//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - New Plan 
// Story: Dusk Shine in pursuit of Happiness 
// by bigsnusnu 
//------------------------------//

New Plan

"Well, where should we go specifica-" Spike stopped talking when he realized that his partner was not with him. "Come on Dusk, stop whining about your mane and move on."

From a few steps behind Spike, Dusk Shine walked totally overwhelmed by the news of his unexpected new look. He had been so absorbed with his arrival in Ponyville and with the task imposed by Celestia, that he hadn't noticed that the princess had taken the scissors and had cut his long and messy mane before sending him away from Canterlot (plus giving him a bath that he really needed). 

"My mane... my long mane..." Dusk lamented as he walked slowly, looking down. 

"Why are you complaining so much? You just started growing a long mane this year, that manecut you wear now is the same as you wore when you were younger." Spike reproached him, stopping to wait for him. "You look much better, not all of the colts look good with long mane. Furthermore you left yourself a long mane just to impress-"

"Don't say her name!" Dusk snapped. "You are not worthy to mention her name."

"Ahhh... as you wish. But anyway you know that you hadn't have the chance with her." Spike sighed annoyed. He really didn't understand why Dusk idolized and was in love with a mare whom he had no chance with.

Then, Dusk made a pouty face with crying eyes looking at Spike. The dragon passed a claw over his face, totally irritated. Most times Dusk acted like the older brother, but sometimes he acted like a real baby foal.

"But what can a baby dragon like me know about love..." Spike said theatrically.

"That's right!" Dusk Shine said staring at Spike before regaining his spirits. "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to it and just wait for it to grow again."

Recapturing the road together, both of them were silent for a few minutes until Spike spoke again.

"So... it's just only five days to the Summer Sun Celebration?” Spike asked casually, breaking the silence.

"Yup, that also will be my deadline to convince the princess that I can go back to Canterlot" Dusk replied calmly.

Spike noticed that at no time did Dusk mentioned the phrase "make friends". Could it be that Dusk Shine wanted to convince the princess just with words? Without fulfilling what she had asked him? This worried Spike, but he decided to leave this conversation for later.

"And why in Ponyville?" Spike asked. "Normally they celebrate in a big city like Canterlot or Manehattan.

"I asked the princess the same question when I found out a couple days ago that it'll take place here." Dusk said. "She told me that this was a special occasion and she wanted to celebrate it near the ancient castl-" Dusk suddenly stopped, both speaking and walking.

“Dusk? What's wrong?”

"That’s it! The ancient castle of the two sisters!" Dusk said with a smile slowly forming on his lips.

"What?" Spike asked confused at the sudden change in the attitude of his brother.

"The Castle of the two sisters, the old castle where the princesses lived before doing so in Canterlot!" Dusk said with much encouragement, taking the shoulders of his dragon companion. "I always wanted to visit it! Although my studies prevented me from doing so, but this was the place I always wanted to visit since I was a young colt! And now it's just around the corner!! Can you imagine all the history that is in its walls, the huge main hall, the-" At that moment, Dusk Shine's eyes opened to the utmost like huge dishes. "Oh Celestia, Oh Celestia, Oh Celestia! THE LIBRARY!! You'd imagine the library!

Dusk Shine was silent for a few seconds, looking at the horizon until he finally released Spike and he turned before saying "We must go!"

Spike was stunned, speechless.

"B-b-bu... but we should go to the town... and... don’t you think you should know the other ponies!?" Spike said awkwardly when he recovered his speech and digested what Dusk was saying.

"We have five days, which leaves us 4 days to study the library of the castle" Dusk said while walking to the opposite side to where the town is. "This is a unique opportunity in life, once I get back to Canterlot, I probably won't return to visit this town, so I must go now. Moreover, you yourself have said many times, making friends is easy. It only takes one day."

Dusk was clever, thought Spike, he was using his own words against him. And worse, the doubt that had been growing inside Spike grew larger, it seemed that Dusk really didn't want to make any friends.

Spike picked up the book he was carrying in one of his claws since they left the station.

"How to make friends for dummies, huh?" Spike said to himself, reading the book title. "It seems that this dummy needs something better than this to get friends..."

Then, Spike began to formulate a plan, a way to get Dusk to talk to other ponies. It would be difficult to achieve without Dusk realizing that, because his brother was very smart, but he had to try.

Spike clutched the book and went to follow his traveling companion, who had gone very far.

"Dusk!" Spike shouted when he finally reached him.

"You took your time coming, what’s taking you so long?" Dusk said, pausing for a moment so that Spike could take a breather after his career.

"Listen..." Spike said after recovering. "I... I agree to go with you to the library."

"Really?" A smile appeared on the lips of Dusk.

