The cool evening breeze welcomed the pegasus stallion to the outskirts of the small village sprawled before him. For weeks he had travelled through the Griffon Kingdoms to be here; before that, a large length of time traversing the seas home to fearsome hydras and mer-mares whose beauty was surpassed only by their treacherousness. Before reaching these vast oceans he had been forced to cross arid deserts of unrelenting sandstorms, baking sunshine, and creatures so perilous and rare that their very existence was in question to many.
These feats paled in comparison to his escape from his homeland; home to beings that nopony among the living could conquer, home to tribes of ponies once mortal and peaceful, home to his research.
Fleeing his birthplace and home, La Selva Demonia, had been incredibly difficult, but necessary. And now he found himself here, on the outskirts of a small village called Ponyville. This would be as good of a place as any to settle. With those thoughts, he shifted his small, tattered saddlebags higher on his strong, herculean back and slowly walked into the village.
Upon finding the centre of the village, it became apparent that the ponies here were quite different to himself. There were far more mares than stallions, and the stallions he could see were far smaller than he expected, so much so that he may have mistaken them for colts if they did not already have their marks. He looked down at his own, another source of difference between himself and the Ponyville inhabitants. While everypony in the village square had marks consisting of two, three, on an occasion even four brightly coloured shapes present on their pastel coloured flanks, his appeared dark and rather minimalist; a small, simple four-pointed star, white in colour, placed in the centre of his dark navy flank. His large wings rested idly along his body, almost covering the mark. They were the same deep, rich blue for the most part, save for the obsidian-like end feathers, similar in both colour and durability, that were far sharper than any other wings he’d encountered so far in this village. His mane was a rich burgundy with a stripe of pure white running from the start of his fringe to the tip of his tail, chased all the way by a smaller, lilac stripe. A few of the ponies stared at this dark mountain of a stallion before looking away, afraid of the embarrassment accompanying being caught looking for too long at something, or somepony.
After travelling for so long, foraging for provisions, and dining on whatever could be found underneath desert sands, within a forest, or deep in the seas, his next sight beckoned to him with a stronger siren call than the queen of the mer-mares, and it was a call he was unable to ignore. He saw a great sign covered with bright balloons, long streamers, and flashing neon lights illuminating bright pink painted writing advertising a small get together.
‘Sugarcube Corner’s 946th daily evening eat-a-thon! First serving free!’
Just around the corner was the establishment in question. Tables with umbrellas had been set outside the bright pink bakery; each one of them occupied except for one table in the corner. Spying his opportunity, he briskly trotted over to the vacant area. Once there he leaned up against his table, giving him an opportunity to view the other ponies of the village. On the opposite side of the bakery, approximately twenty tables away, a pony with a radiant, light pink coat and a mane resembling candyfloss jumped up high, gasping loudly and remaining in the air just a little while longer than what should have been possible for an earth pony. He had seen many strange things while travelling here, but he could already tell that this pony had the potential to make it to the top of that list. He chose to ignore the excitable mare and looked elsewhere in the bustling crowd.
Just then, a white unicorn mare with an electric blue mane and a mark of two black quavers galloped past, holding a pink bow tie in a light blue magical aura, chuckling gleefully followed by a slim, ash grey earth pony with sleek, perfectly-kempt black mane and tail and a lilac treble clef mark sped through, brandishing a cello bow as if it were a katana, screaming for the first mare, apparently named ‘Vinyl’, to “please return her property to her!”... or words to that effect.
At the centre of Sugarcube Corner’s forecourt he caught sight once more of the pink pony bouncing through the crowds; he just had time to see a mark of three balloons on her flank before she vanished once more behind a table occupied by two ponies. One of these two, a mint green unicorn with a golden lyre for a mark, appeared slightly different from all other mares and colts here. While everypony else either leant on the table, sat on the floor, or simply stood, this unicorn was oddly perched atop a chair, hind legs dangling free over its edge, with her back slouched against the rear of the chair. A cream coloured earth pony stood by the table with the unicorn, her mane consisted of dark blue and pink curls while her mark was not visible from his angle; her body language seemed to convey she was overly conscious of being seen with this strangely seated mare. However her nervous smile suggested she was happy to be there.
