//------------------------------// // 8 - Aftermath // Story: From Dusk to Night // by KuroiTsubasaTenshi //------------------------------// As soon as we reached the train station, I beckoned Night Flurry into the stallions’ restroom. I would have preferred the cleaner mares’ room, but odds are he’d implode into a red blob of embarrassment and we really didn’t have time for that. In fact, I’d have skipped this little side trip entirely if not for the problems that would almost certainly arise from boarding the train looking like we’d just been in a bloody brawl; that is, if they even let us board at all. Thankfully, I always carried a field kit with me, which let me avoid those awkward questions that came with seeking out medical supplies. All I needed was a clean source of water. And so I found myself in the stallions’ restroom, constantly glancing over my shoulder as I cleaned up Night Flurry’s wounds. It really didn’t help that he cringed at each touch; although, to his credit, at least he didn’t cry out. Most of the blood was still fresh enough that it hadn’t caked, allowing me to simply wash it out with water and brush the relevant portions of coat over it. Unfortunately, there were a couple spots, particularly around his neck and re-injured wing, that required bandages, lest he leave a nice little crimson stain on the next thing he bumped. “There,” I said as I secured the last of the bandages. “That’s about as good as I can do. Best I can tell, there’s nothing particularly serious, but you should get a professional’s opinion once we get back.” “U-um, okay. I… w-what about you?” Night Flurry asked. I stared into the nearest mirror. A small line of blood dribbled down my lip and I think my forehead was swelling a bit, but the battle had mostly just left my coat ruffled. A quick gargle, face wash and brushing would cover that up easily enough. “I’ve had worse,” I answered as I set to work. Night Flurry nodded. “T-the way you fought... I c-can believe it. Wh-where did you learn to d-do that?” “My mom.” “W-wow… she m-must be quite the mare.” I’m not sure what kind of response he expected, if any. Most people, including myself, would talk quite fondly about their mother. Although, even were I a third-party observer, I’d still speak highly of her; I’d yet to see anyone come close to beating her in a fight. “You could say that.” He smiled a shameless smile, staring straight at me. I stared back, waiting for him to get his words together, but his lips never moved. Some thought had run off with him and forgotten to bring him back. Tilting my head, I eyed him up and down. “Night Flurry? You okay?” His eyes snapped back into place, his posture slumping as he played with a groove in the floor. “I-I, y-yeah, I’m fine.” “You sure your injuries aren’t getting to you?” He nodded vigourously. I watched him a few more moments, but decided to chalk it up to an adrenaline crash. Turning to my field kit, I started cramming the remaining supplies in wherever they’d fit; I could sort it all out later when we were safe. Once that was done, I collected all the refuse into one of the empty packages, tucking it into the bottom of my flight satchel, beneath the kit itself. “All right. We’d better get going, then. If anyone asks, a stack of crates fell on you.” Night Flurry watched closely, his eyes following my ball of waste. “U-um, okay. But why—” “Because it’s pretty conspicuous. We don’t want to leave evidence that we were here. Now come on.” I had Night Flurry hang back while I went up to get our tickets; the fewer people who saw his bandages, the better. Granted, the lone booth stallion looked so bored, his eyes constantly drifting back to his half-read magazine, that I doubted it would have even mattered. Still, better safe than sorry. “Two for Canterlot,” I said, setting down my bits. “Here you go, miss.” He slid the tickets over without giving me a second glance. “Thanks,” I mumbled and trotted back to Night Flurry. Were the situation less dire, I might have even smiled to myself; it’s not often that lackluster customer service provides an advantage. “U-um, Canterlot?” Night Flurry asked. With a nod, I motioned toward the platform. As luck would have it, the next scheduled train was not only supposed to be soon, but had pulled into the station early. It was just as well, as even though the platform was otherwise completely empty, each of the station’s office windows had me periodically glancing over my shoulder. Once again, I led us to the back seats of the rearmost