Light of Day

by PonyUpYourBits

Chapter 6

Daybreaker looked at the six ponies floating near the top of Twilight Sparkle's Castle of Friendship and licked the edges of her mouth with her tongue, her orange eyes squinted with a glint of sinister confidence in her gaze.

"So then," she said to the six ponies, "I think Luna provided a good demonstration of what you should expect. Care to withdraw?"

Twilight looked down at Starlight, who was still tending to the defeated princess, then back to Daybreaker. Her eyes also narrowed but they were filled with anger and an unyielding determination.

"We won't let ya get away with this!" Applejack shouted back at Daybreaker.

"I don't expect you to," Daybreaker responded sarcastically. "However, I hardly think that matters."

Daybreaker slowly rose up to eye level with the floating ponies. "You six have made an impression on me, I must admit," she told them. "Surrender now and once I'm recognized as the sole ruler of this kingdom, maybe I'll find some use for you..."

"No way!" Rainbow Dash rebuffed. "You'll never rule over us!"

"Equestria is ruled by a compassionate and wise princess," Rarity added. "You are nothing but an insane tyrant with no understanding of this kingdom and the ponies who inhabit it!"

"What difference does it make?" Daybreaker answered, seemingly unfazed by the rebellious ponies floating before her. "Whether or not the ponies of Equestria accept my rule will change nothing as those who do not acknowledge me will be dealt with. Your resistance will hardly be the first."

Daybreaker spread her wings and gracefully rose above the other ponies floating by the castle's pinnacle. The six ponies looked up at their adversary. "Now then..." Daybreaker said. "I think enough has been said." Her horn began to glow a crimson red. "This is the end..."

"Now, girls!" Twilight commanded to her friends. The six ponies focused the magical energy they had been gathering on the pinnacle of the castle. The castle began to shimmer with an awesome light as the power of the Elements of Harmony flowed through the crystalline structure. Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Star Swirl, and Stygian looked on in wonder as the magnificent castle beamed with a bright glow.

"What good will charging your castle with magical energy do?!" Daybreaker scoffed, seeing the act as a futile gesture. The magical energy being collected in Daybreaker's horn shot forth as a dark red ray and headed straight for the six ponies. But as it drew close, a magical protection sphere surrounding the six dispelled her attack and rendered it ineffective.

"What?!" Daybreaker reeled back, not prepared for her magic to be deflected. "But...I easily overpowered the Elements of Harmony before!"

"Not this time!" Pinkie Pie said back, her face in a mischievous grin.

"We've powered up the Elements with the help of Twilight's castle!" Rainbow Dash explained.

"Your magic has been beaten!" Rarity added.

"As if!" Daybreaker responded, undeterred by the setback. She flew backwards and opened her mouth. An orange fireball appeared between her jaws and she launched the flaming projectile at the magical sphere. However, just like the magic from her horn, the fireball did not penetrate the protective bubble surrounding the six floating mares. "This...this is ridiculous!" Daybreaker stammered, unable to comprehend her magic's inability to disrupt Twilight and her friends.

"What you don't realize," Twilight Sparkle said, "is this castle is created from the Tree of Harmony, the source of the Elements of Harmony! By channeling the power of the elements through the castle, we are able to tap directly into the magic that originally gave us the Elements, multiplying their effect several times over! The power of loyalty, laughter, generosity, honesty, kindness, and magic will see to it that you will never terrorize Equestria again!"

"I will not be so easily subdued!" Daybreaker said, still unwilling to give in. She grimaced and began to charge her horn again.

"Let the power of our friendship free Princess Celestia and seal you away!" all six ponies said in unison.

Daybreaker charged her most powerful beam of magic yet and fired at the six. The six floating ponies energized the Elements of Harmony with as much magical power as they could and focused it through the castle's pinnacle. A brilliant rainbow beam burst forth from the opening in the middle of the castle's blue crystal and clashed with Daybreaker's magic.

