A Curious Change in Dusk Light
Session Two
There was an empty space across from Doctor Oppenhoof where Dusk Light should have been sitting by now. The clock on the wall told him that Dusk was nearly thirty minutes late for their appointment. He was about to ask somepony what the delay could be when the door opened allowing the two orderly unicorns to levitate a displeased looking Dusk into the room with their magic, placing him in his seat across from the doctor. As the orderlies took up their station in the corners of the room Doctor Oppenhoof debated asking about the delay then decided against it, choosing to move forward instead.
“Session Two of Doctor Oppenhoof interviewing Dusk Light on behalf of the Equestrian Psychological Society.” The doctor began his latest session after activating the Phonographic Gem, “How are you today Dusk?”
“About as well as a falsely imprisoned pony that is constantly restrained can be doctor.” Dusk replied curtly.
“Dusk, as I understand they freed you from your restraints a few weeks ago and you attacked the
orderlies.”
“I didn't attack them, I resisted. But, only because they were trying to force their medication on me, I don’t want to be drugged up.” He stated simply.
“But the medication is here to help you Dusk. It will help calm you. If you were to take the medication they could remove the restraints.”
“Or, they could remove the restraints, shove the pills up their asses and understand that if they treat me with respect, I will do the same for them.” Dusk’s nostrils flared.
“I’m afraid, at this moment, that’s not possible. Perhaps we can reach some kind of compromise where-”
“Take your platitudes and shove them up your ass doctor.”
There was a terse silence in the room for several moments before the doctor cleared his throat. "Umm, very well then. Shall we get on with our session then?"
Dusk was silent for a long moment before letting out a sigh, "Might as well since I’m here."
The Doctor smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "Great. When we left off last time, you had just arrived home with the mysterious tome. Did you tell your friends about it?"
"No, not for some time."
"I see. And what did they say when you did eventually tell them."
"At first nothing because they weren’t aware of what it truly was. Once the truth came out however, they were shocked, to say the least. That's not where we are in this tale yet, however, doctor."
"Well why don't we continue on this path while we're here?" The doctor asked in a pleasant tone.
"No." Dusk replied simply.
"Please Dusk, what you tell me now and what you tell me later shouldn't matter. I don't need the little details, just a broad picture will do"
Dusk let out a curt laugh, "If I gave you the small details doctor then we would be here for years and I don't want to take that long trying to convince you that I don't belong here. What I am giving you is the broad strokes of a whole painting. And, like a painting, everything needs to be put in its place at the proper time otherwise the image looks jumbled and confused."
It was Doctor Oppenhoof's turn to sigh, "Fine then Dusk, why don't you tell me about what happened after you returned home. You did return home next didn’t you?" The last sentence came out more frustrated than the doctor had hoped.
Dusk laughed again, "Yes doctor, I did.”
“And once you returned to your home did you continue reading the book?”
“As much as I wanted to devote myself to that tome I resisted, knowing I had more important tasks that needed my attention. As I walked the twenty-minute walk from the train station to my rented home, I thought long and hard about my future. Through what I had read of the tome already, I knew that I would be able to take gem technologies to an entirely new level and was debating if I should devote my life in that direction. I loved gem work, but it was a hobby still, architecture and design had become my life.
“As I thought and debated with myself about my future I tidied up my home, clearing away the dust from my months of absence, and then sorted through my mail. Most of it was junk, but inside I found a letter from an old college colleague who was wondering if I still made phonographic gems in my spare time. I couldn’t tell you why he needed them now, but I know it sent my mind racing with possibilities. That letter, coupled with knowing that the tome held secrets that would let me do things that nopony had ever imagined, made the decision to focus on gem crafting very clear. I hastily wrote a reply to him telling him that I would happily make an order and quoted a price. I was then inspired to write an ad request to several newspapers.
“I rushed to town to mail off the letter and my ad requests before went to the local market to ensure that I had enough food to last me several days. I practically skipped back home I was so excited. My mind was filled with the possibilities of what the tome could show me and how I could change Equestria with the knowledge inside.” Dusk’s voice filled with excitement as he relived the memory, “I made myself a large sandwich and made some tea before committing myself entirely to this strange tome. After coming out of the trance like state, that reading the book caused, I could tell right away that my first session, despite only making it through five or six pages, had lasted several hours. My stomach grumbled and I was thankful for the sandwich, which had remained untouched, devouring it quickly and gulping down the long cold tea. Even though I barely made it through a few pages at a time at first, soon I was devouring the tome dozens of pages at a time."
