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Dusk Haven

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  1. Dusk Haven
    Dusk blinked at the string of cupcakes bobbing along in Shiny’s magic, then let out a soft laugh. “Only Pinkie Pie could turn a dark, freezing forest into… a dessert buffet,” she said, her tone half-teasing, half-marveling. “I suppose if cupcakes are leading the way, we may as well follow. I’m still not sure about eating sky-fallen baked goods, though.” She gave @Shiny Silvermoon a quick, sidelong grin. “If nothing else, it’s the first time I’ve ever been guided out of danger by frosting. I think I prefer this to the usual monsters and blizzards.” With that, she shifted her stride to match Shiny’s, her eyes still scanning ahead, but the faint smile lingering as they followed the improbable trail. Dusk tilted her head at the cheerful mare, one brow lifting. “Talking to the Moon, hm? I’ve done that more nights than I can count… though I don’t think she’s ever answered me with cupcakes." Her eyes flicked to the offered cupcake, then back to Shiny, a faint smile tugging at her mouth. “I usually prefer to know where my food comes from… but I suppose if anypony can make sky-fallen cupcakes safe, it’s Pinkie Pie. I might add that you are very persistent. I like that." She took the treat in her own violet magic, giving it an experimental sniff, then glanced at @Shiny Silvermoon again. “Thank you. And as for your joke—‘not a piece of cake,’ you say? I’ll have to keep an ear out for more of your dessert wisdom...,” Her grin softened into something almost sheepish as she added, “It has been a long, cold trek. Maybe a little sweetness won’t hurt.”
  2. Dusk Haven
    That does sound wonderful!
  3. Dusk Haven
    Dusk blinked as cupcakes began to rain from the sky, tumbling down in a trail that seemed to point east. She prodded one cautiously with the tip of her hoof; she wasn’t the sort to trust sweets that fell from nowhere. Still, she moved forward, calling out to the scattered ponies and guiding them toward the odd confectionery path. Many were quick to snatch up the cupcakes and eat them, but she abstained—at least for now. Her horn glowed with a steady violet light as the first fingers of sunlight pierced the treeline, landing in soft pools right where the cupcake trail continued. She didn’t look back to see if any of the original group had followed her. She had hoped they would, but she understood. A stranger is often kept at arm’s length—sometimes for good reason. She sighed inwardly and pressed on. Perhaps, by the end of this strange and trying race, that would change. For now, she did what she had always done: she helped where she could. She led when others faltered. She guided. That, for the moment, was enough. She bucked a few trees as the vast cold and darkness receded as they followed the newly rediscovered path. She rustled her wings, a warm grin forming as she looked at the single ingio feather close to her primaries. She wondered what else lay ahead.
  4. Dusk Haven
    Dusk chuckled, the sound low but carrying. “For centuries, I kept to the roads, far from the cities. I walked from village to village, settling disputes, tending the sick and the grieving, lending a hoof wherever it was needed. The roads were long… and often desperately lonely. When you travel in silence that long, you learn to listen to everything—the wind, the earth, even the hush between hoofsteps.” Her voice softened, touched by something unspoken. “It wasn’t until about twenty years before…” She stopped herself, a shadow crossing her eyes, then steadied. “I didn’t truly set hoof in the great cities until about a thousand years ago.” She met @Samurai Equine encouraging gesture with a faint, warm smile. “I’d like that,” she said, her tone carrying both gratitude and resolve. Then she turned to face the ponies gathering in the cold and the fog, her stance firm and wings giving a single, deliberate sweep. Her voice rose, clear and steady. “We can’t wait any longer. Some have already gone deeper into the forest. We need a small, capable group to go after them—lead them out of this unnatural cold and darkness. Who will stand with me and continue this race on the other side?!"
  5. Dusk Haven
    Dusk was about to speak when word reached her that ponies had already ventured deeper into the forest. She let out a quiet breath. “Well, I suppose staying put is no longer an option—at least for some of us. I think a small group should go after them and bring them back to shelter. Others need to see where this darkness and frost end.” She closed her eyes for a moment, shutting out the rustle of nervous chatter. Beneath the voices and the wind, she reached for the rhythm she knew—the quiet pulse of the land itself. “There’s somepony out there,” she said at last, opening her eyes, “either shaping this cold or knowing who is. That’s the one we need to find. The forest doesn’t agree with what’s being done to it.”
  6. Dusk Haven
    "Agreed. It started as a race, and I'm sure it will return to that, but for now, making sure we get through safely is the most important thing. We have an amazing, as you say, Vanguard to do so."
  7. Dusk Haven

