Dawn

Chapters

Act I - Changelings
Act II - Dusk
Act III - Imprisonment
Act IV - Family
Act V - Home

Act I - Changelings

Chapter contains some violent imagery

Clouds of black ash rose lazily into the fresh morning air. The smoke concentrated in the stagnant sky from the night before. A lone changeling walked through the charred remains of a small village. He looked around. Dark black piles of wood collected throughout the piles of ash. The black, charred remains contrasted against the mountains, forest, and the calm river the burnt settlement was built on. Stepping over the mutilated corpse of a young mare, the changeling walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the clear water flowing through the valley. A slender, female changeling stepped through the piles of ash and rubble to the changeling on the ridge and rubbed her head against his neck.

“Look,” she said in the Changeling language, “Isn’t it nice? The ash, the ruins, the ravine, it’s so beautiful.”

The other changeling smiled. “Yes,” he replied, “It’s all so pretty. But not near as much as the girl next to me.”

His partner blushed and kissed him on the check. “I’m going to go back to the village. Maybe we could ‘celebrate’ a nice pillage when you get back,” she said, winking. She spread her insect-like wings and flew away from the cliff. The remaining changeling looked around at the pile of rubble and ash that had been the pony village he helped burn the previous night.

He heard a high-pitched sound come faintly from a few yards away. He walked toward it, and the sound grew louder. He walked to where it was coming from, but nothing was there. Dropping to the ground, he sifted through the black dust until he found a large piece of black, brittle wood. Pushing away the board, he looked. A small filly was wrapped in a dirty blanket that was white at some point. Her pale yellow coat had a fine layer of ash on it. The small, blue-green tuft of hair on her head was filthy with debris. The horn on her head was scratched and cracked. Her pale blue eyes contrasted against the death and blackness around her. The changeling picked her up. Her crying went down to mere whimpering. He looked at her, and she looked back, her eyes meeting his large, green eyes.

“I will call you…” he wondered. After a minute of thinking, he recalled his basic English lessons. He looked back at her, smiled, and said,

“Dawn.”

***

“Dawn,” her mother called, “Get up already!”

Dawn opened her eyes. The dirty, leather ceiling filtered the light in, illuminating the room. She unwrapped herself from the single fur blanket she slept in and placed her hooves on the cold, dirt floor. Walking to the square cut in the wall, she looked out at the village. A circle of muddy huts, similar to the one Dawn lived in, surrounded a central courtyard. Changelings walked in and out of their huts. Children played in the courtyard. “Dawn!” her mother yelled. Dawn ran out of her room and into the central room of the hut. A slender, female changeling stood there, glaring at Dawn as she entered the room.

“Sorry, mother,” Dawn said, hanging her head.

Her mother walked over to her and hit her on the head. “Stupid pony,” she said, “I have told you many times before that you will come when you are called to. Your father and I give you so much and you remain ungrateful and don’t even want to respond to simple requests to get up at a decent hour!”

Dawn looked at the ground and tears began to form in her eyes. “I…I’m sorry, mother.”

She smacked Dawn on the cheek and then grabbed her chin and brought her face up. She glared at her for a few seconds, and then walked away. She grabbed a burlap bag and threw it at Dawn’s feet. “Take this to the temple,” she said, “And don’t mess this up.”

“Yes, mother,” Dawn replied, picking up the bag and putting it on her back. She walked out of the hut and into the open air. Changeling children ran around the central courtyard of the village. Adults were sitting in front of huts, talking and laughing. She walked up to the hill that lead to the downtown district. Market stands offering a small variety of food and crafted goods were scattered around the district. She walked to a sagging wood building overlooking the village. She parted the cotton drapes covering the entrance to the temple. A changeling sweeping the floor looked up.

“Hello Dawn,” he said in a formal manner, “What brings you here today?”

“My mother had me bring this bag to you.”

He smiled. “Ah, good, good,” he said as he opened the bag and looked inside.

Dawn walked over and peered in the bag. A variety of herbs and plants were piled into the bag. “What are those for?”

“These are to light the fires for the upcoming ceremony, you see?”

“Oh, I see. I get it now,” she said, feigning knowledge of the ceremony. The truth was she had never been and was permitted from going. “Well, I guess I should be going. I don’t want to be late or my mother will punish me,” she replied, walking out of the temple and back into the downtown district.

A voice from the air yelled “Dawn!” She looked up, and a male changeling holding a small bag flew down to her.

“Daddy!” she yelled, hugging his neck. He picked her up and hugged her strongly.

“Hey there, honey!” he enthusiastically replied. “What are you doing in the downtown district?”

“Mommy made me bring some plants to the temple in a big bag,” she replied. “What’s in the bag?” she asked, pointing at the small sack her father was carrying.

He gave it to her. “Open it.”

She untied the twine keeping the package together. The wrapping fell to the ground, and a small, crudely chiseled stone figurine of a pony appeared. She looked at it in awe. “It’s…beautiful, daddy.”

He smiled back at Dawn. “Anything for my special little filly on her birthday,” he said, brimming with happiness. “If I hadn’t found you, I don’t know where I’d be today. I certainly wouldn’t be as happy,”

Dawn smiled. “But,” she asked, “Why are you giving me a more expensive and nice gift this year?”

He sat down on a nearby bench and motioned for Dawn to join him. When she did, he turned to her. “You see,” he said, “You are at a very special age for ponies. All ponies get something called a Cutie Mark when they’re young. A Cutie Mark is something that shows what that pony’s special talent is, such as cooking or art. You’re at the age where most ponies get theirs, and I thought that a little something special would be nice.”

“Really?” she asked, looking back at the figurine.

“Yes, honey,” he said affectionately. “Remember, you can do anything you want in this world. And no matter what you do, know that I will always love you and be proud of you.”

Dawn smiled and hugged him. “Come on,” he said, “Let me give you a lift home.” He then picked Dawn up and started flying back to the circle of huts down the hill.

***

Dawn stared out her window and into the night sky. The ritual she brought plants to the temple for a few days ago was coming that night. Her father came in and sat down next to her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Dawn smiled. “Counting stars,” she replied.

He looked up at the sky. “How many stars do you think there are?” he asked her.

Dawn thought it over for a moment, and then replied, “Fifty.”

“Fifty!” he laughed, “I certainly think there are more than fifty,”

She laughed with him. “Yeah,” she said, “But that’s the highest I can count.”

He laughed some more. “Well,” he said, “Let me help you out. Fifty-one comes after fifty.”

She smiled. “Thanks,” she said. They spent a few more minutes staring up at the skies. “Do you think my pony parents are also looking at the stars right now?”

He bit his lip. “Sure,” he said uneasily. “They’re probably counting them together, just passing the time until the morning, when they can keep searching for you.”

He got up. “Well, you have fun here,” he said to her, “Your mother and I are going to the ritual.”

“The Sliske ritual?” she asked with excitement, “Please, can I go this year? The high priest said the god Sliske’s only request is that everyone goes to his ritual once a year, and I’ve never been!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “But we both agree we don’t want to expose you to it. You’re too young.”

“I know lots of changelings that are going that are even younger than me! Please, let me go this once!”

A stern expression appeared on his face. “No,” he coldly said, “You are not allowed to come. And nothing you say can change my opinion.”

Dawn’s eyes teared up. “Look,” he said, “I’m not doing this to be mean. I’m doing this for you. The ritual isn’t for everyone. I’m sure Sliske understands if you miss his rituals because of your parents.”

Dawn sighed. “Okay…” she said reluctantly.

He smiled. “I’m glad you understand. Have fun here,” he said, and walked out of her room.

Dawn went back to the window and looked out, stewing. She saw some crates stacked up next to the side of the hut, and she got an idea.

The whole village, sans Dawn, had turned up at the courtyard all the huts were built around. Four ceremonial braziers surrounded a flat stone with an elegantly stitched silk bolt laced with gold. At the head of the table stood a tall stick shoved into the ground, sharpened to a point at the end. Around the table were four stakes hammered into the dirt. Off in the distance, Dawn pulled herself up onto the roof of her hut and sat down.

“He said I couldn’t go to the ritual,” she said deviously, “He never said I couldn’t watch it,”

After a few minutes, the high priest spoke. He was an old, frail changeling, but his voice still boomed. “Attention everybody!” he yelled, “We are here to perform this year’s Sliske ritual!” The crowd cheered and yelled, and off in the distance, Dawn smiled. “Bring forth the offering!”

The crowd cheered and yelled even louder. An Earth Pony, a little bit younger than Dawn, was dragged to the stone covered in silk. She yelled and flailed, but it was hopeless.

Dawn’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe her eyes; another pony. She had never seen her before. She watched as the pony was thrown on the stone, stomach up, and ropes were tied at the end of each of her legs, which were then tied to the stakes in the ground. The priest raised an elegantly crafted knife, and the moonlight glinted off it and onto the pony on the table. Dawn watched closely.

***

The priest moved his knife around, and brought it down on her left hind leg. It was quickly severed. She screamed in pain. The crowd roared in approval. Dawn watched in horror. “Why are they doing that?” she asked no one in particular. She watched as the same happened to her right hind leg, her left front leg, and the final leg attached to her body. When all her extremities were gone, the priest picked up the bloody appendages and threw them into one of the fires. He set aside his knife, wiped the blood from his hands, and grabbed another, longer, sharper, and more menacing looking knife. He pressed it gently just below her throat. A small drop of blood emerged. He plunged the knife deeper and pulled it straight down. The sacrifice screamed so loudly Dawn had to cover her ears, as the combined volume from her and the cheering of the crowd nearly deafened her. She looked back at the ritual. The priest cut the end and start of her intestines, and raised them to show the crowd. The crowd was thrilled with the entrails, which he tossed into another fire.

One by one, each of her organs were removed from her chest until all that remained was her heart and her lungs. Putting the bloodstained knife down, the priest wiped his hands again and grabbed a pair of scissors. He put them in her chest cavity, closed the blades, and removed her lungs triumphantly. He passed them off to another priest, the same one Dawn met at the temple, who nailed them to the stick at the head of the table. With a few precision cuts with the scissors, the high priest held the still beating heart into the air, and the crowd cheered even louder than before. The high priest put the heart in a gold box and shut it. The remaining priests then picked up the empty, open corpse and impaled it on the top of the stick, with it facing the crowd. They cheered. The priests then pulled the stick out of the ground and proceeded to go uphill with it toward the downtown district. Some members of the crowd followed, and some, including Dawn’s parents, left to go home for the night. Snapping out of shock, Dawn jumped down from the roof and through her window. She dove into the fur blanket she slept in and wrapped herself securely. She didn’t sleep at all that night, as she was taking the events of the horrible ritual she had just witnessed.

***

Dawn and her father sat on a straw mat behind their hut. Two small, red peppers sat in front of them. “Dawn,” he asked his daughter, “Are you sure you want to do this? These certainly aren’t for the hesitant,” he said, pointing at the peppers.

Dawn smiled. “It’s always worth a try. Besides, I might get my Cutie Mark in pepper eating!”

Her father smiled. “Okay,” he replied, “On the count of three.” He picked up his pepper, and Dawn did the same. “One, two, three!” Both Dawn and her father shoved the peppers into their mouths, bit down, and both triumphantly removed the stems and held them up. They looked at each other, and Dawn’s face grew red. She began to sweat. She started fidgeting, and quickly ran to the barrels of water at the back wall of the hut and dunked her head in. Her father laughed. When she pulled her soaking head out of the barrel, she started laughing with her father. He walked up to Dawn, pushed her sopping mane out of her eyes, and kissed her on the forehead.

“Looks like that pepper didn’t get you a Cutie Mark after all. Besides, your birthday was only a month ago. You’ve still got plenty of time to find out what you’re meant to be,” he said.

Dawn’s mother walked out to the back of the hut and looked at her husband. “Can I talk with you inside?” she asked.

“Okay,” he replied. He looked back at Dawn. “Go play with some of your friends while your mother and I talk.” They walked around the hut and disappeared into it. Dawn walked around to the front and sat down, listening intently to the conversation within.

***

“Honey,” her father said, “We can’t do this. She’s our daughter.”

She let out an irritated sigh. “Well, she isn’t any daughter of mine. I don’t remember her being born.”

He sighed. “That’s not what I mean. If it weren’t for us finding her, she would have died years ago! We’re still her parents.”

“You mean if YOU hadn’t found her! I’ve never wanted her here, and you know it. It has to come to this.”

“No,” he yelled with increasing ferocity, “It does not! Please, can’t you just accept her? She’s been here for years and you haven’t even showed her any love. Why do you still stay here?”

She walked up to him and looked into his eyes. “Because,” she said, “I love you.”

His expression turned into not one of love and affection but one of hate and spite. “Really?” he asked. “You think that will repair everything you’ve done? You’ve abused our daughter countless times. You’ve never enjoyed being around her. I’ve practically raised her without you doing anything! If anyone has to decide what to do with her, it’s me. And she’s staying!”

She smacked him on the temple and glared into his eyes. “You will regret this.”

He shoved her face out of his. “I don’t ever want to see you again,” he said to her as he stormed out of the hut.

***

Dawn watched as her father walked out of the house.

“Where are you going?” she asked. He didn’t respond, and kept walking. Dawn’s mother walked out and stood right outside the doorway. “Mommy, what’s happening?” she asked, “Where’s Daddy going?”

She glared at Dawn and hissed, baring her sharp fangs. She walked into the town, trying to catch up to her husband. Dawn sat down and started to cry. “It’s all my fault,” she said through her tears, “I’ve broken my parents up.”

***

The cold, icy winds of the mountains blew down and carried the falling snow about. Dawn and her father sat at a small stone table outside a restaurant in a large changeling city. Two small, red peppers sat on the table in front of them. “You ready?” Dawn asked her father.

He smiled. “Whenever you are,” he replied.

“On the count of three,” she said as they picked up the peppers. “One, two, three!” They both shoved the peppers into their mouths and bit down, pulling the stems out. They stared at each other. After a few minutes, her father spoke.

“You’re good,” he said, “It appears I now have some good competition for pepper eating.”

Dawn smiled. “Maybe soon we’ll find a pepper you can’t eat but I can.”

“I doubt that,” he said jokingly. “Come on, let’s go back to the apartment.” He got up, and Dawn did the same. They started walking through the crowded city.

“Daddy?” Dawn asked after a few minutes, “Why can’t we go back home?”

He gave out a stressed sigh. “We just can’t, honey.”

“But why?” she whined. “What happened? Was it because of what happened between you and Mommy?”