"Just how long did it take you to read the book?"
"My first time through? Nearly a month. The second took me less than two weeks. The third time I managed in five days. After that, I could practically open the book to the exact page I needed to look at. Actually, it was not so much me opening the book, as it was knowing what I needed to reference and the book would go there by itself. Well, not by itself, it needed some interaction with me, but it was effortless."
"In all that time did you have any contact with the outside world?"
Dusk laughed again, "Of course doctor, I didn't become a hermit. My friends visited several times, I even made a trip or two to Canterlot in there."
"But you told nopony about the tome?"
"Not a soul.”
“Why not? Surely, you would have wanted to show somepony an ancient relic that had been lost for possibly centuries. It would have been quite the archeological find.”
“Normally, yes, it would have been quite the discovery. Nevertheless, I told no one for two main reasons: first, the fact that I had an ancient tome bound in somepony's hide isn't exactly something that you bring up in normal, or even abstract, conversation. Secondly, I could sense that it was better if I didn't tell anyone. It sounds insane but the book was possessive of me. It didn't like to be shared."
"The book was possessive of you? Don’t you mean yourself of it?"
Dusk shook his head, "No, I mean it of me. It was like an insecure girlfriend. You know the type the filly, the one who will give you a dirty look for glancing at another mare's flank. Then, when you get home accuse you of not wanting to be with her and tell you to go be with the other mare who is suddenly a disease-ridden whore. This tome was just like that.
"For example, I had Cloud Form and Marigold over for dinner shortly after I returned from my trip. I was in the middle of telling them about the tall huts of the more prominent Zebra villages when Marigold noticed the patch of fur I was missing on my hind leg. Concerned, she asked how it happened. I told them about my hiking accident and falling inside the sinkhole. I was describing the bleakness of the dark the tunnels, of how I felt hopelessly lost but continued on, when I reached the point about the mysterious room. I was abruptly flooded with a sense of dread about telling them about it. It felt as if the tome was standing over me, glaring at me to keep my silence. It wanted me to dread the repercussions of saying anything about where I found it.
“To be honest though, the sensation just left me confused. Not only because I could sense the warning was coming from the tome, but because I had no clue what it didn't want me to say. At that time, my memory consisted of me walking to that point in the cave where the room should have been, finding a lantern on the ground, and suddenly finding my way out. As I told you doctor, our last session is the first time I've thought about that chamber since I was in it.”
“How did your memory lapse explain the sudden appearance of the book, or was it with the lantern?”
Dusk thought quietly for a moment, “I was honestly never sure where exactly the book came from, but its origins also never seemed to bother me. I just had it, and it felt like I had always had it.”
Doctor Oppenhoof added to a note he had been writing, “Very well, how did you handle this feeling of dread? What did you tell your friends?”
“I simply told them that I saw a glimmer of light in the distance and rushed towards it.” Dusk stated simply, “I managed to change the subject to what they had been doing while I was away after that. We spent the rest of the night in pleasant conversation, also with me showing them my body of sketches I had done throughout my travels.”
The doctor was quiet while he finished his notes, "You liken this book to an abusive lover, yet -"
Dusk laughed loudly, cutting the doctor off, "That may actually be the best way of putting it."
"Yes... anyways, as I said, you liken it to an abusive lover, yet you don't seem to show any inclination of trying to get rid of it."
"Oh, there was inclination doctor. Over the next several years there would be a few times when the thought of getting rid of or destroying the tome would dominate my every thought for days, but, in the end, I knew I couldn't. It even told me that I would never be rid of it, and I knew it was right."
Doctor Oppenhoof gave Dusk a quizzical look, "You've used words like 'watching me' and 'telling me' in reference to the tome quite a bit. Are you suggesting that the tome is sentient?'
"There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I experienced those feelings. Now whether that’s because of the magic ingrained inside the tome or it was actually alive and speaking to me, I couldn’t tell you. However, it certainly felt like it could. After some of the things that I saw within that book I'm more likely to believe the latter."
