//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Ponies of the North // Story: Cracking Dawn // by Didily Winkles //------------------------------// Chapter Twenty-Two "Alright, you should bow your head like this, like I showed you." Luna said as she gave a small bow for example, it wasn't too low to show submissiveness but not too shallow to lose respect. "You will do this to every noble but for the winged unicorns coming tonight you will need to address them as ‘equals’ with a hoof shake." Luna walked up to Dawn, looking her right in the eye. "Princess Bleg bleh. So good to see you." She smiled, politely, shaking Dawn's hoof that she didn't notice Luna had picked up. "Now you try." Dawn closed her eyes as if getting ready to perform. "Prince Blehfoodle is it? I am so glad to meet you." Dawn greeted, smiling to Luna. She gently picked up her hoof with hers and shook it. They had been at this for nearly an hour now. "You're getting good at this." April said from behind Luna. "Very regal." She added, nodding. "I know all this is really horrid to do but these ponies make Equestria possible." Princess Celestia said from across the room, she had been over seeing this ‘training’ of hers. "I'll try my best to not start wars." Dawn laughed. "The nobles from the frozen north may want to steal you away. They desperately want a ‘demigod’ for themselves but will not accept Equestria's invitation to merge." Luna said. "You should have seen them when I came back. They wanted me to join them and start a war against Celly and all of Equestria." "You're joking..." Dawn deadpanned. "Afraid not. Griffin, even dragon politics are positively pleasant compared to pony's." Celestia added. "Celly messed up centuries ago, letting pony politics to get very foul..." Luna said, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Right, it is all my fault. If I had my way the world would be united under us through force but you stood up for their ‘independence’." Celestia defended. "Right then!" Dawn said, loudly interrupting another soon to be sisterly dispute. "Any thing else I need to know? I would very much like to relax a bit before this... thing." "Are you sure their isn't any repercussions to staying that size?" Celestia asked for a dozen-th time. "Not if I slowly let out the stress, then there will be only small tremors." Dawn answered for the dozen-th time. Celestia looked over to the clock, high on the wall. "You have one hour." Celestia sighed as she walked to the center of the room where Luna and Dawn stood. "I hope you are ready, I don't think we can do anything else to prepare you." Celestia let out another sigh before teleporting out with a nervous smile on. "I know you'll do fine. You are my daughter after all." Luna said brightly. She did love saying that. Dawn returned a smile as Luna dissolved into the shadows. "I wish you could be with me." Dawn said, walking over to April who was behind her desk working on homework. "I don't." April yawned. "I've sat in on Celestia's court before. I know what you're going to be dealing with. Plus I got loads of work to do. I took too much time off to fly with you and stuff. I've fallen behind." Dawn bent over to rest her head on the desk. Her hair, which was blowing in the eternal wind, buffeted against her face. Its ethereal quality made it so it didn't bother her in the least. Dawn looked up to April who was studiously working on her work. She was so small, normal. There was much they haven't talked about yet, but much they didn't need to talk about as well. April told her at dinner when she came back from the gardens yesterday that what ever happened they would cross that bridge when they got to it. Dawn purposely fell on to her back, rolling to look at the large block of marble. She closed her eyes to envision what she wanted to do with it but drew a blank. Dawn groaned at her inability to create art. "Why don't you go for a fly or something." April suggested, thinking Dawn was bored. Dawn pushed her legs out letting her belly and head flatten against the cool marble floor. With a labored exhale she closed her eyes to the world around her. 'The simple things are our respite' Luna told her last night. She asked plenty of questions last night, many of them she got answers to but a good chunk Luna and Celestia just said 'that is something you will have to find out yourself'. Dawn let her mind wonder on the information she had learned. Apparently the winged unicorns Celestia hates so much are mutants and not distant relatives of the sisters, however farfetched that idea was in the first place. The titles they claim and hold dear are given because of their resemblance to the princesses and because the general public doesn't know better. Celestia and Luna tried their best to explain the intricacies of the hidden world of politics of the nobles to April and Dawn over dinner. Much of it sounded counter productive but they did make Dawn's roll very clear. She was a child; she may have a say in the country's future down the road but not anytime soon. As insulting as it was to hear, she took a great comfort in it. It was one less thing to worry about. Dawn rolled on the floor exposing her belly to April who had peaked her head around the desk. "Now that is the grace of a princess..." April laughed as she returned behind the desk. "Bleh." Dawn stuck her tongue at April even though she couldn't see it. "So have you decided yet?" "You know I haven't." April