Vengeance of Dawn

by Scipio Smith

Six Against the World

Chapter 13

Six Against the World

Breaking Dawn levitated her case behind her as she walked forlonly through the quad and out of school gates. It was a well trodden path for her, unremarkable in every way save that this would be the last time she would ever make this journey.

With the gates behind her, Dawn set down her case and sat down upon the pavement, on the very same street where she had fought Shining Armour the day before.

She looked back at the towers of school, looming over the wall. At the buildings visible through the open gates, at the courtyards and the flowerbeds. She could hear the other students talking, shouting, screaming, laughing. Not her. Not any more.

Princess Celestia was somewhere in the school still, watching over the students as she watched over Equestria. And Dawn was forever denied her now.

Breaking Dawn put her head in her hooves and began to sob.

She heard the flap of wings, felt another pony settling down beside her.

"How you holding up, little sunshine?" Razor Wind asked, her voice anxious and unusually tender.

"You must know or you wouldn't be here," Dawn muttered.

Razor hesitated, "Yeah, I know. Kicked you out the door, huh?"

"How did you find out?"

"Laurel. I came here looking for you after you didn't show last night. She told me what had happened. So, how are you holding up?"

Dawn didn't respond, letting her sobbing speak for itself.

"That bad, huh?" Razor said, hugging Dawn. "I'm sorry, Dawny."

"It was always going to end this way. From the moment she took my place, this was how it had to end," Dawn murmured. "She couldn't have me hanging around like a bad smell. But that doesn't...what am I supposed to do now?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that one Dawny," Razor Wind replied.

"Where am I going to go?"

"Well I can answer that one," Razor said, more confidently. "You can stay with me and Cherry, at our place."

Dawn looked at Razor for the first time, "Really?"

"Yeah. For as long as you want until you get back on your feet," Razor smiled. "Come on, let's get you settled in and then we can all-"

"No," Dawn shook her head. "No I don't want to talk to the others right now. I can't. Just you and Cherry, if that's okay."

Razor frowned, but nodded her head, "Yeah, just me and Cherry, got it. Come on, the rest of your life starts now."

Dawn snorted, "What life?"

***

Breaking Dawn stood on the roof of her apartment building, one leg placed upon the ledge itself, looking down to the street below. The wind blew through her mane, making her face tingle. She was not afraid. She would not let herself be afraid.

I stare into a deeper chasm by far as Twilight Sparkle's Firelighter, she mused. If I cannot master this, how will I master the other? If I cannot gaze unflinching this blind abyss, how will I fare when the abyss gazes back?

I will outstare them both, Dawn resolved. I swore when this began that I would trust to friendship's wings to carry me over the canyon between me and my goals. I am still so resolved.

The door onto the roof squeaked open. It was Hardy Bloom, not looking pleased to see her where she was.

"Everypony's waiting for you," she announced. "Um, Dawn, do you have to stand right there?"

"Don't worry, I won't fall," Dawn replied. "You won't let me fall."

"It's a long drop for a trust excercise," Hardy said. "Can you just step away? I want to talk to you."

Dawn raised her head up from staring into the drop, to looking out across Canterlot, "Then talk."

"Rumours are that you, that the Countess, has volunteered to assist Princess Twilight through an arcane unicorn ritual," Hardy said. "Would you mind telling me what's really going on."

Dawn said, "I really am assisting Princess Twilight through an arcane unicorn ritual. Does that surprise you so?"

"Can you blame me if it does?"

Breaking Dawn laughed as she retreated down from the ledge, "Twilight Sparkle is being consumed by dark magic. I'm the only hope she has of being saved from its influence."

"So you'll save her from herself even as you work tirelessly to destroy her life," Hardy mused. "Your sense of morality is...idiosyncratic."

