Silver moonlight filtered through the orange and yellow leaves which rustled in a cool autumn breeze overhead. Dawn Waves suppressed a shiver as she walked the familiar, overgrown pathway through the woods. As she trotted along, she softly hummed a nostalgic tune. She did this every week, humming and walking through the quiet wood, but she much preferred it in autumn when it was cool, though not yet cold enough to see one's own breath.
The path wound on along hills and valleys for hours though it ended several miles away from where this wood merged with the mystical and foreboding Everfree Forest. Dawn continued on until there was a fork in the path and took the right one which continued on for another fifteen minutes or so before ending in a clearing whose edge ended in a cliff overlooking the woods all the way to the Everfree and the town beyond. Dawn sat at the edge of the overhang and let out a soft breath. Her cream colored coat shown silver in the moonlight.
As she stared across the valley at the moonlit treetops, a sudden feeling of loss struck to the core. This was the closest she would ever be to the sky again. Being a pegasus and having the ability to fly stolen from you is about as cruel as it gets. Dawn imagined it was much like being an ocean fish stranded in a small puddle; trapped and forever longing for the freedom so long taken advantage of.
She looked down at her right wing hanging awkwardly at her side. Completely useless. The feathers had long lost the glossy sheen they once possessed. Dawn pulled it closer to her side and once more glared out at the starscape above. There wasn't a single cloud above and the moon was nearly full. If she could still fly, she would have bathed in the silvery light above, basking in the night air.
It was so very unlike that morning when she had sat here beside Ephemera. The night she had lost her flight and her friend. The night her life changed forever. She shivered against the cold both in the air and her thoughts.
Suddenly a thought popped into Dawn's head... It was a thought Ephemera would have hated her for. Her heart hammered in her chest. It wouldn't be but for a moment, but she could feel it again. The rush of the wind in her lavender mane. The exhilaration of being in the air, far above the ground. She stood and walked to the edge of the cliff. A fever awoke in the pit of her stomach. It would be so simple. Her eyes were fixed forward, her throat dry.
Dawn's good wing stretched wide, the other still hanging at her side. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward... and downward she fell. The cool wind suddenly felt biting cold as the wind whipped past her. It was like being suspended in a very cold limbo. It was not exciting, but not scary. It was not what she wanted, yet everything she dreamed. At that moment, memories flashed behind her eyes...
Dawn Waves was an excellent flyer as a filly. It was quite a shock to her parents, both of whom were not pegasi themselves. Her father's mother was a pegasus though, whom Dawn's parents often consulted, when they had a question on pegasus raising. It was quite the exciting childhood, swooping around the farm that was hidden in the middle of nowhere between Ponyville and Baltimare. Her best friend was a grey unicorn colt named Ephemera that lived a ways down the long dirt road on a neighboring farm. Together the two of them explored the woods and had adventures after their chores were done.
They spent endless days charting the woods and creating maps. They created a path that wound through the hills and valleys, leading to all sorts of discoveries. During one of these outings, they discovered the cliff overlooking the valley over the rest of the wood. After this discovery, the two of them went every afternoon after their adventures to watch the sun set behind the distant buildings of Ponyville. Then they would trek back home to bed to repeat it all again tomorrow.
As it turned out, exploring new territory was Ephemera's special talent, much to the dismay of his parents as they had wanted him to take on the farm once they got too old to keep up with the daily toil. One day, while Dawn was over at his house, his parents had snidely commented on his betrayal to the family to which Ephemera had yelled back in defense. An argument broke out and Dawn decided to leave before she got caught up in the dispute. Though they had never said so in front of her, she was fairly certain that his parents blamed her for their son's discovery of his talent.
That day Ephemera ran away from home. The day was overcast, carrying the threat of a great storm later on. His mother had shown up at her house early in the morning teary eyed as Dawn and her parents were sitting at the table for breakfast. Dawn immediately went out to the forest, promising to find him. Rain had started pouring as she soared at top speed between the trees along the path the two of them had made. When she reached the fork in the path, she hesitated. Then decided to take the fork to the right. In minutes she had reached the cliff. Ephemera was sitting there his grey fur plastered to his body, dark blue mane dripping and shattered glass at his hooves.
Dawn sighed in relief and came to sit beside him. He didn't look at her. They sat there like that silently for a while before he spoke, "I'm glad you're here... but you really shouldn't have come."
Ephemera looked up at her finally, sadness in his bright blues eyes. "I'm leaving and I won't be coming back," he said.
"Where are you going?" Dawn asked, confused.
"I... I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head.
"I'll go with you, then," she replied, "Then you won't be alone."
Ephemera sighed and turned away from her. "I'm... I'm not going somewhere you can follow. I can't live as a disappointment to everyone I know." He stood and walked to the edge of the cliff. "I'm sorry..."
"What are you saying?! You're not a disappointment to me! You're my best friend! My only friend!" Dawn shot up and flew around him so that she was hovering in front of Ephemera over the abyss.
Thunder rumbled overhead. Ephemera looked at her darkly. "What would you have me do?"
"Go home," said Dawn pleadingly. "You won't help anyone doing what you're about to do!"
"Easy for you to say!" Ephemera shouted at her. "Your parents adore you! All I am is a filthy traitor to mine!"
Lightning flashed followed immediately by a roar of thunder. The rain was now threatening to tear Dawn out of the sky, but her friend's life was at stake. She flapped harder to stay airborne. She could feel tears of desperation starting to fall, masked by the heavy rain.
"Please, there is more to life than what your parents think of you! If you hate them so much then move away. We could find somewhere to live together! We could go somewhere they would never find, and you'd never have to be looked down upon again! Please, just don't throw your life away for such a small thing!"
