Dusk Shine frantically galloped inside the Ponyville Library, using his magic to clean as fast as his horn could cast. Running to one section of books, dusting them off, and then galloping to the next.

"Spike? How is your end coming along?" Dusk shouted across the room.

In the kitchen, Spike, standing on a tall stool, was washing, scrubbing and polishing dirty dishes. "I don't see why this such a big deal." Spike stated.

"Not a big deal? NOT A BIG DEAL?!" Dusk shouted as he used his magic to teleport behind Spike, both startling him and causing him to fall in the sink. "Did you not read the letter Princess Celestia sent us?!" Dusk's horn glows its Magenta aura and a scrolled up letter gentle flies from the library's desk to Dusk.

Opening it, Dusk reads:

My dear student,

I have read through your letters with great pleasure and I am proud that you have made such close friendships. I am wondering if you would be able to help with a concern. I am sending your old colleague Dawn Rune to live in Ponyville with you for a few weeks. Rune has no problems when it comes to understanding friendship, but sadly lacks any interest when it comes to his studies. Can you help?

Your teacher,

Princess Celestia

“Now do you see why this is important?” Dusk stated.

“No, not really.” Spike said, drying himself with a small towel. “It’s just an old friend coming to….wait, how come I’ve never met this Dawn Rune before?”

“Well Spike, Rune is a unicorn I met when I was still a little colt.” Dusk began explaining. “He and I both showed a talent for magic but I engrossed myself in my studies, while Rune engaged in social activity."

Dusk subconsciously began to think back to his time with Rune.

A young blue colt named Dawn Rune is skipping around, laughing and jumping about in a small patch of green grass as the bright sun shone through the clear blue sky. Near him, under a tall tree, within the cooling shade, reading the 'The Complete History on the Theory of Magic' was a young purple colt named Dusk Shine.

"Dusk mate." Shouted the young Rune. "Close the book, come play."

The young Dusk simply sighed. "Rune, you and I both know the entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns is tomorrow, and you and I both need to be prepared."

Rune gave Dusk a wide smile, possible of childish innocence. "We're naturals at magic, we're unicorns remember. I'm sure we'll pass whatever test they throw our way!"

Dusk then let out a somewhat depressing sigh. "Eventually our talent in magic gave us the opportunity to enroll in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I was able to pass the entrance exam and of course hatch you from an egg. Rune on the other hoof, who never cared for his studies, was unable to pass and thus wasn't accepted. After some time, we kinda stopped talking to each other, I was too busy with my studies.”

“Wow.” Spike said, getting back to the dishes. “So why after all this time, is he coming here?”

“I don’t know Spike.” Dusk responded. “But the Princess trusts me to help my old friend, and that’s what I’m gonna do.” Then Dusk looked around the room. “Speaking of helping friends, where’s Trixie?”

“She left this morning to get something.” Spike responded. “I don’t know what it was, I toned her out when she was going on and on about how ‘Great and Powerful’ she thinks she is.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Oh.” Dusk said. “Trixie must be back, perfect timing, we still have other rooms to clean.” Dusk casually trotted to the door, using his magic to open it up.

Just then, Dusk’s calm demeanor turned to confusion and shock. It wasn’t Trixie who was standing in the doorway. But a dark blue unicorn with a ragged, dark brown mane and tail, with a black runic-like cutie mark on his flank.

“Rune?” Dusk questioned. “Rune? Is that you?” The strange unicorn let out a massive smile, one that could even rival Pinkie Pie’s. He then jumped at Dusk, giving him what could be a manly “bro” hug.

“Dusk, my old friend. How ya been mate?” The unicorn said, while simultaneously crushing Dusk with his hug. Rune, then noticing, him crushing his friend, released Dusk and stepped back. “Man Dusk, it’s been forever.” Looking around the room. “Wow, not a bad library, reminds me of home, ya know, the library we used to chill at as colts.” Then circling around Dusk. “Nice, you go your cutie mark. What is it? Some kind of star, well you were always the more talented one.”

Spike then walks casually into the room. “So this is Rune?” Then thinking to himself. ‘He’s acting like the exact opposite of bro.’

Rune then looks at Spike. “Wow mate, is that a dragon? An actual dragon? Is that how you got into that Magic Private School? They had you hatch a dragon? I always wondered what that egg was. I couldn't hatch mine for some reason.”

Dusk then took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts. “Yes to that last four questions. This is Spike, my personal assistant and surrogate younger brother.”

After introductions were completed and Rune was finished talking. “Tell me Rune.” Dusk inquired. “Why did Princess Celestia send you here? When did you even talk to her?”

“Oh ya.” Rune said laughing casually. “I guess she didn’t tell you. I was told by my magic teacher that I should focus on my studies, but it’s too boring. So I was told you could help. That and I wanted to see my old friend Dusk. See how you were doing, I heard so much about what you've done in Ponyville.”

There were a lot of questions that Dusk wanted to ask Rune, but he started with the most obvious. “When did you become an apprentice to another unicorn? And who is your teacher?”

Rune looks slightly confused but composed himself. “Well I’ve been practicing my magic independently for several years, after I failed that entrance exam. But I became an apprentice a few months ago. And you’ll never guess who!”

