Arrived at Dusk

by aliengirlguy

Are We Friends?

Chapter 4: Are We Friends?

It took a few days for Dusk to regain his strength enough to move, let alone stand. The pony that had been looking after him turned out to be the older brother of Applejack named Big Macintosh. He was an often silent stallion, with an easy going, peaceful air about him. He was also a rather largely built, heavily muscled stallion, and from his hidden vantage point from Big Macintosh's window, he was a very strong hard working pony. His apple red coat and choppy orange mane and short working pony tail were distinctive.

The most important feature about his caretaker was that he also kept his word and didn't tell anyone about what had happened, and when Dusk was better and ready to leave, even if things still ached here and there, the stallion even distracted his family by unexpectedly making dinner so he could sneak away unseen.

The dinner idea was a bit of a bust, the resulting kitchen fire however gave him ample time to slip away and back home.

There were no words for how grateful he was to the pony for taking care of him, covering for him, and keeping his bout in sun raising secret, even though it must have raised a whole lot of questions in the poor stallion.

Despite his gratitude though, he concentrated on setting up his business, taking is mind off the near miss with all the fracas with Nightmare Moon, which ended up using some big deal magic called the Elements of Harmony by some of the mares he had seen and meant before, restoring the villain back into Princess Luna, and was ready to open a few days after he had left Sweet Apple Acres.

His grand opening was a stellar success. Many ponies showed up for the offer of one free tea to the first time customer, and after that, they shelled out their bits for his fresh steeped tea and ready to buy bags of tea mixtures.

Many a pony could be seen settling with a good book, either one of their own, one from Twilight Sparkle's library, or one that he had sold or loaned from the book shelves that lined the walls of his store.

He had the sudden thought that Hermione would have been proud of that addition, before he shook away the unwelcome nostalgia.

The outside of his shop, dubbed The Tea Cozy, was soon filled with a riot of herbs, berry bushes, and wild flowers, with black cap vines and blue morning glories spilling from the spout thanks to Mr. Greenhoove's efforts. Ponies enjoyed siting out in the little dining nooks he had decided to add, and chattered with each other, enjoying the scenery and the nice weather.

One of his regulars, Rarity, who was owner of the Carousel Boutique, and one of the heroic mares that bore the elements of harmony, offered to design him table cloths, curtains and other decorations pro-bono, and he gladly accepted and returned her generous offer with free tea for a month for her help. Dusk was not much of an interior designer, and he appreciated the Unicorn's help. She often invited him to her clothing shop afterwards and would have fun grilling him on the latest from Canterlot while trying to dress him in fancy outfits, and she had an amusing war with his shawl which refused to be budged, the slapping match was even more hilarious until he was accidentally clipped on the rump.

Another regular of his was Twilight Sparkle, his fellow Canterlonian, who apparently was staying in town as well taking up permanent residence in the library, and the two would often enjoy quiet discussions on books they had read when she came in for lunch, and they would give each other the inside scoop on some tome or another. The mare did ask him about his magic a time or two, still rather fascinated by his construction spell, especially as many unicorns usually had magic that centered on their particular talents, unless their talent was magic of course, and with Dusk being an obviously talented and focused tea Master, made his unrelated spell work all the more intriguing to her, but Dusk simply didn't want to talk about it, and she eventually caught the hint and dropped the subject thankfully.

He knew his magic was rather powerful, but he hadn't realized just how much until he had been forced to though this Nightmare Moon incident. He wasn't stupid; he knew that a single normal pony shouldn't have been able to raise the sun, no matter how difficult, unless you happened to be Princess Celestia, practical god of ponies everywhere, Or Princess Luna, returned god of the ponies.

From what he understood, Princess Celestia and the newly reformed Princess Luna sent out a proclamation of gratitude to the brave ponies that sought to continue the rising of the sun, whoever they were, which was a heavy relief.

This proclamation meant that they thought he was several someones, which meant his part in all that mess was secure. Apparently, thankfully, everyone speculated that it had been a secret group of ponies, who chose to remain anonymous, that had combined their magic to raise the sun. As groups used to do before the arrival of the two Alicorn sisters. He was eager to let everyone to continue with that assumption.

Sure, he had always been aware he was a little different, and he had always been top of his class in magic, before he had dropped it in favor of focusing on herbology and potions (Snape would have keeled over in shock, Dusk was sure, though better teachers certainly helped). But he had associated that simply with the fact that he had once been a human wizard and while he hadn't been one for long, He figured that maybe his magic had just translated to his pony form a little differently. He honestly had not thought anything about it until he had arrived in Ponyville, and everything that had happened.

