Cracking Dawn

by Didily Winkles

Chapter 2: Dining with Strangers

Chapter Two

"Ahh fresh Air." Dawn cheered as she got off the train.

Dawn felt a little tipsy. She had worked hard to get the fillies she was with drunk and keep them drunk. Otherwise they just weren’t very fun together. The fillies in question stumbled off the train behind her and cheered at their arrival the same as Dawn did. I did a good thing today. After nodding in agreement with her own thoughts, Dawn broke into a skip down the road that she hoped would lead to Ponyville.

She eventually ended up in what she took as the town square. Dawn was disappointed at the small size. It was roughly the same size as her home town with just a surprising lack of cloud city up above. "Oh well." She sighed. "Where oh where is that bed & breakfast?" She asked the nearly empty town square.

Dawn was amazed that the place that she had chosen to stay at wasn't booked. For that matter she was shocked that Octavia and Vinyl new nothing of this Magic Convention. Maybe it was a spontaneous thing? Does somepony just wake up in the morning and say 'Convention. Here! Now! Go!' Dawn hummed in alignment with her thoughts before concluding that everypony probably just commutes in from the capital a short ways away.

"Excuse me. Can you point me in the direction of the bed and breakfast in town?" Dawn addressed a fellow pink pony who was standing in middle of the street staring at a post with commendable dedication. This mare seemed to have neglected to comb her mane for the last four or five decades which was impressive because she didn't look a day older than herself.

"Well I have a bed in my room and I eat breakfast in the kitchen." She answered quickly, turning to Dawn just as fast as her answer. "Or sometimes I eat breakfast while baking, or when I'm walking. Sometimes!" The mare jumped in place in her excitement. "I even eat breakfast while hopping." The pink mare jumped up and down giving a demonstration.

"Yes, umm... not quite what I meant..."

"Oh! I bet we could find a bed in everypony's houses too." The pink mare wrapped a foreleg around Dawn's neck and waved a hoof at the possibilities. "Oh! I bet each pony eats breakfast in a different place too. What about eating breakfast in bed?" The random earth pony purposed as her eyes grew wide with her thoughts.

Dawn refused to react to the social probe.

The mare released Dawn and started to hop around her. "I really like to eat blueberry-banana cupcakes for breakfast but if I ate them in bed there would be crumbs every where. Oh! And the blueberry stains. I can't have blue marks in my bed. I mean what would everypony think? Then I would have to go get stain remover Or! I could get Twilight to magic away the stain with her magic. Ohhh, you're a unicorn! Can you use magic to poof away blueberry stains?" The pink earth pony's face came in so close to hers that Dawn could feel the body heat off the mare's face.

"Probably... but not really what I was asking..."

The pink pony jumped up high with an exaggerated gasp before disappearing in a blur of pink after image.

I did not know earth ponies could do that... "Good to know." Dawn sighed as she looked around, hoping the bed & breakfast would appear in front of her. "I guess I'll find that silly inn myself."

-----

"Good evening, you must be Miss Dawn." Greeted a middle aged unicorn who opened the door to the bed & breakfast.

"I do not think I 'must' be but I am" Dawn quickly chided herself for the automatic response of her mouth then turned on a smile to the greeting mare.

The light brown unicorn laughed at the comment. "Very true. Let me to show you to your room. You will be staying with us for two nights?" The older mare asked as she guided Dawn into the depths of the earth pony styled house.

"Yah, I will be out of your mane by Sunday morning."

"Well you are welcome to stay as long as you want. We have no bookings for the rest of next week." She said, turning a corner leading down a hallway.

None? What the heck? "That is surprising..."

"Oh yah, I did ask Miss Sparkle about your convention. Apparently there is only going to be a few unicorns coming. She said 'a few great minds all pointed to the goal to unravel the mysteries of magic is better than many.'" She giggled at her impersonation. "This is your room dear."

Dawn was ushered into a very modest looking room with its own small fireplace and a dozen candles around. The room was illuminated solely by the moonlight breaching through the window. Without putting much thought into it she lit up the fireplace and all the candles in a quick flash of her magic as she unpacked her toiletries and her book of spells. She wanted to add to the latter as soon as possible.

"O my, you must be just what Miss Sparkle wants for her 'convention'." The older mare said with her mouth slightly a jar.

Dawn turned around to give her a questioning look.

