Mending Light

by Kiromancer

66 - Ancient History

The University tour continued for a few more hours as we poked through obscure nooks and crannies. Ruby was clearly enjoying herself, giving a ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour that was half sales-pitch, and half faculty gossip. By the end, I knew all the graduation statistics for students who attended Canterlot University, but also all the tawdry details of a recent inquest into a teacher’s gross misuse of gravity magic upon her students in her physics lectures.

The tour itself was relatively mundane, though Ruby did her best to keep us moving and inject plenty of humor and personal stories. Still, with few exceptions, one classroom looked much like another. I might have gotten a bit bored, but there was plenty to pay attention to beyond just the long corridors and bizarre art.

The most fascinating part of the tour was in watching Ruby and Dusky interact. It was clear that they were a more than just friends. There was a level of trust between them that I rarely saw Dusky show with any pony. It was almost unbelievable to think that I was one of those few lucky ponies as well. It wasn’t as if Dusky had dropped her guard, but she had certainly lowered it.

Ruby walked with us back towards the University’s main entrance, giving Dusky a hug as we prepared to depart. “I’ll see you again when you get home, yes? I look forward to seeing what kinds of puzzles you bring back for me this time.”

Dusky laughed and hugged back. “I’ll keep my eyes open for something special.”

Releasing Dusky, Ruby turned to me and frowned, growing surprisingly serious considering the attitude she’d had on display during the tour. “And you, Night Flurry. Dusky is a rare one, but she certainly knows how to get herself into trouble. You take care of her, you hear?”

I started to speak, but hesitated as I realized that Ruby surely knew about the things that had happened in Dusky’s past. Her request was more than just a friendly reminder, it was a mandate, from one pony who knew what lie behind those words to another. It was a massive display of trust in me from a pony I hardly knew. I dipped my head out of respect, but also to hide the blush in my cheeks. “In so much as I’m able to, I will. You can count on it.”

She stepped forward and gave me a surprisingly tight hug as well. I nearly cried out in surprise, but after a moment I managed to awkwardly lift a hoof to hug back. She backed up with a grin. “Good. You two take care. And when you get to Lunar Lake, enjoy the show.” She winked.

“The show?” I glanced at Dusky, having no clue what Ruby was talking about. She hadn't made any mention of us seeing a show.

Dusky only shook her head with a wide smile, and an enticing promise. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

We bid our farewells and then flew out from the front of the University, Dusky giving me a flyover view of the well-kept gardens which surrounded the University before we steered back over the streets to return to our hotel.

---

The Canterlot Museum of Art and History was in the same district of the city as the University, and several other prestigious institutions which I had never been to. Boasting the ‘greatest collection of pre-Equestria artifacts’, as well as a special display on Princess Platinum’s royal gowns, the Museum was filled with a lot of things I’d never dreamed of seeing. I was understandably excited, and Dusky was grinning just as wide as she guided me through the exhibits.

Past the initial displays, the most impressive thing to me was the Hall of Armor. I gaped like a foal as I looked across the rows of armor that had once been worn by the Pegasus Royal Legion, now on loan from the Cloudsdale archival collection. There was still some magic in it all for me, in those heroes of old. I’d grown up hearing stories of Flash Magnus and the Royal Legion, along with the stories of our own family heroes who had for so long served as a part of the Equestrian Guard which had been formed in part as an evolution of the Royal Legion.

One suit of armor was a recreation, using original materials to show what these artifacts would have looked like when they were originally worn. While impressive, the recreation wasn’t nearly as impactful as the authentic pieces. Those had been restored by the museum to clean them and prevent further decay, but they had not been repaired. The old holes were left unpatched, and battle damage had been left alone by the restoration team, grim reminders of how many of the Royal Legion met their ends.

It was a more powerful exhibit to me than it may have been to most. These were things which had belonged to true heroes, legends which I had once wished to emulate. It made me feel a strange kind of shame that I hadn’t felt in years. Knighthood and duty had been proven to not be for me, though. The shame was countered by my more recently discovered resolve. I had found something else to be devoted to, and she was worth it all.

Dusky nudged against me, drawing me back out of the exhibit. "Something up?"

"Oh, seeing all of this, set up like this, it just reminds me of the things I used to want." I turned to smile at her. "Before I found something better."

She laughed, but the grin on her face was genuine. "Flatterer."

We started to move to the next exhibit, but it felt like a good moment to slip in the question I'd hoped to hear her answer in anticipation of my other plan. My proposal. "So... all these places you have planned for us to visit on this trip, um, do you have a favorite?"

She glanced up as we walked, considering for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't really have a favorite. I think every place has its own charm."

I frowned, hoping she might have a more definite answer, but I tried to recover my expression quickly. Maybe I just needed to shift the question. "There's no place that you're more excited about visiting? Or, which is more special?"

