After the death of her mother, Nyx carried on. Waiting until death would at last take her into its peaceful grasp. She went about her days as she typically did, telling stories of her many adventures with her mother and their friends to the current generation of foals.
She sat in one of the bedrooms of the even more ancient than her Canterlot Castle, reading the book Magic of Friendship to her current unicorn student, Evening Tide.
“And so my mother sent Luster Dawn to Ponyville to begin her own journey,” she concluded before closing the book.
“And Luster became an alicorn after defeating Grogar correct?” Evening asked.
Nyx nodded. “Yes, she earned her own wings after saving my mother.”
Evening thought for a moment. She was a blue pony like Nyx’s predecessor Princess Luna, and had a moon Cutie Mark like both Luna and Nyx. Though hers also sported a splashing tidal wave.
“Do you think, I might become an alicorn Princess Nyx?”
Nyx chuckled. “Anything is possible. We don’t know what the future holds after all.”
“Everyone was so shocked when Princess Twilight passed. They thought Alicorns were immortal.”
“There are many theories about us, Evening,” Nyx said. “We let every creature believe what they will. It has resulted in many popular folktales of us… though sadly many of them are tragic. Though in this one we sadly do have it tragic. The burden of having both a horn and wings, many ponies will be jealous of us. Perhaps that is why we are the victims of such tragic tales.”
“But when does yours end?” Evening asked.
“I don’t know. But it has been a long one,” Nyx said. “Both my mother and I have had very long lives. Long enough to fill perhaps an entire bookshelf or library. But the tale will always remain unless all the books are destroyed. Every creature knows the early story from five thousand years ago. Though in some versions I wasn’t in it. My mother never had children. Some have even been bold enough to have her give up the immortality she possesses in their versions to be with friends.”
“That does sound like a happier story. More bittersweet,” Evening said.
Nyx smiled. “Immortality is a thing with many opinions on it. Many could see it as a gift, others a curse worse than death. But I’m glad that I don’t have it and merely a longer lifespan. It has been hard watching many friends go while I remain. If my mother and I didn’t have each other… as well as Spike for a long time… we probably would have felt like hollow shells. We have coped though, knowing that one day we can be reunited with our friends. Even if we were full immortal that could happen. But I don’t know what I would choose if that were the case. Maybe I would have chosen to rid myself of immortality.”
Nyx sniffled a bit at the thought. She wiped the sprouting tears from her eyes with a hoof. Even after five thousand years of life she still tended to cry easily. Not as easy as when she’d been a filly… a filly that had never gone through a baby stage. Perhaps that had been part of the reason she cried so easily, because she was a big baby.
“Well, good night, Evening,” Nyx said before nuzzling her student.
“See you in the morning your highness,” Evening said as she pulled the covers over herself.
Nyx left the room and headed to her own bedchambers. It took her old hooves a long time to climb the stairs. As she neared them, she saw two familiar ponies. Luster Dawn and Flurry Heart both stood before her door.
“Hello Nyx,” Flurry Heart greeted her cousin.
“Hi cuz,” Nyx replied as she wrapped her forelegs around the younger alicorns body. “Hi, Luster.”
These were the last of them. The last member of her family, and the last friend she had from the first century of her life. All the others were gone, her mother and Twilight's friends as well as Nyx's, the first generation of the CMCs which Nyx had been part of. Celestia and Luna were gone as well, having succumbed to time after their alicorn magic reached its limit on life prolonging like her mother had… and soon would for her someday. Cadence and Shining Armor had both been killed protecting Flurry who had grown to rule Crystal Empire for many millenia before passing the crown to one of her descendants and coming to live with Twilight and Nyx in Canterlot. Even Discord, the obnoxious Spirit of Chaos was gone. He’d abandoned making chaos after the death of Fluttershy, the love of his life, and faded away.
“How’s Evening doing?” Luster asked.
“She’s fine. Enjoyed hearing about my mother’s early adventures,” Nyx said.
“Everypony loves Aunty Twilies story,” Flurry Heart said.
“Yes, and they will for a long long time,” Nyx said. “Even after we are all gone.”
Luster chuckled. “Princess Twilight’s tale was one to remember. I doubt mine will ever be as popular but that’s okay. She did much more than I ever did.”
“Well, we just thought we’d come say goodnight to you before you turned in,” Flurry said.
“Thank you,” Nyx said. “But before you go, there is something I should probably show you both.”
They entered her bedroom and Nyx pulled a book from off the desk with her magic and levitated it to Luster.
The youngest of the current alicorns looked at the title. “A Night Alicorns Guide to the Dream Realm.”
“When I am gone, the dream realm will need a new guardian. Its rare for ponies to get nightmares nowadays but there is still an occasion need. You are the youngest of us Luster, I’m going to trust it to you to give that to the next alicorn of the moon. That could be Evening, but we shall see… or at least you will. I doubt I have the years remaining to train her if she does become an alicorn so I have to leave that torch for you just in case.”
Luster nodded slowly, knowing that Nyx didn’t have long before her time would finally come. She still had the body of an Alicorn in her prime, though that would change in the next couple decades.
“Don’t worry Nyx, I’ll make sure whoever takes over the night roles gets this.”
“Thank you, Luster.” Nyx yawned, she looked over to her bed and with steps that seemed to get harder than ever climbed into it.
“Good night Nyx,” Flurry Heart said. “Sleep well.”
