Eternal flame of Daybreaker

From the Luna Perspective

We found ourselves in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by gray craters and rocks. And above us, stars filled the sky.

“What’s that?” I asked, staring at our home planet among the stars.

“Nightmare, where are we?” I turned to my companion.

“I lost…” Nightmare said, eyes wide open.

She clutched her head with her hooves, paralyzed with shock. Seeing her like that made my heart sink, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

“W-what do you mean ‘I l-lost’?” I stammered.

“I didn’t foresee this obvious outcome…” Nightmare continued her panicked rambling, as if I didn’t exist.

“Answer me! What have you done?” I grabbed her by the hooves.

Nightmare looked at me with startled eyes, as though noticing me for the first time. Her face radiated fear and terror, making me feel even more anxious. Unable to hide from me, she finally told me everything. By the time she finished, I was so overwhelmed that I fainted.

***

Over time, you get used to the eerie silence and stillness on the Moon. The unchanging landscape of gray craters and plains was oddly calming at first, a quiet retreat from royal life. If only this retreat didn’t last for a thousand years. I’ve done both good and bad in my life, but what I did recently crossed every line.

I agreed to Nighmare’s plan, hoping it would finally get through to my sister and bring back Daybie. I never imagined Nightmare would lead an entire army of thestrals to stage a coup. She only mentioned that she would help resolve my conflict with Tia. How did it come to this? I shouldn’t have given up control of my body. I should’ve just talked to my sister. She had been asking for an audience ever since that conversation. What should I do now? Am I really going to spend a thousand years on the Moon?

***

According to my calculations, several years have passed since my imprisonment in this prison. Nightmare constantly talked about revenge and settling the score with Celestia. I tried to dissuade her, and sometimes it worked. Other times, it didn’t, and we argued. But we always made up quickly—there was no one else here but the two of us. We couldn’t afford to fight all the time or we’d go mad. How is Daybie without me? And Tia? Are they doing well? I hope the thestrals weren’t punished too harshly. The only one who deserves punishment is me…

***

To stave off insanity from boredom, we began studying magic in depth, through trial and error. Of course, it was combat magic—Nightmare insisted, and I agreed. At least it kept her entertained and improved her mood. She walked around so defeated, probably still upset about losing to Tia. She felt like she let me down by not planning everything perfectly. I told her that no one can plan for everything and that things go wrong sometimes, but she wouldn’t listen. Nightmare is like a little foal. I need to raise her properly so she understands that life doesn’t always go as planned.

***

I started telling Nightmare stories about heroic deeds I had read in the royal archives—stories of self-sacrifice and heroism in the defense of defenseless ponies. At first, Nightmare snorted and interrupted me, but over time, she became an avid listener. Now, she listens with rapt attention, hanging on my every word. Heh, it’s true what they say: every foal just needs the right approach. During the day, we practiced offensive and defensive magic, and at night, I told her stories of ancient Equestria before bed.

“Is it even appropriate to say ‘day’ and ‘night’ when we’re on the Moon?” I wondered.

But who cares? We’re here alone anyway.

We discovered an interesting fact: it’s possible to sleep on the Moon. For us, it’s a way to pass the time in this imprisonment. Sleep also helps us restore mana.

***

We’ve created and mastered many offensive and defensive spells, trying to find a way out of this place. Nightmare is getting smarter and smarter, coming up with interesting insights from the stories I tell her. She talks about the life lessons she’s learned from the legends, even lessons I hadn’t noticed. I’m running out of stories for my little foal. What will I do when they run out?

“Maybe I can introduce her to something else?”

“Like art, for example? Painting, or perhaps I could teach her how to use magic to build things?”

There’s the path of creation. I like that much more than the path of destruction.

“I must teach my Nightmare about art!” I thought excitedly.

***

I started teaching her to paint. We built a small studio. Our canvas was a flat wall about a meter by a meter. By using offensive magic, we burned the rocks and soil, creating something like ink. I showed her a few examples and gave her a brush, which we made from our manes, so she could try it too. Nightmare began to paint. How happy I was! Although, for now, it’s not very good. But that comes with practice. Art is such a multifaceted thing. Sometimes the creator pours so much emotion and feeling into their work that it seems simple and unpretentious at first glance. But that’s something you can sense immediately.

“Oh, when will my Nightmare become a master?” I wondered, full of anticipation.

