//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Noon // Story: A life in a day // by Mindscape //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Noon The door to the tavern opened briefly and a rush of the evening winter wind and snow briefly had free access behind the white mare that entered. The unicorn quickly closed the door with her magic and pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing a mane of yellow. She stood in the entrance a moment, shaking off the snow. There were a number of patrons at the establishment which gave it the air of a well trafficked locale but it didn’t seem too busy at the moment with a quiet chatter among the patrons. As she looked about, not quite sure what to do from here, she heard the bartender call out to her. “Come on in and get away from the cold” he said, waving her over. He was a broad-shouldered earth pony who was getting on in years, but he still had a strong set jaw and a full but shortly trimmed beard. His mane was cut short like his beard, and both were a dark brown, while his coat a light blue, and currently he had the stereotypical washcloth over his shoulder. “Welcome to the Thoroughfare” the stallion said as she took a round seat by the bar. “Don’t think I’ve seen you at my bar before” the stallion said, extending a hoof. “Tender Spirits” he said, introducing himself. The mare hesitated slightly before returning the gesture. “Yellow Star.” “Can I get you anything?” “Not for the moment. I just came in to get away from the snowstorm I’m afraid.” “I hear it might be a while according to the weather ponies. Tell you what, since you’re new, first cider is on the house. That’ll help warm you up.” “That’s very kind of you, but I couldn’t possibly.” “I assure you its for purely selfish reasons. Good hospitality is some of the best marketing for getting repeat customers” he joked. She smiled. “Well, if it’s purely selfish then I suppose I must accept.” “Excellent!” he said, filling a wooden mug and sliding it towards her. “So, new to Filly Delphia?” “Not really. Just visiting for now” she replied, sipping at her drink. “Well, this small blip on the map appreciates your coming. But mark my words, we may be a small town now, but one of these days with the traffic we’ve been getting recently it’ll be one of those big cities soon. I’m sure of it.” “The train station certainly seemed busy enough when I arrived in town.” “Plenty of folks are coming to build a new life around these parts. Lots of opportunities.” “I believe I’ve heard as much.” “So, who are you visiting?” he asked. Mr Spirits certainly seemed to be a chatty pony. Either that or a slow night. “Got family here?” The unicorn looked at her drink for a moment in thought. “Yes. At least I hope so. I haven’t seen him in quite some time." Tender Spirits made a face. “Hmm, your tone implies a bit of drama. I’m not a pony to pry, but I am a pony who will listen if you want to talk, so I will ask if everything’s okay.” “We didn’t part on the best of terms, so… I don’t know.” “Ah…” The bartender was starting to look sympathetic. “Well, like I said, I’m the kind of pony who’s willing to listen if you need an ear” he said. She smiled. “That’s quite all right. I should be fine on my own.” “Glad to hear it” he said, beaming once again. “Hey Tender” another pony over the other side of the bar called. “Stop flirting and get us some service over here.” Tender turned to the other pony and laughed. “Hah! Well Roller, maybe if you paid your tab I wouldn’t have to leave the presence of a paying customer.” He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially. “Don’t tell him the drink was free, I’d never hear the end of it” he joked. She chuckled. They were obviously friends having playful banter. “The secret of your generosity is safe with me.” He laughed. “Well, enjoy yourself. Savour the warmth and listen to some music” he said, moving to leave. She frowned as she looked about. “But there’s nopony playing music.” There was a stage with some instruments set up. A drum kit, a piano and a cello in the background, but nopony seemed to up there. Tender looked at the stage and shrugged. “Not for long I’d imagine. Trust me, you’re in for a treat tonight.” The mare turned her seat away from the bar to look about the room. There were maybe a dozen ponies in here, most in groups or couples. One couple in the corner appeared to be a young teenager couple, with the stallion whispering sweet nothings into the ear of the young earthpony mare, causing her to blush and giggle. While she wasn’t watching, a new pony had taken to the stage with an acoustic guitar on his back and was now setting up. A grey unicorn with black hair. She couldn’t quite make out his cutiemark from the distance between the stage and the bar, but it was a small white shape. The