"You held your bag and lit every single fire in the room at the same time. I would have to light them one at a time and there would be able to do it as uhh... inebriated as you are." She said, smiling shyly. "Of coarse I'm just a lowly innkeeper." She finished, giggling.

Dawn brought a hoof up to mouth to check her breath. Maybe she was drunker than she felt.

"Oh don't mind me dear." The older mare giggled again. "I just think it's amazing to be able to split your mind like that."

Multitasking was something she was good at. According to her instructors it was a rare gift. Unfortunately the ability to cast more than one kind of spell at once was unimpressive to the non-unicorn ponies back home. "Well thanks. I guess I take it for granted." Dawn said, smiling back, feigning sheepishness.

"Oh and so modest, well I'll let you settle in. Breakfast starts at seven. If you want directions to anywhere in town I will be just down the hall and do make sure to drink lots of water before going to bed." The older mare said as she left Dawn to her room.

"I will. Thank you." Dawn called out after the innkeeper. Hmm, I suppose drink does not count as a suitable dinner or lunch... I should eat something, lest mom spring from the sky with a vengeance simply because I did not eat my three square meals. "Wouldn't want that." Dawn turned around towards the door after snuffing out all the light sources in the room with her magic. She had her spell book orbit behind her as she made her way out to the streets of Ponyville.

Ponyville was darker than what she left it as. It seemed all the shops in town were closed but one. It looked like a diner of some sort. "What kind of town shuts down at seven?" she asked the empty space around her as she scowled at the town hall clock. Dawn turned around to face the electrically lit up diner. "This has to be a good if its owner is smart enough to see the flaw in the rest of the town's ludicrous plot against me." She said sarcastically to the still empty space around her. She opened the doors of 'Fatty Joe's' with her magic and walked in.

"You're Here! Come in, come in, come in!" A blur of a pink pony grabbed hold of Dawn's hoof and dragged her over to a table occupied with other mares. "Come Sit!" Cheered the pink earth pony with the matted mane from earlier.

The pink earth pony was bouncing beside the table where she had placed Dawn. Across from her were three mares, an orange earth pony with a yellow mane that seemed like it was beaten by the sun all day, a sky blue pegasus with a chromatic mane who seemed vaguely familiar, and a pale yellow pegasus that was nearly ducking under the table. Sitting to her direct right was a purple unicorn with a bright pink highlight in her mane and a white unicorn that was leaning forward against the table. All eyes were on the new arrival.

"Oh, do forgive Pinkie Pie. She gets so excited when some new pony comes to our town." Said the white unicorn.

"What's not to be excited about?" The pink mare asked, jumping higher to prove her point. "Sorry about earlier, you wanted directions to breakfast in bed at dinner time and I wanted to help but then I remembered I have never seen you before!" The pink mare to her left was lifting herself in excitement into Dawn's personal space again. "So I knew I needed to throw you a welcome party but then I was real sad and was all like, how am I going to throw a party this late in the evening? So I just got all my friends and brought them to 'Fatty Joe's' so we can have a party here! Because I knew you would need to eat when you didn't find breakfast anywhere else and they serve breakfast here! I only put two and two together I mean Duh!" The pink earth pony said speedily, only now feeling it necessary to take a breath.

"Well that is fascinating. So you mean to tell me your parents were just as uncreative as mine when naming you?" Dawn asked, giving her best Mule Howser impersonation. Dawn again chided herself as she knew she broke a dozen social rules with her automatic response again.

"Hehe, I guess they were. I mean I am the only pink one in my family! Though they didn't name my sisters Greyie or Dark Bluie." She said, giggling. The pegasus with the chromatic mane was laughing it up much louder then what Dawn felt her sarcasm deserved.

"Hello! Would you like to order something miss?" Asked a skinny brown colt who had approached Dawn, he held a note pad in hoof and pen in mouth.

Dawn was always impressed on how other ponies got along writing things without magic. Some skilled ponies managed to wedge pens in their hoof joints and others used their mouth. Dawn never learned either way. Even from when she was a filly, but that was really just out of spite for her teachers.

"You got a menu?" Dawn asked. As she grabbed the offered menu from the colt she lowered the spell book that she had been unconsciously holding above her head. She quickly glanced over the menu until she spotted her heart's desire. "I would love an Oatburger with extra cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, ketchup, order of hay fries and... a chocolate shake. Hmmm... make that two Oatburgers please." Dawn's stomach growled in agreement.