"I told you when this all began that I wasn't the bad guy," Dawn said. "I wasn't a monster, I wasn't going to kill her. I mean to hold to that. True, that doesn't obligate me to save her, but being a princess means you have to help the needy even if you don't like them very much. And, I want to beat Twilight Sparkle. Not her evil alter-ego, not some monster born of dark magic. I want her to be able to look me in the eye as herself and know who it was that defeated her. Because at the moment I don't think she so much as remembers my name and that's just insulting. So if I have to save her in order to beat her then I will."

Hardy nodded, "And what's the selfish reason?"

"The what?"

Hardy chuckled, "Dawn, I've known you a long time and you have many admirable qualities, but altruism isn't one of them. There's a more self-centred reason isn't there."

Dawn pouted, scuffing her hooves along the roof of the building. At last she admitted, "Dark Twilight is stronger than I am. Much stronger. Curb stomp battle stronger. I reckon I could take regular Twilight Sparkle in an unfair fight - I'm faster than she is even if she is still stronger than me - but with that much dark magic coursing through her I wouldn't stand a chance."

"So you're going to weaken her, then strike?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"That's more the Dawny I know," Hardy smirked. "Come on, the others are waiting."

It was still the early morning. The sun was new risen, the morning chorus was still singing and the blackbird had not yet stopped talking. Nopony else appeared as they descended the stairs towards Dawn's apartment. It was as if the rest of Canterlot, reeling from the almost fall of Princess Twilight, was staying in bed today and pretending the whole thing had been a bad dream.

Dawn found her friends crowded around the coffee table, examining the Elements of Harmony.

"Pretty things aren't they?" Razor asked. "You wouldn't guess they were the most powerful magic known to ponies from looking at them."

"Maybe not but so pretty," murmured Hard Candy, almost dazed as she lay on her back, the Element of Laughter wrapped around one hoof, staring at her reflection in the blue gem. "I think I hear it singing to me."

"They call out to us, their rightful bearers," Breaking Dawn said. She had heard the Element of Magic singing to her too, whispering to her, calling to her. She had no idea if the explanation she had just given was correct, but it sounded plausible enough for her to state it confidently.

"I notice that they don't match our cutie marks," Hardy pointed out.

"The physical form of the Elements change constantly," Dawn said. "Once I spark the Element of Magic and activate the elements then the gems will change to fit us."

"You're making this up as you go along aren't you?"

"No I am...conjecturing from known facts. They didn't look like that when they were made, they looked like something completely different, look in the history books if you don't believe me. But now the Element of Magic looks like Twilight's Sparkle's cutie mark, so it stands to reason that when I wrest it from her it will change to look like mine."

"Makes sense to me," Razor said.

Laurel considered, and then nodded, "It is as good a theory as any for their current unique appearance."

Cherry raised one hoof, "What are we going to do with them now?"

"Keep them hidden until we need them," Dawn answered. "Razor, you're in charge of the Elements until then. We can't risk them being discovered before we're ready."

"When are we going to need them?" Hardy pressed. "That was the part of the plan you never told us, even before the plan started to change? Are we going to use them on the zebras?"

"No, they wouldn't work. We're going to stop the zebras, but not with the Elements. They are for something else."

"Like what?" Cherry asked.

"Yes, is Canterlot going to be attacked twice?" Hardy asked with a chuckle. Her chuckle died as she saw the serious expression on Dawn's face.

"Saving Canterlot from the zebras would make us good citizens but it wouldn't make us anything more than that. We need to use the Elements of Harmony if ponies are going to take us seriously as the rightful bearers with all that entails. Sit down everypony."

Everypony sat, crowding around the element-laden coffee table while Breaking Dawn levitated a book off one of the shelves.

"According to this history, Canterlot was originally a mining town, in the days when there was no united Equestria. Unicorns lived up on the surface and then went into the mines to look for gems. I'm sure I took you down into the shallow levels once. But most of the mines are sealed off ─ though some of them were opened during the Changeling invasion. And this book explains why they sealed the mines, while there are still gems down there.
"The unicorns found gems all over these mountains, but never so many as beneath Canterlot. They mined the mountain eagerly, fighting the diamond dogs who were there already for possession of the mines until they drove them out. And then they found there was much worse than diamond dogs in those mines. The early unicorns delved too greedily and too deep. They awoke a monster in the darkness, a demon of shadow and flame: a balrog."

