Love, why would you do this?by TomTheHunkyDiamondChaptersChapter 1 (Unedited)Chapter 2 (Unedited)Chapter 3 (Unedited)Chapter 4 (Unedited)Chapter 1 (Unedited)Authors note To anyone who reads this, I salute you. This is my first attempt to write anything seriously, let alone clop, let alone gay clop. I doubt I'll be very good at this but I'll give it a shot anyway. No sex scenes in this chapter so you can be at ease. Unless you like that kind of thing. Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm hardly one to judge Dusk Shine galloped through Canterlot as fast as his hooves could carry him which, admittedly, wasn't that fast. He needed to get to his study, fast. As he ran, everypony was giving him very strange looks. Couldn't they understand that this was a matter of National security? Dusk barged through the door to his study and took a deep breath- "SPIKE! GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN HERE!" he bellowed to his assistant who, in reality was lounging on a couch reading the latest issue of 'Playcolt' magazine. "Gah, you don't gotta shout Dusk, I'm right here!" Said Spike, rubbing the side of his head before realizing he had incriminating evidence in his hands and hiding the dirty magazine behind his back with a sheepish grin. "And I'll do your maths homework for a week if you agree that you didn't see anything. Dusk grinned and looked at Spike with a mocking stare "I didn't see you ogling some random Mares in revealing positions if that's what you mean, my little pervert." Spike blushed and tried to come up with a retort but was cut off by Dusk suddenly going from 'Embarrassing big brother' mode to 'Faithful Student' mode. "Spike! Take a letter!" Dusk proclaimed. head held high. Spike sighed and got up from his couch. "Do I have to?" He sighed, exasperated by his adopted brother's teasing and sudden change in mood. There wasn't much point to the question, he already knew the answer and was walking towards a desk with a pile of rolled up scrolls of parchment resting on it. "Of course you do! This is a matter of national security!" Said the indignant stallion. Looking at his assistant/brother with a look of disbelief on his face that he felt was entirely appropriate considering the dire emergency that was currently taking place. Spike stared at him with a look that was impossible not to read as "Really?" Dusk just sighed and glared at his less than enthusiastic helper. "Just take the bucking letter spike" he said, feeling ready to explode. "Alright, alright!" said Spike, raising his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. He found a quill and dipped it in a nearby Ink well. He looked towards Dusk. "Alright, go ahead" He said. "Dear Princess Celestia" began Dusk as Spike began scratching the goose feather against the parchment. " I have discovered a dire threat which may very well concern the fate of the entire world. I have reason to believe that the mare in the moon otherwise known as 'Nightmare Moon' is going to return. I have done much-" Dusk was interrupted by a certain baby dragon giggling like a schoolfilly. "Nightmare Moon?" he said incredulously, trying not to burst into full fledged laughter, and failing spectacularly. "Wait, wait, wait..." he said, finally breaking into a wheezing laughing fit. "The same Nightmare Moon that little fillies and colts are told will gobble them up if they don't go to sleep on time?" Spike let out a particularly loud burst of laughter and was practically doubling over. "Oh, oh my Celestia! This is too rich..." Dusk simply watched his assistant ridiculing him. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up. But we'll see who's laughing when you see that I was right and you were wrong." Dusk looked at Spike smugly. "Anyway, I'm the princesses most faithful student! She's bound to take this seriously." Spike looked at him with tears in his eyes. Oh Celestia he really believes himself? Spike was struggling to hold in any more laughter. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Dusk said, glaring at Spike with enough force to burn through him, the floor and halfway to Austramareia. He cleared his throat and began to dictate to a still chuckling Spike. "I have done much research on the matter and all of the books I have read have said that 'on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape' I trust that you will see fit to make the necessary preparations and take action if need be. Awaiting a response, Your Faithful student, Dusk Shine" For a few seconds more Spike still scribbled on the parchment. When he was done he sealed the scroll with a wax stamp and sent it off in a gout of green flame. Dusk waited by the window, confident that his mentor had every bit of faith in him and would do what was necessary. After a few minutes Spike let out a huge belch of green flame which formed into a scroll sealed with the royal insignia printed on the front of it. Spike picked it up in his talons and broke the seal with his claw. He unfurled the scroll and was about to read it when he noticed what was written further down the page. His face broke into a gigantic evil grin and he started to read aloud. "My most faithful student Dusk Shine, you know that I have complete faith in you-" Spike started before he was interrupted by Dusk. "Yes, well I am one of the most powerful and intelligent unicorns in Equestria after all.." He boasted, inspecting the back of his hoof nonchalantly. Spike read on, unfazed by the interruption. "-but you simply must get out more! It seems like you have almost no friends and you spend all your free times with your nose buried in some dusty old tome." Spike's grin grew even more cruel and taunting as he saw Dusk's reaction to this. "I-I-Well! I have friends!" He objected. Feeling betrayed that the princess thought about him that way. Spike continued to read, despite the second interruption. "A stallion your age should be interested in things like chasing mares! Or, dare I say it, stallions." Spike almost had to stop himself from doubling over as he saw Dusk's lilac face go crimson at this thought. "Stallions?! I- Well that is- Ugh!" Dusk looked like his brain was going to explode and Spike was loving every minute of it. He continued to read. "You could at least stand to make some friends. So, that is why I am sending you off to Ponyville to oversee the preparations for the summer sun celebration." Spike smiled even more evilly. Social confrontation, the bane of Dusk's existence. Dusk looked at the letter, shocked at what he had heard. According to Celestia he was apparently a socially awkward introvert who may or may not be a Colt-Cuddler. The thought was too much for him to take. "Spike?" he said quietly and calmly, almost too calmly. "Uhh... Yeah Dusk?" Spike asked, slightly unnerved by the creepy calm in the Stallions voice. "Could you catch me please?" He said, before promptly fainting. Chapter 2 (Unedited)Authors Note: I'm very pleased with the positive reception the first chapter got. Thank you guys for all of the support! I hope that I can keep whatever it is that made you like the first chapter through this and the rest of them. Dusk let out possibly the longest sigh that anypony in the history of Equestria had ever made. Spike looked at him in distain and let out an equally frustrated, if shorter sigh. "You done?" Asked spike, gazing over the side of the carriage to the ground hundreds of meters below them. Dusk let out another exaggerated sigh and sunk his head into his hooves. " I