Cracking Dawn

by Didily Winkles

Chapter 9: April Showers

Chapter Nine

Dawn,
I look forward to coming to Canterlot. I already bought a ticket and taken off time from work. I'll be arriving at the station at noon of Friday and will have till Sunday afternoon! I hope the Princess can spare you that long. We can talk all you want when I get there.
Love,

April

It was Friday morning. Dawn had read April's letter a dozen times yesterday. It was a source of constant inspiration through all the pain she was put through. Yesterday, from the time Luna found Dawn conscious to the time Dawn finally collapsed in the gardens, Luna drilled self defense spells into her head. They only stopped for a ten minute meal throughout the day. The night princess had thought of dozens upon dozens of torturous 'exercises' to train Dawn.

"You need to be able to defend yourself!" Luna often said.

Luna had devised many scenarios where Dawn's conventional magic was useless. Simple spells for simple affects. Teleportation was impossible.

"You can forget about any of those spells in that book! USELESS!" Luna berated as Dawn lost ground from an attacking stuffed griffin. Luna's yelling was still fresh in her mind.

Dawn wormed her way out of bed and made a less than graceful landing on the marble floor. Her muscles ached, her legs were weak, her back felt like a train had run over it... Slowly... "Ouch." She cried out as she tried to stretch away her bodily woes. She smelled awful. A long hot bath will do the trick. She limped to the lower floor of the room. The stairs were quite the challenge.

Dawn was thankful she picked up so much of Luna's training so fast because in the end Luna agreed she could have the weekend to rest and study. Study right... I haven't even started at all those tomes and scrolls. As the water filled the tub, Dawn made her way over to her new desk where her bed used to be. She slid into her chair and looked around the room. She then closed her eyes and focused on the sound of the tub filling.

"Did you sleep well?" Luna stood in front of her desk. A wisp of dark smoke was dissipating in the draft of the room.

"Hard not to when you don't remember how you got to bed." Dawn opened her eyes keeping an ear on the sound of water. "At least that is a general rule of hoof." She slid off her chair and groaned as she met the unrelenting floor. She made for the bathroom. Something of the acoustics of the water falling led her to believe the bath was nearly full.

"You've succumbed to magic fatigue four times in the past week. I will make you into a grand mage yet, just you watch." Luna cheered, giving a wide grin.

Dawn giggled a bit. She closed the door to the bathroom behind her and slipped into the bath all in one shot. Every single muscle cried out in appreciation. She could've melted in the tub right then and there.

"You slept through breakfast but we can eat an early lunch together." Luna said through the door.

Panic ran through Dawn's body with Luna's words. "What time is it?" She asked in a near frantic tone that caught Luna off guard.

"Umm... let's see, nearly noon. Is something wrong?" Luna asked as she heard an increase of movement. She cracked the door open a bit to see Dawn wielding a scrub brush with her magic. She was franticly scrubbing every where. "Are you late for some engagement I am unaware of?"

Did I not tell Luna? She dunked her head under the water before clarifying, "I must've not of told you... I'm sorry. April is coming to Canterlot today." She turned her attention back to herself. Shampoo was lathered into her mane haphazardly. "I asked her to come without really thinking... I need to talk to her about some things or my mind will be useless to you." That's a good justification for Luna.

"Ahh, the source of your nightmares..." Luna said with an affirming nod. Dawn was startled by the fact that she knew that. "Very well you are forgiven. I hope you will let me meet this mare?"

Dawn still caught off guard, looked up at the night princess. "Of course, you are an important part of my life now she should meet you." Luna gave a small hop out of joy for Dawn's words. Curious...

Once she was dried off, mane roughly combed, teeth brushed, she turned around to Luna to find her fiddling with Dawn's empty drawers in the main part of the room. "How about Dinner? The three of us?"

"That sounds good." Luna said, distracted with her rifling through the crevasses of Dawn's room. "Wait..." She started just as Dawn was about to charge up her horn to teleport to the station. "The three of us? You don't want Celestia to come?"

