Breaking Dawn

by Detsella Morningdew

Chapter 2: Aftermath

Aurora wandered aimlessly thought the castle's rooms and corridors. Now that she had nowhere to be, she walked slowly, gazing at the odd stained glass window, gardens she didn't know existed, and even a painted ceiling with so much detail, she could have sat there for an hour.

But her heart just wasn't in it. She continued to walk. It was something to do.

...It was different. It was all different. An image flashed through her mind. Her parents, her friends, everypony.... All shying away from her.

Aurora knew that she was influenced at the time. All that death magic she carried was made by so much hate. She shuddered at the memory - she had almost followed through. But that would have never happened if a small part of her didn't already agree with what all those ponies had wanted. That scared her. Almost everypony in Canterlot could have died, and it would have been her fault.

I made the right decision in the end. But it was too close. I let my anger decide what I did way too many times. Those examiners may have been bigoted idiots, but I could have killed them. No matter what they did to me, none of it deserved death.

Another image surfaced, this one of that one bully that had chased her into the mines. Aurora sighed. I I need to be more careful, too. With Luna's training, if I got angry and bucked somepony like that now...

She shook her head violently, trying not to think about the all-too-realistic pegasus golem, bleeding on the ground.

Aurora started walking again, once more stumbling on her too-long legs.

And then this. Alicorn. Why would I deserve that? I've been so focused on what earth ponies could do... Aurora hung her head. No, that's not it. Meadowlark may have been nice... Mom and Dad are great... but I started to treat any nice unicorn as an exception. And then I start dreading growing a horn... She shuddered, gritting her teeth.

I don't deserve this at all.

The press conference was already in progress, and she had already been there. Just for Celestia's announcement. It went better than expected, but she could only take so many veiled insults before she had to leave. But after what happened in the cave, she couldn't bring herself to be as angry as she should have been.

Aurora winced as her hooves clacked loudly on the marble floor. All that stealth training from Luna was now almost worthless, just by growing a few inches.

That was another problem, but one she couldn't blame anyone for. Nopony at that press conference treated her like a foal. To them, she was just a young mare. And looking at her reflection in the glass of a colored window, she couldn't help but see the same. And she didn't just look like a bigger filly, either. Her build was entirely different. As much as the Princesses insisted that ascension was natural, it certainly didn't feel that way.

Was the only reason she could project magic in the first place because of this "alicorn" thing? Was it because she was part unicorn the whole time?

She shook her head. No, those books weren't written for alicorns. They were for normal earth ponies. Aurora sighed. But why should I care so much to begin with?

On a whim, she walked under an archway, stepping into one of the castle's many open-air gardens. Marble walls closed it in, and there were no exotic plants or trimmed hedges, but it was open to the sky, and it was peaceful.

Aurora frowned at herself. She had been so angry at the stereotypes ponies had placed on her, she had been avoiding anything to do with them. Plants, that is.

Her cutie mark represented life, growth, and vitality. Everything that should be associated with plants. Even the images were leaves. But she had been so focused on being different and special that she ignored half the meaning. Half of her potential.

Aurora laid down in the soft grass, nibbling at it absentmindedly. She stayed there for a while, only lifting her head when she heard Smarty fly in, Princess Celestia close behind.

"Is it finally over?"

Celestia chuckled. "Don't think too badly of them, Aurora. There were just as many questions when Twilight became my student all those years ago. Not to mention when she became Grand Mage."

She rose slowly to her hooves. "Grand Mage?"

"Not a position that is given often. Really, it's just a code word for 'Alicorn Ascendant,' but the position has only ever been given to a unicorn, hence the name."

Aurora sighed. "Yeah, I don't think that would work well. Not to mention I'm still legally fourteen." She looked nervously at her mentor. "This whole... business... Am I allowed to tell my parents?

Celestia suddenly looked a lot more serious. "Certainly. In fact, I insist on it."

She blinked, surprised. "Wait, really?"

"Aurora..." Celestia stepped close, wrapping a wing around her barrel. "Whatever you do, don't let anything come between the relationships you have. Cherish them. Yes, we want to keep your alicorn status secret. Ponies knowing that right now would put you at a lot of risk. But family and friends - you only have them once."

