High Moon Ch. 26:

Stop Taking Things to Heart

Soon, after everyone have taken their showers, the four friends walked down the streets of Ponyville to head towards the temporary town-hall while the real one was closed off due to the suit of armor Dusk melted to the wall.

On their way, they past the sight of the three researchers still looking for any traces of the mysterious pony, this time, with more high-tech looking equipment, and a another small band of researches with them. Dusk took the time to speak with Obsidian as he was overseeing the operations and to apologize for the way he acted towards the elements last night.

However, not that much to Dusk’s surprise, Obsidian waved it off saying that he and Celestia had figured out that he was testing the elements, and that he wasn’t in any kind of trouble. For last night or for fusing the suit of armor to the wall.

The bit of news was a small weight off of Dusk’s shoulders as he thanked the guard-dog and wished him luck in locating the unicorn. After saying their goodbyes, Dusk walked over to his mares and friend to let Obsidian get back to work, and to continue further down the path to another large building that being used as the new town-hall.

On the way there, Dusk caught the sight of the elements heading towards them, and took off from the mares to finish something that he started. Sketchy was hesitant at first, however, with his new role as the element of resolve, she thought that it was time to give the elements something to strive for.

Dusk chuckled at the mare’s dislike of the image the elements had in the republics as she, and himself, was very fond of the joke about them. As he was speaking with the elements, Arctic again caught a glance of Fluttershy, and took a moment to take in her beauty. Long slender legs that leaded up towards wide hips trapped in a light-brown pants and a tone toso with a modest chest hiding away from the world behind a green turtleneck shirt.

Arctic may had a secret crush on Dusk but Fluttershy, as far as she could tell, was a free item, and she couldn’t keep fantasizing about the halfbreed forever. However, her thoughts were ripped apart by Jinx pulling her into the building so they could being the long process that’s required for her to get a legal job in Equestria.

While they did this, Dusk lead the elements down the street, promising that he’ll help them become stronger, but they have to do all the work themselves. However, he refused to tell them anything until they reached the destination that he was leading them to. Which was a back alleyway to the general store.

“Alright,” Twilight started after Dusk reached a bricked dead-end, placing her hands on her hips, and wearing a confident smile. “What’s first teach?” Dusk started to double over laughing at the mare’s poor attempt to act tough around him, getting Twilight to start blushing when Pinkie joined in.

Suddenly, Dusk ended the laughter, and whipped around to the elements. “Two things,” he started in a deadly cold tone of voice. “One: Don’t call me ‘teach.’” Again, Twilight started to blush in embarrassment, but still nodded her head. “And two: exactly what I was saying last night. You all are starting from square one.”

Twilight was going to question what he meant by this when a sudden strong wind started to circulate in the alleyway. The gust of wind was so powerful that it kicked up a large cloud of dust that forced the element to shield their eyes. Once they regained the ability of sight again, Dusk had disappeared from sight, and was nowhere to be found. But that’s not the only thing that was gone.

“Hey, over here.” Dusk’s voice sounded out from behind Fluttershy, who was taking the back of the group, and caused her to jump up in Applejack’s arms as everyone turned around to see Dusk standing behind them. Twilight felt something different, like something was missing from her, but couldn’t figure it out until Dusk revealed the golden necklace with a purple starburst in his right hand. “You fillies dropped something?”

All of the elements felt around their necks to only confirm that Dusk did in fact somehow steal all of their necklaces straight off their necks. “How in tarnation ya did tah’?”

“That’s a halfbreed’s trick straight from the family,” Dusk half-mocked, picking up on some of his younger sister’s ability to move and do things without making a single sound. Thought, she don’t need a massive gust of wind-magic to do it, and he still haven’t understand how she does it. “You all want these back? Then take them, if you can do that by nightfall, then you’ll earn my respect.”

Suddenly, Dusk’s body vanished into a bright flash of purple lightning, and left the elements dumbfounded by what he just did. Twilight quickly snapped out of her daze and started to make a plan to get the elements back from Dusk. She knew that catching someone like Dusk was going to be tough, but if they wanted to continued to call themselves elements, then they were going to have to do something fast.

