Dawn's new day.

As soon as Celestia marched calmly through the front door all fighting ceased between the two herds. Dawn's parents bowed while his remaining conscious grandparent's went wide eyed. Once the shock wore off they all tried to flee but only the twins managed to get out of the room while Onyx Star distracted the princess with a pure mana beam.

"You really thought that would do anything?" Celestia scoffed as the spell hit her shield and she sent a stunning spell right through Star's own shield, knocking him out. She then looked back towards Dawn's parents. "Please take these two outside to the guards while I retrieve the other two. We probably shouldn’t let them burn before the trial."

"Yes princess." Pear Butter, Forest Breeze and Morning Dew replied. None of them were foolish enough to argue with a pissed off alicorn.

As Celestia followed the twins through the house she had no issues breaking their wards or other traps hurriedly laid behind them. Both of the older mares were screaming at each other before an unknown spell struck her in the chest.

"Did it work?" Moonrise asked her sister? They had just fired the gilding spell at Celestia in a last ditch effort.

Sunrise couldn't believe her eyes when she checked. The princess was currently frozen and covered in gold. "It did." Cracks began to form. "But it won't hold for long. Let's go."

The twins quickly left the house from the back door and began running through the forest that surrounded the town.

"What do we do now sister?" Moonrise asked as they continued to flee into the night. They were both already sweating and exhausted from the earlier fight.

"How should I know? I never expected bucking Celestia herself to show up." She panted out. "Actually I have an idea."

She doubled back towards the town with her sister following.

Gold dripped from Celestia's fur as the room burned around her. For over nine hundred years no spell had ever managed to slow her down let alone stop her like this. When she finally broke free she was panting hard and pressed a hoof against her own chest to slow her heartrate. You really should work out more and eat less cake.

"Shut up." Celestia took a step forward.

"Princess are you all right in there?" Yelled Shining from outside the now fully engulfed house.

"I'm fine young Shining Armor this is nothing compared to the sun." She shook off the remaining gold, glad she had not been wearing her regalia.

"Then can you check the basement. Dawn says their might be somepony alive down there trapped in gold." He yelled again through the roaring flames.

Celestia's eyes became pinpricks as she lit her horn and found a living soul. Quickly teleporting down she then carried the living statue outside before it could melt from the inferno. "I found them but they are in rough shape. Also I lost two of the suspects I need you and the guards to search the area."

Shining saluted and quickly took off with a squad.

So two of them got away. I watched Celestia give a few more orders before finding myself pined in a hug.

"I am never letting you go again young colt." Morning Dew nuzzled the top of my head with tears dripping down. "Never again."

Forest chuckled as she joined the hug. "Well we can't do that forever. But you are sticking close by until school starts back up."

Pear awkwardly rubbed her foreleg until she too was dragged into the family hug. Lyra stood to the side with the maid protectively standing over her as a guard asked questions.

Celestia soon walked over and coughed behind her hoof. "I hate to interrupt a family moment but I need to speak with young Dawn for a moment. Alone" She finished as the others didn't want to let me go.

My parents gave me one final nuzzle before giving the Princess and I some space.

"Are you doing well young Dawn. Did they hurt you or anything?" Celestia lowered herself onto her stomach and preformed a quick scan.

"I'm, I could be better Celestia but I'll live." I smiled a bit.

"I know this might be rough but I need you to tell me what happened." A guard walked up next to her with a notebook.

As I began explaining the Foalnapping and everything else she looked especially disgusted when I mentioned the Midas spell. Celestia kept a straight face but I could see the anger Behind her eyes. "So they were using this spell on other ponies?"

"Yes. They also forced me to preform it on a young mare as well." I looked down ashamed. "Well not force but either I preformed it or they would have hurt Lyra."

"You did the best you could Dawn. Is there anything else you need to tell us?" She asked.

"No." I Lied, leaving out her sister. She doesn’t need to know yet.

"Then there is one last thing to do before sending you all home for now." She led me over to the golden mare. "She is still alive, can you turn her back?"

