Tokens of Love and Affection
Chapter 7
Tokens of Love and Affection
"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know just where you think you are walking?"
Laurel, looking flustered, her telekinetic hold on her lunch tray and the book she had been reading wobbling noticeably, began to stammer, "I, well, you-"
"What's the matter, you a mute now on top of everything else?" Sunset Shimmer's lip curled into a sneer. "Can't you even look where you're going, you four-eyed ugly duck?"
"I'm sorry," Laurel whispered.
"You're sorry? Sorry?" Sunset Shimmer took a step forward and then stopped, noticing the custard dripping down her leg. "Did you just spill your lunch over me? How dare you? Here!" Sunset's horn flared, her magic overpowering Laurel's own and slamming the lunch tray into her face.
Laurel shrieked as she fell backwards onto her hindquarters, her book skidding away across the floor. The tray clattered to the ground in front of her. Lettuce leaves, tomatoes and celery sticks littered the floor in front of her, while custard, salad cream and the odd leaves and bits of apple crumble stuck to her glasses, face and body.
Trixie laughed, "Trixie found that hilarious!"
"M-my saddle bag," Laurel murmured, looking down at her saddlebag which was also coated with the debris of her lunch.
"You'll have to buy a new one, won't you," Sunset smirked. "Except you can't can you, because you can't afford one. Tell me Laurel, what's it like a total loser?"
Laurel's eyes began to well with tears, "Why do you always treat me like this?"
"Because the sight of you annoys me," Sunset Shimmer said. "Now, eat your lunch."
Laurel began to get to her feet before Sunset pushed her down, "I didn't say get another lunch. I said eat it. Off the floor. Like a bug."
All the students in the lunch hall watched the unfolding tableaux in silence. None of them said or did anything.
Trixie frowned, "Sunset, Trixie no longer finds this amusing. Trixie has had her fun."
"Good for her, I haven't," Sunset snarled. "Eat it!"
Laurel squeaked, hesitating.
Sunset growled, "If you won't eat off the floor, then maybe you'll eat out of your precious book!" she seized the book Laurel had been reading and rubbed it in the food littering the floor.
Laurel squealed in alarm, "Please, stop it."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't, I'll make you," a new voice cut through the silence of the hall as Breaking Dawn, glowing golden as the sun itself, strode in. Her face was set with determination, her mouth scowling, her eyes narrow. She stood protectively over Laurel, squaring up against Sunset and Trixie, "Now turn around, and be somewhere else."
"Tough talk from a newbie from nopony knows where," Sunset Shimmer said. "You obviously don't know how things work around here."
"I don't care," Dawn said. "You can't push me around like you do every other pony."
Sunset snorted, "You've got spunk, kid. You almost remind me of myself, except I never such atrocious hair. Red and white, really? And that braid is so last century. Still, cause I like your guts I'll give you a chance to cut and run. Get in the way of my fun and you won't enjoy it."
"I'm not scared of you," Breaking Dawn said. "It's about time somepony knocked that crown off your head, and I'm just the pony to do it." She pawed the ground with one hoof in anticipation.
Sunset Shimmer scoffed, "You're going to fight me, is that it? You really are new here, you may think you're good with your hooves but it's magical might that counts around here, half-pint. And I've got you way outclassed."
Laurel flinched away. This was going to be bad. Sunset Shimmer was the most powerful unicorn in school. Everypony said she was destined for great things. Breaking Dawn was just some kid who had turned up out of nowhere one day this week. She didn't get good grades, she had the worst reading and writing in class and she was only a first year! How was she going to take on one of the top members of the Upper Sixth?
"Hey, Laurel," Breaking Dawn looked behind her, and Laurel saw that golden face was alive with a mischeivous grin. "Don't look so worried. I got this."
Sunset sneered, "Tough talk from a little shrimp."
Breaking Dawn's horn blazed with light. There was a flash of white so bright that Laurel had to shut her eyes against the glare. She heard scuffling, a groan, and when she opened her eyes Sunset Shimmer was on the ground, face pressed into the floor, while Breaking Dawn sat on top of her, gripping Sunset's forelegs tight.
"You are so dead, you hear me!" Sunset raged.
Dawn smirked, "Tough talk from somepony who can't even stand up."
Sunset growled, "Trixie, help me!"
"But Trixie does not know what to do," Trixie said.
Breaking Dawn's smile was fierce, "Bring it if you got it, Great and Powerful!"
"That is enough." Princess Celestia appeared in the hall accompanied by a golden light. Under her stern gaze each pony cowered, rising from their seats to bow in deference. Laurel got her feet only to descend to her knees again. Dawn rolled off Sunset Shimmer and also bowed.
