From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi


50 - Face of Paradise

While I was still worried about Merri, as well as feeling more than a little homesick, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also a little excited. Here we were in a beautiful foreign capital that pretty much no one else in Equestria had been to, with little more to do than rest and explore. What’s more, Night was here to share it with me—something I’d sorely missed from my days traveling with my parents.

As much as I wanted to run out and roam the streets, we’d just finished a long journey. To not find a place to rest and offload unnecessary gear would have been foolish. With that in mind, we doubled back, in search of the hotel district. While the greenhouse’s status as a tourist attraction ensured that there would be several hotels nearby, they were of the premium, five-star variety. If I tried to check us in there, we’d be broke within a couple nights.

Even though Star said the coins should last us, incomeless funds stretched over an indeterminate resolution time wasn’t exactly conducive to a proper budget. As such, I inquired with the cheaper ones—barring anything that looked like rat hole, of course. I wasn’t sure how much haggling I could get away with at even a decent place in a major city, but I had to try.

They were surprisingly receptive, and after the fourth inn—one Roebuck Tavern—I was starting to feel like I actually had a basic grasp of the Ostfriesens’ economy. Incidentally, this also happened to be the best deal, allowing me to budget out enough for both room and board for two weeks, while also holding back a small slush fund for our return trip. Practically speaking, the latter would only be enough to carry us back to the border so we could try to collect a bounty or two. Ideally, though, if things were stretching on too long, we’d be able to find some safer work within Oasis’s walls.

By the time everything was settled, we were late into the afternoon. There would be little time to find and get into any new daytime activities before the city’s inevitable nightlife started up. As such, I suggested we return to the one attraction we did know about: the greenhouse.

We walked amongst the exhibits again, passing the tower as we moved farther into the heart of the greenhouse. There, almost everything constructed fell away, breaking out into what could be summed up as an extra-sandy beach surrounding a sizable desert lake. Palm trees sprouted here and there, reaching toward the glassy panels above. There was nothing showy or grandiose about it. For something that such a large, elaborate city was named for, it was almost disappointing.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the irony. Through no small amount of effort, the Ostfriesens had rendered this land humble and ordinary. But, once upon a time, when everything had been the Badlands, this little piece of life stood as the bastion of hope for thousands of refugees. In a way, the oasis was almost like an old knight, keeping the realm safe and steady throughout her lifetime, then stepping back to let her work flourish under the guidance of the next generation. It was at once awe-inspiring and a little sad.

As I turned my new perspective upon each detail, I couldn’t help but smile.

I glanced back at Night, wondering what he thought. Before I could ask, I found that his eyes were not on the oasis, but me. I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

He shook his head, doing little to cover the big, dopey grin he had on his face. “Nothing. Just… I haven’t seen you like this before. It’s good to see.”

“What? Getting excited?” I laughed. “I’m not really that much of a stick in the mud, am I?”

Night shrunk a little as he blushed. “N-no, more than that. It’s the little filly, splashing in the water for the first time. It’s the same way you look at…”

“Hmmm?” I leaned in as I smirked. “At what? You can’t keep leaving me hanging like that.”

“When…” He looked like he was trying to think, but kept talking. “Dusky, when does a dream begin?”

“A dream?” I tilted my head, no longer certain where his train of thought was headed. “What do you mean?”

He swallowed, tensing up a bit. “A dream. I don’t have dreams, at least, none that I can ever remember. I’ve always wondered what it's like.”

I had a suspicion about the kind of analogy he was trying to draw, but couldn’t quite be sure. More probing was necessary. “I don’t really think you ever know you’re in a dream until you wake up.”

“Oh…” he said, scuffing a hoof.

Slipping up to him, I pressed my muzzle against his, pushing his chin up. “Why do you ask? Think you dreamt something?”

His nod was solemn, almost apprehensive. “I don’t know, but it seems like it.”

“It’s okay, Night. I’m here, if you want to talk about it.”

He gave me a sheepish look as he shook his head. “But… it’s you.”

“Me?” I asked, more as an invitation than a real query.

“This. Here. Now. What am I doing here, Dusky? What are you doing here? How could someone like me end up here, now, with someone like you?” His voice held as much adoration as confusion.

I must admit that his openness took me by surprise—I couldn’t help but indulge him. With a giggle, I smirked. “Flatterer.”

“I... I’m serious. It’s surreal." He motioned out to the lake. "We’re standing at the heart of a city that a year ago I’d never even heard of. I’ve faced monsters, foes, possession, even a dragon. It... it’s everything I ever wanted.”

Waiting for him to continue, I watched him carefully, wondering just how much he actually enjoyed. So much of it was so ill-suited to him.

He let out a bit of a sigh. “But it’s not what I want now.”

It was as I’d thought—that moment where I realized what I’d always feared had come to be. He’d made it through, but there was always that risk. I leaned against him again. “Things around me tend to get a bit crazy. I never wanted that to pull anyone else into it. I’m sorry.”