Everypony's eyes were wide by now. Razor said, "A balrog? Seriously, with the wings and the... a balrog?"

Dawn nodded, "The Elements of Harmony didn't exist back then, and the unicorns' magic wasn't strong enough to stop it. Star Swirl the Bearded gave his life to defeat the balrog, sending it to sleep and sealing it within the mines. I'm going to wake it up, let it out and then we are going to use the Elements of Harmony to finish it once and for all."

An astonished silence greeted the revelation of Dawn's plan.

"I can't decide if it's brilliant or insane," Hardy muttered.

"I opt for the latter," Laurel said primly. "Dawn, you can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"You're talking about setting Canterlot on fire so you can save people from the flames," Laurel said. "If something goes wrong─"

"Nothing is going to go wrong, we have the Elements of Harmony!" Dawn said. "The most powerful magic ever known. Nothing can stand against it, nothing at all."

Cherry did not look convinced as she said, "But there are so many ponies who could get hurt."

"We will save them, all of them. Twice in one night. We'll be the greatest heroes that Equestria has ever seen," Dawn began to pace up and down. "We all agreed to do what was necessary to get our due. And this is the final step. We stand on the edge of a golden world if only we have the courage to reach out and take it. And it isn't even as if I'm asking you to take a leap of faith: Elements of Harmony, right here. This is it girls, the culmination of everything we've worked for. Are you really going to turn back now? Go back to the lives you had before? Is this really moment you say no, when the savour of greatness is practically upon our tongues.
"Immortality awaits for those of us who want it. Who will stand with me in the final hour?"

There was a moment of stillness and of silence. Not a sound was heard in the apartment, or through the walls from the rooms on either side. Then Candy trotted over to stand behind Dawn.

"Come on girls, after coming so far don't you wanna find out how the story ends?" Candy asked.

The other four looked at one another, and at Dawn.

Razor Wind got off the sofa, "I've backed you all this way Dawny, no sense in getting off now I suppose. Loyalty, right?"

Dawn smiled, "Thank you."

That left Hardy, Laurel and Cherry. Hardy was staring down at the ground, Laurel was studying her forehoof as if the mysteries of life might be found there. Only Cherry had the guts to meet Dawn's eyes, matching her stare for stare.

"Girls?" Dawn asked.

Hardy sighed, "I'm sorry Dawny but this is too nuts. I mean, you're going to loose a monster on Canterlot? An actual monster, on the place where we live."

"I've already told you─"

"I know you've said that nothing is going to happen and that the Elements of Harmony will stop this thing before anything bad happens, but what if they don't?" Hardy asked. "This plan has always had very little underpinning it, you change tack on the fly and you get away with it because you're clever and lucky. But if this goes wrong you won't be able to change tack, won't be able to come up with a new plan. I'm sorry, it's too much." She smirked. "Was that sugarcoated enough?"

Dawn grinned, "Not really. Laurel?"

"This is Canterlot, Dawn," Laurel said. "Canterlot. I've taught this city's children. I can't put them at risk like this."

Dawn nodded, "I guess that's fair enough. And what about Cherry?"

"You told me I didn't have to be afraid to tell you when you were doing something wrong," Cherry's tone was flat, her voice uncompromising. "You can't possibly believe that this the right thing to do."

Dawn looked away, "I kinda did, as a matter of fact, but I see where your coming from. If anypony gets hurt the fact that I didn't mean for it to happen won't matter much."

Cherry nodded, "You can't drag the whole city into your quest Dawn. These ponies never did anything to you and never supported anypony who did. You've no right to put them in danger."

They stared at one another, and out of the corners of her eyes Dawn saw that Hardy and Laurel were watching her apprehensively.

