Vengeance of Dawn

by Scipio Smith

Applejack Takes Charge

Chapter 14

Applejack Takes Charge

A few hours rail-ride down the tracks from Canterlot, on the outskirts of sleepy Ponyville, the Cutie Mark Clubhouse nestled in its tree. The sun shone brightly in through the heart shaped windows, illuminating the three familiar fillies within. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo squatted on the floor amongst the scribbled drawings, discarded lists and other paraphernalia of cutie mark attempts failed, not yet attempted, or else discarded before they were even tried once the Crusaders realised that there were some things too ridiculous even for them to contemplate.

At the moment Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were not planning fresh crusading, but rather listening to Sweetie Belle, who had the floor and was pacing up and down most of it.

"I just don't understand it, not one bit," Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Rarity came home last night without telling anypony she was coming, and when she did get home she must have arrived in the middle of the night because nopony saw her. And this morning Carousel Boutique is still closed and she won't come out of her room. It doesn't make any sense, why would she come back all by herself and why would she creep back in the middle of the night. She didn't even tell me she was coming. I would have made her breakfast!"

"Maybe that's why she didn't tell you," Scootaloo sniggered before Sweetie Belle threw a pillow at her head.

"This is serious! She's locked herself in her room and she won't let anypony in. I went to try and say hi and stuff and she yelled at me to go away. Normally she gives me a chance to get her good and mad first. Something's happened to her, I know it."

"Does sound kinda fishy," Apple Bloom agreed. "I don't reckon Applejack knew Rarity or anypony was comin' back from Canterlot. She ain't said nothin' if she did, and it definitely ain't like mah sister to go aroun' keepin' secrets. And it definitely don't make no sense to get a midnight train when they could just stay another night in Twilight's palace and come home in the mornin'."

"Something happened to Rarity in Canterlot, and we've gotta get to the bottom of it," Sweetie Belle said.

"Okay! Cutie Mark Crusaders private investigators here we come," Scootaloo declared.

Apple Bloom gave her side-eye, "Or we could just tell Applejack that Rarity's back and ask her to go have a word with her. Ah'm sure she'll tell Applejack what's goin' on."

"Aw, where's the fun in that?"

"This isn't about fun, this is about helping Rarity. And maybe the others too," Sweetie Belle insisted.

"Yeah, but there's no reason we can't do both," Scootaloo said. "Come on, check it out: Cutie Mark Crusaders Psychotherapists!"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared at Scootaloo, then at one another.

"Ah vote we go talk to Applejack," Applebloom raised one hoof in the air.

"Me too," Sweetie Belle said quickly.

"Aw, come on girls..."

***

Rarity sat upon the bed and wallowed in whatever it was ponies were supposed to wallow in. She still hadn't figured that one out.

She'd have to leave town. As soon as Twilight returned, if not before. She had been cast out of the royal gaze, it would be unforgivable if Twilight should have to see her every day. No, Rarity would have to go. The years spent building a business, building a home all gone in an instant of royal displeasure. She'd have to say goodbye to Sweetie Belle and her parents, pack up her choicest fabrics and move on. Perhaps she could head to the big city and seek her fortune in Manehattan. They had their own version of high society there, she might very well fit right in.

It wouldn't be Ponyville of course, wouldn't be home. But it would be a roof over her head, and that was better than the alternative.

"Oh, has any mare ever fallen so far, so fast," Rarity moaned in operatic despair. "From the lofty heights of greatness to the very lowest depths of infamy? Has anypony ever lost so much: the respect of her fellows and the friendship of her true companions? Oh, woe is me!" she rolled onto her back, the better to wring her hooves in high-flown misery.

"I shall not go," Rarity continued. "I shall lie here on this bed and die of a broken heart, then everypony will regret every harsh word they ever said to me. But it will be too late to take it back, too late! Ah, hear lies Rarity, perished of rejection." She placed one hoof upon her forehead. "Oh, but who would feed Opalesence?"