"This is...nothing!" Daybreaker said, forcing even more magical power through her horn. However, in spite of her best efforts, the power of the enhanced Elements began to push Daybreaker's own magic back towards her.

"It's working!" Fluttershy said, joyfully.

"That's it, everypony, don't give up!" Twilight rallied.

"How...can you do this?!" Daybreaker grunted, now clearly struggling to push back the magical beam that was overwhelming her own.

"Because our friendship is stronger than your twisted magic!" Applejack said. "Celestia understands the power it has, you're just a selfish bully!"

"I...have the strongest...magic in Equestria!" Daybreaker said between strained groans. Her eyes were closed and her teeth clenched as she continued to battle back against the more powerful Elements of Harmony. "You...six cannot..."

"Let Celestia go!" Twilight said with a stern finality. The six ponies concentrated harder and empowered the magical beam with a great surge of energy. Twilight spread her alicorn wings and magnified the energy with the full range of her own magic.

"This is NOT THE ENNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDD...!!!" Daybreaker screamed. The magic of the Elements completely enveloped her magic and the beam trapped Daybreaker within. As the magic washed over her, the fiery figure of Daybreaker vanished into the infinite glow of the beam. On the ground, Star Swirl, Starlight, and Stygian all shielded their eyes with their hooves before a large explosion of light burst forth from the magical beam.

"Did...did it work?" Rainbow Dash asked, still uncertain of what the outcome was. She looked forward and saw a transparent orb of magic in front of the six ponies, being held aloft by the beams of magical energy emanating from the Elements of Harmony. Inside the sphere was an unconscious Princess Celestia, cleansed of the evil magic of Daybreaker.

"Yes, Rainbow Dash, I think so..." Twilight said with cautious optimism. The six ponies slowly began to descend along with the sphere holding Princess Celestia. They gently touched their hooves to the ground and set the princess down as well. The magic orb evaporated upon touching the grass and Princess Celestia was released. On her neck, the small diamond jewel at the center of her neck piece changed color from a lush lavender to a bright orange. The six ponies ran over to the princess. Princess Luna picked herself up off the ground and slowly trotted to her sister's side with Starlight Glimmer at hers.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight called to her mentor. "Princess Celestia, are you alright?"

Celestia slowly turned her head towards the sound of her name and gradually opened her eyes. "Uhhhh..." she groaned. "I feel as though I have awoken from a terrible nightmare..." Celestia said, groggily.

"Your nightmare almost became a reality for Equestria," Star Swirl said in response.

"Sir?" Celestia said, recognizing the voice of her own teacher. She stood to her hooves slowly. She tried to bow towards Star Swirl but she was still weak and her forelegs buckled slightly. She stumbled but quickly regained her balance.

"How are you feeling, sister?" Luna asked.

"I'm...weak but unharmed," Celestia assured her sister. "Tell me, what happened?"

"An evil entity that dwells within your magic that calls itself 'Daybreaker' managed to overwhelm your conscious mind and ravaged Equestria," Luna explained. "It is the same dark magic that originally gave birth to Nightmare Moon. Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to repel it and free your mind."

"Indeed," Star Swirl said. "However, the power of Daybreaker and Celestia's magic have become too tightly intertwined. Daybreaker's dark magic is only sealed at this point. It could still be reawakened at a later time..." He gestured towards Celestia's neck piece and the now-orange gem embedded in the center. Celestia looked down and saw the diamond's new color, touching it with her hoof. She gasped and then lowered her head in disappointment. Luna moved closer to her downtrodden sister.

"I now understand what you went through when I succumbed Nightmare Moon," Luna said empathetically. She looked off to the side as she spoke. "Watching my sister become enslaved to a deranged monster with no way to set her free...it was a horrible, helpless feeling, as though I was talking to you but you were not there." Celestia looked up and a smile slowly began to take form on her face.

