Chapters A Curious Change in Dusk Light
A Curious Change in Dusk Light Prelude
The gem above her head dimly glowed as she struggled to gather enough magic to lift the quill on her desk. With great effort she eventually raised the quill into the air, dipping it in the pot of ink that was being used to hold a piece of parchment in place. It amazed her how much effort it was taking to simply move the quill so she could scrawl out her final words. She was strengthened by the idea of the importance of the task at hoof. She was at peace with the idea that this would be her last living act. She may very well even die while doing it but, it needed to be done. With a deep breath she steeled herself and shakily pressed the quill to the parchment and began to write.
"To whoever may find this note, and I pray nopony does, please take it as a warning to leave this place at once. Even if these are the only lines of my final confession that you read, leave now, forget that you were ever here. I pray that you do and have a good life for only doom and pain await you here.
"If you have even entered my chamber of horrors to read this it means one of two things: that my warding spells and gems have finally faded, their power to drive ponies away has failed; or that it has found a way to overpower my wards. Whichever will happen first I have no idea but both are certain, I pray it is the former and not the later for if it has over powered my wards then it may be already too late for you and I again beg you to leave now! Flee while it is still possible!
"The things that it has caused me to do are unspeakable, things that I know no sane pony would ever dream of in their wildest fantasies. At times it was as if I was living a dream and witnessing the horrors through another pony's eyes. But, in truth, it was always me, I was the one who murdered those ponies. I was the one who fulfilled my own sick fantasies without care for those that I hurt, even when they begged for death. Because of it I have murdered my friends, my husband, even my young colt, and others I had never met before they became parts of my sick work. Celestia please forgive me for all that I have done, even though I know I do not deserve your forgiveness.
"I look around this small cavern that, long ago, I had fled to when I could feel it's terrible influence first taking grip on my mind and soul in hopes that I would lay here alone, die, and rot away into nothingness. But, it kept me alive and my would-be refuge became my lair, my macabre museum to my sins and my atrocities. Amongst the pegasus feathers, griffon claws, cow brains and other grim tokes I harvested from still living hosts I am always drawn to two item that haunt me the most, two unicorn's horns.
"The first was taken from my loving husband who began to notice my change and tried to express his worry for me. In return for his loving concern I lured back to my lair where I tortured him for days as I scribed dark spells into his horn while he screamed and pleaded for death as an escape from the pain I caused with my dark work. He only died after my work was complete. With several sharp kicks of my hoof I snapped his horn from his skull before driving it into his still beating heart. His blood was needed to complete my spell, to seal the dark magic within the runes on his horn. I still had the audacity to tell him that I loved him as he lay there dying because of me, his blood soaking my coat.
"The other horn belonged to my foal, my young colt who just days before I murdered him had earned his cutie mark. I barely remember what should have been one of the most special days in a mother's life, and that horrifies me. I vaguely remember him rushing up to me proud as could be, the story of how he had earned it gushing out. His father stood there proudly, reacting how a normal parent should, while I stood there numbly, it's voice filling my head with what I thought were more important words. It was only when my husband gave a look of shock at my lack of reaction did I realise that something was wrong. Feigning mild enthusiasm was all I managed to muster. The fact that I still, to this day, do not know what he said, or even what his cutie mark looked like, cuts me deepest of all. It was that night his father confronted me and ended up dead. The day after it made me murder his father my colt began to wonder where his father was. Celestia only knows, no, not Celestia, it , it only knows why but, I took my son to my lair where I proudly showed him the decaying corpse of his father still laying in a pool of dried blood.
"My son was horrified and asked who did this to his beloved father; I smugly proclaimed that I did. He was so confused and so angry at me, and I reveled in his misery. I stood there pompously as my colt wailed over the body of his murdered father knowing that it was pleased with me. There is some mercy in that I can at least say that my son died quicker than my husband. I took the dark wand made from his father's horn and baptised its dark power on him. I think any normal pony would have been sickened and horrified to watch their colt's flesh melt away from his bones followed by the innards, followed closely by his father's flesh and insides, but I was not a normal pony by that point, I was it's slave. The dark magic left only skeletons whose bones I would later use in the construction of terrible concoctions. The shred of sentimentality I had left saved my son's horn.
"Even now, as I think back, I don't feel as other ponies should. I remember how proud I felt and that feeling of greatness washes over me still. I know I should be horrified and ashamed at what it has made me do, but I don't. It made me feel accomplished when I did it's evil work. When I defied it , it brought me pain and showed me promises of pain. But, when I obeyed, it filled me with such ecstasy beyond description. It made me feel accomplished.
"I need to stop saying that it made me do all those terrible things. In the end it was I that actually did them. It simply showed me the way and encouraged me as I did. It's that thought that now finally fills me with the true terror of the scope of things that I have done. I did those things, not it . I have become a monster, not just one of the terrible beings from other worlds I have seen, but a true monster.
"Death draws closer and closer to me with every passing second and still I feel it's will trying to urge me to live. I know with the secrets it tries to give me I could continue to live. I could outlive Celestia if I wanted to. I know how, it has told me, the ingredients sit there on my shelf of horrors. My death, however, shall be my final act of disobedience towards it amongst so many other attempts that failed me. It can't punish me this time because I have to choose to live, and death is my wish. It makes me laugh; truly laugh with joy at that thought. I will have finally beaten it with my dying breath!
"You probably have seen my corpse and wondered who I am. You probably now search this letter for my name. I refuse to sign it because it is best that my name be forever forgotten. I shall die anonymously, with any luck forever undisturbed.
"With my final words to you, poor unfortunate soul who had the misfortune of finding this cursed place, I again plead with you to leave now! You have already tarried far too long if you have read my whole letter and I fear it may be too late for you now. But, if not, flee and forget you were ever here. Good luck to you, may your will be stronger than mine."
The quill dropped unceremoniously as she finished her final stroke. The enchantment that the quill placed on the ink was working. It demanded that even the author read it now, but as her vision grew hazy she knew she did not have the time. With the enchantment her letter would not only survive for millennia but would call for the attention of the potential reader, it would demand to be read. A trick she had learnt from it , hopefully used as a weapon against it.
Turning away from her writing desk her body gave out beneath her. The last of her energy was truly spent in writing her warning. The unnamed unicorn slumped against her soon to be death bed and came face to face with her tormentor for one last time. She wanted to hurl insults at it, tell it how it had destroyed her promising life, but she knew it would only revel in her pain, and she would offer it no such joy. Slowly, and with great effort, she pulled herself into the bed and offered up a final plea for forgiveness from Celestia, or whatever power that would listen to her. Finally, she pulled her tormentor to her breast and died.
A Curious Change in Dusk Light
A Curious Change in Dusk Light
Session One
In a sterile room, at a utilitarian table, two ponies sat across from each other. The brown earth pony in a white lab coat silently studied the unicorn sitting across from him. He looked down as if to ensure notepad, pencil and a blue gem encased in a bronze base were still there. His subject, a unicorn stallion with a deep crimson coat and disheveled brown mane, sat patiently. The earth pony always thought that the thick canvas coat that bound the unicorn’s forelegs were unnecessary, until this case. Likewise to the crystal encased around his horn to shroud the usage of magic. The doctor wondered how such a prominent pony ended up in as dour a place as the Manehatten Psychological Ward.
With a press of his hoof the bronze encased gem began to softly glow, “Session one of Dr. Oppenhoof interviewing Dusk Light on behalf of the Equestrian Psychological Society. How are you today Mr. Light?”
