Vengeance of Dawn

by Scipio Smith


Challenge Accepted

Chapter 6

Challenge Accepted

Twilight Sparkle hid under the bed.

Her mother sighed in maternal exasperation, "Twilight Sparkle we've been over this. Come out, you have to stop acting like a baby."

"I don't want a foalsitter," Twilight yelled, cradling Smartypants in her hooves. "I want you Mommy."

"I know you do sweetie, but I have to work just like Daddy does. You're a big girl now and I can't spend all day taking care of you any more. And Shining Armour has to go to school," Mommy knelt down and peered under the bed to look her daughter in the eye. "I promise we've found a wonderful foalsitter if you'll just give her a chance."

"No!"

"Is she still not coming out?" Shining Armour asked. A moment later his head appeared under the bed, and with a series of grunts and winces he squeezed himself in there beside his little sister.

"Hey Twily. So, you're still upset about being left alone huh?"

Twilight frowned, "I don't want you to go."

"Twily, have I ever lied to you?"

"Nope. You're my BBBFF."

"Then when I say you'll have a great time with your foalsitter, you believe me right?"

Twilight blinked, "I guess..."

Shining Armour smiled, "Come on, let's get out of here before you catch something."

With her mommy on one side, and her BBBFF on the other, Twilight was led out of her bedroom and into the parlour. There, a pink alicorn was waiting; her pink, purple and gold mane tied back in a ponytail with an aquamarine ribbon.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness," Mommy said.

"Oh, it's nothing," Her Highness said. "I'm just happy to have something to do. I'll take good care of your daughter."

Twilight's mom and brother made their goodbyes, and Twilight Sparkle was left alone with this pink alicorn.

"Hello, my name is Cadance," Cadance smiled, kneeling down so that she and Twilight were of a height. "What's your name?"

"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight murmured.

"It's very nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle. And whose this?"

"Smartypants."

"I think that name suits him," Cadance said.

Twilight looked away, "Why did Mommy call you Your Highness."

Cadance blushed a little, "Because, now you have to promise to keep this is a secret between us, because I'm a princess."

Twilight gasped, "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Cadance said nervously.

"Does that mean you know Princess Celestia?"

"Kind of, a little bit," Cadance said.

Twilight's eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open, "But I, how can my foalsitter be a real princess?"

"Because," Cadance tiptoed closer to Twilight so that they were practically cheek to cheek as she whispered to her. "Every princess has a special pony who is their very best friend. That pony can call them by their real name, and never has to bow, and the princess shares all of her secrets with them. Would you like to be my friend, Twilight?"

Awestruck, Twilight nodded.

Cadance beamed, "I'm so glad. Now, what I'm about to show you will be our secret dance so that we can always recognise one another, no matter what."

She began to bounce up and down upon the tips of her hooves, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.
Tap your hooves and do a little shake!"

***

Hurricane Hospital, named in offer of the famous pegasus commander, was the premier hospital in all of Canterlot. Twilight remembered, when she was little, having to stay a week here when she had the pony-pox. That had been in the foals' ward, a bright and colourful place she and her friends had passed on their way through the hospital. There were stuffed toys on every bed, the walls were painted with pictures of balloons and happy animals. Windows let in the sunlight and a good view of the flowers in the garden outside. It looked like the kind of place Pinkie would have been right at home in.

But they had passed that place by, and entered into the psychiatric ward. Here there were no colourful pictures, no stuffed animals, no balloons. The walls were lifeless grey, the floors stony-coloured, the only windows were the two-way mirrors into the sealed rooms. No flowers grew here, nor any kind of fun or happiness either.

This is a tomb, where only misery reigns.

"I don't like this place, Twilight," Pinkie Pie murmured as she followed Twilight through the corridors. "There isn't any joy in this whole place. Everypony is so sad, even the air is crying. I don't like it Twilight, there's too much pain here, just too much."

Twilight noticed that her childlike friend's mane was starting to deflate a little, "It's okay Pinkie, you can go back to the palace if you want to."

Pinkie Pie shook her head, though there were the beginnings of tears in her eyes, "I'll come. I won't leave you."

