//------------------------------// // Running the Leaves // Story: Light in the Dusk // by AlphatheGriffin17 //------------------------------// Autumn began to set in even more, as the days passed on. The last of the green leaves finally turned as orange as the sunset, giving the trees a new kind of beauty. The warm summer breeze was steadily replaced by cold chills, the length of Celestia's days beginning to be overtaken by Luna's nights. Everpony knew now, winter was on the way. Throughout it all, Dusk didn't really mind the cold, as he shelved the book he had been reading. Mostly because he was rarely ever out in it, spending most of his time working in the library with Twilight and Spike, or just keeping an eye on things while they were out somewhere. Currently, he was alone in the library, as the two of them had gone to Sweet Apple Acres for something. Whenever they went out, Dusk always volunteered himself to stay behind and watch the library. By doing this, he was both doing his job and also fulfilling the vow he'd promised to himself, to not interfere with the business of Twilight's other friends. As he suspected, none had really come looking for him. If they did, he didn't really hear about it. Of course, Dusk wasn't completely without friends. It had been a week since he'd gone out and apologised to his welcomers and well-wishers, during which time he'd gotten along just fine with Twilight and Spike. Both were good company, Twilight giving him pleasant and intelligent conversation, and Spike always keeping his spirits up. They sometimes asked him if he wanted to come along, saying they were sure the others missed him, but Dusk always stayed at his work place. Things were quiet currently, and not just because of the environment. Only a few ponies had come in looking for books, Dusk pointing them in the right direction, but there wasn't a lot going on. So, Dusk was now taking some time to relax, content that everything in his life was right. It was when he went outside, just to get some fresh air, that he noticed everypony heading en-masse in the direction of Applejack's farm. They all seemed excited about something. Curiosity getting the better of him, Dusk approached a light pink earth pony. "Excuse me, miss, but... where's everpony going?" "Haven't you heard?" she responded excitedly. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash are facing off against each other in an Iron Pony competition. We're going to watch! Hey, wait up!" She dashed off to catch up with her friends. Dusk was intrigued. An Iron Pony contest, between Applejack and Rainbow Dash? That sounded like it would entertaining. He might as well go along, everypony else was. He followed the crowd to Sweet Apple Acres, where he could see them all amassing by a set of wooden stands. From the looks of it, the entire town had turned up to watch. Even the pegasi had rested themselves atop the clouds above to get prime viewing seats. As he took a place on the sidelines, as he was used to, Dusk spotted the big scoreboard nearby. Currently, the scores were level, with both ponies tying at five points apiece. Fluttershy was standing not too far off, with piles of scoring cards next to her. He caught her eye, and the two exchanged shy smiles with each other. The current event was a push-up faceoff, with Twilight standing between the competitors, both of whom were sweating heavily from the effort. They were both at ninety and counting, both close to exhaustion. Dusk watched with anticipation as they reached ninety-nine. Applejack just couldn't manage the last one. Rainbow, however, used her wings to lift herself back up, snatching victory and another point. As everypony cheered, Dusk couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Applejack. Rainbow had effectively cheated in that event, by using her wings. To his dismay, she continued this show of unfair play, using them to gain a little extra length in the long jump and to carry some chicks across a mud track to their mothers. As a result, the pegasus pony gained a heavy lead. The final straw, no pun intended, came in the tug-of-war event. Applejack almost had victory, yanking on the rope and pulling her opponent into the mud. Rainbow once again used her wings, flying above the mud pit and, by way of trickery, dropped the country pony in her place, amounting a total score of fifteen to five. Dusk, who usually preferred to keep himself out of things that didn't concern him, was a strong believer in fair play. As cool as Rainbow Dash was, she hadn't earned this victory fairly. He was still surprised at himself, however, when he strode towards the two athletes, who were now arguing with each other. "You used yer wingpower ta help ya win over half those contests," Applejack was saying angrily. "Sounds like sour apples to me," retorted Rainbow Dash. "Are ya sayin' ya didn't use yer wings?" "Well... no. But you never said I couldn't use my wings." "Ah didn't think ah needed ta tell you ta play fair." "I still would have won even without my wings." "Prove it!" "Um... excuse me..." Despite the volume at which he spoke, it was enough to break them both up, turn to face him and give him big smiles. "Dusk! Long time, no see