A Question.

by darkwalker787

Only chapter

Twilight walked the streets of the Crystal Empire. She had been here for the better part of the afternoon studying and remembering everything she knew about it. Still she didn't have an answer for this burning question that popped into her mind at two am last night. It kept her up all night. The more she thought about it, the nonsense and nothing answers she came up with. Until the idea of doing this came knocking on the front door. Still she came up with nothing.

"Ugh! I guess I'll just go straight to source. Hopefully we can talk this out."

Ten minutes later Twilight found herself walking up the stairs in the Crystal Castle to the Throne room. With a little help from her magic she pushed open to the door and saw the pony she wanted to see.

"Twilight? Oh my it's so good to see you-" Cadance said while getting up from her chair and hovering towards to Twilight. "What brings you here today?" She ask with a genuine smile. Twilight returned the smile with one of her own.

"Cadance, can I talk to you about something stupid and privately please?" Twilight spoke with that smile quickly fading. Cadance was taken back, but silently agreed. With a wave of her hand the guards around the Throne room marched outside the room. Cadance went back to her chair.

"So what's on your mind, Twilight? I can tell by the look on your face that this has been eating you up. Before you say anything let me guess. You came up with a new spell and you hit a wall?" Cadance questioned while scanning Twilight's facial expression for a quick answer. Unfortunately the answer was a shaking of Twilight's head.

"I wish I was here for that. But, I'm afraid the question is something I can't exactly word correctly" Twilight responded.

"Well then, let's take it one step at one time. Where do you think the question begins?"

"History"

"At what point in history?"

"Nightmares" Twilight said decidedly. Cadance was about to say something then she closed her mouth. Clearly she was thrown off guard by Twilight's answer.

"Okay.. What about them?" Cadance asked with interest. Twilight put her hands together slightly begging Cadance to hear her out. Cadance agreed again.

"Nightmoon came to Luna because she was growing jealous of Princess Celestia. Jealousy, sadness, extreme anger, resentment. These are the things that allowed Nightmoon to take over Princess Luna" Twilight stated like she was reading a book.

"Yes, we know that. I don't see where you're going with this, Twilight" Cadance spoke. Twilight turned her head to look outside the.

"That's because I'm not finished yet," Twilight replied.

"OH, then go on."

Twilight nodded "Daybreaker was born because of the increasing stress put onto Princess Celestia. The one-thousand years ruling alone must've been a difficult task. On top of all of that the situation with Luna was still a black spot and I'm sure Princess Celestia went through the same negative emotions as Princess Luna if not to a more dangerous degree."

"Are you trying to figure out what Triggers a nightmare to take over a pony? Because if that's it you seem to have figured it out, Twilight. It's negative emotions to a extreme degree" Cadance pointed out. That's when Twilight turned back looking directly at Princess Cadance with a look of frustration.

"Then let me ask you this, Cadance; why haven't you turned yet?"

Cadance recoiled "What?"

"Why haven't you turned into a Nightmare yet? That's the question that's been bugging me." Cadance went quiet for a moment. She thought about it and couldn't come up with an answer.

"If I had to guess, Twilight it's because I haven't experienced anything like Princess Celestia or Luna." Twilight shook her head at the answer.

"Cadance, You are one of the most loving and toughest Ponies I know. You were buried underneath the castle for a whole week including during on your wedding day."

"Twilight, that-"

"On more than one occasion your entire kingdom was threatened to be taken away. Heck, you and the Princesses were sent to hell in another occasion." Again, Cadance went silent. Twilight had a very good point. Add all that up and she should have at least had one negative thought about destroying everything she held dear. Nothing ever came though. Then Cadance thought about all of those bad moments she went through. There was one thing that held her together in those moments and it's the same thing holding her together now.

"I think the answer you're looking for is the light of hope, Twilight" Cadance spoke.

"The.. Light of hope?"

Cadance nodded "When I was buried underneath the castle I kept telling myself that Somepony will come rescue me. When Sombra first attacked I had you, my loving husband and the others to back me up. When I gave you my magic to fight against tirek I never gave up hope that you would put things right. I know that's the super complicated answer you were looking for, but it's the one that's coming from the bottom of my heart when I face it" Cadance said with a smile. Twilight tried several times to fight that. She just couldn't come up with a good rebuttal. Eventually with a heavy sigh she took Cadance's answer to heart and accepted it. One hug and a thank you later Twilight started to walk away.

"Twilight, wait." Cadance spoke.

Twilight turned around "Yes?"

"I hate to ask, but what about you? What would it take for you to turn nightmare?" Cadance asked.

Twilight sighed "Can I be honest with you, Cadance?"

"Of course, Twilight"

Twilight walked up to the Crystal Princess to the point where she could feel her breath bounce off Cadance's face.