There was a heavy knocking sound upon the door. Applejack's voice carried in from the other side, "Rarity, open the door. I know you're in there."

Rarity turned over onto her side, showing her back to the bedroom door, "Go away! I'm pining over my cruel fate."

Rarity could practically hear Applejack rolling her eyes, "Rarity, I need to talk to you, open this door."

"What do you and I have to talk about, why don't you ask the little gossip who told you I was back to give you the details?"

"Sweetie Belle was just worried about you, she told me you weren't coming out of your room. You sound like you need some fresh air."

"Sweetie Belle? Oh, the betrayal! Struck down by the one I trusted most! You too, my sister? Then fall, Rarity!"

"Rarity, ah don't have time to stick your cat up a tree again," Applejack shouted. "Now are you gonna open this door or do ah have to buck it down?"

"Absolutely not, you'll ruin the fittings," Rarity leapt off the bed in fright at the thought of her poor door in receipt of Applejack's iron feet. Slipping her hooves into her pink slippers, she crossed the bedroom, unlocked the door and opened it to reveal Applejack stone-faced upon the other.

"Good morning, darling," Rarity said. "What can I do for you?"

"What's going on, Rarity?"

"Oh, you know, this and that," Rarity murmured. "So anyway, enough about me, let's talk about you. How was the zap apple harvest?"

"Stop changin' the subject," Applejack was as relentless as a locomotive. "Why'd you come back on yer own without telling anypony, why haven't ah heard a peep out of y'all since before the zebras arrived and why the hay are you mopin' about the place like a beaver in dry season?"

Rarity placed one hoof upon her troubled brow, "Oh Applejack, you don't know. You can't know-"

"Yes, ah don't know because nopony would so much as write me a letter," Applejack snorted. "It ain't like I live in the middle of the forest ya know, Derpy knows how to find Sweet Apple Acres. Most likely. Now, can you cut out all the frou-frou stuff and just tell what in tarnation is goin' on?"

Rarity sighed deeply, lowering her hoof, "I'm sorry Applejack. We should have let you know what was happening but, in the confusion, I suppose it slipped our minds. Well, that's part of the reason."

Applejack nodded, "What's the rest?"

Rarity looked away, flinching in pre-emptive embarrassment, "I'm afraid this isn't a story in which a lot of ponies come out looking particularly good."

Applejack's face was stoically expressionless, inviting confidence without passing judgement.

Rarity hesitated, "Do we have to talk right now? This isn't a story I want to tell you while I'm standing in my bed robe with you in the doorway."

Applejack rolled her eyes impatiently, "Fine then, we'll do it at my place. You can have somethin' to eat while you explain why you were about to shut yerself up in your room and not eat anything. Yes, that's probably for the best. We'll go back to Sweet Apple Acres, and then you can tell me absolutely everything." She gave Rarity a very knowing look.

Rarity chuckled nervously, "Yes of course darling. Absolutely everything."

Applejack led the way to Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity following quietly and docilely behind.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had definitely done the right thing in coming to her, Applejack decided. She had not been certain at first, thinking that there might have been a simple explanation for Rarity's behaviour, but the more she observed of Rarity's almost squirrely behaviour the more she became convinced that there was something to get to the bottom of.

Nopony comes out of this looking good, huh? I wonder what that means.

Sweet Apple Acres lay spread out before them, the apples rich red and lustrous, the corns healthy and golden. Big Macintosh was hauling several cartloads of apples into the barn, while Granny Smith sat out on the porch on her rocking chair, dozing in the summer heat. Apple Bloom was nowhere to be seen, probably gone back to the clubhouse with the other crusaders. Probably for the best, getting Rarity to spill the beans would be easier without interruptions.

"Come on in, pardner, make yerself comfortable," Applejack said. "I'll make us some tea, make sure your throat don't dry up."

