Family Appreciation Day
"Applejack, aren't you just going to tell me what it is you want me to see?" asked Dusk, as he followed the farm pony along the road.
"Y'all see it, soon enough, don't get yer tail in a knot," she assured him. "This here's a very special time fer the farm, thought ya might wanna see this."
"If you say so," he shrugged, "but I still think you're using this as an excuse for something."
Applejack smiled innocently at him. "Now, why on earth would ah wanna do a thing like that?"
"Oh, I don't know," he returned, going along with it, "it could be that you're desperate to spend time with me, though I think there are much more interesting ponies to do that with."
"Now, now, don't say that," she replied. "Ah maself find you a very interestin' individual, make no mistake 'bout that sugarcube."
"So that is it then?"
She gave a defeated sigh and stopped walking. "Yeah, Dusk, it is. No foolin' you, is there."
"I'm shocked at you, Applejack," he said, in a mock-surprised tone. "And I thought that you were the Element of Honesty."
"Ah know an' that's what makes this so much worse," she despaired, though still with a smirk. "Ah jus' couldn't face up ta the truth."
"What truth is that then?"
"There is no big surprise for ya, or, special time fer ma family or anythin' like that. Ah jus' wanted ta get ya out here, so ah could get ya all ta maself."
"See, why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning?"
"'Cause ah didn't know how you'd react ta it. But, now that ah've got ya on yer own, jus' like ah planned." She leaned in closer and winked. "Pucker up, sugarcube."
"Applejack, NO!" Now, he's stopped joking and scrabbled back. "Not you too, please! I'm with Twilight!"
"Dusk, ah was only teasin' you," she said, immediately contrite. "Ah thought you knew that."
"I um… I did." He relaxed, now feeling foolish from how he'd acted. "I just um… well…"
"Ah know, ah know," she said gently. "Sorry, ah shoulda known better than ta joke about that."
"It's okay, Applejack," he replied. "I… I shouldn't have overreacted like that, especially since I already knew you were joking. You were, weren't you?"
"A-course! Now, get on back over here with me, stop shakin' like a rabbit in front of a cart." Relaxing further, he re-joined her on the road.
"Sorry about that," he mumbled. "I suppose… you've heard about what happened."
She nodded sadly. "Yeah. Ah have ta say, ah was wonderin' why Rainbow had been actin' so jumpy 'round ya. Ah'm jus' glad that ya got it all figured it out."
"Me too," he nodded. "I wouldn't want to lose her as my friend because of something like that. I wouldn't want that to happen with any of you."
Well, if it makes ya feel any better, ah'm not all that interested in findin' a stallion maself," she mentioned.
"Really? Why not, if you don't mind my asking?"
"It's fine. Ah jus' feel that ma family and ma responsibilities here on the farm are more important without addin' a feller inta the mix," she explained. "Ah ain't sayin' ah'd never try fer it, but, fer now, this apple don't need no candy."
Dusk smiled a little at the metaphor. "I can understand that. I wish you the best of luck if you ever do settle an interest on somepony. They'd be lucky to have you."
"Thank ya kindly, sir," she said, a slight blush on her face. "Ah might say the same-a luck, concernin' you an' Twah'light. In ma eyes, you two get on like pancakes an' syrup."
"That's kind of you to say so, even if all these food metaphors are making me hungry." The signs of the many trees of the farm came into view as they walked. "I just hope there are no other… harboured affections in our group."
"Well, like ah've said, yer handsome feller, Dusk an' yer as good in yer ways as ya are in yer looks," she said in a friendly manner. "Ah wouldn't be too surprised if there weren't any ta begin with."
Dusk's eyes widened again. "You don't think there'll… really be m-m-more?"
"Calm down, ah was jus' makin an observation," she placated. "Honestly though, ah think yer fine. Ah think yer a fine stallion, but ah ain't inta ya like that, Rainbow's been sorted, ah don' think Rarity'll be movin' in, if she helped ya ta begin with, Fluttershy only sees ya as a brother and Pinkie… well…"
"Yes, that sounds reasonable." His smile broadened towards her. "Thanks for the assurances, Applejack."
"Anytime, sugarcube, anytime," she smiled. "Hey, lookee that, we're here!"
Dusk looked up to see that she had led him into the apple orchards, but he was a little concerned when he saw the state of the trees in this particular part. They were all completely bare, with no leaves or apples growing on them. Admittedly, with autumn here, most of the trees were starting to lose their leaves anyway, but these trees looked completely desolate.
She led him over to her older brother, who was setting up some baskets at the base of the trees, creating further puzzlement for Dusk.
"Howdy, Big Mac!" greeted Applejack. "Y'all remember Dusk?"
"Eeyup," affirmed the burly stallion. "How you doin', Dusk?"
"Quite well, thank you, if a little perplexed," he admitted. "Shouldn't you be cutting these trees down? They look like they're well past being able to grow anything."
"With any other trees, ah'd be inclined to agree," nodded Applejack. "But these ain't any old trees, as you'll see in… about five seconds."
"Why, what happens after five seconds?"
Applejack didn't answer, but it soon came in the form of rumbling thunder. Now, he was more confused than ever. The Pegasus ponies hadn't scheduled a storm for today, so why were there now big, black rainclouds rolling in? He held onto his hat as the wind picked up, preparing a shield spell to cover himself and the two farmers until they could find shelter.
But neither Applejack, nor Big Mac, moved from where they were standing and the clouds didn't open up with rains either. Only forks of lightning shocked the earth, although this was still enough to make Dusk jump… except when he noticed that they weren't hitting the ground, but the trees and the energy seemed to linger around the branches. The sparks travelled up the length of the branches, culminating at the very end, where large, dark brown leaves sprouted from them.
In that moment, as the clouds moved away as quickly as they arrived, the mystery for Dusk was solved and he looked up at the trees in new-found reverence. Before he came to Ponyville, he remembered coming across a book about these trees and what they did. The details were a little vague now, but seeing this sparked the memory. Literally, it seemed.
"Are these… Zap Apple trees?" he asked them.
"Eeyup!" nodded Big Mac.
"Figured you might know," added Applejack. "The harvest for 'em has started an' ah thought ya might wanna know 'bout it."
"I admit, I'm somewhat intrigued," he said, pressing a hoof against the trunk. He could feel it hum with magical energy. "I skim read a section about them, after I learned about the sonic rainboom. I've never seen one before…"
"Well, now ya get a whole orchard of 'em an, in jus' four days, these here trees will be growin' the finest zap apples in all-a Equestria." She patted a tree proudly. "It's a big bit maker fer us, we're the only ones that grow 'em."
"I can see why." He pressed his hoof to his chin. "If I remember correctly… there are… four signs to them?"
"Five," she corrected. "Firs' off, the timberwolves start a-howlin', signalin' the trees are ready ta grow their apples. Then yer got yer second sign, with these here leaves an' the rain before. Let's see if ya get the rest."
