Daybreaker's Fiery Vengeance

Sunset tried to make sense of the surroundings. Images of her memories swirled around her. She sensed Daybreaker's presence before she could even look. Swirls of ashes formed in front of the large sun. The sun illuminated Daybreaker, which made the alicorn seem taller. Even the story of this mare didn't do the alicorn's personality any justice. Where had her friends gone? Where was Spike? She shuddered to think of their potential fates. The first memory materialized in front of her. Daybreaker pointed to Summer Dawn and a younger version of Sunset.

"You are meant to shine. Even your parents are proud of you. This is why your first friend is jealous of you. The sun casts a shadow on the lesser light," Daybreaker said.

A second memory followed the first one. "Some years later, you became Princess Luna's protege. She saw potential. The reason I brought you to this void is because I'm feeling tired of Celestia's constant defiance."

Sunset could only watch. She didn't want to seem submissive. As the alicorn rambled about her memories, she activated her magic. But it was of no use. How did she end up trapped in here? If Luna hadn't been imprisoned, the princess would assist her. She shook her head. She was old enough to solve problems on her own. She wasn't a small filly anymore. The memories continued scrolling past her eyes.

Daybreaker reached for Sunset's chin. "You are as radiant as I am. You don't need your friends. Any friend of yours would just abandon you as soon as you outshine them. Even your mentor would. She had a dark side."

"Don't manipulate me," Sunset said as she swatted Daybreaker's hoof away. "And only Luna touches my chin. She's like a mother to me. You, however, are a dangerous threat to Equestria."

"I figured. You are a stiff-necked mare. Celestia did give in. If she can give in, so can you. I'll show you what happens if you continue to trust your friends and your so-called mentor." Daybreaker summoned an image of the five mares.

"They're my friends, and even though Rainbow was the most loyal, the others had also proved their loyalty."

"Do you honestly believe they can stick by your side? Eventually, they will begin to envy you. That's why you must vanquish them."

Sunset watched her friends in the scene walk away. She sensed an emotion taking over in her heart. She suppressed the emotion, even though the scene reminded her of Twilight's betrayal. The fake versions of her friends spoke against her.

Rainbow Dash grimaced. "Sunset, I'm tired of you stealing all the glory. I'm the hero. I'm twenty percent cooler. We don't need you."

Applejack shook her head. "You can't even become a good leader without ordering us around."

Pinkie Pie sniffled. "And you're not fun at parties."

Fluttershy cowered. "You don't care about us."

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Stop being so much more fabulous than I am! Go ahead and leave!"

The five mares repeated the same words over and over. Sunset's heart beat faster than before. She couldn't let the image turn her heart against her own friends. She had seen the good they had done. The image changed to a vision of Luna transforming into a black alicorn.

"There is only one warrior in Equestria, and that heroine is... ME!" The black alicorn slammed her hooves against the floor.

The image disappeared. Daybreaker smirked. "Are you convinced yet?"

Luna's words replayed in Sunset's mind. Not every friend is going to betray you. She refused to back down. There was a truth to her mentor's words. The princess would never lie. Daybreaker would lie. She thought about the image of her friends. If Daybreaker was going to use another strategy to deceive her, she wouldn't believe the alicorn's dishonesty. She narrowed her eyes.

"Join my side," Daybreaker said. "I have wonderful powers that you'll enjoy."

"That vision is a lie designed to corrupt my heart. I won't turn on those I care about," Sunset replied.

"Luna must have taught you to be an obstinate pony. It's true that when you spend enough time with a certain pony, you become more like them. It's like I'm trying to corrupt the little princess."

"You're only grasping at straws. Princess Luna would say the same thing about you."

"See if you can defeat me in the real world. The battle won't be easy. I, Empress Daybreaker, shall plunge the world into eternal daylight!"

Sunset found herself in the throne room. The flames disappeared, but the fire pillars didn't. Once again, Daybreaker sat on the throne. Luna's throne. The mere sight of a foe sitting on the throne made her blood boil. She charged at Daybreaker, only to be shoved backward by the alicorn's magic.