Ephemera went silent. He was shaking slightly, staring at the ground. He suddenly sat down and started sobbing. Immense relief filled Dawn and she let out a few sobs of her own. Wiping the rain and tears futilely from her eyes, she reached forward to embrace her friend.
CRACK! Lightning enveloped the valley in a blinding flash. A dead tree collapsed toward Dawn, it's leafless limbs ablaze. "Watch out!!!" Ephemera shouted and tackled her out of the air... and over the ledge. Together they tumbled through the air, Ephemera holding onto her tightly. Dawn flared open her wings on instinct to prevent their crash. They hung in the air for but an instant when she realized her mistake. The flaming tree crashed down upon them, her right wing caught in the crook between two branches. Crying out in pain, she was wrenched downward with it and Ephemera was torn from her grasp.
Dawn's vision was a haze of branches and firelight. Sheer panic coursed through her as she was dragged along towards imminent death, overriding any pain she might be feeling. She struggled against the tree with all her might but her wing was wedged too well.
Suddenly she was wrenched out of the branches with brute strength and her wing torn painfully from the grasp of the flaming mass now crashing through the trees below. Whoever was carrying her was struggling to keep aloft in the storm with her in his hooves.
"Are you okay?" asked the stranger, angling them so that they would land amongst the trees at the base of the cliff. Before Dawn could even regain her bearings enough to respond, a sudden powerful gust of wind slammed them into the cliff face. She slipped from his grasp and plummeted once more, crashing through the trees and slamming into the ground. Everything went dark...
Dawn awoke in deep pain. Her whole body ached and her wing felt like it had been put in a woodchipper. Raising her head despite the pounding in her skull, she chanced a look at her wing. It was twisted awkwardly, singed, and blood had crusted over it in places. Almost half her feathers had been ripped out when she was yanked free.
She gazed blearily at her surroundings. A light fog had settled in the woods and vermillion sunset light filtered through the leaves. Birdsong rang throughout the valley. She could see through the trees that the trunk of the dead tree was still smoldering, casting smoke into the sky. There was no sign of her winged rescuer, but there, lying in the dirt just mere yards away, was Ephemera. His back was towards her, his fur ruffling in a light breeze.
Dawn struggled to crawl weakly over to him. The ground around him was black with dried blood. She reached out a hoof to shake him awake.
Only... he didn't wake up.
Dawn hardly remembered what happened after that. All she could remember is collapsing outside of the woods, waking up in the hospital, and crying a lot. She had spent almost a month in the recovery wing in the hospital, having sustained a concussion, a broken leg, and several fractured ribs; not to mention her brutalized wing, which was broken in so many places that it was guaranteed not to heal properly. Afterwards, her parents told her she had slept almost the whole time she was there, waking for meals and almost nothing else. She had missed Ephemera's funeral while in recovery; all she could do was visit his grave.
Dawn never did though. She knew he wouldn't be there. Not really. He was gone. However, this was when she began to visit the cliff. She would venture out every day after chores to watch the sun set, just as she had done with Ephemera so many times before. When she did this, her memories drifted to all the fun times they had shared...
As Dawn grew older though, she visited less and later as work on the farm grew. It soon came to the point where she only visited once a week as the moon was on its way to its apex. And so it was from that point on, weekly reminiscing about the only friend she had ever had. Over the years, the good memories started to grow slightly foggy... though she always remembered that stormy night vividly. She started to feel distanced from him, thinking more on other things...
Like flight...
The rush of the wind in her lavender mane...
The exhilaration of being in the air, far above the ground...
Dawn opened her eyes. Her memories had flashed through her mind in an eyeblink. She was spiraling through the air towards death. It occurred to her that Ephemera might think her a hypocrite, committing suicide for something as small as the feeling of flight. She had got on for years without it, after all. And after coming all this way, why should she end it all now? Maybe it had just piled up for so long that she couldn't handle it anymore... Her thoughts went to how distraught Ephemera's parents were at their son's death. How much worse would her parents be at hers?
Dawn suddenly couldn't bear the thought of dying. It wasn't worth it. But she was about to anyway. She wanted to live! Panic kicked in and she screamed aloud, trying to open her disabled wing to halt her fall. She had almost crashed through the trees when something darted toward her with fantastic speed and caught her, mid-fall.
Dawn wasn't dead! She had once again been saved from falling to her death! The stranger flew with her towards back up towards the ledge.
"You're a lot bigger than you were that time I pulled you from that burning tree," the stranger said.
"Wait a second," Dawn said, registering the strangers words, "You're the same pegasus that saved me when I was a filly?"
"Well, you're right on all accounts except one," he said, setting her down on land. Dawn had never been so thankful to be on the earth as now. She sank quivering onto the ground and tucked her forehooves under her chest. Slowly she caught her breath and slowed the thumping of her heart. She looked up at her rescuer, silhouetted against the moon, and gasped.
He wasn't a pegasus at all. His wings were leathery and smooth, much like an overlarge bat would have and his ears were rather large with tufts on the ends. His catlike eyes glinted in the dark, one golden yellow, the other light blue. He was quite imposing, yet at the same time, beautiful.
"What are you?" she asked incredulously.
The stranger smiled, revealing two wicked-looking fangs and he laughed. "Never seen a Nocturne before?"
"A what?" asked Dawn.
"A Nocturne. Though most ponies generally call us bat ponies. I've also heard other names for our kind before, even amongst ourselves. I just like Nocturne the best," said the stranger.
"...So you're the one who saved me before..." Dawn said, sitting up straight so she was resting on her hind legs. "My name's Dawn Waves. What's your name?"
The stranger seemed caught off guard as if he was never asked this question. "Oh... well, it's Dusk Shade."