He sighted the same pink pony, now only two or three tables away from him, with her head poking out of the top of that table’s umbrella. Her neck appeared longer than normal, stretched tall and slender. Deep blue eyes, excited, sparkling and huge in diameter had been staring directly at him before the head receded into the umbrella, a space he would have sworn would have been impossible to hide a fully grown pony. With the disappearance of the pink head from his view, he could see the late evening sky growing darker. Not only that, but he could see a rainbow, odd as it had not rained in days. His eyes traced the bold hues in the sky and realised that they were, in fact, not a rainbow, but the trail of a pegasus high in the sky, travelling at a blistering speed in patterns causing him to feel slightly queasy from only looking upon them in awe.
Once the pegasus had flown out of sight he brought his gaze back to ground level...
…directly into those bright blue eyes he had seen moments before, only now inches from his face.
“HI!”
He recoiled at the shock and unfurled his right wing, thrusting it through the air. The pink pony reacted with almost impossible speed and withdrew from its range as the black razor tips sliced cleanly through the pole holding up the umbrella for his table, which silently leaned left and fell to the floor. Luckily nopony from any other table saw this and the pink pony could only stare at his black wing tips that had almost cut her a permanent smile, not that she didn’t have one to begin with anyway.
“Oooh, shiny!” she whistled.
“Ay lo siento, señorita! Pues, no… I mean…” Forgetting due to shock his current location in Equestria, he quickly corrected himself to the local language. “I am so sorry! It was a surprise to me!”
“And you don’t like surprises?” Her head cocked to one side and a wide grin spread upon her face as she awaited an answer from the huge pegasus.
He sighed; the simple question caused him to think back to his home and the constant state of alertness he had to maintain against any surprises that would undoubtedly result in him joining the herd of the re-animated. He struggled to regain his composure and replied to the pink mare’s innocent query.
“From where I have come, you pass every day praying that there will be no surprises awaiting you, because there are no good surprises. A surprise in La Selva can only serve to end your days as a living pony.”
“Oooh, sounds super scary and mean! Well all of señorita Pinkie Pie’s surprises can only serve to end your days of being a pony who doesn’t like surprises! Because I love surprises so much that sometimes it surprises me just how much I love surprises! Oh I almost forgot! Now you know I’m Pinkie Pie, what can I call you, señoorrrrrrr...?” She leaned in close and rolled the final ‘r’ extensively, sounding somewhat like a pneumatic drill, only a few octaves higher.
With some degree of unease and confusion, he replied.
“You may call me Crepúsculo Sombrío”
“Well it’s so great to meet you Mr. Sombrero! How long have you been here in Ponyville? It couldn’t have been that long because I’m sure I would have noticed a new pony, especially one as super-duper huge as you! That’s the reason I came over here so quickly: to say hi to a new pony because, like I always say…”
Her speech started to grow faster and faster, her words tumbling from her mouth at an incomprehensible rate. Crepúsculo could not help but look on slack-jawed at the mare, missing most of what she had to say.
“… but then I figured why follow physics and their silly laws if they aren’t fun at all? Right?”
It took a moment for Crepúsculo to recognise Pinkie’s silence. He found himself unable to respond verbally, and instead his stomach opted to do the work, grumbling loudly.
"Oh, but you must be super hungry! Well your new auntie Pinkie Pie is here to help that; or maybe you should be my uncle Sombrero, you look a year or two older than me. Anyway, down to business." She zipped to a neighbouring table, whose inhabitants were setting off into the evening after their last mouthfuls, and clasped the menu they had left behind between her teeth before speeding back. She set the menu down and began to read Crepúsculo his options. "As you may have noticed, your first serving is complimentary. However your first serving may only consist of one of the following: daisy and watercress salad, hay fries, petunia and lilac sandwich with rose petal sauce, noodles with fried seaweed, or a selection of the finest apples Sweet Apple Acres has to offer. Upon completion of your first serving, further helpings will be two bits, equestrian."
"Ay, plumas de pony," he cursed under his breath; equestrian bits were not included in his short inventory. "Señorita Pie, I have only the money of La Selva... Perhaps these will do?" He gingerly pulled a few coins from his saddlebags. They were unlike anything Pinkie had ever seen before. At a size slightly larger than an equestrian bit, they glowed a stunning silver, as radiant and captivating as Luna's stars. Their faces displayed curious markings which, upon closer inspection, were revealed to be the head of a pony on one side, and an indentation of such a head, bared of skin and sinew, adorning the reverse of the coin.
Pinkie gasped at the pony skull and dropped the coin to the table. She quickly recovered with an almost nervous smile and slipped the coin into her mane. "Well I'm sure we can work something out; you are my uncle after all! I'll be right back."