Not really..."She can come if she wants but one princess overwhelms many ponies, two do twice as many. I just want you to meet the pony not another servant of the crown." Suave... must be the morning air. "If you think it will make no difference I would love Princess Celestia to join us." Dawn gave a small smile as she charged her horn.

"I see..." was all Dawn heard from the night princess as she reappeared near the train station. She almost forgot the limitations of that kind of teleport. Dawn nearly collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air in attempts to fill the no existent void that was her magic well. That was stupid of me... She shook her head to clear it as she found her footing. Dawn turned her attention inwards feeling for her magic which felt like a trickle compared to waves of an ocean. Dawn groaned in frustration with herself before turning to the train station.

Dawn broke into a hurried trot towards the train station. Oddly enough all the guards she passed gave a salute to the pink unicorn. She shrugged it off as something nonissue. According to the train schedule on the wall next to the station, the train already arrived and left. She looked up at the clock tower in the distance. She was ten minutes late. Great, just great. Dawn turned around sitting on her quarters surveying the crowds of Canterlot.

"Looking for me?" April asked with a cheer as she descended from above. "You are late my little filly." She said, landing next to Dawn. April had a smirk on rivaling Luna's.

Dawn had put on the silliest grin as she watched the sky blue pegasus land next to her. Dawn went in for a kiss to wipe that smirk off. "I am starving, you hungry?" She asked once breaking off the welcoming kiss April had returned to her.

"I could eat." April said with a shrug. They started to walk out of the station, guards at the walkways saluting the pink unicorn as they passed. "Why are they doing that?" April asked, whispering in Dawn's ear.

"I do not know..." Dawn answered as her stomach growled in anger.

"Are they not feeding you at that castle?" April asked, giggling.

"I just didn't have breakfast." She admitted, passing another guard that saluted again. The sign of respect warranted some unwanted attention of some by standers. "Hmmm this feels weird..." Dawn turned to the pair of guards that had just saluted them. "Why are you guys doing that?"

"By order of the Princesses you, Lady Dawn, are to be regarded in the highest respect by the guard." The armored pegasus answered a bit more formal and louder than Dawn would have cared for.

Does Luna want me to be a target?

"Whoa, well there you go..." April said, taken aback by the loud reply.

"Ugh..." Dawn rolled her eyes as she felt more eyes look up at her from the passing crowds.

A light blue hoof rubbed her withers. "Hehe I am dating royalty now." April whispered as her hoof felt Dawn's tense muscles underneath.

"It's like Luna wants me to become a target." She pointed an accusing hoof to the motionless guard.

"Let's go get something to eat." April extended her wing guiding the pink unicorn to the crowds of Canterlot.

------

April and Dawn eventually found a nice little cafe in a corner of Canterlot. Every building in Canterlot seemed to be covered in oriental alabaster while every roof seemed to be laced with gold, except this little cafe in the corner. It was very plain with a wooden panning and a firebrick roof, a refreshing change from the very posh surroundings.

The two mares sat down on some cushions next to a table outside. Donning a content smile as April leaned up next to her side, Dawn drifted in thought. We have all the time in the world to talk about silly emotions.

A waitress popped out of the building with two menus in tow via magic. "Our specials for today are rose petal roasted carrots and thick bean and millet stew." She said, indifferently, laying the menus on the table. The waitress left with their drink orders as the two mares browsed a menu together.

April extended her wing, pulling Dawn closer to her. I love that wing.

"So, what high calorie, fattening thing are you going to get here?" She asked, donning a smile of her own.

"Maybe I can get them to deep-fry a stick of butter for me." Dawn said jokingly, shifting through her muscles feeling the still ever present ache of yesterday's torture.

"That's disgusting." April laughed as she nuzzled Dawn's neck affectingly. Dawn caught a lovely whiff of the affectionate mare. A subtle scent just beyond her comprehension laced the smell of April's shampoo.

The waitress took their order with Dawn on autopilot, not really sure what she ordered for herself. The two mares just enjoyed each others silence. Dawn felt total bliss next to April. Minutes flew by as if seconds. The waitress returned with their food before Dawn could even remember what she ordered. Dawn apparently ordered a large order of bean and millet stew with a gracious helping of cheese. Her stomach growled in anticipation as the two mares straightened up to eat their meals.

