• Published 3rd Jun 2013
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The Colours of Dusk - Gallifrey



When Dusk Shine is enlisted to welcome Princess Luna's new student to Ponyville, a certain blue stallion grows jealous.

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Berry's Blunder

The Colours of Dusk
by Gallifrey

Chapter Five
Berry's Blunder

Inside some not very inconspicuous bushes, just downstream of an elderly and sorry looking bridge, two very cramped ponies were hiding.

"So where are they, Berry?" said Blitz impatiently, squinting through the leaves. "I can't see them."

"They'll be along soon. Trust me."

Blitz couldn't help but think that they could've picked a better spot for this. The bush was prickly and kept jabbing him in places he'd rather not be jabbed.

"I'll hold you to that," growled the stallion, whipping his tail to beat off the branches that were so intent on stabbing him.

They waited for about ten minutes. Blitz grumbled while Berry hummed merrily. However, true to his word, both Dusk and Dawn made their appearance. Berry, in his excitement, perked up and jammed his head forwards to have a better view of what was going on. Unfortunately, that came at the price of Blitz's face being shoved first into one of Berry's forehooves, and then roughly into the ground as the pink pony clambered on top of him enthusiastically.

"They're on the bridge!" whispered Berry, excitement oozing from his voice. "They look like they're talking!"

"Ggreff tffphe fffucff offmm mmmffee," said something from underneath Berry's tummy.

"I wonder what they're talking abou– yaahhh!"

Blitz thrust up his head angrily, knocking Berry off balance. Taking a deep, much needed breath, he sat up and finally looked through the foliage himself. Dusk and Dawn were on the opposite sides to the bridge, and Blitz once again couldn't help but find his eyes drawn to Dusk's behind like a compass to the North Pole. His eyes unfocussed a little as he stared. Berry, having picked himself up, waved a hoof violently in front of his face until he snapped back into reality.

"Sorry, Berry, I was just uh..."

Berry patted Blitz on the withers in a knowing fashion. A sparkling laugh washed over them and they turned their attention back to the duo on the bridge.

"Looks like Dusk told a joke or something, sounds like fun," whispered Berry. Blitz didn't even need to look, he knew his friend was squirming with excitement to go and join them.

"Don't you dare," warned Blitz, not shifting his gaze from the couple on the bridge. He squinted. "Looks like they have sticks in their hooves, no wait, pine cones," he said, puzzled.

"Sticks," said Berry under his breath, the saccharine gears turning away in his head. "Sticks, bridges, ponies, pones, sticks and cones, sticks and stones, breaking bones, words, hurt, divide, connect, bridging gaps, sticks on bridges, drop like stones, dropping sticks, but not sticks, cones, ponies dropping sticks on bridge. Poohsticks!"

"Poohsticks?" asked Blitz, turning his head to find that Berry was standing up. "What are you doing?!" he hissed. "Get down!"

"But Blitz!" Berry whined, "they're playing poohsticks! I wanna play!"

"No Berry, sit down. I said sit down!"

Blitz grabbed the pink stallion by the barrel, trying to force him down, but it was useless. A fine athletic stallion he may have been, but he couldn't compete with the raw power of an earth pony. Berry wriggled free of Blitz's grip like a slippery fish from a hungry angler and zipped off before Blitz could stop him.
Stamping the ground in a burst of anger, Blitz was helpless to intervene without revealing himself. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the inevitable chaos.

"Hey, Duskie!"

There was a loud splash as of something approximately pony sized hit the water.

"Fucking great," he growled. He assumed it had been Berry, jumping obnoxiously into the water, but he looked out to see that it was Dusk.

A jolt of panic hit him. Thinking fast, he sneaked out from the bushes as stealthily as possible, running through the undergrowth to the main road outside the park.
Sneaky though he was, he wasn't sneaky enough to escape the notice of a certain mare who, despite the scene unfolding before her, saw a flash of blue between the trees.


"Maybe I shouldn't have surprised him," said Berry uncertainly as he watched a floundering purple pony float downstream. "Should I go and get him out?"

