Daybreak

by Leafdoggy

Chapter 8

“Eat?”

“No,” Fluttershy said sternly. “Daybreak, please do not do that.”

“Do what?” Fire was looking between the two with confusion.

“It’s, um, a little complicated,” Fluttershy said. She talked slowly, distracted by keeping a sharp eye on Daybreak and her hungry gaze. “She’s half changeling, and, um—No!”

While Fluttershy was talking, Daybreak had crouched down like she was going to pounce, then lit up her horn.

Fluttershy moved on instinct. She jumped to get in between Daybreak and Fire, and as she soared through the air she waved her hoof in an attempt to summon up the strength to stop the magic.

Long, thin strips of darkness stretched out from Daybreak’s shadow and started to swirl around her. They spun up into the air and wrapped themselves around her horn, stifling the magical glow and, with it, the magic itself.

When nothing happened, Daybreak looked confused for a moment. She glanced up at Fluttershy, then around her at Fire, and decided to try again. She shut her eyes and strained herself, pushed as hard as she could, but still nothing happened. She’d been completely cut off from her magic.

She looked up at Fluttershy with a grumpy pout. “Bah!”

“No,” Fluttershy said. “Daybreak, you were going to hurt her!”

Daybreak shook her head. “Eat!”

Stepping around Fluttershy, Fire looked between the two of them. “Mind filling me in here?”

Fluttershy sighed and nodded. “Right. So, um, she’s half changeling, but instead of feeding on love, she seems to feed on… Anger? We’re not entirely sure, but that’s what it looks like.”

“Ah.” Fire crouched down so she was face to face with Daybreak. “Well, I must smell like a feast, huh?”

“Hmph.” Daybreak huffed and sat heavily on the ground.

“Well, I’m game,” Fire said. She turned to Fluttershy. “Let her at me.”

“What?” Fluttershy jumped back in shock. “B-But she’d hurt you! I can’t do that.”

“I’ve got plenty to spare,” Fire said.

“Sis, don’t be rash,” Bon told her. “Do you really want to encourage that behavior?”

“Seems to me she encourages herself just fine. Better she figures out she’s hurting other creatures with me than some other shmuck who’s not built for it.”

“Fire, I can’t just willingly let her hurt you,” Fluttershy said. “It wouldn’t be right.”

Fire stood up and looked hard into Fluttershy’s eyes. “Nah, what wouldn’t be right is lettin her kill someone cuz you didn’t have the spine to let her figure this stuff out when it was safe.”

“C’mon,” Bon said, “isn’t that a bit harsh? She’s a baby, she’s not gonna kill someone.”

“We don’t know that!” Fire snapped her head towards Bon as the flames around her neck surged and rippled. Then she looked back at Fluttershy and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really wanna take the risk of just hoping you can get her to bottle up that hunger for the rest of her life?”

“I—” Fluttershy bit her lip as she thought. “I don’t know. That’s a big leap! I… Give me a day or two, okay? If I don’t figure out anything better, I’ll come talk to you. I promise.”

Fire took a deep breath, and her flames died down a bit. “Fine. You better keep a close eye on her, though.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I will.” With that, she scooped up Daybreak and waved to the sisters. “You two enjoy your day off, okay?”

“Will do, Miss N!” Bon said cheerfully. She giggled at Fluttershy’s embarrassed cringe upon hearing the name. Fire, for her part, just gave Fluttershy a grunt and a nod.

Then Fluttershy left, deciding it was about time to head home. As she floated away, Daybreak peeked up over her shoulder to look back at Fire, who was watching them leave.

Fire, in a moment of impulse, flicked a tiny wisp of flame in their direction, and once Daybreak could use her magic again, she lit her horn up a tiny bit and sucked it out of the air.

A short, uneventful walk later and they were back at the cottage. Fluttershy fumbled with the handle a bit before pushing the door open and strutting in.

“Hello?” She called out as she shut the door behind herself. “Pinkie, are you home?”

There was a crashing noise upstairs, followed by the sound of running hooves. Then the hoofsteps lost their rhythm, getting tangled together, and there was a high pitched squeal followed by several heavy thumps as Pinkie tumbled down the stairs.

Fluttershy gasped and rushed over to Pinkie, who’d landed sprawled out on her back with a dazed look in her eyes. “Are you alright?”

“Meant to do that,” Pinkie mumbled. “Totally… Super on purpose.”