Dusk Light’s lack of reaction caused the doctor to wonder if he had been heard. Dusk Light stared, seemingly transfixed, on the glow of the gem. The doctor was about to repeat himself when Dusk finally spoke, “Do you know what the definition of ‘irony’ is doctor?” He asked quietly.
The doctor was caught off guard by the question, “Of course I do, Mr. Light. Every foal learns it at a young age.”
Dusk continued to gaze into the gem, “I stare at irony every day.”
“How do you mean? Do you find yourself discovering more ironic situations than normal?”
Dusk raised his gaze to meet the doctor’s eyes, “No, I mean literally, I stare at it every Celestia damned day. For example, the Phonographic Gem you are using to document this interview, I invented it. The locks used to secure these doors, I invented them. This magical muffler on my horn, I didn’t invent that, but technology I created was used in its design. Every cursed day I am surrounded by technology that I had a hoof in creating one way or another, and it’s being used to wrongfully imprison me.” Dusk sighed heavily, returning his gaze to the glow of the blue gem.
"So, you feel like you're being held here under false pretenses?"
"Of course I do. Sure, I'll be the first to admit I’d become less stable over the years, but to have me locked up in this hell hole..."
The doctor seemed offended by the remark, “The Manehatten Psychological Ward is one of the finest in all of Equestria, if not the world.”
“Said the free sparrow to the caged canary.”
The doctor studied his charge quietly for a moment. "Why is it you feel you are being held here then, if not because of your admitted insanity?"
Dusk’s face twisted in anger at the accusation, "I never said I was insane! Just, less sane than I used to be. But, to answer your question, it's because of what I know."
"What you know? What is it that you know that would require them to lock you up in here?"
Dusk laughed a harsh short laugh, "If I told you doctor, our time together would be short. No, I don't trust your judgement on what I know. Not yet anyways. Without knowing what I have been through over the past years, what I have seen and experienced, you will simply chalk up what I know to delusional fantasies, just like the ponies who threw me in here did."
"Well, I am eager to understand Mr. Light. May I call you Dusk?"
The unicorn returned his gaze, once again, to the table, "If you must."
"Well then, Dusk, why don't you explain the events that led up to you being committed here by those who worry enough about you to seek out our care.”
Dusk sighed, "Fine, but I need you to understand what you're getting yourself into first."
The doctor was intrigued, "Please, do."
"What I am about to tell you will sound insane. My adventures and experiences will sound like made up fairy tales, some of them so horrible you will assume that I had a lucid nightmare that I committed to memory.” Dusk looked at the table again, “I wish some of them were only nightmares.”
Dusk became sullenly quiet again, “I want you to know, doctor, what I'm saying is the honest truth." He took a deep breath and released it slowly, "Those who put me in here don’t even know the full truth. When I decided to confide in those who eventually betrayed me I skipped the crazier parts because I was afraid of what hearing the full tale may do to a pony."
"Are you suggesting that the mere telling of your tale could drive me to insanity?"
Dusk shrugged, "I don't know. But I want you... and them," he nodded towards the two guard unicorns in either corner behind him, "to understand what you're getting yourselves into."
"Well I am eager to hear your tale. I am fine with whatever risks may be involved." Doctor Oppenhoof looked to each of the unicorn guards, "Are you gentlestallions fine with this as well?" The guards looked at one another, unsure of what they were being asked, but eventually nodded, "Excellent, understand that I am holding you two to the same doctor-patient confidentiality that I am expected to uphold. Nothing of what is said is to leave this room, is that understood?" Again the guards nodded, "Very well then, please begin Dusk."
Dusk again took a deep, cleansing breath, "Where should I begin? I guess at the start. That's where you head doctors like us to begin isn't it, at the start? Well, since I don’t know the exact detail of my conception and birth we’ll start a bit later than the absolute beginning.” He let out a short, hoarse laugh at his own joke, “When I was a foal I was happy to go through life just enjoying every moment I could. While others were trying everything to find their meaning in life and earn their cutie marks, I was busy playing in the grass, exploring the world around where I grew up. My parents started to become worried about me when I graduated from elementary school and still hadn't earned my cutie mark, everyone in my class had earned theirs but me. I was teased mercilessly about it but, again, I never let it bother me.
“I personally wasn't worried; I knew that my cutie mark would come when it needed too. Luckily for me one of my heroes, Autumn Wind was late in getting hers as well, so I took solace in that.” Dusk looked up as if struck by a sudden realisation, “I got to meet Autumn Wind, did you know that doctor?”
The doctor shook his head, “The famous architect? I did not. Tell me how that went”
Dusk Light smiled reminiscently, “It was during my second year at Marekatonic University. Due to the professor being late that day I was taking advantage of the rare spare moment to catch up with my friends Cloudform and Marigold. We were beginning to debate whether or not to skip out on the class when the professor entered, apologizing for being late. He told us he had a very special guest and in my wildest imagination I never would have guessed that it would have been Autumn Wind who walked through that door.
“There were a couple cheers from the class, but I think most of us were in awe of the older mare. This will sound terrible," Dusk laughed, "but the first thought that came to my mind was she was still a very pretty mare for her age. The grey streaks in her red mane only made her look more distinguished. For the next two hours she was very open about how she came to be who she was. We were told about about how she earned her cutie mark when she helped her father, a prominent artist himself, design a new and improved home to replace the one that had been tragically blown down in a violent storm the week before. She told us about how she was suddenly filled with inspiration and wanted to redesign all of Canterlot, but her father made her slow down and learn how to do it properly. Autumn Wind explained to us just how hard she had to work, and those that inspired her and helped her along the way to get to the level she was, pre-destined special talent or not. But, most of all she made us realise that with enough hard work anyone could become like her. Architecture had always been a bit of a stretch for me but, she made me feel like I could design anything I wanted to rival her own structures." Dusk let out a happy sigh at the memory.
“The class ended all too soon. While many left to attend their next class I had decided to stick around and be late for mine. I was encouraged by how warm she was to the students who had approached her with extra questions. I could only imagine how busy her schedule was and still she took the extra time for us. Myself and Cloud Form were like sponges, soaking up every little bit of information we could get.”
“Why didn’t your other friend stay?”
Dusk Light laughed, “Because she was one of those students who was never a second late for any class, or ever missed an assignment, even when she was deathly ill.”
“So, what did you ask Autumn Wind?”
“I can’t remember any of the specific questions. I was so in awe that I probably just blubbered them out. I do remember her answers and I took them all to heart. Do you want to know the part that I really remember though doctor? It was when she asked my name. Not because she asked me specifically, she had asked all of the other students' names, it was what she said after I told her mine. She just smiled when I told her, then said: ‘Oh, so you’re the one who is already revolutionizing the gem tech industry.’ I was stunned. I had never thought much of my projects, they were just experiments that helped me get a barely passing grade, and here was Autumn Wind telling me my ideas were revolutionary.”
“What did you say in reply to her?”
Dusk laughed again, “I was stunned at first but, eventually I told her she was being too kind. That, most of my work had ended up in failure. Do you know what she did then, after I opened myself up to her? She laughed! I couldn't believe she was laughing at me! I got so angry that I almost walked away. But, before I could she apologized and told me that if she had given up with every one of her failures she never would have gotten her cutie mark.
