So here I am, quietly having lunch with Luna. We didn't sit in the main dining hall; instead, Luna and I usually choose the Princess dining room. It's a small room, meant for five ponies, and very cozy. It's the perfect place for a friendly meal with Luna. Today, we're having red lentil soup, pasta with fresh tomatoes and garlic for the main course, and apple strudel for dessert—one of Luna's favorites. After finishing my portion, I happily watched my friend enjoy her dessert. Then, a rather interesting thought came to me, something I had never mentioned before.

"Luna, how's Nightmare Moon doing?" I asked, watching the happy expression of the pony eating her dessert.

"Mmm, she's doing well. Why do you ask?" Luna responded, pausing mid-bite, genuinely puzzled by the question.

"I'm just a little concerned. I’ve never seen her. Do you let her take control?"

"I let her out at night so no one sees. She's quite sensitive, just like me. But she's a wonderful advisor and a friend, always there to support me," Luna said confidently, making it hard to doubt her words.

"I understand, but I've still never seen her. I wonder what she looks like?"

"She looks like you, yet doesn't at the same time."

"Can you describe her?" I asked eagerly.

"She's about your height, has fangs, and her eyes are a bit different. But that's where the similarities end. Her coat is darker than mine. If my coat is the color of twilight, then Nighty's—emphasis on the 'a'—is more like the deep night," Luna explained with enthusiasm, clearly seeing my growing interest.

"Wow, that's so cool! I'd love to meet her. Could you introduce us?" I asked, scooting closer to Luna.

"Sorry, Daybie, but Nighty doesn't like meeting other ponies much... she doesn’t really like ponies in general," Luna declined my request.

"I see... But if she ever wants to, I'll be here," I said, chuckling at the shortened version of Nightmare Moon's name.

...

"By the way, tell Nightmare Moon I think her nickname is adorable," I blurted out.

Luna's face instantly flushed bright red. Realizing what was happening, she awkwardly turned her gaze toward the window, trying to focus on the scenery outside. I really should ask Celestia what she thinks of Nightmare Moon. It seemed like an ordinary lunch with a close friend, but in reality, I learned a lot. What Luna is afraid of—Celestia and I will definitely have a serious conversation about that—what Nightmare Moon looks like, and her personality. I also discovered another sweet side of Luna. By the way, I realized something: I never hear Celestia in my head when I’m in control of the body. I wonder why? Does she go into a sleep-like state?

***

That evening, I had a serious conversation with Celestia. I waited until she finished her royal duties, ate with her sister, and took a shower. And just as she was preparing for bed, I decided to act. I thought it best to start the conversation with something distant, slowly leading into what I wanted to discuss.

"Celestia, did you know how adorably your sister can blush?" I asked, carefully choosing my words.

"What did you say to make her blush?" Celestia asked playfully.

"I complimented her choice of a shortened name for Nightmare Moon. She calls her 'Nighty.' After my compliment, she turned bright red. I'd never seen her like that," I explained, watching Celestia’s intrigued expression.

"I'm glad you two get along," Celestia said, genuinely proud of her little sister.

"Celestia, are you interested in Nightmare?" I began the serious part of the conversation.

"No, should I be? She doesn’t talk about her, and I don’t ask," Celestia said, looking at me with a confused expression.

"But how could you not, Celestia! You two are sisters. How can you not be curious about Luna's other side?" I asked, smoothly transitioning to the main point.

"Well, you know how much work I have lately—handling state affairs, maintaining ties with the aristocracy. I have to make sure everything is done properly, like a true queen of Equestria. So, there’s hardly any time for personal matters, let alone talking to my sister," Celestia finished, lowering her head.

"I understand, Celestia, but she's still your sister. You need to make time, or you’ll grow apart!" I loudly declared, trying to convey the importance of my message.

"That will never happen. She’s sensitive, yes, but she would never betray her family."

"You don’t get it. Right now, you’re the one betraying her! Do you know how much it hurts her that no one admires her night sky? Luna thinks no one loves or appreciates her. And her own sister can barely find time to talk to her," I lashed out, confronting the pony closest to me in all of Equestria.