"Well Dusk, thank you for saving my life... twice," she said.
"If you don't mind my asking..." Dusk started rather awkwardly, "Why were you... you know..."
"Actually, I do mind. And I'd appreciate you staying out of my business," snapped Dawn, swelling with indignation.
"Sorry," said Dusk, "You're right. It was a rude question. It's just... I know someone who tried to... well do what you almost did. And I feel that... that if he had just talked it out first..." He fell silent.
Dawn immediately felt guilty for snapping on him. This stranger had just saved her life and was trying to help her. And while his tact left plenty to be desired, she could've turned him down easier.
"Listen, I'd better go. It's getting late and I've got lot's to do tomorrow," she said, hurriedly standing and turning towards the path that led back home.
"Right," said the Nocturne. Dawn turned her head to see him spreading his wings and launching into the sky over the ravine.
As Dawn started her walk home, one thought permeated her mind... who was this Dusk guy... and how was it he happened to be there BOTH times she had been plummeting towards death?
The next day, Dawn finished her farm work early to return to the cliff and watch the sunset. It was the first time she had done so in almost three years. The sun stained the sky brilliant shades of red, orange, and violet, as well as making the clouds look like fluffy pink tufts of cotton candy. The colors blended with the vibrant hues of the forest's changing leaves, giving the illusion of the sky merging with the earth. It was the most wonderful autumn afternoon she had seen in a long time. She sat there watching the sun drift below the distant buildings, thinking of nothing in particular.
"Been a while since I've seen you here at this time of day," came Dusk's voice, startling Dawn out of her reverie. She turned to see him walk up from behind and sit down beside her.
"You scared me!" Dawn complained.
Dusk simply shrugged and looked out at the sun. "It really is beautiful out here. I can see why you two made a habit of coming here every day."
Dawn's spirits sagged a bit at the reference to her deceased friend. She looked back towards the sun, seeing the last bit of its fiery glory sinking below the horizon. Something clicked in her mind at that moment.
"You saw us here every day, didn't you?" she asked.
"Yeah. I live down in the valley. I have a cave all to myself next to the creek halfway between here and the border with the Everfree forest. Its over there to the north side," he explained, pointing to the general area.
Dawn looked at him again. "You know, you don't seem much older than me...If you watched us all that time we came here, how come you never introduced yourself to the two of us? I'm sure we would have enjoyed another friend. There were never any colts or fillies our age in the area."
"In a way, I just thought you two were so close and I didn't want to get between you."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Dawn asked.
"In another way," continued Dusk, ignoring her question, "I was just too shy. You see, I've lived all alone in this valley as long as I can remember. It's hard to just approach ponies and interact with them if you've never really talked to any."
Dawn smirked. "Well you seem to be doing a pretty good job of it right now. I supposed you practiced before meeting me today?"
"Well, no," he said, "Not really."
"Meaning?" she prompted.
"I read books," he said.
"You know it's rude to not answer other ponies' questions, right?"
Dusk rolled his eyes. "I was answering your question. I read books. In books, there's plenty of conversation. I simply picked it up from there."
"That would explain why you can be so thick," she mumbled under her breath.
Dusk looked offended. "I am not thick! I am the average size for a Nocturne. Maybe you should read a book or two."
"That's not what I meant!" Dawn exclaimed, "I meant thick as in dense!"
"I BEG YOUR PARDON!"
Dawn facehoofed, "I meant... oh nevermind. You'll probably get offended no matter what I say."
The sky was fading from dark blue to black, and the hooting of an owl started somewhere in the woodwork behind. Dawn looked up at the starry sky, a full moon hanging overhead. She felt calmer now that there was someone beside her again. Like the world wasn't as bleak as it was before.
"I appreciate you coming to meet me tonight, regardless of how awkward," Dawn said.
"Sure... it's about time I gave up my solitude anyway. I've just about run out of books to read."
"How many books do you have?" Dawn asked, "Surely you haven't had enough to last your whole life up to this point?"
"Technically, they aren't mine. I found them all in this ruined castle just inside the Everfree Forest. In it there's a library. I take books from it all the time. I usually put them back though, because if I tried to put them all in my cave, there'd hardly be enough room to breathe. I do hang on to my favorites though," Dusk explained
"That sounds quite impressive, though I wouldn't peg you for the avid reader type."
"When you have no one, books will quickly come to be your best friend," Dusk commented seriously.
Dawn thought on this. Had she read more since the passing of Ephemera? Possibly. Particularly the one about the crystal pony who loved this unicorn who betrayed the entire Crystal Empire. She must have read it a dozen times. It was a very good, yet sad fairy tale. Ephemera had given it to her on her tenth birthday.
"I guess you're right," Dawn replied.
It came to pass that Dawn met Dusk at the cliff every day that week. It helped to have someone by her side again. Someone she could actually talk to. She had a friend again. Slowly, the pain she always felt when she came up to the ledge was replaced by a feeling of anticipation. They would laugh, talk, share stories and experiences. Life grew just a bit lighter.
"You know," Dawn said one afternoon, "I would really like to see your home someday."
"Really?" said Dusk. "It's not much. Just a little bit of furniture and random stuff stuck in a cave."
"Does it ever flood being near the creek like that?"
Dusk shook his head, "It's in the side of a hill. The water's never swelled that high. At least not in my memory."
"Sounds neat," she said, "I wish I could live somewhere like that. Somewhere I could wake up as I pleased and walk out and see nothing but trees in all directions."
"You could though," Dusk said, "There are hundreds of places like that. I've seen them."
"Really? I thought you stuck to this valley."
"Certainly not!" he said with a passion, "I've seen places some only dream of. I've visited many places all over the world: from the summit of Mount Everhoof to the cave networks beneath the Land of Dragons."
