Chapter 6 - Unexpected Events
Tensions remained high as the two alicorns made their way back to the castle in silence. Twilight continuing to lean against her mentor’s side to help support her aching hooves, too sore from their training session to walk properly on her own.
The pair scanned their surroundings for any suspicious activity or anything out of the ordinary in general. However the ponies were either busy doing their own thing or stared at them curiously as they walked past.
Seeing this, Twilight couldn’t help but conclude that the stallion that attacked them had indeed been working on his own. It would be unlikely that an orchestrated assassination attempt, especially on a being as powerful as Daybreaker would only consist of one pony with no backup plan.
Using that logic to ease her troubled mind, Twilight took a deep breath and looked up at Daybreaker whose amber gaze managed to lock onto ponies before they even came around a corner or exited from a building. Twilight had no idea how she was able to tell they were there however she guessed it all came with experience.
The remainder of their walk was uneventful as they entered the castle grounds, now able to drop their guard and finally relax “My queen!” an all too familiar voice called out while the sound of hoof steps clopping against the ground grew louder.
“What now?” Daybreaker growled causing Raven to stop in her tracks, her head lowering and ears perking backwards at the sudden aggression.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel sorry for Raven, she was only doing her job and always ended up bearing the brunt of Daybreaker’s frustration, even though she never did anything wrong. Her gaze shifted to the rolled up newspaper that Raven was holding in her hoof “Apologies my queen, I have come to inform you that the stallion who attempted to assassinate you earlier has regained consciousness and that the guards stationed there are awaiting further instructions” Raven Informed.
“Excellent news, inform the warden that he is to expect my presence shortly…oh and put a medical team on standby, just in case” Daybreaker ordered with her iconic fanged grin.
“As you wish your majesty” Raven replied with a quick bow “However I have another matter I wish to address first” Raven added as she handed the newspaper over to Daybreaker “It is on the very front page, the leading headline.”
Levitating the newspaper in front of her, Daybreaker did what Raven instructed and turned the newspaper over to the very front page. Her grin only grew as she angled the newspaper towards Twilight so she would be able to see as well “I see that the reporters didn’t waste any time” the deity chuckled.
“The Sparkle that ignites her heart” Twilight read aloud, cringing slightly at the pun intended headline, her gaze shifting towards the picture below it. The same picture that Twilight threatened to destroy the camera over. In the picture their bodies were pressed up against each other due to how small the throne was, both of Daybreaker’s wings wrapped completely around Twilight’s form as the deity stared down almost lovingly into Twilight’s eyes with Twilight doing the same however looking upwards due to their size difference.
Twilight didn’t get a chance to look at the rest of the article before Daybreaker angled it back towards herself “Queen Daybreaker and the mystery alicorn we have come to learn named ‘Twilight Sparkle’ have been spotted sharing the throne while dealing with numerous petitioners during their latest court session. When interviewing the pair, our queen would…oh my” Daybreaker read out with a giggle, clearly enjoying this “Our queen would, as viewed in the image provided, wrap her wings around her consort and nip affectionately at her neck before sharing a tender moment by staring into each other’s eyes” Daybreaker finished reading the first paragraph with a bright, genuine smile.
Daybreaker expected Twilight to interrupt her at some point during her reading, for her to try and steal the newspaper away from her or even to go as far as destroying it. Instead the lavender mare leaned across to read the rest of the article, wondering if they added the incident with her and the camera “I was expecting you to get all embarrassed like you usually do whenever this topic comes up, I was prepared for you to steal the newspaper from me or even destroy it” Daybreaker stated.
Twilight made a thoughtful humming sound while she continued to read the rest of the article “Normally I would however I’m too sore and exhausted to even attempt something like that right now. Also I don’t think it is best to use magic right now, letting your barrier shatter instead of dispelling it is bad for your horn and I would rather wait until I recover before using magic again” Twilight started.
“Though even if I did somehow manage to steal the newspaper off you it wouldn’t accomplish anything. There are probably hundreds of thousands of newspapers already delivered throughout Equestria. It is embarrassing, however it is to be expected with how we have been acting in public” Twilight continued “Well mostly how you have been acting anyways.”
Daybreaker was pleased that her plan for Twilight to get used to the idea of them courting and that the news of it to travel throughout Equestria had succeeded. However she did miss seeing how embarrassed Twilight would get from her advances “You’re no fun” Daybreaker pouted “Here I was hoping you would use your wings to hide your blushing cheeks while cutely demanding that I burn the newspaper” she teased.
Twilight’s cheeks turned a slight shade of red from that statement though she didn’t try to hide it so Daybreaker wouldn’t get her way “I think I’m going to skip dinner altogether and call it a day. Hopefully our intense training session won’t come and bite me in the flank when I wake up” Twilight said, still struggling with no longer being able to use the various terms to describe the time of day and night.
Daybreaker frowned, disappointed that their time together had already come to an end. However with the state Twilight was currently in she could understand why “Very well, I will have a small chat with our aggressor before doing the same. Enjoy your sleep my faithful student and don’t hesitate in waking me if my sister visits you in the dream realm again” Daybreaker replied.
With a quick nod, Twilight moved away from Daybreaker’s side and limped back towards the VIP guest bedroom that she slept in earlier, opposite from Daybreaker’s private chambers. Relieved that she wasn’t interrupted by the various patrolling and stationed guards like before, she made her way into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed before falling asleep underneath the warm and comfortable blankets.
Meanwhile Daybreaker made her way towards the dungeons to meet with the wardens to begin the interrogation of the stallion that had attempted to assassinate her.
Twilight’s eyes slowly fluttered open as she found herself staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Sitting up she stretched her hooves with a large yawn before flaring her wings “Ow!” Twilight whined loudly as she pulled a muscle in her forehoof causing her to retract it quickly and rub it ‘I guess training did end up biting me in the flank after all’ she thought.