April giggled. "You best get to that quickly before your stomach jumps out and eats it first."

Dawn was not one to argue with flawless logic. She lifted the filled bowl that contained the thick stew and wielded a spoon to work it all into her mouth. She might as well have brought a funnel as she poured the stew down to her stomach. It filled Dawn with nourishing warmth as her body thanked her for the sustenance. April laughed at the sight as she picked apart her meal.

"I think I may need seconds." Dawn admitted as she dragged her spoon around the bowl to gather any residual stew. Dawn looked around for a waitress. They were alone at this little cafe. "I guess I'll go inside. Be right back." She gave April a quick peck on her cheek leaving a stew flavored residue for April to lick off.

She walked in to find the waitress who was lying down on a cushion inside with what, she could only surmise, was the rest of the staff. With a quick 'ahem' from Dawn the waitress jumped up to greet the pink unicorn. After taking Dawn's empty bowl from her and returning it filled with more hearty stew, Dawn skipped back to April with bowl in tow.

April was only about half done with her salad as Dawn sat down flank to flank next to her. "It's a wonder where it all goes."

Without any forethought Dawn answered, "Presumably out the other end." Dawn froze as she heard her own words. She turned to April who was also processing her words. She then broke into a fit of laughter.

"We can only hope so." She said, in between a laugh. Dawn sighed out the breath she didn't know she was holding as she turned her attention back to her bowl full of nourishment. The two finished their food and Dawn settled up with the cafe inside. April was waiting for her outside, "So where are we off to?" Her wings gave a little flare up as she asked.

"I don't know, wanna see the castle?" Her tail gave away her own opinion with a quick whip to the side. Dawn wanted to show April the gardens.

April looked a bit daunted by the fact that Dawn was talking about 'The Castle', center of the equestrian world 'Castle'. "Umm..."

Dawn could see she was nervous about it. "Come on." Dawn egged, playfully brushing up against April's flank as she passed her. "It'll be fun." She added.

Catching up to Dawn, walking shoulder to shoulder, she quietly asked, "So how long can I steal you away from the princesses this weekend?"

Other then her training with Luna she hasn't done a stitch of work yet. This kind of made her feel like a moocher. "Well I should do a bit of work this weekend..." She admitted. "But the rest of my time is yours..." Dawn sounded disappointed in herself for coming to that conclusion. She wanted to spend it all with April.

"That's fine. I wanted to check out the university a bit and maybe some schools nearby." April saw Dawn slump in her walk. "I was going to go fly to Cloudsdale real quick and check out those schools but you can come see CU with me." She added, whispering in Dawn's ear.

Dawn perked up to April's whispering. "Oh, for dinner, Luna wants to meet you. So we will have dinner in the castle." April stopped in her tracks as she thought of what was said.

"Me... Me? Dinner? 'The' Princess Luna?" She was incapable of proper sentence structure.

It is as Dawn feared. She's like every other pony concerning the princesses.

"I will need to find a dress of some sort... get my hair done..." April's eyes searched around the street for her objectives.

Dawn broke her train of thought. "April." She held April's eyes with her own. "It's just a casual thing I promise. She is nothing to freak out about. Luna is just a normal pony who wants to meet her student's fillyfriend."

April reeled in her previous thoughts and started to think clearly again. "Except this 'normal pony' is a ruler of Equestria, a goddess that embodies the very night and all of pony kind..." April's rant was struck down by Dawn's calm eyes.

"Don't worry so much." Dawn said as she smiled and pecked the pegasus' cheek. She started a light skip down the street beckoning April to follow with her tail. April stepped to the side of Dawn and twined her tail around Dawn's. They gave each other a smile as they both trotted as happy as can be down the street. They both turned a corner only for Dawn to stop suddenly this time.

"What is it?" April asked as she followed Dawn's gaze to a tall, thin, pink pegasus. She bumped her partner in the flank with hers. "What am I not good enough for you?" She asked half jokingly.

