Arrived at Dusk

by aliengirlguy

Riddles

Chapter 10: Riddels

After the business with the Parasprites, it was rather quiet in Ponyville.

Zecora started teaching classes about Zebra culture, and enjoyed it so much, she offered a side class on exotic creatures and potion making, which she shared with Dusk as the second most informed next to her.

The day that Zephyr the sphinx rolled into town, was certainly memorable.

He was the teacher of sphinx culture for one of the month long instruction promised by Celestia, and he had been making the rounds around Equestria, like many other cultural representatives.

Dusk, who didn't know anything about sphinxes, and thus decided to attend, met him in his first day of class.

Many ponies had shown up for the class when they had heard about the Sphinx's arrival, curious about the exotic character that had arrived in their little town.

The door to the class sprung open, and in walked a bright blue Sphinx with large golden and darker blue wings and a vaguely humanish face, though in Dusk' opinion it was definitely more catlike then man-like, which relieved him greatly, as it would feel weird to meet something that echoed his past in such a manner.

The teacher was all showy smiles filled with twinkling teeth, and he thought that he might actually remind him of some of the hammy game show hosts from his Aunt Petunia's favorite television shows. He wore an Egyptian style headdress and Rarity, who was sitting behind him, gushed at the gorgeous style, and he wasn't surprised when the Sphinx actually preened and gave her extra marks for her excellent taste.

Twilight Sparkle and Dusk exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes.

"Welcome my fine little ponies to the most auspicious day of your quaint lives! I am Zephyr, or Professor Zephyr, and for one glorious month you shall be getting to know the life changing experience that is…well, me of course. We will cover my childhood, those brief awkward years I suffered, my rise to success, and what it takes to be the amazingness that is Zephyr!"

"Is he serious?" Dusk whispered to Twilight beside him as the man began chatting and writing notes.

Twilight sighed; "I think so" the two shared looks, but gamely pulled out their writing material and began taking notes.

"Now, the most important thing to know about any Sphinx, though I am not just any sphinx mind, is that we love riddles. Being able to exercise the mind and tongue with word play and puzzles are part of what makes me…well, me!" he flashed a devastating fang-filled smile, Rarity swooned, "Admittedly, it can get bit boring, and some rather ghastly sport was made with unfortunate creatures by my less sophisticated brethren to liven things up. I though, saw beyond the primitive ruffians, and sought to better others lives by going forth out into the world and choosing lucky individuals to have the honor of being bestowed with one of my riddles. I have conversed with the greatest of thinkers, royalty, hierarchy, entertainers, why, I even have my own game show."

'And there it is,' Dusk mentally groaned, but wrote the information down.

Ooo ooo ooo

One day, while the gabby teacher was passing the window, regaling everyone with his disco faze and his wild adventures with Disco Shrew, of the Disco Shrew people in the far South, he happened to walk by the window in class and spotted Big Macintosh on his usual deliveries.

"Good gracious! Who is that fine specimen?" he gushed, pointing one claw in the direction of the confectionery shop, Sugar Cube Corner.

Rarity, who happened to be sitting near the window, and was rather partial to the professor, craned her head to see what had caught the male's eye.

"Why whoever do you mean darling?" she asked, trying to spot the somepony that had caught his eye.

"Why that muscly, gorgeously red colored pony with the golden-orange mane!" he pointed again, and after some looking around Rarity spotted the only pony that matched the coloring described and asked, rather faintly, "Why, the only pony I see in that direction with those colorings is…well, Big Macintosh, but surely not?'

"Big Macintosh," he said avidly, and Dusk was disturbed to see a rather unusual light in the sphinx's eye.

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh had decided that it was fine day to meet his friend Dusk after his culture class.

The two of them often tried to meet a time or two after they were done with their busy schedules which was difficult enough as it was, what with Dusk running the tea shop, gathering ingredients, seeing Zecora, attending classes and teaching a few himself.