Sunset Shimmer rose her feet spitting dust and fury, "Princess Celestia, this brat attacked me─"
"I saw everything that happened, Sunset Shimmer," Princess Celestia said coldly. "Go to my office and wait for me there. At once!"
Uncertainty, doubt, even fear flashed across Sunset Shimmer's face before she bowed her head and murmured, "Yes, your highness."
Sunset trailed past the princess out of the hall. As she departed, silently and in silence, she seemed a much reduced figure from just moments earlier. Whatever the Princess said or did, Sunset's spell had been irrevocably broken.
"Trixie," Princess Celestia turned to the light blue mare, "the fact that you took no part in the worst of this does not excuse the part that you did play. Double detention."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Trixie slinked off in her turn.
"Breaking Dawn, fighting is strictly forbidden in this school. I thought that I had made that clear to you," the Princess' features were softened by a smile. "That said, you did the right thing in defending a fellow student. For that, at least, I am proud of you."
Dawn looked as though she had just recieved the most expensive toy in Canterlot for Hearth's Warming, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Celestia knelt by Laurel's side, "Laurel. I'm very sorry that you had to go through that. If I had known sooner...I know that it is not always easy to speak up about injustice, but I want you to know that you never need to be afraid of the consequences of talking. And I am very disappointed in every other pony here," Princess Celestia cast her piercing gaze about the hall, "I do not care if it was fear or carelessness that kept you silent, if you are unable to stand up for what is right within the safety of this school how will you have the strength to do what is right in the world outside? I suggest you all think very hard about what kind of ponies you would like to when you leave this school."
"Now then, Miss Laurel, let's get you cleaned up," Celestia's horn glowed, and all the spilled food and the like was wiped clean from her. Even her saddlebag was good as new.
"Thank you, Princess," Laurel bowed again.
"No need for that," Celestia said. "It was the least I could do." And then she vanished again.
Laurel picked up her now empty tray, and started back towards the serving stations.
"Don't do that," Dawn said. "You'll have to go all the way to the back of the line, and there'll be no desert left. Here, you can have some of mine." Dawn climbed onto a nearby seat, patted the one next to her, and pushed her tray to a point halfway between them.
"Really? You mean it?"
"Sure, I've never eaten this much in one sitting before I came to this school anyway," Dawn grinned. "Besides, I kinda miss sharing my meals. So come on, are you hungry or not?"
Laurel hesitated, looked for a trick, and then smiled as she climbed into the seat beside Breaking Dawn.
***
Breaking Dawn was waiting by the school gate as Sunset Shimmer, who had been expelled that afternoon, made the long slow walk off school grounds for the last time.
The yellow pony glared at Dawn out of her blue eyes, "I suppose you've come to be all magnanimous, tell me no hard feelings and all that?"
"Nope," Dawn grinned, "I'm here to tell you good riddance. I've known ponies like you my whole life and I always like to see them get what they deserve."
Sunset Shimmer shook her head, "You think you're a big noise now, don't you? You think you're going to pick my crown off the floor and wear it?"
"Somepony's gonna," Dawn said. "I could wear it as well as anypony else."
Sunset Shimmer laughed, "One day somepony is knock you off your perch the same way you knocked me off. And I only wish that I could be there to see your crown roll across the floor and stop at the feet of some other obnoxious little jerk. Enjoy it while it lasts!"
"Not gonna happen," Dawn shouted as Sunset Shimmer left the school. "I'm going to go all the way, and if anypony tries to stop me I'll see them off."
***
"Hello?" Breaking Dawn called out as she stood in the darkened and deserted locker room, the light from her horn illuminating a small area around her. She held a note in her magical grasp, asking to meet her here after last period. She didn't know who had sent it, and it didn't seem like a love letter, but she was curious enough to have turned up. Now she wondered if that hadn't been the joke.
"Hello, is anypony there?" she repeated.
"Yes, here I am," Laurel stepped out of the shadows and into Dawn's light. "I'm glad you decided to meet me here."
"What's this about? Why all the cloak and dagger?" Dawn asked.
"Because I wanted so much to thank you for what you did for me today, but I knew you wouldn't want me hanging on you in public, I'd just embarass you. So I decided to tell you in private, where nopony would see us. Thank you so much for what you did for me. Nopony has ever stood up for me like that before, ever.
"I know that I'm not cool, I know that I'm not pretty or popular. I know that every pony who pretends to be my friend only does it to get help on their homework. And I know that soon you'll find out how much of a loser I am and then you'll start treating me like everypony else does. But please, I'll do anything you want... I don't care if you don't mean a word you say, or even if you laugh at me behind my back, please pretend to be my friend even if it's only when we're alone." Tears welled up in Laurel's eyes.
Dawn said nothing. She blinked, and was silent.
