Dusk Shine's Unexpected Sage of Friendship/Love

by Ackkenan234

Rating: mature
Tags: Spike, Comedy, Violence, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Sex, Human, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Romance, Princess Luna
Length: 12919

In another world, Twilight Sparkle is a man known as Dusk Shine. Watch him as he struggles to balance his unexpected love life with his duty to Equestria while facing ancient darkness from a bygone era.

Inspiration by meme-asuarus's The Unexpected Love Life of Dusk Shine and xXAngeLuciferXx's Manga adaptation.

Dusk Shine, the personal protege of Celestia, asocial bookworm, and (unknownst to him) super-cute pretty boy is having prophetic nightmares of the coming of a great darkness the likes of which Equestria has never seen in a thousand years. Though the sun princess does not appear to be concerned, about sending Dusk Shine to Ponyville, all he wants to do is prepare for Nightmare Moon's return.

But when five certain girls enter his life, he'll have more on his plate than Twilight ever did as he struggles with the trials and tribulations of love and friendship!

Note, there may be clop later in the Fic, but that will be later after some time. The characters still have to grow up a bit before any of that stuff can happen to them, ya know?

Published 2024-03-10 08:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-03-26 02:02:56 UTC

Prologue: Not all Nightmare are dreams

Have you ever felt that something is missing? That the world you see is not all there is? That, somewhere beyond your senses, there's a reality hidden in plain sight, waiting for a chance to emerge?

For Dusk, he’s been having these dreams lately. Dreams that felt more real than a dream should, and he has been seeing faces and events that he has never experienced, or remembered experiencing. He was in a place he had never been before and people he had never met before. Yet, it all feels so familiar, as if this was a distended memory, buried in his head, but forgotten for a reason as if it was an experience I'd rather forget.

It's the same story, the same sequence of events, over and over again, like a broken record. He was dim, ancient place, weathered by time's relentless touch, resembling a castle shrouded in mystery, reminiscent of Canterlot but from an era long faded. It was nighttime, and a bright, full moon loomed above, surrounded by a sea of stars, yet something about the moon felt... off. There was a dark, sinister air around it, like a monster watching your every move, waiting to strike.

Accompanied him were five girls of wildly differing appearance and demeanour. It was always five, always the same ones, never changing and they were all people he had never met before, and yet they all felt... familiar, like he had met them before, or should have.

Who were they? Why was he with them? Where were they?

No answers. No explanations. Nothing. Just a void where knowledge should have been. But it was clear to him that we were here for a reason. A very, very important reason that he knows, deep down, is vital to the fate of not only us but everyone in Equestria. How he knew this was beyond me, but he knew. It's a gut feeling, the kind you get when you know something is about to go horribly wrong.

And it does, every time as the dream ends the same way each and every time. Sprawled on the murky ground, a colossal shadow figure cloaked in malevolence icy, cold aura, the kind that can freeze the blood in your veins. He could feel it. It was like a living shadow with only its glowing monstrous yet oddly beautiful serene cyan eyes visible. They bore down at him with an intensity that pierced to the core, making his heart race and his body shake as a sensation of dread and fear that seeps into your soul and chills you to the very core.

Then the room and everything in it began to melt away as an all-encompassing, all-consuming blackness swallows everything up. Dusk tries to get away, but his legs refuse to budge as if he were bound to the earth itself, and no matter how hard he struggles, he cannot get free as the darkness washes over him. The darkest, the blackest, the absolute dark he has ever seen. Like the void between the stars. No light can pierce this eternal abyss. It was as if a blanket had been draped over the world, snuffing out all forms of life and light, leaving nothing in its wake.

He cannot hear anything. He cannot see anything. He cannot feel anything. All he could do was lie there, frozen as he felt the embrace of the living shadow as it brought him into a chillingly loving embrace as a lover would to their significant other. he could feel a heartbeat within it.

Strong, yet gentle feminine voice spoke with an emotion he cannot describe.

"It's almost time..."

And with a jolt, Dusk Shine shot awake from his slumber, gasping for air as if he had been submerged in a pool of water, his body soaked in a cold sweat, his breathing rapid and shallow. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, and his body trembled uncontrollably as he clutched his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Just a dream... Just a dream..." He muttered to himself, taking deep, shuddering breaths. He looked down at his hand and at the tattoo emblazoned on the back of it, a symbol that served as his Cutie mark. The mark consisted of a six-pointed pink star overlaid on a white one with five small white stars surrounding the two largest. He traced a finger along the edge of it, feeling a slight rush of warmth coursing through his arm, a strange sense of calm and reassurance flowing through his veins, his heart rate returning to normal, his body no longer shaking and trembling, and his breathing returning to a normal pace.

Once down, he pulled himself up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, his body sore and stiff as walking with a light grace, stepping before a full-length mirror, staring at his reflection.

In this world, Twilight Sparkle was never born…As female and instead was a young male unicorn lad named Dusk Shine, the princess's personal protégé, and was the single most promising student to enter the Grand School for Gifted Unicorns and the youngest to ever finish Star Swirl U's doctorate exams at the mere age of eighteen.

Despite, this Dusk was appearance-wise what many would describe as not traditionally "masculine", standing below the average height of a stallion and was a bit on the thinner and leaner side. Princess Celestia's insistence that he take part in the school's yearly athletic events to keep in shape and get to know his classmates paid off in more than one way. Never the star of any team, he had put in a fine performance at everything as long as it didn't require much physical strength or endurance He didn't have the rippling muscles of an athlete or the broad shoulders and barrel chest of a warrior like his older brother Shining Armor, but he was still far from what one would call scrawny as he was in shape for a bookworm.

Yet, he often hated how his people would say he could pass for a girl if he didn't cut his hair or was given a dress, and the idea of him being mistaken for one had bothered him more than a few times. His face, though still masculine, had a certain feminine beauty about it with soft, round features and a rather pretty complexion. His Dark sapphire blue hair was unkempt and shaggy spiking outward in the back and with a streak of moderate purple and brilliant raspberry red running through the left side. Bring a hand through it, pulling back the locks out of his moderate violet eyes revealing a small pale, light greyish mulberry oval gemstone embedded in the middle of his forehead.

"Another nightmare..." he said, shaking his head, looking at his reflection with an emotionless expression. "It's becoming more and more frequent."

He glanced out the window. The sun had barely risen, the sky bathed in hues of orange and pink as the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon. Dusk sighed before heading into the washroom, preparing himself for a new day.

{Canterlot City, Dawn, 48 hours before the Summer Sun Celebration....AND THE RETURNED OF NIGHTMARE MOON!}

Author's Note

Alright! This is a first work so go easy but feel free to criticize. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly enjoyed. Written in about three hours, note that rewrites will likely come with time due to the rushed and haphazard nature of my creative moments!

Volume I - Chapter 1: prophecies & procrastination

In the land of Equestria, three tribes of humans rule over it, each with their own unique powers and abilities, all of which were based on culture far preceding their own, a culture that had only just enough time to pass on its knowledge to us before it vanished overnight…

The first was the 'Earthborn'. Rugged and strong masters of the earth, they are the most grounded of the three tribes, literally, and the most attuned to the flow of nature, giving the brute strength necessary to work with the land as such they are seen as the most physically gifted of the three tribes.

The second race couldn't be any further from them, the 'Pegasi'. Proud and graceful Masters of the sky and weather, the winged people can take to the air and soar amongst the clouds and absorb, control, and manipulate the weather in all of its forms. As such they were given the responsibility of handling and shaping the weather itself in Equestria.

