Nyx Returns

by Bronyxy

5 Nightmare Sparkle

Dear Princess Luna,

I have traced the wand, and it is early Unicornian as I suspect you already knew. It was known as the 'Wand of Fulfilment' and granted three spells to its bearer after which it extracted their soul and condemned them to eternal torment.

Its power was wielded by the High Mages initially for the benefit of the unicorns, but in those warlike times this soon cut down the number of senior ranking Mages, so after a while they cultivated a pool of willing acolytes who did as they were told and were then casually discarded to eternal damnation once the magic had run its course.

Over a period of time, its power was used for increasingly trivial wants and the acolytes could see their lives being sacrificed on an arms race between rival Mages for the building of ever bigger palaces and rebelled, allegedly destroying the wand thousands of years ago.

If this is the genuine artefact, and I have no reason to doubt its authenticity, then it must stay in your library. We must also be on our guard for what else Nyx may summon as we cannot allow such powerful items to be inadvertently used as playthings. I do not need to elaborate further on what effect that may have.

I also believe you know more about this item than you have so far seen fit to share with me. I hope you will allow me into your confidence, so we may discuss further.

Meanwhile, I shall be discouraging Nyx from further magic and focusing instead on flying until we can be assured that both she and everypony else will be safe from her unintended talents.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Luna sighed. She already knew all about the Wand of Fulfilment, as she had tried to summon it a thousand years ago in her misguided quest for revenge against her sister and Equestria's 'precious sun-loving ponies'. She reflected on her actions at that time and felt the full weight of shame and guilt bear down on her. All the time she had sought this wand it had eluded her, and now she had reformed her ways, it presented itself, providing her a sorry reminder of a past she wanted desperately to leave behind.

Luna shook herself out of her self-pitying mood and cleared her mind to rationalise. She was tired; there was a surge of magical activity in the dark realm that was demanding her attention - at least now she knew one of the causes; the sudden arrival of the Wand of Fulfilment.

***

"Thanks for coming over to help Nyx out with her flying guys" said Twilight to her two best pegasi friends.
"No problem Twilight" said the demure primrose animal lover "We'd be happy to help."
"We'll turn her into Wonderbolt material in no time, Twi!" added Rainbow Dash confidently.
"Shall we have a bite of lunch first?" suggested their hostess "I've got something ready just in case ..."

With nods of approval all round, the three friends filed through into the dining room where Nyx was helping set up.
"Hey Squirt, how ya doin'?" called the rainbow maned display flier "Heard you've been flying the wings off Princess Luna!"
Nyx blushed that the news of her night time lessons had reached the ears of everypony's favourite Wonderbolt, and became tongue-tied.

Fluttershy eased the tension by floating over to her side and chiming in "Did you do it at night time?"
Nyx nodded in response.
"I don't ordinarily like flying at night myself" said the shy pegasus "But I did it when I was a bat - can you imagine me as a giant yellow bat?"
The thought of this picture put a smile on Nyx's face and she giggled as Fluttershy joined in and gave her a gentle nuzzle.

"Lunch is served!" called Twilight, summoning the four of them to their places, all lovingly set by Nyx.
Rainbow sat next to Twilight with the other two friends opposite them, Nyx helping Twilight serve out the delightful treats that had been prepared for them. They all started, Fluttershy taking dainty nibbles while Rainbow stuffed her mouth full as she regaled the star struck filly with stories of her daring exploits.

"Nyx, would you pass the salt please?" asked Twilight.
The black filly obligingly focused her aura onto the salt cellar and was levitating it before her Mom could stop her. A red, orange and yellow ball started to form on the table, engulfing the cruet before Twilight could react.
"Nyx, no!" she cried, focusing her daughter suddenly onto what was happening before the astonished guests.

Nyx dived under the table whimpering apologies as the silver salt cellar took to the air on a pair of matching silver wings that it hadn't possessed only a few seconds earlier. It circled around the dining room in the manner of a small bird before Fluttershy held out a forehoof for it to land on.
"Well hello, Mister Salt Cellar" said the animal lover with her calming sing-song voice, reaching out with her other forehoof to stroke its back, gently crooning "There, there ..."