Laurel turned her head away, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I'll leave you alone now."
"No, wait," Dawn said. "You really expect me to treat you like that? You want it? Gee, when I first arrived I thought this place was going to be paradise."
"It is for the cool kids, like Sunset Shimmer," Laurel murmured. "I'm sure you'll do okay."
"Yeah, I will," Dawn said. "But so will you. Because we are friends, no pretending. Really. You and me from here on out."
"Really?"
Dawn grinned, "I never lie about stuff like this."
As Laurel smiled in moonstruck adoration, Dawn put one leg around Laurel's shoulders, "Now, next time we can get out of school I'll introduce you to a super-cool pegasus named Razor Wind..."
***
The gang was assembled in Hardy Bloom's office. Her secretary had given them some funny looks as they all trooped in ─ they were disguised as the Countess and her servants so as not to look too out of place, but it still must have seemed weird to the stallion ─ and Razor Wind in particular had attracted a particularly stern stare in her guise a servant-cum-bodyguard.
"I bet he's trying to eyeball us through the keyhole to the door," Razor Wind grumbled as she settled into one of the plush leather sofas surrounding the glass coffee table. "What was his problem, anyway?"
"Generally when a client feels the need to see their lawyer accompanied by a phalanx of henchponies, it's generally a sign that they're in organised crime," Hardy remarked as she tidied up papers at her desk. "Which, well, we may not organised crime but we are organising a crime as it happens so kudos to you for getting the image right."
"Funny," Razor Wind said, "still no call for him to give me stink-eye like that. I've a mind to─"
"Please don't antagonise Touch Type, good secretaries are very hard to come by," Hardy said, coming out from behind her desk and treading across the dark blue carpet to join the rest of them around the transparent table. "Besides, it was your own idea to come bother me at work. You know most people come see lawyer their after they've committed a crime."
"Nopony was ever polite enough to let you know in advance?" Candy sniggered. "Why did we come here anyway? We usually meet at Dawn's apartment."
"The coffee isn't free at our apartment," Razor Wind said.
"The coffee isn't free here, I have to pay for it," Hardy Bloom said as she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, but you can manage because you're rich."
"I won't be by the time you five have finished mooching off of me," Hardy replied. "Sometimes I think I should be the element of generosity."
"If you were you wouldn't complain about helping us out," Dawn said, making her first entry into the conversation. She was sat at the head of the table, slouched back, her forehooves folded in front of her face.
"Wow," Candy shouted, sliding the black ball across the felt. "You have a pool table in your office, that's brilliant!"
"How do you manage to get away with such frivolities?" Laurel asked.
"I'm successful," Hardy answered. "I could turn up in court dressed as a flamingo and it wouldn't matter as long as I got a not guilty verdict."
"Everypony sit down and make yourselves comfortable," Dawn commanded. "We have a lot to get through this morning."
Everypony sat down around the coffee table, steaming hot cups in front of them. Hardy sat opposite Dawn, with Razor Wind and Cherry on the right hoof sofa and Candy and Laurel on the left. All watched her intently.
Dawn levered herself out of her chair and onto all fours as she began to speak, "I've been speaking to the zebras. The Grevyian delegation."
Dawn licked her lips and hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Pretending to be some rich mare from out of town was one thing, convincing her friends to join her in this venture had been another thing altogether, but if she could sell them on this and get them to believe that it was her idea then she could sell apples to an apple farm. "They want to explore the possibility of change. Political change, They agree with me that it is not in the best interests of Equestria, or Grevyia, to have young and untried hooves so close to the levers of power."
"We're doing this for the good of the country?" Hardy Bloom smirked from her chair. "I though it was all because you didn't like her."
The look Breaking Dawn gave Hardy would have curdled milk, "Ahem. As I was saying. The Grevyian ambassador was very interested in what we have to say. In what we have to offer Equestria. The negotiations were tough, it was an uphill struggle sometimes, but I have managed to convince him of the merits of an alliance between us for mutual benefit. I feel, and Lord Mathos agrees with me, that our brains and daring, combined with his resources, will make a simply unstoppable team. It will not affect the course of our activities in the main, or at least I do not anticipate it will, but there may be some zebra input to our operations going forward, which is why I thought it was best to let you know now." Her mouth was dry, Dawn seized hold of her coffee and took a great gulp of the scalding hot liquid. Not my best speech by a way. I hope none of them noticed how stiff I was. It was hard to think of eloquent words to defend blackmail when all she really wanted to do was kick Jugurtha's teeth in.
"Can you sum that up in one sentence?" Candy asked.
"She's saying that we just sold our souls to the Grevyians," Razor Wind said, glowering from underneath a furrowed brow. "You should have told us you were looking to make deals with outsiders, Dawny. I think we've earned that much trust."