stallion sat on a chair and began tuning his guitar quietly, strumming a few strings, which caught the attention of the audience and they began to quiet down. When he had finished, he looked upward to the window for a moment. It looked like the clouds were still thick over the night sky, but a small smile came to his face before he turned back to his audience. He took a deep breath and exhaled, channelling magic through his horn. A similar glow surrounded the other instruments onstage for a brief moment. He began to play his guitar, a slow, sombre melody set a mood of loss. And surprisingly, the other instruments behind him began to join in. Softly at first, but rising in volume as if played by invisible musicians. Then his own voice joined in. I wanted you to know I loved the way you smiled I want to hold you high and steal your pain away I still can see your face, and I know it will not fade I want to hold you high and steal your pain 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome And I don't feel right now you've gone away You've gone away You don't feel me here anymore The worst is over now and we can breathe again I want to hold you high, and seal my pain away There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight I want to hold you high and steal your pain 'Cause I'm broken when I'm open And I don't feel like I am strong enough 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome And I don't feel right now you've gone away 'Cause I'm broken when I'm open And I don't feel like I am strong enough 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome And I don't feel right now you've gone away 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome And I don't feel right now you've gooooone You've gone away You don't feel me here anymore The music came to it’s crescendo near the end, and the other instruments faded one by one, until it was just the guitar and his voice remaining for the tail end of the song. It was a song of sadness and loss, and there was more that one teary eye by the time he stopped singing and the instruments all fell silent. There had been true emotion in the song, she could feel it from where she sat. The stallion stood up at the applause that followed and gave a bow. “He’s certainly something huh?” Tender Spirits said behind her. “I’ll bet you’ve never seen magic or music like that, huh?” “It certainly is unique” she replied. Although, she had seen something like that before. Years ago, when a little foal found his way into the musical storeroom. “I tell you, that guy should be playing in the big city, not a small dive like this. He could be famous with that kind of talent.” “I suppose fame is not for everypony” the unicorn mused. “Does he play here often?” “Why don’t you ask him yourself? He normally has a meal after his set. He’s got a couple more songs before he takes a break, but I think that one’s his favourite.” “I think I can see why. It’s quite powerful.” The mare ordered a light meal while the wind continued to blow outside and listened as the grey unicorn played more music in the background. While the next few songs weren’t as impactful as the first, they still elicited a heartfelt response from the audience. His music was sorrowful and mourning, without being upsetting, where the listener more felt the beauty in the song and the emotion behind it, rather than feeling sorry for the musician. When he was finished, he bowed politely again at the applause he received and waited patiently for the applause to die down before he packed his guitar away into its case, slung it over his back, and stepped off the stage towards the bar. “Hey Tender, how do you think it went tonight?” Tender Spirits came out with a plate of food in one hoof and placed it on the counter for him. “Why don’t you ask your new fan?” he said, tilting his head to the mare who had finished her own meal by now. She chuckled a little with a hint of embarrassment as the bartender came over and took her plate. He gave her a wink as he passed and went back to the kitchen with the dirty dishes. “I apologize for that, it was not my intention to disturb you.” “Don’t worry about it” the grey unicorn said with a smile. “Tender has a way of making fast friends and passing them along to others. He’s a great guy.” “You’ve known him long then?” “Gave me a place to stay when I first came to town. I’ve been playing here ever since while I look for more work.” He raised a hoof to shake. “Sorry, Dusk Elegy” he offered. Again, the mare hesitated a moment before returning the gesture. “Yellow Star.” However, this time it was the stallion’s turn to pause a moment. While only brief, there was a moment of curiosity. A blink and twitch of the eyebrows that was quickly wiped away with another smile. A smile that for some reason felt a bit less genuine