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// 13 The Sun and the Moon 
// Story: Nyx Returns 
// by Bronyxy 
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Luna’s eyes began to focus, taking in a pair of sparkling purple eyes set in a lilac face and she smiled.
“Twilight" she said "I upheld my promise.”
“I know – and you were so brave too; Nyx told me!”
“I have had to remove some of the memories from her mind; they were too horrible for her to bear.”
Twilight looked saddened and drew closer to Luna, saying nothing and waiting respectfully for her to continue, but there was only silence.

“I like this dream” said Luna eventually, looking around at the familiar scenery.
“Nyx made it for you.”
“It is perfect – I suspect she may have had some help though?”
Twilight smiled and Nyx came bounding over to greet her saviour.
“Hello Princess Luna! Do you like it?” she asked excitedly, before adding “Thank you for saving me.”
“I feel I have been here before” said Luna, gifting a warm smile “But I feel that once I have enough strength, we should return to the others.”

In Luna’s chambers, three alicorns began to move like mechanical mannequins on a steam organ suddenly dragged to life as a preordained sequence started up. Amidst the transition back to a waking state, Luna felt for the Wand, checking that it was still close to her.

There was cake and tea and more cake waiting for the travellers from the realm where everypony went, but none other than two special alicorns could control to their will. They rose slowly, tentatively as their bodies got used to moving in this realm again, everypony speaking at once and all wanting to hug and be hugged. It was a truly joyous reunification following the most unusual of separations.

Luna had agreed not to tell Twilight what happened as she didn’t want to force Nyx to hold the crumbling dream together longer than was absolutely necessary and it would take time to tell the story twice. Now there was no justification for further postponement and under prompting from everypony present she began her story, under the rapt gaze of all present.

“You will remember that as Nightmare Moon, Nyx split herself into individual clones, but the more there were, the weaker each individual was, full strength only being realised once all clones were joined back together. As Nyx and I have the same pedigree, I joined with her to make one alicorn in the belief that we would be stronger, and also there would be but one of us to protect.”

“Once you directed the alicorn magic at us, the entity realised it was under threat and attacked us with bad dreams too horrific to repeat. As the attack progressed, the entity recognised that it was losing the battle and increased the terror of the dreams to such a level that Nyx passed out. I too was on the point of becoming overwhelmed as the entity gave everything it had in a final outpouring of hate and I had to summoned the Wand of Fulfilment to prevent both of us from being destroyed. Just before I cast the spell, I jettisoned Nyx so that only I would suffer the curse of the Wand and not her as well. Fortunately, we prevailed.”

“My power was spent and I had nothing else to give except my body, so I wrapped myself around Nyx and purged her mind of the nightmares before I myself was overcome. I do believe this time that it is gone; I felt it die.”
“But what about you, Luna?” asked Twilight, shocked “You have paid a very high price.”

“I think I can help here” said Celestia “My Sister, you have proven yourself brave beyond measure and I am sorry that you felt it necessary to use that accursed relic. With your permission dear Luna, please would you allow me to transport it to the heart of the sun? Equestria is not prepared to lose you, and neither am I.”

Luna hung her head “Thank you Sister. You should know that I craved that Wand when I was becoming Nightmare Moon and I would have used its entire power against you to achieve my twisted aims. I am so pleased I never found it then and can only hope you forgive me.”
Celestia moved forward and held Luna with a closeness neither had shared for too long; a meeting of minds, of souls and sisterly love.

“I too have learned much dear Luna. I have not been the sister I should have been to you and I have not been the friend that I should have been to all of those thankfully present here now. I have learned through your courage and their courage what I need to do to be respected and trusted once more. Because I consider that I do so much for Equestria, I had forgotten to see the sacrifice that my friends and family make, and had grown to think of myself as better than everypony else. I am not, and I hope you will all forgive me.”

Celestia walked to the window and did something that had rarely ever been seen in the history of Equestria; she summoned the sun. As they watched, they all shared the moon’s surprise to see the sun rise in the middle of the night and hover in the sky next to the moon.

“The Wand please” she requested.
Luna passed it over and then all the Princesses watched as it flew from her towards the sun.
“No third spell, Luna. If Equestria falls, we fall together, but we will never stand by to see one of our own sacrifice herself.”
“Thank you, Sister,” said Luna.

Celestia turned to face the others in the room “I decree that I have made some bad decisions of late, but I should like to make it known henceforth that I approve of the match betwixt my Sister and my former student; may you both find happiness together. I also decree that the alicorn known as Nyx may, if she chooses think of me as her aunt and I promise to always look after her best interests.”

Cadence turned to a stunned looking Nyx and said “That must make us related! Let me show you a special dance – Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake …”

Celestia turned to her sister “I am so grateful to have you back, but I think now you may choose to spend some precious moments with somepony special. I shall leave the sun in the sky next to the moon to act as my blessing for the two of you.”

Luna and Twilight stood together looking out of the window as Celestia retired tactfully. Somewhere in the background they heard Cadence singing and could hear the playful giggles as Nyx tried to get the dance right.

Luna stretched her midnight blue wing out over Twilight and they both turned their heads towards each other, finally free to share the kiss of consummation they had both desired for so long.

From this moment on …