Irritated, he groaned. “Yes, yes it is. But I can’t tell you now. I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“But Daddy!” she yelled.

“No means no, Dawn!” he yelled at her. He signed and shook his head. “Look, I’ve been through a lot recently. I’m just a little stressed since we had to leave home as quickly as we did. We’re in a big city and things just aren’t going perfect. I’m sorry if I’m being mean to you.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes. When they reached the large, open-air market, two heavily armored changeling guards pointed at them and whispered.

Dawn looked back at them. “Why are they pointing at us?” she asked.

“Just keep moving,” her father said nervously. They walked faster, but the guards began to chase after them.

“You two, stop!” one of the guards yelled.

Dawn’s father stopped abruptly. He turned to Dawn and whispered, “Don’t say a word.” He looked back at the approaching guards. “Is there any trouble, he asked?”

“As a matter of fact, there is,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Xolecon,” he nervously stuttered.

“Well, Xolecon, it appears you have a fairly high bounty on your head from the king himself.”

He looked down at Dawn. “And who are you?”

Dawn whimpered and hid behind her father’s legs. “She’s Dawn,” he replied.

“Well, little Dawn,” the guard chuckled as he looked up, “There’s a bounty on you too. Looks like we’ll just have to take you both in.”

“What?” Xolecon asked in disbelief, “You can’t do that! She hasn’t done anything wrong. Take me instead!”

The guard looked at him. “I don’t know what she’s done, all I know is the king wants her for whatever reason.”

He glared back at the guard. “Look, take me if you want. But I’m not going to allow you to take her!”

He looked at Xolecon. “Well,” he said, “It looks like we’ll do this one the hard way then.” He hit Xolecon on the top of his head, and he fell over.

“No!” Dawn cried, and the guard looked at her. She started to run, but he quickly grabbed her tail in his mouth and pulled her toward him, slamming her on the ground. He picked her up and flew away.

Dawn looked on the ground and saw the other guard pick up her father and fly in a different direction. “No!” she screamed. “No! Daddy!” She began to cry, as though she would never see her father again.

***

Xolecon lay on the grimy floor. He looked around his cell. The only illumination was the tiny burning candle, which was little more than a wick in a puddle of wax. The door opened, and Dawn ran in. “Daddy!” she yelled, running up to hug him.

“Dawn!” his face lifted for the first time for months. He picked up his heavily chained front legs and hugged her.

Her mane, coat, and tail were sticky with dirt and grime. Dried blood created stiff patches in her hair. Months of captivity had taken a toll on her. She was thin and weak. Her ribs were visible against her skin. Her thin leg bones were virtually the only things that kept her up.

A guard walked into the doorway. “Five minutes, you two.”

“Daddy, I’m scared,” Dawn wept.

“It’s okay, honey,” Xolecon said through tearful eyes, “So am I.”

“When can we go home?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said with tears flowing down his face. “All I know is that you’re going to be safe.” He grabbed her face, pulled it close, and looked into her eyes. “I promise.”

“Daddy…” Dawn started weeping uncontrollably. Her breathing became erratic and uncontrollable. He father gently pulled her head to his chest.

“Shh…” he whispered. He placed his lips on his forehead and kissed her. “Dawn,” he spoke softly, “Don’t ever forget what I’m about to tell you. Wherever you go in this world, whatever you become, whomever you meet, remember this. I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. From the first day I ever laid eyes on you, I have loved you.”

“Daddy,” Dawn asked, “I’ve always wanted to know. How did you find me?”

He sighed. “I wish I could tell you.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m afraid I can’t, however. Everyone has a purpose in life. This might just be yours.”

The guard walked over to them. “Time’s up.” He grabbed Dawn and walked to the door.

“Daddy!” she yelled.

“Never forget!” he yelled after her, “I will always love you!”

***

Dawn sat on the floor of her cell, counting the bricks in the wall. A guard came in and grabbed her.

“You’re coming with us,” he ordered.

She was dragged through through the dungeons to the outside. She quickly threw her hoof over her eyes to stop the pain of the bright light. After a few minutes, she moved her hoof and looked around. She was being dragged through the grand coliseum in the royal capitol city of the changelings. Thousands of spectators packed the coliseum and cheered. Dawn was dragged to the large, ornate throne overlooking the stadium. Chains were attached to her hooves and she was chained to it. The guard grabbed a piece of rope and tied it around her mouth so she couldn’t speak. A changeling wearing a long, purple cape and an ornate, gold and diamond crown stepped out onto the balcony, and the crowds cheered. He walked up to Dawn and knelt down.

“I’d pay attention to this if I were you,” he said, “I didn’t put you next to the best seat in the house for nothing.”

She looked around. In a private box near the royal balcony, she saw her mother. She was sitting with another male changeling. She looked down at Dawn and laughed. She turned her attention back to the center of the arena. The king walked to the front of the balcony and began to speak.

“Bring out the prisoner!” he yelled. Two changelings dragged a prisoner out into the center of the arena, toward a pole that had been erected there. They tied him to the pole, and the sack that had been covering his head was removed. Dawn saw that it was her father. She tried to yell, but the rope kept her jaw from moving.

“Prisoner!” the king yelled, “You have been accused of knowingly harboring a pony for years. How do you plead to these charges?”

Xolecon looked up at the balcony in which Dawn and the king were on. “I plead guilty.”

Dawn tried to yell again, but the rope still stopped her. “Executioners!” The king yelled again. “Kill the prisoner.”

A changeling walked up to Xolecon and pulled out a sharp metal knife. He plunged it into Xolecon’s stomach, and he doubled over in pain. He looked up at the royal balcony and mouthed, “I love you” to Dawn. She began to weep. Xolecon smiled at her, looked down, and died quietly.

The crowd cheered loudly. The guard unchained Dawn and started to lead her away. Instead of leading her back to the dungeons, she was lead out of the coliseum and into the city. Citizens stepped back and pointed at her. She was lead through the city to the large castle overlooking the city. They went down into the dungeons of the castle. They walked through the dungeons, going up stairs, down stairs, taking lefts and rights in the maze of the castle catacombs. When they reached an ancient door, the guard pulled out a knife and cut the rope constricting her mouth. He unlocked the chains around her hooves and opened the door. He shoved her through the doorway, and she fell down into the bottom, where water splashed around her. The door closed, and the room became pitch black.

***

Dawn woke up to a surprisingly light room. She took the opportunity to look around and examine where she was imprisoned. It was a large, circular tower. The ceiling was about 100 yards above the ground, and a small hole in the wall covered in thick iron bars was located about 10 yards above her. She stood up. When she moved her hooves, the mud that formed the floor make a loud sucking noise. The floor was covered with a shallow layer of stagnant water that went to her knees.

The door above her opened, and another pony was shoved down into the water. The door slammed shut, and the pony groaned. Dawn ran to her and examined her. She was a larger, full-grown mare. She knelt down and helped her up. She had no horn. She extended her wings, which were unusual to Dawn. Instead of the thin, insect-like wings of changelings she was used to, these were thick and feathery, like the wings of a bird. She grabbed her forehead, moaned, and then looked at Dawn and began speaking.

The pony spoke fast in a language Dawn didn’t understand.

“I’m sorry,” Dawn replied, “I don’t quite understand.”

The other pony looked at her with a shocked expression. She sighed, spoke something, and sat down with her back against the wall. Dawn sat down next to her. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I don’t know what’s going on.”

She looked back at Dawn and smiled. She reached out her hoof and hugged Dawn. They smiled at each other, and the Pegasus dozed off.

After an hour, the door opened, and a small bag was thrown in. The door was quickly slammed shut. Dawn slipped under the sleeping pony and went to the bag. She picked it up and opened it. There were two small pieces of bread. She walked over and woke the sleeping pony up. She stretched and picked up one of the pieces. Dawn picked up the remaining piece and began to eat. The bread was soggy and cold, but it was one of the first real meals she had in months. The pony ripped a piece of bread and pointed at it.

“Bread,” she said slowly.

Dawn looked at the bread and then back at the other pony. “Bread?” she asked.
The pony smiled. “Yes,” she said, “Bread.” She put the small piece of bread she ripped off into Dawn’s mouth. “Eat,” she said.

Dawn put her bread into her mouth and ate it. “Eat,” she echoed. The Pegasus smiled at her.

The Pegasus pointed at herself. “Me,” she said. She pointed at Dawn and said, “You.”

Dawn replied by pointing at herself. “You,” she said, and then pointed at the Pegasus and said “Me.”

She shook her head. “No,” she replied. She pointed at herself, said “Me,” pointed back at Dawn and said, “You.”

Dawn repeated her first attempt, calling herself You and the Pegasus Me.

The Pegasus smiled and repeated herself again. Dawn sat down and thought for a second. “Me,” she said, pointing at herself. She pointed at the other pony and said “You.”

The pony smiled let out a happy laugh. Dawn joined in the laughing. Dawn decided that she would call the other pony You. You pulled Dawn close and hugged her. “Hug,” she said slowly. Dawn smiled and fell asleep, leaning on her chest.

***

“Dawn,” You said, shaking Dawn in an attempt to wake her up. “Dawn!” she yelled with greater intensity. Dawn sat up, rubber her eyes, and wrung out her mane.

You picked up Dawn and flew her up to the barred opening of the dungeon. Dawn looked at the opening, and saw You’s plan. The bars were separated wide enough for Dawn to fit through. She shoved Dawn through the small opening. She turned around and extended her hoof to let You through. She shook her head.

“No, Dawn,” she said. “No me.” Dawn looked at her in disbelief.

“No,” Dawn said, “Me take you.”

You shook her head. “No,” she said. “No me.”

Dawn started to cry. She heard the door in the dungeon open. “Go,” You said. “Go!”

Dawn started crying. An angry changeling yelled. She ran away in the darkness of the night to the hill overlooking the capitol city. “I don’t think I can ever live as a changeling again,” she said through her tears. She ran down the hill and into the unknown lands outside the changeling kingdom.

***

Dawn limped through the field. The cold rain drove down on her and made her mane, tail and coat wet and heavy. The dark night sky was virtually unlit with the heavy rain clouds blocking the moon and all the stars. She slipped on a small patch of mud and slid into a tree. She wiped the mud off her face and looked up at the tree. Bright crimson apples hung from the branches. Her eyes brightened. She climbed up the moist tree and into the branches. Reaching for an apple, she stood on her back legs and stretched for an outlying branch. She lost her balance and fell through the tree. She landed hard on her side.

The door to the nearby farmhouse opened and a pony stepped out, carrying a lantern and a pitchfork. She examined her leg, which had been cut deeply from her fall. Standing up, she felt the red-hot pain in her leg. Limping to the barn, she looked back at the farmhouse. A mare and two small colts now joined the farmer. Dawn looked around and slowly limped to the barn. She tackled the door, walked into the dank and musty room, and jumped into a pile of hay. The door slammed shut, and she looked out. The rain drove against the side of the barn, making a loud roar. She jumped out of the pile and brushed small bits of hay out of her mane. She opened the door and looked out; the storm had stopped, so she exited the barn and weakly limped to the apple tree and sat down, resting her back on the smooth, weathered bark. The flickering torchlight of the farmer proceeded to the farmhouse and disappeared into the door. Dawn closed her eyes.

***

Warm, humid breezes gently blew across the fields, making the leaves on the trees move gently. Dawn took in a slow, deep breath full of sweet-smelling, country air. The sound of incomprehensible speaking jarred her from sleep. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the morning sun. The two colts she had seen last night were looking over her. “Who are you?” she asked.

They looked at each other, screamed, and ran away. She stood up, and the scar on her leg burned. Hot tears filled her eyes as she struggled to run away from the farm. The roaring sound of hooves echoed off the sky as a small group of ponies ran toward her. She fell down and grasped her leg in pain. The farmer ran up and grabbed her around her neck. She struggled and flailed against her captor, but he dragged her across the ground and into the house. He put his hoof over her mouth and smothered her. Her consciousness slowly slipped from her.

Act II - Dusk

Large bells clanged loudly and rang throughout the monastery. Dawn slowly opened her eyes and rolled over. She fell out of her bed and landed hard on her back. Standing up and grabbing her back, she walked to the window of her small, second story cell and looked outside. Hills of grapevines covered the hills and flooded the rocky soil with green leaves. A small village stood in the distance, surrounded by picturesque mountains, covered with blinding, white snow on top. Dawn turned away from the window and walked to the bottle of deep purple liquid with a small note tied to the neck. She ripped the tiny piece of paper from the neck and read it silently in her head.

“Happy birthday!” it said. She smiled, grabbed the cork in her mouth, and pulled it out. Her horn sparkled a deep blue as she levitated the bottle, grasped her lips around it, and tilted her head back. She took a mouthful of the liquid. The wine was strong, and she recognized it as one of the ones made in the monastery. She removed her white nightgown and grabbed the brown robes folded neatly on the floor. Looking back, she admired her cutie mark. Three books were stacked neatly on her flank with a quill located over them.

“And no matter what you do, know that I will always love you and be proud of you.”

Dawn blinked. As the words lingered in her mind, her eyes filled with tears. Sitting down, she shoved her face into her nightgown and wept. After a few minutes, she pulled her face from the moist robe and used it to wipe the last drops of water from her eyes. She stood up, put on her robes, and walked out of the room.

The large central courtyard of the monastery was filled with small, wooden tables and benches shaded by the tall, maple tree that stood on the edge. Ponies congregated in the early morning light. Small groups sat in the grass on the edges and talked, laughing and enjoying themselves. Other ponies sat at the tables, deep in study. Some were reading, others writing, some were just lost in abstract thought. Dawn walked into the yard and sat down at a table by herself. The leader of the monastery, a stallion with grey hair, walked up and sat down next to her.

“How are you today, my student?” he asked. Dawn smiled and nodded her head.

“Are you still doing your silence of contemplation? I told you a few days ago, I looked at the paper on the topic you reflected on during your silence. It was excellent Dawn, you may speak now.”

Dawn smiled again, let out a depressed sigh, and looked up at the sky. A unicorn from the village outside the monastery ran into the courtyard. His clothes were ripped, his mane uneven and filled with dirt, and his eyes were filled with veins from his lack of sleep. Panting heavily, he fell down onto the ground. The ponies ran over and gathered around him. The leader Dawn walked over and knelt down next to the unicorn. “What is it?” he asked.

He sat up and wiped the sweat from his head. “In the village,” he said through heavy breaths, “We’ve captured one.”

The leader looked into the villager’s eyes. “One of what?” he asked.

