Love at Dusk
Nightmare Night; the time of year similar to the Summer Sun Celebration. A day to celebrate the return of Princess Luna from her confinement in the moon for a thousand years.
In Ponyville, preparations began early in the afternoon. The sun had just peaked, noon had passed, and it made its way back down the horizon. It was the perfect condition to prepare for the festivities. An adequate amount of light to work, comfortable temperatures, and, of course, everypony was wide awake!
In front of Ponyville’s gigantic town hall, a long table was laid out. Utensils and plates were placed on one end, and, later on, the plentiful amount of food they had prepared will make for a long trot along its length.
A white pegasus landed beside the table, a cardboard box held in his mouth. He squinted his blue eyes, blinded for a moment as he sensibly looked up. Gingerly, he rested the box on the table.
“Frosty!” a voice called behind him.
Frosty Breeze turned around, fluttering his wings and facing the mare who called him. He smiled at the sight of his friend.
“Heya, Star,” he greeted. “Where’ve you been?”
“I helped Roseluck with her decorations,” Star Dust shrugged, patting down her purple coat. “She needed a unicorn for the hard-to-reach spots.”
“Ah, yeah, magic,” he chuckled. “How convenient.”
“Do you know how hard it is to hug somepony without poking them?” she deadpanned. “Oh, no, of course you don’t.”
“Simmer down,” he replied. “Help me with these ones here.” Frosty gestured to the box filled with strings of fairy lights. “We need to place it around the town hall.”
“That… isn’t very... Nightmare Night-ey,” she commented.
Frosty shrugged. “I do what I’m told, not question it.”
“Yes, that’s gotten you so far in life,” she grinned. “Remember when I told you to go to Swift’s place and–”
“Nope!” he shouted and darted away with some of the lights in his hooves.
Star giggled and levitated the box as she approached the front of the town hall. Surely enough, there were a few banners colored orange and black hung about. As to why the mayor wanted fairy lights? She didn’t know.
“Okay, mayor said to place them by the podium,” Frosty said from above her, flapping his wings.
She placed a leg above her eyes, and his shadow loomed over her.
“How do you want it setup?” she asked.
Frosty was tapping a hoof on his chin thoughtfully. He nodded as he flew towards the staircase, and he tested the waters by attempting to frame it, thinking that since the podium was on something like a dais, it would look wonderful to have it accentuate its location.
“Let’s try framing the thing first,” he responded.
Star Dust nodded and levitated lines of fairy lights around the ‘frame.’ Frosty had some clear tape on hoof, so he used that to make the lights stick. After some trial and error, they settled on a simple arrangement with some of the lights flowing towards and around the podium itself. The pair imagined how it would look in the darkness of night, and they found it appealing.
“So, we just leave it like that?” Star asked, gazing directly at his blue eyes. A wide, deep ocean she could get lost in. An ocean that is as much a gem as its diamond color. As Frosty turned to face her better, his pristine white mane flowed in the wind. Star intentionally bit her tongue to avoid entering a dream-like state.
“Yeah, for now,” he answered his purple friend. Frosty swore he could see stars in her bright yellow eyes, sparkling, yearning for the dark to come so they may unveil their beauty.
“We’ll just check on them before the party when it’s darker.” He felt heat rise to his cheeks, so he looked away.
Star tilted her head. “Are you okay?” A hoof reached out as she placed it under his bangs and his forehead. “You look like you’re burning up.”
Frosty cursed his pure white coat. “I-Im fine, really.”
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes, bringing back her hoof. “Well, I know I can’t stop you anyway, so just get some rest when you need it, okay?” she said in a soft, concerned tone.
“Definitely,” he nodded shakily. “Anyway! I heard Pinkie had a haunted house prepped?”
“Yeah, they turned Sugarcube Corner into one big house of horrors!” she laughed. “Seriously, I doubt they could pull off anything scary in that place.”
“You underestimate the power of Pinkie Pie…”
~~~
Star Dust gulped, eyes darting around her surroundings. Oh, she had wished she hadn’t said that!
“I… rescind my previous statement,” she said shakily.
“Told you…” Frosty replied.
The outside of Sugarcube Corner looked exactly the same, deluding what it harbored inside. One step through its doors, and the pair felt shivers crawl up their spines. The air was surprisingly cold, and they had blocked off half of the eating area with some dark-colored wood. To their immediate right, Pinkie Pie had a small table setup, and she took note of whoever entered. The room was decorated with fake cobwebs, gleaming spider eyes, fake bats, and pumpkin ornaments. There were even statues of zomponies, and they looked ominously realistic.
