Twi-Light: The Twilight Twins

by TMH

From Dusk...

Chapter 2: From Dusk...

☾♀☀♂☽

Dusk Shine waded through the crowd of ponies in the library like an ancient soldier who had just survived a warmage’s spell, spell-shocked, the history books called it. His head ached, from the tip of his horn to the deepest reaches of his brain where the pain then radiated out in waves and pooled in his bruised and slightly bleeding muzzle. The pink mare ahead of him chattered like a battery of repeating ballistae and forced the bulk of his consciousness to remain deep in cover for fear of being reduced to unsalvageable mush by the mad mare, he was thus left in a dazed state.

A shifting weight from his back indicated that Spike had taken residence there, recovering from his own wounds. His steadily recovering mind was just beginning to question why Twilight was putting hot sauce on a cupcake when he caught a blur of yellow and pink speeding towards him in his peripheral vision. Brace for impact! He commanded his sluggish body.

But instead of yet another slam of a sojourn to the wall or floor he felt a pair of soft hooves lift Spike off his back. He opened his eyes gingerly, taking care not to disturb his muzzle wound, and found Fluttershy hovering just beside him, cradling Spike in her arms and looking him over with a professional eye. After a few moments she turned to look at Dusk with an intensity and resolve that was totally unlike the mare he had met just a couple hours earlier, “How did this happen?” She asked softly but firmly.

It took Dusk a few seconds to fully comprehend the question; a combination of his still aching head and surprise at Fluttershy’s boldness. When he did process the inquiry he pointed a hoof tiredly at Pinkie Pie who appeared to be gorging herself on cupcakes doused in hot sauce. Dusk was too tired to question it.

A spark of understanding came to Fluttershy’s eyes and her stare lost most of its intensity, “Oh, well I know she didn’t mean it, but I’ve asked Pinkie so many times to be more careful with her surprises when animals are around.”

“Hey! Who are you calling an animal?” Spike demanded, apparently having finally realized he was not on Dusk’s back.

“Oh my, you can talk! I didn’t know dragons could talk!” Fluttershy gushed and blushed before setting Spike down.

Dusk heard Spike respond, but he was too busy scanning the party for Twilight to actually register what the drake said. He filed away his surprise at Fluttershy’s ignorance of dragons as another piece of evidence of Ponyville’s backwater status.

With a start, his full mental faculties returned to him and he remembered Twilight eating a hot sauce covered cupcake a couple of minutes ago. Suspecting that that had likely not agreed with her, he absconded from the sea of party ponies and ascended the stairs to follow her, leaving Spike adrift.

☾♀☀♂☽

“Oh my, you can talk! I didn’t know dragons could talk!” Fluttershy gushed and blushed as she set Spike down.

“Oh, uh, well… we can.” Spike responded, craning his head to look for Twilight or Dusk.

“Wow, this is just so, so amazing! Oh, where are my manners? I’m Fluttershy, you’re Spike, right?” Fluttershy all but squee’d, her wings beat excitedly against her sides and she leaned down towards Spike, eyes wide in amazement.

Spike leaned back from the mare, nervously rubbing the back of his neck with a claw, his eyes shooting around desperately for any sign of his purple ponies, “Eh, hehe, yep, that’s me, Spike the dragon at your service! What can I do for you?”

“I have so many questions about dragons! I’ve always wanted to know more about them, about you! What do you eat? Do you hibernate? Do you mate for life? Why are you in Ponyville? How’d you meet Dusk Shine? I want to know everything!” Fluttershy reared up on her hind legs and clapped her forehooves together happily, oblivious to Spike’s discomfort and the stares from nearby ponies that normally would have petrified her.

“Uhhhh…” Spike tried to process the flurry of questions, Fluttershy’s intense stare made him feel like a sample on one of Twilight’s microscope slides, “Well, I guess we’ll have a while,” Spike grumbled at Dusk’s betrayal, “so we might as well start at the beginning...

☾♀☀♂☽

Dusk emerged from the stairway into the bedroom. He looked around the room confused at the absence of his sister. I know I saw her come up here. He opened his mouth to call her, “Twi-” but was cut off by a book falling on his head. “Ow!” He rubbed at his newest wound and looked up to find Twilight on the second floor of the room going through the books on the inset shelves, discarding the impertinent ones in her trademarked haphazard style.