Twilight nodded, "Thank you."

Fluttershy put one hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. It was an inauspicious start.

An orderly led them to where Princess Celestia and Shining Armour were waiting, outside one of the sealed rooms with melancholy expressions on their faces.

Twilight stood nearly pressed against the glass of the two way mirror, looking inside.

Cadance was huddled in the corner of the sterile white, room, hugging her own legs, trying to make herself seem small.

"What is this place," she moaned. "Where am I? Who am I? Will somepony please tell me who I am?"

"For pity's sake, you could have told her her own name," Rainbow Dash snapped angrily.

The doctor's voice was calm, clinical and as sterile as Cadance's room as he responded, "We tried. More than once. She has complete amnesia of her past, and although she can create new memories it appears that she cannot create memories relating to identity or history. The Princess has not responded to any of our attempts at treatment."

"No," Princess Celestia said. "She won't. The Tears of Nightmare Moon have no known antidote."

They were all there. All gathered to look at the empty shell that had been their friend, the coolest foalsitter ever, Princess Cadance. Behind them, oblivious to Cadance's plight, two hospital orderlies mopped the grey corridor floor.

Twilight looked up at Celestia, "The Tears of Nightmare Moon?"

"A rare poison, it strips the victim of all memories of their life beyond recall," Celestia said. "I would guess that it was administered to Cadance sometime during or after the reception. No cure or antidote has ever been documented."

"No," Shining Armour moaned. "No, she can't stay like this forever. She can't! I need to be with her."

"I wouldn't advise it," the doctor said. "You'll probably just alarm her again."

For a few moments, silence reigned over the corridor but for the sound of slopping water and mops gently weaving their way along.

Twilight frowned, "Princess, may I go in. I have an idea I'd like to try."

Celestia nodded, not speaking.

The sceptical looking doctor opened the door for her, and Twilight walked slowly into the room.

"Hello," she said. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Hello," Cadance said, even her voice sounding hollow. "That's a pretty name."

Twilight tried to smile, but was afraid her reaction came out more as a rictus grin. Recovering, she said, "I'm going to cast a spell on you; I promise that it won't hurt, but I don't want you to worry, okay?"

"What will it do?"

"Make you better, I hope," Twilight said. "Do I have your permission?"

"Whatever you want," Cadance said vacantly.

Twilight frowned, leaned forward until her hoof was touching Cadance's forehead, and cast the memory spell she had used to overcome Discord's malign influence upon her friends.

Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake...she poured her memories of Cadance through the spell...how could I ever forget the filly I loved to sit for most?...memories of the days they'd shared...my love will give you strength...the adventures they had had...it's the Crystal Princess!...all the things that tied them together...Would you like to be my friend, Twilight Sparkle?

The spell ended, and Twilight saw a spark in Cadance's eyes, a spark of Cadance she knew and loved, "Twilight! It feels as though I've been asleep for days, where am I? Is this a hospital, how did I get here?"

Twilight nearly laughed with relief, "You remember me?"

"Of course I remember you, what are you," the light began to dim in Cadance's eyes, "how could I not, how could I; I'm sorry, do I know you?"

For a moment, Twilight was too shocked, too stunned, too defeated to speak. Her mouth hung open until it must have looked as though she, not Cadance, was the one with the problem. Finally she shook her head, "No, no you don't. I'm sorry."

"That's a pity. I bet we could have been great friends."

Twilight smiled sadly, "Yeah. Maybe in another life. I'm sorry, but I should go."

She turned away, the door opening for her. As she made to leave Cadance said, "Do you know where I am?"

Twilight hesitated, "No. I'm afraid I've no idea where you are."

She waited until the door had closed behind her before she started crying.

A pair of pale yellow legs enfolded her, a lilac mane falling over her face. Fluttershy, who said nothing and held absolutely still while Twilight sobbed out her spirit.

"She's always been there for me, ever since I was a filly," Twilight said. "And now, now that she really needs me, there's nothing I can do. What's the point of these wings, huh? Or my crown? What's the point of being a princess if I can't even help my friends when they really need it? Why doesn't anypony say anything?"

