• Published 17th Sep 2012
  • 1,958 Views, 88 Comments

Cracking Dawn - Didily Winkles



Dawn makes a trip to Ponyville for a magic convention. She starts to reevaluate her in life.

  • ...
6
 88
 1,958

Chapter 16: There Be Zombies

Chapter Sixteen

Dawn walked out of the thick black smoke of the void into the town square of Ponyville. She took in a deep breath of the morning air as she looked around. She saw the square was bustling with activity. Not an ounce of attention was paid to her...

"ZOMBIE!" Somepony yelled on top of their lungs, getting everypony to look around for the walking dead. The voice in question appeared on top of Dawn's head. The master of earth pony magic herself, Pinkie Pie was bent over on top of Dawn's head, meeting her eye to eye. Dawn struggled to keep her passenger up until she jumped off to inspect Dawn more closely. After giving an exalted gasp, she disappeared just as fast as she came.

Dawn turned around, indifferent about what had just transpired. She had turned to the reason she was here. Twilight was coming home from her honeymoon this morning. She broke into a skip towards the poor mutilated tree they call a library, jumping over much of the unshoveled snow of the previous night. She barged in to receive an apathetic greeting by a very large purple dragon. Little nubs, which will soon be his wings, were jetting out of his back. He had an elongated snout which showed his malicious looking fangs. All in all, he still looked like the teenager dragon Dawn had met nine months ago.

"Have a growth spurt did we?" Dawn asked.

Spike turned up to the Dawn. His jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Princess Celestia didn't tell any pony...

"I've already been called a zombie today, so try to think of something cleverer." Dawn remarked.

"How? I went to your funeral!" Spike yelled, pointing an accusing claw.

"Well I wasn't invited..." Dawn said with a smirk. "Any ways I was hoping to surprise Twilight when she got back today. Princess Celestia didn't want to stop her honeymoon early with news of my return."

"Uhhh..." Spike picked his jaw off the ground as he got up from the couch he was laying on. "She will defiantly be surprised." He finally muttered after inspecting the pink unicorn for authenticity.

"Good." Dawn cheered as she lit up her horn. Dawn let an orb launch from her horn. It bounced ferociously around the library only to split multiple times until the entire tree was filled to the brim with bouncing balls. When the orbs stopped in mid air to hover precariously, Dawn magically made room by the door for them to leave. "Don't touch any of them. We are closing the library till Twilight and Trixie come back." She said before turning around.

"Ohhh." The purple dragon chuckled. "I get you." He moved closer to the exit, careful to not touch any of the orbs. "What do they do?"

"Yah! What do they do Zombie Dawn?" Pinkie Pie asked while happily hopping around Dawn, gracefully dodging the orbs around her.

"If you want, you can touch one, just one." Dawn said, lighting up her horn to hold the spell off from a chain reaction.

Both Spike and Pinkie picked an orb and lightly tapped it. Both orbs bellowed a loud sound resembling a fog horn. Pinkie's blew back her hair into a more frizzy state. Catching on to the magical prank at hoof, she giggled profusely with Spike.

"Come on. We need to wait where we can watch them go in." Dawn said as she slowly backed out the opening door behind her.

"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie whispered excitedly. It was oddly appropriate.

Dawn closed the door gently behind them. Spike was on all fours, lowering his face to pony level. Dawn could truly appreciate the more menacing looking dragon in front of her now. "Where in Sam hill are you going to live when you are taller than the tree?"

Spikes face momentarily turned solemn only for Pinkie to jump in to cheer him up quickly. "Where ever he fits!" She said as she massaged his cheeks with her hoof.

"Alright, then..." Dawn turned around and spotted the bush she had planned to watch the show from. Luna was already behind it. It was a new moon last night so she looked very normal aside from the wings and horn. Dawn decided to hop to her like she had see Pinkie do so many times before.

"You hop good!" Pinkie Pie said as she joined her, hopping parallel to Dawn.

"It just looked so fun back there." Dawn cheered, smiling as she reached her destination.

"Luna! I have an invitation for you!" Pinkie Pie cheered when she realized who was behind the bush. "But it's a surprise party." She crudely whispered.

"Oh... Uhh wonderful. Thank you." Luna said, taking the envelope from the pink earth pony.

Where was she carrying that? Dawn shook her head to clear her mind for the moment at hoof. "When is she going to be here?" She asked Luna.

Luna closed her eyes to concentrate. "She is nearly here. We should be able to see her balloon." Luna pointed a hoof in a northern direction. Sure enough a purple balloon was slowly drifting their way, no doubt directed by magic. Dawn jumped into the bush proper, tucking in her tail under her legs. Pinkie Pie and Luna joined in. Pinkie was vibrating with giggles of anticipation in between the two.

Twilight's balloon drifted gently to a landing in front of the poor ironically fated tree, crunching the snow under its basket. Spike was a natural in the art of deception. He greeted them warmly and innocently grabbed their bags so he could lag behind, making sure they would open the door first. Being raised by the cunning Twilight, I shouldn't expect no less. Pinky Pie hummed with energy as they got closer to the tree.

Twilight swung open the door, stopping in the doorway to fall to her quarters. Trixie walked up next to Twilight to see why she was blocking the way.

"What the bucking bronco is going on?" Trixie asked, as she turned around to Spike, who was carrying the bags. He gave a look of complete innocence and peeked inside to look astonished. Twilight was starting to tear up. Trixie, oblivious to Twilight's emotional state, walked in likely to poke an orb. The three in the bush snuck out to get a better view of the pair of unicorns.

Trixie was closely inspecting a choice looking orb. The largest of the bunch. She slowly reached out a hoof to touch it. Twilight made a small motion of protest just as soon as Trixie's hoof made contact. The orb exploded setting off a quick chain reaction. Individually the orbs were loud and obnoxious. All of them going off at once was a bellow of words the whole town could hear. "WELCOME BACK." The explosion of sound sent Trixie reeling back. It shook the tree enough to free most of its snow from its branches. Twilight and Trixie were on the ground, dazed and confused by the deafening sound. All the while, Spike dropped the bags he carried in attempts to muffle the sound from his ears with his claws.

The silence after the greeting was impeccable. Not a sound in Ponyville could be heard except for laughter from the night princess and two pink mares. Pinkie was the first to recover. She started to bounce around Twilight in her excitement.

"Were you surprised? Were you? Huh? Huh? Zombie Dawn said you would be!" She asked and cheered, jumping around the two victims. "I've seen plenty of surprises but that was LOUD!" She cheerfully animated the last word, trying to mock the magical fog horn-esque greeting. She then jumped back to Luna and Dawn who were just recovering themselves.

"That was well worth it." Dawn said as she wiped a loose tear from her face.

"Very much so, I say we do something similar on my sister." Luna cheered, her tail whipped around uncontrollably as she schemed.

"I don't know. Princess Celestia looks at me with the intent of banishment every time we do something like that." Dawn giggled at the thought.

Twilight spun around to look at the two mares who were talking. Twilight's eyes didn't pool tears any longer, the damns were broken. "Dawn!" She cheered excitedly. Twilight started a charge for the pink unicorn that was bracing for a tackle rivaling her parent's. She was quickly caught up in a tight embrace with her friend. Trixie ran over as quickly as she could and joined in the hug. My only friends. Trixie broke the hug once she started to feel awkward, Dawn and Twilight took the cue and broke away themselves.

Twilight wiped her eyes free of tears. "How are you here? Luna said you would be lost forever."

"Luna made assumptions about the void." Dawn said coldly. Luna scowled at the comment. Dawn gave a tired sigh in reply. "We do not know how I got back. There is much we don't know."

"Vagabonds are all alike. They survive." Trixie huffed with a grin spanning ear to ear. "I am cold. Let's go inside so you can regale us with your heroism in coming back to life."

"Ha." Dawn snorted. She looked around and saw Luna already heading inside with Spike. "Where's Pinkie?" Dawn asked, looking for any sign of the magical earth pony.

"Thought you would be used to that..." Twilight teased as she turned around to head inside the maimed tree she called home.