can't believe the princess told me to go and make some friends! I have friends!" Dusk complained loudly, eliciting an annoyed glare from the pegasus pony pulling the carriage. "Oh yeah, who?" Spike asked snidely. "Shining Armor! He's my friend!" Dusk cried indignantly. Spike looked at him with a strange mix of sympathy and ridicule on his face. "He's your brother dumbflank. Doesn't count." Spike said, inspecting his claws with a bored look on his face. Dusk looked at Spike in horror. "Whaaat? It doesn't?" Dusk cried with a dejected look on his face. Suddenly a smile lit up his face and he turned back to Spike. "What about you? You're my friend right?" "Nah, you're more like an arch nemesis/bane of my existence thing." Spike said nonchalantly, drawing an even more horrified look from Dusk. The poor Stallion looked like he was about to cry. "Whoah! Whoah! It was a joke alright! I'm sorry! Geez... Anyway, you're like my big brother anyway so that doesn't count either." "We're coming up on Ponyville now sir!" Said the Pegasus Stallion in front of them, obviously relieved to be away from Dusk and his social difficulties. Dusk sighed yet again and started to get his legs warmed up after a good two hours just sitting around. "I guess we better get this over with" He said, obviously dreading what he would find in the small town. "Anyway, the princess said we'd be staying in a library, so I can continue my research there once we've finished the preparations for the summer sun celebration." The carriage touched down on a cobbled road just on the outskirts of Ponyville and Dusk stepped off. Spike handed a small stack of bits to the driver which, Dusk assumed, was his payment. Little did he know that the Princess had payed for the carriage and that Spike was paying him for putting up with Dusk's antics. The Pegasus Stallion gladly accepted the gift and flew off as fast as his wings could carry him. "So, now we're here we just need to check and see if everything is ready and then we can go home!" Dusk said, anxious not to have to see anypony that didn't need seeing. "Aww, come on Dusk, the princess said to try and make some friends! You could at least say hello to somepony!" Said Spike, partly out of concern for his surrogate brother but mostly out of anticipation to see him as uncomfortable as possible. Dusk sighed for the umpteenth time that day and walked up towards a hot pink Stallion with hair that looked to be made out of cotton candy. For a brief second Dusk wondered what it would taste like and considered licking it, before deciding that was probably not socially acceptable behaviour, "Uh... Hi?" Dusk asked nervously, not used to talking to anyone other than Spike, the Princess, and his brother Shining Armor. The Pink pony took in a huge intake of air that almost pulled Dusk into his mouth before fleeing and leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Dusk just stood there in shock as Spike walked up to him and whistled. "Well someone just hit 88 miles an hour." He said, walking up to Dusk and poking him in the side. "You okay there champ?" He asked, not really caring that much. "I think that guy just created a vacuum with his mouth... Is that physically possible?" Dusk asked, still slightly shocked at the stranger's recent outburst. He shook his head and took a checklist out of his saddlebags, taking a moment to cast a following spell on it so it would float beside his head without him having to keep up a telekinesis spell on it. "Anyway, the first thing we have to check on is the food. Looks like a pony called Applejack is responsible for that" He said, his head rising from the checklist to look at Spike. "Lets get going then." Said Spike, climbing onto Dusk's back. "Giddy up horsey!" He shouted, digging his ankles into Dusk's ribs. "Ow!" Dusk cried out in pain. "Don't do that! It hurts!" he yelled at Spike who sheepishly looked back at him. "Heh, sorry" he said apologetically. "But we really should get going." Dusk nodded and started off at a trot to sweet apple acres. Later, at sweet apple acres Dusk trotted along the dirt road flanked with apple trees that led along to a small farm house and a barn. The sun was beating down on his neck and it was starting to get to him. Through the haze of heat he thought he could see the outline of a large orange Stallion kicking the trunk of a tree like it just insulted his mother. Dusk quickened his pace and trotted towards the mad tree-kicking pony. "Hello?!" Dusk shouted towards the pony in the orchard. The pony stopped kicking the tree he was focused on and swiveled his head in the direction of Dusk. "Hi! Are you Applejack?" Dusk called to the approaching pony. As he got closer Dusk could define more of him. He was orange with a blonde mane and three apples for a cutie mark. He also had a brown stetson perched upon his head. "Ah sure am stranger!" He said with an unexpected southern twang. "But y'all can call me AJ!" He walked over towards Dusk and extended his hoof. Dusk took it and Applejack shook his hoof vigorously. When he pulled away his hoof Dusk's was still moving up and down with the left over momentum. "So, now I've told you mah name what's yours?" Applejack asked, a kindly smile on his face "Oh, my name's Dusk Shine, I'm the Princesses correspondent to Ponyville for the summer sun celebration. I'm here to check if all the food is set up." Said Dusk, holding up his head in pride. Applejack's eyes widened "Well why didn't y'all say so?" He said as his friendly smile went up to a manic grin. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the family!" He started to trot over towards the barn house and Dusk followed behind him. If he had been paying attention to them, which he wasn't, Dusk would have noticed that Applejack's flanks were looking very muscular and toned, He wasn't paying attention to them though. And he definitely wasn't sneaking glances whenever he could. And it would have been ludicrous to say that he was thinking about giving one a nice hard slap. Absolutely ludicrous. Dusk blushed lightly at his thought processes and carried on trotting behind Applejack. Unfortunately for Dusk, Applejack turned around at that moment. "Y'all alright there sugarcube? Y'all are as red as a ripe apple!" He asked, genuine concern in his voice. Dusk blushed even harder at this. "Uh-uhm... It's the sun! Yeah... The sun... I don't have any sunscreen and I'm starting to get heatstroke!" He stumbled, trying not to blush harder than he already was. "What are you talking about Dusk? We have factor 50 in your-" Spike started but was cut off by Dusk's hoof in his mouth. "As I was saying..." Dusk growled, trying to get Spike to shut up. "We forgot to bring sunscreen" Applejack looked at Dusk with confusion. "Well if you say so ah guess..." He murmured as they closed in on the farmhouse. 