When the tea was made, the two mares sat down on opposite ends of the Apples' modest kitchen table, a plate of warm apple fritters lying between them along with the old tin kettle. The cosy homeliness of the room seemed to settle Rarity's nerves a little and she looked calmer than she had done in her bedroom. Applejack stood up to pour two cups, then sat down again.

"Now then," Applejack said. "What's been happenin' while I've been away?"

"Just a moment darling, please," Rarity said, taking a small sip of tea. Then a small bite of apple fritter. Which she chewed upon excessively. Then she drank some more tea. Then raised the fritter for another bite.

"Rarity!"

"All right, all right," Rarity snapped, setting tea and fritter down both. "I suppose there's no help for it is there. The truth is darling, a lot has changed since you came back here from Canterlot. I'm afraid you might not recognise us as we are now. You might not even want to."

"Ah'm listenin'."

"Everything was going perfectly well," Rarity began, her voice settling into a more melodious tone. "Preparations for the arrival of the zebras filled every mind. I was commissioned to make some glamourous gowns and stunning suits. We were all having a most delightful time. Not that we wouldn't have enjoyed it all the more if you'd been there of course."

"Ah don't need you to flatter me Rarity, ah don't worry about bein' thrown out the group every time ah turn mah back," Applejack said. "So? Everything was goin' great, somethin' must have gone wrong."

"Oh something went wrong. Something went terribly wrong. On the very night of the ambassadors' reception, Princess Cadance herself was poisoned!"

Applejack's eyes widened, "Poisoned? Why stompin' sasssquashes! What kind of poison? Is she..."

"She has lost all memory of herself," Rarity said. "Of her life, her marriage, her friends. It broke poor Twilight's heart when Cadance couldn't remember who she was."

"Good golly gosh," Applejack murmured. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if Big Mac or Apple Bloom just woke up one morning and said to her 'Who the hay are you and what are you doing in my house?' If you couldn't remember your own family then, you didn't have nothin'. Poor Twilight. Applejack glared at Rarity in absence of anypony else to glare at, "And you didn't think that that was somethin' ah might want to know about? That ah might have wanted to be there for Twilight?"

"As I told you Applejack it was a great shock, none of us were thinking clearly," Rarity said.

Applejack nodded, "Ah suppose it wuz a pretty dark twist by the sound of it."

"Yes, everything had been going so nicely before that, and then suddenly everything seemed to take a turn for the tragic," Rarity observed. "Very strange. Anyway, it was at that point that our troubles really got started and a kind of madness seemed to take over Canterlot."

That doesn't sound good.

"I started getting letters from Shining Armour," Rarity said. "He said that he had poisoned Cadance himself, so that he could be rid of her and be with me instead. He acted like we were in love, as though we had been planning a tryst."

"You and Shining Armour?" Applejack frowned. "Now that don't make a lick of sense. He'd have had to fool everypony for weeks, months even. He ain't that good an actor." That was what she liked about Twilight's brother: what you saw was what there was. He looked like an earnest, brave, devoted stallion and he was. There was no hidden darkness there. "Don't make a lick of sense," Applejack repeated. "What did Twilight have to say about these there letters?"

"I, um, I didn't tell her," Rarity confessed. "Not the smartest decision I know. But she was under so much pressure. She shut herself up in her room working with Spike on ways to get Cadance's memory back. With hindsight leaving her there was another decision that was not so smart, but nopony knew that at the time. None of us could have guessed what would happen next."

There was a moment of expectant silence.

"Well go ahead, don't leave me hangin' here," Applejack said.

"Oh, yes, of course." Rarity took another quick sip to wet her throat. "That, oh that viper, the Countess Mercedes Zaccone, she found out about it somehow: about the letters that Shining Armour had been sending. She staged a play like the poisoning of Cadance, suggesting that Shining Armour and I had been in cahoots about the whole thing."

"What did you do? What did Shining Armour do?"

