Chapter 43: Planning the Experiment

Dusk, Zephyr and Twilight spent the next few hours talking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. They had all forgotten about their physical/mental woes as they conversed. Zephyr only briefly remembered his pain, when Nurse Redheart had given Zephyr some more of the pain killers. It was 10:35PM when Dusk decided to leave, so he could get back to Fluttershy’s, but before he could, Twilight requests something of him.

“Dusk, do you mind if you could be part of an experiment I’m starting in a few days?” Asks Twilight.

He seems intrigued by the prospect, “An experiment? What are you testing?”

“I’m trying to figure out some of the special and somewhat magical things that I’ve seen pegasi do.” Explains Twilight.

He gives her a confused, yet bewildered look, "Magical things? Where are you getting at here?"

“Well, I’m trying to figure out if there is some sort of hidden magic held within all pegasi.”

“Hmm, and what would you be testing for? I’m sure you may know this already, but you can’t just base it on opinion.”

“Of course I know this Dusk, that is why I’ll be testing you, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy for something that I’ve noticed about all of you. You have that state, where your eyes go red and your physical ability increases, while-“

“I call it Level 4 Rage.” Interrupts Dusk.

“And why can’t I be involved?” Asks Zephyr.

She sighs in annoyance, “Because I haven’t found anything special about you that is worth testing… although I can think of one thing which comes close…” She gives him the 'bedroom eyes'.

‘I don’t really wanna know.’

“But I can only think of three valid things that can be tested, Dusk’s ‘Rage Mode’, Rainbow’s ability to do a Sonic Rainboom, and Fluttershy has the Stare. I’m going to test if they all have a magical connection, and if so, then I might extend the experiment.”

Dusk is really liking this idea, “Alright Twi, I’ll do it. When do you want me to arrive?”

“Two days, in the library, at about 4PM.”

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Dusk had waved goodbye at the couple and left the hospital, intent on getting back to Fluttershy’s. He has completely forgotten his regret, of what happened earlier today, and he has a small spring on his step as he walks back to her home.

He walks through the town, and couldn’t help but feel that he is walking through a ghost town. Nopony else was walking out on the streets, and the lights of the nearby houses are off. The only thing he could hear, were his own hoofsteps as he walks through the streets. There isn’t even any cricket calls, or bird songs echoing throughout the town.

‘Note to self, don’t walk through Ponyville at night.’

As he neared the outskirts of town, he could hear a very light throbbing coming from the south of town. He tried to see where the noise is coming from, but he couldn’t see anything. He walks backwards, to see if he could find the noise emitter. After walking back a few hundred metres, he could see what is making the noises, the familiar nightclub known as Party United.

‘So, Ponyville isn’t a ghost town anymore.’

He walks out of the area with the new piece of useless information in his mind. He walks down the pathway to Fluttershy’s, occasionally looking behind in paranoia. He felt... uncomfortable to be walking, alone, in the middle of the night.

He breathes a sigh of relief, when he sees the cottage in the distance, which is illuminated by the moonlight.

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He opens the door to Fluttershy’s home, and immediately wonders...

‘Does nopony lock their doors in Ponyville? I have never seen a single locked door in my time here.’

He forgets his observation, and steps inside. It is pitch black inside the house, and he presumes that this is because Fluttershy had gone to sleep. He begins to slowly move towards the staircase, using his sense of touch to manoeuvre around any obstacles. His eyes adjust to the darkness, and he could see faint lines where the furniture is supposed to be. He silently walks through the cottage, and up her staircase.

As he enters her room, he could see his marefriend’s sleeping form, under the covers. He could see a lot easier in this room, because the moonlight is seeping into the room through the open curtains. She was quietly breathing in her sleep, and he saw her body slow expand and descend with every slow breath. It looks like she is trying to hold something in her sleep. Dusk quietly d’awws at Fluttershy, until he decides to slip into the other side of the bed.

He looks at her, and give her a light hug, and he whispers, “I love you, Fluttershy.”

He dozes of moments later, tired after a quite eventful day. He hasn’t felt so relieved to feel the comfort of a warm bed, for a long time... Next Chapter: Chapter 44: Downpour Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 28 Minutes