Daybreak

by Leafdoggy

Chapter 4

The nursery was dark, lit only by a night light plugged in by the light switch. The dim glow glittered off the gemstones that decorated the mobile above the crib, casting the room in a wavy, inconsistent sort of brightness.

With a quick flap of her wings, Flurry Heart jumped high into the air and floated gently down into the crib. It was far more spacious than Daybreak was likely to ever need, so it was no problem for Flurry Heart to settle down without disturbing her. Daybreak was sleeping soundly, swaddled neatly in a little blanket that was patterned with delicate moths.

Tentatively, Flurry Heart reached out and prodded Daybreak’s shoulder. “Psst,” she whispered. “Hey. Wake up.”

“Mmn…” Daybreak stirred a little, but never opened her eyes, and settled back down right away.

Flurry Heart frowned. “Hey! C’mon, it’s not that late.”

She gave Daybreak a few more delicate prods, and finally she opened her eyes. “Mm?” She looked up at Daybreak sleepily, unsure of what was going on.

“There you are,” Flurry Heart said, unable to hide the impatience in her voice. “Okay, Daybreak, I need a favor. You know that thing you tried to do at dinner? Well, your mom’s not here to stop you now.”

Daybreak tilted her head curiously. She had no clue what was being asked of her.

Flurry Heart huffed. Using her magic, she lifted Daybreak up and out of her blanket, then settled her back down on her stomach so they could be face to face. Then she sat down and tapped Daybreak’s horn. “The thing. Do the thing.”

Daybreak thought for a moment, then lit up her horn and shot out a tiny spark. She grinned wide, thrilled with her own talent, and flailed her legs in an awkward, excited gesture.

“No, not that one.” Flurry Heart muttered something unintelligible under her breath. “The love thing!”

Daybreak stared up at her for a moment. Then she shot out a few more sparks and started laughing at her success.

Flurry Heart growled. “Ugh, why aren’t you listening? That’s not what I want, I want—”

The growl finally piqued Daybreak’s interest. She focused in on Flurry Heart’s frustration and lit up her horn.

At first, nothing happened. She hadn’t quite figured it out yet, and her magic couldn’t quite latch on. So, she concentrated more and intensified her efforts.

Magical flames erupted around her horn, and she clamped onto the anger that so intrigued her.

Flurry Heart wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t what happened. She thought that, at the very least, it would be controlled. That a baby couldn’t have that much power. What she didn’t know was that Chrysalis had lived for a long time, and in that life she’d learned to restrain herself.

She didn’t know that what Shining Armor had experienced was just a fraction of what Chrysalis could do, and she hadn’t considered the fact that foals often had unstable, dangerous magic.

She felt Daybreak’s magic tighten like a vice on her heart and start to squeeze. Her will, her essence, her self was being at once crushed and drawn in by the magic.

Her thoughts went dry, washed away entirely by the draining sensation that took over her body. She tried to back away, but her legs crumpled underneath her, too weak and shaky to hold her weight.

She held up a feeble, shaking hoof. “Daybreak, s-stop! Please!” She winced as her head started to pound.

Desperately, she shut her eyes and raised her voice as loud as she could muster. “Stop!”

Daybreak stopped her magic, and Flurry Heart scrambled away from her until she ran up against the end of the crib. She clutched her legs to her chest and started to shiver.

Daybreak was looking at her in confusion. She didn’t understand what was going on, or why Flurry Heart had reacted so negatively.

She did recognize the fear in Flurry Heart’s eyes, though, and she had a vague understanding that it was her fault. All the joy and excitement she’d had just a few moments before fell away, and she whimpered as she reached out, only to have Flurry Heart shy away from her more.

The door shot open, and Twilight and Chrysalis ran in. They took the scene in quickly and silently agreed to split up, Chrysalis scooping up Daybreak while Twilight pulled Flurry Heart out of the crib and gave her a tight hug.

“What happened?” Twilight whispered. She stroked Flurry Heart’s mane in an effort to calm her down, though it had little effect.

“I-I…” She sniffed. “I just…” Unable to get the words out, Flurry Heart just shook her head and buried her face in Twilight’s chest.

Twilight held her close and hummed softly. “Do you want me to take you to your mom?” Flurry Heart nodded feebly and, with a quiet gesture to Chrysalis, Twilight picked her up and flew gently out of the room.

Now alone, Chrysalis looked down at the still-whimpering shape of Daybreak pressed against her chest and sighed. “I really don’t know what to make of you,” she whispered.

The door opened barely moments after Twilight knocked on it. “Hel—” Cadence started, but the second she saw Flurry Heart she cut herself off. Without hesitation, she took hold of Flurry Heart and carried her gently over to the bed to hold her.

Clutching Flurry Heart’s head against her chest, Cadance looked up at Twilight. Her eyes were full of fear and concern. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “We found her in Daybreak’s room.”

