> Cracking Dawn
>  by Didily Winkles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Prologue

The crisp early morning air grazed along the filly's pink coat as she charged her way to her destination. This was the night. After so much planning, so much guile and deceit; this was going to be her master piece and no pony will see it coming.

The filly quickly jumped behind a bush to avoid the night patrol coming down the street with a lamp lighting their way. It was way past curfew. Her bright orange mane and pink coat were not her friends when she wanted to stay hidden but this would not stop her tonight.

Once the night ponies made their way down the road she broke back into a sprint towards the cherry farm. Hopping over fences and gates, she finally made it to the dew laden grove with trees ready to be bucked free of their fruit. 

The pink filly surveyed the land before gauging where she wanted to start. Finding a lonely tree at the end, she started to drag her hoof in the ground circling each and every tree. The mare on the moon was illuminating the teenage filly's devious work as she made it around every tree in the orchard. 

After what felt like hours of dragging her hoof in the dirt, she finally could see an end in sight. Her hooves were sore, her light pink coat was dusty and sweaty, and Celestia's sun was just about to peak over the distant mountain. She smiled as her dragging hoof made contact from where she started at the lonely tree. 

She backed up and dipped her horn at the continuous groove she had made with her hoof which circled every tree in the orchard. The pink filly started to charge up her master piece, letting her magic build up to a blinding light. This was the first time she has had to call on this much magic for just one spell. Her horn started to quiver under the pressure from the built up magic. She weaved all her magic into a complicated pattern, letting it flow all into her horn. The pink aura around her horn began to flow like liquid, steadily dripping to the ground. It crept unnaturally along the grooves that she had drawn with her hoof. It spilled in and around each tree illuminating the grove with the unicorns pink magic against the approaching dawn. The liquidated magic eventually made it back to the exhausted unicorn. Her horn grew brighter as she finished her spell. A brilliant flash of magic later the pink liquid that oozed off of her horn sunk into the ground to be absorbed by the trees. The fatigued filly collapsed into the fertile dirt, only to drift into a dreamless sleep. 

Her body jerked her to consciousness once it heard voices off in the distance. She recognized these voices as the cherry family coming out for the first day of their bucking season. She groaned as her sore body resisted moving but her will was stronger. She pushed against the earth, lifting her body so she could waddle to a safe distance. 

The exhausted filly managed to find a hill that overlooked the orchard. It had tall enough grass to hide even her pink flank. Celestia's sun was in full bloom, warming her tired and sore body. She spotted the first of the cherry buckers approach the trees with large buckets to catch their crop. A loud smack later, cherries were raining down quickly filling their buckets they placed at the tree's trunks. The unsuspecting stallion who was the father of some of the filly's classmates and the owner of the Cherry Archers bent over the buckets to taste test his crop. With practiced precision, he spit out a half of a dozen cherry pits before smacking his lips at the likely perfectly ripe fruit. Dawn watched with eager eyes as the large stallion first stumbled around spreading his legs to balance himself only to fall over to his side squirming like a worm. She had enchanted the entire crop of cherries so when ponies ate them they would loss their sense of equilibrioception and kinesthesia. Foal's play. The stallion's legs flared around as he tried to fight against the spinning earth around him. He yelled for help, but the trickster on the hill could see that the rest of his family were occupied. They too were on the ground with their hooves flaring around helplessly. 

The adolescent unicorn broke into a suffocating laughter at the sight. Every single muscle she possessed cried out in pain but she simply could not help to laugh at her own perfectly executed prank. The cherries would of course be back to normal by tomorrow and the disorientation the cherries wrought only lasted for about two minutes or so, but they got what they deserved.

Once she recovered from her own laughter she pushed herself up against the unrelenting gravity of the earth and started to make her way back home. She had nearly made it home when she was stopped by two voices laced with authority, her parents. 

Her father and mother swooped down from the sky looking very tired and very angry. 

"And where have you been?" Her mother asked. "We were looking all over for you." 

"You are grounded. You were not supposed to leave your room." Her father said, stomping in irritation. 

"I'm always grounded." The pink unicorn taunted as she rolled her eyes at her parents. She turned around to make her way home.

"Dawn! Do not turn your back to us!" Shrilled her mother out of anger.

"What were you up to?" Dawn's father asked in a kinder tone dropping his irritation for the moment.

"I'm sure we will hear about it later." Her mother said before she took flight to quickly catch up to her daughter. She pounced on her daughter's back side, forcing her to stop. 

The teenager struggled against her larger mother on the ground. Her mother eventually wrapped her forelegs around her daughter. "Let go!" The filly screamed. She wished she had her magic.

"She's drained of magic..." Her mother revealed as she took flight just high enough to stop her daughter from squirming against her.

"What have you done?" Her father asked in a livid tone, once taking flight to meet his daughter face to face.

"Nothing." She cried out, shivering out of fear from the gaining heights.

"Don't you lie to us." Her mother snapped back.

"Put me down!" The filly pleaded. The beginnings of tears were forming in her eyes. She hated heights and her parents knew it.

"If you stop squirming, I will fly lower. But we are going home." Her mother said calmly as she tightened her grip around her daughter.

"We are going to have a very long talk." Her father said sternly as he led the way home.

Dawn knew she wouldn't be able to break free from her mother without magic. She was as tapped out for the day at the very least. She stayed still as her mother flew her home for whatever punishment they thought would 'fix' her. They landed at their stoop before walking in the front door of their home in silence. She contemplated making a run for it for the day but they would catch her in this state. They were soon greeted by Dawn's younger brother.

"What did Dawn do?" He asked with his wings flared up and tail whipping around purely out of excitement. "Is she going to be in trouble?" 

"Shut up you stupid little turkey." Dawn jeered before she began to limping up stairs to her room.

"Mom? Did you just hear what she called me?" Dawn's brother cried out.

"Go up to your room and wait for us to come up and talk." Dawn's father said sternly, ignoring his son. 

Dawn snickered at the suggestion.

"You are supposed to be at school." Dawn's mother said very much annoyed at her son.

"But Dawn..." He cried back.

"But nothing. Go!" 

Dawn made it to her room. The door was still removed so she kicked the door frame as she passed to make a point to her parents. Her room was lined with hundreds of books that she had read over the years. There were a couple books that she hadn't read on her nightstand but she had every intention of rectifying that in the near future. Dawn flopped onto her bed and curled into a ball, ready to fall asleep right then and there.

"Oh, no you don't. We are going to have a talk before you get your magic back and teleport away from us." Dawn's father said, shaking the ball of pink with his hoof.

"I don't want to talk." Dawn said as she retreated under her covers.

"That is too bad." Her father said plainly as he took a seat on Dawn's bed.

"Did you know we were out most of the night looking for you?" Dawn's mother asked, trying to lay the guilt on thick as she pulled the covers off the bed.

Dawn rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Dawn... We want to make what ever is bothering you right. Talk to us." Dawn's father pleaded.

"I'm tired. Leave me alone." Dawn said before turning over, away from her parents.

"We are your parents. We will never leave you alone so long as you live in this house."

"I can't wait to move out then." Dawn said, hoping to twist an old knife. 

Both her parents fell silent as they thought of what they needed to say. "Do you want more magic instruction? More books? We can do that if you want." Dawn's mother asked.

"Dawn, tell us what's wrong." Dawn's father pleaded again.

"Nothing." Dawn said, still not facing them.

"Don't give me that." Dawn's father's hoof pulled Dawn to look at her parents. "Is somepony at school bullying you again?"

"No." Dawn answered, fighting against the hoof that was keeping her faced towards the hurt faces of her parents.

"Are you mad at somepony?" He asked.

"No." Dawn snarled with a jerk to break free from her fathers hoof.

"This all started with those fires those years back. We have really tried everything Honey. We've hired ponies to come talk to you. Celestia knows they didn't stand a chance. We've tried punishing you, rewarding you... We are at our wits end. We have done everything to figure out what is wrong but you won't talk to us or any pony." His voice started to show his agitation. Dawn's father took a deep breath before continuing. "What ever it is we can help." He said quietly and calmly.

"It's nothing you can fix." Dawn mumbled absently minded. 

"So it is something." Dawn's father said triumphantly. Dawn could feel a smirk beamed right at the back of her head.

"NO!" Dawn shrieked, the beginnings of tears were forming in her eyes as she retreated into her pillow.

"We just want to help Honey." Her mother said, taking a seat next to her to stroke her mane.

"I just want to sleep and to be left alone." Dawn said into the pillow.

"Not going to happen Honey Buns." Her father said, cooing with his wife while offering a supporting hoof to Dawn's shoulder.

"Is it us?" Dawn's mother asked.

"Do you wanna try some different hobbies?" Dawn's father purposed. "I know you like magic but what about art? Cooking?"

"I don't want to do anything."

"Nothing?" Dawn's father asked surprised.

"Yes leave me alone!"

"Alright... We can cancel your magic lessons. Do you still want us to buy you books?"

Dawn didn't respond. She didn't know what she wanted. Tears were dripping down her face freely as she considered their offer.

"We can let you pick out your own books. And if you ever want magic lessons again you can pick out your instructors too. Does that sound good Honey Buns?"

Dawn didn't respond again. This was not going in the direction she expected. She felt her mother wrap her legs around her for a hug.

"Are you feeling like you have no control Dawn?" Dawn's mother asked, whispering into her ear.

That was it... Dawn nodded from underneath the pillow. The extra warmth of her mother nudged her further into unconsciousness. 

"Well then..." Her father started to say as he crawled to Dawn's other side to look her in the eyes and to join his wife in a hug with their daughter. "You are in control from her on out."

"It's your life Dawn." Her mother said, tightening her hug.

Dawn's father met her muzzle to muzzle, locking eyes with her. "How about you make a little deal with us? No more pranks like the one you pulled tonight." He purposed calmly.

"And we know you were pulling one your pranks tonight don't you try to lie to us." Her mother added.

Dawn's father hummed in agreement. "So long as you stop lying to us and stop the pranks, you will never be grounded by us again. Is it a deal Honey Buns?"

Dawn just gave a small nod in compliance. She was tired and barely conscious now. She would have nodded to anything. She succumbed to her magic fatigue and fell into a dense sleep with her parents wrapped around her.

> Chapter 1: A Rude Awaking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter One

Celestia's sun slowly drifted up through the sky to eventually buffet a young mare in the face with its light. This was not met with kindest of greetings as the mare retreated under her covers, cursing the sun in hopes that it would be banished from the sky. 

Despite the young mare's feeling towards the sun, it did mark a most momentous day. With a groan and a kick the covers bunched up at the end of the bed, freeing the mare to worm herself to the ground. Some more mumbled curses at the rude awaking flowed from the pink unicorn's mouth as she stumbled to the bathroom to start her day.

Freshly rejuvenated and followed by billows of steam, the mare trotted out of the bathroom to be greeted by the smell of stale coffee her parents had made hours ago which woke her up further. The pavlovian response had nothing to do with taste as she absolutely hated the bitter brew but she did come to appreciate the sweet aroma. 

Walking into the kitchen her magic was willed into action as a box of cereal, milk, bowl, and spoon came flying out of their perspective spots around the kitchen to gather at the table she had sat down at. The cereal and milk were just about to start their job of pouring her breakfast into a bowl when they were greeted with the brightest of all the greetings she has had this morning.

"Good Morning Dawn!" Cheered an all black mare who was hovering just outside an open window. 

Dawn winced at the loud noise before turning to greet her mother at the open window. She gave a grimaced smirk to acknowledge her before she flew away going about her business in the sky, leaving Dawn alone to calculate her cereal to milk ratio.

Now that her spoon was on autopilot bringing sustenance to her mouth, it freed up her mind to wander in thought. Her mind always spiraled around from thinking things like how magnets worked to her plot in life. 

She was a unique unicorn. There was little doubt about that just by her appearance. Her coat was a light pink and her mane was bright orange and purple. It was no wonder why her parents named her the way they did. 

Her parents on the other hoof, really her entire family, were pegasi. Dark coated pegasi with dark manes and even darker eyes, making her stick out at all the family functions and really bringing a ever persistent doubt that she wasn't adopted at some point in her life or at least stolen away by those she calls her parents. Any doubt she may have had was always quickly snuffed out when she recalled pictures of her birth and two happy parents in the hospital she had found when she was a small filly.

Dawn shook her head to free her mind's eye of the pictures. "One too many revealing pictures of my mother I have in there..." She mumbled to the empty kitchen. Refilling her now empty bowl with more cereal she let her mind drift again.

It was very likely that there was some matter of drama on the day of her birth when her father saw his 'daughter' very much pink and very much not a pegasus. Dawn chuckled at the thought. Her mother of course never did such a scandalous act and despite whatever freak genetics that were at work, she was their daughter.

If it wasn't for their flair for recessive genes their cutie marks would make them a strange family as well. They were all very nonsensical. That is except for her brother's, the true deviant of the family. He had a staff of notes flowing like a flag in the wind for a cutie mark. He was a singer of sorts... If you can call his 'singing' singing or for that matter 'music' music... 

Her parent's cutie marks made as much sense as hers did though. Her mother's cutie mark is of two blades or swords crossing behind an eyeball with a green iris much like Dawn's real eyes. It was a strange cutie mark for a retired Wonderbolt and even stranger one for a weather captain. Her mother often said to Dawn growing up that it meant she had an invisible eye on the back of her head 'all the better to watch my daughter with.' 

Her father's wasn't weird as much as it made no sense. It's a silver shield much like how his name betrayed, Sturdy Shield or Stu to friends. His cutie mark would be fine if he was a guard or something, but no. He was a coach for the Wonderbolts. He has trained the best of the best athletes and performers all of Dawn's life. 

Then there was her... Her cutie mark was of a solar eclipse which hasn't happened for over one thousand years. Dawn only recognized it because of a book she had read weeks before getting it. She had no idea what it meant or what it could mean relating to what she could only guess was her 'special talent'. 

"Hmmm..." Dawn hummed as her thoughts continued without her. Her spoon was hitting the bottom of the bowl scooping up air to her mouth.

"Uhh... Dawn? You are kind of freaking me out..." Said a voice just beyond the focus of Dawn's eyes.

Dawn snapped back from her thoughts to the kitchen noticing her spoon working on an imaginary cereal and her brother Metal sitting across the table from her, milling over his own bowl of dry cereal. Her spoon dropped from the air into the empty bow.

Dawn assumed a grin that would send shivers up most ponies' spines as she grabbed the milk with her magic. "Would you like some milk with that Mr. Gobbles?"

"Ha ha. That never gets old..." He said with honest disgust.

Dawn laughed. It was she who had told Metal where milk came from when he was younger. He has been disgusted by it ever since. Of course she might have embellished on 'How' they acquired it from the cows, just a little bit.

Dawn brought the milk bottle up to her mouth for display as she took a heavy gulp earning a dry gag from her brother.

"Too funny." Dawn laughed as she enchanted her dishes to clean themselves and levitated the milk back into the refrigerator.

"Don't you have a place to be or something? You're disgusting and I want to be rid of you for the weekend." He huffed half sarcastically.

"Train leaves at noon." Dawn answered before sticking her tongue out of spite.

"So... in fifteen minutes?" Metal asked, pointing to the clock with a free hoof.

Dawn glanced over to the clock he was pointing at. "Crap" was the only curse Metal could have heard before Dawn teleported up to her room to quickly pack for her trip.

What in Sam's hill do I need? "Toothbrush!" she cried out, summoning said object from the bathroom down the hall. What else... "Comb! Alright Dawn what else do I need?" Two things... it feels like I need more... "Spell book!"

She shoved her things into her pillow case before darting out of her room with her lumpy pillow in a magically levitated tow. She ran out of the front door her brother held open for her and started to make her way down the street towards the train station. 

"Thanks!" She yelled back to her brother, not bothering to look back.

"Good riddance!" He yelled back after her.

Sprinting down the street with a pillow flying in her wake, her mother swooped down next to her and joined her in the run to the train station.

"Mom..." Dawn said with more annoyance than she meant to reveal. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"You just looked so peaceful..." She cooed. "...I didn't want to wake you." She replied before chuckling at the recent memory. Dawn's mother flapped her wings taking flight beyond Dawn's peripheral vision.

Dawn pushed hard down the street cursing her stupidity, inability to own an alarm clock, and inability to teleport three miles away. Dawn felt a strong down draft approaching her just before two strong legs worked themselves around her chest lifting her into the air. Her mothers forelegs tightened as her wings flapped harder taking them to the sky.

"Mom sto..." It was too late. She was in the air. Dawn shut her eyes in hopes she would be on the ground soon. 

Dawn's fear of heights was, of course, well known by her parents but never quite understood. She started to shiver from the pure uncut fear that was flowing through her. They were going really fast judging from the wind that beat her mane and coat, but she was not about to check.

Sooner than later her hooves did find the grace of solid ground. She was in the right mind set to start kissing it for its solid and unmoving nature but she managed to control herself as she regained her poise from the harrowing experience. She turned around to see her mother was waiting with Dawn's lumpy pillow in her mouth. 

Dropping the pillow for Dawn to pick up with her magic she ducked her head in shame. "I hope you can forgive me for picking you up like that... without asking." Her mother looked up and around, avoiding eye contact. "I just didn't want you to be late." Her mother's gaze found the grace of the stations clock tower. "But look! I got you here with five minutes to spare!" She added, taking a pose with her wings flared out to frame her triumph. 

"It is fine mom. I have a six hour train ride to get over it... Thanks to you." Dawn said shakily. Her heart beat was still pounding away at the inner walls of her chest. Dawn nuzzled her mother good-bye before turning to the train that was waiting for her.

"You have fun my little Dawn." Her mother said nervously, returning every bit of affection she could manage.

It is the first time I will leave home for more than a day. Perhaps I should not take this so lightly...

"Ever Watch? Ever Watch! It has been 'Too' long!" said an older looking stallion with a pale yellow coat and bright red mane. Dawn's mother cringed at the voice behind her.

It was rare for Dawn's mother to have any distaste for anypony which peaked Dawn's interest. He must simply be horrid or some fan... He could even be Dawn's long lost father judging by his colorful mane. Dawn shook her head free of those thoughts before nuzzling her mother again and quickly teleporting to her seat on the train.

"Say 'Hi' to the Princesses for me." Dawn's mother hollered to the train, ignoring the stallion talking to her.

It completely slipped Dawn's mind 'The' Princesses are going to be there at the convention. I wonder if they are as tall as every pony says. Dawn looked around the car she teleported into. She was surrounded with unfamiliar ponies staring at her. It was uncommon to see a unicorn teleport even more uncommon to see one use it so casually. Dawn took her seat smiling and feeling pretty proud of herself for being so impressive.

The noon bells rang off in the distance beckoning the train to start to lurch into action. The train cars groaned as the indomitable steam engine pulled them along the tracks to slowly gain speed. The station started to disappear out of view as the train gained speed. Pretty soon all she could see of her home was the cloud city Wingopolis and Mount Hoover looming over it. 

The magic convention was being held in some mystery plain Jane town called Ponyville. It was being held by a mare who Dawn had heard of through the grape vine, one Twilight Sparkle the only student to Princess Celestia. Dawn could not wait to meet her. She really wanted to see how she held up to stock with a pony who studied magic just like her. She was also excited to show off her magic for once. Being in a town mainly occupied by earth ponies and pegasi kind of made it hard to get the praise she so rightfully deserved.

The train was at full speed now and the landscape seemed to fly by in a blur. "Damn, damn, damnity, damn, damn." She whispered to herself, sliding down her seat as she came to the realization she had six hours of boredom to look forward too. She sighed deeper into her new position. 

She was in mid-thought of how she could make this train ride interesting when a cute, grey, earth pony with a flowing charcoal mane walked in the car. She was apparently looking for a seat. Dawn quick to recover whisked away her pillow, which was occupying the seat across from her, and straitened up all for the hopes of some nondestructive and less illegal entertainment.

"This seat isn't taken if you want to join me?" Dawn said with the most kind and welcoming smile she could muster at the moment.

"Oh, umm... Thank you." The grey mare said, glancing behind her before sitting down across from Dawn.

"So, where are you coming from and going to?" Dawn asked trying to be the conversationalist she wasn't.

"Oh, umm... Manehattan is where I am coming from... and I am going to Ponyville." She answered slowly, turning around in her seat to look back from where she came again.

"I'm getting off at Ponyville too." Dawn said, smiling to the distracted mare across from her. "So are you traveling with some one?"

"Err yes." 

"I couldn't help to notice you are looking back of the train expecting it to explode or something." Dawn pondered the possibility. It would be the entertainment she desperately wanted. "I think it would happen in front of us though." Dawn said, finishing her thoughts. We would also be stranded. 

"What? Explode? The train?" The grey mare questioned, looking very confused at Dawn.

"Why not? We don't have earth ponies pulling us along. We have a real steam engine." Dawn said excitedly. 

The mare turned around from Dawn to look at the back of the train again. Clearly she wasn't hoping for an explosion like Dawn was. Dawn spotted a magenta treble mark on the mare's flank. Must be another musician. This mare could easily pass as Metal's sister or my replace'e... maybe we were switched at birth! Wait... she does not have wings... so close.

Dawn came out of her thoughts to see the pony across of her staring back at her. "So who are you traveling with?" Dawn asked, sounding interested.

"My fillyfriend." She answered as she turned around again to check the car. "The very pony I'm trying to avoid for the moment." She reluctantly gave up while awkwardly smiling back. "So what brings you to our little Ponyville?"

Well there goes the entertainment. Dawn huffed at her displeasure before answering. "A magic convention. It should be fun." She winced at the fact that she was now socially obligated to continue talking. "So you live there?"

"Mmhmmm... me and my fillyfriend moved there about a year ago".

"Fun place?" She asked, donning a mask of some pony that cares. This is dull. How am I going to make it six hours without dying of boredom? I could... No, best not get in trouble with the train authorities I need a ride back home. 

"Yes and No..." The earth pony answered after some consideration only to be cut short. 

"Oh, I see how it is! You get mad at Me for no reason..." A cream colored unicorn walked up to the table Dawn was sitting at, pointing an accusing hoof at the mare across of her. "...and you go hit up some random mare on the train just to get back at 'Me?" She asked, raising her voice to fit the accusations.

Oh good a show. Dawn made herself comfortable in her seat to watch the ensuing drama unfold.

"I have done no such thing." The grey mare protested, raising her voice well above her unicorn counterpart.

The new cream colored unicorn with a lightning blue mane gave a knowingly arrogant stare at the earth pony across from Dawn.

The earth pony returned a menacing glare at the cream colored pony. "Excuse me." She said, getting up and pushing the creamed colored unicorn out of the way before strutting down to the back of the train from once she came.

Perhaps I should act like a decent pony and declare her innocence. "So... Uhh... if she was hitting on me you should really teach her some better moves." Dawn said plainly.  That came out wrong. Dawn shuffled in her seat.

The cream colored pony with purple glasses nearly fell backwards writhing in laughter at Dawn's comment.

Dawn gave out a defeated sigh at the unicorn on the ground before sinking back into her seat.

The mare with the glasses regained her faculties and revealed her eyes to Dawn. "What's your name?" The red eyed mare asked, giggling in between each word.

"Dawn, a pleasure I'm sure." Dawn mumbled, extending a practiced hoof, stretching a welcoming smile, and meeting eye contact with the rare crimson eyes. "And what may I call you?" She asked with feigned politeness.

"Vinyl Scratch is what you can 'call' Me." She replied in a mocking tone. "I need a drinking buddy now." She said, looking down the train where the earth pony took her exit. "Let's go the bar car."

There's an idea. "Let's."

----

Sitting at the bar for the first couple hours of the train ride had done a number on Dawn's rump. She could not get comfortable. Dawn stopped shuffling on her stool before giving a small groan in defeat. It was well worth the effort. The drunken mare next to Dawn was a great source of entertainment, if not the only source of entertainment. 

The bar was empty aside from Dawn, Vinyl, and the bartender an older unicorn. He remained mostly just an observer of the heavily inebriated unicorn and her partner who had mostly just laughed at the unicorn's expense. 

"You've barely drunk anything at all. Let me get you something more fun." Vinyl said, eyeballing a bottle of clear liquid labeled 'Eternally clear' in bold font. "Mister Bar...keep... man... tender..." Vinyl stopped to think how to address the pony behind the counter only to give up. "I want some shots of that for my friend here." She said, pointing at the poison. 

Dawn grimaced at the thought of drinking that straight.

"Miss... do you want shots of 'That'?" he asked in a tone mocking the very drunk mare.

"No." Dawn said with finality.

"I thought I would find you here trying to pour some horrid swill down some poor pony's throat." The earth pony from earlier said as she walked in, glaring at the cream colored unicorn. "I do hope Vinyl has not been too much trouble for you miss..."

"Dawn and no. She has been 'The' only distraction on this train. She has plenty of stories about you Miss Octavia." Dawn said with a laugh. They weren't the most flattering stories.

The grey mare shifted awkwardly against the moving train. "Ahh... I am sure..." she said plainly, darting her eyes back and forth between Vinyl and Dawn.

"Why don't you join us?" Dawn suggested, patting the stool on her other side across from Vinyl. "Three's a party right?"

"NO! She's...." Vinyl was about object, but she turned around, opening the train car window with her magic to duck her head out.

Fun, fun... fun. I didn't think she drank That much. Dawn turned around quickly enough to see the disgusted face of the grey mare. She had turned slightly green by the show behind Dawn. 

"So you ponies are musicians?" Dawn asked nonchalantly, not minding the last bits of heaving sounds behind her.

"Yep." Vinyl answered as a freshly revitalized mare. She turned around after closing the window she just used to rejoin Dawn at the counter. "I make some totally cool music for parties and junk and she..."

"I play for the CSO, that's 'the' Canterlot Symphonic Orchestra." Octavia said, cutting off her partner. She took up the other seat next to Dawn. 

"Well ain't that the tops..." Dawn said indifferently. 

"It is indeed the tops." The earth pony cheered. "It's been my dream since I was a little filly."

Wish I had a dream like that... Dawn loved her magic but it had absolutely no use to any pony beyond their craft or entertainment. She couldn't sell the spells she had created and Dawn was not an entertainer. She could hear a conversation going on around her. Her mind was only flung back into the bar car when her name was called. "What did you ask me?" Dawn asked after turning to Vinyl by mistake.

"Oh. I asked what you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking." Octavia said with every bit of grace a high class pony such as her could afford. "I've never seen that symbol before." She pointed to Dawn's flank.

Dawn glanced over to see the black circle in her light pink coat that had solar flares breaching around it. "HA, I don't even know what the heck this thing means. I guess it runs in the family or something..." Dawn trailed off into her own thoughts only to snap back to the conversation "...but I do this for money and fun I guess." 

Dawn's horn lit up briefly as a little orb appeared on the tip of her horn. It dropped and bounced on the surface of the bar counter in front of the three mares. They stared at it with closely knit curiosity and then it burst. In a blue flash that flooded the car the orb split into five red ones and then a second later it happened again in a flash of red. Now Twenty five yellow orbs lay in front of the three mares. The barkeep was paying attention now. A second later the twenty-five yellow orbs did what their predecessors did with a flash of yellow only birthing over a hundred green orbs which were all spread around suspended in the air in the car now.

"Neat!" Vinyl exclaimed.

The orbs started to pop like a furious pot of pop corn. Each one popping with a unique flash of color, bursting into a million glittering flares that were cool to the touch, popping after each another giving a show in the bar car. The last of the colorful flares of pure magic disappeared before touching the ground.

If only they weren't so flaccid and tame.

"I must say I was not expecting that. So you do shows like 'The Great and Powerful...." 

"Holy Celestia! No. I am nothing like her." Dawn cut off the grey earth pony quickly. Dawn gave an elongated sigh. Future addendum: perhaps my indoor demonstrations could be more flare and less lame. "I do 'firework' shows for parties and festivals. In fact I may do one of my bigger spells at the convention tomorrow."

"Convention? Like a Comic Convention?" Asked Vinyl. "Where are you getting off?"

"She's getting off at our stop Vinyl. Honestly do you ever listen to what a pony says?" Exclaimed Octavia.

"She didn't say anything about where she was going!" Vinyl rebuked.

Can't argue with her there. I didn't tell her dittily.

"Right, then how did I know Vinyl?"

"I don't know!"

Maybe I should move myself around these two so I can get a better view. Dawn looked around the train car for a different seat. The sun light from behind her was reflecting off the many bottles behind the counter causing it to split into a spectrum of light that caught her eye.  

Dawn's mind blanked out her surroundings as a new thought occurred to her. It was of a new potentially blinding and deafening spell that would be so exciting to cast. Her mind started to process at full capacity as it figured out the many different runes that would weave the spell and the many other spells that would help reinforce it. I could write in the sky using the differential pressures of the spell's reaction. OH! Sell advertisements! Dawn nodded agreeing with her thoughts.

Snapping out of her thoughtful daze she noticed the two mares still bickering. Wow. Good for them. I should buy a round for my new spell! "Barkeep! Three Bourbons on the rocks please." She said excitedly, pointing at the dark bottle labeled 'Creator's Mark".

The barkeep somewhat surprised by the seemingly random outburst willed three small glasses up from behind the counter with his magic and poured the drinks. The mares next to her, also some what surprised, ceased their fighting from whatever they were bickering over and gave confused looks to the now filled glasses in front of them.

Dawn raised a glass as if to toast. The mares next to her reluctantly did the same unsure what they might be toasting too. "To money to be made!" Dawn toasted before drinking a hefty sip from her glass.

"I like money." Commented Vinyl before she wearily drank a small sip from her glass.

"Umm... Yes money is a good thing." Agreed Octavia. She followed the trend and drank a delicate sip. 

Dawn laughed at the confused mares around her. They didn't need to know what was going through her mind. While she didn't care to perform for ponies, she did like to show off and these kinds of spells allowed her to do just that and for money. 

"So what's this Ponyville like?" Dawn asked, now looking at the time on the wall behind her. Three hours to go.

"Well..." Octavia started.


> 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. 

> Chapter 3: The Mutilated Tree
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Three

"Damn Celestia's sun to the void." Dawn cursed as she kicked the sheets off her. Stretching away her morning woes, Dawn studied the lit up room from her position in the foreign bed. She found and glared at the source of the light with hate filled eyes. See through curtains... Who does that and for what purpose?

She wiggled herself off the bed to find that her comb was illuminated with her aura, working its way through her mane. She gave another stretch to work all the sleep out of her muscles before glancing over to the tiny ticking clock on the night stand. "Oh Celestia how you hurt me when you wake me up this early." Well at least I can get breakfast here. Dawn set down her comb on the bed and made her way out the door. 

Dawn sleepily stumbled into a very homey dinning room. The walls were lined with earthy colored wall paper and wood. The brown mare that greeted her last night was sitting at a table reading the news paper. 

"Good morning." She greeted Dawn. "Lemmy our guest is up." Called out the middle aged unicorn to an equally aged yellow pegasus mare who popped out from around corner of an opening wearing an apron.

"Good morning!" The yellow mare said as she hovered into the dining room. Her hooves were soon pulled to the ground by a brown magic aura. "Yes, yes. No flying in the house, I got it." She giggled. "That's why I keep you around, to keep my hooves on the ground." She winked to the brown unicorn expecting laughter only to be disappointed with a barely conscious pink unicorn staring back at her. 

"Sit, Sit. Miss Dawn. How did you sleep?" The older brown mare asked as she patted the cushion to her right.

Dawn was used to this kind of brightness in ponies in the morning. My parents make these two look like amateurs. "Well enough, Thank you." Dawn said. She was on a default setting of politeness. 

"Well, what would you like to eat? I can make anything you want. You look like a mare who likes waffles... No, no you are defiantly a pancake mare." The yellow mare searched up and down Dawn looking for, what Dawn could only guess were, the characteristics of a 'waffle' or 'pancake' mare.

"Waffles would be wonderful if you don't mind." Dawn said. Her tail whipped around at the promise of food as she sat down on the cushion next to the brown unicorn. Dawn never got to eat proper home cooked meals. Her parents were horrid cooks despite their many attempts to recreate something they saw in a cook book or magazine.

"Waffles it is!" The older pegasus floated back to what Dawn thought must be the kitchen.

"She really is a fantastic cook, you are in good hooves." Assured the brown unicorn. "Can I get you a news paper? Coffee? Apple Juice?"

"Some apple juice would be great thank you." Dawn smacked her mouth at her morning breath.

The brown mare's horn lit up with a brown aura as a glass floated over to her and followed by a pitcher full of golden liquid. "So dear where are you from?" She asked while filling the glass before her.

"Wingopolis."

"Isn't that a cloud city?" Asked the pegasus yelling from the kitchen.

"Yep." Dawn hollered back. Ugh it is too early in the morning for me to attempt to observe social protocol... Dawn sighed. Best do it any ways don't want her to poison my waffles... Why would they do that? Maybe they're murderers that kill traveling mares! Perhaps they have a basement filled with the remains! Oh how horrible, why in Equestria would they do such a thing? Two pairs of eyes were now on her as her mind wandered. The pony that went by Lemmy had a large bowl wedged in her wing as she stirred with loose foreleg. "Oh, sorry... Too early in the morning and what not. I live in the suburbs of Wingopolis. 'Wingopolis's Shadow'."

"Is it nice there? Do you have family waiting for you at home?" Asked the brown unicorn.

"Yah, I still live with my parents. And it's nice enough. I am sure it's a much more fun place for pegasi." Dawn said, nodding to the brown mare. The yellow pegasus flew back to the kitchen. Dawn closed her eyes to take in the morning air ceasing all communication attempts made by the unicorn next to her for awhile. She was just starting to let her mind wander around again when...

"Food is done! Hot off the iron." The pegasus was now holding up a plate with an out stretched wing sliding it in front of Dawn. She then looked down expectantly at the unicorn.

"Can't have her eating without proper silverware dear." A napkin with silverware rolled up in it hovered to the right of Dawn's plate.

"Oops right, right. Sorry about that, unicorns and their fancy silverware. If you want more just ask, got plenty of batter." The yellow mare said as she took a seat by her unicorn partner.

The waffles did look delicious. Her horn glowed as she summoned the syrup from across the table. Oh sugary goodness. A fork soon found itself under the control of a pink aura to be plunged into the waffles only and quickly whisked into Dawn's mouth. "So good." Dawn blurted out with her mouth full.

"Good!" Both mares said, smiling up at Dawn as she shamelessly stuffed her face. They watched her quickly eat up what was on her plate. Lemmy disappeared into the kitchen only to bring back another plate. Seconds were anticipated. This time around Dawn took it slower just to savor the flavor of each bite. The pegasus sat down on the same cushion as the brown unicorn and started to read her newspaper.

Dawn let her fork go on autopilot. Her mind was just about to wander around today's events when the ponies that could or could not be serial killers felt it necessary to have a conversation.  

"Miss Dawn do you have any plans for today?" The brown unicorn asked with earnest curiosity.

"Not until umm... noon-ish. I was just going to wander around until then. What is there to do here?" Dawn asked through a mouthful of waffles.

"Well this is Ponyville. Interesting things come to us." The yellow mare said before giggling with her partner. Dawn was clearly in the dark what that meant but the older mares didn't bother to explain.

"You could always go to the spa but lemon is right there really isn't a ton to do." The brown unicorn said.

"Grand." Dawn said, apathetically. Nothing to do until noon-ish. I guess I'll just have to figure something out. And I am out of waffles. Dawn took in a large breath feeling her lungs press against her full stomach only to let it out with a sigh as she thought what to do. "Oh, make sure you look up at the sky tonight. You will not be disappointed." Dawn said with surprising enthusiasm that the two mares perked up to. She did always like to keep her events mysterious but every pony at her town didn't like her surprises.

"What's going to happen in sky?" They both asked in a mumbled unison.

"Well that would be telling." Dawn said, getting up to stretch her legs. She then ignited her horn and felt around in the room ahead of her for a sink. Finding it, she animated her plates to be lifted off the table and flown into the kitchen to be washed and stacked in the sink. "I guess I'll be off."

----

Dawn made her way to the town square only to find it bustling with activity. Clearly Ponyville is a town of morning ponies... There were stands of all kinds selling various goods, varying from pot's to apples, asparagus to cotton candy. "Mmm cotton candy." She said to herself. Deciding it couldn't hurt to explore the goods to waste some time Dawn made her way straight to the cotton candy vendor. Pth two bits for cotton candy, greedy pony! "Two please!" The vendor obliged giving an odd look to Dawn. Dropping four bits for the vendor Dawn grabbed her prize with her telekinesis. "Oh sweet sugar that's good." Dawn cheered after taking a bite out of the cotton candy.

She started to peruse the vendors, stopping by the pot dealer and the apple vendor. Oh, look Applejack... Her parents weren't ironic with her name. She walked up to inspect the apples still eating greedy bites of her cotton candy. The orange mare behind the stand gave Dawn the same look the cotton candy vendor gave. Curiosity? No, She is bewildered. No, confused. That’s pure, uncut confusion. "Good morning Applejack." Dawn greeted in a cheery tone. She felt like apples, something juicy to go with her remaining untouched cotton candy. Three apples for a bit? I don't want three apples. I just ate breakfast.

"Uhhh... good morning Dawn." Applejack greeted back, looking at the remaining cotton candy. "Enjoying your breakfast?" She chuckled.

Dawn wondered what was funny about waffles. "I did. Waffles are a rare treat." Mmm waffles. "I guess I'll take three apples." She said summoning her coin purse and dropping a bit in front of Applejack. 

"Ehhh, yah... Sure thing, just pick out what ya want." She said, regaining that face of confusion she wore just moments ago.

I too like to ponder the mysteries of life. Dawn absently nodded as she probed the apples with her magic searching for the best one and two others. She levitated four apples and set one in front of Applejack. "That one has a worm." She said, smiling. I'm so nice. You are welcome Applejack. Dawn wore a smile for her inner thoughts but directed it at Applejack. 

"Right... Thanks..." Applejack said, weakly.

Dawn turned around and trotted off to explore more stands. The pink unicorn had three apples orbiting her slowly. She was biting through her second cotton candy when she spotted two familiar looking mares off in the distance. They looked slightly hung over which was to be expected. 

She made her way over to them only to fling two apples out of orbit right into Octavia's and Vinyl's mouth catching them off guard. "Good Morning you two. You kiss and make up from yesterday?" She asked a bit louder than normal in hopes of poking the rancor of hangovers.

Octavia spit out her apple and caught it in hoof. She started to blush once she noticed a small crowd of mares across the way glancing over. "Umm, yes. We are no longer fighting."

"Yep, she gets a little frisky when she's drunk so..." Vinyl said with a large bite of apple in her mouth.

"...So we are no longer fighting." Octavia said, cutting off her fillyfriend with a hoof.

"That's good..." Dawn concluded before taking a bite of the primo apple that still orbited her. Out of season. I miss calculated. "So what is all this? This happen every morning?" Dawn asked, gesturing to the busy street around them while reducing the out of season apple in a pink magical flame. "When I saw this town was shut down just after sunset I thought there wouldn't be anything interesting to do during the day as well."

"Umm, yes this happens ever Saturday morning." Octavia answered, removing her hoof from Vinyl's face. 

Vinyl gave an annoyed smirk to Octavia then turned to Dawn. "This town is boring when there's not a party to be had."

"Well that's a shame..."

"Did somepony say 'Party'?" Pinkie Pie appeared millimeters from Dawn's face looking straight into her eyes.

Well at least she's paying more respect for my personal space. "Yes somepony did. The white one." Dawn whispered as she pointed an accusing hoof at Vinyl. Pinkie disappeared from Dawn's personal space and reappeared with a splash of confetti on top of Vinyl's head. That does not look pleasant.

"Vinyl! Do 'You' want a Party?" Pinkie asked with unbridled enthusiasm. 

A white magical aura wrapped around the pink earth pony, lifting Pinkie up and placing her beside Dawn. Octavia and Vinyl had grimaced at every syllable the pink pony offered them. "No, I don't need no stinking party." Vinyl said. Pinkie had provoked the rancor.

Octavia jabbed her partner hard to quiet her up. "What Vinyl means to say Pinkie..." Octavia started to say as if expecting the wrath of nightmare moon to come upon her at any minute. "We eagerly look forward to 'Your' next party." She finished saying with a nod and a stressed smile.

Vinyl recovered from her partners jab and composed herself. "Yah, that's what I meant." Vinyl said with a slight fear lacing her lips.

"Ohh! Well come by Twilight's library tonight!" Pinkie said quickly, appearing behind the couple. She wrapped her forelegs around them both, bring them into a close huddle to hear a secret. "The princesses are going to be there but it's a secret." She whispered to the couple before releasing them.

Pinkie hopped around the group stopping next to Dawn. "We wouldn't miss it for the world." Octavia said with a mask of enthusiasm on. 

"Great!" The pink pony cheered before disappearing in a blink of an eye leaving behind a floating blue balloon in her wake. It had a card tied to the end of the string addressed to 'Octy and Vinyl'.

They looked at the card stoically and then back to Dawn. "Should be fun. You'll get to see some more awesome magic by yours truly." Dawn said, laughing. 

She was looking forward to meeting the princesses. Her parents always reminisced about how close they were to Princess Celestia once. I wonder if they are as tall as my parents said and their manes... Dawn had seen Princess Celestia once at a Wonderbolt show when she was really young but she was so faraway. She didn't get to look at her properly.

"Yah, we will be there..." Vinyl said, glaring at Octavia who was looking at the ground in shame holding an untouched apple.

"Neat, I'll see you there then." Dawn cheered, un-phased by their discomfort before parting ways with the couple. She broke into skip as she left the town square into what looked like a park. She eventually found herself a nice tree to sit under so she could properly enjoy her full stomach. "Ahh this isn't so bad." Dawn admitted to the tree. She turned over onto her back and enjoyed the morning breeze now grazing against her belly. Dawn closed her eyes letting a light sleep take her.

----------

Dawn was woken up by her long time nemesis the sun. "Stupid shadow get back over my face."  She groaned before stretching out of her body. She looked up at that spiteful foe of hers to judge the time. "Hmmm..." Noon... ish? Meh good enough, something to do is something to do. Dawn gave one last stretch before getting up to break into a trot to her destination which was a library? I didn't see any library in town.

In no time at all she found herself back in the town square that was winding down from its previously busy state. She started to look at the buildings themselves. Each one of them more earth pony styled than the last. She finally came to a Giant tree? House? "Library!" Dawn cheered, once she saw the sign. She inspected the sign labeling it so with a cocked head. Books in a tree... it's like they're mocking the poor tree. 'HA HA look what we did to your friends. We made them into paper'. Poor tree. She put her hoof on the tree in attempt to feel its pain when the door swung open. A purple and green dragon walked out. Ok that is just cruel. Who would put a dragon in there? The dragon turned his attention over to Dawn with a confused look. She still had a hoof on the tree attempting to console the poor tree.

"Umm... the library is open you can go inside." The purple dragon eventually said after a few moments of them staring at each other. The dragon was a head and a half taller than Dawn. He also seemed to have little nublits growing out his back which were to be his wings. His body reminded Dawn of taffy being stretched too long making his head seem too big for his body.

"Yes I assumed as much." Dawn said, cocking her head in wonder. What was a dragon doing here at all? Some pony must have a flare for irony. He kept the door open with his long tail and gave a little bow inviting Dawn to go in. "Thank you" What a gentlecolt...err... dragon.

She stepped in to see the inner walls of the tree that were lined with books, stretching all the way to the ceiling. "Twilight, visitor!" the dragon bellowed inside behind Dawn.

"Be right there." Twilight's voice hollered.

The door closed behind her with a clumsy slam. Dawn fell back on her quarters taking in the sheer magnitude of books this tree had to endure with. Poor thing. Her eyes were drawn to the section labeled 'Magical Theory'. She quickly skipped over to look over the selection. Read it, read it, read it, read it. Lame, lame, lame, lame. Pointless. Lame. Absurd. Lame. Boring! Lame. That that is just silly, there's nothing good to read. 

"Well hello Dawn. Feel free to check out anything you want." Twilight appeared on top of a stair case across the room from her.

"Won't need to, I uhhh..." Words that are not rude...must find! Put in sentence!

"You probably already read them all huh?" Twilight said knowingly. 

Your lie not mine. "Uhh probably..." 

"Yah..." Twilight gave a longing look at her collection. "I've been reading your book all night" Twilight giggled. "I only woke up a couple minutes ago." 

That's right she took my book from me. "Oh?"

"Your spells are interesting. How you put your spells together to have a profound effect is truly inspiring." Twilight walked down the stairs with her horn aglow. Dawn's spell book soon followed suit with a large number of scrolls all under the influence of Twilight's magic. The items landed on the table in the middle of the room. Dawn's book was placed on the edge closest to her while the scrolls neatly stacked in the center.

Dawn made her way over to the table to address her old friend. The book appeared undamaged. One can only hope. 

"I have so many questions but I need to eat something first." Twilight said, smiling over to Dawn. At the mention of food Dawn's tail betrayed her, it shook excitedly at the promise of more food. "Would you like to join me? I'm not much of a cook but I got coffee and cereal." She giggled at her own dysfunctional self.

"Sure why not, I could always eat a bowl of cereal." It feels like I just ate.

The two walked into a room below the stair case into the kitchen. Twilight's horn lit up as two bowls floated to the small kitchen table Dawn had sat down next to. "Do you drink coffee?" Twilight asked as she opened a cupboard revealing mugs of all kinds inside.

"No, but thank you." Disgusting brown liquid. 

"I trust you drank plenty of water before you went to bed?" Twilight giggled as she turned to her cupboards.

"I didn't think I was that drunk..."

Twilight snickered. "We first thought you were just another drunk pony Pinkie picked up off the street with the promise of free food." Twilight said as she worked the coffee machine into action.

"Really?" Dawn asked with a shocked tone.

"Oh I'm sorry..." Twilight spun around to look Dawn in the face. "I didn't mean to be rude..." She said, looking down in shame. "Please forgive me. I didn't think of you like that for long... I'm going to shut up now."

"I had no idea I was so drunk." Dawn laughed. "Relax Twilight. I guess that's what I get for being bored on a six hour long train ride. I'll need to figure out some entertainment for the ride back..."

Twilight visibly relaxed as Dawn's mind wandered about. The fridge opened up and a milk carton encased in a purple aura floated to the center of the table Dawn was sitting at. Twilight turned back around and was standing in front of a coffee machine turning knobs making herself some of that disgusting drink. A cereal box soon followed the milk to thte table before Twilight sat down across from Dawn. "Help your self." she said as she poured herself some milk and then added some frosted hay flakes avoiding Dawn's eyes.

Who puts the milk in first, that's just weird. "Thanks." Dawn said, smiling. She levitated the box over and poured herself some making sure to perfectly calibrate her cereal to milk ratio. They both enjoyed each others silence as they ate their cereal. It's rare to meet a pony that can enjoy silence. Hope this wasn't awkward silence. I really need to figure out that spell. Twilight had finished up her cereal and now was up pouring herself some freshly brewed Coffee. "Here let me get these for you." Dawn said as she lit up the dishes with her magic to force them to go clean themselves.

"Oh, Thank you. You didn't have to do that. I actually wanted to try that spell. It's a unique 'come to life' spell." Twilight commented as she looked longingly at the dancing dirty dishes cleaning themselves.

Dawn smiled. "Should'a could'a would'a."

Twilight went deep in thought as she gave a blank stare at Dawn. Twilight shook her head free of some thoughts before lighting up her horn. She struggled to cast an unfamiliar spell. A little orb dropped from the tip of her horn and bounced on the floor. Dawn recognized this spell as one of her first spells. The very same she demonstrated on the train for Vinyl and Octaiva. Sure enough the little orb glowed from red to green splitting in the process only for them to be lifted up in the air to explode filling the kitchen with cool fires of magic. 

"That's one of your first spells, right? That is if your book goes in chronological order. It's really hard to cast the way you write your spells. I'm not used to weaving spells over spells to be cast at once."

"Heh, yah you get used to it." Dawn chuckled. 

"I thought so..." Twilight said before taking a sip of her coffee. "When I finally was able to cast that I decided to look at the spell you wrote down last night. There's no way I would be able to cast that without a ton of practice and not to mention nearly all my magic."

"Yah I will be tapped out for a bit after casting that one." It would be so worth it though. "I need to test it."

Twilight gulped down the last of her coffee before giving a long stretch to her limbs. "Lemme show you some of my spells. I haven't made as much as you but they are just as varied I think..." She said, ending in a pondering stare up into the ceiling. "They are minimalistic compared to yours."

"One of my instructors always told me that my spells are 'audacious' and 'unusable'."  Dawn said, mocking her instructor.

"Hmm... I like your spells but they are... busy."

"Please, I bet your spells are at least useful. You put an ursa minor to sleep apparently." Dawn said, attempting to recall the blurry memories of last night.

Twilight blushed at the complement. "I suppose, but you made that bank spell." She countered.

"Sure you say that now, but try using it and being magic fatigued for a week just to enchant the stuff you want to put in there."

"Well I think you are being too hard on yourself." Twilight said. The two mares made their way back to the table in the main room of the library. Twilight shuffled through some of her scrolls forcing one to roll off the table and unroll in front of Dawn. 

Number 25, Growth spell... facial hair? I WANT BEARD! Dawn's horn glowed with the new spell. She directed the spell back to her face and a glorious mountain pony beard sprouted from it. "Now that is just the tops!" She squealed out excitedly, inspecting her new beard with a hoof.

Dawn's sudden outburst gained the attention of Twilight. She turned around to see a grinning bearded mare. 

Mirror, I need a mirror. Dawn finally spotted a mirror across the room. She darted to it to take in the sheer epic-ness of the full faced beard before her. O yes I will like this spell just fine. The facial hair took on the characteristics of her mane. It was orange with a dark purple highlight streaking all the way down the beard as if it had just been just groomed.

Laughter was erupting from behind her. Twilight flopped about on the ground gasping for air in between her fits of laughter. She's hysterical. Clearly she needs a beard. Dawn charged up her horn and directed it at Twilight who opened her eyes just in time to get out of dodge. Oops missed. The giggling continued behind the table. Once Dawn made her way around the table she charged the spell up again aiming in anticipation of future movement. Twilight teleported just in time to dodge the spell again. Dawn spun around directing her beardy wrath to the purple unicorn that just reappeared in front of the front door. Another spell went off just as Twilight disappeared again leaving giggling in her wake. The spell went off just as the front door swung open revealing a white unicorn accompanied by a purple dragon.

Dawn spun around and shot another spell to miss again. She turned back to the victim of the cross fire. It was Rarity. She had pulled over the mirror Dawn was using earlier with her magic to look at the horror that had befallen her. Twilight was next to her laughing even harder. This is my chance. Wide spray mode. Dawn's horn glowed to a blinding intensity as she cast the dooming spell. She weaved it just a bit differently to encompass all of her soon to be victims. An anchor styled beard sprouted on Twilight's chin and a handle bar mustache for the teenage dragon. The two had just realized what happened and now were feeling there own facial hair. 

"Cool huh?" Dawn asked her victims.

If looks could kill, the one Rarity was giving Dawn would have destroyed the world, princesses and all.

"Oh, Yah!" The dragon acclaimed. He stroked his new mustache with pride.

"Relax Rarity it goes away in two hours." Twilight said assuredly to her apocalyptic friend with the chin curtain beard. She turned to the Dragon. "Spike how'd you get that mustache?"

Dawn sat down. That last spell took a lot of magic for some reason. She felt dizzy from using too much magic.

"Umm, she gave it to me?" The dragon said, waving away Twilight who was tugging at his facial hair to check it for authenticity.

"But you're a dragon... You have strong magical resistance now. I haven't been able to cast that spell on you for years."

Oh yah... dragons... "I guess that explains why I am completely drained... put too much into it." Dawn chuckled at her misfortune. 

"Serves you right." Rarity squeaked in anger.

Twilight and the dragon rolled their eyes and laughed. 

"Oh, Spike this is Dawn. She came for my magic convention." Twilight introduced.

"Hello." He greeted, waving a claw. He then turned to Twilight who was trying to comfort Rarity. "Don't you mean a magic get-together."

"Perhaps a gathering?" Dawn quickly offered.

Twilight face hoofed and gave a small blush. "uhh... What can I do for you two? Spike said you were going to need him all day."

Now only seething in the inside, the bearded Rarity managed to smile back to Twilight. "Yes, well. Spike said something about a pink unicorn poking your tree so I thought I would join you." Rarity gave a quick glare over to Dawn. "Not that I have much of a choice now. I'm going to be stuck here for two hours." She pouted.

Dawn's head was clearing as her magic slowly filled back into her body. Why in the world is she stuck here for two hours? Maybe she wants to keep her beautiful beard to herself. Selfish pony. "I think your beard looks really beautiful. You should go share it with the town." Oh! A Beard explosion! Every one in the town can have one. Her mind's gears were churning as she devised a new possible spell. There could be money in it. Maybe...Meh never mind. Pesky laws about casting spells on unwilling ponies... Rarity scoffed at the very idea of going outside but she took the complement all the same. At least Dawn thought she did.

They all settled into the library. Dawn and Twilight sitting next to each other. Dawn was searching through the forty or so scrolls laid out on the table. Twilight was pouring over Dawn's tome. Rarity was across the table from the two, fussing over her beard. Spike had curled up on a couch across the room to sleep. Every once in awhile a question would come up about each others spells and the other would answer with just as much enthusiasm as the other. Rarity would remain mostly quiet. She would make small grunts of disapproval as she fussed with her facial hair. Every ten minutes or so Rarity would ask Twilight, "Are you sure there isn't a counter spell?" only for her to answer to be, "Why would I need one it wears off."

Dawn's tail was writhing around on the ground as she read, studied, and learned Twilight's beautifully simple spells that put hers to shame. Talking about magic with some pony her own age was also a little joy she had never gotten to experience before. 

Twilight turned to Dawn with another question. "So Dawn, what was the name of the magic academy you went to?

Who said anything about a 'Magic academy'? "Uhh, what magic academy?"

"The one you went to?"

"I didn't go to an academy..."

"Wha? wait... what?" A blank stare crept across Twilight's face as the new information was being processed.

"Not all ponies are as privileged as you were Twilight." Rarity said, breaking the growing silence. "Honestly dear you are pretty much royalty."

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to insult you." Twilight said quickly. "Again..."

"Who's insulted?" Dawn questioned, tilting her head slightly at Twilight in earnest wonder.

Rarity face hoofed and turned to Dawn. "She was insinuating you were privileged darling. You know rich...”

"Oh... Well I still live my parents so my living costs are way down." Should I be insulted? "And I have gotten quite popular out north... I have been making a lot of money..." 

"No dear, I was meaning your family... You know wealthy? Oh never mind." Rarity said, shaking her head.

"My family?" What do they have to do with my money?

"So... if you don't mind me asking how did you learn all this magic?" Twilight asked, patting the thick tome in front of her.

"Oh, well my parents' line of logic was a unicorn's magic is like a pegasus' flying and books were like learning tricks." Dawn said, thinking back to the hundreds of books lining her room. "So thinking like pegasi do, my parents brought in instructors from across the country to teach me magic, theory and practice. They also bought me dozens of books at a time to learn from."'

"So your family is well off then..." Rarity said, only for her voice die off.

"I don't know... Dawn shrugged. "I really don't know how much my parents make. My mother is a former Wonderbolt and my dad is the coach for them. They could both make a million bits an hour and I doubt I would be any the wiser." 

"A million bits an hour that's a lot of MooooLaaaaa!" Pinkie appeared out from under the pile of Twilight's scrolls. "Oooo" Pinkie ran over to play with Rarity's beard.

Pinkie needs a beard too. I wouldn't want her to feel left out. Dawn's horn glowed briefly before pink curly hairs sprouted out of Pinkie's face. Pinkie squealed in excitement as she felt her beard. I'm so nice. Pinkie jumped to the mirror and started posing with her new full faced beard. 

A knock on the front door caused Rarity jump out of surprise. "NO!" Rarity yelled out, in response to Twilight getting up to go get it. "Do NOT open that door!" she whispered.

"I need to go get it. It could be one of my old professors." Twilight whispered back. She walked over to answer the door as Rarity ran for cover. Dawn visibly perked up at the mention of another unicorn to talk about magic to, even if they were just boring teacher ponies.

Twilight opened the door to be greeted by four confused ponies. "Hehe don't mind the beard please come in!" Twilight welcomed the ponies in, chuckling. Dawn watched three older mares walk in with a near ancient stallion that had a natural white beard. "We kinda had a beard fight." Twilight explained. The four older ponies observed the other two visible bearded pink mares in the room. 

"Hoho, that sounds like fun!" said the old stallion. This old professor's coat was a wrinkled mess of brown fur and his face was adorned with the thickest set of eye brows Dawn had ever seen on a pony. They nearly covered his squinting eyes.

"Let me introduce you to my friend Dawn." Twilight motioned towards where Dawn sat. We are friends now? Ummm ok what the heck. Why not? "Dawn this is Professor Scrolls an old teacher of mine." She gestured to the ancient colt. 

Time to fulfill those pesky social contracts. "Hello." Dawn greeted warmly, giving a slight bow of her head.

"This is Professor Quill, Professor Dust and Professor Aura." Twilight continued pointing across to the mares who were settling at the table.

"Hello." Dawn recognized three of the four ponies' names. Two of them wrote awful books on practice and theory. While the third, Professor Scrolls the ancient stallion, wrote a couple of Dawn's favorite books on subjects like Magical Creativity, Magical Philosophy, and Magical Boundaries. 

"Please make yourself at home." Twilight said to everypony. "Can I get you anything professors?" 

The three older mares sat still staring around the room still processing the beards on the other three mares' faces making them oblivious to Twilight's hospitality. Professor Scrolls sat down next to Dawn at the table slowly looking over the presented material. Twilight gave up being hospitable and sat down on Dawn's other side. 

"We were just comparing the spells we've made." Twilight said to Professor Scrolls who seemed to have taken interest.

"Oh my, well one of you has been very busy." The old stallion said as he shifted through the mess of scrolls occasionally reading what was written.

Twilight giggled as she waved away the complement bashfully. "The scrolls are mine but this is Dawn's." She floated the tome over to Professor Scrolls.

The Tome opened to the old professor's light brown aura. He leafed through the pages delicately. The respect you show my book will not go unrewarded. "Oh my. I am impressed by both of you. You both have already created so many spells. You will both be written down in the history of magic for sure." He gave a gentle smile as he showered the two young unicorns with praise.

"That means a lot to me Professor Scrolls, you're the author of one of my favorite books." Dawn said, beaming at the professor inspecting her book. "'Pushing Magical Boundaries' really opened my mind leading to a large sum of the spells in that book. So your praise really does mean the world to me." She said, still smiling from the old stallion's praise.

The room grew suddenly quiet. Dawn felt four pairs of disbelieving eyes scan her. Professor scrolls gave a knowing smile at Dawn and shook his head at himself. "Of all my books that one has never had a fan. Thank you, that does mean a lot to me."

Dawn gave a questioning look around the room. She had no idea that was an unpopular book.

The professor saw the confusion on Dawn's face and decided to break the silence once again to explain. "It's a controversial book my young little pony. With that book I threw out a lot of magical theory that many ponies hold close to their heart." He smiled down at Dawn like an adult smiles at the innocence of a foal. 

"I don't see what is so controversial about it. You just asked questions that needed to be asked. Magic studies have been almost completely static in the last millennia. Plus I know I wouldn't have been able to dream up half of the spells in that book without opening my mind to the possibilities." Twilight next to her gave a small gasp. "One of my more useful spells that I am most proud of developing came into fruition right after reading that book for the first time." She flipped her book open with her magic to the page that the 'Bank' spell was on. 

The old colt looked over the spell before him. His eyes widened and watered to a glaze. He looked a couple decades younger. "Truly brilliant... opening a space where there was none and attaching it to a magic well..." He levitated Dawn's book over to the three mares, all wearing very confused faces. He turned over to Dawn and gave her a full bear sized hug. "Thank you I... I am glad that book touched at least one young mind." He broke the hug from the fairly surprised mare. "That book of all my books is the one 'I' am the most proud of."

"I wish I brought my copy of it to have you autograph." Ooo, he can sign my book. Her horn lit up to clear some proper space in front of the stallion. Dawn Shoved some of Twilight's scrolls out of the way while stealing her book back from the other professors who were still studying it. Dawn opened it to the very back page then pulled out an ink pot and quill from her bank which earned some "Ooo's" and "Ahh's" performed by Pinkie Pie. She had stopped playing with her beard and had taken a seat next to Twilight. "Why don't you autograph my spell book instead? It would mean a lot to me" Not a lot of things meant much to Dawn but this was the honest truth.

"Alright my dear." He reached out a hoof to the ink pot and poked it to make sure it was real. "So that spell works well then?" He asked as his horn lit up with a light brown aura. It surrounded the ink and quill as one dipped into the other.

"Yep I keep all kinds of stuff in there." Dawn answered now positively beaming with excitement.

The quill dragged along the last page of her tome with the pony's signature and a little message that he read out loud "Don't ever be afraid to break boundaries, that is what they're there for. -- Frisk Scrolls." It was the first and last line of the favored book.

Dawn giggled like a school fairing filly. "Thank you so much." Dawn said, in between her fits of excitement. She put the pot and quill back into the 'bank' and inspected the ink on her book waiting for it to dry properly before throwing that too into the 'bank'.

Twilight looked a little disappointed at the disappearance of the book so Dawn winked at her to assure her she can read it again later. Twilight catching the wink smiled in return before summoning a scroll from her upstairs. It zoomed right on to the table and unrolled dropping to the ground. It appeared to be a list. A very long list.

"Well since this did not turn out to be the convention I hoped it would be. I wrote a list of discussion topics we could talk about." Twilight said, beaming at her professors and Dawn.

> Chapter 4: Meeting the Princesses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Four

The sun had long set leaving the magic enthusiast in a hallowed out tree, lit only by a chandelier. As Twilight's list of topics to discuss got shorter a few things became apparent to Dawn. One, Pinkie Pie was surprisingly knowledgeable about all of the magical theory that was discussed and she had a very liberal view of it all. She often debated something along the same lines of Dawn's point of view, surprising every pony aside from Twilight. Two, the authors in the room were just as interesting as the books they had written. Professor Scrolls was just as insightful as his books while Professor Aura and Professor Quill were not even that to theirs. And finally the last lesson learned today was Dawn should not 'Tweak' Twilight's delicately put together spells. 

"Ahg, this beard is itchy! When do you think it will wear off?" Twilight asked, itching her beard with her hooves.

"Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months I don't know. It's your magic." Dawn said, indifferently. She could hear Rarity groan upstairs.

"Yes but 'you' cast it and messed with it some how." Twilight argued back.

"That I did. That I did..." Dawn said as she caressed her beard. She had re-cast beards for herself and Pinkie twice now but Twilight's had stayed on long past it's duration along with Rarity's. Dawn levitated the scroll containing the beard spell in front of her to study. "Guess I can make a counter spell, shouldn't be too hard." 

"WHAT?" Rarity shrilled from up stairs, causing the room to go silent. 

From behind Twilight's scroll containing the 'Number 25' spell she could hear two pops of magic. Folding down the paper she could see the princesses themselves standing tall and regal as all the stories of them portrayed. Neat, they're so tall... And the manes...

"Celestia! Luna!" cheered Twilight. 

Twilight jumped into a hug with the sun princess. Pinkie greeted the confused looking princesses by spouting confetti about as she hopped around them in circles. Dawn watched the professor mares bow low from where they sat. She was unsure of the proper pageantry and she was even more confused now with the mixed messages.

"Please come in and take a seat. I think we were all just getting hungry. I was just about to go get the food." Twilight said after breaking her hug with the sun goddess.

"Oh! I'll go tell Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie squeaked in excitement before disappearing in a blur of pink.

"Umm Twilight... you have something on your face." Princess Celestia said, still wearing a confused look.

"It is a beard my dear sister, a very sharp looking beard." Princess Luna corrected, nodding in appreciation.

"I can see it's a beard..." Princess Celestia said dryly.

"Well then you should respect her life choice." Luna retorted. 

"We had a beard fight earlier." Twilight giggled before shoving an accusing hoof over to Dawn. "Still hasn't worn off yet." She added with a sour tone. 

"Aww it's temporary?" Luna pouted before taking notice of the only other pony other than Twilight not bowing in the room. Dawn gave a quiet smile in return unsure how to handle the night goddess's gaze. 

"Hopefully..." Twilight answered. 

"HOPEFULY?" The tree library roared with a disgruntled Rarity from upstairs which was followed by deathly silence. 

"You should probably work on that counter spell sooner than later... and you should probably apologize to Rarity when you're done." Twilight said to Dawn.

"Yah I would like to avoid her revenge plots or schemes she may have dreamt of up there." Dawn agreed. She straightened up the scroll with the spell for further study, hiding her from Princess Luna's gaze.

Princess Celestia took notice of the other ponies in the mutilated tree. She approached the table to address the professors. "Please rise my little ponies. Professor Scrolls, Quill, Dust, Aura. It is wonderful to see you all again." She then followed Luna's gaze to Dawn. "Twilight Sparkle, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" 

"Of course, this is Dawn. She studies magic like me." Twilight said, waving a spare hoof her way.

"Nice to meet you Dawn." Celestia said pleasantly.

"Twilight... And Dawn..." Luna said quietly to the room. 

"Heh, yah very nice to meet you too Princess." Dawn greeted as she lowered the scroll she was studying trying to give her best of smiles. Her greeting migrated over to Luna. More than one princess...princesses. "essss..." Dawn corrected herself by hissing like a snake. Good save. Dawn nodded in agreement with herself again. Now to work on a counter spell. She levitated the scroll labeled 'Number 25' back into her view. A quill and ink pot appeared in front of her as a spare piece of paper dragged across the table over to her. The quill came to life under a pink aura as it scratched across the blank piece of paper covering it with runes and calculations that will make up the counter spell. Dawn started to hum to herself as she delved into thought. 

Everypony watched the humming pink unicorn, who was in her own little world, work. A silence decided to loom over the table as the Princesses' un-breaking gazes fell on Dawn. 

Dawn calculated every counter rune of the spell in her head as she wrote it down on paper. She fell back on the cushion she was laying on to look up at the ceiling still humming her note-less tune.

Twilight was the one who broke the pregnant silence. "I guess I will clear the table off for the food." Twilight said shakily, before lifting, rolling, and stacking scroll after scroll in a corner of the room. "So ummm... pri... Celestia how was your day?" She asked in an adopted conversationalist tone.

"It was good Twilight." Princess Celestia said, turning to her student with a smile. "Where did you meet Dawn here?"

"Oh she came for the 'Convention'." She gestured to the room. "She thought it would be bigger. Pinkie found her last night and threw her a get-to-know-a-new-pony party at Fatty Joes last night." Twilight slipped into thought as she finished clearing the table. "Dawn can I borrow your book so I could show the princesses your spells."

...Hmm... My name was called... Dawn straightened herself up and looked around to see every pony looking at her. Oops missed something important. "What?" She asked, her horn still forcing the quill to scratch across the now half filled paper.

"Your spell book, would you mind if I showed it to the princesses? I've already showed them my spells." 

"Oh... no, not at all. By all means." Silence returned as Dawn went back to her thought filled gaze to the ceiling. 

"Uhh Dawn you made your book disappear..."

Blinking hard in attempts to catch up to what Twilight had just said. Oh that's right I put it in the 'bank'. "Oh sorry of course..." Dawn's horn grew brighter as she pulled the book from the 'bank' and into the solid world. "There you go my dear." She said, smiling at Twilight as the book was taken over by Twilight's purple aura. Dawn returned to her thoughtful posture, laying on her back with her tail up along her belly for modesty's sake.

"What magic is this?" Princess Luna gestured to the book.

"Oh you will see Princess" The old stallion spoke up. "This one..." He pointed a hoof at Dawn. "...is quite imaginative with her magic. At least from what I have seen."

"She really is... creative. She's also the only other unicorn that I've met that can teleport." Twilight said, smiling at the princess as if she found a buried treasure. She opened up the tome in front of the princesses to the page with the 'bank' spell written on it. 

The Princesses looked over the procedure that was required to open a space outside of space and the enchantments that are necessary for the items to be stored in said space. "Impressive" Princess Luna offered Dawn, who was on her back gazing at the ever interesting ceiling oblivious to any praise given. Dawn's horn was still aglow until the quill, which was dancing along the scroll, plopped into the ink pot.

"Test time." Dawn said, getting up quickly, startling everypony at the table except for the old stallion.

"You finished already?" Twilight asked disbelievingly.

"No. I need to test it. Didn't you hear me? Hold out your beard!" Dawn ordered excitedly.

"What? Test it on yourself!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I thought you didn't want it any more?" Dawn asked, somewhat startled by Twilight's outburst.

"I don't. It's itchy and..."

Dawn's horn was already relit as she directed the charging counter spell at Twilight. The spell went off and hit Twilight straight in the beard. Much to Twilight's brief relief it started to recede back into her face. Just as the beard was about to disappear completely, it burst in a blinding flash of pink magic that filled the room. Dawn blinked away the blinding stars in her eyes to survey for possible damages. The older mares across the table were well equipped with facial hair. Not only just that but both the Princesses themselves were also sporting full facial beards now. 

Dawn erupted into a roaring laughter that was not fit for a mare her size as the others just started to grasp what had happened. The princesses first looked at Twilight's still flourishing beard and then they noticed each other's beards. They both lifted a hoof to point at each others beard in unison.

Luna quickly took to inspecting her own starry sky beard that was flowing in an eternal wind of magic. "What a beautiful beard!" Princess Luna excitedly announced.

Princess Celestia gave a thousand yard star at her own reflection on the mirror across the room. An ancient rage was building up behind the sun princess's eyes, a rage that would send any sane pony reeling for cover. The building rage soon found its target, one pink unicorn that was suffocating from her own laughter. The night Princess diverted her sister's attention by biting down on the ethereal pink beard and yanking it.

Twilight stood still, frozen, as she watched the two most powerful beings of Equestria bite and pull each others' beards, each evoking an ancient wrath of the other. The old brown stallion was ignoring the bickering princesses and was now looking over the paper with the counter spell's calculations that Dawn had written down. Dawn herself was just starting to recover from her laughter, catching her breath. 

"Ahh here's your mistake my dear filly. Instead of an omega rune you should use a wind rune, so it dissipates the spell rather than absorb it." Professor Scrolls said in a teaching voice worthy of a professor of his caliber.

Dawn now in full control of her faculties got up to join him at the paper. "You are right. What was I thinking no wonder it exploded."  Silly sub-conscious.  Dawn's Ever-last quill was brought back to life from its resting place in the ink pot. It wrote down a second line of runes in correction. "Alright Twilight! ROUND TWO!" Dawns horn lit up again firing another spell before she finished her warning. The second the spell landed on Twilight's beard, it started to recede until nothing but her fresh spring lavender coat remained. The success of the spell stopped the Princesses beard tug of war as they both calculated their next move.

"It worked!" Twilight nearly screamed out of joy. She lifted her hoof to feel around her freshly unburdened chin.

"Of course" Dawn said, pounding her chest like a pegasus. She then aimed the spell at the older mares across the table that had been in catatonic state from all the events that had just transpired. Their beards disappeared just as Twilight's did. Princess Celestia, spitting out her sister's beard, turned expectantly over to Dawn. "Rarity I made a counter spell come down and I'll rid you of your glorious beard." Dawn yelled up stairs. She could hear a frantic scampering as a bearded white unicorn appeared on the stair case.

"Oh thank Celestia! Do it!" Rarity yelled as she closed her eyes in preparation of the incoming spell.

"Uhh thank Professor Scrolls." Dawn corrected as she fired the spell. Her magnificent beard disappeared like the rest. There was nothing coherent came from the unicorn's mouth after the spell went off. Rarity melted in place in what seemed like pure ecstasy, feeling her smooth face with her hooves. 

The front door slammed open with a bearded Pinkie Pie hopping into the room. Without missing a beat she yelled, "BEARD PARTY!" disappeared and reappeared in between the princesses, hanging on their necks, pulling them together in her jubilation. A small unicorn filly walked in pushing a cart of food closely followed by a young colt pegasus with another cart of food.

"Oh good Pound and Pumpkin, just put those carts over there, thank you." Twilight said, finding her composure from the recent events. Rarity was more or less back to normal as she walked down to join the table with the bearded princesses. 

Pound and Pumpkin were unblinkingly gawking at the princesses as they gave mumbled back in unison, "Okay".

"Pssst Dawn, take this beard off me now!" Ordered Princess Celestia, whispering under the table. She was now ducking her head from the foals.

"You will do no such thing!" Princess Luna said loudly as she lifted the paper that was in front of Dawn only to destroy it in a dark blue flame. 

Celestia's face was of unfiltered horror as she watched the last of the ashes of the counter scroll float to the ground. "Dawn, as your princess I order you to cast that counter spell now!" Princess Celestia's got up to her full height quickly with her wings in a fully erect state above her head making her an even more indomitable looking figure.

"Sure thing..." Dawn mumbled, lighting up her horn to cast the spell. She was in turn surrounded by a dark blue aura that lifted her up off the ground pulling her in front of the night goddess.

"Dawn, as your Princess I order you to not cast that spell!" Princess Luna took up the same posture as her sister. The professorial mares that were now below Dawn were quivering in fear from the sight of the princesses.

Hmmm, well this is funny. Dawn let out a delicate maniacal giggle as she thought of the possibilities. Luna's magical grip on Dawn almost faltered as she was caught of guard by the strange response. I can make this really interesting. "In there, is the spell to cast beards on to ponies." Dawn pointed her horn over to the stack of scrolls in a corner. Both princesses looked over to the pile. "But for now..." She lit up her horn focusing on the princesses. Both of their beards disappeared as Dawn teleported right beside Twilight.

The princesses looked confused as they turned to each other. They both noticed they were both beard free now. Celestia turned to thank Dawn as her sister started to dart to the pile of scrolls. Looks like a choose correctly... The sudden action startled the twins, who were now just on lookers. Celestia quickly turned to the direction her sister was running in and flared up her horn. The pile of scrolls burst into flames of red consuming nothing but the paper. Luna spun around in mid trot to find a triumphant looking Celestia grinning at her.

Twilight watched the whole scene in horror, to see her scrolls, her life's work, being reduced to ash by her very teacher, motherly figure, friend... "My spells..." she managed to whimper.

Seeing the wake of destruction the princesses wrought, Dawn decided to hide her tome in her 'bank', before turning around to see the two younglings that were agape at the display. "You should probably head back home." Dawn suggested to them quietly, smiling as they slowly nodded and backed out of the library. Dawn closed the door after them with her magic only to spot Pinkie busy hanging a banner labeled 'Beard party' over some bookshelves. This is great fun. I'm glad I came.

Princess Celestia, hearing and seeing her students dismay, walked over to Twilight to comfort her and offer her apologies. "I am so sorry Twilight were those really important?" She quickly had Twilight in a full embrace giving her the clearance to glare at Luna who was returning a mimicked image of Celestia's triumphant grin.

Dawn eyed the carts of food and started to levitate all the platters full of food off the cart and onto the table. Pinkie planted herself right next to Rarity who was enjoying her freshly shaven face, oblivious to the drama scene that had unfolded.

"I am starving." Dawn said, breaking the silence laced with Twilight's small whimpers. 

"Twilight what were those scrolls I destroyed?" Princess Celestia asked, reluctantly, when she broke her embrace to look in Twilight in the eyes.

"My spells..."

"Do you have... copies?"

"Not of those..."

"Not true Twilight I already memorized those." Dawn blurted out, unthinkingly. Her mind was preoccupied with all the delicious food she was laying out on the table. 

"Wha?...What do you mean?" Twilight eventually asked, battling the swelling lump in her throat.

"Hmmm? what?" ...What did I say again? Twilight looks real sad... That's right the scrolls. My bad. "Oh, I feel bad about having them get destroyed I'll rewrite them for you." Why not in a book? Would she prefer a book for those spells? "I would hate to see those spells just get destroyed again why don't I put them in a book for you? They are, by far, more book worthy than any of my spells." She said, nodding in accordance with her words. Especially number 25.

"Wait... you can write them all down?" Twilight asked disbelievingly.

"It's more of a curse than anything else but what ever I read it gets stuck in my head. That's why I write down my spells..."

"I thought you were Doctors Palmers prized student. He speaks quite highly of you." Professor Scrolls chimed in.

Dawn was now placing a large number of pastries of all kinds on a plate in front of her. "That's odd cause I only have sour memories of that contemptible, hapless fraud." Dawn said apathetically before she shoved food in mouth. Closed minded pony... 

"Ahh yes I heard of your falling out. Sorry to bring it up. If it is any consolation he still speaks fondly of you." Professor Scrolls said with a kind smile.

"Wait you can write those spells down for me again?" Twilight asked in a broken record tone.

"And you can't?" Dawn replied, in between chewing her food and raising an eye brow. "I had a heavy hoof to play in their destruction so I'll write them in any format you choose as an apology." She swallowed the sweet pastry she was chewing. She then took another greedy bite from the food on her filled plate. "Just let me finish eating and I'll get started."

Twilight jumped over and hugged Dawn tightly from behind, nuzzling her neck. "Thank you." Twilight whispered into Dawn's mane.

Didn't see that coming... "Yep no problem." Dawn said through the wall of chewed pastries in her mouth.

"That's right you talked back to me, your princess! And you manipulated me!" Princess Luna said looking over Dawn with a face of disbelief. 

"Don't forget assaulting royalty sister." Princess Celestia sat down next to her sister chuckling at the accusation. She smiled impishly, somepony else was taking the blame for her.

"Can't wait to put that on my resume." Dawn said after swallowing her food. "Bearded the princesses." She said, laughing, as she waved her hooves to frame the words.

The room filled with light laughter as the rest of the ponies in the room started to take notice of the food Dawn' had lain in front of them. "I am a bit hungry. Arguing with you mares is a physical feat on its own." Professor Scrolls said, looking over to his colleagues, gathering some food for himself.

Dawn was stuffed from eating too fast but her counterparts were just starting. "So Twilight, you want scrolls or in book form?"  Dawn got up and stretched with practiced precision.

"Oh, no. You're right. I know every letter that were on those scrolls. I'll do it later. I wasn't thinking clearly earlier. Don't worry about it." Twilight said, waving a free hoof at Dawn.

Dawn rolled her eyes at the Twilight. "No please let me do this it won't take very long and as Princess Luna pointed out, I had a heavy hoof to play in their destruction. What would you like it in, scrolls or a Book?"

"I clearly missed something but if Dawn wants to punish herself I say let her do it." Rarity said, revenge laced her every syllable.

Twilight, ignoring Rarity, thought over the proposal. "Fine, you do have better calligraphy than me any ways. If you really want to, just scrolls will be fine. You can find paper in that cupboard." Twilight said, pointing a hoof next to the purple dragon who was silently asleep on a couch.

Dawn's horn lit up as she pulled out her quill and all her pots of ink from her 'bank'. She trotted over to the cupboard Twilight mentioned which was on the far side of the room. She spotted several quills along the way, which she picked up with her magic. She started to hum with her thoughts again as she pulled out a stack of paper from the cupboard and planted herself in between of the table and the sleeping dragon. She set down the three pots of ink around her and the stack of paper near the couch. The dropping of the paper woke up the dragon with a startled grunt. 

"Oops sorry didn't mean to wake you." Dawn whispered to Spike.

"Uhh... it's alright" groaned the dragon. He sleepily studied the pink unicorn as she spread seven pieces of paper on the ground. 

Dawn's horn glowed bright as she commanded all seven quills to write down the first seven spells. The quills danced in the pink aura as Dawn fell deep in her concentration.

Princess Luna was still watching Dawn with a good amount of interest as the pink mare controlled seven quills each moving uniquely. Dawn's tongue pushed against her teeth as she concentrated on the images of Twilight's scrolls, content aside. All the ponies at the table, save for Pinkie Pie, slowly followed the Night Princesses focused eye. They all watched the pink unicorn orchestrate the seven quills in a delicate dance across paper. Dawn sat quietly, horn aglow, as paper was processed through the seven glowing quills that scratched across piece after piece of paper tirelessly.

Dawn noticed the room had gone quiet but she didn't want to make a mistake so she paid it no attention. 

"How is she doing that?" 

"Doctor Palmer spoke of how she could do things like this..." 

I need to block them out. Dawn closed her eyes tighter and concentrated on how the scrolls looked. The quills scratching grew faster. Almost done. I wonder if the Milky Way is showing brightly here. I do love that part of the night sky. All outside influences melted away as the brightest part of the night sky drifted through her mind. The scratching of the quills quickened as she finished off copying the last of Twilight's spells.

"There done!" Dawn celebrated, snapping back into the conscious world. The quills flew around the library to find their rightful place, the ink pots corked and ever-last quill cleaned floated into her 'bank'. She then levitated the forty-two pages of spells around her to inspect her work. Looks good to me. Wait, what is that... In the lines of runes and notes there were abnormalities... extra spaces or an elongated symbols. Constellations in the paragraphs, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Sagittarius, Scutum, Ophiuchus and of course Dawn's favorite Scorpius. "Ummm Twilight I made a mistake, kinda..." She levitated the offending pages over to Twilight while stacking the remainder. 

Twilight inspected the pages carefully. "I don't see any mistake." Twilight said, surprised by Dawn's ability to do the job the way she did. Dawn made her way over to Twilight to show her.