car. After we’d settled down, Night Flurry gave me a look that was somehow both shy and expectant. I shook my head. “Not yet.” Keeping one eye on the doors, I scanned the platform again. I wasn’t sure if the lack of other ponies made me more or less uneasy. While being near the rear door would let us get away if this happened to be a trap, I wasn’t sure what we’d do if we had to flee. Night Flurry’s inability to fly made the otherwise avoidable mountain terrain a serious disadvantage. I supposed we’d just have to find a place to hide until daylight when we could walk down the mountain. I also considered trying to find Blizzard or Merriweather again, but there was no telling where they’d be and navigating an unfamiliar, hostile city would be nearly as dangerous as the mountains. As the train lurched forward, I let out a long sigh. After a few minutes of the nothing but the click-clack of the train, Night Flurry spoke up again, “U-um, so… Canterlot?” I kept an eye on the far door as I lowered my voice. “Yeah. It has to stop in Ponyville first, so we’ll get off there.” “Then why?” “In case anyone asks after us… or if the ticket vendor is working for them.” I felt uneasy talking even this subtly in such a public place, but Night Flurry’s naivety was really starting to show. I needed him on the same page, just in case things happened. “Wh-what? ‘Th-them’?” There was no avoiding it now; he was tangled up in a conflict I’d long hoped had fallen by the wayside. I could have lied; given him a very vague bare-bones rundown to get us through the night, but his life was on the line. He at least deserved to know just what kind of threat he faced. Although, as I considered his injuries, another, more sinister thought entered my mind. Best I could tell, his wounds were largely superficial. While it looked bad, the fact remained that he’d somehow beaten a Cartel enforcer in a one-on-one. Sure, he’d had basic Guard training, but not only did he flunk out, he also didn’t strike me as the kind to keep practicing on his own. But as I looked into his eyes, at the naive, earnest confusion that spilled out in much the same way as his other emotions, the thought was gone just as quickly. Given his lack of acting cutie mark, I doubted he could fake that behaviour with such consistency. Plus there was the matter of the fight itself. If he was really colluding with the Cartel, why fight alongside me when it could have been turned into a four-on-one? No, if he was really capable of such things, I would have found a way to deal with him from the very first moment he started following me around. “Yes, ‘them’. The thugs. They work for a criminal organization.” Night Flurry stared incredulously. “H-how do you know that?” “Because I’ve seen him before. He was among those they sent after me.” “Wh-what? Why would c-criminals be after you?” “I made a naive mistake. I came across the site of a scuffle, tables and chairs knocked every which way. And there, in the middle of the carnage lay a scattered dossier, unattended, unguarded. It was an obvious plant. Someone wanted that information leaked, but they didn’t want to take the fall for it. I was too eager, too blinded by my desire to be a hero. I took it straight to the Guard.” “Mistake? B-but it was r-real, right? I-If it could help bring down scum like that… h-how could it be a m-mistake?” I shook my head. “People like that don't appreciate having their activities brought to light. Of course, I didn’t charge straight ahead like an idiot, but my precautions were pretty nominal. I thought I was so clever, allowing myself to be interviewed under the condition of anonymity. Turns out anonymity isn’t particularly helpful when some of the Guard is on their payroll.” “B-but that’s… that’s not your f-fault.” Night Flurry’s face contorted as he waded through his words. “I… I don't think I could have made any other choice.” I raised an eyebrow. “At the time, I thought the same thing. That’s why I called it naive.” “You… you r-regret it?” My eyes fell to the floor, a sigh escaping with them. “I… I don’t know. They knew where the safe house was; it wasn’t even a matter of if, so much as when. The Guard who remained true to their station fought back valiantly, but… they never stood a chance.” Night Flurry didn’t reply. He just sat there, working his mouth. I imagined that the thought that the Guard could be so corrupt had never even crossed his mind. A wounded Silent Vigil materialized within my mind’s eye. He lay on his side, chest rising and