//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: Giving Love a Helping Hoof // by Kroqgar //------------------------------// “Brother! Where are you taking me? Stop pushing! Why did you make me put on my formal regalia?” “Sister, this is most unbecoming! Unhoof me at once! Get th- are you combing my mane? What is happening?” “No! I am not going through that door until you tell me what is going on! Brother? Brother! Open this door!” “Sister, if you do not let me go I will throw the royal bakers in the dungeon for a month! Two months! Let me out of here curse you, THREE MONTHS!” Two dark blue hooves, one clad in a glittering, glass slipper, the other in dark, polished armour, pounded upon two doors. Two sets of ears, surrounded by a flowing, sparkling mane encompassing all the colours of the night sky, swivelled towards the intrusive sound coming from behind them. Four blue eyes widened in shock as two royal jaws dropped. However, propriety training runs deep. “...good evening sir.” “And to you, m-miss.” … Celestia and Solaris stood just outside, reaping the benefits of the subtle observation spell that Solaris had suggested. Celestia was leaning against Solaris, red in the face, as the taller alicorn desperately bit his lip, his chest heaving with silent laughter. “We- we should have hid a camera in there!” he gasped out. “We'll never see Artemis make a face like that again!” Giving Love a Helping Hoof Chapter 14 Dusk Shine stumbled out of the library, making a brief but unpleasant acquaintance with the ground. Shooting to his hooves and trying his best to look like he meant to do that, the purple unicorn groggily stumbled off into town, wishing everything wasn't so damn bright. After his puzzling encounter with Twilight earlier, the stallion had eagerly tucked into the breakfast she had made him, finding that he was far hungrier than he believed himself to be. Though at first he had believed it would be an exercise in self-control just to get the food down, he had found it to be not only tolerable, but even edible! A dim corner of his brain rationalised that he was used to his own cooking, so this was just a very similar version of that, but the majority of his thoughts centred on toast, how delicious toast was, the process of eating toast, and the potential acquisition of more toast. After tottering downstairs, and making his way past a happily humming Twilight, Dusk Shine had headed outside and was now wandering aimlessly about town, trying to remember what had happened the previous night. He had been more disoriented in the past; the party that Spike had managed to set up after his sister's wedding had been a night to remember... or at least try to - Rainbow Blitz had to be reminded of the changeling invasion by several ponies before he started believing them. But as far as wild nights went, this was at the very least in his top five. Top three, maybe. Definitely top two. A pink shape passed across his vision, and it took his brain a moment to register Pinkie Pie's form bouncing past him, singing to herself. She bounced once, twice, thrice, before twirling around a lamp post and coming to a halt at his side. “Wello hello there Mister Shine!” Despite his pounding headache, lack of coherency, and general malaise, Dusk couldn't hold back a smile. No one could quite cheer you up like Pinkie or Berry. Together, the two were an unstoppable force of happiness. “Hey Pinkie. How are you going?” “Oh, you know, caaaaaan't complain,” she said, smiling her usual megawatt grin. “There was a ball emergency out near AJ's place earlier, so I'm currently restocking. Green ball, two purple stripes, one gold star! Third tree from the left after the stumpy post that looks like a duck giving a thumbs up! Wanna come too?” A thought occurred to Dusk after Pinkie mentioned AJ. “Actually Pinkie, have you seen any of the guys? I want to talk to them about what happened last night.” Pinkie halted mid-bounce and came to land in front of him. “Ohohoho, you do, do you?” Her smile suddenly gained a knowing touch, as if they were both privy to a secret. “Well, okey dokey lokey! Blitzy and BB were at Sugarcube Corner when I saw them!” The stallion blinked. “BB?” “Duh! Berry Bubble! BEE-erry BEE-ubble! Bee-bee! BB!” “Fair enough,” Dusk nodded. “Thanks Pinkie, see you later.” Pinkie reached behind her, and put on her rainbow umbrella-hat. “No problem! Bye bye!” Resuming his journey, Dusk Shine soon found himself before the premiere bakery of Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner's frosted goodness rising before him. A steady stream of ponies walked into and out of the building, no doubt compelled by the delicious, sugary scents even now filling Dusk's nostrils. Impossibly, his stomach rumbled, despite it's earlier gorging. Nudging open the door, the librarian observed the bustling interior, ponies sitting