“Want me to kiss it better?” A voice spoke up followed by the sound of covers rustling.
Twilight’s head snapped to the side to see Daybreaker lying next to her with a wide grin, most of her body hidden underneath the blankets while her head rested comfortably against the pillow “How long have you been watching me sleep for and what is your excuse for joining me in bed this time?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow noticing that Daybreaker’s mane wasn’t ablaze meaning she had snuck in and slept in the same bed at some point.
Her grin grew wider as Daybreaker sat up, the covers falling off her body and into a heap next to her “For about twenty minutes, give or take” She replied, raising her hoof up to her chest with her wings outstretched and drooped slightly while pulling off the best pouty face she could muster “As for joining you again, I was scared! What if another mean pony tried to hurt me again in my sleep? I would feel a lot safer and have a much better rest by sleeping with my savior” Daybreaker replied, trying to make herself seem as vulnerable as possible.
“Isn’t that why you have guards stationed outside your chambers? So events like that would be prevented?” Twilight countered with a smirk of her own.
Silence filled the room as Daybreaker failed at coming up with a valid comeback “You got me there” she said with a defeated sigh before changing the conversation topic “According to Raven there has been just over a seven hundred percent increase in petitions requesting bits for court today. I don’t care what you say about it or how good of a cause it may be for, I will not be giving a single bit to anypony that asks for it. I will be telling Raven to skip them and move on to the more important yet still trivial petitions” Daybreaker stated as she started to attach her armor in the same fashion as she did previously.
Twilight didn’t like that Daybreaker wasn’t even going to listen to the requests though she knew there was no way she was going to change the deity’s mind about it and wasn’t worth the trouble in attempting to do so “Very well, however I would appreciate it if you at least take what I say into consideration. There is no reason for me to sit there with you if you are going to end up ignoring my suggestions like last time” Twilight replied as she leaned over and grabbed Daybreaker’s wing with her hooves before using her magic to carefully attach the armor to it.
Giving her wings a few test flaps, Daybreaker gave a thankful nod to Twilight before retracting them back to her side “I will listen as long as you don’t interrupt me every third petition like last time” Daybreaker concluded.
Once she had finished attaching the rest of her armor to her body, Daybreaker slid off the bed and set her mane ablaze once more “Now then, let us get something to eat and get this chore over and done with, then we can spend the remainder of our time together” Daybreaker suggested happily “As for everything else I will just order some other pony to deal with it or cancel it altogether unless it is important.”
Following Daybreaker off the bed, Twilight winced slightly as she gradually applied pressure onto her hooves “Breakfast sounds great considering I traded dinner for sleep” Twilight replied as she followed Daybreaker into the dining room, she was able to walk a lot better compared to before however her body was still sore and rigid, making it difficult for her to keep up with her mentor’s long strides.
“So, did my sister visit you in your dream again?” Daybreaker asked.
Twilight took a large bite out of the apple suspended in front of her in her magical aura “No she didn’t and I don’t expect her to for another few days since she struggles with charging her celestial powers, it was probably the best sleep I had since coming here” Twilight admitted as she glanced over at Daybreaker who was doing the same while working on her schedule, crossing out everything she didn’t want to do.
‘That is a lot of crosses’ Twilight thought to herself.
“That is good to hear, probably best we skip our lessons today and see how you feel after another day’s rest” Daybreaker replied, not taking her eyes off the schedule.
Taking another bite from her apple, Twilight decided now would be a better time than any to continue the discussion they dropped at the end of their previous court session “You mentioned that my family doesn’t live in Canterlot anymore, why is that?” Twilight asked.
The quill suspended in the deity’s red magical aura suddenly stopped moving, with a sigh she put it down and looked up at Twilight “They decided to move away” Daybreaker replied, resting her forehooves on the table as she waited for Twilight to begin her bombardment of questions.
Twilight waited for a moment to see if Daybreaker would continue speaking. When nothing was added to her original response Twilight’s expression slowly changed to a frown “Yes but why? My family has lived in that house for generations, they wouldn’t leave Canterlot for no reason” Twilight repeated.
“Your parents, they weren’t happy with how I handled things after you died” Daybreaker admitted.
Twilight noticed that Daybreaker was being incredibly vague with her answers, though she was determined to find out what exactly had happened “What did you do that made them unhappy and caused them to move away?” Twilight pressed on.
“So many questions” Daybreaker groaned.
“And there would be a lot less if you stop dodging the question and tell me what I want to know” Twilight retorted.
Daybreaker shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, unsure as to how Twilight would react to what she had to say “Your family wanted your body to be cremated and for your ashes to be preserved in an urn. However I had other plans and kept your body, placing several preservation charms around it to prevent it from decaying which I renew every two months. I have it stored away in a tightly secured sarcophagus located in the royal tomb and allowed your family access to it whenever they liked. However when they discovered what I was doing to your body with my resurrection attempts they were completely disgusted and left.”
Twilight’s mouth was slightly agape, she didn’t know whether to be pissed off at Daybreaker or be thankful that she tried so hard to bring her back. Pushing that thought aside to contemplate at a later date, something in Daybreaker’s response was irking Twilight.
She knew there would be a lot of bad memories revolving around Canterlot as well as the house for them, however this wouldn’t be the first time her parents would have dealt with a loss of a loved one. With the exception to her BBBFF her parents watched their parents and grandparents die and they continued to live in the same house despite that.
“Is that the only reason?” Twilight asked as she narrowed her eyes, scanning Daybreaker’s expression for any signs of lying.
However Daybreaker’s expression didn’t falter due to the one thousand plus years of experience she had in the political game “As far as I am aware off, yes” Daybreaker responded.
