Dusk felt some trepidation the following morning, as he waited in his room for the sparring partner that Luna had assigned to him for his day time practice. He was pacing nervously around the room, constantly stealing glances at the door and unable to remain still for longer than a few seconds. She was away from Canterlot on royal business, meaning he was going to be having these sessions in the morning instead of at night for this week.
He had no possible idea as to who it was that Luna could have sent. She'd mentioned when they spoke about this that it might be one of the guards of Canterlot, but what specifically did that mean? Depending on who it was would affect his performance in the fight they would have. Would it be one of the normal guards or one of the princesses', better trained personal guards? If so, would it be a Sun Guard or a Shadow Guard? An earth pony with greater strength, unicorn, with defensive spells or a Pegasus with superior flight?
Would he be able to hold his ground against an opponent like this? Dusk knew full well that he could fight, but his previous opponents had been beasts or partially incompetent, that he had been able to use his wits. He'd never fought with one who had been seasoned by battle, trained to fight and knowing what to expect when he glanced at an opponent. It might even be the Captain of the Royal Guard himself!
How was he meant to compete against that?
A sharp knock at the door made him jump and yelp. Collecting himself, he moved to answer the door and behold his sparring opponent.
He recognised him as the guard who had escorted him to see Celestia when he'd first arrived in Canterlot to start his extended training. The golden armour he wore as part of the Sun Guard contrasted with his gunmetal grey fur and matching wings, folded on his back. He was muscular, lean and imposing, as most of the guards were, but he in particular had an air that he wasn't one to be crossed, an impression that Dusk got when he'd first met him. It certainly hadn't changed.
A cutie mark of a pair of crossed swords glinted on his flank, emphasizing his status as a guard that had earned his place. Dusk didn't dare say anything before he did, for he wasn't sure of his status and authority in terms of being his partner. Piercing dark eyes met Dusk's, scanning him up and down, assessing his size and strength. He actually saw his mouth curl in a derisive smile.
"You? Princess Luna sent me to battle you?" His voice was curt and intimidating, much like the rest of him. "Looks like I'll get back on my shift quicker than I thought."
Dusk cringed a little under his mocking chuckle. "Um… nice seeing you again?"
"For you, maybe… sir," he added, like he was just remembering what he was. "Come on, let's go and get this over with."
"We uh, didn't introduce ourselves," Dusk said as they walked off, trying to be polite. "I'm-"
"Dusk Noir, I know, I'm not stupid," he snapped. "Name's Hard Edge, not that it matters to you."
"I uh…" Dusk decided not to respond to that, as he didn't seem to be in the best of moods. "So, where are we going?"
"If you keep quiet and follow me, you'll see," he snapped.
Dusk concluded to comply, not willing to aggravate him further, though he was starting to get a little irritated by his attitude. He preferred to be courteous and, while he could be shy at first, these days he didn't like to tolerate rudeness, especially from one who was supposed to be polite.
He led him through Canterlot at a quick pace, so much that Dusk had to jog a little to keep up with him. Other guards nodded to him, but watched him warily and some of the other ponies seemed rather eager to get out of his way or looked at him with a kind of disdain.
So, it wasn't just Dusk who felt uncomfortable. Clearly, his reputation wasn't a good one.
They arrived at a large, wide open space, surrounded by a stone wall in a circular shape. The path came at a cross roads in the centre, with patches of grass growing around the edges. A good spot for their session.
"Right, kid, Luna told me to test you by fighting you and I'm not exactly complaining, so let's get this over with," he said curtly.
If friendship and the girls had taught him anything, it was that his opinion mattered and Dusk felt it was an excellent time to voice his own.
"I understand, Hard Edge, but I've um… noticed something wrong," pointed out Dusk.
"What's that?" he snapped.
"As I recall, part of the oath taken by the guards of Canterlot is to… treat others with respect and dignity," he said, feeling a little bold. "No offense."
Hard glared at him, his eyes flashing and Dusk thought he might have been too bold. It looked like he might hit him. But he seemed to hold back on whatever he was thinking of doing, though his body was considerably tensed.
"None taken," he replied through gritted teeth. "I suppose… you have a point, sir. I… apologise."
"Accepted," Dusk said, suspecting he wasn't sincere. "Now, by your leave, shall we begin?"
"Yes…" he growled. "Right, no rules, apart from don't kill each other… not that I think that'll be a problem."
Ignoring what was obviously an insult to him, Dusk stood in a ready position for the coming duel. It was time to see if suspicions were right.
Only a few seconds passed before Hard Edge charged forward, swinging his hoof towards Dusk's head. Anticipating the attack, Dusk ducked under the blow and raised his own hoof towards the Pegasus's side.
But the counterattack was intercepted, very quickly, by Edge's other hoof, which gripped Dusk's hard and threw him to the ground. Before Dusk could recover and get back up, the guard grabbed him by the hoof again, punched him twice in the gut and flung him across the arena, leaving Dusk to skid across the ground.
"Luna said not to hurt you too bad and I won't. Much," he added cruelly. "When you're ready, we'll go again."
Winded and wheezing a little from the impact of the punches, Dusk tried his best to actually start breathing properly again and struggle back to his hooves. He was right then. This was going to be difficult, as he had anticipated.
He had barely regained his footing when Edge was on him again, striking him hard across the face, once for each side before upper-cutting him and sending him flying once more, landing with a hard crash on the stone floor. Dusk heard Edge charging again and was determined to do some sort of damage forgetting about his magic in his haste and kicking him once under the chin.
He tried to press an advantage, but the guard had barely flinched from the blow and was ready for the follow-up punch that was coming his way. He blocked it, struck Dusk once more and almost casually tossed him to the side.
"You really are as pathetic as you look," he sneered. "What does the Princess even see in you?"
Dusk coughed again, trying to struggle back to his hooves and straightened his glasses, which had become dislodged in the fight. How was he meant to compete with this stallion? He was brutal, strong and quick. What had Luna been thinking, picking him for a fight? The guard was trained for it and he seemed to be enjoying it.
