//------------------------------// // 20 - Getting One's Hooves Wet // Story: From Dusk to Night // by KuroiTsubasaTenshi //------------------------------// I didn’t know what was weirder: passing out in the closet pressed up against Terra as Merriweather giggled incessantly; or waking up to Starshadow peering down at me. As she continued her wordless stare, I began to lean toward the latter. “There is a bed,” she said. “We know,” I mumbled, mouth still a minute behind my brain. “It’s... complicated.” “That is not the term Merriweather used, but I shall take your word for it.” I frowned. “Dare I ask?” “‘Getting awfully friendly’ is how she put it.” “Oh. I expected something lewder.” “She does sometimes have some level of tact.” Starshadow gave me a look that I can only describe as an apologetic smirk. “Right.” By then, I was finally awake enough to realize that I didn’t feel Terra’s body against mine. A quick glance to my side and, sure enough, she was gone. “Where’s Terra?” “She had an urgent ‘errand’ to run as soon she woke. Presumably one that involves a bottle.” “I can’t really blame her. It’s been a rough week.” Still, I couldn’t help but sigh. If only she’d woken me, I would have kept her company. As I pushed myself up to my hooves, it occurred to me that I still could. The hotel couldn’t have too many bars to check. Starshadow stood back, although her eyes were still fixed on me. The concern on her face told me quite clearly that she wanted to help, but I supposed she wanted to respect my dignity. To be honest, I was a little grateful for it. Yesterday’s soreness was basically gone, replaced by an awkward stiffness. As I worked to limber up my legs, I glanced at Starshadow. “Do you feel up to a stroll?” “I should be the one asking you that.” “It won’t be far, just a quick check to make sure Terra’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Now that I had my blood flowing a bit, I felt like wandering around wouldn’t be a big deal. I wagered I could even run a few laps; I knew better than to push my luck, though. “Very well.” Starshadow nodded. “So long as we inform Merriweather, I do not have a problem.” “Thanks.” I flashed her a smile as I trotted back to the main room, where my bags—as well as Twilight’s packages—still lay in semi-disarray. Despite Merriweather’s previous presence, the rest of the room hadn’t changed either. It was almost like hugging Terra had stopped time and I was just picking up where I’d left off. I just needed to take an assessment of my bits, as well as find my cloak; it wouldn’t do to let everyone see the damage to my coat. I was about halfway done counting when a slow knock echoed through the room. Turning toward the door, I caught Starshadow’s eye. We exchanged nods, then she crept up to the the door and peered through the peephole. She gave me another nod, then opened the door. “Hello, Night Flurry.” “Oh, um… Star? Could, um... you just... s-step outside for a moment?” He asked. I could practically hear him shrinking. Starshadow didn’t say anything. I trotted over, deciding it best that I see what was up. “Hi, Night. Everything okay?” “Nothing important, really… I just needed… c-can we talk? Alone?” He squirmed as he looked up. The first statement was clearly false, but I didn’t think he was intentionally lying. “Are you feeling up to it?” Starshadow asked, more as an excuse to let me decline than anything. A smirk spread up my lips as I answered, “I think I can manage.” “I shall be just outside.” Starshadow bowed before exchanging places with Night. The door eased itself shut. He trotted up to me and grinned a nervous grin. “Dusky… hi.” “Hi.” I smiled back. “So, nothing important. No word from your father?” Night shook his head. “Then what’s on your mind?” He inhaled deeply, as though he had to push the words all the way out of his lungs. “Just... I... I've been thinking. About... me... a-and you.” There was no way I didn’t give him a funny look. It was almost like we were a few weeks in the past again. “And? What did you need to say to me alone?” “J-just that... well…” Night was breathing so hard, I was certain he was going to start hyperventilating. “We're friends…” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you're all right?” Nodding vigourously, he worked his jaw, always snapping it shut before any sound could escape. He should have saved the deep breath. “I... just couldn't... I... I need to know the truth.” “The truth is what I told you.” I eyed him up and down. “There isn’t much more to say, unless you mean something else?” Night squirmed. “N-no. I mean... about me. I... I need to know... we're friends, right?” Relaxing a little, I nodded. “Of course.’ “Th-then... th-that's what I need to know... I don't want to… If... if I ever step over a line, if I ever get too... Aggggghh!” He threw his forehooves in the air. I almost took a step back, but my mind was too busy working. Something was wrong and I was beginning to suspect just what it was. He looked straight at me. “Dusky... I love you.” Yep. And yet, I still found myself surprised. Truth be told, while I’d hoped he wouldn’t, that he’d still taken the prior weeks to heart, I was also okay with it. Perhaps it wasn’t what he or others would normally associate with the word, but it was definitely something genuine. The question, then, was whether it would continue in that same vein, or if old tendencies would resurface. There was only one way to find the answer. “Oh, Night... don't you think 'love' is a little strong?” I cracked a smile. “I mean, we haven't even had a first date.” He froze, a grin slowly materializing on his face. "I... w-wait… Does... does that mean we'll have to change that?" “Maybe. If we're in agreement, I don’t see any harm in trying.” His face turned bright red. “I... absolutely!” “Although, that’ll have to wait for another day. I don’t quite trust this place enough for something like this on such short notice.” “I... guess it’s good to b-be safe, y-you know, even after your um... well... yeah. I... I'll figure something out soon, then, okay?” I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” Night turned and started toward the door, but after a few steps, he doubled back, awkwardly wrapping me in a hug. “Um... Have a good afternoon... Dusky.” I hugged him back. “You too, Night Light.” --- As Starshadow and I rode the elevator down, it occurred to me why I felt especially nervous about Myrtail. I had no arrangements. No back-up location, no contacts in the city and no line to my outside connections. With no eyes beyond the city limits, it was as much a prison as a haven. The lobby was a large oval, the ocean side of it crammed with as many windows as possible. The sandscape beyond was dotted with ponies, most lounging on towels or under large, colourful umbrellas. A few of the more restless vacationers hung out in the water. Pulling my eyes back to the lobby proper, I glanced around. It was mostly empty, with just a bored receptionist at the desk and a single mint green pegasus mare perusing the somewhat gaudy, yet charming, reed furniture. Even gaudier, though, was the mare’s oversized sun hat. While the crown was a plain white, the wide brim was filled with dozens of bright, abstract suns. Her golden lyre cutie mark flashed in and out of existence as her blonde tail swished back and forth. A pair of sunglasses obscured her eyes, although they were quite clearly pointed at a paper on the table in front of her. An intense frown was set upon her lips, completing the picture of a grumpy tourist. The whole getup just yelled, “Hey, look at me!” so hard that I wasn’t sure if she was trying to be self-important or draw my attention away from someone else. Given that the lobby was otherwise completely empty, the former seemed a bit more likely. Still, something about her felt vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it—and that set me on edge. Regardless, stopping and staring would do little more than alert her, if she was a spy; or make her angry, if she was legit. So I filed her appearance away in my mind and kept walking. The oval attached to a wide hall, which branched off several times. Just about all of them were narrower halls with rooms lining each side, before ending at a glass door that led out onto the beach. The only exception was one that led into a small alcove with public washrooms. At the very end of the main hall, it opened up into what looked like a large foyer. As we reached the mouth of the last side hall before the foyer, I stopped. Even though she was right beside me, Starshadow didn’t miss a beat. She tilted her head. I motioned toward the end of the side hall. “If we get separated at all.” “Understood.” She nodded. The foyer was a pretty standard hotel hub. There was a sizable gift shop with bright floral shirts plastered all over every window. As I turned away, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the tourist’s gaudy hat. My eyes darted back to the window. To be fair, it was the same hat, but it was donned by a clothing dummy, both of which were barely visible behind the wall of shirts. Cool it, Dusky, I chided myself. Across from the shop was a tribal wooden arch that served as an entrance to their restaurant. Judging