Dusk

Chapters

Chapter II - Rivers, Literacy, and Fighting
Chapter III - New Life
Chapter IV - Cecidi Tibi
Chapter V - Verus Amans
Chapter VI - Finis Nostri Amantis
Chapter VII - Dawn
Chapter VIII - The Father, The Son, and the Stellar Ghost
Chapter IX - Return Home
Chapter X - True Love
Chapter I - The Bog

Chapter II - Rivers, Literacy, and Fighting

“Morning, Dusk!”

Ugh he groaned, faceplanting on the table. Earth Ponies got up so early. Had they seriously never heard of sleep?

An Earth Pony walked up to Dusk and shook him on the back. His golden mane was thick and perfectly straight on his head. He was wearing a simple, white shirt with thick, dark blue pants.

“I’ve been getting’ up this early since I was even younger than you.”

Dusk moaned again. “Frumentum, the sun’s not even fully up yet. Why should we be?”

Frumentum chuckled and lifted Dusk’s head off the table.

“Come on. Even Oryza’s awake, let’s head into the fields.”

Reluctantly, Dusk followed Frumentum outside.

As he exited his house, Dusk looked around. The small, wooden homes of the Earth Pony village were spaced out every fifty feet or so along the main road. He and Frumentum ambled at a leisurely pace up the road.

As they came near the large fields of the village, the ponies working stopped to look at them.

Dusk knew this look well, and it was certainly not common to receive it. It was the You’re-a-Unicorn-and-you-shouldn’t-be-here look he would get whenever he went outside his adoptive family’s house. No big deal.

“Come on,” Frumentum gestured to Dusk. “Oryza, mom, and dad are near the back.”

They walked through the soft, golden rows of wheat that flooded the field.

“Hey, everypony!” Frumentum yelled as they neared the backs of the field.

The three ponies looked up from their work.

“Well, look who finally got out of bed,” the older mare said.

Dusk rolled his eyes and grumbled.

“You Earth Ponies get up at a ridiculous time.”

The older stallion chuckled.

“You’ve been here for a year, now. Early to bed, early to rise makes a stallion healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Dusk smiled faintly. “Just hand me a scythe and we’ll get going.”

“Actually, we’re almost done. Why don’t you and Oryza take the day off?”

A small filly with a pale white coat walked up to Dusk and smiled at him.

Dusk smiled wider. “Sure. Wouldn’t hurt to spend some time with my little sister.” He rubbed the top of her already-messy mane jokingly. They turned away and walked through the grain back to the road.

“Dusk?” Oryza asked.

“Mhm?”

She pointed at his head and squinted her eyes. “What’s that coming out of your forehead?”

Dusk grinned and silently laughed. “It’s my horn.”

Feeling her own head, she looked disappointed. “Why don’t I have one?”

Dusk looked at his horn gleefully. “I’m a Unicorn, and you’re an Earth Pony. All Unicorns have horns, and Earth Ponies don’t.”

“How do you become a Unicorn?”

“You don’t become a Unicorn, silly. You’re born one. I was a Unicorn when I was born, and you were an Earth Pony when you were born. Just like Frumentum, mom, dad, and everyone else in the town.”

“Oh…really?” the excitement seemed to drain from her voice.

“Hey, don’t feel bad,” he pat her on the back. “Maybe one day, you can travel the world and see plenty of Unicorns.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Dusk reassured her.

She poked her hoof at the ground nervously.

“Dusk, can we…?”

He smiled. “The river?”

She nodded her head quickly, answering the question.

“Okay, fine.” He smiled, and they walked away from the town.

***

Dusk stared fondly at the serene, slow-moving river that flowed through the forest backing up to the village.

He looked at his reflection in the clear blue water. He thought back to the day he discovered it.

It had been a few weeks after Dusk was adopted by the Earth Ponies. Since the village was centered around fields of crops, most of the villagers were working during the day. Dusk, being new, was allowed to wander the village in an attempt to familiarize himself with his new surroundings.

One day, he decided to go walk in the forest. The trees here were so huge, and there were so many of them! He had never saw so many trees in one place! Surely there had to be something interesting in there.

Sure enough, there was. A calm river flowed gently through the forest. Dusk knew exactly what this meant. He could go swimming!

Dusk started to remove the layers of clothing he was wearing. That was another thing about Earth Ponies. They wore so many layers of clothes all the time, and they worked in the hot sun all day long…Certainly somepony at some point had to step back and realize the holes in this logic.

Once all but the thin, white pants that he wore under the rest of his clothes were off, he backed up a few feet from the river.

Giving himself a running start, Dusk jumped into the river. The frigid, icy water clung to his body and sent a shock through his whole body. As he poked his head out of the water, his teeth were chattering rapidly.

And he loved it.

Swimming quickly became the activity Dusk spent nearly all of his free time doing. It reminded him of The Bog, where everypony could swim. They’d have competitions all the time.

Dusk was the second-best young swimmer in the whole town. The only other pony who could swim better than him was Massasoit, who would already be lounging peacefully on the beach and watching everypony else swim by the time Dusk reached the halfway point. Naturally, being her boyfriend, Dusk would never hear the end of it.

A month or so after he discovered the river, he was swimming in it one day. He suddenly heard screaming from the banks of the river and looked over. Oryza was screaming at Dusk, and tears were forming in her eyes.

“Dusk!” she yelled. “Hold on! I’m getting help!”

“For what?” he yelled back.

Oryza looked at him confusedly. “But…huh? You aren’t drowning?”

Dusk swam quickly back to the shores and hugged her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You…you can swim?” she asked.

Dusk looked at her strangely. “Can’t you?”

Oryza shook her head. “No. Nopony here can.”

Dusk smiled. “Come on, take a few of those layers off. I’ll teach you.”

Her face beamed. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he replied, turning back to the river.

“Ready!” she yelled after a few minutes.

Dusk turned around and immediately covered his eyes with his hoof. “Oryza?”

“Yes?” she asked.

He smiled. “I meant wear your undergown, not take everything off.”

Blushing heavily, Oryza grabbed the white gown she wore under the rest of her clothes and put it on.

Dusk walked into the shallow banks of the river, and Oryza followed him.

Dusk jumped into the water like he had done all those months ago, and although he stayed closer to the banks for Oryza, the water still reached to his upper chest.

“Come on, Oryza. Try swimming to me.”

“You sure?” she asked. “I’ve never swam that far out by myself by myself.”

“You’ll be fine,” Dusk reassured her. “I know you can do it.”

Oryza squeezed her eyes tightly and jumped in the cold water. Thrashing wildly, she swam to Dusk, who grabbed her, causing her to stop.

“Getting better,” he told her.

She smiled back at him. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think I’ll ever be able to beat you?”

Dusk smiled. “Keep at it, and maybe someday you can.”

Oryza and Dusk swam back to the banks and sat down, dangling their hooves in the river.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Dusk finally spoke up.

“Oryza?” he asked, putting his left foreleg around her shoulder.

“Yes?”

He pulled her closer and smiled. “You’re a great sister.”

“Really?” she asked excitedly.

Dusk nodded. “Yeah. I used to have a sister before I moved here, but she was a lot older than me. We didn’t have any parents, so she took care of me. I had a brother, too, but he was even older than her and was working most of the time. I never really had a sibling relationship until I moved here with you.”

Oryza smiled widely as a few tears formed in her eyes. “Really?” she asked.

“Yeah. You’re probably one of the best sisters somepony could ask for.”

She hugged her brother, and they sat in silence.

***

Squinting his eyes in concentration at the pieces of paper in front of him, Dusk slowly spoke out loud.

“The…three…tribes of…ponies…” he was struggling to read every word.

As he heard footsteps walking to his room, Dusk immediately dropped the book he had been trying to read.

The door opened, and Frumentum walked in.

“Hey, uhh…” he moved his head closer to the ground, trying to look around. Dusk moved to try and block his vision.

“Yes?” Dusk replied innocently.

Frumentum grinned, realizing something was going on. “What’cha hiding?”

Quickly extending his back hoof, Dusk shoved the closed book under his bed.

“Nothing?” That sounded like the right answer.

Frumentum pushed his brother aside and looked under the bed. When he came out, he was holding the book in his mouth.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“It’s…” Dusk rubbed his neck in nervousness. “It’s a book.”

“A book? What for?”

“I’ve been trying to learn how to read.”

Frumentum smiled. “Sounds nice. What made you want to be able to read?”

“Well…I’m a Unicorn. I heard that most of the Unicorns can read and write, so I decided I’d try and learn how to, as well.”

“That’s a great goal. Maybe one day, you’ll be the smartest pony of all the tribes. Ponies will know your name far and wide.”

Dusk’s eyes grew large with fascination. “Really?” he yelled. “You think I could?”

He pat Dusk on the shoulder. “Definitely.”

Frumentum tossed the book back to Dusk, who caught it in his mouth.

“Dinner’s soon.”

Dusk smiled, and when Frumentum exited the room, he opened up the book and started reading again.

***

What runs but has no legs, has a mouth but can’t speak, and has a bed but never sleeps?

Dusk tapped his head in confusion. Runs…mouth…bed…

A river!

Quickly flipping to the back of 101 Riddles for Foals, Dusk checked his answer. He was right!

He turned back to his previous page and looked at the book. That had been #101. Smiling widely, he closed the book and set it in a small stack on the side. That was the third book he read that week he finished.

Oryza pushed the slightly cracked door open and looked in. She was wearing a towel wrapped around her chest. Her hair was wet and piled in a soaking mass on top of her head.

“Dusk, tub’s ready for you now.”

Standing up and stretching his back, Dusk grabbed a towel off the floor and walked out to the back of the house. He looked up at the sky.

The night sky was bejeweled with thousands of tiny little stars.

Massasoit, Mommy, and Daddy are up there somewhere. he thought. Somehow, knowing this gave him some comfort. They were all safe there, leading their lives of eternal paradise.

Dusk placed his towel on the ground beside the small, metal washtub filled with water, still lukewarm from being heated not long ago.

Dusk started getting ready. When he took off the last layer of clothing he was wearing, he looked back at his not-so-blank flank. Wait…”Not-so-blank”?

Blinking twice, Dusk tried to realize what he was seeing. Indeed, there was a small image of a book on his flank. His Cutie Mark.

Smiling wider than he ever thought, Dusk sprinted back into the house, yelling wildely. Frumentum and their father were standing over a basin, cleaning cheap, porcelain dishes. Their mother was sitting in a chair, knitting a wool hat.

“Mom! Dad! Frumentum! I got my Cutie Mark!” he yelled ecstatically.

The ponies all put down what was preoccupying them and walked over to Dusk.

“Wow, Dusk!” their mother exclaimed. “That looks really nice!”

Their father piped up next. “Wow, really sweet Cutie Mark!”

Frumentum smiled. “How’s it feel to have your Cutie Mark?”

Dusk smiled widely. “Great! I guess this really does mean I’m good at reading and writing!”

Frumentum smiled and pat his adoptive brother on the flank. “It's really nice that you got a new mark on your body, but I think it's time to go wash some of the others off.”

Oh, right. I'm still covered in dried mud.

"Yeah...I guess you're right."

Dusk ran back out of the house to the washtub and immersed himself.

Relaxing himself and washing off days of dirt and sweat from working, Dusk started to ponder his situation.

Nice adoptive parents, good friends with my siblings, taught myself to be literate, and just got my Cutie Mark…I’d say my life is pretty good.

***

“Come on, Dusk, it’s getting dark! We should go!” Oryza was yelling at Dusk, who was swimming in the river.

“Come on, Oryza, we still have a little time to keep swimming! Come back in!”

Oryza smiled. “Can hardly get that pony to do anything,” she said softly to herself.

Dusk groaned. “Fine, fine!” He swam to the banks of the river and jumped out. As he started drying his mane, voices could be heard further into the forest, on the path to the village.

A filly, about Dusk’s age, was surrounded by two colts of similar age.

“Hey, Dusk, what’re you doing?” she taunted.

Dusk sighed. “Citrum, don’t you have better things to do than just going around harassing ponies with your dimwitted boyfriends?”

This irked her almost as much as Dusk wanted it to. “At least I have friends!”

“You mean the ones who you spend time with just to make yourself look smarter?”

Citrum’s face was burning with hate. “So, you can read a book and you think you’re suddenly the smartest pony in the village? You’re just a stupid Unicorn!”

Oryza stepped between the arguing foals to separate them. “Stop it, both of you!”

Citrum glared at Oryza. “Why are you defending him? You’re no better than he is!”

Shoving Oryza out of the way, he stomped up to Citrum. He was now face-to-face with her. “Don’t involve her in this!”

“Pomum! Arancium!” she yelled to the two colts standing beside her. “Let’s show them how Earth Ponies do things.” Her eyes narrowed and filled with malicious intent.

The two colts laughed and walked with Citrum up to Dusk. She lifted her front right hoof and smacked Dusk straight across his muzzle, and he fell back onto the grass.

Thick, metallic-tasting liquid filled his mouth. Spitting it out onto the ground, he looked down. It was blood that was filling his mouth.

“Ready for more?” Citrum asked, leaning in close.

Dusk angrily spat a sickly mix of blood and saliva into her face. “Whenever you are.”

Citrum’s face grew angrier with each punch on Dusk’s face. Even though he was going through intense pain, Dusk did nothing to fight back.

She sighed at the lack of reaction she was getting out of him. Where's the fun in beating somepony up if they don't fight back or beg for mercy?

Oryza finally walked up and grabbed Citrum by the soulders, trying to pull her back.

“Leave him alone!” she screamed, tears falling down from her face.

Pomum and Arancium walked up and pulled Oryza back.

“Take care of her,” Citrum ordered. The colts threw Oryza onto the ground and started hitting her.

“Oryza!” Dusk yelled.

“Shut up!” Citrum yelled.

Dusk struggled to get up, but it was futile. Citrum was sitting on him, and he couldn’t move. A thought crossed his mind, but it wouldn’t work. Or would it…? It was worth a try.

Dusk closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles. His mind cleared, and there was…nothing. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Only one way to find out.

Dusk imagined a pushing feeling. A powerful pushing sensation. More powerful than anything he could ever imagine.

It worked. Dusk felt power surge through his horn and smack Citrum square in the chest. She was knocked backwards and into Pomum.

“Freak Unicorn!” she screamed as she stood up.

“We should go, Citrum,” Arancium nervously said.

“Don’t think that this is over,” Citrum hissed at him. She ran back up the path into the village, and the two colts quickly followed her.

Dusk ran over to Oryza, who was bruised, bleeding, and crying.

“Oryza?” he shook her, horrified. “Are you okay?”