They walked inside the library and saw that every single book was on the ground. Spike was picking them up and stacking them. When he saw Dawn walk in her grumbled, "I would have never agreed to anything if I knew this would happen."

"Right. Well I will help put them back then." Dawn proclaimed as her horn flared up with a burning pink intensity. Dozens upon dozens of books rose off the ground as she filled them into her view. Upon a brief inspection she sent them to where Dewey told her to put them.

"Has your magic improved?" Twilight asked, looking at the books in the air while lifting an equal amount to help out. Luna and Trixie reluctantly started to help as well.

"Hmmm." Dawn gave a thought to the possibility. "Don't be ridiculous, Twilight." Dawn laughed.

"So, how did you come back from the dead?" Trixie asked impatiently.

"Not sure. Completely a mystery." Dawn answered with a shrug. Twilight and Trixie wilted in place at the answer. "Well mysteries are to be solved. It's something I want to research later. Maybe after I finish the stuff I was already working on."

"What?" Twilight gasped. "You're letting her do more of that stupid research of yours?" Twilight dropped the books she carried and started to stomp over to Luna. "She should be dead, gone forever. We get her back and you let her just continue what she was doing like nothing happened?" Twilight broke in a panicked shrill in her accusations towards Luna.

Luna stood still, not showing a minuscule of emotion. She had set down the books she had as well. Twilight ended up inches from post new moon version of Luna's face. "Short of taking away her horn." Luna said, her voice and face emotionless. Twilight winced back from Luna's face, letting the reality of who she was talking to set in. "I do not think I can do a single thing to stop her. Might as well have her do it in the relative safety of the castle." Luna drooped in place. "If it was up to me, Twilight Sparkle, I would have done just that. Take away her horn and see her live a happy full life as an earth pony. But I 'can' not." Luna finished, quoting her sister in her mock Celly tone.

Twilight spun around to give a pleading look to the pink unicorn organizing the last of the books on the ground. Dawn was indifferent about their conversation and ignored the worried looks she was receiving from Twilight and Trixie.

"Dawn you have to stop doing that research!" Twilight pleaded. "Think of April." She gloomily added.

Dawn turned her attention to Twilight, raising a questioning eye brow and stopping the train of books flowing in front of her face. "Twilight... you are not understanding something. There is no chance of anything bad coming of me if I merely continue my research. The eye of storm in a way." Dawn said as she turned her attention back to the books.

"So you do expect to have trouble later?"

"Of course." Dawn cheered hastily before pausing to analyze the flaws of her metaphor. "But of a different nature." Dawn increased the speed of her train of books so she may conclude the unpleasant conversation.

They finished cleaning up in relative silence. Spike and Trixie were uncomfortable with the lack of noise and tried desperately to make boring conversation. As the last few books were put into place the door opened, letting in a white stallion unicorn that Dawn did not recognize at first glance.

"Doctor Palmer. What are you doing here?"

"Oh I was in town when I noticed you're back from your 'month' long honey moon." The familiar voice said with a light chuckle.

Dawn poked her head up to get a clearer view of the visitor. Dawn's eye gave an involuntary twitch as the pony came into view. Such a... "Hapless Pony." She said, vocalizing her thoughts quietly. Loud enough however to gain attention of the unicorn, he snapped his head to the voice, no doubt out of habit.

"Degenerate girl... Wait... Dawn?" The pony's automatic response was replaced with a general confusion. As the pink unicorn's image was processed by the older stallion, a teary eyed smile grew on his face. "Dawn, is that really you?" The hapless pony asked as he walked over to Dawn. He reached out to the still as stone pink unicorn to feel she was not in fact a ghost. Dawn never gave him that knowledge, however. She backed up quickly, teleporting to the other side of the room.

"Dawn?" Twilight and Luna called out in their surprise, spining around to face Dawn.

"You're alive?" Doctor Palmer asked, unshaken by Dawn's reaction.

"And kicking." Dawn snarled with implications.

"Clearly I need some context here." Luna said.

"So you brought your ire to death and beyond?" Palmer asked, cocking his head.

Dawn didn't answer. She just returned a blank stare as she lay down, tucking in her forelegs.

"Well..." Doctor Palmer shuffled in place. "Welcome back Twilight, perhaps we will catch up some other time."

Twilight spun around to the stallion. "You don't have to go." She pleaded.

"No, I should. I will write of course." The white stallion walked to the door as it swung open to his magic. "I am glad you are alive, Dawn." He said, smiling as he closed the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Trixie questioned the room.

Dawn gave a thousand yard stare, giving a hint that there were no answers to be found from her. "I am sorry. He has soured my mood. I'll talk to you later Twilight." Dawn said suddenly after a moment of silence. "I'll come back. We can catch up and all that jazz." She added as dark smoke concealed her from the room.

Dawn opened her eyes to find herself in a hallway that she didn't recognize. She knew April was nearby in class. Luna appeared next to her. She was used to the night princess following her now. Dawn thought it was because Luna wanted to know she didn't get lost to the void again or something to that effect. Dawn peaked into a window along the hallway to find the love of her life paying attention to some old unicorn giving a lecture. Luna peaked in too.

"You want to tell me why that stallion bugs you?" Luna asked in a whisper.

"Perhaps later, when my thoughts are collected and junk. I like to bury him in the back of my mind."

"I am many thousands of years old. I may be able to help."

A loud gasp was heard behind the two. "Princess Luna!" The owner of the gasp yelled to the ground he was now kissing.

The two turned around to find a white stallion with golden locks for a mane and a compass for a cutie mark. "Maybe I will just see you later then..." Luna said, feeling the eyes from the surrounding classrooms turn her way.

"Yep." Dawn said as Luna dissolved into the smoke of the void. Dawn glanced over the unicorn. He looked familiar. Was it Baron Cyanbile? No... Sir Galahad or was it Lancalot... Who cares... A smile spread wide across Dawn's face as she realized the unicorn was still on the ground, bowing to her alone. "I do love to be adored but please my little pony rise." Dawn said in a tone that mocked the royal pageantry the princesses so often used. "What is thy name?"

"Prince Blueblood your highness... wait. What?" Prince Blueblood peaked from under his bow to see he was in fact alone with Dawn. "Yuck! I was bowing to... a lowly inbred."

"You mustn't be so hard on your self. Just because you are the product of inbreeding doesn't mean you can't make something of yourself." Dawn said in the same mocking tone she was just using, rolling her eyes as she did so. Celestia bless Canterlot.

Prince Blueblood stuttered in place. "Yo...you disgusting peace of filth! I should have you thrown into the dungeon!"

"By all means. I will be on campus for awhile." Dawn gave a small smile. "Call the guards and arrest me." She said as she cast a beard on the royal unicorn. "Now you got me on magical assault."

The stallion addressed his new poorly trimmed, patchy goatee and pencil thin mustache with a shaken hoof. Horror struck across his face as his hoof grazed the facial hair. Dawn stood still, stifling a laugh. "I will have your head for this! Princess Celestia herself will hear of this." He huffed.

"I look forward to it." Dawn said with the straightest face she could manage.

Prince Blueblood stuck his nose in the air with practiced poise and quickly strutted down the hall, hopefully to a guard. Dawn turned her attention to the class behind her, containing her fillyfriend. The class was overall paying attention to the instructor and not to Blueblood's threats. Dawn sat on her quarters by the door under the windowsill. She closed her eyes to focus her thoughts.

Why would he care if I was alive or not. Dawn shook her head, hoping an answer would fall out of her ears. No such thing did. Dawn sat quietly, thinking to herself, letting her mind wander on the subject until the door next to her slammed open, exploding with students eager to get out and some no doubt eager for lunch.

April was the last to leave. Dawn peaked inside the door as she came for the door. Her saddle bags were full with books, paper, and pens, weighing her down as she waddled over to the door.

"Dawn?" April asked, bending forward to Dawn's advances. "What are you doing here?" She asked once they broke their kiss.

Dawn shrugged away the question. "I was bored and I knew you had a couple free hours around this time."

"Free hours I really need to spend studying. My first wave of tests are next week."