"Okay…" He racked his brains for the recollection of what the book had said. It had been a very long time since he'd read it. "I believe… something to do with birds… ravens or, was it crows… yes, crows."
"Good one, they start flyin' above the orchard in the shape of a heart, lettin' what grow?"
"The um… the apples? No, not yet, too early… the… flowers?"
"Right on! Fourth sign's the meteor shower, that's when the apples grow, but they don't have their colour yet. Ah think Twah'light might be interested in that," she said with a wink.
"I'll bear that in mind," he said, with a blush at the implication. "Then, the fifth sign… which I think… no, it's gone."
"Fifth sign is a sharp shower-a rain, after which a rainbow appears, which gives the apples their colour, showin' they're ready to harvest," she finished. "But we gotta get 'em down quick, else they vanish till the next harvest."
"I remember that bit," he nodded. "Aren't there some other steps that have to be followed too?"
"There are, but Granny Smith's handlin' that part. Me an' Mac are jus' harvestin' 'em."
"Eeyup. After that, we use 'em ta make zap apple jam an' sell it ta the town an' whoever else wants ta buy 'em."
"That would be quite a big boost in business." He hoped he wouldn't be too presumptuous asking this. "I don't suppose I might be able to have a try of some, just on some bread?"
"Ya can have that, an' a whole jar! Ah'm reservin' one fer each-a ya."
He was touched by her thoughtfulness. "Applejack… thank you. That's very kind of you."
"It's all fine, sugar. Ah don't leave ma friends outta nothin'." She smiled fondly at him. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"
"About how lucky I was to have met you in the town market, when I first arrived here," he chuckled. "Thanks again, for that and the jam."
"Believe me when ah say, it was ma pleasure." He did believe her, like always. "Now,we gotta get the orchard ready fer the harvest, so we're gonna be a mite busy."
"It's okay, I'll get out of your way. I'd better start making my way back anyway."
"Twilight's a harsh mistress, huh?" Applejack nodded in understanding. "Ah get ya. Catch ya later, hope ta see while these apples are ripenin'."
"I'm sure you will, good luck with the harvest." He tipped his hat to her and started to head back through the farm.
"Hey Dusk! How you doin'?" The bright voice of Apple Bloom reached his ears as he was leaving.
She and Granny Smith, curiously, were both dressed in bunny costumes and were jumping over a collection of watering cans, while Granny Smith sang the alphabet.
"I'm very well, thank you Apple Bloom. I can't stay, I'm afraid, I was just leaving," he told her.
"Aw." Her face fell a little. "Oh well, ah'm kinda busy anyway. Ah'm helpin' Granny Smith with preparin' fer the zap apples!"
"Is that what the costumes are for, or did you just feel like being rabbits for the day?"
"No, it's fer the harvest," she giggled. "We gotta do this so the water is jus' right fer the trees, by makin' it bouncy an' happy."
Somehow, the explanation made even less sense than it had been when he didn't know. He decided not to ask further, since he was otherwise ignorant of the process and Granny Smith seemed to know what she was doing. Or he hoped she did and this wasn't a sign of… anything else. She was quite aged…
He just shrugged and smiled. "Well, best of luck to you both."
"Say what?" The elderly pony had just noticed he was there, squinting at him. "Filthy, that you? Ah… ah thought you were taller… an' browner, fer that matter…"
"Mrs Smith, I'm Dusk Noir, remember?" reminded Dusk patiently. "I'm a friend of Applejack's. You came to visit me when I was in hospital once?"
"Huh?" She furrowed her brow for a moment, then nodded. "Oh yeah, yer Applejack's gentlecolt caller, ain't ya?"
Dusk blushed at that. "No, I… I'm not… I mean we're not…"
"Now, don't be shy, ah'm sure yer a nice feller. 'Bout time Applejack started takin' an interest in the fellers, anyways," she went on. "Well, she's jus' in the fields if yer lookin' fer her. Jus' none-a that hanky panky, ya hear? Else, ye'll have me ta answer to!"
"Mrs Smith, please, I'm not-"
"Well, nice seein' ya. Have a good one, ya hear?" She resumed her bouncing, leaving Dusk flustered and Apple Bloom giggling harder than ever.
"Yer as red as apple jam, Dusk!" She frowned for a moment. "Yer not really kissin' ma sister, are ya?" He shook his head. "Oh, ah didn't think so. Have a nice day then!"
She began to bounce in step behind her grandmother again, still giggling under her breath. His face still warm, Dusk decided there was no point in trying to correct Granny Smith and just decided to get back to the library.
The revelation that the zap apples were about to be in harvest had certainly gotten him interested. From what he remembered, they were supposed to take on a rainbow texture when they were fully ripened and were named not only for the bolts of lightning that took part in their creation, but that it was meant to feel like something was literally zapping the taste buds when eaten. He'd never seen one, nor had he ever tried the jam and was looking forward to having his own jar of it.
One might say that he had enough tasting rainbows for a while, but he didn't let those thoughts get to him. Let bygones be bygones and move on, she hadn't really meant it… not really. He was grateful hadn't talked about it much, or at least not with any anger or spite.
Seeing Applejack with her family there had once again made him feel both happy for her and a little envious of her. They had such a simple, yet fulfilling life together, working to get the apples to all the ponies of Equestria. Plus, there was the fact that the Apple family was huge and worked all across the land, just emphasizing the point. United in a single purpose, everypony working together to pull through and live a happy life. It probably wasn't always easy, but he was sure it was worth it.
His thoughts turned to his own parents, a stark contrast… Applejack's family were always close, she cared about them and loved them, as they did in return. If he could… they could…
"Dusk, Dusk, Dusk! You gotta come with me, right now!" He turned at the sound of the bright, urgent voice.
"Pinkie? What are you-?"
"No time, new pony, come on!" With that, she grabbed his hoof and started to drag him through the streets of Ponyville, to the bewilderment or amusement of onlookers. "Let's see if he's where I left him, I told him to wait right there."
As usual with Pinkie, Dusk had no idea what she was talking about or where she was taking him. He knew that she greeted new ponies who came into town, usually with a song, a dance, a party or all of the above. So, why did she feel the need to bring him along? She had managed just fine by herself before…
In the end, he decided it was best not to argue with her and just let her pull him along. After a few seconds, they reached the border of town, where a pony was waiting. He looked like he was about ready to leave, when Pinkie caught up.
"There he is! Hey, new pony! I'm back!"
She abruptly stopped, making Dusk's glasses land on the floor. She waited for a response, but he didn't say anything. Dusk continued to listen while he fumbled for them.
"I'm back, like I said I would be! Anyway, since you're new town that means you need friends and since you need friends, I thought I'd bring my friend along, so you can be his friend, then we'd all be friends! Dusk meet the new pony, new pony meet Dusk."
"What?" Dusk snapped his head up, still having not found his glasses. "Um, hello-"
"Great! I'll leave you two to get to know each other. Bye!" No sooner than she had arrived, she was off again.
