From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

17 - Edges

Time is already a strange, mercurial thing. And in that moment, when I stood on the border between two worlds, it had lost any last semblance of definition. I faded in and out of existence for what felt like months, a measure something in my body insisted, with absolute conviction, was so very wrong. Vague murmurs drifted beside me. I tried to swivel my ears toward them, but every inch was like trudging through a lake of mud. There were no words—just voices. Night Flurry, then Twilight Sparkle. Back to Night Flurry. Twilight again.

My eyes refused to open. Someone had glued them shut.

The rest of my body didn’t fare much better. Even with every muscle combining in one colossal effort, the best I could manage was twitching my legs.

Exhaustion overtook me and I slipped away.

Time had no place where I went. For all I knew, it could have been years since I’d last been awake. But at least this time, my eyes worked, for certain definitions of ‘work’, anyway.

A purple blob, with a mass of blue and magenta near its top, loomed over me. I blinked a few times and it started to actually look like Twilight. She was staring off to the side, the soft glow of a candle playing across her face. Between the furrowed brow and rustling pages, it wasn’t too hard to guess that she was, unsurprisingly, reading a book of some kind. I briefly wondered if the title was What to Do if Some Thugs Leave Your Friend Half-Dead in the Middle of the Street. It wouldn’t be the first time she pulled out an overly specific guide, anyway.

The rest of the room was dark, with vague patches of brown marking the location of the walls—and their inset shelves. Judging by the proximity, we were probably in one of the small back rooms of the library.

My whole body was both raw and numb at the same time. Like I hurt in so many places that my body just stopped feeling. Everything about it was just wrong.

I opened my mouth. While I could hardly feel it, there was so much resistance in the muscles that there must not have been a single drop of saliva in there. My breath escaped in alien, uneven stutters.

“Oh! Dusky!” Twilight furrowed her brow. “You’re not supposed to be awake.”

I stared blankly, trying to raise my own eyebrow. While it did make sense that I should be getting bedrest, the way she worded it threw me off. Whether I succeeded or not, she got the idea.

“You’re wondering why, aren’t you?”

Nodding was not happening; my neck felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Thankfully, the question was rhetorical. She smiled weakly.

“Healing spells make their recipient exhausted. This is because it accelerates the natural process, which comes with an extra energy cost. If the magic was working properly, then you’d still be out for the next couple days.”

Twilight tapped her book as she let out a nervous laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing Magical Aid: A Comprehensive Guide wasn’t checked out. Since, y’know, I’m not a doctor or anything.”

By this point, I’d given up on making my mouth work. I wanted to smirk, but it was just too lazy.

A glass pitcher, about half-full with water, levitated over Twilight’s shoulder. Its lip settled against mine, the delicious liquid measuredly trickling across my tongue. With each drop, I felt like a sponge, dried and immobile, slowly reassuming my real shape.

Suddenly, the pitcher was empty. It was like I’d totally lost myself for a few seconds there. After a brief bout with panic, I realized that that must be what Twilight was talking about when it came to her healing spell. It was just very disconcerting to think that I’d blanked out so hard while my body continued doing its own thing.

“Why didn’t you want to go to the clinic? They could give you much better treatment there.”

My eyes flitted to the side. I didn’t know where I could even begin without having to tell her everything.

“It’s okay. Everypony has their secrets. Celestia knows I’ve got more than enough and you still trust me. So, whatever it is, don’t worry. I trust you.”

I think I actually managed to smile that time.

There were still details I wondered about. About the blizzard. About when Twilight had not been herself. And some I did know that lingered in the back of my head. But we were of like mind, so I knew her reasons were sound.

“Oh! Night Flurry told me to give you a message.” She paused, staring up at her forelock for a few moments before continuing. “Sorry. I thought for sure he’d get back before I had to tell you this. He’s meeting with a Captain Noble Light. Something about finding a safehouse for you. So whatever it is you’re scared of, try not to worry about it for now. You’ve got ponies watching your back.”

Noble Light’s involvement brought me mixed feelings. My assessment from the other day was still firmly cemented in my mind. I wanted to trust him. But even in my haze, I realized that, while the Cartel might have stolen the onsite logs, someone still had to have leaked the information that linked the badge to me, leading them here.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t Twilight’s fault that everything was such a mess, so I did my best to look thankful. The strain sent me into a light coughing fit. At least I could feel my throat again.

Twilight gave me a sympathetic look. “I wish you’d stop resisting the spell. It would make this all so much smoother. But I guess it’s not like you can tell your body to stop doing the things it does. Not that it wouldn’t be nice. I mean, if we could just up and do that, then maybe I wouldn’t have so many ponies coming in asking about contraception spells.”

I let out a weak, pathetic giggle, the kind that would make Pinkie Pie sad.

“Sounds like you could use more water. I’ll be right back.”

I listened to the tapping of her hooves as she left the room. As the steps began to fade down the hall, so did my consciousness. That was the last I would see of the library for some time.

---

The darkness was welcome, all pain and rawness lost within its depths. And yet, it felt so very wrong. In that void, where I was half-aware, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was like being on a stage where, not only was the backdrop gone, but so was the stage itself.

I laid on the ground and listened, trying to get a feel for this lonely, empty world. But it didn’t feel like anything; I might as well have been floating. But there was something fundamentally wrong about that too. Not a single sound reached my ears—not even the subtle whisper of the wind.

The silence was deafening. With each moment, the numbness became less and less comforting. My eyes ventured off into the darkness, but they too became lost.