"Do not concern yourself, Luna," Celestia reassured her, gently touching her sister's face with her hoof. Luna turned her head to meet her sister's gaze. "Though the corrupt magic and I are inseparable, I refuse to let it taint our relationship or my rule of Equestria." The two alicorns embraced each other in a hug as tears began to fall from their eyes.

"Hey, look!" Spike said. He was facing away from the other ponies and looking back at Twilight's castle. The six Element bearers turned to face the castle. The castle was still shimmering as it had while channeling the magic of the Elements through it.

"What's goin' on?" Applejack questioned.

The shimmering covering the castle grew more intense before the castle itself began to slowly turn transparent.

"The castle!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's...it's vanishing!"

The castle continued to fade out until it evaporated completely, at first leaving behind the glimmer of the magic powering it before that too dissipated, only leaving the empty field where it once occupied.

"What...what happened?" Twilight said, confused by the disappearance of her home. She walked forward to the place where the castle would have been standing and held out her hoof, as though she were in denial of what had just occurred before her eyes.

"It must have been the magic you channeled..." Star Swirl hypothesized. "When you routed the magic of the Tree of Harmony from the castle to the Elements, you drained the magical tap that the castle draws on. With the magic supplied by the Tree depleted by the Elements, the castle no longer contained enough magical energy to sustain itself and what was left returned to the Tree of Harmony."

"I believe we should reconvene in Canterlot," Celestia proposed.

Princess Twilight was standing outside the grand doorway that lead into the throne room with her friends. She was slowly pacing back and forth on the velvety carpet, her eyes constantly swinging between looking at the shut doors or at the floor beneath her, nervously waiting for the doors to open so she could know what was being discussed between Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Star Swirl the Bearded.

"Y'all need to relax, Twi," Applejack tried to calm her friend. "I'm sure what they're discussin' ain't gonna end the world."

"I know, Applejack," Twilight said, acknowledging her friend, "but I just feel like I should be in there too."

"Don't worry about it, darling," Rarity said in agreement with Applejack. "If they wanted you to wait outside I'm sure there must have been a reason. When they have something to say you'll be informed."

"They're probably just talking about Celestia's current situation with Daybreaker and how to move forward," Starlight Glimmer suggested.

Despite the reassurance, the purple alicorn frowned at the other three mares and then resumed looking at the floor and pacing. The three ponies exchanged miffed glances and Applejack shrugged her shoulders at the others, unsure of what else to add that might allay Twilight's concerns.

After another minute, the large wooden door on the right creaked open and a guard pony emerged. "The princesses would like to see you now," he informed the other ponies. He pushed open the large door further as another guard opened the opposite door to let in Princess Twilight and her entourage. The party slowly walked through the doors and towards the thrones at the back of the room. Standing at the base of the platform were the two princesses and their mentor.

"You...were ready to see us?" Twilight asked Princess Celestia as she approached.

"Yes, Twilight," Celestia said. "Luna, Star Swirl, and I have been talking and we have a plan to handle...this." She looked down and touched the orange diamond on her neck piece as she had done back in Ponyville, her face once more showing the signs of regret and hurt. Luna walked over to her sister and gently nuzzled her neck with her head, trying to give her the confidence to continue her explanation. Luna's eyes were also showing signs of uneasiness. Celestia looked at her sister and nodded, silently thanking her for the emotional support.

"What is it...?" Fluttershy asked, empathetic to the princesses' plight.

"We are concerned about the possibility of Celestia's dark magic freeing itself from its seal," Star Swirl explained. "The seal that restrains Daybreaker is just that; a restraint. There is no foolproof way to say that, with a sufficient trigger, the magic could not escape and consume Celestia again."

"Couldn't you just make it go away like you did before?" Pinkie Pie asked Star Swirl. The bearded pony shook his head regretfully.

"Unfortunately I tried to reapply my suppression spell to Celestia now but I could not suppress the dark consciousness without risking the seal breaking," Star Swirl told her. "You six may have stopped Daybreaker but, in doing so, have created a fragile balance that must be maintained if Celestia is to remain in control."

