Dusk Dawns

by AlphatheGriffin17

Hearts and Hooves Day

Dusk's sleep wasn't an easy one. Though Doom's corruptive presence had been purged from his mind, the memories of what he'd done still lingered. The dreams his subconscious mind created all played around with them, from failing to rescue Rainbow from his attack to besting Twilight in their duel. For the most part, Dusk was left helpless to watch these events unfold before him and try to endure them.

But Luna had recognised the need for control in his mind when it was at its most vulnerable and had begun lessons to help him maintain it: control in the dream world that she resided in at night. Of course, their lessons in this field had only begun on the night he arrived back at Ponyville, so he still had much to learn, but at the very least, Luna was helping to keep his dreams free from the lingering presence of his darker side.

As such, when he awoke the next morning, he still felt some grogginess from having to wake up in the night, but rested enough that he didn't get a total loss of sleep. As before, he had to endure Doom's memories during the day and try to forget what he had done. It wasn't easy, but he had managed it before and he would do it again. Especially now he had help.

He smiled a little while he sat up in bed. The fact that the girls now knew about what had happened and far from rejecting him, had offered any help they could give him to recover made him feel even more like an idiot for abandoning them in the first place. Twilight especially said she intended to do research into spells that would ease his mental anguish over what had happened. The lengths they were willing to go to only served to remind him of the strength of their friendship… and their love.

Dusk had also taken something else from this. He had been willing to take his stand for Equestria before, no matter how much he feared whatever threatened it, but this experience had given him a new kind of strength. No more running or hiding. He would stand by his responsibility as an Element of Harmony and use the memories of Doom's deeds as a reminder to never let them happen again. Whatever the cost.

Provided he'd still have the strength to stand by that promise when it depended on him, of course…

Before he could dwell further on this, he suddenly noticed something. The smell of something cooking wafting upstairs from his kitchen. His curiosity risen as to why that would be, he ventured downstairs. The first thing he noticed was that his home, which had still been in a state after his fit of rage, was now as tidy and neat as he'd left it. What in the world was going on?

His question was answered when Ray poked his head through the kitchen door and grinned. "There you are! Took you long enough to wake up!"

"I woke up at the time I always do." He looked around in disbelief. "Did… did you do all this?"

"Well, I had some help, but yeah," he nodded, with a grin. "But don't thank me yet, this is only the first in a long line of treats for you today, buddy!"

"The first? Why, what have you got planned?" he asked, intrigued. "You don't have to do anything…"

"Not my plan, not my idea," he shrugged. "But I did have to, everypony has their part to play for today. Just you wait."

"You're not going to tell me?"

"And spoil the surprise? What kind of friend would I be if I did that?"

"You could be seen as withholding information when it needs to be known."

"Or I could be seen as upholding the sacred vow of the Pinkie promise and you know what happens if I were to dare to break that," he added with a conspiratorial whisper.

"Yes, that is a powerful bond." He smiled at Ray. "Thanks for this, Ray. I appreciate it."

"No problem and like I said, don't thank me yet, still more to come," he said with a wink.

"I look forward to it." Another thought occurred to him. "Wait, how did you get into my house?"

"Funny thing about having powers of teleportation is that you don't have to worry so much about keys." He grinned disarmingly. "Now, go on. Your next treat is right through there."

"What is it though? Whose idea was this?"

"Go through and see, the answer to both those questions is right in there," he replied, practically pushing him through. "Have fun today!"

The door snapped shut the instant Dusk was inside and he saw what lay within. At the cooker by the window was Spike, wearing his chef's hat and apron, his claws gripping a pan that was sizzling above the fire. At the table, which was set immaculately with a new table cloth, plates and even a little vase with some lilacs set in it, sat the mare of his dreams, who beamed at him when he entered.

"Getting a sense of déjà vu?" she asked, with a wink.

"Quite," he gasped, with a disbelieving chuckle. "You… you did this?"

She nodded without hesitation. "And don't try telling me that I shouldn't have gone to any trouble, because I'm not going to listen."

"I wasn't going to," he said, still standing in shock. "Twilight… what's all this for?"

She giggled at his confusion. "Don't you know what day it is?"

Before he could answer, the baby dragon looked up from his cooking and smiled too.

"Morning bro!" greeted Spike. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Spike… what is all of this?"

"Breakfast," he answered simply. "Now go on and sit down. These omelettes will be ready in just a few minutes."

"Do you remember? You had them when we first met, on your first day at the library," said Twilight, while he sat opposite her. "I thought it would be appropriate."

"Appropriate for what? You still haven't told me what all of this is for," he repeated. "What's so special about today for us?"

"Not just us, but everypony like us. In relationship," she added, with emphasis.

"Why is that… hold on, wait." He looked at the calendar pinned next to his fridge and suddenly it made a little more sense. "I… might be wrong but… is today-?"

"It is." He turned to see her behind him, bestowing a kiss on his cheek. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Dusk. Our first one! Can you believe it?"

"I… no, I…" He suddenly felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry I… should have known."

"Don't worry, you've had… well, a lot on your mind recently." She looked away awkwardly, but recovered before she could dwell further. "But that's fine, just so long as you know now, right?"