Rainbow and Twilight watched dumbstruck as their friend soothed and comforted the strangely enchanted condiment that was behaving just like a real bird, even fluttering its metal wings in response to Fluttershy's attentions. Under the table, Nyx was crying, terrified that she would be told off and ostracised by two very special friends.
"Come on out Nyx, no harm done" called her Mom in a soothing tone "Fluttershy's looking after it now."

The familiar wide turquoise eyes peered out over the table and didn't see any anger looking back, just surprise from Rainbow, a contented smile from Fluttershy and a supportive smile from her Mom. Confidence rising, she raised the whole of her face, but her eyes still looked scared and her lip was trembling.
"Hey Nyx" cut in Rainbow "That was one pretty neat trick. Know any others?"

"I think that's quite enough magic for one mealtime" said Twilight, stepping in to defend her daughter "Shall we continue with lunch?"
The three friends resumed their places and Nyx re-appeared to take her seat once more, the salt cellar hopping around contentedly on the table top and fluttering its wings periodically, checking out each of the guests in turn as an inquisitive spectator while they finished their meal.

Flying practice was an opportunity for Nyx to leave her worries behind as she learned speed and aerobatics from Rainbow, but learned equally as much about gentleness and grace from Fluttershy, both commending her highly for her progress. Twilight had to admit that she learned a trick or two from her friends as well, and was grateful that her daughter had completely immersed herself in this activity, enabling her to forget about all the strange events that they had both come to associate with her magic.

Later that evening, Twilight put her tired filly to bed and read her two bedtime stories, tucking her up and giving her a loving kiss goodnight.
"Mom" she said sleepily "If you do something and something else happens, but it might not be you that made it happen, is it still your fault?"
Twilight felt a sudden wave of panic run through her, but suppressed it and asked softly "Is there anything you feel you want to tell me?"
"It's only that we were playing hide and seek and Sweetie Belle said it wasn't a problem” she let out a tired yawn, then added sleepily “and then I won the game."
Twilight let out a gasp of relief - it was about nothing more than winning an innocent fillies' game. At least it wasn't anything to do with magic.

***

"Twilight Sparkle" Luna addressed the younger Princess "The dark realm is under attack like never before. My Sister is unable to exercise her magic in the night and Cadence's love magic finds few allies in the darkness. It is therefore as the Bearer of the Element of Magic and the most versatile practitioner of all the alicorns that I must come to seek your assistance."

They stood in Luna's chambers within the Royal Castle. The night was warm and the moon had risen. Twilight had flown up at the express behest of the Princess of the Night, and stood facing her now, looking up into her teal eyes.
"Of course Luna, what is it you want from me?"
"I require your presence with me in the dream realm."

A shudder ran through Twilight as the full enormity of Luna's request sunk in. This was Luna's personal domain, maintained on behalf of all of Equestria by her essence alone; she could not issue an invitation to anything more personal or more private. Even though lovers may have come to know her likes, her hobbies and even her body, none had ever had such an invitation extended to them. Twilight knew the bond of trust Luna must have felt to be able to extend this invitation, and understood instinctively there was only one answer.
"I accept."

Luna nodded her approval "Very well Twilight Sparkle, we have much to accomplish."
She produced a livery collar that looked to be an exact duplicate of her own.
"Wear this" she commanded, then Twilight felt Luna's aura slip it over her neck. She allowed herself a quick look in the mirror and felt a shiver of pride to see the distinctive livery collar emblazoned with the crescent moon hanging around her own neck.

Luna caught her eyeline and quipped "Nightmare Sparkle, perhaps?"
The dark humour caught her off guard and she flustered for a moment until she cottoned on .
"Yes Luna, I sentence everypony to eternal cross-referencing within my infinite library!" she joked back.
"A quite horrifying prospect" commented Luna, a wry smile starting to form on her face "Eternal Night seems a much less frightening concept by comparison, I think."
They shared a smile that reflected their trust, their love, but above all, their friendship.