The villager pulled the leader’s head closer to his. He whispered into his ears and collapsed.

“I have to go to the village,” he said, “I need some of you to stay here and make sure this villager is okay.” His horn sparkled, and he disappeared as he teleported away. Dawn ran out of the yard and onto the road to the village. The flat dirt path winded through the forest of overgrown grapevines. As she emerged from the road and into the village, a crowd of unicorns was gathering. She ran into the crowd and stretched her neck to look at the center of the crowd.

The monastery leader was bent down over a pole, obscuring what was on it. He walked away, and Dawn looked at the pole, and saw what was causing the commotion. A changeling was tied to the pole. Her face was battered and cut, full of anger and rage.

“I’ll ask you again,” the monastery leader said, “What are you doing here?”

She looked back at him. “It’s hopeless,” she said, in the vile changeling language, “We’re getting nowhere. We can’t communicate, just kill me now!”

The leader sighed. He turned to the mayor of the village, a unicorn that looked not much better than the dirty, tired villagers he presided over.

“Give it up,” he said to the leader, “It’s not going to speak to us. If we leave it out here, it’ll come to its senses and speak to us eventually.”

Dawn pushed through the crowd and ran up to the tied up changeling. She knelt down and looked into the eyes of the tied changeling.

“Who are you?” she asked it, communicating in the language of changelings. Whispers rippled through the crowd, the villagers showing a mix of fear, confusion, and doubt.

The changeling looked back at Dawn. She smiled and slowly licked her lips.

“Well,” she said, “Looks like a member of your shitty species has finally learned to speak in the superior tongue.” She opened her mouth and bared her fangs, hissing at Dawn. Dawn responded by doing the same, hissing in her face. The changeling laughed.

“You’re a fool, Dawn. You can’t hide for your life. Coincidentally enough, that’s exactly what I’m here for.”

Dawn’s face loosened up as confusion set in. “What do you mean?”

“Oh Dawn, have all these years with these stupid, slow ponies dulled your mind? You didn’t honestly think your disappearance would go unnoticed? We’ve been searching for you for years. If only you knew how much you were worth.”

“So, what was your plan for when you captured me? Throw me in another prison?”

The changeling looked Dawn in the eye with a look of malicious intent. “Your punishment has persisted since it was first put on. It is the only thing ponies are useful for.”

“Oh?” Dawn asked. “And what would that be?”

The changeling smiled and cackled. “You would be the sacrifice for the Sliske ritual in the capitol city. Escaping was the stupidest move you have ever done. You were only delaying the inevitable. Not even your father was able to save you.”

Dawn’s eyes filled with hot, angry tears that burned her face. “No one disrespects my father like that.”

“Ah yes,” the changeling replied, her eyes locking with Dawn’s. “I was there for his execution when I was young. Harboring filth such as yourself, the only shame is that he could only die once.”

Anger manifested itself on Dawn’s face. She grabbed the head of the changeling tied the pole. “I hope this was worth it for you.”

Dawn twisted the changeling’s head. A loud snap came from her neck as her head limply fell to her shoulders. The crowd of unicorns recoiled in fear. A pulse of magic grabbed Dawn’s ear as the monastery leader walked up to her.

“What have you done?” he yelled at her.

Tears flooded her eyes. “I…” she choked through her sadness, “I don’t know…”

He stormed off up the path leading to the monastery as Dawn struggled against the pull of magic.

***

Dawn looked out the window of her cell. A blizzard raged, whipping snow around in the violent winds. She levitated the pile of papers that sat on the desk. She began to read the papers, starting with the letter on the top from the monastery leader.

“Dawn, I know you’re trying to distance yourself from me, but I really wish to discuss the changeling incide-“

Dawn quickly threw the letter out the window without finishing the first sentence. She looked at the next piece of paper, an official newsletter from unicorn royalty.

A few nights ago, the king of the Unicorns, King Silver, was murdered in the tower of the royal castle. His one and only heir, Princess Platinum, succeeds him. The crowning ceremony will be held on December the Ninth, with King Silver’s funeral held on December the Eleventh, two days later. King Silver will be missed.

She pulled out the next letter and read it.

Miss Dawn, I am so glad you have agreed to be my mentor as I apply to the monastery! I can’t wait to meet you tonight!

She looked outside at the sky. It was dark as, well, night. She dropped the remaining papers on the floor and dashed out. Swerving and sprinting through the halls, she ran toward the library. Right as the door was coming into view, she slammed into the door and stepped back, cursing under her breath. She grasped her forehead and opened the door to the library. The walls were lined with bookshelves tightly packed with books and scrolls. She walked to a small table where a colt her age was reading a book. She sat down and started breathing heavily while grasping her head. The pony at the other end of the table looked up at Dawn.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Dawn panted heavily for a few minutes before responding. “I’m fine,” she said.

He looked at Dawn and studied her for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, pushing some hair out of her eyes, “I’m Dawn, and you’re who I’m mentoring, no?”

“Yes,” he said confusedly, “I was just expecting somepony more…”

“Somepony more…?”

“Well, somepony older.”

“Older?” she asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re my age, right? You see, most of the ponies that join monasteries begin at our age. It’s just so surreal that you’re already to the point where you’re to the point of mentoring when normally, you’d just be joining.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yeah. How come you joined so early?”

Dawn bit her lip. “I’d rather not say.”

“Oh,” he said. “I see. Well anyways, my name’s Dusk. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Dawn.”

“Nice to meet you, Dusk. As you already know, I’m Dawn.” Dawn smiled. “Well, let’s get to work now!”

Dusk smiled. “Let’s.”

***

Dawn stood outside the door of Dusk’s second-story cell. She knocked loudly. When Dusk came to the door, she reached over and kissed him on the forehead. “Can I talk with you?” she asked.

He pointed to his mouth.

“Yes,” she said, “I know you’re doing your silence. But can I still talk to you?”

He nodded his head and walked into the room. Dawn followed. “When we first met, you asked me why I was such a high rank at such a young age. I’ve known you for months now, do you still want to know?”

He shook his head. “All right,” she said, “Get comfortable, it’s a long story.” They both sat on the floor.

Dawn sighed. “Okay. Well, you’ve heard the rumors that I can speak with changelings, right?” Dusk nodded.

“Well, they’re not rumors. They’re real. I’m an orphan. Well, I think I might be. I have no idea about my parents, really. They could be alive for all I know. Through whatever means, I found myself in a changeling village. It was a nasty, little, dirty, run-down village filled with changelings, but it was my home. I didn’t belong there, and even back then I knew it. Changelings are brutal. The only times I would ever feel welcome would be when I was around my father. Even my mother hated me. She hated me, abused me, and would take out everything on me. One day, she betrayed us and turned us into the king. Harboring a pony is a royal crime in changeling society, but the only one who ever cared about the rule was my mother. My father and I had to run away, but you can’t run forever. We were captured and held for months. But the only punishment for royal crimes is death. My father was executed in the coliseum in the capitol city for the entertainment for everyone to see. I was there, too. After that, they threw me into a dungeon. Left me to die. But there was another pony in the dungeon with me. She was the only reason I didn’t drown myself in the water in our cell or starve myself to death. She gave me what little she could. After a month or so, she changed my life. I found out that the whole time we were in captivity, she had been working to break me out. I wandered for weeks. I got to a pony farm on a dark and stormy night. I hurt myself trying to steal some apples, and they caught me. They turned me over to the authorities. Since I was raised a changeling, I couldn’t protect myself. They sentenced me to death. For some reason, word got to King Silver. He gave an official pardon to my sentence, got somepony to teach me English, and had me put here to become educated. And all of that happened before my cutie mark. I’ve been here ever since, applying myself to something that actually matters.”

By the time she had finished, both their faces were warm, damp, and red from sadness. “Dusk, I-“

He put his hoof over her mouth and smiled. He hugged her and they say on the floor, crying together.

***

“Happy birthday, honey!” Dusk kissed Dawn on the back of the head and sat down next to her on the bench in the courtyard. He pulled a small package out of his robe and put it on the table.

“Go ahead,” he said, pointing at it, “Open it.”

Dawn kissed Dusk on the cheek and looked back at the package on the table. She pulled the paper off and opened the tiny box. She pulled out the small, expertly chiseled stone figurine of a pony. Tears filled her eyes as an expression of joy grew on her face. “Dusk, I…It’s…Beautiful…How did you...?"

Dusk put his hoof over her mouth and wiped a tear from her eye. “You told me about it once when you had a few too many glasses of wine."

She blushed and looked away.

"I know it’s not as special as the one you got for your birthday when you were a little filly, but I hope you still love it.”

Dawn smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

Dusk got up. “I have to go to the library now. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” she replied.

As he walked out of the courtyard, her smile faded as she put her hooves on her stomach and rubbed them up and down, feeling the tiny bump that had been growing on her. She sighed. “I have to tell him sometime,” she whispered to herself, “He will know eventually.”

***

A white envelope sat on the desk. On the front was the word Dawn was written in large, loopy, cursive letters in bright gold ink. The envelope was sealed with a tight, wax stamp bearing the seal of Equestria.

“Who from the government would be sending you letters?” Dusk asked to Dawn.

Dawn studied the envelope with great confusion. “I’m not sure.”

He looked back at her. “Well?” he asked, “Open it! Let’s find out!”

She ripped the intricate seal and opened the envelope. She levitated the letter and read it closely.

“Well?” Dusk asked. “What’s it say?”

Dawn put the letter in front of Dusk’s face. “Read it,” she said, still trying to absorb the shock of what she just read. He began reading.

Dear Miss Dawn,

You have been summoned to the royal court of Equestria in the grand city of Canterlot. The representative of the Unicorns, Princess Platinum, has requested your skills for a matter of importance on the national level. If you choose to accept this mission, please report to the royal castle of Canterlot by June the Fifth.

“See?” Dawn asked. “What could they want me for?”

Dusk studied the letter more. “I don’t know. It looks important, though. Maybe they want you for an administrative position? The three pony kingdoms have just merged, they probably still need ponies to help run it.”

“Are you sure?”

Dusk shook his head. “I don’t know for sure what they want, but it still seems worth a trip.”

“I don’t know, Canterlot’s pretty far away…”

Dusk rubbed Dawn’s hair. “Listen,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Ever since you’ve come to this monastery, you’ve never left the village, right?”

“Well, yeah, so?”

“I think it would be good for you to go out. Going to Canterlot might not be such a bad thing. I’ll even go with you!”

Dawn sighed. “Fine,” she sulked, “If you think we should go, I guess we should.”

Dusk smiled and pat her on the shoulder. “Awesome. Let’s get ready.”

***

Canterlot’s skyline stood barely above the ground. Nestled in the mountains was a small hamlet of tiny wood shacks. Built up against the large mountain was a pristine, large, marble castle overlooking Equestria. Fields of crops moving gently in the breeze created an ocean of colors and movement. Rivers flowed over the land and reflected light, making the Equestrian countryside glow with awe and majesty. Dawn and Dusk walked through the streets of runny mud toward the castle. Stopping and looking at the buildings of wood, a tear filled her eye.

Dusk walked up to her and looked at her worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

Dawn smiled and wiped the tear away. “Nothing,” she replied. “It just reminds me of my home village. Except, with a lot better view.”

She laughed and kept walking. Dusk ran to keep up with her, but his back hoof got stuck in the road. Struggling to get free, he heard a loud squelch as he was ripped free and landed face first into the gritty mud road.

Dawn looked back and ran to him. She picked him up and began laughing uncontrollably. “I’m sorry,” she said, attempting to control herself, “Are you okay?”

Dusk glared at her. “I’m fine,” he said, wiping the mud off his face and laughing. “I guess it’s kind of funny,” he said.

“You know what would be funnier?”

“What?” Dawn asked.

Dusk rubbed his mud-covered hoof all over Dawn’s face, smearing mud all over it. “That,” he chuckled.

“Oh, you’re in for it now!” She tackled him into a puddle of water. She laughed. “How does that feel?”

Dusk pushed her off him, making another splash. He sat up, his mane and clothes dripping muddy water. Stepping out of the puddle, he reached out his hoof out and helped Dawn out. When she stepped out, she grabbed his head, pulled him closer, and kissed him on the lips. He smirked. “Come on,” he said, “We should probably go dry off before we go to the castle.”

Right as they started walking, a Pegasus wearing full battle armor flew down to them. His armor was intricately crafted, his helmet plume pure white and clean, and a shiny, steel sword strapped to his waist. “Would you be the unicorn Dawn that the Unicorn Princess wants to meet?”

Dawn stopped laughing and looked at the Pegasus. “Yes.”

He studied the unicorns in front of him. “Any reason you two are wet?”

“Oh, well about that, we, uhh…”

“We fell in a puddle,” Dusk interrupted.

The Pegasus glared at Dusk. “And who exactly might you be?”

“I’m-“

Dawn walked in front of Dusk and interrupted him. “He’s my husband.”

The Pegasus glared at Dusk, and then back at Dawn again. “Come with me. I will lead you two to the castle.” He set down on the ground and started walking up the street.

Dusk looked at Dawn. “Let’s go.”

***

As Dawn and Dusk walked into the magnificent Canterlot Castle, she looked around. The pristine, polished, white marble floor reflected all light perfectly. The columns rose high into the air, holding the ceiling suspended hundreds of feet into the air.

As they approached the grand staircase in the main hall, two young earth ponies walked up, holding towels on their backs. The Unicorns grabbed them and wiped the water and mud off themselves.

The Pegasus guard walked up the staircase and motioned for Dawn and Dusk to follow him. They walked throughout the castle, until they reached a large, wooden door near the top of the palace. “This is as far as I can take you,” the guard said.

“Thank you,” Dawn said. She looked at Dusk. “You ready?”

He nodded. “Let’s go.”

They opened the doors to the room and walked in. The doors immediately shut behind them. Three large thrones sat at the end of the room. A large, Equestrian flag hung behind the thrones.

On the farthest left throne sat a Pegasus pony wearing decorated body armor. Her helmet was polished steel, laced with gold. On her face was a stern, slightly angry look. “That must be Commander Hurricane, former leader of the Pegasus Tribe,” Dusk said, pointing at the pony.

On the farthest right sat a pony wearing a colorful, silken dress. Her hat held a gelatinous mass of brown pudding. She was absent-mindedly surveying the room, appearing almost as though she was looking for something only she could see. Dusk pointed at her. “That’s Chancellor Puddinghead, former leader of the Earth Pony Tribe.”