"Of course." Needing a distraction from that topic, he noticed she'd placed something in his hoof. A pink card. "Is this… for me?"

"Well, exchanging of a card and/or gift is part of Hearts and Hooves Day tradition," she shrugged sheepishly. "There weren't a lot of choices, but I got you this one and put in my own personal message. I guess you could say I added a little magic…"

Wishing to save her further embarrassment from having to do this in the first place, Dusk smiled at her gratefully and opened the card. Amidst the flowers entwining the border and the love hearts decorating the background, he recognised the neat writing of Twilight and the lingering sparkle of her magic. It was a series of complex looking mathematics, with the equal sign ending in his cutie mark. The message underneath read:

In every equation, no matter how simple or complex, you are always the answer. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, my one and only solution.

Love

Twilight Sparkle

"I know that the message is a little soppy, or a lot, if you prefer, but I wanted to personalise it just for you and not just have some generic message," she rambled. "I can understand if you don't like it, I thought it was a little cringe worthy too, but-"

"Twilight," he cut off, kissing her cheek in return, "I really appreciate it. I will admit perhaps it's a little soppy, but I prefer soppiness from your hoof than whoever mass-produced this card."

She relaxed visibly and giggled. "You know, I had a feeling that you might say something like that. I'm glad you like it."

"My pleasure," he said, levitating it to his mantelpiece. "I'm just sorry I haven't gotten you a card."

"Considering most of the ones I saw, I see that as a good thing," she remarked. "Don't worry, you can make up for it by spending the whole day with me."

He sighed in mock-despair. "That sounds like quite a task, but I'll do my best to bear it."

"How gracious of you," she returned. "Come on, I think our breakfast is almost ready."

She was right, as Spike was just arriving at the table, expertly depositing the omelettes on their plates, even fixing them with garnish and smacking his fingers like a gourmet cook.

"Careful, Spike, you might dislodge a back spine patting yourself on the back like that," joked Dusk.

"Heh, you say that, but I'll bet you'll be glad to taste my exquisite omelettes again," he replied confidently.

"As I recall, didn't Applejack give you the recipe for these?"

"I made my own additions to it," he defended quickly. "Geez, I think Ray's starting to rub off on you."

"Which may not necessarily be a bad thing. I'm sure they'll be delicious, Spike," he noted, still smiling. Though he'd only been gone for a day, he'd missed the baby dragon as much as the rest of his friends.

How had he even considered leaving?

Once again, he had Ray to thank for that. He hadn't wasted anytime professing that it was he who had managed to finally convince Dusk at the party last night and the girls were all quick to thank him, especially Fluttershy. The butter-yellow Pegasus had almost kissed his cheek, but lost her nerve at the last minute. Dusk had just stood back and let him enjoy it. He deserved it, if nothing else.

He definitely felt that, in the wake of their talk, his bond with the stallion had grown. Though he still didn't like the idea that everypony had the potential for darkness inside them, it had helped to comfort him and to see his own darkness in a different way. It had clouded his judgement. If Ray hadn't been there to help him, then…

He didn't want to think about that now. All that mattered was that he was here now, with Twilight and he was going to make things better.

"So, you two both good here?" Spike was asking.

"I think we'll be fine, thank you, Spike," replied Twilight.

"Great! Okay, I'm off to watch the library. You guys have fun!"

"Thank you, Spike," said Dusk as the dragon left. "So, what else is in store today then?"

"Well-" She cupped her hooves over her mouth for a moment. "Actually, no, I'm not going to say."

"I mean no offense, Twi, but we both know that you're not exactly the most adept when it comes to keeping secrets."

"But I can always improve and I'm doing it right now by not telling you."

"Not even a little hint?"

"Not even a microscopic one. I want it to be a surprise for you."

"It looks like I'm not the only one that Ray's starting to rub off on," he noted with a smile. I already know his role in all of this. Thanks for cleaning this place up."

"Happy to do it. We actually got the job done very quickly with Ray's assistance." She started to eat her omelette, chewing and swallowing excitedly before speaking again. "It's really amazing what he can do with his teleportation. He can perform it multiple times barely expending any energy and without much thought or effort. Purely instinctual, I've never seen anything like it."

"You must have had a little more experience though," he commented, starting himself. "I mean, you can teleport with relative ease."

"Yes, but not with the kind of speed that he does it. I need a moment of thought to gather my strength and focus on my destination between teleports, which takes about five seconds at most," she elaborated. "He, however, doesn't take anytime at all. It's really remarkable! It's almost like your magic!"

"Just so long as you don't start dating him instead," he said lightly. "Have you asked him about it?"

"I have but, again like you, he doesn't know much about why exactly he can do it, he just knows that he can." He sat and listened while she ran into speculation mode. "I do wonder if it's just this particular part of him or if it affects all of his magical abilities. Would he be just as good at other forms of arcane study or is it some kind of unique specialization? Perhaps it could run in the family, but he apparently doesn't know much about his lineage, so I can't really ask. It could possibly be honed to other branches of magic, like yours can, but I'm not entirely sure."

"You could try some experiments to determine that, like you did with me," suggested Dusk, in order to break her train of thought.