Instinctively, I curled up. I had to rest. I couldn’t remember why, just that I did. Besides, it’s not like there was anything to do, anyway.

The not-world eventually faded away. Or at least, I thought it did. Perhaps it was just myself fading from the not-world. It’s a bit difficult to judge when my own body was my only reference point.

Time seemed to fade away, as well. I think I was sleeping. Mostly, anyway; some speck always felt oddly aware.

I thought I heard Night Flurry’s voice, the sound washing in and out, like waves on a beach. “...spring... brought… … memories, Dusky...”

Spring memories? Why spring? Eyebrow raised, I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

I was in the bar again.

Not that they’d even noticed. Given Merriweather’s drunken, off-target attempts to hug Starshadow, and the latter’s corresponding annoyance, it was hardly surprising.

Meanwhile, Terra and Mahogany’s eyes were locked. Each had a glass to their lips, the liquid steadily draining. Mahogany’s was tilted just a little higher.

Typical.

Night Flurry turned and mumbled something.

“What?” I cocked my head.

He mumbled again.

A frown formed on my lips and I shook my head. “Speak up.”

We were in the back room. He was sitting across from me.

“Guess you didn't hear, did you?”

“No. No, I didn’t,” I replied.

Strangely, Night Flurry didn’t seem to react. I mean, I continued talking, but it felt like he was looking at me without looking at me.

“M-my real name...” He continued to stare, lost in himself.

I tensed, my mind suddenly active enough to nag. Fake names don’t just hide another name. They hide another person. Would he confess to being a Cartel spy? Or perhaps one of Prideful Policy’s?

“I was Night Light,” he finally said, chuckling afterward. “It sounds funny saying it now. Mom told me… a night light was a little magical light you keep in your bedroom to keep away all the monsters.”

The name wasn’t surprising; it just fit so well and, given his father’s name, I probably could have guessed. What was surprising, though, was how much he was opening up. I couldn’t remember when or why this level of confiding had come to be, but I was too interested to care. With a nod, I continued to watch him.

“I told her that’s silly. A real hero isn’t afraid of monsters.” He gave me a sheepish look. “I… I was ashamed of my name. When I moved out to Ponyville, I changed it, to match my cutie mark.”

Again with the heroes. While it’s the type of the thing foals tend to latch onto—Celestia knows I did—something about it felt even more ingrained than usual with Night Flurry. It was no wonder his sense of reality had been so skewed.

Night Flurry stared off into space. “I… thought ponies like Merri and Star and… like you… you wouldn’t have any need for something as silly as a night light. Y-you weren’t afraid of anything. But… there are monsters in the world… who make even the bravest ponies tremble...”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m no hero. Nor even a fearless mare. I do what I can to protect those I who are close to me.”

“I’m Night Flurry now. I’ve grown to like the name, but… for however long you need, I… I can be Night Light for you.”

I smirked. It was cheesy, but somehow fitting. I decided I’d let him have his moment.

---

“...starting to think of trains as bad omens…” Night Flurry’s voice drifted in again.

The steady click-clack of train wheels filled my ears, each bump helping me shake off a bit of grogginess. Eventually, I got my eyes open, but they refused to go beyond a squint.

We were on the Friendship Express again. As before, Night Flurry rested in the seat across the aisle.

Why? is what I wanted to ask. What actually came out was, “Mmmph.”

Thankfully, Night Flurry seemed ready to explain, anyway. “The trip to Fetlock... I suppose it was a lot of fun, I... I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But still... that night and the attack… And now, this train ride... I can’t help but tie it to what happened to you.”

“Mmmmrph.” My voice failed me again.

Night Flurry sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever like trains. You were right to want to fly to Fetlock.”

“I’ve never been to a beach before. I-I don’t even know what I’m going to do... I imagine you’ve been to the beach dozens of times.” He slumped, staring down at his forehooves. “I g-guess it’s not really a vacation. Merri and Star, they’re pretty serious and M-Mahogany, I don’t know what to say.”

I reached out my own foreleg, which felt like the weight of the entire train was pulling it down. It also didn’t help that my eyes still didn’t want me to see what I was doing. Somehow, I managed to get my quivering hoof atop his. I’d wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but that definitely wasn’t happening, so I supposed I’d have to settle.

“Whatever’s ahead… I really don’t think I have the courage. B-but you all do. And somehow, that gives me enough to go on…” Night Flurry looked up and smiled.

My eyes were growing heavy again, but I did my best to smile back. As the darkness returned, I neither knew, nor cared, whether I’d succeeded.

Comments

[Meta Four]

Dusky and Night are cute together.

“I guess it’s a good thing Magical Aid: A Comprehensive Guide wasn’t checked out. Since, y’know, I’m not a doctor or anything.”

A fact that more "pone X nurses pone Z back to health" fics could stand to keep in mind...

[SIGAWESOME]

5898855

A fact that more "pone X nurses pone Z back to health" fics could stand to keep in mind...

Heh...

What about interlibrary loan? Or barring that, how about going to the fiction section of said library, checking out one of those stories and following the directions therein?

Come to think of it, that would make for a silly one-shot, gently poking fun at the whole "nursing back to health shipping" thing...

"OK, I have set your wing and the fever has broken. The next step it to passionately make love to one another."

"Wait, what?! I thought you said you went to the library to get a pegamedic trauma manual!"

""Welll... Modern Medical Manual of Mare Maladies was checked out at the time. But I got something just as good!"

"And that would be...?"

"Sultry Sock's Sensuously Steamy Shipping Sessions: A Healing Tale"

"..."