Big Macintosh was busy with the farm as well as helping his sister with deliveries. It was rare when the two of them had corresponding times off to spend together, and it had been over a week since they had just simply hung out together.

But this time he had finished his deliveries early, Derpy was managing the tea shop and Dusk wasn't teaching the herbology and potions class this week, Zecora taking it over. That left both of them the entire afternoon and evening after his class with that Sphinx feller.

He was looking forward to seeing his friend again and having their rare time to just themselves. He had to admit that he thought a fair bit about Dusk a lot lately and he had missed their quiet talks and Dusk's laughter and both of them sitting side by side while they told tales, Macintosh about his family and Dusk about his pseudo family back in Canterlot. The stories he regaled about his mentor and said mentor's tales of travels to exotic lands to find rare tea ingredients were always interesting.

Macintosh's tail perked up and his ears turned forward as he spotted the gleam of silver pelt and fluttering shawl amongst a group of ponies. He was just about to trot up to Dusk, the other pony yet to realize that he was there as a surprise when a shadow fell over him and a voice whispered in his ear.

"Well hello there gorgeous."

Big Macintosh yelped, and jumped backwards, looking upwards (a novel experience for the tallest pony in Ponyville) to find, through process of elimination what must be the Sphinx professor.

When Big Macintosh looked towards the group of leaving students he was disappointed to see that Dusk wasn't there anymore and turned back to the Sphinx, waiting to see what the hay the critter wanted.

The Sphinx smiled and leaning forward and gave him a come hither gesture with a fury fingered claw. Reluctantly, Big Macintosh leaned closer and the Sphinx whispered something in his ear.

Big Macintosh reared back, paling under his red pelt and with a gasped, "N-ope!" dashed away as fast as his hooves could take him.

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh sighed as he used his flank to tip the apple cart tied to his yoke (the one that his gran had given him one Christmas) over the giant storage barrel that they used for pre-sorted apples.

"Hey Big Macintosh, what's got you so out of sorts?" Applejack asked him from where she was carrying a few bushels of her own recently harvested apples, "You look lower than a mudskipper without the skip."

He just shrugged, and chewed on a wheat stalk unhappily.

Applejack had a sudden brain wave.

"It's that Dusk feller isn't it? I haven't seen him around the farm for a while and I know the both of ya have been awful busy lately," she poked him in the side with her hoof, "you miss 'im huh?" though privately she wondered what it was exactly that drove those two's particular friendship, or how it even started really. Dusk was an okay feller, a little introverted, and irritable at times but otherwise friendly enough, but her brother was not exactly the chatty sort and was rather devoted to his work more than socializing.

Still. Dusk had been good to her family, making that tea for granny's joints, talking her straight when she had been too proud to admit she needed help, and even treating her afterwards for exhaustion sickness, and that was not to mention what he did for Fluttershy with that dragon business and helping Pinky Pie with the Parasprites and then those two taking their one pony show and helping out the rest of Equestria. He had also made it possible to further understanding between pony and non-pony folk and made Zecora a town staple.

Dusk was a good friend, even if he preferred his own company a fair amount, and with all he had done for the ponies she cared about, and his obvious care and loyalty for her brother, she knew she had to do something to make sure that the two could have some time together.

"Hey Big Macintosh, why don't you call it a day? I can finish up here, were almost done with the east field anyway an' we still have plenty of time to harvest, why don't you go pay yer friend a visit? I'm sure he's been missin' your big mug."

Big Macintosh perked up a bit out of his funk and before Applejack could say Apple Fritter, he had unhitched himself and was galloping away in a streak of red.

10 minutes of quick hoofing later...

Big Macintosh decided this time to try to catch Dusk during his later afternoon break at the tea shop.

Sure enough, he could see Dusk taking off his smock through the window.

Big Macintosh practically skipped towards the front door and was reaching for the handle when a sudden large blue and gold blur came out of nowhere and barreled into him sending them tumbling across the street and into a secluded tree-lined spot.