"It's a winged unicorn." Dawn pointed at the pink pegasus. Sure enough April spotted a horn.

"Whoa! Neat."

They watched the pink winged unicorn stare into the building with a thousand yard stare. "I wonder what country she hails from." Dawn whispered to April only to receive a small grunt in common curiosity. A familiar purple unicorn came out of the building the winged unicorn was staring at with a small little foal on her back. Dawn could hear a small cooing sound from April. Dawn, surprising April, continued her skip down the street towards the wondrous winged unicorn. April quickly trotted to catch up with Dawn.

"Hey Twilight!" Dawn called out abruptly.

The purple unicorn gave a little jump at the sound of her name and the voice who wielded it. Twilight spun around to take on the voice head on, gaining the attention of the winged unicorn.

"Oh, uhh... Hey Dawn..." Her eyes darted to and fro from Dawn to the winged unicorn, clearly nervous about something.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't mean to interrupt you and your fillyfriend's night together." Dawn watched as a slow train wreck of emotions crash onto Twilight's face. They ranged from utter fear to anger to pure uncut gloom and dread.

"Aww, Twilight! I didn't know you had a fillyfriend. Why haven't you introduced me to her?" The winged unicorn asked, cooing a bit as she did. The foal on Twilight's back was lifted in an aura of light purple as it moved from Twilight's back to the front of the winged unicorn's face. "Why is Aunty Twilly keeping secrets from little ol' us?" She asked the oblivious foal. All the while Twilight's face turned a deep pink out of embarrassment.

April kicked Dawn's foreleg to subtly gain her attention. "Ah, this is my fillyfriend. April, Twilight. Twilight, April." April held out a hoof in greetings as she bumped Dawn's flank provoking her to do something else. What do you want me to do? I should research some mind reading spells. Another bump against her flank as Twilight shook April's hoof while staring at the ground. Ahh! "And apparently I am sorry for ousting you out to your umm..." She was a loss for words as she looked at the foal and the winged unicorn.

"Family." The winged unicorn finished with a laugh at Twilight's expense.

"Ahh, to your family..." Dawn stopped out of respect for April, who was kicking her hind legs now.

"Twilight you shouldn't be ashamed to have a fillyfriend I am happy for you." The winged unicorn said as she put the foal on her back. "Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

Twilight took a minute to properly compose herself. "This is Dawn. We met at the magic convention I hosted." Dawn rolled her eyes at her. "Gathering?" Twilight corrected herself after seeing Dawn.

"I think she finally settled on assembly." April said to cut off what she knew would be a semantics debate.

"Assembly." Twilight repeated. "Dawn this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Twilight finished in a formal tone.

"Cadence is fine." She said, after grimacing at her own name. "We were just shopping. Would you two care to join us? It is always nice to meet Twilight's friends and you can tell me about this mysterious mare that Twilight has been hiding."

Twilight turned a deep pink blush again as she hid behind her bangs. "Uhh... I think we will have to pass. We're gonna go explore the castle." Dawn said, hoping it was the right move. Receiving no more bumps, Dawn assumed she did well.

"That's Right! What are you doing with Luna?" Twilight asked, loosing her blush to indulge in her curiosity.

"Well that would be telling..." April bumped her in her flank again. After a quick glare to the feigning innocent pegasus, Dawn turned back to Twilight. "I'm Luna's Student now." Dawn admitted.

"Ohh... Luna has been looking for a student for years now." Twilight said, her tail wagging from side to side in her excitement.

"Is that so?" Dawn said half heartedly. Silence loomed over the group as they all were at a loss for conversation.

Cadence was the one to break the silence. "Well! It is a shame you can not join us for some shopping. I will just have to pester Twilight until she tells me of this mystery fillyfriend of hers."

"It's really not like..." Twilight tried to defend herself but lost her words in a fight against Cadence's knowing stare.

"It was lovely meeting you two. You have a wonderful time 'exploring the castle'." Cadence finished saying as she turned to the foal on her back that was wrestling with one of her wings.