They think I'm going to throw a tantrum to get my way like I did when we were kids, Dawn realised, the realisation like water dumped over her head. It was uncomfortable, but at the same time it made her smile as she bowed her head, "Funny. I thought that was one of my better speeches."

"Even the best speech can't redeem a bad cause," Laurel murmured.

"You obviously haven't heard me give closing argument," Hardy said. "But in this case, you just asked too much."

Dawn nodded, "I know. Well, that's it then. I'm not going to force you to go along with something that makes you this uncomfortable."

"But Dawny you said─" Candy began.

"Maybe it won't be necessary," Dawn cut her off. "This whole thing has a test by Princess Celestia, a test designed to see if I could come back from adversity. Once she sees that I've passed the test, once I go to her and lay all my accomplishments at her feet, she'll take me back anyway. She will. She has to. Using the Elements would have just been, you know, icing on a cake. And if it is necessary then we will find another way. Nopony will get hurt, and you won't have to do things you disagree with."

"But─" Candy began again.

"Dawn said no," Razor said firmly. "If we aren't doing it then we aren't doing it." She sounded relieved.

"I don't want to fight with you guys any more," Dawn said. "I don't have the right. A few weeks ago I asked you to abandon your lives to help me out. I had nothing to offer, nothing to give you in return but empty promises. But you all came, and now we stand upon the precipice of our triumph. It hasn't always been easy, but that's why I thank you all the more. You're the best friends a pony could have and I couldn't have done it without you girls. I have to go now, but I want to leave good friends behind me and not ponies I just got done fighting with.
"Is that okay? Can we leave as friends?"

Cherry smiled, "Of course we can Dawny, because we are friends. Always."

Cherry lifted up her leg, holding out one hoof. One by one, the others placed their hooves on top of hers.

"One for all," Razor said.

"And six against the world!" the others chorused. That had been their rallying cry, when they were fillies. They were six against the world, so they had to stick together.

That had only become more true now than it had been then.

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own, out there with Princess Twilight?" Razor asked.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," Dawn answered. "Just keep the Elements safe till I return. And somepony look after Numidia too, poor kid's been through a lot."

Cherry nodded, "We will."

"Come back Victorious, Breaking Dawn," Razor shouted as Dawn went into her room to put on her Countess get up.

Dawn turned in the doorway, smiling, "Don't I always?"

***

The air was fresh. It was like after a thunderstorm, when everything had that pine smell. A kind of air of renewal about everything. That was what Twilight Sparkle thought as she waited outside her palace for the Countess of Isla Dantes to come and take her to the chalet where they would conduct her purging.

Makes sense. There was a thunderstorm last night. A thunderstorm that I created. Or is it the scent of dark magic vanquished that I am feeling, and expressing in ways I better comprehend?

Vanquished? Vanquished? Foolish girl. You and I are bound now, from here until time itself comes to an end.

Twilight shoved that voice back into the dark corner it belonged. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I will not give in to you again.

Once was enough, little princess.

Twilight pushed the mocking, laughing voice back into the corner of her mind. The effort of doing so left her legs trembling. Control, she needed to maintain control for just a little longer. She just had to hold on until she could be purged.

You think some mouldering old ritual will get rid of me? Oh you sweet summer child.

Will you shut up?

"Twilight, are you okay?" Spike asked nervously. Unlike Twilight herself, he had a small suitcase sitting on the ground next to him. Twilight had no luggage, she needed nothing but a willingness to succeed.

Twilight closed her eyes, "No, Spike. I'm not okay. But I'll make do, for as long as I need to."

The street around her, the courtyard behind her, all were deserted. Doubtless nopony wanted to be seen around the half-mad tyrant Twilight Sparkle. Even her friends, those she had not sent away, had held off in fear of her. All her guards, all her servants, none of them wanted to see her, or to be seen with her.

