//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Matuta 
// Story: Breaking Dawn 
// by Detsella Morningdew 
//------------------------------//

Aurora yawned, stretching out each of her legs as she rolled over on the impossibly soft, warm, comfortable surface. She lifted her head slowly, then let it fall back down. No. No moving yet. Maybe I can go back to sleep?

She smiled, sinking deeper, then suddenly jerked upwards as a line of bright, hot sunlight pierced through her eyelids. Grunting in annoyance, she tried moving her hooves underneath herself. Well, too late for that idea.

The surface beneath her gave way underneath her hooves, letting her sink up to her barrel. With great reluctance, and a great deal of procrastination, she opened her eyes.

She saw a whole lot of red.

Ugh. I'm going to have to lift my head, aren't I? She sighed, looking up. There was now... red. And some white. And maybe some gold, too.

Well, at least I know my eyes aren't broken. She blinked, trying to get her eyes to focus properly. Her ears were also registering something, too. I'm not alone. And this doesn't look like my room at all.

Either of them, actually. Where am I? Suddenly, a thought came to the surface of her mind. She jumped up instantly.

"The cave!"

Or, at least, that's what she tried to do. What actually happened is that her hooves got horribly tangled in the odd sort of cushion she was laying on, she fell with a soft “thump” on her face, barely managing to mumble "Mgh knve!" before rolling over and falling off the surface and onto the cold, hard marble.

That woke her up quite thoroughly, and she scrambled back onto the cushion, her hooves having a frustratingly small amount of traction on the fabric itself. She looked around herself rapidly. "What's going on? Is everypony safe?"

Her head whipped around as she felt a hoof on her back, but relaxed when she saw the serene smile of Princess Celestia. She forced her breathing down, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart.

"You did it, Aurora. Everypony is... safe."

Aurora looked at her curiously. Something about her expression seemed... reserved. "What is it, Princess? Did something else happen? Why am I in your room? And why was I sleeping -" She pointed to the gigantic red cushion under her, and her mind made a connection. Her eyes widened.

"I’m... in... bed... Celestia..."

She shook her head violently. "Never mind. You're... you're obviously not mad at me, so it... it should be fine." Aurora looked up at Celestia with no small amount of worry. "But there's something wrong. What is it, Princess? Did something else happen? You said everypony is safe, but..."

Celestia and Smarty looked at each other, exchanging worried glances. Smarty spoke first. "Um, well... remember in that... training session... where Luna revealed that they were keeping secrets from us?"

Aurora cringed. "Yeah... um... I'm sorry. I mean, you probably had a good reason, but..."

Celestia held up a hoof. "Aurora... no. You need to know. I wanted to tell you when you were older perhaps, or when you started to see the signs yourself, but these last few hours have proven that it no longer can be that way."

Aurora looked up at her mentor worriedly, then at the other two Princesses that now occupied the room. "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with me?"

She stepped back she read the sadness in each of their expressions. Even Smarty seemed to avoid her gaze.

"No, my student. There is nothing wrong in who you are. But I only wish you did not have to carry our burden so soon."

"P-princess..? What are you talking about?"

Celestia looked down. "There is no easy way to say this, is there?" She sighed, bringing her head up to look her directly in the eye.

"Aurora, welcome to the alicorn race."





Aurora looked rapidly between the different ponies in the room, looking for anypony, anypony, who might refute that claim.

"No... this isn't possible! Nothing like this should be possible!"

Her gaze lingered on Smarty, who just shook her head gravely, still avoiding her gaze. "No, Mom, it's all true."

"But no! I'm just an earth pony! Nopony just changes tribes! It isn't possible!"

Princess Twilight stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Aurora, but it's true. Remember when you did that entrance exam? That magic you used? That was alicorn magic."

"But... but I got that from Celestia! That wasn't me!"

Celestia looked at Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't hear about this."

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "Uh, I kinda got distracted by the whole wellspring part. Sorry."

Celestia looked back at Aurora. "I'm sorry, my student, but only an earth pony can manipulate earth pony magic. Only a pegasus can manipulate pegasus magic."

"And only an alicorn can manipulate all three."

Aurora backed up further, bumping into the cushion behind her and falling on her rump. "But... wings... horn... mane..?"

Celestia laid down in front of her, bringing her head down to her level. "Do not worry. You will not be a full alicorn for a long time, and I doubt that you will exhibit many physical changes for a long time. And we will all be here for you."