Dawn turned back to the street as she said, "Catch ya later Twilight." April in turn followed Dawn, meeting her flank to flank.

"You really can be awkward when you want to be." April whispered to Dawn once they were down the street and out of ear shot.

"Was I?"

"Very." April brushed up against Dawn. "I'm sorry I kicked you. She just looked so destroyed when you ousted her like that."

"Huh."

"Celestia knows not every pony is as understanding as your parents, or apparently Cadence."

Dawn couldn't help but raise an eye brow at her words, betraying her curiosity. April remained silent as they walked down the bustling street. "I just realized I have no idea where I'm going..."

April broke free of her morbid thoughts to look around the street they were walking down. "Should we ask a guard?" April asked in a worried tone.

"Nah, I'm sure we can find our way."

"I can fly up and point us in the right direction." April's wings sprung open exposing her plumage.

"Don't worry about it lets just keep walking."

-----

Dawn and April had wandered around the city aimlessly for over an hour until they eventually found the castle gates. The gates opened for the couple as the many guards around it gave a crisp salute. As they crossed the bridge of the moat the gates locked shut behind them.

"Guess we're pretty safe in here." April said, after she had nearly jumped out of her skin from the loud clang of the gates.

"Well Luna may attack me when she spots me, but other wise yah. We're safe." Dawn said with little forethought.

"Wait. Wait... Wha? WHAT?!" April barely had enough time to think it over before she saw a giant lance fly right for Dawn.

Dawn griped the lance with her magic and with practiced ease flung it helplessly into the air, letting it land harmlessly into the moat behind them. That's right I didn't tell April about my training.

Luna's maniacal laughter filled the air around them with no discernable source. No night princess appeared. "Sorry April, I forgot to mention it. Luna has been training me to defend myself. She said she would be giving me a couple days of rest but I figured she would try something like that." Dawn said, glancing over to the rippled moat. April was visibly disheveled by the idea of pointy objects flying at Dawn. "April? It's nothing to worry about, honest. Luna wouldn't hurt me." Dawn said, attempting to cheer the pegasus up.

April blinked a couple times, focusing on the pleading unicorn in front of her. "I'm sorry..." Dawn kissed April, holding it long enough to savor each other's flavors.

"Come on, you wanna see my room first or the grounds?" Dawn gave a saucy look to April for the former option.

April recovered quickly enough to return Dawn's saucy look with her own. "The grounds. Thank you." She giggled at Dawn's brief frown. "I just hope there won't be any more pointy flying objects there."

"Err... me to..." Dawn turned around leading the way to the gardens.

They spent the better part of the afternoon in the western gardens. This side of the gardens favored statues of all kinds, enemies of old, heroes of new. Much to Dawn's amusement, they came across Twilight and her friends. "Elements of Harmony." Dawn read out loud. "Wonder what the heck this means, 'Fluttershy the Element of Kindness'."

"I don't know... It doesn't say anything about what they did to get a marble statue..." April said in a befuddled voice.

"I can understand the 'Element of Magic'. Twilight is the best at magic but how does the rest make any sense?"

"I don't know but look at this one." April pointed at some horrible creature that gave Dawn the chills on a basic instinctual level. It was wearing a face of pure horror. "It has an antler like a dear and a horn like a goat. This thing gives me the chills." April flew up to look the horrid creature in the face. "It only has one tooth too. And look at its wings" April was now poking the statue at all its misplaced body parts.

"This thing needs to be decommissioned and thrown into the ocean." Dawn concluded.

"I kinda like it, its fun." April said, giggling as she landed back next to Dawn.

"I like that one." She pointed to an empty pedestal. "Wait where'd it go?"

"Where did what go?" Asked April as she looked for what Dawn was pointing at.

"The statue, it disappeared." Dawn said, walking over to the empty pedestal. "It was here just a second ago."

Ignoring Dawn, April walked over to an opening in a wall of hedges. "Where does this go?"

"Ha, Get this. This is a hedge maze. And it is gigantic. Stretches on for quite a ways."

"Some pony likes mazes I guess." April shrugged.