"I was just thinking about that," she nodded. "I could ask him to come by the library and try it out, if he has the time. We could learn a lot more about it, if we put the time in."

Dusk chuckled at the memory of those. "In that case, you might as well break up with me right now and go with him instead, because that's how it all starts for you."

"Well, now you mention it…" She giggled and patted his hoof. "Don't worry, Dusk. You're the only stallion I have eyes for."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that, or anypony really." He rested his on hers in return. "I'm the same for you, Twilight. Putting aside the fact that most of my friends are mares, of course."

"Of course," she giggled. "Don't worry, I trust you around the others, though I think you'll know what'll happen if you do try that."

"I do and I have no desire to make you angry."

"Actually, I was thinking more about what Shining would do to you, but that works too." The two of them laughed it off, not meaning anything by it. "Anyway, let's finish this. We've got a big day ahead of us and I have a schedule to keep to."

"I thought you might," murmured Dusk, resuming his breakfast.

Despite the announcement of the schedule, they were still able to enjoy breakfast without feeling rushed. After all he had been through over the past months and days, Dusk found it nice to simply relax and enjoy time with Twilight like this. It almost felt normal, apart from the obvious…

When they'd finished and cleaned up, they headed off outside where Twilight revealed the next thing she had planned for them, in the form of two tickets which she conjured for him. He had to adjust his glasses to make sure he was reading it right and he was unable to suppress the grin that spread across his face.

"Tickets to see the movie adaptation of Daring Do and the Quest For The Sapphire Statue?!" he almost yelled.

"I know!" she squealed. "It was just released last night when you were… you know. But now you're back, I thought we could go and see it."

"You'll have no arguments from me. Although," he said, looking around at some other couples spending time together, "it looks like we're the only ones who would be choosing an indoor activity for a day like this."

"Then we'll just be a little more unique," she said brightly. "Besides, we're not going to be spending our whole day indoors."

"I thought you said you weren't going to give me any hints as to our day," he reminded her.

She looked shiftily around. "That was a slip-up, but it'll be the only one, I guarantee it."

Dusk only shrugged and walked by her side through town. At least they weren't out of place, in that regard. Everywhere he looked, he could see mares and stallions, or on occasion couples of the same gender, enjoying the special holiday. After the ordeal that they'd gone through a few days ago, this was probably what they needed right now. It was certainly what Dusk needed.

He couldn't help but feel some further guilt though. Doom had turned them into bloodthirsty monsters and they didn't remember it. It was a little hard to remain happy with that going through his mind. Fortunately, it was made easier by Twilight's presence, who smiled comfortingly at him and the distraction of three certain fillies, carefully carrying a very large card.

"Okay, now that's impressive," said Dusk as they passed.

"Thanks, we really…" Sweetie Belle, who was carrying one of the corners, suddenly seemed to notice him. "Dusk! You're back!"

"Sweetie, no!" Scootaloo stopped her from rushing over. "We need to make sure this gets to school without anything that might spoil it."

"Oh yeah…" She looked shamefully at him. "Sorry, Dusk. I would give you a hug or something, but we really got to make sure this card stays safe."

Dusk smiled, touched by her concern. "I understand, Sweetie. That certainly is precious cargo you're moving."

"We made it for Miss Cheerilee," piped up Apple Bloom, "jus' ta show her how much of a good teacher we think she is!"

"I'm sure she'll love it," Twilight put in. "You girls are very creative."

"Thanks, Twah'light." She tilted her head curiously. "Are you two spendin' Hearts and Hooves Day tagether?"

"Indeed we are," she said, moving in closer to his side. "We've got a whole day lined up for just the two of us."

"Aww, that sounds really romantic," sighed Sweetie, almost echoing her sister.

"I hope it will be, neither of us have actually spent Hearts and Hooves Day with anypony, though I have read a little about it," she went on. "Did you know that it all started because of a love potion?"

"Really? That sounds-"

"Sorry to cut this short," Scootaloo cut off Sweetie, "but we really gotta get this to school before in case it gets ruined."

"Do you need any help?" asked Dusk.

"No thanks, we'll be fine." Sweetie smiled innocently at him. "I'm glad that you're back, Dusk."

"Me too, Sweetie… me too," he murmured, watching them go. "The simple joys of being a child…"

"Yeah… anyway, shall we?" offered Twilight.

"We shall," he agreed, letting her lead them off towards the movie theatre.

---

"That was brilliant!" Twilight proclaimed the minute they were outside. "I didn't think they would be able to pull it off, but it was brilliant!"

"I wholeheartedly agree," he said enthusiastically. "Though I noticed they left some parts out in the movie that were in the book."

"That's not so bad, as long as the big picture remained," she reasoned. "It's good they took the effort to shoot on location, you can really tell in the quality."

"That was only for the jungle though, the temple was a set."

"I know, but you wouldn't think to look at it, especially with the special effects. I mean, that lava almost looked real!"

"Yes, I could tell that by how loudly you gasped and tightly you hugged me."

"It's no different than when you reacted the same way when she was trapped by Ahuizotl, even though we both knew she would escape."

"That scene was still tense to watch though. Still, in the words of Daring Do, 'another day…'"

"'Another dungeon,'" finished Twilight. "They cast her perfectly though. Mareison Ford was great in the role."

