Dawn teleported into her office with a flash and a pop early in the afternoon, thoroughly exhausted and yet not quite ready to rest for the day. There was too much to do, too many tasks to attend to, too many ponies to speak with.
Beyond this entire "Pandemonia" situation and the possibility of Nihila's survival, she still had political turmoil to deal with so that once everything was said and done, she and Queen Blackburn could return to their negotiations and hopefully reestablish the peace she'd been working towards.
Sunspire, incidentally, had been left in Gray’s care for the time being, since apparently he was providing assistance in finding Athenos and monitoring Pandemonia’s magic. She felt better leaving somepony behind that served some use and could be counted on to vouch for New Pandemonium’s role in things should Dawn not be present to do so.
At Dawn’s side was Havoc, who Dawn noted was excessively disgruntled, more so than usual. She was dressed in a new jacket, black with red trimming, which had to have been a gift from somepony since she hadn’t brought it with her, obviously. Now that she was out of the hospital Havoc had also taken the effort to restyle her mane, shaving it on the left side but keeping the right side its original length.
Her sister's eye surgery had been a complete success; her left eye had been replaced by a technomagic construct that Dawn didn't care for too many details on, not from Havoc at any rate. She would have Overseer Pedigree and Doctor Blutsauger give it a thorough examination to determine if it was something they could have manufactured, for better or worse. She had to know just how sufficient Hope’s Point’s medical advancements actually were.
"This is bullshit, Dawn, and you know it," Havoc grunted as she glanced about the office, particularly out the tinted window. "I literally just got cleared to leave the hospital. Do you have any idea how pissed Blackburn's gonna be when she finds out you basically just abducted me out from under her nose? 'Cause I do."
"If she requires an explanation, I will provide her with one she will find more than adequate," Dawn said, nose in the air as she approached her side of her desk.
As Havoc stared out the window, she shook her head. “Damn, that storm’s really picking up, isn’t it? Looks a lot different from up here than on the news.”
Dawn glanced out the window, then back at Havoc. “Indeed,” she said with a nod.
The pair of them could see that the winds outside had picked up tremendously. Dust particles could be seen violently swirling about. Dawn was glad she’d been able to time everything right; the sandstorm would be hitting in full force within the next day, and the entire northern continent would be under its sway for three, maybe four weeks, at least according to the meteorology reports.
“How’re you handling this whole thing, anyway?” Havoc asked. “I know they’re not worried in Hope’s Point thanks to the barrier, and the storm won’t keep them from getting food shipments from down south. We don’t have that benefit up here.”
Dawn steepled her hooves. “As part of the lockdown order, all citizens of New Pandemonium are being required to confine themselves within their homes for the full duration of the storm. Those that can perform their career duties from home are being asked to do so; those that cannot are being provided financial assistance.”
“Okay, but how are folks gonna eat? What if they need to go to the hospital?”
“I have arranged special unicorn teams within several departments—namely the NPPD, the NPAF, and the CIA—to serve as escorts for ponies in need of certain types of aid, such as service technicians or nurses. As for food, Dolorcorp was given generous government funding to provide care packages for the entire city, which have already been delivered.”
Havoc whistled. “Alright, not bad. Sounds like you took care of everything.”
“I always do,” Dawn scoffed. “Given the recent fiasco regarding the ambush upon Her Majesty, I refused to allow any further unforeseen disasters on my watch. Curaçao personally triple-checked everything for me while I was dealing with our… new problem.”
“Right. Because when it comes down to it Curaçao always does all the work and you take all the credit.”
Dawn ignored the comment and cleared her throat. “Now, you and I must address the aforementioned ambush fiasco.” She gestured towards the seat opposite her. "Sit.”
"I'll stand, thanks,” Havoc grunted. “Before we get to that, you never answered my question. What sort of explanation do you think you can give Her Majesty about taking me back here that isn't gonna piss her off, huh?"
"An elementary one: you are Commander Havoc of the NPAF, and thus are required by your station to follow orders delivered to you by your superior officer, in this case Admiral Jetstream. He has requested your presence here in New Pandemonium so as to properly oversee the transfer of power, seeing as I expect you to be my liaison between him and myself."
Havoc snorted smoke out of her nostrils. "You talked with his dad face-to-face all the time without any go-betweens, so why do I have to be your 'liaison' or whatever now that it's him? Let me guess: he's not exactly pleased with you essentially firing his pops because of what happened with the attack?"
Dawn closed her eyes briefly, took a breath, and reopened them. "Not entirely inaccurate, and as such I lack the patience to deal with his potentially insubordinate attitude. I would assign Curaçao to the task, but you possess a more intricate familiarity with the NPAF's inner workings and would be more suitable for the assignment."
