Luna swiftly moved though palace corridors, stepping from shadow to shadow and slipping past the completely oblivious Guards, servants, and maids, attending to their numerous tasks. At first, it weighed on her having to hide from her own subjects, but her duties as the Lunar Princess had taught her how to manage alone. She even had more interactions now. Nightmare, Rarity, Twilight, and Shadow were always available for her whenever she felt lonely. She also could spend time watching ponies in their waking hours, not just in dreams, though Luna still missed her dream walking. She always adored her time with others, especially with the little ones. She spent many joyous hours playing with foals in their dreams. Adults were a joy to be with too, sometimes she just watched them having a happy dream, at other times she had a pleasant talk. On rare occasions, particularly brave and salacious stallions even tried courting her in the Dreamrealm! Oh, how much Luna missed the feeling of being wanted. Did Nightmare ever feel that way? Could she even feel love at all? Nightmare and her sisters were completely unknown variables, sadly. Although Twilight would have an absolute blast if she could have time to run a research on how they feel emotions.
Sneaking out into the gardens, situated behind the palace, Luna finally caught up with her other sister, though she would likely have doubts on that word. Daybreaker did not go smashing anything, unlike Luna suspected, and instead was simply throwing stones into the fish pond, curiously, it was Celestia’s favorite place to be alone during her latest painfully short stay in the palace. Gardeners still prudently cleared off from the fiery mare’s vicinity.
“Daybreaker,” Luna quietly announced herself, not wishing to startle the mare. “I wondered if I could get a chance to have a word.” Daybreaker turned her eyes towards her, Luna noticed her now having slitted pupils, just a Nightmare had. Daybreaker’s look was not angry, or scared, just surprised,
“Don’t you find the nightvision spell a bit hard on the eyes when the moon is full?” Luna asked.
“Uh...” Daybreaker nervously looked around, wanting to make sure there was no one else watching them amongst the trees and bushes.
“I am alone, Nightmare is back in her tower, preparing to raise the sun. We have a little time,” Luna drew Daybreaker’s attention to herself again. “Can I sit with you?”
“I suppose...” Daybreaker was already shifting from surprise to suspicion. Luna paid her shifting attitude no mind and sat down at her side.
“I am glad you took the garden to your liking,” Luna pleasantly started. “How do you like it now, after it was made anew?”
“...I never had a taste for flora, I fear,” Daybreaker answered flatly, not quite seeing where Luna was going.
“You seem to like it here,” Luna readily contradicted.
“It’s quiet here,” Daybreaker shrugged. “And the air is fresh.”
“Oh, yes!” Luna excitedly chirped. “The air is just wonderful here, all thanks to the elevation. Canterlot is a large city, but it does not smell foul, unlike New-Manehattan for instance. The winds in mountains always bring such freshness.”
“It is also warmer here than in the rest of the city,” Daybreaker added. “Even though it’s winter, the water doesn’t freeze on the palace grounds,” she gestured at the pond.
“Nightmare thought of everything,” Luna summed up.
“She did, always so prudent she is,” Daybreaker said almost sweetly. Luna smiled - a good sign. Daybreaker must have already calmed after getting aggravated earlier.
“You know, Daybreaker,” Luna decided to go straight. Daybreaker looked like she would appreciate it, “I’ve been wondering how should I get on with this-”
“Let me stop you there, Luna. She isn’t coming back, I am sorry,” Daybreaker was exact and firm, she likely thought of this before.
“Peace, Daybreaker,” Luna quickly shook her head. “It’s not this, I would not ask you to. It… isn’t your fault that you were not born with your own body, I am sorry,” Luna silently prayed for Daybreaker to not lash out.
To her great relief, Daybreaker seemed to believe her and relax,
“I am sorry, Luna,” she peered back into the pond. “Nightmare must have spoken with you already.”
“She did,” Luna confirmed. “I miss my sister very much, Daybreaker... but I understand. I am just sorry it has to be so tragic,” Luna felt her heart sinking again, it was always hard to think about her sister now.
“...Me too,” Daybrekaer unexpectedly grumbled. “I am… sorry to have stormed out like that earlier tonight. It’s just... hard to...” Daybreaker let the phrase ebb.
Luna was pleasantly surprised at how they were progressing. She feared that Daybreaker would be defensive, or wouldn’t talk to her at all, but it seemed this troubled mare was quite benign, towards her at least. It was refreshing to see this side of her.
“I understand,” Luna assured. “You know, Nightmare would adore it if we could be friends,” Luna looked down at the pool herself, not wishing to push Daybreaker with her peering.
“I suppose she would,” Daybreaker quickly answered, her voice betraying her unusual enthusiasm. “I wondered myself if I could…”
“...You could what? I am not sure I see your meaning.” Daybreaker was shy. Luna came to the only conclusion that made sense, and not the one she expected to draw, to be sure. Weirdly.
“Luna, I...” Daybreaker took a deep breath, “Luna, I always envied you!” Daybreaker blasted out, her face getting redder by the minute. ...Could she be sodden?
“I always envied Nightmare for having you as her host..-”Luna drew closer and sniffed, as Daybreaker kept speaking. The smell of alcohol was faint”-Luna, you are a treasure to be cherished.”
This whole discussion was suddenly making much more sense to Luna now. Celestia always was very staunchly opposed to any alcohol whatsoever, thinking it a disgrace in the making, so Daybreaker being a bit afflicted from a few wine glasses would make sense, not that Luna wasn’t flattered with her words all the same.