The third and final race, the one that Dusk was from, are the 'Unicorns', who are born with a gem embedded in their foreheads. Unlike the other races, the Unicorns were born with magic at their very fingertips, drew their powers from their own Mana through their Headstone, the source of their magical energies, and were able to harness the magical energy within themselves and the world around them to perform many magical feats, such as teleportation, enchantments, shields, and energy blasts, all with a few hand gestures, a few magic words, or so much as a thought.

The three tribes all lived in harmony under the watchful eye of their benevolent ruler for generations, in peace and prosperity, each bringing their unique skills and talents to the table. Yet even now, this peaceful harmony is on the verge of collapse as an old and terrible foe from the past returns to reclaim the world and even as I write this, I fear it is drawing near...

{Canterlot City, afternoon, 36 hours before the Summer Sun Celebration.}

Canterlot City, the great capital and seat of power of the Equestria, was a sprawling and majestic metropolis located at the cliffside of a massive mountain that overlooked the surrounding lands. Founded by the esteemed Sun matriarch princess of Equestria, Celestia after the loss of destruction of the original capital city of Equestria. It was a symbol of peace, harmony, and order with sunstone, marble, and brass architecture, with golden trim and banners.

One of the most well-known sights in the city was the Canterlot Castle, besides the royal palace was the Grand School for Gifted Unicorns, personally funded by the Sun matriarch herself, it was home to many gifted and talented students over the years who would go on to do amazing things in the fielded of Magic and Alchemy. The campus was huge and sprawling, having been expanded numerous times since its inception. The main campus is a series of towers, connected by walkways, courtyards, and the like. Each tower has a different focus for the magic taught within, with the east wing of the campus being dedicated to the study of healing magic, while the west wing is home to the more offensive magics. The south wing is where the classrooms are, and the north is for the more advanced classes and laboratories, alongside an extensive library and other research facilities.

At the far edge of the campus, stood the private dormitories, housing only a few privileged students. They were reserved for those who have proven themselves, the best of the best. And those who are willing to afford it. In one such dormitory, one significantly larger than the others, a rather unique creature for such a place.

A dragon.

A race of shapeshifting magical reptiles, with a natural aptitude for elemental manipulation often live in isolation from the other races, preferring to stay in the Dragon Lands, an archipelago to the far southeast of Equestria, near the equator. This Dragon, an adolescent male was in his humanoid taking the appearance of a young pre-teen, having long spiky Moderate harlequin green hair with a lighter green tint going through it. He was a rather lanky boy, being a tad below average in height and standing at around 1.4 metres with pale, light skin. His face was a bit squarish with a rounded jawline, sharp-fanged teeth, Moderate pistachio green reptilian eyes and green ears shaped like tiny bat wings. He was dressed in a rather simple violet height-collar jacket with light spring bludish grey rimmed edges, Pale green pants, and a set of matching colour shoes.

Currently, the adolescent drake was in the process of cleaning the many, many bookshelves that line the whole length of the walls of the massive dorm room. The young dragon was currently dusting the top shelf, his hind legs braced against the side of a bookshelf, his left hand on the side, and the right holding the feather duster, humming a small tune to himself. However, the peace was short-lived as the door to the dorm room suddenly flew open, causing the dragon to yelp and lose his balance, sending him crashing into a pile of books on the ground.

" Spike! SPIIIIKE!" A male voice called out to the seemingly empty room, looking surprised at the fact he didn't seem to be around. “Spike?"

"Back here," said an annoyed voice from a pile of books, a clawed hand popping out of the pile and waving as an aura of purplish-pink magical energy lifted the adolescent drake out of the pile before setting him down on the ground, his eyes spinning for a few seconds as the unicorn stallion trotted into the room.

"Ah, there you are.” Dusk Shine remarked, walking in. He was wearing a plain pale, light greyish mulberry-coloured jacket with dark purple trim over a white dress shirt with the same symbol as his tattoo adorned his chest and a black belt holding up a pair of black pants, and black-and-white shoes. "Now, please give me a copy of Predictions and Prophecies, I need to confirm something."

"Oh, Spike, that was a hard fall. Are you sure you're okay? Oh, it's fine, Dusk, don't worry about it," Spike replied, sarcastically muttering under his breath, "It's not like I was cleaning the entire room or anything."

"Spike, the book please," Dusk replied, ignoring his dragon assistant's witty remark as he was too busy rummaging through his bag dumping a bunch of books detailing old legends and Folklore of the Equestrian region.

"Let's see, predictions, predictions," Spike muttered as he searched through the many shelves before turning his head back to Dusk. "Oh by the way I picked out a present for Moondancer."

"Who?" The unicorn stallion genuinely asked, having no idea who his friend was talking about, as the young dragon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Red-head, thick glasses, super quiet?"

"Going to need more to work with than that." He responded, continuing his search, much to the drake's annoyance.

"The girl that sits next to you in pretty much every class and has a crush on you that's obvious to everyone BUT you?" Spike answered while looking through the books on the shelf. Dusk looked up from the notes he was reading, "Moondance... oh right, her. Wait, crush?" He asked, confused by the young dragon's statement.

"Bro, she always happens to volunteer to be your lab partner, blushes whenever she talks to you and stares at you with that lovestruck gaze of hers, not to mention I overheard her talking about how she wanted to ask you out," Spike explained, looking back at his boss.

"That doesn't mean anything," Dusk said dismissively, "I'm the only one who actually does my work and pays attention, it's no surprise that she wants me as a partner, and it's not my fault that she stares, she can look where she wants."

"Dusk, you are literally the most oblivious person I have ever met," Spike said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," Dusk said, having gone back to the book he was reading, not really paying attention to his assistant as the young dragon simply sighed and shook his head.

"Ugh, whatever." Spike sighed as he finally found the book in question. "Ah, here it is," he handed the book to Dusk who opened it immediately, "So, are we going to her birthday party tonight or not?"

"Of course not," The unicorn stated as if it was an obvious answer. "Spike, this is too important."

"And what is it that's so important, exactly?" Spike inquired, taking a seat on the nearby desk, "I mean, you've been acting weird since all day, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Dusk replied, his tone clearly indicating he did not wish to elaborate. "But, to answer your first question, I was doing research into Maiden in the Moon legend," Dusk explained, taking a seat at his desk.

"The “Maiden in the Moon?” That's an old fairy tale isn't it?" Spike asked his companion, leaning forward, his head propped on his right arm.

"It is, but I think there is a connection here, aha!” Dusk exclaimed as he found the page he was looking for, "Maiden in the Moon, a fable dating back to early Equestria over a thousand years ago."

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in the realm of Equestria, two sisters presided over it. The eldest sister, the Sun Princess, was a beautiful and wise ruler who brought forth the day and ruled over the world during the daytime, a benevolent, and kind-hearted leader, whose love for her people and the world knew no bounds ensuring each day progressed as intended and managed the affairs of their subjects during daylight. The younger sister, the lunar Princess, was a gentle and graceful ruler who brought forth the night and ruled over the world during the night, a quiet, reserved figure, but a caring and loving ruler, whose devotion and care for the world and her people were unmatched, watching over the dreams of her subjects at night, safeguarding their rest.

The land was at peace, and all was well, both sisters working together in perfect harmony to rule the land and make the day and night enchanting for all who resided there. However, the younger sister's nights were often ignored, as most lived by the sun, which led to a sense of neglect and resentment in her heart which grew only darker as the days and nights passed.