falling erratically. And once again, all I could do was stare helplessly as he uttered those words: There’s too many… You… you have to run! Live... and show them they... can’t just do what they want. My next words were barely whispers, ghostly sounds that I couldn’t even be sure were coming from my mouth. “I did what I had to. To survive, I… I left them behind; fled into the night.” Night Flurry shook as he stared at the window. When he spoke, he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anything, “H-how… how can ponies even d-do things like that? I-I don’t understand. You did what was right. And i-if you did nothing else but survive, you w-won. If you had d-died, then… it would have been for nothing!” “Shhh!” Eyes narrowing, I raised a hoof to my lips. I turned my attention back to the door, ears flicking in the silence. I let it linger for another minute before speaking low again. “No. It wasn’t a victory; it was… barely getting by. And then I… I couldn’t let it go. I found some Guard I could trust and they raided the operation, but the criminals knew they were coming. The Guard ‘won’ only by the strictest definition.” Night Flurry chewed on the air. “They came for me again, during the raid. I didn’t hold back; none of us did. They lost someone important that day, but all that did was make me a target. And at what cost? How many lives?” “B-but you did the right thing! I… I-if nopony else will stand by you, then I will. I sw-swear it!” A dark look overtook Night Flurry’s face. I raised my hoof again, ruining his moment. “Look… Night Flurry, I appreciate the sentiment, but you’re better off putting as much distance between us as possible. The sooner you do, the safer you’ll be.” “I-I don’t care. I c-can’t leave you now; it wouldn’t be…" He drew himself up. "...it wouldn’t be right.” “Rarely is it ever that simple.” I let out a heavy sigh. He wasn’t going to back down. All I could do, then, was to help him temper that zeal—hopefully before it caused another issue. “Besides, we don’t need anymore heroes. Promise me you won’t try to be a hero. Because heroes, they…” Silent Vigil flashed by again. I looked away. “O-okay, then I… I p-promise I won’t be a hero. I’ll j-just do what I can to h-help.” “Are you really sure about this?” I gave him a skeptical look. “This isn’t some game; it will be neither short nor easy.” Night Flurry got up and placed a hoof on my shoulder. It was a nice gesture, but I couldn’t be sure if it made me feel better or worse. After chewing on even more invisible words, he finally forced his mouth open. “H-hey... Don't worry about me. I l-learned my lesson. I’ll b-be careful.” “I hope so. There is little room for error in what lies ahead.” Night Flurry nodded. “All right.” I lowered my head until it sat atop my forehooves. “Well, in any event, we should rest and conserve our energy, just in case. But don’t fall asleep.” “Um, o-okay.” Night Flurry slid back into his seat, mirroring my position. --- Upon our return, Night Flurry had insisted on walking me home, something that I only halfway indulged; strength in numbers provided a comfort that was in rather short supply. On the other hoof, it was probably best if he didn’t know the precise location of my apartment. We parted in silence somewhere along the main road. The next day passed without incident. At first I felt relieved, but the more time I had to think, the more I found my mind drifting back to the incident. Were they actively searching for me? Or was it just dumb luck? A voice at the back of my head nagged at me, telling me that it didn’t matter; if they weren’t looking before, they definitely were now. The real question was whether or not I’d actually given them the slip. By the following day, my thoughts had grown too numerous for my apartment. Even though my next shift wasn’t too far off, I couldn’t wait; I needed the fresh air now. I chose the park, as it was well within the town’s limits, affording me a bit more leeway to be distracted. Good thing too, as said distraction didn’t take long to find me. Just inside the park’s gates, I spotted a vaguely familiar filly—the one from Terra’s shop; she even had the same bucket with her. Streaks of mud cut across her coat in such quantity that she almost looked like a little purple and brown zebra. Her mane and tail didn’t fare much better, though the mud there had simply clumped into thick splotches. A tall sunflower spilled over the side of the bucket, as though trying to slip away while the filly was busy pawing at the