A DUSK IN EXILE

Without his saddlebags, Dusk silently followed Princess Celestia and an escort of Guards to the lower levels of the castle, after she had teleported to lead him and the Guards. Much of the halls here were populated with servants going about with hurried steps, on some errand or another. The halls themselves were still lit just as brilliantly as the main levels above, but carried a distinctive odor that he knew well from his days in servitude back in his world. An aura of hopeless dreams and such fouled the halls here, yet also still held out a promise that was new to his senses. This was no Castle of Broken Dreams like the castle of the two goddesses back in his world, but rather offered something else: a camaraderie of ponies working together as an army of workers to please their overlords, the princesses and their staffs and guests, along with other ponies who call the Castle home or work. These halls were rather busy with such goings on, yet such activity did not cause Celestia to pause, but instead she was afforded complete passage, even if some of the servants had to press back against walls to permit the princess the freedom to go about her business, whatever it was.

She had not spoken much since coming down here, a place where she truly did not belong, Celestia was completely out of place down here amongst the servants, yet she did not bother to acknowledge the ponies other than a simple nod as she and her group swept past. Dusk, however, rubber-necked throughout the entire journey. These ponies here were much closer to him, even if he really knew none of them. If there was one single thing which held all of these ponies together was the goal of servitude towards the princesses and the castle population above. Dusk grinned to himself. He knew that another part of the lower levels was the hidden, but highly important part of these ponies went on behind closed doors: sex, and plenty of that.

Eventually, all of the servant business was past, and they came to a barren part of the castle, one level below that of the servants. Here were no ponies but a scarce few Guards standing at junctures of hallways. There were hardly any doors which led to rooms where ponies worked, but many of the few doors they passed were mostly storage. And after a short time, their travel brought them to a set of large double doors, a place where only absolute silence pervaded everything. Two Guards stood at the doors, and as Celestia approached, the Guards quickly opened both doors to permit her entrance to what lay beyond.

Dusk paused for a moment when he entered this cavern. The walls everywhere reflected light, and each wall bore reflections of the ponies present in multi-faceted forms. “Wow!” he exclaimed in a wondering tone of voice. “Crystals!”

Celestia chuckled. “Indeed, Dusk Shine,” she agreed. “I must tell you that there is no real dungeon such as you have requested me to hold you in. Even so, these crystal caverns should serve your requirements. The caverns are a relic of a past when ponies were mining for certain kinds of crystals before Canterlot was built.”

The group had paused at a large platform of crystal, beyond which was a crevasse lining the far edge of the platform. A single bridge spanned the crevasse, leading further deeper amongst the crystalline walls, darker passageways which dove far into the mountain. He chuckled at a passing thought.

Celestia turned her head to peer back at Dusk. “Yes?” she asked with a slight frown.

“Just a thought I had,” he replied, his eyes still scanning the entire complex. “In Twilight’s journal, she mentions some pony monarch with a lust for crystals. I was just imagining what that King Sombra would be thinking if he knew about this place.”

Celestia faintly smiled back. “Oh, he knew about these caves, Dusk,” she told him with a flick of her long tail. “He knew perfectly well about this place, which was why he put so much effort into starting a war with Equestria, to conquer it and also delve into these mines once he captured Canterlot. I’d rather not think about it, really, if he had been successful with his attempt. I am quite glad that he failed.”

Dusk nodded sagely. “And yet, you did not remember these here when Chrysalis—"

Celestia laughed lightly. “Oh, I knew about these myself,” she admitted with a smile. “I simply forgot once these caverns were sealed many centuries ago.” Her face darkened slightly. “It took Chrysalis to remind me of them. Even since the changeling invasion, I have made it a priority to keep these caverns secure. Come along, dear.” And she turned about to walk onward.

Several of the pegasi Guards flew over the bridge and landed on the far side, then stood stoically aside while the princess and Dusk crossed the natural crystal bridge. Once all were on the far side, Celestia again took up point, leading Dusk and his Guards deeper into the reaches through the only exit beyond the bridge, a passage which soon came to a split. Celestia confidently took the left branch which was brightly lit with a few torches dotting the walls, the light of which shone from all of the reflective surfaces along the walls.