For nearly seven centuries, this seed of envy and jealousy grew within the younger sister, consuming her mind, soul, and heart. On the longest day of the year, while the elder sister guided the sun, she noticed the moon's unusual path across the sky. What she saw shocked her - her sister, transformed into a dark, twisted, version of her former self who proclaimed that she would no longer watch idly as the older sister stole the glory and attention of their subjects and that she would bring eternal night, ending the daylight forever.

A mighty battle ensued, a war of celestial proportions, as the two sisters battled across the skies. However, the elder sister couldn't bring herself to harm her transformed sibling, and the younger sister's victory was all but certain.

However, the elder sister had still one last trick up her sleeve.

The Elements of Harmony, Equestria's most powerful magic, six relics the celestial sisters had used in the past to resolve conflicts in the kingdom, these powerful relics held the very essence of the harmony that Equestria stood for, and their power was great enough to combat even the darkest, foulest, and wickedness forces.

With no other choice, the elder sister used the Elements of Harmony and banished her sister to the moon, locking her away for the rest of time. Since then, the elder sister took on both day and night duties, labouring equally and governing her subjects alone as the younger sister's image remained on the moon, a forever reminder of 'Nightmare Moon’, the Maiden in the Moon.

"Yeah, I know the story, you told it to me when I was still a hatchling." The young dragon replied, a bit annoyed at his surrogate brother's insistence on telling the story to him again.

"Well, I was just trying to be dramatic." The unicorn shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Anyway, as I was saying, I've been looking into this legend recently."

"Is there a point you're trying to make?" Spike asked, growing increasingly fed up by his older brother's antics and really wished he would get to the point so he could go back to doing....honestly anything else than sitting here listening to Dusk's endless ramblings.

"Look, you remember how I said Celestia was acting strange right? Like she was nervous about something? Well, yesterday I saw her looking at one of the stained glass windows in the throne room, the one that shows her defeat of the Nightmare Moon." He explained, his tone growing more serious and concerned. " I asked her about it but she just kept dodging the question, so I decided to do a little research." He pointed to all the stuff he was researching books and scrolls on the topic of the Nightmare Moon mythos, "And what I found was very, very troubling."

"Which is?" The drake inquired.

"Well, I found a couple of scrolls in the library from a long, long, long time ago, scrolls dating back before the founding of Equestria, they were written in an ancient tongue and took a while to translate, but when I did, I learned something very disturbing," he explained, pulling out a couple of the scrolls he was talking about.

"What did they say?"

"Yet the rain of the sun will not last forever as on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and will bring about nighttime eternal life in the world." His tone was serious and grim as he read the translated scriptures. "The scrolls talk about a prophecy, a prophecy that states Nightmare Moon will return one thousand years after her banishment."

Woah! Woah, woah, woah," Spike exclaimed, raising his arms and hands up in a time-out motion, "Slow down, Dusk. Let's be reasonable for a minute." He said, trying to process everything he was being told. "Nightmare Moon is just a fairy tale meant to scare little kids on Nightmare Night." He pointed out, remembering how the unicorn would tell him the scary story every year on the holiday, "I mean, I love the legend, the whole "Dark queen of the night" thing, but there's no way that any of it's real, right? There's no such thing as an Alicorn of darkness."

"All legends come from somewhere," Dusk explained, rolling up the scroll as he stood, looking at Spike with all the seriousness of an academic laying out his thesis. "And if my calculations are correct, the thousandth year is on the Summer Sun Celebration which is only a day away." He explained, levitating his star charts and calendars with numerous calculations scribbled all over them in a very chaotic organised manner. "It would explain why Princess Celestia has seemed so stressed lately, she knows that Nightmare Moon is coming back! And I, her prized student, must be the one to stop her, it's my destiny!"

Spike gave his older brother a long, hard look as a small, sceptical smirk crept its way onto his face before busting out laughing, falling out of his chair and rolling on the floor as his laughter echoed throughout the room.

That’s hilarious! You’ve been up too long Dusk! You’re hallucinating!” The young dragon exclaimed, trying to get a hold of himself.

“I am not hallucinating!” Dusk Shine retorted hotly, turning to glare at the young dragon. "The historical record of Nightmare Moon somehow, through the stupidity of some ancient dumbass, was forgotten. So, the story has become a legend, a fairy tale, but its source is factual! The only force that is known to be capable of stopping her is the Elements of Harmony, but they were lost centuries ago, perhaps even earlier. Without them, we’re going to have to rely on military action to keep her occupied until the Elements can be found and implemented!”

“Dusk Shine, how much sleep have you gotten since I last saw you?” Spike asked after he got over his laughter, getting up from the ground and taking a seat on the table. "Cause whenever you haven't gotten a lot of sleep you get all...weird and talk about some cuckoo conspiracy theories."

"My theories are not cuckoo!" The unicorn retorted.

“You once spent four days straight trying to prove that ghosts were living in the Canterlot gardens," Spike countered. "Only for it to turn out that it was just a bunch of raccoons."

"I'm telling you, those raccoons were possessed by the spirits of the damned," Dusk insisted, remembering one jumping out a bush and lacked onto his face. 'Still have the claw marks on my nose from that one.'

"Or the time you were convinced that the school’s librarian was secretly a changeling spy." Spike reminded him.

"That was not a baseless theory! She was always hanging around books and whispering to herself." The unicorn shot back, "What else was I supposed to think?"

"The time you got suckered by those salesmen who got you to buy a bunch of fake StarSwirl the Bearded memorabilia?"

"Don't we remind me," The unicorn grumbles, "I paid a fortune for that worthless junk." His teeth clenched in annoyance, still sore about the whole affair. "If I ever see those con artists again, they'll regret the day they crossed paths with me." However, he was quickly distracted from his annoyance as try to get the topic back on track, "But never mind that, the point is, this time I have hard scientific proof that my theories are correct!"

"Like the whole "Ancient pre Rain Civilization" theory incident." The young drake deadpanned, giving his brother a disbelieving look who looked away with an embarrassed look on his face.

‘The last time I trusted Lyra to be “assessed” in researching an ancient society.’ He thought to himself, rubbing his temple at the memory of his “childhood acquaintance’s” ramblings.

"I mean the prophecy is sandwiched between a bunch of mumbo-jumbo like "And on the day that children fight, the chaos bringer will rain cocoa water" and "On coldest day in the coldest winter, the lost empire will rise alongside the umbra king". That doesn't sound like a real prophecy, more like some idiotic bad attempt at poetry," The dragon pointed out, his argument making Dusk pause for a moment, as he was now considering the possibility. "Besides, the princess would tell you about something THAT important right?"

"Not if she didn't want me to worry..." Dusk trailed off as a thought came to him. "That's it!" he declared loudly, startling Spike into falling off the step stool for the second time that day, "she must be trying to keep me from panicking. She always was overprotective of me." Dusk grabbed his bag that bore his cutie mark and put it on as he headed for the door. "I bet when I tell her that I've figured it out and she sees that I'm perfectly calm and confident, she'll tell me all about her plan to deal with Nightmare Moon. Come on, let's go see her, court should be over by now."

Spike shook his head as he recovered from his spill and looked up to see an excited Dusk running out the door. "Hey, wait for me!"

An excited Dusk was an oblivious Dusk, which meant that a level-headed Spike was needed, so he ran after his friend as they made their way to the royal court, eager to share his theory with the princess.

He just hoped that he was wrong.