"I was all ready to confront that mare and give her a piece of my mind, but then Shining Armour just up and confessed to everything. In front of Twilight! Twilight was half out of her mind already with stress and the strain of the dark magic she's using to try and help Cadance-"

"Dark magic?" Applejack said in unbelieving tones. "Twilight is using dark magic?"

"Yes," Rarity murmured. "I'm afraid it's doing her no good at all. But that isn't the worst of it. She didn't believe me when I protested my innocence. She thought I had led Shining Armour on, led him to poison Cadance and so she, oh it's so horrible I can barely say it, she banished me!"

"She what now?"
"I've been cast out! Forbidden from ever being in Twilight's sight again! Oh, as well forbid a flower to turn towards the sun! Now you see why I couldn't talk to you, couldn't talk to anypony, because then I would have to confess the shame, the shame! I know that I will have to leave here soon, but I wanted to retain my dignity a little longer. Is that so terrible."

"Ah suppose not," Applejack rolled her eyes. "But somepony should have sent me a message, because then I could have told you what a load of hooey all this is."

Rarity frowned, "Whatever do you mean Applejack?"
"Look, ah know that when you're in the thick of things a lot of real stupid decisions seem to make perfect sense," Applejack said. Like running away from home to never come back because you didn't win in a rodeo. "And ah'm sure that you did the best you could at the time. But look at it from the outside just a second: have you ever seen a couple more in love than Cadance and Shining Armour because I sure ain't? Yet everypony just believed that he'd done it?"

"Because he said so."

"And he swore up and down that the Queen of the Changelings was helpin' him with his migraines, when all along she was messin' with his head," Applejack said. "Sad to say the boy ain't got the best record when it comes to keepin' his head his own." Applejack got up, set her hat back on her head, and strode briskly to the door, "Big Macintosh?"

"Eeyup?" Big Mac responded from outside.

"I'm goin' be gone again for a few days, can you take care of things here?"

"Eeyup."

"Thanks, big brother," Applejack shouted. She turned back to Rarity, "How you didn't unpack your bags Rarity, cause we're on the next train back to Canterlot."

Rarity blinked, "But didn't you hear? Twilight has cast me out!"

"Oh, that mare can get more full of hot air than Rainbow Dash in public sometimes," Applejack said. "If she hasn't changed her mind already I'll be shocked silly. And if she really means it then that proves even more how much she needs our help. Come on girl, she needs us. You have to see that."

Rarity got up slowly, "We should never have let you leave Canterlot, Applejack."

"Darn straight."

***

In the solar of the Twilight Palace, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie sat rather aimlessly upon quilted chairs, paying so little attention to the luxury around they might as well have been sitting on a cloud in the teeth of a biting wind. The fire warmed them not, the elegant cushions seemed hard as knotted wood, the wall hangings did not please their eyes. Twilight's absence was the loss of moon and stars, and they wandered blind in the resulting darkness.

"It doesn't feel right us being here," Pinkie Pie murmured. "This is Twilight's place. Without her, it feels kinda like trespassing or something."

"Maybe we should go back to Ponyville?" Fluttershy suggested.

"What? We can't go back now," Rainbow Dash said. "You want us to run away? We can't leave until we get the Elements of Harmony back."

"But we aren't looking for the Elements," Fluttershy pointed out.

Rainbow Dash's mouth contorted with words unspoken before she forced out, "Well, we will! As soon as I get these bandages off I'm gonna find that pegasus and give her what for." She rubbed the bandages wrapped around her head. The doctor had said they would be off in a couple of days, and Rainbow Dash was counting the seconds. "Besides, if we left there'd be nopony here when Twilight came back."

"I guess," Fluttershy mumbled. "But, what are we going to do then?"

The door to the solar was flung open, striking the wall with a loud crack.

"Ah leave y'all alone for a few days and you fall apart without me," Applejack strode in, grinning a little, followed by a chastened-looking Rarity.

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash leapt out of her seat, hovering up in the air.

"You came back," Fluttershy gasped.