sighed. Dawn groaned as she pushed herself off the floor. She grabbed a book off her shelf and crawled over to her couch. "Plus, where would I put my stuff? This is your tower, covered in your stuff." April added. Dawn was tired of hearing that excuse. She opened her book. It was yet another botany textbook. She had planned to study the magic involved with farming and the like before she grew wings. Seemed incredibly appropriate now. "I would be just down the stair well." April said, putting down her own book. "It would be essentially living together. It's not like I don't live here in a way already. I sleep in your bed more than mine." Dawn churned in her couch. She was tired of hearing that one too. "Not a single good reason why I shouldn't move in with you down stairs. It's like you are completely ignoring that suggestion." Dawn said behind her book. April retreated back behind her book. Dawn absent mindedly read through chapter after chapter in silence. The only sound in the room was April's pen scratching across paper until Luna and Celestia popped in. Dawn let out a sigh as she knew her time had flown by. "Ready?" Luna asked. "Yah..." Dawn groaned as she rolled off her couch only to plop on the ground. She stuffed her hooves under her and brought her self to her full height. Meeting their eyes, she said bye to April before teleporting with them to the reception room. The room meant for this party was opened up to the castle's gardens. It was decorated with Equestria's banners and small subordinate banners of visiting dignitaries. Servants were bustling around, straightening glasses filled with spirits, and polishing the stray statues around the room. Celestia led Dawn to an opening where a red carpet would lead the nobles in. The room fell silent as all the servants ran out of sight, leaving only a few stone solid servers each carrying a tray of appraisers. Dawn could hear sets of hooves pattering on the shallow carpet that lead here. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Luna rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder only to quickly remove it when the first set of nobles came in. "Presenting, King of the frozen north lands, Kazar'le Crobun." A pony yelled, to a nearly empty room. He was followed by a large winged unicorn stallion with a near comically giant crown on his head. The crown was bright yellow, gold encrusted, with thousands of tiny diamonds. He was about Luna's size, bigger than your average pony but dwarfed by Celestia and Dawn. He had a deep red coat and an even darker red mane. His cutie mark was of a shard of ice or glass glistening. "Kazar'le. It has been too long." Celestia greeted with a smile, grabbing his hoof to shake. "Might I introduce, Princess Dawn." "Wonderful to meet you Kazar'le Crobun." Dawn said, not respecting his title like Luna taught her. Dawn extended her hoof to take his from Celestia as what was practiced dozens of times just an hour before. She gave a small smile that mimicked Celestia's to near perfection. Dawn could see in his eyes that he was taken aback by Dawn's size and more. Celestia said they would all likely sense the magical power she possessed, making everything a lot 'easier'. "The... The pleasure is all mine." He said, looking Dawn in the eyes slowly, nodding. "Where did you come from?" He asked, still nodding absently. "Did you not get the paper for the last few days? They did some very good articles on her." Luna informed, cutting in and taking his hoof from Dawn. "A pleasure to see you again Kazar'le." She added, shaking his hoof. "I demand to know where you keep finding these ponies of yours, Celestia." He said loudly and sternly. "Princess." Luna and Dawn corrected in unison. Ignoring the correction she had told them to make, Celestia answered all the same. "Very ancient magic is at work Kazar'le." Celestia calmly said. "I care not for your propaganda. You are some how centuries old I give you that but I refuse to believe you are as old as you claim. And! Anything thing you claim these ponies to be." He proclaimed loudly, pointing to Dawn and Luna with a curt hoof. Dawn used every bit of her willpower to contain her laughter behind a stoic poker face. "Believe what you want Kazar'le." Celestia sighed. "However I do not lie to my little ponies that includes you whether or not you believe so." Celestia said as stoically as Dawn hoped she looked. The king huffed away, followed by his entourage out to the gardens. "You did very well." Celestia whispered to Dawn. Luna was lightly chuckling on Dawn's other side. The night continued very much like its first encounter. Some ponies screamed, some begged, some attempted to bribe. The contemptible ponies filled the large reception area over the next following hours while the two princesses introduced each noble to Dawn. Dawn was struck with relief as Celestia motioned the guards to close the doors for the rest of the night. She then smiled at Dawn for a job well done. "That wasn't half as bad as mine." Laughed Luna as the three celestial demigoddesses turned to the crowd. "Then again it was a new moon." Celestia took in a deep breath as she surveyed the party. "Fillies and Gentlecolts!" Her voice echoed through out the hall. Winged unicorns, griffins, and pony nobles alike turned their attention to the sun goddess. "I welcome you all here to welcome Equestria's newest member to the royal family. Princess Dawn." Clopping throughout the hall echoed, giving