Dawn sighed, "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry about that. I should have told you before. But I'm telling you now, and now that you know─"
"What's the catch?" Hardy demanded.
Dawn was caught flat-footed by the intervention, "Um, the what?"
"I'm a lawyer, Dawn: negotiations, partnerships, mergers, this is what I do. And let me tell you, if you were able to negotiate as one-sided a deal as this sounds right now from a position of absolute weakness you deserve to have my office. I mean, they're going to back your play for power, actively aid us in actions against the representatives of a foreign government and at the broadest interpretation of what you've said fund and equip an insurrection and it doesn't sound as though they're getting a thing in return. Either you are much, much better than I gave you credit for or you aren't telling us everything."
Everypony looked at her, leaning in as they waited for her response. Cherry looked nervous, Razor sullen. Laurel's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Candy just looked amused.
Dawn closed her eyes against their accusing gazes, scrunching them up tight as she tried to think. The best lies always had some element of truth to them ─ 'I was going to do my homework but I was taken ill', instead of 'I was going to do my homework but then I got sick from drinking too much cider the night before' ─ but in this case she didn't really have any truth to work with. From her limited conversation with Jugurtha she got the impression the zebras meant to use her as a pawn, a puppet for their own expansion into Equestria. She wasn't about to allow that, nor tell her friends that she was being used that way, but what could see tell them? She couldn't tell them the truth, she just couldn't. She was Breaking Dawn, by Celestia, and she would never confess to being some zebra's organ monkey, not ever. Not even to them.
"They will be rewarded," Dawn spoke slowly, calmly, standing aloof upon her precarious dignity, "with political favours and services after I assume the throne."
"Rather nebulous, for terms of alliance," Laurel remarked.
"I thought this was supposed to be our thing, the six of us," Razor Wind murmured. "I mean, we're working with zebras now? Since when?"
"Since I decided," Dawn replied.
"So we really are your servants now, is that it?" Razor's eyes were filled with betrayal, her voice thick with anger. "All we've done for you and you think you can just start giving us orders like you're already a princess? Like you said you wouldn't do?"
Dawn could not meet a gaze so filled with hurt, not when it would have been so justified had she not been lying through her teeth, "Razor─"
"I have stuck by you ever since we were kids," Razor shouted, rising off the sofa and standing on her hind legs while her wings flapped behind her. "I went along with every dumb plan you ever came up with, hauled your flank out of the fire more times than I can count, took care of you after you lost everything, and now you think you can throw me over for some fancy foreign zebras? Step outside, I'll kick your flank all round the houses and back."
"If you keep yelling like that Touch Type will probably call the city guard," Hardy murmured reproachfully. "Not that I don't understand your anger, of course."
Dawn snorted angrily, "What do you want me to say?"
"We want you to be honest with us," Laurel responded sharply. "You used to say that you would never lie to your friends. You've worn your masks against the world, Celestia knows. But you never pretended to be someone else with us, never hid who you were or what you were feeling. No pretending, Dawny, no pretending."
"If something's wrong, then you need to tell us," Hardy said. "Not because you owe us, or because we've earned the truth, but because we're your friends."
"Synergy, isn't that what you called it?" Cherry smiled tremulously.
Dawn hung her head, "I don't deserve you guys."
"Not by a long shot," Hardy said. "So come on, out with it. What's really going on?"
Dawn frowned, and poured her magic out through her blazing horn. A golden glow enveloped Hardy's office as she cast the spell she had been working on since last night. It formed a gleaming bubble around them, encasing them within it.
Laurel eyed it curiously, "A shield?"
"A variation on a shield spell, this is the strongest ward against being spied upon that I can cast," Dawn said. "Hopefully it will keep the zebras' scrying off us."
"What's scrying?" Hardy asked.
Dawn took a deep breath, "It's how the zebra who came to see me said that they found out what we were up to."
"They know?" Razor said.
Dawn nodded, "Everything. And they want to use me for their own advantage."
"How?" Cherry asked.
"I don't know," Dawn said. "But I suspect they'll try to take over Canterlot in the confusion of Twilight Sparkle's fall and then make me their puppet. Until then they have the knowledge of what I did to Princess Cadance to hold over me."
"You have to tell Princess Celestia everything," Cherry said. "You have go to her while there's still time to stop the zebras."
"And what about us?" Razor demanded. "Do you think we'll be let off with a slap on the hoof?"
"But Canterlot─"
"Nothing is going to happen to Canterlot," Dawn declared magisterially. "These zebras think they've got me over a barrel, and I'll play along with them for now, but they aren't as smart as they think they are. I've already come up with a way to block their scrying after all. I'll take their aid and their horsepower and when I've used them up I'll spit them out and they can whistle for a profit. I'll save Canterlot and Celestia from them and they'll cheer my name even louder than I thought they would. I won't allow anyone to hurt the Princess."