sugarcube." Applejack trotted over to his side. "Y'all seem like a fair pony Dusk, wouldn't you say that Miss Flaps-A-Lot here was cheatin' in half those events?" "Actually, I was about to-" "No way!" Rainbow put her foreleg around his back. "My good buddy Dusk, was just about to say how I won fair and square, and that I deserve my victory." "Well, I was gonna-" "Rainbow, you were cheatin' an' you know it. Ah'm sure Dusk would agree." "Who are you to say who he agrees with?" "Who are you to say you didn't cheat?" "Your just being a sore loser!" "Yer jus' bein' a bad sport!" "Can I please speak?" Dusk asked, raising his voice slightly. Again, it appeared to be enough to break up the argument. He didn't think his opinion was all that important, but they obviously wanted to use him as an unbiased third party. He didn't like to choose between the pony who welcomed him and the pony who thought he was cool, but it was clear where his decision lay. "Um... anyway..." he cleared his throat, and walked beside Applejack, "as much as I don't like taking sides, I have to agree... with Applejack..." "What?" Rainbow looked aghast. "But, Dusk-" "I'm sorry, Rainbow, but... Applejack's right." He felt a little more confident, as Applejack gave him a grateful smile. "Rainbow, you... had an unfair advantage due to your... ability to fly in those events. Applejack can't fly, so... she can't match you. Again, I'm sorry to say, but... you cheated and didn't win this fairly." "See Rainbow?" Applejack said. "At least somepony here knows the meanin' of fair play." "But how are we supposed to settle now which of us is better?" Rainbow asked desperately. Dusk thought for a bit, then had an idea. "Um... I have a suggestion... it sounds stupid though..." "Let's hear it Dusk, go ahead," the country pony encouraged. Feeling bolstered, he did so "All right, how about this? Tomorrow is the Running of the Leaves. The two of you... can race each other in that. Whoever wins is... well... the true Iron Pony." "That's a great idea, Dusk! That oughta settle this once an' for all... and fairly." "Alright! You're going down, country pony!" declared Rainbow confidently. "Hold on! Ah say there ought ta be one condition: the point is to run, so no wings allowed," ruled Applejack, turning to Dusk. "That sound good ta you?" "Um... it seems... fair to me," Dusk replied, returning to his usual nervous self. "Ha! No wings? No problem!" They spat on each other's hooves and pressed them together in agreement, though Rainbow did blow a raspberry at Applejack. "See ya tomorrow then, when I'll be claiming the title of Iron Pony." With that, she flew off back to Cloudsdale with a rush of wind. "Don't be too sure," grumbled Applejack. She calmed herself, then faced Dusk with a smile. "Thanks sugarcube, for sortin' that out. See, that's what ah meant by more confidence." "Yeah... I remember," Dusk said shyly. "It was uh... good advice... thanks..." "No problem." She turned to leave. "Well, it was good seein' ya again Dusk, 'specially after so long since ah last saw ya. Sorry ah can't chat, but we gotta clean all this up." "It's fine I'd... I'd best be getting back to the library anyway..." he told her. "Sure thing. Glad ya could make it today." "I am too... see you, Applejack..." He turned to go, moving towards Twilight and Spike, who were waiting nearby. "Dusk!" She approached him with a smile, Spike sitting on her back. "You managed to make it!" "Yeah... everypony else was so... I thought I might as well." "Come on guys," Spike said urgently, "let's get going, before we're asked to help clean up." "Spike!" Twilight shook her head. "We should be getting back anyway. Come on, Dusk." He fell in step next to her, as they walked at a gentle pace back to the library. The two of them basically just filled Dusk in on all the events that he'd missed out on watching, how it had been fairly even at first, though Spike had been used in a few events that left him worn out and bruised, including a bronco buck and lasso contest. Dusk felt a little regretful that he didn't come along sooner. When they arrived back at the library, the conversation had turned to the Running of the Leaves, an annual tradition that occurred in Ponyville. Dusk had to admit he was quite looking forward to it. "It should be an interesting cultural event to observe, to say the least," he was saying, as Twilight pulled down a book and Spike hopped off her back. "I think so too. I am here to learn, so this should be quite informative. But I don't plan on just watching, I'm going to take part." Dusk now saw that the book she had got out was a sports one. "Really? I didn't know you did this kind of thing," remarked Dusk, sitting next to her. "Well... I don't. I've never run a race in my life," Twilight admitted bashfully. "But, I intend to read up on the subject, so I'll be prepared to run tomorrow. What about you Dusk? Are you going to take part?" "Um... well, I've... never really thought about it. I've... never really been one for... sport..." "Well, how about you run with me? If we've both never been in a race before, we should both have equal chances and be well-matched. Plus, we'll both get a good experience out of it." "Er... I don't