The bout started poorly and ended just as badly, for Dusk at least. He tried analysing his attacks, searching for a weak spot, but the stallion always had him on the defensive with his training and skill. He had no opportunities for counter attacks and the ones he did get in didn't have much of an impact, either hitting his armour or just him absorbing the blow, while Dusk received constant blows and hits.
"Absolutely pitiful," he spat, when he had Dusk pinned. "Fighting you wasn't even a challenge. Waste of my time and energy, not that I used much of it."
Dusk only glared up at him, not deigning to give him the satisfaction of a response.
"Figures." He shoved him with his hoof along the ground and moved away. "Same time again tomorrow to see if you've improved. That's a big if though…"
The guard left him to stagger back to his hooves, Dusk barely suppressing the anger that he felt towards the bully of a stallion. He didn't know what his problem was and he may not like fighting, but he was determined that, next time, he wouldn't be so easily beaten. He'd proven he was capable of more than this and better than this.
But his stinging bruises and wounded, though miniscule, pride said otherwise as he gave his bruises time to sooth before making his way back through the street.
How in the wide world of Equestria was he meant to match such brutality and skill? Why would he even want to? He wasn't a fighter, he had no interest or pleasure in it, only to defend himself and only if absolutely necessary. In this case, he needed to employ both of those because he didn't have a choice. Edge wasn't holding back, so he had no excuse to. It was only one day though, he could just as easily try again tomorrow. Luna wasn't here, so he was on his own for now, until the end of the week.
Still, after today's miserable attempt at a duel, he couldn't see how he would do any better the next day, or after that, or the rest of the week. He didn't want to be seen as weak and useless, not like before. He was an Element of Harmony and that meant, if Equestria was in danger, he needed to be capable of defending himself and his home. Luna understood that and so did he. He didn't like it, but he understood.
He trudged back through Canterlot with a few concerned looks, using a minor healing spell Twilight had shown him to sooth his bruises. He wasn't exactly apt at it, but at least it didn't hurt as much. Maybe Luna would teach him that later on, along with some other things. He couldn't wait until these battle magic sessions were over, so he could get back to Ponyville and so he wouldn't have to endure more of this.
He didn't see how anything could improve his mood… but something did.
"Dusk! You utter darling, how lovely to see you!"
Only one pony he knew spoke in such a refined way. Turning around, he felt a wide smile grow onto his face at the sight of Rarity, with a matching smile of her own at the sight of him.
"Rarity!" Within seconds, they were hugging each other warmly, causing Rarity to drop the bags she was levitating. "Oops… sorry."
"Oh, never mind about them!" She pulled away, still grinning. "It's so good to see you dear. It feels like simply ages since I last saw you! I was just hoping I might bump into whilst in Canterlot and here we are!"
"I'm glad you bumped into me then," he laughed, forgetting all of his troubles and worries in her presence. "I've missed you, Rare."
"And I you, my dear," she replied sincerely. "So, how have you been while you've been gone? Luna keeping you busy?"
"Yes, but I'm on top of it and she says I could be back home by the end of the week," he reported happily.
"Well, that's absolutely… my goodness, what's happened to you? What brute did this?!"
She was pointing to his bruises, which Dusk hoped she wouldn't notice. "It's nothing…"
"It most certainly doesn't look like nothing! What in the wide world of Equestria happened? Where are the ruffians who did this?"
Once more, he was touched by her concern for him and knew she wouldn't let this go.
"I'll explain later," he assured her. "In the meantime, you look like you need a hoof with these."
"Nonsense, Dusk! I couldn't possibly ask you to-"
"You're not asking, I'm offering," he corrected, levitating her bags of fabric and feathers. "I insist. We'll carry these to where you're staying and we can talk there."
She looked like she would protest, but settled for a warm smile. "Still the gentlecolt I know so well."
Keeping equal pace with her, she led him back to the castle to one of the royal suites. Apparently, Twilight had asked Princess Celestia to accommodate her, while she was in Canterlot gathering fabrics for the shop back in Ponyville. Dusk couldn't hold back the smirk when he imagined what her reaction would have definitely been.
It was a very grand room, with a king-sized bed, a beautiful view of Canterlot and a door to a small bathroom, as well as a desk that Rarity would probably use for making designs for her work.
"Is that what all these are for?" he asked her, setting the bags down nearby.
"Actually, this is for a dress I intend to make for Twilight's birthday." She gestured to the desk, where there was a design for an illustrious gown resting on it. "She was such a dear, getting me this suite, I just to find some way to repay her."
"Well, it's certainly… unique." He frowned a little at the design, having a hard time imagining Twilight wearing something like that.
Rarity didn't appear to notice this, still keeping her smile, which became slyer. "What did you get her for her birthday then? As her coltfriend, I'm sure whatever you have for her is beyond words."
"I hope so, but I'm not telling you," he replied with his own smile. "It's a surprise."
"Oh come now, that's hardly fair!" whined Rarity. "I've told you what I'm doing for her, so you have to tell me the same."
"Not necessarily," he countered. "Let's just say it's something we can both appreciate."
Rarity frowned. "Dusk, really, she has enough books, don't you think? I thought you'd try a little harder than that."
"It's not a book," he told her. "But I'm still not going to tell you. You and her will both have to wait."
"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it then, I shall concede, but I have high expectations, Dusk," she warned. "So, if you're not going to tell me that, you can at least inform me as to how you got such horrible bruises."
That came up a lot sooner than he expected. Reluctantly, he explained about his sparring session that morning and the sheer brutality and aggression expressed by Hard Edge. She had an angry frown when he'd first started, which only became more severe as he told her.
"Why, that uncouth, overly-aggressive brute of a stallion! Dusk, you simply must inform Princess Luna at once! How she could have thought to assign you such an opponent is beyond me," she instructed.
"I've been thinking that myself, but I wonder if I know all of the details," he admitted. "She might not have known about how he'd act in this. Besides, she's not even here this week, so I'm on my own."
"But there's still Princess Celestia! Surely she might be able to act against this, or even the captain of the guard!"
"I don't feel I know them as well as I know Luna though," he said.
"That doesn't stop you from speaking to them too!"
