When Dusk Shine woke up early the next morning, he twitched as his magic turned off the alarm clock. “Still here,” he sighed, looking around the room, and noting that sleep didn’t seem to be a part of the method of returning back to his universe. The bed and pillow still smelled of mare, and the room was still Twilight Sparkle’s. He climbed out of bed, and found the shower. Washing up, Dusk noticed a few shampoos--mostly sample items--for stallions. He tried one out, smiled, and murmured a “Thank you, Spike,” as he washed up.
Cleansed, fur brushed, mane and tail groomed, Dusk Shine came down the stairs to confront the day. Spike emerged from his basket, rubbing his eyes. “I’ve got to stop reading comic books so late,” Spike muttered. “Breakfast...um, Dusk Shine?”
“Yes,” Dusk replied. “I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle is not back yet. But, I have been thinking and I will figure out how to bring her back.”
“Okay...I hope she’s okay over there,” Spike said, walking toward the kitchen.
“My friends are good ponies,” Dusk said, stopping Spike before he could enter. “They will help her, I know it.”
“Like you were helped yesterday?” Spike replied, raising an eyebrow.
Dusk blushed, sighed, and shook his head. “Hopefully better, as yesterday was very sub-optimal. And, with the possible exception of Rainbow Blitz, my friends are gentlestallions.”
Spike thought about this for a moment, and nodded. “I believe you, and think you’re right. Thank you, Dusk.”
Dusk listened to hear the rest of the treehouse beginning to wake up. Assuming that Cadence and Shining Armor were like Gleaming Shield and Bolero...they’d be sleeping in a while longer. Spike began working on breakfast, and Dusk found Twilight’s “start of festival” checklist. “First things first,” Dusk read off the list, “Princess Celestia and Luna need to be here…”
There was a knock at the door, and Dusk tilted his head. “Too early,” he whispered. “Who is knocking so early…”
He trotted over to the door and opened it with his magic. Standing before the door was Rarity and Fluttershy, both looking like they had not slept well. Rarity was carrying something in her magic, and wearing her saddle bags. “Um, Dusk Shine,” Fluttershy spoke first, hiding behind her curls. “I...I just wanted to tell you that the bird chorus is ready,” she whispered, trying to keep her wings in check. “When the Princesses get here, we’ll be ready.”
“And,” Rarity said, stepping carefully in front of Fluttershy, “I spent most of the night getting your jacket ready. If it doesn’t fit right,” and she waggled her hips to show off her saddle bags, “I brought what I would need to make sure it does.”
“Thank you, both,” Dusk said, a bit surprised, as he took the package from Rarity’s magic and opened it up. Inside was a brocaded vest in purple, one shade darker than his fur, that had holes perfect for both his front legs and his wings. Carefully slipping into the jacket with his magic, he settled the jacket onto his frame and buttoned it shut. He moved around a little bit, and said, “It fits...perfectly. Thank you, Rarity.”
“You are very welcome, Dusk Shine,” Rarity smiled. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you today.”
Fluttershy gave Rarity a gentle nudge, another pony’s firm hip slam. “Both of us,” Rarity said, realizing what she had done and blushing at her foolishness. “If you need any help today, Fluttershy and I are more than willing to help.”
“Thank you,” Dusk replied, and looked around. “Have either of you eaten yet?”
“Um...yes,” Fluttershy said softly, blushing.
“I did eat breakfast before I left the boutique,” Rarity sighed. “I expect that it will be a long day today.”
“Oh,” Dusk said, considering. “Spike was cooking breakfast for me, and if you were hungry, I would ask if he could make some more…”
Fluttershy squeaked, and Rarity blushed. “Dusk Shine, thank you. I wouldn’t impose upon you, especially after what we both did yesterday. However, if you are willing, we would love to meet you for lunch--all of the Elements, together.”
It was Dusk’s turn to blush and he smiled shyly, “I would be honored, Rarity. I do need to get back to work before the Princesses get here, but I will meet you all for lunch.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said in a soft but clear voice, and the two of them left for their other tasks. Dusk Shine closed the door, and took a long, slow deep breath from behind it. Sighing, he trotted towards the kitchen, where he could smell breakfast beginning to cook. Spike was clearly making something delicious, and Dusk knew that today was going to be a long day. That meant that his breakfast had to be very filling.
Half-way to the kitchen, another knock hit the front door.. Dusk sighed, turned around, and trotted back. Opening it with his magic, he was greeted by Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. “Ah, Dusk Shine,” Applejack started. “Sorry to bother you this early…”
“But, we’ve got to tell you that we’re ready to go for today,” Pinkie Pie interrupted.
“Hey, we are,” Rainbow Dash said, looking around a bit. “I’ve got all the weather teams ready to go, to make this day perfect, we’ll be making sure the cloud cover is right, and everypony is as ready to go as we are.”
“And, my part in the events?” Dusk asked, carefully.
“Ready for you at eleven,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “It’ll be awesome to see you flying with us all.”