know..." "Come on Dusk," Spike encouraged. "It'll be fun! You did say it would be interesting to watch. What could be better than taking part? And, you'll be with Twilight, so you'll be running with a friend." "Well..." he thought about it for a few minutes. They both made good cases, and if Twilight was doing it, what would his excuse be for not doing too? "Alright, I'll run with you in the race, Twilight. Spike, what about you?" "Sorry, it's for ponies only," the dragon said a little forlornly. "But don't worry, I'll be sure to be announcing the race like today, so I'll give you some support." "I heard you today," Dusk informed him, with a smile, "you were rather good at it. I hope you'll be doing it again tomorrow." "Thanks Dusk! I'm gonna go get some practice in!" He dashed off upstairs, announcing as he went to unseen ponies. "Well, at least he's enthusiastic," Twilight giggled, offering a book on running to Dusk. "Come on, let's study up running." "Thank you." He opened it at the first page and began to read. Suddenly, he was looking forward to, and becoming more excited for the race tomorrow than he ever had before. One thing would be sure: he and Twilight would be ready to give it their best shot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk awoke bright and early the next morning, all the facts and tips that he'd read about running races, and proper conduct in sporting events, still swimming in his head. He made sure to eat a good breakfast, left his saddlebag where it was and set off to meet Twilight and Spike. As he had said yesterday, Dusk wasn't really the physical type. He had avoided sporting events whenever he could, preferring just to sit and watch, or just read a book. Twilight was pretty much the same it seemed, so that was why Dusk didn't feel as nervous as he normally would. Not only that, but he had discovered that, since his greatest hope to be her friend had been fulfilled, he liked spending time with the purple unicorn. At least he would remain in good company. The two of them just stepped out of the library door as he arrived, both smiling as he caught up to them. "Right on time as always, Dusk," Twilight praised. "Come on, we're just setting off." "Right you are. Are you ready for this?" "I certainly am. I think we're both as ready as we can hope to be," she said, as they headed towards the starting line. "Twilight, Dusk, hurry up!" Spike urged from her back. "We're gonna be late for the race." "You ready to do some more commentating today, Spike?" Dusk asked him. "You bet I am!" He looked in his direction, picking up a twig from the ground. "Just listen, I've been practicing: Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the annual Running-" "Welcome to the annual Running of the Leaves!" Dusk knew that voice immediately. "This is Pinkie Pie, your official p-eye-in-the-sky announcer." He looked up as they neared the starting banner and, sure enough, he saw Pinkie Pie, floating in a purple hot air balloon, and announcing through a white megaphone. "Sorry, Spike," Twilight said. "I guess the job is already taken..." "Where... did she get that balloon?" Dusk asked, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sure. You learn not to ask with Pinkie," Twilight noted. "Aw man..." Spike threw aside his twig, looking forlorn. Dusk felt a little sad for him as well. He really had his heart set on doing the commentary. He suddenly had another idea, one that would help out his fellow assistant. He could at least try doing a favour for a friend. There looked like there would be enough room in the balloon for Spike and, if Pinkie were willing to concede... this might work... He told Twilight he would meet her at the starting line and dashed to the balloon. "As everypony knows," Pinkie commented as he caught up, "the running is a very important tradition, for without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would never fall. So get ready, ponies. The Running of the Leaves will begin in five minutes!" "Pinkie! Down here!" he called out. She looked down, and beamed at him. "Dusky Psychic Pony! It's been ages since I saw you! How you doin'?" "I'm... very well, thank you," he informed her. "Commenting on the race, I see..." "Sure am! How could you tell? You really must be psychic!" "Yes... I must be..." He disregarded that last statement, knowing there was no point in trying to correct her. "Anyway, I was wondering... if you could... do me a favour...?" "Sure, what is it?" "Well... Spike was hoping to do the announcing today, he did it yesterday," he elaborated. "And... while I'm sure you'll do great... would you let him, perhaps... let him co-report with you?" "Well, sure! The more the merrier!" She called through the megaphone: "Spike, come on over here!" A few minutes later, he came running up next to Dusk. "Yeah, Pinkie, what's up?" he asked, panting a little. "Me silly!" She giggled at her joke. "Anyway, Dusk told me you wanted to do the announcing today. Would you like to co-report with me?" "Would I? Sure!" He gave Dusk a grateful smile. "Thanks buddy, it was good of you to do this." "Heh... you know, anything for my brother-in-library-asisstantship," Dusk said modestly eliciting a chuckle from