than before. “It’s a very unique talent you have” She said, trying to continue the conversation. “Full control of multiple instruments at once with your magic.” “Well that’s not really it” he admitted. “It’s more like a set record based off memory. Like… well, a record player. The music will play the right notes in the right order, and I just play my own and sing along.” “Still a very unique talent” Her eyes travelled further down. “However, not apparently your special talent.” Now that he was closer, she could properly make out the symbol of his cutiemark. It was a white mask with a crying face. The mask of Tragedy. She had seen the type of imagery before on plays and posters advertising the theatre, but this mark lacked the comedy mask that typically went with it. “Telling stories” He gave. “That’s my actual talent, and music is just one medium to tell them. That, and I’ve always had an affinity for telling stories of tragedy.” The mare nodded along. “So not music itself then.” The grey unicorn frowned. “No.” A moment of awkward silence followed, broken only by his magic picking up his plate and stepping off the barstool. “Well, I usually eat at a table, so…” he made to leave. A mild panic set in. She wasn’t going to lose him again without a fight. “Actually” she said, getting down and following. “Do you mind if I join you? I’m sorry if I made things awkward, but you’re the only other pony I’ve spoken to here, and I can’t possibly trouble Tender Spirits while he’s working. “There are other ponies around to talk to” he replied bluntly. “They’re friendly enough.” “Is my presence really that terrible?” she asked. She felt a little bad, it was a manipulative question to ask. He closed his eyes and sighed. “I guess not.” They found a quiet table in the corner with only two chairs and they sat either end. The awkward silence returned as the grey unicorn munched on his food, refusing to look her in the eye. She felt anxious. This wasn’t how she saw things going in her mind at all. “So… your music is very inspired” she asked, attempting to strike up conversation once more. “And so different from what I normally hear. What uh… what’s the inspiration?” He sighed once more. “Are we really doing this here?” “What do you…?” “Celestia please” he said, finally looking up at her. Her breath caught in her throat. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think you had magic to disguise yourself that well” he mused. “You’re a good deal shorter, and are your wings temporarily gone? Or just hidden under that cloak?” “How did you know?” she asked, looking aside, ashamed at her own deception. “Really?” he raised an eyebrow. “Yellow Star? The only star visible in the daytime because it is the sun? That alone raised my suspicion, but even then, you’re not a very good actor.” “Lucky please, I…” “I told you, it’s Dusk Elegy now” he interrupted. “Lucky was… it feels like a lifetime ago now” he sighed again. It had been years. He was all grown up now. It had warmed her heart to see him smiling and happy with at least one friend, but now that he was with her, he was brooding and withdrawn. “But why?” she asked. “Why change your name, and dye your mane black.” “Same reason you came here in disguise. I wasn’t as well-known as you or Luna, but other ponies still knew me as Lucky Hope, the mysterious child raised by the alicorn princesses. I wanted a clean break. I also didn’t want to be found.” With that, he gave her a curious look. “How did you find me anyway?” Celestia found herself smiling a little despite the pervading mood. “Arpeggio received a most interesting gift some time back” she replied. At that, Lucky, or Dusk as it were, rolled his eyes and groaned into his hooves. “It’s not every day one receives a cake in the shape of a helmet.” Her eyes gazed to a point past the table between them where his cutiemark would be. Arpeggio wasn’t the only one to understand the hidden meaning behind the gift. The pony before her had gained his cutiemark, and it wasn’t anything to do with music. With that lead, Celestia had followed the return address to Filly Delphia, and while it hadn’t brought her all the way, she had spent most of the day questioning ponies and following leads till she made her way to this tavern. “And here I was trying to be clever” he said, shaking his head. “For a pony who wanted a clean break, you still seem quite concerned with the ponies in the life you tried to leave.” “Oh come on” he complained. “Everypony was worried he’d actually eat the metal one. And I wasn’t able to get it out of my head until I did something about it.” He quickly looked at her earnestly. “He didn’t actually eat the other one, did he?” She laughed, thankful for the change in tone. “No, he accepted the substitute graciously. I do believe it was a weight off his mind also.” The