"Yup, I came to help y'all sort out this mess," Applejack said. "Sounds like you've been getting into a lot of trouble while I've been away."

"You got that right, now the Elements of Harmony have been stolen," Rainbow Dash said.

"Tarnation! Well that proves Shining Armour didn't do it."

"But he said he did," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Maybe, but ah bet them unicorns got ways of making you say things you don't mean," Applejack said. "Besides, do you really think the Elements bein' stolen isn't connected to everythin' else that's been goin' on?"

"Well, if you put it like that," Rainbow Dash nodded. "But with Twilight going crazy and all-"

"She what?"

"Well she's better now. Kind of. This countess unicorn has taken her out of town─"

"She went on vacation with that mare?" Rarity demanded, outraged.

"Oh, no, it's not a vacation," Fluttershy's tone was soft, reassuring. "It's a ritual designed to rid her of all of the dark magic that's been causing her problems."

Rarity continued to mutter under her breath about the terrible judgement of some ponies.

"So now that you're here, what are we going to do now, Applejack?" Pinkie asked as she bounced up and down, making springing noises with her legs.

"Hmm," Applejack put one hoof to her chin and looked up. "I guess the first thing to do is find out how Shining Armour is bein' made to confess to somethin' nopony in their right mind would think he'd done. Reckon we should go take a look around his room see if maybe he was drugged or somethin'."

***

The gang arrived at Celestia's palace to be told that the Princesses were both too busy to recieve them: they were meeting with Lady Sophoniba from Quaggai. They were, however, of course welcome to look around as much as they liked.

They found Shining Armour and Cadance's guest room without any difficulty whatsoever, and Applejack opened the door to find the room an absolute mess: cases opened, clothes lying everywhere, papers on the floor or littered on desks haphazardly, the bed not made, everything looking like a pegasus had cause a tornado inside the room.

"Wow, who would have thought that Twilight's brother would be so messy," Rainbow Dash said. She grinned, "Imagine what kind of fit Twilight would be having if she had to live in this mess?"

"I don't need to imagine darling, I'm having one myself," Rarity murmured.

"Okay, spread out everypony," Applejack declared. "Look for anything that seems suspicious."

"And try and tidy up while you're about it," Rarity said distastefully.

They got to work, sorting through rolled up bits of paper and half finished letters, prying through suitcases, rifling through gowns and tunics. Rarity began sorting admiringly through Cadance's jewellery box, oohing at some of the priceless pieces before Applejack reminded her that Shining Armour wasn't likely to have had his head addled by a tiara.

Applejack herself was sorting through the litter on the writing desk, taking her time to read each piece before stacking it up on the floor next to her.

Letter to his folks. Requisition form. Orders for somepony. Hello nelly...

Applejack had found something that didn't look either official or personal. She laid it on the table. It was a scribbled piece of paper she had found buried amidst a pile of other stuff, with a few lines scribbled on it.

Golden unicorn, green eyes, red and white mane.

Where from?

Windwaker

Red Wyne

Breaking Dawn

"Lookie here girls, I think I might have found somethin'," Applejack called them over. "Take a look."

"Breaking Dawn," Rainbow Dash murmured. "Never heard that name before."

"It's the only name that isn't crossed out, and it's been underlined," Fluttershy said.

"And I'm sure I heard from Captain Lancer that they had found the apothecary who supplied the poison used on Cadance," Rarity said, her voice rising in a state of excitement. "And that pony talked about selling his concoction to a golden unicorn with a red and white mane! Shining Armour must have known who that was, or worked it out anyway!"

"But then, before he could tell anypony, zap!" Pinkie Pie leapt on Fluttershy. "They put him under an evil spell."

"Um, Pinkie, could you please get off me?"

"But who is this Breaking Dawn?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know," Applejack said. "But if Shining Armour knew who she was then there's at least some chance Princess Celestia will."

***

Celestia's purple eyes were wide, her teacup shattered as she dropped it to the ground. Hot brown tea spilled over the pristine white marble floor.

