as they walked in. To Dusk, the dinner was much smaller to navigate through than the one back in Equestria, possibly because humans didn’t take up much space.

Elliot and Bobby were sipping two smoothies at a table close to the window. The beckoned the two to come over

“Hey guys…so what’s the plan?” Dusk asked, taking a seat next to Elliot.

“To make a plan once the rest of us get here.” Bobby explained.

“Well let’s start anyway now that Dusk is here.” Elliot began, pulling out a bag. He took out a headband that had two ears attached to it and threw it onto Dusk’s head immediately.

“What is this? Another crown?” Dusk groaned

“Nope – it’s part of a classic uniform…” Elliot explained, then pulling out a stained sweatshirt with a faded out ‘C’ on it. “Ever heard of the Canterlot wondercolts?”

“Can’t say I have.” Dusk replied. “Fill me it.”

It turned out that earlier in their high school careers, Elliot had designed ‘uniforms’ for the fans since there wasn't a cheer team present for Richie’s game against Appleloosa High School. As popular as the uniforms were during the game, they rapidly declined in fashion and ceased being worn within a month and a half.

“Why bother using something out-of-fashion for our plan?” Faye asked.

“Well, I was against it at first….But Bobby talked me out of it.” Elliot stated, turning to Bobby.

“You see…what if Canterlot high had something to remind itself of days before Sundown was a huge bully? That could help us against Sundown.”

“But…I haven't even seen him act aggressive to anyone else other than us... doesn't that give Sundown an upper hand?” Dusk brought up.

“No matter what Dusk, A few moments of kindness…” Faye stated as, waiter came over to their table and served them drinks “…does not make up for years of wickedness.  It’s a good thing you don't have anything to make up.”

As Faye still gazed back at him, Dusk tried to come up with an argument yet he had none, other than the time he and friends redeemed Eris, thanks to her friendship with Butterscotch.

“…Maybe if he just had one friend in the world…he wouldn't be such a bad guy…” sighed Dusk.

“Oh, he has definitely friends…” Bobby disagreed, looking out the window “…and there are spying on us.”

“Holy cow! How did that pink-haired punk see us?!” Gasped Sugar from behind a bush.

“Heck if I know. He always seems so…weird….” Spice noted from the same bush.

The two girls had stalked Dusk and Faye to Jessy’s Cafe.  They were just about to proceed in when Bobby gave them an imposing look.

“Well now he’s too perceptive and I’m betting he’s already told his friend we’re watching them.  Wanna abort?” Spice asked.

“Yeah…let’s abort and just tell Sundown they went for a romantic walk.” Sugar agreed

“What if that makes him mad?” Spice asked.

“Oh come on – he would get mad but not at us….”

Yet if the two girls had stayed put for a few more minutes, they would have seen the rest of Dusk’s gang marching into Jessy’s Cafe.

Dusk wasn’t surprised to see Ben Scotty, Austin, and Richie already in their Canterlot Wondercolt uniforms. However, they seemed to be in much worse condition. Austin’s seemed to smell of sweat, Richie’s had dirt and grass smears on it, and Ben’s was cut up in several places.

“I thought that at least you’d do better job of maintain your uniform.” Elliott scoffed at Ben.

“But a stray kitten needed it more than me.” admitted Ben. “She didn’t take it kindly however….”

“We should try to clean these up – how many do we have anyway?” Dusk asked.

“Four, as of the moment…” Elliott stated.

“Make that five.” Bobby announced, pulling his out from under the table. At first Dusk and Faye thought he tie-dyed poorly it until a powerful scent of fruits and ice cream flavors captivated his attention.

“That just leaves Dusk and me.” Faye stated. “Got any extras? Preferably any clean ones?”

“Maybe – I’ve got….‘prototypes’ of the uniform back at my boutique.” Elliot flipped through the pictures on his phone, and then presented it to Dusk and Faye.

“Well what do you think?” Elliot asked.

“Its…nice…” Dusk began, yet then stopped.

“… it too colorful. And it’s way too small. And why are there wings on the back?” Faye asked.

“I just had a hunch.” Elliot stated.

“So now that we have the uniforms settled…what's the plan?” Dusk asked.

“We go into the school and dance-off in the cafeteria.” Elliot stated “We rally everyone our cause and they will start to rally more people. It will be easy.”

“And what if Sundown uses his pow-…”

“His power over the school? Don’t worry…we’ll, uh, improvise.” Faye settled giving a wink to Dusk.

Dusk seemed dumbfounded until he knew what Faye meant – so far no one else knew about Sundown’s magical powers. Well maybe Richie did, yet he didn't seem to care about bringing it up so far.

Dusk looked around asked “When do we begin?”

Elliot looked at his phone “Well…we could either start tomorrow at lunch. However it’s the same night as Fall Formal, so you may not get that many votes. Or…we could improvise and do it right after school...”

“Is there a reason why you wanted me to sit at this table?” Tristan the Trickster  asked, pulling out nutty-nut-bars from his hat.

Tenebria, who sat across from Tristan, took one. “Not at all…but just between you me….I’m thinking that working with Sundown is….”

“A bad idea?”

“That, and it’s just not worth my time.” Tenebria stated. “I prefer to remain in the shadows and watch all that happens – I’d rather not be a part of what happens.”

“The great and powerful Tristan wonders what is happening?” Tristan stated nuts and butter decorating his teeth.

“Sundown is turning this small pointless school election into some kind of a war.  Today, he encountered a ‘protester’ who wouldn't let him go first to the vending machine.  Then he used that key around his neck to make his eyes all crossed.”

“Poor kid. It’s a good thing we’re not on Sundown’s bad side,” Said Tristan, as he stuffed his mouth with another nut bar.

“That’s just it – want if Sundown is going to stab us in the back as soon as he gets that crown? And just think about this – if we help him get the crown, how things will things change? I’m not saying we should ditch Sundown…I’m saying we should start planning….”

“A counterattack?” Tristan said.

“Yeah…you could put it like that.” Teneberia replied “I was gonna suggest finding out what’s up with Sundown’s new magical powers before he has a chance to use them on us and then making sure he never does get that chance….”

“I thought Sundown always had that chance.” Tristan stated.

“Either there is more to him than meets the eye…or he’s just trying be all dramatic and showing off more of his new power little by little…”

“Shouldn't we get Sugar and Spice involved?” Tristan wondered.

“Those two girls are too loyal or too stupid in following Sundown. Why bother?”

“Okay…but why pick me? Why share all this with me?” Tristan asked. “And no amount of Nutty nut bars will stop me from asking.”

Teneberia smiled. “Let’s say…in our ‘counter-attack’ we manage to throw Sundown out of the spotlight for the rest of the year. If they know that it was ‘the great and powerful’ you…think of how much fame and praise you’ll get. You’ll be a hero.”

Before Tristan could imagine the wonderful though of being cheered as a hero for the rest of his high school years, he asked “And what about you? I bet you want that key.”

Teneberia, stopped smiling, paused, and nodded “Yes – and intend to keep it where it always should have belonged; away from people like Sundown…And if i can I will throw it back where it came from.”

“Which reminds me….shouldn't we try to help that Dusk-guy? I mean if we are going against Sundown then - ”

Teneberia’s pale hand cupped to Tristan's mouth, causing him to blush. She pointed over to a table on the far side of the cafeteria, where Sundown was ordering a young girl to buy him fries, thankfully not noticing Tristan or Teneberia.

“We should find another place to talk.” Teneberia urged “I have feeling that this school isn't gonna be safe anymore.”

“Was it ever safe since Sundown was around?” Tristan asked..