"As was Paul Hoofman as Ahuizotl, again with excellent effects to pull of his appearance and he was just having fun with it." He nuzzled her cheek and smiled. "But seeing it was made even better by watching it with you."

"I feel the same," she returned. "Now then, I don't know about you, but I'm rather hungry."

"We could have just bought snacks at the movie."

"Yes, but you know how expensive food there is. It's ridiculous and it would spoil the next part of our day," she said mysteriously. "I know where we can get some better food, at much more reasonable prices."

"And where would that be?"

She began to lead him off into town. "What do you say to lunch at Sugarcube Corner? I'd say it's about time we indulged our sweet teeth."

"That sounds perfect, though I think you're sweet enough for my teeth," he said a little unsurely.

"Aw, you…" His tentativeness regarding flirting was eased by her kissing his cheek and nestling into his side while they made their way to the sweet shop.

No sooner did they step inside, they were greeted by Pinkie, who positively beamed at the sight of them.

"There's my two favourite lovebirds, right when you said you'd be here, Twilight!" she said brightly. "Aw, you two look so sweet, I could just bake you in one of our cakes."

"I don't think that one would sell very well," giggled Twilight. "Is our table ready?"

"Right where you asked, Twilight!" she saluted. "Right over there and I'll bring over a selection of our specials today. It's half price off for really cute couples!"

"I don't recall seeing that posted anywhere," noted Dusk.

"Shhh!" She pressed a hoof to his mouth. "Don't mention it to Mr and Mrs Cake, but I'm doing it just for you guys, so keep it on the down low."

"Oh… I… we appreciate that, Pinkie," he said sincerely. "Just so long as you don't get in any kind of trouble because of us."

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," she whispered. "Now, you go sit down. If you need to talk about it anymore, just send me a psychic message and I'll pick it up."

They didn't say anything in response to that, they just went over to the table Twilight had prepared for them and ordered their meal. Since it was a special day, they both agreed that it was okay for them to indulge themselves this once. Twilight even disregarded her specific nutrition schedule just for the occasion.

After Pinkie had brought them the sweets and cakes of their choice, they sat and talked, mostly about the events of the movie. The conversation soon turned to the subject of Luna and his on-going education with her.

"It'll be quite a while before I have total control of what I dream, but she tells me that, if I do master it, I'll be able not only to influence my dreams, but peer into others as well," he told her.

"That sounds like it would a useful ability, although just be careful whose dreams you end up intruding on," she warned.

"I'll make sure of that. If you or any of the girls would prefer to keep your dreams private, I'll comply, but like I said, it'll take a while before I'm at that level," he reiterated.

"Hm, I don't think I'd mind too much if you came into my dreams," she said in a rather alluring voice. "It just depends on the dream."

"Um… why, what do you usually dream about?"

"Most of the time, nothing really important but sometimes… you're in them…" She lost her sensual approach and started to blush furiously. "And… well… we um…"

"We what?"

"Um… well… so, what about the rest of your training?" she asked, abruptly moving the subject away from that. "I heard that you might be practicing some other magic too."

He decided not to broach further into that last topic. He had a pretty good idea of what she might have been referring to anyway. "You heard correctly. Luna said that I might start using my puppets as methods of communication, as well as learning to manipulate shadow as well as light."

"Shadow magic?" she asked, intrigued. "Luna's one of the few who's truly mastered control and manipulation of darkness. In the wrong hooves, it can be quite a corrupting influence."

"She did mention that, but… I have been told that I need to accept my… my darkness…" He trailed off slightly. "After all, these powers have been… unlocked by past events. Might as well learn how to use them…"

"I see…" From the look on her face, this was a topic she'd wanted to avoid as much as he did, but they had to discuss it now. They'd put it off for too long. "Is it true? That Luna thinks that this was caused?"

"It is," he confirmed. "She found me after the party, explained about what had happened on the night… he came back. She said she couldn't get into my dreams, that something was barring her entrance. Something inside me…"

"Not Doom? Could he not have done it?"

"She said it was something else, something that gave him additional strength to return and that might have been given to me without my knowledge," he explained. "I remembered from the point that it started to get worse after we'd spent so long keeping him back… it was when I drank some cider the Flim Flam brothers gave me."

"Those two salesponies?" she asked with a note of disbelief. "Why would they want to bring back Doom? How would they even know?"

"I don't know myself, but that's what I told Luna." He glanced out of the window towards Canterlot. "She said there might be another influence, but she'll deliberate on this further and launch a full investigation into the affair."

"That's horrible, that somepony would want to do that to you," she whispered. "Does she think that the brothers or whoever told them to do this present a threat?"

"Partially, but she also mentioned that this was personal," he recalled. "She wants justice for what happened."

"I can't really say I blame her. If somepony has tried to hurt you like this…" She growled low in her throat before remembering herself and calming down. "How are you, by the way? Since he isn't in your head anymore, I mean?"

"In comparison to before, much better," he answered with complete honesty. "I really can't thank you enough for what you did, Twilight."

"I know, but… I'm just sorry for what it did to you." She hung her head in shame. "Believe me, if I'd known what it would do, I would have found another way but…"

"Please, Twi, don't blame yourself for what happened," he pleaded gently. "You couldn't have known the result of that spell, but at least it did what it was meant to. That's what I'm thankful for."