Fluttershy sighed and chuckled. “Uh-huh. Well, was a broken leg part of your plan, or can you stand up?”

“Uhh, let’s see!” With a grunt, Pinkie rolled herself over and pushed herself up off the floor. She wobbled a bit, but found her balance soon enough and gave Fluttershy a toothy grin. “All good!”

“Well, good,” Fluttershy said. She leaned in and gave Pinkie a soft kiss, then held Daybreak up so she could get a better look. “Look who’s visiting!”

“Ohh, yeah, the crib makes a lot more sense now,” Pinkie said. “Angel really didn’t like it when I put him in there.”

“Oh, be nice to Angel,” Fluttershy said. “He’s getting old.”

“That’s why I thought the crib was for him! Old things are kinda like babies.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay.”

“So, why’s Daybreak here?” Pinkie leaned down and nuzzled Daybreak’s nose with her own. “Not that I mind.”

Daybreak giggled at the attention and held her legs out to Pinkie, who took her from Fluttershy’s grip and hugged her lovingly.

“Twilight and Chrysalis are having trouble with her hunger issues,” Fluttershy said. “I said we’d take her for a few days to try and help.”

“Hmm…” Pinkie thought for a moment. As she did, she continued to dote on Daybreak with kisses and nuzzles. “Well, I dunno how I’m gonna help. I only know how to bake with love, not hate.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, but… I’ll catch you up over dinner.”

Fluttershy made her way into the kitchen to cook, and Pinkie took the chance to go lie on the couch and play with Daybreak. She held Daybreak up in the air, bouncing her and tossing her up before bringing her back down and kissing her face. She kept it up the entire time Fluttershy was cooking, never tiring of it, and was mildly disappointed when Fluttershy said the food was done.

As they ate, and as Pinkie fed Daybreak, Fluttershy caught her up on everything that had happened. Pinkie listened patiently, although not quietly, as she also spent the time playing with Daybreak.

“I dunno,” Pinkie said after she finished, “I can’t really think of anything we can actually do.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Yeah… I thought I could teach her about kindness, but I don’t think that’s even the problem here. It’s not that she’s being unkind, it’s more like she just doesn’t understand that ponies don’t like being mad, so she doesn’t see the problem with riling them up.”

“So…”

“I know,” Fluttershy said. “It’s just hard for me.”

“I can do it if you want.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I need to be there to stop it in case things go wrong.”

“Should I go get Fire?”

“I…” Fluttershy frowned. “I guess so, yeah.”

---

“Thanks for the help,” Pinkie was saying as she and Fire walked up to the cabin.

“No problem,” Fire said. “Like I told Fluttershy, I’ve got plenty to spare.”

“It’s probably gonna hurt.”

“Whatever.”

Pinkie pushed the door open and held it for Fire. Inside, Fluttershy was reading a book to Daybreak, but shut it and put it aside when they walked in.

She sat up and nodded to Fire with a soft smile. “Thank you for coming all this way. I’m sorry to bother you so soon.”

“Better to get it done with quick,” Fire said. She trotted over and bopped Daybreak on the nose. “How’s the little tot?”

“Fa!” Daybreak reached her legs out towards Fire. “Eat!”

“Uh-huh,” Fire said. She sat on the floor beside the couch Fluttershy was holding Daybreak on and held a hoof up in front of her face. With a quick flick, a flame popped up at the tip of her hoof, and she held it out towards Daybreak.

Daybreak grinned and grabbed Fire’s hoof before lighting up her horn and devouring the flame.

“Woah,” Pinkie said. She bounced over and sat next to Fluttershy. “What was that?”

“Well, you said she eats anger, right? Well, what exactly do you think these flames are?”

“I thought you were just on fire,” Pinkie said.

“You hug me every time you see me,” Fire replied.

Pinkie shrugged. “I figured I was immune to fire or something.”

“Pinkie, please do not assume you are immune to fire,” Fluttershy said. She turned to Fire. “So, you can just separate the flames from yourself? It doesn’t hurt?”

“Not at all,” Fire said. She lit up another spark to demonstrate, which Daybreak quickly sucked away. “I could do this all day.”

“Well, I’m glad it’s not hurting you,” Fluttershy said, “but I don’t really see how this fixes the problem. I mean, it’s not like she can just be around niriks all the time.”

“It’s just about practice,” Fire said, tossing Daybreak another morsel. “I mean, you know vampires. They can feed without hurting anyone, it just takes moderation.”