“I can try.” I lit my horn and focused all of my magic on undoing what I had done. When the spell hit the mare she quickly reverted back from her golden state and collapsed. A couple of guardsmares quickly lifted her onto a gurney as Celestia nuzzled the top of my head as I panted for air.

“Well done Dawn, I’ll be sure to check in on you after school starts back up. I also expect there will be a trial of your Grandparents.” Celestia finished before following her guards.

My Dam magicked me onto her back after that and we all made our way to the train station.

"Well sister we managed to escape Celestia for now. So, Now what?" Moonrise spat. She had never been more degraded in her life. She was covered in mud and sweat from the forest trek and smelled of smoke from the fight.

"At least the guards were to lazy to check properly." Sunrise replied. Parts of the local guardsmares were so corrupted from years of bribes they hadn't bothered to do a thorough search of the town. They had managed to sneak back into town and the old warehouse they often met business contacts at.

“Well look what we have here.” The twins froze as a griffin hen entered the building. “My two old friends down on their luck.” The hen smiled maliciously.

“What exactly do you want half breed?” Sunrise spat as Moonrise lit her horn.

“You really shouldn’t have said that, I was thinking of offering you a deal.” The hen snapped her talons and a flock of younger hens attacked all at once. The twins were quickly overwhelmed and subdued due to their prior exhaustion. Null rings were placed on their horns and a few of the hens eyed them hungrily.

The Lead hen strode closer and lorded over both of them.“Now then. You two promised delivery of goods yet instead brought the whole solar guard to town. This means you owe quite a bit and I’ll be collecting any way I can.”

For the first time in their lives the twins felt powerless and fearful.

“So colt how are you really doing?” Forest asked while I was wrapped in her wings. We were an hour into our train ride bound for Ponyville and the rest of the family had all fallen asleep after the long day. I could tell my mom was also exhausted yet wouldn’t sleep till I did.

“Honestly mom. I was scared.” I found myself shivering. “How could Dam’s own parents do something like that.”

“I don’t know sweetie. That’s one of the main reasons we left Canterlot. They were always monsters and Morning told me as much.” She sighed heavily. Dam knew?

“Then why didn’t she report them?!?” I hissed and started to get angry but forced myself to keep my voice down.

Mom nuzzled the top of my head and squeezed tightly. I then felt tears drop on my head. “She couldn’t. We never wanted you to find out like this but they were blackmailing her, both of us really. If your dam reported her parents they would come after you and I.”

“Fat lot of good that did since they still came after me.” I felt mom tense. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No sweetheart you’re right. We shouldn’t have trusted them to stay away with how they are.” She let out a breath she had been holding.

I nuzzled into her chest floof. “I’m just glad to be going home.” My own exhaustion caught up to me and I fell asleep.

“Report Shining.” Celestia ordered from her temporary command post near the train station.

“None of the guards have found them your highness. The two we have in custody have been brought to the Canterlot dungeon as ordered and Evening Frost was arrested as a co-conspirator.” Shining reported nervously.

“I doubt we will find them considering they know the area better and plenty of ponies around here are too nervous to be of assistance.” Celestia snorted with a bit of flames. Cowards. “For now I want you back in Canterlot before my niece and faithful student get angrier with me. Have the rest of the guards put out an APB for the twins.”

Shining couldn’t help but smile at the thought of going home after walking away. The assignment had already gone on longer than expected yet was finally over. “I’m glad Twilight’s friends were ok.”

“So you managed to escape?” Nightmare gave a wicked grin.

“Yeah and without your shadow walking so I won’t be paying you back.” I smugly replied.

“Tut tut young one.” I suddenly found myself wrapped in an uncomfortable hug. “The payment was for the spell and not contingent upon you or your filly friend’s escape. So I will still expect some assistance from you Dawn.”

She let me go and stared into my eyes then gave a true smile. “I am quite glad you escaped safely though.” She kissed my forehead and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Was that last bit Luna or the Nightmare?