"Breaking Dawn," Celestia murmured, rocking backwards upon her haunches as if struck. "Could it be? After all this time? Is she behind this?"

"Shining Armour must have thought so, Your Highness," Applejack said, still bowed as she had been when she and the others had first entered the royal presence. "But, begging your pardon, none of us know who this Breaking Dawn mare is supposed to be."

"Neither do I," Luna said. "Sister?"

Celestia closed her eyes, flinching as if against some great pain, and bowed her head, "Twilight Sparkle is not the first student I ever took on as my personal protege, just the last and most fortunate. Luna, from the very day I banished you to the moon I have always dreamt of the day when you would be saved and returned to me. I have planned constantly to achieve your salvation."

"By finding new bearers for the Elements of Harmony," Luna said.

Celestia nodded, "In part. I could not just assemble six ponies, the bearers must become friends of their own accord or the Elements will not work. But I could find the Element of Magic, train her, teach them to wield the magic of unicorns in preparation for their wielding the magic of friendship.
"Most of these students of mine lived their whole lives never having to use the Elements of Harmony. They completed their studies, lived their lives, died content surrounded by friends and with great achievements to leave behind them. But as the thousandth year since Nightmare Moon's banishment grew closer I become desperate, I knew that Luna would return soon, I had to find the one. There were three ponies, one after the other, whom I though might be the Element of Magic I had been searching for.
"The first left me of her own accord, turning away from the lessons I had tried to teach her. The second was Breaking Dawn. I found her when she was a street urchin, running from the guards and stealing food. She was prodigiously talented: since Twilight's ascension I believe there is only one unicorn in this era who can better her, and not even Twilight has the alacrity for rapidly casting spells that Breaking Dawn had."

"But she didn't work out?" Applejack said. "I mean, Your Highness?"

"Indeed," Celestia said slowly, guilt beginning to creep into her tone. "I took pity on a filly who had had such a difficult life. I fear I spoiled her, both with my affections and with my leniency. Dawn became very proud and vain, she took advantage of her position and of the need I had of her to break the rules, do as she pleased in the knowledge that I would not punish her. That is why, when I took Twilight Sparkle under my wing, I told her nothing of my plans for her lest she too grow conceited the way Breaking Dawn had.
"As time passed, and Dawn's offences grew, I became increasingly convinced that I had made the wrong choice. When I felt Twilight's potential at the Summer Sun celebration I became convinced. I arranged for Twilight to take an unconventional entrance exam for my school, and on that day you all got your cutie marks, I knew that I had found a mare who would make me proud."

"Then what happened, to Breaking Dawn?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"At first, she merely stopped being my student, I allowed her to remain at school," Celestia answered. "But Dawn could not brook her humiliation and attacked Twilight, I had no choice but to expel her. After that, I was so absorbed in Twilight's progress, I did not check upon her. I assumed she had found a new path in life. But if she is behind all that has happened then it would appear that I was wrong. I should have helped her more, I should have kept an eye upon her. This is all my fault."

"No, sister," Luna's voice was firm, insistent. "You cannot take upon yourself the burdens of others. If Breaking Dawn is so consumed with hatred that she will perpetrate such terrible crimes then that is her doing, her responsibility. She must answer for what she has done as we all must."

"But if I had treated her differently then I might have avoided this."

"And if you had commanded ponies to go without sleep I might not have become Nightmare Moon, but that does not make my fall your error," Luna responded. "To think otherwise denies the free will which all ponies possess. It is arrogance, however well intended. We each of us make our choices and must stand by them after. I was Nightmare Moon. The thousand years I spend lodged in the moon can never be returned to me. But that is my responsibility not yours, dear sister. It is the same with Breaking Dawn."

Celestia said, "I suppose you are right. In any case, if Breaking Dawn is behind these events, if she has stolen the Elements of Harmony, then she must be found. If only I had kept track of her then we might know where to look, but as it is I did not think of her until you mentioned her. I might not have even recognised her had she, oh my."

