//------------------------------// // In the Spotlight // Story: Arrived at Dusk // by aliengirlguy //------------------------------// Chapter 21 In the Spotlight “No, a bit more of a 5 second hiss, not a 10 second hiss on the end….Ssssss” “Oh, Like this? Ssss?” “Um, a little shorter then I was aiming for…” Dusk frowned at Fluttershy over his tea cup as they both whetted their parched mouths and throats with Dusk's best plum bloom iced tea, Fluttershy's favorite, as speaking snake was hard on the throat when spoken to long. “What’s the matter Fluttershy? Your long past the point were you struggled with simple two syllable words,” Dusk asked in concern. Fluttershy mumbled into her tea, but after a bit more coaxing she finally sighed and explained more coherently. “Rarity and I were at our weekly spa treatment, you know, the one that I have the day before our weekly lesson?” “How can I forget?” Dusk said dryly,” Rarity has been trying to get me to come since we first met,” and for a very specific pair of feathery reasons, he had been able to avoid it so far. “Yes, well,” Fluttershy cleared her throat, “um, during our time there, Rarity told me about this sudden opportunity that happened to her on the way to the spa. She was wearing one of her latest creations, a really lovely hat, and a very famous pony…or at least I think she’s a famous pony anyway, by the name of Photo Finish? Yes, I think that’s right- anyway, she offered to do a photo shoot of Rarity’s work, she’s ever so excited.” “Well that’s great!” Dusk said, genuinely pleased for their friend. While he didn’t follow fashion himself, he had heard of Photo Finish when he was in Canterlot, she’d actually done an article on Brew Bag before she had moved into fashion photography, from what Brew Bag told him (this was long before Dusk’s arrival of course) she was very to business in a unique sort of way, though his mentor never said why. “She must be really pleased, this will be good for her, that’s for sure.” Fluttershy nodded, “yes, I am very happy for her…only the thing is…um, she didn’t have a model, and she wanted somepony who…who was able to show off her cloths well…and she…well…” Fluttershy trailed off, hiding behind her hair. Dusk cottoned on quickly of course and finished for her “and she asked you, and you said yes but now your not so sure if you can go through with it.” Fluttershy’s mane nodded. Dusk set his tea aside and leaned back in his favorite chaise that Fluttershy provided for guests. “Well, I can see your problem. Your not exactly the first pony I would have asked for something like this,” Dusk finally said, then hastily added, “not that your not good enough to be a model, in fact, your perhaps one of the most beautiful mares I’ve ever met.” Dusk and Fluttershy both blushed at the compliment, and he cleared his throat and quickly finished, “its just that everypony in town knows that your…shy," putting it lightly, "and even as a favor, modeling in front of a bunch of cameras with all that focus on you… it just doesn’t seem you, truthfully speaking.” Fluttershy emerged from her hair again and tapped her hooves together nervously, “so if…if you understand, then…then maybe Rarity….” Her voice trailed off as both ponies shook their heads. No, it was not likely that Rarity would be open to the idea. She was likely gearing her entire ensemble around Fluttershy’s looks, and she had a way of getting carried away when her reputation was on the line sometimes, despite her generous nature. She would likely begin begging on bended hoof for Fluttershy to continue or have a nervous breakdown, and Fluttershy was to timid normally to say no. Dusk tapped his hooves together thoughtfully. He needed a suggestion that would put Fluttershy at ease and pacify Rarity. “How about I come with you? I can help out Rarity with her gowns and be your very own cheering section. If you get nervous, all you have to do is focus on me alright? Just pretend that your showing me dresses in Rarity's shop or something.” Fluttershy seemed to perk up after that, and agreed. The two of them continued to chat about idle things before ending their lesson for the day. Ooo ooo ooo It was the day of Rarity and Fluttershy’s big shoot. Dusk had offered his help and support as he had told Fluttershy he would to Rarity as well, and the slowly more frazzled unicorn fashionista took it with gratitude. All hooves on deck as it were. In fact, he was due at the Boutique later that afternoon as soon as he was finished his shift at the Tea Cozy. Fruit Salad was working out well, though she was less available due to her rushing back and forth between work, her part-time studies to prepare for her business license, and rearing three different aged foals all on her own. He understood, though he was having less time available for his friends and go ingredient hunting, between the shop and the more complicated brews that required his personal touch as a Tea Master. He was already looking into hiring another hoof for the shop, as it would relieve both Fruit Salad and himself, though he hadn’t found the right pony just yet. He finally saw to the last customer, Mr. Greenhooves and his weekly clover tea and oatmeal cookie visit, and had finished casting the last spell to clean up the last surface. He was ready to head over to Rarity’s to see how the fitting was going. He had just walked into the