A Tale of Dusk

Chapter 8:

“Well, ah am gonna say, that’s not how ah thought mah mornin’ would go.” Applejack sighed, leaning back against the padded backrest of a couch in the library, nursing a cup of tea in one hand and tugging at the neck of the way-too-small-in-the-chest shirt that Dusk Shine had so kindly loaned her … after she’d chased him through half the town with her goods hanging out and then been clotheslined by his bodyguard, a slender female drake who even now kept on giving Applejack concerned looks. It didn’t help that the shirt smelled very strongly of Dusk’s aftershave … and though Applejack would never admit it, the Stallion himself.

Maybe she could manage to avoid returning it immediately …

“Nor mine. I … do have to apologise for over-reacting, miss Jack. It’s just … Spine and I have had to deal with no end of nightmares in Canterlot involving mares actually trying to do what you managed to achieve accidentally.” The Unicorn laughed nervously, steadfastly looking at the space over Applejack’s head.

“You’re saying getting pushed over, mounted by the finest ass in Equestria and having a fantastic pair of tits shoved in your face is something you avoid?” Rainbow Dash said in surprise, completely oblivious to the entire room turning and giving her the death-glare at her comment. “What, are you gay? C’mon, you had to have popped at least half a boner! Like any Stallion’s going to say no to sex with a hot mare like Applejack, or me, am I right?”

“Yeah, getting spontaneously sexually assaulted and harassed constantly by random strangers who can only see you as a potential notch on their belt sounds like fun.” Spine muttered darkly with enough sarcasm in her voice to leave no doubt of her contempt for the rainbow-haired woman, complete with an evil look matched only by the sheer fury playing across Mayor Mare’s face.

“Speaking of fun, I want a report on my table first thing tomorrow, miss Dash, about the dangers of unsafe flying and the government’s stance on sexism amongst its staff while we’re at it. You were going far too fast while that close to the ground that you couldn’t pull up in time to avoid a crash! That’s a class three accident, and the seventh one you’ve been involved in this year, and I don’t want to even touch what you just said without my lawyer present!” Mayor Mare snapped, slapping the table with her palm hard enough that Applejack was concerned she might have broken something. “If you don’t shape up and stop screwing around while on the clock, I will fire you and find a new pony for the job of Weather Team Leader, so help me Faust!”

“Awww come on?! It was just a little spill!” Rainbow whined, rocking from side to side on the stool, likely already bored out of her mind. The looks on Dusk’s, Spine’s and Mayor Mare’s faces could have caused water to spontaneously combust, yet Rainbow seemed to not care …

“Rainbow, you’re lucky ah’m your friend, or ah’d be pressin’ assault charges fer what you did to me an’ this here Stallion. An’ ah’m damn lucky he ain’t pressin’ no assault charges on me for what happened at mah stall!” The orange farm-mare scowled at her friend, who just shrugged and grinned at Applejack, still refusing to get the hint. An’ once again, Rainbow proves to be distressin’ly oblivious to the fact she’s walkin’ on a greased-up tight-rope with her wings bound an’ a bucket full o’ her ego in each hand.

“And you’re super damn lucky I wasn’t there when this all happened, or there’d be two mares being booked into whatever passes for a hospital in this town for third-degree burns.” Spine growled, tongues of green flame licking out past her lips as Applejack and Rainbow gave her startled looks. “I am Dusk Shine’s bodyguard, and I have a policy of ‘maim first, ask questions later’ when dumbass mares start trying to lay hands on him. You get me, blue, or do I need to burn your pinions off before you pull your head out of your ass?”

“Hey, hey! It was an accident, an accident!” The blue pegasus spluttered, waving a hand nonchalantly even has her forehead became beaded with sweat. “No need for the threats, scalebelly!”

“Miss Dash, I advise, for the sake of your continued employment and physical well being, shut the fuck up.” Mayor Mare grated at the weather-maintenance mare with a tone that Dusk was sure would have made his older brother’s drill-sergeant weep tears of pride. “Lord Dusk Shine, I apologise profusely for the inadequacy of my employee and this morning’s debacle. It will not happen again.”

This last part was said while Mayor Mare glared into Rainbow Dash’s now wide-open eyes with a look that promised eternal suffering, or at least a being screamed into submission as soon as the frazzled Mayor could drag Rainbow back to the council offices.

“Look, why don’t we just leave it there for now. Miss Dash in on record, and on notice, about her actions, miss Jack has a stall to run, you’re a very busy mare, Mayor, and I need to sit down, clear my head and go over these student files otherwise I’m not going to be able to assemble a working lesson plan for Ponyville’s children and they are going to be disadvantaged for the rest of their adult lives, compared to children coming from more normal schooling systems.” Rubbing at his forehead in frustration, Dusk glared at Rainbow, and Applejack was suddenly reminded that this was, if what information Mayor Mare had been able to impart before their little pow-wow in the library’s kitchen, was one of the most powerful Unicorns on the continent, not just magically but in political connections, especially his connection to his teacher, Princess Celestia.

Why do ah get the feelin’ Rainbow jus’ shot down her own dream o’ bein’ a Wonderbolt with this? Applejack turned the thought over and over in her mind. On the one hand, she was sad on behalf of Rainbow, it was obvious as the freckles on Applejack’s face that Rainbow had spent most of her life and all of her effort on being a good enough flier to even be considered as a Wonderbolt, and now, because Rainbow had once again refused to exercise any self-control or think about anything other than her dream, all that time, effort, blood, sweat and tears might be flushed down the crapper.

