//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Cold of Dusk Shine 
// Story: A Sparkle's Little Dusk 
// by Mister E-Nonymous 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7: The Cold of Dusk Shine






Twilight was making breakfast for Spike and Dusk. She was making some pancakes. Just then, the kitchen door opened and she looked and saw Spike coming in.

"Good morning, Twilight," Spike said.

"Hey, Spike," said Twilight. "Where's Dusk?"

"I knocked on his door," said Spike. "I told him that he was going to be late for school if he didn't get out of bed."

"And he didn't seem to come out yet?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm gonna go check on him." Twilight then headed out of the kitchen, went up the stairs, and went to check on Dusk. She knocked on Dusk's door and asked, "Dusk? Are you okay in there? It's 7:30."

When she got no answer, she leaned her ear towards the door. She didn't hear anything. She then used her magic and opened the door. Twilight saw that Dusk was still in bed. She walked over towards it, put a hoof on Dusk and shook him.

"Dusk," Twilight said. "It's time to get up." Dusk shifted in his bed. He got up, and Twilight saw that he wasn't looking so good. His face was a little red, his eyes were a little puffy, and there was snot coming from his nostrils. "Dusk? Are you feeling okay?"

Dusk shook his head and said, "I'm not feeling all too well, Twilight."

"Oh, boy," said Twilight. "Hold on a sec." Twilight then teleported out of the room, and came back with a thermometer. "Open your mouth, Dusk." Dusk opened his mouth, and Twilight put the thermometer under Dusk's tongue. She waited a few moments, and then she took it out of Dusk's mouth saw the temperature. Twilight sighed and said, "Well, you're not going to school today, Dusk. You got a cold. 103 degrees."

"I... I don't want to..." Dusk said, but was silenced by Twilight.

"Shh... This is different than the way you got sick on your old world," said Twilight. "This sickness is only temporary." She then turned to the door and said, "I'll make you some soup, and I'll have Spike go to your school to give Cheerilee a note."

Dusk smiled weakly. But that faded when he was about to sneeze. He then sneezed, and then a blast came from his horn, bouncing off the walls, Twilight ducking out of the way, and the blast hitting the lamp. It then sprouted arms and legs, and it started dancing. Like this:



Twilight and Dusk looked at the lamp as it was dancing towards the door and headed out. Twilight then said, "There's also that when a unicorn sneezes, a random magical blast fires and anything can happen."

"Even singing a song from an old cartoon from my old world?" Dusk asked.

"Yep," said Twilight. "Although, that was a weird coincidence. I suggest you get some rest. I'll head out and get you some medicine."

"Okay, Twilight," Dusk said, trying to cover back up.

Twilight smiled and headed out of Dusk's room, and into the kitchen. Spike continued cooking breakfast for Twilight. He then saw Twilight come walking in and said, "Oh, hey, Twilight. Where's Dusk?"

"He's caught a cold," said Twilight.

"Oh, so that explains the singing and dancing lamp," Spike said, pointing at something. It was the lamp from earlier and it was singing another song.



Twilight then fired her magic at the lamp, and it went back to normal. She then said, "Hopefully, Dusk will get better." She then grabbed a note, and wrote something on it with her magic. "Can you go to the schoolhouse, and give this note to Cheerilee."

"Sure, Twilight," said Spike. "Dusk must've been near the lake and fell in yesterday with the Crusaders."

"That explains why he was a little wet when he came home, yesterday," said Twilight. "So, you go and take it after you eat."

"Okay, Twilight," Spike said. "I'll also inform your parents about Dusk being sick."

"Thank you, Spike," Twilight said.





Later that day, Dusk got out of bed. Twilight gave Dusk some medicine. Dusk then went to the bathroom, and decided to get a warm bath in. Twilight helped him into the bathtub, and cleaned him up.

"Feeling better, Dusk?" Twilight asked, scrubbing him with a loofah.

"A little," Dusk said with a snot filled voice.

"That's good," Twilight said. "I'm going to get you some more medicine and some lunch. You gotta keep your energy up."

"Okay, Twilight," Dusk said. He then felt the urge to sneeze. He then tried to resist the urge to sneeze. Twilight noticed as Dusk was about to sneeze. Dusk sneezed, and then the magical blast bounced off the walls and hit a toothbrush, and it then it sprouted wings and started flying towards Twilight.

"Whoa!" Twilight said, ducking out of the way of the toothbrush. Twilight then used her magic, and deactivated the spell and the toothbrush almost hitting Dusk in the eye, but Twilight caught it in her magic. "If only there was a way to turn off your magic when you're sick."

"That would be smart," Dusk said.

"Yes," said Twilight. She then used her magic to take Dusk out of the tub. Dusk was dried off and was taken back to bed. Twilight tucked Dusk in and said, "I'll be back to check on you."

Dusk didn't respond because he was asleep. Twilight smiled at him. She wanted to kiss him, but she might catch Dusk's cold. She then left the room, and headed out of the room, leaving Dusk there to sleep.





Later that afternoon, Twilight was reading some books until a knock on the door came to her attention. Twilight walked towards the door, opened it, and outside, there was Scootaloo.