stallion looked visibly more relaxed. “Oh thank goodness.” “He even decided to share it.” His face fell again. “Ah. I guess that’s how you found out?” Celestia felt the mood shift once more. “Yes. He came to me afterwards, wracked with confusion over what he should do. He figured that because it was gifted privately, you didn’t want to be found, yet his concern for your wellbeing also began to weigh heavy on his mind and conscience.” “Well at least he thought about it before betraying my trust” he grumbled. Celestia frowned inwardly. How quickly the mirth had disappeared. “He told me because he cares, and because I do too. We all do. Please come home.” His expression was impenetrable while he thought. He chewed on a leaf of lettuce slowly and deliberately, the crunching easily audible over the quiet conversation of the other patrons in the establishment. “I heard you moved the castle up to Canterlot” he finally said. “Yes” she replied, a little surprised where the conversation had gone. “Canterlot is a more central location in Equestria, and not everypony was willing to make the trip through the Everfree forest. Dusk tilted his head knowingly. “Is that the only reason?” Celestia could not meet his eyes as painful memories came welling back in her mind. Wandering the long passages, alone. Glimpsing at shadows that out of the corner of her eye reminded her of her sister. The damage from her battle with Luna. The empty rooms. “No” she admitted, shaking her head. “It was never the same without you two. And the isolation of the Everfree only made things worse. Luna and I chose that place to build our castle together. It didn’t seem right anymore.” “Didn’t feel like home, did it?” He asked, already knowing the answer. She shook her head dumbly. “And there you have my answer. How can I go home to a place that’s no longer home?” “But home isn’t just the physical location” she insisted. “It’s the ponies you grew up with and the memories you made. All the staff at the castle were devastated when you left. Bold Feather always asks if there has been any news on your whereabouts, Arpeggio Parade talked to me because he wanted to find you, everypony misses you dreadfully. I miss you.” “Right” he replied snidely. “So you’re asking me to go to a place I don’t know, surrounded by a bunch of ponies who pity me greatly, but won’t have the guts to actually talk about what happened, owned by the one pony that tore this family apart. Does that sound homely to you?” he asked with venom in his voice. “Lucky, you can’t mean that” she asked, horrified at the vitriol he was spitting. He banged his hoof on the table “That’s not my name!” he spat. The sudden noise wasn’t terribly loud, but a few other ponies had noticed and turned to see what was happening, but were now pretending to be looking elsewhere. Noticing the attention, Dusk Elegy visibly attempted to calm himself and whispered sharply. “I haven’t felt lucky or hopeful in a long time. And you’re to blame for that. They say home is where the heart is? Well my heart was broken where you call home. I can’t go back with you. Princess Celestia, please leave me be, and you go home.” He got down from the table, leaving his half-eaten meal and went to the door, leaving Celestia in stunned silence. This meeting hadn’t gone at all as the alicorn had planned. She had no idea he was holding on to this type of anger. It didn’t make sense. His letter of goodbye had made it sound like he thought he had no other choice. As if he regretted leaving but felt that he had to. But listening to him now, it was as if he was rejecting his entire childhood, everything that made him who he is today. It didn’t make sense. She was broken out of her morbid thoughts at the sound of the door opening, and the snowstorm outside, as Dusk Elegy left the tavern. No. No, she wasn’t going to let it end like this. If she hadn’t been paying enough attention to know how Luna felt at her worst, then she was going to pry it out of her wayward child before it tore them apart for good, if it was the last thing she did. She bolted to the door and followed him into the storm. The wind and snow whipped her mane, and the frozen air put her in mind the first night they found him. It seemed such a short time ago looking back. How much had changed in the pony now trudging away from her. “Dusk Elegy!” She cried out. The name felt wrong to her. As if she was now rejecting who he once was as a child. The difference between Lucky Hope and Dusk Elegy was like day and night. But as the name carried through the howling wind, he stopped about a stone’s throw away. “Why are you doing this?” “Haven’t I said enough?” he said, half turning back. “There is nothing for me there.” He began walking away again, pushing through the blistering wind. Celestia followed, refusing to give up. “You’re lying” She said with a finality that helped to reassure herself. “There’s something else here, there has to be. Why else would you reject everything you once were? Your letter spoke of sorrow and apologies for what had to be done, not what you wanted to do. Your letter explained nothing of your motives, merely your intention to leave.” “Well maybe I’ve wised up since then” he spat back. “Growing up will do that.” “That doesn’t mean anything” she reasoned. She couldn’t tell where Dusk was leading them. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly through town. “Why write the letter?” she kept up. “With Luna’s passages you could have easily slipped away from the castle with none the wiser until hours after you left. But instead you leave behind a letter with your intent to leave and give it to the guard knowing full well I would read it immediately.” “I didn’t want to be found, I said as much in my letter. If I had just disappeared you would have searched tirelessly for me thinking something had happened. I made the letter so you didn’t need to worry about me.” “But you still care! The letter to me to ensure I knew you were safe. The cake to Arpeggio to ensure he didn’t do something dangerous for his pride. You still tried to make sure we were all right.” “Just because I don’t want to live there anymore doesn’t make me heartless!” “But why go so far to reject your home? Reject your history? Your family? All of us? Why reject Luna?” At that, he spun around pointing a hoof at Celestia accusingly. “Don’t you DARE say that! I never rejected Auntie Luna! I told you to stop but as usual you didn’t listen and banished her to the moon!” “I will bring her back!” she yelled back with the same ferocity. “I don’t care how long it takes, months, another year, a decade? I will find a way so that I can bring her home!” The anger in his eyes subsided at her words, replaced by confusion. “What? Do… Do you seriously not know?” Now it was Celestia’s turn to be confused. “No?” She said hesitantly. “The magic from the Elements of Harmony is like nothing else on Equestria. But I am spending every possible moment to...” “No that’s not what I mean!” he snapped. He looked aside and his eyes unfocused as he mumbled to himself, barely audible over the howling winds, concentrating on his thoughts. “You must not have heard it yet. What does that mean?” “Heard what?” she asked. “You know she can come back, you expected as much in your letter. You said you gave her one more thing to be upset about when she came back. But I was wrong to ignore you last time. If we bring her back together, we can welcome her home as a family and make everything right.” “It doesn’t work like that!” he snapped, his voice breaking as tears began forming in his eyes. “how could you not know already?” “Know what?” Celestia pleaded. “Dusk please, tell me what’s wrong.” He was silent a moment as he dried his eyes with his hoof, and she waited patiently, wanting desperately to know what was going on. “I guess you’ll hear it from me then” he finally said, drawing himself up. “Nightmare Moon…” Celestia drew a breath. That accursed name of the mare that had taken over her sister. “Banished by the elements of harmony. On the longest day on the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about night eternal.” Time slowed to a halt for Princess Celestia as she took in the full weight of those words. A thousand years? It had taken her months to finally come to grips with what had happened, especially after Lucky Hope, now Dusk Elegy, had run away. It took longer still to mend the faith her ponies had in the crown and rulership. As well as her own faith in herself. The study into the elements and what precisely they had done to Luna gave her some semblance of hope that they would see each other again. But to hear this? It was as if she was saying goodbye all over again and the haphazard structure of her world came tumbling down once more. Weakness took her legs and her body fell to the snow covered ground. “Wha… how? How do you know this?” she struggled to say. “I… I’ve done my own investigation” he hesitated. “I thought you would’ve known. Though now I guess I never considered how you would’ve come about the information.” “A thousand years” she said in horror, still barely grasping the concept of waiting an entire millennium to see her sister again. Not only that, but she returns as Nightmare Moon? And still intends to bring about eternal night? “That’s why I can’t be there Celestia” Dusk continued. “Your long life will easily make it possible for you to see her return. But mine?” he turned away once more. “I’ll be gone for centuries by that stage. It’d be impossible for me.” “Not quite” She heard herself saying. She swallowed the despair she was feeling deep into herself. A thousand