ground. In any event, somehow I thought the park’s gardeners wouldn’t be particularly impressed with her hoofwork. I trotted over. “Hey, what are you doing?” “What does it look like?” She didn’t even glance over her shoulder. I stood behind her, tapping my hoof as I waited for her to give me her full attention. Finally, she sighed and looked up. “Planting. I’m planting.” I raised an eyebrow. Is this really the same filly who crumbled under Terra’s wrath? “I can see that. What I’m wondering is why you feel the need to do that on public property.” “Because they asked me to. It’s my job.” The filly looked at me like she’d just stated the most basic, obvious thing in the world. Giving her a stern, skeptical look, I asked, “Really? And who’s ‘they’?” “The gardeners. They said as soon as I show them how nice I can make the place, the job’s mine.” “Is that so?” I tilted my head as I glanced at her cutie mark, or lack thereof. “Aren’t you a little young to be looking for a job?” “No. My dad was working when he was my age.” She gave me that same ‘I just spoke a universal truth’ look again. “And I’m sure he’s a great guy, but don’t you think he’d want you to be in school?” “Today’s a holiday.” While I knew foals are prone to being short-sighted, this was starting to get a bit much. “Today is, sure, but what about the next? What if school and your job start to get in each other’s way?” The filly pursed her lips. I sighed. “Look, all I’m saying is that you may want to think carefully ab—” “Hey, D-Dusky!” Night Flurry’s voice pulled my eyes over my shoulder. He was just a few feet behind me. I nodded. “Hi, Night Flurry.” “Oh, great, another one,” the filly muttered. Night Flurry’s smiled as he arrived, seemingly oblivious to the filly’s rudeness. “H-hi. Um… w-who is this?” I opened my mouth, but that’s when it hit me: I didn’t know either. “I don’t think I caught your name.” “Aster.” The filly returned to her digging. “Nice to meet you, Aster. I’m Dusky,” I said, motioning a forehoof toward myself, then Night Flurry, “and this is Night Flurry.” “Mmm,” was Aster’s only reply. She tipped the bucket over and gingerly dragged the sunflower into the hole. “Anyway, as I was saying, you might want to think more carefully about the difficulty of juggling school and a job at your age. Besides, I suspect that offer was for a bit farther into the future than immediately.” I glanced at Aster’s blank flank again. Night Flurry blinked. “W-what? H-her? A job?” “She’s apparently in with the park gardeners.” “B-but she’s just a filly.” I nodded. “Exactly.’ Aster stepped back to admire her hoofwork before turning to us. “You’re dumb. Just ‘cause I’m a filly, doesn’t mean I’m helpless.” And with that, she took her bucket and wandered off. Shaking my head, I was half-tempted to go looking for her dad so that we might discuss her attitude. However, her name wasn’t a lot to go off of and I had more pressing matters to allocate my resources toward. Perhaps next time. As I glanced at Night Flurry, my eyes drifted over the sunflower, suddenly standing tall and proud in its new home. To be absolutely fair, she did do a pretty good job. “U-um…” Night Flurry stared. “Don’t worry about it. Whatever her deal is, it’s not worth it. It’ll sort itself out when she realizes that reality doesn’t match her expectations.” “I hope s-so.” He continued to watch until Aster disappeared over a hill. In the meantime, I gave him a onceover. Barring the lingering bandages, it was difficult to tell he’d even been hurt; a thankful indication that there should be little-to-no scarring. “How are your wounds treating you?” “O-oh, they’re, um, a b-bit sore. But they’re healing!” I nodded. “What are you doing out here, anyway? Getting restless?” “Um, y-yeah, you could say that. I thought I m-might enjoy the sunset.” He scuffed a hoof. Thinking back to the last week or so, I realized I hadn’t seen many lately either. I gave him a sympathetic look. “You don't get to see many of those, do you?”          