"There." Luna said, pointing towards the large blocked segments of runes. "These pages have consolations of the night's sky."

"Yah my thoughts slipped into the pages, do you want me to redo these?" Dawn asked Twilight.

Twilight chuckled. "No that's alright, I didn't even notice at first. It's perfect the way they are." Twilight stacked the papers on the table and gave Dawn a one hoofed hug. "Thank you."

"Wasn't a problem."

"Why were you thinking of my night when you were so deep in meditation?" Princess Luna asked, tilting her head to inspect Dawn.

"Uhhh... I guess I find peace in the sky. It's kind of my job to honor the night sky so it's often on my mind." I wonder if she would like my spells.

"Your job is to honor my sky? There's jobs for that?" Luna turned to Celestia for an answer.

"Astronomers Luna..." Princess Celestia answered with a sigh.

"Those closed minded ponies do not honor my sky they study it and rather poorly I might add." 

"Ahh, I can show yo..." Dawn was interrupted by the opening of the front door. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash followed by some younger looking mares one of each type of pony.

"Aww Rarity! What happened to your beard?" The younger white unicorn asked.

"I knew she was lying..." The orange pegasus started to say.

"No she ain't lyin look she has a beard too." The yellow earth pony said, pointing a hoof over to Dawn.

As if from the attention the mares brought to it, the beard in question withered and faded away from Dawn's face. Dawn looked over to Pinkie where the same thing happened.

"Awww, Dawny can you make me a new one pretty please?!?" Pinkie was on top of Dawn's head suddenly, bending forward to make close upside down eye contract. 

Dawn was right, this was not pleasant. "Perhaps later Pinkie." She mumbled through the strain of keeping herself from collapsing under Pinkie's weight.

"Okay dokay polokey." She said from across the table where she had just hopped to.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were working the table filling their plates, getting disagreeable looks from the professorial mares. Luna had not taken her eyes off Dawn. 

"Hey Dawn! Why don't you show us your stuff now?" Rainbow asked excitedly from across the table with food stuffed in her mouth. "I was promised a show and free food."

"Umm okay but not in here. You defiantly want the outside show." What spell to use... 'City Crasher' or the 'Striker'. "Hmmm."

"Sweet!" Rainbow flew outside to stop just outside the door, holding her plate full of food in a spare hoof. Her tail was whipping in excitement below her. "Where do you want us?"

"Where ever you can see the sky should be fine." Dawn answered in an indifferent tone. She got up, stretched, and closed her eyes to feel her magic flowing inside her. She gauged how much she could expend tonight. There just might be enough for 'The Battle'. Dawn moved outside with Rainbow.

Curiosity loomed through everypony's head provoking them to get up and move outside with them. Luna was especially curious. She took the liberty to disappear in black smoke and reappear outside. The entire group of ponies, Professors and Princesses alike, made it outside to the now empty street of Ponyville. It was a very pretty night dressed with a full moon and stars to match its brilliance. Dawn walked out in front of the group and assumed a position. Her front end was lowered as her forelegs spread apart.

Dawn closed her eyes and focused on the remainder of her magic. She needed every bit she could spare. She started to build up magic in her horn, weaving it into the spell. Her horn was soon glowing with a blinding and massive pink aura. Her magic aura continued to grow and grow in brightness and intensity as it started to envelop her body. The surrounding ponies could sense the sheer power being drawn. They started to back peddle away from the pink unicorn out of instinct. Building still, her coat started to burn from the intensity of the magic that had enveloped her. Dawn felt her horn threaten to crack open and let out everything she had built up in it. It all felt so familiar to Dawn. She loved every bit of it. 

Finally a large orb was produced from the tip of her horn. Very similar to the one she demonstrated the previous night except roughly the size of a large stallion if not larger. The orb accelerated to the sky, starting from a snails pace to speeds that would make any pegasus envious. The orb disappeared into the night sky. Dawn collapsed to the ground. Spent. Through labored efforts she rolled on to her back so she could watch her handy work.

"That's it?" The orange pegasus asked the surrounding ponies, whose eyes were on the sky. Everypony else knew something was going to happen. Something that would take up the entire sky as promised.

And then it did. The entire sky glowed red, then yellow, then finally green, ending in black as the very moon and stars in the sky dimmed to a faint, barely visible, dull shine. Even the spare light or two on the ground in Ponyville dimmed all in accordance to Dawn's spell in the sky. The sky soon exploded with an expanding ring of pure energy. In the wake of this ring was left an aurora borealis that consisted of a near unimaginable amount of different colors. The colors flourished with each other at random until the next set explosions came. A series of explosions pushed the aurora borealis into figures of ponies of old. These figures started to reenact a classic scene of history using the dimmed starry sky as a backdrop. Each clash of the characters, wings or swords, warranted an explosion of energy that further pushed the story along. Each explosion, each flash of light, each movement of the figures in the sky earned an 'Ooooo' or an 'Ahhhh' from the audience outside the library. The shock waves of the many explosions gave a tactile feel to the battle raging above allowing each pony to feel the emotional power of the battle up above. Dawn always enjoyed the shocked silence the most when an unexpected or large explosion went off. 

Dawn looked over to her audience. Everypony was sitting on their quarters, gaping at the sky. Everypony except Princess Luna who was staring at Dawn, studying her. She watched Dawn with more interest than the other ponies had in the sky. She did occasionally glance up at the sky when a large shockwave was felt and when she did she would give a serene smile at the magic above, which made Dawn profoundly happy.  In the end, Luna would always return her gaze back to the pink unicorn. 

Content with the audiences' reaction to her show and succumbing to magic fatigue, Dawn felt her eye lids drape over her eyes. I think I'll take a nap. This show has about 5 minutes to go, plenty of time. 

"She dead?" 

No, I am not dead. Don't mine me just watch the show. 

"Naw, she just gone up and used too much magic."

"The very fact that she could summon that much magic kind of frightens me." 

Yes, yes. Heard it before, leave me be.

"As it should Twilight, she is no normal unicorn. No normal unicorn could summon so much magical energy alone and at once." 

"Twilight can..." 

"I can?" 

"I said normal unicorn Celly, Twilight is not normal."

"I...I'm not?" 

Leave me alone everypony just watch the show. 

"Hun, wake up now you can't sleep here." Applejack said, gently, shaking the pink unicorn. Dawn groaned as she cracked open her eyes. The group of ponies that were watching her show surrounded her, all looking at her with concerned eyes.

Dawn rolled over so she can stand up proper. Her body, like always, screamed in protest and for the rare occasion her mind agreed, making her dizzy enough to fall back down.

"You should probably not get up right away." Twilight said, giving her a glass of water.

Dawn's horn lit up lifting the glass above her head dumping it. Just what I needed.  "Thanks." The water did wonders in clearing her mind freeing Dawn to push herself against the unforgiving gravity of the earth.  Ha, take that gravity. Dawn stretched her back and forelegs out of spite for the protesting muscles. "Hmm there's still food inside." She mumbled. The shocked crowd parted for the pink mare as they followed her in the library.

"Ya sure you're alright surgarcube? You were out cold just a sec ago." Applejack asked.

"Yes darling you should be laying down some where. Magic fatigue is nothing to laugh at. Twilight has been through that many times." Rarity chimed in, seemingly all grudges aside.

Dawn's horn lit up grabbing her used plate and loading it with more food. "I got plenty of reserves relax." Dawn lied. She could barely use her telekinesis. 

"The very fact that you are casting any magic at all is a nothing short of a miracle." Said one of the professorial mares.

"My parents typically are right next to me after a show shoving some of their awful home cooked food down my throat. It's nice to have good food for once. I'll be good once I get some more food in my stomach." Dawn said sitting, down looking around at the pairs of worried eyes directed at her. She spotted the ones she wanted. "By the way Princess Celestia one Ever Watch and Sturdy Shield wanted me say 'Hi' to you. They have fond memories of working under you or something." She said, trying to distract the eyes off her through waving a nonchalant hoof in the air. She picked up some food off her plate to only stuff it in her greedy mouth. Feels like I just ate... She swallowed and she could feel she did in fact have a full stomach. How convenient. Thank you past me for thinking ahead..

Dawn watched her parent's names get processed through Princess Celestia's head. Small hints of emotions drifted across her face as she recalled the memories. "They were really good to me, how are they doing? These are your parents?" She asked leaning in to hear the answer. The sound of social banter started to fill the room as the Professors and the six ponies from the night before started to talk in a groups. 

"Yep." Dawn answered with a mouthful that she was babying. "They are as happy as can be as far as I can tell."

Princess Luna studied the pink unicorn with dedicated eyes. Something was a miss. "Are you not qualified to tell such things about your family?" Luna asked as she was sat to Dawn's right.

"My parents like to hide things like their emotions and personal conflicts from my brother and me." Dawn answered, swallowing a mouthful gently.

"They likely just want to protect you my little pony." Princess Celestia said as she sat on Dawn's left.

"And I respect that about them, doesn't change the fact of the matter that I, their daughter, am in fact not qualified to judge their emotional state." Dawn said matter-of-factly.

"You have an interesting cutie mark Dawn. What were you doing when you got it?" Princess Luna asked, studying Dawn's face. "I don't think your sky show is your special talent is it?" She added, giving a knowing smile.

Why am I being interviewed? "Heh, no it's not. At least I don't think it is, just good money. I was asleep when I got this stupid thing." Dawn said, looking down at her cutie mark. The two princesses were quiet as they looked at each other. 

"What do you think your mark is?" Princess Celestia asked after giving her words some thought. 

Dawn glanced down at the stupid dark circle on her flank. "Hmmm, I think it is a solar eclipse on my flank." She said bluntly. What does it matter what it is... 

"Oh, no..." Princess Celestia wore a diplomatic mask in search for words. "That's not quite what I meant..." 

Dawn could feel her magic returning to her in waves. Each one beating through her with each heart beat. She looked around the room with a brand new clarity. I really did use too much magic this time... The room was evolving into full blown party mode, music had started playing and Pinkie was dancing with a previously unseen ferocity. 

Twilight had broken off from her conversation with Rarity and Applejack to walk over to join Dawn and the princesses. "Feeling better?" She asked Dawn.

"Yep, I'm good now." Dawn glanced over to the still hanging banner in the library. Beard Party... fair enough. Dawn's horn lit up as she cast a beard on herself then she spotted Pinkie. As she stroked her beard with an appraising hoof, she cast another beard on the other pink pony. 

"Oh yah! BEARDS FOR EVERYPONY!" Pinkie declared.

Rarity, in response to this, jumped behind the couch expecting a barrage of beard laced spells to be flung at her. None came.

"Wait... no Pinkie. Just upon request." corrected Twilight as she approached the now shivering couch.

Rarity poked her head out from behind to see if it truly was all clear. "Ahhh... yes thank you Twilight."

What fun is in that? I bet I can recreate that beard explosion. 

"Well then, I request a beard. This is a 'Beard Party' after all and one for my sister as well." Princess Luna formally requested. With a quick flare of Sir Castsalot the night princess was sporting another ethereal beard of the starry sky. She turned around to give one to the sun princess only to be met with her gold plated hoof.

"I think I will pass. Thank you for the generous offer sister." She said, meeting Dawn's eyes with a look of which she was not likely to disobey. 

"Suit yourself princess." Dawn's horn was now aimed at Twilight who was on looking at the party completely unaware to Dawn's intentions. A beard sprouted on Twilight just as thick and luscious as before. 

Before Twilight could react three younger mares ran up to the pink unicorn. "Do me! Do me!" They all cheered in sync. Dawn charged her horn directing her magic at the three young mares. Beards sprouted for each one. "Sweet! Thank you." 

Hmm dizzy again. Damn used too much magic I really should stop doing that. "I really do like your magic Twilight. It is so efficient and streamline." Dawn said, lying down on the cushion that she was sitting on. She looked drained. Her head ended up resting on her forelegs.

"Ooohh poor thing, tsk tsk tsk." Princess Luna said as her metal hoof stroked Dawn's withers. "She used too much magic again"

"It would appear so." Princess Celestia said, looking as if she was still deep in thought.

"Serves you right you really should stop casting spells for awhile." Twilight said, taking a seat in front of Dawn turning to Celestia. "You said I can cast that much magic..." Twilight started to say.

"Yes I did. I have not felt that much magic cast from a single unicorn since the day you got your cutie mark." Princess Celestia answered Twilight's unasked question.

"Yes but sister... Was that not due to her connection with the elements? Why is Dawn capable of such magic and better yet why has she not been screened?" Luna asked. "You should have been informed of Dawn long ago."

Dawn once again could feel magic webbing itself back into her body. It felt like being at the beach and sitting in the tide pools just before high tide. The cool refreshing waves of the ocean filling the pools you sat in until you were swept away completely. 

"Ponies slip through the system all the time Luna." Princess Celestia said indifferently.

"I find that hard to believe..."

"Dawn, where did you grow up?" Princess Celestia asked, cutting off her sister.

"Wingopolis's Shadow." Dawn mumbled. 

"See sister? Wingopolis's area is a predominately earth pony and pegasus region. Screening is likely very light there." Princess Celestia said, pushing the conclusion on Princess Luna.

Slowly but surely, her limbs felt life flow through them again as she sat back up. Her head had cleared but her eyes were still adjusting. She was surrounded by the two princesses and Twilight. I need some fresh air. Dawn looked over to the front door which was wide open letting in a faint draft. Not good enough.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked as she watched a less than balanced pink unicorn stand up.

"More or less" Dawn said, puffing out her chest and hitting it with her hoof weakly like the pegasi do. "I think I just need some fresh air."

Twilight got the hint and moved out of the way for her. Dawn made it over to the door and took in a deep breath. She then stepped out into the brisk spring night air. Much better. She walked over to the side of the tree and sat down on her quarters. The night was truly a sight to take in. The milky way was in full force above her. She closed her eyes, feeling wave after wave of magic return to her body. Each one more potent than the last. I wonder what my parents are doing right now. Her parents were probably trying to fix this elaborate dinner they had no business making while her brother was attempting to escape said dinner.

"Homesick?" The night princess asked Dawn as she walked out of a thick shadow in the corner of the tree's trunk. I wonder how long she's been there. "Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude. This millennia's mannerisms still elude me on occasion."

"I don't mind, and no, I'm just grateful I don't have to eat my father's cooking." Dawn said with a longing smile, betraying her feelings. Princess Luna stood there looking down at Dawn with a half amused, half confused look. "Sorry... I've been getting socially awkward in my old age... would you like to join me Princess Luna? "

"Oh, I would love to. Thank you." Princess Luna fell on her quarters at Dawn's side. She looked down at Dawn as if inspecting for ware and tare. She found none. "My sister and I were very impressed by your ummm..." She searched for the words for Dawn's sky show. "Sky performance?" She finally asked turning her head to meet Dawn's face.

"Sounds good to me..." she said thoughtfully as she returned Princess Luna's gaze. "You saw one of my more unique spells err... performances. I have other spells meant for the sky that are just fancy explosions. I've been calling those fireworks. You know... like the dragons do?"

"Ah." Luna turned to her sky, chewing her lower lip in thought. Her gaze was as eternal as she was.

Dawn looked up to the sky and saw the Milky Way in all it's glory. Ponyville was surprising free of light pollution. I guess the town does shut down at sunset... She took in a deep breath of the night air and once again felt large waves of refreshing magic return to her. She returned her look at the princess responsible for the night. She was still chewing her lip up at the sky. She has not been what I expected. 

"Like I was saying, you have impressed my sister and me. So I thought I would ask you." Luna was looking Dawn in the eyes now. She was still deep in thought as she wanted to choose her next words very carefully. "I have been looking for a student... like the one my sister has... had."  

Dawn was confused at where this would be going. "I see... well Twilight is pretty unique..."

"Hmmm?" Princess Luna looked down at Dawn in a slight confusion. Maybe I wasn't to respond. Isn't this a conversation? I'll just sit still and be quiet. Always a good fallback plan. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle is a very unique unicorn. And I will never find a student like her..." Princess Luna was chewing her lip again. "But you are unique as well..." Is that a complement? "What I mean to say is... Would you like to become 'My' personal student? I feel we can gain a lot from each other. I can teach you magic the world has not seen for a thousand years..." Princess Luna sputtered out as she finished.

Huh... 

"If you so choose to accept, I would have you stay in Canterlot castle with me. You would be given nearly free roam of the castle and anything else you might require. I do not sleep often so we would have plenty of time for study and so on..." Princess Luna's voice was quivering with either excitement or nervousness.

Whoa... me live in a castle? 'The' Castle? That would be neat... I would be pretty far from home. I would learn a lot. She is many millennia old, I am sure she would find no shortage of stuff to teach me. And it never hurt to have a demigoddess as a teacher. Oops she is looking at me... what do I say? "Umm..."

Princess Luna's ears drooped in disappointment but then rebounded quickly as she said, "I would not have your answer now... No! I want you to think about it. This is a life decision and you should think it over!" Luna grinned at Dawn, genuine excitement was dripping from her mouth.

"Oh, good lots of variables to consider and what not." Is there? Maybe... ."No..."  Perhaps... "Yes! I will think about it." 

Princess Luna went through a cacophony of faces as she watched the pink unicorn come to her almost answer. "Ahh. Uhh... good then." Luna said, unsure of what else to say. 

Luna gave a quick survey of her surroundings only to find two mares, a white unicorn and a grey earth pony. They were in a slight daze looking over their way. Dawn followed the Princesses eyes leading over to the mares. "Hey Octavia, Vinyl." Dawn greeted, cheerily, before lethargically drudging up to a standing position. Her body still didn't want to move anywhere. 

Pinkie appeared behind the couple and embraced them both in a surprise bear hug breaking them of their trance that was brought on by a bearded unicorn. "I'm SO glad you made it!" Pinkie said as she rubbed her beard against the two mares. She then quickly ushered them into the library meeting only with passive resistance from the two mares.

"Miss Dawn, I would appreciate it if you did not say anything to the ponies in this tree about what I have purposed to you. Especially my sister..." Princess Luna said with formality. 

"Sure not a problem, Princess Lu..." She answered as Princess Luna dissolved into the shadow that she came out of. I wonder if she could teach me that. 

Dawn gave a final run through of stretches before making her way back inside the mutilated tree. 

"Feeling better?" Twilight asked Dawn from across the table. 

"Much." Dawn cheered. Princess Luna was sitting where Dawn had left her prior to their discussion. Princess Celestia gave concerned face with Twilight's question and Dawn's answer. 

The party was in full swing, the professors were spread among the other ponies. Professor Scrolls was talking with three young bearded mares. Octavia and Vinyl were sitting on the couch looking around the room paying special attention to the banner hanging on the far side of the room. They 'need' beards... Dawn just could not help herself on this one. Dawn's horn lit up with the spell. The spell was cast across the room hitting the two music ponies in the face.

"You really need to stop using your magic. Just for a little while." Twilight said, giving an almost motherly glare of disapproval.

She is right. I should stop for the rest of the night. "Don't be silly Twilight I got plenty of magic left." She said with her pegasus pride. The princesses and Twilight rolled their eyes at the empty gesture.

She walked over and sat next to her most recent victims. "It wears off in about two hours" She assured them. 

"Oh, good..." Octavia said with mild relief still examining her long side burns accompanied by a thick mustache with a hoof. Vinyl was largely indifferent about hers for as far as Dawn could tell. She was wearing the same large purple sunglasses she had on the train.

Dawn leaned lazily into the couch letting the waves of magic fill her body. She closed her eyes letting her mind wonder briefly. 

"Miss Dawn, I have to say it was a true pleasure meeting you." Professor Scrolls was standing in front of Dawn giving a small bow. "I'm sorry to say but I need to get back home now, last train to Canterlot leaves soon."

"I enjoyed talking to you too. Next time I find myself in the capital, I will look you up." She said, beaming a smile.

The old stallion laughed. "You do that dear and I will treat you to lunch. Good-bye for now." The three mares that had accompanied him waited in the door way. After waving good bye to the party the four professors disappeared into the night.

Dawn's body had cramped up into a mess due to her magic fatigue. To say she was tired would be an understatement. Despite this, she spent the majority of her time at the party talking to Twilight about pretty much every subject under the sky. 

The party went on for awhile with games of pin the tail on the pony and dancing. One by one, ponies left the party. It was only when the dance floor consisted of one orange and one blue pegasus with a pink earth pony, that Dawn figured she was done. She bid a fair well to Twilight, the princesses and the remaining partiers. She vaguely remembered falling in her bed after setting a sacrificial alarm clock to wake her up at seven in the morning, just in time for the train ride home.




> Chapter 5: Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Five

Dawn woke up from a very rude alarm clock. Her magic was already ripe to destroy the source of the noise but Dawn caught herself just in time to save the alarm clock from certain destruction. She groaned in bed for a bit only to teleport straight into the shower that was located in the bathroom across the hall. The shower washed away all her muddled thoughts and aches, granting her a cleansed mind and body.

Becoming Princess Luna's personal student... that would be one heck of an honor. I would be in the same league as Star Swirl the Bearded. I bet he had an impressive beard to have it added to as a title... I wonder if I'd get a title. 

Dawn walked out of the bathroom to the dining room to see the mares from yesterday morning. And Princess Luna... Luna was drilling a hole in the wall behind the other two mares with an absent stare. The older couple looked slightly terrified as they met Luna's unfocused gaze with their own.

"Uhh good morning..." Dawn said as she approached the three mares. The princess perked up and looked over to Dawn.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" The princess cheered excitedly as her tail swashed across the floor.

This caught the older couple off guard. The yellow pegasus flared her wings in a flight or fight response.

"Well enough." Dawn sat down in between the couple and Luna, looking expectantly at Luna. "Your sister's sun is really annoying in the morning."

The couple gasped in surprise. Luna just gave a light chuckle. "She says that almost every morning as she raises it."

"Oh, uhhh... lemme get your breakfast started, what would you like?" The yellow pegasus asked nervously.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble I would love your waffles again, those were really good."

"Of... of course. And pri...princess? Ca... Ca... Can I get you anything?" She stumbled over her own words as she backed out of the dining room.

"Hmmm? Did you say waffles?" Luna asked Dawn, to receive a nod. "Ooo I'll have some too."

"Ummm...Al...alright it will be just a fe...few minutes." The pegasus flew into the kitchen with the blinding speeds of retreat. 

The pegasus' partner retreated with her after mumbling something of helping with breakfast, leaving Dawn and Luna alone. 

"So did you give much thought to what I had purposed?" Luna's tail was eagerly swiping the floor for an answer.

"Nope."

Luna visibly sagged in place. "I... I see."

"I need to talk to my family about it. Canterlot is far away from Wingopolis and what not. Plus the party is just a big blur to me, didn't really have the clarity of thought to think properly about it."

Luna perked back up like a loaded spring. "I see, yes... You were suffering from severe magic fatigue... Then can I expect your answer after you have talked to your family?" She asked, grasping for straws. 

"Sounds about right..." Dawn shrugged.

Luna was in an unbounded state of excitement as if she never gave up hope. Her tail whipped around even more excitedly and a grin spread across her face. A silence loomed over the room as both mares fell into morning meditations. The only sound was of Luna's tail sweeping along the floor.

The silence was only broken with a yellow pegasus carrying two plates one on each wing. She awkwardly walked the long way around the table first dropping a plate of food in front of Dawn and then gentling placing the other plate in front of the princess. "I...I hope it's to your liking." She added, addressing Luna.

"Ohh they look delicious." Luna replied.

"That they do... That they do..." agreed Dawn. Luna and Dawn ate their waffles in relative silence as the yellow pegasus stood there, half cowering between them. "So Princess..."

"Please Dawn, call me Luna." She corrected with her mouth half full with waffles.

"Alright. So Luna, you think you could teach me that melting into shadows spell?"

"Hmmm?" Luna cocked her head at the question. "Oh, that. You were talking to an image of me. I wasn't really outside with you, just my consciousness merging with yours." Luna swallowed the rest of her waffles she had in her mouth as she explained. A smirk grew on her face as she added, "I can teach you that if you accept my tutelage." She flexed her eye brows in attempts to sweeten the deal. And it worked...

"Ha." Dawn dug back into her waffles as she spotted the time. "I need to be on the train in a couple minutes." She mumbled to herself. The brown unicorn walked in and stood by her partner guiding her to finally sit at the table. "So did you watch the night sky last night?" Dawn asked, turning to the couple. They are so cute when they cower together.  

"Ye...yes we were watching... What was that?" Asked the yellow mare.

"It made my horn tingle." The brown mare added.

"Wasn't it amazing? A really well done reenactment of the Battle of Ponymopylae! It surely put the annual pegasi reenactments to shame." Luna said excitedly.

Luna's outburst was a bit much for the couple. The older pegasus's wings flared out as she squeezed her partner for dear life. The unicorn went limp from lack of blood pressure in the pegasus's arms.

Dawn had finished her waffles and Luna was just about done. Once she was, Dawn enchanted the plates away to go clean themselves as she excused herself from the table. 

"I'll go pack my things and get out of your mane. Thank you for the lovely room." Dawn gave a little bow to the ghostly pale mares and made for her room. Luna followed.

Dawn called upon her horn up to throw her comb and tooth brush into her pillow. Luna gave an inquiring look around the room. "So you pay some bits to stay in a stranger's home and eat their food?"

"Basically." Dawn answered as she plopped the lumpy pillow on her back and started to make her way out of the bed and breakfast.

"What a strange concept and the 'vendors' do they provide any other services?"

"Umm, other then offering a homey 'bed' and 'breakfast'? No." Dawn put a heaving emphasis on the bed and breakfast for Luna's benefit.

"That sounds like an easy profession." She said, closing the door behind her.

"I personally wouldn't want some random pony roaming my home. Not even for a few bits." Dawn started a light trot down the street with Luna matching her pace. I should go say good bye to Twilight. She turned to the Library on the end of the main street.

"I always thought the idea of money was a bit funny." Luna admitted. She was in a light skip along Dawn's side. "I mean ponies do all kinds of stuff for the promise of a future service to be rendered but what if bits were useless to the pony they needed services from. Then the bits themselves would become useless."

"Yep." Dawn gave a last look of Ponyville, it was simple just like earth pony life styles. "Lucky for us ponies we are greedy."

"You think that is all that holds the system in check?"

"Of course. What else would there be? Divine intervention?" Dawn gave a scrutinizing look implying Luna's intervention.

"That is a scary thought..." Luna said, now trotting around Dawn.

"Yep." Dawn was now faced with the poor mutilated and humiliated tree labeled 'Library'. She opened the doors with her magic and trotted in. Spike was stacking books on the opposite wall. Luna closed the doors behind her which gained his attention. After nearly falling in surprise, he walked over to greet them.

"Hi princess and ummm..." 

"Dawn." Luna finished.

"Dawn..." Spike repeated in hopes of it sinking in. "Uhh Twilight is still asleep. But I can help you with what ever you need..."

Dawn's horn started to glow as her magic felt around the library. It was quickly drawn to Twilight's magic well. Her horn glowed brighter as she teleported Twilight out of bed to in front of her. "GOOD MORNING!" It's always good to be on the other end of a prodding stick. "I just wanted to say good-bye and that I had a wonderful time."

Twilight returned a sleep deprived stare as she grunted in response. Some gears started to roll around in her head as she grasped what was said. "Wait your leaving?" She mumbled, dreamily.

"That's the plan, my train leaves in ten or so minutes."

"Oh... well... Oh... You need to write me and stay in touch. It's a shame I didn't get to finish reading your book." Twilight said, still in a dreamy state.

"Ahh, Well." Dawn looked up at Luna who was silently observing. "Chances are, this is not the last you will see of me in this general area." Luna perked up with that news. "So you can hang on to this for a little while." Dawn magically pulled her book to her physical plane of existence and set it on the table in middle of the room.

"Wait, you are thinking of coming here more often." Twilight asked, visibly waking up now from the good news. 

"I'm still on the fence but we will see."

"I hope it works out. Not many ponies are around here that I can talk about advance magical theory with." Twilight chuckled to herself.

"Our thoughts are alike then." Dawn soon found herself with Twilight wrapped around her in a hug as she nuzzled her neck. Did I miss something? 

"Well then this isn't 'good-bye' it's 'see you later'." Twilight said as she broke her hug.

"I suppose... I'll see you later then." Dawn surveyed the empty library and saw beardless Spike. Her horn lit up to a near blinding intensity as she produced a sharp looking handle bar mustache for Spike.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the now very happy Spike. "Sweet, Thanks!" Spike cheered.

"Yep." Dawn turned around waving a hoof to Twilight and Spike.

"Are you going to get to the train on time?" Luna asked as she closed the door behind them both. 

Dawn broke into a light skip directed at the train station. "Probably."

"Well as long as you are not worried." Luna said, rolling her eyes.

The two contrasting colored ponies skipped to the train station where the train waited. Dawn turned around to Luna. "Thanks for seeing me off, Luna."

"My pleasure." Luna looked over the train inspecting for grave flaws. "So I can expect your answer tonight?"

"Yep..." Dawn said, backing into the train now. I wonder how she expects to receive it.

"I look forward to it. I will see you later Dawn."

Luna disappeared in a wisp of thick black smoke. Knowing her question would go unanswered until tonight, Dawn boarded the train with a dozen other questions starting to buzz around in her head. She found a seat and threw her pillow on top of storage only to come to a great revaluation. Ahhh pony feathers I have nothing to do for six hours... 

-----

The train ride was, unfortunately, uneventful despite the thousands of times Dawn wished something would explode or turn to gelatin. Dawn watched the country zoom by with disinterest as she thought of her family, future, Twilight and Luna. As Wingopolis came into view she relished in its beauty and then realized how much she missed it in her sky. Dawn cringed inwardly at her weakness for familiarity. 

The train pulled up to Wingopolis's Shadow's station. She saw her parents waiting for the train to stop. Did they miss me? She grabbed her pillow and walked off the train to be greeted with nuzzles and bear hugs from both her parents. "We missed you 'So' much Honey Buns. The house is so quiet without you." I wonder how they will take Luna's offer. They started to walk their way home which was a rare treat for Dawn.

"So how was your trip?" Dawn's mother asked excitedly.

"Did you meet any pony? Did you have fun?" Dawn's father asked while nudging his daughter's shoulder.

"It was interesting..." Her parents withered in the wind briefly, showing their age. Interesting for Dawn, as they knew it, meant something blew up or chaos was being wrought on some poor pony. "...and fun too. I met a lot of nice ponies." Her parents returned to their energetic selves. Dawn met ponies. That is a good thing. 

"I am So glad to hear it Honey." Dawn's mother hugged her tightly in mid trot.

"Umm, we won't be getting any bills from anypony for damages right?"

"No. Nothing got hurt..." Dawn said regrettably.

"Did you meet the princesses?" Her mother asked in attempts to derail what could be an explanation of what was 'interesting'. They would like to cross that bridge if, or the more likely, when it came to their house.

"Yep, actually I have something to tell you about..." 

"Hold that thought my little pink filly. I don't think we want to know what was 'interesting' if it involves the princesses. Since you are here that means you got away with it so no need to tell us right?"

Hmm... What was 'interesting' was the beard explosion and the eventual provoking the princesses to fight. "Fine I wasn't going to tell you that any ways."

"You weren't going to tell us?" Her parents asked in a mumbled unison.

"Must be something bad." Dawn's father sighed before stopping, forcing Dawn to turn around. "Alright Dawn lets hear what was 'interesting'. It's best you come clean now."

"Uhh it really wasn't that big of a deal, can I tell you later I'm kind of hungry."

"Uh oh..." Dawn's mother's face grew pale as her imagination ran wild.

"Don't try to down play it Dawn, tell us what you did. Did you get away with it? Are we going to have to hire a lawyer?" Dawn's father was looking very big, very stern and very scary now right now. Her mother was nearly crying as her imagination flashed horrible thoughts through her mind.

"Okay okay. I am not in trouble. I did nothing bad to the princesses. And as far as I know I am not wanted by the law. I wanted to tell you that Princess Luna wants me to become her personal student which involves moving to Canterlot."

"You're not just making up a story so you can keep us ignorant right?" Her mother asked through held back tears.

This is ridiculous. Dawn completely deadpanned as she stared her parents down. Words are clearly failing me. She sighed and turned around and started walking home again. I'll just have Luna explain things to them tonight. Dawn was now quite sure of her answer to Luna. She was moving to Canterlot...

The rest of the walk home was in silence. Her parents were not quite sure how to approach their daughter. In their mind she either did something absolutely horrific or she was telling the truth. They loved their daughter to bits and they knew she was not a monster by any means, but she is no stranger to destroying property out of boredom, curiosity or just for kicks and giggles. 

When they got home Dawn didn't bother using the door, she just teleported to her room. Leave it to my parents to see the worst in me. She plopped her lumpy pillow on her bed as she glanced around her room. ...and the best. Her room was lined with hundreds of books of all things magical. Full sets of encyclopedias of magic to textbooks that no young filly had any business reading. 

She fell into her bed to only roll on her back and stare at the ceiling. She heard knocking at her door. "It's open." She croaked. 

Her parents walked in and sat down in front of her bed. Dawn straighten out to face them.

"We wanted to apologize." Her mother began.

"We jumped the saddle a little too early." Her father added.

"So we wanted to start over... so why don't you tell us about your trip and about the ponies you met." Dawn's mother's deep brown eyes got her every time.

With a heavy sigh, Dawn went over the trip in great detail skipping over the 'interesting' parts. Despite on how much she wanted regale them of her exploits it was for the greater good that they did in fact stay ignorant. She talked about Twilight being so much like her, the Professors of the academy, the invigorating debates she had about magical philosophies and theory, and she finished with Luna's proposition and her decision to accept. 

"So when will you leave?"

"I don't know. I'll find out tonight." Her parents got up and gave her a family hug on the end of her bed.

"We love you Honey." Her mother added. They held their hug adding some nuzzles into the mix.

"In any case my little Highlighter you won't be that far away for us. We can come and visit you every Canterlot show."

"That would be nice." Dawn broke their family moment with some well placed pushes and nudges to remind them it was time to leave.

With some last minute nuzzles, they left Dawn in her room with her books.

---

Later that night, Dawn had been re-reading her copy of 'Pushing Magical Boundaries' when Luna appeared from the shadows of her room. 

"Good evening, how are you doing tonight?"

"Well enough...." Dawn closed her book to face Luna properly. They were only illuminated by the candle that was lighting Dawn's reading. Dawn could not tell if she was real or not by her looks alone.

"Do you have an answer for me?" Luna's tail looked impatient but her face had a very ancient calm about her. Luna started to look around the room she had appeared in. "Is this your room?"

"Yes, yes and to your future question yes." She let her answers sink in. "I have some logistical questions of course."

Luna jumped up and embraced her in a hardy hug rivaling that of her mothers. For a projection of conciseness she feels real enough to me. "I am very happy to hear that. You had me worrying there for a bit." Luna said as she set Dawn down. "Now what are the questions you want answered?"

"Well for starters, are you really here? When can I move in and how? But... before that could you do me a favor and set my parents minds at ease? A couple of hours ago they were convinced that I was a wanted mare and I was lying to them."

Luna raised an eye brown in alarm. "Why in Equestria would they think that?"

"Uhh... I guess they have very active imaginations." Dawn said with her best poker face on.

"You wouldn't happen to be stretching the truth a little would you?" 

Dawn straightened her face more and looked into Luna's eyes. "I could be but it becomes irrelevant to the large scheme of things."

A smirk grew across Luna's face. "I see, well I am sure we can shed light on this. Where are your parents?"

"Downstairs." She relinquished with a heavy sigh. "I'll introduce you." Dawn said before she disappeared with a flash of her horn. She was down stairs with her parents and brother. They were all sitting around the radio listening to the hoof ball match.

"Hey Sweetie." Dawn's mother greeted.

"Mom, Dad. Luna is here if you have any questions for her. I thought I would put to rest your doubts." The room grew quiet as the three pegasi looked around for the goddess of the night and co-ruler of Equestria. Dawn turned to a dark shadow in a corner of the house. "Luna this is my family Ever Watch, Sturdy Shield, and Metal." She said, gesturing with a hoof to each pony accordingly.

Luna walked out of the corner as if she'd been there the entire time. "It is so lovely to meet you all. My sister spoke very highly of you two." She said, giving a modest bow to Dawn's Parents. 

Her family scrambled in place to give a proper bow to their Princess. "My princess..." Dawn's parents muttered.

"Please rise my little ponies. I would prefer to talk to you as equals as I am stealing your daughter away from you."

"Uhh... She... she isn't in trouble is she?" Dawn's mother asked with pleading eyes. Dawn's father's eyes were darting to all the escape routes in the house while his mind was working on an escape plan involving Dawn and Metal on his back and breaking the sonic barrier.

"No. Not in the slightest. But I am curious why you would think she would be. She seems like, while incredibly brilliant and cunning..." Luna gave a sly smile to Dawn. "...a very nice young mare. You should be proud."

"Oh, uhh..." Dawn's father started.

"It probably has to do with her crashing entire streets of Wingopolis to the ground or destroying the fire station down the road. Or maybe the cherries..." Metal stopped purely out respect to the two hooves, which belonged to his parents, lodged in his mouth. 

Luna burst into a fit of giggles. "It's a wonder my sister didn't discover you earlier." She said, smirking over to Dawn.

"Yes well..." Her parents stammered.

"You did those on purpose or on accident? Or on principle?" Luna questioned, still giggling nearly every other syllable.

"Well the fire station was from sleep casting... and the streets were poorly put together..."

Dawn's parents did a much practiced face hoof as they heard the familiar excuses. 

"You will have to regale me with all your triumphs of destruction later. Do you have any other questions that I can answer before I leave you?" The night princess was looking down at the large stallion and the streamline mare.

"No your highness, this is Dawn's choice. We are proud of her. This was bound to have happened one way or the other." Dawn's father answered giving, a loving look over to his all grown up daughter.

"I will see you back in your room then." Luna said to Dawn before walking back to the shadow from once she came.

Dawn lit up her horn to bring her back to her room only to be interrupted by her parent's hugs. She hugged back, acknowledging their unspoken apology. When they did break their embrace, Dawn's parents stepped back to let her teleport back to her room.

Dawn found Luna exploring the many crevices of her room. 

"You parents seem nice..." 

"They are... Too nice for their own good sometimes. So are you really here? I think this spell is different than the one you used at the party."

Luna smiled. "I guess that's one of the reasons why I want you to be my student." Luna paused, teasing the question. "Yes, I am really here. I will teach you this kind of magic and more I promise." She added, anticipating the future inquisition. 

Luna later filled her in on all the logistical details of moving in the castle. Like what she could bring, when she would be moving in, and how everything she could possibly want would be provided to her. Luna wanted to pack her things right now to move in as quickly as possible but Dawn got her to settle on Tuesday, giving her a whole day to settle her affairs in town. She decided that her books were fine just where they were and aside from a few choice pictures of her family, she figured she did not need much of anything from her room. Dawn would leave by train in the morning and be in Canterlot by the afternoon. Luna eventually left through the same means by which she came, leaving Dawn behind sated of all questions for now. 

----

The sun broke through Dawn's thick curtains in her room. It was a new day. I hope Canterlot is a night town. Dawn groaned as she stretched her legs free of her bed sheets. Maybe I can sleep in the dungeon. I wonder if it has a dungeon... She rolled off the mattress and made her way to the bathroom to start this, likely interesting, new day. 

Dawn eventually found herself staring at the empty cupboards that were supposed to have colorful boxes filled with cereal. "I guess I get to eat out for Lunch..." She said to the empty kitchen. Her parents were likely at work and her brother was one to sleep in even after her.

A short trot later Dawn was in the main square of Wingopolis's Shadow looking for the least likely place to spit in her food. "Dawn! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for days." Said in a disapproving voice from up above. Dawn recognized the voice as the pony she had been dating for the past couple weeks. Her name was April Showers. She was a sky blue Pegasus that had a long white mane and a small daisy being rained on for a cutie mark.

"April? I didn't tell you I was leaving?" She asked in a disbelieving tone. Oops I 'didn't' tell her. "Ahh, well. I wanted to find you any how. You want to join me for lunch?" She asked as the sky blue pegasus landed in front of her to nuzzle her snout.

"I would love to." April said, finishing her nuzzle with a kiss. "Why not the 'Daisy Café'? The ponies there know me so..." 

"As long as they got milkshakes." She said, offering a smile to the mare as they trotted side by side to the cafe. They sat down outside by a table intended for two. 

Like a band-aid, it would be better for her. Her train of thought was interrupted by the eager mare next to her. "So where did you go?"

"Uhh... Ponyville, for a magic convention." She giggled at the word 'convention'. "More like a get-together. Maybe a grouping? wait...NO, a gathering... perhaps a forum... perhaps..."

The light blue pegasus watched her partner ponder about semantics as a waiter approached them.

"Can I take your order?" He interrupted Dawn. He looked slightly frightened on the approach. 

"Yes. I would love a strawberry-daisy salad." April said, looking at the now distraught Dawn.

"...Maybe an assembly?" Dawn purposed, nodding to herself.

April rolled her eyes. "Dawn he's taking our order now." She said as she gave an apologetic smile at the waiter.

Dawn blinked away her thoughts and glared at the waiter. He visibly shrunk in fear. "Yes of course. Umm, I'll have a Chocolate milkshake and some deep fried daisies."

The waiter perked up at the order. "Err...Right away ladies." 

Dawn turned back to April to meet her gaze. April had a hoof rested on the table to prop up her head. "So you were telling me about this magic get-together?"  

"Assembly." Corrected Dawn. "Yah it was fun." Like a band-aid... wait. She just ordered... damn. "I got to meet the princesses." She said, plainly, as she delved into her own thoughts. I guess after...

"You got to meet 'The' Princesses? What were they like?" April asked quickly, her wings flared up in her excitement. The outburst gained the attention of some the other patrons around them. April's eyes were beaming towards Dawn un-phased by the affect her outburst had.

"Immortal goddesses..." Dawn answered, waving a hoof around nonchalantly.

"...That's not what I meant! Tell me everything."

"Well princess Celestia ate more cake than I could ever think of eating in one sitting..."

"Eww... No, ugh. Dawn, what were they like? Did you talk them?"

"Yep, talked to them quite a bit. They liked my Battle of Ponymopylae..." Her sentence's energy seeped into her own thoughts again. Should I just tell her now spite of her just ordering?

April gave a knowing nod to Dawn. The entire town knew what Dawn could do to the sky and for once the entire town had grown to enjoy Dawn's magic, as long as it stayed in the sky that is. "And?"

"And?"

"What else? Were they as tall as everypony says?"

"Yep, and crazy hair." Dawn said excitedly, anticipating her next question. 

"Is that Dawn?" 

"IT IS!" said an angry mares voice.

Well crap. 

April looked around for the source. Dawn shrunk into her spot hoping to get lost in the grass below her. Two earth ponies both a cream colored with bright yellow manes highlighted in different colors were walking in from the town square towards them. 

"AND SHE'S WITH SOME POOR MARE!" yelled the other earth pony gaining the attention of all the nearby ponies.

The pair walked over to Dawn and April. Dawn straightened up to meet the two sisters' angry glares hoping to direct their wrath at herself and not at April. "Still sore about me breaking up with you two are we?" Dawn deadpanned. This was far from what I need right now. 

"You break up with us? NO! WE broke up with YOU." One of the mares corrected.

"Fine... However you took it, doesn't change the result now does it?" Dawn said calmly, she was trying her hardest not to beard them both before teleporting them on a roof some where.

"Did you know she was dating both of us at the same time?" The other mare said, turning to April trying to invoke a response. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Oh?" April said turning to Dawn with an sly grin. 

Dawn was face hoofing with her head propped up against the table. Ouch that hurt I shouldn't hit myself like that. "No, you two are just a beak away from being a loons. I broke up with you." Dawn pointed at one mare. "And then I was too drunk after a job and had a one night stand with her." She redirected her accusing hoof to the other. "Now if you would please just go away and get over it."

"You best break it up with her now before she cheats on you too..." The other mare said angrily. Well that would work. Miss showers would you do me the honor so I don't have to? 

"I trust Dawn." April finally said. If sentences were kicks to the chest, April would have three knocked out mares.

She trusts me? No pony trusts me... at least not here.  The sisters looked as shocked as Dawn. They slowly backed out of April's glare which rivaled a beard provoked Princess Celestia's. This is going to be harder than I thought. Dawn watched as the sisters quietly retreated back into the town square. 

"Uh, wow." Dawn searched for more words but could not find any. Aside from her parents nopony has ever stood up for her like that. 

As Dawn turned back to April she found herself in a kiss with said mare. "I do trust you" April said as she broke the kiss. She then scooted closer to Dawn who was wilting with guilt.

"I'm sorry..." Dawn muttered.

April nuzzled Dawn's neck in hopes of cheering her up. "Sorry for what?" 

"For something I 'Need' to tell you." Dawn was looking at the ground avoiding eye contact.

April straitened herself up, not out of fear of what was to come but to look Dawn in the eyes. She reached out a hoof to lift the pink unicorn's face so she could see the two big green emeralds she called eyes. "You can tell me anything."

We've only been dating for a couple of weeks why would she trust me this much? Dawn looked back into the grey eyes that belonged to the only mare that had said she trusted her. Dawn's stomach felt like it wanted to dig itself out of her chest. Like a band-aid...  "Princess Luna asked me to become her personal student..." She waited to see some reaction in the sky blue mare but nothing came. "Which would involve me moving to Canterlot..." She waited again. Still nothing. "It's a once in a life time opportunity... I can't simply not go..." Still nothing... "So I'm going to be moving there..." Still no reaction. I underestimated you, I am so sorry.

April smiled and hugged Dawn. "I am 'So' happy for you." She said into Dawn's ear before giving snout to snout nuzzle. "This is a really big opportunity for you isn't it." She gave a large smile at the shocked pink unicorn.

"You're not mad?" Dawn asked, still looking as sad as can be.

April went in for another kiss to answer Dawn's question. "I am happy for you." She said, in between one of her sweet pecks on Dawn's lips.

"Ahem. Excuse me ladies, your food." The waiter had already set a bowl and plate down and was now handling a large chocolate shake with his forehoof. 

The mares straightened up so they could inspect their food. A light pink blush broke out on April's face. Dawn grabbed the chocolate shake from the waiter with her magic. She took a greedy sip of the slurry and looked over to April who was looking over her salad. Dawn didn't know how this was going to work. She had a strong sense of panic wash over her only to be stifled by her creamy shake.

April turned to look at Dawn and her food. A large basket of fried disks that were fried daisies. "Frankly I don't know how you keep your figure when you eat so horridly."

While still slurping her drink she directed April's attention to her horn with her hoof to answer her query. How was this going to work? Worry started to battle with the waves of panic she was feeling and the conflict showed on her face.

"Dawn please don't fret about that now, let's enjoy our food." 

If not now then when. Dawn looked into the smiling face of the pegasus next to her. She was drowning in her grey eyes. "Okay". Dawn said after setting down her chocolate shake. 

April scooted closer to Dawn to wrap a wing over her side. The warmth of her body melted Dawn into submission. April grabbed her bowl with a hoof and started to daintily pick apart and eat her salad. Dawn felt waves of calm over power her worries and panic as the warm body next to her beat with a foreign heartbeat. She picked up some deep fried daisies and flung them into her mouth with her magic. Dawn in a tranquil state managed to enjoy her lunch with April. I really did not see this coming. How did I not see this coming?

Both mares finished their food and now were both enjoying the silence each other offered. It was nice, at least for Dawn. April was the one to break the silence though. 

"Canterlot huh?"

"Yep."

"A lot of unicorns live there." April offered to the conversation, thinking to herself.

"Yep." Dawn was getting uncomfortable with the subject matter. She could easily live happily in between this wing and mare. She didn't want to leave. How come I've never felt like this before? 

"So is this going to be like a job? Are you going to be like a court mage?"

"I don't think so... Luna just wants to teach me. To 'bring balance back to magic' whatever that means." She gave her best royal impersonation of last night, earning a small giggle from the mare next to her.

"So can you come visit here anytime you want?" April pondered her words after saying them. "Can I come visit you?" April's eyes went wide for Dawn's answer.

"Luna said as long as my studies go unhampered she will not care what I do with my free time so I guess 'I' could... and 'You' could... is that what you want to do?" Could something like that work? 

April tightened her hold on Dawn with her wing as she pondered the question. "Well..." She was choosing her words carefully. "I think..." She looked at Dawn expectantly. "When I couldn't find you this weekend I thought the worst things I'm sorry..." Dawn was about to say something but April beat her to the punch. "I know how forgetful you are. But it got me thinking... How hurt I felt just from your absence..." Words were forming on Dawns lips but no sound came out. "...I think I love you." April studied Dawn as her words sunk in.

Whoa... She loves me? "You do?" She asked with a more shocked tone than she cared to reveal.

"I know, I know. We've only been dating for four weeks but I have never felt this way before." April's mind was reeling against her will. "When you first kissed me... and the first time we made love was just so incre..." She stammered about as the cherished memories that flashed through her mind conflicted with the thought that she might loose the mare next to her.

Dawn watched in disbelief as the sky blue pegasus stammered her last few revelations. Where was I during all this? Why don't I feel the same way...? 

The pegasus found herself and continued. "I know you probably don't feel the same way about me... but I really want to make this work. Oh Celestia knows I would move with you to Canterlot given the chance but I'm still going to school here. Maybe when I transfer to a university for the last bit of my diploma I can try to get into Canterlot... I did apply there just as a joke to myself..." Her voice was lost in her thoughts again. 

That's right she wants to become a teacher... I wish I was feeling what she was...  Dawn felt April's wing grip tighter around her. A shiver shot up Dawn's spine again as it did so. 

"If... If this is what 'I' think it is... It will all work out in the end."

You are so much more optimistic than me. "You would sit on that train for six hours for me?" 

"If that is what it takes. Yes." April's resolve was building back up again. "Will you come to visit me?"

Will I? Dawn looked deeply into April's eyes trying to figure out all the variables involved. There are no variables... "Yes defiantly." As often as she could. Wait as often as I could? Yes! Dawn couldn't think straight. Too much was cluttering her mind. "I..." She started to say something. The sound of her own voice was broken and just as confused as she was. She broke free of her thoughts for a moment. "I don't know what I feel..." April's wing quivered on Dawn's shoulder all the while April's face was still wearing a smile full of hope. "I'm sorry... I've never been in love or anything like that... I wish I could feel what you were feeling." Dawn said, ducking her head away from that smile. "I... I just don't know. I might be feeling something but I don't know what it is..." She felt little. Little and stupid. Can't even figure out my own emotions damn near pathetic.  "I'm sorry."

April ducked down to Dawn's moping figure and nuzzled her affectionately, bringing Dawn back to eye level. "That is fine Dawn. I'm relieved you feel anything at all." I don't think I did. This is far newer than you might think.  "I quickly found out getting an emotion out of you is like pulling a donkey through a beauty parlor. It's likely very much needed and harder than it has to be." Dawn laughed at the really racist joke. "Just know that you can tell me anything. I bet we can figure things out." 

She really is a good pony. Dawn perked up, if not for herself but for April's sake. "Let's go have fun celebrating my last day in this one horse town."

"Your last day? Your leaving tomorrow?

"Oops."

April sighed loudly in annoyance then perked up as much as Dawn did. "Let's!"

They spent the rest of the day together wondering about the outskirts of town. They mainly just talked which, for once, was totally fine for Dawn. They ended the day watching the sunset on a hill overlooking the town they lived in and the city that cast a shadow over it. They shared a small picnic as they watched the last bits of sunlight succumb to Luna's black night. It was bliss for the both of them. When the night gifted them more privacy, they made love in the thick tall grass that surrounded them. After hours of staring into the sky and Dawn pointing out consolations, Dawn walked April home.

"Oh... what time are you leaving again?" April asked, now inside her door way.

Dawn cursed the train schedule. "In the morning." She frowned as the answer left her lips. "Ten is when the train leaves."

"I'll see off at ten then." She said with a smile, unhampered by Dawn's sorrow. 

How does she do that so easily? "Alright." Dawn leaned in to kiss April good night. "Good night April." She sounded sadder than she wanted to betray. Why can't I hide my emotions better in front of her? 

"Good night Dawn." She said with a smile.

Dawn turned around and started to trot down April's walkway glancing back only as she reached the street. April was still looking at her with eyes whose beauty rivaled the sky they reflected. April mouthed words 'I love you' as Dawn turned down the street towards home only to go unnoticed.

When Dawn got home she found her family in familiar positions around the radio listening to the night's pegasus' games. She silently went up to her room without them noticing. She flopped onto her bed, taking in a deep breath as her magic lit a candle. "What a day." She smiled at the fresh memories.

"You have a good day Dawn?" Luna asked, walking out of the shadow in her room.

"Yah. I really did." And if I refused you I could do that any day I choose... How'd she know I was home... Luna isn't a pony to respect privacy... 

"So I trust all your affairs are in order?"

"Yah..." she sighed, rolling over to face to night princess. Luna was once again exploring her room opening drawers and glancing over the contents.

"That is good to hear."

"Luna? Have you ever been in love?" Dawn asked, not really thinking why. She needed some way to organize her thoughts though. 

"Love?" Luna turned around from the drawer she was perusing with an inquisitive look about her.

"Yah."

"Once." Luna's eyes narrowed in an attempt to figure out what Dawn was after.

"How did you tell?"

"Hmmm..." Luna scratched her chin as she found the words for the answer. "Well I guess it was when he presented me with a throne made of manticore skeleton and a matching cape..."

"Gross..."

"Hmmm? Ah yes it was a different time back then..." Luna said, reminiscing. "The point is he went and killed a dozens of manticores, no small feat, and spent years making that throne just to prove his love to me." Luna, satisfied with her answer, continued to search through the crevices of Dawn's room.

"That did not help me in the least." Dawn sighed loudly. Then an idea sprung to life in her head. "Luna? Do you have any influence with Canterlot University?"

Luna popped her head up from a dresser drawer. "Why? Do you want to attend?"

"Err... No. I was wondering if you can get my fillyfriend in so she can come live by me when I study under you."

"Fillyfriend?"

"Mmhmmm." Dawn hummed.

"Ahh... I did not know you were of that... persuasion." 

Dawn gave a short laugh of surprise. "So?"

"It just seems..." Luna was sitting on her quarters now looking up in thought. "How would it even work?" She asked, motioning with her hooves.

So much for the all knowing visage.  "You're joking right?"

"I certainly am not." Luna huffed.

"But ponies have always had a gender ratio favoring females. Certainly you've seen it before..." Dawn ended up giggling at Luna's ignorance.

"Are you making fun of me?" She asked, flaring her wings up in irritation.

"No, I really am trying not to but your making it hard." Dawn laughed.

"Back before millennia ago, times were rough for ponies. They only paired for the means of procreation." Luna said matter-of-factly.

Dawn faced hoofed. "This was also I bet when ponies were polygamist and running around in herds, head butting each other..."

"It can't be that off..." Luna said thoughtfully, ignoring Dawn's historically inaccurate comment. "Ahh I did notice my little ponies were pickier about whom they copulated with... Though I fear I will never understand why you little ponies adopted monogamy. It is so... Inefficient."

"Probably because ponies are able to afford to now. Equestria hasn't seen a real war in seven hundred years." Dawn said as she attempted to picture a world where that horrific manticore skeleton throne could be thought of a seducing tool.

"Huh..." Luna said, deep in thought.

"Well in any case will you help me or not?" Dawn asked with a face dressed with stoicism.

Luna snapped out of thought. "Yes of course, we can take care of that when you move in." She got up and started for the shadow un-tampered by the candle light. "So I will see you in Canterlot tomorrow afternoon correct?"

"You can count on it"

"Very good, you have a pleasant night Dawn." Luna said as she disappeared into the corner leaving no trace that she was ever here. I wonder how she knows when I'm home... 

Dawn stared at the corner absently as ethereal smoke started to flow through Dawn's wall of her room forming a cloud of smoke before her. It started swirling quickly as it condensed. Stopping only when a scroll was produced, dropping onto Dawn's flank. She levitated it over to the lit candle. I never receive letters through magic. She unrolled it letting light shine through. 

Dear Dawn,
I hope this letter finds you well. I thought you would like to know that I have finally finished your book (Tell me how to send this thing back to you). It took me all of yesterday and today to fully wrap my head around some of your spells I even tried some of them. Suffice it to say you did not disappoint, you are every bit of unicorn Professor Scrolls bragged about. I have also broken the spine on a copy of 'Breaking magical boundaries'. I thought you would also like to know that I have been working on a new spell you might find interesting. Stealing your idea of a rudeness/awkward silence alarm (really good idea by the way) I have begun testing the spell on myself. Much to my dismay, it is far more logistically complicated than I had originally thought it would be. Write me back on how you would approach this spell because I fear I have already run into a dead end.
Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

"Huh..." That's right she considers me her friend now.  Dawn set the letter on her night stand and blew out the candle. "I'll write her back tomorrow."

> Chapter 6: A Broken Box
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Six

Dawn did not sleep very well. It was a night mainly consisting of wrestling her sheets and falling dreams. She was already awake and up watching the horizon when Celestia's sun crept out from behind Mount Hoover. Dawn could hear her parents shuffling around down stairs for their breakfast. 

"Might as well join them." She quietly mumbled to herself. Squinting at the new day with dread she turned around to head to the kitchen. Dawn's parents were sitting at the table reading the paper in a calm and serine state when Dawn walked in on them. "Good morning." Dawn croaked.

"Good morning!" Dawn's mother cheered with a contained shriek of surprise.

"What are you doing up this early?" Dawn's father asked as Dawn sat down igniting her horn to summon her breakfast from the recently restocked cupboards.

"Can't sleep, figured I would join you."

Her parent's faces were dressed with an assortment of emotions ranging from surprise to worry. It was rare to see Dawn up this early but even rarer to see her willing to be sociable. 

"Is everything alright Dawn?" Her father asked.

"More or less." Dawn was concentrating on her cereal to milk ratio. Satisfied with her filled bowl she looked up at her clearly worried parents, who had put down their papers. "How do you know when you love some one?" She asked casually before opening her mouth for a spoonful of cereal.

"Who are you talking about honey?" Her mother asked with a small sigh of relief. No buildings were destroyed in the wee hours of the morning.

"Well love is a funny thing Dawn. It does different things to different ponies." Her father said, looking at Dawn with knowing eyes. "So I can only speak for myself." He then turned to his wife. "When I look at your mother I feel like I could bend the world for her." The pair cooed to each other sweet nothings out of ear shot from Dawn. Something told her she didn't want to hear them. "Love can be a really scary thing, but it can also be really wonderful at the same time." Dawn's father continued, now looking back at his daughter weighing his words with a scale made of his hooves. 

"Who are you talking about honey?" Her mother asked again.

"April."

"Aww, April Showers? She's such a nice young mare."

Dawn's father clearly grasped Dawn's situation before her mother. He coughed to interrupt her from her admirations. "Dawn? Did you break it off with this girl?" Dawn's mother gave a little gasp once she caught up to what was happening. She gave a glassy eyed look that was full of sympathy over to Dawn.

"No, she wants to try a 'long distance relationship', but... in the process of telling me this she told me she loved me."

"I'm starting to get the picture Honey Buns." Her father smiled, his face still dressed with those knowing eyes. "Unfortunately this is something you will just have to figure out for yourself. But for me I knew when I started to loose every bit of my rationality concerning your mother."

"I see..." Dawn didn't like the idea of that.

"Don't let it scare you Honey. Love is a wonderful thing and when you are with the ponies you love you are capable of incredible things." Her father chimed in as if listening to Dawn's thoughts.

"My husband, The Romantic." Dawn's mother kissed her husband behind his ears causing his wing flare up.

Dawn rolled her eyes at the sight. "Right... Thanks." 

"Any time Honey you know that." Her mother cheered.

Dawn's parents resumed reading their papers while Dawn enjoyed the silence of the early morning with the rest of her cereal. Eventually she cleaned up her bowl and walked out to her backyard. 

She basked in the warmth of the new day. Everything was wet with dew, giving a glistening glow to the entire backyard including the small garden in the corner. Dawn walked over to her flower garden, taking in deep breaths off the dew laden air. Her parents had no green hoof to speak of so this was good-bye. No pony would be taking care of these flowers while she was gone. Dawn laid down tucking her forelegs under her chest. How often will I be able to come back home? She looked over her flowers and gave out a heavy sigh. Dawn had never minded change when it came to her on her terms but this time it felt like it all was rolling out of control.

Dawn's thoughts slipped to April. Twenty-four hours ago she didn't even give the mare a second thought but now... Now she was all Dawn could think about. Would I bend the world for her? What does that mean? Dad is never cryptic. Why would he choose now to be.  "Ugh!" Dawn rolled over to her back to gaze at the blank sky. The sky was her color. Wait... no she was the sky's color. She shut her eyes in hopes of also shutting down her brain. She wiggled on the soft dirt of her garden for a second before letting out a labored sigh and teleporting to her room so she could get ready for the day.

After a long bath, Dawn packed all the pictures she wanted. There's none of her. "I don't think I own any pictures of her." She mumbled in response to herself. Why would I have any of her?

Dawn looked around her room and spotted an old wooden box that she had kept little trinkets in. The type of trinkets that she had gathered as a little filly and nostalgia prevented her from throwing away. Then she took note of the letter Twilight sent her that has gone un-answered. Her mind spun out of control leaving her behind as an idea came to her. What if...  Her horn flared up, grabbing a piece of paper and summoning her quill and some ink from her 'bank'. "What if..." Dawn poured over the blank paper as her quill danced along it writing runes and equations. The quill danced more feverishly than ever before as her idea came to fruition on the page in the form of symbols and calculations that covered it.

I need to try this. She called the box over with her magic. It emptied itself in transit, making a mess of her room. She set the box down in front of her. With her magic she engraved on the box a number of shapes and runes covering majority of its surface. It has to be perfect. 

Dawn stepped back to observe her carvings. Satisfied with her work, she lit up her horn and started to weave all her magic into a spell. Her pink aura quickly became blinding and soon enveloped her as she poured more and more magic into her horn. It wasn't long before the ground below her started to shake, reacting to the amount of magic being pooled. It needs more... Dawn strained as she pulled more magic from her magic well. The very light around her wavered, her horn felt like it was about to snap from the sheer intensity of the magic she was pumping into it. It needs more! Her books around her room started to fall from their shelves as the floor below her began to shake violently. Perfect.  She focused all the magic she had weaved and gathered at the wooden box. The spell went off, letting out a scream of energy bellow throughout the house. She could feel the magic penetrating the box. Her magic was splitting it. Splinter by splinter the box ripped into two. Dawn felt dizzy. She blinked hard as she fell to the ground. Did it work? She tried to get up to look properly but her body was refusing. Pain shot down her spine and through to every single muscle she owned. She blinked harder, just to clear her vision a little. Then she saw it. Two wooded boxes lay before her. Her eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness, smiling triumphantly. 

---

Noticing the house was about to tear itself apart, Dawn's parents flew up stairs with the dexterity and speed that would make the cream of the Wonderbolts shudder in awe. Sturdy burst through the door not dealing with pesky door knobs. The parents were greeted with a messy room. Every single book that once adorned their daughter's walls was on the ground and in the center of it all, a fainting pink unicorn. Ever Watch dove to catch her daughter as Dawn slipped from consciousness. The pink unicorn had a smile on in her sleep. Dawn's mother looked up to her husband with pleading eyes. Sturdy motioned to the center of the room. There were two wooden boxes laying in front of Dawn, identical in every way. In the grooves carved into it glowed with a faint pink aura which they recognized as their daughter's magic.

Sturdy picked up his daughter and placed her on the bed. They knew it was magic fatigue. They have seen it before. The pair looked down at the passed out unicorn with looks of worry before turning around to see their son in the doorway surveying the room as they did. He too put the pieces together once spotting the sleeping pink mare. They left Dawn alone to her sleep in silence, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to wake her up even if they tried.

------

When Dawn woke up from her dreamless sleep she was on the back of her father. His wings were supporting her as they walked down the street. "Oh good your awake, we were afraid you weren't going to be awake to say good bye."

Her entire body burned numbly. She tried to move but her limbs refused to cooperate. "Don't you dare try moving oh daughter of mine." Her father said as he straitened his wings, putting greater support under her. Dawn looked around, moving only her eyes. It burned to do so but not as much as it would have if she choose to move her neck. She spotted what was on her mothers back. Her sack full of pictures, her pillow and a small red lunch sack.

"My boxes." She mumbled, quietly. It was hard to speak.

"Your boxes?"

"I need those..." Dawn groaned. "Turn around..." She managed to speak more clearly only grimacing from the effort.

"I can go get them. The glowy ones right?" Dawn's brother eagerly asked from beyond her sight.

"I think so dear." Answered her mother.

Dawn heard a gust of wind. She assumed it was her brother taking off back to their house. They were glowing?  

"What in Equestria were you trying to do?" Her father asked.

"I don't know... bend the world?" She whispered. 

"Honey I didn't mean that literally." He chuckled with pride. "You nearly destroyed the house let alone the fact that you 'did' destroy your room."

"I'm sorry..." Dawn whispered, weakly.

Dawn's mother nuzzled her daughter affectionately. "We get to brag that 'Our' daughter can in fact bend the world now."

"Good point." Dawn's father laughed.

"Dawn is that you?" Cried out a voice from above. Dawn heard somepony land beyond her sight. "What happened?" It was April. 

"Well hello Miss Showers. Our daughter decided to use up all her magic at once. Did you feel the earth quake?" Her father was acting very nonchalant.

"That was her? Is she alright?" April flew over to land on the other side of Dawn. April's eyes were welling with concern.

"She'll be fine. She has a six hour train ride to rest." Her mother assured, giving room for the sky blue pegasus to get closer.

I doubt I'll recover that fast. 

"What were you trying to do? Blow up the city as a going away present?" April asked, nervously chuckling.

"Please! Don't give her any ideas." Her parents chided the sky blue pegasus.

Dawn looked up at April with tired eyes. "I love you." She whispered. At least I think. 

"You... you do?" April briefly looked shocked then only expressed unfiltered, uncut happiness. She fluttered in the air before diving towards Dawn for a hungry kiss on the lips. She was oblivious to her surroundings. It hurt to return April's affections but Dawn gave every effort. Then reality snapped back to April like a high strung rubber band. "Oh sorry..." She said as she landed back on the ground next to Dawn's side, blushing at her own outburst.

Dawn's parents laughed at the mare's discomfort. 

"I got them!" Metal cheered. Dawn's brother gently set the two boxes on his mother's back with the rest of Dawn's stuff. "What are they? They're kinda heavy." He asked, still catching his breath as he landed.

"They're a present for April." Dawn mumbled, softly.

"For me?"

"Yah I enchanted them..." She was having trouble holding in air to talk properly. "You can put anything in one of the boxes... and then retrieve it from the other." 

"Whoa! Can you make me a pair?" asked Metal.

"She nearly destroyed the house and she drained all her magic making those and you want her to do it again?" Her father asked, sounding annoyed. 

"You made those for us?" April looked at the glowing boxes with new found interest.

"You take one and... I'll take the other." Her chest was pounding demanding her to stop talking. "This way we can... send letters, pictures... and stuff to each other faster than normal."

April was staring at Dawn in awe. She swooped in for another kiss. This time it was more family appropriate. "Thank you."

Dawn could only muster a weak smile in return. Her chest was on fire. They were in the station by this point. 

"Where do you want to sit?" Dawn's father asked as the entire group boarded the train.

Dawn couldn't answer or move. April motioned by the window on the southern side. "That way she can watch the scenery." Her father bent low to gently slide his daughter on the seat. "Are you sure it's okay for us to just leave her like this?" April asked, with a worry stricken face. 

Her mother was loading her baggage up on the storage compartment above Dawn. "I don't think we've seen her this drained before but she'll bounce back once she can feed herself." She set the two boxes on the table along with the lunch sack. "I packed her a chocolate milkshake made with heavy whipping cream." Metal gagged at the mention of the dairy treat.

"Gotta get those calories back into her some how." Her father shrugged at his son. "I'm going to go talk to the conductor. I'll be right back."

Dawn was curled up in a ball on the train bench motionless. Her eyes were half open.

"I'll join you." Her parents and brother left the car in search of the conductor leaving April and Dawn alone.

April jumped on the opportunity and curled up next to Dawn to whisper into Dawn's ear, "I love you, and thank you so much for the box. It means a lot to me." She giggled lightly. "I can't wait to show it to those jealous hussies that interrupted our lunch yesterday." She devilishly snickered as she relished the thought.

Every inch of her was burning intensely. Dawn wanted to move just enough to hug, kiss, nuzzle, or do anything for the mare next to her. Her body refused to cooperate as she lay curled up on the bench.

"How would you like to be laying?" She asked. It might as well been rhetorical as April pushed Dawn's useless limbs into what looked like a comfortable position.

"Alright Dawn." Her father bellowed across the car as he reentered. "I asked the conductor to check up on you in three hours. He's a unicorn so he sympathizes." Once making it over to Dawn, he bent over her momentarily. "You will write us." He added with a gentle tone of authority. 

"What he means is, you write us when you can Honey." Dawn's mother nuzzled her daughter who was now spread out across the entire bench. "Give the princesses our best."

Dawn's father leaned forward again to give her a quick kiss on the forehead "And try not to blow up the capital." He said, half jokingly. Metal and April giggled at this. He straitened himself up to join in the light laughter. "I'll see you later my little Highlighter" 

"Yep, catch you later you disgusting milk drinker." Metal added.

"Highlighter? What's wrong with milk?" April was struggling with the name calling. She looked down to a motionless Dawn for answers as the family left the train. She found none. She bent down to Dawn to give her another loving kiss. 

"I love you." Dawn whispered with a mysterious strength that had come from out of no where. She was grateful for being able to say it though. It felt new and different on her lips to say. April offered another kiss and than straitened up to grab one box with her mouth. She slowly made the motion to leave the train just as it started to move. Dawn's eye lids never felt so heavy. All noise and motion fell still as she embraced sweet sleep.

-----

"Miss, you need to wake up. I made a promise I intend to keep." The conductor was gently tapping Dawn on the shoulder.

"Whoo weeee! She's out cold. What do ya think? She must've had one heck of a party!"

"I was told this was magic fatigue..." the conductor curtly corrected, doubting himself as no response came from Dawn.

"Is that a fancy name for a hangover for you unicorns?"

"Errr... No... Miss please wake up you need to eat something."

Dawn groaned as life swept through her body. Everything ached with a numb pain but she could move now. She could feel her magic returning to her with every passing heart beat, slowly but surely. She got up on her quarters without opening her eyes.

"Yikes! Shes alive, heh ya had us for a fright."

"Miss your father was adamant that I have you to drink your 'Milkshake'." 

"Milkshake? For a hang over? That's just profound..."

"Thank you mister..." Dawn opened her eyes to see a butter colored unicorn with a conductors hat and red neckerchief around his neck.

"Whistle, Steam Whistle at your service." He bowed a little exposing his brown mane.

"Well, thank you for waking me up. If you could do me one last favor I would be grateful."

"Anything ma'am what can I do for you?"

"In that red sack is a canister. Could you open it for me? I'm afraid I'm useless without magic." 

"Sure thing ma'am" A pale yellow aura unwrapped the red sack revealing a metal canister coated in condensation and a bag cherries . The yellow aura than gripped the silver container opening the lid and lifting it to the mare.

"Thanks." Dawn said weakly before taking a greedy gulp of the creamy shake. Her mother could burn a pot of water but she had learned to make a mean milkshake over the years. 

"Well good to see some color return to you. Now if you would excuse me, nobody is driving the train." The conductor chuckled to himself as he walked out of the car.

"So are you tellin me that milkshakes cure hangovers just like that?" Asked another yellow stallion who was sitting across the car from her. He had flowing golden mane and single red apple for a cutie mark. 

"I doubt it would but I'm sure it would help." Dawn took another gulp of the whipping cream enhanced goodness. "But if you're implying I am hung over you would be making false implications."

"Impluh what now? I meant no offense little lady. We just saw some flyin folk dump ya in here from the other car and we came on over to investigate."

Dawn rolled her eyes in mid gulp as she finished off her life giving elixir. "That would be my family and fillyfriend." She was stretching her legs under the table when she noticed her wooden box right where her mother had left it. It was glowing a faint pink in the grooves that she had inscribed on it. 

"Ya adopted family?"

Dawn let out an exhausted sigh. "No my real family..." She reached out with her hooves to pull the box closer. It is heavier.  She opened it and much to her joy there was a letter inside. She pulled the letter free from the box with her teeth and then slowly unfolded it with her hooves. It is a miracle non unicorns can do anything at all...  The letter was in girlish but sloppy writing.

Dear Dawn. 
Test. Test one. Test two. Test three. Test onomatopoeia. I hope you had a lovely and restful nap. I had brunch with your family, your room is totally destroyed by the way, and I told them I'll send any letters they want to send you through this box. That is if this thing works... What am I saying? Of course it does. It was made by a unicorn that can shake the ground and the sky. I got to admit I kinda already miss you. Yesterday was amazing for me I think every other day will be dull in comparison. I'm going to work extra hard so I can get into Canterlot University and be with you. Write me back soon.

Love,
April

PS. you read this yet?
PPS am i doing something wrong?
PPPS I hope this works...
PPPPS are you still asleep? 

Dawn smiled at the all post scripts. She felt for her magic briefly. Dawn still didn't have enough spare magic to use basic telekinesis yet. Looking around she noticed the yellow earth pony was still studying her, making her cringe involuntarily. She tucked her letter under the box before pulling the bag of cherries over with her hoof only to pick them up with her teeth. She scooted off the bench to land on her hooves. A dull pain rippled through her body as her hooves touched ground.

Dawn had a destination in mind involving a stool and alcohol. She trotted to the bar car with a bag full of cherries dangling from her mouth.

"Good afternoon Miss..." The barkeep was looking down at the familiar pink unicorn. "Where are we headed this time?" He asked with a smile. 

"Canterlot, I would love a beer if you don't mind." Dawn said after spitting out the cherries on the counter.

"Starting a bit early are we?" The barkeep chuckled as he bent down to get a beer.

What time was it? Dawn looked over to the clock behind the barkeep. "No earlier than last time. I'm trying to get some calories in me if you have a better idea other than a nice dark ale then I am all ears." She said. She unwrapped the bag of cherries with her hoofs. Why did I do this to myself...

"Well I could make you a sundae if you want." Dawn's eyes looked up at the barkeep as if he was Celestia herself blessing her child. "I'll take that as a yes, what flavor you want? I got chocolate and vanilla." He said as he ducked back down behind the counter with the bottle of beer he had gotten for her.

"Chocolate. Thank you so much. When I get my magic back I am so going to give you an epic tip."

The barkeep chuckled. His horn's aura was now scooping ice cream into a plastic bowl. He summoned chocolate syrup from under the counter and bathed the unsuspecting scoops of ice cream. He then broke out the whipped cream. Dawn's stomach growled at the sight of the barkeep covering the ice cream, letting none of the chocolaty goodness show through. "There you go hope that's enough calories to earn that 'epic tip'." He set the whipped cream mountain in front of her setting a silver spoon next to it.

"Ahh horse apples..." I didn't think how I was actually going to eat it.  She groaned at the revelation and pushed the spoon into her fetlock joint. She was going have to eat it filly style. She awkwardly scooped up some ice cream and then brought it to her face. The spoonful of mostly whipping cream smashed into her face. Close enough...  She licked the crashed remnants off her coat and went in for another scoop. This time it made it to her mouth, much to her joy, with only minor causalities. Oh the throes of non-magic ponies. 

The sight of the pink unicorn spilling all over herself was quite the sight for the barkeep. In attempts to stifle his laughter he sought conversation. "So miss why are you off to Canterlot?" he asked half laughing at the latest successful bite with less spillage. 

Dawn swallowed the sugary goodness. "I'm becoming Luna's personal student." She said, indifferently. Dawn was deep in concentration as she scooped in more ice cream to her mouth.  

The barkeep nearly choked on his laughter. "Luna, as in Princess Luna?" He finally managed to say through his stifled laughter.

"Oh, yah Princess sorry..." She returned with a full mouth. So good.   The waves of magic inside her grew stronger with every bite. That milkshake was working her way through her body now. She held up the silver spoon as if to inspect it. She concentrated on her magic inside her. I just want to use my telekinesis. That's all I want. 

A Dark pink mare walked on to the bar car and took a seat next to the light pink unicorn. The chocolate covered unicorn had her eyes closed holding out a silver spoon with a spare hoof.

"I would love a light beer please." The new arrival said to the barkeep.

"Sure thing Miss." The barkeep was studying the pink unicorn who was in deep concentration, before ducking his head below the counter to fetch a beer.

Dawn's magic seeped out of her horn as she searched around for the spoon she was holding in front of her. "HA!" She opened her eyes to see a now levitating silver spoon. Given how much magic she had at the moment it was a grand accomplishment. The spoon now dug into the sundae with the dexterity and accuracy of a practiced surgeon. 

A loud thud sounded from below the counter in response to Dawn's outburst. The barkeep nursed the back of his head as he rose from behind the counter with a beer for the dark pink mare sitting next to Dawn. 

Dawn took notice of the mare. She had a dark pink coat, a wavy light pink mane and three white flowers on her flank. It reminded her of April. "Thanks, are you alright?" The other mare asked, taking the open bottle from the barkeep's aura of magic with a hoof. 

The barkeep, still rubbing the back of his head, saw Dawn's spoon that was quickly finishing off the rest of her sundae. "Congratulations." He deadpanned. 

"Ha, I am the most powerful unicorn in all Equestria!" She boasted, pounding her now free hoof against her chest. 

"Clearly." The barkeep chuckled at her.

"Doesn't that title belong to Twilight Sparkle?" The dark mare corrected.

Dawn erupted into laughter as the beard party came to mind. "Indeed!" She cheered, before levitating the sundae bowl to her mouth to lick clean. 

The dark pink mare grimaced as the pink unicorn rife with ill-manners, licked clean her sundae bowl. 

"Well despite this little ones appearance she is apparently going to Canterlot to study under Princess Luna herself." The barkeep said.

"Uhh really?" The dark pink mare looked at Dawn with a disbelieving curiosity. Dawn nearly fell off her stool in attempts to get the last bit of ice cream from the bowl.

"Honest, that's what she said." The barkeep said, turning to Dawn for an explanation.

Dawn was covered in ice cream. She put down the licked clean bowl and surveyed the car properly. There were two pairs of eyes looking to her for answers. "Uhhh, do you think you could spare a napkin and some water?" 

The barkeeps magic flared up as he got her a glass of water and a cloth.

"Thanks." She willed the now moist cloth to scrub along her body getting all the whipped cream and chocolate, finishing with her face. "I will never use up all my magic like that again." She said from under the scrubbing cloth. She felt fresh, new even, as her damp coated evaporated.

"I've seen ponies with more resolve come in and say similar things but they always fall back into their habits." The barkeep said, staunchly. "Of course they were talking about something completely different."

Dawn, now free from the cloth's scrubbing, looked at the barkeep as he kept his gaze at her. "I suppose your right I've done it before this time and I'll likely do it again." Of course this time it was for her...  She gave a thousand yard stare behind the barkeep as she pondered on what exactly she did for April. She then willed her horn up to retrieve her purse form her 'bank'. It plopped on the counter giving a hint to its contents. It was with far less grace than she could normally muster up. 

"The sundae was on the house Hun. For the show you gave me and those mares last time you were in here."

"Oh, Well thank you..." She willed a ten bit piece to fly into his tip jar. He is a nice pony, he deserves it.  "I could use a nap... Thank you again." She belched before she left the bar car, leaving all the other pony's questions behind. 

She found the bench her father had placed her on and her wooden box with a letter below it. I'll write her back now before I take a nap.  She stretched out the letter and turned it over to the blank side. She pulled her quill and ink pots from the bank and had the quill dip it self. What do I write? 

> Chapter 7: Executor of the Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Seven

Sleep did find her once she was done with her 'love' letter to April. It was hard writing like that. Words seemed to fall short of describing what she felt or it was the magic fatigue. Either way she was unable to find any of the words to describe this new feeling for April. Dawn just ended up explaining the many properties of the box they were using. She hoped from the bottom of her heart that April would not be disappointed with the response. Dawn only woke up when the train stopped at Ponyville. She watched with sleep laden eyes the two earth ponies she had encountered on this train get off. Applejack was at the station greeting the colt with the heavy accent. The dark pink mare, looking a bit woozy, skipped off the train out of view.

A few minutes later the train lurched forward as it started to its last stop before turning around. The train at full speed soon started weaving in and out of tunnels as it climbed to the unicorn city, the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. It was not long until the last bend ended. In contrast to the dark tunnel, Canterlot shined brightly, welcoming the train into its station. The buildings were very old and very ornate. 

She called her bag and pillow down with her magic and got ready to exit once the train stopped. She balanced the pillow, bag, and her box on her back as she stretched out the kinks that were courtesy of her nap.

As she got off the train she noticed something very odd. She was greeted by a large number of ponies bowing low. They were not facing her but a one Princess Luna who was now looking down at Dawn with a grin the size not appropriate for her face.

"How was your ride my student." The title sounded new to Dawn as it rolled off the night princesses lips. "You look awful actually.  I am going to assume you had something to do with your home town shaking?"

Is she smaller?  "Err... kinda. I made April a gift." Dawn gestured to the box resting on her back.