“Alright.” Dusk said. “I’ll bite, who is your teacher?” Rune let out another manic smile. “None other than Princess Luna.”

There was an awkward pause in the room………..”WHAT??!!” Both Dusk and Spike shouted in unison.

"I'm sorry Rune." Dusk said, composing himself. "I'm afraid I misheard you. Did you say your magical instructor was Princess Luna?"

Rune looked a tad confused. "Yes, a month after she returned to the throne, along side Princess Celestia, I was so captivated by her, that I went before her asking to be her student."

"I doubt she just agreed so readily, she hasn't been around for a little over a thousand years." Dusk responded.

"Oh no." Rune responded. "She thought it was a very odd request." Rune then smiled again. "I was afraid she'd turn me down but then Princess Celestia thought it would be a good experience for both Princess Luna and myself."  

Dusk took a few moments to put all the pieces together and figure out what Rune was saying. "Okay but then why are you here, Princess Celestia's letter said you have problems with your studies."

Rune rubbed his hoof on the back of his head. "Yea...about that. Well, Princess Luna, all though rather impressed with my magical potential, feels that I may become reckless and have no control over my abilities. So she talked to Princess Celestia and then Celestia and Luna both recommended that I go and live with you for a few weeks, or until I develop a more learned perspective of my studies."

Dusk simply sighed. 'Princess, I don't know if I can do this, but I will try.' Dusk thought to himself. "Okay Rune, I guess there's no helping it. Make yourself at home." Dusk smiled back to Rune.

After a couple hours of taking care of Rune's personal belongings and settling him into his new room. Rune then turned to Dusk. "So I do have one question Dusk." Dusk turned back at Rune.

"Yes, what is it Rune?" Rune then grabbed Dusk by the head and shook his head back and forth rapidly.

"Why do you have so many hot mares after you, and you've done nothing?"

Dusk released himself and took a step back. "What are you talking about?"

Rune composed himself, but still looked as though in a small excitement. "Princess Celestia told me that after coming to Ponyville, you have several mares all over you, almost like a harem."

Dusk's face was somewhat taken back by that comment, he wasn't aware that Princess Celestia saw it that way, or was she possibly exaggerating to Rune? Or more likely, Princess Celestia told Rune about Dusk's life in Ponyville and Rune's own overactive imagination took over, as it often did during their youth.

'I'll have to sort this out before things get out of hand.' Dusk thought to himself. "Okay, okay Rune." Dusk finally said back to his old friend. "I'll explain every-"

Suddenly the front door burst open. "PREPARE YOURSELF GREAT TUTOR, FOR THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE HAS RETURNED!" The light blue unicorn with a star covered purple cape and wizard hat burst through the front door. "Because I have bought new shampoo and conditioner." She then quickly thought. 'Now my mane will look better than that marshmallow Rarity and Dusk will be mine.' Trixie then looked through her own air of ego and saw that there was a new unicorn in the room next to her instructor. "Oh and who are you?"

Rune's only response was just pointing his hoof at Trixie. "See? That's what I mean. You have a student now, she's good looking, and your gonna tell me you've never done anything?" Rune then began shaking Dusk, but this time it was his entire body.

"This is Trixie." Dusk said, unable to stop Rune from shaking him this time. "And she had no where else to go when I first met her, so she lives here." Rune then not only stopped shaking Dusk but altogether dropped him, making a slight thud.

"So she's good looking, your student and she lives with you?" Rune shouted. He then picked Dusk up again and shook him again. "And you mean to tell me you've done nothing? You are wasting a treasure here, do you know how many stories there are about teachers and students getting it on, and you mean to tell me that you haven't done anything to this hot mare yet?"

Trixie then walked to Spike, while both watch the scene unfolding before them. "So what is going on? What did Trixie miss?" Trixie asked spike.

Spike then gathered his thoughts. "The unicorn shaking bro and shouting is an old friend of his. His name is Dawn Rune, but it seems he likes to be called Rune. And now he seems to be expressing how he feels about Dusk having a mare live in the same house as him."

After a few more hours of explaining everything to Rune, he eventually calmed down. "Yea sorry about that." Rune said laughing. "I may of gone a little overboard."

'A little?" Dusk, Trixie and Spike thought at once.

"So now you will show me all the other mares in your harem." Rune said, as though some journey or adventure was beginning.

Dusk sighed. "First of all, its not a 'Harem', they're my friends and second, we can't see them now."

"UIgh. Why not?" Rune asked, in a whining tone.

"Simple explanation Rune." Dusk said pointing to the open window. "Its the middle of the night right now, everypony is asleep."

"Oh I see. Well then." Rune then started walking to his room's door. "I'll see you tomorrow, night." He then closed the door and went to bed.

"Really, went to bed just like that?" Spike said.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is most confused and somewhat disturbed by this Dawn Rune."

"Ya." Dusk said with a faint smile. "He hasn't changed a bit. Well lets just go to bed for now."

So Dusk, Trixie and Spike all went to bed. As Spike and Trixie could only imagine what Rune would be like tomorrow, Dusk knew exactly what Rune could do or even say to the ponies he'll be meeting tomorrow.

Laying back in his bed, Dusk spoke aloud to himself. "Princess Celestia, what have you given me?"