Dawn was taken aback, "Wow, I never would have thought of you as such an adventurer."
"It's true though. There's no place in this world I wouldn't like to see. I want to see them all."
"It sounds wonderful, to be able to travel around the world. I'm pretty much stuck here though, with the farm and all. But what about you? Why stay here when you could've settled anywhere in the world?"
"Hmm," Dusk paused, looking at his hooves in concentration, "I've never really thought about it. Maybe it was to see you, looking so beautiful, perched up on that cliff."
Dawn blushed furiously and turned her head away from him to hide it. "That's the most stalkerish thing I've ever heard in my life," she said.
"Hey, I'm not that much of a stalker," Dusk said puffing up his chest indignantly. "By the way, your livingroom looks great from the window. Love the carpet."
"Oh shut up," she laughed, shoving him playfully. "And we don't have any carpet in our livingroom. It's hardwood."
Dusk shrugged. "Point proven."
Dawn sighed. "Even though I've come here hundreds of times, the sunset is still as breathtaking as ever."
"Someday," Dusk said, "I'll show you what it looks like from the top of the highest mountain."
Dawn snickered, "I'll hold you to that."
The next day, Dawn went out to the cliff and sat there, waiting for Dusk. She fidgeted mindlessly with the end of her bad wing as she waited, wondering what kind of conversation they would have today. The sun was drifting below the horizon when she realized he may not show up at all. Disappointment sat like a stone in her stomach.
The moon was drifting overhead in the cold autumn sky when she decided to give up and go home. She made the trip back silently, watching the faint cloud of her breath billow in front of her nose, illuminated in moonlight. Worried thoughts occupied her mind. Had he gotten hurt? Had she embarrassed him somehow? Did he decide that she wasn't good enough to be his friend?
As she trotted out of the woods and up the property to her home, she shook all these thoughts away. Perhaps he was just gone on another wonderful adventure. The thought reassured her as she went in and made to get ready for bed.
The next morning she awoke and ate breakfast with her folks as usual. She was eating her grapefruit, all thoughts on what tasks lay ahead today on the farm. Well, almost all thoughts. She was also wondering if Dusk would meet her today, or if he would still be out on whatever adventure he was having.
"I don't believe it," said her father, slapping his newspaper with a hoof. "Apparently that thief that's been stealing from that chemical lab in Canterlot was sighted last night fleeing the scene. And get this, he's not a pegasus. He's a bat pony! That's a load of junk if I ever heard it."
Dawn nearly choked on her bite of fruit. It couldn't be him, could it? He wouldn't! She hasn't known him for all that long though... maybe he had. She had to know. She had to see him. But how to get away from her work?
"Mom, Dad," she said.
"Yes dear?" her mother responded, mindlessly.
"Do you mind if I went to Ponyville today, instead of work?"
Her parent's looked up at her questioningly. Dawn felt a wave of guilt.
"Whatever for?" her father asked.
"I..." Dawn had to think quick. What could she have use as an excuse? "I want to see Ephemera's grave," she blurted. She felt instant guilt at using her old friend as an excuse to skip work. She felt like the scum of the earth.
"Oh dear, of course you can," said her mother. "Maybe I'll go along too and pay respects to your grandfather, rest his soul."
"I'd rather go alone... If you don't mind."
"We understand," said her father. "You run along. I'll take up what slack I can."
As she left, Dawn decided she would go to his grave. That way she wouldn't feel so bad for lying. After making sure her parents wouldn't see her, she made a beeline for the woods. Making her way down the path she came to the fork and took the left path, which would wind down around the hill and take her to the base of the cliff.
Once she came to the bottom, she deviated from the path to make her way west along the valley, searching for a creek. After trailblazing along for almost an hour and a half, she found the creek babbling happily along the forest floor. She followed it up to the north side of the valley until she saw, nestled among the rocks a ways up a steep hill, an opening to a cave.
Dawn trotted up to the entrance, peering inside. It was completely dark. It struck her that Nocturnes could probably see in the dark and therefore she wasn't likely to find any kind of light inside.
"Dusk?" she called into the darkness. There was no reply.
Dawn looked about for anything she could use for light. There were some dead branches on the ground. If she could find some adequate rocks, she could possibly strike a fire and use the branch as a torch. It was the best she had.
Quickly, she cobbled together her torch and stepped into the cave. It wound down into the ground farther than she had expected. Like a long, damp hallway spiraling downwards. She entered a cavern chamber and noticed a switch on the wall. Dawn threw the switch and numerous torches roared to life along the walls, revealing a large circular chamber. Perhaps Nocturnes did use light. Or at least Dusk did.
The room was furnished with a single loveseat beside a hearth and a bookshelf crammed with books of varying sizes. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like many grey chandeliers. Two short tunnels off this room led off in different directions. One led to a bedroom, a bed in the corner, more books on a shelf, and a nightstand on which there was a half empty glass of water and what looked like a diary with a quill lying on top of it.
Dawn picked up the diary and noticed that it was bound with a lock. There was no key around the room so she decided to check the other room. What she found in there surprised her more than when she first saw Dusk. It was a lab of some sort. Beakers and cylinders were perched on Bunsen burners. Containers filled with strange minerals and liquids lined the shelf. There was one corked vial filled with a red liquid sitting on the counter. She observed it curiously.
"What is this?" she asked herself, lifting the vial to eyelevel.
"It's not yours," came Dusk's agitated voice.
Dawn jumped, fumbling with the vial, and barely managed to get it safely back on the counter. She turned to see Dusk standing in the entrance to the room, looking greatly upset.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'll go." She made to squeeze past him but he held out a wing to block her.
"What are you rushing off for?" he hissed, his pupils narrowing to slits.