“I will,” Nyx said.
Both of the other alicorns left the room as Nyx watched. Her vision blurred. She sighed, was this the sign that her time was upon her? If so, she wouldn’t complain.
Nyx looked over to her bookshelf and levitated something out for what might have been a final look. Her own book of memories… made by her friends Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootalo. It showed pictures of them all together, along with her mother Twilight. Memories that she had always treasured throughout her life. Just like Twilight had told her, her friends lived in her memories. She had not forgotten them even after all this time… but she still yearned to be with them. Finally that time was drawing close.
Nyx flipped through as many pages as she could with her horn. It seemed to take more effort to lift the pages with her magic, like it had after she had been freed from her transformation into the new Nightmare Moon by Spell Nexus. She looked over the pictures of her playing tag with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, riding on her mothers back, and cooking dinner with Spike. These precious memories she’d kept all these millennia. She looked at them until her eyes couldn’t stay open anymore and she drifted off.
When she woke the next morning, Nyx could not rise. She had no strength, barely able to move. She could only lie in bed and wait for the inevitable. But no fear pulled at her heart. She’d lived a long and happy life, made many friends.
Soon her bedroom door opened and Flurry Heart entered her cousins room.
“Nyx! Breakfast is ready!”
Nyx looked up with a small smile and shook her head.
“I can’t… I can’t… come.”
“Why not?” Flurry asked in concern.
Nyx broke into a song, her final song.
“My time is upon me. I am going to go and see my mother… and all our friends from long long ago. My life has been good but now it must… end.”
Tears appeared in Flurry Heart’s eyes and she walked over to her cousin and pulled her into a hug just as Nyx had done for Twilight over a decade ago.
“I love you Nyx,” Flurry said.
“Love you too cousin,” Nyx said.
Flurry Heart remained hugging her for a time, then slowly pulled away and wiped her eyes with a hoof.
“I’ll- I’ll go and tell everypony,” she choked out. “Get Evening to come and say goodbye.”
Flurry left for a time as Nyx felt weaker, she rest her head on her pillow. Though she was weak , she was not in pain. For that she was grateful. This was a peaceful way to go. Soon Flurry returned along with Luster, Evening, and a handful of other students that Nyx had taught.
“Princess Nyx!” Evening cried out as tears appeared in her eyes. The other students were likewise teary eyed.
Evening and the other fillies gathered around Nyx on her bed.
“Its okay little ones,” Nyx said.
“How can it be okay when you’re… you’re…” Evening couldn’t finish.
“No pony lives forever Evening. I’ve lived longer than most,” Nyx said. “But death will come for all of us sooner or later. That’s why we must not fear it and accept it. I am going to be with my mother again.”
“How do you know that?” Evening asked.
“I have faith,” Nyx said. “We will see all see each other again in the next world someday. No matter how long it might… take.”
Her vision began to fade away, Nyx knew she didn't have much time left.
"Luster," she called out weakly.
"Yes?" Her mother's first top student asked.
"Remember your promise," Nyx requested.
"Of course, I'll do my best to teach her and the others," Luster promised, putting a hoof on Evening.
A white light appeared in her vision though her eyes were closed. And from that light she saw somepony very familiar, though it had been a long time since she’d seen her mother in that form. Twilight was the same size as when she had first found Nyx stuck in a thorn bush. Nyx meanwhile, had turned back into the filly Twilight had pulled out of the bush.
“Hello my child,” Twilight said.
“Mommy,” Nyx said, galloping forward and jumping into Twilight’s forelegs.
Mother and daughter held each other for a long time. Embracing each other in the greatest love there was possible in the world, love that stretched beyond life, death, and time itself. Just like friendship which could be just as powerful.
“Nyx!” a familiar voice called out.
Nyx looked over Twilight’s shoulder and saw the spirits of three familiar fillies. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Behind them were five other familiar looking mares that Nyx recognized instantly as her mothers first best friends.
Twilight released her daughter from the embrace and Nyx ran over to her own first friends.
“I missed you all so much!” Nyx shouted out as tears filled her eyes and she threw her hooves around the three of them.
“We missed you too,” Sweetie Belle said hugging her.
“Hey Nyx, look I can fly in the afterlife!” Scootaloo said as she flapped her little wings which had never in her lifetime grown large enough to support her.
Nyx smiled. “You finally got your dream.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait for you to see me race Rainbow Dash now!” Scootalloo said.
The said Pegasus with the multicolored mane walked up. “Hey there, Nyx.”
Nyx smiled at her and all of Twilight’s friends.
“I missed you all!” Nyx said.
“We did as well, darling. We’ve been apart for a very long time, but we’ve always been with you as well,” Rarity said.
“In your heart, just as you’ve been in ours. Even if they’re not quite beating,” Applejack said.
Spike than came forward and put his arms around her. "Hi, sis."
Nyx nuzzled her adoptive brother warmly. Twilight soon came by her side. “Come, my child, lets go and meet with all the others.”
Nyx nodded. She and her mother were where they wanted to be, with all their friends. It had taken a long time to be reunited with them… but here they all were… at last.
Author's Note
I had thought of making a little sequel to my currently most loved story, then someone requested it and I just had to do it.
Even if Twilight outlives her friends, that doesn't mean it has to be forever depending on our imagination. I have a different headcanon of course where she doesn't, but we all choose to believe what we choose.
Hope you will like this story as well.