Now, he was left with this new pony, feeling around blindly for his glasses and looking like a fool. Trying to figure out what to do, Dusk's vision was cleared up again when a apair of glasses, suspended by magic were lifted back onto his face.
"Here, you probably need these," the newcomer said.
"Thank you…" Adjusting them, he let them focus and take in the pony.
He noted how it was yet another new unicorn that he met now, laden with saddlebags. He was taller than Dusk, like most stallions, with fur that was a bright shade of green, like a jalapeno. His mane and tail, coloured a light silver, were rather spikey in places and unkempt, somepony who evidently didn't care what they looked like as far as that was concerned. His eyes were yellow, tinged with orange and appeared to be measuring up Dusk, though not in any hostile way.
Once Dusk had recovered, he seemed to falter a little, diverting his eyes and rubbing the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. Admittedly, Dusk wasn't all that sure what to do either. This was Pinkie's field of expertise, not his. The silence was unbearable.
"Ummm… hi…?" he greeted eventually.
He sounded rather unsure and nervous, something that reminded Dusk a little of… well, himself. He summed up a little more confidence and reasoned that he would try his best to accommodate him.
"Uh... hello." He coughed to cover up his nervousness and spoke again. "My apologies, concerning her. Meeting Pinkie for the first time is certainly... impressionable."
"Uh...yeah. She seems a bit...hyper. Really hyper. Heh... it's a bit funny," he noted, with a slight smile.
"It is her element, quite literally. So, you're new here?" he asked, hoping to make a good impression.
"Hm? Oh, uh...yeah, I guess I am. Sorry, it's just...ah...this is all awfully sudden...pff..." Without warning, he suddenly burst out laughing.
Dusk found himself laughing a little too, pleased to see that Pinkie had such a positive effect on him and he wasn't too startled by her randomness. Something told him that the stallion needed a good laugh, being new in town… and for whatever reasons he might also have. Dusk blinked, not sure where that idea came from.
"There's the laughter kicking in," he remarked.
"Yeah. Just... wow. Okay, I'm good. Recovered..." He took a deep breath, let out a few more chuckles and looked back at Dusk. "So...uh...is this the part where we do introductions? Properly, I mean?"
Dusk nodded in response. "That would be appropriate. Dusk Noir, at your service," he greeted politely, bowing his head slightly and holding out a hoof."
The stallion stared, looking a little taken aback. "Um...well, this is awfully formal...you know I'm not royalty or anything, right? Just a...normal pony."
"Sorry, if I seem that way but... I prefer to greet everypony with politeness and respect," said Dusk honestly.
To his relief, it worked. "Well, that's good of you. I just thought the bowing and stuff was a bit much..." He shook his head. "Whatever though. So, Dusk? My name's Ray. Ray Strike!"
"Good to meet you, Ray Strike." They shook hooves, Ray rather enthusiastically. "Welcome to Ponyville and believe me when I say, you made the right choice moving here."
Oh...uh... well...thing is," said Ray, laughing nervously, "I haven't moved here. Not yet, anyways. Your friend kinda jumped the gun there, I'd say..."
Dusk nodded. "She does that, although, perhaps more 'jumped the cannon.' So, what does bring you here?"
Ray looked a little confused, but just shrugged it off. "Oh, you know... just, uh...passing through. On my way to... somewhere."
"Staying long in Ponyville?"
"Dunno...maybe. It does seem like a friendly place. Definitely friendlier than where I'm from…" He turned his gaze to the ground, his expression saddening a little.
"Well, I promise you'll be very welcome here," said Dusk comfortingly.
"Hmm... yeah." He stared pensively for a bit, then blinked suddenly and snapped out of it. "Oh! Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to take up your time. You probably have somewhere to be right now..."
"Not really, I have some time on my hooves. If you like, I can show you around town," he offered.
"Oh...um...really?" He looked surprised by the offer. "It's just...uh...kinda looked that other pony... Pinkie, was it? It kinda looked like she was...well... dragging you," he noted with a chuckle.
He returned the laugh. "She was, she can be quite sudden, to say the least. But I wasn't in the middle of anything and I know how it feels to be the new guy in town. My offer still stands. So, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Ah, no, not really..." He paused to think again. "Actually, on second thought, I might need help finding a place to stay. Are there any inns or something like that around here?"
"I know where there's a place. Follow me."
"Where are we going?" he asked, falling in step beside Dusk.
"An inn where travellers can stay for as long as they need. Are you staying in Ponyville?"
He appeared to consider this. "I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not. I never really make plans as to how long I'm gonna stay anywhere, to be honest. I do like it here though. Rural towns definitely have a charm that the big cities lack."
"I feel the same about it. Do you travel a lot then?"
"Yeah, I guess I do. I don't do it as a profession or anything like that, though. I've been to lots of places, but...I guess I'm just looking for the right place to settle down."
"You never know, you may have found it here. I know I did..." He smiled fondly at the truth of that statement.
"You know... I hope so." He returned the smile. "You seem friendly, anyways. And some of the other residents...well, they're interesting at least, from what I've seen. So, where are you from then, if not from here?"
"I was born in Canterlot. You can see it from here, actually," he pointed out, to the mountains.
Ray, however, suddenly stopped. "You're from Canterlot?"
"Yes… why? Is that a bad thing?" he asked, getting a little worried.
"No...no, not really a bad thing...it makes sense, now that I think about it. Never mind, it's nothing…" he muttered, looking away.
Dusk wasn't sure what to say to that, if he should ask about it or if he should stay out of it. He looked like he didn't want to talk about it, but could he prompt him to? Would this affect the possible chance of making friends with him? Did he want to be friends with him? Why wasn't Pinkie here to help him?
Fortunately, in a sense, he didn't have to think too hard about that, for their destination was already in sight.
"Ah, here we are, the Little Lamplight Inn. Just ask for a room and you should be well looked after," he said, hoping to leave on a positive note.
"Right. So, um...thanks. I guess I'll see you around?" he asked unsurely.
"I have no doubt you will. Good day, Mr Strike," said Dusk, tipping his hat.
"Yeah...um...good day...to you too...no, that's not me. Alrighty, bye then!" With one last wave, he went off inside.
Dusk stood there for a bit, wondering what else to make of Ray Strike and how he'd acted there. In the end, he decided to resolve this later and made his way back to the library, hoping Twilight would be fine with his little deviation.
"Things seem to be coming along well here," remarked Dusk, looking up through the roof of the Carousel Boutique. "Still a little draughty, you may want to have that looked at."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," replied Rarity, with a titter. "You know, now that I think about it, it might be nice to install a skylight there. It might give my room a more natural look."
"It might, but it won't do much to stop a fully grown dragon, if one shows up to cart you off again."
"Perhaps but, in the event that happens, I'm sure my very own dragon will see him off. Am I right in thinking so, Spikey-wikey?" she added more loudly.
The infant dragon popped his head around the hole in the roof. "Don't you worry, Rarity. I'll make sure no harm ever comes to you on my watch."
