Brand New Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

This Land

Dusk stopped to catch his breath as the buffalo herd finally reached their destination, after what felt like hours of running. His legs were numb, his hooves hurt from hitting the ground and his lungs felt like they were going to burst, but it had been worth it, to take part in such a time-honoured tradition as the buffalo's annual stampede through their ancestral lands. As far as he knew, he was the first pony to run with them. He had a feeling he wouldn't be the last either.

The buffalo settlement was just like how he had read in his books. It was a small collection of tents, the fabrics made from materials that grew in the desert naturally. They were simple, rustic, yet provided basic shelter for their inhabitants. They built only what they needed, nothing more or less. Dusk admired them for that, among other things.

Little Strongheart seemed quite amused at his exhausted state, as she trotted over to where he'd collapsed. "It seems you don't exercise your body anywhere near as you do your mind."

"You can… you can… say that… again…" he wheezed in reply. "It was… was an… an honor to… to… run with you..."

"I hope so," she said, suppressing a laugh. "Will you be all right?"

"I will… I will be… I think…"

"Good, take as much time as you need. When you are done recovering yourself, Chief Thunderhooves would like to welcome you to our village himself."

"I'll… be there in… in a few minutes…" He panted again, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Or an hour…"

Refraining from making comment, Strongheart waited patiently for him to recover his strength, before taking him to the most elaborate tent in the settlement. He was ushered inside, where he soon beheld the form of the great chief of the buffalo. His hot breath snorted from his nostrils, his sharp horns gleaming in the light.

Remembering his manners, Dusk raised his head high, baring his neck to the chief and halted before him. Thunderhooves regarded him silently for about a minute, then spoke in his deep voice.

"Dusk Noir. Welcome to our village," he rumbled. "May the ground stay strong beneath your hooves."

"And may the earth tremble at your coming, Chief Thunderhooves," Dusk replied. This was the formal response when addressing a superior among their number.

Apart from a slight widening of the eyes, the chief showed no surprise at his knowledge of this. "You are not the first pony to be among our number. Your friends, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, have been here prior to you. However, you are the first to visit since our resolution with the settler ponies. You are our honoured guest and friend, young Dusk."

"Your words honor me chief," Dusk said respectfully. "I am glad that peace has been made between you and the Appleloosans."

"As are we all," he rumbled in his deep voice. "Now, is there anything in particular you would like to see during your visit among us?"

"Nothing that comes to mind. I would simply like to see whatever you wish to share with me."

"Then so be it," he declared. "Little Strongheart shall be your guide during your visit. I hope your time will be well spent."

"I'll make sure it is," affirmed Dusk. "Thank you again, chief, for this rare and unique opportunity."

"You are most welcome. May your feet be swift and your horns be sharp," he said in traditional farewell. Dusk responded in kind and left with the young calf, guiding him among the tents.

"You made a good impression on the chief," she remarked, when they were out of earshot.

"I like to think I do with anypony I meet," agreed Dusk. "Now, I am in your hooves, my friend. Where to first?"

She thought for a moment. "Perhaps you would like to see the sparring ground. It's not far from here."

"Lead on then." With that, they set off.

As they walked, Strongheart pointed out other places of interest. There was the tent of their healer, who Dusk knew administered treatments using tried-and-tested traditional methods, usually with herbal remedies and potions. There was the gathering commute, where the whole tribe would sit around the camp in the evening, to discuss important issues or for social gatherings. She seemed quite eager for the chance to show somepony new around her home and Dusk was more than happy to let her do so.

There was her own home which they passed, the two of them catching the attention of two other buffalo, a bison and a cow. Her parents, Dusk assumed, as they crossed over to meet them.

"Mother, father," she said warmly, as they embraced her gently. So they were, thought Dusk, as he stood back to let them have their moment.

It touched him to witness this tender moment. It only served as a reminder that, while they may be different in some aspects, fundamentally their two races were the same. It made Dusk feel a pang in his heart, when he realised he missed his own parents. It felt like so long since he'd seen them…

"My daughter," her mother greeted, in a gentle tone. "It always warms our hearts to see you."

"That it does," said her father, who cast his gaze to Dusk. "Ah, this must be our pony guest then."

"It is." She beckoned him forward. "This is my friend, Dusk Noir. Dusk, this is my father, Big Earthshaker and my mother, Big Gentleheart."