Moondancer inspected the invitation in her hand for the 5th time within as many minutes. Perfection was imperative; Dusk Shine possessed a keen eye for any misspelt word or grammatical slip, no matter how minor. She devoted two hours to this seemingly simple card comprising only two sentences, striving for flawlessness. The initial draft appeared overly casual, potentially relegating him to just another attendee. The subsequent version exuded warmth, yet she hesitated to convey a mere desire for friendship. The subsequent attempt, exuding excessive eagerness, was promptly discarded, burnt, and its remnants scattered by the wind in a fit of self-consciousness. This cycle persisted through multiple revisions until she eventually settled on a combination of words she believed struck the delicate balance between friendship and the subtle hint of something more.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

But the redheaded girl could be forgiven for stressing about the details, after all, the invitation played a crucial role in the initial stage of the plan “Get New and Amazing Boyfriend with Date Under the Stars and Kissing” or G.N.A.B.-D.U.S.K. The G was silent. Once Dusk graced her birthday gathering, she would casually propose stargazing to witness the anticipated lunar eclipse. Amidst the celestial spectacle, she would unveil her emotions. Naturally, given Dusk’s nature, directness was imperative. While most men would grasp the underlying significance of the intimate setting, he would perceive them simply as two acquaintances observing a celestial marvel.

A small smile adorned Moondancer's lips as she imagined the scenario. Her imagination drifted, envisaging Dusk's heavenly features illuminated by the moon's ethereal light as she confessed her feelings. In response, he would embrace her and whisper the sweet words of her dreams, words which would be spoken in a warm, gentle tone before culminating with the two unicorns sharing a kiss.

It was a wonderful thought, a thought which filled the shy bookworm's chest with a warm feeling. If it wasn’t blatantly obvious Moondancer had a crush, a rather severe crush on Dusk Shine. One dating back to when they were just kids at School Gifted Unicorn where they first met during one of the classes. The first time Moondancer ever laid eyes on him, he was performing a demonstration for their magic class. The professor had requested that the students demonstrate a basic fire spell they were currently learning. Then Dusk without any hesitation walked up to the front of the classroom and conjured a massive fireball bigger than the one that the teacher used to demonstrate before easily hitting a perfect shot at the targets at the same time in a stunning display of magical power.

He was amazing. A once-in-a-generation magical prodigy. The likes of which hadn't been seen since StarSwirl the Bearded himself.

And she fell for him, hook, line, and sinker just like that.

Since then she tried her hardest to get close to him, doing everything she could to get close to him. It was a challenge, to say the least, but Moondancer did her best. But, alas, despite her efforts, she found it impossible to get through the thick-headed boy's thick skull and see her as anything more than an acquaintance, a friend, and maybe someone he could rely on for help in school.

'Well, no more,' She thought with a firm resolve. 'Tonight is the night that I tell him how I feel and hope that he feels the same way about me.'

Moondancer drew in a deep breath, steeling herself with determination shining through her round glasses. Her friends' advice echoed in her mind - no more hesitating; it was time to set her plan in motion. She wouldn't have to wait long, for she soon noticed her target sprinting down the path with Spike close behind.

"Dusk!" she called out as she hurried to intercept him. "Dusk Shine, wait!" Ignoring her plea, Dusk continued, leading to a collision as she closed the distance. Moondancer shook her head, finding Dusk not on top of her, as her inner otaku had envisioned, but off to the side, slowly rising to his feet.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought you would stop. Are you alright?" she stammered, expressing her concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was preoccupied," Dusk responded, extending a hand to assist her to stand. Moondancer took his hand, noting his touch, and rose to her feet. "Say, do you have a moment?"

"Not really, I have an important matter to discuss with the princess. If you're uninjured, I must be on my way."

"Wait!" Moondancer caught his arm as he turned to leave. "I... This is for you," she said, offering him the invitation.

"Oh, um, thanks?" Dusk accepted the invitation and scrutinised it, causing Moondancer's heart to race as he perused the contents.

"It's an invitation to my 20th birthday party. It'd mean a lot to me if you came... I mean because I'd like all my friends to be there," Stupid, let the card do the talking. Moondancer observed Dusk attentively, searching for clues in their subtle movements and gestures. The only visible reaction came from Spike, whose eyes gleamed with a knowing smug grin as Dusk tucked the invitation into his jacket

"Oh, okay. Sure, I'll come, but I really must leave now. Important meeting with the princess. Later," said rather aloofly before turning and hurrying towards the palace. After a few moments, Moondancer exhaled deeply, flashing the widest smile she could manage. "He said yes, woohoo. Phase one is complete."

While Dusk's reply might have seemed indifferent to others, Moondancer viewed it differently. Having known him since elementary school, she recognized his analytical and literal nature. Yet, beneath the surface, his rare displays of enthusiasm shone brightly. Anticipating the upcoming celebrations, Moondancer thought, ‘I better go get ready. Tonight's going to be the best night ever…’

Dusk gave the letter an unpressed look before his Headstone glowed and fire erupted from it, incinerating the paper in seconds without a single ash left.

"Wow, bro. You think you should have burned that?" Spike asked his older brother, watching him destroy the invitation.

"Why not?" Dusk asked, showing no care or remorse for the action. "Like I said before, I'm busy dealing with something that means the fate of the whole world is at stake. So, I don't have time for some stupid little birthday party and Moondancer is a well-adjusted girl of somewhat reasonable intelligence. I'm sure she can get the point without having me tell her."

The young dragon could only roll his eyes, wondering why he bothered trying to teach his brother some basic social skills.

"Besides, once she sees that the fate of Equestria is at stake and we'll all die if we don't save the world, she'll understand."

"Uh, I think you're overestimating her," Spike muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Plus, do you really think the Princess is going to respond seriously to that? I mean come on, that ‘theory’ is far-fetched, even for you. I mean, Nightmare Moon? Seriously, it's probably some ancient, evil, alicorn who was banished millennia ago. Really?” Spike asked sceptical Dusk Shine who was most affronted.

“Spike, the Princess has never in all her years of teaching me dismissed my concerns or doubted me. Yes, some of my theories and predictions have been false, but she has always given them their due consideration. I fully expect her to do the same now.” He finished, smiling a bit at his proclamation. At that, the young drake once again rolled his eyes and shook his head as the duo soon reached the castle.

The Royal Palace was the single most impressive structure in all of Equestria, its towers and spires stretching up towards the heavens. White marble walls with gold accents and royal purple roofs as far as the eye could see. A grand, central courtyard surrounded by smaller gardens, and an elegant gate leading into the grounds. It was a true wonder, a symbol of peace and harmony, a beacon of hope and prosperity.

A sight that Dusk was all too familiar with.

The duo approached the large, golden gates, which were opened by the royal guards, draped in their usual golden armour. The guards didn't even bother stopping them as they knew Dusk was a frequent visitor and allowed the two to pass into the grounds unhindered. The halls of the palace were lavishly decorated with various pieces of art, from paintings to statues, all of which were priceless works from some of the finest artists in Equestria. The pair walked along the red carpet, passing several servants and guards who nodded respectfully as they passed.

'Okay, just breathe and try to be calm and collected, and she'll tell you all about her plan to deal with Nightmare Moon and this day will be over soon. I'll have all the answers I need, and I won't have to worry anymore,' the studious unicorn told himself as he approached the doors to the throne room. However, as he reached the entrance, the doors opened as someone stepped out, having had just talked with the princess only a second before and faced the two brothers in the hallway as the door closed behind them.

This person was a woman, a Unicorn woman if the light blue Headstone in her forehead was anything to go by, appearing to be in her mid-forties to mid-fifties with hair of five different shades of purple. In addition she wore very professional clothing, consisting of a midnight blue suit and skirt with a light blue dress shirt, three pearl earrings, maroon colour tights and dark blue high heel shoes, which made her look like a lawyer or a scholar.