Dawn's heart dropped into her stomach. "You're scaring me, Dusk." She backed away from him and bumped into the counter.
"You don't have any right to be snooping through my stuff," he growled, advancing on her.
Dawn blinked back tears. "I-I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"
"So, you going to report to the Royal Guards that I've been stealing ingredients from them? Huh? Is that why you're here?"
"Of course not!" Dawn said hurriedly, "I was worried about you!"
Dusk seemed to soften at this and backed away. "Sorry... sorry Dawn. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just... I know they saw me run away with the chemicals. I'm scared they'll find me and lock me up. I couldn't live with being trapped like that." He looked up at her. "You promise you won't tell anyone it was me?"
Dawn, though still a bit shaken, nodded. "I'm your friend. I won't betray you, no matter what."
"Thank you," Dusk sighed. He looked around the lab. Picking up the vial, he handed it to her. "I made this for you, actually. I kinda lied when I said it wasn't yours. I was going to give it to you this afternoon."
"What is it?" she asked. Looking at it more closely than before, her shock fading.
"Well," said Dusk, "It will let you fly again."
"WHAT!!" Dawn exclaimed. She stared at him, slack jawed. "For real?!"
Dusk nodded. "Just promise me you won't drink it until we meet again on the cliff this afternoon. I want to see you soar against that sunset."
"I promise," she said. "Oh thank you so much! I don't know how it's even possible, but thank you!" Dawn wrapped both hooves around his neck and kissed his cheek. He seemed stunned.
"I... you're welcome," he said, still dazed.
"I'll see you tonight then," she said giddily, making her way out.
That sunset couldn't come fast enough. Dawn wasted away the rest of the day by rereading the Crystal Empire book Ephemera had given her. When she had finished, she stuck the vial and the book into a saddlebag and ventured back to the woods. Dawn practically skipped into the clearing, seeing Dusk already sitting there, his back towards her.
Her excitement faded. He looked rather grim. His black mane was a mess. There was a stuffed satchel at his side. Dawn approached him carefully, fearful of another outburst.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
"Dawn," he said with an air of sadness. "I'm sorry, but... I'm leaving and I won't be coming back."
An abyss opened in the pit of Dawn's stomach. "No..." she whispered, "You can't..."
Dusk turned around. "The guards found my home. I can't stay here. Not anymore. But I don't want to go alone..." He held out a hoof towards her. "Will you run away with me?"
Dawn was taken aback. It was so sudden... Should she go? She'd known Dusk for all of about a week and a half, yet he was asking her to run away with him. It was like diving into a pool without knowing how deep the water was. But some part of her yearned to go with him, to see sights unseen, to hide away from the world... just the two of them...
Slowly... she put her hoof in his.
He pulled her into a fierce embrace. "Thank you so much," he whispered into her ear.
Dawn felt absolutely elated. A new adventure now lie in wait for them. She pulled her head off his shoulder to look into his mismatched eyes. Tears of joy were welling up in them. Before she knew what was happening, he leaned forward and they kissed. All feelings melted away. Her stomach was all aflutter and she realized... she loved him. The revelation melted all worries or doubts away.
It was just them. Dawn and Dusk.
They pulled apart and gazed into each other's eyes. And in that moment, his eyes made the sunset seem just a bit more ordinary.
"I guess it's time to fly then," he said, with an air of finality.
"Right," said Dawn, still floating on the inside. She reached into her bag and produced the vial. "So what'll happen when I drink this? Will it heal my wing?"
Dusk, still smiling, shook his head, "No. It's actually a transfiguration tincture. Your whole body will go through a transformation."
"Wait, what? I thought you said this'll make me fly again."
"It will," he reassured her. "When you take it, you'll turn into a Nocturne."
Dawn's eyes widened. This was not what she had been expecting. "Whoa, whoa! I don't want to change like that! I'm perfectly happy being a pegasus."
"Oh don't worry about that," Dusk said, rummaging about his satchel and producing another vial, this one filled with a bluish-green liquid. "This is an antidote to the transfiguration tincture. With it you will revert right back to your old self."
Dawn took the blue vial from him. "Are you sure it works?"
"Positive," he replied, not a trace of doubt on his face.
"In that case..." Dawn stuffed the blue vial in her saddlebag and uncorked the red one.
"Wait!" Dusk said, just before she raised the bottle to her lips. His large ears were angling this way and that, obviously hearing something she couldn't. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide. "We gotta go!" He grabbed Dawn around the middle and took off into the sky. The sudden action caused the vial to slip from her hooves and disappear into the valley below.
"What's going on?!" she demanded, but there was no need. About a dozen golden-armored pegasi emerged from their hiding places in the woods wielding wicked-looking spears.
"The Canterlot Royal Guard!" Dusk explained.
They were at a severe disadvantage; Dusk was burdened by the extra weight of carrying Dawn. It didn't take long for the guards to completely surround them midair, pointing their spears at them. Dawn's heart pounded in her chest, anticipating the worst to happen.
"I demand you to land immediately," said a blue pegasus. Dusk complied, though she could feel how tense he was. If not for her safety being at risk, she suspected he would have made a run for it. They landed through the trees, half the platoon coming down with them, the others staying above to keep him from fleeing upwards.
The blue pegasus pointed her spear at Dusk's throat. "You are hereby under arrest for the treasonous acts of breaking and entering, burglary, evading arrest, and murder in the first degree!"
"What?" Dawn exclaimed, turning a horrified look to Dusk, "Murder?" He did not meet her gaze.
"Who are you?" the officer demanded of Dawn, though her spear was still aimed at Dusk.
"I-I'm Dawn Waves. I work the farm just outside the woods," she responded.