"May the ground stay strong beneath your hooves," Dusk said to them both. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"As it is you," replied Gentleheart kindly. "You are most welcome among us, Dusk. Few ponies have ever seen our home."

"Though we hope that will change soon enough," put in Earthshaker. "Now that there is peace with the settlers, we hope that they too shall visit us in our home, if they are as willing to see it as you are."

"I share your hopes and I'm sure that they will." He smiled fondly at Strongheart. "Your daughter is both strong and wise beyond her years. I'm happy to call her my friend and that she calls me the same."

"Your words gladden us," Gentleheart said. "She is a fine young calf and she will make a great cow one day."

"But know this Dusk, the trust and friendship of our people is not to be mistreated." Earthshaker glared down at him. "If I hear that you betray by daughter's trust, I shall ram you from here to the ends of Equestria as punishment."

"Um… duly noted, good sir," Dusk mumbled, feeling fear grip him.

"Come now, my love," Gentleheart scorned. "Is that anyway to speak to our guest?"

The bull's expression softened and he sighed. "You are right. Forgive me; I am simply protective of my daughter. The time for hostilities has passed and I do not wish there to be bad blood between us."

"The feeling is mutual, believe me," said Dusk, still wary of how much larger he was than him. "I would never forgive myself if I did anything to betray your daughter's trust of me."

The bull snorted. "Let us not let these grim words sour our mood. Come Dusk, sit awhile with us."

Dusk accepted the invitation and remained there for a while, making pleasant conversation with Little Strongheart's parents, answering any questions that they asked, either about himself or about pony society in general. They particularly were intrigued by his description of their own homes, such as Canterlot and Ponyville. They both expressed a wish that perhaps they could visit them someday.

"I am sorry about my father," Strongheart said, as they left her home a few hours later. "He cares for me greatly, as any father would. But it can get annoying at times," she admitted.

"I'm not disagreeing with him, especially not with those horns," Dusk said. "I'd rather like to remain on his good side."

"As you should, or he might make good of his threat," she warned him. "Now come on, I still need to show you the sparring grounds."

It was a short walk until they reached a spot where there was a large group of buffalo circled around a small stretch of desert. Two other bulls, in the centre of the circle, stood at equal distance away from each other, their heads lowered in an aggressive stance. A fight was about to commence.

Dusk himself was no fan of violence. There were some cases where it was necessary, in self-defense or defense of a friend of loved one, but most times there were better ways to go about resolving something without hurting each other. This, however, was an integral part of buffalo culture, fighting out matters of honor or a chance to win a cow's hoof. He wasn't going to pass judgement, nor did he plan to. He would simply watch.

He could feel the crash as the two of them clashed horns, while the crowd watching stomped their hooves and cheered them on. One of them seemed more experienced than the other. His horns were more worn, though this made them look even more fearsome and there was a scar over his right eye. He had rage, yes, but it was more of a controlled determination than blind emotion. He looked to be in control and it was likely he would be victorious.

He was. The third time the two of them clashed horns, he locked his own wicked points with his foes, flicked his head to the left and bought him crashing to the floor. His opponent tried to rise, but gave in and collapsed in defeat. The victor gave a great snort and a loud roar in celebration, as did all of the spectators.

"He seems quite formidable," remarked Dusk to Strongheart.

"He is. That is Big Sharphorns," she informed him. "He is probably the strongest of all of us, save for the chief. He has challenged and been challenged eight times and all times he has won."

"Quite an impressive record," conceded Dusk. "I wonder how Applejack or Rainbow would fare against him…"

"I doubt they would last long. He is larger and stronger than any pony, even among the buffalo. He is unbeatable."

"Size isn't everything and no-one is unbeatable," said Dusk. "He may meet his match, one day."

"What? You would doubt his strength?" demanded a nearby buffalo, who had been listening.

"What? No!" Dusk said quickly. "I… I'm just saying, that's all…" Unfortunately, Sharphorns had heard the comment and his eyes flashed in his direction.

"Someone doubts my feats in combat?" His eyes locked on Dusk. "You? You would question my strength, when you are no larger than a desert lizard?"

"No, no! I didn't say that," Dusk cried desperately. "Please, sir, I meant no offense."

"Oh really, pony?" He stomped his hoof on the ground. "I think you did. If you are so quick to doubt my strength, then face me yourself!"

"Sharphorn, are you mad?" called a spectator. "You would crush and kill him and our peace with the settlers would be ruined."

