//-------------------------------------------------------// The Tale of Dusk Walker -by Dusk_Walker- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Beginning //-------------------------------------------------------// The Beginning Hey, my name’s Dusk Walker; i guess i should start by saying my parents were hippies, Peace-loving; weed smoking, free loving hippies. And that’s how I got my ‘unique’ name. And this is my story. I was walking to my house after school on Friday afternoon. My only thoughts were directed to the new episode of My Little Pony that was premiering the next day. It was raining heavily, but I didn't mind. I liked the rain, the sound of the droplets splashing over the sidewalks, the distant sound of thunder adding irregularity to the water. I saw a woman of around thirty seven walking with two children, they looked to be about seven years old, and twelve. She was well dressed, looking like she was going home from a big law firm or something like that. We both stopped at a crosswalk as a rather busy intersection, she pressed the button and stood waiting as the traffic light turned red, and as the crosswalk light changed her kids ran across playing, pushing each other like they were racing. The younger girl, the seven year old, tripped as I heard brakes squealing loudly, I looked to my left to see a school bus full of kids from my high school sliding over the wet road, the girl right in front of it. Without thinking I dropped my back pack and ran as fast as I could towards the girl, everything moving in slow motion as adrenalin flooded my body. I saw the bus sliding closer and closer, I realized I could just make it to her in time, I pushed her as hard as I could, glancing left as I did, the bus was the only thing I could see, my only thought being to save the young girl, I hadn't thought about how close the bus would be when I did. I felt myself flying backwards after the flat front of the bus hit me head on, I heard someone screaming as I landed, my brief flight ending as I blacked out. Now, I've always believed that a person creates their own ‘heaven’ once they die. A place where anything they believed would be, anything they wanted, would exist. It’s not exactly a conscious decision, more of a subconscious choice. It would be a perfect place for you. I was a diehard Brony, which may explain the reason I ‘woke up’ where I did. I slowly regained consciousness as I heard hushed voices all around me; I didn't open my eyes yet. I just wanted to enjoy the darkness for a bit. I heard a worried voice that sounded eerily like Twilight Sparkle from MLP, saying “I don’t know who he is, or where he came from. I just saw a flash outside my library, and there he was!” I moaned as I slowly opened my eyes, the bright white lights blinding me, as my eyes adjusted I saw Twilight standing there, next to a White nurse looking pony I recognized as Nurse Redheart. They were both looking at me worriedly, and I looked back at them with wide eyes and a wide open mouth. The nurse looking pony slowly walked up to me and said ‘’hello, do you know where you are?’’ ‘’No, I have no idea where I am.’’ I said slowly, my mouth feeling weird as I spoke. Then I saw her forehead wrinkle in frustration as I slipped from consciousness again. I woke up again later, this time in a large bed and covered in a starry quilt. I slowly raise my arms to cradle my aching head, but stop suddenly as I see golden hooves instead of hands, my eyes widen as I remember seeing Twilight and Nurse Redheart the last time I woke, and now me having hooves made me wonder, was I in Equestria? Was I in ponyville? I jumped as Twilight walked through the door. “You’re awake!” she said, as she walked to the side of the bed. “Uh, yeah… where am I?” I whispered, my mouth still feeling weird as I formed the words. “Well,” she started. “You’re in my bed in the Ponyville library.” She looked closely at me as she asked me slowly “do you remember anything before the hospital?” I shook my head as I debated telling her about being human, ‘she might think I was insane if I told her that’ I thought to myself. “No... Nothing at all... how did I get here?” She pursed her lips in thought as she organized her thoughts to tell me, giving me a chance to look around the room at our surroundings. It was a round room; I’d say about fifteen feet in diameter. The bed was slightly curved on one side to fit flush to the wall. There was a wardrobe with a mirror on the door across the room, and I gasped loudly as I saw my reflection in it. I had golden fur, and a spiked back mane that was a dark blue, almost black, along with a horn that matched the deep gold of my coat. My eyes were wide enough to see the color from across the room, they were bright red. Twilight looked up and followed my eyes across the room. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “n-nothing” I stuttered, as I shook my head slowly, trying to clear my thoughts. “So, you asked how you ended up in the Ponyville library. Here’s the story, as far as I know it. It was raining pretty hard that night, late in the evening I was studying teleportation magic to see if I could find a less energy consuming way to teleport long distances, when I heard a loud noise outside, paired with a bright red flash. I thought to myself ‘’lightning must have struck somewhere near!’’ so I ran outside to find a small smoking crater, and you inside it. Unconscious, So I took you to nurse Redheart, to see if she had any way to explain this event, and to see if you were seriously harmed by whatever had happened. We found out after serious testing, that despite being a unicorn, you had no magic to speak of. So I gave you a spark of mine, to start your body producing its own. Soon after that you gained consciousness for a few moments. This morning nurse Redheart told me that I could bring you here if I wanted, as long as I promised to keep an eye on you, so I did. And here we are now!” My head swam as I tried to connect what happened with the bus, and what happened now. My only plausible theory was that I died saving that girl, and this was my ‘heaven’. I felt my forehead crease as I wondered exactly how I ended up here of all places. “Thank you” I whispered to Twilight as she sat there. She smiled as she said “nopony would have left another outside on a night like that, hurt or not.” I blushed deeply as my stomach grumbled loudly, angry at not being fed in over two days by my reckoning, “I’m sorry, my stomach isn't the most polite of house guests…” I said softly as Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry about it…” she said and hesitated, waiting for my name. “Oh uhm, its Dusk, Dusk Walker.” I said as I held my hoof out to shake hers. “Twilight Sparkle.” She grinned as she took my hoof. “Now let’s go see if we can make your stomach a happy guest. //-------------------------------------------------------// The First conscious day //-------------------------------------------------------// The First conscious day “You’re finally awake!” Spike said as we walked into the kitchen. “Hey Spike, Could you make Dawn and I a late dinner? “Sure Twi, I’m on it!” he said as he jumped to the pantry and started grabbing packages from the shelves. “We’re going to be right in the other room when you’re done Spike, just bring the food in.” Twilight said. “Alright Twi, you two go talk” spike said. Twilight grinned shyly as she sat on a couch-like bench in the main room of the library. “Why don’t you have a cutie mark, if you don’t mind my asking such a personal question?” Twilight asked nervously. “I don’t mind at all Twilight, you are after all letting me stay at your house for now; Although to be honest, I’m not quite sure myself why I’m missing my cutie mark. I don’t even know what I’m good at...” Twilight nodded silently for a few seconds, and then said “I know a wonderful pair of mares that need another roommate; I could introduce you to them tomorrow if you like.” I grinned as I said happily “that would be amazing Twilight! Although, I’m not sure where I could get a job by tomorrow…” slumping down slightly as I say that. “Well, I think Vinyl needs an assistant as well, but you’d have to be quick on your hooves and fast with your magic to keep up with her when she’s Dee-Jaying” Twilight said with a glint in her eyes. “She lives with another musician named Octavia. they live over in the duplexes by sugarcube corner. Dusk, Do you remember how to use your magic at all?” I thought for a few moments, before whispering “no… I can’t remember anything before earlier…” as my head dipped slowly. Twilight thought for a few moments, then jumped to her hooves and said “Dawn, I can tutor you until you get your ability back!” I jumped up grinning widely “you would do that for me Twilight? You really would?” “Of course I would, magic is my specialty, since I possess the element of magic!” She beamed as she said the last bit. “I’M GONNA’ LEARN MAGIC FROM THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!” I shouted in joy as I jumped to my hooves, and danced around merrily. Of course Spike chose that moment to walk in carrying two large plates with a sandwich, and a salad on the side of each. He stopped just past the doorway and looked at us like we were crazy. I saw him walk in and tried to stop dancing instantly, on one hoof. I saw the world slow down as I started falling towards him, then I watched the two plates fly high in the air as I landed on him. My instincts wanted to grab them, and before I consciously thought ‘I can’t catch those!’ I saw a red sheen cover them, catching them less than a foot from the floor; a few silent seconds passed, then they were overlapped in a purple glow and moved to the center table as Spike and I stood and dusted ourselves off. “I’m dreadfully sorry Spike; I didn't mean to fall on you. I said as I helped him to his feet.” “You used magic” twilight said slowly. “Whoa… I did… how did I do that Twilight?” I asked her, confused.” “I… the best guess I can give is that your subconscious reacted faster than your conscious mind could in the situation…” she replied slowly. “Try to lift the plates.” “All right” I said as I began to focus again. I could feel my horn tingling this time, the tingle growing as I saw a soft red glow surround the plates again, they shakily lifted a few inches, then dropped as I felt the tingle vanish instantly. “What happened?” I asked Twilight. “Your magic gave out; it hasn't replenished enough to be used this much so soon. Sit, you have to eat; then its bed for you. I need to research a few things before I go to sleep.” We ate slowly and silently, each thinking about what had happened; spike had made his escape unnoticed in the bustle. “Do you want your bed back Twilight; I can sleep on the couch if you’d like.” I asked her after I finished