"Woo wee she eats more than Rainbow. Are ya sure you can eat all that little filly?" The orange earth pony was looking at her with an amused look. The pony that took the order flipped up his note pad and trotted off to the kitchen.

"Applejack!" Gasped the white mare to Dawn's right. "We have not even introduced ourselves let alone learn her name and you accuse her of over eating. Fore shame!"

How amusing. "I tend to burn extra calories with Sir Castsalot." Dawn answered the unasked question as she pointed a hoof to her horn.

"Sir Castsalot?" Applejack questioned while squinting her eyes in the process.

"I call my horn 'The Duke'." The white mare informed.

"Prince Wise'enough." The purple unicorn admitted.

"Are y'all serious? Ya name your horns?" Questioned Applejack.

"Well you name your hind-hooves." The white unicorn countered.

"Well that's different. I work with Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee..."

"Oh excuse me Applejack. I completely forgot that I don't work with 'The Duke' on a daily basis." The white mare said with a tongue wet with sarcasm.

"Umm... Have we met before I feel like I know you from some where?" Dawn asked, not really concerned by the conversation at hoof.

The group followed Dawn's accusing hoof to the sky blue pegasus. "Every pony knows who 'I' am. I'm as famous as I am awesome around here!" The sky blue pegasus said, standing up on her seat to strike a pose with her wings slightly erect, framing her face. She hit her chest with a spare hoof showcasing her pride.

"Yes, well I am not from 'around here' but I'm pretty sure that I know you from some where back home. Ever been to Wingopolis?" Dawn asked, retracting her accusing hoof.

"Wingopolis? I've been there. You can't live there. It's a cloud city." Stated the pegasus.

"What Rainbow here means to say dear is that she is a Wonderbolt. She is kind of famous in all of Equestria." The white unicorn bragged.

That would explain it. Her father hosted hell week in her backyard. Dawn often fixed the Wonderbolts these horrid protein shakes for them. It tasted like regurgitated spinach mixed with the resulting excrement from drinking said shake. At least that's what Dawn was told. "Oh that's all? Mystery solved then..." What a disappointment. I thought the world might have shrunk.

"That's all?" Rainbow stammered, before wilting in place.

Applejack chuckled at the disheartened pegasus next to her. "Face it Rainbow she don't give a flying two toots about your stardom." She said with a laugh.

It was probably the truth. "I've met every single Wonderbolt since I was born. It's just not that big of deal for me."

"So you've met a lot of Wonderbolts then?" Asked the purple unicorn next to her in a familiar mock tone of Mule Howser.

"Yep." Dawn laughed at her impersonation. "I've seen the worst side of each and every one of them every January. I used to feed them these disgusting protein shakes for my Dad." Dawn chuckled after spotting the sky blue pegasus connecting the dots available to her and nearly gagging into submission at the mention of the protein shakes.

Seemingly oblivious to all conversation at the table the pink mare jumped up with a jack in the box energy. "OMYGOSH! We still haven't learned your name." The pink earth pony shot herself mere millimeters away from Dawn's face as she announced her revelation. Even though this was a clear violation of her personal space Dawn did not want to give up one nanometer.

"It's Dawn." She said calmly, locking eyes with the other pink mare. She watched the earth pony disappear from her sight. There it is again, earth pony teleportation. I will have to ask her how she does that. Dawn turned back to the center of the table to see impressed smirks from the other mares at the table.

The pink earth pony was on top of the booth behind the orange earth pony. "Time for 'Introductions'!" She proclaimed. "I'm Pinkie Pie but you can call me Pinkie. This is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy!" The yellow mare in the corner meeped quietly as she heard her name but the other two said their individual Hi's one more sickly than the other.

She teleported again. Mine can't do that, it has a flash... or so I'm told. Dawn cocked her head as she thought of a mass conspiracy surrounding her teleportation spell.

"This is Rarity and this is Twilight Sparkle." Pinkie said from on top of the diner's booth behind her.

The Twilight Sparkle is this pony?

The brown colt that took Dawn's order came back with treys of food. He skillfully balanced them on his back as he gave each pony their order. "Yours will be right out in just a second." He said as pushed plates across the table to each pony.

She looked around the table. The food looked like delicious, deep-fried goodness ready to explode with grease. Dawn tucked her spell book under her rump to protect it from what could be a greasy barrage. This boosted her up a good three inches giving her what seemed like an air of importance at the table.