Hardy frowned, "Be careful. You don't want to underestimate them either."
"Hide in the bushes, are they near?
Zebras they know how to smell your fear," Candy chuckled.
"What's that?" Dawn asked.
"It's a hide and seek song," Candy said. "You chant it as you get close, and then when you get to the last bit:
'Close your eyes, don't look up,
Here comes a zebra to gobble you up,
Found you!' You jump out and get the pony whose hiding. None of you ever learnt that when you were kids?"
"No," Hardy said. "No, we didn't."
Razor Wind dropped down onto all fours, "I'm sorry I doubted you, Dawny."
"It's okay," Dawn said. "I shouldn't have lied to you all."
"So what do we do now?" Candy asked.
"We continue with the plan, for now. We take care of Shining Armour, then we get the Elements. Zebras might even be able to help with that," Dawn said. "Razor, you're still okay to come with me to the palace and get a sample of his hoof-writing, yeah?"
Razor nodded, "Yeah."
"Great. The only other thing is be careful. The zebra who came to see me, Jugurtha, he threatened you if I wouldn't cooperate. I'm not sure how serious he was, but I don't want to risk any of you. Nopony goes anywhere alone, especially not at night.
"I'm sorry things have come to this, really I am, but if we press on I know we can see this through. Together. Laurel, Hardy, did you prepare those letters like I asked you?"
Laurel nodded, "All we need is a sample to copy."
"Good, we'll be back soon," Dawn said. "Until we do, stay here. Play pool, get some lunch in, don't leave. We don't know who's waiting outside."
***
Spike frowned, "I don't know, Twilight, I don't think Fluttershy would be very happy that you're going to test this on a mouse."
"It's a rat, Spike," Twilight said. "You can tell by the way that the tail is─"
"Yeah, I'm sure the difference is fascinating, but Fluttershy still isn't going to like you doping the little guy with amnesia poison so you can test antidotes on him."
"That's why we aren't going to tell her, Spike," Twilight said primly. She was wearing her own set of goggles, and a set of protective overalls to boot. The palace had been converted into a lab: multi-coloured potions fizzled in all manner of glass tubes and containers, lights blinked red and blue on futuristic consoles, machines printed incomprehensible readouts full of magibabble, and a maze sat on a sturdy table with a white rat squeaking in a box near the maze entrance.
"I don't like lying to my friends either," Twilight continued, "but I can't know if a cure will work until I've tested it. And I'm not going to feed Cadance a potion I just whipped up myself without knowing that its safe. It's tough on the rat I know, but it has to be done. Now, take notes please."
Spike picked up a clip board and quill, ready to write.
"Test phase: according to the ponies who delivered them here, this rat is able to navigate this maze perfectly every single time. I will of course be verifying this for myself." Twilight levitated a piece of cheese into the centre of the maze, then placed the rat inside.
After a short while of excited scurrying, the rat reached the centre of the maze and devoured the cheese.
"Confirmed," Twilight said. "Test subject is able to reach the centre of the maze from memory. Now, applying Tears of Nightmare Moon released from stores of contraband seized by the City Guard."
Twilight levitated the rat up into the air, cringing a little as it squirmed in her magical grip, "I'm sorry little guy, but this is the only way." She levitated an eye dropper filled with the Tears of Nightmare Moon into the rat's mouth and squeezed a half drop onto the little critter's tongue.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the rat's eyes darkened slightly, became vacant and empty, and he looked about with an air of utmost confusion about all his surroundings.
"As I expected," Twilight murmured. "The rat's smaller size meant that even a reduced dose of poison took effect much faster than with... Cadance." She placed the rat back in the maze. It could not find its way. Indeed if seemed to have no idea where it was or what it ought to be doing.
"I'm sorry," Twilight repeated, and fed the rat another piece of cheese.
Spike finished scribbling down these early observations, "So, what do we do now Twilight?"
"Now we get to work Spike," Twilight said. "Fetch me the copy of Potion Making from First Principles, as well as Alchemical Theory and Silvermane's Theories of Mind and Memory."
"But Princess Celestia already said the answers wouldn't be in any book," Spike said.
"This isn't about answers, Spike, this is about knowing how to phrase the questions," Twilight replied. "It's about time I brushed up on my potion making."
Don't worry Cadance, I'm coming.
***
"So, listen, Dawn. I really shouldn't have threatened to kick your flank back there," Razor Wind muttered. They were both dressed as maids in the Sun Palace, shuffling along the crimson-and-gold carpets and pausing occasionally to dust a priceless vase or gilt picture frame.