Night Flurry shook his head. “No... n-not many sunsets, no.” I pointed to the hill where Aster had gone. “Wanna head up there? Sunsets are usually best seen from higher up.” “O-okay. That sounds n-nice.” I led the way up the hill. It was actually rather short, though not wholly unexpected, considering it was a park hill. A nice, refreshing breeze played over my coat as I reached the top. We’d barely been there ten seconds when the faint whooshing of wings on the wind drew my eyes skyward. A black blur, streaked in lavender, landed right in front of me. As the dust settled, I realized it was her. She was a charcoal mare, with a coat much like mine, though her lavender mane was cut shorter and held in place by a red and white headband. She didn’t say a word, merely standing there, sizing me up; not that she really needed to, as she knew I couldn’t beat her. But I had to try. No matter how many times she defeated me, this was a big part of why I trained. I subtly lowered myself into a fighting stance. She did the same. Oblivious as ever, Night Flurry called out, “Hello, you u-um... here to watch the sunset t-too?” I doubted she heard him. I barely did, the majority of my focus straight ahead. The first move was always crucial. “Um... e-excuse me... what's your name? Do you t-two know each other?” My mom lunged. The forehoof swing was sloppy, practically a gimme and a sign she’d wanted me to initiate. I easily stepped out of the way, aiming my counterstrike at her midsection. Like lightning, she’d already parried, shoving me back with a force that nearly bowled me over. I threw my head up as I stepped back, something that would have easily caught the undisciplined off-guard. She didn’t even bother to advance, my strike whiffing entirely. Reversing my momentum, I pressed the attack, opening with a wing strike, followed by a one-two forehoof combo. Again I found myself stonewalled, with mom unleashing a torrent of interchanging wing and forehoof strikes. I barely deflected the first few, but she was just too fast; for every three that I parried, her wing would come crashing into my muzzle or neck. It wasn’t even a proper fight anymore, she was just picking me apart. I threw my wing up, intercepting hers, my exhausted counter going way off-target. I was lucky I was even able to stabilize in time to stop her forehoof strike. But this wasn’t a parry, it was a dead block and slowly, but surely, I was faltering, her superior strength bringing her hoof closer to my forehead. In a last ditch effort, I bent my knees, letting all her force go free. She staggered for just a second. I pushed her hoof aside and took several hops backward, panting as I went. I felt my ears twitch as they picked up on a third set of hooves galloping across the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Night Flurry charging in. Oh no. My mom’s attention turned to him. He wasn’t ready. With his form as it was, he’d be done in a single strike. “Ni…. Night! … W-wait!” I gasped between breaths. Night Flurry screeched to a halt, his face uncertain whether rage or confusion was more appropriate. “B-but... she…” “I… it’s okay... It was... a...a—” “Pop quiz.” My mom gave me a stern look. “A... pop quiz?” I could practically hear Night Flurry’s brain collapsing upon itself. My mom turned her gaze his way. “That’s right.” “Is... is that s-supposed to be some kind of joke?" Anger won out, washing over Night Flurry’s face. After what happened in Fetlock, I don’t think anyone could blame him. In fact, I felt some annoyance of my own creeping up on me. “Mom, what did I tell you last time?” Night Flurry held up a hoof, lingering a good ten seconds until his brain finally recovered. “Mom...?” My mom sighed, her eyes sweeping over each of us in turn. “Yes, I know. But not every fight is going to show up when it’s convenient for you. I waited until the filly was gone, didn't I?”          “I understand that, but this is also the kind of place where somepony else might call the Guard.” I glanced at Night Flurry. “Or get the wrong impression. And yes, Night Flurry, this is my mom, the mare who taught me how to fight.”          He froze again, a new habit clearly in the works. “O-oh… y-yes, um, th-that mom.” My mom peered at him. “Hmph, and you are?”         “Oh, um... s-sorry. I'm Night F-Flurry... Mrs...?” “Ward. Windy Ward. But you can call me Windy.” She turned back to me. “And don’t you worry about that. There won’t be any problems with the Guard.” “Um, n-nice to meet you?” Night Flurry mumbled. “And the ponies we freaked out?” I raised an eyebrow. “Being able to talk the Guard down doesn’t guarantee they won’t be forming their own impression.” “They’ll get over it. Unless you’re talking about him.” She pointed at Night Flurry. “Then he needs to get himself sorted.” “U-um?” Night Flurry shrunk down. “I d-do?” “See? How’s he supposed to back you up getting all like that? He’s already kind of scrawny for a stallion; he needs something going for him. At least the postal pony has muscles.” I sighed. “My friends