//------------------------------// // Girls Day Out // Story: Prince Dusk's Twilight // by TheFaceofMercy //------------------------------// Today was admittedly not one of Dusk Shine’s best moments. Everything was going great, Gleaming seemed to be fulfilling her part of the deal, her friends were behaving and the Wonderbolts were amazing as always. Everything was awesome… right until it wasn’t. “Go away you creep or I’ll blast you to the moon!” Dusk yelled, backing away from the stallion that was eyeing her like Pinkie Pie eyed cupcakes. It was probably the fourth time she had to put up with stallions treating her like that and the number of inebriated ponies didn’t help either. Dusk simply couldn’t possibly understand why they were behaving so oddly around her. According to Rainbow Blitz,  most mares did not dig the whole nerdiness deal on a male while on stallions apparently, it was an appealing character trait… or a turn on as Rainbow Blitz so disgustingly phrased it, the pegasus also mentioned something along the lines of ‘playing hard to get’ which was giving Dusk a real hard time while trying to buy snacks for the show. The stallion apparently couldn’t understand what ‘stay away’ meant and continued in his drunken advances towards Dusk. “Wha’ever you say, sweetheart, I’m just tryin’ to give ya a good time, why don’ you—” “Why don’t you get your filthy hooves off my little sister!” A very angry and familiar voice bellowed behind her. Dusk breathed a sigh of relief once the disguised figure of Gleaming Shield wrapped a hoof protectively over her back, she didn’t usually cherish physical contact with her sister but this was a special circumstance.  “Gleam’ you won’t believe how glad I am for—” “And if you ever even look at her like that again, I will punch you so hard that you’ll be able to smell your own ass.” Some habits die hard, and the ability to curse like a sailor was Gleaming Shield’s favorite habit. That was Royal Guard material right there, making a pony shiver by words alone. The stallion gave her a sly smile that in his drunken state looked more like he was about to throw up. “Ya like it rough don’ ya?” At the comment, Gleaming’s usually ivory face turned red from sheer loathing. “I’m MARRIED! That’s it I’m going to—” “Gleam’,” Dusk intervened, looking with pleading eyes between her sister and the forming crowd, she didn’t want to make a fuss… again. “Can we leave now? it isn’t worth it.” The unicorn sighed apparently giving in. Until the inevitable drunken response came. “I don’ mind sharin’... you don’ look half bad y’know…” And that was the last word the stallion ever said to a mare. “…your mother was a hamster and your father smelled like elderberries!” Gleaming shouted at the retreating stallion, she had a tired yet proud smile etched on her face. “What does that even mean?” Dusk asked once the confrontation ended. Well, confrontation meant both parties were in equal chance to win, whereas in this case, Gleaming Shield was the only one fighting while the poor stallion received the mare’s hatred. “Shush, Dusky. I know what I’m doing.” Annoyed at her sister’s overconfidence Dusk pressed on. “Did you really had to break his muzzle like that?” “Yep,” Gleaming replied, a proud smile marking her features. Almost a year since ruling the empire and she hadn’t lost her street fighting skills, who said that princess couldn’t fight? “And that freezing spell seemed a bit too much… I mean—” “I didn’t want him to run away, I hate chasing stragglers.” Gleaming Shield replied, holding back a chuckle. “B-but, he was drunk, he couldn’t even walk straight!” Dusk yelled, getting even more frustrated at Gleaming’s satisfied grin. “Someday you’ll understand that are perfectly reasonable excuses to hit someone, lil’ sis.” As if that explained everything, the unicorn walked past her at the coliseum V.I.P box where Eros’ waved them over. “Couldn’t Eros pick a more creative disguise? I mean yours… I don’t know how on earth he made you wear pink, but his… Well, I’m no Rarity but a black-maned, white coated pegasus is a bit… dull,” Dusk mentioned, a quick change of topic to forget from Gleaming’s short temper. “Trust me, you don’t want to see his first choice, I’ll only tell you it involved red, green and brown.” Gleaming shuddered, the mere mental image bringing