But their expression just reeked of snootiness with a sharp and angular face that was full of lines. With a long and prominent chin, a pointed nose, and high cheekbones. The woman's eyes were her Greyish fuchsia eyes as cold as ice behind a pair of half-moon designer reading glasses that told the story of someone who looked down on everyone and everything.

Someone whom Dusk had the great displeasure of knowing. Someone that Dusk really never wanted to have the misfortune to meet again.

"Ah, Sir Dusk Shine," The woman said, a clinically professional yet endlessly snooty voice, "So, nice to see the princess’s top student again. It has been a while, hasn't it? And I see you brought your “pet” with you as always? How quaint?”

Dusk could see Spike's eyes narrow at the very mention of the word pet, and the small spark of fire forming in his mouth as he looked ready to roast the principal if he had to. However, Dusk placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the drake to lock eyes with his brother, a full conversation occurring between the two without a word being said as Spike took a breath and calmed down, his fiery temper fading, and Dusk's own eyes shifted back to the principal.

“And you Ms Prime Minister,” Dusk said in false friendliness, pulling on a fake smile and a calm tone. When living in Canterlot one must learn to as a rule of thumb play the game and keep up the illusion. "It has been what? A month since we last met? My how the time has flown. And I was worried that you wouldn’t have remembered due to your advanced age.”

A small snicker escaped Spike's lips as there was a slight twitch in Cinch's eye for a brief moment, only visible if you were trained in facial cues, which Dusk was.

"Yes, well, how could I forget a student such as yourself," She said, forcing a smile of her own. Even so, her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I assume the princess has been keeping you quite busy these last few weeks? After all, she can't have her personal protegee waste his talent, especially in a time such as this."

"That is indeed so.” Dusk smiled back, not letting his guard down for a second. "I’ve been working on a…”history” project of sorts while I wait for my application to the Advanced Magical Research and Development division to be approved.”

“Very high hopes you have, my boy," Cinch responded, adjusting her glasses. “Only 1% out of the applicants get accepted, and that's only after a rigorous process and the interview.”

“It is the top magic research lab in Equestria," Dusk reminded her with a smirk. "Not to mention the most prestigious and secretive. If you want to do groundbreaking magic and magical technology, then this is the place to go."

"High hopes for such a small body." She remarked, looking him up and down, causing Dusk to frown a bit, but he didn't say anything. "But then again, you have always had your head in the clouds."

"Well, my height has nothing to do with my skill and talents,I got into Celestia's school because of my abilities, and I graduated with top marks. So, please Ms Prime Minister, save the snide remarks about my height. I got enough of those in the school yard." He started firmly with a bit of steel in his voice. “Besides, isn’t it a little unbecoming for the Prime Minister to make such childish insults? Or should I say soon to be ex-Prime Minister?"

At that, the woman's eye twitched again, this time much more visible. Yes, it had been a very turbulent month for the Baroness. After the resurfacing of old documents during the 8th Changeling-Equestria War, revealing some of the actions Cinch and her party took during the war that was….very controversial. And while she had fought off a hostile takeover of her position by her political opponents, the princess herself had condemned her in front of the public and promised an investigation into her activities as a vote of No Confidence had been called by parliament which is said to take place in the next month.

As a result, Cinch was in the doghouse and was trying her hardest to remain Prime Minister until then, which made Dusk all the happier to be around her.

"Well, we shall see how the chips fall before we make any premature conclusions.” Cinch started with a low growl in her voice, adjusting her glasses once again as her eyes narrowed at him. "For now, the princess wishes to see you in private. I will be on my way. I have a press conference to attend, after all, and a country to run."

“And hopefully an early retirement?" Dusk added, the woman glaring at him, but she didn't respond as she walked away, disappearing from view.

"Wow, she is a very un-fun lady." Spike commented, though only after he knew she was fully out of earshot. “She really needs to get laid.”

“Spike!”

“What? You know I’m right!” The young drake declared with a chuckle, shaking his head. “Besides, if I'm going to probably go to prison for the rest of my life I for one would like to spend my last days having as much sex as possible.”

"One: You're a twelve-year-old boy, you have literally no idea what you're talking about. Two: Please don’t make me think about miss bossy boots and the word sex in the same sentence. It makes me sick." Dusk shuddered at the mental image, his smile dropping a bit. "How a hag like her got to be the Prime Minister for more than a half-century is beyond me."

And so two walked through the hallway leading up to the throne room, but right before he was about to push open the monstrous double doors that stood twice as tall as Dusk was, he stood as when it opened by itself, the doors swinging wide, a female voice spoke.

“You have fantastic timing, my young apprentice.” A motherly voice, one that was both warm and friendly yet powerful and authoritative. Entering the room as most of the staff were on their way out, the two brothers stepped into one of the most important rooms in all of Equestria.

Princess Celestia's throne room. A vast and beautiful room, with a vaulted ceiling, polished marble floor, and white walls adorned with stained glass windows depicting the greatest moment in Equestria History and other significant moments from the nation's past with a massive red carpet leading all the way up to the throne, the literal seat of power of Equestria. It was massive, larger than any chair should be, made out of white marble with a gold frame. It was so big that if Dusk tried to sit in it he’d be like a toddler trying to sit in an adult chair. On each side was a pillar holding a torch, and on either side were a pair of massive banners, each depicting a golden sun, the symbol of the monarchy.

The reason why it was so large is because of the royal woman sitting on the throne who appeared to be a decade and a half older than Dusk, but she was then more than that. For she was an Alicorn. A divine and powerful god-like being, the living representation of nature, gifted the magic of all three tribes, Pegasus, Unicorns, and Earthborn. A race of beings that were the ultimate evolution of all three with forces that govern and control the world. To all Princess Celestia was the highest authority in all of Equestria, having lived for a thousand years and counting and as the Alicorn of the Sun, she is responsible for the rise of the sun and its position in the sky every day and the setting of the sun and its position every night. Coming face to face with the ruler of all Equestria both brothers bowed and greeted their beloved princess, radiating light and warmth coming from the ethereal beauty that was the alicorn Princess they watched Celestia, no, to burn the image of Celestia in her full glory into their minds.

The woman who stared back was a woman unlike any other in the world: tall enough to be at least a head above any guard who was in her employ, with an imposing set of wings folded behind her back that could reach out as far as twice her arm length. Yet if her height did not get one’s attention, her body’s shape most definitely did. Dusk once heard the princess offhandedly mention that she liked to consider that over time, her looks had influenced - to some degree - the course of art and definitions of beauty her people’s culture had grown into. It was an expectation, given her place as the definitive head of her kingdom for so long and Dusk had to agree.

Framed by an almost enchanting waterfall of colours that made up her elongated mane of hair which curls slightly at the ends, with two bangs framing her face and reaching down to her chest and seeming to move in a wind that didn't exist. Celestia’s face was a work of art that had no equal, and it was clear to anyone who laid eyes upon her that she was a goddess, not a mortal woman with the softness and curvature of her cheekbones and chin, the soft and elegant line of her nose, her smooth and flawless complexion, and a smile that was so pure and genuine that it warmed the hearts of any and all who laid eyes upon her, a smile that always seemed to be plastered on her face, her pale, light greyish magenta eyes, that while kind and soft, could turn stern and sharp like a knife in a blink.

Of course, the minds of mortal men cannot help but give in to the temptation of lust and succumb to their most primal instincts as the Sun Princess figure was, in fact, a goddess-like figure, a result of pure alicorn genetics meeting the almost spoiling nature of royal life. She was by no means out of shape; even with her age, she carried all the magical and physical might of a Princess, enough to give every warring species beyond Equestria’s borders - the dragons, the Yaks, and onwards out - fair caution in drawing her ire. Yet where the muscle was placed, there were sufficient paddings of supple, squeezable flesh.