Smarty and Aurora exchanged worried looks. Neither of them had fully considered what their status actually meant in the long term. Aurora smiled slightly. At least I know I'll always have one friend.

Of course. But... we should think of now. Not then. Nopony is gone yet.

She sighed. I suppose you're right. And I guess that's kinda what Celestia meant.

Celestia coughed politely, causing both of them to jump slightly. "Sorry, Princess," Smarty said awkwardly. "We were just... talking."

"It kinda became a habit after... everything that happened two days ago. Sorry about that."

"No, I see that. But don't let yourselves forget the rest of the world when you do so."

Smarty smiled. "Yeah. Princess Luna said something about it being a really good tactical advantage. So we should keep it a secret."

Celestia chuckled. "Not exactly what I meant, but yes. That would be best." Celestia stepped further into the small garden before closing the wooden door. "But we should talk more about your ascension, Aurora. I have spoken with my sisters, and it seems that for reasons we can only speculate, you are progressing faster than is usual. Whether this is due to you ascending as an earth pony, or simply due to your particular magical talent - the fact remains that you might not be able to pass as an earth pony much longer."

Aurora sat back down in the grass. "All right... but why does it matter that much? What did Pr-" She paused to correct herself. "Twilight. What did Twilight do?"

Celestia groaned in frustration, causing both of them to flinch at the normally reserved mare.

"Twilight was already a competent fighter, already had thwarted many threats to Equestria, and was widely known as the Grand Mage, second only to me and Luna. She could handle a threat to her life!"

Aurora cringed. "Wait, that's what you're expecting? But Equestria isn't as bad as it was then! I read about that part of history, and it was... messy. The worst thing I've seen today is the education system."

She sighed, sitting down beside her student. "No, Aurora, we can't just assume that. Killing a fully-grown alicorn is practically impossible. If anypony opposed the existence of another... the best time to act would be now.

"If everypony found out now, it would create that messy part of history. I truly am sorry, Aurora, but this is the reason your training with Luna was so important."

Aurora just sat, staring at the grass underneath her hooves.

"But we can't just keep you here, cooped up in the castle, either. You need to meet ponies. Make friends. Live."

"What am I supposed to do, then? You said we don't have much time before ponies realize what's happening, and because of that, not enough time for me to defend myself properly, but you also said I should spend time making friends. There just isn't enough time to go around."

Celestia took a deep breath. "You have no idea. But Aurora... the truth is, based on how rapid that growth was, there is almost zero chance you will be ready when the world realizes what is going on. The only option I see is that when those big changes start to happen, you can't be seen by anypony else." She sighed, giving Aurora a pained glance. "You would have to stay here in the castle, away from any public areas, until it's safe to reveal yourself to the public."

Aurora flopped the rest of the way onto the grass, staring at the open sky.

Celestia leaned into her side. "You won't be alone. You'll have me, Luna, and Twilight. Smarty, too. And even if I wanted to, I doubt I'd be able to stop your parents from visiting. And your friends - any of them that are strong enough to know are welcome. The last thing I want is to make this castle seem like a prison."

Aurora took a breath, smiling slightly as Smarty laid down next to her. "I suppose that's just what makes it so important to go outside and visit them now.

Celestia nodded. "Still, I doubt your extended stay in the castle will be as long as you might think. Once you can maintain some sort of disguise spell, it shouldn't be much of a problem anymore.

Aurora blinked. "I guess it doesn't seem so bad. Still, it feels weird that I'd be casting illusion spells. Or flying, for that matter."

Celestia smiled, embracing her student with a wing and nuzzling her. "Ascension changes what you are, not who. Remember that."

She nodded.

"Now, I've gotten the chance to be with you for quite a long time." She folded her wings, starting to stand up. "But your parents, on the other hoof, are some ponies who are long overdue."

Aurora's walk outside Canterlot Castle felt almost surreal. Everything was in sharp focus, but she felt dazed. It almost felt like summer vacation, but without the playful cheer that usually accompanied it.