Twilight nodded, deciding to shift the conversation to her brother and the Crystal Empire to see if the two would be connected somehow. If her parents did indeed move away from home then that would most likely be where they would go “Enough about my parents, what about my brother, Shining Armor?” Twilight asked “From what I have discovered he assisted Cadence in restoring the Crystal heart resulting in the defeat of King Sombra and taking his place as the co-ruler of the Crystal Empire” Twilight asked, unsure if the last part of her statement was actually true but said it anyways to make it seem like she knew more than she actually did.
This didn’t get the intended effect Twilight had imagined as Daybreaker scowled, her fangs bared at the thought of her adopted niece “Your brother abandoned his duties as captain of the guard and fled with that traitorous wench, they even got married” Daybreaker spat.
Twilight didn’t appreciate how Daybreaker spoke ill of her sister-in-law however she tried to not let it bother her too much and focus on the conversation at hoof. She was just glad that Shining was alright and that him and Cadence’s love was strong enough to be preserved through this reality despite all the difficulties that they had faced together.
“I heard that they were independent from us, why is that? Back in my reality we had very close relations with each other” Twilight asked.
“Cadence considered me to be the next Sombra and that I would not ruin the lives of the crystal ponies while she still drew breath” Daybreaker snarled, the flames in her mane flickering more violently making it produce more heat “I had massive plans for the Crystal Empire as well. It was an ideal forward position to deal with any forces that my sister would send my way as well as being able to launch a counter attack if she over extended too much. She wouldn’t be able to deal with two kingdoms at the same time. She hits one then we use the other to hit her at the same time” Daybreaker explained.
Twilight couldn’t imagine Cadence ever saying that though a lot of things could have changed over the past 10 years “So if my family moved away and my brother is the co-ruler of the Crystal Empire alongside Cadence, does that mean my family might be living in the Crystal Empire with them?” Twilight deducted.
Daybreaker’s eyes widened at where Twilight was heading with this “Under no circumstances are you to visit the Crystal Empire! Do I make myself clear!?” Daybreaker said firmly.
Recoiling back from the sudden change of tone, Twilight narrowed her eyes “Why is that? The Crystal Empire is just as safe as Canterlot is, if not more since they aren’t at war” Twilight countered.
“They are our enemies! With news about our relationship out they will see you as a valuable asset and hold you ransom to me or the highest payer!” Daybreaker explained with her piercing amber gaze.
“Our enemies? Don’t you mean your enemy? This is my overprotective older brother we are talking about here, he would beat up anypony who even thinks about plucking a hair from my mane. And we don’t have a relationship which I will make abundantly clear to them, they are my family after all” Twilight argued.
“Bucking hell Twilight! I lost you once and I will not risk losing you again, you aren’t going to the Crystal Empire and that is that. If you wish to see them that badly then I can send a pony to submit a formal invitation and they can come here instead” Daybreaker yelled, slamming her hoof down against the table with a loud bang, her mane burning profusely at this point and her breathing heavy.
“They don’t have a reason to trust you just as much as you don’t have a reason to trust them, especially after the way you talk about them! They will never agree to that!” Twilight yelled back as she reared up onto the table refusing to back down, this was her family they were talking about after all.
The fire in Daybreaker’s eyes made it seem like she was about to lash out at any moment “Then it appears we are stuck at a crossroads then” Daybreaker finished while closing her eyes, the flames in her mane slowly flickering back to normal as she regained control of her emotions.
Twilight was not happy that the conversation was dropped so suddenly however it was probably for the best before either of them did or said anything they would regret.
After a moment of silence a third voice suddenly spoke up “C-Court has st-started t-twenty minutes a-ago my queen” Raven said meekly, hiding her muzzle as well as most of her face behind her clipboard.
The two alicorns stared at Raven, completely unaware that she was even in the room with them “How long have you been standing there?” Twilight asked as she got off the table and sat back down on her seat, the anger and frustration in her voice completely gone.
“About half an hour” Raven replied with more confidence this time, slowly lowering her clipboard down to her chest “your discussion sounded important and I didn’t want to interrupt it like last time” Raven added, her eyes darting between the pair.
Raven expected Daybreaker to not be as lenient since she was effectively eavesdropping on their conversation, however the deity instead took a deep breath and got out of her seat “Very well we shall be heading inside momentarily, inform the petitioners that they should expect their queen’s presence shortly” Daybreaker ordered.
Twilight watched Raven scampered away “This discussion is far from over” Twilight said once Raven had left the room.
“I’m sure it is” Daybreaker groaned in response as she headed out of the dining room and towards the throne room with Twilight following closely behind.
Twilight sighed loudly while she listened to Raven read through the seemingly never-ending list of petitioners, she had no idea how much time had passed however there was definitely more than yesterday, some even submitting petitions just to see the two for themselves. The only reason she agreed to come along this time was so she could obtain Starswirl’s journal in hopes of being able to uncover the decoder Daybreaker was referring to back at the library, so the sooner this was done the better.
“Pass” Daybreaker said for the hundredth time.
Raven crossed out the name and moved onto the next pony on the list “Hard Hat, an earth pony construction worker has created fifty storage crates for the purpose of overseas shipment for a client named Crafty Crate. Crafty Crate refuses to pay Hard Hat for his services as the dimensions of the crates are different to what has been agreed upon in the contract.”
“Pass” Daybreaker yawned.
“The client Crafty Crate does not need to pay the employer Hard Hat for his services, if Hard Hat wishes to get paid then he would have to reconstruct the storage crates with the dimensions specified and agreed upon in the contract. Just tell them that whenever you go back out there, there is no need for this dispute to be escalated any further" Twilight resolved with a wave of her hoof.
Twilight was beginning to see what Daybreaker meant about the ponies problems being so trivial, she couldn’t help but wonder if Celestia back in her reality dealt with the same kind of petitions.