She sat up and grasped her head. “I hurt…So much…”

Pulling her in close for a hug, Dusk felt scared that this would be another replay of Massasoit. “It’s okay, Oryza. I’m here for you.”

He slowly moved toward the river. “Let’s get ourselves cleaned up.”

Pouring the cool, clean water over his face was calming. When all the blood was gone from his face, he dipped his hoof back into the water and started pouring water over Oryza’s head.

“D-Dusk?” she asked, sniffling.

“Hm?” Dusk was too busy wiping blood and tears off her face.

“Why did they beat us up?” New tears were replacing the ones Dusk was wiping away.

Simply shaking his head, Dusk kept trying to wipe off Oryza’s face. “A lot of ponies aren’t exactly really nice to other kinds of ponies. They were no different; they attacked me for being a Unicorn, and you because you stood up for me.”

“But, why…why would they do that?”

Dusk sighed and pulled Oryza into a hug. “Because they’re bad ponies that hate everypony that isn’t exactly like them.”

Oryza leaned in close and started sobbing harder. They just sat in the soft grass, comforting each other.

***

Dusk stared down at the saddlebags Ken had given him so many years ago. As opposed to the nearly-empty bags he left with the last time he needed them, the bags were filled with various clothes and a few books. Of course, his scarf from Pequot and drawing from Massasoit were in there, too.

Breathing deeply, Dusk closed his eyes and prepared himself mentally for what was coming next.

It’s okay, he convinced himself. Everything’s going to work out fine.

Adrenaline rushed through Dusk’s body, causing him to shake profusely. He levitated the bags onto his back and slowly walked into the main room.

Frumentum and Oryza were sitting on the ground, locked in a cutthroat game of checkers. Oryza was red, and she was holding a slight lead over her brother. Their mother was knitting a sweater, with their father holding the yarn for her.

“Everypony, can I…speak with you?”

Everypony looked up from their activities worriedly.

“Dusk, what’s wrong?” Oryza inquired.

“Is everything okay?” Frumentum asked.

Dusk had to remind himself to breathe so he wouldn’t start hyperventilating. He could feel his heart rate accelerating to a racing pace.

“I’m leaving,” he solemnly said.

The room grew silent, except for the clink of sewing needles falling on the floor.

“Dusk, but…why?” their mother cried out.

“I can’t stay here!” he yelled. “I’m a Unicorn, I just don’t fit in here.”

Frumentum walked foreword. “Dusk, you can’t leave! We-”

Holding up his hoof, Dusk cut Frumentum off. “I just can’t stay here. And it’s not just for me, it’s for all of you. A year or so ago, I was attacked for being a Unicorn. Oryza got involved in it, and she got beat up too.”

The other ponies stared at her. “Is this true?” their father asked. Oryza slowly nodded her head in shame.

“If I stay here, it’s just going to get worse. It’s going to evolve from just simple fights to theft, vandalism, or even worse. It’s better for all of us if we go.”

As Frumentum put his arm on Dusk’s shoulder, small tears filled up. “Are you sure you want to do this? You know we love you and never want you to leave.”

Dusk smiled and put his own hoof on Frumentum’s shoulder. “Frumentum, you were a great brother to me. I’ll never forget you.”

Next, Dusk walked to his parents. “Comaros, Vaccinia, you two have been amazing parents. You took me from a poor little village and gave me a real home and a real family.”

Vaccinia started choking up. “Dusk, please don’t go.”

“Like I said, I’ve already decided,” he responded, shaking his head. “You were the first mother I really had.”

She started weeping, her tears messing up her inky blue coat.

Finally, Dusk walked to Oryza, who was already sobbing.

“Oryza, you have been a great sister to me.” Now even Dusk started tearing up. “Nopony I ever meet will ever be as special as you.”

“Dusk…” she was crying heavily now.

He smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m going to go to the Unicorn tribe and make my own life there.”

“Just remember,” Comaros said. “If things don’t work out for you, we’re always open to taking you back.”

“Daddy, no!” Oryza screamed, tears flooding her face. “You can’t let him go!”

Disregarding his daughter’s statement, Comaros walked up to Dusk and smiled at him. “If you think this is what you need to do, I’m behind you.”

Vaccnia walked up and hugged Dusk. “As much as I hate to say it, I support you in this decision, as well.”

“So do I,” Frumentum piped up.

“Well?” Dusk asked, looking at Oryza, who was the only one left standing off to the side. “What do you think?”

Lost in thought, Oryza looked away and at the floor. “Promise you’ll be safe?”

“I promise,” Dusk laughed.

Breathing a sigh of submission, she walked up to Dusk and hugged him. “I support you.”

The whole family stood in the room for a few minutes. Nopony spoke a word. Eventually, Dusk walked out of the hug and toward the door.

“Well, I…guess this is goodbye, everypony.”

The Earth Ponies smiled. “Goodbye!” they all yelled at the same time.

Dusk smiled faintly. “These past few years have been great. I’ll never forget them.”

Hearing the door shut behind him, Dusk looked around at the early morning sky. It was a vast expanse of light blue, with not a single cloud to be found.

Today was either the start of a great life or a horrible one. The only way to find out was to start walking.

Chapter III - New Life

Instead of waking up peacefully like he used to when he was young, Dusk woke up instead to the shrill, loud, annoying sounds of a bugle.

Stupid bugle, he thought furiously. I swear, one of these days…

“ATTENTION!” came a booming yell.

Jumping quickly out of his cot, Dusk silently added the drill sergeant to his list, right alongside the bugle player.

The other ponies quickly followed Dusk, jumping out of bed and standing firmly at attention, facing the aisle that ran down through the middle of the barrack, separating it into two rows of cots.

As the drill sergeant walked down the row, examining each of the Unicorns, Dusk’s mind started to wander. Nowhere in particular.

“DUSK!”

Apparently, Dusk let his mind wander for longer than he thought. The sergeant was staring him down, their faces inches from each other.

Naturally, Dusk got startled and flinched, which prompted a smile from the sergeant.

“Heh. Jumpier than a cat. Bet you’d even run toward the enemy in battle if it meant getting’ away from your shadow.”

The rest of the soldiers smiled and softly laughed. Secretly, Dusk wanted to join them, but being a soldier meant a little bit of stone-coldness at times. Instead, he just stood at attention and didn’t even move a muscle.

As the sergeant moved onto the next pony, Dusk let his happiness out in a small grin. Sometimes, you even have to laugh at yourself.

When he was done, the sergeant walked to the entrance of the long, wooden barrack. “Alright, fillies. Sprints today. Fall out to the hall!”

As the door shut, the mood suddenly lightened. Everypony began walking to the trunks at the foot of their beds, and Dusk did the same.

Opening up the large, wooden chest, he looked inside. His saddlebags were there (they hadn’t been used since he joined the military), along with a few identical shirts folded neatly next to some identical pants.

Gee, I wonder what I’ll wear today, he silently joked to himself. He grabbed a white shirt and a pair of white pants and put them on.

After getting dressed, he walked outside. The clouds were thick and grey. There was moisture hanging in the air like a thick blanket. Rain was coming. Just his luck.

“Dusk, wait up!” a voice from behind him yelled. As he turned around, he saw another pony in white clothes running up to him.

“Come on, Miles, hurry up, or they’ll be out of oatmeal, and you know how much I hate the pancakes they serve here!”

Miles slowed down to a trot when he heard this. “Oh, okay then. I’ll take my time,” he joked.

Dusk smiled and shook his head while he waited for Miles to catch up. “Yeah, thanks for that. You know, last time I got the pancakes here, I found a whole lump of grass in mine. They can’t even mix their batter well!”

Miles laughed. “Oh, you doing anything tonight?”

Searching his mind, thinking about that night. “No, why?”

“We should head into town. I heard there’s a new bar opening up.”

“Sure, that might be fun.”

“Yeah. You’ll need a break from doing so average all the time.”

Dusk laughed again. “Hey, somepony’s got to do it.”

Miles poked Dusk in the shoulder and pointed at the line entering the dining hall. “Looks like you might have to have pancakes after all.”

Dusk silently cursed to himself.

***

“Here it is!” Miles shouted, pointing at the small, wooden building. A sign hung from the top, saying The Walking Frog – Grand Opening!

Dusk smiled. It had so long since he went into a bar, he could hardly wait until the taste of cheap wine filled his mouth. Occasionally, since military salary wasn’t known to be very high, he’d opt out of a few visits and buy only a glass or two of the more expensive stuff. But not tonight; the only way he wanted to leave the bar was passed out on somepony else’s back.

The scene inside the bar was lively. Ponies were packed like too much luggage in a bag much too small for its contents. They were all drinking, laughing, having a good time. A small group of ponies sat on the stage overlooking the bar, playing instruments. Many trays filled with both full and empty glasses floated above the crowds as the waiters and waitresses tried to weave through the crowds.

Miles and Dusk fought their way to the counter, a feat much easier said than done.

“What’ll it be, boys?” the bartender asked.

Miles ordered a Manehattan Iced Tea, while Dusk just wanted a glass of whatever was cheapest, which turned out to be some nasty, watered-down beer. He decided he might have to part with a few of his bits tonight if he wanted his fantasy of being hammered to come true.

Miles tapped his friend on the shoulder. “Hey, Dusk.”

“Yes?” he asked a bit too excitedly. He just wanted some excuse to stop drinking his beer.

“You should go talk to that mare playing the violin. She’s kinda cute.”

He looked up at the stage. He’s right, she is cute.

Instead, he shook his head. “Nah. I just don’t feel right picking up a filly in a bar for a one night stand.”

“Who said it had to last for one night?”

Dusk opened his mouth to counter his argument, but frankly, he was right. It could last for longer, couldn’t it?

Dusk placed his drink down, hoping it would be lost when he returned. Good riddance.

When he finally managed to get himself close to the stage, the mare was off to the side, opening a case and putting her instrument into it.

“Hey there,” Dusk said, walking up to her. “That was some pretty good violin playing there.”

“Viola,” she said, turning around.

Wow, she’s even prettier up close.

“I think it’s pronounced ‘Wah-lah’”

She giggled. “No, silly, viola. I wasn’t playing the violin, I was playing the viola.”

“Oh…whoops. Good viola playing?”

She smiled again. “Thanks.”

“Listen, can I…” Dusk started blushing lightly. “Can I buy you a drink?” She smiled again.

Man, does she look good when she smiles.

“How about I buy you one? I don’t drink much, and I get free drinks for performing here.”

A mare? Buying a stallion a drink? Normally, Dusk would say no, but she was getting them for free too, which meant top of the shelf alcohol…

“Sure.”

The mare flagged down a waitress and placed an order for two of the best glasses of wine.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked.

“I’m Dusk. And you?”

“I’m Soprano.”

A waiter walked up and levitated two glasses of deep, purple wine onto the table.

Soprano levitated her glass, and Dusk did the same. They toasted to their new friendship.

Dusk put his lips to the glass and drank. It was strong, sweet, and slightly chilled. It certainly deserved the position as the most expensive wine offered.

“Wow, what is this?” he asked.

“It’s from the Northwoods Monastery. They're incredibly exclusive, and they certainly make good wine.”

The two ponies finished their glasses in silence. Come on, Dusk egged himself on. Do it.

“Thank you so much for the wine, Soprano,” he thanked, putting his empty glass on the table right by them. “Allow me to make it up to you. Can I treat you to dinner sometime soon?”

She smiled in response and put her glass down a little harder than a sober pony would. “That’d be lovely. Would tomorrow night work for you?”

“It should,” he nodded. “Eight o’clock here, tomorrow night?”

She put her viola case on her back and smiled. “Sounds delightful.”

When she walked out of the doors of the bar, Dusk pumped his hoof in victory and ran back to where Miles was standing at the bar.

“How’d it go?”

Dusk smiled widely. “I’ve got a date tomorrow night.”

Chapter IV - Cecidi Tibi

8:02. Why isn’t she here?

Dusk fidgeted in his chair. What if she didn’t show up? What if she got lost? What if…something terrible happened to her!

The door to the bar opened, and a mare walked in. All the tension left Dusk’s body as she sat down at the other side of the table.

“Nice to see you again,” she said, sitting down.

Now that the bar wasn’t overcrowded, Dusk could look at Soprano better. Her pale pink coat reminded him vaguely of Massasoit. A small tuft of her deep blue mane hung in front of her face, covering a tiny portion of her left eye. Tiny glints of light came from a chain around her neck that disappeared into her shirt.

A waiter walked up to the table, levitating a pencil and a small piece of paper. “What will it be tonight?”

“Let’s get the hay salad,” Soprano interjected before Dusk could speak up. “I know one of the ponies that’s a chef here. He can make a pretty nice salad.”

Dusk blinked quickly, realizing she was talking to him. “Wow, you look…Astonishing.”

She smiled. “Thanks. You too.”

He looked down at his clothes. They were just simple clothes he’d wear when he’d leave the barracks.

“Eh. They’re just normal clothes I wear when I go into town.”

“You say that like you don’t go out much.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m just a soldier, so I live in the barracks outside town.”

“A soldier!” she exclaimed in shock. “I’ve never met a military stallion before.”

Dusk blushed. “It’s not that great. I mean, not when compared to somepony like you! Being a musician must be really fun.”

“Yeah, sort of,” she said, shrugging. “I mean, it’s fun to play around town, but it’s not exactly the glamorous lifestyle of a big-time musician. I’m just a small-town filly, living with her parents and playing whatever comes her way.”

“Now, don’t think like that,” Dusk pleaded. “If you want to become a somepony in the big city, save up your money up and go! When I got up and left for a new city, I ended up here. I have a job, a bed, and free meals, albeit the latter ones are pretty bad. And that was with no money or plans for the future! Just think of what’s possible with musical talent, some money, and an idea of what you want to do!”

She smiled and blushed. “You really think so?”

“Of course!” he yelled, banging his hooves on the table. “Tell me. What’s your dream?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s…silly.”

He smiled back at her. “No dream is silly. Come on, tell me.”

“I want to join the Royal Unicorn Philharmonic Orchestra,” she admitted, sighing. “One day, when I was a little filly, the king visited, and the Orchestra always follows his visits. I heard them playing, and they were beautiful. They inspired me to play music, and then this showed up.” She grabbed her necklace, took it off, and placed it on the table.

Dusk examined the tiny silver charm on the chain. “What is it?” he asked, tracing his hoof over its eloquent loops.

“It’s my Cutie Mark. An Alto Clef.”

“It’s beautiful,” he replied, sliding the necklace back to her.

A waiter walked up and placed a large bowl of hay onto the table. “Enjoy, you two.”

***

“Dusk, that was amazing!” Soprano proclaimed as they walked out of The Walking Frog.

“I’m glad you liked it,” he responded. “So, can I walk you home? You know, the gentlecoltly thing to do.”