She paused not far later at an opening, beyond which was a shallow cavern empty of much save a single bench. She nodded at it. “This should do well for what you need when you and Luna dream together, Dusk Shine,” she said. “You will be far from innocent ponies should anything bad occur.”

He stepped into the cavern, his ears both scanning for sounds while his mind expanded with thaumaturgic energy to look for any imperfections. While he might prefer a rocky cavern that can absorb magical energies, a crystal cavern will do for the short exercise between himself and the Dreamwalker princess. After a brief time to explore, Dusk turned about to face Celestia and the guards, only to discover that he had been sealed within the cavern with a shield spell across the entrance.

His ears instantly pricked forward, and Celestia smiled. “There now,” she said with a nod. “Comfy, Dusk? Do be a dear and relax. A meal shall be brough to you later. For now, this is your home. Afterward, we will decide what to do with you. I am leaning to send you off to Zebrica and live in the jungles there. Perhaps you might learn a few things while there, such as some humility. Ta-ta, Dusk!” And the white princess of the sun turned and swept away with a flick of her tail.

Dusk wrinkled his nose and derisively snorted. “Bitch,” he muttered. “Typical of a royal whorse. Go play with your soldier colts, Sun-butt. Hope one of them will knock you up.” He turned away with a flick of his tail and lay upon the bench which stuck out from the smooth crystalline wall. He relaxed as much as he was able, letting his eyes close as he waited to calm so he could prepare himself for the invasion of her sister’s dreamwalking.

Fucking whorses, he thought sourly. Stupid, stupid cunts. Why must they always fuck with him? He told them exactly what was within himself, openly admitting to them that he was a bad pony, that he had killed other ponies, but most importantly, he contained a spirit from beyond that could easily wipe out this civilization. Why couldn’t they just let the creature lie? Why?

Another loud snort. He really needed a smoke, but without his packs, he had left them behind. Calm. Relax. Speak your mantra as you ease your breaths. Soon all will be done and forgiven. But, will they? So much depends on planning, and said plans involve another with whom he must trust, yet fully does not. How he hates having to depend on others. He always can depend on himself, and had before, many, many times.

Dusk knew that the nightmare creature dwelt within himself, yet he was not aware of it just now. He had spent some time to entirely quell the beast, and eventually it had subsided, and now merely waited to be released. He could not afford to allow that to happen. Yet there was another thing that he must depend upon: that of this wild and strange magic here in Twilight’s world, the so-called “magic of Harmony” bullshit. He had never experienced such magic before, so the whole thing was too new and untested by him. Still, he had to rely on another for that, which meant so much left to chance. Never a good option when it came to magic, wild or controlled.

He did start to relax, his breathing slowing after a fashion. And, sometime later, his ears pricked, hearing clearly certain words spoken, even if murmured: “I was never here.”

A soft presence made itself know to Dusk, and he sighed. “I see that you made it. Glad that you came to sit with me, Princess.”

He opened his eyes and peered at Twilight Sparkle. She stared down at him after dropping his packs on the floor, then suddenly smacked the back of his head harshly. “Why must you be such a jerk, Dusk?” she demanded. “Celestia is my teacher and friend, yet you seem to enjoy pushing all of her buttons! It makes me so mad with you every time you do that!”

Dusk winced as he rubbed the back of his head where she had hit him. “Ow!” he cried. “That hurt this time, Twilight! Now I am sure to get a bump from it this time!” He turned to lay on his side and gaze at his analogue. “And to answer your question, I hate mares, especially those in authority over me. She is the analogue of one such mare who had me imprisoned and tortured, only to eventually kick me out of my home world. So, excuse me if I seem to relish taunting her.”

Twilight snorted, then looked about the empty cavern. “Why a crystal cave?” she muttered. “It looks almost the same as the one I freed Cadance from.”