Raven blinked a couple of times before looking up at Daybreaker for confirmation “Just do as she says, if they start making a scene then just toss them out or something. Who is next on the list?” Daybreaker asked.
Making a quick note next to the ponies name so she could repeat what Twilight had said to them, Raven moved on to the next petitioner “Next is a pegasus mare named Fleetfoot. She was one of the most promising rookies in guard school this year. However due to a collision with another team who didn’t follow proper flying protocol she ended up in hospital with a broken wing just weeks before the final test. Now fully recovered from her injury, she appeals with the intention to sit the test early so she can join the advanced training course that has just started instead of having to wait till the end of the year.”
“I like her dedication” Daybreaker stated with a grin “Instruct her to meet with captain Ironhoof, he should be able to set the test up and grade her appropriately.”
With a small nod, Raven once again made another quick note next to Fleetfoot’s name before moving onto the next petitioner “Next on the list is a unicorn named Fresh Coat. She is a rapidly growing artist who uses exotic and unique means to create her paintings. Her work has been quite popular with the upper classes and has come to offer you her services while she is down here to attend to another client’s request.”
Daybreaker glanced over at the various paintings of herself that hung up on either side of the throne room before looking back down at Raven “Does she have any of her work with her to prove her quality? Exotic doesn’t always mean good” Daybreaker asked.
Adjusting her glasses, Raven skimmed through the more detailed description of the petition “It says here that she will provide three small paintings for reference, if you want to see anything larger than that then an appointment would have to be made at a later date. Would you like me to bring her in so you can see for yourself?” Raven asked.
Daybreaker contemplated the request for a few moments “Very well, bring her in” Daybreaker replied.
“Excuse me mistress” Raven bowed before hurrying out of the throne room and into the waiting room just outside.
Once the throne room’s doors closed behind Raven, Twilight turned to face Daybreaker “Thinking about getting another portrait done?” Twilight asked.
Smiling faintly Daybreaker nodded “Yes, I have heard of this pony named Fresh Coat before from some of the gossip between nobles. Though I have never seen any of her work before, having something with a different and more unique style would fit better in the throne room I feel” Daybreaker replied with a slight pause “I don’t mind paying a few extra bits if you want to join me in it” Daybreaker offered with a smirk, bumping her wing against Twilight’s playfully.
Twilight made a thoughtful humming sound and she contemplated her mentors offer “I never had a painting of myself done before and I admit I am curious to see how it would tur-“ Twilight started but got cut off from the commotion that was going on outside.
“OUT OF MY WAY!”
“Ma’am you’re not allowed in here…GUARDS!”
The doors to the throne room swung wide open revealing Raven trying to halt a familiar pissed off white coated mare baring a blue triple diamond cutiemark with an elegant purple mane and a fashionable spiral tail of the same colour.
“Rarity!?” Twilight exclaimed in surprise, having no idea how she managed to get this far or even into the throne room itself.
“YOOOOU! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE PUT ME AND POOR SWEETIE BELLE THROUGH!?” Rarity yelled as the guards rapidly flooded into the room, flanking Rarity with their various weapons raised and spells channeled.
However the guards immediately disengaged and took a few steps back when Daybreaker rose from her throne with fire circling around her horn “How dare you speak to your queen like that!” Daybreaker yelled back and unleashed a blast of fire in the intruding unicorn’s direction.
Twilight’s body moved on its own. Flaring her wings she gave them a powerful flap, launching herself off the throne and tackled Rarity to the side. The blast grazing her left wing before they hit the ground.
“Ahhh! Hothothothothot” Twilight whined out as she tried to extinguish her burning feathers by flapping her wing repeatedly. Too distracted to notice the panicked look on Rarity’s face and feel how her heart would thud against her chest “Y-you saved me” Rarity said softly.
“TWILIGHT!” Daybreaker panicked as she leapt down the small set of stairs and rushed to her student’s side.
The mare in question looked at Daybreaker for a moment before turning her attention back towards Rarity “I’ll explain everything later, promise, just keep quiet and stay behind me” Twilight whispered quickly before Daybreaker roughly grabbed her wing, examining the damage that she caused.
“What were you thinking you stupid STUPID mare!” Daybreaker scolded while poking and pulling at Twilight’s feathers with her hoof before letting out a large sigh of relief as she let go of her student’s wing, allowing her to retract it back to her side “Fortunately only your secondary feathers were hit, they will regrow and heal over the course of a few days, some faster than others however I advise that you refrain from flying anytime soon and a proper preening would be in order afterwards.”
Twilight didn’t know how to respond to the question since her body acted on its own however she had a feeling Daybreaker was asking that in a more rhetorical sense anyways.
Taking a step back, Daybreaker glared at the white unicorn that was still pinned underneath Twilight “Surely you recall our little discussion at the old castle” Daybreaker threatened.
“How could I forget darling, after all you did threaten to kill me and my friends because we apparently failed to protect your precious student. Though she looks perfectly alive to me” Rarity retorted. The guards looking amongst each other, completely lost on the conversation.
A hearty malevolent laugh echoed throughout the throne room “threaten to kill? Oh no I threatened to do so much worse than that” Daybreaker smirked while marching towards the unicorn.
“You will do no such thing!” Twilight retorted as she got off Rarity and intercepted Daybreaker’s advances “We have already discussed this and how we agreed it wasn’t their fault.”
“Even though we agreed upon it, their banishment is still in place. I may have signed the forms however I still require their signature for it to be nullified” Daybreaker retorted, staring down at Twilight who was blocking her path “Now move aside.”