years, while a terrible wait, still meant that it was a problem she could deal with later. Right now, she had another family member she was trying to save. “There is a way you could be there. Even after a thousand years.” “What are you…” his voice faded, and his eyes grew wide with realization. Celestia had honestly considered it before. Long ago when it was still the three of them, and he was still just a child, the idea of him passing on through the natural cycle of old age before she showed even a hint of aging terrified her. Such a gift was not to be given lightly, but there were certain things that one does not do. “I could grant you a lifespan just like mine.” One does not abandon family. “An Alicorn’s lifetime.” “You… are you…” he struggled to form words at her offer. She stood up once more and held her hoof out for him to take. “Yes, we can welcome her home together.” But she was not prepared for the anger that washed over his face. “Are you serious?!” he yelled with utter fury. Celestia recoiled at the rage that erupted from him. “What?” “You’re offering to turn me into an alicorn, not because I deserve it, not because I’ve earned the right, but because you PITY ME?!” “What? No! I…” “It has to be, I haven’t done anything worthy of such a thing. And I’m guessing it’s not normally something you could do at the drop of a hat is it?” Celestia remained silent from a mix of shock and guilt. She shook her head, admitting what he had already figured out. “You’ve never made anypony else an alicorn have you? Not for bravery, or greatness, or service to Equestria or it’s people, so why me? All I’ve done is show up mysteriously as an infant, and then what? I have done nothing to deserve such an offer. Did you really think you could offer something like that as an apology for tearing my family apart?” “No Dusk, that was never my intention” she pleaded. “Then what was your intention!? Because from where I stand it’s either pity, incompetence, or a bribe.” Celestia gasped in disbelief. The fiery rage in his eyes had turned to something far worse. Hatred. “You know, I guess I was wrong to leave that letter” he said with a cold finality. “I should have told you to your face that I wanted nothing more to do with you, and to leave me be. Better late than never I guess. Goodbye Princess Celestia. Go home and do not meddle with my life any further. My love will not be bought.” With that final word, he turned away and trudged away, leaving Princess Celestia in the cold and snow. Celestia was ready to give up right there. Just lay down in the snow and succumb to the cold. Her sister was banished to the moon for a thousand years, and her child hated her with all his heart. Right now, nothing seemed to hurt more than the sight if Dusk Elegy walking away and disappearing into the blizzard, now etched into her mind. “Oh Luna.” She looked to the sky, searching for a glimpse of the moon and her sister, but the clouds refused to part. She continued anyway. She knew where the moon was, even through the harsh weather. “What am I supposed to do? Everything has gone so wrong. You always gave me strength when I was lost. How could I have not noticed when you relied on me for the same?” Other than the wind, there was no reply. “Our little hope hates me. I thought I was ready for it, but… not like this. I fear that trying to mend our broken connection, I’ve simply made it worse. And his prophecy… A thousand years. It is more than an age. Will it truly be that long? It’s so hard. What can I do?” Another wave of sorrow washed over her. “What can I do but give up?” But somehow, even saying those words made her defy them. She shook her head defiantly and got to her hooves, renewing her resolve. “No” she said to herself, denying the sobs that so wanted to escape. “One does not abandon family. The stars will aid in her escape” she quoted from Dusk’s prophecy. “It’s not much, but it’s something.” She looked the way that Dusk had left, his tracks already being covered by the snow. She bowed her head solemnly. “Goodbye Lucky Hope. Dusk Elegy. I will follow your wishes, but I will never abandon you. Till we meet again, whenever that may be.” Tender Spirits hadn’t noticed when Dusk Elegy had left, nor his new friend, but he had noticed the unfinished meal he left behind. Tender Spirits knew his musician friend had a large appetite for his size, so he had put it aside to save it in case Dusk came back. So it was later a surprise when he saw the younger stallion come through the door to the tavern and stomp past the bar, and up the stairs to his room. “Elegy?” He asked up the stairs after him, but he had gone so quickly he was already out of view. A moment later he heard a door slam a little louder than normal upstairs. “Oh dear.” It was obvious Dusk was upset, and it didn’t take too long