'I will definitely have to do a study on this when I get home' thought Dusk as him and Applejack reached the farmhouse. As soon as they reached the house a veritable horde of ponies came rushing out of it. Applejack's grin returned and he looked out over the huge crowd. "This here's the family!" He said. "I'll get the introductions out of the way first! This here's-" And that's where Dusk lost him. Author's Note Footnote: Whoever decided that the interrabang was not a good idea needs to go to hell. That piece of punctuation would make writing so much easier Chapter 3 (Unedited)Authors note: I'm so glad that some people like to read my stuff. I'll be trying to do some longer chapters but I can't make any promises. From now on I'll be warning you guys if there is any mature content in this chapter. None in this one though. Enjoy the story everyone! Dusk felt like he was about to explode. Once he was introduced to all of Applejack's family Dusk was implored to stay for brunch. He initially refused but he had changed his mind when a small yellow filly gave him puppy eyes that, on a scale of one to ten, was roughly seven thousand and forty-three. Spike was out cold on Dusk's back and was probably not going to wake up any time soon. Dusk sighed and carried on trotting through Ponyville. As he walked he looked up at the sky and tutted in annoyance, a pony called Rainbow Blitz was supposed to be clearing the sky for tomorrow's festival and the sky was still dotted with dozens of clouds. As Dusk was lost in his thoughts he didn't notice as a rainbow seemed to be rocketing towards him at almost supersonic speeds. In fact, he only noticed when a voice called "Look out below!" but by then it was too late. Dusk and another pony were lying tangled in a mud puddle. The other pony got up and shook the mud off of him and right onto Dusk. It was a cyan Pegasus stallion with a multicolored prismatic mane and a rainbow colored lightning bolt for a cutie mark. He was lithe and fit and Dusk could see the muscles rippling under his skin. Spike woke up with a start a few feet away as he was knocked off. He looked over towards Dusk and the mystery Pegasus and started to giggle. Dusk was covered head to hoof in mud. Before too long the cyan stallion began to laugh as well before stopping himself. "Uh... Sorry about that." He said, holding in laughter. "I... Wasn't looking where I was going" He had tears in his eyes and was obviously straining himself not to laugh. He flew up quickly and grabbed a nearby cloud. He pushed it so that it was floating directly above Dusk. "Let me get that for you" He said as he gave the cloud a quick kick. A sudden deluge erupted from the bottom of the cloud, soaking dusk to the bone. When the Pegasus looked back towards the unhappy, sopping wet lilac stallion it was all he could do not to laugh loud enough to wake up everypony in Neigh Zealand. The iridescent Pegasus was giggling quietly to himself and then his face seemed to light up like a bolt of lightning had just struck him in the flank, blowing the metaphorical light bulb that was glowing above his head. A maniacal grin spread across his face and he looked at Dusk with eyes dripping with mischief. "I know!" He said, looking like he had just come up with the best idea since sliced bread. "I'll give you the special 'Rainbow Blitz blow dry'!" He said, cackling evilly as he flew up into the air. He started to fly around in circles, slowly accelerating as the loops got tighter and tighter, closing in on Dusk. The winds around the lilac stallion started to pick up noticeably and soon a full-fledged tornado was swirling around a terrified Dusk. Eventually the gale-force winds died down and Rainbow Blitz became visible again. The cyan coated stallion was laughing openly now and as soon as Spike got a look at his big brother, he was too. "What?" asked Dusk, oblivious to what the pair were laughing at. "Pfft! Your mane! Oh my Celestia your mane looks ridiculous!" Spike cried out, only managing to stop himself laughing to say those two sentences. Dusk pulled a mirror from his saddlebags and immediately saw what the two were laughing at. His mane looked like a family of birds had been nesting in it, for years. Clumps of his hair were sticking out at odd angles and he looked like he had been put through a hedge backwards. Dusk just looked at the stallion that had called himself 'Rainbow Blitz' in despair. "So, you're Rainbow Blitz then?" Dusk asked, obviously irritated. "Yep!" He said with a smug smirk. "Fastest flier in all of Equestria!" His smirk got immediately ten times as smug. "So who're you? Some sort of groupie?" He asked, not managing to hide the fact that he was checking Dusk out very well. Dusk started blushing and tried to to calm himself down. "No!" He yelled. This drew a satisfied laugh from Rainbow Blitz, this was not going to be fun. "I'm called Dusk Shine, I'm Princess Celestia's protege and I'm in charge of checking up on all of the preparations for the summer sun celebration." He got out quickly. Dusk realized something, the Pegasus in charge of the weather team was standing in front of him. He looked up at the sky and saw more than a few clouds floating about. "Say..." Dusk started. "Aren't you the Pegasus in charge of the weather team?" Dusk looked up at the sky once again. "You couldn't possibly be the fastest flyer in Equestria if you leave the sky looking like that!" Rainbow Blitz looked like he had never been more offended by anything in his entire life. "Am too the fastest!" He yelled, Dusk laughed at this display of childishness. "And I'm gonna join the Wonderbolts someday!" Dusk laughed and looked up to the Pegasus above him, lounging on a cloud. "Why would the Wonderbolts want to take a Pegasus that can't keep the sky clear for one measly day?" Rainbow Blitz narrowed his eyes and launched himself off of his cloud. "Hey! I could clear the sky in ten seconds flat!" He yelled. Dusk's eyes narrowed too. "Prove it." Rainbow Blitz shot off faster than a blink of the eye. His movements were a blur, the only time you could see him properly was when he stopped for less than a second to kick a cloud into nonexistence. When he finally settled back onto the ground he wore an expression even more smug than before. Spike seemed to have pulled out a stopwatch from somewhere and was running over towards the two stallions. "Nine point eight seconds!" He yelled breathlessly as he reached the pair. Dusk's jaw seemed to touch the ground and he couldn't even get any words out. "See?" Rainbow said smugly."Ten. Seconds. Flat." He laughed again and walked over to Dusk. "Hey, you seem pretty cool! I know we're gonna be the best of friends! Friends? I don't want friends! He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Or maybe more..." He said seductively. He walked away laughing at the flustered lilac stallion. "Dusk?" Spike asked, clueless as to what just happened. "Big bro? Earth to Dusk!" Oh my... He thought, before fainting for the second time in two days. Chapter 4 (Unedited)Author's Note: Thank you guys for all of your support! So I was surprised to learn that not only do some people love my writing, they're willing to beg me for new chapters! I can't quite grasp the idea my writing is any good. I wish I could think that you guys just have low standards but I've read the stuff in your favorites as a test and It's good, so I may have to accept the possibility that I am an okay writer. Ah well. Thanks for all the patience anyhow. No clop this time. Enjoy the chapter! How dare he? Thought Dusk, storming angrily through Ponyville. Eliciting looks, smirks, giggles, and sometimes completely unrestrained laughter. How dare he tackle me to the ground, cover me in mud, soak me to the bone, and then ruin my mane with that tornado that probably wasn't allowable by the laws of physics? He thought again, leaving out the obvious flirting as his mind still could not process that that had happened. It could also not process the fact that he had caught himself checking out the rear-ends of multiple stallions that day. Wait, that wasn't a thing that happened, nope, forget that. In fact, Dusk decided he would forget about the