Twilight looked back at Rarity who continued to lay on the ground, still shaken up by the fact that she nearly died if it wasn’t for Twilight. Looking back at Daybreaker, Twilight narrowed her eyes and flared her wings, one of which was still burnt and blackened from the fire “I will not” Twilight replied as she stomped her hoof on the ground, she was not going to let anything happen to one of her closest friends.
Twilight caught a glimpse of Day Dasher hovering above the guards while staring down at the chaos below that would make even Discord proud. Some of the petitioners also poking their heads inside to see what all the commotion was about. However that was the least of Twilight’s concern.
“You insufferable…” Daybreaker started but shook her head and took a deep breath in attempt to calm herself down “Do you have to make everything difficult?” Daybreaker asked in annoyance as she rubbed her forehead with her hoof.
Twilight snarled, taking offence to what Daybreaker had said “Difficult! You are threatening to torture my best friend! What do you think I was going to do?” Twilight yelled.
“That impudent friend of yours stormed into MY throne room while yelling at us! Even if the banishment was lifted I have killed ponies for much less!” Daybreaker growled back “This is your last warning. Move.”
Twilight’s expression shifted to a one of disgust “Then whatever you do to her you are going to have to do to me as well” Twilight finished.
Gritting her teeth together, Daybreaker watched as Twilight turned her back towards her to help Rarity back onto her hooves “Why did you come here?” Twilight asked.
“I saw you two on the front page of the papers darling. I was absolutely outraged that we were banished despite you being alive for all these years” Rarity replied, her voice back to normal as she accepted Twilight’s hoof to help her back onto her own.
“I assumed as much” Twilight nodded as she turned her attention back towards the pissed of monarch “This would have all been avoided if you let me leave the castle when I asked so I could hand out the forms to lift their banishment. I know I didn’t argue however you can’t fault her for acting the way she did when she figured out for herself. In fact if I didn’t tell Applejack first then I would expected her to barge in a few hours earlier.”
“Just because things could have turned out differently doesn’t mean her actions are excused” Daybreaker explained “She. Will. Be. Punished” Daybreaker said sinisterly.
“Then it appears we are stuck at a crossroads then” Twilight retorted, using what Daybreaker had said during their earlier argument against her.
This did not bode well as the glare Twilight received from Daybreaker felt that she would stab her if it meant hitting Rarity “You want to play that way? Fine” Daybreaker spat before turning her attention towards the hovering Day Dasher “Get these two out of my sight and lock them in the dungeons.” Daybreaker ordered, her body visibly shaking, it was obvious she was trying to hold her temper back.
As if on cue, Day Dasher landed next to Daybreaker and saluted before shoving the two out of the throne room. Twilight resisted at first as she stared at Daybreaker in disbelief before following alongside Rarity towards the dungeons “Just so you know…I had no obligation to stay here in the first place” Twilight said sadly before leaving willingly. Day Dasher following closely behind while Twilight tried her best to ignore the stares and whispers of both the guards and petitioners alike.
Twilight offered no resistance as she entered the almost pitch black jail cell that Day Dasher had selected. The only light radiating from a dimly lit torch a few cell blocks down in the hallway. She knew why she was thrown in the dungeons however she couldn’t help but be annoyed that Daybreaker actually went through with it, especially after everything she had said to her.
‘I mean more to her than the sun itself…yeah right’ Twilight thought.
“Thank you.”
Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at Rarity who looked disgusted as she examined the walls and floor of their cell “No need to thank me, I know that I have a lot of explaining to do and it would sound incredibly unlikely however I promise you it is the truth. I already explained everything to Applejack.”
The white unicorn raised an eyebrow “Yes you do darling however I never said anything.”
Twilight rushed to the bars to see the cyan pegasus traverse back up the staircase “Day Dasher wait!” Twilight called out. However the mare in question ignored Twilight and continued her ascent until she was out of sight.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Twilight walked to the back of the cell and laid down ‘Maybe I was just hearing things’ Twilight thought as she watched Rarity approach her, trying to find an appropriate place to lay down “I don’t know what you see in her darling, she is cruel, rude, ruthless and doesn’t care about anypony other than herself” Rarity scoffed.
Twilight couldn’t help but smile for what felt like the first time since getting out of bed “I’m not so sure about the last part though I agree with everything else” Twilight agreed as she watched Rarity hesitantly lay down next to her, her face scrunching up at how dirty the floors were.
“Uugh it’s going to take an extra-long spa visit to get this all cleaned off” Rarity complained causing Twilight to giggle.
‘Classic Rarity’ Twilight thought to herself as she decided to go back and clarify a misunderstanding for Rarity “I know you read it in the papers however we aren’t actually courting. I am her protégée and star student” Twilight informed.
Rarity just laughed while waving her hoof at Twilight’s statement, completely dismissing it “Nonsense darling, I have read and experienced my fair share of romances over the years, she is completely infatuated with you. The way she reacted when your wing caught fire, you may have not noticed but she was absolutely terrified, examining each and every feather individually to make sure there was no permanent damage. I wish I had somepony that would look at me like that.”
Those words reminded Twilight of what Nightmare Moon said back in the dream realm “I’m not quite sure what type of romance stories you’ve been reading however I’m pretty sure you don’t send the one you love to the dungeons” Twilight responded bitterly.
Rarity rolled her eyes “As thankful as I am for you saving and standing up for me dear you did have it coming. Especially when you said ‘whatever you do to her you are going to have to do to me as well’. I’m not standing up for her darling but I admit I did act on an impulse and challenged her in front of everypony. She would have never let me walk unscathed from that, she has an image to uphold after all as ruler of Equestria otherwise others may follow suit and challenge her rule.”
Twilight was hating how much sense Rarity was making and was now starting to feel bad about her actions, especially with what she said at the end about having no obligation to be here “Maybe she was right about me being difficult.”