She smiled again.Boy, she sure smiles a lot, he thought.

“Take a left up here,” she said, pointing at the fork in the cobblestone road up ahead. “So…you seeing anypony?”

Dusk wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or jump on the opportunity. “Well…I thought I was seeing you?”

He immediately regret his previous sentence. Whoops…

Soprano's eyes opened widely. “Oh. Do you…feel that way about me?”

“Ponyfeathers,” he muttered under his breath. “Well, sort of.”

Putting her hoof up, she stopped him. “This is my house,” she said nervously.

“Listen,” he spoke up. “I’ve got the day off tomorrow. Would you…like to do something?”

She smiled. “Amo te,” she replied, drawing a curious look from Dusk.

“Huh?”

“Dress fancy.” She kissed him on the cheek and ran inside her house.

“That…was weird.” Shrugging, Dusk walked back towards the barracks.

***

Dusk sighed and stared at the door to Soprano’s house.

Amo te? What’s that mean? And why did she say “dress fancy”?

Indeed, he had dressed fancy. Well, as fancy as possible. The formal clothes he wore to charity balls were fancy, right?

Sucking up his fears, Dusk walked to the door and banged on it. What if this is the wrong house? What if she told me to buzz off last night, and I just couldn’t realize it? What if…

Too late. The door opened, and a stallion stood in the door.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

Shoot, wrong house. Wait, she said she lived with her parents, maybe…

Before he could finish his thought, Soprano appeared behind the stallion.

“Daddy, this is my new friend, Dusk,” she said, pointing at Dusk. “I see you two have already met.”

As she hopped outside, the door closed.

She looks even better than last night, he thought. She was wearing a frilly, light pink, lace dress. Her mane was clean and braided, and the small wisp over her eye was gone. The silver necklace still hung from her neck.

“Can I ask you something about last night?” He was trying to get the burning question off his chest.

“Sure,” she answered, nervously. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well, last night, you said ‘Amo te’ to me. What’s it mean?”

“Oh,” she started blushing. “It…it means ‘I love you’ in Latin.”

He tried to fight off the urge to smile broadly. She loves me back! AND she can speak two languages! Can she get any better?

“Latin? What’s that?” Somehow, those were the only words he could bring himself to say.

“It was the language of S.M.Q.R; Senatus Manulique Romanus. The Roman Senate and Ponies. It’s used in a lot of songs, books, and poems even nowadays. I sometimes write my own songs, so I learned some from some of the musicians in town.”

“Write…songs? So, you can sing and compose, too?” He was stunned at all the things he was finding she was capable of.

She shrugged, almost as if it was no big deal. “Sort of. I don’t sing a lot, just sometimes. I mostly just play the violin.”

“So, you do play the violin?” He found this amusing.

“Yeah,” she replied, giggling. “I was just playing viola at The Walking Frog because they needed one.”

“Play anything else?”

“Not much. I sing, play the violin and viola, and occasionally I play the flute.”

Is there anything this mare CAN’T do?!

“We’re here,” she said, stopping. They were standing in front of a large building with windows all around. “How good are you at dancing?”

“I’ll admit, I’ve never really tried.” Does this mean she can dance, too?

She grabbed his hoof. “Let’s go.”

As she opened the door, a small group of mares stood right inside, obviously waiting for them.

“Soprano,” one of the mares spoke, “Is this the new boyfriend you were talking about yesterday?”

Dusk’s face suddenly became flushed. Boyfriend? She had to have been talking to them even before their date. Was her love for him so sudden that she felt it even yesterday?

Soprano was turning a nice shade of red herself. “Yeah, he is.”

Boyfriend. That has a nice ring to it.

The mare grinned deviously, seeing her friend’s discomfort in the situation. “You must be Dusk, correct?” she asked, turning to Dusk.

He nodded, still too embarrassed to speak.

“I’m Cantabile. Nice to meet you.”

Another mare stepped up. “I’m Glissando.”

“And I’m Fermata,” the third mare said.

“Nice to meet all of you,” he replied, still somewhat embarrassed.

“What number is this one?” Cantabile asked. “Seven?”

Soprano was becoming more uncomfortable. “Eight…” she whispered.

Seven ponies prior to me? Yikes.

“Come on,” he said, trying to bail his girlfriend out of the situation. “Looks like they’re about to start a new song.”

She sighed heavily and let all her tension out. “Thanks for that. They’re good friends, but sometimes they like to tease.”

The musicians started playing, and ponies in the ballroom began dancing.

“Just follow my lead,” she instructed him.

Her orders were easier said than done. Soprano was practically dragging Dusk across the floor. Dancing was tough.

“Come on,” she pleaded. “It’s simple. ONE two three FOUR five six. The conductor’s only showing the one and four, and there are three beats between each beat he conducts. You can look at him if you want; I won’t get jealous of him.”

“Wait, so…” he was trying to comprehend what she was saying. “Why is he only conducting two of the six beats?”

She smiled and pulled him off to the side, seeing that dancing would be hopeless. “Complex duple time signature. Musical jargon, really.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“So…Did you mean it when you said you loved me?” he asked.

She fiddled with her necklace. “Well, yeah. Do you love me back?”

He smiled. “Of course. I don’t have a ton in this world, so being with somepony is one of the best things I could ask for.”

Seizing his opportunity, Dusk grabbed her shoulders and grew her close, kissing her strongly on the lips. The whole situation seemed familiar, though he felt like he should be on the receiving end of the kiss.

“Wow.” She was shocked. “That was…pretty nice.”

Pretty nice? He was going for amazing, breathtaking, anything of that magnitude, really.

“Oh, you didn’t like it.” He looked away in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s just…I don’t know what to say. Nopony’s ever put that much…emotion into something like that. Most of the stallions I see are just self-centered, arrogant jerks. But I can tell that you’re different.”

“You really think so?”

She drew him back in close. “I know so.”

Chapter V - Verus Amans

Chapter contains sex

Shoving the last shirt into his saddlebags, Dusk looked down. The trunk at the foot of his bed was completely empty, except for the uniforms that weren’t technically his.

Miles walked up and looked at his crestfallen friend.

“Come on, you don’t have to do this.”

Dusk just shook his head. “One of us had to do something or we’d both be discharged. I just couldn’t let that happen to you.”

He felt a hoof on his shoulder. It must have been Soprano’s; it was too small and thin to be Miles’.

“Dusk, please. There has to be some way you can sort this all out with the higherups.”

“Oh, no,” he replied, laughing. “There is absolutely no way they’re ever gonna let me back in after that.”

“I'll say, the bananas were a pretty nice touch,” Miles admitted.

“Can I have my girdle back, now that this whole fiasco is done?” Soprano asked.

Dusk shook his head again. “Sorry, but that's long gone.”

She giggled again. “I have to hear this story someday.”

He emotionlessly levitated his saddlebags onto his back. “Let’s just go.”

“Remember, buddy. I’m always here for you,” Miles reminded his friend.

“Thanks, Miles. I’ve had some pretty good times with you.”

Dusk and Soprano walked out of the barracks, into the cool night. The new moon was nowhere to be found anywhere in the sky. Tiny stars barely illuminated the earth, making the night dark and ominous.

“Listen,” Soprano said after a few minutes, breaking the thick silence of the night. “If you want, you can come stay at my house. We’ve got some extra blankets and pillows, you could always stay in our cellar.”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve only known you a year or so. I wouldn’t feel right living in your cellar, mooching off you and your family.”

“Come on!” she begged. “You have nowhere else to go! I’d be a pretty lousy girlfriend if I didn’t give you a roof over your head for the night.”

“Fine,” he said in submission. “But only for a few nights. Until I can get a job and a place of my own.”

She grinned widely. “Yay!”

***

Is this right? Dusk asked himself. I mean, she wants me to stay, but I just don’t feel right with this.

Too late. Soprano opened the door and walked in. Dusk followed her into the living room, where Soprano’s father and a mare he could only assume to be her mother were sitting at a table. They were both sitting and reading quietly.

“Evening, you two,” her father said.

“Evening, daddy,” she replied.

“What are you two doing this night?”

“We’re about to go out on the town. I just want to change first,” she said with a perfectly straight face. She was a pretty decent liar. “Why don’t you sit here with my parents for a minute?” After those words, she walked down the hallway.

Dusk slid into an unoccupied chair at the table. Her father put down the book he was reading and extended a hoof to Dusk.

“I don’t believe we’ve ever been formally introduced. My name is Carolus. Nice to meet you.”

Dusk grabbed his hoof and shook it. “I’m Dusk. Nice to meet you, too.”

The three ponies sat in awkward silence. After a few minutes, Soprano walked back in. Sure enough, she was wearing a completely different set of robes.

“Ready?” she asked.

He was shocked. She could find extra sheets, bring them to the cellar, and still have time to change, all in the short span of a few minutes? Impressive.

“Sure,” he replied. He got up, and they walked out.

“Tell me, what exactly is your plan?” he inquired.

“Well, I’ve got the extra sheets in the basement, all ready for you. I figured we’d go to The Walking Frog and see if there are any jobs available.” She grinned. “By the time we get back, they should be in bed. My parents aren’t exactly known to be night owls.”

“You really think this is going to work?”

She smiled again. “No idea. One way to find out, right?”

***

Dusk felt the covers Soprano had given to him to sleep in. They were soft, thick, and numerous. And these were the spare blankets. Not bad.

He climbed into the sheets. They were just as comfortable as he thought they’d be.

Right as he closed his eyes and felt sleep coming, the door to the cellar opened, then quickly shut again. He looked up and saw Soprano coming down, wearing a silk nightgown.

“What is it?” he sleepily asked.

Putting her hoof to his mouth, she hushed him. She began kissing his face lovingly.

He put his forelegs around her and joined in the kissing. He could feel his shirt being unbuttoned by magic.

I think I know where this is going…

He used his own magic to gently slip off Soprano’s nightgown; the only thing she was wearing, apparently. He felt his own pants follow soon.

They turned over in the sheets, placing Dusk on top. He ran his hooves up and down her body, feeling every small, subtle curve in her body. She was even more marvelous than anything he could ever have imagined in even his wildest wet dreams. Tiny beads of sweat began to form on his body, even though the cellar was cold and drafty.

Warmth and adrenaline suddenly surged through his body. He felt silly and was embarrassed, but Soprano seemed to enjoy it. Seven prior boyfriends, she must have had at least a little experience in this.

Ick. That last image didn't sit really well in his stomach. Perhaps he could have done without it.

***

All that could be heard in the cellar was the heavy breathing of Dusk and Soprano. Soprano was leaning on Dusk’s shoulders, her forelegs thrown around his stomach.

“Dusk, that was positively amazing!” she exclaimed.

“Forgive me, Soprano. That was my first time,” he spoke up, effectively killing the mood.

“It’s okay,” she replied, smiling. “It was…sort of my first too.” The mood started coming back slowly.

“Really?” he asked. He couldn’t believe it; seven ponies before him, and she didn’t have relations with any of them?

“Yeah, well…I always wanted to save myself for somepony special.” She sounded nervous.

He kissed her on the top of the head. “Amo te,” he whispered jokingly.

She giggled. “Noster amans manebit aeternaliter.”

“You know how I get when you speak Latin to me.”

Releasing him from the hug, she pulled a few covers over herself and lay down. “You’ll just have to wait until the morning, silly. Even fillies like me need their beauty sleep.”

He looked up at the closed door to the cellar. “Aren’t you scared your father will find out about this?”

“Nah,” she replied, much too confident. “I’m good at sneaking around. He won’t even realize I’m down here.”

Dusk accepted her statement and slid under some covers himself. Soprano was already breathing heavily in her sleep. The gentle rhythm of her breath (even when she was sleeping, she sounded musical) lulled him to sleep.

***

As the clock in The Walking Frog chimed ten times, Dusk walked into the back of the bar. As he threw on his thick overcoat and Pequot’s scarf, a short, stocky stallion walked up and pat him on the back.

“Headin’ out so soon, Dusk?” he jovially asked.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “Can’t do any overtime tonight.”

The owner of the bar laughed, his stomach jiggling. “Alright. See you tomorrow night?”

“Sure,” he agreed, opening the back door. Waiting for him right outside was Soprano, standing in the shower of thick, heavy snowflakes falling elegantly, like something right out of a storybook.

“Ready to go?” she seductively asked.

He smiled broadly. “You’re too good to me, Soprano. You’ve put up with me living in your basement for months, even though I’ve plenty of money to get my own apartment.”

She walked up and put her mouth to his ear. “It’s not like I don’t get anything out of it, you know,” she whispered.

“Hey,” he jokingly yelled. “Save it for the basement.”

As they started walking back to Soprano’s house, she moved in close to warm herself.

“How was your shift?” she asked.

“Oh, you know. Normal.” He pecked her on the cheek. “Boring since you weren’t there. What about you?”

“Great!” she excitedly replied. “I did some numbers, and with all the money I’ve made from playing and all yours from waiting at The Frog, we could move to the capitol together! This might just be the big opportunity I’ve always wanted!”

Dusk couldn’t believe his ears. “Really?” he exclaimed. “That’s amazing! We could have such a great life together!”

“I know!”

“Now that we’re going to start a life together,” he dropped down and knelt before Soprano. “We should make our love official. Will you marry me, Soprano?”

Her eyes suddenly were flooded.

“What do you say?” he asked. “Will you make me the happiest stallion under these stars?”

“Yes!” she yelled. “Of course I will!” She pulled him up and embraced him in a heavy hug. “I want us to be together for the rest of our lives!”

“Now, money’s sort of tight, so I can’t exactly afford rings, so we won’t be able to have a wedding soon,” he admitted. Seeing that Soprano was melancholy, he quickly perked up her head. “But, listen. We’ll make it work somehow. I mean, they’re just rings, you know? We’ll be able to afford them someday.”

Her mood suddenly lightened. “We could be wearing rags on the streets in the middle of winter with not a bit to our name, and as long as we would be together, I’d be happy.”

“Me too,” he replied.

Could anything in my life possibly go wrong?

Chapter VI - Finis Nostri Amantis

Chapter contains mild sexual themes

Even though cold, icy winds whipped around Dusk, he couldn’t feel a thing as he locked lips with his new fiancé. Warm tears of joy rolled down Soprano’s face as she affectionately kissed her to-be husband.

“Let’s go home,” Dusk said, pulling away from Soprano’s face. “I’ve got an idea of how we can celebrate.”

She stroked his mane delicately. “I’ve got a better idea. We do it in my room tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

She smiled erotically at him. “Of course. What fun is it without a little risqué behavior?”