"I knew you would." She returned her attention to Dusk. "The repairs should be finished by the end of the day, then I can finally stop sleeping on my couch downstairs."
"That didn't seem to be much of a problem when you use it to faint on," he pointed out, following her back downstairs.
"It's comfort only extends to that, as well as obviously sitting on it," she replied. "My back hasn't quite felt right since I started using it for my beauty sleep."
"I hope so." He checked the clock. "It's almost time to go and meet the others. We should get going, if you like."
"Yes, punctuality is important and I know how much you appreciate that," she noted. "Spike, are you coming?"
"I'll catch up to you guys later!" he called back. "I'd rather that the fairest of all ponies should have somewhere equally fair to rest her head tonight."
"Aren't you the sweetest? If you insist..." She offered Dusk her charming smile. "Shall we, then?"
"By your leave, Lady Rarity," he returned, opening the door for her and following her out.
"With manners like yours, I'm surprised that mares aren't falling at your hooves." Her look turned serious. "I was rather shocked to hear about Rainbow Dash and that… incident with you."
"Yes, Applejack mentioned it yesterday," affirmed Dusk. "It was rather… unnerving to say the least."
"Yes, she is quite the most confrontational of individuals." She shook her head disapprovingly. "I would have thought that her loyalty to her friends would have kept in line, but apparently it wasn't."
"Rarity…"
"Yes, yes, I know about the fairy, but before all that, she was being so… so… obvious!" she declared. "I mean, just trying to win you over, staring at you like a dish she wanted to eat up in that very second, blushing away like nopony's business, I just… I could barely abide by it."
"Mmhmm," he nodded, a little absently, neglecting to mention that what she had just said was what she did most of the time with any stallion that caught her eye.
Still, she had at least restrained herself when it came to him, so that was mainly why he kept his mouth shut… and also because he didn't want to sound rude. He didn't like offending his friends, certainly not her, even if he did feel that, sometimes, she needed to be reminded of her values.
She picked up on his discomfort and gave an apologetic look. "My apologies, dear. This is probably the last thing that you want to talk about. I just wanted to say that I'm pleased that it was resolved. We shall see if she has improved at all today."
"Indeed." He sighed. "I never thought I'd have to deal with something like that."
"Well, it just shows how far you've come from the shy, stammering pony who first walked into my Boutique with an apology for covering me in dust."
"He's still here, just in a different capacity."
"And still as darling as you were then, just with much more confidence. It becomes you, Dusk, it truly does."
"Thanks, Rare," he murmured.
"As always, darling."
The two of them passed the time with pleasant conversation until they arrived at the café, where the others were already waiting.
As they sat, eating their lunch and sipping, or in Pinkie's case, gulping, down refreshment, the conversation passed easily enough between them all. Twilight was still giving Rainbow cautionary looks and had made sure there was a sizable enough distance between Dusk and her. Apart from the odd glance between Dusk and her, none of the others seemed willing to comment or put forward a discussion for what had happened.
To Rainbow's credit though, she was respecting the distance and didn't seem to be making any moves toward Dusk, flirtatious or otherwise. Sometimes, her eyes seemed to linger, but she would always do her best to divert them elsewhere. It seemed she had learned her lesson, though Dusk wasn't sure how easy or how hard it had been for her to accept his decision. Frankly, he wasn't willing to ask either.
He didn't want a rift to be created between himself and her or with the others. Thankfully, they apparently felt the same way, with no reference to the incident. Dusk was silently grateful for that, though he still wished it had never happened at all.
"So, Applejack darling, how is the zap apple harvest coming along?" asked Rarity. "I am quite looking forward to this year's batch."
"Jus' great! All the signs are showin' up on time an' in the order they're meant ta, meanin' we're ready ta harvest in jus' a few more days, if everythin' goes ta plan."
"It should do. As long as all the steps are followed accordingly in preparation for them, the zap apples should appear when they're scheduled to," noted Twilight. "I read up on them, once Dusk mentioned it to me."
"Figures," remarked Rainbow.
"What's that meant to mean, exactly?" asked Twilight, in an edgy voice.
"Nothing, nothing!" she insisted quickly. "Just that I knew you'd… you know, look it up… or whatever."
She glared at Rainbow for a bit before resuming her talk. "I'm looking forward to seeing the meteor shower myself, it'll be quite an interesting phenomenon."
"At least we don't have to wait one hundred years to see this one," noted Dusk. "That'll be third one we've seen."
"Yes, there do seem to be a lot of them happening," she agreed. "I've been meaning to look into the last one, that was certainly unexpected, though not unappreciated."
Dusk exchanged a look with Rarity, but didn't say anything.
"Well, ah hope ya both enjoy it. Jus' a shame ah'll be missin' Apple Bloom's Family Appreciation Day session. She was kinda dead set on havin' either me, or Big Mac, but we're too bust organisin' the harvest an' actually harvestin'."
"Oh my, I hope she wasn't too disappointed," murmured Fluttershy.
"She still has her grandmother, that's something at any rate." Rarity sipped her tea daintily. "I myself have already attended one for Sweetie Belle. I even had the opportunity to make some outfits for the little dears. Oh, you should have seen them, they were simply to die for!"
"Well, families are important, that's what ah always said."
"When have you ever said that?" asked Rainbow.
"Ah told ya, always."
"Since when? I've never heard you-"
"Anyway, ah think it's good the young'uns take some time out ta appreciate their family an' what they do," she said approvingly. "Kinda like the Apple Family Reunion, only smaller."
"Yeah, well we all know about your family, Applejack," remarked Rainbow. "My folks work at the weather factory in Cloudsdale. My mom's a rainbow maker and my dad's works on the cloud bellows, so you can see where they got the inspiration for my creation."
"Oh my, I didn't know that," said Fluttershy excitedly. "My mother works in the factory too, but she's with the snowflake makers."
"No wonder you're so soft then. My dad always used to say 'what your folks do is what makes you,'" she quoted with a laugh. "I don't think he was quiet expecting something as awesome as me though."
"What about your dad, Fluttershy?" asked Pinkie.
"He's um… he works in… cloud construction… he um…" She didn't say any more than that, retreating behind her mane with an uncomfortable look.
The others, including Dusk, noticed the pained expression on her face, except for Rainbow who had to have it pointed out to her and decided silently not to probe further.
"My mom and dad still work down at the rock farm, along with my sisters, Mince Meat Pie and Chicken Pot Pie," reported Pinkie. "They can be a little grumpy sometimes though, like one time I tried to do a concert to support the family business. They didn't like the idea though, they said I should be more serious."
"Clearly, you didn't take their advice to heart then," said Dusk.
"Why would I? Being serious is so boring! Why so serious?" she asked, with a grin.
"What kind of concern was it anyway?" asked Rainbow.
"Why, a rock concert of course!" she said, with a snort and a giggle.