"Yes..." Spike said reluctantly. "But it's risky to leave until the last day to do an important task like that. At least you should have... an action plan."

"A plan?" Dusk Shine's ears rise on alert. Bingo! Spike had captured his full attention, now he just needed to throw in the bait.

"Yeah! You could make a list or something, just to make sure you'll achieve it, in case you meet a potential friend."

Dusk Shine's eyes twinkled as Spike mentioned the word 'list'.

"Yes... it might be a good idea..." Dusk said feigning interest.

"Good!" said Spike, happy that Dusk Shine had grabbed the bait. Then he set out to prepare his trap.

Spike took one of the scrolls sent by Celestia, he flipped it and began to write with a writing quill he always carried for emergencies.

"What are the steps to achieve in making a friend?" Spike said with the quill in claw, staring at Dusk.

"Hmm... I don't know..." Dusk said thoughtfully.

"Maybe... take an advice from the book that the princess had sent you?" Spike suggested sheepishly.

"Yes, I guess..."

"Yeah, very good!" Spike said animatedly. "So when you see a stranger pony, you'll try some of the tips in it." Spike repeated aloud what he had written on the scroll. "And then…"

"I know! I came up with a better idea!" Dusk exclaimed, levitating with magic the scroll and the quill that Spike had.

With this, Dusk began to write and finally he showed Spike what he had written in the following steps: 

"Steps in making a friend:

Step 1:Seeing a stranger pony, take some tips from the book and try them, then...

Step 2:Feign interest in that pony and their activities.

Step 3:Pretend that I enjoy his/her company.

Step 4:Convince him/her that I'm his/her friend.

Step 5:Show him/her to Celestia.

Step 6:Discard the false friendship.

Step 7:Back to Canterlot.

The End."

Spike swallowed nervously. He couldn't believe what Dusk had written, that not only destroyed Spike's plan in forcing Dusk to make friends through the list, but also buried all hopes of Spike in the future. The unfriendliness of Dusk was a much more serious problem than he had initially thought and now he understood why the princess had to take such drastic measures.

"Pretend? Discard the false friendship?" Spike asked shakily. "You...don't you want to have a true friend?"

"In any case, I just need a 'friend' for the day" said Dusk, somewhat annoyed.

Both of them were silent for a long time.

Dusk stared at the disconsolate face that Spike had. His brother really wanted him to make friends. But Dusk definitely didn't want that, that would have went against everything he had told himself that he would never do, however this seemed to be affecting  Spike more than Dusk.

Dusk finally decided that for the sake of his brother, he would have to give up.

"Okay, you win, I must admit I was too cold when I wrote about a false friendship." Dusk said, grinning at Spike. "I promise you that if the occasion arises, I'll try to make a true friendship with some of the ponies of this place."

This raised the spirits of Spike. There was still hope.

Then the dragon spat at one of his claws and pointed it at Dusk. "Promise?" Spike said smiling.

Dusk made the same gesture and they greeted. "Promise" Dusk answered, smiling back.

"So..." Spike said with a false pleading look, remembering that he should return to his original plan. "How about we go to the town to ask for directions about where the castle is?"

This was the trap of Spike, the perfect opportunity for Dusk to talk to someone. It was impossible to go into town and not find a pony, so Dusk would have to put into practice what he had promised; and better yet, he hadn't written the promise in the list, he had promised him in person with a spit handshake like spit brothers! It was infallible!

"No" Dusk said simply. He turned around and went to the opposite way to where the town was.

Spike froze again.

"B-but you don't know where the castle is, let's go to town and ask for directions!" Spike spoke while he was following Dusk. He knew that when Dusk got an idea in his head, he was very difficult to dissuade, but now Dusk had to accept that to take the indications, they necessarily have to go to town and talk to a local pony.

"Needless to say" Dusk Shine said. "I know that the castle is near to the center of Everfree forest, to the southwest of this town! And if we go around the town, we won't come across with a local pony!"

Then Dusk put on a sinister smile.





"I know what you're planning, don't worry, as I promised, I'll speak with a pony but only when I see one, and that will probably happen after spending 4 days enjoying the library of the old castle. Ju ju ju" Dusk laughed maliciously while he saw the plans of Spike being destroyed.

It was true, there was a hole in the plan of Spike. Dusk was bound by his promise to engage in a conversation with a pony if he found one, as Spike planned, but if Dusk didn't find a pony in 4 days, he wouldn't be breaking his promise.

"He fell into my trap on purpose, he knew it all along." Spike thought resigned. Then, he gave a loud sigh and continued to follow Dusk, smiling to see that despite all his efforts, he could never beat the cunning mind of his brother.

#End of Chapter 2