We have more than enough time. I believe that in time, my little foal will surpass me. That’s how it always goes—the student surpasses the teacher. And that is something the teacher should take pride in. Art is wonderful because it’s something you can pass on, like leaving a mark on history.

***

It’s been over two hundred years since we were placed in this prison. I’ve taught Nightmare various forms of art, even architecture. Though I don’t know much about it myself, I had to rely on my memories to recreate the Castle of the Two Sisters here on the Moon. After months of painstaking work, we did it. But what happened next left a deep mark on our relationship.

“Nightmare, what are you doing?” I asked, surprised by her actions.

“What does it look like?” Nightmare replied with a question of her own.

Nightmare gathered stones of different sizes around her. Then, using telekinesis, she hurled them toward our creation with great force.

BOOM!

“WHY?! WE WORKED SO HARD!” I screamed internally as she demolished the castle.

“Wasn’t that the point of building it? To destroy it?”

Why destroy it right away? We could at least admire our work!

“Nightmare, listen! You don’t have to destroy everything. This is art!” I protested in our mind.

“Why do we need this ‘art’ in this damn prison?” my foal began to grow angry.

Nightmare started to tremble, her back arched, and her eye twitched. Oh no, something’s about to happen...

“DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I FEEL WHEN I LOOK AT THIS UGLY THING?!” Nightmare yelled, making me instinctively cover my ears with my hooves.

“Why is she so upset? Could it all be because of that day?”

“To me, this castle is a reminder of the terrible deed I committed, the one that brought us here!” Nightmare said, kicking a stone toward the ruins.

Her little face fell. She could no longer gaze at the stars the way she used to. Her wings drooped, and she lay down, staring at the remains of the castle.

“Luna… I’m nothing but pure evil, capable only of destruction... Even the art you taught me doesn’t appeal to me anymore…” she said, beginning to sob.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her face with her hooves and quietly wept, curled up into a ball.

“Nightmare, listen to me. You’re not to blame. I’m the one who’s responsible for this. I’m the real evil here…”

“No, Luna, y-you’re the most wonderful pony I know,” Nightmare interrupted, sobbing.

“You’ve taught me so much, shown me what’s right and wrong, but I couldn’t even help you when you needed it the most…” she said, crying harder than before.

“Oh, my Nightmare, my poor little foal, come here,” I called to her in our subconscious.

Nightmare slowly approached me, staggering. She kept her gaze lowered, not daring to meet my eyes. I threw my hooves around her neck and hugged her so tightly that her bones creaked.

“You’re the sweetest and kindest child in the world,” I said, embracing her even more, with both my hooves and wings.

Nightmare began sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in my mane like it was a pillow.

“Even when everyone was against me, you stood up and defended me until the very end!” I said confidently. “You’re a true protector, and I’m so proud of you.”

Nighmare’s eyes widened after hearing my words. It seemed like she had been told exactly what she needed to hear. She started crying even harder. My little Nightmare finally understood that I would always love her, no matter what.

“Mom… Mom, I’m so sorry for how everything turned out…” my little Nightmare whispered, filled with regret.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault,” I said, stroking her head.

Nightmare hesitated to pull away from my affection, but instead of moving, she leaned into me. It seemed like my touch comforted her more than anything else in the world.

“I’m truly happy that, of all the ponies, you are my mother... and th-thank you for being here.”

Night pressed herself even closer, rubbing her soft fur against me.

"Sweetheart," I thought fondly.

“No, I should be the one thanking fate for giving me such a wonderful daughter!”

“Nighty, my dear Nighty...” I whispered while stroking my precious child, and tears began streaming down my face.

We lay there, holding each other for a long time, no longer crying from sorrow but from joy. Before we knew it, we had fallen asleep. It felt like we could handle anything, even a thousand-year exile, because we were a real family.

***

More time passed. I stopped counting the days. Why would I? With my Nighty, I could spend an eternity. I loved learning more about her, watching her grow into herself, and seeing how sharp her mind was becoming. It was as if I was changing along with her, becoming wiser every day. I had long forgiven my sister for what she'd done and how she treated me. Besides, without it, I wouldn’t have such a close bond with Nightmare. All I wanted now was for her to meet Daybie soon. I was sure they would become the best of friends. Oh, I couldn't wait to see them together. That day would be truly wonderful.