Luna guided Dawn down the street where a chariot waited. As they both started down the street Luna looked over the box Dawn motioned to. "You shook all of Wingopolis for a box?" She asked curiously.

"I spilt the box in two, forcing it to share the space inside with the other half." A chariot? Fancy fancy... 

The two stepped up on the chariot. Luna picked up the box in question with her magic and brought it close for inspection. "How?" Luna's face began contorting into fierce looking expressions as her magic grew more bold and violent. "It will not open!"

Dawn laughed at the moon princess as the chariot started to speed up. "That means the other half of the box is open." Dawn started to recall the events leading up to its creation but drew a blank on the 'How' she had made it. This had never happened before. She knew she wrote down the specifics but... My room was destroyed...  "I don't know how I made it..." 

The shock in Dawn's voice reached Luna's ears. "Uhhh... it is alright I have no use for a trinket like this any ways." Her face contorted once again as she tried to open it up with magic again only to fail. She set down the 'Trinket' on Dawn's back and huffed in the other direction.

Why can't I remember... how did I make that...  Dawn pondered on this new dilemma until the chariot came to a stop.

"Come. I will show you to your room." Luna huffed as if still angry at the box.

Dawn finally noticed her surroundings. There before her stood 'The' Castle. It towered up high above, making her feel very small. The center of it all. Dawn's mouth was agape as she attempted to take in the ancient building and all its glory.

"Are you coming or are you not?" Luna pouted.

"Uhh... Yah sorry."

Luna led Dawn in the castle. Every entrance and door way had a pair of guards. Each one keeping a close eye on the princess and a even closer eye on the pink unicorn following her. Luna opened two very large doors revealing Princess Celestia and a couple ponies in fancy cloths kneeling down. They all turned to face the interruption. The ponies on the ground were glaring at Dawn as Princess Celestia glared at Luna.

"Luna I have court, What do you want now?"

"Such harsh words Celly. I want to introduce you to somepony who's far more interesting than some nobles." Luna stepped aside, revealing in full detail a pink unicorn with orange hair and green eyes.

Celly? 

Princess Celestia looked down at the brightly colored unicorn and gave a gentle smile. "Well hello Dawn. How are you this afternoon."

"Fine, a little sore." She said, feeing through her muscles. The ponies on the ground gasped in horror at the unicorn's informal address.

Celestia rolled her eyes at the nobles. "I hope that quake didn't startle you or your family much this morning?"

"I bet it did since she was the one who caused it." Luna was beaming at her sister now.

"Oh?"

"I was making a gif..." 

"She is going to be my student sister." Luna interrupted "She is going to stay in the east tower."

Princess Celestia let out a heavy sigh "Alright Luna. Is that all? I really need to finish court."

"Is... Is that all...?" Luna stammered as her face grew annoyed. She turned around, picking up Dawn with her magic, and stomped out the door from where they came in. She slammed the door behind her. Letting out a heavy sigh, she set down Dawn and her things. Luna closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts then perked up as if nothing happened. "This way." She sang as she turned around and skipped down a hallway.

Am I just supposed to ignore that?  Dawn picked up her things and balanced them back on her back. She trotted quickly to catch up and keep pace with Luna. "So... How exactly will this student thing work? Are you going to give me homework?"

"Do you want homework?" She asked in a chirpy voice.

"Not particularly." 

"Good, because I do not want to give you any." She cheered.

"Alright..."

"I will set goals for you to reach. I have high expectations for you. Celly has reservations about teaching ponies the magic I'll be teaching you so don't compare yourself to Twilight." Her bounce in her skip grew in magnitude as she said this. "But we can fuss over that later."

"And about Canterlot University?"

"My, my, you do like pulling strings to get what you want." She said, mockingly.

"What good are strings if they can't be pulled?"

"My thoughts exactly! We can go down there tonight." Luna was swimming in her own happiness. "OH!" She suddenly stopped. "I would love to read you tome. The one you had at the party. You know so I can judge where your first goals should be set." She looked at Dawn expectantly.

"Ahh, that's with Twilight."

Luna's face wilted to of a sad, alone, somber pony. The contrast was startling. "I see...I forgot about that..."

What just happened?  "She wants to give it back to me I just need to go pick it up... Then it is all yours."

Luna sprung back like a loaded spring. "Oh good! Lets go there when we are out!" She started to skip again turning around the corner leading up a spiral stair case. 

They went up this stair case for a good while. How far up are we going to go? Dawn's muscles ached as she climbed up the stairs. She glanced at an upcoming window and nearly fainted at the sight of being so high. All of Equestria seemed to be below her. "Is there no rooms closer to the ground?" She asked half dazed.

"Celly refused to let me refit Twilight's old tower. And the other available tower is just as high." Luna replied. They finally reached a door on the end of the stair case which flew open according to Luna's will. "Here we are!" She walked to the center of the room only to turn around and beam down at Dawn with a smile encompassing her face. 

Dawn looked around in awe. It was a simple room at first glance but it was a lot bigger than it seemed. The circular room had two levels with a stair case along the wall meeting a wooden rail that over looked the lower half of the room. To the direct left of the entrance was an opening leading to the bathroom and to the right was a balcony over looking most of Equestria. She felt dizzy looking at the latter. Across the room was the largest bed she had ever seen. It could easily sleep seven maybe even eight ponies comfortably, not that it would ever see such use while she was using it. The walls were lined with empty wooden bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling while the floor had polished white marble.

"I know it looks bare now but in time you will be looking for more room, I am sure of it. You can talk to the royal carpenters to get some proper furniture like desks, chairs, etcetera, etcetera." Luna was flying about the room, excitedly pointing at invisible desks, chairs and etceteras.

"This is all for me?"

"All for you, though..." Luna pondered in mid air for a second. "Hmm... It all works out because you are able to use it now!"

Dawn slowly walked in nearly flinching at the echo of her hooves meeting the marble floor. This is style...  She bucked off her belongings onto the bed. "Huh."

Luna landed next to the pink unicorn. "So I start night court at nine at night obviously. So every day... except on the new moon... I am all yours, not that I intend to hang over your shoulder... I will just be available. " Luna said, nervously, stammering about.

"Why not on the new moon?" Dawn asked, cocking her head to the side in wonder.

"Well everything has their cycles and mine renders me useless on the new moon..." She adopted a voice of teaching authority. "You will see and understand I am sure." She glanced around quickly surveying the room. "I will let you get settled. I also shall be back with in the hour or so then we can have dinner together." Luna gave her widest grin to Dawn then disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Okay see you then..." Dawn called out to the room. She was unsure if Luna heard her. Dawn turned around to look around the room again. This room was bigger than her parent's house... She walked over to the bed that had her stuff laying on it. She picked up her box with her magic and sat at the beds base with it. She was once again overjoyed to find that there was another letter for her in the box. She quickly unfolded the letter to read.

Dear Dawn, 
You must be settling in to the castle by now. What's it like? You won't forget us simple ponies will you? I met with the consolers at my school after I wrote to you to figure out what I need to do to get in to CU. After a couple minutes of my insistence on going there they finally laid out of what I need to do and all the things that will help get the school's attention to my application. I have a lot of work to do and so little time to do it. I'm scared that I might not be able to do it and excited that I will be able to. 
Love,
April

Dawn sighed at the letter. She is defiantly better at this stuff than me. Should I tell her not to worry about getting in or should I keep it a surprise? or do I let her work for it? Should I get her admitted behind her back?  She put down the letter by the box before getting up to look over the room from her new perspective on the ground. "This is really... hard." She admitted to the empty room. 

She walked up the stairs to look around the second floor. This area had a glass ceiling that met with a glass wall over looking the eastern sky. She slowly walked over to glass wall, half expecting the glass to explode and suck her to the depths of the scenery. She managed to calm herself down enough to enjoy the vast expanse in front of her that was Equestria.

"Getting settled in?" 

"HOLY TAP DANICNG CELESTIA!" Dawn jumped high enough to impress a pegasus. She spun around to face the assaulting voice. There stood was Princess Celestia.

"Oh! I didn't mean to scare you... I've never tried tap dancing..."  The sun princess pondered this revelation.

Dawn backed away from the window to only land on her quarters near the princess.

"Afraid of heights?"

"Unicorn raised by pegasi. Really any wingless pony would be."

Princess gave a dainty chuckle at Dawn's expense. "Yes well... So you are Luna's new 'student'? I must congratulate you she often sees a certain potential that eludes me... if that is indeed what she sees." 

"Well that's good to hear, when I met Twilight and saw her perfect spells I really felt I wasn't up to stock." Why in the Sam Hill did I just admit that? 

The Princess raised an eye brow at Dawn then looked up in thought. "Yes well Twilight Sparkle has learned much from me." The Sun Princess stood tall, contemplating her next words. "Tell me my little pony, what do you think you will gain from Luna?"

Fame? No that's silly... Money! Wait... that's silly too. "I'm not really sure... Knowledge?" 

The Princess gently smiled down at Dawn. Her smile mimicked the sun she controlled, spurring a life nurturing warmth deep inside her. "And what do you think you offer my sister in return?" 

Hmm...I haven't a clue what I could offer her. 

Princess Celestia laughed at the pondering mare beside her. "I will tell you. While I am sure my sister has an idea what she wants from you and fully intends to teach you. You will be doing her a great favor." The princess stopped to ponder her own words to come. "My sister is lost out of time as I am sure you may have noticed by now. She has been slow to adopt today's customs and mannerisms. I finally got her to stop talking in an ancient canterlotian dialect." She chuckled at the recollection of her sister. "While Twilight and her friends have been a great source of inspiration for my sister she needs not another lackey, servant or follower but a friend to call her own."

Every one wants to be my friend these days...  

"I will of course not force you into a friendship but I would like you to know how fragile my sister is. I would have you know meeting her was fated but I do not want her to be harmed in any way through you. Do you understand me?" 

"I would never hurt anypony." Dawn paused to think of her pranks that got out of hoof. "Not on purpose anyways..."

"I know you would not do such a thing my little pony but I would just like you to be aware of what is resting on your shoulders. Be careful with your life, you are far more precious than you might think."

"I see..."

"I'll leave you to your thoughts." The Princess said before teleporting out of sight with a flash of light and a pop.

Whatever... Dawn gave one last look around the upper level. It was simple as the first floor with an enclosure hidden from the first floor. Dawn did not see right away. I  might want to move the bed up here...  Dawn was soon deep in thought with feng shui now to consider. 

After having a pretty good idea of what she wanted to do with the room, she summoned her ink and quill, and pulled the letter from April to her. She laid the paper face down and stared at the back side. She groaned at the blank sheet of paper and fell over to her side embracing the cold marble floor. What do I tell her? 

April,
The castle is much larger than I imagined. Either because I imagined less or it was far more then I could have imagined. I am excited for you I've never been to a college so I really don't know what is in store for you or what hardships you will be facing. Would you like me to ask one of the princesses to pull some strings for you?
Dawn

Dawn groaned as she finished it. "I don't know what I'm doing!" She yelled to the empty room. It echoed back softly. She rolled back to lie on her back and to stare at ceiling. She wiggled on the floor like a fish out of water, releasing some tension as she did so. She levitated the letter and folded it. "I guess I'll work it out later". She flung the letter into the open wooden box and closed the lid. What's done is done.  She walked over to the balcony and sat down a good distance from the edge to watch the horizon. Even though the sun was behind her she knew it was approaching sunset. 

---

Luna as promised came to get Dawn. She found the pink unicorn looking lazily out over the horizon. "Hungry?"

"Starving." Dawn's stomach was annoyed with her choice of food for today and it growled accordingly.

"Good, but first..." Luna shuffled in place behind Dawn. "I want to introduce you to a little of my magic. Are you familiar with the dualities of magic?"

Dawn turned around to face Luna who was walking in the tower for her first lesson. "Light and Dark?"

"Yes, back before I was banished dark magic was just as common as light magic. The stigma of dark magic only arose out of fear of me..." Luna cleared her throat. "Suffice it to say due to fear and my thousand year absence unicorns typically only use light magic now."

"Huh, I was always taught that it was evil..."

Luna grimaced at her last word. "Yes well I have already set many scholars straight about that. Light and dark have nothing to do with evil. Both can be used for great good and great bad equally. So this is my challenge, teleport to the dining room using dark magic."

"But I've never been there..." Dawn stopped as she thought. Luna had never been to my house... 

"Ahh you already found one of the great advantages of this spell. You do not have to picture it to teleport there. In darkness eyes are useless." Luna flared up her magic to close all the curtains in the room. Only small bits of light seeped through the western sky. "I want you to feel the dining room down in the castle. I want you to not picture the food but to smell it. Not picture my sister but hear her."

Dawn closed her eyes as she attempted to 'feel' the dining room.

"The only drawback to this spell is you need darkness to walk through. Search out that darkness. It may be a corner of a room, a shadow of some tapestry, anything."

Dawn let her consciousness drift with Luna's words. She still had her eyes closed but she had an overwhelming feeling of where she wanted to go. Food.  Dawn didn't flare up her magic. Rather it felt like magic was being pulled out like it had a will of its own. She took a couple steps forward only to bump her head. "Ow." She opened her eyes to find she was under a table that had long table sheets.

"HA, found her! You caught on to that fast as I knew you would." Luna was holding up the table sheet looking under, oozing with pride.

Dawn stepped out from under the table to find herself in a dining room. "Huh." She looked around to find an amused Princess Celestia sitting at the end of the table eating some cake. "Took a lot less magic than the other way." She wanted to say the regular way but she thought that would slightly annoy Luna. Dawn doubted she would've been able to teleport the other way any how.

Luna gave a vigorous nod. "Dark magic is notoriously magic efficient."

"Neat." Dawn briefly considered deviling deep into the dark arts. "Is there a max distance?"

Luna pondered for a second. "Not for me... but normal ponies can only feel so far I think." She scratched her chin at her own words. "Teleporting is a rather recent magical feat. Star Swirl the Bearded was the first to do it with dark magic. Come sit let's eat."

Luna pulled out a chair for Dawn with her magic as she made her way to the other side of the table. "Thanks." Dawn sat at the table with the rulers of Equestria half expecting food to teleport into existence. Nothing of the sort happened much to her disappointment.

A chef bounded out of a door behind Luna, he gave a short bow to his highness. "What can I make you tonight Princess?"

"Oh, I don't know... Dawn what do you want?"

"Umm... Spaghetti."

"Spaghetti? That's the stringy dish right?"

"I guess so?"

"YES! Two of those then!" Luna decreed.

Princess Celestia rolled her eyes as she finished the rest of her cake. 

"And for you your highness?" The chef asked Princess Celestia.

"A 'big' salad." she answered with hooves out stretched holding an invisible bowl.

"Right away my princess." The chef ran out of the room his orders.

"So, after this we will head to the university then to Twilight's." Luna said before she delved into a quick thought. "We should probably take the chariot to Twilight's, don't want you getting lost in the void..."

"The void?" asked Dawn.

"Why are you going to the university?" Princess Celestia asked, now turned to her sister.

"Dawn wants her... fillyfriend?" Luna turned to Dawn for an answer.

"Fillyfriend is a correct term for a long term romantic relationship between two mares sister." Celestia answered without skipping a beat.

"Ahh... very good. Dawn wants her fillyfriend to attend the university here in Canterlot."

"Oh?" The sun goddess turned to Dawn with scrutinizing eyes.

"Uhh..." Dawn started to reply.

"It is of little matter of consequence sister nothing to fuss over. Who am I to disrupt young love?"

"Does this young mare know you are going to use your pull to decide her fate?" Princess Celestia asked, still piercing Dawn with her eyes.

"If I have my way she would think she worked for it..." Dawn replied hoping that the sun goddess' eyes would point some where else.

"Oh good, so subterfuge is still used in relationships. I always enjoyed employing such techniques." Luna cheered.

Dawn shrunk under the Sun princess' stare only to find reprieve as she turned to her sister. Dawn internally grimaced at the thought of Luna's past relationships, thrones and all...

"Sister, it is looked down upon to be dishonest with the ponies you love."

"It is?" Luna and Dawn asked in near unison.

Princess Celestia face hoofed. "Yes. It is." She said giving space to the words so they could sink in. She turned to Dawn from under her hoof. "Do you love this mare?"

"Yes." She said with a surprising confidence. "At least I think so." 

"Do you not have faith in her ability to succeed to come to Canterlot herself?"

"I uhhh..." Dawn didn't think of it like that.  Am I really robbing her? Either way I really don't know her that well to make that call... 

"I fail to see her fault sister. If this mare works hard all the same to get to the same place why not have insurances that she will end in the favorable position?" Luna asked.

That's a good point... 

"Love will make ponies do things they would not normally do, for better or for worse." She said, quickly glancing over to Luna only to return back to Dawn. "For instance, did she talk about going to Canterlot before you decided to move here?"

Did she? "I'm sure she wants the best like any pony... isn't Canterlot the best?"

"No, Canterlot University is held to the same standards as all the other universities I made sure of that. Canterlot is just the hardest to get into because of its location."

"Well if they are all the same sister why do you insist this is a bad thing? Clearly real-estate is the only variable in their calculations." Luna said.

Princess Celestia gave a heavy sigh. "Do what you want. I will not interfere but you are walking a dangerous line with your lover, I hope it doesn't come back to bite you."

Dawn sat in silence as she gave the princesses' words of warning and justification some thought. As they ate their dinner the princesses for the most part left her to her thoughts. Why is this so complicated...  She hadn't noticed she was done with whatever she had ordered until her fork searched in vain for more food on her plate. She looked around to see both the Princesses were still eating. Luna was dangling the spaghetti from high above her mouth letting it fall on to her tongue. Princess Celestia was ignoring the sight, occasionally rolling her eyes at the sounds her sister would make.

Once Luna was finished she looked to Dawn and asked, "So shall we?"

What if she never finds out then everything would be fine. What if she's alright with it?  She hopped down from her plush chair. Dawn felt an urge to go under the table again and hide until all things were decided for her. She closed her eyes in mid thought as she walked under the table not to hide but to try out the new spell again. With her eyes closed and her mind blank, she felt for the university in general. There were probably trees maybe even a couple of students walking the grounds. She was two steps under the table when she felt her horn tap against the table's center post. She then felt a cool breeze graze her coat. She was walking out of a large gnarled tree's shadow.

Dawn heard giggling behind her. It was Luna. "You are going to be such a good student." Luna was walking out of a shadowy corner of the building next to her.

"Thanks..." She said, far more solemnly than she meant to sound.

"Do not let my sister's words sway you. Any actions done from the heart will always turn out for the better." Luna said with a calm smile.

"Yah, I am sure it turned out well for those manticores..."

"Ha! They did live on in memory under my rear for centuries." Luna said with far more grace than needed. "Let us find the officials we need." Luna cheered.

"Alright, I guess we can ask some student or something." The space they found themselves in was only populated with the alicorn and herself.

Luna skipped off into an opening around the corner in search of some unsuspecting student. Dawn trotted after her, still cycling her recent thoughts through her head. 

"You! Student! I would like to talk to the officials of this School. Where would I need to go?" Luna asked.

"You dare approach me with such a question? I would have you know I am of noble blood. I am not some school directory!" The unsuspecting unicorn answered without looking at the night princess.

As Luna processed the response, Dawn erupted into deafening laughter. The unicorn with the flowing gold mane and the ironic cutie mark of a compass turned around to stare down the laughing pink unicorn.

"I am Prince Blueblood I will not be laughed at!" He huffed, still not quite registering the night princess yet.

The entire quarter they found themselves in became unnaturally still and dark. Dawn paused from laughing. All she could see was a Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood. The Prince was oblivious to the change in light as he glared angrily at Dawn. Luna seemed to grow in size as she yelled in a sundering voice "I AM PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT! EXECUTOR OF THE MOON! RULER OF EQUESTRIA! YOU WILL ANSWER THY QUESTION WORM!" Dawn could see the gears turning in the Prince's head as he slowly saw the error of his ways. 

Blueblood shrieked in horror at the sight of Princess Luna. Her wings were fully stretched out and she had a menacing look in her eye. Blueblood curled into a small little ball below her, quaking in fear. "Th...The admissions office... that's what you... you want... your highness..." The quickly darkness receded as Luna returned to her normal self. 

Dawn looked down at the still curled up unicorn. Laughter welled up in her again. This time Luna joined in with a light chuckle. "So much for the 'Noble Prince Blueblood'." Dawn managed to blurt out in between gasps of air. O good Luna, I needed this.  Blueblood unrolled himself enough to scowl at the pink unicorn but only shrunk back in tighter when he accidently made eye contact with the night princess. 

As soon as Dawn caught her breath, they started to make their way to the admissions office towards where the Prince pointed. Giving a casual "Thanks" to the still curled up Blueblood. They both happily skipped in silence to their destination.

They found the building they were after. It had lights on so Luna opened the door for Dawn only for the door to snap under her magic. "It was locked." Dawn observed.

"Oops..." Luna chuckled.

A security guard ran up to the door way yelling, "And what do you think you're doing!" The guard stopped dead in his tracks at the opening where there once was a door. The guard dropped into a low bow. "Forgive me Princess I did not know it was you."

The night princess stood tall in the door way with Dawn right beside her. "I am sorry. I did not mean to break your door." Luna replied. "I will make sure the castle pays for the damages. We have come to speak to some of the officials of the school."

The guard got up from his bow and stepped to his side "You will find who you need inside my princess."

"Thanks." Dawn replied as she trotted inside. Luna followed suit as she dropped the splintered door on the ground behind her. "You are more entertaining than I gave you credit for, Luna." Dawn said as the hallway ended birthing into a large room full of staring eyes. The room shuffled briefly as everypony gave a generous bow.

Luna ignored Dawn and addressed the room full of ponies. "Please rise my little ponies I am looking for somepony to help me with an admission to the college."

The room rose to greet the princess. "I can help you princess." Said an older looking mare in the back of the room. Dawn and Luna made their way to the older mare. She welcomed the pair into a room behind her, visibly shaken by the royal presence. Once in the room she fumbled over to her desk and beckoned to her guests to take up a cushion. "What can I do for my princess?" She said with impressive smoothness despite her clumsiness. 

"Dawn?" Luna looked over to Dawn giving her an expectant look. The older mare joined in.

"I would like a mare to be admitted through normal channels of the university without her finding out." Might as well be as open as possible.  "Ideally I want her to think she got in herself."

"I...See..." The older unicorn was taken aback by the request. She fumbled her hooves a little in thought. "Umm... What would this mares name be?" Turning first to the princess only to turn back to Dawn. 

"April Showers." Dawn answered

The older unicorn flared up her horn wielding a quill as she wrote down the name on a blank piece of paper. Luna cleared her throat to direct the attention back to her. "We are employing subterfuge so we would like to know if there are any complications in our plan."

The aged mare fumbled her hooves again in thought. Then she walked over to some filing cabinets in the room and started searching. "April Showers." She muttered as she pulled the file free of the cabinet with her magic. The old mare retook her seat on the other side of the desk as she opened the folder. "Well you are in luck she is still in the drawing of the candidates." She said, studying the apparently well connected prospect. "Unfortunately we already sent out a majority of the acceptance letters..."

Dawn wilted in place. Her plan was already falling apart.

"We still have some late notice letters to send out, they belong to the students that applied and made the cut but were not quite up to par with the other students that were accepted. They fill the spots of the students that decline from coming here. This student is already in that drawing."

Perfect.  "So that will work right?" Dawn was grinning ear to ear. She was still deceiving her...  Her grin broke at the thought.

"Yes. I can write her the acceptance letter later and sneak her file into the 'accepted' cabinet."

"Ahem." Luna brought the attention back to her again. "When will this letter be sent out? I believe she is trying to win the universities affections right now. We don't want to have the letter sent to early as to give away the whole scheme." 

"Oh... These sets of letters were going to be sent out in a week or two. uhhh... we really don't notice students activities by this phase." The older mare added.

"So it would appear to be random?"

"It may..." The older mare shrunk on her answer.

It was a gamble... Am I making too much of a fuss over this?  Dawn let out an elongated sigh forcing Luna to look over with worried eyes. "Don't you want this?" Luna asked, unsure of herself.

"I feel like I just can't think straight when it comes to April... It's kinda a new feeling." Dawn admitted.

"Just do it." Luna egged on.

Dawn looked into the old mares eyes. "Fine. Go ahead and do it then." 

"Of... Of course." The elder unicorn lightly stammered. She was caught off guard by an indiscernible look in Dawn's eyes.

"Well I'm glad that is settled." Luna got up from her cushion as she looked expectantly at Dawn. "So to Twilight's now?" She asked eagerly.

"Yah." Dawn got up and moved towards Luna but than spotted a dark corner unlit by the lamps on the walls. Her curiosity got the better of her. She blanked her mind and pictured nothing but the library. She froze in mid thought. 'Eyes are useless in the dark'.  Luna's words echoed in her mind as she closed her eyes. She needed to feel the library. The smell of books, parchment, ink. She thought of Twilight and how she may feel. The sound of a snoring dragon and burning candles. She walked to the corner half hearing "Stop!" from Luna over her shoulder but she was already there. 

Dawn opened her eyes as she walked out of the shadow into the poor mutilated tree. She found two mares sitting on the couch reading a book. One she recognized as Twilight. "Hi Twilight!" She said excitedly. I can't believe I just teleported from so far away and so easily.  

The two mares jumped from the couch they were reading on. There eyes wild with fear searched the room to find the pink unicorn. Out from the corner she had just emerged Luna appeared more than a little distraught. "I TOLD YOU WE WOULD BE TAKING THE CHARIOT!" Luna yelled in a scolding tone.

Dawn turned around. The night princess was looking down back at her with worried eyes. "I'm sorry I wanted... I couldn't resist trying it more long distance." 

Luna's face softened. "It is a dangerous spell you could have easily been lost to the void." Luna gave a sigh, relaxing her face still. "I am happy you figured it out so easily." She bent down and gave Dawn a gentle nuzzle. "You just scared me."

"Ahem..." Twilight was now standing in a defending position in front of the other mare. "Can I help you? What are you doing here Dawn? How are you here rather? Why are you with Luna?"

"Dawn?" asked the light blue pone behind Twilight. She stepped forward to get a better view of the princess and the unicorn. "YOU!" She scrunched up her face as she recognized Dawn.

Dawn recognized light blue unicorn with a silver mane as well. "The Great and Powerful Trixie!" Dawn laughed out loud in a mocking tone.

"You know each other?" Twilight asked, turning to the mare beside her.

"We came for Dawn's tome." Luna said indifferently.

"Does Trixie know her? SHE BLEW UP TRIXIE'S STAGE COACH!" She shrilled in anger glaring at Dawn who was on the verge of tears from laughing too hard.

"She did?" Asked Twilight and Luna, in a seemingly practiced unison, both ignoring the third person speech for the moment.

"Psh." Dawn waved them away with a hoof. "I included it into your act." She said as she settled down.

"YOU BLEW IT UP!" Trixie squealed out of frustration.

"I made your act more interesting and you still had me replace it for you." Dawn said, deadpanning. She had much more control of her faculties now.

"You owe Trixie much more than just a replacement. You humiliated The Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie added.

"Psh." Dawn waved away the statement again with her hoof. "Interesting is not humiliation. Plus that was a long time ago. Talk about holding a grudge."

Forgetting where she was and who she shared a room with, Trixie turned red ready to explode with anger. "Trix." Twilight whispered calmly, walking over and put a hoof on her shoulder. Trixie cooled down a great deal at the touch. She mumbled something intended for Twilight's ears alone and turned around to gather herself. "You came for your book?" Twilight now addressed the Princess and Dawn. Twilight flared up her magic as a familiar looking tome floated out of Twilight's room and down to Dawn. 

Dawn took control of the book and slipped it into her 'bank'. "Thank you my dear." She said with mock civility. Twilight missed the 'mock' part.

"Not a problem. So how did you get here?" Twilight asked, now letting her curiosity take control.

Luna, the teacher, stayed quiet as Dawn was looked to her. Following Dawn's lead Twilight did as well looking for an experienced answer. None came so Dawn took charge and answered. "Quid pro quo Twilight. Why is she here?" Dawn asked, pointing at Trixie's backside.

"Uhhh." Twilight stumbled in place looking for answers. "That's Private." She finally settled on.

"Ahh, well than so is my method of transportation." Dawn quipped back.

"Oh for Celestia's sake, she's my fillyfriend." Outburst Trixie turning around to throw scolding eyes at Twilight.

Dawn deadpanned. "Ahh, well how nice." 

"Quid pro quo." Trixie replied in kind with a thick smugness plastered on her face.

"Dark magic teleportation."

Twilight and Trixie gasped.

Trixie was the first to recover, "Figures you would become a dark unicorn." She said with hatred lathering her lips.

Twilight gave Trixie a quick look over to shut her up. "Why are you using dark magic? That's dangerous!" She said to Dawn.

"It is no more dangerous than light magic Twilight Sparkle. Surely Celestia has taught you better then that!" Luna said with her wings half open out of annoyance.

Luna stepped in front of Dawn and towered over the two non-pink unicorns out of frustration. Best chime in.  "Luna, they met nothing by it. It will take time for that stigma to go away." Luna relaxed to Dawn's words and pulled back from her offensive posture.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled to Dawn as she studied the ground below her.

"It's fine." Dawn said to Luna before turning back to Twilight and Trixie. "Twilight you've read my book. You know light magic isn't just for the benefit of pony kind. Surely you can say dark magic isn't 'all' evil by comparison." 

"I suppose...." Twilight offered.

"My sister only taught you light magic because that is all she knows to such an extent to teach, not because it is dangerous or 'evil'." Luna's voice shook on the last word.

"Yes well..." Dawn said with a louder voice than she intended. "We clearly were interrupting your evening so I will see you later." Dawn started to trot to a dark corner. "Bye the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She laughed as she felt for her room in the castle. Empty, Cold, and populated by a box with a letter in it. She walked into the corner of the library and walked out into her room. I am getting the hang of this. 

She scampered over to the box she left on the floor, at the foot of the bed. Her hooves were echoing in the room which was only illuminated by the waning moon. She sat on her quarters next to the box. The room was soon filled with Luna's cackling as she emerged from another shadow next to Dawn. 

"You should've seen their faces when you walked through the shadows like you've been doing it all your life. Their jaws nearly hit the floor." Luna said as she sat down next to Dawn and her box.

"Aww, I would've liked to have seen that." Dawn's attention was on the box that was levitating over to her. Luna gave a little scowl at the box that wouldn't yield its secrets. It opened with ease to Dawn's magic as she pulled a new letter out. Dawn lit the gas chandelier hanging high above in her room with her horn as she unfolded the letter. Luna levitated the empty box over to her to study it in silence. Dawn lay down on the cool marble as she cast a shadow on her face with the letter to read it.

Dawn, 
It's so weird writing to you this often this box is really neat. It is hard to believe that you couldn't imagine the castle, you can imagine quite a bit so it must be simply massive. I can not wait to see it. I do not want you to worry yourself with me getting into CU that is my problem. You just worry about Dawn for now.
April

Dawn read the letter a couple times expecting words to appear out of no where. That's it?   She put the letter down on her bed and walked over to the balcony.  She didn't say not to... That letter was really short. She didn't say she loved me.  Dawn took a deep breath of the night air. It felt refreshing in her lungs. A chill crept up her spine leaving a calm in its wake. I am simply over thinking this. Am I? Yes, I really am. I'm searching for meanings that are not there.  Dawn nodded to her thoughts as she turned to the source of the moonlight. Luna's night was beautiful as always. It has been a very long day.  Dawn felt the soreness from her bout with magic fatigue this morning.  Tomorrow I will have a clearer mind. Dawn turned over to Luna. She was still studying the box by opening it and closing it with her magic.

Dawn giggled at Luna gaining her attention. "What is so funny?"

"You with that 'trinket' you 'had no use for'." She answered in a mocking tone.

"Yes, well I did not say it was 'not' interesting."

"Luna would you mind if I went to bed I've had a long day."

"So early? I figured you for a night pony." Luna sounded and looked very disappointed. "Very well, can I have your book to study while I wait for my night court to start?"

"Oh, Sure." Another pony that wants to read my book.  She smiled at the thought as she summoned the book out. "All yours." She said, levitating it to Luna for her magic to take hold of it. "Uhh please be careful with it." 

Luna cackled as she leafed through the pages of the tome. "I will handle it like a new born foal." Luna got up towards the door.

"Luna?" Dawn had a question burning on her lips. Luna turned around to look at Dawn.

"Yes?"

"Is it true Princess Celestia only knows light magic?"

"Yes." Luna gazed up to the ceiling in thought. "Fear not though. I am not my sister. Unlike her I had a thousand years to think. Think about philosophy, ethics and magic." She paused in thought. "Also unlike my sister I will teach you magic as a whole not just one side." Luna said with all the seriousness she could muster. 

"Alright." Dawn chirped excitedly. She quickly calmed herself to normalcy. "Good night Luna." She said, passing Luna on her way to make herself a bath.

"Of course it is... I mean... Good night Dawn." Luna shuffled in place briefly. "Dawn I would like you to promise me that you will not try to teleport any where outside this city or beyond Ponyville."

"Alright..." Dawn agreed from the bathroom. "Why?"

"I will explain in greater detail tomorrow." Luna said before dissolving in a black smoke with Dawn's book.

After a very long bath, Dawn got lost in the giant bed's covers. Sleep did not come easily however, as thoughts of April kept her up. To think just the other day I saw her as nothing but something fun and entertaining. A play thing to be out grown...  Dawn hated herself for such thoughts but they were so true. "I'm pretty sure this isn't how this kind of stuff works." Dawn had a couple relationships with ponies brave enough to approach her and she made sure their relationship never lasted more then a month or two. What was different about April.  She new what was different but didn't see how it came to fruition. Dawn buried her head under her pillow out of annoyance with herself letting sleep take her soon after.

> Chapter 8: Black Star
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Eight

Dawn walked through a plane littered with heavy rain clouds on the ground. She kicked them with her hooves to clear the way to her destination. To her surprise, she was already there by the third cloud kicked. She looked up to her prize. A daisy that blew in an unfelt wind towered above her. Dawn went up to bring it into a loving embrace. "I'm here." she said to the flower. 

The daisy turned around to face the pink unicorn. The face on the daisy was angry and cruel. "You betrayed me!" It yelled. 

"I would never!"

"But you did!" The daisy wilted in size to meet Dawn face to face. "You and no one else betrayed me!" The giant daisy then stabbed Dawn in the chest with its spiny root. It went inside her as she gasped desperately for breath. It was suffocating.

With a gasp to save her life, Dawn sprung up out of bed. She was in the tower where she fell asleep. It was a dream? "A nightmare." She admitted to the very lonely room that was bathing in the early morning sun. She dragged herself out of bed to wash her face. She looked into the elaborate mirror that adorned her bathroom. She looked terrible. There were bags under her eyes and her face looked ghostly pale. With her magic she splashed some cold water onto her face. The water left a chill on her face, waking her up. It felt good and she was already looking better. 

Dawn walked over to her balcony. The sun was low over the horizon. She gave the edges of the balcony plenty of birth as she sat down on her quarters. She watched Celestia's sun slowly rise into the sky for awhile as she thought. Her body was still ripe with a subtle soreness from yesterday morning. Dawn turned her concentration to her magic. She felt the ocean of magic churn inside her. She was back to normal. The soreness would pass by mornings end. 

Dawn turned around to seek her hearts desire, that little wooden box. It was still sitting at the base of her bed with a folded up letter not far away from it. She willed her magic to bring both to her. She read the letter again and let out a relaxed sigh. I really am going crazy. She summoned her ink and quill from her bank and turned the letter to its blank side.

Dear April,

About CU, it would be no trouble at all. Luna already knows of you and wants to help. It may be selfish of me to want to change your fate whatever it may be but I had never claimed to be other wise. I must admit magic fatigue has really played with my mind yesterday. I couldn't think straight to save my life let alone figure out what you are to me. I still do think I love you but I see now it's something I have no clue about. When I do gather more of my thoughts, my feelings, I want to take you up on your offer and talk to you about them whatever they may be. For our first weekend 'apart' why don't you come to Canterlot so we can explore the city together.

Love, Dawn

Dawn gave a light smirk at the letter she just finished. "Maybe I can write sappy things." Dawn folded the letter once the ink dried properly and slipped it into the box, closing the lid. She floated the box on top of the bed and lit up her horn. With a flash of magic she found herself in the dining room where she ate last night's dinner. 

"Good morning Dawn. I did not figure you for an 'early to bed and early to rise' pony." Princess Celestia said, looking over to the source of the flash. The princess was eating a three layered red velvet cake.

Dawn took a seat next to the Princess. "I'm not. My name is, typically, incredibly ironic." She said with a heavy sigh. She took to studying her new surroundings for a moment. Magic fatigue really is awful for my attention to detail. The dinning room's ceiling was really high. The room had windows of tinted glass along the walls spanning all the way up to its ceiling. Dawn's eyes were flooded with sunlight that filtered through the colored glass. It was beautiful. 

With a light chuckle at the pink mare's expense, Princess Celestia looked around for a stray servant standing in the corner. "Would you please ask for the chef to come in and make us some breakfast?" Princess Celestia asked.

With a, "Yes your majesty." the servant left through the only door in the room to produce the chef in a matter of moments. 

The same chef from last night came in. "Good morning Stew." Princess Celestia greeted warmly. He was a giant of a stallion. How in Equestria did I miss that?

"Good morning your majesty, what can I make you this morning?" He asked in the most petite voice. Ah mystery solved.

"Well Stew, first introductions. Dawn this is Chef Stew the castle's cook." The Chef gave a deep bow. "If you are ever hungry he can make you anything. Cake, sundaes, doughnuts, pie..." The princess's stomach growled as she stared into space. "...Stew this is Dawn, Luna's student. Very much like how Twilight was to me."

Stew gave another low bow. "Milady."

Dawn gave an acknowledging smile and nod to the chef. How in Equestria do I respond to 'Milady'?

Content with Dawn's response Stew turned to the Princess. "What can I make you 'two' this morning?"

Princess Celestia went deep into thought staring into space once again as her stomach rumbled.

"Waffles." Dawn said, seeing that the princess was taking her time.

"Oh! Waffles!" Luna cheered as she walked out from a cloud of dark smoke behind Dawn.

"Good morning sister." Princess Celestia greeted, breaking her present train of thought.

Stew gave a low bow at Luna's appearance. "Waffles for you two?" He turned back to the sun princess. "And you your majesty?"

"Waffles sound lovely Stew." Princess Celestia agreed with reluctance. The chef gave a quick bow and left the room. Princess Celestia turned to Dawn who had started to study the ceiling again. "So you did not sleep well then?"

"I slept fine, just had a nightmare." Dawn answered without much thought. "Why?" Dawn was worried she might have looked like that mare that greeted her in the mirror this morning. Dawn brought a hoof to her face to feel around for ugly.

"A nightmare?" Luna asked with an odd excitement, interrupting Celestia's answer. "What was it about?" 

Luna seems shorter... Dawn gave a quick inspection of night princess. Her mane was still blowing in an unfelt wind of the room but her vestments seemed to be sagging on her shoulders. It must be just my imagination. "A giant daisy with the tendency to stab me in the chest with its roots."

Luna giggled at the absurdity of the dream. 

"Well you are sleeping in an unfamiliar bed. This happens to some ponies." Princess Celestia commented.

Dawn shrugged the idea away while giving contented sigh to the room.

"I read your entire book Dawn. You are every bit worthy of being my student." Luna oozed with pride over her find as she teleported Dawn's book onto the table. "I would love for you to demonstrate some of these spells for us tonight. Especially this one!" The book flew open to a page of one of her more complex spells. The spell itself took up three pages and she had only performed it once.

"That one is my favorite. I made that the day I blew up Wingopolis's streets." Dawn said, again without thinking that she was sitting next to 'The' authorities of Equestria.

Silence broke through the room as the Princesses stared at Dawn. 

"You blew up what now?" Princess Celestia eventually managed to ask. "Wait..." Her mind worked over time in attempts of recalling the events of two years ago. "That was you?" The Princess's eyes pierced through Dawn's very soul by this point.

"Is it not fantastic Celly?" Luna was once again beaming with pride. "Look at this spell." Dawn's book flew over to Princess Celestia, breaking her piercing glare on Dawn. "Plus, why would a cloud city need streets any ways?"

Celestia took telekinetic control of the book to read. Dawn was having a mild heart attack as she saw her tome hover precariously close to the red and white confectionary. She managed to move Celestia's cake away from her book without the sun princess noticing. Celestia looked from the book to Dawn and back to the book as she read through it. The room was filled with a dense silence that even Luna's wide grin could not soften. The room maintained its silence until a cart burst through the large doors across the room from which the chef had disappeared. 

The massive stallion pushed the cart next to the princess, breaking the sun goddess of her concentration. "Your waffles your majesty." Princess Celestia set down the book to her side, opposite of Dawn, and levitated the waffles in front of her. Luna did the same from across the table lifting the waffles clear of the precious tome to Dawn and herself. 

They looked delicious, fluffy and light. Syrup, much to Dawn's displeasure, was already poured on it.  Might as well dig in to avoid any unpleasant conversation.

"So, Celly isn't she impressive?" Luna asked with her mouth full to the brim with waffles, syrup dripping from the corners of her mouth. 

Letting out a practiced sigh, Princess Celestia looked over to Luna. "Don't talk with your mouth open." 

Luna closed her chewing mouth and swallowed the half chewed mouth full. "I fail to see why that is considered rude. Plus Dawn does it." 

"I do what now?" Dawn asked with her mouth half full in between bites.

"See?" 

Princess Celestia gave another glare to Dawn that made Dawn shrink in her seat. "It 'Is' considered rude Luna..." Princess Celestia reassured.

Dawn swallowed her mouth full and looked over to Luna in hope to gain reprieve from the sun princess's glare. Luna was half pouting as she scooped more waffle into her mouth.

"I called on the royal carpenters Dawn. We can have them decorate your room today." Luna said through a mouth full with waffles of spite aimed at her sister. "I also thought out what your first goal will need to be."

"Oh?" Dawn asked as she brought a fork full to her mouth. Princess Celestia was still staring at her as she brought the fluffy waffles to her own mouth.

"Yep, I expect you to be busy for a couple of weeks if not months." Luna stopped and pondered at her fork for a second. "I will show you to the Royal Library, you may need some reading material."

Dawn didn't bother to reply as she brought more food to her mouth. Wonderful silence loomed over the room. The only sound was of the three chewing and scraping at plates. I wonder if this is awkward. 

"Dawn. May I read your book as well? I would like to get to know the pony that is living under the same roof as me and, apparently, get to know the pony that carelessly blew up the streets of a city." Princess Celestia asked with a small disapproving frown.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? "Uhh... Sure Princess I don't mind..." Her book was still close to the princess's unfinished cake. 

"Be careful with that book Celly. It is very important to her." Luna finished Dawn's sentence, while pointing an accusing fork full in Celestia's direction.

The sun princess followed Dawn's gaze more closely leading her to her cake. "Oh, My apologies. Of course I will take very good care of it." She said, moving the cake closer to her and book farther away, giving a small apologetic smile.

Dawn could only muster up a small smile back. She felt like she had been under Princess Celestia's scorn the entire time she's been here. "I am done." Luna declared. "Dawn. Come. We will make for the library now." Luna got up and walked to the door. Dawn spotted the three mouth full's left on her plate and lifted it all into her mouth. Through her magic she felt the sticky mess of waffles as she shoved it all in her mouth. She jumped down from her chair and chewed the large amount of food. Unable to answer Luna, she followed her out the door. She felt the glare from the sun goddess from behind as she left.

-----

Luna led Dawn through the library, gathering dozens of scrolls and tomes at a time with her magic, and levitating them above herself. The library was very ornate with large windows adorning the sides facing the eastern gardens. My tower must be right above. Dawn chuckled at her thoughts. 'My' tower...

The librarians were more than just a little distraught by the disturbance Luna was creating. They followed the night princess with note pads, taking note of everything she touched and took. The pile above their heads grew in size as Luna skipped through the halls of the library, cooing every so often at a new find that was to be added to the pile. Dawn just followed not really paying attention, figuring she would just sift through the mess later.

When the Library offered no more choice 'Study Materials' as Luna called them, Luna teleported them out of sight. "She will need those for awhile." She said to the nearly fainting librarians. "Don't fret. I merely put them into Dawn's tower." Luna turned to Dawn. "I will meet you up there." And in a cloud of black smoke she disappeared.

"I will make sure to take extra good care of everything." Dawn assured, seeing the concerned Librarians. Then in a flash of pink magic Dawn reappeared in her room with Luna on the second floor. "So what is it I am going to be doing?" 

Luna was rummaging through the pile of scrolls and tomes. Some of the scrolls were already bent from Luna dumping them carelessly. Dawn started to stack the rolls of paper and tomes on the shelf closest to her.

"I want you to make me a spell." Luna answered, still sifting through the shrinking pile. 

"Uh huh..." 

"It will be a dark magic spell..." Luna mumbled, still distracted with her searching.

"And?" Dawn was finding herself impatient.

"And..." Luna levitated a plain looking brown tome over her head out from the stack. "It will be the very same spell the author of this book made over a thousand years ago." Luna placed down the book facing towards Dawn.

"Black Star by Star Swirl the Bearded?" Neat. Dawn lightly leafed through the pages of the brown tome. It was written in an ancient Canterlotian. 

"Indeed." Luna answered, looking thoughtfully at the book. "Long term... I want you to bring the dualism of magic back to Equestria." She stopped to think of her next words. "It will likely take up your entire life..." She searched Dawn's face for some hint of reaction. When she found none she continued, "But that is for later... Right now I need you to recreate a spell he only taught me and no one else. You will not find the answer in these scrolls or tomes. You will have to be creative."

Dawn looked up at the night princess curiously. "What does this spell do exactly?"

"It is a spell that helps you wander the void and not get lost to it." Luna said as she turned to look absently at the glass wall behind Dawn. 

"Okay sounds simple enough." Dawn said confidently as she finished stacking the tomes and scrolls on the shelf only to lift the brown book to a shelf of its own.

"This is no simple task." Luna said, taken aback by Dawn's casual handling of her first assignment.

Dawn was now walking along the edges of the room inspecting it. Magic fatigue really made her miss the sheer beauty of the room. Her room. The rich woods, the intricate carvings, the delicate fitting making up the shelves, it was all for her. This is fit for royalty. "Oh I realize the gravity of what you ask of me. A pony that has lived thousands of years has faith in me to achieve this 'goal'. I will not disappoint." 

"Alright..." Luna was cut short by knocking on the door. 

"Come in." Dawn called out with her horn ablaze opening the door from afar. She went to the rail over looking the lower floor. A light turquoise earth pony, a black unicorn stallion, and a very young looking yellow pegasus walked in. 

Luna stepped up next to Dawn. "Ah you made it." All three ponies gave a bow to the night princess as they turned to her voice.

"Of course your highness, how may we be of help?" Asked the black unicorn as the three rose from their bow.

"Well this room is bare. We need some furniture. I ask you make everything this pony wants for her room." Luna said, while bringing their attention to Dawn.

"Of course your highness." They replied in unison. The two mares and stallion turned to Dawn expectantly, waiting for her orders.

"Well Uhh..." Dawn trotted in place in search for words. 

"I would think you may want a telescope." Luna asked almost excitedly, pointing with her hoof at the glass wall.

"Yah. That would be cool." Dawn agreed. The black Unicorn pulled out a note pad and wrote something down.

"You will defiantly want a proper desk too?"

"Yes, umm Down there." Dawn pointed at her bed. "I would also like to move that up here." She finished by pointing behind her to the alcove hidden from the morning sun.

"Would you like some couches, chairs, carpets, tables, any of these shelves modified, how about some more lamps along the walls?" Asked the passionate and eager pegasus of the three.

"That all sounds good..." Is that what it is like to have a clear purpose? Dawn looked back at her own cutie mark. Useless thing...

The next several hours Luna and Dawn watched the three ponies craft pieces of art from the wood they had brought up. The unicorn cut, carved and sewed while the Earth pony pounded, painted, and polished all the while the pegasus dried, held and watched the other two. Desks, tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, carpets, nightstands, dressers, and every thing the alicorn and unicorn could think of came to fruition one way or the other. They made it seem so effortless. Luna and Dawn talked through the entirety of it all. They talked about nearly everything under the sky and more. When silence found them both, Luna departed with 'Royal duties to attend to.' 

Dawn looked over to the work ponies which were now setting up her telescope. She then gave a quick survey of the room. There was a sweet scent of lacquer in the air. The deep purple and gold spirals of Canterlot out in the distance paled in comparison to the lush woods of luxury in here. It all looked so perfect.

I still haven't explored the grounds yet. Dawn walked over to the balcony and edged closer to the railing, expecting the balcony to break away from the building at any time. She looked out and saw the gardens below, flowers blooming from every corner that was not occupied by the thickest green grass, statues of all sorts resembling ponies long past littered the ground below, and out in the distance she saw a hedge maze of all things. 

I guess I'll go explore the gardens first. "You guys don't need me for anything else right?" Dawn called out to the artists at work. 

"No, Ma'am I think we can figure everything else out. If we need you we can come find you." The black stallion assured.

Dawn walked out of the room down the spiral stair case. Along the way she opened nearly ever door she saw just to peak inside. The guards must have been told where she is and isn't aloud to go as they let her explore uninterrupted. She eventually found herself in the gardens. The sun was high but falling to the west. She took in a deep breath, smelling all the scents flora had to offer in the light breeze. It was a stark contrast to the earthy lacquer in her room. Dawn broke into a skip as she explored the gardens. She sniffed every flower before nibbling on the occasional pedal. She poked every plant she didn't recognized and read every plaque for every statue she saw. It was an unforeseen bliss. 

Hours passed by as she purposely got lost in the grounds. She eventually skipped into a gazebo with roses crawling along the sides with a near dead tree centered in the middle that was adorned with the largest white roses Dawn had ever seen. The space was intoxicating. As she lay down by the tree, she took a deep breath of the rose enriched air and settled her head on her crossed forelegs. Sleep found her nearly instantly.

---  

When she awoke it was near the end of the sunset and the moon was rising from the east. The first signs of stars were appearing in the sky as she stretched her legs out from her laying position. Dawn slowly got up, grumbling as she did so. The night air was brisk and refreshing. It brought life back into Dawn's sleep laden eyes. She took in her surroundings before skipping to where she came from, not really knowing where she needed to go. It didn't matter.

Surrounding shadows gulped up the path she was taking as the sun set deeper over the horizon. Dawn's mind was pleasantly blank. Pretty soon she wouldn't be able to see much. She found a small patch of grass over looking the western sky. She fell on her quarters to watch the sky turn from a brilliant purple and pink to the dark blue of the night.

"I finally found you." Luna said, coming out of a shadow behind Dawn. She sat down next to Dawn to enjoy the same sunset as her. "Did you spend the rest of the day in the gardens?"

"I fell asleep." Dawn answered as she turned to Luna.

"Ah..." Luna looked worried. "Celly wanted me to tell you..." She stopped herself. "I was worried for a bit when I couldn't find you. You should tell guards where you take naps. I can't sense ponies through the void when they're asleep."

"Oh?" Dawn was amused by the notion of someone keeping an eye on her.

"You may not think it and I certainly think you are better than this..." Luna paused, contemplating on her next words. "You are important now and some stupid nobles may try and take advantage of you to get to my sister and me when your tutelage becomes more public..."

"Ha that would be entertaining." 

"Indeed, I think you would make fools of who ever tried to kidnap you." Luna looked amused at her student.

"Kidnap? Some pony would try that?" She asked in a hurried slur of the tongue.

"Indeed, that is why my sister and I rarely take students. I understand Twilight had many attempts on her when she was younger. Luckily Celly taught her some defensive battle mage spells."

"Huh..."

"I know battle mage spells are not common practice so I will teach you some basics to protect yourself these following months. And at night you can study those tomes and scrolls." Luna said excitedly, clearly looking forward to it.

"Alright sounds like fun."

"Oh you say that now..." Luna cackled.

"Luna, are you shorter?"

"Come let us go eat dinner." Luna wore a smirk that would make any manticore cry as she slipped into the shadows.

Dawn followed suit with a flash of magic only to find herself in the now familiar dining hall with both princesses. The hall was accented by the moonlight filtered through the ornate glass up above. "So are you?" Dawn asked again.

"Am I what?" Luna gave an innocent look at Dawn.

"Shorter. Are you shorter?" Dawn asked again with gusto.

"Why would I be shorter?" 

"She is shorter." Princess Celestia said with a smile.

Luna deadpanned. "Me? Shorter? Preposterous." 

Dawn was confused. She has never bragged about being able to read ponies emotions but these ponies were complete enigmas.

"She's found you out faster than any of our servants have." Princess Celestia said with a laugh.

"I told you she was the best." Luna replied. 

"OHH! You wane with the moon. Well mystery solved. Good job gang." Dawn congratulated herself as she hopped up on her chair. 

Dawn started to drift in thought in her seat as the two princesses started talking to each other. Eventually some ponies delivered a slice of cake for Princess Celestia and took their order only to disappear as suddenly as they came. In waiting for her food Dawn found herself bored. Princess Celestia was complaining about some noble she hated and wished she could fling into the sun while Luna just nodded stoically back.

Dawn let her magic flare up as she thought what could entertain her until food came. This bought the attention of both princesses. "Dawn what are you doing?" Luna asked.

Before Luna could finish her sentence an orb launched from Dawn's horn. Weightless and unbiased, the orb bounced feverishly around the room. It even managed to bounce off the princesses ethereal manes. The Princesses followed the glowing ball like a cat follows a moving reflection. The orb at some point split into two, four, sixteen... It kept splitting, filling the room with bouncing weightless orbs. 

"I think we're done." Princess Celestia said to Dawn. All the while Dawn giggled at Luna, who wore a silly grin. Dawn suspected she knew what was supposed to come next.

Suddenly, as if to Princess Celestia's orders, the balls stopped. Completely still, they hovered in place. The only sound in the room was of giggling from Luna and Dawn. Princess Celestia looked at the two in wonder as she poked the largest orb with her hoof. Laughter erupted as the orb Princess Celestia poked exploded with a note of an E just above middle C. The note played loud then whimpered off, queuing more orbs to pop. Soon a chain reaction throughout the room started, popping four to six orbs at a time each producing a unique sound or tone. 

It wasn't long before Princess Celestia recognized the music playing from the orbs popping. "Luna's light sonata?" Princess Celestia asked, raising her voice above the music.

"Is that what this song is called?" Luna asked from across the table.

"Yep, by Beethoofen. I thought you might like it."

"It's about you sister." Princess Celestia clarified from across the table.

"It's lovely." Luna closed her eyes and relaxed back in her chair, listening to the orbs pop. 

They all listened to the music in peace before the door swung open, revealing their food. The chef and a servant came in with their cart, smashing some orbs in the process which forced them to let out the sound they contained prematurely, startling the chef and servant. They slowly pushed the cart to Celestia's side. In the process they smashed a few more orbs, letting those notes to forever disappear into the music. The food was levitated to the ponies sitting at the table and the two left, careful not to smash any more orbs.

The song ended, missing the last chord and a couple notes along the way. "Did you know that was coming?" Princess Celestia asked after clearing her throat of food. 

"I knew there would be sound but not music." Luna answered, before turning to Dawn. "That spell was made for a 'prank' right?" 

"Yep." Dawn cackled at the thought of her teachers cursing her name every time an orb went off with a low bellow of a sub-contra F sharp. "This time I made the spell go off by itself and in an order."

"You are going to have to show us that spell tonight after we eat." Luna said.

Oh right... "Alright...Guess I'll be going to bed early then. That spell really guarantees a good night sleep."

"I can't wait to see it." Luna said excitedly.

"Does it really wear you out that much?" Princess Celestia asked.

"It's just the way I build my spells I suppose... I need to use a lot of magic to make sure it doesn't blow up in my face. I've only cast that spell once." Dawn said indifferently. "I understand it was quite beautiful. A 'master piece' the mayor of my town said, that is before yelling at me about the streets above."

"You didn't see it?" Luna asked.

"No, I was casting magic all day and I let magic fatigue take me for the night."

"It seems you do that often." Princess Celestia said with a small knowing smirk on her face.

"My student likes to push herself." Luna replied for Dawn. 

Dawn chuckled at that. If only you knew what I was casting that day. 

"Your student also likes to destroy public property." Princess Celestia quipped back. 

"And what did Twilight do five years ago? That's right she forced an entire town to riot over a doll." Luna fired back.

"That's.... THAT IS NOT THE SAME!" Princess Celestia slammed a hoof on the table before turning red in the face with... Embarrassment? Perhaps anger? Dawn could never tell. The sun goddess let out a heavy sigh and relaxed back into her chair to return her attention to her salad.

Luna giggled at her sister's outburst then turned her attention back to her food. Once again they all finished their meals in relative silence, wonderful blissful silence. I will have to meet with Twilight and work on that spell...

Luna and Dawn had finished their dinner before Princess Celestia and were deep in conversation about the ethics and moral standing of purging all of Equestria of clowns. Luna broke off from their pleasant conversation in mid sentence to address her sister who had just finished eating. "Good you're done!" She cheered before turning to Dawn. "Where do you want to cast this spell?" She asked excitedly.

Dawn thought for a second. Might as well make it close to my bed. "How about my balcony?"

"Alright! Come Celly. To Dawn's tower!" Luna cheered, shaking with excitement. She pulled Princess Celestia out of her chair before both disappearing in two pops of magic. 

Dawn was alone in the room. She searched around for a nearby shadow. Don't want to use too much magic. She walked into a shadowy corner and out of another. She was in her room where two Princesses sat on her balcony looking up at the sky.

"It is a very lovely sky Luna."

"Thank you sister."

Dawn walked in front of them, careful not to get too close to the edge. She found her footing and braced herself for the spell. Her horn lit up to a brilliant pink as she cycled the spell through her mind. The spell grew and built up to a point where she had to shut her eyes to her magic. She concentrated more on the spell. Her horn started to blind her through her eye lids as the spell continued to build. Finally, all her magic left her horn weaved into an intricate orb destined for the sky. The orb shot up into the sky, leaving only a dim trail of light behind to follow. The orb disappeared into the sky of stars.

"It needs to be really high." Dawn whispered. Her eyes were open but barely as she fell back onto her quarters. Her eyes were getting adjusted to the darkness as she looked up at the sky to where the orb disappeared to.

After an elongated moment, one could see a perfect prismatic circle slowly expanded in the sky. It contained every color pony kind could have dreamt up. The circle slowly opened across the sky. The wave was unyielding as it slowly lit up the dark night sky. The sky became engulfed in color as the edges slowly drifted out of view. When the entire sky was lit up as bright as day, the main shock wave hit the ground. An ear shattering sound came with an intense and powerful wind, rocking the many trees below. The sound was very much like a harp scrolling along all its notes, each leaving a resonance for the next note. And then silence. The sky slowly faded back to normal. Stars ebbed back into view. Dawn turned to the princesses who were still watching Luna's sky return back to normal.

Luna was the first to recover enough from the display of color to say anything. "That was..." She stammered

"I will defiantly be hearing about this in the morning." Princess Celestia said plainly, still watching the prismatic wave expand over the far horizon. 

Dawn walked back inside her tower, past the Princesses. She crawled up her stairs as Luna followed her quietly. "How far away will ponies see it?" Luna asked.

Dawn was sapped of strength and it showed in her ability to talk. "Ponyville saw it any pony past that would have to be looking for it to notice... it would be really faint. That was much bigger then my first attempt." Her voice drifted into a whisper. "I suppose I can say that was my first successful cast of that spell..."

She turned the corner into the alcove containing her bed. Princess Celestia followed Luna up the stairs. "That was truly breath taking Dawn. Thank you." Princess Celestia said as she turned the corner to Dawn's bed. The Princesses stood into the walkway of the alcove to watch Dawn climb into bed. Dawn fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


> Chapter 9: April Showers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Nine

Dawn,
I look forward to coming to Canterlot. I already bought a ticket and taken off time from work. I'll be arriving at the station at noon of Friday and will have till Sunday afternoon! I hope the Princess can spare you that long. We can talk all you want when I get there.
Love, 
April

It was Friday morning. Dawn had read April's letter a dozen times yesterday. It was a source of constant inspiration through all the pain she was put through. Yesterday, from the time Luna found Dawn conscious to the time Dawn finally collapsed in the gardens, Luna drilled self defense spells into her head. They only stopped for a ten minute meal throughout the day. The night princess had thought of dozens upon dozens of torturous 'exercises' to train Dawn. 

"You need to be able to defend yourself!" Luna often said.

Luna had devised many scenarios where Dawn's conventional magic was useless. Simple spells for simple affects. Teleportation was impossible. 

"You can forget about any of those spells in that book! USELESS!" Luna berated as Dawn lost ground from an attacking stuffed griffin. Luna's yelling was still fresh in her mind. 

Dawn wormed her way out of bed and made a less than graceful landing on the marble floor. Her muscles ached, her legs were weak, her back felt like a train had run over it... Slowly... "Ouch." She cried out as she tried to stretch away her bodily woes. She smelled awful. A long hot bath will do the trick. She limped to the lower floor of the room. The stairs were quite the challenge. 

Dawn was thankful she picked up so much of Luna's training so fast because in the end Luna agreed she could have the weekend to rest and study. Study right... I haven't even started at all those tomes and scrolls. As the water filled the tub, Dawn made her way over to her new desk where her bed used to be. She slid into her chair and looked around the room. She then closed her eyes and focused on the sound of the tub filling.

"Did you sleep well?" Luna stood in front of her desk. A wisp of dark smoke was dissipating in the draft of the room.

"Hard not to when you don't remember how you got to bed." Dawn opened her eyes keeping an ear on the sound of water. "At least that is a general rule of hoof." She slid off her chair and groaned as she met the unrelenting floor. She made for the bathroom. Something of the acoustics of the water falling led her to believe the bath was nearly full.

"You've succumbed to magic fatigue four times in the past week. I will make you into a grand mage yet, just you watch." Luna cheered, giving a wide grin.

Dawn giggled a bit. She closed the door to the bathroom behind her and slipped into the bath all in one shot. Every single muscle cried out in appreciation. She could've melted in the tub right then and there.

"You slept through breakfast but we can eat an early lunch together." Luna said through the door.

Panic ran through Dawn's body with Luna's words. "What time is it?" She asked in a near frantic tone that caught Luna off guard. 

"Umm... let's see, nearly noon. Is something wrong?" Luna asked as she heard an increase of movement. She cracked the door open a bit to see Dawn wielding a scrub brush with her magic. She was franticly scrubbing every where. "Are you late for some engagement I am unaware of?"

Did I not tell Luna? She dunked her head under the water before clarifying, "I must've not of told you... I'm sorry. April is coming to Canterlot today." She turned her attention back to herself. Shampoo was lathered into her mane haphazardly. "I asked her to come without really thinking... I need to talk to her about some things or my mind will be useless to you." That's a good justification for Luna.

"Ahh, the source of your nightmares..." Luna said with an affirming nod. Dawn was startled by the fact that she knew that. "Very well you are forgiven. I hope you will let me meet this mare?" 

Dawn still caught off guard, looked up at the night princess. "Of course, you are an important part of my life now she should meet you." Luna gave a small hop out of joy for Dawn's words. Curious...

Once she was dried off, mane roughly combed, teeth brushed, she turned around to Luna to find her fiddling with Dawn's empty drawers in the main part of the room. "How about Dinner? The three of us?"

"That sounds good." Luna said, distracted with her rifling through the crevasses of Dawn's room. "Wait..." She started just as Dawn was about to charge up her horn to teleport to the station. "The three of us? You don't want Celestia to come?"

Not really..."She can come if she wants but one princess overwhelms many ponies, two do twice as many. I just want you to meet the pony not another servant of the crown." Suave... must be the morning air. "If you think it will make no difference I would love Princess Celestia to join us." Dawn gave a small smile as she charged her horn.

"I see..." was all Dawn heard from the night princess as she reappeared near the train station. She almost forgot the limitations of that kind of teleport. Dawn nearly collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air in attempts to fill the no existent void that was her magic well. That was stupid of me... She shook her head to clear it as she found her footing. Dawn turned her attention inwards feeling for her magic which felt like a trickle compared to waves of an ocean. Dawn groaned in frustration with herself before turning to the train station.

Dawn broke into a hurried trot towards the train station. Oddly enough all the guards she passed gave a salute to the pink unicorn. She shrugged it off as something nonissue. According to the train schedule on the wall next to the station, the train already arrived and left. She looked up at the clock tower in the distance. She was ten minutes late. Great, just great.  Dawn turned around sitting on her quarters surveying the crowds of Canterlot. 

"Looking for me?" April asked with a cheer as she descended from above. "You are late my little filly." She said, landing next to Dawn. April had a smirk on rivaling Luna's.

Dawn had put on the silliest grin as she watched the sky blue pegasus land next to her. Dawn went in for a kiss to wipe that smirk off. "I am starving, you hungry?" She asked once breaking off the welcoming kiss April had returned to her.

"I could eat." April said with a shrug. They started to walk out of the station, guards at the walkways saluting the pink unicorn as they passed. "Why are they doing that?" April asked, whispering in Dawn's ear.

"I do not know..." Dawn answered as her stomach growled in anger.

"Are they not feeding you at that castle?" April asked, giggling.

"I just didn't have breakfast." She admitted, passing another guard that saluted again. The sign of respect warranted some unwanted attention of some by standers. "Hmmm this feels weird..." Dawn turned to the pair of guards that had just saluted them. "Why are you guys doing that?"

"By order of the Princesses you, Lady Dawn, are to be regarded in the highest respect by the guard." The armored pegasus answered a bit more formal and louder than Dawn would have cared for. 

Does Luna want me to be a target? 

"Whoa, well there you go..." April said, taken aback by the loud reply.

"Ugh..." Dawn rolled her eyes as she felt more eyes look up at her from the passing crowds. 

A light blue hoof rubbed her withers. "Hehe I am dating royalty now." April whispered as her hoof felt Dawn's tense muscles underneath.

"It's like Luna wants me to become a target." She pointed an accusing hoof to the motionless guard. 

"Let's go get something to eat." April extended her wing guiding the pink unicorn to the crowds of Canterlot. 

------

April and Dawn eventually found a nice little cafe in a corner of Canterlot. Every building in Canterlot seemed to be covered in oriental alabaster while every roof seemed to be laced with gold, except this little cafe in the corner. It was very plain with a wooden panning and a firebrick roof, a refreshing change from the very posh surroundings. 

The two mares sat down on some cushions next to a table outside. Donning a content smile as April leaned up next to her side, Dawn drifted in thought. We have all the time in the world to talk about silly emotions. 

A waitress popped out of the building with two menus in tow via magic. "Our specials for today are rose petal roasted carrots and thick bean and millet stew." She said, indifferently, laying the menus on the table. The waitress left with their drink orders as the two mares browsed a menu together.

April extended her wing, pulling Dawn closer to her. I love that wing. 

"So, what high calorie, fattening thing are you going to get here?" She asked, donning a smile of her own.

"Maybe I can get them to deep-fry a stick of butter for me." Dawn said jokingly, shifting through her muscles feeling the still ever present ache of yesterday's torture.

"That's disgusting." April laughed as she nuzzled Dawn's neck affectingly. Dawn caught a lovely whiff of the affectionate mare. A subtle scent just beyond her comprehension laced the smell of April's shampoo.

The waitress took their order with Dawn on autopilot, not really sure what she ordered for herself. The two mares just enjoyed each others silence. Dawn felt total bliss next to April. Minutes flew by as if seconds. The waitress returned with their food before Dawn could even remember what she ordered. Dawn apparently ordered a large order of bean and millet stew with a gracious helping of cheese. Her stomach growled in anticipation as the two mares straightened up to eat their meals. 

April giggled. "You best get to that quickly before your stomach jumps out and eats it first." 

Dawn was not one to argue with flawless logic. She lifted the filled bowl that contained the thick stew and wielded a spoon to work it all into her mouth. She might as well have brought a funnel as she poured the stew down to her stomach. It filled Dawn with nourishing warmth as her body thanked her for the sustenance. April laughed at the sight as she picked apart her meal. 

"I think I may need seconds." Dawn admitted as she dragged her spoon around the bowl to gather any residual stew. Dawn looked around for a waitress. They were alone at this little cafe. "I guess I'll go inside. Be right back." She gave April a quick peck on her cheek leaving a stew flavored residue for April to lick off.

She walked in to find the waitress who was lying down on a cushion inside with what, she could only surmise, was the rest of the staff. With a quick 'ahem' from Dawn the waitress jumped up to greet the pink unicorn. After taking Dawn's empty bowl from her and returning it filled with more hearty stew, Dawn skipped back to April with bowl in tow.

April was only about half done with her salad as Dawn sat down flank to flank next to her. "It's a wonder where it all goes."

Without any forethought Dawn answered, "Presumably out the other end." Dawn froze as she heard her own words. She turned to April who was also processing her words. She then broke into a fit of laughter. 

"We can only hope so." She said, in between a laugh. Dawn sighed out the breath she didn't know she was holding as she turned her attention back to her bowl full of nourishment. The two finished their food and Dawn settled up with the cafe inside. April was waiting for her outside, "So where are we off to?" Her wings gave a little flare up as she asked. 

"I don't know, wanna see the castle?" Her tail gave away her own opinion with a quick whip to the side.  Dawn wanted to show April the gardens. 

April looked a bit daunted by the fact that Dawn was talking about 'The Castle', center of the equestrian world 'Castle'. "Umm..."

Dawn could see she was nervous about it. "Come on." Dawn egged, playfully brushing up against April's flank as she passed her. "It'll be fun." She added.

Catching up to Dawn, walking shoulder to shoulder, she quietly asked, "So how long can I steal you away from the princesses this weekend?"

Other then her training with Luna she hasn't done a stitch of work yet. This kind of made her feel like a moocher. "Well I should do a bit of work this weekend..." She admitted. "But the rest of my time is yours..." Dawn sounded disappointed in herself for coming to that conclusion. She wanted to spend it all with April.

"That's fine. I wanted to check out the university a bit and maybe some schools nearby." April saw Dawn slump in her walk. "I was going to go fly to Cloudsdale real quick and check out those schools but you can come see CU with me." She added, whispering in Dawn's ear.

Dawn perked up to April's whispering. "Oh, for dinner, Luna wants to meet you. So we will have dinner in the castle." April stopped in her tracks as she thought of what was said.

"Me... Me? Dinner? 'The' Princess Luna?" She was incapable of proper sentence structure. 

It is as Dawn feared. She's like every other pony concerning the princesses.

"I will need to find a dress of some sort... get my hair done..." April's eyes searched around the street for her objectives.

Dawn broke her train of thought. "April." She held April's eyes with her own. "It's just a casual thing I promise. She is nothing to freak out about. Luna is just a normal pony who wants to meet her student's fillyfriend."

April reeled in her previous thoughts and started to think clearly again. "Except this 'normal pony' is a ruler of Equestria, a goddess that embodies the very night and all of pony kind..." April's rant was struck down by Dawn's calm eyes. 

"Don't worry so much." Dawn said as she smiled and pecked the pegasus' cheek. She started a light skip down the street beckoning April to follow with her tail. April stepped to the side of Dawn and twined her tail around Dawn's. They gave each other a smile as they both trotted as happy as can be down the street. They both turned a corner only for Dawn to stop suddenly this time. 

"What is it?" April asked as she followed Dawn's gaze to a tall, thin, pink pegasus. She bumped her partner in the flank with hers. "What am I not good enough for you?" She asked half jokingly.

"It's a winged unicorn." Dawn pointed at the pink pegasus. Sure enough April spotted a horn.

"Whoa! Neat."

They watched the pink winged unicorn stare into the building with a thousand yard stare. "I wonder what country she hails from." Dawn whispered to April only to receive a small grunt in common curiosity. A familiar purple unicorn came out of the building the winged unicorn was staring at with a small little foal on her back. Dawn could hear a small cooing sound from April. Dawn, surprising April, continued her skip down the street towards the wondrous winged unicorn. April quickly trotted to catch up with Dawn. 

"Hey Twilight!" Dawn called out abruptly.

The purple unicorn gave a little jump at the sound of her name and the voice who wielded it. Twilight spun around to take on the voice head on, gaining the attention of the winged unicorn. 

"Oh, uhh... Hey Dawn..." Her eyes darted to and fro from Dawn to the winged unicorn, clearly nervous about something.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't mean to interrupt you and your fillyfriend's night together." Dawn watched as a slow train wreck of emotions crash onto Twilight's face. They ranged from utter fear to anger to pure uncut gloom and dread.

"Aww, Twilight! I didn't know you had a fillyfriend. Why haven't you introduced me to her?" The winged unicorn asked, cooing a bit as she did. The foal on Twilight's back was lifted in an aura of light purple as it moved from Twilight's back to the front of the winged unicorn's face. "Why is Aunty Twilly keeping secrets from little ol' us?" She asked the oblivious foal. All the while Twilight's face turned a deep pink out of embarrassment. 

April kicked Dawn's foreleg to subtly gain her attention. "Ah, this is my fillyfriend. April, Twilight. Twilight, April." April held out a hoof in greetings as she bumped Dawn's flank provoking her to do something else. What do you want me to do? I should research some mind reading spells. Another bump against her flank as Twilight shook April's hoof while staring at the ground. Ahh! "And apparently I am sorry for ousting you out to your umm..." She was a loss for words as she looked at the foal and the winged unicorn.

"Family." The winged unicorn finished with a laugh at Twilight's expense.  

"Ahh, to your family..." Dawn stopped out of respect for April, who was kicking her hind legs now. 

"Twilight you shouldn't be ashamed to have a fillyfriend I am happy for you." The winged unicorn said as she put the foal on her back. "Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

Twilight took a minute to properly compose herself. "This is Dawn. We met at the magic convention I hosted." Dawn rolled her eyes at her. "Gathering?" Twilight corrected herself after seeing Dawn.

"I think she finally settled on assembly." April said to cut off what she knew would be a semantics debate.

"Assembly." Twilight repeated. "Dawn this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Twilight finished in a formal tone.

"Cadence is fine." She said, after grimacing at her own name. "We were just shopping. Would you two care to join us? It is always nice to meet Twilight's friends and you can tell me about this mysterious mare that Twilight has been hiding."

Twilight turned a deep pink blush again as she hid behind her bangs. "Uhh... I think we will have to pass. We're gonna go explore the castle." Dawn said, hoping it was the right move. Receiving no more bumps, Dawn assumed she did well. 

"That's Right! What are you doing with Luna?" Twilight asked, loosing her blush to indulge in her curiosity. 

"Well that would be telling..." April bumped her in her flank again. After a quick glare to the feigning innocent pegasus, Dawn turned back to Twilight. "I'm Luna's Student now." Dawn admitted.

"Ohh... Luna has been looking for a student for years now." Twilight said, her tail wagging from side to side in her excitement.

"Is that so?" Dawn said half heartedly. Silence loomed over the group as they all were at a loss for conversation.

Cadence was the one to break the silence. "Well! It is a shame you can not join us for some shopping. I will just have to pester Twilight until she tells me of this mystery fillyfriend of hers." 

"It's really not like..." Twilight tried to defend herself but lost her words in a fight against Cadence's knowing stare.

"It was lovely meeting you two. You have a wonderful time 'exploring the castle'." Cadence finished saying as she turned to the foal on her back that was wrestling with one of her wings.

Dawn turned back to the street as she said, "Catch ya later Twilight." April in turn followed Dawn, meeting her flank to flank.

"You really can be awkward when you want to be." April whispered to Dawn once they were down the street and out of ear shot.

"Was I?"

"Very." April brushed up against Dawn. "I'm sorry I kicked you. She just looked so destroyed when you ousted her like that."

"Huh."

"Celestia knows not every pony is as understanding as your parents, or apparently Cadence." 

Dawn couldn't help but raise an eye brow at her words, betraying her curiosity. April remained silent as they walked down the bustling street. "I just realized I have no idea where I'm going..." 

April broke free of her morbid thoughts to look around the street they were walking down. "Should we ask a guard?" April asked in a worried tone.

"Nah, I'm sure we can find our way." 

"I can fly up and point us in the right direction." April's wings sprung open exposing her plumage. 

"Don't worry about it lets just keep walking." 

-----

Dawn and April had wandered around the city aimlessly for over an hour until they eventually found the castle gates. The gates opened for the couple as the many guards around it gave a crisp salute. As they crossed the bridge of the moat the gates locked shut behind them. 

"Guess we're pretty safe in here." April said, after she had nearly jumped out of her skin from the loud clang of the gates.

"Well Luna may attack me when she spots me, but other wise yah. We're safe." Dawn said with little forethought. 

"Wait. Wait... Wha? WHAT?!" April barely had enough time to think it over before she saw a giant lance fly right for Dawn. 

Dawn griped the lance with her magic and with practiced ease flung it helplessly into the air, letting it land harmlessly into the moat behind them. That's right I didn't tell April about my training.

Luna's maniacal laughter filled the air around them with no discernable source. No night princess appeared. "Sorry April, I forgot to mention it. Luna has been training me to defend myself. She said she would be giving me a couple days of rest but I figured she would try something like that." Dawn said, glancing over to the rippled moat. April was visibly disheveled by the idea of pointy objects flying at Dawn. "April? It's nothing to worry about, honest. Luna wouldn't hurt me." Dawn said, attempting to cheer the pegasus up.

April blinked a couple times, focusing on the pleading unicorn in front of her. "I'm sorry..." Dawn kissed April, holding it long enough to savor each other's flavors.

"Come on, you wanna see my room first or the grounds?" Dawn gave a saucy look to April for the former option.

April recovered quickly enough to return Dawn's saucy look with her own. "The grounds. Thank you." She giggled at Dawn's brief frown. "I just hope there won't be any more pointy flying objects there."

"Err... me to..." Dawn turned around leading the way to the gardens.

They spent the better part of the afternoon in the western gardens. This side of the gardens favored statues of all kinds, enemies of old, heroes of new. Much to Dawn's amusement, they came across Twilight and her friends. "Elements of Harmony." Dawn read out loud. "Wonder what the heck this means, 'Fluttershy the Element of Kindness'."

"I don't know... It doesn't say anything about what they did to get a marble statue..." April said in a befuddled voice.

"I can understand the 'Element of Magic'. Twilight is the best at magic but how does the rest make any sense?"

"I don't know but look at this one." April pointed at some horrible creature that gave Dawn the chills on a basic instinctual level. It was wearing a face of pure horror. "It has an antler like a dear and a horn like a goat. This thing gives me the chills." April flew up to look the horrid creature in the face. "It only has one tooth too. And look at its wings" April was now poking the statue at all its misplaced body parts.

"This thing needs to be decommissioned and thrown into the ocean." Dawn concluded.

"I kinda like it, its fun." April said, giggling as she landed back next to Dawn.

"I like that one." She pointed to an empty pedestal. "Wait where'd it go?"

"Where did what go?" Asked April as she looked for what Dawn was pointing at.

"The statue, it disappeared." Dawn said, walking over to the empty pedestal. "It was here just a second ago."

Ignoring Dawn, April walked over to an opening in a wall of hedges. "Where does this go?" 

"Ha, Get this. This is a hedge maze. And it is gigantic. Stretches on for quite a ways."

"Some pony likes mazes I guess." April shrugged.

Dawn rolled her eyes and started to walk over to the castle. The sun was slowly setting off in the distance. They have been at this for awhile now. "Come on, lemme show you the flower garden."

They watched the sunset in the flower garden. They both shared a large luscious rose they had picked, eating it a petal at a time. As the shadows engulfed the entire garden, a cold breeze started to blow.

"Lady Dawn." Yelled a guard off in the distance. "They have a light storm scheduled for tonight. I recommend you come inside." 

"Lady Dawn." April mocked, poking Dawn in the ribs.

Dawn let out a sigh of annoyance. "I will not get used to having any sort of titles..." Luna had talked a lot about titles and such during their training yesterday. "They are more trouble than they are worth." Dawn concluded, earning a kiss on the cheek from April. 

"Shall we, milady?" asked April, still poking fun at Dawn's expense. Dawn took a deep breath and sighed again. She got up and started walking to the castle. April nudged her with her shoulder. "Come now, milady. Cheer up." April said, adopting a small accent of royalty to accompany her mocking.

"Yes, well... if you insist on my ladyship you can become my first of many serfs to plow my fields." She said, implying a scandalous innuendo while passing the guard that called out to her.

April deadpanned. "Ah, that's all I am to you huh?" 

"Without a doubt."

"Well 'Milady' I will need to fetch a rake to plow thy fields." April jumped back to a subservient dark age's accent.

"Ahh..." What could a rake mean? Do I want to know?

Oblivious to Dawn's confusion, April followed in tow next to Dawn as they made a corner eventually reaching a spiral staircase.

"Wow, how high are we going up?" April asked about three-fourths the way up.

"To the top." Dawn shuddered.

"Oh you poor thing." April chuckled at her discomfort. 

Dawn faked a pout as they climbed the last few steps to her door. She opened it with her magic and walked through. With a flare of her magic the lamps around the room lit up, forcing April's mouth to turn into a fly trap as she bathed in the grandeur of the room.

"This is all yours?" April finally managed to ask, after spinning around in observation. 

"Yep." Dawn stepped into the center of the room to survey it with her. Everything was still in its place and a small trickle of lacquer still laced the air. "Cool eh?"