"So you're Coach Sturdy's daughter?" Rainbow eyed Dawn up and down, gauging the pink unicorn before shoving some hay fries in her mouth.

"Yep. The one and only." Dawn said, giving a mock bow to Rainbow.

"Wait... that would mean your mom is..." Rainbow's jaw dropped as she connected a few more dots. Dawn let out a sigh. My mother's shadow tends to be large even in retirement. "Your Ever Watch's daughter!" And there it is. Rainbow was now scrutinizing Dawn's very skin it seemed.

"Yes, yes. Shush jabber monkey. My mother is the retired legendary dare devil herself." Dawn said plainly, not really caring to brag about her parents. Applejack and Pinkie laughed at Dawn's name calling. Rainbow ignored them for the most part as she shoved more of her food in her mouth still inspecting Dawn for whatever she expected to find.

"So uhh... What brings you to our quant little town of Ponyville Dawn?" Rarity asked, in between eating a few of her hay fries.

"Well Twilight here is hosting a magic convention. Thought that would be fun. It's a shame to learn it's not as big as the flyer purposed." Silence broke out at the table as they all blankly stared in her general direction. Hmmm perhaps I was rude? I should make a spell that tells me if I was rude or not. Dawn drifted into thought of this new spell and the possibilities of it in the thick of the silence. No money in it. Not very impressive. But I bet it would make mother happier if I managed to not be so... They were still staring at her. Perhaps I'll say something. "Something..." Good, now finish it. "Wrong?" Dawn nodded in agreement with her profound choice of words. Questions always get answered in conversations.

"Well no... Just not a lot of ponies study magic, caught me by surprise." Rarity answered.

"Yay! I win! I win!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

"Yah, what Rarity said." Twilight said, still deep in thought. "It should be fun though some of my professors are coming to town from Canterlot. You can still stand to learn quite a lot from the few ponies that are coming."

"Fine..." Rainbow begrudgingly said before producing a five bit piece for the pink mare to take.

"Ah surprise then... and good, I think..." she said, stoically. She was about to wait for them to elaborate further but a familiar pressure was building in her bladder. That would be the drink. "If you would excuse me, I desperately need to use the bathroom." She hopped down from the booth and walked to the sign marked restrooms. She could feel eyes following her as she left. What an odd group.

------

After washing her hooves Dawn walked over to the restroom door. She glared at it like she would an old nemesis. She could open it with her magic but the idea of using 'her' magic on something so dirty. "Unacceptable." A quick flash of her horn and she was back at the table she had left behind. Great more staring I was hoping they would be over that by the time I returned.

"Wow, you can do the blinky blinky thing too! Just like Twilight!" Just like you. "So you can remove blueberry stains from bed sheets and do the blinky blinky thing? What else can you do?" Pinkie Pie asked while nearly vibrating with excitement. She wasn't the only one visibly excited for an answer. Twilight seemed to be on edge of her seat for an answer. Dawn paused to think on how best to explain herself with the least amount of energy. Her book was unexposed to a greasy barrage from the ponies' eating, it made her antsy.

"Many things... I just don't like touching public restroom doors. It's nothing against this ummm..." Dawn searched for a word that would not warrant spit in her food. "...Reputable food joint. I just don't like to touch things that I know are crawling with an over abundance of germs. Celestia knows not every pony washes their hooves after going to the bathroom." Hmm they do not look pleased with that answer. My book needs to be protected. Dawn crawled back onto her seat on top of her book next to Twilight.

"Perfectly understandable dear if I could perform that spell I would do the same thing. I detest touching those kinds of things." Agreed Rarity.

"Are ya jokin? Rarity your hooves are on the ground all day. Sometimes even in dirt or worse... Why don't ya just open it with your magic?" Applejack asked the unicorns across the table.

Judging by the faces Twilight and Rarity had on, they clearly felt the same way Dawn did. "You would not understand Applejack." Rarity huffed, stuffing her nose in the air.

"Your oatburgers, hay fries and chocolate milkshake." The brown colt that took Dawn's order set her food in front of her.

"Many thanks." Dawn mumbled through the large bite of oatburger that was already in her mouth. There's nothing bad to say about a ground oat patty gilled and smothered in cheese.

"So Dawn, what do you do?" asked Rarity in a conversationalist tone, while resting a foreleg on the table propping up her head and magically levitating hay fries into her mouth. "If you don't mind me asking." She added.

