“Thanks for dinner, Dawn,” Dash said.

“Hey, it’s the least I could do after that new trick you showed me last night.”

I ate another bite of the salad in front of me, enjoying the rich taste of the tomatoes. They were impossibly fresh, and this was my second helping from the salad bar. Dash sat across from me in the shade of a large umbrella at the outdoor diner. We had come here the day after rescuing Shining for a relaxing dinner.

“Hmm, well I ran into Zecora today and she said she made a new potion. Apparently, you can try that move from the other side of the fence, if you catch my drift.”

I nodded and chuckled. “Yeah, I catch your drift but somehow I don’t trust you to turn me back afterwards.” I grinned and looked at her. “Stallions are the better gender, after all.”

“Is that a challenge! I’ll prove just how wrong you are, buddy!”

We broke out laughing and after a moment resumed eating our salad. Word had spread, thanks largely to Pinkie, about how we had found Shining Armor and destroyed the cave of Discord. Ponies seemed fairly happy to have some closure, Twilight and Cadance most of all. I was scheduled to take a train to the Crystal Empire in a few days to receive an award alongside my friends for rescuing Shining Armor.

Everypony was happy, except for the one walking up on our table. “There you are, Dawn, you sleezebag.”

I turned to see Soarin walking up to us. “Hey, I was just following my heart, it wasn’t anything personal. Besides, Dash can make up her own mind.”

“Dash is a whore, I see that now,” Soarin said.

The table nearly fell over as I bolted to my hooves, bumping roughly into it. “Hey! You want to be mad, be mad at me, but if you insult Dash one more time I’ll kick your ass into next Tuesday.

Soarin spit on the floor at my hooves. “You’re a freak, and I hope you’re happy with your little whore—”

He may have had more to say, but my hoof proved an effective way to silence him. There was a loud cracking sound as part of his mandible broke, and a sharp pain as my hoof split. Soarin landed on his side, drooling blood and staring at me with enough hatred to be palpable.

Dash was on her hooves now too, but she wasn’t scolding me or even speaking to Soarin. She just stared at him, perhaps disappointed in her former idol.

“I think it’s time you leave, Soarin,” I said.

He got to his hooves, scowling. Through his injured jaws he managed to mutter “this isn’t over, Dawn,” before flying away.

Author's Notes:

So, there will be a sequel and cake. There's no stopping the Dawn-train. Well, unless you're Soarin and you do something illegal to get even.

Thanks all for reading. Oh, and there may be a final cloptional chapter.