"He is our guest here, you should not threaten him!" added Little Strongheart.

"I am not threatening him, merely offering a challenge. He may choose to face me like a bull or bow like a cow and acknowledge my strength. Unless another of you would step in his place?"

None of them stepped forward. Clearly they feared his strength and power and he was sure of it. Dusk didn't know what to do. Refusing a direct challenge was a sign of cowardice among the buffalo and he didn't know how that would reflect upon him as a visitor here. Then again, he wasn't part of the tribe, he was just a visitor. Did Sharphorns have the ability to even challenge him? He did seem confident that he did, probably reinforced by all of his other victories and it showed...

But maybe that was the key. Perhaps he didn't have to fight him, but he could convince him to stand down if he did this correctly.

"Very well, I... I accept your challenge," he said as boldly as he could.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd and Strongheart gripped his shoulder.

"Dusk, what are you doing?!" she hissed. "You can't possibly be considering this!"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he replied, before adding faintly, "I hope."

"Come then, runt!" roared Sharphorns, lowering his head. "Let us see this put to rest!"

"A moment, please," he insisted. He bared his neck as much as he could and hoped he wouldn't try to run his horns through it. "Is this really the course of action you want to take, mighty one?"

He snorted. "Do not patronise me, pony."

"I speak with utter sincerity," he continued. "I... I saw your display before. You truly are a credit to your race and your name. You have earned a respect in the arena that may be matched only by the chief himself and a reputation worthy of your ancestors. So, I ask you this: is that not enough?"

He looked a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"If you have all of this respect a-and all of this prowess," Dusk continued, "then... what is there to be gained from battling me? I-I would be no match for one such as you. You would crush me in an instant and that would no doubt earn you another victory, b-but what kind of victory would that be? What h-honour is there in battling an opponent who presents so little challenge? What p-prestige is there to be gained from defeating one who is little more than a calf in your eyes?"

Sharphorns didn't look as sure of himself as before. A slight murmur rose from the onlookers. Dusk gulped and pressed his advantage.

"A-and as one of your peers has said, peace with the settlers has been achieved after m-months of hostility. Is the best way to celebrate such a peace more fighting? Do you really want to risk the possibility of reigniting the conflict when you injure me in this battle? Or even worse?" He let that sink in. "Do you really want to risk losing all of that honour? Would you stain the memory of the spirits of your ancestors by bringing more war? I thought you would be better than that."

The buffalo shot up, his nostrils snorting. Dusk backed away, fearing the worst, thinking he'd gone too far. As such, he was surprised when the bull raised his head and gave a grudging smile.

"I bear you no ill will, pony… Dusk. I hope you can forgive my earlier transgressions, as I was caught up in my triumphs."

Dusk raised an eyebrow in disbelief, before offering him a hoof which he bumped. "You're forgiven. It wasn't exactly misplaced, considering how you look like you could crush me like an ant."

"I have no doubt of that, but I could never hope to match the muscle you have in here." He gave his head a rap, forcing Dusk to the floor. He laughed good naturedly along with the others and was helped to his hooves once more. "My father always told me that strength comes from the mind, not just the horns. Thank you for reminding me of that."

"My pleasure," returned Dusk. "I hope to see you at the commute tonight, where I hope... we might be on better terms."

"I would like to think we already are, but I hope for the same," he agreed. "I shall see you then."

Dusk tipped his hat to him and turned to Strongheart, who was staring at him in disbelief.

"You defeated him," she whispered.

"I um... I wouldn't say that."

"I would. You made him stand down. You did that without even raising a hoof against him." She shook her head, fighting to control a smile. "How did you manage that?"

Dusk considered the question before giving what he felt to be the best answer. "There's a saying I remember once hearing: words win wars."

She nodded, allowing that smile to grow. "I would certainly agree with that."

---

Looking on back that moment, Dusk knew that he was prouder deciding on taking the option he had. He was an intellect, not a warrior and though it wasn't his usual style, he thought it was good to have some pride in it. He also received food, in the form of a traditional buffalo dish and some Appleloosa apple pie. The former looked bad, but actually tasted quite good and the latter was just as good, though he preferred the Apple family recipe.

