//------------------------------// // His Longest Night // Story: Return to Society // by Silent Sir 224 //------------------------------// Dusk tossed and turned on the couch, his old wounds were fresh in his mind, once more. Playing the incident in a loop that he couldn't stop. "Doctor, are they going to be okay?" "They've been shaken up pretty good. But, considering what they went through, they're doing well. I can't say they will be one hundred percent, but they will recover." "This is all my fault... I did this to them." "Look kid, they got struck by lightning. I don't think you could have caused that to happen." "But, my cutie mark." "I know kid, I know. But, you didn't cause the storm, you didn't force it in anyway. It was a freak accident, nothing more. Did you get checked out by another doctor?" "Yes, they said I was really lucky." "You were struck by lightning, the fact that your standing is nothing short of amazing." "But, why just me? Why didn't they get lucky like me?" "I can't say. We have a few theories, but nothing we are willing to try to prove." "Theories?" "Well, a theory is kind of like an idea. One idea we have is that your body knew how to handle what happened. It knew what to do, but your parents' bodies didn't. It's the most popular one we have, but we aren't making you a lab rat to prove it. You've been through enough as it is." "A- a lab rat?" "Some of the other doctors want to study you. They want to run a few tests, some of which are far from painless. I told them that they would be making things worse. I need you to be careful, some of them are a little too curious." "Can... can I stay here? I don't want to be away from my family." "Do you have any other family in the city?" "N-no, I don't have any other family." "No aunts, uncles or grandparents?" "No." "What about siblings?" "I'm an only child." "Dear Celestia... kid, I'm not really supposed to let people stay here, but this circumstance demands it. You stay here as long as you like. I'll keep an eye on you, don't worry." "Thank you, sir." "Call me Dr. Goldheart. What's your name?" "It's Dusk." "Well, Dusk, I'm going to go check on your parents, okay? Will you be okay here for a minute?" "Yes, but, when can I see them?" "I don't know Dusk, we'll see how they are in the morning, okay?" "Okay, Dr. Goldheart." "Try to get some sleep on the bench there. It might help the time pass a little quicker for you. We'll try to get you in there in the morning." "Thank you, Dr. Goldheart." *** "Dusk? Hey, it's morning now." "Dr. Goldheart?" "Yeah, it's me Dusk." "So, can I see them now?" "Yeah, but there's something you need to know?" "What?" "They have amnesia." "Amnesia?" "Yes, it's a fancy way of saying 'memory loss'." "They lost their memory? Does that mean they won't recognize me?" "They don't remember having a child. To them, it's twenty years ago." "So... so, they don't know me anymore?" "No, no, no Dusk. They still know you, but the part of their brain that remembers you is... asleep." "Can we... can we wake it up?" "Maybe, it might help if they see you. Do you want to try that?" "Y-yes." "Okay, let's go see how they're doing." ... "Mr. and Mrs. Light?" "Yes." "What is it?" "There's someone here you need to see." "Mom? Dad?" "What is that thing doing here?" "This colt is your son." "But, we don't have a son!" "Please, you've both suffered some mental trauma. As a result, you've had some memory loss. This is, in fact, your son, Dusk." "How can you stand there and tell me that monster is our son!?" "M... monster?" "Sir, please listen." "No! Get out! Both of you!" "But dad..." "Don't you dare call me your father, you are not a pony!" "Come Dusk, we should leave." "But-" "I'm sorry, son. There's nothing we can do to help them remember." "They... they think I'm a... monster." "Dusk, I need you to listen, can you do that?" "Y... yes." "Your parents are not all there, okay? They need to remember what was forgotten. This isn't you fault, and you are a pony, definitely not any kind of monster. Do you hear me? You are not a monster." "But... what do I do now? My parents don't recognize me." "You will have to be put in a foster home." "What? No, no! I don't want to go with some strangers. I want my parents!" "I know Dusk, but, we don't know how long it would take to get them to remember. And you told me you don't have any other family. Unless you can find someone close, do you have godparents?" "Some... some family friends that live nearby." "I want you to try to get a hold of them, okay?" "I can go see if there home." "Go do that, if there's a problem come find me." "Okay." *** "What are you doing here?" "You're my godparents, right?" "You... you killed them?" "No, my parents are, thankfully, alive." "So what are you doing here?" "They... they don't recognize me. The doctor told me to come find you." "No. You can't stay here!" "But, why?" "We are not taking in a monster!" "But... you've known me for so long!" "No! You cannot stay here. Please leave." "I'm... I'm sorry to have bothered you..." "You should leave this city. Monsters don't belong here." "No!" Dusk sat upright and held his hooves over his ears, much like earlier at the library. "I'm not a monster! I'm... I'm not a... a monster..." He whispered over and over, like a mantra. It was the only thing he could do to calm himself down. "Dusk? Dusk are you okay?" Fluttershy called from the stairs. Dusk gave no reply. "Dusk? Dusk, talk to me." "I'm not a monster... I am not a monster. I am not a monster!" He didn't notice someone standing next to him as he was repeating his mantra in an attempt to keep his emotions in check. "No, you're not Dusk." Fluttershy confirmed, pulling his hooves of his ears. "You are a pony Dusk, not a monster." "Fluttershy?" He looked up to see her standing next to the couch. "I, uh, I heard you shouting," she told him. "Are you okay?" "I'm... I'm better now that you're here." "What happened?" "I... I had a nightmare." "What was it about?" "You can probably guess..." "Oh Dusk, I'm so sorry." She wrapped her hooves around his neck, as if she was shielding him from the pain and sorrow. "Thank you," he returned her hug. "For what?" she asked "For being here, for being my friend, for helping me so much despite knowing me for a day. For... well everything." "I'm just being a good friend, don't thank me for doing that," she couldn't help laughing a little. She took what he said to her earlier and said it back to him. Dusk couldn't help laughing with her. "Still, thank you," he released the pegasus. "It's nothing really. But, we have about an hour before the sun rises. Would you like some tea?" "Um, sure. I haven't really had tea before." "Never!?" She was taken aback. "Not that I can recall," Fluttershy practically ripped him off the couch. "Come with me, we are going to fix that right now."