"That's fine." Dawn welcomed April down the hallway with a hoof, hoping it was the right way out.

"Errr..." April rolled her eyes. "Okay..." April joined Dawn down the hallway she had suggested, grabbing Dawn's tail with hers. "Everything alright?" She asked, tipping her head to Dawn.

"Hmmm?" Dawn briefly pondered what she must have done to acquaint such information for her to ask. "Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know, you... Never mind." April gave a quick inspection of Dawn as they exited the building. "To the Library then." She said after she shrugged off her concerns.

"You aren't hungry for lunch?" Dawn asked, looking at the faint ridges of rips protruding through her winter coat. "You are looking... a bit... Thin." Dawn said with a voice full with worry.

"Not hungry and I weigh the same as I always have." April replied indifferently.

Dawn's automatic response was quick with, "You were a fat foul then." April gave a light, fatigued giggle. She's lying. She is defiantly thinner. Luna was the one that brought it to her attention. Both princesses were worried about her but were not sure what to do about it.

April lifted a wing over Dawn to shield her from the cold breeze that blew through campus. "You poor unicorns… Where's that scarf I got you yesterday?" April asked the shivering unicorn under her wing.

"Warming some grateful chair in my room, I'm sure." Dawn replied.

"Well go get it."

"And pass up your wing?" Dawn lightly nuzzled the cheek available to her only to receive no reaction.

Silence grew thick between the two as they continued their march to the Library. When they got to the main courtyard with the library just on the other side, some pony started to call after them. "Hey!" A butterscotch colored mare came running up to the couple. "Hey! You better be careful. You're under the wing of a real heart breaker." She addressed Dawn.

"Oh really?" Dawn turned and gave scandal hungry look to April. April quivered under her gaze. "That is fantastic." Dawn said plainly.

The butterscotch mare, un-phased by Dawn's comment, went on to say, "April here showed me a wonderful night." The mare pulled a handkerchief out from her saddle bag with her magic to dry her eyes which were tearing up. "Only for it to be a one night stand?" She turned to April nearly crying. "I really thought we had something special in the mix..." The mare started to out right cry.

Well that escalated quickly. "Well isn't that just the peaches pit." Dawn said gloomily as she turned to April who was expressing myriad of emotions. Her face turned pink and was turning red. Dawn chuckled at April's secret scandal. She lifted April's head with her hoof, letting April see the calm smile on her face. "It's alright I will always love you." She whispered.

"There she is guards!" Called out a familiar looking royal stallion. Prince Blueblood, clean shaven now, had a smirk on that would turn all the butterflies of Equestria rabid with rage for no other reason other then to wipe the said smirk off the approaching pony's face. He strutted towards them with two guards on tow. Dawn giggled at the sight. He is in for a rude awakening. They stopped short of being in middle of the three mares.

"Lady Dawn." The guards bowed to Dawn and April.

"Don't bow to this lowly filth! ARREST HER!" Blueblood roared.

I love Canterlot...

"Errr... My apologies Lady Dawn, Miss April." The two guards bowed again. "This stallion has accused you, Lady Dawn, of magical assault."

"I gave him some facial hair for kicks and giggles." Dawn admitted.

"See? See? She admits it!" Blueblood cried out. "Arrest her!"

"I swear to Celestia..." April muttered under her breath.

"Ahh, well... thank you for being truthful about it, milady." The guard said as she bowed for the third time. "But we can see that he probably deserved it." The other guard was holding back her laughter. "We will dismiss these allegations."

"Well that isn't necessary. You can throw me in a dungeon somewhere, all in the name of justice of course." Dawn said as she waved a hoof to the sky casually. "I was promised a dungeon." She added in an earnest tone.

"That's... That is alright milady. We would rather just look the other way."

"No. You are encouraging her." April scolded the guards, forgetting her previous embarrassment. "Dawn apologize. Now." April said while stomping on Dawn's hoof and removing the warm protection of her wing.

"But he called me lowly filth and inbred... and a bunch of other horrid insults." Dawn pouted, giving April a perched lower lip. "Oh and he threatened me with a dungeon." She added breaking her act. "Does the castle even have a dungeon? I was promised a dungeon." She stated again to April and the guards. "I've never seen it. We should go find a dungeon."

"Apologize." April repeated after lightly hitting Dawn with her extended wing.

"Fine... I apologize for not being an 'inbred, piece of filth that belongs in a dungeon' that you apparently thought I was."

Both guards chuckled deep within their armor. Blueblood stood there dumbstruck still, slowly processing today's events. "Apologize for the beard." April corrected, giving a scolding look that would fry her alive if she possessed such super powers.

"I apologize for the beard. It came out a bit shallow, deluded and pompous." Dawn gave a small bow to add flare to the heart felt apology.

April gave a heavy sigh in defeat. Blueblood put two and two together and resolved that his goal was not going to come to fruition. He scoffed at Dawn's latest apology. "I will have your heads on a platter for this!" Blueblood yelled, pointing at the guards and Dawn as he waddled backwards, scowling all the same. "Princess Celestia herself will hear of this injustice." He said as he stuffed his chin high in the air and strutted off into the distance.

"I am truly sorry for dragging you two in this. Would you like a temporary beard for the road?" Dawn asked the guards as she cast one on herself.

April face hoofed. "Ouch, haven't done that in awhile..." She muttered to herself.

"Errr no..." Declined one guard only to be interrupted by the other.

"Hells yes..." The other guard cheered. The guard next to her elbowed her. "I mean yes please. Ma'am... Milady." A flowing beard sprouted forth out of the guard's helmet. The thick beard nearly rivaled Dawn's.

"Epic." Dawn congratulated.

"Thank you, milady." The bearded guard said as she inspected the growth on her face.

"No problem." Dawn backed up flank to flank next to April and deferred to her ear. "I think I will leave you to deal with your little fillyfriend and study. I am going to go back to the tower." She gave a kiss behind the ear she whispered to and stepped back.

April returned a look of 'Please don't leave me' but Dawn knew it was only right. April knew it too and eventually dipped her head in agreement.

Dawn looked over to the mare April hurt. She may have felt a brief hint of jealousy and maybe anger but snuffed those feelings out for April's sake. The mare had managed to dry her eyes and had fallen on her quarters in the snow. She gave a blank thousand yard stare across the courtyard. Dawn summoned the void around her and slipped from the cold snowy landscape to the warmth of her east tower of Canterlot castle.

"Ahh, good. Dawn, you are back." Luna greeted from behind Dawn's desk. She was reading a tome that looked like it hadn't been touched in decades. "I want to get your opinion on something that I have been researching behind my sister's flank."

"Something juicy then." Dawn cheered as she quickly trotted over, letting her tail betray her excitement. Much to her own displeasure, Luna seemed to be studying, what appeared to be, the castle's expenditures.

"I should say so. I have been trying to work out my sister's many riddles that she has been spewing at me for the last couple years. The ones concerning you, the castle, Canterlot, and even some of the basic laws we abide by that were not in place a thousand years ago." Luna's wing gave an irritated twitch at the recollection. "So I started with the most recent and decided to work back from there."

"A business ledger?" Dawn asked.

"Celly hates working with money. She has other ponies do it and she would never think to cover her doings in here. And she hasn't." Luna finished with a small cheer, pointing to a spot on the page. "Apparently nearly Twenty Five years ago the castle staff was expanded nearly thirty percent."

"What for?"

"Construction mostly. She built this tower and the west tower for no reason she cares to reveal. No pony has used them until now." She directed her hoof down the page a little. "The only thing that has me baffled is the construction of the nursery."

"Why? I'm sure it was just for the staff's convince."

"Its staff was hired months before the nursery was even started, before even the construction was even commissioned in fact." She said while flipping through the pages to show Dawn.

"Huh." Dawn shuffled in place eager for the point. "Ummm Luna. So what?"

"So what?" Luna repeated with a gasp of shock. "Why would anypony hire and pay for staff that is not needed. There was no makeshift nursery on the castle grounds as far as I can tell." She tapped the ledger again.