He was determined to live his life how he wanted. The last thing he needed was undo attention outside of friendly neighbours and customers here and there. He was sure that if anyone found out that he had as much power as he did, it would draw attention from the royals and the last thing he needed was the equivalent of gods being aware of him. What if they realized he hadn't exactly been born a pony? What if they decided to send him back?

No. He would keep his head down, go about his business and try to put that entire whole raising the sun nonsense behind him.

He had long forgotten the mental address of personal thanks from Princess Celestia, in his relief at his struggle ending.

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh shifted on his hooves bored, his sister talking up a storm with the local mail pony while her older brother died of boredom in the background, strapped to an apple delivery cart.

It had been two weeks since he had seen the unicorn known as Dusk, the tea seller.

He wondered how the other stallion was doing. He had said he was better before he had left, but he had looked so helpless and strained during the whole hulabaloo with the sun, and afterwards had not been able to move for quite some time and then had promptly dived into the stresses of starting up his business as soon as he was on his hooves.

Was he still being affected by using his magic on the sun? Was he getting enough rest? Enough to eat?

Oh sure, don't get him wrong, he was plenty confused and amazed at what he had witnessed, but the ways of magic were a mystery to him, and the fact that the unicorn had used his powers to help Equestria, even if he was being shifty about it, was something Big Macintosh respected, no matter what strangeness surrounded it all.

After Dusk had left, Big Macintosh had not wanted to intrude on Dusk, after all, he had gotten the impression that the pony was looking to put the whole incident behind him, and so far he had not been back to the farm, instead he had been taking deliveries from his sister.

It was strange, but he found himself thinking more about the other pony as time past. He wondered what Dusk was doing now? It certainly had to be more interesting running a busy tea shop then lugging around apples while his sister talks it up with the locals.

It wasn't that ponies were unkind towards him, and a few did try to engage him in conversation upon occasion, but he had always been a rather silent type, and not given too much jawing. It gave him a rather standoffish and/or stoic aura, and as such, he didn't have many friends.

In fact, the longest he had ever been in contact with a pony with outside of his family had been Dusk. He had to admit, it hadn't been so bad, despite the situation.

As if summoned by Celestia, the object of his thoughts suddenly walked into his vision, coming out of the pastry shop, talking with Mr. and Mrs. Cake for a moment, before he began ambling away in the direction of the stationary store.

Big Macintosh felt a sudden urge to unhitch himself and catch up to the other pony and check to see how he was doing, and in a rare form, he actually gave into the urge.

When Applejack turned around after talking to the postal pony it was to find him gone.

Big Macintosh dodged pony traffic as he tried to catch up with the other pony that appeared to be some distance away already.

He was so determined to catch up to Dusk that he didn't see the milk cart until it was too late.

Ooo ooo ooo

When Big Macintosh regained consciousness in the small Ponyville hospital it was to the sight of two sets of green eyes. The apple green of his sister, and the deep emerald apple leaf of Dusk.

"Tarnation you gave me a fright horse shoe head!" his sister said rather loudly into his headache, making him groan, "what were you thinkin' runnin' into traffic like that?"

Big Macintosh lowered his ears and rubbed his head.

"I'm sure whatever his reasons, he didn't mean anything by it," Dusk added, his soft voice washing over Big Macintosh. Both ponies helped him to recline back on his pillows, Dusk leaning practically on top of him, and his nose filled with the scents of wild flowers, fresh brewed tea and the faintest hint of ozone.

The news they gave him wasn't good. He had damaged his ribs, which meant, with apple bucking season only a few days away, his sister was going to be short a hoof for harvest.

Eventually, Dusk had to go to tend to his shop, and left him and Applejack alone.

"That's a mighty fine friend you have there big brother," his sister mused, causing the larger pony to look at her in surprise, "was practically the first pony on the scene. Used some unicorn medical hocus pocus to heal you up some, though he was unable to help your ribs, and he levitated you himself all the way to the hospital while being carried by some helpful pegusi. He stuck with you since you were brought in, and hasn't left your side until now; he even let Pinky Pie run things for him while he was gone. I think the only reason he left now was because he realized yer alright and he decided to check to make sure that his shop was still standing. I reckon he'll be back soon enough though."

Big Macintosh was silent as he considered that.

Were the two really friends?

When Applejack left to check on the farm, Dusk returned with one of his teas, and after Big Macintosh drank it without complaint, soon was glad when he did, despite the taste, the pain in his ribs disappeared to nearly nothing, he asked the pony, a little muzzy under the effects, "are we friends?"

Dusk was silent for a time as he considered the question, then answered, with a little surprise himself.

"Well, you helped me, despite me being some strange pony that wandered into your fields, and you kept my secret. I…don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't been there for me…and when I heard the crash, I sort of had a weird feeling that you were in trouble and I felt like I had to help you, no matter what, the same way you helped me, so… I guess…yeah, I think were friends...do you?"