Right as they were going to started the wild-goose chase for the halfbreed, the sound of something cutting through the air interrupted their search as a small black-steel star slammed into the wall behind the store. Fluttershy was able to identify the star as a ‘fisher’s shuriken,’ a tool that’s used in the republics for fishermen to ward off sharks and other large sea-predators from schools of fish.

When questioned about this, she said that her family had taken her to the republics to visit other relatives during the summer of her high-school years before she came to Ponyville. Upon examining the deadly looking weapon, Fluttershy read a note that Dusk seemed to have pre-made; which read:

Dear elements of harmony,

If you’re reading this right now, then everything had went according to plan for me. Like I most likely have already said, the only way for you to get your elements back is by taking them. From me. By force. To add to this, you’ll only have until sunset to do so, or I’ll just hand it back to you, and let you fillies cry yourselves to sleep all you want.

Ya’ll may think I’m ‘mean’ for treating you all like this but let me point out something to you... YOU’RE OLDER THAN ME! So start acting like grown mares instead of little fillies. I didn’t mean--much--harm about last night, so get over yourselves. You may be the elements of harmony, the glowing symbol in Equestria’s history, but that don’t mean everyone have to bend over for you all.

Once you all realize this, only then will you’ll be able to see the true difference between me and all of you. Also, stop taking everything to heart. Well ya?

After Fluttershy had finished reading the note, Twilight asked if there was something more to it like something that told them where they could start looking, but luck seemed to be not on their sides. However, another shuriken embedding into the wall next the first one caught their attentions, and this time Applejack’s eyes danced over the skies for any signs for the halfbreed.

Though by the time she looked up, the only think in the skies was the clear white clouds, and no trails of the halfbreed. Twilight kept her attention onto the new note that was delivered to them by, no doubt, Dusk.

This time, the note seemed to be a copy of his to-do-list for the day, and seemed to be in order:

Just cause I don’t want all for you complaining that I didn’t give you a chance to find me, here’s a list of things that you all can use to track me:

1. Pick up custom-made heavy string bass guitar from Vinyl's shop.

2.Walk around town while messing around with new guitar

3. Head to Miss Rose Luck's shop to place an order for major date tomorrow.

4. Met up with Sketchy and Jinx at Sugarcube Corner for lunch with Arctic while we find her a job.

5. Just in case Sketchy don’t like the new guitar, make up a cheesy song to get her and Jinx laughing.

6. Stall the elements with a pointless list that I only have vague plans of following...looks like I can check that one off.

Suddenly, Twilight facepalmed when she finally realized that Dusk was using the list to prolong them standing in the alleyway, and that their wasn’t much time before he would already be leaving Vinyl's shop.

So to save time, Twilight started to split everyone up. Pinkie and Applejack was sent to Vinyl’s music shop while Rarity and Fluttershy were sent to steak out Rose Luck’s flower shop and she’ll take the job of searching around town if that didn’t work.

With their jobs assigned, each element ran off to reached their destinations, and it wasn’t long before Applejack and Pinkie found themselves outside of Vinyl’s shop. “Now keep ya eyes open Pinks,” Applejack started entering the shop with a wary step while Pinkie joyfully hopped in. “Dusk is a slippery drake...dog, dog-drake, and he could be any-”

“Okay Dusk.” Applejack heard the stretchy voice of the owner of the shop, forcing her to turn to the back room where she saw both Dusk and Vinyl walking out. “That guitar is the heaviest strings I could make.”

Dusk nodded his head examining the blue and purple bass, finely crafted, nice weight to it, and the most important thing of all; “Nice, these strings are as thick as a baby’s arm,” he said, moving his left claws up the long neck of the bass guitar. “And don’t worry Miss Scratch, I’ll hold up my end of the deal.”

“You better,” Vinyl started, slapping Dusk on the back, but not causing much reaction from him. “I put a lot of work into this thing and-”

“Hey!” Both Vinyl and Dusk turned their heads towards Applejack and Pinkie as they walked towards them. Vinyl questioned the farm-mare’s appearance since she said that she don’t like her music while the bright smile on Pinkie’s face was a welcome surprise. However, Dusk knew why both mares were here, and got ready to see what his new guitar could really do.