by the tuxedoed stallion at the door, I wagered it was still the thirty-bits-per-plate kind of place these types of hotels usually tote. It was just beyond the restaurant that I found what I was looking for: the bar. However, Terra was nowhere to be found. Instead, I saw Mahogany, alone at the counter, with nothing but a couple empty glasses keeping him company. It was as I feared: the incident had left its mark on my friends, which was exactly what I’d been trying to protect them from. It was a very strange feeling to think that Night, of all ponies, was dealing with it the best. In some strange twist of irony, perhaps his prior foolishness had left him prepared. “Would you mind waiting here?” I asked. “I’d like to talk to Mahogany.” “No.” There was just a tinge of sadness of in Starshadow’s voice. I couldn't really fault her; this was the second of what was likely to be three conversations that she would be left out of. “I shall let you have your heart-to-heart.” “Thanks.” I smiled, deciding that perhaps when we got back to the room, we could have a chat. It wasn’t like we were going anywhere else anytime soon and I wouldn’t mind hearing more about Ostfriesen. I trotted over to Mahogany, stopping at the seat beside him. “Hey.” “Hey,” he said without looking away from his drink. “Need some company?” Mahogany shrugged. “Sure.” I ordered a cider. Neither of us said a word while we waited for it to arrive. The silence was deafening. As soon as I had my drink, I turned to him. “I don’t blame you, y’know.” I hoped I didn’t sound like a broken record. “Neither of us could have known. And besides, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. If I hadn’t been such a naive young mare, you wouldn’t have even been in that situation. So, please, Mahogany, don’t be so hard on yourself.” He let out a low, almost bitter, chuckle. “‘Sjus’ like you.” “What?” “Big Sisser Dusky Down’s gotta put on ‘er motherin’ pants an’ look after everything an’ get ‘er chickens in a row before they hatch.” I felt a tinge of pride, even if the honourific wasn’t being used entirely positively. “It’s the least I can do.” “Mmmph. Whaddawe do when y’ain’t ‘round?” He gave the wall over my shoulder a meaningful look. “I don’t know. I never wanted it to come to this. I guess… deep down, I knew I just had to hope they’d decide it wasn’t worth it.” It was my turn to laugh darkly. “So much for that. But, there’s still hope. Maybe when we’re done here, it’ll all be over.” “Psh. Maybe.” Truth be told, I was still skeptical too. Noble Light was too much of a wildcard. Even if he came through, there was no guarantee that everything would be solved. And if he didn’t, well… I’d probably be looking for a new home. For now, the best I could do was hug Mahogany. He stiffened a moment before slumping down again. He gave me a drunken approximation of one in turn. --- Oddly enough, Mahogany hadn’t seen Terra. I thought for sure that she’d go for the whiskey, but I supposed the bar probably qualified as too fancy, too. I initially debated whether I should bother checking the other indoor bars, but turns out Mahogany’s was the only one. Outside, however, was a different story. According to the hotel floor plan, there were no less than five drink stands out on the beach. The beach was quite crowded, which didn’t help the search any, nevermind that the density of people made me extra nervous. There were too many faces to keep track of and thus, no telling who could be watching. At least it would be easy to tell if grumpy sun hat mare was following me—everyone else had better fashion sense. By the time we’d visited the second stand, it was pretty clear that even these outside bars were just as lavish as any other part of the hotel. With the bars out of the picture, I figured Terra might try to find someplace isolated so she could ignore as much of the hotel as possible. With the crowd stretching out in both directions as far as the eye could see, the only thing we could do was start walking. After a good five minutes, we eventually came to a rocky, C-shaped sort of hill. The beach leading up to it was practically a driftwood graveyard, with all the extra gunk that entails. To even get anywhere near the inner face, someone would have to had to climb over at least two trunks. I had my doubts that Terra would have bothered, but something in my gut told me to check anyway. It wasn’t until I was halfway over the first log that I spotted a pair of green hooves sticking out from a crevice in the hill. I glanced over my shoulder at Starshadow, who was busy eying the long stretch of beach and the crowd