“Look, ah ain’t gonna say Rainbow should get offa this mess she’s made fer herself with jus’ a slap on the wrist, but she’s a good mare … jus’ dumb as a rafter o’ turkeys an’ ‘bout as evolved as dirt when it comes to the stallions, but ah’d like to think we can turn today’s stupidity into a learnin’ experience fer her.” Applejack’s mouth was moving before her brain could stop it. Gah! Why? They were pissed at Rainbow, an’ ah can’t afford no lawyer if’n this Dusk stallion decides to take mah ass to the courts and sues mah pants off! “Can’t we jus’ … make her do somethin’ fer mister Dusk an’ miss Spine here? Make her see she’s wrong as pears?”

“That’s … well, it’s not a terrible idea, but I am exceedingly concerned about having this mare anywhere near my person.” The Unicorn muttered, eying Applejack and rubbing at his chin in thought. Damn, give that Stallion some home cookin’ an’ some hard work to make ‘im fill out a bit more, give him a beard an’ he’ll make that pose look … DAMMIT!

“Miss Jack, I’m assuming you have some sort of idea?” The Mayor said, her tone all sweetness and light, but still managing to send a bone-shaking shudder down Applejack’s spine from the look of glittering, calculating malice in her eyes.

“Well, jus’ thinkin’, mister Shine here needs a gopher to do his business while his bodyguard keeps his bee-hind safe from the Mares who don’t get the meanin’ of ‘No’, so why not relieve Rainbow here from her position at the Council’s weather station an’ make her mister Shine’s gopher fer a few months.” Applejack forged ahead, ignoring the suddenly-pale face of her friend and the frantically mouthed ‘nonononono’ being sent her way. “If’n mister Shine thinks Rainbow has learned her lesson, she gets her position back an’ this all goes away, no official reports or nuthin’ that could stand in the way o’ her career. If’n she don’t impress mister Shine an’ keeps up wit’ her antics though, then Rainbow’s in the market for a new job wit’ a sting under her tail to remind her to keep her big mouth shut if’n she can’t say nothin’ nice.”

Rainbow appeared to have lost all colour, becoming a faded, almost-white caricature of herself wobbling back and forth bonelessly in her seat, while Mayor Mare and Dusk Shine appeared to be communicating via telepathy, and the young Drake looked like she’d bitten into a cow-pie.

“That’s not necessarily a bad idea, miss Jack. We could put another Pegasus from the Weather Team into the command position for a month or two, get some experience drilled into the more proficient members of the team in-case we have another … accident.” The Mayor sighed and nodded in Applejack’s direction. “And it will also be rather appropriate to see miss Dash finally putting all that exuberance to good use assisting somebody whom she’s put in harm’s way for once.”

Rainbow Dash’s dangerous wobbling appeared to double in intensity, her eyes full of despair and betrayal.

“Hmmm, I’m not entirely sold on this plan, but if Rainbow Dash fails to live up to the terms, well … a very public firing could do wonders to keep other mares like her off my ass, both figuratively and literally.” The stallion sighed and leaned back from the table, his expression troubled. “Princess Celestia always says that redemption is the hope all should be offered, and I’d be a poor student if I didn’t try to live up to her teachings. I’ll do this … and it should also keep the Mayor’s office from being short-handed if she needs to assign me somebody as a guide around town.”

“Well, I will be keeping an eye on her.” Spine grumbled, thin trails of smoke leaking from between her teeth, but the drake’s aggression seemed to have gone down to a dull simmer, rather than the banked inferno that Applejack had faced earlier.

“Ain’t gonna argue with yah there, miss Spine, but ah reckon if’n we give Rainbow here some firm guidelines an’ remind her that speed an’ skill alone don’t make ye the best candidate for Weather Manager, problems like this’ll stop happen’ real quick-like.” Sparing an apologetic look towards the white-face ghost that was occupying the space that Rainbow had once been occupying, Applejack turned her attention back to the others and gave a small smile. “She loves that job like nothin’ else, so ah doubt she’ll do anythin’ to make y’all consider takin’ it away from her. An’ fast as she is, ah’d bet good bits she’ll be the quickest gopher yah ever did see.”

Rainbow Dash merely continued to wobble back and forth on her seat like a half-inflated balloon-clown on a windy day, her expression one of bleak despair and her eyes empty wells of sorrow.

“…I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then, on Rainbow’s behalf.” Mayor Mare said after several awkward seconds of silence, before leaning over and pushing Rainbow off of her chair, the white’d-out pegasus turning into a boneless pile of mush on the floor. “I’ll have her over at the library by 8am sharp tomorrow morning, if that pleases you, Lord Dusk Shine?”

Dusk and his bodyguard shared a measured look, and suddenly Applejack was reminded of what her granny had said the night before, and mingled feelings of amusement, shock and a smidge of jealousy wormed their way through her before the drake sighed, and the Unicorn gave a weary nod.

“That sounds just fine, Mayor Mare. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go …” With a deep, hearty sigh that seemed to come from his boots, Dusk Shine gave a fornlorn look at his bodyguard, who merely grinned slightly at him. “… I have to go see the ponies are the Barnyard Bargain store about some linen.”

“Need new beddin’ fer the old librarian’s private quarters?” Applejack asked as she got up and moved to help the Mayor drag Rainbow out of the library by the ankles.

“More like I need to stock up on towels for the bathroom.” Dusk said wearily.

“And the kitchen. And the entry-hall. And the …”

“Yes, yes, I get it Spine.”

“And so will I. Repeatedly.”

“Spine, we have guests.”

“Guests who are leaving … and we still have the towels for the stairwell, the spare-room and the pantry to deal with before you make a break for the shops!”

Raising an eyebrow at whatever weird Canterlot etiquette that required having towels in every room in the library, Applejack started dragging her comatose friend out of the library and mentally started coming up with reasons to avoid returning Dusk Shine’s shirt for as long as possible … or maybe just buy him a replacement altogether.