Dusk lit his horn, and a similar bench to the one he lay upon appeared from the opposite wall. “Sit, Twilight,” he told her. “I wish to go over my plans with you. And, by the way, thanks for helping me. You did well earlier to make Sun-butt come as quickly as she did.”

She glared at him for a moment. “I’m not too proud of that, Dusk,” she tartly retorted.

He cracked a slight grin. “I know, I know,” he said. “She is your teacher and all, Princess. Get over it.” He noted the pack laying on the floor nearby, and he quickly rose to grab the packs and sought for his cigarettes. Finding them, he lit one and sighed, letting the smoke fill his lungs with the poison.

“Why must you do that here?” Twilight spoke then. “This cavern probably has just enough air in it—”

Dusk looked up. “Vent,” he said flatly. “Air can circulate. I’ll try not to suffocate you.” He took another drag, then lifted his head to breathe out the smoke, allowing it to curl upward to a small hole near the ceiling, where the smoke was drawn into and disappeared.

“One thing that I learned early on, Twilight,” he said then. “There are two kinds of ponies. Those who use and abuse, and those who are used and abused. I was used and abused until I discovered how to use others myself. I’m a user now. I will never let myself be used and abused by any pony such as your Celestia. Capisce?”

Twilight had lain on the other bench. “I still feel that you are not as truthful as you say, Dusk Shine.” She remarked with a frown. “And, why do you say that you need me again?”

He stared at her for a few brief moments before replying. “Twilight,”: he finally spoke. “You have said it yourself in your journal. You are this world’s Element of Magic, the focus of the Harmony magic here. I must use you to help me fight that which is inside of me. I cannot wield that kind of magic, but you can. I want you to be my failsafe, Twilight, should the worst-case scenario happen. I explained that to you last night. You may consider me a threat to your world, and perhaps I am, should that escape. But having you as back-up, I hope that I may relax enough with the assurance you will aid me in containing it, if not destroying the nightmare. Did I not make that clear?”

She folded her ears. “You did, Dusk,” she relented. “I was just hoping that a better explanation would be forthcoming from you. Are you very sure that this ‘thing’ exists?”

Dusk didn’t reply immediately, as he got up and pulled out his book of plants and flowers, the one which he kept his hidden packet of powder, Extracting the packet from his pocket universe there, he closed the book then, only to look to Twilight.

“As sure as this, Twilight,” he said. “Catch.”

She caught the packet in her magic and drew it to her, inspecting it curiously. “What is this?”

Dusk took another drag of his cigarette. “Many things to me,” he replied calmly. “Courage. Something to let me focus my thoughts. Euphoria, amongst others. I need this, as it is my great sin. I cannot lie, Twilight. I am an addict, and that is my drug of choice. I’ve been addicted to that since I was fourteen. My mother made me addicted to it.”

Her gaze quickly peered to him. “Your mother?”

Dusk nodded. “She told me that this would keep me calm whenever I had a panic attack, which I often did when I was younger. That drug has a few interesting side-effects, none which I will say to you. Just understand that I must have that now. If you wish not to witness me taking it, go stand outside for a time until I call for you again.”

Twilight twisted her ears and frowned. “If it is bad, why do you still take it?” she asked curiously. “Must you really take it? And how do you take it?”

“Do I need it? Yes, Twilight. My body is on edge, so I must take it now. On the other hand, I truly do not need it, as it was made with things that are very, very bad for my body, things that in pure form would instantly kill me. That powder is made from a specific plant, the flower of which is deadly poisonous to ponies.” He lifted the book in his magic. “Trade with you. Look through the book until you find a certain purple flower. That will be the plant which is the source for the powder. You may read about it while I prepare my line.”

Dusk worked quickly and expertly while Twilight read through the book he had given her. He already had the short straw in his nostril, ready to inhale the sickly yellowish powder, when Twilight cried, “I know those! I’ve seen then in the Everfree!”

Dusk sniffed up the line, then set the straw aside as he sat back on the bench with a pleased sigh. “The purple flowers, you mean?” he asked carelessly in a tight voice.

She nodded with excitement, only to turn the book so he could see. “You mean these, don’t you?” she asked.