here and there indulging in a treat, all happily served by Berry Bubble, gliding along on roller skates with a tray balanced perfectly on his head. Casting his gaze around, Dusk spotted Rainbow Blitz, Rarity and Elusive sitting in the corner and headed over to them. Blitz saw him out of the corner of his eye, and broke into a broad grin. “Well well well, what have we here!” He nudged Elusive. “Welcome back mister I-can-totally-handle-more-than-4-ciders.” Dusk twitched when he noticed Rarity mouth “Four?” to Elusive. The white stallion spoke up. “And how are you feeling this morning?” “Much worse than you two, apparently,” he grumbled. He sat down and rested his chin on his crossed forelegs. “I don't know how you do it! Both of you had more than me!” Elusive waved a hoof. “Don't take this the wrong way my dear Dusk, but I have had... shall we say, a tad more experience in these matters than you have. I have learned over time where exactly my tolerances lie.” Blitz spoke up as Dusk's gaze moved over to him. “Athlete's metabolism. I need to drink a whole lot reeeeeal quick to feel it, otherwise I just burn through it all.” He smirked. “I considered trying to goad you into a drinking contest, but after the second time you vomited, I took pity on you.” Dusk Shine groaned and covered his head with his hooves. “The second time?! Ohhhh....” He felt a consoling hoof place on his shoulder. “There there darling,” said Rarity, “It's not all that bad.” Her voice suddenly took on the same tone that Pinkie's had, that hint of knowing something. “It's not like you... did anything you'll regret.” Suspicious, Dusk took his hooves from his face and quirked a brow at her, noticing the barely restrained smile on her face. Elusive was idly polishing a hoof and looking away, the very picture of innocence, whereas the ever tactful Rainbow Blitz's whole face was contorted as if he had just bitten into a lemon, the sides of his mouth raised and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Oh crap. The unicorn sighed. “What did I do...” Blitz lost it, bursting into laughter and falling from his chair, causing several other patrons to look over in surprise. Rarity and Elusive joined in, albeit more reservedly, both producing a handkerchief to dab at tears. “Ahhh, Dusk, I have no idea how to tell you,” intoned Elusive, “So I do believe I'll let Blitz break the news.” Clawing his way back up to the table, still shaking from the occasional giggle, the pegasus righted himself. “Okay. Okay.” With a huge grin on his face, Blitz told the story of the previous night, relating all of the shenanigans the group of colts had gotten into over at Sweet Apple Acres, up until the time when Dusk headed home. “Now,” he continued, taking a bite out of his cupcake, “I wasn't there, but Miss Rarity over here was, and I heard the rest from her.” Dusk turned to scowl at the mare in question, who at least had the decency to look contrite. “I'm sorry Dusk, but I just couldn't help myself. It was too good not to tell anyone.” The unicorn sighed, resigning himself to his fate. “Alright, just tell me.” Blitz's smile widened as he continued. “Well, in the state you were in, we figured that you'd be better off back at your home, plus I didn't want to have to deal with you the next morning, so Elusive volunteered to stumble you back to the library. You two get there, and of course the fillies are still having their slumber party, so Elusive passes you over to Rarity here,” he indicated the mare with a hoof, “who takes you inside. The ladies fuss over you for a second, before you turn to Twilight, and tell her...” The pegasus looked at Rarity. “What was it again?” “He told her she had a 'very pretty mane and beautiful eyes'.” The fashionista looked very approving. “Right, right,” continued the pegasus, “You said that, and then, right on the spot, you asked her out.” Visual feed lost. Sensation receding. System overload. Malfunction. Malfunction. Does not Dusk-pute. Reverting to base function. Body retreating to floor. Brain retreating to herglblargggh..... RESTART. “Dusk? Hellooooo, Dusk, buddy? Anyone in there?” The unicorn cracked his eyes open to see Blitz, Elusive and Rarity all standing over him, the pegasus tapping his head with a hoof as he buzzed around. “Ah, welcome back. Did you enjoy your news?” He smiled evilly. “Or do I have to repeat myself?” After being hauled to his hooves, the distraught stallion started to pace, oblivious to the curious stares he was getting from Sugarcube Corner's other diners. “Oh no no no no, I couldn't have. I wouldn't have! I didn't. Oh, Celestia, I did, I did!” Fragments of memories, as if glimpsed through a foggy window, drifted into and out of his mind. “What am I going to do?!” Continuing to munch on his cupcake, Blitz floated up to him, flying belly up with his hooves behind his head. “What's the