Aurora attempted to smile, but it turned into a grimace as she gripped her head with her front hooves, a memory from the cave forcibly returning to the surface.

"I... know...  You're right... It's... just really hard to think straight right now. Why did this have to come now‽ I spent so long trying to prove that Earth ponies had magic too, that they could do the same magic as Earth ponies… but all of that was just a damn lie."

Aurora suddenly found herself face-to-face with Luna, as her head was forced to meet her gaze. “Aurora, do you not remember your training with me?”

Her eyes darted to the side. “Of… of course.”

“So… those balls of magic that you put so much faith in. How often did you use them?”

“Um… well...”

“The point is, they’re inefficient. Those things cost roughly three times the energy a simple contact spell would require. They take longer to cast, and they are simply too flashy for any kind of stealth operation. Why is something like that so appealing for you?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Luna released her, softening her expression. “Do not trouble yourself with what other ponies believe you can do. If you do, then they are able to control you. Focus on what you love to do, and let everything else follow.”

Aurora sighed, falling back onto the soft, comfortable object she had been sitting on. “I understand, it just feels like… like all I worked towards was meaningless. I love magic, and I love researching how Earth pony magic works, but now… now it just seems like all that time, I just wanted to be a unicorn. Now I find that I am going to be one, and everything was just pointless.”

Suddenly, she grabbed her head in sudden pain. Her body lurched involuntarily, falling down completely on the bed. "Where... where is this even coming from?"

Celestia cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Aurora gritted her teeth, and the other four ponies stepped back slightly as flashes of light flashed across her body, first appearing near her rear hooves, more and more appearing all over her as she twitched slightly.

Smarty looked worriedly at Celestia. "What is happening to her?"

Her eyes widened. "I... I don't know… Nothing should be happening this early."

She looked at the other Princesses, but they both seemed just as confused. All she could do was stare as Aurora endured the magic lancing across her body.

After what seemed like an eternity, the lights and magic died down, leaving Aurora laying on the bed, panting slowly.

She slowly rolled off the bed, then got to her hooves, looking back up at the worried-looking Princesses. “I...”

She paused, her balance slightly off. Her head turned towards Smarty automatically, but instantly snapped back to her own body as she realized that she had appeared three inches smaller than usual.

Aurora breathed in slowly. She was taller. Actually, measurably taller. She glanced at the three Princesses already in the room.

This was no joke. This was no dream. This was absolutely real.

Shivering slightly, her gaze traveled to her front hooves. She blinked. Was that… soot?

"After your body realizes what is happening to itself, your mind starts to reconfigure your instincts to that of an alicorn. However... I do not understand... Just realizing your transformation should not cause any magical imbalances. In fact, it should only serve to stabilize the wellspring."

Aurora attempted to “stick” one of her front hooves to the floor. She barely felt any resistance as she lifted it back up.

Oof, that’s a lot more damage than I thought. 

She looked up. “Well, pretty much all of my magic is emotion-based.”

Twilight planted a hoof on her face. "Oh, right. I should have seen that."

Celestia stared past her. “Hmm. That is unusual.”

"Hey, at least you get to be the first Earth pony that ascended." Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "I think."

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, since it's probably going to just get covered up anyway."

Twilight’s head whipped around so fast, Aurora could almost feel the breeze. "What do you mean?"

She took a step back hurriedly. "Um… well, I mean, you’re kinda absent from most of ancient history, Princess Twilight. Historical events and things that if you really are as old as most ponies think, you would have been alive for. I know most ponies don’t bother with reading about that kind of stuff, but..."

Twilight rubbed the back of her head. "Oh."

Luna stepped forward. "Aurora, I understand that it will be very difficult to adjust, but if it makes you feel any better, most ponies will only think of you as an earth pony for a long while yet."

Aurora sighed. "All... all right. Just... could we hold off on the Princess title for now?"

Celestia chuckled. "Of course. We haven't even announced your scholarship yet."

Aurora tilted her head. "I thought the School was free to anypony that got in."

Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof, chuckling. "No, no. She means that she hasn't announced that you're her student yet."

Aurora blushed slightly. "Oh, right. The other definition." She suddenly winced, thinking of the disapproving officials. "I don't think that's really going to go over well.

"...not to mention the other thing."

Luna's voice gained a certain amount of steel. "Well then, we will know exactly who to remove from office."

Celestia sighed. "I only wish it were that simple, sister. Still, we are all here for you, just as I said before. Do not worry." She smiled warmly. “And when you do, remember to come to us for help.”