***

Nightmare and I had tried many ideas and methods to escape this exile, but nothing worked. It started giving me insomnia. I was desperately searching for any clue that could help us reach our goal. I missed Tia, Daybie, and my thestrals so much I was ready to climb the walls. Nighty pretended not to notice, but one day, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Mom, can I help you sleep?” Nightmare asked, seeing me gnawing at my hooves in deep thought.

“Help me with what?” I snapped out of my thoughts, looking at Nighty. She looked scared.

"She's worried about her mother..." I thought with regret.

What kind of mother torments her child like this? I had to stop losing my mind over this damned Moon. I needed to stay strong. Otherwise, Nighty would worry even more. I couldn’t hurt my child!

“I can help you sleep, Mom,” Nightmare said, stepping closer.

“H-how will you help me sleep?” I asked, stunned.

“Well, thanks to our memories, I can now use a sleep spell. It'll let you rest for a while. You’ll get some real sleep,” Nighty said softly, snuggling into me.

During our time in exile, I’d learned that my little one loved curling up on my chest and gently snoozing while I told her stories.

“You can do that now? Just as I thought, my Nighty is the smartest pony in the world!” I said, petting her head, making her let out a little hum of delight.

“W-well, don’t flatter me too much…” Nightmare blurted out, her cheeks flushing with a cute blush.

“Mom, will you let me help you?” Nighty asked, her big eyes wide open.

“Just like a kitten!” I thought, and I couldn’t resist giving my little one’s cheek a playful squeeze.

“Though, this kitten is one and a half times my size,” I giggled to myself.

“Of course, Nighty! If you really want to help, how could I stop you?” I approved her idea.

Nightmare nodded, pulled away from our hug, and stood in front of me, pointing her horn in my direction.

“Alright, Mom, with your permission, I’ll send you to sleep,” she said as she prepared the spell.

My eyelids grew heavy. Sleepiness overtook me, and I started drifting off. I dreamt of something warm and comforting, and in the morning, I woke up in Nightmare’s embrace. I gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, and a soft, happy smile spread across her face.

“M-morning, how’d you sleep?” Nighty asked groggily.

“I slept well! Thank you so much. You’re the best!” I hugged Nightmare in gratitude for the good night’s rest.

***

After that, Nighty kept putting me to sleep. That became our routine. I didn’t even realize how much I’d come to rely on her to fall asleep. To pass the time, we made up all kinds of games. We played, laughed, even though we both knew there was no escape. I noticed Nightmare sometimes got lost in deep thought, staring at the stars like she was searching for answers. Something was troubling my little one. I was concerned, but by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. Oh, if only I’d known where my carelessness would lead.

***

Nightmare woke me in the middle of our sleep. I opened my eyes and rubbed them with my hoof, still half-asleep.

“Nighty, what’s wrong? Why did you wake me in the middle of the night?” I asked, yawning.

“Mom, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I hurt so many ponies back then, including your sister and Daybie... and e-even you,” Nightmare’s voice wavered.

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming pressure coming from Nighty. My eyes snapped open, and I saw her preparing a powerful spell.

“No, don’t tell me...”

“You don’t deserve this punishment, Mom,” Nightmare said, tears streaming from her eyes. Her lips trembled, and I could see how much it hurt her to say this.

“I’ve decided it’s best if I spend the rest of my days on the Moon alone,” she said, her voice heavy with pain.

“No, Nighty, listen, you don’t need to make this sacrifice. I’m here with you, and we’ll get through this together, because...”

“It’s the only way, M-mom. It’s the only way I can atone for what I did.”

Her fur stood on end, her lips quivered, and she looked at me with eyes full of pain and regret. I’d never seen her like this before.

“P-please, don’t... You don’t have to do this…” I jumped in front of her, openly pleading with her not to go through with it.

But Nighty didn’t listen. I tried to step closer to hug my daughter, but in an instant, she stopped trembling and looked at me with a gaze I would never forget. That look froze me in place, unable to take another step.

“I’m your protector,” echoed through our minds.

“I hope you can forgive me for this, and… thank you, Mom, for everything you’ve done for me, and… goodbye,” Nightmare said, wearing the purest, most sincere smile I’d ever seen.

“NIGHTY!!!” I screamed, but it was too late.

A blinding white light filled our minds. I froze for a moment, then collapsed onto the ground. My eyes betrayed me and closed. My thoughts slipped away, my head grew heavy, and it became harder and harder to think.

“N-no... I-I need... to be with her,” were my final thoughts before darkness took me, and I fell into eternal sleep.