“Alright, we caught ya fair and square, so hand us our elements,” she demanded with a slightly angry tone of voice while Pinkie eyed the guitar. It was oddly longer than any other guitar she seen Vinyl sell to someone and something told her the purple decals lines moving around to the head of the neck had some more purpose than for show.

Then again, Vinyl was knew for fancy lights, and for pulling out all the stops when she needs to.

“Actually,” Dusk started walking around the counter to line the two mares up with the still open doors. “You haven’t ‘caught’ me just yet but you have caught this baby’s first performance.” Dusk, using his claws as guitar picks, started to strum out a low D’note. “You girls want to know what’s cool about wind-magic?” Dusk’s hands started to move faster, and the low note became louder along with the lights on the purple decal started to shine brighter.

Suddenly, a strong wind started to circulate around Dusk as the note started to pick up in sound, and causing Applejack to start to worry. Just as they thought something would happen, Dusk ended the sting of D’notes, and smiled.

“Force-manipulation.”

Just as Applejack, who had enough of the halfbreed’s talking, started to charge at him to grab the elements from him, Dusk let his wind-magic mixed with the notes he was playing, and created a massive shock-wave that sent both Applejack and Pinkie straight out the door.

Luck would have the two that there was a cart carrying a full pile of soft, yet pointy, haystacks. In comparcance with the ground, both mares would easily pick the haystack. Back in the shop, Vinyl marveled at her handy work while Dusk was in shock at how the bass guitar handled his dragon-magic.

“Wow Vinyl, this alloy really is the stuff,” Dusk started, amazed that the guitar didn’t fall apart under his dragon-magic, never seeing anything like it before, and grateful that Vinyl was willing to let him have it as long he repays her with a favor.

“Hey,” Vinyl started, again patting him on the back again as she was equally thrilled that the guitar didn’t fall apart in his hands. “That’s magic-struc alloy for you. Now you better get going before they get up.” Dusk looked over to the two fallen mares as Applejack was starting to get up only for Pinkie to accidentally pull her down from her trying to get up. “So, finally making them into real mares?”

Dusk started to chuckle at the mare’s joke as he had joked around with her a few times about the elements. “That’s the idea,” he started, placing the guitar’s straps around his shoulder, and making sure it didn’t wrap over his wings. “See ya in Canterlot in a few days.” Vinyl nodded towards the halfbreed, sure that with his dragon-magic, they’ll blow the roof off of Canterlot in her next show.

Dusk returned the nod and started out the of Vinyl's shop only to stop in front of the two fallen mares. “Sorry,” Dusk fakely apologized when he caught the fire burning in Applejack’s eyes. “But, you seriously can’t expect it to be that easy, right?”

Before Applejack could throw an insult to the halfbreed, Dusk flared open his wings, and started to fly off towards some other part of town. Applejack, finally getting Pinkie off of her pack, looked up to the sky to see that Dusk was already on the other side of town.

“Come on, Pinks,” she started, helping Pinkie out of the haystack, and to her feet. “Let’s head to Sugarcube, we’ll cut him off there.” While, the two mares ran off to Sugarcube Corner to wait for Dusk to show up, the halfbreed himself landed back on the ground a few blocks away from his next destination, and started to play around with his new bass guitar.

While coming up with an old tune from a favorite band of his in the republics, Twilight spotted him through a crowd of ponies, and started to make her way through. It seemed the closer the got the faster Dusk would play the song until she got right in front of him where she was able to hear the words to the song.

I’m reaching my limits

I getting scared

And you should be too

I’m a monster under your bed

I’m a demon in your head

I’m a child of nightmare

Twilight didn’t think much of the highly energetic rhythm to the song or the slightly violent words that Dusk was singing in a low dark tone. All she needed to worry about was getting the elements back from him.

Right as she started to think of a spell to tackle the halfbreed, the tempo of the song started to increase, and the purple decals on them started to shine even brighter. That’s when Twilight recognized what the guitar was made out of when she felt the wave of magic coming from him and it.