Possibly the two most evident givings of this were in her chest and in her lower half. The sheer size Celestia bore in her twin globes dwarfed any and every possible bra maker in modern-day Equestria, to the point her personal brassieres were crafted through private commission. Being as strong as she was, there was never a worry for the fables of “back pain” as some might complain about. Really, Celestia’s only complaint about them was getting them to cooperate with her attire and for making it difficult sometimes to not distract someone with them. She also suspected that it was a hazing ritual for the new guards to try and nab at least one of her bras, as she occasionally found them in places they had no business being in.

Her lower half spared no mercy either, in terms of physical appeal. Powerful, long legs carried the solar princess easily, yet further displayed her uniqueness in the sheer heft carried in her thighs and even up to her rear end. It was an easy declaration that any attire made for Celestia would only fit Celestia because, on anyone else, it would amount to no more than throwing window drapes over one’s torso. Much to her personal embarrassment, there was an occasional security check on the size of doorways and access routes to make sure she would never become, literally, stuck inside of a tight spot.

She was dressed in an outfit that was more than fit for her station, wearing an elegant sleeveless, ankle-length pure white dress that had gold trimmings and patterns, with the back left open so her wings could move freely, a golden necklace that looked like a pair of wings wrapped around her neck bearing her Cutie Mark, a stylish rendition of the sun, the symbol of the monarchy located on her left hand, golden high heels, and a golden crown embedded with Amethyst gemstones.

"Please don't be so formal, the two of you," Celestia laughed lightly, a hand coming to her mouth as her eyes glinted in amusement. "You know that we have been acquainted for far too long to be bowing and scraping to one another." She then stood up from her throne, taking a couple of steps forward. "Now then, seeing as Day Court is on hold and no one else is here, let's find somewhere we can talk."

"Yes, Princess," Dusk and Spike replied in unison as the Princess walked past them and out of the throne room. As soon as they were out, they followed behind Celestia as they headed to the royal gardens, a massive courtyard where a variety of trees, plants, flowers, bushes, and vines all grew naturally. In the centre was a large gazebo where Celestia sat down on the bench, her wings spreading out behind her, and with a wave of her hand, a small tea set appeared, alongside a small bowl of gems on the desk. At the sight of it, the small dragon went straight to the bowl and started eating much to Celestia's amusement.

"I see your appetite has not waned, Spike," she chuckled as Dusk sat down across from her. "Not even close, princess," he smiled, a few bits of gems falling from his mouth as he spoke, much to the disgust of his brother.

“If I may speak, Princess Celestia?” Dusk started as he took the cup of tea offered her.

“Oh, it's only us and Spike here, if you really want to be formal it's Princess Celestia, the solar Princess, Alicorn of the Sun, Archmage-Supreme of Equestria, Founder of Chantalot, Queen of Phoenixes.. and like five hundred other such titles and counting.” Celestia joked and took a sip of her tea. “Please go on, Dusk.”

Dusk took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before speaking. “For the last three months, I have been looking over the prophecies and predictions of Equestria's history and throughout the world, all 400 known prophets and soothsayers, even the ones from Yakyakistan, and every single one has predicted a Shadow falling from the Moon, all of them call this event ‘The Coming of the Longest Night.', even the Great Prophet Pythina even says...”

Dusk stopped as he noticed Celestia's right hand had started to shake ever so slightly. She had set down her cup as her left hand clasped onto her right.

“I didn't get much sleep last night, preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration and such,” Celestia said, keeping her usual friendly tone, yet she did not look Dusk in the eye, something that almost immediately tipped the young unicorn off that something was...not right.

“Dusk, Nightmare Moon is a story meant to explain the appearance of what looks like a young woman's face on the moon. That is all.” Celestia stated not unlike a mother trying to diplomatically get her child to drop a sour subject. That statement did not help Dusk's case one bit, especially as the princess refused to meet his gaze.

“But this is the only prophecy that every last one of them predicted and all their other prophecies have been proven correct.” Dusk countered, not backing down.

“Dusk, prophecies are, by their nature, vague and can be interpreted in so many ways that they cannot be proven wrong.” Celestia pointed out, still trying to be diplomatic. "The "Longest Night" could just mean I would forget to rise of the sun that day, something I hate to admit that I have done before."

"BUT, Pythina was never vague in her prophecies, poetic, but not vague.” Dusk countered with one of the most known prophets of the world. At the name, there was a noticeable twitch on Celestia's face, almost a flinch.

“Dusk, have you ever considered that people have gone out of their way to make sure those predictions come true? If someone said "You are going to have a bad day tomorrow", then you will find yourself thinking of every horrible thing that could happen, and it will. Was it the prophet's fault that you had a bad day, or was it that they gave you a reason to have a bad day?"

Normally, Dusk would have just conceded the agreement with his mentor on this. After all, it would be stupid to argue against a millennia-old being with a wealth of knowledge and experience that he didn't have. However, there was one key factor in the argument that was nagging at him.

"Then why did all of the soothsayers predict the same thing? Why did every one of them make a prediction about this event?"

"Dusk-"

"And what would be the reason for that, unless the same thing was coming? There's no reason for so many to make the same prediction."

"Dusk-"

"So, what if it is as they say? What if Nightmare Moon is coming back-"

“THAT IS ENOUGH, DUSK SHINE! NIGHTMARE MOON IS A FAIRY TALE NOTHING MORE AND I WILL NOT HEAR ANYMORE ON THE MATTER!” Celestia's voice boomed throughout the garden, all who heard her to be cowered into submission. All of Chantalot suddenly was Fifty degrees hotter as Celestia took to her feet, the floor behind her began to melt as the sun princess engulfed her body in a firey red hot aura and glowed with a brilliant radiance as if she were the sun itself and almost blinded the two brothers with her sheer radiance.

After a second, she sighed and cooled off, returning her form and the temperature back to normal upon seeing her prized pupil taking refuge behind the chair, cowering in fear alongside his dragon assistant. Celestia walked around and placed a hand on Dusk's shoulder, reaching out slowly, afraid that she might break Dusk in her still-tense state.

“I am sorry Dusk, are you alright?” Celestia asked calmly and concernedly.

“I'm physically fine,” He muttered, turning to face Celestia, now that the princess was no longer the raging sun that frightened him just before, but the mother-like teacher that she had admired and strove to emulate as she was the pinnacle of beauty, strength, wisdom, and grace, a goal that he had never truly felt that he was worthy of attaining.

Suddenly, Dusk found himself pulling out of his seat and embraced in the warm, comforting, and loving embrace of Celestia as the Solar Princess hugged her student close, gently nuzzling the top of his head. A normally calming gesture like that of a mother comforting a frightened child, but it looked more like child cradling their favourite childhood plushy than a mother and son, due to their height differences. It was another thing that made Dusk feel insecure about, not only being shorter than every guy in his age group, but also shorter than half of girl, including the princess herself, not helped by his rather effeminate features and build.

But his Napoleon complex was the least of his concerns as what truly made him red in the face was the fact that due to the vast disparity in hight between the two of them, Dusk found his face pressed against goddess tier boobs that were practically larger than his entire head. The sudden increase in softness was almost enough to cause him to pass out, as the scent of the princess and the softness of her chest almost put him in a state of bliss. A quick side glance at Spike who was now sporting a nosebleed, told Dusk everything that the little dragon was thinking: "Dude, you lucky bastard."