    The cutie mark is one of the most defining elements of a personal OC's design, right next to species. I had a cutie mark way back in 2013 when I first designed Dusk, but as I returned to the community, I realized it no longer fit, and perhaps I had designed it too quickly back then. Cutie marks are all about destiny or special talent. I've spent weeks redesigning this new one, and I think I'm about ready for the reveal.

  8. Dusk Haven
    Dusk smiled at @Samurai Equine. “A hug would be lovely.” She waited for her turn and, when it came, wrapped him in a firm squeeze. The heat radiating from his horn melted the last trace of chill clinging to her coat. Up close, she felt his aura—not just strength, but protection. It wrapped around her like a blanket on a winter’s night, shutting out the ice pressing at the door. “Thank you,” she murmured, a little surprised at her own words. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.” “Eh, that’s a long story—mirror portals and the like,” Dusk said with a faint smile. “But know the Princess' and I are not related. I’ve just walked the world as long as Luna has. Celestia, to my knowledge, is the eldest to us all.” Her expression shifted as she noted several ponies pressing on—bravely, or perhaps foolishly—into the deepening dark. It was likely colder further in. “If we go further, we’ll need to stay close,” she cautioned. Her horn flared, violet light spilling stronger against the shadows, bright enough to see several yards further. She turned toward @Nitobit Moonlight, voice low but steady. “Do you see them?”
  9. Dusk Haven
    Dusk chuckled. "No, I have never felt the need for a crown or to rule. In all of my 2,000 years, I've managed to avoid it. The closest I have come is 'Princess Consort', and even that's not an actual Princess. You get it through marrying a Royal. You may call me Dusk Haven, or Dusk for short. Dusk lit her horn, casting violet light over the map. “Hmm. I see your point… but this path feels wrong, almost forced.” She traced a hoof over several spots where markers should have been. “We should have all noticed these signs. Either they were tampered with—or something darker is at work.” Lifting her gaze, she studied their surroundings. The sun barely pierced the canopy here, leaving the forest hushed and heavy. The silence pressed on the ears; no birdsong, no rustle of small creatures. A shiver crawled along her spine. “Listen. There’s hardly any life at all.” Above them, slender branches sagged under new ice, the rainwater hardening to crystal before their eyes. Dusk’s expression tightened before she turned back to @Shiny Silvermoon “I think we should let the others gather and weigh in before we act. For now, stay close—and keep warm. We don't want to cause alarm just yet. Does that seem fair to you?" "
  10. Dusk Haven
    She pressed a hoof lightly to @Nitobit raised hoof, her tone warm despite the frost clinging to her. “I’m Dusk Haven—a stranger in these parts. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her gaze wandered briefly over the makeshift encampment before returning to him. “Yes, that was me. I’ve a knack for listening to the water, for feeling its natural flow, even when it's raging. I thought—if I could cross and didn’t lend a hoof, what sort of pony would that make me? No victory is worth another being hurt.” She gave her wings a brisk shake, scattering ice from her primaries, and flicked her tail, sending a small cloud of frozen powder into the air. Her violet eyes softened. “And you—you don’t strike me as one to shy from a challenge. That is admirable. But we’ve yet to see what form this darkness and frost will truly take. Hold fast to that spirit of yours, and know this: if you should stumble, I will be there. As I trust any one of us in our group would be for the other.”
  11. Dusk Haven
    As Dusk moved among the gathered ponies, listening to their scattered conversations, one voice stood out. A batpony spoke his thoughts to the air, unafraid to give shape to his unease. She stepped closer, her hoofsteps soft, and lowered her voice to @Nitobit. “You may be the first to say it aloud,” she murmured. “I fear this year’s Running of the Leaves has grown into more than anypony expected. Hold on to that vigilance of yours—it may serve you well should something wicked stir.”
  12. Dusk Haven