"Check her saddlebags," the blue officer commanded of an orange pegasus to her left. Dawn handed her bags to him and watched him produce the book and the blue vial.
"What's this?" the blue officer demanded.
"It's an antidote," said Dawn, "To help me gain use of my wings again." It wasn't entirely a lie. The antidote would indeed let her use her pegasus wings again after gaining Nocturne wings. But of course the officer looked at her lame wing and made the assumption Dawn had hoped she would.
"Take it in for testing," she told the orange officer, who nodded and slid the vial into a pouch fastened to his side. "Apprehend the bat pony, and take the pegasus in for questioning."
At once the officers converged on them, and neither resisted. Dusk was muzzled and heavily bound in chains, while they merely put a pair of manacles on Dawn. Four guards carried them into the air, two on either side of each of them. More pegasi flew below to create an updraft aiding in keeping those carrying the prisoners aloft. The whole procession was led by the blue guard, guiding them towards the capital of Equestria.
"You have been taken in on account of you being accompanied by a pony suspected of felony," a white earth pony told Dawn from across the table. They were in an isolated questioning room, the one-way window to her left. Dawn was staring down at the table , feeling guilty and shocked.
"I'm Investigator Tundra. I'll be asking you a few questions," the earth pony stated.
Dawn simply nodded in response.
"Right then," Tundra said. "Now, why were you with the bat pony, Dusk Shade, yesterday at sunset?"
Dawn opened her mouth, but words didn't come out. Her mouth was far too dry.
"Listen, girl," he said, temporarily taking off his glasses and wiping them on his tie. "You're not in any real trouble right now, but if you don't answer any questions, we'll be forced to suspect the worst. Now, I'm willing to believe you don't have anything to do with this, but you have to tell me the truth. So, I'll ask again. What were you doing with him?"
"He... he's my friend," Dawn said, praying the right words were coming out. "We always meet at that cliff at sunset."
"I see," Tundra said, taking a note down. "Were you aware that Dusk Shade was a suspected felon at the time of your arrest?"
"I only just found out yesterday," she said. "But yes."
"Okay," Tundra replied, taking another note. "How long have you known him?"
"For about eleven days," she said. Saying it like that, it seemed clear to her that she shouldn't put so much trust in him. She hadn't known him long at all. Yet she was sure she loved him. Is that even possible? To love... a murderer?
"How did you meet?" Tundra asked.
"He saved me from suicide," she said bluntly.
"Suicide? Are you alright? If you need help, we always have the office here that you can visit any day of the week."
"It's fine," Dawn brushed off the offer. "He gave me a new reason to live."
"And what reason is that, girl?"
Dawn sighed. "He gave me a friend again."
"You know there are much more desirable ponies you could be friends with. Being friends with a shady character like him could get you into trouble... Well, it sorta did already."
Dawn didn't respond.
Tundra cleared his throat. "Moving on. Has he confessed to you about stealing chemicals?"
Dawn hesitated. Dusk had told her, but she had promised him that she would tell no one. As much as she didn't want to betray his trust, she didn't want to cause any more trouble than there already was. "Y-yes."
"Why didn't you report this when you found out?"
"It wasn't long after I found out that the guards showed up," she lied.
"Okay then. I think that about wraps it up," said Tundra, collecting his notes.
"Wait!" Dawn said, looking up at him for the first time. "Is... is it true that he... killed someone?"
"Afraid so, girl," Tundra said. "When the guards tried to apprehend him, he killed one of them. It's been rough."
"Oh..." She looked back down at the table.
"By the way, I almost forgot," Tundra said, producing the blue vial and setting it on the table. "We did some tests on that cure there. Not a thing spectacular about it. Nothing better than water, salt, and dye. You can have it back of course, but I wouldn't count on it giving you flight again."
Tundra exited the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Dawn all alone. Salt water? Had Dusk attempted to get her to change with the false security of regaining her old form? It seemed that she had severely overestimated her friend. A thief, liar, AND murderer? That was too much. It couldn't all be true could it?
Dawn was released that afternoon, but she didn't return home. Instead, she went straight to the cliff. The moon was already hung high overhead by the time she reached her destination. The pegasus sat at the very edge of the overhang, watching her breath create freezing clouds in front of her face. The memory of leaning forward towards death splashed into her mind like icy rain.
"I thought you were better than this. Did my desire to not be lonely anymore really blind me so much to who you really were?" she said to the cold air.
The stars did not bring her Dusk's reply. They merely twinkled high above, indifferent to the lives of those far below.
Dawn turned to where Dusk's satchel was still sitting and pulled it closer to her. She opened it and dumped the contents onto the ground beside her. There were several empty vials and a journal filled with complicated math equations, the likes of which she had never learned being homeschooled. There were more vials of red tincture, but no other blue ones. In a small container there was a bit of salt. A scarf was in one of the side pockets of the satchel... Something glinted in the moonlight as she peered into the bottom of the bag. Reaching in, she produced a small key.
...The diary... If she wanted the truth, she might find it there.
Dawn made her way down to Dusk's cave and walked right in, using her good wing to feel the walls until she reached the living area, where she threw the switch and the torches roared to life. The bookshelf had been knocked over, books scattered everywhere. In the lab, all the equipment appeared to be smashed to bits and chemicals had been spilled all over the floor. The bedroom was mostly untouched. She picked up the diary from the night stand and stuck the key into the lock. With a click, the latch came undone...
Dawn approached home in the twilight hours before dawn, her face ruddy and tear-streaked. Her parents were already awake when she opened the door. They were immediately at her side, demanding where she had been the last two days and if she had been alright.
"I need some sleep," was her only response. Without another word, she went to her room and threw herself into bed, crying herself to sleep.