whole incident. Yes, that was the best thing to do. He walked onward towards his next destination Ponyville town hall, to check on the decorations for the summer sun celebrations. "Alright Spike, we have to take this thing seriously. and that means. No. More. Distractions." Dusk said, punctuating each word with a stomp of his hoof. Spike saluted from Dusk's back. "Aye, Aye, Cap'n!" Dusk rolled his eyes and walked through the doors of the town hall to a perfectly decorated stage with ribbons everywhere. Dusk sighed and looked towards the center of the stage where a white unicorn Stallion with a purple mane stood scrutinizing a ribbon closely. "At least somepony in this town can do their job right!" Exclaimed Dusk. Dusk continued to trot through an aisle in the center of the hall towards the stage. "Hello?" Dusk called towards the white stallion. The pony in question stopped scrutinizing his ribbon and looked up towards Dusk. "I'm here to check on the decorations for the summer su-" He started before a wail of horror from the white stallion cut him off. "Your mane!" The white stallion said in obvious, honest, horror. "What in the world happened to your mane darling?" He continued. "Darling? I-uh. Tornado?" Dusk stumbled, shocked at the outburst from the pony on the stage. "We simply must get that fixed up! And I won't take no for an answer! Chop-Chop!" He fired the words towards Dusk who was still trying to recover from the original outburst. "I-um, thanks?" He managed to get out before being enveloped in a magical aura and being floated out of the door of the town hall. Oddly enough only drawing fleeting looks from ponies outside. Soon enough, Dusk had arrived at a building that reminded him of a giant merry-go-round. Once he saw the sign that read 'Carousel Boutique' hanging above the front door in long, flowing cursive, he realized he was probably not alone in his opinion. He was whisked inside the house by his mysterious captor and forced to sit in a chair surrounded by all sorts of ominous looking sharp things, and less ominous looking combs and assorted shampoos. "Now then" Said the mysterious white stallion, levitating a few combs, shampoos, and some of the less ominous looking sharp things around his head. "What are we going to do about your mane?" "I-uh, is it really that bad?" Dusk asked with a sheepish grin, drawing another horrified look from his captor-turned-stylist. "Really that bad?!" his captor exclaimed. " Why this may be, the worst thing that has ever happened!" Dusk looked nonplussed by the mysterious stallions antics. "Right, 'the worst thing'. Whatever you're going to do to me can you just get it done quickly? I have work to do. The princess didn't send me from Canterlot to get my mane styled." He complained, drawing a blank stare from the mysterious stallion in front of him. His magical grip on the objects around him faultered and he dropped a shampoo bottle that hit Dusk on the head with an audible clunk. "Y-you're from Canterlot?" He began, a look of comprehending horror dawning on his face. "Uh, yes?" Dusk said, slightly worried for the stallion's sanity. "Oh-okay. And what is your name, pray tell?" he asked, the look of horror quickly extinguishing and a blank expression resuming on his face. "Um, my name's Dusk Shine." Dusk said, now very worried for the stallion's well-being. "The same Dusk Shine who's Princess Celestia's personal protegé?" The stallion asked, his left eyelid twitching slightly. "Uh, yes, that Dusk Shine." Dusk said, now worried for his own well-being as well as the stallion's. "Ah-yes. Excuse me a moment please." The stallion said, before quickly trotting out of the room. Dusk wondered if he had said anything wrong before he heard a blood-curdling scream from the room the stallion had entered before he trotted out with a beaming grin plastered across his face. "No worries Dusk, I am going to make your mane utterly fabulous for you! Free of charge of course." The stallion began, his smile growing wider and wider. "Fabulous?" Was all Dusk could get out before he was set upon by beauty products and utensils galore. "Shush! The master is working his magic!" The white unicorn said. "Oh, and I'm Elusive by the way, nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too?" Dusk said, looking extremely unsure of himself. After the most intense makeover Dusk had ever experienced. (Also the only makeover he had experienced) Dusk was whisked out of the chair and into a living room. "Oh, you look simply fabulouarling! The mares will be falling over each other to get to you!" Elusive said, with a starry-eyed look. "Heh, yes, mares, of course." Dusk said, feeling slightly uncomfortable all of a sudden for some reason. "Ah, but I digress. You were here to check on the decorations for the celebration, no?" Elusive asked, rummaging around in a nearby cabinet for some teacups. A kettle was whistling away nearby that Dusk did not remember Elusive putting on the stove. Elusive levitated the teacups and the kettle over towards a table and started pouring out the scalding hot liquid. "You will join me for tea won't you Dusk?" Elusive asked, a friendly smile on his face. "I-well, I'm busy, things to see, ponies to do! Wait..." Dusk was pondering the full implications of his grammatical mistake before Elusive cut him off. "Nonsense!" He exclaimed. "You simply must join me!" "Uh, okay I guess" Dusk submitted, far too tired to argue with the unicorn. He sat down at the table and watched Elusive brew the tea. He did it with refinement and poise, holding the teacups perfectly level as he dropped the teabags into them. Dusk was used to the finest tea being brewed for him and Princess Celestia during the customary royal tea-time. He had always suspected that she didn't like it. Her face always seemed to twist into an almost invisible grimace whenever she took a sip. It was also gone too quickly most of the time, and some of the potted plants in the tea room had taken on a brown-tinge for whatever reason. Elusive had quickly realized that Dusk's train of thought had gone elsewhere and continued to brew the tea, anxious to show off his true talent, instantly knowing how to brew tea for anypony he met. He snapped Dusk out of his tea-induced trance by waving a hoof in front of his face. "Here you are darling" He said, handing the tea to Dusk. Dusk took one sip and, to his surprise, found that it was completely tailored to his rather strange tastes. "Three spoons of honey, five sugars, cinnamon, and almost all of the cream! How did you know?" Dusk asked, fascinated by this coincidence. "Oh, it's a little quirk of mine, I can tell how to brew tea for anypony I meet." Elusive said, shrugging nonchalantly. Dusk looked amazed by Elusive's talent. "That's simply amazing! How in Equestria do you do that?" He asked, the scientist in him taking hold. "Oh, it's no big deal, just something I can do." Elusive said, shaking off the questions with a small shrug and moving onto his true purpose. "Now tell me Dusk, is there a mare in your life?" He asked with a malicious grin. Dusk's blood ran cold and he broke out in a cold sweat. "Uh, thanksfortheteagottagocheckontheotherpreparations!" He said in the course of about a second before rushing out of the door at speeds that would put the Wonderbolts to shame. Elusive looked at where he used to be sitting with a perplexed look on his face before promptly breaking into a laughing fit. He wiped a tear away from his eyes. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!" He said, before going into his study to begin his plotting.