For a bibliophile, Dusk thought she was supremely abusive to books, like a book sadist.

Twilight stopped and looked down when she heard Dusk and sheepishly smiled when she saw him rubbing at his head, “Sorry.”

Dusk waved her off, “It’s fine. You find anything useful so far?” He looked around the cozy wooden interior with clear disdain, “It doesn’t look like much of a collection…”

Twilight shrugged and floated a few books down to him which he grabbed with his own magic and began inspecting, “A few interesting ones, earth pony and pegasus legends and myths mostly. There’s not much new regarding Nightmare Moon, but it corroborates a lot of what we already thought. I’m surprised our collection in Canterlot didn’t have these.” She said, muzzle deep in a new book.

Dusk Shine skimmed through them briefly before setting them down softly next to the spread of books that had fallen from Twilight’s perch. He took a few new tomes from the bookshelf next to him and started reading through them.

The twins went on like that for many hours, excepting a small break where Dusk took a much needed bath and applied a healing spell to himself, and steadily made their way through the rare and protected books housed in the resident librarian’s personal quarters. All the while the Moon rose eagerly.

Eventually Spike hopped his way up the stairs, a lampshade adorning his head, “I really shouldn’t be surprised that you two would read through your own welcome party, but come on!” Spike shook his head when Dusk’s and Twilight’s ears swiveled towards him but their gazes remained solidly trained on their books, “Everypony is going to the town hall for the sunrise and if Princess Celestia doesn’t see you guys there I’m pretty sure she’s not going to be happy.”

Dusk put his book down and rubbed at his eyes, sighing. He glanced out the window at the Moon and became lost in thought staring at the Mare in the Moon. Are you real? Or are we just making fools of ourselves? The Moon did not answer his thoughts.

He was pulled out of his staring contest with the Moon by Twilight’s hoof prodding his side, “Come on Dusk, I don’t think we’re going to find out anything useful about the Elements of Harmony tonight, and, well, we should probably be with the Princess if we are right.” Twilight said, her voice wavering a bit in fear, but her eyes burning with determination and curiosity. Not for the first time, Dusk considered his twin probably would have done quite well in the Royal Guard. If only Shining had pestered her about it every day when we were foals.

Dusk followed his sister down the stairs, Spike resting on her back and berating her for ignoring what was in his view a literal Celestia-given order to party. Dusk frowned as he fell back into his thoughts, If Nightmare Moon is real, can we really stop her? Can the Princess? She beat her once, but at what price? Will we be caught in the crossfire? Doubt and fear wormed deeper into the stallion’s heart, and he hurried his step to fall in right beside his sister, so close they brushed against each other as they walked.

Twilight smiled when she felt Dusk brush up against her. She briefly considered making a verbal jab at him, but it was more out of sibling teasing reflex than anything else. She knew he was as scared as she was, and the physical contact was calming to them both. It’ll be fine, she thought to herself as they approached the town hall, I’m sure the Princess is prepared for anything, she probably just didn’t want us to worry. Twilight spared one last glance to the Moon before they stepped into Ponyville’s town hall. She shivered at the moonlight.

☾♀☀♂☽

Dusk was impressed with the decor inside the town hall. It was bright and cheerful, which he thought would clash with the rustic, earthy tones of the town hall, but instead they popped quite artfully from the backdrop. Bringing his focus back down he found that Twilight had led them over to a group of ponies. They had been called over by the pink one, Pinkie Pie, he remembered from the mare’s hyper-spastic introduction at the ambush she called a party.

Alongside Pinkie Pie was an orange earth pony and a white unicorn, both mares, and Rainbow Dash, oh joy. Rainbow, hovering a few feet above the rest, grinned at him and whipped her tail in the air. The meaning of the action was completely lost on Dusk.

She had just opened her mouth to speak when Pinkie bounced into the air excitedly and temporarily blocked their line of sight, “Hey Twilight, hey Dusk, hey Spike! I’m really, really, super-duper, extra sorry about accidentally scaring you and making you face plant into a tree and almost break your muzzle, Dusk! I make a cupcake for you that says that!” She hoofed over a cupcake which Dusk took in his magic and inspected. There was an intricate design of frosting on it which may have read that if put under a microscope. The scent of peppermint, strawberry, and vanilla reminded him that he had not eaten since leaving Canterlot that morning, and he ate the cupcake with gusto. Sweet Celestia that’s the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten! No wonder the royal kitchens hire so many earth ponies!