"I know, I'm sorry but… it's hard not to think about my role in it," she sighed. "What about your memories? How are you handling them?"

"About as well as can be expected," he answered. "I mean, they're still there… they always will be, but… I can cope."

"Well, remember, you don't have to do it alone anymore." She reached out and placed her hoof on his. "I'm here for you, we all are. We'll help you get through this."

"I know…" He gazed right into her violet eyes, showing nothing but a desire to see him at peace. "Thank you, Twilight. It's hard… after all I've done, I… I don't think I deserve you."

"Come on, you can't blame yourself either," she urged. "It wasn't your fault, none of it was. It was all him and he's gone now."

"I know, but I still-"

"No, I don't want to hear any more of that."

"Even so-"

"Dusk." She levitated a cake into his mouth, ending what he was about to say. "I said no more."

With some difficulty, he chewed and swallowed the treat. "Twilight… was that necessary?"

"In light of the situation, yes it was," she said in an upbeat tone. "I'm not letting you feel sorry for yourself today."

"Very well then," he said, feeling mischievous in the wake of that. "Then allow me to repay you in… oh my gosh! I'm sorry!"

"Dusk!" He'd missed her mouth and the cake had hit between her eyes. "Why would you do that?!"

"Twilight, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-" He was cut off by a cake that was shoved into his face, followed by Twilight's giggling. "Okay, now we're even."

"My turn!" a bright voice said, followed by two custard pies in both their faces.

"Pinkie!"

"What?" She smiled sheepishly. "I thought you two were having a cake fight and it looked like fun."

They wiped cake out of their eyes, Dusk from his glasses, exchanged a look with each other and shoved cakes at the same time in Pinkie's face.

Fortuntaely, it didn't go any further than that, but they decided they'd had their fill of cakes for today. They paid for their sweets, at half price like Pinkie had said, who winked and placed some of her own bits in the till so they wouldn't be missed. They had just stepped back out into the street and Dusk was going to ask what their next destination was when…

"Twah'light! Hey, Twah'light!" They both looked to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders running to catch up with them. "Didn't ya say, this mornin', that Hearts and Hooves Day started 'cause of a love potion?"

"And that you read about it?" added Sweetie Belle.

"We're just a little curious about it," finished Scootaloo.

Dusk was taken aback somewhat by this sudden interest, but Twilight was more than happy to answer them.

"Why, yes I did. If you like, the book I read it from is in the library in the History section under H," she told them. "It even has a recipe for it, though I wouldn't advise making it yourselves."

"Oh, we won't," said Scootaloo quickly. "Like I said, we were just curious, thanks."

"No problem, happy to help. If you're interested in that, I can recommend a few other books that you might-"

"Twilight? They're already gone."

"They are?" She looked to see that he was right. "Wow, they certainly seemed eager."

"That's what I was thinking…" He shook away the thoughts that started to enter his mind. "Anyway, where to next?"

"Well, first we've gotta meet Rainbow for pick up. This way." While they walked, she continued the thread of topic that had started with the arrival of the Crusaders. "Technically, that's not wholly true. It was a love poison, that ended up practically destroying the kingdom."

"Yes, I remember reading a little about that," recalled Dusk. "As a result of it, Hearts and Hooves Day was created to serve as a reminder that true love comes from expression of feeling and genuine emotion towards your special somepony, not from attempted coercion through magic and alchemy."

"Good to see you know your facts," she complimented. "I figured you would though."

"I like to think I know my history, even for a day I more considered to be Singles Awareness Day than anything else."

"True enough, although I think awareness was specially raised in our case," she added, nuzzling his cheek affectionately.

She led the way to the outskirts of town, where the cyan Pegasus was waiting with a cloud, large enough to fit two ponies on it.

"Took you two long enough to get here," she said a little harshly. "You cast that spell that lets you walk on clouds?"

"Hold on a moment…" Twilight took about ten seconds to cast the spell on both of them and hopped onto the cloud. "Ready when you are."

"Good, let's get going then," she said, still with a bit of an edge in her voice.

Pushing their cloud along in silence, she carried them up into the city of Cloudsdale, as magnificent as ever and with one new addition set up near the edge of it. It was a structure large of pink clouds, easily fifteen feet tall and encircling the width of Cloudsdale, arranged into a long, heart-shaped tunnel with a rainbow-coloured river running through it.

Dusk had heard about this particular wonder of Hearts and Hooves Day, already being ridden on by plenty of other couples, mostly pegasi, boarding pure white boat clouds and floating gently down.

"The Cloudsdale Tunnel of Love," he said, stepping off the cloud. "A remarkable and wonderful attraction I never thought I'd see."

"Now you can," said Twilight, joining him. "Thanks for the lift, Rainbow."

"Yeah, have fun I guess," she muttered, starting to fly off.

Knowing that he needed to do something about this, Dusk turned to Twilight, who was already nodding and ushering him.

"Go talk to her, if you feel you need to," she assured. "I'll get us a boat."