"That is another expression I will never get. Why is 'Cool' better than warm? Why don't you ponies say 'that was so warm'." Luna walked out of the corner that was drenched in shadow.

April, startled by the sudden appearance of the night goddess, fell to a low bow. Dawn ignored Luna's little inquisitive rant to watch her fillyfriend nearly kiss the ground. "April, Luna. Luna, April." Dawn casually introduced. Luna extended a hoof to shake. 

"I believe this is where we shake hooves. Correct?" Luna turned to Dawn for an answer.

Dawn was still looking at the mare nearly kissing the ground. "Usually." Dawn stepped up to April as if approaching an injured kitten. "Luna would like to shake your hoof. As far as I know she does not bite."

"Bite what?" Luna asked. "I swear I don't know where ponies got the idea of me eating them."

April straightened up, showing her bright red blush. She stepped forward to Luna and shook her metal hoof, earning a grin from Luna. April shrank back at the sight, nearly hiding behind Dawn. "So will Princess Celestia be joining us tonight?" Dawn asked.

The question broke Luna out of small trance focused on the April. The night goddess was notably shorter not just in size but her mane too. It was shorter and turning curly. I wonder what she'll look like at the new moon. 

"No, Twilight Sparkle is having dinner with her tonight. It will be just us." Luna said, cocking her head at April. "So you are the mare that has driven my student to magic fatigue twice." 

Dawn moved to the side as if dodging the question for April to take the full blunt of it. "Ye...yes" She stammered but then let her curiosity get the better of her. "Twice?" She asked, turning to Dawn.

"You should have seen her yesterday. Taking all the training I could conjuror up for the week in one day, for what I now know was all for you." Luna said, gaining up on the unsuspecting pegasus, giving April a small poke with her metal hoof as she finished.

April was likely wishing she could melt into the floor under Luna's gaze. Best save her now. It was fun while it lasted. "Where should we have our dinner? Is Princess Celestia using the dining room?"

Luna sprung up from her scrutinizing position over the slightly shaking pegasus to her starkly contrasting happy self. "Yes! We shall eat here!" She announced with gusto.

"Oh... Alright." Dawn answered. As if on queue a knock sounded from the door earning a little squeak of surprise from April. "Come in." Dawn answered as she sat down next to her fillyfriend. Chef Stew bounded through the door, slightly out of breath.

"Oh, good! Chef I'm glad you could make it." Luna said. A table and cushions flew down to them from the second floor surrounded by Luna's magic.  

"My deepest apologies." The chef said, giving a quick little bow, still catching his breath.

Dawn coaxed April to take a seat at the table. 

"Its fine Chef, I do thank you for doing this." Luna said as she took a seat across from April.

"Of course my princess." He chirped, giving another small bow. Stew was still catching his breath as he walked to the end of the table. "What can I make for you to night?" He asked to the table. 

"I would love two oatburgers extra cheese, onions, the works." Dawn announced, the royal chef winced at the order. "Oh, and can you make me a chocolate shake?"

"I'm glad to see you are eating healthy." Chided April, momentarily forgetting who sat in front of her only for reality to snap back at her like a rubber band.

"Oatburgers?" Luna asked. "I do not think I have heard of this food."

"Six years off the moon and you haven't tried the best invention of the century?"  Dawn asked in a mock flabbergasted tone.

"It's not like Celly gave me a list on what I missed." Luna pouted. "I shall have one of these Oatburgers as well!" She decreed. "AND A CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE!" Luna finished in a tone that would have been appropriate for giving an inspirational war speech like so many pegasi commanders and generals of her time.

Stew had emotions dancing across his face from minor annoyance to shock. "If that is what my princess wants." He said, letting out a heavy sigh and turning to April for her order.

"Oh... umm you can make me what ever dish you want." April's voice drifted into a whisper.

Stew drew a smile across his face. "How about a lovely puff pastry broccoli and cheese all rolled up into swirls with a blueberry cheese cake danish on the side?"

April was mildly surprised by the sporadic and specific order of food. "That sounds lovely thank you."  Chef Stew looked like he wanted to jump up and hug the pegasus but gave a low bow as he backed out of the room. April turned back to the moon goddess and Dawn who were both tilting their head in curiosity. April scooted closer to Dawn for respite from the awkward silence that filled the air, nearly leaving her own cushion in the process.

"You could've ordered anything, you know?" Dawn said, giving into her curiosity.

"Uhh... Well he didn't like what you two ordered so I thought if he could..." She was losing her resolve to answer as 'The' Princess Luna looked eagerly over to her for her answer. "... I just figure that it is best to keep the ponies that handle your food happy."

"Oh..." Dawn and Luna said in unison.

"Solid logic my little pony." Luna concluded, nodding.

"Make sense to me." Dawn added.

April relaxed a little at the night princess's approval.

"So what qualifies you to my student's mate? My student, whose magical ability is nearly unrivaled. Who has a magical ability that comes with a mind that I will likely not find for centuries to come?" Luna possessed a scrutinizing glare that would scare a manticore back into its den. Dawn had a feeling this would happen when Luna suggested meeting her. It just seemed appropriate... and entertaining. 

Dawn turned to the pegasus expecting a stone solid statue had taken her place but despite her previous cowering she looked Luna straight back, meeting her glare with her own. "I love her". She said firmly.

The sound of those words still sounded so foreign and strange to Dawn. She nearly keeled over right then and there.

"Ahh very good then." Luna had broken her scrutinizing glare and turned to the flabbergasted pink unicorn. "She's a keeper." Luna said, winking to Dawn.

As the night progressed, April relaxed considerably. The tense air in the room dissipated as they all talked. Eventually Luna insisted on her dropping 'Princess' when she addressed her. The food arrived and went. After eating Luna declared oatburgers to be her new favorite meal. It was only Luna's night court that interrupted the night. Luna bid her farewells and disappeared in a wisp of smoke leaving the two mares alone.

They found themselves staring at each other in silence. April broke her stare to look around the extravagant room. "You really are being spoiled."

"Mmm." Dawn rolled over on to her back gripping her tail in between her legs not breaking her gaze from April. I really should talk to her.

Dawn's rolling caught April's eye. She cooed at the sight. "You are too cute sometimes..." Dawn remained emotionless on the ground. "Is something wrong?"

"I..." Stupid words and how they need to mean stuff and junk... "Why do..." Dawn couldn't grasp the words she needed to ask what she needed to know. April sat on her quarters in front of Dawn, looking down at her. She cocked her head, waiting for more than stumbled words. "Why do you love me?" Dawn asked, haphazardly. Hmmm not really what I was going for but let's wing it.

"Why do 'I' love you." April repeated. "Hmmm." April laid down on her stomach, tucking her forelegs under her. "Well I don't know... It could be how you are incurably forgetful. Or it could be because you eat your weight in food every day but never gain a pound."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I..." She broke her next sentence short. Not just yet.

"Well so am I." April mocked a pout. She leaned forward and kissed Dawn on the base of her horn. The kiss sent a shiver down her spine. "I also love how you are so strong willed. I know I could rely on you if I asked anything of you."

"How do you know that?" Dawn asked, turning over to her stomach meeting April at eye level. "I've never done anything for you." She lied.

"True-ish, you were going to ask the princess if she could get me into CU weren't you? And you did make us those boxes." April broke Dawn's eye level gaze by turning on to her back and grabbing her tail. "Do I do it as good as you?" She asked while trying to look innocent.

"You said you loved me before I even told you I would ask or before I made those boxes..." Dawn replied, ignoring the façade. 

"I think I said 'I think I love you' but after seeing you after you made me that box..." She motioned with her hoof up in the air for an imaginary object. "And then 'You' said you loved me. It made me think more about it. Though you have many faults, flaws and umm... inconsistencies. I like it all. I 'Love' it all." 

Dawn buried her face under her hooves. "I feel like..." Dawn desperately searched through the fifty thousand words of ponykind that she knew of. "I don't know..." A hoof came down to from her withers down to her chest only to turn into a hug from none other than April.

"You feel you don't know me well enough. You want to make a proper judgment on whether or not you love me. Your rational mind is struggling to keep up with your feelings." As she finished she nuzzled Dawn out from under her hooves. "You're scared." 

Scared. A word a foal understands perfectly. April kissed Dawn on her cheek letting a warm feeling flood her body. Is that it? I'm scared? 

"I saw it in your letters, and at the train station. It was written all over your face at that cafe and in the gardens." April said after breaking her kiss. She leaned up against Dawn letting one of her wings lay over her.

"Am I really that bad?"

"Bad? You hide emotions so well..." April stared into Dawn's emerald eyes only to get lost in thought. "You are really 'bad' at expressing your emotions." She corrected. 

"Oh..." Dawn looked back, stunned at the realization. 

"There's nothing 'Bad' about expressing your emotions though and it isn't 'Bad' to be scared." April set her head on Dawn's forelegs while wrapping her tail around Dawn's backside. "If it's any consolation I'm scared too." she mumbled.

I am scared. Scared of my emotions? And April is scared too? She rested her head on top of April's. She inhaled greedily the scent of April's mane. "Alright." Silence spread out in between the two as they enjoyed each others body warmth. "What are we scared of?" Dawn asked, whispering into April's mane.

"The unknown." April let out a heavy sigh. "I've never felt like this for any pony. I've been drunk off love but I can't say I have ever been 'in' love. You know?" 

Dawn hummed into April's mane in agreement. April shuffled free of Dawn to stand up and stretch. Dawn got up and joined her. The absence of her wing let a cool impression on her coat as a cold draft from the night's storm drifted by. 

"Why don't you show me the rest of your room." April said, casting libidinous eyes Dawn's way.

Dawn was quick to pick up. After giving a very brief overview of the room, they both ended up in the giant bed in the alcove, cuddled up together underneath the bed sheets. 

"Good night April." Dawn whispered as she lost herself in the white mane.

"Good night." April whispered back, losing herself in Dawn's chest.

> Chapter 10: An Obsession
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Ten

Dawn was the first to wake up. April was on the other side of the bed, lying on her belly with her limbs stretched outwards, and taking up as much real estate as possible. One wing was fully out stretched gracefully flapping, pushing near to no air around. Dawn giggled at the sight. Huge bed equals a lot of territory for ponies to conquer in their sleep. Dawn just laid there, watching April fly in her dreams until she too woke up.

"Morning." Dawn greeted as the she pulled April closer to her with her magic.

April blinked the sleep away as she was dragged across the bed. April found herself in a warm embrace of an affectionate pink unicorn. "Look who's a morning pony today." 

"It is a rare occasion I assure you." Dawn said into the back of April's neck. "You hungry?" 

"Very. What time is it?" April asked.

Dawn lifted her muzzle out from April's mane to search for the clock she had put in here. "Only Six?" She asked, doubting the clock. She relaxed back into her embrace with April.

"Lemme go use your bathroom." April crawled out of Dawn's renewed snuggle and out of bed. "Then we can grab some food." April added as she walked out of the room.

Dawn flopped out of bed, meeting the ground with every bit of grace she could afford. Her muscles didn't complain for once. She did a quick run through of all her joints, working out the night's stiffness then made for the lower level of the room. She sat in her chair behind her giant desk looking towards the bathroom. Dawn's freshly awakened mind started to wander about as her comb worked through her mane and tail. 

"You unicorns typically have such nicely brushed manes. Why don't you brush yours?" April asked. She had managed to sneak up on Dawn.

"I own a brush..." Dawn started to say. "Ready?"

"Yep. Where you want to go?" asked April.

Dawn's horn was aglow with a bright pink aura as she focused on the dining room. With a flash and a pop she landed on her feet in the dining room. April gasped for breath on the floor next to her. "Great way to travel in the morning huh?" Dawn asked, giggling. Dawn looked around the room while April recovered from her traumatic experience. Princess Celestia sat at the table, eating some of her morning cake.

"My word Dawn I thought your name was 'Incredibly Ironic'. I just raised the sun not 15 minutes ago." Princess Celestia said with a warm smile.

April, just now realizing whom she shared a room with, dropped to the ground in a low star struck bow. Dawn took a more forceful approach this time by pushing the reluctant mare into a seat with her magic. "You really need to stop doing that." Dawn laughed as she settled into a seat in between the princess and April. "Princess this is April Showers, inspiring teacher, and fillyfriend of yours truly." Dawn added.

Princess Celestia giggled at the display then put on a very warm and loving smile. "It is lovely to meet you dear." April remained silent, moving her lips with no sound coming out.

In a dark poof of smoke, Luna joined them at the dinning table after the sisters exchanged there usual greetings. Knowing April would be star struck with her sister here, Luna started to break the ice for her with offhoof questions about topics she and Dawn had talked about previous nights. A dozen or so stammered and mumbled sentences about her stance on clowns later, April was getting used to the princess laden atmosphere of the room. 

"By the way Dawn, I finished your book. Twilight has it right now. I am sure she will return it to you when she wakes up." Princess Celestia said after finishing her morning cake. As if she was on beckon call, Twilight popped into the room with a flash of magic. "Good morning Twilight." Greeted the sun princess as she leaned over her chair to nuzzle the bed headed Twilight. 

"Good morning." Mumbled Twilight, only half noticing and half registering April and Dawn as she took the seat across from them. Twilight blinked away the sleep, focusing on the less familiar mares across the table. The chef bounded into the room surprising only April. After quick bow he asked with his usual energy, "What can I make you this morning?" 

"Waffles!" Luna proclaimed loudly. Twilight and Celestia winced at the morning energy of the night princess.

"That sounds good." Dawn agreed. April silently nodded her head in agreement as well.

"And you Lady Sparkle?" The chef asked.

"Waffles..." Twilight reluctantly answered.

"And you my princess?" Turning to Celestia

"Celly! Waffles!" Luna demanded.

Princess Celestia gave a reluctant sigh. "Waffles..." She admitted.

"Waffles..." Chef Stew repeated as he slowly backed out of the room.

"So 'Lady' Sparkle I understand you have my book." Dawn stated, inspecting the freshly out of bed Twilight. Twilight ignited her horn and in a flash of purple later she had teleported the book in front of Dawn. "Much thanks." Dawn said, lifting her tome to inspect it for any damage. When she found none, she let it dissolve it into her 'bank' where it belongs. Dawn let out a gentle sigh as stress, which she did not realize was there, relaxed in her neck.

"What's in the book?" April asked, turning awkwardly in her chair towards Dawn.

"Spells I've made up over the years." Dawn answered, indifferently. I wish she could appreciate them. As she answered the pegasus quickly lost interest.

"I would argue your life's work is in that book." Luna chimed in. "Ney! Your heart and soul!" Luna's wings flared up as she adopted an inspirational speech giving voice. "The very essence that makes you unique to this world is in that book."

"Wouldn't be far from the truth." Twilight agreed, as Princess Celestia quietly nodded while holding her head with a hoof.

"Yes, a tome full of the magical mysteries of Wingopolis." Princess Celestia added with a bite of derision. Twilight giggled as Dawn fell under a brief yet familiar glare from Princess Celestia.

"I would love to read it some time then..." April paused after gaining a few skeptical looks from the surrounding ponies. "I know I won't understand most of it but I would still like to see it." As if on April's command, the large tome reappeared in front of her. "Oh, thanks love." The pegasus pulled the book towards her, opening it with a delicate hoof.

"So... How long have you two been together?" Twilight asked, choking on the repercussions of her question after the fact.

"Quid pro quo Twilight." Dawn answered.

April gave out a heavy sigh. "That's rude Dawn..." She broke her gaze from the large tome she currently towered over. "It has been only about a month since we've been seeing each other more regularly." She answered, before returning to study Dawn's tome.

"That is not how you play the game..." Dawn mocked a pout for April benefit. "And what of you and...Oof!" A less than subtle kick of magic hit Dawn in the side, forcing her to stop short.

Spotting the purple unicorn's horn glow, Princess Celestia protested. "Twilight! What was that for?" 

"Oh... Nothing... right Dawn?" Twilight was looking innocently and expectantly over to Dawn, grinning through her teeth.

"Oh! We saw Twilight with a very lovely young mare the other night sister. I think that is what she is trying and failing horribly to hide." Luna announced, indifferent to Twilight's pleas to shut up.

Princess Celestia's face stretched to a very wide grin. "Oh you don't say." She said, as she slowly leaned over the violently red faced Twilight. "Who is this lovely mare you have been keeping from me?" 

"I haven't been keeping her from you..." Twilight was intent on avoiding the sun goddess's eyes. "I mean... Trixie... Her name is Trixie."

"What a fine name for some one who is dating my Twilight." Princess Celestia let up from Twilight, smiling all the same. "Now sister did you make this discovery by invading Twilight's privacy?" She asked across the table, now donning a more stern face.

"Of course not! It was all Dawn!" Luna accused, pointing a hoof towards the pink unicorn. "I wanted to take the chariot."

Sold out by my own teacher... "You don't say..." Princess Celestia and April both said in near unison. 

Under the scrutinizing gaze of her fillyfriend and Princess Celestia, Dawn considered many different escape routes. Many of them included growing wings and flying through the glass windows up above. Just as the air got to its peak of intensity with scrutiny a cart bounded through the door of the dining hall loaded with five plates of...

"Waffles!" Dawn yelled in surprise, successfully breaking the glares of her fillyfriend and the sun princess. She magically served every one their waffles, much to the pleasure of the servant pushing the cart. Oh fluffy goodness that is waffles.

Princess Celestia let out a sigh of disappointment as she lifted her silverware with her magic. Luna was already devouring the unsuspecting waffles when the unicorns picked up their silverware. The only non-magical pony sat and struggled to hold a knife and fork at the same time.

"Unicorn food is so tasty but it's so impractical to eat..." April muttered as she fumbled with a fork.

Dawn laughed at the display. "Here lemme help you." She cast an animation spell on April's fork and knife. Controlled by the faint pink aura around them, the silverware started to dance around the plate like a tribal ponies of old. "Open your mouth when you want them to cut you a bite." Dawn instructed as she lifted her opened book into her bank.

"Oh this is your silverware spell from your book." April asked as a fork darted for her mouth with a bite sized waffle, nearly stabbing her eye as she turned to watch Dawn's book float away.

"Careful it has its flaws..." The fork jumped around the plate right after it delivered a second bite full into an already full mouth.

"One shouldn't talk with their mouth open." Luna laughed while chewing her own waffles.

Princess Celestia face hoofed.

Seeing a golden opportunity, Luna turned her attention to April. "So what are you planning on doing today April?" 

Without thinking, April opened her mouth only to find it full with a new bite full of waffle. 

"She wanted to check out the university and then fly over to Cloudsdale, check out the schools there." Dawn answered for the grateful pegasus.

Luna gave a small pout before shoving more waffle into her mouth.

April was the first to finish her breakfast. "Can I finish reading your book Dawn?" She asked while shoving her plate a fair distance away from her.

"Sure." Dawn replied with a mouth full, syrup dripping from the corners of her mouth. A moment later a tome was placed down before April. April retook her reading position from earlier, slowly leafing through the pages of runes she didn't understand and reading the spell titles, addendums, and spell affects that she did.

"What's this spell?" April asked, turning the book to Dawn. "Creation?"

Dawn peeked over to the book, knowing full well what the spell 'Creation' was. 

"Demonstration!" Luna decreed. 

The sun light that filtered in through the stained glass windows that lit the room, started to dim. Dawn's magic was already at work. An orb popped up from her horn and started to tick down from red to green. By the time it had ticked to green the only sources of light in the room were the sun princess's and Twilight's horn's which were feeding them their waffles. 

The orb exploded into a disk of millions of glittering flares lighting up the room only to swirl and shape into a galaxy. The very same galaxy that was demonstrated only a week ago in Fatty Joes. The spell took its course, keeping the focus of all the ponies in the room until it shrank and exploded, allowing all the light to flood back into the room.

"Neat." April said after the finale before returning to Dawn's book.

The spell, however, had a profound affect on its creator. What if... Dawn's head was processing to its max capacity as she watched Celestia's horn glow with magic. The void, shadows, the devouring light, the small amount of facts that she did know about the subjects were just enough to give her a brilliant idea. She blinked out of the dining room to her room. She walked over to the large amount of scrolls and tomes Luna had gathered for her the other day. She pulled a couple off the shelf and flung them to her desk below. On second thought... Dawn lifted the entire collection of scrolls and Tomes. The collection flew over the railing to stack neatly on or near the desk. In a flash of her magic Dawn was sitting in her chair, levitating several scrolls open for her to read.

Blank sheets of paper sprung out from a nearby cupboard to be pilled on the desk. Her ink and ever last quill jumped forward from nonexistence. The quill danced along the paper as she read the scrolls in front of her. Dawn became so engrossed in her work she failed to notice the two alicorns, a purple unicorn and a sky blue pegasus behind her desk.

"Luna, what do you have her working on?" 

"Star Swirl's Spell..." 

"Why?"

"Who's Star Swirl?"

"Luna's last apprentice... Student."

"Dawn?" A hoof nudged Dawn's shoulder. Ignore it. Not important. This needs to be perfect. Don't want to miss anything.

Somepony let out a heavy sigh. "Sister I hope you know what you are doing."

"She will be fine..." A voice from behind her said. 

"Come April. I hate to say it but I think we can only leave her alone. Why don't I join you on your trip to Cloudsdale."

"I thought Star Swirl the bearded' spell was lost when he died. He never taught any one. That it..."

"I think that is the point my sister is making Twilight."

----

The pages of paper Dawn had already written on filled the left side of her desk, towering high in an unknown organization. Everything was getting hard to see as the light that once flooded her tower dimmed. Dawn's eyes strained to focus. A flare of her magic later and light returned in an orange glow. She was levitating one of the last books of the Luna's collection, Black Star. Her quill tapped the bottom of the ink well with a clink. Another Ink pot jumped in the place of the empty one, knocking it to the others on the ground.

"You. Miss Duster, correct?"

"Ye... yes my princess. Feather Duster. How can I serve you?"

"Has Dawn eaten at all today?"

"Not to my knowledge Princess. She has been there behind that desk for the hours I came by to clean."

"Have any of you seen her get up to eat?"

"No my princess." Several voices answered in unison.

"Don't worry April. I can not. Will not, have a student that neglects her body like this."

"She doesn't do things in moderation... I never thought... I don't think we can force her..."

"I... What do you suggest we do than?"

Somepony let out a tired sigh. "She's been at this all day. She has to wear out... Right?"

"I don't know her well enough to make that judgment."

"Dawn?" Somepony pushed Dawn's shoulder again. Another hoof? Ignore it. I am so close. The hoof started to shake Dawn's shoulder. What ever it is, it can wait.

"I guess we wait like you said then..."

A warm press against Dawn's cheek. A kiss? Drop of warm water on my hoof too? Something to figure out later not now.

"Yah..."

---

Light flooded into the room. Dawn was in the shadows behind her towers of paper. Scrolls of all kinds stacked neatly in the shelves behind her. Her horn was still aglow as a quill engulfed in a pink aura scratched across a fresh piece of paper. It must be perfect... Dawn scrunched her strained eyes at the paper she was writing on. Such a simple answer... With one last rune written down, the quill took a much needed rest on the side of the paper. Dawn collapsed to her side, tipping over the chair and falling to the ground with a heavy thud. The cold marble was refreshing and welcoming. Sleep found her quickly.

Dawn walked through a disconsolate plane littered with heavy rain clouds. She kicked them with her feet so she could get to her destination. A daisy towered above her. It blew in a very cold wind that sent shivers down her spine. Dawn went up to hug the giant daisy. 'I am here' is all she could think. The daisy felt cold to Dawn's touch, forcing another shiver through her body. She backed away from the daisy.

The daisy turned around to face the pink unicorn. The face on the daisy was sad and lonely. "You betrayed me!" It whimpered. 

"I would never!"

"But you did!" The daisy wilted to meet Dawn face to face. "You and no one else betrayed me..." It whimpered.

Dawn felt tears run down her face. "Please I'm sorry." She cried, holding out a hoof towards the daisy in desperation.

The giant daisy poked Dawn in the chest with a spiny root. It went inside Dawn as she gasped desperately for breath. It was suffocating. The daisy turned around away from Dawn.

"Dawn I trusted you." The daisy said from a distance.

Tears poured out of Dawn's eyes. She mouthed 'I love you' to the retreating flower but no sound came out. She gasped for breath instead.

Dawn awoke gasping for breath, tears still pouring down her face. 

"Ahh, look who's awake." Said a light turquoise unicorn Dawn did not recognize. "Having a bit of nightmare are we?" A box of tissues was levitated towards her.

Dawn blinked fiercely to clear her eyes of tears. She was in her bed room at Canterlot castle. She sat up. Her entire body ached with a soreness she hasn't felt in a long time. She wiped her eyes with her hoof ignoring the offered tissues.

"I understand you've been asleep for a little over thirty-six hours. You were running a fever when somepony found you." The unfamiliar Unicorn said.

Dawn laid back down. It felt like she just spent a day working in the cherry fields with the earth ponies. The turquoise mare left the room, closing the door behind her. Dawn could hear voices outside but a dreamless sleep found her before she could listen in on them.

When she awoke again, Dawn was greeted by a lovely sky blue face donned with grey eyes and all framed with a white mane. Their eyes were locked, speaking volumes without a single word spoken. The grey eyes were hurt, sad and worried while the green eyes apologetic, confused and tired.

"Ah good you are awake." Luna said, breaking April's stare.

"It appears so." April replied.

"Good. Since this was self inflicted I will feel no pity to you Dawn." A dark blue aura lifted Dawn gently from the bed, dragging a bit of the bed sheets with her. "But..." Luna set her on the edge of the bed next to where a tray of vegetables sat. "Since you still have a use and because April has convinced me so..."

"The doctor's said you need to eat all of this once you woke up." April said, pushing the tray of food closer to Dawn. 

"...I will forgive you just this once so long as you obey a condition that you never do anything like that again." Luna finished, taking a seat next to April.

"I'm sorry I didn't..." Dawn started to say. Her voice was raspy, stale, and weak.

"Think? Feel? What you did was utterly selfish." April snapped quickly. Her voice was seething with anger.

Dawn avoided April's eyes. They were painful to look at now. She ignited her horn to bring some of the food closer. Even her horn seemed to ache in protest as a large carrot was lifted to her mouth. As her teeth crunched down on the sustenance, she thought how she could make this better with the two mares in front of her. They apparently didn't like what she did. Her mind was unfocused and was failing her quickly.

"I'm sorry. I had no control over myself..."

"That's it? You had no control of yourself? So you are completely innocent?" April interrupted.

Dawn accidently looked April in eyes. A fresh wave of pain splashed into her gut at the sight. She quickly adverted her eyes to concentrate on her food.

"Tsk tsk tsk. I thought you smarter than that." Luna said as she got up. "I'll let you two settle things."

"No, there's no point in talking to her like this." April got up and joined Luna. "Eat it all." April said before walking out with Luna and closing the door behind her.

What am I a child? Dawn laid back into her bed, summoning more food from the trey to her mouth. She closed her eyes as she tried to focus her thoughts. "I can't think in this stuffy room!" She pooled all the magic she could focus on to teleport to the gazebo in the eastern gardens, hovering the trey next to her. Satisfied with her new surroundings, she walked around the tree in the center to watch the eastern horizon only to find that she was not alone.

"Good afternoon Dawn. Feeling better?" Princess Celestia was sitting on her quarters where Dawn took her nap the previous week. She spotted the trey Dawn was holding and connected the dots. "Ahh you just woke up. Come sit down. Don't mind me." 

"Thanks." Dawn said in a raspy voice. Dawn sat down next to the sun goddess, setting down the trey in front of her.

"This is easily my favorite place to just think." Princess Celestia took in a deep breath of the perfume that permeated in the air. "I must say you had us all worried there for a moment."

"I'm sorry." Dawn admitted.

"Sorry for what?"

"For making you worry."

"Not for your actions? Not sorry for your selfishness?"

Dawn thought about an answer. It felt like shifting through fog for the sunlight. "No. I am a selfish pony and I am proud of what I accomplished."

"That is very big of you admit." Princess Celestia turned to face Dawn who was now munching on some of her veggies. "But are you prepared to pay for your actions?"

"I think I already did."

"Oh? Did you already talk to April?"

"No." Dawn closed her eyes. April's eyes were still burned into her mind's eye. "But I saw the damage that was done."

"I hope you have not already forgotten the conversation we had your first day here." Celestia turned back to the horizon.

"No Princess." Luna didn't seem hurt...

"Along with me, my sister, your fillyfriend you have also hurt my student as well."

"Twilight?" How'd that happen?

"Indeed. You were the first pony she had ever met that shares her love for magic. She was excited to be your friend. I believe she sent you a letter?" Princess Celestia gave Dawn a minute to let her words sink in. "She now believes you are conspiring against her, to embarrass her on a grand scale."

"Oh..." Dawn studied the ground below her in shame. I completely forgot about that letter.

"You have a lot of hearts to mend Dawn."

"I'm not so good at that..."

Princess Celestia turned to Dawn to pull her gaze off the ground. She gave the warmest smile in Equestria. "It will be hard work Dawn. I suggest you start with those closest to you."

A memory of April's eyes flashed before Dawn's, renewing a pain in her chest. She raised a hoof to her chest in attempt to assuage the pain but to no avail. With little warning to Dawn, tears started flow freely down her face sprinkling the gnarled roots below her. "How do I do that?"

Princess Celestia got up from underneath the tree and walked into the sunlight of the afternoon. "I can not tell you that. That is something you will have to figure out yourself." She looked back to the crying unicorn and gave her a loving warm smile before disappearing in a flash of sun light.

Dawn was alone. Alone with her thoughts. She wanted to turn off her brain. Her very thoughts hurt her. I messed up bad... How do I fix this? This question cycled through her head hundreds of times over the hour she stared at the horizon but no answer came. 

Her mind spiraled around as it wandered only to find its center, April. She thought of nothing but April. How her mane smelled. How her coat felt against hers. How she was so smart. Kind. Dawn's horn lit up brilliantly against Dawn's will. Dark smoke snaked around her. She recognized this spell as the one she was in trouble for making. Relaxing and only thinking of April, she closed her eyes. She felt the world drop from under her. She was in the void. Absence of thought, light and magic. Her horn changed that. It had a mind of it's own as she soon found herself stepping down in a room with a hard floor. She opened her eyes to discover April sitting right there. 

Dawn froze, she still hasn't been able to figure how she can make things right. You betrayed me Sir Casts'alot. April looked worn out, ragged almost. I don't know what to say. "I don't know how to make it up to you April..." Et tu? Stupid mouth. "But I will do anything." Dawn stood still in front of April with her chest threatening to tear itself apart. April just looked right back at her.

"You can say you won't do it again. I won't believe you but it will make me feel better. Or you can just not do it again." At this point April was totally occult and probably could have had Dawn do anything for her. 

How do I respond to... "Alright." ...to that. Thank you mouth.

"Alright. would care to join me?" April offered a hoof with a small smile.

Dawn looked around her. She was in middle of what looked like a cafe. All eyes in the room were on her. "Where am I?" She asked, betraying her honest confusion.

"You don't know?" April asked, cocking her head as Dawn took a seat next to her. "It's the cafe down the street from the castle."

"Huh... and it is Monday?"

"No... Tuesday afternoon."

"Weren't you suppose to be home by now?"

April prodded Dawn's chest with her hoof. "I would be if you didn't go and do what you did. Luna spoke to your mom for me and got me a couple days off work."

"My mom?" Dawn was even more confused. "So she knows..." Dawn concluded.

"Every bit. She wasn't surprised in the least though." April cocked her head again as if trying to look at Dawn from a different perspective. "Dawn what do I do for money?"

"Uhh..." Postalmare? She doesn't work on the cherry farms... not a teacher yet.

April face hoofed at Dawn's inability to answer. "Your mom is my boss..." 

"Cloud pusher?"

"Oh dear Celestia." April faced hoofed. That looks painful. April let out a groaned sigh as she slid her hoof down her face. She then scooted closer to Dawn and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek as they broke apart. 

Best make the most of this while I can. Dawn wrapped her tail around April's. "You already pay for your drink?" She asked, unsure what she was going to do with the answer.

"Yep."

Dawn's horn lit up, this time on purpose. Dark smoke churned around them. Dawn kissed April, getting her to close her eyes and relax. The smoke pulled them through the void, gently placing them in the gazebo where she was just pulled from not moments ago. The strong smell of flowers penetrated the two mares' noses.

April opened her eyes to look around. "Where did you take me?" She asked, amused on how she didn't notice them teleporting.

"Eastern gardens. This is where I ate my food before my horn pulled me to you." Dawn answered, still quite in a daze from recent events. 

"Your horn pulled you where-what now?" April asked, staring over the eastern horizon.

"Unicorn thing. Magic willed by the unconscious some ponies might say. Others may say it acts on basic instinct. All in all I didn't intend to 'pop' into that cafe... I think... Never has happened to me before... I think. Often happens when a unicorn's get their cutie marks."

April pecked Dawn's cheek, only to lean against her. They sat there in silence, taking in the scenery, the scents of the flora around them, and each others heart beats. Maybe love for me is to share silence with another pony. Silence with April could never be awkward. I hope... April extended a wing over Dawn. Clarity of thought was granted to Dawn for the remaining time she spent between that lovely wing and that beautiful mare. They spent the better part of an hour looking at the vast expanse of land before them.

"I should go talk to Luna." Dawn said, breaking a very blissful silence. "And I need to figure out how to apologize to Twilight."

"I could use a nap. Why don't you come join me after you talk to Luna." April said, flaring both her wings to take flight. "In your tower."

"Alright."

With a grace only a pegasus could summon April took to the sky supposedly to her tower, which left Dawn alone under a very comfy tree. Now to Luna. With the slightest thought, Dawn sunk back into the void. The absolute silence of the void was very welcoming if not brief as she could not stay. Light poured into her eyes as she found herself on a balcony over looking the west. Luna's tower.

"I am glad to see you did in fact accomplish what took Star Swirl decades." Luna was behind Dawn, reading a familiar book. Her book. "I thought it would take you months. But you managed to surprise me on many levels."

"It won't happen again." Dawn replied, looking over the edge of the balcony with an avid cautiousness.

"I am glad to hear it." Luna levitated the book over to Dawn for her to take. The aura around it shifted from a dark blue to a bright pink. "I took the liberty to add the last page of your notes to your book."

"Thanks." Dawn took note of a page slightly out of line of the others and then slipped the book into her 'bank'. "Your sister worries I hurt you."

"Ha! My sister thinks me a child who gets her feelings hurt easily." Luna stepped up to the side of the balcony where Dawn was overlooking. "I have not known you long enough for you to hurt me. Not quite yet."

"I thought so."

"Do not misunderstand me. I care deeply for you. You are hope. Your name is far from ironic for me. But you as a pony is another story."

"I understand."

"I knew you would." Luna said as she lifted a hoof to Dawn's shoulder gaining the attention of her eyes. "You and April?"

"I think we are good now. She's taking a nap in my room. I'll take her home tomorrow night."

"Good. She is a special pony you will not find another like her." Luna set down her hoof. "She has even gotten on a title-less biases with my sister in record time." She laughed.

"I missed a lot then." Dawn and Luna sat and watched the descending sun for a short while. "Thank you Luna. I will see you at dinner?" Dawn asked, knowing the obvious answer.

"Of course."

Dawn sunk in and out of the void. That has become second nature quickly. She was in her bedroom. A sky blue pegasus was sprawled across her bed, wings stretched out around her. The designers of this giant bed must have had pegasi in mind. Dawn crawled into bed lying muzzle to muzzle. She closed her eyes after magically setting a sacrificial alarm clock for dinner time. April's gentle breathing tickled her coat as she fell asleep.

> Chapter 11: Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Eleven

"Your next goal is going to take years if not decades." Luna was lying on her backside in the middle of Dawn's tower, wiggling around. It was dusk of the new moon and Luna had shrunk to the size of a regular pony. Her hair was far from its ethereal quality as it obeyed gravity like every other pony's mane. Dawn stood expectantly, very much amused by the night princess's antics. Luna had been very stand off-ish ever since Dawn learned how to traverse the void but a couple days of intense self-defense training seemed to remedy that. "You will be re-developing 'everyday' spells with dark magic. Healing spells, crafting spells, etcetera." The little alicorn rolled over to meet Dawn face to face. 

"You will be asleep tomorrow right? I was thinking of seeing my parents for the day." Luna looked as tired as Dawn felt. They had been training for the last two days but Luna's fatigue seemed like a month in the making.

"Yes, yes. What you do while I am asleep is of little consequence." Luna yawned. "Do you have any questions about your new goal? I know it is a broad goal but this is what I need you for and I have decided it is better to just let you have free rein over your studies."

"No, sounds pretty straight forward...  And thank you."

"Good." Luna gave another exacerbated yawn. "I hate sleeping. How you ponies do it every night is beyond me."

Dawn looked out to the deep purple horizon. The first stars will be coming out soon. 

"I best be off to bed."

"Sweet dreams."

"Ha!" Luna laughed before getting swept away in a whiff of dark smoke.

Off to Twilight's. Dawn had been planning a way to make to make up ousting her to her family and the princess. She had confronted Trixie of all ponies to make it happen. They had planned a romantic evening on top of the world. Dawn was a closet romantic, despite her inability to pull it off for herself, so she had no problems playing the part required for the night. 

Apparently Trixie and Twilight had been dating for quite awhile, over two years in fact. Twilight had managed to keep it all secret for so long. It was startling to think she could be so cunning. 

In a whiff of smoke, Dawn was whisked away through the void to Twilight's library. She was only visible in that mutilated tree for a second before pulling one unsuspecting purple unicorn through the void to their new destination. Their hooves met an uneven ground. Dirt.

"Dawn! This is kidnapping! Where did you take me?" Twilight demanded.

"Twilight. I planned this." Trixie was behind Twilight.

Twilight turned around to see a table set for two, her fillyfriend, and the most spectacular view of Equestria. More importantly a telescope pointed up at the most amble sky Dawn could find. They were on top of Mount Everlast, the mountain that towered over western Equestria, boarding the untamed lands of the buffalo region and posh Las Pegasus. They were on the southern side of the mountain so there was no light pollution to contest with their star gazing.

"I cleared the skies. Luna is asleep which means there is a new moon rising and I will be your waitress this evening." Dawn announced to the purple unicorn, giving a small subservient bow.

"Yes that vagabond of a pony helped too." Trixie said, guiding Twilight to a seat. "I focused the telescope on our constellation, it will be appearing soon."

Twilight was speechless as she took up a cushion next to the table. Dawn disappeared into the shadows of the mountain behind her, reappearing only moments later with dishes of food prepared by Chef Stew, who was more than happy to help. She trotted over to the couple who were shoulder to shoulder, tails intertwined. With a smile, she set the table for the two mares.

"So you two aren't fighting any more?" Twilight asked Dawn.

"Well we still have disagreements on how I improved her show." Dawn answered with sly smile.

"YOU DESTROYED TRIXIE'S..." Trixie started to yell but quickly caught herself, taking in a deep breath to quell her anger. "I do not see eye to eye with her."

"I just wanted to make up ousting you two to your loved ones." Dawn added.

"It was long over due." Trixie said, as she nuzzled Twilight's neck. Twilight hid behind her bangs.

With the table all set, Dawn needed to make like a tree. With one last little enchantment, leaving a small orb in the middle of the table to illuminate their dining, she was gone in a poof of smoke with a "Just call if you need anything" hanging in the air behind her.

Their night went on without a hitch, ending with Dawn dropping them off at Twilight's Library. When she made it back to her tower she was being drawn into bed. Manual labor sucks. How do ponies do that all day? Dawn's body was sore from the morning's training. The bed welcomed her like an old friend. 

----

"Dawn?"

An unfamiliar carpet floor was underneath her. 

"Dawn wake up. What are you doing here?" 

A hoof was poking her in the chest.

"Ehh." Dawn groaned.

April's giggle resonated through Dawn's ears. "What in Equestria are you doing in my bedroom?"

Dawn's eyes cracked open, revealing her surroundings. Her body had an old ache throughout. "Where am I?" She asked as she yawned and stretched.

"In my bedroom... Why are you in my bedroom?" 

Dawn moved her mass above her legs and pushed against that frienemy 'Gravity'. She looked around the room, blinking out the sleep in her eyes. I must have sleep cast. That's embarrassing... April looked at Dawn with caring, confused eyes. Roll with it. "Wanna grab some breakfast?"

April's right eye brow lifted cautiously. "I can't. I have work."

"Bummer." Dawn said nonchalantly, she knew she had work. Looking around the room again, Dawn saw posters of the Wonderbolts and some bands she didn't recognize draped along April's walls. "I did not figure you for a fan..." She admitted.

April looked at the poster Dawn was pointing to. "Pretty sure every pegasus is..."

True enough. "What time is it?"

"About ten after sunrise, I'm running late. I was in the bathroom and when I came out you were laying on my floor..." 

Maybe I am a morning pony... Dawn rolled all her joints, stretching out any kinks she felt. "Where do you need to go?"

"To work... I'm running late. Dawn, what are you doing sleeping on my floor?"

Dawn stepped forward to kiss April. She focused on her mother with her magic. That is not something I want to think of. Keeping the thought of her mother, the void acted to her will, pulling both Dawn and April to Dawn's mother's location. 

"DAWN!" Yelled an excited mother. "April you are late!" She added as she came in for a landing. "Oh my princesses! Dawn, what are you doing up this early?"

April, regaining her senses, stepped to a rated 'G' distance from her fillyfriend. "I would like to know that too."

"I could use some breakfast, would you care to join me mom?"

"Ah, mystery solved. She's been sleep casting." The black pegasus cast a knowing smirk at Dawn. "No sweetie, I have work. You are welcome to go home and eat."

"What's sleep casting?" April asked, cocking her head at Dawn's mother.

Dawn leaned and pecked April on the cheek only to be devoured by black smoke an instant later. Dawn walked through the void and into the middle of her parent's kitchen. "Well good morning my little filly."

"Good morning." Dawn mumbled, as she walked over to join her dad at the breakfast table. She lit up her magic to find some very familiar bowls, spoons, cereal and milk.

"So now that you can be anywhere in Equestria with that horn of yours, are we going to see you home more often?" The giant of a stallion asked, flicking his tail in anticipation.

"As long as you keep buying fresh milk and cereal." Dawn replied, pouring her cereal. 

"So that's all it takes?" Dawn's dad laughed. "Your room is still a pig sty I hope you intend to go clean it."

"I was thinking of taking all the books with me."

"We bought them for you Honey Buns. Celestia knows we have no use for them other than a substitute for fire wood."

Dawn gargled a response through the slurry of cereal in her mouth. Her father returned to his paper. As soon as her cereal bowl was cleaning itself, Dawn excused herself from the kitchen to trot up to her room. The door to her room was broken. The frame around it was splintered. Inside, all her books were on the ground, some open, some closed. At the entrance of her room there was a cleared spot with books gently stacked on top of each other. It looked like somepony had tried to start cleaning but got overwhelmed by the task at hoof.

Dawn ignited her horn, brining to life dozens of books in front of her. They started to stack along the walls. When one book rested another sprang to life. Pretty soon all of her books were stacked on the floor along the walls, leaving nothing but singed carpet, a scrap piece of paper, a letter from Twilight and the scattered remains of her childhood trinkets. The singed carpet was where the box was forged. Dawn plopped on to her bed, satisfied with her work. She levitated the scrap piece of paper and letter for her inspection. Dawn quickly read through Twilight's letter. I should reply to this. She put down the letter to the side of her as she inspected the scrap piece of paper. It had the tiniest runes and letters she had ever read. She had to squint to focus her eyes to read it. It didn't take long for her to realize this was the enchantments and spells she used to split that box in two.

"Why did I do that..." Dawn let out an annoyed sigh at herself.  She summoned a quill, ink and tome from her bank. The tome opened to the last page where a loose sheet of paper titled 'knowledge' was lodged. While straining to read the silly little writing on the scrap piece of paper, a quill danced along the blank pages of the tome, copying the procedure. Once she was done and satisfied, she summoned a blank scroll from the desk nearby. 

Twilight,
I hope you can forgive my delay on writing you back. I have sent a scrap piece of paper with the letter that I hope will explain why it is so. I made that spell shortly after receiving your letter and to make a long story short your letter not only got lost but forgotten. So as an apology I give you that crude enchantment. Have fun with it. I know you can make it thirty times better. The box I used it on not only glows now but grew in mass which of course means it could use your expertise. Who knows maybe one day it will be an every day spell. I would love to work on that alarm spell with you. Have you tried Doctor Shiwlnick's 'To-Catch-a-Blush' spell as a basis for a starter?
Dawn

Done and Done. Dawn rolled off her bed and sent the letter away in a wisp of ethereal pink smoke that seeped through the walls of her room. Dawn then turned her attention to the hundreds of books that littered her room. She closed her eyes as she stretched the void to swallow the entire room up. She magically pushed all the books to her tower at the castle and when she opened her eyes her room was extremely bare. Lonely. I don't see myself spending another night in here... Dawn gave one last longing look around the room. With a heavy sigh, she left the room with the broken door behind her.

-----

Dawn spent the rest of the morning in her decimated garden with her father. "Two weeks without me and everything dies..." She repeated still completely baffled. The sun was high in the sky, bearing down on her.

Suddenly a black blur collapsed on top of Dawn, forcing her to buckle under the pressure of the passenger on her back. "My little Dawn." Her mother was hugging and nuzzling her.

"I just got a letter Dawn. From CU." April's voice said.

Dawn was still being crushed by her mother's affection.

"I showed it to your mother..." 

"You got in?" Dawn asked, gasping for breath from her unrelenting mother while trying to act surprised all the same.

"I did!" April cheered.

"Oh Dawn you still have to come visit us!" Some where along the way, in middle of her nuzzling, hugging, and kissing, Dawn's mother started to cry. 

"Aww." April cooed. "I will make sure of it Eve."

Oh great she's signing me up for things now. "Mom, can you get off me?" Dawn finally managed to ask in between her mother's sobs.

The black sobbing mare with the crossing blades for a cutie mark slowly got up off the pink unicorn. "I'm sorry Sweetie." She said, once she had composed herself.

Once Dawn was dirt free from her recent encounter with the ground, she went and hugged April, offering congratulations. She tried her best to be sincere and surprised it 'all worked out'. 

"I'm just so surprised I got in." April ended up saying for the fifth time.

"I think we should plan a trip to Canterlot. So we can help you find a nice apartment." Dawn's father said, while holding his nodding wife.

"Thank you Eve, Stu." April flew over to Dawn's parents and gave them an enduring hug. 

Disturbing how she calls them by there nicknames... and hugs them. I missed something... "Why wouldn't she just move into the castle with me?"

As the latest sentence crafted by the brightly colored unicorn drifted into Ever Watch's ears, something looked like it broke in the mother's face. She had a telling eye twitch and was stammering in place as she attempted to reply to her daughter. 

Luckily, April and Dawn's father were both quick to a solution. "No." They said in unison.

"Oh..." Clearly I missed something.

April face hoofed at the sign of Dawn's confusion. "We should really date a 'lot' longer before we even consider living together."

"Yes!" Dawn's weak kneed mother squeaked.

"Oh..." 

"Let's go get something to eat, celebrating my good fortune. The ponies at the university said it was pretty much going to be chosen at random this late in the semester, that is if I was even still in the running." April said, massaging her temples now.

"It will be our treat." Dawn's mother said as she stepped up, flaring her wings with unfounded pride.

----

"So Dawn, what is sleep casting?" April asked with a sly smirk on.

Dawn's mother giggled at the question.

"Ahh so she's sleep casting again?" Dawn's father asked, donning the same sly smirk as April.

"Right into poor April's room." Her mother answered.

"I guess that explains why she was up early enough to have breakfast with me."

Dawn looked around the restaurant her parents insisted on for any ponies who might be listening. There's only a few unicorns in this town, why am I worried?

"When was the last time she sleep cast?" Dawn's mother asked her husband.

"Those orby things in our kitchen." Dawn's father suggested.

"That's right. At least they didn't destroy our house."

"She's destroyed your house by sleep casting?" April asked.

"The last time something like that happened, the fire station got destroyed too." Dawn's mother snickered.

"And half of our house..." Her father added, redundantly.

"No way!"

"Yep, that's our Dawn." Her mother bragged, flaring her wings a bit. "Thank Celestia no pony was hurt."

"Thank Celestia nothing bad happened this time." Dawn's father added, casting another smirk at his daughter, who was intentionally trying to ignore the conversation. "So what were you doing in April's bedroom Honey Buns?"

"I thought she was sleeping when she did it." 

"Oh she was." Dawn's mother corrected. "But she was mad at the fire fighters the night she blew them up. All the other times it has happened she was either mad or happy about something. Like the first time. Oh it was so cute..." 

"Mom!" Dawn couldn't take it any more. No more laughter at her expense.

"Aww... Fine. Sorry sweetie." Her mother cooed. 

April giggled. "I've never seen you embarrassed." April said as she scooted closer to Dawn to nuzzle her.

"It is hardly table conversation. That's all." Dawn dismissed, rubbing away her blush with a spare hoof.

"It's like peeing the bed for unicorns dear." Dawn's mother whispered to April only to receive a glare that could turn a cockatrice to stone from Dawn. 

"Oh, don't be embarrassed Honey Buns. Remember what that doctor said..." Dawn's father attempted to comfort but every one was getting the glare from Dawn now.

The sky blue pegasus lodged a hoof into Dawn's chest, discontinuing the glare. "I'm no unicorn and I'm interested. Stop being embarrassed." She ended her assault with a peck on the neck that had a subtle nibble in it. What in Equestia's name has been wrought on this day? Dawn nearly melted in her cushion. "What did the doctor say?" April asked Dawn's parents.

"Oh, she's a keeper." Dawn's father said, giving a knowing smile. Her mother was choosingly oblivious to what her husband was referencing. "Well the doctor said our Dawn was far more magical than any other filly she had come across." His wings erected framing the pride of his words in typical pegasi fashion. "That's when we got her magic lessons, books. The works."

"Aww, see that's nice." April commended, elbowing Dawn in her side. 

"Uh huh." Dawn let out. Where is that food! Food will squelch this conversation.

"You are lucky Dawn. Not every pony has parent's like yours."

"Uh huh." Dawn rested her chin on the table in defeat, letting her orange and purple bangs fall on the front of her face. That food is lost to the void. Dawn closed her eyes. She contemplated on getting lost to the void herself.

"So why does she sleep cast? Just because she has a lot of magic?"

"Well no, all the training she's had put a stop to that kind of sleep casting. Like we said she has a reason I'm sure." Her father was likely casting a scrutinizing look at Dawn. "She popped into your room..."

"I'm with Dawn let's talk about something else." Chirped Dawn's mother, Dawn's father and April chuckled at the mother and daughter's expense only to die off into the silence they wanted.

Ahh, silence. Dawn was sure if she did invent that alarm she and Twilight were thinking of inventing, it would be going off but she didn't care. Silence is Silence. 

The silence lasted for quite a bit. The three pegasi attempted to start casual conversation but failed miserably. The silence was only broken by the setting down of plates and bowls on the table. Dawn opened her eyes. Waitresses were setting food in front of the waiting ponies. One waitress was waiting for Dawn to move her head. She begrudgingly obliged.

"Well this looks lovely." Her mother commented.

April was right. Unicorn food is tasty compared to this pegasus restaurant. Dense breads, salad's to graze, and no deep fried anything... Dawn started to graze the salad she ordered. It's at least sweet. She always felt like she was missing something when she grazed like pegasi and earth ponies. Utensils. Her parents bought utensils for her to use when she was first able to use magic. Civilized way to eat. I'm no cave pony. Dawn let out a labored sigh as she grazed in peace, letting her mind wander aimlessly. Boiling hot oil would be pretty dangerous for hooves to handle...

"So Dawn, what does the princess have you doing?" Dawn's mother asked across the table, trying to strike some conversation.

"Gonna blow up the sun so there can be eternal night." The subtle sounds of the ponies grazing at the table came to complete stop. Dawn let out a heavy sigh as soon as she realized there was, apparently, not enough sarcasm in that sentence. "I'm joking." April had face hoofed at the situation.

"What did you do to your poor parents to make them think for a second that you were telling the truth?" April asked, as she slid her hoof down her face.

"You are the only pony that 'trusts' me." Dawn said weakly.

"That is not true! Dawn, we trust you." Dawn's mother snapped.

"Clearly." Dawn said, her mouth dripping with a sarcasm that even her parents could pick up.

"Can you blame us? Why would you joke about something like that?" Dawn's father asked.

"Why would I joke about anything..." Dawn retorted.

"I can't believe you think we don't trust you." Dawn's mother said with a skeptical tone.

"Well two weeks ago you thought I was on the run from the law..." Dawn countered, remembering not so long back ago.

"What?" April asked out of surprise.

"Well there are few things you find 'interesting', why wouldn't we jump to a few conclusions." Dawn's father defended.

"A few? I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I blew up the princesses themselves." Dawn said, now on the offensive, her voice rising throughout the restaurant.

"I...We..." Her mother was stammered as she tried to retort.

"I make one mistake and you guys think I am accountable for magical assault against our princesses." Dawn added, rising her voice still.

"It was not just one mistake Dawn and you know it." Dawn's father fired back, raising his voice above Dawn's level, his wings springing up in defense

"Justify it all you want..." Dawn said as she relaxed into her cushion, satisfied her father's outburst.

"Stop." A demanding voice said. "All of you." It was April. "Now." Her wings were fully extended looking very intimating. "Where in Equestria did all this come from?" She asked, settling down herself, seeing her words had gotten through to the family.

The family remained silent.

"Dawn?" April asked, turning to her. Dawn had a small smirk of satisfaction on. 

Dawn let out a sigh. Her smirk disappeared and was replaced by a face laced with annoyance. "I need a break." She said as dark clouds surrounded her, leaving a very distraught April in her wake. Dawn blinked her eyes to the new source of light in her eyes. She was on her favorite hill overlooking the town. Peaceful. Dawn closed her eyes as she recounted what had just happened. 

It has been a long time since I've fought with them like that.

Tears started to flow down her face out of shame. Dawn buried her eyes under her hooves as she made accusations against herself.

Why did I just do that? I was actively trying to hurt them... April won't trust me any more. Not after what I just did. I'm a spoiled brat...

Dawn closed her eyes, successfully letting her mind drift into a light sleep.

----

"Good afternoon Dawn."

"Hey Luna..."

"I'm in your dream right now I hope you don't mind sharing for a little while."

Dawn let out a sigh as she looked around. She was in what felt like her backyard as a child. 

"You have loving parents Dawn." Luna said as if stating a fact of nature.

"Oh?"

"You do. Right now you might as well be an open encyclopedia titled 'Dawn'. I see your troubles."

"Oh..."

"Don't you worry Dawn. I never remember my dreams and that is what this is. We are sharing." Luna's voice echoed though out the open backyard. Luna was a giant of a figure, yet so small and approachable. Dawn chucked it up to dream logic. "I have seen horrid parents throughout Equestria... and some of the best. And your parents are some of the best." Luna projected love to Dawn which felt like a tight embrace.

"I yelled at them. I hurt them."

"They will forgive you. Do not to worry so much."

"But April..."

"April has seen a new dimension to you. You know full well you can share your feelings with her. I see you haven't though." Luna was doing barrel rolls in mid air in front of her as if flying at top speeds but going no where.

"I'm so stupid..."

"Indeed you are." Luna agreed hastily with a laugh.

Dawn walked to a tree she planted when she was a young foal. "I sure do like to muddle things up don't I?"

"You are over thinking it all. I promise you."

Dawn grunted a response.

"Oh! One of my favorite nobles to haunt just fell asleep for a quick nap. I will see you tonight." Luna said before disappearing in thin air, leaving Dawn in a slowly dissolving backyard.

----

Dawn was laying on top the hill she had fallen asleep on. April was nestled right next to her. April's muzzle was set right next to hers, resting on Dawn's forelegs. Dawn's eyes creaked open. The sun was resting on the mountain range that crowded her home town. April didn't notice Dawn's consciousness.

"I'm sorry." Dawn whispered.

"It's alright, nopony is perfect." She answered back, nuzzling up Dawn's forearms.

"Especially me." She said as she lifted her head to rest it on April's.

"Especially you." April repeated, nuzzling greedily into Dawn's chest.

Dawn watched the sun set on the tall mountain range while taking in deep breaths of April's mane. April's scent was once again intoxicating; it chilled her mind and heated up her body. It brought a calm to her mind that rivaled that of Celestian monk's. 

"Were my parents angry?" Dawn asked, her voice slightly quivering in anticipation of the answer.

April remained silent for a moment, thinking. "No, sad maybe. Scared for sure." 

Scared about what?

April seemingly sensing Dawn's thoughts continued. "Their only daughter has moved away and they think her only reason for coming back to town is leaving soon too."

Probably true. 

Dawn meditated on April's words before contemplating on her next question, that one question that has been burning in the back of her mind for weeks. She surrendered her face into April's mane, hiding from the world. "Why do you trust me?" Dawn asked, mumbling into April's mane.

"Hmm." April unburied her head out of Dawn's chest, forcing Dawn up herself. April met Dawn's eyes. "Why do you trust any one?"

"I rarely do." Dawn admitted.

"And when you do?"

"I guess..." Dawn had no clue why any pony would trust any other. There has got to be a reason. "...when I want somepony's trust I start to trust them first."

"See? You aren't as bad at this kind of stuff as you may think."

"I think I am perfectly horrid at this kind of stuff." Dawn joked, almost glowing with April's small praise.

"You are... but not as bad as you think." April said, giggling. She pulled herself on top of Dawn with her forelegs around her neck, pushing Dawn onto her back. Muzzle to muzzle now, April looked down on her prey and smiled a smile that made Dawn's tail quiver with excitement. 

------

After dropping off April at her house, Dawn decided to walk home in hopes thinking of a way of getting her parent's forgiveness. Dawn felt a familiar magic being pushed and weaved near her.

"Hello Luna. Sleep well?" She asked in the direction of the magic, a dense darkness in a corner off the street.

"Yes, thank you." Luna said, walking out of the dark corner's shadows. Luna was as small in stature as she was the night before. "You have a pleasant day?" She asked in a cheery voice.

"It could have gone worst... and better." Dawn replied, sounding very apathetic.

"Oh?" Luna asked, letting curiosity slip into her voice.

"Yah, I needlessly yelled at my parents and junk.... Opened up some raw wounds."

"Ahh yes." Luna broke into a light skip around Dawn. "The trust issues I assume?"

Dawn hummed an affirmative response. She couldn't help but feel better by Luna's cheery skipping and demeanor. "Ideally I'll work it out with them tonight."

"Is that why you are walking?" Luna asked, stepping in front of Dawn to inspect her while back peddling.

"Mmhmmm."

Luna skipped next to Dawn's side, only to walk besides her. She kicked up her legs, exaggerating the movement of walking. "I do not envy earth ponies, they have to do this all the time." 

"Doesn't seem to bother them."

"That's because they do not know the joy of flying or magic." She paused, contemplating her own words. "Poor things... I will leave you to your thoughts." She broke into a skip to look Dawn into the face again. "Your family will understand your frustrations I am sure of it."

"I will be back tonight." Dawn said in a flat tone.

Luna started to skip to a near by shadow. "Feel free to destroy something, anything really. I want to get out of night court early." Luna called back jokingly.

"That would not help my situation."

"You mustn't be so selfish Dawn." Luna cackled as she seeped into the shadows.

Dawn's house wasn't far now. She walked slowly, trying to buy herself more time to think of what to say. It didn't help much and she soon found herself at the door step. I don't live here any more... Do I knock? Do I just walk in like I still do live here? She decided on the latter. She opened the door with a flick of her magic.

"Hey Honey Buns." Dawn heard as soon as she stepped into the family room. Her father was alone, listening to the radio. He was wearing a very stoic expression with a subtle hint of love for the pony that just walked in.

"I'm sorry." Dawn blurted out before he could say anything else.

Dawn's father cocked his head at his daughter, still wearing a stoic face. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He regained his previous posture. "You were right on all counts. We should trust you a bit more. You are our daughter and we know you will make us proud." He said, ending with a small smile.

"Umm, where's mom?" Dawn asked, looking around the room to make sure she wasn't lurking in any shadows.

"Oh I sent her to bed... she just about collapsed when she saw your empty room." Dawn's father shook his head, laughing. "It was hard enough on her to deal with an empty bed..."

"Oh..." Why is that funny? 

"Don't you worry about it." Dawn's father got up from his cushion and pulled his daughter into a bear hug. "You can accept our apology from me." Breaking the hug and keeping a hoof on Dawn's shoulder, he looked in her eyes. "I trust you will be making an appearance or two around here every once in awhile? It would make your mother walk on rainbows."

"Of course..." She may have winced a bit saying it. Damn, I'm committed.

"Good." He stepped back to take a lecturing posture, flaring his wings a little. "Now that 'That' is settled we will just have to forget about you rudely leaving your fillyfriend alone at a restaurant." He paused to let his words sink in. "We know we taught you better, yes?

"Yes..." Dawn started to answer but was tackled by a black blur of a pony. Her mother was hugging her as she did in the garden and as she had done countless of times before that.

"I am so sorry!" She repeated over and over.

"Eve, everything is fine. I was just teasing her for leaving April at the restaurant." Dawn's father placed a comforting hoof on his wife.

She crawled off of Dawn, who was collapsed on the ground. Dawn's mother wiped her eyes free of tears. "Oh... " She took a very pegasus styled stance with her wings flared out as she composed her self for a lecture. "Yes, that was very rude Dawn. I hope you apologized to her."

"Yah, I did." Dawn answered as she got up.

"Good."

Metal walked into the room from up stairs, spotting his parents both in their lecture postures. "Oh! What did Dawn do this time?"

All eyes were cast one him as he walked to the group, expecting some tragic story. A wonderful thought popped into Dawn's head. "Metal! Lemme show you guys what I did to the princesses that was interesting." Before she could see the horror spreading on her parent's faces, she ignited her horn. In a brilliant flash of pink Metal's facial hair sprouted into fully grown mutton chops and mustache.

Dawn burst into a fit of giggles as her parents went wide eyed at Dawn's newest victim. The laughing felt good. Not enough laughing today. Dawn's brother slowly realized what travesty had befallen his face as he felt around his face with a free hoof. 

She felt this was a good time to leave them before they start asking too many questions. "Wears off in a couple of hours. Enjoy." She said as she vanished into the void.

Books towered around her. Her books. The books her parents lovingly gave her. Dawn ignited her horn, lifting random books from the surrounding stacks for her to organize onto the towering bookshelves around her. Book after book Dawn inspected it then willed it to the shelf it belonged. A tear started to creep into her eyes as she did so. Not stopping, book after book; she blinked the lonely tear away. This is my home now...

> Chapter 12: Two Legends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twelve

"Alright, Miss Pie." Twilight said in a studious manner.

"OKAY!" Pinkie Pie was jumping in place in anticipation, getting ready for her duty.

Dawn cast a spell on Twilight, letting a glowing orb orbit closely around her neck. Pinkie Pie was ready. "Remember you must remain silent." Dawn repeated.

"We got it already!" Rainbow Dash yelled, earning a glare from the rest of the group. Twilight summoned some heavy duty tape from behind her and flung it around Rainbow's mouth several times. 

"There, you 'Need' to stay quiet. We only get one chance at this." Twilight said, satisfied with the stifled pegasus.

"Well I got some bomb shells I can drop on my parents if we need to do further testing." Dawn admitted to Twilight.

"Well after two months developing this stupid thing I hope we won't need it." Twilight said, pointing to the thing still orbiting her neck.

"All you Pinkie." Dawn nodded.

Pinkie Pie approached the group of her friends, looking them straight in the eyes. "Twilight 'is' dating The Great and Powerful Trixie and 'has' been for almost two years!" Pinkie blurted out with the grace only Pinkie could manage. The group of friends stood mouthing the questions they wanted to ask, remembering their promise to stay quiet.

Hearing her queue, Trixie walked out of Twilight's room and down stairs to nuzzle her fillyfriend in front of the group, earning a small gasp. The orb around Twilight's neck started to hum a low groan as it turned blue.

"Ha! It is awkward!" Dawn chirped. 

"Yes... I should say so..." Trixie said, rolling her eyes. She was against coming out to Twilight's friends in an experiment. 

"Yah, I was worried. This didn't feel awkward at all." Twilight said from behind the scroll she was writing notes on. She turned to Trixie and pecked her on the lips. "Thanks Trix this was a lot of help."

Trixie's face met with her hoof as she attempted to fully grasp the situation she was in. "Yes, yes. I am glad to have helped." She turned to Twilight's group of friends. They were all still quite silent. Rainbow was wrestling with the tape around her muzzle. "Can they talk yet? I would prefer to knock out their questions before they fester in place." Trixie asked Dawn, who was behind a scroll of her own, scribbling down her own notes of the experiment. 

"Huh? Oh, yes. You can talk now." Dawn said, turning to the still stunned group of mares.

Applejack was the first to collect her thoughts into coherent sentences. "What in tar-nation is goin on? Ya mean to tell me..."

Rarity interrupted with a hoof in Applejack's mouth. "TWO YEARS?" She screamed. 

Fluttershy was hiding behind her bangs while sitting on her quarters twirling her hooves. "How... why would you want to... I mean why would you keep..." She lost the will to continue or finish any of those questions.

Rainbow Dash was having no problem saying paragraphs behind her tape. Her wings flared about in exacerbated movements as she orchestrated a wide array of emotions on her face ranging from surprise to disappointment.

Dislodging the hoof in her mouth, Applejack walked over to Twilight, pushing away her floating scroll. "Why would ya keep something like this from us?"

"Well... I..." Twilight stammered. The orb around her neck got louder in between her mumbled words.

Awkwardness has variants?

"After I made a complete fool of myself Oh so long ago, she thought you guys would not approve." Trixie said, swooping in to Twilight's rescue.

"I'm more impressed by Twilight's level of cunning to be able to keep something like this a secret. It's awe inspiring." Dawn chimed in, earning a few glares from Twilight and Trixie. "Ahh, not that impressive then, my bad..." Dawn recanted as she hid behind her scroll.

"No, I'm with you Dawn. That is impressive." Rarity said, looking almost angry. "How did you keep it a secret for so long?" Fluttershy walked up behind Rarity as if reinforcing the question.

Rainbow nudged Twilight with her elbow, using expressive wing movements to show her approval. She then turned to Trixie and gripped her face in her hooves forcing their eyes to lock. Rainbow talked through the muffling tape with a stern voice then hugged Trixie with coos of approval.

"Uhh... Thanks... let me get that tape off you..." Trixie said, confused by what had just transpired. With a flick of her magic, the tape reeled off Rainbow with a snap, pulling a few hairs of her coat with it.

"Thanks." Rainbow said, rubbing the back of hear head feeling for any possible bald spots. There were none. "Like I was saying, Twilight likes her so, so do I." She said, flaring her wings framing Trixie and Twilight as she brought them in for a hug.

"Well how charming." Dawn said plainly, popping the lovey-dovey feeling in the air. "Twilight I'm off. Promised April and the family we would go apartment shopping..." Dawn admitted, slipping a fair amount of dread into her voice.

Twilight perked up at the farewell. "Don't forget our double date tomorrow." Twilight reminded.

"Ugh." Trixie and Dawn groaned in unison. Rarity cooed at the notion.

"Yes, yes. Fine." Dawn said as dark smoke swirled around her, letting her traverse the void.

As soon as her hooves found new ground, she was in a deep embrace with who she recognized as April before she could even open her eyes. "You are late." April whispered into Dawn's ear.

"Yes..." April was hovering near Dawn's ear, breathing ever so subtly into her neck making words near impossible to form. "Well..." April bent forward a little to nibble on the base of Dawn's ear, rolling the flesh gently with her teeth. Dawn let out a small groan of pleasure as her thoughts melted away. Reality snapped back when April broke her embrace to look Dawn in the eyes. Such a cruel pony. Dawn's backlogged words in her mouth flooded out with a slur. "The statue ponies are hard to gather in one place in the morning."

April looked confused. "The statue ponies?" With months of practiced analysis, April followed Dawn's thought process. "Oh... Did you ever find out what they did to get that statue?"

"Ha, no." Dawn laughed. "Something to do with metaphysical aspects of emotion and magic... I don't know... Sounded very fantastical."

"I guess I'll ask Twilight tomorrow." April reconciled. 

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you get along with everypony so well." Mind control. Maybe blackmail. "It's like you have super powers or something." Dawn concluded.

April took a hoof up to her chin to consider the possibility. "It just takes practice." She donned a cunning grin. "Plus it 'is' the best defense to make sure she doesn't steal you from me." She said, before breaking into a mock maniacal cackle. Satisfied with the surprised look on Dawn's face, April broke the façade and moved to Dawn's side. "Let's go get your parents. Grab those brochures for me, will you?" She asked, pointing a hoof to her desk.

Without a second thought Dawn obeyed. She willed her magic into lifting the papers and conjuring the void itself to pull her, April and the papers to her parents. Both mares opened their eyes to Dawn's backyard. The garden she had worked so hard on since she was a filly was dead. Her parents, unaware of their presence, were basking in the sun next to each other, enjoying the grass that had survived in her absence. 

"You are so useful." April pecked Dawn's cheek before skipping merrily over to Dawn's parents. "How are you two doing today? Eve, Stu?" April asked casually.

Both of the pegasi perked up to April's voice. The black mare that was Dawn's mother jumped up immediately and charged into Dawn, bypassing April, taking her into a gruesome hug. "Dawn!" She cried out in excitement, nuzzling her daughter. 

"Ready?" Dawn asked, apathetic to the vice grip her mother had her in.

"Ahh good you're bringing the brochures. Let me go get my saddle bag." Dawn's father got up to go inside. 

"Clearly you're not visiting your mom enough." April said plainly.

"Please..." Dawn managed to pull her overly affectionate mother off her with a small nuzzle back to seal the deal. "I get this treatment every week."

"Yes, well... You can not help that your mother loves you too much." Dawn's mother inspected her daughter. "You are thin, are you eating?" 

"It's kind of hard to stop her from eating." April answered.

"Alright let's go." Her father exited the house with two giant empty saddle bags on his back. Dawn, knowing these would never be filled, shoved in the flyers she had been carrying. 

"Umm Stu, what are you going to use those for?" April asked, poking the large bags once in range.

Dad's nickname still seems so wrong on April's lips for some reason.

"You can never have too big of bags." Dawn's father said, giving a little grandiose pose at his own proclamation. 

"I would argue that you have found the contradiction to that statement." Dawn teased.

"If that is how you feel Dawn, you can carry your own flyers." He replied in kind.

"No thank you." She said as she pulled the void around her loved ones. When she opened her eyes they were in front of the castle gates. Where she hoped their search would end quickly. At the sudden appearance of Dawn the guards gave crisp salute making a bit of a scene for on lookers and tourists of the city. She looked to her parents. Her father was just opening his eyes as the black smoke that had enveloped them, dissipated. 

Dawn's father was the first to make sense of his senses. "Well I certainly don't care for that feeling." He concluded.

"You get used to it." April shrugged, bumping Dawn's flank with hers.

Dawn's mother was just opening her eyes to the new light of Canterlot. "Is that what it always feels like? It was so cold... and dark..." She said, giving a little shiver at the recollection of the brief experience.

"Silent..." Dawn's father added.

"It's called the void." Dawn said, turning to her parents. "As the name implies it is the absence of everything including space which is why I can go anywhere I please."

"Oh..." They both said in unison as if understanding. In one ear and out the other...

Dawn rolled her eyes, remembering who she was talking to, then turned to April.

April was deep in thought, likely recalling the maps she had memorized during her and Dawn's dates and explorations. "Come on let's get going. The first apartment I want to check out is over here." April pointed down one of the five streets that met up with the castle gates.

The street April guided them down was as oriental as all the others. Alabaster walls with lavender and gold colored roofs. April and Dawn, tail's entwined, walked down the streets of Canterlot with Dawn's parents in tow to their first destination.

"Lady Dawn." A voice called out from behind them.

Dawn groaned at the call. Only the guard calls me that now... Dawn turned around to see a large unicorn stallion in full guard armor followed by two other mares both pegasi. Dawn looked at them expectantly.

"Lady..." Dawn's parents giggled to each other.

"Milady." The guards gave a quick synchronous bow. "We are your city escort. Sergeant Aegis, Private Ward and Martial reporting for duty." He said, giving a disciplined salute.

"Oh my." Dawn's mother said in a sultry tone.

"That will not be necessary." Dawn deadpanned. I swear, I think Luna thinks it's funny to keep this as a standing order.

"This is by orders of Captain Shining Armor, milady." The large unicorn informed. "The captain also told me to give you a message. He said 'If you attempt to escape our escort he will alert the entire city watch to assure your safety."

Dawn groaned in desperation for them to go away. "Maybe I should just go hide in my tower until you guys are done."

"Not a chance." April laughed. 

Both of Dawn's parents stepped up in front of Dawn, flaring their wings the way pegasi do when they brag. "I got to say I'm pretty insulted. Are we not enough to protect our daughter?" Dawn's mother asked incredulously.

"Uhhh..." The Sergeant was nervous. He shrunk into the two pegesi's shadow.

"Holy Celestia's meadow muffin!" One of the privates gasped. 

"WHAT WAS THAT PRIVATE?" The Sergeant regained what little composure he had to scold the youngling under his charge.

"Sir, that's 'the' Sturdy Shield and Ever Watch!" The private chirped in excitement, pulling back behind her partner. "They're totally legends." She added.

"I am well aware private. You will know your place and watch your tongue." The sergeant turned around to Dawn. "Please excuse the young private, milady."

"Uhh, no problem." I will defiantly need to use that one...

"Ahem." Dawn's father grabbed the sergeant's attention. He stood at a towering attention, flaring his wings up even higher to emphasis the importance of his words. "Since Dawn has two 'Legends', as the private put it, with her. I am sure you can go tell your captain she is in safe hooves right?" He said in an authoritative voice that was typically reserved for fresh Wonderbolt recruits. 

If the guard were allowed to cower, the unicorn that almost rivaled Dawn's father's stature would have. Instead he was just at a loss for words until his voice found him, which took awhile. "No." He said shakily. The sergeant attempted to regain his lost confidence. "Sir..." He gave small salute of respect out of instinct if nothing else. "I have strict orders. Lady Dawn has eluded us many times and has endangered herself in the process. Sir."

Dawn's mother stepped forward, taking a similar posture as her husband but some how it was more intimating despite her smaller size. Something about the stance of the black mare made Dawn shiver for her life. It was aggressive, nay deadly. Her wings were tilted slightly forward and her stance on the ground suggested a lethal strike was well with the realm of possibility. "Well my young friend..." She began in a deceptively affable tone. "I'm sure you can stay back a comfortable distance then. Out of sight? Yes?" Something about the way her mother asked made Dawn wish for their lives to answer properly.

"Errr..." The sergeant stammered a few words nothing decipherable. The guards were cowering by this point. They were in a low bow deserving of the princesses. "I think we can arrange something to that effect." The sergeant managed to say after a moment dedicated to his composure. "As long as we can keep watch over your daughter."

"Good." Both of Dawn's parents sheathed their aggressive postures along with their wings, returning to the loving parents Dawn had always known them to be. They turned around to two mares, whose mouths were agape. "Shall we?" Dawn's mother asked nonchalantly. Both of Dawn's parents gave an innocent grin as the guards did as they promised and disappeared. 

Dawn's curiosity, the most powerful force in her being, sprang forward. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Her mother asked, tipping her head to the side in confusion.

"That." Dawn pointed behind her parents. April just nodded behind Dawn as her mind searched desperately for an answer too. "What you did to those guards... They nearly peed themselves."

Both her parents looked authentically surprised but than donned small smiles of virtue. "Oh, you give them too little credit. They are nice ponies." Her mother said, maintaining her façade. 

Dawn face hoofed. Wow that does hurt. "Alright..." I need a question they can not dance around. "Mom, what did you guys do to become 'legends'?" Dawn asked as if wishing to a star for an answer.

"That kind of stuff is in the past dear. Don't worry about it." Dawn's mother answered, waving a hoof to clear away all Dawn's concerns. 

They never talk about their pasts. Dawn groaned. She only knew them as a coach and a weather pony. Dawn was getting frustrated, she needed answers. "You know I deal with guards all day. I'll just ask them."

"I'm sure you will get a fantastic story pasted down through hear-say. That is if you can get any of them to talk about it at all." Dawn's father said as he rested a hoof on Dawn's shoulder, which was growing colder by the second.

Dawn deadpanned as she looked at her parents straight in the eyes. "You would prefer 'that' over the truth? You know I have the same imagination as you do. I can also jump to crazy conclusions." Little salt in a wound will loosen their tongues.            

Both her parents let out heavy sighs of defeat. "How about we tell you over lunch Honey Buns."

Dawn face hoofed. Yah I really shouldn't hit myself like that. "Fine whatever..." She admitted defeat after all.

Dawn's parents lead the way to the first few apartments they checked out, letting the two astonished mares trail behind with their thoughts. Eventually April put those thoughts on to the back burner and started to lead the way, pulling Dawn from apartment to apartment. 

Each apartment had some 'flaw' with one of her parents or with April. 'Bathroom is too small.' was a common complaint or 'That rent is horrendous for what you get.' and plenty of 'There are not enough this or that.' Dawn was taking notes of the flaws, prices and location on a levitating piece of paper.

"Dawn what do you think of this one?" April asked, seemingly for the thousandth time.

Dawn looked around. It was a nice apartment, as nice as all the other ones they had looked at. It was Canterlot, it was all nice. "It has four plus walls and a roof. Has a bathroom, kitchen, and room for a bed..."

April cut her off with a raised hoof. "You are no help." 

"Yah, I figured I would be since you turned down the most ideal choice as soon as it was offered." Dawn said, letting annoyance slip through her teeth.

"Oh you mean one of the first apartments? Wait..." April asked, only to reel back in what she just cast. She started tracing back Dawn's thought process with practiced analytics. "We talked about that."

"Yes, yes." Dawn said, waving her hoof to shoo the words away. "I say we get lunch after you reject this one." She added, letting her displeasure guide her voice.

April groaned. "You could help a little..."

"That sounds like a good idea." Dawn's mother interrupted.

As predicted, they left the apartment naming off its many miniscule flaws that make it absolutely unlivable. They ended up taking seats outside at restaurant they just stumbled upon. After their order was taken, Dawn remembered what had daunted her just hours ago.

"So legends..." Dawn said with a grin. Her parents winced with her voice. "Tell us a story." Dawn and April's tails whipped in anticipation.

"We were hoping you would just let that slide." Dawn's father said while studiously looking at the ground under the table.

"That's a shame... So do go on." Dawn was not about to go and give this up.

"Well it is a thrilling tale of love, plenty of action and..." Dawn's mother started to say. She was getting into a story telling mood like she had done when Dawn was a filly. "...Lust." She gave a sultry gaze at her husband who was sitting silently, looking down at the floor.

Dawn's stomach churned in disgust. "Never mind I don't want to hear it." Dawn said with an absolute finality. 

April sprang up, wings fully extended above her. "What! Why?" She was flabbergasted by the change in her partners tone. "No. I want to hear it. Please." She said with a pleading voice.

"I do not." Dawn said with a strong certitude in her voice.

Dawn's mother turned back to Dawn, releasing her sultry look. "Well if you insist Dawn..."

April leaned over the table using her forelegs to prop up her head. "No, ignore her. Please tell us the story." Her tail flailed about uncontrollably.

"Well Dawn doesn't want to hear it." Dawn's mother pouted, disappointed at being unable to tell her story.

"Yep, I do 'not' want to hear it. You can keep your secrets. All of them." Dawn agreed.

April turned her attention to Dawn. Coming in real close. Close enough that April knew she could get her way. She whispered, "Come on Dawn." Going in for a small peck in that one spot on her neck below her ear, that one spot that has won her way time and time again.

"Nope." Dawn was melting inside but her resolve was absolute. Evil Mare. So cunning. Celestia as my witness I love her.

April's ears fell in defeat as she retreated from the battle of wills. Dawn was the victor. She had lost. She rested her head on the table as she glowered.

Likely in hopes of changing the mood in the air and the subject, Dawn's mother searched through the giant saddle bags of her husband. She pulled out a stack of flyers with her teeth and set them on the table. "Where should we go once we're done eating?" She asked, spreading the flyers on the table.

Dawn's father visibly relaxed from what Dawn could tell was a very strained posture. "Yes, Where should we go. Why not this neighborhood next?" He suggested pointing a hoof at a flyer. 

"Might as well try some apartments in Cloudsdale too." Dawn said sarcastically.

"They would be cheaper." Her mother said. Swing and a miss.

"No, one of these apartments will do." April concluded, rising her head from the table to look at the flyers.

Dawn snickered. "I don't know. Canterlot might not have enough windows and big enough bathrooms for this city to livable. We may have to inform Princess Celestia so the city can evacuate."

April delivered a burning glare at the pink unicorn. "Can I see your list?" She asked.

Dawn willed the rolled up paper from her father's bags and spread it in front of April for her to scrutinize. 

April bent over the table to read the entire list. Each property had notes of what they had said about the property. "I didn't know you were taking notes..." April turned to Dawn thinking hard. "What one would you pick?" She asked after some reluctance.

The least objectionable one at this rate. "That one." Dawn pointed to a property on the list. One of the first ones they visited.

