The Hyperdream. Daybreaker's Dream.
Daybreaker's dream. Or rather, Celestia's dream before she became Daybreaker, despite the fact that there was an abundance of flames everywhere, surrounding the castle and other buildings while the grass, trees and the rest of nature were incinerated along with the fact that Celestia seemed to be on the verge of becoming Daybreaker. With a pitch-black left eye that had an orange iris and sharp pupils plus the single burst of fire that trailed down her mane.
"Luna..." Celestia spoke as her tears would continue to evaporate from the intense heat each time they fell. She had seen not just Luna, but Little Luna from a past dream appearing before her. The sight of it managed to make Celestia's heart slow down. And upon slowing down, the intensity of the flames diminished. "Luna!"
She ran over to them both. Both Current Luna and Little Luna received a hug from their big sister. Little Luna and Current Luna had been raised up as Young Ash Ketchum fell off since he was on Luna's back.
"You're here!" Celestia wept. The tears that kept on evaporating from the intense flames could finally flow and drop on the floor once the flames calmed down.
"This can't be right...This should be before Daybreaker..." Luna spoke to herself. "If she's acting like this, then the Luna from her universe is already long gone. But the time frame from Flurry Heart's story doesn't add up."
"You...Are you my sister?" The filly Princess Luna took a moment to look at Celestia. While her big sister looked different from when she was, having an ethereal mane as an adult, she recognized her face and voice clearly.
"Yes! It's me!" Celestia raised the filly unicorn into the air. "Your big sister, Celestia! I-" But then, Celestia took a moment to look at them both, realizing that something was off. A young Luna and an old Luna were present here at the same time. Celestia was quick to notice what this meant. "Oh...Wait. This is all a dream."
She soon remembered that she was dreaming, pulling her sisters away as the disappointment and sadness in her eyes had returned. Her tears returned afterwards with signs of the infernal flames reemerging. They were confirmed to be tied to Celestia's emotions.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked, genuinely worried for Celestia.
"These few moments of happiness aren't going to amount to much or last. It's all taken its toll." Celestia uttered, putting her hoof over her eyes.
"Huh?" Ash and Little Luna both said with tilted heads.
"What's taken its toll?" Luna questioned. But it didn't take long for her to realize what it was. The fact that Celestia was not yet Daybreaker but on the verge of becoming her while also referring to a few moments of happiness gave Luna a good idea. It was the war that led to Daybreaker's emergence. "The war..."
"I yelled at you not too long ago. I shouldn't have." Daybreaker turned around as the flames intensified, but luckily Luna's barrier protected herself and the others. "It's my fault. No. It's not my fault." Celestia shook her head. "It's their fault. They're the ones who forced my hoof..."
"What's going on...?" Little Luna asked, jumping after hearing one of the flames burst with a glass-shattering sound. This was all in response to Celestia's magic.
"She took you from me. They took you from me." Celestia's new words now confused Luna even further. From what she was letting out, it sounded as if this was post-Daybreaker when she lost her Luna. "I didn't mean to let it happen to you, Luna. Honestly." She then turned to her sister, both of them, with her tears returning and evaporating once more.
"Sister! Calm down!" Luan exclaimed.
"But it isn't. I only did what was best for Equestria. And all of it just..." Celestia's hooves trembled with the flames continuing to spread and increase, eventually attacking Luna's barrier. Luna managed to keep the flames at bay however everything was become a fiery vision at this point as the pitch-black eye of Celestia's left eye was starting to spread as a bit of it could be seen emerging on the right.
Just as this was intensifying with Celestia breaking down, Luna heard two things. The voices and cries of a disheartened Celestia and a crack that didn't sound like it came from glass. "I tried so hard! My subjects...they understand? Twilight understands."
The crack was correlating with Celestia's words. Luna looked up to see a crack within this dream forming as ferocious flames surrounded it. She backed away as the flames were starting to burn away at her barrier.
"But it doesn't feel the same with you gone! Please come back to me, Luna!" And that was when the crack formed as Celestia was consumed within a flame-dome. Luna and the others closed their eyes, feeling the heat even within the barrier. The crack had fully opened, revealing the force behind it. And catching her and Darkrai by surprise was the pony that this Celestia was close to becoming.
Daybreaker.
"Daybreaker?!" Luna shouted as Celestia was no longer audible. Her words had been blocked out by the flame dome as she couldn't even be seen.
"Hello, Luna," Daybreaker spoke with only her head being seen through the crack. "You've seen my dream...or rather nightmare for yourself."
"How did you get here?!"