It was like...Dusk was a walking amp for the guitar.

This is crazy

The music made me

Stereo is blastin’

I’m a monster under your bed

I’m a demon in your head

I’m a child of nightmare

Twilight couldn’t lie, Dusk wasn’t that bad, but she had to stay focus if she wanted to get the elements back from him. However, a incline in the natural magical pressure around her told her that Dusk was already preparing for her to attack.

“It’s now or never Sparkle,” she whispered to herself over the rushing winds and guitar riff Dusk was performing for Ponyville. Remembering that Dusk placed the elements into his sleeveless black jacket’s pockets, she thought to grabbing them with her telekinesis.

However, Dusk had other plans.

Enjoy the thrill of the hunt

Feed off of the music

Then I’ll bring it to ya

I’m a monster under your bed

I’m a demon in your head

I’m a child of nightmare

Suddenly, there was a shock-wave of pure wind launched out from Dusk when he reached this verse, and it was enough to break Twilight’s consideration. While she rethought on how to get the elements back from him, ponies outside stopped their daily business to see what the noise was about, and were treated to the display of Dusk’s creativity with his elemental magic.

Fiery sparks started to come off of Dusk’s body and created images of three purple wolves with pure white eyes. Twilight didn’t have time to understand how he was controlling the images before one of the lightning-wolves started to rush down to her with the other two followed close behind.

She tired to fight them off with bolts of magic but only got them to be absorbed by the wolves. Twilight started to take to the skies to outfly the wolves, only to be cashed by them, and have them circle around her. The notes from the bass started to slow down, forcing Twilight to believe that the song was coming to an end, but all hopes were dashed when Dusk continued the song.

I am,

Beast of nightmares

Demon you should fear

Monster inside you head

That’s me!

Suddenly, the long low notes turned into hyperactive short one as Dusk reached the peak of the song, and the wolves the peak of their movements. However, as they caught up to her, none of the wolves made a move to attack Twilight as they rotated around her in a spiral.

Still, Twilight didn’t want them being too close so she tried her best to out fly them, but again failed to do so as the song’s peak reached a new summit while Dusk started to repeat the first verse of the song.

I’m reaching my limits

I getting scared

And you should be too

I’m a monster under your bed

I’m a demon in your head

I’m a child of nightmare

Thankfully, by the mercy of Dusk having other things to do for the day, the song came to an end with one final note that sounded like an explosion went off, and the wolves started to discharge into the air.

Twilight stopped her flight to turn around only to find that Dusk was nowhere to be seen in the cheering crowd. Sighing in humiliating defeat, Twilight started to fly to Sugarcube Corner to possibly met up with Applejack and Pinkie and to cut Dusk off.

While she flew away from the scene, Dusk peared around from a small alleyway between two houses. “Learn to ride the music, princess filly. Learn to ride the music,” Dusk muttered to himself before teleporting to where he knew Rose Luck’s flower shop was and being greeted by the sight of both Fluttershy and Rarity standing outside waiting for him.

Dusk started to chuckle to himself while he scratched the back of his head, walking towards the two mares. “So, you fillies enjoyed the show,” he joked, knowing over half of Ponyville saw the performance he put on with Twilight’s ‘assistance.’ “You know, right now isn’t the best time for me to deal with ya. See, there’s this very, very, very, very important date that I’ve got to have set up by tomorrow, and I need to place an order for some flowers.”

Both Rarity and Fluttershy, who’ve are somewhat close to Sketchy due to her job helping Rarity with designs, knew that whatever he had plan for his mares was far more important than dealing with them right now.

So, after much thought the two simply started to walk off to Sugarcube, and did this for three reasons. One: they didn’t want to fight Dusk. Two: they didn’t know how to fight Dusk. Three: he had more important things to do than holding their hands all day.

Dusk turned around to see them calmly walking off towards Sugarcube Corner and started to shake his head. “Thank you, mares,” he joked to himself in a whisper before heading into the store to order some flowers for his mares in a calm manner.

Like a normal guy would.