for Tender Spirits to figure out what it must have been. That mare, Yellow Star. She said she had been looking for family, and Dusk had always been a bit tight lipped on his history or where he came from. He had always assumed that Dusk Elegy had been running away from something, but tonight had practically confirmed it. “Oi, stop daydreaming Tender.” Tender Spirits rolled his eyes. High Roller was a nice enough pony, but sometimes he just utterly failed at reading the room. Tender pulled the washcloth off his shoulder and dropped it on the bar counter. “Take a break Roller, I gotta deal with something first. Heady Shores, would keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid?” “What? Don’t you trust me?” High roller laughed. “Only as far as I can throw you, and I wouldn’t want to try and risk doing my back in.” He left the bar and the now laughing patrons behind him as he went up the stairs, following the path of his tenant. Upstairs the laughter of the bar was largely gone thanks to decent construction and soundproofing. There was no point to having rooms upstairs if the sound of the bar below wouldn’t let anypony sleep, but he could still make it out if he needed to. There were only a few rooms left aside for tenants, and only one was in use for a prolonged stay at the moment. He went up to Dusk Elegy’s room and rapped lightly on the door. “Everything okay in there Elegy?” There was no response. Not too surprising given the circumstances. “I’ll be coming in if I don’t hear a complaint.” Again, nothing. “Okay.” The door wasn’t locked when he tried it and found Dusk elegy lying face down on his bed. He was shuddering slightly as he sobbed quietly. He hadn’t even bothered to take his guitar off his back. Tender Spirits breathed in through his teeth and let out a sigh. “That bad huh?” Dusk nodded into his pillow. The elderly stallion pulled up a chair nearby the bed and sat backwards on it and got comfortable for what he assumed could be a while. “Wanna talk about it?” Dusk shook his head. “That’s probably fair. Though I’ll reiterate. I’m always willing to listen, and you’ll get no judgement from me. I just want to know you’ll be okay.” Tender Spirits shifted uncomfortably. “But, full disclosure, I spoke with that mare Yellow Star before you got there. While she didn’t say much, it was enough to make a few guesses based on your current state” he said, indicating to Dusk sobbing on the bed. “She said she was looking for family. And I’d be willing to put bits on the table that she found it tonight.” Dusk didn’t say anything, but he pulled his face from the mattress and looked at him. His eyes were red and stuffy from tears. “Now, I’m not going to push or pry, that’s not my thing. But even Roller, if he saw you, would be able to tell this has shaken you up something fierce. So I’m just going to sit here and keep you company till you tell me to leave or you feel like opening up. Cause you’re hurting and there’s no need for you to hurt alone.” “Thanks” Dusk croaked. “No problem. You’re a good kid and I hate seeing you like this.” “Am I though?” he asked quietly. Tender answered with a tilt of his head. “Am I a good pony?” Tender Spirits sighed. “Well that’s a hard question to answer. You’ve been awful quiet about your past, which is fair. Not everypony that comes through here necessarily wants their past brought up like the sun every morning. But from what I’ve seen during your stay here, you certainly are a good pony. I’d even be bold enough to say you’re a good friend. Now why would you ask something like that?” Dusk didn’t move his head, but looked away with his eyes. “I don’t feel like it right now. I said such horrible things and just… didn’t stop.” “Did you mean them?” “No” he said quickly. “No, but… I had to say it. Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to. I just...” Tender listened silently. He wouldn’t respond unless he needed to, because although he certainly was curious, this talk was for Dusk’s sake, not his own curiosity. And if Dusk wanted to say it, then he would. “She can’t keep focusing on me” Dusk finally said. “Are you saying you told her these horrible things to stop her from focusing on you?” Dusk picked himself up and sat on the bed as he stared into space. “Yeah. I made it sound like I hated her.” “Do you?” “No. But I thought it would be the best way to get her to… forget about me.” Tender Spirits frowned but kept silent. Dusk Elegy looked like he was struggling for words “She’s just… she’s so impossibly important, and I’m… not. She has the whole world on her shoulders and I’m just another confusing element that never should’ve been there to begin with.” “Sounds to me like you’re building her up while knocking yourself down. And in my experience, nopony is that important.” Dusk’s face screwed up into a