"I thought you would've known this, Luna. Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon are identical to each other. And when you were gone, somepony had to govern both the day and even the dreams at night. My magic is just enough to not just enter the Dream Realm, but your Hyperdream."
"Is that my sister too?" Little Luna wondered as Daybreaker locked eyes on the unicorn. Seeing Luna in that small state was a sight to behold for Daybreaker. While she didn't show a shocked expression, she froze for a moment as her flaming mane gently flowed to show a semblance of serenity.
"Which dream is this? Is this before...or after you become Daybreaker?"
"My dreams were never the same after that day." Daybreaker fully exited the crack, revealing her full body to everyone. She descended, casually stepping on the flames as they did not affect her. "I was unable to sleep. The magic that I had unlocked affected all of my dreams. Even the ones from the past. This nightmare was never pleasant before, but thanks to the war, it has only worsened."
"Impossible...Even from the past?" Luna's jaw dropped.
"I was always known as a prodigy, Luna. This shouldn't be a surprise." Daybreaker shook her head, revealing that her magic potential was truly phenomenal if she could just casually show up here and even affect her past dreams.
She and Luna stared each other down for a moment with the flames raging. Luna already knew how dangerous Daybreaker was and she wasn't looking forward to battling another alicorn in another universe again after what happened previously. She was ready for conflict, as was Darkrai. Young Ash and Little Luna could only wonder what this all meant. Little Luna, or Woona as Young Ash nicknamed her, had witnessed her sister in two different ways.
Part Daybreaker and full-on Daybreaker.
However, Daybreaker did not attack. Nor did she show any signs of attacking. She simply looked at Luna and Little Luna both, putting on a smile. "It's strange seeing two of you here. But you have to have shown up to this dream for a reason. Right?"
"There is. I only came here after remembering what Flurry Heart told me. The story of how you came to become Daybreaker." Luna gulped, still waiting for that hostile moment.
"She did, did she? Hm. Sweet girl." Daybreaker smiled. "So since she told you everything...what of it? What do you think, Luna? Because honestly, seeing you again, especially your younger self, is filling me up with something that frankly should've been gone a long time ago."
"I heard about what happened then. All of that overwhelming pressure and the loss you faced. And I came here to see how it influenced your dreams." Luna swivelled as Daybreaker walked around her, causing her eyes to follow the blazing alicorn. Little Luna felt both a sense of comfort and fear coming from Daybreaker. She was familiar yet something about her was so haunting.
"I'm frankly glad that you know. Not many past my universe do. But why should they? It's all in the past now, isn't it?" Daybreaker chuckled. "What happened, happened. And I emerged as someone capable of putting it behind me. Even so...this is the first time in years that I have gotten the chance to speak to you, Luna. To a Luna.
"A Luna?"
"Precisely. Ever since I lost my Luna, a void in me had been made. Years without my sister who was no longer in this world was far worse than the banishment to the moon. It was a fate that no form of magic could ever fix." Daybreaker looked to the sky before waving her hoof, conjuring a flame. That flame had then transformed into the visage of Princess Luna with this flame manipulation. "The things I did to try and bring her back. So much for it led to nothing. I could only look to where she rested peacefully. The only sight I could have of my little sister."
"What about other Lunas?" Luna asked. "You were already aware of other universes, weren't you? How am I the only one you have talked to for so long?"
"Oh, I knew. But Empress Twilight beat me to it." She then manipulated the flames, forming Empress Twilight, who stood over multiple Lunas. "She had travelled from different universes, conquering them for the sake of her total domination. And in each universe, she dealt with the respective Luna that lived there. Whether sending them to the moon as always or giving them a worse imprisonment than the moon."
Luna had then recalled the words from Universe 6's Princess Celestia, remembering what she said about her Luna and the imprisonment she faced as.
"I lost my role as ruler of Equestria to Empress Twilight. The moment she gained unprecedented amounts of magic from the Bewitching Bell was when we had already lost. I was forced to be a cleaning maid with 95% of my magic being stolen from me. Cadence had been turned to stone alongside Shining Armor and you...well...you were locked up in Tartarus. "
"So many Lunas either lost their magic or were imprisoned in various ways." Daybreaker shook her head. "Because of this, I never did get the chance to meet any of them. All of them were powerless before Empress Twilight. Except for you. You and your universe were the ones that not only withstood the Empress but defeated her."
"Wow...you defeated an Empress?!" Little Luna was stunned by that along with Ash as both their young eyes expanded. "I defeated an Empress in the future!"