Chapter 1 (Unedited)Authors note To anyone who reads this, I salute you. This is my first attempt to write anything seriously, let alone clop, let alone gay clop. I doubt I'll be very good at this but I'll give it a shot anyway. No sex scenes in this chapter so you can be at ease. Unless you like that kind of thing. Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm hardly one to judge Dusk Shine galloped through Canterlot as fast as his hooves could carry him which, admittedly, wasn't that fast. He needed to get to his study, fast. As he ran, everypony was giving him very strange looks. Couldn't they understand that this was a matter of National security? Dusk barged through the door to his study and took a deep breath- "SPIKE! GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN HERE!" he bellowed to his assistant who, in reality was lounging on a couch reading the latest issue of 'Playcolt' magazine. "Gah, you don't gotta shout Dusk, I'm right here!" Said Spike, rubbing the side of his head before realizing he had incriminating evidence in his hands and hiding the dirty magazine behind his back with a sheepish grin. "And I'll do your maths homework for a week if you agree that you didn't see anything. Dusk grinned and looked at Spike with a mocking stare "I didn't see you ogling some random Mares in revealing positions if that's what you mean, my little pervert." Spike blushed and tried to come up with a retort but was cut off by Dusk suddenly going from 'Embarrassing big brother' mode to 'Faithful Student' mode. "Spike! Take a letter!" Dusk proclaimed. head held high. Spike sighed and got up from his couch. "Do I have to?" He sighed, exasperated by his adopted brother's teasing and sudden change in mood. There wasn't much point to the question, he already knew the answer and was walking towards a desk with a pile of rolled up scrolls of parchment resting on it. "Of course you do! This is a matter of national security!" Said the indignant stallion. Looking at his assistant/brother with a look of disbelief on his face that he felt was entirely appropriate considering the dire emergency that was currently taking place. Spike stared at him with a look that was impossible not to read as "Really?" Dusk just sighed and glared at his less than enthusiastic helper. "Just take the bucking letter spike" he said, feeling ready to explode. "Alright, alright!" said Spike, raising his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. He found a quill and dipped it in a nearby Ink well. He looked towards Dusk. "Alright, go ahead" He said. "Dear Princess Celestia" began Dusk as Spike began scratching the goose feather against the parchment. " I have discovered a dire threat which may very well concern the fate of the entire world. I have reason to believe that the mare in the moon otherwise known as 'Nightmare Moon' is going to return. I have done much-" Dusk was interrupted by a certain baby dragon giggling like a schoolfilly. "Nightmare Moon?" he said incredulously, trying not to burst into full fledged laughter, and failing spectacularly. "Wait, wait, wait..." he said, finally breaking into a wheezing laughing fit. "The same Nightmare Moon that little fillies and colts are told will gobble them up if they don't go to sleep on time?" Spike let out a particularly loud burst of laughter and was practically doubling over. "Oh, oh my Celestia! This is too rich..." Dusk simply watched his assistant ridiculing him. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up. But we'll see who's laughing when you see that I was right and you were wrong." Dusk looked at Spike smugly. "Anyway, I'm the princesses most faithful student! She's bound to take this seriously." Spike looked at him with tears in his eyes. Oh Celestia he really believes himself? Spike was struggling to hold in any more laughter. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Dusk said, glaring at Spike with enough force to burn through him, the floor and halfway to Austramareia. He cleared his throat and began to dictate to a still chuckling Spike. "I have done much research on the matter and all of the books I have read have said that 'on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape' I trust that you will see fit to make the necessary preparations and take action if need be. Awaiting a response, Your Faithful student, Dusk Shine" For a few seconds more Spike still scribbled on the parchment. When he was done he sealed the scroll with a wax stamp and sent it off in a gout of green flame. Dusk waited by the window, confident that his mentor had every bit of faith in him and would do what was necessary. After a few minutes Spike let out a huge belch of green flame which formed into a scroll sealed with the royal insignia printed on the front of it. Spike picked it up in his talons and broke the seal with his claw. He unfurled the scroll and was about to read it when he noticed what was written further down the page. His face broke into a gigantic evil grin and he started to read aloud. "My most faithful student Dusk Shine, you know that I have complete faith in you-" Spike started before he was interrupted by Dusk. "Yes, well I am one of the most powerful and intelligent unicorns in Equestria after all.." He boasted, inspecting the back of his hoof nonchalantly. Spike read on, unfazed by the interruption. "-but you simply must get out more! It seems like you have almost no friends and you spend all your free times with your nose buried in some dusty old tome." Spike's grin grew even more cruel and taunting as he saw Dusk's reaction to this. "I-I-Well! I have friends!" He objected. Feeling betrayed that the princess thought about him that way. Spike continued to read, despite the second interruption. "A stallion your age should be interested in things like chasing mares! Or, dare I say it, stallions." Spike almost had to stop himself from doubling over as he saw Dusk's lilac face go crimson at this thought. "Stallions?! I- Well that is- Ugh!" Dusk looked like his brain was going to explode and Spike was loving every minute of it. He continued to read. "You could at least stand to make some friends. So, that is why I am sending you off to Ponyville to oversee the preparations for the summer sun celebration." Spike smiled even more evilly. Social confrontation, the bane of Dusk's existence. Dusk looked at the letter, shocked at what he had heard. According to Celestia he was apparently a socially awkward introvert who may or may not be a Colt-Cuddler. The thought was too much for him to take. "Spike?" he said quietly and calmly, almost too calmly. "Uhh... Yeah Dusk?" Spike asked, slightly unnerved by the creepy calm in the Stallions voice. "Could you catch me please?" He said, before promptly fainting.