"I told you so," Daybreaker said. "And the Elements are stone! How can you use them? Such a feeble choice." She shot a fireball at Sunset.

Sunset deflected the fireball. The alicorn summoned another one. Before she shielded herself, the fireball blasted her toward the grand doors. She struggled to her height and parried Daybreaker's fiery blasts. This was the reason why she wanted to find the Elements in the first place.

Daybreaker flung Sunset toward the grand doors. "You may be courageous and powerful, but you are no match for me!" She charged at Sunset.

Sunset teleported out of the way. She shot a powerful beam toward Daybreaker. The powerful alicorn deflected the beam. She braced herself for another attack. "I would rather stop you than let you win!"

"That's rich, coming from a feeble unicorn!"

At once, a fiery beam emerged from Daybreaker's horn. Sunset's beam pushed the fiery beam back. Both beams pushed back and forth. "Daybreaker... you... won't... stop... us!" Her horn gave out. The fiery beam shoved her toward the throne.

Daybreaker loomed over Sunset. "You put up a good fight. But playtime is over. All six of you shall rot in prison!"

Sunset shot up. "Don't imprison us."

"I will do so." Daybreaker's horn glowed.

Sunset thought about the tale of two sisters. She recalled Luna speaking about Celestia. Perhaps some talking could allow Daybreaker to spare them. It might also weaken the alicorn's power. "You were originally Celestia, the princess who had been gone for a thousand years."

Daybreaker jerked her head away as if distracted by an invisible presence. She turned her glare back to Sunset. A strange mix of emotions began to show in her eyes. Those emotions were abruptly replaced by a wrathful grimace. "You've got to be kidding me. I won't let Celestia be herself ever again. As for Luna, she doesn't deserve a place on the throne."

"Think about how long you were banished. I'm sure you feel powerful, but you're not a good ruler. Luna wants her sister back. She misses Celestia."

Daybreaker's mane billowed like an everlasting wildfire as she levitated into the air. Her eyes glowed a dangerous shade of red. She seemed ready to set the whole castle on fire. "I don't care! I won't allow you to banish me a second time! I am Daybreaker, not Celestia! I won't return the throne to Luna, nor shall I release my host! Do not speak either name again, or else!"

Sunset's words didn't work. It only made Daybreaker angrier than ever. Before she gathered the Elements, Daybreaker formed a ring of fire around the whole group. The flames licked the ceiling. Daybreaker hovered above the ring of fire. She shouldn't have mentioned Celestia in the first place.

"There's a chance the Elements may banish you," Sunset said. "As they once did. You're filled with rage, hatred, and a lust for power."

"Why don't you fools give up?! Just face it. A regular pony won't defeat an alicorn. I shall slay those who stand in my way!" Daybreaker replied as she shot multiple fireballs at each pony.

"You can't stop us!"

"I can."

Rainbow charged at Daybreaker. "Go back to the sun, you monster!"

Daybreaker blasted Rainbow against the floor. "Never!"

Fluttershy rushed to Rainbow's side. "Please be okay..."

Rainbow opened her eyes. She groaned with pain. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I've handled worse."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Sunset, watch out!"

Sunset glanced around. A fireball hurtled toward her. She dodged it, then shot a beam at Daybreaker. "You are difficult!"

Daybreaker flashed a sadistic grin. "Difficult is right. When I returned from the sun, I took over. Everypony is afraid of me. And they should be. I am their empress! The six of you aren't afraid. Instead, you're too courageous. Sunset, we aren't so different. Both of us shine brighter than any other pony. Also, our cutie marks are similar."

Sunset jerked her head back and forth. "I'm nothing like you. I use my magic to benefit others, and I don't see my friends as inferior. They are unique in their own ways. I will never be like you. Evil alicorns aren't who I look up to. The only alicorn I look up to is Princess Luna, for she is a benevolent and kind ruler."

"And that is your reason? You shouldn't look up to her, but to me. Together, we can force her off the throne."

"It is my reason. I don't want to usurp the princess. She is more righteous than you'll ever be."

