Chapter 27: Curiosity of the Apple

“Well... that date was interesting, to say the least.” Says Dusk.

“They made me feel... uncomfortable. I didn’t think that Twilight is like that.” She quietly says.

“Well, being in a relationship can bring out the best or worst in ponies. Trust me, I know this for a fact.” Dusk remembers back to the Blizzard/Cloudie incident a few years ago.

The two were silent for the rest of the walk home. The unique sound of crickets fills the air, as the disturbed couple walk.

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About 10 minutes later, Dusk breaks the silence by asking Fluttershy a question, brought up by his curiosity.

“So Fluttershy, Zephyr and I saw you and Twilight discussing something, and at one point, you went pale, and your wings were fully erect. Why was that?”

“Um...” She begins to get nervous, “I... I don’t think that you’ll want to hear it Dusk.”

“Try me.”

“She told me about her 1st date.” She begins to cringe at the thought.

“Ahh, yes, Zephyr told me about that already. I presume that she didn’t leave out the more private details.” He says.

“...How did you know?” Questions Fluttershy.

“You wouldn’t of had a wingboner if she didn’t tell you.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

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The two had both made it back to the house at a late hour. They had not bothered washing up, as they were still clean after the accidental double date. They had gotten themselves out of their suit/dress and began to look like their normal selves again. Dusk looks at the time on the clock, 7:52PM.

“Shy, I think that it is a bit early to call it a night, you have anything that we could do?” Asks Dusk.

“We could watch a movie together, if you’d like to.”

“You know what Shy, I reckon that might be a good idea. Will you set it up in the bedroom, or the lounge room?”

“In the bedroom.”

“Good choice Shy.”

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For the next hour, Fluttershy and Dusk had been ‘watching’ the movie. Fluttershy had decided to put on a comedy movie, but they were barely even watching it. They were both in each others forelegs and passionately kissing the other.

When the movie ended, they decided to call it an early night, so they both put the TV away, and both got into her bed. They both fall asleep a few minutes later.

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Dusk awakes from his slumber, at an early hour, as per usual. He gets out of the bed, and stretches his forelegs and rubs his eye. Despite his tendency to wake up at an early hour, he is not a morning pony. He exits the house, while yawning, so he can go to work at the Sweet Apple Acres.

He walks along the pathway to the apple farm, for 15 minutes, when he sees Big Mac outside, getting ready for today’s work.

“Hey Big Mac.”

“Hello Dusk, good to see ya back at work again.” He approaches Dusk, and looks at the bandage wrapped around his body. “How did you get that?” He asks.

‘Oh crap, I don’t want to tell anypony about how I got my injury, because they’ll worry about me, and then try to find out why I got it. I don’t want to tell them why, if Fluttershy is still uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. I guess I’ll have to lie.'

“I was running a few days ago, and then I tripped, onto something sharp, and that gave me a rather nasty cut.” Lies Dusk.

Big Mac looks sceptical, as he doesn’t believe what Dusk told him. “I’m the older brother of the Element of Honesty. I can tell that you are lying Dusk. What really happened to you?”

Dusk sighs, knowing that he is going to have to tell him what really happened. “OK you got me, but you need to make sure that you don’t tell anypony.” The red stallion nods. “I was in a fight, against four other stallions, and I was stabbed in the side of my body.” He points to the exact spot, and continues. “All of the other cuts on my back were also because of that fight.”

Big Mac looks concerned, “Why the hay did you get into a fight against four armed stallion?!”

“Only Fluttershy and I know. She doesn’t want me to tell anypony as of yet, and I feel the same way.”

“...OK then Dusk, I understand. Anyway, you will be working with Applejack today. She is now comfortable with you, after Miss Fluttershy told her about you.”

“Sweet, thanks Macintosh.”

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Big Mac has woken everypony up, as he usually does, and they had started working. Dusk joins up with Applejack, who is bucking the apples off the trees.

“Heya Applejack.”

“Howdy Dusk,” She looks at the bandage, wrapped around the middle of his body. “How did ya injure yourself?” She asks in a worried tone.

Dusk decides to try and use the same lie that he did with Big Mac, hoping for better results. “I was running to Fluttershy’s house a few days ago, but I tripped over, and I fell on something quite sharp.”

Applejack slowly shakes her head, “Dusk, ya know that ya can’t lie to me. How did ya really get injured?”

Dusk sighs in defeat, for the second time that day, “I was in a fight with a group of armed stallions, and while I was fighting, I got stabbed on the side.”

Applejack looks shocked, “Why in tarnation did ya pick ah fight with these stallions?!”

“It’s a long story, I’d rather not tell anypony at the moment.”

“Ya really need tah tell me Dusk. I don’t want you to run into any stupid fights.”

“You don’t need to worry about me Applejack, I’ll be fine.” Desperately says Dusk, who is hoping that Applejack doesn’t look anymore into this.

“Ah worry about ya Dusk. First your wing, and now this. Ya really need tah tell me what happened.”

‘I’m going to have to tell her, aren’t I. I’m sorry Fluttershy.’

“Fine, I’ll tell you.” Applejack has a satisfied look on her face. “I have this 6th sense that tells me if anypony I know is in serious trouble, and it told me that she was...” The farm mare, has a concerned look.

Dusk continued, “So I was looking for her, and I visited your place, as well as all of her friends place, but she wasn’t at any of the homes, so I walked back home, and I found Shy surrounded by a group of four stallions, and from what I heard, they wanted to rape her...” Applejack was horrified with what she was hearing, and she started to feel bad for making Dusk tell her this.

“...so I stepped in, in a massive rage, before they could do anything to her, and knocked out three of the four stallions. But as I tried to take out the last one, he stabbed me in the side of my body. When he approached Fluttershy, I surprised him and I ended up possibly killing him. She took me to the hospital, and as it turns out, I nearly died of blood loss. Does that answer your question?” He finishes aggressively.

Applejack is in tears after hearing all that she did. “Ah-ah didn’t think that *sniff* anypony could be so-so-so horrible. I wouldn’t like to-to think of wha-what would of happened to poor Fl-Fluttershy if you weren’t there. It-it-it’s just...” Applejack begins to break down, distraught about what almost happened to Fluttershy. The best thing that Dusk could do, is to try and comfort her.

‘This is why I didn’t want to tell anypony.’ Next Chapter: Chapter 28: Misunderstanding Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 48 Minutes