"I know, but… there's something else." He didn't feel great admitting this, but he had considered it. "What if Luna did assign me him, knowing what he could do? What if she expects me to have beaten him by the time she returns, to see if I've truly mastered my battle magic?"
"Dusk, I find that rather hard to believe," she replied, though not with much conviction.
"She might have and she said she'd keep me here until I'd mastered these spells." He gazed out in the direction of Ponyville. "If I don't beat him, she might keep me in Canterlot for even longer and, while I don't mind it here, I want to be back in Ponyville, with you girls, especially for Twilight's birthday. I just… want to come home."
Rarity was silent for a moment. "You really think that's the case here?"
"It's the only one I can think of."
"I admit, while it does seem harsh, it does seem feasible, I suppose." She sighed and shook her head. "Very well, Dusk. Keep this to yourself, if you must, but I warn you, you may only make things bad for yourself for no reason."
"There can be no victory without sacrifice," he quoted. "I have to believe I can do this, to prove to her that I can. I've survived worse, I should be able to handle him."
"Should is a dangerous word," she countered. "I still feel you don't have to do this."
"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine. I don't like it, but I'll adapt," he said as lightly as he could.
"If you insist." She frowned at him for a while before allowing a smile to replace it. "Well, we might as well not let this spoil our mood, especially since something very special has just happened today."
"Really? Congratulations Rarity! Who's the lucky stallion?" asked Dusk, with a smile.
"Oh, you…" She giggled and blushed. "No, it's not that, but something just as wonderful. I have been invited to the Wonderbolt's Derby this afternoon, guest to none other than Fancy Pants!"
"I think I know him, at least by reputation," said Dusk thoughtfully. "He's big on the elite social scene, from what I understand."
"You'd be absolutely right. He heard I had a suite at the castle and extended his invitation when I bumped into him on the street, quite literally," she added, with a slight blush.
"Well, I'm very happy for you, Rare," said Dusk. "This is a very unique opportunity."
"I know and I want nothing more than to attend, but…" Her gaze turned to the dress design on the desk. "It'll cut into the time I want to do Twilight's dress and I really want to show her how grateful I am, for what she's done for me. I admit, I am rather torn…"
"May I give my opinion, Rarity?" She nodded gratefully. "You're here for the whole week and you already have the design well in order for what you want to create. You're not in Canterlot often and this is something that not anypony is offered. I say that you should give yourself some time to enjoy yourself and go."
"But what if I need time today to get it started and I don't have time?" she distressed.
"Rare, with your talents in the art of the dress, you could create a ball gown for Celestia herself with nothing but two scraps of fabric and some glitter," assured Dusk. "You've created clothes just as majestic in far less time, you'll have plenty of time to get it done. Have a little faith and go for it, just so long as you leave some time to complete it."
He was completely honest in all that he said. When it came right down to it, Rarity never let her friends down and he was sure she wasn't going to start today. She wasn't perfect, but then neither was he.
Rarity thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "You know what? You're absolutely right, Dusk. I shall have plenty of time to finish this dress and do it to a fabulous degree." She went out of the room and came back wearing a large, pink floral hat. "It's settled then. Dusk, I am going to the Wonderbolts Derby as a guest of Fancypants!"
He smiled when she squealed with sheer delight. "I'm sure you'll have a great time."
Her grin only brightened. "Dusk, you speak like I'm going alone to the Derby."
"Well… you are, aren't you?"
"Dusk, I am here in Canterlot with you, I haven't seen you for weeks and you think I'm going to leave you out of this, especially after you just worked so hard to persuade me to go?" she asked. "I simply wouldn't feel right, leaving you behind."
Dusk blinked in surprise. "But… Fancy didn't invite me and… I wouldn't want to impose."
"Nonsense, darling!" she dismissed. "If they invited me along for just having a suite, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have the student of a Princess present. You can be my plus one, I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, you aren't seriously thinking of leaving a lady unescorted to a formal event, are you?"
Though he hadn't expected this, Dusk was nonetheless happy she'd considered him. It wasn't like he had any plans this afternoon and he wanted to spend some more time with her, especially since it had been so long since he'd seen her.
"What kind of gentlecolt would I be if I did that?" he asked rhetorically. "If you insist then, Rarity, I shall attend the Derby with you."
"Nothing would make me happier," she returned, looking him over. "Hmmm, perhaps you should… no, you look fine."
"Thank you." He went to the door and opened it for her. "Now, Rarity, shall I escort you to the Wonderbolt's Derby?"
"It would be my honour, Dusk." Offering him her always charming smile, they set off together for the racing course.
Walking side by side and passing the time with pleasant conversation, Dusk realised once again just how much he'd missed her and the others. He would have preferred it if they were all here, but Rarity was one of those he was closest to in the group, with their shared perspective on manners and proper conduct and, of course, all she had done for him regarding Twilight. Feeling that sense of comfortable familiarity with her just made him all the more determined to beat Edge and return to Ponyville.
If he could…
With how easily they passed the time, it felt like seconds had passed when they arrived at the Derby. It being race day, the stands were obviously packed with ponies who had come to see the Wonderbolts race. Every seat was full and the tension for the upcoming race was palpable. Fortunately, thanks to knowing a pony who knew everything there was to know about the Wonderbolts, Dusk knew who to place his bets on. Figuratively speaking.
Thinking of Rainbow reminded Dusk of what Jock had said. Could he have been right? Had Rarity noticed anything? He still didn't think it was likely, but still… he put them aside when they reached the VIP box. At first, it looked like the unicorn guard there wouldn't let them in, until the well-dressed Fancy Pants arrived.
"Rarity, jolly good to see you! So glad you could make it. And who is your young friend here?" he asked, looking at Dusk.
"Oh, he's my guest, if that's all right," she added timidly.
"Absolutely. Please, step this way," he invited, when the guard pulled aside the rope to let them through.
They were led up to the box, where Fancy was immediately surrounded by a group of his friends, chatting indistinctly to each other. Sensing Rarity's nervousness, Dusk resolved to be exemplary in his time here, so they wouldn't judge her poorly.