"I'd say anything to make you feel better," Fluttershy said softly. "If there was anything I could say."

Rainbow Dash growled, "So that's it? There's nothing we can do? Cadance is going to be stuck that way forever, and nopony can do a thing about it. And it isn't even some kind of accident. Some jerk made her this way. What kind of twisted freak would do something like that?" She kicked one of the buckets of the cleaning mares, sending soapy water flying everywhere. The golden unicorn mare gasped, averting her face. Rainbow Dash pounded her head against the wall.

"It isn't fair," she said. "It isn't right. Why does stuff like this happen?"

Pinkie sobbed silently, Rarity comforting her.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Spike asked.

"There's something I can do," Shining Armour said, his voice thick with anger. "I'm going to find the ponies responsible."

"That won't help Cadance get better," Twilight replied.

"And what will?"

"I'm going to find a cure," Twilight declared. "Whatever it takes, I'll save Cadance." She looked to Celestia, "Princess, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with the zebras as much as I thought. I have to put Cadance first, I'm sorry."

"I understand completely," Celestia said with a nod.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Fluttershy asked, releasing her a little from her hug.

Twilight laughed hollowly, "I created new magic, remember? I've done things no other unicorn thought possible. If I can't do this, then who can?"

"I know you will, I believe in you, Twilight," Shining Armour said. "But I need to find who did this to her. I have to do something, she's my wife."

"All the resources of the guard are at your disposal," Celestia said.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Shining Armour bowed stiffly.

Twilight Sparkle turned to address her friends, "I don't know how much help you can be to me in looking for a cure. Experimentation, trial and error, these are one pony jobs. And I don't know how much time I'll have for you in the next few weeks. So, if you aren't going to go home, I think that the best way you could help is by helping Princess Celestia in my stead."

"Really?" Rarity asked.

"I think that's a very good idea," Celestia said. "I am certain that you will all be invaluable."

"But you'll still need your number one assistant, right?" Spike asked.

Twilight nodded, "Right."

***

A little while later, Twilight sat in the hospital reception area. The smell of cleaning fluids filled up her nostrils, she was surrounded on all sides by sick ponies waiting to be seen, or anxious loved ones waiting to visit. Outside the door somepony was having a tear-filled breakdown, screaming to the sky at her misfortunes. It seemed indecent even to be listening to the litany of her grief, yet she had chosen so public a place that it could not be avoided.

She did not even have anypony to talk to: they had been at the hospital since late last night, dawn was only now peaking over the horizon, and her friends were getting breakfast for everypony. She was all alone.

"Twilight?"

Twilight looked up, "Fluttershy? I thought you were with everypony else─"

"I asked them to wait a minute, so that we could talk," Fluttershy said, settling with a quick flap of wings into the chair next to Twilight. For a moment they did not look at another, taking in the waiting area with its faded red carpet, beige foam chairs and plastic tables laden with ancient threadbare magazines. The sound of coughs and sneezes played background to the absence of their conversation.

"I kind of think that all hospital receptions look alike," Fluttershy murmured. "Don't you think? Or feel alike anyway."

"I wouldn't know," Twilight said. "I haven't spent that much time in hospitals."

"I spent lots of time in a few of them, when my mom...got sick," Fluttershy said. "Even in this very hospital; it was the nearest place which had the right kind of specialist she needed to see."

Twilight hesitated. She had known about Fluttershy's situation, about her parents, but they had never talked about it like this. She proceeded tentatively, "Was it, was it hard?"

"I don't think it can ever be easy," Fluttershy said. "I don't think it should be easy." She bowed her head, her mane falling to obscure her face, "But yeah, it got pretty bad sometimes. Having to see her so...I didn't recognise her sometimes."

Twilight blinked, "So what did you do?"