"Of course," Twilight noted, laughing along with the others. "My family still lives in Canterlot, they both work at the university there. My dad works as a lecturer for Astrological Studies and Phenomenon and my mum is a researcher for the university in the same field. Not to mention, there's my-"
"If I might interrupt for a moment, Twilight, I've just realised something," cut off Rarity. "Considering the length of time that you two have been dating, I would assume that you, Twilight have taken Dusk to meet your family?"
"Well… actually, no, as it happens," she admitted. "I know that is part of what we're meant to do, as part of the obligatory requirements of a relationship like ours, but I thought that would occur a little later."
"Yes, I can see the thinking there, but I would advise that you arrange something sooner or later," said Rarity. "Especially since you've no doubt informed your parents that you're in a relationship."
"Um… well… I haven't done that either," she confessed. "I don't see them very much these days and I get caught up in my lessons and everything else that it kind of… slips my mind."
"Weird as it sounds, ah'm inclined ta agree with Rarity," put in Applejack. "Family is pretty important and ah figure yer folks would wanna know 'bout somethin' like this."
"Parental approval would be nice. We don't want to end up like Colteo and Mareiet," joked Dusk, while in fact feeling a little nervous about the prospect.
Twilight picked up on this and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Dusk, I'm sure that my parents will think you're as great as I do."
"I… hope so," he finally said, feeling a little better.
"Of course they will. I only hope that your parents like me." Dusk laughed to cover up how uncomfortable he now felt. "Now I mention it, I don't know a whole lot about your parents."
"Yeah, neither do we," Applejack agreed. "Come on Dusk, what are yer family like?"
"Yes, we've all said about our parents, why not throw your hat in. Figuratively speaking, of course," added Rarity, neglecting to mention she hadn't said anything about her parents.
Dusk could feel his nerves rise when all eyes turned to look at him, fiddling with his glasses. He'd really hoped that the subject wouldn't come to him, but they were expecting an answer now and he didn't want to seem unfair or to disappoint them, if they were genuinely interested.
"Well," he began, trying to keep his voice casual, "my uh… mother, Chord, works as a musician. She um… plays a few instruments, but favours the violin. She can sing too, something she's quite good at. Well, wonderful is more like it. She used to sing me lullabies when I had trouble sleeping as a foal. She's gentle, kind, caring but… she worked a bit, keeping her talents honed. She would usually make time for me… when she could."
"That sounds lovely," commented Fluttershy. "I remember you said that was a lullaby from her that you sung to get the animals to sleep. You know, when you came to visit me in winter?"
Dusk was touched by this. "You… you remembered that?"
"Of course. I could never forget a wonderful song like that." She smiled her gentle, heart-warming smile. "I still sing it to some of my animals when they have trouble sleeping."
He didn't say anything in response to that, only returned her smile and nodded, though this looked like it was enough for her.
"What about your dad?" asked Twilight.
"He's… different…" he muttered, feeling uneasy again. "He works as… an accountant, for a business firm. Abacus, that's him… my… father. He… he was always distant, really. Wrapped up in his work. I saw him even less than my mother and when I did, I… I don't know he was… he was always…"
Cold, emotionless, judging. That was what came to mind when he thought of his father, from what he did… or rather, what he didn't do. But how could he tell them that? He didn't want to create another problem for them that they'd have to fix, if one even existed. As if he didn't have enough to deal with concerning his… brother.
He didn't need his father now anyway, he had them. Or did he need him? He hadn't seen either of them for a long, long time. Did he miss them? Did they miss him? What kind of a son wouldn't miss his own parents… but what kind of parents not even try to come and see their son?
"Dusk? Darling, are you feeling quite all right?" enquired Rarity.
"What's wrong?" asked Twilight, concern in her voice. "Is it about your parents? Is there anything we can do?"
"I just uh… I don't really want to think about it," he finally said.
"You sure? If there's somethin' wrong, ya don't have ta-"
"Please, Applejack, I don't… I don't really want to discuss it, thank you," he said, with as much finality as he could.
If any of them were thinking of probing further, they were stopped by Pinkie's saving words. "Yeah, what are you doing here flapping your gums anyway, Dusky? You've still got that new pony to help make feel welcome."
"Um… yes, you're right," he agreed, not really wanting this line of conversation to continue. "That is, if none of you mind…"
"No, we're fine," affirmed Twilight. "I think it's good that you're taking time to make somepony new feel welcome."
"Thank you. Now, I just need to find him…"
"He went down thatta way," pointed Pinkie. "He looked like he was looking for something. Maybe he was wondering why I haven't done him a welcome party yet. That reminds me, I need to do a welcome party for him! Then you can all meet him!"
Dusk slipped away while the conversation turned to the subject of the party and set off after where Pinkie had indicated, thankful that she'd saved his skin again. And she called him the psychic one…
He had been thinking about how Ray had reacted yesterday and had decided that he could still make him feel welcome, perhaps find out why he'd had a negative reaction to the subject of Canterlot. He still wanted to have at least one friend who was of the same gender. He was perfectly comfortable with the girls, of course, but it might be nice to vary it up a little.
Plus, he didn't seem like another Jock or Muscles.
He found him, peering intently through the window of a shop. Hoping that this might go over better, he approached him and got his attention.
"Find anything interesting?"
WHOA, what the-!?" He seemed to jump a foot in the air and whirled around, calming down when he saw who it was. "Oh...Dusk, it's you...phew. Wow, gotta give you props, dude! It ain't easy to sneak up on me!"
"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Nah, it's fine. That was the good kind of startle. You know, the kind that gets your blood flowing. But wow...you, sir, have skill," he nodded with admiration.
"Um... thank you." Not entirely sure if he meant that or not. "What were you looking for?"
"Hmm? Oh! Well, right now I'm just wandering around...specifically, I'm looking for a place to stop and grab a bite to eat. I haven't seen many restaurants since I came here...which makes sense, since this is a small town, but still…" He gestured to the window. "I was looking in here because I wanted to know if this was a food joint...which it is not. This looks like an antique shop...come to think of it, I probably could have learned that by reading the sign…" He chuckled nervously. "So anyways, what about you? Fancy meeting you again so soon. Whatcha up to?"
He ignored his rather awkward behaviour and remained pleasant. "Actually, I was trying to find you. If you want something to eat, we can get something at the market."
"Oh. Umm...alright, sure. Thanks." He started walking with Dusk, a curious look on his face. "Why were you looking for me?"
"Just to see how you were doing and how Ponyville is treating you. How is it, by the way?"
He scratched his head. "Well I've only been here for a day...not even. So I can't really give an accurate statement. But so far so good. The locals are definitely nice. Nicer than I'm used to. It's refreshing, even if a few seem a bit eccentric."
"I know what you mean. It can take some getting used to in that respect. But it's worth it," he said, with complete honesty.
"Still...uh...what exactly is special about a small town like this?" he asked.
"A few things. It's small, relatively peaceful, everypony knows everypony. The rest is up to you to judge and find out," he told him.