"Breath, Eat, Sleep..." Dawn said. She took another greedy bite of her food and slurp of her shake.

"No, no, no, no, no." She said quickly. "I mean what do you 'Do'? We noticed your book that you are umm... sitting on and you have a very hmmm how do you put it... Interesting cutie mark." Rarity said, carefully choosing her words.

Always comes to that silly cutie mark. Dawn cleared her throat and mouth of food to answer. "Well the cutie mark in question seems to be an eclipsed sun. As for what it means I haven't the slightest clue, it's kind of a family curse or something." Dawn said, waving her hoof in the air. Maybe I should start painting over my flank...

"Is that why Stu has a shield for one?" Rainbow gasped at the insider information. "And Ever Watch's too!" Rainbow cheered excitedly with a mouth full of her food.

"Right..." Dawn said, apathetically, before clearing her throat to speak again. "Well I was asleep when I got it too so yah... I am clueless to what it means. As for what I do for money I do this..."

More flare, less tame. Her horn started to glow with her pink aura. It built to a bright shine as a glowing apple sized orb appeared from the tip of the horn. It willed itself to the center of the table just below the overhead lamp. The orb started to glow from red to green as all the lights in the diner faded to a dim darkness. The sudden lack of light earned a couple gasps from fellow patrons of the diner.

The orb hovered there illuminating the seven ponies that were looking at it unblinkingly until it exploded creating a sizeable shockwave that rumbled the diner. The explosion filled the diner with billions of tiny flares. Each flare was burning with a different unique color as they suspended in the air unnaturally. After a small moment of excitement and nothing happening, the small flares of magic started to spin around the point of their origin, floating through solid objects unhampered. As they sped up the particles gathered and started to form a single disk above their heads where an orb floated only moments ago. When the disk slowed down everypony could see what the small flares had turned into. The billions of specks of light had turned into a miniature galaxy.

Dawn took another greedy slurp of her milkshake as she waited for the best part. The disk continued to slow down allowing each pony to gawk at the beauty of the mock galaxy. As it slowed down to a crawl it started to gradually shrink until nothing but a bright speck was left. Now for the best part. The speck of a galaxy exploded with a sundering magnitude. As it blew back every ponies' manes it showered the diner in cool flames of magic. Pinkie let her tongue hang out to catch some of the falling flares. Doesn't taste like anything. Been there done that. The diner's lights returned back to normal as the last of the flares burned out of existence.

"Is it that stupid Hydra again?" The colt that took their order yelled as he ran out with a weaponized spatula. He of course found nothing by this time, but six giggling mares and a pink unicorn too engrossed with her milkshake to notice the end of the world.

After he retreated back into the kitchen, Rainbow was the first to ask; "What was that? It was 'SO' Awesome!" Rainbow cheered. "It was almost as Awesome as me... Almost." She added after receiving a couple of disbelieving looks from her friends.

"It was amazing it was all like 'wisp wisp wisp' then BOOM!!!" Pinkie elaborated with hoof movements of great and small.

"It was very pretty." Fluttershy said so quietly to the point it was barely audible.

"It took a great deal of magic. I could feel my horn quiver as you built up magic for it." Twilight said matter of factly.

"It truly was beauty incarnate err...what ever it was. So I ask again what do you Do?" Rarity re-asked her question again, now bending over the table to look Dawn in the eyes.

Success! No comparisons to her... Dawn smiled at the job well done before noticing the table had grown quiet for her answer. "I give sky shows for all the silly pegasi at my home town. You know fireworks but made with magic. They tend to like to celebrate a won battle that was fought a millennia ago or some death of some important hero every other week. It's good money." Good job, make fun of pegasi when two of them are sitting right there. Wait my entire family are pegasi... do I get to make fun of them? "My entire family are pegasi so I end being there whether I like to or not. Might as well add some explosions to make it more fun, right? If you liked that little spell you should see the ones that cover the entire sky." There, now they know I can make fun of them. In general... Yes... in general. Dawn absently nodded with her thoughts.

"The Entire Sky?!?" Pinkie Pie asked some how more enthusiastically than before.

"That was a little spell?" Twilight asked, ignoring the applications of spell that covers the entire sky.

"That's right! How are you related to Stu and 'The' Ever Watch you're a unicorn! A pink unicorn! 'The' Ever Watch is all black and Coach Stu is brown!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

She has produced irrefutable evidence. I am indeed pink and a unicorn and my parents are clearly not. But those pictures...