cue to Dawn to give a much practiced bow to the lot of ponies. She wasn't told to say anything even though all eyes, except Luna's and Celestia's, were on her, expecting something. "Please I welcome you to my table." Celestia said, gesturing outside where a large table was laid out. "Let us feast to Princess Dawn's rebirth!" She said with an imposing voice. The party migrated to the table outside while they stayed back. "I was thinking Celly." Luna whispered over Dawn. "What if we have Dawn do one of her sky spells. Something that would leave no doubt in their minds..." "I was thinking of the same thing Luna." Celestia whispered back. "Dawn, later do you think you could perform the Battle of Ponymopylae?" "It would be appropriate for this time of year." Dawn whispered back, nodding. "Make a show of it." Celestia smiled back. When the nobles sat down to their assigned seats, Celestia started to lead Luna and Dawn to the end of the table. Taking her time with every step, Celestia wanted the nobles and foreign nobility to wait for her. Luna and Dawn took to Celestia's pace as practiced. Luna and Dawn took their seats on each side of Celestia, monopolizing the end. The king of the frozen north was on Dawn's other side. The Castle’s servants exploded out of near by doors surrounding the garden dinning area with plates of food for each guest. Dawn was not sure what was laid in front of her but she knew it was small and would not fill her stomach. She looked across the table and saw the same disappointment in Luna's eyes but not on her face. Luna's magic lit up willing the many utensils of unicorn high dining into action. Dawn mimicked Luna, doing the same with her set of silverware. "So what are they paying you to make me look so foolish?" the king next to her asked, just loud enough for her and the princesses to hear. "Paying?" Dawn asked in a normal volume, she looked back at him innocently. Luna has never paid me anything... "Yes. What in the world do you call your barbaric currency system? Bites? Mites? How many mites do they pay you?" Dawn gave a dainty chuckle like she was taught. "Bits. And I don't earn any bits from Equestria." Dawn said. She was rather proud of her choice of wording. "Mmhmmm" He hummed back, eyeing the princesses across the table. "Tell me. What does your cutie mark mean then?" He asked, turning back to Dawn. "It is a solar eclipse. It is something that takes both the moon and the sun to do. So does Dawn represent qualities of both my sister and me." Celestia said, cutting in. "I told you Celestia...” "Princess." Luna and Dawn corrected again. Taking in every bit of pleasure it gave as they watched his face contort to their correction. "I told you 'Princess' Celestia, I will not be fed your propaganda." The king said very annoyed and very loudly. "I was asking Dawn." "Princess." Luna and Celestia corrected. "I was asking 'Princess' Dawn." He snarled through his teeth. "I am a master of magic of both light and dark. This is just one aspect Celestia meant." Dawn answered calmly while managing to boast that she could talk without titles. "Mmhmmm." He said as she brought food to his mouth ending all future conversations. Luna gave a sly wink of approval from across the table. Dawn looked around, many ponies were paying attention to their conversation. Dawn started at her food, what ever it was. She paced her eating as she was taught at dinner last night. She was being careful to not let the silverware touch the plates or each other to make a noise. Celestia was the last one to finish eating. Conversation was strong at the table among the nobles. Luna's night was just starting to show through the sky. Her moon was just peaking over the horizon in the distance. The table was lit by lanterns burning a bright blue flame held up by strings barely visible to the eye. Dinner was surprisingly and pleasantly conversation free for her, aside from the silly king sitting next to Dawn. Without words, Celestia released the party from the table by getting up and leading a way deep into the gardens where another party setting was set up. Dawn and Luna followed closely in tow. The flowers of the walkway they were following, that were closing up to the absence of the sun, opened up to Dawn as she passed, each one turning in their blooming towards her. The nobles following were left in awe as they watched the garden react so strongly to their new princess. Dawn had noticed that the growth was quickest when she was full size during yesterday's 'experiments'. The night out in full swing, constellations showing themselves brightly to their creator. Celestia lead the party into the new area which was surrounded by hedges and lit with the similar lanterns that lit the table. She then turned around to face the flow of the ponies coming her way to speak. "My little ponies. You are in for quite a treat this evening. Princess Dawn will be performing something for you all, it is a unique magic that only she knows. Dawn?" Celestia turned to Dawn and gestured with a hoof to begin. All eyes turned to the pink Princess standing tall. "Over two thousand years ago there was a great battle." Dawn said as she casually built up magic in her horn. "A battle that ponies will never forget. Not because it was bloody. Not because it was brutal." The magic was building in waves aligned with her words. She did have a knack for showponyship. "Ponies will remember the courage displayed on that battle field. Three