Finally after filling out a massive stacks of paperwork, Arctic, Jinx, and Sketchy made it to the Sugarcube Corner to have some lunch while they waited for Dusk to show up. However, their wait was short-lived as Dusk suddenly appeared in a bright purple flash with his new guitar held in his hands.

After hearing Dusk’s ‘show’ not to long ago, Sketchy told Arctic to head inside, and start ordering something without them while she and Jinx chatted about the performance that had the town abuzz.

Arctic did as the mare asked--rather told--her to do, knowing that Dusk was going to be chewed out for his crazy secams with the elements and the deal he made with the local deejay. Once inside, she spotted Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and more importantly Fluttershy all sitting around in the same booth. The group’s eyes briefly locked with the mare’s, both still knowing oh so little about each other, but Arctic ended the stare with a turn of her head.

Walking up to the counter, she met the last of the five elements standing behind the counter. “Hiya, you’re Dusk’s friend right,” Pinkie asked, not sore about what happened in Vinyl’s shop as riding the shock-wave was somewhat a new fun experience for her.

Arctic jumped slightly from the mare’s loud voice but was able to nod her head. “Y-yeah, I’m Arctic Winds,” she said with a slight nerve in her voice, fearing that the elements had some kind of grudge with Dusk. “I’m sorry if Dusk is being mean to you guys. He has a...way about dealing with things.”

For a moment, the memory of Dusk taking on the entire rugby team for her flashed through her head, but she was able to shake it off. “Oh don’t worry about that,” Pinkie started, waving a finger in Arctic’s face, and exaggerating a head shake. “Dusk already told us not to take to it to heart and it has been fun! So what can I get you?”

“Oh um…” Arctic looked up at the menu to look for something to drink while she waited on Dusk and the others. Soon, she saw something on the menu that peaked her interest. “Could I have the frozen-blueberry soda?”

“Ohhh,” Pinkie started in cheerful surprise, “Nopony have gotten that in a while,” she continued, writing the order down on a notepad that appeared from nowhere, and pointed to an empty booth near the window. “I’ll go get it for you in a sec, you don’t mind waiting do you?”

Arctic shook her head, causing her white and sky-blue mane to move out of place, and cover over one of her eyes. “N-no, I’m fine with waiting. How much will that be?”

“Five bits please,” Pinkie asked with a smiling face and holding out her hand. Arctic reached into her pant’s pockets to pull out the bits that Pinkie’s hand was asking for. “Thank you, I’ll have it with you in a second.”

Arctic nodded her head and took the seat in the empty booth. By the time she had sat down, the elements went back to talking among themselves again, but Arctic was able to steal some of Fluttershy’s attention.

Which didn’t go unnoticed by her friends. “Come on Shy,” Applejack started, after catching Fluttershy staring at the unknown mare several times today, and knowing what that look in her eyes were for. “If ya so interested in the mare, go talk to her.”

“B-but I…” Fluttershy’s face started to blush, sure she was interested in Arctic, but was it so much to were a mare like Applejack could notice? Fluttershy again looked back to Arctic, who had her nose buried into her sketchbook, and was drawing something in a furious pace.

She couldn’t lie, Arctic was a fairly attractive mare, and Fluttershy was looking for a special somepony. “N-no, she properly just waiting on her friends, a-and besides we were talking about getting the elements from Dusk.”

“Flutter dear,” Rarity started, also knowing the look in Fluttershy’s eyes, and didn’t want her shyness to get in the way of her feelings like they always do. “Applejack is right, you should at least talk to her. It couldn’t hurt.”

“I have to agree Shy,” Twilight added in, knowing that everyone have been poking fun of the elements for being single, and of the joke that they all were dating each other. “You never know, she could be a very nice mare.”

Even with the gentle push from her friends, Fluttershy was still hesitant about meeting Arctic, but a sudden voice in her head told her otherwise. ’What’s the matter filly?’ Fluttershy, no longer hearing her friends talking to her, hid behind her mane at the sound of the ‘other’ Fluttershy crawling in her head.