April raised an eye brow at the quick answer. "Why?" She asked while looking at Dawn, trying to read her mind.

"Closest to origin." Dawn replied confidently.

April face hoofed. She should stop doing that it can't be healthy. "You made a graph in your head..." She mumbled. "Fine." She concluded, sliding her hoof down her face in defeat. "Tell me if that property is ever beaten. If we don't find one... That one will be it."

Happy days! "Really?" Dawn asked, skeptically, tail dragging side to side on the ground expressing her gratitude that there was an end in sight.

"Might as well." April said, while looking at the sky for any other answer. "I need to live near school and I can't live in a cloud." 
> Chapter 13: Glory for Everypony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Thirteen

Dawn had just dropped off April and her parents. She was now relaxing on her balcony, enjoying the warm evening June breeze from the east. They had settled on an apartment they found after lunch. Either it was because they found out Dawn had written down all their inane complaints or the lunch in their bellies but they had very few bad things to say about the apartment. The rent was still appalling but well with in the budget of a Canterlot weather pony captain. The job was courtesy of the Princesses who both put in a good word with April's transfer. Dawn let out an exhausted sigh as she looked up at the full moon. 

It had been two moon cycles since she had met Luna. She was surprisingly a pony of habit. "Good evening Luna." She said as her horn started to tingle with the presence of a full moon Luna pulling herself out of the void.

"Did we have a good day Dawn?" Luna asked, taking a seat next to her student.

"Long, but productive." Dawn shrugged. Luna and Dawn would, every night before Luna joined her night court, talk where ever Dawn was at the time. They would share each others days. Then Luna would typically ask an out of the blue question, ranging from pony mannerisms to meta-magical or physical. They would talk like this until Luna's royal duties interrupted them.

"Long days can be the best of days." Luna said matter-of-factly.

"I suppose." 

"Tell me." Queue tonight's discussion topic. Luna paused to think of her question more thoroughly. "What do you think of the summer sun celebration?" Luna's voice was more hesitant compared to her normal questions.

Luna's hesitance took Dawn off guard. She turned to look Luna in the face. "Princess Celestia does the same thing she does every day but in front of a crowd." Dawn said plainly. What does Luna want from this conversation. "I guess, I think it is... funny."

"Yes it is." Luna agreed hastily with a vigorous nod of her head. "But what about 'what' the celebration is about?" Luna asked, regaining her hesitant voice that came with the first question.

Dawn thought hard, recalling her history classes. "The return of the sun... and the banishment of you?"

"Yes." Luna answered, that small tinge of doubt still lingered in her voice.

"I suppose it's..." Dawn looked for an appropriate answer. This was obviously close to Luna. "Crude." Dawn paused to read the night princess's face. Positive reviews! "The evil Nightmare Moon got banished but so did you... I suppose I could see that as a problem."

"Yes that is exactly what I argue to Celly." Luna agreed, pausing to rethink her words. "She wants me to be by her side, every year. I hate it." Luna didn't dislike any thing beyond olives and walking, she doesn't even loath the high society as her sister does. "I do not think Equestria will fully heal from my mistakes until they are forgotten."

"Perhaps..." Dawn started to talk before she thought. "Perhaps you should start your own celebration." Well that's a good idea. "On the winter solstice." Yes it is. "Make it into a bigger celebration than hers, with gambling and night clubs." Dawn said excitedly. Both good things I haven't done in awhile.

Luna looked down at the excited mare and her imaginary celebrations. "That seems like a lot of work." Luna concluded after some consideration. 

"Yah. Forget the whole thing then." Dawn agreed.

"I expect you to be by my side for that day. The celebration attracts the strangest ponies." 

Dawn looked back to the starry sky. "Hmm alright. As long as I don't have to shake no ponies hooves."

"Deal." Luna looked up at her sky deep in thought. "Bring April too." She added, thinking miles away.

The Night goddess and her student sat there, looking out to the stars. The quiet pair lost in their own thoughts, let the rest of their night pass as they star gazed. Luna, the only other pony other than April I can enjoy silence with.

-----

"Luna is annoyed but still wants me there. And 'I' want you there..." Dawn was on her back, laying on April's floor in her house back in Wingopolis. She was trying her best to look adorable to get her way, it was not working.

"I can't Dawn. It's my last week here and I have so much packing to do." April said as she shoved linins into a box. "Plus I don't want a bunch of stuffy unicorns that will be my classmates know I am friends with the princesses."

"Then let's disguise you." Dawn excitedly devised.

"I'm sure that will turn out well..." April said, still ignoring Dawn's rolling around. "When did I get so much stuff?" She muttered quietly to herself. 

"Come on, Luna is at full moon and waning, she's unbearable." Dawn stood up to walk over to April. A direct attack is needed. She bowed down to the sky blue pegasus like she had seen so many other ponies do for the princesses. "And with the summer sun celebration coming up, I end up getting all the torments she can think of." Dawn pleaded with all the urgency she could muster. 

April looked to the pathetic sight of Dawn bowing low to the ground. "Ask her to stop or ask Celestia." April deadpanned.

I failed! Dawn got up from the ground. "Princess Celestia is getting as much of the crap as I am." Dawn admitted. "In fact she some how redirects Luna back at me. You gotta save me for a day or I will go crazy!"

"...er. Crazier." April giggled as her corrections sunk into Dawn, earning an amused look from Dawn. "Can you settle for a half a day? I really have a ton to pack and you are no help."

"I tried helping." Dawn defended.

April's eye twitched at the recollection. "No, you introduced complete chaos to my organized packing." She said, turning to look at Dawn proper. "I'm still fixing the boxes you 'packed'." 

"Well it's not like you going to keep the stuff in the boxes forever..."

"Why not take Twilight or Trixie?" April asked, cutting off one of Dawn's overused excuses.

"They 'are' going. Plus they're not gonna help any, at least not when they're together. Luna might even recruit Trixie..." Dawn said, giving a little shudder at the two combined minds of malice. 

April groaned. This wasn't going to end anytime soon. "I'll go on the condition that you pack my way and my way only." She said in a very authoritative voice, knowing she wouldn't agree to it.

Dawn growled in frustration. Makes no sense to pack your way. "Fine." She begrudgingly said.

"Luna is that bad huh?"

"Absolutely horrid. This morning she some how lined my entire room with a sticky gum. And don't get me started on what she did to my toothbrush..." Dawn shook away of the recent memory of the morning from her head. "I do not envy the enemies she once had. Those poor manticores..."

April giggled as Dawn's mind worked itself. "That's what you get for asking some pony who spent a thousand years alone on a moon for romantic advice."

"Lesson learned." Dawn gave out a heavy sigh as she started to will her magic to work, slowly and delicately packing one item at a time into a box labeled with its contents.

----

Princess Celestia was in a group of crowding ponies young and old, poor and rich alike. Luna looked to Dawn, Dawn looked to Trixie. Trixie stood at the ready, keeping an eye on Twilight and April, who were talking at a table of food. Trixie was in the clear. She spotted Dawn and Luna looking at her and gave the sign. Dawn and Luna flared up their horns, combining their magic into a bright purple cloud. 

"It needs to be perfect Luna or it won't work." Dawn panted.

"Do not lecture me on magic." Snapped Luna.

They both strained, focusing their magic on one point. Luna supplying it, Dawn taking it and weaving it all to her will. All the ponies in the crowds near them could feel a magical surge pulsing near them. It took Twilight and Princess Celestia only moments to localize the source but it was too late.

The collection point between Luna and Dawn flashed brightly, birthing a large orb. The grins on Trixie, Luna and Dawn's faces would have been enough to warrant ponies to scream in horror. None did however. Before Princess Celestia or Twilight could even phrase a coherent thought to speak in protest, the orb shot up high above Canterlot, disappearing in the distance. Luna and Dawn were already on the floor laughing at what is to come. It was too late for any pony to do anything.

Twilight and the Sun princess had fully processed what could, would and in all likelihood will happen. They started to cast spell-reflection spells but it was too late. Where the orb of pure magic had disappeared, an explosion of purple magic quickly expanded throughout the city, passing through buildings and walls unhampered, inflicting its affect on everypony. In the few precious seconds before the spell took effect, Dark clouds wrote in the sky, 'Happy Summer Sun Celebration! Your new facial hair is courtesy of your Princesses. Enjoy!'

All the ponies in the crowd that had noticed the magical explosion were now reading the sky as their facial hair grew. Celestia and Twilight were giving glares of death at the two now bearded mares on the ground laughing, gasping for breath. They didn't bother checking their own faces. They knew what they would find.

April, who was right beside Twilight, had just finished reading the sky and was turning back to Twilight. "Uhh Twilight?"

"Yah... I know..." Twilight answered still delivering her glare.

April followed the line of Twilight's death glare to her bearded fillyfriend and the night goddess, who were both gasping for dear life. It did not take very long for April to connect the dots and to notice her fu-manchu mustache and goatee. April's face turned to a face of pure horror and embarrassment.

In a blinding light of magic, Princess Celestia the Bearded teleported, dragging the two culprits with her to the very empty throne room in the castle. As soon as Princess Celestia set her eyes on at the two bearded mares, who were still on the floor laughing hysterically, she started to over shadow them in a royal stance of aggression. "Do you two have 'Any' idea of what you two have done?" She asked, her voice cracking with anger.

"Did you see their faces?" Luna croaked in between her laugher, ignoring her sister completely.

"...There will be riots..." Princess Celestia mumbled to herself.

"Yah..." Dawn answered Luna in between her own laughing, also ignoring the imposing sun princess.

Twilight, Trixie, and April teleported in with the help of Twilight. Princess Celestia relaxed, falling back on to her quarters.

"...Oh curse it! The delegates from the griffin high council." Princess Celestia recalled, talking to herself.

"What can I do to help Celestia?" Twilight asked, offering a comforting hoof to the disheveled sun princess. 

"Trixie!" Dawn and Luna called out in unison as if cheering for a victorious hero.

Twilight spun around to see her fillyfriend walking over to the pranksters. "Trixie?" Twilight dropped her hoof to start a march over to the periwinkle colored unicorn.

April matched Twilight's march to a pink unicorn with an orange and purple mane. "Dawn, what have you done?" Dawn was still laughing hysterically with Luna, completely oblivious to the pegasus. "Hey!" April yelled, trying to drown out their laughter. She failed. "I'll just have a talk with you later." She mumbled under her breath.

The sun goddess was near catatonic still talking to herself. "...Riots, panic, chaos, foreign delegates wanting to wage war..."

Luna was able to control her laughter now. "I must say that was the best prank I have ever pulled." She said, wiping a spare tear from her face. "Do you think it will forever be remembered as 'Celestial beard day'?"

"Trixie you were part of this?" Twilight asked in a very hurt voice, referencing her beard with a spare hoof.

"Yah kind of... A small part maybe..." Trixie downplayed.

Dawn, now in control of her own laughter as well, wiggled on the floor to face Luna. "Ha, I don't know. You should have seen my high school on senior ditch day." Dawn ignored the glares she was receiving from April.

"How could you?" Twilight asked still in such a hurt voice.

"Celestia, how can I help?" April asked, flying in front of Celestia's face breaking her thousand yard stare,

"They can be really convincing..." Trixie admitted to Twilight.

"Is that some kind of holiday I am unaware of?" Luna asked, tipping her head in curiosity to Dawn.

Princess Celestia blinked a few times to clear her thoughts. "Yes. I need help. I need to spread the word to not to panic." She concluded.

"No, it's when all the seniors ditch..." Dawn deadpanned, momentarily forgetting who she was talking to.

"This was a big day for your princess, my mentor... and you just decided to ruin it?" Twilight asked, laying the guilt thick on poor Trixie.

"Dig holes?" Luna guessed, scratching her chin with her hoof.

"I also should make a public example of those involved..." Princess Celestia said with a frightening amount of resolve.

"No it's to be absent from school." Dawn clarified.

"...Banishment." Princess Celestia said, not thinking about how such things worked in the present era. "Yes that will do... to the northern expanse." Logic escaped her.

"What?" April gasped at Celestia.

"Oh... so what did you do?" Luna asked, whipping her tail in excitement.  

"Well you remember my musical orbs."

"Oh, that was the prank it was invented for?"

"I flooded my school with orbs that produced a loud low tone that resonated with the very buildings, shaking them violently. The teachers were cursing my name until I walked away for good." Dawn regaled. 

Ignoring April, who was flying in her face, "First thing is first... Banishment than we help the citizens." Princess Celestia concluded.

"Umm perhaps you should help the citizens first?" April criticized. 

"Are you questioning your princess?"

"Yes." April said with an absolute tone, getting up close into Princess Celestia's face.

"Ho, did you hear that Celly? My student is a natural at this." Luna called out to her sister, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

"Banishment..." Princess Celestia whispered under her breath.

"Well you did well with that spell." Dawn said, sharing the praise.

"Trixie I am so angry right now..." Twilight whispered to Trixie.

"We can not forget the many uses that Trixie had. The backstage pony that made it all possible! I will sing songs honoring you for decades." Luna sang out.

Twilight teleported out of the room, leaving no trace of where she might have gone. 

April, flying away from the scary looking sun goddess, came into view of Dawn. "Ohh... sexy facial hair April." Dawn wrapped her aura around the pegasus and started to pull her to her. April started to fly against the pull, only for the magic around her to get stronger. "Oh come here, lemme enjoy that smexy face while it lasts." Dawn cooed as she pulled the unwilling mare into a kiss filled hug.

"Great Twilight is mad at me..." Trixie said as she glared at the forced affection. 

"Sister you need to relax, the spell only lasts for ten minutes." Luna had gotten up to comfort her seething sister.

"No, Stop. I am not ready to forgive you yet." April said as she tried to push away the offending unicorn.

"The panic Luna, you did not think this through in the least." Princess Celestia said, regaining her senses and logical thoughts.

"Yes, you are." Dawn giggled right before she took advantage of one of April's tickle spots. With her magic she gently grazed the hairs of April's fur. Two rips from the bottom on the left side. Cut the pi in half.

April convulsed in stifled panic as she hovered in Dawn's pink aura. "Damn you." She finally screamed.

"Say you forgive me" Dawn teased.

"Fine." April screamed.

"Fine... what?" 

"I forgive you." April said, muffled by her own attempts to muffle her panicked laughter.

Dawn set down her fillyfriend to let her catch her breath. "That was easy." She chuckled as she stood up to take Luna's side with comforting Princess Celestia.

"You, this was all your doing." Princess Celestia said, pointing an accusing hoof at Dawn.

Luna stepped up in front of her sister's hoof. "Do not blame her sister. It was my idea. Dawn just saw it come to fruition."

"I live to serve my princess." Dawn said in a mocking tone.

"I can not believe you two. No... I can believe it. I can not express my anger with you two because pony kind has not experienced such anger in many millennia." Princess Celestia was glowing with the fury of the sun she controlled until she drooped, falling on her quarters again. "There will be so many angry nobles..."

"I doubt that. My student figured out everything." Luna said with pride.

"I made a medical dark magic spell that gives a pony an absence of pain. I added a mild affect to the spell. The denizens of Canterlot are in a mild euphoria right now." She concluded with a positive resolve. "At least the ones that didn't cast a shield over themselves." Dawn turned to the bearded Trixie. She was pouting at the ground. "Go explain to Twilight it's not as bad as it looks." Dawn said as she summoned dark smoke to surround the periwinkle unicorn. 

"I will..." Trixie said as she disappeared into the void.

"You two..." Princess Celestia said, pointing a hoof to Luna and Dawn. "...are going to deal with all the nobles that come to complain about your prank."

"I will handle all the nobles sister. I Promise." Luna said with all diplomatic grace she could gather. Such a good pony my teacher is.

"No." Princess Celestia said bluntly. "Dawn helps too. She needs to stop indulging your pranks." She is so bad at diplomacy...

Dawn groaned. Wait... "There will be no complaints." Dawn said with founded confidence.

April had regained her composure and had walked up to Dawn and the princesses. "You said Luna was pranking you. Not that you two were pranking Celestia." April said, raising her voice with her accusations.

"Yes well..." Why are words so hard to come by when April is wearing that face. "It seemed like an appropriate lie to get you to come here." Dawn admitted, earning a face hoof by both of the princesses.

"I need to go back to the celebration and calm down the crowds." Princess Celestia said, quickly. "Let's go Luna." Both princesses teleported out of the room with a flash of Princess Celestia's magic, leaving Dawn and April alone.

April looked like she was searching for words to yell. Her wings twitched in the struggle. Finally, she closed her eyes and said, "You are horrible, take me home."

Something in Dawn just obeyed without thinking, collapsing the void around them both, bringing them into April's empty living room lined with boxes. "Are you mad?" Dawn asked with the words fumbling out of her mouth.

April still had her eyes closed. Her face contorted in many different directions at the question as she thought of a response. "Mad? No. Angry. Furious." She answered with crescendo, ending with a growl. Startled by her own voice she opened her eyes to look at Dawn. "How could you do something like that? To every pony? To me?" She asked her voice laced with pain. "How could you lie to me like that?" Dawn's gut churned with April's words, pulsing with a pain that shot up into her throat.

Dawn couldn't look at those grey eyes of hers any more. "Luna said..." She started to mumble to floor.

"Luna is not Dawn." April corrected, cutting off Dawn's excuse.

Maybe the eyes are gone. Dawn looked up at the pegasus. Nope still there. She looked into April's eyes, trying to bare with it. "It seemed like a good cause..." She tried to add to her excuse.

"A good cause?" April's face changed to a face of anger and confusion. "You humiliated our princess and every pony in Canterlot." She finished saying, stifling her anger the best she could.

April has never been this angry. "April it isn't that bad..." Dawn started to say offering a comforting hoof.

April shrugged Dawn's hoof away and started for her room. "Go away Dawn. I need to think." April said with the little amount of emotion she couldn't hide.

"April listen to me." Dawn called out to the turned about mare. Dawn's insides were crying out in pain. What did I do that was so wrong?

"Leave me alone." April said as she slammed the door behind her. 

Dawn walked to the door. I could blast it down... That would not end well. "I will not. Please... do you even know what that celebration is about?" She asked through the door, grasping at straws now.

"The return of rising of the sun." April answered with a hint of insecurity. Dawn could tell she was on the verge of tears. 

I made April cry? "Yes, that and the banishment of Luna and Nightmare moon." She answered, desperately trying to express her side. "You know Luna, she isn't a bad pony. Why should we celebrate something so horrible done to a good pony?"

"Nightmare Moon wasn't a nice pony." April answered as she started to brake down and cry.

I did, I made April cry... What did I do? "Luna isn't Nightmare moon. She just wants the celebration to stop so pony kind can fully heal from her mistakes." Dawn was quoting from a conversation she had with Luna a month ago, the night they planned the prank.

"You still don't know why I'm so..." April was sobbing so hard now she was unable to finish her sentence. 

Dawn knew what she meant some how. The same question was burning on her mind. What did I do that was so wrong? "No." Dawn admitted.

"Princess Celestia was going to banish 'You'." April cried out. Her voice, cracking near the end, was filled with hurt emotions that just made Dawn's insides hurt even more.

Oh... "uhh..." Dawn was lost for words. How do I make this right?

"You did something that was so bad she was going to banish you. I was going to lose you forever." April went on to say.

"But..." Dawn tried to explain but words just couldn't make it through mire of pain in her chest. April is so sad. I did this? "But I'm not banished. She wouldn't do that."

"Nightmare moon was a bad pony she got banished." April went to explain. "You almost got banished what does that make you?" April's cries had accusation weaved into them. "Your a bad pony." April hates me now. Like Nightmare moon...

"I..." see. Dawn felt numb. She closed her eyes in an attempt to feel for something, anything. She hates me... When she opened her eyes, there was nothing. "She hates me." She admitted to the void. Dawn felt empty. Tears didn't come but there was a numb pain in her throat that made her want them to. 

------

"April. Do you have a minute? I can not find Dawn." Luna was walking out of the shadows of the room. It was night out, making April's bedroom very dark. Boxes lined the room, all labeled with their contents. 

April eyes looked like she has been crying all day. Though surprised to see the night princess coming out of nowhere, she was unable to look at Luna. "Last I saw of her was this morning after she took me home." She said, letting confusion slip through her teeth.

"So you do not know where she is?" Luna asked. Luna sounded very disturbed, her mane and coat looked dull with worry.

"Where did you check?" April asked.

"That is the problem. I never have to find ponies. I feel for them and walk through the void to them. I never have to find them unless they are asleep or..." Luna's voice betrayed her thoughts.

A chilling shock went down April's spine almost causing her to dry heave. An unbearable pain pulsed in her throat. "What does that mean?" April asked, already knowing the answer but not believing it.

"I do not know anything right now April. I can not feel Dawn anywhere. I was hoping to find some answers here." Luna said as she briefly looked around the room for clues as to Dawn's whereabouts. 

"I..." The pain in her throat throbbed, choking her words. "What does that mean?" April finally managed to ask again.

"I haven't been able to sense her at all since I cleaned up the mess in Canterlot." Luna looked down to the sky blue pegasus on the verge of tears. Luna couldn't stand the sight, she looked away to be spared the pain of her.

"What does that mean?" April cried out, flying into Luna's line of sight.

April was painfully close to Luna, she could not look away. "It's not good April..." Luna admitted, wincing at the pain she had caused on the collapsing mare.

April was on the ground, her wings were unable to support her any longer. "What does that mean?" She asked again.

"She may be dead." Luna said, looking straight into April's shattering eyes.

April started to dry heave. "Dea... dea... dead?" Tears were freely running down her face, she curled into a ball on the ground at Luna's feet.

"Maybe she is just taking a long nap. I need to find her April. Where did she go? Do you know?" Luna was desperate for answers and the crying pegasus on the ground could not offer any. Luna laid down next to the mare, offering a comforting hoof.

"I..." April tried to give an answer in between her crying. "She can't be dead..." She cried out, curling tighter into a ball, quivering. "No... no... no... no... no.. no." She cried into her wing that covered her face.

All that Luna could do was hope this would pass quick enough for her to find Dawn, where ever she may be. Luna curled up next to her, trying to offer more comfort to the mare. Soon even Luna found herself in tears next to the curled up mare. 

When April became numb to the blinding pain, she unrolled herself. "She..." April started to say. Luna looked at her expectantly. "We had a fight. It was a stupid fight. I told her she was as bad as Nightmare Moon." April started to crawl back into her ball once she saw Luna's reaction. "That's the last I heard of her..." She started to sob heavily into her wing again. 

Luna got up unable to look at the pathetic looking pegasus any longer. "Pray to her." Luna said as she walked out of the room and into the shadows from once she came, leaving a sobbing mess of a mare in the center of the room accompanied by only misery and pain.

> Chapter 14: The Void
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Fourteen

"I wonder how long it has been."

"Who cares"

"I suppose... No one"

"That's right. No one cares for me."

"My parents might."

"What do they matter."

"I guess... They don't."

"No one cares for me."

"Luna may."

"I know that not to be true..."

"Do I?"

"No one cares for me."

-----

"Are you positive she is lost to the void?" Princess Celestia asked as she looked out on the eastern horizon on Dawn's balcony.

Luna dropped on her quarters by her sister's side. "It is the only place I can not find a pony that is that close to me." Luna conceded. Tears were still dropping down Luna's emotionless face.

"Is she alive?" 

"Unlikely but there is always that possibility." Luna said. Her voice was not very hopeful.

"How do we get her?"

"I don't know. The void is a contradiction in of itself. Even I do not fully understand it."

Princess Celestia let out a tired sigh. "Why did you set her on this path..." She asked, turning to her sister.

"I would gladly take it all back." Luna said before meeting her sister's gaze with her tear filled one.

"She is far more important than you realize Luna we 'need' to find her."

"What are you not telling me sister?"

"I will not say, I am sorry. I made a promise."

"Do you think we can get Twilight to help..."

"No." Princess Celestia said sternly. 

"I... I see..." Luna said, turning to the ground below her hooves. "I will study what Dawn has learned and try to figure out what I can do." Luna concluded, getting up off her quarters to turn around.

"Be quick, I can not imagine her lasting very long in there."

"If she is alive at all..." Luna mourned as she started walking deeper into Dawn's room.

"She's alive, Luna." Princess Celestia said with absolute certainty.

Luna paused mid-step at the unfounded confidence of her sister's statement. "If there is something you know sister that might help me."

"What I know matters little at the matter at hoof. Just know she 'Needs' to be found." Princess Celestia got up and turned to her sister. "Did you tell her parents?"

Luna drooped at the fact she forgot to tell them. "No."

"I will. You study Dawn's notes. I will cancel our courts for a couple days." She said, turning back to the starry sky that seemed to mourn with Luna.

"Tha... Thank you sister."

-----

"How long have I been here?"

"Forever."

"No. I have been to other places."

"Why do I hurt?"

"I have always hurt."

"No, I have felt other things."

"But not any more."

"I suppose so..."

-----

Princess Celestia was standing over a waxing Luna in Dawn's room. "Luna... The ceremony..." She pleaded.

"She is not dead." Luna demanded, stomping a hoof as she read a scroll littered with Dawn's calligraphy. 

"Luna...If not for Dawn for April. For yourself. You will regret not going." Princess Celestia begged, forcing Luna to cringe at the pain in her sister's voice.

Luna set down the scroll she was studying. "She is not dead." She repeated calmly.

"Is your time really best spent re-reading all of her books and notes? You haven't found anything yet." Celestia said while on her wits end.

"I will not mourn some one who is still alive and waiting to be rescued." Luna concluded.

"No pony could stay in the void for two weeks."

"Dawn said 'The void is realm of which life and death carry no weight' she could be alive. She was...IS so smart Celestia. Three months and she studied so much..." Luna started to bemoan. Tears started to form at her eyes as she buried her face in another book of Dawn's.

"Luna, you are holding the top a burning straw. I do not want to see you get burned." Princess Celestia was fed up. She turned around and started for the door.

"She is NOT dead." Luna shrilled after her.

"Fine. I am going to the ceremony." Celestia said numbly.

-----

"I had a name... What was it?"

"Why do I care?"

"I feel it is... Important."

"It isn't"

"What am I?"

"Nothing..."

-----

April walked past the guards by the gate of the castle. They gave a quick salute as she passed. Doors were opened for her as she walked into the throne room. Princess Celestia was talking to some noble, so she waited in the corner of the room until their business was concluded. 

"Good evening April. How are you today?" Princess Celestia said as the doors closed behind the noble.

April looked sleep deprived. Her mane has lost its normal sheen. "I could be better. The sky is rather dull. It's hard to star gaze with the astronomy club." She said plainly in a vain attempt to convince Celestia she was better than she looked.

"I am glad you are settling in the school well enough." Princess Celestia said, after giving a knowing yet mournful smile.

"It's what she would have wanted..." 

Celestia gave a nod of agreement. "While I do love seeing you here I must ask, what prompted this visit?" 

"Your sister asked me to come." April looked at the floor as if dreading the fateful meeting.

"I was afraid of that." Princess Celestia gave a heavy sigh as she considered her next words. "She intends well but she has become... obsessed. I have even taken over night court again because she refuses to do anything but..."

"I'll talk to her." April said quickly. She knew she would be one of the few who could. "Dawn wouldn't want her to be like this."

"I am worried about her... This is all my fault. I told her she was alive... She didn't even go to Ponyville for Nightmare Night." 

April gave a small sigh as she sympathized with Luna. "I can't say I blame her..." She muttered under her breath as she started to move in the direction of Dawn's tower.

"Be careful, she is at a full moon tonight." Princess Celestia called after her.

"It's hard to tell now n'days." April replied in kind as the two doors closed behind her.

She found herself weak kneed as she approached the spiral stair case she had only walked once. "I can be strong for her." She said, challenging the stair case. Once reaching the end, the guards at the door knocked for her.

"Come." Welcomed an eerily happy Luna.

The voice caught her so off guard that she hadn't noticed the door was opened for her. She trudged in to see that the entire room was covered in papers, some Dawn's some Luna's. She couldn't help but crumble some papers as she walked in, which made her cringe with the thought she might be crunching on something Dawn had spent time making. She walked up stairs to where she found Luna. The amount of magic a full moon Luna radiated reminded her of Dawn's grand spells meant for the sky. 

Luna's starry mane was as dull as her face and coat. Luna's feathers were ruffled as if she hasn't flown in months. As soon as she made it close enough to smell Luna she concluded she likely hasn't taken a bath in the same amount of time. 

Luna perked her head up at her guest. "I am so glad you could come. Time is short. This spell will only work when the moon is at its fullest." Luna chirped as she sprang forth, pushing April to the desk full of papers she was working at. 

"What are you talking about?" April asked, as she dug her hooves into the hundreds of papers that littered the floor to resist Luna's indomitable push to what seemed to be the epicenter of it all.

"Dawn of course!" Luna said, beaming at the answer.

"Dawn is dead." It hurt April to say such words but she had practiced them many times to herself. "She's been gone for almost five months Luna."

"That is the thing you and my sister are failing to understand. Time has..." Luna started to correct

"...no meaning. Yes, yes, yes. We understand it fine. Luna it is 'time' to let her go." A familiar pain started to grow in the back in her throat as she looked at Luna, who was still full of hope.

"How could I do that? She is still in the void." Luna said with unshaken resoluteness.

"Luna, I beg you... This is not healthy." April said, referencing with her hoof the room around her.

"I am immortal. I am invulnerable." Luna said, still unshaken, posing a little like a pegasus of pride.

"Your mind is not invulnerable." April chided.

"You and my sister worry too much." Luna dismissed with a waving hoof. She turned her attention to the desk ahead of them, willing her magic to pull up a few scrolls. "I need you to help me with this spell..."

"I've let go of Dawn..." April cut in before Luna could finish her sentence. "You need to too."

Unphased by April's interruption she went on to say, "But this can bring her back! I want to send you into the void to find her. It has taken months to figure out how to get a loved one with no magical prowess to navigate the void but I think I have finally done it." Luna said hastily, ending her sentences in a slur.

April closed her eyes. This was harder than she had thought it would be. "Luna..." She opened her eyes to look into Luna's. "I am not going to help you." She paused to let her words sink in. "I've let her go..."

"SO YOU ARE JUST GOING TO LET HER DIE?" Luna screamed franticly.

"She is already dead." April said calmly.

"NO SHE ISN'T." Luna shrieked.

"Luna..."

"I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE HER AGAIN!"

"I would do almost anything to... but she is gone..." April was choking on her words as they came out. Tears started to form in her eyes. She shook her head hard to shake the pain welling up. "I promised her I wouldn't shed more tears." She whispered to herself.

"I AM RIGHT HERE, OFFERING YOU SOMETHING THAT CAN SA..." Luna started to yell again but stopped when she saw the tears forming in April's eyes. "This will save Dawn. She 'Is' alive. We can save her if you just do this one spell with me."

April took a deep breath to clear her head. The stagnant air was nothing if not foul but it relaxed the pain that resided in her. Thinking this will give Luna some closure she bowed her head in defeat. "Is it dangerous?" She asked. She rose her head to meet Luna's eyes. "Dawn wouldn't want me to risk my life for hers." She asked.

New life was born into Luna. Her tail whipped side to side. "It isn't." She quickly answered. "At least for your body." She recanted. "Your spirit has to be set to the goal of finding and extracting Dawn. That is why we are doing this on the full moon."

"Fine. What do you need me to do?" April played along.

Dark smoke poured around the two, dropping them outside. The moon was dull, barely providing any light what so ever but the fresh air and gentle breeze welcomed April with open arms. April looked around. She was in a field where she could see Canterlot off in a distance. The ground was littered with symbols similar to the ones Dawn had in her spell book that graced her bookshelf in her apartment.

"I need you to just stand right here. I will pull your mind into the void and leave it there. With the enchantments I will put on you. I will be able to guide you through the void like normal." Luna said as her horn glowed ferociously. April could feel shapes scratching onto her coat around her body.

"But what do you need 'Me' to do?" April asked, letting some uncertainty slip in her voice.

"Nothing, it is the void. It will just happen, you need to just think of Dawn."

"If I find her than what?" April asked, tired of getting cryptic answers.

"Nothing it is the void." Luna repeated as her horn started to glow blindingly bright. "We will just have to hope. Your presence should be enough to pull her out. That is why I needed you." Luna added. Dark smoke slithered around April. It wrapped around her body like a snake would its prey. It soon wrapped around April's neck only to slither in her ears and nostrils. April coughed by reflex but the smoke wasn't normal or a gas for that matter. Soon she felt her mind slip away from her body.

----

What's that?

Don't know.

It's...

Grey?

Yah... grey.

"Dawn."

What's a dawn?

Don't know...

Seems important.

April?

April? What's that?

Don't know... When...I?

I? What's that?

I think Dawn, I think April. What are they?

Something?

Must be...

I feel pain.

I feel something else...

What is it?

Grey? No. White?

What's a White?

I don't know.

"Dawn!"

Dawn?

April?

What is that?

Dawn?

It hurts.

I think... It is a good thing.

The pain...

------

Luna was pouring over a book in Dawn's quarters. She was a waxing figure of the of the night goddess to be. Her mane, a dull light celestial blue with light curls, bounced with her head as she turned from page to page. "What could have gone wrong?" She whispered to herself. 

A flash of light queued the arrival of her sister. "I am glad to see you have finally finished cleaning up." Princess Celestia said graciously.

Luna let out a heavy sigh behind her book. "Yes sister." 

"It is for the best you put this all behind you sister..." Princess Celestia said, now cautiously walking up to Luna.

"I know." Luna closed the book she was hiding in. "I just... Don't know what went wro..." Luna started to say but tears started running down her face again. She buried her face in her hooves in futile attempt to stop them from coming.

Princess Celestia walked up to the side of the weeping night princess, her sister, and wrapped a wing of comfort around her. "You did your best. You would've made her proud." 

"She would have figured it out." Luna cried into her hooves.

"Without a doubt." Celestia agreed while nuzzling her sister out from her hooves. Giving Luna a minute to compose herself, Celestia held the little figure of her sister tightly in her wing.

"I was thinking. In a couple of months I will hold a magical competition..." Luna felt a pain in her that screamed at her to stop. She plunged through the tears and pain to finish. "...to find her successor."

"I think she would've liked that idea." 

"It was April's idea." Luna admitted.

-----

Why is Grey important?

I don't know but it is.

Sky blue too.

Sky?

The thing that used to stay above my head.

That's right! It used to have...

Stars.

April.

Grey...

It must be important too.

How could I forget something so important?

Try to remember.

-----

April stretched, hitting the mare next to her. Slowly realizing her surroundings, she slipped out of bed. "What was her name..." She asked under her breath. "Buck it..." She looked around the unfamiliar apartment and spotted the exit. She quietly closed the door behind her. 

Her hooves crunched the freshly laid early winter snow as she exited the building. She looked down each side of the streets, they were empty. She choose a direction and took it. She passed a cafe that had no earthly business being in Canterlot. It was an eye sore compared to its alabaster surroundings. She coughed in hopes to dislodge that ever consistent pain her throat but it was all fruitless. She trudged along through the snow to her apartment just down the ways only to stop when she spotted dark smoke forming in front of her.

The smoke kept on gathering and gathering until it towered high above the buildings. She recognized the smoke as the kind byproduct Dawn and Luna's magic had. "Luna?" She asked skeptically. This was too much smoke for Luna. The smoke started to clear revealing a collapsed pink, orange and purple pony figure in the snow.

----

Light started to surround her. It burned to the touch. She cracked open her eyes to take in the white of it all. Everything was white and cold... the light burned. This is a strange place. Sounds came pouring in through the mare's ears... Wind, snow crunching.

"Oh Celestia! DAWN!" 

Dawn? "April." A voice said. Was that me?

"Dawn!" Somepony cried out in response. Dawn felt this somepony hold her broken figure in their hooves. Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Ward, Marti!" A fragile voice cried out. Dawn watched two agile pegasi touch ground next to her. "I need the princesses!" The fragile voice ordered with urgency.

Dawn watched as the pegasi in armor flew away at blurring speeds. How strange... Dawn closed her eyes to the more comfortable darkness that her eye lids offered. Much to her dismay, however, light shot right through them.

"Dawn." April whispered into her ear.

"April." Dawn responded. Those are names... Dawn felt drops of moister on her face. She opened her eyes to a sight of... Grey... Dawn looked into April's eyes only receive more tears and a wide smile.

As much as Dawn would have liked to watch those eyes, hers wanted to close.

----

"April! What's the matter?" Princess Celestia asked quickly, after teleporting next to two pony figures on the ground. She stepped closer to see the urgent situation. The sky blue pegasus was holding a limp pink unicorn in her arms. 

Luna teleported next to her sister. As soon as she saw the orange and purple tail jettisoning from April's bent figure, she ran up past the stunned sun princess to stand by the side of the two mares in the snow.

"What happened?" Luna asked.

"She just appeared. She's alive! She said my name twice!" April said, shock littering her voice. As if on queue, Dawn started to throw up all the food she had eaten the morning of  the summer sun celebration on to the ground next to her.

"We need to get her to a Hospital." Luna said, taking charge where her shocked sister was not.

------

My name is Dawn...

April is the most important thing to me.

But I hurt her.

Why would I do that?

I don't remember...

> Chapter 15: The Great Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Fifteen


Dawn opened her eyes to a pale green room, lit only with the dim moon light. She looked around to see a sky blue pegasus sleeping next to her, burrowing her head in Dawn's exposed mane. Dawn felt an old ache of inner pain at the sight of her. There was a tube attached to her arm that stung but she paid it a little to no mind. She looked out the window to see brilliant stars sparkling in the sky accompanied by a waning sliver of a moon. She could make out the great hunter in the sky. It's winter...

Her consciousness provoked April to wake up. She blinked away her sleep as she looked at the unicorn that was looking out the window to the starry sky. "You're awake." She said as she squeezed Dawn hard. "I missed you so much."

Dawn was in pain. Not from the IV or her present condition but from what she must have done to April to have her voice sound like that. "I'm sorry." Dawn managed to say through her bouts of pain, still looking out the window avoiding to look at the pegasus.

April barely registered the apology. She kept snuggling the unicorn almost as if checking that this was not a dream.

"I am so sorry." Dawn said again, trying to get through to April. This time April shivered. Dawn could feel warm drops of water fall on the back of her neck. 

April said nothing but held tighter on to the unicorn next to her. 

"I am so sorry April." Dawn repeated. This time earning a heavy weep from the pegasus, staying still all the same. Dawn remained quiet until April fell back asleep, crying. I hurt her so much. 

"So you are awake." Whispered a shadow in the room. Luna came stalking out of it.

Dawn didn't feel the need to reply. She was watching Orion drift across the sky.

Luna followed Dawn's line of sight. "Six months almost on the dot." She answered the question that was on Dawn's mind.

Dawn lay there, trying to fully grasp what she had done. Tears started to flow down her face, soaking the pillow supporting her head. She wanted to shut everything out but she let it all in. The pain, her senses, Luna, April... It hurt her so much but she needed to feel something right now, anything, even pain.

"April's been so strong for you." Luna said, taking a side step to look Dawn in the eyes. "You do not let her go again or so help me not even the void can save you from me." Luna threatened as she tore up. I hurt her too. Hiding her face, Luna walked back into the too familiar shadows, leaving Dawn alone with her thoughts.

Dawn spent the rest of the night looking at the sky, enjoying the subtle heart beat of the mare next to her and cringing at her own tears. I feel... In her sleep, April wrapped her tail around Dawn's like she often did once upon a time ago. Alive? 

Dawn watched a newly birthed sun shine beams of light through the city of Canterlot. It was so bright but Dawn simply could not look away. The new sun blessed her head with a winter's warmth, helping to dry off her face from the night's tears. The sun also woke up April. I do not wish to damn any one to the void... but you are a horrible celestial mass.

"Good morning." April said, hugging Dawn while taking in greedy sniffs of her mane.

"It certainly looks like it." Dawn said, still looking out the window while basking in the sun light. April crawled on top of Dawn, mindful of the IV in her arm, to look her in the eyes. Dawn's eyes were full of happiness, bliss, so grateful for the light of the new day, so tired...

"I missed you so much." April nuzzled Dawn heavily. "I am so sorry." She whispered. "I said awful things." She broke apart from Dawn to take in the unicorn's face. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Dawn surprised herself. She thought she had spent all her tears but alas they started to pour out of her. What did April do? I don't remember...

April went into catch the first tear to fall with a kiss. "I think we've cried enough." April whispered, breaking away on the verge of crying herself.

"You are the most important thing to me April." Dawn said, as she levitated a near by tissue box to hover in between them. That much I do know.

April took a few tissues. "I love you..." Tissues at hoof, who needs to hold back? April started to cry tears of pure happiness. Dawn sat up, knocking April back a bit only for April to find she was being supported with Dawn's magic. Dawn pulled April into a hug with her hooves with surprising strength for being in the hospital. "I am so..." April started to say.

"Let's get some food. I am starving." Dawn interrupted, wincing as she pulled out her IV with her magic.

April didn't notice the IV dripping on the floor but she flew off Dawn all the same. "Lemme go get a Nurse." She said as she started to fly to the door.

Dawn stretched her limbs. It felt like she had been in bed for the day. She rolled her joints free of any built up stress and stretched out any cramps left in her muscles. Before April could open up the door, Dawn whisked it open with her magic and skipped out. "Come on April!" She cheered.

April, thrown aback by the random energy from the hospital patent, started to run after her. "We really should stay in the hospital." 

"Nah." Dawn replied flatly. "Let's go somewhere fun to eat." Dawn broke into a higher skip as she thought of her next meal. "Doughnuts..."

"And where do you think you are going?" Asked a random nurse Dawn just passed.

"Doughnuts. Haven't you heard?" She answered as if the question was absolutely ridiculous. Dawn kept on skipping at a feverish pace. Dawn thought of her loved ones and of what she had to look forward to. I guess I'll cross those roads when it's time. She ignored the cries for security from the nurse she just passed as she turned the corner with the main entrance in sight.

"Dawn I really don't think we should be going anywhere just quite yet." April pleaded as she flew next to Dawn. 

"Stop that pink mare." A nurse yelled. Two burly looking stallions walked into the skipping mare's path, ready to restrain her. 

"Don't be silly April. It's a wonderful day out and I want to see it." Dawn said as she teleported the two stallions that were stalking towards her behind her, disorienting them long enough for her to make it out the door unimpeded. Dawn took in a greedy breath of the fringed winter morning air. It reinvigorated Dawn. She intensified her skip to Doughnut Joe's.  

April followed close in tail, not saying much in protest any more. The only sound in the winter air was the sound of snow crunching below Dawn's feet and April's wings flapping.

"It is a pretty day." April said, looking down at the skipping unicorn.

"No doubt thanks to that new weather pony captain." Dawn sung as she relished in the day at hoof. "Kinda sucks not to have a fully grown winter coat though. It is really cold."

April hummed a near mournful response.

"You will need to catch me up on all that I've missed once I get food in my stomach." Dawn added quickly, not breaking her cheery tone. I will not hurt April any more.

Dawn bounced through the doors of the doughnut diner, welcoming the warmth and smells that came with the place. April and Dawn found a pair of stools not really paying attention to the occupants of the diner.

"I need a milkshake and lots of Doughnuts." Dawn said to the waitress that had walked up to them.

The waitress rolled her eyes at the blunt and obscure order. "What kind and how many?"

"Chocolate on both counts." Dawn said, smiling back.

"And for you hun?" The waitress asked, turning to April.

"Oh, uh I'll just have water please." April replied. Dawn raised an eye brow to this but kept quiet. The waitress disappeared behind swinging doors to fill the order.

April sat on her stool just looking at the smiling unicorn. She was real. Every bit she had remembered. "So tell me what I've missed." Dawn said, turning in her stool to meet April's stare.

"Where should I start?" April asked bashfully.

"Hmmm." Dawn gave a show of her thinking, scratching her chin with her hoof and puckering her lips from the mock strain. The answer was obvious. "You."

"Ok..." April slurred as she tried to recap what has happened in the past six months. 

"School? Work? Relationship status?" Dawn started to list seeing April's hesitance but she settled with... "Everything."

April donned a face of horror and shock. "I haven't given my heart to any one else but you." She said quickly, hoping to clear that up quickly.

"I see..." Dawn replied. She thought about it a lot last night, after Luna's visit, and a good part of her hoped April may have opened herself to somepony else. To move on. The other part of her was now rejoicing in the fact that she can try to rekindle their relationship, unhampered.

If Dawn was to cast that alarm spell she and Twilight had created, she was sure it would be buzzing viciously. Silence can be awkward with her now... That's my fault. The silence was broken by the waitress that had taken their order by setting down her chocolate doughnut and milkshake. Dawn was starving like she said. It's been six months since I've had a meal. She chuckled to herself as she levitated the two fatty treats to her mouth. All in all, gaining a small smile from April, this made Dawn feel loads better.

"So go on..." Dawn said with her mouthful of slurry made up of doughnut and shake.

"I am going to school like I planned." She started to say. She took a moment to consider her last semester. "I didn't take a lot of credits this last semester but... I am working for the princess now. Kinda..."

"The princess?" Dawn asked in a confused tone right after swallowing a not thoroughly chewed mouthful. 

"I was no good as a weather pony after..." She said, letting out inner shame seep through her words. She cut herself off once she heard herself. Composing herself for Dawn, she plunged forward. "The princess needed an assistant right after Luna..." She paused wanting to redirect the subject away from Luna. "Err... My first job was to put all your books in a Library named after you."

"Sounds like a good place for books." Dawn replied, trying her hardest to keep smiling despite the pain in April's voice.

"That's about it for me..." April concluded gloomly.

"I've been lost in the void for six months and all the great April has done is turn Librarian?" Dawn asked in a sarcastic tone, attempting to bring back the April with a smile.

"Well..." April said, looking at the ground between them. 

"I'm joking April." Dawn said, once she saw her sarcasm didn't make it through to her. She lifted April's face with a hoof and, with chocolate laced lips, kissed her. It took April by surprise but she welcomed it with open arms.

Dawn broke away to take in more chocolaty sustenance. April blushed at her mishandling of Dawn's humor and, of course, because of the kiss in middle of a diner filled to the brim with ponies. "Oh right..." she managed to sputter out through her embarrassment. 

"What about our friends?" Dawn questioned through a wall of food in her mouth.

Retaking her composure for Dawn, April straightened in her stool. "Well Twilight and Trixie made it official a couple weeks ago." She said, adopting a gossip pony's voice. "They're still on their honeymoon." She giggled at the memory of her friends.

We helped Trixie pick out proper horn adornments. It felt good for Dawn to recollect things she had forgotten in the void. "Good for Trixie." Dawn said in between bites, urging April to continue.

"Actually Twilight was the one that asked." April corrected. 

Dawn involuntarily coughed in surprise, spraying bits of doughnuts and chocolate shake on a very unlucky waitress. Dawn grabbed a towel from near by and started to clean the poor mare as she said, nonchalantly, "Well I'll be damned to the void..." only to instantly regret her poor choice of words.

April looked glum. She returned her gaze to the floor between the mares.

Dawn Cringed at what she accidentally did. "Slip of the tongue." Dawn said apologetically. She set a comforting hoof on the droopy pegasus. Best have her continue. Can't let her alone with her thoughts. "And... my Family?" She asked hesitantly. Dawn feared the worst.

April came up giving an apologetic smile to Dawn. She cleared her throat. "They took your loss very hard of course. Especially Metal..." She paused to gage Dawn's reaction. Dawn tried to hide it but her eyes were getting watery, she dropped her smile only to replace it with another one soon after. "He sings bass for the Cloudsdale symphonic now." April continued. "And his band is doing quite well. They're coming out with their first record in a couple of days."

I am so proud of him... Dawn replaced her fake smile with a genuine one. Only one word could express how she felt about the turn of events. "Fantastic."

Happy to see a genuine smile on Dawn, April continued. "Your mom and dad moved to Cloudsdale. They have a small apartment to themselves. They are trying to live their lives to the fullest, Eve is competing in flying competitions again and your dad has dedicated a lot of extra time to the Wonderbolts. The princesses didn't want to tell them about you until you regained consciousness. The doctors thought you wouldn't wake up..."

"Good..." Happy tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to some how damn them up by shoving more food in her mouth, not the best system. "And... Luna?" She asked after an elongated moment of her stuffing her face and trying to hold back the gathering saline. She was afraid of the answer, given last night's brief visit.

April froze as she tried to formulate an answer. "She..." She started to say "Well... she took your disappearance the hardest. Even harder than me... She..."

Dawn interrupted April with another kiss. After seeing that April was having a hard time expressing what happened to Luna. She didn't want to know. It scared her. "It's fine. It doesn't matter." Dawn said as she broke away.

Finishing the last bit of her food and convinced if she ordered more that waitress she spat all over might return the favor in kind, she hopped down from the stool. Dawn stretched her limbs as she levitated the check to her. Eight bits for breakfast. Did I miss a gross inflation or is this Doughnut Joe as greedy as Fatty Joe. Behind the check, Dawn could hear mass shuffling from everypony in the diner. April took Dawn's side as she lowered the check to see the sun goddess walking towards her.

"I am glad to see you are doing well enough to escape the hospital through force." Princess Celestia said in a sarcastic tone. She had a disapproving look aimed not at her but at April. "She is supposed to be in bed getting rest."

"She wouldn't listen..."

"I needed to enjoy the day, forgive me for not staying in a dank and dark facility." Dawn said coldly, interrupting April. She earned a few gasps from the crowd around her as the princess just looked down at the pink unicorn.

Princess Celestia took the check from Dawn's telekinetic control with her own and lifted it to a bowing Doughnut Joe. "Please put this on the royal tab Joe." She said, not lifting her gaze on Dawn. Princess Celestia then turned around to walk out of the diner, April followed her and Dawn followed April.

A chariot waited right outside. Dawn watched the Princess and April get in, leaving room for her to join. Best go through with what ever is in store for me. When Dawn got on the chariot it launched into the air, leaving Canterlot far below. Dawn was not frightened, tense or even nauseous. She looked behind her, where the chariot opened up, and gawked at the beautiful day. The view was as crisp as it was cold. A shiver shot up Dawn's spine when she saw Equestria at the apex of their ascension, only to loose the moment when they started to land in front of the castle. Luna stood waiting for the chariot. 

When the chariot came to halt, the three ponies made for the night princess's direction, still in complete silence. It was unsettling. Luna gave Dawn a quick glance as she turned around to make way into the castle. "Her parents have been informed. They will be here momentarily. I also managed to find Twilight and Trixie." Luna said to her sister as if Dawn was still in her bed at the hospital, ignoring Dawn completely.

"I don't think I want Twilight's honeymoon interrupted... And have you made a decision about her?"

"No. When I am ready I will talk to her and make a decision then."

Princess Celestia sighed. "Very well sister. April take Dawn up to the east tower. A doctor will be sent up there."

Dawn groaned out of reflex, earning more then few angry glares. 

"Of course Celestia." April said as she broke away from the group, leading Dawn with a wing down a hallway. Once the two were out of eat shot, April rested her guiding wing on Dawn's withers and gave a heavy sigh. "For them, this is worst then when you made that stupid spell. They're angry for some reason."

Dawn tried to look in the back of her mind and recall her memory but it felt so long ago. "I wish I could explain what happened... I just know it was my fault... some how." They started to crawl the spiral staircase in silence.

"Luna... She said you resisted coming back when we tried to pull you back." April paused, waiting for her words to take effect. "Why did you come back?" April asked as if the question had been burning on her tongue for awhile.

"I don't know." Dawn let the answer roll off her lips, surprising herself. "I... I forgot everything in the void. There was nothing in me. Of me." She said. Tears started to drop from her face as the recollection of the emptiness drifted through her mind. 

April tightened her grip on the unicorn when she felt the fear shake through Dawn's body. She said nothing in response until they got to the room. All the shelves were empty and Dawn suspected her drawers and cupboards were in the same state. April walked out to the balcony to bask in the morning sunlight. "What was it like?" April asked quietly, barely registering as a voice to Dawn.

"Very lonely." Dawn answered from the center of the room behind April.

"When Luna sent me in there to find you..." April started to say, Dawn was treading on thin ice with this subject. She walked over to April to take a seat next to her. "I was frightened for you. It was so cold, so dark, I couldn't feel anything."

Dawn nodded slowly at April's description. She shivered in the cool breeze of the winter. She could only hope her hormones would make her a winter coat quickly.

"Were you in there a long time?" April asked, fearing the answer of her question. "Luna said time didn't really matter in there..."

Dawn lay down on the balcony, tucking her forelegs underneath her. She ducked her head at the question knowing April wouldn't like the answer. "An eternity." She said, shivering at the thought. I had lost every bit of myself in there. How did I get back? "I think it was you that got me out April." Dawn admitted, closing her eyes to the sun. "Where was I found?" She asked, hoping to get more information for an unseen equation.

"You appeared when I was walking home from..." April's eyes went wide as she froze in mid sentence.

Dawn could tell something was off with April with the sound of her voice. "Yah, I thought as much." She said indifferently, keeping her eyes closed. 

"It's not what you thi..." April started to quickly say but was interrupted with the door swinging open with a slam.

"Dawn!" Two very familiar ponies' voices sounded behind her. She was soon tackled by her parents. Though she kept her eyes closed through their desperate hugs, kissing, and all around inspection of her, she knew a few things. They were both way more fit than they used to be. Her dad felt even more gigantic than she had remembered him in her youth and her mother was firm rather than the soft feel of inactivity she used to have. She felt her parent's muscles roll under their warm coats as they hugged and kissed her. They were also crying profusely as their tears were not entirely biased on who they fell on, namely Dawn. When all the affections slowed down to a long embrace of sobs, she opened her eyes. Metal stood behind their parents, crying as much as they were, just studying Dawn who was now smiling back at him.

Her mother broke her hug and squeezed her daughter's face with her hooves. She looked back into her mother's eyes with her own dry ones. The great Ever Watch was not sleeping well, she looked as fatigued as April and Metal. She assumed the same was for her father who was still holding tightly to his daughter, crying into her damp mane.

"I am so sorry I did this to you." Dawn whispered to her family earning a tighter hug from her father.

"We just missed you so much." Dawn's father said into her mane.

"We don't care what you did or didn't do, so long as we have you back." Her mother said. As she inspected Dawn's face more, more tears started to pour out of her eyes.

The doctor that came in shortly after her family was berated with questions of Dawn's well being by her parents. The doctor was of high moral standing and managed to ignore a majority of the questions her parents imagined up. Once he left, leaving a clean bill of health, the family spent the next several hours with each other catching Dawn up on what she missed. 

Metal insisted that she come to one of his concerts, not really caring what kind she went to. Her parents were very apologetic for moving to Cloudsdale and we're talking about moving back to the ground as soon as possible despite Dawn's protests for them to stay where they are happiest. April mainly just sat close by, quiet, listening, and thinking to herself.

Princess Celestia joined the family in the tower and was accompanied with lunch for them all. They ate together with much jubilation. Luna did not come to join for lunch. It was well into the afternoon that Luna did come to the tower. She did not say anything nor did she even acknowledge any pony. She stood on the second floor looking down at the celebrating family over the railing deep in thought.

Around sunset, Princess Celestia, contrary to the doctor's clean bill of health, convinced Dawn's family that she could use some rest. She ushered the family out, much to their dismay. Leaving April, Luna and Dawn alone. Dawn made eye contact with the night princess for the first time since last night. Her face was unreadable, not entirely blank but complex with thought and emotions Dawn couldn't quite comprehend. 

"I should go grab what little class work I may have missed today while my professors are still at school." April said, wanting to get out of dodge. "I'll be right back."

Dawn gave a little pout as the pegasus flew out of the room through the balcony. Cunning ponies, they planned that. She could hear Luna descending the steps of the stairs leading to the second floor, her metal hooves clinking on the marble floor. Dawn heard the patter of hoof steps come closer only to stop by her side. Dawn looked up to see Luna tower over her, despite her small stature, looking out on the balcony as she was.

"I will speak then I will listen are we clear?" Luna said suddenly.

"Umm... sure."

Luna took in a deep breath to cleanse body and mind. "My sister wants to keep you." She began, trying to gage Dawn's reaction. There was none. "I do not." Still no reaction. "I want to take away your magic for good and plant you in middle of some fertile land to let you live out your life as a farmer with your loved ones. But my sister says 'I can not'. Not that I shouldn't. Not that I am unable to. But 'I can not'. My sister speaks in riddles concerning you and it drives me up the walls." Luna's voice was almost breaking into a shrill of frustration. After taking a deep breath she continued. "My sister is, and was, always right. I hate how she has never been wrong about these things." She took another deep breath to smother her seething anger. She turned to look at Dawn, studying her for any kind of reaction. Dawn gave none. She was just smiling out to the sky, looking for the first signs of stars. Luna gave a heavy sigh before she continued. "Losing ones self to the void was something that was always possible with the goals I had set forth for you. That is why I wanted you to be able to master it, command it first." She said flaring her wings in agitation and stomping a hoof down for dramatic effect. "That being said not once did I even fathom that one such as you may resist being saved from the void. Not once did I even consider that you would willingly go there yourself." This time Luna's voice sounded full of anger, pain and self-loathing. It made Dawn cringe. "So I ask you this... Why?" Luna was on the verge of tears when Dawn looked at her.

Dawn took her time considering the question. "I can't say I know. My memory is so… stretched." Dawn answered, while adverting her eyes from Luna's, bringing them back to the balcony. "I was in there for so long... I do not recall exactly what happened on the day I fell into the darkness. The void feels like it's all I have ever known. I see all the pain around me, in you, April, my family... I'm convinced I caused the pain but I don't know how or why." Dawn said, relaxing on her forelegs with a long exhale. "It feels like my entire life was thousands of years ago, a dot in the distance. I was in there for an eternity Luna. I have no idea how I came to be back to this world but I am grateful for it."

Luna looked shocked by the answer. Then relief flooded over her body as she tucked her forelegs under her chest as she lay down next to Dawn. "I know that feeling too well..." She shifted uncomfortably at her own recollection. "The moon is very much like the void. Lonely. I spent a long time with nothing but my thoughts. Sure my sister would come to visit to talk to Nightmare Moon every decade or so but her words never fully reached me. And when they did 'She' had warped them to fuel her own hatred…" Dawn turned to Luna only to find her looking right back. "I am sorry. I now understand a great deal. I fear I have found the... similarities between us... disturbing to say the least."

"Similarities?"

"The way you think is very similar to mine. In the six months you were gone I read nothing but your notes and books. I lost myself trying to save you very much like how you lost yourself your first weeks here." Luna's head sunk as she thought of her next words. "I fear, among many other things, we now share one more thing in common."

Dawn nodded knowing exactly what it was. Darkness. Darkness of the mind, body, and soul. "We both have come back too."

"I suppose you are right." Luna said, giving a gentle smile to Dawn. "That is something to rejoice to." Luna gave Dawn a small nuzzle, letting her know everything was fine between them now. "I suppose I will not be able to keep you from continuing your work."

A quiet life on a farm sounds so pleasant. "No, not even if you took away my horn." Dawn giggled.

"I really do hate my sister being so right." Luna muttered to herself. "This tower is yours again. I will have your library brought back in here." Luna got up and walked to the balcony, Dawn followed.

Dawn leaned up next to Luna for the protection she offered from the cold. The two watched the waning moon rise over the horizon as they did many times before in silence.

> 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.

> Chapter 17: Control
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Seventeen

Dawn woke up to a constant wing flapping in her face. April was flapping away with a silly grin on her face, asleep and sprawled open, lying in her own drool. In conquest for dryer bed, she set to invading Dawn's bed territory. Dawn blinked away the sleep in her eyes, focusing on the clock on the other side of the room.

She slipped out of bed and quietly left April to her dreams. Her stomach did not agree with her on last night's choice of food; it groaned for some healthier choices in the future. As soon as the bedroom door was closed behind her, she teleported to the dinning hall with a pop and flash. Princess Celestia and Luna were both sitting at the table, looking at her as if she had interrupted their conversation.

"Good morning!" Luna greeted loudly.

"Not hung-over. I didn't drink." Dawn revealed.

As Luna drooped, Celestia rolled her eyes. "Your name isn't so ironic any more is it? I just raised the sun a couple minutes ago." Princess Celestia chuckled. "Did you talk with April?"

"Well, no. Not really, drunken April fell asleep in my arms, sober April might be a bit harder to talk with." Dawn said, taking a seat at the table. "She was a bit hysterical last night anyways."

Silence grew between the three ponies at the table. I think I missed something. It wasn't until after the cook came in to take their orders that any one said anything.

"So Dawn…" Luna began, looking cautiously at her sister. "Do you still feel different?"

"Hmmm?" 

"Last night you did a spell that would have exhausted you normally..." Luna clarified.

"I do not think this is the best place to discuss such things." Princess Celestia interrupted as she shuffled in place, scooping some of her morning cake to her mouth.

"And where would be the best place to? Something is happening to Dawn and I want to know what." Luna said defensively.

"Well… err… I feel fine." Dawn mumbled as she pondered the question. It completely left her mind last night. "So I guess that is different…"

"Have you noticed anything else?"

"I planned to study it after I settled things with April." She admitted. "I figured I would start with draining myself of magic any way possible. See how much my magical well has expanded..." I could test that spell ... "I'll probably ask Twilight to help me. Her mind is probably rolling around just as much as ours." She sai, addressing Luna.

"Most sensible." Luna agreed, nodding. Princess Celestia sat still, hiding any sign of discomfort. "Honestly, what harm could it do if you just told us?" Luna suddenly snapped at Celestia. "Celly! I know you know what's going on."

"Poor Luna, spent all night looking for my diaries. Getting a little bit frustrated?" Princess Celestia said with as much couth as a teenage filly. 

Luna, just a little bit larger than a normal sized mare, bit her lip as she glared at her sister. She then pounded on the table with her hooves in anger before disappearing in a puff of the void.

Princess Celestia gave out a labored sigh as the smoke of her sister dissolved into the castle's draft. "I'm sorry Dawn." She said after a moment dedicated to her thoughts. 

Dawn just shrugged it off as the two sisters typical bickering. She has seen them do it before. "As much as I want to know the answer as well..." She started to say not really knowing where her words were going. "...I'm just going to have to trust you know better, faith and all that junk." She finished saying, looking back into Princess Celestia's eyes.

"I don't know anything, Dawn." She rebutted with a straight face.

"If you are going to lie to a habitual liar you should at least put effort into it." Dawn chuckled as she repeated Celestia's words back to her.

"I do consider you to be one of the most honest ponies I know." She said with the same seriousness of the moment previous.

"Then I know I truly am good at it." Dawn said, pounding her chest like a proud pegasus.

Princess Celestia gave a light laugh then regressed into thought as her enchanted fork fed her bite after bite of cake. They ate in silence, both not really minding it much. Dawn thought it strange to still like something she had millions of pony life spans worth. Silence was still precious to her for what ever reason. She let her morning set mind wander until her plate was empty. She excused herself as she seeped back into the void, gently placing herself in her bedroom where a pegasus slept. She had rolled to the other side of the bed, wings were now tucked in.

She gave the pegasus a quick inspection and resisted the urge to cuddle up next to her. She was swept up back into the void, finding footing in the castle's kitchen. 

"Lady Dawn. How can I be of service?" Chef Stew greeted, bowing. The stove behind him was alive with a red flame.

"Please don't let me keep you from what ever you're working on." Dawn said quickly, noting that he was probably burning something. He got up quickly to his stove and flipped the contents of the pan on the stove in the air. "I was just wondering if I could make something myself."

"Uhh… By all means milady but I can certainly make you anything you desire."

"This is a less than palatable dish and I've become a master at making it."

The Chef looked momentarily insulted but he quickly turned back to his work. "If I can be of any help just tell me."

Dawn searched the kitchen, opening the pantry doors and cupboards for the things she needed. Blender, eggs, heavy cream, radishes, potatoes, nuts of all kinds, beans of all kinds, grass, hay, and one glass. Dawn smiled as her magic pulled all her ingredients to the counter closest to her. She drained the can of beans then dumped it in the blender while adding the heavy cream, and four crack eggs in. She pushed her magic through the blender to turn its contents into a pink slurry. All the while the potatoes were being skinned and cut into sloppy slices. The grass and hay were being washed in a nearby sink. 

Chef Stew watched the practiced magic work around him. He put his pan on the side and turned his attention to the pink unicorn. "What in blazes are you making?"

"Protein shake. My Dad's recipe." Dawn answered as she stopped the blender and added the rest of the ingredients save the nuts into the blender. When the lid was replaced the blender came back to life, turning the pink shake into a deceptively chocolate looking color. When the shake turned into a smooth solution, Dawn poured the drink into the glass and sprinkled nuts on top to complete the deception. She giggled at herself.

"Here, clearly some one has made an enemy of you so add this." Chef Stew added a small sliced strawberry on top. "There looks delicious… if they didn't see what went into it." 

"Thanks." Dawn said as she put everything away where she found them.

"Celestia help who ever has to drink that."

"I added grass for flavor." Dawn chuckled.

"Good call milady…"

"It's for April." 

"Ahh, that explains it then. For months the Princesses have had me 'fattening' up her food, kinda hard to do with salads." Chef Stew explained, recollecting the memory of the request. "Going for a more direct approach." He went on to nod in agreement. "If you ever need to make that again my kitchen is at your beck and call."

"Much appreciated." Dawn said as she finished up cleaning her mess. She picked up the large glass full of the deceptive brew and sunk into the shadows with drink in tow. Her hooves clopped on the ground as her bedroom fell into place around her. April churned to the sound of hooves on the ground. 

"Good morning." She groaned into the sheets of the bed as her eyes creaked open.

"Good morning!" Dawn greeted brightly, causing April to bring her hooves to her ears in pain. "It is nearly eight o'clock, Friday morning, and I made you breakfast. She added just as brightly.

"Breakfast?" She asked, peaking her head out from under her hooves.

"Oh, yes!" Dawn exclaimed as she placed the large glass on the night stand. "Something truly special. I made you something the Wonderbolts themselves drink for hangovers, fatigue, sore muscles, illness, sleep depravation, depression, being unmotivated, having lack of blood flow, too much blood flow, constipation, diarrhea…"

"I get it…" April deadpanned as she crawled over to inspect the magical brew.

"Speaking of the Wonderbolts they are in town and we are going." Dawn said sounding excited as April picked up the glass with her hooves. "I haven't been since I was a foal on my dad's back.  You know... when he dropped me..." Dawn shook her head free of the harrowing experience. "But Twilight taught me a cool spell to walk on clouds. It'll be fun!"

"I really should be studying..." She replied as she started to sniff the drink in her hooves. "What is this?" She asked when she smelled nothing.

"Breakfast, I've made this hundreds of times." Dawn answered smiling back at her. 

"It looks good… but it's warm."

"I’m told it's best warm. Drink up!" Dawn willed her magic, tipping the glass into April's mouth. Only to pull it back once she was met with protest.

"Holy Celestia what did I just swallow?" April asked while holding a hoof to her mouth as if to stifle back her gag reflex.

"Down the hatch." Dawn bid, before using her magic to pour the drink down April's throat while at the same time holding her protesting hooves down. When April's unwilling cheeks filled up, Dawn used her magic to massage April's throat to let down the ill-flavored brew. Dawn giggled at the pain she felt for doing such a thing to April. I haven't had to do this in years. Oh Celestia I hope she forgives me. Once the glass was empty, she returned April's faculties and teleported the glass to the kitchen sink to clean itself. "Try to keep that in." She said more casually than she thought possible for the moment at hoof.

"Don't EVER do that again!" April snarled. She looked angry, disheveled, violated like so many ponies before her that Dawn had done that to. Her wings were in full attack mode, extended instinctually in front of her.

"You have done so many things for me. This is one thing I can do for you." Dawn replied as she poked April's exposed ribs. April recoiled to the other side of the bed on Dawn's touch. Dawn closed her eyes to the painful sight. "Eat right. Make yourself healthy. And I will never do that again." Dawn opened her eyes to look at the recoiled April strait in the eyes. "I already told you I am willing to sacrifice the one thing I cherish most for you." Dawn turned around to leave the room. "I'm told it is worse coming up than going down so don't chuck that up." Dawn said coldly as she left the room.

Dawn let out a heavy sigh in attempt to assuage the agonizing feeling that had filled her. It's for the best. I knew that wouldn't go swimmingly. She walked down stairs and pulled over her book from her desk. Books are good. They let me forget for awhile. She hopped on her couch and assumed her reading position, letting her book float above her head. Several pages later, April came out gently flying through the air. She landed just before the balcony doors. Dawn watched her open the doors and fly away without a single glance back. Dawn felt tears run down her cheek but paid them no mind and returned to her book.

------

It was nearly noon and no sign of April at her tower. Dawn was keeping track of her through the void the best she could. Her magical perception had increased many times from what it used to be but that was something to study some other time. It was a quiet morning of reading, finishing one book and starting another.

A near frantic knock appeared at Dawn's door that led down the spiral stair case. "Come in." Dawn called out in response as she lowered her book to see who it was.

"Milady, Princess Celestia requests your presence in the throne room right away!" The servant said while gasping for breath.

"Alright. Thank you." Dawn said before teleporting to Princess Celestia's throne room with a flash and pop. "What's the matter?" She asked once catching the princesses worried eye.

"Where is April?" Princess Celestia asked in a near frantic tone.

Dawn closed her eyes and extended her senses to April for the dozen-th time today. "Down that hall?" Dawn raised an eye brow at the sun princess as she pointed to a closed door.

"Good. You will not be in here when she gets back are we clear?" 

"Alright…"

"I gave her the week off to be with you. Why is she working here?" She asked, her eyes darting up and down Dawn's body as if the answer was written some where. "I ended up relenting to her demands and putting her to work."

"Could be because she's mad at me? I forced her to drink a protein drink. She didn't care for that much." Dawn flinched as Celestia winced. "I was going to find her for lunch in a bit…"

"Okay." Princess Celestia closed her eyes to think. "Change of plans. You will put everything right before she yells at another noble. I do not want to see her back in this throne room until then are we clear?" Princess Celestia ordered as casually as ordering a slice of cake.

How am I going to do that? "Alright." Dawn turned around to the door she previously directed to. Something is telling me, walking to her would be best.

She broke into a trot with purpose as she followed her horn to where April was. April's saddle bags were empty and Dawn could only assume she was on the way back to the throne room. She ignored Dawn all together as she started to pass her. "April? Mind if we talk?" Dawn asked in such a sincere voice that it surprised April and even herself.

April paused in mid step to turn around to face Dawn. "I'm busy." She said coldly only to turn back away, quickly.

"It'd be real quick I just want to take a little walk with you..." Dawn plead, ignoring the angry glare she had received.

"I said ‘I'm busy’." April repeated, not turning around this time.

"It won’t take long I promise." Dawn pleaded again, as she skipped up to April's side.

April stopped to look Dawn in the eyes. "You're not going to leave me alone are you?"

"Never." Dawn answered, sternly.

April let out an ebbing groan. "Fine..." She relented while still giving Dawn a nasty glare.

"How are you feeling?" Dawn asked, waving a hoof to a nearby door that led outside.

"Can we just get whatever you wanted to talk about over with?" April asked, ignoring Dawn's suggestion.

"I was hoping we could talk while we walk." Dawn said, re-gesturing to the door. April reluctantly followed Dawn out. "So how are you feeling?"

"Fine."

The gentle winter breeze grazed Dawn's summer coat. It would be refreshing if it wasn't freezing. "Good. I've seen that protein shake cure everything short of a broken wing." 

April scowled at the mention at the events of this morning. Her wings and tail betrayed her agitation.

Not to the best of starts… "I was hoping that sober April would tell me what's going on in her mind."

April remained silent as she tried to recall what exactly transpired last night.

"I'm just worried is all..." Dawn started to say.

"Let's see..." April interrupted, while kicking some snow up. "My fillyfriend decided it would be a good idea to force feed me vomit this morning." She said, belittling Dawn.

They turned a corner towards one of Dawn's favorite parts of the east gardens. "There's more to this than that. Six months ago I would have thrown out my eyes and ears for lying if I heard or saw that you broke some pony's heart." They turned another corner April's wings were in fight of flight mode. "Or that I would to see this weak fragile thing before me, who's not very confident in herself, so much so that just to get her to spend a day outside away from studying somepony has to trick her." 

April remained silent. She looked down at the ground mournfully, making her look even more pathetic in the less than favorable light of the sun.

"I just want to know what is going on." Dawn continued. "I know I'm awful at this kind of stuff but I might surprise you like I've been surprising myself lately." Dawn paused to meditate on her words before continuing. "You once said I could tell you anything. Shouldn't that work both ways?"

April stopped walking. She looked at the snow covered grounds deep in thought. "I feel suffocated next to you." She blurted out as if it wasn't planned.

Dawn's mind reeled way back, trying to figure out what that meant. She fell on her quarters in the snow as she tried to make sense of it. "Do you… Do you want a break from me?" Dawn asked, fearful of the answer.

"No!" April yelled out surprising them both. "I mean yes…" She admitted quietly. "I don't know…"

Dawn sat still, trying to make sense of the mix message. "Umm... Alright... How do I suffocate you?"

"It's not just you…" April looked past Dawn in thought. "It's my teachers, the princesses, your parents… everyone…"

"I see…" I know this feeling.

"I feel everything I do is watched." April paused to think on her own words. "No…" She mumbled. "That’s not right…"

"Well I'm sure we can figure out something…" Dawn said, smiling, trying to cheer April up.

"It's not something you can fix!" April yelled, gaining the brief attention of some sky guards of the castle. 

"Oh…"

"You guys can't do everything!" She yelled again almost breaking into tears as she did.

"Who are you talking about?" Dawn was sufficiently confused now.

"Everyone…" April whimpered. "No one…"

Dawn's face scrunched up as she tried to figure out what the heck that meant. 

"Princess Luna told me what you did…" April said as the beginnings of tears started to drop down her face.

"What did I do?"

"You had me put into the university." April said her voice full of indignation towards Dawn.

Dawn winced at the anger in her fillyfriend's voice. "I thought you wanted that…"

"I did…" April flared her wings ready to take off, her eyes full of tears. "Forget about it." She said as she took off to the sky.

"April..." Dawn was quick to react. She pulled April to the ground against her will with a pink aura. "Please, let's talk about this." 

"Let me go!" April snarled loudly.

"I don't want to let you go!" Dawn cried back, tears started forming in her own eyes now as she planted April's feet into the snow.

April was breathing hard, gasping for breath. "I can't breathe around you..." She cried. "I can't do anything around you." She wailed into the snow after collapsing into it.

"What are you talking about?"

"EVERYTHING!" She screamed, popping her head up from the snow.

Dawn was silent as she watched the pegasus cry on the ground. Tears were pouring down Dawn's face but she did her best to ignore them. Seeing such pain in the skyblue pegasus was heart wrenching. 

"I didn't get in to CU, you got me there." April said, getting up to her feet angry as ever. "I didn't get the job as Canterlot's weather team captain, the princesses did!" She started to yell. "I quit that! Princess Celestia puts me to work for her. No discussion or arguments about it! I DON’T EVEN GET TO EAT ANY MORE! YOU’VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT NOW." She screamed on the top of her lungs, her face was drenched with a blind animosity.

"I'm sorry..." Dawn muttered through her own tears.

"To Tartarus with it!" She yelled at Dawn's apology. "I don’t get to do anything!" She started to cry again.

"How can you make this right?" Dawn asked, trying her hardest to keep a level head against the waves of anguish she was feeling for the moment. 

"Going to be taking over my thoughts now too, Dawn?" She cried out satirically. 

"Wouldn't think of it." Dawn said with unfounded calmness, tears still flowing freely down her face. She closed her eyes to clear her vision and gather her thoughts. "I can certainly give you some advice though." 

"Yes! Let's hear the almighty Dawn and her wisdom!"

Dawn opened her eyes to look into April's. Dawn was shocked to see how those grey eyes had changed. Tears flowed more freely down her face than ever before. She took a deep breath to clear her voice of any agony that might be there. "Change your life the way you want to." She paused for herself. "Move away. Go to the school you want to. Eat the food you want to eat." She said, tears now streaming down her coat. "Date the ponies you want and deserve." She said, through the pain in her throat. 

April stood still, not knowing how to respond. 

"You are feeling like you have no control over your life. You feel like you are living in my shadow, drifting in my wake. There was nothing you could do about my disappearance. Nothing you could do about your living situation when it was just given to you. So I say this to you now, 'It's your life take charge of it'." Dawn said sternly. She wiped her face clear of the tears. Her heart was pounding and the pain in her throat throbbed. "If you want my help just ask." Dawn added, trying to put up a smile but she was on the brink sobbing. "You have all the power in the world."

April stood there mediating on Dawn's words. Her eyes softened and stopped producing tears. She looked at the green eyes that were looking back at her. They were hurt, almost tortured, aged, but they were right. April closed her eyes to be spared the painful sight of the crying yet smiling unicorn. "I need to think." She said calmly, her voice sounded fatigued and raspy.

Dawn stood still and watched the pegasus take off into the sky. She ignored the cold shivers gifted by the snow and wind. Her eyes followed April's trajectory until she was well out of sight and a long while after. She clenched her chest in pain as she teleported to her bed. She buried her head under the covers and curled up into a ball. I choose to do this. She let a dreamless sleep take her.

When she awoke it was just a couple hours after noon. She slid down from the bed, hitting the floor with a honed grace. She walked out into the main room and reassumed her reading position. She was emotionally and physically numb, the book just completed her. It didn't feel very long before her reading was cut short with a small flash and pop, who she knew was Princess Celestia.

"I have yet to hear from April. I trust everything went well?" She asked as she walked over to the couch Dawn was sitting on.

"She's thinking right now." Dawn answered, hiding behind her book. Princess Celestia crawled to the other side of the couch from Dawn leaving just enough room for Dawn. Dawn repositioned herself appropriately to continue to hide her face behind her book.

"About?" Princess Celestia asked calmly.

"Control." Dawn said bluntly. Tears started to run down her face again. She ignored them. Princess Celestia didn't respond forcing Dawn to elaborate. "She's going trough something I was able to relate to, though I went about it a completely different way." She admitted.

"I see, so you were able to help her."

"No."

Princess Celestia telekinetically took control of the book between them and set it on the desk behind her. She looked into Dawn's crying eyes with enough sympathy to cover all of Equestria. Anything that held back her tears at all were gone now. Dawn whimpered as Princess Celestia pulled Dawn into a hug. "It will work out in the end. I promise." She whispered while wrapping her wings around the pink unicorn to complete her embrace. Dawn cried into the sun princess's alabaster coat until no more tears would come. All the while Celestia just hugged her tightly never letting up. When Dawn pulled away from the very warm and welcoming warmth of the princess, she looked up to Princess Celestia.

"Thank you."

"Of course." Princess Celestia said, smiling as she retracted her wings to her side. "While I am sure you will not want to do anything other than just sit here and bury your woes in books, I suggest you join me to watch the Wonderbolts. They start in a couple minutes." 

Dawn just nodded. She likely would have nodded at anything the princess suggested after what she just did for her. Princess Celestia lit up her horn and pushed them both through the fabric of space to the front of the front gates of the castle with a flash of sunlit magic. A chariot being pulled by the most burly looking pegasi guards waited for them. Princess Celestia stepped on, patting the floor next to her, beckoning Dawn to join her. When she did, the chariot shot off straight up leaving the castle behind her. 

The chariot did the typical royal pageantry around the stadium, only to stop at some very fluffy looking clouds that presided over the stadium for them sit on, giving the best view, the royal view. Dawn dug into her mind for that enchantment Twilight showed her when she felt some pony's else's magic work on her. Princess Celestia had beaten her to it as she walked off the chariot in hover. She tucked her forelegs under her as she lay down on the cloud, welcoming Dawn to do the same.

Dawn took a cautious step on the cloud, it felt soft and yet, somehow, unyielding under her. She put her whole weight on it and crawled on the cloud to sit next to the princess. The cool wisp of cloud under her felt good until the wind blew freely though it, making her shiver. Princess Celestia extended her wing over Dawn to shield her from some of the cold. Dawn gave an appreciative smile in return.

The show started with, of course, the Wonderbolts in formation, charging through the air, leaving behind a trail of thunder clouds and a rainbow. They broke apart in many directions, only for each of them to do a round about to collide with each other. The show continued with daring exploits of near collisions and speed. The show went along with music of horns and drums. 

When it was time for a brief intermission they introduced Dawn's mother to the middle of the stadium. The middle aged black mare rose slowly in the air to the middle of the stadium only to receive thunderous roars of cheer. She began with a full corkscrew spin around the stadium leaving a spiraled cloud trail in her wake. She then broke into loops at speeds that would be neck breaking for any other pony. She continued to do things like this for sometime only for her act to come to its natural conclusion with some aerial acrobatics of raw speed and grace that made her previous tricks pale in comparison. When it was all over she flew around the stadium waving to audience, soaking up every bit of the attention.

"Why don't you go to her." Princess Celestia whispered to under her wing, after Dawn's mother disappeared below.

Dawn obediently nodded and focused on her mother, extending her senses through the void to make sure she wouldn't be falling to her doom if she teleported to her. With a wisp of black smoke, she dissolved out from under the alabaster wing. Her hoof found support on another cloud as she opened her eyes to spot several pairs of eyes looking at her.

"Dawn?" a couple voices asked out of surprise at once. Her mother was sitting next to her, very much out of breath with her father's wing wrapped around her. Five Wonderbolts sat next to them with, who she recognized as, the other coaches.