"Everypony, this is Rarity. She's staying at Canterlot Castle." That got them murmuring even more, all eyes on her. "And, I'm sorry, I didn't catch the name of your friend."
Stepping up, Dusk swept his hat off and bowed his head, placing it back on and flashing a smile. "Heartiest felicitations to you, sir and to you all. Dusk Noir, at your humble service."
His overly dramatic introduction didn't seem to go over very well. He caught a few murmurs from the group that he was 'trying too hard' and being over the top. Fortunately, Fancy Pants and Rarity stepped in and saved him.
"Yes, I remember now. You were with Princess Luna on the night at the Gala!" he exclaimed, moving forward and shaking his hoof. "I had completely forgotten, what with all the excitement of the evening. Jolly good to meet you in person."
"Yes, indeed. Dusk here is student to Princess Luna herself, as a matter of fact. A very capable and intelligent unicorn at that," she said, with a warm smile.
Within seconds, they all changed their attitudes about him.
"Hmm, clearly a pony from the highest upbringing," commented one of them.
"Yes, I thought so from the moment I saw him," agreed her friend.
"I was in no doubt at all. I thought I had seen your face somewhere, but I was having a hard time placing it," Fancy Pants said, the only one Dusk was actually taking a liking to. "Well, Rarity, you and your coltfriend are very welcome with us."
"Oh, no!" Dusk said quickly. "We're not um… well…"
"Yes, yes, we're just good friends," said Rarity hastily, her cheeks as red as his.
"My apologies for assuming, you just seemed quite close, is all."
"Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the Wonderbolts Derby!" came the voice of the announcer, sparing the two of them the embarrassment. "The competitors are taking their places at the starting line and the race will begin momentarily!"
"I'll be rooting for Rapid Fire, of course," sad Fancy Pants confidently. "He's sure to take home the grand prize." The others all agreed with him again.
"I don't think he has a chance against Fleetfoot." They all gasped and stared at Rarity, who forced a smile while she sweated.
Returning the favour, Dusk saved her. "I am in much the same mind. Fleetfoot is more than a match for Rapid Fire."
None of them had the time to comment, as the Wonderbolts took their place on the starting line. On the sound of the horn, they were off. Glancing at the elite, Dusk noticed that, compared to himself and Rarity, they looked rather bored and disinterested in what was happening. They were barely even trying to look invested, Fancy Pants probably being the only exception.
Now, again, he was reminded why he preferred Ponyville to Canterlot.
Due to their speed and the shortness of the track, the race was over in seconds, resulting in a victory for Fleetfoot, as they had said. While Dusk and Rarity celebrated, the other elite all stared in disbelief while Fancy smiled in admiration.
"Bravo, Rarity and Dusk. I say, how did both you know Fleetfoot would be victorious?" he asked.
"Our friend Rainbow Dash talks about her all the time," Dusk told him.
"Quite so. She says what Fleetfoot lacks in size, she makes up for in speed," finished Rarity.
"And who is this 'Rainbow Dash'?" asked one of the mares.
"Well, she's-" Dusk was going to answer, when Rarity cut him off.
"She's um… Uh... Why... she's... she's the... the Wonderbolts' trainer, of course," she lied, under their impassive gazes.
Along with the others, Dusk was staring at her, though more with surprise than scrutinizing judgement. She'd just lied about one of her friends. One of their friends. Why would she even do a thing like that?
Fancy Pants was first to speak. "Staying at Canterlot Castle, is friends with the Night Princess's student and she knows the Pegasus training the Wonderbolts. I told you all this was an important pony."
They all chattered in agreement, Dusk still flabbergasted that Rarity would lie.
"Three cheers for Rarity and Dusk, my new favourite party guests!" proclaimed Fancy, lifting their hooves in the air.
While Rarity looked very delighted as the other ponies cheered them on, Dusk certainly didn't share those feelings.
They spent some time after the race mingling with the others and making conversation. Dusk did his best to be polite and smile, but he could tell that, while he was talking, it was clear than none of these ponies were actually taking in what he was saying. They didn't see him for who he was, just what he was, somepony they could mention in conversation to increase their status in their social group by telling them how well connected he was.
Another thing he noticed was that they were a very fickle group. He'd already noted before how if Fancy Pants liked them, so did they, even if they were being rather judgemental about them before. One pony that Dusk was talking to said she didn't like reading very much, but as soon as Dusk said he was an avid reader, she started asking him about his favourite books and responding as if she knew them inside out.
Rarity, on the other hoof, was having the time of her life, now doubt entranced by all the sophistication and class that the elite offered. Everypony seemed to like her, though Dusk could tell they were only pretending to listen to her anecdotes or pretending to laugh at her jokes. The way they begged her to come along to different social events they were organising was practically cringe-worthy to watch, even more so when she accepted, though reluctantly.
"Oh, Dusk, wasn't today simply the best?" she sighed, when he returned her to her suite.
"I suppose," he shrugged. "But, to me at least, they all seemed very… uptight."
"That's just because they have good manners, darling," she reasoned. "Surely you must have noticed how sophisticated they all were. You grew up here after all."
"That just means I'm used to it. Call me a country colt, but I prefer Ponyville."
"What a coincidence! In the same way, I grew up in Ponyville, yet I simply love it here" she noticed. "It was a shame you had to turn down the invitations of the elite for all those social gatherings."
"Well, I have a lot of training to do for these last few days to ensure I get to go home." He smiled at her reassuringly. "You'll be fine without me, I'm sure."
In truth, he'd been rather happy to turn them down. He'd been able to tolerate today, but he wasn't sure he could spend any more time with those ponies if he could help it.
"I know, but I shall miss your presence regardless," she admitted. "It was enjoyable spending time with you today."
"Same here," he could say with complete honesty, all except for one thing. "Why did you lie about Rainbow Dash?"
"Hm? Oh, the Wonderbolt's trainer?" She giggled uncomfortably. "Well, not so much of a lie. She knows so much about the group, she might as well be their trainer. More… enhancing the truth, I'd say."
"But why not just tell the truth?"
"It's… you know, to make it a little more glamorous than that," she said. "Anypony could have said that she was simply a fan of the Wonderbolts, but it's even more impressive saying you know the trainer of the group."