    Dusk dimmed her horn when the glow of @Samurai Equine’s light reached her. Ice crusted along her wings, forcing her to spread and shake them now and again. Even her flowing mane and tail, normally ethereal as dusk itself, sagged heavy with water and frost. She hardly noticed. She’d been soaked too many times in her life to care. Ahead, the group huddled close, steam rising from mugs of hot chocolate and laughter bright even in the cold. A plate of cookies had been prepared by the @Silverspark184 Spark twins. The sight tugged at her—but when she tried to lift a hoof toward them, it froze in place. In her own world, things had never ended well when she mingled with too many ponies. That memory haunted her still. She stood at the edge of the glow, torn. She missed her world, yes… but this one called to her in ways she hadn’t expected. She turned to leave—then stopped, Luna’s words she had spoken before I went on sabbatical echoing in my thoughts. “Go. Live a little. Try friendship, Little Star. It will ease your spirit.” With a long sigh, Dusk turned back and stepped cautiously toward the circle of ponies fighting the cold together.
  13. Dusk Haven
    Dusk slowed as the path darkened, the air pressing colder with every hoof fall. There was a wrongness here, a weight that prickled against her senses. Somewhere in the mist, a voice called out—rallying ponies to follow behind @Samurai Equine. A small smile tugged at her muzzle. Their exchange earlier had been brief, but yes… that sounded exactly like him. The others would be safe in his care. She squinted through the fog, but the forest was thick with shadow. Even the balloon above hold @Pinkie Pie and @Starlight Glimmerhad vanished from sight. That was fine. She hadn’t felt especially noticed anyway. Drawing in a breath, she recalled the rules: “No magic, except to light the way—or for survival.” Her horn flared to life, violet light spilling into the gloom. Tiny motes of frost spun off her magic, crystallizing in the air before melting away. Damp leaves and sodden branches littered the ground; no tinder worth the effort to gather. She could dry them with a flick of her magic, conjure a blaze, yet that would be cheating. The cold had never troubled her—not truly. To her, this creeping chill was less a threat than a memory from nearly 1,900 years ago. So what was this challenge meant to test? Unity? The will to endure together? To survive, perhaps every racer needed to huddle as one. Or was it a test of resolve—to press on through the dark, even alone? Her ears flicked back as she weighed the choice. Then she angled her steps, keeping forward momentum but drifting toward the greater herd. Strength lay in numbers, after all. And if the darkness dragged on too long, she would find them. Geometry would see to that. She placed a layered shield about her, in case something wicked felt brave and filled the empty time with thoughts of home, what that meant, and if this world was going to be it or not.
  14. Dusk Haven
    One of the things I adore about my story is the joy it has brought to people. According to statistics from A03, Fanfiction, and Fimfiction, my life has been shared with people worldwide. People have left such lovely comments, but then come the art scammers. They begin to fill up Private Messages, saying they loved my story, but can't name a single scene from it. They throw out numbers like $320.00 for a single character and call it a "deal". They have Discord accounts that are only a month or two old. I paint my writing with vivid imagery, and they say they want me to talk about my style of writing, only to move directly into an art commission talk. What's worst of all is that they assume they are going to get money, and they say, "So let's start now." It is beyond frustrating. I was kind to the first six, then last one, and just said I wasn't interested and blocked. I understand art can be expensive, but I also know it varies wildly. I don't know why I wanted to rant about this, but here I am. I love artists, and I want them to make money from their craft, but the scammers make people run to AI. That takes money out of a real, honest, talented artist. Anyway, it's just a thought. - Dusk Haven '
  15. Dusk Haven
    Always happy to see new friends happy!
  16. Dusk Haven

    Looking for a new artist to draw custom work for Dusk Haven. If anyone knows anyone with open commissions, please let me know! 

  17. Dusk Haven
    Congrats!
  18. Dusk Haven
    omg it's perfect! I can't thank you enough! I owe you one!
  19. Dusk Haven
    The artist's name is Artist Ivy! She's amazing!
  20. Dusk Haven

    Looking for somepony who could help make me a banner for the bottom of posts. Anypony know anyone?