"I stopped going to school," Fluttershy said. "I started skipping flight training. Dad was too busy and upset to notice that I was never leaving the house, not talking to anypony. I think I would have kept doing that for a long time, if it hadn't been for Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Yes. One day, one particularly bad day, I was in my room when Rainbow Dash flew in through the window and demanded to know where I'd been for the last couple of weeks.
"I got very angry, and I was very rude to her. I told her she couldn't understand what I was going through, that she shouldn't butt in where she wasn't wanted. I asked her what she was even doing here anyway, bothering me about stupid stuff that I didn't care about. I asked her why she'd come.
"And Rainbow Dash seemed so hurt as she looked me in the eye and said 'Because I'm your best friend, and if I was in trouble you'd be the first person I went too for help.'"

"What happened after that?" Twilight asked.

"I don't remember much after I started crying," Fluttershy confessed. "But I remember that, though it got pretty bad sometimes, it was never quite so bad or so unbearable after that."

Twilight tentatively reached out and touched Fluttershy's hoof, "I won't make that mistake."

"I know," Fluttershy said.

"Thank you."

Fluttershy smiled, "For what?"

***

Shining Armour left the hospital ahead of his sister, trotting down the stone steps and into the plaza. As it was very early morning, there were few ponies about, most of them night-shift workers heading home for their well earned rest. The presence of Lancer surprised him though, sitting expectantly at the foot of the hospital steps. Shining Armour's former mentor, now captain of his sister's guard by some strange coincidence, was wearing his armour, burnished to catch the dawn's rising rays, and he stood up as his old chief and even older protege drew near.

"I'm sure Twilight will be out soon," Shining Armour said.

"I'm glad to hear it, but I'm not here for the Princess," Lancer replied. "I've delegated that task to my lieutenant for today. I'm here for you."

"I don't understand."

"Come on boy, your wife's laid up till who knows when. You'd have to be made of iron not to be shaken up by that, and you're not made of iron by any length. One of your better points that. I know you boy, I taught you everything you know. I know how this has to be eating you."

"Then you don't know me as well as you think," Shining Armour said abruptly, but found his ability to push past hampered by Lancer's firm grip.

"I know what you're doing," Lancer said. "I taught you how to do it remember: never let them see your fear, never show your nerves, hold it all inside your armour and keep your face straight and your ears up. Well that's all well and good, but you can't hold it in forever, not if you want there to be room when you really need it. So come on, while nopony can see. There's only me here, and I won't think less of you."

Shining Armour stared at him for a moment, then he gave out a piteous wail like a bird returning to its nest to find the eggs smashed and the chicks stolen. As his eyes began to water, he buried his face on Lancer's shoulder.

"That's it boy," Lancer said. "Let it all out, while only old Lancer can see."

"I can't live without her," Shining Armour murmured. "If she doesn't, if I can't...I don't know what I'll do." I could not even follow her into death as things are. My wife is not among the living or the dead. "Twilight, she thinks that she can find a cure but─"

"Well if that's what she says you might give her a chance before you start planning for the worst," Lancer said. "More importantly, what are you gonna do now?"

Shining Armour looked up into the earth pony's weathered face, "I'm going to find out the truth."

Lancer nodded, "Right answer. Follow me."

Lancer led him to the cellar of a nearby dive, the kind of place whose only selling point was that it was open twenty four hours a day, and into the dimly lit and dingy basement. It had to be dimly lit or it would have looked even worse than it already did. There, Shining Armour found the other five captains waiting for him around a small, creaky wooden table. They stood up as soon as they saw him.

Steelwing was the only pegasus present, and commander of the Day Company. When Shining Armour had begun training for the guard the Day had guarded Princess Celestia during the day shift. Since the return of Princess Luna their responsibilities had technically broadened to encompass both princesses, but in actuality they had become the personal guard of Princess Celestia. They still did most of their work in daylight, but posted ponies at her chambers while she slept also. Steelwing was about Shining Armour's age, had the same white colouring, but his eyes were crimson and his cutie mark was a leaf sliced in two.

Catseye, the thestral, commanded the Night Company. In Princess Luna's exile they had guarded Celestia in the night shift. Now they guarded Luna, to all intents and purposes, night and day, though by tradition they also mounted a watch upon the palace itself once the sun set every night.