"Perhaps not," said Dawn dryly, her attention on the entrance to the park ahead of her, where she waiting for Blitz. He didn't disappoint. "Perhaps Rainbow Blitz would be better suited to the task."

"Heya guys," he said casually as he could while his crush was floating downstream. "What's going on down here? I heard a splash and so I'd thought I'd come and check it out." One of his eyes was twitching slightly.

"It's lucky you just happened to drop by actually, we really need a pegasus right now to go and help him out."

Sensing that Dawn knew what he was up to, he ruffled his feathers. He shot Berry an angry glance and took off like a bullet on caffeine to save his friend.

Dusk, having never been a strong swimmer, wasn't having all that much fun as he struggled to stay afloat even in the languid and slow flowing river. Panic clouded his thoughts as he inhaled a little bit of water in his efforts to stay afloat. He had no idea where the shore was and no idea how he was going to get out.

"Help!" he gasped during a few seconds of buoyancy.

He thought, or maybe hoped that he heard a voice reply from up above him through his water logged ears. It didn't really matter any more. Just as he was accepting his fate as being 'death by muddy water', he felt two strong hooves grip him by the stomach. Bewildered but relieved, he cracked open an eye to see the river falling beneath him as was carried to safety by his saviour. An involuntary squeak of fright escaped him.

"Don't worry," said Blitz gruffly, tightening his grip around the purple stallion. "I've got you. You're safe."

"B-Blitz? Where did you come from?"

"That doesn't matter," grunted the pegasus evasively. "What matters is that you're out of danger."

They touched down on the road outside the park, and Dusk was extremely happy to be back on solid ground. Blitz released his grip with slight reluctance, even if the unicorn smelled of weeds and muddy water, it was Dusk after all.

Shaking himself like a soggy dog, Dusk dried himself off, Blitz using his wing as a shield from the assault of water droplets.

"Thank you, Blitz," said Dusk, gratitude shimmering from his eyes. He raised a hoof in a gesture for a hug.

Hardly daring to believe his luck, Blitz almost stumbled forwards into the close, if damp hug.

Best day ever, thought the pegasus.

Dusk embraced his friend tightly, and felt... warm? He'd hugged his friends lots of times before, but they'd never felt quite like this. Blitz's scratchy mane tickled his face. Inhaling deeply, he smelled petrichor in Blitz's hair. It went straight to his head. He closed his eyes and let himself melt into the hug–

"Hey, lover boys!" came a call from nearby. Dawn was approaching them down the road, followed by a unusually sorry looking Berry.

Blitz sighed in irritation, he wanted that hug to last forever. He broke away and coughed, looking up at the trees as if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. Dawn's implications flew straight over Dusk's head, who was thoroughly confused at what had just happened.

Berry approached him.

"I'm sorry, Duskie," he whispered meekly. "I didn't mean for you to fall in."

"Berry, I could have drowned," said Dusk dispassionately.

The poor pink pony had rarely felt so uncomfortable. He never liked upsetting his friends, and he especially never liked almost killing them by accident.

"W-Would you like to push me in to make us even?"

Dusk started laughing.

"Oh, Berry! You know I'm far to used to your antics to get mad!" he said, ruffling Berry's already ruffled mane.

Berry started chuckling too, and the two ponies trotted back to the others. Dawn, who had initially looked worried at Dusk's apparent anger, was smiling genially, while Blitz, who was still abashed at Dawn's remark, was also eyeing Berry to let him know he was not pleased with his behaviour at all.

"So, you two again," said Dawn mischievously, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were following us."

Berry opened his mouth but swiftly closed it. The look Blitz was giving him guaranteed that if he dared to utter a word, he'd soon be suffering the absence of the softer regions between his legs.

"Don't be silly," said Dusk amiably. "Why would they be?"

"Why indeed?" said Dawn neutrally, eyes on Blitz, who shuffled on his hooves.

Deciding that his plan had been a total disaster, decided to cut his losses. He coughed pointedly.