Dusk nodded. “The drug is manufactured not from the flower itself, but rather the vine from which the flower grows. That is why the drug is simply called ‘vine’. It is easily obtainable where I grew up, as there was an entire industry that grew and manufactured vine, which Big Daddy had as part of his organization, the same organization that I became part of as a member.” He trailed off and looked away with a faraway gaze. “Gone, all gone.”

“What are you feeling now, Dusk?”

He looked blankly to Twilight. “Hard to describe to somepony else,” he said without emotion. “Edgy, but a good edginess. In a few minutes, my nerves will settle, then it will feel like I am riding on a carpet of soft fur through the air. Like I feel weightless, drifting on a soft breeze of warm air.”

She looked at him carelessly lounging on the bench, unsure what to do with Dusk. However, something else caught her eye, and she snorted. “Is that also part of the reaction, Dusk?” she asked with a nod.

“What?” Dusk asked listlessly.

“You are showing a little.”

He shrugged. “Happens when I am in the company of a cute mare.”

Her ears perked. “Any mare, or just me?” she asked calmly, even if her heart began to quicken.

“All,” he said in a faint voice. “I’m a stallion, so get over it.”

She shifted uncomfortably, her gaze still peering at his semi-erection. “Want me to leave?” she asked then.

“Stay with me, Twilight,” he replied forlornly. “I want company. Gives me the chance to ogle such a lovely mare while we talk.”

“Dusk!” she cried, alarmed but also indignant. “You will not—”

“What?” he asked, with folded ears. “I am not going to harm you, I swear. I just wish to look at you and your cute body, Twi. You look so damn fine to me. I still cannot believe just how cute I am as a mare.”

Twilight rolled her eyes then. She really thought about leaving anyway. “Well, I’ll stay here in the castle tonight, then go back in the morning to bring the others here close, should you go monster. Okay?”

“Fine.” He said with a careless wave of a hoof. “If things go bad, please kill me, Twilight. I deserve nothing less than eating that purple flower to poison me and making me die slowly and in pain, just because I came here with a nightmare.”

“I will not, Dusk,” she told him firmly. “I refuse to be your executioner.”

He smiled wanly. “You will, Princess,” he said, then sighed heavily. “I feel so much better now. Tell me, Twilight. Are ponies extinct, but don’t know it yet?”

She frowned. “What kind of question is that?” she demanded.

Dusk shrugged. “Just a random thought is all,” he said. “Sometimes I feel as though life is but a dream, a mad, mad dream from some crazy moon creature.”

Twilight stood up. “I’m leaving, Dusk,” she announced. “I am leaving you to your drug haze and your dick poking out. Honestly, you are something else, Dusk Shine.”

His eyes shifted to peer up at her. “And yet you love me, don’t you, Princess?”

She rolled her eyes again and stomped away.

Only to stop at the entrance and turn back. “Question, Dusk. When you held me against the wall, would you have done what you had threatened to do to me?”

“Possibly, Princess,” he said with a faint grin. “I did elicit the precise look from you, didn’t I?”

“I did think that you were going to. Spike probably thought so also.”

“I considered it, Twilight,” he added. “Yet I need you to be on my side. You do love me, after all, and you love your world, so you went along with me.”

She snorted. “For this time only, Dusk. You are a nasty pony. Ugly, and a real jerk.”

He chuckled without mirth. “Like I said,” he went on, “you love me, and want me for a lover. We will mate, you and I, eventually, Twilight Sparkle. We will have sex many, many times soon after all of this is said and done. Even sleep together. You will enjoy our time together.”

“That will never happen, Dusk Shine!” she stated firmly with a sour snort. “You are a sick pony!”

Grinning, he playfully blew a kiss to her. Twilight growled with disdain, then turned around again, quickly teleporting away.

Dusk thought, Cunt. She know that she loves me, she just doesn’t know it yet. She will soon enough, however. And I will get her pregnant.

He lazed on the bench, allowing himself to drift and enjoy the drug coursing throughout his body without care for anything. And a random thought appeared.

Where in the fuck is Zebrica?