"Heh. Careful, sis, you almost sound like you're saying something nice about me."
"Naturally. Your involvement with the attack on Her Majesty's airship ensured that the only casualty that she suffered was that of Captain Briarthorn. Regrettable as that might be because of Her Majesty's close ties to him, it is better than the alternative. Regardless, your efforts are…"
Dawn took another breath. This was harder than she thought it would be, if only because Queen Blackburn had made it abundantly clear that if not for Havoc's actions, the peace summit would've been called off entirely; the attack could have easily been taken as an act of war. Dawn had barely been able to restrain herself from asserting that Hope's Point owed its existence to her and her father's desire to allow them to flourish, that the NPAF could've wiped them out at a moment's notice.
But she managed to find the resolve to continue: "Your efforts are certainly a substantial factor in the continued prospect for a peaceful resolution to the entire situation."
Havoc frowned. "Yeah… I suppose it is. Still, thanks, I think. I did everything I could to help them. I'm still not entirely sure what I did. I mean, I've sort of figured out what happened, but I'm not sure why I exploded like that. It's weird."
"However, I will note that it is regrettable that your destruction of the Chameleon-class cruiser was so total and thorough. We could not recover any evidence that could be of value, apart from some inkling of the intentions of those responsible, namely in the capturing of the Princess and Prince. We lack any other pertinent information."
"Are… are you serious right now?"
"Hmm? Yes, naturally," Dawn said, raising an eyebrow, frustrated by Havoc's question. "Surely you have been made aware of the fact that the AMP Troopers attributed to the Chameleon had data in their orders that indicated that they were intending on foalnapping Princess Bluebolt and Prince Fireglow. For what purpose, we do not know, mainly because there were no survivors."
"Yeah, I know all of that. That wasn't my question." Havoc set her hooves on Dawn's desk, putting enough pressure to cause it to creak. "I meant, are you seriously reprimanding me for doing too good of a job?"
Dawn snorted; her sister’s oversimplifications always got on her nerves. "An erroneous interpretation. I am reprimanding you for your lack of self-control. With the Chameleon destroyed in the fashion it was, I possess no information that could be of use in pursuing those responsible. Director Underhoof's investigation would have benefitted from such evidence."
Havoc shook her head in what Dawn thought was disbelief. "You're unreal. You're fucking unreal."
"Excuse me?"
"I almost died doing what I did out there!" Havoc tapped at her new eye. "I lost a fucking eye and got scars all over me because I saved Blackburn and her family, not to mention your ass! At least Blackburn has been totally legit about how much she appreciates what I did!"
Dawn huffed, taking another breath to maintain her composure. "I do appreciate your efforts, Havoc—"
"Bullshit, no you don't! If you did, you wouldn't throw this backhoofed compliment fuckery back in my face! 'Oh, thanks for doing a good job Havoc, but here's where you fucked up'. That's you. That's what you're saying to me."
Dawn sharply rose from her seat. "Watch your tone, Commander."
"Kiss my ass, Shadow Associate," Havoc snarled, getting right in Dawn's face. "I'm tired of your shit! I'm so fucking tired of being your fucking butt-monkey! You're always looking to find some way to blame anypony else for anything that goes wrong instead of looking in a fucking mirror!"
"That does it! You are hereby demoted," Dawn snapped, slapping her hoof on the table with finality. "You will no longer be involved in any capacity with the handling of this transition of power."
Havoc threw her hooves in the air. "Good fucking riddance! I'm done with you and your fucking orders! For your information, I was planning on quitting and moving to Hope's Point anyway! I've got a life there! Friends! Family! In fact, why don't we make things easier and you just teleport me back there right now."
Dawn leaned back into her seat, steepling her hooves. "No. I will do no such thing. As punishment for your insubordinate attitude I am restricting your permissions to leave the city even during lockdown, and I will certainly not break my own rules to provide you with your desires."
Havoc's good eye twitched. "Fine! Fuck you then, I'll just fly out of here myself. I know I can make it back to Hope's Point my then if I hurry—"
"Did you misunderstand me? I am forbidding you from leaving the city. The entirety of New Pandemonium City is in total lockdown in preparation for the sandstorm, which most especially includes the city walls. The AMP wall guards have been instructed to tranquilize would-be violators on sight, which now includes you."
"Are you for real? You're really gonna try to keep me from leaving?"
Dawn nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Your actions recently have displayed to me that you have a severe lack of respect for me and my position, and I believe that I have allowed this insubordinate attitude of yours to fester for far too long."