On the middle throne, a young, beautiful Unicorn was sitting. Her solid gold crown was covered with large gemstones of every color. She wore a long, purple cape with poofy, white fur on the edges of the cape. Her face was blank and expressionless as she was studying both Dusk and Dawn.

“Who’s that?” Dusk asked as he pointed at her.

“She’s Princess Platinum, King Silver’s heir.” Dawn replied.

Princess Platinum raised her hoof, ordering silence. Dawn and Dusk knelt down.

“All rise,” she ordered. They stood up. The Princess looked at Dawn. “Are you the pony Dawn?”

She bowed her head. “Yes,” she said with courage, “Yes, I am. What do you need of me?”

“Dawn, rumors of your abilities have reached us far and wide. Is it true you have the ability to communicate with changelings?”

“Y-yes,” she stuttered. “That is correct.”

“Dawn, the newly formed empire of Equestria now only has one enemy; the changelings. Myself and my two other leaders of Equestria have gathered our best subjects to make a diplomatic mission to the changeling kingdom. We have brought you here as you are the only pony in the entire empire that is able to speak their language. We need you for this mission. Will you help us and the future generations of Equestria to usher in peace and relations with our neighbors?”

Dawn looked away nervously. Dusk looked back at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Dawn looked into Dusk’s eyes. “Do you remember?” she whispered. “I’m not allowed back into the changeling kingdoms.”

Dusk looked away, then looked at Platinum with an excited look on his face. “She’ll only go if I can go with her.”

“What?” Dawn yelled into his face.

“And whom might you be?” the princess asked Dusk, starting studiously at him.

“My name is Dusk, Princess,” he replied, bowing his head, “And I am her husband.”

Princess Platinum looked away in deep thought. Commander Hurricane rolled her eyes. Dawn grabbed Dusk’s mane and pulled him in close. “What do you think you’re doing?” she loudly whispered.

“Helping you,” he quietly whispered back. “Or maybe I’m helping myself. I don’t know yet.”

She looked him with a perplexed look. “Huh?” she whispered, quietly this time.

“Well, it’s either going to be that this ends up helping you or me. You’re the only pony that can speak in their language, so you’ll have to go, and undoubtedly, that means I’ll be going with you, right?”

“Or she can say no and take me along anyways, stupid.”

Dusk was not amused. “Trust me. I’ll be going with you, whether it’s permitted or not.”

“And that helps us how?”

“I know going back to your home won’t be easy for you. Trust me, it wasn’t for me.”

“What does that mean?”

He waved his hoof in a sweeping motion. “Story for another day. But you’ll want somepony there to help you. That’s how I can end up helping you.”

She nodded her head slightly up and down. “I see, but how could this help you?”

He sighed and he got a serious, emotionless face. “If the mission fails, which is really easily could, it won’t be good. You even said it yourself; you’ve still got a death order on your head. Whether or not that happens is still to be seen. But if something, anything happens to you, I won’t be able to forgive myself knowing that I let you go into somewhere we both knew was dangerous.”

Dawn smiled and a few tiny, clear tears grew in the bottom of her eyes. “I don’t think I can think of anypony I’d rather be married to, Dusk. If something bad happens, at least we’ll be together.” They smiled and stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

“I have decided,” Princess Platinum spoke to the hall.

“Talk about killing the moment,” Chancellor Puddinghead remarked under her breath. Commander Hurricane and her started covering their mouths, trying to choke back laughter. The Princess glared back for a few seconds and faced front, pretending she didn’t hear anything.

“Dusk, you and Dawn shall be sent to the changeling kingdoms as representatives of the Unicorns and of all of Equestria.”

They both smiled, but Commander Hurricane pounded her hoof on the arm of her chair.

“This is an outrage!” she screamed. “The agreement was that all three of us would pick the two best representatives of our former tribes and send them as diplomats! I have chosen my two, Puddinghead has chosen her two, you aren’t allowed to choose three! And besides, we agreed to send out best. You can’t just offer the job to every stallion who comes barging in, wanting to go!”

“Commander!” Platinum roared back.

“I am fully aware of the rules of this mission, I was the one who suggested it, after all! And I am not planning to send three representatives! In case you haven’t noticed, only one Unicorn has shown up for the position so far. Since we have a second volunteer, it seems a council to see anypony else will be unnecessary. He is not just somepony from off the streets; he wears the distinctive blue robes of a master scholar. Both do, in fact. They will both be a beautiful addition to the diplomatic group.”

Commander Hurricane let out an angry breath and sulked back into her throne. “Excellent!” Princess Platinum exclaimed. “You have been dismissed. When you exit, the guards shall escort you to the rest of the group. You may decide with them when to depart. Good luck, you two. The fate of Equestria lies with you.” She bowed her head.

“Come on,” Dusk said, “We should go find the others.” They walked out of the throne room.

As the doors slammed shut, Commander Hurricane looked toward Princess Platinum. “Do you really think the ponies will be successful in their mission?”

She let out an exasperated sigh and looked at the ceiling. “Not in the slightest,” she replied.

Chancellor Puddinghead snapped out of her daze of surveying the room. “Then why send them at all?”

Princess Platinum hung her head and looked at the floor. “We need the changeling problem solved somehow. All we need is the blood of six ponies on changeling hooves. After that, we would have to try for war NOT to break out.”

Act III - Imprisonment

Bright orange flames flickered in the gentle breeze. Above the small camp of the diplomat’s tents, the black expanse of starry skies blanketed the world in darkness and serenity. Sitting in front of the fire, Dusk rubbed his eyes and drooped his head. Dawn walked out of a tent, fully dressed in her robes. She walked up to Dusk, hissed him on the head, and sat down next to him.

“How are you doing, honey?” he asked sleepily.

A little grin appeared on her face. “Great.”

“Why are you up so early?” he asked through a loud yawn.

“About to go scout ahead a little. What about you?”

“Enjoying life,” he said, grabbing a pot suspended over the fire.

“I’ve found out drinking tea early in the morning is relaxing. It’s so hard to enjoy just how amazing our world is when there are so many distractions.”

She kissed him on the check and stood up. “So poetic. I love you, honey.”

He smiled back. “Love you too, honey.”

Dawn turned and started walking. The rocky land was sparsely vegetated with thin, wispy grass. She climbed up a hill, and the grass became greener and thicker. As she got to the top, the sky became a dull orange in the west. To the east, the crimson sunrise shone over the desolate lands. She looked down at the tiny village below her.

A circle of small, leather huts surrounded a courtyard of mud at the foot of a cliff. A small road lead to the top of the cliff, where a small village of tiny wood huts and market stalls stood. “Oh my god,” she whispered in disbelief. “It’s…Home.”

She looked behind her. The small group of diplomat tents stood in the distance, the fire creating a tiny beacon of light.

She turned back toward the village and walked down the hill. She walked to a small, muddy hut located on the far edge of the village. Looking into the tiny square cut into the side of the leather hut, her mood darkened.

Two young changelings were lying in a large mattress, wrapped in numerous blankets of cotton and fur. The bed frame was intricately carved with loops, swirls, and images of changelings. She snarled.

“Of course. I always knew my ‘mother’ hated me.” She went around to the front and walked inside. The living room of her childhood house was exactly as she remembered it, except smaller. She looked at the shoddy, wooden table sitting in the middle of the room. She glared at the centerpiece, grabbed it in her mouth, and put it in her pocket. As she turned around to walk out, she heard a nasty, cruel voice behind her.

“Well, look who managed to not die.”

Dawn turned around. Standing in the living room was her mother.

Her eyes were tired and glassed over from lack of sleep. Her body was larger and weaker. She was no longer the slim, young pony she had been when Dawn was a young filly; now she was a tired, old mother. Dawn walked up to her and looked in her eyes.

“And why exactly do you care?”

Her mother laughed. “Maybe I underestimated you. Perhaps I shouldn’t have sold you out to the government.”

Dawn smacked her on the head. “Do you know how long I was stuck in a filthy, horrid prison because of you?”

“Well, looking at how healthy you look, I’d say not long enough.”

Dawn hissed at her mother. “You will regret that.”

She hissed back at Dawn. “You’ve gotten good. I’m proud of you. I used to think turning in you and your father was the best decision I had ever done. Seems I was wrong. Now it just seems turning him in was my best move.”

She angrily stared at her mother. “What did you just say?”

Her mother laughed. “Oh, right. Your father. He was a spineless coward. Poor excuse for a changeling if you ask me. He deserved to die.”

Dawn hissed at her mother again. She jumped at her and tackled her onto the table. The table snapped, and splinters of timber flew all around. Dawn shoved her hoof against her mother’s throat and pinned her onto the dirt floor.

The flaps leading to the other two rooms flew open. From the door on the left, the changeling she saw her mother with at the coliseum when Xolecon was executed. From the door on the right, two small, young, changelings walked out. The older one was a girl about the age Dawn was when she was captured. The younger one was a male, a few years younger than his older sister. “Mommy?” he asked. “Who is this?”

Dawn quickly grabbed her mother’s neck and put her hooves around it. She slowly walked backwards toward the flap to the hut. “Don’t move!” she yelled. “Don’t come any closer or she gets it!”

“What are you doing to my wife?” the adult changeling asked, walking sideways to his children. He defensively wrapped them in a hug.

“Please don’t hurt our mommy,” his daughter said.

Dawn laughed deviously. “Your mother?” You mean our mother.”

She looked at Dawn with a confused look. “What do you mean?”

Dawn smiled and maniacally laughed.

“So she’s never told you about her ‘best decisions ever’? If you knew who she really was, you would hardly be able to say you’re related to her. Your mother is a horrible being, full of malice and hatred. She hardly deserves to live. Maybe when I’m done with her, she won’t be.”

“Please,” the boy said, “Don’t hurt Mommy.”

Dawn looked into his eyes. His childhood innocence couldn’t fully grasp the situation. A mix of fear, sadness, and confusion traipsed across his face. Her face calmed down. She threw her mother toward her new family and ran out. She heard yelling from inside the hut.

She ran up the hill outside town and looked back. Changelings were coming together in outside their huts and pointing at her. Dawn’s mother walked out of her hut, pointed at her, and yelled. The villagers began running and flying toward her. She turned around and jumped flank-first onto the other side of the rocky hill. After she got to the bottom, she began sprinting toward the camp. All the ponies were up. Dusk and the Earth Ponies were sitting around the fire, drinking tea in the early morning light. The two Pegasi were flying low in the sky, studying maps.

“Run!” Dawn yelled as she sprinted toward the camp, changelings chasing her. “Run!”

Dusk and the Earth Ponies sat up and began to sprint away, and the Pegasi flew away at high speeds. They ran for a few minutes, the entire village chasing after them.

“There!” Dusk yelled, pointing to a swamp. The six ponies ran and jumped into the tepid water and hid under various overgrown plants. Dawn was breathing heavily from sprinting. Dusk reached over and put his hoof over her mouth. Her breathing silenced and slowed as she calmed down.

“Where’d they go?” one of the changelings yelled.

“It doesn’t look like they’re here,” replied another a changeling. Dawn heard the sound of hooves and changeling wings above the swamp. After a few minutes of silence, she moved out from under the muddy roots she and Dusk were hiding under and looked up. There weren’t any changelings around.

“It’s safe,” she said, looking down into the swamp. The rest of the ponies moved out of the muck and stepped out of the swamp.

“What was that all about?” Dusk asked, pulling mud out of his mane.

Dawn sighed. “Nothing,” she said. “We should probably go to the camp and pack up. We’ll want to go to the changeling capitol city as fast as we can.”

***

“I don’t have a good feeling about this, honey,” Dusk nervously said as the diplomats walked into the capitol city of the changelings.

“Neither do I,” Dawn replied. She looked around and appreciated the capitol city of the changelings for the first time.

Tall stone buildings lined every avenue and shaded the city from the harsh sunlight. Numerous elaborate, marble fountains covered the intersections of city blocks. The fountains portrayed every scene from victorious changelings to beautiful scenes of mountains and waterfalls.

“It’s so beautiful,” Dusk said, admiring the city. “I never knew changelings could be this cultured.”

“Neither did I,” Dawn said. Changelings all over the town pointed at the group of six ponies in shock and disbelief.

“This doesn’t look good,” one of the Pegasi noted. He was grabbed by a heavily armored changeling and shoved up against the wall of a building.

“Who are you all?” he yelled into the Pegasus’ face.

“Dawn?” he nervously yelled.

She walked up to the guard. “We are diplomats from the pony kingdom of Equestria, fair sir,” she replied in Changeling.

The guard threw down the pony and marched up to Dawn. “How can you speak our language, pony?”

“Please, can you take us to the king? We want to make relations between our two nations.”

He smiled as a large group of changeling guards came walking up to the pony diplomats. Their spears were pointed at them, driving them into a close circle. “Please, we just wish to speak in peace.”

Dusk began sweating nervously. “Dawn, what’s going on? Is this related to the swamp incident?”

“First off, tell your pony friend to shut up,” the guard barked.

“Secondly, ponies are not allowed in the changeling kingdom. Thirdly, Dawn, I should have guessed that you would be such an idiot. You are a pony, after all. You honestly think we wouldn’t notice you disappearing? All these years and we’ve finally found you.”

“Please,” Dawn begged, “Take me and spare my friends.”

He laughed. “Maybe. Arrest them all! Put them in the dungeons!” He walked closer to Dawn and hit her square on the head, knocking her unconscious.

***

Dusk’s four legs ached from being chained to the grimy stone wall. He looked around at the cell he shared with Dawn and the other four ponies. It was a small, dirty, rectangular cell with the only light coming from a barred, square hole in the thick, iron door to the room. He looked to his left where Dawn was chained. Her head was drooped weakly on her shoulders.

“Honey,” he whispered. “Dawn!”

She moaned and coughed to the side. Blinking slowly for a few seconds, she burped, opened her mouth and gagged. Dusk looked at the door. “Are you okay?" he asked.

Dawn’s legs jerked quickly toward her stomach and her head thrust foreword as vomit violently flowed from her mouth and splashed around, pooling on the already filthy floor. The other ponies started yelling, some at Dawn and the others at the door, calling for help. The door flew open and smashed against the wall. Six changelings walked into the room and started speaking. Dusk looked at Dawn, terrified.

“What’s happening? What are they doing?” The changelings walked to the ponies and began unchaining their hind legs, then their front ones. As her back legs were unchained, Dawn limply rotated her neck to Dusk. A weak, tiny smile appeared on her face. Her front legs were unchained, and she fell limply onto the back of a changeling jailor.