Finished with his treat Dusk noticed Twilight being introduced to Rainbow Dash, his sister evidently unimpressed with the latter’s ego if her eye roll was any indication. He thought he saw Pinkie putting away a folder into her saddlebags, but before he could blink she was just grinning widely at him, evidently pleased he enjoyed her apology offering. His muzzle had still ached as he had eaten the cupcake, but considering the bliss he’d felt eating it, Dusk decided Pinkie was most definitely a pony he wanted to be on good terms with, and so smiled back at her.

“Pinkie Pie sure is something, ain’t she?” The orange earth pony mare drawled as she approached Dusk, smiling and extending a hoof towards him, “Ah’m Applejack, pleased as punch to meetcha, Mr. Dusk Shine!”

It took Dusk a second to realize she was offering her hoof to shake, a peculiar earth pony tradition he remembered being quite common in their traditional towns, and so he extended his own. She looked quizzically at him for a second before she raised her other foreleg to grasp his extended one with both her front hooves and shook him vigorously. After she had released him, and his vision settled from the intense rattling, he smiled as best he could past his sore muzzle, “Ah, please, Dusk is just fine, Ms. Applejack.”

Applejack snorted, “Ain’t no, ‘miss,’ about it sugar cube. Applejack or AJ is just fine with me, hon.”

“Well then, Applejack, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I understand your farm is providing the catering for the festival?” Dusk asked, making small talk.

“Sure as sugar are! And your sister is just the sweetest thing, I know how you un-er high society folks are so formal, but she took the whole Apple family’s hospitality just as polite as you please, and that’s not an easy ask even for an Apple!” Applejack chuckled, trying to hide her little slip of tribalism.

Dusk didn’t mind however, “She’s certainly something else.” Dusk agreed as he scanned around the town hall. He wasn’t quite certain what he was looking for, but he was too on edge to focus his eyes on any one spot for too long.

“Y’know, Rainbow Dash had quite the tale about meeting you, and I got to say that anypony that can give that mare a good tail across the face is alright by me.” Applejack looked over her shoulder as if to confirm the red mark was still on Rainbow Dash’s cheek and snickered, “She’s a right mess, that mare, but she’s our mess. Best weatherpony in the province I reckon.”

Dusk cringed slightly when he saw the welt on Rainbow’s cheek. He briefly felt guilty and wanted to go and apologize to her, but that feeling was quickly joined, then overtaken, by a righteous indignation, “Yes, well, she’s certainly a safety hazard if nothing else. Did she mention the part where she struck me like a runaway cart, knocked me into a wall, and then drug me by the tail through the dirt for forty hooves?” Dusk asked somewhat irately.

Applejack laughed and righted the stetson she was wearing, “Now that sounds more like the truth than what Rainbow would’ve had me and Rarity believe.” She dropped her smile to just a grin and spoke more seriously, but still friendly, “I know she can be a whole four hooves to handle, but she means well. She’s always done right by Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville. Please keep that in mind before you might go and get too upset with ‘er.”

Dusk bristled internally at the notion that he could be assaulted and humiliated and yet somehow he was the one getting the warning. Still, he had to admit the mare was stellar at her job, “Provided she doesn’t use me as an extreme dartboard again, I won’t make any report concerning the incident.”

Applejack smiled a little brighter, “That’s all I could ask, hon. Now, why don’t I introduce you to Rarity. Apparently she and Twilight got along famously, course, Rarity would have you believe she gets along famously with everypony, ‘specially the famous.” Applejack chuckled, but Dusk thought he detected some distaste in her tone.

Seems like social mechanics in bumpkin-ville aren’t that different from Canterlot, all smiles and gossip. Only difference is that nopony here matters. Great Harmony I hope I don’t die in this town. Dusk thought as he followed Applejack towards Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie had disappeared off somewhere. Probably to refill on amphetamines.

As they got closer, everypony turned to greet them, Spike, however, seemed to have his gaze glued to the figure of, presumably, Rarity. Well that’s one thing I can safely file away as, “Twilight’s problem.”