***

Dusk followed Soprano into her room, realizing he had never been in it. It was messy, really. Papers with everything on them from music to poems to unidentifiable scrawls covered the wooden floor. A desk facing the wall was strewn with quills and discarded bottles of perfume. An old bookcase hosted many books carelessly thrown onto its shelves, in no particular order. The only organized part of the room was the musical instruments propped up against the wall in the corner.

“Wow. Messy,” he jokingly remarked.

“Yeah,” she giggled. “I call it ‘Organized Tartarus’. A place for everything and nothing in its place. I’m the only one who can ever find anything in here. All I need is my instruments and I’m happy.”

Dusk walked up and put his front hoof on Soprano’s upper chest. Her heart was beating softly, muffled by the layers of clothes. “You sure there isn’t anything else you can think of that makes you happy?”

She backed up slowly into Dusk’s chest and sat down. “Well…there might be something else that can please me.”

That’s all he needed to hear. Using his magic, Dusk ripped off Soprano’s multiple layers. Goosebumps appeared all over her body and fluffed her coat. Her horn sparkled, and Dusk felt his clothes peel off layer by layer. Now, they were both shivering in each other’s forelegs in the cold winter air.

Soprano ripped herself out of the hug and jumped onto her bed. “M-mind moving somewhere w-warm?”

She was right. No sense in making love on the cold floor. “S-sure.”

As he slipped under the covers, the warmth relaxed his muscles tense from the cold.

“Dusk?” Soprano asked seriously.

“Yes?” he asked, not relenting with kissing her neck.

She pushed him away. “What are we going to do for the future?”

He stopped trying to seduce Soprano. Instead, he sat up against the wall that the bed backed up to. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, what if everything doesn’t work out? We’re basing our whole future on the idea that they accept me for the Royal Orchestra. If I don’t get in, what will we do? The capitol isn’t exactly a cheap place to live. At least not in the parts I’d feel safe living in, anyways. This easily could turn out as a very bad move.”

He pulled Soprano in close and hugged her. “We’ll make something work out. We’ll have each other.”

“That’s the other thing. How will we break this to my parents? He’s pretty protective of me. I know that he wouldn’t approve of us getting married and eloping. I mean, he hit the roof when I was a little filly and he found out I kissed a colt in school. Can you imagine it now? ‘So, daddy, I’ve given my body to this stallion multiple times over the last few months while he’s slept in our cellar. Now, we’re running away to the capitol so we either end up living my dream or living on the streets.’”

Dusk shut her up by kissing her. “I promise you, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. I believe you said something about celebrating?”

***

Loud banging from the door knocked Dusk out of his sleep.

“Soprano!” Carolus was demanding from behind the door. “Get up! It’s late, and I’m not going to ask again!”

Dusk could feel his heart nearly stop. “Soprano!” he whispered, jabbing her in the ribcage. “Your father!”

She instantly snapped out of sleep. “Shit!” she quietly exclaimed. “I’m sorry for this,” she said, turning to Dusk and shoving him out of bed. He landed flat on his flank. And not a moment too soon. The door opened almost instantly after, and he could only guess that her father had walked in.

“M-morning, daddy,” she shivered.

Even though he couldn’t see him, Dusk could tell that he was glaring at his daughter.

“Why aren’t you wearing anything?” he asked, suspecting something.

“Oh, well, I was warm last night.”

“I see…” He clearly wasn’t buying any of it. “Is that why you’re shivering?”

As she realized he could see right through her lies, she pulled some covers over her body. “It was much warmer under the sheets.” Now that she started to believe herself, maybe he could be convinced easier.

Dusk could hear him starting to walk around to the foot of the bed. “Whose robes are these?” he asked.

Uh oh.

“They’re mine,” she replied. Her voice was much more calm now.

“Really?” he asked in disbelief. “Since when do you wear robes made for a stallion?”

Carolus had his daughter cornered. And he knew it. Dusk knew it. Even Soprano knew it.

“Also, what was the thump I heard before I came in? It sounded almost as if…" his voice trailed off, and Dusk could tell he was turning his head toward the opposite side of the bed. "...Somepony fell out of the bed...”

Dusk heard hooves coming around the bed to where he was lying on the floor. He backed up against the wall in fright. It was fruitless, however; Carolus came around the corner and saw Dusk, naked and pushed up against the wall.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” he roared.

“Please, sir, I-“

A hoof smacking across his face cut off his stumbling for ideas. Blood started trickling out of his nose. “Okay, I might have deserved that one,” he admitted.

Carolus grabbed Dusk’s ear with his magic and threw him into the hallway violently. “I found your crap downstairs. Go and put something on.”

The door slammed shut, and shouting started coming from the other side of the door. Hanging his head in shame, he walked downstairs to his normal bed. His saddlebags were open, and he grabbed some clothes that were spilling out.

Levitating his bags onto his back depressed him even further, but he knew it was what was required. He walked as stealthily as he could to the top of the stairs and opened the door quietly.

“Dusk?” he heard a soft, female voice calling from the living room. Soprano’s mother was sitting at the table, alone. There were two empty chairs on her side of the table, sitting across from a solitary, unoccupied chair.

He walked to the table and slid into the lone chair, figuring it was for him.

Soprano’s mother looked up and faintly smiled at him.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “For multiple things. First off, I don’t believe we’ve ever really been formally introduced. My name is Sopranino.”

“And you obviously know who I am,” he muttered angrily. “So, I assume you already know why I was just thrown angrily out of your daughter’s room?”

Her only response was a tiny nod. “That’s the thing. I don’t condone of what you two have been doing, but I can understand it. You two love each other, and well…What you two do in private should only exist between you and my daughter.”

Dusk smiled weakly. How did a mare like this ever get married to somepony so opposite of her?

Soprano’s door slammed shut, and Carolus appeared out of it, fury painted over his face. He sat down in the center chair, next to Sopranino. Nopony said a word for minutes, and when Soprano walked out fully clothed, her face was streaked with tears.

Soprano sat in the only remaining chair on the right. Fixating her eyes on the floor seemed to be the only thing she wanted to do.

Carolus glared across the table at Dusk, his fiery gaze seeming to study Dusk’s soul itself. “What on earth were you doing with my daughter?” he demanded.

Dusk glared back. “Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

This only angered Carolus more. “I don't ever want to see you again.”

Dusk shoved his chair back and stood up in anger. “Good. I don’t want to stay here anyways.”

“No!” Soprano yelled as Dusk stormed out of the house and into the snowy street. He could hear her outcry, but ignored it.

A few feet into the road, a pony grabbed him. Now he decided to stop. Turning around, he could see it was Soprano. Pequot’s scarf was thrown around her neck.

“Dusk, don’t leave!” she begged. “We can still make something work! It’s not over!”

She was cut off by Dusk putting his hoof up. “No, we can’t. You saw what happened back there; I’ve stirred up a pretty substantial amount of anger in your father. If I stay, I know what will happen. I’d drive your family apart. Trust me, it’s better for everypony if I leave.”

“NO!” she screamed. “IT’S NOT! YOU’RE STAYING RIGHT HERE!”

“Soprano, I’ve made up my mind!” Seeing as Soprano started to bawl, he pulled her close into a hug. “Listen, I’m sorry. I want to do this about as much as you do, but I need to. You’ve been the best mare a stallion could ask for. This last year and a half has had some of the best times I will ever experience. I don’t know if I’ll ever find another mare I love as much as you.”

She took Pequot’s scarf and put it around Dusk’s neck. “I-if that is w-what you think y-you need to d-do, o-o-okay.” She was practically choking on her tears. She put her hooves behind her neck and unchained the necklace she always wore, with the charm of the Alto Clef on it. “Take it.”

Dusk just stared at the necklace. Her prized possession, and she was just giving it to the stallion who just broke her heart and was leaving forever?

“Soprano, I can’t. This is yours.”

Tears were flung off her face as she shook her head. “Not any more. If you’re leaving forever, I want you to have something to remember me by.”

She put the necklace into his saddlebag and hugged him. “Will I ever see you again?”

Now, even Dusk had started crying. “One day, my love. I will see you again.”

“I hope so.” Soprano turned around and started walking slowly to her house.

Dusk sighed and started walking away. “Okay,” he started to ask himself, “What should I do know. Let’s see…Cutie Mark is learning. I could always join a monastery, actually do something productive with my life.”

Dusk remembered back to the wine on first night he met Soprano.

‘It’s from the Northwoods Monastery. They're incredibly exclusive, and they certainly make good wine.’

“Northwoods Monastery. My new life.”

Chapter VII - Dawn

If you have not read the story Dawn, go read it now. You will be lost

Dusk sat in silence as an old, silver-haired stallion looked through the pages of the test he had just taken. After many minutes of the only sounds being the rustling of papers, the stallion set down Dusk’s test.

“Well?” Dusk asked nervously. “How’d I do?”

“Well, I will admit,” he said in a formal manner, putting his hooves together on his desk. “You scored quite well. Astounding, really. Where were you studying before you came here?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” he admitted. “I’ve never studied anywhere before.”

The stallion chuckled. “Sure. The Northwood Monastery is one of the most prestigious and exclusive in the entire Unicorn Kingdom. You mean to tell me that you’ve never studied anywhere before, and you passed the entrance exam with flying colors?”

“Yeah, well, I read a lot. I just guess I retain knowledge really well.”

The stallion smiled faintly. “Well, whatever you did to become smart, it’s worked.” He extended a hoof over the desk to Dusk. “Welcome to the monastery.”

Dusk shook the leader’s hoof in response. “Thank you so much, sir.”

“Always an honor to let in such a talented young stallion.” He pulled out a small key and a note. “This is the key to your room, number 190. Some white, inductee-level robes will be there. If they do not fit, come and see me and I can get that sorted out. In the letter is a list of some rules and things to know about the monastery, along with your mentor.”

“Mentor?” he asked, taking the key and note.

“Yes. When being inducted into the monastery, each new recruit gets a full-fledged member to help guide them through their studies to help them succeed.”

“Okay. Thank you,” he said, walking out of the office and into the halls.

Ponies of nearly every age and color were walking through the halls. He saw robes of white, brown, and blue on their bodies. They were carrying saddlebags full of books, quills, ink, scrolls, and scurrying about, everypony going to their own locations. Realizing the triple digit rooms were on the second floor, he found the stairs and walked up. The upper floor hallways were much less crowded than the lower ones.

After looking at all the doors, he finally found it. Room 190. He unlocked the door and walked in.

Room 190 was small and plain. A well-made bed sat right to the left of the doorway, its side resting into the wall. Cut into the back wall was a window, with pale teal curtains rested on the ends of the window. A small desk was situated in the corner, next to the window. It wasn’t much, but it looked like it was going to be perfect for everything he would need.

Now, he focused on the nicely folded robes sitting on top of the bed. A few stacks of clean, pure white robes were there. Taking off his own clothes, he tried them on. They were a little big, but they would work. Now for the letter. The first page or so was just lots of legal talk; rules, regulations, expectations, the normal junk. The last part was about the entrance process.

Entrance into the Northwoods Monastery is broken down into a few distinct processes:

Step 1 – Study of Ponykind: Subjects studied will include history, language, and philosophy.

Step 2 – Study of Sciences: Sciences studied will include anatomy, mathematics, engineering, and general sciences.

Step 3 – Silence of Contemplation: Recruits will be expected to choose one specific topic to independently study and contemplate on. No speaking is permitted during this time period to allow the mind to work efficiently without any distractions.

Each step will last thirty days. Post steps 1 and 2, an examination will be given to test the knowledge learned over the past month. Projects finished after step 3 will be graded by the monastic leader or a high-ranking senior member. Only when all three steps have been finished will a pony be inducted into the monastery as a full member.

Dusk, your mentor for the induction process will be Dawn. She lives in room 109. Your first meeting shall be tomorrow, December Eighth at seven P.M.

Dusk chuckled. His mentor’s name was Dawn? Dawn and Dusk…it seemed almost as it the leader was trying to set them up. But his mentor was probably much older; he was at the average age for an inductee, and anypony mentoring him must be much older.

As Dusk put the letter down, he could feel his eyelids grow heavy almost instantly. He just realized that he had been up since “I-Haven’t-Gotten-Up-This-Early-Since-I-Lived-With-Earth-Ponies” o’clock, and had spent most of the day taking a test.

Dusk slipped into the bed. It wasn’t overly comfortable, but the covers were warm, and the mattress soft enough to sleep in, at least. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, darkness enveloped him.

***

The library of the monastery was larger than Dusk could ever have imagined. Just imagining just how much knowledge was contained within the walls gave him a headache. At least a hundred towering shelves held books and scrolls on every subject from fiction to trigonometry and everything between. He grabbed a book on Earth Pony society to compare notes and sat down at an empty table facing the door so he could see when Dawn walked in.

There was a bang at the door, which probably meant somepony wasn’t looking where they were going. It opened, and a mare walked in, probably the same one who hit the door.

Dusk’s eyes widened as she walked in. She had a pale yellow coat that was pleasing to look at, with a mass of somewhat messy blue-green hair on her head. The robes covering her thin body were brown, which meant she was just a normal member of the monastery. She obviously was the one who ran into the door, as she was holding her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut. After looking around for a few seconds, she walked over and sat across from him, on the other end of the small table.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

The mare began to pant heavily, almost as though she sprinted all the way to the library. “I’m fine,” she said.

He studied her with a judgmental eye. Was he supposed to know her? “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, pushing some hair out of her eyes, “I’m Dawn, and you’re who I’m mentoring, no?”

“Yes,” he said confusedly, “I was just expecting somepony more…”

“Somepony more…?”

“Well, somepony older.”

“Older?” she asked. “What do you mean?”

Dusk’s first impressions of her began to change. She really didn’t have a clue, did she?

“Well, you’re my age, right?” He couldn’t believe she had never noticed her age compared to everypony else. “Well, most of the ponies that join monasteries begin at our age. It’s just so surreal that you’re already to the point where you’re to the point of mentoring when normally, you’d just be joining.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yeah. How come you joined so early?”

She bit her lip. “I’d rather not say.”

“Oh, I see.” A secretive pony...Maybe she was worth it. “Well anyways, my name’s Dusk. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Dawn.”

“Nice to meet you, Dusk. As you already know, I’m Dawn.” Dawn smiled. “Well, let’s get to work now!”

Dusk smiled. Maybe working with this pony wouldn’t be that bad. “Let’s.”

***

It looked almost as though Dawn spilled her whole bottle of red ink of Dusk’s essay Reasons for pony enslavement in the pre-modern era. She probably wrote more on the paper than Dusk had!

“Don’t worry,” Dawn spoke up as she saw Dusk grimacing at his essay. “The content’s still very good. They aren’t as tough on the silence essay, but it’s still pretty tough. Besides, if I grade you to a higher point of perfection, you’ll be super-duper perfect!”