"But why would you need to make her sound better?" Another thought occurred to him. "You're not ashamed of them, are you?"
"What?! Don't… don't be silly! Of course not," she replied, though not with much conviction.
"Then what is it?"
Rarity remained in an awkward silence before clearing her throat. "Well, no time to worry about that now. It's late and I must get my beauty sleep, for the art gallery opening tomorrow."
"Rarity, why did-"
"Are you sure I can't convince you to come along, Dusk?" she asked, cutting him off.
She was avoiding the subject, so it was clear he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of her. Hoping this wasn't going to become a similar Sweetie Belle episode, he shook his head.
"No, I definitely won't. I have more important things to focus on," he replied, being sure to put enough emphasis on his words. "Good night, Rarity."
"Sleep well dear," she returned. "They'll be quite disappointed you had to turn them down."
"They'll be disappointed, and they're not the only ones," he added with a murmur to himself as he left.
Dusk had two hopes over the week: that Rarity would remember what was important while she was socialising with the elite and that he would make progress against Hard Edge. Unfortunately, neither of those hopes were coming to fruition.
He barely saw much of Rarity these days. Over the week, she'd become ever more popular in the social circle of the elite, invited along to almost every event that was organised. From charity auctions to parties to yacht rides, she was certainly the hit of the social scene, so much so that Dusk only saw her for about a minute every day. He didn't know how things could be going with her due to how busy she was, but he had seen she had barely started on Twilight's dress as the day drew ever nearer for her birthday.
In almost the same way, he wasn't making much progress against Hard Edge. Far from improving, he only seemed to be getting worse. He occasionally got the upper hoof, but the Pegasus always managed to find a way to turn the situation around again. Edge seemed less and less impressed every time, sneering contemptuously at him whenever he managed to beat him. He'd even stopped wearing his armour to fights, as he didn't want to be weighed down against a 'push-over.'
"Utterly and truly pathetic," he sentenced when he beat Dusk yet again. "If this keeps up, you can forget about going home kid. You're going to be here for the long haul."
Dusk was getting desperate, especially with Luna returning on the night of Twilight's birthday. He really had tried everything. He tried mixing up his tactics, but he always seemed to either anticipate them or beat him down whenever he tried to apply them. He tried looking up martial arts techniques and practicing with Jock and Muscles, but looking them up and applying them were two completely different things.
Every time he tried, he failed and it stung, in more ways than one. It seemed Edge was right and he was going to have to stay here. Luna would agree, once he'd reported to her.
In the end, regrettably, he had to send a message to Twilight on the day before her birthday that he was going to be kept in Canterlot and wouldn't be able to make it back for her party. He would still send her gift on the day, but he wasn't going to be able to deliver it in person. He wiped away his tears when he rolled up the scroll and sent it off. That had been his third attempt, as he kept splashing tears over the words and blotching them.
He wasn't going to see Twilight or the others. That hurt more than any punch that Hard Edge could do.
It was only made worse on the day, when he was being subjected to yet another humiliating and painful bout with the guard.
"By Celestia, I've seen recruits fight better than you," sneered Hard Edge, after he'd tossed him back to the ground. "Maybe I should have sent one of them to do this instead, then you wouldn't have to waste my time with this."
"I'm… doing… my best…" grunted Dusk.
"Yeah, well, your best isn't good enough?" he snapped. "You think just because you come from this place and a princess gives you a few tricks, you can just beat any opponent without breaking a sweat? Well, guess what, shrimp? You can't. You've got the tricks but you haven't got the skill and you never will."
He hung his head, not even trying to get back up. What was the point, he was just going to get beaten down again anyway? What would the others say, if they could see him now… he could hear their voices already…
"Come on Dusk, don't listen to him! You've got more skill in your hoof than he has in his whole body!"
"Get on up an' show that varmint whatcha got!"
"No time for napping now, it's fight time!"
"Show that big dumb meanie being a bully isn't very nice!"
Their voices, they sounded so clear. Wait… that wasn't in his head. He gathered the strength to lift his head and he felt his spirits soar at the sight.
There they were, standing on the edge of the arena, waving and cheering him on. They were here, in Canterlot! Either that, or the blows were making him hallucinate. Twilight approached and he felt the tingling warmth of a healing spell, along with the softness of her lips against his.
No… this was no hallucination.
"Just when I thought you couldn't get any more pathetic," spat Edge. "Luna didn't know what I could do, your friends don't either. What makes you think you stand any more of a chance?"
"You hear that, Dusk?" Twilight asked. "Luna didn't know what this guy was going to do without her watching, but we do and we know that you've beaten far tougher than the likes of him. I know you don't like fighting much, but get back in there and show him what you can do."
He didn't say anything, he just let their belief in him flow through his whole body and empower him. He nodded to Twilight, who gave him one more kiss for luck and backed off.
Dusk wasn't going to back down this easily this time. Clearly, Luna was ignorant of this and had assumed that this would proceed almost like they had done. But if Hard was going to play a brute and a bully in this fight then, as much as he wouldn't have wanted to participate regardless, Dusk was going to teach him that he wasn't so easily bullied. Not anymore.
As much as he wanted to, as much as it hurt, Dusk wasn't going to give up.
"So, you think with a kiss and some healed boo-boos you can beat me?" mocked Edge.
But Dusk wasn't going to let him dishearten him, not like he had been for the past week. He had refused to fight because he was scared and because he didn't agree with it. But now, he had fought diamond dogs, a hydra, buffalo, gremlins, Paraserpents and even the lord of chaos himself. If he could defeat his darker side, then he could defeat Hard Edge. He hadn't even seen what he could do yet.
"I'll show you," he responded calmly, delving into his magic.
Edge let out another derisive laugh and charged at him, with that confident look on his face like he would best him as easily as he had done at the start of this. But Dusk was ready for him this time and he was going to show that he was no push over. Not anymore.