Every pony turned to Rainbow very much surprised at the rapid change in subject. "Don't be rude there R.D. Ya don't know her well enough to make any assumptions." Applejack scolded.

"That's right dear, so un-couth!" Rarity decreed.

Dawn willed her magic to work on her food that was getting cold fast. I will just nod for now on.

A thick silence loomed over the table as Dawn ate. Pinkie was doing what she said she often did. She was eating while hopping in place only to stop to graze more food from her basket.

Was this silence awkward? Perhaps I should make a spell for that too. Maybe even combine it with the Rudeness Alarm. It can be the Awkward/Rudeness Alarm. "BRILLIANT!" Dawn shouted to the quiet diner. Ignoring her own outburst and the startled stares from the ponies around her, she continued to plow food into her mouth. Pinkie was nodding in agreement beside her. Wait... What is she agreeing to? Teleportation and mind reading. Earth ponies are amazing. At least she agrees it is brilliant. Dawn and Pinkie both chuckled at her brilliance, gaining a few weary stares from the others sitting at their booth.

She was a few fries short of clearing her plate the other six ponies seemed to be nearing their end as well. She enjoyed the silence they offered whether it was awkward or not.

"Alright my little fillies here are the checks and I'll take your empty plates if you want." The brown stallion dropped the checks in front of Pinkie Pie and grabbed what he could with his mouth. Dawn flared up her horn helping with the unctuous attackers that have an unspoken vendetta against her book. She also summoned her purse from seemingly out of nowhere which in turn earned a small gasp from her right, all the while lifting her bill into view. Twelve bits... Well I guess when you own the monopoly on post evening dining you can charge whatever the heck you want. Greedy pony. "Thanks Miss." The waiter said with nearly a dozen plates balanced on his back. Best make sure he doesn't drop them. Her pink aura stayed with the plates keeping them balanced until the colt made it back to the kitchen.

"So you can multi-cast too? With your magic..." Twilight asked quietly, ducking her head like a shy turtle.

She's a bit odd isn't she? "Yah, no biggie. I don't know any unicorns at home so I never felt it was special." Why in Sam hill is she blushing? Looking around the table Dawn found five proud faces were staring at Twilight. Did she say 'too'? "I'm assuming you can as well?"

"She sure can. Why a couple years back she put an Ursa Minor to sleep with her magic. She must have been casting five or six different spells all at once. Most of which were of her own design." Rarity bragged dropping her phony Canterlotian accent in her moment of pride. Twilight's face had turned a deep red as her friends recollected her magical feat.

"Well it looks like you and I were cast from the same die then. I make my own spells too." She admitted padding the large tome below her. "Many of them are well..." Dawn paused to search for words. "Well they can't put an Ursa Minor to sleep whatever that means... and many explode..." Dawn admitted, waving a hoof up at where her recent showy spell had went off. "...but some are pure utility like my bank spell." Dawn said with renewed energy while redirecting her hoof to where her purse dropped from. "I've been thinking of making an alarm spell that tells me when I'm being rude or when there is an awkward silence." Dawn looked around and saw that the table was now clear of all potential greasy assailants. She summoned her spell book from under her and placed it on the table. "I actually thought of a spell on the train ride here. That's why I brought this here at all. I wanted to write down the spell as I ate." Dawn's horn flared up as she summoned a quill and ink bottle the same way she summoned her purse.

"Wait you can't tell if a silence is awkward or when you're being rude?" asked Rarity, her words were laced with doubt.

"That sounds useful." Twilight said, nodding with Pinkie. "How do you do that? The purse and quill... and ink? It shouldn't be possible. It isn't possible. That is not possible." Twilight firmly stated, waving a hoof at Dawn's general direction. Her natural color had returned. Whatever afflicted her had been overcome by her curiosity.

"I'm obeying the laws of conservation I assure you. I call it my bank spell." Dawn opened her spell book to the page with the referenced spell. Twilight straightened up to study Dawn's book. Dawn was delighted to show off her book off to some pony who was not her teacher. "I created an open space... No, more like an envelope hmmm... Perhaps a shelf... Perhaps... No, that's not right..."

"Maybe a bank?" Applejack suggested in an amused tone.