"She told me to be more confident in my work. If I’m not confident in myself then my work will come off as apprehensive and not nearly to the level that it could have been if I believed in it from the beginning. I really took her words to heart, and you know what? It was true. My marks sky rocketed over the next couple years of class, and, while I had already had a couple patents to my name before meeting Autumn Wind, I had many more before I was even out of school.” Dusk let out a happy sigh, “I’m glad I had the chance to meet her again later in life to tell her that she was right.”
Dusk Light sat there quietly with a reminiscent look on his face while Doctor Oppenhoof made a few notes on his pad before continuing, “You mentioned your friends Cloud Form and Marigold. Tell me a bit about them.”
The question snapped Dusk unpleasantly back to reality, “What would you like to know?”
“Why don’t we start with how you met?”
“I met them at university, during one of the introduction to design courses. In one of the early classes they put us into small groups of five or six that would be our assigned partners for the semester. I was placed with Cloud Form and Marigold alongside some other students who never really made a lasting impression on me. But myself and those two we formed a bond in that class that would last until the end.”
“The end? Are you referring to the sudden disappearance of your two friends?”
Dusk stared quietly for a long moment into nothingness before sighing, “Yes, only it wasn’t sudden. I know where they are and when it happened. I was there after all.”
The doctor seemed excited by this prospect, “Well, why don’t you tell me? There are plenty of ponies eager to know.”
A hollow laugh erupted from Dusk, “All in due time. Oh, don’t look at me like that. Even if I told you now, without knowing what led up to their disappearance, you wouldn’t believe me. But, even if I did tell you where they both are, they are quite out of reach. Knowing now or knowing later would make no difference.”
“But it could allow their families to perhaps visit the site and get some clos-”
“No!” Dusk exclaimed, his eyes wild, “Nopony should ever go to that place if they wish to ever be seen alive again.”
“But you made it out.”
“Only by sheer luck and…” Dusk stared at the table again, “and because of my cowardice.”
The tension in the room hung thickly as the doctor squirmed a little before trying to bring the conversation back on track, “Why don’t you tell me about them then. Tell me about their personalities.”
Dusk smiled a little as he thought back, “They were both great ponies, I was lucky to be their friend. Cloud Form was a talented pegasus from Las Pegasus who’s talent for cloud manipulation bordered on fine art. He came from a family of cloud architects dating back several generations. It’s no surprise his cutie mark was a great pillared building made of clouds. Ponies used to joke about the stark contrast between us, him being more brash and outgoing while I was more reserved. Heck, even our coats were stark contrasts, him being light grey with a pure white mane, and my dark coat." Dusk chuckled at some memory only known to him.
“Then there was Marigold.” Dusk let out a happy sigh at the memory, “She was the most beautiful mare that I had ever seen. Her yellow coat seemed to shine in the sun but, most spectacular of all was how her coat seemed to fade into the most brilliant orange mane. It was her that really bridged Cloud Form and mine's personalities. She could be adventurous and wouldn't hesitate to tell you her mind, but in a heartbeat be demure and reserved in a way that would make you think her the shyest pony around. I figure that her personality was probably partly because of her being raised in a prominent Canterlot earth pony family. She would tell us about how her mother expected her to be prim and proper at all times, so she would rebel by hanging out with the brashest ponies she could find. She was like me in the fact that she was late getting her cutie mark, only getting it after she helped her father one day work out an architectural problem he had been struggling with. Apparently when she got her blue print shaped cutie mark her mother was incredibly disappointed.”
“They both went on to become quite prominent in their fields did they not?”
Dusk nodded, “We all did. Cloud became a renowned cloud city planner and Marigold one of the most brilliant structural engineers I’ve ever met. I eventually would find my own success as you well know.”
“Did you struggle after university?”
“Not at all actually. I finished near the top of my class, second only to Marigold, and was high in demand in the field. My problem was that, because of my inspiration from Autumn Wind, I had decided that I wanted to become an architect and focused on that. Shortly after actually working in the field, however, I found myself uninspired and struggling to come up with innovative ideas. Don't get me wrong; I came up with good designs, but nothing of the calibre that I wanted. Nothing that would make me be remembered. Nothing that other ponies would see a hundred years from now and go ‘that building is typically Dusk Light in its design’.” Dusk sighed heavily at the memory, “To be frank I went into a creative funk.”
“Would you say that you were depressed?”
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t depressed. At least on some level, it started to show in my work too. I could tell that I was not living up to the expectations that the company had for me, or my own for that matter.”
The doctor wrote a few notes on his pad again, “How did you eventually find your way? More specifically: how did you go from a depressed pony struggling with his work to the house hold name that you are now? Obviously you found something because, as you’ve stated, your technology, and technology you’ve inspired, surrounds everypony in everyday life now.”
Dusk let out a quick laugh, “I quit my job. I know, surprising. I knew that something was very wrong with the way I was living my life. I had continued my gem designs as a side hobby to my architecture so, between the savings I had built up and my gem tech patents, I knew I could have not worked and lived a modest life for several years.”
“What did you do in your time away from employment?”
“First, I needed a change of scenery. So, I rented a small house just outside of a small town near Canterlot. Autumn Wind's hometown in fact.”
“Why there of all places?”
Dusk thought silently for a moment, “I’m honestly not sure. At the time it seemed like a nice, quiet community. Looking back, I almost wonder if it was a subconscious decision because I thought it might bring me closer to where Autumn Wind started out; a place to get inspiration from my hero.”
“How did the local ponies take to the new comer in their community?”
Dusk smiled, “They were all very warm and caring ponies. They seemed to greet each new comer with enthusiasm, not just myself but every pony that arrived after me as well. They didn’t necessarily throw a party in my honour or anything, but they certainly made me feel welcome and immediately part of the community.
“For such a small city it certainly had a lot going for it: a buzzing fashion scene, wonderful food and fresh produce, not to mention the stunning mares.” Dusk grinned
"Did you see your friends and family much after you moved?"
"Marigold visited me often at first as well as my parents and sister. But after a few months the visits became less frequent until I discovered a beautiful animal reserve in the next town over. Marigold visited me regularly after that insisting that we go routinely. I started to feel like visiting me was a side part of her trips there but, watching her in that place was so incredible that I forgot those feelings right away. She was filled with so much glee around the animals it was hard not to admire her."
“What about Cloud Form? Did he visit often?”
Dusk Light was quiet again for a moment, “Fairly often yes, but with Marigold more often than not."
“So was the town the inspiration that you had hoped it would be?”
Dusk laughed again, “No, not really. I was still convinced that I was supposed to be an architect and I kept failing at new design ideas, well, not so much failing as not living up to my own standards. I helped redesign a few of the buildings in town, but it never fully satisfied me. Finally I decided I needed to take a break from everything and decided to travel the world.”
“Where did you go?”
“All over. I visited Griffon lands, Zebra lands, so on and so forth. My original inspiration for the travels was to find new ideas for architecture, and I found them. As I made my return trip to Equestria I tried to organise the plethora of drawings and designs I had made on my trip. I could have easily published a book just on those designs, but I was still convinced I would use them in future building designs.”
Doctor Oppenhoof looked at Dusk, “What changed? Why didn’t you end up using those designs?”
“I guess it’s only fitting that an accident would point me in the right direction. I was in a small mountain station just inside the Equestrian border, little more than a mail station really, when word came that there was a large derailment between us and the next station and they weren’t sure how long it would take to get everything right again. After the first day of being stuck there I found myself becoming bored and discovered some mountain trails that I decided to explore.”