Turning his hooves orange, he blocked the blow and smacked him across the face with the other, at last making him stagger back a little. Now deciding to press his new advantage, he started shooting off cyan pellets at him rapidly striking his body and making him cringe under the frequency they were making contact and allowing Dusk to hit Hard Edge again, this time retreating back a little to give him a chance to recover.
That proved to be a mistake, because now Dusk had retaliated with more force, the Pegasus had been angered and wasn't going to hold back now. Before, he had barely been raising a hoof to beat him. Now, Dusk knew he was going to see the full extent of his ferocity.
The Pegasus charged, grabbing Dusk before he could react and shooting into the air, where he proceeded to deliver a barrage of punches.
"How's that?!" he roared while his hooves smacked into Dusk. "I'll give it to ya!" He rose for one final powerful blow. "To the ground!"
But Dusk had been able to block the majority them with little shields, absorbing most of the damage and blocking his big punch. While he still went shooting to the ground, he allowed pink absorbers to stop his fall and bounded back skyward in a flash, his hooves becoming orange. He smacked into Edge, pounding him twice in quick succession.
"Stay down!" he commanded, slamming him to the ground too, but he actually hit it.
He pulled himself up and growled, "You little runt!" Spreading his wings, he charged him again.
Knowing what gave him his strength, Dusk knew he had to strike him in his wings, so it was time to play a more deceiving game. He started firing off what looked like pellets, when actually they had no solid structure and were just lights. As he expected, Edge spent energy dodging them, while Dusk moved out of the way of his attacks and using less of his own energy.
Finally, the Pegasus slowed down, enough that Dusk felt confident finally moving on the offensive. He let him charge straight on, firing solid pellets to put him off and bounded over, turning his hooves orange and bringing them down on the space in between his wings. Had he been wearing his armour, it would have protected the spot, but not here.
"AGH!" His wings stopped flapping and he crashed back into the ground. Now that he had hit such a sensitive spot, he wouldn't be able to use them.
"You're grounded," quipped Dusk, landing opposite, though not without a little stumble.
"I don't need my wings! I can beat you without them!" he shouted.
He galloped at Dusk, but now he just seemed to be in a blind rage, making his attacks uncoordinated and easy to avoid or block. This allowed Dusk to bring in plenty of counter attacks of his own, landing them and weakening him further while dodging his own attacks. Finally, he was weakened enough that he was starting to stagger, his strikes becoming weaker.
Now, thought Dusk, it was time to finish this.
Even though he didn't take joy in fighting and didn't like the idea of revenge, he felt that, for all the time that Edge had humiliated him and treated him like dirt, it was fine if, just this once, to have a little… payback. With style.
"Fluttershy, protect me!" He pushed him back with a yellow shield. "Twilight, may your magic empower me!" He held him in place with a purple levitation field. "Rarity, may your grace give me wings!" He jumped on a colour cloud, soaring towards him. "Applejack, give me strength!" He smacked into him with orange hooves, shooting past towards the wall. "Pinkie, lighten me with your laughter!" He bounced off the wall and back towards him. "Rainbow, lend me your speed!" His hooves flashed blue, as did his pellets, as he struck him hard and fast. "And a little something from me." Keeping him in place with the field, he created a large, dark blue solid ball of light. Once it was the right size, he kicked it towards Edge.
THOOM!
The ball exploded as it hit him in a flash of light, smacking him into the ground and putting him down for good. Dusk landed a few feet away, feeling light headed from the effort, but still feeling it was worth it.
"Bulls eye," he finished, smiling towards the girls while they cheered. He made his way to Edge, who was staggering to his hooves, covered in bruises and the odd cut.
"How… how did… you…?" He fell back down again, glaring up at him. "How could I lose?!"
"I just got a little better. I'm sorry I had to hurt you. Here…" He held out his hoof to help him up. "Maybe we can put this behind us."
Edge raised his head, stared at Dusk's hoof and snarled, shoving it away. "I don't need your pity!" He pushed himself up and pointed. "I won't forget this!" With that, he staggered off, either to get some medical attention or to sulk.
Dusk watched him go, feeling a little sad that he hadn't taken defeat in good grace. Some ponies pride was obviously stronger than others, rather like Rainbow. Speaking of which…
"Dusk, that was awesome!" She zoomed up and gave him a tight hug. "The way just took him down like that, truly radical!"
"I knew you'd approve," he smiled, trying to ignore the way she was staring at him with such intensity.
With a rather reluctant look, she let the others join in on the hug, Twilight giving him another kiss on the lips.
"Now that is showin' him whatcha got!" declared Applejack. "Nice work there, sugarcube."
"Even so, that Hard Edge was acting way out of line," complained Twilight. "You better make sure to tell Princess Luna when she gets back about this."
"I intend to," nodded Dusk, unable to keep the smile off his face. "I missed you all, so much."
"We did too." Fluttershy was looking over him with concern. "He didn't hurt you too badly, did he?"
"I'm fine, it's okay," he assured her. "But… what are you all doing here?"
"When we got letters that both you and Rarity were going to be stuck in Canterlot, I knew neither of you wanted to be left out. So, we decided to move it here, so now you don't have to miss it!" announced Twilight happily.
"Really? Rarity said that she couldn't come back?" asked Dusk. "That's interesting."
"How come?" asked Rainbow. "Where is she anyway? I'd have thought you two would be hanging out or something."
"She's been a little busy, so I have I, as you could see," informed Dusk. "I haven't seen much of her, but still… you moved to here, just so we could be at your party?"
"Of course! I wouldn't want Rarity to miss out and I certainly wasn't going let my coltfriend miss out on my birthday," she added, with a smile.
"Twi… you really are the best," said Dusk in all honesty, hugging her again. "Happy birthday and… I'm glad you could all be here."
"We all are, now come on, let's go see Rarity! She's gonna be so surprised!" Pinkie decided.
If she's even there, thought Dusk. But he didn't let those feelings get him down while he made his way to the castle with his friends, taking so much joy in their presence and utter surety that he was back where he belonged.
They had barely left the arena, when Dusk suddenly realised something.
"Hold on, I need to go and get your present!" He started to sprint off before they could say anything, caught up in his excitement and hoping they wouldn't mind. "I'll meet you all there!"