    1. Show previous comments  12 more
    2. Dusk Haven

      Dusk Haven

      omg omg omg, yay! Thank you @sparklefan1234

    3. Sparklefan1234

      Sparklefan1234

      @Dusk Havenimageproxy-2_php.gif.f848901ac37d6587f9ce6003feba4d4e.gif

    4. Astralshy

      Astralshy

      Looks like you find the perfect pony duck for the job :>

  21. Dusk Haven
    “The Spark twins,” Dusk repeated respectfully. “Now that sounds like a pair of worthy competitors. If you run into trouble again, call my name. Though truth be told—” she eyed them both, “I doubt you’ll need it. Good luck in the race Ms. @Silverspark184 and Brightspark. I’ll see you at the finish line.” She gave them a wink and a smile before wheeling back toward the trail. Most of the leaves in this stretch had already been shaken free, so she kicked down the stragglers, sending a few golden and brown spirals fluttering into the river breeze. Then she broke into a gallop, mane and tail streaming as she surged ahead. Several minutes later, after overtaking a few more racers and weaving past another, she reached a thicker grove where the canopy still clung heavy with autumn’s weight. She skidded to a halt, spun, and delivered a sharp buck. The trees responded with a crackling sigh, releasing a cascade of reds and golds that showered the path. Dusk laughed under her breath, savoring the rustle of leaves in her wake—then lowered her head and launched forward once more.
  22. Dusk Haven
    Dusk arched a brow as she watched the fillies wrestle their sled into a travel bag. Resourceful little things, she thought, a flicker of approval softening her features. She crouched a few inches lower to make the climb easier, wings slightly outstretched for balance. Once they settled securely against her back, she set her jaw and dared the river a third time. The current clawed at her legs, spray biting against her coat. A stone shifted treacherously beneath one hoof, but she corrected with practiced ease, listening to the pull of the water until the far bank rose beneath her steps. With the worst behind them, she broke into a light canter back toward the marked trail, mane tossing as she turned her neck to check on her passengers. “I believe this is your stop,” she announced, voice dry with amusement. “Thank you for choosing Dusk Haven Transport Services. Please mind your step as you disembark.” A bland joke, perhaps, but it coaxed a smile to her own lips all the same. As the fillies slid down from her back, she softened her tone. “Now then—what are your names, if I may ask? I believe you,” she tipped her head toward the silver-gray-coated one, “are Silverspark. And who is this other brave traveler?”
  23. Dusk Haven
    Dusk nodded sharply. “Stay there—I’m coming!” She stepped back into the river, hooves finding the rhythm she had already mapped, ears tilted to the song of the current. The water tugged at her legs, urging her downstream, but she leaned into the flow, listening for its subtle swirls and eddies. A sudden crack against her withers jolted her—driftwood spun out of the storm surge, glancing off her side. She hissed, brushing the sore spot with a wing, but pressed forward, more cautious now, until the far bank rose before her. She shook the spray from her feathers and lowered her head to them. “Alright, little ones. If you’re ready, climb on my back. Hold tight to my mane, and don’t let go. The water may only reach my knees, but this current could sweep a pony downstream faster than you’d believe if a surge hits.” She noted their sled and thought back on all the times she had watched this event. Magic was forbidden unless it was subtle. She knew that, but what if magic was used to bring a sled across that she was not going to use personally to give her an individual boon for her part in the competition? Maybe a technicality? She was sure she would find out soon enough with @Dynamo Padlooking on. She shrugged her shoulders and figured she would take the chance, even if it cost her some leaf points. "I can take your sled across in my magic if you need it."
  24. Dusk Haven
    As Dusk saw the majority of ponies had made it safely across, she took her wing out and allowed the water to continue its rushing flow. She stretched out the wing, folding it in and out. She certainly wouldn't be flying for a few days unless there was an emergency. She noticed that @Silverspark184 and her companion was discussing their options. Though she had seen their cleverness with the sled to fight the mud, she figured there was no harm in asking if they needed help. She thinks she overheard at least one of their names. "Silverspark! Do you need assistance? The river is angry today! I'd be happy to lend a hoof if you like!
  25. Dusk Haven

    Feeling tired and kinda blah. Having fun with the Running of the Leaves event. Another set of days off gone, and a hard week to follow. One step at a time, Dusk. One step at a time.

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