"What brings you here, Scootaloo?" Twilight asked.

"Since Dusk didn't come to school today, I volunteered to give his homework assignment to him," said Scootaloo. She reached into her saddlebags, and pulled out some papers. Twilight took them in her magic and smiled.

"Thank you, Scootaloo," said Twilight. "But, Dusk isn't able to do it yet. Not until he's feeling better."

"Yeah, everypony kinda figured," said Scootaloo. "Well, I gotta go. Tell Dusk that most of the ponies in class hope he feels better."

"I will," said Twilight. "Thank you, Scootaloo." Scootaloo nodded and closed the library door when she left. Twilight then went up the stairs to put in Dusk's Homework by his desk. As she was there, she saw that Dusk was squirming in his sleep. Twilight got a little nervous, so she rubbed Dusk's backside to calm him down. Luckily, it was working.






Meanwhile... in Dusk's Dream...


Dusk, or at the moment in his dream, Henry, was walking through a hallway full of doors. He had no idea where he was. Henry then started looking in one door and saw something he wasn't expecting. His parents.

"Henry," said his mom.

"Mom? Dad?" Henry asked.

"Henry... why haven't you come home?" asked his dad, getting angry.

"What?" Henry asked. "But... I thought..."

"You were supposed to be home months ago," said Henry's mother. "My sister was right. You're good for nothing."

"Let's sell him to the farthest farm in the country," said Henry's father. "After all, he's nothing but a pathetic little pony."

Henry looked towards his right and there was a wall mirror. But there, on the mirror, instead of him as Henry, it was him as Dusk Shine.

"No!" he said, trying to run up to his parents, but losing balance. "Mommy! Daddy! Please!"

"He's always been chatty, wasn't he?" asked his father.

"Yes," said Henry's mom. "Bonnie, why don't you handle this?"

Dusk turned his head towards his left and there was Henry's aunt Bonnie and his cousin Devon, dressed as doctors with some big scissors and pliers.

"This'll stop him from talking," said Devon.

"We'll cut off his tongue and pull out his teeth so he'll never be able to speak again," said Bonnie.

"N-No... No!" Dusk said. He then tried running away, but then he felt his tail grabbed. Dusk turned his head and saw that Devon had him by the tail. "L-let me go, Devon!"

"I'm sorry," said Devon with a sneer. "I can't understand you. Horses aren't supposed to speak at all."

"No! No! No no no no no no!" Dusk said as he was being pulled by Devon. But then he felt his tail being released, and he took off running. But then he bumped into something soft. When he looked up at what he bumped into, he was surprised to see who he bumped into. "Pr-Princess Luna?"

"Hello, Dusk," said Princess Luna. "I see that thou art having a fever dream."

"Fever dream?" asked Dusk. "Oh, that makes sense. No wonder it's so hot."

"Thou shall not worry," said Princess Luna. "Twilight Sparkle is taking care of that."

Then Dusk felt something. He then said, "Is it starting to cool down because Twilight has placed a cold rag on your forehead to bring down the heat." Dusk then sighed. 

"What is wrong?" Princess Luna asked.

"I... I miss my mom and dad," Dusk said. "They wanted what was best for me. But they weren't aware of my aunt and my cousin."

"I know, Dusk," said Princess Luna. "But thou should know that your parents loved you. Although, Twilight Sparkle knows that you are in need of a good family. Thou art lucky to have her as a mother. Even if thou aren't accepting it, yet."

"I... I don't know," said Dusk. "Twilight is a nice pony. But, I'm not sure I should start calling her 'Mom'." He then started shedding some tears. "I... I miss them..."

Princess Luna pulled Dusk in for a hug, and said, "Tis okay, young Dusk Shine. I'm sure that things shall be better for thou." Dusk then hugged her back, and cried into her chest fur. Unbeknownst, he was going to wake up in that same position.





Dusk was waking up, hugging something. As he opened his eyes, he saw that his cheek was against something that has the same color as he did. He looked up and saw Twilight sitting there, with him.

"Are you okay, Dusk?" Twilight asked.

Dusk sniffed and said, "I... I miss my Mom and Dad."

"I know," Twilight said. "But, they will always love you, wherever you are. You are a good little colt who needs a loving family. One better than what happened the last time." She then looked at the time and said, "Time to take your medicine." She then prepared it and fed it to Dusk. "You are such a sweet colt. I promise that you will not end up in that state ever again."

Dusk smiled. He then said, "I'm glad you took me in. I'm... lucky to have someone like you..." He was nodding off. Twilight smiled, and then nuzzled his cheek. She then used her magic to tuck Dusk back into bed. She then headed for the door, but then she heard Dusk mumble in his sleep. "Momma..."

That word made Twilight freeze. She turned towards Dusk. He was using his right foreleg to reach for something. She then walked towards Dusk, and started humming a tune that would calm him down. That made Dusk calm. Twilight then whispered into Dusk's ear, "Sleep well, my little Dusk."

Dusk smiled, and then he snuggled in, bringing his blanket in, covering his entire body, leaving his head out. Twilight then walked out of the room, leaving Dusk to sleep.