problem?” he asked, around a mouthful of frosting. “You go out with her!” This possibility had gone unacknowledged in the corner's of the librarian's subconscious, and now it roared its way to the forefront, stopping his pacing cold. Unable to wrap his mind around such a new and – dare he think it – intriguing prospect, he settled back on what even to him sounded like a weak response. “But... I can't!” Blitz looked at him quizzically. “Because?” He drew the word out. Dusk Shine's gaze shifted left and right, and his front hooves shuffled slightly. He wasn't certain whether anyone else noticed these outward signs of his embarrassment, but from the smirks they all sprouted they must have felt the heat from his blush. Rainbow Blitz snorted so convulsively he almost fell out of the air. Dusk magically snagged his cupcake as it fell, his headache blessedly not returning. “You know what I think?” asked the pegasus. Being the absolute bastard he could be sometimes when he wasn't being a nice guy, Elusive dramatically asked, “Why, whatever do you think, Rainbow Blitz?” Rarity snorted, before holding a horrified hoof to her mouth. Frowning, Dusk looked to the pegasus. “Don't do it Blitz.” “I think...” “Don't do it!” “That secretly...” “I'm warning you!” “Dusk Shine...” “So help me Celestia I will teleport you to the moon Rainbow Blitz!” “Really, really likes...” “Last chance!” The unicorn's horn lit up. “The town librarian and student of Celestia herself, Twilight Sparkle!” Letting out an incoherent cry of annoyance, Dusk Shine pelted Blitz's cupcake right back at him, the strain prompting him to let out a groan and raise both hooves to his temples. Without even missing a beat, the laughing pegasus easily flitted out of the way, leaving the cupcake to fly onwards... ...directly towards a wide-eyed Rarity. The mare had a secret, not really a big one, that she kept to herself. She didn't think about it often, as it wasn't something that really needed to be thought about, but she was mindful of it. Being friends with Pinkie Pie, it came up often enough. She'd been forced to confront it from time to time, and each occasion had been a fantastic show of willpower and self-control, but each time she had been prepared. Now, to have her trial, her secret, her weakness literally flying directly at her, there was nothing she could do but gape in horror. The thought of turning her head didn't even occur to her, so transfixed was she. For ever since that first night at the Gala, Rarity the unicorn had developed a debilitating fear of cake. It didn't take a genius to figure out why; the public humiliation and embarrassment she had suffered after being used as a cake-shield by that absolute cur Blueblood in an incident at her first ever Grand Galloping Gala had marked her; perhaps permanently. Now she never felt comfortable around any cake or anything like it. Not with her friends, not with her family, not even sitting quietly at home by herself. It was an embarrassing condition, and one she had discussed with no one. So far, thankfully, she had managed to avoid any situation in which her fears could be ignited, but with the stark, frosted reality of her greatest insecurity rushing towards her, there was nothing she could do but close her eyes and wait. She heard a strangled cry, and felt something pass in front of her. Expecting the worst, she sobbed once, and waited for the impact. She felt it, but it wasn't what she expected. Something heavy thudded to the floor beside her, and she tentatively opened her eyes a crack. Blitz and Dusk were standing there, gaping in turns at the mare and the floor beside her. Rarity turned, and beheld an astonishing sight. Sprawled on the ground, frosting smeared through his mane and across his face, lay Elusive. Evidently, he had quite literally leaped to her defense. As he opened his eyes they locked gazes, and a flash of understanding passed between them, as they both realised the fear they shared. Rarity felt heat rise in her cheeks as she realised that the selfless stallion before her hadn't known of her fear when he had leaped to protect her, even from something he was terrified of. Trotting over to him, she levitated over a napkin and proceeded to clean him up. He winced and looked away, saying the first thing that came to mind. “Ugh, I must be an absolute mess.” “Quite the contrary darling”, replied Rarity quietly. He turned back to her, a drop of frosting flying off his mane and landing on her nose. Oddly, it didn't bother her as much as it once would have. In fact, it didn't bother her at all. She began to clean Elusive's face, and happened to look into his blue eyes. “I think that right now, you're the most handsome stallion I've ever seen.” Rainbow Blitz snorted, but neither unicorn paid him the slightest bit of attention. Rarity cleared her throat, and tossed the napkin into a