Dawn's Story

My eyes narrowed as adrenaline filled my veins, and time came to a halt. My mind blocked out everything except for my two choices. I could use this opportunity to get rid of this evil monstrosity, once and for all, or I could save Starlight. If I did that, it would give Chrysalis a chance to run.

For me, there was really only one option. I wasn't going to let my only friend fall to her death, but I wasn't letting this thing get away, either. I dashed onto the balcony, firing a bolt of pure rage at the queen. She turned just in time for it to hit her in the face. Without stopping, I went right over the edge.

Starlight had fainted from the hit, and had already fallen a third of the distance. I closed the gap in half a second, and grabbed her by her midsection, almost like a tight hug. What I didn't realize at the time, was that I became one of two ponies to ever create a Sonic Rainboom in that half-second. The blast had been so large, all fighting in Canterlot stopped, and everypony turned to the castle.

Running on rage and adrenaline, I was back to the balcony before Chrysalis had even hit the ground. Starlight began to wake up as I set her down, which was the only thing that saved that evil queen from dying, right then, by my hooves. As I prepared to finish her off, Starlight stopped me.

"Wait!" She yelled faintly. "If you finish her, we'll never know where our friends are."

Though they were truly her friends, I controlled myself. I was never a killer, but seeing somepony harm my friend had pushed me to the edge.

Starlight stood, and walked to Chrysalis, who was still laying on the ground. When she stood over her, the queen spoke.

"After everything I've done to you, you still can't bring yourself to end me? How pathetic." Her voice was raspy, as she had taken quite the hit.

"No, because unlike you, I'm a civil being. You are just downright evil. You're a monster, but nopony deserves to die. Besides, I believe that you weren't always this way."

"Well you're wrong."

"No, I don't think I am. I think that you were an ally of Equestria's, hundreds of years ago. You were capable of friendship, until somepony hurt you."

"You don't know anything!"

"But I do. Somepony hurt you somehow, so you built your walls. You hid yourself from everypony, and devised a way to get revenge."

I couldn't see where Starlight was going with this, but it was working. There were tears on Chrysalis' face.

"You started blaming everypony, and treated them all as if they hurt you. Slowly, you believed your own lies."

"STOP!"

"You blamed everypony for your problems!"

"STOP IT!"

"But why?! Why do you blame others?!"

"STOP IT NOW!"

"I think you blame everypony because it's easier than blaming yourself!"

"YOU'RE WRONG!"

"No, you're wrong, Chrysalis! STOP TELLING YOURSELF THESE LIES!"

"Please, stop." She stopped trying to hold back her tears.

"No. No, I won't stop, because deep down, you know it's true. And if you would only let somepony in, to show you that we aren't all out to hurt you, you wouldn't be so afraid. I can be that pony, but you have to let down your walls, and open the gate. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already."

"How do I know that you don't just want to mentally break me."

"I guess you're just going to have to take my word. I promise that I am not that kind of pony. I don't know who hurt you, or how they did it, but not everypony is like that. You just need a friend you can trust."
Starlight reached out her hoof, and Chrysalis flinched, before taking it.

Starlight and I helped her to her hooves, and Starlight gave some last words of assurance.

"I promise that Dawn and I will do everything in our power to help you through whatever Celestia throws at you. That reminds me: where is Celestia?"

It would be a long time before things truly returned to normal, but they were slowly getting there. We had found all of the missing ponies in the dungeons below the castle. They would have tried to find a way to escape, had they not bee trapped in Changeling stasis pods of some sort.

Chrysalis' punishment had been a lot lighter than everypony expected, as Celestia was willing to give her a chance to prove herself. Twilight and the others had a lot to teach her, but it wasn't impossible.

I was about to enter the Canterlot Throne Room, where Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight would all be waiting. Starlight was by my side, to help show them that I had changed. These next few minutes would define my entire future. I would either be given a second chance, or thrown into Tartarus. Preferably the former.

A Royal Guardspony came through the door, and nodded to me.

"They're ready for you, Princess Dawn."

I turned to Starlight, who gave me a reassuring smile.

"He called you princess. That's a good sign, right?"

"It could just be a formality, but I hope you're right."

We stepped inside, and walked to the front of the room. As we approached the ponies who would determine my future, Twilight let out a chuckle. Celestia turned to her.

"Is something funny, Twilight?"

"Well, not funny per say. More so ironic than anything else."

"And...?"

"You see, not long ago Starlight was in the same situation that Princess Dawn is in now. And here we are now, with Starlight helping another pony through what she went through."

"That just means that you were right about Starlight Glimmer. Maybe you will be able to do the same for Princess Dawn?" Princess Cadence chimed.

"I don't believe I have to." Twilight surprised us all.

"What do you mean? Is Dawn unable to be helped?" Princess Luna asked.

"I just think that Starlight beat me to it. Dawn has already been helped."

"What do you propose we do, then?" Starlight replied.

"I think the only pony who can answer that is you, Starlight. What do you propose we do?"

"I think that you should allow me to take her under my wing, as you did for me, and Celestia to you."

"Are you up to the task?" Twilight inquired.

Starlight looked at me, and I looked at Starlight. We met each other's eyes and nodded in unison. She turned back to Twilight and the others.

"I think I can handle it."