All my life I thought I love him, but when I found out who he really was I didn’t know what to do. I panicked, and I may have made the worse decision I’ll ever make.
False Front
By Mirage_Mic
It started when I was a filly. I lived in a small house in the small industrial town of Trottingham with a proud father. He worked in a small shop right under our apartment, he’d repair metal and electronic items when they were brought in and sell extra parts when he had surplus. An honest stallion making an honest living.
My mother was never around, she was always busy with work. I joke sometimes think she was too busy to make it to my own birth, seems like it could’ve been. Her line of work required to be away from home for long periods of time, she came home every other month for around three days, but then went out again. She always told me when I get in the business I’ll understand why, but I didn’t think I’d want a job that prevents me from seeing my husband and child.
With two busy parents, life as a filly was hard for me. I went to school, came back and helped dad in the shop, practiced a little magic, and went to sleep all to do it once again in the morning. I was young though, so I didn’t find it completely boring at the time. I did find a few ways to relieve boredom. I had some friends at school, I read a book or two while on the job, and at the end of the day I still found the energy to have a wide smile upon my face.
But that story of repeat after repeat ended when I met a certain somepony, and he and I would be best friends for years.
I was walking home from school, the teacher held me in late because she needed something fixed and it was getting dark. I wasn’t afraid, and I kept my trot up as I went through the streets of Trottingham. I was passing by a few unfamiliar houses, unsure if it was just the darkness making things different or if I made a wrong turn, and I continued walking in my confusion.
When I was about to turn down what I thought was my street, I was approached by a unicorn stallion. He had a gentlecoltly smile as he saw me and asked “Hello there, sweet heart. Are you lost?”
Something was off with him but I shook my head. “I’m just walking home.” I looked at the street sign and it turns out I was lost, but my dad warned me about these types of stallions so I couldn’t let him know that fact.
“Mind if I walk with you? I’d hate for something bad to happen to a young mare like yourself.”
“Let me go!” I screamed as loud as I could, hoping somepony would hear me.
He held my tail in place with his magic and approached my front, looking me in the eyes and whispering “The safest option is to play along.” I was about to scream once more but he smacked me across the face, I collapsed and started crying. “You gonna come easy, bitch?” He licked his lips.
I had no option, I was too scared to think, so I nodded in my weak position. My tail was in the air and I was hurt, scared out of my mind, praying someone heard my screams and would save me.
The stallion smirked and lifted me by the tail, holding me above the ground and taking me further down the street. I knew if I screamed I would’ve been smacked again, or worse, so I remained as silent as I could while in tears, only yelping quietly when I felt a bump.
We were approaching a house and he put me down, whispering “Don’t wander off or you’ll be worse off.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and was about to put it in the door when when I swore I heard the sound of wings flapping.
“Let her go!” I heard a young colt’s voice from above. I turned to see who it was and the colt was dive bombing and slammed his hoof into the face of the stallion, sending the stallion to collapse to the ground. The colt turned to me and yelled “Run! Get help!”
I nodded and ran as fast as I could, running to find some sign of a royal guard. I ran down at least three streets and I found one, telling him in tears about what had just happened, stammering slightly, but trying to get help. Then guard asked me to take him to the house and I lead him there.
When we got to the house, the colt had knocked out the stallion, the stallion was face flat in the dirt and the colt stood across from him, ready to knock the stallion out again if needed. The guard approached and asked what had happened and the colt explained he was flying home when he saw the stallion lift me by the tail, deciding he had to help.
“Well, kid, you did good.” the guard smiled. “I’ll make sure this creep rots in a cell, you two get home. Would you like an escort?”
The colt shrugged. “You may want to get her an escort, don’t want to have to step in again.”
The guard nodded and looked to me. “I’ll get you a guard to bring you home. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”
I looked up to the guard, before collapsing and crying, relieved but still horrified by what had happened. “He was going to take me away!”
The colt approached me and hugged me, trying to comfort me. He seemed skilled in these type of events, I thought he was a vigilante at the time. “It’s okay. He won’t be seeing you any time soon.” I looked him in the eyes, still sniffling. “I’m Dusk Warmth, what’s your name?” He gave me a warm smile.
“I’m Sunlit Luck.” I started to calm down slightly, his smile giving me a feeling of security.