Her enthusiasm was warming during the abnormally long winter they were having. And, sure enough, he looked at the end, where she wrote Nice job, Dusk! Looking very good! ☺ after the last paragraph. Dusk had decided that either this mare was trying to drop hints about her feelings for him, or she was just an outstandingly nice pony.

Time to find out which.

“Say, Dawn?” he asked, practically epileptic with adrenaline.

“Yes?” she asked innocently.

“We’ve known each other what now, a month? Two?”

“Two months and twelve days,” she corrected. It definitely was Dusk’s former assessment of her.

“Well, over these months, I’d say we’ve become pretty close friends, would you not?”

“Yes, I guess I would.” She looked at him worriedly. “Why?”

Dusk breathed a shaky sigh and inhaled deeply. It was now or never. “Dawn, I don’t know the best way to say this, so I’m going to be quite frank with it. I love you.”

Color immediately rushed to Dawn’s face as she heard this. Her eyes started to encompass most of her face.

“What do you say, Dawn? Do you love me back?”

Dawn’s ears flopped down to the side of her head as she rubbed her neck in nervousness. “Well, I…Sort of…”

This was his ticket. Now just to go with it.

“Sort of?” he asked in a defeated tone. “What do you mean ‘sort of’?”

He could see Dawn was starting to become uncomfortable. “Well, I’ve never really been in love before, and, gosh, this is all just so new, and I just…I…”

Before she could finish her thought, she levitated her materials into her bag and threw them hastily on her back. “I have to go,” she said in a hurried tone.

“What?” Dusk asked. “Why?”

Too late. Dawn was already out of earshot, shoving ponies out of the way as she sprinted to the door, slamming into it. That pony really needs to watch where she’s going. was the only thing that could cross his mind.

Instead of critiquing her door observation skills, Dusk simply sighed and put his own materials into his saddlebags.

“Tonight,” he whispered to himself. “I’ll give her the day to collect her thoughts, then talk to her tonight.”

Looking at the door, he shook his head. “I just hope I didn’t screw this one up.”

***

“Dawn?” Dusk asked meekly, knocking on door 109. “Are you there?”

The door slowly swung open by magic, but nopony stood in the doorway. Instead, Dawn stared longingly out the window. She was levitating a mostly-empty bottle of wine while sobbing lightly.

“Dawn? Are you okay?”

The only reply he got was the bottle being levitated toward him. He took a mouthful of the wine, figuring it was meant for him.

“Dawn,” he pleaded, walking next to her at the window, “Just please, say something. I’m…kind of worried about you. Are you okay?”

She whipped her head a few times to get some stray hair out of her face. Obviously, she was the reason the bottle was mostly empty. “I don’t know…” she drunkenly replied. “I guess I just, well, I reeeally liked you and didn’t *hic* know what to say.” She started smiling foolishly and rubbing against him, digging her horn into his neck.

“Okay, Little Miss Drunkie,” he joked, pushing her away. “I can tell this is your first relationship, is it not?”

Dawn’s face became flushed, mixing with her lack of sobriety. “Oh. It sort of is, I guess. Is…is it your first, too?”

He thought this over a minute. “Yes,” he lied, using some of Soprano’s talents.

The end of his sentence was met with a sloppily performed kiss from Dawn. Dusk had to admit; even though she was drunk and inexperienced, he felt himself falling in love with her through the kiss.

***

Dusk banged on Dawn’s door excitedly. “Dawn!” he yelled. “Dawn!”

He heard groaning behind the door. Maybe telling her at 5 in the morning wasn’t the best move, but this news was too good to pass up.

“Dusk,” she moaned, “The bloody sun isn’t even up yet. What could be so important now?” It was obvious that she had just woken up; she was still wearing her nightgown and rubbing her eyes, which were hardly opened from sleep.

He shoved a small packet of papers into her face. “I did it! I’m now officially into the monastery!”

Dawn suddenly perked up. Her ears became vertical in excitement. “Really? That’s amazing!”

Dusk jumped at Dawn, knocking her down to the ground, and kissing her on the mouth. The sudden jump startled her, causing the papers to fly all around the room majestically.

“What was that for?” she asked, smiling.

Dusk got off of her and sat down, laughing. “I don’t know. Guess I’m just pretty excited.”

She sat up and scotched closer to him. “I’ve got some more good news, too. I’m going to be promoted to a senior member soon!”

“Wow!” he exclaimed. It was funny, really; now his girlfriend outranked him.

“So, Dawn?” he asked, putting his foreleg around her shoulder.

“Hm?” she asked, cuddling closer.

“That story you told me about your life you came here, with the Changelings and all? Is that true?”

She nodded, the pain obviously still fresh in her mind.

“Well, I’ve started wondering. Have you…ever gone back to where you grew up? Gone back to try and mend broken bonds?”

She shook her head gently, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I can’t.”

“You can’t? What do you mean ‘you can’t’?”

“Well, I’m sort of one of the most notorious criminals they’ve ever seen.”

That certainly was a lot of words to say “I’m not welcome”.

“Why do you ask?” she asked confusedly.

“Oh. Well, no reason,” he lied.

***

“Okay,” Dusk said to stop Dawn from kissing him. “I probably should be going now. If I wait any longer, I’ll have to end up sleeping on the side of the road.”

“Don’t go!” she cutely begged. “Stay just a little while longer!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, smiling, “But I’ve got to go. Besides,” his whispered, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Come on, just a little while longer?” she pleaded.

“Hey, if I want this report to be stunning enough to get me a senior position, I need to do some first-hoof research.”

“What’s all this fascination with the relations between Unicorns and Earth Ponies?” she asked, smiling.

“No reason,” he lied again. “It’s just that if Equestria wants to exist with all three kinds of ponies, we need to make sure everypony will cooperate. Somepony’s got to find a way to make us work together.”

She kissed him on the forehead. “Okay. I’ll be waiting here for you to return. Write when you get to the Earth Ponies, okay?”

“Okay,” he promised, standing up. “And you’ll put up with me when I get back and want to talk all about my travels?”

“I promise,” she said through a laugh. “You have the map of Equestria?”

“Shoot!” he exclaimed. “Where’d I put it?”

His question was met with a folded up piece of paper flying into his face. “I take it you had it, then?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes mischievously and poked her front hoof into the ground. “Maybe.”

“Okay,” he replied, putting the map into his saddlebags.

Dawn followed him, and they walked to the small, dirt path leading to the village the monastery was built outside of. “I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I promise I’ll come back soon,” he assured her. He started walking down the path, admiring the tiny grapevines overgrowing the sides of the road, bright green in the spring sunlight. As pretty as the vines were, Dusk’s mind was somewhere else while he pulled out the map of Equestria.

The map was large, covering the territory of all three former pony tribes. A circle in the corner of the map was accompanied with the words “Somewhere here”. He pulled out a quill and circled a town in the former lands of the Unicorn Tribe.

***

Dusk inhaled a deep sigh of courage as he walked into the small village. It was just as he remembered it. Even though it hadn’t been that long in reality, he felt as if it had been many lifetimes.

He found the house he was looking for. It remained completely unchanged. Mustering up some courage, he walked up to the door and knocked on it.

Oh, no, his mind raced. This was a terrible move. I should just turn around and go. I just need to-

The door swung open quietly, and a mare stood in the doorway.

“Dusk?” she asked.

“Oh…Hi, Soprano.” I should absolutely not have done this.

Soprano smiled and walked out, silently shutting the door behind her. “Gosh, it has to have been a few years since I’ve last seen you. What brings you back?”

Dusk rubbed his neck in nervousness. “Oh, well, I was just on a journey, and well, this was on the way, so…”

She cut him off with a hoof to the mouth. “You’re so cute when you’re nervous. If you’re here to seek my forgiveness, you have it.”

Dusk just stood there, wondering if he heard her right. “You…forgive me? After all I did? I broke your heart and just left you. You gave me your necklace to remember you, and in all honesty, I was hoping you’d forget me. I never deserved somepony like you.”

“Two things,” she said, smiling. “First, I always told myself that I didn’t deserve you. You’re smart, handsome, funny, and charming.”

Dusk blushed. “No, I didn’t deserve you. You’re talented, nice, and pretty. I was just a deadbeat stallion running from nopony but himself.”

She giggled. “Also, the second thing. I couldn’t just forget you so easily.”

“Yeah,” he laughed, “I know. It was sort of a silly dream.”

“Nothing is a silly dream, you said it yourself,” she joked. “Besides, that's the second thing. You did leave me something to remember you by.”

“Oh, what?” he laughed. “The clothes you threw off me the night before I left?”

“No, silly. Your son.”

Chapter VIII - The Father, The Son, and the Stellar Ghost

Dusk just stood in front of Soprano’s house, face frozen in complete shock. His…son? Did he hear her right?

“Are…are you serious?" he shakily asked, "M-my son?"

Soprano just smiled and nodded her head.

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, my gosh. I’m…I’m so sorry, Soprano, I didn’t-“

She put her hoof to his mouth to silence him. “Would you like to see him?”

“I’m sorry, I should probably go now…” He started backing up, but Soprano grabbed his hoof and stopped him.

“I insist,” she sternly said, pulling him to the door. “Now, you’ll have to be quiet. He’s napping.”

She quietly opened the door, and they walked in. The interior was just as he had remembered it. They walked to the door of the room that had been her parent’s, which he could only assume was a nursery now. Soprano opened the door to the dark room. It was decorated with playful, childish images painted onto the wall with thick curtains covering the window, giving peace to the small colt sleeping tranquilly in the small bed.

“Dusk, meet your son, Dusk.” It was obvious that the colt was the child of Dusk and Soprano; his coat was a soft blue, lighter than Dusk’s, with a dull red mane he got from his mother.

“Is he…really mine?” Dusk asked, hoping there had been some mistake.

“Of course,” she said. “Every day, he gets more and more like you. Just the other day, he professed his ‘forever love’ to a little filly. So cute!”

Dusk smiled and laughed quietly. He had to admit, that certainly sounded like him. “Should we go into the living room? We might wake him up.”

She giggled as they walked out of the room and closed the door silently. “It’s probably fine, he sleeps like a log. Guess where he got that from?”

"It must be from your side of the family," he joked. "Still think we should go."

They walked into the living room and sat next to each other at the table.

“So, Dusk,” Soprano said to break the awkward silence, “I can tell by your robes you’ve become a scholar. How’s that going?”

“Very nice, actually. I’m going on a journey to the Earth Ponies to study their way of life. I even have a filly I’m sweet on back at the monastery.”

“A filly!” she excitedly whispered. “Tell me about her.”

“I’d rather not. I mean, talking about the new filly I love to the pony was engaged to? Just seems strange.”

“Come on!” she said. “Tell me about her.”

“Well,” he said, rubbing his neck. “She’s also in the same monastery. I met her because she mentored me when I was trying to get in. She’s sweet and pretty, and even smarter than me. But enough about my new life, what have you been doing recently?”

She sighed and stared at the table. “Not much. I haven’t been played for money since you left. Been preoccupied with taking care of Dusk.”

“So tell me, how did your parents take it when they found out you were pregnant with my foal?”

“Well, my mother was understanding of the situation. I guess she just liked the idea of being a grandmother.”

“What about your father?” he joked. “He really hit the roof when he found us, so how did he react to that?”

“It’s an interesting story, really. After you left, I didn’t talk to anypony for months. I was just that depressed. He was the first pony I told after I found out. He looked me in the eye and said ‘Soprano, as much as I don’t want to admit it, that foal is my grandfoal. And you are my daughter. If I were to abandon you now, I would be a very lousy father.’”

“I guess that’s sentimental for him,” Dusk chuckled. “So, since you don’t have a job now, what are you doing for money? Do your parents still live here?”

She shook her head. “No, they moved out so I could have the house. They live with my uncle, about an hour’s walk into the country. We go to visit them sometimes.”

“So…Does this mean you have a special somepony that supports you two?” She smiled and nodded. “So, tell me about him! What’s he do?”

She smiled and twirled her mane. “Her.”

“What?” he nearly yelled.

“Her. I don’t know how, but…I became interested in mares.”

“Ohmygosh! You’re a…” he darted his head around, making sure nopony else could hear, “…a fillyfooler?”

She laughed silently at some sort of inside joke. “No, I was just pulling your leg. His name’s Fabrice and he makes horseshoes. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but it’s enough for us to survive on. I met him when I was later in my pregnancy, and he was very helpful and understanding. I guess one day, we just decided to get married.”

“Mommy?” came a small voice from the hallway. It was the younger Dusk, wearing a young foal’s nightrobe and dragging a small, stuffed dog behind him.

“Yes, sweetie?” she asked, standing up and walking to him.

“I’m scared.”

“Aww, it’s okay,” she said, dropping down to his height and hugging him. “Do you want me to tuck you in again?”

He slowly nodded, and Soprano levitated him onto her back. “Who’s that?” he asked, pointing at the older Dusk sitting at the table and smiling at the scene.

“He’s just an old friend of mommy’s,” she lied, smiling.

As Soprano and her son walked into the nursery, Dusk immediately ran out, nearly knocking his chair down in the process. He breathed a deep sigh of both relief and exhaustion as he got into the market, away from Soprano’s house. All he wanted was to get away. Some goods caught his eye from a small market stand; he wasn’t paying attention to what they were, the only thing he wanted was to push those memories out of his mind. Chills ran throughout his whole body when he thought back to his son.

A pony with a bright red coat walked next to him and started looking at the cart of wares. “It can be hard, I know. But you must not forget your past. It is a part of who you are.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning to the pony, “Do I know you?”

“That’s the question,” she asked. “Do you?”

“Okay,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Can you just speak normally?”

The pony just smiled and rubbed Dusk’s mane. “Come on, you’re a smart pony. Who am I?” she asked excitedly.

“You’re…” his eyes shot wide open, “Massasoit.”

“Close. I don’t even exist.”

“So,” he laughed, “Does this mean I’ve finally gone bonkers?”

“If that’s how you want to see it, sure,” she joked. “But ask yourself. Why am I here now?”

“Well,” he turned around and stared at the sky, lost in his mind, “I think I know why. Is it-“

“Buddy?” a voice cut him off mid-thought. When he turned around, Massasoit was gone, and a stallion was standing in her place. “You okay? There ain’t nopony else here, who you talking to?”

“Oh,” he blushed. “Nopony. I was just thinking out loud.”

“Whatever,” the stallion replied skeptically, rolling his eyes. “That pony needs a checkup from the neck-up,” he grumbled while he walked away.

Reality flushed back to Dusk, prompting him to sprint back throughout the village. When he reached Soprano’s house, he banged on the door hastily.

“Come on,” he begged the door, “Please open up.”