"Princess Celestia?" Applejack said.

"She was right there, she introduced herself to me," Celestia whispered. "The audacity, yes that was very like her, she was always fond of taking chances."

"Sister, what are you talking about?"

"She dyed her hair green and hid her cutie mark under a dress," Celestia said. "Don't you see: the Countess Mercedes Zaccone, she is Breaking Dawn."

Applejack gasped, "You mean the mare who Twilight has gone with? But then that means─"

"She means Twilight Sparkle no good and much ill," Luna said darkly.

"She must be warned, if it is not already too late," Celestia said.

"I'll go tell her," Rainbow Dash declared.

"No, you need to rest your head, Ah'll go," Applejack said. "I can run faster'n you could fly with that bump on your head anyways. Ah just hope I'm not too late."

***

Shining Armour floated in a void, a silvery fog enveloping him.

"Hello?" he shouted. "Twily? Cadance?"

"Why?" his sister's voice was faint to him, like a distant echo from a far off shore. "Why did you betray Cadance like that?"

"What?" Shining Armour yelled. "I didn't betray Cadance! I love her, I would never hurt her what are you, what are you talking about?"

He heard his own voice, disembodied, echoing like thunder in a cave, "Because I wasn't happy, Twilight Sparkle."

"What is this?" Shining Armour demanded. "Where am I? What's happened to my wife?"

The void shook, a thunderous blow disturbing the mists, sounding like a gong throughout the void, sending Shining Armour spinning off into nothingness, rubbing his head.

I─ oh Cadance! He remembered now. He remembered what had been done to her, how angry it had made him. But how had he gotten from there to here? How had-

Another dolorous blow, another ringing of the gong, Shining Armour's head ached even more as he floated through nothingness.

"Breaking Dawn. Breaking Dawn, I have to warn Twily," Shining Armour began to swim in the direction of the faint noises, the direction the blows seemed to be coming from. Magic was beyond him here it seemed, so he grasped at tendrils of the silver mist and used them to pull himself forward. Whatever this place was, whever it was, he had to find a way out. He had to warn his little sister.

"I can't let you get away," a stallion stood before him. He stood before himself, only this other him was golden and had green eyes. The spell that Breaking Dawn had cast to control him.

"You have to stay where you are." it said.

Shining Armour bared his teeth at it, "Get out of my way, before I go right through you."

It smirked, "If you were stronger than I am, you wouldn't be here in the first place."

"We'll see about that," Shining Armour growled, and sprang at this spell-creation.

He was shocked by the strength in the construct's kicks, the power behind its blows, the force of its headbutts. The construct flung him like a doll in all directions, pursuing him with vengeful fury, striking at him with such speed, such power.

"Do you see now?" the construct asked. "You cannot escape."

"Can't has nothing to do with it," Shining Armour said. "This is something that I have to do." And so he leapt forward to try his strength again, like a lion for so long dominant over a territory who spies a younger interloper on the plains. Just as the lions leaps down from his rock with a great roar to bare his claws against the invader so did Shining Armour throw himself against his foe. They duelled for what seemed like eons, ages of the world locked in combat, kicking and biting and wrestling, and as they fought Shining Armour's anger and his fear for Twilight burned bright in his heart and gave him strength even as the construct seemed to weaken. Weaker and weaker, until Shining Armour placed his hoof upon the construct's neck and held him in submission.

"My mistress, she is too far away," the construct murmured. "Oh, mistress, why do you abandon me?"

It dissolved in Shining Armour's grip, turning to liquid gold and then to nothingness. Shining Armour faced in the direction of the noises, and pushed on. He seemed to become faster and faster as he went, getting stronger and stronger, until he was flying through fields of stars faster than Rainbow Dash, zooming towards an ever growing source of light

Shining Armour gasped as he saw through his own eyes once more, felt his own hooves upon the ground. Saw the iron bars and felt the floor of a dungeon cell.