Spike, as a rope lowered and he scrambled up it. "I won't forget this!" He called down, hauling himself into the basket. "Good luck in the running!" "Yeah, good luck Dusk!" wished Pinkie. "Although, being psychic, you can probably run it with your eyes shut! Happy running!" Dusk waved them off, then proceeded to register himself at the desk. He was given a race number, forty-three, which he placed on his flank, so that it covered his cutie mark. Spotting Twilight with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, he trotted up to them, ready to race. "But... have ya ever run a race?" Applejack was asking, sounding like she was barely able to contain herself from laughing. "Well, no," she admitted, "but I do know a lot about running." As she said this, he noticed the two of them were sniggering. "And you know this from..." Rainbow prompted. "Books. I've read several on the subject, so has Dusk," she added, smiling as he stood by her side. He felt a little more foolish now. "Dusk? Yer racin' too?" Applejack sounded surprised at the idea. "Um... yes," he said quietly. "I am... I've well... I've never run a race in my life... but I thought, since Twilight was doing it... why not?" "What'd you both read, "The Egghead's Guide to Running"? Did you stretch out your eye muscles to warm up?" She burst out laughing, Dusk lowering his head in embarrassment. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... what chance did he have... "Rainbow, that's enough!" He looked up to see Twilight staring furiously at her. The pegasus pony seemed to realise what she had done, and stopped laughing, looking sympathetically at Dusk. "Sorry Dusk," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean it, I was just... you know, messin' around. I'm sure you'll do great." "Alright..." Dusk looked up, feeling a little better. "It's okay, I'm fine... I don't really stand much of a chance, not against you two anyway..." "Dusk, it ain't winnin' that's important," Applejack advised, "it's the takin' part that counts. Ah think it's dandy you two are runnin' in the race. Best-a luck to ya both." "Thank you." He felt less foolish now, especially when he saw Twilight's encouraging smile, along with the support from the two athletes. "Anyway, I'd say that everypony here is... way out of the league you two are in." "Nice of ya ta say so, but only one-a us can be the Iron Pony," Applejack reminded him, as Dusk began to stretch his legs. "Indeed. I suppose, as well, I deserved that... jibe, Rainbow. I mean, I am the reason you're... having to compete again... you know..." "Eh, don't sweat it," she shrugged. "This is just a chance for me to prove how awesome I am, all over again." "Fairly this time, I see," he said, glancing at her tied-up wings. Applejack's work, he guessed. "Good luck, and may the best mare win." "Don't you worry Dusk, I plan to," Rainbow said with a wink. Applejack just rolled her eyes, as Pinkie began announcing again: "All right ponies, are you ready?" Dusk tensed himself on the starting line, remembering what he had read up on. "Get set..." His legs felt like coiled springs, as he stared straight ahead... any second... The bell rang, and everypony sprinted off the starting line, Twilight and Dusk running in their midst. He caught his friend's eye, nodded from what they both knew to do next and they lessened themselves to a slower pace. Just as the books had said: pace yourself from the start, conserve your energy until you reach the finish line. "Good to see you did plenty of studying," Twilight commended, as they matched each other's pace. "Likewise, Miss Sparkle," he replied, in a friendly, formal voice, at which she giggled. "Now, shall we take a little walk together? I mean... you know... not that kind of..." "It's okay Dusk, I know what you meant," she assured, though she did blush slightly. "That sounds perfect." As everypony else dashed off into the distance, Dusk and Twilight set off at a gentle stroll, like this was just a walk in the park. Vibrations from hooves caused the leaves to become detached and fall from the trees, adding another kind of beauty to their environment, seeing all the different colours of orange, brown and yellow. Though they were not ahead of the pack with the others, they were kept updated on Rainbow and Applejack's progress by Pinkie and Spike's joint commentary of the events, which had them laughing all the way. As strange as she was, Dusk wasn't too surprised the pink pony was the Element of Laughter, something he'd figured out a few days ago. "Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves!" announced Pinkie. "You know, Spike, despite its name, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. No, that's left to my little ponies!" "Why...uh yes, Pinkie," Spike replied, unsurely, "it's the running of the ponies that causes the leaves to fall. "Ugh. Those lazy, lazy leaves," she berated. "But this year, the run is about more than the weather. It's about the race to the finish and the two runners who want to win it: Applejack and Rainbow Dash." "You know, Pinkie, these two ponies have a bit of a grudge match they're trying to settle," Spike informed. "Trying to prove who's the most athletic." "Yes, and 