* * *
Dusk took in the mountain air as he wandered the paths, exploring the unknown was filling him with a new sense of excitement. During his travels he had spent far too little time just adventuring. The sense of adventure that filled him now almost made him want to get on a train going the opposite direction once again to simply explore little known places in the world he had missed out on. He traveled the main path for several hours before deciding to start exploring the side trails he had seen. There were several attractive looking ones but he decided on one that just felt like something he needed to explore.
The path proved to be worth the detour amid its stunning foliage and scenic views. After some time of exploration Dusk was brought to an abrupt stop by the melodious, beautiful call of a bird he had never heard before. After a few moments of searching Dusk spotted the bird who was just as beautiful as its call. Thinking it would make Marigold happy he started to sketch it, taking detailed notes on its colours as he considered hiring an artist to make a proper painting of it as a birthday gift for her. Dusk tried to focus on sketching the beautiful bird but a glint of light off to the side kept distracting him. He tried his best to ignore it, but eventually frustration and curiosity got the best of him.
Cautiously, Dusk trotted closer to the mysterious glare, never quite making out what exactly it was. He was almost nose to nose with the source of the glare when the earth beneath him suddenly gave out. Frantically he used his magic, trying to reach out for anything he could grab onto as he slid deep into the sinkhole. However, the only thing his magic would find was other falling rocks. A near miss with one of the larger rocks caused him to change his tactics from trying to grab things to pushing away the larger rocks barreling towards him.
After what felt like an eternity he finally came to a stop at the bottom of the sinkhole. It took a few moments to get his bearings and catch his breath as the initial panic subsided. Checking himself for damage Dusk luckily discovering only some scrapes and bruises were the worst of his injuries. Nothing was broken or beyond what a little bandaging wouldn't cure. The initial sense of relief at being mostly unharmed by the arduous slide was washed away as he looked up to see the hole he had fell through was at the top of a unclimbable wall more than a dozen meters above him. There were few times in his life where Dusk wished he had been born a pegasus, but this was one of them.
Mercifully, his saddlebags had remained attached to his body. Using his magic he opened the left pouch, pulling from within a small green gem encased in a crystal coating. He placed the gem on the ground and stomped on it with his hoof, breaking the crystal exterior. Almost immediately the gem began to emit a strong green glow that illuminated the cavern around him, revealing the only ways out were either straight up or through a small tunnel straight ahead of him. Picking up the gem with his magic he decided that the tunnel simply felt like the way to go, not that he had any choice.
The tunnel continued straight for the most part but did fork off at several intervals. Each time he would reach a fork one path would simply feel better than the other and he would go with that one. The few times he went against his instincts he would find himself at a dead end, a collapse in the tunnel, or, once, narrowly avoiding falling into a deep pit. Dusk Light wandered the tunnels for what seemed like hours, even though he knew it couldn’t have been as long as it felt, because the magic in the gems would last barely two hours.
Dusk sat on the ground deciding to take a break from his long trot through the cave. Pulling a water skin from his saddlebag, he took a long, well needed swig of its contents. "Well," he muttered to himself, "you were just thinking you wanted another adventure Dusk. Don't think this is what I had in mind though." He sighed after taking another long swallow from the water skin before placing it back in his bag. "Might as well get a move on, I'm going to get out of here any sooner by sitting on my flank! Wait, what's that?"
There was a faint light in the distance! Renewed by his excitement, Dusk trotted eagerly towards it. It grew brighter and brighter with each passing moment in a way that only sunlight could. Dusk came to an abrupt stop as he disappointedly discovered that the light belonged to a gem set inside a lantern above a door. He was so distracted by his disenchantment of the light not being the way out that he was momentarily oblivious to the fact that the door and gem were in front of him.
It was as his own gem’s glow started to fade, finally going out with a soft pop as the gem dissolved, that he became aware of the lantern. Curious about the mysterious source of light, he cautiously approached it. By the thick layer of dust covering it Dusk could tell that it had remained untouched for quite some time, far longer than any gem's magic should have survived. Driven by curiosity, he reached out with his magic, gently probing, to trying to unravel the secrets of its staying power. Immediately he could see that he was out of his depth, the magic woven into this gem was far beyond his understanding. Undeterred, he continued to probe the gem trying to unlock it's secrets until he suddenly encountered something strange in the magic, it felt almost dirty.
It was the dirtiness within the magic that caused him to flinch and finally withdraw. He pondered what the source of the dirtiness could have been until his attention was pulled elsewhere. He felt a unexpected urgency to see what beyond the door in front of him. Gently, he knocked with a hoof and called out to whoever might be within. After a moment he knocked again and tried the door. He found it unlocked but resistant to movement on rusted hinges, which eventually gave way but, groaned their displeasure at being moved after so long. Dusk cautiously peered inside to find the room mutedly lit by another lantern like the one above the door.
Only a quick glance caused horror to wash over him with what he saw in the room. A small desk occupied the center playing host to a collection of pony, griffon, and other various skulls piled on top of each other, all with strange glyphs carved into them. Amongst the skulls rest heavily decayed paper and long dried up ink wells. The lantern hung above long shelf that held various jars of strange items that Dusk guessed had been used as magical reagents. His eyes were drawn to a clutch of feathers that hung above what looked like carved sticks. His curiosity got the better of him yet again as he gingerly stepped into room to take a closer look at the shelf. Peering into the various jars he could see they were all filled with strange items, many of the contents, however, had long since decayed into nothing. Eventually his gaze came to what had really caught his attention in the first place: the clutch of feathers with the sticks. Dusk choked back a scream as he drew back in terror when he saw that the sticks were in fact unicorn horns with strange markings carved along their lengths.
Terror threatened to overcome him as his mind raced with the possibilities that this monster may come back to add him to its collection. Dusk frantically searched the room for another exit, just in case the one that he had entered became unusable, when he noticed the curled up skeletal form on the bed. It didn't appear to be just any skeleton but one of a pony, a unicorn in fact. The mysterious skeleton drew his attention away from the fear he was feeling seconds before. No, it wasn’t the skeleton, it was what was clutched to its breast. It was a tome that called for attention.
As he warily drew near to the skeleton with its prize a note, that was pinned to the desk by one of the dried inkwells, caught his attention when it flapped suddenly as if an imperceptible breeze blew through the room. He approached the desk, glancing at the note just long enough to start to read the top line: “To whoever may find this note, and I pray nopony does…” before his gaze was enticed back to the tome in the skeleton’s breast. It seemingly demanded his attention, and wouldn’t be denied.
As Dusk grew closer he could see the tome was bound in light grey leather with a crest painted on the cover. He was amazed at how well preserved the paint was considering he guessed the skeleton had been there for at least dozens of years or longer. He reached out with his magic to gently pull the tome from the long dead unicorn’s clutches only to immediately withdraw again in horror as a shock of dark energy passed through him. The shock felt strangely familiar. After a moment he realised that it was the same feeling he had gotten from deep within the gem. Somehow the lantern gem and this book were linked. That tome held the answers he wanted, but it all just felt very wrong.
Dusk contemplated whether or not to leave the tome alone, but he could sense that it wanted to come with him. It wanted to be his, and he needed it to be with him. Deciding to grab it with his muzzle, instead of his magic this time, Dusk approached the dead unicorn and its prize. He got his first good look at the tome’s crest which was a mark of a starry field set behind a quill writing a luminescent glyph. He had never seen a mark for an organisation like that before, at least any he was aware of. He was trying to think if he had seen it anywhere in his studies when something about the leather's texture caught his eye. It wasn’t leather. It was fur. Pony fur. This wasn’t a crest; this was somepony’s cutie mark!
