Season 1 Prologue - Cool Friends
Dusk Shine gently closed the library's door behind him as he stepped onto the porch. He took a deep, stuttering breath and stamped a hoof against the floor a couple times. He threw his head back and screwed his eyes shut as he grit his teeth. In all the ways that spell could have gone, it sent him here? With a season-one Twilight who was still looking up the definition of friendship, an Equestria stuck in the Dark Ages, and with his old body, no less? He just might move to Manehatten until the coronation.
He inhaled, exhaled, and closed his eyes, savoring the fresh air as he did so. When he finally opened his eyes, he smiled. As he looked over the dirt roads, the straw roofs and quaint architecture of Ponyville, fragments of memories came flooding back. The town may have been... medieval and his situation less than ideal but... at least it was home. Even after all the years spent in Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, and Crystopolis, Ponyville was still home. He turned around, running his hoof across the candle painted on the door of the Golden Oak Library as he did so. It was strange, seeing it intact. When he turned around once more, he caught Twilight's eyes.
"Whats with that look? It's like you haven't seen Ponyville before." Twilight gave Dusk a skeptical frown.
He broke his view of the town long enough to glance at Twilight. "Oh, no. It's not that. It's just..." Dusk smirked. "Seeing Ponyville like this gives me a strange sense of... pride. It's the very epitome of Equestrian culture. Diverse, tolerant, and..." He shook his head in amusement. "Absolutely insane."
No wonder Eris is so obsessed with ponies. A sharp stab of pain stopped him in his tracks. His family was going to miss him. They'd probably go looking for him. They'd be hard pressed to find me, though, he thought with a grim shudder.
He cleared his mind of all unhappy thoughts, then continued on his way.
Twilight looked at the town, lit by the light of the now-pure Moon, and gave a thoughtful sigh. "I haven't taken the time to look around yet. I've been busy, with the Summer Sun Celebration and... you know."
Dusk shrugged, then took a breath when he saw Sugarcube Corner come into view. "Yeah, I remember. It's an old, foggy memory, but I do remember. Trust me when I say you will never forget this day as long as you live!"
Twilight got a strange look in her eyes. "And... how long do I live?" She corrected herself as she shook her head. "I mean-- how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
Dusk stopped, then looked back at Twilight with a wide grin. "Spoilers," he said in a strange, amused tone. "I don't want to tell you anything about me, Twilight. Even telling you who I spend my time with could break the timeline and prevent you from becoming who you should be. Now come on, the party isn't going to last forever."
The door to Sugarcube Corner was closed, surprisingly. Despite this, music and banter could still be heard from inside, and the sweet scent of cake batter and candy reached Dusk's nose, making him sigh in nostalgic ecstasy. He could almost taste the sugar in the air. He slowly made his way up the steps of the store, then pushed the door open with a brush of turquoise magic. As his senses were bombarded tenfold by the store's environment, the sight of Ponyville dancing so closely together made Dusk puff up in pride. Even if the familiar faces were mares' instead of stallions', or vice versa.
Dusk looked back at Twilight. "If anybody asks who I am, just tell them the truth! I'm you from out of town." He winked, then stepped inside, only to be swept away by the circulating current of party-goers. Twilight reluctantly followed.
The first things the unicorn noticed were the two reunited sisters standing to the side of the room, easily visible over the crowd. Even Princess Luna, who was far shorter than her sister, could stand above a large stallion. The second thing she noticed was Pinkie Pie, who was trying to catch her attention. Twilight took a breath and made her way over to Pinkie's place at the confections table.
Pinkie beamed when she finally was within speaking distance with Twilight. "Twilight, hey! Welcome back to the party! I totally understand that it might be a little too crazy after everything, but..." She rubbed the back of her hair. "Anyways, I just say you come in with a stallion so at first, I kinda assumed that you walked out of the party with that stallion, then was kinda surprised a book-pony like you would do that..."
"Pinkie! No!" Twilight shook her rapidly-reddening face.
"Yeah, that's what I thought after I thought that! So anyway, when I really got a good look at him, I realized..." Pinkie squinted and leaned towards Twilight. "He looks like you! But you aren't a stallion, so he has to be a new pony... Unless he is you and some kind of spell went wrong or you drank a magical potion resulting in his creation..." She stroked her chin. "That isn't it, right?"