"Relatively peaceful? He raised an eyebrow and Dusk could swear he saw the corner of his mouth rise a little. "What does that mean?"
"If you stay long enough, I think you'll see. Here we are, look." He indicated the open field, where merchants gathered once a week to sell their wares, food included.
"Wow… how did I miss this?" he asked with a laugh.
Ray started to cast his eyes around the stores in search of food. He was bound to find something of good value and good quality here. Speaking of high quality…
"Ray, may I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?" he asked.
"Well… it's just about how you reacted yesterday, when I said I came from Canterlot…"
"Oh right, that." He looked a little guilty. "Do you… really wanna know?"
"If there's something you find wrong with the city, I'd rather like to know, if that's agreeable," he replied formally.
"Not with the city, more with the ponies from it. You definitely have the mannerisms of somepony from Canterlot...you're just way more likeable. Sorry about that, I just...well, I've been in Canterlot a couple times in the past. I've got some bad memories about that place. Most of them involve those stuck-up two-faced higher class," he said bitterly.
"Oh, right... sorry if I reminded you of that."
"What? No! No, you're fine!" he clarified quickly. "I never would have guessed that you were from Canterlot if you hadn't told me. There's no problem. At least so long as you don't start acting like them."
From the way he said that, Dusk figured out what he meant. "I don't have any intention to and I know exactly what you mean. The elite do have a certain… air about them that I dislike."
"You too? Upper-class, right?" He snickered, again with cynicism. "What is it about having money that turns ponies into hive-minded jerks? They don't have any opinions on anything unless the 'well-connected' pony next to them does, and then it's only to agree with what's already been said. Do the nobility even do anything? I mean, do they even have jobs, or do they just prance around the city talking about the other ponies they know who've actually done things? As though that by itself is some sort of big accomplishment..."
Though he was surprised at how angry and passionate this rant was, Dusk found himself nodding because that was exactly how he felt about the elite of Canterlot. Maybe they had more in common than he first thought.
"I... I think I know exactly what you mean," he said.
Ray blinked, like he was awoken from a trance and became complacent. "Oh...sorry. I don't mean to go dissing your city-folk, it's just...it gets on my nerves sometimes is all." He fell silent for a moment while they walked. "I'm, uh...I'm from Idahoof. You heard of it?"
"Heard of it, never been," said Dusk, pleased that they seemed to be getting along.
"That might be a good thing. I was… what the hay is that noise?" he asked, looking around.
Dusk saw what he meant, as he had heard a rather nasally sound in his ears for a bit. It turned out to be Granny Smith, dressed in a flowered hat and carrying bags of vegetables, skipping through the market and singing rather tunelessly. Everypony was watching as she pranced by, to the obliviousness of her and the embarrassment of Apple Bloom, who was trailing behind her with her head bowed and hidden underneath a bonnet.
"Ah got ma honey, gooey-goo! Got ma honey, gooey-ooh! Got ma honey, iddley-hoo!" She noticed Dusk and smiled brightly. "Well, howdy there, fella! Ain't it a fiiiiiine day?"
"Good day to you, Miss Smith," greeted Dusk, tipping his hat. "How's the preparations coming along for the harvest?"
"Fine an' dandy!" she reported. "Jus' came here ta get some essential ingredients. Ah jus' got maself a bit-a honey fer the jam!"
"I never would have guessed," he replied.
"'Course ya wouldn't have." She squinted at his hat. "Been meanin' ta say, get that dern bird's nest off yer head. Folks'll think yer odd, if ya go 'round wearin' that."
"That's my hat, Miss Smith."
"An' get them eyes looked at. That much shinin' jus' ain't natural fer a pony!"
"Those are my glasses."
"No problem, ah was happy ta help!" she replied, apparently not having heard a word of what he had just said. "Well, Half-Pint an' ah need ta get back. Ah'll tell Applejack ya said 'howdy'!"
She resumed her singing and skipping, Apple Bloom following reluctantly. He gave her an understanding smile, which she did her best to return and followed her Granny. Dusk looked back to Ray, who was openly staring after her.
"Another… friend of yours?" he asked.
"In a sense, yes."
"First that pink pony, now her…" He shook his head. "You have some weird friends, Dusk. I mean, really weird."
Dusk's mood from having gotten on his good side was now gone and replaced with a disappointment. Did Ray really think that his friends were… weird? Did that mean he didn't want to be associated with him, if that was the case?
"Yes, well…" He trailed off, unable to think of anything to say to that. "You can take your pick of what you like from here. I need to… get going."
"Really?" He looked a little surprised and perhaps disappointed, but he shrugged. "Okay then, see you around, I guess."
Dusk was already leaving, thinking how if he was ever going to befriend that pony… or if he really wanted to in the first place.
Dusk unfolded the telescope at the top of the hill, almost dropped it when he didn't do it quite right, took a deep breath to calm himself down and made sure that the tripod was equal this time, before letting go of it. Twilight would have killed him if he'd broken that.
"Handling the telescope alright, Dusk?" she asked, preparing some parchment and a quill to note anything down.
"Just fine, dear," he replied, thankful she hadn't noticed. "The telescope is ready for use and I shall be standing by, ready to take any notes you care to dictate to me."
"It's a good thing that my coltfriend is also my number one pony assistant then," she remarked. "I'd have thought you'd have a little bit of trouble, but I guess I shouldn't assume things like that so quickly."
"Of course not, it was perfectly fine," he assured, hoping it wouldn't be too obvious he was lying. "Try to have a little more faith in me, Miss Sparkle."
"I know, I know. If I had a bit for every time you said that…" She looked at him curiously. "You called me 'dear' before."
"I did." He grew worried. "Why, should I not have? It's just… you called me dear once so… I thought that… you know, it would…"
"Dusk, I'm not angry at you, it's not like you said you were my… well, it's not like that time," she said. "It's just that, you and me, we don't really use… affectionate terms all that much, do we?"
"I call you 'Miss Sparkle', that's my affectionate term for you."
"I know and I like that, the way you say it, but we don't really use the typical terms that other couples use," she noted. "You know, dear, darling, sweetie, honey, things like that."
"Well… I wasn't sure if you'd… be okay with... with me calling you things like that," he muttered. "If… if you want me to, then I'll… do it more often in future."
"Hey, to be fair, I don't really call you anything either. I thought they sounded a little too silly to be used so much, so I was rather reluctant to start using them, in case you objected to them at all. I didn't want you getting embarrassed in front of the others or anything."
"That's… considerate of you, but I still feel I… I should have said something, I suppose… I always have trouble with that." He hung his head, with a small smile. "I suppose I'm just stupid…"
"That's the last word I would use. In fact, I would never use that word." She giggled a little. "You might be getting better at it, but there are still times you feel unsure of yourself, aren't there?"
"That's me…"
"You need to try and break out of that mind-set more." She adjusted a knob on the telescope and looked through it. "Just do what you rarely do and go for it, don't worry so much about it. It's not such a bad thing, like I said, it's kind of cute what you stutter like that."