"Oh how delightful!" Zephyr crowed, "I was just flying over to that lovely farm of yours to watch you from the bushes for an opportune moment, and look!" he held Macintosh at arm's length, "I spotted you all alone with nothing to do! Oh fate smiles kindly upon us today! Now," he leaned in close suggestively, wagging his eyebrows, "perhaps we can attend to that little matter we discussed earlier?"

Macintosh blanched and, hanging manners, struggled and wiggled like Applejack when she was a foal and bath time was in the offing.

He managed to squirm free and ran away back to the farm and a nice concealing pile of hay that had his name on it.

"Oh the poor boy is overwhelmed with the honor of my presence! Well, I still have a few more weeks left," Zephyr mused to himself, then, spying the tea shop, delightedly decided a little afternoon sip wouldn't go amiss.

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh was not a pony known for giving up…well, alright he was not a pony much known by others for anything but being a hard worker and the strongest and biggest stallion in Ponyville, but he was also a very stubborn stallion. It was an Apple family trait after all.

When the day of the Running of the Leaves pulled in, Big Macintosh had heard through the town grapevine who were all signing up for the race that year, and according to his youngest sister who had heard it from Sweetiebell who had heard it from Rarity who heard it from Dusk himself during their Monday chats, Dusk was planning to run in the race, having never attended traditional Earth Pony seasonal help before. Apparently in Canterlot it was customary to do such things with magic.

Big Macintosh saw his chance and signed up for the race as well, to the surprise of the family, since he wasn't known for athletics outside of the family reunions.

Happily, when the day of the race began, Pinky Pie and Spike working as co-announcers and his sister and her friend Rainbow Dash displaying their aggressive competitiveness, he was further down the line a few ponies away from Dusk who was talking with Cherry Drop, an Earth Pony who had a hoof on the berry industry in Ponyville. They were so deep in conversation that he didn't hear Big Macintosh call his name or see his waving hoof.

Then the starter pistol went and they were off.

Big Macintosh along with everyone else began to gallop.

He was just about to close in on Dusk who was somewhere in the middle of the pack when a sudden painfully familiar voice called out from behind him.

"You whoooo! Big Reeeeed!"

He turned his head and gasped in fright when he spotted the sphinx with a number attached his head gear gaining on him from behind.

Several ponies blinked when a red blur zip past them, and when the race was over, Big Macintosh, looking less than happy at being the winner, stood on the first place platform with Cheerily, the school teacher, coming in second and Zecora coming in third.

Unfortunately, Dusk had tripped and twisted his hoof during the race and was already at home with an ice pack, or so Cherry Drop informed him when he spotted her gasping for air with the others afterwards

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh sighed, yawning as he got out of bed, his mane in disarray as the rooster crowed.

Another day, another apple to kick.

Yawning again he plodded outside, stretching and keen to go to the main house for a shower and some of Granny Smith's fine breakfast spread, when he bumped into a large package outside his door.

He frowned, scratching his head and reading the address attached to the side of the package.

It was addressed to him, though there was no return address. Was it that new tiller that cousin Carmel Apple had been promising him?

Well there was only one way to find out.

He began opening the package only for the top to shoot upwards and Zephyr's head sticking up from a nest of package material.

"Surprise! Aren't you just excited? Why anyone would be excited to receive me in the mail!"

His voice cut off when the lid was slammed back down on his head forcefully and followed with a quick hammering of nails.

An hour later, when Derpy was out doing her rounds, she scratched her head as she beheld a package several pony sizes in diameter with a large "return to sender" sticker on the front.

Ooo ooo ooo

After that, the red stallion was besieged by the large arrogant menace more and more readily, apparently just as stubborn as Big Macintosh. Further incidences included escaping the sphinx while attending to business in the little colt's room, bursting through a walk in freezer at a local grocery store, bursting out of a tent at a cotton candy festival, and so on.