He smiled his thanks and jogged to catch up with her, the Pegasus turning to face him, though her eyes wouldn't remain locked on him.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Rainbow, wait." He paused to consider his next words. "Thank you for this and… I forgive you. I only hope you can…"

She seemed a little surprised by this and a little guilty. "Dusk… you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. I know what happened was complicated, but I know why you felt the way you did," he went on. "It's all in the past now, so… am I forgiven?"

He didn't know if it was enough, but he could see something leave her eyes as she smiled. "Already have. Now, go on. Don't wanna keep her waiting."

Dusk hesitated for a moment, then hugged her. They didn't have time to discuss what had happened, but he hoped this would be sufficient to show her how contrite he was for it. She returned it and he could tell that it was. She pulled away, gave him a light punch on the arm, winked and flew off.

"You say what you needed to?" asked Twilight as he stepped on with her.

"I think so," he answered, just as the boat started to move.

Soon, the outside world was gone, replaced by a soft, welcoming world, filled with nothing but the welcoming shapes of the clouds, some arranged in romantic shapes and forms like pegasi couples flying together or unicorns performing a spell in unison, the radiant reflection and trickling of the multi-coloured water and the mare he loved beside him, sharing it all. She was gazing around in wonder at the beauty of it all.

Dusk tried to recall his feelings that he had prior to this, where he had thought it best, though hard, to leave her and to live his life without her. Nothing at all came to mind, all of it completely gone now that he was with her here. How had he even begun to consider it?

"Beautiful," he sighed.

"It is, isn't it?"

"I wasn't talking about the clouds," he mumbled.

"Careful, Dusk, I've already had my fill of sweet today." She leaned in and kissed him briefly on the lips. "But it's always nice to have a little extra."

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Thanks… In all seriousness though, his is really quite a sight, especially considering what they've done with it here."

"It really is," she agreed. "They gather up these clouds all year round and prepare them for today in a Tunnel of Love, then add in the rainbow river and open it up. I've read about it, but I've never seen it. Mainly because I'd never been to Cloudsdale and… I never had a special somepony to share it with."

"You weren't alone in that respect, I assure you." He reached out and plucked off a bit to examine. "How is it they turn pink anyway?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that." As he suspected, Twilight knew the answer. "At a certain time of day, the sunlight travels further through the atmosphere and because it travels further, most colours along the spectrum, like blue, scatter away so that the clouds are left in a pinkish hue. It's another reason why I wanted to come here."

"Why?"

"Because the time of day that it happens…" She turned to him and smiled warmly. "Is at dusk."

This announcement was enough to render the stallion speechless, expressing his feelings only by allowing Twilight to snuggle closer into him and to kiss her forehead. She really had gone to lengths that every detail in their special day was planned to make it as memorable as possible. They lapsed into comfortable silence, allowing the cloud to gently drift along the river, bathed in the pink glow of the sun peeking through the clouds.

As Rainbow had left by the time they got out to attend to other matters, Dusk provided them with a way to get down on a colour cloud, aided by energy lent from Twilight. The spell she'd cast on their necklace halves hadn't gone completely and they weren't really planning on letting it go either. It increased the connection they shared with one another and it might come in more useful later.

Telling him where to go next, Dusk already started to suspect who had prepared this next part of the date for them and he was right when he saw the debutante waiting in the spa reception for them.

"And here you are, right on schedule," she trilled. "You'll be pleased to know that your session is planned for and lined up, as are the clothes for afterward, courtesy of moi."

"Thanks again for this, Rarity," Twilight said. "It really was nice of you not only to plan it out, but to pay for it as well."

"Think nothing of it, dear," she dismissed. "It's only once a year, after all and I would not dare on missing out on making this the most memorable day for you both. In the wake of all that's transpired, you deserve it."

She sent her charming smile Dusk's way and he tipped his hat in return while she inclined her head. As his romantic advisor, she trusted her in the belief that she knew exactly what she was doing for her part in this.

While they prepared to their treatments, she engaged him in casual conversation about the day's events.

"Enjoying your Hearts and Hooves Day so far?"

"Today has been one of the best days of my life," he said without any doubt. "Something else I have you to thank for. And Ray and Spike, of course."

"Of course," she tittered. "We were all happy to play our parts, darling, though the finale has yet to happen."

"I'm still in the dark about that," he admitted. "How's yours been?"

"Oh, quite well. No stallion callers this year, but that's quite alright. I've decided to take today as time to show love to myself, if you will. Spoil myself and whatnot."

"I think I do, yes. What have you been up to then?"

"Well, I'll tell you this. I was at Sugarcube Corner before I came here and I saw the strangest thing," she whispered conspiratorially. "I was chatting to Pinkie, when who should arrive just as we're leaving, but Big Macintosh and Miss Cheerilee!"

Dusk, who had little interest in gossip, made himself seem politely intrigued. "Really, those two?"

"I know, I wouldn't have thought it either. I never realised they had anything in common, but they seemed quite into each other." She frowned at this. "Very much so."

"In what way?"

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you." She looked thoughtful for a moment before making her way out. "Anyway, I'd best leave you two alone. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

"You too!" he called to her, donning his woollen white robe and stepping in to the spa.