Chapter 2 (Unedited)Authors Note: I'm very pleased with the positive reception the first chapter got. Thank you guys for all of the support! I hope that I can keep whatever it is that made you like the first chapter through this and the rest of them. Dusk let out possibly the longest sigh that anypony in the history of Equestria had ever made. Spike looked at him in distain and let out an equally frustrated, if shorter sigh. "You done?" Asked spike, gazing over the side of the carriage to the ground hundreds of meters below them. Dusk let out another exaggerated sigh and sunk his head into his hooves. " I can't believe the princess told me to go and make some friends! I have friends!" Dusk complained loudly, eliciting an annoyed glare from the pegasus pony pulling the carriage. "Oh yeah, who?" Spike asked snidely. "Shining Armor! He's my friend!" Dusk cried indignantly. Spike looked at him with a strange mix of sympathy and ridicule on his face. "He's your brother dumbflank. Doesn't count." Spike said, inspecting his claws with a bored look on his face. Dusk looked at Spike in horror. "Whaaat? It doesn't?" Dusk cried with a dejected look on his face. Suddenly a smile lit up his face and he turned back to Spike. "What about you? You're my friend right?" "Nah, you're more like an arch nemesis/bane of my existence thing." Spike said nonchalantly, drawing an even more horrified look from Dusk. The poor Stallion looked like he was about to cry. "Whoah! Whoah! It was a joke alright! I'm sorry! Geez... Anyway, you're like my big brother anyway so that doesn't count either." "We're coming up on Ponyville now sir!" Said the Pegasus Stallion in front of them, obviously relieved to be away from Dusk and his social difficulties. Dusk sighed yet again and started to get his legs warmed up after a good two hours just sitting around. "I guess we better get this over with" He said, obviously dreading what he would find in the small town. "Anyway, the princess said we'd be staying in a library, so I can continue my research there once we've finished the preparations for the summer sun celebration." The carriage touched down on a cobbled road just on the outskirts of Ponyville and Dusk stepped off. Spike handed a small stack of bits to the driver which, Dusk assumed, was his payment. Little did he know that the Princess had payed for the carriage and that Spike was paying him for putting up with Dusk's antics. The Pegasus Stallion gladly accepted the gift and flew off as fast as his wings could carry him. "So, now we're here we just need to check and see if everything is ready and then we can go home!" Dusk said, anxious not to have to see anypony that didn't need seeing. "Aww, come on Dusk, the princess said to try and make some friends! You could at least say hello to somepony!" Said Spike, partly out of concern for his surrogate brother but mostly out of anticipation to see him as uncomfortable as possible. Dusk sighed for the umpteenth time that day and walked up towards a hot pink Stallion with hair that looked to be made out of cotton candy. For a brief second Dusk wondered what it would taste like and considered licking it, before deciding that was probably not socially acceptable behaviour, "Uh... Hi?" Dusk asked nervously, not used to talking to anyone other than Spike, the Princess, and his brother Shining Armor. The Pink pony took in a huge intake of air that almost pulled Dusk into his mouth before fleeing and leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Dusk just stood there in shock as Spike walked up to him and whistled. "Well someone just hit 88 miles an hour." He said, walking up to Dusk and poking him in the side. "You okay there champ?" He asked, not really caring that much. "I think that guy just created a vacuum with his mouth... Is that physically possible?" Dusk asked, still slightly shocked at the stranger's recent outburst. He shook his head and took a checklist out of his saddlebags, taking a moment to cast a following spell on it so it would float beside his head without him having to keep up a telekinesis spell on it. "Anyway, the first thing we have to check on is the food. Looks like a pony called Applejack is responsible for that" He said, his head rising from the checklist to look at Spike. "Lets get going then." Said Spike, climbing onto Dusk's back. "Giddy up horsey!" He shouted, digging his ankles into Dusk's ribs. "Ow!" Dusk cried out in pain. "Don't do that! It hurts!" he yelled at Spike who sheepishly looked back at him. "Heh, sorry" he said apologetically. "But we really should get going." Dusk nodded and started off at a trot to sweet apple acres. Later, at sweet apple acres Dusk trotted along the dirt road flanked with apple trees that led along to a small farm house and a barn. The sun was beating down on his neck and it was starting to get to him. Through the haze of heat he thought he could see the outline of a large orange Stallion kicking the trunk of a tree like it just insulted his mother. Dusk quickened his pace and trotted towards the mad tree-kicking pony. "Hello?!" Dusk shouted towards the pony in the orchard. The pony stopped kicking the tree he was focused on and swiveled his head in the direction of Dusk. "Hi! Are you Applejack?" Dusk called to the approaching pony. As he got closer Dusk could define more of him. He was orange with a blonde mane and three apples for a cutie mark. He also had a brown stetson perched upon his head. "Ah sure am stranger!" He said with an unexpected southern twang. "But y'all can call me AJ!" He walked over towards Dusk and extended his hoof. Dusk took it and Applejack shook his hoof vigorously. When he pulled away his hoof Dusk's was still moving up and down with the left over momentum. "So, now I've told you mah name what's yours?" Applejack asked, a kindly smile on his face "Oh, my name's Dusk Shine, I'm the Princesses correspondent to Ponyville for the summer sun celebration. I'm here to check if all the food is set up." Said Dusk, holding up his head in pride. Applejack's eyes widened "Well why didn't y'all say so?" He said as his friendly smile went up to a manic grin. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the family!" He started to trot over towards the barn house and Dusk followed behind him. If he had been paying attention to them, which he wasn't, Dusk would have noticed that Applejack's flanks were looking very muscular and toned, He wasn't paying attention to them though. And he definitely wasn't sneaking glances whenever he could. And it would have been ludicrous to say that he was thinking about giving one a nice hard slap. Absolutely ludicrous. Dusk blushed lightly at his thought processes and carried on trotting behind Applejack. Unfortunately for Dusk, Applejack turned around at that moment. "Y'all alright there sugarcube? Y'all are as red as a ripe apple!" He asked, genuine concern in his voice. Dusk blushed even harder at this. "Uh-uhm... It's the sun! Yeah... The sun... I don't have any sunscreen and I'm starting to get heatstroke!" He stumbled, trying not to blush harder than he already was. "What are you talking about Dusk? We have factor 50 in your-" Spike started but was cut off by Dusk's hoof in his mouth. "As I was saying..." Dusk growled, trying to get Spike to shut up. "We forgot to bring sunscreen" Applejack looked at Dusk with confusion. "Well if you say so ah guess..." He murmured as they closed in on the farmhouse. 'I will definitely have to do a study on this when I get home' thought Dusk as him and Applejack reached the farmhouse. As soon as they reached the house a veritable horde of ponies came rushing out of it. Applejack's grin returned and he looked out over the huge crowd. "This here's the family!" He said. "I'll get the introductions out of the way first! This here's-" And that's where Dusk lost him. Author's Note Footnote: Whoever decided that the interrabang was not a good idea needs to go to hell. That piece of punctuation would make writing so much easier