He galloped off back to the school, hurried into his room and grabbed the blue velvet box that he was keeping her present in, tied up with a lilac bow, with an actual lilac attached to it. Now, for the moment of truth, he thought, galloping to Rarity's suite and catching Twilight's voice as he arrived inside.
"Is... that my dress?"
He looked to where she was and saw a plain, yellow dress, adorned with a pink ribbon, hardly the extravagant design that Rarity had planned. She hadn't even taken the time to do it properly.
"Yes…" Rarity's eyes met Dusk's, begging him not to say anything.
Dusk, feeling that Rarity should have to explain herself if needs be, only raised an eyebrow and remained silent, while Twilight examined Rarity's work.
"It's so... simple. So practical. So me!" she decided with a grin. "It's the perfect dress for my birthday party! I love it!"
"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that." While Twilight hugged her, Dusk caught Rarity hitting the old design into the wastepaper basket with her tail. "Now, ahem, I believe uh Dusk has a gift for you."
"Oh, yes." He let her take the box and waited with baited breath. She smelled the lilac and placed it behind her ear, removing the ribbon and opening the box.
"Oh my… oh Dusk…" Her eyes beginning to shimmer, she levitated out the Lover's Diamond, but with some changes.
With a good few tries and a few hours of attempts, Dusk had figured out how to encase his magic within the stone, making it so that one half was his fur colour and one was hers, the magic swirling and twinkling inside, like it was actually alive. With some help from his Canterlot friends, he had managed to split the stone down the middle, breaking into the two halves and two separate necklaces that still came together to form a heart.
"See, look." He levitated the two halves and placed the one with his fur colour around her neck and vice versa. "We can both wear the two separate halves. So that, you know… wherever you are, you're reminded of me and… I can always think of you. Then, when we're together, we're…"
He trailed off, unable to finish. He thought maybe it was too cheesy, or that he had gone to too much effort in the wake of her dress.
"We're complete…" She was right in front of him, her eyes shining like the necklace she now wore. "Dusk… this is the sweetest thing anypony has ever done for me."
"You… you really…?"
"I do." Her lips captured his and he heard the others all say 'aw' at the sight of them. "Thank you…"
"You're welcome…" She pulled back and stood by his side, so the halves almost came together.
"That's so romantic," sniffed Rarity, wiping her eyes. "A Lover's Diamond… however did you get that? They're near impossible to find!"
Dusk only smiled. "Let's just say I had to do some hard bargaining for it."
Later that evening, they all made their way to Twilight's party. The mare in question was wearing her new dress, new necklace and the lilac for the occasion and Dusk thought she looked absolutely beautiful. Now that he was here, with her and them, in the waning glow of the sun and the light of the stars, Dusk could tell this was going to be perfect.
Dusk thought he'd try to look his best, trying his best to comb his hair and wearing a blue tie that he had bought earlier that day. It wasn't much, but the girls, especially Twilight, appreciated his effort. Once again, he caught Rainbow staring at him, but he ignored it. He was too happy now to let anything spoil it.
"When I told the Princess that I was moving the party to Canterlot," Twilight was saying, her side against his, "she was kind enough to offer us the Canterlot castle ballroom!"
The same room used for the Gala was now decorated Pinkie Pie style, with balloons, streamers, a pile of presents and tables of cakes and sweet snacks.
The party pony beamed. "Isn't it fancy pants?"
"Fancypants?! Where?!" Rarity hid behind Rainbow, before realising her mistake. "Ahh, I mean, where did you find the time to put up all these decorations? Haha…"
"Oh, I never leave home without my party cannon." She pulled out the device in question, firing a table cloth and confetti into the air.
"I thought about having my birthday outside, but they're having another party on the castle grounds today," Twilight pointed out.
Noticing how Rarity hid behind a pillar, Dusk knew this had to be the event she was invited to and, though she didn't want to admit it, she didn't want the elite to see her with those they might consider uncouth.
"Let's party!" At Pinkie's announcement and the playing of some catchy music, Dusk decided to just relax and have some fun.
And what fun it was. They all threw Twilight into the air in celebration, Dusk using his own magic to let her fly through the air and ended up having a cake fight that was started by Rainbow Dash. When they tried to start a conga line, Dusk tried to excuse himself, not wanting to feel improper with what it entailed.
Twilight, however, just levitated him to the front, placed her hooves on his flank, blushed and winked.
"Loosen up," she instructed and, though his cheeks were ruby red, he did as she commanded.
Dusk noticed in the midst of all this, Rarity had managed to slip away to the garden party just outside. The others didn't really notice and he didn't take much notice either, as he swung blindly at a piñata. She'd learn her lesson soon enough. Or at least, he hoped so, especially after she spat what looked like a fancy appetiser coated in chocolate sauce in his face.
Throughout the party, she kept making excuses to leave, again to attend both the garden party and Twilight's birthday at the same time. She started look more and more harassed and tired as they went on, the excuses becoming more vague and poor, until eventually…
"Uh, what's with the croquet mallet?" Rainbow asked.
"What croquet mallet?" she asked, her voice muffled by it.
"Duh, the one in your mouth!"
She dropped it with a nervous laugh as they all gathered around her. "Ooh, that croquet mallet. I- well I, you know, the truth is... the truth is..."
"Were you at that other party in the garden?" realised Twilight.
"I, I..."
"Rarity, I'm surprised at you."
The truth comes to light, Dusk thought.
"Twilight let me explain! I-"
"I hadn't realized you were such a savvy businesspony!"
"You must understand! I-"
"All of those ponies look so posh. And with the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, I bet you could totally get some of them to buy your dresses. Very smart!" Or not.
"Why yes, I-I didn't want you to think I was being rude, so that's exactly the reason I didn't tell you. The one and only reason," she laughed, unable to believe her luck.
Neither was Dusk. She was just lucky Twilight was so understanding.
"Oh, well you didn't have to do that. You should totally go over there and mingle!" she invited.
"Twilight, you really are the best friend a pony could ever ask for." She hugged her gratefully. "I don't know why I ever thought you wouldn't understand."
"Understand what?"