Dusk smiled, and felt his stomach rumble. “Thank you for telling me, but I really need to get breakfast now. Would you like to come in…”
Applejack blushed, and interrupted, “We’re fine, sugar cube. Ate before we got here, didn’t we,” as she glared at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash looked embarrassed and nodded, “Yea, we did, and I’m getting something to eat with the team before we go up. We’ll let you get your breakfast.”
Pinkie Pie looked at her friends, and nodded. “Got a lot of cakes to move! I’ll be busy all morning!”
Dusk nodded, and said, “Thank you all, and I will see you all soon. We are meeting for lunch, yes?”
“That we are,” Applejack smiled. “See ya then.”
Dusk smiled, closed the door with his magic, and took a long, deep breath. His stomach rumbled again, and he sighed. “I need to get something to eat, now,” he said softly, and trotted towards the kitchen. Before he could make it more than two body lengths away from the door, there was yet another knock. Dusk shook his head in frustration, and turned around, ready to speak his mind about the interruptions. “This had better be important,” he said, opening the door, “I am missing breakfast and…,” his voice trailed off at the appearance of his latest guests at the door.
Surrounded by the Royal Guard were none other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“Hello, Prince Dusk Shine,” Celestia said calmly, her wings twitching slightly.
Dusk looked at the two Princesses, and felt extremely faint. It wasn’t just the height, or how they looked so alike-yet-different to Prince Helios and Artemis. It wasn’t the fact that they were two of the loveliest mares he had ever met. And, it wasn’t even the fact that they were talking to him. It was the simple fact that the little traitor and his wings decided that now was the perfect time for them fully stand up and salute the Princesses of Equestria.
“Um…,” Dusk tried to think, turning his head as he blushed and realized that his wings were showing for all the world to see exactly what he thought. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” he finally said, dragging his wings down as hard as he could and getting them settled onto his body. “You are early,” he said, feeling just how stupid that comment was. “According to the checklist of Twilight Sparkle, you have another fifteen minutes before you get here.”
“We managed to catch a good tailwind flying here,” Princess Celestia replied, and smiled gently. “May we come in?”
“Oh, oh, yes!” Dusk nodded as his words bounced around his mouth, and he stepped away from the door. “I was in the middle of having breakfast,” he continued, trotting carefully towards the kitchen. “May you join me there?”
“‘Tis a shame,” Luna replied, looking around the library carefully. “We had eaten before we left the castle. Had we known, we would have waited.”
“Dusk Shine,” Celestia said, nodding towards the kitchen. “We can wait a few minutes. Go and eat, we’ll be here when you are done.”
Dusk tried to keep a normal walking pace, but was trapped between the urge to gallop so he could get away from the conflicting emotions and the urge to find a reason why he just had to miss breakfast and speak with the two Princesses.
His stomach growled, and Dusk trotted faster for the kitchen, tripping over his hooves as he went.
Breakfast was eaten in a most incredible haste, as Dusk Shine’s brain churned with conflicting emotions and thoughts.
Are they...attracted to me? Dusk thought, taking another large bite of the pancakes. I know that so many mares are, because of who I am. But, these are the Princesses. After all, they had to have seen so many other, more attractive stallions over the centuries.
They have not seen the student they have raised from a foal to an adult, the little traitor replied, sardonically, the unicorn that saved them from being the Nightmare Moon, the scholar that figured out Starswirl the Long Maned’s Final Spell, the youngest of all the alicorns. And, now, you are a stallion when they were expecting to live forever with a mare. They are just as attracted to you as you are to them.
Dusk’s wings threatened to open up again, and he dragged them back into position. But, this is not where I belong, he thought in reply. It does not matter how much Celestia has such a fine curve of her bow coverts--only better than Rainbow Dash’s because they are larger. Or that Luna has such an engaging smile when she is fascinated by something, much like when Rarity has something that makes her smile when fashion is involved. Or even Pinkie Pie when she is thinking about pastries. Nor does it matter that Luna’s croup is almost as beautiful as Applejack’s. And, while Fluttershy has the more sexy mane, Celestia’s flows so perfectly together…
Dusk paused for a moment, fork holding a bite of pancake in mid-air via his magic. Spike looked at him and said, “Dusk, are you all right?”
Dusk shook his head to clear the thoughts that was filling up behind his eyes and smiled. “I am...just thinking about things.”
“You sure?” Spike asked, eyebrow raised. “Last time I saw Twilight Sparkle get that kind of look in her eyes was when she didn’t get a Friendship Report in and…”
Dusk shook his head again, and smiled tightly. “I promise, Spike, I will not cast another version of ‘Want It, Need It’ on anypony or anything. It is not that kind of problem...I think.”
It is much worse than that, Dusk, he thought to himself with a melancholy anger. You are genuinely attracted to all of them. Even Celestia, despite how it should feel like you were attracted to Prince Helios. But, you cannot act on that feeling, because in exchange for that, Twilight Sparkle cannot come home and…
The fork froze again, and for a minute Dusk Shine did not move. He was barely even breathing, and Spike carefully shook Dusk’s shoulder. “Um, Dusk Shine,” he asked, looking as Dusk’s eyes were wide open.
