2. Dawn’s “spark” was delayed. Very delayed. There were minor bits, here and there, but not the burst of magic little unicorns experience when they’re infants. Twilight and Stygian began to worry that, not only had she inherited Stygian’s weaker magic…but that there were lingering affects from the Pony of Shadows. Starswirl, while he was in Dawn’s life, reassured the parents he could sense, not a darkness within their daughter, but something yet to be discovered. Celestia also has faith in the future Princess of Friendship. While Dawn studies mostly in Canterlot while she is schooling, she does spend some time at her mother’s school, and adores (and slightly dreads) her magic lessons with Celestia.
 

 
3. “Princess?” The little purple unicorn asked shyly as she walked alongside the ruler of Equestria, the colors of the stained glass windows towering above them creating rainbows along the alicorn’s back. Her gentle magenta eyes turned down towards the filly, sweet smile encouraging her to continue. “I was just wondering…how come you aren’t ‘Queen?’ There’s Queen Novo, Queen Zarabi in Zebrica, then the Duchess of Maretonia…was just wonderin’…”
 
She trailed off, rubbing a foreleg. Celestia’s smile grew wider, and she lowered a large wing over the filly’s shoulders.
 
“That’s a very good question, Dawn Star. You’re right, I am not the Queen of Equestria. Nor will I, my sister, you, or even your mother will be.” The pale alicorn said softly, leading the filly down the Hall of Windows until they came to the wall at the end. There stood the beautiful stained glass portraits of the first rulers of Equestria - Nova and Galaxias. Scooping Dawn into her wing, Celestia came to a stop before the window that depicted her mother.
 
“Equestria had a Queen. She was an utterly amazing and just ruler, and looked after her subjects with a wise and caring heart. If it wasn’t for her, my father, and their advisers, we wouldn’t live in the beautiful country that we do today. They protected us. I will do so until the end of my reign, of course…but there was only one Nova.”
 

 
4. “Oooh, may I see? Hmmm…‘The reform of the Changeling Kingdom was perpetrated by several members, including its current ruler as of Celestial Year 20…’”
 
Of course, from quite an early age, Dawn Star loved to read. She took up books like a duck takes to water. She was reading at an adult pony level when she was only about nine or so. Of course, having an extreme book lover for a mother, and access to a fantastically huge library certainly helped matters.
 

 
5. “Oh! Tom! I, uh, didn’t know you were here.”
 
“H-hey, Dawn! Uhm yeah, right back at ya. What…are you doing here after school…?”
 
“Oh nothing, studying for my teleportation test next week, the works. Looks like you…?”
 
“Ah-heh-heh, nothing! Just hanging around! If foals need a tutor, I’m their stallion!”
 
“Yeah…and those drumsticks don’t have anything to do with it?”
 
“sigh…your mom lets me use the music room to practice. Helps quiet the noise.”
 
“Aw, Tom. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
 
“Mmm-hmmm, so why are you stuffing away that manuscript I know you’ve been working on?”
 
“…because I’m supposed to study for my teleportation test. Heh-heh.”
 
“And I need to be working on a necklace for a new client that I didn’t feel inspired on whatsoever…”
 
“…”
 
“I promise not to tell if you won’t?”
 
“Deal.”
 

 
6. Dawn has a penchant for plant-keeping (thanks to Aunt Starlight), and especially loves her succulent Saguaro.