He was ready with a hug. “Dusky. If not for the craziness, I... I don’t know where I’d be. I started taking steps into this world because of you, because I thought I loved you. I kept walking because of me, because it was a path I realized I needed to walk down, for my own sake. Now, I stand here beside you because I don’t just think I love you anymore—I know it.”

The whole speech was coming on a little strong, but at the same time, it was a relief. Even taking bias into account, it was impossible to deny that Night had benefited from certain aspects of these ordeals. As he closed his eyes, I continued to lean up against him.

A few moments later, he spoke again, “I’ve been scared since we left Ponyville, afraid that I’d gotten my friends hurt, terrified of what was happening to me, and what might happen to us here, but I always had someone to look to for strength. If... when things get crazy, I never want you to feel like you’re pulling me along. I want you to know that I'm beside you by choice.”

My first instinct was to wonder why he would willingly stay within range of the danger that surrounded me. The answer, of course, was obvious. I would certainly be a hypocrite if I didn’t say I’d stick with my friends no matter the danger.

Night stepped back, returning me to reality as he fidgeted. “I, uh, sorry. I'm rambling again. Just... I guess all I wanted to say was, thank you.”

Acting quickly to dispel any false impressions, I closed the distance again, planting a kiss on his cheek. “You’re welcome, Night Light. And thank you, as well.”

He blushed, turning his eyes back to the water. “It’s… pretty incredible, isn’t it?”

I followed his gaze, once more admiring Ostfriesen’s humble beginnings. “Yeah, it is.”

“I’m glad that I can see it with you.” Night smiled at me. “Maybe there’s something magical about this oasis after all.”

“Something magical, eh?” Even though the oasis didn’t appear more than ordinary, it had likely seen more than its fair share of earth pony magic. But at the moment, that wasn’t really a detail we needed to think about. “I’m glad you’re here to see this with me too.”

His eyes turned upward, past the glass roof, to the descending sun. “You think… Ostfriesen has some place where we could share a dance?”

“Pffft, what?” Merri’s voice came from behind, and a dozen questions filled my mind at once. “You think Ostfriesens don’t dance? Oh, we dance~.”

As we turned, Night’s cheeks took on a red even deeper than Merri’s coat. “M-Merri?”

“Heya, Night. Hope I’m not interrupting anything~.” She winked, walking with a bit of a bounce in her step. “I don’t want to butt in.”

I tilted my head. “Should you even be here? You didn’t do anything rash, did you?”

“Who, me?” She put on a fake pout. “Nah, I’m a model citizen. They let me out on good behavior~.”

“Really.”

“Yes, really, sheesh. The Queen pardoned me, pretty quickly, too. Sis’ is still in court with her, so I figured I should come down here and pay some respects to the source.”

Night’s face brightened, then gave way to confusion. “Well, that’s good, right? Though, that doesn’t line up, does it? If Star is still giving her testimony, how did the Queen know to let you out already?”

“It’s not been that long,” I added. “I assumed even if everything went well they’d keep watch on you for another day or so.”

Merri shrugged. “What can I say, Queen Papaya knows what’s up. Don’t gotta be an alicorn to be a wise ruler.”

I thought back to how easily we’d infiltrated the ranks of Firetail’s reinforcements. More than likely, the Knights had already had several people in place. It would have been more of a surprise if their Queen wasn’t aware of an usurper skulking around behind her back. “No, I suppose not.”

“Now, I’m gonna be here a bit. Gotta uh, do some personal stuff at the oasis. Ostfriesen tradition and all. Knight stuff, even if I’m not really a knight anymore, you know the drill. You two get a place yet?”

I nodded. “Yeah, just a small one though: the Roebuck Tavern.”

“Hey, that’s fine~.” She smirked. “I’m gonna stay in the barracks, anyway—for as long as Sis’ needs us to stick around, I guess. But I wanted to make sure I knew where to reach you two.”

“Sounds good. We’ve got the room for a couple weeks, so we should be set.” I met her grin. “And congratulations on your pardon.”

“Vindication~.” Merri giggled as she flourished. “Now go on, you two should have some fun. This is just musty old ceremony. Boring.”

Night glanced at me. Merri seemed just a little too pushy, but whatever her reasons, I was certain they must be good. He turned back to her. “Well, we’ll meet up tomorrow, then?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” I waved to Merri as we headed for the exit. “We’ll wait at the inn for you tomorrow, Merri.”

“Perfect! Roebuck Tavern. I’ll be there. Now go on, you two deserve a little fun without me barging in on ya. Go shake your booties~!” Merri demonstrated with perhaps a bit too much vigour. But after a moment she stopped, seriousness passing over her face. “And uh, thanks. Thanks a lot, you two.”

We left the greenhouse, stealing one more glance behind us. It was difficult to tell what Merri was doing, but she seemed so much at ease that we could begin our dance date without concern. Of course, a proper dance date demanded energy.

I turned to Night and smiled. “Let’s go find some food first, alright?”

He wrapped a wing around me. “Wonderful. That sounds wonderful.”