"You’re the one who asked for time to control MY body, and now you’re wasting that time on training and talking to my sister! I could have spent that time with her," Celestia retorted, but I wasn't ready to back down. There was no turning back now.

"It’s not just your body—it’s mine too. Isn’t it fair to let me have some time?"

"And you wonder why I don't talk to my sister as much? Because you've taken MY time and use it to talk to MY sister!" Celestia hissed, her voice dripping with jealousy.

"Celestia, what’s wrong with you? I’m just trying to help," I backed off slightly.

"I’m exhausted from the day, and now you're wearing me out with this meaningless conversation..."

"It’s not meaningless—it’s important! It’s about your beloved sister!" I pressed forward.

"Nothing is more important than Equestria, no matter how that sounds. I can fix things with my sister later, but the affairs of the kingdom cannot wait," Celestia coldly replied.

"Celestia, listen to me—you can never turn your back on family, even if family turns their back on you!" I said, feeling like I was delivering an important truth.

"ENOUGH! Starting tomorrow, I’m reducing your time by an hour, just enough for me to spend that time with my sister. Are you happy now?" Celestia spat back at me, clearly enraged.

"If you really use that time with Luna, then yes, I’m willing to make that sacrifice," I said firmly.

"You better believe it," Celestia snarled, her anger boiling over.

That’s how our fateful conversation ended. I finally understood how Celestia felt when I told her new things about her sister. She was jealous—jealous that, with all her royal duties, she could barely find time for a meal with Luna, and even then, the conversation revolved around official matters. Luna had taken on the role of organizing palace events and reporting her work to her older sister at the dinner table. I don't like how things are developing between me and Celestia. But I don't know how to fix this situation. What should I do?

***

Time passed since that conversation. Celestia continued to distance herself from me. She listened to me less, considering me more of a nuisance in her head than a friend or advisor. As she had wanted, I was left with only two hours of control per day, just enough time to focus on my combat skills. I decided to try my hand at magic, and it turned out I had a talent for it. This discovery was a small ray of light in the growing darkness. My magic, though, was quite unusual. I'd love to ask Star Swirl about it, but unfortunately, he disappeared a long time ago.

"Will he ever return?"

I hope so. Only he could resolve this conflict between me and Celestia. Anyway, my talent turned out to be quite interesting: aside from the usual spells like teleportation, magic beams, and telekinesis, I unlocked a new, previously unknown form of magic—fire magic, as I called it. I even searched the royal library for information on it but found nothing.

"It must be a gift from the sun itself, to help me protect Equestria when the time comes."

I learned how to create massive fireballs with destructive power, and I also mastered the ability to transform my body into a state of liquid flame. It's a very useful spell for covert operations, though at night, the flame becomes too bright, making it difficult to stay hidden. Furthermore, I tested an important hypothesis.

"Can I set something on fire while in flame form?"

It turned out I couldn't. Apparently, the liquid flame form is purely magical, and the fire doesn't cause harm to the world around it, which is a good thing. For my talent and skill, our soldiers started calling me "Mistress of Flame." I loved that nickname. It seemed to speak for me, as if I truly was the ruler of fire.

***

"YES, I DID IT!" I proudly declared.

Today marks a truly significant day for both me and the warriors of the entire kingdom. I finally defeated the strongest warrior in our ranks. His name was Loyal Heart—a tall, strong pony with white fur and a blue mane. No one could match his skill with a glaive—until today. I had fully mastered the art of handling this weapon and decided to try my luck in a duel.

"And I did it!"

"I want to jump for joy."

The duel was long. By the end, we were both exhausted, but that’s when my physical endurance training paid off. In the decisive moment, I took control and knocked the ground out from under my opponent. Even though it was just a training glaive, the blow was strong enough to knock an adult pony down. And so, with this triumph, my duel with Loyal Heart ended. I helped him up, and we tapped hooves in mutual respect. After this, all the soldiers of the Royal Guard began to respect me. Word of my victory spread beyond the Castle of the Two Sisters, reaching all corners of the kingdom. This event helped me realize my true purpose: I must protect all the ponies in this kingdom and make Equestria a truly great country.