"Nothing. See you girls and Dusk later!"
Right, Dusk thought, enough was enough. It was time for the truth to be shown.
"A moment, Rarity," he put in. "Since we're your friends, I'm certain that they wouldn't mind if we came along too. Perhaps help to liven things up a little."
"That's exactly what I was thinking!" declared Rainbow. "Come on guys. Let's show them how to party Ponyville style!"
He caught Rarity's horrified look as they trouped outside in another conga line, but he only smiled. Time to see if she really was ashamed of them.
In contrast to the refined sophistication of the elite, he and the girls acted in a manner more befitting one of their own parties. Pinkie literally stuffed her face with cake, Fluttershy fed some birds, Rainbow tried her hoof at croquet, adding her own twist to it and Applejack seemed a little confused about the term 'garden party'.
"How come y'all aren't doin' any gardening?" she asked the guests while they backed away like she had a contagious disease. "This is a garden party, isn't it?"
During these events, Dusk saw Twilight dancing to the music in a rather… well, cringeworthy way, not that he meant to judge. He was fine with dancing, but he thought if they were going to do it, they might as well do it a little better than that.
Glancing at the stage, he saw one of the musicians was Frequency Stream, who smiled upon seeing him.
"Dusk, nice to see you again," he greeted. "Friends of yours?"
"Indeed. I hope we're not disrupting things too much for you."
"Actually, this is much better than before," he confessed. "I wasn't quite looking forward to this, but this has certainly made this a most entertaining evening."
"I'm glad to hear it. You wouldn't mind helping that along, would you?" he asked.
"Not at all. What can I do?" Dusk whispered in his ear. "Say no more. Fillies, gentlecolts," he addressed his fellow musicians, "it's time to step this up a little. Just try and keep up with me."
The others looked at each other, shrugged and started to follow Frequency as he played. Feeling bold, Dusk levitated a nearby rose from the bush and placed it in his mouth. Turning off the music Twilight was dancing to, he approached her and bowed, holding out his hoof.
"May I have this dance?" he asked.
She looked a little surprised, but returned the smile and took his hoof. "You most certainly may."
As the tempo of the music increased, Dusk recalled his dancing lessons from Rarity and began to sway Twilight to the rhythm of the music. But it wasn't a slow waltz this time, but faster and more dynamic, a little more daring. A tango, or something along those lines. Twilight was caught off-guard for a moment, but she soon adapted and the two of them began to move perfectly in time with each other and the music.
It wasn't entirely perfect, with a few stumbles and trips, but tonight, they let nothing ruin their moment and Dusk wanted to make her feel special. He twirled her around, held her close, separated for a moment to show off their own separate dance moves to each other before coming back together again. He could feel the eyes of others staring, hear the murmurs of either disapproval or appreciation at their display, but they practically shut off the outside word and focused on the dance and the music.
It ended with Dusk tossing her in the air, catching her again while she bent gracefully backwards, the rose now in her mouth. She gave him a sensuous gaze, which he returned and sealed it with a kiss, provoking more mutters from the crowd.
"Bravo Dusk, a magnificent display!" praised Fancy Pants. "I say, I didn't know you could dance like that."
"Well, I had a good teacher," he told him, his leg around Twilight.
"And you performed admirably as well, "he added to Twilight. "Pardon my intrusion, might I ask where you got your ensemble?
"Why yes, yes you may. A very, very close friend of mine from Ponyville made it for me," she told him proudly.
Dusk saw Rarity perform a spit-take and hurry over.
Fancy frowned. "Ponyville? You don't say?"
"I do say. Her name is-"
"Fancypants!" interrupted Rarity. "Come with me! I'd like to show you this, er, thing, that's over there. On the other side of the room."
"In a moment, my dear. This lovely filly from Ponyville was just about to tell me who made her charming dress," he complimented. "You're a lucky stallion, Dusk. She's quite a catch."
"I certainly thought so," agreed Dusk, making her blush.
"That dress? Oh come now, who cares, it's just a plain old-"
"Oh don't be so modest, this dress you made is beautiful!" she announced.
"As much as the rest of your work," put in Dusk.
There was a collective gasp from the guests, who all began to stare in complete disbelief at Rarity. The unicorn cringed under their collective gaze, enough that Dusk felt rather bad for her.
"We all think so!" The others all gathered around, smiling proudly.
"You know these ponies?" asked Fancy to Dusk.
"I do," he nodded. "They're the best friends I could ever hope to have and I wouldn't be the pony I am today without them."
"And you, Rarity?"
Her gaze darted around as the other ponies started to mutter and whisper, with dismissive looks and smirks. Twilight and the others looked confused at Rarity's indecisiveness. Choosing between her life in Ponyville and the life she'd made here.
Would she make the right choice?
His heart sank when she started to trudge towards the elite, perhaps to dismiss she'd never met these ponies in her life and betray them all. Or perhaps…
"Yes. Yes, I do know them," she admitted, confirming his hopes. "They may not be as sophisticated as some of you Canterlot ponies, but they are my best friends. And they are without a doubt the most important ponies I know."
"Important ponies? These ruffians?" snorted one of the guests.
"Don't make me laugh!" They both did, snooty, superior snorts that made Dusk feel a twinge of annoyance and some shame that he had grown up here.
Fancy, however, was more accepting. "I, for one, find them charmingly rustic." The crowd gasped again. "And I think the dress you made for your friend is lovely. Mmhm, I dare say every mare in Canterlot will be wanting one."
"Oh, I'd like to place my order right now," requested the same pony who had laughed at her.
"I think you should get two," agreed the stallion.
Dusk rolled his eyes. A herd of sheep had more independent thought than them.
Fancy seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Er, yes, now then. How about you introduce me to your friends?"
"With pleasure!" The two of them passed a silent look of apology, which was enough to smooth things over.
It was important to never forget where you came from. While Dusk wasn't exactly proud of the behaviour some of the elite displayed, not all ponies that lived here were like that. Fancy wasn't and he wasn't. Dusk liked to think he had the friendliness of a Ponyville citizen, but the manners of a Canterlot pony.
A mix that he was very proud and very happy to have.