It would have been so much easier if I just never found that cave. Never got into that stupid fight. I'd never have to deal with being Celestia's student. I wouldn't have had to go through all that training. And this Alicorn business would have never happened. But at the same time, I wouldn't have gotten my cutie mark. I wouldn't have met Meadowlark. I wouldn't have met the Princesses of Equestria as the real ponies they are. And...

Aurora shuddered at a thought. And thousands of ponies might have died if it wasn't for those caves, and our over-curious expedition.

And all that alicorn stuff might have just happened anyway, just without the Princesses to guide me through it.

She sighed. All I need is some rest. And that's what Celestia sent me here to do. Be normal for a while.

Aurora approached her own door cautiously. Sure, her adventures had done a lot of ponies some good, but at the same time, she couldn't help but notice she had all but ignored the two ponies that were most important in her life.

Hesitating slightly, she knocked on her door before pushing it open. "Mom? Dad?

She jumped back as a pair of light orange hooves wrapped tightly around her neck. "M-mom?"

Cherry Blossom nuzzled the back of her neck before pulling back. "Sorry, honey, but it's just been so long!" She turned her head. "Dear! Aurora decided to visit for a change!"

Aurora rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "Sorry about that, Mom."

Cherry sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sure you've been plenty busy with the Princesses. But it doesn't mean I'm less relieved to see you again." She gave Aurora a critical look. "So... is it reversible?"

Aurora blinked. Uh oh. She gave an uneasy smile. "What do you mean?"

"That age spell? I mean, that surge was felt all over Canterlot, and you can't tell me I won't recognize my own daughter's magic."

Aurora shifted uncomfortably, as Written Script made his way into the main library. "Um, well... that's actually part of what I needed to talk to you about."

Her mother snorted, chuckling. "So the only reason you got around to see us was because you needed to tell us something?"

She took a nervous step back. "No! Well... I mean, kinda, but I really didn't mean to..."

"Dear, just let her speak. I'm sure she would have visited earlier if she was able to get the time. Now, let's just all relax and sit down. I just finished making lunch."

Aurora chuckled nervously, looking down at the wooden paneling on the floor. "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I've only been gone a few months, and it barely feels like I'm home anymore. I... I should have visited way sooner than this."

A few moments later, she was wrapped in a soft hug once more. "I'm sorry, I've just... well, both of us can't help but worry about you."

She closed her eyes, still avoiding her mother's gaze. That's almost worse. I need to tell you everything, but making you worry about even more... I don't want to put that on you.

"Come on now, let's go sit down and eat. Standing around and talking like this only makes me nervous." Cherry let go of her daughter, but let her lean close as they walked upstairs. ...You really need a rest, dear. And not the kind you get from sleep.

Aurora sniffed as she reached the top of the stairs. She looked at the table, where the plates were already set out. She suddenly smiled, pulling away from her mother's side. "Dad! Is that sauteed onions? And peppers? I thought those were out of season or something."

He grinned back. "First of the year. I just had to put good use to them."

Aurora rushed over to give him a quick hug before hurrying to her own seat.

He chuckled. "I'd say you have pretty good timing, certainly."

Cherry rolled her eyes at both of them before sitting down herself.

Written Script, took a bite, chewed it, then cleared his throat. "Sorry, honey, but I'll have to be the bad guy here and get this over with. What's with that surge yesterday. It had quite the impact on a lot of ponies."

Aurora froze, her mouth halfway to her plate. "It didn't hurt anypony, did it?"

"No, no. Nothing like that at all. If anything, I felt better. But everypony was talking about it. Blew some ponies off their hooves, certainly. It just have been some surge. I mean, just looking at you, it must have been that growth magic you were talking about. But you also said something about not being able to reverse it? That doesn't make much sense."

She sighed, then chewed faster to clear her mouth.

Her mother spoke before she could, though. "Dear, you haven't even touched your utensils. Is there something wrong?"

Aurora slumped in her chair. "I know I should tell you all of this... and I want to... but I just really hate making you worry about anything. Not more than you already have."

"Dear..." Cherry put a hoof to her head and sighed. "We already know what you were doing was dangerous when you came back trained for something. But we can't help if we don't know what's going on. That's what makes us worry the most."

She looked down at her plate. "But it's not just me. That would be easier. Two days ago... the day of that surge? Both of you were in a lot of danger... and I almost let it happen."