“I’m pregnant.” The jailor walked out. The jailors carrying the female Pegasus and the female Earth Pony walked out, following him. Dusk’s front legs were unchained, and he fell onto the back of the jailor. His eyes were open wide, his jaw slightly askew. The jailor carrying the male Pegasus walked out first, followed by the one carrying the male Earth Pony, finally by the one carrying Dusk.

His eyes were frozen open, his jaw locked in place in a dropped position. Nott even the simplest thoughts went through his head.

***

Dusk and the other stallions were each put on three, individual tables. The jailors who carried them in tied them tightly to the table. Another changeling wearing a white doctor’s coat walked into the room. He turned to the jailors and spoke to them. They nodded and walked out of the room.

He walked to the Earth Pony and began examining him. Examining his mouth, listening to his chest, and performing various checks. He picked up a small clipboard, grabbed a pen in his mouth, and scratched something out on the paper. He walked to the Pegasus and performed the same tests on him. Again, he grabbed a clipboard and wrote what looked like the same thing.

He walked to Dusk, put his hooves over his mouth, and attempted to open it. Dusk clenched his jaw shut and pressed his lips together. The doctor brought his hoof down on his stomach, making him cough and gasp for breath. As he coughed, the doctor grabbed his mouth, forcing it open. After examining his mouth, he put the side of his head against Dusk’s stomach. He felt Dusk’s forehead, examined his legs, face, and back. Then, he picked up the clipboard, wrote something down, and walked out.

Dusk struggled against the ropes, but they were tight and restricting. He tried to use his horn to untie the rope, but he was too hungry, weak, tired, and preoccupied to use magic. The Pegasus turned his head and looked at Dusk.

“You’re a Unicorn, right, Dusk? Can’t you get us out of these ropes?”

“No,” Dusk admitted, “I can’t. My mind’s somewhere else now.”

The Earth Pony spoke up. “What could possibly be more important that this? It has something to do with Dawn, doesn’t it?” he asked angrily.

Dusk sadly sighed. “Yes, it…it does.”

The Pegasus looked at him sympathetically. “I understand this must be pretty difficult for you, but your wife will be fine. I’m from the tribe of warriors and strong ponies, and I can tell one when I see one. Dawn’s a really strong pony. Like, really strong. She’ll be fine.”

Dusk smiled. “You think so?”

The Pegasus smiled back. “I don’t think so. I know so,” he said smugly.

The jailors walked back in and cut the ropes, picking up the stallions. “Remember,” the Pegasus said smiling, “Strong pony.”

***

Dusk looked at the door to the cell. The light coming in was growing dimmer and dimmer. Biting his lip in nervousness, he looked around. Only he and the other two stallions were there. There were three empty slots on the wall for the mares. Where were they?

Just as he began to lose hope, the door swung opened, and the three changeling jailors holding the mares walked in. He turned his head to the side and watched Dawn get chained to the wall again. She was like warm putty; limp, squirming, and a surprisingly good contortionist. After minutes of struggling to get her to stay put, the changeling finally chained her to the wall, where she hung limply in the air. She looked more tired that before, even weaker. The door loudly slammed shut.

“Dusk,” Dawn weakly whispered. “Dusk, are you okay?”

He looked away. The two Pegasi were silent and motionless in sleep.

“Dusk, please. What’s wrong with you?”

He slowly turned his head back toward her. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he crassly replied.

“It’s a pretty big thing, honey. I didn’t quite know how to break it to you.”

He jerked his head away again. “And you think now would be the best time?” His voice was full of bitterness and ire.

“When we’re naked, chained to a wall in a dungeon of the kingdom we were supposed to be making relations with, and with four ponies we hardly know?”

Her eyes flooded with tears. “Dusk, I-“

“You also told me while we were being brought to separate places. That could have been the last time I saw you.”

Tears rolled down her face and landed on her bare chest. “I…I’m sorry…” She turned away from him and began crying.

He scowled and banged his head foreword a few times. He breathed out a sigh of anger, and inhaled one of confidence. “Dawn, I…I’m sorry.”

Inhaling sharply through her nose, she pretended not to hear him.

“Listen, you know I love you. I’m just scared for your safety. It’s like what I said in Canterlot; if something bad happened to you, I could never forgive myself. It’s bad enough that we’re here, and I guess learning you’re having a baby is just too much for me to handle now. I just everything in our love to be perfect, and frankly, I never envisioned us being prisoners.”

She faintly smiled and tilted her head toward him. He leaned in and kissed her. “If it’s a colt,” she whispered romantically into his ear, “I want to name him Xolecon.”

He smiled back at her. “Sure. Whatever you want. All we need to do is get out of here first.”

He looked around for a moment. The cell was completely dark now; it was night. He turned his head to Dawn, who had already dozed off. He faced forewords, drooped his head, and shut his eyes.

***

As days went by, they all melted together to make weeks. Maybe there were enough weeks to make a month. Nopony could tell. Prison has that effect on the ability to tell time. Dusk opened his eyes to a few familiar things.

Firstly, the bright beams of light on the floor that signaled it was morning.

Secondly, the slow, heavy breathing of his sleeping wife. He took a special liking to this one; it meant Dawn was still alive. She was hardly more than a pregnant skeleton with skin. Their diets were meager, barely enough to support a full-grown pony, let alone a pregnant one. Dusk would help out by hiding spare food in his mouth to give to her when their feeders were gone, but it was not enough. She would spend nearly every day and night sleeping, with the few exceptions of when she would wake up for a half hour at max to eat, talk, or vomit. Sometimes all three. Sometimes all at once.

The third, final thing he observed was the stench of the room, which did its part to drain his happiness derived from the previous two things. The smell of vomit (mostly Dawn’s), waste, and sweat combined with the smell of rotting, decaying flesh. The ponies decided the flesh smell was coming from outside their cell, as all of them were alive. At times Dusk wished he knew its source, but when he’d think about it more, he would decide that ignorance is bliss.

Dawn’s breathing stopped. He jerked his head to his left, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she had woken up. “Hey, honey,” he said in a caring tone. “How are you feeling?”

“Well,” she started chuckling a little bit. “If I said I was horrible, that would be sugar coating it. Does that answer you?”

Her laughing turned to coughing. She wheezed and choked, and after a minute or so, she stopped, winded from even the mildest of activity. She spit out a red liquid, and her head limply rolled to one side. Dusk looked down at the ground where her saliva had landed.

“Dawn, turn this way a moment, please?” She weakly turned her head, and he screamed.

“What? What’s wrong?” one of the Earth Ponies called out.

“Dawn, you’ve been coughing blood!” Dusk screamed. All the ponies in the room began yelling and hollering to the door for help. The hallways outside remained silent.

“What’s wrong?” the Pegasus mare asked. “They always have a guard or two outside the door to keep us in, and they usually respond to all this commotion.”

Dawn began coughing louder and harder. “Dawn, please!” Dusk yelled at her. “Please, just try and stop!” She kept coughing. “Help!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Help!”

He heard hoof steps off in the distance, down the hallway outside the cell. “Help!” he cried. “Help!”

He heard the sounds of battle down the hallway; yelling, metal weapons slashing against metal, and the pop sound of skin being pierced as a weapon is driven into flesh.

He yelled even louder. He heard unfamiliar voices growing louder. He soon could distinguish what they were saying.

“I heard yelling from down here! They must have prisoners down here!”

A wide smile emerged on his face. “We’re being saved! Somepony’s coming to save us!”

The door opened, and a unicorn wearing full armor and holding a spear dripping with crimson liquid was there. He immediately covered his nose and turned his head away from the door, dropping his spear in the process. “What is it?” more voices asked. A female Pegasus, a female Unicorn, and three male Earth Ponies, all dressed similarly with swords strapped to their waists, walked into the doorway. They all shared the same reaction.

“Please, you have to help us!” Dusk begged. The Unicorn walked into the room and looked around. He turned back to the other ponies and ordered them to come in. They began unchaining the diplomats. The male Unicorn walked up to Dusk and began to unlock his chains.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“My name is Dusk. I am one of the diplomats sent by Equestria to make relations with the changeling kingdom. Needless to say, we weren’t very successful.” The last of his chains became unlocked, and he dropped to the ground. The Unicorn caught him.

“And the others?”

“They’re also diplomats.”

“Do you know how long you’ve been here?”

“You’re my savior, I thought that was your job to know.”

“It’s been about three months or so since you left Canterlot.”

“We’ve been here about a month, then. What’s with the daring rescue mission?”

The Unicorn smiled. “In all honesty, we didn’t even know you were here. After all of you went missing, there was a huge call to arms in Equestria to vanquish the Changelings for good. Finding you was a great coincidence.”

Another Pegasus flew to the doorway. “There aren’t any more prisoners in here.”

The Unicorn holding Dusk nodded. “Good. We’ll just be bringing these ponies to a medic.”

“Please hurry,” Dusk pleaded. “My wife is pregnant. She’s flirting with death. She has no energy, can hardly eat, and now she’s coughing up blood.”

The Unicorn look shocked and terrified. “We should go now,” he called to his fellow soldiers. “Some of these ponies are in critical condition!” The soldiers sprinted out, holding the newly freed captives on their backs. Dusk looked over to Dawn, who was riding on the other Unicorn. She smiled faintly, and her eyes shut again.

***

Clean, fresh air drifted past Dusk’s nostrils for the first time in weeks. He slowly opened his eyes to the sight of a clean, white tarp above him. He looked around and examined his surroundings. Multiple smooth, sturdy wooden tables stood inside the tent.

Many of the tables were occupied, but some remained empty. Four of the other tables were occupied by the other diplomats from Equestria, and the others by various soldiers, each with varying levels of injuries. Sitting up, his clean, stiff, white medical gown crumpled. A Unicorn walked into the tent. She looked around at all the ponies on the tables while making her way toward Dusk.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Where’s my wife?” he quickly asked.

“I’ll take that to mean you’re good,” she said. “Which one was yours?”

“The pregnant one.”

“Ah, yes,” she said. “She’s in the emergency tent.”

He dropped down from his table and onto the grassy floor and proceeded to the door. “Please, you need to stay here,” the nurse pleaded. He ignored her and walked out of the tent.

Walking into the open air, Dusk looked around. The medical tent was located amongst a sea of cloth tents. Ponies sat outside tents, some in full armor, others wearing simple robes. Activities of all sorts were being performed, from sharpening swords to writing letters to sitting and laughing. He found a tent with a sign reading Emergency in front of it. He pushed the flap aside and ducked into the tent. The only occupied table held Dawn, who was softly breathing in her sleep. Dusk’s face grew wide. “Dawn!” he yelled.

She opened her eyes slowly and smiled. She sat up and extended her front legs out in front of her. Dusk ran up and into her extended front legs, hugging her. “Never have I yearned to touch somepony so much in my life,” he romantically whispered into her ear.

She gently stroked his mane and smiled. “So poetic,” she replied, smiling. “This is why I married you.”

They ended their hug and Dawn remained sitting up. “Are you okay?” Dusk asked.

“I’m perfect now that you’re here.”

“And the foal?”

Dawn pulled her blanket up to the top of her legs, then pulled her gown up slightly to reveal her stomach. The bulge on her stomach was growing ever slightly larger. Her ribs were no longer easily visible. She pulled her gown back down. “She’s fine.”

He chuckled. “She? We sure now?”

“I can tell it’s a filly,” she said happily, rubbing her stomach. “I had a dream right before we got rescued from prison about the foal being born. It was a filly. You named her.”

He smiled widely. “What did I name her?”

“I don’t remember. But it was beautiful.”

The Unicorn nurse ran into the room. “I told you not to leave!” she said irately.

Dusk smiled and turned around. “I can go now,” he calmly said.

The nurse looked at him confusedly. “Huh?” she asked, not expecting such an easy agreement. She blinked quickly a few times, and Dusk walked up to her.

“Dusk!” Dawn yelled, right as he was about to leave the tent.

“Yes?” he asked delightfully, turning around.

She smiled. “Your flank’s showing.”

He looked backwards at the back of his gown; she was right. The back was open, revealing his rump. Quickly pivoting around, he grasped his bottom and blushed as red as an overripe tomato. He backed out standing his back hooves, still covering his back. Dawn laughed at her husband's expense.

***

“Dusk,” Dawn panicked, nudging him. “Dusk!”

He sleepily and slowly sat up. “What is it?” he said, aloof.

“The foal’s coming!” she yelled.

Dusk rolled out of their bed in shock and landed square on the floor. He extended his hooves under his wife and pulled her out of bed. Putting his front leg around her shoulder, they slowly walked out of the room and into the hallway. After a few yards, Dawn collapsed and grabbed her bulging stomach.

“I can’t get to the doctor,” she said. Dusk started panicking and fidgeting.

“Somepony, come help!” he yelled to the empty hallway. He looked back at Dawn, who was sweating and panting heavily. “It’s okay, honey,” he nervously assured her, “You’ll be fine.”

A nearby door opened, and a Unicorn stallion stepped out, his mane messed from sleep. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Go get the doctor!” Dusk yelled. “She’s having a baby!”

The Unicorn bolted down the hall. Dusk turned back to his wife, whose face was clenched in pain. He rubbed her stomach affectionately. More and more doors along the hallway opened, and Unicorns continued to step out. The first Unicorn ran back, with another Unicorn following him. The new one knelt down in front of Dawn. Dusk grabbed her right hoof and rubbed it, trying to comfort her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Have you ever been hit really hard in the stomach?” she struggles to speak through the pain.

“Uhh…yeah?” he replied.

“Imagine that multiplied by infinite,” she replied. As soon as she was done speaking, she shrieked in pure agony.

“Give her some room!” the doctor yelled. “The foal's about to come!” The spectators stepped back.

“Dawn, I need you to listen to me now. I need you to push as hard as you can, no matter how much it hurts. That’s the only way your foal will get out. Do you understand?” Dawn’s face was clenched tight. She nodded. “Ready? Push!” Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs. “Push!” the doctor yelled again. Dawn shrieked louder than anypony thought possible and smacked her hoof on the ground. Her screaming was joined by the shrill sound of crying. Dawn’s breathing slowed, and smile grew on her and Dusk’s faces.

“Congratulations, you two,” the doctor said. “It’s a filly.”

Tears grew in both their faces. “Let me hold her,” Dawn said. The doctor placed the tiny, moist baby in her outstretched hooves. Dawn looked at her. “Little filly, you’ve made my life infinitely better. Now what is your name?”

“Hydrangea,” Dusk spoke to his daughter.

