//------------------------------// // 6 // Story: The Dawn's Horizon // by T3mp3st //------------------------------// Song Roseluck woke from her slumber to the sound of hushed hooves and whispers coming from the same room she was laying down in. A quick glimpse around verified that she was indeed not home in her rose petal laden bed, but in the lobby of the Golden Oaks Library. The fireplace in front of her provided the room with warmth from the early spring morning. As she adjusted the covers on her, she couldn't help but hear a small part of the conversation that was going on. "... And he said that it never existed but always has been. I'm not sure about it and I don't want to go back unless I have some information on it." That voice came from Dawnstar, Rose could tell from the regality and tone in it. Which meant that the other voice was from... "I knew this would happen one day, but not that early. I wish I could explain it to you, My son, but this is neither the time nor place for it. I must get back to Canterlot soon before Tia discovers that I'm gone; we'll talk in the dreamscape tonight, but I strongly recommend not mentioning it to anypony else. You will get the answers you seek. Now before I leave though, mind explain who is on the couch there, I believe that our conversation is no longer private." Rose held her breath as she heard hoofsteps move towards her. From the stories that she had heard, Princess Luna was not one to mess with; especially when it came to her son. Trying her hardest to keep her eyes shut, she felt herself start shivering as a very noticeable shadow stood in front of the fireplace. As she braced for impact from whatever the shadow had planned on doing, she was surprised to feel a something nuzzling under her chin. "We know that your awake, young one. Please come on out, you aren't in trouble, We only wish to talk." Hearing Princess Luna's motherly tone seemed to soothe Rose's nerves as she slowly opened her eyes. In front of her, a smiling Princess Luna was sitting on her haunches with Dawnstar next to her, her azure eyes giving Rose a sense of securtity. As she sat up on the couch, she very awkwardly tried to bow to both the Prince and Princess; making the later chuckle and the former raise an eyebrow. Dawnstar let out a sigh as he stood up, "Please, Roseluck, how many times must I say that there are no need for formalities with me." As he spoke, the unintended harshness in his tone caused Rose to shrink into the couch; Luna smacked her son on the back of the head as a result. "Dawnstar, that's no way to talk to your marefriend," The last word slammed into Rose, making a highly visible blush appear on her cheeks, the golden stallion also seemed to have a slight color change as well. "MOM!" He yelled, a bit too loud, since it was apparent that Twilight Sparkle was still asleep. Rose felt her ears getting warm as she looked at the blushing stallion. "Its a bit early to call her that don't you think?" "Nonsense, I can tell that there is something there. At any rate, you two do what you like, however, if you decide to be together, heed this warning. I feel like both of you could be in danger if its obvious that you're mare and coltfriends. Blueblood's been acting strange recently, and I get the feeling he's the cause of it." Princess Luna stood back up next and turned to her son, "Tia has forbidden me from acting against him based solely on feelings, so please exercise extreme caution. I don't want to lose you as well." Rose just watched as Dawnstar wrapped a wing around his mother and promised her; after a few moments the Princess of The Night stepped away and her horn started glowing a brilliant blue. "I must be going before Tia sends a search party. Farewell Miss Roseluck. I will see you tonight, Dawn." With a bright flash of light, she was gone. Rose and Dawnstar turned to face each other; each supporting their own color of blush from not only Princess Luna's words, but also from the fact that they were all alone. Both were entranced at how the other looked in the firelight, unknowingly moving closer and closer together. Roseluck was the first to notice when she felt his warm breath touch her skin, sending chills down her spine. His muzzle was so close to her that she could've kissed him. Go for it, you never know until you've tried. Rose silently swallowed a knot that had been in her throat; closing her eyes, she lurched forward and made contact with Dawnstar's lips wrapping her hooves around his neck and enjoyed the feeling of his warmth. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his tongue start dancing with hers, each movement she made was complimented by him. After a few seconds later, her mind came screaming back to reality when she realized what she was doing. Suddenly breaking of the kiss; She just kissed Prince Dawnstar without his consent! She frantically started to find the words that her tongue could not find; no matter how hard she tried. "Rose?" Dawnstar tried to place a hoof on her shoulder, but was surprised to see the gardener pull back. "I... I-I'm..." She didn't finish what she was going to say. Before Dawn could stop her; the beige Earth Pony darted out of the library with the speed of a Wonderbolt, which left Dawnstar standing there alone in front of the fireplace. "And that's what happened." Dawnstar sat across Rarity at the local café near her Boutique, after explaining to her what had happened the day before and that morning. The fasionista took a sip of her coffee, looking off into the distance as she did so. Dawnstar had decided to go to the white unicorn, instead of waiting for Twilight to wake up, due to her experience with romance and that kind of thing. After Rose ran off, he had to admit that he felt a little guilty himself. The tongue may have been a bit much on his part. The sound of a cup being placed on the table broke him from his thoughts. Rarity was still looking at some far off object, but her expression had changed. It looked like she was a bit disappointed. "It seems to me, that your status is scaring her from fully acting on