“Hey you two!” Pinkie greeted cheerfully. “Wanna test the haunted Sugarcube Corner?”
The pink mare wore a mummy costume. One of her cyan eyes was completely covered in cloth, and some of her pink mane portuded from cracks in the wrapping.
“Uh... sure…” Star replied, unsure.
“Star!” Frosty hissed.
“Okidoki! Frosty Breeze and Star Dust entering!” she cheered, scribbling down on a paper.
“Scared, Frosty?” Star grinned.
“N-no…”
Star snickered. “It’s all just fake decor! Look.” Her magic reached for a bat hanging from the ceiling, making it sway. “See?”
“Yeah… fake decor… yay…”
“Okay, you two can enter now!” Pinkie stepped from her counter, and she pushed open a creaky door leading into the dark void of Sugarcube Corner.
Frosty trailed a perpetual loop of ‘no’ as Star fiendishly pushed him inside.
“Enjoy!” Pinkie called inside before she hastily locked the door behind them.
The pair were left in the dark. Cold air penetrated their fur, sending chills throughout their form. They took shaky, visible breaths, and Frosty held Star close with a hoof. She fought down a squeak as she returned the grip softly.
“Y-your horn,” Frosty said.
With a barely visible nod, her horn began to glow a bright yellow, bringing both light and some warmth. Frosty Breeze, despite his name, felt relief in the heat.
He faced Star, sighing and still holding her hoof. “Thanks-”
Star’s eyes were wide as saucers, staring directly in front of her, wordless, and in shock. Regrettably, he followed her gaze.
In front of them, an extremely large bear loomed over them. He raised his paws above his head threateningly, letting out a low growl.
Unbeknownst to the Ponyville’s residents, there were now two fillies inside Sugarcube Corner’s haunted house.
~~~
Frosty Breeze and Star Dust exited the haunted house through Sugarcube Corner’s backdoor. They had been subjected to both Fluttershy’s animals, and Rainbow Dash’s creativity with pranks.
A combination that should not be allowed to exist.
Once they left the building, they were met with a crowd of ponies clad in their Nightmare Night costumes. Some of Ponyville’s lights were turned on, as the sun had started to set. There were ghosts, knights, mages, and some of the foals were dressed up in what they wanted to be once they’ve grown up!
AAfter a moment, they noticed the sly smiles of mares and stallions alike. Apparently, the soundproofing wasn’t strong enough to hide the screams of two little fillies. They blushed profusely and kept their head down as they trotted away from the snickering crowd. Did Pinkie say something about pictures?
“I… am so done,” Star groaned.
“Ditto,” Frosty replied. “Petition to hide in the house and never come out?”
“Sign me up.”
The pair chuckled and noticed that the sun had begun to set. Wait, did they take that long in a haunted house?!
“Should we go get dressed?” Star asked.
Star Dust and Frosty Breeze have been living under the same roof for the past three years, and that gave them plenty of time to get to know one another. They had prepared and helped with each others’ costumes.
Star was going to wear a simple, vampony outfit. It comprised of a black collared dress that would flow down her form and a pair of fake fangs to match. The dress had a pronounced, red collar that would bloom around her neck. The colors slowly transitioned from the dark black and into a menacing red, the color of blood. It had similarly colored laces around the sleeves as well.
Frosty, on the other hoof, had prepared a grim reaper outfit. Once upon a time, ponies believed that there was a God of Death, one whose powers rivalled even the princesses. Frosty believed that his coat color was close enough to resemble a skull, so Star had lent him a make-up kit to create the illusion. They made sleeves for his wings, hiding their heavenly white and switching it with a grim black.
Yes, they put a lot of effort into their costumes, and, yes, they endlessly complimented and thanked the other.
“Yeah, but I’m tired from… that.” Frost shivered. “Wanna catch a break?”
“Sure,” she answered.
They made their way through the town and into the park. It was quaint, and it had a small pond, flowers, a playground, and a plentiful amount of trees. The pair settled under the shade of a tree, leaning against the trunk and relaxing.
“Ugh, I needed this,” Frosty muttered.
“Mhm,” Star hummed almost dreamily.
They sat in silence, letting a cool zephyr blow by. Their manes danced in the wind, alongside the trees' leaves and blooming flowers. Frosty fluttered his wings, some of his feathers tickling Star Dust. The unicorn giggled, and her horn lit up to return the favor.
“Hey!” Frosty recoiled. “I didn’t mean to!”
“Didn’t say you did,” she grinned.
He grumbled and slumped back down on the trunk.