"Are you saying that I'm as terrible as everypony perceives me to be? You're no different than the rainbow pegasus. She said that I'm the worst. But I'm the best."

"In a way, yes. What you've done is terrible, and this needs to stop. Bring back the night. Without it, the land will perish."

Daybreaker snickered. "Ah, yes. The lovely night everypony has come to adore over the centuries. And what you love most shall never return to the skies!"

Sunset stomped her hoof against the floor. "It will come back! Don't assume you can win. I have my friends, and we will use the Elements."

"The night cannot grow crops, and neither can it shine light into the darkest corners of the Earth. Its darkness can only frighten ponies and cause nightmares. Do you know why foals are scared of the dark? Because monsters used to roam freely in the night."

"Then why did you refuse to lower the sun? Also, whenever a pony has a nightmare, Luna assists that pony. Her darkness is the righteous kind. If creatures, such as Timberwolves, ever threaten anypony at night, Luna will stop those creatures. She protects Equestria."

"Because villains lurk in the shadows-"

"Not all of them. You're visible to everypony who encounters you. Sometimes the light is used for harmful purposes."

A fiery aura surrounded Daybreaker's horn. "Silence! The day is my domain. It's not Luna's domain. If not for the sun, you won't have the crops that grow from the ground. And you need fire to light the darkness."

Even though they were enemies, Sunset had to agree with Daybreaker. However, Equestria still needed balance. Her internal clock told her it was evening, yet the sun wouldn't set. How would a pony sleep with the sun shining through the curtains? How would the crops grow under eternal heat? She levitated each Element in front of each pony. Daybreaker shot a fireball at them.

"Do not banish the glorious sun!" Daybreaker said.

Sunset formed a shield around her group. The fiery beam grew stronger. She sensed her magic growing weaker. Unlike alicorn magic, unicorn magic had limits. She groaned as the flames roared around the shield. Dark spots appeared in her vision. How much longer would she keep up? An ache grew in her horn with each passing second. She didn't want to fail anypony in Equestria.

"I can feel the shield weakening. You can't stop me," Daybreaker said. "Why would anypony desire the gloom and doom of night?"

"We still need the night. Without the night, Equestria will burn!" Sunset watched the shield disappear. Her head felt light. The last thing she remembered was Daybreaker's vicious cackle.

Sunset awakened after passing out. Instead of being in a throne room, she was in one of the castle hallways. Whatever was under her head felt soft. It was like a makeshift pillow, but the object was actually Rarity's saddlebag. The ache in her horn remained, although it wasn't as horrible. Had Daybreaker taken the Elements away again? She struggled to rise. Rainbow helped her stand. She quickly made sense of the situation.

"Did we lose the Elements again?" Sunset asked.

Rainbow shook her head. "We tricked Daybreaker. You should have seen the whole thing. We hid them in our saddlebags. She was gullible."

Fluttershy maintained eye contact. "Sunset, I was afraid that we would lose you."

Sunset sighed with relief. "So we still have the Elements. We're not giving up. Let's strike back."

Rainbow nodded. "Maybe we should try a surprise attack."

"She might hear us coming. I have a better idea."

"Alright, then."

Sunset led her group to the throne room. Daybreaker wasn't in here. For some reason, Luna was floating by the window, still trapped in the magical sphere. Did Daybreaker intend this to be a trap? She approached the sphere. Her mentor's eyes focused on something behind her.

"What is it?" Sunset asked.

"Look behind you!" Luna said.

Sunset whirled around. Daybreaker had formed a huge fireball. She deflected the fireball as soon as it hurtled toward her. If Daybreaker thought the trap could ensure the destruction of the group and also the princess, the trap had failed. She sported a determined smirk. At least her friends held the Elements.

Daybreaker approached the sphere. "Here she is. The moon princess thinks you can turn me into..." She shuddered. "Celestia. I won't let that happen. Ready for another match?"

Sunset stood her ground. "You can't defeat the Elements. Let me tell you this right now... Each one of my friends personify five of the six Elements."

Daybreaker paused for a moment before speaking. "What? You outsmarted me, didn't you?" She narrowed her eyes.