What was worse, he became so afraid to leave the house that he started sleeping in the family den on the couch, and took to doing house hold chores instead of field chores.

What's worse, he was unable to see Dusk or even invite him over to keep him company because before he went recluse, Dusk had to leave to deal with a family emergency in Canterlot, his mentor had broken a leg and needed help with his store until the bone mending spell did it's work.

"It just isn't natural," Applejack sighed to Granny Smith and Applebloom in the kitchen while her brother was busy organizing the basement, "he loves workin' in the fields and he plum hates stayin' indoors all day long, what in tarnation is wrong with that stallion?"

"Hard to say," Granny mused while rocking in her kitchen rocker as she kept an eye on her apple chutney, "though I admit that boy is better at makin' pancakes then I gave him credit for."

"But I'm tired of eaten pancakes day in and day out!" Applebloom said stamping her hoof an sticking out her tongue.

Applejack sighed, "I know sugar cube, but we got to be supportive and it wouldn't be polite to leave vittles goin' to waste. We'll just have to tough it out until whatever got his tail in a twist has settled."

Applebloom sighed, "Well, I hope he figures it out soon, a filly my age getting tired of pancakes just aint natural."

The Apple family had tried talking to Macintosh, but the stallion refused to talk about it and with Dusk out of town and the only other option for getting him to spill the beans, they were stuck.

Ooo ooo ooo

Applejack's patience couldn't take it much longer though, and despite her talk of patience and support, there was only so much a pony could take, so she pulled out her strongest lasso, corralled and hog tied her brother and dragged him outside.

"It's fer your own good!" she scolded him, "you need to just stallion up and face whatever has got you in a titter and get some fresh air, so don't return to the house again until the sun sets you hear?"

Her brother was left hogtied outside the entrance to the farm and she returned to work.

Big Macintosh, eyes darting around warily, quickly bit through the rope and when he was free decided that there was only one pony he could turn to now.

Ooo ooo ooo

Twilight Sparkle yawned as she stumbled past Spike who was squirming under the blankets of his basket bed as she made her tired way to the front door.

A round of determined and repetitive knocks had woken her up only a half an hour after Celestia raised the sun and she'd had a late night last night finishing some research.

"Alright, alright!" she groaned as she reached for the door when the knocks grew more frantic.

When she opened it she found her front stoop empty. She frowned blinking the sleep from her eyes. Was Pinky and Dash up early pranking again?

She frowned, looking left and right ready to scold them good when her eyes happened to glance over her largest bush, and saw a pair of apple green eyes staring up at her.

She yelped in surprise, and then yelled again when Big Macintosh of all ponies leaped out of the bushes, barreling into her, and closing the door behind him.

Sometime later when they had gathered themselves and Twilight had managed to sit a rather uncharacteristically upset and desperate brother of one of her best friends in a seat in her kitchen in the back of the library with a bracing mug of cider, she took a few moments to take a sip of her own and began, more calmly and definitely more awake.

"Alright Macintosh, what seems to be the problem?"

The stallion fiddled with his mug for a moment but then sighed and spilled the beans.

"I'm being stalked," he replied.

There was a pregnant silence for a moment while Twilight blinked. She set down her own mug and stood up and said "I have a feeling I'm going to need books for this."

When they were in the center of the library she said "alright, now while your…a great stallion and all, I have to say that you're not exactly the type one would expect to be the target of a stalker."

Macintosh began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"I know I'm not some movie star or nothin' it's not like that, at least I don't think it's like that, but…I need help on this, I'm…I don' know what to do!"

The last came out in a near desperate wail.

"Alright," Twilight said in a reassuring tone, "I can assure you that everything will be fine, we just need to think this out logically, now tell me everything that happened from the beginning."

Twilight was then treated to the most surreal experience yet, as the normally simple spoken quiet stallion let forth a stream of words as he explained everything from the beginning.