A few weeks ago I waltzed in a shimmering gown into the heart of Princess Celestia's palace. A month before that I stood upon the balcony as great crowds cheered my name. Only a few days ago they would have bowed for me in the streets and garlanded my way with flowers. Now even my best friends cower from me.

Thus fade all passing glories of the world.

"You know Spike," Twilight said. "I'm not an alicorn like Celestia or Luna are, more like Cadance. So even with these wings you'll probably live longer than I will."

Spike frowned, "Twilight, you shouldn't be talking about this stuff─"

"But when you grow up, and I'm not around to tell you what to do any more, don't become like other dragons. Don't store up riches and jewels until they drive you mad with needing to possess them. Don't try and be feared, don't intimidate folks into obeying you. Don't try for crowns. Because none of it lasts. One day it will all blow away like sycamore seeds, scattered to the wind. Do you understand?"

Spike shook his head.

"You will, some day."

"Why are you talking like this Twilight?" Spike said worriedly.

Twilight sighed, "You're right, it isn't good for me. I should try and keep my mind busy." The first encounter between the Crystal Empire and the Three Pony Tribes took place on the Kalends of February in the Year 503 Before Celestia. The Pegasi vanguard, under the personal command of Hurricane, was moving through Snow-Bear Pass when they were intercepted by a party of Crystal Knights. The knights, led by Emerald Ray, challenged Hurricane...

There was the sound of hooves clip-clopping on the street as a carriage pulled by a quartet of zebras rounded the street corner before coming to a halt in front of Twilight and Spike. The footmare was also a zebra.

The red door of the carriage opened, and the Countess Mercedes leaned out, "Your Highness. I am sorry if I have kept you waiting."

Twilight smiled as best she could, ignoring the mixed feelings of kindship and loathing that the countess was inspiring in the back of her mind, "It's okay. Thank you again, for doing this."

"It is the least I could do for the student of Celestia," the Countess replied.

"Still, thank you. Zebras?"

"Lord Mathos and I have become quite the good friends," said the Countess. "Rest assured they will not disturb the ritual. Now, you are ready? You have already made your goodbyes inside the palace?"

"Um, not exactly, but─"

"Twilight, wait!"

Twilight turned to see Pinkie Pie running out of the palace across the courtyard, followed closely by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"You weren't going to go away without saying goodbye were you?" Pinkie Pie asked as she came to a stop, her blue eyes looking like they might well with tears.

Twilight's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, "I didn't think that you would-"

"We thought you were going to come and tell us when you ready to leave," Rainbow Dash said. "Not sneak off without saying a word."

"You mean, you weren't afraid of me?"

"Of course not silly, why would we be scared of you, Twilight?" Pinkie said with a grin.

In the face of their earnest gazes of unbelief, Twilight found herself giggling madly, "I guess that's another thing I owe you an apology for."

Fluttershy shook her head, "You don't owe us anything Twilight, except to get well soon. We just wanted you to know that we'll be waiting for you when you get back."

"I know, and I will come back," she hoped so anyway, but now wasn't the time to dampen their show of forgiveness with her continued misgivings. Twilight gave them one last look as she and Spike climbed into the carriage.

Savour the sight of them, it will be your last.

This time, Twilight had no difficulty in ignoring the voice at the back of her head. Earthly glories might pass and fade but friendship, love, the bond between souls and hearts, those things never did.

Nor ever shall, Twilight thought, as the carriage began to drive away, the hooves of the zebras clattering on the cobblestones. That's why I have to win this.

Author's Note:

So, I didn't keep my promise about a longer chapter did I? It was going to be longer, with a betrayal of Dawn and much hurly-burly, but I decided that a lot of first act plotting like that didn't really fit seven chapters from the end, so you get a more streamlined rush to the finish.

Hopefully you agree I kept my promise about lighter chapters. Next chapter, which I'm working on now, even has a brief CMC scene and you can't get much lighter than that.

Comments

[Rathalos122]

Next chapter, which I'm working on now, even has a brief CMC scene and you can't get much lighter than that.