Dawn rolled her eyes and started to walk over to the castle. The sun was slowly setting off in the distance. They have been at this for awhile now. "Come on, lemme show you the flower garden."

They watched the sunset in the flower garden. They both shared a large luscious rose they had picked, eating it a petal at a time. As the shadows engulfed the entire garden, a cold breeze started to blow.

"Lady Dawn." Yelled a guard off in the distance. "They have a light storm scheduled for tonight. I recommend you come inside."

"Lady Dawn." April mocked, poking Dawn in the ribs.

Dawn let out a sigh of annoyance. "I will not get used to having any sort of titles..." Luna had talked a lot about titles and such during their training yesterday. "They are more trouble than they are worth." Dawn concluded, earning a kiss on the cheek from April.

"Shall we, milady?" asked April, still poking fun at Dawn's expense. Dawn took a deep breath and sighed again. She got up and started walking to the castle. April nudged her with her shoulder. "Come now, milady. Cheer up." April said, adopting a small accent of royalty to accompany her mocking.

"Yes, well... if you insist on my ladyship you can become my first of many serfs to plow my fields." She said, implying a scandalous innuendo while passing the guard that called out to her.

April deadpanned. "Ah, that's all I am to you huh?"

"Without a doubt."

"Well 'Milady' I will need to fetch a rake to plow thy fields." April jumped back to a subservient dark age's accent.

"Ahh..." What could a rake mean? Do I want to know?

Oblivious to Dawn's confusion, April followed in tow next to Dawn as they made a corner eventually reaching a spiral staircase.

"Wow, how high are we going up?" April asked about three-fourths the way up.

"To the top." Dawn shuddered.

"Oh you poor thing." April chuckled at her discomfort.

Dawn faked a pout as they climbed the last few steps to her door. She opened it with her magic and walked through. With a flare of her magic the lamps around the room lit up, forcing April's mouth to turn into a fly trap as she bathed in the grandeur of the room.

"This is all yours?" April finally managed to ask, after spinning around in observation.

"Yep." Dawn stepped into the center of the room to survey it with her. Everything was still in its place and a small trickle of lacquer still laced the air. "Cool eh?"

"That is another expression I will never get. Why is 'Cool' better than warm? Why don't you ponies say 'that was so warm'." Luna walked out of the corner that was drenched in shadow.

April, startled by the sudden appearance of the night goddess, fell to a low bow. Dawn ignored Luna's little inquisitive rant to watch her fillyfriend nearly kiss the ground. "April, Luna. Luna, April." Dawn casually introduced. Luna extended a hoof to shake.

"I believe this is where we shake hooves. Correct?" Luna turned to Dawn for an answer.

Dawn was still looking at the mare nearly kissing the ground. "Usually." Dawn stepped up to April as if approaching an injured kitten. "Luna would like to shake your hoof. As far as I know she does not bite."

"Bite what?" Luna asked. "I swear I don't know where ponies got the idea of me eating them."

April straightened up, showing her bright red blush. She stepped forward to Luna and shook her metal hoof, earning a grin from Luna. April shrank back at the sight, nearly hiding behind Dawn. "So will Princess Celestia be joining us tonight?" Dawn asked.

The question broke Luna out of small trance focused on the April. The night goddess was notably shorter not just in size but her mane too. It was shorter and turning curly. I wonder what she'll look like at the new moon.

"No, Twilight Sparkle is having dinner with her tonight. It will be just us." Luna said, cocking her head at April. "So you are the mare that has driven my student to magic fatigue twice."

Dawn moved to the side as if dodging the question for April to take the full blunt of it. "Ye...yes" She stammered but then let her curiosity get the better of her. "Twice?" She asked, turning to Dawn.

"You should have seen her yesterday. Taking all the training I could conjuror up for the week in one day, for what I now know was all for you." Luna said, gaining up on the unsuspecting pegasus, giving April a small poke with her metal hoof as she finished.

April was likely wishing she could melt into the floor under Luna's gaze. Best save her now. It was fun while it lasted. "Where should we have our dinner? Is Princess Celestia using the dining room?"