hundred elite Pegasus, with only about a thousand and a half, unicorns and earth ponies to back them up, defend their home from an invading force of tens of thousands." The more magically inclined onlookers were backing up as the blinding magic grew in Dawn's horn that she was casually building up. "An invading force unlike pony kind had ever seen. I present you the Battle of Ponymopylae!" As she finished her introductions a pony sized orb was produced at the tip of her horn. It slowly crawled up the sky, unwavering and accelerating. Silence draped over the nobles as they watched the orb ascend to the sky and disappear among the stars. Suddenly her spell flashed the sky red, yellow, green , than black dimming Luna's precious stars and moon. Even the lanterns on the ground dimmed to a barely visible state. A strong shock wave hit every pony as the sky exploded expanding a ring of pure energy leaving behind a bright aurora borealis of every color pony kind could think of. The colors clashed randomly until another shock wave of warm energy filled air, organized the colors into shapes of the brave warriors of Ponymopylae. The ponies of old clashed their armor and swords, letting separate explosions happen giving a sound effect to each movement. Dawn backed up to where Celestia and Luna were watching the battle. "You do have a flair for entertainment." Celestia admitted. "I've heard that speech dozens of times. My parents took me to each pegasus festival with in the immediate area up until I was fifth teen or so." Dawn explained quietly in between the explosions happening above. Every pony minus the silly king from the north watched the sky. The king was glaring at Dawn. Dawn happily ignored him. She was more interested in the garden she was in. She walked over to the edge of the area to the nearest hedge. The hedge reacted to her and started to produce new growth that included buds that shouldn't see the light of day, or night for that matter, for months. She almost wanted to whisper to it and tell it not to go out its way for her but her words would fall on no ears. She turned to the party and sat on her quarters in the grass that was slowly growing around her. The battle was nearly ending with the valiant pegasus's death. She watched the nobles "OOoo" and "ahhh" with the grand finale. She was poked in the back by the hedge who was giving her a vibrant pink and orange flower. She quickly retreated from the hedge back to Luna and Celestia. "I hope you still make spells like these in your spare time. They truly are amazing." Celestia whispered as the sky grew quiet. "It has been almost a year since I made my last spell like this. But I have yet to show it to anypony other than April and Twilight." Dawn whispered back loud enough to let Luna listen in. "It's meant for the day or I would show case it now." She quickly whispered as the last soldier in the sky took his last breath, returning the sky to its starry glory. Applause erupted from the crowd of snobbish, contemptible ponies. Dawn gave a practiced regal bow. "Please my little ponies celebrate with us, enjoy yourselves." Celestia said, waving her hoof at the food set out around the party guests. A noble, whom Dawn had already forgotten the name of but knew she attempted to bribe her with 'The finest rubies you will find in Equestria', came up and approached Dawn and the princesses. "I recognize that spell from my district." She said with an accent that can only be described as posh. "A young unicorn performed it a couple years ago. The mayor of the town I was in described her as 'chaos manifest', did you meet this pony because I would hardly consider it 'unique'?" Luna let out a brief snicker only to quickly control herself. "I'm afraid Princess Dawn was that 'chaos manifest', she grew her wings only a couple days ago." Celestia said, smiling calmly. Dawn smiled at the posh little pony as Celestia's words sunk in. "Oh! I beg your forgiveness for my harsh words, Princess." She said quickly, bowing low and backing away not waiting for Dawn's 'forgiveness'. "I didn't know he still felt that way still." Dawn laughed quietly. Celestia laughed. "You were chaos manifest." She let out a sigh. “You were such a pain to clean up after…” Celestia said as she watched noble that had approached them run to the nearest group of ponies. “Clean up?” Dawn asked. “No pony told you?" Luna snickered as she took up Dawn's other side. "Celly cleaned up all your little pranks when you were younger. She is likely the reason you were not sent to be rehabilitated with other deviants.” "Oh?" Dawn turned to Celestia with an amused look, hoping for more elaboration. "And now the gossip begins." Celestia said plainly, ignoring Dawn's expectant looks. Dawn spotted the noble that had approached her, spew words to the nearest group of ponies using exaggerated hoof movements. Dawn sighed. Celestia knows these ponies too well for it to be healthy. Dawn backed into the grass separating the hedges and the party area. She planted her quarters into the soft grass for Luna to do the same next to her. The plants around her creped closer with growth but Dawn ignored it as she watched the ponies gossip and bicker in groups. The night ended nearly an hour later, for them at least, as Celestia claimed they needed to sleep for another day of running a country. The three of them bid their farewells and quickly retreated into the safety of the castle. "That went remarkable