Dance with the Dark

Twilight woke to the cold shock of water on her face, while Spike hovered above her a glass in claw. She slipped from the large Crystal bed, and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. "Morning Spike... What *yawn* what's up?"

Spike shrugged, replying,"I think there are more tourists at the door, or maybe another pony wanting a book?"

Twilight gave a look of dread, and slowly trotted down the stairs leading to the mazes of rooms and then, at the end of it all, the two large crystal doors leading to the outside world. As she went to open it she straightened her tiara, and began the same speech she used almost everyday.

"Hello and welcome to the Friendship castle, I am pri-" she stopped when she heard a familiar country twang.

"Gosh Twi! Y'all been over run wit' tourists, er sumpin'? Ya' look all tuckered out!" Applejack twanged, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"Oh, Applejack! I'm so sorry! These past few days have been crazy!" Twilight apologized, taking her crown off and setting it on a table beside the door.

Applejack trotted into the lobby area of the castle, taking care not to laugh at how sleepy her friend looked. "Anyway, how've y'all been' doing lately?"

"Pretty well, I mean, as well as I can be on low sleep," she replied nodding her head lightly.

"That's good Twi' besides the not sleepin' part, oh! Me and some of the other gals were-" Applejack stopped abruptly, seeing as Spike ran into the room, letter in claw, coughing up green flames.

He flopped on the floor and Twilight levitated the letter from his claw and Spike onto a sofa nearby. She began the letter;

"Dear Twilight,

"My sincerest apologies for waking you early, if you hadn't already woken up. I have request of you, so make sure your sitting down.  I may no longer be your mentor, but I can tell that your ready for an apprentice of your own. Every alicorn eventually has one, as you might not have known, StarSwirl the Bearded was actually Luna's apprentice, way back in the day. I trust that you'll consider this offer, as I have a line up of fillies and colts in Canterlot, all of which I find very talented.

"Sincerely, Princess Celestia."

Twilight gawked at the letter, though her eyes betrayed her delight.

"... I'm going to have an apprentice!" She squealed, fluttering her wings and prancing around like a prideful peacock!

Twilight suddenly stopped in mid air, while AJ's teeth were clamped around her tail. "Cal'm mfh down' sugar-cube mfh!"

Twilight fluttered down and apologized, but still was hyped up at such a notion as being a mentor to another pony!

"Don't be sorry Twi'! Ah' get yur excited, ah' would be too if it were me getten'  one!" Applejack smiled and gave a chuckle.

"Heh' thanks for understanding Applejack," Twilight mumbled rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof.

Applejack nodded," Well as ah' was gunna say, me and sum of the gals wanted ta' hang out this afternoon, Fluttershy can't come though- she's off with Discord again."

"Sure! That sounds great, I bet that you girls could even help with making a test!" Twilight smiled clopping her hoofs together cheerfully.

-

Dawn woke. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking over to the hospital window tiredly. Her eyes widened as she glanced to the side of her bed where another bed sat, and a familiar white alicorn was nestled in.

"Meep!" She shrieked jumping under the covers after noticing that that alicorn happened to be missing her wings. Completely.

The alicorn opened a large purple eye slowly, and chuckled getting up from the bed and trotting over to the trembling lump in the covers. "It's alright little Dawn, it's just me, Celestia."

          Dawn crawled out from the covers, a look of relief on her features. But that came to pass as the missing wings came into question.

"Oh, yes, the wings. Little Dawn, by now you probably know that even a great leader is not perfect, and cannot always protect her ponies the way she wishes she could. I lost my wings in the fight against the smoke that had over taken you, and I fear that it is a greater force behind it, for my sister has returned her state before she became an alicorn as well." She gave a sad smile,"But I do believe I have a just the thing to cheer you up!"

Celestia briskly walked to the table at the end of the bed and pulled a small letter off of it, giving it to Dawn.

"What is it?" Dawn asked trying to pry the small envelope open with her hooves, as she was told to not use magic till she was released. Celestia floated the letter from Dawn's hooves, and opened it to show Dawn.

"This is an invitation to join in Princess Twilight's Test for finding an apprentice. I am willing to bet that you will do very well there," Celestia glanced out the window, a smile filling her face for a short second.

"But... Umm... I don't think I'd do so well... I mean... I wasn't even able to control my emotions long enough to block that spell..." Dawn said sadly, coming close to tears.

          Celestia quickly summoned a tissue and dried the filly's tears."Dawn, did your mother ever tell you what an emotion caster can do?" Dawn shook her head with a confused look plastered to her face. "Well, and emotion caster is very strong in magic, and that ability amplifies the users magic depending on mood. Think of something good and happy, then test your magic little Dawn."