Dawn looked back at Dusk. “This is the start of our new life.”

Dusk picked up Hydrangea and stroked her head slowly. “You are the single best thing that has ever happened to me. You have no idea what you will do to us.”

Act IV - Family

Chapter contains some mildly gory images

Slow, steady breezes whipped around, blowing stray strands in Dawn’s mane around her head. She sat on the wooden deck of her new, wooden cottage located closely outside the exterior walls of the monastery. She rubbed her enlarged, pregnant stomach affectionately as she watched Hydrangea rolling in the grass. She smiled at her daughter and called to her.

“Hydrei!” she yelled. “Stop rolling in the grass and come over here, daddy’s about to leave, and you don’t want to be dirty when you say goodbye!”

She stopped rolling and ran up to her mother. Dawn wiped Hydrei’s face with her sleeve, laughing. “You’re absolutely filthy!” When she was done cleaning her daughter’s face, she pulled her in and kissed her on the forehead. Hydrei sat down hard on the deck and started fiddling with the ends of her thin, grass-stained dress.

The front door to the cottage opened, and Dusk stepped out. His mane was clean and combed, his pale red robes expertly crafted to fit his body, and the two saddlebags on his bag were packed to near-full levels.

“There are my fillies,” he said as he walked to where his wife and daughter were sitting on the porch.

“Daddy!” Hydrei yelled, jumping up and grabbing Dusk’s shoulders. She kissed him on the cheek. Dawn turned around and waved her hoof toward herself, gesturing for him to come. He walked over, young foal still hanging from his neck, and hissed Dawn on the forehead.

“You said your trip was going to be a surprise until you were going. Now that you’re going, where’s the destination?” Dawn asked.

Dusk sat down next to her. Hydrei jumped down and sat next to him. She grabbed Dusk’s rope belt and started shaking it. “I’m going to where I was born,” he replied happily.

Dawn looked at him strangely. “I thought you said before that you already went to where you grew up?”

He shook his head. “Different places,” he replied. “Same motives for going, though.”

“Daddy, can I come with you?” Hydrei asked, stopping her playing with his belt.

He smiled and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but no. But I’ll be sure to bring back a hydrangea for my special little Hydrangea.”

She tilted her head. “Daddy?” she asked, elongating her vowels just like a child would. “What’s a hydrangea?”

“It’s my favorite flower,” he replied.

“They’re beautiful. And strong, too. They grow like weeds where I was born. They grow great in sandy soil with lots of salty air. The grass where I was born is thin and wispy, trees dry, aged, and weathered, and flowers sparse. But hydrangeas defy what the other plants do. They grow big and thick, with huge, deep green leaves. The flowers themselves are soft, pastel shades, with the most common ones being blue. I haven’t seen one since I left there, but they are some of the most beautiful things in the world.”

“Wow!” Hydrei exclaimed excitedly. “Really?”

“Undoubtedly,” he said, rising up. He walked off the flat, wooden deck and onto the dirt path leading to the village. “I should be gone a month at max,” he said, turning around. “I’ll try to write when I get there. Bye!” He turned back around and started walking.

“Bye!” Dawn yelled after him, waving her hoof.

“Have fun, Daddy!” Hydrei yelled, jumping up and down. “Make lots of new friends!”

Dawn looked back at her daughter and laughed. “Come on,” she said, leading her inside. “Let’s go get you a bath. Half our lawn must be on you!”

***

Dawn sat on the cool, soft lawn and stroked Hydrei’s mane delicately. The thick, grey clouds obscured the sky. Humidity hung in the air, sticking to Dawn’s mane and fraying her mane. Hydrei kissed Dawn’s stomach and looked up at her.

“Mommy?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Are all foals in their mommy’s tummies before they’re born?”

“Yes, why?”

“Was I in your tummy before I was born?”

Dawn smiled. “Yes.”

“How do foals get out of there?”

Dawn smiled and rubbed Hydrei’s head. “You’ll find out when you’re older, honey. Maybe you’ll have children of your own one day.”

“Really?”

Dawn pulled her in close for a hug. “Of course. I know you’ll make daddy and I proud.”

Dawn grabbed her stomach and started breathing deeply. “Mommy?” Hydrei asked.

Her face clenched, and she grabbed her stomach harder. “Go get the doctor from the monastery,” she yelled.

“Mommy?” Hydrei asked, tears of confusion filling her eyes.

“Go!” Dawn yelled. Hydrei turned toward the walls of the monastery and ran. Dawn grabbed her stomach and screamed.

Her mind began racing. Why was this happening? It was a few months before she was supposed to be having a baby, but sure enough, she could feel it coming. Small drops of water began to fall from the clouds, stinging her. For what felt like hours, she sat there, raindrops almost suspended in the air as time slowed. She looked off in the distance and saw a pony wearing blue robes sprinting toward her, Hydrei on his back, grasping his neck to hold on. He stopped a few feet before he got to Dawn and slid on the wet grass the rest of the way. Hydrei jumped off and ran to her mother’s side.

“What’s happening?” she screamed, terrified.

“Dawn,” the doctor asked her, “Are you sure you’re giving birth? You shouldn’t be having a child this early.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she snapped back, “And would you mind telling the foal that it’s too early? That’d save a ton of pain right now.”

“Where’s Dusk?” he asked.

“Out on a journey,” she replied. “Why would that be important now?”

The doctor sighed and looked back at Dawn. “Dawn, this foal is almost out. I’m just going to need you to push a little bit, but as hard as you can. The harder you do, the quicker and less painful this will be. You understand?”

She nodded, her lips clenched together. She pushed with all her strength.

“It’s coming!” the doctor yelled. “Just a little more!” Hydrei ran down next to him and started watching. Dawn pushed once more, and the familiar pain of childbirth overcame her, and then it was gone.

She looked at Hydrei and the doctor, who was now holding a tiny filly, who was abnormally silent.

“What’s happening?” she asked. The doctor put his ear to the new filly’s chest. After a minute, he moved his head and hung his head.

“Stillborn,” he sadly replied. Dawn’s eyes filled with hot tears, which mixed with the cool raindrops. A jolt of pain overcame her again.

“There’s another!” she yelled. The doctor set the tiny, deceased infant in the grass and turned back to Dawn.

“Are you sure?” he asked in a shocked manner.

“As sure as I was last time!” she yelled back at him. She began to push, but this one was putting up more of a fight than the last one. After minutes of sheer agony, she felt another child come out; this time though, she heard the shrill crying of a newborn.

“He’s alive!” the doctor yelled with excitement. Dawn began to cry, this time with the joy of a new son. She reached her hooves out, and the doctor delicately placed the tiny colt in her hooves. Hydrei ran back to her mother’s side and looked at her new brother.

“Hydrei?” Dawn asked.

“Yes?” she replied.

“Say hello to your little brother, Xolecon.”

***

The bright, morning sun shone through the cloudless sky and onto the small, glass prism Dawn was holding in the air. Xolecon was chewing on Dawn’s mane from his sling on her back. Hydrei stared at the wall of their cottage, fixated on the rainbow that was appearing there.

“How are you doing that?” she asked Dawn.

She giggled. “I’m not,” she replied. “The light’s going into this prism, and it’s being broken down into the seven colors that make up sunlight. Do you know what I’m saying?”

“No,” replied with a straight face.

Dawn laughed and walked over to her. “Do you know what the seven colors of light are?”

Hydrei’s face beamed, as she was being presented with a question she knew the answer to. “Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet!” she yelled excitedly.

Dawn smiled and hugged her. “Yes!” she said excitedly. “Such a smart little filly!”

They both began laughing and sat down on the porch. “Look!” Hydrei yelled, pointing into the distance. Dusk was slowly walking up the dirt path that lead to their house, looking at the ground as he walked. Hydrei ran up the path to him, and Dawn set down her prism and began walking toward him. When she got to him, Hydrei was already on his back, kissing his neck.

“How was it, daddy?” she asked.

He looked instead at the small colt in the sling on Dawn’s back. “Who’s that?” he asked.

Dawn smiled. “He’s your son,” she replied happily.

“Xolecon?” he asked.

Dawn smiled. “Sounds like you listened to me when I was talking to you,” she replied.

“So, basically, you went and had all the fun without me?” he asked.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, fun. Woohoo,” she joked back at him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked.

“Well, that’s exactly what I was going to ask you,” he replied. Dawn walked up to his ear and whispered the story of the twins to him.

“Oh, my. That’s terrible,” he said.

“What were you going to tell me?” she asked. They were at the front door of the cottage. Dusk turned his head toward Hydrei.

“Could you stay out here while mommy and daddy talk?” he asked. She jumped down, grabbed Dawn’s prism in her mouth, and walked out onto the lawn, tilting it and trying to figure out how it worked. Dusk and Dawn walked into the house. Right as he closed the door, Dusk sat down and began crying loudly into his hooves.

“What’s wrong?” Dawn asked.

He pulled his head out of his hooves. His face was red, his eyes puffy, and his face soaked with salty tears. “I didn’t go to the same place as I remember.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting down next to him. “Did you get lost?”

He shook his head. “No, I knew exactly where to go.”

“Did you go to the wrong place?”

He shook his head again. “No, it was the right place.”

Dawn looked at him strangely. “Then what’s the problem?”

“It was all gone,” he choked out between tears.

“I didn’t recognize anypony there. Nopony recognized me or even heard of my siblings. Over half the ponies there didn’t even know about Mr. Whitcomb’s cranberry bog. Everything I remember was gone. The beaches, the swamp, the rocks, all gone. Even the hydrangeas. None of the houses were the same. Ponies hardly even knew their neighbors. It’s the complete opposite of everything I remember. I kept telling myself not to go back, that it was a stupid move. I knew going to my past was a bad move, but I was an idiot and kept going.” He ripped his saddlebags off and threw them at the wall.

“It wasn’t a stupid move,” Dawn sympathetically replied, picking up his bags. “No matter how bad our pasts were, we always want to go back to them. They’ll always be with us. We wouldn’t be able to get to the present if it weren’t for the past.”

“Yes,” he irritated replied, “But trying to go back to them is stupid. If you write a story about your life, no matter what we do now, our actions stay the same. Trying to go them and fix a chapter of your life that’s already been written is frivolous and will only make the present worse.”

“Don’t look at it that way,” she said, sitting next to him and putting her hoof around his shoulder. “Stop focusing on the past, and instead focus on the present. I personally would say you have a pretty good life right now.”

“Yes, but for how long?”

“Huh?” she asked.

He looked out a window. Hydrei was running around, trying to get the prism to work the same way it had for Dawn.

“My life’s changed so constantly, I can hardly keep up with it. Many times I was foolish enough to believe the present was the future. When I was young, I believed it was my life to stay in that tiny community, with that tiny area being the entire world I knew. Then I thought it my future was to live with Earth Ponies. Then I thought it was to be a soldier. Then, I thought I was going to end my life on the streets. But then I came here. I desperately want my life to stay this way, but there’s nothing I can do to make it so. The present’s not the future, and I should know this. Life’s given me a big ol’ slap in the face multiple times, and yet I foolishly persist. All I’m saying is that I can’t be certain that this reality is truly my real life.”

Dawn hugged him. “No matter what life ends up being for you, I promise we’ll be together.”

Dusk’s breathing slowed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he replied, hugging her back.

***

A white cake sat upon a large, clean plate with the words Happy Birthday, Hydrei! written in green frosting over the top. Hydrei, Dusk, Dawn, and Xolecon all sat on the red and white-checkered blanket on the front lawn of their house. A small pile of packages sat on a corner of the blanket.

“Go ahead,” Dusk said, pointing at the cake. “Blow out the candles and make a wish!”

Hydrei closed her eyes, tilted her head to the sky, smiled, and moved her mouth. She opened her eyes and blew her candles out.

Dawn grabbed a small box on the top of the pile and put it in front of Hydrei. “Open it,” she said.

Hydrei opened the top of the package and pulled out what was inside. It was a small, blocky, chiseled stone figurine of a pony. “What is it, mom?” she asked, looking at the little statue.

“It’s a gift,” she said. “My father gave it to me when I was your age. I hope you will enjoy it.”

Dusk looked at Dawn with a confused look. “How did you get that?”

Dawn smiled devilishly. “I have my ways.”

The family laughed. Dawn stopped laughing and stood up. “Stay back,” she said.

“What?” Hydrei asked. “What’s going on?”

Dawn walked farther up the path. A slouched, hooded figure was walking slowly and stopped when Dawn got to her. “It’s been a long time, Dawn,” she said. She pulled her hood down and smiled at Dawn.

“What are you doing here?”

Hydrei walked up the path to Dawn. “Mom, who is this?”

The stranger hugged Hydrei. “This must be your daughter, is it not?”

“Mom?” Hydrei asked nervously. “Who is this? What’s she saying?”

Dawn glared and pushed her off her daughter. “This is my mother.”

Hydrei turned her head. “What?”

Dawn lightly pushed her back. “Go back to your father and brother.” She turned back to her mother. “Why are you here?”

Her mother sighed. “I’ve come to seek forgiveness from you.”

Dawn laughed mockingly. “What do you really want?”

She hung her head and started moping. “Exactly what I told you I came here for.”

Dawn looked at her curiously. “Why do you want me to forgive you?”

She sat down and stared at the ground. “I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I won’t be alive for much longer. I want to go to all those who I’ve wronged over the years and apologize for everything bad I’ve done to them. You’re the last one, and the one I feel the worst for.”

“Really?” Dawn asked. “Do you really feel bad?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes. I was foolish and stupid when I was young. I killed my only lover and turned in my only daughter. And why? Have you ever found out why I turned you in to the king?”

“No,” she replied. “Why did you do it?”

She sighed and mumbled something.

“What?”

She sighed again. “I was jealous of you, Dawn.”

“Huh?” Dawn asked. “Jealous? Of me? For what?”

“Your father.”

“Dad?” she asked. “What does that have to do with me?”

“He paid so much attention to you. Being the idiot I was, I became jealous of you. I allowed envy to overcome me. I immediately regret my choices. I tried to fall in love with someone else. I ended up marrying someone I don’t love and had three children I didn’t want. Every day, I would wake up, walk into your old room and cry. The day you came back, I couldn’t believe it. I was still confused about my decisions back then, I didn’t know if I was glad or not to see you.”

“Wow,” Dawn slowly spoke. “Is all of that true?”

She shook her head slowly, tears beginning to fill her eyes. “Can you forgive me?”

Dawn looked around, lost in thought. The grass was a dark green hue in the mid-spring day. The trees swayed gently in the cool breeze. Her family stood yards back, staring at them, waiting for the end of their conversation. “Well?” her mother asked.