Aurora’s mouth opened to protest that no, of course she wouldn't worry, but the words died in her mouth almost instantly as her brain kept coming up with more and more examples to the contrary.

"Yes, Princess."

She let out a breath. "And could you please go back to calling me Celestia again? I was quite enjoying that."

Aurora froze. "Wait, I was?"

Smarty facehooved.

Celestia laughed lightly. "Yes, you did. For a while, I was under the impression that you knew about your own ascension. But your fateful discussion with my sister proved that wrong."

She put a hoof on Aurora's shoulder. "I know you are still very young, but I would rather have another friend than another subject. We all would. So please, our titles are not necessary."

Aurora sighed. "I'll try. But... what about in public? Surely I can't -"

Celestia's smile gained a slightly predatory aspect. "It will provide a perfect demonstration of your position. Ponies need to know that you are no mere student."

She exchanged a knowing glance with Twilight. "And if anypony is giving you a particularly hard time, just call me 'Tia.' Their reactions are priceless."

Aurora blanched. "But..."

Celestia removed her hoof sadly. "Only when you feel ready, of course. For now. Just..."

Aurora stretched each of her legs, rolling smoothly off the bed and onto the floor. She yawned. "I'm not sure if I would be really comfortable with that, but I suppose I'll just have to get used to it."

Smarty blinked, looking up at her. Key word up.

"Um, Mom? Are you... taller than me?"

Aurora blinked, looking back at her, a bit embarrassed. “Um…. Maybe?”

"Yeah, you are! You look... you look almost like you're fully-grown or something." Smarty looked at the Princesses behind her. "Which you're not, obviously, since they're, like, super-tall."

Twilight trotted over, looking her over. "Well, growth certainly is something to expect, but it is unprecedented this early on." Aurora jumped slightly as Twilight's hooves poked at her experimentally.

She stepped back again, still staring at Aurora critically. "It doesn't look just like the kind of growth I went through, though. There is a significant amount of accelerated maturity as well. Perhaps because she started so young?" She looked at Celestia and Luna. "Like when you two actually reversed your aging when you two started?"

Smarty whipped her head around to stare at the two oldest Princesses. "Wait, you two weren'tborn alicorns?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, we were both once unicorns. Don't let that get out, though. It was bad enough when Twilight grew her wings."

Aurora looked up at the Princesses. There might… there might just be a way to fix all this. "Is... is there a way to stop this?"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Stop ascension? Aurora, you have to realize - this is a completely natural process. Even if we were able to, we wouldn't."

Aurora pressed both her front hooves underneath her eyes, trying to relieve the tension. "Sorry, it's just... I don't know. A lot to take in, I guess."

Celestia climbed onto the cushion, shifting her body closer to Aurora and wrapping a wing around her back.

Aurora started to relax, leaning against Celestia’s large body, but stiffened a few seconds later

This is Princess Celestia. This is my teacher. This is the ruler, Sovereign of Equestria! I can’t...

Aurora’s eyes suddenly found Celestia’s face. Suddenly, she was a lot less sure.

Celestia removed her wing.

She looked around the room, searching for any opportunity to look away from that expression. Twilight gave her a nervous smile. Luna stared at the floor.

No… No, these are ponies, too. Ponies that need comfort. Ponies that need friends.

Aurora looked back up at Celestia.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly made up her mind. Purposefully, she moved to Celestia… no, Tia’s side, leaning against her and her warmth.

As her mentor’s muscles started to relax again, and Aurora was just about to close her eyes, she felt another weight on her other side, looking up to see Twilight smiling brilliantly down at her.

Grinning slightly at the absurdity of the situation, but too comfortable to move, she looked at the only remaining occupant of the room.

Luna chuckled. “Oh, no. That bed is crowded enough with three of you.”

Twilight grinned. “Oh, I’m sure you could fit somewhere.”

“Yes, but I believe Aurora values her ability to breathe.”

Aurora looked blearily around the room. Somepony was missing, she was sure of it…

“Where…” She covered her yawn with a hoof. “Where’s Smarty?”

Luna rather unsuccessfully tried to hide her smile.





Aurora opened her eyes. Slowly, she breathed in, completely relaxed, yet aware of everything around her. Sighing, she looked beyond the glass of her room’s ceiling and into the stars as the cool night air brushed past her fur.

Her body told her that it was midnight, as usual, but there was no moon that lit her little corner of the castle.

