Nyx Returns

by Bronyxy

2 'Princess Business'

Twilight thought at length about what Luna had told her. She was alone in the library and the hour was late, but sleep would elude her until she had rationalised what she was going to do about Nyx. She was certain of one thing - nopony was ever going to take her away again without her permission.

She gave a deep sigh as she reflected on the inevitability of what had happened; firstly, Nyx had been born of an evil magic inherited from Nightmare Moon, not from real parents - strike 1.

Next, she had been created without the checks and balances in her personality derived from Luna before she was Nightmare Moon, as those memories had been reclaimed by Luna herself when the shreds had been left behind - strike 2.

Finally, at her judgement, Luna had extracted the memories of banishment and the actions that had led up to it, but in performing that act of mercy, what else had she accidentally removed or left in place? Did this constitute a strike 3, and even if it did, would she be prepared to watch as yet more punishment was handed down, even if it was for the good of Equestria?

She at least knew the answer to this last question - she would fight to the death to protect her daughter, her precious Nyx no matter what anypony said or did.

It boiled down to this; she trusted Luna more than she trusted Celestia, and if Luna was suggesting that Nyx had magic that was too powerful for her to control, then she would indeed need help in learning to master it. Fine, but who was best placed to help? The more she cast around for an answer, the more it became apparent that the responsibility clearly fell on her as not only her mother but also the Bearer of the Element of Magic.

She sat at her table, face in her hooves, wrestling with these difficult issues from different perspectives to try and see some way through, but every different approach seemed to lead to more and more unpalatable answers.

Gradually she started to become aware of another presence in the room and turned to see two beautiful turquoise eyes with vertical slit irises, framed by an inquisitive black face.
"Nyx" she said, gently stroking her black muzzle with her forehoof "It's late, you should be in bed."
"Actually, Mom" she replied "It's morning; I've just got up. Is everything alright?"
"Princess Business, that's all" soothed Twilight, stroking her daughter affectionately.

"I didn't do anything wrong when we had breakfast with Princess Luna or Princess Celestia, did I?" she asked tentatively.
"No Nyx. Like I said, Princess Business."
"That's alright then" said Nyx "Because she's always really nice to me and I wouldn't ever want to upset her."
"Even though she took your powers away and turned you back into a filly again?"

Nyx thought for a moment before answering "Yes. I was still a filly even though I was in a grown-up body with really scary magic. If I had wanted that magic and learned it for myself, I wouldn't have liked her to take it away, but I didn't ever really know what I was doing, only what I was told to do. I'm glad it's over and I can grow into the pony I want to be, not what somepony else wants me to be."
Twilight smiled at the strength of her daughter's moral conviction and was going to say something when Nyx continued "She could have banished me. I believe Princess Celestia would have."
Twilight felt that she ought to defend her former mentor, but she knew Nyx was right and couldn't bring herself to fabricate some mollifying lie, so let her daughter's opinion hang unchallenged.

Dear Princess Luna,

I thank you for having taken my daughter under your tutelage and am delighted to advise you of the high regard in which she holds you. The rich and varied curriculum you have devised is also stretching her physically as well as mentally, and I have been delighted to see her develop her interest in self-learning.

I have also given some thought to what you told me about her aptitude for magic and have both considered and dismissed every possible tutor within the School for Gifted Unicorns, for reasons I can explain on an individual basis should you choose.

Owing to her unique bonds with both of us and our particular talents in magic, I can only suggest we combine our skills and teach her ourselves. Whilst I recognise this places an additional burden on your time, I believe if we nurture and support her, then her talents can join with ours to support Equestria rather than potentially come to oppose us in the fullness of time.

I should welcome the opportunity to discuss this further.

With fondest regards,

Your friend

Twilight Sparkle.

"Spike, send this scroll please" she said, simultaneously putting down her quill and rolling up the letter she had just finished.
"Sure thing, Twi" he responded obligingly, exhaling a gout of green flame that relayed the scroll across the ether to its recipient in Canterlot. He had noticed the volume of traffic to Princess Luna increasing recently as that to Princess Celestia had been diminishing in direct proportion.