“How can she learn the limits without hurting anyone, though?” Fluttershy asked.

“She can’t,” Fire said. “You’re just gonna have to deal with that. She’s gonna go too far sometimes.”

“And you think we should just… Let her?” Fluttershy pursed her lips anxiously.

“I mean, don’t let her run wild,” Fire said. “Stop her when she slips up. You gotta give her the chance to slip up, though.”

“It just seems so… Dangerous,” Fluttershy said.

Fire shrugged, then turned her attention to Daybreak. “Alright, kid, have at it.” She tapped her own chest lightly. “Floodgates are open.”

Daybreak tilted her head. “Eat?”

“Yes, geez, eat!”

Daybreak squealed and squeezed her eyes shut as she concentrated. Her horn lit with a brilliant light, and a second later Fire sputtered and clutched her chest.

Fluttershy shut down Daybreak’s magic as Fire fell to the floor in a coughing fit. Pinkie jumped off the couch and crouched beside Fire, but wasn’t sure what she could do past just putting a sympathetic hoof on her side.

When the stream of magic shut off, Daybreak pouted and opened her eyes. She started to whine, but cut herself short when she saw Fire sprawled out on the floor. She stuck a hoof out towards the writhing nirik and frowned. “Fa?”

Fluttershy sighed and wrapped her legs around Daybreak. “You hurt her, sweetie,” she whispered. “See? That’s why I wouldn’t let you eat.”

“Mm…” Daybreak reached out for Fire, struggling a bit against Fluttershy’s grip. “Fa!”

With a shudder, Fire let out one final, harsh cough, then pushed herself back up off the floor. Her flames had died down quite a bit, and when she opened her eyes they seemed dimmer and less focused.

She took a deep breath as Pinkie rubbed her back. “Okay,” she said, “that hurt more than I thought it would.”

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said quietly.

Fire shook her head. “No, I asked for it.” She leaned forward and looked hard into Daybreak’s eyes. “Do you understand what just happened?”

Daybreak frowned and shook her head.

“You went too far,” Fire said. “Ate too much. Here, look.” She flicked her wrist and sparked up another little flame, which she held out to Daybreak. “Here.”

Daybreak pushed Fire’s hoof away, refusing to take it.

Fire pushed back. “Take it. Come on. Eat.”

“Mm…” Daybreak hesitated for a moment, then lit her horn up a bit and sucked up the flame.

“See?” Fire smiled at her. “No pain.”

Daybreak tilted her head. “Eat?”

“Okay, here,” Fire said. She put a leg around Pinkie and pushed her forward. “Take a little from Pinkie. Just this much,” she said, lighting another flame. “Can you do that?”

Daybreak shook her head defiantly.

“Try,” Fire said. She put the flame out and pushed Pinkie forward a bit more. “C’mon, eat.”

Daybreak looked at Pinkie. “Eat?”

Pinkie nodded. “Go ahead, sweetie.”

Daybreak took a breath, then lit her horn up just a tiny bit. A second later the light dimmed, although nothing seemed to have happened.

Pinkie looked at Fire. “Did she… do it?”

Fire shrugged. “Iunno. Did you do it, kid?”

Daybreak nodded. “Yah.”

“Well, there ya have it,” Fire said. She stood up, shivering briefly as an aftershock of pain hit her, and nodded. “Guess I’m done here.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Fluttershy frowned. “B-But she only did it once!”

“Like I said, she’s just gotta practice,” Fire said. “Don’t need me for that.”

“But what if she hurts someone?”

“Then stop her,” Fire said. “C’mon, you practically run this town, surely you can handle a baby.”

“I…”

“We can do it,” Pinkie said. She grinned and nodded to Fluttershy. “Right?”

Fluttershy sighed, then nodded back. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, you’re right. We’ve got this.”

“Good,” Fire said as she opened the door and stepped out. “See ya.”

“Thanks for the help!” Pinkie said cheerily. “Say bye-bye, Daybreak.”

“Bah!”

Comments

[RandomGuy101]

Daybreak is so CUTE!

[Lore Horse]

I hope she adapts to eat in increments quickly. She's too adorable to have a "run rampant" moment, at the rate she seems to be maturing it's possible that she could learn fast.

[Razzy]

Huh, now I wonder just how debilitating Chryssie's feeding would be if she didn't restrain herself heavily.