Bile burned the back of his throat at the thought he had almost grabbed it with his mouth. Sweet Celestia! What kind of monster would bind a tome in another pony’s hide? What kind of book of horrors would require to be bound that way? Dusk's mind raced with imaginary scenes of a pony's hide being torn from their flesh as they screamed. He prayed that it was all just his twisted imagination and not a vision of what had really happened.
Despite his revulsion something told him that he still needed to take this book with him. It seemingly demanded to accompany him. With a sigh of resignation that he wouldn't forgive himself for leaving the tome behind Dusk unbuckled his saddle bags and levitated them to right next to the tome. He asked the dead unicorn for forgiveness before reaching out with his magic, using it to manipulate the skeletal arm to shove the book into his saddle bag. The moment he released his magic the skeleton collapsed into itself, bones fracturing and crumbling as if centuries of decay suddenly were heaped upon them. It was as if the tome had been staving off the decay until he removed it.
As he refastened the bags he couldn't help but notice a slight cold burning sensation emanating from the bag containing the tome. Dusk got the impression that there was nothing else to see in this room and decided it was time for him to leave. As he passed the desk again the note seemed to cry out to be read. He read that first line again “To whoever may find this note, and I pray nopony does…” before another force told him it was unimportant. Dusk left the small chamber, not bothering to close the door behind him, plucked the lantern from its hook and continued his way down the tunnel in the direction he had been heading.
* * *
"I easily found my way out of the cave after that." Dusk looked up at the ceiling, "It was as if I was being guided out. As soon as I exited into the mid afternoon sun I thanked Celestia and hurried my way back to the train station. They had apparently been ready to go for hours but, I wasn't the only one who had wandered off due to boredom it turned out." Dusk laughed, "I was probably less than an hour from being left behind however."
Doctor Oppenhoof made a few notes in his notepad, "But you did return home, what did you do then?"
Dusk smiled at the doctor, there was something dark behind his eyes, "Ah, but doctor there is still the train ride back."
The doctor was surprised, "Oh, did something happen on the train?"
"The ride itself was quite mundane." Dusk laughed, "But, I spent it in my cabin, with the book. At first I just stared at the thing while it lay on the floor. I swear it almost felt like it was staring back at me, judging me. Silly idea I know, or so I thought at the time."
"What do you mean 'so you thought at the time'?"
Dusk let a grin spread across his muzzle, "It's hard to explain now doc, but as my tale progresses, you'll come to understand."
"I would like to try and understand now."
Dust laughed loudly, "If I told you what I saw in there you would think I was insane. Others did, and that's why I am in here now isn't it?"
"I'm not here to judge you based on other's opinions, Dusk. I am here to formulate an independent opinion based on our conversations. Knowing what you saw in that book may help me to understand you better and why we are having this conversation in the first place." The doctor offered an attempt at a calming smile.
Dusk could see the smile was well practiced, he wondered how often the doctor rehearsed it in the mirror. "I'll try to explain it the best I can." He sighed, "It's hard to explain without actually seeing the book for yourself. As I said I stared at it for a good long time before I got the courage to actually open it and look inside. I didn't dare use my magic after the sensations I had gotten before from simply trying to lift it, so I used my hoof. Right away the book both confused and amazed me.
"As I peered at its pages, immediately I could see it was in a language I couldn't understand. But, as my eyes passed over the strange lines of text, I understood what it said. It was almost as if the book itself was dictating what the bizarre language said. I can tell by the look on your face you already think I'm crazy, but trust me doctor, this is the least insane sounding thing that I will share with you.
"The experience of being... linked with the book, for lack of a better word, was taxing and I found myself very tired after only the first dozen pages. A stranger thing for me was that at some point I had started unknowingly using my magic to turn the pages, it was as if I had entered a trance. The things I learnt in those pages doctor! It opened my eyes to possibilities I had never imagined!"
"Like what?"
Dusk laughed, "Where to start? The improved glowing gems for one, scribing on a level that ponies nowadays had never attempted yet, magical formulas for spells that were beyond my understanding but seemed to easy to try with the book's help. The mysterious tome both thrilled and frightened me at the same time."
"Why frightened?"
"Because, doctor, the power I saw in only first few pages was beyond what I was even aware was possible and I had it all under my hoof, in my sole possession. I knew immediately of the responsibility that came with such a tome and I was afraid that I wasn't the right pony to bear it."
"Did your memories of the pony in the chamber where you found the tome influence your fear?"
Dust looked stunned and remained silent for a long moment, "That's... that's so weird. You know, I had never even thought twice about that pony's skeleton after leaving that chamber, or the chamber itself for that matter, until I just told you about it just now. How very...odd..."
Dusk was silent for a long moment again, staring off in the distance as if he was trying to put a missing piece back into his memories, before the doctor tried to get his attention, "Where is the book now Mr. Light?"
Dusk snapped out of his private thoughts and answered the doctor with a slow smile, "Oh, it's somewhere quite safe doctor, no need to worry about somepony getting the wrong hooves on it."
"And where might that be?"
"Somewhere safe." He replied simply.
The doctor and Dusk Light stared at each other in a tense silence for a long moment before the doctor finally spoke first, "Well then Dusk, I think we'll conclude our session here, unless there is something that you would like to add?"
"Only that I very much look forward to our little chats doctor."
Doctor Oppenhoof seemed taken aback by this, "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Have a good day Mr. Light."
"Good night doctor."
A Curious Change in Dusk Light
A Curious Change in Dusk Light
Session Two
There was an empty space across from Doctor Oppenhoof where Dusk Light should have been sitting by now. The clock on the wall told him that Dusk was nearly thirty minutes late for their appointment. He was about to ask somepony what the delay could be when the door opened allowing the two orderly unicorns to levitate a displeased looking Dusk into the room with their magic, placing him in his seat across from the doctor. As the orderlies took up their station in the corners of the room Doctor Oppenhoof debated asking about the delay then decided against it, choosing to move forward instead.
“Session Two of Doctor Oppenhoof interviewing Dusk Light on behalf of the Equestrian Psychological Society.” The doctor began his latest session after activating the Phonographic Gem, “How are you today Dusk?”
“About as well as a falsely imprisoned pony that is constantly restrained can be doctor.” Dusk replied curtly.
“Dusk, as I understand they freed you from your restraints a few weeks ago and you attacked the
“But the medication is here to help you Dusk. It will help calm you. If you were to take the medication they could remove the restraints.”
“Or, they could remove the restraints, shove the pills up their asses and understand that if they treat me with respect, I will do the same for them.” Dusk’s nostrils flared.
“I’m afraid, at this moment, that’s not possible. Perhaps we can reach some kind of compromise where-”
“Take your platitudes and shove them up your ass doctor.”
There was a terse silence in the room for several moments before the doctor cleared his throat. "Umm, very well then. Shall we get on with our session then?"
Dusk was silent for a long moment before letting out a sigh, "Might as well since I’m here."
The Doctor smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "Great. When we left off last time, you had just arrived home with the mysterious tome. Did you tell your friends about it?"
"No, not for some time."
"I see. And what did they say when you did eventually tell them."
"At first nothing because they weren’t aware of what it truly was. Once the truth came out however, they were shocked, to say the least. That's not where we are in this tale yet, however, doctor."
"Well why don't we continue on this path while we're here?" The doctor asked in a pleasant tone.
"No." Dusk replied simply.