She was quite beautiful. A pristine and finely maintained coat, luxurious and clearly beloved mane and tail, a strong and delicately ridged horn, and sharp sapphire eyes that were fiercely intelligent. All in all, she wouldn’t have looked that out of place in Canterlot. Her shorter and stockier frame, along with a slightly shorter than average horn, spoke of earth pony blood in her lineage, however, and that would not be something missed by the ponies of Canterlot, noble and lowborn alike.

“Howdy everypony, Rarity, this here’s Dusk Shine, Twilight’s brother, Dusk Shine, Rarity, Ponyville’s prissiest pony.” Rainbow snickered from behind Rarity at AJ’s jab.

Rarity shot the farm pony a venomous glare before she quickly collected herself and fluttered her eyes at Dusk, “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Dusk Shine. Twilight is such a dear and I just know you must be as well!”

Dusk Shine felt no awkwardness or interest from the obvious flirt, because unlike the pitiful, endearing, and, above all, earnest nature of his encounter with Fluttershy the day before, this was a social scenario he was plenty familiar with.

House Sparkle-Shine was a respected family among Canterlot’s aristocracy, with all the privilege and responsibility that entailed. Shining Armor, while chief heir and scion, had long been busy with his military and Guard duties, not to mention his courtship of the most sought after mare in Equestria, and so dear old mother and father had left him to his own devices for many years. Twilight had always been, well, Twilight, and had shown an interest in petty politics and schmoozing that was directly proportional to the number of eminent scholars in attendance. Considering her exceptional magical potential and preponderous intellect, dear old mother and father had left her mostly to her own devices as well. But somepony had to represent the new generation of the family to Canterlot’s social scene, and that somepony had been Dusk Shine. His appreciation for his role had always been mixed, but he’d become rather good at it all the same.

So it hadn’t even been the third flutter of her eyes when Dusk realized what Rarity was: a small town unicorn who dreamed of making it big among her tribe’s high society and saw eligible bachelor Dusk Shine as her meal ticket. Years of dealing with similar mares trying to claw their way up the social ladder through him had heavily colored his perception of courtship, among the unicorn nobility you married for titles, not the names attached to them, and so he saw no honesty in her, whether there was any or not.

For a fleeting moment he thought about ruining her. Considering she was being so forward with him she obviously had no real training or experience in unicorn noble politics, or she was desperate enough not to care that she, a lowborn of no notable renown, was initiating courtship with a son of a prominent noble family. And she was obviously not well liked by the rough and earthy denizens of Ponyville if Applejack and Rainbow Dash were any indication. A smooth rejection, a subtle shunning, and a pointed reminder of relative social station and it’d be over. She’d be embarrassed in front of ponies she no doubt thought herself superior to and her dreams of high society would be shattered.

He held power of fortune and failure over her, and she barely understood that if she understood it at all. All the frustration and pain of the previous day, the contempt for the backwater town and its uncouth inhabitants, and the fear of Nightmare Moon welled up inside him and he tried to find enough anger to hurt her.

But he couldn’t. This mare before him would have hardly fared better in Canterlot than Applejack, she was almost childlike in that regard. She had clearly worked hard to make the town hall as presentable as it could be for Princess Celestia, and she had treated Twilight well, even if it was ultimately for self serving reasons, at least in Dusk's mind. Looking at Rarity just made Dusk Shine want to be home, petty politics and all, instead of being about to face down a creature of literal nightmares in Ponyville, so he decided to humor her.

Plus, she was pretty cute.

Dusk Shine gently guided one of Rarity’s pristine forehooves up with one of his own and kissed it gently. “The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Rarity.” He said with such overdone sincerity that Twilight had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.

The rest of the assembled ponies, and sole lovestruck dragon, didn’t detect Dusk’s false, almost condescending, insincerity.

Rarity blushed heavily and giggled, surprised and elated. It never crossed her mind that she had been socially sized up and discarded in less time than it took her to introduce herself.

Dusk looked away from Rarity, who was still trying to come up with a response, and looked toward Twilight. She appeared somewhat amused at his antics, but she still glanced around the crowded room anxiously. Spike, on the other hoof, looked betrayed and ready to kill.

Oh. Oh! I'm an idiot! How could I forget about that! This is what happens when I get cocky even for a moment! Dusk chided himself and looked sheepishly at Spike, mouthing his apology. Spike merely huffed and turned away. Something to worry about later. Assuming anypony survived today.