Twilight jumped slightly when she felt a hoof rub along her back “Nonsense darling, I guarantee that within the next 5 hours your special somepony would come down here to check up on you” Rarity reassured. Twilight had no idea if Rarity actually believed they were courting or if she was just messing with her but it did make her feel slightly better “You should come with me for my next spa visit darling, you need some time to relax. I can practically feel the tension radiating off you…Whenever we get released that is” Rarity offered while mumbling the last part out.
“Things have been pretty stressful for me lately. I guess a few hours of relaxation would do me well, might even help put my mind back on track and look at problems from a new viewpoint” Twilight agreed “Though I guess since we are stuck in here for the time being I should start explaining everything that has happened since our encounter with Nightmare Moon.”
With a nod from Rarity, Twilight cleared her throat as Rarity prepared to listen to Twilight’s lengthy exposition “Let’s start off by saying the Twilight you knew back in Ponyville did indeed die against Nightmare Moon and that I'm a Twilight from another reality, one in which we succeeded in gathering the elements to defeat Nightmare Moon where a pony named Starlight Glimmer created…”
Roughly two hours had passed and Twilight finished explaining everything that has happened. Just like Applejack, Rarity was incredibly doubtful at first however after discussing the things she knew about the Rarity back in her reality, things that no other pony other than her little sister should know about she eventually came around.
“Sorry for dragging you into this mess darling, I really did think you were alive all this time and that we were banished for absolutely nothing. I was simply outraged and marched here without a second thought.” Rarity apologized, her ears perked backwards as she stared down at her forehooves.
Shaking her head, Twilight gave the fashionista a reassuring pat on the back “No need to apologize, we are best friends back in my reality and I would like to believe the same would apply in this one, I would do this all over again without a second thought. Besides as I said…well yelled at Daybreaker back in the throne room, I should have asked if somepony could have sent the forms to Applejack so that she and Pinkie Pie could search for the rest of you. This could have all been avoided if that was the case, I thought a few extra days wouldn’t hurt” Twilight replied as the sound of armored hooves clanking against the ground echoed throughout the hallway, growing louder with each and every step.
Eventually Daybreaker came into view and stopped in front of their cell, staring at Twilight through the gaps between the metal bars that separated them “How are you holding up?” Daybreaker asked softly, not paying the white unicorn any mind.
Twilight wasn’t expecting Rarity to be right about Daybreaker coming to check up on her so quickly “Could be worse I suppose” Twilight responded in a slightly bitter tone. Still not happy about the entire situation though acknowledges the fact that she was also in the wrong at least to a certain degree.
Closing her eyes, Daybreaker rested her head against the iron bars and let out a loud sigh “I hate it when we fight like this” Daybreaker said sadly “Despite what ponies say about me I do in fact have a heart. I hate yelling at you and it seems like that is all we have done since we got out of bed, just constantly arguing with each other and it hurts, a lot. I didn’t want to send you here and I admit I did it out of impulse however I couldn’t let your friend’s actions slide, especially in front of that many ponies.”
Twilight didn’t consider Daybreaker’s feelings at all during this entire ordeal. She had only been looking at things from her own view point instead of Daybreaker’s who would be taking this a lot worse than her since she effectively lost her Twilight once already. She felt her heart sink at the depressed and pitiful sight of the powerful monarch before her.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, but promise me this, promise me that you will never leave me alone again. I don’t think my heart would be able to hand-“ Daybreaker started but got interrupted when she felt something press against her head.
Reopening her eyes she was met with Twilight’s bright alluring violet eyes staring deeply into her own, their foreheads touching causing their horns to cross. Unable to do much else with the iron bars separating them “Being down here gave me some time to think and I did bring this upon myself. However I don’t regret it for a second. Rarity is my best friend and I will do anything to protect her as well as the others, just like with you and that stallion after training yesterday.” Twilight responded with a growing smile, she wanted nothing more than to accept that promise however she knew she had to get back to her reality as soon as possible.
A small smile grew on Daybreaker’s face as she rubbed her nose against Twilight’s who returned the gesture with a nuzzle of her own “Unfortunately I have to keep you both locked up for a week or so. I will however leave a guard outside who will cater to your every need. Don’t hesitate in letting them know if you need anything, even if it is me” Daybreaker started, her smile quickly fading “I need to do this so-“
“So other ponies wouldn’t think they could get away with doing the same thing, don’t worry I understand. Though there is something you can do for me right now which will make my imprisonment easier” Twilight interrupted.
“And what is that?” Daybreaker asked curiously.
“Upholding your end of the bargain and letting me read Starswirl’s personal journal…oh and some writing material as well for notes” Twilight smirked.
Daybreaker shook her head in disbelief “Even while imprisoned you still wish to study, very well I shall return momentarily” she replied with a laugh and walked away to get what Twilight had requested.
“Oh and one more thing” Twilight called out causing Daybreaker to stop in her tracks and look back at Twilight.
“I said I had no obligation to stay here in the first place” Twilight said sadly as she bit her lower lip, forcing her gaze to stay on Daybreaker and not shift to the floor “However I chose to and I plan on continuing to do so. If you still want to deal with this difficult mare of course” Twilight said hoping that little teasing remark would lighten the mood.
This seemed to perk the deity’s spirits “I would love nothing more” Daybreaker replied happily as she traversed back up the staircase with a slight spring in her step.
Once Daybreaker had ascended the staircase and was out of sight, Twilight turned back to face a smug looking Rarity “Not a word” Twilight warned.
Rarity’s smile grew to a point where it could challenge Pinkie Pie’s “Darling, how can you say that you two aren’t courting? You have to be blind not to see it. Oh and even if there is no clock down here, that was definitely under my five hour prediction” Rarity winked.
Twilight rolled her eyes as she laid back down next to Rarity, waiting for Daybreaker’s return “Because we aren’t courting, I’m her student that she lost over 10 years ago, that is only a natural reaction” Twilight responded.