Luna sprung up from her scrutinizing position over the slightly shaking pegasus to her starkly contrasting happy self. "Yes! We shall eat here!" She announced with gusto.

"Oh... Alright." Dawn answered. As if on queue a knock sounded from the door earning a little squeak of surprise from April. "Come in." Dawn answered as she sat down next to her fillyfriend. Chef Stew bounded through the door, slightly out of breath.

"Oh, good! Chef I'm glad you could make it." Luna said. A table and cushions flew down to them from the second floor surrounded by Luna's magic.

"My deepest apologies." The chef said, giving a quick little bow, still catching his breath.

Dawn coaxed April to take a seat at the table.

"Its fine Chef, I do thank you for doing this." Luna said as she took a seat across from April.

"Of course my princess." He chirped, giving another small bow. Stew was still catching his breath as he walked to the end of the table. "What can I make for you to night?" He asked to the table.

"I would love two oatburgers extra cheese, onions, the works." Dawn announced, the royal chef winced at the order. "Oh, and can you make me a chocolate shake?"

"I'm glad to see you are eating healthy." Chided April, momentarily forgetting who sat in front of her only for reality to snap back at her like a rubber band.

"Oatburgers?" Luna asked. "I do not think I have heard of this food."

"Six years off the moon and you haven't tried the best invention of the century?" Dawn asked in a mock flabbergasted tone.

"It's not like Celly gave me a list on what I missed." Luna pouted. "I shall have one of these Oatburgers as well!" She decreed. "AND A CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE!" Luna finished in a tone that would have been appropriate for giving an inspirational war speech like so many pegasi commanders and generals of her time.

Stew had emotions dancing across his face from minor annoyance to shock. "If that is what my princess wants." He said, letting out a heavy sigh and turning to April for her order.

"Oh... umm you can make me what ever dish you want." April's voice drifted into a whisper.

Stew drew a smile across his face. "How about a lovely puff pastry broccoli and cheese all rolled up into swirls with a blueberry cheese cake danish on the side?"

April was mildly surprised by the sporadic and specific order of food. "That sounds lovely thank you." Chef Stew looked like he wanted to jump up and hug the pegasus but gave a low bow as he backed out of the room. April turned back to the moon goddess and Dawn who were both tilting their head in curiosity. April scooted closer to Dawn for respite from the awkward silence that filled the air, nearly leaving her own cushion in the process.

"You could've ordered anything, you know?" Dawn said, giving into her curiosity.

"Uhh... Well he didn't like what you two ordered so I thought if he could..." She was losing her resolve to answer as 'The' Princess Luna looked eagerly over to her for her answer. "... I just figure that it is best to keep the ponies that handle your food happy."

"Oh..." Dawn and Luna said in unison.

"Solid logic my little pony." Luna concluded, nodding.

"Make sense to me." Dawn added.

April relaxed a little at the night princess's approval.

"So what qualifies you to my student's mate? My student, whose magical ability is nearly unrivaled. Who has a magical ability that comes with a mind that I will likely not find for centuries to come?" Luna possessed a scrutinizing glare that would scare a manticore back into its den. Dawn had a feeling this would happen when Luna suggested meeting her. It just seemed appropriate... and entertaining.

Dawn turned to the pegasus expecting a stone solid statue had taken her place but despite her previous cowering she looked Luna straight back, meeting her glare with her own. "I love her". She said firmly.

The sound of those words still sounded so foreign and strange to Dawn. She nearly keeled over right then and there.

"Ahh very good then." Luna had broken her scrutinizing glare and turned to the flabbergasted pink unicorn. "She's a keeper." Luna said, winking to Dawn.

As the night progressed, April relaxed considerably. The tense air in the room dissipated as they all talked. Eventually Luna insisted on her dropping 'Princess' when she addressed her. The food arrived and went. After eating Luna declared oatburgers to be her new favorite meal. It was only Luna's night court that interrupted the night. Luna bid her farewells and disappeared in a wisp of smoke leaving the two mares alone.

They found themselves staring at each other in silence. April broke her stare to look around the extravagant room. "You really are being spoiled."