Chapter 3 (Unedited)Authors note: I'm so glad that some people like to read my stuff. I'll be trying to do some longer chapters but I can't make any promises. From now on I'll be warning you guys if there is any mature content in this chapter. None in this one though. Enjoy the story everyone! Dusk felt like he was about to explode. Once he was introduced to all of Applejack's family Dusk was implored to stay for brunch. He initially refused but he had changed his mind when a small yellow filly gave him puppy eyes that, on a scale of one to ten, was roughly seven thousand and forty-three. Spike was out cold on Dusk's back and was probably not going to wake up any time soon. Dusk sighed and carried on trotting through Ponyville. As he walked he looked up at the sky and tutted in annoyance, a pony called Rainbow Blitz was supposed to be clearing the sky for tomorrow's festival and the sky was still dotted with dozens of clouds. As Dusk was lost in his thoughts he didn't notice as a rainbow seemed to be rocketing towards him at almost supersonic speeds. In fact, he only noticed when a voice called "Look out below!" but by then it was too late. Dusk and another pony were lying tangled in a mud puddle. The other pony got up and shook the mud off of him and right onto Dusk. It was a cyan Pegasus stallion with a multicolored prismatic mane and a rainbow colored lightning bolt for a cutie mark. He was lithe and fit and Dusk could see the muscles rippling under his skin. Spike woke up with a start a few feet away as he was knocked off. He looked over towards Dusk and the mystery Pegasus and started to giggle. Dusk was covered head to hoof in mud. Before too long the cyan stallion began to laugh as well before stopping himself. "Uh... Sorry about that." He said, holding in laughter. "I... Wasn't looking where I was going" He had tears in his eyes and was obviously straining himself not to laugh. He flew up quickly and grabbed a nearby cloud. He pushed it so that it was floating directly above Dusk. "Let me get that for you" He said as he gave the cloud a quick kick. A sudden deluge erupted from the bottom of the cloud, soaking dusk to the bone. When the Pegasus looked back towards the unhappy, sopping wet lilac stallion it was all he could do not to laugh loud enough to wake up everypony in Neigh Zealand. The iridescent Pegasus was giggling quietly to himself and then his face seemed to light up like a bolt of lightning had just struck him in the flank, blowing the metaphorical light bulb that was glowing above his head. A maniacal grin spread across his face and he looked at Dusk with eyes dripping with mischief. "I know!" He said, looking like he had just come up with the best idea since sliced bread. "I'll give you the special 'Rainbow Blitz blow dry'!" He said, cackling evilly as he flew up into the air. He started to fly around in circles, slowly accelerating as the loops got tighter and tighter, closing in on Dusk. The winds around the lilac stallion started to pick up noticeably and soon a full-fledged tornado was swirling around a terrified Dusk. Eventually the gale-force winds died down and Rainbow Blitz became visible again. The cyan coated stallion was laughing openly now and as soon as Spike got a look at his big brother, he was too. "What?" asked Dusk, oblivious to what the pair were laughing at. "Pfft! Your mane! Oh my Celestia your mane looks ridiculous!" Spike cried out, only managing to stop himself laughing to say those two sentences. Dusk pulled a mirror from his saddlebags and immediately saw what the two were laughing at. His mane looked like a family of birds had been nesting in it, for years. Clumps of his hair were sticking out at odd angles and he looked like he had been put through a hedge backwards. Dusk just looked at the stallion that had called himself 'Rainbow Blitz' in despair. "So, you're Rainbow Blitz then?" Dusk asked, obviously irritated. "Yep!" He said with a smug smirk. "Fastest flier in all of Equestria!" His smirk got immediately ten times as smug. "So who're you? Some sort of groupie?" He asked, not managing to hide the fact that he was checking Dusk out very well. Dusk started blushing and tried to to calm himself down. "No!" He yelled. This drew a satisfied laugh from Rainbow Blitz, this was not going to be fun. "I'm called Dusk Shine, I'm Princess Celestia's protege and I'm in charge of checking up on all of the preparations for the summer sun celebration." He got out quickly. Dusk realized something, the Pegasus in charge of the weather team was standing in front of him. He looked up at the sky and saw more than a few clouds floating about. "Say..." Dusk started. "Aren't you the Pegasus in charge of the weather team?" Dusk looked up at the sky once again. "You couldn't possibly be the fastest flyer in Equestria if you leave the sky looking like that!" Rainbow Blitz looked like he had never been more offended by anything in his entire life. "Am too the fastest!" He yelled, Dusk laughed at this display of childishness. "And I'm gonna join the Wonderbolts someday!" Dusk laughed and looked up to the Pegasus above him, lounging on a cloud. "Why would the Wonderbolts want to take a Pegasus that can't keep the sky clear for one measly day?" Rainbow Blitz narrowed his eyes and launched himself off of his cloud. "Hey! I could clear the sky in ten seconds flat!" He yelled. Dusk's eyes narrowed too. "Prove it." Rainbow Blitz shot off faster than a blink of the eye. His movements were a blur, the only time you could see him properly was when he stopped for less than a second to kick a cloud into nonexistence. When he finally settled back onto the ground he wore an expression even more smug than before. Spike seemed to have pulled out a stopwatch from somewhere and was running over towards the two stallions. "Nine point eight seconds!" He yelled breathlessly as he reached the pair. Dusk's jaw seemed to touch the ground and he couldn't even get any words out. "See?" Rainbow said smugly."Ten. Seconds. Flat." He laughed again and walked over to Dusk. "Hey, you seem pretty cool! I know we're gonna be the best of friends! Friends? I don't want friends! He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Or maybe more..." He said seductively. He walked away laughing at the flustered lilac stallion. "Dusk?" Spike asked, clueless as to what just happened. "Big bro? Earth to Dusk!" Oh my... He thought, before fainting for the second time in two days.
Chapter 4 (Unedited)Author's Note: Thank you guys for all of your support! So I was surprised to learn that not only do some people love my writing, they're willing to beg me for new chapters! I can't quite grasp the idea my writing is any good. I wish I could think that you guys just have low standards but I've read the stuff in your favorites as a test and It's good, so I may have to accept the possibility that I am an okay writer. Ah well. Thanks for all the patience anyhow. No clop this time. Enjoy the chapter! How dare he? Thought Dusk, storming angrily through Ponyville. Eliciting looks, smirks, giggles, and sometimes completely unrestrained laughter. How dare he tackle me to the ground, cover me in mud, soak me to the bone, and then ruin my mane with that tornado that probably wasn't allowable by the laws of physics? He thought again, leaving out the obvious flirting as his mind still could not process that that had happened. It could also not process the fact that he had caught himself checking out the rear-ends of multiple stallions that day. Wait, that wasn't a thing that happened, nope, forget that. In fact, Dusk decided he would forget about the whole incident. Yes, that was the best thing to do. He walked onward