"Berry, weren't you gonna make some cakes today that I was gonna help you with?"

"Huh? I thought we were–"

"Yeah, we better get going," said Blitz loudly, headbutting the pink stallion in the rump. "See ya later, guys!"

They both watched as they ambled off, Dawn, wondering if her suspicions about Blitz were true, Dusk, dripping slowly.

"Look at you," said Dawn, tutting. "You look like a drowned rat."

"Just an almost drowned stallion," he remarked, flicking his damp bangs out of his eyes. "So, where do you wanna go next?"

Dawn's eyes widened.

"You can't carry on like this!" she implored, eyes grazing his mane and coat.

"Oh yes I can. I made a schedule for today, and by Celestia's wings I'm sticking to it!"


Stomp, stomp, stomp.

"Blitzie?" said Berry hopefully, as the blue stallion stomped wordlessly into the town centre. "Blitzie, I didn't mean to ruin your plan..."

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

Blitz was angry, he knew he was. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. A knot that coiled slowly tighter the more he thought.
If Dawn didn't suspect anything before, she did now. In fact, it was like she was rubbing it in his face. All the casual looks in his direction. All the undertones in her words. 'Lover boy' indeed! She knew that she had Dusk wrapped around her hoof already and was smugly satisfied that he didn't.

It is often said that love makes fools of us all. In this case the quote should be amended to include: 'especially Rainbow Blitz', after it.

"We could try again maybe?"

Blitz slowed to a halt and turned round slowly. He glared at Berry sharply.

"Try again?" he muttered. "Try again?! To let you fuck it up again?! I don't think so! She knows, Berry. She knows I like Dusk now, and she'll probably turn him against me! She obviously wants him for herself!"

"Blitz," said Berry reasonably. "I don't think she–"

"Just– shut up okay? I'm not in the mood right now."

Berry looked helplessly around him, as if expecting someone to come to his rescue.

"But you saved Dusk," said a quiet voice eventually. "That's gotta count for something." Blitz's ears twitched, and he felt the painful knot unravel slightly. "And I really don't think she's trying to turn him against you, or even likes him like that to be honest. In fact, you might want to talk to her about all this..."

"Hmmf," he said grudgingly. "You might be right. Though I'm still pissed off at the whole thing."

Berry sped off and returned so quickly, Blitz didn't even notice his nanosecond of absence. In his hooves lay a delectable looking lemon drizzle cake.

"I know it's your favourite," he said. "I'm sorry Blitz." Berry's eyes became very shiny as they became heart meltingly adorable.

Blitz sighed heavily.

"C'mere, you," said Blitz, grabbing the earth pony by the neck and giving him a noogie. They both began laughing.

"C'mon Blitz, quit it!" he begged playfully.

Releasing his friend, and panting lightly, Blitz finally smiled.

"Berry, you're as annoying as hell sometimes, but never change 'kay?" He stretched his legs and cricked his neck.

"Where ya going?"

"To the pub! I need a drink and a good think. Catch ya later, dude, thanks for the cake!"

And with that, he trotted down the main high street to Jingo's, a quiet pub that Blitz was rather fond of... even at one in the afternoon.
Berry merely shrugged and zoomed off into the next scene.


"And this is Sugar Cube Corner, where me and the guys sometimes meet up if we have the time for a snack."

"It smells delicious," commented Dawn, her blue eyes sweeping the pristine and welcoming bakery.

"You got that right," said Dusk. "Berry works here on weekdays, or at least, he's supposed to."

"Supposed to what, Duskie?" asked a voice from behind him, zipping in from the previous scene. Dusk yelped. "Sorry! While you're here, ya want something?"

"Sure," said Dusk, his tummy suddenly rumbling like a tectonic fault line. "What would you like, Dawn? I'll pay."

Berry made a number of very quick calculations in his mind, and for once, the numbers all came out nice and neatly. He could still help Blitz in his quest for not losing Dusk, and he was going to do it Bubble Berry style.

"Don't worry!" he bubbled. "They're on the house."