In her absence Crepúsculo brought a small, well-worn journal from his saddlebags, caressing its cover slowly with a hoof, revealing its title: 'Viva la Muerte'. His life's work, contained in its entirety among those stained pages. The very thing he ran from, still at his side. He opened its cover and re-read the first page he had written, many moons past.
I am Crepúsculo Sombrío and I begin my research today. These monsters have plagued our village for centuries, yet the elders do nothing, and the others simply follow the elders. Somepony has to do something, at the very least find out more about them. That is what I intend to accomplish. With knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding, fear of them will fade, and only the fear of doing nothing will remain.
It was at that moment Pinkie rushed back to his table carrying plates piled high with all manner of treats which were subsequently devoured gratefully and greedily by Crepúsculo. Pinkie looked on with yet another smile as he enjoyed the food she had provided. When he had finished, Pinkie proudly announced that there was a choice of two desserts, a chimmi-cherry-chonga or her extra special rainbow cupcakes, leaning in close to him with a grin almost too big for her face.
"What is it that makes them so special?"
"They have real liquid rainbow at the centre, really adds a kick!"
"That sounds great! One of those please."
"Comin' right up!"
Crepúsculo's mind returned to his first writings in his journal. 'With knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding, fear of them will fade, and only the fear of doing nothing will remain.' That was what he had written all that time ago, before he knew better. He knew now that the fear of them was not replaced by the fear of doing nothing, but merely added to.
Pinkie brought to the table a cupcake striped with six distinctive hues; it was a small thing, easily consumed in one bite. Unfortunately for him, his manners were overcome by hunger and in one swift motion, the entirety of the treat was in his mouth. His eyes shot open as the fiery red touched his tongue, followed closely by a slightly less - yet still intense - orange and yellow. Green, blue and purple hit his taste buds one after another, the ice cold purple forcibly dilating his sinuses as his eyes watered.
Pinkie laughed and produced a glass of warm milk to act as a chaser for the killer cupcake, which he gratefully guzzled down, coughing and spluttering.
"What'cha been reading there?" Pinkie gestured to his journal. "A book? Oh! A book!" she gasped. "You should go see my friend, Twilight! You two bookish types would get along great! She lives in the library, in a tree! Can you believe that? Just head that way, you can't miss it!" she motioned off to the left.
The dark stallion rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, causing a solitary lock of burgundy to fall over his right shoulder. "Perhaps you could direct me towards a place I may rest for tonight?"
"Oh, uh..." Pinkie's eyes shifted, "Well, actually the library is also, uh... a hotel! Yeah! A B&B&B!"
"A what?"
"You know, a bed and breakfast and books!" she stated as if it were the most common of all knowledge.
Somewhat confused, Crepúsculo took this as his cue to leave. "In which case, gracias, señorita Pie. It was a pleasure to become acquainted with you."
"Likewise! See you later, new sombrero friend!"
The happy pink pony bounced back to the kitchen, beaming mischievously. You can thank your number one wingmare in the morning, Twilight!
***
It was getting late, Twilight had decided. Already Luna's moon was starting to cast gentle shadows throughout her library. If Spike were here, he would already be filling the arboreal residence with his far from melodic snores, but he wouldn't be back from Canterlot for a few more days. Being chosen by Princess Celestia to help oversee the hatching of more dragon's eggs for the entrance exams for Canterlot's magic school wasn't an everyday opportunity, and Twilight had sent him off under strict instructions to have a few days to himself in their old home town after he had completed all the necessary work. After all, he had been working extra hard lately to help Twilight with her medical anatomy studies.
She only wished she had a way to contact him while he was there.
Twilight let out a short yawn as she levitated a few medical textbooks back to their shelf: 'A Surgeon's Studies', 'The Practical Application of Pegasus Appendages', and 'The Internal Workings of the Unicorn Horn' all floated to their alphabetised locations.
She wandered lazily back to her desk and inspected a sketch of her own. A pegasus mare, wings outstretched, with almost illegible writing around her detailing each significant bone, organ and other details. Once again Twilight observed that if a pegasus' wingspan was just a few inches longer, fewer wing strokes would be needed to travel the same distance, providing less strain on a pony's cardiac system.
This, however, was only her theory. The only ponies she knew with such a wingspan were royalty, making them very difficult to study. Perhaps tomorrow I'll ask Rainbow if she knows anypony with huge wings that I could closely study. Wait... perhaps I'll word it differently.