He'd only tried a few of the treatments when he was last here, but for the next hour he allowed himself to relax while a combination of the attendants, steam, herbs and hot water soothe and relax every aching muscle and bone in his body. Twilight too was utterly relaxed, remaining by his side when she could and he by hers, such as in the hot tub or steam room.

Though he felt a little foolish when it came to things like seaweed wraps and mud baths, he decided to give them a chance anyway and found that even they added to the feeling of being a completely new pony by the time he'd finished. Spike was right, a hooficure was just as good for guys as it was for girls.

At the end of it all, when the sun was beginning to dip in the sky and Dusk couldn't imagine what else she had planned, she completely surprised him by revealing the clothes Rarity had prepared for them for the final part of their day.

"Twilight," he asked, while she levitated a cowcolt outfit and hat to him, "what exactly is this for?"

"Don't worry," she replied, leaving to change into a cowfilly version in the changing room, "you'll see soon enough."

---

"Howdy, jus' the two ah was hopin ta see here tanight," Applejack greeted when they arrived at the farm. "Nice ta see yer both lookin' the part an' that ya both look good on it."

"Thank you, Applejack," replied Dusk, aware of how much the Stetson he now wore matched hers. "I wasn't exactly sure what Twilight intended with this apparel, but I can see clearly now."

"Glad that's been cleared up then," she chuckled. "Everypony else made an effort too, since we made it part-a the dress code. Don't worry, you two'll fit in jus' fine at the Apple H&H Barn Dance. Host it every year."

"I thought it would be a good way to end the day. I've never been to a barn dance before," said Twilight excitedly. "I've heard they're quite lively compared to most dances."

"Don't y'all worry, we go through all the dances 'fore we do 'em fer real," assured Applejack. "Even if ya start fallin' over yer own or yer pardner's hooves, don't worry, everypony else'll most likely be the same."

"Yep, jus' saddle up an' ride, yeehaw!"

"Ray, ah ain't gonna tell ya again 'bout tryin' ta do ma accent!"

"Yes you are, because I'm going to try it again!" he returned with his signature grin.

He passed one to Dusk, who certainly felt like smiling after the day he'd been through and the upcoming dance. Since in a barn dance everypony had to participate and dance with each other, he wouldn't feel quite as embarrassed as he normally would.

"Is Fluttershy ready for her bit?" whispered Twilight, when she thought Dusk wasn't listening.

"Don't worry, she's ready an' waitin' ta step in when she needs ta," confirmed Applejack. "Great work actually managin' ta keep this secret from him."

Well, let's keep it that way then," she said quickly, when she saw him looking. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Nothing at all," he said lightly.

"Either that, or he's jus' actin' like he don't know just so ya don't feel bad," corrected Applejack. "Better take yer places, we're about ta start."

Wondering what it was Fluttershy would be doing at this point, but knowing that it would be better now to just wait and find out, Dusk stepped in line with the other stallions, all dressed as he was and stood opposite Twilight, who was in the line of mares.

As Applejack had said, she demonstrated with her dancing partner what they all needed to do before the band played up their upbeat country rhythm and the dance got going for real. Luckily, since everypony else was doing very much the same dance and thanks also to the easy beat of the music, it was easy for Dusk and Twilight to keep track of what they needed to do, with only a few stumbles or trips.

A few moments stood out in his mind. As Rarity had said, Cheerilee and Big Mac were dancing partners here, matching each other quite well. They saw Spike, trying to join in as best he could, but in the end he was more thrown than swung around the dance floor. Pinkie was among the most enthusiastic of the dancers, as one would expect, though even her partners were surprised, Dusk included when he came to her, at being bounced so high they almost hit the ceiling.

After the relaxing session at the spa, Dusk found himself worn out but always having fun by the end of each dance, only getting his parts mixed up about three times overall, with Twilight tripping up two of her partners by accidents. By the end of it though, he was ready to rest and wind down from all of the day's activities.

It turned out that Twilight had planned this too, finally getting to see Fluttershy's part.

"Whooee," Applejack gasped into the megaphone but smiling good naturedly, "ah don't know 'bout y'all, but ah'm bushed. Just ta help y'all wind down, we got one last dance here for ya ta slow things down a lil'…"

She stepped off the stage, as Fluttershy accompanied by her bird choir took their place next to the band. She smiled sweetly at Dusk, which he returned before she raised her baton and began to conduct her feathered choir in a slow, melodic tune, added to by the string instruments of the band.

Dusk turned to Twilight, bowing and sweeping off his hat. "May I have this dance, miss?"

"Good sir, I'm flattered that you'd ask," she returned, curtseying and taking his hoof.

A few other couples joined them on the dance floor, but they mostly ignored them, only ever acknowledging them to make sure they didn't get in their way while they danced. It had been just as perfect as when they danced in Canterlot, but somehow, being surrounded by those they considered their friends and neighbours just made it… better.

Even if Dusk still felt slight twinges of guilt when he was reminded of what happened, he remembered that it was Doom who did that, not him and the memories in his head weren't his. Those who did know still wanted him and would help him get through this. They'd already proven that today and he was never, ever going to doubt that again.

"I could go for some fresh air, I don't know about you," whispered Twilight in his ear.

"Sounds perfect," he agreed, keeping a hoof on hers and quietly pushing past the other couples dancing.