She smiled. A new moon? Luna doesn’t do that often.

Indeed, without her “night light,” Aurora found her room cast in many, oddly-shaped shadows. Yet the stars themselves looked almost twice as bright without the comparison.

Looking to her right, she was unsurprised to find Smarty absent from her usual spot. Even with their shifted day-night schedule, Smarty always seemed to wake up early.

Seriously, I know she’s technically still growing, but I know for certain that I never needed that much food. Maybe it’s a pegasus thing?

Her head flopped sideways, towards the door. The door to the kitchens.

I should probably get up, shouldn’t I?

With a small, groan, Aurora rolled off the bed and onto the floor. She immediately froze.

No….

That was supposed to be a dream...

No part of that was supposed to be real...

There was no doubt about it. She knew her body well. Luna made sure of that. And this certainly was not what she trained with.

“I… I suppose I need to get some breakfast…”

She walked over to the door and opened it. Her hoofsteps were deafening.

Aurora shook her head violently. “No, just forget about it. Worrying won’t help.” She closed the door, descending each step of the staircase with a cringe, overstepping each one by about half an inch.

The castle corridors were almost deserted, and for once, she was glad.

No, of course nopony would notice if I gained a few inches. It’s not that obvious or anything. And besides, the Princesses are here to help me.

…but they don’t want me to call them that anymore. Did I really…? Yes, I suppose I did.

Why is it that when I have the most reason to use their names informally, it feels more wrong than ever?

She sighed, turning into the castle kitchens. There was nopony on duty, of course, but Aurora expected that. Princess Luna would have finished her lunch long before now, and her personal staff left when she did.

Aurora was just about to grab a cast-iron skillet hanging from the rack, but she was interrupted by a plate of eggs near her face.

“Hey, I already made some for the both of us. Come on!”

She smiled, willing for the moment to discard her confused thoughts. They didn’t seem to be doing anything useful at the moment, anyway. She took the plate from Smarty with her mouth, guiding it securely to the staff’s small dining table they both liked to use when nopony was around.

Ooh, nice, some hay bacon, too!

“Thanks for the breakfast, Smarty!”

She waved it off with a hoof. “No problem, Mom. I like doing this sort of thing, anyway.”

They ate a few minutes in silence, only the sounds of their forks on their plates penetrating the castle’s night air.

Eventually, Smarty spoke up once again. “So… I was talking to Luna a bit ago…”

Aurora cocked her head. “Wait, you always use her title. Why did you stop?”

Smarty sighed. “And you only notice now,” she muttered. “Well, for one, she told me not to. Two, you really need to loosen up. I figured if you hear it more from me, it will be a lot more comfortable for you in general.”

Aurora opened her mouth.

“And three, I’m a freaking sapient suit of armor. I really don’t care what other ponies think.”

Aurora closed it, letting out her breath. “I know, I know. It’s just still not something I’m used to. Not something I’m comfortable with.” She lifted a hoof to about eye level. It was heavier than usual. “None of it.”

Smarty looked towards the ground silently. “...I guess I never really got the chance to get used to anything. Not yet, at least. I know it’s kinda selfish, but I sorta wish you did just turn into an alicorn immediately. Sure, there would be mass panic and all that, but at least it would die down after a while. At least we could get into some sort of routine.”

She reached over the small table, placing a hoof on Smarty’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so focused on my own problems, and… and you always seemed to just be able to handle everything. I guess I never really stopped to think how you would feel about this. I never realized how much this actually affects you.”

Smarty looked up again, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. Neither of us really know what is going to happen, and if I’m right, neither do any of the Princesses. But that’s okay, because we still have each other to lean on.” She took a deep breath. “You didn’t know what I was feeling, but that’s because I didn’t tell you about it. I know you care about me. I just need to remember that.”

She stood back up, taking each of their empty plates and placing them on her back. “I’ll take these for you while you think up some fun things to do. I was talking with Luna, and apparently, we only have a few hours left until the world knows you’re “Celestia’s student.” They’re having some sort of press conference at dawn, and you bet it’s going to spread like wildfire.”

Aurora gulped. “Yeah… that… I’m definitely not looking forward to getting recognized by everypony I meet.” She thought of a certain examiner. “Especially a particular kind of everypony.”

Smarty nodded sagely. “Well, we’d better use our last remaining anonymity as well as we can, then.” She placed the dishes carefully in the sink with her hooves, staring out the small, arched window into the city below.

“And brace ourselves for the worst.”