’See, this is why I should be in control all the time,’ the voice, which came after Twilight had failed to fully expel all of the vampire-fruit bat instincts out of her, continued with its usual mocking that actually got Fluttershy’s blood-boiling. ’Here, we have the chance to get with a mare like her, and you’re just going to sit here with your fillyfriends.’

While Pinkie walked over to Arctic to hand her the tall soda-glass of frozen-blueberry drink, Fluttershy thought about what the voice was saying to her, and how it some what sounded like Dusk last night. Mean, cold, blunt, but honest.

She had to admit that sometimes she did use her friends as shields to keep her from having her heart broken by a pony rejecting her love but she couldn’t keep doing this; and neither could her friends.

“Fine,” Fluttershy sighed in defeat, dropping her head, and standing up from her seat. However, was stopped by Twilight grabbing onto her hand, and forcing her to look her in the eyes. “Um, yes Twilight?”

“Fluttershy you don’t have to if you’re not ready yet,” Twilight answered, not wanting to force something onto her friend when she wasn’t ready to do so, and neither did the others. “Relationships are a tricky thing and we don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Fluttershy smiled towards her friends, glad that they cared for her, but still willing to talk with the new mare in town. “It’s fine Twilight,” she started, slipping her head out of the alicorn’s. “We can’t run forever.” Her friends watched at Fluttershy took those first few awkward steps towards Arctic, feeling proud of her stepping out of her shell.

However, those steps were hard to make after the last. The closer Fluttershy got the more her heart felt like it was going to claw its way out of her chest. It felt like she was going to break out in tears just from the mere thought of Arctic not paying her any kind of attention. What if Arctic wasn’t really interested in her? What if she was looking at one of her other friends?

These were all the doubts that was running around Fluttershy’s head. All of them were making it harder to walk, let alone speak, but she had to do it. “Um...e-excuse me.” Arctic turned towards Fluttershy, immediately blushing a little when she saw the mare up close, and caught a look at the large wings on her back. “I-is this seat taken?”

’No way,’ Arctic thought to herself, not believing the mare was trying to sit with her. She would have happily opened a seat for the mare but then she remembered that Dusk and the others would want to sit with her. “Um, kind of,” she started, not really wanting to say the words, but not having much of a choice in the manner. “My friends should be-”

Upon universal command, Jinx, carrying Dusk’s new guitar in her hands, walked in with Sketchy pulling Dusk by the ear with a angered look. Once they reached the counter, Sketchy said something to Pinkie Pie, and again pulled on Dusk’s ear.

With a huff of black smoke, Dusk reached into his pocket, and handed Pinkie her necklace. It wasn’t two seconds before Sketchy pulled Dusk over to the other elements to hand them their elements back and then over to Fluttershy to hand her element to her.

“Dusk,” Sketchy started with a P/O’ed tone of voice that got Fluttershy worried about the halfbreed. “Is there something you would like to say to miss Fluttershy?” At first the halfbreed didn’t say anything, but another sharp tug from Sketchy forced him to look the mare in the eyes.

“Sorry for...taking your elements,” Dusk mumbled, handing back Fluttershy her butterfly element, and sighing when he still felt Sketchy’s hand around his ear. “And for making you all run around all day.”

Smiling in satisfaction, Sketchy let Dusk’s ear go with a kiss on the side of his cheek. That’s when Fluttershy remembered about the challenge that she and her friends were forced to agree to and quickly placed the necklace around her neck. “O-oh, it’s not trouble really,” she waved off the forced apology while Jinx happily skipped over to Dusk to wrap her arm around his back.

Fluttershy looked at the two mares showing their affection for the halfbreed in their own way and softly smiled as she hoped that she’ll get to have the chance to do the same with Arctic one day.

“It’s like you’ve said,” Fluttershy started, gaining the attention of Dusk and his mares while Arctic continued to look up towards the mare with a faint blush on her white cheeks. “We should stop taking things to the heart.”

Author's Notes:

Truer words have never been spoken before. Sometimes, we all just got to roll with the punches, and take the crap that coming our way. Even when things are not your fault, or something is out of your control, the best you can do is pick yourself up and move on with your own life. Regardless of how painful it is.

-Till Next Time.