I want to see the ritual and not get distracted by the cmc -.-

[lilmagi]

"I'm not an alicorn like Celestia or Luna are, more like Cadance. So even with these wings you'll probably live longer than I will."

huh. So you subscribe to that theory?

[Valumior]

Aaaaannd... I'm still rooting for the empire. Go Dawn I guess.

[terrycloth]

2885554 I read that as 'see the ritual destroyed by the cmc'.

[xTSGx]

I'm glad the whole "release a monster onto Canterlot and hope that the untested Elements work" plan was shot down. That had [Grimdark] written all over it.

[Lord Tywin Lannister]

You are so getting sued for copyright infringement if Peter Jackson ever reads this.

[Spiritus Arcane]

Like I said, I want Dawn to 'win' just so Celestia can throw it all back in her face. At least Twilight has dark magic as an excuse for stuff she's done lately. And good thing the rest of the 'wannabe six' (minus Razor) had the brains to tell her what a bad idea unleashing a monster on Canterlot just to prove a point was.

[Arzoo]

Little thick on the references this time, in my opinion. Definitely lighter, though. The mind control stuff was as dark as it gets (and still feels overpowered)

Poor Cadance is still basically dead, and I suspect Dawns plan involves releasing the demon anyway and putting her friends in a position where helping is the only option (though would she recognize that that would nearly guarantee their failure?)

[Jordan179]

I can see absolutely no way that waking a Balrog under Equestria's capital city in order to use the Elements to stop the Balrog from destroying the city could possibly go wrong. This is a great plan! I am proud to be a part of this plan!

The Zebra warriors will only make the ensuing battle more extra-special minty fun!

Star Swirl the Bearded gave his life to defeat the balrog

Considering just of whom I have him be a reincarnation in my fanon, he would have been thinking "Oh crap, not again," at the point of the final battle ...

[Yami Vizzini]

The early unicorns delved too greedily and too deep. They awoke a monster in the darkness, a demon of shadow and flame: a balrog.

...Seriously?
Honestly, all the reference-cribbing has gone back and forth between distracting and cool, but finally revealing a vital plot point in that manner kind of makes this feel like parody and snaps me out of the story.

...after coming so far don't you wanna find out how the story ends?

Got me there.

This whole thing has a test by Princess Celestia, a test designed to see if I could come back from adversity.

Uh, no it hasn't, Dawn.

Once she sees that I've passed the test, once I go to her and lay all my accomplishments at her feet, she'll take me back anyway. She will. She has to.

What accomplishments? Mindraping two of her relatives, committing perversion of justice and burglarizing a vital piece of national security?... You stupid fucking bitch. Only fitting that your little clique is finally breaking, even as Twilight moves toward reconciliation with hers. On good terms, sure- just like Twilight was on good terms with her friends when she started researching dark magic. This is an MLP story, anything coming between friends is a bad thing.

[Carnation83]

I'm going to be very blunt.
I've been enjoying this story so far. I had reservations about the Shakespeare's "play within a play" shout out you did, but you write the characters so well, I was letting that slide.

And I really like you have the bad guys be Zebras instead of the default Dragons/Griffons.

But a Balrog?! Seriously?

I'm going to finish the story, but you lost a fav from me.

[Enderstorm]

What on earth is a balrog

[Stet709]

"No I am...conjecturing from known facts. They didn't look like that when they were made, they looked like something completely different, look in the history books if you don't believe me. But now the Element of Magic looks like Twilight's Sparkle's cutie mark, so it stands to reason that when I wrest it from her it will change to look like mine."

Slight problem with that, Dawny. The Element of Magic has always looked like the 6-pointed star that is Twilight's cutie mark. It was that way when Celestia wielded it against Discord, it was that way when she wielded it against Nightmare Moon. And it's even on the stone that held the element. So Twilight was always destined for it.
You, on the other hand/hoof, were never worthy of it. The disasterous mixture of your flaws guarantee that.