“You know I love you,” Star giggled.
She felt her heart twist. He knew she did, but it was probably not the kind she actually felt. He had the eyes of somepony who truly cared for her, something she absolutely loved about him. His laugh, his tiny, tiny blushes... they were absolutely adorable!
“Yeah, yeah, and you don’t totally like Swift Beat,” he deadpanned.
Unknown to her, he wished those words would mean something more. It was true the pair loved each other, but they both thought of their relationship as platonic. Neither knew the true feelings they harbored for one another.
She blinked. “What makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “I was just guessing, really.”
She shrugged, leaning back onto the tree. A chorus of birds played, soothing and entertaining the pair. They saw some foals playing, wearing tiny bits of the costumes they would use for tonight.
“Hm, well, on the topic of love…” she trailed off. “You got a mare you like?”
He paused, blinking slowly. “Uh, sure, I guess,” he muttered, turning away with a light pink hue to his cheeks.
“Oh, there is!” she laughed, but she hoped it was her. “Who is it? Who is it? Who is it?” she chanted.
“M’not telling,” he mumbled. He absolutely did not want to ruin their already beautiful friendship.
“Aw, maybe it’s a stallion?” she grinned, hiding the pain that shot through her chest. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge.”
“What?! No!”
“Hm, y’know, maybe it’s Swift Beat,” she pondered teasingly. “After all, you said that–”
“It’s not!” he insisted.
“Aw, okay little colt,” she cooed, patting his head. “So, anyway, spill!”
He turned a deep red and looked away, mumbling an incoherent name. Star Dust yearned to know who, so she leaned in closer to him.
“Pardon?” she raised an ear.
Frosty mumbled some more.
“Didn’t quite catch that…”
He turned to face her with a blank, embarrassed stare. His cheeks flushed a dark red, as he finally answered her question.
“Star Dust.”
“Uh, yeah?” she blinked. Did he actually mean…
“Star Dust,” he repeated. “That’s the name of the mare I love.”
Star Dust blinked, repeatedly. Frosty could see the red that flowed into her cheeks, bringing forth a deep blush. Her heart soared, and butterflies flew rampantly in her stomach.
Frosty sighed shakily. “Look, can we at least stay frie-”
He was cut off when Star’s muzzle pressed up against his. His eyes widened, staring straight into the beautiful yellow orbs in front of him. They slowly disappeared when Frosty wrapped his legs around Star, and she melted into him. Her tail swished, causing the short grass to dance.
Frosty caressed her mane, and their breaths steadied. The setting sun brought about an alluring combination of yellow, pink, and orange. The tree cast a shadow on them, giving them shade from the heat of the sun. His wings slowly unfurled, relaxing as the two embraced one another.
Star felt a hoof brush against her cheek, and she leaned in closer to Frosty. The world slowed to the pair, as they wholly held onto one another. They relished in this moment, one they had thought would remain merely a dream. And, if it was one, they wouldn’t want to wake from it. Her horn illuminated a faint glow, but neither could notice it with their closed eyes.
Star Dust pulled back, a stammering mess. “I…”
Frosty Breeze wasn’t sure who had the deeper blush.
“So…” he began, “I’m assuming you’d want to go for dinner sometime?”
She blinked before breaking into a fit of giggles. She leaned against him, so he responded by wrapping a leg around her.
“I’d love that,” she responded, looking up at him with her sparkling stars.
Frosty pecked her on the head. “And I love you.”
She giggled with a blush. “I love you too.”
They shared a quiet moment under the tree, looking out on the horizon and back at each other. Frosty and Star enjoyed each others’ company, giving nuzzles, small pecks, or talking idly. Being with each other brought out their precious smiles.
After a good thirty minutes or so, they left the park and went back to the long table. Ponies cast curious glances at the pair, wondering why they weren’t dressed. Nightmare Night was about to begin, after all!
“Frosty! Star!” An earth pony ran up to them, dressed up like a scarecrow.
“Hey, Swift Beat,” the pair answered with a small giggle. He was a subject of their talk, after all!
“Where’d you guys go?” he asked before noticing that they weren’t wearing anything. “And where’re your costumes?”
“Well…”
Frosty broke into a mischievous grin, glancing at Star who gave him a nervous smile. He casually wrapped the smaller unicorn under a silky white wing. Star Dust blushed profusely as he proceeded to nuzzle her. The jaws of ponies around them dropped, except for Swift Beat who merely smirked. Frosty Breeze pulled back, smiling and with a lighter pink on his cheeks.
“We needed some shade.”