There was a few muffled thumps, and some rustling of feathers before a gray pegasus flopped in. "Okay, I'm going to have to stop you right there. You were being influenced by, like, a thousand ponies' dark magic right then. You can't take all the blame. Besides, if anypony should feel guilty, it's me for setting it off."

"Hey, you had no idea it would react like that! Besides, the site wasn't exactly ancient. Those ponies would have come back eventually, and then who knows what would have happened?"

Written Script waved a hoof in between them. "Hey! As entertaining as it is to watch you two play the reverse blame game, none of us have any clue what is going on. You said something like dark magic, and a not-ancient "site?"

Both froze, blushing. "Sorry Dad."

Smarty sat down in an empty chair, tail tucked firmly between her legs.

He took a deep breath. "Now, can we start from the beginning?"

Aurora nodded, a sheepish grin on her face. "Well, I guess it started when we decided to explore that cave I got those books from."

Smarty put a hoof on her shoulder. "Wait. I think... I think we should start with the reason we decided to run away in the first place."

Her head turned sharply to look at Smarty, but she winced when she saw her face. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

Author's Note:

Also a bit short, but it seemed like a good stopping spot.

This also means that the next chapter is already in progress. Not much progress, but still. It's not stagnant anymore.

Comments

[Empty Shelf]

Ah, and now the consequences start to show themselves. Not as heavy on the angst as Rites of Ascension, but that's probably a good thing since that story went heavy on pretty much everything(for better or worse). I'm interested to know why she's the exception to the "rules" of ascension (unicorns only, long-term growth, etc), but I wouldn't expect something that juicy to be explained so soon.

Also, it lives! I'd almost forgotten about this one!

[Koolgy23]

Great Job! I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the next chapter!

[Detsella Morningdew]

8965890
Yeah, while I still like Rites of Ascension, the tone is far different from what I want for this story. (And I doubt I could sustain that writing style for long.)

About how long it took... oof. I really just needed a while to think about everything. Develop the story more than a vague idea. Also to take a break and work on other stories. Even when I said I would continue it again, it took way longer than it should have to get a new chapter out.

Things should move faster now, but... with all the stories I am keeping up, it will probably still be a bit before another chapter is released. Not as long as this one was, but... I still feel kinda bad about it. But I can't abandon those other stories either. (And I have to constantly stop myself from starting new ones.)

8965932
Thanks!

[PonyDragon]

I remember reading Guiding Light some time ago.
Nice to see the sequel is getting forwards.

Sadly I'm currently short on time so it will be a while before I can start reading this one.
(You would be surprised how many old stories suddenly got updates out of nowhere in the last few weeks...)

[calm melody]

Aww now I'm caught up. Happened upon this story about a week ago and just got sucked in. Really like this world of yours, and how it has some minor connections to Rites. I was just poking through the list of updated stories and this one caught my eye. Of course i had to go back and read the first one before getting into this one. Only minor critique... She's extremely verbose for a young teenager. :p

[Detsella Morningdew]

8970252
Yeah... I started out that way due to inexperience. The in-universe reason for her high vocabulary was that she had no friends and lived in a library with two scholarly parents... but the real reason was that I didn't really know how to write for kids, and I knew I didn't know how to write for kids. Still, her vocabulary isn't that far off from my own at her age (when I was little, all my parents had to do for punishments was to forbid me from reading.)

8969871
Totally understand that. I've put off reading some of my favorite fics' updates quite frequently for similar reasons. It sometimes is even better, since you often get to read more than one chapter in a single setting.

[Pepperidge]

Hey look at this...
Cool chapter dude

[FridayPie]

8970252
Verbose. Good speech pattern and ability to express thoughts? That very depends on family she grew in. Two unicorns, heh. It's not unrealstic, if you stop to measure by "loud samples" of our own society.
I was quite verbose and my language was more eloquent than today .. Then it was spoiled by learing German and English

[Luckyfanisaac]

Aurora wandered aimlessly through the castle's rooms and corridors.

No matter what they did to me, none of them deserved death.

I have spoken with my sister, and it seems that for reasons we can only speculate,