"I've got somepony to get back to!" Havoc shouted, slamming her hooves on the table. "She has no idea that I'm even here! We’re supposed be getting—"
"Irrelevant and inconsequential! Now, if you are quite done with your outburst, return to your quarters. I will have Curaçao debrief you on anything relevant." Dawn leaned back completely in her seat, satisfied that she'd finally asserted her authority over her recalcitrant sibling. "Any questions?"
Havoc remained silent for a long moment, just staring at Dawn, her good eye still twitching. "You… cunt."
Dawn's eyes widened. She had to have misheard that. "What did you—"
"You heard me you sanctimonious cunt," Havoc hissed through clenched teeth. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
Dawn clenched her own teeth. "Careful, sister—"
"Don't 'sister' me, you fucking bitch! As far as I'm concerned, I only have four sisters, because if you were the fifth you'd be the shittiest fucking sister who ever lived! The absolute worst! You don't give a flying fuck about me or anypony else but yourself!"
Dawn felt a sudden, tremendous pang in her heart. Nopony had ever spoken to her like that before. "That is not—"
"Shut up!" Havoc shouted.
Her hooves flared more than slightly, and when she slammed one hoof onto the desk it left a genuine scorch mark. Dawn stared at it for a moment, horrified that Havoc had just legitimately damaged her desk, their father’s desk.
"You treat me and the others like fucking tools,” Havoc continued. “Just tools that you can order around to do your fucking bidding, like we're your servants or some shit. Even Pops, who admitted that he created us to be tools didn't treat us like that!"
"Father did not—"
"Yes he did! He said it to our faces! He said that he made us at first just to serve a purpose!"
Havoc poked Dawn in the chest with the hoof that wasn’t ignited, hard enough to push her back into her chair. Dawn couldn’t take her eyes off of her sister’s face now that she was so close and so angry. The sheer rage in Havoc’s expression, combined with the prosthetic eye and the horrid burn scarring on her face made her look legitimately intimidating.
"But he realized he was wrong!” Havoc snarled. “And he even apologized for it, and yet he still never treated us the way that you do! He actually loved us!"
"I… I am attempting to live up to his legacy!" Dawn snapped, desperately wanting Havoc to draw back so that she wouldn’t have to stare at her any longer. "Father presented me with an important task and I have striven to accomplish it with every fiber of my being!"
"That doesn't mean you get to treat the rest of us like tools to get the job done! He still treated us like his fucking kids. You don't treat us like family at all! You don't even know anything about us, about what we're going through! 'Cause you don't care!"
Dawn scoffed. "What a ridiculous statement."
"Bullshit it is. You know how I know it's bullshit? Because I know things that you haven't even a fucking clue about, because you don't care to ask and nopony wants to fucking bother with you."
"Preposterous. Such as?"
Havoc snorted smoke from her nostrils again; Dawn had to hold her breath to avoid breathing it in. "What floor is Insipid's room on?"
Dawn quirked an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, the seventieth—"
"Bzzt! Wrong!" Havoc exclaimed slamming her hoof back on the table; at least she didn’t damage it this time. "She moved out of the tower six years ago. She lives in a penthouse in the Romantique District. But you knew that, didn't you? 'Cause it was 'preposterous' to say otherwise, right?"
Dawn blinked, utterly lost. "Insipid… moved out? Six years ago? Why is this the first I am hearing—"
"Because Insipid knew you didn't give a shit! She tried to tell you but your selfish ass pushed her aside because you had more important shit to do than listen to her!"
"I… I clearly must have had some crucial matter to attend to—"
"Oh, fuck off. You never bothered to spend any time with her anyway, we all know that. You never talk to her, or ask her how she's doing, or how her career is going, or anything like that, because you're too 'smart' for her."
"She is nothing more than a plebian fashion model," Dawn huffed, turning up her nose at the indignity of it all. "I know that her intellect is substandard but truly that is a frivolous waste of potential—"
"See, you don't even know a fucking thing about her! She's isn't just some fashion model, she's a wildly successful fashion model, with more friends and associates than the entire family combined, besides Curaçao. Her connections down south are making the fashion world up here more accepting of Hope's Point fashion and shit, so she's fucking helping you. She even teaches some of the Shadow fillies all about high society living!"
"I… I was unaware—"
"Oh yeah, sure, I know you were. You're unaware of a lot of things, aren't you?" Havoc snorted, shaking her head. "How many kids does Velvet have, for instance?"
"None, of course, apart from the adoption of… Caramel Rye, I believe? And thank the stars," Dawn muttered, shaking her head. "Diluting the family lineage with random, nameless stallions is hardly a worthwhile venture. I am certain that when she chooses a more appropriate partner—"
"See? You don't even know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"That Velvet can't even have kids! She's infertile!"