shop and the first thing he spotted was Spike walking around dreamily with several pins sticking out of his torso. it gave him a sudden odd chill of premonition, though he couldn't place a hoof on what it was. He wandered over where Twilight and Pinky Pie were also gathered to help out, and sidled up to Twilight, nodding to Fluttershy, who was dressed rather fancily and looking a touch tired and annoyed, which was saying something considering who the mare is, though she relaxed and gave him a little smile when she caught sight of him. “So,” Dusk addressed Twilight, picking up a random basket of beads with his magic, ready to be useful, “why is Spike wandering around with pins sticking out of his backside?” “He’s playing pincushion at the moment,” Twilight said dryly, “apparently he has a tough hide.” Dusk snorted. “So when is this Photo Finish supposed to arrive?” he asked, just as Rarity finished the last stitch in the hem line. No sooner had he asked, the door banged open and he could practically here the entrance music as the fabulous Photo Finish strutted into the store, her well-dressed assistants by her side. She snapped her tail and declared, “I, Photo Finish, have arrived” she struck a pose. Dusk’s eyebrows rose. Huh Brew Bag hadn’t been kidding. “Let me just say what an honor this is!” Rarity greeted the mare a little nervously, but still politely. The pale blue and white maned mare in the black and white dress walked by her, all business and stated “I shall begin!” An assistant set down a purple suitcase in front of her master…er, boss, and with a flick of one well manicured hoof by the photographer, the thing sprouted into a camera somehow. Pony technology never ceased to amaze him sometimes. Fluttershy did not look at all comfortable during the entire thing, though Photo Finish looked rather pleased with those parts of honest unhappiness then her attempts at posing. Suddenly her head rose from the camera and she frowned. “We are missing something!” Then her eyes suddenly and eerily snapped in the direction of the onlookers and landed on Dusk in particular. “You!” she addressed authoritatively, “come here a moment.” She walked all around Dusk for a moment, who only put up with the inspection for Rarity and Fluttershy’s sake, and wondering what exactly the mare wanted in the first place. Before he could say anything however, she suddenly demanded, “take five steps back.” Dusk, startled by the command when he had just about to open his muzzle and tell the mare off, did as she asked. “Hmmm…a little to the right,” Dusk, confused now, found himself doing it. “Soigne Folio!” Photo suddenly called out, and the mare in the reddish gold suit and up-swept pink mane rushed forward, “I need…mmm….yes! thee sparkles! Photo Finish wants the young stallion to shine as brightly as the mare at his side!” Suddenly a bowl of glittering powder appeared out of no where and was dumped over his head by the enthusiastic assistant, until everything from his ears to the tips of his tail was glittering with flecks of silver and magenta. Then the flashes began before Dusk finally cottoned on to what was happening. By the time he did, Photo Finish was already done, collapsing her camera which was picked up by one of the assistants, and sauntered out of the boutique regally. Dusk coughed, sticking his tongue out enough to see that he was sparkly on the inside as well as the out. “She barely took any pictures at all,” Twilight commented, frowning. Rarity, who had recovered, sighed, “perhaps it wasn’t meant to be, she is so high up in the fashion world and…well…maybe it was the headdress? What was I thinking, it just doesn’t suit you darling,” she finished removing the headdress from Fluttershy. “Nonsense Rarity, your things –cough!-gorgeous, -hack-“ Dusk got out, then gratefully occupied himself with the water that Spike managed to get for him, giving him a sympathetic pat. Then suddenly Photo Finish reappeared in their midst after only being gone for a few minutes. “It seems that I, Photo Finish, have found the next stars here in Ponyville,” the mare declared grandly, and Rarity’s countenance brightened considerably. “Really!?” Rarity breathed. “Yes, really,” Photo agreed, “and I! Photo Finish am going to help them shine all over Equestria!” Rarity smiled brightly. “Tomorrow, a photo shoot in the park!” the glamorous mare declared grandly, then after a brief second to pause for dramatic effect, “I go!” All three fashion mares zipped away. “Did you hear that?” Rarity asked the others excitedly, “I am going to shine all over Equestria!” Dusk managed to spit out the last of the sparkles into a nearby plant discreetly. “Oh Rarity, I was so worried that I had ruined everything,” a relieved Fluttershy said, looking happy for her friend. “Oh never,” Rarity declared, “I knew you would be perfect.” Rarity dismissed, then she turned to Dusk, “and thank you as well! You stepping in like that to assist! I think it really helped to frame my work in an even better light” Dusk coughed again, “don’t mention it,” he rasped. While Rarity went to find the perfect outfits for the park shoot, and Dusk was disturbed when she muttered about something from her stallion line, he asked Twilight while the others were distracted in the excitement, “Didn’t what she say strike you as unusual?” The unicorn frowned for a moment then she nodded, “your