//------------------------------//
// Expectations 
// Story: A Two Pony Trick 
// by BubblesOnMyButt 
//------------------------------//

	The summer that Dusk had spent with Dawn had changed his opinions and had convinced him that giving Dawn control on occasion would help his case. So whenever Dusk felt threatened he would assess the situation before acting, if danger was immanent he would pass over the control. This was one of those moments. 'Good luck Dawn, oh and don't get me in trouble. Remember, defensive measures only.' The bulky hoof was nearing his face rapidly, 'Understood.' Dawn leaned back and avoided the hoof by an inch. When the brute realized he had missed he made a right hook to make up for the testosterone build up. Dawn entered a full state of awareness with that moment, this was going to turn into a real fight. 'Dawn, defensive, remember.' Dawn ducked below the swing and swiftly leaped from his seat to the side as a second punch was thrown downward and connected with an empty desk. "You runt! Now you're gonna get it!" The class around both of them was starting to rise up and chant. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
'In a direct confrontation we are dead, you know that don't you?', asked Dusk as the cronies started to join their leader one by one. 'Not if I can have my body.' Dusk shook his head, 'No Dawn, just focus on not getting hit. We aren't fighting an offensive war.' Dawn dodged a swing, 'We aren't fighting a war at all Dusk, that means there are no rules.' Suddenly the leader threw a straight jab towards Dawn, there would be no dodging this one. 'Fine, you get five seconds.' Dusk's horn glowed for a moment, his hair ruffled up and finally his eyes turned to an even deeper tint of orange. He threw up his left hoof and hit the jab out of trajectory, then he let his left arm rest on the altered arm before throwing it up the length of the bully's arm and right into his throat. "AAAAHHHK!", the leader began to wheeze and the group cringed, "Get him." Dusk took his body back and all of Dawn's strength was drawn out of him. A crony to his left and right took advantage of the situation and grabbed each arm and lifted him up. "Any last words?" Dusk was still silent, speaking was still an awkward act for him especially when faced with danger. Suddenly a door flew open and a masculine voice boomed over the chanting and screaming, "What is going on here? I demand that this break up now!" The chanting broke up almost immediately and the sea of ponies parted, fear caked the air. Whoever this pony was he obviously commanded respect or received it naturally. A large red stallion walked in with a slight limp, "Bulk Elson! What is it you started this time?" The cronies dropped Dusk and tried to escape into the crowds but were stopped when the red stallion boomed, "And don't think you two are getting away either, I want the three of you to report to the office now." Bulk began to try and reason with the stallion, "Mr. Apple! Please don't send us! We'll get kick off the hoofball team and..." "Bulk, I don't want to hear it. Now go." The three colts made their way out of the classroom with their heads held low, then the stallion started to move toward Dusk. 'Deny everything...' 'Shut up Dawn.'
"The stallion leaned down next to Dusk and helped him up, "If they or anypony else give you any more problems then you come find me, OK?" Dusk could only nod, this pony was HUGE. No wonder everypony respected/feared him. After the whole class calmed down and order was restored Mr. Apple decided that he could leave, "Now the rest of you behave, I don't know why but your teacher is taking longer than normal but I have to be going now." Once he left the whole class broke into conversations both small and large. Many where about Dusk.
"What was with him? Did he look different for a bit to you?"
"He took down Bulk! Can you believe it?"
"What the hay is a freshman doing in here?"
"I bet that twerp thinks he is better than us!"
"He is way too quiet, where did he come from?"
"Stay away from him, he may be dangerous."
"Finally someone stood up to Bulk, I hate that jerk..."
"What! He's still a blank flank!"
'Dusk! We are heroes!' Dusk sat down in his desk and put his head down, 'Or villains.' He was taking in every single conversation he could, it wasn't like he was trying to. That was just how his mind worked. 'I wonder how Poly is doing.'

Poly arrived at her class and sat down, Dusk was still on her mind. 'Why is it I have hardly known him for years and yet I'm so obsessed over him? What is going on?' Poly sat in her desk and some more ponies came by and surrounded her. "Poly! It's so good to see you again; summer felt like forever, huh?" A blue pegasus with a red and white mane sat closest to her and both of them hugged promptly, "Shiny!" After Poly had gotten her cutie mark she and ponies started to come to her for help, she ended up making friends with many of them and collecting a few favors. Ursa Shine, or Shiny as Poly liked to call her, was one of those who Poly helped and became her friend. In fact, Ursa became Poly's best friend. "So what new has happened?" Poly was glad somepony asked, even more so because it had been Shiny, "I finally saw him today, like in person! Not from a distance." Shiny's expression grew bored, "You don't mean...", she started cautiously.
"Yes, I saw Dusk!" "*sigh* Poly... you need to give it up. You were his friend for a grand total of a couple weeks, I seriously doubt he is worth holding on to. There is no need to devote your life to him, you need to move on." Poly strained against the weight of her friend's words, "Perhaps your right... There's just something about him that I can't ignore, it's like I'm constantly being drawn to him..." Shiny grinned and squinted slightly so her face evolved to a more mischievous scene, "Well that's different! At first it sounded like you were a stalker but now it seems like you have a crush!" Poly's face instantly burned red and she threw her hooves out to cover her friend's mouth, "*Quiet!*", she whispered, "*I don't think it's something like that, but...*" She removed her hooves and started to look into space, "It might not be so bad if it were like that." Suddenly there was a large commotion coming from down the hall and one pony ran off to get the hall monitor. Shiny perked up, "A fight! A fight! Sweet! Imma go check it out!" Poly reached out to the pegasus but her wings helped her to make a break, "Wait! Shiny stop!"
The pegasus made it into the classroom in 5 seconds flat, the fight was in the AP Senior English classroom. The ponies surrounding the fight were WAY too tall, especially considering Ursa was only a freshman still, so she had to float in order to see the fight. She only saw about 5 seconds but those 5 seconds where enough to steal her heart. There she saw a small unicorn about the size of a freshman in a tussle with one of the hoofball players (the quarterflank to be exact). Time slowed for her and her heart pumped faster than her wings were flapping, to her she saw a handsome unicorn glowing with a powerful aura (she liked power). The way his mane was all ruffled up and his beautiful, dark orange eyes made him look like the bad boy she always dreamt of. Then he lunged out with a counter offensive combo that only experienced fighters could pull off in time. Suddenly something pulled her tail and she was forced to land, "Shiny! Get a hold of yourself, the hall monitor is coming and class has already started!" Ursa swore that for a moment her eyes had rolled back in her head and her irises where giant hearts so she shook herself back into control, "Oh right.." As they walked back to the classroom Poly began to lecture Ursa on her bad behavior or something along those lines, Ursa wasn't necessarily listening.
"I hope you running out of class was worth what you saw!"

...

"Oh, it was...", said Ursa dreamily, "It was."