Uhlan was a unicorn, commander of the Palace Company which patrolled the grounds and interior of the royal seat itself. He was grey, and wore the silver armour and blue-lined livery of the Palace, a slightly more ornate uniform than worn by any of the other guard companies.

Stonewall was also a unicorn, commander of the City Company responsible for law and order in Canterlot. His armour was bronze, unlike the gold of the Day or silver of the Palace, and his helmet lacked any kind of crest or plume.

Brazen Shield was Shining Armour's replacement as First Captain, commander of all the companies of the Royal Guard. He was older than Shining Armour, and with the addition of a fifth company in the Twilight his responsibilities were greater than Shining Armour's had been. He gave no visible reaction to the presence of his old chief, save for a nod and that he rose when the others did.

"Captain," Catseye said, gesturing for him to sit down, "I wish we didn't have to meet again so soon and under such circumstances."

"We're all sorry, sir," Uhlan muttered into his moustache.

"You don't have to call me sir any more," Shining Armour said as he sat down.

"We ought to call you Your Highness, but that's not going to happen," Lancer said. "Shall we take the condolences as given from this point and get on with it?"

"That would be for the best," Brazen Shield remarked. "I take it we are dealing with foul play?"

"Poison," Shining Armour said. "Tears of Nightmare Moon."

"Nasty stuff," Stonewall said. "And rare, too. Any of my boys catch you peddling that you'll be strung up by the ears."

"Fast, for a poison, or slow?" Steelwing said.

Stonewall shrugged, "Medium, I suppose. Won't work in moments like some do, but not something you'd use if you planned to leave the area before anypony noticed the effects either. A sadistic poison, I've always thought."

"Gives us something to work with," Catseye leaned forward. "Since it wasn't given to her before last night, that leaves three possibilities: Princess Cadance was poisoned at the party, after the party but before she went to bed, or while she slept."

"How do you poison somepony while they sleep?" Steelwing asked.

"Through the ears," Stonewall said.

Everypony else looked at him. Stonewall continued defensively, "I've seen it. First death I ever investigated: a goldsmith killed his brother by putting poison in his ears while he slept. All so he could marry his sister in law."

Brazen Shield cleared his throat, "Thank you, we'll keep that in mind. What about the reception for the ambassador?"

"Absolutely impossible," Uhlan shook his head vigorously. "My troops tasted every dish, drank from every vat, and nopony has been stricken but Princess Cadance despite everypony eating and drinking from the same source. You would have to poison her specific plate or cup, and even if you could do it without being seen doing it you'd need nerves of steel to go through with it."

"Not a quality lacking in ponies, but I take your point," Brazen Shield remarked. "Shining Armour, did Princess Cadance have anything after the party?"

Shining Armour frowned, "I wasn't there, remember? But I think the water jug was half empty in our room."

"Probably the most promising place to start," Brazen Shield said.

Shining Armour nodded, "One of them, anyway. I can't even speculate on motive, so we have to concentrate on means and opportunity. But the poisoning is only the one angle, the other is how whoever it is got hold of the poison to start with. There can't be that many ponies trading it. Uhlan─"

"I'll start interviewing the palace staff, seeing who saw what and when," Uhlan stood up. "Catseye, I'll need to speak with your Night lot who were on watch last night."

"I'll come with you then," Catseye rose also.

"I'll round up the usual suspects, see if anypony has heard anything," Stonewall said.

"And I'll look for anypony selling the Tears of Nightmare Moon," Shining Armour said.

"I'll help you with that," Lancer declared.

Brazen Shield stared at him, "Not exactly your beat is it?"

"I'd rather not wait for it to become my beat when somepony goes after Princess Twilight," Lancer remarked.

Sweet Celestia no, Shining Armour turned to Lancer, "You think they might go after Twily next?"

"I've got no idea why this happened," Lancer said. "Which means I don't want to rule anything out."

***

Breaking Dawn slammed the door of her home closed with her hind leg as she walked in, trailing after Razor Wind, head bowed.

"Hey Dawny," Cherry Blossom greeted her with a bright smile and the smell of something nice coming from the kitchen. "How did it go?"