'grudge' rhymes with 'fudge,'" she said happily. "Yes it... does... what?" "And I like fudge. But if I eat too much fudge I get a pudge and then I can't budge." "So... no fudge?" "Oh, no thanks. I had a big breakfast." By this point, Dusk didn't hear the rest of the commentary, because he and Twilight were just laughing so hard at it. She really was brilliant, random, but brilliant. There was the occasional moment when there was a slip-up from the two competitors. Applejack tripped over a rock, thinking it had been Rainbow Dash tripping her up, though Dusk and Twilight set the record straight. Again, the same happened with Rainbow, though she seemed a little more insistent that it had been her opponent cheating, that caused her to fall. This was going to get ugly, Dusk could tell... "Hey Dusk, why don't we play a game?" Twilight's suggestion centered his thoughts back to her. Liking the sound of the idea, Dusk nodded. "Alright then, I'll point out a leaf. You tell me what tree it's from and then tell me a fact about that tree. Then I go, then you again and so on. Sound good?" "I um, I don't know, Twilight," Dusk murmured. "I don't think I'm as well-read in those kinds of areas as you are." "Oh..." Her face fell in disappointment and Dusk felt immediately guilty. "B-but I'd be happy to hear about what you know from it. Like um, that?" He pointed to a random leaf. Twilight responded at once. "That's from an oak tree, which bears a nut called an acorn. Each acorn contains one seed and takes six to eighteen months to mature, depending on what species it is." Another random leaf. "The leaf of a beech, which grows on a wide range of soil types, acid or basic, provided they are not waterlogged." "Wow... you do know a lot," he said in awe. "Come from years having my nose buried in a book," she replied modestly. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" "Of course I am," Dusk said at once. "It's really amazing what you know. What about that one?" The exchange of Dusk pointing and listening while Twilight recited her facts continued on. All the while, Dusk was enjoying being in Twilight's company. As well as playing their naming game, they also discussed who had the better chance of winning or spotting interesting sights along the route. One such was a beehive, that appeared to have fallen from the tree branch above. The bees, however, were long gone... thankfully, Dusk thought. "Oh my, Dusk," she sighed, bringing him out of his thoughts, "isn't Whitetail Wood lovely?" "Yes, it is," he agreed, gazing around at the bare trees and feeling the leaves crunching beneath his hooves. "The beauty of nature is truly one of the greatest things about the world, there can be no doubt." "Yeah," she sighed again. "See, I told you this would be a great experience." "That you did." He smiled his best smile. "Thanks for convincing me to come along, I'm really having a good time." "Me too," she agreed. "Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, don't you think?" "Hm..." It was amazing how much they thought alike. He glanced on ahead, to see Rainbow standing by a sign that pointed the way. "Little bit far from the head of the pack, aren't you?" "Don't worry, I'm sure to win now," she said, with a burst of confident laughter. "Except that all the other racers just passed you," pointed out Twilight. "Oh horseapples!" True to her name, she dashed off. "See ya!" "That was... odd," Dusk remarked. "I agree with you there? Why was she just standing there?" She shrugged. "Oh well, come on." They set off again, but before Dusk noticed that there was only one screw holding the sign in place. It was possible it could be rotated. And Rainbow's attitude before, plus the fact she was standing there could mean that... no, probably not. They continued on, passing by a pool of spilled tree sap, though the other buckets set up seemed fine and passing by Rainbow and Applejack once more, who for some reason, were just standing on a flat bit of rock. Before long, they sped on ahead again. Meanwhile, everypony else was beginning to slow down due to exhaustion from spending most of their energy in the rest of the race. It was when Dusk heard the sound of a klaxon that he knew they were nearing the end. The time for conserving energy had passed, now it was time for the final leg. "Time to sprint!" Dusk sped off, Twilight matching him. "Don't think I'll go easy on you," she called out playfully. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," he retorted with a laugh. They ran past Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who appeared to be resorting to dirty tactics and re-joined the group, steadily gaining ground. Soon, Dusk was just a few feet behind fourth place. Just a little further... Then, he noticed Twilight, also just behind him. She was really going for it, but Dusk seemed to be the faster runner. A thought occurred to him, and he remembered Applejack's advice. He knew who deserved to finish ahead of him, and what to do. He pretended to stumble, affecting a small yelp to make it look like he had tripped, allowing Twilight to gain a lead on him, crossing the finish line just in front, as he also made it, gaining sixth place. The surge of elation he felt was incredible, as everypony cheered the runners. "Yes! I did it, we did it!" he shouted, before remembering himself and quieting down, his face flushed. A pony placed a medal around his neck, a silver coloured one, causing his face to go redder and met up with Twilight, who had a gold one. "Well done Dusk, we've done it!" She gave him a proud smile, though not as proud as Dusk felt. "You ran a great race." "You did too..." He turned to see a battered pair of athletes. "Come on, let's go and see these two..." "Then... who won?" Rainbow asked, Pinkie and Spike, who told them they had tied for last. Then, they saw Twilight and Dusk, their medals dangling around their necks. "You two did?" They were utterly astonished. "Oh no, but I did get fifth place," she said proudly, "which is rather good considering that I've never run a race before." "And I came sixth," Dusk told them, "again, also rather good." "What? How's that even possible?" Applejack demanded. "You both ran so slow, and looked at the scenery. I couldn't tell if you were racing or just on a date!" "Well... I wouldn't say that..." Both he and Twilight went the same colour as some of the leaves. "Anyway... that was the point, we paced ourselves, just like the book said. Then at the end, when all the other ponies were worn out..." "... we sprinted for the finish." Dusk finished smartly. "Not bad for a pair of eggheads, I'd say." "Ah don't believe it... the two ponies who've never even so much as bucked an apple beat us." "Well, with all your horsing around, it was quite easy," Twilight pointed out. Maybe it was the thrill of his victory, or some kind of attempt to make amends, but Dusk also found himself speaking up. "Considering that you were both... scrapping over each other, it wasn't hard. And that's coming from me," Dusk pointed out, feeling a little ashamed at them both. "I know it's not my place, but... you were both behaving like a couple of fillies out there. Sorry... no offense..." "No, yer right, Dusk, you too Twah'light. Our behavior was just terrible..." "We weren't very good sports," Rainbow said ashamedly. "Sounds to me that an important lesson was learned," said a new voice, one Dusk had heard before, but it seemed like so long ago. "Princess Celestia!" Everypony sunk to their knees, bowing as the Princess of the Day arrived on the scene. Dusk promptly stepped back a little, so she could talk to Twilight and her friends, without him bothering them. "W... What are you doin' here?" If Applejack was astounded before, she was now completely gobsmacked. "Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so I came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves," she informed them kindly. "Ah'm sorry ya had ta see us bein' such poor sports, Princess," Applejack said humbly. "That's all right, Applejack," she assured gently. "Anypony can get swept up in the excitement of competition." "It's important to remember that the friendship is always more important than the competition," added Twilight, receiving a warm smile from her teacher. "Exactly, Twilight." She turned back to the athletes. "Now, unfortunately... Dusk decided not to stay to stay and hear the rest. Though he was proud to bear witness to such a valuable lesson about friendship, they didn't need him here being a fifth wheel. He was about to try and slip away, when... "Dusk, how lovely to see you again!" He turned to see the Princess approaching him. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had run off again, and Twilight was standing a little further away, waiting for him. "Um... greetings, Your Highness..." He bowed once more. "It's... good to see you too..." "My faithful student has told me from her letters that you have been working hard in the library, and that the two of you have become good friends. I'm very pleased to hear that, especially since it was what you hoped for." "Yes... yes, it was." He returned the Princess's smile. "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving me... the chance..." "I was happy to do it," she said with a wink. "Although, remember one thing Dusk..." She leaned in and whispered. "There's more to your life in Ponyville than work, and you have friends other than Twilight. I think they've been missing you." "If I may... I don't think so, Princess... I'm sure they're doing... fine, without me... bothering them. I'll just... carry on with my work..." "I'm not forcing you," she said. "But I think it would be nice to see them, now and again, don't you?" She spread her wings again. "Now, I must return to Canterlot. Goodbye Twilight, Dusk. Be well." With a gust of wind, she majestically took off into the air, soaring back towards the mountains. Watching her go, Dusk thought about what she said. No, he had made a promise to himself, to not bother the others and focus on his work. Just be friends with Twilight, like he'd always wanted. But, deep down inside, there was a little voice, that told him one thing: Maybe she's right... Dusk realised, as he walked back with Twilight and Spike, excitedly discussing the race, and remembering how Applejack and Rainbow Dash reacted yesterday, that it might become difficult, from now, to keep his promise.