"No, really Berry, I can–"

"I insist," said Berry firmly. Then the cogs spat out some more thoughts. "As an apology for making you fall in the river, see?"

Dusk reluctantly accepted the offer, and had a gingerbread pony for himself, and a large strawberry cheesecake with tea and cream for Dawn. They took a seat by the window and watched as life did what it did best around them. Customers circulated around, and Berry, like an electron, had the mysterious property of being able to exist in several different places at once. Dusk talked Dawn through the high street, and regaled her with dramatic tales of animal stampedes, "freak" weather caused by Blitz not doing his job, random synchronised outbreaks into song, everyday things like that.
All the while, Berry watched them closely.

"And you see down there?" said Dusk, pointing behind him. Dawn craned her neck. "That's where an ursa minor decided to visit town."

"You're joking."

"Nope, a real life ursa minor."

Dawn still looked a little sceptical. She swept the café with her eyes, and noticed that Berry was watching them as he washed dishes. He quickly looked away. Suppressing a grin, Dawn turned back to Dusk, his mouth full of gingerbread.

"But... how did the town get rid of it? Something like that is very dangerous!"

"I-It doesn't really matter," said Dusk, realising he'd accidentally trapped himself and awkwardly trying to divert the conversation, but he was no match for Dawn's curiosity.

"Come ooon," she pressed, coaxing it out of him as Butterscotch would a rabbit from its den.

Dusk sighed heavily, resting his head on a hoof.

"I um, did it," he said quietly.

"You did it?"

"Yes!" he said shortly. "I built it a giant milk bottle and floated it home."

Dawn's jaw looked as though it had dislocated. Yes, she had heard rumours of his magical prowess, but they were all modest compared to what she was hearing straight from the horse's mouth.

"But... magic of that calibre, that power..." she stammered while Dusk squirmed uncomfortably.

"Please, it sounds a lot more impressive than it was–" he babbled, "I'm just a unicorn–"

"Dusk, stop belittling yourself," she snapped suddenly, shutting him up in his surprise.

Dusk still looked abashed, as though saving Ponyville was something to be ashamed of. Dawn watched him, and felt an unfamiliar twinge strike at her insides. She had always longed for an intellectual equal, but Dusk was amounting himself to be her intellectual superior. Was she beginning to feel... jealousy? No! Dusk was nice, she didn't want to start fighting with him after all. So why did she feel the urge to prove herself?

"Dawn?" asked Dusk uncertainly. She'd been sat staring at the floor for over a minute.

"Sorry. You were telling me more about the town?"

"Yes!" he said, getting back into his flow. He pointed out the bowling alley and the flower shops. Then he went on a passionate tangent about the local bookstore, Waterstones. He certainly painted such a favourable picture in Dawn's mind regarding the tasteful décor, wide selection, reasonable prices and two for one offers that she wanted to visit it next, until Dusk motioned a little further down the street, past a water fountain. "That one over there, see the one with the green roof? That's the spa."

Dawn's ears perked up at that. A mare always did enjoy a good spa treatment after all.

"I have heard about this town's spa, it's supposed to be one of the best in the country! Can we go?" she asked enthusiastically.

"..." said Dusk, conversation extraordinaire. He'd never been to the spa before; Elusive was the only stallion he knew who visited frequently.

"Pleeease?" she said, leaning forwards. Dusk met her eyes and held her gaze for a few seconds. "It's not like you couldn't do with a cleanup. You are a little... river-y," she said delicately, deciding not to point out he still had bits of twig in his hair.

This was all it took to cause Dusk to collapse.

"Alright," he conceded. "Elusive's probably in there anyway, so you can meet him."

They waved Berry farewell, and he waved energetically back. The tinkling of the bell chimed in their wake. Berry all but slinked his way up to his bedroom in the attic, to scribble down what he'd observed for Blitz. Looking at the clock, he saw that it had just gone two. He finished his shift at four, so three would be a fine time to go and see Blitz. Bouncing back down the stairs, he returned to his work.