Dawn didn't say anything, tearing off the hospital orderly outfit she and Razor had been wearing to spy on Twilight. She looked around. Razor was hovering near the ceiling, an uncomfortable expression on her face. Candy was sitting on the sofa, Cherry not far away.

"There's nopony else here, is there?" Dawn asked. "Hardy, Laurel, they're not around?"

Cherry shook her head, "Hardy has a case, and Laurel was very tired after last night."

"Good," Dawn nodded, "I'm not in the mood for Hardy Bloom at the moment. Or Laurel, for that matter." Laurel was too smart, Hardy too savvy, they were both too clever by half sometimes. It was emotion she wanted now, not a lecture on consequence or a philosophical treaties.

Cherry's pretty white face was disfigured by a frown, "Dawny, are you okay? You don't seem yourself."

Breaking Dawn shook her head, but didn't say anything until she had gone into the bathroom and thrown up in the sink.

She ran the water to wash it down, turning the tap on strong enough that its noise would stop her from hearing anypony, give her a bit more time to think. By the time she came out, wiping her face on the blue-striped hoof towel, she was a little more ready to talk.

They were all ready to listen to her as well by the looks of them: Candy and Cherry looked even more worried than Razor now.

"I," Breaking Dawn sighed, "I don't know if I can do this any more."

"Really?" Candy demanded. "Seriously?"

"Yes seriously, I wouldn't be talking to you about it if I wasn't serious," Dawn snapped. "I, I'm sorry Candy I...it was a mistake of me to go to that hospital."

"Maybe," Cherry murmured.

Candy got up off the sofa, "You can't just drop a spell like that with no explanation. Come on Dawn, talk to us. What happened at the hospital?"

"It was bad," Razor Wind said. "Like, well, puke yourself in the bathroom bad. Princess Cadance, what she is now, I'd rather die than end up like that."

"We did kill her," Dawn muttered morosely. "In every way that matters. There's an alicorn in Hurricane Hospital but it isn't Princess Cadance, not any more."

Candy began, "But you knew what would happen to her, that's why you bought the poison, right?"

"I didn't know what it would look like," Dawn replied. "Maybe if I'd stayed away I'd be celebrating now but, Celestia help me I'm such an idiot. I thought that watching Twilight Sparkle suffer would make me happy. All it did is make me feel terrible."

"I gotta admit, it was easier to talk about making folk suffer when I hadn't seen them suffering," Razor Wind said. "I thought they'd seem like they deserved it more, if you know what I mean?"

"I don't know if I've got it in me to do more damage, with those memories seared in my head," Dawn said. The tears in Rainbow Dash's eyes, the anger, the sadness, that terrible emptiness in Cadance's face. The grief in the eyes of Princess Celestia, that had been the worst thing of all. She had never imagined she could hurt her beloved princess so badly, and it was shredding her soul into pieces.

"So that's it," Hard Candy said. "You're just going to give up, call it a day?"

"Maybe I am," Dawn said. "It's so, ugh," she growled in frustration, "I hate that mare with every fibre of everything I am. I hate what she took from me, what she did to me; I want her to weep, to howl in frustration, to squirm on the end of a hook. Or at least, I think I do. I thought I did. That's why I spied on her today, but when I saw her tears it was almost as though I wasn't thirsty for them after all. Or maybe it was seeing the emptiness in Princess Cadance's eyes that robbed me of my appetite.
"Twilight Sparkle deserves to be hurt. She's a thief and a liar and a fraud. But the others, the one she calls her friends, they aren't like that. Not that I know of anyways. She's duped them into serving her, to protecting, and I can't get to her without going through them but at the same they'd don't deserve what I'll have to do to them.
"That's why I can't talk to Laurel about this. She has it in for the dressmaker, and maybe the others. I know why and I'm the last mare to tell somepony not to get angry about their sucky life, but even if Miss Rarity is dumb as a post and coasting through life on those looks of hers that only makes her less complicit, not more. Those ponies, they're like soldiers in the army of some evil tyrant: just doing what their princess tells them. I can't hate them the way that I hate her.
"If every success, every stage of the plan is going to do this to me, I don't know if I can bear it."