"I don't know. Maybe some foals were swarming the castle." Dawn chuckled at her absurdity. "Why don't you just go ask some pony on the pay roll for this imaginary nursery?" She asked, turning the tome of numbers to face her.

"I already did. I think Celly took care to hire only really old ponies because most of them have expired." She let the last word hang in the air mournfully. "The few that are alive 'Don't remember anything', most infuriating. I think it is not that they don't remember anything, they can't remember anything."

"Because they're old?" Dawn asked half-mindedly.

"No, I think their memories were erased." Luna admitted.

Dawn shot her head up from the book. "What?" Dawn asked as she ran Luna's answer again through her mind. "How?" She corrected herself asking the question she meant to ask.

"It is a simple spell compared to most." Luna said nonchalantly. "Only Celly and I know it. We often use it on our selves to make the thousands of years we have lived more... Err... memorable?" Luna tried to explain as she cocked her head to her own words and thoughts.

"You do?" Dawn asked half flabbergasted as she tried to fully wrap her mind around what it is to be immortal. "But what if you erase something that is important later?"

"Well we are careful not to do that..." Luna shifted in place, thinking. "But there are safe guards that unlock the memory if it is absolutely needed."

Dawn took a moment to think of the implications of the spell she had no knowledge of. I can see why they would keep that spell hidden. I wonder what other spells are hidden away. Dawn shook her head as she realized she would likely never find out. "So you think she erased these pony's minds... Luna couldn't these old ponies just have forgotten or worse?"

"I am not imagining this, my student." Luna said in a superior tone, reminding Dawn of her role while unconsciously twitching her wings in irritation. "All three ponies who are alive forget working at Canterlot castle? I find that hard to believe."

"Maybe we should just ask Princess Ce-..."

"No. My sister is too cunning. Do not let her fool you other wise. She would just cover up her trail more."

"If there is a trail to cover." Dawn corrected.

"There 'is' a trail." Luna decreed, letting her wing flare up a little more. "Can you really just ignore all the evidence?" She asked in a disappointed tone.

"No." Dawn admitted. "It is just easier to believe that it is a bunch of coincidences rather than conspiracy." Dawn let out a heaving sigh of defeat. "Very well. I will try to stay opened minded for you. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"Hmm. No. Not at the moment at least." Luna said as Dawn wilted in place out of disappointment. "I want to steal my sister's diary from this time." She added, referencing the book in between them.

Dawn perked up at the possibility of adventure or sorts. "Her diary?"

"We both have kept diaries over the millennia so we may go back and recall memories without relying on the safeguards of our memory spell."

"Alright..." Dawn tried to picture libraries full of books of just the personal thoughts of her demigoddess rulers. "Where are they?"

"I do not know..."

"Good start..."

"We hide them from each other on purpose. I will find her diaries it will just take time." Luna said with resolve.

"No doubt."

"I must return these records to their place before somepony realizes they are missing."

"Of course." Dawn agreed as Luna dissolved in a puff of smoke.

Dawn jumped on top of her couch and cuddled up into a ball. The mornings chill was still working its way out of her body. She pulled a book that was left less than half way open face down, from across the room with her magic and had it hover slanted to make the writing parallel to her awkward head position on the couch. It was a medical book full of spells the medical field uses on a daily biases. It was the last book she had read before falling to the void. The book felt like it was a distant memory like every thing else, distorted by time or rather the lack of... So, she decided to re-read all the books she had read since beginning Luna's crusade.

Hours passed as she read in her curled up position, her book encompassing her world. The right side of her book started to feel light in her aura as she read through the next few pages. A patient knock came at the door as she read the last concluding paragraph of her book. "Come in." Dawn's automatic response said as she searched for more words to understand in her book. Anypony who was important to her didn't respect her privacy.

"Excuse me milady." A small voice said from behind her book. Dawn lowered her book and stretched from her curled up position on the couch to look at the young looking earth pony proper. "Princess Celestia has requested your presence. She said it is important."

"Alrighty. Much appreciated." She said as she lifted her book over to her desk. Once the book made contact she let the void swarm around her, pulling her to Princess Celestia.

"Ahh... Dawn, thank you for coming." The princess said from behind Dawn's dark veil of smoke that followed her through the void. When that had cleared Dawn could see she was in the throne room, facing the sun princess who was sitting in her throne looking regal as ever.

"Of course. What ya need?" Dawn asked with a smile.

An annoyed huff sounded behind her at Dawn's familiarity with the princess. Dawn paid it little attention. "Well somepony has claimed that you assaulted him. He has made a great deal of effort to bring this to my attention."

"I would never hurt anypony..." Dawn started only to stop to Princess Celestia's held up a hoof. The Princess then directed her hoof at the pony behind Dawn. Dawn looked at her latest victim. Wow he worked fast...

"Do you know this pony?" Princess Celestia asked, knowing the answer.

"I have to say umm... Duke Greenphlegm? Uhh... he gets around fast. What time is it?" She asked, ignoring the huffs behind her and a cracking smile.

"Almost sunset. He said you 'assaulted his face and prestige'? Is that right Prince Blueblood?" Princess Celestia asked the white unicorn behind Dawn. Dawn turned around, nearly breaking into laughter from the choice of wording.

"That's correct your highness." He said with a small bow. "She magically assaulted me." He said with an evil grin worthy of some demented parasprite.

"He promised me a visit to a dungeon so I gave him a beard as thanks." Dawn amended nonchalantly.

Princess Celestia, in a moment of letting down her thousand year ruler façade, face hoofed only to quickly recover. "I see..."

"This low-life needs to be thrown in prison. She is a menace to all that is right with Canterlot." Prince Blueblood screamed, forgetting who he was in the presence of.

"That is enough 'Prince Blueblood'." Princess Celestia ordered, raising her voice and adding a disgusted sneer to his name and title to drive her point through. After taking a deep breath and controlling every inch of her emotions, she continued. "Was their any permanent harm done?"

Blueblood looked up to the princess from the bowing position he had assumed. He looked like he wanted to say something. Likely along the lines of 'My reputation', 'My pride' but he kept quite and slowly shook his head.

"Good, then I suggest you put this behind you and in the future try not to insult my sister's personal guests of honor."

"Ye... Yes. Your highness…" Prince Blueblood bowed deep and backed out of the throne room slowly, letting the guards open the doors for him. Dawn watched him as he left, trying her hardest to keep in her laughter until he was out of sight.

"I would very much appreciate you obeying Equestria's laws, Dawn. And not provoking the nobles would help a great deal too." Princess Celestia said.

Dawn turned around to see a stern looking sun princess looking right back at her. "I'm sorry. I hope you don't punish those guards."

"I will be talking to the captain about them giving you so much preferential treatment."

"It was funny though..." Dawn's thoughts derailed. "Princess I'm worried about April."

Princess Celestia looked down at Dawn from her throne, catching up with the change of subject. "As am I." She said with a heavy sigh. "Your absence has taken its toll on her..." She added solemnly.

So it's my fault again...

"I suppose I've been listing to my sister too much, these days..." The sun princess drifted in thought briefly only to focus back on Dawn. "Yes. It is time we take a more direct approach. Let us speak with her tonight, before dinner." Princess Celestia finished, looking serious as a plague. "This is not your fault... Just as I think falling to the void wasn't your fault."

Dawn ended up nodding, not sure for what.

"She gets out of her last class soon." She added.

Dawn took the hint and dissolved in a haze of dark smoke. She skipped out of the dark smoke to see the void had dropped her in a classroom that was still in use. All eyes were on her. "Oops my apologies." Dawn said as she skipped out of the classroom, ignoring April's very apparent face hoof in the midst of students.

A frigid wind splashed on Dawn's bare summer coat as she exited the lecture hall. She planted herself against the wall next to the door. The coble stone ground under her was even colder than the breeze that toured the campus. Celestia's sun had sunk well below the buildings making up the campus, forcing the grounds of the school seem frozen in time. She curled up as tightly as she could to conserve her warmth, waiting for April to conclude her class. It didn't take long for the door to open for only April to come out.