Dusky must have caught it, because she gave me a strange look before she answered. "Well, every place is special to me for its own reasons. Reasons unique enough that comparison is quite difficult.”

With a nod, I glanced over at one of the other exhibits. "I suppose it's like this museum. Everything in here is important, and unique. I guess I was just wondering if there was a place that impacted you more so than others."

She shook her head, "Yes and no. Everyplace I visit leaves some impression on me. I guess you could say I included all my top picks when I planned our route, though."

Everyplace was special. We were visiting all of her top picks. That certainly made things harder to select just the right place. Still, there was something special about that in itself. I smiled. "Well, I'm looking forward to it, then. I want to see more, and see why every place is so special to you."

Dusky smiled back warmly. "Sounds like a plan."

Nothing else in the museum was quite as impactful, or as impressive, as the Hall of Armor, but there was still plenty to take in. It was like walking forward in time, over a thousand years in the past forward into the more modern days, seeing how Canterlot, and Equestria, had evolved.

Dusky seemed to linger longest on the expansive artifact collection which had been funded by A.K. Yearling. "I suppose it shouldn’t be any surprise that someone who writes about this kind of stuff would help fund real expeditions, but at the same time, I think the sheer amount she’s put into this is quite admirable. t's just impressive that somepony who writes about these kinds of things so extensively turns around to invest her money back into uncovering history. She must really love the subject matter."

The room was huge, and filled with all sorts of strange and unique artifacts from all corners of Equestria, and beyond. The collection was enough on its own, without knowing that it had all been found because of a single mare's devotion to archaeology. "Well, I guess it gives her more material for her books?"

Dusky giggled. "Probably. I really need to loan you my copies of Daring Do. I think you'd really enjoy them."

Though the life of Daring Do was probably a far cry from the real archaeology work that had been done to unearth these relics, seeing them like this was inspiring. The art that came afterwards just wasn't nearly as exciting, and we Dusky was certainly still thinking of that last exhibit, trying to tell me about the Daring Do series without spoiling the books for me. About an hour later, we'd completed our circuit around the museum, coming back around towards where we began.

Dusky leaned in closer as we approached the exit. "So, what do you want to do for supper?"

"Nothing too fancy... I'm not sure I'm all that interested in high class Canterlot portions."

Dusky giggled. "Well, this is the university district. It's a little less fancy than all that. You in the mood for anything in particular?"

I shook my head. "No. Maybe something new? There's a lot I haven't tried, and you're very good at surprising me."

"Something new, then. I think I know the perfect place."

We made our way for the door, but I slowed as we passed the gift shop. There was a small problem that had been bothering me since before we'd left, and suddenly a solution had presented itself. "Hey, Dusky? While we're here, I'm going to get some postcards."

Dusky turned to walk me. "Sure. You thinking of sending a few back home?"

I started looking through the designs, pulling out a few displaying the exhibits I'd enjoyed the most. "Yeah, it's something I've been feeling a little guilty about. I mean, I just reconnected with them, and then I'm leaving again, even if just for a month."

She smiled. "I'm sure they'd appreciate that."

One for Mom and Dad, a postcard apiece for each of my Sisters, one for Merri and Star, another for Mahogany. One for Terra, though I didn't know when she'd be back after her honeymoon to get them. One for the weather office. I turned to Dusky. "Anypony you want to send a postcard to? Should I get one for your parents?"

Dusky laughed. "I should be fine. I'm sure they'd appreciate it, but they can be a little more difficult to get a postcard to when they're on the road together."

"Oh right, out trading." No place to really send that postcard where they'd get it quickly or easily. I pondered. "What about Ruby?"

"She'd probably get a kick out of getting a postcard or two." She stuck out her tongue. "But I doubt there's anything in this museum she hasn't seen."

I nodded. "Well, I can pick one up for her at our next stop, then. In the meantime, I'll just get one for everypony else!"

She looked down at the stack of nearly a dozen postcards. "Are you writing to everyone in the bar? Or everyone in Ponyville? Be careful you don't get writer's cramp."

Stepping into line, I sorted through the postcards and counted them out to myself. The stack wasn't that big. "I'm used to doing lots of reports at work. These will just be a quick update, and an address. Easy. And I think it'll be fun, too."

Dusky leaned in closer to nuzzle against my mane as we waited to pay for the postcards. "I'll have to pick out something for dinner that'll give you the energy to write all those postcards."

I flashed Dusky a smile, feeling excited about everything in that moment. "Whatever you pick will be perfect, I'm sure."

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

I love seeing these two geek out.

[Kiromancer]

8739631
I love it too. Getting to see just how similar Night and Dusky are in some and how they play off one another is a joy to write and read for me.