A Dance Between the Sun and the Voice in Her Head

by MistOverMoon

Chapter Twenty - Eclipse

It was a good day to burn.

All the things that could have been swum through Daybreaker's mind. Possible futures, plans, understandings. None of them mattered now, all that mattered was burying this forever. Every single one of her failures, she would bury them all forever. She would protect Equestria and all its inhabitants. She was powerful, strong, and she would carry all the hardship in this world.

The withered image of Sandy flashed in her mind. Maybe when this was all over, she would be just another spirit in the room... a mare in the sun, banished by her own sister. Soon, she would be withers. Fate must be laughing.

Daybreaker carved away with her magic on the top of one of the stone pillars in the badlands. A sharp superheated beam of energy carved the basis of a ritual matrix into the stone. She had to see the matrix in its entirety to try and understand how to make it better. It would be unpowered by the blood, but it would help her visualize, to understand.

No matter how she looked at it, no matter how she carved, she couldn't figure it out. The intricate lines of the spell matrix didn't look like they could be improved. Nothing she could do would make it better.

The amulet was holding for now, but it would only take around two more days for it to break. She could feel the seething of dark magic within.

She sighed and looked out over the badlands. Maybe a moment of thought would help her recalibrate. The sun was out today, she had raised it whenever she woke up. Its invigorating rays filled her with strength. It was the source of her power, when it was out, she felt stronger and could think more clearly.

Then she saw something on the horizon. Two small black dots were coming towards her. The dot flew closer and closer. As she watched she could see wings appear out of the dot, and then a starry mane. The other black dot was similar but was covered in armor, and much, much darker.

Luna and Nightmare Moon were approaching.

When they got closer, their determined eyes locked onto her. At the sight of her Nightmare Moon turned into a cloud of black smoke. It seeped onto Luna and sunk into her. They were both obscured by a cloud of impenetrable darkness. Then, bursting out of the dark cloud with an echoing whiny, the massive form of Nightmare Moon emerged with trails of black smoke following her wake. Unlike her little sister Luna and her friend, this Nightmare Moon was as big as Daybreaker.

Her starlit mane darkened to a void of tiny lights. It surged with power as she flew higher into the air. Bluish green ancient armor coated her like a second skin. On her sides were two black leather saddlebags.

"Daybreaker! Give us back our sister!" The Nightmare Moon's voice boomed over the empty landscape.

"Release my sister Nightmare Moon!" Daybreaker snarled.

"We are still Luna. We have told thee before, when we merge, we become more powerful. Together, we can cleanse you of your hate." Luna yelled. "Please! Open your eyes Tia, can't you see what you have become what you swore to stop?"

"Maybe this is how it was always meant to be. I can't turn back now." Daybreaker stomped, smashing a crater of cracks into the stone. "Go home Luna, go home Nightmare Moon, I will take care of this."

"Nay. This twisted future will not come to pass!" Luna opened her wings towards the sky. Backdropped black against the sun behind her, Luna appeared to wrap it in her wings. The moon rose from below the horizon and sealed itself over the sun. The world was cast into a display of darkened red skies. "See the truth sister; see how we were meant to be! We will open your eyes!"

Daybreaker felt her power reduce as the moon covered the sun. When they fought, when they truly fought, there was always an eclipse. Each celestial body was the source of their power, so it would only make sense to try and raise it. The appearance of an eclipse meant one thing. The two sisters were fighting.

Luna aimed her horn at Daybreaker. It surged with impressive power and glowed blue. A beam of cyan energy blasted towards her.

Daybreaker surged upward as the blast eradicated where she just was. She took one look at Luna, the determined and angry look in her eyes. She would protect her, even if she didn't want it. If she wanted a fight, then she would give her one. A little pain now to save her sister more later. It was a simple choice. She let the inner flame within erupt.

Her flaming mane extended like a solar flare, blasting backward with all the fury of the sun. The spell matrix in her armor channeled power through her and into her horn causing it to glow with a sinister yet wrathful dark red.

"Stand down dear sister!" Daybreaker laughed as power flowed through her. With every failure that came to mind, with everything she had to protect, with all her hate, it grew and grew until Daybreaker felt like she was going to explode. "Stand down or be burned!"

Luna said nothing, flying towards her with her horn extended. Another blast was unleashed.

Gravity pooled in her chest as Daybreaker dropped below the blast. She focused the energy on her horn, then released it. A searing beam blasted by Luna as she narrowly avoided it.

Then the princesses of sun and moon eclipsed in battle.

Beams of searing flame and chilling blue filled the false night. Daybreaker weaved between the blasts. She channeled magic through her horn, building it to ignite. A powerful beam of flame scorched across the landscape towards Luna, melting everything in its path.

A blue bubble wrapped itself around Luna, deflecting most of the flame as she flew out of its path. Her horn glowed brightly, and a storm of dark clouds formed above her. Lighting flashed as her eyes glowed pure white with untold power. With a scream and a crack of lighting Luna released a mighty beam of her own.

The met beams met in a clash of writhing energy. At first the beams were small, but as Daybeaker poured in more power Luna matched her every step of the way. It grew with every passing second until each beam was as large as a building. Sparks of power crackled around the beams, as wild as the thunderstorm above.

Each one held strong. Daybreaker poured in more power, channeling more hate and flame. Her eyes turned into pits of devouring fire. The balance swayed and Daybreaker's beam ate away at Luna's. It pushed it back, flame eating away at night.