On their way out of the barn, however, they happened to catch one last thing that made them both share knowing smiles. They had both noticed Ray sidling up to Fluttershy, who had left her birds to carry on singing and he took the opportunity to talk to her.

"Hey Flutters." He rubbed the back of his head in the awkward way he did. "Good work, with the birds I mean. Getting them to sing like that, you know? It's um… it's good. Really good."

"R-r-really?" Her cheeks went red and she diverted her eyes. "Um… thank you, Ray. That's… nice of you to um… to say so."

"No problem…" A tense moment of silence passed between them, shuffling on their hooves. "Everypony… seems to be having a good time."

"Yes um… they do. I was just-"

"Would you like to do dance?" he asked abruptly. "With me, I mean?"

She stared at him in stunned silence. "You… you want… to dance w-w-with me?"

"Just if you want to," he said quickly. "You don't have to but… I thought… it would um…"

"If you don't mind… then… I'd love to dance with you, Ray," she muttered, though with evident excitement in her tone.

"Wow… really?" Ray seemed just as surprised she'd accepted. "Great! I mean, good um… I'm uh… not much of a dancer…"

"Oh, that's okay. It can't be too hard, right?" They shuffled on hooves awkwardly for a bit longer. "So… are we gonna…?"

"Oh yeah, yeah." He made an effort to seem casual. "Let's go then!"

"I think I'll learn the aftermath of that tomorrow," Dusk whispered to Twilight, stepping into the tranquil silence of the night.

They walked through the apple orchards, the gentle music of crickets echoing in the night with the rustling of the leaves and grass, the light of Luna's moon and stars shining down on them. Almost like she was watching over them too.

"So," Twilight asked, turning to him, "best Hearts and Hooves Day ever?"

"The best one so far," he said. "I really enjoyed today with you, Twilight. You planned all of that, just for us?"

"That shows how much you think of our relationship then," she scoffed playfully.

"You were the one who took your time owning up to how you felt," he retorted.

"Then I just made up for it, didn't I?" She looked sincerely at him. "Like I said, I'm going to help you through what's happened and right now, I just want to show you that, right now, I just want to be happy. With you."

"You certainly succeeded at that." He leaned in closer to her. "Thank you, Twilight. Although, I think it's the stallion who's meant to do things like this."

She responded, leaning in as well. "Do you mind that we defied convention just this once?"

"Not at all…"

When his lips met hers, he felt a much brighter spark course through him from the kiss, like he'd never felt before. Twilight must have felt it too, for she responded to it by deepening the kiss, making it far more passionate than any they'd shared before. It wasn't just that they liked each other anymore. This was a true sign that they really loved each other and one that Dusk wasn't going to overlook.

When they broke apart for air, their cheeks were both a deep red, but neither of them felt any embarrassment or uncertainty for what they'd just shared. For Dusk, it was only further assurance that he'd made the right choice by coming back. By staying with her. This perfect, wonderful day had already shown that and he was looking forward to more.

Even if, he realised, he hadn't gotten her a card. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

Comments

[laser68]

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

..........my gods.......the level of fluffiness here is.........off the freaking charts.........

...........I LOVE IT!!! GODS I LOVE THIS STORY!!! I LOVE DUSK AND TWILIGHT!!! I LOVE FLU-

*ahem*.......*cough*.......good chapter.

[SaxPon3]

2722510 Oh, just go ahead and say it. Go on.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

2722645 What? Say what? Ihavenoideawhatyou'retalking aboutwhatareyouimplyingbecauseIhavenoidea HHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[SaxPon3]

2723294 You, sir, have a severe case of denial.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

2723319 ......................it isn't denial......it's a protective complex. Let that sink in. If only you knew.....you'd understand........

[SaxPon3]

2723446 Hm....denying how you feel with the motive of protecting another?

Haven't you learned anything from Dusk?

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

2723626 Oh, I have. But you know nothing about my motives. But let's move on to more pleasant topics.

FLUFF!!!!!!!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!

[boulder_west]

2725622 You sir, seem to be the living embodiment of Pinkie Pie. This slightly scares me, and excites me at the same time.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

2730656 It's incredible that you, someone I don't really know, should say so. In my circle of six friends, I'm the renowned Pinkie Pie of the group. The fact that people can determine this aspect of my personality simply by reading my comments is awesome beyond measure.

Well, this calls for a party! *summons party cannon*

[boulder_west]

2736898 Woo! Party!!! Love parties. Sometimes it gets old, but I haven't been to one in a while. So.... Yaaaay!!!

[J Mac]

2736916
I wish every comment section were like this.....

[MrLucksman]

"It looks like I'm not the only one that Ray's starting to rub off on," he noted with a smile. "I already know his role in all of this. Thanks for cleaning this place up."

Add this quotation please

[TheSecondDon]

When I read this chapter, it reminded me of this song,(Mainly the first part and the chorus)

[Stellar_]

The in this chapter is amazing.

[SaxPon3]

In every equation, no matter how simple or complex, you are always the answer. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, my one and only solution.

Love

Twilight Sparkle

Holy crap this is sappy as hell. Re-reading this again? It's still sappy as hell. Not that I'm complaining, really!