well." Celestia admitted as they walked down a hall way. Dawn was stretching muscle after muscle getting gradually smaller. I'm glad April thought of this. "That 'King' is a strange pony to deny what is in front of his muzzle." Luna said, shaking her head. "Yah, I didn't know there were ponies like that." Dawn giggled as she stretched the last bit of growth out of her. "I could use some cake." Celestia admitted as they turned a corner. "I can use some real food." Dawn said with Luna nodding next to her. "I'm thinking spaghetti." "Yes." Luna agreed, nodding rapidly. "I'm gonna go get April, see if she wants to eat with us." Dawn said, before stepping into her tower through the void. "April?" She called out. She walked up to the desk and found her unconscious behind the desk. A sickly, yellow, foam pooled on the ground out of her mouth. "April!" Dawn cried out. Dawn lifted her with her magic to the couch. A note dropped to the ground as she did so. She quickly looked over the note. To 'Princess' Dawn, Your lover has been poisoned… Dawn had just read the first sentence. Her mind went blank as she focused her magic and weaved it to surge through April's body. She could sense the poison as clearly as she could sense every living cell in her body. Something deep within her urged her to pull from her newest magical well for her next spell. She focused the new magic and weaved it into one of the spells she had developed months ago. She altered it accordingly, not really knowing what she was doing to the spell itself. She felt the poison working through her body, deceptive, evil. Green smoke poured out of her horn and snaked its way into April's foamed up mouth. The magic surged through April's body, organs and cells, purging the evil poison out of her. April started to cough a heaving cough, letting out a deep purple smoke. Dawn whisked the disgusting smoke away with her magic as she embraced April who now was regaining consciousness. "Dawn? What happened? Why am I over here?" April asked, smacking her lips. "Why do I taste soap?" She asked pushing Dawn away to look at her face. "Why are you crying?" "Some pony tried to poison you." Dawn said, her voice was calm as has her thoughts were seconds ago but no longer. "I found you on the ground..." Dawn's voice started to quiver as her emotions started to catch up to the moment. "You should be fine now..." She cried, holding April tighter. April looked frightened but remained strong as she wiped Dawn's face clear of tears as they were produced. April ended up pushing Dawn away to get a better hold on the situation. Dawn turned to the note as she levitated it towards them for April and her to read. To the esteemed Princess Dawn, Your lover has been poisoned… If you desire the antidote come to the train station alone when the moon is highest. Do not worry about your lover she has almost a day to live without the antidote. If you tell any pony about this there will be no one to meet you. If you attack the carrier for the dose of antidote at the station it will be your last dose. Your lover will need a dose a week if she is to live a painless life. You will swear your allegiance to me and no other. "We need to go tell Luna and Celestia." April said confidently. Dawn wrapped the almost comfortable void around her and April, setting them in the dining room. "What's wrong, Dawn?" Luna asked at once. Dawn placed the note in front of Luna for her to read. "Dawn said I will be fine, but it is still disturbing. I guess she found me on the ground." April said, taking a seat at the table. Dawn took the seat next to her, still looking very disturbed. "WHAT!" Luna shrilled as she read, livid with rage. "They will pay for this!" She schemed as she gave the note to Celestia. Celestia closed her eyes in thought after finishing reading the note. "How did you cure her?" She asked after careful consideration of the situation. "I combined ‘my’ new magic with a spell I made for clearing pony's head's of alcohol. I focused that spell on the poison in her cells with another spell I made for the medical ponies." Dawn explained lethargically, wiping her eyes free of the image of April lying on the ground, limp in a pool of her own fluids. "I didn't know you could do that..." April said shallowly under her breath. Celestia opened her eyes to look at Dawn. "Simply amazing, Dawn." She said with admiration. "I think we should send Dawn down there and..." Luna started to say. "No." Celestia said firmly. "They are to be ignored." "What?" Dawn and Luna asked quickly. "They underestimated you. Greatly." Celestia said to Dawn before turning to Luna. "So greatly in fact, we can ignore them and let a fear of the unknown reveal them." Celestia turned to April solemnly. "April, I ask that you try your hardest to eat only here to avoid further poisoning attempts but other wise live every day as you normally would." "I would at least like to get the Night Stalkers on this, just in case." Luna suggested, looking quite concerned. "What are the night stalkers?" Dawn asked absent mindedly. "I suppose you could compare them to spies but that would be inaccurate. Your mother, Ever Watch, was the best in her time." Celestia explained weary of the company in the room. "They are secret from the general public. You two are not to talk about them." She added, nodding to Luna giving her the go ahead. "I will go tell them then." Luna said as she disappeared in a puff of smoke, taking the note with her.