"Well… anything for you."
She looked up from the lens. Her smile became sympathetic. "That would be nice if you and I did start use them a little more, but don't feel that you should use them because you think you need to. I've been reading about how, typically, the mare expects the stallion to do nice things for her on a regular basis."
"And… you don't think I should do that?"
"Not really. If you want to do something, I won't stop you, but you don't have to bend over backwards to please me." She gestured to her necklace. "I can guess that you probably went through a lot of trouble to get this. I'm not saying I don't appreciate it but, next time, you don't have to go above and beyond just for me. You can just do something a little simpler next time."
Dusk was a little surprised by this, but he nodded anyway. "Okay, I'll bear that in mind. But, if I do want to do something special for you, you'll be powerless to stop me."
"Dusk, believe me when I say, I'm never powerless," she replied, allowing her horn to glow for a bit. "Come on, let's wait for the meteors to start. We'll keep an eye on the zap apple orchard as well."
He sat down next to her, the two of them lapsing into a comfortable silence. The quiet and stillness of the night air, combined with the peace he felt from being with Twilight gave Dusk a little more time to think about things. One thing in particular.
Apart from occasionally glimpsing him around town, he hadn't seen Ray for two days since the remark he'd passed with him at the market. Since then, he'd been trying to think of a way to try and appeal to him, to make up for the fact he thought that his friends were weird by his standards. Ultimately, nothing had come to mind because, in the end, he didn't know him all that well. He'd only gotten brief insights into what he was like and that wasn't enough.
The only way he would be able to get to know him better would be if he was willing to be his friend. But he'd never actually asked directly if that was what he wanted. In fact, the stallion had been literally sprung on him by Pinkie Pie… almost like she'd known. But how could she have known? It's Pinkie Pie, he thought to himself, why am I even asking that? So why had Pinkie chosen Dusk to befriend Ray?
"Something on your mind?" Twilight was gazing intently at him.
"Twilight, it's-"
"Don't even think about trying to hide it from me, I know when you're having trouble with something you think you can handle yourself, but you need to ask help for."
"It's… really nothing to trouble yourself with."
"On the contrary, I think you'll find that it is," she stated factually. "Part of being in a relationship is talking to your partner about them and trying to resolve them with their help. Otherwise, it can create a build-up of negative emotion that can be hurtful to both of us. Just talk to me."
There was no counter-argument for that. "Right… well… you know how Pinkie mentioned yesterday about a new pony in town?"
"I remember. Go on."
"Well… he made a comment a few days ago, about how he thought the ponies who were my friends were… weird. I'm trying to make friends with him but, in the wake of a comment like that… I'm just not sure how…"
"I see…" Twilight looked thoughtful for a few minutes. "I take it that he's already met Pinkie Pie, so anypony would make that assumption. I know I did… have any of the others met him?"
"No, I haven't really gotten to know him all that well yet. The only other pony he's met that I know is Granny Smith and, after this, I'm… I don't know…"
Twilight stared at him for a bit, then giggled, playfully hitting him on the leg. "Dusk Noir, once again you prove that even though you can be clever, sometimes you can be so stupid."
"That's a bit harsh."
"I'm sorry, I don't mean that in a bad way, but really think about what you've just said," she urged. "If he's only met two ponies that you know, both of which are rather eccentric, how can he make the assumption that all of your friends correlate to the same parameters? Does he think I'm weird?"
"No, he hasn't met you yet…"
"Exactly! Logically, he can't make such a vague, sweeping assumption from only two encounters and neither can you," she reasoned. "Just talk to him again and straighten the whole thing out. I'm sure that, if he's decent enough, he didn't mean it in any negative way."
The more Dusk thought about that, the more he wanted to slap himself for being such an idiot. Twilight was right, of course she was! It was so obvious! That meant that there was still a chance to make friends with Ray Strike and perhaps even change his view.
"You're right… I can be a complete fool at times. I shouldn't have made such a big issue out of this."
"We all know how well that turned out for me," reminded Twilight. "You gave the gift of friendship to the most reclusive, lonely pony in Equestria, you can do the same for this stallion. I know you can."
He nodded and smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Twi.
"No problem. You can just take me to dinner to repay me if you like, maybe Chez Delicious again."
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said I shouldn't trouble myself."
"I said I don't want you doing it too much, it doesn't mean I don't like being treated exceptionally," she said, with a giggle. "Relax, I'm only kidding. Ooh, look, it's starting!"
Her eye pressed once more to the lens and Dusk watched the stars shoot over the orchard. Twilight let him have the telescope, just as he saw little blue flashes in the trees. The flowers burst open, revealing colourless apples hanging from their branches.
"Zap apples are here," he reported. "Only one more day to go, then harvest day and zap apple jam." He spent a few more minutes looking at the stars, until… "Hold on, what on earth is that?"
"Let me see, I might be able to tell." Twilight looked through. "Hmm… looks like three filles, who tried to harvest the apples before they were properly ripe, soaring through the air after being propelled by the magical properties of the tree."
Dusk blinked. "How… did you know that?"
"Lucky guess. I could be wrong, of course."
"Well, what else could it be?"
Twilight shrugged. "A lost kite, perhaps?"
They spent about half an hour more watching the meteors shoot by, until they ended and Dusk walked Twilight home. The streets of Ponyville were typically quiet on his way back, nothing but the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. Everypony would be fast asleep in their beds and he didn't expect to see anypony else out.
How surprised he was when he glimpsed a bright green figure in the dark, the silver of his mane shining slightly in the starlight.
"Ray, is that you?"
He whipped his head around quickly. "Who's there?
"It's me, Dusk. Sorry, did I... sneak up on you again?" he asked, with a small laugh.
"Yeah, kinda. Don't worry about it, though. It's kinda hard to see you in the dark anyways." He walked out into the moonlight where Dusk could see him more clearly, though part of him was still in shadow. "So… what's up? You come out to see the meteors too?"
"I did, yes... well, with my marefriend," he clarified.
Even in the dark, Dusk could see his eyes widen visibly. "You've got a marefriend? That's...wow. I honestly didn't expect that."
"Neither did I..." Though he didn't know exactly what he meant by that.
"Umm...neither did you..? I don't know what you mean by that...oh. Hold on a second..." He leaned forwards, making direct eye contact. Dusk, out of habit, diverted his own gaze while he smiled after a few moments. "Ah, I get it. You've got some minor self-esteem issues?"
Now it was Dusk's turn to widen his eyes. "Oh! Well... um... yes, in a way. Not as bad as before but... yes. How... did you know that?"
Ray rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "I have a bit of a knack for reading ponies' body language and facial expressions. I just picked it up while learning to write. You know, character descriptions and all that. Though with you, it's less in the face and more in the eyes." His grin suddenly disappeared. "You seem very lonely."
"Lonely? Sorry to disappoint, but... I have six of the best friends I could ever ask for. Lonely is the last word I would use," replied Dusk honestly, though he was a little wary now.