“Want me to take you home?”
“Okay…”
Dusk turned to the guard and asked “Mind calling off your partner and letting me take care of this?” The guard nodded and Dusk patted my back. “Where do you live?”
“Baker Street.”
He got in front of me and lowered himself. “Hop on.” I looked at him quizzically. “I’m stronger than I look, I won’t drop you if you hold on and I can keep us both up.” he assured me.
I slowly got onto his back, he was only a bit bigger than me, and I wrapped my forelegs around him, a bit scared of flying right now.
“Here we go.” He took a running start and spread his wings, flapping hard and taking off. My house was only a block away, and when we approached Baker Street he asked “Which house is it?”
“The orange one, Chrome Weld’s Shop.”
He slowly descended outside my fathers shop, my father waiting outside the shop with a paranoid look on his face.
“Sunlit!” My dad yelled in a slight delight as he saw me on Dusk’s back. After I got off Dusk he approached me and gave me a hug. “Sunlit… Are you okay? What happened?”
“Dad… I was kidnapped… But he saved me.” I looked to Dusk, who gave off a smile.
My dad looked at Dusk, “I’m forever in your debt. Thank you for bringing Sunlit back home safely.”
Dusk nodded and bowed slightly, “It was no problem. I couldn’t just let something like that happen.”
“If you ever need any metal or electronic work done, come here, I’ll do it for free as a thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. But… can I come over from time to time?”
Dad nodded. “Of course.”
“I’m Dusk Warmth.” He held out a hoof to shake dad’s.
“Chrome Weld.” He shook Dusk’s hoof. “You’re welcome here any time.”
“Thank you sir.” The town clock tower chimed it’s bells, it was Nine O’Clock, the last bell chime of the day. “I have to go now…”
“Have a good night.” My dad smiled.
“Goodnight, Sunlit.”
I smiled and waved to him. “Goodnight.”
Dusk waved back before turning around and flying away. As I watched the colt fly off to the sky, I couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth. I knew I was protected, I felt safe knowing he was out there.
Over the next few weeks Dusk came over to visit a few times. We played a few games like cards and board games, we’d talk about fun things we did that day, and just be two great friends. I found out a few upsetting things about him though.
He and I were playing rummy while talking. “...and when they found out it was Swift making the ghost noises, the entire class exploded in laughter.” I laughed remembering the events of the day.
Dusk chuckled, “You all really thought it was a ghost?”
I nodded. “Well, most of us.”
“Even you?”
“Yeah…” I then asked a question since I was curious. “Can I go over to your house some day?”
Dusk looked at me and then down a bit. “No…”
“Why?” I had no idea why back then, and sometimes I regret asking that.
“Because I don’t have one…” He drew a card and put one back.
“Oh…” I was about to carry on with the game but I felt horrible for asking that question. “I didn’t know… I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be.” he replied, not at all phased, it was rather strange to me. “I chose to run away, I ran to the next town and went to the orphanage to get away…”
“Why?” Another question I was about to regret.
“I can’t tell you…” He looked back down. “I can’t tell anypony, ever…”
I wanted to cheer Dusk up, but the only option I would have is to talk to my dad to adopt Dusk. That was near impossible, we already had to conserve spending on food since work’s been slow lately. My dad would want to but we’d slowly starve to death if we tried, a sacrifice I would’ve made at the time but dad wouldn’t. So all I could say was “Okay…”
But life wasn’t always one tragedy after another. I actually remember the time my mom brought work home with her, the same job her father had, and her grandmother, and it continued down the line.
My mom walked into the doors of dad’s shop the same way she always did, wearing some sort of white uniform styled cloak. She gave my dad a kiss on the cheek, I never questioned why she hadn’t done it on the lips, and she then came to me.
“Hey kiddo. How’s life?” She always said that.
“It’s been good.” I reply with courtesy in my voice. My mother was always a fan of manners, among other things. “How have you been, mother?”
“I’ve been well.” She always had a smile on her face when talking to me, it’s like she was in uniform. “I heard you have a new friend. Will I be able to meet him while I’m in town?”