"Scarf or something, anything. I don't want you getting sick. Why do you think you can just poof out without anything on?" April asked, after closing the door behind her.

"Why do you pegasi always make winter so damn cold." Dawn answered, getting up from her curled up posture.

"We find it funny. It's funny that unicorns and earth ponies get cold." April replied while extending her wing over Dawn. "In fact it's hysterical." April deadpanned.

"I'm sure... You done here? To the castle?" Dawn asked, her thoughts miles away.

"I shouldn't stay long. I have a lot of studying to do." April replied as black smoke wrapped around her.

"What a better place to study then a royal tower dedicated to it." Dawn said matter of factly as she walked out from under April's wing to the couch in her tower. She beckoned a new book from off of her desk as she hopped onto her couch, reassuming the position she had before Earl Purplechyle interrupted her. April stood in middle of the room where the void had placed her. She looked around the room expectantly but nothing happened. "Something wrong?" Dawn asked from behind her book.

"No..." April sighed. She walked over to the couch and bucked her saddle bags off her back onto the couch. She pulled out one of her books with her mouth and flopped it next to Dawn. "Dawn? Are we alright?" April asked before she got properly settled onto the couch.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Dawn asked indifferently from behind her book.

"Well, Uh... that mare..."

"Oh, I completely forgot about your cute little fillyfriend." Dawn gave a judicious smile as she lowered her book. "I must admit I was glad to hear you were finding comfort in some other pony in my absence... Even if it was for one night." Dawn giggled at the embarrassment rising through April's face.

Dawn returned to her book, letting April think to herself. April cuddled up close to Dawn, propping her book on Dawn's rear hooves. They laid in silence for hours; reading well after Dawn had finished one book and summoned a new book from her shelf. Dawn's tower lit up as the surrounding night embraced the castle. Both the mares fell into a relaxed bliss next to each other, each reading their book.

With a pop and a small flash of light, Princess Celestia came walking to them from the center of the room, catching the attention of only April. "Good evening April. Did you have a good day?"

"Not really. Quite exhaustive." April answered, closing her book to greet the princess.

"I'm sorry to hear that my dear." Princess Celestia stopped short of the couch and dropped to her quarters in front of the two. Dawn was still behind her book. "Atlas of Pony Anatomy: Medical Diagnosis and Magical Treatment. Planning on becoming a doctor now?" Princess Celestia asked, reading the title of the book that was blocking her from Dawn's face.

"What are you doing reading something like that?" April asked in a flabbergasted tone.

That broke Dawn from her concentration. She turned the book over to figure out what the confusion was about only to notice the sun princess was behind it. "What's wrong with the book?" Dawn asked innocently.

"It's for Doctors and med students..." April answered only to let her voice die off.

"Ahh. Some pony with just a high school diploma reading a book out of her league. I get it." Dawn deadpanned before satirically laughing at herself.

"That's not what I meant..." April pleaded.

"I am sure it may be connected to concern she has for you, April." Princess Celestia said, distracting them to the subject that brought her here.

Hmm... Perhaps I should research that...

"Concern?" April asked, donning a face of shock.

"You're skin and bones." Dawn said bluntly, eyeing the rib cage that was more visible in the less flattering light of her tower.

"You aren't taking care of your self properly." Princess Celestia added, ignoring Dawn's lack of subtly but nodding all the same.

April pulled her feet back into a defensive position on the couch as if getting ready to bolt for the balcony. "I weigh the same I've always have..."

"Don't make be break out a scale to prove other wise." Dawn interrupted. "I can see your ribs April. You don't eat much but small grass salads. You are either intentionally lying to me or unintentionally to yourself or both if it wasn't a paradox." Dawn stopped to ponder the idea of being a paradox.

"We are just concerned about you, April." Princess Celestia said with a voice filled love and a smile that would cool the heart of the fiercest griffin. "I've noticed you slowly wither away the last few months." She closed her eyes as if ashamed. "We just want you to be healthy."

April scrambled away from the sun princess as if she was on fire. Her wings flared up in full flight or fight mode. "I am!" She screamed. She became surprised at her own actions and wilted in place but kept the defensive position on the other side of the couch from Dawn.

"If you plan on lying to an immortal you better think of a better lie." Princess Celestia said casually.

"I'm sure we can get a doctor in here just as quick as any scale..." Dawn threatened.

April looked like she was about to take off for the door when a white wisp of eternal smoke drifted in front of Dawn to produce a scroll stamped with Twilight's cutie mark.

"That's right... Twilight got back today. I should go pay her a visit tonight." Princess Celestia said as another wisp of white smoke appeared next to her producing an identical looking scroll.

The two turned to each other, unwrapping their scrolls. Dawn read her scroll.

Dear Dawn,
I was hoping you and April could have dinner with me and Trixie. You left in such a hurry this morning that you were unable to tell us about your reappearance amongst the living. I know this is short notice but I would really love to catch up with you. Why not come by in ten or fifteen miniutes? I know you don't have dinner plans.
Love your friend,
Twilight

"Huh. Well I guess she didn't expect us to be in the same room..." Dawn said, studying the deceiving letter. She turned and smiled to the semi-relieved pegasus. "Well I guess we can spend the night shoving cake down April's throat."

April started to drift back into the flight or fight mode as Princess Celestia once agian nodded to Dawn's bluntness. April remained completely still, wings fully extended, on the corner of the couch, as a nearby light blue scarf with white tassels wrapped around Dawn's neck.

"I guess I know why Luna canceled her night court." Princess Celestia admitted.

"I'm going to make a proper entrance since this going to be a surprise party." Dawn schemed, bringing a hoof to her chin as she thought.

Princess Celestia chuckled. "Very well. I will see you there then." She said before blinking out of the tower with a flash of light.

Dawn turned to the frightened pegasus next to her. "I am really worried about you April..." Dawn closed her eyes in thought. "What ever you're going through I will see you through it." She opened her eyes, full of resolve. "Even at the cost of what I hold most dear."

April relaxed in place, wings still fully extended. They sat on the couch, looking into each others eyes. Dawn, unsure what exactly to say in addition too, surrounded the two of them in the void. She focused her magic to surround her destination in the void as well. Both April's and Dawn's feet touched ground. They opened their eyes to see nothing. They heard many ponies amongst the darkness in panic, calling out for the light to be turned back on. In the midst of the confusion Pinkie Pie yelled, "Surprise!" to the new comers of the room. Dawn let her magic flow freely through her horn as she launched several spells to be set off when she returned the light back to the party. Through the magic of her horn she felt the room fill with small orbs of magic rolling on the floor splitting every other second. She then retracted the void from the room. They were in Twilight's mutilated tree filled to the brim with ponies most of which she did not recognize. All the ponies in the room were looking at the orbs on the floor that were slowly rising to the air, turning a green. The orbs started to pop, flooding the previously dark room with magical flares of thousands of different colors.

Some ponies gasped, some ponies cheered, all of them were a tad dazed at the contrast of light. "Aww poo, you knew." Pinkie Pie said, popping into existence underneath Dawn. "I'll get you next time." Pinky Pie cheered as she stood up, picking Dawn up with her. "Let's get this party started!" She cheered to the crowd. As if on queue, the party gave a loud cheer with a spontaneous booming of music. Pinkie then bucked Dawn on to the 'Seat of Honor'. Dawn's eyes were just starting to clear the many flashes of her own spell. She noticed every pony was dressed up as... "Zombies!" Pinkie yelled next to Dawn. "This is 'Dawn's a Zombie now' party. When I first saw you today I yelled 'ZOMBIE' but then I was like wait zombies don't exist. I mean, duh, who believes in zombies. So I went to make sure. Once I was sure, I knew I had to throw a big ginormous super-duper spectacular 'Dawn's a Zombie now' party. Because I thought you were dead." Pinky Pie deflated in place. "But YOU'RE ALIVE! So I invited all of Ponyville! See?" She said, regaining her party worthy energy. She whipped her tail side to side as she wore a smile that stretched ear to ear.

"Well that is just the tops..." Dawn deadpanned. Dawn looked to her right and saw Princess Celestia and Luna were eating away at some cake that was shaped into a brain. "Pinkie, you think you can do me a favor?"