"What exactly did you see in the book to make you believe such a thing?"
"Powerful things doctor. Some magnificent, wondrous crafting recipes that led to many of the inventions that you see all around you today in fact. Mixed in, however, were dark, terrible things that no living creature should ever witness. The fact that somepony actually discovered and recorded such things chills me to the core still. I can only imagine the terrible experiments that led up to the eventual discoveries."
The doctor was curious, "Did you dabble in any of these darker aspects inside the tome?"
"I wish I could tell you that I was a better pony and I resisted the urge.” Dusk sighed heavily, “But, curiosity is my weakness and I doubted some of the claims within the book so, I began to plan experiments to try a few of the tamer ideas in a controlled environment. Unfortunately, the book had other plans. My first experimentations with dark magic ended up coming out of greedy need.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand. ‘Greedy need’?”
Dusk nodded, “I found myself in an adverse situation when the tome offered a suggestion on how to resolve it. I became too intrigued by the possibility to not try it."
"What exactly did you try Dusk?"
"Mind control doctor."
* * *
"What is it with me and trains?" Dusk cursed to himself as he exited the passenger car the moment the train stewards would allow him.
He had a very full schedule; a sudden trip to Canterlot was not in the books. He needed an order of custom gem settings to complete an order, but his usual courier was overbooked. Because of the delay there, it would have added an extra week to his delivery date. That was time he did not have. He had tried other couriers; however, they all told him much the same thing for last minute shipments. In the end, Dusk was forced to go to Canterlot himself.
To make matters worse, the sides of a grain cart suddenly gave way in one of the smaller towns, spilling its load all over the tracks. The several hours that it took to clean the mess frustratingly delayed him. Now, many of the shops would be closing just as he arrived as opposed to being able to take a leisurely stroll through the city before running his errands. He had originally been hoping to spend the night with friends but all of them seemed to be preoccupied with some event that night in the city. All of the hotels, at least the non-seedy ones, seemed to be booked for the same reason. Even Marigold was out of town on business. He was simply out of luck and taking the night train back home was his only option.
Darting back and forth, Dusk rushed through the streets, hoping he could still make it in time. Swerving left and right he dodged other ponies, apologizing as he nearly careened into several of them. As he ran, ignoring the stares and outraged comments from the highbrow elite that he passed, he glanced at the ponies walking around the city lighting the lanterns with long, slow burning tallow candles. He allowed himself the split second to imagine each of the lanterns lighting themselves with his gems as Celestia lowered the sun each night. Perhaps he could have it so that they would glow different colours for special celebrations, or just for fun. So consumed by the idea was Dusk, that he almost crashed headfirst into a carriage carrying a noble looking pony.
Embarrassed by his almost run in with the carriage Dusk eased his pace for the last several blocks, paying more attention to where he was going. Out of breath, he finally arrived at a small shop front where a sign reading Tremendous Talismans swayed gently in the evening breeze. He exhaled a sigh of relief at finally being at his destination. However, as he approached the shop, the unicorn stallion in the window flipped the sign to the closed side with his magic. A groan of frustration escaped Dusk’s throat as he saw he was too late. His mind raced with possibilities of what he could do now, all of them leading to the fact that he already knew he couldn't stay the night. He needed to get that order now.
Taking a deep breath, Dusk attempted to steel his nerves. Despite his best efforts to calm himself, however, his heart still pounded in his throat as he knocked on the door gently. After several minutes with no reply, he tried again. It was after his third attempt that the shopkeeper appeared in the window, looking displeased with the intrusion "What are you, illiterate? The sign says I'm closed, come back in the morning!"
The unicorn turned to leave, but Dusk wasn't about to waste the opportunity, "Please sir, I've come a long way. I just need to pick up my order so I can-"
"Well, you should have gotten here sooner. Like the sign says, I'm closed now. If you needed special jewelry for the gala tonight you should have come on time." With that, the shopkeeper turned to leave again.
"I would have been sooner, but my train was delayed." Dusk Pleaded
"Not my problem," came the voice, growing more distant with every word, "You can either go home empty hooved tonight or wait until morning for your order."
