Daybreak

by Leafdoggy

Chapter 13

In the dead of night, under the omnipresent gaze of the moon, Daybreak crept through the dirt and weeds of an unkempt alleyway. The streets around her were silent but for the whistle of the wind and the buzz of insects, but she could never be too careful. She had to be diligent, to check around every corner and stop at every noise, lest she be discovered.

Ponyville was empty. It was always less busy at night, but tonight it was completely devoid of ponies. The streets were bare, the shops were dark. Daybreak couldn’t even hear the quiet mumbling of ponies as she passed from house to house.

Something felt off, but she couldn’t quite place what.

She didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on that thought, though. She had a job to do. A castle to infiltrate, a unicorn to hunt down, and there was no other pony, no other creature, who was up to the task.

Finally, she reached her goal. The massive, crystal structure towered above her, sharp against the black night sky. It glittered with gentle greens and pastel purples, beacons in the dark beckoning her inside.

She glanced up and down the street again and again until she was certain she was alone. Then she crouched down and, keeping her body as low to the ground as she could, she scurried across and into the safety of the castle’s shade.

From there, she snuck around to the back of the castle. She knew the front door was too risky; Starlight wasn’t home often, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be now. Instead, she looked around until she spotted the window she thought would lead into the room she wanted, then took to the sky and darted up to it.

It squeaked loudly as she pushed it open, making her flinch and hide against the castle wall. Her heart pounded in her chest and her ears rang as she waited to be caught, but no noise came, no opening doors or angry voices. Somehow she’d gotten lucky. Somehow, she was safe.

Not wanting to push the window open any farther, she turned herself briefly into a tiny beetle and slipped through the crack she’d made. On the other side, she turned back and settled down quietly onto the floor.

Finally, she could relax. With a deep breath, she took a look around, and a devilish grin grew across her face.

There it was. The thing she’d come all this way for, the reason she’d risked so much.

There, in the center of the room, was the Cutie Map.

Eagerly, she dashed over and hopped straight up onto the table. It could handle her weight, she figured, and she needed the best vantage she could get. She searched around, first finding Canterlot, and the castle within, and figuring out the exact spot that her bedroom sat. Then she scanned nearby until she found Ponyville, the crystal castle, the map room. It was all there in stunning detail like she was looking down on the world itself, and her mind lit up with possibilities. All the things she could do with this, all the places she could—

“Hey.”

Daybreak shoved a hoof in her mouth to stifle a yelp at the sudden voice behind her. She tripped over herself as she spun around and tumbled over onto her back, landing with a painful thud against the hard crystal table.

Daybreak glared hard at Angel. “Don’t scare me like that,” she whispered sharply. “You almost blew our cover!”

“Your cover,” Angel said. She didn’t bother to whisper. “I can just leave if I’m about to get caught.”

Daybreak growled under her breath. “Take this seriously, Angel! It’s important!”

“I am taking it seriously,” Angel said.

“Can you two quit your bickerin?” Royal Gala’s voice suddenly came from one of the chairs situated around the map. She was sitting there nonchalantly, her hind legs propped up onto the map and her head tilted back. “We’ve got work to do.”

Grumbling under her breath, Daybreak pushed herself back to her hooves and wandered over to Canterlot on the map. “Okay,” she started, “how do we find Starswirl?”

Royal Gala shrugged. Angel propped her front hooves on the table and started to look around. “We could ask his friends,” Angel suggested.

“Well, where are they?” Daybreak asked.

“I don’t remember who they are,” Angel said.

Daybreak groaned. “Great. Royal Gala?”

“Why me? Don’t you know?”

“Obviously not! Why would I care about a bunch of old ponies?”

“Cuz they’re important?” Royal Gala rolled her eyes and leaned forward to look at the map. “Let’s see, uhh… Well, Somnambula’s probably in Somnambula. That one’s easy. Mage Meadowbrook doesn’t really leave her town. Um… Geez, they’re a hard bunch to nail down, huh? Reckon we should just start there?”

“Sure,” Daybreak said. “So, swamp or desert?”

“Eugh.” Angel shuddered. “Not the desert.”

“Swamp it is, then. Guess we’ll—”

Daybreak was cut off when a strange, shrill beeping noise filled the air.

Wincing, Daybreak covered her ears. “What the heck is that?”

“Sounds like your alarm clock,” Royal Gala said.

“What? But why would—” Daybreak huffed and kicked the table. “Seriously? Am I dreaming?”

“I thought you knew,” Royal Gala replied.

“How would I know that? Ugh, I… Is that even the real Angel?”