Razor Wind folded her forehooves, letting her wings bear her gently down to the floor, "Whatever you decide to do Dawn, I'll back you up. Stand still or move forward, I'm right behind you."

"But what would you decide if you were me?" Dawn asked.

Razor raised one eyebrow, "I think's it a bit late to call the whole thing off now."

"It's never too late," Cherry murmured.

Candy sighed, shaking her head, "Dawn, the fact that you have doubts isn't a sign that you should give up. Doubts are natural, but they aren't a sign you're wrong and they aren't a sign that you should quit. Princess Silver's doubts take up four fifths of the play but she still does what has to be done in the end. Doubt is drama, but the protagonist always does what they have to do in the end."

"This isn't a play, Candy," Cherry Blossom said. "In a play or a story it doesn't matter who dies, whose lives get ruined. Once the curtain comes down the actors take their costumes off and go home. But these are real ponies who are getting hurt, and Dawn could get hurt too. You can't just tell her to carry on because you want to see how it all ends."

"Play, story, real," Candy giggled. "You really think there's any difference to us, Cherry? All the world's a stage and all the ponies on it merely players. We're all just playing roles to amuse an audience somewhere. Life is a comedy of errors and that's fine, I love comedy but sometimes you want to elevate the material a little and that means you have to work at it. And you can't just chicken out at the start of Act Two! You promised a revenge tragedy and you have to deliver on that."

"Why?" Cherry demanded.

"Because we don't get a lot of choices in life, but we do get to choose what part we play," Candy replied. "Dawn, if you go through with this all the way then you can be Princess Silver: complex, compelling, immortal. Or you can turn back now and be Mal from Sixth Night, striding from the hall yelling 'I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you' and then never being heard from again. A clown, pathetic. I thought you'd had enough of being seen that way?"

"Stop it!" Cherry shouted. "Just stop. You talk about this like it's a game, like it's a story that you want to have a dramatic ending well you're wrong! The world isn't a stage and ponies aren't actors. That wasn't coloured water that we gave to Cadance, the spells aren't harmless flashes of light, the dead aren't coming back for their bow. What we're doing is real and it's wrong, Dawny it's wrong.
"I should have said something before, but I didn't think you'd listen; but if you're thinking the same way then you know it too. What are we doing this for, Breaking Dawn? Is hurting people really going to make you happy?"

Dawn bowed her head, "There's only one thing that will make me happy. If Twilight Sparkle appeared before me now, and knelt and asked my forgiveness. I could give it to her. I could let her keep her crown, and her palace and everything else, so long as she gave me back the most precious thing she took: the love Princess Celestia. If I had that, and she did not, I could live with her being a princess. Tartarus, I could live in a cardboard box on the street so long as Princess Celestia would smile at me like she used to, when she loved me instead of her," Dawn scowled. "But that will never happen unless I pass her final test and defeat my rival. And I can't defeat her because I'm not strong enough to do what is necessary," Dawn made a growl with the back of her throat. "So what am I supposed to do, Cherry? Should I live in misery all my days so that other ponies can be happy?"

"Do you think Princess Celestia will still love you after the things you've done?" Cherry replied.

"Yes. She has to," Dawn said. "I've given up so much for her, done so much, she will appreciate it, she has to; she's the one who set me this test."

"And even if you're right about that, how will any of this help you become a princess in her place?"

Dawn gave a dead laugh, "I can't tell you that yet. Not until everypony's here, and not for a while."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd freak out," Dawn replied. "I know you mean well Cherry; your kindness is the reason that you're so precious to me. I don't ever want you to think you can't talk to me about stuff. But..."

"What are you going to do?" Razor asked.

"I can't go back," Dawn murmured. "No unicorn can. So the only choice I have is to move forward. Whatever I have to, whatever price I have to pay." But I won't enjoy it the way I thought I would.

***

It was evening of that same day. Candy had gone home, Razor had gone out. It was only Dawn and Cherry in, sitting in front of the fire, tea on the table in front of them, silence between them.