"Yes, you should have," Dawn replied, running a feather duster over the portrait of Queen Lauren. "If I really had done something like that to you then I would have deserved it. I shouldn't have lied about it just because I didn't want to admit to being used. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You were just being you," Razor Wind said. "The fact that you know your own worth so well is one of the things I always liked about you Dawny. You don't take any compost from anypony."
"I tried to shovel some onto you guys instead," Dawn sighed. "I should have told you the truth."
"Well, yeah, probably," Razor flapped up to dust one of the chandeliers, then fluttered back down onto the floor. "I guess what bothered me was that you didn't talk to us first. I mean, in the old days we always went with what you said and we always did what you wanted, but you never took that for granted, not once. You always took the time to talk us around. I don't want that to change."
"It won't," Dawn grasped Razor Wind's hoof in her own, pulling her forward so that they were shoulder to shoulder, eye to eye. "This is me and you, remember? We've been together since forever, or as good as. I won't forget that."
Razor smiled, "When you win this, and get your due, you're gonna have a lot of debts to pay: give Laurel a school, give Cherry a restaurant, I don't know what Candy will ask for. But all I needed was to hear you say that. I don't want anything else just...don't send me away okay. Let me stay with you."
"Always."
"Great," Razor's smile became tentative, self-mocking, "I'm too old to start over making new friends."
They worked their way through the palace, avoiding any other maids who might have recognised ─ or rather not recognised ─ them, until they reached the guest wing where visiting dignitaries, notables or favourites of Princess Celestia were housed while staying in Canterlot. The Grevyian zebras were probably around here somewhere, but Dawn was not eager for a second meeting and so her pace quickened through the corridors to get done and out before she had to suffer that smug superior smile again.
They reached the room of Prince Shining Armour and stood on either side of the closed door.
"What do we do if he's inside?" Razor hissed.
"We'll tell him that we're here to clean the room and then pull the Apple-Seller Switch," Dawn whispered. "You remember how to do that, right?"
"Pretty much. I'm the distraction?"
"Yep," Dawn knocked on the door. There was no answer. She pushed the door open. There was nopony there.
"Must be out looking for evidence," Dawn muttered.
"Pity," Razor said. "It might have fun to try the Apple-Seller Switch again after all this time."
"Maybe," Dawn said. "Look for anything he's written, and make sure it was him and not Princess Cadance otherwise it won't work. And don't make too much mess or it'll raise questions."
She and Razor began to rifle through Shining Armour's belongings. It was not promising. Clothes, an invitation from Celestia, Princess Cadance's jewellery box, gowns, Cadance's diary ─ which pricked Dawn like a needle with guilt so sharp she almost threw it on the fire to burn away her feelings of ill-ease ─ but nothing in the hoof of Shining Armour.
"What do we do if there's nothing here?" Razor asked. "I don't fancy going all the way to the Crystal Empire."
"We'll try the family home if we have to," Dawn replied. "If worst comes to the worst Laurel will just have to wing it, so to speak." She shifted aside a pile of junk, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, I think we've got something here."
"What?"
"A letter to his parents," Dawn said, levitating the papers up off the table to read them:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
"It figures that you would have to be out of town the first time I can make it down to Canterlot since the Empire reappeared. And when Twily is in town as well! It's a pity that the two of us can't take you out to dinner but I'm sure the two of you will have a great anniversary together at Tall Lake. Cadance and I had a wonderful time on our honeymoon there, everything was perfect. You're probably already loving every minute..."
Dawn put the half-finished letter down, unable to read further. There was a cringing expression on her face. Does all Equestria conspire to prick my conscience?
"He doesn't sound like such a bad guy," Razor said.
"His only crime is loving his sister," Dawn muttered, stuffing the letter down her stocking. "But in this arena that is enough to condemn him."
"Still, I can see why you got cold feet," Razor Wind said flatly.
"I did not get cold feet," Dawn replied sharply. "I just...yeah, I got cold feet. Come on, we'd best go before all our hooves freeze up."
***
Rarity yawned as she put on her pink fluffy bedrobe and turned down the eiderdown. It had been a tiring day at the Sun Palace, and returning to the Twilight Palace at day's end had been like passing under a stormcloud. Dinner had been a subdued affair, Twilight had not come down from her work and although Spike had, he had not stayed long after eating his fill. Conversation amongst the four ponies had been...limited. In the circumstances, none of them really had much to say.
Opalescence meowed.
"I know, sweetie," Rarity said, stroking the furry feline with one hoof. "But things will look up. I hope."
There was a rattling at the window. Strange, when there was no wind tonight. Frowning, Rarity stepped lightly over to the casement and lifted it open with her magic.