"…an he just won't leave me alone! No matter what I do!" he finished, and then took several breaths to catch his wind.

There was silence again as Twilight digested everything before she asked with a frown.

"I still don't understand what is it that he was trying to get you to do?"

Big Macintosh suddenly looked uncomfortable, and leaned towards her and stuttered in a whisper.

"He asked me…he wanted me to…to…"

Twilight leaned forward eagerly until their muzzles were nearly touching.

"…answer a riddle!"

Twilight nearly fell on her face as she groaned.

"That's all? All this fuss because someone asked you a riddle?"

Big Macintosh nodded frantically as he agitatedly rubbed his hooves together.

Twilight was flummoxed and expressed it so.

"I don't understand, it's just a riddle? Why not just answer it and then he will leave you alone?"

Big Macintosh colored and hung his head before he replied, "I'm…I'm not exactly known fer my intellect Miss Twilight, I'm…I'm terrified of things like riddles an' tests and quizzes an' so on, I just..."

Twilight sighed as she realized what the root of the problem is.

"You're afraid that if you get it wrong that people will think you're stupid?"

He nodded his head unhappily.

"I tried everythin' to tell 'im I'm not interested but he just keeps comin' at me more strong-like, I came to you because m'sister says your real smart and well, with Dusk out of town, I had nowhere to turn."

Twilight sighed again and gestured him to follow her to one of the tables she used for research and pulled out a scroll with her magic and unfurled it, "I'm not surprised that you were unable to dissuade him. According to my recent research that I have been doing for the culture class since his arrival, it's in a Sphinx's nature to not give up on a riddle being answered, once they have chosen someone to give it to."

"But why me? Why not someone from his class, or someone more famous-like?"

"Hmmm…" she hummed perusing her scroll until she found what she was looking for and replied, "well, according to my research, Sphinx's are attracted to certain traits or cues that makes them choose who they give the riddle to. Did he mention anything else during your encounters, call you anything or seem obsessed about something related to you?"

Big Macintosh thought for a moment until something occurred to him and he replied.

"He always seemed keen on my pelt."

"Hmmm…" she hummed again and summoned a magazine, flipping the pages until she found what she was looking for.

"I read something about him while reading this magazine he handed out for homework, and in the article it shows a picture of the previous ponies he riddled, here," she turned the magazine towards him and Big Macintosh blinked when he saw all the unfortunate ponies that had been riddled, though why they didn't look unhappy in the pictures was beyond him.

"You see? They all have one thing in common with you, the all have red in either their pelts, manes, tails or eyes. It must be the trait that attracts who professor Zephyr chooses."

"Is their anyway to get the critter to leave me alone?" he asked hopefully.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry Macintosh, but the only way he will leave you alone is if you buck up and answer his riddle."

The stallion sagged despondently on his hooves.

"Listen," she put her things away and approached him, rubbing his back, or what she could reach of it with her hoof, "I think you give yourself to little credit."

He looked at her confusedly.

She smiled at him softly, "remember? I do live in the only library in town, I know what books are borrowed and by who. You may not be a rocket scientist but I know for a fact that you are intelligent, I've seen the things you sign out, and I think you just need to have a little more faith in yourself. Besides, no one is more or less intelligent then the next pony, and even if you get his riddle wrong, you won't be any less for it, alright?"

He perked up a bit and smiled hesitantly.

"So are you going to go out there and show that Sphinx what your made of?" she encouraged boldly, "Or are you going to hide away in your house whinnying for your teddy bear?"

Big Macintosh straightened and snorted determinedly, then nodded at her and puffed out his chest and galloped out of the library, unfortunately after kicking her door down grandly.

Twilight groaned the sounds of Spike's snores undisturbed in the background.

Ooo ooo ooo

Big Macintosh marched determinedly into town and halted when he spotted the large crowd of admiring ponies in front of the school building.

He nodded to himself, and barreled his way through the crowds until he stood in front of the Sphinx and demanded in his usual baritone.