atop it. “Starshadow?” Her eyes snapped to, immediately falling where I’d been looking. Then they turned to me. When I nodded, she spoke softly, “Very well. I shall keep watch.” “Thanks.” Either my wounds had really taken a toll on me, or Terra was fitter than I’d given her credit for. I was starting to sweat by the time I’d traversed the debris. I’d have flown, but aside from not wanting to freak Terra out by dropping in on her, any observant members of the crowd would’ve easily spotted me. “Terra?” I asked, stepping around the rock as widely as I could. “Oh, Dusky.” She looked up at me, almost like we were meeting again for the first time. “Hello.” Terra sat on her haunches, her mane unkempt in a bedhead kind of way. Dirt and muck spotted her coat. At least her eyes looked dry enough. “What are you doing out here?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you okay?” She let out a nervous laugh. “Of course. I’m just, um, admiring the scenery.” “Really, now?” “Yep!” Terra stared past me, out over the ocean. A sigh escaped her lips. “Is it about ‘the fancy?’” I knelt down so that we were eye-to-eye. “No.” Her eyes wandered away. She slumped, looking sheepish all the while. “Yeah. Stupid, isn’t it?” “I’ll admit that it hasn’t seemed like the most reasonable reaction, but...” I leaned in to give her a hug. “It’s because I don’t understand. What’s wrong? Was it that night?” Terra shook her head. “I… guess it’s just we never had much to spare when I was growing up. We couldn’t afford anything like this, so it was just always a bad thing.” I had to wonder why this had taken so long to surface, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. We lived in Ponyville, which wasn’t exactly a ritzy place and my own tastes aligned so closely with Terra’s frugality that I couldn’t even think of a point where it might have come up. Perhaps if she’d made it out to Fetlock, although I was quite grateful that she hadn’t. “Makes sense. Still, I don’t like to see you like this. Is there anything I can do?” She gave me a sad smile. “I don’t know. I think it’s something I have to deal with myself.” I nodded. “Then I’ll be here to support you. Even if we have to hang out in a closet all day.” Terra laughed. “There are worse things to do with worse ponies.” “Right. Shall we get out of here?” She nodded. As we doubled back over the logs, Terra turned to me. “Have you seen Mahogany?” she asked, huffing as she worked her way over the last of the debris. “Yeah, he was at the bar.” “Great. I… I want to try going there. I owe him a drink.” I nodded. “All right. Go on ahead. I’ll get Starshadow and catch up with you.” As we parted ways, I scanned the beach. Starshadow was nowhere to be found. I frowned and glanced back at the hill, hoping I would see her looking down at me. But she wasn’t there either. My gut reaction was that someone had gotten to her, but once I’d pushed the panic aside, it didn’t make much sense. There was no sign of a struggle and it was extremely doubtful that she was somehow silently beaten. Presumably, it was Starshadow who noticed something and had taken care of it. But even that carried its own concerns. Without any more information, all I could really do was head for the rendezvous point. Once I’d met up with Starshadow and was appraised of the situation, then I could formulate a plan. As much as I wanted to rush back to the hotel proper, I had to restrain myself. If something was really wrong, then moving so obviously could only make things worse. And so I forced myself to walk, each step rattling my worries around in my head. After what felt like ages, I passed the gift shop. Just a couple more turns and I’d be there. That was when an unfamiliar voice called out from behind me. “Miss!” Whirling, I spotted grumpy sun hat mare, headed straight for me. My mind raced. If she was still around, then she wasn’t the problem Starshadow had seen. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be one of many problems. On the other hoof, being a problem in the middle of a busy foyer would invariably attract the attention of security. I wouldn’t call myself safe, but there was nothing remotely overt she could do without giving me an advantage. And yet, my body tensed of its own accord. “Miss!” she called again. I steeled myself, forcing my voice to be as calm and level as possible. Perhaps I could gauge her better after a few words. “Yes?” She trotted up to me and cleared her throat. “Hello. My name is Sergeant Mint Creme, of the Equestrian Guard. I have been led to believe you have some information regarding a certain incident.” My blood ran cold.