Dusk was crestfallen. He couldn't go home without that order. He knew his schedule would not allow him another chance for at least a week or two; putting him even further behind on his client's orders than before. After another deep breath, he knocked on the door again, pleading to the empty shop to let him just take his order and go in hopes the shopkeeper would hear him. Behind him, he knew ponies were giving him strange looks, probably thinking he was crazy, but he didn't care at that moment.
After several minutes of continuous knocking and pleading the shopkeeper appeared at the window one more time, his face twisted in anger, "What name is the order under?"
Dusk let out a sigh of relief, "The order is under 'Dusk Light'."
"Those strange brass and silver fittings?"
"Yes, those are the ones." Dusk gave the shopkeeper a pleasant smile.
"Consider the order cancelled! I don't need this, nor do I need the business of one pony who can't understand 'go away until the morning'. Now, scram!"
Dusk felt his ears droop as the shopkeeper turned away from the window. His hind legs gave out and he dropped to his haunches in the street. "You... you can't. I need those for my work." He spoke quietly to the window.
Tears welled in his eyes as everything was going wrong. Dusk, feeling defeated, his head hanging low, forced himself to his hooves to begin the long walk back to the train station when a cold burning tingled in his right flank. It was coming from within the saddlebag that contained the tome. He didn't know why he had brought it along in the first place, it just hadn’t felt safe to leave it at home, alone. It was as soon as he was aware of the tome in his possession, within his saddlebag, that a spell formula entered his mind. Immediately he was appalled by the very idea of such a spell, and ashamed he even considered it.
"No, I couldn't." He gazed upon his reflection in the shop window. "I mean, I really couldn't cast such spell on another pony could I?"
When he had first read the spell he was, admittedly, intrigued by it. However, his plans had always been of going out to the woods and trying it on a squirrel or rabbit. He had even laughed at the idea of making it dance for him or do his cleaning. However, this wasn't an animal, it was another pony. It was different. Wasn't it?
Again, Dusk steeled himself as he knocked on the door. He tried again every few moments before ceaselessly knocking until the shopkeeper arrived at the door once again. His face a mask of fury, "With Celestia as my witness kid, I'm not a violent stallion, but you have me wanting to tear your ears from your head with my teeth. If you don't piss off right now I'm gonna scream bloody murder until the guards show up and haul you off."
As the shopkeeper spoke, the spell formed in Dusk’s mind easily, as if he had cast it hundreds of time before. Queasiness threatened to overcome him as the strange magic pulsed through his horn, never had any magic he had cast felt so odd, so wrong. Regardless, seconds later Dusk's spell was complete as he gazed into the shopkeeper's eyes. The other pony's fury dissolved into confusion before a placid expression overtook his face.
Dusk kept his eye contact with the shopkeeper as he spoke, "What's your name?"
"Gem Cutter." He answered simply.
"Gem Cutter, I want you to unlock the door and let me in. Can you do that for me?" Dusk’s horn continued to glow as he maintained the spell, keeping his tone even as he spoke.
"Of course I can." Gem Cutter was the first to break eye contact as he moved meekly to the door, removing the bolt with his teeth and pulling the door open for Dusk. "Please, come in."
Dusk strode nervously into the store. Despite the feeling of reassurance from within his saddlebag that the other pony was fully under his control, he was still not fully convinced that his spell was actually working. Dusk got his first good look at the tan stallion with the deep brown mane. His cutie mark was, fittingly enough, a perfectly crafted diamond with a chisel and hammer crossed behind it. The other unicorn looked strong, so strong that a well-placed kick could severely injure Dusk, or worse. Dusk silently prayed that his spell held.
Looking around the shop, he could see it was clean and well organised with cabinets full of gem-encrusted pendants and chokers, while other cabinets held broaches, bangles, earrings and other fine jewelry. Surprisingly, Gem Cutter even had a display case containing tools and raw materials for his line of work. After thinking on it for a moment, it made sense to Dusk. Sell your competitors the items they need to do their work so that their prices remain slightly higher than your own. He would have to remember that.
After a moment of observing the store Dusk realised that the other unicorn was staring at him anxiously. He had forgotten Gem Cutter was even there for a moment. "Oh, yes. Please, go get my order."
"Right away!" Gem replied excitedly. He seemed happy and eager to obey Dusk's commands, a good sign the spell was working.