"Cool, Woona!" Ash congratulated her on something she would do in the future.
"Stop calling me that!" Little Luna furiously bellowed at Ash, who just giggled in response.
"You're the best Luna I've ever seen. And I knew I'd have the chance to speak to you eventually. Now that the time for that has come and with you hearing and witnessing my past, I want to ask you something. A request." Daybreaker faced Luna.
"What would that be?" Luna was getting ready for the big one. This question could make or break things, no doubt.
"I want you to come with me." Daybreaker held her hoof out as the request was not what Luna was expecting. "Come with me to my world as my sister again. I lost my Luna. But I can still have her back. My plan to bring my Luna back might be scrapped for this."
"M-Me?!"
"I failed to keep my Luna safe." Daybreaker then turned to the filly Princess Luna. "I miss you so much, sister."
"But I'm not your Luna..." Little Luna asked, backing away from Daybreaker as she was approaching.
"No. But you are still my sister at the end of the day." Daybreaker patted Little Luna on the head. "Who cares abot the universal gap? Little Luna somewhat enjoyed these headpats. While she was intimidated by Daybreaker, she could still feel the familiarity of her big sister.
"I will bring you to my world." Daybreaker returned to face the current Princess Luna. "Show you just what I've done. I've created an Equestria that truly protects everypony. No more relying on such evanescent things as the Magic of Friendship or Harmony. All of those held me back from doing what needed to be done. A perfect Equestria."
"A perfect Equestria?" Luna was stunned by what she was hearing.
"Perfect as it is now. But it can be better. You'll see how amazing it is. You'll be by my side again, Luna. Just as I wanted more than anything. To have you back. So please. Come with me."
Luna looked at Daybreaker's hoof for a moment. She then looked at her younger self and back at her big sister. Luna could feel the raw emotions coming from Daybreaker, however, it all wasn't sitting right with her heart.
"No. The Equestria you made is not something I would wish to live in." She shook her head, causing Daybreaker to gasp. Not the answer she wanted. "I am not your Luna. You are not my Celestia." She said with a stern face, rejecting Daybreaker's Equestria.
"I may not be your Celestia, but we are still sisters. The Flurry Heart from Universe 6 is not from your universe and yet she is treated as family. She calls me Great auntie as well even if we are universes apart. So why won't you accept me too?!" Daybreaker's flames were starting to intensify. All I want is my little sister back!"
"I understand that. But I doubt that any other Luna would come back to what you had made." Luna was adamant about her choice, even though she understood and empathized with Daybreaker. "Not with how you are assisting the Empress and Team Plasma to boot."
"I thought you would understand, Luna." Daybreaker scoffed. "Look at me. I take on a form that you once had and overcome. You of all ponies should-"
"I do understand!" Luna interjected "But I said what I said. Coming to this dream and learning more about you has certainly made me think, but my point still stands."
"You will understand more later on..." Daybreaker closed her eyes. "I know you will." Just then, this entire dream had been enveloped by flames as the shield that Luna had made had been overwhelmed. She gasped before seeing nothing but fire afterwards. The barrier had then faded away with everything turning black.
Luna held onto Ash and her younger self as she could see that Daybreaker even had control in the Hyperdream despite not creating it. They had been sent throughout the Hyperdream, passing through another set of Daybreaker's dreams. However, those dreams were short-lived as Luna and the others were rapidly moving through Daybreaker's dreams under Daybreaker's control.
Luna managed to leave the set of the dreams by teleporting herself, Little Luna, Ash and Darkrai out of the chain of bubbles that connected Daybreaker's dreams successfully. However, she was then brought back to another dream once a flash fire happened around her barrier. It was as if the fire acted as a teleporter.
"How in the...?!" A startled Luna wondered how she was outside the dream one second and back inside another. The barrier bounced on the ground as it ended up shattering afterwards. This dream belonged to a pony of the Crystal Empire, who had been interrupted once Princess Luna had arrived. And soon, Daybreaker.
"You think your Sorrowful Rage Magic is that impressive, Luna?" Daybreaker spoke with her voice echoing throughout this dream. "I have always had larger potential than you as your older sister. It was just never fully unleashed until now." She then used her magic to also envelop this dream to flames.
The dreamer of this dream soon witnessed a nightmare as everything was consumed by a violent storm of solar flames that covered everything. Luna used her magic to try and reflect these flames as hard as she could. Luna's dark blue with a hint red magic clashed with Daybreaker's solar magic in a struggle. However, Luna's magic ended up becoming engulfed by the flames as they approached her.