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears. “No.”

Her mother’s eyes grew red and damp. “What?” she asked.

Dawn shook her head gently. “I don’t know if I can forgive you.”

“But…why?”

“With all you’ve done to me, I’m not sure I can find forgiveness. Even though you feel sorrow, that can’t undo the actions of the past. Even though your actions brought me to my life today, what you did was unforgivable.”

“Please, Dawn,” she begged. “Give an old Changeling a second chance. My actions were terrible, and if I could change them, I could. Please, just look in your heart.”

Dawn turned her body toward her mother and opened the blouse of her robes. She pointed to a line on her upper chest.

“What’s that?” her mother asked.

“It’s what you caused,” she said, looking into her eyes.

“When we were in the dungeon before daddy died, they were brutal to us. One time, I tried to starve myself to death. You’ll find in situations like that, death is more preferable than the abject torture of bearing life. They tried many things to open my mouth. The last thing they tried was slashing me on the chest to get me to scream. I regret to say it worked. But I have carried this scar for all of my life as a reminder of the atrocities you inflicted on my life.”

Her mother turned her head away and started crying. “I’m…I’m sorry, Dawn. You’re right. I deserve no forgiveness.”

She got up and walked to Dawn’s family. She walked up first to Hydrei and Xolecon, who backed behind Dusk when she came.

“I know you can’t understand me,” she said through her tears, “But you two hold a vital role in your mother’s life. You will give her happiness and love, and just as she cares for you when you are young, you will care for her when she is old. Don’t be a fool like we were. Maintain a good relationship with your mother.”

She looked up and into Dusk’s eyes. “And you,” she said, “You are her lover. Your role is far more important. Stay with her for all your lives. Enjoy each other, love each other, and grow old with each other. Leaving her will be your biggest regret. Trust me, I know from experience. She is the only one in this world I still hold love for; I entrust you with the task with keeping my daughter the one thing I never wanted her to be; happy. I know my pleas are falling on ears that cannot understand them, but I hope that I shouldn’t need to tell you to do these things.”

She turned around and walked back to Dawn, who had moved to the soft blanket where her family was standing. She hugged Dawn for the first and last time in either of their lives. “Never forget me,” she said as tears started rolling down her face.

Dawn remained silent. Not even the sounds of her weeping were audible.

***

Dawn stared out the window in the kitchen, silently counting to herself. The moonlight peered through, casting a silver glow over the floor.

As Dawn got to fifty-one, she stopped counting. Warmth engulfed her body, and she smiled. She rubbed her eye, and a single tear was wiped away. She looked around; the house was empty. She turned back out the window and started smiling at the heavens. She was too preoccupied to hear the soft creaking of the stairs behind her.

“Mom?” Hydrei asked from behind.

Dawn turned out and grimaced at her daughter. “Hydrei, why are you up so early in the morning?”

“I could ask you the same question,” she quickly snapped back.

Dawn sighed. “I can’t sleep.”

Hydrei walked up to her mother and jumped on the counter. “Are you restless for the same reason I am?”

Dawn stared out into the infinite blackness of space. “Wondering about my mother, are we?”

“Mom, if you don’t mind me asking, how exactly is she your mother? I mean, she’s a Changeling, and you’re, well, a pony.”

Dawn sighed. “I guess now is a better time than any to tell you.”

Dawn took in a deep breath and started speaking. She wove for her daughter her unabridged tale of woe and sorrow. When she finished, Hydrei’s face was flooded with hot, salty tears. “Mom?” she asked.

“Yes?” she responded.

“Is all of that true?”

Dawn nodded. “Every word of it. The world is a dangerous and terrible place, Hydrangea. I should hope that you never have to experience anything of that horribleness.”

***

The huge, smooth wooden door leading into the Canterlot Castle throne room opened. Princess Platinum, sitting in a throne surrounded by two other large thrones, looked up.

“It’s been long, Dawn,” she said.

Dawn walked to the center of the room and gavee the princess a light, elegant curtsey. “What is it, your highness?”

“A threat to national security,” she said. “And once again, we need your aid.”

“Oh, no!” she yelled. “I’m not doing anything like last time!”

The Princess shook her head and held her hoof up. “This is nothing like the last time you have been summoned.”

Dawn’s attitude lessened in ire. “What is it?”

The Princess knocked her hoof on the arm of her chair. “This is a much simpler task.”

An armored Pegasus walked up to Dawn, a letter in his mouth. Dawn levitated the letter out of his mouth and started reading.

“Well?” the Princess asked. “Do you recognize the language it is written in?”

Dawn nodded her head. “Yes,” she said nervously, “It’s in Changeling,” she said, pointing to the complex, confusing writing system on the piece of yellow paper.

Princess Platinum’s eyes sparkled. “What’s it say?”

“I don’t know,” Dawn replied.

“What?” she yelled. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Well, I’m a mare.”

“Yes, I can see that,” she snapped at Dawn. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Dawn sighed and looked away. “Mares in Changeling society aren’t quite the same as ones in our society. They don’t get freedom like in our society.”

The Princess slowly nodded her head. “How so?” she inquired.

“Well, stallions are placed higher in Changeling society than mares are. Religion, stories, songs, and politics all are centered around stallions. Mares are subjugated to stallions. There are many things they’re not allowed to do. Learning is not one of them. I…I never learned to read or write Changeling.”

The Princess sighed in an irritated manner. “No idea at all?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Princess Platinum looked down to her side, where a Unicorn was standing. The pony craned her neck to Princess Platinum’s mouth, and she whispered. The Unicorn nodded her head and walked away. The Princess looked back at Dawn.

“Seeing as we do not know what the message says, we need to take preemptive measures.”

“As in?” she asked.

“We are deploying troops to your village for protection.”

“What?” Dawn asked. “You can’t send troops just to protect me.”

The Princess shook her head. “They’re not just for you. I believe your whole village to be in danger. The troops are for the well-being of your whole community.”

“Why do you think I’m in danger? Changelings sent a letter for you, in their language. Why would it say that it’s for me?”

“Changeling war philosophy,” came an angry voice from behind. Dawn turned around and looked at the source of the voice.

It was Commander Hurricane, old and tired from years of war.

“Commander,” Princess Platinum roared, “You should not be here. You need to be resting.”

She ignored the Princess’ warnings and limped to Dawn. “They’re trying to get to your head and catch you off guard.”

“How do you know this?” she asked.

The Commander laughed. “I’m a soldier,” she chuckled, “I know these things.” She looked up at Princess Platinum.

“They sent her the message so we’d think they’re after her.” She turned and looked back at Dawn. “They wrote it in Changeling because they knew you would recognize it. They also knew you couldn’t read it, so they wouldn’t be giving themselves away. They want to instill fear in you.”

Princess Platinum smiled. “Always got that fire in your heart, Commander. I will put you in charge of the platoon. This falls into your hooves now.”

Commander Hurricane chuckled and pat Dawn on the shoulder. “I’ll be seeing you in the future.” She walked out of the throne room. Dawn curtseyed again and walked out.

***

Dawn walked into the large, expansive library of the orphanage built off the monastery. She walked up to a bookshelf, where Hydrei was studying the racks of tiny books. Dawn grabbed her daughter’s shoulders and turned her around.

“Congratulations!” she exclaimed.

Hydrei smiled and blushed. “Oh, well, thanks, mom,” she stuttered. “I’m certainly glad to be a member of the monastery I grew up on the outskirts of.”

Dawn smiled and looked around. “Time flies so fast. It seems like just last week I was joining this monastery. Now, Xolecon’s starting his induction.” She sighed a happy breath and grabbed a book from the shelf.

She handed the book Unicorn Myths for Foals to Hydrei. “You used to love it when I would read this to you as a filly. Maybe the foal you’re reading to would love it too.”

She smiled and hugged Dawn. “Thanks, mom.”

One of the armed guards ran into the library, and the ponies turned in disbelief. “Miss Dawn!” he yelled.

She walked up to him. “What is it?”

He panted heavily. “In the town,” he said. “We need your interpretation services.”

Dawn ran out of the library. Hydrei dropped the book hastily and followed her mother. They ran through the fields of grapevines leading from the monastery to the village, the tiny, under ripe green grapes hanging delicately.

When they arrived in the village, they saw Dusk standing in the doorway of the small, old townhouse, beckoning his hoof toward them. As they walked into the musty, still-aired room, they looked around. Xolecon, the village leader, and a few armed guards stood around a central beam. They fanned away to reveal a changeling tied to the pole. She stomped up to the prisoner and looked into his eyes.

“How many more of you are there?” she asked, hissing at the Changeling.

He laughed. “Many.”

“Why have you come here?”

“Same reason anyone plunders. For fun. But this time, we will get you once and for all. Dawn, when this day is done, you will be dead.”

Dawn laughed. “I doubt that. You will see your mission fail. I will make sure of that.”

He laughed loudly. “I’m sorry, but this is the first time you will be wrong today.” He pulled hard, and the ropes binding him snapped. With great speed and agility, he flew low in the air and landed straight on the spear of one of the guards, who had not fully realized what had been going on yet.

He pushed the skewered Changeling off, who fell on the ground with a hard thud. He started laughing. “Have fun,” he manically laughed. His laughing stopped abruptly as the life slipped from his body.

“What did he say?” Xolecon asked.

A loud crash came from outside. “What was that?” the village leader asked.

“Run!” Dawn yelled. “Everypony to the monastery!” She turned to the guards.

“You gather the other guards. Get everypony to the monastery first. We need the villagers to be safe.” The guards nodded. She turned around and slammed into the door, opening it.

All color drained from Hydrei’s face as she looked up. “Oh, no,” she whispered. The morning sky was dark with the shiny, black bodies of thousands of Changelings blotting the sun out of the sky. Dawn ran back to her daughter, who was frozen in a state of shock.

“Let’s go!” she yelled. As they started running up the path to the monastery, the ocean of Changelings cascaded down, creating a torrent of bodies. As the ponies sprinted up the small dirt path, Changelings landed all around, making craters in the dirt and shredding the delicate leaves of grapevines. “Go!” Dawn yelled. “Faster!”

As they approached the monastery, a Changeling barreled down onto Dusk, slamming him to the ground. “Dawn!” he screamed. “Dawn!”

She turned around and sprinted toward him. The Changeling was biting into Dusk’s stomach, causing a stream of bright red blood to pour all over her fangs and Dusk’s body. Dawn tackled the Changeling and smashed her to the ground, cracking her neck. She ran back to Dusk.

“Dusk!” she screamed through her tears. “Dusk!”

He removed his hooves from his stomach. A large hole was present in his chest, spewing thin, sticky blood. He put his bloody hoof to Dawn’s lips, silencing her.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“No, it’s not okay!” she yelled, tears mixing with Dusk’s blood.

Dusk’s horn started gently glowing. “Touch your horn to mine.”

“What?” she yelled at him.

“Do it.” She reluctantly moved her head toward his. The moment her horn touched his, the world started swirling.

***

She was standing on a small, circular beach. Ponies of all ages were there, some swimming, some playing in the sand, others just enjoying life.

“Where am I?” she asked.

Dusk walked up to her. “My memories,” he said fondly.

She looked back at him. “What?”

He smiled. “It’s a spell. You’re now living the fondest memories of my life. Stick around for as few minutes.”

Dawn looked around at the beach, which soon melted away. Scenes varied from the beach to a small seaside cottage, a tiny agricultural village, streets in the Unicorn Tribe, and a small basement bedroom.

The last half of the montage included images Dawn knew well; their first meeting, their wedding, Dawn’s birth. The last memory consisted of Dawn and Dusk lying together in bed, soon after they met.

“Dawn?” the dream Dusk asked.

“Yes?” dream Dawn replied.

Dusk turned Dawn’s face toward her. “I love you. For the rest of our life, we shall be together. Never before in my life have I ever yearned to be with a mare so much.”

The world melted, and Dawn found herself back in the vine fields. “Dusk,” she begged, “Please don’t die.”

Dusk smiled and put his hooves back over his stomach. “Do you remember what I said about the books of our lives?”

“Yes,” she said through her flood of tears.

Dusk smiled. “Go write me a damn good epilogue, dear,” he smiled, and he took the last breaths of his life.

“No!” she screamed. “No!”

Hydrei and Xolecon ran up to Dawn. Hydrei was choking on her tears. “We have to get to the house!” Xolecon yelled. They grabbed their mother under the forelegs and started pulling her.

“Dusk!” Dawn kept screaming at her dead husband. Changelings swarmed over the ground, crawling over Dusk’s bloody corpse. As they walked around the monastery and started up the path to their house, Xolecon let go.

“Take mom!” he yelled to Hydrei. He ran down the path and was immediately tackled by a Changeling.

“Xolecon!” Hydrei yelled. She put Dawn around and turned to look into her eyes. “You have to go inside,” she said to her. “Run straight for the house. I have to save Xolecon, you hear?”

Dawn silently nodded. As Hydrei sprinted toward her brother, she ran to the house and jumped inside. She looked outside. A Changeling was attacking Xolecon’s face, and he was struggling to get it off. Dawn tackled the Changeling and grabbed her brother, helping drag him to the house.

He was grasping his left eye, blood gushing onto his hoof. “Open the door!” Hydrei yelled to Dawn. She swung the door open, and her children trudged in and fell onto the floor.

Hydrei picked up her brother, who was grasping his eye. “Move your hoof,” she demanded.

He pressed his hoof harder against his face. A tiny squelch noise came as he pushed his face. “It hurts so much,” he complained.

She glared at her brother. “Move it!” she yelled. She grabbed his hoof and shoved it aside. When she looked at his face, she gagged.

The socket where his left eye used to be was bloody and mutilated. His eye was little more than a pit filled with a tiny mass of nerves, like overcooked pasta lumped in a pile.

“How bad is it?” he asked, oblivious to his condition.

She stared at his eye with shock. “Horrible,” she whispered. She ripped his shirt off and folded it to make a long strip of thick, white cloth. Tying the makeshift bandage around his head, she smiled. He smiled back at her.

“Thanks, big sister,” he spoke, hugging her.

Hydrei hugged him back and started to cry. “No problem, little brother.”

The sounds of Changelings slamming into the ground grew louder and more common. Dawn crawled to her children and gave them a broad hug, encompassing both of them. “I love you two,” she whispered. “I am just happy that we shall die as a family.” They say in the living room for a few minutes, hugging silently.

Dawn’s horn sparkled.