"Please Dusk, what you tell me now and what you tell me later shouldn't matter. I don't need the little details, just a broad picture will do"
Dusk let out a curt laugh, "If I gave you the small details doctor then we would be here for years and I don't want to take that long trying to convince you that I don't belong here. What I am giving you is the broad strokes of a whole painting. And, like a painting, everything needs to be put in its place at the proper time otherwise the image looks jumbled and confused."
It was Doctor Oppenhoof's turn to sigh, "Fine then Dusk, why don't you tell me about what happened after you returned home. You did return home next didn’t you?" The last sentence came out more frustrated than the doctor had hoped.
Dusk laughed again, "Yes doctor, I did.”
“And once you returned to your home did you continue reading the book?”
“As much as I wanted to devote myself to that tome I resisted, knowing I had more important tasks that needed my attention. As I walked the twenty-minute walk from the train station to my rented home, I thought long and hard about my future. Through what I had read of the tome already, I knew that I would be able to take gem technologies to an entirely new level and was debating if I should devote my life in that direction. I loved gem work, but it was a hobby still, architecture and design had become my life.
“As I thought and debated with myself about my future I tidied up my home, clearing away the dust from my months of absence, and then sorted through my mail. Most of it was junk, but inside I found a letter from an old college colleague who was wondering if I still made phonographic gems in my spare time. I couldn’t tell you why he needed them now, but I know it sent my mind racing with possibilities. That letter, coupled with knowing that the tome held secrets that would let me do things that nopony had ever imagined, made the decision to focus on gem crafting very clear. I hastily wrote a reply to him telling him that I would happily make an order and quoted a price. I was then inspired to write an ad request to several newspapers.
“I rushed to town to mail off the letter and my ad requests before went to the local market to ensure that I had enough food to last me several days. I practically skipped back home I was so excited. My mind was filled with the possibilities of what the tome could show me and how I could change Equestria with the knowledge inside.” Dusk’s voice filled with excitement as he relived the memory, “I made myself a large sandwich and made some tea before committing myself entirely to this strange tome. After coming out of the trance like state, that reading the book caused, I could tell right away that my first session, despite only making it through five or six pages, had lasted several hours. My stomach grumbled and I was thankful for the sandwich, which had remained untouched, devouring it quickly and gulping down the long cold tea. Even though I barely made it through a few pages at a time at first, soon I was devouring the tome dozens of pages at a time."
"Just how long did it take you to read the book?"
"My first time through? Nearly a month. The second took me less than two weeks. The third time I managed in five days. After that, I could practically open the book to the exact page I needed to look at. Actually, it was not so much me opening the book, as it was knowing what I needed to reference and the book would go there by itself. Well, not by itself, it needed some interaction with me, but it was effortless."
"In all that time did you have any contact with the outside world?"
Dusk laughed again, "Of course doctor, I didn't become a hermit. My friends visited several times, I even made a trip or two to Canterlot in there."
"But you told nopony about the tome?"
"Not a soul.”
“Why not? Surely, you would have wanted to show somepony an ancient relic that had been lost for possibly centuries. It would have been quite the archeological find.”
“Normally, yes, it would have been quite the discovery. Nevertheless, I told no one for two main reasons: first, the fact that I had an ancient tome bound in somepony's hide isn't exactly something that you bring up in normal, or even abstract, conversation. Secondly, I could sense that it was better if I didn't tell anyone. It sounds insane but the book was possessive of me. It didn't like to be shared."
"The book was possessive of you? Don’t you mean yourself of it?"
Dusk shook his head, "No, I mean it of me. It was like an insecure girlfriend. You know the type the filly, the one who will give you a dirty look for glancing at another mare's flank. Then, when you get home accuse you of not wanting to be with her and tell you to go be with the other mare who is suddenly a disease-ridden whore. This tome was just like that.
"For example, I had Cloud Form and Marigold over for dinner shortly after I returned from my trip. I was in the middle of telling them about the tall huts of the more prominent Zebra villages when Marigold noticed the patch of fur I was missing on my hind leg. Concerned, she asked how it happened. I told them about my hiking accident and falling inside the sinkhole. I was describing the bleakness of the dark the tunnels, of how I felt hopelessly lost but continued on, when I reached the point about the mysterious room. I was abruptly flooded with a sense of dread about telling them about it. It felt as if the tome was standing over me, glaring at me to keep my silence. It wanted me to dread the repercussions of saying anything about where I found it.
“To be honest though, the sensation just left me confused. Not only because I could sense the warning was coming from the tome, but because I had no clue what it didn't want me to say. At that time, my memory consisted of me walking to that point in the cave where the room should have been, finding a lantern on the ground, and suddenly finding my way out. As I told you doctor, our last session is the first time I've thought about that chamber since I was in it.”
“How did your memory lapse explain the sudden appearance of the book, or was it with the lantern?”
Dusk thought quietly for a moment, “I was honestly never sure where exactly the book came from, but its origins also never seemed to bother me. I just had it, and it felt like I had always had it.”
Doctor Oppenhoof added to a note he had been writing, “Very well, how did you handle this feeling of dread? What did you tell your friends?”
The doctor was quiet while he finished his notes, "You liken this book to an abusive lover, yet -"
Dusk laughed loudly, cutting the doctor off, "That may actually be the best way of putting it."
"Yes... anyways, as I said, you liken it to an abusive lover, yet you don't seem to show any inclination of trying to get rid of it."
"Oh, there was inclination doctor. Over the next several years there would be a few times when the thought of getting rid of or destroying the tome would dominate my every thought for days, but, in the end, I knew I couldn't. It even told me that I would never be rid of it, and I knew it was right."
Doctor Oppenhoof gave Dusk a quizzical look, "You've used words like 'watching me' and 'telling me' in reference to the tome quite a bit. Are you suggesting that the tome is sentient?'
"There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I experienced those feelings. Now whether that’s because of the magic ingrained inside the tome or it was actually alive and speaking to me, I couldn’t tell you. However, it certainly felt like it could. After some of the things that I saw within that book I'm more likely to believe the latter."
"What exactly did you see in the book to make you believe such a thing?"
"Powerful things doctor. Some magnificent, wondrous crafting recipes that led to many of the inventions that you see all around you today in fact. Mixed in, however, were dark, terrible things that no living creature should ever witness. The fact that somepony actually discovered and recorded such things chills me to the core still. I can only imagine the terrible experiments that led up to the eventual discoveries."
The doctor was curious, "Did you dabble in any of these darker aspects inside the tome?"
"I wish I could tell you that I was a better pony and I resisted the urge.” Dusk sighed heavily, “But, curiosity is my weakness and I doubted some of the claims within the book so, I began to plan experiments to try a few of the tamer ideas in a controlled environment. Unfortunately, the book had other plans. My first experimentations with dark magic ended up coming out of greedy need.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand. ‘Greedy need’?”
* * *
"What is it with me and trains?" Dusk cursed to himself as he exited the passenger car the moment the train stewards would allow him.
He had a very full schedule; a sudden trip to Canterlot was not in the books. He needed an order of custom gem settings to complete an order, but his usual courier was overbooked. Because of the delay there, it would have added an extra week to his delivery date. That was time he did not have. He had tried other couriers; however, they all told him much the same thing for last minute shipments. In the end, Dusk was forced to go to Canterlot himself.