right, she said “them” instead of “her” that is odd.” Dusk agreed, taking a slower drink. “Well she does speak with a rather thick accent, and speaks in the third person, perhaps it’s a quirk of her lexicon?” Twilight shrugged it off, "In my brother's last letter, he mentioned that he was having something of a similar issue with Princess Luna." Dusk shrugged as well, figuring that the intelligent mare was likely right, though he couldn’t stop the odd foreboding feeling in his gut. Ooo ooo ooo The next day… Dusk grunted as the last tie was tied by Rarity. “Look, I know your all excited about this shoot, but I really don’t see why I have to be dragged into it!” Dusk grunted irritably. Both he and Fluttershy were currently encased matching ensembles, though the stones of their outfits matched the colors of their eyes, and Dusk’s shawl had resisted Rarity yet again, and after yet another slapping match, she finally worked the outfit into the look, with just a hint of vindictive delight, a few jewels were added to the shawl. “Nonsense darling! Photo seemed to like the both of you together on camera, though you weren’t wearing anything of mine at the time, just this silly shawl of yours. This time you will be more a part of the picture then a prop.” Dusk grumbled but did get down off the fitting platform and stood beside Fluttershy. “I’m glad that your doing this with me,” Fluttershy said in aside, “it makes me me feel so much better to have someone with me.” And there was his reason for agreeing. Dusk sighed, and nodded, “yeah, I suppose it’ll be…interesting.” Fluttershy turned to her other friend and in a happy-for-you-and-actually-mean-it tone she commented “Rarity when you get famous across Equestria, don’t forget us little ponies alright?” “Never,” Rarity stated, with a smile and firm conviction. That was when Photo Finish arrived on the scene… …and punctured Rarity’s big chance bubble. Photo Finish had wanted Fluttershy and Dusk, not the cloths they were wearing. Dusk had been all set to just hang the entire thing, after all, he was not after fame. He had been famous once, and was not keen on being famous again, and considering his unique, well hidden situation, he was not keen on the lime light potentially reveling that. Unfortunately for Dusk, Rarity insisted that they not give up this chance, and Dusk still wouldn’t have done it if Fluttershy hadn’t caved under Rarity’s insistence, and looked terrified at where her overly kind nature and lack of confidence combo had taken her at the same time. Dusk was unfortunately not going to leave poor Fluttershy to the wolves alone and sighed, also tossing his hoof in. Ooo ooo ooo The one time that Precious finally ended up making some notoriety for himself, despite his motivations, it had to be in the fashion industry. Voldemort grimaced at their reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that in their Hoity Toity original, which had more frills then he was comfortable with (which was any!). He was, or had been, the most feared Dark Lord in Wizard history! Dark Lords did not wear frilly pink tops and cashmere sequined pants! This was not dignified! He looked down at the magazine, a Mare’s Monthly, which, like it’s Witch Weekly counterpart, had the latest gossip and heresy about the usual famous so and so’s, and on the cover in a glossy picture from a previous shoot was the bold worded title: “Fluttershy and Dusk, the Most Beautiful Mare and Stallion in Equestira, also a couple?” He had to admit a certain amount of amusement at his Precious’ and that weakling’s horror and embarrassment. He had made a silent bet with himself to see who would blush the longest. he particularly enjoyed the tick that his host had developed when he stumbled across a fan who gushed at what a cute couple they made and when they planned to make each other official someponies. While he knew that the boy was not likely to act on feelings of romance with the filly, they were friends after all, but the notion that others think that they can dictate what an with whom his host went with, did annoy Voldemort to no end. This was his Precious! His very own! And no one was going to push his Precious in a direction that he did not approve of first! Whether Harry Potter or Dusk, human or pony, the boy was his first! Over all, he was more annoyed and bordering on homicidal urges. something needed to be done, and be done soon, and it looked like it was going to be him to handle the matter. Ooo ooo ooo The following month was the worst of both Fluttershy and Dusk’s life. Naturally graceful, trembling, vulnerable beauties, the fashion papers claimed. Dusk learned the uncomfortable art of gliding down a runway, posing for hours in front of the camera under scorching lights in studios, had the dubious pleasure of drinking, eating, or holding something over and over again as they represented various products. Their popularity was insane, and the two ponies often huddled together miserably in one of their dressing rooms, rubbing each others hooves and taking what pleasure they could in the quiet moments away from the public. Dusk was currently alone in his dressing room, Fluttershy doing a set of solo pics at the moment, when he drifted off into a nap, exhausted from moving between the shop, his social life, and modeling. The only plus side to all this was that he was forced to finally more