eating. “No Dawn, its fine, you can stay in there. I have work to do” she smiled as she spoke. I woke up to the sun shining in my eyes, as I slowly returned to being as close to awake as possible, I thought about how the past day had gone, about ‘dying’ and awakening in Equestria. Then I got up slowly, my limbs popping quietly as I stretched them before walking out the door and down the stairs into the main room of the library. I smiled softly when I saw Twilight asleep in front of her desk. books opened and piled high around her. “Just like the show” I whispered softly as she stirred from her sleep. She lifted her head slowly, blinking her eyes heavily still in a half slumber as she slurred out “hey there Dusky, how did you sleep?” I grinned as I said “I slept fine Twi, you however, look like you didn't sleep all too well. Let’s get you to bed and I’ll go talk to Vinyl about the room and assistants’ job while you sleep in a bit.” “Okay... Take some bits for food though, I don’t want you to starve on me” she giggled as she walked to her room, floating some bits to the table before she left.” I found a small saddlebag, and put the bits in it. “Okay... I need directions…” so I walked out the door of the library, and began walking down a road that seemed to go through the middle of Ponyville. I walked into a building I immediately recognized as sugarcube corner, the one and only bakery housing a certain pink pony who knew everyone in ponyville. The second I walked through the door, a giant puff of pink was directly in my face. “HIAREYOUNEWHEREINPONYVILLE? IMPINKIEPIEIVENEVERSEENYOUBEFORESOIGUESSYOURNEW! WHATSYOURNAMEHUHHUHHUHHUHHUH? “Whoa Pinkie! I’m Dusk Walker, I need coffee and directions, can you help me with that?” I said. “But you’re new! I gotta’ throw you a BIG party, and invite everyone in Ponyville!” Pinkie said happily, and then she dived into a large vase standing in the corner, and disappeared. “But I need coffee and directions?” I asked as I leaned over the vase, and looked in. my voice echoing slightly. But no reply came. “How did she do that?” I asked myself as I slowly walked out the door and back into the bright sunlight of Ponyville, ready to meet my possible new employer and house mate. //-------------------------------------------------------// The Princess and I //-------------------------------------------------------// The Princess and I Chapter 2 As I walked out of sugarcube corner, I saw a rather large crowd gathering down the street. As I approached and weaved my way through to the front of the crowd, I saw the one and only, the beautiful Princess Luna in all her majestic beauty, her mane floating in the wind, showing an intricate network of stars, mirroring those of a clear night’s sky. Her eyes were squinted, staring at a unicorn pony standing about ten feet from her. He was wearing a billowing robe and mask that hid his identity, but left his horn uncovered. He was using some sort of dark magic to summon a ball of cold, dark energy, and with a few words, he let loose his magical attack. “Latronis Animae Princess.” I jumped into action, feeling the adrenaline surge through me as I focused as hard as I could on stopping that magic from reaching the Princess. I saw a ruby red beam shoot straight into the heart of the ball, exploding with colors that any rainbow would be jealous of, I lost consciousness as I landed, I realized that I couldn't feel it when I hit. I faded off seeing the Princess lean over me worriedly as the blackness overtook my view again. I woke up lying on an operating table. i groaned as i tried to move, realizing i was strapped down. a stallion earth pony walked into my view, and injected something into an I.V. bag hanging beside my bed, and i slipped away again, seeing Princess Luna behind a window in the wall, like she was observing an operation. I woke up again later, not daring to move or speak lest i be put under again, I cracked my eye open to see where i was. i was in  a small light cream colored room, lying on a rather soft and fluffy bed, there were three chairs on the side of the room beside the door, two were occupied. I slowly opened both my eyes, and stretched my neck slightly as the two ponies realized i was awake. Princess Luna and Twilight scrambled to the side of the bed, and both tried to talk at the same time, then after a second of silence between the two of them, Luna spoke. "What is your name subject?" "Dusk Walker Princess.." "Well Dusk Walker, why did you risk your life to save me?" "Heh, well Princess, I sort of have a nack for saving others at my expense,," "Well i thank you for saving me, and I would like to invite you and Twilight to a royal meal with my sister and I tomorrow at noon. I hope to see you both there." Luna nodded gracefully at Twilight, and dissapeared in a sudden flash. I turned to Twilight slowly and waited for her to speak. "Dusk.. do you know what you just did.." "Uhm.. not really Twilight.. not really." "Well, you saved the princesses life from a necrotic spell shot at her in public by one of the last members of an old cult, in an attempt to zombify the princesses, and then all of Equestria, and you almost died in the process.." "I.. Twilight, can we go to the tree house? i figure we can't leave the Princesses high and dry tomorrow!" Twilight laughed as she went to talk to the Doctor, i slowly leaned back and started thinking about the next day.