What have I done? What did you make me do?

"Hey!" Shining Armour said. "Hey there, whatever I said I didn't do it. It wasn't me, it was a mare named Breaking Dawn! Please, somepony has to warn Twilight. She's in terrible danger!"

Author's Note:

And so the second best pony makes her triumphant return.

Comments

[Reeve]

fuck yeah! Applejack saves the day

[Valumior]

DETECTED.

Vid related

And you know the drill. MOAR.

[Shadymissionary]

Good to see Dawn's plans self-destructing. Update ASAP!

[lilmagi]

"But if I had treated her differently then I might have avoided this."

Precisely. People Ponies are ultimately products of their environment. What kind of person we become depends a lot on how we grew-

"And if you had commanded ponies to go without sleep I might not have become Nightmare Moon, but that does not make my fall your error," Luna responded. "To think otherwise denies the free will which all ponies possess. It is arrogance, however well intended. We each of us make our choices and must stand by them after. I was Nightmare Moon. The thousand years I spend lodged in the moon can never be returned to me. But that is my responsibility not yours, dear sister. It is the same with Breaking Dawn."

Oh.
Well Luna, that may be that we are all responsible for our actions. But it doesn't absolve our society and actions of our peers from the way we turned out.
So, while it is your responsibility for turning into the Nightmare Moon, it is also Celestia's for having it a possibility in the first place.
In essence, it all depends on how you subscribe to the 'free will' angle. Are we just products of our environment, as such don't really have a free will.
Or do we truly have free will, despite the outside influences on us.

[Scipio Smith]

2891105

I think Luna's point is less that Celestia is wrong, and more that it doesn't matter: no matter the grievances that Dawn has, no amount of her suffering could justify the revenge she has wreaked upon innocent ponies, in the same way that Luna's frustration (however justified you want to say it was) cannot excuse her attempt to become a cruel tyrant.

[shyguy7829]

"Rarity, ah don't have time to stick your cat up a tree again,"

Lol.

[lilmagi]

2891163
Ah see I didn't look at it that way. To say that something is justified, is to say that it was ok to do that. I never touched on that part, nor am I concerned with that.
As ultimately, what something is right or wrong, depends on the societies views on that.
My main issue is with Luna's use of "free will" and my argument that we really don't have it. If you are going to claim responsibility for your actions, then realize that the people ponies that have influenced you, are as well responsible for your actions.
How far that responsibilities matter for the judgment on your actions, is up to morals of the pony society to judge.

[xTSGx]

And so, Dawn's house of cards begins its collapse. I can already hear the High Court denying her final appeal.

[Harwick]

I quite liked the use of Applejack's outside perspective to see the obvious attack on all of them... Who better to be getting at the truth of the matter? And excellent use of Luna as the voice for personal responsibility... In the end, whatever history may influence us, we make our own decisions.

I'm surprised that Dawn's plans have all been revealed at this point, but I suspect the zebras are going to act and take the escalation of things out of her hooves. Where, exactly, it goes from here has me guessing however...

[xanderxela]

Your plot is interesting, most of your OCs are fun (BD is irritating because everything she does just happens to work even things that shouldn't, but that's more of a problem with your protagonists.), and your prose is interesting and entertaining.

Here comes the "but".

But you don't give the heroes any momentum. Your villains have plenty, and everything they do seems to work out for one of the villainous forces in the story, but the heroes aren't going anywhere. Nothing they do works except occasionally as a stopgap measure. You need to give them small victories, moments where they can DO something. As is the good guys have mostly been watching the plot move forward because whenever they try to interact with it it doesn't work. The good guys shouldn't just be watching the movie of the plot, they need to have momentum, they need to have agency. Not every villain needs to be Xanatos (Look him up on TVTropes if you don't get the reference).

[Jordan179]

Applejack is awesome! And, as usual, when Twilight's overcome, she takes charge and gets things rolling again!

... and Shining Armor shook off the spell!