Luna pulled out of the clash with a crack of thunder as her shield shattered with nightmarish force. Daybreaker felt the backlash, sending her beam careening off aim and into a nearby stone pillar. The pillar was sliced in half with an explosion of superheated ash and lava.

Daybreaker felt agony as Luna's beam cut deep into her chest. All the air was knocked out of her lungs as she was blasted out of the sky. Smoke surrounded her as she fell, the ground rising up to meet her. She glanced down at her white coat to see a deep cut. Fiery blood spilled from it, glowing with power.

"NO! I can handle it, I am UNSTOPPABLE!" Daybreaker opened her wings, swooping out of her fall and back towards Luna. Flame swirled within, begging to be released. "HERE AND NO FURTHER!"

Daybreaker released a barrage of scorching rays. Luna weaved between them with the grace of the night. Only, all nights come to an end. One of the beams cut across the back of Luna, scorching her armor black. She fell before straightening her wings out, no doubt fighting through the pain.

Luna's pain caused Daybreaker to pause for just a moment. Her flaming eyes flickered and she grit her teeth. She had to end this now, before any further pain was caused. Power gathered at the tip of her horn. It ballooned, fueled by a drive to protect, to leave behind what was lost, and to burn. The small bead of power grew and grew until a searing red sun rose above her.

"You can't handle this alone! Accept that Celestia! You told us yourself; we cannot rule alone!" Luna screamed.

"STOP IT, SILENCE!" Daybreaker gathered more energy into the red sun. "ALL THE BURDENS OF THIS WORLD BELONG TO ME!"

Then, she threw the red sun. It traveled forward, the heat radiating. Everything it touched was turned to glass and ash. It traveled towards Luna, whose eyes widened at the sight. A blue shield surrounded her that turned black as it pulsed with the enchanting power of the night. Then, she vanished under a tide of flame.

The red sun exploded with all the power of a dying star. A massive shockwave exploded outward, sending black ash in every direction.

Daybreaker watched the crater. At the bottom of it was Luna, lying on her side in a bowl of glass and scorched stone. Luna was an alicorn, durable and powerful and immortal, but she still hoped that she was okay. With her out of the way she could get back to her spell matrix.

Then Luna started to stand. Her legs were shaky, her armor charred black, but she still stood. The saddlebags she had brought were completely incinerated.

"You should have brought the elements Luna!" Daybreaker yelled.

"We will not banish you." Luna stomped.

"Then leave."

"Nay. We will stay, we will not give up on you."

"Then you will burn." Daybreaker snarled and started gathering her power for another blast.

"We hope thou have brought your best then." Luna sat down in the crater, her body shaking. "Fire away Tia."

"I will." Daybreaker rose another red sun, her body shook as she looked at Luna sitting there.

"Steady Tia. Take your best shot." Luna met her eyes, soft and sad.

"I have no choice!" Daybreaker yelled as the sun above her grew.

"Thou knows thyself." Luna closed her eyes.

Daybreaker held the red sun above her. It burned and boiled, and she felt the feeling resonate in her chest. She looked down at Luna, sitting there with her eyes closed. Her heart stung, but this had to be done.

The phantom whisper of Sandy's face came to mind. Its skeletal eyes boring into her. She remembered a landscape of ash for miles around, the bones of ponies looking into her soul. She remembered Twilight's words in the throne room. Her gaze dropped back down to Luna. The flames flickered weakly in her mane at the sight.

It just had to be this way.

Daybreaker threw the red sun with a raw scream filled with every last bit of hate she had been holding in for thousands of years.

It sailed through the air. In its path everything was devoured, turned to ash. It was the hotter than the last red sun, it was as if a miniature sun had been reborn.

The red sun exploded behind Daybreaker in a fountain of ash, dust, and magma.

Daybreaker flew towards her sister and landed next to her with stomp that shattered stone.

Luna slowly opened her eyes.

Daybreaker pulled Luna towards her and wrapped her wings around her. Fiery tears streamed from her eyes, but they did not burn. Her fiery mane flickered down to no more than a thin trail. Her gut felt like it was twisting, her throat was constricted with emotion, a choked sob came from her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Daybreaker sobbed into her sister's shoulder. "I don't who I am anymore. I'm not who I used to be; I can't be who I used to be."

For a moment there was silence between the two. Then, Luna's wings wrapped around her as well.

"You scared me, Tia. You scared me more than ever before." Luna sobbed. "We will be here for you, no matter who you are."

Daybreaker didn't know what to say anymore. She just relished in the feeling of Luna's coat against her own.

"Will you let us help you?" Luna asked.

The words stung. How was she supposed to let Luna help her? This was her burden, everything in Equestria was hers to protect no matter what. She had hurt her sister, she deserved better. Daybreaker didn't need any help. She had never needed any help; she could handle everything on her own.

But maybe Celestia couldn't.

"Please. I can't do this alone." Daybreaker sobbed. "I can't face what I did to Gaiya alone. I can't solve this problem alone."

"Then we will be here. We will be here for eternity as long as you will have us." Luna hugged her harder.

Silence passed between them as they just focused on the feeling of each other's heartbeat.

Overhead, the moon fell, bringing way to the day once more. The eclipse was over.

Comments

[Salkitsune]

aaaaaaaaa my god, that's the end and the consequences of her actions, she wants to arrest Gaiya, but he was never evil, he has darkness corrupting him and was betrayed by daybraker, her acting like a victim really irritates me, I really hope that the battle and many truths are thrown on the table, a very important lesson needs to be learned