"Hello?" she said. "Is anypony there?"
Nopony was, or at least nopony willing to answer her. There was, however, a letter left upon the windowsill. Rarity's frown deepened as she picked it up, closed the window, and read the letter.
Mi Amore,
You have no idea how long I've yearned to pour out my feelings to you. Since the day we met there has been a spark between us, our two souls intertwined by a fated bond. From the moment I looked into your eyes I knew, absolutely knew with all my heart, that we were meant to be together.
It is only my mistake that has kept us apart for so long: my terrible, awful, unbearably foolish mistake, my hasty marriage. For months I've hated myself for throwing my life away, despairing of love when you were so close all along; I have hated my wretched wife for keeping us apart. But all of that's over now. I've taken care of everything, removed the obstacles to our happiness. We can be together, there's nopony to stop us.
I do not live, but only exist between one meeting of ours and the next. Please, my love, give me some sign that you feel the same way I do.
Your Shining Stallion
Rarity was trembling as she let the letter fall onto her bed. She felt very cold, in spite of the warmth of the night.
Opalescence meowed inquisitively.
Rarity swallowed, her mouth dry, "It's all right Opal, dear. It's just a joke, that's all. It's somepony's idea of a sick joke. Pah!" She crumpled the love letter into a ball and through it in the waste paper basket.
At least she hoped it was a joke. She knew Shining Armour, had been a guest at his wedding, seen the way he and Cadance were together. He loved his wife, she would stake her reputation as a fashion designer on it.
"I won't mention this to Twilight, or the others," Rarity said. "Twilight has quite enough to worry about without me upsetting her over mean-spirited pranks. And, well, we wouldn't want anypony to get the wrong idea, would we?"
She turned in to bed, and did her best to put the silly letter from her mind.
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Ooooooooooooooh shit, Rarity.
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/1534034688/hDC27E265/
2725124 you'd a better told Twi and the others about the false letter.
That letter seems way too easy to confirm as fake. All she has to do is talk to Shining about it; it's evidence anyway, so fake or real she should know to tell someone.
2726229
You would be absolutely right, except...you'll see in the next chapter
2726336
they are trying to make it look like shining poisoned cadence to be with rarity, aren´t they
BTW: Write faster^^ you arent slow but this is one of my favorite stories and at this time second place on the list of fics I want updates from^^.
I think you might be missing a word
2721984
description spelled importantly wrong. I don't recall original, but this one feels a tad long, like it has too much info. Definitely don't need to include "with death" at the end, or refer to it as a tragedy directly; saying "But a quest for revenge can only end one way" is all you need, readers like to finish the thought themselves, and saying outright that this ends in death is unnecessary.
In other words, too much information, in my opinion.
2726336
The only way I can see it working involves a love potion, and I'm cringing at how awful and painful such a plan would be for the heroes.
2726628
Thanks. The missing word was 'lawyer'. Edited now.
2726675
I kind of agree, but if you look at the comments to the chapter before you'll see the guy from A for Effort said the synopsis was too weak and didn't have any bite, so I tried to spice it up a bit. It did get a bit melodramatic though.
2726689
If you go back and read Dawn's bit of the very first chapter there is a clue in there; similar to what you've thought but with more potential advantage for Dawny.
2726732
Hmm, not seeing it. Oh well, guess that means I get to be surprised by whatever unpleasantness is planned.
...How long has that tragedy tag been there?
And I can't stay mad at Sunset no matter what she does.
Man, things have been getting worse. At least there isn't a [Dark[ ta--what! That [Tragedy] tag wasn't there a minute ago.
I'm really surprised that none of Dawns friends have bailed on this plan yet. Cause damn what's next? "All those orphans at the Orphanage had to die. That Twilight walked near by it once"
I don't know why, but I'm with Breaking Dawn all the way. I just love her character. Plus, when I realized what the letter was about, I let out a little evil laugh.
2728964>>2727882
Since sometime after last chapter went up but before this one; after I realised that this had become much of a theatrical piece (in my head anyway) than I had originally planned. Dawn, and Twilight as you'll see in future, both have traits of the Tragic Hero: knowing on some level that what they are doing is wrong/stupid, but unable to turn away and defy the dictates of their character.
2729308
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies?
Plus, it's a little late to get off the runaway train now that they're being blackmailed to stay on it.
And thirdly, Dawn hasn't actually killed anyone yet.
Tragedy? didn't this thing have comedy?
Well, I'm fucking out of here.
I require moar of this. How often does this update?
This story is brilliant and it's all because of Breaking Dawn.
I know I am a minority in this, but I love her character and wish for her to succeed in getting Celestia's love (perhaps even becoming a princess).