"Come now Twilight Sparkle, we must do this together" said Luna, leading her newly deputised companion along a well-trodden path to a point where they could leave behind the physical reality of Equestria at slumber. From here, they would be able to emerge onto a higher plane, one where the myriad possibilities afforded by every ponies' dreams provided the prevailing reality - the dream realm.

Twilight had entered different transcendental states before but was amazed at how this one was not focused on herself as the enlightened traveller, but instead on a jumble of bubbles, each being a current dream reality from a pony asleep under the comforting tapestry of the night sky.

"In this state we can see, but cannot be seen unless I as the dream walker choose to communicate. The ability to reveal oneself to the dream caster does involve further magic, and this is perhaps something we can explore at another time. However, for now we must focus our attention on Ponyville and look for Nyx's dreams and also anything that looks wrong."
"But how will I know what looks wrong?" enquired Twilight "I'm a bit new to all this."
"If I am right, you should not be left in any doubt."

They drifted around from bubble to bubble, Twilight seeing a number of familiar faces, but not stopping long enough for anypony to label her as voyeuristic. If she noticed anything, it was how often certain attractive young mares appeared in so many dreams, clearly being the subconscious centre of attention of so many stallions and mares alike. Particularly popular seemed to be the florists Lily, Daisy and especially Roseluck, either individually or together in some scenarios that made Twilight blush and quickly move along.

"Twilight Sparkle, look!" called Luna, snapping Twilight away from some young stallion’s amorous aspirations and gesturing to a swirling mass of reds, oranges and yellows "I should wager we have just found what we seek."
Twilight's protective maternal response kicked in and she headed over in a flash, only to be intercepted by a midnight blue foreleg.
"No, it is not safe" warned Luna "We must approach with caution. My magic has already encountered this force and the Wand was the result; we do not know what may result in this realm."

Cold logic had its place, reasoned Twilight, but at the centre of that maelstrom could be her daughter and she would willingly sacrifice herself a hundred times, a thousand times or more just to ensure her safety. What could Luna know of the bond between mother and daughter anyway? By what right did she expect to intercede between mother and daughter when she knew nothing of motherhood herself? Who was Luna to tell her what ...

"Twilight! Twilight!" shouted Luna, shaking the lilac Princess by her shoulders "You must move away! It is feeding off you!"
She shook her head and a heavy blanket lifted from her mind just long enough for her to heed Luna's warning and pull back.
"Sorry, I ... I ..." she tailed off.

"It is alright Twilight" said Luna reassuringly "We will face this together."
"Yes" replied her friend with renewed resolve "Yes we will."

The two Princesses stood back at a safer distance and took stock of the situation.
"We don't even know for certain whether Nyx is in there" observed Twilight optimistically, "Right?"
Luna just stood stoically, her prolonged silence providing the most unwelcome of answers.
"One of us must confirm your assumption" she said eventually, her unblinking gaze focused on the swirling entity "We dare not risk attacking it if she is in there, but equally we cannot ignore it and allow it to grow."

"I am her mother" volunteered Twilight "I'll go."

"I do not suppose there is anything I can say that will make you change your mind?"

"I would lay down my life for her; I cannot ask that of you."

Comments

[Edguy0009]

Luna caught her eyeline and quipped "Nightmare Sparkle, perhaps?" The dark humour caught her off guard and she flustered for a moment until she cottoned on . "Yes Luna, I sentence everypony to eternal cross-referencing within my infinite library!" she joked back. "A quite horrifying prospect" commented Luna, a wry smile starting to form on her face "Eternal Night seems a much less frightening concept by comparison, I think." They shared a smile that reflected their trust, their love, but above all, their friendship.

LOLPTCD!

[Bronyxy]

8885542
"Aaaarghhh!" screams echo through an infinite library ...