"Sure!" Pinkie cheered, hopping in place with a new serious look on.

"April, she's one of those polite ponies who doesn't want to try all different types of cake because she thinks it's rude."

"Well that's silly willy." Pinky replied, waving a hoof in the air.

"I know!" Dawn nodded. "But she loves sweets of all kinds. Would you show her all of your concoctions you brought to the party?

Pinkie's eye twitched briefly as she looked over to April, processing the request. "OHHH!" She gasped, wearing an almost glum face. "I get you..." She whispered, regaining a silly smile accompanied by a knowing winked.

"I knew you would understand. Get her fat and plump." Dawn whispered back, smiling as wide as Pinkie. Pinkie skipped over to the unsuspecting pegasus, who just started to move from the spot Dawn had left her.

Princess Celestia bent over to Dawn to get into ear shot. "That was very clever." Princess Celestia complimented with a light giggle at April's expense.

"Pinkie Pie is the smartest pony I know. If she can't sneak food down her throat I don't know who could." Dawn admitted, smiling at her cunning plan. Dawn and the Princess watched the pink curly mane bounce through the crowds of ponies, guiding April's white mane to the table with all the sweets one could imagine. They chuckled as they watched the pink mare nonchalantly shove a cupcake into April's mouth while filling a plate full of other sweets and pastries for her to 'sample'.

"So did you really come back to life?"

Dawn turned around to look at the source of the question. There were three teenage fillies looking at her, cocking their heads in curiosity. They look vaguely familiar. I think I've seen them a couple of times... Would I know their names?

"Of course she didn't. There's no such thing that does that." The white unicorn of the bunch said.

"Well I ain't thinking she came back to life." The yellow earth pony said in an argumentative tone. "But wasn't that funeral all those months ago meant for her?"

"I wasn't invited." Dawn said, feigning a deep despair.

"Weren't you dead?" The pegasus asked, flaring her wings in excitement of her own question. "Wait... What did they bury?" She paused, giving a blank stare at Dawn. "Did you have to come out of the ground?"

"They didn't bury anything you ignoramus." The white unicorn corrected as she whisked a plate of food in front of her with her magic.

"Ignor what now?" The pegasus asked, drooping her wings as she pondered the word.

"Ig-nor-a-mus..." The white unicorn repeated slowly.

"What are you a dictionary?"

"No just a pony that knows basic language."

"Girls... We need to get on the subject at hoof." The young earth pony said, getting the group to turn their attention to Dawn, who was chuckling at the pleasant bickering.

Dawn looked at the expectant faces. Her entertainment was gone. "I was never dead just errr... missing. Yes. Missing."

"Ohhh..." They all sung in unison.

"Well that's boring." The orange pegasus said after a moment of silence.

"Very." Dawn agreed.

"So where'd you go off to?" The yellow earth pony asked.

"Nopony knows. oOoOOOo..." Dawn said, waving her hoofs in the air like she was telling a bad ghost story.

"This is dumb." The pegasus decreed as she launched into the air, well above every ponies head. "Where's Rainbow she said Ever Watch was gonna be here." She flew off across the Library saying "I wanna get her autograph."

Dawn snickered to herself.

"Why you laughin?" The earth pony asked.

"My mother. The famous Ever Watch. It's hilarious to hear." Dawn said, giggling to herself.

"Wait she's your mom?" The white unicorn asked.

"Dumb scoots, why'd she have to go fly off..." The earth pony mumbled to herself, looking at the direction the orange pegasus flew off too.

"She is. I didn't know Pinkie managed to invite my parents... Wait scoots? What a strange name."

"Her real name is Scootaloo." The white unicorn shuffled in place. "My name is Sweetie Belle by the way."

"Oh... And mines Apple Bloom..." The earth pony greeted with a kind smile.

"Dawn." She greeted as she held out a hoof to the two young mares. They both took turns to shake it awkwardly. Silly social protocol.

"Wait... So if you're Ever Watch's Daughter... that means... You are Metal's sister! Right?" Sweetie Belle nearly screamed in excitement.

"Yes?" Dawn answered dumbstruck confused.

"He's the singer of my favorite band!" Sweetie Belle went on to explain. Her tail betrayed her excitement, it swashed all over the place behind her.

"She has a crush on him." Apple Bloom added.

"I do not!" Sweetie denied as her face flushed red.

"Then why does your room have his picture all over its walls." Apple Bloom accused, prodding Sweetie with her hoof.

"Because he's a singer like me!" She said quickly.

"Right... Cause all singers keep pictures of each other." Apple Bloom quipped, rolling her eyes.

Dawn shut her eyes and senses from the party to feel for her brother through the void. She got the vague impression that he was on the ground. "I'll be right back." She said with a smile, interrupting the two from what ever they were about to say to each other. The void collapsed on Dawn, pulling her to Metal's location.

"So apparently you are quite popular with the fillies." Dawn said, walking out of the billowing smoke of the void. She had walked onto a small stage. Only a few ponies were on the stage and none in the audience.

"Holy crap! What in Tartarus is going on?" Some random pony yelled.

"For Luna's sake dude, chill the freak out." Metal said, walking across the stage to his sister. "If you're here to watch one of my shows it got canceled." He chuckled at Dawn as he reached out a hoof to hug her. A new brother-sister norm she still had to get used to.

"Nah, a teenage filly was regaling me of your supposed fame." She explained, laughing. "Thought I'd bring you to my resurrection party."

"Ha! I am popular with the fillies." He flared his wings framing his ego. "I did get an invitation from some Blurpy Cake?" He added more casually, retracting his wings some.

"Pinkie Pie."

"That's the one. She's the one that gave a eulogy at your funeral that nopony in our family knew..." His thoughts hung mournfully in the air for a second. "Oh well, I figured the storm outside would be grounding me all the same." He quickly added to revitalize the energy between them.

"Luckily I don't travel in your barbaric ways."

"I really should help finish packing up." Metal pointed behind him to a bunch of speakers and cables being pushed into a cart in the back of the stage.

"Here." Dawn rolled her eyes while lighting up her magic, willing all the cables and speakers to dance to the cart, gently coiling up and stacking. "Done." She bragged trying to flare her imaginary wings like her brother. If only...

"Well aren't you miss fancy pants." Metal mocked.

"Dude, aren't you gonna introduce me to this fine looking thing?" some rough looking stallion with a poor excuse for a beard said with a tang to his voice.

"My sister..." Metal said, getting his point across with a half step forward. Dawn rolled her eyes at the stupid bit of chivalry before wrapping the void around Metal and herself, pulling them back to the party.

They landed right where Dawn hoped they would. On the large couch that Pinkie deemed the seat of honor. The two teenagers were still sitting where she had left them. They had just started to turn to the new arrivals to the couch when Metal flopped off the couch, hitting the ground with a less than graceful thud.

"I don't like that." He exclaimed, gasping for breath. "Warn me next time you do that crazy thing."

"Yes well... try sitting in there for six months." Dawn giggled as she lifted her brother with her magic.

"Dear Celestia..." Metal gasped, giving a pained look as he let his mind fully wrap what torment she was once in.

"Yes?" Princess Celestia asked from behind him.

"Oh..." Metal spun around to see the sun princess sitting with a healthy sized slice of brain. "Sorry my princess." He apologized, bowing deep.

"Rise my little pony, we are at a party." Princess Celestia beckoned.

"Oh... of course." Metal blushed through his dark coat. As he stood up, he stumbled backwards, tripping on Dawn. She caught him with her magic before he could fall completely. "So that's what you went through?" He whispered to Dawn as he took a seat next to his sister.

"More or less..." Dawn shrugged. Wish I didn't tell him that. "OH!" Dawn turned around to see Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looking her way. The former had her jaw on the ground and the latter was overall indifferent about the new arrival. "Sweetie Belle, meet my brother. Metal." She introduced, waving a hoof in each pony's direction.

"OMC. OMC. OMC!" Sweetie Belle was vibrating with excitement as Metal held out a hoof to shake. She looked like she was nearly about to faint as their hooves made brief contact.