Sure enough, it swung open, and Soprano was standing in the doorway. “Dusk?” she asked. “Where did you go?”

“I’m sorry,” he gushed, “I tried to exit your life again. I saw your…our son and I just felt terrible for everything I did to you. You had such a great life, and I ruined it by impregnating you and leaving you on your own. You might forgive me for that, but I can’t.”

“Well,” her voice drooped and became somber, “I’m sorry, but if you want to come back into my life, you can’t. Even if it might not be the life I dreamed of when we were seeing each other, times have changed. I love where I am now! I have a beautiful son and a nice, loving husband. I just…” she was starting to cry, “I can’t take you back. Things have changed.”

“That’s not it,” he replied, now starting to cry a little himself. He pulled her in close and whispered into her ear for a minute.

“That’s so sweet, Dusk!” she exclaimed when he was done speaking.

“I know,” he said, blushing. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Well,” he craned his neck to look over her shoulder, into the dark house. “Don’t tell Dusk about his real father.”

“What?” she half-yelled, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he nervously wiped some stray hairs out of his face, “I didn’t exactly have a father growing up. And let me tell you, it can be pretty hard at times. Dusk has a father, and even if it’s not his real one, it’s a father nonetheless. I feel awful for ruining your life, there’s no need to tell him about the scumbag that got his mother pregnant and just left her in her greatest hour of dependency and vulnerability.”

“Dusk!” she demanded, “Stop beating yourself up over this! I told you, it’s fine! You didn’t know I was pregnant when you left, not even I did! It’s completely understandable why you did what you did. You were one of the best stallions a mare could ever ask for, don’t act like you’re some horrible pony because you made one mistake!”

“I can see where this is going,” he said, breathing a melancholy sigh. “I’m glad you still think highly of me, but I’m just afraid I can’t forgive myself for my actions.”

Soprano looked depressed as she turned her head to the ground. “Well, I don’t know what you want to do. I mean, I have a family now, and you’ve got a filly of your own. It appears as though we’ve both moved on.”

“Well, I…” Dusk could feel his heart moving its way down his body. “I guess this is goodbye?”

She sighed in response. “I guess it is. Just, promise me one thing. Never let that other mare go.”

“Really?” he laughed. “Of all the things you could say, you give me advice in love?”

She started to realize how silly her request sounded. “I just know that our lives aren’t exactly how we envisioned them a few years ago. I’d say that they’re both good lives, but we both managed to get lucky. If this happens again, one of you might not come out okay. I’m just concerned for you and her.”

“Okay,” he replied smiling. “I guess we’ll have to meet each other some time in the future?”

“I’d like that,” she replied, smiling faintly and walking back into the house. As the door closed, Dusk walked away, his spirits considerably higher than when he came.

Chapter IX - Return Home

Sweet country air smells combined with the sounds of nothing, giving an air of peace and tranquility in the tiny Earth Pony village. Warmth filled Dusk's body; it was the feeling of home.

Dusk admired the village, realizing for the first time in his life how peaceful and picturesque it was. Huge fields of rolling grass and crops danced eloquently in the warm, smooth breezes. Earth Ponies walked around at a lethargic pace; nopony was in any rush to go anywhere. Many of them slowed down even more to stop and stare at Dusk. Even though the pony tribes were supposed to be integrated, apparently word hadn’t reached the village; Dusk still remained the only non-Earth Pony to be seen.

Even though he had lived here for years, Dusk had to rack his brain for directions around. After thinking he knew where to go, he started walking along the dry, uneven dirt road to rows of houses. All the houses remained there, just as Dusk remembered it. They had been completely untouched by time, almost as if the village forgot to age.

He walked to one of the small, wooden houses resting alongside the main road and smiled. Home. As he knocked on the front door, his spirits lifted. Everypony would be behind there! Oryza, Frumentum, and his parents, Comaros and Vincillia. The door opened, and a pony with long, straight, golden hair stood in the doorway.

“Frumentum?” Dusk asked, holding back tears of joy.

“Dusk?” he asked back, feebly smiling. It looked almost as if he had forgotten how to be happy.

Dusk nodded his head, only to be met by a huge hug from his brother. His coat smelled of grass and fresh soil; the smell of farms. “Come on, Dusk. Come on inside.”

Just like the outside of the village, the interior of the house was virtually the same. Outside of the couches appearing even saggier than before and the whole place being generally cleaner, it was exactly the same. The sofas even seemed to be at the exact same angle facing the living room. Frumentum lead him to the kitchen table, where they ecstatically sat, eager to catch up after years of being apart.

“So,” Dusk said to start the conversation, “How’re you doing? It’s been so long!”

“I’ve been better,” he replied, staring intently at the wooden table. “Times haven’t been so great recently. And you?”

“I guess I could say I’m doing pretty well. I have a nice filly back in the monastery I live in. You have a special somepony, Frumentum?”

He sighed and shook his head. “No, I can’t say that I do.”

Dusk surveyed the abnormally empty room. Something seemed...missing. “Say, where is everypony? Are they out?”

“I guess you could say that,” he said in a depressed manner. “Mom and dad are both gone. Mom got deathly sick a few years ago, and dad got mutilated in an accident about half a year ago.” His voice seemed hollow, somehow not incredibly sad at this news.

“Oh. Well, what about Oryza? Has she met anypony yet?”

Now Frumentum’s eyes began to glass over with tears. “She’s the sad story.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Frumentum clenched his eyes shut, squeezing more tears out. “She’s…gone, too.”

Dusk started to feel sick as tears flooded his eyes. “How did she die?”

“I don’t even know if she’s dead.”

“Huh?” What did he mean that she might not be dead? How could she be gone, then?

“Well, it all happened a year or two after you left. Right after she got her Cutie Mark, she decided she wanted to go on an adventure. She set out on her odyssey, and actually got pretty far. Even got together with a group of ponies who traveled around, living on the roads, never staying in the same place for too long. They even taught her how to read and write. She came here and taught me so we could keep in touch. One day, she stopped sending us letters. Soon, a pony from her group tracked us down and told us what happened. They were attacked, and he was the only one to get out of it. He said that her body wasn’t at their camp, so there’s at least the chance she’s still alive.”

“Really?”

Frumentum nodded his head to verify Dusk’s question. “Yeah. Honestly though, traveling the world? Where in the world would she get that idea?”

“Yeah,” he said, rubbing his mane in nervousness. “Where might she think of that?”

They just sat in the room for a few minutes, nopony knowing how to break the awkward silence.

“Well,” Dusk stood up slowly, “I probably should be going. I’ve sort of been on the road a while.”

“Dusk?” Frumentum asked.

“Hm?”

“You know where I live, right?” Dusk nodded in response. “Never lose touch with me. We’ll exchange letters, and we’ll have to get together sometime. Since mom and dad are gone and nopony knows where Oryza is, we’re really the only family either of us has left. I don’t want to lose you.”

Both Dusk and Frumentum were fighting back their emotions. “Sure. Come here, brother,” he pulled Frumentum into a hug and whispered into his ear.

Frumentum grinned widely, tears of joy now replacing his ones of sadness. “Really?” he asked in disbelief.

Dusk just responded by smiling and patting his front pocket.

“Wow, Dusk. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Well, you know me. Can you really say you’re surprised?”

Frumentum chuckled lightly. “Not really. I guess I always could see it coming.”

“I guess I should be going,” Dusk said, inching toward the door. “I guess I’ll write to you sometime soon, then?”

Frumentum beamed. “I’d like that.”

Dusk closed the door behind him. He sniffed deeply, the smell of summertime thunderstorms hanging in the cloudy sky. Thoughts began racing through his mind as he walked along the dirt path, heading back to the monastery.

Chapter X - True Love

As Dusk walked up the overgrown dirt road to the monastery, a pony sprinting down to the village slammed into him with a satisfying smack, sending papers flying everywhere.

“Hey!” Dusk yelled, grasping his forehead. “Watch where you’re going, buddy!”

“I’m not your buddy, pal!” the pony yelled, sitting up quickly and glaring at him. It was Dawn.

Immediately, both Dawn and Dusk cracked up, hollering loudly. “Sorry, honey,” she half-laughed and half-apologized.

“It’s okay,” he laughed, scooting toward her and wrapping his foreleg around her shoulder. “You know, maybe you ought to look where you’re going. Running into ponies and doors all the time, I’m beginning to detect a pattern.”

She rubbed against him gently, laughing lightly. “Guess I’m the absent-minded filly. I’d forget my own tail if it weren’t attached to me.”

“It’s okay,” he said, rubbing her back. “Good thing I’m here for you. You have fun while I was gone?”

“Yeah. You haven’t been gone as long as I expected, did you at least manage to get some good research done?”

Yeah, research. Like I need to study Earth Ponies. “Yeah, managed to get some good information, so I came back early. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”

“No,” she said, staring at the sky. “You know how it is. Nothing out of the ordinary happens here. Just a small, calm village where everypony’s content with not causing any trouble.”

Sounds like a couple places I used to know. Still, he couldn’t help but find himself laughing. “Yeah. Still, I guess it’s better than being hectic and chaotic.”

Dawn mmed in agreement, rubbing up against Dusk sensationally. “It’s always so pretty here. I could be content with living here for the rest of my life.”

The small box in his front pocket seemed to be growing steadily heaver and larger. It was begging him to be used. Now must be the time. “Me too. I’d like to spend the rest of my life with pretty things,”

He levitated the little box out of his front pocket and opened it, showing it to Dawn. “And maybe I could spend it with somepony pretty, too. Would you marry me?”

Her eyes pooled with emotion, sparkling and mixing with the light reflected from the small gold ring with a few tiny, polished diamonds build into it.

“Well, I…Don’t know…This is all so fast…” She was struggling even to find words so she could describe her inability to find words.

“Come on, sweetie. Let your heart talk instead of your brain.”

She put her hooves over her heart and smiled widely. “Of course! Of course I’ll be your bride!” she ecstatically yelled, pulling him in close for a kiss wet with both saliva and tears.

During the kiss, Dusk wobbily moved the ring onto Dawn’s pale yellow horn. It fit snugly around the middle, glistening dully in the deep red sunset.

***

“Wow,” Dusk whispered, looking around Dawn’s room, “How many papers must you have here?”

She laughed slightly. “A lot. I just want everything to go absolutely perfectly on our day.”

“Well, okay,” he conceded. “Can I make a silly tradition request?”

“That depends,” she said, rubbing her mane, which was unkempt from days of planning. “If it’s not too taxing, I could have it arranged.”

“Well, there’s been a tradition in my home community for generations where the bride and groom don’t see each other for two weeks prior to the ceremony.” Dawn was staring at him studiously, making Dusk fidget in place. “If it’s not too much to ask, could we do it? I mean, if everything’s planned and all.”

“Well,” Dawn looked around, contemplating his request. “Sure. But on one condition!” She added the last part quickly, before Dusk could start jumping for joy and celebrating like a sore winner.

“Fine,” he jokingly sighed, “What is it?”

“We honor a Changeling tradition at the ceremony!”

“Sure. What is it?”

She grinned deviously. “You’ll just have to find out at the altar.”

“Come on,” he pleaded, “What is it? You can tell me!”

“No,” she playfully negated, “You’ll just have to wait.”

“I know!” He pulled her in close and started kissing her cheek. “I’ll snuggle it out of you!”

Being pushed away, Dusk soon found himself falling backwards onto the floor. “I’m sorry,” Dawn laughed, “You okay?”

“You know, a simple ‘no’ would have sufficed.”

“Sorry, honey,” she apologized, walking to Dusk and extending a hoof down, which he took to get up.

“It’s okay,” he joked, “Mind if I ask what your tradition is now?”

“Sorry, but no. Besides, we’re probably about three weeks from the wedding. If you want to go through with your tradition, we should probably get everything done soon.”

“Okay,” he levitated a stack of papers off Dawn’s floor, “I’ll handle these plans?”

Judging by Dawn’s reaction, he had just made a surprisingly good joke. “Fat chance, mister,” she laughed, grabbing the papers and bringing them toward her. “I love you and all, but you’re a nightmare with planning. We’ll do this together, okay?”

“Fine. I admit defeat.” He dramatically plopped down onto the floor. “Do with me what you will!”

His requests were answered with a stack of papers flying into his goofy grin.

***

Dusk stared at his reflection in the mirror of his dressing room. He could hear the sounds of ponies flowing into the main hall, excited for the day that was about to come. The door opened, and Frumentum walked in, wearing sleek, loose-fitting formal robes.

“Ceremony’s about to start. You ready?” he asked.

Dusk smiled so widely that his smile started encroaching on his eyes. “As I ever will be.”

Frumentum walked next to Dusk and looked at him in the mirror. “You look astounding. She’ll be lucky to have you.”

“Yeah,” Dusk laughed, “More like the other way around.”

“Either way, I’m sure you two will be incredibly happy together.” Frumentum reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, shiny pin in the image of a sheath of grain.

“What’s that?” Dusk asked.

“It’s a pin,” Frumentum responded, pinning it to Dusk’s collar.

“I can see that,” he laughed, “Any reason you’re giving it to me?”

“It was dad’s.” Frumentum was staring at it longingly. “Been in the family for generations. Every stallion’s worn this at his wedding for years. Given how my life’s been going recently, you’ll be the only pony to have an opportunity at wearing it.”

“You sure I should be wearing this? I mean, you know, I wasn’t exactly his son and, well, you are.”

Frumentum chuckled and pat Dusk on the shoulder. “Nonsense. You were as much of a part of the family as anypony else was.”

“You…” his eyes were growing red and wet, “You really think so?”

Frumentum reached out and grabbed Dusk in a slightly crushing hug. “Even more now.”

After a few moments, Frumentum ended his bear hug with Dusk. “Okay,” he said, face warm with tears, “I should be going now. The ceremony’s about to start, if I want a good seat, I’ll have to go get one now. Otherwise, I’ll have to be conking a few heads to be able to see the groom.”

Dusk wiped the last few tears from his eye and smiled. “Okay. So glad you could make it. Brother.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Brother.”

As Frumentum exited Dusk’s room, Dusk turned into the mirror to survey himself. He was dressed in a fine, well-tailored suit that was supposedly considered “nothing too fancy” by most of the ponies in town. If that wasn’t considered fancy, Dusk could only imagine what his normal clothes were. Although they had both been combed and cleaned more times than he could count, both his tail and mane remained slightly messy. Even for the biggest day of his life, they were stubborn and didn’t want to conform.

“Okay!” came a voice from the entrance to his room. “They’re about to start. You ready?”