Twilight giggled at herself and sighed. If only such a pony were to come to me instead of me seeking them out. But I guess things never really work like that...
A light knock at the library's door brought the lilac mare's train of thought steaming back to Equestria. Kind of late to be looking for a book, she idly thought.
She pulled the door inwards with closed eyes, "I'm very sorry, but library hours are-" she opened her eyes, staring where she had assumed a pony's eyes would be but instead found herself looking at dark, wide shoulders mere inches from her face. "... huge."
"They are what?"
Twilight's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as a deep, apple-red colour seeped into her cheeks.
"Oh! No, I mean, uh..." the crimson cheeked pony slowly brought her focus up Crepúsculo's neck until her bright lilac eyes lost themselves in his pale yellow irises, like halos shining in the dark night. "... How can I help you?" she breathed, a little more vacant than she would have liked.
"A friend of yours, a señorita Pinkie Pie, informed me I would be able to stay the night here?"
Twilight's eyes dulled. Pinkie huh? Well I guess that's as good of an explanation as I'm going to get regarding this coincidence. Wait... stay here?! "As in stay here, here?!"
"Pues, sí... this is a B&B&B is it not? A bed and breakfast and books?"
I will have to have a word or two with Pinkie tomorrow. Hold on... "You like... books?" Twilight barely suppressed a school filly squeal.
"Yes of course, I read some but my main focus is... no... was on writing. I was conducting research on a topic best left in my past"
Stars that would rival Luna's manifested within Twilight's eyes. "You conduct original research?!" A huge, toothy grin spread wide across her face, causing the strong pegasus to retreat slightly farther back than the library's doorstep. "Oh, no, what I meant to say was, do come in." Her giant grin receding to a bashful smile.
Perhaps against his better judgment, Crepúsculo gingerly entered this crazy mare's abode.
"Gracias, Pinkie has told me of your name, Twilight. I am Crepúsculo Sombrío, and I am in need of a place to stay the night. However, I cannot pay with equestrian bits, for I have only these..." Once more he brought those silver coins from his ruined saddlebags. "...money of La Selva"
Twilight didn't even look at the strange silver coins and closed the door behind this mountain of a stallion. Time to find out if his brain matches those muscles of his. "La Selva hmm? I think I have a few books around here on that particular area; most likely nothing compared to your original research. Do you have it with you? What is it about? Can I read it?" She cornered the pegasus, looking up at him with bright, excited eyes.
"In truth, yes. I have it with me, but I am sorry, it is for my eyes only. If only until it is completed." With any luck, it would never need to be completed.
"Oh... no, I understand." Twilight retreated, slightly downcast. She didn't really understand why he was keeping her from some research, original research at that, but she knew that if she pushed it any farther things would only become more awkward. After all, there was this whole B&B&B fiasco to resolve yet. "So you said you were looking for a place to stay then? Follow me, if you will."
Crepúsculo followed the eccentric mare's path up a flight of stairs to an open plan room containing one bed. "Well, this is where I sleep." she stated.
"What a lovely room, señorita."
"Yeah..."
One awkward silence later, he cleared his throat and asked, "And where might I sleep?"
"Oh, of course! It should only take a short while for me to piece together the spare bed I use sometimes. That is, if I can find the pieces."
"Well perhaps that room up the stairs may be easier for me to take?" he queried, motioning up another flight of stairs.
"Oh, my observatory? Well I did just put in a comfy area for late night stargazing, but there's no roof there..."
"I am sure I have had worse nights, and I always find peace in the stars."
Twilight looked as though she were about to object, but decided against it. "Well I guess I can get you a thick blanket and a pillow or two." she said, slowly levitating the items onto his mighty back. "Have a good night," she smiled nervously.
"Gracias, señorita Sparkle. Buenas noches."
Twilight found herself staring as he ascended the few steps to her stargazing platform. Well, this is most certainly out of the ordinary, I will have to find out more concerning this dark, mysterious pegasus in the morning. Why is his research so secret? Where is this 'La Selva'? What is his wingspan?
The puzzled pony sank into her sheets and sighed into her pillow. It was now long past the hour she would have gone to sleep on a regular day, had they existed in Ponyville. Already she could tell she would be groggy in the morning, especially with waking up early to greet her brother for the start of his vacation from the royal guard. Twilight buried those thoughts at the back of her mind, however, to be unearthed once more after her slumber, under the clarity of Celestia's sun.