bin. “Elusive, forgive me if I seem unduly forward, but... Well, would you care to accompany me to dinner tonight?” Picking up a napkin himself, the stallion stepped forward and gently took Rarity's hoof, raising it to his lips for a soft kiss. With a smile, he lightly wiped the frosting from her nose. “My Lady Rarity, that sounds wonderful.” … “Hey Big Mac?” With a careful snort, the large workhorse slowly lowered his heavy burden to the barn floor, stacking the hay bale neatly in the corner. He remembered seeing his Pa do it back when he was just a little colt, but nowadays he was the only pony left on the farm with the strength to move around the big bales. AJ, as hard a worker as she was, simply couldn't manage to budge them, which when combined with her stubbornness had provided quite an entertaining afternoon. Although, as he flicked an ear, the stallion was forced to amend his previous thought. Up until recently, he had been the only pony on the farm that could manage it. Turning, he beheld the filly that had accosted him, unable to stop a smile from forming on his face as she bounced back and forth in front of him exuberantly, her mother's bow bobbing with every step. It never failed to amaze him how much like his Ma she looked like. He almost chuckled as the term “mini-ma” floated across his thoughts. With the age difference between them, he sometimes thought of himself as a father figure to Applebloom, but she would always be his little sister, and through her and AJ, his mother lived on. He never missed her these days; he had two younger versions of her running around. An older one too, now that he thought of it. Reaching down and scooping the filly up onto his shoulders, behind his Pa's yoke, the stallion chuckled. His Pa had used to do the same thing to him; he supposed he was just a younger version of him too. “What's so funny big brother?” “Nothin' you need to worry about, mah' little 'Bloom.” He called her that from time to time, usually when he was feeling particularly thankful for his family. “What brings you out here?” The filly climbed up his neck and folded her hooves on top of his head, craning her neck down to look him in the eyes, albeit upside down. “Ah have a question for ya 'bout Applejack.” The stallion took care to place his hooves, not wanting to topple the precariously perched Applebloom. “Eeyup?” “He's mah brother, right?” That seemed a silly question. His thoughts more on what else needed doing today, Big Macintosh nodded absently. “That's right, he's your new brother.” “Okay then. And he's your brother too, isn't he?” Something in the filly's tone piqued the stallion's interest. What was she getting at? He focussed his gaze on her, standing still for a moment outside the farmhouse, presenting an amusingly incongruous sight to any passers-by. “Eeyup, he's mah brother too. Why do ya ask?” The filly sat back, looking into the distance where two orange blobs could barely be seen, out in the orchard. She rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Well, if he's your brother, and he's mah brother, does that mean he's AJ's brother too?” The stallion's eyebrows shot up. Now THAT was unexpected. He should have known better than to underestimate his littlest sister; she was sharp as a tack when something interested her. Curious for a different insight into a problem he himself had been mulling over, the stallion took a different approach, dodging her question slightly. “Well, why wouldn' he be?” The filly slid off his back and the pair of them headed to a nearby tap, Big Mac eager to wash a bit of sweat and dirt off his face. “Well, ah know he's a brother to you and me now, but he doesn't seem that way to AJ. Ah mean, ah 'spose there's identical twins, but they jus'... don' seem that way.” The stallion took care not to look at the filly as she gazed out at her two other siblings, lest she perceive his own interest in her conclusions. “Well then, how do they seem?” Applebloom waved a hoof in front of her, struggling for the right way to express herself, before she lowered it with a shake of her head. “Ah don't really know how to explain it. They just seem closer than that. They both feel like a brother and a sister to me, but they don't feel like brother and sister.” Big Macintosh regarded his sister with pride as she reached a conclusion some ponies much older than her hadn't yet. He turned to regard the two workhorses out in the field, before a shrewd cast came over his features. Maybe, just maybe... “Well, maybe they aren't then.” Applebloom turned to him, shocked, and he put on a thoughtful expression, nodding slowly. “Brother an' sister, that is. Maybe they aren't.” Applebloom looked dismayed. “But how are we gonna find out?!” The stallion smiled inwardly, happy to use his little sister's innocence to help figure this out. “Well, you could always go ask her.”