“In…” Cadance looked down and kissed Flurry Heart’s forehead. “Sweetie, can you tell me what happened?”

Flurry Heart sniffled hard and squeezed her mom tightly. “I didn’t know.”

Twilight shut the door as quietly as she could and snuck away.

Shining Armor, just waking up from the commotion, rolled over and looked up sleepily. “What’s going on?”

“She was in Daybreak’s room,” Cadance said. “Flurry Heart, did you… Did she hurt you?”

Flurry Heart nodded meekly.

Cadance squeezed her tight. “Oh, my poor baby. I’m so sorry.”

With another sniff, Flurry Heart pulled her head back and looked up. “P-Please don’t be mad at her, mom.”

“I’m not mad,” Cadance said.

“It’s not her fault,” Flurry Heart went on. “I made her do it.”

“It’s nopony’s fault,” Cadance told her.

Flurry Heart shook her head. “I-I know… I know you hate Aunt Chrysalis cuz of what she did to dad. It wasn’t Daybreak’s fault, though. I-I don’t…” She trailed off and leaned forward against her mother’s chest.

Cadance and Shining Armor shared a concerned look. Cadance frowned and stroked Flurry Heart’s mane. “I don’t hate Aunt Chrysalis,” she said, “and I’m not going to hate Daybreak.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Flurry Heart fell asleep there, pressed up against her mother, and slept late into the next day. Her parents stayed beside her, careful not to wake her, well into the morning. They may have stayed like that the entire day if not for the knock on their door a few hours after dawn.

Cadance went and answered it, and was shocked to see Chrysalis on the other side, pulling along a cart of food.

“I, uh… I brought you breakfast,” Chrysalis said.

Cadance smiled at her. “Thank you, Chrysalis. Would you like to come in?”

Chrysalis nodded and pushed the cart into the room, then went and stood near the bed. “Did she sleep all night?” She asked, looking down at Flurry Heart.

Shining Armor nodded. “She’s totally out.”

“That’s good,” Chrysalis said. “She should stay in bed for a few days.”

“Days?” Shining Armor exclaimed. “All I needed was a good night’s rest.”

“This isn’t like that,” Chrysalis said. “Not to be crude, but I fed with longevity in mind. I knew how much I could drain without any major consequences. This…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I should have been more diligent.”

“We know you did all you could,” Cadance said. “I don’t blame you for this. It was just… A bad accident.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Well, nevertheless, I am sorry. Also, you may want to consider heading back early. She should be in her own bed.”

Chrysalis sighed. “You’re probably right. It’s a shame to have to leave, but—”

“Mm…” Flurry Heart suddenly stirred and rolled over. “No…”

Cadance walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Sweetie? What’s wrong?”

Flurry Heart forced her eyes open and looked up at her mother. “I don’t wanna ruin your trip.”

Cadance frowned and rubbed her cheek. “You’re not. We just want you to be comfortable.”

“I’m fine,” Flurry Heart said, although a sudden wave of echoing pain made her wince.

“You’re not fine,” Chrysalis told her. “You need to be in your own home. We can reschedule the visit.”

Cadance nodded. “We’ll come back soon, okay? After you feel better.”

“Mmn…” Flurry Heart rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in a pillow. “I’m sorry.”

“Shh.” Cadance rubbed her back gently. “Just rest.”

“I’ll let you get ready,” Chrysalis said, and she left the room.

They took their time packing up. They ate breakfast first, although they had to coax Flurry Heart into sitting up long enough to get food down. Then Cadance went and gathered Flurry Heart’s things, while Shining Armor packed up all of theirs. It was a slow process, especially with the frequent stops to check up on Flurry Heart, and it was nearly lunchtime when they were finally ready.

Both of her parents offered to carry her, but Flurry Heart insisted on walking as they made their way out. She was unsteady on her legs and stared at the ground as she trudged along. Shining Armor was carrying the bags, and Cadance had Flurry Heart’s blanket folded neatly on her back so they could use it on the train ride home.

Twilight and Chrysalis met them in the front hall to say goodbye. Daybreak was in a stroller, looking up at the world with her wide, curious eyes. While the adults hugged and said their goodbyes, Flurry Heart snuck over to Daybreak and looked down at her.

“I’m not mad at you,” she whispered. Daybreak watched her as she talked. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.”

Daybreak looked at her for a second, then lit up her horn. Flurry Heart flinched, but relaxed when a tiny spark shot out. Then Daybreak grinned and started laughing, and Flurry Heart couldn’t help but grin weakly back.

Comments

[nioniosbbbb]

This was good. Btw FUCKING CALLED IT!

[Changeling404]

WHAT THE BU...!?

[Lore Horse]

I get the feeling that's going to be some sort of endearing moment between the two of them. That just seems like the kind of moment that would help Flurry Heart understand Daybreak.

[Razzy]

"I am Daybreak Nymph! I hunger!"

[Vaguely Demented]

Weird to think of Chrysalis and restraint going together.