“I’m always the real Angel,” she said.

“Yeah, she’s real,” Royal Gala agreed. “I ain’t about to try and make a fake Angel when I can just go grab the real one.”

As they talked, the beeping started to get louder and louder.

“Ugh, I gotta get up,” Daybreak said. She hopped off the table with a grumpy look on her face. “Angel, gimme ten minutes to get ready, then take us to the swamp, kay?”

“Sure.”

With one final huff, Daybreak closed her eyes and shook her head, and the dream evaporated around them.

Daybreak slapped the alarm to shut off the quiet beeping. With a groan, she tumbled her way out of bed and over to her closet.

It wasn’t quite dawn yet, and she didn’t bother to turn on the lights, so the room was dark as she sorted through her things. She was trying to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake her parents, and it slowed her down a lot, so to save on time she wound up just slipping into the first boots she found and grabbing a grubby, hand-me-down saddlebag that she strapped over her back.

“You ready?” Angel’s voice came from the corner of the room.

“Gh—” Daybreak gritted her teeth and spun around. “Every time,” she hissed. “Why do you have to freak me out every single time?”

“Because it’s funny.”

Daybreak hissed at her under her breath. “You’re lucky you taste weird.”

“Mm-hm. So, you ready?”

“Yeah, I guess. We gonna go to the farm first?”

“Mm-hm.”

The darkness closed in around them, and a moment later the two of them were standing in front of Royal Gala, who was lounging on her bed staring up at the ceiling.

“Hey guys,” she said absentmindedly.

“Hey,” Daybreak said. “Are you ready?”

“Mmm… Just about,” Royal Gala said. She didn’t move.

“Well… Get ready,” Daybreak said.

“One sec,” she said. “I’m waiting.”

“Waiting on what?”

Before she could say anything more, the air around them shifted. It started to get colder, as though the heat was being sucked out from around them, and that heat started to swirl together nearby. As the room grew frigid, blue sparks started to light up and spin around, seemingly lighting a blaze in the air. Trails of whispy blue fire followed the sparks, melded together, and then started to take the form of a tall, ominous-looking pony.

A moment later, Princess Luna was standing over them, glaring down suspiciously.

“On that,” Royal Gala said.

“Dang it, you set us up! Angel, get us—” Daybreak turned to her side, but Angel was already gone. “Augh!”

Luna cleared her throat. “Daybreak Nymph. Might I ask what you’re doing here before dawn?”

“Um… Visiting?”

“I see.” Luna took a few steps, circling around Daybreak. “It’s just… A curious thing. You see, my daughter had somewhat of an unorthodox dream last night.”

“Oh?” Daybreak scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “How… Curious?”

“I thought you said you weren’t gonna watch my dreams anymore,” Royal Gala said.

“I try not to pry,” Luna told her, “but I can’t help but keep a bit of an eye on you. When I see you jumping into another pony’s dreams, I get curious.”

“Mm.”

Luna sighed. “We can talk about it later. For now…” She crouched down and looked into Daybreak’s eyes. “I just need to know if something is wrong. Why are you seeking the pillars?”

“It’s nothing dangerous,” Daybreak said. “We just need Starswirl’s help with something.”

Luna looked over to Royal Gala and raised an eyebrow.

Royal Gala shrugged. “I mean, she’s not wrong.”

Luna took a deep breath and stood up. “Royal Gala, is this matter something you’d like to keep private from us?”

“I guess,” Royal Gala said. “Til it’s over, at least.”

“Very well,” Luna said. “Just stay safe. We’re here to help if you need it. Daybreak, Angel… I’ll have to tell your parents about this.”

“Dang it.” Angel stepped out from a corned of the room and rejoined them. “I was hoping you’d forget I was here.”

“Do you have to tell them?” Daybreak put on her best pleading face for Luna. “My moms will never let me keep this to myself if they know we’re up to something.”

“Well, then you’d better act fast,” Luna said. “I’ll be busy until dusk, but when I get the opportunity, I will tell them.”

Daybreak sighed. “Fine… Alright, c’mon girls, let’s go to the swamp.”

Royal Gala hopped up off her bed and gave her mother a quick hug. “See you tonight, Luna. Love ya.”

“I love you too, dear,” Luna told her.

Royal Gala nodded to Angel, and the shadows started to pull in around them.

Comments

[RandomGuy101]

First view, first comment!

Yay, update!

Leafy, too short!

Woo, I like it!

Uh, something else!

Come on, this is stupid!

[Razzy]

This can only end well.