He was now gathered around the camp fire with the rest of the tribe. They had all eaten and had gathered at the commute as was routine. Dusk had already explained how it was he was able to defeat Big Sharphorns, which interested some of the other buffalo there. Right now, as they had requested a story, he told them the tale of how Equestria was founded, the story that was re-enacted every Hearth's Warming Eve. While Dusk didn't think of himself as much of a storyteller, the buffalo seemed nonetheless enthralled.

"… and so, when they finally emerged from the cave," he was saying, "they realised the value of harmony and friendship that would save us. In celebration, they named the land that they founded Equestria. The three sects of society then lived in harmony and peace and still do, today."

"A fine tale," remarked Chief Thunderhooves, who was close by. "And with a fitting and valuable message too."

"That it does," agreed Dusk. "I'm glad you liked it."

"If only we knew that story during our conflict. It might have been avoided," mused Little Strongheart, many others nodding in agreement.

"That was in the past," Dusk reminded them. "We are at peace now and long may it remain that way."

"Well said!" called Earthshaker and they all rumbled in agreement.

"Excellent. Now, if there's anything else that you would like me to share with you, please ask."

The Chief hesitated for a moment. "I have something else to ask of you, Dusk." He nodded to show that he was listening. "You are a unicorn, so you have magic. If you would, I ask you to show us."

Dusk smiled as he remembered Little Strongheart's echoed request from yesterday. Deciding to share something that was unique only to him, he created clouds of swirling colour that danced and played over the fire before them or soared around the watching buffalo. They gazed in amazement and wonder, some even trying to touch the clouds as they flew. And to think, he had once kept it hidden.

When he finished, however, he noticed that Thunderhooves had a different expression on his face, like he had recognised it from somewhere, a kind of familiarity… or something along those lines. Either way, Dusk had his interest piqued.

"Chief? What is it?"

Once more, the Chief hesitated. "That power… have you never found out where it comes from?"

"No it's… it's always been a mystery." He gazed imploringly at him. "You know, don't you?"

"You have shared much with us Dusk. Perhaps it is time we shared something with you." He stood and walked towards the fire, bathed in its glow. "Long ago, when our father's father's father's father's father's…"

"Chief, he gets it," Strongheart said pointedly.

"Of course." He rumbled deeply and resumed. "When our oldest ancestors first ran across the plains, they feared the night when it first came. They did not understand it, comprehend it and so stampeded blindly in the darkness. So it was that the Bringer of the Night came to them in their distress, to lift them from ignorance."

"Princess Luna," Dusk whispered. "Go on."

"It was she who guided them through the night, to help them understand. It was told that she could shift and bend the very colours of the night, even upon herself, to take different forms and shapes. Our ancestors were forever indebted to her and so we hold a yearly celebration in honor of what she did for us."

"The Stampede of the Stars," Dusk nodded. "When you run across the plains at night, when the moon is full and at its highest."

"Indeed. It was a great tragedy when her sister needed to imprison her in the moon, to prevent her corruption…"

"She's back," Dusk told him. "She was freed and healed by the Elements of Harmony. She's ruling again."

"She is?" The Chief smiled warmly at this. "This is… good news indeed."

"Yeah…" he agreed absently. "But… what does that have to do with me?"

"Do you not see, Dusk? She could bend and shift the colours of the night: deepest black, darkest blue and shimmering purple. You seem to have a broader range and it is less powerful but… I believe that your power may well be inherited, in some way, from hers."

Dusk was speechless. He just didn't know what to say to that. He never would have suspected this at all, he didn't even know. He remembered Luna at the Contest, staring at him intently for some unknown reason. Was this it? Did she recognise his power as something similar to her own? What was she going to do then?

Dusk was in relative silence for the rest of the evening, his mind grappling with this new revelation. When he returned to the girls in the morning, he told them about all that happened but left out both the fight and this new idea. He didn't want anypony to know yet until he was sure that it was correct.

He had to know, to find out… somehow.

Comments

[SaxPon3]

Holy moly, Dusk might be a descendant of Luna?!

Give me a minute to process this.....................

HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE! THIS IS AWESOME!

[AnalyticalAnarchy]

2169257

I know right?

[Lord Etters]

2169257

and so it was that any romantic relationship between Twi and Dusk became one tenth perverted.

[Music-and-magic]

So, Dusk's magic is a form of the northern lights?

[Phys]

this is just like a new hero. alex is luna's son in that fanfic but in this one it might be the same

[Tesla Moon]

2658773 bro you just ruined that fic for me how could you!

[Phys]

3108960 you'd think id remember this...