          Dawn pressed her ears back and tried to think of good times. A memory from along time ago came up and she genuinely smiled as she remembers a picnic she and her father shared when she was young. She focused her magic on flowers by her bed, trying to change the color. Suddenly, she felt a tug in her magic and she stopped it to see the pink flowers a bright shade of orange.

            "Very good, now, I just want you to remember this- everypony and everything is special, and everypony can become good, you just need to show them how to change... I'd best be off little pony, your mother will be here in just a bit to bring you home." She opened the door with her golden aurora, and stepped outside.

  -

Dawn padded onto the large marble floors of the palace, her mother following closely behind. The room that the hall led into was huge. A group of fillies and colts were gathered in the center, either talking or playing with their respective magic.

Dawn froze when two familiar faces became noticeable. The two pink and white fillies were there, gathering a collection of followers in the group. She realized she should have stayed in bed, because the minute she stepped into the group it was silent.

"Alright Dawn, have fun, I'll see you this afternoon." Dawns mother stated trotting out of the room.

Dawn gulped and waved quietly to her mom, before turning around to face the pink and white fillies.

"Wow. How did you get in here in the first place? The princess probably pitied you or something. You couldn't even defend your self from that spell. Maybe they should have named you Dimwit!" The pink maned one said cackling.

"Ya you show her Prim!" The other white and pink filly cheered, soon to be joined by the other foals in attendance.

Dawn scowled and padded past them, sitting down and pulling out a book from her saddlebags.

"Proper, maybe we should be more clear with our friend here!" Prim went over and smacked Dawn across the face."You're dumb and ugly and no one likes you. You won't ever have any friends! Your no better than a mud pony!" She shreaked.

Dawn sniffled, rubbing a her cheek carefully. Dawn felt the same magic she had used on the flowers, but this time it felt more powerful, one filled with rage. Her horn lit up with magic, and as Prim went to hit her again, she was blasted away by a powerful field of magic.

Dawn growled, brandishing her glowing horn in the filly's direction."Leave me ALONE!" Her horn flashed and the room was lit with an intense furry, but then she stopped. Dawn remembered what her mother told her all the time... Hate isn't the way to go, kindness and understanding goes much farther...

Dawn cast a concealing spell, hiding the large bruise on her cheek, and began to read once more, as if nothing ever happened.

A few minutes passed, and Twilight finally arrived, Pinkie pie in tow. Twilight levitated a stack of flash cards, beginning to speak."Welcome everypony, fillies and colts. You already know who I am, so let us begin!" Twilight lit her horn and a cascade of boxes fell into the room, and the foals all watched in dismay, what kind of challenge is this?

Pinkie bounced up and began passing out the boxes while Twilight elaborated as to what it entailed,"Alright. So for this test, I want you to open the box only using magic, and keep what item is inside the box safe. Go!"

As soon as she said these words, six of the twelve foals used a fire spell, where one would focus their magic into a ball of light, and destroyed the boxes, and nopony saw an item undamaged leave the boxes. Dawn was discouraged, but found herself thinking once more... What does an emotion caster do best?

Dawn slowly rose the box to her height, examining the edges and finding any holes to sink her magic through. Finding a very small knot hole, she sent her magic through reaching to find the item, and it's dimensions. It turned out the item was a letter, a small one at that. Now she had the task of opening said box.

Then it clicked. If Celestia could teleport a letter from Canterlot to Ponyville at a distance, maybe she could teleport a letter out of a box short distance!

Focusing her magic, Dawn imagined the letter in front of her, the faded scroll-like letter, with rich black ink writing, tied up with red string. She scrunched up her nose, and closed her eyes, praying to Celestia that it would work.

She opened one eye, and the letter sat in her magical embrace, the box clattering to the floor.

Prim's eye twitched, and she proceeded to throw a tantrum, sputtering curses. Proper, Twilight and all the other foals watched in astonishment as the filly burst into flame, then subsided, running out of the room. Pinkie, meanwhile was trying not to laugh, but failing miserably. Not to say she was miserable. No, she was quite jovial.

Twilight raised brow, then noticed Dawn's success. "What's your name little foal?"

Dawn grinned and replied her name was Dimmed Dawn. Twilight's smile faulted for a second. The Princess was right. The prophecy was coming true. Twilight's smile quickly returned though, as Pinkie pulled a cannon from her mane, and the room was filled with party decor.

Dawn squeaked in surprise, and she pulled Twilight in a hug. Twilight smiled, but she knew all to soon... This would change.