“Maybe you two are courting is the wrong choice of words” Rarity said with a thoughtful hum “Maybe Daybreaker courting you is the correct term. I may have never seen Daybreaker since she was still known as Celestia however word travels around quickly and nopony has ever mentioned Daybreaker having a nice side or a soft spot. Everything I saw just then was a complete contradiction to what I've heard.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at Rarity and shook her head “Nonsense, that would never happen” was all Twilight said but with each passing second, her confidence in her answer was dropping as she thought about everything that had transpired between them since they met. All the playful remarks and displays of affection Daybreaker shared since she got here, it would also explain why she kept sneaking into her bed at night.
“Would it?” Twilight asked mostly to herself.
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Wasn't Fleetfoot in the Wonderbolts 10 years ago? She'd be in her like mid-30s in this timeline, a little old for guard school? Also, the guard being Rainbow Dash confirmed!
Same old dense Twilight. If the six gather... Perhaps the elements can be found... And used. This Equestria could have peace again.
9271754
Yes, peace is required. However, that ideal is easier said than done.
For being banished it doesn’t apparently take long for them to get back.
I love your story! The concept the writing everything is perfect. Please continue as soon as you can.
-Your faithfull fan
I already have called Rainbow Dash the first time I read "cyan pegasus", but then it turned out her name was Day Dasher, and the former bearers were under banishment, so given this I thought I was mistaken. However using different names (such as Fresh Coat) instead of Rarity left this topic open for me. Again.
As for the chapter itself, it did not disappoint. Keep up the good work!
Woooz
Beautiful
I loved the story of Twilight's family leaving to Crystal Empire, and rarity appearing was one of my favorite scenes.
That week in prison for Twilight could be interesting :3
I love this story
Perhaps in time Twilight would even be able to draw out the old Celestia from Daybreaker herself given enough time that is.
So far I have really enjoyed your story and hope you will continue writing. I hope you have a good day.
Godness..this is gonna get sad down the line isin't it? Welp time to bolt shut the hatches men. We are going trough the oncoming storms of feels. Don't break poor Daybreakers heart
Also i like this chapter a lot, it definately shows their character traits clashing a bit. Also nice to see each influencing the other slightly, Daybreaker becoming more reasonable and calm, Twilight becoming a bit more carefree. Also no authors note? I don't mind. But would be fun hearing your thoughts everynow and then. Can't wait for more. Onwards! 
9271727
True, that entirely slipped my mind to be honest. Though i guess during a time of war you can't be picky with who joins the guard. If they can wear armor and swing a weapon, they can fight.
9272214
comments like these are what motivate me to write so thank you for taking the time to voice your opinion!
I'm glad you are enjoying it so much
9273263
Glad you liked it, been excited to write this chapter for quite a while now and is probably my favorite chapter yet despite how long it took to come out. I went against what i said in the authors note last chapter and continued past my original finishing point. i couldn't bring myself to end it as soon as Rarity barged in.
9273850
How convenient, i love writing it
9274040
Thanks for taking time the time to comment and for voicing your opinion! I'm very happy to hear you are enjoying the story thus far and i have every intention to keep doing so! I hope you have a good day yourself.
9274080
I try to refrain from authors notes as much as possible unless it dictates the future of the story (like my comment last chapter that that i never followed and ended up taking a month to come out). If i have something to minor to address i will create a blog or possible create a comment on the same chapter upon uploading. As for my thoughts...I personally think this is my best chapter yet, been excited to write that Daybreaker/Twilight/Rarity scene for a while now. And i'm still beating myself up for something I addressed in a previous chapter and since it impacts the story an a semi-crucial way i have to figure out how to tie it into the story. I know how the rest of the story will pan out and how to bring it to an end (at least the key events) however i am currently stumped and have been for over a month on how to expand on it without it being a disappointment or a plot hole.
I was excited to see what your comment would be this time
Still practising writing longer chapters; props to you for pulling it off!
9274338 Aight gotcha and fair enough, i am happy to see you are proud of your work.
To me at least its important to write something that sits right with oneself foremost. It becomes more fun that way, and usually people can tell by the heart and effort put into a fic. And believe it or not that makes the fic a blast to read aswell! It should be fun for both the fans and the author. So try not to stress about small things in the middle of big key events of the story. You have a multitude of options there, like more fluff between Daybreaker and Twilight, moments for them to relax, and to develop relationship wise and to sort of get a look into a bond being forged that will withstand anything. Also that leaves a lot of room for deeper character development. This is why i love longer fics, because its almost like a journey you know? 
Also here is still hoping for Twilight to maybe get a bit more of a darker personality from being in a timeline where things closer resemble Equestrias untamed past with monsters and such prowling the lands. Wich makes ponykind be sort of more weathered and rugged yet still keep the core of it all intact. You've already shown Nightmare to be a bit more blunt with dropping words like "I murdered her student" To an assassination attempt. While you do not have to go into overwhelmingly gory details, It still feels good to have a bit more of a rugged realistic view on things in this timeline. 
Edit: Took me like 20 minutes to write this
Also sick looking new avatar picture. I like it a lot 
9274911
I 100% agree that the best results are when the author puts their heart into their story. There have been too many stories i read that had a wonderful beginning but you can see the quality decrease over the chapters. Admittedly there will be a few chapters where some are better than others but you can see when the author loses love for their story. I'm not too worried about the small stuff as i make my way towards the key events, it is usually just fluff between Daybreaker and Twilight. I feel that people enjoy the journey towards the characters relationship more rather than the characters actually going out, that is my opinion though and others may disagree with it.