Dawn's eyes widened in shock. "What? What are you talking—"
"Yup, she found out about that years ago. Got real broken up about it and everything. I remember her locking herself in her room for like two days. You remember that? I bet you do, 'cause Velvet says you bugged her about getting back to work since you hadn't gotten a report about the Shadows on time. Smooth move."
"I… but—"
"And you know why she didn't tell you? I mean, besides you acting like a cold, heartless bitch to her at the time? Well, it's because you act like a cold, heartless bitch all the time." Havoc said, getting back in Dawn's face.
Dawn opened her mouth to retort, but she couldn’t find the words.
"That's why none of us like you, and why none of us tell you about our lives. Because even when we do tell you, you brush it aside as if it’s meaningless, as if we’re meaningless,” Havoc said, giving a mirthless chuckle. “What’s worse is that you keep things from us. Things like telling Gray about Velvet getting attacked and lying to Velvet about telling Gray what’s happened.
"All you care about is yourself and your fucking 'purpose' that you think Dad gave you. I know you never even bothered to check if Caramel or Velvet were okay, because Velvet told me! You didn't even visit me in the hospital except to make a pathetic appearance at that after-funeral get-together, and great fucking job on that by the way! I bet you wouldn't have given a shit if I'd died!"
Dawn's ears suddenly perked up. There was an odd sensation in the air, like nothing else she'd felt before. She could feel a trembling in her horn, a familiar sort of feeling and yet alien all the same. The last time she could remember feeling anything like it at all was seven years ago, the morning that they'd destroyed Nihila and Twilight and her friends had departed for their world.
"Oh, I'm sure Curaçao tolerates you the most because you two work together real close-like," Havoc prattled on. "Then again, you couldn't even bother to show up to her wedding. Too busy working to even teleport in just to watch the ceremony. You weren't there when her daughter was born, either. I bet the only reason you even know she has a kid is because she talks about her. Do you even know her name? Does Dad even know Curaçao and Gray have kids? Or do you think that it’s beneath him to know that?
"And the rest of us? Nuh-uh, we don't want to talk to you if we don't have to. Velvet only does it because she loves the Shadows and wants the best for them, and needs your help and resources to make it happen. Insipid doesn't even bother with contacting you anymore because it's a waste of her time. Not yours, hers."
The sensation was growing stronger by the second, then just suddenly stopped. Dawn's eyes darted about, trying to find the source; it definitely felt like it was in this very room. Her horn flickered slightly, drawn to the source perhaps? But what was causing it? Where was it coming from? Why did it stop all of sudden? And what was Havoc talking about now? Dawn had lost track.
"Me and Gray, though? We've already talked about it, and we're fucking done. I'm done with you," Havoc said with finality.
Dawn did not respond though; to be frank, she'd mostly been tuning out most of what Havoc was saying this past minute as she attempted to find the source of the sensation. Her horn actually lit up almost entirely on its own now, and she allowed it to do so. She'd located where it had been coming from: the wall at the far end of the room. Not inside the wall or on the other side, either, but the entire wall.
"Hey!" Havoc snapped, slapping her hoof on the side of Dawn’s chair. "Are you fucking ignoring me right now? Are you for real?"
Dawn held up a hoof. "Quiet for a moment, Havoc. There is a strange occurrence present here."
"Oh, don't you try to get out of—"
"Silence!" Dawn hissed. She paused a moment, staring at the wall, tilting her head. What in the world was going—
Then, the wall opened up. Or rather, more accurately, something opened up on the wall itself, a vortex of energy of some kind. Rivers of prismatic magic streamed their way through an ethereal void beyond the wall. The deep expanse of black beyond was speckled with glowing white stars, all faintly twinkling in and out of existence. Total chaos.
Just like Dawn's life felt like right now, poetically enough.
Havoc's eyes widened. "Dawn, what are doing?" she asked, sounding both concerned and angry. "Are you so unwilling to listen to criticism that you're gonna, what, throw me out? Get rid of me? You really are nothing like Dad."
That struck hard. Dawn recalled the pangs of disappointment that had resounded through her in the brief moments that her father had interacted with Gray. Havoc was right: she hadn't told Father about anything going on in the lives of her sisters, Gray and Curaçao in particular, who had started families of their own. She felt it was unimportant to him when he was focused on his own critical work, but she knew now that she'd been wrong.
"This… this is not my doing," Dawn muttered, rising from her seat and readying herself for whatever might happen. Despite having Havoc in the room with her, she felt as though she were utterly alone against the world. "Prepare yourself for whatever might come out."
Neither of them were quite ready for what tumbled out, actually:
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
Havoc's jaw dropped. "What the fuck?"