I had no idea she knew. Was my father writing letters to her? Did he tell her when she walked in? Either way, I had to tell her about Dusk, which wasn’t a bad thing, just a bit of a unexpected turn in her usual visits. “Maybe you’ll see him.”
“What’s he like?” She pressed, and I know if I didn’t give her a full background check she would keep pressing for more information.
“He’s kind, brave, fun, a bit serious, and we love to play games together.”
“Oh? And how’d you meet him?”
“I was being kidnapped by some stallion, but he flew in and saved me. I owe him my life.” I did owe him my life, and I always thought I’d give it to him.
“Aw, do you have a crush on him?”
My cheeks went crimson and I shook my head, yelling “No!”
She couldn’t help but chuckle, but after a moment she calmed herself. “It’s okay, sweetie. If you love him, then he must be a special colt. But if you want to be friends with him and nothing more, that’s fine.”
It took me a second to process but then I nodded. “Maybe a little…”
Mom was about to say something when a stallion wearing a cloak like hers entered the door, approaching and saluting her. “Lieutenant Dawn, you’re needed at base camp.”
She looked to him, her smile going to a straight face. “Who said you can bother me in my family’s home?”
“The General wants needs all higher ups, I was sent to escort you.”
Sighing my mom turned back to me and smiled. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but I have to get back to work for a little bit longer.”
“Okay mom.” I replied as her and the stallion went out the door. I finally had the nerve to approach my dad about mom’s work. “Dad… What’s mom’s job?”
He looked at me and then nodded. “You’re thirteen years old, it’s about time you know. You’re mother is a member of a royal guard special ops unit, they specialize in hunting changelings. I believe they call themselves the False Front Battalion.”
“Wow…”
“You might be one yourself one day. It’s kinda her family tradition, so unless she stays long enough to have another foal she’ll need you to carry on her work.”
A scream could be heard from outside, it was mom. I quickly ran outside to see what was going on, and she was on the ground, breathing heavily. I went to her side and she looked at me with her beautiful eyes, whispering “I’m sorry… They got me…” I noticed a bite mark on her neck, something with two long sharp teeth, dripping blood about her coat.
I started to tear up, not sure if she was poisoned or strained by blood loss, but I knew she was going to die. “M… mom…”
She looked me in the eyes and started crying herself. “I-I’m sorry, Sunlit… Please… Avenge me…” A moment of silence passed and she closed her eyes. She was accepting death as it was, and she never looked more peaceful.
“Mom!” I cried out, tears dripping from my eyes. For once I felt horrible for saying she was never there.
Other ponies stopped and looked until the guard came and separated me from hugging my mother’s corpse. They took her body away and I just sat in the dirt, crying.
I felt something wrap around my side, and I turned my head to see the feathers of a pegasus wings, then turned it towards the other side to see Dusk, with apologetic eyes. He was there to comfort me, I felt. He was always there when I needed him. I leaned into his side and kept crying as he wrapped his wing closer around me, I could feel a few tears of his own hitting the back of my neck.
That day I knew I had to join the False Front Battalion… I had to avenge my mother’s death…
A few days after my mother’s funeral I told Dusk and my dad about my plans. My dad didn’t reply when I told him, knowing my mind was made up. Dusk, on the other hand, pleaded it was too dangerous, asking me to spare my own life, but I felt I had to.
So after my sixteenth birthday, I sent in an application to the royal guard. I passed most testing and already knew what to expect at basic training, all I was waiting for was a green light. Dusk decided to wait with me one night, and I finally decided I should tell him my secret.
“Dusk?” I looked to him sitting next to me on the couch.
“What is it, Sunlit?”
“Dusk… I think…” I focussed my attention on his beautiful green eyes, then admitted it. “I love you, Dusk…”
Dusk blushed a slight red. “Really?”
I replied with a simple nod.
“I love you too, Sunlit… I’ve wanted to tell you for some time…” He smiled and looked at me.
“After I get back from basic, would you want to go on a date?” I was going to ask him to marry me, but I stopped myself knowing it was too quick.
“Yeah… but there’s something I have to show you…” He got up and stood a bit away from me. “Do you promise you’ll love me no matter what?”
I had no idea what to expect, but I nodded. “I promise.”
He took in a breath and engulfed in a green flame for a mere second, and as the flame died out an insect like pony stood before me, a changeling.