"No, Pinkie. He's... He says he's another version of me from a different universe, though I'm not sure if I entirely believe him yet." Twilight tried to find him in the crowd but soon realized that it was too thick to do so. She turned back to Pinkie. "So... has this been a good party?"
Pinkie smiled and looked at the ceiling. "Oh, great like you wouldn't believe!" She then proceeded to tell Twilight about the party, going as far as listing how many smiles of certain numbered kinds she has seen, and how many smiles of certain numbered kinds she should be seeing. She noted that a couple ponies had a smile that meant they weren't actually happy, but just pretending to be happy, so she would have to visit them later. Twilight made a mental note to study up on the various kinds of smiles after she figured Dusk out.
Dusk!
Twilight's eyes widened as she realized the implications of having an identical version of herself roaming the party. Why hadn't she realized that earlier!? "Ah! Pinkie! Excuse me for a while, I need to go check up on something!" She nodded politely to the party mare, then began pushing her way through the crowd, keeping both eyes peeled for her mane and coat coloration.
She looked at the table where they had been but paled. They were gone! The doppelganger kidnapped them! Twilight squeaked and danced on the tip of her hooves, her eyes darting around the room. Eventually, in the midst of the chaos, music, and lights, Twilight caught the distinct flash of a teleport and gasped.
Dusk was with the princesses!
Twilight rushed to them and gave a quick bow, a skeptical glance at Dusk, then a smile to the sisters. "Princesses! I see you met Dusk. I--" She glanced at him, he smiled. Twilight closed her mouth, not quite sure what to say.
Celestia chuckled. "Don't worry, Twilight. Dusk has explained himself to us." She and Twilight both glanced at Dusk, who only slightly smiled.
Twilight understood that Celestia was told many things she knew she would never hear, but to know that a version of her was talking to Celestia behind Twilight's back... Twilight took a few sharp breaths and frantic glances between the three figures. "How much? What did he say?"
Celestia opened her mouth, but Dusk cut her off, to Twilight's amazement and annoyance. "Enough, for now. Don't worry, Twilight. I'll tell you more about myself in time, but I can't risk the destruction of Equestria, or something, because I accidentally told you what career path I choose," said Dusk in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the party. Twilight glared at him, but Dusk hardly twitched his half-smile.
Dusk nodded. "Well, it's been a joy meeting the matches of my mentors, but there is a party that I have hardly participated in. Luna, Celestia, Twilight." He nodded to each of them, then walked into the crowd.
Twilight fumed. "He didn't even properly bow! His hair is out of place! He didn't address you by your titles! He cut you off! How does he expect us to believe that he's me?" Twilight took a few heavy breaths as some of her hairs curled out of place.
Celestia chuckled. "It's a little refreshing to have somebody talk to me so casually. Besides, I trust him."
Luna, previously hiding behind Celestia, raised her head. "He did say things that we have no choice but to believe. Things about us that our sister doesn't know, things about our sister that we didn't know. He spoke to us as if greeting an old friend, even though Tia alone knows us in that manner."
Twilight pondered these things, then looked into the crowd. "I need to hear these things for myself."
Stats
Page generated in 0.019 seconds
Total duration
662 users online
875,263 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
You called this 'vanilla'? I would call it 'rocky road' or 'peanut butter cup'.
8632166 I did it for the song references! Vanilla is the best ice cream flavor don't hurt me.
8632182
Non-taken. I thought you were describing our protagonists. Also, vanilla is my absolute favorite flavor, so I kinda agree with you on that.
I look forward to more.
8632182
I will destroy you for liking vanilla above all others (jk). I prefer the ol' cookies and cream.
8632404
Chill, man, Anyone who make great cookie 'n' cream is guarantee to make best vanilla.
8632444
I am always chill, or at least try to be. And of course, half of the cookie and cream is vanilla.
8632445 No, half of cookies and cream is cream. Big difference, but tasty nonetheless.
8632900
Hey as long as it tastes delicious it can be whatever it can be.
I liked the premise of your old fic better. This is written from Twilights perspective and it shows much less than the old fic did.
U basically rewritten everything i liked and replaced it with less expanded on stuff thats shows nothing.
I liked the imposter Dusk fic
8633250 I'm sorry that's the case, but I will continue to write this, as this is what I like more.
Dusk: "If you tell it like that..."
A few paragraphs later:
Dusk: "You even betrayed yourself?!"
Well then, let's see what happens next!
Found a small typo:
You forgot that "I" there.