And he was, objectively, without any exaggeration. Being cradled by the Sun Goddess herself, with her breasts acting as his pillows was something that not even the richest and most influential nobles in Equestria would dream of. Still, he was quick to dash any lewd or impure thoughts from his mind. After all, it was widely known throughout Equestria, and most likely beyond the borders, that the Solar Princess, was the purest of the pure and had a heart that was filled with the greatest love and kindness towards the people of Equestria and all other living creatures. To pervade her with his lust would be the greatest blasphemy, and would surely bring him the ire of the entire country.

Plus, she was his mentor, his teacher, his role model, and a second mother to him. To think of her in such a way would be akin to thinking of one's own mother in such a way, an action that would send anyone straight to Hell.

"Dusk-"

"I-I-I'm F-F-Fine!" Dusk stammered, trying and failing miserably to push the larger female away from him. The power difference between the two was as vast as the disparity in their heights, a difference of a mountain to a valley, a fact that Dusk was painfully aware of as he tried desperately to free himself, despite knowing full well that his struggles were futile. Finally, Celestia pulled away from the hug, letting Dusk drop back into his chair and catch his breath, his face now a bright crimson, not that the princess minded before turning her attention to the dragon who was still suffering a bloody nose and a…stiff tail if caught my drift.

"Spike, are you alright? Do you need to see a medic?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow, as she conjured a tissue and handed it to the little dragon.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Spike answered quickly, grabbing the tissue and holding it to his nose, trying not to let the princess see the obvious nosebleed. "Just a small nosebleed is all, no need to worry, I'm fine. Perfectly fine, completely healthy, nothing to worry about, no need to worry, nope."

“So, you mentioned that I have great timing,” Dusk decided to cut in hopes of saving his brother from the embarrassment and while he had regained his composure, his face was still quite red, but luckily, the princess mistook the embarrassment for excitement as she just patted him on the head.

"Yes, I did," Celestia agreed, a wide smile forming on her face as her excitement became clear, " I am going to host the main Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville this year...”

“The backwater bumpkin town boarding the Everfree Forest!” Dusk almost shouted in disbelief at the selected venue.

“Yes, that “backwater bumpkin town”, and I want you to go there and check on the preparations unless you don't want to. I am certain I can find another task...” Ah, he'd stepped in. Dusk could see it in the princess' eyes and the half sincere smile she gave him. She knew he had no real reason to refuse the request and now he couldn't turn it down without looking like a petulant child. Not only that she was making sure to call to Dusk competitive and prideful nature, one that never could accept a challenge or request without accepting and succeeding, it was a tactic that she had used in the past, to great success.

"No, making sure the Ponyville Summer Sun Celebration is perfect will be fine.” Dusk agreed with a polite smile, despite feeling an immense amount of annoyance at being all but forced to do this.

"Perfect,” Celestia said, snapping her fingers as a list appeared in front of Dusk, which he grabbed and began scanning through, "Here's a list of the things that need to be completed by the Celebration and where you will be staying during your time in Ponyvile."

Quick reading over the list before handing it over to Spike, who took it and put it away in his bag, the dragon gave Celestia a friendly salute."We'll make sure everything is perfect."

"Thank you. I know I can count on you two." Celestia said with an amused smile as she looked down at Dusk and Spike. “I hope that despite the circumstances, you’ll enjoyed your time in Ponyville and make some friends."

“This is another one of your attempts for me to make friends, isn't it?” Dusk asked, having already seen through Celestia's plan and knowing full well that the Princess had set this up, despite how innocent the idea seemed, this was all part of her master plan, the kind of plan that would make even the most notorious villain and masterminds of evil tremble in fear and awe.

“Well, you are in need of some.” However, it was not the princess who replied, but a very familiar man's voice, a voice that Dusk recognized immediately. Turning to the entrance to the gardens, he was not surprised to see the source of the voice.

Shining Armor, Dusk older brother was a man, much taller than Dusk, but not as tall as Celestia, had a muscular build, broad shoulders, a lean chest, slim waist, and powerful legs, a physique that was the envy of all the men in Equestria. Like Dusk he was a Unicorn with a blue Headstone with short, Moderate sapphire blue hair with moderate cerulean and dark phthalo blue streaks, Moderate cerulean eyes, a fair complexion and a strong jawline. As a Captain of the Royal Guard, he was dressed in a purple armour with golden trim, a golden sword strapped to his hip and his helmet under his left arm.

At his side was two other guards, one of them a Pegasus guy and the other an Earthborn girl, both of them wearing similar armour. At his side was two other guards, one of them a Pegasus guy and the other an Earthborn girl, both of them wearing similar armour. The Pegasus guy was a slightly shorter than Shining and Sour (but was still taller than Dusk) with a moderately athletic build, and a slightly muscular chest, had light aquamarine hair with a white streaks and deep pink eyes. This is Lieutenant Featherfall, a pal of Shining since their bootcamp days who had a rep for being a bit of a flirt and was considered the resident playboy.

The Earthborn girl was about Shining Armor's height, with a muscular and curvy body with a strong build, wide hips, long, powerful, thick, muscular legs and a large bust. Her rose hair with light rose and aquamarine streaks in a ponytail, with a hairpin that looked like three berries on a leaf and Moderate indigo eyes. This is Lieutenant Sour Sweet and True to her name she’ll be nice one minute and a real sourpuss the next. Now that Dusk thought about it, beyond one or two interactions with her, he didn't really know anything about her.

And you know what? He had no intentions of doing so.

“Shining? What are you doing here?” Dusk asked, looking at his brother in confusion.

"Well, when a massive surge of Magical energy that anyone on the continent could fell was followed by a sudden increase in temperature, and I, as Captain of the Royal Guard, felt the need to check on the princess' safety.” Shining explained rather coley as said princess began to cutely fidget in her seat, blushing as she tried to avoid her guards and pupil's gaze.

"It was a tiny, miniscule surge and I lost control for only a moment, besides, I was fine, and no harm was done," Celestia explained, still blushing cutely at her loss of control, an unusual occurrence for her.

“Something rather out of character for her beloved princess.” Featherfall noted, a teasing grin on his face. “Did sir Dusk ask you for something rather naughty that made you lose control.”

“Lieutenant Featherfall!” Celestia exclaimed, blushing heavily as the Pegasus chuckled.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." The Pegasus guard apologised, still smirking. “Seeing my dear princess, blushing so cutely, how could I resist the urge to tease her."

"You're lucky, in days of long past insulting one’s monarch was punishable by death." The sun princess half jokingly replied as Sour Sweet just rolled her eyes, not caring for their antics.

"Oh, if only.” She muttered the first words she had spoken as Shining just shook his head, having expected the response and just turned to Dusk.

"But, besides that I also wanted to come and see my two favourite little brothers." He said with a fond smile, wrapping his free arm around Dusk's neck, and the other around Spike's and brought them close, the sudden action causing the two to let out a gasp of surprise, not that Shining cared.

“S-Shining! No Touching! Get your smelly old man hands off me!" Dusk demanded, struggling in his older brother's grip, trying to push him away, his cheeks becoming red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, not that Shining listened.

“Sorry kiddo, but it's one of the perks of being a big brother. Besides, I haven't seen you two in ages, so I want to take a few minutes to enjoy the company of my favourite brothers." Shining said, pulling Dusk and Spike closer, enjoying their presence. “So, heard that your friend Moondancer is having a party? Are you going?"

"Firstly: we are school colleagues, not friends. And Secondly: I have no time for parties, I have a lot of work to do." Dusk replied, finally getting out of his brother's grasp.