aren’t just here to be bodyguards. Besides, I can take care of myself and I’d rather they not be in harm’s way. Anyway, what are you doing here?” “Your father and I are on our way to Canterlot. He caught wind of a few deals and you know how he gets when that happens.” My mom slipped over and snuck a quick nuzzle. Learning in close, I pressed my muzzle against her neck. “Of course.” I was about to ask where my dad was, but as I glanced up, I found my question answered. He was hovering down toward us, taking great care to keep the old skywagon, which was trailing along behind him, level. My dad had a royal blue coat framed by a sky blue mane. His kind eyes, a big part of his charm as a salespony, sat behind a pair of spectacles. Spectacles that, as long as I could remember, he only ever took off to clean. Despite the wagon’s somewhat rickety appearance, the frame was solid and the roof watertight. It was not for the wagon that my dad was cautious, but the wares inside. Idly, I wondered if they’d had time to realign that rear right wheel. For any of the other pony tribes, it might seem weird for a merchant to not fix what seems like it should be a fundamental part of the wagon’s workings. However, the amount of time skywagons spend both on the ground and moving was actually rather trivial. “Bravo!” My dad grinned as he landed. “You’re giving your mother more of a run for her money each time.” “Don’t spoil her.” My mom gave him a sideways glance before turning back to me. “As I was saying, since we had to fly over Ponyville anyway, we just had to stop in to check up on our favourite daughter.” “Thanks, Dad.” I smirked back at him before rolling my eyes at my mom. “Only daughter.”          “Same thing, right?” Just the barest of grins played across my mom’s lips. “Yeah, sure. Anyway, Night Flurry, this is my dad, Splendid Speech. Dad, this is Night Flurry, a friend of mine.” “A pleasure.” My dad shook Night Flurry’s hoof. “S-same here.” Night Flurry’s replied, his portion of the shake being less ‘shake’ and more ‘being pulled along for the ride’. As details of Fetlock crept back into my mind, I wondered if I should consult with my parents. However, that would require going someplace safe and secure to chat. “Are you heading straight there or staying overnight?”          “Straight away, unfortunately.” My dad gave me an apologetic look. “The market waits for no one.”          That answer was almost a given, but I had to ask. My mind quickly sought out alternatives. “That's too bad. Maybe on the way back? Or perhaps I could stop by Canterlot?” My mom nodded. “Probably. We'll see what we can do. But I think it's time that we left. We've had a long journey and there's still a few hours left.” I stepped between my parents and each of them nuzzled into my forelock, the same way they’d done it ever since I was a filly. For just a few moments, time stopped and the world faded away, that familiar warmth and safety washing over me. And then it was gone, time resuming as I took a step back. “It was nice meeting you, Night Flurry,” my mom said. “Perhaps next time we can chat for a bit,” my dad added. Night Flurry squirmed. “Th-that would be n-nice.” They each waved in turn before taking off. I watched them go until they were mere specks against the towering mountain that Canterlot called home. “Well... your m-mother seems... um, interesting.” Night Flurry scuffed his hoof.          “Yeah, uh, sorry about that.”          “No, no, she's... a-amazing. I just, um…” He looked me, then promptly blushed and diverted his eyes. “S-Sorry I tried to attack your m-mother.” I couldn’t help but giggle. "I'm glad you think that. And... well, it's no problem, really. I just didn't think you wanted one of her lessons just yet."          Night Flurry shook his head. “No, um… p-probably not.”          “I must admit, I’m a bit surprised you held back as long as you did.” “W-well, I did make a p-promise, so, um…” I nodded. “I’m glad you’ve taken it to heart.”          He rubbed one forehoof against the ankle of the other. “I, um... I'm w-working on it.” I cast one more glance at the sky, though it was impossible to pick out my parents now, especially against the darkened heavens. That’s when the realization hit me. “Huh. Looks like we missed the sunset.” Night Flurry let out a chuckle, the kind that was in that odd medium between nervous and bog-standard uncertainty. “Th-that’s okay… things got p-pretty exciting.”          With a smirk, I turned my eyes back toward Canterlot. “So it did.”