"Eeyup," the large red pony sighed, before he fell asleep, the feel of a small black hoof running absently through his mane the last thing he registered.

Ooo ooo ooo

The following week and a half was interesting.

Dusk had to admit that he had never seen a stampede before, and he had the dubious honor of witnessing one near miss when some stately cow folk went on a stampede due to a snake, that was quickly diverted by Applejack. The second stampede some days later of a bunch of startled rabbits however, gave him mixed feelings between incredulous amusement, and annoyance when the little fuzz balls went for his garden. Fortunately, the snake family that he had talked to in private earlier into leaving the cow folk's grazing lands and asked them to move into his gardens out back away from the customers, proved to be a quick deterrent at his call, and the bunnies soon skedaddled for better pastures.

Soon after that little experience, he went to visit Big Macintosh who was still bedridden by doctor's orders and see how he was recovering. To his further aggravation, he found said stallion struggling to lift some apple filled barrels on the sly, despite the obvious pain it was giving to his injuries.

After giving the pony a good telling off, he dragged the male back to bed using magic by the tips of his ears, cheered on by a rather flustered Granny Smith, an old mare who was the matriarch of the family, who one could swear creaked while she walked and had also been annoyed at her grandson's stubbornness.

Between Granny Smith, the younger sister Apple Bloom and Mac, as he had come to call the red pony, he learned that Applejack was bound and determined to harvest the entire crop of apples on her own. Mac had been trying to sneak out of the house to help her, worried about his sister, who was stubbornly working herself into the ground and causing a whole whack of problems because of it.

Dusk had frankly had enough. He wasn't the sort to interfering into other ponies business, but Mac was his friend, and when he saw that it could interfere with his recovery, because Mac was just that loving an older brother, it made him angry.

He marched up towards the North fields where rather dazed looking Applejack was feebly kicking at the base of an apple tree with baskets strapped to her flanks.

"Applejack!" he hollered, marching up to the pony, causing her to snort awake, "I got a bone to pick with you!"

"Huh?...wha…? Oh, Dusk, you look madder than a hen nesting on a cactus."

Dusk snorted, and began rather loudly to tell her exactly what was making him mad.

"Do you have any idea what your stubborn arsed pride is doing to both the ponies who love and care for you and the town that cares about you?" Dusk had not been pleased to find out she was the reason that those rabbits had eaten vegetable gardens all over the town. Applejack cringed at the harsh tone as Dusk went into a long rant on exactly what her pride had done. When He was done, the pony was sufficiently cowed and huddled up against the tree she had previously been bucking, looking ashamed.

Dusk sighed, his tone gentling, "Look, your brother told me about this family pride thing that's big in your family, and I'm not a pony to be going around interfering, but it's just gotten too far. Will you at least ask your friends to help you? The others…what are you mares nicknamed again? The Mane 6?"

Applejack nodded in defeat and said quietly, "I'm sorry, I…really am sorry, please, I'm…awful tired…can you…?"

Seeing her struggling with the words, the stallion relaxed and nodded and with a flare of his horn he hefted the basket off her back, levitating them behind him as he escorted her back to the family farm and left orders with her sister and grandmother to see her to bed, while he got her friends to help finish the harvesting.

And to be sure that she stayed in bed, he gave granny a small bag of drowsy tea he had originally brought for Mac and made sure to tell granny to make sure that both siblings were given a good hefty dose to ensure the both of them stayed in bed.

He took the matter to Twilight Sparkle, who appeared to be the ring leader of their group, and left her to rally the others. She seemed to be mightily relieved to hear that Applejack had caved in and finally swallowed her pride and asked for help.

Soon everyone was gathered, and under the supervision of Applebloom, who, despite being young, and had yet to be allowed in on any big harvests because of her age and need to still attend school, she had nevertheless grown up on the farm and was able to direct them in the proper methods.

Twilight and Dusk mainly used their magic, with Dusk making sure that he didn't clear out more trees then her to harvest and fill the baskets.

By the end of the harvest, they had managed to gather all the apples and store them away, and had Dusk had to admit, he'd had a lot of fun doing it.

Comments

[Texus]

"Eeyup," the large red pony sighed, before he fell asleep, the feel of a small black hoof running absently through his mane the last thing he registered.

this already looks like Harry would really like him. It would be not bad, but even if he grew up a bit different, i don´t think he would just touch someone like this.

[ssokolow]

My worries from the previous chapter are only growing as I see you using such a crude technique to make Harry relevant to the plot (Big Mac getting injured specifically because he's following Harry) and then, again, inserting Harry to fix a problem that was resolved just fine in canon without him.