"Mmm." Dawn rolled over on to her back gripping her tail in between her legs not breaking her gaze from April. I really should talk to her.

Dawn's rolling caught April's eye. She cooed at the sight. "You are too cute sometimes..." Dawn remained emotionless on the ground. "Is something wrong?"

"I..." Stupid words and how they need to mean stuff and junk... "Why do..." Dawn couldn't grasp the words she needed to ask what she needed to know. April sat on her quarters in front of Dawn, looking down at her. She cocked her head, waiting for more than stumbled words. "Why do you love me?" Dawn asked, haphazardly. Hmmm not really what I was going for but let's wing it.

"Why do 'I' love you." April repeated. "Hmmm." April laid down on her stomach, tucking her forelegs under her. "Well I don't know... It could be how you are incurably forgetful. Or it could be because you eat your weight in food every day but never gain a pound."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I..." She broke her next sentence short. Not just yet.

"Well so am I." April mocked a pout. She leaned forward and kissed Dawn on the base of her horn. The kiss sent a shiver down her spine. "I also love how you are so strong willed. I know I could rely on you if I asked anything of you."

"How do you know that?" Dawn asked, turning over to her stomach meeting April at eye level. "I've never done anything for you." She lied.

"True-ish, you were going to ask the princess if she could get me into CU weren't you? And you did make us those boxes." April broke Dawn's eye level gaze by turning on to her back and grabbing her tail. "Do I do it as good as you?" She asked while trying to look innocent.

"You said you loved me before I even told you I would ask or before I made those boxes..." Dawn replied, ignoring the façade.

"I think I said 'I think I love you' but after seeing you after you made me that box..." She motioned with her hoof up in the air for an imaginary object. "And then 'You' said you loved me. It made me think more about it. Though you have many faults, flaws and umm... inconsistencies. I like it all. I 'Love' it all."

Dawn buried her face under her hooves. "I feel like..." Dawn desperately searched through the fifty thousand words of ponykind that she knew of. "I don't know..." A hoof came down to from her withers down to her chest only to turn into a hug from none other than April.

"You feel you don't know me well enough. You want to make a proper judgment on whether or not you love me. Your rational mind is struggling to keep up with your feelings." As she finished she nuzzled Dawn out from under her hooves. "You're scared."

Scared. A word a foal understands perfectly. April kissed Dawn on her cheek letting a warm feeling flood her body. Is that it? I'm scared?

"I saw it in your letters, and at the train station. It was written all over your face at that cafe and in the gardens." April said after breaking her kiss. She leaned up against Dawn letting one of her wings lay over her.

"Am I really that bad?"

"Bad? You hide emotions so well..." April stared into Dawn's emerald eyes only to get lost in thought. "You are really 'bad' at expressing your emotions." She corrected.

"Oh..." Dawn looked back, stunned at the realization.

"There's nothing 'Bad' about expressing your emotions though and it isn't 'Bad' to be scared." April set her head on Dawn's forelegs while wrapping her tail around Dawn's backside. "If it's any consolation I'm scared too." she mumbled.

I am scared. Scared of my emotions? And April is scared too? She rested her head on top of April's. She inhaled greedily the scent of April's mane. "Alright." Silence spread out in between the two as they enjoyed each others body warmth. "What are we scared of?" Dawn asked, whispering into April's mane.

"The unknown." April let out a heavy sigh. "I've never felt like this for any pony. I've been drunk off love but I can't say I have ever been 'in' love. You know?"

Dawn hummed into April's mane in agreement. April shuffled free of Dawn to stand up and stretch. Dawn got up and joined her. The absence of her wing let a cool impression on her coat as a cold draft from the night's storm drifted by.

"Why don't you show me the rest of your room." April said, casting libidinous eyes Dawn's way.

Dawn was quick to pick up. After giving a very brief overview of the room, they both ended up in the giant bed in the alcove, cuddled up together underneath the bed sheets.

"Good night April." Dawn whispered as she lost herself in the white mane.

"Good night." April whispered back, losing herself in Dawn's chest.