"Yah that would make more sense..." I knew I named it that for some reason... it took me weeks to think of a proper name. "I made a 'bank' where I can put things. It's bound to my magic well. Downside is, it's bucking hard to enchant the stuff I would want to put in there." She pointed at the book where it explains the logistical errors of the spell. She may have hated school but she loved magic. There was no reason to be un-studious about her findings and her spells. "So logically I only put a few things in there. Like this book is enchanted. I keep my favorite ever-last quill, some ink pots in there, and of course my purse with all my money." She motioned displaying the various items like a show mare. She smiled at the last item as she lifted it to retrieve fourteen bits for the greedy Fatty Joe. No wonder he's fat. Dawn lifted her purse and let it fade back into the 'bank'.

"Alright, you girls are talking about stuff I don't know or care about. I'm out." Rainbow lifted from her seat with the grace of a Wonderbolt and flew to the door.

"Heh, ya I am goin'a head back too, I'll catch ya girls later. It was nice meeting you Dawn. Hope to see you again soon." Applejack said, waving good-bye politely.

Dawn smiled back, waving. She opened her spell book to a blank page not realizing Twilight was still reading the page she had opened for her. Her pink aura took up her quill and started to write down the intricate spell she thought up on the train. The quill danced delicately along the blank paper. Every stroke and dot was according to her will. The page slowly became covered in runes, symbols, and calculations, while leaving room for side notes and addendums.

Dawn noticed Fluttershy walking across the booth to Pinkie who was standing waiting for her at the end of the table. "It was nice meeting you Fluttershy, Pinkie."

"Well DUH! It's always nice to meet new ponies." Pinkie said, giving a flabbergasted look, earning a surprised meep from Fluttershy.

I have a life time of experience to argue against that Pinkie. "Truer words were never spoken." Dawn smiled back to the two ponies before they walked out the door side by side, well one was hopping.

Rarity gave a little sigh as the door closed behind the pair. "What are we to do with them? It's like they think we don't notice." Rarity said laughing to Twilight who was nodding in agreement.

Dance my quill DANCE! The quill shrilled at the unspoken command. Dawn turned her head to see Twilight is staring right back. She was wearing a face that she could not quite decipher. Perhaps... curiosity? Scrutiny! Maybe even befuddlement? "Is something stuck in my coat?" Dawn asked.

Twilight seemingly mocking Fluttershy said something not quite coherent.

"She's just very impressed darling. With you, your magic, your book, before tonight we didn't even know there was another unicorn that just studied magic for the sake of magic other than Twilight. I mean even her professors just study around magic." This struck a chord with Dawn. So true. "Quite honestly I think it is also too much of a coincidence that she's named Twilight and you're named Dawn." Rarity said, waving her hooves around as if weighing the possibilities.

Dawn hummed as she thought of what Rarity purposed. "I suppose I did not consider all that but as far as I know and can deduce it is very much just that, a coincidence. An old instructor mailed me a flyer telling me of this thing Twilight is hosting. I would venture to induce that she is in relation to Twilight by only a couple of degrees if not a former professor of hers or something to that affect. If anything she might have seen the similarities between us two and made the conscious decision to have us meet like this." Dawn said, adopting a professorial tone. Twilight perked up at the logic spewing out of Dawn's mouth. Dawn's quill scratched away on the second page in the background.

"You are right. If it isn't somepony it might be our princesses guiding us." Twilight pondered on what she had just said.

Alright... I suppose... "As for our names I could only guess Twilight's parents were just as unimaginative as mine and named her for her mane." Dawn said with a laugh, lifting her mane for display.

"Well actually it's a family tradition..." Twilight corrected Dawn. Twilight shuffled in place as Dawn shrugged at the revised conclusion. "If you wouldn't mind, I would love to study your book some time."

She wants to read my book? "Hmmm, well uhh... I suppose there is a greater purpose to me putting these spells in a book, other than just to memorize them." No pony has ever wanted to read my book. "As soon as the ink dries the book is yours just umm... take care of it will you."

Twilight and Rarity giggled at Dawn's suggestion. "Well it is my job to take care of books. I'm kinda the librarian here." Twilight admitted.

"Ahh well then I will know it is in good hoofs then." Dawn let out a small sigh as she thought of the many possible fates of her beloved book. I'm sure it'll be fine. I hope.

"So Dawn, you said you were sleeping when you got your cutie mark?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, yah. I've never heard of any pony getting there cutie mark while asleep." Twilight said in a studious tone, nearly jumping at the new topic.