He also noticed how Twilight was presenting him with completed scrolls these days rather than dictating to him. This meant that he no longer knew what the messages contained - not that he was prying, but he did none the less feel more 'out of the loop' and was inquisitive as to what was going on. However, every time he asked, he was just told that it was Princess Business. In fact, he observed that this was increasingly being offered as the standard answer any time somepony asked her a question.

His reverie was punctuated abruptly as he belched up a sealed scroll marked for Twilight's attention.
"Want me to read it for you?" he asked with an air of outward expectancy that he felt unlikely to be fulfilled.
"Thank you, Spike" she replied "That won't be necessary."
"Anything your number one assistant can help you with?"
"No Spike ..."
"Uh, let me guess" he said, deflating, "Princess Business?"
"Sorry Spike, but there's ... things."
"OK, I get it Twi" he responded a little dejectedly.

Twilight unfurled the scroll and began reading. Sensing his moment, Spike continued "So I guess I should catch up on some comics then ...?"
"Uh huh" acknowledged Twilight absent-mindedly, her eyes busily tracking left to right across the scroll.
"Yes!" whispered Spike to himself triumphantly as he set off for his stash of comics.
He heard Twilight monologuing in that way she did when she read to herself, but didn't focus on the words - she always talked to herself when she read something interesting anyway.

"Secret stash ..." he picked up from her rambling and stopped in his tracks; how had she known?

He looked back at her and saw that her eyes hadn't left the scroll. That had been an uncomfortably close coincidence, so he decided to trot off as fast as he could without being rude.

Behind him, the scroll vanished in a puff of smoke. The magical impetus that caused the scroll's premature demise radiated outwards catching Spike unawares and sending a shiver through his body making him freeze on the spot, his eyes wide with shock. In a split second he realised he had the opportunity to turn back and behold some powerful and unexpected magical manifestation appear in the library, or make good his escape and hit his comics. He chose the latter, and once he had satisfied himself that Twilight wasn't in any danger, ran off before anything else weird happened.

The scroll from Princess Luna had only enjoyed a short life, but one that had conveyed a secret of huge significance. Twilight played the message over again in her mind's eye before she could have the chance to forget it:

Dear Twilight,

This is a magically sealed scroll.

The message will only appear if you take an oath never to reveal the content without my permission.

If you wish to proceed, say 'I promise Luna' and you will be bound by the oath for eternity. If you do not proceed, I will bear you no ill will.

Twilight's curiosity had of course got the better of her as Luna knew it would and as soon as she had pledged her oath, the remainder of the letter suddenly materialised before her eyes:

Dear Twilight,

When I fell out with my Sister, I could not have summoned the magic to become Nightmare Moon by myself. Instead, I drew upon long forgotten ancient texts written by the Mages of Unicornia that predated the unification of the three tribes.

Nopony knew they still existed, so I hid them in the Castle of the Two Sisters in a safe place under many layers of complicated spells. I am confident that to this day nopony has found them and that you, Twilight Sparkle, are now the only other living pony who even knows of their existence. This is a secret even from my own Sister. I have not looked at these arcane texts since my banishment, but I am prepared to retrieve them and direct you to those which will train Nyx's talents for good, whilst not showing her those that can, as in my case, lead to corruption of the soul.

In this way, she will reach her potential and become a powerful protector of Equestria and also one day a ruling Princess in her own right.

However, this power comes at a price; temptation. We will need to work together to keep each other in check as exposure to dark magic deepens the longing to satisfy personal desires, sometimes at high personal cost.

I tell you this because I trust you, Twilight Sparkle. We do not have to go this way, but if we do, we must be prepared for the consequences.

This message will now destroy itself leaving no record that it ever existed. Remember the oath you have taken.

Signed, Luna.

Twilight stood open-mouthed at what she had read and squealed as the scroll spontaneously combusted in front of her, a look of indelible shock etched on her face. Had she really read such a scroll from Luna? If so, then it surely bordered on being treasonous!

She paced vexedly as she always did when she was stressed, mulling over what she now knew. Although initially shocked, the more she thought, the more she came to convince herself that this was in fact the only way forward.