"I always thought about that question ever since I became a Princess. I go around in circles thinking about what would turn me. It always comes back to my friends, Cadance. If I find out I will outlive them I'm going to destroy Equestria without hesitation. I know that seems simple, but it's my honest answer" Twilight seriously said. Cadance looked deep into Twilight's eyes to find out she wasn't kidding, not one bit. However, instead of being scared of that answer Cadance replied by flicking Twilight's horn really hard knocking her back down.

"OW! What was that for?! Twilight said while rubbing her horn. Cadance had a smile of pure confidence on her.

"Twilight, you may be serious. But, you're forgetting one thing."

"And that thing is?"

Cadance moved her eyes past Twilight and directly behind her "your friends will never will leave you alone even in death."

The moment Twilight was about to reply she was tackled by something.

"Hi, Twilight! Why are you in the Crystal Empire? Why are you alone With Princess Cadance? Are you two having a party?!" Pinkie Pie asked with that same smile Twilight loved so much.

"Pinkie, get off me! And no we're not having a party. I just wanted to ask her something. Actually, better question what are you doing here?"

"Spike asked us to come check up on you, egghead. I hope she wasn't bugging you, Princess" Rainbow dash said.

"I'll always make time for my sister in law. She knows that." Pinkie and Rainbow helped Twilight up and they laughed together. Unfortunately, they couldn't stay much longer because Cadance had to go to a meeting. But, that didn't stop her from thinking about Twilight's answer.

I really hope it doesn't come to that.

Author's Note:

Happy Easter everyone. I know this isn't very fitting for the day, but it's something I had come up with. I hope you enjoyed it either way.

Comments

[zimmerwald1915]

Daybreaker was neither a real entity nor a figment of Celestia's imagination. It was a figment of Starlight's imagination, in a moment when she was plagued by all sorts of irrational fears. There is no basis to believe there is any validity to it at all.

[Anon E Moose]

Does it count if her alternate universe counterpart already beat her to the punch?

[darkwalker787]

10177775
I'm not actually sure to be completely honest with you lol.

[darkwalker787]

10177724
Maybe or maybe not who knows for sure 🤔

[SuperPinkBrony12]

10177724 Then how do you explain Celestia's comment of "You will never exist again!"? That seems to imply that she's familiar with Daybreaker. And it seems kind of odd for Starlight to imagine a berserk Celestia out of the blue, unless someone put the mental image into her mind.

[zimmerwald1915]

10178302
Someone did put the image into her mind: Twilight. She put Starlight in mind of fallen princesses when she said "the last time the princesses fought, Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, and Princess Celestia had to banish her for a thousand years! That can't happen again!" And compounded Starlight's fears and self-doubts. And no, "you will never exist again" doesn't imply anything about Daybreaker other than that she existed at least once - which she did, in Starlight's dream/imaginings. Nor does Celestia need to have actually been Daybreaker at any point to viscerally despise and feel attacked by an imagined dark reflection of herself.

[Bluecatcinema]

10178314
Daybreaker didn't appear in Starlight's dream until Celestia arrived to try and help her. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think Celestia's inexperience with Luna's powers caused her to unknowingly create Daybreaker.

There's also the fact that Daybreaker didn't even acknowledge Starlight, talking to Celestia over her.

[Sethi]

Tfw no husband or friends to prevent you from becoming evil
Their retirement was well earned

[AC97]

10178718

And there was how Celestia was taking everything she said personally, as if Daybreaker knew her insecurities, which Starlight doesn't conceivably possess that much knowledge of; her cognitive empathy can be questionable for one thing (not the same thing as affective empathy, mind you).

I mean, where would Starlight know Celestia is much more powerful than she lets on, and is furthermore insecure about it? The Ashlands timeline? Nobody in or out of universe knows the answer to that one, who did it.

Starlight Glimmer: [panting] Going with my gut was the wrong call! I was supposed to bring you two closer together! But I've only driven you apart! If you two can't see why you need each other, then—!
Nightmare Moon: Then I am back! [laughing evilly]
Princess Celestia: Don't worry, Starlight. I know how to handle Nightmare Moon.
Daybreaker: Yes! But can you handle... me?! [laughing evilly]

Daybreaker: [laughing evilly]
Princess Celestia: This can't be!
Daybreaker: If Luna can turn into Nightmare Moon, you can absolutely turn into me — Daybreaker! The better, prettier, and more powerful version of you!
Princess Celestia: No! I'll never turn into you!
Daybreaker: Deep inside, you know how powerful you are. You don't need Luna.
Princess Celestia: That's not true! Even when we were apart, I knew I needed her!
Daybreaker: [laughs] Oh, please! You don't need anypony! You can do whatever you want. And all you have to do is get rid of anypony who stands in your way!

It's easy to notice that in contrast to Nightmare Moon, who first appeared and talked as a response to Starlight saying something, Daybreaker first did so in direct response to Celestia. (And she only even remotely responded to anything Starlight said once, whereas she directly talked to Celestia no less than six times)

Also, how did Luna know Daybreaker's name without having ever heard the name in the episode itself, from anyone? Script error, or... has she heard of or seen Daybreaker before, if under less extreme circumstances?