shivers down her spine, she paused for a second, turning to Dusk with a naughty smirk. “He still looks hot, doesn’t he?” “For the love of Faust! Gleaming Shield, shut up!” Dusk said, her face turning a familiar shade of red. “Hehe, got you!” The older unicorn said, sticking her tongue out in a foalish manner. Dusk Shine sighed as she trying to make the red disappear from her face while she sat down behind Eros and Gleaming who shared a quick kiss for a greeting. She huffed in annoyance at the display of affection, she wasn’t jealous or anything, but the whole situation left her thinking. “What took you girls so long?” Eros asked cheerfully, noticing Dusk’s mood and trying to put an end to her sulking. “Yeah! Where are my nachos?!” Asked Pinkie Pie, jumping beside the couple. Dusk shot Gleaming Shield a pleading glance, she didn’t want her friends knowing another reason to tease her if being turned into a mare by accident and trying to hide it was ever going to get old. “If you want to know…” Gleaming started, winking at her flustered sister. “Some creep was hitting on Dusky and I had to beat the crap out of him,” she explained as if beating someone was a normal occurrence for the Crystal Princess. Eros widened his eyes in surprise. “Wait, someone was flirting with Dusk?” “I wouldn’t call drunkenly saying ‘You’re hot’ flirting, but yeah,” “And… you beat the guy didn’t you?” Eros replied, amused at his wife’s antics. “Well, duh… Nobody messes with my little bro, er… sis.” Eros gave a last satisfied sigh before pulling Gleaming in for a kiss, “Atta girl.” “What?! You’re actually approving of her… behavior?” Dusk yelled, ignoring the fact that even after their wedding, seeing Eros and Gleaming kiss still felt gross. She had to put up with it since she was a little colt, it was a traumatic experience! “First of all, I’ve seen that look on your face before, grow up Dusky; second, what else did you expect me to do?!” Gleaming said snuggling deeper in Eros’ now white wing. “Well… not seriously injure a partially innocent stallion?” Dusk said hesitantly “Pfft, you’re no fun, Dusky,” Eros shot his wife a mildly disapproving glance before turning to the frustrated mare with practiced calm. “She is right you know, I would have done the same thing, and it’s painfully obvious you’re not mad about that.” Damn you Eros and your foalsitter instincts! Dusk Shine cursed internally, turning to Rarity who was amusedly watching the whole exchange beside her.  “Am I really that easy to read?” The unicorn just chuckled politely as she soothingly patted her back. “Sometimes, Darling, sometimes, but be honest with us, what has got you in such distress?” “Yeah, why the long face?” Pinkie asked, ignoring the various face-hooves around her. “It’s nothing guys. Why don’t we—” “Oh no, you’re not pulling that card again,” Spines said from behind Pinkie, a half-eaten hayburger in her claws. Dusk glared daggers at her assistant. “You’re lucky slavery is illegal, Spines,” deciding against asking that question the dragoness motioned her to continue. “Ugh, well… I mean, I just wasn’t expecting ponies to be interested in me … As male mares weren’t swooning for me—” “What about Trixie?” “—like stallions do now, and well… I’m not that attractive am I?” Dusk said speaking over Pinkie’s—totally wrong— remark, instead choosing to focus on the disbelieving looks of her companions. “We really need to work on your self-esteem someday,” Eros spoke up, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Rarity cleared her throat while she toyed with Dusk’s mane in contemplation. “Well, you’re not what I would call a ‘sex-bomb’ but you obviously have some sort of charm, is more than anything your being…” “An adorkable genius?” Spines provided grinning. “Exactly,” “W-what?! That’s not even a word!” Dusk yelled, her blush going from an innocent rose to the deep scarlet of embarrassment. “Of course it is a word,” Pinkie said, pulling a dictionary out of her mane. “Look: ‘Adorkable, adjective: see Dusk Shine’.” Debating whether to assume why the book did, in fact, have a picture of her male-self with reading glasses on or why Pinkie had a Maream Webster in her mane, Dusk groaned instead cursing her stupid alicorn magic for the umpteenth time. Why did it have to be a mare?! I should’ve turned into a sun-damned