He looked at himself in the mirror one more time. “Of course.” He followed the pony through the halls of the monastery, which were decorated festively with flowers and lanterns glowing with all colors imaginable, and some Dusk didn’t even know existed. As they reached closer and closer to the entrance, the forest of festivity got thicker and thicker, climaxing to the outside. The pony led Dusk around to the back, where it seemed everypony and their brother (including Dusk’s) had gathered for the occasion. So many ponies had arrived that they had nearly run out of space; ponies were spilling around everywhere.

The pony stopped and pointed down the aisle. “Good luck,” he wished Dusk, then walked into the flood of ponies and quickly became just another head in the crowd. Dusk walked down the aisle to the head of the ceremony. Overlooking the crowd was a stallion wearing a thick, dark brown, woolen robe. Wispy, white hairs encircled his otherwise bald head.

As Dusk took his place on the stallion's left, the musicians started playing a reverberating hymn. Every head in the festivities turned down the aisle to where Dawn was standing.

To say she was radiant was an understatement. Her pale blue mane and tail were modeled expertly, looping, twisting, and going all directions simultaneously to create a maze of hair that would have been a nightmare to explain. Covering her body was a glossy, pure white lace dress embedded with tiny flakes of rhinestones to make her glow. Literally. A translucent silken veil was on top of her head, blowing ever so slightly in the calm breezes.

She walked slowly up the aisle, shining differently with each small step. Her dress was screaming for attention, and it was sure getting it. When she took her spot across Dusk, the stallion musician stopped, giving the stallion his cue to start. He did, but both Dawn and Dusk were preoccupied with each other. They held each other’s front right hoof as the ceremony was starting.

“You look celestial,” Dusk said, his eyes wide from staring at his to-be wife.

“Thank you,” she blushed. “You look stunning as well.”

He smiled and laughed silently. “Nothing in comparison to you, my lovely mare. What’s the tradition you had for me to discover?”

She leaned in close to Dusk’s ear. “We tell each other our biggest fears,” she whispered. “I’m scared to death of centipedes.”

“Really?” he could hardly keep from laughing.

“I know,” she looked away in embarrassment. “It’s a silly fear, but it’s what I fear the most. I used to have my father come in to squish them when I was young, I would just completely freak out. Too many legs, and they move so fast. They’re hardly natural.”

Centipedes. Seemed silly to Dusk, but he could understand it. Even they gave him the willies. “Okay,” Dawn asked, “What’s your biggest fear?”

Only one thing popped into his head. He pulled his head in close to Dawn’s ear and put his mouth by it. “The future,” he whispered.

“Wow,” she laughed, “Much more sentimental and deep than ‘centipedes’.”

“And now,” the stallion spoke to the backs of the crowd, cutting off Dawn and Dusk, “Dusk, do you take Dawn to be your wife, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

The answer was obvious to him. “I do.”

The stallion turned to Dawn. “And Dawn, do you take Dusk to be your husband, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

The moment of truth had come. Dusk’s mind and heart raced, waiting for her to say the same words he had said. But what if she didn’t? What would he do?

“I do,” she echoed. All fears washed out of Dusk as her words touched his ears.

The stallion levitated two small golden rings from a pillow being carried by a young colt and placed them on their horns. “I now pronounce you mare and colt. You may kiss the bride.”

Both Dusk and Dawn moved their faces into their others for a long, invigorating kiss. Ponies in the crowd cheered and stomped their hooves in excitement. When Dusk opened his eyes again, he saw not the filly deep in love he agreed to marry, but instead a mare leading a sophisticated life of passion whom he was married to.

“Come on,” Dawn beamed, “Let’s go, my husband.”

“Okay, my wife,” he said, smiling hugely. “Let’s go.”

The new couple hoof in hoof walked back down the aisle, under a shower of rice. As they passed the first couple rows of ponies, Dusk looked around. Frumentum was standing on the edge of the aisle, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He was nodding quickly, showing approval of Dusk’s life.

After they left the crowds of ponies, the mood quickly calmed down. All the excitement gradually declined until they reached Dawn’s first-floor senior member room. Dawn opened the door, and they walked in. Her room was neat and organized, a small sliver of light poking through the cracks in the curtains.

“So,” Dusk started to move closer to Dawn, “What do you want to do now?”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Dusk. “You know,” her voice was deeper and slower than normal, “That ‘thing’ married ponies do?”

“Argue?” he joked.

“No, silly,” she wrapped her forelegs around his neck, “The other thing ponies who love each other do. The one where I’m not always right.”

“Oh, my. You’ve waited so long for this, and you just won’t take no for an answer, will you?”

She kissed him slowly on the neck. “Of course not. Abstinence makes the heart grow stronger.”

“Catchy wordplay you have there. That how everypony does it in the Changeling villages?”

“Of course,” she giggled, “And in the pony ones, too.”

Whoops. 1 for 2’s not bad, I guess?

“Shut up,” he whispered erotically, moving behind her and stroking her neck, “Do you want this or not?”

“Pushy,” she joked, craning her neck backwards to look at his from below.

Laughing, he kissed Dawn’s upside-down face and started pulling her dress off. The abundance of gems sparkled as it fell on the floor.

Chapter I - The Bog

Dusk inhaled deeply, salty air flowing through his nostrils. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around his room. The bright morning sun shone through the thin, faded blue curtains over his window. Throwing off his covers, he wiped the thin layer of sweat off his body.

"Dusk!" he heard a mare yell from downstairs. "Breakfast!"

He smiled and slid open the white door of weak, weathered wood. He sprinted down the long, narrow hallway to the staircase on the opposite end. Portraits of Dusk, his sister and brother, and their parents hung on the wall of white, flaking paint. After jumping wildly down the stairs, he appeared in the kitchen of the tiny seaside cottage. A mare walked up, levitating a small bowl. She picked up Dusk and put him in a chair, as he was too small to get up himself.

"Morning!" Dusk enthusiastically yelled, pulling her close and kissing her on the cheek.

The mare pat his mane and placed the small bowl of chopped fruit on the table.

"Morning, little brother," she replied, kissing the back of his head.

“Where’s Ken?” he asked.

“He’s working at the bog. He should be back soon.”

“Can we go to the beach today?”

“Sure, but you have to eat your breakfast first.”

Right as Dusk reached his hooves into the bowl, the screen door flew opened and a muddy, dripping stallion walked in.

“Morning, you two!” he yelled.

“Ken!” Dusk yelled, jumping out of his chair and running to hug his filthy brother.

“Hey there, Dusk. How’s it going?”

"Pretty good."

“Kennebec, you are absolutely filthy!” their sister yelled, throwing a towel onto them. “Clean yourself up!”

He levitated Dusk and put him down onto the floor, then started wiping himself off with the towel his sister threw at him.

“Looking better already,” their sister said as Kennebec wiped the water out of his mane.

Her smile was met with a wet towel smacking into her face.

“Hey!” she yelled.

Kennebec chuckled. “Wouldn’t kill you to go work in the bog sometimes, Pequot.”

Pequot flipped her head and caught the towel on her back expertly. “Somepony’s gotta be the lady here.”

“Is this why you always insist on taking a bath after swimming?”

“Hey, saltwater’s bad if you don’t wash it off.” She shook her head disdainfully. “Didn’t you ever listen to mommy or daddy?”

“Whatever.” His voice was indifferent. “Got breakfast ready?”

“In the kitchen.”

“Great, I’m starving.”

“Ken, can we go to the beach today?” Dusk asked.

“Dusk, I told you, after you eat your breakfast.”

“How much?”

“All of it.”

Dusk sighed and looked at his bowl. He didn’t want to eat all his breakfast. Luckily, Kennebec sat down and levitated half the fruit out of Dusk’s bowl and into his own while Pequot wasn’t looking.

Ssh… Kennebec put his hoof up to his mouth and indicated for Dusk to keep quiet about what just happened.

Dusk smiled and started eating.

***

“Pequot, hurry up!” Dusk yelled, pacing the front porch of their house, which overlooked their front lawn.

“I’m coming, you too!” she yelled in response. “Sheesh, give a pony a little time to get ready!”

“How much time could one pony need?” Kennebec asked quietly out of the corner laughed. The two brothers laughed.

“”Maybe the time would go faster if one of you two helped!” she yelled, walking out of the house.

Pequot was nearly overburdened with items. She was wearing a large, floppy hat that sat comically on top of her head. A large umbrella sat on top of three towels on her back.

Laughing at his sister’s expense, Kennebec levitated the umbrella off Pequot’s back and onto his.

“Better?” he asked.

“Somewhat,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Come onnnn!” Dusk pleaded. “Look at all the ponies already at the beach!”

Pequot smiled. “All right, antsy-hooves,” she started walking down the stairs leading to the lawn. “Let’s go.”

Dusk ran down after her, skipping every other step, and landed on the grass. He ran onto the path of flattened dirt that ran all around the village of The Bog. Sprinting a few yards, he looked down at the beach.

It was a small, somewhat circular beach filled with ponies. Younger ponies, playing in the shallow water or lumping sand together to make castles, populated the left half of the beach.

Adolescent ponies, about the ages of Pequot and Kennebec, stood on the right side of the beach, which was covered in rocks. Some were wearing thin robes. The ponies were swimming further in the ocean, skipping or throwing rocks, or talking and laughing, enjoying the time with friends.

The older, adult ponies all sat in the middle of the beach, watching the younger ponies enjoy themselves. Many were talking in small groups/

Dusk ran down through the flattened, spiky beach grass to the beach. After making his way to the soft, hot sand, he tackled a red filly sitting in the shallow, salty water.

“Dusk!” she yelled.

“How’d you know it was me?” he asked.

“Who else tackles me like that?”

“Oh.”

Grabbing his hoof, she dragged him out of the water. “Let’s go to the store and see Murphy!” she yelled.

“Okay,” he whispered, blushing.

As they ran through the grass to the road, they passed Pequot and Kennebec.

“Hey, Massasoit!” Pequot beamed at the young foals. “Where are you two lovebirds going?”

“We’re not in love!” Dusk yelled, his face flooding with color.

His siblings laughed softly.

“Okay,” Kennebec laughed, rubbing Dusk’s mane. “Don’t get in any trouble and don’t go past the bog.”

“Bye!” he yelled back at his siblings as he and Massasoit walked up the road.

She bumped Dusk on the shoulder playfully.

“Not in love?” she asked, smiling.

“Oh, well, that…” his face turned as red as the coat of his crush.

“Do you like me?”

Dusk turned away and rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness. “Well…”

“Yes?”

“A little…” he admitted.

Massasoit grabbed Dusk’s head and spun him around. Pulling him in close, she puckered her lips and gave Dusk a big, long kiss.

Though caught off guard at first, Dusk eventually closed his eyes and kissed her back. They stood in the dry dirt for about half a minute, just kissing.

As they finished kissing, Dusk opened his eyes wide.

My first kiss! He happily thought.

Massasoit took a few steps back and looked at the ground, smiling. She was blushing heavily, although it was hard to tell with her coat color.

“I…” she was at a loss for words. “Really like you…”

Dusk smiled widely. “I…I guess I like you too.”

“Will you be my, you know,” she was struggling with every word. “Boyfriend?”

“Only if you’ll be my girlfriend.”

Massasoit smiled and twisted her mane in nervousness.

Dusk ran off the road and to one of the large, flowery bushes that dotted the island. After biting off one of the pastel flowers, he ran back to Massasoit and gently placed behind her ear.

“A hydrangea?” she asked cutely.

“For you,” Dusk replied.

Smiling, she grabbed Dusk’s hoof.

“Let’s go to the store.”

“Our first date.” He smiled in reply.

The two young lovers ran down the road, hoof in hoof.

***

Snow fell gently over The Bog. Small piles of the cold, white water piled on the sides of the roads where ponies had been shoveling. Inside the small cottage that Dusk shared with his siblings, three ponies were sitting on the floor in the living room, covered in thick, heavy blankets to protect themselves from the cold. A long, skinny box sat in the center of their circle.

Pequot levitated the little package and placed it in front of Dusk.

“Happy birthday, Dusk!” she beamed.

“Come on, open it,” Kennebec said, pointing at the package.

Dusk grabbed the top of the box and yanked it off. His eyes grew wide as he looked what was inside.

“Here,” Pequot walked over and reached inside. “Let me put it on you.”

Closing his eyes, Dusk felt his neck being engulfed by a strip of scratchy wool. As he opened his eyes, he looked down. A finely crafted, brown scarf had been wrapped around his neck.

“Cool!” he yelled, feeling the new scarf.

“Hope you like it,” Pequot said, rubbing his mane. “It took me months to knit that for my special little brother.”

“I helped too,” Kennebec piped up. “Had to pull tons of favors to get everything for it. You don’t know how hard it is to get luxuries out here.”

Admiring his new scarf, Dusk’s eyes sparkled. “Can I go show it to Massasoit?”

Kennebec laughed. “You’ve certainly been seeing a lot of her recently.”

Letting out a light chuckle, Pequot looked at her little brother.

“Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

“No!” he yelled defensively. “I li…”

Dusk quickly stopped himself and blushed. “She’s…My best friend.”

Pequot grinned, knowing exactly what was going on. “Sure. Say hello to her parents for me.”

Dusk ran out of the house and jumped onto the road. The cold, frozen ground made a clack noise as his hooves landed on the dirt road. As he ran up the road, he looked around at the winter scene of The Bog.

Winters in The Bog were drastically different from the summers. Instead of vines and beach grass overgrowing the side of the road closest to the ocean, there was just a small mass of brown, wilting plants surrounding the bay.

“Massi?” he yelled at the cottage further up the road.

A small filly walked out and looked down.

“Duskey!” she screamed with excitement, jumping down onto the road.

She extended her neck and pecked Dusk quickly on the cheek.

“Nice scarf! Where’d you get it?” she asked, rubbing his new present.

“Pequot knit for me,” he replied, admiring his scarf.

“It’s cute,” she replied. “Almost as cute as you.”

Dusk blushed, his face turning so hot the snow around him almost melted.

“Do you want us to get married someday?” Massasoit asked.

“Yeah, and we’ll have lots of kids.”

Massasoit was delighted at this. "Does this mean we're married?"

Dusk smiled. "I guess it does."

“Do you want to go and play on the rocks to celebrate?” she asked.

“Are you sure? Pequot says they’re dangerous when there’s water on them.”

“Oh, come on!” she protested. “We’ll go together and be really safe. We’ll be fine.”

“Well, okay…”

Massasoit grabbed his hoof and lead him down the road.

***

“Here we are!” Massasoit exclaimed.

Dusk and his girlfriend looked out at the beach before them. The beach itself was located about 30 feet down. Large, stacked, mostly flat rocks were piled for about a hundred yards.

“Let’s go!” she yelled, jumping onto the rocks. After sliding for a bit, her balance came back and she stood up.

“Are you sure?” Dusk asked. “They look really slippery.”