Dawn chuckled at Sweetie Belle, who was looking at her brother so awkwardly Dawn could feel it. "Uhhh... Sweetie Belle here is a singer too."

"No kidding..." Metal said, trying to sound interested. He gave her his best fake smile that Dawn had seen him use for so many family pictures and rare relatives.

Dawn spotted April across the room, slowly bringing food to her mouth under the careful supervision of Pinkie Pie. "Ha!" Dawn laughed. Desperate to get out of the awkwardness she brought on herself, she teleported in a flash of light next to April. She glimpsed back at Metal who looked, if only for a quick moment, really desperate to do the same thing. "How we doing? That looks good." Dawn yelled and pointed to April's plate. It was a lot louder over on this side of the room.

"Of course it's good, silly." Pinkie Pie beamed at Dawn.

Dawn prepared a similar looking plate and planted herself next to April. Dawn pecked April's cheek only to receive an emotionless muffled grunt in return. Her mouth was full. Dawn started to bid her magic to shove food into her own mouth as she looked around the room full of ponies. She recognized the source of the music. Vinyl, who she hasn't talked to since that fated beard party so long ago, stood behind a table, pounding her head to the bass of the loud music while in her own little world. She also recognized four of Twilight's friends all mingling with different ponies around the library.

"Oh! Try this apple fritter!" Pinkie yelled over the music. She shoved a pastry into April's mouth as April gave Dawn a look that would kill.

"Enjoying the party?" Yelled a voice behind her. Dawn turned around, it was Twilight.

"Who wouldn't." She yelled back with her mouth full, spraying bits of food out as she did so. In the corner of her eye, she could see April clear her throat to face hoof.

Pinkie was quick to recover, as soon as April opened her mouth she shoved in an... "Apple jam puff pastry!" Pinkie yelled to April, nodding profusely with a smile that was the subject of her face.

"What is she doing?" Twilight asked, pointing to April.

"Letting her sample the spread." Dawn laughed, revealing to April without a doubt that this was all Dawn's doing.

Twilight ignored the implications of what she was watching with a shake of her head. "By the way I want to show you a spell I made for your funeral. I figure I'd do it once every one ate a bit more."

"Neat!" Dawn cheered.

"You should do one of your spells too. We can put on a whole show." Twilight giggled at the idea of her performing.

"Oh! Yah! Do that giant Rainboom explosion!" Pinkie Pie yelled, while nonchalantly shoving some small muffin into April's mouth. "That's my specialty. Mini chocolate, fudge brownie muffins."

"Rainboom explosion?" Dawn and Twilight asked, ignoring April's protests for the sugary enhanced confectionary.

"Yah! You know. You did it a long time ago when you first moved into Canterlot! I mean, Duh!" Pinkie stated as if it was common knowledge.

"Oh. Alright..." Dawn agreed, roughly knowing what spell the pink earth pony was talking about through a vague recollection.

"I must have missed this one..." Twilight admitted, looking mildly irritated at the fact.

"I think she's talking about the 'City Crasher.' It's near the middle of my spell book." Dawn said.

"Oh that's right! I want to see that." Twilight stated, perking up at her own recollection.

"I really should try out one of my newer spells that has gone untested for the past nine months."

"Dawn, make her stop. I'm getting really full." April said, blocking Pinkie's incoming hoof full of cheesy croissants.

"Alright Pinkie. Thank you for your help." Dawn said to Pinkie in a business like manner. "Don't want to force anything on her."

Pinkie gave a quick salute then shoveled the cheesy croissants she had in hoof into her own mouth. Dawn turned her attention back to her own food, plucking item after item off her plate and throwing them into her mouth.

She happily watched the party with April and Twilight. Twilight talked about her projects she had picked up in the last six months. This got Dawn in the mood to think about her future projects only for Twilight to shoot her down with more futile attempts to get to stop studying Dark magic. Well after her plate had emptied, Twilight joined Pinkie at the dance floor, frustrated with Dawn, leaving April and Dawn relatively alone amongst the near deafening music and busy ponies.

"I'm sorry I had her do that." Dawn whispered into April's ear, sounding indifferent. When she got no reaction from April, Dawn retreated from her personal space. She looked over across the room to where Sweetie Belle and Metal were talking. Neither of them looked totally uncomfortable, Apple Bloom must have abandoned her.

"Quiet down every pony!" Yelled one Pinkie Pie. She was on top of a bookshelf walking bipedal. "Twilight and Dawn are going to show you something outside!"

I guess she couldn't wait till I had seconds. Every pony in the room migrated out the door to be followed by the princesses, Dawn, and April. Princess Celestia extended her large wing over April in attempts to comfort her once they planted themselves in the snow. Dawn was glad her scarf was handy as she plunged ahead through the crowds to where Twilight stood and a persistent mid January breeze maintained a presence.

Twilight had her eyes closed in concentration. The crowd grew quiet in anticipation. The only sound was of the library's leaves blowing in the frigid wind. Twilight's horn lit up brightly and immediately, only to grow in intensity. Her purple aura of magic poured out of her horn enveloping her body. She opened her eyes as the magic built to its peak. Her eyes looked to be on fire with her purple magic; they were just as blinding bright as her horn. Dawn's horn tingled with the magical build up. Finally a beam of light shot out of Twilight's horn straight into the sky, disappearing completely, and leaving Twilight to collapse into Trixie's embrace.

A thunderous roar spread through the entire sky as it turned from the dark black of night to a bright pink. Luna's waxing moon disappeared completely behind the pink cover. When the pink sheet of magic was at its brightest, it quickly collapsed into a ball of light only to explode violently, making the air sunder, bathing the entire town in pink magical flares. The crowd cheered as it rained pink sparkles on them.

Dawn stepped up to Twilight who was getting on her feet with the aid of Trixie. "That was really neat." Dawn cheered as she aided Trixie with Twilight.

"Just what I was going for." Twilight gave a weak chuckle.

"Neat? I would like to see you, a scoundrel, do any better." Trixie challenged as the crowd behind Dawn Ooooo'd, egging Dawn to take up the challenge.

"Look you wretched crone, I can actually draw in crowds with my spells unlike some pony." Dawn said confidently to Trixie as the crowd that surrounded them continued to whoop. "I did this for a living! I can do better and I will. Err... no offense Twilight."

"It was no Battle of Ponymopylae." Twilight said modestly.

"Don't listen to her Twi, a cheat like her couldn't even awe a foal let alone do the magic you or I perform." Trixie egged on with a smile creeping on her face.

Twilight ignored her as she pointed where Trixie should set her. Dawn took Twilight's previous position in middle of the crowd. Rune's and micro-spells ran across Dawn's mind as she concentrated her magic in her horn. A pink hue lit up the street as she built up the magic for the 'City Crasher'. "You can do it Milk Drinker!" Metal yelled from the crowd.

Dawn focused more and more magic into her horn, reinforcing the spell. What is this... Something was different this time. Dawn focused more magical power until the light around her started to break the laws that govern it, making the crowd around her look wavy. Another push of magical power from her inner well, just because she could and her horn responded. The crowd started to look frightened, all the pegasi had their wings flared up and all the earth bound ponies were back peddling in fear... Except for Pinkie Pie who was just jumping in place with dinner plates sized eyes.

Dawn's spell went off, launching a Celestia sized orb up into the sky. The crowd followed the orb into the sky until it was lost to the stars. The crowd shuffled in place expecting something to happen. Something big. Dawn felt through her body. No fatigue. She focused a tiny bit of magic in her horn. Still can use magic... What is going on? The sky erupted in light as a prismatic circle expanded in the sky. Out shining the stars and moon, expanding at a consistent pace, the circle flooded the sky with a magical light. The ponies of the crowd gawked at the expanding rainbow. A dozen or so seconds after the explosion the shock wave hit the crowd. A melodical scream of sound came with a very powerful gust of wind, pushing every pony's manes down then up on the reflection of the shockwave. The crowd of ponies then watched the rainbow drift, unwavering, off into the horizon only to break there gawking when the darkness of night returned to them.