"Dawn, you shouldn't do this," Cherry said.

Dawn blinked, "Then what am I to do?"

"I don't know but...ever since we first met I've thought of you as a hero. Heroes don't do stuff like this."

Dawn smiled sadly, "Don't they? That's a pity. I guess I was kind've naive before. They may well paint me black as Nightmare Moon for this, but you know what? That's okay, because it means that everypony will know that I existed. I'll have achieved that at least, an immortality matching Twilight Sparkle's."

"Some things aren't worth the price you pay for them," Cherry replied.

Before Dawn could say anything in answer, there was a knock upon the door. Dawn got up, crossing the wooden floor to open up the door ajar. Outside, a large zebra stood. His face was painted up with lines in lurid colours, and across his back were slung a spear and shield. He wore a cloak, presumably to hide his face, but had pushed back his hood to reveal an iron collar around his neck and scar by his mouth which gave him a mocking, sardonic look.

Breaking Dawn frowned, "Good evening, sir. You are calling very late."

"Some business is best done in the dark," the zebra replied.

Dawn's frown deepened, "Is there something I can help you with?"

The zebra smiled like a shark, "I seek the Countess Mercedes Zaccone."

Dawn's blood chilled, "I'm sorry, there is nopony so grand here. You have made a mistake." She tried to shut the door on him, but his foot was wedged in the doorway.

He kept on smiling, "A pony may be thought deft and swift with her movements, but what escapes the eye of a soft city pony may be caught by the keen sight of a hunter. Such as slipping something a drink before handing it to another, who is later reported gravely sick. May I come in?"

Cherry. Dawn knew upon instinct that she could not let this warrior into her home while Cherry Blossom was there unprotected, "No you may not."

"Someone may hear us if we talk out here."

"Then say it quietly," Dawn hissed.

"My name is Jugurtha, servant to Lord Mathos of Most Ancient Grevyia," Jugurtha said, his voice smoothe as spun silk. "And from Grevyia I have a proposal for you."

"I'm not interested," Dawn tried and failed to close the door.

"It was the play of a child to find you," Jugurtha said, leaning closer. "It would be the play of a child to wait until you were gone and then come in and meet your friends. The pegasus who is in there now, perhaps."

No, not Cherry, he can't. She could not let harm come to her, not ever. Dawn leaned forward herself, butting heads with the larger zebra, "Now you listen to me, Grevyian. I don't care who you are or who your master is. If you hurt her, if you hurt any of them, then I will burn down the Empire of Grevyia and trample its ashes into the dirt if it takes me a thousand years do you understand?"

Jugurtha's smile widened, "And I thought ponies had no spirit. But if you wish to question me, you should ask why my master sends me to you, instead of telling all to your Princess Celestia."

Dawn tilted her head, "Go on."

"What you have done, what you are doing, is not uncommon in Most Ancient Grevyia. We have a word for it: opportunity. It is clear to my master that Princess Celestia favours Quaggai, she will never give Most Ancient Grevyia what she wants or requires. Princess Twilight Sparkle is no friend to us either."

"There is nothing between me and Twilight Sparkle," Dawn said feebly.

"We scried upon your meeting, we have heard your conspiracies," Jugurtha said, speaking as if to one slow-witted. "Do not think that you can lie to Grevyia. I know your intent. And perhaps a new Princess might be a better friend to the zebra empire."

"You are a fool if you think I will help you harm Princess Celestia," Dawn said. "You are a fool if you think you can. Go to Manehattan or Vanhoover and nopony will have heard of Twilight Sparkle or of Cadance. But if you threaten Celestia then every pony in Equestria will shoulder their arms to tear you down."

"But of course, such loyalty is to be expected. We would never seek to remove Celestia from her throne. Merely clip those pretty wings of hers and make sure that she recieves better counsel in future. So, will you help us? Or shall we see what gratitude turning you over to pony justice might buy?"

Dawn's jaw tightened, "I don't have much choice do I?"

Jugurtha's smile was insufferable, "None at all."