When she awoke, it was past noon. She went to the kitchen and discovered a letter addressed to her on the dining table. However, there was no indication as to who it was from. She ripped the envelope open and read the note.
Dear Dawn,
I'm sorry I got you dragged into this mess. I heard they let you go, though. I know you told them about me stealing the chemicals, but I don't blame you. I couldn't evade them forever; it was only a matter of time before they found out about me. But there's something you need to understand. I never killed anyone. For that, I am innocent. The guards had apparently followed me after I was sighted the other night and showed up at my cave. I tried to hide in my lab, and one guard crashed into the shelf of volatile chemicals trying to get me. The chemicals reacted and caused his skin to dissolve. Naturally, he bled out shortly after. It's easy to think I had used a cocktail of my own creation to kill him in an attempt to evade the authorities, but I pray you believe me when I say it was not my doing. I am already being considered for a death sentence, but I swear I am innocent of murder!
I am going to escape tonight. I know what you're thinking. I sent this letter via a passenger pigeon that lighted upon my window, so the guards have no idea that I've sent anything. If all goes according to plan, I want you to meet me in the Canterlot Gardens just outside the castle at midnight. Then we will run. We can still live apart from the world, in a place no one will find us. We won't have the worry about the guards finding us. We can spend the rest of our days exploring the world together. If my plan fails... well it won't fail.
-Dusk
Dawn reread it twice then threw it into the fireplace. She sighed. Then packing her saddlebags, she headed once more to Canterlot. Dawn needed to see him, to talk to him. Then she would make her decision.
The journey was almost as uneventful as a trek through her woods. The only thing in her mind was Dusk. They had a lot to discuss when she got there. She would make him explain everything.
When she arrived, Dawn spent the last of the daylight wandering around the city, not really paying attention to the sights and sounds around her. She was way too preoccupied to care about any of that.
Night fell softly, bringing with it a light, cold rain. It felt almost like snow, though it was still a little too warm for that. She sat on a bench in the gardens, beneath the light of a street lantern. Dawn occupied herself by fidgeting with her lame wing and mulling over everything that had happened. She looked up after a while to see Dusk standing there, shrouded in a black cloak.
"Hey, Dawn," he said. "I'm glad you came."
"Why did you do it?" she asked.
"I told you in the letter," he said. "I'm innocent. If I didn't escape, I would have been sentenced unjustly."
Dawn shook her head, water dripping from her mane. "That's not what I meant."
"What then?" he asked.
"Why did you lie to me?" Tears started welling in Dawn's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me who you were, Ephemera?"
Silence reigned in the wake of the question. The only sound was the dripping of raindrops. Dusk lifted the hood of his cloak to reveal the face of Ephemera, both eyes blue, dark blue mane, and a horn protruding from his head. The sight of him tore Dawn's heart to shreds.
"I spent the past five years mourning your death. How could you not put my grief to rest?"
"How did you know it was me?" Ephemera asked ashamedly.
Dawn produced the still-unlocked diary and handed it to him. He took it, staring at it blankly. "So you read it all?"
Dawn nodded.
"Then you know... everything."
Dawn picked up the diary from the night stand and stuck the key into the lock. With a click, the latch came undone...
Entry 1
Dawn and I had a great day exploring the woods today! We found a stream in the valley! It's further than we've ever explored before. We have to make a path to it eventually.
I wanted to see more of it, so I snuck out after dark and came back to the stream. There was this old cave up in the hill. I went into it and found out that a nice bat pony lives in there. He says his name is Nocturne Shade. He does a lot of neat scientist stuff. I'll probably visit him again sometime, it's nice to have another friend.
Entry 2
I helped Nocturne figure out this part in his chemistry stuff. He said that I had quite the knack for chemistry and should consider working with him on an experiment of his. It sounded neat, so I agreed.
I decided not to tell Dawn about Nocturne. I wanted to, but I figured she wouldn't be interested in all this math stuff. Also, I'm pretty sure some of the chemicals he has is illegal. Dawn would probably let it slip and get all three of us into trouble if she saw it.
Entry 3
The experiment Nocturne has in mind is a transfiguration tincture! It's supposed to turn whoever drinks it into a different race of pony! Imagine if I could turn into a pegasus! I could fly all over Equestria with Dawn, seeing all the sights.
I've been thinking about Dawn a lot lately. Well, I already think about her a lot cause she's my only friend... But in a different way. I really like her. I want to tell her about Nocturne. Then, she'll know my plans to fly across the world with her. Surely she can keep at least one secret.
Entry 4
It's been a month but last night, Nocturne completed the tincture. This one can transform a pony into a bat pony. I told him I was planning to tell my friend about the potion. He said that it was fine as long as she keep her mouth shut about it. I trust her not to do that. I told her to come over to my house tomorrow.
Entry 5
My parents are the worst. They start another argument about how if I'm always out doing exploring that there will be no one to work the farm. And Dawn was there! Way to embarrass me in front of my best friend! She left before I got to tell her about Nocturne. That's fine though, I guess I'll tell her tomorrow. I'm going to sleep at Nocturne's place tonight though. I can't stand to be around my parents today. I hope he'll let me.
Entry 6
Today was the worst day of my life. Nocturne had a heart attack in the middle of the night. I didn't know how to help him. He died this morning. I buried him on top of the hill over the cave. He was the father I wish I had. But I wasn't about to stay here with my parents, who didn't care who I was at all, as long as I stayed and looked after the farm.
But I couldn't take Dawn with me. I know I couldn't take care of her out there. I wasn't even sure if I would even be able to take care of myself.
I went up to the cliff, and had just taken the tincture when Dawn showed up. She had tried convince me not to go... or so I thought. It occurred to me after she said that thing about moving away with her that she thought I was attempting suicide. It was then that I wanted most to tell her what I was doing... but I couldn't. It was too dangerous. I broke down in defeat.