towards his next destination Ponyville town hall, to check on the decorations for the summer sun celebrations. "Alright Spike, we have to take this thing seriously. and that means. No. More. Distractions." Dusk said, punctuating each word with a stomp of his hoof. Spike saluted from Dusk's back. "Aye, Aye, Cap'n!" Dusk rolled his eyes and walked through the doors of the town hall to a perfectly decorated stage with ribbons everywhere. Dusk sighed and looked towards the center of the stage where a white unicorn Stallion with a purple mane stood scrutinizing a ribbon closely. "At least somepony in this town can do their job right!" Exclaimed Dusk. Dusk continued to trot through an aisle in the center of the hall towards the stage. "Hello?" Dusk called towards the white stallion. The pony in question stopped scrutinizing his ribbon and looked up towards Dusk. "I'm here to check on the decorations for the summer su-" He started before a wail of horror from the white stallion cut him off. "Your mane!" The white stallion said in obvious, honest, horror. "What in the world happened to your mane darling?" He continued. "Darling? I-uh. Tornado?" Dusk stumbled, shocked at the outburst from the pony on the stage. "We simply must get that fixed up! And I won't take no for an answer! Chop-Chop!" He fired the words towards Dusk who was still trying to recover from the original outburst. "I-um, thanks?" He managed to get out before being enveloped in a magical aura and being floated out of the door of the town hall. Oddly enough only drawing fleeting looks from ponies outside. Soon enough, Dusk had arrived at a building that reminded him of a giant merry-go-round. Once he saw the sign that read 'Carousel Boutique' hanging above the front door in long, flowing cursive, he realized he was probably not alone in his opinion. He was whisked inside the house by his mysterious captor and forced to sit in a chair surrounded by all sorts of ominous looking sharp things, and less ominous looking combs and assorted shampoos. "Now then" Said the mysterious white stallion, levitating a few combs, shampoos, and some of the less ominous looking sharp things around his head. "What are we going to do about your mane?" "I-uh, is it really that bad?" Dusk asked with a sheepish grin, drawing another horrified look from his captor-turned-stylist. "Really that bad?!" his captor exclaimed. " Why this may be, the worst thing that has ever happened!" Dusk looked nonplussed by the mysterious stallions antics. "Right, 'the worst thing'. Whatever you're going to do to me can you just get it done quickly? I have work to do. The princess didn't send me from Canterlot to get my mane styled." He complained, drawing a blank stare from the mysterious stallion in front of him. His magical grip on the objects around him faultered and he dropped a shampoo bottle that hit Dusk on the head with an audible clunk. "Y-you're from Canterlot?" He began, a look of comprehending horror dawning on his face. "Uh, yes?" Dusk said, slightly worried for the stallion's sanity. "Oh-okay. And what is your name, pray tell?" he asked, the look of horror quickly extinguishing and a blank expression resuming on his face. "Um, my name's Dusk Shine." Dusk said, now very worried for the stallion's well-being. "The same Dusk Shine who's Princess Celestia's personal protegé?" The stallion asked, his left eyelid twitching slightly. "Uh, yes, that Dusk Shine." Dusk said, now worried for his own well-being as well as the stallion's. "Ah-yes. Excuse me a moment please." The stallion said, before quickly trotting out of the room. Dusk wondered if he had said anything wrong before he heard a blood-curdling scream from the room the stallion had entered before he trotted out with a beaming grin plastered across his face. "No worries Dusk, I am going to make your mane utterly fabulous for you! Free of charge of course." The stallion began, his smile growing wider and wider. "Fabulous?" Was all Dusk could get out before he was set upon by beauty products and utensils galore. "Shush! The master is working his magic!" The white unicorn said. "Oh, and I'm Elusive by the way, nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too?" Dusk said, looking extremely unsure of himself. After the most intense makeover Dusk had ever experienced. (Also the only makeover he had experienced) Dusk was whisked out of the chair and into a living room. "Oh, you look simply fabulouarling! The mares will be falling over each other to get to you!" Elusive said, with a starry-eyed look. "Heh, yes, mares, of course." Dusk said, feeling slightly uncomfortable all of a sudden for some reason. "Ah, but I digress. You were here to check on the decorations for the celebration, no?" Elusive asked, rummaging around in a nearby cabinet for some teacups. A kettle was whistling away nearby that Dusk did not remember Elusive putting on the stove. Elusive levitated the teacups and the kettle over towards a table and started pouring out the scalding hot liquid. "You will join me for tea won't you Dusk?" Elusive asked, a friendly smile on his face. "I-well, I'm busy, things to see, ponies to do! Wait..." Dusk was pondering the full implications of his grammatical mistake before Elusive cut him off. "Nonsense!" He exclaimed. "You simply must join me!" "Uh, okay I guess" Dusk submitted, far too tired to argue with the unicorn. He sat down at the table and watched Elusive brew the tea. He did it with refinement and poise, holding the teacups perfectly level as he dropped the teabags into them. Dusk was used to the finest tea being brewed for him and Princess Celestia during the customary royal tea-time. He had always suspected that she didn't like it. Her face always seemed to twist into an almost invisible grimace whenever she took a sip. It was also gone too quickly most of the time, and some of the potted plants in the tea room had taken on a brown-tinge for whatever reason. Elusive had quickly realized that Dusk's train of thought had gone elsewhere and continued to brew the tea, anxious to show off his true talent, instantly knowing how to brew tea for anypony he met. He snapped Dusk out of his tea-induced trance by waving a hoof in front of his face. "Here you are darling" He said, handing the tea to Dusk. Dusk took one sip and, to his surprise, found that it was completely tailored to his rather strange tastes. "Three spoons of honey, five sugars, cinnamon, and almost all of the cream! How did you know?" Dusk asked, fascinated by this coincidence. "Oh, it's a little quirk of mine, I can tell how to brew tea for anypony I meet." Elusive said, shrugging nonchalantly. Dusk looked amazed by Elusive's talent. "That's simply amazing! How in Equestria do you do that?" He asked, the scientist in him taking hold. "Oh, it's no big deal, just something I can do." Elusive said, shaking off the questions with a small shrug and moving onto his true purpose. "Now tell me Dusk, is there a mare in your life?" He asked with a malicious grin. Dusk's blood ran cold and he broke out in a cold sweat. "Uh, thanksfortheteagottagocheckontheotherpreparations!" He said in the course of about a second before rushing out of the door at speeds that would put the Wonderbolts to shame. Elusive looked at where he used to be sitting with a perplexed look on his face before promptly breaking into a laughing fit. He wiped a tear away from his eyes. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!" He said, before going into his study to begin his plotting.