It was then that Dusk Shine realized the ceremony had started. He saw Fluttershy up above with her avian choir and when the mayor finished her canned speech they tweeted out their fanfare and the curtains drew back revealing Princess Celestia in all her glory!

Or, at least, that’s what Dusk told himself was going to happen.

But when the curtains did slip away they revealed the most terrifying emptiness Dusk Shine had ever seen. He felt numb and distant as panicked ponies shouted the Princess’ absence.

And when a whirl of smoke and shadow seething with magic enough to make his horn practically vibrate coalesced into the form of the monster from foal's stories? He fell back onto his rump, stunned.

He was vaguely aware of Spike fainting and falling off Twilight’s back.

Some isolated part of his mind filed away how Rainbow Dash nearly flew headlong into what would have surely been her death had Applejack not restrained her.

When Nightmare Moon launched into a brief tirade and was then interrupted by Pinkie, he unconsciously inched away from her, expecting an incoming bolt of lightning.

Dusk closed his eyes and for the first time in his life he really felt his heart beat. He focused on that sound and resigned himself to whatever fate lay in store for him.

But then a sound cut through his fear-induced zen like a fire alarm through a firefighter’s daydream, his sister's voice. He opened his eyes and found Twilight had stepped past the herd of cowering ponies to answer Nightmare Moon’s challenge to name her.

Suddenly, Dusk Shine found himself beside his sister. Like a slideshow cutting from one frame to the next. He didn’t remember moving. But, as he stared up into a face that radiated malice enough to burn and felt his sister trembling next to him, yet standing strong all the same, he knew why he had moved without any thought. It was pure instinct.

Whatever his fate, he’d face it at her side.

Author's Note:

Surprise!

Yup, I'm not dead, and neither is this story! Crazy, I know! I'm really bad at being consistent with my stuff on Fimfiction, but I really am trying to get into a better writing habit. Hopefully the next update won't take like six months.

I've proofread this chapter a couple times but I might've missed something here or there, so please let me know if you find some mistake!

Hope you guys enjoyed and leave any questions for me down below!

Ciao!

Comments

[Comickook]

VERY good job on this latest chapter. It took a while, but was WELL worth the wait. The exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up are all well done in all the right places. I particularly liked Dusk's observations concerning Twilight's treatment of books , Dusk's first meeting with Rarity and the dialogue concerning their worries about Nightmare Moon and their efforts to keep calm despite said worries .

Once more, I will definitely be looking forward to more of this. But I also respect how real world concerns and lack of inspiration can creep up when least expected.

[TMH]

8897212
Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yeah my muse can be a real pain sometimes. I always have at least three stories in my head and I can never really focus on one for more than a couple days at a time lol.

That being said, the town hall scene took forever to get to a place I could accept, but I anticipate the next couple of chapters will go much easier.
Hooves crossed!

[Crescent Glaive]

Damn fine work on the chapter, mate

[Mix-up]

This is a fun story so far, I like the slightly racy Dusk Shine that colors his view on other pony, and get bitten back in the rump for it, I am guessing that his time representing his family didn't do him any services in taking kindness for what it ii, with not guile or manipulation behind it. I wonder how he feels about being less outstanding then his siblings? I wonder what makes him standout, did he study with his sister with Celestia as a plus one always being Twilight's sister? I wonder If Blueblood was one of his tormentors of when he was a colt?

I can't wait to see what will happen next.

[Vectored Thrust]

Well you're doing better than me in terms of story consistency. I haven't uploaded a new story in six years, though not for lack of effort.

I'm glad to see this is happening again. So, the Sparkle-Shines are a family of canterlot nobility and Dusk Shine has been well-versed in the high society social realpolitik. That explains his attitude and mindset, I hope he'll defrost in time with the story

[Ephedianroyalty]

yay, it's not dead!!!!!! MOOOOOAAAAAR plz

[Kittycatpanther]

8897212
how do people do that blackout thing?

[Emtu]

8969213
[spoiler]words[/spoiler] comes out like words

Alternately, highlight the part you want to spoiler and click the Sp button above the text box.

[CrystalMoon3]

Moar please!!!

If it's not too much trouble...