"Darkrai, Dark Pulse!" Luna commanded as Darkrai had used Dark Pulse, unleashing a beam covered with terrible thoughts. This beam was enough to hold back Daybreaker's flames as Daybreaker could feel the negative emotions. They clashed against her flames that were tied to her emotions as they cancelled each other out.
"Of course...This isn't my full potential." Daybreaker stepped forward as the Crystal Pony hid from this conflict.
"What?!" Luna exclaimed.
"Do you know what the full extent of my magic could be? Pure White. The Sun may look yellow to everypony's eyes, but in truth, it's only the atmosphere and the rainbows that make it appear as the colour we know it as. But in space, a pure white star is what truly lies behind it. When I reach that peak, I will shine brighter than anypony out there."
"I thought your big goal was to bring back your Luna?" Luna scoffed.
"That is my end goal more than anything! But how can I reach it if I am not at my best and strongest to not only bring her back, but protect anypony else from harm. I cannot protect any of my subjects if I am weak. Even as how I am now, it will not do me any good."
Daybreaker's eyes then flared as she unleashed some sort of divine flame that had materialized out of thin air. She summoned near impossible ranged flames that managed to hit Darkrai from behind despite being sent forwards. Darkrai could nt have possibly seen it coming as he fell over.
"I'd rather not continue this, Luna. All I want is for my sister to be with me again! Even if I am trying what I can to bring my Luna back, I could still have you!"
"My answer is no!" Luna persisted on her answer, which only further disappointed Daybreaker.
"I thought that sister's were meant to look out for each other...Even if we aren't from the same universe!" Just then, Daybreaker unleashed a powerful scream that a wave of magical force behind it, enough to affect not just this dream, but nearby dreams too.
Nearby dreamers closed their ears as their dreams had been interrupted by Daybreaker's shout. As for Luna, the force of this magic started resonating in her mind, causing her to flinch. It inflicted great pain to her ears before then ending briefly. Ash and Little Luna closed their ears as they were not as affected.
Luna tried fighting back, creating a magical pulse that cancelled out sound. The powerful shout had been cancelled out afterwards, however, it took a lot of magic out of Luna to do so, even with the gigantic pool of magic that Lunar Ire had.
"Give it up. You can't defeat me, Luna." Celestia walked over. "Not with the scope of my dream. My dream far surpasses all, giving me the strength to resist and overcome."
To show this, a powerful dream wave came out of Daybreaker. The scale of her dream was powerful enough to encompass another dreams within the Hyperdream. Darkrai got back up, shooting Thunderbolt at the dream wave. However, it had been consumed afterwards. Luna couldn't d anything to stop this incoming wave as she could only hope to use a barrier.
However, remembering his first encounter with Luna, Young Ash, thinking quick on his feet as always even as a child, retaliated. He closed his eyes, using his dream. His dream to become a Pokemon Master. "Well, I've got a bigger dream too! I'm gonna be a Pokemon Master!" He shouted out as a dream wave came out of him.
"?!" Daybreaker was visibly taken aback as Ash's dream was powerful to clash with Daybreaker's dream. It was revealed that both of them were on similar wavelengths. Their dreams were identical in scope and scale with neither one of them increasing or decreasing. "Ash Ketchum...How big is his dream?"
"Good, Ash!" Luna praised the young Ash Ketchum. "But I will need assistance. Of the hundreds and thousands." And there was only one way to do so. Luna used her magic to communicate with the various Lunas that were across the Hyperdream, who she had previously shown this massive dreamscape to.
The dream waves between Ash and Daybreaker had ended as they were perfectly even. "You. Your dream is as strong as my dream." Daybreaker narrowed her eyes. "Impressive. But you, even as a child, should know what I'm striving for."
"I totally do!" Ash puffed his cheeks. "But I'm not gonna let you hurt my friends! But...I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Daybreaker raised an eyebrow. "Are you sorry about what I had to experience?"
"Mhm." Ash nodded. He could understand where Daybreaker was coming from despite his age. Ash priotizied family even to this day, so it would make sense for it have existed even as a child.
"Hmph. Typical. But I don't need your sympathy boy." Daybreaker dismissed Ash. "I only want my sister back."
"Well she's right there!" Just then, the voice of Luna shouted out. But it wasn't just one Luna. By turning around and facing the air, Daybreaker was met with thousands of Princess Lunas that were all grabbed from different dreams, summoned by the current Luna. They had all gathered against Daybreaker, giving her the sight of her little sister in thousands of ways.
This dream was now full of Lunas.