"Yep, didn't dream of anything memorable either. It came apparently at random." And now the greater purpose questions...

"Hehe maybe you're just good at sleeping." Twilight giggled.

Hmmm perhaps... "I have been doing it all my life. Shame though, I doubt there's any money in it." Dawn said, smiling at her humor.

"Well I really should get going. Sweetie Belle is staying at my house again. I just hope she hasn't tried cooking anything." Rarity said, her face showed traces of terror at her own imagination. Rarity shook the thoughts free from her head and composed herself before coughing to gain the attention of the other two unicorns who were watching the quill dance along the tome.

Dawn grumbled inwardly once she realized what Rarity wanted from her. "Ahh, of course excuse me." Dawn said as her horn glowed brightly. Rarity disappeared from her seat and reappeared to Dawn's left, sprawled out on the floor.

Rarity slightly dazed got up with surprising composure for somepony who was likely not used to teleporting. "Ummm... Thank you. Bit of warning next time, would you please?" She said with a slight annoyance in her voice.

"My apologies, I tend to use my magic before thinking." Dawn lied, before giving a half grin in the direction of the white unicorn. Her horn was still maintaining a slight glow as her magic willed the quill around the second page. Almost done.

"It's quite alright. You two have a lovely night." She said with an impish smile. "And of course it was lovely meeting you Dawn." Rarity turned to make her way out of the diner.

"Yes of course lovely meeting you too." Dawn said, mimicking a response back. She turned around to see Twilight staring back at her once again. Something tells me she was staring at the back of my head... best check it for scorpions. Dawn ran her foreleg behind her head along her mane. Everything seems scorpion free...

"How do you not pay attention to what you write?" Twilight questioned with that same strange face as before. Confusion I think...

"Who says I'm not paying attention." Dawn laughed before giving thought into a better answer. "Hmmm... I guess... the same way you remember the shape of your house or the face of your mother." Dawn said, confidently.

Twilight cocked her head in confusion.

"Hmmm..." Damn I thought that was a good answer. Dawn turned back to her quill not really sure how to elaborate further. "Since the 'convention' is going to be small what time you think I should show up?"

Twilight snapped back, out of her confusion. "Oh, I don't know I guess every pony is arriving afternoon-ish but the princesses aren't arriving until after sundown."

"Afternoon... ish?" Questioned Dawn, her face was betraying her by giving a disappointed look to Twilight. "There. Done!" She said quickly, cutting off what was likely to be reassurances from Twilight. Dawn's horn glowed a bit brighter as she threw the quill and pot back into her bank. Then nothing. A thick silence persisted as they waited for the last bit of ink to dry.

Twilight took the initiative to break the silence when the ink looked dry. "Well like I was going to say you are welcome to come by the library anytime before then. I don't get to meet many unicorns that make spells like I do. I would love to talk to you about magical theory and maybe even show you some of my spells. I uhh don't have them all in a single book like you do but I'm sure we can learn a lot from each other." Twilight rambled on as her tail writhed around behind her in excitement.

Rambling... that's a sign of what? Nervousness? Maybe she's in a hurry? Or maybe she's late... Wait why would one ramble when they have a place to go. It's not the most efficient way of communication. She would be late to everything if she did that... Oops she's staring again. Looks like she wants an answer to something, I missed a question. "I'm sorry what was the question?"

"I didn't ask a question..."

"Oh... well then... I guess my book is yours, on loan... and I'll see you... perhaps noon? ish?" Wait she said afternoon...ish.

"That sounds perfect I will see you at noon-ish." Twilight confirmed, giggling like a young filly. She teleported to Dawn's other side before lifting Dawn's large tome with her purple aura. "Good night." She said, giving a beaming smile to Dawn. She was very happy. Pinkie Pie happy apparently. Dawn smiled back as Twilight just about hopped out the diner nearly forgetting to leave some bits on the table.

Dawn was left alone now, bookless, and with roughly sixty bits on the table. That greedy, greedy, Fatty Joe.

Comments

[sdrawkcaB eiP eikniP]

Oatburgers sound almost edible... I like Dawn as a character and the drunken version is pretty funny. The dialogue is funny enough. Unfortunately I think only resident US west coasters that are 30+ years of age will catch the 'Mule Howser' joke. ( Huell Howserfor anypony who is mildly curious.) Needs polishing too. And I'm talking so much polish. I'm thinking you don't gots a pre-reader. I'll likely read more. Probably.