actively take a hoof in hiring an extra pony and had taken on a rather practical earth pony by the name of Rose who was looking for a little extra work while she was making a name for herself in gardening. When his head slumped onto the comfortable armrest of the easy lounge he was reclined upon, down for the count and dreaming of a quiet afternoon hopping through a field of camera shooting fluffy bunnies, another individual took advantage of the lowered guard. “Finally!” Voldemort grumbled, “I thought he would never doze off! Bloody workaholic equine!” Voldemort staggered a little, none to pleased by the exhausted nature of their body. He had given the fools a chance to work everything out, but it seems that there was still stubbornness in the air. The boy’s foolish saving people (or ponies in this case) thing, and the weakling's inability to be selfish once in awhile, a lesson that even his host had figured out upon occasion (though he would have preferred if he were more so). That left it up to Voldemort, who didn’t give a damn about some pony’s sensibilities if it wasn’t to his advantage, and set about to correct the issue. He ordered out a few hay burgers with cheese and a milkshake (he didn’t really care about his figure frankly, and he rather enjoyed fast food) and sat Fluttershy down when she returned from her shoot, both in his dressing room, casting a quick locking charm and a silencing spell after the food had arrived. Voldemort gave the mare a brief perusal, and he had to admit that it would be laughingly easy to seduce the poor creature to his whim, or intimidate her to his whim. To easy in fact, it would be beyond insulting to even lift a fing… hoof for the effort for one of his caliber. So Voldemort tried for the uncommon, anti-Slytherin approach as an opener. Complete blunt honesty. “Your unhappy,” Voldemort declared into the lazy silence. Fluttershy started, looking at him, then away, hemming and hawing, “unhappy, about what?” Voldemort rolled his eyes, he hated dithering. Oh for the days of an upfront Crutacius curse, and its powers of speeding conversations along. “With this inane modeling business,” he growled, “so am I, and frankly I think that the both of us should stop, right now.” Fluttershy blinked then said tentatively, “But…but what about Rarity, she seems so happy that we are doing this…I don’t want to disappoint her.” Voldemort refrained from beaning his own face with a hoof. He took a few breaths, leaned against the table, keeping firm eye contact with the mare, and drawled, “So let me see if I understand this…friendship business. You do things that make your friends happy, even if you don’t want to do the thing?” “Well, yes.” “…and you and Rarity are both friends with each other?” “Oh of course!” “I see,” Voldemort tapped a hoof on the table, leaning closer which caused Fluttershy to lean closer and he purred, “so if part of friendship is doing something to make the other per…pony happy when it makes you unhappy, then why should you do it?” Fluttershy blinked, looking confused, “what?” “Well, it seems kind of odd really, but then again I am still new to this whole friendship thing, but if you both are friends equally, why couldn’t she just be disappointed but supportive of your discomfort, even if it would make her unhappy, because it would make you, and consequently by association me, happy? Present happiness and comfort trumps living vicariously through others success in my books, and I am sure it is the same in Rarity's. ” Voldemort scratched his muzzle thoughtfully, “This whole mutual sacrifice thing seems kind of ridiculous really. If everypony is going around doing things they don’t like because they think the other would be happy, in truth, no one is really being happy in the first place and its all moot. Never really understood that sort of thing.” “I…well…”Fluttershy stuttered, “well, sometimes sacrifices…umm…” “I suppose some sacrifice is needed sometimes,“ he conceded grudgingly, “compromise and all that, but in this case…,” He shrugged, then he wore a brief sly look and leaned closer, practically purring in her ear, “if your friend Rarity really realized how unhappy this modeling business was making her friends, she would be even more upset then if you told her no in the first place. because someone like Rarity would be even more dismayed that she had indirectly or otherwise, caused her friends harm.” Voldemort chortled inwardly when the poor confused pony at last caught on and gasped in horror. “I never thought of it that way!” Fluttershy said, “I think…I think I need to talk to Rarity excuse me.” With that she galloped out of the dressing room and Voldemort called after her retreating pink tail, “I’ll tell Photo Finish that we quit then.” He took the flick of her tail disappearing around a corner as affirmative. Ooo ooo ooo By the end of the week, things were back to normal. Dusk was working in his tea shop again, Fluttershy was back with her animals, and while they occasionally still got the odd fan mail, the two of them returned back to the rest of their lives. Dusk was still unsure exactly why Fluttershy thanked him for the talk, and even told him about the lesson she learned, combined with mutual communication, was added in their correspondence to the princess on friendship, but just shrugged it off and was plain grateful that the whole mess was over.