To make matters worse, the sides of a grain cart suddenly gave way in one of the smaller towns, spilling its load all over the tracks. The several hours that it took to clean the mess frustratingly delayed him. Now, many of the shops would be closing just as he arrived as opposed to being able to take a leisurely stroll through the city before running his errands. He had originally been hoping to spend the night with friends but all of them seemed to be preoccupied with some event that night in the city. All of the hotels, at least the non-seedy ones, seemed to be booked for the same reason. Even Marigold was out of town on business. He was simply out of luck and taking the night train back home was his only option.
Darting back and forth, Dusk rushed through the streets, hoping he could still make it in time. Swerving left and right he dodged other ponies, apologizing as he nearly careened into several of them. As he ran, ignoring the stares and outraged comments from the highbrow elite that he passed, he glanced at the ponies walking around the city lighting the lanterns with long, slow burning tallow candles. He allowed himself the split second to imagine each of the lanterns lighting themselves with his gems as Celestia lowered the sun each night. Perhaps he could have it so that they would glow different colours for special celebrations, or just for fun. So consumed by the idea was Dusk, that he almost crashed headfirst into a carriage carrying a noble looking pony.
Embarrassed by his almost run in with the carriage Dusk eased his pace for the last several blocks, paying more attention to where he was going. Out of breath, he finally arrived at a small shop front where a sign reading Tremendous Talismans swayed gently in the evening breeze. He exhaled a sigh of relief at finally being at his destination. However, as he approached the shop, the unicorn stallion in the window flipped the sign to the closed side with his magic. A groan of frustration escaped Dusk’s throat as he saw he was too late. His mind raced with possibilities of what he could do now, all of them leading to the fact that he already knew he couldn't stay the night. He needed to get that order now.
Taking a deep breath, Dusk attempted to steel his nerves. Despite his best efforts to calm himself, however, his heart still pounded in his throat as he knocked on the door gently. After several minutes with no reply, he tried again. It was after his third attempt that the shopkeeper appeared in the window, looking displeased with the intrusion "What are you, illiterate? The sign says I'm closed, come back in the morning!"
The unicorn turned to leave, but Dusk wasn't about to waste the opportunity, "Please sir, I've come a long way. I just need to pick up my order so I can-"
"Well, you should have gotten here sooner. Like the sign says, I'm closed now. If you needed special jewelry for the gala tonight you should have come on time." With that, the shopkeeper turned to leave again.
"I would have been sooner, but my train was delayed." Dusk Pleaded
"Not my problem," came the voice, growing more distant with every word, "You can either go home empty hooved tonight or wait until morning for your order."
Dusk was crestfallen. He couldn't go home without that order. He knew his schedule would not allow him another chance for at least a week or two; putting him even further behind on his client's orders than before. After another deep breath, he knocked on the door again, pleading to the empty shop to let him just take his order and go in hopes the shopkeeper would hear him. Behind him, he knew ponies were giving him strange looks, probably thinking he was crazy, but he didn't care at that moment.
After several minutes of continuous knocking and pleading the shopkeeper appeared at the window one more time, his face twisted in anger, "What name is the order under?"
Dusk let out a sigh of relief, "The order is under 'Dusk Light'."
"Those strange brass and silver fittings?"
"Yes, those are the ones." Dusk gave the shopkeeper a pleasant smile.
"Consider the order cancelled! I don't need this, nor do I need the business of one pony who can't understand 'go away until the morning'. Now, scram!"
Dusk felt his ears droop as the shopkeeper turned away from the window. His hind legs gave out and he dropped to his haunches in the street. "You... you can't. I need those for my work." He spoke quietly to the window.
Tears welled in his eyes as everything was going wrong. Dusk, feeling defeated, his head hanging low, forced himself to his hooves to begin the long walk back to the train station when a cold burning tingled in his right flank. It was coming from within the saddlebag that contained the tome. He didn't know why he had brought it along in the first place, it just hadn’t felt safe to leave it at home, alone. It was as soon as he was aware of the tome in his possession, within his saddlebag, that a spell formula entered his mind. Immediately he was appalled by the very idea of such a spell, and ashamed he even considered it.
"No, I couldn't." He gazed upon his reflection in the shop window. "I mean, I really couldn't cast such spell on another pony could I?"
When he had first read the spell he was, admittedly, intrigued by it. However, his plans had always been of going out to the woods and trying it on a squirrel or rabbit. He had even laughed at the idea of making it dance for him or do his cleaning. However, this wasn't an animal, it was another pony. It was different. Wasn't it?
Again, Dusk steeled himself as he knocked on the door. He tried again every few moments before ceaselessly knocking until the shopkeeper arrived at the door once again. His face a mask of fury, "With Celestia as my witness kid, I'm not a violent stallion, but you have me wanting to tear your ears from your head with my teeth. If you don't piss off right now I'm gonna scream bloody murder until the guards show up and haul you off."
As the shopkeeper spoke, the spell formed in Dusk’s mind easily, as if he had cast it hundreds of time before. Queasiness threatened to overcome him as the strange magic pulsed through his horn, never had any magic he had cast felt so odd, so wrong. Regardless, seconds later Dusk's spell was complete as he gazed into the shopkeeper's eyes. The other pony's fury dissolved into confusion before a placid expression overtook his face.
Dusk kept his eye contact with the shopkeeper as he spoke, "What's your name?"
"Gem Cutter." He answered simply.
"Gem Cutter, I want you to unlock the door and let me in. Can you do that for me?" Dusk’s horn continued to glow as he maintained the spell, keeping his tone even as he spoke.
"Of course I can." Gem Cutter was the first to break eye contact as he moved meekly to the door, removing the bolt with his teeth and pulling the door open for Dusk. "Please, come in."
Dusk strode nervously into the store. Despite the feeling of reassurance from within his saddlebag that the other pony was fully under his control, he was still not fully convinced that his spell was actually working. Dusk got his first good look at the tan stallion with the deep brown mane. His cutie mark was, fittingly enough, a perfectly crafted diamond with a chisel and hammer crossed behind it. The other unicorn looked strong, so strong that a well-placed kick could severely injure Dusk, or worse. Dusk silently prayed that his spell held.
Looking around the shop, he could see it was clean and well organised with cabinets full of gem-encrusted pendants and chokers, while other cabinets held broaches, bangles, earrings and other fine jewelry. Surprisingly, Gem Cutter even had a display case containing tools and raw materials for his line of work. After thinking on it for a moment, it made sense to Dusk. Sell your competitors the items they need to do their work so that their prices remain slightly higher than your own. He would have to remember that.
After a moment of observing the store Dusk realised that the other unicorn was staring at him anxiously. He had forgotten Gem Cutter was even there for a moment. "Oh, yes. Please, go get my order."
"Right away!" Gem replied excitedly. He seemed happy and eager to obey Dusk's commands, a good sign the spell was working.
Dusk passed the time by looking at the display case of crafting supplies, occasionally glancing at the door through which the other unicorn had disappeared. He was worried that the further he was from the mind-controlled pony the weaker his enchantment would become. Thankfully, Gem Cutter returned quickly with a small crate enshrouded in his magic. Gem placed it in front of Dusk before eagerly awaiting his next command, helping to alleviate Dusk’s fears of how well the spell was working.
"How much do I owe you for all of this?" Dusk asked the ensorcelled pony.
Gem cutter looked confused for a moment before replying, "How much would it please you to pay for all of this?"
Dusk was taken aback. He had still been prepared to pay the pony's asking price. However, he saw a new opportunity now, "Well, I think that you should discount it for the inconvenience and your rudeness earlier."
"I was rude to you earlier?" The other unicorn looked shocked at this revelation, "Please, in that case, just take them! No charge! I can't stand the thought of having displeased you."