"Ha! Stu you taught your grounded daughter how to walk on clouds. Figures." One of the coaches said in a harsh voice of approval.

Dawn went over to give her parents a quick hug. "That was a really nice performance, mom."

"Forget about that, what's wrong Honey?" Dawn's mother asked, coming out from under the wing of her husband.

I can see how Twilight got her cunning… "Nothing." Dawn deadpanned.

"Don't give us that." Dawn's father said, getting up himself.

"It's nothing." She lied to deaf ears.

"Alright Wonderbolts! Up and out!" one coach yelled. "Hoorah!" the Wonderbolts cheered as they launched off the bench they were perched on into the stadium above them.

"It's April." Dawn's mother said, after studying her daughter's face.

Dawn's father sighed. "Come on Sweetie let's hear all about it in here." He said, waving a hoof to an opening behind her which looked like it led to the locker room. 

The high altitude wind blew through the cloud walls and floor unhampered, chilling Dawn to the bone. As soon as they all made it to the middle of the room, Dawn's father extended his wing over her daughter, keeping her warm against the wind. Her mother sat in front of Dawn, studying her further. "We're listening, Dawn."

Dawn felt powerless to defy them. She backed deeper into her father's wing, letting it wrap completely around her. She let out a defeated sigh as she gave her mother a thousand yard stare of recollection. "You remember when I asked to stop getting magic lessons…"

"What about it?" Her father quickly asked, likely not wanting to remember the events leading up to it thoroughly.

"I guess April is going through the same thing…"

"Ah..." Her mother managed to connect the dots. "Your 'death' affected us all, Honey." Her mother crept up to nuzzle her. "I still can't believe you're back still myself."

"I pushed her away. And I told her what you told me..." Dawn's words hung in the air as her parents figured out what she meant.

Dawn's father's wing tightened around her as he kissed the back of her head. A common understanding was held between the parents and child.

"I'm scared..." Dawn admitted, looking down and expecting tears to fall. None did. 

Dawn’s mother swooped in for a close embrace with her daughter under her husband’s wing. "When are you going to talk to April next?" Her mother asked quietly in mid embrace.

"I don't know." 

"Well when she does come for you." Her mother continued.

"And she will." Her father added.

"When she does, you tell her everything. Then everything will be fine between you two. I promise." She said, pulling back to look Dawn in the eyes.

"I hope so."

-----

"Good morning..." Greeted a curled up purple dragon behind a thick veil of black smoke from the void.

"And here I was being sneaky..." Dawn queiltly said as she walked out into Twilight's library. Dawn's hair was a messier than normal, her face lacked the tenacity to remain taunt, and her eyes were as dim as her coat seemed to be. 

"When ever you do that poofy thing I can smell it." Spike said, still curled up in a ball against a book shelf, his were eyes closed.

"It doesn't smell like anything..."

"Yah. It does." Spike reaffirmed as he put a spare claw over his snout. 

Dawn relented with a sigh. She knew better than to argue with him in the morning. She looked around at the empty library. A cool morning chill crept up her spine as she did. She was alone with Spike. "They awake?"

"I heard them moving around but its best we wait for them to come down. They get angry with me anytime I open the door to their room in the morning."

Dawn took in a deep breath of the woody morning air of the tree. "WELL I HOPE I DON'T DISTURB THEM!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. 

Dawn could hear a frantic shuffling about from Twilight's room only for Twilight appear soon after with a full blown case of bed head. "Dawn?" She greeted when she saw the lone pink unicorn in her tree. 

"Good morning!" Dawn cheered as an equally bed headed Trixie appeared behind Twilight. 

Twilight grimaced at Dawn's greeting only to resolve to give her a scrutinizing death glare that she likely picked up from Celestia. "So tell me, are you going to stop using dark magic?" She asked haphazardly.

"Nope."

Twilight gave a heavy sigh as a brush flew out of her room to start working its way through her mane. "Well than, what are you doing here?" She asked as she descended the stairs. 

"It's Saturday..." Trixie answered. 

"Oh that's right..." Twilight's thoughts looked to be no where near her as she planted herself on her quarters as she continued to brush the rest of her tail. 

"Come now Twilight, it feels like it was just the other week since we had breakfast." Dawn said in a cheery tone, walking up to Twilight proper. 

"I thought you said 'your life was microscopic compared to the time you spent in there' for us it's been only six months." Trixie mocked with a sly grin on. 

Dawn forced a laugh out when she spotted Twilight's glum face. "Well I wouldn't hope a vile harpy such as yourself to understand what the absence of time means to an individual. So I won't bother explaining." Dawn said to Trixie in the typical banter tone they used for each other. 

Twilight looked from Trixie to Dawn, noticing that all eyes were on her. She put up a smile for their sakes and stretched out her legs as she looked around the library. "I'm pretty sure Pinkie cleaned out my kitchen again last night." She revealed with an irritated tail whip. "I guess we can go to the café down the street."

"Yes, let's." Dawn cheered as she led the charge out the front door. "Spike you coming?" She called back to the still curled up dragon.

"Err, no maybe some other time..." He grumbled back.

Twilight guided Dawn out with Trixie tightly in tow. "He's been having a hard time adjusting to his size." She revealed as she took the first few steps in the morning’s freshly laid snow. 

"What have you been feeding the boy? He's grown at least a dozen hooves in height alone." Dawn said, thinking she was being cute.

"Not enough..." Twilight said with sullen tone. "I can't get him to eat what a growing dragon requires... you know meat." 

Right... Dragon... "Gross."

"That's what he thinks..." Twilight said with a small sigh. "He's been getting by on a pony diet and the gems Rarity can spare but it's not enough. He should be at least double his weight at his age."

"Where would you even find ‘meat’?" Dawn asked not thinking of the consequences of the question. 

"Well uhh..."

"Do I want to know?"

"You really don’t..." Trixie answered as she pushed a door open leading to the café. 

"Gross." Dawn said again as she was welcomed by the smell of baked goods, brewed coffee, and the warmth that accompanied them.  

"Where's your better half." Trixie asked, hoping to derail the conversation. "You know the half that's worth a damn"

"I do not know." Dawn lied. She was, really against her better judgment, still magically keeping tabs on April. She was in the school library studying away since the wee hours of the morning. 

"Did something happen?" Twilight asked as she took a seat at a small table. 

"Just a little spat. It will blow over." Dawn said waving their concerns away with a hoof.  "I’m thinking for Spike, perhaps you can synthesise the necessary protein out of plants. I bet we can make a proper spell just for him."

"A little spat?" Twilight inquired, cocking her head in curiosity. 

"Yah what happened?" Trixie asked.

Dawn closed her eyes in thought as the two waited for an answer. "I've done a bit of research into denaturizing proteins for easier digestion. I bet we could use that spell as a base." 

"You did something stupid didn't you?" Trixie concluded. 

"Dawn, what did you do to April?" Twilight asked, bending forward over the table to look Dawn in the eyes. 

"Ponies eat eggs... Does Spike like eggs? They should have the proteins he should require. I bet if we figured out how to make really big eggs..."

"April didn't look very good at the party. Is it because you had Pinkie feed her?" Twilight asked, bending forward across the table. 

"Stuff her was more like it. That was hilarious to watch." Trixie said with a hardy laugh.

"You didn't do anything more drastic than that, did you?" Twilight asked. 

"Does Ponyville have any ostriches? We could start an ostrich farm for Spike." Dawn added. 

"You don't think she did something stupid like force feed her or something?" Trixie asked Twilight. 

Twilight fell back onto her quarters as she considered the question. "I doubt it... Right, Dawn?" She asked skeptically. 

Dawn continued her feigned thinking, hoping to ignore the two unicorns across from her. Yesterday's conversation flashed through her mind causing her to wince ever so slightly. Her eyes made contact with her friends' for them to read. 

"Oh dear Celestia... She is stupid." Trixie concluded quickly. 

Dawn let out a heavy sigh. In for a bite in for a bushel... "I wonder what ostriches eat. Would they like out of season apples?"

"Come on you depraved cretin, tell us what you did."

-----

Dawn teleported to her tower, her belly was full of breakfast. She beckoned over a new book Cognitive Psychology: A Broken Pony from the shelves and assumed the position to read it on her couch. She had just cracked the spine when she heard knocking on her balcony and the door opening.

"Ahh, good morning April." Dawn said, smiling as if it was just another day.

"Hello Dawn." April said, giving an awkward small smile back.

Dawn put down her book and let out a labored sigh. "We really did fall in love hard and fast didn't we?" She mumbled just loud enough to be audible. "I think you barely know me well enough to have context to what I said yesterday." She said, cutting off April before she could even open her mouth. "I was hoping I could tell you something. Something I think may help you if you would hear it. Kinda a story of sorts."

"A story?" April asked, showing some interest as she approached Dawn.

Dawn smiled at her interest. "Indeed. It starts with a unicorn growing up in a pegasus and earth pony town. She gets made fun of all through school. For her horn, cutie mark, funny looking mane." She started while lightly giggling, trying to make light of the somber topic.

"I like your mane." April said bashfully.

"Well thank you." Dawn smiled, welcoming April to sit on the couch with her. "This is about a little filly that just got her cutie mark." Dawn started with a similar story telling voice as her mother's. "She feels like she can't control anything in her life. Her parents force her to do these magic lessons when she isn't studying for school. She is also strongly motivated by her parents and instructors to put any free time she does have into books and so on. So, what does this little filly do?" She looked to April as if she had the answer ready. 

"I started to do stupid things around town. Just for something I can control. First I started fires in fields. I was young and not very clever, and I get caught of course." Dawn laughed at her younger self. "My parents were furious. Grounded me to my room, only to come out to eat, study, and school." She ended quoting her father in a deep tone. "That is when I learned to teleport." She laughed. "I taught myself a lot of new spells too. I learned how to create a magical fire that didn't burn anything but created these purple clouds of smoke that rained tiny balls of magic that burped fart noises and spread more fires to do the same... I reined chaos throughout the town of Wingopolis's Shadow. The town is completely baffled by the magical events, except the fire department. They knew me from my first attempts of 'control'. The fire ponies start to yell at my parents, telling them to control their daughter which they were ill-equipped to do. In the end things get worse for me." 

"That's when you blew up the fire station?" April asked, her curiosity getting the better of her mouth. She had finally taken a seat across the couch from Dawn.

"Not intentionally. I ended up destroying my room and our house." Dawn defended herself, shuffling in place. "Luckily the inspector that came to assess the damage was a unicorn that recognized sleep magic, albeit a dramatic sleep magic... But that is aside from the story."

"How come I never hear of other unicorns destroying things with their horns growing up?"

"Well I know Twilight did it just as much as me. Something about cannibalistic books or something..." Dawn waved a hoof in the air at her imagination. "Aside from the story at hoof." Dawn said quickly before getting back into story teller mode. 

"My parents thought I couldn't get in trouble if they hired more magic instructors, got me more books to read. They filled my day up so much that I could hardly breath. As a result my little outlet became more elaborate. I created larger spells, I pranked my school, my instructors. At night I filled the skies themselves with my pranks. I kept the books." Dawn smiled as she looked around at her library. "My parents knew that all the strange things happening around town were my doing but no pony could prove a thing or do a thing about it. The mayor even hired magic investigators to figure things out only for her to turn up nothing." Dawn chuckled at her triumph. "Ponies from town start to harass my parents, my brother. Refusing to sell them food, things like that. My family doesn't know what to do with me. They get some doctor, a therapist to come talk to me."

"Did that help?" April asked, edging closer to receive an answer.

"I never gave him the chance." Dawn said plainly. "My parents couldn't hold me anywhere against my will. I would just teleport away." She explained. “So my pranks continue unimpeded till about my second year of high school. I calmed down some but there were always those rumors that surrounded me." Dawn chuckled at the thought of the more outlandish ones. "I did get to know one of my instructors really well, Professor Palmer, Doctor to some. He was the only one that discovered how I've been doing all my pranks without any pony finding out. He gets real angry with me, he told me to stop and that I was giving unicorns a bad name, so on and so forth." Dawn said, waving an indifferent hoof in the air. "Despite our small disagreements he still continues to teach me all kinds of magic. Stuff I never dreamed of. All the while my pranks got more extensive because of his teaching. Eventually I get the grand idea to enchant the cherries at Cherry estate. I enchanted the cherries to make every pony that ate them loose their sense of kinesthesia among other things for a couple of minutes. It was hilarious. Ponies were all falling over themselves on cherry bucking day. Every pony in town knew it was me who did it but no one knew how. That's when my parents finally sat me down to talk, I was magically fatigued from the enchanting the cherries, enchanting whole orchards at a time takes a lot of magic." 

Dawn stopped to consider where to take the story. "After waking up from collapsing, we talked about everything. It took nearly the whole day but they refused to leave me alone until they figured out what they could do." Celestia, I don't deserve my parents. Dawn gave a big sigh for the conclusion. "It all boiled down to control. Control of my life. That day my magic lessons stopped, they didn't even tell me to study for school. They left everything to my discretion. A giant leap of faith." Dawn gave a smile. "For the first time in my life I felt I had control of my life."

Dawn looked to April for a reaction. She was thinking of the story. "While my problems were just teenage angst, I can relate to what you are feeling. When you're surrounded by things you can't control like death, other ponies actions, we tend to scrape for what we can control. For me it was my little pranks. For you…"

"I understand what you're telling me." April said as she looked back at Dawn. They had a common understanding.

"Good." Dawn cheered.

"Aren't you curious if I'm going to do what you told me to do?" April asked, cocking her head perplexed. She edged closer to Dawn again for the answer.

"I am, but it is not my business." She answered bluntly. "You will do what you do."

April was taken aback by Dawn's words. Her mind reeled to the many intricacies of her fillyfriend. "Well if I left or changed anything..." She started pausing to look for answers on Dawn's face. "...it wouldn't change anything would it?"

Dawn chortled in place as she gazed out to her balcony. "Not a thing." She admitted as she rolled on to her back over the edge of the couch. "I didn't change a single thing about my life back then. Heck I even continued to prank the town, only difference was my extra time was spent not getting caught. So in the end I guess... life is what you make of it or at least that’s what the ponies say."

April sat back and thought some more. "What do we do now?" She asked weakly, possibly fearing the answer. 

Dawn jerked in surprise at the unexpected question. She wants to stay? Dawn groaned as she flipped to her hooves off the couch. "Well it occurs to me, that while I feel like I dwelled on you for an eternity... we have only been dating for a couple months with a very long break in between." Dawn said, looking up at April now with a business like demeanor.

April shuffled in place not liking where the conversation was going. She starred at the ground between Dawn and herself.

"And according to Trixie, who I guess is a regular savant on relationships or something..." Dawn said, waving her hoof at the imaginary Trixie in the room. "We should just give each other a 'fresh start'." 

"A fresh start?" April asked with a new life in her voice.

"I had breakfast with her and Twilight this morning." Dawn said, continuing in the business demeanor. "Apparently Twilight and Trixie didn't have the best of first meetings. In fact it was very much like my first meeting with her except Twilight didn't have to pay for a new cart."

April giggled. "She told that story for her eulogy at your funeral." 

Dawn rolled her eyes. "She would."

"Oh it was nice."

"Aside from the point all the same. She suggested we just put all that was said and done behind us and go on another first date as a new couple."

"Huh." April said, donning a smile that couldn't be stretched further across her face.

"Yah, that's what I said." Dawn laughed, returning a smile that paled in comparison to April's.

"Well I've already seen what you can do between the sheets. I say we start on our fourth date."

"Oh?" Dawn laughed before April pounced on her.

"Maybe our fifth." She whispered in to Dawn's ear before she started to kiss up and down Dawn's neck.

> Chapter 18: May Flowers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Eighteen

Dawn stretched free all the cramps of the day's work or rather lack of. Her date with April was tonight. The sun was just about to set and she would be here within the hour. Dawn slid down from her chair behind her desk and limped over to the bathroom across the way. She peered into the mirror of the bathroom to inspect her reflection. Her mane for the most part was unkempt aside from the morning combings she typically did. Her pink summer coat was thin and shiny. Any signs of sleeplessness were gone with last night's very restful sleep. She turned on the hot water for the shower and hopped in.

As she got out of the shower, a towel scrubbed Dawn dry as she stepped out, leaving behind a sparkly clean coat. She searched the bathroom drawers with her magic for something special, for rare occasions. Out popped a brush she had used all but once or twice in her life. Her parents gave it to her for, "Fancy unicorn manes" she muttered to herself. She started to drag it through her damp hair, straitening it, pulling it, making every strand stand in parallel with each other. The purple stripe, that used to just breach through the orange mess of hair, ran along her mane drawing straight down uninterrupted. Her mane appeared to be longer than normal; it was nearly hitting the floor now. She did the same thing to her tail. She straightened out all the strands, letting her tail's purple stripe of hair run end to end. She started play with her tail to figure out how high she needed to hold it up to keep her tail's hair from dragging on the floor and how low to keep everything important covered up. Too much work. She gave a thoughtful sigh as she found the perfect awkward height she needed to keep her tail at.

She magically beckoned over her scarf from the other room, having it wrap itself around her neck. "I look good." She admitted to the mirror image of herself.

"You do."

"Luna! You've been making yourself scarce lately?" She said, looking around to the waxing moon goddess, who was in the door opening of the bathroom. "In fact it's been since breakfast the morning before yesterday since I last saw you…" Dawn paused to think back to the events of that morning. "I did not tell Celestia about you looking for her diaries."

"I hoped not. Thank you." Luna stood quietly inspecting her student. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"Date with April." Dawn said, looking back to the mirror inspecting her image.

"But you've never dressed up like this before." Luna stepped into the mirrors reflection behind her.

"First date since I rejoined the living." Dawn chuckled at the morbid concept. "Thought I would make it special."

"Ahh, well you look good." Luna assured with a smile.

"So? Did you find anything?" Dawn asked. She turned around to walk past the night princess into the main room to sit and watch stars appear from the balcony window.

"No..." Luna answered, following Dawn. "I've spent almost every minute not spent with my royal duties in research. I have found nothing." She admitted as she sat next to Dawn.

"That's a shame."

"What about you?" Luna asked, looking down to Dawn.

"Well I used light teleportation to Twilight's tree today. I think I could have gone farther." She surprised herself with that one. She expected to pop up at least half way there if that, exhausted, and ready to collapse to the ground.

"I suppose that much is to be expected..." Luna trailed off into thought while looking back to spot the beginnings of a rising moon. 

"What do you think it could mean?"

"Well... You are still drawing magic from the same source, correct?"

"Yah... That's what has me and Twilight so baffled."

"It makes no sense. You are a very unique unicorn but nothing makes sense about you." Luna turned to look at Dawn. "I count my blessings that you are alive and sane but you really shouldn't exist."

Dawn hummed in agreement with Luna. 

Luna turned back to her sky. "I've been doing some much needed reading..." 

"Oh?"

"My diaries. My thinking was I may have erased something that Celly did not."

"And?"

"Well... Let's just say 'She' kept diaries too." Luna searched for words explaining what she found. "I guess... in a lapse of sanity I wrote down that Discord would return if something didn't happen. I am unsure what drove me to write that in my diary but it maybe what Celly knows that I do not."

I wonder what that means... More cryptic nonsense. "Perhaps it is time to just talk to Celestia." Dawn suggested.

"Celestia? You have never called her anything less than Princess before..."

"Hmm... yes well I spent a long afternoon with her the other day."

"I see..." Luna studied Dawn's appearance briefly before letting out a small sigh. "Well I will leave you to prepare for your date."

"Prepare..." Dawn laughed as Luna seeped through the night's shadows.

April had planned the entire night, keeping it a secret from Dawn. She wasn't sure what to prepare for. She took a familiar position on her couch, minding her hair and tail as she did so. What a pain. She closed her mind to her body's senses and focused on feeling through the void for April. Dawn briefly felt cold, quick, and boundless. April was in flight. "I Guess I wait..." She mumbled to herself as her magic brought her a new book from the shelves across the room. She sighed as the book's spine cracked opened in front of her.

After a chapter and half, the balcony door flew open, bringing a very cold breeze with it. "Whoa! Dawn is that you?" Asked April, who touched down right in front of Dawn's book. She was wearing a dainty little saddle bag for the night. It laced around her delicately, complementing April's sky colored coat and mane.

Dawn put down her book to properly gauge April's reaction then she turned her attention to herself. The hair on her tail was flowing like so many unicorns of high fashion. "Like it?" She asked, whipping her tail at the question.

"Ha..." April was at a loss for words as she inspected Dawn's figure. Dawn giggled at her reaction as she slid off the couch, letting her hair drape with gravity. "You look so lady like." She muttered. "Worthy of your title."

Dawn rolled her eyes at her. "Soak it up while you can." She suggested. "Where are we going Miss April Showers?" She asked with a mocked poise. 

"That is still a secret." April said, lifting a wing to guide Dawn to the door leading down the spiral stair case. They were mostly silent as the climbed down the stairs. The unflattering light of the passing windows and lamps highlighted April's exposed ribs though her coat. Need to fatten her up before her summer coat comes in.

"You know I have climbed these stairs twice before this. If you would just tell me where to go we can skip the silly traveling."

"Nope."

Dawn sighed in defeat. She watched April with each passing window. The moonlight seemed to showcase her ribs a bit more with each passing window. When they reached the bottom, April guided Dawn to the front gates. Just as they were about to go into the cold January night, Celestia appeared besides them with a pop of her magic.

"Oh wow Luna was right." Princess Celestia came up to the couple. "You do clean up nice." She said, fluttering some of Dawn's air with her hoof. "Kinda spooky." She giggled to April.

"I think she looks beautiful." April conceded before wrapping her tail around Dawn's.

"Mmmm, I'll be the envy of all the ponies." Dawn said, rolling her eyes.

"Well Miss Showers I hope you will be taking good care of Dawn." Celestia said with the authority of Equestria backing up her voice.

"Of course." April said firmly.

I was stupid to think Celestia didn't talk to her…

April guided Dawn out the door the guards had swung open for them. Dawn defiantly felt like there was a role reversal here. The two mares walked with tails in twined out of the castle grounds, down the main street of Canterlot. The surrounding alabaster buildings were lit up by gas lamps, giving off a bright yellow glow to the street. The street itself was bare, plowed clean after every storm the pegasus' threw at the capital. April was smiling as brightly as she did the morning Dawn woke up. It was contagious. Dawn could feel the strain on her face from mimicking April’s.

April turned Dawn down a street half as narrow as the one previous. The buildings turned to a red brick as they walked further down. "Trixie was the one that suggested this place. Her parents own it." 

"Trixie? Wait what place?"

"You'll see." April giggled as she turned Dawn down another corner.

Dawn did see. Lights off in the distance focused on a single building. Large lamps were swinging and shining in the air, drawing in the attention. Electric lights flashed brilliantly in the widows welcoming all. "Star dancer's café."

"Performance and a show." April said excitedly. "Somepony I’ve never heard of is singing tonight but Trixie assured me we will not be disappointed." April said while whipping her tail, pulling Dawn's with it.

"Well ain't that the tops." Dawn chuckled at April's excitement. She personally didn't care for shows but April looked happy with her choice.

"Trixie got us a table right in front near the stage." April added as she started pulling Dawn to walk faster. They quickly trotted up to the blinding building only to be stopped by, what Dawn could only guess was the largest mare in Equestria.

"You got a reservation?" The gigantic mare asked April. Huh. Has everypony, by default, always been talking to me first?

April gave a half step forward. "April Showers for two." 

The Gigantic pony's horn flared up with a chip board and pen levitating in front of her face. "Enjoy the show." 

April pulled Dawn inside and guided her down a long hallway where a podium sat with an older looking stallion behind it. "April Showers." April said as the pony lifted his head.

"Ah you are my daughter's friend." The pony greeted from behind his podium. "And you brought such a lovely date." He said, looking at Dawn. Lovely… Right. Not going to do this to my mane again. Ever.

Dawn just smiled back as the older pony motioned to his side, beckoning them to follow him to their seats. He guided them into a large room with large red tapestry hanging on the walls. The floor was littered with tables dressed with long white table cloths. The stage was against the far wall, extending into about a quarter of the room's length inwards. About half of the tables were populated. The older stallion showed them to their table and let them be. As Dawn sat down, she took careful care to tuck in her groomed tail in. Never again.

"I think your hair is beautiful, Dawn." April whispered across the table. "Is there any way I could convince you to make that your norm? I can tell you don't like how ponies have been treating you but still…" She ended with a pout, stiffing up her upper lip in a plea.

"I don't know... 'Lovely' isn't my thing." Dawn forced a cringe at the word.

April laughed at Dawn from across the table. "Oh but it should be a crime to tease me with that." She teased.

"April?" Dawn recognized that voice behind her as her brother's.

"Hello Metal. What are you doing here?" April asked, mildly surprised.

"I'd ask you the same thing." Metal sounded angry, even frustrated. "Where's Dawn?"

April couldn't hold in her laughter after she figured out his frustrations. Dawn's head fell with gravity onto the table with a thud. "I guess I am 'spooky'..." Dawn said from under her draped mane once April had cooled down. Dawn lifted her head off the table and turned to her very confused brother behind her.

"Dawn? Holy Celestia's beard!" Metal flapped his wings out of surprise, nearly knocking him in the table behind him.

Dawn laughed at the reaction. Silly pegasus race. "Is that a thing now? Celestia's beard? I should've trade marked that."

"Don't mention that to Celestia she's furious about it." April said quietly.

"What did you do?" Metal asked as he cautiously approached the new mane.

"I brushed my mane..." She answered as her brother slowly extended a hoof to poke her hair. "What are you doing here?" She asked, swatting away his encroaching hoof. "Got some hot date?"

"Not quite..." Metal peddled backwards away from his sister. "err... I talk to you later..." Metal said, before quickly making off down a hallway.

Well that's interesting.

"When was the last time you brushed your mane like this?" April asked, cocking her head at Metal as he made his way out of sight.

"Hmmm." Dawn thought back. I think it was the first time I got the stupid thing. "Grandmother's funeral. I was about twelve or so? About the time I got my cutie mark."

"So that would have made him seven. I guess he just forgot." April shrugged away her thoughts with a light laugh. "So... How did you get your cutie mark?" 

"I never told you that story?" Dawn asked while daintily giggling at her 'Story'.

"No."

"Aww it is a gem. Full of intrigue and scandal to be sure." Dawn lied.

"Intrigue and scandal?" April asked, buying into the lie.

"Oh, yes. So there I was about to go to sleep." Dawn paused for dramatic effect. "When I woke up... It had appeared on my flank!" She finished, waving her arms up dramatically.

"You're joking..." April deadpanned.

"Yes... but it's still true."

"You got your cutie mark while asleep?" April bent forward over the table, seeking clarification. 

"Yep." Dawn smiled at April's astonishment.

"What does sleeping have to do with your magic?" April asked a bit annoyed at the lack of scandal and intrigue in Dawn's story.

"Nothing and everything at the same time. I don't know what triggered it but sleep is just feeling, something of which is essential for dark magic. It only started to make sense to me after I learned how to control the void."

April briefly went into thought, recollecting what that meant. "My first visit to Canterlot?" She asked unsure of herself.

"That’s the one."

"So what does it mean?" April asked, pointing to Dawn's flank through the table.

"I can tell you if you can keep a secret." Dawn flexed her eyebrows to bring a seriousness to the topic.

April rolled her eyes at this. "Dawn, just tell me."

Dawn bent over the table causing, by reflex, April to do the same. "I'm bringing dark magic back to the unicorns." She whispered. "Eclipsing the sun as it were." She said while returning to her cushion. "What about you? I'm sure you might have told me on our real first date or something but I was mainly focused on getting under your tail."

April giggled at the lack of class coming from a classy looking pony. "You would." She finally said, blinking sultry eyes in Dawn's direction.

"I did." Dawn said, pounding her chest like the pegasus do.

April gave a remiss sigh as the illusion she may have had of Dawn as a graceful lady shattered. "I got mine like many pegasi. Flight camp. I picked up flying at a young age so I volunteered to teach. When one of my students finally got the hang of it, seeing the joy in his eyes, it appeared on my flank." April finished briefly and plainly.

"Yah my story was better." Dawn teased.

"Less intrigue and scandal." April admitted.

An fresh idea popped into Dawn's head, causing her to smirk at the idea. "Any thing else you would like to know about me Miss Showers? I am an open book tonight."

"You're always an open book." April snorted. "In fact I'm pretty sure I know more about you than you know about me." April challenged, flaring her wings to half mass.

Damn mind reading ponies. "Well that's not fair. You got six months to study."

"Yah cause that's what I did with my time." April groaned sarcastically as she thought.

"When's my birthday?" Dawn asked quickly, accepting April's challenge.

"March twentieth." April answered quickly and confidently only to don a confused look. "Wait…" She closed her eyes in thought, letting moments pass. "You don't know my birthday. Oh Celestia help you."

"Hold on I know your birthday…" Oh damn, I don't know her birthday. "It's…" Shot in the dark here. "…in April."

"Good start, April what?" April egged on very much like a teacher does to a student. April groaned at being right as her hoof came in for a landing on her face. "Fourth, April fourth. Four-four should be easy to remember in the future."

"Oh."

"Do you know how old I am?"

That's important too. "I don't want to play this game."

April's hoof came to meet her face again. "Would you like a hint?" She asked from behind her hoof.

"Get out of jail free card would be much more useful." Dawn nervously chuckled.

"You really were just trying to get under my tail when we first met." April realized.

"Can you blame me?" Dawn asked with a smile, hoping her charm would get her out of this.

April rolled her eyes at the sight. "I'm twenty-two."

"Good to know." Dawn mumbled the napkins on the table. 

The room grew quiet with the tapping of a microphone. Dawn and April turned to the stage to see it had been set up. "I think they got it backwards. Its dinner and a show not a show and dinner." Dawn whispered across the table. She didn't get a response of any kind. 

A piano was on stage with a unicorn lightly pressing its keys with her magic. Much to Dawn's surprise and astonishment, the cute adolescent filly she had attempted to hook up with her brother, Sweetie Belle, came out holding a microphone using her own telekinesis. 

"How are we doing tonight?" Sweetie Belle asked the room. The room cheered as if it was an appropriate response to a question. Dawn looked around the room. It was apparently quietly filled as she and April talked. Every table was full with couples of all kinds. "My name is Sweetie and that's Chocolate. We're going to be your entertainment for the night." Sweetie Belle cued the piano player with a hoof. The piano, under the magical control of the unicorn, erupted in notes with an underline beat that Sweetie Belle bobbed her head to. The first song she sang to the room was appropriately chosen. She sung of growing love and its many emotions that came with it. Her voice echoed sweetly through Dawn's ears as she hit notes below and above all expectations Dawn had for the female pony voice.

Dawn chuckled after Sweetie Belle left the stage for a 'fifteen minute break'. It's better than Metal's music. "I'm really enjoying this April." She said across the table. 

April looked delighted ear to ear. "I'm glad." April paused as she leaned over the table slightly. "I wasn't sure if you would enjoy this." She admitted.

"Hard not to." Dawn said as a waiter silently placed two menus on the table. Dawn passed April a menu with her magic and lifted one to herself.

The two mares inspected the elaborate menu letting minutes pass in their deliberation. Dawn was secretly holding in bucket loads of excitement for what April would be ordering. The previous day she got April to agree to actively gain weight. Every kilocalorie I shove down that mouth is a true victory.

"How about I make a deal with you." April purposed suddenly, putting down her own menu to look at Dawn who put down hers at the sound of the business-like tone.

"What kind of deal?" Dawn asked wearily, having April's apprehension in yesterday's conversation in mind.

April leaned over the table with a sly grin on her face. "I will order and eat what ever you do, so long as you brush your hair like that."

What? Dawn felt a chill of dread torrent through her chest. "You're joking…" Dawn managed to say with a straight face.

"Nope." April smiled at the very apparent dread on Dawn's face. "I already agreed to try to consciously eat ‘healthier’ whatever that means. I'll 'hide these ribs' faster if I eat like you." She argued. 

She's right on all counts. Dawn shuttered at the thought of always looking this... feminine. "Fine you're on." She muttered under her breath just loud enough for April to hear.

April gave a silent shrill of excitement as if she was the one winning the lottery. "I get to date a fancy looking unicorn!" She cheered.

With the new variable added to the equation Dawn didn't take very long to figure out what she wanted from the waiter who asked. "I would love two Oatburgers with extra cheese, grilled onions and lettuce, hay fries and a chocolate shake." Dawn's stomach growled in agreement.

As promised April begrudgingly just said, "I'll have what she's having." 

"I think my pain and torment may be worth this." Dawn said, smiling as the waiter left them.

"Yes well you do look lovely." April teased. 

Dawn churned inside at the word but tried to save face. "Well thank you." Dawn said with the amount of poise and grace she had seen the princesses use.

When the dozen or so waiters retreated to the back rooms of the establishment, Sweetie Belle came out back onto the stage singing, giving little warning to the audience. She did however give them a prolonged note for them to greet her properly with applause. April and Dawn took to scooting closer to each other to get a better view of the show. Sitting flank to flank, they wrapped their tails around each other. April gigged like a little foal as she played with Dawn's groomed tail by her side.

Playfully winking to the room full ponies, Sweetie Belle retreated to the depths of the back stage once again. As orchestrated, the surrounding doors opened with treys of food being carried out via the magic auras of the waiters. Everypony was given their order in a matter of minutes as the food flooded from the kitchen still hot. Dawn was amazed by the logistical feat of fixing so many dishes in so little of time. Four oatburgers, two baskets of hay fries and two large glasses of chocolate shake were placed in front of April and Dawn. 

Dawn chuckled at the amount of food on the table as they retook their seats across from each other. The table looked too small to handle it all. She watched April slide and balance one of her burgers onto her hoof only to take the first bite. Dawn beamed out of excitement as she lifted her own food to her mouth with magic. Dawn couldn't hide the smile behind her burger, shake or hoof full of fries.

"Would you stop cheering with every bite I take?" April asked with a feigned annoyance.

"Sorry, I just feel like I could walk on rainbows right now." Dawn beamed back.

"Well that should be a small feat for the all powerful Dawn." April joked as she took a sip from her shake.

"Right now I'm the 'Lovely' Lady Dawn of Canterlot castle's east tower." Dawn joked back with a mouth full of fries.

April rolled her eyes at the contradictory pony before her. "Forgive me, milady. I was mistaken." April said, bowing her head out of pretend respect. They both giggled at their silliness. 

Dawn finished her food way before April as expected. She watched as April struggled to swallow bite after bite, enjoying every bit of it all. April did manage to finish off the shake which Dawn knew had the most kilocalories. She watched April take her third bite from the second oatburger when the stage erupted in music again. This time around the music was significantly more up beat making even Dawn want to jump up and dance. No pony in the room indulged Dawn's urge though, they were all minding their own food.

"I think Metal is here to see her." Dawn whispered across the table, getting in the gossipy kind of mood.

"Really? Why do you think that?" April jumped on the topic, desperate for respite from her food. She looked around the room, looking for the black and brown pegasus. "Where is he?"

Dawn shrugged as she joined April in her search. "I introduced them at my resurrection party." She giggled across the table. "She is apparently a fan of his."

"Zombie party." April corrected. "Wait you did? She's from Ponyville?" She asked, now scrutinizing the singer.

"Yep." Dawn said.

"Huh." She grunted before half-mindedly grazing her basket of fries.

By the time Sweetie Belle walked off the stage for the last time, keeping it classy by saying 'tip your servers', April had finished her oatburger and most of her fries. Dawn decided not to penalize her by only brushing most of her hair the next morning. But there will be that time. Dawn giggled at her thoughts as the room lit up. 

"I'm stuffed." April groaned from across the table.

A check had been slid on the table without the two noticing. Tip these servers well, indeed. Dawn picked up the paper while letting her purse drop from her bank onto the table with a plop. Sixty bits… greedy ponies.

"Dawn, no. I'm paying." April bit the bill from Dawn's aura. "I make more than you any ways." She said after setting the paper on the table. She bent over to pull her own purse out of her saddle bags.

Wait… "How would you know that?" 

"Luna pays you nothing..." April said bluntly after spitting out three twenty bit pieces on to the table, only to dig in her purse some more with her snout.

"Does she now..." I suppose she does. "I guess I forgot I have a whole entire tower of the castle for a home."

"And work." April added, after spitting two ten bit pieces to join the others. "And last time I checked they don't accept castle towers as currency." She giggled to herself as she got up. "Plus what kind of a date would I be if I didn't pay for the 'lovely lady of the east tower'?" April asked, offering a hoof for Dawn to get up herself.

Dawn feigned a pout and denied April her hoof to get up on her own. She then walked up and bumped April's flank with her own while grabbing April's tail with hers. She needed the small victories of the night. April smiled back as Dawn's purse disappeared from the table.

They both walked out into a chilling night happy as can be. The wind had picked up, which in turn littered the streets with icicle shards. April offered Dawn protection with her wing. It was so cold outside that she needed the warmth she offered. Because of that she was truly grateful for the horrid winter.

The two walked down the streets of a silent Canterlot. April was leading the way. It was a true shame that Dawn never took the time to memorize her way around the city. She had no idea where they were going. They soon ended up in a group of buildings she did recognize by chance, the Canterlot University. April led her through the desolate campus to a strange building in the far reaches of the campus.

"I asked for a couple favors so they would lend me the keys to this place." April said as she took back her wing to search for something in her saddle. The building they had approached was like all the others, coated in alabaster slabs and trimmed with gold but this building had a round roof. April pushed open the previously locked door and welcomed Dawn in. "If you're curious, this is what I did with most of my time at night when you were missing."

April lit a couple lamps to the room, revealing a large telescope protruding the ceiling. It was the largest telescope Dawn had ever seen. She had heard of the Canterlot's astronomy department but she never took such a vested interest to go find it. 

"Whoa."

April giggled at Dawn's dropping jaw. "I never really looked at the sky twice before you disappeared but I figured to give it a try since you liked it." April said as she guided Dawn to the end of the telescope.

"Neat." Dawn lauded, stepping up the eye piece of the giant telescope.

April started to direct the telescope to her favorite stars of the winter sky. The many gears and machinations on the telescope had Dawn fascinated as much as what the telescope offered through the eye piece. After, what felt like minutes but was actually well over an hour, Dawn started showing her favorites of this season's sky. They spent the rest of their night just gazing at night's eternal.

"I have school tomorrow." April revealed as she drooped at her own realization.

"Well that is important. You have tests this week right?" Dawn asked, adding to April's responsibilities.

"Yah..." April started to show worry of the doom to come. Dawn swooped in to kiss her. She seemed to relax, even melt, under Dawn's lips. As they broke apart, April opened her eyes with a new realization. "You still haven't seen my apartment."

"I helped you pick it out." She was so close she could feel the warmth radiating from underneath April's coat.

"No. You haven't been to my apartment since I put in my furniture." She said, pushing Dawn back to look in her eyes. "By the way that was pretty hard to do when the unicorn who promised to do it for me disappears."

Dawn remained silent. Her thoughts were whirling around, trying to imagine what it was like for April that first week she was gone.

"So you wanna come to my place?" 

Snapping back to now. Dawn grinned at the question. "Miss April Showers you wouldn't want to take advantage of me, would you?"

"That was my hope milady." She replied in kind as Dawn conjured the void around them.

Before the smoke from the void had cleared, April was already blindingly kissing Dawn's already hot face, each mare taking in each other's bodily scents with a profound adoration. "I love you." Dawn managed to laugh out loud once April started pushing her back, kissing her neck and adding small nibbles with each one. She pushed her down the hallway they appeared in and around the corner into the bedroom. 

-----

When Dawn woke up, the sun was just breaking the horizon. At least she thought it was since it was kind of light outside, the surrounding buildings made it hard to tell what time it truly was. April was still asleep next to her spread eagle style. One of April's wings was draped over her, forcing Dawn to remain incredibly still.

Her efforts didn't stop April from sensing Dawn's consciousness, however. April cracked open her eyes, letting Dawn to gaze into her limpid grey circles of wonder. Dawn got lost in those eyes even as April wished her a good morning. 

Blinking very hard to come back to reality she wished April a good morning back. "What time do you have to be at school?" Dawn asked, hoping it was a day full of afternoon classes that she some how got spur of the moment.

"In a couple hours." April snuggled close up to Dawn, nuzzling under her neck. After a longing inhale, April straitened up to look at Dawn proper. "I messed up your hair." She said, giving a small frown.

"Yes well I messed up your bed." Dawn laughed. "I'll brush it again if you join me and the princesses for breakfast."

April cuddled back up to Dawn, digging her snout into Dawn's chest. She then giggled into it. "I think we both need showers first before we have an audience with the princesses." 

"Deal." Dawn lit up her horn, popping them both into Dawn's bathroom with a flash of magic. 

April groaned when she found herself without Dawn right next to her. "I didn't mean right now." She pouted.

"You can have the shower first." Dawn said, ignoring her as she walked into the main room. 

Dawn heard the shower flare up behind her as she made for her desk. She pulled out the book she was reading to open it where she had left off. She stared at the page of words but her mind was on the events of the night before. So fresh in her mind, she cherished them dearly. She smiled at the book as the words blurred out of her vision.

"Dawn, I'm done." April yelled from the bathroom.

Dawn blinked to focus her eyes. Already? Sure enough April stood in the door way, soaked head to hoof. She was working a towel into her mane. Dawn quickly hopped over into the shower, willing her brush to scrub her thoroughly. 

April chuckled at the sight of Dawn showering.

"What?"

"Nothing." She said quickly, cutting off her own laughter.

Dawn gave April a curious look as she dragged the soapy brush through her mane. April finished up her morning routine before Dawn got out of the shower. She just watched looking amused. "What?"

"You just look so... Cute?" April stopped to search for the right word. “Adorable?”

Dawn just gave a wink back as she finished up. When the shower was turned off she willed two spare towels to dry her independently, leaving a damp frizzy mess of a mane behind and a dry ruffled coat. She let out a heavy sigh as she realized what April was waiting for. She pulled out her brush from one of the drawers and ran it though her mane leaving a straight, orderly, and, apparently, lovely mane behind it. April's eyes glazed up as she watched the brush work.

"You should do my mane some time." April suggested, whipping her tail at the idea.

Dawn stopped mid stroke in thought. "I don't wanna date a fru fru pegasus."

"You just want to keep it all to yourself don’t you." April teased.

"Yah, that's it. Caught me." Dawn rolled her eyes. She finished brushing her tail soon after. "Shall we?" She asked, only to receive a nod. She then pulled the two of them to the dining room with a puff of the void.

"Good morning you two." Princess Luna cheered.

"My, my, Dawn. You look lovely this morning." Celestia teased.

Dawn winced at 'that' word again.

"Yah. Get this Celestia, I got her to agree to do that every day." April said excitedly, while playing with Dawn's mane with her hoof.

"So long as she eats everything I do." Dawn amended. 

"That seems like a good arrangement." Luna said, nodding.

The two new arrivals sat down at the dining table. Princess Celestia was working on her morning cake which meant... Chef Stew bounded in the doors with his usual energy. He enthusiastically took all their orders, waffles all around, and left with the same energy.

"So am I correct to understand that your date went well?" Asked Luna with an odd curiosity unlike her.

Dawn let April answer. "I think we both had a lot of fun." 

Dawn just nodded, noting her hair bounces now into her face when she does.

"There has been something that has always bugged me since Celly told me of this new concept, if you two would indulge me." Luna started to say. Celestia's eyes narrowed on her sister. "How do two females mate? They are anatomically inadequate to do such activities are they not?"

Celestia and April face hoofed. "Not here Luna." Celestia plead.

"It is an entirely legitimate question." Luna assured.

Princess Celestia gave a heaving sigh preparing her for what is to come. "If I promise to tell you later will you promise to not do anything rash like spying or something?"

A rare type of silence flooded the room. The kind of silence Dawn didn’t really have the pallet for. April and Dawn had both realized that they would be none the wiser if Luna so chose to do such things. It sent chills down both their spines. Luna's eyes critiqued Celestia as she considered the offer. "I have a preference for an organic response not one from your ‘observations’." Luna said turning to the couple.

"Observations?" April and Dawn asked under their breaths.

"What ponies do under their sheets is none of your business. You will have to settle with my explanation." Celestia said sternly.

"Perhaps I'll ask Twilight." Luna baited.  

"You will do no such thing!" Celestia bit.

"Oh won't I?" Luna grinned.

The two Celestial goddesses glared at each other. The sun goddess standing, wings flared out. The smaller moon goddess sitting calm with a grin that would make most foals cry.

April face hoofed at yet another sisterly spat. Minutes go by without a word spoken. The two princesses locked in a staring match only to be broken by...

"Waffles." April cried out, desperate to break the silence Dawn was blissfully enjoying.

Waffles were laid in front of every pony as the princesses broke their united glare at each other. Luna chuckled as if she was the victor. Dawn enchanted April's fork and knife before starting to dig in for herself.

"To your apartment after we eat?" Dawn asked, while shoving waffles into her mouth.

April nodded mindful of the enchanted forks tendency to fill her mouth if she opened her mouth. The room was quiet from then on until April and Dawn finished eating at the same time. April didn't wait for the last bits of food to clear their throats before cueing Dawn to teleport them into her apartment.

"That was awkward." April admitted once she set focus on her room.

"Good to know." Dawn said, yawning. She fell back on her quarters to study the room she was dropped in. It was lined wall to wall with Wonderbolt posters, books, and stray papers. April lived as a pig apparently. Dawn pulled over a heavy looking book and cracked it open in front of her. "You ready for your tests today?" Dawn asked behind the book she had found.

April sighed as she walked out of the room leaving Dawn alone. "I guess so, you were right earlier. I should have more confidence in myself." April said from around the corner, sounding quite unsure of herself.

"Yah, you'll be fine." Dawn assured indifferently. Dawn was reading a sociology textbook focused around the 'Conflict Theory' and how the society she knew and loved would all fall apart if the princesses were to ever disappear. Dawn scoffed at the notion as she put down the book to follow April into the depths of her apartment.

The following rooms were just as dirty if not more. School work, paper work, and star charts littered her entire apartment. She walked around to find the culprit for the mess only to be flanked by her. "You are so pretty." She said, playing with Dawn's hair again. 

"Any one would look 'pretty'..." She said the last word to describe her as if most dirty, vile and disgusting thing to roll of her lips. "...In this mess." She gestured around her.

April giggled. "Would you mind taking me to the university library? I would like to study a bit before class." Before she could finish speaking the void pulled them to the large building lined with books.

"I've never been here before." Dawn said, looking around at all the eyes on the two new arrivals.

"Thank you." April said quickly, giving Dawn a peck on the cheek. 

"Have a wonderful day." Dawn said, smiling as she pulled the void around herself to reappear in her tower. She planted herself behind her desk and pulled out a stack of paper to write on. 

> Chapter 19: A Rock
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Nineteen

A chromatic explosion went off with a sundering magnitude, turning the day sky to night for a second. The spell trailed a crude stick figure of a pony, leaving a wisp of white cloud in its wake. As the night sky turned back to day the clouds were visible for all to see. 

"That one seemed like it held together better." Twilight cheered as she scribbled on a scroll.

"Yah..." Dawn shuffled through the snow back to Twilight and April who were sitting in the snow. "There would have been no way for me to do that spell normally though."

"You still don't feel any worse for wear?" Twilight asked as she peaked her head from behind her scroll.

"Nope." Dawn answered, earning a fierce scribbling of Twilight's quill.

"I still don't know why you two are stressing about it. Seems pretty cool to me." April cheered as she watched the stick figure pony dissolve in the high altitude winds. "You need to learn how to draw better though..."

A heaving shiver went through Dawn's body. She was wearing a heavy coat on top of boots and a scarf. She looked ridiculous by her standers. "By Celestia's beard it's cold..."

"I wish you would stop saying that..." April lightly scolded as she walked up to wrap a wing around Dawn.

"Not a chance." Dawn laughed through another shiver.

"Let's get back to my tree. We can warm up..." Twilight suggested as she warped up her free scroll for it to dissolve into thin air. She then turned to Dawn expectantly. They were in the northern expanse, in middle of no where. Dawn was there only way home.

Dawn let out a sigh as she wrapped the void around the three of them to plop them in middle of Twilight's warm library. "So... how goes the foal hunt?" Dawn asked as Twilight walked over to the kitchen.  

Dawn and April followed Twilight in to find her making some of that awful brown brew she and April were so fond of. "Why don't you just get Celestia to help you?" April asked as she took a seat at the kitchen table. 

"I don't want to cheat." Twilight answered, not turning her attention away from the magically enhanced coffee maker. 

Dawn laughed at Twilight's honesty as she worked off her coat and boots. "It's not cheating, its making everything go faster." Dawn assured. 

"I would be cutting in line." Twilight said matter of factly, turning around to sit down with April. 

"Naw... Plus cheating is the way of life." Dawn said confidently as she walked over to the table. 

"You were on of those fillies that peaked when playing heads down tails up during class, huh?"

"No, I was the one that slept but I can guarantee that the winners of that game were cheaters." Dawn said as she gave one last shiver to shake the last of the tundra's chill out. She then resorted to leaning up against that warm pegasus that she liked to keep around.

"Well yeah, that’s why teachers make the kids play that game..." April revealed as she wrapped a wing around Dawn.

"Cunning school teachers." Dawn mumbled. Twilight sat across the table, watching the pair almost longingly. "What does Trixie think about it?"

"She's wants to cheat too..." Twilight sighed.

"So where would you but the poop machines, anyways? Your basement is kind of full." Dawn asked, recollecting the basement full of experimental equipment that Twilight had her hooked up to earlier this morning. 

"You don't put foals in basement, Dawn." April jeered matter of factly. "Honestly..."

"We've been thinking of moving back to Canterlot." Twilight said with a sigh. "You know closer to family and what not."

"Closer to family? How horrid." Dawn chuckled. 

"What are you two doing for hearts and hooves day?" Twilight asked half-mindedly. 

"Las pegasus. Thought we would explore Applewood." April cheered as she tightened her wing around Dawn. 

"It's warm there too." Dawn groaned as feeling started to work itself back into her hooves. 

"Have you considered altering my growth spell to grow your summer coat out?" Twilight asked eagerly.

"I have..."

"Didn't turn out well, the entire room was covered in a pink fur." April giggled at the unfortunate souls that had to clean it all up. 

"That and summer coats are anatomically different from winter coats. It wouldn't be the same." Dawn clarified. 

"Huh... So it was every where?" Twilight asked, deep in thought.

"Yep..." 

"What?" April asked feeling left out of the loop. 

"Breaks the law of conservation. Fur had to come from somewhere. My magic really shouldn't exist but then again I shouldn't." Dawn clarified. 

"I've been thinking..." Twilight said abruptly. "If you just dedicated more of your time to our research we cou-"

"I'm not going to stop my research, Twilight." Dawn said cutting her off.  "Just think of the world I will end up creating. All the good I will do. I will finally bring a change to the magical world for the first time in a thousand years."

"I don't like dark magic, Dawn..."

"I know."

"What is so wrong with it? I think it's handy." April said, trying to bring a little cheer to the table. Dawn gave out a heavy sigh as she relaxed further into April. 

Twilight rested her head on the table as she thought how to answer. "I feel like there was a reason it disappeared."

"There was..." Dawn mumbled.

"Beyond just Luna's banishment. I don't know how to explain it..." Twilight gave out a sigh that matched Dawn's. "After all that I've seen and done something is just telling me it should just stay gone."

"You worry too much, Twilight." Dawn said as she playfully kicked her friend from under the table. 

Twilight groaned as her horn lit up fetching two cups full of coffee for April and her. "I don't like to make assumptions but let's assume for the moment your magic well has infinitely expanded."

"It hasn't I think it just replenishes faster." Dawn relented as she delve deeper into her thoughts.

"Maybe we should make a spell you can just empty yourself at once with to test that." 

"Well that’s how a lot of my spell explosions work but I don't know if we should. Celestia gets a lot of fallout from me shooting things in the sky even all the way in the frozen north."

Twilight groaned as she thought and stirred her coffee. 

"Trixie is due back tomorrow right?" April asked, haphazardly.

"Yeah... So how goes your other research?" Twilight asked Dawn.

"I gave up on it. I'm convinced Luna and Celestia are hiding something from me."

"Like what?"

"Stuff like the spell Luna used to put April in there. Luna won't share her spell, which I wouldn't even know existed if April didn't tell me about, and why I fell to it in the first place. Celestia is convinced it wasn't my fault but won't tell me why she thinks so..."

"Well maybe you aren't supposed to know..." April suggested, meekly.

"The Princesses wouldn't lie to us for anything less than and important reason." Twilight affirmed with a knowing nod.

"I just want answers."

"Well what do you remember?"

"Hmm... I think I remember breakfast with Luna. We went over the final details of our prank. And I know we did follow through with it but I don't remember the details after breakfast."

"Well you and Luna are the only ones who study that stupid magic, what would put you in the void like that in the first place?"

"That's what I've been asking for these past weeks. I feel therefore I am not in the void. It is as simple as that. It’s the very basis of the magic."

"So logically..."

"I stopped 'feeling' I guess, but what in the world would do that?"

"Weren't you studying at the time magical pain relievers?"

"Doesn't work on the caster for some reason."

"Well what ever. I'm sure an answer will come to you." April comforted with a hoof.

"Bleh..." Twilight and Dawn offered.

------

Dawn beamed at giant block of marble that was laid in the middle of her room. It was time to test one of her newest spells. A temperate breeze drifted through Dawn's tower in from the balcony to where ever it found an exit. The cross breeze was most welcome. "What should I make?" She asked the block.

Dawn let out a sigh when no answer came. She skipped over to her desk to plant herself in the chair behind it. Her mind was running through possible subjects for her first and likely last sculpture ranging from April to something abstract like knowledge, envisioning many shapes for the marble. She rubbed her head in defeat as she bent over the chair to spy on the time only for her hair to fall in front of her face obstructing her view. It's been almost two months since she made that deal with April neither of them broke their end of their bargain. April was just starting to look healthy. When they went to go see the doctor weeks into the deal, he revealed to her that she was far skinnier than either of them had guessed. Her winter coat concealed much apparently. 

Dawn restlessly wormed herself off the chair, letting her groomed and trimmed hair fall to its proper place. Her parents absolutely ‘adored’ Dawn's choice of hair style as much as April did. It annoyed her for rare reasons. Dawn gave a swift kick to the marble stone as she walked to the balcony. The east horizon was a vast and expansive as it always had been. The pegasus ponies flying above were clearing the winter clouds for winter wrap up for Canterlot, revealing the afternoon sun. Dawn took to bathing in it before it disappeared from behind her tower. 

Twilight invited her to take part in, "Ponyville's noble tradition" she said out loud to the horizon. Twilight was delighted about the fact that they didn't use magic to clean up winter.

"Are you going to take part in 'Ponyville's noble tradition'?" asked Luna as she walked out of the void to Dawn's side. "Spend some time to work with your hooves?" 

"Not really my cup of tea." Dawn sighed. "I was forbidden from doing it at home though... could be fun."

"Are ponies really that particular about their tea?" Luna asked, not really looking for an answer. "April tells me it is also your Birthday tomorrow." She said, as she shook her head out of her thoughts.

"That it is." Dawn mumbled, indifferently, still looking out at the horizon. Birthdays never really struck a chord with her. Presents from family and teachers were great and all but having no friends put a damper on the whole thing.

"Born on the equinox, curious." Luna commented, resting her head on the railing of the balcony. It's going to be a new moon a day after tomorrow meaning she was almost the size of a normal pony.

"I imagine a lot of ponies were born on that day just like every other day." Dawn replied not really seeing where Luna was going with conversation.

"What's with the rock?" Luna asked suddenly.

"Gotta test my newest spell some how."

"And what, pray tell, does this one do?" Luna asked as she walked inside.

"Harvesting souls and placing them into marble of course." She answered, deadpanning for good measure, hoping her voice reached the night princess behind her. She didn't want to move form her spot in the sun.

"You should sculpt me!" Luna suggested excitedly.

Celestia materialized with a flash of light next to Dawn on her balcony. "Good afternoon Dawn."

"Celly! What do you think? Dawn should sculpt me shouldn't she?" 

"Luna, you already have hundreds if not thousands of sculptures of you." Celestia said, looking back to her sister. "First a demolitions expert, then a medical pony, and now a sculptor? You certainly are a renaissance pony." Celestia chuckled as she turned back to Dawn.

"Blame Luna." 

"April just told me about your birthday coming up. The big Two-five huh?" Celestia asked, looking delusively genuine. 

Dawn's eyes narrowed on the sun princess, studying the thousand year old poker face. "Damn."

"What?" The princesses asked in unison.

"Well clearly I got to know you two too well." She answered, connecting dots previously unseen from the past week. April wanting to study at odd hours of the day, contrary to her habits. Twilight suspending their research this week and the next for preparation for winter wrap up. And now Princess Celestia acting like she doesn't know something. Dawn let out a sigh as she walked inside, her head in a bow of defeat. She collapsed on her couch and stared at the ceiling in thought. Both the princesses were giving Dawn confused looks.

"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked.

"April just told you huh?"

Celestia's face was frozen still, almost calm if Dawn didn't know her better. "Well, this morning, before I started court."

Dawn let out a breath of feigned relief. She watched Celestia's face relax as well. "Luna's a better liar." Dawn said calmly, so calmly that Celestia didn't raise any alarms in her mind and just nodded.

"Ha! I told you Celly." Luna cheered excitedly, nearly launching into the air form excitement.

Celestia, recalling what was said and putting Luna's words into context, pulled together all the royal décor she wears on her face for court. "I do not know what you mean, Dawn, but I am glad you think so. I try to be an honest pony. Now if you excuse me I really need to go tend to some tax ponies that I have held off for too long."

Celestia left the room in a burst of light. Luna walked up to the couch. "Pinkie is throwing you a birthday party on the castle grounds tomorrow night. April requested us to keep you busy while they set up during winter wrap up. Twilight and April have put a lot of effort into this."

"Well then, that should be fun I suppose..." Dawn said to no pony in particular.

"Indeed! So, I suggest you take Twilight up on her offer and join her for winter wrap up in Ponyville. I did it one year. It was as awful as Twilight made it sound." Luna nodded to Dawn's groans. "It's for the best."

"Fine, Fine." Dawn stretched on her couch as she rolled off it. "I'll go tell her tonight..." She sighed.

"Tonight? Why not now?"

"She's making sure every pony isn't sick or something."

Luna rolled her eyes with Dawn. "Well now that 'that' is settled, I am going to go do some of my research and tell April I accomplished what she asked of me."

"Maybe I should sculpt myself." Dawn suggested to the room, striking a pose to help her picture a self image. "Won't even have to move it, I'll keep it right here." Luna didn't respond before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Dawn turned around from the stone block and pulled over the newest additions to her library. Assuming a position on her couch, she cracked the spine and poured herself into the pages.

Dawn made it about half way through her book before she noticed stars peaking out in the night's sky. Funny... Luna didn't come back for our nightly chat. Luna was a pony of habit but Dawn shrugged it off, figuring she just got lost in her research. She let out a sigh as she dog-eared her book and placed it on the shelf that she had pulled it from. She lazily snaked off the couch only to dive in a pool of black smoke that waited for her on the floor. She reappeared outside of Twilight’s Library.

"Curiousier and curiousier." She was expecting to drop in the library, bypassing the whole door knocking sequence. She sighed as she approached the poor ironically tormented tree. She knocked at the door only to receive a low growl from within. 

"Coming." Spike said in his maturing voice. Those poor dragons really do like their growth spurts. Spike cracked the door open and popped his head out. "Oh hey Dawn." He greeted.

"Hey Spike. Twilight here?" She asked, knowing she was. She teleported to the pony not the place. 

"Yep, so how are you doing?" Spike asked nonchalantly.

"Good..." Dawn raised an eye brow to the emotionless face of the long snouted teenager dragon. "Mind if come in and talk to her?" Dawn pushed slightly on the door to add to her suggestion. It didn't give.

"Trixie is doing a show in Canterlot in a couple weeks, did you hear about that?"

"I did..." Dawn was getting a little fed up. She let out a big sigh as she lit up her horn again, letting her teleport inside.

"SURPRISE!" Yelled nearly every pony she had ever met in Ponyville.

"HOLY CELESTIA'S MEADOW MUFFINS!" Dawn squealed back in surprise before Luna's battle mage training took over.

"My what?" Celestia asked as Dawn teleported several times backwards only a couple meters in random directions, each time firing a heavy gravity well spell in a random direction, while still managing to throw up a powerful shield spell around herself. 

The many ponies in the room started to orbit the many wells that were cast, save Twilight and the princesses. Every pony in the air screamed at the falling sensations they no doubt felt. Pinkie Pie cheered as she did crazy eight figures around two different wells in the air.

Dawn let out a sigh of relief when her mind caught up with the fact that she was not under attack. She let down her own shield. Twilight and Pinkie is a cunning ponies indeed. She spotted her parents flying as hard as they could against the well that had trapped them.

"That's my student!" Luna roared with laughter over all the screams of the others ponies in the room.

Dawn gave each pony in the room some telekinetic support as she dispelled each well. She set the earth ponies and unicorns on the ground and let the pegasi fly away under their own power.

"What in Equestria did you do to poor Dawn during those self defense lessons?" Celestia asked with a face of utter shock that mimicked Twilight's.

"That was so cool!” Exclaimed Pinkie as she hopped around Dawn. “Do that again would yah, could yah?"

Dawn was getting her heart beat under control against the surge of adrenaline that had manifested seconds too late. She took deep breaths, closing her eyes to feel for her magic, which was still essentially unending now, by reflex. April swooped in from the ceiling to give Dawn a tight hug. 

"I didn't mean to surprise you that much." April chuckled in Dawn's ear.

"I did!" Pinkie Pie cheered, breaching both April's and Dawn's personal space. "Were you really surprised?" She asked excitedly loud, now millimeters from Dawn's face, studying it for answer.

"Yes, well done." Dawn admitted, once her heart beat started to subside. 

Pinkie then pushed Dawn over to the table in the middle of the library. The table was covered in pastries and sweets with one large cake. The cake was the color of Dawn's coat and mane. As the theme, her cutie mark adorned the top of the cake, surrounded by what she would only guess to be twenty five candles, all lit.

"You gotta make a wish!" Pinkie exclaimed as the crowd of ponies, who had recuperated from being flung in the air, surrounded the table and started singing happy birthday.  

Dawn considered her wish. To be filthy rich really meant little now. How about a meteor strikes the eastern horizon so she could watch. That will do. I do like explosions of the natural disaster genre. She blew out the candles receiving a loud cheer from the crowd around her. Music erupted and the party began.
------

Dawn was drunk. April had really pushed her over the edge. She was getting annoyed with Dawn because she didn't 'look' drunk. April shoved glass after glass of hard cider and shots of whatever she could find her way. Of course per their agreement April drank an equal amount of everything she gave. Her surprise party had thinned out but was still booming loud as ever. Dawn and April were dancing, knocking each other's flanks clumsily. The princesses stayed and watched the party, Celestia eating cake nonstop. Luna was engaging in conversation with various ponies throughout the night. Metal and his fillyfriend, Sweetie Belle, were in a corner most of the night under the constant surveillance of Rarity, that is, when she wasn't fussing over Dawn's mane which has gone unseen by her for months apparently. Twilight and Trixie were with their friends who she and April still called the statue ponies. A couple stray ponies stayed around to enjoy the music and free food. Dawn's parents had left the party, claiming to be too old for the crowd.

Exhausted, Dawn stumbled over to the table in the center of the room to levitate some more treats into her and April's mouth. "How can you still eat?" April asked, letting the tart Dawn had picked out smash into her cheek.

"I'm a growing pony." Dawns yawned, before walking to and collapsing on the edge of the room.

"No, you’re not." April said, falling on top of Dawn.

Pinkie had insisted that the two stay for a count down into Dawn's real birthday but Dawn was just not feeling it. And by the looks of it neither was Celestia who for some reason was still here.

"You wanna go back to the tower now? I'm exhausted." Dawn whispered to April. April was lying on top of Dawn, snuggling into her mane.

"No. I still haven't seen you drunk." April said as she sprung up from Dawn's mane.

"This is about as drunk as I get." Her head was swimming.

April gave Dawn a thousand yard stare as she groaned. "Fine, take me." She said as she started to rub affectionately on Dawn.

"You’re defiantly drunk..." She said as she lifted April into the air with her magic. "I should go thank Pinkie and Twilight." She added as she placed April next to her.

"Ugh, fine." Groaned April.

The couple started to walk across the spinning room, stumbling along the way, letting each other support each other. They made it to the group with great effort, plopping themselves on their quarters in their circle. All eyes were on the two drunken new arrivals.

"Pinkie, great party." Dawn started to say.

"Aww, you're not leaving already? We only have ten minutes until midnight."

"Is that right..." Dawn looked around the room for a clock of any kind. She spotted one next to an owl. "Is that an owl?" She asked, nearly falling backwards from looking at where it was perched.

"That's Owlowiscious. You've never seen him before?" Twilight asked, clearly more sober than she was.

"Nope." Dawn answered, balancing herself on April, who looked like she was falling asleep.

"Darling, you must come to my shop some time next week and let me make you a dress." Rarity proposed for nth amount of times.

"Why?" Dawn asked. 

"That's a great idea!" April yelled to the group, springing to life from her dreamy state, much louder than she should have been. Dawn was getting worried there for a moment.

"That's what I've been saying dear." Rarity said, nodding.

"When it comes to that fru fru stuff, Rarity's the pony to talk to." Applejack affirmed, chiming in.

"I come to you for Apples." Dawn nodded in agreement.

"Uhh yah..." Applejack agreed while narrowing her eyes on Dawn.

"You're really drunk." Rainbow Dash said bluntly.

"No she's not." April slurred.

"I think she was talking to you." Dawn laughed.

"I think it pertains to the both of you." Twilight said matter of factly with a light laugh.

April and Dawn nodded slowly in unison. 
"OH OH! COUNT DOWN!" Pinkie Pie yelled out loud, pointing to the clock. "TEN! NINE!...

The room joined on the count down. Dawn fell on her back to look at the clock proper.

"THREE!" was the last thing Dawn heard before being magically pulled through the fabric of reality to some unknown destination. The stress of the spell was very forceful as if meant for greater distances than just across Equestria. Dawn opened her eyes to see nothing but white sand. White as sugar. The dunes of white sand seemed to glow, being the only source of light. The sky, if one could call it that, was black, making it feel boundless. Dawn found her footing in the sand and stood up proper. She looked around; there was nothing but the dunes of sand and the empty sky. She turned around to find Celestia and Luna. Luna looked as confused as Dawn felt and Celestia looked to be more relaxed than she had ever seen her to be.

"What's going on..." She was cut off by surge of energy, making her fall to the ground and slip into unconsciousness. Before she did so however she saw Luna fall to the glowing sand as well, gripping her head in pain.

-----

"All this time..."

"I'm sorry Luna."

"No. Nightmare moon was right to hide it from me. So Twilight..."

"No. Don't be ridiculous... Are going to be alright, Luna?"

"I've missed so much because of my mistakes. This is just one more to add to the list. I'm sorry Celestia."

"You take her home. I will go tell everyone that she is fine."

> Chapter 20: Sir Castsalot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty

----Six years ago: The day after the summer sun festival---

"So I imagine you would like to see Dawn as soon as possible." Princess Celestia said knowingly just as the chariot lifted off the ground, leaving Ponyville below.

Luna chuckled innocently. "We saw dawn not three hours ago." 

Celestia cocked her head awkwardly in her brief confusion. 

"What ails thee?"

"Nothing..." Celestia sighed as her face grew dull with thought. "There is much I should tell you about our little ponies. Many things have changed in your absence."

"Thou speaks in a new dialect, their dialect. We do not care for it."

"That's just one thing you will have to get used to. Our ponies have grown in your absence."

"Very well..." Luna agreed, sighing as she rested her head against the speeding chariot. 

"Perhaps after you have a good, nice, long nap." Celestia suggested. 

"Yes. We would appreciate that." Luna gave an exaggerated yawn to show her fatigue. 

-----

A brawny brown stallion sprung to the sky, aiming for a spare white cloud floating lazily. "I've never seen the moon look so dim." He said once landing.

"I'm more concerned about Dawn than the stupid moon." Said the black as night mare that landed beside the stallion.

"And I'm not?" He huffed. His wings twitched in agitation. 

"What if..." 

"She's nineteen she can make her own decisions. We will not let Celestia take her against her will." The brown stallion comforted as he extended a wing over the black mare.

"I doubt I could if I wanted to." Laughed a voice from behind. An alabaster coated alicorn lifted herself to the cloud shared by the two other ponies.

"Celestia..." The brown stallion bowed his head gently out of respect. The black mare under his wing quivered as she delivered a look that would kill any other pony.

"It's quite alright Sturdy." The princess said, landing next to the two ponies. "Eve please relax. I am not going to take your daughter away, I promise."

"So it's true then?" Sturdy asked, half collapsing into the populated cloud.

"Yes. As I foresaw, my sister has come back."

The two parents looked around for another lurking alicorn. "Where..."

"She has no memory of Dawn. I suspect she forced herself to forget soon after her birth. 

"What do you mean?" Eve asked, taking an aggressive step forward.

The alabaster alicorn quickly wrapped her forelegs around the two smaller unsuspecting pegasus. 

"Princess..." Sturdy said pushing away the royal affections. 

"Our daughters should live a normal life before fate takes them." The alabaster Princess said sniffing back some tears. 

Sturdy and Eve looked down on the cloud they sat on as the Princess studied the pale starry sky. 

"I have asked so much of you two..." The princess said, breaking an elongated moment of silence. A spare tear fell through the cloud she stood on. 

"About her magic..." Eve started to ask, getting back to the subject at hoof. 

"I've sealed it up. Again." Celestia assured with an exasperated sigh. "I visited her before meeting you here. She won't notice the seal unless she tries that spell of hers again." She said rolling her eyes.

"I don't think we can keep her from casting it again..." Eve admitted. 

"Or for that matter thinking of an even worse spell..." Sturdy added.

"You must find a way. Other wise things will unravel before us. She is very much like Luna in that regard, she will figure things out."

"Is your sister..." Eve started to ask. Her words were misused as she stumbled in place in search for the right ones.

"She's sleeping right now. She is out of sync with the moon." The princess said, waving a hoof up at the sky. 

"What if she gets her memory back?" Eve finally asked what she meant to. 

"We can only hope it will not trigger so easily but if it does we will figure things out from there." Princess answered, turning to the dark eyes looking up at her. Each on was reflecting the sky with a mirrored quality. "She's grown quite a bit... since the last time I saw her." She added.

"She doesn't stop eating." Study laughed. 

"I saw 'my' daughter tonight." The Princess returned her gaze back to the dull night sky. 

"Princess?" Eve offered a spare hoof for comfort to Celestia.

"It's alright, I'm so happy." She clarified with the beginnings of new tears forming. "She has grown into such a happy young mare with lots of friends."

"Wish I could say we did just as good of a job with Dawn..." Eve said, turning around to the cloud city behind them. 

"Don't you worry about tonight's 'incident'. I will clean it up personally." The Princess placed a comforting hoof on the black mare. "Again." She laughed. "Unfortunately, My friends... I can not see you again for a good long while. As soon as my sister is awake she will likely keep a near constant watch over me."

The two parents snapped to a quick attention before giving a crisp salute. "We will manage princess." Sturdy said with every bit of formality he could afford. 

The princess broke their salute with another lasting hug. "I will leave you. I would like to be by Luna's side when she wakes up." 

"Thank you Celestia." Sturdy whispered.

"Just keep her out of trouble for a little longer." The Princess giggled in their hug.

"We will keep her out of trouble Princess." Eve said with a bit of formality. 

"Thank you."

------Present----- 

Dawn took in a deep breath. She felt life flood into her limbs as she stretched them. Her body rumbled as her senses returned to her. She opened her eyes to see April's muzzle was at the end of hers. She gave a smile as she filled in her memory where the drink blacked it out with what she figured had happened. We got to the tower, we made drunk sexy times and fell asleep. She felt her bladder full figuring it is all the drink from last night. Wait where is my head ache. Feeling like she cheated death itself, she slowly lifted herself from April's hooves. Once free, she started to roll over only to feel an uneven lump on her back. As she continued her roll she was stopped completely. Dawn turned around to see what was obstructing her and she saw a pink wing the same color as her coat...

Dawn jumped from the bed as she tried to pull off the wing only for it to fight back. Her eyes narrowed on the base of the offending wing it was attached some how. Dawn's mind went blank as she started to groan, hoping to wake herself up. She turned around to see a neatly tucked wing on her other side, her groan grew into a frantic wail of irrational questions as the tucked in wing flew open like the other. "What is this!" She finally yelled at the wings. Dawn was tripping over herself as she inspected the wings, repeating her question over and over.

"Dawn!" April yelled from across the bed room.

Dawn paid it little attention.

"Dawn, listen to me I can explain it all."

"Wings..." Dawn started to mumble as she collided with the corner of the room. She started to curl into a ball, squeezing her head hoping to wake up from this dream any second.

"Dawn." April said, pulling Dawn's head up from the ball she had curled up into. "You have wings now." April said clearly.

"No, I don’t! I am a unicorn" Dawn denied as she felt for her horn that she hoped was still there. To her brief relief, she did find a horn but as her hoof slid up it she found it was longer by a good couple centimeters and sharper... Dawn fainted as her hoof came to the end of her horn. 

When Dawn awoke, still on the ground, Luna stood over her with April. "Good morning!" Luna cheered, positively beaming. "Come. We have your family in the dining room. We will settle all your questions over breakfast."

Dawn struggled to get up, her eyes deliberately avoiding all together her new appendages. She pushed her way past the two so she could make it to the bathroom. She went about her morning routine as Luna and April waited in the main room. Coming out of the shower, not really brave enough to clean anywhere near her new ‘things’, she cautiously inspected them in the mirror. They moved almost on an instinctual level, to the point she could only open and close them on command. She ran her brush through her hair out of habit as she brushed her teeth. Her routine always brought a certain clarity of thought. Taking a deep breath to conclude her thoughts, she stepped out of the bathroom letting a plume of steam follow.

"Feeling better?" Asked Luna.

April jumped into a hug with Dawn. "Uhh yah, I suppose." Dawn mumbled, unsure herself.

"You suppose?"

"Well... Thank you for the gift and all, Luna, but I really don't want wings. Can you take them off now?"

April broke into a fit of giggles into Dawn's coat. Luna closed her eyes from Dawn to think. 

"I love you, Dawn." April giggled into Dawn's mane.

"I am sorry Dawn, but I can't do that. Celly will explain." Luna said before opening her eyes.

"So they're not a stupid gift?" Dawn asked slowly, hoping this was all a bad dream.

"No, like I said Celly will explain." 

April giggled some more as she tightened her hug. "A gift..." She laughed into Dawn's mane. "Let's get some breakfast. They've been waiting for us."

Dawn began to channel her magic to pull the void over her and April but recoiled from her magic almost instantly. It felt like there was her magic well and another beside it. Both were on her beck and call, the latter very foreign and very strange.

Luna was studying Dawn as this happened. She gave a knowing smile. "Allow me." Luna pulled the void over the three of them. They reappeared in the dinning room with her family and Celestia there.

"Good morning." Princess Celestia greeted.

"Come here Honey Buns, sit by us." Dawn's father greeted, patting the chair beside him. Her mother was on the other side of him while Metal sat on the other side of the table.

April broke her hug with Dawn and took a seat by Metal leaving her to sit in between Luna and her father. She was mindful of her wings as she sat in the chair as if not to upset them. She looked around expectantly to the ponies closest to her. They returned Dawn’s gaze.

Celestia was the one to break the silence. "What I am about to say will not leave this room am I understood?"

Every one at the table nodded obediently.

"Very good. First off Dawn, you are an authentic alicorn like Luna and me. In fact you are Luna's one and only daughter." Celestia stopped, letting Metal gasp in surprise.

"What?" was the only word Dawn could push through her mouth among the myriad of other questions she had.

"Twenty five years ago I visited Luna on the moon not out of ritual or habit but by request from Nightmare Moon." She paused to give her time to think back. "When I got there I saw that she had given birth to a baby foal. Just finding out I was pregnant myself, I needed to find out what was going on so I sought answers. Neither of us had a mate obviously, me running a country it was too dangerous and Luna being isolated on the moon..."

"Wait... you're saying Luna is my mother? That's my mother." Dawn argued, pointing to the black mare across her father.

"And I suspect you will always think so." Celestia said, looking worryingly over to Luna. Dawn paid it no attention. "Let's see... The reason we were pregnant was..." Celestia paused in thought, unsure how to explain it all. "There are laws that keep this world... stable. When I was first put here there was only day. There was no respite for life thus Luna was born but neither of us knows who bore us though..."

"There's pictures!" Dawn exclaimed. Her wings flaring out in response, forcing her head to slam against the table. It should have hurt but it didn't. April and Metal laughed at the display. 

"Doctored photos, sweetie." Dawn's mother clarified as Dawn retracted her wings and retook her seat.

"Like I was saying." Celestia started again. "Luna came to fill a purpose just like I think you will fill a purpose. Just like my daughter will fill a purpose." Celestia took a deep breath. "I would like her to live her normal life as long as possible, even if it is just an extra six months."

"Not that you won't be able to live normally right now, Dawn." Luna added quickly, giving Dawn a smile that Dawn had not seen on her face before.

"Of course. We will do everything possible to keep your life the way you want it." Celestia agreed. "Right so... Nightmare Moon called me to take her foal. She knew it shouldn't be raised on the moon or by her. At the time even Nightmare Moon respected the laws that bore you despite wanting to usurp them. In the end she made me promise to take good care of you and so I did." Celestia took in a long breath as she thought how to explain further. "Twenty five years ago we were being invaded by the griffons and unfortunately they were being aided by greedy ponies in my court and the northern kingdom. While the conflict was ultimately short lived, I knew I couldn't make your or my daughter's presence public. Without Luna here I think I would be utterly useless if you were to be kidnapped or something and I couldn't very well abandon my duties to Equestria... And it was just a matter of time before I was found out. Servants in the castle are quite gossipy..." Celestria's voice had turned desperately frantic as she tried to explained. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind. "That's when I made the hardest decision of my life. I managed to seal away your celestial connections and I give you two away to my most trusted scholars and guards." 

"Well I guess that explains some things..." Dawn admitted.

"Yeah, like how their cutie mark never made any sense what so ever." Metal said, pointing an accusing hoof at their parents.

"I was captain of the royal guard." Dawn's father admitted.

"What were you mom?" Metal asked eagerly, both siblings were on the edge of their seats for her answer.

Their mother smiled quietly back to her children, innocently. Both Dawn and Metal recognized the smile as the same smile they got when they asked about things her mother wasn't going to talk about to them like hearths warming gifts and the like.

Dawn wasn't going to push it. She would likely never find out what those cross blades meant. "Well I guess being a pink unicorn in a dark coated pegasus family was almost a dead give away. If not for those pictures..." Dawn trailed off at the thought.

"Yeah. Your mother got pretty good at those." Dawn's father chuckled.

"That I did. That I did." Dawn's mother added, chucking with her husband.

"Dawn!" April cheered. "I get to teach you how to fly!"

"Oh! You're right!" Dawn's parents squealed in unison out of excitement.

Dawn cringed at the thought. She could barely look at the stupid things on her back much less think about using them.

"Maybe later." April offered, after reading Dawn's face.

"I suggest you get used to your new magic source as well. That will not be going away just like your wings." Luna added with that same smile that just about creeped Dawn out.

Dawn closed her eyes as she focused on the new magical well in question. It was just as vast if not more as the one she has had her whole life. She sighed as she rested her head on the table.

"How are you not hung over?" She asked April across the table.

"Hung over?" April asked in confusion.

"Ahh, the date. You have been asleep for two days. I imagine you may be hungry." Celestia answered in hopes of clearing up some confusion.

"Well that explains Luna then..." Dawn mumbled on the table. "You don't remember giving birth to me?" she asked Luna with the skepticism of this whole plot.

"Well, no... I didn't..." Luna wilted to her own despair. "I do now..." She offered to Dawn. "'She' must have used that memory spell I told you about."

Dawn sprang up from her seat, wings flared out. "What was that place?" Dawn asked excitedly.

"A plane of existence where we, alone, are allowed."  Luna answered, placing a hoof on Dawn's shoulder to calm her down. Only then did Dawn notice that she had hit her father with her wing. "Stupid things. I'm sorry dad..."

"I really need to get you in the air, Honey. Those are some powerful wings." He said, nursing his face with his hoof.

"You really should try flying today, Dawn. It's not like you will die or something." Luna commented lightly.

I won't die...

"Well let's get our food in here. I hope you don't mind, Dawn, but we ordered you a large stack of Waffles." Celestia said cheerily.

"That sounds good..." Dawn replied as servants ran in and placed food in front of every pony.

Dawn raised her fork with her magic, her green magic... She accidently tapped into the new magical well to do this. It some how felt rather strange, foreign, not static and yet as natural as her normal magic. The fork dove in, cutting into her waffles, then the plate, the table under that, and started to dig into the stone floor below, all before she could notice what happened to stop it.

"I'll go ask for another plate." Celestia said, not missing a beat. The pegasi at the table were shocked to see such destruction from such a simple act.