breezie! “Now, now, I’m not saying that it would actually work… Perhaps with the right manestyle, curling your locks a bit— Oh! And the right dress, something along the midnight blue, making those eyes of yours shine and—” “Don’t even get started, Rarity! We already did that!” Rarity pouted, giving her the best puppy-dog eyes she could. “We only went to the spa!” Gleaming grinned mischievously from her spot under Eros’ wing. “Pfft… You went to the spa?” If looks could kill Gleaming would have been buried by now. “You shut your mouth, Gleaming Andromeda Shield!” “Calm down, Dusky, I’m just saying if you already did that there’s no reason to say no to… whatever Rarity is implying,” Dusk Shine huffed, though her eyes betrayed her insecurity. “I swear, I’m not going to the salon with you. I mean the spa was cool: the mud bath, the massages. But that’s the only thing I’m willing to do.” “Don’t be like that, Dusk. Even I go to the salon regularly.” Eros intervened, earning both confused and amazed glances from the mares present. “Do you really?” Dusk asked, face-hooving. “How else do you think he maintains his mane like this,” Gleaming said, brushing a hoof through Eros’ mane. “It feels like silk.” The purple mare frowned, unconsciously brushing her own mane.“I thought it was an alicorns’ thing,” “Does your mane looks like that?” Rarity asked, raising her eyebrow. Dusk looked down, slightly embarrassed. “No but…” “But nothing. Dusk, the point is that  indulging once in awhile in this kind of antics is healthy, plus, you’ll be doing it with your friends!” Rarity explained, backed up by Pinkie’s confident smile and Gleaming’s teasing grin. Dusk buried her head in her hooves, anger wasn’t enough to hold her ground against her friends. “Argh… You’re not getting a no for an answer are you?” “You know me, Darling, am I?” “Fine. But on one condition.” “What is it, Dusky?” Gleaming asked, her mind already full of ideas to tease her sister with. Perhaps style her mane? or making her wear a dress? What about— “You, Miss Captain of the Guard, are coming with me!” Dusk stated triumphantly, pulling her sister into a hug from behind. “Oh! And no disguises, everybody will know who we are!” Gleaming Shield huffed, pushing her sister away while nuzzling deeper into her husband’s fur. “Pfft, no way in Tartarus I’m going to do that.” “Actually, honey. I think it’d be nice if you did,” Eros said, hiding his grin on Gleaming’s mane before she turned around, pouting childishly. “You can’t be serious, I haven’t even gone to the Empire’s stylist!” “Think about it Gleam’, a real Sister’s afternoon.” Dusk said, glad that for once she was wearing the mischievous smile. “I-I… Okay…” Gleaming conceded, not quite comprehending how her plan had backfired so horribly. Turning to Dusk she added, “You know ponies are going to see you too, right?” “It’s worth it, Glimmy.” “Did she just said… Glimmy?” Eros said, a goofy smile spreading over his features. “YOU TRAITOR!” The older unicorn yelled, jumping over her sibling. Teleporting away, Dusk turned tail and ran as fast as she could away from her enraged sister. “HELP ME! SHE’S TRYING TO KILL ME!” Ignoring the commotion, Spines continued, “… Anyways, it’s settled, are we going back to the castle?” “No, dear, I know a better place her in Canterlot, It’s actually nearby, you see.” Rarity said, turning at the Wonderbolts’ outstanding performance, she wasn’t a proper fan but she could appreciate the intricacies of their flying prowess. Talking about flying…  “Has anyone seen Rainbow Blitz? He was here just a second ago.” “Actually, he told me he was…” As on cue, the sleek figure of the athletic pegasus appeared by the bleachers, flanked by a couple of burly earth ponies wearing not-so-friendly expressions. “Um, d-does anybody here have… Um, a couple… extra bits?” Rainbow said, scratching the back of his neck. Eros groaned, face-hoofing as the mares stared curiously at the new development. “You lost a bet, didn’t you?” “Uh… Kind of…?” “Called it.” The alicorn in disguise said, begrudgingly turning to face the amused trio of females. “You… you all move along, I’ll take care of this.” The girls nodded and went to find Gleaming and Dusk Shine, leaving the pair of stallions behind. “So… How much did you lose?” “Two… thousand…ish bits?” “Two thousand!” “…ish…”