Dusk knew it was wrong to accept such an offer, but the other unicorn had been very rude to him earlier, "Thank you, that is acceptable." Dusk suddenly wondered how far he could push this. "How much for the tools and raw materials?" He nodded towards the display case.
"Please! Just take them. It's the least I can do for having been so rude to you earlier." Without prompt, the tan unicorn ran to the back and returned brusquely with another crate, beginning to load the contents of the entire display case into it before Dusk could accept or protest. He happily set the crate at Dusk's hooves beside the other one before giving Dusk a guarded smile.
Dusk was speechless. He had just been wondering how much it would have cost but here he now had enough supplies to last him at least a year of continuous crafting. Not to mention that the crafting tools in this crate were far superior to the hold over equipment he had been using since his time in university. With this crate, his craft could improve dramatically. A small voice in the back of his mind told him he could also take what he saw in the tome and create exquisite variations on the magic within.
Dusk was about to thank Gem Cutter for his services and be on his way when, in the distance, he heard the long blast of a train's whistle. He knew that it meant he had missed the night train home. He gave a deep sigh of frustration and glared at the other unicorn. Gem was so startled by the glare that he was forced back a step. Stumbling, he fell back on his haunches as his ears drooped. Dusk could see him searching in his mind for ways to make this better.
"This is all your fault!" Dusk let his anger unleash on the unicorn. It came out harsher than he had wanted but he couldn't help it as all of his frustration boiled over.
Gem Cutter recoiled, "I... I'm sorry! Please let me-"
"Let you what? Make it better? I just missed my ride home and have nowhere to stay tonight! Now I will probably have to stay the night in the streets."
"Please, stay here." Gem cutter pleaded weakly from a curled position on the floor.
"What did you say?"
"I asked if would please you to stay here." His voice was still meek.
"You think I would sleep here, in the store?" Dusk gave a curt laugh.
"My home is upstairs. Please, you can even use my bed. I just want to make you happy."
Dusk was silent for a moment as he considered his options. Staying here the night versus staying in the streets was an easy choice, but he was unsure if his magic would persist while he slept. He couldn't risk his magic breaking the moment he dropped the spell. Dusk imagined that, given his mind back, Gem Cutter would be furious at being used in such a way. Images of the other unicorn crushing his head with one of the heavy, filled crates rather than call the guards flooded Dusk's mind. No, sleeping would not be an option if he stayed. Now that he considered it, staying in the streets wouldn't be an option either. If he left, Gem Cutter might rush out to find the guards and accuse him of robbery. He needed to stay here the night, but he couldn't sleep. What could he do?
Dusk grinned as an idea popped into his mind, "You're quite the talented gem smith."
"I am glad my work pleases you." Gem Cutter's ears perked up at the sudden change in Dusk's mood.
"Are you able to teach someone how to do what you do?"
Gem suddenly looks sad, "It would take a long time to teach someone with no experience. Not that I'm saying that I wouldn't devote every moment to making sure they were the best there was!"
Dusk smiled, "Well, luckily for you I am already proficient in the basics, as well as limited jewel making." Gem perked up again at hearing this. Dusk continued, "With your help I could add more refinement to my techniques."
"Oh yes!" Gem Cutter leapt to his hooves, eager and excited, "I can definitely help with that! Do you want to start now? My forges are still cooling from the day's work. We could get them going again easily! And I have a stockpile of gems that I can show you how to cut!"
"Yes, let's begin. Teach me everything you can by morning." Dusk smiled as Gem Cutter led him to the workroom in the back.
* * *
"I was so absorbed in his teachings that we worked right through to the next evening." Dusk smiled at the thought, "He was as talented a teacher as he was a craftspony. As we worked, I had him write down everything in great detail. There was so much parchment by the end of it we could have published a book. After I got home my techniques improved so greatly I was inspired to build a workshop out of the shed in my yard."
Doctor Oppenhoof finished his notes before speaking, "What happened as you tried to leave Gem Cutter?"
"Well, I had him carry my crates back to the train and secure them in the cargo hold. Once that was done, I made sure to thank him for all of his work before I told him it would be best if he forgot about tonight and to not ever mention that I was here. As far as he was concerned I left after he initially shooed me away from his shop window." Dusk laughed, "I don't think memory manipulation works as part of mind control though."
The doctor gave Dusk a quizzical look, "Why do you say that?"
"Because, as I sat in my room, exhaustion washing over me from the long, sleepless days, I looked out the window to see Gem Cutter sitting there, staring longingly at my window. Even though I had dropped the spell, the effects seemed permeate still. I discovered then that I only needed the initial casting; there was no need to sustain the spell. Even as the train left the station, I watched as he eagerly chased my window down the platform as far as he could. When he could follow no further he sat there looking... heartbroken for lack of a better word."
The doctor wrote a few more notes, "Are you aware that Gem Cutter killed himself?"
Dusk looked down sadly at the table, "I am. I saw the article a few weeks later that he had sequestered himself in his shop for several days before suddenly throwing himself from the Canterlot cliffs."
"Do you feel any guilt for his actions?"
Dusk sighed heavily, "After seeing the look on his face as my train sped away, how could I not? I think that the depression of not having me there to command him drove him to suicide."
"How does that make you feel?"
"Honestly, at the time I felt relief."
The doctor looked at Dusk, surprised, "Relief? I wasn't expecting that."
"I didn't expect it from myself. But, the only other pony that knew what I had done was now dead and with him my secret was my own."
"If it was such a deep secret that you would feel relief at another pony's death, why tell me now?"
Dusk returned the doctor's gaze, "Because doctor, this is an important event in my story. It was the first time that I felt a piece of my soul being torn from me."
"Your soul? Do you believe in the soul Dusk? I didn't think of you as a spiritual pony."
Dusk shook his head, "I'm not. I know it exists, however, because I felt it being torn from me piece by piece the more I progressed in my dark studies of the tome."
"How do you know that feeling was your soul?"
Dusk seemed offended by the question, "How?" he replied angrily, "How do I know it was my soul and not just some made up crap? I will tell you doctor! I know because each time I committed a new atrocity I felt a profound searing pain deep within my being. It wasn't a physical pain, it was more than that. It was only the kind of pain that could come from a piece of your spiritual being."
A heavy silence descended on the room again. The doctor stared quietly at Dusk as Dusk stared at the table in front of him, his nostrils flaring.
It was the doctor who broke the silence first, "I think it's best if we called an end to our session for the day."
Dusk simply nodded in reply, seemingly calmed, but still unmoving.
"Have a good night Dusk. And please, do try and do as the orderlies tell you. I promise I shall look into limiting your medication."
Again, Dusk only nodded.
The doctor pressed his hoof to the phonographic gem causing the glow to cease. He placed it into his saddlebag beside his note pad. He had just reached the door when Dusk quietly called out to him.
"Doctor..." Dusk started.
Doctor Oppenhoof turned to face the back of the restrained pony, "Yes Dusk, is there something else you need to tell me?"
Dusk was quiet for a moment longer before quietly continuing, "I just... I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to see me like this. You're helping me face some things that I haven't been able to own up to yet, and I know it's early in our time together, but I already feel better. So, again, thank you."
The doctor was stunned for a moment, "Well, it's my pleasure Dusk, but I'm only doing my job."
"I know, but I just wanted you to know how grateful I am. Even if I come off as angry at times."
"You're welcome Dusk. I look forward to seeing you next week."
"As do I you. Good night doctor."
"Good night Dusk."