“Come on, scardey-hooves! They’re fine!” she taunted.

Dusk sighed. He knew he had to be brave for his girlfriend.

“Here goes nothing,” he whispered to himself, jumping onto the rock Massasoit was on.

Dusk opened his eyes to see Massasoit. She was smiling. He slid toward her, and then…past her.

“Duskey!” she yelled.

Preoccupied by looking at Massasoit, Dusk hardly realized he hadn’t stopped. He kept sliding to the edge of the rock and fell off, landing square on his blank flank.

Dusk heard giggling coming from the rock above. When he opened his eyes, he saw Massasoit looking down, laughing at him. Dusk looked away and blushed in embarrassment.

“Come back up, silly!” she yelled at him. After he got back up to the rock, making sure not to jump onto it, Massasoit brushed sand out of his mane.

“Come on. Let’s go further down the beach.”

The young foals moved carefully up the beach. After a few minutes, Massasoit slipped on the rocks.

“Help!” she yelled.

Dusk turned back and saw her hanging from a small crack between two stones.

He chuckled at her. “Okay.” Grabbing the hoof that was trapped, he pulled. Nothing happened.

“It’s stuck.”

Massasoit became impatient. “Dusk, help! My leg hurts!”

“I’m trying!” Fear started to overcome him. He pulled harder and harder, but her hoof wasn’t budging.

Pop!

Massasoit screeched at the top of her lungs. “Owowowowowowowow!”

“What’s wrong?”

Tears started flowing up her face. “I can’t feel my leg!”

Tilting his head toward Massasoit’s leg, he concentrated. His horn sparkled and shot out a few small sparks of light, but his efforts were fruitless.

“Please!” she yelled. “It hurts soooo much!”

As she finished her sentence, a loud riiiiiiiip could be heard.

“Massi?” he yelled. “What’s wrong?”

“MY LEG!” she screamed.

Dusk peered over the edge of the rock.

On the beach was Massasoit, sitting in a pool of red liquid. Her back right leg was completely missing. Horrified, Dusk turned his head slowly to the crack in the rock. Massasoit’s leg was still there.

“MASSI!” he screamed.

“Go get somepony!” she screamed.

Reluctantly, Dusk turned away and ran to the nearest cottage and banged on the door.

“Help!” he yelled at the door.

The door creaked open and Thunder Thighs stepped out.

Thunder Thighs was the fastest pony in the whole village; rumors were she could run around the main road one time around in less than two minutes. Because of her constant running, her back legs were huge and muscular, making her name fitting.

“What is it, Dusk?”

“It’s Massasoit!” he sobbed. “She’s hurt! Follow me!”

By now, half of The Bog had showed up to watch the scene.

Dusk and Thunder ran to the rocks where Massasoit had fallen, although Thunder’s pace was more of a light jog.

“Oh, my gosh!” she yelled. “What happened?”

Dusk choked up. “I…she…leg…rocks…”

Pequot and Kennebec arrived at the rocks. Pequot sprinted to Dusk and scooped him up in a strong hug.

“Are you okay?” she wept. “I heard Massasoit got hurt and that you were here, and I…I panicked.”

“Pequot!” he cried into her mane. “It’s Massasoit! Her leg came off!”

“What?” she exclaimed.

Dusk kept sobbing into his sister’s mane.

Mr. Whitcomb, the pony who owned the cranberry bog, ran over to Massasoit and looked at her leg. The whole scene had turned silent.

He hung his head and closed Massasoit’s eyes.

“She’s dead.”

***

Dusk scotched closer to his sister to warm himself from the cold, winter rain.

Despite the dreary weather, the whole village of The Bog gathered in front of the cottage where Massasoit had lived. A large pit had been dug into the earth. Beside the hole was a large object, wrapped in a white blanket. Overlooking the pit was a thin, wooden cross.

Pequot walked slowly to a stallion, who was propping up a mare that was crying profusely.

“Hope? Penobscot?” Pequot asked meekly.

The stallion looked up. Despite being a large, muscular pony, even his eyes were red and puffy from crying.

“I’m glad you could make it, Pequot.” He rubbed his eyes. “A father should never have to bury his little daughter.”

Pequot reached over and rubbed the mare on the back.

“It’s okay, Hope. I know how it feels to lose somepony close to you.”

She looked over at Pequot, who was smiling lightly.

“T-thank you, P-Pequot.”

The ponies were silent for a few minutes until Penobscot walked up to the blanket. Hope leaned onto Pequot’s shoulder. Both mares were sobbing lightly.

Penobscot’s horn glowed faintly, and the top of the blanket was gently pulled down.

“Let’s go.” Pequot put her foreleg around Dusk and they walked foreword to the blanket.

As he looked down, his eyes watered.

Massasoit’s small body was nestled in the sopping, cold blanket. Raindrops collected in tiny little drops on her face. The small corpse that once had been full of life and energy was now just an empty husk.

“Pequot?” he asked confusedly.

She sniffed and rubbed her nose. “What is it, Dusk?”

“Why are they putting her in the ground?”

“So she can have a final resting place.”

“Why is there a cross above the grave?”

“You see how the two pieces of wood cross each other?”

Dusk nodded.

“Well, the piece going sideways represents our world. Unlike the wood, it goes on forever. The piece going up represents her soul going up to the stars so she can live forever. Putting it in front of her grave makes sure she’ll not only live forever up in the sky,” she tapped Dusk on the forehead. “But in here too.”

“Is that what happened to Mommy and Daddy?”

She nodded.

“Did they love me?”

Pequot nodded again. “Very much.”

“What about you? And Kennebec?”

“Yes. They loved us both very much.”

“Did you love them?”

Pequot could hardly keep herself from crying. “Very, very much.”

They walked away from the grave and back into the crowd. As they got back, Pequot hugged her brother.

“I’m sorry you have to hear this, Dusk.”

Dusk sighed and leaned on his sister, watching as ponies came to see the pony he loved for one last time.

***

Bang bang bang!

Dusk turned over in his sleep. It seemed like just an hour ago that Pequot put him to bed.

Sitting up, he pushed the curtain slightly away and looked outside. It was still dark, so it probably really was only an hour later. Who could be at the front door at this time? Citizens of The Bog hardly went out after dark, let alone visiting other ponies.

Muffled voices came from downstairs. Dusk jumped out of bed and put his ear to the floor.

***

Taking place at the same time

Knocking came from the front door.

“Kennebec, could you get the door? I’m almost done repairing your coat.”

He looked at door strangely. “Who could be knocking at this hour?”

“I don’t know, but somepony’s there. Just get it.”

He mumbled under his breath and opened to the door. Two well-dressed, well-groomed stallions stood at the door.

The pony on the left was older, taller, and plumper. He had a thick, grey goatee circling around his mouth. His thin, wispy hair was slicked back to cover his head.

The pony on the right was much younger, shorter, and slimmer. Although he was clean-shaven and dressed with nice fitting robes, his mane was unkempt and frizzled in the humidity of the ocean. The strangest part about him was that he was an Earth Pony, a sight never before seen in The Bog.

“May we come in?” the older pony asked.

“Why, uh,” Kennebec cleared his throat and composed his mind. “Yes. Please come in.”

The two ponies walked in and wiped their hooves on the floor.

Pequot gently placed Kennebec’s coat on the old, sagging couch and walked to the two ponies that had just entered.

The Earth Pony looked at Pequot and extended his hoof.

“Miss Pequot, I assume?”

He’s cute she thought. She grabbed his hoof and shook it.

“Yes, and you would be?”

“My name is Ager, and this is my associate, Hostes,” he said, pointing at the old Unicorn.

Kennebec walked to Hostes and shook his hoof. “Nice to meet you. I’m Kennebec, Pequot’s sister.”

Hostes looked around the house with a judgmental look, almost as if he was silently critiquing the place.

“Charmed, Mister Kennebec.” His tone was pompous and slightly brash.

“Please, do come and sit down,” Pequot suggested, pointing at the rickety kitchen table.

The four ponies walked to the table and sat down. Kennebec and Pequot sat at one of the table while the two stallions sat down across from them. Hostes looked at his chair, as it creaked when he sat down.

“So, what brings you two to The Bog?” Pequot asked.

Ager pulled a few papers out from his saddlebags. “You two have a little brother named Dusk, correct?” He seemed to be avoiding the question.

“Well…yes, but what does this have to do you being here?”

Ager sighed. “You have heard of the recent tensions between the three pony tribes recently, no?” Pequot and Kennebec seemed to be growing more irked at him avoiding the question.

“No,” Pequot replied.

“I have, somewhat,” Kenbnebec spoke up for the first time.

Ager turned his attention to Kennebec. “Well, recently, the leaders of the tribes have created some new policies to try and bring ponies together so we can try and make one large empire.”

“What does that have to do with us, then?”

Rubbing his neck, Ager looked away.

“Well…One of the programs is allowing small numbers of ponies to be adopted into different tribes. The inter-tribe association has decided that your brother is one of the Unicorns that can be adopted by Earth Ponies and Pegasi, and well…We’re here to take him.”

“What?” Kennebec yelled, slamming his hooves onto the table. Pequot put her forelegs on his shoulders, keeping him restrained.

“You can’t take him!” she protested. “We’re siblings, we’re perfectly capable of taking care of him! If you’re taking him, you have to take us, too!”

Ager shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. You two have been labeled as Self-Sufficient.”

“We’re Self-Secession?”

Hostes laughed at her ignorance. “Self-Sufficient. It means you two can take care of yourselves, but not anypony else.”

“Listen,” Kennebec interjected. “We can take care of him just fine.”

Pequot leaned over the table, trying to keep Ager and Kennebec apart. “Look, there’s two of us. If we’re both Self-Efficient or whatever you said, our combined efforts can certainly take care of him.”

“I’m sorry,” Ager replied, a tiny bit of remorse in his voice. “It’s just our orders. We’ll give you two a few minutes to spend some time with him, and then we’ll put him up for adoption.”

Ager stood up and bowed his head slightly, and then left to the front porch. Hostes followed him.

***

When he heard the front door close, Dusk picked his ear up off the ground. He was trying to understand what he just heard. Literally. Floors weren’t very good for spying through. All he understood was something about the three pony tribes, Sufficiency (He didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t sound good, judging by Pequot and Kennebec’s reactions), and that Kennebec was mad at something.

Within a few seconds of the door closing, Dusk heard hooves trotting down the hallway towards his room. Panicking, he jumped into the bed and pulled the covers over his head. Nopony would ever know he wasn’t asleep.

Either his plan wasn’t as solid as he thought or his siblings needed him desperately, for the door to his room quickly slid open and they ran in. He could tell they were both fighting back tears. Pequot wasn’t having much success at it.

“Dusk, pack your bags,” she cried.

“What? Why?”

Pequot turned into the bedspread and began crying.

“Some stallions are here to take you,” Kennebec stepped foreword and said.

“Take me? Take me where?”

“A…” Now even Kennebec was losing the battle against emotions. Dusk didn’t think it was possible for Kennebec, the oldest of three children and such a strong stallion, to cry. “They’re taking you to a new home.”

“A new home?” Dusk began to choke as he grasped the gravity of the situation. “Why?”

Kennebec just shook his head silently. “I don’t know.” He left the room and returned a minute later with his saddlebags, which were much too big for Dusk.

“Put everything you want to have in here. They’re a bit big, but…You’ll grow into them.” He picked up his sister, who was bawling uncontrollably, and walked to the door.

“We’ll be downstairs when you’re ready to go.”

The door closed silently.

Dusk sat down hard on the floor. This couldn’t be happening. A new home? What was wrong with his old one?

He shook the thoughts out of his head.

It’s not permanently he assured himself. I’ll be back here before you can say Cranberries.

He opened the saddlebags in front of him.

But what if it’s forever?

Dusk decided he’d pack with the intent of being gone forever. As Pequot always said, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Looking around his room, only one object stood out to him that he wanted. The scarf that he got for his birthday a few months ago. He threw it around his neck and thought.

Okay, I have the bags from Ken, the scarf from Pequot, now all I need is something from…

His mind began racing, and his body soon followed. Where was it? After tearing up nearly everything in the room, he slapped himself on the forehead and walked to the window. Pushing back the curtains, he saw a small piece of neatly folded paper.

How could I have forgotten where this was? I put it right here so I WOULDN’T forget it.

He grabbed the paper in his mouth and unfolded it onto the bed. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at it.

It was a drawing Massasoit had made.

Since her mother, Hope, had the best knowledge of plants of anypony in The Bog, she was constantly making things out of plants. Soap, cloth…even crayons. When Massasoit wasn’t with Dusk, odds are she was drawing something.

The picture featured a little, bright red filly Unicorn that was supposed to be Massasoit facing a little, light pastel blue colt Unicorn that was meant to be Dusk. Surrounding the two ponies was a huge, deep red heart.

Dusk stared long at the filly in the drawing. He wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. It was almost like so much was being placed on him that his lacrimal glands just flat out quit on him; they had had enough crying for one lifetime, and he hadn’t even gotten his Cutie Mark yet.

He gently folded the picture back up and put it in the saddlebag, then looked around his room for one last time. Nothing else in the room seemed appealing to him. It’d be too much of an emotional burden to take anything else with him.

Dusk’s mind seemed almost to speed time up. Before he could realize it, he had already walked down the hallway and to the stairs for one last time/

The stairs were a much different story. Time slowed as he walked down, each step coming even later than the last.

When he reached the bottom, he looked into the living room. Both Pequot and Kennebec were sitting on the floor, crying into each other’s shoulders.

“Ken? Pequot?” he meekly said to them. “I…I’m ready.”

They both looked up and immediately ran to him.

Kennebec looked into his eyes. “Dusk, don’t forget us. You come back when you’re all grown up, you hear? We’ll all live happily in this little cottage, the way it was supposed to be all along.”

Pequot continued sobbing. “Dusk, please, stay safe, for us. After Mommy and Daddy passed on, you were the only thing we had left in this world. You’re incredibly special to both of us, and we’ll miss you greatly.” Even though she had only said a few words, it took her minutes to get through them. Every word was a new challenge for her to push through.

“Go make us proud,” Kennebec said.

“We love you more than anything else in the whole world,” Pequot sobbed.

“I love both of you, too,” he replied.

Dusk exited the hug and walked to the door. Looking back, he could see they were back to crying with each other. Opening the door, Dusk stepped into the cool air of the spring night.

“Ready to go?” an Earth Pony asked.

Dusk rubbed his eyes. “As much as I’ll ever be.”

The Earth Pony escorted him to a carriage sitting on the road. Two Earth Ponies attached to it started walking down the road.

Dusk looked back at The Bog. A nagging sadness in the back of his mind told him he’d never return.