He looked at Dusk inquisitively for a moment, as though about to ask something, but smiled. "Hey, I didn't say I was perfect. In this situation, I'm glad that I'm...wrong. It's...good that you have friends."
"I know... I don't know where I'd be without them, really I don't. You might think they're weird, but I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world," he told him, not really sure why. He barely knew him.
"You… you love them, don't you? I mean, not to sound cheesy or anything, but..."
"I do, yes... I'm sure you feel the same about your friends," he offered.
He'd said the wrong thing, for Ray's face immediately clouded and he looked solemnly at the ground.
"I don't have any friends. I don't think I ever did. I wasn't exactly popular back home...and I guess it's hard to make buddies when you're always moving around like me. I wish I could...from what I've seen, it's pretty awesome. But yeah…" He looked at Dusk seriously. "You know, when I said earlier that your friends were weird, I didn't mean it as an insult. Sometimes things just come out of my mouth before I can filter them. I meant it more along the lines of...them being special. Unique. I've never met ponies quite like the ones I've seen here before. By that, I mean...they're nice. Really nice. Just… I'm sorry." He returned his eyes to the ground again.
Whatever feelings of doubt he had concerning RayStrike had gone, for Dusk felt nothing but overwhelming pity and compassion for him, enough that he could smile at him and actually want to look him in the eye.
" It's okay, I forgive you and... I'm sorry to hear that. I know how it feels, I really do."
He looked back up, wiping something from his eye. "Heh...yeah. Thanks. Somehow I figured that you'd felt it at some point. Maybe you still do sometimes...but whatever. Just...I've never really known what it's like...friendship...but if it's anything like I've heard...as far as you and your friends go...just make sure you stay true. I heard that friends are supposed to be there for you...to help you through your pain...and to accept you, no matter who you are, or what mistakes you may have made." He looked Dusk in the eye again and this time, he didn't look away. "If that's true, then don't forget it."
Again, Dusk felt touched by his words but… he couldn't shake the feeling that he meant something more, that his words carried more weight and meaning, the more he thought about it. Could he be referring to… him? Had he seen a brief shade of jade against the emerald? Round pupils becoming slits?
No, how could he possibly know that? He'd known about his esteem, but that was perhaps he could relate to it. Maybe, somehow, this was what Pinkie had picked up on and why she'd chosen him, because Ray was most like… himself.
"Right... well friendship is open to all willing to receive it... from those willing to give it." He gave him a long look, before smiling again. "Well night Ray. Pleasant dreams."
Ray didn't say anything as Dusk turned away to leave. Now, it was his turn to think, to see if he would accept the offer he had just made. It might not be from a figure of royalty, like with Dusk but it was better than nothing. Anything was better than that.
The zap apples had arrived and ripened, right according to the signs and had vanished once again once the time had passed. Before they had though, the Apples had managed to gather enough to make a very large supply of zap apple jam, which they began selling on the same day to the towns ponies.
Having essentially booked his in advance, Dusk was now receiving his own jar of the uniqe substance from the filly at the stand.
"There ya go, Dusk, hope ya like it!" Apple Bloom said brightly. "Ah think this might be the best batch we've made yet."
"I'll see, soon enough," he replied. "You seem quite cheery today."
"It's 'cause the jam is finally ready an' also 'cause ah've jus' been reminded 'bout how special ma Granny is." She looked to where Granny Smith was singing with some others foals and fillies to the water. "Ah'm jus' sorry ah fergot that…"
"It's okay, we all forget things sometimes. What's important is that we remember them later." Her smile brightened at his words. "Now, I need some bread to try out this… this… what's this again?"
"Ya know what it is, it's zap ap- oh right," she realised, with a giggle. "There's some over there, if ya wanna try."
Dusk nodded and started to walk over, wondering if somepony else he knew had also remembered something of importance that he'd said to him. He hadn't seen any sign of him, either around town or anywhere in the queue. He'd either been and gone or he'd moved on. It would have been a shame if it was the latter case. He was just starting to like him…
"Hey! Dusk!"
He turned at the sound of his voice and grinned. "Hello, Ray. I thought I might find you here."
"Guess you were right. I was waiting for you, actually. I had a hunch you might come by here for the jam. Everypony else in town is, after all. So I've just been hanging around until you showed up...and here you are."
"I see. Is there any particular reason why?" He knew what his answer would be, but he wanted Ray to tell him.
He rubbed his head again and chuckled nervously. "Yeah...well...about what you said to me last night. Uh...I've been thinking about it, and...wow, this is hard. Umm... maybe I just misinterpreted what you said...you were kinda vague, to be honest, so I'm not sure...but, uh were you...offering to be my friend?" he asked, with a questioning gaze.
How alike they were. "I was indeed. Are you accepting?"
He stared openly for a few seconds, like he couldn't believe his own ears. Finally, the corners of his mouth spread in a huge grin.
"Definitely! Of course I am! I mean...this is just...yes! Dusk, I..." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I would like to be your friend...if you really want me as one."
"It would be my pleasure." He held out a hoof, which he once again shook, sealing the deal. "Fancy some jam?"
He was still grinning away. "You mean this Zap Apple stuff? I've never even heard of it before, to be honest. But yeah, I'm game."
Dusk chuckled and let Ray join him by his side, hoping that this would be the start of something new for the stallion, as it had been for him, one year ago.
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I wondered how you were able to keep updating so often...
(I took notes on what I wanted to say for this chapter)
There's a surprising amount of stallions moving in lately. Aside from the sketchy one in the forest, are they relevant to any plot arcs?
And you're never gonna have Shining mentioned til the Wedding episode aren't you?
I have one request. Perhaps an Octavia reference? I believe you've done a Doctor one already.
Now we have to wait!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Oh well, can't fault you for studying for finals. They suck.
2477921 Frequency and Nightfall are just cameos for my friend's OCs, because I'm a nice guy like that. Ray is the same, but he's now a main character and more will be revealed later The rest, I won't say.
2478677 If I can find some way to squeeze her in, I might. I don't want background ponies pouring in though.
Dude, you're pulling OC's out your ass more than me taking a dump after eating nothing but alphabet soup all day.
Should that be wouldn't?
2912013 Noted and corrected, thank you.
2912309
No problem
I don't mean to be stingy, but I found some more things.
You're missing quotations here.
Weird*
Is that supposed to be if?
Not even done reading the chapter but I'm calling it. New guy is his dad.
3290712 Damn it.
I'm getting some bad vibes abut this 'Ray' character...
But he seems pretty okay, so I'll hold off judging him for now.
Will Twilight find out about Black hole soon?
Yay, Ray's finally entered the story!
Also, I realized I'd always pictured him as yellow for some reason.
Hell Yes!
Ray finally makes an appearance! He's my second favorite OC of all time, and I just love his character! Especially what you do with him...
I'm from Idahoof.........Welp there's my home state.