pained smile. “She really is, you have no idea. And if she focuses all her efforts on me, she won’t be able to do what she needs to. And I’ve already seen how I’ve made things worse just by being there.” Well, that sounded like that direction of conversation was bust. Dusk seemed fairly convinced of his own unimportance, and not knowing any of the details left Tender without anyway to convince him otherwise. So instead, he tried to move on. “Either way, that doesn’t sound like a good way to treat your… sister?” he guessed. “Sorry, I don’t think I ever found out. She looked too young to be your mother. At least I hope so” he mumbled, his mind now going over some of the things he had just heard. Dusk chuckled a little. At least that got a smile out of him. “We’re not actually related to be honest.” Tender was immediately grateful to hear his fears were unfounded but did his best not to distract Dusk with a sigh of relief. “I just sort of… happened.” “Ah” Tender nodded sagely, pretending he knew what Dusk meant. Dusk sighed apologetically. “I’m sorry, I know I’m being really vague and confusing. There’s just so much I can’t talk about. And so much more that I don’t know How to talk about. I’ve just been holding back for years and there’s stuff I’ve never told anypony because I don’t know what effect any of it will have. The only thing I know… is not being there.” “So, what do you think you’ll do?” “I think… I think I need to move on. Now that she knows where I am. Find somewhere else to stay for a while. And try to sort myself out again.” Well, it wasn’t the answer he was hoping to hear. “Well, I suppose I never expected you to stay for the rest of your life.” He had hoped Dusk would try to fix things with his family, but it seemed something truly terrible had happened between them. Or rather the way Dusk made it out, perhaps he expected something terrible would happen if he did return. “No, it’s nothing about you” Dusk insisted. “I love it here, but I…” “Now don’t you even think about apologizing” Tender cut him off. “This place is called the Thoroughfare for a reason. Ponies come and go. It was never designed to be a permanent home. You have to find that yourself, somewhere you can really set your roots down. And this dump certainly isn’t that.” “It’s not a dump.” “It’s my dump, and I love it” Tender Spirits joked. “Any idea where you’re headed?” “I don’t know. Probably just wander for a while.” “What about Canterlot? I’d imagine there’d be plenty of opportunities for a rising musician like yourself.” “Uh… I don’t think so” Dusk elegy hesitated. “I… don’t think I’d like being around such large crowds. Maybe a smaller town or something.” There was something about that reaction that gave Tender Spirits a pretty good idea where Dusk’s family resided, so he decided to drop the suggestion. “Just remember to take your time, there’s no rush.” “Yeah” Dusk Elegy said, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I guess it’s a better idea to actually have a plan than just disappearing spontaneously.” Tender was starting to feel glad the conversation felt like it was leading to its conclusion. The more Dusk spoke and revealed vague details, the more concerned Tender became. “Well how about you sleep on any decisions for now and talk to me in the morning if you’ve had any thoughts where you want to go. I’ve got friends in a few other towns I could send a letter to who would be more than willing to help give you a leg up.” “You don’t need to do that. But thanks.” “Think nothing of it Dusk Elegy. I said it before and I’ll say it again. You’re a good kid. I just hope you can learn to see it too.” “How do you do it?” Dusk asked. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific” Tender replied. “I do a lot of things.” Dusk Elegy chuckled, finally pulling himself out of his depression. “How are you such a good guy?” “Years of experience” he said with a smile. “And old age will either turn you into a decrepit old fogey, bitter at the world, or a kind elderly stallion that only wants to help pull up the younger generation and pass on the experience of years. I like to think I’m the latter.” “Heh, so I just have to wait a few years and I’ll be set?” “Not quite. You have to actually be old to appreciate it. You can hear about the passage of years and failing joints till your ears fall off, but it’s always quite different actually experiencing it. And that’ll give you a different look on life and what kind of world you want to leave behind.” “I… think I get it.” “Be thankful you don’t, not yet anyway” he chuckled. He went to the door to leave. “Now you get some rest and we’ll talk in the morning.” He nodded and with his magic finally took his guitar case off his back and set it by the side of the bed. “Okay. Goodnight Tender Spirits.” “Goodnight Dusk Elegy.”