Then the lightning sent the tree upon us. I hadn't transformed yet, but I had no choice. I tackled Dawn out of the way, hoping my wings would appear and we would be out of harm's way. As we fell, Dawn opened her wings too early and the tree ripped her away from me and down towards the ground. It just so happened that at this moment, I had transformed and I dived to her rescue.
I managed to pull her from the tree, though a bit too roughly. But she was alive, and that was all that mattered. I was not as good at flying as I thought I would be and the wind blew me into the cliff wall, knocking me unconscious. When I awoke, I was back in my unicorn form, and there was a large gash in my head. I was all alone in the middle of the night. I managed to get back to Nocturne's old cave and bandage my head.
Entry 7
A few days passed since then. When my head felt well enough, I used Nocturne's notes to make another tincture and took on bat pony form and went to see whatever became of Dawn. Through talking to her parents under my new disguise while they were in the city, I discovered that Dawn was in the hospital and that I was supposedly dead, burned to ash beneath the tree. It came as quite a shock.
But now I was free. Free to leave. Free to see the world.
And so I left.
Entry 138
It's been four years since I last saw my old home. My bat pony form, or my 'Nocturne' form as I now refer to it, has slowly been lasting longer every time I took the tincture. Over the years, it has gotten to where I only need one dose to change my appearance for about a month. But I have returned home to recover more of the old notes from the research Nocturne and I have done. I need a way to change back at will. Some things are just so much easier with the aid of unicorn magic.
I saw Dawn out on the cliff tonight. She has gotten so much more beautiful than the last time I saw her. I was captivated. I must've watched her for hours as she just sat there under the moonlight. She had clearly changed a lot. It made me think of how I might have changed. Would she like who I had become? Probably not. Better wait till I find the antidote to the tincture.
I suppose I'll be staying at Nocturne's old cave for now. Maybe I'll visit that ruined castle in the Everfree tomorrow and see what I find.
Entry 149
I was supposed to revert forms tonight. It doesn't make sense. Surely, if I calculated correctly the next reversion to unicorn form was tonight at 22:00. But it is already 1:00 in the morning an nothing. Maybe I was off by a day. I need to find this antidote.
Entry 150
I waited all week and no change has happened. I fear the change has become permanent. If so, I'll never be able to talk to Dawn again... I need to talk to her again. I've seen so much out there. I want to share it all with her. But... Not like this. What could I be missing? I've gone through all the notes twice and not a thing here gives any clue as to what I need to reverse engineer the tincture. Another trip to Canterlot Castle is in order.
Entry 162
Autumn has returned. It's been almost a year since I've been back now. I can't believe it. And still I have gotten nowhere with the antidote. I've gotten to the point where I'm basically just trying different things to see if it comes close to what I want. I think I was pretty close when I added Sodium Hypochlorite. But the math didn't work out right. I'm getting somewhere though.
Entry 163
Dawn tried to kill herself. I would have never thought it. She really has changed and I'm not sure if it's for the better. But after I saved her, she seemed to slowly regain that old spark she used to have. She seemed eager to have a friend. But I wasn't her old friend anymore... So I made up a whole new identity for myself. And thus Dusk Shade was born.
Entry 164
I met with Dawn again today. It was just like old times. Even if she didn't know it. It was the best I've felt in a long, long time. I made up a whole fictional past for Dusk. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing that I hadn't changed forms. Being a Nocturne, I can be me without being tied to the past. Starting anew.
Either way, I found out what the key ingredient for the antidote was. It was salt! Imagine my surprise when all that I needed was one of the most common minerals in the world. Simply add the salt to the tincture and the liquid will turn from scarlet to blue. The composition will then be similar to salt water, though not quite. There was a catch to it though. It had to be pure salt. The slightest impurity would cause the solution to be useless. That eliminates waltzing into a store and buying it by the pound. Where would I find completely pure salt?
Entry 165
Science labs constantly have pure salt. If I can just get into one, I can find some, right? It may require breaking and entering, but I'll do anything to get my hooves on some. However, maybe I won't tell Dawn... Dusk is doing so well with her. I think it may be worthwhile to see how it turns out between them...
"Then you know... everything."
Dawn looked at him, anger swelling up inside. "No, I don't," she spat. "All I know is that you ran away from something that could be talked out! You were so afraid to stand up to your parents that you let the world think you were dead for five years! Why?! My heart died that day we fell from that cliff. I was all alone..." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Why didn't you come back for me?"
Ephemera hung his head. "It was selfish... I was so worried about how I felt, that I never thought about how you would feel. I never paused to see what you went through... the heartache, the trauma, the grief... How much must I have hurt you? I'm sorry, Dawn. I never wanted to make you feel that kind of pain. I'm so, so sorry. I would do anything to take it back."
Dawn's looked up to see that he was starting to tear up as well. She felt that strange feeling of certainty again. This time, it was the certainty that he was telling the truth. That he meant every word he said. And in that moment, she loved him again.
"I know how you can make it up to me," Dawn said, wiping the tears from her face.
"What?" he said, looking up at her with surprise.
"Let's run away together. But no more hiding, no more Nocturnes, and no more lies." She held out her hoof. "Will you do this for me?"
The tears faded from Ephemera's eyes and a smile broke out across face. Without hesitation, he put his hoof in hers, and gazed determinedly into her eyes. "I promise."
Dawn and Ephemera fled Equestria that night, looking for sights unseen and worlds anew. Not once did they look back at the place they left behind. They instead looked ahead to the future bright ahead of them, lighting their way. And thus, they ventured forth, the sun gently rising into the sky.