"I suggest you use the magic that you are used to for cutting waffles." Luna said with a light chortle.

"Dually noted." Dawn mumbled as she jumped down from her seat. "I am just glad that didn't happen in the shower." Something felt off by the action of sliding down the chair but she didn't know what. She walked to the other side of Luna to the undestroyed part of the table and sat down next to April who was eating a salad. Every movement felt a little strange but Dawn simply couldn't place her hoof on it.

Celestia came back with a servant carrying another plate. She placed it in front of Dawn as Dawn picked up the waffles and syrup with her 'normal' magic to gently place it on the new plate, letting the servant pick up the mess. Dawn barrowed April's unused fork and tried again at this eating thing. April's fork succeeded where its predecessor, which was currently submerged in the marble floor, could not. She welcomed every bite of waffle she could shove in her mouth, she was hungry. They all ate in silence, likely still in shock from Dawn's destructive power or deep in thought at the new info. It gave Dawn time to digest what she learned.

"So, who's your daughter?" Dawn asked across the table when she was about three fourths done with her waffles.

"She won't tell any pony." Luna answered before Celestia could clear her mouth. "I think it may be Twilight."

"That wouldn't make much since. Why hide her away only to bring her close again." Dawn said, letting her logical mind set in place of all her worry. "I mean even Twilight has had kidnapping attempts, right?"

"Yes, but her birthday aligns correctly." Luna refuted quickly.

"You can not let your 'theory' known to any one outside this room. I would not have Twilight in danger." Celestia said sternly, trying to end the conversation. "Twilight and my daughter share a birthday, that is all."

"Celly, even her name gives her away..."

"Luna, I will not have you make these accusations. And why would I name my child similar to yours?"

Dawn closed her eyes to think, letting the fork fulls of fluffy sustenance float in her mouth every so often. I got wings. Luna is my biological mother. Immortal. Magic is scary powerful. Mysterious cousin. Dawn was brought out of thoughts when her fork started to jab an empty plate. She opened her eyes to see every pony was done with their food and looking at her.

Dawn pushed the chair back to stand but something defiantly felt very odd. She was taller. A lot taller. She was taller than her father and nearly eye level with Celestia. "What the heck is this?"

"Well you know how I change size. You seem to do it a lot more... frequently. Almost randomly it would seem." Luna answered almost as baffled as Dawn was.

Dawn looked behind at herself. Her now ethereal mane was blowing in some unfelt wind. It was its typical orange but the purple remained above resembling a sunrise in her tail and mane. "I guess I am appropriately named then..." Dawn deadpanned, referencing her mane.

"Of course!" Luna laughed.

Dawn walked around the table, over to her parents to hug them. "I need to think for awhile if you don't mind." Her parents were small compared to her now; it was a very odd feeling. She quickly teleported to a mountain side that she had found for Twilight's date so long ago. She gave a great stretch, letting out that built up tension from today's revelations. When Dawn reopened her eyes, she found she was back to normal size. Her tail and mane were to their normal state and her wings were a normal size. Noted. She lied down to her side, taking in the scenery of Equestria. She then turned her attention to the wing that was free from Dawn's weight. She spread it open gauging how it moved. Clumsy was the answer. It reminded her of trying to write with her hooves. She folded it with a sigh of relented thoughts only to be lost in those thought as she stole a breath of the spring morning mountain air.

She had guessed a couple hours had passed. She grew again only to shrink back to normal when she stretched. When she did so she felt the earth below her hooves shiver with her. Something deep inside her knew that the earth itself was what she was 'attached' to now. She noticed something even more curious, a weed that was once so small when she arrived grew several times in size, blooming a bright white flower as if greeting her. She suspected if this mountain side had more growth they would all be doing the same thing.

"Luna or April?" Dawn asked herself. Her voice was swept away with the mountain wind. She gave a quick stretch so she could shrink to normal size. She figured she would keep herself small, it was something she could hold on to. In a wisp of dark smoke she disappeared, reappearing next to April. She was in her favorite spot to study in all of Canterlot, the café they had stumbled onto her first visit to Canterlot.

"Hey you're small again." April greeted with smile, looking up from the book she was reading.

"Yah, figured that one out pretty quick." Dawn replied, sitting down next to April.

"Good. I wasn't sure if we were gonna work if you were going to be a giant half the time." April giggled at her mock shallowness. "You talk to Luna yet?"

"No." Dawn shrugged. She turned her attention to her wings. She was still getting used to them just sitting there.

"You have very pretty wings." April said, reaching out a hoof to touch one closest to her. They were tender to her touch but she was gentle as she felt for the muscles in them. "Hey guess what?" April whispered.

"What?"

"I'm dating a princess." She giggled.

"Ugh... you don't think I'll have to pick up royal duties do you?"

April shrugged. "That's something you should ask Luna, Princess Dawn." April went into a fit of giggles again as she stroked Dawn's wing some more.

"You'd think the immortal goddesses could've waited fifty more years. Or sixity."

"Oh, it's not so bad. I get an eternally young mare to play with in my old age." April laughed. "Though that horn of yours isn't coming any where near me like it used to." April finished sternly.

"Fair enough. I did kind of destroy a table with a fork this morning."

"Yeah, that was neat." April shuffled in place for a second. She could feel it too. The grass under both of them was growing rapidly. April ignored it. "You should go talk to Luna. Mother, daughter time as it were."

"She is not my mother." Dawn said more bluntly than she intended.

"Why can't you have two?" April looked into Dawn's green eyes with some longing. "Some of us get only get one crappy mother you should be grateful you get two great ones." 

"Point taken." Dawn agreed with a sigh.

"Off you go." April said, shooing Dawn with a hoof. 

"Fine..." Dawn relented, before kissing April and dissolving into the dark cloud she had summoned around her. Dawn reappeared in Luna's room. She had only been in here a couple times before. It was lined with ancient tomes and trinkets that looked older than any mortal pony. Luna didn't have a bed in her room since she didn't sleep most of the time. Instead, she had many cushions splayed around the room. That aside, it looked like a normal room of the castle lined with the typical tapestries and colors.

Dawn was greeted with a large smile that stretched ear to ear. "Sort things out?" 

"More or less."

"I imagine you have plenty of questions, I will do my best to answer them for you." Luna said almost motherly.

"Well at this point I'm mainly wondering what is in store for me?"

Luna smiled a wicked smile on the verge of full on laughter. "Well Princess Dawn. Life is what you make it. At least that is what our little ponies have been saying apparently." 

Dawn didn't like that answer. "So it's all up to me?"

"Well I expect you will want to finish your research." Luna said. "That research..." Luna briefly waned into a somber pony. "I would never have put my daughter on such a task. Why didn't Celly stop me..." She looked worriedly to Dawn in thought before composing herself. "Though... Celestia and I were talking after I woke up. We taught ponies magic when language was new and ponies still favored running in herds. We taught earth ponies how to grow plants and care for animals. We taught Pegasi to forge weather and create cloud cities. And of course we taught unicorns the intricacies of the more typical magic." Dawn took a seat where she stood. "Each one has dark and light properties as you well know. With your birth brought the possibility of something more, a deeper pluralism in magic if you would. Something not seen yet, not been taught to ponies yet. Just think, magic that is not light or dark but acts totally independent from both!" Luna sounded very excited, it got Dawn excited all the same and it showed in her wings which were in the air. Stupid things. "Of course you will have millennia's to come to figure those things out, but know the option is likely out there." Luna finished saying.

"So I guess I'm the earth?" 

"Hmm... It is not as much as you are the earth as you are what the earth can resemble. I represent rest while my sister represents action." Luna replied in that familiar scholarly voice. "Thought vs knowledge, Emotion vs logic, dark vs light. You could say there has always been two sides to everything but now... there may be a third and fourth side. Or not we will just have to see." Luna giggled to her thoughts. "One thing is for sure though, I am the respite to life. I am even told on the new moon I wander ponies dreams." 

"Yeah, you do." Dawn got up and walked to Luna's balcony that over looked the west. Luna followed. 

"We have no idea what triggered your birth. Nature guides even us. I guess you could say however that nature's general philosophy is mainly it will all work out in the end. Rarely will you see nature take a stand for something. In fact the last time it happened, before you that is, were when the elements of harmony appeared before us when Equestria was under Discord's rule."

"Oh, that funky looking statue?"

"That is no statue. It is a prison. Twilight and her friends encased him in it give or take five years ago when he escaped last time." Luna explained.

"Well that explains that." Dawn said. Something to tell April later.

"Indeed! When you were destroying cities, Twilight was saving the world." Luna laughed.

"So you think she's my cousin? I've never had a cousin."

"Well we must hide that opinion for six more months apparently."

"Ok, so uhh... why couldn't you guys wait a couple more years? Why not fifty or sixty?"

"To be fair Dawn, you are talking about bottling up a magic that destroyed a perfectly good table with a fork." Luna gave a small chuckle at Dawn's expense before giving the question more consideration. "Celly won't tell me the specifics for good reason but she some how made a deal with nature itself to have your 'celestial' connections severed. I know you must not feel it but right now you are bristling with as much, if not more, magical energy than I do during a full moon."

Dawn didn't like holding so much power in inside her but she knew it to be true. She could feel the waves of her two magical sources flood and smash up against inner being. "How does Celestia expect to hide this? Even if it isn't true our names, our birthdays... Twilight is smart will connect the dots like you have."

"Hmm... I know you have a lot of respect for Twilight but our little ponies tend to believe what they want to believe. Just explain it like..." Luna stopped to think as she fell back on her quarters. "OH! You ascended because you fell to the void. Hide behind something that you have both been researching and know little about. She needs to be thrown off track only for six months at least until Celestia's daughter is revealed. Whether or not it is Twilight."

"I suppose that would work but I don't like lying to Twilight."

"You must understand, Dawn. This is not only for Twilight's benefit but for the enemies of the state. If they were to catch wind of what is to be, you just might see what kind of world I lived in a thousand years ago."

"Enemies of the state?"

"Seeing as you are a princess of Equestria now, Celly and I will sit down with you some time and explain the intricacies of what we deal with on day to day biases. When you want that is. I have no inclination to force disgusting royal duties on you. You are, after all, still an infant in my eyes."

Dawn chuckled at that but it brought up a question she often thought of. A question she thought was out of bounds for her teacher to answer her student but now... "So uhh... how old are you and Celestia?"

"Oh, I don't know." Luna answered plainly as if expecting it. "We have spent many hundreds if not thousands of years in solitude, watching over our ponies. It would have been maddening if we were to have kept track." Breaking from her own train of thought, Luna launched off her balcony letting her wings pick her up. She swooped around as if advertising a grand product only to stop to a hover in front of Dawn. "Let us find your parents and April, you should learn to fly. It will help clear your head of some anxiety." Without waiting for an answer, Luna surrounded both herself and Dawn in the void only to reappear at April's apartment. "April?" Luna called out to the apartment.

April popped her head out from a corner. "Oh, hey. I just got back. Let me put away my books." She greeted, retreating back to the room her head originated.

Luna followed, mindful of the papers on the ground. Dawn joined Luna, noticing everything was shorter by a great deal. They walked into the room April resided. Dawn was at least a head taller than April and Luna. Her growth was so gradual she didn't notice just with Luna. Dawn stretched out the built up tension in her limbs and muscles, letting her shrink. Luna and April watched the process with a healthy curiosity.

"So is that how it works for you?" Luna asked, cocking her head. "Stretch, shrink?"

"That's fine by me, I get to keep a Dawn sized princess as a fillyfriend."

"Yes... We will need to talk about that later April. 'Long story short' as the ponies say, you will likely have to live in the castle so long as Dawn has feelings for you." Luna said plainly.

"What?" Dawn asked surprised.

"I know, Celestia told me when you were two were asleep." April waved away their concerns.

"We can't have a princess or an alicorn of your power be manipulated by outside forces. If April were to be captured, hurt, or anything of the sort, who would stop you?"

A curt shiver of fear ran through Dawn's body. She didn't think of that either. April could be in danger. 

"Who would hurt me anyways?" April asked, likely following Dawn's most prominent train of thought that she had gotten to know so well.

"Like I said we will have to talk later."

"Can't I masquerade as a winged unicorn?" Dawn asked.

"You could, but you aren't one are you? You can easily mess up and reveal your identity only to cause a horrid political storm that I am not really willing to endure." Luna said dully, slumping in place as she said it.

Dawn knew it to be true. Plants spring to life near me, I'm constantly growing. Crazy hair... It would be difficult to hide. 

"I already have Ward and Marti following me everywhere..." April started to say.

"We will figure out something later, April." Dawn said, cutting her off. Dawn let out a stressed sigh as she pulled the veil of the void around the three, placing them next to Dawn's parents.

"Well hello sweetie." Dawn's father greeted. He was sporting a black eye that was visible through his dark brown coat. Dawn went up to him as she searched the many volumes of medical spells she had learned and/or created. She reached a hoof out to his face as her horn sprang to life with a pink aura. The black eye started to fade instantly.

"Sorry about that." Dawn apologized, assuaging the bruise that was.

"Not a problem, Honey Buns." He replied quickly. "I've taken harder hits at worst times." He chuckled in his baritone voice.

"I was hoping you would join us in teaching Dawn how to fly." Luna invited, cutting in between the father and daughter.

"Is that what we're doing?" April asked, whipping her tail as she stepped to Dawn's side.

"Apparently." Dawn said, deadpanning. She was trying to hide the dread of the moment she felt.

"You will love it, I promise." April assured quickly after reading Dawn's face.

"Metal! Come here. We're going to teach Dawn how to fly!" Dawn's mother yelled into the room behind her. 

Dawn wasn't completely sure where they had appeared, it was in the castle to be sure but she had never seen these rooms before. They were lined with the finest stone, cloth, paintings, and woods that Equestria had to offer. 

Dawn's brother flew out from a neighboring room to land by his parents, just as excited as they were. They all looked to her expectantly as Luna raised the void around the group placing them in a field of grass.

It was just about high noon. The new grass was blowing in the wind, letting the sweet smell of spring it carried buffet Dawn's nostrils. The pegasi let out their wings and lifted with the wind into the air only to land quickly after. 

Dawn's father lifted Dawn up on to his back, giving Dawn little warning like he often did when she was a foal. "Hold on." He cheered excitedly as the group all launched to the sky. Dawn's father's wings were beating twice as fast as the others but he seemed no less worse for wear.

Dawn looked down to the ground, it made her stomach churn by reflex but Luna was right. She had nothing to fear from the ground any longer. She looked up to what was likely their destination, a lone cloud sitting high in the sky. Everypony was laying on the cloud when she and her father arrived. Each pony had their wings fully extended in the air. As Dawn stepped on the cloud, she noticed her wings extended as well, seemingly out of instinct.

"Well this is different." Dawn laughed as she played with the cloud under her hooves.

"Really? You walked on clouds before." Her mother commented, cocking her head in her curiosity.

"It feels different, under my own power I suppose." Dawn concluded.

"They really made this one really high, didn't they?" April said, looking over the edge of the cloud.

"The camp here calls this 'dead pegasus drop'." Dawn's father informed, rolling his eyes at the dramatic name. "Alright honey. Extend your wings outward like this." He stepped in front of Dawn and extended his wings out straight as example. 

Dawn turned her head around to look at her wings, wincing inwardly at the sight of them, she willed them to straighten outwards. Not quite like her father's, something was off. Her mother swooped in to fix one of Dawn's wings as April took to the other, contorting them so they became straight as an arrow. 

"What beautiful plumage." Her mother cooed as April joined in agreement. "There, that looks good. Remember how that feels." She went on to say once she and April were done.

"Now you need to focus on your inner energy." Metal said, nodding with his father.

"Your magic well feeds your flying, Dawn. Just focus your magic in your wings." Luna chimed in.

Dawn did so. She called upon her magic to surge through her body. She felt her muscles tighten and strengthen in her legs and chest. I guess that would be earth pony magic... She redirected the magic to her wings only for them to do the same as her legs. It only took a thought, Fly, and she launched into the air only realizing, as she knocked off her entire family and April off the cloud, she had pulled from the wrong pool again. She could hear Luna's hysterical laughter over her own screams as she launched awkwardly sideways off the cloud at break neck speeds. Another flap of her wings launched her in another random direction until she managed to cut off the magical connection to her wings completely. Her wings tucked in half way just as she started into a free fall.

She focused her magic that she was most familiar with into her horn to teleport out of her free fall and back next to Luna. Momentum not lost in teleportation as she slammed hard against the cloud letting it absorb every bit of energy she had in her free fall without it budging.

Luna tried to control herself from laughing as she walked up to Dawn who was now struggling to get up herself. Everypony she knocked off back in her take off had landed behind the night princess, their jaws dangling at their feet. "Just like eating, you really should only use your normal magic for flying." Luna laughed as she helped Dawn get up.

"Yeah, figured that one out quickly enough." Dawn chucked at herself, brining a hoof behind her head in shame. 

"And not a single dining table destroyed for it." Luna laughed.

"Err... Yeah. That was a good test flap, Dawn." Her father said, picking up his jaw in the process. "So where were we?" He asked himself. "Right, now extend your wings like we showed you."

Luna stepped back, giving Dawn plenty of berth. Dawn did as she was told, she turned to look at her wings, they still weren't completely right. This time her father just gently poked at her wings, forcing them to alter their shape to what he wanted. 

"Perfect." He cheered. "Alright, remember how that feels." He said with an affirmative nod. "Alright now walk over here, to the edge." Dawn's father pushed her to the edge of the cloud where April was looking down earlier. She peaked over the edge and saw there was a cloud sitting down there, ready to catch her if she so choose to jump. "Alright Dawn, Give us another test flap. This time less power behind them." 

"Uhh how..." Dawn asked, deadpanning.

"She'll be fine." chirped Luna, before pushing Dawn off the cloud cackling to herself. "Fly!" She cheered in the midst of her cackling.

Dawn, in freefall, noticed her wings were keeping her from spinning out of control. They remained in the same position her father had put them in. She thought to fly, channeling her regular magic to her wings. It was all instinctual, very much like the pegasus race. With the first flap of her wings she pulled out of the dive Luna had set her in, with the second flap she started to climb at ferocious speeds by the third she wasn't sure if she was screaming on the outside but she was in the inside. Her thoughts were flooded with sensory overload as she sped through the sky, the wind pulling back her mane and coat hard. She saw Luna appear next to her, flying just as fast. Luna pulled up to be right behind Dawn. She felt her rear hooves and tail being pulled back, slowing her down.  Their wings fought for domination of the air that they were both pushing. 

"TEMPER YOUR MAGIC INTO A TRICKLE!" Luna yelled over the wind their flapping caused.

Dawn turned her focus to her mind, attempting to clear it. It was easier without the lunatic speeds. Once her mind was cleared, she turned her attention to her magic which was flooding into her body as much as a typical spell would into her horn. She understood now. Flying didn't take nearly as much magic as spells did. She shut her magic to a trickle, her flapping started to ease up. Once Luna saw this she let go of Dawn, taking her side in the air.

"Much better." Luna said calmly. "Everyone is no doubt trying to catch up now. By now you have figured out flying is a feeling not very... conscious. "

"Dark magic." Dawn replied nodding. Still quite dizzy from the heights, the wind, the speed. But she knew she needed to just set those aside let her mind go blank and will her body into action with only the feelings of flight.

"My sister taught the earth ponies while I taught the pegasi. When we switched we couldn't teach the other race as much as we did originally so we decided with the unicorns we would teach together." Luna said calmly while doing barrel rolls around Dawn.

Luna was trying to teach her something beyond history. She let her mind empty as she felt herself turn in the air. Banking, she started to fly the way she came. Off in the distance she could see four dots that were her loved ones trying to keep up. "How fast was I going?"

"Fast enough to make your parents more than a little proud." Luna said, beaming as she intended to included herself. "Come on Dawn, try a little pegasus flare." Luna said as she continued her barrel rolls around Dawn. 

Dawn recalled the many tricks she had seen in her backyard from the ground, at the Wonderbolt shows, what her mother did on her weather duties. She has seen it all when it came to aerial tricks. She closed her eyes to clear her mind again as she fed her wings a bit more magic to gain in speed. She opened her eyes when she was upside down in a loop. She started to barrel at the top of the loop, letting her wings do all the thinking, as she came to a vertical dive of the loop she sped up more launching herself out of it. She had seen Soarin do that a thousand times. She found herself giggling in the gusting wind as she straightened out. Luna pulled up to her side, nodding approval.

With her new speed, she met up with her family quickly. As she passed them she imagined swimming in a lake, letting her wings push her back against her momentum, she came to a stop to hover in air.

"Did I see you do Soarin's rifled loop?" Dawn's father asked as he swooped in for a mid air hug.

"Yep. That was fun." Dawn cheered with a laugh for herself.

"I can't believe how fast you launched off that drop." April cheered from behind Dawn's father.

"Well she is my flesh and blood, and she has the two most experienced flyers for parents." Luna said proudly.

"Think all the tricks I get to teach you now, Dawn." Dawn's mother cheered.

"Who would've guessed the milk drinker could fly like that." Metal jeered with a grin that mirrored every one else's.

"Milk drinker? What is wrong with milk?" Luna asked Metal.

Dawn chuckled as she flipped in air. "Well this mare is hungry." She decreed. "How far away are we from Canterlot?" She asked Luna, ignoring her pending question.

"Not far. Those are Canterlot's mountains over there." Luna said, pointing.

Dawn flipped into a dive as she started to feed her wings more energy. Time for a small experiment. While gliding in her dive she started to draw on the new magical well, letting it trickle into her wings. Her wings responded in kind as they pushed her impossibly fast through the air, forcing her cheeks to fly back. She squinted to see where she was flying but it was of no use. Her face felt like it was on fire from the friction of it all. She resulted to sensing through her horn's magic. She was closing in on the mountain range quickly so she decided to slow to a hover using the very same magic that pushed here so fast. The group she left behind were just dots, from what felt like seconds of flight but what she knew was far less. She loved this and they were right to say she would. When she was young she always envied her parents flight and all the pegasus at her school. It wasn't until Metal got in the air too that she came to terms with her winglessness. This was a dream come true as it were. Dawn gave a wide smile to the dots in the distance as she started to fly back to them. She noticed thunderous sounds of flapping from the experiment were just reaching her ears. Neat.

-----

Dawn spent the better part of the day in the air with April and some of it with her family though they wanted to give them space in the end. Luna did what Luna does, disappearing and reappearing at random parts of her day, always coming to see her as the sun set. This time on a lovely little cloud April and Dawn had found over the royal gardens that had escaped the winter wrap up.

"Mind I join you?" Luna asked as she set hoof on the cloud. "You have certainly grown..." She said, noting Dawn's size now rivaling Celestia's.

"She wanted to see how big she would get." April said as she cuddled deeper into the large version of Dawn's chest.

"I've been like this for an hour I think this is it." Dawn said, getting up, much to April's dismay, to stretch herself small again. She then settled herself next to April again, cuddling up in the soft cool cloud.

"Please, join us Luna." April said, patting the empty patch of cloud next to her.

Luna did so, relaxing heavily into the cloud. "You know I always wanted a foal but it just never happened." Luna admitted. "And when it did I was on the moon locked away for being incredibly selfish."

"Aww. It'll be alright Luna." April consoled.

"Well, for what it is worth I'm sorry I wasn't there to raise you." Luna said, stuffing her head in the cloud. 

"You would have made a fantastic mother Luna." Dawn said, trying to be empathetic but finding it incredibly hard for some reason.

"Thank you." Luna mumbled through the cloud.

Though they could not see her face, they both knew she was crying. They both got up to lie next to her. After an elongated moment, April whispered into Dawn's ear that she was leaving and promptly jumped off the cloud, leaving Dawn alone with Luna. Her other... Mother?

Dawn spread herself across the cloud letting her tail dangle over the edge. "How much do you remember about being on the moon?" Dawn asked when Luna's tears stopped dropping through the cloud. It was the one thing that they shared above all else, above genetics and history. They both knew incredible loneliness in isolation.  

"Everything 'She' wanted me to." Luna relinquished.

"Why didn't she want you to remember me?" Dawn asked.

"I think it was because she knew that the end of our imprisonment would be soon and Celestia would be ready. We had lost the moment we were imprisoned on the moon. She had lost." Luna pulled out her head out of the cloud and looked at Dawn's laid out figure. "She may have wanted eternal darkness, to usurp nature itself. She may have been evil but she knew that there was no stopping the fate that bore you. She knew I would be free of her in the end. Despite all that she had done, she thought you as her daughter."

"Cool I got three mothers." Dawn cheered half heartedly, laughing at herself after, trying to make light of the somber topic she wrought on herself.

"You consider me your mother?" Luna asked, a smile breaking through her self pity.

"April put things in perspective for me. Her parents are wretched ponies from what I've heard." Dawn paused letting the point get across and to think how much she should reveal. "I don't even just get two great parents but I get you too." Dawn said as she nuzzled the night goddess affectionately like Luna had done to her so many times before all this happened. 

The sun had dipped completely over the western horizon, letting the moon rise in the east. Stars started to trickle into the sky as the 'mother' and 'daughter' watched the sky. Dawn had always liked Luna since she took her in as a student, they were friends. She didn't care for the change in their relationship and would likely never think of her the way she wanted her to. It brought a sickening pit in her stomach every time she considered the very idea but she liked Luna too much to do anything less than try. 

After a long peaceful moment of watching Luna's night take the sky, they both dissolved off the cloud into a dark smoke reappearing in the dinning hall with a new table concealing a floor marble with a fork still submerged in it. Celestia and April were already sitting at it, talking as two friends did. 

"I understand you had a fun day in the sky. Wish I could have seen the first flight of my niece."  Princess Celestia said, almost cooing as she did so.

"You should have been there. Takes after me like no other." Luna said proudly.

"Indeed." Celestia cheered, smiling brightly at Dawn. "I was telling April on how we are going to make you public." Princess Celestia said, adopting a tone with objective. "And the unfortunate consequences of doing so." She added as Luna and Dawn took their seats at the table. 

Dawn, sitting next to April, noticed she had grown quite a bit from when she star gazed with Luna. She was nearly eye level with Celestia and her hair was just starting to pick up in the freaky wind. 

"I decided that it would be best to make you publicly seen at the gala in a couple weeks. But I am having all the news papers around the country announce your arrival, explaining you are a long lost princess who has been reborn." Celestia said, waving a hoof in the air.

"Reborn?" Dawn asked skeptically.

"Being who we are, Dawn, we get the choice to rewrite history all we want. We can set them right in a century or so." Luna clarified, waving her hoof in the air like her sister.

"Just a little white lie for our convenience. Other wise, there could be riots outside saying, 'children out of wedlock blah blah blah'." Celestia said, mockingly still waving her hoof. "And of course I don't want anypony to jump to the same conclusions as my sister has."

"Umm, Ok." Dawn shrugged. She had no problem lying to millions of ponies.

"And unfortunately we will also need to introduce you to the nobles this Friday." Dread dripped from Celestia's mouth as she said this. "Winged unicorns from distant lands will be there, scrutinizing you for authenticity." Celestia slumped in place as she thought. "I loath them so..." she added with a heavy sigh.

Luna laughed at Celestia's dread. "Whatever we got to do, Celly." Luna said in between her laughter.

"I am sorry Dawn, I did plan all this in advance. My daughter's too." Celestia said before taking a relaxed sigh. "Now, on to you and April." 

"Yeah, wouldn't want me to go on a rampage." Dawn chuckled.

"As absurd as it may sound, love does affect us as much as any other pony. Before nightmare moon we often kept lovers of all kinds but I felt without Luna counterbalancing me, I would be too weak to shrug off all outside influences." Princess Celestia said.

Dawn yawned and stretched herself small only to rest her head on the table with a great exhale. Celestia was caught slightly off guard by her transformation but continued all the same.

"So, April has reluctantly agreed to stay in the castle with formal titles and all. The titles will give sufficient reason behind the extra guard that will be accompanying her when she leaves the grounds. When she isn't with you of course."

"Well 'Lady' April can stay in my tower." Dawn laughed.

"That is up to you two." Celestia said plainly.

"Oh the times you have woven, Celly." Luna sung.

"It would be unorthodox but not unheard of, Luna." Celestia replied to Luna before turning back to Dawn. "I will not stop you two if you choose to live together but know you will be under the public eye soon. Gossip rags will be drenched in ink every time you do something scandalous like this." Celestia said from experience. "These walls are made of thick stone yet still thin as paper when it comes to gossip among the servants."

Dawn rolled her eyes at the silliness of it all. "Are you sure there isn't some really cool spell you guys made a thousand years ago to make you guys normal looking or something?" 

"I wish there were but that is one thing we can not change. I am sorry Dawn." Luna said. "This was all fated the day you were born." 

"Bleh." Dawn stuck her tongue out at the situation. "By the way, what did you tell the party about my disappearance?"

"Well, Twilight felt the ancient magic at work so she was naturally worried. When I finally got back to her I told her you were going through some transformations and you were alright. She trusted me enough to just take solace in my words alone." Celestia said.

"Alright..." Dawn sighed. "Guess I can have fun with that tomorrow when April is at school."

"Fun?" April and Celestia asked wearily in unison.

Dawn giggled at what was going through her head. "Rarity wanted to fit me for a dress." Dawn laughed. 

Luna joined in the laughter. "That would be funny, I may join you."

April and Celestia face hoofed. "Just try to restrain yourself from doing something I will have to clean up later would you?" Celestia said, earning a eager nod from April.

"Yes, yes... No chaos infused fun tomorrow."

> Chapter 21: Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty-One

Dawn woke up with the sun. Not by choice or from outside disturbances but by habit. She was her full size with April cuddled up next to her chest. She wanted to stretch to work out the morning kinks and to shrink but she didn't want to wake April. She let out a gentle sigh as she felt the life underneath her arms.

"Go on and stretch, I'm awake." April said brightly with her eyes still closed.

Dawn took up the offer and shrunk to April's size. "Sleep well?" 

"Freakishly well. You think there's anything to sleeping with a 'princess'?" April asked, opening her eyes to the sight of the pink alicorn.

"Maybe." Dawn laughed as she pulled herself from the bed. She looked at the giant bed meant for the room. She laughed again at the preparation Celestia had done.

"What's so funny?" April said from behind her bed head.

"The bed." Dawn answered as she left the room to go begin her morning routine. When she emerged from the bathroom, Luna was laying in the center of the main room next to her block of marble. "Good morning." Dawn greeted brightly.

"Indeed." Luna beamed back.

April gracefully glided from up stairs to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Dawn sighed at the giant rock sitting in middle of her room. What do I  want to carve? She drew a blank as she stared at the stone. "A day in Ponyville?" She asked Luna.

"Sounds like fun." Luna said, grinning at the idea.

"I think Twilight will be caught off guard if I went in giant." Dawn laughed as she walked over to the balcony to greet the rising run. The gardens below were vibrant with color, sparkling from the morning dew. She was curious on how the garden would greet her though a larger part was scared to find out. Even her wings still felt a bit... odd. Learning to use them had helped a lot but it didn't snuff the feeling out completely. She watched the plants below glisten in Celestia's sun until April popped out of the bathroom.

After an uneventful breakfast Luna and Dawn retreated to her tower to let the sun rise a bit more. They had planned on leaving for Ponyville right after they ate but Celestia insisted they wait for Twilight to wake up. So they laid around, reading nothing in particular.

"I'm bored of waiting let's just go to Ponyville and figure something else out." Luna suggested as she slammed her book closed.

Dawn was ready too. "Let's fly there." Dawn suggested excitedly, setting down her own book and spreading her wings.

"Alright but don't go too fast. It is no fun when you get there too soon." Luna said to deaf ears as Dawn flew out of the balcony into the welcoming blue sky. 

Dawn wasn't planning on going fast she just wanted the wind in her, now ethereal, mane. She took in a deep breath of the gardens as she swooped at them. The new spring blossoms let the sweetest of smells surround the area. Luna flew by her side, taking in the same smells and enjoying the flight.

The two alicorns lightly glided through the air, showing each other tricks. Dawn recalling the many tricks she had remembered from her early youth, Luna showing tricks that she had created over her lifespan. Each giggling at each others stunts. It set Dawn's mind at ease that, even after all this stuff, she could enjoy simple things with Luna. She knew Luna still enjoyed the little things beyond just the chaos they liked to sow. Eventually, they did make it to Ponyville. They circled the town, looking down at the ponies only to find a stray cloud to spy from. 

"Do you think I'm in today's paper?" Dawn asked.

"Knowing Celly? You likely are." Luna replied.

"What fruit comes out this time of year?" Dawn asked, looking at the market below.

"Mmm, berries."

"We should get some."

"That sounds good." Luna agreed as she dropped off the cloud, spinning in a dive. Dawn followed closely. She needed to practice landing, yesterday she had gotten by with the help of teleportation. Luna touched ground gracefully, making it look so simple. Dawn followed. As she tried to slow down from her descent, she landed with a thud letting her legs absorb the impact. "Good enough." Luna laughed as she turned around just in time to see it. 

Dawn snorted at her landing. Ponies started to bow around her only then did she realize why. "Right, forgot I was a giant..." Dawn said as she stretched her growth away, her muscles quaked in thanking her. Her hair fell to her side, straight as can be despite the speeds she had just subjected them to. "There we are! Blueberries!" Dawn exclaimed excitedly as she spotted a fruit stand. 

"It is not because you were larger than them, Dawn. It was because they sense your magic, your power. We never told our little ponies to bow to us. They do it out of instinct. If you recall back when we first met, you were the only pony in the room lacking that instinct."

"I'm pretty sure that was because I didn't know how to act around you." Dawn whipped out her purse from her bank and trotted over to the shops opening with Luna in her wake. She dropped two bits to the stunned frozen ponies behind the counter and grabbed a bag of blueberries.

"Thank you." Luna said quickly as she left the stand, following Dawn down the road. "I wonder what time it is."

"Let's go find out if Twilight is awake." Dawn said launching into the air, pulling her bag of berries with her. She stopped short of the tree. That is still alive...

"What's wrong?" Luna asked while hovering next to Dawn.

"Want some?" Dawn asked as she opened the bag and threw a few berries in her own mouth as she stared at the defaced tree.

"Thanks." Luna said, taking some, still studying Dawn for a reason of stopping just short of their objective.

"We will just have to see." Dawn said, nodding to herself as she started to move closer to Twilight's library. Landing and knocking on the door, she heard the wood of the library lightly groan.

"We're open." Spike yelled from with in.

"And rightly so being a public Library." Dawn laughed as she walked in. The wood under her feet resonated with life, it was a thrilling sensation. "How are you this fine morning Spike?"

"Oh hey Dawn, Luna. How are you feeling?" Spike asked Dawn. He was lying on a large cushion across the room. He did his best not to get up and greet them, his comfort was too important.

"Fine, dandy, uber-ific even." 

"Uber-ific?"

"Something I expect you to understand your next growth spurt." Dawn chuckled. Dawn and Twilight had been learning a lot about dragon anatomy. His wings were due in a couple of years. "Twilight around?" She asked excitedly.

The tree groaned with her excitement. "What was that?" Luna asked. Dawn listened in to the tree. The morning breeze against the tree's leaves was the only noise she wanted to take note of.

"What was that Spike? Did you accidently collapse another bookshelf? Again..." Twilight asked as she ran out of the second floor with a wretched case of bed head. "Luna, Dawn! Uhh...What are you two doing here?"

"O drat, I went incognito earlier. I really didn't think that through." Dawn whispered to Luna as Twilight made her way near the entrance where her guests were standing.

"We still have Rarity." Luna consoled.

"We can still salvage it!" Dawn protested. Before Twilight came into perfect view of Dawn, she launched into the air. "I CAN FLY!" Dawn shrilled in excitement as she did quick circles in the air show casing her wings.

Twilight stood on the ground, looking shocked as expected. Luna was chuckled at the whole display. Dawn came in for a clumsy landing, beaming at Twilight. "What? How?" Twilight asked, mumbling incoherently to herself.

"Well I had a rather nasty teleportation accident with a pegasus the night of the party. Unfortunate for her, lucky for me that she was my shade of pink." Dawn said in serious tone.

Luna collapsed with laughter from the very idea. "You're awful." She giggled out loud.

Dawn broke her façade and joined Luna in laughter at Twilight's expense. 

"Seriously, what is going on?" Twilight asked, cocking her head as she inspected Dawn and poking her wings with her hoof.

"Twilight Sparkle, can you keep a secret?" Luna stood up straight, taking a serious royal posture.

"Uhh, sure..." 

"We do not know. We suspect it has something to do with being trapped in the void." Luna lied.

"Yeah, crazy isn't it. You should see me in an hour or so I'll be big with crazy hair and junk." Dawn said as she fell to her quarters.

"Wait... What?" Spike asked, getting up from his cushion, vocalizing Twilight's apparent confusion.

Dawn and Luna looked at each other knowing they can't let her know they know more than what she already knows. "Luna explained it pretty well." Dawn said plainly, waving a hoof at the already spoken words.

"We are explaining it to the public, saying she is a long lost princess of an ancient land." Luna informed.

"So wait you’re a princess now? What do you represent? Are we going to have something new in the sky or something? Are we going to have thirty six hour days? Or maybe 24 hour days spilt into 8 hours. I could work with that." Twilight quickly asked, her eyes growing to the size of dinner plates as she continued to check Dawn's wings for authenticity.

"Umm... Yes. I'm the earth. No. No, and while that would be neat and convenient, no." Dawn answered Twilight's hurried questions just as quickly. "I'm the one that is making this poor mutilated tree of yours, groan. It's 'growing' around me. I should probably not stay in here for very long or at least until I can learn to stop that little bit of magic." She said, waving her wings to make her point. "Blueberry?" She offered Twilight and Spike.

"You didn't tell me about that." Luna said, taking a hoof full of blueberries for herself.

"Yes, well... I made it a point to stay in the skies yesterday so I could 'Not' think about it." Dawn admitted. Dawn slowly backed out the front door of the library. The tree groaned some more, longing to be with Dawn a little longer. "Come join us in the park." Dawn said to Twilight who was still processing the lot of information.

Luna closed the door behind her and followed Dawn up to the skies. Dawn spotted the park she had enjoyed on occasion and started to dive for it, her bag of berries flew next to her. She managed to gallop into a landing, a mark improvement from her meteor approach. She skipped over to the tree that over looked the park and planted herself under it. The dew of the morning soaked her coat as she did so.

"So do you make all plants grow or just trees?" Luna asked, approaching Dawn from her landing point.

"All plants for sure but I think..." A bunny landed on her head from the tree. She picked up the bunny with her hooves. She could feel it was an old bunny, very close to the end of its life. She wasn't sure how she felt such things but it was clear as day to her. She gently placed the bunny on the ground next to her, giving it a blueberry. "I think all living things respond to this energy I seem to give off. April said she had never slept better in her life than she did last night." She finished as the bunny cuddled up next to Dawn.

"Hmmm." Luna hummed, studying the bunny from where she sat next to Dawn.

"Angel!" some voice cried from above.

"I thought I recognized that bunny." Luna said, getting up. "Fluttershy, he's down here."

"Fluttershy?" Dawn asked the bunny who was curled up in a ball against her.

"Oh, Thank you, Luna." Fluttershy said quietly as she gracefully landed next to the night princess, looking around.

"Over here." Dawn said, pointing at the ball of fur with a hoof. 

"Oh, thank you, thank you." She said swooping in to pick up the bunny. "Now Angel you know not to jump off my back when I'm flying." Fluttershy scolded the sleeping bunny as she put him on her back. "I hope he wasn't any trouble..." She said as her eyes caught a glimpse of Dawn's wings. Her eyes grew wide. 

"I'm a fancy smanshie princess now, got promoted." Dawn said plainly as she watched the shock grow in Fluttershy's eyes.

"Oh... I'm very happy for you." She said so quietly Dawn was surprised her voice didn’t get lost in the morning breeze.

"Well thank you."

"Dawn!" called Twilight's voice from a distance. Dawn titled her head to see Twilight running her way with Trixie and Spike in tow. Twilight's mane looked haphazardly bushed, Trixie looked like she didn't care.

"By Celestia's meadow muffins! You guys were telling the truth." Trixie exclaimed while out of breath.

"Isn't it wonderful? She got promoted to Princess." Fluttershy told the new arrivals. "I am so happy for her."

"Promoted?" They all asked in unison.

"Sure, what position is above lady of the east tower? Princess." Dawn chuckled. Luna retook her seat next to Dawn. They were roughly the same size now, bigger than your average mare.

"Dawn, no more jokes. Tell me what did this to you." Twilight demanded, getting annoyed in the process.

"We already told you Twilight Sparkle." Luna said with a sigh.

"But that does not make sense. You do not make sense." Twilight said, pointing a hoof at Dawn. "You should not exist." She concluded. "I felt that strange magic at work on your birthday. Why you? What was it?"

"She already said Twilight, she got promoted." Fluttershy said, knowingly.

"Just because we do not have the answers yet does not mean it does not make sense or it does not exist, Twilight." Dawn said, taking a collegial tone with her. "We, Luna, Celestia and I, believe that being lost in the void and returning has triggered magic older than the princesses. Thus I gained wings." She added casually flapping her wings to prove a point. "And look what happened to poor Sir Castalot... Blueberry?" She offered the last few berries to the group before dumping them in her mouth.

Angel jumped down from Fluttershy's back to run over to Dawn to cuddle up with her. "Angel, no! You shouldn't go running up to ponies you don't know." Fluttershy chided, plucking up the bunny from Dawn's flank only for him to fight back. After a couple of swipes at Fluttershy's face he was free from her grip. "I've never seen him act like this for any pony."

"He's approaching the end of his life." Dawn said indifferently as she stroked the bunny's fur with her hoof.

"Wha... What?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes filling up with tears. 

"Oh..." Twilight jumped to her friend's side to comfort her. "...it will be alright."

"Little bunny?" Dawn said to the fur ball only for it to perk up to hear Dawn's words. "You should spend your last moments with your loved ones, not with me." Fluttershy in the background started to weep harder. The bunny considered Dawn's words before it hopped over to Fluttershy to comfort her with Twilight.

"I'm going to go take her home." Twilight said with a hoof over Fluttershy to comfort her. Dawn helped the bunny get on Fluttershy's head where he curled up in her mane. The two mares walked out into the distance.

"How did you know he was going to die?" Luna asked, gaining that studious tone again.

"Not sure. Worth further study." Dawn said as she noted it inside her head.

"I don't have to call you Princess now do I?" Trixie teased.

"It would be better than 'vagabond idiot' you hag." Dawn replied in kind.

They both laughed at each other before Trixie deadpanned saying, "I'm going back to bed." Trixie turned around back the way she came and with an unsatisfying sigh, Spike joined her.

"Poor Fluttershy." Luna sighed into the grass she was now laying on.

"Angel is the one that is dying." Dawn said, shuffling in the new growth that had sprouted under her. "What do you want to do now?" She asked, looking into the sky. It was scheduled to be a good day. A few white clouds were allowed to drift lazily in the sky.

"I was hoping Twilight may join us at Rarity's." Luna admitted.

Dawn let out a heavy sigh as she watched the empty blueberry container burst into magical pink flame. "I suppose we could go catch up to Twilight and Fluttershy." Dawn suggested, getting up and flaring her wings for take off.

Luna followed suit. "Alright."

Dawn launched from under the tree into the air with a terrific speed. She turned around, once reaching the altitude she wanted. She could see a perfect circle of new growth around where she was sitting under the tree. She massaged her temples on how much she didn't know about this whole thing, she reasoned to just put it on the back burner she had plenty of time to deal with it. An eternity in fact.

Luna, who was hovering where Dawn stopped, was studying the same circle on the ground. She offered a comforting hoof to Dawn, and much to Luna's delight Dawn did relax to her touch. "Shall we?" Luna asked over the sound of their flapping.

Dawn banked into a glide towards the direction she saw Twilight head in, just flying above the canopy of the park. It led them to an edge of a forest that sent a chill down Dawn's spine. "What is that?" Dawn asked. 

"The Everfree forest." Luna answered half heartedly. 

"Why is it like that?" The forest just didn't set right with Dawn in the least. Something was profoundly wrong with the area.

"That is where Celestia and I fought a thousand years ago. The spells cast back then have sundered the balance of the area. It's is also where I still consider home is, though it is long gone."

"Neat." Dawn chirped as she swooped towards the expansive forest. Luna didn't follow right away which caught Dawn off guard. "Is something wrong?" She called back after coming to a slow hover.

Luna hovered closer to Dawn. "I just want you to be careful. There are beasts in there that do not fall under our rule."

"We won't hurt any animals." Dawn figured is what she wanted hear. "I'm just curious to see this home of yours."

Luna gave a weak smile to Dawn before leading the way. An old castle that looked nothing like the one in Canterlot came into view. It was surrounded by a gorge that was strategically valuable against attackers and very high walls. Luna landed at the bottom of a long line of steps only to start climbing them. Dawn followed. The large grey stone walls were well weathered. Weeds, vines and small critters used this as their home now. They climbed to the top to be greeted by large metal doors that were unhinged. The pony made material resisted all attempts of nature reclaiming it. They both stepped on and over the doors and walked inside. 

"This was our home for over ten thousand years, Celly and I built it ourselves originally." She said, stroking the stone floor lovingly. "Our little ponies added the small things that made it home though. Decorations, those doors, they pampered us as they do now." Luna sounded distraught, like she was in pain and wanting to weep for her home. Dawn went over to wrap her foreleg around her to console her.

"We could always restore it later." Dawn comforted with a shrug. "Move back." She offered, lifting her arm to take steps forward into what she now recognized was the throne room. Dawn chuckled at the sheer importance of the place where she was now standing. So much history happened here. Her joy was almost inappropriate to Luna's mood but it soon rubbed off on the night goddess.

"Let me show you my favorite part of this castle." Luna invited, leading Dawn down a hallway off to the side where she thought the thrones must have been at one point. This hallway was lined with ornate carvings that could still be seen, when they were not covered in vivacious vines.

Luna stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to the wall. She gently pressed with her hoof a small stone block that looked like all the others around it, it gave way. With what sounded like large clockwork from behind the wall, the stone blocks started to fold away revealing a secret entrance. Luna smiled as a proud mother would as Dawn's curiosity took the better of her. Dawn peaked inside, her eyes darting to the wall containing the secrets she desired. 

Luna guided Dawn into the room which was large and circular. There were gears, pacers and levers all working franticly around her, reminding her of most complicated clocks of Canterlot. Runes, Dawn did not recognize, covered the surrounding mechanisms. Dawn looked down to see she was standing on a translucent floor where she could see more gears and the like, working just as hard as the others. The secret door they had walked through resealed, leaving them in the dark. Only then did Dawn see that a light that sparkled through the clockwork around her. "Stars?" She asked, recognizing the light were in a pattern that she knew.

"Star Swirl made this for me. So I can show the night to any pony I desired, no matter the weather or time of day." She said, pointing at the moon below their hooves. The waxing moon was the main source of light in the room, there was no sun. "Not even my sister knows of this room, I think. He built it in complete secrecy from us and surprised me with it." She added while lying down to stare at the stars.

"It's beautiful." Dawn said, taking a seat next to Luna. "It's a shame I want to take it apart so badly." She laughed.

"He was a brilliant unicorn." Luna said mournfully. "It is only a couple minutes off after all this time too." She added while smiling at the mechanisms below her.

"Amazing." Dawn stretched away what little growth she had before laying down next to Luna to enjoy the night sky.

The two watched the sky drift around them like they had done so many times before but with the real sky. The ticking of the clockwork was a very calming sound. Tick after tick, Dawn felt her eyes slowly close to the almost musical timings of the room. Dawn fell asleep under Luna's wing, which she had been stretched over her once Luna saw Dawn's eyes close.

-----

Dawn walked over to April. She was only grey blur but she knew it was her. The scenery evolved around them into a part of the Canterlot castle she had never seen before. April was laying down in a bed meant for one. Dawn out stretched a hoof that was bigger than she wanted it to be. April smeared like paint under her hoof. Panic raced through her body as she tried to fix what was April.

Her dream faded into black as Dawn stretched herself into consciousness. She found herself curled up in a ball with Luna cuddled around her. "Have a pleasant nap?" Luna smiled at her with that one smile that kind of crept her out, again.

Dawn didn't mind it much, she was more shocked at the fact that she fell asleep at all. "Yeah. Thanks." She said, getting up feeling the chill of the castle crawl at where Luna was keeping her warm. "How long was I out?" Dawn asked, almost fearing the answer. That didn't feel like a normal sleep.

Luna turned around to look at the moon below her. "Almost an hour, you were so cute. I didn't want to wake you."

Dawn looked around at the amazing room. She was going to ignore Luna's comment. As much as Dawn wanted to study the room she was in she knew it was something sacred for Luna and so she would let her curiosity rest. 

"Do you want to see any more of the castle?" Luna asked, using her magic to open the door they previously entered through. 

"Some other time." Dawn answered as she followed Luna into the hallway. Why teleport when flying was so much more entertaining. 

"To Ponyville then?" Luna asked, flaring her wings for take off. Dawn's wings flipped up in response.

"Sure. Twilight's?" She asked as Luna took off down the hallway flying, half cheering of a freedom of it. Dawn pushed herself into Luna's draft to hear her reply. None came. In no time flat they were high above the Everfree forest. Luna, in her mood, started to mimic some of the moves Dawn had showed her. Dawn couldn't help but join her.

Dawn pulled into a barrel roll dive, tucking in her hooves to get a greater spin, only to pull up just short of hitting the canopy of trees putting her in the perfect position to do a full corkscrew out. She did so, extending her wings fully to slow her spin once at the apex of the corkscrew.

Luna took up a position next to Dawn once her trick was done cheering her approval. "Perhaps I should go to one of these 'Wonderbolt' shows. When Celly explained it to me, when I first got back, I laughed at the notion that they turned flying into an art form."

"An art form? I suppose it is... You've never seen them?" Dawn asked, some what baffled by the idea.

"Well Celly introduced them to me at the gala a couple times but I have never have taken a vested interest in them." Luna said, barreling in a circle around Dawn. 

"We should go some time." 

The two, instead of landing, found a lonely cloud floating above the town. The town square below was full of life that they didn't want to disturb like last time. 

They spotted a teenage dragon walking along side a purple pony, even better they looked like they were heading to Rarity's boutique. Luna pushed the cloud by flapping her wings to follow them, while still resting on it.

"You'll have to teach me some time about how clouds work." The statement sounded dumb to Dawn but she knew Luna knew what she meant.

"You can think of them like a... sponge. You know those things servants use to clean things?" Luna said, nodding, unsure of her analogy.

"Alright sponges." Dawn nodded with her.

Luna pondered as she pushed the cloud, "I will explain in greater detail later." Luna concluded. "They are not like sponges." 

"Alright..."

They both peaked their heads over the cloud to watch Twilight and Spike waddle into Rarity's carousel, Spike barely fit through the door. Luna and Dawn rolled off the cloud, falling into a dive for the ground. Luna landed gracefully as ever, Dawn landed with a thump and a skip but all together she was still getting better. They walked in after Spike and Twilight to be greeted by a room full of ponies, all Twilight's friends.

"Welcome to Rarity's Carousel Boutique." a pony said from behind a counter who didn't really look to who had walked in.

"Miss Diamond Tiara, look alive!" Rarity yelled from across the room. Forcing the pony behind the counter to jolt up, greeting the new arrivals. "Princess Luna! Dawn!" Rarity greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Dawn here needs a proper dress for the gala!" Luna decreed. "I could not think of a better pony for the job."

"Oh I'm honored, but you did pick a uhh... less opportune time." Rarity said, ignoring the wings on Dawn's side.

Dawn closed her eyes in disappointment but that's all the clarity of thought she needed to figure out that Angel the bunny had passed away in the short time they were in Luna's observatory. Luna must have connected a few dots herself. "How dreadfu..." Luna started to say.

Fluttershy had swooped in to hug Dawn, crying her eyes out. In her quivering sorrow she whispered, "Thank you" into Dawn's ear. Dawn was surprised to say the least and she was pretty sure she didn't do anything that warranted such affections. Recuperating quickly, she can wrapped her hooves around the crying mare. She could see Fluttershy's friends were just as confused as she was but were not about to pull back the mare. Dawn tried to comfort the pegasus like her mother had on occasion done for her, it felt unnatural and strange to comfort somepony so small and fragile. She stood there in the door way, letting Fluttershy soak her coat in tears until she pulled away whispering, "Thank you" for the thousandth time. 

Luna had retreated into the depths of the shop with the rest of Twilight's friends for Dawn and Fluttershy to join them. Tea was laid out for the lot of them courtesy of the pink mare behind the counter.

"So this was the 'Transformation' Princess Celestia was going on about?" Applejack asked as soon as Fluttershy planted herself in between her and Pinkie, who welcomed the yellow pegasus into her arms. Applejack was gesturing to Dawn's flared wings. 

Stupid things won't stay down. She forced her wings down and than returned a smile to the eyes staring back at her. "I see it as a most well earned promotion." Dawn teased, earning a chuckle from Luna.

"You're bigger too." Rainbow Dash said as she inspected the wings.

Dawn stretched to let out her built up growth. "Better?" 

"You are going to be horrid to fit for a dress." Rarity said plainly.

Luna let out a heavy sigh. "We were going to prank you with it but that plan went down the drain." Luna said bluntly.

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy whimpered out from Pinkie's embrace.

"No forget about." Dawn sighed. "Wasn't going to be 'that' funny any ways."

"No. That would have been pretty hysterical." Rainbow Dash said, nodding at the idea only to gain a half a dozen glares from the ponies around her. "What? It would!"

"You know RD I thought you would've learned to control your yapper by now but I keep underestimating you." Applejack said, shaking her head at Rainbow.

"Oh the topazes and emeralds I could have matched with you..." Rarity said to Dawn, looking disappointed.

"So how'd this happen? You're no 'long lost princess' that's for sure..." Applejack asked, quoting the paper.

"They don't know." Twilight answered, sounding very annoyed by the prospect.

"Hey now, doesn't mean I won't find the answer." Dawn lied, pounding her chest with pride like the parents that raised her.

"I don't accept that Celestia doesn't know more than you are telling me." Twilight said confidently, her eyes darting back and forth from Dawn's to Luna's, looking for any kind of a reaction. She found only feigned confusion on the faces of adept liars at work.

"What on Equestria could we know Twilight? Frankly I'm hurt." Dawn asked, laying the guilt on thick.

"This is older than either me or my sister. I am surprised you would think so little of us to think we would hide such important information from you." Luna added. 

The tag team got the reaction they wanted. Twilight ducked her head in shame. "I'm sorry, I trust you. Both of you." She mumbled.

Twilight's apology brought on a thick silence to the room to the point that it was almost palatable. "I should take you to Cloudsdale!" Luna said, cutting the silence.

"Cloudsdale is nice." Twilight added, also hoping to disperse the silence.

"Alright. But we aren't eating there. I can't stand pegasus cuisine."

"Hey!" Rainbow protested.

"Fair enough." Luna agreed, getting up while ignoring Rainbow. Dawn got up with Luna, she was already as tall as Luna again. I wish I would grow at least at a consistent pace.

"Well why don't you have lunch with us?" Fluttershy suggested, pushing away Pinkie's arms. Her eyes looked fatigued from crying but Dawn could see she desperately wanted her to stay for what ever unknown reason.

Dawn inwardly chided herself for being empathetic. Dawn turned to Luna who was looking indifferent about the idea. "Alright" Dawn relented.

"Well if lunch is what you want, lunch is what you will have." Rarity said. "Where should we go?" She asked Fluttershy.

"I hope you can excuse me but I think will return to Canterlot." Luna said before bending over to nuzzle Dawn good bye. Before any one could protest, she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"Errr... Right. We can go to Fatty Joe's." Applejack suggested as she watched the dark smoke dissolve back into the void. 

"Why did she nuzzle you like that?" Twilight asked, oblivious to the subject at hoof.

"Huh?" Dawn asked to a nodding group.

"Luna. She nuzzled you like... Like a mother..." Twilight said as her eyes grew wide.

Dawn's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, trying to flee from the wrath she would likely receive from Celestia if this turned out bad. "Like a mother?" Dawn asked calmly with a hint of confusion.

"Yes darling. That is exactly how my mother nuzzles me." Rarity chimed in.

"And how Twilight nuzzles me." Spike said from a corner behind her.

Dawn forced her eyes to go wide with their realization. "You think Luna is my mother?" she asked with a polished shocked tone that ended in stunted laugh.

"It would make sense. And you do look alike..." Twilight said.

"Wait... Luna was on the moon when I was born. Plus I've seen pictures of my birth." She shuttered at the recollection of those doctored photos. She was convincing, they all stared at nothing, thinking on Dawn's evidence to the contrary. "She's always nuzzled me since I met her at Twilight's little convention."

"Assembly." Twilight corrected. "You're right. Silly idea. She is just an... affectionate pony." She concluded.

Dawn let out an inner sigh of relief. "So Fatty Joe's?"

"Diamond Tiara! I'm leaving. Do not disappoint me with a mess around here!" Rarity yelled out the room.

"Alright." Yelled back a voice beyond the walls.

Dawn led the way out of the boutique, she needed some fresh air. The second she stepped outside she found herself already in the air, flying. She took in a greedy breath of the brisk spring air. As she did, she fell back into a flip to the ground only to bounce back up in the air.

"Enjoying those wings are we?" Rainbow laughed as she hovered next to her.

"Walking is for squares." Dawn chuckled back. "I tried my best not to do it when I didn't have them." She teleported in mid air to demonstrate her point.

"That's why I bounce!" Pinkie cheered, who was bouncing next to Fluttershy.

"Have you tried any tricks with those things?" Rainbow asked doing a little flip in her excitement. 

"My mother is Ever Watch." Dawn replied as if the answer was apparent.

"Well don't keep us waiting darling let's see what you can do." Rarity said from below.

Dawn thought for a second on what she should do, once she had an idea she launched high into the air. She reached a high altitude only to dive straight down in a tight spin pulling up just short of the group earning screams of terror from them. She pulled out of her spin into a tight loop only to dive to her landing which sounded like a crunch as the cobble stone below her pulverized to dust. "Oops." Dawn lifted her hoof to see a pulverized stone under her. "I still need to work on them landings." She laughed to the slack jawed group.

"Any doubt I had about you being a princess is gone. No normal pony could have survived that." Twilight said, walking up to inspect the broken walkway under Dawn.

"Your tree growing around me wasn't enough for you?" Dawn asked.

"I didn't see it grow, I heard it. You can't measure sounds once they stop." Twilight said, using a researcher's logic.

"Yet..." Dawn laughed as she hovered off the shattered walk way to take a position above the group who started to walk again, weary of their new princess now.

"So, Princess Dawn, how fast can you fly?" Rainbow asked, excitedly nervous for the answer.

"Just Dawn please. I have no inclinations to run a country right now." Dawn said quickly. "Hmm... I don't know. Fast? Fast enough for my face to burn from the friction of the air."

"Heh, I love that feeling." Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her face with a hoof as if simulating the feeling. 

Dawn opened the doors of the diner with her magic and swooped down to a landing. The diner was full for lunch with only a few booths open. Rainbow picked one in the corner. Fluttershy sat in between Dawn and Pinkie, Dawn on the end, Spike sat on a cushion the waitress brought over for him once she took their order.

"Glad your appetite is unchanged." Twilight chuckled from across the table as the waitress left.

"Well judging the way Celestia puts away cake I think I got off easy." Dawn shrugged.

Twilight rolled her eyes as silence started to loom over the table. Every pony just stared into oblivion for a moment.

"Umm, Dawn? I was wondering… If you wouldn't mind me asking a question. That is if you don’t mind answering…" Fluttershy broke the silence but turned silent under every pony's gaze.

"What is it?" Dawn asked, trying to mimic Celestia's smile to coax out the best of ponies.

"How did you know Angel Bunny was going to die?" Fluttershy asked with more confidence than Dawn realized she had. Especially about the subject that had her in tears just moments ago.

"I don't know. It would be another question to add to a long list." Dawn admitted. It left her pondering what she did know. "I can kind of… Sense life now. I can sense all of you thriving, strong. Same goes for all life, plant and animal. I felt your bunny's time was coming..." She paused as she digested her own words. I'm starting to sound cryptic… "Defiantly worth some study later."

The specter of silence lingered after Dawn's words. Then it struck her. I make them uncomfortable... Dawn turned to her tail. It was turning to an ethereal quality. She would soon be too big for the booth if she kept this up. She scooted off her seat and to the ground to share Spike's large cushion. He didn't mind. This was her life now. She would always be a size changing, immortal, life giving, princess, might as well have them get used to it. She rested her head on the table in defeat.

The silence was revealing for her, even with the knowledge that it wasn't so for the rest. Fluttershy was the only one who seemed to not mind it other than Dawn. Soon enough the food arrived, was eaten, and paid for. All with very mild and tame conversation all initiated by Rarity who was not content with the silence. As they all made it outside Dawn, in the height of her growth, turned to Fluttershy. 

"I hope you remember your friend well." Dawn said with as much grace as she could muster. Fluttershy just nodded to Dawn's request. She turned to address the rest of Twilight, Spike and their friends. "I'm off. You have a wonderful day and what not. Enjoyed lunch..." She said, letting her wings pick her up. She waved a hoof at them. Once she saw they weren't going to follow traditional social protocols, she took off into the sky. She let her mind wander as she flew on autopilot until she landed on her balcony at the tower.

Luna was inside, doing nothing in particular. She was lying against the large marble block until she saw Dawn land. "You do look quite lovely when you're that size. Did you enjoy lunch?" She greeted as she rolled up, off from the ground.

"Well I don't think they enjoyed it much. I make them uncomfortable. I think they even fear me." Dawn admitted. "You nearly gave us away when you left. Nuzzling me goodbye like that, they thought you were my mother!"

"I am your mother." Luna laughed at the words she was happy to say.

"You did that on purpose..." Dawn mumbled with a sudden realization.

"My sister underestimates Twilight, her daughter." Luna said, getting up to look around Dawn's room. "You are right of course, that is simply not my 'Call'. Forgive me."

"It's fine. I have them thinking it is an absurd Idea and I really don't think Twilight is her daughter." Dawn took up a seat on her couch, leaving no room for any other pony.

Celestia teleported to the center of the room besides the marble stone. "Ahh, good you are back. I wanted to remind you of the party tomorrow with all those nobles. I hope you didn't make any plans."

"All clear." Dawn answered with a tired sigh.

"Dawn was just learning that ponies are afraid of us." Luna said, cooing as if talking about a foal.

"Well you are radiating an energy that no pony has ever felt before." Celestia nodded. "Plus when you’re this size you will have to expect it. Even from the ponies closest to you. It was little over a year ago that I finally got Twilight to address me informally." Celestia drifted in thought for a second. Dawn and Luna didn't really notice. Luna was busy rifling through Dawn's stuff like always and Dawn was too involved with her thoughts to notice the world collapse around her. "Can you be that size during the party tomorrow? It leaves little to doubt about your status making my job that much easier." 

"Consider it done." Dawn answered absent mindedly

"So you really can choose your size that easily?"

Dawn shook her head out of her thoughts before looking at Celestia who returned an expectant gaze. "For the most part." Dawn said as she demonstrated, stretching herself to normal size. As her muscles quaked so did the tower, right down to the ground the foundation was laid in. "Err and there's that..." 

"What was that?" Luna asked cautiously. Dawn shrugged at the earthquake. 

"I just can't control the rate of growth I think." She said as she repositioned herself on the couch to account for her new size.

"That is a nice luxury." Celestia said, nodding. "While I do have a cycle it is over centuries and is so brief it is rarely recorded in history. I appear static to most."

"So are you waxing or waning?" Dawn asked, cocking her head in her renewed curiosity.

Celestia laughed at the comparison to her sister. "I suppose waning. In about two hundred years I will be normal sized pony again for maybe a couple decades or so then I return back to this size for several centuries."

"I look forward to it." Dawn laughed. Crap I'll be alive in two hundred years... "Can I ask you two a question?"

"Just one?" Luna asked, laughing.

"Of course Dawn, we are an open book for you." Celestia said, taking a seat by the block of marble. 

"What's it like living forever?"

Luna's face turned serious as she considered how to answer. "Ponies, since the time that they could write, wrote of the curse of immortally..." She then broke her façade with a fit of giggles.

"Luna... Your daughter is asking a serious question." Celestia said with a straight face.

"Yes, yes. It was just so adorable I couldn't resist." Luna straightened up to look Dawn in the eyes. "You are in a unique position to answer this question, Dawn. When you thought you were mortal like all the rest, what was it like?"

"I... I don't know..."

"You had plans outside the castle if I recall."

"I suppose..."

Luna broke into another fit of giggles as she swooped in to hug Dawn. "Not that you have a choice in the matter but we have a profound existence. To them they think we see ponies die around us constantly but I would think you have seen enough evidence to the contrary to say otherwise, haven't you?" Luna let go of Dawn to look her in the eyes. "We do not see death because we know it does not exist. We see life as it is and it is our duty to guide that life. When we no longer have a duty then we can stop existing but until then..."

"Our plans are boundless." Celestia finished.

"Starting a family is fine for some ponies but we are not some ponies." Luna patted Dawn on the back roughly as she said this.

"This is something you will get used to thinking. We are not our little ponies. We are smarter, wiser, and stronger. It may seem arrogant right now but it is what defines us."  

"It is all pointless when you have such grander plans like uniting all life or seeing the end."

A chill went down Dawn's spine as she imagined what 'end' Luna was talking about. "Mmk... So what about the moon and the sun?"

"What about them?" Luna asked, smiling with her sister.

"Well... What binds you to them? Or me to the earth? Can I raise the sun or the moon if tried hard enough? Like the unicorns of old?" Both the princesses couldn't hold in their laughter. Dawn felt like she had missed the biggest joke of the century. 

"Oh, bless you Dawn." Celestia said with dainty giggles woven in her words. She took a seat next to her. 

"I love our little unicorns but they were the biggest con-artists."

"Were?" Celestia jabbed a hoof at Luna with a sly grin on. 

"Good point." Luna laughed. "It's an on going problem Celestia let fester the last thousand years. Surely you've noticed the unicorns are nearly always on the higher ends of pony society.

"You mean Canterlot?"

"Precisely!" Luna cheered loudly. "Why Celly moved to the unicorn capital of all places is still beyond me."

"Unicorns have the best food."

"Cake..." Dawn muttered what was on her mind.

"That's what you keep saying but honestly sister, you are not that shallow."

"So what about the unicorns?" Dawn asked, almost impatiently.

"Oh..." Luna spent a quick moment trying to recall what they were talking about. "Yes that's right... Our unicorns tricked the pegasi and earth ponies into thinking they were responsible for the sun rising and lowing. In actuality they just managed to master math quicker."

"Well where were you then?"

At the time we watched our ponies from afar in solitude like I mentioned yesterday. There were kingdoms forming and we wanted to see how they would manage on their own. So we let them forget us for awhile."

"So I can't raise the sun or moon?"

"No." Luna laughed.

"But..."

"There are few things that can usurp the will of nature, Dawn, and most of them have been dealt with as of recently or long ago." Celestia patted Dawn on the shoulder. "You cannot bend the moon or the sun to your will no more than I can bend your will or my sister's."

"I see... So the rewriting history part comes into play here?"

Celestia snickered as she got up from her seat. "Well, I am going to leave you to your thoughts." Celestia said, smiling. Dawn sunk into her couch as she thought up more questions she's wanted to ask, she had managed to put a lot on the back burner.

"I think I'll go to the garden." Dawn said as she slid off the couch. Her wings came to life picking her off the ground and out of the tower. She briefly flew around the tower only to swoop at her favorite part of the garden. She landed next to the gazebo that was littered with rose buds of dozen different colors. The nearly dead tree that stood proudly in the middle of the gazebo let white roses climb all over it.

Dawn walked to the base of tree where she could watch the landscape before her stretch beyond her sight. She let out a heavy sigh as all the small buds around her grew into fully bloomed roses, greeting her and releasing their sweet smell into the gentle breeze that grazed the gardens. The fragrance of new life helped clear her mind, letting her put her plot of life into perspective.

> Chapter 22: Ponies of the North
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty-Two


"Alright, you should bow your head like this, like I showed you." Luna said as she gave a small bow for example, it wasn't too low to show submissiveness but not too shallow to lose respect. "You will do this to every noble but for the winged unicorns coming tonight you will need to address them as ‘equals’ with a hoof shake." Luna walked up to Dawn, looking her right in the eye. "Princess Bleg bleh. So good to see you." She smiled, politely, shaking Dawn's hoof that she didn't notice Luna had picked up. "Now you try."

Dawn closed her eyes as if getting ready to perform. "Prince Blehfoodle is it? I am so glad to meet you." Dawn greeted, smiling to Luna. She gently picked up her hoof with hers and shook it. They had been at this for nearly an hour now.

"You're getting good at this." April said from behind Luna. "Very regal." She added, nodding.

"I know all this is really horrid to do but these ponies make Equestria possible." Princess Celestia said from across the room, she had been over seeing this ‘training’ of hers.

"I'll try my best to not start wars." Dawn laughed.

"The nobles from the frozen north may want to steal you away. They desperately want a ‘demigod’ for themselves but will not accept Equestria's invitation to merge." Luna said. "You should have seen them when I came back. They wanted me to join them and start a war against Celly and all of Equestria."

"You're joking..." Dawn deadpanned.

"Afraid not. Griffin, even dragon politics are positively pleasant compared to pony's." Celestia added.

"Celly messed up centuries ago, letting pony politics to get very foul..." Luna said, rolling her eyes at her sister.

"Right, it is all my fault. If I had my way the world would be united under us through force but you stood up for their ‘independence’." Celestia defended.

"Right then!" Dawn said, loudly interrupting another soon to be sisterly dispute. "Any thing else I need to know? I would very much like to relax a bit before this... thing."

"Are you sure their isn't any repercussions to staying that size?" Celestia asked for a dozen-th time.

"Not if I slowly let out the stress, then there will be only small tremors." Dawn answered for the dozen-th time.

Celestia looked over to the clock, high on the wall. "You have one hour." Celestia sighed as she walked to the center of the room where Luna and Dawn stood. "I hope you are ready, I don't think we can do anything else to prepare you." Celestia let out another sigh before teleporting out with a nervous smile on.

"I know you'll do fine. You are my daughter after all." Luna said brightly. She did love saying that. Dawn returned a smile as Luna dissolved into the shadows.

"I wish you could be with me." Dawn said, walking over to April who was behind her desk working on homework.

"I don't." April yawned. "I've sat in on Celestia's court before. I know what you're going to be dealing with. Plus I got loads of work to do. I took too much time off to fly with you and stuff. I've fallen behind." 

Dawn bent over to rest her head on the desk. Her hair, which was blowing in the eternal wind, buffeted against her face. Its ethereal quality made it so it didn't bother her in the least. Dawn looked up to April who was studiously working on her work. She was so small, normal. There was much they haven't talked about yet, but much they didn't need to talk about as well. April told her at dinner when she came back from the gardens yesterday that what ever happened they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

Dawn purposely fell on to her back, rolling to look at the large block of marble. She closed her eyes to envision what she wanted to do with it but drew a blank. Dawn groaned at her inability to create art.

"Why don't you go for a fly or something." April suggested, thinking Dawn was bored.

Dawn pushed her legs out letting her belly and head flatten against the cool marble floor. With a labored exhale she closed her eyes to the world around her. 'The simple things are our respite' Luna told her last night. She asked plenty of questions last night, many of them she got answers to but a good chunk Luna and Celestia just said 'that is something you will have to find out yourself'. 

Dawn let her mind wonder on the information she had learned. Apparently the winged unicorns Celestia hates so much are mutants and not distant relatives of the sisters, however farfetched that idea was in the first place. The titles they claim and hold dear are given because of their resemblance to the princesses and because the general public doesn't know better. Celestia and Luna tried their best to explain the intricacies of the hidden world of politics of the nobles to April and Dawn over dinner. Much of it sounded counter productive but they did make Dawn's roll very clear. She was a child; she may have a say in the country's future down the road but not anytime soon. As insulting as it was to hear, she took a great comfort in it. It was one less thing to worry about.

Dawn rolled on the floor exposing her belly to April who had peaked her head around the desk. "Now that is the grace of a princess..." April laughed as she returned behind the desk.

"Bleh." Dawn stuck her tongue at April even though she couldn't see it. "So have you decided yet?"

"You know I haven't." April sighed.

Dawn groaned as she pushed herself off the floor. She grabbed a book off her shelf and crawled over to her couch.

"Plus, where would I put my stuff? This is your tower, covered in your stuff." April added.

Dawn was tired of hearing that excuse. She opened her book. It was yet another botany textbook. She had planned to study the magic involved with farming and the like before she grew wings. Seemed incredibly appropriate now.

"I would be just down the stair well." April said, putting down her own book. "It would be essentially living together. It's not like I don't live here in a way already. I sleep in your bed more than mine."

Dawn churned in her couch. She was tired of hearing that one too. "Not a single good reason why I shouldn't move in with you down stairs. It's like you are completely ignoring that suggestion." Dawn said behind her book.

April retreated back behind her book. 

Dawn absent mindedly read through chapter after chapter in silence. The only sound in the room was April's pen scratching across paper until Luna and Celestia popped in. Dawn let out a sigh as she knew her time had flown by.

"Ready?" Luna asked.

"Yah..." Dawn groaned as she rolled off her couch only to plop on the ground. She stuffed her hooves under her and brought her self to her full height. Meeting their eyes, she said bye to April before teleporting with them to the reception room.

The room meant for this party was opened up to the castle's gardens. It was decorated with Equestria's banners and small subordinate banners of visiting dignitaries. Servants were bustling around, straightening glasses filled with spirits, and polishing the stray statues around the room. 

Celestia led Dawn to an opening where a red carpet would lead the nobles in. The room fell silent as all the servants ran out of sight, leaving only a few stone solid servers each carrying a tray of appraisers. Dawn could hear sets of hooves pattering on the shallow carpet that lead here. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Luna rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder only to quickly remove it when the first set of nobles came in.

"Presenting, King of the frozen north lands, Kazar'le Crobun." A pony yelled, to a nearly empty room. He was followed by a large winged unicorn stallion with a near comically giant crown on his head. The crown was bright yellow, gold encrusted, with thousands of tiny diamonds. He was about Luna's size, bigger than your average pony but dwarfed by Celestia and Dawn. He had a deep red coat and an even darker red mane. His cutie mark was of a shard of ice or glass glistening. 

"Kazar'le. It has been too long." Celestia greeted with a smile, grabbing his hoof to shake. "Might I introduce, Princess Dawn."

"Wonderful to meet you Kazar'le Crobun." Dawn said, not respecting his title like Luna taught her. Dawn extended her hoof to take his from Celestia as what was practiced dozens of times just an hour before. She gave a small smile that mimicked Celestia's to near perfection.

Dawn could see in his eyes that he was taken aback by Dawn's size and more. Celestia said they would all likely sense the magical power she possessed, making everything a lot 'easier'. "The... The pleasure is all mine." He said, looking Dawn in the eyes slowly, nodding. "Where did you come from?" He asked, still nodding absently.

"Did you not get the paper for the last few days? They did some very good articles on her." Luna informed, cutting in and taking his hoof from Dawn. "A pleasure to see you again Kazar'le." She added, shaking his hoof.

"I demand to know where you keep finding these ponies of yours, Celestia." He said loudly and sternly.

"Princess." Luna and Dawn corrected in unison.

Ignoring the correction she had told them to make, Celestia answered all the same. "Very ancient magic is at work Kazar'le." Celestia calmly said.

"I care not for your propaganda. You are some how centuries old I give you that but I refuse to believe you are as old as you claim. And! Anything thing you claim these ponies to be." He proclaimed loudly, pointing to Dawn and Luna with a curt hoof.

Dawn used every bit of her willpower to contain her laughter behind a stoic poker face.

"Believe what you want Kazar'le." Celestia sighed. "However I do not lie to my little ponies that includes you whether or not you believe so." Celestia said as stoically as Dawn hoped she looked. The king huffed away, followed by his entourage out to the gardens.

"You did very well." Celestia whispered to Dawn. Luna was lightly chuckling on Dawn's other side.

The night continued very much like its first encounter. Some ponies screamed, some begged, some attempted to bribe. The contemptible ponies filled the large reception area over the next following hours while the two princesses introduced each noble to Dawn. Dawn was struck with relief as Celestia motioned the guards to close the doors for the rest of the night. She then smiled at Dawn for a job well done.

"That wasn't half as bad as mine." Laughed Luna as the three celestial demigoddesses turned to the crowd. "Then again it was a new moon."

Celestia took in a deep breath as she surveyed the party. "Fillies and Gentlecolts!" Her voice echoed through out the hall. Winged unicorns, griffins, and pony nobles alike turned their attention to the sun goddess. "I welcome you all here to welcome Equestria's newest member to the royal family. Princess Dawn." 

Clopping throughout the hall echoed, giving cue to Dawn to give a much practiced bow to the lot of ponies. She wasn't told to say anything even though all eyes, except Luna's and Celestia's, were on her, expecting something.

"Please I welcome you to my table." Celestia said, gesturing outside where a large table was laid out. "Let us feast to Princess Dawn's rebirth!" She said with an imposing voice.

The party migrated to the table outside while they stayed back. 

"I was thinking Celly." Luna whispered over Dawn. "What if we have Dawn do one of her sky spells. Something that would leave no doubt in their minds..."

"I was thinking of the same thing Luna." Celestia whispered back. "Dawn, later do you think you could perform the Battle of Ponymopylae?"

"It would be appropriate for this time of year." Dawn whispered back, nodding.

"Make a show of it." Celestia smiled back.

When the nobles sat down to their assigned seats, Celestia started to lead Luna and Dawn to the end of the table. Taking her time with every step, Celestia wanted the nobles and foreign nobility to wait for her. Luna and Dawn took to Celestia's pace as practiced. Luna and Dawn took their seats on each side of Celestia, monopolizing the end. The king of the frozen north was on Dawn's other side. The Castle’s servants exploded out of near by doors surrounding the garden dinning area with plates of food for each guest.

Dawn was not sure what was laid in front of her but she knew it was small and would not fill her stomach. She looked across the table and saw the same disappointment in Luna's eyes but not on her face. Luna's magic lit up willing the many utensils of unicorn high dining into action. Dawn mimicked Luna, doing the same with her set of silverware.

"So what are they paying you to make me look so foolish?" the king next to her asked, just loud enough for her and the princesses to hear.

"Paying?" Dawn asked in a normal volume, she looked back at him innocently. Luna has never paid me anything...

"Yes. What in the world do you call your barbaric currency system? Bites? Mites? How many mites do they pay you?"

Dawn gave a dainty chuckle like she was taught. "Bits. And I don't earn any bits from Equestria." Dawn said. She was rather proud of her choice of wording.

"Mmhmmm" He hummed back, eyeing the princesses across the table. "Tell me. What does your cutie mark mean then?" He asked, turning back to Dawn.

"It is a solar eclipse. It is something that takes both the moon and the sun to do. So does Dawn represent qualities of both my sister and me." Celestia said, cutting in.

"I told you Celestia...”

"Princess." Luna and Dawn corrected again. Taking in every bit of pleasure it gave as they watched his face contort to their correction.

"I told you 'Princess' Celestia, I will not be fed your propaganda." The king said very annoyed and very loudly. "I was asking Dawn."

"Princess." Luna and Celestia corrected.

"I was asking 'Princess' Dawn." He snarled through his teeth.

"I am a master of magic of both light and dark. This is just one aspect Celestia meant." Dawn answered calmly while managing to boast that she could talk without titles.

"Mmhmmm." He said as she brought food to his mouth ending all future conversations.

Luna gave a sly wink of approval from across the table. Dawn looked around, many ponies were paying attention to their conversation.

Dawn started at her food, what ever it was. She paced her eating as she was taught at dinner last night. She was being careful to not let the silverware touch the plates or each other to make a noise.

Celestia was the last one to finish eating. Conversation was strong at the table among the nobles. Luna's night was just starting to show through the sky. Her moon was just peaking over the horizon in the distance. The table was lit by lanterns burning a bright blue flame held up by strings barely visible to the eye. Dinner was surprisingly and pleasantly conversation free for her, aside from the silly king sitting next to Dawn.

Without words, Celestia released the party from the table by getting up and leading a way deep into the gardens where another party setting was set up. Dawn and Luna followed closely in tow. The flowers of the walkway they were following, that were closing up to the absence of the sun, opened up to Dawn as she passed, each one turning in their blooming towards her. The nobles following were left in awe as they watched the garden react so strongly to their new princess.

Dawn had noticed that the growth was quickest when she was full size during yesterday's 'experiments'. The night out in full swing, constellations showing themselves brightly to their creator. Celestia lead the party into the new area which was surrounded by hedges and lit with the similar lanterns that lit the table. She then turned around to face the flow of the ponies coming her way to speak. "My little ponies. You are in for quite a treat this evening. Princess Dawn will be performing something for you all, it is a unique magic that only she knows. Dawn?" Celestia turned to Dawn and gestured with a hoof to begin.