Yes, what she is doing is mean and cruel, but she is a product of her environment. Life has given her crap, yet she has decided to achieve her dreams despite of it.
I can't help but sympathize with her for it
2744631
I'm guessing Twilight isn't your personal best pony?
Seriously though, I'm glad you like the fic, and Dawn, so much. I was hoping that someone would be at least a little sympathetic towards her.
Mild spoiler to follow.
Work has now begun on the next chapter of Vengeance of Dawn, and one scene involves Shining Armour running down a list of possibly pony names as he attempts to remember the name of Breaking Dawn from their meeting. Now, I will hold my hand up that I am not great at coming up with pony names. In fact I'm not good at coming up with names period but its worse for ponies than it is for anything else I write about. So, I thought I might throw open the issue to my readers or followers: if you would like your OC to get a shoutout in Vengeance of Dawn then just leave a comment either here or on my latest blog post with the name of the character and I will put that name in the list. It will probably look better than a list of names that I've come up with myself.
2747062
Actually no, she and Luna are my favorite ponies (but from what I hear about EQG, she may well not be anymore, it all depends on how season 4 turns out)
I just like Dawn more in this story. (and I find her plight more interesting)
I thought Breaking Dawn and Sunset Shimmer were supposed to be the same character.
Call me crazy, but I really don't think that Zecora would like hearing that...
I also agree that Trixie would be less nasty than the young Sunset Shimmer. Trixie's less charismatic, but also less cruel toward those she perceives as weak: her animosity is toward the strong, those whom she feels are challenging her. This is both one of the reasons she manages to be loveable, and one of the reasons she gets into so much trouble in life.
I also notice that Sunset -- in passing -- mocked Trixie. It was subtle enough that I'm not sure Trixie caught it, or felt like acting upon it if she did. What she did was also refer to Trixie in the third person. When speaking to her.
Now your relative chronology is clear. Sunset Shimmer is a few years older than Breaking Dawn, who in turn is several years older than Twilight Sparkle. I'm guessing that Trixie is a year or two younger than Breaking Dawn.
... and we see why Laurel is so incredibly loyal to Breaking Dawn.
Indeed, unless the Imperial Zebras wind up permanently ruling Equestria, that information is enough of a hold to control Dawn, at least, forever. Dawn is also not even all that useful to them past a certain point, because she's neither of royal descent nor an Alicorn. I wouldn't be surprised if their intent was to use her to cause chaos, then arrange her death and make it look as though she was hoist by her own petard. That way, they get to damage Equestria (thus neutralize the effects of Equestria's tilt toward Grevyia) and evade the blame.
A risky ploy on the Empire's part, but then Maths is arrogant, and we've seen he's capable of underestimating Celestia. If they keep on doing this, some day they'll wind up triggering some utterly devastating war that won't turn out well for either Realm ...
I do not believe that Breaking Dawn has the chance of a snowball in Hell of assuming any Equestrian throne. The Path she's on is not one of Ascension, but rather of Nightmare. And Equestria would not easily submit to Nightmare Dawn -- assuming she's even powerful enough to become a significant Nightmare.
The best thing Dawn could do now is to confess and beg leniency for her friends. Instead, she's obviously about to dig a deeper hole for all of them.
Rarity's instinct is of course right, that Shining never would have written such a letter. Her pattern-sense is serving her well -- hope that she continues to listen to it!
Aw snap, son.
I've had this story on hold for maybe a year just because, after the last couple of chapters, there was so much going on that I wanted to savor it and not have to rush it in between other things going on. And after a while I was starting to to think the rest couldn't actually hold up to the vague scenarios I had in my head.
So far, it's worth the wait.
I think I'll keep pacing this instead of binging it after all.
I knew Sunset came into this eventually but I didn't expect her so soon.
...How did I not notice that before?
The sad part is I think Shining and Rarity would make an adorable couple. Y'know, if it wasn't for Cadance, whom I have no problem with.
Is anyone else reading this mentally casting the OCs? So far I've got Grey DeLisle as Dawn, Jane Lynch as Hardy, Kevin Michael Richardson as Mathos and Laurence Fishburne as Jugurtha.
Rarity, you should have burned that note!
I am struggling to continue reading because Dawn infuriates me, as well as most of her little posse except for Cherry who seems to be the reasonable one.
Is Dawn blind to her own hubris, because it's causing her to underestimate both Twilight and Rarity and their intelligence.
Also, Dawn, you can't have something stolen from you that isn't yours anymore. Twilight didn't steal anything from you, you lost it.
You're arrogant, proud, overconfident, and self-centered. Such a disastrous combination would never make you worthy of the element of Magic. Your friends might be able to take up the Elements but not with you leading them.
Anyway, time to continue to see if or when and how this blows up in Dawn's face.