“Really, I thought you two were super close. After all, she always has a seat reserved next to you in the library and you always hang out with her, alone." Shining teased, giving Dusk a playful side eye."And thirdly: the Princess has ordered me to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, so I have no time to waste on such trivial things," Dusk continued, ignoring his brother's previous statement.

“The backwater town?”

“That's what I said!"

"Well, I can't deny that the princess has good tastes in locations." Sour Sweet chimed in, a wide smile spread across her face only for it to fade to a sour frown. "If you like the smell of manure that is." She added in a muttered breath, which didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"Not a fan of Ponyville, Sour?" Shining asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all! It’s a lovely place! If you like backwater bumpkin towns filled with ignorant, narrow-minded, superstitious, country bumpkins.” She was showing her Chantalot upbringing now, as she started to list all the things she didn't like about Ponyville, things that made her look less and less like a guard and more and more like an entitled rich brat.

“Even so, Lieutenant Sour, you must remember that no matter what you think of the place, you must show the people respect and keep your personal opinions to yourself." Celestia lectured like a mother to a child who said something they shouldn’t have as said Lieutenant cowed at her leader's tone and quickly stood at attention.

"I apologise to your majesty, it will not happen again," Sour replied, her voice stiff, but respectful as the Princess smiled kindly at her. ‘In your presence at lest.’

"I’m glad to hear that,Lieutenant." She said, the tension that had been in the air fading away as she turned her attention back to her faithful Student and his faithful assistant. "As I was saying you should head back to your dorm and begin packing your bags now. The Pegasi chariot is ready for your departure in one hour.”

“Then we shall take our leave now. Good day to you Princess.” Dusk said, taking a stand and grabbing Spike by the back of his jacket, while still feasting on the gems as the dragon gave a dejected look that his meal was cut short. “I shall send my report on the preparation shortly.”

“See, you little bros later, and have a good trip. And I am sure we will meet in Ponyville soon enough." Shining said with a wave and a bright smile before a very important thought hit him. “Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. I am getting—”

“With all due respect, if I am supposed to be at Ponyville for noon, I must leave.” Dusk and Spike then vanished as the teleportation spell was cast.

“Married... hah,” Shining said too late and dipped his head in defeat as his Pegasi friend placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I guess I’ll send him a letter when I have the time, and hope for the best."

"Yes, when there is time.” The princess of the Sun ominously muttered as a foreboding wind blew across the garden. The joyful, relaxed and playful atmosphere from earlier was gone and the mood was now heavy and tense. "Besides, sending him to Ponyville would put him in the position he needs to be in for the coming battle.”

“Still why not tell him to truth? Why lied about the coming darkness? Why not tell him where the Elements are?”

The princess of the sun closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she turned her head towards the Captain. "Because if I did, the future that I had seen would change, and not for the better. I have already given him the tools to succeed, and it is his journey to take, not mine."

“You say that like we’re doomed to fail?” The Pegasi lieutenant playfully asked, yet a hint of doubt and uncertainty could be heard. And with good reason as despite having been told of the prophecy, it had been only a clip note version of it at best with only the base details of what it to expected to happen. As such one could be forgiven for being a little skittish in such circumstances. But come on, this was Princess Celestia! The ruler of Equestria, the all powerful sun Alicorn! She who could control the sun and the moon, shake the very foundations of the earth, bend the laws of nature to her will, annihilate armies with a single gesture and cast spells that could reshape the world and of course, was the the ones who defeated and banished Nightmare Moon all those years ago! She was a god walking among mortals and they were nothing compared to her. She was fearless!

Yet…

"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Sour asked, feeling the mood shift, noticing the way her commander's expression grew stern and distant, the look in her eyes darkening. “You like weak?”

“No, it's nothing.” She said, standing up, “Have everything ready for nightfall, captain. We will have a great many things to prepare."

"I understand, I will see to it, right away." With that, the princess of the sun returned to her throne room with a solemn expression and a heavy heart, her mind plagued by worry and doubts as walked over to the stained glass windows of the throne room proper. There are so many that appear blank, however, Celestia saw the true images in each glass; the triumphant over the Wendigos and past hatred by the founders of Equestria, the finding of Celestia and Luna by Star Swirl, Each sister taking 'command' of the sun and moon, the ascendance to the sisters to the throne, the changing of Scorpan's heart, the casting of Tirek into Tartarus, the petrification of Discord, and the sealing of Sombra below the ice near the Crystal Mountains in the north are but a few. However, Celestia stopped at one. The real image in this one was the banishing of Nightm... no, her sister. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks as she remembered that day 1000 years ago.

‘What would you know about loneliness, Tia!?’

‘Stop acting like you’re so much better than me! Just because you were born first, doesn't mean you have the right to act all high and mighty!’

‘Leave me alone! Don’t ever speak to me again, traitor!'

‘Everyone loves you, while everyone hates me! You always get the love and the glory, while I have to work so hard just to get some recognition, and yet I still come second to you!’

‘You said we were equals! Friends forever! Best Friends! Yet, you were the first one to turn your back on me! You betrayed me! You lied to me! YOU ABANDONED ME!'

'I HATE YOU!’

Hearing the voice of her beloved sister in her head again opened up the wound, which was still as fresh as the day it was inflicted.

This time, it was just the tears that flowed non-stop, Celestia was thankful she made sure she would not be disrupted for a few hours. What kept her silent was the knowledge that everything was in motion. At that moment a small bird made of fire perched on her shoulder.

“Tonight's the night, Philomena,” Celestia said to the bird. “Are you ready?” The bird nodded.

Author's Note

So, I planned on having this chapter done before the end of last week, but you see the length of it and the fact I had to go over and rewrite the whole like four times made me have a little breakdown. I was actually planning on making this thing longer but had to stop cause I promise myself I won’t post 15k chapter. For now at least.

Anyway let’s break down the chapter by going over some notable changes: With the biggest example being Dusk Shine and how he is different from Twilight in more then just gender. That being that Dusk is kinda a jackass. He’s got season one Twilight sassy with a lot more bite. My main inspiration for his personality is mentally advanced Twilight if you remember that series, straightforward professional and more then all conceded.

Most of the main cast is the same with the most noticeable difference being the changes with their relationship with Dusk, with Spike and a lesser extent Shining Armour. After all, a brother/sister relationship is much different than one where they’re the same sex, much more teasing and rough play.

I also threw in some references to future episodes and other fan works, here and there alongside lore stuff that will get payed off in the future. (Poor Moondancer)

Other than that you might have been surprised by new additions to the cast. I don’t usually use OC like Featherfall unless I don’t have any character that could comfortably fit in that role so don’t expect about of OC to flush the story with their overly complex design and overpoweredness.

Now what I bet took you off guard was Equestria girls characters being here. We’ll, for one: I have no idea if I’m actually going to do Equestria girls as it would have to be so dramatically different from the source material as that first movie has some major, fundamental issues that making hard to adopt.

Secondly: Nightmare Moon is great and all but a villain that has no one to bounce off makes it hard for me to give to time to show off their personalities.

And thirdly: I like villains, I like them a lot.

Anyway, I initially wanted to make Cinch the principal for Gifted unicorns to fit with her OG counterparts, however I changed her to being Equestria’s Prime Minister (yes, Equestria had a parliament which is heavily influenced by the UK one) as it makes her a much bigger deal.

As for Sour Sweet, right now she’s just a lieutenant in Royal Guard known for putting on a smile and friendly attitude while muttering compliments under her breath.

The whole of the Shadowbolts will be add in the coming chapters. Til the let’s move forward with the next chapter:

Volume I - Chapter 2: Welcome to Ponyville!