All eyes turned to the pink Princess standing tall. "Over two thousand years ago there was a great battle." Dawn said as she casually built up magic in her horn. "A battle that ponies will never forget. Not because it was bloody. Not because it was brutal." The magic was building in waves aligned with her words. She did have a knack for showponyship. "Ponies will remember the courage displayed on that battle field. Three hundred elite Pegasus, with only about a thousand and a half, unicorns and earth ponies to back them up, defend their home from an invading force of tens of thousands." The more magically inclined onlookers were backing up as the blinding magic grew in Dawn's horn that she was casually building up. "An invading force unlike pony kind had ever seen. I present you the Battle of Ponymopylae!" As she finished her introductions a pony sized orb was produced at the tip of her horn. It slowly crawled up the sky, unwavering and accelerating. 

Silence draped over the nobles as they watched the orb ascend to the sky and disappear among the stars. Suddenly her spell flashed the sky red,  yellow, green , than black dimming Luna's precious stars and moon. Even the lanterns on the ground dimmed to a barely visible state. A strong shock wave hit every pony as the sky exploded expanding a ring of pure energy leaving behind a bright aurora borealis of every color pony kind could think of. The colors clashed randomly until another shock wave of warm energy filled air, organized the colors into shapes of the brave warriors of Ponymopylae. The ponies of old clashed their armor and swords, letting separate explosions happen giving a sound effect to each movement.

Dawn backed up to where Celestia and Luna were watching the battle.

"You do have a flair for entertainment." Celestia admitted.

"I've heard that speech dozens of times. My parents took me to each pegasus festival with in the immediate area up until I was fifth teen or so." Dawn explained quietly in between the explosions happening above.

Every pony minus the silly king from the north watched the sky. The king was glaring at Dawn. Dawn happily ignored him. She was more interested in the garden she was in. She walked over to the edge of the area to the nearest hedge. The hedge reacted to her and started to produce new growth that included buds that shouldn't see the light of day, or night for that matter, for months. She almost wanted to whisper to it and tell it not to go out its way for her but her words would fall on no ears. She turned to the party and sat on her quarters in the grass that was slowly growing around her. The battle was nearly ending with the valiant pegasus's death. She watched the nobles "OOoo" and "ahhh" with the grand finale. She was poked in the back by the hedge who was giving her a vibrant pink and orange flower. She quickly retreated from the hedge back to Luna and Celestia.

"I hope you still make spells like these in your spare time. They truly are amazing." Celestia whispered as the sky grew quiet.

"It has been almost a year since I made my last spell like this. But I have yet to show it to anypony other than April and Twilight." Dawn whispered back loud enough to let Luna listen in. "It's meant for the day or I would show case it now." She quickly whispered as the last soldier in the sky took his last breath, returning the sky to its starry glory.

Applause erupted from the crowd of snobbish, contemptible ponies. Dawn gave a practiced regal bow.

"Please my little ponies celebrate with us, enjoy yourselves." Celestia said, waving her hoof at the food set out around the party guests. 

A noble, whom Dawn had already forgotten the name of but knew she attempted to bribe her with 'The finest rubies you will find in Equestria', came up and approached Dawn and the princesses. "I recognize that spell from my district." She said with an accent that can only be described as posh. "A young unicorn performed it a couple years ago. The mayor of the town I was in described her as 'chaos manifest', did you meet this pony because I would hardly consider it 'unique'?"

Luna let out a brief snicker only to quickly control herself. "I'm afraid Princess Dawn was that 'chaos manifest', she grew her wings only a couple days ago." Celestia said, smiling calmly.

Dawn smiled at the posh little pony as Celestia's words sunk in. "Oh! I beg your forgiveness for my harsh words, Princess." She said quickly, bowing low and backing away not waiting for Dawn's 'forgiveness'.

"I didn't know he still felt that way still." Dawn laughed quietly.
Celestia laughed. "You were chaos manifest." She let out a sigh. “You were such a pain to clean up after…” Celestia said as she watched noble that had approached them run to the nearest group of ponies. 

“Clean up?” Dawn asked.

“No pony told you?" Luna snickered as she took up Dawn's other side. "Celly cleaned up all your little pranks when you were younger. She is likely the reason you were not sent to be rehabilitated with other deviants.”

"Oh?" Dawn turned to Celestia with an amused look, hoping for more elaboration.

"And now the gossip begins." Celestia said plainly, ignoring Dawn's expectant looks. Dawn spotted the noble that had approached her, spew words to the nearest group of ponies using exaggerated hoof movements.

Dawn sighed. Celestia knows these ponies too well for it to be healthy. Dawn backed into the grass separating the hedges and the party area. She planted her quarters into the soft grass for Luna to do the same next to her. The plants around her creped closer with growth but Dawn ignored it as she watched the ponies gossip and bicker in groups. The night ended nearly an hour later, for them at least, as Celestia claimed they needed to sleep for another day of running a country. The three of them bid their farewells and quickly retreated into the safety of the castle.

"That went remarkable well." Celestia admitted as they walked down a hall way.

Dawn was stretching muscle after muscle getting gradually smaller. I'm glad April thought of this. 

"That 'King' is a strange pony to deny what is in front of his muzzle." Luna said, shaking her head.

"Yah, I didn't know there were ponies like that." Dawn giggled as she stretched the last bit of growth out of her. 

"I could use some cake." Celestia admitted as they turned a corner.

"I can use some real food." Dawn said with Luna nodding next to her. "I'm thinking spaghetti." 

"Yes." Luna agreed, nodding rapidly.

"I'm gonna go get April, see if she wants to eat with us." Dawn said, before stepping into her tower through the void. "April?" She called out. She walked up to the desk and found her unconscious behind the desk. A sickly, yellow, foam pooled on the ground out of her mouth. "April!" Dawn cried out.

Dawn lifted her with her magic to the couch. A note dropped to the ground as she did so. She quickly looked over the note.

To 'Princess' Dawn,
Your lover has been poisoned…

Dawn had just read the first sentence. Her mind went blank as she focused her magic and weaved it to surge through April's body. She could sense the poison as clearly as she could sense every living cell in her body. Something deep within her urged her to pull from her newest magical well for her next spell. She focused the new magic and weaved it into one of the spells she had developed months ago. She altered it accordingly, not really knowing what she was doing to the spell itself. She felt the poison working through her body, deceptive, evil. Green smoke poured out of her horn and snaked its way into April's foamed up mouth. The magic surged through April's body, organs and cells, purging the evil poison out of her. April started to cough a heaving cough, letting out a deep purple smoke. Dawn whisked the disgusting smoke away with her magic as she embraced April who now was regaining consciousness. 

"Dawn? What happened? Why am I over here?" April asked, smacking her lips. "Why do I taste soap?" She asked pushing Dawn away to look at her face. "Why are you crying?"

"Some pony tried to poison you." Dawn said, her voice was calm as has her thoughts were seconds ago but no longer. "I found you on the ground..." Dawn's voice started to quiver as her emotions started to catch up to the moment. "You should be fine now..." She cried, holding April tighter.

April looked frightened but remained strong as she wiped Dawn's face clear of tears as they were produced. April ended up pushing Dawn away to get a better hold on the situation. Dawn turned to the note as she levitated it towards them for April and her to read. 

To the esteemed Princess Dawn,
Your lover has been poisoned… If you desire the antidote come to the train station alone when the moon is highest. Do not worry about your lover she has almost a day to live without the antidote. If you tell any pony about this there will be no one to meet you. If you attack the carrier for the dose of antidote at the station it will be your last dose. Your lover will need a dose a week if she is to live a painless life. You will swear your allegiance to me and no other.

"We need to go tell Luna and Celestia." April said confidently.

Dawn wrapped the almost comfortable void around her and April, setting them in the dining room. "What's wrong, Dawn?" Luna asked at once.

Dawn placed the note in front of Luna for her to read. 


"Dawn said I will be fine, but it is still disturbing. I guess she found me on the ground." April said, taking a seat at the table. Dawn took the seat next to her, still looking very disturbed.

"WHAT!" Luna shrilled as she read, livid with rage. "They will pay for this!" She schemed as she gave the note to Celestia.  

Celestia closed her eyes in thought after finishing reading the note. "How did you cure her?" She asked after careful consideration of the situation.

"I combined ‘my’ new magic with a spell I made for clearing pony's head's of alcohol. I focused that spell on the poison in her cells with another spell I made for the medical ponies." Dawn explained lethargically, wiping her eyes free of the image of April lying on the ground, limp in a pool of her own fluids. 

"I didn't know you could do that..." April said shallowly under her breath.

Celestia opened her eyes to look at Dawn. "Simply amazing, Dawn." She said with admiration.

"I think we should send Dawn down there and..." Luna started to say.

"No." Celestia said firmly. "They are to be ignored."

"What?" Dawn and Luna asked quickly.

"They underestimated you. Greatly." Celestia said to Dawn before turning to Luna. "So greatly in fact, we can ignore them and let a fear of the unknown reveal them." Celestia turned to April solemnly. "April, I ask that you try your hardest to eat only here to avoid further poisoning attempts but other wise live every day as you normally would."

"I would at least like to get the Night Stalkers on this, just in case." Luna suggested, looking quite concerned.

"What are the night stalkers?" Dawn asked absent mindedly.

"I suppose you could compare them to spies but that would be inaccurate. Your mother, Ever Watch, was the best in her time." Celestia explained weary of the company in the room. "They are secret from the general public. You two are not to talk about them." She added, nodding to Luna giving her the go ahead.

"I will go tell them then." Luna said as she disappeared in a puff of smoke, taking the note with her.

> Chapter 23: Don't Blink
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty-Three


"Happy Monday!" Dawn giggled loudly, waking up April. "I got you breakfast in bed for this happy, happy Monday."

"You'd think because it's my 'Birthday' I would be able to sleep in." April mumbled from under the bed covers that were pulled over her head.

"You would think so, but no." Dawn said, placing a tray of food down before jumping into the bed to stir up her pegasus fillyfriend. Using her magic to gently ruffle her feathers in a special spot beneath April's wings, April exploded in panicked laughter, jumping from under the covers to the other side of the room.

"You are awful." She said, now fully awake.

"You are welcome." Dawn replied with a grin stretched across her face. "Happy Birthday." 

Dawn turned her attention to the breakfast for two she made. As soon as her back was turned, April tackled her, pinning the mini sized Dawn down on the bed. April busied her lips, kissing Dawn up and down her chest only to meet Dawn face to face who now was sufficiently in the mood for April's birthday 'gift'.

Breakfast now long forgotten, cold, and stale; April and Dawn crawled out of bed both exhausted from a 'hard day's work'. The clock on the wall was showing noon, which both mares reluctantly believed. 

"We need to get ready for the gala..." Dawn mumbled as she walked out of the musty room. She took in a breath of the fresher air as she launched herself into the air, landing delicately next to the bathroom door. April was steps ahead of her though and dove right for the opening of the bathroom, locking the door behind her. "I see how it is." Dawn complained through the door.

"Birthday." April sung behind the door as the shower’s water turned on.

With a groan of defeat, Dawn went out to her balcony. A quick breeze welcomed her as she stepped outside, bringing the sweet sent of rain off in the distance and spring flowers. Dawn stretched, letting out the little bits of stress in muscles, shrinking her back to normal size. 

"What is that in your mane?" Luna asked from behind Dawn, walking onto the balcony. "And in your tail..."

Dawn spun around to meet Luna's inspection head on. "Don’t mind it, it’s nothing." Dawn said with her world class poker face on while tucking her tail in under her.

"Mmhmmm." Luna hummed as her eyes narrowed on Dawn's appearance. "Are you about ready for a night of stuffy useless nobles?" 

Dawn relaxed under Luna's scrutiny, laying down on the warm stone of the balcony tail still tucked in. I can see why April values locked doors. Maybe I can think of way to block out Luna...

"The ones you met last week were not totally useless. These are." Luna said as she sat down on her quarters next to Dawn.

"Fantastic." Dawn deadpanned.

Luna's magic wrapped around Dawn, lifting her for a more thorough inspection. "You smell..." Luna said with a scrunched up snout.

Wrapping her own aura around herself, to cancel out Luna's, Dawn rolled away from Luna. "Then don’t smell me." She said, bluntly.

"Well since you are neglecting your personal hygiene, I really have no choice." Luna said, defending herself and sticking her nose up into the spring breeze.

"Oh the choice was there, you just choose not to take it." Dawn argued, her wings flaring up out of annoyance.

Luna had been getting too personal with Dawn lately. The past week or so, since her birthday, Luna had done everything in her power to spend time with Dawn. Dawn tried her best to empathize with Luna, and so she ended up listening every little thing Luna offered that was once too sacred for her to share. It all started with that star gazing machine in the Everfree forest. She later showed Dawn a secret Library dedicated to her diaries, shared the experiences with nightmare moon, her favorite flavor of ice cream. She shared many things she didn't even tell her sister in the end just for Dawn to keep a secret. And now...

A dark magic of the moon goddess wrapped around Dawn, pulling her into the embrace of the full moon sized Luna. "I can not help it. You are my daughter no matter how you may see it." Luna said as she dragged the unwilling alicorn to her.

Bleh! "Touching as it is I am a full grown mare." Dawn grumbled into Luna's coat as she attempted to pull away using her magic, wings, and hooves in unison. It was futile. Luna was using the power of the moon against her, something she simply did not have the ability to resist at the moment.

Dawn had experimented a great deal with her new source of magic but had absolutely no control over it. The only time she had control over it was with April on death's door step. Every time she tried to recreate a spell using it, it resulted in so kind of regrettable affect, like a plant freezing solid or a lawn turning into a forest.

Luna held the defeated Dawn in her arms until April came out of the bathroom. "Aww, Mother-daughter moment for the ages." April cooed.

"Oh good, April you're out. Come on Dawn, let's get you cleaned up." Luna sung raising the unwilling party above her head with her magic.

"I am perfectly capable of cleaning myself!" Dawn croaked harshly, squirming against the indomitable magic containing her.

Luna let out an exacerbated sigh as she placed Dawn down on the ground. "You are right..." She pouted with a stiff upper lip. 

Finding her unhindered feet on the ground, Dawn turned around feeling very much violated only to lock herself in the bathroom.

Brushing her damp hair through, only out of habit, she walked out of the bathroom to find April lying down in the sun on the balcony and a package waiting for her next to the still untouched stone block. 

"What's this?" Dawn asked out towards the balcony.

"Luna left it for you." April called back, lazily slurring in the sun.

Pulling the package with her, Dawn sat next to April in the sun. April rolled over to her back, letting her wings balance her, so she could watch Dawn from an upside down perspective. 

Dawn ripped open the delicate paper wrappings of the package, revealing an ornate case. "Fancy, fancy."

April shuffled on the floor to gain Dawn's line of sight. "Luna does love you." 

"I know."

Dawn set down the brush that was working itself through the last bits of her tail to turn her attention to the box. It was garnished with orange and pink gems set in bright metals of gold and silver. It stood off the ground by a quarter of a hoof using delicately carved wood legs that had gold pedals leafing out of it. Where there wasn't gold or gems on the out side of the box was a rich dark green stained wood that mimicked the color of Dawn's green eyes. Dawn pushed her magic through the box to unlock it. It flipped open under the power of loaded springs inside, revealing a crown that was simple in nature but in the end making the box look bland in comparison. 

"Oh, Wow." April exclaimed, turning over to look at the crown proper.

"Gotta make it all look official tonight." Dawn grumbled at the upcoming event.

"That would do it."

Dawn raised the crown out of the plush bed of silk in the case it was resting in. It was a three pronged crown with an insert at the base that would rest on her horn. It was a simple white gold with a brilliant emerald in the middle to match her eyes she guessed.

Dawn raised it to her head letting the grove find its place on the base of her horn. "How do I look?" Dawn asked, turning to April.

April needed a moment to gather her thoughts and to pick up her jaw. It was an historical moment Dawn concluded. "You look like royalty." 

Dawn, taking what was meant as a compliment as one, picked up the box and walked it to her desk that was slowly being crowded with papers of her recent research.

April followed her inside. She nuzzled Dawn just below the jaw bone. "We just need to have fun tonight."

-------

"… So as I was saying I was hoping you could forgive me for my poor behavior." 

"Look umm… Count Pinkspittle, I really don't remember you so uhh… you are forgiven." Dawn said while stretching, keeping herself a normal size. Her crown shifted against her horn a little as she shrank.

"Prince Blueblood you majesty." The pale white colored unicorn corrected, bowing very low. "And I thank you for your forgiveness my princess."

Dawn turned to April who was flank to flank with her. She shrugged back to her as the two backed out of the company of the pony that ran up to them, tripping over himself. "That was weird." Dawn admitted.

"You honestly don't remember that pony?" April asked under her breath, giggling at his expense.

"Let’s go out to the gardens before more of them find me." Dawn said, pointing with her horn to the exit of the main room for the gala.

"You go ahead I really want to go see the Wonderbolts over there." She said, unwrapping her tail from Dawn's, who looked back worriedly. "And don't worry I won't eat anything I just want to get some autographs for that poster your mother gave me."

"Alright." Pouted Dawn, her wings betrayed her, like they did so often these days, by springing back offensively. 

"I'll be fine." April consoled as she backed into the crowd behind her.

The past week had been hard for Dawn and April both. The poisoning was a near traumatizing experience for Dawn all the while April had to deal with a fillyfriend who had enough power and cunning to follow her all day. Dawn had agreed, much to her dismay, that she would leave April to the squadron of guards dedicated to protecting her.

Dawn moved out into the less populated gardens, every pony fell to the ground in a bow as she passed by. Dawn did her best to ignore it. The garden reveled in Dawn's magic as every flower started to bloom brightly around her. She found refuge in the statue gardens where strange and wonderful ponies stood frozen in time. A new addition was placed into the gardens, a blue box. "Police box." Dawn said to the empty air.

"I wonder what this is." Twilight questioned, while walking out from around the box.

"I haven't the faintest clue." Dawn replied.

"It's just a box." Trixie said. "Who cares."

"Fair enough." Dawn agreed.

"Aren't you curious what a police box is?" Twilight asked slightly annoyed.

"Curious yes. Caring no. I just needed to get away from the posh ponies. With their insistent bowing and hoof kissing."

"Must be so hard on you." Trixie mocked.

"You have no idea... Care to join me for a walk?" Dawn pointed to the maze garden behind the box.

"My first time at the grand galloping gala and you want me to waste it walking with a tasteless cretin like you?"

"That's Princess cretin to you." Dawn said, pointing a hoof to the crown resting on her head. "I will settle for no less from a hapless, obtuse pony such as you." She said with the straightest face she could manage only to release her rouse with a laugh. "Very well, I will go explore the maze by myself."

"You be careful in there..." Twilight started to say only to be interrupted by Dawn flashing her wings. "Oh. Right forgot."

"Have Luna find me if I'm needed." Dawn called back as she skipped into the entrance of the maze. The towering hedges shifted in place as Dawn passed just as every plant and animal tended to do in their own way. She quickly got lost among the hedges only to listen into a voice through the hedge.

"There is defiantly something very disturbing about this pegasus." Said a voice. Dawn paused to listen.

"Why is it crying?" asked a mare.

"Weeping!" A stallion voice yelled excitedly. "Do not take your eyes off it. We need to figure out how to get it back where it came from." Said the stallion with a sudden serious tone. 

"Where did it come from?"

"I... Do not know."

"Fantastic." The mare voice said enthusiastically. 

"Exciting." Corrected the stallion.

Dawn seeped into the void to appear on the other side of the hedge. A brown earth pony stallion who was wearing broad framed glasses and a blue unicorn wearing nothing were staring at a statue across a small field. Dawn noticed both of their cutie marks were the same.

Dawn stepped up next to them to look at the 'exciting' statue of a large pegasus crying with it's hooves over it's eyes. Her presence startled them both forcing them to both look her way.

"Holy pancake flipping Dawn!" Screamed the mare, jumping back falling into a bow. 

"Hello." The stallion greeted.

Dawn ignored their greetings for a bit to inspect the statue closely using her magic. It felt very much alive to her. As alive as the hedges that surrounded her and the grass beneath her. "Well this is different." Dawn said as she lifted the statue with her magic spinning it for her inspection.

"It seems to be in a quantum lock." The stallion said nonchalantly.

"Well that's an interesting word to use. Quantum." Dawn said, letting the sweet sound of the new word rest on her lips. 

"It is, isn't it? Quantum." The stallion agreed, enjoying the same word as Dawn on his lips.

“Quannnnn-tummmm.”

"My name is Colgate. And this is the Doctor." The mare introduced coming up from the bow she was in. "Doctor... That's Princess Dawn." She gasped, elbowing to the brown stallion.

"Dawn." Dawn mumbled back, ignoring her apparent stardom, still spinning the statue around, letting the brown stallion to inspect it with her. "I don't know how to make pancakes... I should go learn."

"I like pancakes." The doctor said, nodding in agreement.

"I think I'm more of a waffle mare." Dawn admitted as she spun the statue faster and faster. "Tell me what do two ponies do with identical cutie marks?" She asked, still inspecting the spinning statue as she added a different dimension of spin to it. "Do you argue whose came first?"

"Ours aren't identical. They are tilted differently." Colgate said, pushing her flank next to the doctor's for comparison. "See?"

"Doctor of what?"

"Sorry?"

"What are you a doctor of?" Dawn asked, repeating the question.

"Well... nothing really. I dabble. Well... Everything really."

Dawn increased the spinning of the statue still adding more dimensions to its spin, forcing it to look like a sphere in the moon light. "Where do you want this thing? And for that matter where do you want the ones that have surrounded us?"

Colgate let out a squeal and jumped nearly a meter off the ground as she found eight other stone pegasi surrounding them. The doctor seemed more or less un-phased by the new arrivals. "There was a blue box outside the maze. We need them there."

Dawn flashed teleported the nine statues, The Doctor, Colgate, and herself to the blue box. All the statues were surrounded by Dawn's pink magic, levitating above the ground. "I sensed a familiar magic with this box, I knew well enough to stay away." Dawn admitted as she stacked the statues near the blue police box.

The doctor stomped his hoof and the doors flew open, he lead Colgate and Dawn in. It was smaller in the outside than on the inside allowed, defying all concept of volume. Dawn closed her eyes as she embraced the idea, letting her magic feel around for what was at work here. A familiar feeling of magic surged through the place but she did not know where she recognized it from.

"Stack them over here if you don't mind." The Doctor said as he lit up lights in a corner of the large room. Dawn obeyed quickly. While this was more interesting than the gala she did not want to stay here long. "Thank you, princess. You have my word I will return these to their home." The doctor added with a small bow of respect that showed some kind of familiarity. 

"Right... Off you go then." Dawn backed out of the box slowly. Colgate gave another low bow before the doors closed behind her. Dawn didn't want to wait around near this ‘wrong’ magic any longer. She dissolved herself in the castle’s shadows, appearing next to April in a fit of smoke.

"Have a nice walk?" April asked, without looking her way.

"I am not sure." Dawn spotted a large poster rolled up in April's wing. "Did you get it signed?"

April turned to Dawn. "No, not yet. They're busy."

Dawn rolled her eyes as she grabbed the poster with her magic and made her way through the crowd of bowing ponies before April could protest. She was about as big as she could get save a few centimeters, which were quickly disappearing. She smiled gently to the bowing ponies that got up as she passed. The crowd that was surrounding the Wonderbolts split to Dawn's appearance. April was trailing close by, having to shuffle past some ponies to keep up with Dawn. Dawn never did understand why April never let Dawn's parents take her to meet the Wonderbolts in person.

All nine of the Wonderbolts were standing in a closed off area of the gala. When she entered the closed off area, all the ponies turned to bow to her and greet her with the regular regal hooplah. She turned around to find April but she was lost in the wake of ponies she left behind. With a flare of her magic she teleported April to her side.

"Thanks..." She said as she tried finding her footing. "You don't have to do this." She mumbled quietly to Dawn.

Dawn rolled her eyes at her again. "Come on lets go meet your heroes." Dawn guided her to where a circle was formed and broken upon her arrival. The Wonderbolts were in full flight suits. They all bowed for the second time as Dawn approached. "I wish I could convince every pony to stop bowing to me." Dawn grunted as she stretched her growth away, now that it had served its purpose. "Wonderbolts meet April Showers, a big fan. Sign this for me, would you?" She threw the poster at their feet, unrolling it with her magic.

The Wonderbolts stood around looking at each other, amused at the simple request, freaked out that their new princess can change size, and in all likely hood deeply disturbed that the princess was the very pony that had force fed them protein shakes at one time in their careers. "Sure thing Princess." Said the first one to produce a pen.

Dawn never took the time to memorize the names of the Wonderbolts in years. She knew only the ponies that were kind to her like Thunder Struck and Soarin, she knew Rainbow Dash name only through Twilight. Thunder Struck was dead from not pulling up from a stunt and Soarin had retired as of a couple years ago. So Rainbow was all she knew of this generation of Wonderbolts. Each Wonderbolt signed the poster by their picture, giving a nervous smile to Dawn and the pegasus she had introduced.

"Rainbow, how has Fluttershy been?" Dawn asked, attempting to dispel the stiff air around her.

"She's fine princess." Rainbow said with a small bow of her head.

Dawn winced at her title. She had not been to Ponyville since that day with Luna, she could only hope that the friends of Twilight's she did like, didn't act any different towards her.

"Here you go Princess." Rainbow said, sliding over the poster she had just signed. Dawn picked up and rolled up the poster before giving it to April, who was still star struck to say anything.

"Thank you." April said, returning to reality. Dawn backed out of the closed area with April close in tow without another word spoken. They walked over to a balcony overlooking the reception area where Celestia and Luna stood, welcoming each pony to the gala. "You should go see Twilight tomorrow."

I wish I could read her mind as well as she can read mine. Dawn fell on her quarters, to lean up against April. "I don't like being called princess." She whispered to April.

"I know."


> Chapter 24: A Pink Blur
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty-Four


Dawn brought up her hooves to massage her temples. She had been sitting behind her desk since this morning. Her head pounded as much as her eyes stung from strain. She heard her balcony door open behind the towers of books and notes on her desk. 

"Dawn you home?" April asked, walking to the desk, her hoof steps getting closer.

"Yep..." Dawn croaked, her voice hasn't been used today. Not even Luna came to visit today, busy doing whatever Luna does. 

"You can use a break." April said, peaking around the corner of the desk.

Dawn gave a long stretch, letting herself shrink to April's size. "You're right..." Dawn sighed as she walked with April from behind the now giant desk. "How was your day?"

"Fine, I really do like this semester’s professors. It's just the days are just so long." April groaned, pulling Dawn to the balcony. "Let's go to the gardens and relax while the sun is still out."

Dawn's wings sprung up, ready to carry her weight through the air. April smiled at the near automatic response. She opened her wings as well. Dawn launched to the sky, taking in the cool air of the evening that was bringing in the fall only to swoop down to April's favorite spot in the gardens. Her feet found grounding as she skipped underneath a tree. The grass welcomed her by showing off its rich green pigments. Dawn dropped on her quarters lazily under the tree. April who was behind her did the same, leaning up against Dawn. Dawn kissed April's head while taking greedy inhales of her mane.

"I almost don't want to go to a party tomorrow." Dawn admitted, her eyes straining to relax on the horizon.

"That's a shame. You have no choice in the matter." April said sternly. April wrapped her tail around Dawn's while nuzzling behind her ear.

"I am, however, excited for our bet." 

"Yeah..." April said, shuffling slightly in place. "Umm Dawn? The tree..." 

The tree they settled under, that had orange and brown foliage left for the up coming fall season, was sprouting blossoms meant for the spring. "Oops, let it get away from me again." Dawn closed her eyes in concentration, focusing on that 'other' magic well. She built imaginary walls around it to cap off some of the magic that leaked out. When she opened her eyes the blossoms were shrinking away and falling off, around them. "Bleh."

Dawn's horn lit pink as she weaved magic into one of her newest spells. Her horn flashed a bright green as she finished the spell by tapping magic from her other magic well. A small pebble sized orb dropped from the tip of her horn, submerging into the ground. 

"What does that do?" April asked, bending her head down to get a better view.

"You'll see, second time casting it." Dawn informed quietly, she was pretty exhausted, mentally.

From where the pebble fell into the ground, a small little blue leaf popped out. It grew as any other plant would but many times faster until one of the many outshoots bloomed a bright red flower bending over to April. April giggled at the show as she plucked the flower from the blue plant, causing it to wither away back into the ground from once it came. The flower, however, was very much still alive. April took it up to her nose to sniff it. "It doesn't smell like anything."

"I haven't worked out the bugs." Dawn shrugged as she broke off the petal of the flower to chew on. "Doesn't taste like anything either."

"Well it's pretty."

Dawn leaned into April counterbalancing their weights. Dawn knew she would soon out weigh her so she fell backwards rolling to take April into her arms. "I wonder what she'll be like."

"Well if Luna and Celestia are opposites doesn't that mean you two would be? Wait... Would that make her like the grim reaper or something? Spooky..."

"I don't think we have to worry about that." Dawn chuckled in the grass. Dawn closed her eyes, bringing April closer to her chest.

"Let’s go for a quick fly." April said as she pulled out from Dawn's embrace. "I can never get a proper night's rest when you take a nap."

Dawn rolled to her back to look at the sky. The weather team scheduled an evening drizzle, so the sky line was lined with clouds. "Alright." She said before teleporting several meters above the ground, letting her wings take control from there. Dawn pushed a hole through the clouds to get some of the last minutes of sunlight. April followed closely behind. They both took a seat in a high altitude cloud that got away from the weather team to watch clouds being stacked below them.

"Not really what I had in mind." April laughed as she settled into the cloud next to Dawn.

Dawn looked at the position of the sun; it had been later than she had originally thought. Or the days were just getting really short. Dawn rolled off the cloud, taking flight again, surveying the weather ponies at work below.

"Where do you wanna go?" April asked taking flight just above Dawn.

"You don't have a place in mind?"

"Somewhere quiet and where we can see the stars come out." April suggested, banking to the mountain that towered over Canterlot. Dawn banked with her. Luna appeared in mid flight next to them in a quick puff of smoke.

"I'm sorry, April. We need to barrow Dawn for the rest of the night." Luna called out over the wind of their flight.

"What for?" Dawn and April asked in near unison as they stopped to a hover.

"It is a big night. Celestia wants us to go meet her daughter before the seal wears off." Luna explained in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Aww, can I come?" April asked.

"I'm afraid not." Luna answered with a small smile. "Dawn, I would like you to wear your crown." She went on to say to Dawn before dissolving in smoke.

"Alright..." Dawn said to the wind. "Sorry April. Do you want me to take you any where?"

"I'll fly." April pouted.

Dawn teleported to the tower. Luna was looking at the still untouched block of stone sitting in middle of the room. "Why wasn't I told earlier?" Dawn asked as she approached Luna.

Luna let out a tired breath. It was nearing the new moon and she looked pretty tired. "April's assassins are watching and Celestia has made some mistakes these past weeks."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked as she walked over to her desk. She levitated a simple looking crown out from a drawer and placed it on her head for it to rest against her horn.

"She has made some mistakes in anticipation of today and the Night Stalkers have come across some intelligence that generally points to the identity of her daughter."

"That's unlike her..." Dawn mumbled behind her to Luna as she pondered what she meant.

"If I am to ever become a grandparent I think you would understand her mistakes are understandable."

"Uhhh..." 

"The identity of Celly's child has been leaked to me none the less which means she could have been leaked to anypony else who was looking where I was. It is a recent development and I have not told her. I convinced her that meeting up with her before hoof would be best."

"It probably is." Dawn shrugged as she came to inspect the marble stone with Luna.

"OH! Get this she is an earth pony we know well."

"Neat I won my bet." Dawn cheered. "Wait I know her? Who?"

"Bet?"

"With April."

"Huh, what do get as a prize?"

"What did you win?" Celestia asked right after flashing into the tower to join them.

"A bet. Who is it Luna?"

Celestia raised an eye brow at the two expecting a briefing on what they were talking about only to be left disappointed. "We are going to Ponyville." Celestia sighed in attempt to relax. It didn't work. She looked like a nervous wreck.

Celestia teleported out first, leading the way for the remaining two to dissolve in a puff of black smoke. Dawn placed her hooves down on cobble stone as the smoke around her drifted back into the void. They were in front of Twilight's favorite bakery, which Dawn had to admit was pretty good, Sugar Cube Corner. 

"Unfortunately her parents passed away a couple years ago, they were good friends of mine. Geologists of the highest caliper." Celestia smiled as she thought back to her friends. 

"Geologists? Who would study rocks? That's just so boring..." Dawn said as she stepped up to the bakery. 

"Ponies do what 'they' enjoy, not what Dawn enjoys." Celestia said with a tiny bit of anger laced in her words. It was not like her at all to show any kind of emotion, it kind of threw Dawn off balance. "I'm sorry... They were studying some kind of mineral that made them both sick. They died within hours of each other." 

"How horrible." Luna commented while offering Celestia a comforting hoof. 

"In any case, you have come to know my daughter well, I think. I hope I can rely on you." 

"Who is she?" Dawn asked almost impatiently.

Celestia ignored Dawn's question as she pushed through the front door of the bakery for Luna and Dawn to follow.

"OH! Princess! What can I do you for?" Said an older looking blue mare. 

"Hello Mrs. Cake, is Pinkie Pie around?"

"No..." Dawn gasped to herself.

"She just got back from decorating for Twilight's surprise party tomorrow. Just go up stairs to the top floor. Errr... You should defiantly knock first..."

Dawn snickered at the suggestion. These ponies never knocked.

"I will do so. Thank you." Celestia said before walking up the stairs she had directed them to.

"Pinkie Pie? Really?" Dawn asked as they climbed the stairs. "Well... I guess it makes a little bit of sense... Why in Equestria's name did you name her Pinkie?"

"I did not name her, Dawn. I had no right to name her... I gave her away just days after I gave birth." Celestia whispered being carful of thin walls.

"Right... Sorry..."

Celestia knocked on the door on the top of the last stretch of stairs they could find only to receive the sound of frantic shuffling and the knocking over of something. 

"Coming!" Cheered Pinkie from behind the door. The door cracked open just enough for Pinkie's muzzle to poke through. "Oh! Princess! Princesses! What can I do for you?" She asked through the crack of the door.

"Well... We need to talk to you Pinkie." Celestia said in a fragile tone. 

"Is this about Twilight's party?" Pinkie asked as her eyes darted around the stair well where there stood three alicorns. "I have everything figured out. No need to worry your pretty little princess heads."

"No, it is something more important than that." Celestia said quickly.

"More important than a party?" Pinkie asked disbelievingly.

"Afraid so."

"Okey... dokey... lokey..." She drawled on slowly as she gave the princesses one last scrutinizing look. "Give me two minutes!" She finished saying quickly, closing and locking the door.

Dawn giggled at the idea of locking them out. Through the door they could hear windows being opened and a few muffled meeps. As promised, Pinkie returned to open the door in about two very long minutes of the three alicorns shuffling in place on some stranger’s stair well. As Dawn walked in she noticed they were not alone. Fluttershy was in a deep bow in the presence of the sun princess. The room also had a musky smell about it that was being quickly cleared out of the room via a strong cross breeze caused by the opened windows.

"So what do you need to talk about?" Pinkie asked, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Well..." Celestia said, dying off into a mumbled hush.

"Life changing news Pinkie." Dawn said cheerfully, resting a supporting hoof on Celestia's shoulder.

"Pinkie you are my daughter." Celestia blurted out with the refinement of a donkey.

"What?" Fluttershy asked shyly as she took Pinkie's side.

"No I'm not silly." Pinkie said, now standing still.

"Swing and a miss." Dawn chuckled to Luna.

Luna shushed Dawn with a disapproving look. "Pinkie, my sister tells you the truth. I am your Aunt and Dawn is your cousin."

"Why are you telling me this? I don't think it is very funny." Pinkie said, deflating in the process.

"I'm sorry Pinkie it is the truth." Celestia said glumly. 

An ethereal smoke drifted through the ceiling, producing a letter for Luna to read. Luna, after reading it, quickly let it burst into deep blue flames, letting not even ash escape the flame.

"Everything alright?" Dawn asked, raising an eye brow to Luna. That was sealed with the night stalkers stamp.

"Yes, yes." Luna said with a forced sigh, waving Dawn off with a spare hoof.

"I don't think this is funny Princess. My parents are dead, I have sisters." Pinkie Pie said deflating still, her curly mane started to look like Dawn's as it started to untangle and fall to the ground.

"Your parents long ago helped me pull this country out of a debt. They were one of my only friends of the time..." 

"Liar." Pinkie cutoff.

"What?" Celestia asked, taken aback considerably. 

"Why are you lying to me?" Pinkie Pie asked, looking almost angry. The expression on Pinkie's face looked so foreign. Dawn had a hard time deciphering it. Fluttershy swooped in to hug Pinkie Pie like one of her hurt animals, cooing to settle her down. 

"I'm not. I swear." Celestia defended, sufficiently surprised how this was going.

"You weren't at their funeral!" Pinkie shrilled out of the anger Fluttershy was unable to sooth. "A real friend would have been there. Why are you lying to me princess?"

"They made me promise them I wouldn't go..." Princess Celestia admitted, now looking at the ground between them. Then an idea popped into her head. "They sent me a letter every week telling me what you've been up to up until they passed on." She added happily. She pulled dozens of tomes out from what Dawn recognized as her bank spell. The tomes opened up in front of Pinkie Pie to show her.

"Celestia..." Luna mumbled, surprised at her sister who was now on the verge of tears. Luna gave her sister a supporting hoof and turned to Dawn, meeting eye contact for an unspoken conversation. They both had no idea Celestia had been this attached...

"It's my mom's writing..." Pinkie said to herself, reading one of the open tomes.

"Some were written by your dad too." Celestia said with a smile, lifting another tome to Pinkie's viewing pleasure. "They truly loved their work." Celestia sniffed back some tears, closing her eyes. "They loved you so much."

"Why are you telling Pinkie this now?" Fluttershy asked, assertively, her wings flaring up to make her appear larger.

"Tonight she will transform into an alicorn." Luna answered, lifting her supporting hoof from Celestia's shoulder. "The change is inevitable and can not be delayed any longer."

"Look on the bright side Pinkie, wings..." Dawn said cheerily, raising her wings for display. Pinkie forced a grin for Dawn's sake.

"A horn too." Pinkie added.

"It would be an event that would be party worthy don't you think so?" Dawn asked Fluttershy with a smirk on. "Ascension party, or perhaps I grew wings party."

Pinkie's mane seemed to recoil back into a curly mess as Dawn went on trying to name the possible party's Pinkie could throw. "I would call it ‘Nana-nana poo-poo I have wings ‘and’ a horn and you don't party’" Pinkie cheered excitedly.

"You could also call it your Birthday..." Celestia suggested only to be met with a stunning silence.

"Pinkie's Birthday is in the spring." Fluttershy whispered to the silence. Pinkie nodded in agreement.

"She was born on this date but that just means she has two birthdays to celebrate now." Luna offered up to the silence.

"You're right!" Pinkie cheered excitedly, sufficiently pumped up now.

"Won't that mean you will age twice as fast?" Dawn laughed.

"No silly I will Celebrate it as my 'other' half birthday." Pinkie said before gasping and charging to the calendar on the wall behind her.

"Ummm Pinkie? Don't you already Celebrate your half birthday?" Fluttershy asked meekly. "And... your quarter birthdays."

"Yes well, Pinkie..." Luna started to bring the conversation back to the subject at hoof. "...we have much to discuss concerning your loved ones."

"My loved ones?" Pinkie asked, turning around from her calendar.

"Yes, I don't want to disturb the life you have built here but depending on how your transformation goes some things will be unavoidable." Celestia informed with a renewed strength.

"Is she going to be giant with the manes?" Fluttershy asked the Princesses, waving her hooves in an eternal wind.

"Those are some things we need to consider as a possibility also the aspect of magic she might embody and so on..." Celestia closed her eyes to take a break from talking as Pinkie Pie retook her seat. "What may need to happen, are full time guards following you and your loved ones around. Much like how Twilight does." Celestia said to Fluttershy.

"Twilight has guards?" Fluttershy, Dawn and Luna asked in a mumbled unison.

"I like Shady and Nasty, they're nice ponies." Pinkie said nodding. "What about my other friends?"

"Them too, I'll set up more guards for all of Ponyville if I have to if it means you can go on living your life here. Unfortunately, that is what will happen in one of the best case scenarios, worst case scenario I’ll have to have you change your name and move in, with Fluttershy of course, to the castle. Your friends will be welcome to visit you of course but your affiliations with them must be kept secret."

"We will just have to hope that you have a real subtle magic and stay small." Dawn said optimistically. Her words brought her attention to herself, provoking a stretch, shrinking her back to normal size.

"How long do I have?" Pinkie asked.

"Nine forty-two, right on the southward equinox." Celestia said looking at the gingerbread coo-coo clock with a large lollypop for a pacer on the wall. 

"Why was mine at midnight?" Dawn asked, letting her curiosity take control of her mouth.

"Bodily secondary seals were the only thing keeping you contained." Luna said indifferently. 

"The primary seals that were Celestially bound wore off in the void." Celestia added. “Though yours were fragile to begin with since some pony liked to break them with their silly spells they created when they were younger.” 

"Another mystery solved, guess I can go tell Twilight about that later." Dawn cheered.

"Will it hurt?" Fluttershy asked, poking her head where a horn could go.

"I didn't feel a thing." Dawn answered, seeing as she was the only one that could with honesty.

Pinkie Pie gasped at a revelation. "I'm going to miss Twilight's party." She said glumly.

"That's alright Pinkie we can have an after birthday party for Twilight." Fluttershy said, consoling the deflating pink mare.

"So... You're my mom?" Pinkie asked still trying to wrap her head around the applications of that tid bit.

"Well it is my hope that some day you may think of me like that." Celestia said with a small smile that Dawn had not seen Celestia wear before. "I had to give you up to protect you and to give you a normal life for you to always look back on. The price of that was being a mother to you." She added solemnly.

"Celly and I were not so lucky." Luna added. 

Pinkie's face twitched as she processed what was said. "A lot to take in... Yes... Let us give you some time to think before the deed is done." Dawn said plainly, getting up to start a trend. "I'm sure any questions you or Flutters here can think of can be answered later."

"Yes of course..." Luna agreed, getting up herself. Celestia wore a pleading look towards Pinkie Pie, her daughter, for a pardon from the trend that was started but after an elongated silence she got up as well.

"Go spend some time with your friends. Tell them what we told you. If you want that is. I will be there when you wake up." Celestia nodded. Dawn led the charge out of the bakery, leaving Celestia to lag behind considerably. 

Dawn took for the sky, making a beeline for the closest cloud hovering in the night sky. Luna followed suit while Celestia just walked down the abandoned post-sundown streets of Ponyville.

"That went well." Dawn said sarcastically, plopping belly down on the cloud.

"I agree that went much better than I expected." Luna agreed, ignoring Dawn's sarcastic tone and laying down next to Dawn.

"What? What in the world did you expect would happen?" Dawn asked with a half chortle.

"Celly breaking into tears. I've never seen her so nervous in the thousands of years I've known her." Miniature sized Luna leaned into Dawn's coat. "I know I did when you renounced me as your mother."

"Sorry..."

"It's quite alright." Luna said before nuzzling Dawn like she often did. "You know I will always be here for you right?"

Dawn assumed that was rhetorical as she just leaned back into Luna. She peaked over the cloud to watch Celestia walk down the street off in the distance. "Should we..." 

"No, Celly needs some time to put all her thoughts in order, you should go home to April." 

"Right my bet!" Dawn cheered excitedly.

"I will see you later then." Luna said before Dawn dissolved in the darkness of the night.

"Dawn! You're back." April greeted solemnly. "I need to tell you something."

"Get this April. Celestia's daughter was an earth pony. Just think of it, getting used to a horn and wings. Kinda crazy to think about, isn't it? And not just any earth pony, Pinkie Pie, you remember the pony I had shove food into your mouth?" Dawn asked excitedly, nearly dancing on her block of marble where she teleported on top of. "I just can't fully wrap my mind around it. My cousin is Pinkie Pie. I told you she was special but I wasn't sure how."

"Dawn, I need to tell you something. Sit down." April pled, patting the couch next to her.

"Don't you forget our bet." Dawn beamed down at April as she jumped to the couch, happy as can be.

April took in a breath as she closed her eyes. "You mom had an accident practicing for a show." She said, mournfully upon opening her eyes.

"Oh?" Dawn's mind went blank. Something seemed off about April's delivery and what she was saying.

"She didn't make it Dawn. She passed away a couple hours ago." April said calmly and clearly, looking into Dawn's eyes. "I just got word a couple minutes ago but we couldn't find you or any of the princesses to tell you when I got the message. I'm so, so sorry Dawn."

"What?" Dawn asked. Nothing in her head was making sense. These things do not happen. Pinkie Pie made no sense but it was believable but this made even less sense.

April pulled Dawn into a tight hug. "Your mom died practicing for her show." She said even more clearly. "Your family is at your parent's house."

There was no thought process in her head as she pulled the void around her and before she knew it her feet found footing on a cloud floor. "What happened?" She asked in near anger at her father who was lying on a cloud formed couch.

"Dawn?" Her father asked out of shock.

"What happened?" She asked again with anger still building inside her.

He got up quickly and scooped Dawn in a hug. He said now on the verge of crying. Dawn could feel dampness soak in her coat and her own eyes were filling up. "She just fell to the ground so fast. Just so fast..." Dawn's father cried out into Dawn's coat. A throbbing pain pulsed in Dawn's throat, surging into her head. Tears freely streamed down her face as she squeezed her father in a desperate attempt to wake up from this nightmare.

Minutes of mourning turned into and hour and going. Dawn's father still locked into a tight embrace around Dawn who eventually, somehow, found the strength to put her father to sleep on the couch she had found him on. With the help of a sleeping spell she developed, he was sleeping a dreamless sleep. A mercy she unfortunately couldn't afford herself. Dawn closed her eyes to search through the void for her brother. Pulling the void over her she found herself in a lonely bar occupied with only Metal and a few other ponies too busy with themselves to notice a princess had joined them.

Dawn crawled onto the stool next to her brother. He looked to be studying a beer. There was no words spoken between the two, they barely acknowledged each other as Dawn got her own beer to look into. Her tears pattered the counter of the bar aside of the perspiring mug. She didn't want to be drunk right now but the pain was damn near unbearable. She hated it. 

As her tears got lost in the pool of perspiration of the mug of beer, Dawn felt an ancient magic pull her backwards. It was an indomitable force, stronger than she. She blinked her eyes open, freeing them of tears to reveal a truly formidable landscape. The dunes of white sand she had seen right before she grew wings stretched forever before her. There was no sky. Her eyes met no sky, it was just an endless space of nothing. The only light that was cast was of the sand they were standing on, herself and the two alicorns standing next to her.

"Right, so what is this place again?" Dawn asked, sniffing back to clear her voice of sadness.

"Come here." Luna swooped in to hug Dawn, enclosing her wings to make her embrace complete. There was nothing but Luna around her. Of course she knew.

"What's wrong?" Celestia asked sounding very concerned.

"Dawn's mother passed away." Luna informed.

It was this place, she was sure of it. She could feel Luna beyond just her coat, or words. She could feel Celestia too, even though she was beyond her sight she knew she worried for her and mourned for her lost friend. Dawn could sense that they were as every bit of caring as they portrayed back on earth.

"So what is this place?" Dawn asked as she gently pushed Luna to break her embrace with her.

"It is the origin." Luna answered as she pulled away. Even as she pulled away Dawn could still feel Luna as powerfully as she did just seconds ago. "All life once sprouted from here only to be dropped to Equestria by us."

"Once life was placed it thrived. Before your transformation we hadn't been here in many, many millennia." Celestia said as she walked over to the party pony lying in the light sand, the beginnings of a horn and wings were protruding from her body.

"You would not be far off to say it is nature itself." Luna added.

"Have you tried to study it?" Dawn asked Luna as they too walked up to the sleeping mare. Her curiosity blessed Dawn with respite from reality.

"Nature is sacred. We will only observe it, in Equestria." Celestia answered as she picked up her daughter with a sunlit magic. 

Dawn could feel a profound rule in this place as she gave a proper survey of her surroundings.

"I will take her to the west tower." Celestia announced before disappearing in a flash of light.

Luna wrapped her forelegs around Dawn in a hug as Dawn studied the landscape. "You can not hide your feelings in here, Dawn. In here your very soul is on display."

"She's here isn't she."

"She is. She will rest with nature for an eternity or until she is cycled back into Equestria in a new form of life."

Dawn's eyes started to tear up again, letting drops of moister fall and get quickly absorbed into the sand below. Luna nuzzled Dawn to comfort her further. 

"Let's get you home." Luna said as she wrapped Dawn and herself in a very dark magic to pull them both home. 

-----

Dawn opened her eyes to find April's staring back in hers. The only static thing in my life. Dawn was so grateful for her. She had come to find Dawn in the early morning, in a bar directly below Cloudsdale. Dawn didn't stay very long where Luna had dropped her off after visiting the origin or nature... or whatever. Her time was better spent with her brother. April had coerced the sober siblings from their stale, flat beer in the cave they threw themselves in and put them both to their perspective beds. 

Dawn stretched the morning woes away only to snap back at the pain that wouldn't go away. Judging from how she felt, it was roughly noon. The throbbing pain in her throat reminded her of the night before. 

"How about we go get some lunch from the kitchen." April said before nuzzling Dawn.

"I'm not hungry." Dawn groaned as she dropped from bed, retreating from April's affections. She rolled her head in a futile attempt to rid herself of the ever persistent pain in her throat.

"Yes you are. Come on." April pled, catching up to Dawn, wrapping her wing around Dawn to corral her towards the spiral stair case they both admittedly never used.

Dawn wished she was numb from all this, the void had never looked so appetizing as it were. She looked out the balcony. It was a wretchedly beautiful day. Dawn wrapped the void around her and April to bring them to the windowless kitchen.

"Stew, do you think you could make us some food?" April asked, not missing a beat while still holding tightly onto Dawn.

The Giant of a chef spun around to meet his guests. "Of course, of course. What would you like?" he asked eagerly. 

He knows. "I'm not hungry." Dawn mumbled to April.

"You should eat." She said with formality. "How about an oatburger. Can you make us two oatburgers the way we like them?" 

"I will bring it out to you in 10 minutes."

"Thank you." April said as she guided Dawn to the dining room which was just around the corner.

Much to Dawn's relief they would be dining alone. She felt she couldn't stand to have company right now, April was barely bearable. She collapsed into a chair, attempting to shut off her mind and with it the pain in her neck that was constantly reminding her. She slammed her head into the table, harder then she intended, forcing April to jump in the chair she had settled in. Dawn rested her head where it landed.

The silence, that she once loved so much, was making her throat throb more with every passing second, every passing thought. "Celestia said she should be buried on castle grounds." April said.

"Can we 'Not' talk about that?" Snapped Dawn.

"Alright, fine..." April shuffled in her seat, uncomfortably. "Your cousin isn't what I expected." Dad cried on my shoulder... "Guess you win our bet." Metal looked so worn down... "You get to move in with me." April cheered excitedly. "I suppose I'll have them bring in a bigger bed."

"My mom is dead." Dawn said to herself as the first of the day's tears started to fall on the table. The pain in her throat throbbed profusely at the admission. 

April got out of her chair to console Dawn, pulling her into a hug off of the chair. Dawn's tears, from the feeling of total loss and pain, all absorbed into April's coat. It was all April could do, nothing in the world could make Dawn's mother come back. 

Their food was brought to them without Dawn noticing. When Dawn finally had the ability to sniff back some tears, she broke her much needed hug with April. They retook their seats in silence. As Dawn chewed through her tasteless lunch, she resolved she should go spend time with her family after she was done.

-------

"Are you sure you want us to plan the entire thing?" Celestia asked.

It was has been nearly two days since Dawn's mother's death. Pinkie was due to wake up any minute. Celestia has been busy with preparations for Pinkie but still Dawn had asked her to organize the funeral for her mother. None of them, meaning her family, had been in the mind set to plan anything let alone the very thing they all seemed to want to avoid. 

"Dad's not really a pony who plans and I wouldn't do it justice, I would really owe you everything if you did this for me." 

April sighed as she knew it was really falling to her to do it. "So, we are set to do it on Friday?" She asked.

Dawn nodded.

"Alright, I'll have everything put together for you." Celestia said with a solemn nod.

"Thank you Celestia."

"Come April, much to do." Celestia sung behind her.

Dawn turned around as they left the room leaving her alone with Luna who had just woken up from her monthly sleep. She was sitting on the balcony ready for Dawn to join her.

"I am so sorry this happened to you." Luna said as Dawn sat next to her. "Everything passes my little Dawn." Luna said as she extended a wing, pulling Dawn closer to her. "The best you can do is remember the ponies you love."

"Is this why you have a forget spell?" 

"No. You would be insulting your mother and all she stood for if you forced yourself to forget. Any one this important or any pony for that matter. We created that spell so we could remember the ponies that are no longer with us. You should remember all life, good and bad. Years will stretch on for a long time and you don't want to remember the dull moments over the fun times."

Dawn looked out to the horizon the balcony offered her. It was bleak, grey, and ready for a storm. Fall was here after all. Dawn lifted her crown off her head to levitate inside to her desk that was still muddled with papers. "I'm going to go for a fly." Dawn said as she arched her wings up to take off.

"I would like to see you here for dinner." Luna called out after Dawn as she took to the clouds.

Dawn, in truth, just wanted to watch the weather team work and feel numb for among the clouds. Dawn lay back, resting on a stray cloud that got away from the weather team during their set up for the storm. She closed her eyes and let the universe drift around her.

"How long do you intend to stay up here?" April asked as she hovered in to rest on Dawn's exposed chest.

Dawn opened her eyes to notice the night and its stars had crept into the sky. "The void was once a solace to me for some reason, I can now see why."

April seemed to quiver at the subject. For whatever reason she did not like Dawn speaking of the void as she just did. "Luna told me to come get you. We're having dinner with Pinkie in her tower with her family and friends."

"Did you get to talk to her properly?"

"Talked to her with Celestia, she's a real smart pony if not..."

"Eccentric?"

"You're the eccentric one. Pinkie is bonkers. Though I've only known her from that party where she managed to have full on conversations with herself while, at the same time, shoving food into my mouth. "

"Yah, she really did well at that little task 'I' put her on." Dawn said, trying to break a smile. It was hard. 

"Yes, yes. You are so clever." April laughed, trying to help Dawn's smile along. Dawn let the two dissolve into the night's darkness to be dropped in a room full of ponies.

Dawn soon found herself in a tight embrace with several ponies. "We're so sorry to hear about you mom, Dawny, I'm here if you ever need a hug." Pinkie said among the pile of ponies at her feet.

"Same here." Twilight's voice added.

"Me too." Fluttershy said.

"I'm not hugging you." Trixie said from beyond the pile. "But uhh... I'm here if you need to talk..."

Dawn, who was in her full size at the moment, lifted a foreleg to start pushing away the ponies. "Dually noted. Thank you."

Getting the hint in her voice they all broke off, aside from Pinkie, who was a normal sized pony at the moment, pulled down Dawn's head with her weight. "You will come to me if you need a hug." She said once their eyes were meeting centimeters apart, their horns nearly touching.

Dawn was absolutely sure Pinkie had never experienced magic feedback and she didn't want to be her first. "I promise." She said as she lifted her head with Pinkie still holding on.

"Good." She cheered, before releasing Dawn's head to return to the table. Dawn was now able to see Pinkie properly. Her mane had gone completely straight much like how Dawn's did. She had stopped brushing it months ago but every time her mane picked up in an eternal wind it would return to a stick straight quality when she would shrink.

A very large dining table was brought into Pinkie's tower which was, structurally, the exact reciprocal of her tower. The ponies at the table were all familiar to her save two ponies on the end with Pinkie and Celestia, who she guessed were Pinkie's sisters. They both were grey ponies with grey manes of different shades. Pinkie's friends were there of course with Fluttershy right on the end of the table next to Pinkie.

Dawn took a seat in between April and Luna only to receive nuzzles from both. 

"So let me get this straight Luna is your mother..." Applejack asked Dawn, who was sitting across the table from her.

"Didn't we guess that when she came to my boutique?" Rarity asked the group while pondering to herself at the same time. Twilight nodded in agreement. "Ooo you are good. You bluffed your way right out of that, very cunning. Remind me to never invite you to our bi-weekly poker games." Rarity said with a sly grin, while waving her hoof at Dawn.

"I try." Dawn said, giving a small smirk. She just wasn't in the mood to gloat and it showed.

"Poker must be a family thing. Pinkie always walks out with all our bits." Twilight said thinking to herself.

"That's just something else I'm going to have to get my head around." Applejack said, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "Pinkie Pie having wings and a horn is hard enough as is."

"Psh, I'm just excited that we get to teach Pinkie how to fly." Rainbow said as excitedly as her wings showed she was.

"And magic!" Twilight said, trying to match the pegasus' excitement. She didn't let it show very long but she grimaced at the thought.

"As I said before I have to insist that you stay here until you do learn to control over your magic, or at least until we are sure you will not sleep cast away half of Ponyville." Celestia said to Pinkie who seemed pretty unsure of it all. She was uncharacteristically still.

The unicorns at the table giggled at the idea. Causing the earth ponies and pegasi to raise an eye brow at the joke they clearly missed.

"I guess it's like peeing the bed for them." April clarified, rolling her eyes. 

"Ohh..." Resounded along the table as they joined in laughing at Pinkie's expense.

"When Twilight stayed with me when she was younger, I always knew she was stressed because the royal library would turn into a zoo." Celestia said, daintily laughing at the recollection. 

Twilight turned a bright pink as she ducked her head.

"A zoo?" Trixie asked.

"The scrolls and books would be enchanted to eat each other. I can't tell you how many times I was woken up by panicking librarians." Celestia clarified. "And don't get me started on Dawn's night casting."

Dawn slammed her head on the table hoping to break the subject in the process.

"You cleaned those up too?" April asked, curiosity taking the better of her mouth.

"Let's just say the destruction of public property was the easiest to clean up." Celestia said with a laugh at Twilight and Dawn's embarrassment. 

"Flying! Pinkie should learn flying first, to get used to the stupid things on her back. It'll make her feel more comfortable for learning magic." Dawn said in attempts to derail the topic.

"First thing tomorrow!" Rainbow said, excitedly jumping on the new topic. "Wait what's wrong with wings?"

"How would you feel, Rainbow, if you had a tail growing out of your chest?" Dawn asked.

"Eww..." Every pony said, picturing the idea.

"Exactly how I felt when I discovered these things on my back." Dawn said, opening her wings up for display

"She fainted." April clarified plainly.

"Yes. Thank you, April..."

"And then she gave her dad a black eye with her wings after of course slamming herself into the dining table head first both times because they flared up." April said, laughing at the recollection. The rest of the ponies at the table joined in.

"She also destroyed said dining table with a fork." Luna added, chuckling, before nuzzling Dawn.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, stop. Thank you, both of you. I think the point got across." Dawn said plainly.

"Tomorrow will be a big day." Celestia said positively beaming to Pinkie.

> Chapter 25: Cheers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twenty-five


Dawn cleared her desk of all the botany research she had done and finished. A new tome of spells of dark, light and whatever her aspect of magic took on rested on her shelf with the others. While the pain in her throat was still there she did feel better now that her mother was laid to rest. The funeral had every pony who had an ounce of respect for her mother at attendance including ponies from all over the country, most of the guard, nearly every single Wonderbolt since Dawn's birth, old enemies as well as some equally old friends; so many stories, so many laughs were shared. Her mother sure did live to her fullest. It was also the first time seeing her father in full guard apparel, it was his way of showing his respect not just as his wife but for the combat specialist he fell in love those many years ago. A weekend of rest and relaxation was just what Dawn needed to feel a little bit more normal again. She mainly just finished up her research, spent time with April, etcetera. 

Pinkie often paid her a visit with the best intentions in mind. She was still small but clumsy as ever as she flew around her tower knocking over books and the like off Dawn's shelves only for her to practice her telekinesis by putting the books back in what she thought was their proper place.

Dawn let out a sigh as she moved the books she had just read to the shelves with the others likely to never be reopened again. She was expecting new books to be brought up to her any minute, both from deep within the Canterlot library and fresh off the press.

Dawn made her way over to her balcony just to watch the rest of the afternoon drift away. It was an abnormally hot day, summer was fighting to give up it's time that had come and gone. Dawn stretched as she lay down in the shadow of her tower, letting the warm breeze graze across her coat.

"Pinkie just cast her first spell."

"Which was?" Dawn turned over on her back revealing Luna standing over her.

"Just a basic light spell but you should have seen Twilight's face, absolutely horrified that she picked it up so quickly. She is so much like Celly was when she was that age, it's spooky."

"Really?"

"Oh yah." Luna said nodding quickly. "Bouncing off the wall with energy and excitement. Yep, unlike you and me, Celly is most powerful when she is small. Also unlike you and me she is insatiably hyper during those years of her cycle."

"So..."

"Yep Celly will be like her daughter in a couple centuries. Not something to look forward too in my opinion." Luna laughed. "You know they're teaching her more spells now. Why aren't you joining them?"

"I'm not in the mood."

Luna planted herself next to Dawn with a sigh.

"You ever feel you're stuck in a rut."

"Of course, but this rut you are in however is one that will pass by itself."

"Right."

Luna lifted Dawn with her magic and pulled her into the same kind of embrace she had received, what seemed like, dozens of times today alone. And the day before, and every day before that. She wasn't in the mood to fight the blatant disrespect of her movement. "I promise things will turn for the better, it always does." Luna whispered from behind her.

April banked in, curling around the tower to land on the balcony Luna and Dawn were sitting on. "Am I interrupting some more mother-daughter time?" She asked with a laugh.

Dawn bucked up Luna's backend to plop her on her back with Luna's legs still wrapped lovingly around her. "Nope." Dawn said as she walked over to great April. "How was your day?"

"Exhausting." 

"You always say that." Dawn pouted after planting a kiss on April's cheek.

"Yes well I have been really tired lately." April said, leading the way into Dawn's tower to buck off the saddle bags on her back.

"Celly works you too hard. You’re a lady of the castle now. You don't have to work for her." Luna said from Dawn's back.

"I don't want to mooch."

"What is a mooch any ways?" Luna asked Dawn.

"The word evolved from an old donkey dialect which means sulk and/or steal."

"Why do you know that?" April asked, once her saddle was off.

"I have a health curiosity and access to the largest library in all Equestria."

"Why aren't you helping Pinkie learn magic and stuff?" April asked, inspecting Dawn for irregularities that would answer question.

"She is not in the 'Mood'." Luna answered, still on Dawn's back.

"Well can't have that..." April said as she turned around to trip over her own hooves forcing her to plant her face into the marble floor. "Ow"

Dawn let out a sigh as she helped her up with her magic. 

"Perhaps you are more tired than you originally thought." Luna laughed.

"She's been doing that a lot lately." Dawn said plainly.

"Have not." April defended. 

"That time we went apple cider tasting was personal favorite but the time we got our hooves on those fireworks fight for second with that time in Las Pegasus on the beach. Oh! And at Applewood with your favorite actor, those poor flowers... and let's not forget the last summer sun celebration..." 

"Fine, fine." April said quickly, cutting her off.

"I clearly missed some entertainment." Luna chuckled, forcing Dawn to shake.

"Yes well I haven't been getting the best of sleep with miss 'wakes-up-at-the-crack-of dawn-without-fail' pony."

"Well we both know that is a lie." Dawn said with a smirk.

April was interrupted from her rebuttal with a knocking on Dawn's door. Nopony knocked Dawn's door at this hour; the servants were long done with their chores in here.

"Come in." Dawn called out as she turned around, pointing Dawn and Luna towards the door. Fluttershy emerged from behind the creaking heavy wooden door that led down the spiral stair case.

"Oh, I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything... I can come back... I'll come back." Fluttershy mumbled under her breath as she quickly surveyed the room.

"Don't be silly Fluttershy." April jumped on Dawn's inaction as she quickly glided to the yellow pegasus' side. "Dawn is your princess, she's here to help."

"That's a new one." Dawn laughed only to receive a small jab from Luna on her back. "What can I do for you Fluttershy?"

"You know I was just telling Dawn last night 'What are the chances that the only daughters of the princesses would fall in love with such cute pegasus mares such as us'." April said excitedly, guiding the timid pegasus over to Dawn and Luna.

Dawn was positive they had no such conversation but she wasn't going to refute her lest she get the rancor's wrath later.

"Oh, I guess that is umm.... Interesting." Fluttershy whispered quietly for it to dissolve into the white noise of the tower.

April stopped short of Dawn and Luna, she was beaming back at them for some odd reason. 

"Right..." Dawn was caught off guard by the smile she was receiving. "What can I do for you Fluttershy?"

"Well you see..." Fluttershy started to say but her voice fell to the silence of the room. "Pinkie and I..."

"I will leave this in your capable hooves." Luna said before kissing Dawn on the back of her head and disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

Dawn's back shivered at the absence of the extra body warmth on her back. "Pinkie and you?" Dawn egged on.

"Pinkie and I are engaged!" Fluttershy announced to the room.

"Umm... Congratulations." Dawn said confused as can be.

"When?" April asked, pulling around Fluttershy to look at her face to face.

"That night before the princesses came to sugar cube corner..." Fluttershy clarified in a timid volume. "I purposed to her as we were walking back from Applejack's farm before they came..."

"Oh..." April said in an understanding tone.

"Oh?" asked Dawn. Wait... As Dawn's thoughts sped through her head she had a near overwhelming urge to flea. Her wings flared in response. "I will leave this in 'Your' capable hooves...." Dawn started to say as she charged up a magical escape. April in a feat of grace and speed poked hard at Dawn's horn to stop her from casting magic. "Ow."

"Oh it didn't hurt. You are staying, this is important." April said sternly giving Dawn a look that she would not be disobeying. "Go on Fluttershy, what is wrong?"

"Well... The morning of her first flight lesson I told her I was still excited about it. I thought I knew she was too but then she changed the subject and..." Fluttershy's voice got lost to the void as she stared at the ground between them.

"You were right to come to us. Dawn does that all the time." April said, lending a supporting hoof to Fluttershy's shoulder.

"I do what now?" Dawn asked, she was getting a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Pinkie is still your Pinkie I swear, turning into a princess is just a big deal, just give her time." April said supportively.

"Did this happen to you and Dawn?" Fluttershy asked, peaking up to look at April.

"Yep, I can't get her to talk about anything any more let alone marriage, children, well any bit of our future..." April lost herself in her own thoughts only to snap back when she felt Fluttershy's eyes on her. "I'm not helping..." She admitted. April fell onto her quarters to brainstorm. "Just pin down Pinkie and force her to talk. Get it all out in the blue." 

"Pin her down?" Fluttershy gasped. 

Dawn had a very bad feeling now she found herself slowly backing up out from the range of April.

"Yeah..." April agreed with herself nodding. "...and just bop her on the horn if she tries to get away using magic." April demonstrated on Dawn who was just a dozen feet away which was easily shorted with a flap of April's wings.

"Umm..." Fluttershy was clearly frightened by the plan April was suggesting. "Thank you for your help..." She said quietly to April, now backing away herself.

"Huh? Yes, no problem Fluttershy, any time." April smiled at a successful deed well done.

Fluttershy darted for the door once her back was turned, letting the creaking door to close itself as she flew down the spiral stairs behind it. April turned around and smiled at Dawn who was now backed up against the block of marble in her tower.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Miss Showers?" Dawn asked, chuckling as she side peddled for a better escape route.

"I was going to wait for awhile to let you mourn your mom but yes." April said now on the approach towards Dawn. "Before you sprouted wings you wanted to adopt foals, get married, move to the outskirts of Canterlot, and live a 'fake' modest life, your words not mine. Now what?" April jumped to the side, cutting Dawn off from the balcony no matter how fast Dawn flew. "I wanna know what I'm getting into with you now?"

"Err..."

"I know you will out live me, and all of Equestria for that matter but I need to know. I think it is only fair."

"Perhaps we should take these one at a time..." Dawn suggested.

"No, you're clearing it all up right now, I tried multiple times to talk to you but we always get interrupted."

"Oh..." Dawn thought back to April leading her around the skies multiple times with no particular destination. "Alright." She said, adopting a professional manner. "Foals scare the living life out of me. You were poisoned the first week of me 'sprouting' these little wings I wouldn't dream of putting a foal through that."

"Okay, so foals are a no?" April asked in a near shrill of surprise as she continued to approach Dawn.

"I don't know..." Dawn admitted as she backed into her desk.

"What about me? Do you want to get married some day? To me?"

Is she asking? Dawn let out a sigh. "I don't mind marrying you. I just didn’t think that was a life you wanted."

"And you decided that did you?" April snapped showing a bite of anger in her voice.

Dawn was stunned into silence. What does she want? 

April closed her eyes to take a calming breath. "I'm sure we could get away with moving to the outskirts if we so choose to." April calmly suggested.

"I suppose..."

"You suppose?" April asked, letting a bit of anger show again. She closed her eyes again to clear her mind with tempered breaths. "Whatever you are so scared of I know you can figure something out. Something so amazing, something that bends all of reality to make all our dreams come true. Like our boxes."

"No pressure..." Dawn said to herself. April stepped up to nuzzle Dawn muzzle to muzzle.

"I'm sure 'We' can figure something out." April said before kissing Dawn. 

"I suppose I can redirect my research to something more 'useful'." Dawn mumbled to herself. She hadn't thought about doing something that the princesses hadn't thought of yet. Her father's words so long ago never rang truer in Dawn's mind. "What do you want Miss Showers?"

"A lovely little cottage on the outskirts of town. I want to adopt a couple foals of our own. I want you to be happy. I don't care if we get married or not but I do know I want to be with you now and that is not likely to change in my life time."

Dawn closed her eyes as April came in for another kiss. How in the world was she going to give April what she wanted.

-------

"Happy Hearth warming." April cheered.

"Happy Hearth Warming." Dawn mumbled as she walked into their kitchen. Dawn and April had April's old room converted into a full small living quarters inside the castle with kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom the works. For living in a castle, it was modest living. April had a spatula in her mouth. She was flipping eggs and diced potatoes together, which made a sizzling noise after every scrape.

"Hope you're hungry." April said once spitting out the spatula to serve her homemade breakfast. "This is our first Hearth Warming together." April cheered.

"Indeed it is." Dawn said as she surveyed the food laid out in front of her. It was likely a tasteless if not bitter meal but she would eat it all the same, after adding a heavy dose of pepper and salt. 

"Do you know how hard it is to shop for a princess? And I bought gifts for four of them this year."

"Yes, well you aren't entirely easy to shop for either." Dawn said indifferently, scooping the predictably tasteless food into her mouth. "What in the world are you doing up so early?" Dawn asked, looking at the preparation April put into the tasteless food. 

"I couldn't fall back asleep, I only woke up a hour or so ago." April lied before pushing her food into her own mouth. "And what do you mean shop, you didn't get me anything." April snapped back with a mouth full of food.

Dawn could see that April had woken up hours ago, the kitchen was clean, and the rooms she passed had all the papers that once littered the ground stacked neatly in some matter of organization. All of this time she spent awake cleaning left very little time for actual rest. "I'm thinking it's time you go see a doctor about that." Dawn waved a free hoof at April.

"Yes, yes." April waved Dawn away like she had been for weeks. "I was thinking. Is there any way you can make a house invisible? You know like the temple of serpent dragon?"

"From Daring Doo?" Dawn asked, laughing.

"Hey don't laugh, it would be useful."

"I'll look into it." Dawn said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine knock away my idea."

"You still want to go to Twilight's tonight?"

"You still don't?"

"I suppose it's too late to have a choice." 

"Correct."

Dawn sighed as she pushed away her half eaten breakfast. She needed to save room for something tastier. Taste was really the only reason to eat any more, something she had never told April. Dawn thought to herself as April polished off her food.

"Wanna go explore the streets before it gets crowded?" Dawn asked as April grabbed her plate from the table. "Look at the decorations and such."

"Sure..." April tripped on herself again as she turned around, Dawn caught her with her magic. "Thanks"

"You're growing clumsy in your old age my dear." Dawn laughed.

"Am not." 

------

Dawn unfolded the void, exposing Dawn and April to a party in full bloom. Twilight's library was garnished with red and green of all shades with the traditional glass wendigos on every spare shelf or exposed surface. Dawn was swiftly swept up in a gruesome hug by her father, lifting her in the air. 

"Happy hearth warming." He said before kissing Dawn on her forehead minding her sharp horn. 

"That it is." Dawn said with a forced smile.

Sturdy Shield set down Dawn and swept up April with the same greeting she received. "How are you my dear?" 

"Same old same old." April said, gasping for breath from Dawn's dad's vice like hug.

The library was populated with a few choice ponies of Ponyville, ponies Dawn had come to know as Twilight and Trixie's family, the other princesses and of course Metal. Pinkie was talking a thousand miles a second to, what she now accepted as her mother. Celestia was soaking in every second of the mare's words that just bled out with no consequence or for that matter order. 

"I haven't seen you all day." Luna said as she snuck up form behind to Dawn, taking advantage of her full moon size, she wrapped Dawn in her forelegs. "I hate Celly's political parties."

"I'm glad I wasn't there." Dawn said with earnest enthusiasm. 

"Me too, it was horrid." Luna nuzzled Dawn again from behind. "I went and did something I have never done before and bought a gift, which was more taxing than I thought it would be."

"Oh?"

Luna teleported a small pink book lined with green cloth on the binding. "It's a diary, I know you don't keep one but it is a good way to remember the ponies you care about."

It was a simple gesture that meant the world to both them in their own way. "Thank you Luna." Dawn said before returning a nuzzle to Luna, which was a rare treat for the Mare of the Night.

Dawn leafed through the blank pages of the book taking in the smell of bound paper before teleporting it on top of her desk back in her tower.

"I got something for you too." Dawn said, walking out of Luna's embrace, she teleported a wrapped box addressed to Luna in front of its receipt.

Luna unwrapped the box to pull out a wooden board that had four glass globes set into it and a small book. Inside the globes, one could see small beginnings of a plants set into the wood. Luna cocked her head as she attempted to decipher what the gift was. "What is it?" She asked when her curiosity finally peaked.

"They're enchanted plants. In that book it tells you how to set the plants to a pony. The plants will grow parallel to the pony, so you could set one of them to me and it will grow in a unique way that is unique to me."

"I see." Luna said, studying the tiny plants sprouted out of the wood.

"They're magical, so you don't need to water them or anything."

"You made this just for me?"

"Yep."

After another loving nuzzle, Luna ran to Celestia presumably to show her the gift she gave her. Dawn searched the room; it would seem her family gave her a wide birth to exchange gifts with Luna as her dad and April were now sitting on the opposite side of the room with her brother and a few other choice ponies.

"Marry Hearths warming." Twilight cheered behind Dawn.

"Marry Hearths Warming..." Dawn mumbled back.

"I made you something. Something to add to your collection." Twilight said, levitating two books over to her one smaller than the other. "The small one is how to make those boxes you made. I fixed the enchantment, which was no easy task but it's still a very advanced spell.  I already gave the originals back to April already. The bigger one is all my spells in bound form." Twilight chuckled.

"Getting fancy on me Twilight." Dawn laughed.

"Yep, made you and Celestia a copy. New editions will be sure to come out in the future." Twilight cheered to herself.

"I'll let you discover my gift on your own. Helpful hint though. It has something to do with this poor mutilated tree." Dawn said, stomping her hoof on the floor below her before, leaving Twilight to ponder by herself. 

"So Dawn, when are you going to marry this filly?" Dawn's father asked as Dawn sat down to join her family. April shrunk in place, hinting what they were talking about before she joined them.

"Gosh I don't know. How's Tuesday?" Dawn asked, rolling her eyes. "When are you gonna get married?" Dawn asked, turning her attention to Metal across the table. He had a wing wrapped around Sweetie Belle.

Metal coughed up what he was drinking, spraying it all over his free wing that was covering his mouth out of reflex. Sweetie Belle blushed a deep red. 

"My little sister will not be getting married before me!" Rarity proclaimed from behind Dawn.

"Best get cracking then." Dawn laughed as she studied Metal's reaction to all this. 

"My boy is too young to be getting married." Dawn's father said sternly. "But you Honey Buns are not getting any younger."

"Yep nor any older." Dawn sighed.

"Why am I too young to get married?" Metal protested.

Rarity and Dawn's father erupted in a hurried and hilarious list of reasons causing both of their voices to go course.

"I think you two should get married just to spite them." Dawn suggested while giggling, only to receive a quick jab from April. Rarity and Dawn's father cut their list of reasons short to give Dawn a glare of disapproval. A thick silence grew across on the table as no pony wanted to touch the previous subject again.

The silence was only broken with a ringing of some glass that bought the attention of everypony in the library. Twilight was standing on the stair case with a glass from a near by table and a spoon hovering nearby. Trixie was standing slightly behind Twilight wearing a grin that would send shivers up Dawn's spine if not for Twilight's smile which was just calming to see.

"I thought it would be a good time to tell everypony, my friends and family, about our good ne...

"We're getting some foals! FINALLY!" Trixie interrupted Twilight. Pinkie was the first to cheer loudly in celebration the rest of the library followed. 

When the cheering and clopping slowed to a hush Twilight elaborated. "We finally got approved with the help of Celestia and were going down to the orphanage in a couple weeks to pick up twin foals just under a year old." Twilight said happily. "Once the paper work reaches them." She added, rolling her eyes.

"Whoo Hooo!" Pinkie Pie cheered, taking flight, spinning around near the ceiling. "I'm gonna be Auntie Pinkie!" 

Rarity face hoofed as she watched the pink alicorn swirl around. "I fear for future generations under her rule."

"Luna says she is a lot like Celestia at rare times." Dawn laughed before springing to the air to join Pinkie in a flight around the Library.  After a dozen or so cycles they both landed side by side.

"So much happy news!" Pinkie shrilled out of excitement, her tail shivered with her voice.

"What else did I miss?"

"Your brother silly."

"My brother?"

"Yah! He's getting married!"

"What?" Shrilled the table across the room. 

"Oh wait that hasn't happened yet." Pinkie whispered to Dawn. "Oopsy."

"Oopsy?" Dawn repeated as the library grew quite. All eyes were on either Pinkie or the couple on the other side of the room.

"Well he was going to tell everypony but everypony made fun of the idea before he could even announce it." Sweetie Belle said nervously as the rest of the room's eyes turned to the cream colored mare.

There wasn't enough time for the room to react to see Dawn sweep across the floor to pick up her brother in a hug mirroring her mother's brutality. "Congratulations." Dawn picked up her soon to be sister-in-law with her own magic and brought her into their mid air hug. "How exciting!" She cheered.

Dawn put down her brother and his soon to be wife, the room was of mixed emotions but for the most part it was jubilant for the young couple. She backed away as Dawn's father took her place to whisper something to the couple. What he whispered could only be guessed at. 

Turning around to face a mare who was hopping up and down. "Pinkie, how did you find out before everypony else?" Dawn asked letting her curiosity best her excitement for the moment. 

"I don't know..." Pinkie replied elongating her words playfully. "I just did." She concluded.

"But you said it didn't happen yet." Dawn said approaching her cousin to study, her curiosity besting many other emotions. 

"It just did, silly."

"Pinkie sense!" Twilight exclaimed meeting Dawn's pace to approach the pink alicorn.

"Ohh, could be..." Pinkie said playfully feigning about thinking about it, bring a hoof to her chin while scrunching up her brow in the strain of it all. 

"She always has had these premonitions ever since I met her. I tried to explain it through scientific observation but I never imagined she was Celestia's daughter..."

"It will be fun experimenting with your magic..." Dawn said slyly.

"Wait she has a unique magic like yours?" Twilight asked, daunted by the idea.

"Possibly..." Never before has time been predicted before. A new kind of magic... Dawn thought to herself.

"Listen girls we should be celebrating not studying little ol' me." 

Dawn reluctantly agreed. She would have all the time in the world to sate her curiosity. She turned around to see the entire group of ponies, save for the princesses and Twilight gather around Metal and Sweetie Belle to offer their congratulations. 

"It's gonna suck to move out of this tree." Twilight commented to Dawn as she turned around herself.

"Dawny, you didn't show her?" Pinkie asked, poking a hoof in Dawn's side.

"It's been here for days I was hoping she would discover it herself."

"Discover what?"

"The thing I did to this poor tree." Dawn answered petting the floor like soothing an injured animal.

"What did you do?"

Pinkie lit up her magic briefly teleporting them to a room just out of ear shot of the party. Twilight blinked harshly as she looked around at her new surroundings. She was for a lack of a better word in a nursery if not a full fledged bedroom for two.

"I'm rather surprised on how little you go behind your tree Twilight. I coaxed the tree to grow another room for you. This room has been here for days, almost a week in fact." Dawn announced to the room filled with dolls and toys of all sorts. "What is also impressive is you didn't notice the hallway leading to the room or for that matter the rooms and along that."

"I don't have to move?" Twilight asked as her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"Isn't great?" Pinkie cheered, hopping around a dumbstruck Twilight.

"Pinkie distracted you as I built it." Dawn said, pointing to the door leading to the hallway which would end near the party. They all walked down it as Dawn showed the new bathroom, shelves, and closet.

Twilight jumped at Dawn, wrapping a hoof around her tight. "Thank you so much."

"Not a problem my dear. You've been a good friend to me all I can do to return the favor."


 Much thanks for the pleasent expeience, i enjoyed myself for the most part. Many cheer for sdrawkcab eip eikniP.