Dusk passed the time by looking at the display case of crafting supplies, occasionally glancing at the door through which the other unicorn had disappeared. He was worried that the further he was from the mind-controlled pony the weaker his enchantment would become. Thankfully, Gem Cutter returned quickly with a small crate enshrouded in his magic. Gem placed it in front of Dusk before eagerly awaiting his next command, helping to alleviate Dusk’s fears of how well the spell was working.
"How much do I owe you for all of this?" Dusk asked the ensorcelled pony.
Gem cutter looked confused for a moment before replying, "How much would it please you to pay for all of this?"
Dusk was taken aback. He had still been prepared to pay the pony's asking price. However, he saw a new opportunity now, "Well, I think that you should discount it for the inconvenience and your rudeness earlier."
"I was rude to you earlier?" The other unicorn looked shocked at this revelation, "Please, in that case, just take them! No charge! I can't stand the thought of having displeased you."
Dusk knew it was wrong to accept such an offer, but the other unicorn had been very rude to him earlier, "Thank you, that is acceptable." Dusk suddenly wondered how far he could push this. "How much for the tools and raw materials?" He nodded towards the display case.
"Please! Just take them. It's the least I can do for having been so rude to you earlier." Without prompt, the tan unicorn ran to the back and returned brusquely with another crate, beginning to load the contents of the entire display case into it before Dusk could accept or protest. He happily set the crate at Dusk's hooves beside the other one before giving Dusk a guarded smile.
Dusk was speechless. He had just been wondering how much it would have cost but here he now had enough supplies to last him at least a year of continuous crafting. Not to mention that the crafting tools in this crate were far superior to the hold over equipment he had been using since his time in university. With this crate, his craft could improve dramatically. A small voice in the back of his mind told him he could also take what he saw in the tome and create exquisite variations on the magic within.
Dusk was about to thank Gem Cutter for his services and be on his way when, in the distance, he heard the long blast of a train's whistle. He knew that it meant he had missed the night train home. He gave a deep sigh of frustration and glared at the other unicorn. Gem was so startled by the glare that he was forced back a step. Stumbling, he fell back on his haunches as his ears drooped. Dusk could see him searching in his mind for ways to make this better.
"This is all your fault!" Dusk let his anger unleash on the unicorn. It came out harsher than he had wanted but he couldn't help it as all of his frustration boiled over.
Gem Cutter recoiled, "I... I'm sorry! Please let me-"
"Let you what? Make it better? I just missed my ride home and have nowhere to stay tonight! Now I will probably have to stay the night in the streets."
"Please, stay here." Gem cutter pleaded weakly from a curled position on the floor.
"What did you say?"
"I asked if would please you to stay here." His voice was still meek.
"You think I would sleep here, in the store?" Dusk gave a curt laugh.
"My home is upstairs. Please, you can even use my bed. I just want to make you happy."
Dusk was silent for a moment as he considered his options. Staying here the night versus staying in the streets was an easy choice, but he was unsure if his magic would persist while he slept. He couldn't risk his magic breaking the moment he dropped the spell. Dusk imagined that, given his mind back, Gem Cutter would be furious at being used in such a way. Images of the other unicorn crushing his head with one of the heavy, filled crates rather than call the guards flooded Dusk's mind. No, sleeping would not be an option if he stayed. Now that he considered it, staying in the streets wouldn't be an option either. If he left, Gem Cutter might rush out to find the guards and accuse him of robbery. He needed to stay here the night, but he couldn't sleep. What could he do?
Dusk grinned as an idea popped into his mind, "You're quite the talented gem smith."
"I am glad my work pleases you." Gem Cutter's ears perked up at the sudden change in Dusk's mood.
"Are you able to teach someone how to do what you do?"
Gem suddenly looks sad, "It would take a long time to teach someone with no experience. Not that I'm saying that I wouldn't devote every moment to making sure they were the best there was!"
Dusk smiled, "Well, luckily for you I am already proficient in the basics, as well as limited jewel making." Gem perked up again at hearing this. Dusk continued, "With your help I could add more refinement to my techniques."
"Oh yes!" Gem Cutter leapt to his hooves, eager and excited, "I can definitely help with that! Do you want to start now? My forges are still cooling from the day's work. We could get them going again easily! And I have a stockpile of gems that I can show you how to cut!"