“Mom?” Xolecon asked in a terrified manner, “What’s happening?”

She looked up at her horn and backed away in fright. “I don’t know!” she started panicking.

Hydrei released her brother and ran to Dawn, tackling her in a tight hug.

“What are you doing?” Xolecon yelled.

Hydrei squeezed her mother harder. “I don’t know what’s happening either,” she yelled, tears trying to escape from her clamped eyelids, “But whatever it is, our love is causing it!”

Xolecon walked over, sat down, and squeezed his mother as well. Dawn reached out around them, pulling them in for a hug as well. Her horn grew brighter. Hydrei’s horn emitted a faint glow, and Xolecon’s soon followed. The three spots of light fused together in a shower of sparks and flashes. The little, volatile ball of light hung in the air for a few seconds. Shaking wildly, it started emitting tiny little jolts of electricity and soft pops. The ball exploded violently in an explosion of light and sound.

When Dawn opened her eyes, all she could see was a blinding whiteness. The only sound in her ears was a high, faint screeching. She blinked a few times, and her vision started to return.

The living room was a mess; the tables smashed into the wall, plants uprooted and flattened against the floor, and all loose items, including their belts and shoes, were blown back, scattered around the room. Hydrei opened her eyes and blinked, much as Dawn did. She moved her mouth, but nothing came out.

Dawn yelled something at her, and realized she couldn’t hear anything. She reached her hoof up to her ear and started fiddling with it. Nothing. It must have happened to all of them, as Hydrei was doing the same thing.

Hydrei moved her lips again, and nothing but a hardly audible whisper came out.

“WHAT??” Dawn yelled back at her.

Hydrei yelled again

“WHAT?” Dawn yelled again.

“I SAID, CAN YOU HEAR ME?” Hydrei yelled.

“Ow!” Dawn yelled. Her hearing returned to full power all at once. Coincidentally, it was right as Hydrei was about to yell at her. Hydrei smiled and blushed.

“Sorry,” she said, giggling with childlike happiness. They walked over to Xolecon, who was lying on his back on the floor. “Can you hear us?” she asked.

He sat up. “Yeah, thanks to your constant yelling with each other,” he joked bitterly. Feeling his eye, he smiled. “Hey, I think my eye’s back!” he joyfully yelled.

“Really?” Dawn asked, running to him. She removed the bandage and smiled. Hydrei gagged and looked away.

“Nope, still gone,” Hydrei said, averting her gaze from his face. Xolecon laughed, delighted by his ability to still gross out his sister.

“Well, that’s weird,” he said. “Because I don’t feel any pain.”

Dawn pulled the bandage back over his eye. “What was that flash?” she asked. Hydrei shrugged. Xolecon got up and opened the door. Looking up, he gasped.

“Come out here!” he said, motioning for Dawn and Hydrei to join him. When they were outside, he pointed up.

“Wow!” Hydrei exclaimed.

Dawn looked at the sky. “What is that?” she asked. The sky was silver and shimmering. Light reflected off its shiny surface, glowing all over the town. A huge, silver bubble was encompassing the town.

Hydrei looked around. “That must be where why all the Changelings are gone.”

Dawn stood smiling at the sky, but a morbid look quickly grew on her face. She ran off around the monastery, toward the path to the village. As she saw Dusk’s body, and dropped down before she stopped running and slid to his corpse. She turned it over.

“Dusk…” she started crying. His eyes were still open, fixated on a point thousands of miles away only he could see. His mouth was in a half-grin, slightly open. The wound on his stomach had stopped bleeding; it was now just a hole to his body. His intestines were splattered over his robes. She shoved her face into his chest and started weeping.

Hydrei and Xolecon walked up to Dawn and stopped. Dawn knelt by her father’s head, gently closed his eyes, and looked down at the dirt, weeping. Xolecon bowed his head slightly, and a few teardrops ran from his one good eye.

***

Dawn took a portrait off the wall of Dusk’s office in the monastery. As she looked at it, both joy and sadness flowed through her. In the painting, Dawn was lying across the floor. Dusk was sitting cross-legged behind her. Her head was in his lap, and his hooves were holding it, almost as if he were stroking her mane. On both their horns sat two small, shiny gold rings; it was their wedding portrait.

She heard a knocking at the door, and she immediately dropped the painting on the ground. She wiped a few, solitary tears from her eyes and made the door fly open with her magic. Xolecon stood in the doorway.

“You mind if I come in here?” he asked. His left eye was no longer covered with his own bloody shirt, but instead a large, black eye patch strapped around his head.

Dawn smiled. “Why are you asking me?” she asked. “This was your father’s office, not mine.”

He walked in and up to the other end of the table Dawn was standing behind. “Hydrei said you had something for me?”

“Ah, yes!” she said. “A gift.” She started looking around on the large, expansive desk.

“A gift?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “Here it is!” She picked up a small package wrapped in bright cloth. She placed it on the table in front of him.

“Go ahead,” she urged him, “Open it!”

He removed the cloth, and a glass sphere rolled out. “You got me…” he pondered, “A marble?”

She walked around the table. “No, silly, a new eye.”

He looked back at the sphere and studied it. “I think one of us is missing something here,” he said.

Dawn removed his eye patch. His eye socket was now just an empty hole. She levitated the sphere and put it into the empty hole. “How’s that?” she asked.

He turned his head a few times and blinked. “Well, my right eye’s good, but my left eye’s a bit glassy.”

Dawn chuckled. “Glass eye. A personal invention of mine,” she said, looking into his new eye.

He smiled. “It’s great.”

Hydrei ran into the doorway, sweating and panting heavily. “Oh, Xolecon,” she wheezed, “You’re here. Good. I need to talk to you. You know, about that, uhh, thing.”

“Right here?” he asked. “Right now?”

“Yeah,” she said, walking up to him.

She looked into his eyes; a comical sight, as Xolecon, despite being her little brother, was a full head taller than her. “Right here. Right now. In front of mom. No, of course not!” she yelled.

Dawn looked at them suspiciously. “What thing?”

Her questions were ignored. The started whispering to each other then stopped and looked back at Dawn. “My room, let’s go,” Hydrei whispered. She turned around and walked out, and Xolecon followed.

Dawn sat down and started thinking to herself. What “thing” were they talking about? Why was it important? Why was it so secretive? After a few minutes passed, Dawn got up and walked out of the room.

She made her way through the hallways to Hydrei’s room on the second floor, as all non-elite members rooms were. She put her ear up to the door, knowing she was safe, as all the other ponies were in town.

“I’m not going to tell her!” she heard Hydrei yell.

“Come on,” Xolecon pleaded, “Please? She’ll take it better from you.”

“No!” she yelled back. “I’m not going to be a part of this! This is your decision! The only reason I’m not stopping you myself is because I’m your sister!”

“Well, we have to tell her somehow!” he quipped at her.

“Tell her as you’re leaving. That way, it’ll be too late for her to do anything.”

She heard Xolecon sigh. “I can’t do that. That’s too much in too short a time. She deserved to at least have a little bit of time.”

Dawn opened the door and stormed in. “Tell me now. I have plenty of time.”

“Mom!” they both yelled simultaneously.

“What is so important that you are trying to keep it secret from me?” she roared at them. Xolecon looked at Hydrei, who was doing a terrible smile of innocence and motioning toward Dawn. “Well?” she yelled.

Xolecon stepped foreword. He sighed, and then took a deep breath of confidence. “I’m leaving the monastery.”

Dawn was shocked. “What?” she yelled. “You’re staying right here!”

“No, I’m not!” he yelled back at her. “I’m joining the military to avenge dad’s death. It’s the least I can do!”

“No,” she yelled at him, “The least you can do it move on, like he would want us to do!”

“How do you know what he wanted? And even if you wanted to stop me, it’s too late! I enlisted already. I leave for training in Canterlot next week.”

She stomped toward him and glared into his eyes.

“He was my husband. I have seen his life. Before he came here, he was living on the streets. Of all the places he lived, this was his favorite. The time he spent with his family were the happiest moments of his life. He was willing to do anything to keep you out of danger. You don’t need to go throw yourself into some now.”

“Well, mom,” he said, filled with rage, “Maybe just sitting by and letting his death just pass along like leaves in the autumn breeze is fine for you, but not for me. I am joining the military to kill those who killed him, and that is final.”

Dawn scowled. “Go. I no longer have a son.”

Hydrei ran between them and pushed them apart. “Hey, stop it, you two!” she yelled.

“Mom, don’t say stuff like that. Xolecon, listen to mom long enough to hear what she’s saying. We just had dad die, we don’t now need divisions in this family. Now, please, stop before somepony says something they’ll regret.”

Xolecon pushed his sister out of the way, completely ignoring her speech. “Good. I guess I’m going.” He turned around and stormed out of the room. Dawn ran out after him.

“Don’t ever let me see you again!” she yelled down the hallway after him. She turned the other direction and swaggered away, her head in the air. Hydrei ran out after both of them.

“You two come back here!” she yelled. “You’re not walking away on each other!” She stood there, fuming, for a few moments.

When it was clear nopony was coming back, she fell onto the floor and started crying.

***

Dawn sat in the living room of her house, drinking tea and reading a think, dusty, old book. Hydrei opened the door violently, slamming it against the wall.

Dawn stood up. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Hydrei ran and tackled Dawn to the floor. Tears poured from her angry face. “Do you know what you have done?” she screamed.

Dawn gently pushed her daughter off her. “What is it?” she asked.

Hydrei reached into her bag and shoved a letter into Dawn’s face. “Xolecon’s dead.”

Dawn sat up. “What?” she asked.

Hydrei glared into Dawn’s eyes. “Read it.”

Dawn examined the paper and read it. Small tears filled her eyes. “Is he really dead?”

“Yes” she yelled at Dawn. “And it’s all your fault!”

“Mine?” Dawn yelled. “How is it my fault that he left us?”

“You pushed him over the edge! Neither of you wanted to calm down long enough to have a civilized discussion.”

Dawn sighed and started crying. “I…I guess it is sort of my fault.”

“Of course it is!” she yelled. “I don’t have a fucking brother anymore because of you!”

Dawn put her hoof on Hydrei’s mouth. “I’m sad, too,” she whispered, crying.

Hydrei’s mood immediately softened. “What?”

Remembering her mother’s words, she started crying. “I was a fool, Hydrangea. I said many things I regret that day. I was just being overprotective of him. I had just lost your father, I didn’t want to lose my son too. Can you forgive me?”

Hydrei smiled as tears flowed from her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered. “I can.”

Hydrei reached out and hugged Dawn. “Mommy?” she asked in a childlike demeanor.

“Yes?” she asked in response.

“You’re the only family I have left, and I’m the only you have left, right?” Dawn nodded. “We can never leave each other, mom.”

“Of course,” Dawn agreed.

Hydrei exited the hug. “We have to promise this to each other. Deal?”

Dawn nodded and smiled. “Deal.”

Act V - Home

Dawn stood at the entrance to the tiny, mountain village, staring fondly at it.

Hydrei walked up to her. “Are you sure this is the place?”

Small beads of water formed in her eyes. “I’m sure.” She took a few weak steps down the cobblestone path and stumbled. Hydrei reached out and caught her mother. She helped her walk slowly into the village.

They ambled recreationally to a small, wooden bench at the edge of the tiny hamlet. Sitting down, Dawn looked around. Little cottages of colorful wood were pristine against the clean backdrop of the expansive pine forests beyond the village. A large, stone canyon stood in front of them, with a clear, shiny, deep blue river cutting through the bottom. Dawn turned her head, admiring the scenery. “My birthplace.”

Hydrei looked around. “Yes, it’s very beautiful. But why would a Unicorn village be so far into the mountains?”

“It was a Frontier Village.”

“A Frontier Village?” Hydrei asked. “What are those?”

“A beautiful idea of peace and harmony. Ponies from the three kingdoms were fed up with all the racism and hate between ponies, so they would flee into the mountains, outside any of the kingdoms. Frontier Villages were small communities of ponies of all races, backgrounds, and walks of life.”

Hydrei smiled. “They sound amazing.”

Dawn smiled. “Did you bring it?”

Hydrei nodded and reached into her saddlebag. She pulled out a small, crudely chiseled figurine of a stone pony.

“Are you sure you want to do this, mom? I know my granddaughter would love this for her birthday. She’s the same age we were when we got it from our parents.”

Dawn slowly closed her eyes and nodded. “It’s the least I can do for my father. If it weren’t for him, I would have died here. I wouldn’t be here. You certainly wouldn’t be here.” She sighed. “If only you could meet him.”

Hydrei smiled. “I would have loved that.” She handed the little statue to Dawn.

“Last chance,” she said. “You sure you want to go through with this?”

Dawn nodded again. “Yes. Yes, I do.” They both faced foreword, and Dawn threw the statue. It flew down the canyon, and landed with a tiny splish after a few moments. Dawn pulled out two tiny, green peppers and handed one to Hydrei.

“What’s this?” she laughed.

Dawn smiled. “On the count of three, eat with me. Ready?”

Hydrei chuckled again. “Why?”

Dawn breathed a sigh full of nostalgia. “Just a tribute to your adoptive grandfather. Ready?”

Hydrei chuckled, her stomach jumping up and down. “Sure.”

“One,” They both levitated their peppers near their mouths.

“Two,” They opened their mouths in anticipation.

“Three!” They both shoved the peppers into their mouths and bit down. Hydrei immediately jumped up and started waving her hoof at her mouth.

“AAH!” she yelled. Dawn sat on the bench, laughing, unfazed by the hot pepper. After a few minutes, Hydrei sat down, still breathing fast.

“Mah mawth huths,” she said, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Dawn laughed.

“What was that?” Dawn asked.

Hydrei pulled her tongue back into her mouth. “My mouth hurts,” she said, smiling.

Dawn rolled her eyes and chuckled. “That’s normal. Just wait for tomorrow morning. Your flank’s going to hurt so hard, it will be painful to sit.”

Hydrei smiled. “Gee, thanks, mom.”

Dawn lied down and put her head on Hydrei’s lap. “Hydrangea?”

“Yes?” she asked.

“My life has not ever been perfect. I will not try and admit that. Every time I found love, whomever I loved always died. My father, your father, and your brother. All of them. But you, you are the only pony I have loved and not lost.”

“And you have always been there for me.”

Hydrei started stroking Dawn’s mane delicately. “Hydrei?” Dawn asked.

“Hmm?”

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too, mom,” Hydrei replied.

Dawn smiled. She closed her eyes for one last time, never to open them again.