"I reckon I'm a'ready fer that riddle now."

Zephyr brightened and went into paroxysms of pleased chortles, and grabbed the stallion, lifting the pony into the air, whirling him around and around, dancing through the street, much to the shock and amusement of the townsfolk sing songing, "oh I just knew you could not resist! But patience has its awards! They all fall for me in the end!"

He set Big Macintosh up on top of the roof of a startled vegetable seller's stand and cleared his throat.

"Now, I've been saving this one for just the right occasion," he struck a pose as ponies began to gather and intoned, "Different lights make me strange, for each one my size will change."

Big Macintosh's mind began to race as he tried to figure out what the critter was hinting at. He felt nervous all of a sudden. The fear that Twilight had tried to talk him out of threatened to return and he could feel his previous confidence beginning to unravel, as his eyes roved the hushed crowd who were all staring at him breathlessly in anticipation.

He could feel his haunches tense in anticipation of running away again when his eyes caught another pair of green. The green of apple leaves and hide that glowed silver in the sunlight.

Dusk, with a Saddlebag still strapped to his sides from his travels looked up at him and in his eyes Big Macintosh read a calm surety, a confidence in him, in Macintosh.

Big Mac felt the doubts in him begin to recede, as he knew instantly that his friend would not care what he answered, right or wrong, and for the moment it was all that mattered to him. Big Macintosh relaxed, and his eyes still locked on his best friend, and still somewhat lost in his gaze, a thought skittered and he replied.

"The pupil."

There was a collective breath and as one, everypony turned their eyes back to the stunned looking Sphinx.

"That's correct!" he said finally in shock, and then delightedly grabbed the stunned stallion up in his paws and whirled him around again, "that's absolutely right! Congratulations!"

The other ponies cheered, and when it dawned on Macintosh that he had answered correctly, he couldn't help the grin that split his normally stoic face.

"This calls for a party!" Pinky Pie called out, and everyone, including the Sphinx, let out an agreeing cheer and began making a beeline for the pastry shop.

Big Macintosh managed to extract himself from the well-wishers and placed himself behind them at his more normal speed.

"Dusk," he smiled happily down at the smaller male who had some up to walk beside him, their sides brushing.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you lately," Dusk said contritely, "it's been so hectic lately, but I should have tried to make some time to see you despite that these past few weeks. You have no idea how much I missed you."

Big Macintosh and Dusk stopped walking as Dusk suddenly leaned in towards Big Macintosh and rested his head on his shoulder.

Macintosh felt himself suddenly blushing, feeling both awkward and yet strangely pleased, as he wrapped a hoof around the smaller male and held him close.

"I'm sorry to," he replied, "an'…an' I missed you somethin' fierce to."

When Pinky Pie went to see where the guest of honor was, she spotted the two males in their silent moment, and in an unusual move by Pinky, she left the two unbothered, distracting the party guests in his absence.

Comments

[Texus]

I really have nothing against Harry, and Big Mac, but you somehow rushed their possible romance, i always have to think they,....well that they like each other way to fast, or that Harry starts to like males way to easy, but i don´t remember if the Harry you choose, already had a girlfriend, or started to like a girl.

[Texus]

I already have read one or two good Derpy romances, but i guess i would still like Derpy X Harry, or Harry X Soarin.
To be honest i don´t knwo how much i would like Harry X Soarin, but it would be interessting.
I guess what i don´t like about Harry X Big Mac right now is, that it really looks, like they would never have to earn the affection in some way, at least i think that is what i want to say about it.

Or Harry suddenly just start to date Zecora, i didn´t thought about that befor.

[Seeking Dusk]

So... Equestria's almost Lockhart? And I did not get the riddle at all... I'm no good at riddles...

[flutterboot]

Well Mac’s smarter than I am.

[WhalenJP]

"Well hello there gorgeous."

I feel sorry for ya Big Mac...