Pinkie was the start to clop on the ground, excitedly yelling, "Another, another!" The crowd joined in clopping on the snow covered cobblestone.

What is going on... I could do it again. She caught the eye of Princess Celestia who was towering over the crowd. Something in Dawn's gut told her she knew the answer just by the way she was staring at her. Luna may know as well... Dawn gave a small bow to the crowd and casually walked over to the princess as the crowd pushed back into the library to start parting again. "Are you alright?" Metal asked walking up to her. Sweetie Belle was close in tow.

"I don't know..." She answered, wanting to find out that herself.

"Well... you didn't destroy any cloud cities this time." He cheered as Dawn approached the Princesses.

"I'm not tired..." Dawn said plainly to the Princesses.

"I can see that." Princess Celestia said. Metal and Sweetie Belle sat behind Dawn quietly. April was under Princess Celestia's wing still while Luna was on the other side of her sister, standing some distance away in thought.

"How can that be?" Twilight asked as she slowly walked over to the group with Trixie in her wake.

"That is a good question." Luna said as she turned to her sister. "Do you know something I do not?"

"Many things my little sister but none that are of importance at this time."

"She spent at least twice as much magical power than that spell should have needed if not more!"

Silence hung awkwardly in the air with Twilight's thoughts on every ponies mind. "Magical wells are supposedly fixed." Dawn said, breaking the silence and going into researcher mode. "Considering getting lost in the void is the only variable that caused this..." She heard her brother and Twilight shift uncomfortably in place.

"I think there is a time and place for you to be asking these questions, Dawn. And at a party celebrating your return to the light is not one of them." Princess Celestia said as she got up to move inside, concluding all conversations on the subject.

Luna gave a suspicious look after her sister only to relent with a heavy sigh as she followed her inside, head sunk low.

"Were you really lost to the void?" Twilight asked, nearly cringing at the thought.

"I thought it obvious, Twilight..." Dawn took in a deep breath. She didn't like lying to her. "My life has been microscopic compared to the time I spent in there..." Dawn admitted. The remaining ponies around her aside from Sweetie Belle wilted in place. "Put it behind you Twilight, I came back that is what is important." She added, directing it at Twilight but hoping the group would take it to heart.

"Dawn!" Yelled a voice from above. Before Dawn could look up to address the call, she found herself in a tight hug by both her parents. "We saw your explosion. Are you feeling good enough to walk?" Her mother asked, pulling away to inspect her daughter proper.

"I'm fine."

Dawn's father broke his hug, assuming a proud father stance and voice. "That trick is firmly under the belt then."

"You could say that."

"Nice to see you too O'parents of mine..." Metal greeted, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Both of their parents turned to look at their son. "I thought you were in Manehattan tonight." Dawn's father said, looking confused. "My boy is a strong flyer!" He concluded quickly.

"Of course he is! He is my child!" Their mother bragged, laughing and banging her chest with her husband.

The two siblings rolled their eyes as the on lookers just kind of sat there, watching silently. "I'm cold." Dawn stated abruptly before teleporting onto her seat of honor next to the sun princess, who was just grabbing another piece of cake. Luna was no where to be seen.

Pinkie rolled in a large keg behind Dawn's family. She received thunderous roars of cheer as she tapped the keg to pour the first glass of many for the crowd of ponies. When Pinkie gave Dawn her own mug of the golden liquid she found out it was hard apple cider.

The party slowly tuned into an inebriated celebration. The occasional pony came up to her to talk but for the most part left her well alone. She didn't know a majority of the ponies at the party.

A drunken Scootaloo flew in circles racing an equally drunken Rainbow Dash followed closely by her very sober parents protesting flying indoors. Princess Celestia got up after polishing off another slice of cake. "It's when I see drunken pegasi flying about I know it's time to leave." She said with a smile at the four pegasus flying above her. She walked over to where Pinkie, Twilight and their friends were, likely to say her good-bye's.

Dawn spotted April across the room. She looked plastered herself but other wise just another wallflower of the party. She originally thought it best to give her room and let her come to her but now she regretted it. She gave a quick glance around the party to find Metal and Sweetie Belle deep in conversation. At least something came good of tonight. Dawn stretched out her muscles before making her way over to April, who gave her the stink eye on her approach. "You about ready to go?" Dawn asked April.

"Sure... Let's leave at 'your' convenience." April slurred back giving a dizzied glare.

"Well we can stay if you want." Dawn said indifferently. "You just don't appear to be having any fun and I think we should talk proper..." April tripped over herself in place, letting the bookshelf behind her catch her. "...though that should probably wait until you sobered up."

April stood still, silently looking back at her.

Dawn let out a sigh as she properly gauged how drunk she had gotten. "Let me say good-bye to my parents." Dawn turned around to look up to find her parents. They weren't up by the ceiling flying but on the ground pinning down two pegasi. Her mother had Rainbow Dash, who was well into submission, pinned by the wings. Her father was sitting on a still struggling orange pegasus.

"Hehe, this one has a real fire. Rainbow, why didn't you tell me you knew a potential recruit." He chuckled as Scootaloo redoubled her efforts to break free.

"I'm leaving." Dawn said, stepping closer to her triumphant parents.

"Alright sweetie." Her mother said, releasing Rainbow to give her daughter a proper hug. "I hope you make things right with April." She whispered to Dawn's ear.

"I'll try." She said, breaking the hug to walk over to her father who was still sitting on the struggling pegasus.

"We are going to be in Canterlot tomorrow, remember?" Dawn's father said in the midst of their hug.

"Mmhmmm" Dawn hummed back, breaking their hug. She turned around to find April, laying down where she left her, looking a bit sick. She wrapped the void around both letting their destination set around them. They were in Dawn's bathroom.

A promising looking toilet was all April needed. She rushed to it to start purging herself of the drink that had made her sick. Dawn sighed in relief at the fact that she managed to hold it in until they got back. Dawn sat down next to the mare that was bent over the toilet and magically held back her mane.

"Thanks." April mumbled once she was finished, wiping her mouth with a hoof.

"My pleasure Love." Dawn replied a bit more cheery than April cared for. Dawn got up from April's side so she could drop on her couch lazily in the other room.

Dawn heard April brush her teeth before emerging herself, looking a lot fresher than she did at the party. She didn't make eye contact with Dawn who was watching her from the couch.

"I can't begin to grasp what is going in your mind, April." Dawn said, rolling on her back to give her an upside down perspective of the room. "The past week, since I have been back. I've seen your drift from happy as can be to..." Dawn closed her eyes to think. When she opened her eyes again she noticed tears started rolling freely down April's face. "Tell me what's wrong." She pleaded as April sniffled. "You got everything backwards. I'm supposed to be the one that sucks at this kind of stuff, remember?" Dawn chuckled to try to cheer her up.

"Don't you care about me?"

"What of course I do!" Dawn rolled off the couch to comfort April. "Why do you think we are having this conversation right now?"

April started to cry hysterically at Dawn's touch. "But you didn't care about that mare… and I insulted you…" She cried.

Dawn wasn't sure how to approach the hysterics. And she wonders why I don't drink a lot… "First off, if you want me to be petty for a relationship you had when I wasn't here for, you can get over that right now." Dawn said plainly. April cried harder almost drowning out her words. Perhaps too harsh? "I love you, I hoped you had moved on and not dragged me along with you, bringing you down." Dawn finished, getting a small reprieve from the sobbing. "Secondly, while you are the only pony I can think of who 'could' insult me, you haven't to my recollection."

April turned to Dawn, her eyes swollen and puffy. New tears were forming. Dawn hugged her tightly, hoping her message would sink in. April fell into the embrace, relaxing a great deal. Dawn stroked April's mane lovingly until she stopped whimpering into her coat. She didn't just stop whimpering, she fell asleep. Dawn groaned as she came to the realization. Drunk, right… Forgot. She gently lifted April in her pink aura into the air. She carried her to the giant sized mattress on the second floor to tuck her in. She sighed at the clock on the wall and decided to retire herself after, of course, washing the party off her coat.