"Really?" Daybreaker turned to the current Luna. "Please. Let's not do this." With a tiny spark of magic from her horn, Celestia had suddenly opened a massive solar portal. It boomed into this dream, startling the other lunas as they turned to face it.
This portal acted as a wormhole, immediately pulling in all of the other Lunas. They left as soon as they came as each of them started screaming against this powerful pull. All of the Lunas tried what they could to escape, only for it to be in vain. So much for the thousand Luna assistance as the solar portal grabbed them all.
"That was your best approach, Luna?!" Daybreaker turned to the current Luna with flaming eyes. It was clear that her temper was rising along with the intensity of her mane. She approached Luna, stomping her hooves as she was melting the ground. "Using so many of yourself against me?!"
Luna backed away as Darkrai stood in front of her, preparing a Dark Void in one claw and a Poison Jab in the other. Even Darkrai could feel these massive flames and their cruel intensity.
"You would dare go for something like that, knowing what I'm striving for? All of those Lunas would either perish or are just fragments of past dreams!" Daybreaker exclaimed. "I don't' want to lose my sister again or dream about her. I want my little sister back more than anything. Do you understand?! I hoped you would!" She raised her voice, forming gigantic wings of fire that appeared behind her, enveloping this whole dream as it coated everything in a solar light.
But while Luna, Darkrai and Ash stayed brave in front of this, the little Luna from years ago, did not. Instead, she was afraid. Horrified. She hid behind Ash, crying as Daybreaker's intense flames had been quieted down to hear these cries. Horrified of her big sister's appearance, the little Luna could not bare to look at her.
Daybreaker simmered down, along with her flames. The ferocious fire wings had dispersed afterwards in response to Little Luna's cries. Daybreaker could not stand to see her sister upset. Even if she was from the past, another universe and a dream. The Solar Alicorn closed her eyes, growling as she showed disdain for scaring her little sister.
"Tch..!" Daybreaker scoffed. "I believe I'll take my leave now. I shouldn't have come here anyway." Daybreaker was starting to fade away with a torrent of flames surrounding her. Little Luna looked over, gazing her big sister in the eyes. So did Daybreaker as she hoped her little sister would understand her emotions by just a glance.
"But I would be alert at all times, Luna. There will come a time where we will meet again. Whether it is a massive confrontation like the war or something smaller and confined. And at the end of the day, I will show you the Equestria I made for you."
Those were her final words as she then disappeared in a pillar of flames, leaving the Dream Realm. The crystal pony saw that the madness was over. She ended up fainting in her own dream after witnessing all of that.
"That was something." Darkrai commented.
"Indeed. She is right about one thing. We will meet again. I hope the circumstances are better now. Are you two okay?"
"Totally fine." said Ash. "But was that your real sister?"
"From another universe. The sister I have is much different. And-" Luna paused, looking directly at her little self who was still crying from all of that infernal action. "Little one. It's alright. She's gone."
"Yeah, don't cry." Ash patted her on the head. "We got through it, didn't we?"
"Yes..." The filly Luna wipe her tears away. "That was just too scary. Y-You don't think that..."
"Whatever you're thinking, it won't happen." Luna stopped her right there. "Not with Darkrai and I around. Along with many others."
"The Luna you saee before you is proof of a bright future." Darkrai hovered over as now the Pitch Black Pokemon didn't seem as intimidating after looking at Daybreaker. "So rest easy and dream easy."
"Totally, Woona!"
"I told you not to call me that!" And to fully bring her mood back to normal, Little Luna exploded at Ash Ash laughed as that was the best way to erase the young unicorn's sadness.
"Alright, alright. No need for a second dose of conflict." Luna chuckled. "I have dreams to patrol. I should put this encounter behind me. Come along you two."
"Okay!" Ash and Luna hopped back onto Luna's back, ready to continue adventuring the Hyperdream. The night was still young, giving them all the time to go wherever. Luna looked over at the fainted Crystal Pony, quickly using her magic to wake her up.
Her dream was sent back to normal once Daybreaker arrived so she had that to look forward to. But she certainly wouldn't forget the fiery debalce that happened here as Luna and the others left this dream. But even now when she continued to patrol the Dream Realm, Princess Luna could only think back to Daybreaker's words.
Daybreaker already reigned supreme in her universe. That goal was out of the way. She now knew that her ultimate goal was to bring back her Luna. What started out as a task to find the dreams of Emerald Aura relating to the past of the Rift, now evolved into the dreams and goals of Daybreaker. They would meet again. But Luna feared under what circumstance it would be as the journey continues.
Chapter 739 End.