her heart." Dawnstar gave her a highly confused look. "What do you mean my status is scaring her? She initiated the kiss first; that sounds like acting on her heart to me!" Rarity turned towards the, now standing, prince and gave him the look she would normally save for Sweetie Belle when she'd act up. "Now Dawnstar, calm down and take a seat, you're setting a bad example for yourself. Listen to what I'm trying to say; she's a normal pony that has no connection to the Royal Family, save for her Gala donation roses. You are a Prince. The son of one the most powerful beings in Equestria; and you will be inheriting the whole kingdom with Twilight in the future. And she has feelings for you. I no I have no right to say that I didn't fantasize about marrying a lesser noble at some point, but to possibly be together forever with the only real prince of Equestria?!" She let out a dreamy sigh as her eyes got bigger and glimmers of sparkles shone in them. "When you look at that one simple kiss doesn't compare." One unimpressed Dawnstar just sat at the table as Rarity kept ranting on, his own coffee cup practically empty. Several ponies had paused to stare at the fashionista as she went on. They quickly left when they noticed that she was with Princess Luna's son. "Okay? So... where does that leave me? Square one? two? zero? What should I do; I have never dealt with anypony that wanted to be with me without expecting something in return." Rarity sat back in her chair and finished of her cup before answering him. "Well I'm sure that Princess Luna's son would know that answer better than any of us." She winked at him as she said this. "As I recall, your father loved Princess Luna so much that he gave up his place as Captain of the Royal Guard and even asked not to be recognized as a Prince himself. Now I may not know about the things he did, but I can tell you that it made your mother the happiest mare I had ever seen." Again, her eyes dreamily fluttered as she spoke in a very romantic tone. "So you're saying I should give up my royalty?" "Oh heavens no, Darling. I'm simply suggesting that you follow your father's example and show Miss Roseluck what she truly means to you." After she said this, her eyes meandered towards the clock, "Oh goodness look at the time. I beg your pardon, but I must get Sweetie Belle from school. Please top by the Boutique after you and Rose make up, I have something that I wish for you to have." Before Dawnstar could respond, she left at a full gallop towards the schoolhouse. He sat there for several minutes contemplating on what he was going to do. But the end result wielded him either second guessing himself or doubting that she was doing the same thing as his father. He needed to think this through, and he knew just the place to go. After standing from his table and paying for a few loaves of cinnamon bread that café produced, he started off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Roseluck lay in front of the pond at Sweet Apple Acres, her cheeks cheeks lined with the paths that her tears had formed. After she ran from Dawnstar that morning her first instinct was to run to her home and close herself off from the world; which she did until her friend Lily decided to bust the door down in order to figure out what was going on. After explaining to the pink mare what happened, receiving a lecture for just running out on him over a kiss in the process. Lily suggested that Rose thought it over and then confront Dawnstar about her feelings towards him. This was so much easier said than done, especially when she subconsciously made her way to the pond that she fell asleep on Dawnstar. The mid afternoon sun's warmth couldn't compare to how warm she felt then. She smiled at the thought of his wings wrapped tightly around her in a secured barrier, but the thought was quickly taken away from her when a voice spoke from behind her. "Dear oh dear Roseluck, has the high and mighty prince left you?" The hairs on Roseluck's neck stood on end as a very cold chill ran down her spine. She knew that voice all to well; turning towards the voice, a gasp escaped her throat as Filthy Rich stood in front of her. He let out a confident chuckle as he ran a hoof back through his charcoal black mane. "It seems you remember me. Oh, how long has it been since you left the services of my brother. Is that why you are here all alone and unloved?" Filthy Rich's voice made Rose wince as memories she had buried deep within her mind resurfaced. She took a step back, but realized that she was backed against the water. "Oh yes; you also remember. You were such a good little slave back then, but what happened? You escaped and found protection here in Ponyville, and now your eyes have caught sight of the spoiled prince. Now, tell me did you really think that he would actually fall in love with a slutty mare such as yourself?" Rose took notice of Filthy Rich moving slowly towards her; causing her to start going back into the water. Her body was acting on its own will as fear gripped her inside its claws, dragging her deeper and deeper into the water. Filthy Rich started maniacally laughing as Roseluck started becoming desperate as she ended neck high in the water; Filthy Rich only being in to his knees. Rose started to cry when the realization of her possibly drowning took place in her mind. She never was taught how to swim and Filthy Rich seemed to remember this fact. Without warning, the brown stallion lunged at the beige mare, forcing her under the water. She found her attempts at struggling futile as the stronger stallion held her down, her lungs started to burn as the need for oxygen took over. Just as her vision started to become blurry, a very familiar red aura surrounded her. As she gasped for the air that she desperately needed, she noticed that Filthy Rich was being held down by the same aura. A golden figure came sprinting down the hill as Rose felt herself slipping out of consciousness. Before everything went black, the panicked sound of Dawnstar's voice filled her ears as she was gently placed on the warm sand.