However, dark clouds were gathering. Celly still hadn’t had a proper talk with her sister. Instead, she kept pestering her with questions about preparations for various events, using not the familiar shortened name as before, but addressing her by the formal title—"Princess Luna."

"How can you speak to your own sister like that?"

Luna hated being addressed that way, and so did I. I desperately wanted to hammer into my friend’s head that everything she was doing now was completely disgusting and vile. She was creating a massive chasm between herself and her sister.

"I need to talk to her while she still listens to me!"

Waiting for the evening, I began to put my plan into action.

"Celly, we need to have a serious talk!" I boomed inside Selly’s mind, causing her to flinch a little.

"Yes, Daybreaker, what is it?" she asked wearily, no longer addressing me as a friend, but using my full name.

"Why have you stopped treating Luna like your sister?" I began my attack.

"Because, as Queen of Equestria, I must address every pony according to their title and status. You should address me officially too."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SHE’S YOUR SISTER!" I yelled at her, causing Celly to be taken aback, though she quickly regained her composure.

"Stop yelling, it’s irritating," Celly snarled in response to my outburst.

"How can I not yell! You two were inseparable from childhood! When I see you tormenting her with questions about work, my heart breaks," I couldn’t hold back anymore and voiced everything I thought about this situation.

"It is her duty to report to me about all her work, as I am the Queen of Equestria!"

"Who put this idea in your head that it's right to push your family aside, putting royal duties first?" I asked, unable to take her logic any longer.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, DAYBREAKER!" Queen Celestia yelled back.

At that moment, I realized the point of no return had been crossed, and the relationship Celly and I once had would never return. Nor would the Celly I once knew. Instead, there was only "Queen Celestia." There was no point in arguing anymore. She wouldn't listen, only drifting further away. For the first time, I felt out of place—not just in the situation, but in my own body, as if I were becoming a prisoner of Queen Celestia.

"If you stopped wasting my time with your silly glaive practice, maybe I could talk to my sister like before," Queen Celestia stated her wish, layered with lies.

"Ah, I see. I understand what she wants from me. Well, in that case, I see no reason to deny her. Celestia can take my time with or without my consent."

"Very well, Queen Celestia, I will give you my time, but please promise that you will talk to your sister, Princess Luna, and resolve all misunderstandings," I addressed her formally, unable to hide the sadness in my voice.

"I will. Thank you for your reasonable decision, Daybreaker," the queen ended that awful conversation.

After that talk, I stopped speaking to Queen Celestia, which she was delighted about. As she had promised, Celestia did talk to her sister. Well... talked... It was more of a long monologue, where she accused poor Luna of prioritizing her personal feelings over her royal duties. After that fateful conversation, Luna completely withdrew into herself. She locked herself in her room and almost stopped eating, crying constantly.

"Poor thing, I just want to hug you..."

***

"This is revolting..."

I was literally nauseated by everything Celestia was doing. Even from her herself. The way she sweetly ingratiated herself with the aristocrats, just so they wouldn’t express any dislike for the queen. All these meetings were dripping with hypocrisy, in which Celestia was drowning, mistaking it for sincerity. I began to grow angry with the aristocrats and rightly blame them for all the trouble they brought to our family. Being inside the queen’s mind, I decided to focus on solving the main issue.

"How do I bring the old Celly back?"

She no longer listens to me. Whatever I say, she does the opposite. So, the only one who can help is Luna. But she’s completely broken after that conversation.

"I’ll have to wait until Luna gathers her strength and finally speaks out to Celestia. Until then, I’ll just have to be patient," were my last thoughts before I started waiting for the right moment.

Author's Note

Hello everyone Thank you very much for such an ardent feedback. I've read all the comments and I want to clarify something. The first is Daybreaker's memories, which our main character comprehends. And secondly, this is the fact that in this and subsequent chapters a non-canonical Celestia will be shown, so the history of their relationship dates back to ancient times. Celestia will only understand what the path of harmony is from time to time. This is au. I will keep writing "Celly" to call Celestia a little shorter, if you don't mind. Hope you like my story