"Yes, let's begin. Teach me everything you can by morning." Dusk smiled as Gem Cutter led him to the workroom in the back.
* * *
"I was so absorbed in his teachings that we worked right through to the next evening." Dusk smiled at the thought, "He was as talented a teacher as he was a craftspony. As we worked, I had him write down everything in great detail. There was so much parchment by the end of it we could have published a book. After I got home my techniques improved so greatly I was inspired to build a workshop out of the shed in my yard."
Doctor Oppenhoof finished his notes before speaking, "What happened as you tried to leave Gem Cutter?"
"Well, I had him carry my crates back to the train and secure them in the cargo hold. Once that was done, I made sure to thank him for all of his work before I told him it would be best if he forgot about tonight and to not ever mention that I was here. As far as he was concerned I left after he initially shooed me away from his shop window." Dusk laughed, "I don't think memory manipulation works as part of mind control though."
The doctor gave Dusk a quizzical look, "Why do you say that?"
"Because, as I sat in my room, exhaustion washing over me from the long, sleepless days, I looked out the window to see Gem Cutter sitting there, staring longingly at my window. Even though I had dropped the spell, the effects seemed permeate still. I discovered then that I only needed the initial casting; there was no need to sustain the spell. Even as the train left the station, I watched as he eagerly chased my window down the platform as far as he could. When he could follow no further he sat there looking... heartbroken for lack of a better word."
The doctor wrote a few more notes, "Are you aware that Gem Cutter killed himself?"
Dusk looked down sadly at the table, "I am. I saw the article a few weeks later that he had sequestered himself in his shop for several days before suddenly throwing himself from the Canterlot cliffs."
"Do you feel any guilt for his actions?"
Dusk sighed heavily, "After seeing the look on his face as my train sped away, how could I not? I think that the depression of not having me there to command him drove him to suicide."
"How does that make you feel?"
"Honestly, at the time I felt relief."
The doctor looked at Dusk, surprised, "Relief? I wasn't expecting that."
"I didn't expect it from myself. But, the only other pony that knew what I had done was now dead and with him my secret was my own."
"If it was such a deep secret that you would feel relief at another pony's death, why tell me now?"
Dusk returned the doctor's gaze, "Because doctor, this is an important event in my story. It was the first time that I felt a piece of my soul being torn from me."
"Your soul? Do you believe in the soul Dusk? I didn't think of you as a spiritual pony."
Dusk shook his head, "I'm not. I know it exists, however, because I felt it being torn from me piece by piece the more I progressed in my dark studies of the tome."
"How do you know that feeling was your soul?"
Dusk seemed offended by the question, "How?" he replied angrily, "How do I know it was my soul and not just some made up crap? I will tell you doctor! I know because each time I committed a new atrocity I felt a profound searing pain deep within my being. It wasn't a physical pain, it was more than that. It was only the kind of pain that could come from a piece of your spiritual being."
A heavy silence descended on the room again. The doctor stared quietly at Dusk as Dusk stared at the table in front of him, his nostrils flaring.
It was the doctor who broke the silence first, "I think it's best if we called an end to our session for the day."
Dusk simply nodded in reply, seemingly calmed, but still unmoving.
"Have a good night Dusk. And please, do try and do as the orderlies tell you. I promise I shall look into limiting your medication."
Again, Dusk only nodded.
The doctor pressed his hoof to the phonographic gem causing the glow to cease. He placed it into his saddlebag beside his note pad. He had just reached the door when Dusk quietly called out to him.
"Doctor..." Dusk started.
Doctor Oppenhoof turned to face the back of the restrained pony, "Yes Dusk, is there something else you need to tell me?"
Dusk was quiet for a moment longer before quietly continuing, "I just... I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to see me like this. You're helping me face some things that I haven't been able to own up to yet, and I know it's early in our time together, but I already feel better. So, again, thank you."
The doctor was stunned for a moment, "Well, it's my pleasure Dusk, but I'm only doing my job."
"I know, but I just wanted you to know how grateful I am. Even if I come off as angry at times."
"You're welcome Dusk. I look forward to seeing you next week."
"As do I you. Good night doctor."
"Good night Dusk."