“Do you wish I was your host instead?” Luna asked to get Daybreaker to speak more.
“Oh, by your moon, I do!” Daybreaker forcefully landed another stone into the water with a loud splash, “Luna, why do you and Celestia have to be so different? I wish she was more like you. You treated Nightmare as your friend, while Celestia refused to even speak to me, that old bitch! Luna, do you have any idea what it is like when your host, the only creature you’ll ever have contact with, treats you like a curse due to no fault of your own! Celestia tried everything she could to get rid of me, Luna, and when she failed, she simply tried to silence me and forget I exist! Then she tried to break me! She tried to turn me into sobbing failure!
“It was like this for hundreds of years, Luna! All the way until Nightmare came knocking on her door for the second time! Then she finally started talking back!” Daybreaker was reaching a new height of hatred it seemed. “She started talking to me, asking for my advice on how to deal with my own sister!”
“Did you help?” Luna asked with genuine interest.
“I… did,” Daybreaker’s shoulders sank. “Celestia is a coward, Luna. When Nightmare turned her own soldiers against her, Celestia was at loss. It was the first time in a thousand years I saw her not knowing how to act. Nightmare hit her in the place where it hurt most!” Daybreaker’s voice now overflowed with admiration. “But Celestia promised me she’d treat me like a friend if I help. She knew what I wanted, Luna. I seized even dreaming about having my own body, but… I still hoped her endless sneering at me would stop one day.”
“I don’t blame you. You did what you could to help yourself,” Luna cautiously touched the drunk mare’s shoulder. This was turning out to be a lot more than Luna could ever fear it would be…
“Yes, I did!” Daybreaker suddenly jumped on her hooves, as if Luna’s touch hurt her. “Luna, I am a coward! I sold out my own sister to my jailor! Oh, I am so glad that my sister is so much stronger than either of us was, Luna. I whispered to her all the secrets I knew about Nightmare and it still did nothing to help!”
“Does Nightmare know?” Luna approached Daybreaker again, but keeping at a distance to avoid that reaction again.
“Of course she does,” Daybreaker said without a shadow of a doubt. “She knows everything about us, Luna. But she never even mentioned it to me! I swear, by her moon, I couldn’t have asked for a better sister!”
Luna was now at the loss of words. As arrogant and spiteful she was, this mare was not vile after all. Nightmare’s care found great appreciation in her, slowly chipping away at her centuries of pain and anger. Something even Celestia could not achieve. Perhaps Nightmare indeed was the greater monarch?
It made Luna wonder; what if Sombra too only needed a little care?
“Daybreaker,” Luna addressed the mare again after a moment of consideration. “I’ve seen how you reacted to me and Nightmare back there. I wondered if you would...” Luna ended the phrase, not knowing how Daybreaker would react. “May I?” she asked instead.
Daybreaker didn’t say anything in return, but she did not move away as Luna made a few cautious steps forward until she could touch her again. Daybreaker quivered as Luna brought one of her hooves around the white mare’s neck and brought her own neck and chest to touch the other mare.
For a moment longer, Daybreaker quivered in Luna’s gentle embrace, not knowing how to react, struggling to believe it was even happening.
“You know, with how busy Celestia always was, I always felt left out and I always dreamed of having one more sister. Nightmare was that sister to me. She kept caring for me even after she had what she wanted. I don’t blame her for what she had to do. My only regret is that it took me so many years to see this,” Luna solemnly paused. “Would you be a sister to me too, Daybreaker?”
At that moment Daybreaker’s pupils visibly started to shrink, her mind focusing again. Luna internally cursed her rashness. Next, Daybreaker made a gentle effort to distance again, Luna let her go, not wishing to offend the mare.
“Luna, thank you for treating me so nicely,” Daybreaker spoke her piece. “But you are… early, perhaps?” Daybreaker clearly meant to say something else, but held her tongue. Being that close with Celestia’s sister of all creatures, would be a bit too much yet.
“It is alright if you think so,” Luna was quick to assure. “I already had much more than I hoped to have an hour ago. Thank you for being so open with me.”
“Cree!” an almost painfully familiar sound rang in the air.
“How long have you been listening?!” Daybreaker was instantly back to her usual attitude.
The phoenix smugly tilted her beak upwards, leaving the snowhite mare to guess.
“Oh, you stupid featherbrush! I wish Nightmare wasn’t such a bleedheart!” Daybreaker didn’t leave the bird unanswered.
“Wait!” Luna swiftly moved closer to the idly sitting bird. “Philomena, wouldn’t come here just to mock you, would she?”
“Hmph!”
“Philomena, do you have a message for us?” Luna asked the bird herself.
“Cree!” the bird cried affirmatively.
“How so?” Luna continued.
“Cree,” the bird cried again and took off, flying into the air and flying circles off the mountain side.
“She wants us to follow her,” Luna said with certainty.
“Do you mean you can understand her cries?!” Daybreaker asked in astonishment.
“Philomena is intelligent, Day. She knows we don’t understand her actual words and thus she communicates with gestures and by shifting her tonality to copy the moods present in our own speech. On a basic level she is easy to understand,” Luna explained and spread her wings, getting ready to follow the bird in the air.
“Do you mean to actually follow her, Luna? It is almost dawn!” Daybreaker protested.
“She wants both of us to follow, Day. Otherwise she wouldn’t let you see her,” Luna corrected.
“Luna, you will die!” Daybreaker cried, starting to panic from the thought of Nightmare’s rage alone.
“Then you’d better come along and make sure I don’t,” Luna teased.