20 minutes! I appreciate you taking that much time to respond to my comment
I love longer stories for that reason alone, character and world development is essentially my version of a clopfic. And thanks for the compliment for the new avatar. As soon as i saw it i fell in love and just had to use it. A combination between Daybreaker and Nightmare moon is just amazing. I would comment on your hopes on Twilight but wouldn't want to give anything away
I really love the way this story is going and any formatting/grammatical mistakes are nothing jarring or painful to read. I really commend how realistic you keep the story especially while the PoV is primarily Twilight's, you also consider perspective from other characters.
In my opinion, despite this not being my OTP/ship, fluff is always welcome. I request that you don't rush to major plot points for not just my enjoyment of random fluff but also to keep pacing relatively consistent
. Thanks for writing! Keep it up!
9276562 No problem
Also apologies in advance to my almost always really long comments. There is much i wanna say, even moreso if the current fic i'm reading is one of my top 3's of all time. Something i do wanna mention with the buildup to a realtionship in just shipping stories in general. I love the build up, it's one of my favorite things ever to read about, but many stories lack a satisfying end to come down from the emotional high that is something the protagonists have fought for finally happening followed by an all too soon end. Me personally i love it more to let it simmer down for a bit towards the end. I get why stories tend to end like that, it's sort of like a happily ever after scenario. But i dunno, it's hard for me to just feel content with that. It tends to be really abrupt i guess 
There are some fics on this site that i mourn, who never got finished. Composure is one of them, that fic blew me away. It was so good but then something happened to the author i think that just left it there. I am increadibly happy that you are active in the comments big plus for you there. Romance surrounding our beloved purple alicorn are my favorite, especially when it involves one of the alicorn sisters or the villains. My first fic i ever read that cursed me to forever love Twiluna was Apotheosis. From that day on i was cursed to sail the seas endlessly, some think me a cursed pirate looking for booty, but in reality i look for ships. 
I can't wait for the next chapter of this story maybe we can even see the reaction of Shining and Candence when they learn that Twilight is alive
9276903
Yeah the last time i even remotely wrote a story was for my high school English test which i failed, i'm not the greatest writer when it comes to structure or punctuation so i'm glad it isn't too bad. I do go back to check quite often to make sure it is fluent to read. I am not by any means going to rush the story so you don't have to worry about that. Trying to find the perfect balance between fluff and story progression so that it isn't boring to a point where nothing is really happening story wise as well as the story not moving too fast where it feels rushed, made that mistake in one of the earlier chapters where people said it felt rushed but forgot which one. I think the pacing i have now is fine however the next chapter is more focused around the story more than anything and will be one of the more boring ones since it is hard to add fluff while in a jail cell. Thanks for the continued support!
9277078
I think i understand what you mean, you want to see how the relationship pans out after the build up and confession? I try to be as active as possible in the comments however if someone comments about a theory they have or how they think the story is going to go i try not to reply because i don't want to give a hint in any direction. I love reading what people think is going to happen and shows they are thinking ahead, Twilight/villain ships are my favorite as well.
No need to apologize, i love reading comments and is what helps motivate me to write, without them i will be struggling to continue, especially these longer ones and i'm glad this story is one of your favorites, just hope it wont be a let down in the end.
9281801 Yes exactly! It does not have to be very long, but just let things calm down a bit towards the end, and also getting some insight into what the characters are planning to do next sorta thing. That way it's not as abrupt and you get a sort of fullfilling end that's like "Oh hey it's not the end of their adventures but merely another beginning" Many people think that is sequel bait, but i dunno. I like to leave it like that cause then the reader starts to imagine what may happen next on the pair's journey. And thanks
I easily get a bit carried away. Glad you like the comments. Makes me double the more happy that i wrote them.
Welp that was an epic way to reintroduce Rarity back into Twilight's life!
I wonder if this will become a shipfic for the sake of shipping TwiBreaker (that sounds like the title of a bdsm fic...) or if it actually will end with Twilight going back. However using my understanding of the multiverse theory and how time-travel works within it it would be nearly impossible for Twilight to return to her own world. And it would not be linked to time-travel, but rather to dimension skipping.
Is more coming soon?
9322095
More is definitely coming very soon, the next chapter is technically finished and has been for a while now, just trying to improve on it and make it more interesting/enjoyable to read. Hopefully it will be out in the next few days though. My third rewrite of it basically.
9322767
Ah ok
моя собака одобряет
Well, she got her legitimate study time. All with no interruptions!
But... Will there be a way to satisfy both realities? Probably not...
My curiosity is outweighing my frustrations. I'm frustrated that Daybreaker can't seem to learn from her own teachings. I can understand where she's coming from, however grief will make us do dumb things. The worst mistake Daybreaker could have ever made was banishing the rest of the mane six. The second was attempting necromancy without an affinity for dark magic over light magic. The third was trying to control AU Twilight. Being a tyrant was probably her smartest move. And if she's any smarter than she's proving, she'd have the brain capacity to understand that if you love something, you have to let it go.
I mean, sure, there was also that time that they caught me sleeping with your corpse, and that other time that they caught me talking to your corpse as though it were still alive, and that shrine that they uncovered that I had built to you, but other than those reasons...
9271727
How was it confirmed again? I mean, sure, I already knew it, because come on, it's obvious seeing the way that Rainbow Dash, treated Twilight Sparkle back in Chapter...5, I think? Lemme look. Yeah, it was Chapter 5. And the name. The name was a dead giveaway. I mean hell, Spectrum Flash could be a Twin of Rainbow Dash's.
Oh, Day Dasher is a cyan pegasus...
No mention of mane color (or perhaps I missed it?), and in one of the last chapters she was described as "the most loyal guard." This might not bode well.
I feel like Rainbow would definitely be the kind of pony to talk back at Celestia after being accused of killing Twilight, getting her tongue cut out (muted) as punishment, and forced to be a personal servant/guard.