Suddenly, they closed, and Dusk broke out in a huge smile. “That has to be it,” he said loudly. “It is so simple, I have to wonder why I did not think of it before. Equivalent exchange! That has to be what happened!”
Dusk dashed out of the kitchen, to see Celestia and Luna talking with each other. “Princess Celestia! I figured out the possibility of how Twilight Sparkle and I exchanged places!”
“Dusk Shine, that is wonderful news,” Celestia replied, her wings twitching open even more. “What could have caused the two of you to switch?”
“We had a magical event that caused an equivalent exchange,” Dusk spoke confidently, pacing on the floor. “The only difference between the two of us is gender, and that might have been the positional axis on which the exchange happened. Spike! I need to get a letter off to the Royal Canterlotian Library, we need every book they have on equivalent exchange--we will probably empty out the entire alchemy wing--and if I am right…”
Fwap.
Thump.
Dusk Shine turned, and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.
The two Princesses were lying on their sides, their wings fully opened and their bodies frozen. They both looked at Dusk Shine with wide, adoring eyes. He took a horrified step back, and asked in a hoarse whisper, “Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?”
Princess Celestia recovered first, and somehow managed to roll onto her legs, and stand back up again. “This is…,” she began to speak, took a deep breath and gathered her wits again. “This is embarrassing. I shouldn’t be thinking thoughts like that.”
“What kind of thoughts?” Dusk asked, carefully.
“The ones that have you stay here,” Princess Luna replied. Her face broke out in a huge blush, and she turned her head away sheepishly. “You are a very handsome stallion, Dusk Shine. ‘Tis been a long time since I have seen one that has appealed to me.”
“Luna,” Celestia chided. “You’ve been attracted before.”
“More often than you have, dear sister,” Luna replied tartly. “My passions are more open than yours, but yours are deeper. And, we both have fallen for Dusk Shine, have we not?”
“Luna,” Celestia blushed again, and shook her head. “That was just...a reflexive response,” she replied, as her wings began to twitch again.
“‘Tia, your wings are telegraphing everything you’re thinking,” Luna replied sardonically, looking at her sister.
“And yours aren’t?” Celestia teased back, looking at Luna.
Dusk Shine fell onto his haunches, wings opened, and his brain stuck. His eyes were wide open and he just...sat there.
Luna sighed, and shook her head. “Yes...and, oh dear,” she stopped her argument with Celestia and waved her hoof in front of Dusk Shine’s eyes. “I think we broke his brain.”
Celestia looked at Dusk and sighed. “Woona, watch the doors for me, because this would make for perfect comedy if it happens the way I think it would.”
Celestia trotted over to Dusk Shine and noted that he still was unresponsive. She sighed, and said, “I am going to enjoy this much more than I should.” With a swift, single motion she stuck the full length of her tongue in Dusk’s ear, and licked.
Dusk’s head rocked with the shock, his wings popping open to full, and he rolled onto his back, looking around in panic. He began to gasp, “What...what...what happened?”, his breaths coming out ragged and sharp.
Celestia shook her head in amusement at the reaction, and sat down a full body’s length away from Dusk. “This happened to Twilight Sparkle on too many occasions,” Celestia said calmly. “She would sometimes have so many thoughts running through her brain that she didn’t know what to think. Mind you, I would have used a bucket of cold water, but that might have damaged the books.”
Dusk shook his head, and started to get his breathing under control. “I...remember Prince Helios doing the same thing with a bucket of water, but he would have never…”
“Needs must as Tirak drives,” Celestia sighed sadly. “Your circumstances and what has happened to you...we are all in the situation of learning what it means. If it means anything other than reminding us that we can love.”
Dusk considered that and sighed. “I…,” Dusk hung his head, and said softly, “I must admit that I am attracted. That I can think of you, and the other Element bearers, that way. I do not know what I can or must do with that knowledge. What if I cannot go home? What if I can go home? What if…”
Celestia slid across the floor enough to put a hoof on Dusk Shine’s muzzle. “Dusk Shine, ‘if’ is one of the most treacherous words in the Equestrian language. Do you respect my opinion?”
Dusk nodded. “Here is my opinion--let it happen. Let love happen if you can stay, let the knowledge that you can love go with you if you can go home. And, know this first and foremost. Whatever else happens, Dusk, I will respect your decisions.”
Dusk nodded again, and took a long, deep breath. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” he said in a much stronger voice. “And, thank you, Princess Luna. I think...I think we need to get ready for the Festival. And...if I were to stay, I would want to know my friends and mentors better.”
“That’s all I can ask for, Dusk Shine,” Celestia nodded and got back onto her hooves. “Shall we get ready for the Festival?”
“Yes,” Dusk replied. “I will need to brush my mane, but that will take a minute. I will be right back.”
As Dusk trotted off to the bathroom, Celestia looked at Luna and her carefully constructed face of concern fell apart. Luna came up to her sister, sheltering her under her wing, wicking away the tears from her eyes with her magic.
Nopony should have to see their Princesses have to break their own hearts again.