The six ponies looked down in despair, worried that they only solved one problem to create another.

"Do not blame yourselves," Luna told them. "This is simply the reality of the situation we are in. What you six did was very necessary and Celestia and I are eternally grateful for rescuing her from such a terrible fate. The wicked magic that divides my sister's power has grown too strong to be quelled."

"Which is why..." Celestia stepped back into the discussion. "Luna and I have decided to give up our power."

The other ponies besides Star Swirl and Luna all gasped in unison. "Give up your power?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out on the behalf of the shocked group. "You mean..."

"Yes..." Celestia said, looking towards her sister. "We believe it necessary to surrender the power to manipulate the sun and moon for good in order to protect and serve Equestria."

"But then who will control the day and night?" Stygian asked.

"There is only one pony who should be trusted with this power..." Star Swirl replied. "Twilight Sparkle."

Another round of gasps emerged from the crowd as they all turned to look at Twilight. Twilight's eyes were widened with disbelief.

"You...want me to control the sun and moon?!" Twilight asked.

"Yes, Twilight," Celestia confirmed. "As we discovered earlier, it is the magic of friendship that has the power to truly hold back the evil energy within the magic of Luna and myself. As you have already been gifted with the power of alicorn magic yourself, you are capable of harnessing the power of day and night as well."

Twilight's eyes darted back and forth between her friends and her mentor's, unsure of what her response should be. "But...but...is it necessary that both of you surrender your magic?" Twilight asked, trying to find some objection to such a drastic revelation. "I thought Luna no longer was tainted by the power of Nightmare Moon when we originally freed her!"

"True," Luna responded, "my magic no longer contains the corruption of Nightmare Moon but...it was decreed that royal authority in Equestrian law be held by those with the power to control day and night. It was my mother's intent that Celestia and I rule together as one, which is why her power was divided between us. If surrendering the ability to control the sun means Celestia must step down then I will honor my mother's wish and do so as well. Ruling without my sister at my side is not something I desire."

"Furthermore," Star Swirl added, "even if Luna accepted sole responsibility for day and night, we can't be sure Celestia's tainted magic wouldn't overwhelm her neutralized magic once they shared the same host. The only way to be truly certain that the dark magic would be incapable of enslaving its host would be to ensure that any dark force that resides within must always coexist with the magic of friendship."

"I...I understand," Twilight said, realizing why she had been chosen. Princess Celestia approached Twilight.

"Twilight," Celestia began, "I feel it was more than a mere coincidence that the Castle of Friendship returned to the Tree of Harmony. You have been called to a greater purpose, one that will not only extend beyond the realm of friendship, but will give you a gift that will allow you to share that friendship further than you ever have before."

"As queen of Equestria, the world beyond our lands will come to know your name and mission to bring friendship as far and wide as you can," Luna added.

"We will help you grow into the role before stepping down," Celestia assured her, putting her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "You will live with us here in Canterlot Castle as we prepare you for this undertaking. Luna and I will still maintain a presence within Canterlot after we are no longer princesses of Equestria but it is you who will guide our kingdom forward. The time for my sister and I to set out for new horizons has come and we know we could not have hoped for a more adequate successor."

"I will remain in Canterlot during the transition to ensure Celestia's dark power stays in check," Star Swirl added.

Twilight's eyes teared up and she began sniffing. "Than...thank you for trusting me with this," she said, her voice cracking under the emotion of the moment. She reached in and hugged the two princesses tightly with her forelegs, the three of them sharing a moment of tearful embrace. The other ponies present also began to feel the emotion spread through each of them and were wiping their eyes with their forelegs.

"There will certainly be time for this later," Celestia moved to conclude. "I think for now we should have some rest. It's been a very long day." All the other ponies nodded in firm agreement and the group walked out of the throne room together as friends, shutting the large doors behind them as they left.